Residents still irked about plan

Election changes prompt worry in Savannah Lakes

June 7, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

McCORMICK — What was planned to be a brief, routine school board meeting turned heated Wednesday as Savannah Lakes Village residents vented their festering anger and frustration.
The residents are upset by the McCormick School Board’s decision to change the way its members are elected.
On May 29 the board approved — and sent to Columbia — a plan that, if approved, would change the manner of choosing board member from at-large elections to election by district. The plan would require candidates to be elected from one of three districts.
The Savannah Lakes Village district would have one representative if the plan is approved by state and then federal officials. More than 100 village residents attended the May 29 meeting.
During that meeting, a number of Savannah Lakes Village residents spoke against the plan, and some were accused by the board’s attorney, Kenneth L. Childs, of acting rudely when they heckled him and Fate Jennings, when Jennings spoke in favor of the plan.
At Wednesday’s meeting, which was called only to make a number of minor changes to the school district’s policy, the agenda was altered at the request of Savannah Lakes Village resident Mark Mathys to allow three residents to address the board about the election plan.
Shortly after new board member Eddie Talbert was sworn in by Superintendent Sandra Calliham, and the board agreed to his request, Mathys told the board why village residents were irked.
“Several members of the community have worked hard in recent years to bring common understanding, better communication and more cooperation between the county’s public governmental entities and its citizens,” Mathys said. “In my judgment, the school board leadership and some citizens behaved disgracefully at last Tuesday’s public hearing.
“That spectacle probably destroyed much of the good will that these folks have developed in our community over the past couple of years.”
Mathys made an effort to heal the rift between the residents and the board.
“It’s way past time for us to abandon power plays,” Mathys said. “We need to begin to act like adults willing to work together to improve the educational opportunities for our children.
“To that end, I have written a public apology for the rude, unprofessional and unfriendly attacks some citizens of Savannah Lakes Village made on other members of the community.”
Mathys requested a similar apology from the board, which he did not receive.
“It seems to me that a similar public apology by the school board chairman is in order for the violation of public trust that created such a polarizing event,” Mathys said. “That might go a long way toward bringing back a sense of decency in the school board leadership, and at the same time promote healing in our community.”
Resident Charles H. Cook questioned the board’s “openness,” and outlined points he thought should be considered by the board.
Cook’s suggestions included the board posting on its Web site, in advance of public meetings, copies of documents that will be discussed; and the board conducting more public meetings on “particularly important or controversial issues.”
Additionally, Cook suggested the board make public the e-mail addresses of its members, share status reports on the current budget and allow public comment and questions at both the beginning and end of the board meeting, rather than just at the beginning.
“The time for a sincere and meaningful openness policy has come,” Cook said.

Remembering Steven

Man honors son’s memory through woodwork, scholarship

June 7, 2007

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

Steve Mann makes between 50 and 75 turkey calls each year.
Each hunting call is custom built and crafted by hand out of mahogany, butternut, red cedar, yellow poplar, black walnut or cypress wood.
Each call takes two to three months to fashion.
It took Mann, a native of Waterloo and owner of Mann Made Turkey Calls, much longer than that — seven years of apprenticeship under master callmaker Neil Cost — before he was prepared to “get fancy” with a call. His mentor had once instructed him that he had to first learn to make a call that actually sounded like a turkey — then he could get fancy.
A handful of calls stand out from the rest.
They are the calls made to fund a memorial scholarship set up following the death of his teenage son — former Greenwood High student Steven William Mann.
Mann was killed in a car wreck in January 1996. Steve Mann’s son was a senior, and just 17 at his death.
“This is the fifth or sixth year that we’ve done it,” Steve Mann said. “It was actually my sister-in-law’s (Patricia Mann) idea. She helped me to get started and has been very helpful.
“She lets me know who wins every year. Once we got to talking about it, we thought it was a great idea.”
The annual $1,000 scholarship goes to a college-bound Greenwood High senior, and is awarded on a rotating basis to a student from either the art department or the auto mechanic department.
This year’s recipient is art student Amanda Devore, who plans to attend the College of Charleston in the fall.
“My best friend’s older sister won it two years ago, and my art teacher (Dot Hershey) mentioned it to me,” Devore said. “I didn’t know anything about it until awards night. This is definitely special for me because it’s a local guy that actually went to Greenwood High.
“Our families know a lot of the same people, so that definitely makes it a lot more special.”
Steve Mann says making turkey calls is mostly a hobby — mostly.
“I love working with wood, and I wanted to do something in Steven’s honor,” Mann said. “If this helps kids to get ahead, then that’s great. Steven was always so good at helping people. He was always pushing me to do things.”
Purchasing the scholarship calls this year was call collector Bill Henkle, of Virginia. His is a worthy prize, as in addition to being a fine set of turkey calls, they also will be delivered with a bit of Steve Mann built right in.
“Those are the ones that you put your heart and soul into,” Mann said.

