Below is the article as it appears in the Summer Issue of Bella Buzz followed by the rest of the responses from the community. Again we thank everyone for the time and effort and we hope this is the beginning of a fruitful conversation and relationship with and among the community.
One of my favorite poems is “If” by Rudyard Kipling. I believe you can find the answer to most of life’s problems in the words of that poem. In the poem he writes, “If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friend can hurt you, if all men count with you, but none too much.” It is important to remember Bella is by and for the community, and I vow to keep my mind and pages open to the needs of the community. We will continue to listen to and share what our community and the connected communities have to say.
We asked a few questions to people and organizations who are vital to this area and our future. The response was fantastic and a bit overwhelming. Quite frankly, the answers will not fit in their entirety in this issue of Bella. The following are excerpts from their responses. The rest can be found online at www.aikenbellamagazine.com.
Listed below are those people and organizations kind enough to respond to our initial request. This list is certainly not all encompassing and we hope to continue this conversation with the rest of the community. (Scheduling prevented some of those we approached from being able to answer or being able to answer every question.)
How would you describe the current state of our area?
“At one time (and maybe this parallels the ups and downs of the SRS workforce) we seemed to have lost some diversity of age in our residents, but I believe that is very much on the mend now.” John Gordon, President of the Aiken Artist Guild
“The economic strength of Aiken County lies in the ability to change with the times and to embrace a global marketplace.” J. David Jameson, President/CEO, Aiken Chamber of Commerce
“The community is poised for growth, development and innovation but the timeline to go from concept to implementation on these items is extremely slow.” Aiken Young Professionals
“Vibrant. It seems like there is a lot of momentum toward multiple areas of development.” Aiken County Historical Museum
“This is an exciting time to live in this area. It is a season of change, growth, and
evolution. There is an abundance of promise and potential. Business is up for the area.” Eugene White, President, NAACP Aiken County Branch
“Currently, our biggest opportunity lies in our ability to open the doors of communication between area organizations both private and non-profit.” The Aiken Center for the Arts
“Aiken has a relaxed small town feel while at the same time offering a diverse community with many cultural advantages. It also offers access to excellent healthcare as well as beautiful weather year-round.” Diane Toole-Miller, Artistic Director of the Aiken Civic Ballet
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being in our area?
“I grew up in Aiken and wanted to return home. The wonderful parts about living in Aiken – aside from its beauty and graciousness – are meeting and getting to know the incredibly interesting, intelligent, and diverse people who live here and taking advantage of the multitude of community activities and cultural offerings.“ Kathy Cunningham, Former Publisher of Bella Magazine
“Quality of life and a positive sense of collaboration.” Suzanne Jackson, Executive Director, ACTS
“Aiken has not one, but many advantages! We are a beautifully diverse city that treasures our history while embracing our future. We are making huge strides to grow our downtown and become more progressive.” ADDA
“Aiken is one-of-a-kind. I don’t believe you will find another community where there are too many events to choose from and many of them are free.” Mary Rosbach, City of Aiken Tourism
“One of the remarkable traits about Aiken is its ability to use our diversity to deepen and expand our shared understandings, for example, “The Aiken Mosaic Project.” Keyatta Priester, Aiken Electric Cooperative
What is the biggest challenge for our area?
“Aiken’s image is one of a retirement community and that isn’t on the radar of young professionals. The community struggles to keep up with the marketing and image created in other cities that attract young people. Getting young people here and getting them connected to the community so they are invested in the future of Aiken is important. However, there must also be room for career growth to keep young professionals here. In a smaller community the options are just limited.” Aiken Young Professionals
“The need and ability to retain young professionals in Aiken. Limited opportunities for children that go off to college to find professional employment (beyond healthcare) in the Aiken area. We need to broaden our economic base and attract business and industry in the tech sector.” Jim O’Loughlin, CEO of Aiken Regional Medical Center
“Getting more of the younger demographic to live and/or work here in Aiken instead of Evans or Grovetown.” Mary Rosbach, City of Aiken Tourism
What do you think the future holds for our area?
“The future looks very promising as this area will continue to grow and expand. I believe that more and more people that work in Augusta and outlying areas will look for Aiken as a place to live.” Jim O’Loughlin, CEO of Aiken Regional Medical Centers
“The path we are setting for Aiken’s future is one of growth and opportunity. For years Aiken has been a place where active retirees have chosen to live, bringing an intellectual capital to our community through service to area nonprofits and organization. We are now seeing opportunity for growth within young families moving to our region and recent graduates being introduced to the workforce.” Rick Osbon, Mayor of the City of Aiken
How would your organization shape or grow our community?
