Smiling Faces....Beautiful Places

Right before coming to school, the Advertiser sent me out to take pictures of Ford Elementary School's first day. The following pictures were not used, but I love them. The kids were so excited and happy, oh childhood.


The actual picture that the paper used can be found on the front of The Laurens County Advertiser August 19th Edition.

Anyway enjoy.

love the eyes. :).



The bus looks so huge and daunting to these little guys.



The quintessential little lonely girl. A little out of focus.

First day of school...

Wednesday, First Day of Sophomore Year:
It is currently 9:30, and I have finished checking and double checking emails and syllabus. I guess I am ready, but I am not looking forward to my CRTW, (Critical Reading Thinking and Writing).

This whole summer I have been used to writing brief, to-the-point news stories, which is completely different from what I have heard this class will be like.

A lot of essays...therefore straining to squeeze two more pages out of something that could be summed up in less than five columns.

I want to know why there is a white teddy bear sitting sentry outside of Thomson above the walkway. And everyone should listen to this in the morning. (Lille- Lisa Hannigan.)

Organic gardener puts a little green in "Blue Hose"

Local gardener to put a little green in the blue hose

by Kathleen Brown

For The Advertiser


It’s been said that gifted gardeners are blessed with a certain green appendage that enables them to grow things, while others beg and poke at a little lump in the dirt, which may or may not be photosynthesizing its last breath.

But 34-year-old Daniel Parson, a Clinton agriculturist, seems to be spreading his “green thumb” wherever he can sink a spade.

Parson’s Produce, located on the Bush River Farm in Clinton, contains one acre of various crops that he cultivates and sells to a number of Laurens County residents in a subscription-type membership.




Every Wednesday, his “subscribers” can come by the farm and pick up the vegetables, from okra to Swiss chard, that Parson has harvested that week.

“I have all kinds of stuff, diversity is my thing.” Parson said.

At least half of his members are in some way associated with Presbyterian College, due to his wife’s position as an English professor. This close relationship with the college enabled Parson to hear about a grant that the college’s environmental group, “Green Hose,” received that would apply and fund any sustainability programs. The specific program refers to the method of farming that produces large amounts of crop without causing environmental damage.


Eager to share his passion and talents, Parson asked, and was granted his own assignment under the grant that will be funded by the school for two years.

“I think it’s going to be a fun project,” Parson said

P.C. has given Parson a 7,500 sq. foot plot of land on campus to hold a student-run organic garden under his management. He plans to work closely with the students, which will include the P.C. garden club, freelance volunteers, and several freshman seminar classes.

“We chose to start this fall because everyone will be back in school,” Parson said, “and we’ll be able to harvest before they go home.”

Parson plans for students to be able to grow their own crops using his distinct organic methods, and then sell them back to the P.C. dining hall when they are harvested.

“Young people nowadays don’t get that much exposure to it (farming),” Parson said. “The actual cycle of taking food from where it’s produced and having it on the table for dinner – you don’t see that.”

Several P.C. students, like senior Hunter Barnhardt, have already put in their time at Parson’s Produce plot.

“I know that Daniel really believes in what he’s doing,” Barnhardt said. “It’s great when we can get produce from our own property, especially organically.”


Barnhardt is excited to see the growth of the P.C. plot and hopes that he can continue to help out where he is needed with the garden.

“It (the success) is really going to depend on how involved people get with the garden from the beginning,” Barnhardt said.

Parson plans to use his own method of farming that he has developed since graduating from Clemson University with a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture.


“I first got into agriculture because I wanted to grow my own food.” Parson said. “Now this is my living.”

Since Clemson, Parson has worked on several organic farms and has owned his own, most recently, a one-and-a-half acre plot in Atlanta.

Although Parson has farmed strictly organically on his plot in Clinton, due to the plot’s previous occupation, as alpaca grazing fields, he cannot legally call his produce organic.



“Right now it’s been three years since the last prohibited substance was on this land.” According to Parson, an organically prohibited item could be the hay that was used or pesticides.

“People always ask me, ‘if you’re organic how do you deal with the pests and crop fertility,’ and my answer is ‘crop rotation,’” Parson said.


Parson explained that his method of crop rotation is derived from a modern practice used in Japan involving sustainable agriculture.

"Crop rotation, deals with each plant’s specific (scientific) family,” Parson said. “For example I would never plant potatoes after tomatoes.”


Parson’s passion for agriculture goes hand in hand with his efforts to be eco-friendly.

“The organic movement is really a relationship with the environment, and food is place where I do that.” Parson said.

P.C. students will get their hands dirty in the campus plot this Saturday during the school’s Freshman Service Day, when Parson hopes he can share the passion he has for agriculture.


“Until I fall over in the field one day, this is what I’ll be doing.” Parson said with a smile.

Budget cuts hit all walks of life

Story I wrote for the Advertiser about the local Federation for The Blind that will soon have to close its doors unless it receives funds. This was a really heartbreaking story to work on. These people will have no where else to turn if the center closes its doors.

