ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

PAINTING IN OPEN AIR

by Carolyn Bowers

Artists from all over the country paint the beauty of Southport during Up Your Arts’ Southport Plein Air Festival.

On May 13 and 14, 75 artists from seven states captured Southport’s unique beauty and charm in a plein air event hosted by Up Your Arts. Between brush strokes they took time to enthusiastically praise the town, their host and the folks who live here.

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REACHING FOR THE STARS

by Claire Lynch

Old Things New in Calabash was a fresh start for owner Cathy Breeden.

Cathy Breeden was a Tennessee resident and Bell South retiree in 2011 when she and her husband, Randy, bought a second home in Little River. They enjoyed the area so much they made Horry County their full-time home and sold their house in Tennessee.

Cathy had worked for 10 years at other telecommunications companies after her 30-year employment stretch at Bell South, but she wanted a change of pace. She and Randy had always been attracted to the idea of being small business owners, so they looked into the details.

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SCRATCHING THE ITCH

by Kurt Epps, a.k.a. The PubScout

The PubScout ponders the phenomenon known as the pop-up shop at his favorite pub, TapTime in OIB.

Full disclosure: I detest shopping. For anything. Maybe it’s built into our DNA, but every other guy I know feels the same. If I need something, I go to a store that carries it, I find what I’m looking for, I pay for it and get out. That goes for food, clothing, shoes, sundries, necessities — almost everything. Now, I don’t want to get into a big discussion of gender here, but when it comes to shopping, many women are different. That’s not a criticism, just a fact. They go into a store, especially one with clothes and shoes, and they meander. It doesn’t matter if they find something they really like in one aisle. There might be something they like more in the next aisle. Shopping is in their DNA, I suspect.

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FOR THE ANIMALS

by Jo Ann Mathews

Paws-Ability’s BandFest raised money for animal welfare in the community.

Chihuahuas, boxers and mixes of every breed frolicked, rested and socialized with their caretakers in Sunset Beach Town Park at the fifth annual Paws-Ability BandFest on June 5. The Sea & Sand Band energized the crowd of 800 to 1,000 with rock hits before the Jan Michael Fields Band took over.

“Everything is fabulous,” said Anita August, president of the Paws-Ability board, as she orchestrated the various activities at the fundraiser. “We’re raising money to support animal welfare in the community. We have wonderful volunteers and delicious food.”

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STUDENT STAND OUT

by Jo Ann Mathews

From baking to volunteering to excelling in education, Sarah Cribb stands tall with talents galore.

“Being Asian and being adopted, I like learning about my culture and about other cultures, too,” says Sarah Cribb, whose 4-foot-10-inch height defies her stature as an achiever. Sarah joined the International Club when she was a student at Early College High School (ECHS), which led to her accepting the volunteer post of student coordinator for the annual International Festival.

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