The Boone Show - S6 E14 - Envision Williamston's Roberta Hamby and Chase Maddox

Roberta Hamby and Chase Maddox break down how Envision Williamston turns ideas into real events that bring neighbors together and send customers into local shops. We talk through what it takes to plan, fund, and staff community traditions while keeping civic pride at the center. 

• Envision Williamston’s role as the fun side of town 
• Why the nonprofit shifts away from economic development work 
• Town cleanup day plans and how volunteers make a visible difference 
• Hometown Heroes banners and how the program works 
• Adopt-a-shelter efforts plus dog park support 
• The goal of uniting the community through the talent show 
• How churches and local groups power Winter Wonderland 
• What they are most proud of after a decade of growth 
• Spring and summer calendar highlights including Camping Creekside, the Freedom Festival, and Bobbers on Big Creek 
• A rapid-fire brainstorm for a new festival concept 
• Favorite local events, hidden gems, and what downtown needs next 

Tell your story as our next guest, or support our ACTC Media Broadcasting students by sponsoring our show! Email jboone@mypulseradio.com today!

Transcript

Welcome And Meet The Guests

SPEAKER_11 0:00

Hey everybody, welcome to the Boone Show on My Pulse Radio. I'm John Boone. And the boss lady is here. Hi, Holly. Hey, good afternoon. Nice to see you. I hadn't seen you all day, Mr. Boone. I haven't seen you in a while.

SPEAKER_04 0:15

That's not true. I took people around the other day. Yeah. I saw you. Yesterday uh Monday.

SPEAKER_11 0:19

Occasionally I'll stop in.

SPEAKER_04 0:21

That's right.

SPEAKER_11 0:22

But uh we've got uh some special guests from Envision Williamson with us tonight. Tell us uh all about the events that are coming up. Williamston's becoming a very busy town.

SPEAKER_04 0:32

They are. It's popular. Everybody's wanting to move to Williamston. That's a good, good, good problem.

SPEAKER_11 0:37

Yeah, and we've got uh the the main the main leaders here. I mean we've got the executive directory.

SPEAKER_04 0:47

They probably run Williamson, you know Rocky's just that side piece.

SPEAKER_11 0:52

Yeah, Roberta runs everything, I have a feeling as executive director. She's above Rocky, I think.

SPEAKER_04 0:58

Yes, oh absolutely.

SPEAKER_11 0:59

She tells him what to do.

SPEAKER_04 1:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 1:02

If not his wife, then her.

SPEAKER_14 1:04

But he doesn't listen. Just like his wife, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_11 1:08

And we've also got uh Chase Maddox here. And uh Chase, a late replacement on the show, but nevertheless, great to have you, Chase. He's the vice chair.

SPEAKER_13 1:17

Had about 10 minutes to get with you.

SPEAKER_11 1:20

Pull that mic a little closer to you so we can hear you loud and clear. But uh yeah, he's uh filling in for Gracie Eaton, who is gonna be here, who is who is the chair of the Envision Williamston board. And uh we've got to meet her at some point. Yes, because she is like uh the next generation of Williamston.

SPEAKER_14 1:39

Oh how old is she? Uh 26. Yeah, two. Oh, yeah, awesome. I love this. I've met a girl, too.

SPEAKER_11 1:47

Not that Chase is old. How old are you, Chase? 33.

SPEAKER_14 1:51

Yeah, the old guy.

SPEAKER_11 1:52

But uh but yeah, I was curious to see some of her views coming from a younger perspective from us old heads here.

SPEAKER_04 1:59

Yes.

How Chase Got Involved

SPEAKER_11 1:59

But uh we'll get her another time. And Chase is here, and he's got some interesting things to talk about as well. So uh here we go. Envision Williamson. Uh let's start with Roberta. She's been on the show before. I have several times, I think, over the years. This is year number six already, so we've had her several times. Um tell us about uh what Envision Williamsston is up to, what you do as your job as being the executive director.

SPEAKER_14 2:28

Um everybody gets to boss me.

SPEAKER_11 2:30

Um boss you're doing.

SPEAKER_14 2:32

I do all the things um for everybody. Um basically I do all the scheduling, all the ordering. They do occasionally let me put input on ideas, on events that I want to have. I have been with Envision Williamson since it began in 2014. And tell us how Envision Williamson came about. Um Mayor Mike Durham was in office then, and he wanted a nonprofit, he wanted somebody actually to be on the economic development side and the community engagement and marketing side. So he said, How can we develop bus bring businesses to town, and then also how can we get people involved, how can we get the community out. Um, and so as it progressed, we found out that we already had a planning committee with the town, so it was really hard for each of us to be doing our own things and not stepping on. So we kind of got out of the the planning stage and we're more community engagement and involvement. Community engagement, um, community involvement and engagement. Um sorry about that. We got it. Um, but we got away more from the economic development. Now, with that being said, we do drive people into the businesses, so that's one of the things we do. So our events, we try to plan them around how can we get people to go in the businesses and support them. Our main sponsor is the town of Williamston, and they give us funding, so we push people to Williamston. Now, does that mean we don't like any of the other towns? Absolutely not. Because if you can't do it in Williamson, let's see if West Pelger's got it going on. Let's see if Pelger, let's go to Belton. Heck, we can go down to Honey Path. They got a goat festival coming up. Don't know if y'all heard about that on our um so so so we're all about all the other towns too, but what but we're here in Williamston and trying to do the best we can to get people to come here.

SPEAKER_11 4:20

That's awesome. And uh, Chase, how did you get involved?

SPEAKER_13 4:24

Um back in, I think it was 2023, um we got asked to be a sponsor for the first uh Camping Creekside event, and we went as a business sponsor. Um we gave out free lemonade and water while the kids and the parents were watching movies, and um that's kind of what got me involved. And who is that? Me and my wife, Alyssa.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

Okay, and y'all work for?

SPEAKER_13 4:48

Uh we own Market Off Main in Lampston off William Street. Um we opened in 24 or 25.

SPEAKER_04 4:57

They have great they have bread there.

SPEAKER_13 4:59

They did have bread.

SPEAKER_04 5:00

Yes, it is great bread. Mr. Boone, have you ever been out there? I have not.

SPEAKER_11 5:04

It is work there, but I have not.

SPEAKER_04 5:05

I mean, they have other things too, I'm sorry. I'm not sure. Oh, you're fine. I like the bread.

SPEAKER_11 5:10

So, what kind of bread do you make?

SPEAKER_13 5:11

Uh sourdough. Sourdough break. We have a vendor coming out. She comes in every Tuesday and delivers bread. That's good. Yeah, and I'm gonna do it. Yes, I've had the cookies. What are your hours over there? Uh Tuesday through Saturday or Tuesday through Friday is 10 to 6. Saturdays are 10 to 3.

SPEAKER_11 5:29

Okay. And when do you get the fresh sourdough?

SPEAKER_13 5:32

Uh usually Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesday.

SPEAKER_11 5:34

All right. I'm gonna have to stop over there. Yes. Tomorrow would be a good day.

SPEAKER_04 5:37

It would be.

SPEAKER_11 5:38

Yeah, you're gonna have to do that.

SPEAKER_04 5:39

Or on your way home today.

SPEAKER_11 5:40

And uh, well, it'll be close.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

Six o'clock.

SPEAKER_11 5:44

I might be able to make it.

unknown 5:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 5:45

Um, and uh you uh also have a barbecue sauce.

SPEAKER_13 5:50

Yes, I have a uh barbecue sauce and seasonings line, uh Mad Dog's Barbecue Co. Um we're online. Uh we do events and festivals and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_11 6:01

So tell me what the barbecue sauce tastes like. I mean, is it a vinegar-based, mustard based sauce?

SPEAKER_13 6:06

We've got uh four, five bottles now. Um we have uh honeyhound, uh old red, uh mutt sauce, and uh old yellow, which is a mustard base.

SPEAKER_04 6:18

How cute, I love the name.