What I could not put in the story was that the United Way cut their funds from $15,000 per year to $1,000.

Bell Federation for The Blind Serving County Over 30 years

by Kathleen Brown

For The Advertiser



“I shall not be moved, like a tree planted by the water I shall not be moved,” these were the words sung by the twenty men and women gathered at the Bell Federation for the Blind banquet room for their annual picnic on Tuesday.

The hymn, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” seemed to echo the hope and resilience that has kept this organization optimistic even in the direst of financial situations.

Founder and president of the Bell Federation for the Blind on Harper Street, Robert Bell invited mayor Sharon Brownlee to the meeting to thank her for the gift of $1000 that the city recently donated.

“We know that you’re always on our side,” said Bell as he thanked Brownlee.

Brownlee apologized that the sum was not more, but alluded that she was making great efforts to speak on their behalf to several public and private sources.

“There is no question about it,” Brownlee said after the event. “Their budget is very small.”

The organization is especially in crisis due to recent cuts in their United Way donations, which continues to be the Federation’s main source of funds. The economic downturn resulted in the United Way not fully reaching it's goal during last year's campaign.


Brownlee was first acquainted with the Bell Federation, coincidentally, when she worked on the United Way board.

Mayor Sharon Brownlee sits with founder and president of the Bell Federation for The Blind, Robert Bell.

“I was so impressed with Bob Bell and his entire presentation,” said Brownlee. “They were so organized and I was just taken aback by what they did,” she said, referring to the work of the Federation in the county. She added that the meeting has forever impacted her life.


“It has instilled a compass and a heart in me for those who have to live life with no or very poor sight.” Brownlee said.


Bell himself was born legally blind, but he has never let his lack of sight keep him from helping others.

“Being blind, we live in a different world,” Bell said. “It’s not like yours.”


Bell felt it was his mission to provide an oasis for those in Laurens County who are visually impaired, and so in the fall of 1975, the Bell Federation for the Blind opened its doors. The non-profit organization is an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and the only center for the visually impaired in the county.


“This building belongs to the blind of Laurens County,” Bell said.

Through the center, visually impaired individuals can receive tools such as canes, scooters, Braille machines, training classes, and most importantly, says Bell, a support group of empathetic people.

Local musician and blues historian, Hunter Holmes played for the Bell Federation for the Blind's annual picnic.

Aside from enabling the visually impaired to have access to the Federation, membership also provides transportation.

"We have several people who could be called ‘shut ins’,” Bell said, “and when we pick them up, that is often the only time they leave their houses.”


The organization has often gone to great lengths to provide the persons in need with the tools and education to live in a sightless world. Calvin Davis from Clinton is just one of the people grateful for the Federation.


Davis began coming to the Bell Federation for the Blind in 1997 after he lost his vision in his forties.

“Being born blind,” Bell said, “is impossible to explain, but when someone suddenly loses their vision they have to relearn everything.”


The group helped Davis learn to function in his abruptly darkened world. Because of the organization, he has been able to attend a number of National Federation for the Blind Conventions with the group.

Several members of the Bell Federation For the Blind listens intently to Hunter Holmes. "He can keep playing forever if it's up to me," the women in the middle remarked later.

The conventions offers lectures on advancements in technology, hands-on classes and association with other visually impaired South Carolinians. It was at one of these conventions that Davis was taught how to use a unique computer system called The Guide, made especially for the visually impaired.


“People don’t even know the center is here,” Davis said. “We need to recruit people and let them know we’re here.”


Brownlee gave praise to the Laurens City Fire Station that routinely assists the center with fire code preparations as well as grounds maintenance, but says still more people must help.


“We cannot ignore or overlook those who need our help,” Brownlee said. “Right now they are just trying to survive, I want them to thrive.”

Sweet like peaches....

The most touching story I have ever had the pleasure of working on so far.

Wonderful people and peaches warm my heart.


Coggins Retraces Old Roots and Replants Peach Orchard
By Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser


Tommy Coggins can’t talk about peaches without smiling. While standing in his 400-tree orchard on Lisbon Road last week, he reached a tanned arm into a tree that is brimming with the sunset-colored peaches.

While he explained the type and exact differences in this species he pulled a pocketknife from his pocket and took a slice out of the very fruit of his labor.

Tommy Coggins shows off one of his sun-kissed peaches that he
grows at his orchard in Laurens.

“A peach only grows on new growth,” Coggins said, explaining that a peach tree has to be pruned every year.

Another type of “new growth” is exactly what has brought Coggins to the orchard he is standing in.

Coggins’ father, the late E.B. Coggins, was the first of the family to catch the peach fever.

“My father, he could make a peach tree look just picture perfect,” Coggins said as he looked out into his orchard. “He’d always be out here pruning them and picking at them, getting them just right.”

