Thank You - City of Spartanburg

Page created by Juanita Morales
 
CONTINUE READING
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
November – December 2022

                                               Thank You!!!
As the end of the year approaches, I’d like to take a moment from the usual daily rush to thank you for the
support & encouragement you have provided. Many have commented on the newsletter, some giving
                           I appreciate –that.
constructive criticism andNovember             Your helping
                                           December    2022with the delivery of the newsletters, participation at
council meetings, walking with the mayor and your involvement in the community is greatly appreciated.
Your single efforts to keep our communities clean is outstanding! As neighbors, let’s always look for ways
to bring about peace and help the community we live in, to be the best it can be. Wishing you a blessed,
healthy and prosperous New Year!!!!

                     Four-Way Stop sign at Marion and South Converse
                                                                APRIL NEWSLETTER
Please Note: A 4 way stop sign is now at the intersection of South Converse Street and Marion Avenue
effective December 8. Efforts have been made for quite some time to get a traffic light or some type of traffic
control at this location, due to speeding and the number of accidents.

                                     A Full Service Grocery Store
For the first time since 2018, Spartanburg’s Southside neighborhoods have a nearby full service grocery store
during the holidays. Among this year’s successes, no accomplishment has had a more meaningful impact on
the day-to-day lives of our neighbors than bringing the Piggly Wiggly grocery store to South Church Street.
While the store provides a convenient option for fresh food items for all Southside residents, it is much more
than that for our neighbors with transportation needs, particularly our seniors. As we gather together to
celebrate with family and friends during the holidays this year, I hope that we all remember those whose lives
have been improved and who now have easier access to the necessities of everyday life as well as the
essentials for special occasions.

                                     Southside’s Retail Pharmacy
ReGenesis Health Care (RHC) is bringing a new retail pharmacy to the Southside. They are renovating the
current pharmacy at 750 South Church Street. They will have a drive-through to make it more convenient
for the public. New prescriptions are welcome and you do not have to be a RHC patient to get your
prescriptions from any doctor’s filled at this location. The new pharmacy will be completed in the Spring
of 2023. See you at the new retail pharmacy.

