Record requests put on hold

Councilman opens dialogue with Dist. 50’s attorneys over schools’ bond plan

November 11, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

A Greenwood County councilman who sent two batches of Freedom of Information Act requests to Greenwood School District 50 to learn more about the district’s bond issue is putting them aside for now.
Dee Compton, councilman and attorney, told The Index-Journal Friday that since he and the district’s attorneys at Childs and Halligan in Columbia are talking in detail about the installment purchase bond plan and sharing information and opinions, he will not enforce his 29 FOIA requests.
Compton , however, told the attorneys he won’t drop the FOIA requests.
Henry Johnson, former owner of the Rental Center and the plaintiff in a lawsuit against District 50, its bond plan, superintendent Darrell Johnson and chairwoman Dru James, has now been joined in the lawsuit by the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation.

About the bonds
Compton has led the public charge against District 50’s bond purchase plan, which would leverage as much as $145 million over a 25-year period to pay for construction of three new elementary schools, and renovations and modifications to the rest of the schools in the district.
Bonds are typically sold by government agencies to the public and investors in order to pay for the agencies’ large projects.
The money gained from the bond sale is given to the issuing agency and paid back over an established amount of time.
Compton’s first FOIA requests went out Oct. 20, giving the district 15 days to comply. Those requests were due to be fulfilled Friday.
The requests sought almost all information about the bond plan, including e-mails and records from special unannounced meetings.

Lawsuit amended
Henry Johnson’s amended lawsuit was filed at 11:02 a.m. Wednesday, according to court documents.
Jim Carpenter, Johnson’s attorney, said the lawsuit adds the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and accuses District 50 of multiple secret meetings about the bond issue that violate FOIA laws, instead of just one meeting.
The South Carolina Public Interest Foundation, which helped draft the lawsuit, should have been included in the suit when it was filed, but was mistakenly left out. The foundation works to see the laws and constitution of South Carolina are followed, particularly by government officials, in relation to taxpayers’ money, Carpenter said.
“This case is right in the heart of the interest of the public interest foundation,” he said.

Growing concerns
Other public figures concerned about the bond issue include county councilman Bob Jennings.
He requested Wednesday that District 50 postpone the issuance of $150 million in bonds for a few weeks because he doesn’t want the district exceeding for 25 years the 8 percent spending cap laid out in the state constitution without a contingency plan. State Rep. Mike Pitts, as well as Compton, has expressed concern that the district’s installment purchase bond plan is unconstitutional because of the same spending cap.
Compton said Henry Johnson’s lawsuit asks for much of the same information as his FOIA requests, so there was no reason to duplicate the effort.
“We’ve got a dialogue open at this point, even if it’s through the attorneys,” he said.
Compton said he talked with the attorneys for about a half-hour Wednesday.
He called Darrell Johnson first to set up a time for a meeting, but was advised to talk to the attorneys.
The attorneys were encouraged and asked Compton for time to speak with Darrell Johnson and the district’s board of trustees about their discussion.
“I can’t possibly tell where they’ll want to go from here,” Compton said.

‘Hope that works’
He told the attorneys the resolution for the bond issue seems flawed because it doesn’t create a distinct-enough separation between the district and the bond issue’s nonprofit corporation, and that the needs analysis for the district’s facilities was superficial.
Allen Smith, attorney for Childs and Halligan, said Compton talked with the law firm about the school district’s needs and interests and how the county council and the district need to work together. Smith said he welcomes and appreciates Compton’s postponement of the FOIA results.
Compton and the attorneys will talk more about the bond issue next week. Smith added some people might not understand and appreciate that increased construction costs can hurt the district.
As an attorney, he thinks it’s ironic how some taxpayers attempting to save other taxpayers money end up spending a lot of money.
Henry Johnson said he hopes Compton and the attorneys have good talks so taxpayers can get more involved with the bond issue.
“I hope that works,” he said.
Compton said he is working with the attorneys in the interest of getting the public to understand the bond process. As long as the attorneys work with him about the bond plan, he’ll cooperate.
The councilman said he learned a lot of information about the bond plan while putting together his FOIA requests, so he doesn’t need to throw down the gauntlet. He knows enough to confidently suggest things to the attorneys to help District 50 meet real needs without overspending taxpayers’ money.

