Park proposal faced twists, turns

Meeting about Grace St. site set for Tuesday

July 19, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

Following a week of discussion, speculation and outcry from residents, CPW is responding to recent developments surrounding the land at the old water plant on Grace Street.
Two of three commissioners voted last week to consider selling the land rather than deeding it to the city, which would then deed it to the county for the purposes of creating a 44-acre park.
After seven years of negotiations, the chances of a park coming to fruition on the land seemed to be dead following that decision.
However, it was announced Tuesday night there will be a meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Room 200 of the Greenwood County Courthouse, during which CPW, Greenwood County and the City of Greenwood will try to come to an accord.
CPW issued a news release Wednesday saying it is in favor of parks and has supported the development of a park at the Grace Street site.
It said that, in 2000, CPW formally offered to convey a major portion of the property (including the ponds, the spring and the retired water plant building) to the City of Greenwood to be developed and used as a public park.
The release detailed that the 2000 offer to the city was in some ways similar to the current offer on the table to the county. CPW would deed 44 acres to the city, and the city then had five years to construct a park. CPW also sought an indemnification clause freeing it from all liability related to the property.
That offer remained on the table and was never accepted.
The release also confirms, as previously reported, that CPW sent a letter to city council reaffirming the 2000 offer in November 2006. The release said the city had not responded after 90 days, but the parks commission came forward and asked for another 30 days.
At the end of the 30 days, a resolution from county council was presented to CPW. There were terms within the resolution that commissioners and city officials weren’t happy with, so city officials and CPW amended those items and sent the resolution back to the county in May.
CPW says there has been no response in writing, though county attorney Chuck Watson said Tuesday night he has had numerous conversations with CPW’s attorney about the park since that time.
The release closed by saying CPW is in favor of developing a portion of the Grace Street water plant property as a park, adding it is “committed to proceeding in a way that is in the best interest of CPW’s customers.”
On Wednesday, CPW’s Gene Hancock said the issue could still be considered, starting with next Tuesday’s meeting.
“Oh, it can always be reconsidered,” Hancock said. “We’ve been trying to give this land to the city or the county for seven years. But there are some legal hurdles, namely the liability.”
CPW Commissioner Mike Monaghan, who did not vote to explore selling the land, agreed.
“The two main issues at hand were liability and the county maintaining the right to deed it back to us at any time, with all the liability that would go along with that,” Monaghan said. “If the county owns the land, they should accept the liability for it.”
Billy Nicholson, of the parks commission, said Wednesday the county is prepared to take on the liability and responsibility for the property to be used as a park, unless it is transferred back to CPW at a later date. He said that, under that agreement, CPW would have no liability as long as the county had the property.
Hancock reiterated Wednesday that he has great concerns about who will be responsible for taking care of a park on Grace Street, should it come to pass. He said the city is responsible for mowing grass and maintaining West Cambridge Park, and that city firefighters and police officers open and close down the park each night, though it is a county park. He said he worries the city will get stuck caring for a park on Grace Street as well.
Monaghan shares that concern.
“If this is going to happen, the county should stand up and accept this land into their parks system,” Monaghan said. Nicholson spoke about who would maintain the park.
“The county would care for it,” Nicholson said. “Though I will say, I think it will end up being a joint effort between the county and volunteer efforts. Obviously, the county manager will have a lot to say about what goes into that. There are things that will be done every week, cutting grass and things like that.
“But there are public areas that, with private individuals doing it through volunteer work, are maintained that way. I think a lot of it could be done that way.”
Commissioners at CPW have estimated the worth of the land at the Grace Street site to be between $4 million and $5 million. Hancock said Wednesday there have been offers for portions of the land, even saying a company offered “high six figures” for a mere 400 square feet on the corner of the lot.
At last Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Henry Watts said the money gained from the sale of the land could go toward the repayment of a $10 million bond for CPW. According to Hancock, the $10 million is being chiefly used for upgrades to the CPW water system.
Monaghan said Wednesday the bond is being used rather than dipping into CPW reserves because of gas purchases. He said gas is expensive and has to be paid for in advance. Monaghan said that, for that reason, CPW likes to keep a “hefty” reserve. He also said it is common for utility agencies and cities to enter into that type of bond agreement.
The land at the center of the discussions has a colorful history. Just after the turn of the 20th century, the land was owned by Belle Yoe. According to the book “Greenwood County: A History,” by Ann Herd Bowen, the city was eager to expand its holdings at the power plant then housed on the site, but it could not convince Yoe to sell.
Yoe was known for her stubborn ways, and it has been said she was known for chasing trespassing boys off her property with swords and guns.
The city took the land from Yoe under the laws of eminent domain in 1911. It did compensate her $7,125 for the land, but it was forced to place it in escrow because Yoe reportedly refused to cooperate in any way.
Hancock said Wednesday that he always had heard Yoe was a character, laughing as he said he once heard she threw rocks and glass on the ground out in front of her residence in order to keep trespassing boys from coming up to the house.
However, Nicholson said he now wonders about the legal ramifications of CPW selling a piece of property that was taken under eminent domain, citing 2005 Supreme Court Case Kelo v. City of New London. He cited a South Carolina law passed this year that states a piece of private property that is seized on grounds of eminent domain cannot be seized for the purposes of economic development.
While he realizes there have been a number of functions on the property since the city took it from Yoe nearly a century ago, he said the law applies to the spirit of these negotiations.
“I think it is wrong for them to take the property from a woman who is unwilling to give it, because they say they have to have it for public use,” Nicholson said, “and then later to deny the community to continue having it for public use and instead selling it for commercial development. That’s my strong feeling about it.”
Monaghan said he is eager to see how Tuesday’s meeting plays out.
“I do remain hopeful that we will be able to do a park,” Monaghan said. “But we have to see what county council is going to do first.”

