Lamar citizens voice support for mayor after vandalism incident
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Lamar Town Council’s Feb. 11 regular meeting offered standing room only at Town Hall as many citizens came to show support for Mayor Darnell Byrd McPherson after her vehicles were vandalized last week.
McPherson said that last Wednesday, Feb. 6, someone came onto her property and spray-painted on her car and her husband’s car. Initially unaware of the vandalism, she drove her vehicle to work the next day, then later reported it to police. Lamar’s acting police chief, Lt. Robert Kilgo of the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, said the incident is under investigation by SLED.
During the meeting, McPherson addressed Lamar’s fraught history with racism, which includes incidents of riots and violence when public schools were integrated in 1970. She also spoke about racist rhetoric in the current national political climate and observed that such hostility can give rise to crimes motivated by hatred.
Some guests spoke up about this possibility, offering reassurance that even if the vandalism was spurred by racism, Lamar’s African-American mayor has support from her white neighbors.
“I want you to feel that there’s more good people in Lamar that will back you up just like your family … and if we stick together as good people, we can overcome it,” said one woman, drawing applause from the audience and thanks from McPherson.
Much of the meeting discussion centered around Lamar’s continuing efforts to sort out its water and sewer system.
McPherson presented a consent order from S.C. DHEC dated Feb. 6 notifying the town that its wastewater treatment facility records and reports, sampling and analysis, flow measurement, self-monitoring, operations and maintenance have received an “unsatisfactory” rating and immediate action is required or enforcement fines could be levied.
McPherson and members of Town Council and citizen Janie Howell went to Columbia the prior week to meet with reps from the SC Rural Water Association regarding testing, readings, and records for the water system.
Howell outlined for the audience how each demand from DHEC is being addressed with help from Rural Water, DHEC, and the town’s contracted engineering firm Davis & Brown. Howell said that former Town Council member Mike Lloyd – who oversaw water and sewer during his tenure – has volunteered to help as well.
Long term, Howell said Rural Water reps gave Lamar three options to ensure compliance: hire a local person to handle day to day operations, record keeping and testing; contract with an outside firm to conduct these tasks; or sell / turn over the water and sewer system to Darlington County Water and Sewer Authority.
McPherson said that the town intends to do whatever it can to repair and maintain its proprietary system, but knowing all the options will allow her and Council to make informed decisions going forward.
In closing, resident Nell Bradley voiced her appreciation for the strong citizen turnout and said she hoped Town Council meetings would continue to draw good crowds because, she said, there is much work to be done.
“The things that are wrong with this town have been accumulating, and now is the time for us to turn it around and make it a better place. I plan to stay here the rest of my life and I want a good quality of life. I want safe streets, I want good water, I want good sewer, I want recreation,” said Bradley. “Those are the kind of things that are in our future if we work together.”
