Billy Burke honored

The Salisbury Rotary Club honored longtime member Billy Burke with a surprise on Jan. 2 — a refurbished piano to play at club meetings and a request to play for many more years.

Member Paul Fisher, who made the presentation, said Burke had been playing at club meetings as long as anyone could remember, which covers many years. To thank him for that, club members took the club’s piano to Kluttz Piano for a quick retuning while the club was on break over the holidays.

Fisher said the club would like Burke to sign a contract to play for at least 25 more years.

Towell family riders

Siblings Elizabeth Towell, 27, and Jack Hardin Towell Jr., 17, of Camden, S.C., children of Salisbury native Lisa Towell, have had an outstanding riding season.

In Conyers, Ga. this past June, Elizabeth took top honors in the prestigious $25,000 Horses Helping Horses Hunter Classic at the Atlanta Summer Classic. She earned a Championship title in the Second Year Green Working Hunter Division at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Maryland, where she also placed in the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge.

Hardin, meanwhile, dominated the Large Junior Hunter division all year, earning the Championship title at Capital Challenge and again in December at the 123rd National Horse Show and Family Festival in Wellington, Fla.

In October, Hardin garnered a career first at The Washington International Horse Show when he captured the Equitation Classic Final. In the same week, he also earned the Best Child Rider Award.

Not to be outdone, Liza capped off her stellar year with maybe the biggest jump of all: marriage. On Dec. 9, she tied the knot with longtime boyfriend, Blake Boyd, 27, at Grace Episcopal Church in Camden, followed by a reception at the Springdale Hall Club.

In between all the Championship titles and the nuptials, the family had even more to celebrate, when, on Nov.7, son Ned Towell, 24, was elected to the Camden City council.