SPEAKER_11 6:20

Mutt. Yeah, because it's a dog.

SPEAKER_04 6:24

I got it.

SPEAKER_11 6:26

Yeah, so um what brought you when you said you were out there with your wife and all that, and now that you've gotten into the job, um, what do you like about it so far? I mean, what um what do you want to get out of it?

SPEAKER_13 6:40

I love volunteering. Um I love getting out there. And when we do events like Bingo and Bobers on Big Creek, and seeing people just win a prize, get out there and have fun, it it brightens everybody's day. And that's what I take out of it. Um just seeing the enjoyment of others.

SPEAKER_11 6:59

That's cool. Holly, did you know that I was originally on the on the board with Roberta back? When I was like I was a member back in the day in Vision Williams.

SPEAKER_04 7:09

And Kelly was too, right? Or was it John and then Kelly came back on the board?

SPEAKER_11 7:15

I don't know. I don't remember.

SPEAKER_14 7:16

I don't remember either, but I I told Chase. But I remember being there with Roberta.

SPEAKER_11 7:20

That's where I met her. How cool. So and it has done a lot since then.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 7:24

They were kind of humble beginnings as finding our way, that kind of thing. And now it's just kind of exploded, and there's so much going on in Williamson. And we're gonna talk about uh those details in a moment. Also coming up today, um Zach will be back with sports. I wonder what he's gonna talk about.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

Sports.

SPEAKER_11 7:44

Is there anything good to talk about?

SPEAKER_03 7:47

True, is there anything that he talks about? That's true. Not at all.

SPEAKER_11 7:50

There are things going on, but uh will he have something to talk about?

SPEAKER_03 7:54

Right.

SPEAKER_11 7:54

Um, I know he's had he's had some challenging times lately as well. Yeah, it's personal. And she's home now, I believe, and doing better, so that's good. Uh but we'll hear from Zach later on. Uh, we got a couple of uh little uh game type things for Roberta and uh Chase to play and see where their minds are because they're they're creatives.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

That's right.

SPEAKER_11 8:16

So we're gonna put them you know online there with some uh some rapid fire stuff. And uh kind of, you know, what would they build for the next big festival? And Williamston will do that and our recommendations coming up at the end as well. But our next segment, really gonna dig into what Envision Williamson is doing. Umberta talked about the fact that it's not so much the economic development anymore, but there's tons of other areas that they're in and some questions we may have about how they go about doing what they're doing. Events don't just appear. That's right. There's a lot of work behind them.

SPEAKER_04 8:52

A lot of work behind them.

What Envision Williamston Actually Does

SPEAKER_11 8:53

So when we come back, we'll talk about that. You're listening or watching the Boone Show on MyPulse Radio and YouTube.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Envision Williamson is a nonprofit organization that puts together fun activities and events for the town of Williamston. Have to pay your water bills, ask about trash pickup, or inquire about other town business? Well, that's not what Envision Williamson does. Think new business ribbon cuttings, town cleanup day, community fundraisers, adopt a shelter, the new dog park, concerts, and events such as Bovers on the Big Creek, Cinco de Mayo, and Williamston Winter Wonderland. When you think about fun, think Envision Williamson. They're always open to your ideas too. You can check out EnvisionLamston.com or their Facebook page.

SPEAKER_10 9:40

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SPEAKER_01 10:11

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SPEAKER_06 10:22

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SPEAKER_01 10:25

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SPEAKER_06 10:30

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SPEAKER_01 10:33

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SPEAKER_07 10:41

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SPEAKER_06 11:14

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SPEAKER_11 11:38

And welcome back to the Boon Show on MyPulse Radio. I'm glad you're with us and talking Envision Williamston this evening with Roberta Hambey and Chase Maddox. And uh there are four areas that I know that Envision Williamson has kind of been the the the core areas that you want to address. And you brought up how economic development isn't so much in that area. Um describe in a little more depth, you know, how that's different now.

SPEAKER_14 12:09

Um originally we just found that since the town of Williamston had planning themselves, they were working on projects, and then we would be working on projects, and due to privacy issues and things like that, the town couldn't necessarily tell us what they were working on. So we would be working, so we got excited one day and we've got somebody coming to the table, and the mayor came to us and said, Mm, we've already got somebody from the same so we were spending our resources on the same events and couldn't they couldn't really tell us. So we it really wasn't a positive experience because we couldn't share all the information. So it just seemed better for us to more focus on the community engagement aspect.

SPEAKER_11 12:49

Um that makes sense. Yeah, especially with so much going on the uh the business, the economic end of it right now.

SPEAKER_03 12:56

Right.

SPEAKER_11 12:57

Uh you can see there'd be a lot of maybe button heads. Um okay, so the second thing, beautification and civic pride. There's been a lot of different things. I see some uh contests and stuff that you have, and some uh some uh motivation, incentives for people to really make the town look good. Talk about those.

SPEAKER_14 13:18

Okay, we don't have any facade money right now, but hopefully we'll get some more grant money for facade fronts. Right now, what one thing we do have on our calendar is working on Williamston. That's the town cleanup day. The ROTC always comes out and supports us. Um, we've had the FFA come before and support us. The whole community is welcome to come out. And we get trash bags and we get grabbers and we just do our thing and we go around town. And when you get done, you wouldn't believe the difference it makes just walking through the park from when we begin to when we end, and that's four and a half hours. But when you get a lot of hands working together, it really makes a difference.

SPEAKER_11 13:56

And that's pretty much in the park.

SPEAKER_14 13:57

That is in the park, but we sometimes we br branch off into the wards and we go to all four wards and do things. Sometimes we do welcome the welcome signs and things like that, and that will be coming up April the 18th from 8 a.m. to 12.

SPEAKER_11 14:11

All right. Good time of year.

SPEAKER_14 14:12

Every and every uh we always do it right before Earth Day, and that's so that's the weekend before Earth Day.

SPEAKER_11 14:18

All right. Yeah, that wow seems to work better than the howdy thing in the case.

SPEAKER_14 14:22

That wow worked a whole lot better.

SPEAKER_11 14:24

What did howdy stand for? Hands-on, Williamston, what was the D?

SPEAKER_14 14:29

Um Day Yall.

SPEAKER_11 14:30

Day Y'all. Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 14:34

That was before my time. Wow.

SPEAKER_11 14:36

I remember that. I remember that.

SPEAKER_14 14:38

We were we were there, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 14:39

But um, but wow, yeah, that works better, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_04 14:42

Wow.

SPEAKER_11 14:43

You gotta get down there, Holly.

SPEAKER_04 14:45

So I have before, you know, uh we also We did it as a group. You remember that as a as a group that day. Yeah, that was in um the beginning of school in August. Uh it was hot. It was COVID. It was the year Was it we came yes, it was 2020 when we came back to school because me and Justin ended up with COVID and our IT guy, and so we did not come. We planned this whole thing with Rocky, and so we were gonna come down and we were gonna um I got my whole faculty, ever all of my staff. We came to Williamston, we're gonna do all this stuff. We um rode around with Rocky, he told me everything he wanted to do, and then myself, my maintenance supervisor, and my IT guy, we all sat down, rode around, all the big wigs, we rode around and said, Okay, we're gonna put this team here, this team here, the whole works. And all three of us ended up with COVID and we could not participate in that hot, sweaty day.

SPEAKER_11 15:45

It's like I was in a group painting the gazebo. So luckily we were in the shade most of the day.

SPEAKER_04 15:50

Yep, we were painting some of the yellow um They were out in the hot uh on the road, the yellow curbs and stuff. And planning in the planning in the bowl bounce on the road. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_11 16:03

I was glad in that group.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

But uh I think everybody would quit if we did that again.

SPEAKER_11 16:10

But it was a great time as far as community service. Awesome. Weather-wise, not so awesome.

SPEAKER_04 16:16

Right.

SPEAKER_11 16:17

Um and you also do the uh the banners, right? You still do the banners?