                                               Thank You!!!
As we venture into a New Year, I want to thank those who have helped with the delivery of the Newsletters:
Evelyn Blakley, Carolyn Brewer, Sheila Dawkins, Bernice Lewis, Tommy & Frances Richardson, Linda
Sanders & Robay Stroble. I am truly grateful to you for your help in getting the news to residents (especially
the seniors, without emails) who look forward to receiving the letters. Thanks to Joan Drummond, who
assisted faithfully until her health would not allow. A special thank you is extended to my husband Horace
Littlejohn, who strongly supports me in all my efforts!
                                                     *******
          “Common sense is a flower that does not grow in everyone’s garden”
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
The 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.                                                New Pastor Welcomed
          Unity Week Celebration                                         Mt. Moriah Baptist Church held a Meet and Greet on October 29,
                                                                         2022 for the new Pastor, Rev. Dr. Larry T. Crudup. Rev.
Monday, January 9                         Saturday, January 14
                                                                         Crudup will officially relocate to Spartanburg at the end of 2022.
Press Conference : 5pm                    Walk AS One : 9am
                                                                         Dr. Crudup comes to us from Emmanuel Baptist Church of
Front steps of City Hall                  Spartanburg County
                                                                                                                     Oklahoma City, OK
145 W. Broad Street                       Administration Building
                                                                                                                     and he is married to
                                          366 N. Church Street
                                                                                                                     Jacinta Crudup, his
Thursday, January 13                      Family Swim-in: 1pm-5pm                                                    high school sweet-
Art Reception: 6 PM                       Dr. TK Gregg Com. Ctr                                                      heart, and together
Mayfair Art Studios                       650 Howard Street                                                          they have two beau-
1885 Hayne Street                                                                                                    tiful daughters named
                                          Monday, January 16                                                         Zoe Alana Crudup
All participants & their parents      United Way Day of Service                                                      and Zuri May
are invited to attend.                 MLK Day of Service                                                            Crudup.
                                      Volunteer your time at:
Friday, January 13                        uwpiedmont.org/mlkday                                                   Dr. Crudup will
Kindness Day: All Day                                                                                             follow Rev. Dr.
On this day, make an extra           Unity Celebration: 6:30 pm                                                   Benjamin Snoddy,
effort to be kind to someone.        Spartanburg District 7                                                       who served Mt.
     *********                       Fine Arts Center                    Moriah Baptist Church for more than 46 years.
Teen Night & Swim-in: 5:30           2250 E. Main Street
Dr. TK Gregg Comm. Center            Featuring Speaker:                                Gone, but Never Forgotten
650 Howard Street                    Dr. Rosalyn Clark Artis
                                     Pres. & CEO of Benedict College                                         My beloved Mother-in-law,
************************************************                                                             Ethel Lee Gaither Littlejohn
                    New Tiger Park!!!                                                                        departed this earth on October
                                                                                                             28, 2022, just short of
On November 19th at 11:00 am, the Northside’s Dr. TK Gregg                                                   reaching the age of 97. Mrs.
Center revealed their newly installed Tiger Park. There was a                                                Littlejohn was a strong &very
big crowd to witness the unveiling.                                                                          wise woman, who served as
A short program was led by Mayor Jerome Rice, Kim Moultrie                                                   both parents to her six
(City of Spartanburg Parks & Recreation Director), Wanda                                                     children, after the death of her
Cheeks-Holmes (Community Engagement Coordinator), City                                                       husband Horace (Bo)
Councilmember Erica Brown, Marquice Clark (Principal of                                                      Littlejohn, Sr. in 1981. Mrs.
Cleveland Elementary) and Arianna Chappell (Cleveland                                                        Littlejohn was born and raised
student). City Councilmembers Megan Smith and J. Ruth                                                        in Roanoke, Va. She was the
Littlejohn and School Board member Sharon Porter were                                                        only girl among her five
present for the event as well as Shay Rice, former Mayor Bill &                                              siblings. She graduated from
Valerie Barnet, former Rep. Brenda Lee Pryce and several City                                                Lucy Addison High School in
representatives.                                                         1945. As a child, she visited South Carolina often because her
                                                                         mother’s family were natives of the historic Little Africa
                                                                         community in Spartanburg County. After graduating from high
                                                                         school and visiting her family in Spartanburg, she met and later
                                                                         married Horace (Bo) Littlejohn; together they raised six children
                                                                         who attended schools in Spartanburg. She loved caring for birds,
                                                                         cats and most of all people. This caring spirit was evident in the
                                                                         sacrifices she made for her family and selfless service in the
                                                                         church. Mrs. Littlejohn valued higher learning and personal
                                                                         development, which she instilled in her family and friends. She
                                                                         loved family and enjoyed every opportunity to spend time
                                                                         nurturing and encouraging her children, grandchildren and great
We joined the students for the unveiling of Tiger Park, on November19.   grandchildren. She leaves six children to cherish her memory:
                                *******
                                                                         Ethel G. Bonds (Frank);Horace C. Littlejohn, Jr., Retired Lt. Col
                                                                         USAF (Ruth); William H. Littlejohn, Sr., retired SMSGT USAF (Sara);
                      Congratulations!!!                                 Jacquelyn D. Davis; Wallace O. Littlejohn, retired SMSGT USAF
                                                                         (DeBorah) and Dr. Valerie L. Giddings (Ronald). There are nine
To my grandson Zachury & Hannah Littlejohn on their                      grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and one great-great
marriage on October 16, 2022!                                            grandchild.
                           &
To my nephew Charles & Ashley Davis on their marriage                    I am blessed to have had Mrs. Littlejohn as my mother-in-law!
on October 16, 2022.                                                     With love!
Page 2
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
Congratulations!!                                           Women’s Leadership Luncheon
Congratulations to Katherine O’Neil (OneSpartanburg                    The Mary L. Thomas Leadership Luncheon was held on
Chief Economic Development Officer) and Tracey                        December 3, 2022, at the Piedmont Club. This year’s
Jackson (Executive Director at Piedmont Care, Inc.), on               honorees were Merita “Rita” Ann Allison (former State
being recognized by Girl Scouts of South Carolina-                    Representative & Community Activist), Anne Flynn
Mountains to Midlands as 2022 Women of Distinction.                   (Community Activist), Cierra Fowler Kelly (Executive
This award recognizes outstanding women for professional              Project Director, ReGenesis Health Care), Cindy Jackson
accomplishments, service to others, and impact on the                 Kelly (Market President Spartanburg TNB Financial),
community.                                                            Latron McDaniel (Hair Stylist, Leader-Live, Laugh Love!)
                                                                      and Sundra Proctor (Educator, Spartanburg District One).

