Districts face similar bond issues

Like Dist. 50, Pickens schools under fire for financing plan

December 3, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Pickens County’s school board has more in common with Greenwood School District 50 than a proximity to Greenville.
Both school districts are pursuing installment purchase bond plans to fund school construction with various results.
District 50 wants to leverage as much as $145 million over a 25-year period to pay for the construction of three new elementary schools, as well as renovations and modifications to the rest of the schools in the district.
Pickens County’s board of trustees approved on Nov. 27 a $315 million bond plan, including construction on four new high schools and a career center, according to The Greenville News.
Three high schools in Pickens also will be renovated into middle schools and two elementary schools will be renovated. Pickens’ school board presented a similar plan by way of referendum during the 2005 election, but more than 60 percent of voters rejected the $197 million plan or $346 million with interest, according to the Nov. 27 issue of The Greenville News.
Bonds are typically sold by government agencies to the public and investors to pay for large projects, with the money gained from the bond sale given back to the issuing agency and paid back over an established period of time.
Public officials, including Greenwood County Councilmen Dee Compton, Bob Jennings and state Rep. Mike Pitts, have questioned the bond issue; specifically, if it breaks the 8 percent general obligation debt limit set in South Carolina’s state constitution.
Article 10, section 15 of the constitution states: “... the governing body of any school district may incur general obligation debt in an amount not exceeding eight percent of the assessed value of all taxable property of such school district ...”
The Index-Journal attempted to pose other questions about the bond issue to District 50’s superintendent, chairwoman and attorneys, but were unsuccessful by press time.
Questions included whether the district’s bond plan could be completed before the state legislature’s deadline of Dec. 31; what the total amount taxpayers will have to pay is, including principal and interest; and where to find a detailed account of how much money will be spent on each of District 50’s schools for renovations and construction.
Superintendent Darrell Johnson declined to talk about the bond issue, saying he was referring questions, including whether the bond issue is moving forward in Greenwood, to the district’s attorneys at Childs & Halligan in Columbia.
Allen Smith, an attorney at Childs & Halligan, told The Index-Journal that District 50 was putting together answers to bond questions on Thursday.
The district’s bond attorney, Bill Hirata, said he was respecting his clients’ wishes at District 50 by not talking about the bond issue, but instead letting the district deliver a coordinated response.
Chairwoman Debrah Miller also decided not to talk further about the bond issue for this story. Instead, she opted to answer questions in a written response to general questions and specific ones raised in two columns by Executive News Editor Richard Whiting. The newspaper plans to publish her response as soon as possible on its op-ed pages.
Former chairwoman Dru James, named in the lawsuit and leader of the board during the bond issue’s beginnings, told the newspaper last week that Miller could answer any questions about the bond issue.

Lawsuits
District 50 and Pickens’ bond plans also have something else in common — they have lawsuits against them.
A group of Pickens taxpayers, along with the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation, filed on Nov. 29 against Pickens Superintendent Lee D’Andrea, board members and the district itself, said Jim Carpenter, attorney for District 50 and Pickens’ lawsuits.
Henry Johnson, former owner of the Rental Center, filed a lawsuit Nov. 3 against District 50 Superintendent Darrell Johnson, former chairwoman Dru James and the district over the bond plan. At issue in the suit is whether the bond sale violates the state’s constitution.
State Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, who helped create the legislation that will end installment bond plans for South Carolina on Dec. 31, said he was surprised that Pickens was considering the option now, according to the Nov. 22 issue of the Pickens Sentinel.
He said the deadline was put in place for districts already working out an installment plan when the legislation passed and that the plan would be hard to put in place by the end of December.
Martin said the plan would give a lot of money to bond attorneys involved in installment bond plans, according to the Pickens Sentinel.

