Plant closings, rising fuel costs
spur rate increases from CPW

May 11, 2005

By WALLACE McBRIDE
Index-Journal senior staff writer

An across-the-board increase in rates will take effect in June for customers of the Commissioners of Public Works.
The new rates for water, natural gas and electricity will begin to appear on bills in July and are a combined result of rising costs in fuel components and local plant closings, said CPW General Manager Steve Reeves.
The cost of electricity will rise 14 percent, the cost of water will rise 20 percent and the cost of gas will rise 1.5 percent, he said.
Contributing to the increase in water prices are the recent closing of local industrial facilities, which were among the largest water customers in the county.
“They affected our revenues tremendously, but they minimally changed our expenses,” Reeves said. CPW was projecting an increase of 10-12 percent in water rates before the closings were announced.
Two other factors forced increase in electricity rates, Reeves said. In addition to the rise cost of base rates paid to the electricity provider were rising costs of fuels used by wholesalers to generate electricity.
“In the past it’s been fairly small and fairly stable,” Reeves said of base costs. “With the rising cost of natural gas — one of the principle components our supplier uses to generate electricity — we’ve seen the cost of fuel go up. The fuel component alone has risen 32 percent over the past year.”
Rates would have risen 12 percent even without an increase in base rates, he said.
These rising fuel costs were also responsible for the higher rates in natural gas sold to CPW customers, he said.
Should fuel costs drop in coming years, price changes would be passed along to customers. Water rates could also go down if economic recruiters are successful in bringing new businesses to occupy the facilities being vacated National Textiles and Cambridge Metals, Reeves said.
“But it would have to be a large water consumer,” he said. “It would have no effect on electric or gas rates.” CPW is a non-profit utility owned by the customers who live inside the city of Greenwood. It is governed by a three-member board of directors who also serve on the six-member board of the Greenwood Metropolitan District.
“Before this electric rate increase, CPW had the lowest electric rates in South Carolina,” Reeves said. “Even with these rates we rank as the third lowest municipal provider in South Carolina. We’re still well below the state average, and still among the two or three lowest in the state for natural gas.”

Wallace McBride covers Greenwood and general assignments in the Lakelands. He can be reached at 223-1812, or: wmcbride@indexjournal.com

Annetta T. Beatty

HONOLULU — Graveside services for Annetta Tolbert Beatty, formerly of Bronx, N.Y., are 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Peter A.M.E. Church Cemetery, Abbeville, S.C., conducted by the Rev. Clinton J. Hall II.
Brown and Walker Funeral Home, Abbeville, is in charge.

W. Ralph Frederic

LITTLE MOUNTAIN — W. Ralph Frederic, 54, of 377 Wheeland School Road, died Monday, May 9, 2005 at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital.
A son of the late James C. “Jim” Frederic Sr. and Prudence Greer Frederic, he was retired truck driver. He was a member of St. Peter (Pineywood) Lutheran Church and attended St. James Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife, Vivian Frick Frederic of the home; a daughter, Lauren M. Frederic of the home; a sister, Mrs. Jimmy (Betty) Dantzler of Orangeburg; and a brother, James C. Frederic Jr. of Greenwood.
Services are 4 p.m. Thursday at St. Peter (Pineywood) Lutheran Church, conducted by the Revs. Rodney Gunter and David Tholstrup. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Visitation is 6-7:30 tonight at Whitaker Funeral Home, 939 Chapin Road, Chapin.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Help Fund at St. Peter (Pineywood) Lutheran Church, 900 Dreher Island Road, Chapin 29036 or St. James Lutheran Church, 228 Jalapa Road, Newberry, SC 29108.
Whitaker Funeral Home Chapin Chapel is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com

Mary Phillips

GREENVILLE, SC – Mary Elizabeth Anderson Phillips, 78, widow of Obert “Slim” Phillips, died Sunday, May 08, 2005 at Magnolia Place.
Born in Greenwood, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Eugene and Mary Elizabeth Jordan Anderson. Mrs. Phillips was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are three sons, Jimmy Lee Phillips of Greenville, Danny Ray and Larry Gene both of Piedmont; three sisters, Miriam Brooks of Seneca, Jean Chastain of Greenwood, Nancy Canfield of Waterloo; seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two sons, Tommy and Wayne Phillips and a grandson, Jimmy Lee Phillips, II and three brothers, Bill, Jack and Ed Anderson.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 11, 2005 from 7:00 until 8:30 PM at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 3:00 PM in the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow in Greenville Memorial Gardens.
The family will be at the home of a son, Danny Phillips, 601 Bessie Road, Piedmont, SC.
PAID OBITUARY

