Walter Edgar interviews Greenville Mayor

The interview that is currently airing between Walter Edgar and Knox White is inspiring from a community building perspective. The major lesson remains, nothing happens overnight but nothing happens if people do not join together to make things happen. That is a lesson we learn over and over again in Hartsville but it is also lesson we have to keep teaching ourselves. Hartsville is good but right now - not great. Hartsville can be great -- if we want to be great. We are a small city. We will not be for everyone but we can be much more enticing and attracting that we are right. We have to keep working. (Hartsville was just mentioned in a sentence with a number of other progressive cities -- it is the company we want to be in. We have to keep ourselves in this company.

This week I was speaking with a high school student from Long Island. His father had been in Greenville many times on business. The prospective Coker student and Coker lacrosse player, described the downtown as "cute." Not a bad description coming from a teenager. His father also mentioned that Hartsville did remind him of Greenville, even if on a smaller basis. We have the basics but we need to work much harder, doing much more to become a totally attractive place to live and visit. We have lots of people working on this. We have lots of ideas percolating. We need to find ways to continue working together from all our areas (divided any way you might want to think about it) if we are going to survive the set of challenges that are now facing us.

Knox White just said the first time he saw someone taking pictures of downtown Greenville was in 1999.Today cameras and tourists swarm downtown Greenville every weekend and often during the week.

Walter Edgar's Journal will air again on Sunday evening and I hope others will listen. Mayor White had a short paragraph about the need for inclusion and the difference inclusion makes. He said when you do not include you run into lots of problems. I think his quote was, "You pay for it dearly."

Monday, we welcome a new city manager, Natalie Zigler. She will be walking into some amazing challenges as she moves into her office on the first day. I hope those of us who have been living and growing in Hartsville continue to rally and help her and our current City Council become those people we look back on in five, ten or fifteen years with a pride for the positive changes they were able to help us develop as a community.

List some challenges --

We have some beauty spots -- Coker College for example but one look at our entire city and you know we need real emphasis on beautification.

We have high-achieving schools -- but try to prove any of our schools are high achieving to a first-time visitor who (with the exception of the Middle School) sees buildings that have been and look like they have been around for five or seven or ten decades. You want to know what difference a nice looking school makes -- talk to the people who work and learn at the middle school or to the people who teach and learn at GSSM or to the Coker College students who inhabit the new library and information center.

We have some unique retail experiences -- but if we are going to be a mecca for shoppers, we need a lot more unique retail experiences.

We have a cosmopolitan atmosphere -- that we often keep hidden from outsiders. In the arts -- you won't find many communities of our size with our offerings -- but many who live in Hartsville are not aware of a portion of what is offered.

One person for whom I used to work had a saying that I have used in many group discussions having to do with community building. His admonition was "When you stop getting better, you stop being good." We have lots of room to get better.

Boundary-spanning organization

I am not sure how much most people think of an arts group as a boundary-spanning organization but there is little question in my mind that for Hartsville, SC, and the surrounding area Black Creek Arts Council is such and entity.

This past Thursday evening they had the monthly gallery opening and this one features three artists. If you are in the area you should really stop by to see this work -- both upstairs and downstairs. There was a large group of people attending the opening on Thursday, which was sponsored by Segars Prudential Realty. There were members of artitst's families, there were people who really like the arts, there were students and professors from Coker College, there were people from around Hartsville of a wide variety of backgrounds. Black Creek Arts works to attract people from these backgrounds and they are one of the organizations who are very successful at spanning the artificial boundaries that often keep people in both small and large communities.

Mayor's Candidate Forum Interesting Event

A good sized crowd was on had for the Mayor's Candidate Forum on the campus of Coker College in Hartsville on Tuesday evening. Candidates Pam Sansbury and Mel Pennington presented some of their views about moving Hartsville forward in these down economic times. The Forum showed two good candidates for Mayor and also highlighted some of the issues that face the city as it hopes to continue moving forward. There is a link here to the Jim Faile news coverage of the Forum that appears this morning in both THE MESSENGER and MORNING NEWS. The video clip that is included here is just to give readers a flavor of the scene. Dr. Jim Lemke of Coker College moderated the Forum.