Another option
The Colleton County School District bond plan model is more legally sound than District 50’s plan.
Colleton County worked with the South Carolina Association of Governmental Organizations to form a nonprofit corporation kept at arm’s length from the school district, Compton said. SCAGO formed the nonprofit and the bonds aren’t issued by the school district, he said.
The state Supreme Court on Oct. 31 heard arguments over the legality of Colleton County’s $90 million plan, the Post and Courier, of Charleston, reported.
At issue is whether the Colleton district can use an alternative financing plan that allows a nonprofit corporation to build the schools and then sell the schools back to the district over time. Justices focused on two things: whether a $100 million loan breaks the law requiring a referendum and whether the district plans to use taxpayer revenue to pay it back, the newspaper reported.

District 50 model
In the District 50 model, the school district forms the corporation, Compton said. The bond resolution also says bonds will be sold for the district.
That’s where the constitution violation comes in, Compton said, adding the 8 percent spending cap is broken.
Compton is still critical of District 50’s actions during the bond process, even if he is now working with the district’s attorneys. District 50 can’t tell the public that the system has mounting facility needs and not explain what they are, he said.
“Mounting needs doesn’t tell us anything,” Compton said.
He also wonders why the previous 10-year bond plan that was thought to be enough not too long ago has now been changed to a 25-year plan. The district needs to restore public confidence in the bond process, Compton said. No one seems happy about the amount of debt that will be incurred.
Letting emotions get involved with the bond process also complicates the matter, he said, adding District 50 shouldn’t say people who don’t support the bond are against teachers and students.

‘A lot of people have risked everything for us’

Students get lesson in patriotism, gratitude during Veterans Day event

November 11, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Senior staff writer

Students at Northside Middle School in Greenwood got a head start Friday on honoring U.S. troops of the past and present during the school’s annual Veterans Day program.
Officially, Veterans Day is celebrated on Nov. 11, but students broke out their red, white and blue a day early, kicking off Friday’s school day with patriotic songs, a poem and a little history about how Veterans Day became a national holiday.
“We think it’s important to know why we observe different holidays in the U.S., and primarily we want the students to know freedom is purchased at a price,” said Principal Beth Pinson. “Historically, our freedom has been secured by our armed forces, and currently that continues today.
“This is a way of having our students appreciate the people who have given their lives for us to have a safe country.”
Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, which marked its first observance on Nov. 11, 1919, as a tribute to the end of hostilities between the Allies and Germans in World War I, according to the U.S. Army Web site. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to pay tribute to those who have served in the battles that followed World War I.
Pinson said about 800 students attended the school ceremony, which featured performances by the Northside Middle School band and chorus. Eighth-graders Matt Wood and Olivia Warner spoke to the crowd, with Wood telling students why the day is celebrated and Warner reading a poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” about warfare.
“Veterans Day is a very important day because it honors the people who went out and risked their lives for us,” said eighth-grader Shaniqua Hunter, adding that some students her age don’t always appreciate the significance of the day. “Some people don’t care, but we all should care because a lot of people have risked everything for us.”
That significance isn’t unknown to eighth-grader Grant Flynn, who said he has been paying attention to news reports about the war in Iraq. He said the younger generation needs to keep up to date with the events happening half a world away because they are shaping the future.
“They (the troops) go out and risk their lives and young people should know everything that goes on about it,” Flynn said. “It’s about everything that keeps our country what it is now.”
Greg Rice, a social studies teacher, told students of the harsh conditions troops face overseas and how important it is for those men and women to receive support from back home.
But he didn’t get the information from a history or geography book. Rice, a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, recently returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East.
“I can tell you I’ve never seen a more dedicated, harder-working and more professional group of people in the entire world,” Rice said of the American troops. “These guys go out every day and they work like you cannot imagine and do things that you cannot imagine doing.”
Rice, whose most recent deployment was his third since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., said temperatures in the desert environment reached a scorching 135 degrees during the day with overnight lows sometimes hovering above 100 degrees.
“But these people never stop, they never slow down and they never complain,” Rice said.
Rice said seeing the support from the community, and especially the students at Northside, lifted his spirits upon returning home. “It’s really a little bit of an adjustment coming back, but when you see the appreciation on these kids’ faces and you see the kids are into what we are doing, it makes it all worthwhile,” he said. “The support from the community, family and friends has been unbelievable. It’s why we do what we do and it helps us do what we do.”
Pinson said Rice’s experience in the military carries over into the classroom, where he can give his social studies students insight that can’t be found in the pages of their books.
“I think he brings a lot to our school. He can not only teach the history in the textbooks, but the history that is in the making through his experiences,” she said.

