Residents given list of issues,
asked to pick priorities for Dist. 50

October 26, 2005

By JACKIE R. BROACH
Index-Journal staff writer

Greenwood residents faced a difficult task Tuesday night.
In the second of three community forums by Greenwood School District 50, attendees were asked to pick their top five priorities from a list of 42 issues.
Most said it was nearly an impossible task.
“These are all important issues,” participant Pam Thompson said. “It’s hard to narrow them down to so few.”
The group was comprised of parents, students, educators and community members. The list they were asked to pick from ranged from graduation rates to lower teacher turnover. After about an hour of discussion, participants added a number of items to the list.
Touted as “Your Turn to Talk,” the meeting, like the one the district had Monday and the one planned for Thursday, was set up to give community members a chance to talk about education issues on their minds. Eager to utilize the opportunity offered, about 60 community members filled the media center at Northside Middle School in hopes of bringing their issues to the forefront or seeing what concerns others had. It was about 10 more than attended the previous night, said Martha Vincent, the district’s director of public information.
In a switch from Monday’s format, the group was split into seven smaller groups for discussion. It was a modification from three larger groups Monday and was intended to give each person’s opinion more of a chance to be brought up in a single group discussion at the end of the night.
Though many seemed pleased to have their say, others thought the list was too broad for some important issues to be addressed.
Kathryn Luke said she was pleased to see the district taking action to open the lines of communication but said she didn’t think enough time was afforded to cover all topics.
“There were some things that are important to me that were not discussed or stressed,” the mother of three said. “With such a broad range of topics, it made some of the issues that need to be talked about seem petty.”
One of the main things Luke said she had hoped to discuss was a later school start date. When compared with issues such as class size, teacher qualification and well-disciplined classrooms, the issue got little attention.
The priorities gracing the top of lists in nearly all of the seven groups included small class size, teachers who care about students, teachers who are well trained to teach subject areas effectively and well-disciplined classrooms.
One of the seven groups decided that a class ideally should have 15-20 students and agreed that teachers should undergo training in classroom management skills.
Other topics added to the list included social skills and self-esteem, adding foreign language classes to middle school curriculums, specific policies regarding bullying, school safety and single-gender education.
“I think that in our discussion, we found that a lot of these issues intertwined,” Molly Smith, one of the group facilitators, said when the groups reconvened for a wrap-up session.
“They were very passionate about the issues they selected,” said another facilitator, Cindy Ashworth, as she presented her group’s priorities. The list included well-trained teachers, small class size, good communication between parents and schools and parental involvement.
The final meeting in the series will be from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at Brewer Middle School.
After that, an independent consultant will compile the information obtained at each meeting for review by district administration, board members and the community.
The board of trustees will use the information as it works on policies, strategic plans and the district’s budget, said board Chairwoman Dru James.

Lady Eagles edged by Dorman

October 26, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

The Dorman High School girls tennis team came out on the right side of two tiebreakers to knock off Greenwood, 5-1, Tuesday in the opening round of the Class AAAA playoffs at Gatewood Racquet Club.
After losing only one game in wins in Nos. 1 and 2 singles, the Lady Cavaliers, the third-place team from Region II-AAAA, used a pair of three-set victories and a close two-setter to advance to the second round.
“We just couldn’t win any of the tiebreakers,” Lady Eagles coach John Eppelsheimer said. “A couple of points in some key spots and we could have been playing No. 1 doubles for the match. “A loss this close is tough to take. I wish it was a better end for them.”
Greenwood senior Ellen McDaniel proved to be the lone winner for the Lady Eagles. McDaniel cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Emily Clark in No. 3 singles.
“Dorman was just a little better than we were today,” Eppelsheimer said.
“They were tougher in the tough spots. They were ready for us. We knew they were going to be tough because they come from such a good tennis region.”
Because of chilly temperatures that were backed by a stiff, whirling wind, the teams took a little extra time warming up.
The No. 4 singles match, between Greenwood’s Jacquelyn Butler and Dorman’s Emily Wood, opened playoff action at 5:17 p.m. The remaining singles and the lone doubles matches quickly followed.
After about an hour of play, the Lady Cavaliers enjoyed a 2-1 match advantage. Dorman’s No. 1 singles Haley Keith defeated Greenwood’s Haley Sayer, 6-0, 6-0, while Pallavi Kumar beat Brigitte Briere, 6-0, 6-1.
In No. 5 singles, Greenwood’s Samantha Funke dropped the opening set 6-0 to Natalie Swift. But the senior took a quick 4-1 lead in the second set.
However, Swift battled back to tie the set and force a tiebreaker, which she won 7-4, giving Dorman a 3-1 match lead.
In No. 4 singles, Butler won the first set, 6-1, but struggled in the second set after Wood made a shift in strategy.
Instead of playing Butler groundstroke for groundstroke, Wood opted for lob shots, which caused Butler problems.
With rallies at times lasting well over a dozens hits, Wood forced a tiebreaker in the second set, winning it 7-5.
“She started lobbing the ball over in the second set and I don’t return lobs very well,” Butler said. “She changed her style and it got frustrating. At the end (the second-set tiebreaker), it started slipping away from me.”
In the third set, Wood took a 4-0 lead and then after Butler drew within a point, at 4-3, she rattled off five straight points for a 9-3 advantage.
Wood won the third set 10-5 an hour and 34 minutes after starting the event, cementing the Lady Cavaliers’ victory.
Dorman’s No. 2 doubles team of Keisha Boyd and Erica Nasim, like Wood, needed three sets, with one being a tiebreaker, to beat the Lady Eagles’ Flick sisters, Jeannie and Lori, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-8.
“We hung in tight with them and that’s what matter,” Butler said. “It’s been a great experience. I got to play with some great girls.”
Butler, a second-year player who finished her first year as a singles player, is one of four seniors in the Lady Eagles’ starting rotation. Briere, McDaniel, and Funke also played their last game for the Greenwood tennis team Tuesday night.
“I’m disappointed,” Eppelsheimer said. “They played hard all year long. I hate to see the season end like this.”

