North Myrtle Beach

The Driftwood Garden Club continued its time-honored tradition of planting trees on Arbor Day in cooperation with the North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department. Driftwood added a special twist to this Arbor Day by also dedicating its newest Blue Star Memorial Marker adorned by the new trees and garden bed. The Memorial Marker and two white Natchez Crape Myrtle trees were planted along with various shrubs and flowering plants at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex adjacent to the Veterans Memorial. This was Driftwood’s eighth Blue Star Memorial Marker; the markers honor the men and women of …

Leonard Barham, Susie Watson, Todd Finer and, Scott Childers help get the bicycles ready for delivery. Representatives from 24 schools got to play Santa to some of their students by selecting from organized shelves of toys provided through the Yachts for Tots program sponsored by the Christmas Regatta committee. Guidance counselors and administrators at each school looked at lists of student interests, by age group, and toys were grouped in much the same way. Laurie Thomas of Waterway Elementary searched for, then successfully found, some Nick Jr. slime for one of her school’s students. She explained that she sent out …

Photo by Melissa Huff Salvatore Last Saturday 126 wreaths were laid on the graves at North Myrtle Beach Memorial Gardens. This was a first year event. About 50 people waded through standing water last Saturday to lay 126 wreaths on the North Strand’s deceased military members, a first-year event at North Myrtle Beach Memorial Gardens in Little River. Bob and Edie Sakowski uttered the names of Army Sgt. C. Devin Lewis, Feb. 2, 1945-Feb. 4, 1986, and Corporal Richard Brambles III, Jan. 28, 1966-May 6, 2007, after placing the wreaths on the strangers’ graves, as instructed by organizers. Kathy Rice …

Prior to the Monday, Dec. 17, North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, Council members held an executive session, during which they discussed reappointment of members to the Planning Commission. Council took no action. Using a PowerPoint presentation, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce informed City Council of its many effective marketing and information sharing efforts on behalf of North Myrtle Beach prior to, during and after Hurricane Florence. The presentation is available for viewing or downloading at www.nmb.us under “Press Releases.” City Council recognized North Myrtle Beach parks and recreation junior soccer teams ranging from 10-and-under to 17-and-under. The …

About 330 people walked through six homes decorated to the hilt for Christmas, from the classic to the contemporary, according to North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club committee chairperson Connie Holston. “Overall, I think it was a great success,” Holston said. “We didn’t have any major issues with traffic, which I know some subdivisions were worried about, but it was spread pretty evenly (among the six houses). And I think we had about a 15-18 mile range of houses to see.” The home that was the furthest south was a contemporary on 46th Avenue South in the Windy Hill section, decorated …

The city Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony was held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in McLean Park in the Ocean Drive section of North Myrtle Beach. This drone shot of the park was taken by North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Officer Stephen Murphy.

Move over Lollipop Guild. Local children are about to become members of the Candy Cane Hunt Club with an event this evening at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex off Robert Edge Boulevard. Area children with their parents are invited to a new event this year for the North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department: a candy cane hunt on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 5:30-7 p.m. followed by the showing of the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas’’ on an outdoor, large screen. There’s a twist to this hunt for traditional, petite sized red and white candy canes. Children can …

Weather and other factors permitting, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach renourishment project begins in North Myrtle Beach the week of Dec. 3. The project replaces 200,000 cubic yards of sand lost to Hurricane Irma. Based on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach profile measurements, sand is to be placed from about 17th Avenue South to Seventh Avenue North and should take several weeks to accomplish. Great Lakes Dock & Dredge has begun stockpiling pipe at the Seventh Avenue South street end and has established its first onshore pipeline at 15th Avenue South. The Corps’ entire Hurricane Irma related …

Rain threatened to ruin the North Myrtle Beach Christmas parade, but flying candy and an indomitable optimistic spirit, from the viewers and the participants, saved the day, judging from the reactions. The parade, held at 5:30 p.m. on Main Street in the Ocean Drive section last Saturday, started in a steady rain and it stayed that way two-thirds of the time, until the drops abruptly ceased. Less people than usual lined the parade route, observers said, but it was still populated with groups of people who refused to let the weather be a deterrent, wearing rain jackets and toting umbrellas. …

Olivia Borgman is being honored by the North Myrtle Beach Optimist Club as the November Student of the Month. Olivia is the daughter of Amber and Jeff Borgman and is in the sixth grade at North Myrtle Beach Middle School. She is a member of the Welcome Committee and FCA. Away from school, Olivia is active in her youth group at Christ United Methodist Church, Myrtle Beach. She volunteers by working in the nursery at her church, helping with the homeless ministry, raising money for charitable organizations, and mentoring special needs students. She also sorted supplies for flood victims and …