At age 87, Ilona Royce- Smithkin paints, teaches, sings, and dances with a contagious love of life.When visiting Columbia or teaching on SCETV, she brings joy to all who meet her. Van Gogh cut off his ear. Pollock drowned his depression in alcohol. Goya’s paintings reflected his growing despair as he faced deafness and old age. Then there’s Ilona. She […]
History goes up in flames
The house (l) on the corner of Lee and Queen Street which burned October 11, 2007, was originally a two room school house built in 1906. The building at the northeast corner of Lee and Queen streets that housed the first Shandon School in 1906 burned October 11, 2007. The building, originally a two- room school house, had been converted […]
Endangered turtles hatch at zoo
On August 23 and 30, four critically endangered Pan’s box turtles were hatched at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. This is the Zoo’s second successful breeding of the rare turtle, which is nearly extinct in the wild due to heavy exploitation for the Chinese traditional medicine trade. The first two turtles hatched after 44 days of incubation at 88°F and the […]
Asbury United Methodist Church blesses the animals
On Sunday afternoon, October 14 at 3 pm, Asbury Memorial U.M.C. held its 2nd annual Blessing of the Animals. The purpose of this worship event is to celebrate God’s gift of life as evidenced by the animals and other living beings that inhabit the earth, sky, and waters. It was a celebrative affair as Pastor Ed McWilliams blessed approximately 75 […]
Columbia Fire Department burns a new label
On May 17, 1951, the Columbia Fire Department opened the doors to its brand new headquarters at 1001 Senate Street. The station was rumored to be the largest fire station in the country at the time with eight bays and the most advanced control room yet seen. The new building stood on the corner of Senate and Park Streets with […]
Food Not Bombs
When I saw Tom Turnipseed dishing out cooked collards from a huge pot it got my attention. A quiet orderly line of about 100 or more people were standing with paper plates and a ticket in hand. This is the Food not Bombs group that is celebrating five years in Columbia this month. Sandy and Richie Hussman are among the […]
Correction
The TV program filming Chad Sloan is Flip That House, not Flip This House as was printed in The Columbia Star October 5, 2007.
Stand Up Geologist stuns Explorers
Members of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of the Explorers Club were honored with an extremely humorous and scholarly presentation by Dr. Christopher Kendall of USC October 12, 2007. After being introduced by Dr. Jon Leader, S.C. State Archaeologist, the audience realized the laptop containing the slide show had been left behind. Not to be denied, Dr. Kendall plowed ahead in […]
Canine- Americans and fall foolishness
Despite their advancing age, with the passing of the Autumnal Equinox, the Canine Americans at my house have become a trifle frisky and more than a little bit foolish. They are emerging from their lairs with more frequency and considerably more energy than during the summer months. The things they do, while quite amusing, can sometimes defy logic. Wanderlust I […]
Columbia City Council meets October 17, 2007
Roll call Columbia City Council convened for its regular session around 9 am October 17 in City Hall. Mayor Bob Cole was absent, but all other council members were present: Daniel Rickenmann, Sam Davis, E.W. Cromartie, Anne Sinclair, Tameika Isaac Devine, and Kirkman Finlay III. City good guy Finlay singled out city employee Michael McQueen for going out of his […]