Alliance CEO: County ready to be leader

June 7, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

Many discussions go on over the breakfast table.
Some folks talk about what the day has in store. Others read the paper and catch up on local news. Still others talk about what they watched on TV the night before.
Wednesday morning, one specific topic dominated all others during the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast meeting — economic development.
The Chamber welcomed Hal Johnson, president and CEO of Upstate Alliance, as its keynote speaker.
Representatives from dozens of area businesses, as well as elected officials such as Mayor Floyd Nicholson and City Councilwoman Barbara Turnburke, packed The Gatewood Club’s conference room.
Before Johnson made his presentation, Upstate Alliance Chairman Craig White shared a few comments. White is director of Self Regional Healthcare Foundation.
White fondly recalled the early stages of the deal that brought the Fuji manufacturing facility to Greenwood County. At the same time, he admitted the county faces new challenges.
“The landscape of economic development has now changed a little bit,” White said. “In fact, it has changed quite a bit.
Greenwood still has incredible opportunities in economic development. The Partnership Alliance is the best in the Upstate. They do a great job in getting businesses to come here.”
White said the landscape has changed in that it has become very difficult for Greenwood — or any county in South Carolina — to market itself globally. He said the Upstate Alliance is working hard to market the region on a global level, doing so by generating leads for prospective industries and marketing all areas of the Upstate equally across the board.
Johnson said he sees the Upstate as being in direct competition with Atlanta and Charlotte, rather than the Midlands or the Lowcountry in terms of competing for economic development. He said the region can do that by promoting the 1.3 million people living in the 10-county sector that comprises the Upstate Alliance, rather than promoting specific municipalities such as Greenville.
Johnson said Upstate Alliance seeks to attract certain types of industries it sees as being vital to the future of manufacturing in the region. The particular industries he highlighted were automotive, advanced materials, life sciences, plastics and allied chemicals and logistics.
The Upstate Alliance leader praised Greenwood County.
“I think it’s important for Greenwood County to know that they have the infrastructure in place to be a leader in economic development and business recruitment,” Johnson said. “(Greenwood) has been blessed with a tremendous leadership over the years that has invested in infrastructure, schools and workforce development.”

