Lake City Community Planner for Sept. 23

Olanta Fall Festival

The Olanta Beautification Committee will sponsor the Olanta Fall Festival from Oct. 1 to 3.

All events will take place on Main Street in Olanta. The carnival opens Oct. 1, and tickets will be available at the carnival site.

The following night will open with a street dance featuring Looks EZ from Rock Hill SC. Food vendors will be on hand with a variety of down-home cooking.

The festival’s Oct. 3 events will open at 9 a.m. with onstage entertainment featuring performances from local talent, a craft show, and food vendors. A gospel singing featuring the Bluebirds from Barrineau/Olanta area, Cross Anchor from Sumter, The Believers Quartet from Sumter and Brian Parker from Olanta will begin at 5:00 p.m.

A few craft spaces still remain, and no fee is charged for setup.

Anyone who has questions or is interested in participating in the festival should call Debbie Floyd at (843) 396-9282 or Barbara Burgess at (843) 396-4497.

Carver alumni event

Carver High School Alumni Association’s second annual affair will begin with a meet and greet from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ronald E. McNair Middle School’s cafeteria. A tailgate and cookout will take place from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday on the Ronald E. McNair athletics field. Bring family members. A Saturday Social Affair will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight at the National Guard Armory on Calhoun Street. Tickets are $15 each; contact Cynthia Wilson Burgess for tickets. On Sunday, alumni will attend a worship service at Greater St. James AME Church on Moore Street.

Lake City High reunion

The Lake City High School Class of 1989 reunion is scheduled for Oct. 10. Anyone who knows anyone from the school’s class of 1989 is asked to call Sharise Lloyd at (704) 890-0918 for more details. All members of the class of 1989 are asked to send their payments as soon as possible to Lloyd at 6012 Bayfield Parkway, No. 165, Concord, NC 28027.

Free legal clinics

The South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program will sponsor four free legal clinics in Lake City during September and October. The clinics will be held at the Lake City Public Library, at 221 E. Main St., from 6 to 7:15 p.m.

The schedule is as follows:

• Sept. 29 — family law issues, featuring James D. Dotson
• Oct. 6 — magistrate court issues, featuring Tasha B. Thompson

A schedule of other upcoming seminars throughout the state is available at http://www.scbar.org/clinics. For more information, call the South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program at (803) 799-4015, ext. 158, or (800) 395-3425, ext. 158.

Health career fair

Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church will present a health career fair at from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the church’s Family Life Center.

The church is located at 112 Deep River St. in Lake City. The fair will offer financial information for college, food, prizes and more.
For more information, contact Vivian Hailes at or (843) 394-8458.

Pamplico Cypress Festival

The Fifth Annual Pamplico Cypress Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on Main Street in Pamplico. This year’s festival will feature amusement rides, live entertainment, food, games, vendors, inflatables, bingo, a tennis tournament, a softball tournament, a classic car show, a DJ and a beauty pageant. For information, call Festival Coordinator Cindy Weatherford at (843) 493-5111 or Pamplico Town Hall at (843) 493-5551.

McNair 5K Run/Walk

The Fifth Annual Dr. Ronald E. McNair 5K Run/Walk and Health Fair will take place Oct. 17 in Lake City.

The event will kick off at 8 a.m. at the Ronald E. McNair Memorial Park, on East Main Street next to the Lake City Public Library.

The event for all ages will include the 5K run and walk, a one-mile fun walk, a half-mile kids run, games, balloons, prizes and refreshments for all.

Health care professionals also will provide free health screenings and health information in the Town Square.

Registration forms for the race events are available at the Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce, at 144 S. Acline St.; the National Bean Market Museum Gift Shop, at 127 E. Main St. in Lake City; and from members of the Ron McNair Committee.

Registration fees for the race are $15 for adults and $7 for students younger than 18. On-site registrations will require a $5 late fee.
Call (843) 389-3282 for more information.

Cheese tasting social

The Lake City Senior Center, at 198 N. Acline St., will hold a cheese tasting social from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29. The event is presented by Hobnob Gourmet. Seating is limited. To RSVP or get more information, call (843) 394-2815.

Fire prevention parade
The Lake City Fire Department will have its annual Fire Prevention Parade on Oct. 8.

Lake City Fire Chief Tony Singletary said the parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the parade lineup beginning at 4 p.m. in front of the Lake City Shrimper, at 340 W. Main St., and ending at Main Street Elementary School.

Singletary said fire departments from across South Carolina are scheduled to participate in the parade as well as several local high school bands.

For more information, call Lake City Fire Department at (843) 394-2470.

FMU fall workshop

The Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty will hold its fall workshop from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the McNair Science Building’s Chapman Auditorium on the FMU campus.

The theme of this year’s workshop is “How 2: Classroom Strategies that Work!” Sessions will focus on research-based classroom strategies and best practices in the following areas as they relate to the needs and abilities of children of poverty.

