Dist. 52 seeking $35 million

Ninety Six board increases amount for new schools

November 29, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

NINETY SIX — Greenwood School District 52’s taxpayers might have sticker shock over a proposed referendum for school construction, but school board members say residents are insulated from the effects with a tax break from the state.
The district will ask taxpayers for $35 million for school construction, up from a possible $30 million to $32 million referendum suggested in mid-November.
The $35 million decision was reached unanimously at a special meeting Tuesday.
Trustees justified the change in a possible amount for referendum by citing a lower property tax rate going into effect January 2008.
Rodney Smith, director of financing for District 52, said taxpayers will not see a large increase in their property taxes if the referendum passes because the state is deducting part of the tax and giving it back to the school district to help with its operating costs.
The district is working for the best interest of taxpayers, Smith said. He outlined the effect the referendum would have on taxpayers, with the example of 1 mill equaling $4 of tax a year for a $100,000 house. For the $35 million referendum, Smith guessed about 115-120 mills would be required, representing about $465-$475 in extra taxes a year on a $100,000 home. The effect also would be felt on car taxes and businesses, he said.
Board member Michael Bryant attempted to make a motion Tuesday in favor of the $32 million figure, an amount discussed at Nov. 14 meeting, but the motion died after board member Butch Cobb refused to second it.
Cobb said he was afraid the district would run out of money with $32 million and not finish a new high school and renovate Ninety Six High School for use as a middle school. He also wanted to know what the money was going to be spent for.
“I’m lost, to tell you the honest truth,” Cobb said.
Bryant said he wanted to speak up and ask for $35 million, but didn’t know if it was the right time.
Trustees had voted Nov. 14 on researching the scope of the bond and heard several possible scenarios for a referendum Tuesday from Smith, including $30 million for 30 or 25 years and $32 million for 30 or 25 years.
The principal of the bond can be paid anytime during the bond process, but Smith suggested it be taken care of up front in case costs pop up at the end of the bond’s lifespan.
“So, you’re trying to wash that further down the road,” he said.
Superintendent Dan Powell said he wanted as much information about the referendum to be available to the public. “We don’t want to hide anything from them,” he said.
The board also voted unanimously to have Gene Adams survey proposed land for the new high school, with a vote on the property due at the Dec. 12 regular board meeting.

Forget the pony ...
how about fur and feathers for Christmas?

With research and care, pets can be great presents

November 29, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

It seems nothing makes a child’s face light up more than waking up on Christmas morning to find Santa has left a cute little creature waiting under the tree.
Whether it’s a puppy, kitten, hamster or exotic pet, animals can make wonderful gifts that can bring happiwness and joy into a household and teach children responsibility when it comes to caring for a living creature.
Local pet shop owners and animal experts say giving pets as presents requires some thought and research into what type of pet is perfect for a family member or friend.
“Cost is always something people don’t fully understand,” said Karen Pettay, executive director of the Humane Society of Greenwood.
The cost of a pet, whether a dog, cat, bird or other animal, goes beyond the adoption or purchase price, she said, and includes the cost of feeding and caring for the animal throughout the duration of its life.
“You need to ask yourself if you can afford the normal care of a puppy or kitten, but also if they get sick,” Pettay said. “It is really just like having a new child in the house.”
World of Fish and Pets owner Belinda Gunter said many parents will ask her opinion when it comes to what pet is a right choice for their children. Depending on the child’s age, she said, certain pets might not be appropriate.
“Hamsters and guinea pigs are popular pets for children,” Gunter said. “For teenagers, they’ll go with birds and fish tanks.”
Puppies, Pettay added, are always popular around Christmas.
“It seems like that is the cliché gift. It’s very much the Hallmark picture,” she said. “But we do warn people that puppies are a lot more work than they sometimes realize.”
Unfortunately, that extra work can leave some pet owners tired of or bored with their animal after a short while, Pettay said, which can lead to the animal being sent — or returned — to the Humane Society.
“About four or five months from now, we’ll end up with some of them being turned into us because they are too much to care for,” Pettay said.
Gunter said she’ll often allow customers to donate their hamsters, gerbils, birds or other pets back to the store if they decide the animals aren’t a right fit, though she said most people are happy with their purchases.
“Very seldom do I have people bring them back,” she said. “Some parents want to buy their child a pet but don’t have the money for a cage. If I’ve had a cage returned to me, I can donate the cage to (the customer) and they can just buy the hamster.”
Gunter said business at her store usually picks up about a week before Christmas. She said many customers will leave the animals at the store until a day or two before Christmas to keep the pets from being discovered at home.
Another option, she said, is to purchase all the necessities for the animal, such as the food, shelter and care items, to put under the Christmas tree instead of the pet.
“Parents can put a little note (with the items) that says Santa left the animal at the pet shop,” Gunter said. Pettay said the best question a person can ask themselves before adopting or buying a pet is, “Why do I truly want this?”
There is information available online that can help potential buyers answer that question and help them decide what pet would be suitable for their family. The Humane Society of Greenwood’s Web site also features photos for a number of adoptable dogs and cats available at the local shelter.
“Certain breeds might not work with a certain couple or family,” Pettay said. “We try to learn more about the (potential adopter’s) home life to make sure the animal they want will work with them.”
Pettay said the shelter doesn’t recommend a surprise adoption, but suggests bringing the person to the shelter to pick out the pet they want. She said the shelter doesn’t allow adoptions as gifts, but instead can issue adoption gift certificates for the recipient to bring to the shelter when they are ready.
“The person that is getting the animal still has to come and go through the adoption process,” she said, which ensures the adoption is in the best interests of the owner and animal. “That way we can make sure it is a win-win situation for the person and animal.”