Katherine O’Neil with former Mayor William & Valerie Barnet
                                                                      L-R: Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Cindy Kelly, Cierra Kelly, Latron
The event was held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at                   McDaniel, Mary L. Thomas, Sundra Proctor, Anne Flynn & Rep. Rita
Drayton Mills to celebrate two wonderful Women of                     Allison.
Distinction at the annual Boots & Pearls Award in                     This year’s keynote speaker was Ms. Charlie Blackwell-
Spartanburg.                                                          Thompson, NASA’s first female launch director. She was
                                                                      named to this position in 2016 after serving as Test
                                                                      Management Branch Chief. She is based at NASA’s John
                                                                      F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She recently oversaw
                                                                      the successful launch of NASA’s Space Launch System
                                                                      rocket and Orion spacecraft, called Artemis I.
                                                                      Ms. Blackwell-Thompson is a native of Gaffney, SC where
                                                                      she graduated from Gaffney High School. She earned her
                                                                      bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Clemson
                                                                      University.
                                                                                                                I had the honor of
                                                                                                                presenting Ms.
                                                                                                                Blackwell-
                                                                                                                Thompson the Key
                                                                                                                to the City of
                                                                                                                Spartanburg on
                                                                                                                behalf of our
                                                                                                                Mayor Jerome
Tracey Jackson with Attorney Cathy McCabe                                                                       Rice.
Past Honorees to receive the Girl Scout’s Women of Distinction are:                                             I missed the
Dr. Amy Baruch & Laura Ringo (2021), J. Ruth Littlejohn & Stacy                                                 opportunity of
McBride (2020), Hope Blackley-Logan & Elaine Smith (2019),                                                      sharing with Ms.
Valerie Manatis Barnet, Mary Ann Deku & Marsha H. Gibbs (2018),                                                 Blackwell-
Rep. Rita Ann Allison & Robyn Hussa Farrell (2017), Dr. Gloria Webb
Close, Kathy Dunlevy & Dr. Kay E. Woodward (2016), Joy Ayers
                                                                                                                Thompson, that I
Couch & Dr. Fern Powell (2015), Ruth L. Cate & Renee Buyck                                                      lived in Melbourne,
Romberger (2014) and Randi Berry and Susu Johnson (2013).             Florida for 15 years and sold real estate in Merritt Island,
                                                                      where she currently lives with her husband and three
                             ******                                   children. Thank you Mary Thomas for a wonderful event
“Majority opinion is not an accurate measurement of                   celebrating women and congratulations to the 2022
right or wrong.”                                                      Honorees! City Councilwoman J. Ruth Littlejohn is pictured
                                                                      with Ms. Blackwell-Thompson. Continued on page 4
Page 3
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
Women Leadership Luncheon, Continued from page 3                                    Worthy of an Honor
                                                                  A Community Celebration for Attorney James A. Cheek
                                                                  was held on November 25, 2022 at the Piedmont Club. The
                                                                  event was an effort to honor a man whose generosity is like
                                                                  that of an energized bunny…he just keeps on giving! His
                                                                  works include the Piedmont Assembly, the Abbie D.
                                                                  McWhirter Society of Women’s History Restoration (which
                                                                  I am honored to be one of the recipients), his private law
                                                                  practice and work as a public defender. Attorney Cheek’s
                                                                  accolades and contributions are too numerous to list,
                                                                  however we are grateful to Hope Blackley Logan and her
                                                                  committee for this sold out and standing room overflow
                                                                  event!

