Decisions, decisions ...

Kids make their votes count in school’s mock election

November 2, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

Voters headed to the polls Wednesday, with elections taking place to determine South Carolina’s governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer and more.
At least that’s the way it played out at Greenwood’s Westview Middle School.
Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at the school participated in a mock election as part of the school’s social studies curriculum. The students had a full mock ballot and voted for governor, lieutenant governor, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, secretary of state, state superintendent of education and state treasurer.
Election results will be announced today after a group of volunteer parents tally all of the votes.
Westview media specialist and librarian Gwen Sullivan organized the event.
“This is the second mock election we have had,” Sullivan said. “We had another during the last presidential election, but the students participated online in a nationwide student poll. We wanted to do our own this time.”
Shortly after the 8 a.m. homeroom period, students focused their attention on television monitors, which broadcast school news each morning. A group of students, part of the school’s broadcast journalism club, then appeared on screen playing the part of statewide political candidates.
Each “candidate” read a brief description of what issues they support and don’t support and what party they are running in.
Sullivan said she and the students researched the candidates on the Internet to come up with the outlines of the issues. The students who acted out the roles were enthused about getting involved with a mock election, taking their candidate roles very seriously.
“I’m taking him down,” said Ralan Wardlaw, who played Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore, referring to Mark Sanford, who was played by Jason Spearman.
At the same time, some of the newscasters said their votes wouldn’t necessarily go to the candidates they played.
“I haven’t made my decision yet,” said Ashlin Crout, who acted as Republican Rep. Gresham Barrett and superintendent candidate Jim Rex. “We won’t all vote for the parts we played.”
After the political broadcast, students headed to the polls in their social studies classes. Each voter checked in to make sure he/she was registered, then headed into a closed-off voting booth and dropped votes into collection boxes.
If Moore is to become the next governor, it won’t come with the vote of Westview seventh-graders Henry Smithdeal and Colton McBride. Each voted for Sanford to remain the Palmetto State’s leader.
“I voted for pretty much all Republicans,” McBride said. “That’s the way my parents vote, and I agree with them.”
Smithdeal also favored the GOP ticket.
“I think he’s been a good governor,” Smithdeal said. “I voted for Andre Bauer, too. I like how he didn’t attack people on television.”
The negative attack ads that have become so prevalent in politics were a focal point surrounding Wednesday’s mock election. Sullivan said she wanted students to steer clear of the attacks.
“We wanted to make sure to present positive messages about each of the candidates,” Sullivan said. “The students have responded strongly against the negative attacks.”
Wardlaw said it disturbs him to see adults participating in what is sometimes reduced to schoolyard mud-slinging. “They stoop down to the middle-school level when they run negative ads,” Wardlaw said. “They pretty much act like little kids.”
Westview instructional specialist Lori Anne Hagood said she hopes parents will be encouraged to see their kids getting involved in the voting process.
“You may see some parents that don’t normally vote go to the polls because their children are interested,” Hagood said. “It has been fantastic to see these kids getting involved with the process.”

