TV guides

Saluda shows off town for ETV

May 24, 2007

By KENNY MAPLE
Index-Journal staff writer

SALUDA — It wasn’t just another day in Saluda.
Wednesday was declared “ETV Day” in Saluda County. It marked the fifth and final stop for ETV’s “Road Show,” and though it was last, it certainly was not least.
“This is the best turnout of a community we’ve had,” Roy Scott said. Scott is the executive producer of the “Your Day” show on ETV radio.
“Everybody’s making a party of it here,” he said.
Indeed, it had all the makings of a party — live music, food ... and then, of course, there’s the television thing. ETV broadcast live interviews from the courtyard at noon, 3, 4 and 7 p.m. Stations were set up for broadcasts in numerous places, and ETV personalities interviewed residents and community leaders of Saluda.
Camera operators set up stations at several corners of the courtyard, and interviews were conducted on an assortment of topics such as local history, agriculture, food, economic development, performing arts and much more.
The frenzy of activity seemed to be a common sight at the other stops along the weeklong tour, but most of the interviews dealt with the same topics. They were meant to highlight the area in a short amount of time.
“We’re trying to show as much as we can in one hour,” Scott said.
Dana McCullough, ETV public relations specialist, elaborated.
“It’s basically to say thank you and to spotlight towns in our state that others may be unfamiliar with,” McCullough said.
The “Road Show,” which started three years ago, has provided a great time for the local residents and the ETV crew.
“We’ve had such a good time in all the places.”
Saluda residents went all out for its time in the spotlight. They even had bagpipes.
Jonathon Smith, bagpipe player, organist and music director of St. Paul United Methodist Church, kicked off the afternoon playing “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes while on stage in front of the courthouse.
But he wasn’t the only one with musical talent.
Karen and Reid Ringer showcased their instrumental forte on the banjo and the fiddle, respectively. And there was plenty more to come as far as music for this Saluda “ETV Day” party.
And what’s a party without a huge aardvark?
Arthur, the title character from the television series, made an appearance in the Saluda County Library. Children filed in and out of the library to see their big, lovable hero.
Though the day focused on the broadcasts of ETV and Arthur, it also was a time for local vendors and events. Rocking chairs, handmade soap, food, balloons and other items were sold, while events were hosted such as archery shooting and the showing of antique cars and tractors.
The party lasted all afternoon and into the evening, with the last broadcast wrapping up about 8 p.m, Thus concluded the “ETV Day” and the “Road Show” which started last Thursday in Barnwell and moved through Edgefield, Aiken, McCormick, the Hopelands Gardens back in Aiken and then finally Saluda.
“We saved the best for last,” Scott said.
If you missed the festivities or just didn’t get enough of it, an encore presentation will air 5 p.m. Sunday on ETV SC Channel.

