Mobile Home Sales in Centenary, SC

Centenary University’s board of trustees unanimously approved the appointment of Dale Caldwell as the school’s 15th president, effective July 1.

Caldwell will be the first African American president in university history, the board announced Feb. 5.

Currently executive director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Caldwell will succeed President Bruce Murphy, who announced his retirement plans this fall.

Centenary Board Chair Rochelle Makela-Goodman said Caldwell was chosen from a competitive pool of more than 100 applicants.

“Dr. Caldwell’s impressive experience leading programs that promote educational access, innovation, revenue generation, equity, and entrepreneurship, and his success in forging partnerships with New Jersey businesses to advance education, align strongly with our mission and the experience sought by students in our region,” Makela-Goodman said in a statement.

Caldwell’s experience also includes serving as president of the board of the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, as well as being the founding executive director of the Newark Alliance, deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, and a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting.

As president of the Educational Services Commission, Caldwell spearheaded initiatives that resulted in a $132 million revenue increase during his 21-year tenure, according to Centenary.

One of Caldwell’s missions is advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging. At Fairleigh Dickinson, he is the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council, where he was instrumental in securing a $1.5 million state grant to provide diversity training and sensitivity analysis of instruction and courses.

An active community member, Caldwell has served as president of New Brunswick’s Board of Education since 1998. In 2009, he was named the New Jersey School Board Member of the Year by the New Jersey School Boards Association. He is also a licensed local pastor with the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Caldwell earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University, an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in education administration from Seton Hall University.

“I am grateful for the board’s confidence in my ability to lead Centenary at this pivotal time in the University’s history,” Caldwell said. “I look forward to strengthening partnerships between the University and business leaders to grow Centenary’s reputation for scholarship, entrepreneurship, and service.”

Centenary’s current president will step down June 30, at the end of his contract. Murphy took the helm Jan. 1, 2020, and led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of my proudest accomplishments as president is that Centenary didn’t miss one day of instruction as a result of the pandemic,” Murphy said in his retirement announcement.

Founded in 1867, Centenary’s main campus is in Hackettstown, with its equestrian facility in Washington Township.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:48 a.m. ET Feb. 6 to remove reference to Murphy’s retirement plans.

Ahead of its centenary celebrations in 2025, by when it aspires to have a presence in every district, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has set out to double its network of volunteers, who will be responsible for expanding its footprint across the country. The RSS is the ideological fount of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

There are about 3,000 pracharaks, or full-timers, who are given various duties within the numerous offshoots of the RSS that work in sectors such as education, labour unions and in tribal areas. For the centenary celebrations, the Sangh is aiming to double that figure by roping in part-time volunteers, or vistaraks, who will have the option of working with the various offshoots, a Sangh functionary said.

“We are looking at training and deputing these vistaraks for various programmes that the Sangh undertakes across the country. We are hoping that by March 2023 (when centenary celebrations begin), the total number of volunteers will be double the present number and the part-timers will help spread out the shakhas (branches) in areas where there are none, or too few,” the functionary said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

At present, the shakhas, or the units on the ground where the activities of the Sangh are carried out, are in 95% of the districts. The Sangh brass has set a target of having at least one shakha in every district.

There are 60,929 shakhas spread across 38,390 locations in the country, according to the annual report presented at the March annual meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the apex decision making body of the RSS.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Sangh’s outreach; the full-timers are not married, and are sent on rotation to various offshoots and have to work in different geographical areas. “Since they are continuously on the move and interact with people from a cross section of society, they are aware of the problems that people face and generally well versed in issues, which help the society and government to take remedial measures,” said a second functionary, also declining to be named.

Though the Sangh vehemently denies being involved in electoral politics, the feedback from its cadre has a significant bearing on government policies and electioneering campaigns.

On whether the vistaraks will have the option of taking on full-time work, the functionary quoted above said, “It is a very difficult job to be a committed full-timer. The process of training itself is very rigorous, and we will be observing them to see if they have the tenacity to be a full-timer. Of course, they will have the option of continuing.”

Earlier this year, RSS functionaries in Delhi said the organisation has trained 1 million volunteers to be able to offer help during the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to providing services during natural calamities, disasters and other emergencies.

“Apart from taking part in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence), the Sangh had also identified areas where it needs to focus more,” said the second functionary. “These include creating awareness about the unsung heroes of the Independence movement, particularly those who came from the SC (scheduled caste), ST (scheduled tribe) communities; education, health care and welfare of people in far flung areas, and giving a fillip swadeshi (made in India).”

The Sangh has started initiatives such as Sankul Yojana, or self-reliance scheme, and is carrying out training camps in about 350 villages, where women and youth are trained to become self-employed. “We are also working in the field of environment and ecology, and ensuring that activities such as tree plantation, plastic ban and cleaning of rivers are carried out,” the second functionary said.

Get Latest India Newsalong with Latest Newsand Top Headlinesfrom India and around the world. Also follow Karnataka Election 2023 updates on Hindustan Times

CENTENARY, SC (WMBF) - Just a few hours before sun sets Halloween night, people start gathering for a unique, decades-long tradition in Centenary, SC, a small town in Marion County. Scores of people have a hand in donating and helping put on the Centenary Haunted Hayride, but none of them ask for anything in return.

"Don't charge anybody," explained Nancy Pee, who started the hayride tradition. "You want to come, come free. If you want to give, give. Other than that, we'll have as long as the food lasts, it's free. And it's not free for one, it's free for all."

Down Pee's old dirt road, the community always gathers Halloween night. No one asks people to come. There's no social media event pushing for a big presence, no television commercials or radio ads. The community just knows the haunted hayride is happening, like it does every year.Pee said it's been going on for 23 years, and she never expected it would turn into what it has. Hundreds of people will ride down the haunted path on donated trailers pulled by donated tractors.

It's completely free, Pee explained, because not every child can afford to pay to go to a haunted house. So they don't pay on her road.

"I got those kids on my mind who couldn't afford, or who parents can't afford to take them to the different places and do different things that some people can take their children," Pee said. "You see. And I try to show love to all."

It's that way of thinking that has everyone from local politicians to Pee's neighbors pitching in. "Probably 50 or 60 people that donate their time just for that one night," according to Tim Davis, Pee's son who helps organize the hayride event.

Volunteers help park cars, cook and serve the feast of food that people donate. "You might have a line," Pee said of the line that backs up as people wait for food. "It might be from here to the end of the road, lined up there to get waited on. You've got three, four, five people in the kitchen."

Dozens of people also work the haunted trail, which weaves through the woods once it's dark. "We have from 25 to 30 ghosts in the woods," Davis explained. "We do a graveyard."

Davis said every year more people come and every year more people want to volunteer and help out. "The kids that come to this, and as they grow up, they are the same kids that get involved to make it happen."

There has never been any trouble, even with such a large turnout. "The community this year. The whole community of Centenary has come together," Pee said.

But when the sun goes down, the haunted trail tours begin, ghosts fly through the dimly-lit trees and monsters roam.

Copyright 2015 WMBF News. All rights reserved.

Centenary University in Hackettstown will reopen for the fall semester with a flexible plan combining on-ground, online and HyFlex course options.

The plan will reduce density on campus and allow for social distancing and safety.

“As a small university, we are uniquely positioned to respond with agility to developing situations, ensuring that our students continue to receive a superior education,” Centenary President Bruce Murphy said in a prepared statement. “Centenary faculty have been preparing all summer to teach both in-person and online, so we are ready to respond quickly to any pandemic-related challenges that could occur.”

A multidisciplinary team at Centenary considered every aspect of on-campus and virtual operations to develop a roadmap for the fall semester that prepares for various contingencies that could arise with the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced.

The team’s top considerations were maintaining academic excellence, safety, and agility to respond to new developments, Murphy said.

“During our planning, we placed a high priority on the safe return of Centenary students to campus for the fall semester,” he explained. “Like all colleges and universities around the nation, Centenary is adjusting to a ‘new normal’ following this spring’s COVID-19 outbreak.”

The school year will begin on Aug. 31, as planned, and will continue in person through Nov. 25 when students leave for Thanksgiving break.

The semester will then continue online, although exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for students who need access to campus to complete their coursework or for student-athletes in training.

Some other New Jersey universities have already opted for an online-only semester.

