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L to R: Carolyn Lucas, chairwoman of the Bethlehem Community Center Board, Tim Lollis, regional director for Sen. DeMint, and Mattie Haynes, executive director of Bethlehem Community Center
I was afforded the opportunity last week of visiting Columbia's Bethlehem Community Center. The center's functions, to name a few, are after-school homework and tutoring assistance, family support and spiritual guidance. It makes sense that the center serves the community with fervor since the organization is rooted in community, love and compassion. In 1939, the Women's Missionary Society heard the story of a devoted housekeeper and nanny who had no place for her own children to stay while she worked. The Women's Society, in cooperation with the African-American Ministers of Columbia and the Missionary Council of the Methodist Church birthed the Bethlehem Community Center in 1945.
Since then, generations of children and families have benefited from the ongoing labors of the center's dedicated workers. I sat down with their current leadership of Mattie Haynes, the executive director, and Carolyn Lucas, the chairwoman of the board, about the progress and significance of the center:
Tim Lollis: How do you feel the community has benefited from Bethlehem Community Center?
Mattie Haynes: Greatly. Many successful people grew up in this very neighborhood, and we believe the center played a central role in their success.
Tim Lollis: How do you feel the center impacts the community on a daily basis?
Mattie Haynes: We provide a safe haven for children and a support mechanism for parents that may otherwise not have either. Also, we contribute to the bigger picture. We help our city, state and ultimately our nation by developing young men and women who are prepared for greatness.
Tim Lollis: What are the challenges the center faces today?
Carolyn Lucas: Our greatest challenge right now is keeping the center open. Due to a number of external factors... and we are working hard to remain in this building.
Mattie Haynes: Yes, we really want to stay in this neighborhood so we are asking the community to join in and help keep us here. The children need our help more than ever, and our passion is stronger than ever so we want to keep moving forward.
Tim Lollis: What type of progress would you like to make within the program?
Mattie Haynes: We want our template or primary focus of helping children and families to remain the same; however, we would like to expand the context of those programs by making them relevant for the future. An example would be equipping our kids with computer skills and technological know-how.
Tim Lollis: Thank you very much for meeting with me and being servants of the community. You run a great program and its shows in the children.
Bethlehem Community Center mural
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Marion County Courthouse, image courtesy of www.carolana.com
From the first time I visited Marion County three years ago, I have been in awe of the optimism of its citizens... and their hospitality to boot. Even Sen. DeMint has experienced their contagious optimism firsthand. Recently, both attributes were again on display at the Marion County Economic Development Luncheon. The event is a sponsored partnership between the County Economic Development Commission and the area Chamber of Commerce. The event was held at the Drydock Restaurant, and the delicious food alone was worth my attendance. However, its primary goal is to keep the citizenry informed on county economic issues such as current and projected job growth. Also discussed were unemployment figures and initiatives in the works to attract new industry to the area such as the new LogistiCare call center in the city of Mullins. The call center will bring 50 jobs to the area. This is all done with the collaboration of elected officials, local industry and concerned citizens.
I believe for Marion County that the best is yet to come. Though the county struggles against high unemployment, they never waiver in their belief that Marion County is a great place to live and a vital part of South Carolina’s economic future. Marion County’s job numbers and overall economy are incrementally progressing, but the people there already make it one of the best places in South Carolina to visit or call home.
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Throughout the year, but most especially in the summer, Sen. DeMint's D.C. office plays host to several interns looking to experience life in our nation's capital. Most hale from South Carolina, while a few trickle in from other parts of the country. Over the next few days we plan to spotlight the interns who have joined our staff for the month of June.
Introducing Keron Morris of Manning, S.C.:
I am a rising senior at Wake Forest University, majoring in English with a minor in communication. In my local community, I chair a program, Helping Encourage and Develop Students (H.E.A.D.S.), which is geared toward helping elementary students overcome their academic shortfalls. I also mentor seventh grade students at a Winston-Salem middle school and volunteer as a basketball coach at the local YMCA. Last summer, I interned at a law firm close to my hometown in Manning, S.C. During the spring of 2008, I interned at the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina. The valuable experience gained through these internships have furthered inspired me to pursue a career in law.
