WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Parks and Recreation Department has opened a new fitness room at the Winnsboro Recreation Center.
“We’re always looking to bring new opportunities to our community to exercise and stay fit,” County Administrator Jason Taylor said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the Fitness Room.”
Located in the basketball gym, the room will provide members with exercise options for cardio training, weight training and functional training, according to Parks and Recreation Director Russell Price.
“We took a dilapidated storage area and renovated it into an updated fitness facility for our citizens, and it was all done at a minimal cost,” Price said. “Mr. Taylor’s motto is, ‘Always utilize what you have,’ and we did that.”
The opening of the fitness facility coincides with the start of the Rec Center’s ‘Get Fit Fairfield!’ program, a 12-week fitness challenge between 20 teams that will measure their achievements in weight loss, diet and exercise, Price said.
Hours of operation for the Fitness room are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Membership fees are $20 per month for an individual and $35 per month for a family of two. For more information, contact Lucas Vance at 803-635-9114 or by email at lucas.vance@fairfield.sc.gov.
Belva Belton, left, and Sandra Cammon, who operate Closet to Closet, receive donations from Leah Branham and her dad Eddie, located at the Learning Center. | Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – A Ridgeway woman is being heralded as an inspiration for her enduring work to provide resources and support to local students and families in need through Closet to Closet, a program supplying a variety of gently used school uniforms, clothing and shoes for the family, bedding and other household items.
Belva Bush Belton, the registrar and attendance supervisor at Fairfield County School District, initiated the program four years ago when a state law was passed requiring school districts to provide a liaison to identify students experiencing homelessness. Belton and volunteer Sandra Cammon, a bus driver for the school district, operate the Closet, located in the Learning Center at 250 Roosevelt Street (behind the former Fairfield High School).
While the Closet initially served only homeless students, Belton has since opened it to all families in the community who are in need, especially those who are victims of house fires and other crisis events.
During the last four years, Belton has worked tirelessly to reach out to students and families within that scope, but more recently her actions have far surpassed just identifying the need.
“I guess you could say I go above and beyond, but really I do what I know is needed,” Belton stated.
Each year at the start of the new school year, Belton is tasked with identifying any students who qualify as “in need”. Those needs, she said, may include a lack of transportation to or from school, assistance with covering fees for field trips or school supplies, or even purchasing school pictures. Others, she said, may have far greater needs.
“Through the years I have learned that helping students with just their school needs was not nearly enough,” Belton stated.
Belton said she has found that the families of many of the students need food and housing. Most, she said, are in a “doubled-up” situation, where families are living with other families in a home that is not their own, such as a mother and her children moving in with the grandmother. Others, she said, were without any home at all.
“Occasionally, I find families who are living in a vehicle. That’s when I start making emergency calls and get them in a hotel and connect them with groups for food and clothing,” she stated.
Having grown up in Fairfield County herself, Belton said her greatest strength is her connection with the community. She said those connections make resources far more accessible.
In 2011, Belton was awarded the WIS/Mungo Homes Community Builders award after she successfully turned an unused room in the Learning Center into a thrift-type store for her families. Operating every Wednesday, the store, through continuous donations from the community, has grown to now include furniture.
Other organizations have set up an Angel Tree program in which Belton’s students or families can be adopted anonymously by local residents who provide them with Christmas gifts.
That support, Belton said, has helped her continue her efforts year after year. During the 2017-2018 school year, she assisted 114 families. For the 2018-2019 year, she has already helped 104 families with five months still left on the school year.
“It gets tough at times, when the numbers are so high, but when the community joins me in supporting these families, it just reignites my motivation,” she stated.
“It would be impossible for me to do what I do without help. Area businesses, churches, civic organizations and families in the community have helped me in a big way.”
Still, she said her work is never done.
At the end of the school year, Belton will begin contacting those families on her list to determine if they can be removed from her program. It can be the most rewarding time of the year for her, she said, but it can be one of the hardest as she sees some families continuing to struggle with their same vices.
That is where she has laid plans for the second chapter of her work. Even though retirement for her is still years down the road, Belton said she hopes, after retirement, to continue this work by creating a long-term “transitional housing” facility within the area.
“There are some families who find themselves in a tough situation more than once because they have never been taught how to handle finances, or they return to the same temptations that put them in a bad position in the first place. With transitional housing, I would be better able to control their surroundings and prepare them for success,” Belton stated.
Belton said she plans, after her retirement, to seek out grants that would make her transitional housing dream a reality.
“This work is my passion. It has been the most rewarding job I have ever had, and I certainly do not intend on stopping any time soon,” she said.
The Closet is open each Wednesday from 9 – 11:30 AM but also opens up by appointment for those who may be in immediate need. For more information contact Belva Bush Belton at Fairfield County School District Office (803)635-4607.
