Finally! The Lexington Avenue streetscape project is completed at long last. The irrigation and landscaping were installed last week, and it looks great. We appreciate all who participated in this project – Lexington County, SCDOT, AOS Contracting, SCE&G, Mead & Hunt, and our town hall staff – Chris Clauson, Andy Metts, Russell Wright, Dan Lambert and Matt Cameron. And I appreciate the patience of our merchants, especially Lake Murray Flower Shoppe and Chapin Dry Cleaners, as there were some hiccups during the construction process. But the end result is attractive and a definite improvement to our downtown.
This Friday we will be honoring one of our Chapin World War II veterans, Mr. Fred Lieb, a 91-year old resident of Night Harbor. The Department of the Army recently approved him for a Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service as an Army Combat Infantryman from 1944-1945 in France and Germany. Major General (Retired) Steve Siegfried, Vice-Chair of Honor Flight SC, will be on hand to do the presentation in our Community Room at Town Hall. I look forward to meeting Mr. Lieb and thanking him for his service to our country.
On Thursday, May 4 at noon, we will once again partner with the Chapin Ministerial Association to host the National Day of Prayer in the Community Room at Town Hall. Last year we had more than 100 people come out during their lunch hour to pray for our town, state and nation as well as for our churches, schools, elected leaders, the media, business community and our pastors. It was a truly moving experience, and I invite you to join us. Thanks again to Tim Hanley with Chapin Presbyterian Church for organizing this year’s event.
At last week’s council meeting, council approved moving forward with an economic development strategic plan for the town, and staff will begin coordinating with Creative Economic Development Consulting out of Elkin, NC, next week. Andy Metts reported that the engineering designs were 90 percent complete and being submitted to DHEC and the State Revolving Loan Fund administration this week for review. Council also agreed to have appraisals done on some properties the town owns and has been approached by potential buyers. If we are able to sell some of these properties, we will create new revenue, not just through the sale but also by getting them back on the tax rolls. As promised, I will continue to look for ways to use our assets and financial resources in the most efficient way.
I am looking forward to our new Chapin Downtown Farmer’s Market which will start next Saturday morning, May 6. This has been a project that has been in the works for some time, and we appreciate the support of Eat Smart Move More Lexington County for providing financial assistance to get the market started. I hope you will come out and support our local growers and vendors and participate in some of the wellness activities planned to promote active and healthy lifestyles. It will be held on Clark Street between Columbia Avenue and Beaufort Street, beginning at 8:30 am and running until 11 am.
Speaking of healthy lifestyles, the Weight Watchers meeting on Mondays at Town Hall is a big hit! They have been averaging 30 people a session, and many people have remarked on how convenient it is to have the meetings in Chapin during the lunch hour. Thanks to Angie Bardin and Dorothy Kitchens for helping us get this started.
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