Ninety Six resident sees devastation firsthand

January 1, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal staff writer

The closest most Greenwood-area residents have come to the Asian tsunami disaster are the horrific pictures of the death and devastation they’ve seen in their newspaper and on their television screens. But one Ninety Six resident was in Phuket when the giant waves crashed into the shore, wreaking havoc as they tore across the small Thai island.
Zane Keator, 18, moved to Phuket on Dec. 10, 2004, to spend some time abroad with his father, Tom Keator, who has lived and worked in Thailand for about 10 years.
On Christmas – the day before the tsunami struck – Keator was out with friends for a night of celebration in Patong, a municipality on the southeastern coast of the island.
“We were going to stay in Patong all night,” Keator wrote in an e-mail to The Index-Journal, “but at about 3 a.m. we were tired and we decided to go home.”
Although Keator didn’t know it at the time, his decision to leave the area may have saved his life – in only a few hours, “the place we were at the night before was not there anymore,” Keator said.
Keator returned to his bungalow where he was staying with a family from England, which owns a pub near his father’s office. He and his friend awoke about 8:30 the next morning.
“I saw that (my friend’s) neighborhood had coconuts coming fast down the driveway, and soon there was a foot of water,” he said. “We thought the sewers had flooded, but then it rose to four feet.”
Keator and his friends sought shelter on the second floor of the bungalow, and about an hour after seeing the water rise in the streets, they realized there had been a tidal wave.
Thousands of miles away, Keator’s mother Dohnna Boyajian, a Ninety Six resident, woke Sunday morning, unaware of the disaster her son and ex-husband had survived.
“I got up Sunday morning and turned on the computer to check my e-mail, and I just happened to see something about a giant tsunami in Southeast Asia, but I didn’t click on it,” Boyajian said. “I saw an e-mail from Tom saying that they were all OK. I didn’t have to panic very long.”
As of 8 Saturday morning Thai time, of the more than 135,000 tsunami-related deaths, Thailand has reported more than 4,000 – 279 in Phuket alone – and nearly 6,500 more are still missing. Although Keator knew seven people who were missing right after the waves struck, by Saturday morning all but two had been located.
As millions of people begin the process of rebuilding their homes and lives, Keator said he and his father – whose house on the middle of the island was spared from damage – have helped some of his friends sort through the wreckage to find any belongings that could be saved.
“We were shocked – I haven’t seen much of the cleanup, but I know the people worst affected are still in disbelief. We went to help a friend salvage some of his things from what is left of his house,” he said. “The Thai people were helping while most tourists just walked by and turned their heads to the damage - but anyone who was affected was willing to help out.”
Keator said he plans to remain in Thailand until sometime next year.

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

Jerry Burton

HODGES — Gerald I. “Jerry” Burton, 64, of 2814 Highway 246 N., husband of Jeraleine Cheek Burton, died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Ware Shoals, he was a son of the late Howard and Bernice Marler Burton. He was a retired painter with Miller Co. and was of the Pentecostal Holiness faith.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a daughter, Wanda Denise Bice of Greenwood; three sons, Harold Van Burton and Wayne Burton, both of Greenwood and Bobby Gerald Burton of Garden City, Ga., and four grandchildren.
Graveside services are 3 p.m. Sunday at Bethlehem Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. James Young.
Pallbearers are Joseph Tullis, Jim Tullis III, Ronny Burton, Larry Thomas, Fred Tullis and Steven Collins.
Honorary escorts are Ronald Bice and Randy Driggers.
Visitation is 6-7:30 tonight at Harley Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to the Gerald Burton Fund, c/o Harley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 777, Greenwood, SC 29648.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

William R. Butler

Services for William Robert Butler are 2 p.m. Monday at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Coronaca, conducted by the Rev. Bernard White, assisted by the Rev. Paul Jennings. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Stanley Butler, Mark Lindsey, Adrian Curry, Demetrius Terry, Tavius Morgan, Robert Johnson, Edward Watson and Thomas Watson.
Flower bearers are Kianna McDuffie, Shuwanda Smith, Keisha Morgan, Roshanda Morgan, Linda Morgan, Sherry Carter, Monique Rappley and Shenika Hill.
Visitation is Sunday evening at the home of his mother, Geneva Butler, 1307 E. Cambridge Ave.
Memorials may be made to Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., 534 Maxwell Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@emeralis.com

Karen Hill

GREENWOOD – Karen “Kay” Brown Hill, 56, resident of 580 Burnett Road, wife of Willie Hill, died December 30, 2004 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, June 15, 1948, she was a daughter of the late W. Harper and Sallie Burdashaw Brown. She was employed as a registered nurse with Laurens County Hospital and was of the Pentecostal Holiness faith. Surviving in addition to her husband of the home are two daughters, Donna P. Malone of Greenwood and Lisa P. Elrod of Abbeville; four grandchildren, Tabitha Malone, Frank Malone, III, Jessica Elrod and T.J. Elrod; three sisters, Myrtle Walden of Powdersville, Mildred McWhite of Greenville and Hollis Chambers of Greenwood; three half-brothers, Larry Agnew, Patrick Agnew and Johnny Agnew, all of Greenville; a half-sister, Dana Hundley of Greenville.
Mrs. Hill was predeceased by a son, Robert F. Peurifoy.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2PM Sunday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Laurin Young and Rev. Jimmy Rains officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be James Hill, Frank Malone, Ed Mackie, Wayne Gibson, Ralph Meade and Bobby Morris. Honorary escort will be nurses and other employees of Laurens County Hospital.
The family is at the home and will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 9 Saturday evening. For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE HILL FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Baron McNinch

WARE SHOALS — James Baron McNinch, 93, widower of Ruth White McNinch, of 16 Ware St., died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late O’Dell and Annie Cooper McNinch. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder, deacon and Sunday School teacher for many years. A Clemson graduate and World War II veteran, he was a Ware Shoals High School teacher before joining the Riegel office staff. He served on the local school board, the county school board, local and county election commissions and the committee that formed the EMS.
Survivors include a daughter, Frances Anne McNinch of Ware Shoals.
Memorial services are 3 p.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church, conducted by the Rev. Wayne Wicker. Private entombment is at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Treasurer, First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 542, Ware Shoals, SC 29692; Greater Greenwood United Ministry, 1404 Edgefield St., Greenwood, SC 29646; HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646; or a charity of one’s choice.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Joseph Mullen

Joseph Francis Mullen, 79, husband of Betty L. Behrend Mullen, died Friday, Dec. 31, 2004 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Pittsburgh, he was a son of the late Joseph and Hilda Dannhardt Mullen. He was an Army veteran of World War II and the Koran War. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh and retired as a geographer after 39 years with the Department of the Army Defense Mapping Agency. He was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and a former member of the Teams of Our Lady.
Survivors include his wife of the home, a daughter, Gail Underwood of Greenwood and a sister, Marcella Conrad of Pittsburgh.
A memorial service is 11 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, conducted by Father Richard Harris.
Blyth Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com

Brigadier General John Braxton Wallace, USAF (Retired)

GREENWOOD – Brigadier General John Braxton Wallace, 86, resident of 321 C-l Gatewood Drive, husband of Virginia Camp Wallace, died December 21, 2004 at Self Regional Medical Center.
General Wallace was born in Florence, SC, September 9, 1918, a son of the late Braxton C. and Carrie Jones Wallace, He was educated in the Greenwood public schools, attended The Citadel from 1935 to 1938 and earned a B.S. degree at the University of South Carolina in 1939.
In June 1939 he began his military career in primary flying school at Love Field, Dallas, TX. He graduated from Army Air Corps Pilot School at Kelly Field, Texas in 1940 as a Second Lieutenant and a rated Air Corps Pilot. He flew a B-17 Bomber during WW II and was a Transport Pilot after WW II. After the war, General Wallace remained in the service and completed the Air Command and Staff College in 1947 and the Air War College in 1954. During his thirty years as an Air Force officer, he served as a flight instructor, staff officer. Pentagon staff officer, and as Base Commander of air bases in Evereux, France, TAF Commander at Orlando AFB in Florida, and Wing Commander at McGuire AFB in New Jersey and Dover AFB in Delaware. He qualified to fly forty-nine aircraft types. General Wallace received twenty-three medals and decorations for his service, including two Legion of Merits, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Air Medals, and the French Croix de Guerre.
After retiring from the Air Force, General Wallace was appointed Director of Transportation for the state of Delaware and concurrently served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Kent General Hospital. In 1985 he retired again and moved back to his hometown of Greenwood.
Surviving in addition to his wife of the home are a son, Braxton Wallace of Atlanta, GA; a daughter, Ginnie W. Silva of Albuquerque, NM; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his daughter, Linda Wallace Riddle and his one sibling, Richard Harris Wallace, CPA and former president and CEO of The Bank of Hodges (now Palmetto Bank).
Graveside services with full military rites will be conducted at 2PM Monday at Bethlehem Cemetery with First Lieutenant Steve Survance, USAF Chaplain officiating.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home.
The family is at the home in Gatewood.
Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, 222 Pressley Street, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to the Wildlife Rescue, Inc. of NM, PO Box 13222, Albuquerque, NM 87192.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE WALLACE FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Age doesn’t matter to marathon runners