Due in large part to my internship and volunteer experiences, I have developed a passion for public service. It is my ultimate goal to return to my hometown and develop initiatives geared toward the empowering of the youth of the area. Within these efforts, I aspire to establish several recreation centers (in the image of a YMCA or Boys and Girls Club) which could be a great facilitator of some of these initiatives. My time at Sen. DeMint’s office will be invaluable to obtaining these goals. It will provide me the opportunity to gain exposure to the concerns and issues that have a major impact on the children, such as education reform and social issues.
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Three hundred and fifty new jobs are bound for Pee Dee. H.J. Heinz Co. recently announced that it would open a Florence County facility to expand its production of frozen foods. The Florence Morning News has the scoop:
The company will offer full- and part-time positions at a 225,000-square-foot facility on 49 acres in Pee Dee Electric Cooperative’s Touchstone Energy Commerce City, near Interstate 95 and S.C. 327.
According to county documents the initial investment in the plant will be $105 million.[...]
The Florence facility will produce frozen entrees in its Weight Watchers Smart Ones and Boston Market product lines.
Sales of Smart Ones products grew 26 last year, when Heinz-branded product sales increased about 14 percent, according to the company’s fiscal year 2008 report, issued last week.
Annual sales for Heinz surpassed $10 billion for the first time, according to the report.
“Our frozen meals business is growing rapidly, and the new facility is a sign of our commitment to supporting and sustaining this growth,” Dave Moran, president and CEO of Heinz North America, said in a press release.
Heinz North America employs more than 10,000 people, according to the press release.
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DeMint staffer Kimberly Gluck at the Honda facility in Timmonsville, SC
This week I was joined by two of my Washington, D.C. co-workers, Kimberly Gluck and Brian Eisele. Our itinerary was simply logged as a tour, but after our day was over, that description seems hardly fitting. I would categorize this excursion as an “experience” as we trekked toward the quaint town of Timmonsville and the campus of Honda South Carolina (HSC).
Entering the gates of Honda conjures up that grand feeling of an impending good time reminiscent of amusement parks and state fairs. While cotton candy and corn dogs were not available, seeing Honda in action lived up to expectations. Senior Vice President Brian Newman and Plant Manager Steven Rath took us around. HSC manufactures All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and Personal Watercrafts.
HSC came to South Carolina in 1998 with a $30 million investment. Today the company is approaching $250 million in sales revenue, over 1500 employees and has garnered a third of the United States ATV market. Though worthy of applause for their business accomplishments, the greatest asset of HSC is its commitment to their employees and helping the surrounding community. They have invested millions of dollars into education, wellness programs and incentives for their people. HSC also gives a new meaning to the term “open door policy." The company’s executives have desks in the administrative room right next to employees. No doors, no walls and always accessible. The culture at HSC is that everyone matters and each contribution makes a difference.
The production line is simply amazing. The staff moves the line with professional precision and every station is checked for quality. I highly recommend treating yourself to the Honda experience. I would like to thank Brian Newman and Steven Rath for being gracious hosts and for making Honda the best South Carolina has to offer.
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Jessi Knight, grant coordinator for Sen. DeMint, with USDA officials
While Sen. DeMint seeks to eradicate wasteful earmarks in Washington, he is equally dedicated to ensuring South Carolina has access to compete for funding through merit-based grants. As a result, our staff has a designated team of grants experts -- Danielle Gibbs and Jessi Knight. This week the state's USDA office in conjunction with our grants staff sponsored one of many statewide workshops in Kingstree, S.C. The workshop was a success. It was delivered with absolute precision and professionalism, with several attendees leaving armed with funding information and will no doubt help to improve the community.
This was great, but there was still another item of business which had to be addressed prior to leaving Kingstree: barbecue.