Candidate rolls in with reform ideas

November 2, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Walter McSherry, of Spartanburg, wants to get better textbooks into South Carolina schools. He thinks Karen Floyd, Republican candidate for state superintendent of education, can help him do that.
McSherry rode with Floyd as she made a stop in Greenwood Wednesday morning at the Greenwood County Republican Party headquarters as part of her three-day “Ride for Reform” before Tuesday’s state election. Floyd faces Democrat Jim Rex in the race to replace Inez Tenenbaum, who isn’t running for re-election.
Floyd said she rode to Greenwood in a yellow school bus, an idea she designed to help her meet the voters of South Carolina person-to-person.
McSherry said he couldn’t think of another important position in state government up for election this year, excluding the governor’s office, than state superintendent of education. He said Floyd will help correct the problems with textbooks.
McSherry was on the commission two years ago that selects textbooks for high schools when he discovered 474 factual errors in the history books.
For example, one error said George Washington chose Thomas Jefferson to go to the Supreme Court. Many books also had slanted views and bias, McSherry said.
He said 11 teachers on the commission didn’t find anything wrong with the books. Floyd will help change education in South Carolina, McSherry said.
She was introduced to the crowd of about 20 people by U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, a Republican for South Carolina’s third congressional district.
Floyd began by reminding people to remind others to vote next week.
“This is a race till the end,” she said.
The reasons why education needs to be reformed in South Carolina are painfully obvious, Floyd said. South Carolina ranks low nationally in test scores and high in the dropout rate. Classrooms have to be held accountable and there has to be a distinctive place for children to learn, she said.
That place might not be in public schools, although her two sons go to excellent public schools, she said, adding not every student has access to great public schools.
She said her plans for working with the General Assembly might or might not include a voucher system that would give parents state funds for their children to attend private schools. Floyd said the best plan for the state will be drafted.
The Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test also needs to be overhauled.
State Rep. Mike Pitts, R-District 14, said he supports Floyd because she supports important issues.
“That’s the kind of common sense we need in that position,” he said.
He said he wanted to introduce a bill that would replace PACT with the Measures of Academic Progress test, but it was modified and passed to include both. MAP costs $12 per student while PACT costs $34-$60.
The compromise costs more for South Carolina, Pitts said, adding PACT doesn’t provide diagnostic information for teachers to figure out how to improve scores. Many schools are already finding the money to afford the MAP test themselves.
PACT is required by state and federal standards, including the No Child Left Behind Act, as an end-of-the-year test, said Jim Foster, state Department of Education spokesman.
MAP doesn’t meet all the standards.
“You can’t just get rid of PACT,” Foster said.
He did say PACT doesn’t give as much diagnostic information as MAP, but Tenenbaum found money to afford more schools to have MAP.

4 going to North-South

GHS sending two, Ware Shoals and Saluda each sending one to all-star game

November 2, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

Four Lakelands players have been rewarded for their efforts during the season by being named to the 59th annual SCADA North-South All Star Football Game’s North team.
The game will be Dec. 9, at Brooks Stadium at Coastal Carolina University. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.
Greenwood High School is well represented, sending an offensive and defensive player to the all-star contest.
Defensive back Josh Norman (6-2, 185), and offensive lineman Pat Aiken (6-1, 290), head to the contest after solid play throughout the season for the 8-2 Eagles.
“We’re very proud and this is a great honor for these two and our team,” said Eagles coach Shell Dula. “All the players are happy for these guys. We are a close-knit team and that says a lot about the players.”
The Eagles’ coach described Norman as simply a playmaker. Although chosen for his defensive efforts, which included a solid year in the Eagles secondary, Norman also scored a touchdown on a kickoff while averaging 31 yards on kickoff returns and scoring twice on offense.
Aiken, who plays right offensive tackle, is as reliable as they come when it’s time to pick up tough yards.
“We need key yardage. We’re running behind him,” Dula said. “He also plays basketball. He’s a big kid, but he’s a great athlete.”
Ware Shoals (9-1) defensive lineman Latavious Williams (6-3, 215) was nominated after helping the Hornets’ defense shut down opposing offenses all season long.
Williams racked up 62 tackles to go along with eight sacks this season, while also forcing three fumbles and recovering four, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
“He’s a humble guy and he’s still practicing like he always practices and hasn’t really talked about it,” said Hornets coach Jeff Murdock. “I don’t think he’s big-headed about it. He knows it’s nice and all but our goal is to win a state championship.”
The “Nickname Gang” Hornets boasted the No. 5 scoring defense in the state during the regular season as opponents averaged a paltry 6.7 points per game.
“It’s really a compliment to our entire team because he couldn’t do it without the guys that go hard on the scout team and give him a look. He’s a great young man, and we’re pleased his efforts have paid off,” Murdock said.
The defensive trend continues for the Lakelands nominees as the Saluda Tigers’ Markel Mobley (6-1, 180) was nominated for his play at defensive back.
Tigers’ coach Wayne Bell said he was excited about Mobley’s inclusion on the all-star team.
“I think that being in the region we’re in and being as competitive as it is, I think it helps with selections and speaks volumes for our region,” Bell said.
Mobley finished the 2006 regular season with six interceptions, over 35 tackles and numerous pass break-ups. Another key stat, according to coach Bell, were the amount of touchdown-saving tackles he made thanks to his speed.
“He’s a 4.4 guy and he came in second in the 200 and 400 at the state track meet last year,” Bell said. “Sometimes when players get invited to all-star games they get that ‘S’ on their chest and they want to prove the caliber of player they are. I’m sure he’ll do well for us.”

