100th anniversary celebration

Local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter marks founding

February 21, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal staff writer

On Feb. 22, 1905, 12 Greenwood-area women gathered for the first time at a house on Main Street to begin the Star Fort Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
On Sunday, dozens of the chapter’s current members gathered for another special purpose – to celebrate their 100th Anniversary with a Centennial Tea at Old Cokesbury College.
Over the past 100 years, the chapter, now 107 members strong, has been dedicated to historic preservation, education and patriotism.
“Those are our three main thrusts,” said Henrietta Morton, Vice President General with the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “Our primary focus is patriotic. We educate people on respect of the flag, voting and honoring veterans and the military.”
The chapter, named for the historical Star Fort site in Ninety Six, was actually approved by the National Society in October of 1905, but Morton said members have always celebrated the Feb. 22 date because it was the first meeting, and it corresponds with President George Washington’s birthday.
Morton, who has been a member of the Star Fort Chapter for 50 years, said the DAR, headquartered in Washington, has about 170,000 members worldwide, and is composed of women who can document their descent from an ancestor who served or aided the Patriot cause in the American Revolution.
More than 10 State officers with the DAR were on hand for the ceremony, including State Regent Sheila Davis, who said she was delighted to see the Star Fort Chapter thriving after 100 years.
“We have a good many chapters in South Carolina that have celebrated 100 years. The National Society formed in 1890, and a lot of our chapters formed right after that,” she said. Davis added that South Carolina has 73 DAR chapters with more than 3,000 members statewide.
During Sunday’s ceremony, DAR members honored Emerald High School’s MacKenzie Bartz, Greenwood High School’s Martha Dale Beaudrot and Ninety Six High School’s Wesley Gordon Patterson as DAR Good Citizens, and the chapter’s 50-year members received special certificates honoring their dedicated membership.
Greenwood resident Mary Blake, who was only 26 when she joined the Star Fort Chapter in 1946, is one of the chapter’s longest serving members, and was the chapter’s Regent in the 1960s.
“My mother was a member, and she decided that I needed to be a member also,” she said. “I knew what DAR meant and what it stood for, and I knew it was a really outstanding women’s organization.”
Sara Deadwyler, who joined the chapter in 1954, said she couldn’t believe it has been 50 years since her induction.
“I didn’t realize it has been that long,” she said, adding that being a member for so many years has helped her realize the DAR’s effect on the community. “Through the years, I’ve realized how widespread we are and how many things we do. We are involved with many people.”

Life lessons learned off the field remain part of Abbeville man’s life

February 21, 2005

By SHAVONNE POTTS
Index-Journal staff writer

Claude Thomas considers himself a man who stands up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. As the chairman of the Abbeville County Council, somehow it just makes his efforts all the more official, he said.
Thomas said his educational environment was filled with teachers who cared about the content of his character and the adult he would later become.
“I think your environment does a lot to shape who you are and where you are going in life,” said Thomas, who is deputy director of city and county planning for Greenwood.
As a student at Josephine Spearman Wright High School, Thomas was involved in athletics, but it was the life lessons that he learned from his teachers off the playing field that have remained a part of his life.
Ronald Davis taught Thomas high school physical education and was his football, basketball and baseball coach. He was also the one who taught Thomas to always work toward perfection.
Thomas said he always admired the young teacher, who began teaching straight out of college, for his disposition toward doing things the right way.
“I work toward perfection and try to be the best I can in all my endeavors,” he said. “I have a strong desire for completion.”
Davis even helped Thomas get a college scholarship to attend Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina.
When he returned from the Marine Corps, Thomas said he had picked up a bad habit, cursing.
While participating in an alumni football game, he was using foul language until Davis called him on his behavior.
“‘Is that what the Marine Corps taught you, Claude?’ he asked me,” Thomas said.
The incident embarrassed Thomas, but he said it taught him to be centered and got him back on track.
Thomas later went on to receive an associate’s degree at Piedmont Tech, a bachelor of science degree at Lander University, and then a master’s degree from Southern Wesleyan.
Thomas also said that in high school, Thales Mims was the kind of teacher that expected more from his students.
“He was the type of teacher that expected the best out of you. He always challenged us,” Thomas said.
English and writing teacher George Harkness regularly made sure the seventh-grade student wrote legibly — something that’s still an important priority to him today.

