Pencils? Check. Paper? ...

Bash offers supplies kids need to succeed

July 29, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

There’s no reason to let a little rain stop a party. Just ask the crowd that attended Saturday’s Back to School Bash at Magnolia Park.
Despite gloomy skies and a steady drizzle, hundreds of children and parents packed the park to participate in the event, which was sponsored by Crimestoppers. Those in attendance received free school supplies, and all the children were served free hot dogs and drinks.
Officials were on hand to register 4- and 5-year-olds for kindergarten and adults for adult-education classes. The Greenwood County Library Bookmobile also made an appearance, as well as the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T vehicle.
The Bash kicked off with a program featuring step dancers, singers, speeches and prayers.
There were also appearances from various members of local government, including Greenwood County Council members Edith Childs and Gonza Bryant, and Greenwood City Council members Betty Boles and Linda Edwards.
District 50 board member LeVerne Fuller was also on hand and delivered a rousing speech and prayer, drawing hearty applause from the hundreds gathered under the park shelter during the rain.
As he stood near a grill that was sizzling with cooking hot dogs, Bryant discussed the impact of the Bash.
“I think its a wonderful event,” the county councilman said. “I think, most important, that children that may not otherwise have materials to go back to school can get some of those items for the coming year.”
Bryant also lauded the event as being a high-visibility resource from Crimestoppers, a service in which residents can offer information and tips about potential crimes while remaining anonymous.
“I think it is a valuable resource,” Bryant said. “Many people who want to report incidents in this county have a way to do it without getting involved themselves. They can protect their own identity and not have to worry about having to worry about retaliation against them.”
Among those helping during Saturday’s Bash were members of Bikers United, a local motorcycle club. The group also made a donation to Crimestoppers.
“We saw in the paper where they were going to have this event,” said Bikers United’s Carl Crawford. “We had already talked about doing something of our own for the kids for going back to school. So we decided we would join in with this event, simply because Crimestoppers is an important service, especially with crime being as high as it is.”
Childs, a Crimestoppers adviser who played an integral role in organizing the bash, was not surprised so many turned out despite the rain.
“This turnout was just overwhelming, as usual,” Childs said, smiling as groups of children whirled around her. “The people are here. I’m just ecstatic. We’re happy to be able to provide the school supplies. Some parents need this help for the children to get a good start to the school year.”

Lone customer repays station after price error

July 29, 2007

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

Carol Cheek couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
The Greenwood Petroleum general manager was viewing a videotape of customers flocking to one of the company’s Abbeville gas stations recently when a station employee made a mistake during a price change.
Instead of $2.94 per gallon, customers were charged 29.4 cents per gallon.
One could purchase an entire tank of gas for less than $5.
Customers began to use their cell phones to call friends and family members. Within a short time, Cheek said, a virtual feeding frenzy had ensued.
She could only watch so much “blood” being spilled in the water.
“I saw people that I knew — and knew well,” Cheek said of the video’s first few moments. “I didn’t want to watch anymore. I just couldn’t watch it anymore. I only watched a few minutes of it. The people knew it was wrong. They were coming in the door and calling other people.
“When you watch people you actually know doing something like that and handing over three dollars for a full tank of gas, that really hurts.”
In that two-hour period, when the station would normally accommodate 25 people, the number instead swelled to a total of 165 customers — who pumped more than 1,000 gallons of gasoline.
The store would normally have collected just more than $3,000 for the fuel (revenue, not profit).
The tally during the period that day reached a little more than $300.
Cheek said she has received numerous letters of sympathy from residents expressing shock at what was done at the store that day.
But there have been no letters of remorse — not one.
However, Cheek says her spirits were lifted later when a woman walked in the door with a check for $25. She was there to make things right.
“I just rode by and saw all those people, and I thought they were really getting a good price on gas,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified. “Then I heard later that it was a mistake and decided to go back and pay for it. When I found out how much trouble that caused, I decided to go back.”
Cheek said the woman is the only person to have had a change of heart.
“To my knowledge, she is the only person that thought that she had done anything wrong, and of all the ones that got gas she was the only one that came back,” she said. “I haven’t actually talked to her, but I would love to meet her. It made me feel better that somebody had a chance to think about it and came to make amends.
“It wasn’t even necessary for her to do that, but it does restore a little bit of hope. It made us all feel good.”