Tommy’s peach orchard is located on the very road where the Coggins’ family once held their farming dynasty. Not to discount the successful Coggins’ Poultry Farm, owned and operated by Tommy’s brother, 57 year-old David Coggins, but the entire family once was able to live completely off the land.

David Coggins, who owns the Coggins Poultry on Lisbon Road three driveways down from his brother's peach orchard has planted an entire field of sunflowers.
He plans to use the field for dove hunting.

Tommy Coggins’ 80 year-old mother, Carolynn Coggins, remembers the sprawling farm that boasted cotton, grain, a dairy farm, and peaches - lots of them.

During WWII Carolynn Coggins was a young woman when she met E.B. Coggins while he was stationed in her South Dakota town. The southern charm must have made an impression because after the war, the two wed and Carolynn was brought to her new home in distant, Laurens, SC.

Laurens in 1946 must have seemed a strange place to the city-dwelling bride when she first arrived.

Carolynn Coggins leans on the rail of her porch outside of her home in Laurens

“I had never been South in my life,” Carolynn said, “and I knew nothing about farming.”

The family hired help to manage the large variety of crops, but Carolynn remembers countless times when she helped with the farm, especially with the peaches.

“We had this shed around back for packing, and I’d sit in there and pack peaches all day.”

At the time the Coggins’ Peach Orchard was shipping peaches all over the state, and the peaches became their primary income.

Tommy Coggins remembered the excitement of packaging peaches even at an early age.

“When I wasn’t big as nothing…they’d (the workers) bring peaches into the shed to pack and the chickens would be running around trying to peck at them,” he said. “It was my job to keep them away.”

But in 1976, after five years of failing peach crops killed by heavy freezes, the Coggins abandoned the peach business.

“I can remember I was a junior in high school when we brought down all the trees,” David recalled.

The itch to revive the empty peach orchards caught up to Tommy and his father in 2003, and they began to fill the empty rows up again.

“I just missed having them around,” Tommy said.

Carrying the fruits of his labor

Together the father and son team cultivated the new trees and tried to get the trees ready to grow fruit. But last year, before the duo could enjoy the success of the first good crop, E.B. passed away.

This year, only a year and a half after his father’s death the peach season brought trees that were full and healthy, but the memories left in these fields can be bittersweet to Tommy Coggins.

Coggins sells his peaches to the occasional customer,
but he considers it mostly an "expensive hobby."

Today, he grows 14 different types of peaches on his orchard, and knows which variety is best for canning, which one is best for pies and which ones you can eat right off the tree. Tommy can rattle off facts about peaches all day, but he readily assures that there is a lot he doesn’t know.

Like his father told him all his life, Tommy said, “You always learn.”

...A stick in the mud...

A story in a series of local "water-spots" in the county I did for the Advertiser.


Sandbar - a gathering spot like no other
By Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser

There are some destinations that can be described as “off the beaten path,” the Sandbar, however requires a more complicated distinction.
This unique Lake Greenwood attraction can only be reached by boat, therefore it makes sense that the directions to the spot are by water and often include landmarks like restaurants and overpasses.

“You go under the bridge, across from Harris’ Landing,” said Mike Chumley of Laurens, “and then keep on going. You can’t miss the boats.”

The gathering spot that attracts literally boatloads of people everyday is merely a shallow stretch of land with a sandy floor that sits more than 100 yards from the nearest shore.

No one is quite sure who discovered the swath of land, and one can only imagine some unsuspecting boater surprised to find his vessel run ashore in the middle of the lake. Perhaps this explorer told a friend, who told a friend and so on, thus the Sandbar was created.

Speculations aside, the Sandbar has become the meeting place for people, young and old with access to a boat, a heavy anchor, and some time to spend.

Chumley grew up on and around Lake Greenwood and has many fond memories of the Sandbar.



“I remember going when we were kids with little boats.” Chumley said, although he notes that the spot was not the gathering place it is today due to the water level.

After years of drought in the mid 1990’s Lake Greenwood’s waters began to recede, and the Sandbar started to grow in size and popularity.

Chumley’s 17 year-old daughter, Raegan Chumley recalls sunny days during the Sandbar’s “growth spurt.”

“The thing I remember most is when they (the boaters) would set up the volleyball net,” Raegan said. “The water was as shallow as your calves.”

Although water levels are up on the lake this summer, the Sandbar continues to be a “hot-spot” for socializing day and night.

“The first thing out of somebody’s mouth when you get on the lake is ‘let’s go to the Sandbar’,” said Chumley.

Patience....

As the saying goes "patience is a virtue". A virtue that I would jump to live without, but unfortunately every day requires some amount of it. As goes waiting on deadline for some quotes and a picture.

The post below was referring to a story I did for the Laurens County Advertiser about retirees who are a part of the army of "pick-up men" for the local car dealers. Unfortunately these guys were on the go so much that I couldn't track them down for two days...two precious, life threatening days.