Sally Abney Rose

July 15,1916 - May 9, 2005
ANDERSON - Sally Abney Rose, age 88 of Clemson Boulevard, Anderson, SC and wife of the late Bennett Smedes Rose, died Monday, May 9, 2005 at her residence.
Born in Greenwood, SC on July 15, 1916, Sally was the daughter of the late J.P. Abney and Susie Mathews Abney. She was a National Accredited Flower Judge, an avid bridge player and founder of Our Garden Club in Anderson. She received honorary degrees from Lander University and Converse College, where she also served on the Board of Trustees. She was a board member of the Abney Foundation and was a founding member of the Debutante Club of Anderson. She was an honorary chairman of the Anderson County Arts Council and was a member of Grace Episcopal Church. Her father, the late J.P. Abney founded Abney Mills.
Survivors include a son, John R. “Buck” Fulp and his wife, Wanda of Anderson, SC; grandchildren, Carlette and Edmund Holmes and their children, Sally Cade and Brelyn of Anderson, SC; Lebrena and Lawrence Campbell and their children, Carly and Lawren of Anderson, SC, and John and Kim Fulp of Daniel Island, SC, and his children, Janie Fulp and John Fulp IV. Sally is also survived by a special friend, Edd Sheriff of Greenville, SC.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, J.S. Abney and a grandson, Hayden Abney Fulp.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 at 1:00 pm at Grace Episcopal Church with The Rev. John B. Hardaway, IV officiating. The family will receive friends in the church parlor following the service.
Memorials may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
THE MCDOUGALD FUNERAL HOME IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
PAID OBITUARY

Rev. James Garness Sullivan

GREENWOOD — Rev. James Garness Sullivan, age 83, of 1110 Marshall Road, Greenwood, SC, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at Self Memorial Hospital in Greenwood, SC.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 PM May 13, 2005 at Epworth United Methodist Church with Rev. Joe Tysinger, Rev. Will Brown and Rev. Mark Long officiating. Burial will be at Rock Hill Memorial Gardens.
Born in Jefferson, SC, Rev. Sullivan was the son of the late Carl T. Sullivan and Lugenia Brown Sullivan. He was preceded in death by his wife, Daisy Boatwright Sullivan, and brothers Clyde, J.C., Delano and Horace. He was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church in Rock Hill. He served in the US Army during WWII and was a retired United Methodist Minister. Rev. Sullivan was Past Chaplain for the American Legion and a Mason. He resided at the Wesley Commons Assisted Living Center in Greenwood, SC, for the past 7 years.
Survivors include 1 son and his wife, James K. (Jim) Sullivan and Gayle of Rock Hill; 1 daughter and her husband, Mrs. Billie S. Glenn and Kevin of Greenwood, SC; 2 sisters, Louise Taylor of Rock Hill, Maggie Huto of Fort Mill, SC; 5 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 PM Thursday night, May 12, 2005 at Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home, and other times at the home of the son, James, 522 Shandonwood St., Rock Hill.
Memorials may be made to Epworth United Methodist Church, 620 Briarcliff Rd., Rock Hill, SC 29730.
A memorial services will be held at Wesley Commons in Greenwood 2:00 PM Saturday, May 21, 2005.
Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home is serving the Sullivan family.
PAID OBITUARY

Lindsay L. Wood

McCORMICK — Lindsay Leroy Wood, 82, of 120 Ellie Lane, husband of Willie Mae Gilchrist Wood, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at his home.
Born in Augusta, Ga., he was a son of the late Leroy and Reba Wyman Wood. He was a World War II veteran of the Army, Navy and Air Force, serving in Naval Intelligence, and was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was a member of Church of the Good Sheperd in Augusta and a retired electrician from Monsanto.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Roy Wood of McCormick and George Wood of Ninety Six; three daughters, Linda Guess of Lancaster, Willie Green of North Augusta and Chris Anne Sondles of McCormick; and six grandchildren.
Graveside services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Westview Cemetery, Augusta, conducted by Tom Cartledge.
Pallbearers are Robert Wood, William Wood, Jake Trantham, Al Swann, Bill Whatley and Michael Dorn.
Visitation is 7-9 tonight at Strom Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Strom Funeral Home is in charge.

