Obituaries

Helen L. Baylor

Services for Helen L. Baylor, of 120 Althea Street, are 1 p.m. Tuesday at Youngs Chapel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. James L. Holmes. Presiding will be the Rev. Anthony Boozer, and assisting will be the Rev. Joseph Caldwell. The body will be placed in the church at noon. Burial will be in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Youngs Chapel Baptist Church Building Fund. The family is at the home. Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is in charge of arrangements.

Estelle H. Burkett

WARE SHOALS — Carrie Estelle Morris Hall Burkett, 80, formerly of Martin Road, widow of Willis Edward Burkett, died April 8, 2007 at Hospice House in Anderson. She was born in Pickens County, a daughter of the late James and Mary Jane Morris Hall and was a homemaker. Her church membership was at The Full Gospel Tabernacle Fellowship Church.
She is survived by four sons, Roy Burkett, Waterloo, Edward Burkett and Steve Burkett, both of Belton, and David Burkett of Ware Shoals; three daughters, Ann Davenport, Greenwood, Carrie Cole, Pelzer and Vera Sue Burkett, Ware Shoals; eighteen grandchildren; and thirty-three great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by seven stepbrothers and one stepsister.
Funeral services will be held at noon Tuesday at Parker-White Funeral Home, with Rev. Horace Lanier and Rev. Robbie Brissey officiating. Burial will follow in Ware Shoals Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Bobby Davenport, Ronald Davenport, Nicky Gwinn, David Burkett, Bob Davenport and Jon Lindley.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Monday at Parker-White Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the Ware Shoals Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 176, Ware Shoals, S.C. 29692. The family is at the home of a daughter, with whom she had lived the past fourteen months, Carrie Cole, 8 Dora St., Pelzer, S.C. 29669.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

William Hager

IVA — William “Bill” Stanley Hager, 58, resident of Level Land Community, husband of Linda Hyde Hager, died Saturday April 7, 2007, at his home.
Born in Hackensack, N.J., he was a son of James Elias and Edith Margaret Krobe Hager.
He was a self-employed over the road tractor trailer driver. He was formerly the owner of his own Stone Mason business. He was a 1975 graduate of Farleigh-Dickinson University, where he earned his BA degree in sociology. He also attended Upper Iowa University. He was a former member of the Jaycees and was a Mason, member of Masonic Lodge No. 80 AFM in Lyndhurst, N.J. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church.
Survivors are his wife, Linda Hyde Hager of the home; a son, Eric Hager of the home; a daughter, Diana Nelms and her husband, Jason of Pelzer, S.C.; a twin brother, Jim Hager and his wife, Patricia of DeSoto, Mo.; a sister, Susan Hager of Clinton, N.J.; his mother, Edith Margaret Krobe Hager of Wood Ridge, N.J.; his father, James Elias Hager of Canandaigua, N.J.; and a grandson, William Nelms.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, April 10, 2007, at 1 p.m. from Trinity Episcopal Church, with the Rev. Rilla Holmes officiating. The burial will follow in Oaklawn Memorial Park in Anderson, S.C.
The body is at Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday evening. The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to the DAV, Disabled American Veterans.
Online condolences may be sent to the Hager family by visiting www.chandlerjacksonfh.com.
The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home, Abbeville, S.C., is in charge of arrangements.

Larry W. James

WARE SHOALS — Larry Wayne James, 55, of Indian Mound Road, died Saturday, April 7, 2007, at Anderson Area Medical Center. He was born in Pelzer, a son of the late Cecil and Mildred Crooks James.
Surviving are two sons, Jason James and Jacob James, both of Ware Shoals; two daughters, Jessica James of Ware Shoals and Jessie James of Anderson; a brother, Gerald James of Hodges; two sisters, Loretta J. Lewis of Anderson and Peggy J. Varnum of Ware Shoals; and five grandchildren.
Graveside services are 4 p.m. Tuesday at Ware Shoals Cemetery, with the Rev. Chris Hudson officiating.
The family is at the home of a son, Jason James, 17 Edgewood Drive.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Opinion

Maybe it’s time the state took a look at District 51

April 9, 2007

Many of the people who live in School District 51 in Ware Shoals surely must be wondering what comes next in the continuing investigation of events that have shocked that community. After all, it must seem to them that one investigation is not completed before another begins.
It all began, of course, when a now-resigned cheerleading coach was charged with providing alcoholic beverages to students as well as being involved in illicit sexual activities. No need to repeat the details of the charges. Every person in South Carolina that reads newspapers or watches television news must be familiar with the entire controversy by now.

THEN CAME OBSTRUCTION of justice charges against the high school principal as part of the earlier case. Controversy has arisen in this one, too, and apparently it has yet to be resolved.
Don’t even consider guilt or innocence. Look at the “big picture.” There should be no disagreement that out-of-the-ordinary problems have beset the district and the high school since word of the charges first came to light. In addition to the criminal charges there have been revelations of nepotism that further muddle the situation.
In the past there have been suggestions from some people in District 51 that maybe the State Department of Education needed to take over the district and “straighten everything out.” From all appearances, perhaps it’s time for that request - make it demand - to happen.

IT’S NOT UNPRECEDENTED in South Carolina, but it will not happen unless someone pushes for it. Since District 51 covers parts of three counties, if state lawmakers representing those counties applied the right kind of pressure, the State Department surely would listen.
Students, parents, teachers and administrators deserve to have the veil of suspicion lifted from an environment that must be conducive to a good teaching/learning process. As it is, all are tarred with the same brush. State education officials could approach “repair” work from a perspective of objectivity. It appears that is needed as much as anything.
Under the circumstances that probably would be wise. It would eliminate any chance that anyone might think preferential treatment was a consideration.