“When we make decisions for the greater good, we increase the size of the pie and allow all of us to get bigger slices. We lose and will never find peace in a society that embraces discrimination. That comes down to our personal choices. Hate is wrong, and it must be defeated. Once we get that out of the way, there will be no limits on how amazing the world that we will leave for our children can be.” Eugene White, President, NAACP Aiken County Branch
“Growing a community requires providing a lot of value and being responsive to need of the citizens in that community.” Keyatta Priester, Aiken Electric Cooperative
“I favor quality over quantity, so I believe that as a community we need to concentrate our efforts on the improvement of all that Aiken is.” John Gordon, President of the Aiken Artist Guild
Is there anything you want our readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
“The City has many activities programmed for both Youth and Seniors over the Summer. For a complete listing and schedule pleas download our “Explore Aiken” app. It is available for both Apple and Android devices in the App Store.” Rick Osbon, Mayor of the City of Aiken
“We are grateful for the generous support we receive throughout the year from individuals, organizations and the business community. We continue to provide services to the poor and needy. Our recent Fan Drive was our most successful ever with over 300 fans donated and donations to help fund our Utility Assistance program. We invite anyone who is interested in helping support this important initiative to call or visit our website.” Suzanne Jackson, Executive Director, ACTS
“At Mental Health America of Aiken County we have four wonderful programs. Nurture Home, Welcome Baby, Don’t Duck, and Operation Santa. Our shelter for homeless women and children grows with summer activities.” Bonnie Fulghum, Executive Director of Mental Health America of Aiken County
Do you have any input on what would you like to see in Bella?
“A feature about Aiken Mosaic. ”J. David Jameson, President/CEO, Aiken Chamber of Commerce
“I really appreciate the historical write-ups that Bella has done in previous issues. I’ve especially enjoyed the write-ups about families that have ties to the community’s early history. Primary source history like that is incredibly personal and brings history to life.” Aiken County Historical Museum
John Gordon, President of the Aiken Artist Guild
How would you describe the current state of our area?
I think that Aiken is currently in a good place. At one time (and maybe this parallels the ups and downs of the SRS workforce) we seemed to have lost some diversity of age in our residents, but I believe that is very much on the mend now. I have noticed even in the few years that I have been involved with the Aiken Artist Guild and the Aiken Center for the Arts that a new generation is joining and becoming involved. I am very excited about the new energy, the new ideas, and the new connections that this increased involvement brings to these organizations.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
Aiken has many of the opportunities of a much larger city, but the charm and comfort of a small town.
What is the biggest challenge?
To maintain that advantage.
What do you think the future holds for our area?
The foundational things that have shaped this community, such as strong core employers, beautiful weather, and diversity of community, would appear to remain strong, so the future should be strong as well.
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
I favor quality over quantity, so I believe that as a community we need to concentrate our efforts on the improvement of all that Aiken is.
Kathy Cunningham
How would you describe the current state of our area?
[It’s/We’re] too dependent on the U.S. Government for our economy.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
I grew up in Aiken and wanted to return home. The wonderful parts about living in Aiken – aside from its beauty and graciousness – are meeting and getting to know the incredibly interesting, intelligent, and diverse people who live here and taking advantage of the multitude of community activities and cultural offerings.
What is the biggest challenge?
Infrastructure and primary and secondary public education.
J. David Jameson, President/CEO, Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Ave., E, 803-641-1111
The Aiken Chamber believes it is essential for business and the public sector to seek out common ground and to find ways to bolster each other. Policies and practices that help strengthen a free enterprise system are those that do the following:
- Allow businesses to grow and thrive.
- Free businesses from excessive taxes, unnecessary regulations and onerous local government processes.
- Educate and engage the general public and business community about the components necessary for business growth and job creation.
- Raise awareness that business climate is the #1 factor of a successful community.
How would you describe the current state of our area? The economic strength of Aiken County lies in the ability to change with the times and to embrace a global marketplace. From everyday products, such as pharmaceutical and consumer health products, to tires, automotive parts, diesel engines, vending machines and materials for nuclear defense and environmental restoration, many advanced businesses and industries call the Aiken area home. The range and diversity of these companies provide a stable working environment and strengthen Aiken County’s economic base.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here? One of Aiken’s greatest assets is its people — individuals from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to the economic and overall well-being of the community. By working together, public and private entities have successfully implemented numerous programs that have improved infrastructure, attracted business, saved money, supported health care and education, and ultimately, created a thriving, vibrant community.
What is the biggest challenge? Aiken is an excellent place to live, work and play, but to remain vibrant, it must become more attractive to new workers, families with children and early career professionals. People are needed to fill jobs created by turnover and retirement and to fill new jobs coming to the region. The current growth rate in Aiken is unable to satisfy the workforce demand that is expected. Aiken must position itself to appeal to a younger demographic. This is not to say that Aiken should ignore its current assets and its valuable retirement community, but there must be recognition and preparation for the changes ahead.
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
Aiken has traditionally focused most of its “outward” marketing as a retirement community – which, of course, has been very successful. Now, a sustained marketing effort is needed to highlight the many positive features that make Aiken not only a great place for those of retirement age and empty nesters, but also a great place to live, work, play and do business as an early career professional or for a family with children at home.
Nurturing and attracting talent is perhaps the most fundamental issue for creating long-term, sustainable economic vitality for Aiken. Much of this is due to the changing needs of the local employers as the workforce transitions from retirement age workers to younger professionals. But this “talent” goal implies more than the typical workforce development and training issue. It also encompasses the idea of recruiting people, not just to the careers but also to the community.
Jim O’loughlin, CEO of Aiken Regional Medical Centers
Biggest advantage or reason for being here – Aiken has tremendous potential as a community due to its natural beauty, desirable weather, strong healthcare, higher education, horse culture, vibrant downtown area, affordable housing and overall true southern hospitality.
Biggest Challenge – The need and ability to retain young professionals in Aiken. Limited opportunities for children that go off to college to find professional employment (beyond healthcare) in the Aiken area. We need to broaden our economic base and attract business and industry in the tech sector.
Future – The future looks very promising as this area will continue to grow and expand. I believe that more and more people that work in Augusta and outlying areas will look for Aiken as a place to live.
Shape and Grow the Community – From a healthcare perspective, ARMC will continue to expand and add more complex clinical services that are not currently available locally. Over the next 24 months, ARMC will become a teaching facility attracting physician residents from across the country to train and practice in Aiken. The hospital will also expand clinical locations to make healthcare more accessible for resident throughout Aiken County.
Aiken Chamber – 803.641.1111 ayp@aikenchamber.net
Aiken Young Professional’s goal is to attract, retain and engage young professionals in Aiken. AYP takes pride in being the voice of the local young professionals and working with the community to plan for a better future.
How would you describe the current state of our area?
Aiken is a quaint southern town filled with charm, character, and charisma. Our leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners continuously find ways to invest in our community from downtown to the southside of Aiken. Just like any city, there is always room for growth and improvement. The community is poised for growth, development and innovation but the timeline to go from concept to implementation on these items is extremely slow.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being in Aiken?
The cost of living is a key advantage, especially for young professionals just starting out on their professional journeys. Our greatest asset to this area is the people. As a newcomer, you can sense an air of positivity and gratitude that creates a great environment in which to live and work. Aiken is the South’s best kept secret.
What is the biggest challenge for a young professional in Aiken?
Aiken’s image is one of a retirement community and isn’t on the radar of young professionals. The community struggles to keep up with the marketing and image created in other cities that attract young people. Getting young people here and getting them connected to the community so they are invested in the future of Aiken is important. However, there must also be room for career growth to keep young professionals here. In a smaller community the options are just limited.
What do you think the future holds for our area?
I believe that young professionals will continue to come to the area, if we stay persistent in recruiting and creating a type of environment that is appealing to our generation.
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
We would like to see the community embrace innovation and growth in industries that offer further career opportunities for young professionals. The professional life is just one aspect to consider. Connecting where the young professional lives, works and spends their free time is also important. We would like to see the community become more pedestrian and bike friendly as well as develop infrastructure to promote an active lifestyle.
Is there anything you would like our readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
The Aiken Young Professionals will be out and about this summer at its multiple networking, community service and professional development events. Membership is open to anyone ages 22-39. AYP is a great way to make new friends and develop professional relationships.
Visit https://www.aikenchamber.net/ayp.html for more information.
Suzanne Jackson
Describe current state of our area.
Aiken has every reason to celebrate its accolade as the “Best Small Town”, and I appreciate that we are addressing issues related to opportunities for younger adults ( job opportunities, quality of life,etc) and quality education for our children, among other issues.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
Quality of life and a positive sense of collaboration.
What is the biggest challenge?
We need to continue to educate our community on the homeless in our community and ensure we are providing adequate resources to address their needs. Many children are included in this population.
What I would like for readers to know about ACTS during the summer?
We are grateful for the generous support we receive throughout the year from individuals, organizations and the business community. We continue to provide services to the poor and needy. However, the summer months can provide additional challenges for this vulnerable population. Extreme temperatures can cause heat related illnesses and discomfort and we worry about children and senior adults having adequate access to healthy food options. Our recent Fan Drive was our most successful ever with over 300 fans donated and donations to help fund our Utilty Assistance program. We invite anyone who is interested in heling support this important initiative to call or visit our website. We also welcome donations of non-perishable food, or monetary donations to support any of our programs. Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can call 803-649-4800 or visit us at actsofaiken.org.
Aiken County Historical Museum
How would you describe the current state of our area?
Vibrant. It seems like there is a lot of momentum towards multiple areas of development. The cyber influx in Augusta is leading to growth in North Augusta. The increase in industrial manufacturing jobs near Beech Island and Graniteville have spurred new housing developments and new amenities. Downtown Aiken is seeing the addition of new shops, reestablished/new parks, and lots of events. Even if an Aiken shop closes, it seems like a new one pops right up to take its place.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
I think Aiken and its surrounding communities offer a chance to reside in a peaceful, small-town atmosphere with the amenities of two large cities (Augusta and Columbia) within a reasonable drive.
What do you think the future holds for our area?
Growth. All signs point to an influx of people via the various industries, such as cyber, military, industrial, etc.
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
Partnerships. There is already some networking going on between various cultural, environmental, civic, and community groups. But it’s always great to look beyond our own front yard, so to speak, and reach out to our fellow organizations. This would shape our growth with a sense of interconnectedness.
Is there anything you would like our readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
We have a couple of programs (Mr. Howe’s Birthday on June 25th, Dave Day on July 20th, Ice Cream Social on July 21st), but we hope to offer more regular, monthly programming in the future.
Do you have any input on what you would like to see in Bella?
I really appreciate the historical write-ups that Bella has done in previous issues. I’ve especially enjoyed the write-ups about families that have ties to the community’s early history. Primary source history like that is incredibly personal and brings history to life.
Eugene White, President, NAACP Aiken County Branch
PO Box 1516, Aiken, SC 29801, naacpaikencounty@gmail.com 803.810.1909
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
The Aiken County Branch operates under the notion that the three foundational tenets of a great society are Education, Public Safety, and Economic Empowerment. The Branch works to ensure that there is equity for all in these three areas.
The Branch’s guiding mantra is, “Make it fair for everyone”; With this, the Aiken County Branch of the NAACP continues to form coalitions with a diverse set of organizations and a diverse collection of people to continue civil rights advocacy.
How would you describe the current state of our area?
This is an exciting time to live in this area. It is a season of change, growth, and evolution. There is an abundance of promise and potential. Business is up for the area’s major employers which could convert to dynamic lifting tides for the local businesses and educational intuitions obliquely connected to these employers.
New business brings new ideas, new opportunities, and new people that will mix with the current residents to move the community forward. As with any time of transition, it’s important that we all move forward together. There is an underlying tension or inertia challenging that forward momentum. As we move forward, how will we ensure that we all have the equal opportunity to move forward? No one is asking for nor wants a free ride, just an opportunity to hop on board and contribute to the best of their abilities. When opportunities are given, the outcomes can be amazing.
As a community, we have to be very deliberate as we plan how our businesses, churches, schools, and homes will grow. The data is very in clear in concluding that a diverse society is a more productive one. Structuring our plans now to promote this diversity will serve us and pay great dividends in the long run. It helps us to preserve the best of what we have done to be successful thus far, while giving us the space to evolve to meet the future.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
This area represents a confluence of all the good things necessary for a good quality of life – good access to education, good career opportunities, a strong entrepreneurship culture, good access to top educational institutions, passionate community advocates leading organizations that make the community better, committed elected officials, caring financial institutions, dedicated first responders, and a deep faith tradition. All of these are accessible with a quick phone call or mouse click.
What is the biggest challenge?
The challenge is connecting all of the above. All of these are spokes in a very big wheel, and the success of one affects the success of all. When a citizen cannot access one of the above (e.g., cannot find educational equity, cannot readily get access to start-up capital, cannot find a job that pays a livable wage, cannot get a promotion on that job, cannot access health needs, etc., etc.), that creates imbalance and inequality in the system and hinders us from moving forward. It requires us to expend extra energy to address those imbalances. Unfortunately, we generally are not very good at that and end up just putting a bandage over the symptom and not the remediating the root cause.
What do you think the future holds for our area?
I dream of a community where we operate by the golden rule in which everyone treats others like they would like to be treated. We have all the pieces in place to make that a reality. Whether or not that happens, depends on us. How willing are we to address our unconscious biases, have tough conversations, and change our behavior accordingly at work, at school, at church, and at home?
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
In generally we have to recognize that “We > Me.” By that, when make decisions for the greater good, we increase the size of the pie and allow all of us to get bigger slices. We lose and will never find peace in a society that embraces discrimination. That comes down to our personal choices. Hate is wrong, and it must be defeated. Once we get that out of the way, there will be no limits on how amazing the world that we will leave for our children can be.
Is there anything you would like our readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
Our civil rights work is nonstop. During the month of June, we will be sponsoring a canned food drive for the Blessing Box located at the Aiken Unitarian Universalist
Church.
On 22 June, we will be partnering with Center for African History Arts and Culture for Aiken’s Juneteenth Celebration.
On 23 June at Smith Hazel Recreation, we will hold an end of the school year social for our youth. We will say goodbye to our Youth Council high school graduates who are all
headed out into the world to do great things and celebrate our students for completing another successful school year.
On 29 June, I will be leading discussion of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me with the Aiken League of Women Voters at Books-A-Million in Aiken.
In July we will be at the NAACP Annual Convention in Detroit to receive training on Voting Rights, Immigration Policy, Environmental Justice, Education, Policing Reform,
Census and Family Court Law.
When we return, we’ll be taking the lessons we learned in Detroit to ramp up our voter registration, voter education, and voter mobilization activities. We also will begin our
Census 2020 awareness activities in the late summer.
Aiken Center for the Arts
Our mission is to inspire and educate by providing unique visual and performing art education experiences and art opportunities for all ages.
Caroline Gwinn, Interim Executive Director; Tracy Seconi, Program Director; Kayla Hitchcock, Operations Manager; Christine Lawrence, Gisela Sirrenberg, Aidan Cooke, and Nancy Kempf, Sales and Customer Service: Aiken Center for the Arts, 122 Laurens St SW, Aiken, SC 29801; 803-641-9094.
The Aiken Center for the Arts is a non-profit arts organization which offers art programming for all ages and levels; music programming that offers strings instruction for the beginner through performer with either our Aiken Youth Orchestra or Ensemble; outreach programs that give arts access to those in our community living with Alzheimer’s or dementia and also for children living with cognitive or physical disabilities; a gallery shop showcasing original works from local and regional artists; and several exhibition spaces that change throughout the year.
We strive to carry out our mission in ways that make connections to individuals and area organizations through the arts. We believe that a spirit of collaboration weaves a stronger community where ideas and creativity can come together. Providing a vibrant space through which art and culture programming can happen allows community members to grow and learn from each other. Aiken Center for the Arts strives to be a place where creativity comes alive, but also a place that can be shaped by the community, for the community. This is your Arts Center.
Currently, our biggest opportunity lies in our ability to open the doors of communication between area organizations both private and non-profit. In June, Aiken Performing Arts is partnering with us to offer an Art and Music Camp for special needs children ages 5-13. June 10-14, Carter Boucher, an Arts Access SC master artist, will lead our camp with adaptive visual arts and music activities. It is free to participants. Please contact our program director Tracy Seconi @ 803-641-9094 to learn more about this wonderful program. Our Summer Art Camp begins June 17th and will explore the theme of Creating
Around the World. In our main gallery, artist, Franklin Delgado, will exhibit a series of large scale charcoal drawings of children in Honduras entitled Child Labor. Throughout the summer, campers will work together on an art installation which will also be on display in our main gallery. It is going to be an exciting summer which will culminate with live music, performances, face painting, crafts, balloon animals, artist demos and more in our annual open house, Arts Alive, Saturday August 24 from 11am- 2pm.