Opinion

Brewer student anti-drug march tells us something

October 26, 2005

Hardly a day goes by when this newspaper doesn’t publish a number of articles about individuals being charged with either possession of illegal drugs or possession of illegal drugs with intention to distribute. That’s a terrible, but well-grounded commentary on life in this and every community.
That’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. It’s highly that for the number of those caught, many others are never found out or brought to justice.
That’s a disturbing thought for Greenwood. However, multiply that by all the communities in South Carolina – indeed the nation – and the probable size of the drug problem is mindboggling.

KNOWING THAT, SOCIETY as a whole – business, industry, schools, churches, indeed every facet of life – should make every possible effort to help control this cancer on civilized behavior.
Whether it involves youngsters to old people and everyone in between, anything that can be done should be done to rid our community of drugs and drug dealers.
If it takes harsh penalties, show no mercy. Dealers show no mercy to the young people they poison or the families they destroy.
There are, of course, several programs around the area that fight the battle every day. The work they do is important. They can’t do it alone, though. If it takes a village to raise a child, it will take all of us to weed out and stamp out illicit drugs at every level. Start at home and move it forward.

WITH THAT IN MIND, it was encouraging to see Brewer Middle School students and their instructors as they staged a public ‘Walk Away From Drugs” march in Greenwood.
Students, by their presence and words showed their awareness of the problem, and made it clear that drugs ruin lives. Seventh grade teacher Rena Gray said her participation had a purpose, as did all the others marching along. “I want kids to see I stand up against drugs,” she said. “I am against drugs. I’ve never used them. I want to show them (students) that they can make that same stand, too,” she said.
It’s a working example for the rest of us. Those students and instructors have provided the lesson. They learn. Can we?

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

Obituaries

James M. Hackett Sr.

James Marion Hackett Sr., 76, husband of Jeanette M. Hackett, died Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005 in Greenville.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of the late Julian G. and Nezzie T. Hackett. He retired from Professional Medical Products and was a member of Mount Moriah Baptist Church, NAACP and Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 37.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Cheryl A. Mackey of Albany, N.Y.; seven sons, James M. Hackett Jr. of the home, Zachery Mackey and Eric Mackey, both of Georgia, Kenneth Mackey, Elston Mackey and Warren Mackey, all of New York, Wayne Mackey of South Carolina; two brothers, Frank J. Hackett of Raleigh, N.C., and Jessie J. Hackett of Greenwood; seven sisters, Carrie Crawford, Mary White, Jeanette White and Marie Pope of Greenwood, Jonice Singletary of Detroit, Francis Taylor of Baltimore, Helen Long of Rock Hill; 18 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. Services are 1 p.m. Thursday at Mount Moriah Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Raymond Adams. Assisting are the Revs. Tommy Stanford, Michael Butler, Claude Tolbert, Willie Harrison, Norris Turner, George Devlin and Ernest Cannon. The body will be placed in the church at 12. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are sons and grandsons.
Flower bearers are members of the church Deaconess Ministry, church ushers and nieces.
Honorary escorts are Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 37 members, church deacons and trustees and Douglas Lindsey.
Visitation is at the home, 114 N. Bethune St.
Viewing is 1-8 p.m. today at Parks Funeral Home.
Parks Funeral Home is in charge.

Willie A. Stephens Jr.

PLUM BRANCH — Willie A. Stephens Jr., 77, widower of Viola Norman Stephens, died Monday, Oct. 24, 2005 at Edgefield County Hospital after a short illness.
Born in Plum Branch, he was a son of the late Willie Arthur Stephens Sr. and Willie Mae Jones Stephens. He was a retired employee of Greenwood Mills Mathews Plant. A member and deacon of Mount Moriah Baptist Church, he was treasurer of Mount Moriah Masonic Lodge No. 96 and Mount Moriah Burial Aide Society and church sexton for 28 years.
Survivors include a daughter, Alice Stephens of the home.
The family is at the home, 2143 Liberty Hill Road.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home, McCormick.

Benson Jerry Thomas

Services for Benson Jerry Thomas, of 120 Donegal Drive, are 11 a.m. Friday at Mount Olive Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. H.T. Ligon. The body will be placed in the church at 10. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Robert Ware, Bill Johnson, Lester Thomas Jr., Jesse Jacobs, Barry Robinson, Allen Carroll Jr., Nate Lites and Bruce Pope.
Flower bearers are Vickie Smith, Peggy Smith, Connie Lark, Sally Taylor and friends of the family.
Honorary escorts are members of Ninety Six High School Class of 1973.
Visitation is 6-8 Thursday at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com

M.B. Watson

ABBEVILLE — Services for M.B. Watson are 2 p.m. Thursday at Mount Olive Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. R.C. Shelton, pastor. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers and flower bearers are family and friends.
The family is at the home.
The family is at the home of his sister, Mary L. Coates, 43 Redwood Road.
Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge.