City tax hike gets final council approval

August 16, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

City Council approved Monday final reading an ordinance that will bring a tax hike to Greenwood residents.
Council members voted to implement a 5-mill tax increase that will cost the owner of a $100,000 home in the city about $20 per-year more in taxes.
City officials have said the increase was needed in order to accommodate rising diesel fuel and gasoline prices for city vehicles, higher worker compensation premiums and increases in the amount the city must pay in employees’ retirement accounts.
Last month, Greenwood City Manager Steve Brown said the tax will generate about $160,000, which will be applied to the amount called for in the budget to be taken from the city’s reserves.
No objections were received during a public hearing.
In other action, council gave its approval of a resolution endorsing the expenditure of city funds as a required match for a Community Development Block Grant for a downtown revitalization project.
If awarded, the grant would be used to revitalize a section of the Uptown area near the Federal Building, and could include the addition of decorative street lamps, sidewalk replacements and landscaping features.
The grant can be used only for commercial revitalization and would require a 10 percent cash match from the city’s community development funds if awarded.
“We think this would be a catalyst (for the Uptown area),” Assistant City Manager Charlie Barrineau told council, adding that tying the revitalization project in with the current Federal Building project would be a sensible decision.
“We think the time is now for this project. It would be a good shot in the arm if we added this,” he said.
Council also approved a resolution endorsing the expenditure of city funds as a required match for a Community Development Block Grant for the Byrd Street area housing rehabilitation project.
If awarded, the $500,000 neighborhood revitalization grant would require a cash match by the city of at least 5 percent of the housing portion of the grant and 10 percent of any public facilities included in the project.

Megan Varner covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3308, or: mvarner@indexjournal.com