College president to retire in 2008

July 19, 2007

By KENNY MAPLE
Index-Journal staff writer

After 39 years serving Piedmont Tech, President Lex D. Walters will hang it up Jan. 31, 2008.
The president has seen the institution grow from one building serving about 150 daytime and 150 nighttime students to seven campuses serving about 5,500 students in the surrounding counties.
“For many years, it has been abundantly clear that he is the president we’ve needed to move the college and its students into a position of prominence,” Piedmont Tech board chairman Charles R. Williams said.
Walters told his plans to Williams and the rest of the Piedmont Tech board during their Tuesday meeting. Williams said the Piedmont Tech Area Commission will begin searching for a new president and plans to have someone named by the end of the year.
Walters said the new president will need the same kind of assistance he has received over the years.
“The new president is going to need the same kind of support to address the needs identified in the master plan,” he said. “I am confident that our county councils and legislative delegations will work to provide the needed support.”
The Lancaster native said Piedmont Tech is in good shape for the future.
“We have a strong master plan that is fully developed and currently in place,” he said. “That plan, although it will likely be five or 10 years in the making, addresses such critical issues as expansion of current academic programs and the addition of new ones, as well as enhancement of facilities in all seven locations.”
Walters mentioned a new health sciences building for the Piedmont campus, renovations on several other facilities on the Greenwood campus that bear his name, and new and updated facilities other county locations as aspects of that master plan.
During his tenure, Walters has seen the campus grow from that lone building in 1968 to 19 buildings today.
“It could not have grown without strong support from the elected officials, the county councils, the members of the legislature that worked to help us to put the funding together so the college could grow and expand from that one building to now on this one campus we have some 19 buildings,” he said. “We have a facility presence in each of the surrounding counties.
“Without a doubt, the future of the college is bright. Although it may not be widely known, the college touches the lives of almost every resident of our large service area through the work of our students, graduates, faculty and staff. My hope is that the college can be even more successful in meeting the educational needs of both the people and the employers within the Piedmont Region of South Carolina.”
Williams said Walters has been responsible for many of the opportunities now available to students.
“Lex Walters has always been a man with vision,” Williams said. “His vision has been predicated upon realistic future needs of area employees and employers. Knowing the trends, however, was just the beginning.
“When we named the Greenwood campus in his honor, we identified our president as a man with a mission. Nothing could describe him more accurately.”
Walters took the time to thank past presidents and present faculty.
“What has been accomplished at Piedmont Technical College is a result of the contributions of all who work here,” he said. “An example of the strength of my associates is the fact that both the current and past Technical College System presidents began their post-secondary careers here at Piedmont Tech.
“Several of the former Piedmont team members have gone on to leadership roles in other higher educational institutions.” What will Walters do after he retires?
“I do plan to stay in the Greenwood area,” he said. “I hope to do some traveling. My wife and son are both involved in family businesses. I plan to provide some assistance to them and their business entities. And probably as much as anything have more time to enjoy the grandchildren.”
Though Walters’ face glowed as he talked about his five adopted grandchildren, he still wanted to talk business. After all, he is still the president through the first month of the next year.
Walters shared the highlights of his tenure — highlights that include seeing the technical college system grow in South Carolina.
“So much has happened over the years, not just for this college but for the technical college system,” he said. “Now, more than half of all students that begin their higher education experience in the state of South Carolina start that experience in one of our technical colleges.”
Those students make Walters’ tenure memorable. The longtime college president takes pride in seeing students succeed.
“We have a December graduation coming up, and I guess that will be the last one I will be participating in, and I think that will be my 50th commencement program,” Walters said.
“I look forward to shaking the hands of those who walk across the stage.”

Little birds lost

Homing pigeons get new home

July 19, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

PLUM BRANCH — Crouching next to her second-hand store, The Happy Peddler near the southern edge of Plum Branch on S.C. 28, Maggie Reece beams proudly at her two newest pets.
“I just got them yesterday,” Reece said, trying to get a grip on one of two baby homing pigeons cowering in a corner of a steel cage.
Unable to temporarily capture both of the winged critters for a formal photographic portrait, Reece settles for extracting one she has named “Zacky,” while leaving the other bird, “Macky,” still in the cage.
The birds, which Reece estimates are just a couple of weeks old, came to her from their previous home at the old Greenwood Cotton Mill, which is being torn down.
In about six months, the remaining homing pigeons, which number in the hundreds and have made the mill their home for years, will be homeless when the former mill is gone.
According to Randy Enburg, the owner of Speed Pigeons in Rock Falls, Ill., homing pigeons, also known as racing pigeons, have a highly developed homing instincts.
The birds can return to their home lofts after being released from a distant place.
“Homing pigeons are descended from the wild rock pigeons of Europe, Asia and Africa, and they have been known to fly more than 1,000 miles in two days,” Enburg said. “Before modern communications, our ancestors depended on homing pigeons to carry important messages. Homing pigeons have been used by man for about a thousand years.”
While a hobby in the United States, Enburg said, racing homing pigeons has not reached the same popularity here as it has in Europe, where race results are broadcast on national television.
Macky and Zacky are Reece’s second set of pigeons rescued from the mill with the help of Reece’s long time friend Jesse Bradford, one of workers helping bring the mill down.
“One of the young boys who work with Jessie went up and got them,” Reece said. “He told Jessie when they were old enough, he could bring them over. When I got them, I named them Tick and Tack. I kept them in their cage for a couple of weeks so when they learned to fly, the cage would be their natural habitat. I would even make up songs and sing to them.”
Reece said she acquired most of her pigeon knowledge from her brother, who keeps homing pigeons at his home in Kentucky.
Reece’s flight plan worked, and for about three weeks, the birds would leave in the morning and come home in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, when Reece released Tick and Tack one fateful day, they failed to return.
“I think the hawk, which I had seen lurking on the other side of the road, got them,” Reece said. “I really loved them and would feed them by hand. Then, one day they were gone, and I couldn’t sing to them anymore.”
Garrison Hall, one of the owners of the mill from which Reece’s two pigeons were rescued, said he is happy Macky and Zacky have found a new home.
“I’m glad Maggie has adopted two more pigeons from the mill,” Hall said. “Some of our employees have also adopted some of the pigeons and taken them home.”
Although he hopes all of his current winged occupants find a new place to live, Hall cautions people who might want to start looking through the condemned mill for new pets.
“If anyone else wants to adopt the rest of the birds, I have no problem with that,” Hall said. “I just want them to contact me first and not just go into the mill by themselves.”
Placing Zacky back into his cage after his photo session, Reece said she plans to increase her brood.
“If I can, I hope to build a big habitat out here to keep my birds safe from the hawk while I build them up,” Reece said. “If I could, I would love to have a hundred of them.”

