A vintage Christmas

Santa Claus makes triumphant return to Greenwood
after trip to hurricane-affected city

December 12, 2005

By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer

By the time Santa Claus made it to the Greenwood Christmas Parade on Sunday, he had accumulated enough frequent-flyer points to circle Saturn twice.
That’s because, as most Santa trackers know, the jolly ol’ elf’s sleigh flew more than 1,173 miles in the past week to take toys from Greenwood to Bogalusa, La., where they were delivered as part of a charity drive to hundreds of children affected by Hurricane Katrina.
And even though Santa has spent a lot of time in the sky and away from Mrs. Claus, he said he was excited to return to Greenwood in time for the parade.
“I look forward to seeing all the good boys and girls in Greenwood every year,” Claus said, with a “ho, ho, ho.” “I would make it to this parade if I had to pull the sleigh myself.”
Assistant City Manager Charlie Barrineau said it was a great turnout for the parade down Main Street, which was themed A Vintage Christmas. The parade had been rescheduled from Dec. 4 because of inclement weather.
More than 70 entries were judged on creativity, appearance, overall presentation and adaptation of theme. But The Learning Vine swept three awards with its float, “Beverly Hill Billy Christmas.” The group, which won the category for education pre/middle school, used an old truck that participants said had been sitting in a field so long it needed new wheels just to pull it onto the trailer. With the help of added touches such as “Granny” rocking on top of the jalopy, a tin can trailing a pulled wagon and all the participants decked out in overalls and blacked out teeth, The Learning Vine also took Best of Show and Best Adaptation of Theme. Both awards came with a $250 prize.
Other categories that won include:
n Band: McCormick High School
n Education, College: Lander University Teaching Fellows, “A Laura Ingles Christmas”
n Education, High School: Greenwood High School cheerleaders, “Rock ‘N Around the Football Field”
n Government: Commissioners of Public Works, “It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas”
n Industry/Commercial: Actaris Metering Systems, “Christmas on the Prairie”
n Non-Profit/Religious: Cub Scout Pack 270 “Vintage Christmas”
n Performing: Emerald City Dance Explosion, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Zach Keyes, who wore an Elvis costume for Susie’s Academy of Dance and Baton float, said his fiancée asked him to wear the costume but he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
“I didn’t know exactly how tight the suit would be or how cold it would be,” Keyes said.
But Keyes wasn’t the only one who had a good time being in the parade for the first time. Thirteen-year-old Meagan Rains cheered in the parade with the other girls in her squad from Brewer Middle School. She said she remembers being a little girl standing on the side, and that it was neat to see the children trying to cheer along with them.
“I feel like I’m all that because there’s some on the side trying to do it and I’m in it getting to do it,” she said.
Like Santa Claus, 7-year-old Lief Perry traveled a long way to Greenwood to see family and the parade. He and his family traveled 2,517 miles from Lompoc, Calif., just in time to see the parade.
Cindy McCall, who traveled with Lief, said she is always glad to come home to Greenwood for the holidays.
“People say it all the time, but there really is no place like home,” McCall said.

William G. Butler

William G. Butler, 80, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Woodrow Crenshaw

Woodrow “Woody” T. Crenshaw Sr., 83, of 706 Logan Court, husband of Myrtle Arnold Crenshaw, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at their respective homes.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Oscar Cunningham Jr.

HONEA PATH — Oscar Cunningham Jr., 76, of 80 Cunningham Drive, widower of Ruth Kay Cunningham, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 at his home.
Born in Abbeville County, he was a son of the late Oscar Cunningham Sr. and the late Iredena Grier Cunningham. He was a member of New Friendship Baptist Church and retired from an electrical company in New York.
Survivors include two sons, Jerome and Richard Cunningham, of New York City; two brothers, John Wardell Cunningham,of Honea Path and Grier Cunningham, of Philadelphia; three sisters, Evelyn Hollins, of Baton Rouge, La., Louise Butler, of Philadelphia and Edith Jeanette Cunningham, of Honea Path; and three grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at the New Friendship Baptist Church, conducted by the Revs. Harold Johnson, Marvin Cunningham, Debra Jackson, James Kay and Ozena Harfield. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
No wake is planned.
The family is at the home.
Robinson-Walker Funeral Services, Ware Shoals, is in charge.