‘We’re blessed, overwhelmed’

Patience rewards Abbeville couple who are named Adoptive Family of the Year

November 29, 2006

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

Love comes in many forms.
For Ivan and Gloria Swartzentruber the emotion is most telling in the faces of their three beautiful children.
The Abbeville couple waited more than five years to see those eyes, ears and noses. All 15 of them.
Whether they liked it, love was not a gift they were able to receive in a matter of minutes, hours, days or even weeks or months. For the Swartzentrubers, the test of patience came in grueling 12-month increments.
“We couldn’t have any children of our own,” Ivan Swartzentruber said Tuesday. “You have to be patient. We waited over five years, but good things come to those who wait.
“I couldn’t foster, then adopt. My heart couldn’t take getting attached and then have the kids to (possibly) leave the home. So we waited.”
So the quiet couple, owners of the popular Dutch Oven restaurant, did just that. They waited.
They worked with Department of Social Services adoption specialist MJ Maurer day after day, week after week. Months went by and still nothing. Hope faded.
“We had almost given up,” Gloria said. “We just felt like it wasn’t going to happen and that we were never going to get the phone call.”
Suddenly there was a ray of sunshine.
They were told about a sibling group of three.
Ivan and Gloria asked for more information.
There was rambunctious T.J., and the twins, Dixie and Linda. T.J. had sandy blonde hair and endless energy. The girls — one blonde, one brunette — though twins, couldn’t have been more different.
Linda flew around, getting into everything.
Meanwhile, Dixie, with the big brown eyes, was a bit more reserved, inquisitive and careful to review her surroundings.
They learned all they could about the darling trio before ever looking at their pictures for the first time.
By then the decision was a formality.
The Swartzentrubers were going to go for it.
But all three?
Friends questioned the couple’s sanity.
“We had a lot of people to ask us, ‘Are you crazy, three at one time?,’ but we felt that this is what the Lord wanted us to do,” Ivan said. “We had the opportunity so we took it. They came as a package and we’re thrilled.”
The adoption led to Tuesday’s festivities at Greenwood’s Inn on the Square, where the Swartzentrubers were awarded as the South Carolina Adoptive Family of the Year by the S.C. Department of Social Services and the S.C. Council on Adoptable Children. The award is given annually to a family that adopts children that may have been difficult to place with a family.
“We feel very blessed and privileged to have these three children in our home,” Ivan said. “We’re just overwhelmed at times.”
Going from two to five in the home has presented its challenges to be sure, but with the support of family and friends, the adoption has been nothing short of a blessing, and a miracle. The Swartzentrubers needed to add to their home, and with the help of family and the community, completed the work in one week.
“It really was not as drastic a change as it might have been,” Ivan said. “They were in a fine Christian foster home and we give a lot of credit to the foster family.”
“The biggest transition for me is going from being in the restaurant to being with (the children) now twenty-four-seven,” Gloria said. “They are already wanting to help out. We have our challenges, but we wouldn’t trade them for the world. We love them very much.”
On Tuesday, those same friends and family gathered to honor the new family.
Gifts were bestowed upon them by Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, the Abbeville Florist and Jon Holloway Photography of Greenwood.
Congratulations were given.
Celebration was the order of the day.
“You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to be able to keep these children together and in a home that is committed to keeping them together,” Maurer said. “They never had any question as to whether or not they would take all three children.
“And (the separation of siblings) happens a lot because three is so much. But there was never any doubt here. It was right from the start. The kids could feel that love.”
T.J., Dixie and Linda were placed with Ivan and Gloria Swartzentruber in March of this year. The adoption — or new family — was finalized on Sept. 6.
“The Lord’s timing was best,” Ivan said. “He knew.”
It’s interesting that Ivan Swartzentruber mentions timing.
For this family, timing is everything.
Even on those bleak days when it seemed that blessed day would never, ever come, time — and the Lord, as they’ll tell you — was on their side.
Around the exact same time that a couple from Abbeville first went looking for their future, a little boy was born in the Midlands.
The little boy’s name was T.J.