Looking ahead to the fall we are partnering with Aiken Community Theater to create an exhibition celebrating the Notre Dame Cathedral. Aiken Community Theatre will present the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, September 5 th -14 th . The fire that happened at Notre Dame this past year bought to the forefront the significance of this historic structure and all it has contributed to the cultural landscape of the world. We encourage you to delve into this theme, create artwork, and submit it to the Aiken Center for the Arts between August 26 – 30, 2019. During the run of the show, this Notre Dame Exhibition will be on display in the lobby of the Aiken Community Theatre September 5 th – 14th. After the show, the exhibition will be moved to Aiken Center for the Arts, September 16 th – October 25 th , where it be will exhibited along with a film, also being created along this theme. It’s a wonderful way for
Aiken’s artistic organizations, businesses, and community members to share their talents and unique perspectives as we all give pause to a singular theme.
Aiken Center for the Arts is continuing to find new ways to carry out our mission and we welcome your input. Please look us up on Instagram @aikencenterarts as well as on Facebook @AikenCenterfortheArts where you will find current programming, artist images and information. Our website www.aikencenterforthearts.org is also full of information and images to keep you up to date on all that’s happening at the Arts Center. Join us, become a member, attend an event, visit our galleries, take a class. This is your Arts Center.
Aiken Downtown Development Association
ADDA is a non-profit organization made up of members and volunteers who all work toward a common goal: to improve the economic vitality, enhance the beauty and preserve the historical inheritance of downtown Aiken. Through our members and volunteers, we work to build community relationships to help maintain the quality of life in our vibrant downtown.
Haley Knight – ADDA Executive Director
Bekah Muir – ADDA Administrative Assistant
208-A The Alley
Aiken, SC 29801
P: (803) 649-2221
Check out our website: www.downtownaiken.com
Find us on Facebook: Aiken Downtown Development Association
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @downtownaiken
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here? Aiken has not one, but many advantages! We are a beautifully diverse city that treasures our history while embracing our future. We are making huge strides to grow our downtown and become more progressive.
What is the biggest challenge? The biggest challenge of our community is the communication between key players that are all working together but separately to better our community.
Do you have any input on what would you like to see in Bella? Emphasis on experiences in Aiken!
Mary Rosbach, Tourism
Supervisor for the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.
mrosbach@cityofaikensc.gov (803) 644-1902
The City of Aiken PRT Department’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for our community. We do this by offering programming, special activities, and event rentals to residents and visitors. All three divisions work together to make this happen. Whether it’s live music or a historic trolley tour, we offer something for everyone!
How would you describe the current state of our area?
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here? Aiken is one-of-a-kind. I don’t believe you will find another community where there are too many events to choose from and many of them are free. We have a strong sense of community and numerous volunteers willing to donate their time at events, etc.
What is the biggest challenge?
Getting more of the younger demographic to live and/or work here in Aiken instead of Evans or Grovetown. We all know how hot it is during the summer months, but focusing on Aiken as a destination, especially during that time of year, would help keep our hotels full.
What do you think the future holds for our area?
The population of the CSRA has grown tremendously in the past few years. I’d like to see more young families in Aiken. My husband was born and raised in Aiken and now we are raising our daughter here. We are more than a retirement community and through collaboration and support, we can make that known.
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
My goal is for more of the community to realize that tourism benefits all of us. For example, hotel room nights generate accommodations tax funds. In turn, that funding is given back to the community to spend on marketing for events. Local groups/organizations are then able to offer numerous annual events to visitors and residents alike.
Rick Osbon, Mayor of the City of Aiken
How would you describe the current state of the City?
Aiken is an amazing City. We were recognized as the “Best Small Town in the South” last year for a reason. With The Army Cyber Center moving to Ft. Gordon and new missions on the horizon for Savannah River Site, we are seeing new people and new business interest daily. As we look to grow our Downtown Business District, Through expanding our Downtown Business zoning and increasing our “walk ability” by utilizing our parkways, the Aiken City Council works within the parameters of maintaining the character and charm that is Aiken.
We continue to work with the County and State to resolve the traffic congestion on Whiskey Rd. This project not only offers alternative routes to Whiskey Rd. but also addresses the stormwater and ditches that have been a hazard for so long to motorist.
What is the biggest advantage or reason for being here?