Gertrude Rouse Finley

ABBEVILLE — Gertrude Rouse Finley, 76, of 1002 Secession Ave., widow of Robert Finley, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 at her home.
Born in McCormick County, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Rosa Grove Rouse. She was a member of Mount Canaan Baptist Church and a homemaker.
Survivors include a daughter, Lois R. Gray, of Abbeville; a granddaughter and two great-grandchildren. The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Brown and Walker Funeral Home.

Alice Hill

AIKEN — Alice Williams Hill, 86, resident of 212 Englewood Road, widow of Sims Hill, died December 9, 2005 at her home.
Born in Greenwood County, September 15, 1919, she was a daughter of the late James and Pearl Harling Williams. She received her B.S. Degree from Winthrop College and taught in the public schools of South Carolina and Georgia. She retired from the Anderson County Public School System. Mrs. Hill was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Aiken.
Surviving are a son, Sims Williams “Bill” Hill of Augusta, GA; two grandsons.
Mrs. Hill was predeceased by a son, Joe Lee Hill.
Graveside services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Damascus Baptist Church Cemetery near Greenwood with Rev. Archie Moore officiating.
Pallbearers will be Theron Sprouse, Arthur Wood, Ken Richard, Graham Hill, Sims W. Hill, Jr., Bob Ritter, Jim Crow, Charles Brown and Jim Wood.
The family will receive friends at the graveside immediately following the service Monday morning.
Memorials may be made to Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, P.O. Box 1178, Greenwood, SC 29648 or to Damascus Baptist Church, 635 Phoenix Road, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
PAID OBITUARY

Sallie Emert Landers

WARE SHOALS — Sallie Emert Landers, 83, of 2 Teresa Drive, died Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005 at the HospiceCare of the Piedmont Inc.
Born in Carter County, Tennessee, she was a daughter of the late Johnny Leroy and Dinah Hyatt Emert.
Survivors include three sons, James Warren Landers of Ware Shoals, Sherman Landers, of Clinton and Roger Dale Landers, of Tennessee; three daughters, Ruby Lee Turner and Elizabeth Josephine Davenport, both of Florida and Betty Fulbright, of Ware Shoals; a brother, James Emert, of Greenwood; 19 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Gray Funeral Home, Laurens.
Visitation is 1-2 Tuesday at Gray Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the HospiceCare of the Piedmont Inc., 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, S.C. 29646.
Gray Funeral Home of Laurens is in charge.

James Marse

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — James Eli Marse, 86, former resident of Pecan Drive and Sterling House in Greenwood, widower of Cassie Mauney Marse, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 at Bell Minor Nursing Home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Rebecca Trippe Norris

ABBEVILLE, SC — Rebecca Trippe Norris, 84, formerly of Cedar Springs Road, Abbeville, died Saturday, December 10, 2005 at the Self Regional Medical Center. She was the widow of J.E. Norris Jr. Mrs. Morris was born in Elbert County, Georgia to the late Albert L. and Sevilla Smith Trippe. She was a retired textile employee and clerk, and a member of the First Baptist Church in Abbeville.
A daughter, Brenda N. Fort preceded her in death.
Mrs. Norris is survived by her son, Edgar Norris of Simi Valley, CA., a daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Samuel Fleming of Abbeville, a sister, Hilda King of Conyers, GA., five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 2:00PM to 3:00PM (TODAY) Monday, December 12, 2005 at Harris Funeral Home. Funeral Services will follow at 3:00PM in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Pallbearers will be the nephews.
The family is at the home of Sandra and Samuel Fleming, 800 Old Douglas Mill Rd., Abbeville.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com
HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, of Abbeville, is assisting the Norris family.
PAID OBITUARY