Obituaries

Walter R. Freeman

McCORMICK — Mr. Walter R. Freeman, of 500 Pine Street Ext., died Nov. 25, 2006 at his home. Born in McCormick, SC, July 18, 1949, he was a son of the late Paul R. and Lillie Mae Self Freeman. In his youth he joined the New Hope Baptist Church and also attended Bethany Baptist Church. Surviving are daughters, Kimberly Barr (Vincent) of Columbia, SC, Tunisia R. Freeman (William) of Lake Wales, Fla., Keshae R. Blair, Sakeana T. Blair and Seeno Gardner, all of McCormick, SC; sons, Walter R. Freeman (Yolanda) of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Keldric T. Freeman of McCormick; a sister, Mrs. Mamie Gilchrist of Washington, DC; two brothers, George Freeman (Classie) of Washington, DC, and Jesse Freeman (Mary) of Spartanburg, SC; and twelve grandchildren. Services are Friday at 1 p.m. at the Bethany Baptist Church with Revs. Robert Haskell, Michael Butler and Eric Butler officiating. Interment will be in the New Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral hour.

Agnes Nickels Reddick

Agnes Nickels Reddick, 83, resident of 715 New Market Street, widow of Lovett Dell Reddick, died Nov. 27, 2006 at the Self Regional Medical Center.
Born July 27, 1923 in Greenwood County, she was a daughter of the late Benjamin Jordan and Bessie Pratt Nickels. A 1940 graduate of Greenwood High School, she was a member of First Baptist Church where she was a member of the Benson Sunday School Class and Cowan Circle. She had formerly worked in the church nursery and kitchen.
Survivors include her sons, Dr. Lovett P. Reddick of Kingsport, TN, and David N. Reddick and wife, Joanne, of Greenwood; daughter, Dell R. Owens and husband, Don, of Greenville; 6 grandchildren, Evan Reddick of Knoxville, TN, Polly Reddick of Kingsport, TN, Leslie Putnam of West Ashley, Jennifer Fowler of Greenville, Ryan Owens of Easley and Ashley Cresswell, Ph.D of Columbia; great-grandson, Grayson Owens of Easley; sisters, Pat Fitchett of Richmond, VA, Martha Agnew of Charlotte, NC and Mildred Racette of San Diego, CA. Mrs. Reddick was looking forward to the birth of her great-granddaughter in March.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church with Dr. Tony Hopkins officiating.
Interment will follow in Edgewood Cemetery.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 10 a.m. Thursday.
The family is at the home and will receive friends from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church, 722 Grace Street, Greenwood, SC 29649 in memory of Mrs. Reddick.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Reddick family.

