Saving lives with ‘savings’

Blood drive honors trooper

December 7, 2005

By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer

During the past few months, Margaret Quarles has been saving for December.
But unlike the billions of consumers who will quickly pour their savings into merchants’ pockets for shiny boxes to put under a lit tree, Quarles lets everything she’s saved slowly drip into a vial for someone she doesn’t even know.
Quarles was one of the many donors who went Tuesday to The Blood Connection to donate blood during the fifth annual Trooper Eric F. Nicholson Memorial Blood Drive.
Nicholson was a state trooper killed in the line of duty two hours after he had donated blood Dec. 6, 2000.
Quarles said she saves her blood for December every year because her son, Laurens County Deputy Joseph Scott Quarles, also was killed in the line of duty in 2003 at age 22.
She said it was during this blood drive that he had given blood for the first time in 2002.
“It’s my heart now,” Quarles said. “It’s important that we show our support to law enforcement officers. They put their lives on the line every day. They never know when they leave home if they’ll be coming back. They’re that dedicated and we need to show them support.”
Quarles is also a nurse at Self Regional Healthcare where she worked in the neonatal and intensive care unit for 21 years before moving into outpatient surgery. She said just two teaspoons of donated blood can make a difference in a baby’s life and can be enough to get them off a ventilator.
Eatherene Lewis, of Calhoun Falls, knows what a difference blood donors can make in a baby’s life. During her daughter’s 4-month life that was spent entirely in the hospital, she said laboratory technician Rick Walter would give her daughter blood every time she needed it, even if he had to come in from home.
“You have to love, to be stuck like that,” Lewis said. “I’m truly thankful for what he did.
That’s the reason I give. Because someone gave to my child and I’m happy to help someone else.”
Lewis and sister Lelia Jackson are now regular donors who come almost every 58 days. Jackson said she often recruits people and educates them on how important it is to donate.
“I know there is a need and a lot of people are reluctant to give,” Jackson said, “so I feel like it is my duty.”

Eagles escape in OT

Lomax’s 3 at buzzer lifts Greenwood past Saluda

December 7, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

SALUDA — Rarely does a high school basketball game feature two crucial buzzer beaters. It seems someone forgot to tell the Greenwood boys team.
Eagles’ guard A.J. Lomax banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to vault Greenwood to a 67-64 win over Saluda Tuesday night in front of a large crowd at Saluda High School.
Lomax’s twisting, desperation heave came just minutes after Greenwood’s Armanti Edwards had drained a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation to send the game to overtime.
“I just wanted to get the ball in the air,” said Lomax, whose shot left his hand just before the buzzer. “I didn’t have time to look at the clock or even the hoop, I just had to get it in the air.”
Greenwood coach Hob Chandler said the double clock beaters were the first he has had in his tenure at Greenwood.
“Never had one quite like that,” Chandler said. “Not to end regulation and overtime. It was an amazing shot by A.J., and by Armanti to send it to overtime.
Lomax paced the Eagles with 25 points, all in the second half. The slender guard hit seven 3-pointers.
Saluda’s Trevor Deloach led all scorers with 29 points, including a slashing steal and layup with six seconds left in regulation that would have won it for the Tigers. Twenty-two of Deloach’s points cam in the opening half.
Chandler said the team was forced to make adjustments at halftime to slow down Deloach.
“We decided to go to a diamond zone to help slow him down,” Chandler said. “He’s a tremendous player, and we certainly didn’t stop him. But we slowed him down just enough there in the second half.”
The game was close from the beginning.
Both teams seemed nervous at the outset, trading turnovers for the first several possessions.
However, the teams began to settle in midway through the first quarter, with Edwrads scoring five points in the period and Deloach dropping in 6. The Eagles were up 12-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Saluda switched to a match-up zone defense in the second quarter, and was able to get a foothold on the lead.
The Tigers used breakaway layups by Deloach and Markese Holloway, combined with timely jump shooting from freshman point guard Tevin Brooks, to go on a 17-5 run to finish the half. Saluda went to the locker room with a 31-20 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, however, Lomax cam alive.
Lomax nailed five of his seven 3s in the third quarter, along with two layups, to give him 19 points in the quarter. Lomax said it was the best quarter he has had shooting the basketball. “I knew at halftime I had to come out and give us a spark,” Lomax said. “I was just playing ball.”