To register for the workshop, go to http://www.fmucenterofexcellence.org/fmu/fs_workshop.asp. Registration is free to all partner district educators and $10 for all other participants. Professional development recertification hours will be awarded to all participants.

In conjunction with the workshop, the Center of Excellence Service Committee is sponsoring a canned food drive. Participants are asked to bring their donations to benefit Harvest Hope Food Bank and Kid’s Café.

Free classes for adults

St. Teresa Community Outreach and Empowerment is offering free classes in September for adult basic education, practice GED, English as a second language, practice citizenship and homework for your child while you study. For information, call (843) 394-1676.

Bat box building event

“Build Your Own Bat Box” workshops will take place at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 3. at Lynches River County Park Environmental Discovery Center, at 5094 County Park Road, Coward. Do your part for bat conservation and make a bat box to take home. All materials are provided for free. Registration is required, and space is limited to 10 participants per time slot. Children must be accompanied by an adult. To sign up or get more information, call (843) 389-0550 or visit http://www.lynchesriverpark.com.

Senior Health Fair

The Leatherman Senior Center/Senior Citizens Association in collaboration with McLeod Hospital will hold its second annual Senior Health Fair from 8:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 9. The location will be at the senior center, 600 Senior Way, Florence. For information, call Nikki Rotan or Fannie Kennedy at (843) 669-6761.

‘South Pacific’ auditions

The Lake City Community Theatre has announced the audition dates for “South Pacific,” which it will present in March.

Auditions are scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2 at the Blanding Street Auditorium, at 125 S. Blanding St. in Lake City.

The musical features parts for adults and teens as well as a part for a boy from the age of 6 to 8 and a girl between 9 and 11 years old.

“South Pacific” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific,” by James A. Michener.

The music is by Richard Rodgers, lyrics are by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book is by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan.

Grants for nonprofits

The Women In Philanthropy Fund of the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation has announced $10,000 available in grants.

Applications can be downloaded from the Web site http://www.easterncarolinacf.org and are due no later than Sept. 30.

The grant objectives are support for health, housing, nutrition and well being of individuals and families through capacity-building grants.

Nonprofits in Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg counties are eligible to apply.

Please call the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation at (843) 667-1131 for information.

Narconon

No matter where you are or what day it is, if your loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, get them into an effective substance abuse treatment program as soon as possible. For information on the drug and alcohol rehabilitation program at Narconon Arrowhead, call (800) 468-6933 or visit http://www.stopaddiction.com. Narconon offers free counseling, assessments and referrals to more than 11,000 centers nationwide.

PalmettoPride grants

PalmettoPride has made available two new grants in their 2009-10-grant cycle: the Challenge for the Environment and the Keep South Carolina Beautiful (KSCB) grant. 

The Challenge for the Environment Grant is designed to get elementary, middle and high school students involved in activities that will educate them and their communities about the importance of keeping their state clean and attractive, while promoting in the next generation a sense of pride in the community. 

Any accredited school may apply for this grant.

The KSCB Grant is available for all Keep America Beautiful affiliates in South Carolina. 

The grants became available Tuesday. The completed applications will be due on Oct. 26. 

Applications are available for download at http://www.palmettopride.org.

For more information on the tree grant, please contact Sherryl Jenkins, grants coordinator for PalmettoPride, at (877) 725-7733 or .

Free trees

Everyone from South Carolina who becomes a member of the Arbor Day Foundation in September will receive 10 free trees as part of the foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

The 10 trees are eastern redbud, white pine, sugar maple, white flowering dogwood, pin oak, red maple, river birch, silver maple, northern red oak and Colorado blue spruce.

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between Oct. 15 and Dec. 10. The six-to12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge. Planting instructions are enclosed with each shipment of trees.

New members receive The Tree Book, which includes information about tree planting and care.

To receive the free trees, send a $10 membership contribution to Ten Trees, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410 by Sept. 30 or join online at http://www.arborday.org.

Women in the Outdoors Event

Women in the Outdoors will hold an event from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Wild Turkey Center, headquarters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, in Edgefield.

The event will offer opportunities for women to gain hands-on experience from expert instructors in classes including archery, candle making, canoeing, outdoor survival, self-protection, shot gunning and Dutch-oven cooking.

Registration for this event includes lunch and costs $30 for federation members or $60 for nonmembers.

Call Teresa Carroll at (803) 637-7551 or visit http://www.womenintheoutdoors.org/wito for more information and to register.

Farmers market

The Lake City Farmers Market will hold the following scheduled activities:

• First Saturday of every month — yard sales
• Second and fourth Saturdays of every month — bake sales
• Third Saturday of every month — barter days

If you are a nonprofit organization or group and need to do a fundraiser, please contact the National Bean Market Museum office to participate in any of the above activities. If you participate in the yard sales for profit, a $5 fee is required for joining the yard sale group.

