Piedmont Tech then and now

School marks 40 years of helping build careers

August 4, 2006

By JOANIE BAKER and LESLIE DRAFFIN
Index-Journal staff writers

For more than 24 years, he went through life as an eighth-grade dropout.
But that was then.
Now, Gerald Burton has obtained his high school diploma and, with the help of Piedmont Tech, is working toward receiving a degree in computer technology and networking.
“I feel a lot better about myself, and my self-esteem has improved,” Burton said. “I love this place and wouldn’t really leave. I would like to find a job that lets me take classes so I can come back.”
As the college celebrated its 40th anniversary Thursday, Burton was one of the nearly 300 people who noted how far Piedmont Tech has come in the years it has been giving community members the opportunity to succeed.
“No one is more important to the college than those who work here,” college President Lex Walters said. “It’s rare that you see individuals who will go much beyond the norm.”
Few know that better than Charles Sperry. The machine and tool education teacher was one of the 20 members who worked at Piedmont Tech the day it opened its doors in 1966. He said he has watched the program grow and, in turn, help students grow as the programs teach “exactly what you need to know for when you go to work.”
“When we walked in the first day, the building was bare,” Sperry said. “So, we all pitched in, and the students pitched in, and we put it in operation.”
That was then.
Now, Sperry said the family-like atmosphere at Piedmont Tech is what keeps past students approaching him, at least once a month, when they see him.
“I’ve seen students I had that found themselves later on in life,” he said. “They may change the curriculum and they may change jobs, but this is changing lives, and that’s the bottom line.”
Sissy Copeland is one of the lives that was drastically changed by Piedmont Tech.
At her father’s instruction, Copeland received a secretarial certificate in high school and thought that would be all she needed to have a successful career. After having worked as a secretary for the business and health departments at Piedmont Tech, Copeland said she began to notice how other people were succeeding in the program. The full-time employee and mother decided to take one class for a semester, just to give it a try.
That was then.
Now, Copeland has obtained her associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years and is working as the department leader for Piedmont Tech’s Business and Office Systems Technology.
“I’m really pleased that Piedmont Tech has given me opportunities I never had before,” Copeland said. “It has improved my quality of life and has made me a more well-rounded person.”
Many of Piedmont Tech’s employees are former students who returned to the school for a place to work. During the celebration, many former students and employees wove between booths presenting information from the school’s different programs.
Before the ceremony, Virginia Wims reminisced about how being laid off from her job brought her to Piedmont Tech for additional training in computers.
But that was then.
Now, Wims has worked for Piedmont Tech’s Workforce Investment Act, helping people who have been laid off from their jobs find a place to work.
“I can relate to what they’re going through because I’ve been there,” Wims said. “When I was at Tech, it was relatively small, so I can see how it’s grown. It’s a great school; it really is.”
The educational opportunities at the college have changed dramatically, according to Walters, who says, “there were no health careers or university transfer programs offered here in 1966, but now we have really worked to help identify the needs within the workplace and structure programs to those needs.
“We started with one building and about 100 day students and 100 night students. Now there are seven campuses and over 5,000 credited students being served this year.”
Eddie Brown Jr., a respiratory care student at Piedmont Tech, stepped through the door and showed his appreciation for the college by giving the old PTC abbreviation a new acronym. “Everyone knows that PTC stands for Piedmont Technical College. Well, it should stand for Patiently Teaching Careers because that’s exactly what teachers do here. The faculty wants students to succeed.”
They did then and they do now.

A shakeup in veteran health care?

