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PAGE 12A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 13. 2022
New faces assume Talking Rock leadership positions
nation of council member Jeremiah Stone fhe new faces in Talking Rock leadership - Town attorney JeffRushbridge swears in Tony Hawf
James Bryant, Jr. and Steve Lewis. Hawf and Bryant were incumbents; Lewis is new to the council.
By Dan Pool business, along with chang-
Editor ing locks on all city proper-
dpool@pickensprogress.com ties for 2022.
After a rancorous 2021,
the Talking Rock Town
Council saw candidates seek
ing change installed in lead
ership positions Thursday,
and accepted the official res
ignation of the mayor. They
also conducted some routine
business with an optimistic
tone at the meeting.
One citizen and the for
mer town clerk (who re
signed in December) both
addressed the council, saying
despite past contention they
hope the council succeeds
with many of the plans in
volving the quaint town.
Mayor Pro Tem James
Bryant, Jr. told the fellow
council members and public
he too looks forward to
working for progress in the
town, but also alluded to the
longstanding dispute over the
town’s financial record-keep
ing by the former administra
tion.
Former town clerk Cheryl
Sams responded in the meet
ing, saying there is nothing
amiss and it’s libelous for
him to keep implying the
records are inaccurate.
A review of the finances is
among the first orders of
Pickens
Progress
Article
Archive
pickensprogress.com
Key points and other
business from the meeting:
• The meeting opened
with a question about
whether or not there was a
quorum present, but council
member Melissa Weaver par
ticipated by phone giving the
needed numbers.
• Bryant, Tony Hawf (both
incumbents), along with
Steve Lewis - a fresh face on
the council - were sworn in
for new terms. Lewis ad
dressed the public saying he
had been in Talking Rock
since 2012 working at
Shadow Creek Antiques and
living upstairs in the build
ing, joking that he could see
everything that goes on in
town.
• Former Mayor Randy
Banks along with council
member Jeremiah Stone sent
resignation notices to the
council. Banks’ resignation,
dated December 15, said sim
ply he resigned with no de
tails. Stone’s was similarly
brief.
• The council appointed
Mary Bregantini to replace
Stone. Bregantini was sworn
in and went to work immedi
ately. She moved to Talking
Rock in 2019 from Milwau
kee and thinks it “is really
unique, wonderful little
town.” In her introduction,
she said they will need to be
ready for the breakneck
speed of development that
leaves her “excited and a lit
tle bit nervous.”
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• As mayor pro tem,
Bryant said they would con
tinue with the person who
has handled town mainte
nance for the past month, for
at least one more month.
Banks had previously been
contracted for the mainte
nance work. Bryant said he
has two sealed bids but will
wait to open them until the
next meeting.
Sams, from the floor,
questioned whether they had
been opened and whether he
had the authority to do this.
Bryant assured her he hadn’t
opened them, and that yes
they could delay opening
bids another 30 days while
they get organized.
Bryant said several times
there had been “zero” transi
tion with the former adminis
tration so he is still sorting
through things.
• Bryant said the finances
remain in “disarray” from the
past administration and a
committee of Bryant, Lewis
and the new town clerk Buffy
Holcombe were appointed to
sort it out.
• The council will begin
holding work sessions at 5:30
p.m. on the first Thursday of
every month, before their
regular meeting at 7 p.m.
• During public com
ments, a more than 20-year
resident and former council
member Charlie Opdenhoff
said he had known Cheryl
and Randy (former
mayors/clerk/town leaders)
and that they worked very
hard and had done a tremen
dous job for the town. He
said if you look around town
what you see is the result of
their work. He said he hopes
the new council will carry the
town even further, but cau
tioned that being on the coun
cil will not make you
popular.
Cheryl Sams, who has
previously been the town’s
clerk, mayor, council mem
ber and organizer of the Her
itage Days parade, also
addressed the council saying
she truly hopes they carry us
forward, but that she is tired
and won’t be volunteering
much anymore. She said the
new council members may
be surprised to find out how
much work it takes to run the
town and festival.
She admonished Bryant
and her political opponents to
quit saying things like the fi
nances don’t add up and
spreading innuendos, or they
may find themselves “sitting
at a defense table.” She also
objected to having 911 called
on her for entering city hall
on election day, which she
said was for legitimate work
and didn’t interfere with the
election where she was on
the ballot.
• Bryant wrapped up the
meeting saying he has 35
years of successful leadership
experience and is very ex
cited by what they can ac
complish, and that it will all
be for the benefit of the town,
reminding people that he and
all the council members are
completely volunteer.
“We want to build on
what’s already here,” he said.
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