SPEAKER_14 16:23

We do, hometown heroes banners. In fact, we the deadline just came up, but we're gonna extend that. My board doesn't know that yet. Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

But we are breaking news.

unknown 16:32

Breaking news.

Cleanup Day And Civic Pride

SPEAKER_14 16:33

But we are gonna extend that program. Um we put the banners up for Armed Forces Day, and that's uh usually around May uh 16th, 17th, and we let them fly down Main Street through the 4th of July. Um you don't have to be a local military person to to buy a banner, just anybody who served.

SPEAKER_11 16:52

And how do they do that? Right on your website or what?

SPEAKER_14 16:55

There's applications on the website and at town hall. They're a hundred dollars for a banner. You can either after we take them down after July 4th, you can come back and pick them up and take them home, or you can leave them with me, and then next year when we hang the banners, they'll hang again. No. And we'll keep flying them until they start looking tattered, and then we'll call you and say come pick it up.

SPEAKER_11 17:15

All right, that's good. Nice uh honor for those folks.

SPEAKER_14 17:19

It is all right.

SPEAKER_11 17:19

Uh anything else you want to add on the uh beautification front?

SPEAKER_14 17:24

Um, do we do anything else to beautify?

SPEAKER_04 17:27

You did an adopt a um a gazebo, right?

SPEAKER_14 17:31

Adopt a shelter. And we had businesses come in and adopt the shelters. They are responsible for cleaning, they painted. We had one roofing business that put new roofs on a couple of the shelters we needed. Um we have we help with the dog park. Um so we do we do a lot around town.

SPEAKER_11 17:53

Um and I would say, would you say that the the focus mainly is the park for what you do, or is there more? I mean, I obviously there's more, but is the main focus things in the park?

SPEAKER_14 18:07

No, I don't think so. I think the the main focus for us is Williamston as a whole.

SPEAKER_05 18:12

Good.

SPEAKER_14 18:13

Um and and I was telling during the break, last year we did a Williamston's United Talent Show. We partnered with the Caroline Community Center, and one of our board members, Melinda Dean, and I sat down one day and we said, How can we unite this community? There just still seems to be a divide in the community, and she is a very dear friend of mine, besides being a board member. And we sat down and we came up with the talent show idea. So we we did Williamston's United Talent Show, and we gave away cash prizes. It was very well received, had some wonderful talent that showed up, and we're gonna do it again this year. Uh Melinda and I went and applied for a grant, and we got five thousand dollars to put that on last year. So this year we don't have that five thousand dollar grant, but we're gonna figure it out. We're still gonna put it on again this year.

SPEAKER_11 18:58

Um when with when is that?

SPEAKER_14 19:01

That date on that is September, you put me on the spot, the 26th. Um, and we'll bring applications. So if y'all have some good talent here at the Career Center or the schools, it's not only to Williamston people, it's anywhere. So if there's a kid from BHP that wants to come, kids were 17 and under, and adults were 18 and over, two categories. The grand prize last year was a thousand dollars for the kids and a thousand dollars for the adults. That's a lot.

SPEAKER_11 19:27

That's pretty good. Yeah. Not to mention Holly and I can come be judges for you.

SPEAKER_14 19:32

That would be wonderful if you would.

SPEAKER_11 19:34

If she'll do it, I'll do it.

unknown 19:35

That would be wrong.

SPEAKER_11 19:36

No, but that's I don't know what qualifies me as a judge, but well, you you know what talent is. You've hired some great talent here, obviously.

SPEAKER_14 19:45

I second that. I'll second that.

SPEAKER_11 19:49

But uh that sounds like fun. We should get involved in some way. Uh get the radio station out there, have some fun on that night with the community. Those things are always fun. Right.

SPEAKER_04 19:58

Everybody I really love the way that Williamson doesn't just it's it that y'all embrace everybody around you. You know, I mean you you really do, even though I I feel kind of like y'all are the big town in the area, you know. Um, and and you embrace everybody. You always include Pelzer and West Pelzer and Belton and how you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_14 20:19

It's all that's a good feeling. It's funny that you say that because I was talking with Jody from Empower Honey Apath, and we're gonna hit you guys up because we want to do an event here at the Career Center. And we talked about maybe next year for Ender our End of Summer Bash and having a big concert here. And what we do at our end of summer bash is we just get inflatables with water, and it's just one last hoop law for the kids before school starts back. And Jody said if we could get Belton involved too, and Pelzer and West Pelzer, this is a central location, so it might be we could pull something off. So you're already in the works for us to come to you and hit you up.

SPEAKER_04 20:57

And we have a lot of space out here now that's cleared and ready to go for parking and and events, absolutely.

SPEAKER_14 21:05

And we love it, and we're wanting to do when we said even bring the chamber this way more, and just have all of us be in part of the chamber as well, so that we can all just come together because she and I we bounce if she's got a funder and got somebody who's wanting to give something, she says, Roberta, I've got enough. Do you need some? And vice versa. And so it's not a competition. Are you gonna go to Honeyapath? We don't have a goat festival, so we'll definitely be in Honeyopath for their goat festival. That's right. And and they even changed their Fourth of July event because she said, I don't want to miss your Fourth of July event. So we definitely work together. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_11 21:39

That is awesome. And um a lot of yeah, a lot of cool things happening in all these towns. Um let's, as a matter of fact, talk about some of those uh partnerships that are going on. Um how do you get people involved? How do how do you communicate to people in the community about what's going on? On and how they can volunteer because I know volunteers are a big part of what you do.

Banners Dog Park And Adopt A Shelter

SPEAKER_14 22:05

Um we always need volunteers. Um in fact, right now we were talking about it just this morning at the pastor's breakfast um that we need more working volunteers to come that want to be at events and help us set up and help us break down. Um that's very important. You can get involved online in VisionWilliamston.com. The applications are there. Um we've got hard applications, we've got paper copies at town hall, so we're always looking for app uh for volunteers. And then occasionally, like right now, we've got a board position available. Um typically the board is picked from somebody who started out on the committee level for obvious reasons. You know the programs, you know how things work, and it just but not necessarily. So if somebody came to the area and wanted to be on the board and hadn't served on the committee, then that's considered as well. So we're always looking for volunteers.

SPEAKER_11 22:54

Yeah, it's so important. And you could encourage, I don't know, churches to get their groups together, uh places like our schools to get groups together and come out for certain events.

SPEAKER_14 23:06

And we're blessed. Uh ROTC comes out, FFA comes out, the pastor's breakfast this morning. We do a pastor's breakfast twice a year. We do it in the spring and in the fall. And in the spring, it's to sit down with the local pastors and say what's going on in your church, and is there anything we can do to help facilitate that? And then we give them a copy of our calendar and say, You're welcome to come to our calendar. Our one of our bigger events is the Winter Wonderland. And that's done on a Sunday night. And when we first planned it that way, everybody was like, on a Sunday night, the churches won't get involved. So we just brought them to the drawing table and said, Hey, what do you think about this? We want a live nativity, we want the reading of the story of the birth of Christ at the Christmas tree. We want this to be an experience for people. And there was not one church that said that they would not participate. The church has come out, they bring hot chocolate, they bring cookies, they carol with us. Um, I mean, they volunteer and help us do some of the work when we need stuff done.

SPEAKER_11 24:05

So it's been a big crowd.

SPEAKER_14 24:06

It has been the first year was right after COVID, and I think everybody was just had cabin fever. So we had over 3,000 people that year in Williamston. And and I had I had talked with the mayor and got permission to buy, what, 400, 500 cookies, and he was like, You're buying way too many cookies. And when I looked outside, I start I about started to cry and I said, I don't have enough cookies for everybody. But fortunately, the churches were there and they all brought cookies, so nobody went home without a cookie and hot chocolate.

SPEAKER_11 24:34

I remember that too. The first that was the first time, and we were there. Yep, and we kept having to run to this to the store to get more hot chocolate because we just kept running out. We had the giant containers, and we ran to the store like three different times to get more hot chocolate. It was uh it was crazy. And of course, the parade kind of kicks that off, and that's always fun. Um so yeah, that comes up in the winter. We're gonna talk about all the events that are coming up in the uh spring and summer in just a moment. We're in the zone where Zach may call. So we have to be a little flexible.

