Community celebrates

Hundreds gather to remember MLK

January 15, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

A large contingent of the Greenwood community couldn’t wait until today to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hundreds gathered Sunday night at the Morris Chapel Baptist Church in Greenwood to take in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community-Wide Birthday Celebration. The program was sponsored by the local Coalition of Concerned Organizations.
The program featured short speeches by prominent figures in the community, songs from the Greenwood Area MLK Mass Choir, a performance by a team of praise dancers and a keynote address from Greenwood School District 50, superintendent Darrell Johnson.
The Rev. Willie Harrison, who hosted the event, described the annual celebration as having broad-ranging appeal.
“Dr. King’s birthday is a celebration for everyone, not just a selected group of people.”
Greenwood Mayor Floyd Nicholson and Greenwood County Council Chairman Robbie Templeton greeted the nearly capacity crowd.
“Dr. King stood for equality for everyone, all people,” Nicholson said. “A lot of progress has been made for equal rights. But we’re not there yet. I hope to see a day where people, not just here but all over the world, stand together with equal rights.”
Templeton said King’s message of working together is represented in county council. He said the council is made up of seven different people from seven very different districts, but the group always works hard to do what is right for everybody.
Shire Scurry, recently crowned Miss Emerald High School, was on hand to state the purpose of the occasion. She named the ways in which she thought King should be remembered on this national holiday.
“The purpose of this program is to honor a husband, a leader, a perpetual hope-giver and, most of all, a friend,” Scurry said.
When Johnson stepped to the pulpit, he was quick to state his high opinion of the local community.
“I haven’t been here long, but I feel like I’m home,” Johnson said, as the crowd yelled out words of support. “Greenwood is a great place to be. I know the Lord sent me here for a reason.”
The theme of Johnson’s speech was “Unity in the Community, and Then Some.” He spoke on using the holiday as a time to honor King as a great civil rights leader and as a time for people to continue to strive for equality.
“A lot has been said and a lot has been done,” Johnson said. “But there is so much more that can take place.”
As Johnson continued, still drawing vocal support from the crowd, he questioned the low numbers of a certain age demographic in attendance.
“I have to ask, where are our young people?” Johnson said. “It’s time for us as a community to reach out to these youngsters. There is a great possibility to move forward, but the youth have to take part if there is truly to be unity in the community.”
Johnson said it is important for young African-Americans to know their heritage and culture. He criticized some youths for knowing more about hip-hop artists Beyonce or Kool Moe Dee than they do famed African-American educator and author Booker T. Washington.
Johnson said the church must play a vital role in the education of the youth and in the molding of families.
“My family was in church every Sunday,” Johnson said. “Every Sunday. Today, you are more likely to find young people at the mall or on the basketball court. If we are to be unified, there has to be order in the house.”
Chris Trainor covers Greenwood County news for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ctrainor@indexjournal.com.

Officer goes back to school

January 15, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Dennis Fallaw is going back to high school of his own free will and he couldn’t be happier.
The retired South Carolina Highway Patrol officer was recently hired as Ware Shoals High School’s resource officer through the Ware Shoals Police Department.
Fallaw said the job has so far made him the happiest.
“I’ve got the best job in the world,” Fallaw said.
He patrols Ware Shoals’ parking lot for suspicious people and helps out during discipline problems, but the worse things kids do at Ware Shoals is show up late for class, he joked.
Fallaw’s also a senior at Lander University majoring in political science.
He expects to graduate at the end of the year and continue on to law school to become a law professor. He got inspired to become a law professor after starting at Lander.
Fallaw’s teachers, students and administrators at Lander, such as Royce Caines, made him a big school supporter who loves to encourage high school seniors to go to the university, even giving away Lander rubber bracelets to students. Caines, dean of Lander’s College of Business and Public Affairs, said he first met Fallaw two years ago after needing help with his classes.
He thinks Fallaw will do well working with children, especially with his personality.
“He’s not the shy, retiring sort, if you’ve ever met Dennis,” Caines said.
The path from his hometown of Clinton to Ware Shoals is definitely not a straight one for Fallow.
Fallaw graduated high school in 1980 and had received a small scholarship to Newberry College when he lost all his financial aid. His mother had worked decades for the Clinton Mill, so he managed to get an associate degree for free in industrial management from Piedmont Tech. Fallaw got a job working as a police officer in Laurens after seeing an article in the local paper. He said he didn’t have a real interest in being in the police, but needed the work.
Fallaw also was a deputy in Laurens and Greenville counties before wanting to become a state trooper. The better patrol cars and pay attracted him to the work.
“It just made me want to be a trooper,” Fallaw said.
He retired as a trooper at the end of 2003 and worked in the Newberry Police Department and as security at Capsugel.
Fallaw started at Ware Shoals High Dec. 14. He said he feels like he’s been at the school for years.
The teachers and students at Ware Shoals High have been supportive of his move there. Principal Jane Blackwell, who was on the committee that helped hire Fallaw, said he has been introducing himself to students and faculty in the halls.
“He’s mingling nicely with the students,” she said.
His previous experience in law enforcement helped convince her he was right for the job.

Moses Fisher

Moses Fisher, 82, formerly of 613 Waller Road, Ninety Six, died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, at University Hospital, Augusta, Ga.
The family is at the home of his sister, Elizabeth Baylor, 361 Joe Louis Boulevard.
Services will be announced by Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc.

Angie Dyal Foxx

WARE SHOALS — Angie Lee Dyal Foxx, 78, of 5 W. Cork St., widow of Lewis Foxx, died Jan. 13, 2007.
She was born in Appling, Ga., a daughter of the late Joseph Edward Sr.and Lucy Smith Dyal. She was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church.
Surviving are four brothers, Henry D.Dyal, Ware Shoals, Joseph E. Dyal, Williston, James E. Dyal, Morristown, Tenn.and Fred A. Dyal, Travelers Rest; four sisters,Emaline D. Bagwell, Bath, S.C., Virginia D. Russell, Ware Shoals, Janice D. Gilbert, Simpsonville, M.Olean D.Lawson, Enoree.
She was predeceased by a daughter, Sylvia Jean Foxx and a brother, Jerry Dyal.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, 4 p.m. at Harmony United Methodist Church with Rev. Fred Treaster officiating. Burial in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
The family is at the home of Henry Dyal, 370 Buddy Knight Road and will receive friends Tuesday, 2-4 p.m. at the church.
Memorials may be made to Building Fund, Harmony United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 155, Ware Shoals, SC, 29692.
Parker-White Funeral Home.

Glenna M. Herman

WATERLOO — Glenna Cheryl Maulden Herman, 75, of 2930 Whitten Road, wife of Carl Luther Herman, died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, at her home.
Born in Kannapolis, N.C., she was a daughter of the late Glenn William and Ola Belle Hartis Maulden. Mrs. Herman was a homemaker and attended New Hope Baptist Church in Clinton. She also was the owner of The Pokin Place Antique Store.
Surviving in addition to her husband are her seven children, Carla J. Putnam of Clinton, David Glenn Herman and Mark Gregory Herman both of Ledbetter, Texas, Rebecca Cheryl Herman and Joel Timothy Herman both of Greenwood, Jenny Leigh Jennings of Laurens and Amy Ruth Brown of Greenwood; eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; Aunt Pug and four cousins of Kannapolis, N.C.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, at Westview Memorial Park, Laurens conducted by Rev. Brian Wyatt.
The family will be at the residence and will receive friends Tuesday from 7-9 at Kennedy Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to New Hope Baptist Church, 4615 Hwy. 72 W., Clinton, SC 29325.
The Kennedy Mortuary, Laurens

Eugene H. McClain

CALHOUN FALLS — Eugene H. McClain, 91, died Sunday, Jan.14, 2007.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret McDonald McClain; a son, Billy Ray McClain.
Funeral services are 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007 at Calhoun Falls Funeral Home. Burial is in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, Abbeville.
Visitation is one hour prior to the service.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home.

