Updates from City of Newberry District 5

Dear District 5 residents,

It is still my pleasure over the last 11 months as your councilwoman to share with you the information about activities and events in District 5. We continue to have some celebrations and obligations met, promises filled, initiatives begun and always progress to chart.

Summertime is here! I encourage everyone to be safe and aware of their surroundings. The Newberry Recreation Complex is now open to the public. It is located at 1786 Glenn Street Extension. One of the main attractions is the splash pad. I encourage you to take some time and visit the beautiful complex.

I’m still attending meetings, city events, returning calls, answering emails/text messages, out in the neighborhood, and responding to your needs with immediacy. If you have any concerns or issues, please do not hesitate to contact me, and my goal is to respond within 12-24 hours.

I am now eligible for the Advance Municipal Elected Officials Institute, which will be held in October 2021. I am looking forward to being enrolled in the advance class of the Municipal Association of South Carolina. This will allow me to continue to learn and grow as your elected city councilwoman.

I have been delivering food to those in need in District 5. If you, or know of someone, who is in need of food, please contact me and I will do whatever I can to make sure that these residents are taken care of. We will continue the food drive that is called God Abundance for All People (GAAP), which is a ministry out of O’Neal Street United Methodist Church. They are in the middle of a transition, and information will be forth coming.

On May 27, 2021, members of the West End Community Watch Group unveiled the new “Welcome to Historic West End” sign, which is located on Main Street, just before passing Westview Behavioral Center. This is just one of the many ways that I am looking forward to ways to improve our neighborhood. The flower bed was landscaped by Sanders Landscaping Company.

I was responsible for presenting the idea of bringing the Inaugural Juneteenth Festival to Newberry, South Carolina. After six months of meeting and planning, we were able to pull off a very successful Juneteenth Celebration, on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Many thanks to the committee, which consisted of: Mrs. Barbara Chapman, Mrs. Shelia Brown, Ms. Margo Whitener, Ms. Tomeka Means, Councilman Carlton Kinard, Mr. Michael Rayford.

Also, many thanks to the Mary Alex Kopp and her staff at the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, along with Newberry City Council and Mayor Foster Senn, Police Chief Kevin Goodman and his staff, Newberry Fire Department, Newberry EMS staff, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Sheriff Lee Foster and his staff, as well as our citizens of Newberry and our visitors from out of town. Special thanks to the following businesses for their donations and support: Kraft Heinz Company, Newberry County Chamber of Commerce, Westview Behavioral Center, Newberry Museum and the Newberry Opera House and anyone who did anything to make this a first-time success.

It is time to pull out your best recipes for our first dressing/stuffing cook off. I came up with this idea last year before Thanksgiving and I shared the idea with different people around town. It was amazing the awesome responses and support that I received to go on and move forward with it. We would like to also invite anyone to send in any catchy name, other than dressing/stuffing cook off, to be eligible for a prize and recognition during the event. The Chamber of Commerce will host the contest during their Grow Newberry Market on November 13, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 12p.m. in Memorial Park. All the sign-up and contest rules, as well as a catchy name entry form are forth coming.

We will continue to have litter pickups throughout the West End Community. We are looking at a time in August. In the meantime, please continue to do your part when disposing of litter. To avoid unwanted critters and creatures, you may need to do the following: make sure lids are closed on your garbage cans, don’t leave food out in the open too long, dispose of trash properly.

Main Street potholes update – The city’s portion of the potholes project is completed, for now. The next phase is scheduled for 2022 through South Carolina Department of Transportation. As information becomes available, you will be informed.

Please don’t hesitate to call and let me know what’s on your mind. You can reach me at (803) 321-8710/ jholmes@cityofnewberry.com.

Future Plans:

• Fun in the Sun Park Day at Willowbrook Park – July 2021.

• Litter Pick Up – August 2021.

• Dressing/Stuffing Cook Off – Nov 13, 2021.

• City council Meetings – second Tuesday every month at 7:00 p.m.

“Keeping You Up to Date on Matters That Affect you and Your Community.”