Clarendon’s spring is busting out all over!
To say that I spent the bulk of last week in my car would be an understatement.
Between spreading the good news about the
It is that special time when Clarendon really begins to show off her splendor. Folks are getting out in their yards, taking way too much sun and stripping away the doldrums of winter to make room for the green and floral lushness that will soon overtake us.
There is probably no more beautiful site than heading north on Brooks Street, just as you approach the intersection of Old Georgetown Road.
The park next to the Manning City Hall has literally burst into white with all the Bradford pear trees. Yes, they make a lot of us cough and sneeze, but they are oh, so pretty.
On Thursday, I went to Manning Primary to Kay Prothro’s third grade class to witness Bank of Clarendon CFO Louis Griffith reading a book on character development to the students.
I make it no secret that I am generally allergic to small children but I was impressed by how well these children were behaved, how well they responded to Louis and how intelligent their comments and questions were.
I will always believe that our schools get an unfair rap and I am quick to challenge anyone who criticizes them to be sure they have been an eye witness to what goes on there.
I get to go to all the schools in our county and I find the same thing over and over again. Students who are well behaved and respectful, teachers who are using innovative methods to involve their children and facilities that, for the most part, are clean and well kept.
Sadly, there are a lot of misconceptions about our schools, both public and private, that would be laid to rest if folks would stop making assumptions based on what they hear instead of what they have seen with their own eyes.
Thursday night I attended the Clarendon Historical Society and saw their guest speaker, St. Paul native Bertie Bowman.
Bowman’s story is the American dream … he ran away from home at age 13, traveled basically alone to Washington, D.C. and made a life for himself and got an education. He is currently the Hearing Coordinator for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His job is to make sure everything runs smoothly, that the committee members as well as the witnesses have everything they need and to interface with the media.
Sounds like juggling chainsaws to me … and the man is 78 years old.
Despite his age, he has a zest for life that I believe will carry him a long way. When asked what he would do if he retired, he said, chuckling, “Sit on the couch and watch TV, just like you!” I don’t see Bertie Bowman slowing down anytime soon!
I was invited to go to the Horse Branch community last Friday to celebrate the completion of a project bringing public water to the homeowners there.
A project several decades in the making, the situation had gotten so desperate that some homeowners were running common garden hoses from one house to another just to have water to wash with.
Humans shouldn’t have to live like that in the 21st century but bureaucratic red tape kept this project from reality for far too long.
District 3 County Councilman Benton Blakely was at the Horse Branch Baptist Church to kick off the celebration. The few gathered individuals there “toasted” the new system with big red cups of icy Horse Branch water. You could see the smiles of relief on these folks’ faces.
Saturday night took me back up to Turbeville to attend the Turbeville Southern Methodist Church’s benefit spaghetti dinner as the guest of Chuck and Marie Dukes.
Marie and her fellow church members are going on a mission trip to Honduras this summer and the funds raised at Saturday night’s dinner and silent auction will be used to buy food to distribute while there.
Beans and rice (sure is nice!) could mean the difference between starvation and thriving to some of the people there. I so admire people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and do for the less fortunate. I could never do it but I am happy to be of support to those who are.
Our collective plates just get fuller and fuller. April will bring not one, but two festivals: The Puddin Swamp Festival, April 16-17, and the world famous Striped Bass Festival’s Big Weekend, April 23-24. Both festivals will crown beauty queens the weekend before and both will have enough activities (and fried food) to satisfy any festival attendant.
May will bring the Weldon “Back to the Future” Party on May 1. Relay for Life is May 7-8 and the Taste of Clarendon on May 22.
Are you not just exhausted from all there is to do? I am now to the point when someone complains about there not being anything to do here, that I just bust out laughing.
Take advantage of this most beautiful time of the year and all the worthwhile things there are to do here. You’ll make some friends, support some great causes and just plain have fun.
Now get out there!
