Rainy week to lead to dry weekend
June 3, 2005
By
KENNY MAPLE
Index-Journal intern
| |
| A large puddle of rainwater forms in the intersection of Creswell and McLees avenues Thursday afternoon in Greenwood. |
While the rain has been going strong nearly all week, there is
an end in sight.
According to the National Weather Service, the rain should give
way to sunshine today.
While there is a 60 percent chance of rain during the day, the
rest of the weekend is looking dry.
Greenwood received 2.1 inches of rain from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7
a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service reported. Locations
across Greenwood recorded anywhere from 2-3 inches, with Calhoun
Falls recording 3 inches, Clinton recording 2.83 and the airport
receiving 2.28 inches of rain.
Despite the heavy amounts of rain, flooding has been limited to
concentrated areas in streets and no real damage has occurred.
With the exception of a few small outages, power has remained on
in the Greenwood area.
There is, however, a flood watch in effect until Friday
afternoon. With the rains continuing until the afternoon, creeks
and rivers will be running very high.
The amount of rain also has an effect on septic tanks and sewage
lines. Melvin Gibson of Gibson’s Backhoe Service can attest
to this, as he has been quite busy because of the amount of rain.
“Today we certainly have had more calls. Once the rain is
gone you won’t have near as much trouble,” Gibson said.
Boys of summer return
Greenwood Post 20 baseball team is ready to begin season
June 3, 2004
By
RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer
The 2005 season should be an interesting one for the Greenwood
American Legion Post 20 baseball team.
Post 20 has 10 players back from last year’s squad, which
finished as the League VII champions.
Those 10 returners include five of eight position players, two
starting pitchers and most of its bullpen.
The team has six newcomers, three from Class AA state runners-up
Emerald High School. The 16-man, opening-day roster is made up of
players from nine different high schools.
If that wasn’t enough, Post 20 is the host team to this
season’s state championship tournament, an eight-team
tourney set to go from July 26-31.
The team will open the season at 7:30 Monday night in Easley,
which was the League VII runners-up in 2004. Greenwood has its
home opener at Legion Field the following day against Belton.
“We’re excited about the season,” said Billy Dean
Minor, who begins his 11th year as the Post 20 coach. “We
have a lot of kids in their last (Post 20) year, ten of them I
think. We’re excited about hosting the state tournament. We’ve
gone out and bought new home and away uniforms. We’ve got an
alumni game Saturday.
“It’s going to be a challenging season, but as long as
the kids take it as a challenge and play hard, we’ll be
fine.”
But one thing Minor can take solace in is that most of his
pitching staff returns.
Former Ware Shoals standout Josh Jones and Dixie graduate Nick
Milford return to the Post 20 starting rotation.
Jones, who is starting his fourth legion season, was the team’s
top starter last season, leading the Post 20 staff during the
regular season in games started (6), innings pitched (37), wins
(4), ERA (2.43), complete games (3) and strikeouts (29).
Milford should make the move from the No. 3 starter to No. 2.
Counting the 2004 playoffs, the Dixie hurler finished his first
legion season with a 4-1 record, despite having a 5.79 ERA.
“A lot of my pitchers have pitched in legion before,”
Minor said. “It is going to be different for the kids who
are in their first year. It does help having a few relievers.
“But going from seven to nine innings is an adjustment we
have to make.”
Minor looks for first-year legion player Brandon Miller of
Emerald to fill the void left by Greenwood graduate Kyle Mounts.
Miller just finished his sophomore year with the Vikings, where
he accounted for 10 of the team’s 24 wins.
Miller, who will also be used as a backup first basemen, threw a
no-hitter against Liberty during the Vikings’ playoff run,
which led the team to the Class AA state championship series.
“Miller is very mature for his age when he’s on the
mound,” Minor said. “He doesn’t lose his cool.
Things don’t bother him. He’s like ‘give me the
baseball and let me throw it.’
“But he’s going to get a baptism by fire.”
Another returning pitcher expected to see time on the mound for
Post 20 is Miller’s Emerald teammate Blake Moore. However,
Minor said that Moore - who outside of Jones, Mounts and Milford
was the only other Post 20 pitcher to start a game - is out for
four weeks with an arm injury.
“We’ll have to see where his arm is, because he’s
still going to have to build it up,” Minor said. “He’s
not going to come out after not throwing for four weeks and have
the arm strength he had.”
For the most part, Post 20’s bullpen remains intact. The
lone exception is last year’s starting second baseman
Michael Land, who made one game appearance during the 2004
regular season.