In this job, dedication can be a lifesaver

Patients getting a safer lift thanks to use of new system

May 24, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

On his first call of the day, Greenwood County paramedic and emergency medical technician Bryan Mayo was again reminded why it is a very bad idea for people who are easily distracted to drive while talking on a cell phone.
As Mayo was speeding down a two-lane Greenwood street on his way to treat a cancer patient who was having problems breathing, he quickly noticed the driver of the car in front of him appeared totally oblivious to the flashing multicolored lights on his ambulance and the very loud combinations of sirens Mayo was blasting to get the driver’s attention.
In an effort to get the driver to pull over, Mayo used every siren noise at his command — from horn, wail and yelp, to a piercing sound called phaser.
When the driver finally realized an ambulance on an emergency call was behind her and pulled over, Mayo and the passenger riding with him discovered the woman behind the wheel was immersed in a cell phone conversation.
“That’s not unusual,” Mayo said. “We see that all the time.”
For the past 14 years Mayo has served as an EMT and has, along with his co-workers, labored extensively to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible and save lives.
“I’ve done things with Greenwood County such as training and public information officer,” Mayo said. “I do anything I can, where I can, to help out the emergency service.”
On Wednesday, Mayo took this reporter with him as he did his job, so his guest could get an idea what the men and women who drive — and ride in — ambulances really do and how they do it.
The ride-along was especially timely, as May 20-26 is EMS Week, which is a time to bring together communities and medical personnel.
Although every EMT has their own reason for dedicating their lives to saving the lives of others, Mayo became an EMT because of a bizarre experience he had as a teenager.
“I was at my aunt’s house and witnessed a wreck where a guy in a car hit an oak tree and wrapped his car around the tree,” Mayo recalled. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be done for him, even after the paramedics got there, but I felt very helpless just sitting there watching the man die.
“At 14 years old that was my career developer. As soon as I turned 15, I joined the junior squad in Abbeville, and I’ve been affiliated with the emergency medical service ever since.”
In Greenwood, the Emergency Medical Service is officially a part of the sheriff’s office.
Because most EMS clients first contact 911 to summon help and wind up being transported to the emergency room of Self Regional Medical Center, the three separate entities work very closely as a team.
In a part of Self Regional that few patients ever see, Dr. Bruce Cook, the director of the emergency care center, flips through the pages of a large, three-ring binder, called “Standing Orders,” that is the medical bible for EMTs.
A copy of “Standing Orders” can be found in every ambulance, and its contents tells the paramedics not only what they can do, but how to do it.
“Here’s the protocol for chest pain,” Cook said.
The first thing the book says to do is make the patient comfortable, administer oxygen, and if necessary, administer nitroglycerin and aspirin.
“We have a lot of interaction with EMS,” Cook said. “A great deal of our business comes from the five county ambulance services. We serve Greenwood County, Saluda County, McCormick County, Lawrence County and some of Newberry and Edgeville counties.”
In fact, Cook saidw, between 15 and 20 percent of all the emergency patients who show up at Self Regional are delivered to their doorstep by emergency medical technicians.
On Wednesday, Mayo joined other technicians on three calls in the Greenwood area.
After the cancer patient with the breathing problem, Mayo wound up at a middle school and then at the home of a woman suffering from severe depression.
Shortly after arriving at the woman’s home, EMT Josh Strange watched as EMT Dianne Eubanks took the woman’s pulse and blood pressure. After questioning the woman, she was led to the back of their ambulance, where she climbed in for a short ride to Self Regional.
“We usually see about 140 patients a day in the (emergency room) and we’ll get 20 or 25 ambulance calls,” Cook said. “They range from chest pains and depression, to car wrecks and trauma suffered from falling off a ladder or being shot.
“Most of the time it’s very controlled in here; however, at times, it can get rather chaotic.”

Back in a Flash

Another coach takes over at Calhoun Falls

May 24, 2007

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

CALHOUN FALLS — First-year head football coach Kenya Fouch has taken another step toward rebuilding one-time Class A power Calhoun Falls, as the Blue Flashes recently completed their spring practice.
Fouch said the goal of this year’s spring practice was to teach the players new information.
“It was kind of tough coming in this first year,” Fouch said. “We mainly concentrated on installing new information, so it wasn’t about player evaluations this year.
“Overall I’m really pleased. They had great attitudes, the coaching staff worked out really hard, and we got a lot more done than what I expected.”
Fouch said that with his team getting so much done in the spring, it gives him an idea of what to expect this summer when the Blue Flashes return to the field. His team still has a lot to learn before the season starts.
“There’s only so much you can do during spring,” Fouch said. “Offensively, it’s going to be totally different with coach (Jim) Ertzberger (Blue Flashes’ new baseball coach) as the offensive coordinator. He’s worked really hard to get that side of the ball taken care of this spring.”
Offense isn’t the only area where Fouch expects a different attitude from his team.
“We’ll be aggressive defensively,” he said. “I want to be able to put kids in a position to make plays while being more aggressive.”
Numbers were up for the Blue Flashes during spring practice, after finishing the 2006 season with only a handful of players.
“We had about 45 players consistently through practice,” Fouch said. “We worked them pretty good. They did a good job.
“Last year a lot of people had to go both ways. I think it wore on them having to be on the field every single play.”
Fouch said the Blue Flashes have “decent” talent throughout their roster, and he doesn’t plan on overplaying players this season.
“I think we’re going to spend a lot more time with guys individually,” Fouch said. “We’ve got a group of kids that are primarily defensive and offensive. They’ll spend a lot more group time with coaches getting fundamentals down. I think that will help them.”
Finding ways to keep players motivated and committed throughout the season might be a difficult task for some coaches, but Fouch said he’s not worried.
“I’m not even sure who made the quote, ‘the harder you work, the harder it is to quit,’ Fouch said. “Once you put so much into it, you’re going to get better. I’m not even concerned with them going anywhere.”
As far as Region I-A is concerned, Fouch said it’s too early to say where the Blue Flashes will finish.
“Having watched the teams on film, they look really good,” Fouch said. “Our out-of-conference schedule (Columbia High School, Ninety Six High and Christ Church) is so demanding, we’ll be battle-tested by time the season starts.”
Fouch said he’s appreciated the support he’s received from the various people in and around Calhoun Falls who are looking for good things from the Blue Flashes.
“The people have really rallied around the school and the athletic program,” he said. “They’re all positive and looking forward to the season. I do appreciate what everybody’s done so far. My goal in Calhoun Falls is that I want the kids to know that if they work hard, they can be successful in football and everything else they do.”