Thomas A. Stallworth

CHESTER – Mr. Thomas Arrington Stallworth, 91, of 102 Sunset Drive, died Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006 at his residence.
A graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 in Evergreen Cemetery with Rev. Don Simpson and Rev. James S. Lowry officiating.
Born in the Phoenix Community of Greenwood County, SC, on May 26, 1915, he was the son of James Stanmore Stallworth and Nellie Eola Arrington Stallworth. He was a graduate of Greenwood High School and in 1937 graduated from Clemson College with a 2nd Lieutenant Reserve Officer’s commission. Following graduation, Mr. Stallworth taught agriculture at North High School in North, SC, where he met and later married his first wife, Frances Eugenia “Gene” Arant, of Orangeburg, SC.
Mr. Stallworth joined the Clemson College Agriculture Extension Service and worked as the Assistant Agricultural Agent in Laurens and Anderson Counties, SC, before moving to Chester to serve as County Agricultural Agent in 1946.
In 1949, he joined R.A. Oliphant to become an owner of Victor Fertilizer Company. This partnership with the Oliphant family lasted until the company was sold to W.R. Grace & Company in 1969.
Mr. Stallworth was a member of Purity Presbyterian Church for 59 years where he served as a Deacon. He was past president of Chester Realty Company, a former member of Chester Rotary Club, and Board Director of the South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association. He was also a past member of the Society of the Cincinnati in South Carolina, and the Battle of Eutaw Springs Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution.
A veteran of World War II, Mr. Stallworth was assigned to the Army’s 26th Infantry Division and served under George C. Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. He was the recipient of the Bronze Star, American Defense Medal, ATO Ribbon, EAME Ribbon with four Battle Stars representing the battles of Northern France, Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Europe. On Nov. 10, 2003, U S Representative John Spratt presented him with the Jubilee of Freedom Medal for service in the invasion of the Normandy Peninsula at Utah Beach during World War II.
Mr. Stallworth is survived by his wife of thirty-two years, Mary Jane Gatteys Bradford Stallworth, his daughter and son-in-law, Genie Stallworth Stone Meissner and husband, David Meissner, of Grafton, Wisconsin, his son and daughter-in-law, Thomas Arrington Stallworth, Jr. and his wife, Nancy Mayer Stallworth, of Columbia, SC, and four grandchildren, Robert Tyler Stone and his wife, Leslie Morgan Stone, of Columbia, SC, Marion Stallworth Stone of Asheville, NC, Thomas Arrington Stallworth, III and his wife, Heather Brantley Stallworth, of Columbia, SC and Brantley Stallworth Hodges and her husband, James “Chip” Hodges, of Beaufort, SC. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Thomas Arrington Stallworth, IV, James Stanmore Stone, James Lynwood Hodges III, and four stepchildren, William G. “Mickey” Bradford, III, of Anchorage, AK, Thomas Hunter Bradford of Metropolis, IL, Quinton Paul Bradford of Greensboro, NC and Julia Bradford Dibrell of York, SC.
He was preceded in death by a sister Rebecca Stallworth Lowry (Mrs. Bright A.) who resided in Great Falls, SC and one brother, Dr. James Manley Stallworth who resided in Charleston, SC.
Memorials may be made to Purity Presbyterian Church Capital Campaign, PO Box 278, Chester, SC 29706 or Hospice & Community Care, PO Box 993, Rock Hill, SC 29731.
Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Morris J. Ehrlich, Jr., James M. Robinson, D.C. Wylie, Jr., & Robert K. Wylie. The family will receive friends at the gravesite immediately following the service.
Barron Funeral Home, 133 Wylie Street, Chester, is in charge of arrangements.

Claude ‘Iron Man’ Talbert

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Claude “Iron Man” Talbert died in Fort Myers Nov. 17, 2006. He was born in McCormick, SC, April 28, 1945, a son of the late Gero and Effie Nee Talbert. Survivors are his wife, Jeanette Talbert of the home; children, Diane Foster of Detroit, Kenneth, Sr.(Deborah) Talbert of Orlando, FL, Roderick Talbert, Sr., Atlanta, GA, Claudette Talbert and Ce’Ericka Talbert, both of Fort Myers; brothers and sisters, Lucille Searles of Buffalo, NY, L.N. Talbert, Catherine (Earnest) Stevens, both of McCormick, SC, Doris (Charlie) Cunningham of Plum Branch, SC, Mildred Burnette of Augusta, GA, Mary E. Talbert and Effie Talbert, both of Greenwood, SC; and nine grandchildren. Funeral services and burial were in Fort Myers on Nov. 25, 2006. Announcement courtesy Walker Funeral Home.

Jimmie Williams

Jimmie Williams, 89, of 1415 Parkway Road, husband of Agnes Williams, died Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006, at Magnolia Manor. Services will be announced by Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc.