Greenwood’s D-line powers by Laurens

November 11, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

After a dismal first half in which they only led the Laurens Raiders by a touchdown Friday night, the Greenwood Eagles must have figured that was too close for comfort.
At least it looked that way on the scoreboard.
The Eagles scored 21 second-half points, including a 95-yard interception return by senior lineman Ivey Shingler, to win their first-round playoff game against the Raiders in a rematch of last week’s regular-season finale.
Shingler’s return capped off the scoring for the Eagles and negated an early fourth-quarter attempt by the Raiders to crawl back into the game. Following the game, Shingler said that he only had one thing on his mind once he picked off Raider quarterback Tyler Boyd’s pass.
“I was going to score and they weren’t going to stop me. I had to take it all the way back,” Shingler said. “I thought the five-yard-line was the goal line and I almost stopped right there.”
Although the game ended on a high note, it didn’t start out that way.
The Eagles would hand the ball back to the Raiders after moving the ball only five yards before fumbling at their own 41-yard line.
The Raiders would take advantage of the turnover and appeared to be moving well behind the legs of Boyd, who gave the Eagles fits for most of the first half with his scrambling ability.
On third-and-3, Josh Norman and Mackenzie Tharpe came up with a stop for the Eagles, prompting Raiders coach J.R. Boyd to send out his field goal unit. Jake Kinderman would convert on the field goal attempt to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead with 6 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Eagles began their next drive at their own 40-yard line, but the Raiders’ defense stepped up on the drive and stuffed Marcus Carroll on an option pitch, which brought out the punt team.
The Eagles would finally break through in the second quarter after moving the ball 48 yards down to the Raiders 16-yard line. Andrew Timms would come on for the field-goal try and connect, tying the game at 3-all with 8:39 remaining in the first half.
The play of the drive came on fourth-and-inches at the Raiders 28-yard line when Eagles coach Shell Dula decided to go for the first down.
The Eagles would score again with 4:15 remaining on a 2-yard run by quarterback Jay Spearman to take a 10-3 lead. The play was set up two plays earlier when Spearman broke through the Raiders’ defense and sprinted 45 yards down the left sideline before being tackled at the 3-yard line.
Following the score, the Eagles’ special teams came out fired up as Byron Best and James Rapley flew down the field to make a stop at the 16-yard line.
After forcing the Raiders to punt again, the Eagles took a knee and went into the half leading 10-3.
The Eagles opened the second half where they left off in the latter part of the first half. They forced the Raiders to punt.
Following the punt, the Eagles would take the ball at the 40-yard line. The catch of the drive came courtesy of Josh Norman, who took the ball off of the defender’s back for a gain of 27 yards down to the 16-yard line.
Spearman would finish the drive off on the next play as he slipped past defenders for a 16-yard touchdown run, which put the Eagles up 17-3 with 7:47 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was his second of the night to go along with 86 yards rushing.
Marcus Carroll added to the Eagles’ lead late in the third quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run following a defensive stand to put the Eagles up 24-3.
The Raiders would have what was probably their best field position of the second half after recovering an Eagles’ fumble and moving down to the 5-yard line.
That’s when Shingler decided to take matters into his own hands with the interception that gave the Eagles their final score of 31-3.
“I thought our defense played great the whole night. Boyd is one heck of a quarterback and we had the turnover but we were able to hold them to one field goal,” Dula said. “The key was the second half. We kicked off, got a three and out, they kicked it to us, we score.”