SPEAKER_04 25:09

The Zach zone.

SPEAKER_11 25:10

The Zach zone. And he knows to call. So Holly, you'll have to run over the point. Um let's see. What can we skip over before because I want to do all the events at one time. Um let's talk about accomplishments. Well uh I know you're a pretty humble person, but uh what are some of the and Chase you can come in here too. I mean I feel like I'm leaving him out, okay. But uh and I don't want to do that. But some of the accomplishments you've seen with Envision Williamson uh since it's been over ten years since it started, uh 12 years, uh, that really make you proud.

SPEAKER_14 25:46

Um the fact that everybody knows our name for a long time when you would say Envision Williamson nobody knew. And I would get the phone calls, uh my trash can't missing. Um my water bill went up, um, and the things like that that I and I'm gonna think about that. Yeah, and I would be like, I'm sorry, I can't do anything about your water bill, but here's the number you can call. And so now people are starting to realize that we're I ca I call us the fun part of Williamson. That's right, because we bring the fun to Williamston. That's right. And most all events, with the exception of maybe one or two, well, and even the one or two we participate in, most all events Envision Williamson has their hand in in some way that happened in Williamston, and definitely the big ones we we are a part of. Um, this year for the Spring Water Festival, we bought an an$800 patio set with a fire pit that will be given away for free. Stop by our table, and you have to fill out questions. What's your favorite Envision Williamson event? What would you like to see us do? What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? And would you like to volunteer? Fill that out. And it's real easy because it's on a tablet. So it takes you a couple of clicks and then you're registered to win the a nice, beautiful patio set with fire pit. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_11 27:01

Yes. Yeah, they've come a long way. Roberta's been there since twenty-two.

SPEAKER_14 27:06

Fourteen.

SPEAKER_11 27:07

I mean you've been in charge since twenty-two.

SPEAKER_14 27:09

Yes. Well, right after COVID, that was a very good thing. So you had twenty-one, maybe. Yeah, yeah.

Talent Show Idea To Unite Town

SPEAKER_11 27:13

Okay. And Chase, you said you've only been there what? Since since twenty-three. Okay. So yeah, well, you've been there a little while now. I thought uh you were there a little less time. But um, let's talk about um future plans for events that are coming up that haven't happened yet. What are some of your ideas for other things? Now the calendar, which is also amazing, that you can keep track of all this stuff going on, all these balls in the air, you know, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_04 27:44

And I feel like y'all have strategically strategically placed things. So you have something pretty much every single month. Like you're touching something.

SPEAKER_11 27:54

So I mean, I I doubt you're ever going to be satisfied because you always want new things, fresh things. So is there something uh cooking that's gonna be a brand new event coming up?

SPEAKER_14 28:05

We've got um we've had a wine event mentioned to us to possibly bring a wine event to town.

SPEAKER_04 28:11

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_14 28:11

So there's been some planning about that. Chase help me volunteer on that one. Some more events that we've talked about.

SPEAKER_13 28:19

I think a lot of times we're focusing now on how to make the events we've got better. Bigger and better and better, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:25

Well, I tell you, you do a well you you really do a good job. Like you you know, I I feel like you think of everything when you do events. Like, you know, your Fourth of July is just awesome. I mean, some of these things are just awesome. You even the winter wonderland, you know, it's like you think of everything.

SPEAKER_14 28:44

Well, I think everybody's got their place and everybody like the town for the Fourth of July. The town does the concert portion. We do the Bobbers on Big Creek in the market. So everybody's got their job. Yep, and we kind of try to work together. We we do a lot of sit-down planning. So we sit down with all the parts and say, okay, w when do you want to do your the golf cart parade? When what what time do you want your golf cart parade to go on? And we try to work around everything. And planning is is we spend probably 50% of our time in the planning and trying to execute. And like our bingo, when we first started bingo, we learned that we were doing a lot of things wrong and that there were a lot of ways that people could cheat that we didn't know about. So with every event, is a serious bingo. Yeah, so so with each event we learn from our mistakes, and we are able to implement different ways, and we're getting it down. Like Jay said, we're making them better.

SPEAKER_04 29:43

Goodness.

SPEAKER_11 29:54

And then all of a sudden a vendor backs out, or something changes, or I'm sure there's bands that all of a sudden can't make it. Uh how have you learned to navigate those types of things?

SPEAKER_14 30:04

Um that usually falls on me. And um I sit back and I stress really hard, and then I jump to it and say, what can we do to to resolve it?

SPEAKER_13 30:13

Emails and phone calls.

SPEAKER_14 30:14

Emails and phone calls to everybody we know. Can you help me out? Can I call in a favor? Call in a lot of favors.

SPEAKER_11 30:20

Yeah. All right. Well, I just heard from Zach. He's not going to be able to call.

SPEAKER_14 30:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_11 30:24

So we can take our commercial break. But we do need to pray for him and his wife. His wife had to go back in the hospital for some more surgery. So that is why why he's calling right now. That's what that's why. Uh let's uh let's see if at Zach we can get an update. He's he's had it rough lately, a little challenging. Okay. Zach, are you there?

SPEAKER_12 30:49

Yes, I'm here.

SPEAKER_11 30:50

All right. I just thought I just said you weren't gonna call then. I thought you were busy. I'm sorry.

Finding Volunteers And Board Members

SPEAKER_12 30:54

Yeah, no, I'm good. Every everything's good. A little bit is laying down, and she just needs somebody here with her while I'm at work because she can't lift for about, I guess now about a week and a half, she can't lift. And yeah, she had uh surgery on Tuesday. Yeah, she is last Tuesday. Okay, when you said Tuesday, I thought it was today. Yeah, no, no, no, no, last last week. Okay, go ahead. She went uh to the ER on Tuesday, kept kept hurting after another visit to the ER, she went back and uh just in a lot of pain, and um she uh went to the ER, I met her up there, I left work early, met her up there. Long story short, we get called back, and there's the OB that was on call said there is a operating um, there's a OR ready, and we're gonna take you back. And I mean it was just real quick, it was just uh so they ended up taking out her left ovary and left lopian tube. Um so and thank God that she went in there because she ended up getting there, there was a cyst on her ovary, and ended up getting the results back um the other day, uh on yesterday, I believe, and come to find out that the cyst was cancerous.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_12 32:13

Um but they ended up they they they did. They they yes, they thank God they took it out. The Lord was looking out for us because if she had not been in pain, um she would have never went to the ER, and all they kept saying was, we want to watch it, we wanna watch it, we wanna watch it. And so I'm the one that said, We're going up to the ER. I said, you know, it's early enough, because you know the ER, you're up there for 10, 12 hours sometimes, and got up there. I guess she got up there about 12 30, 12 45, and we left about probably about 11 30 that night after everything was said and done. So I apologize. I wasn't I wasn't my my mind wasn't right now. And let me tell you, it's a lot better than we talked last. A lot better than we talked last time.

SPEAKER_11 32:56

Well, we're praying for her, yeah. And you and the girls.

SPEAKER_12 33:01

Yeah, yeah, it's it's killing, it's killing Emery, bless her heart. She don't really know because Tiffany does the nightly ritual with her. I do Carson and she does Emery, and she sits down with her and reads a book, and she can't do that. And so she has to do it from the crib, and Emery don't understand. So it is taking a toll on Tiffany. But Lord willing, she Lord willing, she's got and then I've got severe anxiety dealing with all this, and I've been dealing with stuff on my own, so it's just been crazy around here in the in the in the Zach world. So I'm hoping all I'm hoping everything's looking up from here on out.

SPEAKER_11 33:35

I'm sure it is. I'm sure it is. So uh it is, it is. So just a couple of sports questions for you then. Um go right ahead. Um Clemson basketball, how far are they gonna make it in the in the ACC tournament?