But in the end persistence paid off. I had already gone to the Advertiser to turn in my story with out a picture and without a single exciting graph in it. In other words the rule of thumb, as taught by Prof. Larry Timbs, "Why Should I Give A Shit" was not there.

But just as I was walking out the door the call came in that one of the road warriors was back and in Laurens. I rushed over, got the picture and got the anecdote I had been looking for the whole time.

Below is the finished story, which actually turned out okay.


Retirees Travel Road Less Traveled
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser


Always on the move, the handful of men who do pick-ups of new and used cars for several of the car dealerships in town can be hard to reach, much less to persuade to keep their foot off the pedal long enough for a picture.

An “on-the-go” attitude is exactly what Bobby Cook, sales manager for Smith Chevrolet-Cadillac, looks for when hiring a driver, and it is exactly what can be found in the retirees that drive for the dealerships of Laurens County.

The drivers are given a destination, either a dealership or an auction yard where the purchased car awaits their arrival.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - Jerry Pulley, pictured, is a regular driver for Smith Cheverolet-Cadillac in Laurens. "I retired from work, and this way I get to see places I wouldn't ordinarily get to see," Pulley said. His favorite "on the job" memory happened last year while en-route to a car destination in Greensboro, N.C. At a Wendy's restaurant Pulley was reunited with a military comrade he had not seen since 1962. Unexpected people and places is just a part of the job for the pick-up drivers of Laurens.

“Normally we look for people in good health and a clean driving record.” Cook said. “These guys love to drive.”

Joe Leopard, 71, had retired from his job as supervisor at J.P. Watts Plant when he came across a job that required lots of time and a steady foot. Since working for the dealership, Leopard has clocked thousands of miles picking up cars and inspecting them before turning around with them to Laurens.

“One time we went 750 miles in one trip,” Leopard said.

Long trips are not rare, although most of their pick-ups are from North Carolina or Georgia.

Leroy Workman, 68, who drives for Firmin Ford, is used to the road trips. Formerly a tractor-trailer driver, Workman has been doing pick-ups for dealerships around the county for almost five years.

He now makes his trips “locally,” as he calls it, which means stops at Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, or any other number of Southeastern states.

Technology has made it easier for many of the drivers who now rely on their own GPS systems to get from place to place. Although some still rely on maps and an earful of directions.

Dealerships around the state all have similar pick up systems, according to Cook. The “road trip” starts with two drivers in one car provided by the dealer. The pair then makes their way to the car, and then splits up to make the trip home solo.

The goal is to pick up the vehicle and return it, quickly and safely to the dealership, but heavy traffic and unexpected problems can hinder a speedy return. Leopard recalls several times when the car he was supposed to bring back delayed the trip back.

“Sometimes when we pick up the car the tires are flat, or the battery will be dead and we’ve got to get them fixed,” Leopard said.

The thing most of the guys say they enjoy is the open road and a good driving partner.

“We get to meet different people, and riding down together (with other drivers) is good fellowship,” Leopard said.

Jerry Pulley, 69 has been driving for two years and credits the work for taking him all over the southeast as well as reuniting him with an old friend.

On a drive to Greensboro, N.C. for a pick-up, Pulley walked into a Wendy’s for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Laurens. When he walked in he thought he saw a familiar face, but he couldn’t quite remember who the man was.

The stranger turned out to be a close friend he had made in basic training. The two had not seen each other since 1962.

“Before I could place him he was walking right up to me,” Pulley said. “I would have never seen him, had I not been driving.”

Ughh....

I love deadlines, but relying on the key figure in your story, due in 3 hours, is a good way to get ulcers at a very young age.

So right now I am stalling, trying to figure out how to track down this guy. I am about to hire a bounty hunter or something.

"Give me an interview or else!"

Well I guess this would be a good time to write down a little bit about what has been going on during this summer.

In international news, sadly I have not been out of the country. If I had though I would have gone here:



Provence, France. I can't even look at a picture without nearly jumping off my chair.

In national news, also pathetic, I have not been out of my state. If I had, you best believe I would have gone here:



to Dinosaur Land in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley!!!!!!

"This classic dinosaur park features over two dozen colorfully-painted, old-style brutes -- and King Kong!"- Dinosaur Land's Webpage


That is all...

Award Winning Author Reaches Out

Story I wrote for the Laurens County Advertiser on Sheila P. Moses teaching a workshop at the Thornwell Home For Children.


The year is 1972 and a young women stands wide-eyed and breathless in a crowd of people listening to a determined African American woman speaking defiantly against the odds in an attempt to fight back against racial prejudice and to achieve her dreams.

Award winning author, Sheila P. Moses remembers vividly the impact left by the words of Shirley Chisholm, the first black major-party presidential contender for the United States on a campaign stop in her small North Carolina town.



“She came to my town to speak,” said Moses, “and that was the first time I saw a successful person outside of my community that told me, ‘you too can be great,’” said Moses.

The memory that Moses had of Chisholm has forever impacted her life, and she hopes to give a similar message to the children of Thornwell Home For Children.