Cabri: Lander tennis to have young team as season begins

February 21, 2005

By BRIAN HOWARD
Assistant sports editor

The Lander University tennis season is almost here.
The Bearcats open the season Wednesday against Erskine, but this won’t be the typical dominating Lander team of old.
Coach Joe Cabri lost his two best players during the offseason, and hasn’t had much time to recruit, as some players have recently joined the squad.
The Bearcats have the youngest team in the program’s history.
Last year, top player Rob Steckley, who was No. 1 in the nation, turned pro and is doing well, Cabri said.
“Rob called last week from a tournament in California,” Cabri said. “He said that he beat a player that was ranked in the top hundred in the world.”
The Bearcats’ No. 2 player also turned pro and No. 3 is out recovering from a shoulder injury.
“That leaves four, five and six from last year’s team,” Cabri said. “We have a freshman from the fall, and six new players in January, who have no collegiate playing experience. The potential of our freshman is good. We just need time to develop it.”
Cabri, who is in his 32nd year at the helm at Lander and holder of the record for most consecutive national championships in Division II, said he is happy with the ability and character of the young team.
“They are great guys who work hard and will be a credit to Lander,” he said. “Unfortunately, we play seven of the top fifteen schools in the country, including the top three and that is quite a challenge for such inexperienced players.”
The schedule remains tough for the Bearcats, as Lander plays seven of the top 15 teams the Bearcats will play this season, including Peach Belt Conference opponents, USC Upstate (6th), Columbus State (11th), Armstrong Atlantic State (12th) and Georgia College and State University (15th).
Lander, ranked No. 13 in Division II, faces two top-ranked programs during a two-day stretch in March.
The Bearcats meet Valdosta State, ranked No. 2, March 7 and follow that meeting with a trip to West Florida, ranked No. 1, March 9.
If Lander wants to make a run through the PBC, then they will need to start with the returning players.
The Bearcats’ returning players are Nicolas Legros, Nick Tzekos and Henrick Erlandsson. Cabri said all are solid players, but they will have to play up this year and the competition is going to be exceptional.
Tobias Edstrom, the lone senior, is out with the shoulder injury. Sophomore transfer Gabriel Altmayer stepped into the role. Cabri said he is undecided at who will play what number.
The newcomers include Carlos Benatzky, Akshay Chellappa, Gintas Daniusevicius, Andre Ivarsson, Boris Stimi, T.C. Valle and sophomore transfer Caudyn Stinson, who is injuried.
“Borris, Carlos and T.C. all have good serves, are capable from the base line, and are natural athletes – they just need more consistency,” Cabri said. “Gintas is a very hard worker and solid from the base line, while Andre and Gabriel have good doubles siklls.”
The Bearcats were scheduled to begin play Friday at Augusta State, but because of injuries, Lander’s first match is Wednesday against Erskine, with the makeup date against Augusta State the following day.
Cabri is excited for the season to begin and looks forward to working with such a young squad.
“It’s going to be a good year, regardless of our record, because these are the kind of players that make coaching worthwhile and enjoyable,” Cabri said. “With time, they will shine for Lander down the road. It’s always great to bring in premier players, but it’s just as satisfying to see young players develop and excel.”

Opinion

Reforming tax structures is nothing to joke about

February 21, 2005

Is there a way to eliminate property taxes for South Carolinians? Some lawmakers believe there’s a way. Unfortunately, almost every “solution” proposed includes an increase in the sales tax.
The most recent plan to offer property tax relief comes from state Rep. Bob Walker, R-Spartanburg. His plan also would change the way the state pays for education.
Walker has offered legislation that would raise the sales tax to 7.5 cents on the dollar and eliminate the property taxes collected for schools. All of the sales tax would go into an education trust fund and be distributed to schools. That, Walker says, would take the burden of funding schools off local governments.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NEED relief. That’s a given. Walker’s plan would not eliminate the need for local property taxes, however. They would still have to raise revenue to support every other part of local government. Where would they get it other than through property or some other tax?
There is another consideration, too. The sales tax is always considered the likely source when anyone wants more tax revenue for anything. It has gone up in the Palmetto State, but has anyone ever seen a sales tax reduced?
There’s no doubt that most South Carolina taxpayers would like to see some form of property taxes relief. That’s been kicked around for years. Thus far no one has found a way to do it to everybody’s satisfaction. In fact, the tax structure in South Carolina is not all that less confusing than the federal tax code.
There are so many different taxes with so many variables it’s doubtful that anyone knows everything involved ….. in Columbia or in Washington.

MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR COMPLETE reform. Maybe it’s time for a comprehensive, repeat, comprehensive study of the tax situation all around. It wouldn’t hurt for every tax-funded operation in the state to have a thorough analysis, not only to justify needs, but also to make sure they are all funded adequately and properly. That would seem to be the only logical way to determine what we have and what is really needed.
After years and years of adding budgets on top of budgets, it should surprise no one that taxing and spending get so much attention from everyone who ever wondered who is taxed, what is taxed, how much comes in, how much goes out, and for what.
The simplicity of that thought, of course, is likely to generate some snickering around the Statehouse and elsewhere. Who knows, though? It might generate a little interest in real reform of the whole taxing situation.

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

Obituaries

Bill Connor

Services for Bill Connor are 1 p.m. Wednesday at Glovers Chapel Baptist Church in Troy, conducted by the Pastor M.L. Taylor, assisted by the Revs. Norris Turner, G.C. Patterson, Herman Lyons, Joseph Caldwell and Rev. Bowman. The body will be placed in the church at 12. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Wayne Murray, Dwight Murray, Steve Murray, John H. Hill, Carl Michael Bryant, Johnny Ferguson, Maurice Perkins, David Belcher, Willie Brisco, Roosevelt Lindsay and Donald Martin.
Flower bearers are nieces.
Honorary escorts are sons of the Aide Society No. 30 and deacon and deaconess of the church.
Visitation is Tuesday evening at the home, 345 Marion Ave.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@emeraldis.com

Gary Cox

Thomas Gary Cox, 69, of 158 Cherokee Drive, husband of Doris Jean Calvert Cox, died Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home.

Charlie Lounsbury

WATERLOO — Charlie W. Lounsbury, 75, of 111 Lake Overlook Road, husband of Wanda Wright, died Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Yakima, Wash., he was a son of the late William F. and Dora Rose Lounsbury. He was a retired signal corpsman in the Army having served in Vietnam and a member of the Disabled American Veterans. He was an electrician with Greenwood Mills, Mathews Plan and a member of Greenwood Community Church of the Nazarene.
Survivors include his wife of the home; four daughters, Cleta E. Villafuerte and Debra Edwards, both of Greenwood; Colleen Noble and Sandy Hoff of Washington state; a son, Bobby Rogers of Waterloo; a brother, Donald Loundsbury of Oregon; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Greenwood Community Church of the Nazarene, conducted by the Pastor Robert Albert. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Harley Funeral Home.
The family is at the home of his daughter, Cleta E. Villafuerte, 110 Lake Overlook Road.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Rachel Stewart

ABBEVILLE — Rachel Stewart, 64, of 77 Hummingbird Lane, died Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005 at her home.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home.