Holidays roll into Donalds with floats, candy

December 3, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

DONALDS — There are few events in any city that can get nearly every citizen in town together in one place at one time.
A Christmas parade is one of those events.
Such was the case in Donalds on Saturday as hundreds of people lined the streets to witness the town’s annual Christmas parade. Men, women and children of every age seemed eager to celebrate the season in style.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” said Linda Lollis, sitting on the tailgate of a truck shortly before the parade began. “I think we’ve been to every parade they’ve had here.”
Linda’s husband, Paul, was also waiting with anticipation.
“It gets better every year,” Paul said. “I can’t wait to see what they’ll have this year.”
What “they” had was a parade full of the requisite floats and attractions. The parade began with a massive string of motorcycles bellowing up the street, revving their engines to the delight of those in attendance.
Wendell Perry, of Honea Path, was particularly fond of that section of the parade.
“We’ve had motorcycles in the parade before,” Perry said. “But not like that. There’s usually just a few. This year there was just a bunch of them.”
As the event moved on, the Dixie High School band marched through the street, children stopped to sing carols, and there was the ritual that kids seemed to enjoy most: the tossing of handfuls of candy.
Nearly every float that went by saw the proliferation of candy grow larger. Children, and more than a few adults, scrambled to get to the pieces of sugary goodness and stuff them in their pockets.
“My fiance’s kids got a ton of candy,” Perry said. “Heck, there’s still candy all over the ground, there was just so much.”
Donalds resident Lee Davenport said having so many people in town turn out for the parade was a positive.
“It’s just great,” Davenport said. “It gives people in town a chance to come out and meet each other. Something like this makes the community even stronger.”
Like most Christmas parades, the Donalds event ended with Santa Claus himself taking a ride up Main Street atop a fire truck. Young people ran alongside the truck hoping to catch Kriss Kringle’s gaze and possibly yell out what they wanted for Christmas.
One consensus many parade-goers seemed to have was that the 2006 edition was one of the best parades Donalds has had to date.
“There seemed to be more units and floats this year,” said Pauline Cooley, of Honea Path. “The pace was good and nobody was lagging. This was a great parade.”

Chris Trainor covers area news for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ctrainor@indexjournal.com.

EDITORIAL COLUMN: Celebration continues

State champion Eagles grow together through adversity

December 3, 2006

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

Xavier who?
All the work ex-Greenwood High School standout receiver Xavier Dye went through to head to a four-time champion became completely and utterly for naught Friday night when his former team claimed the Class AAAA, Division II state title.
The Eagles won their first state title since 2000 by defeating Conway for the first time in school history.
Dye and the rest of his new team, the Byrnes Rebels, were ousted by eventual state champion Gaffney in the AAAA, Division I semifinals.
Now, before you get too flummoxed, understand that this is not a knock against the young man.
Even though Dye left Greenwood before the start of school only to spend weeks entangled in countless bouts of litigation to become a Rebel, it’s hard to put the full extent of the blame of something that had such caustic consequences on a high school senior.
It’s pretty obvious the Clemson University commitment listened to the wrong people, as is such the case in sports on several levels these days.
All it cost Dye was the chance to call himself a state champion and to do so with his hometown team … oh, that and a shiny gold medal and eventually, a big honking ring.
So instead of having a highly touted Division I prospect on their team, this year’s Greenwood Eagles were pretty much a ragtag group. Not many, if any, major D-I prospects in the bunch.
But that ragtag group had one thing in common at the start of the season: They liked each other, they really liked each other.
Corny? Yes.
Cliché? Yes.
But true? Heck yes.
Greenwood coach Shell Dula said it during the Monday press conference in Columbia that his team truly loves to play together.
“They just don’t want the season to end,” the 30-year coaching veteran said Monday.
But every coach says their team is “like a family” or “a tight-knit squad.”
So it’s hard to differentiate coach speak from an honest assessment. But after Friday’s outcome anyone could see what the coach meant.
But Dula said pretty much the same thing after that group of no-names handed him his sixth state championship as a head coach.
“They like being around each other,” said the coach, who is now a perfect 6-0 in state title games. “They’re so together. It’s just the fact that they generally love each other and they like being around each other.”
And now because of that commonality, the Eagles have yet another thing in common: They can call themselves a state champion.
“It’s a beautiful thing to add to our name,” senior defensive lineman Craig Logan said. “We worked so hard in the off season. Worked so hard since January to be here. It’s just a great feeling.”
Logan and the rest of “Team Togetherness” gave the 20,000-plus fans at Williams-Brice Stadium — of which more than 12,000 were raccous Greenwood supporters — the best example of their somewhat hokey moniker before the kickoff. In fact, it came before the entire Conway team was even on the field.
When the captains were called to the field for the ceremonial pregame coin toss, the Tigers’ huddled behind their large run-through sign at one corner of the north end zone, eagerly awaiting their chance to rushed the field.
By contrast, the Eagles had been on the field for several minutes, having already previously broke through the cheerleader-constructed paper sign.
“Team Togetherness” made one long line behind their four captains, and as Chris Floyd, Win French, Sam Chappell and Ixavier Higgins walked hand-in-hand-in-hand-in-hand to the Gamecock at midfield, the rest of the team took a few steps together onto the field: in a sign of unity.
It was similar in fashion — and eventually, in effectiveness — to the time the New England Patriots chose to walk out of the tunnel as a team before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 instead of the traditional individual player introductions.
The Eagles did something similar later Friday night. After pretty much most of the stadium had cleared — well after the Conway fans had begrudingly departed that stadium winless for the fourth time in six years — they gathered at the 50 for a few minutes.
One last huddle for a team that didn’t want to see its season end. A season with plenty of adversity that brought them together.

