Mayor bestows keys to the City of Darlington

Posted on Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Mayor Gloria Hines with Chip Wile. Photos by Jana E. Pye

By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net

In her first act of bestowing keys to the City of Darlington, Mayor Gloria Hines shared the honor to five special members of the Darlington community at the June 7, 2016 City Council meeting.

The first honored by a key was Ronda Brown, member of the Beautification Board for the city and the Kalmia Garden Club Study Group. Her Pots on the Square initiative as well as many other projects in the city were mentioned by the Mayor.

“You are really devoted to Darlington,” continued Hines. “You gave your time unselfishly, and you are a jewel to Darlington. We don’t have many people like Ronda Brown that gives her time. She gives her time to the City, she is not charging for it. We need more like Ronda Brown.”

Three young ladies will be representing Darlington in the upcoming Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina Teen pageants, and Mayor Hines presented Keys to the City of Darlington to each: Miss South Carolina Sweet Potato Festival Chelsea Hudson, Miss South Carolina Sweet Potato Teen Kinsley Odom, and Miss Darlington High School Teen Aubrey Goodwin.

Also in attendance was pageant director and Darlington native Will Isgett, who introduced each platform that each queen promotes.

Isgett is stepping down from directing after 18 years of service to the community, and hopes that someone else will pick up the torch. He will be featured by the News and Press in the June 22nd issue. See more on page 1B.

Mayor Hines concluded the meeting by giving a key to the city to outgoing Darlington Raceway Track President Chip Wile.

“Thank you for bringing the Labor Day race back to Darlington,” said Hines. “We certainly appreciate what you did for the Track Too Tough to Tame, a marvelous job. We want you to know we appreciate what you did and we are going to miss you.”

Wile was promoted to the track president of Daytona International earlier this spring, and has been maintaining days at both tracks during the transition.

“When I first got to Darlington the first thing I recognized was the community,” said Wile. “The community depends on the racetrack it took someone believing in the track to get it back the community and become part of what we do. The accolades we won are all because of you guys. You guys supported us. We brought more stuff to the racetrack and you came out and been a part of the things we have been able to accomplish. I am getting an opportunity to run Daytona, which is a flagship property, but I’ve been down there a couple days a week but this is my happy place because you guys are family and you have made this home so Darlington will always have such a special place in my family’s heart. I just can’t thank all of you enough and supporting Catherine and I and really embracing us to be a part of your community. Darlington is home to us now. I look forward to coming back to the Bojangles’ Southern 500. This community is so special and I am forever indebted to what you were able to do for my family and me. Thank you very much.”