Aiken is known for our Wonderful Downtown, fantastic restaurants, art, culture and music, a great University and provides all this while boasting much lower taxes than other regions and states around the country. However, the best reason to live here is the people. We are a city with many of the activities of larger metropolitan communities but Aiken has never lost her small town charm. People speak when they pass on the street and take time to welcome visitors.
What is the biggest challenge?
Aiken was chartered in December of 1835. As our City grows older so does our infrastructure. Last year we invested $11mm to replace aging water and sewer lines. We must be diligent in infrastructure improvements to keep up with the demand of growth in our City.
As Aiken works to recruit new business to our City, we face the challenge of keeping Our community a place that millennials want to be a part of. As unemployment has dropped to around two percent, keeping a trained workforce has become a challenge. We must continue to make Aiken the vibrant, energetic city she is to continue to draw young people to our community. One thing we have identified, is a need for downtown housing opportunities. We see a growing desire for this not only in our “new to the workforce” population but also in empty nesters.
What do you think the future holds for the area?
The path we are setting for Aiken’s future is one of growth and opportunity. For years Aiken has been a place where active retirees have chosen to live bringing an intellectual capital to our community through service to area nonprofits and organizations. We are now seeing opportunity for growth within young families moving to our region and recent graduates being introduced to the workforce.
Aiken has a unique charm that includes: World class equestrian events, Hitchcock Woods (the largest urban forest in the country), 178 parkways, great music and festivals, a vibrant downtown featuring our “Alley,” the Aiken Community Playhouse with so many great productions, our own Aiken Symphony and so much more.
Our future is bright!
How would you shape and/or grow the community?
We start with our great staff at the City and then include our many strong community partners. From our Chamber of Commerce to our local businesses to corporate contractors at SRS to our hospital to our schools K-12 through higher education.
Aiken has seen many successes by bringing stakeholders together and working to accomplish common goals. I believe we are on a path to see many more. We all want Aiken to be the best City it can be. That means a high quality of life for all of our citizens. It means safe neighborhoods, clean communities, available activities and entertainment opportunities. It means good healthcare and quality city services.
We indeed live in a special city. It is our responsibility to see that the next generation has the same opportunities, the same quality of life that we now are able to enjoy and that Aiken always remains the “Best Small Town” in the South.
Is there anything you would like the readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
The City has many activities programmed for both Youth and Seniors over the Summer. For a complete listing and schedule please download our “Explore Aiken” app it is available for both Apple and Android devices in the app stores.
BonnieAnne Osbon Fulghum, Executive Director, Mental Health America of Aiken County
233 Pendleton St. NW, Aiken, SC, 29801, 803.641.4164
How would you describe the current state of our area?
Aiken is growing in all forms: homelessness, traffic, population, etc.
Is there anything you would like our readers to know about what the summer holds for your organization?
At Mental Health America of Aiken County we have four wonderful programs. Nurture Home, our shelter for homeless women and children, is getting ready to see our residents with children grow within summer activities; Welcome Baby with checking of car seats, cribs for safe sleep along with our present in Aiken Regional Hospital with diapers, Education and Advocacy, we are starting a new program, Don’t Duck that will allow our staff to come into the school systems to teach children about mental illness and bullying; Operation Santa is our December program that allows us to give a Christmas to those with mental health illness within our community.
Growing a community requires providing a lot of value and being responsive to needs of the citizens in that community.
Keyatta Priester – Manager, Community Development
Aiken Electric Cooperative
2790 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC 29801
803.649.6245 – aec@aikenco-op.org
The foundation Growing a community requires providing a lot of value and being needs of the citizens in that community.
The foundation of a strong, wise, resilient community is people knowing and actively engaging with each other simply because it’s meaningful to them.
Aiken is unique in the regards of its Southern Charm and engaged citizens.
One of the remarkable traits about Aiken, is its ability to use our diversity to deepen and expand our shared understandings, for example The Aiken Mosaic Project a strong, wise, resilient community is people knowing and actively engaging with each other simply because it’s meaningful to them.
Aiken is unique in the regards of its Southern Charm and engaged citizens.
One of the remarkable traits about Aiken, is its ability to use our diversity to deepen and expand our shared understandings, for example The Aiken Mosaic ProjectThe foundation of a strong, wise, resilient community is people knowing and actively engaging with each other simply because it’s meaningful to them.
Aiken is unique in the regards of its Southern Charm and engaged citizens.
One of the remarkable traits about Aiken, is its ability to use our diversity to deepen and expand our shared understandings, for example The Aiken Mosaic Project