Moses- author, poet, playwright, and producer- has been instructing classes of middle school and high school Thornwell students in a week-long writing workshop in the Thornwell Library.

The week began with an author’s reception hosted at the Gilliam Center Auditorium at Thornwell where Moses read from her self-proclaimed, “favorite book,” “The Legend of Buddy Bush,” which was published in 2003.

Her historical fiction novel was awarded the National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature in 2004 as well as the 2005 Coretta Scott King Author Honor title.

Her inspiration for the piece was very personal she said, as the entire book takes place in her hometown of Rich Square, NC, and centers around an infamous racial scandal.

Moses wanted her workshop attendees to work with what they knew best, and for some that meant writing their autobiographies. The stories of some of her students touched Moses on a personal level.

“These kids are not bitter about what is happening to them,” Moses said. “In a lot of the dedications they are writing, they are to their parents, Thornwell is a beautiful place, but everyone wants their mommy and daddy,”

For Moses, who has been hosting writing workshops since 1993, teaching at a “children’s home” was a new experience, but one that she said she has thoroughly enjoyed.



“I have taught at some of the finest private schools in the country, but nowhere have I seen such well adjusted children.” Moses said.

The workshop attendees were required to write a 10-page historical fiction story on the person of their choosing. The characters ranged from basketball player Magic Johnson to human rights activist, Malcolm X.

Moses encouraged the students to dig deeper into their characters’ lives. She urged the student who had chosen Magic not to focus on his basketball accomplishments, but on his work to improve HIV awareness.

Moses went on to praise the hard work the students had put into their writing in the short amount of time they were given to work.

“A lot of them came in here saying, ‘I can’t do it,’ “ Moses said, “and now they won’t stop writing for breaks.”

The idea for the workshop began when Moses learned of Thornwell through “a friend of a friend.” She contacted the school, and was quickly given the go-ahead for the program.

Lorain Crowl, Thornwell’s media director, explained that the organization has always sought out educational opportunities for the students during the summer when many school lessons are forgotten in the hot lazy days.

“The workshop gives a creative way to encourage students to keep their skills,” Crowl said. “They can have fun and probably learn more than they can in a whole English class.”

Anything to do with writing is a treat for Moses, who is determined to do her part to spread the love of writing wherever she goes.

“I used to write with a stick in the dirt and in the corners of the newspaper,” Moses said. “Writing is something that I will always do.”

Midway through the Wednesday high school class, Moses asked several of the students to read what they had completed on their stories.

Sheryl Richardson read her story, “I Am My Father’s Daughter.” based on author, Walter Dean Myers’ life, from the perspective of his daughter.

Her story was strikingly similar to that of many at Thornwell. A young boy, raised and loved by foster parents, goes on to achieve greatness.

“He began writing all day, every day,” Richardson read from her pages, printed from the computer she’d been working on.

Moses looked on, leaning forward, intent on catching every word.

“That was wonderful,” she said, moving back in her seat. Moses hopes to continue her relationship with Thornwell home saying that she would love to come back during the school year.

“I want them to know that they can fly as high as an eagle,” Moses said. “Just because they do not have a (traditional upbringing) does not mean that they cannot be great.”

Days Off Screen

Laurens City Parks and Recreation Department has been hosting a summer concert series for the last month at the "Little River Amphitheater" downtown. I took some pictures for a couple stand-alones in this week's Laurens County Advertiser.

The band last Thursday was local pop-punk band, Days Off Screen. They were a high energy band...even if the crowd wasn't really enthused...hah.

Art gallery challenges group to put on "thinking cups"

Story I did for the Laurens County Advertiser on the local Artist Co-Op gallery called the Artist's Coop who are doing an interesting fundraiser to raise money for a breast cancer support group in Laurens

Fay Edge, director of the Artist’s Coop’s fundraiser “Artsy Bras: Curves for the Cure” challenged the members of the Rainbow Connection support group to put their “thinking cups on,” at a reception held on July 6, at the Laurens County Hospital Meditation Garden.

“Our [the Artist’s Coop] challenge to you,” Edge said, “is to each design a bra for the auction.”

The unique fundraiser will feature handmade “art bras” fashioned by Laurens County residents for a silent auction that will go from Sept. 22 through Oct. 8 at the Artist’s Coop.



The Artist’s Coop began searching for a non-profit organization with which to split the profits of the fundraiser, and chose the Rainbow Connection, a breast cancer support group in Laurens County.

The group began almost 15 years ago and has continued to provide support and services to Laurens County citizens suffering from cancer, says Rainbow Connection’s facilitator, Pam Roper.

“We have women in all different stages,” Roper said. “Everyone who visits keeps coming because of the wonderful ladies [in the group] who have been through what they’re going through.”

During Monday’s reception, Edge introduced the title of the Coop’s fundraiser, “Curves for the Cure,” to the members of the group seated around the Meditation Garden patio.