Hartsville not yet on the list

So, when you begin an initiative like Selling Hartsville, what would be one of your greatest wishes -- maybe to be listed among the ten coolest small towns (cities) in America? This morning, the lead story on the Yahoo web site is about those cities and towns and it seems that maybe reading about those who have earned that designation might even give some ideas for coming closer here in Hartsville. We certainly have many of the ingredients mentioned in some of the short write ups.

Last week, with some others from Hartsville, I had the opportunity to travel to Wilson, NC, to see some of the things they have going on in their city, home of a Coker College rival - Barton College. Wilson is significantly larger in population than Hartsville -- they are about 50,000 -- close to what we might be if you included what I like to call the retail trade zone. Wilson has a vitality that is obvious, challenges that are also obvious and a vision of service and excellence that seems to permeate the town. The major purpose for the trip was to see what they call "Project Greenlight." This program has the city of Wilson providing free WiFi throughout their downtown area while serving all of their citizens with the opportunity of purchasing cable television, internet and even phone services from the city. They are seeing income and they expect to very soon have enough customers for another dependable revenue stream for the city. We certainly know that we need some new revenue streams for our small city and this trip helped to provide a benchmarking opportunity. Wilson like Hartsville has been designated an All America City. They have received the designation several times and that is probably another target for which we should be aiming -- sooner rather than later == I hope.

One of the things that Wilson is most proud of and you can find these around their city -- Whirligigs -- they even have a festival for these metal-art creations.

Why do people work to make a difference?

There have been studies done of what motivates people to become what The Harwood Institute calls public innovators. I am sure there are many organizations and colleges studying the motivations of volunteering and volunteerism. On the citizen journalism website called hartsvilletoday we have an interesting answer for ONE person on why she gives so much. I have provided the link but just in case you don't want to go there, here is a copy of what she said. It feels like there is a lot here that will be of interest to lots of people:


This is who I am
Submitted by NM on Sun, 07/12/2009 - 16:19. Arts, Entertainment, Reviews

My husband and I returned from church today and we finished our “Sunday Brunch”. But while I was eating I kept thinking of everyone’s comments about my energy, strength and drive for the Good Living Marketplace – and why is “she” driving herself so hard. Well, this is what I’ve decided. I would like to share my heart with you.

Do you have a friend, neighbor or acquaintance that needs help or just a smile? Do you offer your assistance? Do you bake a pie with your last ounce of flour and take it to your friend to make them feel better? When you see someone hurting do you reach out and give that person a hug? Do you say to people, if you need something or anything please call me and really mean it? Do you have friends that are suffering with some horrible disease and you wish that you could just reach in and pull that disease out and make them well again? Do you take a friend flowers or send a card just to say “Hi”?

You see, Hartsville is my friend and I want to do what I can to help her get through a very bad time. Hartsville is like so many other small towns in the United States - aching, throbbing, and hurting. But Hartsville is just not a name of a small town. It’s a small town overflowing with wonderful loving & caring people. Do you shun away, go somewhere else or do you bake that pie and stay in Hartsville. I’ve lived in several other states but I’m finally able to say that I’ve found “home”. So I’m baking those pies and staying in Hartsville “just because”.

I’ve saved the strongest statement for last. God gives me my energy and strength. We work very hard together and it is a beautiful relationship. God has given my family extra strength and energy during some very difficult years and I know He will continue. My drive for life and for the Good Living Marketplace comes from “doing” the questions in paragraph two.

Now you know what’s in my heart, and where I get my energy, strength and drive.

This is who I am.

I find it really cool that a person would share that personal motivation and I am hoping her personal motivations will also get more people to think about being involved.

Butler Heritage is Community Heritage

It was one of the largest crowds at a Butler Heritage Foundation dinner that graced the Thornwell Elementary cafeteria on Thursday evening.

This was a continuation of the week long Butler Heritage Foundation celebration that takes place the last days of June and first days of July every year. This is a celebration of the Butler High School impact on all who attended and the community of which the school was a major part. Butler was the all-Black high school in Hartsville until integration closed the doors back in the late 1970s. The Butler Heritage Foundation has a mission to keep those memories alive to remind everyone of the enormous contributions of the school to the life of Hartsville. There is a new community center under construction on the Butler campus and a secondary reason for the celebrations is to continue the important job of fund raising to make this project a reality for the community. The Byerly Foundation has contributed more than $350 for the reconstruction of the community center where the administration building used to be. Currently, the Boys and Girls Club is housed in the Gym wing of this school.

