7/31/12 - Check it out in Clarendon County

Can you believe we are already talking about going back to school and college football?

Clarendon Hall starts on Aug. 15, LMA’s calendar says it’s Aug. 16 for them, and public schools start on Aug. 20. Remember that South Carolina’s tax-free weekend (for certain items) is this weekend, Aug. 3-5. Just about everything and anything needed for school is tax exempt so go do some school shopping this weekend and please support local business by keeping your dollars in Clarendon! See the entire list of exempt items at http://bit.ly/Q7c8KK(I shortened it because it was a mile long).

In addition to school preparedness, there are some great things happening in Clarendon County to put on your calendar.

The Clarendon County Recreation Department is hosting a bevy of classes and events that are sure to get you going. In fact, a Line Dancing class started today (Wednesday) at 9 a.m. but will also be repeated on Monday evenings, at 5 p.m. This hour-long class is just $5 per class and is held at the Clarendon County Community Center, behind Weldon Auditorium. They will be teaching all kinds of different line dances and it is all geared to the level of the participants.

The Third Annual Dancing with the Clarendon Stars will be held at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 4 at the Cypress Center. For 2012, this event will benefit Clarendon Habitat for Humanity, the Turbeville Children’s Home and the Cypress Foundation. Log onto www.clarendoncountydancingwiththestars.comto see who is dancing and how you can easily support this wonderful event. You won’t believe who is on this year’s roster! Get your votes in for your favorites.

This might just be THE ultimate kid event – Nic @ Nite, from 6-8:30 p.m., Aug. 6-8.

For three, county ‘em three nights, Seacoast Church-Manning will hold their annual event at Manning High School. Pastor Jim Fleming and scores of volunteers will oversee games, silly competitions and more water than can be imagined. As Pastor Jim says, “Prepare to get wet!” This is a completely free event for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade. Bigger kids can volunteer. As part of all this frivolity is an important message about the value of having God in your life. I’ve observed this event before, and I can assure you that your children will have a barrel of fun and get a wholesome message to boot!

At 10 a.m. on Aug. 11, the Clarendon County Rec. Dept. will sponsor a presentation on Self-Reflexology. Self- Reflexology teaches you how to perform a firm massage of the feet or hands. You will be able to learn about all the pressure points linked to different parts of the body. The science-based techniques of reflexology are used by the medical profession to increase circulation, promote relaxation and reduce stress. This allows the body to send healing to itself. Sounds very interesting.

How does this sound for a fine Friday night? “Three Trucks and a Movie!”Main Street Manningis hosting the county’s largest picnic with a variety of food trucks coming and a free movie to follow. All the fun starts at 6 pm on Aug. 17, at the county gazebo at Mill and Keitt Streets. The film will be “The Lion King,” which has been widely seen but is SO good you could see it again and again.

Get out your big gold chains, shiny shirts and platform shoes and prepare to boogie down. The Rec. Dept. will sponsor a Back-to-School Disco Night, 6-9 p.m., Aug. 24. Shake off the tensions of those first few days and dance the night away. Tickets are just $2 for adults and teenagers, kids 12 and under get in free. There will be some food vendors there, so make a night of it!

Then the next day, the same Rec. Dept. will offer a one-day arts and crafts camp for kids. It’s from 9-10:30 on Aug. 25. Registration is required, call Bridgett Epperson at 433-0103 or 473-3542. It’s just $10 a kid and that includes materials.

On Sept. 6 at Weldon Auditorium, Clarendon County will welcome the world famous Gatlin Brothers! Larry, Steve and Rudy are still making great music across the nation and will bring their traditional country harmonies to our own Weldon Auditorium. These guys are classic entertainers and they provide very family-friendly fun! Again, more details as the time get closer, but please do mark your calendars now.

This is a very big deal! The Clarendon Junior Ambassadors, a women’s group that is similar to the Clarendon Junior Chamber, will hold a Miss Clarendon Pageant, a run-up to the Miss South Carolina and Miss America scholarship pageants. On Sept. 15, we will crown what could potentially be Miss America 2014. If you are interested in participating, call Ericka Floyd at 435-4405 or email missclarendonpageant@yahoo.com. And start practicing your, “There she is …”

If you are organizing an event to which the public would be welcome, please let me know and I will try to feature it here. Send all the details to news@clarendoncitizen.com.

Have a fabulous week and keep staying cool!