“Did you say, ‘Curves for humor’?” jokingly asked Barbara Zegen, a survivor of breast cancer and longtime member of the Rainbow Connection.

According to Roper the entire group is always ready for a laugh.

“We have a lot of humor in the group, but we do get serious.” Roper said. “We cry together and we laugh together.”

The group of cancer patients and survivors meet at the hospital every first Monday to listen to a speaker, receive medical tips, or even watch a fun presentation of over-the-top feminine mastectomy lingerie.

“Whatever the topic,” said Margaret Miller a member of the group since 2002, “we go away from each meeting feeling spiritually renewed and knowing that we relate to each other in a way that only survivors of this frightening disease can.”

Edge said that the impact that the Rainbow Connection has had on the community is the reason the Artist’s Coop chose the group for the fundraiser.

“We can help each other, while helping women and their families,” Edge said.

The idea for the auction began when Edge heard about the South Carolina Quilter’s Guild’s fundraiser, “Artful Bra Exhibit.” Originally Edge hoped to arrange for the Guild’s exhibit to be shown in Laurens, but the waiting list was completely filled.

“I just decided we’d do our own project,” Edge said.

Edge hopes that decorated bras and lingerie will be filling up the Artist’s Coop by Thursday, Sept. 17 when the first submission date arrives.



Murmurs of “bunches of coconuts” and “hooters” were already circulating around the table from women seated at the reception Monday as they began to brainstorm about ideas for their submissions.

Roper hopes that the partnership with the Artist’s Coop will be a success.

“We want people to know that the money people will be spending will go to help people struggling with cancer, and (for) their families.”



Many of the members of the support group, such as Zegen, have come to consider the small group an extended family that they could not have lived without.

“We are all sisters,” Zegan said, “not by tragedy, but by our hearts.”

For more information on the “Artsy Bras: Curves for the Cure” fundraiser contact the Artist’s Coop at (864) 984- 9359.

Adam Panzuk.

Adam Panczuk....
An Amazing Photographer

A Celebration for all....

I took pictures at the third Juneteenth Festival that Laurens has held in celebration of the emancipation of thousands of enslaved African Americans.

The festivities lasted all day and featured dance and music performances to accompany the speakers during the event.

The Buffalo Soldiers, a program designed for youth to learn the history of African Americans in the U.S. military as well as learning a form of marching that incorporates stepping and understanding verbal commands.

The most inspiring part of the day for me was when all 80 or so people under the shelter stood to sing the African American National anthem. As an outsider and Caucasian I had a very unusual feeling. At first I felt like an outsider then I listened to the determined words that these people sang with such feeling.

Never have I felt such shame, such sadness, and then finally the great pride that we all are Americans, and this is how far we have come in a relatively short period of time.

I wish I could have wandered around the festival all day, but unfortunately my other duties called me away. Below are a couple of pictures that I snapped at the opening ceremony.

Several of The Buffalo Soldier Leadership Program stand at attention during the program

Michael Washington, the director of the Juneteenth program introduces his daughter who sang the African American National Anthem

__________________________________________________
A video of the African American National Anthem

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The Buffalo Soldiers do a line formation

Members of the Long Branch Baptist Church out of Grover, NC perform a "Worship Dance" called "Freedom Song"

Stormy Weather...keeps rainin all the time.

This morning at the Advertiser we were scattered across the county to record the havoc of the storm that brought 70 mph winds and quarter-size hail around midnight.

Unfortunately the storm took a life while damaging countless numbers of homes and yards. 29 year old Clinton native, Kimberly Taylor Alexander died on impact when her car was smashed by a tree as she attempted to get to her home, which was only minutes away.

Despite this tragedy everyone we spoke to uttered the same thankful phrase, "It could have been worse."

Some 3,000 residents are still without power. The massive amounts of damage to utilities forced Duke Energy to call in reinforcements from NC to the area.

One of the other reporters, Cory Engle got this shot at the Laurens District High School. The metal was from a roof nearly a football field away from the utility pole.


These pines couldn't stand the pressure of the 70mph winds that tore through the Mountville area of Laurens County.



Several residents said that there must have been tornadoes that went unconfirmed in the area.


I took a walk around the root-ball of this 110 year old white oak that was planted on the property at the time the house in the background was erected.


Utility workers, moved carefully and quickly to free power lines felled by the storm.


The storm was able to change landscapes in a matter of minutes, like this home that lost the majority of their front yard pine trees.

Portrait of life...

Albrecht Tubke has long been a favorite photographer of mine. His pictures are unassuming yet somehow vivid. By standing on a street corner snapping pictures Tubke is able chronicle ordinary people going about their day. Ordinary, yet fantastic. You can see so much thought and past behind each face pictured in his works.

check out his work on his website here, ALBRECHT TÜBKE

It's pretty amazing how it makes you think. You wonder....who was she going to see?

...what did she do to her foot?



...and what made him choose that tie?



Have a good day!

