GHS, EHS get new principals

Dist. 50 board also approves other personnel changes

June 1, 2005

From staff reports

Students at Emerald and Greenwood high schools will have new principals for the 2005-06 school year.
After a brief closed meeting Tuesday, District 50’s board of trustees voted to approve district recommendations for principal assignments and other personnel changes at the district’s schools.
Abbeville High School Principal Beth Taylor was selected from a field of candidates to be principal of Greenwood High School.
Taylor and husband Van, who is the Lander University men’s soccer coach, live in Greenwood. She earned her Master of Educational Administration and Supervision degree from the University of South Carolina in 1998. She also received a Master of Arts degree in education from Lander University, a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and health from Erskine College.
Before beginning her career in education, Taylor worked as an accountant for five years. She worked as an assistant principal, physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Abbeville High before taking the job as principal — a position she has occupied for the past five years.
“I am delighted with the opportunity to serve as the principal of Greenwood High School. It is an honor and a privilege to join the experienced staff of hard-working, dedicated professionals in place at Greenwood High,” Taylor said.
“I have had a wonderful experience as principal of Abbeville High School, and I look forward to using this experience in leading Greenwood High School.”
Taylor will be taking the reins from Greenwood High’s current principal, Shirley Boyce, who will be moving to the position of director of secondary education for the district.
In her new position, Boyce will be working with Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Pat Ross to coordinate instructional activities at the district’s high schools and the G. Frank Russell Career Center, said Superintendent Bill Steed.
Sabra Price will be taking the lead as principal at Emerald High School. Price also comes to Greenwood from Abbeville, where she has worked in a variety of positions since 1987. She has served as director of secondary education and personnel for Abbeville County School District, director of instruction, director of Abbeville County Career Center and assistant principal and business teacher at Abbeville High School. Price was recently named assistant superintendent for the Abbeville School District. Like Taylor, Price also worked in the field of accounting before becoming an educator.
Price is married to Butch Price, an employee of the Greenwood Metropolitan District. They live in Abbeville. She earned a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Clemson University in 2001, as well as a Master of Arts in Public School Administration. She earned teaching credentials in accounting and related business from Lander College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Berry College.
“I am thrilled to accept the challenge of principal of Emerald High School. Emerald is a great opportunity, and I will strive to continue to offer excellent programs at that school. I am proud to become a member of the District 50 administrative team,” Price said.
Price succeeds Emerald High’s current principal Felicia Cartledge, who will assume the position of instructional technology coordinator in the district.
In her new position, Cartledge will work with faculty in the district’s middle schools to improve technology use in classrooms.
In other action, the board approved the transfer of Brewer Middle School Principal Chip Tinsley to the position of director of the alternative school. Tinsley replaces Bill Swinger, who will be retiring after serving as an administrator in the district for 16 years.
Steed said he thinks the personnel additions and changes place the school district in “good shape” for the coming academic year.
“This action completes the key administrative moves for the 2005-06 school year. Effective school leadership is one of the most important factors in moving students forward,” Steed said. “With these key appointments, our schools are poised for great strides. We are very fortunate to have personnel of this caliber lead our schools.”

Maggie Corbitt

SPRINGFIELD — Maggie Corbitt, 74, of 173 Lido Drive, wife of Wyman Corbitt, died Thursday, May 26, 2005. The family is at the home.
Visitation is 12-8 today at the funeral home.
Jackson’s Memorial Chapel, Neeses, is in charge.

Jessie Lee Rosser

SALUDA — Jessie Lee Rosser, of 402 Waters Ave., widow of George Rosser, died Sunday, May 29, 2005 at Saluda Nursing Center.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of the late Jesse and Carrie Chappells Coleman. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Women Home Aide Society No. 41. She was a former of employee of Amick’s Farm.
Survivors include a daughter, Linda M. Lurk of Saluda; a son, Jessie J. Long of Saluda; six sisters, Lola Simmons, Shirley Abney, Diane Farrow, Rachel Farrow and Lenora Springs, all of Saluda and Betty Hudson of Orlando, Fla.; three brothers, Roosevelt Coleman and Willie James Coleman, both of Saluda and Tommie Banks of Greenwood; 15 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; two grandsons reared in the home, Randy Long and Hardy Williams, a nephew and two nieces reared in the home, Thomas Rosser, Kwana Rosser and Shannon Rosser; and a foster son, Jimmie Lee Culbreath.
Services are 3 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Baptist Church, conducted by Elder Marcus Long, assisted by the Rev. Calvin Robinson and Elder Homer L. Ouzts. The body will be placed in the church at 2. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers and flower bearers are family and friends.
The family is at the home.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

Joseph Tompkins Jr.