NSHS to appeal its move in SCHSL’s new alignment

August 16, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

As the old saying goes: business is business.
In a move that Ninety Six High School athletic director Mike Doolittle called a “largely financial decision,” the school will appeal the South Carolina High School League’s proposed re-alignment that would send the Wildcats, currently in Region III-AA, back to Class A beginning in the 2006-07 school year.
All other high schools in Greenwood and the Lakelands area are slated to remain in their current classifications and regions.
“We’re set to lose nearly $25,000 in gate receipts if we move back to Class A,” said Doolittle, who guided the Wildcats to Class A State Championships in 2000 and 2001. “We’d still schedule our rivals in non-region play, but the gate receipts would fall off drastically in region play. And when I say ‘drastically,’ that’s putting it lightly.”
Ninety Six is in its second season back in Region III-AA, after a four-year stint in Region I-A. The Wildcats’ current region rivals include: Emerald, Saluda, Batesburg-Leesville, Newberry and Mid-Carolina.
Under the proposed re-alignment, the Wildcats would make a return trip to Region I-A. The prospective league would also be composed of McCormick, Calhoun Falls, Dixie, Thornwell, Ware Shoals, Tamassee-Salem and the Governor’s School for the Arts. Tamassee-Salem and the Governor’s School would not participate in football.
The re-alignment does not call for a team to replace Ninety Six in Region III-AA, making it a five-team league.
“I’ve called the (Class) A schools in the region and let them know it’s nothing personal,” Doolittle said. “They understand the situation we’re in.”
The re-alignment is based on school enrollment at the end of the 2004-05 school year. Ninety Six ended the year with 496 students enrolled. It began the 2005-06 school year with 531 students matriculating. Doolittle said the current enrollment figures would do little to help the appeal.
“This year’s number won’t mean a thing to the executive committee,” Doolittle said. “They go solely off last year’s enrollment.”
Doolittle will travel to Columbia Aug. 24 to make the appeal on behalf of the school. He will present the appeal to the SCHSL and its executive committee and will be accompanied by Mid-Carolina High School athletics director Louie Alexander and principal Lynn Cary. Alexander is serving as president of Region III-AA for the 2005-06 school year.
Doolittle, Alexander and Cary will bring with them a letter of recommendation from the schools of Region III-AA requesting Ninety Six remain in the region.
“I have no clue how this thing will turn out, I’ve never made an appeal down there before” Doolittle said. “I know this: We have a good argument. We will present a valid point. If they choose to go ahead with this re-alignment, it could cause a lot of little scheduling problems.”
One scheduling problem that could arise in the new Region I-A is the loss of attractive non-region games for all teams in sports outside of football. With the region having eight participants in those sports, it creates a scenario where the schools will have as many as 14 region games on their slates. That leaves little room for scheduling rivals from outside the region, which are often games that are bigger draws at the box office.
Ware Shoals athletics director Vic Lollis expounded upon scheduling opportunities.
“If Ninety Six comes in it will create more games in the region in baseball and basketball and so on,” Lollis said. “In that case we would file for an exception with the high school league to schedule two extra non-region games.”
Abbeville High School coach Jamie Nickles is somewhat familiar with the situation Ninety Six currently faces. Abbeville was moved from Region III-AA to Region I-AA in 2000 and then back to Region III-AA in 2002. Then the Panthers were moved back into Region I-AA in 2004. Abbeville was not selected for re-alignment this time around.
“We’re happy to stay put,” Nickles said. “We were getting tired of moving every two years. Hopefully we’ll be able to develop some rivalries in Region I now that we can stick around a while.”
When Doolittle and company trek to Columbia for the appeal hearing, they will be required to submit a proposal for how the regions could be aligned if the appeal is upheld. Doolittle said he will have a proposal on hand.
“We’ve contacted the schools who would be affected by our proposal,” Doolittle said. “They’re on board with it.”
Doolittle said the addition of schools in the upper divisions, i.e. AAAA, has caused a trickle down affect that has raised the enrollment required to be a member of AA.
“The number to be in AA for several years was around 500,” Doolittle said. “This year it was raised to 513. The number of schools being added at the top sends ripples all the way down.”
According to Doolittle, the athletes at Ninety Six will work hard to put a quality product on the field no matter which division they participate in.
“They don’t care too much about the A-AA stuff,” Doolittle said. “When they’re out on the field or court playing or practicing they just think about working hard and enjoying the games.”

Chris Trainor covers area sports for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ctrainor@indexjournal.com

Opinion

Property tax reform has chance; could use help

August 16, 2005

Property tax reform has a better chance of becoming a reality now than ever before. Sen. Glenn McConnell, president pro tempore of the S. C. State Senate, Rep. Bobby Harrell, Speaker of the S. C. House of Representatives, and Gov. Mark Sanford have all promised to give it priority when the Legislature gets back to work.
In the meantime, though, if property owners want to help, they can talk or write to their elected officials to show support for reform. The more the merrier. Numbers speak louder than words.
As in most things, a personal note or face-to-face conversation has more impact than other forms of contact.

BILL WERT, MAYOR OF THE Town of Kiawah Island, says there are hurdles, to be sure. He says lobbyists for the Municipal Association and the S. C. Association of Counties are among those lining up to oppose efforts to control spiraling property taxes. Also, coastal counties have come into a multi-million dollar windfall with the built-in, automatic, nobody accountable tax hike euphemistically termed “reassessment.” That, it appears, has a tendency to promote greed, and it will be hard to wean them from that cash-cow.
That being the case, it’s clear property owners have a huge task before them.
Furthermore, considering association dues for municipal and county members, taxpayers just might ask about the source of the money that pays those dues. Is it public money? They also might ask about the source of the pay for lobbyists and their goals.

MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES are limited, of course, in available sources for funding their work. The Legislature, no doubt, will look at some way to correct that problem while property tax reform is considered.
It’s obviously a tough problem to solve, and there are no simple solutions. If tax reform means anything, though, all interested parties will have to stop working at cross purposes. In South Carolina, that is a huge “if.” But there’s another “if.” If all else fails, voters can always elect people who really want to do the job.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Alice Elaine Brown

HODGES — Alice Elaine Brown, 45, of 508 Andrew Chapels Road, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 at her home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.