Chesterfield stuns Hornets in playoffs

November 11, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

WARE SHOALS — Steve Taneyhill always did have a flair for the dramatic.
The Chesterfield High School football coach, who led the University of South Carolina to many dramatic victories as a flashy, long-haired quarterback in the 1990s, coached his team back from a 20-point deficit Friday night against Ware Shoals.
The Rams downed the Hornets, 37-28, to advance to the second round of the Class A, Division I playoffs. With the loss, Ware Shoals finishes the year with a record of 10-2. Meanwhile, Chesterfield moves to 10-2 on the year and will face Allendale-Fairfax next Friday in the third round.
Things looked good early on for the Hornets, as they cruised out to a 20-0 lead with 4:58 left in second quarter.
However, the Rams outscored them 37-8 over the next 29 minutes to seal the win.
“This is the first time Chesterfield has ever won ten games,” Taneyhill said, wiping Gatorade from his eyes after being showered with the thirst quencher by his players. “I’m kind of a proud papa right now. These guys never gave up.”
Meanwhile, Ware Shoals coach Jeff Murdock reflected on the game and the season.
“This was great high school football game,” Murdock said. “I’m disappointed that we lost, but we just got beat. This was one of the best teams we’ve had since I’ve been here, and I’ve enjoyed coaching them.”
The Rams were paced by quarterback Nick Dixon. The athletic signal caller was 8 of 16 passing for 285 yards with three touchdowns. His favorite target was wideout Robert Sowell, who amassed 199 yards on just four receptions.
Wingback Patorious Leverette led the way with 130 yards rushing on 23 carries with one touchdown. Lance Richardson had 76 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns.
It was the Hornets that jumped on the board first.
After Chesterfield’s Marcus Robinson fumbled on the first play of the game, Ware Shoals set up shop at the Rams’ 30-yard line. On the Hornets’ second play of the ensuing possession, Tony “Moon Pie” Lomax scooted around left end and dashed to the endzone. The 27-yard run put the Hornets up 6-0 with 10:54 left in the first quarter.
Chesterfield handed the ball right back to the Hornets on the next possession. Dixon lofted a long pass down the right sideline, but Ware Shoals’ Mario Hill leapt in the air and snagged an acrobatic interception.
The Hornets then drove the ball 55-yards in 4:16. Lance Richardson blasted across the goal line to cap the drive, with Lomax running in the two-point conversion to make it 14-0 with 5:18 left in the first quarter.
Richardson was in the endzone again in the second quarter.
The speedy sophomore pounded into the endzone from eight yards out to cap a 64-yard drive that lasted 5:13 and put the Hornets up 20-0 with 4:58 left in the half.
That’s when the Rams came alive.
On the ensuing possession, Dixon took a shotgun snap from center and scrambled to his right. Just as he was set to be tackled, he launched a long, high pass toward the endzone. The heave found Sowell wide open for the 42-yard touchdown, trimming the Ware Shoals lead to 20-7 with 3:52 left in the half.
After forcing Ware Shoals to punt, the Rams took to the air again.
This time, Dixon unleashed another long bomb from his own 35-yard line. The pass was tipped in the air by Ware Shoals corner LaDarious Hawthorne, and right into the arms of Sowell. The 65-yard strike cut the Hornets’ lead to 20-13 at halftime.
The teams traded scores to start the second half, but the fourth quarter belonged to Chesterfield. The Rams posted a 75-yard scoring pass to Marcus Robinson and tallied a touchdown run from Simpson Miller.
“We’ve been in a bunch of close, fourth quarter games,” Taneyhill said. “And I don’t mean anything against Ware Shoals, because they have a heck of a team, but we wanted it more in the fourth quarter.”

Opinion

Thank a veteran today for freedom we all share

November 11, 2006

Today is Veterans Day, a time set aside to honor those among us who have answered the call to defend the bulwarks of freedom, along with those who are no longer with us. In reverence, we remember those who gave their all in historic struggles against tyranny that has had a variety of faces and forms.
No one in his right mind wants war. It is one of the most asinine failures that has haunted mankind throughout his existence. Still they happen, and the veterans should not be forgotten. That’s why this day is set aside.
While most South Carolinians honor their veterans, there are some who join those across the nation who dishonor them by showing their disdain for the military at hate-mongering rallies at military funerals, showing no feelings or respect for the bereaved families.

WOULD ANYONE HAVE EVER believed that such disrespect for Americans could ever be shown by other Americans at such times of grief? Would anyone have ever believed a United States senator, as recently happened, could be so callous as to insult the American soldier while he was on the frontlines of combat?
When our troops hear of such shenanigans back home, what must they think? What keeps up them going?
South Carolinians died and remain forever in the muddy ditches of France. Some sleep for eternity in the hot sands of North Africa, in the frozen forests of Bastogne, and the steamy jungles on Guadalcanal.

