A man from a neighboring county came through Newberry during the Ag and Art festival and after seeing the big crowd downtown at the Farmers Market said, “There’s always something going in Newberry.”
He’s right. Wednesday, the 16th annual Harper Street Bike Parade had thousands of attendees and was even featured in a national story about July 4 festivities. That night the July 4 celebration sponsored by the Newberry County Law Enforcement Officers Association had a spectacular fireworks show, delighting a large crowd at Newberry High School, in surrounding parking lots and extending to a large crowd at Lowes and Wal-Mart.
In business news, San Jose reopened under a new owner, Delfino Lopez. The chips and salsa and meals, including my favorite, #11, are as good as ever.
Boars Head Deli is coming to Newberry College for the fall semester. Locating beside Chick-Fil-A, Boars Head will feature sandwiches, wraps, paninis and salads and will be open to the public.
Newberry College’s new dorm is nearing completion and will open for for the fall semester. The college is hosting a series of freshman orientation sessions this summer.
A number of companies in Newberry are hiring, such as Kraft-Heinz, which is currently offering a hiring bonus for some positions on the second and third shifts.
The city is replacing a main water line under Main Street near Lowes and Newberry High School. Work will continue through August as connections are made from the new line to existing businesses and to empty lots along that corridor in case new businesses look to locate there in future years. SCDOT plans to repave that portion of Main Street in the future.
The city’s summer recreation mobile program is again a big hit, frequently getting 30+ children to the morning sessions at city parks. The Newberry Art Center offers classes through the summer for children and adults with some sessions in June selling out. The Oakland Tennis Center had a big crowd July 4, offers clinics through the summer and, like other city parks, is open daily for play.
The Party in the Park music series continues Friday with Larry Newman and Steve Kemp at 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Park and barbecue by Steelhorse Smokehouse. At 8:30 p.m., approximately, the movie Mary Poppins will be shown as part of the Moonlight Movie Nights. On July 20, the concert series continues with the Golden Steel Band, barbecue, and the Newberry Downtown Development Association will have beer for purchase.
The Chapin-Newberry American Legion baseball program continues to be one of the best in the state with the senior and junior teams each winning their regions. Both teams start the state playoffs Monday at Newberry College with the juniors hosting at 5:30 p.m. and the seniors at 8 p.m. They welcome community support, and admission is five dollars.
Big congratulations to Newberry fireman Lt. Andrew Morris, who was named the S.C. Firefighter of the Year by the S.C. State Firefighters Association on June 16 in Columbia. The award is presented annually to a fireman “who best exemplifies the characteristic of a firefighter and who has an outstanding record of fire service achievements.” With 17,000 firefighters in South Carolina, that is quite an achievement.
