Thanks to some technical help from the Department of Public Utilities, a day of rain and drizzle didn't deter the festivities as the city of Orangeburg kicked off the Christmas holiday season Sunday with the lighting of Memorial Plaza "by remote" from Stevenson Auditorium.

Mayor Paul Miller said that the rainout of the downtown lighting ceremony is the first he remembers.

"But, this is the Modern Age. We can slip the switch on here (at Stevenson Auditorium) and when you go outside, the lights should be on," he said. "With the help of technology, we've been able to have a switch here, compliments of DPU. So, we can have a remote turning on...When you go outside, the lights will be on on the square."

Bernice Tribble, director of the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association, said that DPU built a breaker box to be placed on the stage at the Stevenson Auditorium, scene of the organization's annual Christmas program.

"They knew the weather was going to be bad," she said. "They decided Friday, when it looked like the weather was going to turn bad."

The lighting honors this year were handled by the husband-and-wife team of longtime Orangeburg pediatrician, Dr. John Rheney, and his wife, Joyce Rheney, a recently retired 20-year veteran member of Orangeburg City Council.

Dr. Rheney received the Clemson University Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award for 2007. A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Rheney was awarded the South Carolina chapter's Career Achievement Award in 1995 and received the William Weston Distinguished Service Award for Excellence in Pediatrics in 1994. Active in civic affairs, Joyce Rheney has served with DORA and was co-chair of the committee to renovate Stevenson Auditorium. She was named South Carolina Mother of the Year in 2001.

Traditionally, the Christmas program, featuring a variety of local performers, is held at Stevenson Auditorium, prior to the lighting of the plaza, a block away. Despite the bad weather, a crowd estimated at 150, filled the auditorium, to enjoy the holiday entertainment.

The program, with a theme of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," featured soprano Angela Blalock singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the High Steppin' Cloggers and Queen of Roses Chelsea Smith performing to Christmas songs, trumpeter Hydrick Gass and Friends playing a Christmas medley, the Orangeburg Lutheran Church choir singing a portion of their Christmas cantata, the Orangeburg Civic Ballet performing two dances from "The Nutcracker," and everyone singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" to end the festivities. Local radio personalities, Russ Fender and Haley Aull, served as masters of ceremonies. Set decorations were provided by Susan Berry.

The Rev. Michael Smith, pastor of St. Andrews United Methodist Church, gave the prayer at the lighting.

The festivities continue Monday with the lighting of the Children's Garden Christmas and Kids' Walk at Edisto Memorial Gardens follows at 6 p.m. Deloris and Melvin Smoak will light Children's Garden Christmas, and Dr. Gene Atkinson and his wife, Colleen Atkinson, will light the Kids' Walk.

St. Paul's UMC pastor, the Rev. Kristen Richardson-Frick, will provide the prayer at Monday's event.

Following the lighting of the gardens, the community is invited to view the Mayors' Festival of Wreaths, which will be on display Nov. 23-Dec. 7 at the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center. Bids will be accepted on the wreaths until 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, at the center.

Hot chocolate and cookies will be served in the OCFAC Terrace Garden from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 23, and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the arts center's Lusty Gallery. The St. George Baptist Church and the New Hope Baptist Church choirs, directed by St. George's music director Ronda Smith, will join together to perform traditional Christmas songs and cantata selections.

Riverside Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic at approximately 5:30 p.m. in preparation for the gardens' lighting ceremony. It will reopen to one-way traffic at 8 p.m.

Also, on Dec. 1, Claflin University will present Handel's "Messiah", in a concert, open free to the public, at Stevenson Auditorium. In addition to the Claflin University Concert Choir, local church choirs from First Baptist, First Presbyterian, Orangeburg Lutheran, Trinity United Methodist, St. Paul's United Methodist, Mt. Pisgah Baptist, Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Ebenezer AME. Dr. Isaiah McGee will direct.

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