Grand Strand Newsmakers

Group presents donation to SC CARES

Pawleys Island Secretary Glenn Krechel presents Tom Johnston of SC Cares with a donation check for $300.

SC CARES (SC Coastal Animal Rescue & Educational Sanctuary) is a 501(c)3 non-profit public supported charity that offers a no-kill & no-breed sanctuary for unwanted, abused, and neglected animals. They are located at 236 Abbeville Road, Georgetown, SC.

Local Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit Presents Donation to Black River United Way

Bill Unger, Staff Officer for Member Training presents a Certificate of Appreciation and a donation check to Lucy Woodhouse, CEO and President of Black River United Way in Georgetown. The United Way generously offered the use of their meeting facilities during March and April of 2016 for the classroom sessions of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-10’s Boat Crew Training Academy. Harborwalk Marina allowed the use of their facilities next door to moor the Flotilla’s vessels during the “on-the-water” training sessions. Four candidates successfully completed the rigorous training. For more information about joining the Georgetown flotilla of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit their website at http://wow.uscgaux.info/about.php?unit=070-12-10.

Civic Association sets meetings for new year

Come out and meet Horry County Police Chief Joseph Hill at a Meet and Greet for Carolina Forest. Bring your questions and concerns.

The Carolina Forest Civic Association (CF-CA) cordially invites you to a "I'm New Here" social mixer. This social mixer is for new residents and established locals alike. On Jan. 20, from 5-7 p.m., Beef O'Brady's, 3869 Renee Drive, Myrtle Beach, will host the first of several social mixer events planned throughout the year. For all those who attend, Beef O'Brady's will provide the CF-CA complimentary appetizers from 5-7 p.m. Also, there will be a cash bar that is "pay as you go" by each attendee. Beef O'Brady's has asked for a head count, if possible, to ensure they have enough appetizers. You can make that reservation by contacting Joe Czapla (Joezap149@gmail.com). Leave your first name and first letter of your last name and development, if applicable. Example: Joe C. Tuscany

This info will be used to make a sticker-type name tag and nothing else.Come tell us who you are and how you ended up calling the Carolina Forest area home. We look forward to hearing about services you use, recommendations for professionals, such as doctors, as well as experiences good, bad or indifferent with other service providers and what to expect while living in the Carolina Forest area. Bring your questions, and hopefully, those who have been here for awhile will have some of the answers.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 15: Brent Taylor (Director Horry County Parks & Recreation) on what is happening for 2017 and the new Huger Park Updates.

▪ Wednesday, March 15: Horry County Chairman Mark Lazarus and Horry County Council Members will be answering questions and concerns for Carolina Forest.

▪ Wednesday, April 19: Ray Fontaine, Director Horry County Council on Aging to discuss the new Senior Center to be built near the Library and Recreation Center and programs for Seniors in Horry County

OLLI at CCU receives its second $1 million endowed grant from Osher Foundation

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University (OLLI@CCU) has received its second $1 million endowed grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation to support the operations of the institute. The initial grant was received in 2013.

“A consistent standard of excellence and a model of active member involvement have become hallmarks of Coastal Carolina University’s fine program,” said Osher Foundation President Mary G.F. Bitterman. “We recognize that the institute’s success represents the collective achievement of its excellent staff and dynamic community of intellectually vigorous members, who give generously of their time, talent and financial resources. We applaud, too, the University’s leadership for its support of the institute and for embracing the notion that – at its best – education is a lifelong pursuit that has the power to elevate, delight and forge our connection to one another and to the larger world.”

OLLI@CCU is housed in CCU’s Office of Academic and Community Outreach. It provides opportunities for adult, noncredit students age 50 or older to achieve intellectual stimulation, as well as cultural and social growth. Nearly 400 noncredit classes and workshops, as well as a variety of special interest clubs and travel opportunities, are offered each semester for mature learners. Topics include computer technology, art and photography, foreign languages, history and government, literature and writing, music, theater and film, personal growth and skill development, philosophy and religion, science and nature. Courses are offered during day and evening hours at outreach centers in Conway, Georgetown, Litchfield and Myrtle Beach.

“Thanks to our exemplary members, dedicated staff, esteemed board of advisors, and Marjorie Thompson, who serves as a liaison between OLLI and the Office for Philanthropy, we have succeeded in collecting more than $15,000 this year with more than 10 percent of our members contributing, thus fulfilling the annual requirement set forth by the Osher Foundation,” said Carol Osborne, director of academic and community outreach at CCU. “We anticipate a bright future for OLLI as we use the earnings from the endowments to update our technology, and advertise and expand our program.”

Participation in courses and clubs requires OLLI membership, which includes discounts and special programs at area museums (Brookgreen Gardens, Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, Hobcaw Barony, Horry County History Museum, and the North Myrtle Beach Historical Museum), musical and theatrical companies (Long Bay Symphony, Atlantic Stage, Theatre of the Republic), and health and wellness centers (YMCA, Fitness Edge, Fit 4 Everyone and Tidelands HealthPoint Center).

“I have been an OLLI@CCU student since 2007, an instructor since 2009, and a volunteer since 2013 after moving to Myrtle Beach from Pittsburgh, Pa., where I had been an art teacher for many years,” said Sue Ann Whittick. “I love OLLI! Over the years I have learned from so many quality classes and gone on memorable field trips. As an instructor, my mind has kept working as I endeavor to make my classes informative, magical and a place to make new friends. As a volunteer, I have been able to use my organizational, cooking and artistic skills. All of this keeps this 73-year-old brain ticking along and excited for my next OLLI adventure.”

Learn more at coastal.edu/olli or call 843-349-2767.

Lifelong learning at CCU dates back to 1987 with the establishment of the Third Quarter. In the 1990s, the program evolved into the Lifelong Learning Society and expanded to four service sites. It was renamed the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University in 2007 when it was awarded its first $100,000 grant from the Osher Foundation. The mission of OLLI@CCU, which is generously supported by the University, is to provide opportunities for community members to achieve intellectual stimulation, as well as cultural and social growth, while fostering a close, lasting and mutually beneficial relationship between these noncredit students and the University.

The Bernard Osher Foundation, a San Francisco-based philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting higher education and the arts, has provided funding to institutions of higher education to develop and grow noncredit, intellectually stimulating programs for older adults since the fall of 2002. The Osher Foundation supports 119 OLLIs on university and college campuses in all 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), as well as a National Resource Center for the institutes at Northwestern University.

Student from Myrtle Beach on the Dean's List Fall 2016

Austin Peay State University is proud to recognize Stephen-Lee Gray for earning a spot on the Dean's List during the Fall 2016 semester.

Berry College announces fall Dean’s List

Katherine Edmonds of Loris has been named to the Berry College Fall 2016 Dean's List.

The Dean's List honors students who posted an academic average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale while carrying a class load of at least 12 hours during the semester.

Berry College is an independent, coeducational college recognized nationally for the quality and value of its educational experience. College leaders from across the country chose Berry College as the nation's number one "Up-And-Coming" liberal arts college, according to the 2014 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings. Located on a magnificent campus encompassing more than 27,000 acres near Rome, Ga., Berry challenges its student body, consisting of more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students, to embrace a firsthand education that unites strong academic programs with opportunities for meaningful work experience, spiritual and moral growth, and significant service to others. www.berry.edu.

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Grand Strand Newsmakers."