Ron Cox is the sports editor for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: rcox@indexjournal.com.

Opinion

Hollywood and television take a propaganda slant

December 3, 2006

Motion pictures have long been used as a propaganda tool. Their successful use during World War II left no doubt about that. Hollywood, in fact, is still a factor in the “mind-washing” business. There’s more, however.
Motion picture producers are not alone anymore in efforts to verbally tar and feather those who don’t fit their liberal mold. Now television is a prime venue for tearing down or building up reputations. We see it often in South Carolina.
Some television personalities - in so-called entertainment and “news” - have become experts in the area of character assassination.
It’s not hard to see that obvious propagandists are hard at work with that tool again.

WAIT! THERE’S STILL more obvious messing around with minds.
Pay attention to some of the current movies and TV shows. Note how both are loaded with scenes and stories that have social and political messages in the guise of entertainment.
Then there are the talk shows where hosts and guests vilify repeatedly anyone who has different opinions, That, however, is another story.
The public doesn’t have to be a captive audience, though. There is am effective way to fight back: Refuse to watch “message” programs and stay away from that kind of movie. That would negatively affect the revenue ..... and nothing talks like money.

Obituaries

Robert Creswell

Robert Dale “Nugget” Creswell, 49, resident of 401 Oakwood Drive, husband of Victoria Mora Creswell, died Dec. 2, 2006 at the Hospice House of Greenwood.
Born in Greenwood County, Sept. 29, 1957, he was a son of Albert L. and Mary Irvine Creswell. A graduate of Greenwood High School, he served in the U.S. Army for twelve years. He was formerly employed by Premier Technology in Davenport, Iowa and was a member of Lowell Street United Methodist Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife of Petersburg, Va are his parents of the home and three brothers, Mike and wife Debbie Creswell, Terry and wife Jean Creswell, all of Greenwood and Tommy and wife Glenda Creswell of Statesville, N.C.; three step-children, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Dick Waldrep and Reverend Mike Hatfield officiating. Burial will be in Oakbrook Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will be nephews along with Doug Crowder, Eric Lowery, Tim Baker and Bradley Myrick.
The family is at the home on Oakwood Drive and will receive friends at the funeral home from 1-2 p.m. Monday.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Lowell Street United Methodist Church, 300 Lowell Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Creswell family.

Johnnie Fowler

Johnnie Elizabeth Cox Fowler, 91, resident of 578 Beaudrot Road Apt. A-3, widow of J. Marion Fowler, died Dec. 1, 2006 at Hospice House of Greenwood.
Born June 15, 1915 in Abbeville, she was a daughter of the late Bradley and Mary Porter Cox. She was retired from Greenwood Mills Harris Plant and was a member of the Quarter Century Club of Greenwood Mills.
Mrs. Fowler was a member of West Side Baptist Church where she was a former Sunday school teacher and member of the Fidelis Sunday School Class and the Best of the West of the church. She was also a member of the Mary Pinckney Ouzts Chapter #1 of the Order of the Eastern Star where she served as past Matron, a member of the Greenwood Mills Mothers Club and the Opal Club.
Surviving are a son, J. Bradley Fowler of Greenwood; a brother, Ben Cox of Moline, Ill.; two grandsons, Pack Fowler and Adam Fowler, both of Charleston; four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Hal Lane officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Vernon Lathren, Jim Fowler, Louis Lathren, Rick Harter, Smiley Bryant, Donald Crocker, Jimmy Haney and Gene Hall.
Honorary escort will be members of the Fidelis Sunday School Class.
Following the burial service family and friends are invited to lunch at West Side Baptist Church.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5-7 Sunday afternoon.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to West Side Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 216, Greenwood, SC 29648, or to Hospice House of Greenwood, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Fowler family.

Brenda Kay Hart

IRMO — Brenda Kay Hart, 56, of 1800 Chadford Road, died Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, at Palmetto Health Richland.
The family is at the home of her sister, Shirley Mathis, 336 New Market St., Greenwood.
Services will be announced by Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc.