Good news from organizers of the Spring Valley Education Foundation.

Their annual auction raised about $18,500 for the high school, $1,500 more than last year. (Of course, the columnist’s publicity fee has not yet been deducted. Ho, ho, ho.)

Actually, the auction brought in about $23,000, but programs, decorations, refreshments and other expenses add up, organizer Linda Olsen told me. Harry Black of the Ramada Hotel donates the ballroom.

This is unofficial, but the highest bid of the night apparently came from Tom Jenkins, who will commission a portrait, valued at $1,500, by Richard Patterson. That purchase may have been the bargain of the night, going for less than a thousand dollars. Jenkins is a big Viking supporter; he also donates office space for the education foundation.

Another big spender was Hugh McElderry, who needed a tractor to haul off all his loot. At last count, he’d bought nine items.

Artwork was the most popular, particularly the handiwork of our own Cherrie Nute, Linda said.

But I’m sorry to report that John Hudgens has depreciated since last year.

The fish fry with the superintendent, which brought in $250 last year, went for a mere $150 after semi-spirited bidding. The one with County Councilman John Monroe and sheriff’s deputy Ike Eisenhower brought more — $160.

I am not going to be the one to speculate on all this.

The buyers were Will Davidson and Steve Savitz, both WildeWood attorneys, and their wives.

Either they really like fish or they’ve got some lobbying to do.

Will, of course, said it was for the good of the foundation.

That, too.

Another followup: you may remember reading a few weeks back about Carolyn Poirier, the Lake Elizabeth artist who fell in love with Columbia after living in Detroit and West Palm Beach, Fla.

Her work was exhibited at Columbia Mall at the awards show the Trenholm Artists Guild puts on annually. Well, Carolyn reports that she clinched two awards at the show: a $50 Guild award for her painting of five Canadian geese and a $250 purchase award for a portrait of an Oriental beauty.

Something else nice happened, too. A couple of other Detroit natives saw the story and stopped by the show to visit with someone else from their homeland! Power of the press, you know.

OK, so maybe you didn’t get a chance to bid on a fish fry with David Daniel or Shep Griffith, but you can still get a personal visit from these Arcadia Lakes town councilmen and it won’t cost you a cent.

Mayor Pro Tem Helen Miller called to inform Arcadia Lakes residents that town council members will inspect home smoke detectors for free. Don’t have one? They will also provide and install alarms for the elderly and for anyone who can’t afford one. (Anyone who lives in Arcadia Lakes, that is.)

Interested? Call the town clerk, Christine Murphy, at 782-2272.

Let’s have some fun. Better yet, let’s have some fun at the expense of others.

It’s practically spring, and I am starting to see senior superlatives spout forth from our high schools. You know, the kids vote on who’s the wittiest, most athletic, best all around, etc.

It got me to thinking.

What we need are some superlatives for northeast Columbia. I could, of course, offend a lot of people by thinking these up all by myself, but I’d rather spread the blame around.

So I am now accepting nominations for the following northeast superlatives, to be written about one week when there is nothing else going on.

Categories: Wittiest, Smartest, Nicest, Best Looking, Best To Have On Your Side During Rezoning, Best All Around, Recipient of Most Christmas Cards, Most Likely To Succeed, Most Likely To Fail, Most Likely To Have New Middle School Named After Them, Most School Spirit, Most Athletic and Most Likely To Cause Traffic Backup On Two Notch Road.

Send your nominations in today, and I promise everyone who sends one in will be exempt from No. 9.

If you don’t, well, take your chances.

Jennifer Nicholson, Most Likely To Have Car Break Down, is community editor of the Northeast Neighbors. Got a story idea? Call 771-8507 or toll-free from Lugoff-Elgin, 1-800-922-3448. Or write c/o Neighbors, P.O. Box 1333, Columbia, 29202.

Memo: Jennifer Nicholson column