Uptown will see progress

Grant will help district push for revitilization

January 29, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

While improvements and renovations to several landmarks in Uptown Greenwood are well under way, the area is set to see even more progress.
With the work on Greenwood Community Theatre nearly completed and the city forging ahead with plans on updates to the Federal Building, Greenwood City Council has given the go-ahead for establishing an overlay design review district Uptown.
The district will include all properties within and adjacent to the Emerald Triangle Arts and Cultural District along Oregon and Maxwell avenues. The city recently was awarded the S.C. Department of Commerce Opportunity Grant for facade improvements to 26 buildings in the area.
According to a city news release, the design review process’ intent is to ensure alterations, additions, demolitions and new construction will not adversely affect the architectural character in the district.
Greenwood assistant city manager Charlie Barrineau said the city took a close look at architectural characteristics of downtown areas in other Upstate cities.
“We studied Laurens, Newberry, Greenville and Anderson, among others,” Barrineau said. “Newberry, for example, is very historic in their property guidelines. We wanted to create a a more balanced language in our review district. It allows for property owners to display a bit more architectural character.”
Barrineau said Furman Architects Inc. of Greenwood developed the district guidelines with the input of the City and County Planning department and property owners within the Emerald Triangle.
Barrineau said the grant the city received allows for about $20,000 for streetscape improvements for each of the buildings. The property owners of the buildings are responsible for a 10 percent match on the grant.
Another reason for the proposed revitalization in the Maxwell and Oregon Avenue areas is that council wanted to protect recent investments in the Arts Center at the Federal Building and GCT.
Barrineau said streetscape improvements could begin as early as mid- to late March.
At least one property owner along Maxwell Avenue is thrilled about the upcoming improvements.
Photographer Jon Holloway will be opening a large photography studio/gallery, which also will be available for social events.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Greenwood. It really feels like a sense of rebirth for these streets. It could be like a mini-West End,” Holloway said, referring to the resurgent and wildly popular renovated district in downtown Greenville. “We certainly have a lot of potential.”
Holloway said he is pleased to see many towns, and Greenwood in particular, returning to downtown areas as cultural hubs.
“There is a lot of history in Uptown and where it all started,” Holloway said as he strolled around the still-under-construction studio on Maxwell Wednesday morning. “You won’t see that with a strip mall. When retirees or new business owners look to come into an area, they want to see more than a strip mall.”

GHS dances its way to national championships

January 29, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Haley Culbertson said she had no rhythm when she was a young girl, so her mother decided to do something to help.
“She enrolled me in dance classes as a joke,” she said.
Culbertson, a Greenwood High School senior and co-captain of the dance team, has improved enough after 15 years of dance classes and four years on the dance team to lead her team to the Universal Dance Association National Championships starting Friday at Walt Disney World to compete for a national dance title.
Greenwood officially begins competing Saturday, being the first team in the hip-hop dance category, said Greenwood dance coach Debi Petersen said.
The team got a bid to the championship, which will be aired on ESPN, by earning a superior trophy at a UDA dance camp in early July.
Petersen was excited for the team to get its first trip to nationals.
“This is a huge opportunity for them that doesn’t come around very often,” she said.
Culbertson said dancing is now second nature to her.
“I devote pretty much all my time to it,” she said.
Culbertson plans on trying out for Clemson University’s dance team after she starts attending next year.
Dancing is a way for Culbertson to express herself and feel better about the world for a few hours.
The team will be competing against many dance teams from across the country, Petersen said.
Last year, 67 teams competed in the hip-hop dance category.
The competitiveness of the teams will test the team’s skill, Petersen said.
For people who don’t think dancing can be a sport, Culbertson has pulled a hamstring and damaged her muscles dancing.
Petersen has worked with Leslie DeBruyn to choreograph the moves the team will use at Walt Disney World.
DeBruyn has coached a competitive cheerleading team at Wren High School for six years and Palmetto High School for one year.
She said she incorporated a lot of old-school hip-hop music and moves from Vanilla Ice to MC Hammer into Greenwood’s routine.
Schools sometimes hire choreographers when they have a hard time finding a teacher to coach the team, DeBruyn said.
Dance competition judges will be looking at the team for synchronicity, eye-catching routines and energy, Petersen said.
Basically, judges expect 16 girls to dance as one person.
The team is affording the trip by driving a bus down to Florida and getting help from their booster club, the Greenwood Athletic Department and the girls themselves, Petersen said.
Getting the team up to championship level hasn’t been easy.
The team has practiced three to four times a week, 10 hours a week since August and performed at varsity girls and boys basketball games, Culbertson said.
Petersen knows the championship will be a challenge, but her team has what it takes to do well.
Culbertson has thought about what bringing a national championship trophy home to Greenwood would mean to the high school.
She jokingly said that the dance team’s championship would outrank the Greenwood High School football team’s state championship.
“That would be a nice year this year, wouldn’t it?” Petersen said about winning the national championship.