SPEAKER_12 33:49

I think they'll probably go one. They they can't seem to get past the semifinals. They just can't seem to get past the semifinals. Um, anybody that plays Duke's in trouble because that's who they'll have to play if they win tomorrow night at 9 30.

SPEAKER_11 34:04

Of course, one of their players got hurt, didn't he? He's out with a broken foot.

SPEAKER_12 34:08

Yeah, Zach Foster. And so so not making up excuses, but they were doing very well, very good until he got hurt. Matter of fact, I was at the Carolina game when he got hurt towards ACL, and they just had to kind of redo the way they run things on offense. And uh he was a good player. I mean, he's a freshman, good player, and uh but we'll see. I mean, that's why you play the games. Um so we'll we'll we'll see. I'd rather be a 10 seed than an eight or nine seed, because once you get eight or nine, you gotta turn around and play the the number one team, um, the number one seed, and they're gonna be brutal this year. Florida, Yukon, um, who was the other one? Um, Duke. So any of them, and I think Michigan was the last one, but any of them, they're gonna be brutal. And even the twos are too, but not as tough as the ones. But we'll see. That's that's why you play the games. I mean, I'd never thought that Clemson would even be considered having a basketball team, but they uh they made it to the Elite Eight a couple years ago. They can go on a run, they just gotta play as a team. So we'll we'll see. We'll we'll see. That's why you play the games.

SPEAKER_11 35:17

All right, and the other question, we're a couple of well, about three weeks away, I guess, from uh baseball getting started for real. And uh the Braves already lost an outfielder.

SPEAKER_12 35:28

I don't even, don't even, don't, don't even get the biggest.

SPEAKER_11 35:30

Same guy that got suspended for half a season last year. Get suspended for the whole season this year.

SPEAKER_12 35:38

The problem, the, the, the problem, the issue is he's like my age. He's around my age. And I was listening uh uh to a to to another to a the sports radio station I listened to, and he's like, if I've got suspended one time for PEDs, anytime somebody gives me something, I'm going to ask them, hey, is this legal? I'm gonna ask my they got team doctors. They've got team doctors. Yeah. They're there with you 24-7. Ask them if it's legal or not.

SPEAKER_11 36:10

And not only that, but a guy that's already failed the drug test last year, they're gonna be close under closer watch.

SPEAKER_12 36:18

The problem is he's good uh he's a good hitter too. He's a powerful hitter. Could I say cut him and go get somebody else? Go get somebody else that wants to play and abide by the rules.

SPEAKER_11 36:30

Well, you're gonna have to anyway because he's not gonna be seen all year. But uh we're talking about jerks and profar in case anybody wants to know who the outfitter is.

SPEAKER_12 36:40

Yeah, just just I was excited when they signed him last year, and now you can forget it. Just just cut him, just do away with him. That's all I gotta say.

SPEAKER_11 36:50

Yeah, and the Braves still have a lot of injuries that have to heal, pitching wise, etc. Um, probably won't have you or whole team together till probably June.

SPEAKER_12 37:00

I know, I know, I know. They just can't catch a break. If they can keep, if they can keep, because the lineup, I uh honestly, I think the lineup's brutal if they can keep everybody healthy. Yeah, it's a tough lineup to get through, but they gotta keep everybody healthy. And the pitching, starting pitching, I think I'm more worried about the starting pitching than I am the bullpen. Um, because you're having to bring so many people up because of injuries, and these minor league players, some of them do, but some of these minor league players don't pitch as good in the majors as they do minor leagues. A little bit different.

SPEAKER_11 37:33

So we'll we'll we'll we'll talk more about uh the upcoming baseball season. Have you watched any of the world baseball classic?

SPEAKER_12 37:41

I wat I've watched with everything going on, I've watched little bits and pieces of it. Um I did see where the USA is bombing away. Uh they won, well, matter of fact, the game I was watching, they ended up winning that one 15 to 5 the other night. Um but I always try to sit down and watch it, but by the time the USA plays, we're winding the girls down here.

SPEAKER_11 38:01

Oh, yeah, it's usually eight or nine o'clock.

SPEAKER_12 38:04

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 38:04

I think they play tonight at the end.

SPEAKER_12 38:07

Yeah, so it's it's kind of it's pretty neat though how they do that because like Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies ain't on the same team. Yeah, you know, it's it's it's just neat, really, how they do it.

SPEAKER_11 38:18

And Albies had that great uh walk-off the other day. The team is down three to one in the ninth inning, down to their last outy. It's a three-run homer. So that was for the Netherlands. They're not going anywhere, though.

Winter Wonderland And Church Partnerships

SPEAKER_12 38:30

No, no, no, no. Funny story about that, too. Um I always thought Ozzy Albies was from Kuraiko, but it's pronounced Curacao. Yeah. I had no idea about that. I always called it Kurako. Kurakeo. But it's Curacao. Well, you're just coming by what it looks like.

SPEAKER_11 38:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 38:48

Yeah, just just the way it's spelt. So, but anyway, so hopefully, hopefully we'll we'll be able to. I'll uh uh just just keep Tiffany in your prayers. Absolutely. Just and keep me in your prayers too, because she's running me to death.

SPEAKER_11 39:05

Yeah. I mean, I know she stretches you out on a regular basis, let alone now.

SPEAKER_12 39:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And she's probably listening to every word you're saying. I'm sure she is.

SPEAKER_11 39:16

Um I'll try not to make her laugh too much. I don't want her to hurt. But uh, all right, guys. Give her our best. We'll talk to you next week. We're back on back-to-back weeks. All right, talk to you later.

SPEAKER_12 39:26

Good. That sounds good. All right, see you.

SPEAKER_11 39:28

All right, bye-bye. Yep, everybody goes through it. A lot of times you don't know what other people are going through. It's always the thing that everybody says, how are you doing? It's the most uh lied about answer that you'll get in the world today. Oh, I'm doing great. Yeah, everything's great. It's usually not. It's usually not. Uh Chase, I saw you nodding your head there. Are you a big baseball fan? Huge baseball guy. Yeah, are you watching the classic?

SPEAKER_13 39:55

Every night.

SPEAKER_11 39:56

Yeah? It's been kind of boring the first the the uh the the round robin.

SPEAKER_13 40:01

It has.

SPEAKER_11 40:01

Because there's some bad teams. Yeah. But once they get into that knockout round, it's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_13 40:06

When we went up the other night USA, and it was 15 to 5. Yeah. And they just kept walking in, walking in, and I was just like, I can take it there.

SPEAKER_11 40:16

It's like a little league game. It's like find a pitcher that can throw it strike. Right. And uh and on the flip side of that, Brazil, that was Brazil, right? Uh yeah. And Brazil has only scored one other run in the whole tournament. Five out of their six were scored against the U.S. So And the U.S. hasn't hit all that well, to be honest with you. Though they haven't hit that many home runs. They've scored.

SPEAKER_13 40:37

Mexico last night was good off.

SPEAKER_11 40:39

That was scary. That was getting scary because the U.S. scored all their runs in one inning. And uh so it'll be interesting to see when the when the big powers get together, hopefully another like U.S. and Japan final or something like that. The Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic's gonna be tough. Uh there's usually one or two other teams. Maybe somebody pulls an upset, but I just love watching baseball. And uh especially tournament-wise when one game can make it all rather than a best of seven or something. So yeah, like watching that. Glad you do too. Holly, are you checking in on that baseball call?

SPEAKER_04 41:13

No, I have not. Um I'm going to gym uh Clemson's gymnastics Friday, though. So What?

SPEAKER_11 41:19

You're in the gymnastics?

SPEAKER_04 41:22

I never knew this. I enjoy that. Yes, I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_11 41:24

Weren't you like a cheerleader back in the day?

SPEAKER_04 41:26

Oh, that's a long time ago.

SPEAKER_11 41:28

But you were, right? Okay, long time ago. I didn't know you were into gymnastics.

SPEAKER_04 41:33

Well, I it it's just because of Clemson.

