Mayor, Councilman, Chief Talk about Wagener in 2020

By Valerie Sliker, Courtesy Wagener Monthly

The Wagener town hall, although in temporary housing, is busy and full of hope for the new decade. “There’s a lot of good going on,” Mayor Mike Miller said, “But we’ve had a lot of negative interference and I pay too much attention to it.” 

The recent election for two town council seats got a little heated and both the mayor and council have been under fire from a few disgruntled people, but Councilman George Smith has put it all behind him. “We don’t have to worry about who said this or that. That’s all on my back list for 2019, it has nothing to do with 2020. The town is on an upswing, positive things are expected for the new year. One of the best things we have going is a new town complex.”

Plans are well under way to move the town hall to a complex that will house the town hall, police and fire departments and a heliport all at one site. Land has been donated, grants have been received and the architect is on board. The town hall should be able to relocate to the new complex by Summer.

The town complex, Ponder Municipal Park will be located around the current fire department on land donated by Henry Ponder. Senator Nikki Setzler and Representative Bill Taylor combined efforts to get a grant for a playground for this park. The Aiken County Council awarded a grant for the restoration of a couple of historic buildings that currently sit on the Ponder Park property, one of which will house the town hall; the other, a visitor and parks center for Wagener and Aiken County in general.

WSHS Soft Lockdown Jan. 24

ACPSD official statement:

On Friday afternoon, at the request of law enforcement, Wagener Salley High School increased security protocols.  Administration put the campus on a soft lockdown to ensure the safety of students and staff, following the Sheriff Office's awareness of a potential threat towards the school.

 

As the situation was being investigated, all appropriate measures were taken to ensure the safety of the campus. Principal Earl made parents/guardians aware of the enhanced security during the lockdown, and later that afternoon, at approximately 2:50 p.m., he communicated again with parents to notify them that the situation was stable and that there was no longer a need for the additional security measures. 

Town Council Meetings and Town Ordinances

From Michael Miller, Mayor
 
Update for the citizens of Wagener, SC  please  be advised that the next TENTATIVELY scheduled town councilmeeting will be held Monday, January 13, 2020, as ordered by the Mayor of the Town of Wagener, SC. 
 
In addition to the following, the Town of Wagener will be enforcing ALL ordinances (LAWS) of record. We will be working towards making all Ordinances or Municipal Law available via the "Internet".
 
ORDINANCE Definition:
A law, a statute, a decree.
 
An ordinance is a law enacted by a municipal body, such as a city council or county commission (sometimes called county council or county board of supervisors). Ordinances govern matters not already covered by state or federal laws such as zoning, safety, buildings, properties, and departmental regulations.
 
The Town of Wagener does not have any specific "zoning" ordinances in place.

Fines to be Imposed on Properties in Poor Condition

Public Notice:   Starting January 1, 2020, the Town of Wagener shall commence enforcing town ordinance violations for properties being in poor condition (i.e. abandoned vehicles, debris/discarded items, overgrown vegetation/downed tree limbs).  A copy of the ordinance can be read at the town hall.

Please maintain your properties to prevent any potential fines being imposed.

WSHS Teacher Cadet program prepares students beyond teaching

By Valerie Sliker, Courtesy Wagener Monthly; Pictured: Kaleb Shaw in a ALC middle school classroom.

Wagener Salley High School Teacher Cadets completed their classroom observations in November at Wagener-Salley high school, A. L. Corbett Middle and Busbee Elementary schools. In the Spring, students will choose in which classroom to conduct their field experience. Upon completion of the course, they will receive three college credits. Teacher Cadet is for Juniors and Seniors only and students must have at least a 3.5 gpa as well.

The Teacher Cadet program came out of Winthrop University 17 or 18 years ago, has spread to several more states.

Mrs. Stuart Crockett-Akins is the Family & Consumer Science and Teacher Cadet Instructor. She only has three teacher cadets this year, Jacob McGee, Kaleb Shaw and Westin Williams, all of which remain undecided about teaching. This is an outstanding class that more students should be encouraged to take.

“The class isn’t just for the teaching profession,” Akins explains. “We work from the ground up, what teaching entails, but not just teaching, also on what the school board officer does, we go to a school board meeting, and the cadets will meet with principals to learn about their profession. We talk about how even if you don’t go into education, how important education is and how to be vocal about education. The class is not just about teaching, it’s also about what education stands for. This class is good if students want to be involved in town politics, want to be on the school board, or just want to advocate for their own kids. Even if students don’t want to go into teaching, we want them to have a thinking knowledge about education and how to advocate for public education.”

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