OTHERS FROM THE PIEDMONT and the Pee Dee are still lost somewhere in the mountainous hinterlands of Korea and the backwaters of Vietnam.
There have been times when the draft was a necessity. Some complained and some ran away. Most answered the call, though, and served as long as they were needed. They then came home and resumed their lives. Many have volunteered, as all do these days.
What kind of men are these? Visit veterans organizations in your communities. Chat with members. It won’t take long to realize you’re talking to someone who loves his country and is proud to be a veteran. If push came to shove, he - and she - would do it again, too. As they say, you can take that to the bank.
If you see veterans today, thank them for your freedom. Because of them you have it.

Obituaries

Myrtle A. Cook

OCALA, Fla. — Ms. Myrtle A. Cook, 81, formerly of Valley, Ala., died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006 at Legacy House in Ocala.
Born in Beulah, Ala., she was a member of First Assembly of God, Greenwood, S.C. Ms. Cook enjoyed square dancing, traveling and meeting new friends.
Survivors include a daughter, Virginia (Robert) Barber; grandchildren, Deborah (Marshall) Blaney, Marla (Hubert, Jr.) Starling, Dana Storey, Robbie Barber; 7 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Celia Newton, Ninnie Lou Blankenship.
She was preceded in death by her sister Frances Long, her twin sister, Mildred Williams and her brothers Earl Adams, Cecil Adams and J.W. Adams.
Services are 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Fairfax Congregational Holiness Church, conducted by the Rev. Clinton Hadaway. Burial is in Fairview Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday morning from 9 until 11 a.m. at the Fairfax Congregational Holiness Church.
Johnson Brown-Services Funeral Home, Valley, Ala., is in charge.

Dyke Cooper

James A. Dyke Cooper, 80, of 206 Oaklane Drive, husband of Frances King Cooper, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Elberton, GA, he was the son of the late Lonnie and Maybelle “Meme” Boswell Cooper. Mr. Cooper was an US Army veteran of WWII. He was a supervisor at Greenwood Mills and retired from Pet Dairy.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Dewey Cooper.
Surviving is his wife of the home; a daughter, Kim Willis and husband, Freddie, of Greenwood; a son, Tony Cooper and wife, Debbie, of Greenwood; stepson, Benny Stevens and wife, Sara, of Greenwood; a sister, Daphne Kizer and husband, Randolph, of Greenwood; seven grandchildren, Fred Willis, Nick Willis, Hunter Willis, Aaron Cooper, Greg Stevens, Travis Stevens and Ginger Stevens; nine great-grandchildren; and his beloved pet, Sweetpea.
Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend Robert Strother and the Reverend Chuck Keller officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Aaron Cooper, Greg Stevens, Travis Stevens, Fred Willis, Nick Willis and Billy Rushton.
Honorary escort will be Rudolph Simms and Maurice Pridmore.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Saturday from 7 until 9 p.m.
The family is at the home.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

McKinley Crawford

ABBEVILLE — Mr. McKinley Crawford, age 85, of 128 Adams Dr., widower of Eune Bell London Crawford, died Nov. 8, 2006 at his home. He was born in Abbeville County and was the son of the late Thomas and Rosa McBride Crawford. He was a member of Haigler Street Church of Christ, a retired textile employee and a World War II Veteran.
Surviving are seven daughters, Dorothy McCollum of Orlando, Fla., Cathleen Anderson, Helen Brownlee, Cynthia Napoleon, Linda Crawford, Sandra Lee and Christine Crawford, all of Abbeville, SC; a son, Marvin Crawford of Abbeville; nineteen grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.
Services will be Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006 at 2 p.m. at Haigler Street Church of Christ with Bro. Raymond Pressley officiating. Burial is in the church cemetery.
The family is at the home of a daughter Sandra Lee, Pine Knoll Dr., Lot 26. Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