Women's tourney includes 35 golfers

June 7, 2007

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

NINETY SIX — The Patriot Club at Grand Harbor, a Davis Love III signature course, has opened its gates again for the Women’s Open Tournament.
This weekend’s tournament, which started in 1995, is one of four golf tournaments connected with the annual South Carolina Festival of Flowers, and is at The Patriot Club for the second straight year.
The Junior Classic was Monday and Tuesday at Greenwood Country Club, the men’s invitational is June 23-24 at GCC, and the senior men’s tournament is June 23-24 at the Golf Club at Star Fort.
Thirty-five players are ready to accept the Women’s Open challenge, but one of those won’t be Cathy Hill.
She is the only player to have won the title more than once, but is having back problems and has withdrawn. She won in 1998 and 2005.
However, last year’s winner, Cecelia Barksdale, will return to defend her title.
“The course is awesome, but today (Tuesday) was the first day I’ve played in two weeks,” said Barksdale, who played in the WSCGA one-day tournament at Prestwick. She shot 78 and won the first flight.
About this Festival of Flowers event, she said, “I don’t think ahead. I just hope I have my A game when I show up. My game varies from day to day, and you never know what it’ll be there.”
The tournament will have the same format as last year, Patriot Club pro Tommy Thomas said.
“It’ll be individual gross and flighted after the first round,” he said. “It starts at 10 on Saturday, with a 9 o’clock shotgun start on Sunday morning.”
Even though he said he would like more participation, he said, “We have a good quantity of ladies and we hope they’ll have fun.”
The official practice round is Friday at a cost of $25 for the cart.
“There is a lot of ladies who don’t feel they can compete, but I think all of them who have signed up have a chance to win it,” he said. “We’re getting some of the better players in here.”
The course, he said, “is in great shape now and will be for the tournament. It’ll be set up pretty much the way it is normally for the ladies here. We’ll do pin placements each day and might make them a little tougher the second day, but there won’t be any major changes from what it is now.”
Known past winners, and year they won, are: Karen Wolfe 1996, Christy Fulmer 1997, Cathy Hill 1998 and 2005, and Barksdale 2006. Winners in 1995 and 1999 are unknown and the tournament did not take place between 2000 and 2004.

Obituaries

Donnie E. Bussey

HODGES — Donnie Edward Bussey, 56, of 1215 Miller Road, died Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
He was born in Abbeville, SC, and was the son of the late Henry Bussey and Bessie McGee Bussey.
He is survived by his wife, Denise McIntosh Bussey, of the home; mother, Bessie Bussey, Donalds, SC; sons, Brian McIntosh, Piedmont, SC, Corey McIntosh and Donnie Bussey II, both of the home; daughters, Hope Hicks, Ware Shoals and Crystal Leverette, Detroit, MI; four brothers, Lee Bussey, Greenville, SC, Joe Nathan Fisher, Greenwood, Franklin Davis, Detroit, MI, and John H. Bussey, Donalds, SC; three sisters, Louise Gladden, Janice Martin and Viola Harper, all of Donalds, SC; and 7 grandchildren.
Funeral services are Friday, June 8, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Pine Grove AME Church by Rev. Gregory Singleton. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens. The body is at Robinson-Walker Funeral Service and will be placed in the church Friday at 1 p.m. No wake is planned.
The family will receive friends at the home.
Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals, is in charge of the arrangements.

George Freeman

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mr. George Freeman, husband of Mrs. Classie Perrin Freeman, died in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2007. He was born in McCormick, S.C., March 15, 1938, a son of the late Paul and Lillie Mae Freeman. He attended Public School in McCormick and was a Construction Worker. He was a member of Bunton Memorial CME Church in Washington. Survivors are his wife of the home; two daughters, Alma Jean Freeman, Rosalind Tabois of Washington; one daughter Gwendolyn Freeman preceded him in death; three sons, Michael, Richard and Michael Rashawn; one sister, Mrs. Mamie Gilchrist of Washington; one brother, Jesse Freeman of Spartanburg, S.C.; mother-in-law, Mrs. Alma Perrin of McCormick; seven sisters-in-law; four brothers-in-law; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Services, Saturday at Bunton Memorial CME Church, and burial are in Washington. Announcement courtesy of Walker Funeral Home.