Freshman helps give GHS first win of year

November 29, 2006

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

Who needs to wait for the football players to return when you have freshmen like the Greenwood High School boys basketball teams has?
Freshman DeMarcus Harrison made his varsity debut with 17 points, highlighted by a jam off a behind-the-back pass from fellow freshman Javaris Rhode to spark a scoring run, as the Eagles upended North Augusta, 70-58, Tuesday night in the season opener.
“Both of them (Harrison and Rhode) are good athletes and good basketball players and that’s a good combination to have,” Greenwood Hob Chandler said. “One thing you can’t really teach is talent, and they both have a lot of talent and we’re glad to have them this year and three more years.
“We’ll have four or five football players that will be competing for starting jobs or substituting jobs, but I was real pleased with the younger guys.”
Football players won’t be available until next week, as the team will take on Conway Friday night for the Class AAAA, Division II title.
Sophomore center Sam Montgomery led the Eagles (1-0) with a double-double performance of 22 points and 14 rebounds.
The 6-foot-5 second-year starter opened the second half with six unanswered points to help the Eagles stretch a one-point halftime lead into a more comfortable 38-31 advantage. Montgomery scored 12 of Greenwood’s 23 third-quarter points.
“Sam’s a beast and when he decides to play, he’s very hard to contain,” Chandler said. “He did a nice job on the offensive boards and we got the ball to him more in the second half. He’s good to have down low.”
Andre Day, the lone senior on Greenwood’s season-opening roster, scored nine of his 13 points in the first quarter.
The Yellow Jackets (0-1) were led by Brett Johnson, who finished with 17 points. Treh Hayes had 12 points, while teammate Bryan Narcisse added 11.
The Eagles used an 11-2 run late in the third quarter to pull away from North Augusta. Montgomery started the run with back-to-back buckets.
Harrison followed a field goal from North Augusta’s Brandon Curry with his impressive five-point tally.
On the Jackets’ possession following Harrison’s 3-pointer, Rhode stepped in front of a pass intended for Antwain Parker. The 6-foot-1 Rhode dribbled down the court and wrapped the ball around his back to Harrison, who brought the crowd to their feet with the dunk, giving Greenwood a 53-42 lead and forcing a North Augusta timeout.
Junior Ramine Scott capped the run with a layin off a pass from Montgomery to give the Eagles their largest lead of the night at 13.
The Jackets followed with a 10-4 run, getting eight points off the free throw line to trim the Greenwood lead to seven, at 59-52, with 4:30 remaining.
Harrison quelled the comeback with another 3-pointer and junior D.J. Syrkett followed with a breakaway jam off an outlet pass from Day to return to double digits.

GHS girls fall in opener

November 29, 2006

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

Sarah Meyer scored 25 points on six 3-pointers to lead the North Augusta High School girls basketball team to a 71-45 win over Greenwood Tuesday night in the regular season opener for both teams.
The Lady Yellow Jackets (1-0) finished with four scorers in double figures, as the team’s starting five accounted for all but seven points. Point guard Alniecia Allen contributed 12 points, while Sydnei Moss and Lindsey Jones added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Lady Eagles (0-1) were led by senior power forward Jacena Thompson, who pitched in a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Kyesha Middleton finished with nine points, while sophomore Syteria Robinson added eight for Greenwood, which got scoring from nine different players.
Meyer, a USC Aiken signee, scored nine consecutive points in a 1-minute, 15-second stretch to help North Augusta turn a one-point advantage into a double-digit lead. Her third 3-pointer of the game put the Lady Jackets up 24-14 with 1:08 left in the first quarter.
Greenwood’s Maranda Ethridge 15-foot bank shot to open the second quarter trimmed the Lady Eagles’ deficit to eight.
But North Augusta responded with a 7-0 run, getting three points from Allen, to increase the lead to 31-16. The Lady Jackets would possess a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
Greenwood senior point guard Vijya Corbett knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:51 left in the half for her only points of the night, making it a 39-23 game at the half.
North Augusta increased its lead in the third quarter thanks to a pair of scoring runs — one of seven points and another of 11. Meyer keyed the 11-point run with back-to-back 3s to give the Lady Jackets a 56-29 lead.
Meyer’s final trey of the night, which opened the fourth, gave North Augusta a 30-point advantage.

Opinion

Anti-Christian activity seems to be intentional

November 29, 2006

Some people in South Carolina insist there is an effort - organized or otherwise - to banish Christianity from public life. Others say that’s a ridiculous notion. Still, a look at some of the things happening across the nation go a long way toward supporting that belief.
There have been numerous instances, remember, where anything Christian was deemed to violate the separation of church and state concept too much to be allowed. Placing Christmas symbols - trees, nativity scenes, etc. - in public places has been refused too many times not to at least have some serious reservations about how things go, particularly during the Christmas Season.

THINK ABOUT LAST YEAR. Everyone will remember that a controversy arose when it became known that some retail giants (and maybe others), had instructed their employees to greet shoppers with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
That created such a clamor, in fact, that some of those retailers have gone back to the old, accepted Christmas ways that have always been integral parts of the Christmas celebration.
All’s not quiet on the home front, though. A federal court in New York recently ruled that it was constitutional for a public school to display Muslim and Jewish symbols, but the school was told by the court that the same freedom did not apply to Christian symbols.

WHAT KIND OF TWISTED logic is that? Or legal, for that matter? If that doesn’t illustrate a predetermined bias by the members of that court against Christianity, what else could it possibly be?
There indeed does appear to be an effort - organized or otherwise - to banish Christianity from all things public.
There’s too much evidence to the contrary for anyone not to think that some people have their own agenda. It’s difficult, considering the circumstances all around, to think they aren’t taking every opportunity to have their way.
It can be seen in the Palmetto State, that’s been shown many times. When we see it happening from coast to coast, though, it seems clear it’s intended. It also shows there’s no religious paranoia involved, either. As Walter Cronkite used to say, that’s the way it is.