Blanche Sherrill

Blanche Andrews Sherrill, 77, resident of 181 Rutledge Road, wife of John L. Sherrill, died Jan. 14, 2007, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga.
Born in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 9, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Preston and Awilda Van Ness Andrews. A graduate of Central High School in Charlotte she was also a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Raleigh, N.C. Mrs. Sherrill retired as Director of Volunteer Services at Self Memorial Hospital.
She was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church where she was active in Church Circles and was also a member of a Garden Club.
Surviving in addition to her husband of the home are two sons, John L. Sherrill Jr. of Matthews, N.C., and C. Kermit Sherrill of Cummings, Ga.; two daughters, Karen A. Sherrill of Reeders, Pa. and Mary Elizabeth Sherrill of Huntersville, N.C.; a brother, John Van Ness Andrews of Charlotte, N.C.; eight grandchildren.
Memorial services will be conducted at 3:30 Tuesday at Main Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. James D. Dennis Jr. officiating.
Private family burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, N.C.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home.
The family is at the home in Forest Hills and will receive friends in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service.
To make online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Sherrill Family.

Johnny Sibert

McCORMICK — Mr. Johnny Sibert, died Jan. 11, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center, Greenwood.
Born in McCormick, Nov. 29, 1949, he was a son of the late Gary Mursier and Luzinka Sibert Mursier. He attended McCormick public schools and was employed at the Milliken McCormick Plant as a machine operator.
Survivors are his companion, Ms. Jocelyn Theresa Martin of the home; two daughters, Nicole Sibert and Tiffany Sibert of Edgefield; two sons, Jonathan Martin and Miles Sibert, both of the home; two sisters, Joann S. Rogers of McCormick and Brenda S. Patten of Aiken; three brothers, James Sibert of Long Island, N.Y., Cornelious Mursier of US Air Force, Stafford, Va. and Frank Mursier of Greenwood; one grandchild.
Funeral services are Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Shiloh A.M.E. Church, McCormick with the Pastor Rev. James Louden III officiating. Interment is in the church cemetery.
Walker Funeral Home is in charge.

Sarah Vinson

Sarah Ailleen McConnell Vinson, 86, of 116 Crescent Drive, Brookside, widow of Lee Roy Vinson Sr., died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, at Magnolia Manor.
Born in Anderson, she was the daughter of the late John Seymour and Lillian Bell McConnell. Mrs. Vinson was a housewife and a member of First Creek Baptist Church in Antreville.
She was predeceased by a son, Lee Roy “Tiny” Vinson Jr.
Surviving are two sons, Tommy (Tauna) Vinson and Randy Vinson; two daughters, Judy (Jimmy) Long and Debbie Silk; eight grandchildren, Reba Vinson, Ken Vinson, Angie (Gordon) Rich, Chris Vinson, Mandy Vinson, Ben Vinson, Scott Silk and Penny (Destry) Davenport; eight great-grandchildren, Hunter Vinson, Grey Vinson, Savanna Vinson, Austin Rich, Rebecca Rich, Kyleigh Davenport, Chandler Davenport and Kristen Davenport; and special friends, Shelby and Levi McDowell. Services will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday at Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend Donnie Murdock and the Reverend Langdon Erwin officiating. Burial will be in First Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Chris Vinson, Ken Vinson, Kevin Erwin, Gerald Sparks, Larry Clark and Destry Davenport.
Honorary pallbearers will be Gordon Rich and Lonzo Tullis.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday from 6-8 p.m.
The family is at the home of her daughter, Judy Long, 403 Andrews Chapel Road, Hodges.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Bearcats ready to swing