McCORMICK — Joseph Tompkins Jr., 57, died Monday, May 30, 2005 at McCormick Health Care.
Born in McCormick, he was a son of the late Joseph Tompkins Sr. and Fannie Mae Harrison Tompkins. He was a member of New Hope Baptist Church and a former employee of Chrysler Corp. and the Detroit Police Department. He was twice married; first to the late Alonia Holloway Tompkins, and second to the late Myrtle Ruth Leverette Tompkins.
Survivors include a son, Joseph R. Tompkins of Detroit; three sisters, Mrs. R.C. (Derotha) Holloway and Mrs. James (Jessie) Price, both of Plum Branch and Maggie Brown of Columbia; three brothers, James Tompkins and Phillip Tompkins, both of Plum Branch and Larry Tompkins of Greenwood; six stepchildren, Jeanette Mims, Bobbie Jean Rollinson, Linda Leverette, George Leverette, Matthew Leverette and Bruce Leverette; and eight grandchildren.
The family is at the home of the Rev. and Mrs. R.C. Holloway and the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Price in Plum Branch.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Clarence W. Traber

LIBERTY — Clarence William Traber, 84, of 102 S. Peachtree St., died Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
Born in Mount Airy, Ga., he was a son of the late Henry and Cora Gibson Traber.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Denny (Denise) Doud of Greenwood; a son, Danny Traber of Easley; three brothers, Marvin Traber of Mauldin, Bruce Traber and Robert Traber, both of Liberty; three sisters, Betty Royce of Liberty, Dorothy Watt of Anderson and Clara Holliday of Atlanta; and three grandchildren.
Graveside services are 3:30 p.m. today at Liberty Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is graveside after the services.
Memorials may be made to Pickens County Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1162, Pickens, SC 29671.
Liberty Mortuary is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.libertymortuary.com

