Does Hartsville have "Boomtown" tools?

Admittedly, I sift out a lot of what I might consider "noise" when it comes to my own view of the world; especially my view of my Hartsville, SC world. Mostly I only listen for the potential, not the problems.

 I like Hartsville and have lived and grown here since 1973.  I get the warm, fuzzy feeling when hearing visitors describe the sense of community they FEEL as they visit our town.

I feel a little adrenaline rush when I discuss the possibilities inherent in this community. I get really excited when talking to a person who started her business here about 9 years, eight months ago and now is planning a major Art/Prom/Music event for the TENTH Anniversary.

A conversation with the Mayor about how we might find a way to develop a walking connection between the ample parking on College Avenue and the retail stores on Carolina Avenue and maybe be able to create business incubator space pumps up my thinking.

Another conversation with a visionary entrepreneur who puts his money where his heart is sets off more sparks about a downtown that can not only be quaint but thriving.

A look at the Coker College plans for immediate growth within our community shows how Hartsville can be a real college town and the new Loft residences downtown with the even newer college apartments opening this Fall shows how those plans are quickly becoming realities.

My answer to the question -- Does Hartsville have Boomtown tools is by now obvious. What are Boomtown tools? Jack Schultz, author of the 2004 book, BOOMTOWN USA, The 71/2 Keys to Bug Success in Small Towns gives the tool list. They are the 71/2 Keys:

1. Adopt a Can-Do Attitude
2. Shape Your Vision
3. Leverage Your Resources
4. Raise up Strong Leaders
5. Encourage an entrepreneurial approach
6. Maintain local control
7. Build your brand  and 71/2 -- Embrace the Teeter-Totter Factor

The plan is to sort of use the Schultz approach for this blog to discuss Hartsville's possession of these keys to success. What would be really great would be for anyone who might read this posting to contribute some of your own comments to the question of Hartsville's readiness for real growth and prosperity.

Believing in your community is fundamental to building your community

The past few days there has been some news about a variety of things taking place within the city that show leaders are moving to affect change that they believe will be important to moving us forward as a community.

For example, last night the Hartsville City Council took some steps to chanhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifge the way citizens need to handle the recycling and garbage -- they are hoping to eliminate the "Yellow Bag" program in the city of Hartsville.

This has been on the Mayor's agenda since he started running for the job. His talks with citizens reinforced his idea of the need to get rid of the Yellow bags because he found so many people who find them so aggravating. But, as the Mayor found out when he began his attack on this issue -- nothing is as simple as it seems.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The result of the focus on "yellow bags" is a partnership that has come about between the City of Hartsville and Sonoco aimed at expanding recycling in the community while adding to the efficiency of recycling and garbage collection. (This is not an issue on which I feel any competence but it is an issue that I think helps exemplify what it takes to affect positive change in a community.)

There are a lot of elements involved in this type of change and to affect change of this scope it takes people from differing areas demonstrating belief in process, demonstrating belief that others will cooperate, demonstrating belief thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhat the community is worth investing in with time, talent and treasure. Sonoco uses recycled materials for lots of their products and they became willing to collaborate. The mayor and city council members began to see how doing things a bit differently might result in doing things even better. The new city manager helped lots of people look at more than just the immediate issue and on Monday night a major step was taken to eliminate the aggravating yellow bags. While this issue may not yet be totally resolved, it is on example of how believing you can make a difference can result in actually making a difference. Rich Harwood, of the Harwood Institute, who often discusses community building does a good job of discussing this question of belief in his current blog.
The following is a paragraph from this blog and I find it important because without people reaching out to one another and beyond their initial reaction to an issue, nothing can be accomplished. This is what Rich Harwood writes: "The restoration of belief in ourselves and in one another is pivotal to all our efforts to make a difference in communities. Without such belief, we may hold back from doing what we know is required to bring about change; we may choose not to reach out and forge key relationships with others; we may step back just when we need to step forward."

In Hartsville we have a strong need to continue stepping forward!

Mayor's State of the City Well Received

Mayor Mel Pennington gave a State of the City address to a crowd of close to 400 people (estimate) in the Watson Theater of the Coker College Performing Arts building on Monday, March 7. The audience was enthusiastic as the Mayor called on everyone to join hands to make this small city even greater than it is. I did see Harold Bledsoe recording the talk and that means you will be able to listen on his local Hartsville radio station.