Emerald shifts to 1-AA; Ninety Six down to Class A

July 29, 2007

By KEVIN FIORENZO
Index-Journal sports writer

Two local high schools will be realigned by the South Carolina High School League starting in the 2008-09 athletic season, according to published reports. The realignment plan, which is in its first draft, includes Emerald High School, currently in 3-AA, shifting to 1-AA.
Ninety Six High School will move down from 3-AA to 1-A.
Joining Emerald in its new region will be Abbeville, Crescent, Liberty, Pendleton and Walhalla.
Ninety Six would be joined by Calhoun Falls, Dixie, McCormick, Ware Shoals and Whitmire.
Neither school, according to their athletic directors, plans to contest the moves.
“Right now we have no plans to petition it,” said Mike Clowney, Emerald’s athletic director and head football.
“But we’ll go through it and see what’s the best situation for Emerald.”
Both teams have until Aug. 17 to file an appeal with the league. Hearings for the appeals will take place on Aug. 30.
Since opening its doors in 1994-95, Emerald has played in 3-AA, a region where Clowney said the Vikings have competed well.
“I feel like we’ve done a good job playing in Region 3,” Clowney said.
With the move to 1-AA, the Vikings now face the prospect of increasing travel since Abbeville is the only other school in the region that’s in Emerald’s relative area.
“It does start to add up. Right now our average mileage is about 30 miles, but now it could go up to 60 miles, so you’re doubling it right there,” Clowney said. “Also, the farther away you go for games, the tougher it is to bring in fans. So that’s a major concern.”
Ninety-Six moved up to AA for the 2001-02 season and was realigned to Class A for the 2004-05 season, a move that was petitioned successfully by Ninety-Six.
This time, though, Ninety-Six athletic director Matt Huntsberger said the move would not be petitioned.
“We decided that wherever we fell this time that’s where we would play,” Huntsberger said.
Huntsberger conceded that any petition the school made would most likely be unsuccessful.
“It wouldn’t happen,” Huntsberger said.
Financially, Huntsberger felt that he hadn’t been in the position long enough to have a clear idea of all the monetary implications, but said that while the move will most likely hurt income to a degree, he doesn’t think the move will have a negative effect on non-revenue sports. He also expects the schools they’ve been realigned with to carry significant fan support.
“I think we’ll still have good crowds,” Huntsberger said.

Post 20 forces another contest

July 29, 2007

By MATT ANDERSON
Index-Journal sports writer

In its four-game, second-round American Legion playoff series loss to Richland, Greenwood Post 20 was hurt by a lack of offense. Even through Greenwood’s first-round win over Chester, hitting was somewhat lacking.
Saturday night, the bats finally came alive for Post 20.
Greenwood defeated Spartanburg 12-5 in the first game of a two-game play-in for a spot in the state playoffs.
Post 20 plays Lancaster at 5 p.m. today on the road. The winner of today’s game advances to the eight-team state tournament in Rock Hill.
“That’s been probably our biggest concern all year, hitting the ball,” Post 20 left fielder Brandon Miller said.
“We put up a lot of runs tonight and played well. We go and do that tomorrow, we go to the state tournament.”
Early on, Post 20 was having some trouble against Spartanburg pitcher and Clemson-signee David Haselden.
But Greenwood turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, capped by a two-run double by Miller.
A seven-run fifth inning then broke the game open for Greenwood.
Third baseman Corey Lloyd got the scoring started with a two-run home run to stretch the Post 20 lead to 7-3. Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Miller hit a three-run triple to break the game open and give Greenwood an 11-3 lead.
Miller finished the game 4-for-4 with five RBIs and a run scored.
“I was seeing the ball a little better,” Miller said. “I was picking up the curveball better. I was swinging ahead in the count.”
Somewhat surprisingly, Miller did not get the start on the mound Saturday night. A loss would have ended Post 20’s season, and, Miller, a South Carolina-signee who last pitched Monday, has been Greenwood’s best pitcher this year.
However, Post 20 coach Billy Dean Minor elected to go with Justin Collier. Collier picked up the win, allowing four runs on 11 hits in seven solid innings.
“Collier battled, and battled and gave us a chance,” Minor said. “Early, he could have given in, but we didn’t make the big error that let them continue an inning.”
Now that Collier has bought Greenwood another game, Miller said he’ll pitch today in the win-and-in game against Lancaster. On the season, Miller is 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 53 innings.
With Miller on the mound and an offense that has started to hit, Post 20 seems to have reason for feeling good heading into today’s game.
“We’re pretty confident right now,” Miller said. “Lancaster is a good team, but we think we can go in there and beat them.”

