Having a festive Fourth

Fireworks,parades, festivals liven up holiday

July 5, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

As dozens of onlookers at the Piedmont Tech Fourth of July Festival looked on, David Jones climbed into his long, sleek and very fast drag racer.
“It’s a 1995 rear engine rail,” Jones said. “I bought it in 1996 and I race it at local tracks.”
When not drag racing at Ware Shoals Carolina Dragway, Greer and Orangeburg, Jones is the communications coordinator at Piedmont Tech.
“I take care of all the telephone issues, put in new phones as well as all the data and communications networks,” Jones said.
After work however, Jones has squeezed into the cockpit of his drag racer about 400 times and zipped down one-eighth of a mile stretches of concrete at speeds of 140 miles per hour.
“She runs 5.3 seconds,” Jones said. “The NHRA guys, they run a quarter of a mile in about the same time, so their cars are twice as fast as mine. Since I’ve been at Piedmont Tech, I bring it up here to show it to the kids and watch them smile.”
Phil Wheeler, an associate engineer at Piedmont Tech, was helping direct the crowds at the festival for the first time.
“This is great,” Wheeler said, looking around as visitors to the festival munched on french fries and icees. “This is my first time here, and I’m really impressed with the way everything is set up. Everyone seems to be having a really good time.”
In addition to the car show and Jones’ drag racer, the festival also featured the Corvette Club car show, foods such as barbecue, corn dogs and ice cream, and rides such as revolving swings, a train and a bubble slide.
In the auditorium, a crowd of people gathered to listen to live music from various bands and an Elvis impersonator.
In one corner of the auditorium, dozens of people filed past a long table to examine and bid on a variety of items in a silent auction.
“Alumni and friends of Piedmont Tech donate items each year for a silent auction sponsored by The Piedmont Tech College Alumni Association,” Teresa Ballenger said. “The association’s board of directors gathers the items in baskets and offers them to the highest bidder. Proceeds from the event are used for student scholarships.”
And then, at the end of the evening, there was the main event, the fireworks that drew a crowd of about 2,000.

Obituaries

Daunte Lee Anthony

GREENVILLE — Daunte Lee Anthony, 20, died Saturday, June 30, 2007.
He was preceded in death by his step-grandmother, Shirley Evans Jones.
He is survived by his parents, Lee Vernon and Andrea Jones, two brothers, one sister, grandmother, Magnolia Jones, all of Greenville; and grandfather, Elbert Jones, Ware Shoals.
Funeral services are 2 p.m. Friday at Grove Station Baptist Church, Piedmont, SC. The body is at Watkins, Garret & Woods Mortuary, Greenville, and will be placed in the church Friday at 1 p.m. No wake is planned.
Announcement provided courtesy of Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.

Sarah Bright

GREENVILLE — Sarah Victoria Bright, 28, passed away suddenly June 30, 2007. She was born in Tampa, FL. and attended school in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Dunoon, Scotland and in 1996 graduated Ft. Dorchester High School, Charleston, SC where she excelled in debate and creative writing.
She was formerly employed with Lowe’s in Greenwood and Greer and was recognized for her outstanding customer services skills.
Surviving are her parents, Bill and Karen Kelso Bright of Cross Hill and her sister, Caitlin Bright of Columbia; many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Memorial services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 7, 2007 from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Father Nicholas Beasley officiating.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place East. Landover, MD 20785 or online at www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Bright family.