Small, but powerful

Lakelands’ Class A teams to show their stuff in playoffs

November 2, 2006

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

The Class A playoffs will have a distinctive Lakelands feel this season.
For the first time in three years, the Greenwood and the Lakelands area has four Class A teams headed to the postseason.
But unlike in 2003, when this area had five Class A teams, all four area teams have qualified for the two playoff divisions.
Ware Shoals (9-1), which won its second straight Region I-A title, hosts North Central (5-5) at 8 p.m. Friday.
McCormick (3-7) is also at home, hosting Great Falls (7-3) at 8 Friday night. Dixie (2-8) travels to Jonesville (7-3), while Calhoun Falls (1-9) heads to Ridge Spring-Monetta (8-2). Both teams play at 7:30 p.m.
With the Class A playoffs splitting into two division this season, Ware Shoals has the distinction of being the first No. 1 seed from the Division I Upper State bracket. With that honor, the Hornets will stay at Reigel Stadium through their time in the playoffs until the state championship game, Nov. 24 at S.C. State University in Orangeburg.
“It means a lot to us,” Murdock said. “It’s great that we’ll be at home as long as we take care of business. But we don’t have any easy teams in our bracket. North Central’s a pretty tough team at 5-5.”
The most glaring thing Murdock was able to denote from watching game film from the Knights is their size.
“They are huge,” Murdock said. “They’re easily the biggest team we’ve faced all year. We’ve got to beat them off the football. We should be a little bit faster. So, we’ll need to wear them down a little bit.”
The Hornets’ speed, especially at the skill positions, has been a welcomed blessing over the last few years for Murdock. Wingbacks Tony Lomax and Patorious Leverette have surpassed the 600-yard rushing mark apiece, while fullback Lance Richardson is very near that number.
But Murdock isn’t as interested in seeing his speedy offense in action as he would be to watch North All-Star defensive lineman Latavious Williams and the Ware Shoals defense dominate.
“My number one goal is to try to shut them down. Maybe not shut them down, but I want my defense to play really, really well,” Murdock said. “I’d rather win 2-0 than 35-20.”
The Chiefs, who drew the No. 4 seed in Division II Upper State bracket, didn’t have to look to hard to find information on their first-round opponent. All they had to do was look at the tapes from Week 1 when they played Great Falls.
However, McCormick might not look too fondly on that game film, after falling to the Red Devils, 33-6, at Great Falls.
“We watched their last three games and we went back on our game with them and saw all of the mental mistakes we made,” McCormick coach Art Mann said. “All we did was shoot ourselves in the foot against them the first time. We need to be able to do: stay focused and limit the mental mistakes.”
Running back Jerel Franklin leads the team with 896 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, while backs Octavious Blair and Mike Walker have 433 and 346 yards rushing, respectively.
Quarterback Williams Peterson has nearly 300 yards passing and 500 rushing and is two weeks removed from a five-touchdown performance against Thornwell.
Jeremy Simpson has been the go-to player for the Red Devils on offense. Simpson has rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Gaither Bumgardner has throw for 670 yards and seven scores, with most going to Simpson’s brother Jermaine, who has 282 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Dixie is hitting the playoffs on a high note, winners of three of its last four games. But the Hornets will be seeing an even hotter team when they line up Friday night.
The No. 3 seeded Wildcats have won three straight and five of six, including handing Christ Church its only loss, which bumped the Cavaliers from the top seed to the No. 2 slot.
Everything offensively for Jonesville goes through quarterback Dwight Brannon, who leads the Wildcats in rushing (577 yards and seven touchdowns) while passing for 882 yards and eight scores.
“Their quarterback is a good athlete,” Dixie coach Steve Dunlap said. “He likes to run with the ball, run that quarterback keeper, but he can throw the ball as well. And they like to line up in differnt formations. They’re pretty wide open on offense.”
Dixie enters postseason play a little worse for wear. But Dunlap is hopeful that he’ll get the services of a couple of key players.
Halfbacks Matthew Graham and Ontavious Plummer should be back on the field to aleviate some of the pressure on leading-rusher Kyle Crawford.
“What concerns me is our physical condition,” Dunlap said. “We’ve got several players banged up. If we have to sub because of losing players early, it’s going to be tough for us.”
The Blue Flashes will be reunited with a former region foe, facing Ridge Spring-Monetta. And if they look close enough they might recognize some of the Trojans’ faces, as many of the current seniors were on the field four years ago as freshmen.
“My seniors were starting as freshmen in that region. So, they know Calhoun Falls,” RS-M coach Mark Rogers said. “Our guys were baptized by that region. They understand what kind of ball is played in that region.”
Devon Quattlebaum, a three-year starter at quarterback, guides the Region IV-A champion Trojans. The senior has 864 yards rushing and 387 passing with 17 total touchdowns.
When Quattlebaum’s not running, he’s giving the ball Cody Young, who has a team-high 871 rushing yards.
The Blue Flashes have struggled this season — in maintaining adaquate roster size and in playing on the field — under first-year coach Kenneth Sanders. But Sanders is approaching this first-round matchup as a way to get the 16 Blue Flashes some more game experience.
“The ones that have been here all year, they’re the ones we’ve counted on,” Sanders said. “We don’t have anything to lose and everything to gain. It’s a chance for us to work on stuff.”
David Bryant continues to lead the Calhoun Falls offense at quarterback, freeing up former QB Justin Belcher to be more of a threat at wingback.

