New McCormick County administrator says
life is looking good with new baby coming

October 3, 2005

By JACKIE R. BROACH
Index-Journal staff writer

McCORMICK — For Bruce Cooley, life is good.
Between his new position as McCormick County administrator and the pending arrival of his first son, Cooley said he’s a happy man. Add in a loving wife and the two beautiful daughters the couple already has, and life is near perfect, he said.
Cooley’s wife, Vonda, is expected to give birth this week and Cooley said he can’t wait. He’s already got plans for all the things he wants to do with his new son. In particular, he said, he’s hoping for a weekend companion to watch Clemson football with him.
He’s going to have to allow this one to be a mamma’s boy, however, Cooley said, because both his daughters are daddy’s girls. Adriana, 4, and Cara, 2, are the lights of his life and have had him wrapped around their little fingers since the day they were born, he said.
“He’s a wonderful husband, but he’s an amazing father,” Vonda said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better father for my children.”
Cooley said he loves being a father, and if he “wasn’t so old,” he’d have a half-dozen more children. It’s exciting, he said, waiting to see what a child you’ve created will be like.
Both his girls are a good mix of he and his wife, but in different ways, he said, adding that they are “different as night and day.” Adriana, he said is reserved, like he is, while Cara is outgoing like her mother. He can only imagine what his son will be like.
Though Cooley might be dreaming about the marvelous futures to be had by all three of his children, he said he won’t dictate those futures to any of them, nor will he push them in directions they have no interest in going, he said.
For example, though Cooley loves football and enjoyed playing in his youth, he said he’d be fine with it if his son has no interest in that sport or any other.
“I don’t force my children into anything,” he said. “I just want them to enjoy doing the things they like.”
The Cooleys said they try to raise their children to think for themselves and to make good choices.
Originally from the Anderson-Greenville area, Cooley moved to McCormick about five years ago, shortly after marrying.
“It just seemed like a nice town and a good place to raise kids,” he said. He particularly enjoys living in town small enough that he can leave home 15 minutes before he has to be at work, then run errands at the bank and the post office, still arriving on time for work.
Choosing McCormick is a decision the couple haven’t regretted, they said.
Upon arrival, Cooley took a job with the county, serving as finance director, while his wife went to work writing for the local newspaper.
This past month, Cooley was named county administrator. So far, he said, things are going well. His biggest crisis as of yet, dealt with a shortage in gas in September and having to formulate a plan on how to “get by.”
“Luckily for me, there are good people who work for McCormick County,” Cooley said. “I don’t see this as a one-man show. Together, we came up with a good plan and made it through (the shortage).”
As for the future, Cooley said he is looking forward to working with citizens to make McCormick County an even better place to live. One aspect of that means bettering the county’s economy and unemployment rate and, though there are some obstacles to that, there are also opportunities, he said. On his short list of goals are attracting industry and hopefully some new residential developments.
“He’s really just stepped right in and picked things up where (former interim administrator Ed Lominack) left off,” said Sheree Bowick, clerk to county council. “He’s already moved into his new role and he did it with ease and confidence and I think he’s really going to do a good job.”
Bowick called Cooley an asset to the county who would “strive to meet the needs of county residents and to implement policies set forth by county council.”
In addition to his responsibilities as a father and a county administrator, Cooley is pastor at Berea Baptist Church in Edgefield County. The top priority in his life, he said, is God.