Vets, active service members might have to get drugs by mail

August 4, 2006

By Leslie Draffin
Index-Journal intern

Americans who serve — or served — in the armed forces and use TRICARE insurance soon might have to get prescriptions filled through mail-order services because of portions of the Defense Authorization Act.
The legislation could hurt local pharmacies and break customer service bonds.
“Ten years ago there were seven independent pharmacies in Greenwood. Now there are two,” said Thomas Wingard, pharmacist and owner of Wingard’s Pharmacy. “Businesses like ours are endangered species unless people refuse to accept less than the best and remain loyal to the small, family-owned businesses that really care about each and every customer.”
Making military personnel and their families fill prescriptions through the mail could have a devastating effect on profits for local, family-owned pharmacies doing business with TRICARE insurance holders.
“I’m not making much profit right now from TRICARE, but if they make it mandatory for their users to get prescriptions from mail-order services, I’ll take an even bigger hit,” Wingard said.
The U.S. House and Senate are reviewing the TRICARE provisions of the Defense Authorization Act, according to a National Community Pharmacist Association press release, and are headed for a House-Senate conference since different versions of the bill passed in each chamber.
According to the NCPA Web site, TRICARE insurance, the Department of Defense-managed health care program for active and retired military and their families, covers more than 9.2 million active military personnel, retirees and their families.
“I do a couple thousand a week in TRICARE,” said Fred Parkman, pharmacist and owner of Parkman’s Pharmacy in Saluda. “Any time you lose business, it hurts since there’s only so much you can get.”
According to the NCPA press release, the Senate version of the bill would require all TRICARE beneficiaries to obtain refills of “maintenance medications” through the mail.
“Maintenance medications are anything the individual would take for a chronic illness on a regular, monthly basis, as opposed to antibiotics or something taken short term,” said Anne Cassity, director of Federal Government Affairs with the National Community Pharmacists Association. “According to estimates, that could be up to 65 or 70 percent of all medications.”
The House version of the bill would penalize patients who prefer to fill their prescriptions locally by increasing the copay for generic and brand-name drugs at community pharmacies while eliminating the copay entirely for prescriptions purchased by mail, the press release says.
Kevin Bishop, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said “there are some concerns about the impact this will have on local pharmacies. Senator Graham is hopeful a solution can be reached that will protect the interests of the service members, as well as the ability of community pharmacies to compete for business.”
The Department of Defense negotiates with drug manufacturers for discounted prices, according to the NCPA, but distributes discounted medications only at military treatment facilities and to customers through mail-order warehouses.
“We just want a level playing field,”Cassity said. “We believe the DOD could save money if they would give retail pharmacies discounted prices as well, not just mail order and the military bases.”
Colleen Mangone, communications director for U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., said that because of his past as a former captain in the Army, the congressman remains committed to military personnel.
“As HR 5122, the DOD Authorization Act of FY 2007, moves through the process, he will continue to work in a fiscally responsible way with House leadership to ensure that we provide excellent benefits and not complicate the lives of those currently serving and/or those who have served,” Mangone said.
Bishop said, “Senator Graham believes that we must continue to improve the health care services available to the men and women of our armed forces while reining in escalating costs.
“The intent of the provision is to provide a quality benefit, without passing on higher health care costs to the beneficiaries, by requiring them to use the mail-order system for long-term prescription refills. It would not, in any way, limit access to community pharmacies for acute or short-term prescriptions.”

Preschool transition can prove stressful

August 4, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Senior staff writer

The first day of school holds excitement for many young children, and they eagerly await the day they’ll get to play with their new classmates or create colorful artwork to hang on the family refrigerator.
But for children who are beginning preschool, that first day can be filled with anxiety and fear as their parents leave them behind for the first time, and area preschool directors said that initial separation can often be as stressful for parents.
“It’s worse on the parents than the child sometimes, especially if the child has been at home with them all those years,” said Kim Pruitt, director for the Emerald Day Care Learning Center in Greenwood. “All children react differently (on that first day). Some will come in and not have a care in the world, and then some will come in and want to cry and cling to their parent.”
An article on the Preschoolers Today’s Web site, designed for parents of young children, said new preschoolers can be distressed about beginning a new routine with new people, which can leave the child clinging to a parent or even throwing a temper tantrum.
“It’s stressful, especially if it is an only child,” said Thelma Griffin, director with the Little Lamb Montessori Preschool in Greenwood. “In about 75 percent of the children, crying is involved, but it doesn’t take long for them to quit crying.”
The Preschooler’s Today Web site article said a visit to the preschool before the first day arrives is a great way for parents to ease their child’s — and their own — separation anxiety, and local preschool directors agreed that touring the facility and meeting with teachers is an important step in making a smooth transition.
“The parents should always go in and look around to see how the classes are done,” Pruitt said. “You need to give them some time to ease in before you put them in all day.”
Parents also can talk with their children about what preschool is about, giving them an idea of what they can expect when they enter the classroom for the first time, Griffin said.
“You’ve got to prepare them mentally that this is school and that it is where they belong, it is where they’ll learn,” Griffin said. “You get them in that routine.”
The ABC Home Preschool Web site offers more suggestions for easing the transition from home to school, including using small treats and surprises as rewards for completing a day of preschool. The treats also give the child something to look forward to at the end of the day, the site said. The child might also be able to take a small item to school that reminds him of a parent, which can give the child a sense of closeness to the parent.
The Web site also suggests that parents read their child bedtime stories that focus on daycare or preschool, which could help the child understand that he is not alone in being nervous about his new environment.
For those moms and dads who still worry, many local preschools have an open-door policy that allows parents to call or drop by to check on their child throughout the day. Little Lamb Montessori is working on installing a system that would use cameras in classrooms to allow parents to watch their children and eventually log onto the Internet to check on their little ones, Griffin said. Many parents come into the center to watch the video, she said, adding that parents “love it.”
But Pruitt cautioned that coming back to the center to see the child might backfire for the parent. If the child sees the parent, it could start a new cycle of separation anxiety just as they were adjusting, she said.
Even if there are tears at first, Pruitt said many children adapt quickly to their new role as preschoolers.
“A lot of it is just pulling on mom and dad’s heartstrings,” she said, laughing. “They’ll cry, and it kills mom and dad, but as soon as the parents walk out, they’ll stop.”