2 local athletes compete in race at Kiawah Island

December 31, 2004

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

One never knows at what age he or she will find their bliss.
For Jimmy Gilchrist of Plum Branch, it was in his 40s, while Ninety Six’s Dawn McGuire found it in her 20s.
Gilchrist and McGuire realized the full extent of their passion for running earlier this month in Charleston when they each competed in their first marathon. The two rookie distance-runners took part in the 27th annual Kiawah Island Marathon.
Gilchrist, 49, a non-athlete during his time a McCormick High School, has run three half-marathons in the last eight years, while the 21-year-old McGuire, a former basketball player at Greenwood High School, has only one 10K run on her distance-running resume.
However on Dec. 11, the two Lakelands residents eagerly faced down the daunting 26.2-mile course in one of Charleston’s top resort locales, finding time to take in the sites and sounds of what Kiawah Island and the race had to offer.
“I enjoyed the run itself,” Gilchrist said. “Taking in the beautiful scenery and the thoughts that were going through my mind, it was great.
“I wasn’t trying to finish in first place. That was not my goal. My goal was to finish the race and be a part of it.”
McGuire agreed.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I took everything in, especially the houses. There are some amazing houses out there.
“I did better in the race than I did in any of my training. It was the best I’ve ever felt running.”
While Gilchrist and McGuire, who are separated by an 18-year age gap, finished their first marathon foray sharing similar sentiments, that age gap played a large part in how the two prepared for, endured through and recuperated from the long and exhausting run.
Gilchrist began his training four months earlier with a mile-specific running regimen. He was out almost nightly, completing the necessary mileage requirement for the day. The amount he ran each day while fluctuating, gradually increased along the way.
But near the same time Gilchrist was starting his training program, McGuire was just taking up distance running. The 21-year-old had only one month of any kind of training before her 10K run in September.
Despite the lack of time devoted to the sport, McGuire still continued her normal fitness routine to prepare for her first marathon.
“It was pretty much normal training for me in getting ready for the race, except for Sundays, which was my long days,” she said.
“But the farthest I ran before the race was 15 miles.”
The two also had different feelings upon seeing the finish line.
Gilchrist said he began feeling the pain of the endurance race around mile 16, but with two miles remaining, he found a second wind.
However, the sight of finish line capped the end of a self-fulfilling day for the 49-year-old.
“That sign that said ‘finish’ it was a breath of fresh air,” he said. “It was like cold water on a hot day.
“Seeing that finish line meant a lot to me.”
By contrast, McGuire was less thrilled to see her first marathon come to a close.
“I thought I’d be more excited to see it (the finish line), because I felt like I could have kept going,” she said. “I was kind of sad that it was ending.
“I think I had more energy toward the end of the race.”
McGuire said she had little discomfort after finishing the 26.2 miles. In fact, three days later she was back at the Greenwood YMCA working out on the elliptical machine.
Gilchrist said he began feeling the affects of the marathon almost as soon as he was through. The McCormick County man gladly used most of the recommended six days of post-race rest.
“They give you a care package that has some cream that you rub on your knees, and I told my wife before the race that I wasn’t going to need it … but I did need it,” Gilchrist said, with a laugh. “I rubbed it all over my knees that night after the race and I took two Advil, and that felt better.
“You do start feeling it right away. I was still pretty sore the next night, but I think it had more to do with the actual race than my age.”
Gilchrist, who turns 50 next month, said he’s already planning to tackle his second marathon sometime next year.
For McGuire, who works at Emerald City Cleaners, December’s race was the first step in what she hopes is a long road. Not only does she plan to run another marathon in February, she has signed up for the Umstead Endurance Race (a 50-mile ultra-marathon) April 2 in Raleigh, N.C. with her boss David Gurley, a noted distance-runner, who will run the 100-mile portion of the Umstead race.
But while McGuire is excited about getting an early start in the sport of distance racing, Gilchrist hasn’t been deterred by the time it took for him to find his passion.
“I say that I wish I could have done this earlier in life, but a lot of times in life we’re not ready for things,” he said. “I think it was the right time for me. I don’t think I would have appreciated it as well at 30 as I do now.”

Ron Cox covers prep sports for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ronc@indexjournal.com

S. C. offers many things for business and industry

January 1, 2005

Things are looking up for South Carolina. The economy is improving and new jobs are being added, something that should be encouraging to a layoff-weary state.
According to Bob Faith, the Palmetto State’s Commerce Secretary, development efforts have crossed the $2.5 billion mark for the first time since 2001. All this good news, which includes 12,694 new jobs, is a result of the improving economy, Faith said recently.
That, no doubt, has a positive impact. When the economy gets better, everything improves. There are other factors that make South Carolina a desirable place for new industries to be established, though. Those things also make the state attractive for industries that want to relocate from other places.

