Ware Shoals council considers legal help for inn restoration

October 4, 2005

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

WARE SHOALS — Broken window panes and pealing paint mar the outside of the stately Ware Shoals Inn right now. But an effort is under way to restore the town’s centerpiece building into apartments.
Mayor George Rush said the town wants to find a developer who will turn the vacant building into a place for people to live. The town bought the building two years ago.
It’s part of a town revitalization program that envisions repairs to Katherine Hall, another large middle-of-town structure, revamping of town hall, formerly the textile mill’s company store, and development of the Riegel Site into a by-the-river housing area and golf course.
Town council took a step Monday toward getting legal assistance with the inn project. Members heard from Dan McLeod and Jim Price, attorneys with the McNair firm in Greenville, about the town’s options in attracting a developer.
“We’re here to explain how a partnership might be achieved,” said town attorney Bill Thomason, “to preserve and rehabilitate the old inn, a building near and dear to all Ware Shoals people and all Greenwood County citizens.”
Details were hard to come by, however, since the council spent 50 minutes in closed session with the attorneys getting legal advice and considering a contact. No action was taken by the council following the closed session.
Before the closed session, McLeod explained his work with municipal finance, assisting cities, counties and school districts with their projects.
Since the mid-1970s, he said, governments have recognized a need to be able to assist businesses with certain projects. The S.C. Supreme Court at first outlawed these public-private partnerships, but since has allowed them under prescribed circumstances.
The projects must involve economic development and strict guidelines dictate how funds can be spent. McLeod said a criteria is “overall good to the public.”
Price has assisted the City of Spartanburg with its downtown revitalization project as the city’s attorney and worked with the City of Anderson on a hotel project.
The projects that can be made possible through public-private partnerships can vary from location to location, depending on the structures and financing, he said. Specifically about the Inn project, Price said there are “certain things that are extremely attractive to us, and other things we have questions about.”
After the meeting Rush said the town wants to find a way to restore the outside of the Inn and convert the interior to apartments.
The council is looking for a developer who would take advantage of federal and state tax credits designed to upgrade and maintain historic buildings, he said.

Lillie M. Chambers

Services for Lillie M. Chambers are at noon Wednesday at Morris Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Ricky Syndab, assisted by the Rev. Jonathan Greene. The body will be placed in the church at 11. Burial is in The Evening Star.
Pallbearers are church deacons and trustees.
Flower bearers are Women’s Aide No. 62 members.
Honorary escorts are Gospel Chorus members.
Visitation is 6-7 tonight at Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.
The family is at the home, 300-A Margaret St.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.

Claude McElhannon

Claude A. McElhannon, 71, of 109 Summit St., husband of Billie Pollard McElhannon, died Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 at his home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Lady Eagles edge rival Emerald

October 4, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

Greenwood High School’s Haley Sayer watches her return of Emerald’s Elizabeth Nicholson’s serve in their No. 1 singles match Monday at the Greenwood Country Club.

The Greenwood High School girls tennis team slipped past crosstown rival Emerald, 4-3, Monday at the Greenwood Country Club.
It was the Lady Eagles’ second victory over the Lady Vikings this season, though it was a delayed victory.
The match was originally scheduled for Sept. 8. However, the event was postponed after the death of Kaye Martin, mother of Lady Vikings’ player Meredith Martin. Greenwood coach John Epplesheimer said he felt postponing the match was the proper thing to do.
“I asked coach (Greenwood athletic director Shell) Dula if holding off on playing was all right,” Epplesheimer said. “He said it was fine. We had today open, so we decided to reschedule until now.”
The match was evenly played, though Greenwood scored decisive victories at the Nos. 1 and 2 singles.
Greenwood No. 1 Haley Sayer scored a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Emerald senior Elizabeth Nicholson. Sayer knew it would be important to stave off Nicholson’s powerful serving.
“I knew from the last time I played her that her serve was incredible,” Sayer said. “I was able to break her a few times in the first set, which was important.”
Teammate Brigitte Briere hammered home a No. 2 singles victory by defeating Morgan Lee 6-0, 6-2. Briere said she gets especially excited about facing the Lady Vikings. The senior said she thinks she plays better when facing an opponent that is considered a rival.
The best match of the evening was the nearly two-hour marathon in number two doubles. Emerald’s Kayla Sears and Claire Gillespie defeated Greenwood’s Lori Flick and Emily Moore 0-6, 6-4, 11-9. It was a match that thrilled the nearly 50 fans in attendance and drew praise from coaches and players alike.
The Lady Vikings picked up a singles win when Martin bested Samantha Funke 6-1, 6-4. The second set was a tight contest, with Martin finally picking up a service break for the win.
“I had never played (Funke),” Martin said. “We really had a good match. Luckily, I was finally able to win a game when she was serving.”
Emerald junior Catherine Talbert also netted a singles victory at the number three position. Talbert sped past Greenwood’s Ellen McDaniel 6-3, 6-2.
Talbert said she felt she got control of the match when she went up 3-1 in the second set, and was able to hold off McDaniel from that point.
“It was important for us to win against Emerald,” Sayer said. “We set out to win every match, but this one is always fun.”

Every nominee for court deserves same courtesy

October 4, 2005

What’s good for one should be good for another where hearings and votes on federal judges are concerned. Not so!
Considering the moaning by some liberals over new U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ conservative history, and President Bush having a second nomination, Senator Lindsey Graham helps put the whole thing in an enlightening perspective. He reminds us that former President Clinton had two opportunities to nominate two justices and a funny thing happened on the way to the high bench.
Mr. Clinton chose two liberals ….. the general counsel of the ACLU and a Democratic staff member. Both received very large bipartisan Senate votes.

MR. BUSH’S PICKS SHOULD be given the same courtesy. However, it’s likely the president’s second choice, White House attorney Harriet Miers, will be subjected to harsh words by liberal senators before and during the advise and consent hearings.
That should erase any doubts about “cordial” cooperation and show dramatically that heavy-handed politics remains a factor.
Clinton’s picks? Bush’s choices? The contrast should tell all Americans that “civil” agreements don’t last very long. One-sided rancorous rhetoric can’t be camouflaged.