BLYTHEWOOD – In the largest increase since 1991, according to the National Newspaper Association, United States Postal Service Forever stamps will rise from 50 cents to 55 cents on Sunday, Jan. 27. Metered letters will also increase from 47 cents to 50 cents on the same date.
Blythewood Post Master Richard Jones said, however, that Forever stamps purchased prior to Jan. 27 can be used indefinitely.
JENKINSVILLE – SCE&G, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, will conduct a test of siren warning systems in Fairfield County on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
At approximately 1 p.m., SCE&G will sound the 109 sirens located within a 10-mile radius of V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County near Jenkinsville. As part of its regular testing program, SCE&G sounds its sirens in Fairfield, Newberry, Richland and Lexington counties each year for three minutes and each quarter for less than a minute. A full, three-minute sounding of the sirens is conducted on the second Tuesday of January each year. One-minute functional tests are conducted at noon on the second Tuesday of each month during the remainder of the year.
Area residents are reminded that the sounding of sirens during this time period is only a test. In the unlikely event of an actual emergency at the plant, the sirens would sound with no prior notice and would alert area residents to tune to an Emergency Alert System radio or television station for further instructions.
SCE&G and other companies that operate U.S. nuclear facilities maintain robust emergency preparedness plans to protect the health and safety of the public. SCE&G conducts multiple emergency response drills each year to validate its emergency response plan, which is independently evaluated every two years by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Information about siren tests, nuclear generation and emergency planning is mailed to residents within 10 miles of V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in the annual emergency preparedness calendar.
For more information, log on to sceg.com/nuclearprep, or call your local emergency management office:
County Councilman Moses Bell, Board Member Polly Phillips, County Administrator Jason Taylor, Circulation Manager Beth Bonds, Branch Manager, Chrishonda Gaither, Assistant Library Administrator Mike Poole, Board Chairman Paul Dove, Town Councilman Dan Martin and former County Councilman Dan Ruff | Darlene Embleton
RIDGEWAY – A new Ridgeway branch of the Fairfield County Library opened on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting and open house hosted by the Friends of the Library at the new 235 S. Palmer Street location. According to Fairfield County officials, the location will serve the community until a more permanent location can be found at a later date.
Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green, Town Councilman Dan Martin, County Councilman Moses Bell, former County Councilman Dan Ruff, Board Chair Paul Dove, County Administrator Jason Taylor, Chamber Director Chris Stephenson and County Councilman Neil Robinson.
“This new branch, is nearly twice the size of the prior Ridgeway location and can accommodate nearly twice the number of books and computers,” said Fairfield County Library Director Eric Robinson. “Our services include resources duplicating those at our main library. We can provide access to SCLENDS, a 20-library consortium that shares books through a lending program (accessed at fairfieldcountylibrary.com), on-site printing, copying and scanning,” Robinson said. Color printing is not yet available at the branch.
There will be seven computers for accessing library resources. Four offer Microsoft Office and three have internet access. Wi-Fi is available.
Circulation Manager Beth Bonds, left, Branch Manager Chrishonda Gaither and Assistant Library Administrator Mike Poole. | Barbara Ball
Chrishonda Gaither will be the Branch Manager for Ridgeway. Branch hours will be Monday and Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm and Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 6 pm. The Bookmobile will continue to serve Ridgeway on an as-needed basis.
“The Library Board would like to thank Fairfield County for the refurbishing and getting us up and running,” Robinson said. “We would also like to thank the Ridgeway Town Council and former County Councilman Dan Ruff for helping us secure this site. We are very happy to once again be able to conveniently serve the people in the Ridgeway community.”
The new location has on-site parking. For more information, call 803-337-2068 or fax 803-337-0529.
Members of the Blair Sympathy Club who met during the club’s regular Dec. 8 meeting included, from left (front row): Samuel English, Gladys Hardy, Hattie Brice and Judy Camack; (second row): Lula Robinson, Essie McConnell, Hattie Edwards, Jean Robinson, Diane Copeland, Beverly Feaster, Glenda Woodard and Shirley Greene and (third row): Tangee Jacobs, Ruth Lyles, Gail Worthy, Geraldine Trapp, Josephine Robinson, Deborah Hopkins and Charles Mickey Edwards.
BLAIR – The Blair Sympathy Club in Fairfield County is a fun-loving, energetic community group with the mission of bringing aid and comfort to one another during times of illness or other serious problems, the late Eugenia Wilson, president of the club at the time, told The Voice in 2015.
At that time, the club had about 50 members, Wilson said, most of whom lived in Fairfield County, but a few hailed from Union and Chester Counties.
“When we first started back in the ‘60’s,” Wilson recalled, “we used to meet at people’s homes – a different member’s house each month. But the group got so large that now our monthly meetings are held at member’s churches – Little River, Hassion Hill, Weeping Mary, Gethsemane, and so on,” she said.
