Hello everyone, lots of holiday news to talk about but first the birthdays from “Gottrocks the Birthday Fairy,” who has been busy bringing his plants and shopping for the Black Friday deals.

Happy birthday wishes to James Crisp, Rae Bain, Sandra Sims Crayne, Lynn G. Sinclair, Sherry Alexander, Sarah Mae Adams, Jimmy Moss, Becky Mars, Travis Green, Betsy Crumpton, Donice Riser, Christy Riser, Barbara Dillard, Georgia Attaway, Pat James Fain, Mike Robertson, Marcy B. Lake, Teresa Baker, Laura Dickert, Kyle Shealy and Bob Kinard.

In upcoming events

The Whitmire Christmas parade is this Saturday, Dec. 8 at noon. Line is at 11 a.m. on North Main Street. No entry fee on any type of vehicle. The Whitmire Jaycees will need your individual or business information on pre-ordered floats. Contact Sue Hollingsworth at 803-694-3797 or Amy Silvers at 803-944-1959 or visit their Facebook organization page to leave a comment. The same numbers can also be used to gather information about the Christmas Cheer Fund.

The Town of Whitmire employee Christmas dinner will be Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center . Employees, council members and immediate family will be participating. Who knows, Santa may pay a visit. He plans to hang around town after he listens to the kids’ wishes after the parade on Saturday.

The WCS Concert Band will present their Christmas Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in the new gym. The community is invited to attend.

From town hall, a public input and informative meeting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. for Whitmire residents at the Community Center. The meeting will cover the source of funding for the Community Development Block Grant, Renaissance Project. Members from The Central Midlands Agency will be present to discuss the work and projects that the grant money will fund.

Whitmire Community School

On Friday, Dec. 14, a special night is planned for special teachers and coaches from the “Golden Era of Whitmire High School.” A night of recognition is for Coaches William “Lefty” Johnson, Ken Coleman and The Late Irby Raines will be immediately after the girls basketball game, prior to the boys varsity game.

The girls’ game starts at 6 p.m. The games will be played in the new gymnasium at WCS on Highway 66. Coaches Johnson, Coleman and Raines all served as teachers, coaches and/or administrators during their 30 plus years at Whitmire High School. Both Raines and Johnson are Whitmire natives, having graduated from WHS in the fifties, as Coleman and his wife Martha “Mott” moved to Whitmire from their home of Ware Shoals in 1960.

All three men resided in Whitmire and spent most of their time in the sixties, seventies and most of the eighties at the former WHS location of Coleman Avenue, known to locals as “Pecan Street.” All three men loved to play golf at the Whitmire Golf Course, with Coleman having coached the 1981 State Championship Team in golf. When former WHS graduates mention one of the above names, the other two names fall into place. The trio were all friends on an off the course, field and gym floors. All three men weren’t afraid to tell our parents about our school mischief or a situation via the one-on-one phone call, the golf course, church or a stop and chat on the downtown streets. Many a phone calls were made to our house, this was long before caller ID. Oh well, I had to digress. When I think of these three men, I think of character, morals, values, kindness and responsibility. We send our congratulations to Coaches Johnson, Coleman and the Late Coach Raines.

Allrighty readers, it’s that time, the Deadline Fairy Garrabund is dressed in green, not holiday green but mean green, for he is tapping my shoulders and and blowing dust on my keyboard. Let’s say good night and see you next week. Feel free to send your news bits, events to: news2cassie@yahoo.com.