An early jump to the next level

GHS’ Adams to graduate early to begin
his college football career at Clemson

December 12, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

For Greenwood High School offensive lineman Eddie Adams, five months was too long to wait to start his college football career.
Adams is forgoing the final semester of his senior year at Greenwood and will enroll at Clemson University in January, joining the football team as an invited walk-on.
Adams will complete the necessary courses he needs to graduate this month. In fact, he will already have 12 hours of college credit when he arrives at Clemson in January.
As an invited walk-on, Adams will be practicing and working out with the Tigers.
If there is a scholarship available in the fall, Adams will then receive it. Adams said he is thrilled for the opportunity.
“All my life, I’ve dreamed of being a Tiger,” the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Adams said. “Now, I’ve got my chance. I’m ready to get up there and get started.”
Adams garnered interest from the Tigers for his skills as a center and as a long snapper. According to Adams, Clemson is more in need of his services at the long snapper position. He said he thinks that is the spot where he would more likely be able to contribute right away.
The decision to leave high school a semester early was not an easy one for Adams. The lineman said he carefully mulled over all his options before committing to the Tigers.
“My parents were key in my decision,” Adams said. “They knew in the end it was my decision. Some of the coaches here think I’ll be missing a lot by leaving in January. At the same time, they realize how valuable getting a head start up at Clemson can be.”
Clemson was not the only school vying for Adams’ services. He has been getting heavy interest from schools such as Wofford and Furman, and received an offer from Liberty.
He said the offer from Liberty was enticing, as was the interest from Furman. However, a conversation he had with Clemson coach Tommy Bowden sealed his decision to go with the Tigers.
Bowden brought Adams into his office and explained how the status of being an invited walk-on would work. Adams said he felt the opportunity to earn a scholarship was there and was attainable.
The soon-to-be GHS graduate said it was an excellent experience being recruited by Bowden and Clemson offensive line coach Brad Scott.
“It made me kind of nervous because I looked up to these guys for years,” Adams said. “But they have been great. They are down to Earth, regular people.”
Adams will major in engineering at Clemson.
He said he would eventually pursue mechanical engineering, though Clemson requires students in its engineering school to pursue general studies for two years before narrowing their focus.
Though Adams enrolls January 8, he will not officially graduate from Greenwood until January 17.
One thing Adams said he will regret missing is his high school graduation ceremonies in May.
By graduating in January, he disqualifies himself from being able to walk at the ceremony with his classmates. Adams said his friends at Greenwood seem to have mixed emotions about seeing him leave early.
“They are happy and sad, I guess,” Adams said. “On one hand they’re happy to see me get a chance to play for Clemson, and to get off to a quick start there. On the other hand, they are a little sad because I won’t be there for the final semester.”
Adams said he is looking forward to getting in the Tigers strength and conditioning program. He knows that working with the Tigers’ staff will help him add size and strength to his already large frame.
Adams said when he began playing football at Greenwood he was 6-foot, 175 pounds, a far cry from his dimensions today. He expects working with the strength staff at Clemson will get him to the size, strength and speed he needs to be competitive in the ACC.
As a long time Clemson fan who now will have a chance to don the orange and purple, there is naturally one thought that sticks out in Adams mind.
“I can’t wait to run down the hill,” said Adams of the Tigers longtime gameday tradition. “It will give you chills just thinking about it.”

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

Military always has need for classified information

December 12, 2005

Maybe it’s a generational thing, but many Americans today, including many in the major print and electronic media, appear to have no concern about divulging military secrets.
South Carolinians who remember how it was during World War II appreciate the need for some military information to be classified. Nowadays, it seems, too many American media people can’t wait to report anything, even if it could hurt their own country ….. especially if it could hurt their own country. Military secrets obviously mean nothing to them.
Too often, though, it is irresponsible journalism. It not only hurts the nation, it hurts most members of the media that strive to be professionally responsible.
There is another consideration that should be noted. Irresponsible journalism, which seems to be getting worse all the time, erodes the very freedom that allows it. The more media negativity that is perceived by the public, the more likelier it is that a movement will develop to curtail the freedom of the press. That, of course, would hurt all Americans.
After all, freedom of the press belongs to the American people, not just those who control the press and the airways.