Jaukeem Forstonwith pictured here with his mother
Song “Rise Up” at the Women’s Leadership Luncheon and it was
very uplifting.
                Grassroots Leadership
On Thursday, October 27, 2022, twenty-eight new
community leaders graduated from the Grassroots
Leadership Development Institute (GLDI). The ceremony
was held at the Piedmont Club, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Graduates, family members and community leaders were in
attendance for the celebration. These graduates reside and
work across Spartanburg county, applying their leadership         L-R: Hope Blackley Logan, Attorney James Cheeks, Katrina Johnson,
skills in healthcare, nonprofit, education and corporate          Stephen Mills and Tammy Spann
sectors. Members of the GLDI Class of 2022 include: Dr.
Mekeshia D. Bates, Rev.. Milferd Brock Sr., JeMar
Brown, Shawna N. Bynum, Laurie A Campbell, Robert J.
Cheeks, Tanisha Carson Cook, Ja'Kari Clayton, Pastor
Allen Dawkins, Sheila H. Eison, Carol Michelle
Ferguson, Reggie Geter, Tashma G. Glymph, Alysa María
Handelsman, Ph.D, Kat Hanold, Angelique Jarvis-
Simmons, Justin Kelly, Tevin Deion Logan, Hunter
McLeod, Titus A. Miller, Sr., Elizabeth Morales,
Katherine Adelle Parris, Toni Tequila Sutton, Angela
Pickenpack Tarpley, R. Bernard Wheeler II, Tamidra
Shicarol Wilkins, Ashley Wilburn & Simone Williams.
                                                                                                         Center photo shows Atty
                                                                                                         Cheek with his family, L-
                                                                                                         R: Sean Cheek, James
                                                                                                         Cheek, Mrs. Myrtle
                                                                                                         Cheek, Margaree Fant,
                                                                                                         Phillip Fant and Phylicia
                                                                                                         Fant.
                                                                                                         Mayor Jerome Rice
                                                                                                         presents Attorney James
                                                                                                         Cheek with the Patriot
                                                                                                       Award. The Patriot
                                                                                                       Award is given to
                                                                                                       individuals from across
                                                                                                       the country who have
                                                                  shown steadfast dedication to their country & support they
Graduate, Pastor Allen Dawkins of Believer’s Fellowship           have provided. Continued on page 5.
(Center) pictured with Jeff Tillerson (City of Spartanburg Code
                                                                                            *****
Enforcement Officer) and former Rep. Brenda Lee Pryce.
                                                                  “Your highest loyalty belongs to principles, not
Page 4
                                                                  people.”
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
Hub City Hopper!!!                               Continued from page 4…Worthy of an Honor:

 On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, PAL and Spartanburg city
 leaders unveiled a new section of the Daniel Morgan Trail
 the “Hub City Hopper.” Mayor Jerome Rice, greeted
 everyone and gave a few remarks. John Montgomery,
 chair of the Daniel Morgan Committee, said it has taken a
 lot of time and effort to get to this point. “This has been a
 big and very complicated project, but it’s very important.”
 Laura Ringo, PAL’s Executive Director, said downtown
 Spartanburg is the hub with many branching spokes. “This
 hub will allow you to “hop on” and connect to almost every
 area of our community.” This is the first of its kind in the
 state of South Carolina. This is what they call a cycle            L-R:Rev. Lewis & Magdalene Mills and Jennel & Winston
 track, and it has a raised concrete barrier to protect the users   Paulk, celebrated Attorney Cheek’s special occasion.
 from traffic. The trail starts at the end of the Mary Black
                                                                    Horace & J. Ruth Littlejohn with Attorney James Cheeks &
 Foundation Rail Trail, taking people along Union, Kennedy,         guest with Krishna Alexander, celebrating the occasion.
 and South Converse Streets toward Barnet Park.

 Mayor Jerome Rice and Councilmembers Jamie Fulmer & J.
 Ruth Littlejohn, join students from Meeting Street School for a
 short walk, following the Hub City Hopper Dedication. Council
 member Janie Sallie was also present for the event.

