Market offers good food, friends

January 22, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

HODGES —Walking through the front door of Godfrey’s Market is like stepping back in time to a more friendly age. Old farm equipment lines the walls, employees are courteous and speedy and people actually sit down at several wooden tables and talk to each other while they eat.
The charm of Godfrey’s is in the air, said Pete Godfrey, co-owner of the market with his brother Frank.
“We just try to have a country atmosphere,” he said.
The market’s been around for 53 years, with the original store being burnt down Feb. 13, 2002, and reopening in 2003.
The Godfrey brothers decided to keep the old country store presence of the store during the construction of the new store, Pete Godfrey said.
Customers feel right at home with the freshly-made sandwiches, fried chicken and homemade sausage the market offers.
Many people in Hodges and around the Lakelands come into Godfrey’s for coffee and to sit back and talk, said Sylvia Crittendon, an employee at the market.
So, what brings people back for more of the store?
“It’s just the kind of family feeling of the place,” Crittendon said. “It’s like everybody knows everybody.”
Cathy Ferguson, of Lowndesville, agrees.
She and Brent Jennings, of Greenwood, talked while her grandchildren, A.J., 10, Ashton, 7, and Carrington, 1, ate.
Ferguson occasionally picks up her grandchildren from school at nearby Hodges Elementary School, so she usually stops into Godfrey’s to get the kids a snack.
“The people are really attentive to the children,” Ferguson said.
She likes stopping at Godfrey’s because of its country store attitude.
The store’s popular with the elementary school crowd too, A.J. said.
“Everybody comes to Godfrey’s after-school,” he said.
Jennings learned about the store through a friend of his who has been coming to Godfrey’s for years.
The good food and the great service are what keeps him coming back about once a month or so.
The personal touch atmosphere is also a big draw for Jennings.
It’s almost nostalgic, he said.

Three Rules for Success

Superintendent knows how to be winner in life

January 22, 2007

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

ABBEVILLE — Ivan Randolph has three rules.
They are rules to which he adheres during most all decision-making interactions, be they business or personal.
They are simple, yet they have served him well.
First, do what’s right.
Second, in everything that you do, do it well.
Third, treat people the way you would like to be treated.
As superintendent of the Abbeville County Schools District, Randolph applies these three standards daily in an effort to lead his school district to higher ground.
“I feel that no matter what level of education you’re at, or where you’re at in life, if you follow those three rules you’ll always make good decision,” Randolph said.
Born in the small, western North Carolina town of Mars Hill, Randolph graduated high school in the spring of 1972, just before before finding himself off the coast of Vietnam with the United States Navy in the fall of that year.
The experience was a positive one for the future educator.
“It taught me to how to work together in a cohesive unit, how to develop problem solving skills and work with people from different backgrounds,” Randolph said.
He’s put in his work in the educational system as well. Randolph has been a teacher and a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels before serving as schools superintendent in Yancey County, North Carolina, prior to his coming to Abbeville.
He credits much of his continued success to the quality of the professionals he works with on a daily basis.
“For any person to be successful in this job you have to surrounded with good people,” Randolph said. “I’m very fortunate here to have those people. I have a great board of trustees, a great administration and staff, great teachers and of course our biggest assets are the students in the classrooms.”
Four Abbeville County schools (Abbeville High, Dixie High, Wright Middle and the Abbeville County Career Center) were recognized recently by the state department of education as Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners.
“I think our teachers and principals have done an excellent job looking at test data and coming up with strategies for meeting the criteria for the students in our schools,” Randolph said. “We have a dedicated group of teachers that go above and beyond the needs of our students.”
The job of a superintendent is quite diverse in nature, ranging across the board in terms of working with anyone from parents to board members, and everyone in between.
“My job is to carry out board policy, and involves everything from looking at weather-related issues to curriculum issues or athletic-related issues,” he said. “No two days are ever the same.”
Creating a learning environment in each of the district’s classrooms has been at the top of the list as far as important concerns for Randolph and his staff.
“You’ve got to have a safe and orderly environment where teachers can teach and students can learn,” he said. “It’s important for schools to be disciplined and clean. It sets the tone. If schools are well disciplined and clean and you have high expectations then it sets the tone for the school.”
As always, parental involvement is key.
“We need more parents to be involved,” he said. “It’s important for everyone (parents to teachers and students) to know what the individual expectations and requirements are and to work together in the best interest of the students.”
In a state long derided for its failings where public education is concerned, Randolph agrees that there are issues that need to be addressed, including “No Child Left Behind” legislation. The problem lies in expectations versus funding.
“One of the biggest (state) problems is the funding of academic programs like the ‘No Child Left Behind’ legislation,” Randolph said. “That has not been adequately funded, even though we’re being held accountable there. With what (funding) they have to work with our teachers have done a great job.”
As for the future of Abbeville County schools, Randolph remains upbeat, yet focused on the task at hand. Awards are nice, but additional results are even better.
“I think we’ve turned the corner and I want to celebrate that success, but we still have room for improvement and we will continue to have high expectations for our district.”