The Butler High Heritage Glee Club opened the dinner on Thursday night and that is the video that is part of this post.

Rufus Bess, an educator in Minnesota and graduate of Butler High, was the evening's keynote speaker. He spoke of the importance of recognizing and seizing opportunities and the foundation he was given at Butler that helped him to a nine-year National Football League career and so far 17 years of teaching students at the high school level.

The heritage that was on display in the faces of those in the audience is the foundation on which community is built. In a city like Hartsville, this type of heritage is one of our major strengths as it shows the SENSE OF PLACE of people for their home community. The sense of pride in Butler and in Hartsville was evidence in the remarks of all who spoke.

Saturday Mornings in Hartsville

Last Saturday morning, June 5, there was the Good Living Marketplace in downtown Hartsville and the feature on that beautiful morning was a tribute to veterans at the site where the new Hartsville veterans memorial will be installed in a few months. This was the anniversary of D-Day and there were a good number of veterans at the ceremony along with others. In this video you will see Mayor Michael Holt and his children as Warner DeHart, Darlington County Veterans Affairs Officers, talks a little bit about the dangers of D Day.



And, then this morning, June 12, just seconds after 8 a.m. there was the start of the YMCA Lickety Split 5K. This quick video shows the start as the runner approach the first turn onto Fourth Street. Great of the YMCA to host these runs and amazing to see the numbers of people who put fitness high on their living list.

Task Force hears about things in Hartsville

Last Wednesday the Marketing Task Force of the Selling Hartsville initiative had about 14 people present for a meeting to discuss the things that are happening in Hartsville. While the tone of the meeting was somewhat dampened by the gloom of very tight city budgets, there was some pretty encouraging news coming out; some of which had been announced and some that happens when dots are connected.

The big news from the city manager was the approval of a new Hotel facility for downtown Hartsville. This new facility will anchor the downtown area with a four-story hotel on the corner of Carolina, Fourth and whatever name Railroad Avenue takes in its new environment.

Part of the other good news is that the street paving on that small new part of the road is complete and by the next day the road was open to through traffic. That is finally good news for the new owners of Gardners, who had been losing business because access from Fourth Street was cut off while the paving was completed.

One of the group's members who deals with real estate told another member that closings had picked up and that real estate was selling in the city. While that was an informal conversation, it was also among the good news.

Johnna Shirley is the chair of this task force and her continuing leadership is also good news. The task force met a couple of months ago at Hartsville High School to discuss potential plans for enhancing the looks of the school. Dr. Burry, the principal, told the group he was hoping that the architects who are working on the new gym will also be presenting some informal ideas about ways to enhance the looks of the exterior of the campus. Last summer there was a concerted effort to launch the Selling Hartsville initiative. That was the time the overall economy also decided to collapse. Some people questioned the timing but I continue to note the timing might not have been better. Why?

Well, in addition to tight budgets the city manager also said that both hospitality tax and accommodations tax revenue is off inside the city. We have had a great deal going on throughout Hartsville since last summer. Imagine what those revenue streams might have been like without the Selling Hartsville initiative!

Remember, Selling Hartsville is multi-audience initiative with one major audience those of us who live, work and enjoy or small city. We have to make a concerted effort to check Hartsville first when we are making purchases and deciding on a night on the town. We also need to encourage our neighbors to do the same.

As the task force continues to meet it is focusing attention on those areas of the city that need improving. The city manager mentioned the street scape of several years ago with bricks now coming out of the street. I had thought that about 18 months ago there were crews working nights in Hartsville repairing many of those areas. But, as the city manager noted, some improvements that were made 10 to 15 to 20 years ago might need attention as they get older. Heck, if you ride on some of our city streets you will notice needs. The point of the task force in its present configuration is to look out for what it is calling the "holes" in the product we call Hartsville and then making suggestions or calling for action plans to address those holes so that we have product people want to buy.

What happens when we stop getting better and stop growing?
-- We have fewer people paying the taxes need to run a great city
-- There are fewer people attending our churches
-- There are fewer people to attract other people
-- There are fewer people taking part in Habitat, in the Taste in buying Red Fox Club tickets, etc.
-- You can add your own ideas of what happens

If you are reading this, you are probably already one of the people who see Hartsville as a great place to live and play, raise a family, and/or retire. So, when the call goes out to stay involved or become involved you may feel it is preaching to the proverbial choir. Okay, maybe, but we ask that you continue to sing the praises of this small city and send on the call to others to stay involved.

FOR FUN -- June 6 will be the Good Living Marketplace on Cargill Way in downtown Hartsville with a special veterans recognition in line with the 60th anniversary of D-day -- the start of taking back the continent of Europe in World War II.

Hartsville, the art of good living where you can always "expect pleasant surprises."

Some exciting discussions in Hartsville

Generally, mayor and city council positions do not generate a great deal of discussion. Someone might say, "I wonder who is going to run?" but then the discussion usually trails off to sports, food or something else. Since it was announced that Mayor Holt is going to be a Family Court judge and not in the running for Mayor, there has been a noticeable increase in discussion about who might be interested in becoming the next mayor.

From a community building, community thinking point of view that is a great discussion to be hearing. Hartsville is (and maybe has been) in a precarious position as a community. Like all municipalities there is a severe pressure on city finances with a budget that is not keeping up with expectations. Unlike ALL municipalities, Hartsville is and has been declining in population, which is not a healthy trend. Also unlike some municipalities there is a significant number of people within the city who have a vision of making Hartsville one of the best places anywhere in which to live. There is that group, many of whom have worked hard for years helping to make things happen, who believe Hartsville offers "something" as a community they do not see or hear about in lots of other communities. So, it is with more than a little excitement that I view these discussions about who might want to run for Mayor.

One of the most exciting parts of the discussion are the names of younger citizens that are emerging from this discussion. Some have been involved in working on committees and working with organizations like the Chamber and Downtown Development to help make the city better and now want to get more deeply involved. Some are newer to the idea of politics but have the feeling they can be among those who can make a difference. There is also discussion about others who have worked hard inside the city for much of their career who now know they can put that experience to use in moving the city forward. The whole idea of people having a vision for this great community we call Hartsville is exciting. The comprehensive plan that was adopted months ago supplies one of the few visions for Hartsville that has been articulated. It will be great hearing from those considering running for Mayor what they see for our community. It will be interesting hearing the growth philosophies or what we call in the grant making business "theories of change" that the people thinking of running for Mayor will be identifying. One thing I discuss, maybe ad nauseum in my observations of Hartsville, is a quote from a former boss and former Chairman of Sonoco -- "When you stop getting better, you stop being good." We have to find ways to continue moving forward, even in times of tough budgets.

We need to find ways to get people to buy into the vision of a forward-looking community that will be inclusive as we strive to become a 21st century living community that has people waiting in line for the opportunity of living and raising famlies in this community. We identify this community as "Hartsville - The Art of Good Living" and we call on residents and visitors alike to "Expect Pleasant Surprises." We need leaders who will continue to work to bring together all of the community capital with which we are blessed to make Hartsville one of the best places in the world in which to live. For some it is now -- but not for everyone.

Filing for the next city election is not until August but it sure feels good to hear the energizing discussion taking place already.

Patience and Persistence two Community Building Tools

New Vision Development CDC demonstrated the power of positive persistence and positive patience this noon time as they hosted the kick off luncheon for the New Vision Development Cafe at the New Vision Community Center on Bethlehem Road in the north section of Hartsville.

Pastor Calvin Daniels is a visionary leader who has been persistent in his quest to improve the quality of life among those who don't have as much in the vast area of his church's reach in what is also known as the Byrdtown Section of Darlington County. Pastor Daniels also heads New Hopewell Baptist Church and New Vision is a non-profit Community Development Corporation that Pastor Daniels and others developed years ago to try bringing new ideas and new sources of funding to the quality of life quest.

Okay, where is the patience and persistence? This morning the members of the New Vision CDC had the grand opening for their new cafeteria, which, beginning next week will become an eat-in restaurant in this northern part of Darlington County. Severalyears ago The Byerly Foundation provided New Vision with a grant to help enhance the kitchen area of the Community Center in hopes of helping it quality for Kids Cafe, a program of Harvest Hope. The CDC was able to install the new hood by then they were hit by a variety of delays that required other significant upgrades. They persisted and with some grant funds that they obtained with some assistance from Senator Gerald Malloy, they were able to accomplish the upgrades, quality for the Kids Cafe and also envision using this modern kitchen as a way to help sustain a variety of other projects ongoing in this Community Center. Non profit groups trying to do good have steep mountains to climb. They are about the business of doing good but doing good is often expensive in terms of both time and treasure. Doing good often takes much longer than many people would like or that many people have the patience to sustain. Congratulations to New Vision for having the patience and most importantly the persistence. You will be hearing more from this group as they find new and different ways to continue improving life in this rural area of Darlington County. Darlington County Superintendent of Education Rainey Knight was among those who were at this special opening luncheon. One of the missions of New Vision has been to help the children of this area understand the need to get a strong education so they can help continue improving the quality of life.

