By: Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
This week we celebrated Valentine’s Day, a holiday that encourages us to take time to show our adoration for others. While thinking about expressions of love, we at the City of Hartsville invited residents on our Facebook page and social media to share what they love about their home—why they ‘heart’ Hartsville. We received a number of responses and I’m happy to share some of them here.
“I moved here two years ago and it’s like nowhere I’ve ever been. Good manners. Friendly neighbors. Awesome employees. Parades for EVERYTHING. It’s clean and well taken care of. I could go on and on.” – Katherine Elaine
We’re very proud of our parades and love taking the time to commemorate major happenings in the community. Events like parades provide us opportunities to come together and celebrate our shared home. They’re also a lot of fun.
There were similar statements.
“After spending most of my life in the Charleston area, I have found Hartsville to be full of welcoming, down-to-Earth people. There is no morning or evening traffic jams that last for miles. There are always many options available for leisure activities. I think Hartsville boasts some of finest parks, comparable to much more populated cities.” – Deborah McPheeters Cattell
We take pride in our parks here in Hartsville, and we have reason to. Whether it is the splash pad and athletic facilities at Byerly Park, the lake views at Lawton Park or the Sunday concert series in Pride Park, there is a lot to enjoy in outdoor common spaces. With projects like the Centennial Park Metal Sculpture Contest, co-sponsored with Black Creek Arts Council, Mezzoforte`, and North Industrial Machine, the City actively tries to include residents in the process of making positive changes around Hartsville, especially its public parks. The City works to develop new and lasting attractions, as well as support existing charms like Kalmia Gardens in order to bring more people to Hartsville.
“I heart the natives of Hartsville. Everyone in the city works hard and together to make Hartsville a wonderful place!” – Chynna Addison
Together, we will continually pursue initiatives that benefit citizens and improve the quality of life in the area. We want more people to visit and live in our city. Accordingly, the City has a lot of love for our local businesses that often partner with us to aid the community and attract current and future residents.
”I love Hartsville and all of the wonderful businesses who give back to help promote new businesses, as well as donate towards our fun festivals and such that we love attending!” – Morgan Melton
“I just moved here in August from South Dakota. I absolutely love the town of Hartsville. I love all of the shops downtown and it has such a sweet shopping area. It reminds me of the old days but not in a bad way. Everyone’s friendly I’m walking through the business area is delightful. It has so many places to eat which is so surprising in a smaller town. I love the yoga places and the artsy things. Plus it is so clean. I have never regretted my move. I really wish people wouldn’t go to Florence to shop. Hartsville has everything they need right here.” – Darlene Riddell
Returning to Deborah McPheeters Cattell’s comments, “There is no one thing that makes Hartsville great. Instead, it is a culmination of factors that make it an All-America City.” I wholeheartedly agree. There is so much to adore in Hartsville. This is not to say there are not aspects of Hartsville in need of fixing. The City has goals for the development and progress of Hartsville, but this work is a labor of love.
Natalie Zeigler is the City Manager of Hartsville. For more information, call City Hall at 843-383-3015 or email info2@hartsvillesc.gov.