Bennettsville Mayor, Dexe Bostick, signed a proclamation declaring Friday, December 2, 2011 as Arbor Day in the City of Bennettsville. Attending the signing was, left to right, Holly Swann, Manager of Planning for the City, Bill Kinney, Jr., Chairman of the City's Tree Committee, Mayor Bostick and Ken Harmon, Executive Director of the Bennettsville Downtown Development Assocuiation (BDDA). The public is invited to the Arbor Day festivities on December 2nd at 11:00 AM at city hall. A willow oak tree will be planted to commemorate the occasion.

This & That, at 603 Broad Street, Suite 7-G, held their Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting last week. This & That specilizes in jewlery and handbags among other things. Bennettsville's newest business invites you to visit them whenever possible. Shown in the above picture from left to right are: Patti Hamrick, Bennettsville City Council member, Bernice Johnson, Bennettsville Mayor, Dexe Bostick, Store owner Natalie Baugher, Ken Harmon, BDDA, Wilheminia Pegues and Larry Pelham, members of the Bennettsvivlle City Council, Thomas Dew, Bennettwsville Fireman and member of the Leadership Bennettsville class of 2011-12, and Jimmy Hamrick. This & That is open Monday through Fridway from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

At their regular monthly Board meeting, the Directors of the Bennettsville Downtown Development Association (BDDA), unanimously passed a resolution congratulating and thanking LC Justin Blum, JROTC Instructor at Marlboro County High School. LC Blum has been selected by the Department of the Army as their National JROTC Senior Instructor of the Year and has been instrumental in the success of the Junior Leadership Bennettsville program directed by BDDA. The framed resolution was presented to LC Blum at the kick-off meeting of the 2011-12 Junior Leadership Bennettsville class year. Shown above from the left are Bill Kinney, Jr., Vice-Chair of BDDA, Ken Harmon, Executive Director of BDDA, LC Blum, and Lon Lester, Chair of BDDA.