Eugenia Wilson accepts a plaque from Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green, recognizing the naming of the cafeteria after her. | Barbara Ball
Known for springing into action when one of their own (or someone in the family) becomes very sick or has to go to the hospital, members make time to visit and will also bring a donation from the club’s treasury, which is funded by the $40 annual dues and a $1-per-missed-meeting fee.
The group also enjoys social get-togethers, especially chartering a bus for day trips that are also open to non-members.
“Oh, we’ve been to just about every little town in South Carolina,” Wilson said, laughing. “Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort… we’ve been up to the Biltmore house and to Charlotte museums. The list just goes on and on. Mountains, apple orchards – I just can’t name them all,” she said.
“And if someone in our group dies,” Wilson said, “we do flowers and prepare food for the day of the funeral.”
And so it was when Wilson died last Nov. 8, at the age of 86.
On Dec. 8, during the club’s regular meeting at the Jenkinsville Recreation Center, the members once again brought aid and comfort to each other as they remembered Wilson, their former leader and dear friend and what she meant to the club, the community and to McCrory Liston School. They recalled her service in many capacities, not the least of which was Food Service Supervisor at McCrory Liston. Wilson retired in 2006 after 40 years of service to the school district which honored her last summer by naming the school’s cafeteria after her.
“It’s both aspects of the Club – the fun times and the solace it offers – that give the group an enduring sense of purpose,” Wilson said, prophetically, in 2015.
“We just have a wonderful time together,” she said with a smile.
BLYTHEWOOD – After 274 years, it was announced in June, 2017, that the doors of the historic Cedar Creek Methodist Church would close. A final service was held on May 6, 2018, under a canopy outside the building.
Blythewood artist Harold Branham captured the historic Cedar Creek church on canvas.
The closure was the will of the S. C. United Methodist Conference, which owns the church and the property it sits on. The service was billed as a celebration, but for the descendants of the families who had attended the little church all their lives, and who wanted to keep it open for the community, it was a sad occasion.
They wanted to know what would happen to the building. Would the Conference sell the property? Could the Cedar Creek families continue to use the church for weddings and other special occasions? Who would pay for the upkeep?
While a resolution affirmed by the Conference included a clause recommending the property be preserved because of its historical significance, there were no guarantees.
“While I really can’t comment on things I don’t have power over, I can make recommendations,” Rev. Cathy Jamison, a former pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Blythewood and the current Columbia District Superintendent and Secretary to the Cabinet of the S.C. United Methodist Conference said. “Unfortunately there’s not a stockpile of money for the preservation of the building so that would have to be a community fundraising effort. The plan for the future of the property is evolving,” Jamison said.
But the Cedar Creek community was not without resolve and resources to save their beloved church.
“When we learned that the historical landmark was about to be decommissioned,” said Bill DuBard, a descendant of one of Cedar Creek’s early families whose history intertwined with the church, “we acted quickly to set in motion a process whereby we could preserve the church for the community, perhaps as a wedding venue or for other community events.”
Margaret DuBard, Bill DuBard’s wife, said the boards of the Blythewood and Upper Fairfield County Historical Societies were supportive of preserving the church as well as the cemetery.
“We incorporated the Cedar Creek Historical Association and began seeking a charter as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization to achieve the mission of the Association,” DuBard said.
A board was formed and Bill DuBard was named president. Other members include Raymond Hendrix, Sandra jones and John Fogle.
For the past six months the board has worked to establish the legal status necessary to protect the ownership of the church as well as preserve buildings, documents and sites of historical interest to the community.
Now they are seeking members who will share and support their vision with both financial and time donations.
The following schedule offers basic donation levels:
Founding lifetime members – a one-time gift of $1,000
Legacy members – $250 annually
Stewardship members $150 annually
Family membership – $100 annually
Individual members – $50 annually
DuBard said, however, that there are many other ways to help as well, including volunteer work and donation of preservation materials.
For more information about the Association or to join, email: cedarcreekhistorical@yahoo.com.
Blythewood artist Harold Branham created a 16 x 20 print of the church on canvas that is available for sale and can be seen in the lobby of the Community Bank at the corner of Blythewood Road and Main Street. For more information, conatact Branham at 348-7773.
William & Lynn Medlin, Chamber Director Gene Stephens, Tabitha Williams. Dr. Phil Wilkins
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce ushered in the holidays with its annual Christmas drop-in on Dec. 13. The event, held at the newly named Carolina Center for Events and Conferences, was sponsored for the 12th consecutive year by TruVista. The new Chamber director, Gene Stephens, was on hand to meet and greet more than 85 members and their guests, who enjoyed visiting and dining.
