Frank Brunson, mayor of Forest Acres
By John Temple Ligon
Temple@TheColumbiaStar.com

Frank Brunson, a politician since junior high school, is running again for mayor of Forest Acres. Brunson's first run for mayor, four years ago, pulled 81% of the vote. This time, there is no opposition.

Brunson was born at Columbia Hospital at the corner of Hampton and Harden. His father had to immediately move the family to Chicago to begin his residency at Cook County Medical Center.

Back in Columbia a few years later with a private practice in radiology, Dr. Brunson put his son Frank into early education at Emily Douglas Park at the corner of Wheat and King. Entering Crayton Elementary was the same year Brunson's family moved to Woodleigh Drive in Forest Acres, about three doors from where Mayor Brunson and his wife Jo Ann live today.

After Crayton Junior High and Brunson's first foray into politics, he went to A. C. Flora High School for three years. Upon graduation, he entered and actually finished Spartanburg's Wofford College in four years with a degree in biology.

With an application to medical school on his mind, Brunson came to USC and began the master's program in biology. He left for MUSC in Charleston for a pre- med program in gross anatomy, but changed his course mid- stream, this time taking a BS in pharmacy and a career path in pharmacy.

After a one- year residency in the pharmacy at Richland Memorial, Brunson stayed on staff for another couple of years.

John Nates Pharmacy, formerly Scoggins Drug Store near the corner of Belt Line and Forest Drive, was a Forest Acres institution. Brunson was offered to buy the business in the spring of 1979, and he took it.

From 1979 until 1997, Brunson was in the retail drug business and later in the independent home infusion service in a big way, where he has stayed since.

Recently, Brunson built a clean room, an industry- graded environment for the preparation of sterile products. A bit ahead of the regulatory curve, Brunson's clean room meets current and anticipated standards.

In 1995, Brunson ran for Forest Acres City Council and won. He won again for re- election. In 2003, Brunson raised $6,000 to run for mayor, and he kept $1,563.08 in the bank on election night. He still has it.

Issues under discussion at Forest Acres City Hall include a serious beautification effort. The city's primary gateways at the intersections of Belt Line and Forest Drive and also at Forest Drive and Trenholm are scheduled for marked makeovers.

Brunson is proud of City Administrator Mark Williams and Chief of Police Gene Sealy, both known for safe streets and fair- minded speed traps, as well as being famous for fiscal responsibility.

The people of Forest Acres buy their water from the City of Columbia, and their sewer service is connected with the East Richland public service district.

One accomplishment still beyond reach for Brunson is to simplify and identify the mail service with their own Forest Acres Zip Code. The peculiar combination of 29204 and 29206, both Columbia codes, could be readily replaced with one Forest Acres code, Brunson said. With 11,000 people, they have the numbers to do it.

With older daughter Kenzie in her own family partnership with lawyer Ryan Newton, and with younger daughter Retta heading for graduate school, Frank and Jo Ann Brunson find more time and more room in their beach house at DeBordieu, which is how Brunson relaxes in another mayor's town.

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