The Mayor told those in attendance that he knew by their presence that they were interested in building an even better community and he said their efforts will be received with enthusiasm. The major thrust of his message was that a good needs everyone to pull together to become a great community and that is his vision for Hartsville. The Mayor told the audience that he thinks accountability like a State of the City is important and he wants to ensure the transparency of the city's activities as we embark on the vision of becoming a model not just for the Pee Dee but the entire state of South Carolina.

Following the Mayor's State of the City there was reception for citizens to welcome and meet Natalie Ziegler, the city manager. Those in attendance showed their appreciation for the Mayor's address with a standing ovation and many stayed around to discuss the event for sometime after the talk.

"It was just too ugly..."

On my way to the State of the City talk by Mayor Mel Pennington I happened to notice a woman at the side of the bike trail on Dunlap Road cleaning up a mess of plastic bags. Those bags had been there for a couple of days -- figured they came off a vehicle driving by. There were a lot of them and they were ugly. "I was sick this weekend so I could not get out and clean those things up. They were ugly and they filled up this entire bag (a very large trash bag.) I just couldn't stand them there," she said as she began walking back across the road to her home.

Okay, so what is the state of the city. Based on this one incident it is positive and moving up. Of course someone did dump a mess (and that is pretty darn negative, tacky and illegal) but there was a neighbor who took things into her own hands, cleaned the mess and said effectively -- NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. When Flossie Hopkins way Mayor of Hartsville, she would say we have a city where people do complain but they will then join forces to help solve the problem. We may hear more from Mayor Pennington about that in the Watson Theater on the Coker College campus,and as I headed to the talk, I was able to witness some very hard evidence of one person making a REAL difference. I appreciate her effort! Because that pile of trash was TOO UGLY.

State of the City (Hartsville) == ???

Mayor Mel Pennington is working to establish a new tradition for the city of Hartsville, an annual STATE OF THE CITY address by the Mayor. This seems like a really good idea from a community building and community thinking perspective.

1 -- It gives an opportunity for citizens to stop and contemplate the big question of what is the current STATE of the city.

2 -- It gives the Mayor an opportunity to focus on those areas that he or someday she consider most important for positive changes to the state of the City.

3 -- It provides an hour or so to concentrate on the bigger picture of the STATE of the city rather than on all those daily items that generally plague big-picture thinking because they have to be accomplished NOW.

As a blogger what I would like most to accomplish by a post like this is to get responses to the question -- What do you think is the state of the city?

** In a conversation this morning one business owner told me he gets a very real sense that the State of the City is turning in a positive direction. He is feeling like there is forward momentum.

** So, what is it that you are thinking when it comes to the current State of Hartsville?
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You get an opportunity on Monday night, March 7 at 6 p.m. to hear Mayor Pennington discuss this question at the Performing Arts Center on the Coker College campus. Following that presentation there will be a reception for the new city manager, Natalie Ziegler.

Terrance Herrington Track Dedicated

And, the dedication ceremony was a tribute to Terrance Herrington, one of the most skilled and successful athletes to come from Hartsville. And, the dedication was a tribute to Hartsville. I find it a bit difficult to put into words but the feelings of pride in their home town from those who spoke this morning were a testament or testimony to how people make things happen for people.

The roster of speakers says something about the event. Mayor Mel Pennington kicked off the event, which was a tribute to the City for honoring one of the most successful athletes to come from Hartsville. (Look at the photo of the plaque for some of the reasons why.) Anthony James -- in many memories one of the most successful running backs and track stars of Hartsville fame; Danny Nicholson, another fast moving trackster, now VP of Development at Carson Newman College; Dr. Jimmy Bell, one of the most successful quarterbacks to guide Hartsville, Jay Lucas, another successful Hartsville athlete and hard working S.C. Representative and Gerald Malloy, Senator from Hartsville, who had the initial idea of naming the track at Byerly Park for the runner who was once the fastest in the state, fastest in the country and competing for fastest in the world. Also speaking, though he was out of the country, was Paul Rogers, who coached and trained Terrance in his formative years, and who was a Hartsville and Duke University track star.

There was a great story in the MESSENGER that announced this event and I hope many read it. And, there were inspirational elements in each of the short talks this morning but the message of accepting your blessing and making the most of the gift came through loud and clear -- for all of us in the audience. Dream, hope,and then work to make the hope real and the dreams come alive was one of my takeaways from this impressive event. (Thanks to all who made the morning's tribute such a success.)