Eidson keys run as Vikes rally late

December 7, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

He only went in the game for a minute, but what Jeremy Eidson did instead was lead the Vikings to their fourth straight victory.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore scored six points in an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to key Emerald’s 60-52 comeback win over Abbeville Tuesday night at Vikings Gymnasium.
“We were down and I felt like my team needed me to step up,” said Eidson, who came off the bench to provide eight points and seven rebounds. “I haven’t been doing too well so far this season, and when I was sitting on the bench, I was thinking to myself, ‘If I go in, my team needs me to come through.’”
Eidson’s six straight points to cap the run gave the Vikings (4-0) a 48-44 lead with 4 minutes, 22 seconds remaining.
But it wasn’t his job to give Emerald the lead for good. That went to senior point guard Matt Herring.
After Abbeville’s Michael Butler hit his fourth 3-pointer of the night to give the Panthers (0-1) a 51-50 lead, Herring dropped in a pair of driving layups around one Abbeville free throw to put the Vikings up for good. Herring, who spent most of the night in foul trouble, penetrated in from the base line to give Emerald a 54-52 lead.
“All night, I tried to drive and they kept stopping me, but I told myself to keep trying until I found an open lane,” said Herring, who finished with nine points. “Once the opportunity came, I took it.”
Herring gave the Vikings the lead and it was a layup from Dallas Flynn and four straight points from Peferio Strong that locked up the victory. Strong finished with 12 points off the bench.
“We’ve had three games that we’re pretty much blowouts, and we needed to play a close game to see how we’d respond,” Emerald coach Robin Scott said. “We did a few things well, but I’m really excited about getting to practice tomorrow. The effort is there, but we’ve got to spend some time working on our offense.”
The Vikings’ offense escaped them at the start of the second half.
Abbeville, which trailed by nine after the first quarter and eight at the half, clamped down defensively. The defense allowed the Vikings only three third-quarter field goals, all coming from power forward William Taylor, who finished with a game-high 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Panthers used a 9-0 run, getting scoring from four different players, to take their first lead of the game, 34-33, with 2:08 left in the third.
Butler, who had a team-high 14 points, opened the fourth by knocking down a 3-pointer from the left corner, giving the Panthers their largest lead at 42-38.
“We know he can do that,” Abbeville coach James Herman said of the sophomore Butler. “We’re going to count on that from him this season. Him hitting those threes gives everybody a lift.”
Junior Derrick Norman added 13 points for Abbeville, nine coming in the first half.