Flossie Cunningham

LAURENS — Flossie B. Cunningham, 77, widow of Noble Cunningham, died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
The family is at the home, 105 Russell St.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, Greenwood.

Bryan Dorn

GREENWOOD — Former US Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn, (D-SC) 89, resident of 707 Bryan Dorn Road, widower of Mildred Johnson Dorn died August 13, 2005 at his home.
Born in Greenwood County, April 14, 1916, he was a son of the late Thomas Elbert and Pearl Griffith Dorn. He was a graduate of Greenwood High School and formerly served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate. He retired from the United States Congress in 1975 having served the 3rd Con-gressional District of South Carolina for 26 years. He was a US Army Veteran of World War II. While in Congress, Congressman Dorn served as chairman of the Congressional Committee on Veterans Affairs and after retirement he served as State Commander of the American Legion and as a Guest Lecturer at University of South Carolina, Spartanburg and Lander University.
Mr. Dorn was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Baracca Sunday School Class of the church. He was also a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club where he was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award.
Surviving are three daugh-ters, Brianna and husband Bruce Lawrence of Greenwood, Olivia and husband Jim Kennedy of Northfield, MN and Debbie G. Dorn of Anderson; sons, William Jennings Bryan, Jr. and wife Anne Dorn of St. Louis, MO and Pastor Johnson Griffith and wife Sharon Dorn of Greenwood; two brothers, Herbert Charlie Dorn of San Jose, CA and Watson Lee and wife Kate Dorn of Greenwood; a sister, Grace D. Cochran of Columbia. Grandchildren, William Wade Batson, Bruce McKellar Lawrence, Jr., John Christopher Pracht, Patrick Johnson Dorn Kennedy, Johnson Griffith Dorn, Jr., William Jennings Bryan Dorn, III and Madison Elizabeth Dorn; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Marshall and Linda Wright of Hilton Head, Bill and Leah Beckett of Destin, FL, Sue and Wayne Richey of Franklin, TN, Joyce and Milt Farmer of Spring Hope, NC, Gayle and H.L. Sorrell, J.C. and Barbara John-son, Stacey and Betty Johnson, all of Coats, NC and Warren Rainbolt of Rockville, MD.
Funeral services will be conducted at 4:00 PM Thursday at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Tony Hopkins and Dr. J. William Harris officiating.
Burial with full military honors will be in the Bethel United Methodist Church Ceme-tery near Callison.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 2:00 PM Thursday.
The family is at the home on Bryan Dorn Road and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 to 8:00 Wednesday evening and at the home following the graveside service.
The family request memorials be made to the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Endowment Fund, c/o South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES IS ASSISTING THE DORN FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Durwood Johns

HONEA PATH — Durwood Johns, 60, of 53 Half Moon Road, husband of Christeen Brock Johns, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 at his home.
Born in Aiken County, he was a son of Dean Banks Miles and the late Francis P. Johns. He was a member of Beulah Baptist Church, Abbeville and an Army veteran of the Vietnam conflict. Employed by Packing Corporation of America, he was formerly employed by Parke-Davis Co., Honea Path, for 27 ½ years.
Survivors include his wife of the home; his mother of Greenwood; four brothers, David M. Johns of Greenwood, Jimmy May of Statesville, N.C., Butch May of Saluda and Bill May of Lawrenceville, Ga.; a sister, Terry May Winn of Saluda.
Services are 3 p.m. Wednesday at Pruitt Funeral Home, conducted by the Revs. Tim Brooks and Jerry Mize. Burial is in the Garden of Memories.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Pruitt Funeral Home.
The family is at the home of a sister-in-law, Mrs. Birlie (Evelyn) Parris, 340 Brock Road, Honea Path.
Pruitt Funeral Home is in charge.