William Howard Curtis

FLORENCE — A memorial service for Mr. William Howard Curtis, husband of Susan B. Curtis, will be at 2 Sunday afternoon, Nov. 12, 2006, in Cain Funeral Home Chapel. The services will be conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Steven Rowe. Family members will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.
The family suggests memorials to Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity, 203 Kuker Street, Florence, SC 29501, or to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Florence, 531 Prestwood Drive, Hartsville, SC 29550.
Mr. Curtis, 57, of Florence, formerly of Greenwood, SC, died Friday morning, Nov. 10, 2006, in a local hospital. He was born April 28, 1949, in Bridgeport, CT, to Hazel Lewis Curtis and the late Arnold N. Curtis.
He graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering, and earned an MBA from the University of South Carolina. He worked for Torrington, Timken, Roller Bearing Company of America, and, most recently, GE Medical Systems in Florence. He was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Florence and the Studebaker Drivers Club of America.
Among his survivors, in addition to his wife of 36 years and his mother of Greenwood, SC, are: sister, Judith C. Waldron of Richmond, VA; brother, Thomas A. Curtis of Chester, VA; sister-in-law, Sybil E. Bottoms of Athens, GA; and niece and nephew, Christina and Dylan Curtis of Chester, VA.
An online guest register is available on the obituaries page at www.cainfuneralhome.com.

Ida Mae Evans

CALHOUN FALLS — Ida Mae Evans, age 85, passed away Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Edward “Bill” Evans; daughter, Doris Gaut; and four brothers.
Survivors include son, Leonard E. Evans of Laurens, daughter, Pat Rice Metz of Piedmont and son, Mike Evans of Calhoun Falls; eleven grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Chapel of Calhoun Falls Funeral home, with burial following at Latimer Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday prior to the service from 2-3 p.m. The family may be contacted at their respective homes.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Willie Anthony Lanier

Willie Anthony Lanier, 42, of 117 Belle Oaks Drive W., died Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Robert Lee Sawyer, Sr., M.D.

SALUDA — Robert Lee Sawyer, Sr., M.D., 75, of 607 Waters Ave., died peacefully at his home on Nov. 9, 2006.
Born in the town of Ward in Saluda County, he was the son of the late Willie Lee and Lois Black Sawyer and the husband of Bonnie Elizabeth Cone Sawyer. He was a graduate of Johnston High School, where he excelled in football and played in both the 1948 Shrine Bowl and the North-South game.
Dr. Sawyer earned a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of South Carolina in 1954. In 1958 he graduated from The Medical College of South Carolina, where he served as president of his class all four years. After he served a one-year internship at Columbia Hospital, he began his work as a general practitioner in Saluda in July, 1959. For forty-two years he was the proud provider of healthcare for the people of Saluda County. Among his proudest accomplishments were the 2012 babies he delivered — triplets in a cold tenant house out the Newberry Highway, many at Self Memorial Hospital, and who knows how many others in the back of the ambulance en route to Greenwood. Also, from 1959 to 1995, he served as team doctor for the Saluda High School football team, a period which included the years his three sons were members of the team and the years when his oldest son was coach.
The people of Saluda County recognized that Dr. Sawyer was passionate about his work. He was quick to say that he had been called to serve as a healer one day when, as a boy on his father’s farm, he helped a fellow worker who had been badly hurt. That man’s voice, he said, always echoed in his mind as he reached out with knowledge, kindness, and love any time, any place to anyone who needed him.
Not only was Dr. Sawyer a servant of the people in his work, but he also served in his community. He was a member of the South Carolina National Guard and a part owner of Persimmon Hill Golf Club. He served on the Self Memorial Hospital Staff and on the Board of Directors of Saluda Nursing Center. When a new wing was constructed at the Center in 1978, it was named The Sawyer Wing in his honor. He was a member of the Board of Directors of The Emerald Center and of the Board of Trustees of Saluda School District One. He also belonged to the Saluda Lions Club, the USC Gamecock Club and Saluda’s Monday Night Hot Supper Club. He was a longtime member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and of the Charles Graves Sunday School class.
Surviving is his wife of 45 years, Bonnie Elizabeth Cone Sawyer, and their children, Robert Lee Sawyer, Jr. of Johnston, William Cone Sawyer, Sr., M.D., and his wife, Gina Mazza Sawyer of Saluda, Cecelia Genevieve Sawyer Yonce and her husband, William Lawrence Yonce, III, of Saluda and John Grigsby Sawyer and his wife, Stephanie Enlow Sawyer of Batesburg-Leesville. He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Anna Elizabeth Yonce, Emily Mazza Sawyer, Kristen Ashley Sawyer, William Cone Sawyer, Jr., Julia Genevieve Yonce, William Travis Yonce, Natalie Alexis Sawyer and Ella Leann Sawyer, and by one brother and sister-in-law, William Black Sawyer and Joan Brooks Sawyer of Abbeville. He was predeceased by a grandson, William Lawrence Yonce, IV.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul United Methodist Church, 102 East Butler Ave., Saluda, SC 29138 or to the R.L. Sawyer M.D. Scholarship Fund, c/o Capital Bank, P.O. Box 247, Saluda, SC 29138, which will be established to enable deserving students to further their education in their chosen field in order to serve their fellow man, as Dr. Sawyer did so faithfully all his life.
Visitation will be held at St. Paul United Methodist Church on Saturday morning, Nov. 11, 2006, from 10 until 12, and the funeral service will be at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006, and will be followed by the burial at Travis Park Cemetery in Saluda.