Saluda beats heat with change in practice

August 4, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

When it comes to preseason high school football, there is perhaps not a more sacred tradition than the much bandied about two-a-day practices in the scorching summer heat.
However, Saluda High School and coach Wayne Bell are bucking tradition just a bit this year and seemed to have found an acceptable substitution to the tried and true formula.
Since fall practice opened, the Tigers have been having one long practice, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., every day. While the Tigers do take a break during the mid morning, Bell said the singular sessions are working well, for the most part.
“We’ve done it many different ways in the past,” said Bell, who is entering his second season as coach at Saluda after stints as an assistant at other schools, such as Union. “I just think this way works well for our players. They get a really good workout in, then they can go home at 1:30 and get hydrated and get some rest.”
The Tigers had approximately 45 players working out Thursday morning, and it was a young group.
According to Bell, Saluda has 10 seniors and 10 juniors on the team, as well as 25 sophomores. The coach said he expects to have 25 ninth-graders in the program as well, with many coming on when school starts. Bell was pleased with his squads’ numbers for the 2006 campaign.
“We had 63 overall, counting rising ninth-graders, participating in preseason conditioning,” Bell said. “That’s a good number at Saluda High School.”
After a rocky 3-7 season in 2005, the Tigers seem set for a stronger year this time around. One area of intended improvement that was evident in Thursday’s practice was a renewed effort on defense. Saluda’s defenders flew to the ball all morning, dominating the scout team offense. Defensive backs Ryan Nichols and Trevor Deloach, who also will start at quarterback and wideout, respectively, barked out signals to their trash-talking defensive brethren. Deloach nabbed a handful of interceptions during the drills.
“The guys have really been playing hard,” Bell said. “We’ve got a good group of seniors that really help to get the other guys up for practice.”
The Tigers have their sights set on their first game, an Aug. 25 tilt at Woodruff. Bell said his squad will need to be fully prepared.
“I understand Woodruff will be much improved,” Bell said. “They have a couple outstanding individuals. That will be a big non-region game for our guys.”

Joshua Natavius Anderson

Services for Joshua Natavius Anderson are 2 p.m. Saturday at Dunham Temple CME Church, conducted by the Rev. James McKee. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in The Evening Star cemetery.
Pallbearers are Donald Thomas, Travis Wardlaw, Rafael Floyd, Michael Anderson, Anthony Anderson and Roderick Baker.
Flower bearers are Crystal Anderson, Chelse Anderson, Kayla Baker, Niger Baker, Courtney Raiford and Danisha Freeman.
The family is at the home of his grandmother Rose Mary Goode, 801 Anderson St.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net

