To the editor:

The last two weeks have been a great showcase for Laurinburg and Scotland County.

It began with an Art Crawl held on Friday in downtown Laurinburg. This event featured musicians playing on the street and a number of stores open for business. This event was well received and attendance was good. This was followed by the Scotland County Highland Games which was very successful and brought many visitors to Laurinburg.

The following week brought two great events. On Friday, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was here for two concerts at the Story Telling Center. The Preservation Hall group is from New Orleans and very talented as well as being extremely well known. The other activities was the 29th John Blue Cotton Festival which had a wonderful turnout and was open Saturday and Sunday.

The attendance was great at all events and brought many visitors to Scotland County. The tour book at the John Blue house listed visitors from Alaska, California and most states east of the Mississippi. We often hear that we need things to do in our area, but this is a great example of our community pulling together to showcase ourselves. Also, the Kuumba Festival was held recently. This festival also draws many people to our area and provides an opportunity for entertainment. Volunteerism in Scotland County is unparalleled — this is what makes our county special.

Tommy Parker

Mayor of Laurinburg