FOR ONE THING, SOUTH CAROLINA is a pro-business state. That means, of course, that officials in state and local governments create a climate conducive to good business practices that ultimately benefit industry and business and all consumers.
That one thing should be enough to give this state a boost. There are, however, other assets that put South Carolina in an enviable position. Its technical education system, which includes Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, is a ready source for training needed workers. Furthermore, it also helps the state and localities in many ways directly tied to the economic environment. It provides a means for many South Carolinians to improve their education at a very reasonable cost, and that, naturally, enhances their employment capabilities.

THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR, TOO, that is sometimes overlooked. However, it is an integral part of what makes South Carolina a good place for industry and business, sure, but also workers in general. That is the right-to-work law. Because of that law, workers have the right to join a union or not join. That law leaves it up to the individual, and that’s how it should be. No person should be required to join a union or any other organization in order to be employed and to stay employed. That kind of freedom is what this nation is all about ….. or should be, anyway.
What this all means, it seems, is that no one thing can make or break the economy, in South Carolina or any other place. On the positive side, it takes a lot of people working together, facilitated by laws, customs, effort and a lot of other tangibles and intangibles. South Carolina apparently has them all. Now, all we have to do is find a way to keep what we have without losing more jobs.

Carpet crimes

Cleaning house after holidays may take professional help

January 1, 2005

By CHARLEE MARSHALL
Special to The Index-Journal

Chances are cleaning was among your many tasks as you prepared for the holidays.
Yes, the house looked its best after a thorough cleaning and in its Christmas finery. That was before a glass of red wine toppled over during your annual open house, Junior spilled gravy on the dining room carpet and the baby’s chocolate milk dribbled on the arm of your favorite upholstered chair.
With all the holiday cooking and entertaining you are bound to have mishaps.
Okay, so you were planning to get the upholstery cleaned on your sofa and chairs anyway, and the spots on the rug will disappear just as soon as the carpet cleaners have a day free in their hectic schedule. But how do you attend to accidents in the meantime to keep them from turning into permanent stains?
“Holidays are a busy time in preparation for guests,” said Rick Ballentine, owner of Stanley Steemer, which serves the Greenwood area.
He said some folks like to have carpet and upholstery cleaned before they entertain and others prefer to make a mess, then have professionals clean it up.
“Every accident is different and they are treated differently,” Ballentine said. “Spills like wine are handled differently than coffee or cooking oil.”
Don’t use any old cleaning agent on upholstery as you can easily ruin a piece. “There are a lot of spot removers I don’t recommend,” he said. “They make more of a mess.”
When it comes to treating spills on upholstery, “less is better.” Ballentine advises using a clean towel dampened with water to soak up the spill and then blotting it with a dry towel until it’s as dry as possible.
However, water with a little dish detergent added also can be used to spot clean. The area should be rinsed well as there will be a recurrence of the stain if any residual soapy goo is left.
Ballentine said fruit punches, colored soft drinks and cheap wines, which also have dyes in them to give them their red color, are chief stain makers.
Stanley Steemer at 1-800-720-9256 offers technical support and free advice over the telephone on how to handle emergency cleaning situations. The company also has a web site StanleySteemer.com with information on its services and products and offers a complete line of branded products to keep carpet and upholstery looking great between professional cleanings.
Candles provide ambience for many social gatherings and are attractive burning during the holidays. But an accident can certainly detract from the glow of the season.
John Terry, owner of Trico Chem-Dry Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, said candle wax, if it is white, can be gotten out of a carpet by applying steam from a steam iron to soften it and then wiping it up with a towel.
However, if the wax is colored, the dye might be left behind, especially if it is red.
Terry commonly sees spills made by eggnog, wine and chocolate that happen during the holidays. Blotting them up with a towel dampened with warm water can help. Resolve or a product he sells, Stain Extinguisher, can be used, but Terry said not to use a variety of products or harsh cleaners to try to get them up. “Try one spot and if it doesn’t come up, call a professional,” Terry advises.
He uses a special red-stain remover process on stubborn spots.
“There’s a good chance of getting it out,” he said.
The folks at McWhorter’s Cleaning and Contracting Service also agree that the key for retarding spots from spills is to blot, not scrub as first aid. Office Manager Elisa Merck forwarded some useful tips to help during the holidays or anytime.