On barter days, there is no charge for the public to bring items to the market to trade with others who participate (the farmers market is not included in barter days). 

For more information, call Sherri Moore at (843) 374-1500.

Kidney Cars

Donated cars help provide many life-saving programs for half a million people living with kidney disease throughout South Carolina.

A donated car provides:

1. Free health screenings for 20 people, giving them life-saving information
2. Emergency financial aid for four kidney patients in financial crisis
3. Transportation for two kidney patients to dialysis treatments for one month

These are a few of the many programs the National Kidney Foundation uses Kidney Cars to fund. One in eight South Carolinians has chronic kidney disease, and your old car can make a huge impact in their lives. Donated cars don’t even have to run.

The National Kidney Foundations is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization, and contributions are tax-deductible.

For information, call (800) 488-2277 or visit http://www.kidneysc.org.

Young Entrepreneurs

The South Carolina Council on Economic Education and Merrill Lynch are looking for five elementary, middle or high school students who have taken up the challenge of running their own businesses. These young people must understand the costs and benefits of working for themselves and be willing to share their experiences with their peers.

The five 2010 Merrill Lynch Young Entrepreneurs will be interviewed on the ETV Stock Market Program, which is broadcast to schools during the fall and spring semesters. In addition, the five entrepreneurs will receive a $200 cash prize.

If you know a student who fits the profile of a Young Entrepreneur, fill out the Merrill Lynch Young Entrepreneur Nomination Form at the SC Council on Economic Education’s Web site at http://www.sceconomics.org/entrepreneur_form.htm. Teachers, parents, community members or even young entrepreneurs themselves may complete the form.

Poetry fellowship

The South Carolina Academy of Authors recently announced The Carrie McCray Nickens Fellowship in Poetry, which will be awarded annually in April in the amount of $500.

Applicants must be South Carolina residents, and manuscripts must be typed and submitted on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper.  There is no restriction to form or content.

The deadline for entries is Nov. 13.  The winner of the fellowship will be notified by March 1, 2010. 

To apply, applicants should send three copies of manuscript with a separate cover sheet. Each manuscript must consist of six to 10 pages of poems, with no more than one page per poem. The poet’s name must not appear on all manuscript pages.

Electronic submissions will not be accepted. Each manuscript cover sheet must contain poet’s name and contact information (U.S. Postal Service mailing address, e-mail address, phone number) and titles of poems.

Each submission must be accompanied by a $5 entry fee, payable to South Carolina Academy of Authors.

Applicants may submit manuscripts and application fee to Phebe Davidson, Fellowship Chair, SCAA, 911 Point Road, Westminster, SC 29693.  The winner will be notified by e-mail or telephone.

South Carolina Academy of Authors board members cannot apply.

Tree seedlings for sale

The South Carolina Forestry Commission is again offering tree seedlings in preparation for the winter planting season.

The commission’s Taylor Nursery grows more than 35 varieties of trees for sale, including 10 selections of pine and 18 different hardwood species. Also available are bald cypress, red cedar, Atlantic white cedar, palmetto (the state tree) and several shrub and grass species.

For the timber grower, we have a number of selections of high-value loblolly pines. Disease resistance and fast growth make these seedlings suitable for woodlots and landscaped yards alike.

Despite the recent downturn in home construction, state and federal forestry experts say demand for South Carolina timber will remain strong in the long run. Also, in addition to traditional uses such as lumber, plywood and paper, wood can provide an energy source that will help South Carolinians become more energy independent in the years to come.

Orders are expected to be brisk, especially for longleaf pine seedlings, so put your order in early.

Orders may be scheduled for UPS shipping or for pick-up at the commission’s Taylor Nursery in Edgefield County beginning in December.
More information and our catalog are available at http://www.trees.sc.gov or by calling the nursery at (803) 275-3578.

The SC Forestry Commission’s mission is to protect and develop South Carolina’s forest resource. For every $1 invested by South Carolina in the commission, the industry produces about $1,000 of economic impact.

Harvesting guidelines

Landowners planning to cut timber can protect the environment by using water quality guidelines. Free services from the South Carolina Forestry Commission can help prevent erosion and protect streams during timber harvesting.

The guidelines, called best management practices (BMPs) for forestry, help logging operations avoid environmental impacts. On request, Forestry Commission specialists will provide on-site recommendations and assistance with a free courtesy exam, which almost always results in higher compliance with best management practices.

The Forestry Commission also monitors logging operations and cooperates with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to take action when failure to follow guidelines affects water quality. Experts say South Carolina loggers get high marks, with 98.6 percent overall best management practices compliance.

For a courtesy exam on your logging job, call Guy Sabin at (803) 896-8593.