Christ Church tops EHS girls

May 11, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

GREENVILLE — The third time didn’t prove to be all that charming for the Emerald High School girls soccer team.
The Lady Vikings played in their third straight Class AA/A Upper State finals Tuesday night, but as in their previous two appearances, the team failed to reach its goal of a berth in the state championship.
Upper State top seed Christ Church was once again the foil for Emerald.
The Lady Cavaliers defeated the third-seeded Lady Vikings for the second time in three years in the Upper State finals, this time winning, 1-0, at home on a goal late in the second half.
“This year is a little different. It’s probably going to hurt a little more, because I really believed this was our year,” Lady Vikings coach Paul Dodd said. “I believe we’re as good as any team out there, and I truly believe that if we could have gotten over the hurdle tonight, we would have had an extremely good chance of winning the state.
“Tactically, we got it pretty much right, but it just didn’t work on the night. It just didn’t happen.”
The game, which was delayed 58 minutes because of bad weather, saw many scoring opportunities for both teams during the first 73 minutes, but neither team was able to put a solid chance together.
With less than eight minutes before the start of stoppage time, Christ Church’s Witney Bowne gained possession in the right corner of the Lady Vikings’ defensive zone. Bowne drilled a centering pass, but Emerald all-state defender Amanda Rowland deflected that ball out.
The ball bounced off another Lady Vikings player and right to the Lady Cavaliers’ Mary Beth McCall.
McCall, some 35 yards out from the goal.
As she had tried on a couple of occasions in the first half but failed, McCall chipped a long shot high into the air and this time the ball sailed just over a leaping Whitney Patterson for the game’s only score.
“We spoke about that particular girls at halftime. We knew that was one of the qualities that she did possess,” Dodd said. “We were aware of it, but she had a good strike and she hit her target.
“But the nature of the goal makes it hurt a little more.”
But the long-range shot was exactly what Christ Church first-year coach Raimond Hartmann expected from his junior midfielder.
“I was hoping we would be able to score from a distance,” Hartmann said. “She has scored several goals from that distance for us.
“After going scoreless in the first half, I knew whoever would score the first goal would win. Frankly, I think that it could have gone the other way. In the first half, I think they were a little bit stronger that we were.”
The Lady Cavaliers (9-8) advance to Friday’s Class AA-A state finals against the Lower State winner. The team was not known at press time.
Emerald (18-4) loses three seniors, Shelly Martin, Sarah Rush and Crystal Berthelot, but only Martin was a member of Tuesday’s starting lineup.
The Lady Vikings look to return a bulk of talent from a team that won this season’s Region III-AA title, including a corps group of juniors: Rowland, Kasie Sears, Erika Bishop, Lacy Hastings and Whitney Patterson.
“The program is going to be extremely strong next year, regardless of who’s there,” Dodd said. “There’s a lot of people that got another year of experience, tactical and technical ability and emotional maturity.
“So, the program will be very, very strong next year, but right at this moment, next year seems an awful long way off.”

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

Day of Prayer important boost to religion in U. S.

May 11, 2005

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to convince many South Carolinians that prejudice against their religion hasn’t become a factor in their daily lives. In the Greenwood area, and indeed all of the country, many believe eliminating Christianity from any dialogue in any public setting is part of a conspiracy. If not, some say, it’s a good imitation.
There are, to be sure, some who say talk of such a conspiracy is absurd. Despite these contrarians, though, it’s a real concern for a lot Christians – and others, actually – and not something out of their imagination. For them, actions speak louder than words. What they see leaves no doubt in their minds that it not only is a problem, but one that is growing.

UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, it should have been encouraging and gratifying for a lot of people to see a successful observance of the 54th annual National Day of Prayer in Greenwood and from coast to coast.
That satisfaction was echoed by the Rev. Richard Saxon at the prayer service in front of the Greenwood County Courthouse. His feeling? “It’s a recognition that we are still a Christian nation. We are still serving God and his direction. It’s important that we express ourselves in America and take the opportunity to pray,” Saxon noted.
That is important, without question. Saxon noted something else that should be emphasized even more, though. It’s a way for people of various backgrounds to get together and to pray together. “It’s very important that we agree to do it (pray together) and that we be able to do it publicly.”

OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE who participated in the events on the National Day of Prayer, from the president to every American, Saxon’s words got to the core of what counts. When people pray together, they are more likely to stay together. In the fractious world we live in, where terrorism has become the great threat of the times, nothing is more important.

When we see people praying together – publicly – that’s good news. With the pressures on religion today, we all could use a little more of that kind of news ….. Christian Americans, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans and all the others who enjoy the freedom of worship that allows us to congregate in front of courthouses, bow our heads and pray.