PINEWOOD, S.C. — The election results are in and the town of Pinewood officially has their newest councilwoman. Sumter County held a special election to fill the seat, and now, Betty Spann-Reese is prepared to fill the position.
“Just growth,” Spann-Reese says. “We need growth.”
It’s part of what Spann-Reese hopes to see in Pinewood.
“I always knew I was going to come back home,” she says about the small town, with a population of just about 500 residents. “I’m a country girl at heart even though I stayed in the city for 30 years. I still like that peace and quiet of being away from the city action and everything.”
Spann-Reese is back in her hometown after living in Atlanta for 30 years. Now that she’s serving Pinewood in her new role, she tells me her hope is to provide more activities for children and senior citizens.
“Service is just, a part of you know, helping your community out and wanting to help the community instead of just standing back watching,” Spann-Reese shares. “We just need to get more programs and activities down so that all of our citizens can feel that they are part of the forward progress that we're making as a town.”
It’s an idea that resident Miranda Pope supports.
“I feel that way too,” Pope tells me. “It still should be something for senior citizens because there are a lot of senior citizens here. And especially the kids because they're our future. There’s nothing here for the kids to do.”
Spann-Reese says to help with that, she wants to implement more programs at the local resource center and finish projects that the council has started, like the community depot, a playground and a sports complex.
“If a town doesn't grow, then nobody benefits from that. So not only that, we need businesses to move in also. It would be great if we could get a grocery store. That would be great,” Spann-Reese says. “As far as a grocery store, we have to go up to Savannah Plaza or go to Manning so it would be great if we could get a grocery store in the general area at least.”
Growth that she wants to help provide, along with the mayor and the all-female town council.
“Women bring something different to the table,” Spann-Reese tells me. “We’re more understanding, we are great problem solvers, and we’re able to work with people. We’re able to work together so I think having four women, we’re going to be able to accomplish a lot.”
According to the Sumter County Elections’ Office, 14 ballots were cast in the special election. 13 of them voted for Spann-Reese, who ran for the position unopposed.
“I am certainly open for people to share their ideas,” Spann-Reese says, encouraging people to come to the bi-monthly town council meetings. “I think community participation is the best way to move the town forward.”