PROSPERITY — Prosperity Town Council named its first recipient for the Bennie Bennett African American Community Leadership Award at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

Bennett received the award last year and shortly after was killed in a car accident. To honor his namesake, Council decided to name the award in honor of Bennett and named Adam Alexander as the first recipient.

The award recognizes African American community leaders during Black History Month and their service to the town.

Alexander, a native of Newberry, was born in Prosperity and was educated in Newberry County schools. He earned his B.S. from Allen University and has taught in South Carolina public schools for more than 40 years. Alexander has also assisted in summer youth programs and was a tutor and mentor for children.

Alexander has always had a passion for education, having taught children as well as adults. He is retired from the SC National Guard where he performed 20 years of service and upon retiring was able to indulge in his hobby of restoring antique muscle cars.

Other business:

• Councilman Chad Hawkins reported that due to changes in the sanitation’s business plan, recycling will now be picked up on Wednesdays, it will now be picked up every other Monday. Cards will be mailed to all customers explaining the schedule change, as well as being posted on bills and the towns Facebook page for recycling only and reprints for magnets with schedule dates will be reordered.

“The concerns we got were that we’re still getting cans put in the middle of people’s driveways and so that is a concern for me,” said Hawkins.

• Discussion of merging the Shopper’s Walk and Parade were discussed. Karen Livingston asked to table this item of business until after Prosperity Hoppin until a committee can be put together.

• Livingston also addressed to Council enforcing parking ordinances. Livingston presented that she would like to establish hours for the ordinance along with the Town of Prosperity’s two hour parking ordinance. Livingston said that this would come into place when writing a two hour violation between the hours of seven a.m. to seven p.m.

‘This comes from about the people that live in the apartments and visitors to their apartments that are parking right out front. If they’re not harming any business, that was the spirit of the ordinance, was to stop people who lived in town from being parked there days at a time and taking up spaces for the merchants,” said Livingston.

• Chief David Beddingfield reported that the Department has dealt with various cases, including: 46 incident reports, 261 citations, five warrants, four parking violations, two search warrants and 73 warning citations. Beddingfield also reported that the department is in no hurry to purchase the new body cameras and that the Department is in implementing Crimestoppers to allow individuals to report crimes anonymously.

• Ed West reported from the Utilities Department that road work on Church St. has been completed. West also reported that there were two broke poles, one on Main Street and McNary Street. West also addressed to Council that the Utilities Department is looking to be more prominent in schools, educating kids on recycling and water education, which would include water conservation and usage.

Mayor Derek Underwood presented Adam Alexander with the Bennie Bennett African American Community Leadership Award, named in memory of Bennie Bennett who was tragically killed in a car accident.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Adam-Alexander.jpgMayor Derek Underwood presented Adam Alexander with the Bennie Bennett African American Community Leadership Award, named in memory of Bennie Bennett who was tragically killed in a car accident. Kelly Duncan | The Newberry Observer

By Kelly Duncan

kduncan@civitasmedia.com

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.