Burry Park Dedication Makes an Impression

Burry Park is in the middle of downtown Hartsville between Fifth Street and Fourth Street and bounded on the North by Cargill Way. Why is where it is important? Because, it was only about 15 or so years ago that same piece of property was dominated by two gigantic soybean storage tanks. In truth, those tanks were Hartsville icons. People within the community had a vision of a downtown without those icons; a downtown with new office buildings, new restaurants, a hotel or two and green public space that enhanced and showcased the downtown, which had still survived the decay of urban sprawl. As Gregg Welborn, who chaired the Cargill Committee for years, told the crowd gathered for the dedication of this important public space, the project has been 15 years in the making. Fifteen years in the making represents some amazing persistence toward a vision. That is impressive and those of us who live, work and play in Hartsville owe a debt to the selfless public service of those who labored month in and month out to redo this vital section of downtown. Again, as Gregg noted at the dedication, "Very few communities have such an opportunity to redesign and rebuild an area the size of the former Cargill property, in the middle of their downtown" Had it not been for the tenacity of citizen committees and individual citizen efforts, it is not certain the project would have been completed. The redoing of this former Cargill property could be one of the major case histories in community building. So, thank you to all who had a part in making it happen.

And, as this particular blog installment comes to a close it seems most important to also emphasize the actions of the man for whom the Burry Park is named, Charlie Burry. As his son, Hartsville High Principal Dr. Charlie Burry, Jr., was talking about his father, he concluded with what I hope is a call to arms for all citizens. Charlie told the audience that one of his father's core beliefs was that "you've got to put something back." Charlie Burry (senior and junior) have put a great deal back in our community and the impressive example of being focused on the 'public good' is something that more and more Hartsvillians need to embrace as we continue working to make our small city one of the best places in the world in which to live, work, play and pray. Charlie Burry, who opened Burry Bookstore in downtown Hartsville, would be another great example of a person who understood what Rich Harwood talks about when he discusses community building around the country. The Burry Park dedication and experience is one more crucial element in helping Hartsville stand out among small cities around the country.

Here is a direct portion of what Charlie Burry said about his father: He was quoting from a news story that hangs in his office. "The headline reads “Charlie Burry is at home in Hartsville,” and the article ends with him being quoted as saying, “You’ve got to put something back.” On the surface, the idea that “you’ve got to put something back,” might seem to be just an expression of gratitude for what Hartsville had meant to him and his family, and I’m sure that thinking was part of it. There’s much more to it than that, though. To really know Charles E. Burry is to know that he had the wisdom and the character to develop a philosophy of business and life that allowed him to combine his life’s work as a merchant with his service as a humanitarian. That was one of the keys to his success. Make no mistake about it, he was an astute businessman and knew how to turn a profit; that’s how he built two successful businesses from scratch. More importantly though, he understood that if he ran a successful business the way he thought it should be done, that it could do more than provide a good living for his family; it could make downtown a better place and serve the community, too. He also understood that his time and efforts in improving the community went hand-in-hand with creating a better business climate. He realized that his efforts in both areas served the purpose of the greater good for everyone, not just himself..."