Obituaries

Mark Anthony D’Alatri

Mark Anthony D’Alatri, 38, husband of Justine D’Alatri, passed away July 26, 2007, at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Private services are planned.
Announcement is courtesy of Cremation Society of South Carolina, Greenville, SC.

Irv Devore

Irvin Johnson “Irv” Devore, Jr, 69, resident of 120 Windsor Oak Court, husband of Doris Terry Devore, died July 28, 2007 at his home.
Born in Greenwood County September 18, 1937 he was a son of Gaynelle Jones Devore Brooks and the late Irvin J. “Pee Wee” Devore, Sr. He was a US Air Force Veteran and retired as a distributor for B & D Distributing-Wynns. He was a member of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church and a member of the Church Choir.
Surviving in addition to his wife of the home and mother of Greenwood are three daughters, Teresa Jenkins of Durham, NC, René Poole and Anita Tyler, both of Greenwood; two sons, Brian Devore of Butner, NC and Keith Devore of Villa Rica, GA; two sisters, Glenda Corum of Eden, NC and Pam Olewine of Greenville, OH; twelve grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday at Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Leland Scott and the Rev. Wade Burton officiating.
The family is at the home on Windsor Oak Court and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 7-9 p.m. Sunday evening.
The family requests that flowers be omitted and memorials made to Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, 509 Kirksey Drive West, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Devore family.

Mildred Saxon Ellis

ABBEVILLE — Mildred Saxon Ellis, 93, of Abbeville, wife of the late James Douglas Ellis, died Friday, July 27, 2007 at the Hospice House in Greenwood, SC. She was born in Elbert County, GA to the late Hugh B. and Lena G. Scott Saxon.
Mrs. Ellis was a devoted member of the Congregational Holiness Church as well as the oldest member of the church. She was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and a friend to all that knew her.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two sons, Bobby and Benson Ellis and a great- grandson, Glenn Ellis Ferguson.
Surviving Mrs. Ellis are her three sons, Mack, Rayford, and Tony Ellis all of Abbeville; four daughters, Carolyn Ricketts of Due West, Marilyn Chapman of Townville, Sarah Burriss and Tracie Ellis both of Chicago, Illinois; a sister, Mae S. Waldrop of Abbeville; twenty-four grandchildren, forty great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 29, 2007 at Harris Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Monday, July 30, 2007 at the Congregational Holiness Church. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
Gentlemen serving as pallbearers will be, Kevin, Keith, Stevie, Ben, Wesley, and Ethan Ellis, Brian Ferguson, Matthew and Christopher Hughes, Paul and Sam Burriss.
The family is at the home of Mack Ellis, 225 Old Hodges Rd., Abbeville, SC.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the HospiceCare of the Piedmont, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Online condolences may be sent to the Ellis family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home of Abbeville is assisting the Ellis family.

Margie Jordan

CALHOUN FALLS — Margie Jordan, age 85, of 442 Fairfield Street in Calhoun Falls, passed away in Greenwood on Friday, July 27, 2007.
Born in Chapin, SC, she was the daughter of the late Arthur H. Huffstetler and Willie Mae Mayer Huffstetler. Mrs. Jordan was preceded in death by her husband Lewis H. “Red” Jordan and two brothers, and was a member of Northside Baptist Church.
Survivors include her sons, Tommy Jordan and his wife Bonnie of Abbeville and Doug Jordan of Bowman, GA; grandchildren, Dallas Jordan and wife Lorraine, Dustin Jordan and wife Beth; three great-grandchildren; three brothers and three sisters.
Visitation will be Sunday, July 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Calhoun Falls Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Monday, July 30 at 2 p.m. at Northside Baptist Church with the Reverend Brian Hatchett and the Reverend Jerry Dalton officiating. The family may be contacted at her residence.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for Mrs. Jordan.

