The Hampton- Pinckney Gazette Preserving Our Neighborhoods September ‘99 Director of Greenville Rescue Mission at September Meeting The next meeting of the Hampton-Pinckney Advocate Historic Distric will take place on Tuesday, Septem- ber 7th at 7 p.m. at Central Baptist Church (activities Hampton-Pinckney and other downtown room – Lloyd Street entrance). Winn Freeman, the neighborhoods are very lucky to have a neighbor like Jim Director of the new Greenville Rescue Mission lo- Townsend, our speaker at the last meeting. Jim organ- cated across the street from the main Post Office on ized the Downtown Residential Neighborhoods (DRN) Washington Street, will speak to our group. The which covers the Central Business District (CBD) and an grand opening of the mission will be within the next additional three-fourths of a mile radius around the CBD. few weeks. We will also have food from The DRN was purely a social group for those living Schlotzsky’s Deli for you to munch on during the within the DRN area to meet each other and evolved into meeting. a watchdog group that attempts to keep an eye on City The June meeting consisted of a presentation Hall. In 1997, the City Action Neighborhood Network by Jim Townsend, a resident of downtown (CANN) (similar to Charlotte, NC’s “Congress of Greenville. Other business included a discussion of Neighborhoods“) was borne out of the failed attempts of the 4th of July Party and an update by George Bell City neighborhoods to stop the BB&T rezoning for a on Traffic Calming. parking lot adjacent to the Hampton-Pinckney neighbor- hood and from problems surrounding the White Oak Thanks for attending the June meeting: community with rezonings. CANN was instrumental in George Bell and Betti Wright, Jim Townsend, Rev. supporting neighborhoods to halt a rezoning of land for a Simpson, Becky and Larry Boyd, Patrick Duvall, Joe drug store at the corner of Cleveland and S. Pleasantburg Simpson, Peggy Watson, Bob Lloyd, Kathleen Dr. The group also helped prevent the opening of a video Crispin, Jim, Jacob and Anne Meyer, Courtney poker parlor at N. Main and Rutherford. CANN consists Shives, Robert and Judy Benedict, and from James of 34 representatives and can quickly mobilize for any Street: John Michael and Mic helle McCauley, Maria future threats to our City neighborhoods. Therese, Colleen Christian. –jb Another topic of interest that Jim spoke about Jim Townsend, Neighborhood was his candidacy for Water Commissioner. The Greenville Water Commission was established in 1918 In this issue… and consists of three elected commissioners with six- year, staggered terms, the Mayor, and a City Council Voting in November...Candidate Forum Sponsored by Neighborhoods United for Excellence ...4th of July member appointed by the Mayor. Our water bills in- Memories... clude fees that could be covered by raising our taxes and 2 The Hampton-Pinckney Gazette September ‘99 therefore would be tax deductible. As they are now, they istration office at County Square to vote starting the 2nd are part of our quarterly water bills. Another issue of week of October. They will also be open on Saturday contention is a decision by the commission, in 1963, to October 30th. For additional information, please call place water lines outside the City of Greenville without 467-7264. –jb an annexation agreement. The establishment of such an agreement would increase the City tax base and help to Candidate Forum October 5th spread out taxes and fees across a wider number of busi- It all started with a meeting in Mayor Knox nesses and households. The water lines are also bringing White’s office early this summer and now we have a “sprawl” to Southern Greenville County – by managing new City-wide neighborhood group that calls itself, the extension of lines, the growth within this area can be “Neighborhoods United for Excellence” (NUE). The better controlled. Jim also pointed out that he would like purpose of NUE is “Promoting neighborhood-friendly the Water Commission to become involved in the com- solutions”. At present, the group consists of munity. representatives from Overbrook, Hampton- Pinckney, Southernside, North Main, Jim offers these “19 Painless Ways to Save Water”: Nicholtown, Gower, Westend, Pleasantburg 1. Fix those faucet, toilet, showerhead leaks. 2. Use the dishwasher and washing machine only with Forest and White Oak. The impetus for the full loads. formulation of NUE was to introduce to the 3. Don’t run water continuously for vegetable and dish City neighborhoods the candidates running for City- washing. wide offices in November. NUE wants all of us to de- 4. Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth or termine for ourselves which candidates are truly shaving. “neighborhood-friendly.” 