Lander-Erskine rivalry rematch

January 22, 2007

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

DUE WEST — The crystal ball has been cleared, and the players and coaches are ready as time draws near for tonight’s big basketball games at Belk Arena on the Erskine College campus.
The event is a doubleheader between Lander University and Erskine College women’s and men’s squads, with the women’s game starting at 5:30 p.m. The men’s game follows at approximately 7:30.
Craig Williams’ last-second shot gave Erskine a two-point win in the men’s last meeting Dec. 4 at Lander’s Finis Horne Arena, but Lander leads the series, 43-32.
Lander also leads the women’s series, 34-17, after a 32-point win in the first meeting back in December.
One big difference tonight will be the absence of Williams, who is sidelined with an injury and will not dress out.
“Clearly, it will be a different type game without Craig,” Erskine coach Mark Peeler said. “We play quite a bit differently and hoist numerous 3s. We basically are starting five guards, so saying we are perimeter-oriented right now is a blinding glimpse of the obvious.”
Williams scored 27 points the first meeting, meaning, Peeler said, “We will miss a great deal of our offense against them.”
On the other side, Lander’s Jason Davis returned to action Saturday night in the Bearcats’ heart-breaking loss to Armstrong Atlantic. Davis, who had been sidelined with a broken thumb, did not make the starting lineup.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game, especially playing at their place,” Lander coach Bruce Evans said. “From a confidence standpoint, they beat us at our place and they will be confident at their place.”
Understanding Williams won’t be there, Evans added, “They’ve played without him and have made some adjustments. They realize they have to move on and they have other guys who can fill in.”
As for the Bearcats, Evans said they have played well since getting into the conference schedule. The team had won four of its last five heading, with four games on the road, heading into Saturday.
“We’ll try to play our game,” Evans said. “We will try to take what’s presented and try to take advantage of we get.”
Peeler said he hasn’t seen Lander since the first game, but, he added, “I know they played tough man defense on us and we had tremendous difficulty scoring.
“If it’s a high-scoring game we won’t have much of a chance, so we will have to play incredible defense and take care of the ball.
“We will need Brandon Wright and T.J. Taylor to have big games shooting the ball. I would say we would be very fortunate to keep it as close as it was last time.”
The freshman Wright has averaged 16.4 points a game for 13 games and Taylor has averaged 16.7 points per game.
Lander women’s coach Kevin Pederson calls his matchup with the Lady Flying Fleet a tough game where anything can happen.
“Any road game is always tough,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of tough games there in the past, and I’ve taken some good teams in there and lost.
“Maggie (Erskine coach Maggie Peeler) always does a good job getting them to play. After two or three years, she’s starting over this year and has a very talented freshmen class.”
Pederson pointed out freshman Audrey Timmerman, senior Lisa Jackson and sophomore Kristy Vaughn has key players to stop.
“Timmerman is one of the best freshmen in the CVAC and is getting better every game they play,” he said. “Lisa Jackson concerns me more because she can drive against anybody and can hit from outside. And Kristy is solid inside.”
Obviously, he said, “We’ve got to be prepared,” still realizing the Lady Bearcats will be without their leading scorer LaShonda Chiles.
“She will not play against Erskine, but we have some people who are stepping up and helping us,” Pederson said. “Tiara Good and Stephanie Ponds were (Peach Belt) players of the week the past two weeks and they’ve been playing well for us.”
Knowing the Lady Fleet will be the underdogs, Maggie Peeler said, “The fact that Lander has lost six of their last nine means nothing. We were not one of their losses in our previous match-up so, therefore, they are considered winners and a very good team despite their last few games.”
“Hopefully,” she said, “We have improved since our last meeting and we can take advantage of our home court.”
Peeler emphasized the importance of keeping the game close because, she said, “We have struggled getting points and we will need to have a good shooting night and play better defense against them. We can’t play a running game with them because we can’t keep up on the offensive side.”
Peeler says Timmerman, Jackson and Mary Ann Langford will start, but the other two starters will depend on the type defense she decides to play.

Opinion

Fewer lawmakers/veterans could turn into problem

January 22, 2007

Changes in Congress, of course, produce changes in every facet of government. It’s out with the old, in with the new .... and that’s not necessarily a commentary on members of Congress.
Most of the time the changes affect what is done and what isn’t, and that, to be sure, influences the life of every person living in South Carolina, whether they think it does or not.
Time and history usher in much of the change. That’s fundamental. Nothing illustrates that more than the changing percentage of military veterans that makes up the Congress. That’s becoming more and more a consideration.

THAT’S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT as the world sees different influences that lead to conflicts that sometimes are only one step shy of all-out war.
According to “Air Force,” the magazine published by the Air Force Association, the percentage has changed drastically over the years, and that has ramifications.
Time marches on, naturally, and much of the change can be attributed to the declining numbers of World War II and Korean War veterans, of course. Whatever the cause, though, it’s worrisome, particularly for the future of our armed services ..... not to mention the state of the world in general. There’s as much unrest around the world now as there ever has been, if not more.
The percentage of veterans in Congress at present is below 25, whereas only 30 years ago only about 25 percent were not veterans.

SOUTH CAROLINA HAS, THROUGH the years, had members of the U. S. House and Senate who were strong supporters of the military. The late Rep. Bryan Dorn was a good example, as were Strom Thurmond, Floyd Spence and Mendel Rivers.
We still have that kind of support from this state, but now our elected lawmakers have fewer associates with military backgrounds to help them.
Some may argue that’s not a bad thing. The history of the world, though, argues otherwise. We have learned the hard way that strength is a deterrent to war, and military weakness invites aggression. You don’t have to be a veteran to understand, of course, but it helps. It also would help if a younger Congress learned from some of the members still around.

Obituaries

Danny Barnett Sr.

CROSS HILL — Daniel “Danny” Caury Barnett Sr., 54, of 94 Cane Creek Bridge Road, husband of Kristine Holden-Barnett, died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007.
Born in Greenville, he was a son of Evelyn Fowler Barnett and the late Junious Caury Barnett. He was the vice president of Total Fire Protection and attended Lakeside Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Surviving in addition to his mother and wife of Cross Hill, are a daughter Scarlett Perry and her husband David of Cross Hill; four sons, Daniel C. Barnett Jr. and his wife Judy, Junious “Jake” Augustus Barnett and his wife Crystal, Christian Cory Barnett and Bradley James Barnett, all of Cross Hill; a sister, Mary Franklin of Cross Hill; a brother, Thomas Barnett of Cross Hill; eight grandchildren; and a special ex-wife, Shirley Barnett-Wright.
Services will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday at Lakeside Pentecostal Holiness Church with the Reverend Todd Raugh and the Reverend Paul M. Cooper. Burial will follow at Bethlehem Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Michael Franklin Sr., Michael Franklin Jr., Marshall Franklin, Matthew Franklin, Scotty Rozier and Randy Driggers.
The family will receive friends on Monday at Harley Funeral Home from 7-9 p.m.. The body will be placed in the church 1p.m. Monday.
The family is at the home of his mother, Evelyn Barnett, 101 Highway 72 West, Cross Hill.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory are in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Corporal Phil Daniel Cox