Patience and persistence -- two important community building tools that are not always in adequate supply. Dr. Calvin Daniels can help other groups understand how to put these virtues to work to accomplish more than most would ever dream.

Photo shows Pastor Calvin Daniels talking with Henry Counts of the Harvest Hope Kids Cafe and in the foreground are LaShonda and Mia, also with Harvest Hope.

Photo shows some of the New Vision CDC volunteers as they work in the kitchen to prepare for the grand opening luncheon.

Photo shows some of the people celebrating the grand opening of the New Vision Cafeteria.

Community in the news

Congratulations to Hartsville Mayor Michael Holt on his appointment to a S. C. Family Court judgeship. This will cause him to be a one-term mayor but the citizens of our State will be well served to have his values and his commitment to community and family on the Family Court bench.

Community building is a daily activity

And you cannot always know what effect your small, or large, contribution might be toward community building. Ed Guest provided some agreement to a comment on a recent blog about the volunteers who make a difference for Hartsville. He did note that maybe such a blog was preaching to the choir and I think he is right. Probably those who don't find Hartsville an active community also have no reason to read a blog like this. But, I got to thinking that one of the things that does make us difference in this small city is the size of that "choir" that volunteers for so many different activities in Hartsville. Because we have so many things happening and, in truth, so many different things we can find some "sweet spots" for lots of people. Rich Harwood, when talking about public innovation, stresses the need for sweet spots -- those places where the needs in a community overlap with the interests of people (leaders) who can help meet those needs or overcome those challenges.

This past weekend was one of those great examples:
a canoe and kayak festival/competition
a community marketplace
an arts fund raiser that lent itself to food and frivolity
a softball conference tournament at Byerly Park
a Community Players production of "Deathtrap."
Hartsville High Prom
Coker College graduation
Church singing programs
an AAU/YMCA multiple team and multiple gym basketball tournament
a downtown sidewalk sale
Master Gardeners' Plant Sale (master volunteers)
And I know there is more that is missing from this list

Sometimes people wonder what it is they can do. Lots of people found a sweet spot in some of the above activities.

And, this week Rich Harwood had an interesting example of citizenship that he calls The School Bus incident.

The whole point is that we get better when we build and when lots of people get together to build together. This ethos is one of the things making Hartsville a special community.

Communication Power in Community Building

There is a story that every time a carpenter sees a problem he goes for the hammer. So, every time a communicator sees a problem or an opportunity the she or he generally says, 'how can we get the word out.' In fact, that is something I teach regularly in my Coker College communication classes. Often, those who don't see communication as all that important don't put as much stock into that strategy.

But, today's MESSENGER in Hartsville shows some of the power of communicating to set a mood and a tone and provide, I think, momentum. We like our slogan, "Hartsville, The Art of Good Living," and we like to follow that with the urging to "Expect Pleasant Surprises." Today's paper is demonstrating both of those ideas while showing some of the power of communication.

** The top headline
"$150 million in development"
**adjacent headline
Hampton Inn & Suites coming to Vista area
** Next headline
Delayed apartment complex back on track

And those headlines are joined above the fold by a sports ear that says the HHS baseball team has at least a second place in the conference and a reminder that the 'Anything Butt BBQ Contest' is coming.

Those headlines, at least in one reader, generate some powerful positive emotions. Those are projects that have been discussed for some time and it is great to read they are coming to reality.

But, while on the idea of the positive emotions, the Art of Good Living and Pleasant Surprises as you go below the fold on today's newspaper you see the headline of the Black Creek Kayak/Canoe Festival set for next weekend.

Hartsville is a unique community with a great deal happening nearly all the time. The power of communication, we hope, will bring more people in to help continue this tradition of generating pleasant surprises in all areas of life in this small South Carolina city.

Rich Harwood, The Harwood Institute, has some community building tools that include an assessment of the community he calls Community Rhythms. With communication like we are reading in today's paper we can feel the Rhythm of growth, the Rhythm of Hope.

There is much more -- but for another blog.

Great American Clean Up follows Christmas in April

The city sponsored Great American Clean Up is set for this Saturday, April 25 beginning at Pride Park on Sixth Street in Hartsville. This event is 8 - 1 and they are looking for volunteers -- a tee shirt, work vest and some lunch after the work -- the good feeling for helping build your community you give to yourself.

In Hartsville - 4-25-09

If you follow the above link over the hartsvilletoday take a look at photos of a house being razed on Washinton Street. Progress.

Hartsville -- What's Happening??

Big weekend in the Hartsville area on several fronts. Byerly Park is the scene of the Carolina's Conference Softball Tourney, hosted by Coker. There are teams in from around North and South Carolina and they are flling motel rooms. Video of Phil Gardner and Coach David Hanna will highlight that. The Red Foxes are hosting the SBC high school baseball tourney with games at Kelleytown. A couple of teams are filling motel rooms in Hartsville too.

This is also the Christmas in April Saturday and there will be teams of volunteers all around Hartsville helping homeowners who don't have the ability -- either physical or fiscal to do some important upkeep on their homes. Christmas in April has been going for a couple of decades in Hartsville and helps make a difference.

Who says there is nothing go on or nothing to do in Hartsville. We always "Expect Pleasant Surprises."

If you are musically inclined, the Coker Singers and the Coker Chamber Singers will be in concert on Sunday afternoon at the St. Batholomew's Episcopal Church in Hartsville at 4 p.m.


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Pat Hewitt, Excellence in our midst in Hartsville, S. C.

Coach Pat Hewitt of the Hartsville High Red Foxes is going to become part of the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame this July, according to a story in today's MORNING NEWS of Florence.

Coach Hewett, a graduate of Coker College, has been deeply involved with girl athletes at Hartsville High since the early 1970s. On a personal note, I covered many of Coach Hewett's first teams as a reporter for the MESSENGER in Hartsville. She was one of the sources I would go to when writing stories about the Title IX legislation that attempted to get a more level playing field for women athletes in this country. Coach Hewett is extremely deserving of the honor her fellow coaches are bestowing and Hartsville has been fortunate to have her excellent talent and values influencing so many of our children for several decades. Coach Hewitt is just one example of people in our community who go about their every day lives making heroic differences for the quality of life we enjoy in Hartsville.

Congratulations, Coach Hewitt.

Newspapers -- were heart of community building

What now?

As we think about community much of this blog is focused on Hartsville, SC. Today the focus is newspapers and their demise, which is being accelerated by business decisions that just don't make sense to this newspaper consumer.

Marsha Mercer's last column for Media General is at the bottom of the editorial page of the MORNING NEWS of Florence, SC, this morning. "Media General deacided a few weeks ago to close the Washington bureau March 27, joing the other media corporations that have taken that difficult step because of the sharp decline in advertising revenues." What are they thinking? What is THE STATE newspaper in Columbia, SC, and their parent McClatchy thinking when they lay off journalists -- the lifeblood of their product?

Media companies all over this country are laying off (firing) employees and particularly journalists to save costs because their ad revenues are down. Many of these media companies are also putting many of their reporters -- print, online and television -- on unpaid furloughs. What does all this mean? Well, the product that news organizations offer consumers is news. The product that news organizations offer advertisers is readership/viewership. When you take away the news that is unique to your medium you take away any reason -- at all -- for readers (consumers) to buy your product. And, generally, most of these companies are not only downsizing their news product they are raising the cost of the product. In my marketing communication classes we quickly cover the traditional 4-Ps of marketing -- Product/Price/Place/Promotion. Is there no one in the business offices of these major media conglomerates (usually the vanguard of marketing) left who remembers the basics?

But, for those of us on the outside this accelerating demise of the news and local news media is even more disturbing. Generally, you would be able to study strong communities and find strong newspapers at their core. What happens to the communities when the newspapers disappear? we know in the small city of Hartsville, SC, that when the news hole is compressed there is a lot less common knowledge of what is happening in the community. We had a recent example of that when the editor of the THE MESSENGER provided the community with a pretty comprehensive article about the serious problem of dilapidated housing that is plaguing the city, especially our South Hartsville area. The editor's article shows the power of the press in highlighting important issues. But, we don't get nearly as much of that any longer in Hartsville, in Columbia, in Charlotte and the list goes on.

My communication career started when I was 12 years old and I entered the communication distribution business in one of the greatest hands-on business training programs available -- the local paper route. So, there is no question that I am a big nostalgic about the way the newspaper companies are accelerating the death of this medium. At the same time, the concern comes in that currently there is nothing taking the place of newspapers in the communication leadership of our communities. That is distressing for the short run. For the longer term I am optimistic that we are going to see some caring, intelligent media mavens who find a way to craft community communication solutions using the multi-platform media that is quickly being perfected. (Think of blogs for example -- we have the ability right in this space to provide words, to provide video pictures and sound, to provide audio files when just voice will work and a wide variety of photos and graphics.) Doug Fisher with grants from the J-Lab at the University of Maryland and some funds from the previous Messenger owners developed Hartville's HARTSVILLE TODAY citizen journalism web platform. As it continues to develop, it might be one of the bridges to the new media.

But in the interim, what are the media companies thinking?

Hartsville Good Living Marketplace

March 7 could not have been more beautiful in downtown Hartsville and both Judi Elvington, director of Hartsville Downtown Development and Nancy Myers, whose idea turned into the Good Living Marketplace, were delighted with the day. From the looks of the smiles on faces of people saying hello to people, everyone was delighted with the day's events. And the fun displayed by these children with the bubbles sort of encapsulates the idea of Hartsville - The Art of Good Living.

We all need to remember that events like the good living marketplace and the community concert last week that featured the Dorsey Orchestra, and the baseball tourney coming to Hartsville, and Renofest, and Taste of Hartsville, and the Black Creek Arts Council exhibits and so much more don't just happen. They are executed by people who work to build this community in so many ways.

Expecting pleasant surprises ...

is something that many of us who live in Hartsville tend to take for granted. We do need to remember that the pleasant surprises that we enjoy take creative thinking, energetic execution, and determined persistence. I was reminded of that this afternoon when talking with Nancy Myers about this weekend's "Good Living Marketplace." This is an idea that Nancy surfaced and put some thought into and that the Hartsville Downtown Development Association led by Judi Elvington helped bring to fruition a few months ago.

On Sautrday, February 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the middle of Cargill Way and adjacent to Burry Park in downtown Hartsville all will be able to enjoy the February Community Good Living Marketplace with the theme, "Love is in the air!"

Here's hoping that a lot of people put this on the calendar to share some of the good living friendship that is so imbedded into the character of Hartsville. This is a great time to say hello to old friends and make new friends in the middle of artists, bakers, farmers, crafters, neighbors and visitors. And, when you visit make sure you give a big thank you to Nancy and Judi for continuing to build and expand the Good Living Marketplace. It is people like them who give Hartsville- The Art of Good Living its substance.

St. Barts was just about SRO for King Remembrance

Hartsville's most visible People to People representative is Clayton Richardson. He was visible again today as the MLK, JR. Commemoration program he coordinated for People to People came to life in words and music for a full house at St. Batholomew's in downtown Hartsville. Ms Eunice Johnson did an masterful job of coordinating the program from the lectern and a great deal of community spirit was packed into the 58-minutes.

Anisha Green sang the Lord's Prayer and then finished with God Bless America. Anna Dickinson provided the musical message Climb Every Mountain. The Hartsville High Singers joined by the Wesley chorus provided a musical selection and the entire church joined for Lift Every Voice and Sing.

The packed Church heard from Julius McPherson of Mayo and Somin Lee of the Governor's School and Blake Terrell, a senior at Coker, introduced Phillip Woo of Coker as the keynote speaker. Phillip discussed some of Dr. King's early mentors and some of the many specific actions that made Dr. King an American hero. In addition, Brenda Kelley of the Hartsville Planning and Zoning Department told how important it is for all of us to be involved in community. Mayor Michael Holt reminded the group of how important it is to keep history alive for our young people so that they can learn how to be in position to affect their history.


As part of the continuing efforts to make all of us realize what a treasured place we are living we talk about Hartsville -- The Art of Good Living. Today's Commemoration was another example of the many pleasant surprises to expect in our great, small city.

A free lunch was provided for all attending by the members of the Chi Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the St. Batholomew's Church family and People to People.

This event was truly community at work. As the last words on the program admonish, "Let us continue building a strong united community."