Rev. Riley Norris Huckaby

LEXINGTON — Funeral services for Rev. Riley Norris Huckaby, 76, will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, June 9, 2007 in the Chapel of Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington, SC. Officiating will be Rev. Milford Oswald, Rev. Marion Ringer, and Dr. Fred Miller. Burial with military honors will follow at Seivern Baptist Church Cemetery in Wagener, SC. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Seivern Baptist Church Building Fund, 1337 Seivern Road, Wagener, SC 29164.
“Riley’s life was most clearly expressed in his service as a faithful shepherd to God’s people.”
Rev. Riley Norris Huckaby was born Aug. 22, 1930 in Greenwood, SC. He was the son of the late Joe A. and Ellen Campbell Huckaby. He was a graduate of Furman University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was pastor for three churches in North Carolina and three churches in South Carolina. Rev. Huckaby was interim Pastor for nine churches. In 1961, he was Pastor of the Rural Church of the Year in North Carolina. In 2004, he was named Pastor Emeritus of Seivern Baptist Church of Wagener.
A Marine Corps Veteran of World War II and an Army Veteran, he served as a Navy Chaplain in Vietnam. Rev. Huckaby was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with Fleet Marine Force Combat Operations Insignia attachment, one Bronze Star attachment and the National Defense Medal. He was a member of the American Legion Post 7.
He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Joan Hughes Huckaby of Lexington, SC; sons and daughters-in-law, Danny and Judy Huckaby of Moncks Corner, SC, Jerry and Gail Huckaby of Columbia, SC, Riley, Jr. and Amy Huckaby of Fort Mill, SC; daughter and son-in-law; Leslie and Mike Miller of Rock Hill, SC; son-in-law, Todd Jackson of York, SC; brother, The Reverend Doctor Ted Huckaby of Knoxville, TN; thirteen grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by one daughter Julia Huckaby Jackson, two brothers Joe Allen Huckaby and Robert Huckaby.
www.thompsonsfuneral.com

Robert Sibert

McCORMICK — Robert Sibert, 77, died Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at Savannah Heights Living Center.
The family is at the home of a niece, Jackie Wideman, Christian Road.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Mary F. Williams

Mary Frances Williams, 94, of NHC Healthcare Center, formerly of 204 Freetown Road, Hodges, passed away Saturday, June 2, 2007 at NHC.
Born in Abbeville County, she was a daughter of the late John Aiken and Daisy Fisher Aiken. She was a member of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Abbeville County, a former Sunday School teacher and a member of the Missionary Society.
She is survived by a son, Willie Susewell, Jr. of Hodges; two daughters, Dorothy Boone of Long Island City, NY, and Vivian Lanier of Hodges; three brothers, Cornell Aiken of Greenwood, George Aiken and Robert Aiken, both of Hodges; three sisters, Wilhemenia McRae of Chesapeake, VA, Jessie Pendarvis and Artris Hairston, both of Long Island, NY; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 5 p.m. Friday at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, with Reverend Randy Jackson officiating.
Burial will be in the church cemetery. Flower bearers will be members of the church Missionary Society, and pallbearers will be members of the church family. The body will be placed in the church at 4 p.m.
Visitation will be Thursday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home chapel.
The family is at 204 Freetown Road, Hodges.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net.

Opinion

‘Extra’ revenue for S. C. should be for taxpayers

June 7, 2007

There’s $1.5 billion in new dollars flowing into state government this year. That is $1.5 billion more than the $6.3 billion spent by South Carolina’s government last year. That’s $1,500,000,000 more than the $6,300,000,000 spent last year. That’s a lot of zeroes representing a lot of money. The question is, who does that money belong to, the government or the people who paid the taxes in the first place?
Gov. Mark Sanford, House Speaker Bobby Harrell and House Republicans must agree it’s taxpayers’ money. They want much of it to be given back to the taxpayers in the form of an income tax cut.

THEY ARE RIGHT, TOO. THERE are lessons we can learn from the past ..... in fact we ought to learn from the past or, as they say, repeat it.
Anytime there’s talk about taxes and spending and cutting taxes, the words and philosophy of President Grover Cleveland come to mind. They just might say it all:
“When more of the people’s sustenance is exacted through the form of taxation than is necessary to meet the just obligations of Government and expenses of its economic administration, such exaction becomes ruthless extortion and a violation of the fundamental principles of a free Government.”
Cleveland also noted:

“THE LESSONS OF PATERNALISM ought to be unlearned and the better lesson taught that while the people should patriotically and cheerfully support the Government, its functions do not include the support of the people.”
Considering some of the spending in South Carolina and Washington, the past argues mightily for just about everything Cleveland had to say. If there is a tax revenue surplus it doesn’t have to be spent automatically. That, though, is the mindset of too many professional politicians entrenched by the system.
It’s time for a change ..... in spending habits or in politicians ..... or both. After all, the government is there for the people - its owners - not the other way around.
The trouble is, someone will always “find” a need even if there is none.