Greyhound to close local bus station

June 17, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

A Greyhound bus idles for a few moments Thursday in front of the Greenwood terminal. The station is one of 18 in South Carolina that will be closing after Monday.

When the last Greyhound buses of the day depart from the Greenwood station after Monday, they won’t be coming back.
After more than 40 years of service in this town, the well-known bus company is closing down the Greenwood office next week, leaving many riders shocked at the news.
Station operator Ralph Yingling, an independent contractor with Greyhound, has worked at the Greenwood office since June 1962.
As the only employee at the station, Yingling said he has to “do all that is done at the office,” including answering phones, selling tickets, repairing buses, checking luggage and getting people on their way.
Yingling said he received an official notice May 24 from Greyhound about the closing effective June 21.
“I was hurt when I found out the news (of the closing),” he said. “They said it was in order to improve Greyhound’s profitability.”
According to information published in The State, the Greenwood station is one of 18 in towns throughout the state that will be losing Greyhound service after Monday. The closings are part of a route-restructuring project that will end services in 260 U.S. cities where use of the Greyhound service is light.
With 3,418 passengers reported in 2004, the Greenwood terminal is the largest station in the state to close its doors.
Yingling said that number does not accurately reflect the number of passengers the station sees each year, adding that round-trip tickets or one-way tickets sold at other stations are not counted at the Greenwood station.
“It’s probably more like 6,000 to 7,000 (passengers each year). We don’t get any numbers or income from those (round-trip and one-way) tickets – we just provide the service,” he said. “We are typically busy here. In 43 years, there might have been a dozen days when there was nobody here.”
Yingling said the Greenwood station sees about six buses a day, with the most common destinations being Columbia, Greenville and Augusta. In the past 12 months, Yingling said the station has produced more than $222,000 for Greyhound.
The closing comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the Greenwood station. Summer months typically have heavier travel and higher profits, Yingling said. In June, July and August of 2004, the station sold more than 800 tickets.
Though he doesn’t know what he and wife Alice, who often helps out at the station, will do for a living after the closing, Yingling said he is also concerned for the people who will be losing their opportunity for travel.
He said the closing will be a great inconvenience for those who do not have their own transportation or can’t afford to fly.
“This route – from Columbia to Knoxville – is a major artery for people in South Carolina. Going from six buses to zero is not right, ” he said. “The people in rural areas deserve the opportunity to travel as much as people in big cities do.”
With the U.S. government giving millions of dollars in aid each year to the flailing train and airline industries, Yingling said he wondered why the bus industry hasn’t received the same assistance.
“If they are going to help the other two travel industries, why not help out the bus lines, too, in order for them to be able to compete?” he said.
For years, Laurens County resident Jim Anderson has been bringing his children to the Greenwood station to catch a Greyhound bus. He said the closing will be detrimental to the area as well as the company.
“I think it will affect a lot of people’s attitudes toward Greyhound,” he said.
Greenville resident James Dorn, who was raised in Greenwood, said he has been riding a Greyhound bus into town for years. When the station closes, he said he doesn’t know how he will travel between the two cities.
“I ride the bus quite often – sometimes two or three times a month,” he said. “I’m very shocked. I relied on (this station) to get me back and forth from Greenville to Greenwood. This is not only going to be very hard for me, but for others as well. We need this bus terminal. Where will we go to catch the next bus?”

Keeping summer dreams alive

Want-to-be big leaguers flock to Erskine for Padres tryout

June 17, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Erskine baseball coach Kevin Nichols, with stopwatch, and assistant coach Chad Amidon time Jared Burdette, left, and Tim Brown in the 60-yard dash at Thursday’s tryout.