Burton retires, Huntsberger new AD

May 24, 2007

By SCOTT J. BRYAN
Index-Journal sports editor

NINETY SIX — The athletic department at Ninety Six High School continues to undergo endless changes, following the resignation of athletic director Chuck Burton, effective July 1.
Ninety Six baseball coach and offensive coordinator, Matt Huntsberger, who has spent the past 10 years at the school, is the new athletic director.
Burton, a 1974 USC graduate, began his career in education as a teacher at Spring Valley High School on a short-term basis. The job ended when the teacher he was filling in for returned from maternity leave. Burton’s first long-term job came at Irmo Middle School, where he taught social studies and worked with the football and wrestling programs for eight years.
Riverside Middle School, in Saluda, was Burton’s next stop, and the place where he finally moved into an administrative role in 1987 when he became the school’s principal.
“I’ve been in administration ever since,” Burton said.
Burton said his current involvement in the athletic department is “pretty over” now that the school year has come to an end. His time as a teacher, coach and administrator is something he said he always enjoyed and it was just a matter of leaving when the time was right.
“For 33 years in education, I felt like I liked what I did,” Burton said. “It wasn’t work. That was my thought process in the whole thing. In any profession, you need to know when it’s time to back off and do other things.
“I have always loved working with kids, regardless of what pressures there were. I told myself long ago that if I ever felt like things were detrimental to me giving 100 percent with the kids, it would be time to step back and regroup.”
“I came to Ninety Six in 1997 as assistant principal and stayed here ever since. Coming to Ninety Six High helped me rekindle my involvement in sports and put me in a role where I was able to get back involved with student activities.”
Now that he’s practically retired, Burton said he’ll have more time to spend with his wife of 31 years, Charlene Burton. He added that he’s sure to have a “honey-do list” from his shoulder to his finger tips. He also plans to spend additional time with daughter, Meagan, who recently graduated from Albion College in Michigan.
“My daughter is getting ready to go to grad school at the University of Vermont,” Burton said. “She’s a risk taker. When you’ve got a risk taker, you have to be there to help them take risk.”
Huntsberger isn’t expected to risk anything just yet as he gets acclimated.
“Well it’s been busy,” Huntsberger said. “Life has sort of been hectic the last month or so. I know the transition is going to a little bit easier because coach Doolittle is still here until June 30 and Chuck is still here until July 1. That’s going to be a plus.”
One of the first things Huntsberger will have to address is the coaching vacancies (girls basketball, volleyball, boys golf and boys and girls cross country) at Ninety Six.
“We have a lot of coaching slots right now that we have to fill,” Huntsberger said. “We want to put teachers in there first. We’ve got a lot to do in a short amount of time.”
Burton knows all too well about the rigors of finding teachers who are also able to coach.
“The first and foremost is to find exceptional teachers that fit into the system here at Ninety Six High School,” Burton said. “There are people out there, but you just have to find them. Sometimes you can find a person and they’re not
certified to teach. It’s a constant juggle to find quality teachers who are willing to put in the time and effort and have the ability to coach.”
Huntsberger also said he has a few plans in regards to improving the athletic department at Ninety Six, but added that it will take time and planning.
“Well No. 1, there are a couple of facility things we’d love to get done,” Huntsberger said. “I know that takes a lot of money, and whether we have that right now, we don’t know. Being at Ninety Six with all the great people here, we strive for excellence in the classroom and on the athletic fields, too.”
In regards to Ninety Six’s possible move back to Class A at some point, Huntsberger said such a move is possible.
“The last time I looked at numbers, we were eight or nine down from the top, and we were going to be in Class A,” Huntsberger said. “I believe that’s where we’ll be at the next realignment.”
Huntsberger said the move down will move a few of the Wildcats’ teams, which have struggled against larger Class AA schools, back into competitive play.
“In any classification you run into that,” Huntsberger said. “Since I’ve been here at Ninety Six, we have been for three or four years the smallest AA school in the state.
“The numbers are key, but I don’t use that as an excuse. The years we were Class A, we were one of the biggest schools. I know both sides of it, and I think right now if we have 1A numbers, that’s where we’re going to be.”
Huntsberger and Burton both agree that working with the students, faculty and staff is one of the greatest things about Ninety Six High School.
“I just love working with the kids and the administrators and teachers at Ninety Six,” Huntsberger said. “My wife (Tina Huntsberger) loves Ninety Six, and my daughter (Kearston Huntsberger) bleeds maroon and gold, so I really think this is going to be an easy transition.”