The history of Kingstree preceded my visit. My greatest mentor was born and raised there and spoke many enchanted tales of Williamsburg County. I’m familiar with King Charles II of England’s Lord Proprietors marking an unusual white pine tree on the Black River as the king’s property, never to be cut, giving rise to the namesake “King’s Tree.” I know the soulful sound of Teddy Pendergrass and brilliant mind of Noble Peace Prize winner Joseph Goldstein were rooted there. I’m even familiar with the lurid tale of the “whip snake” which allegedly rolls like a wheel until it catches its victim and whips him. But nothing symbolizes the history of this sleepy town like barbecue. A trip to Kingstree for me is incomplete without a layover at Brown’s Barbecue. There for 26 years, it is a community cornerstone. The cooking process involves the meat (pork and chicken) being slow smoked over wood until the meat is falling-apart tender. It is basted with vinegar and spices and served with delectable sides. Heavenly! There you have it. Kingstree is primed for growth and progress, but their barbecue is a firm example that some good things should never change.
Brown's Barbecue in Kingstree, SC
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My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.
– Hank Aaron
The compilation of this week events can be categorized by what I call a “bizarre trifecta.” All the stars of the universe formed an alliance and granted me a nearly perfect week. Here’s the recap:
1) A new page in sports history was written last weekend, as the Dallas Cowboys, after painful years of disappointment, under breath complaints and the occasional tear when friends are not looking, made excellent draft choices in the 2008 NFL draft. The Carolina Panthers, who oppositely have a good draft record, also scored the usual top-tier prospects.
2) Perhaps still on a football high, another rarity ensued. I cooked a gourmet meal to perfection (Braised Short Ribs in a Port Wine Reduction, with Golden Garlic Smashed Potatoes, and Balsamic Glazed Greens).
3) Savoring the best for last, I had the distinct honor of dialoging with the next generation of voters regarding current issues facing our nation at Bowman Academy in Orangeburg County. I spoke with seniors at the academy about the significance of voting and its societal impact. After enduring my words with polite boredom, the students came alive with a litany of concerns. The greatest of which was gas prices. Strikingly, their concerns almost mirror their more adult counterparts though the reasonings are polar opposite. Expensive gas for teens subsequently involves fewer trips to the beach and limited cruising...which of course will never do. Most refreshing was despite their concerns and disdain for political posturing, they remained joyful. They had big smiles rooted in optimism as only the youth can possess. It was a great experience, and while we are bombarded with negative bylines and news stories about America, these young men and women are a reminder that we have some good seeds, and in due course they will bring a great harvest to our nation.
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In continuation with Sen. DeMint's Pee Dee conference last week, I attended the annual meeting of the South Carolina Healthcare Managers Association (SCHMA).
Those in attendance were graced with the presence of our very own Peter "The Guru" Fotos as keynote speaker. Various issues were covered, the primary of which was seeking to aide doctors in the Medicare reimbursement process.
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I recently met with the Carolina Medical Alliance and was briefed on their upcoming annual conference in April 2008. The alliance is comprised of approximately 1,000 physicians and medical staff throughout the state. The conference will feature a distinguished panel of personnel, including Peter Fotos of our Washington, D.C staff, to discuss topics which impact South Carolina physicians and medical associates. I have worked closely with the alliance on behalf of Sen. DeMint to address their concerns and needs.
Business, community, city and county leadership are also gearing up for the fifth annual Florence County Legislative Day set for March 25, 2008. Florence County Economic Development in partnership with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the event. The event was initiated four years ago, and entails participants traveling to the statehouse and meeting with legislative representatives of Florence County and staff. The Florence chamber says it is an opportunity to voice their needs and to learn the vision of their legislative delegation.
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Regional Director
Tim Lollis |
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1901 Main St
Suite 1475
Columbia, SC 29201
Map It!
P: 803-771-6112
F: 803-771-6455
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About the Regional Director
Tim Lollis lives in Columbia with his wife and is a graduate of Southern Wesleyan University. Outside of God, family, and country, Tim's passions are simple: politics, cooking and the Dallas Cowboys. |
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Bamberg
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Florence
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Calhoun
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Marion
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Williamsburg
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Dillon
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