Jim Fair
The commemorative manhole cover will seal the Commission of Public Works time capsule in the ground.
Jim Fair
Students submitted art to celebrate CPW's 100 years in Greer. Winners will be announced this weekend.
Lister has been planning the Greer Commission of Public Works Centennial Celebration for over a year. She has one chance to get it right and Lister is reminding people from Greer the free festival will live up to its hype.
“I feel like I’m planning my wedding,” Lister said, with a smile. It’s has the makings of a wedding with an employee luncheon on Thursday, an invitation only event Friday and thousands of families and friends Saturday to enjoy free rides, bounce house, displays, prizes, a time capsule burial, two bands – The New River Blue Grass Band and Encore –and ending with fireworks. The Centennial Celebration is 4-8 p.m.
The time capsule is expected to be put into the ground around 7 p.m. Departments have contributed to the capsule to capture some of the history, CPW design plans of past and future and personal items to share with Greer residents in 2113.
“We will have this rain or shine and all of Greer is invited,” Lister said. The displays will be sheltered in the back of CPW and a large tent will offer refuge should a shower occur.”
CPW will recognize the winners of the artwork contest and award two $1,000 scholarships to students attending Greer area colleges or technical schools. Prizes Saturday will be worth over $100 each with the only prerequisite is to register at the display offering the prize.
“I have enjoyed doing it although I have been very, very busy,” Lister said. “I think we’ve got it down what we’re supposed to be doing. I’ve got my two golf carts available to help shuttle people from parking lots if needed.”
Food will be on sale from Chick-fil-A, Merrell’s Pizza, The Mason Jar and Stomping Ground.
The displays are customer and kid-friendly, said Lister. The Department of Natural Resources will have its fishing simulator on site, BMW is expected to showcase an electric car, the compressed natural gas filling station is nearby and departments will have displays yo show how water is filtered.
And once it’s all over, Lister was asked her plans.
“I am going on vacation beginning May 9. Right after our company picnic.”
Planning the bicentennial will fall under someone else’s job description.