Obituaries

SCPO H. Wayne Dukes, retired

McCORMICK — Services, with full military honors, for SCPO H. Wayne Dukes, Retired, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Republican United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Wade Everett officiating. Burial will be in Overbrook Cemetery.
The body is at Harley Funeral Home, Greenwood, and will be placed in the church at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, where the family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m.
The family is at the home, 1008 Gary Drive, McCormick and at the home of his son, 419 Lake Forest Drive, McCormick.
Memorials may be made to the Republican United Methodist Church building fund, PO Box 689, McCormick, SC 29835 or to HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
SCPO Dukes, 68, of 1008 Gary Drive, McCormick, husband of Sue Strange Dukes, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at Hospice House, Greenwood.
Born in McCormick, he was a son of the late Howard L. and Evelyn “Ted” Bowick Dukes. He retired from the US Navy following 26 years of service, having served during the Vietnam Era. He was a member of Republican United Methodist Church, where he was Rev. Everett’s prayer partner and, when able, always attended Bible study.
Surviving is his wife of the home; a daughter, Joyce Dukes of McCormick; a son and daughter-in-law, Jeffery and Tamie Dukes of McCormick; a sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Mid Self of Parksville; a sister-in-law, Graham Dukes of Hamilton, GA; and a grandson, Daniel Dukes.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Clarence “Bucky” Dukes.
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory of Greenwood is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Willie James ‘Bug’ Pope Jr.

NINETY SIX — Services for Willie James “Bug” Pope, Jr., of 130 Panther Drive, are 2 p.m. Friday, May 25, 2007 at Pleasant Rock Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Robert Taylor. Presiding will be the Rev. Joseph Caldwell. The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will be at the home. Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is assisting the family. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com

Irene H. Quarles

JOHNSTON — Mrs. Irene Holmes Quarles, 90, of Johnston, died Tuesday, May 22, 2007 in Self Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, with burial in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Quarles was a native of Edgefield County and a member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church. She was a retired Store Clerk.
Survivors include 2 daughters, Laura (Ted) Kohl, Johnston, Ruby (Robert) Whelchel Byrd, Greenwood; 1 son, Dennis (Jerre-Lynn) Quarles, Simpsonville; 18 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; and 21 great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by 3 sons, Eugene Quarles, James Quarles, Boyd Quarles and a granddaughter, Mae Arrowood.
Memorials may be made to Bethlehem United Methodist Church, c/o Keith Rushton, 305 N. Wise St., Saluda, SC, 29138.
The family is at the home on Hillcrest Dr. and will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Edgefield Mercantile Funeral Home.