Tanner Chaise Cason

GREENWOOD, SC — Tanner Chaise Cason, 23, husband of Michelle Davis Cason, died Monday, August 1, 2006.
Born in Greenwood August 2, 1982; he was a son of Terry and Tiara Stephenson Cason. He was a Greenwood High School graduate and attended Piedmont Technical College. Mr. Cason was employed by Goodrich as a welder and was a member of Grace Community Church. He was also the lead guitarist with the band SplitSickSwayz.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Tommy Cason, Mr. and Mrs. G. Y. Vines; and great grandparents, Pauline Taylor Stephenson and L. G. Carroll.
Surviving is his wife of the home, his parents of Troy, grandparents, Julia Vines Cason of Greenwood, Ed and Irma C. Ramsey of Abbington, VA; great grandfather, Roy P. Stephenson of Greenwood; a great-grand-mother Maude Carroll of Sandersville, GA; a sister Christen Brianna Cason of Greenwood, two brothers, Brandon Terry Cason and Levi Chad Cason both of Greenwood; and a nephew, Tristen Isaiah Cason of Greenwood.
Services will be 2:00 PM Saturday at Grace Community Church with the Reverend Rod Shultz and John Walsh officiating. Burial will follow at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Tony Wilson, Danny Coursey, Robert Vines, Darren DeLouch, Ray Pulley, Jimmy Owens, and Jerry Goodman.
The family will receive friends on Friday at Harley Funeral Home from 6:00 until 8:00 PM.
Memorials may be made to Capital Bank Michelle Cason, 109 Montague Avenue, Green-wood, SC 29646.
The family is at the home of his parents, Terry & Tiara S. Cason, 2624 Scotts Ferry Road, Kirksey.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

James B. Harvley

CLANTON, Ala. — James B. Harvley, 79, died Monday, July 31, 2006 at his home.
Born in South Carolina, he was a son of the late Ernest B. Harvley and Georgia B. Wells. He was a truck driver.
Survivors include two sons, Brandon Harvley of Prattville and Jordan Harvley of Clanton; a brother, Ferman Harvley of Greenwood, S.C.; three sisters, Virginia Swindler, Ethel Harvley and Rebecca Harvley, all of Greenwood.
Services were 3 p.m. Wednesday at Cedar Grove Methodist Church in Thorsby, conducted by the Rev. Jeff Carroll. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Martin Funeral Home was in charge.

Mary Lee Wardlaw

McCORMICK — Mary Lee Wardlaw, 82, died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
Born in McCormick, she was a daughter of the late Fred and Kitty Harper Wardlaw. She was a member of True Vine Pentecostal Holiness Church and a domestic worker.
Survivors include a sister, Annie L. Wardlaw of McCormick; three brothers, John Wardlaw of McCormick, Henry Wardlaw of Miami and Bernard Wardlaw of Cincinnati; a nephew reared in the home, Ray Wardlaw; a niece reared in the home, Jackie Murray.
The family is at the home 712 Pine St. Extension.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Hope that U. N. created has faded with the years

August 4, 2006

When the United Nations was created, chances are most South Carolinians, as so many others, saw it as a ray of hope in a contentious world. Indeed the optimism back in the 1940s added substance to that hope.
Somewhere during the past half a century, that hope has turned to doubt ..... and with good reason. The U. N. has simply failed to live up to its promise.
Look at the June 1945 preamble to the Charter of the United Nations and decide if it has been successful or has become an unwieldy, expensive and feckless bureaucracy. It says:
“We the peoples of the United Nations
Determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal right of men and women and nations large and small, and ... for these ends
To practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and
To unite our strength to maintain international peace and security ...
Have resolved to combine our efforts to accompany these aims.
It sounds good. However, the “combined efforts” have been few and far between. You might say the status of the conflict and suffering all over the world speak so loudly the hurting and hungry people of the world cannot hear what the U. N. is saying.
While members of the U. S. Senate are debating the permanent appointment of John Bolton as U. S. ambassador to the U. N., his opponents might consider how ineffective the U. N. has become. They might realize once and for all we need a strong and fearless person there who will not be intimidated by anyone or adopt a “go along to get along” mentality. That, it seems, has happened too often over the years.


THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE U. N. in the world ..... an important role. It cannot, however, continue to perform the way it has for years, especially in recent times, and live up to any part of its mission. Don’t misunderstand. It has done some good work and still does. Unfortunately, though, the negatives far outweigh the positives and that renders anything it says in the name of peace useless.
One continent actually says it all. Millions of people have been murdered or allowed to starve to death in various African nations and the U. N. has simply failed them. Can there be a worse indictment?