Rufus Walters, Jr.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Charles Rufus Walters, Jr., 60, former resident of Greenwood, died Oct. 4, 2006 in Washington, DC.
Born in Charlotte, NC, Aug. 29, 1946, he was a son of Charles R. and Anne Marion Walters. He was a graduate of Greenwood High School, Wofford College and Washington & Lee Law School. He also received an LLM Degree from Georgetown University and a MBA Degree from Columbia University in New York, NY.
Mr. Walters’ career areas were with the IRS, Investment Banking and Financial Consulting in Washington, DC and New York, NY. He also conducted workshops for business and non-profit organizations using Money Clarity, Realizing Values, Vision and Purpose Through Money. At the time of his death, he was working on a book proposal: “What does Money Mean to Me? Stories of people facing life’s most challenging question.”
Surviving are two sisters, Anne Walters Richards and husband Fred of Winston Salem, NC and Margaret Walters Miyake and husband Northrup of Rochester, NY; nephews and nieces, Fred Richards and wife Suzanne, Laura Craig and husband Ralph, Charles Richards and wife Juliana, Dylan Miyake and wife Laurel and Tama Miyake-Lung and husband Phil; grand-nephews and nieces, Heather Herrin, Peter and Alison Richards, Charles and Elizabeth Richards and Sawyer Miyake.
A memorial service was held at River Road Unitarian Church, Bethesda, MD on Oct. 8, 2006.
Memorials may be made to the Law School Library Memorial Book Fund, Washington & Lee Law School, Lewis Hall, c/o Paul Gardner, Dean, Lexington, VA 24450.
Announcement courtesy of Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Fannie M. Williams

BRADLEY — Fannie M. Williams, 70, of 503 Reedy Creek Rd., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006 at Hospice Care of the Piedmont.
Born in Bradley, she was a daughter of Isabella Mosley Williams and the late Thomas C. Williams. She was a member of Flint Hill Baptist Church.
She is survived by, in addition to her mother of the home, four brothers, Robert James Williams, Thomas C. Williams, Jr., both of Greenwood, L.D. Williams of McCormick and Charles Williams of Colorado Springs, CO; three sisters, Jeanette Price of the home, Marjorie Gray of Cokesbury and Betty Beaty of Greenwood.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Monday at Flint Hill Baptist Church with Reverend John Brightharp officiating.
Burial will be in the church cemetery. Flower bearers will be the nieces, and pallbearers will be the nephews. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m.
The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net.

Gloria Jean Williams

Gloria Jean Williams, of 128 New St., died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

Willie James Wright

CONCORD, N.C. — Willie James Wright, 61, died Sunday Nov. 5, 2006 at his home. Willie was born June 21, 1945 to the late William Franklin and the late Sarah Howland Wright.
He is survived by his wife Laury; one son, Michael Wright of Charlotte, NC; two daughters, Sonja Wright Kyles of Orlando, FL and Sarah Wright of Concord, NC; three brothers, John (Rosalee) Wright of Greenwood, Ben Franklin of NY and Gregory Franklin of Charlotte, NC; three sisters, Edna Wright of Abbeville, Lisa Carter of Pennsauken, NJ, Eva Franklin of Charlotte, NC; two grandchildren. Services were Thursday in Concord. Announcement courtesy of Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc.