Got the opportunity to attend the USC game on Saturday night. Had not been in a couple of years and it was a good time, even if the offense underperformed and the entire team underwhelmed. But -- and this is where it relates to community thinking...
During a lull in the halftime activities I heard the word "Hartsville" in a conversation going on behind me. Okay, I should not have, but I kept listening. One guy was telling another that he had lived in Hartsville several years and "We really liked living there" He followed that up with a couple of things about what a friendly town it was and what interesting things were going on. Now, this guy was a couple of years younger than I am and he has been gone from Hartsville since the mid 80s. But, with energy and enthusiasm he was remembering what a great place it is to live.
Okay, so I am not subtle. I jumped into the conversation, introduced myself and told him about our idea of Hartsville as The Art of Good Living. I even invited him to move back if he and his family were looking at another move.
The point? In thinking about our Community I think we have to remember that those of us who live here may be missing out on a lot by not realizing how much others think about this place we call home. The marketers from Carolina PR reminded us in their study of the city in preparation for this branding initiative, that Hartsville is a town with an embarrassment of riches. We have all kinds of activities ongoing from Upward Soccer to Community Players in "GodSpell" to a day of medieval activities, to a high school band winning top honors in competition, to financial institutions (in this time of financial strain) reinvesting in their businesses in Hartsville and even a pumpkin patch in preparation for Halloween.
On Thursday we have what is being called the LAUNCH of the Selling Hartsville campaign. The primary audience for this launch is us. We need to remind ourselves and our friends and our neighbors that we should take the many things we have going for us in this town for granted.
The Selling Hartsville Marketing Task Force came up with five pillars around which we tell this story: Learning, Lifestyle, Leisure, Livelihood and Legacy. Let's celebrate. The logo for the Selling Hartsville effort is the slogan "Hartsville, The Art of Good Living." Another key idea in this program is that one of the great things about this town is that you can always 'Expect Pleasant Surprises.' How about coming downtown on Thursday evening to say hello to friends and neighbors and maybe even make some new friends and meet some long-time neighbors and maybe find a pleasant surprise or two that will add to your appreciation of our cosmopolitan small city.
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Hard to believe I have been away from Hartsville for over 20 years. I guess no matter how long you're gone there truly is no place like your hometown. Reading about the Selling Hartsville Initiative has made me think so much about the memories I have of growing up there...... I was delivered by Dr. Byerly on the day JFK was elected president which is only relevant in that my birth conflicted with Daddy's commitment to keep the polls at West Hartsville School. People were committed to involvement in the community. My first job was at Coker's department store. There wasn't, I don't think, one person who worked in that store whose name I didn't know and Mr. Bryant was always so kind to everyone who worked there. I remember the adults being so interested in and encouraging to the young people there. I recall Mr. Saleeby sitting out in front of the Candy Kitchen and how he would give us a piece of candy after our piano lessons. I remember Mr. Will, Jacob's daddy, always giving us our stamps at the post office and Mrs. Caroline having to call us down in choir practice, to include Jacob, because we had a little too much fun. I recall going with my friends to Boyd Powe to get a drink and just sit and talk, swimming lessons at Coker College and Lawton Park, chili cheeseburgers at Ruth's Drive In, learning to water ski at Lake Robinson, eating at the Beacon on Friday night and Mr. Bees on Sunday, football, baseball games and track meets. Even as I am writing this, the one thing that I realize makes MY memories so special was not the places....... but the people. Bob Shirley cut Daddy's hair every Sat. morning. He let us play in an empty barber chair riding up and down as many times as we wanted; Mr. S. B. Norwood at Economy Drug would give us our medicine with the sweetest smile which would, in itself, make ya better.... or make ya think you were. One of the most fun memories I have is of Mr. Buzz Shaw organizing our own little Christmas Parade in Kelleytown in which, of course, Lea, Luan, Van, Chris and we all participated. Mrs. Mamie Segars taught us how to tie our shoes with an old boot in the nursery of Kelleytown Baptist Church. We loved " Miss Mamie". She would have the kids over to ride the coolest merry go round we had ever seen and to swim in their concrete pool. Mr. Graham Segars not only sang in our church choir, but also built our home. He was never too busy to stop and make one feel extra special. There were also those special teachers I have never forgotten one of whom was my senior English teacher, Mrs. Laura Inabinet. Another one of those teachers was Mr. Jimmy White my fifth grade science teacher. I had not seen him since I was 11 years old and although he left Hartsville to move to Walterboro I looked up at my daddy's funeral at 21 years old to see that familiar, comforting face. I don't know if Hartsville just draws special people or if it is a place that inspires the best in those of us who have the good fortune of having called it our home. Either way Hartsville is a rich place in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteJeda Kelley Brandel