COLUMBIA – Ereka Jamison of Blythewood, was recently named a November Employee of the Month for the S.C. Department of Social Services. Jamison is a Benefit Integrity Claims Specialist for Region 2 which includes Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, McCormick, Richland, Saluda, Union and York counties. According to her nomination, Jamison is a “dedicated and exceptional DSS employee.” As an employee of the month, Jamison was given a dedicated parking space and invited to lunch with the acting State Director.
Joyce Martin Hill, who owns Farewell Farm in Blythewood, and her two horses, Kodak Moment and Noah, are featured inside the front cover of The Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society’s new fundraiser coffee table book, Friends of Hoof & Paw, 2018. The book was released during a presentation party at The Farm last week. | Harold Dodson
RIDGEWAY – The Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society debuted its much anticipated coffee table book last week in a special reception that paid tribute to the sponsors and volunteers who made the book a reality.
“They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, this book was our baby and you were our village. Without all of you this would not have been possible,” fundraiser chairman and Blythewood horsewoman Minge Wiseman told the crowd of supporters who filled The Farm at Ridgeway’s reception hall last week.
The 160-page hardcover book, underwritten by philanthropist and Blythewood horsewoman Joyce Martin Hill and her husband George, grossed over $100,000 and features photographs of dozens of local dogs, cats and horses and their human families. Many of the animals pictured are rescues, now living the good life. The photos of the loved and loving animals reflect Hoof and Paw’s vision for all animals.
The books were paid for by pet owners who shelled out from $400 to $1,000 for glossy, full page photos of their dogs, horses, cats and other animals. Professional photographers Dr. Robert Buchanan, Harold Dodson, Kelly Garin, Morgan Auld and Megan Timmerman donated their time and talent during the summer to snap photos at farms, lakes and other bucolic settings. The Farm’s owners, Larry and Eileen Sharpe, donated the use of the venue for the event which was catered by Olde Town Hall Restaurant in Ridgeway. Musicians Kristi Hood and Richard Maxwell entertained.
Hoof and Paw also raffled the book cover to pet owners. For $25, anyone could enter their pet’s photo in the contest. The winning photo was submitted by Blythewood horsewoman Kit Turner of her two Cocker Spaniels, Hannah and Heaven, and her cat, Tuk.
“Artist Mary Bliss very graciously donated her time and talent to turn the photo into a beautiful painting that appears on the book’s cover,” Wiseman said.
“It’s always a wonderful moment to see your work bring so much pleasure to its owners, and it was an honor for me to have been able to work on this piece for Minge and Hoof and Paw,” Bliss stated.
A highlight of the reception was a special unveiling of the painting which was then donated by the artist to Turner, bringing her to tears.
Created in 2012 to advocate for and support animal welfare in Fairfield County, Hoof and Paw – now Blythewood-based – has evolved into a formidable Midlands fundraising organization that benefits South Carolina animals and shelters through financial support and community awareness.
Last year, the organization helped finance a spay and neuter campaign in conjunction with the Fairfield County Animal Shelter and assisted the County shelter in achieving its goal of becoming a no-kill facility. The group has more recently taken its battle to the front lines of county courtrooms and the state capital, turning its attention to lawmakers in an aggressive move to strengthen animal abuse laws in the state.
“We have worked very hard to fix what we believe are laws lacking in the ability to protect animals and ensure that animal abusers are held accountable for their actions,” the group’s president Deborah Richelle stated.
“It’s a battle that sometimes seems never-ending, but then on days like today when we are surrounded by supporters and we see these pictures of the animals, some of whom we helped saved, it gives us the boost that we need to go out and fight another day,” Richelle stated.
But these efforts take money – lots of money. Addressing the crowd of about 200, Richelle explained in simple terms what Hoof and Paw is about.
“We are not a rescue organization, and we are not a shelter. We just ask for money,” Richelle told the crowd who responded with appreciative laughter.
The coffee table book has been the nonprofit organization’s most aggressive and successful fundraiser to date, according to co-chairman Kathy Faulk.
“It’s amazing, it truly is. We had no idea this project would be so wildly popular and successful,” Faulk stated.
In past years, Wiseman said the organization mainly fundraised through local yard sales and other small events that brought in around $1200 each year. She said the success of this year’s fundraiser will allow the organization to increase its support to local rescue groups.
“There are so many animals in shelters that need homes, but they often need medical treatment that shelters can’t afford. And, of course, the shelters sometimes need money for food and supplies. That’s where we come in,” Richelle stated.
Faulk said the photos in the book will serve as a touching memento to the people who purchased pages. Each was presented a copy of the book at the end of the evening.
“There were about 14 animals featured in the book that have since passed away. The photos that we have included will be a special way for their families to remember them,” Faulk said.
“It was a wonderful get together of like-minded people,” attendee Addie Walker stated. “A wonderful evening.”
Several books are available for sale. To purchase one, to make a donation or for more information about joining Hoof and Pay, call Wiseman at 803-960-9770 or Faulk at 803-429-3509.
