Archive for December, 2009
Tickets available for annual Masterworks concert.
The Masterworks Chorale, the USC Aiken Concert Choir and the St. John’s United Methodist Church Chancel Choir will present the “Festival of Lessons and Carols” at St. John’s Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. Tickets for the event are $10.
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Dog park prepares for next week’s opening
A dedication ceremony for Aiken’s first dog park will be held next Saturday at 10 a.m.
The dog park is a joint project of the City of Aiken and Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is located at 199 Willow Run Road, behind the Willow Run Industrial Park.
The City has put about $30,000 into the park, which has been set aside to pay for the cost of the fencing. Aiken SPCA has also invested about $30,000 into the project. Money is also being donated to the park by a local family in celebration on their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
Both big and small dogs are welcome at the pet playground. The facility will have a specific area for large dogs and a place for smaller dogs. It will also include a common area where any dog can roam free.
Officials with the park said it will also include a square, 30-foot by 30-foot splash pool. The pool will be 10 inches deep and will resemble a ground-level swimming pool. The splash pool will cost about $16,000. Pet owners will be required to register their dogs with the SPCA or the City of Aiken Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism before they are able to bring them to the facility.
The dog park will be located next to the future home of the Aiken SPCA facility. Aiken SPCA officials are planning for construction of the shelter to begin a the end of the year.
The 20,000-square-foot facility will have the capacity to house 140 dogs and cats and will average 700 adoptions per year. It will include space for the City’s Animal Control, a regional spay and neuter clinic that would serve the City, County and other neighboring communities and an education and training facility for residents and their pets.
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Treasury Plans to Push Banks to Modify Loans
The Treasury Department announced Monday steps it is taking to encourage lenders to complete more loan modifications, but critics say the new initiative doesn’t address the problems of jobless borrowers or those who are significantly underwater.
The government blames banks and mortgage companies for dragging their feet and, under the new guidelines, will fine them if they fail to increase the number of home owners given relief. It also announced plans to publish a list of the worst banking offenders and to withhold cash incentives until loan modifications are made permanent. The Treasury Department also promises to assign more staff to monitor the process.
The government said it expects 375,000 home owners to be eligible for permanent mortgage reductions by the end of 2009.
Source: The New York Times, Javier C. Hernandez (12/01/2009)
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Nine Consecutive Gains for Pending Home Sales
Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 3.7 percent to 114.1 from 110.0 in September, and is 31.8 percent above October 2008 when it was 86.6. The rise from a year ago is the biggest annual increase ever recorded for the index, which is at the highest level since March 2006 when it was 115.2.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home sales are experiencing a pendulum swing. “Keep in mind that housing had been underperforming over most of the past year. Based on the demographics of our growing population, existing-home sales should be in the range of 5.5 million to 6.0 million annually, but we were well below the 5-million mark before the home buyer tax credit stimulus,” he said. “This means the tax credit is helping unleash a pent-up demand from a large pool of financially qualified renters, much more than borrowing sales from the future. Full Story…
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NAR: FHA Key to Housing Market and Recovery
The Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program is a critical part of the American housing fabric and has never been more important than it is in today’s market, NAR President Vicki Cox Golder told a congressional panel this week. Testifying before the House Committee on Financial Services, Golder said that the FHA program is fiscally [...]
Augusta-Aiken and Columbia, SC,
An analysis by Forbes magazine released Tuesday has put the Augusta-Aiken and Columbia, SC, regions among the 50 top cities in America recovering fastest from the recession.
· Forbes ranked the 100 largest MSAs using unemployment rate, size of regional economy, foreclosures, home prices, and retail sales.
· The Augusta-Aiken and the Columbia MSAs ranked above 50 on the list and the Charlotte-Gastonia, Greenville-Mauldin-Easley and Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville ranked in the bottom 50. More precisely, all five of South Carolina’s largest areas were in the top 75.
· The fastest recovering region was in Omaha, Neb., and the slowest recovering of the 100 MSAs was in Lakeland, Fl.
Source; J. David Jameson
President/CEO
Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce
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Holiday festivities planned in Aiken
The 22nd Annual North Augusta Christmas Tour of Homes will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This will be a candlelight tour. Tours will also be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Jim Bush Flower Shop, Communigraphics, North Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Parks Pharmacy. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 on the day of the tour. For more information, call 279-4844.