SPEAKER_11 41:36

Yeah. Didn't they get a new coach or something?

SPEAKER_04 41:38

Mm-hmm. They got a beautiful arena.

SPEAKER_11 41:40

And it's like they're really trying to build that up now. Yeah. Very cool. Yep. All right. All right. Let's uh jump back to Invision Williams. Yes, let's talk about the events coming up. All right, you guys. You can split this up however you want. But what can people um look forward to in Williamston over the spring and the summer? Which one do you want me to take?

SPEAKER_14 42:04

You can go ahead and kick it off.

SPEAKER_11 42:05

Roberto's written a lot of stuff down. She has arrows all over the place.

What They Are Proud Of

SPEAKER_13 42:09

Oh, we got uh April the 4th is Rockin' the Springs concert. Uh we're going to have the Easter Bunny out there, and that is going to be the Carolina Coast Band. Um they've beach music music. They've been beach music, they've been a couple times. It's it's they're really good.

SPEAKER_14 42:23

It's a free concert. Bring your chair, amphitheater at Middle Spring Park.

SPEAKER_13 42:27

We'll have food trucks at there.

SPEAKER_14 42:28

We'll have food trucks, we'll have beverage trucks there.

SPEAKER_11 42:31

Yep. I noticed, by the way, that you're you're tacking on concerts to a lot of other events now.

SPEAKER_14 42:35

We are. We're trying to bring it up.

SPEAKER_11 42:37

So it's like bringing in more people. You got a concert with and the Easter Bunny Day.

SPEAKER_04 42:41

And the Easter Bunny Day.

SPEAKER_11 42:42

But also for Spring Water Festival and then also for the barbecue picking the park. So, anyway, not to get ahead of myself, but I did notice that. You're bringing in a lot of music on those dates of other festivals. So uh keep going by all means.

SPEAKER_13 42:56

April the 18th. We already talked about it working on Wimpson. Um it's a fun event to come out to and just be able to help clean up the park. I think last year we took up twenty something bags of trash. Wow. Just from all over the park. Then we went and planted flowers, town hall, the welcome signs.

SPEAKER_14 43:17

Um sponsor lunch, so when we get done, there's a pizza, there's a pizza lunch after we're done.

SPEAKER_13 43:23

All right. All right, what else we got? That is the end of April. Do you want me to?

SPEAKER_14 43:28

Yeah, I'll take May. Um Spring Water Festival is May 1st and 2nd. It was moved from from August because it was so hot. So Spring Water Festival.

SPEAKER_11 43:35

Worked out well last year.

SPEAKER_14 43:36

Worked out phenomenal. The weather was perfect. We did have a couple of storms and uh some wind, but the event itself was great. Um we have a Cinco de Mayo on May the 2nd. That's going to be a glow party this year in the auditorium. Um also a free event. We've got D.C.

SPEAKER_11 43:53

If you're out there for Spring Water Festival, you can just get dinner, go over to the auditorium.

SPEAKER_14 43:57

Or get the food trucks, because we're in the food trucks. And come right on over. DJ Nick will be there, and that's Nick Williams. I know y'all know Nick from Palmetta. He will be our music that night. DJ Nick. DJ DJ Nick, yes. And we love Nick. We've got um, we will be doing the concert at Pick in the Park, and that is gonna be Rhythm Jab. They're from Simpsonville. Great, great, great variety of music. We've had them out before. Um, and then the Pick in the Park Festival itself is the 15th. That's the Friday and the Saturday.

SPEAKER_11 44:31

Now, the spring water, is that on a Friday or Saturday, the concert?

SPEAKER_14 44:34

The uh concert last year they did it on Friday. I did talk to to David Huff, and they're trying to see about music on Friday night and Saturday this year, but but it hadn't been it hadn't been confirmed the last time I talked to him. But but the big concert is usually Friday night, and then some throughout the day on Saturday. Um one of one of our big events as well um is we do camping creekside and we close the park off and we let you bring your tents out and put them up next to the creek. Bring your families. We do an outdoor movie, and I'm gonna And when is that? That is gonna be May the 22nd and the 23rd. So you bring your tent out on Friday and you pitch it. We spend the night there Friday night. Um we have somebody bring us breakfast on Saturday morning and then we pack our stuff up and go home. But we do have an outdoor movie on Friday night. Um, do you remember what the movie is, Chase?

SPEAKER_13 45:28

Uh we are doing Lelo and Stitch. Lelo and Stitch the live uh the ladies.

Zach Checks In With Sports

SPEAKER_14 45:35

The newest one for that. Um and then um we ha we roast hot dogs and we do s'mores. Um so we we have a lot of fun for the kids that night, games and stuff like that. Um and that's for the kids that don't get to go anywhere. Absolutely. So they it a lot of people it's just a little staycation and it don't cost anything. It doesn't cost anything to bring your tent.

SPEAKER_11 45:56

How many people have you had for that?

SPEAKER_14 45:58

Um the most we've had, I think, is 23 tents out in the and a lot of people um want to bring their campers and stuff like that because they want to glamp, but this isn't about glamping. This is about this is about bring your tent and rough it like we are.

SPEAKER_00 46:14

Big giant motorhome.

SPEAKER_14 46:16

Yeah, yeah, and a lot of them say that's what Rocky threats. Yeah, Rocky, that's what Rocky said. He said, I'm gonna bring my camper, and I'm like, nope, you have to bring a tent. So he didn't come because he couldn't bring his camper, and that ends May, and then of course June. You know June is the freedom celebration. This year, with being the 250, we're planning on going all out. Oh wow. Um, and what did the mayor talk about today on the some special things for the 250?

SPEAKER_13 46:43

I don't think he went into detail, but there's gonna be extra stuff for two. I do remember what it was bigger every year or something.

SPEAKER_14 46:50

I do remember what he said. He said that we've got a cannon. Williamston has a cannon, and it's on loan at the Citadel, and the Citadel fires it. Oh, I can see Rocky with that. And he said, hopefully, if all the stars line up appropriately, at the end of the fireworks, and they always go all out at the fireworks. At the end of the fireworks, they're hoping to have our cannon back in Williamston and be able to fire the cannon here in Williamson. That's very cool. So say a little prayer. Say a little prayer that that everything works out. So we can.

SPEAKER_11 47:29

Especially if Rocky's involved.

SPEAKER_14 47:31

That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_11 47:32

But uh yeah, that'll be fun. And uh and the fireworks are known all over this area. It's like everybody says you gotta make to make it to Williamston for the fireworks.

SPEAKER_14 47:39

Yep, absolutely. And and our event is Bobbers on Big Creek. And if you're not familiar with that, you take fishing bobbers. It's kind of like the Ducky Derby in Greenville, but ours is fishing bobbers, and we do bobbers on Big Creek, and we use that to drive um people into the local businesses. So all the participating businesses get a passport, and if you go into that business, they will stamp your passport, and for every stamp you get, you bring it to us and you get a bobber and a chance to win wonderful prizes. Last year we spent over three thousand dollars in prizes, and everybody who participated walked away with the prize. So we're very proud of that. And it's not just uh things that we buy, it's also donations from businesses for that. So that's that's a big event of ours. That's fine.

SPEAKER_11 48:24

And what's the date on that again? Go ahead, Chase.

SPEAKER_13 48:26

And usually if you come out to Bobbers, you'll see me walking down the creek, pushing everybody's bobbers on the rock.

SPEAKER_14 48:34

And that's gonna be June the 27th. That's the Freedom, Williamston Freedom Summit.

SPEAKER_11 48:38

So that's part the same weekend.

SPEAKER_14 48:39

It is, and we've got the Freedom Market. This year we're gonna move that to the auditorium because last year it was miserably hot. Okay. Um, so you'll be able to, and there'll be concerts going on like last year with the stage out back in the ball field, so lots and tons of food trucks. Any kind of food you want pretty much is there. So that's a great big event in Williamson. Mark your calendars June 27th.