WILLIAMSTON — Corporal Phil Daniel Cox, 70, husband of Donna Sellers Cox, of 30 Spring St., died Jan. 21, 2007, at Hospice of the Upstate.
Born in Anderson County, he was the son of the late Toliver Daniel and Susan Maye Pippens Cox. He was an insurance salesman for Liberty Life and a member of Williamston First Baptist Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife of the home are daughters, Vicki Harris and husband Ken of Anderson, Kathy Cabaniss and husband Roger of Williamston; a son, Mark Cox and wife Lori of Williamston; grandchildren, Falon Harris, Brittany Harris, Noah Cox, Kelton Cox, Taylor Cabaniss, Brandon Cabaniss; a niece, Amy Cox; a nephew, Brian Gillespie; a sister, Janice Parks of La Grange, Texas.
He was predeceased by his parents; grandparents, Calvin and Vesta Cox.
Services will be held 3 p.m. Tuesday at Cox Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Brad Bardin and Rev. Barry Davis officiating. Burial will follow in Williamston Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Monday from 7-9 p.m. at Cox Funeral Home.
Flowers are optional or memorials may be made to Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, SC 29621. The family will be at the residence.
Cox Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Noamie Daniels

SALUDA — Noamie “KouJack” Daniels, 79, of 232 Brich Lane, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Butler & Sons Funeral Home.

Charles “Bo” Guillebeaux

CALHOUN FALLS — Charles “Bo” Guillebeaux, 78, of 106 Hester Drive, widower of Mary Louise Moton, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, at VA Medical Center, Augusta, Ga.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Abbeville & White Mortuary Inc.

Lousie Napier

ABBEVIILE — Louise Davenport Napier, 74, of 104 Oakland Ave., died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007, at Abbeville Area Medical Center.
She was born on the U.S. Marine Base, Parris Island, S.C., to the late Floyd T. and Lillian Dey Davenport. Ms. Napier was president of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary; secretary of the Veteran of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, and former president of the SCL connected with Clemson University. Ms. Napier was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her son, Robert Napier.
Surviving Ms. Napier are two sons, Travis Napier of Swainsboro, N.C., and Nathan Napier of Abbeville; a daughter, Margaret N. Tsantakis of Cross Hill; fifteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2007. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow in Melrose Cemetery.
The family is at 93 Horton Drive, Abbeville.
Memorial contributions may be sent in memory of Ms. Napier to the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Online condolences may be sent to the Napier family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home of Abbeville is assisting the Napier family.

Willie Tate Jr.

McCORMICK — Mr. Willie Earl Tate Jr., 34, died Jan. 18, 2007, at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Augusta, Ga., after a brief illness. Born in Lincolnton, Ga., he was a son of Mrs. Bobbie Jean Moore Tate and the late Willie E. Tate Sr. He was a member of Shiloh A.M.E. Church, a graduate of McCormick High School, a U.S. Navy veteran and worked in textiles. Survivors are two daughters, Takalia Tate and Desiree Tate, both of Charleston; his mother of the home; a sister, Ms. Barbara Wharton of McCormick; two brothers, Saul Kent of McCormick and Robert Earl Tate of Hartwell, Ga.; eight aunts; eleven uncles. Services will be 3 p.m. Wednesday at Shiloh A.M.E. Church with the Rev. James Louden III officiating. The body will be placed in the church at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Walker Funeral Home is in charge.