First Day Walks In Newberry County

 In Local News

To promote exercise in 2022 and to highlight the numerous places to walk in Newberry County, the seven mayors of towns in the county will walk in their towns Saturday, January 1 as part of  First Day Walks.

From Mayor Billy Hollingsworth walking Saturday at the track at Whitmire Memorial Library and at the Whitmire Cemetery to Mayor Moses Rembert of Peak walking the Palmetto Trail, the mayors will highlight the variety of walking opportunities.

“We got this idea from the South Carolina State Parks, which promotes first day hikes on January 1,” said Foster Senn mayor of the City of Newberry.   “In Newberry County with so many walking tracks, trails, sidewalks and neighborhoods available and with everyone needing exercise, we’re walking to promote a healthier Newberry County.”

Little Mountain Mayor Jana Jayroe will walk Reunion Park and her town’s sidewalks Saturday.  Prosperity Mayor Derek Underwood will walk the track at the Town Center and the track at Wightman United Methodist Church.  “Our sidewalks are also good places to walk with the improvements we’ve made in recent years,” said Underwood.

Mayor Lisha Senn will walk the Silverstreet walking track Saturday, and Pomaria Mayor Darryl Hentz will walk the Palmetto Trail in Pomaria.

Mayor Foster Senn will walk in downtown Newberry Saturday, walking with Dr. Michael Bernardo, and invites anyone else who wants to join in at Memorial Park at 10 am.  Bernardo, a geriatric doctor, plans to emphasize exercise community-wide in 2022.

“Since I work primarily with an older population, I have a lot of people ask me how they can avoid/prevent getting Alzheimer’s dementia,” said Bernardo.  “And I think most are genuinely surprised when I say the only preventive known at this time is exercise.  But it makes sense.  Less blood flow to organs leads to organ disfunction.  Exercise increases blood flow to all organs, including the brain.  So exercise is not only good for physical health but for brain and emotional health as well.”

Trails are also available in the county, including Lynch’s Woods, trails in Sumter National Forest and the increasingly popular Palmetto Trail which goes across the county and South Carolina.  The Peak to Prosperity Passage of the Palmetto Trail is one of the most popular segments in the the state, according to the Palmetto Trail staff.  “The Pomaria Hub of the Palmetto Trail is located behind Wilson’s Grocery in downtown Pomaria,” said Mayor Hentz.  “Walking and mountain biking are active at this location.  You see 2—5 vehicles parked there at different times during weekdays and between 20—25 vehicles parked there on Saturday’s and Sunday’s.”

Wherever someone chooses to exercise, the push is towards a more active and healthier Newberry County in 2022, the mayors say.