Jeanette Rollinson

ANDERSON — Jeanette Rollinson, 47, of 124 River Oaks Apt., died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007, at AnMed Health Center.
The family is at the home of her father, 303 Little Mountain Road, Ninety Six.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Jackson hoping for more ups

January 29, 2007

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports editor

Jarred Jackson has experienced plenty of ups and downs during his time in a Lander University basketball uniform.
The Bearcats’ leading scorer for the past three seasons has taken those highs and lows in stride, but now he’s ready to see his squad’s recent up-swing continue a little while longer.
Behind 15.2 points a game, including an 18.1 average in Peach Belt Conference play, Jackson has helped keep the Bearcats on top the North Division, with a 6-2 conference record while going 12-7 overall.
“We’ve talked about winning the North Division and that’s our focus,” Jackson said. “But there’s a chance for us to win the whole conference. We can’t let any game slip by us. We can’t give games away.”
Jackson, a senior from Columbia, was a freshman when the Bearcats managed only seven total wins — three in the Peach Belt Conference — in 2003-04. He was the prime target, as a sophomore, when Lander finished tied for second in the North Division after posting 17 victories. But that team fell in its first PBC tourney game.
Last season, the Bearcats won only four conference games, but clawed their way to the PBC tournament semifinals after an upset win over top-seeded Columbus State.
“When I got here, we had a whole new team and it was my first year in college basketball, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Jackson said. “We went through a horrible year, but I never felt like I was going to leave Lander and go somewhere else. And then when coach (Bruce) Evans came in, the way he was coaching, we were going to have a good year.”
And Jackson and Co. might be saving their best for last. The Bearcats will take a three-game winning streak — and a run of seven wins in their last nine — into Finis Horne Arena when they take on UNC Pembroke at 7:30 Wednesday night.
Jackson credits Evans’ penchant for defense along with the play of his teammates for the Bearcats’ success in conference play.
The Bearcats are only averaging 66.9 points a game, and only 69 points in conference play. But defensively, the team has been able to put a clamp on the opposition, holding opponent’s scoring to 58.3 a night — and 57.1 in PBC action.
Jackson remembers one time this season where he found himself getting an opportunity to take a breather on the bench. It wasn’t long after that he said Evans barked at him about taking a charge. He quickly got the message.
“Coach Evans has always said ‘you can go down there and take any shot, but if you want to play, you have to play defense,’” Jackson said. “He’s serious about it. Either you play defense or you’re not going to play.”
Jackson has led the Bearcats in scoring in 10 of the team’s 19 games this season. But since conference play has opened five of his teammates have — like him — increased their offensive output, including fellow senior Michael Griffin. The Lander point guard is averaging 13.6 points against PBC foes.
“I have as much confidence in them taking the shot as me taking it,” Jackson said. “I’ve told them (teammates) ‘if I’m open, pass me the ball because I’ll do the same to you.’”
The ups and downs — and current ups again — shared by this year’s senior class — which also includes guard Jason Davis and power forward Emanuel Hodrea — have helped that group become closer.
“We’re like friends. We’re like brothers almost,” Jackson said. “Especially, me, Mike (Griffin) and E-Man (Emanuel Hodrea) because we’ve been here four years. But Jason (Davis) has been here three years, so the chemistry is crazy.
“It’s off the court and it shows up on the court.”

Carter draws backlash with criticism of Israel

January 29, 2007

When he was in the White House, President Jimmy Carter was instrumental in getting Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar el-Sadat to negotiate an agreement that eventually led to peace between them. Begin and Sadat were given the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts and Mr. Carter received much praise for bringing them together.
Since he left office, after losing to Ronald Reagan, Mr. Carter has further distinguished himself as a humanitarian. He has been an important participant in Habitat for Humanity projects all over.

NOW, THOUGH, ALL OF A SUDDEN Mr. Carter has run into a storm of criticism for statements he made in his book, “Palestinian Peace, Not Apartheid.” In fact, 14 members of the Carter Center’s advisory board resigned because of what Mr. Carter wrote. They told him in a letter, “We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position. This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support.” A month before another fellow at the Carter Center resigned. In his letter he was highly critical of the book’s contents, including charges there were errors, superficialities and glaring omissions, among other things cited.
One obvious problem with Mr. Carter’s book is in a statement that laid the blame for conflict on Israel. He said Israel will have no peace until it withdraws from Palestinian lands.

THE FACT IS, OF COURSE, THAT Israel has given back land in several situations. Yet Mr. Carter failed to put any blame on the Middle East leaders and nations that insist Israel has no right to exist, and that includes many Palestinians. Iran’s President, for example, keeps threatening to wipe Israel off the map.
There may be hardened zealots within all factions in the Middle East. However, putting the onus on one side while holding the other guiltless is a foolhardy formula for further and protracted destabilization of that wartorn region.
A former President of the United States should know better. It’s either a sign of ignorance of the historical hostilities, a calculated political agenda with some unknown consideration at stake, or blatant naiveté. Whatever it is, Mr. Carter’s image has lost a little shine.