* The Aiken Choral Society will hold its Annual Winter Concert at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Cornerstone Baptist Church. Tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and $7 for children. Tickets are available at the Aiken County Historical Museum and at the door. For more information, call Dr. Maureen Simpson at 649-6570.
* The Aiken Community Playhouse presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Musical!” Friday and Saturday and Dec. 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults; $18 for seniors (60+); $15 for students and $9 for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.aikencommunityplayhouse.com or call 648-1438.
* The Annual Downtown Aiken Tree Lighting Ceremony led by Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the center of Laurens Street and Richland Avenue.
* The Town of Wagener kicks off its Hometown Holiday Celebration starting at 5 p.m. with participating local merchants providing dessert samples and refreshments. There will be carriage rides and photos with Santa. The annual tree lighting ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
* Christmas For the Birds will be held at the Old Towne Living History Park in North Augusta from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Please bring apples, oranges, and peanut butter for the birds and a donation of food for the local pet adoption centers. St. Nicholas will be on hand. For more information, call 279-7560 or e-mail lynn@colonialtimes.us.
* The St. Gerard Church Christmas Thrift Shop Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.
* Story time with Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held in the Aiken Mall at 11:30 a.m. Children are invited to come out and listen to Mayor Cavanaugh read a classic Christmas story and receive a sweet treat.
* Story time with Mayor Fred Cavanaugh will be held in the Aiken Mall at 11:30 a.m. Children are invited to come out and listen to Mayor Cavanaugh read a classic Christmas story and receive a sweet treat.
* The New Ellenton Christmas Parade will take place at noon on Main Street. Entries will be accepted through Friday; call City Hall at 652-2214 for more information.
* The GVW Fire Department and Ladies’ Auxiliary Christmas Parade begins at 3 p.m. at Leavelle-McCampbell Middle School, 82 Canal St., Graniteville.
* There will be a Night-Time Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. in Ward. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Ward Community Building. For more information, leave a message at (803) 685-5832.
* The Bamberg Christmas Parade begins at 10 a.m. For more information, call (803) 245-4113.
* The Denmark Christmas Parade will take place at 1 p.m. on Main Street. For more information, call (803) 793-3734.
* The Town of Wagener’s Hometown Holiday Celebration continues with a craft show and bake sale that will start at 9 a.m. in the park. The annual Christmas parade will begin at 11 a.m. A car show will start at 2 p.m.
Sunday
* The North Augusta Lions Club sponsors a parade at 3 p.m. on Georgia Avenue from Martintown Road to Buena Vista Avenue.
* The Aiken Jaycees 2009 Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. with a route running down Park Avenue and up Laurens Street. This year’s theme is “Christmas Through The Years.” More information about the parade is available at www.aikenjaycees.com.
* The Allendale Christmas Parade will be at 4 p.m. and will follow Main Street from Gum to Pleasant streets. For more information, call (803) 584-4619.
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Parents Should Consider Homes as Gifts
Parents who are looking for a gift to give their kids this holiday season should consider a house.
With prices in the cellar, this could be a terrific year to give a down payment or even the whole home.
The Internal Revenue Service says a married couple can each give gifts of $13,000 of money or property without triggering taxes for the gift givers or the recipients. That means a married couple can give another married couple a total of $52,000 a year. To maximize that they can give $52,000 in December and another $52,000 in January for a total of $104,000 to be used on a property before the federal tax credit expires.
This would buy a house in some parts of the country and be sufficient for a down payment in most others.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (11/27/2009)
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Museum exhibit artist reception set for Thursday
An exhibit featuring the works of nationally renowned artist Dorothy Chhuy will be featured at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum from Thursday through Dec. 31.
An opening reception for the artist will be held Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., and the public is invited to attend.
This will be the sixth time Chhuy’s works will be featured at the Hall of Fame; her work was previously exhibited in 1991, 1994, 2003, 2005 and 2007.
The artist’s watercolors and drawings of equestrian sport and landscapes give distinction and harmony to the form of life, and her work’s delicacy of feeling and tenderness of expression create an atmosphere of elegance. Her work captures the spirit and excitement of steeplechase and flat racing, mounted fox hunting and carriage driving.
Chhuy’s work has been exhibited in a number of juried shows including the Salmagundi Club in New York, the New Jersey and Louisiana watercolor societies, the Fourth International Miniature Print Competition, Pratt Graphics Center in New York, the Salon de Grabado, Museo Espanol de Arte Contemporaneo in Madrid, Spain, and a number of exhibitions in Paris, France.
She also has a number of pieces of art in the collection of the National Sporting Library in Middleburg, Va.
A portion of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum in Hopelands Gardens at 135 Dupree Place.
For more information, call 642-7631 or visit www.aikenracinghalloffame.com.
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Nine Consecutive Gains for Pending Home Sales
Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 3.7 percent to 114.1 from 110.0 in September, and [...]
Tree farms ready for business.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the Black Friday shopping rush is a thing of the past. Now it is time to select the perfect Christmas tree.
Not just any old tree will do; each Christmas, the search is on to find the perfect shape, height, smell and color.
The Christmas tree becomes more than a symbol of the holidays. It is a central gathering point throughout the holiday season as families come together to decorate it and spend time with one another in the soft glow of the lights. On the tree hang mementos of Christmases past and the promise of the one to come.
Many families have traditions when it comes to selecting a tree. Some people return to the same location year after year to pick their tree, others attempt to put it up on the same day whether that be the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve. For many, picking a tree means spending the day at a Christmas tree farm, drinking cider, taking hay rides, making wreaths and singing Christmas carols.
In Aiken County, there are many locations selling Christmas trees; however, there are only two tree farms inside the county limits – Sweet Water Tree Farm LLC located in Windsor and Tom Sawyer’s Christmas Trees in Monetta. Both offer patrons the chance to choose and cut their own trees straight from the farm. More Details….
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Homeowner receives key for Habitat Women Build house.
Sarita Hicks was given the keys to her first home Sunday – the fourth Women Build house and the 76th for Aiken County Habitat for Humanity.
A crowd of people gathered at Warren Ridge subdivision for the dedication, which represented the culmination of hours and hours of work from Hicks, volunteers from Lowe’s, Habitat and Women of Woodside, the home’s sponsors.
“We are very grateful to the Women of Woodside for providing the financial support for this home,” said Richard C. Church, Habitat executive director. “The Women of Woodside have worked diligently on raising funds for this home, and they should be commended for all of their efforts. I know they must be as excited as we are to finally see this Habitat home become a reality for Sarita Hicks and her daughter Brianna.”
Construction began in July 2008 and, as with all other Habitat partner families, Hicks put in 200 hours of sweat equity into the construction of her new home. Full Story….
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Band concerts usher in holiday
Get into the holiday spirit with a special concert.
The Aiken Community Band will perform two holiday concerts next month at the USC Aiken Etherredge Center. The first of the two concerts will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. with an encore matinee to follow on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.
The Aiken Community Band includes 80-plus members under the direction of Col. Gary F. Lamb, retired commander and conductor of the U.S. Army Band (Pershing’s Own) in Washington, D.C.
The group will share the “Hallelujah Chorus” by G.F. Handel, “A Christmas Intrada” by Alfred Reed, “Three Moods of Hannukkah” by Lennie Niehaus and “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano.
The band’s composer, William A. Foss, arranged four of the selections featured in the program. Soloists include Dr. Lauren Meccia on the saxophone, Gary Frazier, a tenor vocalist, and Gretchen Hatoway Salomone on the flute.
The Aiken Community Band is a concert band composed of musicians from throughout the Aiken community along with faculty and students from USC Aiken.
“Whether performing its formal Christmas, spring and fall concerts or through the more casual Hopelands Gardens appearances, the band has brought much enjoyment to area residents,” Lamb said.
Admission to the concert is $10 per adult and $7 per student. Proceeds support the USCA Band program and help defray the community band’s expenses. Tickets may be purchased at the Etherredge Center box office or by calling 641-3305.
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Aiken tree lighting this Friday evening.
The City of Aiken will hold its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the intersection of Laurens Street and Richland Avenue on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
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