Gene A. Shaw

CALHOUN FALLS — Gene A. Shaw, 68, of Calhoun Falls, husband of the late Linda McCullough Shaw, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at the Hospice House in Greenwood. He was born in Calhoun Falls to Jessie L. McAllister Hayes and the late Mack E. Hayes.
Mr. Shaw was a member of the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Calhoun Falls, and he had retired from WestPoint-Stevens Plant in Calhoun Falls.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Shaw is survived by a son, Ronald Shaw and his wife, Mary of Abbeville, a sister, Dixie Sorrow of Abbeville, two grandchildren, Jason Shaw and Rebecca Clinkscales, and a great-granddaughter, Kaylee Shaw, all of Abbeville.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at Harris Funeral Home. Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Friday, May 25, 2007 in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
The family is at the residence of Ronald and Mary Shaw.
Online condolences may be sent to the Shaw family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home of Abbeville is assisting the Shaw family.

R.L. Spearman

PELZER — Ralsa Leroy “R.L.” Spearman, 81, husband of Velma Joyce Cooley Spearman, of 129 Chapman Road, died Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at Fountain Inn Nursing Home.
Born in Ninety Six, he was the son of the late Ernest Samuel and Nannie Gambrell Spearman. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, retired from Erskine College, and was a member of Riverside Baptist Church in Belton.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter, Susan Joyce Finley of Pelzer and her fiancé, Eugene Weaver of Anderson; son, Michael Lee Spearman of the home; sisters, Nannie Belle King of Greenwood, Elizabeth Irene Nunn and her husband, Ernest of Ninety Six, Janie Lucille Caton of Greenville; grandchildren, Tiffany Darrah and her husband, Jason of Simpsonville, John Thomas Spearman of Belton; and great-granddaughter, Alexis Eve Darrah of Simpsonville.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday in the chapel of Gray Mortuary, Pelzer, with the Rev. Harold Miller, the Rev. Harold Patton and Chaplain John Lopez officiating. Burial will follow in Graceland Cemetery in Greenville.
The family is at the home and will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Gray Mortuary, Pelzer.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Agape Hospice, 300-B E. Greenville Street, Anderson, SC 29621, or to Fountain Inn Nursing Home, 501 Gulliver Street, Fountain Inn, SC 29644.

Kevin R. Spencer

WATERLOO — Kevin Richard Spencer, 38, of 30 Smith Village Road, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at Laurens County Hospital.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home and Crematory, Greenwood.

Edith M. Talbert

BRADLEY — Edith M. Talbert, 92, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home, Abbeville.

Louise B. Teseneer

GREER — Louise Brooks Teseneer, 90, of 420 Burns Road, widow of Lolan Lee Teseneer, died May 23, 2007 at Mary Black Memorial Hospital, Spartanburg, S.C.
A native of Mooresboro, North Carolina, daughter of the late Rev. B.B. and Surfronia Campfield Brooks, she was a homemaker, a charter member of Campfield Memorial Baptist Church, and a member of Taylors First Baptist Church.
Surviving are a son, Gary L. Teseneer of Frostproof, Florida; two daughters, Janet T. Vaughn and Mary T. Reese, both of Greer; two brothers, John E. Brooks and Claude W. Brooks, both of Ellenboro, North Carolina; two sisters, Eugenia Brooks Dodson of Leetown, West Virginia, and Mary Lee Brooks Costner of Boiling Springs, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Stanley L. Teseneer, Gina T. Schmitz, James M. Conway IV, Reneé C. Flynn, Suzanne C. Lutz and Janet R. Burns; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2007 at Campfield Memorial Baptist Church in Ellenboro, North Carolina, conducted by Rev. Joey Cantrell. Burial will be held 3 p.m. Saturday at Graceland East Memorial Park, Simpsonville, S.C.
Nephews will serve as pallbearers.
Visitation will be held 10-11:00 a.m. