PICKENS — Well-known southern authors Patricia Sprinkle, Dot Jackson and George Singleton will be among those featured at the Birchwood Center’s 10th Annual Book and Author’s Fair Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the fellowship hall of Pickens Presbyterian Church, 311 West Main Street in Pickens.

Singleton is a Southern author who has written six collections of short stories, two novels, and an instructional book on writing fiction. He was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada.

Jackson’s book, Refuge, won the Appalachian Studies Association’s 2007 Weatherford Award, as well as the

Bushland skills classes to teach primitive survival training

PICKENS — Hagood Mill will welcome back an EarthSkills wilderness self-reliance workshop this fall.

The hands-on survival class is open to all adults and runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of every month from September through November. Each class is limited to 10 students.

 EarthSkills instructor and U.S. Army veteran Alex Garcia will return with an expanded training schedule to augment last year’s introductory classes.

Sept. 27 leads this year’s schedule with survival knife skills, basics of the number one tool in wilderness survival. The cost for the class is $65 per student. On Oct. 25, students will be challenged with trapping fish and

Rollins Family Foundations held its formal grand opening and ribbon cutting on Sept. 5 in Liberty. The Rollins Family Foundations, an addiction-recovery mentor and family life coach center, was founded by Travis and Tosha Rollins and created to assist families and individuals who have struggled long enough. The new business was created to help build a happy place for hearts and families. The foundation helps others learn how to live more effectively and enjoyable. Many services are offered, including recovery coaching, recovery reconstruction program, self-confidence building, vocab rehab program, couple coaching and marital and premarital preparation programs. The Rollins Family Foundations is located in Liberty across from the new CVS and can be reached by appointment only by calling (864) 551-5984. Pictured above are councilwoman Lisa Hunter, Tosha Rollins, Travis Rollins, clerk/treasurer Erin Lewis, police chief Gilstrap, Liberty police sgt. Victor Tetter and mayor Eric Boughman.

EASLEY — Find a Saturday deal and benefit community outreach by shopping at St. Michael’s multi-family yard sale on Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.

In addition to bargains on everything from clothes to household goods, there will be fresh breakfast and lunch plates available for purchase.

Community members can participate in the sale and reserve a selling space for $10. Sellers can also rent round clothing racks and tables for $5 each. Rental fee proceeds benefit the church’s outreach programs and sellers keep

EASLEY — Are you an up-and-coming artist or maybe even an established artist looking for an affordable opportunity to gain community exposure? If so, then Arts Council of Pickens County has the perfect chance for you to do so.

Fall for the Arts, to be held Oct. 4 in conjunction with the Easley Farmer’s Market, is currently accepting applications for visual, performing and literary artists for the event. Booth spaces are only $10 for the day.

In addition to booths to display and vend your pieces of art, opportunities exist to educate the public through living artist spaces. Living artists demonstrate their craft during the day to help inform the community about the processes involved creating works of art.

Interested artists may obtain applications from the Arts Council website artscouncilofpickens.wix.com/acpc, Starving Artist Café, or contacting Suzanne Goodman at sgoodski@aol.com.

EASLEY — Easley’s Rising Star is looking for entrants for its third annual contest to be held Oct. 2.

Sponsored by Arts Council of Pickens County, the event is in its third year and accepts entries from Pickens County and Anderson District One (Powdersville). The main goal is to promote local young talent and offer a venue for them to showcase their talents.

The contest includes three categories, with different age divisions for each category. Entries can be solos, duets, trios or small groups. Dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists are encouraged to enter for a chance to be Easley’s Rising Star and win some great prizes too.

Previous winners have gone on to further their talents at the collegiate level — the inaugural winner, Madeline Goodman, is currently a sophomore dance major at the College of Charleston.

Applications can be obtained by visiting the Arts Council of Pickens County’s website (www.artscouncilpickens.wix.com/acpc), The Starving Artist Café or contacting Suzanne Goodman at sgoodski@aol.com. Entry deadline is Sept. 27.