5. Use a broom to clean driveways, walks, patio. The Candidate Forum sponsored by the 6. Use a sponge and bucket of water to wash the car. 7. Take showers rather than baths, keep them short. Neighborhoods United for Excellence will be held 8. Don’t use the toilet as a trash can. Tuesday, October 5th at Greenville High School audito- 9. Water the lawn in early morning or evening to avoid rium from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tom Faulkner, who at- evaporation. tempted to organize this type of forum for us three years 10. Keep grass at least two in inches high to shade roots. ago but did not receive any support, is delighted to 11. Aerate regularly, and use mulch to reduce evapora- serve as moderator for the event. Every neighborhood tion. is encouraged to make signs with the name of their 12. Plant native or drought-resistant grass and plants. neighborhood (similar to what is done at political con- Better yet, Xeriscape™. 13. Water trees slowly, deeply, infrequently to encourage ventions) and when a question is asked from the group, deep rooting. the sign will be held up so that the candidates will know 14. Don’t run tap to get cold water. Instead, keep a what neighborhood to which they are responding. bottle in the refrigerator. Since this great event will be taking place dur- 15. Install aerators on bathroom and kitchen faucets. ing our regular, first Tuesday, meeting time, we are ask- 16. Install low-flow toilet (1.6 gal per flush). ing you to attend the Candidate Forum either in place of 17. Install low-flow showerhead. or in addition to an October Hampton-Pinckney meet- 18. Insulate water heaters and pipes. 19. Ask your water provider for more water conservation ing. Let’s join together to put our neighborhoods first ideas. –jb and elect “neighborhood-friendly” candidates to help!- jb Time To Vote For City Offices The time has arrived for us to vote. On Novem- Holiday Walk-About 1999 ber 2nd, we can vote for Mayor (Knox White, Republi- can or Stephanie Duncan, Democrat), City Council–At Plan to join us for our neighborhood Holiday Large (Stan Tzouvelekas, Republican, Michelle Shain, Walk-About scheduled to take place Saturday, Decem- Democrat, or Paul Varga , Reform) and one seat on the ber 11th. We would love to have all first-time hosts this water commission (Paul Aughtry, Republican or Jim year and have some plans to make this event easier on Townsend, Democrat). If you have not registered to the host homes. We welcome any new suggestions you vote you must do so by October 2nd. Absentee Ballots may also have. Discussion will take place at the Sep- can be requested by phone or you can visit the voter reg- tember 7th meeting. If you have an interest in participating or have a 3 The Hampton-Pinckney Gazette September ‘99 question about this event, please call Betti Wright at The “Lili Pulitzer” Award – To the neighbor who has done the 242-9229. –bw most to upgrade the sorry state of journalism in Greenville and to control neighborhood rumors —Judy Benedict and Jim Town- send. July 4th Party Was Great! The “Platoon Sergeant Charles J. Mack” Award – Named for my U.S. Army drill sergeant who, upon spotting a recruit drop a Beth Burris did a wonderful jo b arranging the cigarette butt and a candy wrapper made him eat it-To the 4th of July party. She had everything in place but no neighbor who has done the most to combat neighborhood litter one to sing the National Anthem to start the festivities. and graffiti — Jennie Garrett. She said that Tom Faulkner offered to sing but she The “Jay R. Kirkman Community Involvement” Award – To the neighbor who by his own willingness to mind his own busi- thought he was kidding. As she stepped up to the mi- ness has done the most to advance the ideals of the award’s crophone, she made one last plea and up walked Tom. namesake — Jay Kirkman. We all thought, “Oh, No!” but when he opened his The “Lee Cory” Award – Named for the former official of mouth to sing we were all pleasantly surprised by our BB&T who spearheaded that institution’s desperate expansion of neighbor who kept his wonderful singing voice such a its parking facilities – To the neighbor(s) that have done the most to demonstrate that BB&T really just wants our business —Dusty secret! We thank Tom for sharing his great voice. and Morgan Bateman, Conner Kirkman, Keith Lloyd, Lexann We then proceeded to the dog parade, where Crawford, and Robert Novak. we had seven dogs participating who won awards rang- The “Tooth Fairy” Award – To the neighbor who continues to ing from “Most Political” to “Mr. 4th of July”. After believe against overwhelming evidence to the contrary that the this our children, dressed in their patriotic best, paraded City Traffic Engineering Department really wants to calm traf- fic — George Bell.