DARLINGTON 2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 7A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 5B BOOKINGS 7B CLASSIFIEDS VENEER 1B QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 144, No. 17 NTWO SECTIONS e• 16 PAGwES s&PreESTAs BLISHsED 1874 75¢ APRIL 25, 2018 Darlington, S.C. WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Open House Darlington to market local properties next meeting of the Chamber By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer board, homing in on the [email protected] potential for recruiting new Next month, local vacant businesses – and potential commercial properties will Chamber of Commerce mem - be put on display as bers – for downtown Darlington holds its first ever Darlington. The board voted city-wide open house. A unanimously to support the member of the Board of effort, dubbed “Open House Directors for the Greater Darlington,” and Brown Darlington Chamber of received further commit - Commerce, Ronda Brown ments for assistance and sup - says she first warmed to this port from Darlington idea while scouring the Downtown Revitalization Internet for stories of how Association and the City of other small towns remedied Darlington. the problem of unoccupied Brown began scouting downtown businesses. vacant commercial proper - DPW Woman of the Year Ronda Brown (left) with DPW's Amanda Boykin. “I ran across an article ties and working with real - about this one little town in tors Burt Jordan and the midwest that had a lot of Stephanie Benjamin to com - empty properties, and they pile a list of viable retail, Brown named DPW Woman of the Year decided to hold an open restaurant, office, and ware - Public Square, and she now including the City Planning that “this was my time to give By Samantha Lyles house for the whole town,” house options to market. The Staff Writer serves as a member of the Commission, President of the back, for all the women says Brown. “At the end of current list includes ten com - [email protected] Board of Directors for the Garden Club, member of the who've given their time before the article, it said that they mercial properties for sale Darlington Professional Greater Darlington Chamber Beautification and Tree me.” had sold one property and and one for lease, ranging in Women honored Ronda Duke of Commerce. Boards, and board member for She said she was surprised had commitments on two price from about $35,000 to Brown as “Woman of the Year “Rhonda is always working the Chamber. She researches to be singled out for recogni - others. That kind of stuck in $250,000. Award” during a luncheon to promote our little town, to new opportunities for the City, tion, and observed that all her my mind.” held Wednesday, April 18 at make it better, nicer, prettier, brings ideas, and will do the fellow DPW members meet She pitched the idea at the the Darlington Country Club. and to increase business to this legwork to make it happen,” such great challenges in their OPEN HOUSE ON 3A Since moving to Darlington area,” said DPW president said Boykin. “Beyond her pro - daily family and work lives – just over five years ago, Brown Amanda Boykin, while pre - fessional and City involve - raising children, working in has involved herself in numer - senting the award. ment, she is a great friend. She fields ranging from education ous revitalization and beautifi - “Hands down one of the will never turn away someone to finance to health care – that City seeks to regain cation efforts. She's worked best things to happen to in need if she can help, no each of them is deserving of an with the Darlington Garden Darlington in the last five matter how big the favor.” award. Club to enhance the entrances years is Ronda moving to Brown said that when she “Everybody here is a ownership of to the city, beaten the bushes town. She has picked up and first moved to town, she regu - Woman of the Year,” said to drum up donors for potted ran with project after project larly saw news articles about Brown. “But this is a great plants, ceramic pots and to enhance our city. She has local volunteers working in honor and I really do appreci - property sold in 2015 benches which now grace the stepped into numerous roles, the community and decided ate it.” agreed upon by the city and By Melissa Rollins Editor Webstar during the purchase. [email protected] The agreement signed by the Project on food waste lands Summers in ArtFields Budget season has arrived. two parties included a stipula - The first budget meeting of the tion that if the renovations were with a concentration in graph - By Melissa Rollins Darlington City Council was held not completed in the specified ic design, even earning honors Editor April 17 and included presenta - amount of time, the city had the [email protected] along the way. During his tions by the city fire department option to ‘reconvey the property When ArtFields opened journey he has tinkered with and police department, as well to the City of Darlington…free April 20 in Lake City, one piece several aspects of art, includ - as several miscellaneous items from all liens and encum - hanging in The Rob gallery ing photography, which is relating to past discussions of brances.’ was from an unsuspected what was accepted to council. One of those items was City manager Howard place: a forty-some-year-old ArtFields. the property at 101 Exchange Garland shared some back - Coker College student who “For the past two years, I Street. ground with the council because lives in Lamar. Robert was in the dark room,” In June 2015, the City of only councilman John Segars Summers said that he doesn’t Summers said. “I started with Darlington sold 101 Exchange and Mayor Gloria Hines were consider himself an artist but dark room photography and Street to Webstar Properties, LLC serving at the time of the agree - clearly someone does. then I did digital. I kind of did it for $100 upon ‘the condition that ment. After thirty-years working backwards; though, I guess, Webstar Properties, LLC shall “We basically gave this build - as a chef, a decade of those the old school way I did it for - renovate the building, beginning ing to Victor Webster for $100,” years in Costa Rica, Summers Robert Summers wards. I learned photography within one hundred eighty (180) Garland said. “It is the two-story said that he got the bug to do doing that analogue photogra - days from the Deed by the City.’ white building at the corner of something else. to Costa Rica’ and my wife said After enrolling at Florence- phy. I had the 35 mm; every During the budget session, coun - Exchange and Ward Streets. It is “I was in Costa Rica for all right. The restaurant there Darlington Tech to get some picture counts. You’re spending cil members learned that the the oldest standing structure in about ten years,” Summers just ran its course. I got tired of core requirements out of the money on film, on paper; building was never brought up to town and was built around said. “My wife and I went on a the restaurant business and way, he transferred to Coker you’re taking your time.” a state ‘reasonably suited for 1859.” honeymoon and six months decided to go to school for College. He is on the way to business or restaurant use within later I was like ‘We’re moving graphic design.” finishing his Bachelor of Arts eighteen (18) month period’ SUMMERS ON 3A CITY ON 3A Arborist and SCDOT Miss All-America City spreads message of resilience only better promote my plat - By Samantha Lyles engineers team to save trees Staff Writer form in the community, but ern standards would require [email protected] to also make a larger impact. By Samantha Lyles I felt that journaling would Staff Writer the removal of seven live oak At the age of 7, Hartsville's [email protected] trees, which would negatively Miss All-America City be a great tool for people impact the visual appearance Danielle Cottingham suffered dealing with tragic circum - Last month, representatives stance and hardship in our from SCDOT and design engi - of the North Main Street a serious – and scarring – entrance into Darlington. The injury to her face. Though community,” Cottingham neering firm Mead and Hunt says. met with concerned citizen and trees are located between the the accident left her with a bridge and the Darlington lingering q-shaped scar, it did She then teamed with the arborist Ben Williamson to dis - United Way of Hartsville and cuss the upcoming US-52 Library, on property owned by not damage her confidence executive director Joann (North Main Street) bridge the Darlington County School or self-esteem; in fact, the DeLong to distribute paper replacement project and the District. injury only galvanized her journals so others might effect it will have on nearby Project manager Tony mission to spread a message experience the cathartic ben - trees. Those discussions bore Steffee with Mead and Hunt of resilience through her pag - fruit and, thanks to a few explained that the new design eant career. efits of expressing their sto - design tweaks, most of the will save space near the trees by “My platform for Miss ries and feelings in written endangered trees will be eliminating a grass buffer South Carolina is called form. Danielle says the between the sidewalk curb and "Bounce Back,"” says United Way seemed like a spared. Danielle Cottingham holds up journals that she has distributed as the road.