Everyone rejoices as Mayor Rice cuts the ribbon at the Hub City
Hopper Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
                                                                                     Morgan Square Update
                                                                    On Tuesday, December 13, 2022 there was a public kickoff event
                                                                    for the Morgan Square process, held at the Chapman Cultural
                                                                    Center. The event was organized by the Morgan square
                                                                    Enhancement Committee. The public learned about the history of
                                                                    the heart of our City. Mitchell Silver, a national leader in the
                                                                    field, challenged everyone to reflect on the impact of great public
                                                                    spaces. “It should be a people-centered space.” “Parks serve
 L-R: Jennifer Candler (Spartanburg Water Communication             many goals”, said Mr. Silver. “They are not just green spaces that
 Manager, Guy Boyle (CEO Commission of Public Works &               sit in isolation…these are outdoor living rooms + social gathering
 Spartanburg Sewer District) and Jay Squires (Public Works          places. In the 21st century, they’re not just an amenity, it’s a vital
 Director)                                                          part of the city’s infrastructure.” Mr. Silver said we are a very
                              *****                                 diverse community. Generations are also important. It’s
 “Life is an obstacle course with trouble lurking                   important that we make this a place for all ages, families, singles
 around every corner. It’s not a matter of whether                  and households. Mayor Jerome Rice added “this is a decision
 storms and trials will come, but when”                             that all of us will make. Everyone won’t be pleased, but it will be
                                                                    the best decision that we can offer to you.”
 Page 5
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
A Day of Service                                                   Annual Celebration
November 19, 2022 was a very busy day in Spartanburg                 OneSpartanburg held its Annual Celebration on October 13,
for most of us:                                                      2022, from 5:30-8:30 pm at Indigo Hall & Events Center. Allen
                                                                     Smith, President & CEO of OneSpartanburg, said “the Annual
                                                                     Celebration allows us to step back and showcase the tremendous
                                                                     success Spartanburg is experiencing.” “Spartanburg County will
                                                                     break $2 billion in new economic investment in 2022, surpassing
                                                                     the 2021 total of $1.9 billion.” Phil Feisal, president of
                                                                     Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and chair of the
                                                                     OneSpartanburg, Inc. Executive Board said, we’re fortunate, but
                                                                     not lucky, to have a lot to celebrate, due to the dedication of many
From 9:00-10:30 a.m., the Greater Spartanburg Divine 9,
                                                                     community leaders and businesses.
along with the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen came together to pack
approximately 250 bags of toiletries and other essentials for the
homeless community. We served meals from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00
pm. Those who were not able to participate, were asked to
consider donating socks and gloves for men, women and children
or fleece blankets, items that are of greatest need .

                                              At 12:00 noon,
                                              volunteers joined
                                              Molina Health-
                                              care of South
                                              Carolina and
                                              ReGenesis Health
                                              Care, at Carver
                                              Middle School, for
                                              a Drive-Thru           Former SC Representative Rita Allison, received the Neville
                                              Thanksgiving           Holcombe Distinguished Citizenship Award (highest honor
                                              Turkey Giveaway.       given by OneSpartanburg). She was recognized for her
                                              There were 600         dedication to public service in Spartanburg County, and the
                                              turkeys distri-buted   lasting impacts her career will have on the county and its people.
                                              in Spartanburg,        Pictured here with Todd Horne.
                                              Union and Gaffney.
                                              ReGenesis Health-
care provided canned goods and fresh vegetables and Food Lion
provided canned items for Spartanburg and $10 gift cards for
Gaffney and Union. This was a first come, first served event.
Pictured L-R: Curtis Tyrone Gilmore, J. Ruth Littlejohn &
Marlon Hunter (President & CEO of ReGenesis Healthcare).