Bump on forehead can’t stop Nicholson

December 7, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Maybe Elizabeth Nicholson should get head-butted more often.
Nicholson, last season’s All-Lakelands player of the year who was only averaging seven points a game through the first three games, collided head-first with Abbeville’s Krystal Jackson early in the first quarter, causing a golf ball-sized knot on her forehead.
After sitting out a little more than two minutes, Nicholson returned to score eight of her season-high 17 points during a huge run to lift the Lady Vikings past Abbeville, 60-45, Tuesday night at Emerald.
“After that, I really started playing harder,” said Nicholson, whose previous season-high was 10 points against Calhoun Falls. “My shots haven’t been falling this season, and I’m not sure why.
There is a lot more pressure on me this year. Maybe this will get things going for me.”
Emerald coach Anarie Duckett jokingly said the collision might have stirred something in her star player.
“It might have knocked some sense in her because she really hasn’t played well,” Duckett said, playfully. “She had quite a little knot on her head. She said ‘I can feel it getting big.’”
After the collision, Nicholson and Jackson received ice. Nicholson was cleared to play by Emerald’s athletic trainor Brian Bishop and re-entered the game with the Lady Vikings trailing 6-4 with 3 minutes, 27 seconds left in the first quarter. The senior center put the finishing touches on a 9-0 run with a short jumper off an out-of-bound play to make it 11-6.
The small stretch was one part of a 23-4 run that saw the Lady Vikings take a 25-10 advantage with 5:15 left in the half. Eight different Emerald players scored during the run, with Nicholson scoring the final six.
The Lady Vikings were up 15 with 2:52 left after a pair of Brittne Patterson free throws. But that would be the last points of the half for Emerald.
The Lady Panthers would use that time to go on a 9-0 run of their own, getting scoring from four different players to cut the halftime deficit to 30-24.
Abbeville didn’t get much closer in the third, thanks, in part, to poor shooting. The Lady Panthers hit only 2 of 9 free throws in the quarter and made only two field goals in the stretch.
Emerald outscored Abbeville 17-6 in the eight-minute period to take a 43-30 lead into the final quarter.
But the Lady Vikings had field goal problems of their own in the fourth, going the first 6:10 without a bucket. Emerald did manage to go 5 of 10 from the foul line.
Abbeville took advantage. Using a helter-skelter defensive intensity, which eventually got them four players fouled out, the Lady Panthers used a 15-6 run to trim the deficit to four, 49-45, with 3:01 remaining. Abbeville’s Tecoya London led the charge, scoring six of her game-high 20 points during the three-minute stretch.
Emerald closed out the game with an 11-0 flurry, getting five more free throws and layups from Brittany Connor, Rachel Baggett and Trice Riley, who finished with eight, eight and four, respectively.

Lady Eagles knock off Saluda for first win

December 7, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

SALUDA — Tuesday night’s contest between the Greenwood and Saluda high school girls basketball teams at Saluda was more of a game of hide-and-seek than basketball.
The Lady Eagles (1-2), who won the game 66-34, ran away and hid with a 24-6 first quarter lead and the Lady Tigers (0-3) were never able to find them.
“We needed that one,” Greenwood coach Susan Thompson said. “It’s always a relief to get your first win. I was very pleased with the girls coming out and getting the lead like that.”
Greenwood was able to gain the lead and keep it because of two main factors — an oppressive full court press and the hot hand of shooting guard Ashly Chandler
The Eagles had tried to use halfcourt zone defenses for much of their first two games. However, Thompson said she decided to scrap that and turn up the defensive pressure.
“We said after that Aiken game that we were going to press the rest of the year,” Thompson said. “If we’re going to win it’s going to come from our quickness and defense.”
Chandler was in the groove from the outset. She tallied 18 points in the first quarter on a variety of turnaround jumpers and fastbreak layups. The senior finished with a game-high 22 points.
Chandler also handed out several assists in transition, placing passes right in the hands of streaking teammates.
“We knew we had to come out with our best game tonight,” Chandler said. “I’ve really been working on my shot in practice. In the locker room before the game, I felt like I would come out and shoot good.”
Saluda was led by center Allison Lake, who popped in 12 points. Lake’s points came on an assortment of mid-range jumpers and set shots. She missed only two shots.
The game belonged to the Lady Eagles from the opening tip.
After Chandler’s torrid shooting gave Greenwood the 24-6 lead after the first quarter, the lady Eagles kept the brisk pace rolling in the second quarter. Freshman guard/forward Syteria Robinson, who scored 10 points on the night, nailed two baseline jumpers and Vijya Corbett tossed in two running layups as the Eagles continued to roll. Greenwood had a 38-12 halftime lead.
Both teams used the second half as an opportunity to play there younger, less experienced reserves.
Greenwood’s Courtenay Reid scored six points off the bench and Kyesha Middleton added seven.
Saluda sophomore guard Ashley Proctor came off the bench to knock down seven points for the Lady Tigers, all in the second half.
“A game like this definitely helps us because we got contributions from so many people,” Thompson said. “It can only benefit you to get everybody involved like this.”