January 15, 2007

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

Lander University’s baseball team ended the 2006 season with a bang, but missed the postseason playoffs after finishing 31-22.
With that went the entire infield for the 2007 Bearcats, letting new coach Chris Moore know that he and assistants must find somebody to fill the void there.
After coaching experience at Davidson College and last year at Lander, Moore is eager to get his first head coaching task under way.
Jesse Barbaro, a sophomore from Awendaw and transfer from Coastal Carolina, is the only returnee to the infield, but he divided duties between first base and that as the designated hitter.
“Outfielders back are Gabe McCann who played a good bit in centerfield,” Moore said. “Malcolm McLeod (of Chapin) was hurt a lot of last year and brings some experience back, but we’ve got several junior college players who will step right in and play at a high level.”
“Maybe not here, but we do have some experience out there overall,” he added, pointing to catcher, centerfielder, right fielder and shortstop.
The pitching staff has experience in senior Chris Munn, of Ft. Lauderdale, who was a Peach Belt All-Region player last year, senior Derrick Wilson, of Ohio, who was a weekend starter last year, and senior Jake Hover, of Washington state, who has had some arm problems.
Relief pitchers back are senior William Dudley, of Greenwood, junior Justin Altman, of Summerville, and senior Evan Christian, of Hilton Head.
The pitching rotation, Moore said, will depend on how many games are played on weekdays. “Coach Taylor will have some input on that,” Moore said.
Danny Morgan, a senior transfer from Coastal Carolina, has impressed the coaching staff and is expected to fill in at right field.
“He showed good ability in the fall and, if we can keep him healthy, he will be a tremendous help. He was named team captain.”
Brendan O’Connor made tremendous strides in the fall and “we’re pleased with his progress,” Moore added.
Also, Moore said Nate Mangiapane, a junior from Florence-Darlington Tech, is expected to handle most of the catching chores.
Like other coaches, Moore said his philosophy is to score in every inning you can, but he knows there is some power in the lineup.
“If we double, we’ll bunt him over and try to get him in, depending on the situation,” Moore said. “Our personnel will dictate that. If we’re in the middle of the lineup, we may have a tendency to swing away.”
However, power (home runs) can come from McCann and Barbaro and can produce the long ball, but, Moore said, “Overall, we’ll probably be more of a singles and doubles team.
“We’ve got a good group overall, with a lot of experience on the mound. We have some who haven’t played at lot at this level, but I think we’ll be OK with the ones we have to be our leaders.”
Last year, the Bearcats tied for sixth in the PBC, but a tiebreaker put them seventh and the team missed the tournament, which features the top six.
“This year, one of our goals is to make the tournament,” Moore said. “That’s a big goal for us. If we can stay healthy, I feel positive about it.
“There’s a lot of teams in the top third who are returning a lot of players. Last year, it was great. This year, it’ll be great again.”
The Bearcats open the season Feb. 3 and 4 at home against Lenoir Rhyne, followed by a Feb. 6 game with Erskine, also at home.

What would Dr. King see if he could see us now?

January 15, 2007

This is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday set aside to celebrate the work and memory of the martyred civil rights worker. He had a dream “deeply rooted in the American Dream.”
In that “dream” Dr. King envisioned a time when every American would be equal, not in earthly possessions, but one in which each American, regardless of color, creed or religion, would be seen in the eyes of others as worthy of the respect each deserves as one of God’s children.
His hopes, to be sure, were that “...one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal,’...” and inclusive of everything that stands for.

MUCH HAS COME TO PASS since Dr. King delivered that stirring and memorable speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. The words, as inspirational as any sermon ever delivered by man, left little doubt about how he felt about his fellowman.
He made that clear in what seemed more a prayer than a speech; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character...”
King championed the causes of black Americans, of course, and although some may feel differently, he preached equality for all, whether black, white or any other color.
He would, no doubt, be pleased with much of what has been achieved by all Americans. They have attempted to do something that few nations in history, if any, have ever tried, let alone accomplished. They have tackled a serious problem and done much to solve it.

THERE STILL ARE VESTIGES of discrimination we need to overcome, that’s obvious. However, there are some things that Dr. King would likely condemn if he could see the folly of it all.
As much progress as we’ve made in making the American Dream a reality for all, there are too many racists of all colors that exploit the natural doubts of various segments of society. Racism these days is an equal opportunity prejudice that is practiced by too many, regardless of skin color. Where in the past the popular conception was that racists were white, that’s changed. They now come in all colors, and that, no doubt, would disappoint Dr. King, a man who did so much to reaffirm rights for all.