Lander volleyball tournament-ready

November 2, 2006

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

First-year coach Carla Decker has one message for the Lander women’s volleyball team in preparation for the Peach Belt Conference tournament.
It’s simply, “Be very energetic, very vocal, work on the little things and be mentally prepared.”
With that, the Lady Bearcats are getting ready for the 3 p.m. Friday game with Armstrong Atlantic State University. All games are at Francis Marion University in Florence.
Other games include the 11 a.m. match between USC Upstate and. UNC Pembroke, the 1 p.m. contest featuring Francis Marion and Augusta State, the 5 p.m. game between No. 1 seed USC Aiken and the 11 a.m. winner, and the 7 p.m. game featuring winners from the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. games.
The championship game is 2 p.m. Saturday.
Decker has accomplished what no other Lander coach has done the previous six years — guide the Lady Bearcats to 20 wins and a winning season of 20-14.
However, two of those 14 losses were to Armstrong Atlantic, both by a 3-1 score.
“With that said, I still want to go into the tournament being focused on that and improving our conference standing, and coming out on top of the tournament,” Decker said.
Having faced AASU twice this season, Decker said there might be some changes.
“We’ll change our offense and defense a little bit to see if something will work better,” she said. “We have a lot of respect for the coach and their team. They have very solid players.
“One thing about the conference is that the team that plays the best comes out on top. The conference is very competitive and I don’t think we need to go into that game thinking we’ll lose. We have a lot of confidence.”
Statistically, both teams are fairly close. Both are averaging 1.9 aces per game, Armstrong averages 12.3 assists while Lander averages 11.2, Armstrong averages 13.5 and Lander 13.2 kills per game.
The big difference is Armstrong has a total of 1,611 kills in 32 games and Lander has 1,487 in 34 games.
“We match up with them in a lot of similar ways in the strength of the offense and defense we run,” Decker said. “We are very similar and the numbers show that. One thing is that volleyball is a momentum sport and sometimes it doesn’t matter how good the team is, it’s who has the momentum at the time.”
A big concern for the Lady Bearcats is the play of Armstrong’s senior Traci Knuth, who, Decker says, “is a very solid middle player and very talented blocker and hitter. We have a lot of respect for her.”
“Our goal,” she added, “is to be very energetic, very vocal, work on the little things, and be mentally prepared.”