Chester avoids sweep

Greenwood strands runners on base in final innings

July 19, 2007

By MATT ANDERSON
Index-Journal sports writer

In Wednesday night’s American Legion playoff game against Greenwood Post 20 at Legion Stadium, Chester had just 11 players available.
Unfortunately for Greenwood, one of those 11 was pitcher Drew Thompson. Thompson threw a complete game, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks in a 5-4 Chester victory.
The win staved off elimination for Chester, which now trails the best-of-five playoff series 2-1.
The two teams will play Game 4 in Chester tonight at 7, where Greenwood will again try to close out the first-round series.
Post 20 had a good chance to close it out in three straight. Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Greenwood loaded the bases with two outs.
But Drew Willingham flied a 1-1 pitch into the glove of Chester center fielder Ben Roberts to end the game.
“I was scared to death,” Thompson said. “I was just hoping everything was working, hoping they would pop it up.”
Thompson also pitched with the tying run on base in the seventh and eighth innings but both times, he was able to exit the inning with a 5-4 lead intact. In the seventh, Post 20 left two men on, and stranded one runner in the eighth.
That underlines a somewhat disturbing trend for Greenwood in this playoff series. In winning the first two games, Post 20 was propelled to victory by big innings, but in each of those innings, Greenwood’s bats had little to do with the runs.
Monday night, Post 20 scored six runs in the sixth inning on just one hit. In Tuesday’s 11-4 win, Greenwood scored seven runs in the third thanks to three Chester errors.
“One thing that happened tonight was Chester caught the baseball,” Greenwood manager Billy Bean Minor said. “They didn’t give us extra outs, and they did a good job.”
Behind Thompson, good defense was crucial. The Chester righthander struck out just one, but behind an effective changeup, recorded 16 groundball outs.
With almost all of the Greenwood groundballs finding Chester gloves, hits were scarce for Post 20. To advance to the second round of the playoffs, big hits are going to have to become less of a rarity for Greenwood. Solving that problem, Minor said, is a matter of simply getting back to basics.
“We work in the cage and all, and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing,” Minor said. “We’ve just got to have good fundamentals.”

Obituaries

Bessie F. Bussey

DONALDS — Bessie F. Bussey, 93, of 31 Blakedale Drive, died Monday, July 16, 2007 at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
She was born in Abbeville County, was retired from Ware Shoals Elementary School and was a member of Dunn Creek Baptist Church.
She was the widow of Henry Bussey, the daughter of the late Rev. Frank and Mary McGee, and was also preceded in death by one son, Donnie Baussey.
Survivors are sons, Franklin Davis, Detroit, MI, John Henry Bussey, Donalds, SC, Joe Nathan Fisher, Greenwood, SC; daughters, Louise Gladden, Janice Martin and Viola Harper, all of Donalds; 15 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services are 1 p.m. Friday at Dunn Creek Baptist Church, with Pastor James F. Davis III officiating. Burial is in the church cemetery. The body is at Robinson-Walker Funeral Service and will be placed in the church Friday at noon.
The family is at the home.
Arrangements are by Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals, SC.

Donna Gail Wilcox Colcolough

Donna Gail Wilcox Colcolough, 48, of Greenwood, died Tuesday, July 17, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center. Born Aug. 6, 1958 in Tacoma, WA, she was the daughter of Ruth Bradley Wilcox of Spartanburg and the late Donald Wilcox and the wife of Theodore “Thad” Edward Colcolough, Jr.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Charles Donald Emery of Spartanburg; a sister, Lynda Ruth Wilcox Marvel and her husband, Gerald of Federal Way, WA; and a brother, William Allen Wilcox of Spartanburg.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 19, 2007 at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 20, 2007 at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel, conducted by Rev. David B. Smith. Pallbearers will be Mike Wilcox, Mark Bramlett, Justin Brown, Dean Kirby, Robert Colcolough and John Whitaker.
Memorials may be made to the Spartanburg Humane Society, 150 Dexter Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303.
The family is at the home of her mother.
An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com.
Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel is in charge.

Flossie McMahan

Flossie Edwards McMahan, 92, resident of the Ashley House, formerly of 310 Janeway, died Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at the Self Regional Medical Center.
Born Sept. 27, 1914 in Abbeville County, a daughter of the late George and Mary McCarthy Edwards, she was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Jean Brown and husband, Jim of Hodges; granddaughter, Robin Harbaugh and husband, Tim; two great-grandchildren, Shelby and Wyatt Harbaugh, all of Greensboro, NC; and sister, Verda Whatley and husband, Ray of Greenwood.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday at 3 p.m. from the chapel of Blyth Funeral Home, with Reverend Barrett Alewine, Reverend James Dennis and Fred Alewine officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
The family is at the home of her daughter Jean Brown, 105 Reid Court in Dalewood Estates and will receive friends following the service at the graveside on Friday.
Those desiring may make memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association South Carolina Chapter, 4124 Clemson Blvd., Suite L, Anderson, SC 29621 or to St. Mark United Methodist Church Rivers Street Project, 550 Hwy. 72 Bypass NW, Greenwood, SC 29649 in memory of Mrs. McMahan.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the McMahan family.

Julius Parnell

GREENVILLE — Julius Sanford Parnell, 77, husband of Gayle Burdette Parnell, passed away on July 18, 2007 at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Born in Latimer, SC, a son of the late Lawrence Raymond and Annie Bonds Parnell, Mr. Parnell served in the US Army and was retired from Duke Energy.
Surviving in addition to his wife of 18 years are three sons, Charles S. Parnell of Bowman, GA, Raymond E. Parnell of Abbeville, and Steven J. Parnell of Greenwood; two stepsons, Greg Y. Threlkeld of Columbia and Bryan K. Threlkeld of Simpsonville; 13 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one brother and one sister, Lawrence Parnell of Greenwood and Raymon Parnell Bolding of Greenville. Predeceased were a brother and sister, Rufus ‘Red’ Parnell and Lila Autry.
Visitation will be from 6-7 p.m., Friday, July 20 at New Life Baptist Church; the memorial service will follow at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation.
Cremation Society of South Carolina.

Joe Austin Willis Sr.

NINETY SIX — Joe Austin Willis Sr., 92, of 128 Pioneer Road, Ninety Six, husband of Rosa Lee Floyd Willis, died at HospiceCare of the Piedmont, July 17, 2007. Mr. Willis was born in McCormick County March 4, 1915, the son of Joseph Pressley and Orrie Smith Willis. He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Plum Branch and was a carpenter. Mr. Willis was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors are his wife, Rosa Lee Willis of Wesley Commons; four daughters, Lou Jennings of McCormick, Hettie Ramsey of Plum Branch, Audrey Edwards of Saluda, and Rosalyn McKinney of Ninety Six; one son, James Raymond Willis of McCormick; one stepson, Donnie Adams of Hobe Sound, FL; one stepdaughter, Shirley Bowick of Plum Branch; three sisters, Margaret Walker and Kate Lindley of McCormick and Emma Schwuchow of Johns Island; and one brother, Harry Willis of McCormick. Mr. Willis was predeceased by one son, Joe Austin Willis Jr., and two grandchildren, Austin Howard and Kyna Lee Jennings.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 19 from 7-9 p.m. at Strom Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held Friday, July 20 at 11 a.m. at Robertson Cemetery in Plum Branch. The family is at the home of his daughter Lou Jennings at 1278 Greenfield Road.
Pallbearers will be grandchildren. Honorary escorts are Robert Turner and Wade Mathers.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont Inc., 408 West Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
Strom Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Opinion

Use old water plant site to keep faith with public

July 19, 2007

While the “negotiations”continue over whether there should be a new park on the old CPW water plant property at the corner of Grace Street and the 72 By-pass, it seems appropriate to look back a number of years ..... back when that piece of land was owned by the late Belle Yoe.
The eminent domain doctrine was employed to condemn the Yoe property so it could be used for public purposes ..... a water processing plant. That’s the way the property ownership changed.
The story is told that Ms. Yoe was so angry at that legal maneuver to take her land that she refused to use city water and began catching rain water for her personal use.

THAT MAKES FOR INTERESTING history, to be sure, but it also should focus public attention on more than history. It should highlight the present predicament that has a lot of Greenwood people up in arms.
The CPW still owns the land. The Commissioners of Public Works a while back agreed to deed the property to the City of Greenwood so the city could pass it on to Greenwood County to be developed into a new park.
Legal and other issues came up, though. The CPW, City, County and Parks Commissioners haggled on. That is, until CPW last week rescinded its offer to part with the land. That opened the door for further controversy ..... not to mention harsh words in some instances.
Perhaps the best argument to come out of it all goes back to the beginning. The property was taken from Ms. Yoe through eminent domain. It was taken to be used for the public good, in this case, a water plant. Later, when that water plant was no longer viable or needed, CPW simply held the deed to the property.

NOW, FAST- FORWARD TO THE present. The CPW commissioners rescinded the offer to give the land to the city/county and said it would be sold for private use. That, or so it seems, violates the original eminent domain idea of taking the land for public use.
The argument that makes a lot of sense, then, is that if the land is not going to be used for a public purpose, shouldn’t it revert back to its original status ..... ownership by the Yoe estate.
However, apparently, after all this time, there is no Yoe estate. Therefore, shouldn’t the property be used for another public purpose. And, what could be more beneficial to the general public than having a new park at that site?
Somebody, no doubt, will argue otherwise and, no doubt, might make a good argument. Nevertheless, no argument can change the will of the people. The whole situation is unique, perhaps, but those who favor making it “public” have a good point.