DUE WEST — Caleb Owen wanted one more shot. B.J. Perry wanted some experience.
Hank King wanted to find that diamond-in-the-rough.
Owen, Perry and the other 44 high school and college baseball players showed up at the Erskine College baseball field Thursday morning putting their skills on display for King, a scout for the San Diego Padres.
“I’m really just trying to further my career,” Owen said. “I’m up for anything. I worked too hard in college to give it up.”
Owen just finished his four-year baseball career at Anderson College. However, while Owen was looking to extend his playing days, Perry is just getting started with his.
Perry, who graduated from Owen High School in Asheville, is set to start his freshman season for the Flying Fleet in the fall.
“(Erskine assistant) coach (Chad) Amidon wanted me to come out and try out in front of this guy so he can evaluate me and see what I need to work on,” Perry said. “I just came down here to get a little extra work in, and just get better at what I’m doing.”
Even Erskine head coach Kevin Nichols has his own reasons for doing his part in the tryout. Along with the handful of Erskine College signees in attendance, there were players with uniforms from Wren, Liberty, Camden, Carolina, Pendleton, North Augusta, Pickens, Summerville, Greenville high schools.
“The main reason is to get as many kids on our campus as possible,” the seven-year Fleet coach said. “So, we can get a heads up in recruiting, and evaluate some talent.
“So, if I can get forty kids from forty different towns, that’s forty trips I don’t have to make. Plus, it gives them a good chance to see what Erskine is all about.”
The players took part in the typical tryout. They started out with the 60-yard dash, then moved on to field work, before taking in some batting practice.
Nichols knows that getting the players seen and evaluated by King are just a couple of the reasons the large group of ballplayers made the early morning trip to Due West.
“A lot of these kids are in the eleventh or twelfth grade and I they can get in front of Hank and get their name written down, they have a better shot of at least one scout seeing them,” Nichols said. “Baseball is like any other thing in life. It’s who you know.
“There’s a lot of kids out there that don’t get seen, and this is a way for them to get seen by professional scouts.”
Thursday’s event was one of eight to 10 that King, a Padres scouting supervisor who covers South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida for the West Coast club, oversees in a year.
“I think what these kids can hope to gain is coming to this place (Erskine), meeting me, catching our eye and advancing their game at least one more level,” said King, a former Clemson University assistant coach, who spent four seasons with the Angels organization. “There are a lot of options before pro ball.”
But King said this is actually a tough time for prospective pro players to be signed at a tryout, coming just a week after the completion of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.
“We just had the draft. So, we already had a chance to select players,” said King, who helped the Padres draft Erskine All-American Casey Smith in the ninth round.
“But if I saw one I liked I might take his info and talk to him about next spring training.”
Owen said he had thought he’d hear his named called during last week’s draft. But when it wasn’t, Owen, who was earned his third All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference honor this season, looked for other ways to further his career.
The Padres tryout was his second in the past two weeks.
“It was discouraging (not getting drafted), but I think I’m more relaxed now,” Owen said. “I know it may be over, so I don’t have anything to lose. I’m just out here to have fun.”

Opinion

Congress switches dollars in ongoing capitol game

June 17, 2005

Who does the spending in Washington? The president? Some of the spending is his, but definitely not all. Case in point:
A recent news item noted that Congress is switching billions of dollars from President Bush’s military and foreign aid budgets to popular domestic program budgets he wanted to cut or eliminate.
The news item went on to say, “But the Capitol Hill spending barons who are putting the budget blueprint into law through 11 appropriations bills are pulling out old tricks to squeeze money from the president’s priorities and devote it instead to their own, especially with grants to state and local governments as well as to hometown projects.”

THAT PRETTY MUCH PINPOINTS where the spending problems lie. Look in the mirror. They lie with us. We keep a perpetual hand out for government handouts. And what member of Congress, always looking for votes, is not going to respond in a positive way?
What politician is going to cut spending when he can take from somebody else and feather his own political nest with public money? It’s the name of the game in Washington, and in Columbia to some extent.
Proof? If any is needed, the next time a “grant” is announced, check who does the announcing. And remember, grants are the taxpayers’ money being used to feather those congressional nests. In short, our money is being used to grease the skids for even more grants using even more taxpayer money.

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

Obituaries

Bobby B. Kinard

Services for Bobby Bruce Kinard, of 122 S. Bethune St., are 11 a.m. Saturday at Jacob Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Jerry Brown, assisted by the Rev. Moses Norman. The body will be placed in the church at 10. Burial is in The Evening Star cemetery.
Pallbearers are church deacons.
Flower bearers are ushers of the church and nieces.
Honorary escorts are American Legion Post 224 members.
The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.