Opinion

If one party plays game, the other sure to follow

November 2, 2006

Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., has a knack, or so it seems, for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He may have done it again.
In a speech the other night he suggested that American troops serving in Iraq were uneducated, with all the negatives that implies. That gave Republicans a made-to-order campaign issue. From all over the country came demands for an apology, from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to President Bush to the commander of the American Legion to retired and active duty military men and women and a variety of others. Even some Democrats asked Kerry not to appear at their rallies. Kerry simply got more insolent.
All Democrats should not be held accountable for what Kerry said, the same as all Republicans should not have been blamed for what former Rep. Mark Foley did, as despicable as his actions were.

THAT, THOUGH, IS NOT how the game of politics is played, particular when the stakes are high.
When Foley’s associations with congressional pages came up and he resigned from Congress, Democrats used that as a political club against all Republicans. That should have been expected, especially in an election year. Missteps by officeholders have happened many times before, involving Democrats and Republicans, and most of the time they have been exploited politically. Why would the Foley fiasco not be treated the same way?
Now there’s Kerry putting his political foot in his party’s political mouth yet another time.

WHY WOULD ANYONE NOT expect the same reaction that other lapses in judgment, and maybe even malice aforethought often create?
Most Democrats and Republicans serve their country and their constituents honorably. It’s a shame that acts of one can have such a negative effect on so many. If one side plays that game, though, the other is sure to follow. That’s a shame, too. The great majority of public servants and the people they serve deserve better than that, regardless of party. Unfortunately, these days they live and perform in a political environment where it’s impossible to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive.
As long as that continues, tit-for-tat politics will be business as usual. What a shame.

Obituaries

Charles Tony Canfield

HODGES — Charles Tony Canfield, 59, of 6315 Hwy. 25 N., died at home on Oct. 31, 2006.
He was born in Anderson, a son of the late Richard and Mildred Gibson Canfield. He was retired from Greenwood Mills, with 32 years of faithful service, and a member of the Quarter Century Club.
Surviving are his wife, Debra Ann Wright Canfield; four children, James Christopher and Traci Young, Tammy Reinea and Parker Sanders, Lisa Lynn and Ronnie Nash, and Charles Christopher and Jennifer Canfield; three stepsons, Hoyt Sieburg, Michael Sieburg, and Gene Sieburg; 20 grandchildren; one sister and two brothers, Cathy Elaine Canfield, Bobby Ray Canfield, and Jerry Canfield. Predeceased was a brother, Richard Wayne Canfield.
A memorial service will be held from 7-9 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 2 in the chapel at Greenwood Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
Cremation Society of South Carolina, Greenville.

Virgil Coker

HODGES — Virgil Eugene Coker, 83, of 3424 Hwy. 25 North, husband of Marjorie Harriette Poore Coker, died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006 at his home.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Clarence Coker and Flossie Hudson Coker. He was a member of Chiquola Baptist Church of Honea Path. He was retired from Chiquola Manufacturing Company and was a Mason and Shriner.
Surviving are his wife of the home; brother, Carlton Coker of Greenville; sister, Ruth Lusk of Greer; stepsons, Walter O’Dell of Greenwood and Mike O’Dell of Charlotte, NC.
Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Friday at Pruitt Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ty Childers officiating. Burial will follow in Eastview Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to The American Heart Association, PO Box 5216, Glenn Allen, VA 23058-5216.

Bonner Rayford Haddon

ABBEVILLE — Bonner Rayford Haddon, 83, husband of Kathleen Taylor Haddon, died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at Wesley Commons Health Care Center.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home.

Mary Wright

Maybelle “Mary” Winchester Wright, 81, of 30 First Street, widow of Norman Alexander Wright, died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006 at Hospice House.
Born in Anderson, she was a daughter of the late Judson Asbury and Hassie Brown Winchester. She was retired from Greenwood Mills and was a member of South Greenwood Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.