Mabel Shaw Stone

Mabel Lewis Shaw Stone, 93, widow of Rufus B. Stone, died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005 at Trinity Mission Health & Rehab, Edgefield.
Born in Conway, she was a daughter of the late John Forbes and Carrie Lewis. She retired from Riegel Textiles. She was twice married, first to the late Tom Earl Shaw.
Survivors include a stepdaughter, Daphne Stone Cook of Trenton; a stepson, A. Pierce Stone of Louisa, Va.; two half sisters, Virginia Hollingsworth of Greenwood and Carrie Stevens of Missouri; and four half brothers, Vernon C. Lewis and Wilson Lewis, both of Greenwood, Bobby Lewis of McCormick and William Lewis of Abbeville.
A memorial service is 11 a.m. Friday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens Chapel Mausoleum, conducted by the Rev. Charles Koons.
Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Jerry P. ‘CO’ Talbert

PLUM BRANCH — Jerry P. “CO” Talbert, 80, husband of Louise Cunningham Talbert, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
Born in McCormick County, he was a son of the late Norris and Georgia Sharpton Talbert. He was a member of Mount Moriah Baptist Church and a retired textile employee.
Survivors include his wife of the home; five daughters, Drucilla Hill of Plum Branch, Mrs. Jimmy (Aline) Coat of Greenwood, Mrs. Charlie (Stephanie) Prince, Mrs. Dennis (Luctria) Wideman and Mrs. Bruce (Laynene) Gaskin, all of Asheville, N.C.; three sons, Abraham Talbert and Chester Talbert, both of Asheville and Tyrone Talbert of McCormick; a sister, Eliza Chamberlain of Plum Branch; a grandson reared in the home, Carlos Talbert; 10 other grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home, Route 1, Harmon Road.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home, McCormick.

Lillus Stevens Tilley

COLUMBIA — Lillus Nancy Thompson Stevens Tilley, 81, formerly of 509 Veterans Road, widow of Edward Gerald Stevens Jr. and Walter Ellison Tilley Jr., died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005.
Born in Georgetown, she was a daughter of the late Edward Clifton Thompson and Norma Ann Van Tassel Thompson Powell. She was a graduate of Columbia High School and Palmer Business School and was employed with R.G. Griffin Insurance Agency.
Survivors include three sons, Raymond Edward Stevens of Elgin, William Gerald Stevens of Greenwood and Walter Ellison Tilley III of Weatherford, Texas; nine grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services are 10 a.m. today in Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to Carolinas Community Hospice, 3096 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC 29169.
Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is in charge.

Kevin Vines

NINETY SIX — Kevin Reid “Goob” Vines, 28, resident of 107 Epworth Camp Road died August 13, 2005 at Palmetto Health Care in Columbia from injuries sustained in an auto-mobile accident.
Born in Greenwood, Novem-ber 8, 1976, he was a son of Carolyn Reeves Vines and the late Carroll Sykes “Yacky” Vines. He was a 1995 graduate of Greenwood High School and was employed by K.L. Timmerman Enterprises of Greenwood.
Mr. Vines was a member of Greenwood Baptist Church.
Surviving in addition to his mother and grandmother, Ruby Reeves, both of the home are two brothers, Russell S. Vines of the home and future sister-in-law, Debbie Escoe of Greenwood and Ty R. and wife Shonna Vines of Greenwood; a sister, Crystal and husband Wayne Evans of Greenwood. Two nieces, Natalie and Allison Evans and two nephews, Seth Flowers and Ethan McCombs.
Funeral services will be conducted at 4:00 PM Wednesday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Boling officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Tanner Martin, Kevin Gordon, Keith Stanley, Harry Metts, Jason Murrell and Travis Reeves.
The family is at the home on Epworth Camp Road and will receive friends at the funeral home from 7:00 to 9:00 Tuesday evening.
Memorials may be made to Hospices Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Vines family.
PAID OBITUARY