Juneteenth Day- "Celebration of Freedom"

Short story I just wrote up for the Advertiser. This celebration is a pretty big deal for Laurens. The fact that the city is sponsoring this event shows a great deal of growth in this small southern town.

Juneteenth Day- "Celebration of Freedom"
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser

In celebration of Emancipation and the unity of all races in the United States, the Wal-Mart Distribution Center and the City of Laurens are sponsoring the county’s third “Juneteenth Day” this Saturday, June 20, at Laurens’ Little River Park, according to event coordinator Michael Washington. The celebration commemorates the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas citizens.

Laurens is one of six other South Carolina counties that recognize Juneteenth Day. Washington, Wal-Mart Distribution’s Human Resource Director, has been the driving force behind the event for three years.

“Juneteenth Day is the largest African American event taking place in Laurens, and we’re very excited to be a part of it.”

Rather than celebrating the actual Emanciapation Day, Juneteenth recognizes the date that the last American slaves were freed. Communication between states was not easy then, and it was June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers finally brought the news to Galvaston, Texas, that Lincoln had freed the slaves. It must have been a relief to the enslaved African Americans working in the fields in Texas, just as it had been to those in the East two years before.

In remembrance of this day, Americans all over the country have celebrated during June simply under the name, Juneteenth Day. According to the Juneteenth official website, Juneteenth.com, this year marks 144 years that the day has been recognized as the oldest celebration for the end of slavery in the U.S.



Although Juneteenth Day celebrates the end of slavery in America, the day has come to represent a broader theme, and also emphasizes education and achievement, according to the organization’s website.

Laurens’ “Celebration of Freedom” is scheduled for Saturday. Festivities will take place at the Little River Park where they will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 7 p.m. The day will include food vendors, speakers, music provided by a disc jockey, dance performances, and many other activities.


This year, Washington has been able to better advertise the event this year, but he said he plans to blanket the city, county, and even surrounding counties with fliers about the event.

“A lot of people are just not aware that this celebration exists,” he said.

The program will feature several prominent speakers from the community including Mayor Sharon Brownlee. Washington is grateful for the support that the city has given this project.

“The city basically started this, and we have really been able to get connected with them and collaborate our efforts,” Washington said.

He would like attendants to walk away with a full stomach, fond memories, and a new understanding of America’s history.

“Our main intent is to educate people,” Washington said. “We are moving on, but in a forward direction of growth.”

For more information on Juneteenth Day, contact Michael Washington at (864) 682-1465 or (864) 908-3658.

Salkehatchie- funny name serious service

Little feature story I just wrote for the paper. Major props to these people, I don't know if I could do it.


Salkehatchie- funny name serious service
By Kathleen Brown
For the Advertiser

Hauling, pulling and shoveling, the busy ranks of First United Methodist Salkehatchie Summer Service Camp are working long hours at three different work sites in the city, and won’t be wrapping it up until this Sunday.

The Summer Service Camp, sponsored by the South Carolina United Methodist conference, and the newest Laurens branch, is now one of over forty groups in the state.

The 24 campers, who began work on Sunday, have come together from Greenwood, Greenville, Fountain Inn and other upstate cities, in addition to a few from First United Methodist in Laurens.

“The camp was created because people realized there was a need for missions at home,” said camp director Emil Finley, referring to Salkehatchie’s history.



Founded in 1978, the various camps around the state assist local families in need of home maintenance. The camp is unique in that it brings together youth and older adults to work as team members on set projects.

Camper and Laurens native, Elaine Britt Turner of Greenwood, says the age difference doesn’t bother her.

“This is my life,” said Turner, motioning to a group of young people working on a porch foundation. “I taught public school for 33 years, and I’m used to this.”

Each member must be 14 by the time of registration, but Glen Blocker, in his eighties, obviously didn’t need to worry about that.

As the oldest member of the camp, Blocker, a well-known volunteer from Laurens, does get some perks.

“I go home at night to sleep and shower,” said Blocker with a laugh.

On the camp’s website, salkehatchie.org, the application asks for hard working youth and adults. Just how hard these campers would find themselves working, however, might have come as a surprise to the first year campers.

Wake up call is promptly at 5:30 a.m. where sleepy campers pick up their makeshift bedding from the floors of the Laurens Middle School’s gymnasium. The work starts two hours later when the teams arrive at their different work sites. With only one break for lunch at noon, and supper not until 6 p.m., campers are putting in almost a 12-hour day. At the end of each day the whole camp gathers together for worship, devotions, and speakers.

Finley explained that members of the Laurens First church have been attending the camps out of town for years, and felt the need to start up their own.



“We want to give back to the community,” said Finley. “We really believe in reinvesting in Laurens County.”

Finley chose three houses, all located in the Jersey Community near Sanders Middle School, for renovation by the camp. He selected them from a pool of more than 70 applicants in Laurens County.

“We received a lot of response,” Finley said, “but we decided on the three that needed the most help and that we knew we could realistically do.”