                 Carver Middle School
For the first time in Carver Middle School’s history, the school
                                                                     Inclusion Advocate of the Year: Spartanburg County Council
has been recognized as a good school by the State Department of
                                                                     members Jessica Coker (L) and Monier Abusaft (R) were
Education. Thanks to the teachers, principal Mr. Randy Edward
                                                                     recognized for their bipartisan support of the small-and minority-
and Staff for their dedication to caring and educating the
                                                                     owned business community of Spartanburg County.
children.
A special thanks is also extended to the former Principal Mrs.
Nicole Thompson for her dedication and vision for Carver                          Citizen Academy Graduates
Middle School. In March 2016, Carver Middle School received
notification that they were an AVID Schoolwide Site of
Distinction and was named a National Demonstration Site for its
AVID program. The AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction
represents the highest level of AVID implementation,
demonstrating excellence in instructional practice and the
promotion of college readiness schoolwide.
                               ****
“What an absurd thing it is to pass over all the
valuable parts of a man, and fix our attention on his                Mayor Pro Tem Megan Smith (center), poses with City of
infirmities” Joseph Addison                                          Spartanburg 2022 Citizen Academy graduates during the
Page 6                                                               October 10, 2022 City Council Meeting.
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
Turkey Day Run                                                     City shows Appreciation
PAL held its 18th Annual United Community Bank Turkey Day                  The City of Spartanburg held its holiday luncheon for all of
8K, a community run/walk on Thanksgiving morning in down-                  its employees on December 9, 2022. The event was held at
                       town Spartanburg. Since 2005, this event            the Downtown Airport and the City’s leadership team, led
                       has become a tradition that encourages              by City Manager Chris Story and Assistant City Manager
                       residents and visitors to balance healthy           Mitch Kennedy, greeted the employees and made brief
                       lifestyles with holiday festivities! This           recognitions. Fire Chief Marion Blackwell, Police Chief
                       was a record breaking year w/participants.          Alonzo Thompson, Deputy Chief Jennifer Kindall,
                           Left: Christopher George                        Major Art Littlejohn, Captain Tim Suber, HR Director
                           (Communications & Marketing Manager,            Michelle Clyburn, MPO Doris Boozer and Donnita
                           City of Spartanburg) & Tonda Barber             Smith (Finance) served lunch. Ingrid Crawford (Human
                           (Personal Trainer – T.R. B. Fitness).           Resources Generalist), Aundi Hunter (Special Events
                           Bottom: Far right, Laura Ringo                  Manager) and City Councilmembers Megan Smith and J.
                           (Executive Director of Partners for Active      Ruth Littlejohn distributed holiday gifts cards and door
                           Living) & Major Art Littlejohn.                 prize tickets. Councilman Rob Rain also joined in the
.                                                                          festivities. This was a very joyous occasion, celebrating the
                                                                           season with teammates, and reflecting on accomplishments
                                                                           in 2022.

             First-Generation College Students                             Christie B. Lindsey (Paralegal) & Connie Kellner (City Clerk),
                                                                           enjoying the festivities.
      The City of Spartanburg recognized first-generation
      college students from local colleges during the First-
      Generation College Student Celebration Day.

     Mayor Jerome Rice presents Proclamation to first-generation
    college students during City Council meeting on Nov. 14, 2022.         Kim Moultrie Aundi Hunter, J. Ruth Littlejohn, Ingrid
                                                                           Crawford & Megan Smith took a break for a quick photo.
             Garbage & Recycle Schedules
    If you have a recycle bin (blue bin), it is collected on the 1st and
    3rd Mondays of the month, even on holidays (except for
    Christmas). Regardless to how many Mondays fall in the month,
    it is only collected twice. The recycle truck sometimes runs as
    early as 8:00 a.m., especially on holidays.
     The regular garbage pick-up day (gray bin) for most of the
    Southside Communities is on Thursdays. If a holiday falls on
    this day, pickup will be the following day - a one day delay.
    Please do not place garbage bins on the curb prior to 4:00 p.m.,
    the day before pickup. Once your garbage is collected, PLEASE          Employees enjoying the festivities.
                                                                                                                 ***
    BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR and help your community look its
    best by removing bins from the curb as soon as possible                “I like friends who have independent minds because they
    after collection                                                       tend to make you see problems from all angles.” Nelson
                                                                           Mandela
                                                                                                            ******
    Page 7                                                                            “Opportunity is often disguised as work”
Thank You - City of Spartanburg
Holiday Celebrations!!!                                             Lead-Safe Health Homes
                                                                     The Neighborhood Services Department is offering a Lead-
                                                                     Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program in both owner-
                                                                     occupied and rental units within the City of Spartanburg for
                                                                     qualifying households. This program includes home Lead-Risk
                                                                     Assessment and Healthy Homes Assessment, Lead Hazard
                                                                     Removal Work, and Post-Clearance and Monitoring of units.