Though students will return to campus as scheduled, HyFlex courses combining in-person and virtual classes will be utilized to reduce population density on campus. Those not comfortable returning to in-person classes will have the option of taking all courses remotely for the fall semester.

Centenary’s fall plans include new guidelines to promote social distancing on campus in classrooms, residence halls, dining halls and in student activities, along with the promotion of responsible hygiene practices.

Athletic competitions will commence when it is deemed safe by the NCAA, Colonial States Athletics Conference, and the governor’s office.

“We anticipate that the COVID-19 situation will continue to evolve and Centenary University will be prepared for every contingency,” Murphy said. “All decisions will continue to be made for the safety and academic benefit of our students.”

To celebrate the centennial of The Walt Disney Company, SC Exhibitions has begun work on an exhibition that showcases Disney’s history and legacy to premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in February 2023.

The exhibition will feature galleries with hundreds of artifacts and an immersive environment that spans 15,000 feet, showcasing characters and stories from across The Walt Disney Company’s last century, according to Dieter Semmelmann, CEO of SC Exhibitions.

“It’s thrilling to bring Disney’s crown jewels – art, memorabilia, costumes, props, and one-of-a-kind treasures – to public view – and to explore the story of one of the world’s most creative entertainment companies,” said Paula Sigman Lowery, historian, co-curator, and internationally recognized expert on Walt Disney and The Walt Disney Company. “Many of these objects have never before seen outside the company’s archival, animation, and Imagineering vaults.”

“We we approach the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company, we at the Walt Disney Archives are incredibly excited about traveling a new and unique exhibit marking a century of unparalleled innovation and storytelling with the world,” said Rebecca Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives. “This groundbreaking exhibition will celebrate the wonder of Disney, from 1923 to the present and into the future.”

President and CEO of The Franklin Institute Larry Dubinski added that “The Franklin Institute is thrilled to debut this world premiere exhibition in Philadelphia during the remarkable 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. We look forward to celebrating the legacy of a creative empire synonymous with imaginative storytelling, innovation, discovery, and wonder that spans generations and delivers widespread, undeniable global appeal.”

The exhibition will also be the third collaboration between SC Exhibitions and Studio TK, a Berlin-based collective of architects, visual artists and experts of entertainment technology, who specialize in aiding the creation of brand exhibitions.

“It’s great to work at The Franklin Institute again, where our ‘Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes’ exhibit drew hundreds of thousands of visitors in summer 2019 to the galleries,” said Tobias Kunz, exhibition designer for Studio TK. “It’s a big honor to develop the design for the 100th anniversary exhibit of The Walt Disney Company with the Walt Disney Archives.”

The yet-untitled “Disney Centennial” exhibition will debut in February 2023, with a second, parallel staging for territories outside the U.S. premiering the following month.

Universal Studios Hollywood is taking its first step toward re-opening its theme park with a brand-new event, “Taste of Universal.”

This outdoor dining and shopping experience—which starts on Friday, March 12—will take place within select themed lands on weekends, Friday to Sunday, from noon to 7 p.m.

Taste of Universal will invite guests to once again enjoy strolling through the park as they sample some of its best culinary offerings and premium shopping options – plus physically-distanced photo-ops with characters.

Universal Studios Hollywood is working with local and government health officials to implement new health and safety procedures for the event, like controlled capacity and required face coverings.

Admission to Taste of Universal includes access to select themed areas of the park, as well as a selection of nearly 70 culinary options (30 of which are new to the event). Adults can choose five options and kids can choose three, with additional food offerings available for purchase.

Tickets start at $44 plus tax for adults and $25 plus tax for kids ages 3-9, and can be purchased online. Discounted tickets will be available for Universal Annual and Season Pass members.

Rides and shows will not be operational during this event, but guests will be able to enjoy the following themed areas of the park:

One highlight of the event that guests will enjoy is a sneak peek of the attraction shop for The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash—The Pets Store—where guests can purchase merchandise themed to the films.

The Animation Store, home to Hello Kitty and her friends from Sanrio, Minions merchandise, and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls and Kung Fu Panda, will be among the park’s shopping options.

Physically-distanced photo-ops with select characters will also be available.

The health and safety protocols for Taste of Universal are:

To learn more about Taste of Universal, and to purchase tickets, visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.