The campers have a long list of projects that they are determined to complete by the end of their busy week.

“We tore out linoleum, the stairs, and started fixing the roof,” said 17 year-old Lee Cochrine of Greenville. “And this was all just the first day.”

The other projects also include building two new front porches, replacing kitchen and bathroom appliances, rewiring a home’s electricity and doing countless other maintenance projects the teams can get their gloved-hands on.

Time is not the only thing that could hinder the campers in their progress. Insects, heat and lack of sleep all came up when campers discussed the difficulties they have encountered so far this week.

Laurens resident Carla Culbertson, 20, said she really doesn’t like sleeping on the floors, but that she does have one small comfort.

“Thank God for blow up air mattresses,” Culbertson said. “I don’t know what I’d be doing right now.”


Bryce Keely, a 14 year-old camper, says he is enjoying his first Salkehatchie camp experience, except for the twenty or so mosquito bites that he lifts up his pant leg for inspection by Finley.

Despite the mild complaints, the campers and leaders are determined to “keep on keeping on.”

“Helping people out makes you feel good,” said 17-year-old Fountain Inn resident, Paige Brooks.

Finley explains that the need for helping others is his top priority for faith.

“You can’t live a life of faith without doing anything,” Finley said. “If you don’t live faith, then you won’t experience it.”

Finley hopes that this year will be the first of many camps that the church will put on. He hopes that the campers, as well as those outside of the camp, will become interested in further working within the community.

“Service is the outgrowth of faith and the essence of life,” he added.

Eleventyseven Story

One of my stories for the Advertiser, it was on the front page above the fold! Pretty excited about my first ever front cover.

I had a great talk with the lead singer, Matt Langston, in a coffee shop in downtown Laurens.
They are all pretty chill people and easy to get along with. It was definitely one of my favorite stories so far.


Band makes it big and keeps local roots
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser

After touring for almost four years, the members of the pop-punk band,Eleventyseven have begun to get comfortable playing shows around the country, and as a result, they sometimes feel out of place when they come home to Laurens. Not as alien however as a certain incident left them feeling while on tour in Japan last year.

A couple minutes before being thrown off a subway car in Tokyo, band members, Caleb Satterfield, Matthew Langston, and Jonathan Stephens, had been a little perplexed at the fact that they were literally the only males on the crowded vehicle.

“Looking around we thought, ‘Wow, the women really outnumber the men over here,’” said Langston who is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. “We had boarded the all-girl school shuttle.”

Like subway signs in Japanese and yelling policemen, a lot can get ‘lost in translation’ while touring a foreign country, but the one thing that remains intact is the band’s ability to please their fans-no matter what language they speak.



“We do the same shows, but we try to talk as little as possible in between songs,” said Langston. “It’s always a fantastic experience.”

Caleb Satterfield, who plays bass and performs background vocals, said he doesn’t think the language barrier is a hindrance to Eleventyseven’s growing popularity in Japan.

“There aren’t any defined genres in Japan so it’s just music,” said Satterfield. “The kids like the music regardless of the label it has.”

The band will be making new memories overseas at the end of the month when they begin their second Japanese tour on June 30. The tour will be a chance for Eleventyseven to promote the upcoming release of their new album, “adventures in Eville.”

Since the band’s formation in 2002, the musical talents of Satterfield, Langston and Stephens have carried them far from the main streets and tiny venues of their hometown where they struggled to shake-off their “garage band” status.

On their third album the band electro-pop rocks listeners with their self-proclaimed up-beat style while adding a few new twists.

“This album is pretty diverse,” said Satterfield. “We’ve got some synth-pop, some punk-rock, even a little rap.”

Eleventyseven’s almost 40,000 fans on MySpace have already had the chance to hear several singles from “Eville.” As of Thursday “Evil Genius” had been listened to 12,000 times, and the band is excited to air the music video they made for what they hope will be their next big single.

Despite their expanding fan-base, they have continued to remain true to the positive message that they have been shaping since their early days as high school students playing gigs in Laurens County.

“We want the music to mirror what we are and what we are genuinely passionate about,” said Langston.

With an album release set for June 9, a new music video filmed and a Japanese tour booked later this month, the band has been lucky to catch a breath. That busyness prompted them to purchase their own “creative” lodge in the mountains of North Carolina.


“We can’t really say where but it’s a secret cave inside of a mountain,” Langston joked.

After the two-week tour the band plans on escaping the distractions of the world for a while and concentrating on writing music. Yet, in spite of the new “cave” and 20-show tours in Japan, Eleventyseven finds that their hometown always calls them back.

“Laurens is like no other place,” Satterfield said, “and it will always be home to me.”

Langston agrees, “On one hand we are really happy traveling, but we also realize that there is something to be said for the ‘small town America’ feel.”

Eleventyseven’s album is scheduled to be released online June 9. For more information on the band and their tour schedule go to their website, eleventysevenrocks.com.