Opinion

Buckle up time is near for all drivers in S.C.

December 7, 2005

Personal freedom or not, South Carolinians won’t have a choice starting this Friday, On that date, December 9, the state’s new mandatory seat-belt law takes effect. If a driver is caught unbuckled, it could mean a $25 ticket.
Of course, drivers in the Palmetto State should have been wearing seat belts for several years. It’s just that until this Friday, law enforcement officials could not stop a vehicle unless they witnessed another traffic violation first.
There is at least one time when tickets cannot be given for seat belt violations under the new law. That’s when a stop is made as part of a driver’s license or registration check which is set up to stop all drivers in one specific place.
Like them or not, there is enough evidence to show that seat belts are effective safety devices and it’s a gamble not to use them ….. physically and monetarily. In fact, up until recently this year in South Carolina, of the 975 persons who’ve died on our roads and should have had access to seat belts, 532 of them were not buckled up, according to state officials.
Belts work. Use them.

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

Obituaries

Emily Bishop

MARIETTA, Ga. — Emily Payne Bishop, 64, of 4082 Oak Forest Circle, wife of James A. Bishop, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 in Dunwoody.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home, Greenwood, S.C.

Alma “MaMaw” Calvert

WARE SHOALS — Alma Elizabeth Nabors “MaMaw” Calvert, 77, of 11 Wood St., widow of William Joseph Calvert, Sr., died December 5, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born in Ware Shoals, a daughter of the late Algie and Mollie Bramlett Nabors. She had worked in Riegel Textile Corp., retired from Emerald Center, and for many years ran MaMaw’s School for Children in her home. She was a member of Ware Shoals Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Surviving are two sons; Tommy Calvert and wife Sheila of Ware Shoals, Paul Calvert and wife Karen of Waterloo; a daughter-in-law Jennie Calvert of Ware Shoals. She was predeceased by a son William Joseph Calvert, Jr.
Also, surviving are one brother, Benny Nabors, Lavonia, GA; two sisters, Betty Sue Brown, Royston, GA, Shelby Jean Crawford, Ninety Six, SC; six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and one granddog.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 3 PM at Ware Shoals Pentecostal Holiness Church with Rev. Mac Jones and Rev. Barry Bryan officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Active pallbearers will be John Walker, James Madden, Gene McAllister, James Varnum, Mike Waters, Eugene Holley, Terry Boyter and Joseph Richey.
Honorary escort will be members of the Adult Sanctuary Sunday School Class.
The family is at the home of Patrick and “Toot” Griswold, 109 Center Road, Greenwood and will receive friends Wednesday, 6-9 PM at Parker-White Funeral Home.

Dorothy Lawton

Dorothy Jean Lawton, 74, of 524 Bolt Ave., died Monday, Dec. 5, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenville, she was a daughter of the late Fred Warren Malone Sr. and Eva Elizabeth Walker Malone. She was retired from Nantex and of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include six daughters, Beth Lawton, Pat Blohm, Susie Lawton, Sharon Lawton and Eva Greer, all of Greenwood and Karen Bayne of West Pelzer; a son, Andy Lawton of Greenwood; two sisters, Sally Doyon of Travelers Rest and Claudia Buretto of Greenwood; a brother, Fred Malone Jr. of Hodges; 17 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is 1 p.m. Friday at the Salvation Army Church, conducted by Captain Susan May.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at the home of Beth Lawton, 524 Bolt Ave.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Emma McNair

CALHOUN FALLS — Emma Bonds McNair, 91, of 102 Greenwood St., died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 at her home.
Services are 11 a.m. Friday at Church of God of Prophecy.
Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Calhoun Falls Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Flowers accepted or memorials may be made to Church of God of Prophecy, 722 Darlington St., Calhoun Falls, SC 29628.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home is in charge.