SPEAKER_11 49:04

All right. So we've got a spring and fall full of events, and you can find it all out on envisionwilliamston.com and also your social media is out there. But I just checked out your website. Uh, whoever you got doing that is uh spruced it up a bit. It's looking good.

SPEAKER_14 49:20

Gracie and I and some of the other board members get in there and we work on it.

SPEAKER_11 49:24

Yeah, that's awesome. It's great. It's it's much easier to navigate. Thank you. And uh checking out all the different events, and you even have you know the events that you're not involved in that the city's involved in. So everybody you can see it all in one place. There was a time it got confusing with who is putting on what events. Do I go to the city to talk about this? Do I go to Envision Williamson? Now you know. Just go to Envision Williamson and find all that stuff.

SPEAKER_04 49:48

And if not, they'll direct you where to go.

unknown 49:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 49:51

Yes. All right, so I've got this sheet of paper for you both to fill out during the break. Don't look at what the other person is filling out because I want to see where your minds are, where these creative minds are. Chase is obviously the quiet type. A little bit quiet. A little bit nervous.

SPEAKER_13 50:11

First time on radio.

SPEAKER_11 50:12

It's just a microphone. We're just having a talk with a microphone in front of us. All right, good, good. And uh Roberta, she can talk to anybody, although she says she doesn't like talking.

SPEAKER_14 50:22

Could have fooled me. I can talk one-on-one all day. It's still public.

SPEAKER_11 50:28

Yeah, we got more than one person here. All right, so there are two different um lists that uh you need to fill out, which I misprinted. They're both on the same page. Look at this. Oh, we're adjusting on the fly. So there's one thing that's called Build a Williamston Festival, where I want you to just brainstorm. We're gonna take a two-minute break here, and then we'll come back and see what your ideas are for what could be the next big festival in Greenville. Make it realistic. Greenville, what am I saying?

SPEAKER_04 50:59

I don't know.

SPEAKER_11 50:59

I don't think in Williamson.

SPEAKER_02 51:00

I got you.

SPEAKER_11 51:01

Thank you. Um, and the other one is just off the top of your head, some of your favorite things about Williamston. And then we'll go into that'll take us into our final recommendations that we always have every week for our guests, and uh, and we'll close it out. So quick time out, and we'll come back and see what our guests have to say. It's Envision Williamston on the Boon Show of My Pulse Radio.

SPEAKER_09 51:27

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Spring And Summer Events Preview

SPEAKER_05 51:57

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SPEAKER_10 52:33

In the mood for Italian? Well then stop on by the House of Pizza in Williamson, South Carolina, with a menu pat with everything from pizzas and pastas to stubs and salads. There's a reason House of Pizza is a top restaurant in the upstate. So stop on by, locate at 14 North Hamilton Street in Williamston, South Carolina. Or call in at 864-847-6000. Want to order online? Go to hfwilliamston.com and see what real Italian tastes like.

SPEAKER_00 53:06

Envision Williamson is a nonprofit organization that puts together fun activities and events for the town of Williamston. Have to pay your water bill, ask about trash pickup, or inquire about other town business? That's not what Envision Williamson does. Think new business-driven cuttings, town cleanup day, community fundraisers, adopt a shelter, the new dog park, concerts, and events such as Buffers on the Big Creek, Cinco de Mayo, and Williamston Winter Wonderland. When you think about fun, think Envision Williamson. They're always open to your ideas too. You can check out EnvisionLeamston.com or their Facebook page.

SPEAKER_08 53:48

And we are the host of the Rival Talk Sports Radio Show. Where we sit down and we discuss all manners of sports, football, basketball, and whatever you guys chat in the comments. Make sure you tune in every other Wednesday on MyPulseRadio.com or the tune-in app.

SPEAKER_11 54:08

And we're back on the boon show, My Pulse Radio. Did you guys get done?

SPEAKER_14 54:12

Just barely. Just barely.

SPEAKER_11 54:13

Did you get done?

SPEAKER_13 54:15

I got one left off.

SPEAKER_11 54:16

Alright, well, you have a few seconds.

SPEAKER_14 54:18

We won't doccupe.

SPEAKER_11 54:19

We won't. We won't. But uh just wondered what you're thinking about you guys that uh build all the Williamston festivals. We asked uh five different questions as to how you would build a Williamston festival and what first came to mind for you. So since Chase was just finishing off, we'll start with Roberta. And the first question was what band would you have at your festival?

SPEAKER_14 54:48

Mine's gonna be a variety of bands. I want a country, I want a rock, I want a channel. I want a hip hop. It's gonna be Williamston Woodstock.

SPEAKER_11 54:58

Oh, I like that. How can you beat that? Just have for the band.

SPEAKER_13 55:03

I had rhythm jab that is coming up.

SPEAKER_11 55:05

Okay. All right, fair enough. All right, so for your Williamston Woodstock, which I really like. I do. I like that idea. What's the the main uh what do you have for food?

SPEAKER_14 55:17

We're gonna have food trucks, and we'll we want a food truck that represents each type of music. Okay, we want we want um country foods, we want we want soul food, we want for every genre of music we have have, we want a food truck that represents that.

SPEAKER_11 55:32

What would it be for like rock?

SPEAKER_14 55:34

I was just gonna say for hard rock. That would be a hot that would be a hot hamburger, like a jalapeno burger or something that would get your blood pressure up, nachos, hot nachos.

SPEAKER_11 55:44

Get your blood pressure up. Yeah, and so drinks. And we'll stay with you. We'll just we'll just guess. We'll we'll stay with you and go through the rest of the question. What would you the main activity be?

SPEAKER_14 55:54

We're gonna camp and we're gonna we're gonna make it a weekend. We're gonna make it a weekend event, and it's gonna be camping, and it's gonna be music, it's gonna be all weekend. All weekend.

SPEAKER_11 56:07

Would it be at the park?

SPEAKER_14 56:08

It would be at the park.

SPEAKER_11 56:10

Wow. And who would be your special guest?

SPEAKER_14 56:13

Um, I really won't, and this is a pipe dream, but I tell everybody that'll listen if I got unlimited money and I could get anybody in the world here, I would have Hootie and the Blowfish. Oh, he's a South Carolina guy. He is a South Carolina guy from USC, and we'd want a couple of Darius songs in there, but old school Hootie and the Blowfish, you can't beat it.

SPEAKER_11 56:36

Wow, this is gonna attract a major crowd. You're gonna have more than 23 tenths for this one. Absolutely. And uh, what would be the big attraction that everybody well besides that, but thing that people would do at the festival besides watching the music?

SPEAKER_14 56:50

I think it would be really cool to have a best dress concert, uh a best dressed contest. So dress for the theme. So the best country, the best for the 70s band, the beach theme, so your best beach wear. Kiss for hard ride.

SPEAKER_11 57:09

All right, so Williamsden Woodstock. All right.

SPEAKER_14 57:12

All right, now um Chase, you're waiting before you go on, just give me a lot of good sponsors so that I can make this happen, okay?

SPEAKER_11 57:20

All right, everybody get involved. If everybody gets involved, you know, it's it doesn't take near as much. Um okay, Chase. That's uh that's tough to be. Not that you're in a competition, but what would the food be at uh at your festival?

SPEAKER_13 57:37

Always gotta have a good taco truck.

SPEAKER_11 57:39

Uh tacos easy to eat, you can walk around with them.

SPEAKER_04 57:43

True.

SPEAKER_11 57:44

Yeah, you can never go wrong with tacos. No, you really can't. You really can't. Taco Tuesday. Um what would the activity be at yours? Concert. Okay. What would the uh it would be so it would be built around this concert. Okay. And who would you have as your special guest?

SPEAKER_13 58:00

I said any local bands, because I like to support local talent.

unknown 58:06

You know.

SPEAKER_13 58:07

Okay, that's fine.

SPEAKER_14 58:08

That's kind of and he wants hoodie in the black face. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_11 58:10

Yeah, yeah. Roberta goes big. Alright, and what would the attraction be? Thing that people would want to come and do.