Lander golfers get early jump on fall season

Coach has team on summer program of lifting, running and golfing

June 1, 2005

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

Lander University’s first golf team in about 30 years will be busy this summer. Coach Chipper Bagwell wants the Bearcats to be ready when the tee goes into the ground for the first time as a team.
The summer program features weight training, running and playing golf — lots of it — in preparation for the 11-tournament schedule that starts Sept. 11.
“I sent them a booklet of weight training and running that I want them to do this summer,” Bagwell said. “We’ll be doing a lot of weight lifting and running, and playing as much golf as they can this summer. Some will be playing in things like the Festival of Flowers tournament, some will be in junior events, and possibly others in the State Am (South Carolina Amateur Championship).
“I watched a lot of junior golf last summer. Hopefully, we can bring in some local talent. We’ve got one in Cooper Tinsley from Emerald High School. He’s going to be good for our program.”
Tinsley is in Florence this week for the S.C. Golf Association’s Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of South Carolina. He is among seven players committed to the Bearcats for the 2005-06 season.
“It’s going to be tough playing against the teams in this conference,” said Tinsley, who is among eight Lakelands players registered to play in the Florence tournament that ends Sunday. “USC Aiken won the national championship the last two years, and Francis Marion won it before that. It’ll be tough, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I think we’ll be able to compete right off the bat, and we should be better for the spring. That’s when it really counts.”
As for his game, Tinsley said, “It’s OK, but I’ve got some work to do on my swing. My short game has been keeping me in it.”
Others on the Lander roster are Billy Belair from Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, David Connor from Summerville High School, John Barrett Worman from Hart County High School in Hartsville, Ga., Justin Gupton out of North Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, Brian Cote of Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, Texas, and Mark Vanadia of Mendham, N.J.
“They come in here with pretty good credentials,” Bagwell said. “It’s not like they are borderline students.” Concerning the youthfulness of the first team, Bagwell added, “We’ve got seven freshmen and that’s a pretty good number. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches and their philosophy is seven to ten players.”
“I can bring in two or three more and, quite possibly, we might have one or two here in school who might walk on. Our corps will be those seven players, and I realize that some days they will play like freshmen. Like any other sport, you bring a group of freshman in and you don’t know how they will react until they get out there in competition.”
On paper, Bagwell said, “They’ll got chances to be pretty good at times, but I think we’ve brought in a good group of kids. They are dedicated to the game, they like working, and they are nice and respectful.”
Bagwell also realizes youthfulness can bring its ups and downs.
“I know they will be freshmen,” he said. “Some days, they will shoot 68 and some days they will shoot 82. What we’ve got to do is be patient and hopefully they will shoot around par.”
The first match is only three and a half months away (Sept. 11), and Bagwell will be looking for this summer’s activities to bring about some consistency in their games.
“We are in a tough league,” he said. “We had the national champ and runner-up this year. It’s the third year in a row the Peach Belt has won the (NCAA Division II) national championship.
“We want to bring in good kids as freshmen and let our program grow and take off that way.”
The 2005-06 schedule starts Sept. 11-13 in the Kiawah Island Invitational and includes the Johnny Palmer Invitational in New London, N.C., the AFLAC/Cougar Tournament in Columbus, Ga., the Upstate Tournament in Spartanburg, The Hombre in Panama City, Fla., Armstrong Atlantic Tournament in Savannah, Ga., Richard Randleman Tournament in Salisbury, N.C., Georgia College Tournament in Lake Oconee, Ga., BMW in Greenville, and Peach Belt Tournament in Columbus, Ga.
The first Bearcats Invitational is on the schedule, but Bagwell said, “It’s hard for a first-year team to get teams for a tournament. If we don’t, we may have to add a tournament down the line. A lot of schools have their schedules already set and it’s hard to find teams to come and play.”
Either way, he added, “I think we have a pretty good schedule for the first year. We’ll have our hands full, and the competition will be keen.”

Parents should be aware of children’s environment

June 1, 2005

Considering all the talk about gang activity – teen or otherwise – in the Greenwood and Lakelands area, it would be foolish to think there’s nothing there but talk. So when experience speaks, whether it’s hereabouts or elsewhere, it’s worth hearing and heeding.
Larger metropolitan areas are more likely to have more experience dealing with gangs than do smaller communities, that’s true. It stands to reason, then, that when and how they address their problems could be beneficial for the rest of us, especially if they have any degree of success.
One thing’s for sure. Those who have “been there” can be valuable resources for those who haven’t. An effort, then, by parents in the Columbia and Midlands area, should get our attention.

THERE, WITH SCHOOLS letting out for the summer, a number of parents affected by gang violence are trying to warn others about the temptations that can come with extra time on youngsters’ hands.
These parents have created “Project GO (Gang Out), and are working with other groups focusing on gang activity. They say it is particularly important for parents to keep up with their children during the summer because of the time element.
One mother there knows the pain of what can happen. Her son was killed in what authorities said was a gang-related shooting. She still has three children and – parents, pay attention – she keeps up with what they do all year long. She gets to know their friends and, get this, what music they listen to.
She says she “still has to work at it, and I have to look at all the signs.” Other parental advice? Parents also should know the parents of their children’s friends. “They may not be as strict. You’ve got to know the environment that your children are going into.”

THERE’S MORE. PARENTS also shouldn’t hesitate to go through their children’s rooms or have their kids check in with them at work. They should make sure that call is from a home phone instead of a cell phone, she advises.
Another mother in the group also emphasizes the importance of parental involvement. “Parents have to be included in every aspect of their children’s lives,” she said. She joined Project GO after her 17-year-old son was shot in the leg. “You need to be included in their friends,” she says.
Parents do indeed need to be involved. That’s nothing new. It’s always pertinent, though, whether it’s summer or winter.
But, then, there are many kids these days whose parents aren’t around ….. or care. What about them? That makes it a problem for all of us. Pay attention!