Annie Ruth Coleman

Annie Ruth Jennings Hill Coleman, 58, of 229 Weimer Circle, (Wilson Creek Trailer Park), widow of the late Hugh Hill Sr., and of the late David Coleman, died Monday, July 2, 2007, at St Francis Hospital in Greenville.
Born in McCormick County, she was the daughter of the late Wallace and Fannie Lou Bussey Jennings. She was retired form Self Regional Healthcare. She was a member of Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church in McCormick, where she formerly served on the usher board.
Survivors include two sons, Hugh M. Hill Jr. of Greenville, and Darren Hill of Greenwood; three daughters, Mrs. Kevin B. (Angela) Latimer of Greenville, Isabelle Jones, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Stephanie N. Johnson of Blackville; three brothers, Robert Lee Jennings of Troy, Rufus Jennings of McCormick, and James Daniel Jennings of Philadelphia, Pa.; three sisters, Earlie Mae Jennings of Washington D.C., Mrs. Robert (Alice) Lyons of North Augusta, and Mrs. Henry (Tammie) Williams, Sr. of McCormick; & eight grandchildren.
Services will be Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church in McCormick, at 2 p.m. with Rev. George Oliver, pastor presiding, and Apostle Ron Phillips officiating. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Flowerbears will be the nieces and pallbearers will be nephews.
The Family will receive friends Friday evening at the home of a brother, Robert Lee Jennings of 136 Lodge Street, Troy, and at the home of her daughter, Angela Latimer, 125 Perigon Ct., Greenville, South Carolina.
Online condolences my be sent to robson@nctv.com.
Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is assisting the Coleman Family.

Carolyn Werts Coleman

SALUDA — Carolyn Werts Coleman, 59, of 213 Bouknight Ferry Road, died on July 1, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
The family is at the home and at the home of her sister, Doris Bellamy, 106 Pine St., Saluda. Funeral plans will be announced later.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

Jeanette Knight

WARE SHOALS — Jeanette Jones Knight, 86, of 9051 Indian Mound Road, widow of Roy A. Knight, died at her home July 3, 2007. She was born in Laurens County, a daughter of the late James A. and Sallie Martin Jones and was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Mrs. Knight,along with her husband, owned and operated Western Auto for many years.
Surviving are one son, Dr. Jimmy A. Knight, Wise, Va., one daughter, Jan Hudson, Ware Shoals, grandchildren, Aldon Knight, Kevin Knight, Anna Knight, Emily Murrah, Matt Hudson, Andrew Hudson and six great-grandchildren. Also, a special niece, Kathryn Goodbar and husband, Reid. She was pre-deceased by sisters, Mae Bishop, Janie Hughes and Sarah Culbertson.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, July 5, 2007 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church at 2 p.m. with Rev. Melvin Hughes and Rev. Billy Cathcart officiating. Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery.
The family is at the home and will receive friends at the church from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 149 Mt. Olive Church Road, Ware Shoals, SC 29692.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Opinion

Truman model could be best for President Bush

July 5, 2007

Every South Carolina veteran of the Korean War, and many from World War II, remember well that day in April of 1951 when President Harry Truman fired General Douglas MacArthur as commander of all United Nations forces in Korea.
Actually, it was a shock for a lot of Americans since MacArthur was extremely popular with the American people. MacArthur wanted to attack Communist Chinese bases in Manchuria. Truman said no. He did not want the war to escalate. MacArthur then made a big mistake. He publicly disagreed with Truman, his commander-in-chief, and was dismissed.

WHILE THE FIRING WAS criticized by a good many people, Truman, in retrospect, did the nation a great service. He preserved and reinforced civilian authority over the military, something that is paramount in any democratic nation.
Now, fast forward to the present. President Bush could learn something from Truman. In fact, he should learn from him and act like the commander-in-chief he’s supposed to be.
Example: Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, chosen by President Bush to be his White House war advisor, made statements that Truman would not have tolerated. In a written response to questions by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lute confirmed news reports that he had voiced doubts about Mr. Bush’s decision to send more U. S. troops to Iraq. At other times, other military leaders also have been publicly critical of how the war is handled.

AGREE WITH THE WAR in Iraq or not, military leaders should never publicly question or challenge the commander-in-chief. We may not know what Mr. Bush says behind closed doors to those involved, but if the disagreement is public, the penalty - or chewing out - also should be public.
The American people must know, without doubt, that the military is always under civilian command. The way some things have gone, some could easily infer that is not always the way it is, and each time it happens the president and his civilian authority take another hit.
President Bush is not Harry Truman, of course. Still, it might help him and the nation if he acted a little more like “the buck stops here” president.