Tecola Parks

PLUM BRANCH — Services for Tecola Parks are 11 a.m. Thursday at Mount Moriah Baptist Church, McCormick, conducted by the Revs. Roderick Cummings and Robert L. Ramsey. Burial is in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at 10.
The family is at the home of a sister Carrie Lou Cunningham, Route 1.
Walker Funeral Home, McCormick, is in charge.

Hazel Ridgeway

WARE SHOALS — Hazel Stone Ridgeway, 83, widow of Wilton E. Ridgeway, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 at her home.
Born in Laurens County, she was a daughter of the late James E. and Annie Lee Arnold Stone. She was a graduate of Anderson College and served as a Navy WAVE. She retired from the office of Greenville County Detention Center. A former member of St. Paul United Methodist Church before moving to Ware Shoals upon retirement, she was a member of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a sister, Robbie Stone Woods of Ware Shoals.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday at Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Bill Harris and the Revs. Fred Treaster and Phillip Shuler. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Joe Woods, Richard Woods, Jack Sullivan Sr., Ben Snyder, Kennon Abrams and David Dyal.
Visitation is 10-11 Thursday at the church.
The family is at the home, 18 Oak St.
Memorials may be made to the Cemetery Fund, Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, c/o Dot Sullivan, 1081 Dairy Road, Ware Shoals, SC 29692.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Gwendolyn F. Sewell

WASHINGTON — Gwendolyn Freeman Sewell, 45, wife of Eric Sewell, died Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005 in Washington.
Born in McCormick, S.C., she was a daughter of George and Classie Perrin Freeman. She was educated in Washington public schools and at Howard University. She worked at George Washington Hospital and was a lieutenant in the U.S. Secret Service. A member of Bunton Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the Young Adult Choir, she also served as Women’s Day chairperson.
Survivors include her husband of the home; her parents of Washington; three brothers, Michael Freeman, Richard Freeman and Mike Freeman, all of Washington; two sisters, Alma Jean Freeman and Rose Tablis of Washington; a grandmother, Alma Perrin of McCormick; and an adopted son, Lawrence Dudley of Washington.
Services were 10 a.m. Tuesday in Washington. Burial was at Fort Lincoln Cemetery.
Marshall Funeral Home was in charge.
Announcement courtesy of Walker Funeral Home, McCormick.

James Arnold Witt Sr.

James Arnold Witt Sr., 71, of 110 Ridgemont Drive, husband of Annie Ruth Williams Witt, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greer, he was a son of the late Chester Duckett, Daniel P. Roosevelt Witt and Essie Lucilla Smith Witt. He served in the Army during the Panama conflict and retired from Solutia Inc. with 40 years of service. A member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, he was a deacon, church treasurer, budget committee member, sexton and O.C. Mass Choir member.
Survivors include his wife of the home; three sons, James Witt Jr. of Columbia, Vincent M. Witt of Greenwood and Kenneth Witt of Greenville; four daughters, Peggy Witt of Greenwood, Barbara Witt, Mildred Morgan and Teresa Ellis, all of Charlotte, N.C.; several brothers, including Daniel P. Russell Witt of Trenton, N.J.; several sisters; 16 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home in The Willows.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Gretta L. Wright

Gretta Louise Pope Wright, 46, of 507 Trakas Ave., wife of Robert Wright, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood County, she was a daughter of the late Moses Calhoun and Nannie Lou Pope. She was a member of Morris Chapel Baptist Church, the Inspirators Choir and Crimestoppers.
Survivors include her husband of the home; a son, Jaworski Pope of the home; two brothers, Rhoderick Pope of Spartanburg and Michael Pope of Greenwood; a sister, Arlene Pope of Greenwood; two grandchildren reared in the home, Jaworian Pope and J’Len Anijah Pope.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.