EDITORIAL: Well done, Mr. Mayor (By Mary Kean SCNow.com)

In the short, yet most informative span of 15 minutes, Mayor Mel Pennington provided residents with a much-needed pep talk and offered them updates on the where the city stands on a number of issues.

Billed as Hartsville’s first-ever State of the City address, we hope that Monday’s speech in the Watson Theater will not be the last. In fact, we see it as a launching point for possibly holding bi-annual or quarterly events – either state of the city addresses or town hall meetings, in which the mayor can keep his constituents abreast of what the city and its leaders are doing.

Pennington’s address served precisely the purpose for which it was intended – to inform and motivate. The mayor and his staff put together a speech that touched on a wide array of topics, from crime and unemployment to education and the economy. It covered a large amount of ground in a short period of time, keeping the information concise and to the point.

Between his updates, Pennington interwove reminders of Hartville’s strong sense of community and its ability to sustain and withstand hardships.

“I have witnessed an outpouring of love, people banding together during trials, quite literally, by fire, and like gold it has only made our values stronger,” Pennington said after referring to the issues that have faced the city during the first few months of 2011.

The mayor convincingly pointed out that the city also has much reason to be proud. While crime and plant fires have drawn much attention to the community, so has the announcement of a $5 million initiative that will put the city at the forefront of our state’s education system. Our police chief may have retired after years of dedicated service, but we have a new city manager in Natalie Zeigler who appears to be the ideal person for the job.

There is no question that the beginning of 2011 has brought Hartsville more than its share of difficulties. We believe the mayor’s words will go a long way in assuring residents that municipal and state leaders are doing what they can to address and resolve any problems the city is facing.

We see nothing but positives coming from Monday’s speech. It provides yet another bridge of communication between the city’s leadership and its residents. Mayor Pennington and his staff deserve much credit for establishing what we hope will become a regular event – annual, biannual or quarterly – that will serve our city well.