Returning for the Post 20 bullpen are former Calhoun Falls
southpaw Clint Burden and former Emerald hurler Will Gary.
That pair combined to make 12 regular-season relief appearances
last season, combining for two wins, two saves and 26 strikeouts
in 30 innings.
Gary’s former Emerald teammate and Burden’s future
Anderson College teammate Justin Lovvorn, who starts in right
field for Post 20, and former Ninety Six’s Justin Jenkins
will also pitch in relief.
The team returns two-thirds of its catching corps from the 2004
team. Former Saluda standout Lamar Dukes, who plays football at
Presbyterian College, made 16 starts last season, splitting time
behind the plate and at designated hitter with former legion
player Justin King.
This season, Dukes, who is recovering from an arm injury, will
share the catching duties with Emerald graduate Wade Scott, who
played in 12 games in his first legion season a year ago.
Opinion
Observations ... and other reflections
June 3, 2005
Most
of us can’t work a year without missing a day along the way.
Therefore, when we see three area students graduating from high
school with perfect attendance for 12 years, it’s got to be
a humbling experience.
That’s what Katie Finkbeiner of Greenwood High School and
Robbie McCaslan and Matthew Crockett of Abbeville High School
did, though. They deserve every accolade possible for that feat
of perseverance and stamina. It’s a good bet they had a lot
of support at home, too, and parents and others also deserve a
well-earned pat on the back.
One thing’s for sure. With that kind of dedication, we’ll
likely hear those students’ names again ….. and for all
the right reasons.
* * * * *
It’s graduation season and we’re continuing to see the
elimination of a time-honored exercise. That’s recognizing
top students as valedictorians and salutatorians. We wouldn’t
want those who didn’t earn such awards to feel bad, now
would we?
When did we reach such a sorry point where we think that
recognizing excellence – or, at least, striving for
excellence – in school should not be recognized? Why shouldn’t
the top students be given their due?
If it’s politically incorrect to honor students who work
hard and excel, why isn’t it just as politically incorrect
to give Most Valuable Player awards to athletes? Goodness! Aren’t
the feelings of all the rest of the players on a team hurt
because someone is a better athlete?
* * * * *
Cigarettes are bad for you. There’s no doubt about that.
However, these days when we rightfully recognize those veterans
who are part of “the greatest generation,” it’s
almost impossible to think of them without thinking of what a
morale factor cigarettes were in those stressful times during
WWII.
It shows again that sometimes everything is relative.
* * * * *
Once in a while you see someone who makes his or her work look so
easy it makes it appear he or she isn’t doing what is
supposed to be done. Maybe it’s best to arrive early and
leave late without taking breaks. That way it can look tough.
Is that one more time when it pays to look right?.
If so, make your job look hard and the boss will think you’re
working hard. Make it look easy and he’ll think you’re
a shirker.
It’s called rewarding inefficiency.
Editorial
expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.
Obituaries
Fred Briggs
HODGES
— Fred Briggs, 78, of 622 Ridge Road, widower of
Helen Radford Briggs, died Wednesday, June 1, 2005 at Self
Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of the late Bulo Briggs and Grace
Cogdill Briggs Crawford. He retired from Greenwood Mills, Mathews
Plant, where he was a member of the Quarter Century Club. He was
a member of Mount Carmel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Betty Lou Nicely of Ninety Six; a
brother, Ernest Briggs of Fort Worth, Texas; three grandchildren;
and five great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by
the Rev. Bob Napier. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Brian Willis, Roy Carson Nicely Jr. Jerome Ouzts,
Denton Ouzts, Jason Abney and Gene Thomas.
Visitation is 7-9 tonight at the funeral home.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association,
Memorials & Tributes Processing Center, P.O. Box 5216, Glen
Allen, VA 23058-5216; Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 658,
Greenwood, SC 29648; or a charity of one’s choice.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com
Joseph Tompkins Jr.
McCORMICK
— Services for Joseph Tompkins Jr. are 4 p.m.
Sunday at New Hope Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. R.C.
Holloway. The body will be placed in the church at 3. Burial is
in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Donald Moton, James C. Bland, Moses Prince, James
L. Price, Michael Price and Floyd E. Tompkins.
Flower bearers are nieces and grandchildren.
The family is at the home of the Rev. and Mrs. R.C. Holloway and
the home of Deacon and Mrs. James Price in Plum Branch.
Walker Funeral Home is in charge.