J. C. Bull hosted its Holiday Party for the residents on December
19th from 2-4 pm. This was a festive and joyful occasion with lots
of games, door prizes and delicious food! It was a pleasure to be
included. The young ladies in blue (K’mya Beaty, K’meia Beaty,
Nicke Haney, Sanai Shelton, Jerrika Foster and Skylar Means)
are with the Brown Girls Read and they donated hats, scarfs,
gloves, blankets and food to the seniors. Also pictured is Tamidra
S. Wilkins (Multi-Family Coordinator), J. C. Bull Staff and
former Rep. Brenda L. Pryce.
                               ****
The South Converse Neighborhood, Forest Park and Liberty
Heights had a joint holiday celebration on December 16, 2022 at
the C.C. Woodson Community Center.
                               ****
                    Black Girls Rock
                                                                     Qualifications: (1) Home must be located within City of
                                                                     Spartanburg limits (2) A Child under the age of 6 must reside or
                                                                     regularly spend time in the home (over 60 hours per year), or a
                                                                     pregnant woman must reside in the home (3) Household income
                                                                     must be less than 80% of Area Median Income (4) Home must be
                                                                     built prior to 1978 (5) All property tax payments and
                                                                     homeowner’s insurance must be current.

                                                                                                Updates
L-R: Mr. Nash, Mrs. Minnie Nash, Mrs. Latron McDaniel, former        Next City Council meeting – January 9, 2022 @ 5:30pm –
Mayor James Talley, Councilwoman J. Ruth Littlejohn &                in City Council Chambers
Commissioner Horace Littlejohn. On October 22, 2022, during the
Women’s Conference at Macedonia Missionary Baptist, Mrs.             Sympathy is extended to the following SCNA members:
Latron McDaniel presented Councilwoman Littlejohn and Mrs.           Bernice Lewis on the passing of her son Ricky Tolliver;
Nash with the honor “Black Girls Rock.” Former Mayor                 Jane Spann on the passing of her sister; Ruth Davis on he
James Talley introduced Councilwoman Littlejohn.
                                                                     passing of family members and to Horace Littlejohn on the
                        Gallery Walk                                 passing of his mother.
                                                                     We also extend sympathy to Wanda Cheeks-Holmes on
Wofford College students hosted their Community Sustainability       the passing of her mother and to the family of Robert
Seminar + Neighborhood Mentors Drop-In on December 15, 2022          Boozer.
from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., at the C.C. Woodson Community
Center and everyone was invited. Topics featured Community           Preparations for the Southside Cultural Monument Wall is
Based Programing on the Southside, Northside, Highland, Una,         underway. Thanks to Rep. Henderson-Myers and the Heritage
Saxton & Arcadia. Thanks to Dr. Alysa Handelsman and the             Committee for making this possible.
Wofford students for the work they do.
                                                                     The Community Garden, located where the horse shoe pit
                           Cleanups                                  was, is also being prepared.
The South Converse Neighborhood’s cleanups are now every                                          *****
other month, when the weather allows. However, let’s not let this    Contact: jrlittlejohn1967@gmail.com
stop us from cleaning up the trash that others discard as they       864-573-5066 (Hm) 864-909-7244 (Cell)
travel thru our community. This is a reflection on us, not them.
                                                                     ©Copy Right 2021 Jessie Ruth Littlejohn. All Rights
Many thanks to Rick Hahnenberg, RuthStanton, Jeanette                Reserved
Keepers, Nichelle Nichols, Pam & Fred Stoll for joining me for a
cleanup on a frizzle Saturday morning in October
.Page 8
                                                                        Wishing You a Blessed New Year!!!
Thank You - City of Spartanburg Thank You - City of Spartanburg
You can also read