Anne B. McKellar

Services for Anne Byrd Mc­Kellar will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church of Ninety Six with the Rev. Chuck Sprouse and the Rev. Woody Oliver officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Honorary escort will be Debbie Babb, Ann Coker, Paige Crowell, Debbie Gardner, Beth Gray, Cindy Hughes and Nancy May.
The family will receive friends at the cemetery immediately following the committal service. The family is at the home, 307 Pullham Road.
Memorials may be made to HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 1741, Greenwood, SC 29648.
Anne, 53, of 307 Pullham Road, wife of Donald B. “Donny” McKellar, Jr., died Friday, July 27, 2007 at Waccamaw Community Hospital, Murrells Inlet.
Born in Rock Hill, she was the daughter of Margaret Tucker Byrd and the late William R. Byrd. She was a graduate of Rock Hill High School and Winthrop College.
Anne was a dedicated teacher of special education for 28 years, retiring in 2005 from Pinecrest Elementary School, where she taught for the last 15 years of her career. Her selfless dedication to teaching was evident as she nurtured the lives and spirits of hundreds of children, receiving the Teacher of the Year Award at Pinecrest on two different occasions.
Anne was a member of First Baptist Church of Ninety Six.
Surviving is her husband of the home; her mother of Ninety Six; a daughter, Erica Hill of Greenwood; a son, Brett Hart of Greenwood; two brothers, Bobby Byrd of Mt. Pleasant and Bill Byrd of Texas and two grandchildren, Haylee Hill and Nathan Hill; nieces and nephews.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Evelyn Rice

WARE SHOALS — Evelyn Hamilton Rice, 84, of W. Cork Street, widow of W. Albert Rice, died Friday, July 27 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born in Ware Shoals, a daughter of the late Jessie Walker Hamilton Mull and step-daughter of the late Clyde Mull. She was the last member of her immediate family. Mrs. Rice was a member of Calvary Baptist Church and Willing Workers Sunday School Class. She leaves a dear and special friend, Dallas Taylor, of the home.
Graveside services will be conducted Monday at 2 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Hans Wunch and the Rev. Buddy Wiles officiating.
Visitation will be after the service at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Willing Workers Sunday School Class will serve as honorary escort.
Memorials may be made to Willing Workers Sunday School Class at Calvary Baptist Church at P.O. Box 420, Ware Shoals, SC 29692.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Opinion

Interim State Treasurer takes admirable course

July 29, 2007

It’s hard to escape the partisan political turmoil that defines so much of public life these days. Political turmoil? Call it what it is: character assassination, back-biting, back-stabbing, under-cutting ..... the list seems endless. It was refreshing, then, when interim State Treasurer Ken Wingate announced he would not be a candidate for the job on a permanent basis.
Wingate, of course, was appointed to the post by Governor Mark Sanford when elected Treasurer Thomas Ravenel was arrested on cocaine charges. When Ravenel announced he was resigning, speculation that Wingate would seek to keep the position was natural.

WINGATE, HOWEVER, QUICKLY told the people of the state and lawmakers that will elect a new Treasurer on August 3 that he had agreed to serve only as interim Treasurer and that was what he meant.
Being Treasurer of South Carolina is an important job. Calhoun Falls native Grady Patterson held it for decades and handled it well. The Treasurer oversees the investment of billions of dollars in state money, manages the state debt, disburses state funds, administers college savings plans, unclaimed property and other programs. It’s not surprising that several people are interested in becoming Treasurer and are politicking among lawmakers for their votes.

AFTER WINGATE DID SUCH an admirable job while carrying out the office’s duties, it might have been expected that he would be the obvious and leading candidate to take it permanently. He did what he promised he’d do, though, and that is not only admirable, it’s almost unheard of in the world of politics these days.
If Ken Wingate ever decides he wants to get back into politics - he’s been involved before - his valuable efforts in this particular situation ought to serve him well.
He has earned the thanks of all the people of the Palmetto State.
Ravenel, on the other hand, is a sad story. He foolishly destroyed what appeared to be a promising political future. He finally did the right thing, though, when he resigned. That’s happened before in South Carolina and the principals involved never came back. That happens when the trust of the people is frittered away.