Perfect morning for swim, bike, run

More than 300 compete in Half-Ironman at Lake Greenwood

October 3, 2005

By MICHAEL STONE
Index-Journal sports editor

NINETY SIX — Sunday morning at Lake Greenwood State Park was nearly perfect for racing.
And more than 300 competitors took advantage of temperatures in the 70s and overcast skies to race in the 3rd Annual South Carolina Half-Ironman Triathlon.
Charlotte’s Jamey Yon was the male winner, finishing the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run in 4 hours, 16 minutes, 41 seconds after receiving a 4-minute penalty.
Kimberly Grogan, of Clermont, Fla., was the first woman across the finishing line, covering the race in 4:47:59.
Yon edged Peter Kotland for the win. Despite trailing Kotland by nearly four minutes after the bike ride, Yon made up the time quickly on the run, and took the lead for good just three miles into the run.
“I was surprised, because Peter and I run together and when I saw he was in front of me, I thought I would have to settle for second,” said Yon, who was competing in the Palmetto State Series Triathlon race for the first time. “I was aiming for a time of 4:10, but I couldn’t be happier with the 4:12. This was a very nice course and a great place to have a race.”
Kotland, who was seventh coming out of the water after the swim in Lake Greenwood, said he used too much energy on the bike ride and didn’t have enough left over for the run.
“It was a little windy on the bike ride, and I didn’t expect to be out in front,” said Kotland, who finished in 4:20:55. “It was a great race. There was no traffic, it was very scenic, a very well organized race.”
While Yon and Kotland were keeping track of their time with a watch during the race, Grogan wasn’t.
In fact, Grogan didn’t know she was the leading female competitor until she was more than halfway through the bike ride.
“I don’t wear a watch because I want to go by how I’m feeling,” said Grogan, whose goal was to finish in less than five hours. “I felt pretty good today.”
While competitors from throughout the South, and from New York, Missouri and California raced in the Half-Ironman, several people from Greenwood and the Lakelands took part.
Greenwood’s Trent Humphreys finished in 5:06:55, Greenwood’s David Bridges in 5:12:49, Austin Brown, of Hodges, in 5:19:08, Greenwood’s Stephen Shenal in 5:47:50, Abbeville’s Brian Henry in 6:19:20, Matthew Rupnick, of Ware Shoals, in 6:20:17 and Josh Fennell in 6:50:30.
It was Humphrey’s first triathlon and his goal was to finish in less than six hours, which he easily did.
“My goal is to do an Ironman within a year,” Humphreys said.
Bridges, 40, said several of the area men who raced Sunday trained together.
Bridges, who competed in last year’s Half-Ironman, added that he hadn’t planned on running Sunday until Brown convinced him to take part.
“I was going to stop when I was 38,” Bridges joked. “I didn’t want to do this again, but I was talked into it by Austin. I did it for him.”

Opinion

The ‘magic’ for our kids can be found in learning

October 3, 2005

In this world of anti-heroes, it’s encouraging to see the real thing once in while. Some school children and other South Carolinians saw one the other day. What they heard, though, were inspiring words of encouragement and solid advice.
It all came from Earvin Johnson, better known as “Magic.”
“Magic” Johnson is, of course, a basketball hero to hundreds of thousands of kids and adults. That’s good. But he’s a hero for something else. He’s a very successful businessman. His foundation has already made a big difference in many lives, and many more in South Carolina will benefit because of his caring and generosity.
Johnson came to South Carolina to help celebrate the opening of the first of five community empowerment centers his foundation is opening in the Palmetto State.

SEVERAL GROUPS OF PEOPLE from Greenwood traveled to the little Richland County town of Eastover, home of the first center, to learn more about the plans. There will be four other centers in the state, one of them in the Emerald City at the old Brewer High School.
The center in Eastover will provide classes on improving credit, buying a house, and starting a business. Kids will be given a chance to learn computer skills, take literacy classes, and participate in leadership development. There also will be other activities designed to help kids look to a better tomorrow.
“Magic” Johnson’s size, about 6’11,’’ and his basketball fame, guaranteed an attentive audience. What they heard was special. The primary theme was education, and when “Magic” talks, it’s hard not to listen.

HE TOLD THE KIDS TO DREAM, and dream big. “Just because you come from a small town doesn’t mean your dreams have to be small,” he said. He also told them they can have the same kind of clothes, house and car he has, but, he noted emphatically, they had to get theirs through education. Knowledge, not hip-hop, is the answer, he said.
He related how when he was a youngster, he admired two black businessmen. They gave him a job. He had seven floors to clean. He worked hard ….. and he dreamed. The rest. As they say, is history. He now heads his own big company. He owns a whole string of “Starbuck’s’ coffee houses and theaters ….. among other things.
His bottom line for the kids? Get an education and “walk with the Man upstairs.” What better advice? Kids in Greenwood could benefit from it. There is a possibility “Magic” will give them that chance sometime. But, then, we all need his kind of hero and role model. They are far too few.

