The Isgett family – Joe, Angel, Madison and Gracie – are the City of Hartsville’s Recyclers of the Month for August 2013.
Joe Isgett said the family has been recycling for as long as he and his wife have been married. He described it as a great way to help reuse materials and keep them out of landfills. The family always sets out full bags of cans, bottles and papers every week.
“It isn’t hard to do. It doesn’t even take much time,” Joe said.
The family received a Recycler of the Month yard sign as well as a gift certificate to Zapata’s Grill, located at 1217 Retail Row in Hartsville.
The award program highlights those city residents participating in the City of Hartsville’s recycling program, a partnership between the City and Sonoco. To learn more about guidelines for recycling material in Hartsville, visit www.hartsvillesc.gov. To request a recycling roll cart, call Environmental Services at (843) 383-3019.
WHAT: Thursdays on College concert featuring Terence Lonon & the Untouchables
WHERE: East College Avenue, Hartsville, S.C.
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Thursdays on College, the concert series presented by the City of Hartsville and the Hartsville Downtown Development Association, will return on Sept. 5 with a repeat performance by Terence Lonon and the Untouchables. This first concert of the fall season, taking place on East College Avenue from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., is sponsored by Duke Energy.
Returning to Hartsville after an enthusiastic reception last year, the group was formed by Terence Lonon, a former member of Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters. The legendary, timeless doo-wop and R&B hits of the Drifters, songs such as “Under the Boardwalk” and “Save the Last Dance for Me,” are part of the Untouchables’ large repertoire. The group also offers a variety of selections from other famed performers in the R&B/Soul tradition such as the Temptations, the Tams, the Four Tops and more.
The free event will have food and drink available for sale from Bizzell’s Food & Spirits as well as Vintage Wine Boutique. Child care services will also be available through Nana’s Play Zone.
Thursday’s concert will only be the first in the fall Thursdays on College series. Chris Wilson and Planet Earth will appear in a Sept. 19 concert sponsored by Sonoco, followed by the Reggie Sullivan Band in an Oct. 3 concert sponsored by the Campus Activities Board of Coker College. Erica Lynn Berg and the band Wine Down will finish the series on Oct. 17, sponsored by First Citizens Bank and Nucor Corporation.
By Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
Crime counts among the most serious issues facing any community. It hurts the people who live there, it threatens their property and it stands as one of the starkest examples of how our society is imperfect. The City of Hartsville takes the crime in our community very seriously, and whenever it does happen, we are always standing up against it.
In 2011, the last year of compiled data, the FBI counted 32 officers serving Hartsville, a number which currently stands at 36, not counting three part-time officers and 2 reserve officers. In that 2011 data, Hartsville stands out as having the highest number of officers for any South Carolina municipality with a population less than 8,000, and more officers than several larger cities as well.
Our officers are always busy keeping the city safe. In 2012, the Hartsville Police Department responded to 11,930 calls for service, an average of more than 32 a day, and filed 3,594 reports. This is a decrease in the calls for service over the previous five years – the number stood at nearly 15,000 in 2008, with more than 5,000 reports written – but many of the crime indicators have been dropping in the same period. Aggravated assault has trended downward, from 137 cases in 2008 to 55 in 2012. Burglaries fell in the same period from 258 to 170. Robberies declined from 39 in 2009 to 27 last year.
The Hartsville Police Department’s work isn’t all patrol and investigation, however; so much of it is about connecting with our residents. Some of this outreach is easy to see, like our officers’ appearance at the recent National Night Out, or their organization of a donation drive to bring electric fans to residents in need. Other efforts are more subtle. Using a S.C. Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant, the City has bought a house for an officer’s residence in the historic Oakdale neighborhood as one of the security improvements for that community. We are now looking at options for placing an officer in another target neighborhood as well.
We want very much to be a part of the solution for crime, but the entire solution requires the contributions of everyone – all organizations and all residents. Hartsville always needs neighborhood watches, and we always need residents letting the City know exactly what kind of problems and concerns they have, and reporting any crimes as they happen.
Hartsville is patrolled by a very dedicated law enforcement agency around the clock. I’ve seen Chief James Hudson, our investigators and our officers solve crimes and respond to all kinds of dangerous situations too many times to not feel pride in their tireless efforts. The fight against crime will always be an ongoing process, but we’re not about to slow down in our response.
WHAT: Screen on the Green summer movie series showing of “The Princess Bride.” Rated PG. No admission charge.