Martha Getsinger

Martha Lee Bundrick Getsinger, 91, formerly of Kitson Street, widow of Raymond Eugene Getsinger, died Thursday, June 16, 2005 at McCormick Health Care Center.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home.

Clotyse Gunnells

GREENWOOD – Clotyse Hurt Gunnells, 97, former resident of Reynolds Ave., widow of Rufus B. Gunnells, died June 15, 2005 at National Health Care of Greenwood.
Born in Greenwood County, December 20, 1907, she was a daughter of the late Ernest and Hassie Eidson Hurt. Mrs. Gunnells retired from Abney Mills-Grendel Plant and was a member of Jordan Memorial Baptist Church.
Surviving are a son, Curtis and wife Edna Gunnells of Greenwood, three brothers, Earl Hurt and Irvin Hurt, both of Greenwood and Tom Hurt of Saluda, three sisters, Mrs. Doris Boatwright of New Ellenton, Mrs, Bobby Enloe and Mrs. June Brown, both of Saluda, three sisters-in-law, Mrs. Cindy Hurt and Carolyn Hurt, both of Saluda, and Lila Mae Hurt of Newberry, two grandchildren, C. Barry and wife Ginny Gunnells of Lawrenceville, GA and Nira and husband John Daleda of Surf Side, SC; two great-grandchildren, Chad Gun-nells of Lawrenceville, GA and Kea and husband Eric Blevins of Dacula, GA; two great great-grandchildren, Eva and Ethan Blevins both of Dacula, GA.
Funeral services will be conducted 5:00 PM Friday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Clarence Griffin offi-ciating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Ray Faulkner, George Ferqueron, Bill Sherrer, Barry Gunnells, Charles Teague, Bobby Brook-shire, Chandler Bryant and Frank Elliott.
Honorary escort will be the men of Jordan Memorial Baptist Church.
The family is at the home of Curtis and Edna Gunnells, 307 Roman Circle, and will receive friends at the funeral home from 3:30 to 5:00 today,
Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Green-wood, SC 29646.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
Blyth Funeral Home is assisting the Gunnells family.
PAID OBITUARY

Louise Williams

GREENWOOD – Louise Gantt Williams, 90, resident of 534 Pelzer Street, widow of John Edgar Williams, Sr., died June 16, 2005 at her home.
Born in Greenville, June 1, 1915, she was a daughter of the late William Edward and Lillie Craig Gantt. She was retired from Abney Mills-Grendel Plant.
A loving wife and mother, she was a gifted and talented artist who was loved by all who knew her. She was of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are a son, John E. Jr. and wife, Helen Williams of Ninety Six; three daughters, Elizabeth “Beth” Rembert of the home, Olivia and husband, Tom Burroughs of Columbia and Peggy W. Sills of Columbia; a brother, Charles H. Gantt of Greenwood; two sisters, Lillian G. Corley of Greenwood and Vineta G. Mull of Easley; grandchildren, Shelah and husband, William Slocumb of Augusta, GA, Janet and husband, Teddy Hatcher and Denise and husband., Dave Schweikart, all of Ninety Six and Marty III and wife, Alicia Sills of Columbia; four great-grandchildren and a long time neighbor and special friend, Gay Willis and also her beloved caregiver, Annie Ross.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2PM Saturday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Steven Justice, Rev. Dr. George Wilson and Mrs. Phyllis Zuehlke officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Alton Gantt, Jerry Gantt, Wayne Gantt, Grant Perkins, John Seabolt, Jr. and Dewey Willis.
Honorary escort will be Ray Bowick, Mrs. Lila Adams, Tim Mullenix, Mrs. Phyllis Zuehlke and Mrs. Jimmie Flemming.
The family is at the home on Pelzer Street and will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 9 Friday evening.
Memorials may be made to Piedmont Agency on Aging for Senior Activities Program, PO Box 997, Greenwood, SC 29648.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE WILLIAMS FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY