It’s back to school time starting Monday for many students across the Pee Dee, including those in Florence District One.
Click on the link below to see some tips on what you can expect on the first day of classes, find out when schools start and dismiss each day and learn how the school year will impact traffic patterns:
From Downtown Florence’s Facebook Page:
Downtown Florence has a lot going on this weekend!
The City Center Farmers Market will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the City Center parking lot on Cheves Street.
SoulART Festival 2016 heads downtown on Saturday for a full day of visual art, music, and more! Head over to SOUL art‘s Facebook page for a complete lineup and schedule! Saturday night, make sure to head over toAfter Dark Jazz Café for a full night of incredible music featuring SOUL art‘s Ezra Brown.
The Renaissance Dining Courtyard will host Modern Disruption on Friday night beginning at 8 p.m. and Tastes Like Chicken hits the stage on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Randy Turner will play at Victors Friday night at 6:00 p.m.
Looking for somewhere to unwind and dine? Downtown Florence has a variety of culinary experiences from casual BBQ to fine dining! Don’t miss Sunday brunch at Town Hall!
(Image courtesy: Contributed/SCnow.com)
From the Morning News:
“FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University’s Department of Nursing has been named as one of 15 new Centers of Excellence by the National League for Nursing, the nation’s premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education.
NLN Centers of Excellence exemplify the League’s core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence, and faculty at designated institutions bear a responsibility to share their experience, knowledge, and wisdom for the benefit of everyone in nursing education.
Schools and programs that receive NLN Center of Excellence recognition must meet high standards of excellence in nursing education. Each school is recognized for a particular trait that is critical to superb nursing education.”
Read the article in its entirety by clicking on the link below:
Duke Energy Progress is hosting two open house events for their customers next week.
This will be an opportunity for customers to talk with different subject matter experts from Duke Energy in such areas as customer service, vegetation management, energy efficiency, power delivery, lighting, and the Robinson Nuclear Plant.
One event will be held in Sumter on Monday, August 15, at Central Carolina Technical College Health Sciences Center, 133 S. Main Street.
The second event will take place on Tuesday, August 16, at Carver Elementary School, 515 N. Cashua Drive in Florence.
Both events will be open to the public from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
To view the flyer in full size, click below:
In an effort to improve access to healthy, fresh food in our city, the City of Florence and the SC Community Loan Fund will host entrepreneurship training for people or entities interested in developing or expanding healthy food businesses in our area that focus on underserved areas. Accepted applicants will receive entrepreneurship training at no charge from an NxLevel-certified instructor in the areas of business organization, planning, research, marketing, financial planning, negotiations and deal making. NxLevel Entrepreneurship Training is known to be one of the largest and most effective entrepreneur training networks and was established in 1994.
The application process to receive the free NxLevel entrepreneurship training (valued over $500.00) is competitive and applications are due no later than August 26, 2016 to anna@sccommunityloanfund.org.
Applications are available by email request (anna@sccommunityloanfund.org) , in person on the second floor of the City Center (324 W. Evans Street) in Florence, or online at Florencedowntown.com (click on “food access training”).
Applicants will be notified by September 1, 2016 of their selection to participate, and the training program will begin September 12 for nine consecutive Monday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown Florence. Participants who complete the program will walk away with a completed business plan reviewed by professionals and access to business mentors.
Additionally, participants will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges on December 12, and the first place winner will receive a $12,500 seed grant. First and second place winners will also receive bonus points towards a Tenant Up-fit Downtown Redevelopment Grant in the downtown Florence area.
The training program is open to individuals, non-profits, and businesses with an idea, start-up, established project, or expansion in the region. The application process is competitive and up to fifteen (15) participants will be selected. Note that it is open to folks across the Pee Dee region to apply.
From Florence After Five:
“You don’t want to miss Florence After Five this month, featuring The Tim Clark Band! Join us on August 26th at the 100 Block of S. Dargan between Evans and Cheves Streets, beginning at 5:30 pm for the best block party in Florence!”
You can find more information about the Florence After Five concert series by clicking on the link below:
Captions:
Left photo: Corner of Irby Street and West Evans Street, circa 1951. The Art Trail Gallery currently occupies this historic building constructed in 1905 for Hampton Lodge 204’s Masonic Temple. The original building had three stories with the lodge hall on the third floor. Farmer’s Mechanic Bank occupied the left front and was replaced by Palmetto Bank & Trust in 1915 when it purchased the Masonic Temple. During a renovation in 1950, the third floor was removed and Woolworth’s moved into the building in 1951. Photo courtesy of Tom Kinard.
Courtesy: myflorencetoday.com
Middle photo: The Central Grammar School in 1918. (Later renamed Poynor and became a junior high school. Currently Poynor Adult Education. ) Principal was KR Schoenberg; teachers Mrs. R. Lee Brunson, Miss Nona Dudley, Miss Lillian Gentry, Miss Marie Gregory, Miss Carolina Hood, Miss Alva Hutcheson, Miss Marie Jones, Miss Louise Lancaster, Miss Lucie Miles, Miss Marguerite Murphy, Miss Margie Scarborough, Miss Georgie Stackley and Miss Linda Todd. Photo from the 1918-21 yearbook.
Courtesy: myflorencetoday.com
Right photo: East Evans Street, looking East. Circa 1914.
Courtesy: myflorencetoday.com
Take a look at these awesome flashback photos of the downtown Florence area, courtesy of myflorencetoday.com and the Florence News Journal!
We’ve come a long way since some of the photos were taken, but the downtown area still has a lot of the charm that made it so great many years ago.
You can view the entire album on myflorencetoday.com‘s “Do You Remember?” section by clicking the link below:
Magnolia Mall, image courtesy: createworldwide.com
From the Morning News:
Florence City Council voted to give a portion of property near the corner of David McLeod Blvd. and Dunbarton Dr., to the owners of Magnolia Mall.
The portion of land could be used for a variety of things, including a potential new restaurant, officials said.
According to the article, “The city council originally was given the parcel by the state and decided to convey the land to PR Magnolia, LLC.
“By doing that, Magnolia Mall proper can develop it how they see fit,” Florence Mayor Pro Tempore Buddy Brand said. “Which could be two or three parcels, or extra parking for Chik-fil-a, really however they want to use it,” Brand continued.
Brand said he sees growing potential for another restaurant or something similar at the location.”
Read the entire article by clicking the link below:
SCnow.com web article- City Council Gives Surplus Land to Mall
There is still time to complete an application for Leadership Florence Class of 2016-2017.
Leadership Florence is a comprehensive nine-month program designed to identify, cultivate and motivate new leadership for the Greater Florence Area. Participants will increase their knowledge of the Greater Florence area, and enhance their involvement in community activities while further developing their leadership skills.
To find out more about Leadership Florence or to secure an application, contact the Chamber today at 843-665-0515.