SPEAKER_13 58:19

For my attraction, I just put the park. Okay. We have a beautiful park. It's easy for everybody to enjoy, great walking trails. The kids can play on the playground while the parents are listening to the music. I just think the parking lot.

SPEAKER_11 58:39

Yeah. We didn't even talk about that, but the park is getting a lot more offerings. Uh golf and the uh pickleball. A lot of tournaments and both of those are possible there. All right, so now we go on to the recommendations. And uh this is not to slight anybody that's not chosen, but everybody's got favorites. So we'll start with Roberta, a favorite Williamston restaurant.

SPEAKER_14 59:02

And there is no way I can choose that because I love every single one of them. And and and I go and I support every single one of them. So there's there's no way Alright.

SPEAKER_11 59:12

So what kind of food do you like?

SPEAKER_14 59:14

I like all the food. Look at it. Dadgum it, Roberta! Look at me. Help me out. Does it look like I I pass pass up food? No. What's your go-to meal? Um let's say lunch. What's your go-to meal for lunch? Salad, and I get I can get that anywhere. Okay. Um I mean, Subway's got a great salad. Rains has got a fabulous salad. There's a salad bar at the Pizza Play. I mean, everybody so so you can really, I mean, I can't choose.

SPEAKER_11 59:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_13 59:39

All right, Chase, did you choose? I have a lot of favorites, but right now, rains.

SPEAKER_11 59:45

Rains. What you eat at Rainbows. There you go. You both kind of chose that. But what is your favorite?

SPEAKER_13 59:49

Everything's good on the menu.

SPEAKER_11 59:50

The pot roast uh the pot roast sandwich is amazing. Yeah, that's good. All right. Now I'm asking for more favorites again. Roberta cannot back out of this. She has to make a decision. Uh, what is your favorite Williamston event? Now, for you, this could be which the ones that you put on that's r that's it's your favorite because you put it on, or just that you go to. What would be your favorite?

SPEAKER_14 1:00:15

When Wonderland and down. That's that was a long time in the making, and when we finally got it, that was that that's definitely my favorite.

SPEAKER_11 1:00:24

All right, Chase. Bobber's on Big Creek. When you have to get in the water, you like it. Is the water cold at that point? Or is it usually warm? Yeah, it's usually hot. Yeah, it's middle of the summer.

SPEAKER_14 1:00:34

And we have to get the fire department a lot of times to give us a little blast because the water's down, so they blast upstream to give us a little more water to keep them flowing.

SPEAKER_11 1:00:45

All right, best um hidden gem in Williamson, something that people may not know about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 1:00:52

Veterans Park. Yeah, behind the behind the park. Yep. The bridge is getting fixed as we speak on that. Um, the walking trail is extending in the Veterans Park. Um, so that is a neat little place just to go have a picnic. You can read a book, you're right there by the creek. Um, I'm trying to get them to bring sand in to make us some sandy beach areas. There are snakes though. Um but but I would like them to bring some sand and clean it. Yeah. But yes, definitely the Veterans Park. Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:01:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13 1:01:23

I would have to say the walking trails.

SPEAKER_11 1:01:25

Yeah, yeah, kind of the same thing. And they are extending rocky talked to us about that uh a few weeks ago. All right. Uh, best thing about living in Wayman. Do both of you live in Williamston? Mm-hmm. Okay. So, what was the best part of living in Williamston?

SPEAKER_14 1:01:38

The people, hands down, the people. We moved here for the schools when my children, my oldest daughter was starting first grade, and we moved here for Anderson District One. And my oldest daughter is 36. We've been here. We've never thought about leaving since we moved here, and it's definitely the people.

SPEAKER_11 1:01:54

All right, Chase. Community. Yeah, yeah. And you're well, both of you are right there, even outside of Invidor Williamson. We haven't talked a whole lot about your other jobs, but they're in the community as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:05

You mean real jobs? Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:02:08

You actually make some money. Yeah, our real payment. But if you need uh the real estate, you talk to Roberta. And if you if you need uh well, the market stuff, and uh, what else do you do? Barbecue. The barbecue sauce. Barbecue barbecue sauce. All right.

SPEAKER_14 1:02:20

Um and he makes it, he he caters to main barbecue too. My husband knows how to do it.

Local Favorites And Hidden Gems

SPEAKER_11 1:02:24

Well, that's nice to know. All right. All right, and the last thing one thing you'd add to downtown Williamston, what would you add if you had a choice?

SPEAKER_14 1:02:33

Iraqi's gonna kill me. A splash pad in the park. I've been on that for forever. How cool would that be? Yeah, and it's very expensive. I've priced it several times, and every time he tells me, find the funding, and we'll do it. And unfortunately I haven't been able to find, but when I get the unlimited money that I'm gonna get to get Hootie here, then we're gonna have a splash. We're gonna stand on the splash pad and listen to Hootie in the park. Dream big.

SPEAKER_13 1:03:00

There you go. That's the way to do it. What about you, Chase? Uh I said entertainment venue. Um, something that's yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:06

Um something indoor, outdoor or indoor. Indoor.

SPEAKER_13 1:03:10

Any time of the day, axe throwing, arcade, bowling alley, something.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:15

Yeah, yeah. Oh, skating rings. Yeah. But it would be a good pl they've needed a place where where kids and everybody can go. Teenagers can hang out. Yeah, good hangout. Well, uh, the last thing I need your recommendation on, since you've already given the food, is we always ask every week about food and entertainment. Is there anything entertainment-wise that you have been watching, binging maybe, or a movie that you've seen, a book that you've read, something along those lines, that you would recommend to the listeners? Do you even have time for that?

SPEAKER_14 1:03:47

I don't necessarily ever have to. I like Dateline on Friday night, but usually I'll be honest with you, I go to sleep before the end. So I have to catch it on previously. Tired. But I don't I don't usually sit down. Last night I finished work about 11:30. So there's not a there's not a whole lot of time in between. Two full-time jobs.

SPEAKER_13 1:04:05

Okay. All right. Chase? Uh a lot of work, but right now it's the world baseball. There you go.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:11

I'll be watching tonight. I I didn't make it to the end last night. I didn't. I went to went to bed in the eighth inning. And tonight it's gonna be even tougher because it starts later. Yeah, so but I'll be with you. I'll be watching as much baseball as I can, especially this weekend when it starts to get uh serious and they they play more serious. All right, uh thanks again to the Invision Williamson crew tonight, uh Roberta Hambey and Chase Maddox. Appreciate you guys coming out, telling us what's going on in Williamson. Thank you for having us. Hope you had a good time. Next week is uh St. Patrick's Day.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:47

Yeah, who do we have for St. Patrick's?

SPEAKER_11 1:04:49

I'm working on that. Okay, trying to find some good Irish people.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:52

Okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:53

So uh we'll see how see how that goes, and you'll have to wear green.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:56

I will.

rap Up And Sponsor Invite

SPEAKER_11 1:04:57

Okay. Uh St. Patrick's Day next week, but we we are on the air, so we'll have some fun with that. And remember, you can catch the podcast on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts, it'll be up there before the end of the week. And uh if you'd like to sponsor us, like Envision Williamson is a sponsor. That's right. We appreciate that. Yeah, and we appreciate that. And all the money that we raise in the sponsorships goes to the kids and their field trips that they get to take for their career path in media broadcasting. So that's pretty cool. So uh contact us, just J Boone, mypulse radio.com, or uh call us up here at the Career Center, and we'll uh we'll see how you can be involved as a sponsor. There's many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many ways to do that. And uh we'll be happy to talk to you about all of them. So thanks again, guys, for joining us tonight. We'll see the rest of you next week. See wave to the camera, Holly. Wait, wait, everybody wave to their camera. cameras. Oh it's so corny.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:02

It's not gonna show us though until you talk.

SPEAKER_11 1:06:04

Oh okay. We even talk wide shot. There we go. And uh we'll talk to you next week on the Boone Show on My Pulse Radio.