News & Events
Wilmington author Ellyn Bache to be CWC 2010 featured speaker
 Wilmington author Ellyn Bache will be a featured speaker at the 2010 Carolinas Writers Conference.
The Wilmington, N.C., writer joins fellow North Carolinian Michael Malone of Hillsborough on the second annual conference's agenda. The event will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at South Piedmont Community College's Lockhart-Taylor Center.
A native of Washington, D.C., Bache studied English at the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has resided in Wilmington for over 20 years, but now divides her time between the Tar Heel State and Pennsylvania.
Bache's newest novel is "Daughters of the Sea," a Reviewers Choice "Book of the Year" nominee and a top selection from RT Book Reviews. A previous novel, "Safe Passage," was adapted into a movie that starred Susan Sarandan and Sam Sheppard.
Among her other titles are: "Holiday Miracles: A Christmas/Hanukkah Story," "Festival in Fire Season," "The Activist's Daughter" and "Riggs Park."
A native of Durham, Malone was a noted scriptwriter for "Another World" and "One Life to Live" soap operas. He received four daytime Emmy nominations for best writing, winning the top prize in 1994 while head writer with "One Life to Live."
 Malone wrote his first novel, "The Killing Club," as a subplot to "One Life to Live" and the novel was published in 2005, reaching No. 11 on the New York Times bestseller list for hardback fiction.
He is the author of nine novels, a collection of short stories and two non-fiction books. Among his book titles are "Handling Sin" (1983), "Uncivil Seasons" (1983), "Time's Witness" (1989), "Foolscap or the Stages of Love" (1991), "First Lady" (2001), "The Lat Noel" (2003) and his latest novel, "The Four Corners of the Sky" (2009).
His short story titles include "Red Clay," "Blue Cadillac," "Murdered for Love" and "Delacorte."
A resident of Hillsborough, where he resides with his wife, Maureen Quilligan, a professor of English at Duke University, Malone was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard. He has taught at Yale, Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania.
In addition to his Emmy, Malone has been awarded the "Edgar" and the "O'Henry" awards, and has been honored with a Writers Guild award.
Several of his works have been set in North Carolina, especially in the Piedmont where homicide detective Justin Saville and police chief Cuddy Mangum battle crime in the fictional town of Hillston.
Tickets to the all-day event are $30 ($20 if pre-registered by Jan. 31) for adults and $6 for Anson County Schools and South Piedmont College Students (with an I.D.). For more information, visit www.ansoncountywritersclub.org.
The writers conference is sponsored by the Anson County Writers' Club, South Piedmont Community College and Hampton B. Allen Library. For more information on Bache, visit her website at www.ellynbache.com; visit www.ansoncountywritersclub.org; or go to www.carolinaswritersconference.org.
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge's early 2010 hunt dates
The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge has announced hunt dates for early 2010. Hunters must possess a valid, signed Refuge general hunting permit for all hunts; quota hunt permits are required for all firearms deer and turkey hunts; permits are non-transferable; and hunters must possess all applicable licenses, permits and government issued picture ID while in the field.
All deer and turkey killed on the Refuge must be checked in at the Refuge's check-in station, located at the Refuge Headquarters on U.S. 52-North (the old check-in station on Grassy Island Road is no longer open).
The following information has been taken from the "Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge Public Use Regulations" brochure:
Late archery deer -- Dec. 7-Jan. 1 (Anson and Richmond counties).
Quail -- Jan 6, 16 and 27; Feb. 17 and 27 (Anson County only). Bag limit is two (2) quail per hunter.
Rabbit -- Jan. 30-Feb. 13 (Anson County only).
Youth turkey -- State Youth Turkey Hunt Day is April 3 (Anson County only). Hunters must have a drawn permit to participate in the hunt.
For a downloadable copy of the public use regulations, Click Here. For more information, call 704.694.4424.
 Griffin Hill Lodge offers hideaway
Nestled in the rolling terrain of southwestern Anson County, the Griffin Hill Lodge has long been known locally for its idyllic lakeside setting for corporate outings, weddings and family reunions.
Owned by Al and Phyliss Griffin, the lodge was constructed with lumber from trees that were felled when Hurricane Hugo cut a destructive swath across the county in 1989. It took only two huge poplar trees to do the inside; the exterior is of pine. Originally designed as a preserve and a corporate hideaway, Griffin Hill soon emerged as a secluded site for other events -- such as church services, wedding and baby showers, and baptisms.
 The pine-lined lakeshore allows easy access for bank fishing (bream, bass and some catfish), bird-watching (Canada geese and egrets), swimming and canoeing. A small island, connected to shore by a boardwalk, is a favorite spot for the bride and groom to repeat their wedding vows; or for some quiet meditation or reading.
The lodge is highlighted by three picture window panes, salvaged from a razed building in Charlotte, that gives the visitor a panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding woods. A porch allows for evening get-togethers for tall tales and friendly camaraderie.
 Inside, the lodge offers a living room nook with sofas, chairs, a television set and a stereo system. Adjacent to the living room area, is a play area that includes a full-sized billiards table.
The lodge can accommodate 14 overnight visitors with triple-stacked bunk beds, double bunk beds and two bathrooms with showers. The lodge also comes with a commercial-sized kitchen to prepare in-house breakfasts and suppers.
The interior walls are decorated with an assortment of vintage farm tools, a hornets' nest (unoccupied), antlers from white-tailed bucks taken by Griffin family members, and two impressive fanned turkey tails.
The family-oriented lodge is located 60 miles southeast of Charlotte and is available for events by calling 704.694.5086, e-mailing griffinteamnc@yahoo.com or visiting
www.griffinhilllodge.webs.com.
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