Patriotism on display

Piedmont Tech's Family Day a blast in Greenwood

July 5, 2005

By JACKIE BROACH
Index-Journal staff writer

Oohs and ahs resonated from the lips of thousands gathered Monday night at Piedmont Tech as fireworks painted the sky purple and green.
It was the school’s 19th year playing host to the Fourth of July Family Day, which features the area’s largest fireworks display. More than 5,000 were attended this year, event organizers said.
Many set up blankets and lawn chairs on the college’s campus to watch the display, while hundreds of others lined Emerald Road, watching from their vehicles.
For many, it’s an annual tradition.
“We come here every year and sit in the same spot,” said Cassandra Wise, sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket with her family. They moved to Greenwood from Sumter in 1990 and said that was when they first started coming to Family Day.
“It’s just a lot of fun that the whole family can enjoy,” she said. “It’s a great family atmosphere. We love the fireworks and it’s good, cheap entertainment.”
This year’s headlining performance act was Hack Bartley and Shuffle. With its two-hour beach music lineup, the band got children, couples and entire families up and out on the floor to shag the night away. The group took the stage again following the fireworks display.
In addition, Family Day featured a patriotic costume contest, a first for the event. The contest was created because of the number of people who come to the event every year decked out in patriotic apparel, said Nancy Hall, director of college communications.
More than a dozen families registered for the contest. Among those were cousins Natalie Black and Brianna Thrasher, who took a prize for having traveled the longest distance. Black, along with her mother, Debbie, traveled from Alabama. The two said they come to Greenwood for the annual event whenever possible. Thrasher and her father, David Haug, of Greenwood, attend the event every year, they said.
The Grazley family, of Greenwood, won the grand prize. Family members Tammy, Alex, Eason, Casey, Abbie and grandmother Sandy were the winners.
The Davenport family, of Waterloo, won the contest for the most family members dressed patriotically. Family members are Josie, Whitni, Tabby, Brenda, Taylor and Kayla.
The day’s event’s kicked off at 5 p.m. with a ceremonial raising of the flag. Other events families enjoyed were carnival rides, a performance by the Rock ’n’ Roll Cruisers, a blue grass show by The Smith Brothers, an alumni reception and silent auction.

Edith Coleman Norwood

Edith Coleman Norwood, 78, wife of Richard Eston Norwood, died Sunday, July 3, 2005 at Carlisle Nursing Center in Due West.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Malachi Gabriel Smith

DONALDS — Infant Malachi Gabriel Smith, of 18 Pine Lane, died Saturday, July 2, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
Survivors include his mother, Diamond Smith of Donalds; a sister, Diamious Smith of Donalds; and maternal grandparents, Obadiah and Daneen Smith Dodson of Donalds.
Graveside services are 1 p.m. today at Forestville Baptist Church Cemetery, Highway 178, conducted by the Rev. Stella Dodson.
The family is at the home.
Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals, is in charge.

Clayton Tate

WATERLOO — Clayton Paul “Cowboy” Tate, 87, of 731 Whitten Rd., Waterloo, husband of the late Beatrice Conwell Tate, died July 3, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center. A former resident of Ware Shoals, Mr. Tate was born in Anderson County to the late Paul and Annie Brown Tate. He was retired from Greenwood Veterinary Hospital and was a cattle herdsman with Greenwood Mills Farms. He was a Woodmen of the World and a past member of Bradley CC Camp. Cowboy was also a member of First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.
Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Bruce “Annette” Neal of Ware Shoals, Mrs. Bobby “Carolyn” Foster of Waterloo, Mrs. Larry “Cricket” Sutherland of Greenwood; one stepdaughter, Mrs. Marion “Carole” Elrod of Greenwood; two sisters, Mrs. Robert “Pauline” Cooner of Altha, FL, Mrs. Inez Dyar of Anderson; one brother, Talmadge Tate of Greenwood; nine grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, eight step-great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren and one step-great-great-grandchild; and a special friend, Geraldine Harley.
Services will be 2 PM Wednesday at First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Greenwood with the Reverend Fred Smith officiating. The body will be placed in the church at 1 PM. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 PM Tuesday at Harley Funeral Home. The family is at the home of his daughter, 731 Whitten Rd., Waterloo.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Realizing a lifelong dream