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Obituaries

Agnes Crocker

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Agnes Jordan Crocker, 91, widow of Mack Wesley Crocker died Sunday, October 2, 2005 at Agape Senior Community in West Columbia. She was born in Toccoa, Ga., a daughter of the late Asa and Annie Lou McCoy Jordan. She was retired from Riegel Textile Corp. and was a member of Ware Shoals First Baptist Church.
Surviving are: one daughter, Mildred Bagnal and husband, Jim, Cayce, S.C., three sisters, Mrs. Ralph “Brenda” Campbell, Calhoun Falls, Barbara Fleming, Anderson, Frances Sharpe, Anderson, two granddaughters, Jonolyn Ferreri and husband John, Beaufort, Cindy Eskew and husband, Tim of Dacula, Ga.; three great-grandchildren, Jack and Jamie Ferreri, Beaufort and Erin Eskew, Dacula, Ga.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday at 11 AM at the First Baptist Church, Ware Shoals with Rev. Leon Jones, Rev. Michael Henderson and Rev. Megan Gray officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Active pallbearers will be Mark Campbell, Tommy Jordan, Tommy Fellers, Jody Young, Doug Jordan and Mike Burden.
Honorary escort will be Members of the Dorcas Sunday School Class, Joe Skinner, John Simpson, Russell Davis, Wayne Davis, Clarence McMahon, Mel Price, Wayne Gantt, Joe Busbin, Keith Skinner, Jim Reynolds, William Crocker, Billy Chasteen and Ken Burnette.
The family will receive friends at Parker-White Funeral Home, Ware Shoals Tuesday, October 4, 2005, 6 to 8 PM.
Memorials may be made to First Bapt. Church Bldg. Fund, P.O. Box 449, Ware Shoals, S.C. 29692 or to Agape Senior Community Foundation, 2705 Leophart Rd., W. Columbia, SC, 29169.
Parker-White Funeral Home, Ware Shoals, S.C. is in charge of arrangements.
PAID OBITUARY

Mildred Styron Deaton

Mildred Styron Deaton, 87, of 207 Devore Road, widow of Edgar C. Deaton, died Friday, September 30, 2005, at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Saluda, SC; a daughter of the late Luther Dubose and Mattie Burnett Styron. She was retired from the A & P and was a member of Harris Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Willing Workers Sunday School Class, The Joy Group, and the Bereavement Committee. She was predeceased by three brothers R.O. Styron, J.W. Styron, and Coley Styron.
Surviving are a son Gerald Deaton of Greenwood; two sisters Felicia and husband Johnny Lowman of Greenwood and Elizabeth Luquire of Greenwood; a number of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday at Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Frank Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Frank Coursey, Fred Holmes, Danny Grubbs, Emmett Hutto, Keith Coker, and David Perrin.
Honorary escorts will be the Willing Workers Sunday School Class of Harris Baptist Church.
The body is at Harley Funeral Home where the family received friends Sunday night from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the Building Fund of Harris Baptist Church, 300 Center Street, Greenwood, SC, 29649.
The family is at the home of her son, 207 Devore Road, Greenwood.
Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Virginia Lee Bailey Herndon

WALTERBORO — Virginia Lee Bailey Herndon, 90, widow of Brantley Powell Herndon, died Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005 at Bishop Gadsden Retirement Center in Charleston.
Born in Colleton County, she was a daughter of the late Martha Catterton Bailey and Edward Lockey Bailey. She retired as credit manager at the Novit-Siegel Dept. Store in Walterboro. She was a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church No. 1, having served as a leader and teacher in the Sunday School, Training Union, Women’s Missionary Union and Bible School. For many years she was the church “Welcome Chairman” and a Christian witness.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. George (Carolyn) Lisle of Charleston and Mrs. Ted (Mary Lee) Wyndham of Greenwood; a brother, William Bailey of Jacksonville, Fla.; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at Pine Grove Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Ken McCaskill. Burial is in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Troy Herndon, Dean Herndon, Dr. Patrick Dennis, Jeffrey Dennis, Edward Benton, Greg Benton, Johnny Bailey, Raymond Bailey and Chad Crosby.
Memorials may be made to Pine Grove Baptist Church No. 1, 99 Pine Grove Road, Walterboro, S.C. 29488.
Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home is in charge.