WHERE: Burry Park, 131 Cargill Way, Hartsville, SC
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, dusk
The summertime Screen on the Green series of free outdoor movie showings will end in Burry Park this Saturday, Aug. 17 with the classic 1987 film “The Princess Bride,” sponsored by the Landmark Inn.
The well-remembered romance/comedy/fairy tale follows Westley, played by Cary Elwes, as he rescues his true love Buttercup, played by Robin Wright, from a wedding with a villainous prince. Along the way he is confronted by everything from the revenge-seeking fencer Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), to the scheming outlaw Vinizzi (Wallace Shawn) and his giant assistant Fezzik (Andre the Giant).
By Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
National Night Out is coming to Burry Park this evening at 6:30 p.m., and it is going to be a fun one: live entertainment, activities and a free movie showing after dusk. It may be the best version of this community event we have had yet, with everything from the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office Mounted United Unit to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources gaming trailer, free food and drinks, inflatables and much more.
National Night Out exists to connect law enforcement and emergency services with the communities they serve. It gives us another way to connect to our communities and to build the partnerships which make Hartsville a safer, better place to live.
It’s also far from the only time that those involved in our city see our police officers and firefighters reaching out. The Police Department, for example, has hosted Teen Summits to focus on issues important to our youth: bullying, crime prevention and education. For two years, the department has also coordinated a donation drive in the hottest days of summer to provide electric fans to senior residents most vulnerable to heat. The department strives to connect with a wide variety of community organizations, from the Greater Hartsville Ministerial Alliance to the PULSE mentoring program of the TEACH Foundation.
In 2012, the Police Department responded to nearly 1,200 calls for service. They patrol our city around the clock, investigate crimes and arrest offenders. We know, however, that law enforcement cannot focus on crime response alone. Crime prevention and ongoing partnerships are needed to make Hartsville better.
The Hartsville Fire Department, which will be serving you hot dogs and drinks if you come to National Night Out tonight, also practices ongoing outreach with their fellow residents. They had a busy year in 2012, responding to more than 1,500 calls, and improving their ISO classification from a 5 to a 4 in the city, indicating a strong level of fire protection services and allowing for lower insurance premiums. Even so, many of the services they provide occur outside of emergency situations.
Fire Department personnel have undergone the training necessary to inspect children’s car seats and how these seats are installed, allowing them to provide car seat safety check events. Christmastime shoppers in Hartsville often see our Fire Department raising funds for the Boots and Buckets for Kids program. Last year, after raising $5,000, they helped provide Christmas gifts for 135 children in 60 families. The department also makes contributions to the MUSC Children’s Hospital Burned Children’s Fund.
I hope everyone can join us for a great time this evening, and meet many of the departments which support this city and county. We’re working for you the rest of the year as well, so never hesitate to reach out to us.
WHAT: National Night Out, presented by the Hartsville Police Department
WHERE: Burry Park, 131 Cargill Way, Hartsville, SC
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 9, 6:30 p.m., with free showing of “Rise of the Guardians” beginning at dusk
The Hartsville Police Department is inviting residents out for an evening of fun and excitement with the law enforcement and emergency service agencies serving the Hartsville community.
Hartsville’s National Night Out 2013, “Heroes’ Night Out,’ will begin Friday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Burry Park, 131 Cargill Way. The evening will feature a wide variety of free activities, free food and a free outdoor movie showing of the movie “Rise of the Guardians,” beginning at dusk. In keeping with the event’s theme, children who come are invited to dress up as their favorite hero for a chance to win prizes, including season passes to the recently opened Piratesville Splash Pad.
Dorothy McCoy and her family are the City of Hartsville’s Recyclers of the Month for July 2013.
McCoy, who has made use of her recycling bin for as long as she has had it, said she enjoys knowing that sorted recycling materials will be used again and not simply thrown out.
“It saves on trash bags,” said Doris Flemming, McCoy’s daughter, seen at left. “All you have to do is put your bottles, papers and cans out in the bin.”
As the Recyclers of the Month, the family received a yard sign as well as a gift certificate to Ruth’s Drive-In, located at 659 W. Carolina Ave. in Hartsville.
The award program highlights those city residents participating in the City of Hartsville’s recycling program, a partnership between the City and Sonoco. To learn more about guidelines for recycling material in Hartsville, visit www.hartsvillesc.gov. To request a recycling roll cart, call Environmental Services at (843) 383-3019.