GHS’ Baldwin honored as a Sports Illustrated All-American

July 5, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Clay Baldwin always wanted to see his name in Sports Illustrated, but he never expected it would come before his 17th birthday.
The 16-year-old Greenwood High School senior place-kicker was selected by the national sports magazine as a member of the pre-season high school All-American team.
Baldwin, who turns 17 on Aug. 17, was named the kicker for the Southeast regional squad in Sports Illustrated’s July 4 edition.
“I never really thought I’d be in this magazine ... at least not this early in my life,” said Baldwin, who was named to the All-Lakelands team in his first season as the Eagles’ kicker/punter. “It’s kind of a shock.
“It’s very important to me. It’s definitely a goal I set, but nothing I thought I’d reach this early. It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to be in this magazine, unless I go further.”
Baldwin is the only player from South Carolina named in the July 4 issue, which profiled the offense.
With the selection, he is eligible for the national team, which will be announced in the July 25 edition. All members of the regional teams will also be re-listed in that issue.
“It’s exciting,” said Bill Baldwin, Clay’s father. “I think it’s an honor for Clay. He’s got a God-given talent and he’s worked very hard to develop that, a lot of hours in the weight room and a lot of hours kicking.
“I’m excited for him and I very proud of him.”
Bill said they have bought five copies of the SI issue, with Clay’s grandparents expected to purchase a few more.
Most of the Baldwin family is waiting in anticipation for July 25 to snatch up the national team issue.
However, Clay and Bill weren’t the first Baldwins to find out about the spectacular news. That honor went to Rosey, Clay’s mother.
After returning from N.C. State football camp, one of several college camps Clay attended this summer, Rosey did as she normally does and checked the phone answering machine.
When she heard the message from a representative from Time Inc. Magazines, which publishes Sports Illustrated, she called Clay to the phone.
Upon hearing the message, Clay was a little reticent to believe what it was saying, that he was selected to be on the magazine’s All-American team.
“I thought it was kind of a gimmick thing,” Baldwin said. “I never really thought I’d actually be in Sports Illustrated. I thought it was something I’d qualified for and then they’d pick somebody from a group or whatever.
“I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself.”
That apprehension delayed his and his family’s desire to pass on the good news.
“At first we didn’t really tell anybody, because we didn’t know if it was true or not,” he said. “But since then it’s kind of spread. Now, everybody has seen it. I’ve heard a lot from it already.”
Baldwin knows now with this new honor that he has even more to live up to his senior season.
“The expectations are most definitely higher for me now,” he said. “I hope I can live up to them. I don’t think it adds to the pressure that much. But I do think I have to raise my goals. I think I can handle the pressure.”
But one thing he does hope will come from the All-American selection from a respected national magazine is that it expands his college prospects.
Baldwin said he has received about 40 letters of interest from college programs all over the country, but as of yet, no official offers have been given.
“Maybe this will help open things up for me,” Baldwin said.
Growing up a Gamecock fan, he said he’s open to the best college fit, both athletically and academically.
Baldwin is about to begin only his fourth year of organized football. The first sport he played for Greenwood High School was golf as an eighth-grader.
“I’ve always just loved kicking,” Baldwin said. “But from elementary school all through middle school, whenever I would see a football game on TV, I’d just go outside at halftime and punt a football around.”
“I have a lot of natural ability and that’s helped, but I’ve received a lot of good instruction as well. Coach (David) Walton and coach (Mike) Bridges and (Clemson University kicker and former Greenwood teammate) Jad (Dean) have helped me out tremendously.”

Commandments response could give Graham boost

July 5, 2005

Everyone wasn’t happy with the U. S. Supreme Court’s decision on displaying the Ten Commandments. The decision was that sometimes displays are OK, other times they are not. That means, of course, that nothing’s been settled and more legal challenges loom.
That’s what happens when courts try to make all people happy. They muddy the legal waters and make no one happy.
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S. C., has been the targets of critics in recent weeks, particularly over his involvement in the bipartisan agreement on judges. Some of the Bush judicial nominees have since been approved, to be sure. Still, some critics are wondering what might yet be given away on the other side.

DESPITE ALL THAT, THOUGH, Graham surely struck responsive chords among his constituents with his comments on the Ten Commandments ruling.
Graham’s statement said:
“I look forward to reviewing the Court’s decision as they came away with very different conclusions about the Kentucky and Texas cases (on displaying the Ten Commandments).
“Religion plays a fundamental role in our country. The idea that religion does not have a place in our public institutions has not been the history of our nation. The first people who came to America came for religious freedom. Their goal was to make sure you could worship God on your terms and the government would not take sides.

“DISPLAYING THE TEN Commandments is just part of our history. Our Founding Fathers openly embraced God in their debate when writing the Constitution. Most of our laws are based on Judeo-Christian principles. So a public display of the Ten Commandments, in my opinion, is not the establishment of a religion.
“The Ten Commandments are on the Supreme Court building. As the presiding officer of the Senate, right behind us it says ‘In God We Trust.’ ‘Under God’ is part of our pledge. The idea that God should be driven out of the public square is dangerous for the country.”
Graham has stated what the majority of South Carolinians believe. No doubt they are pleased that he has left no doubt where he stands, and that, obviously, is with them.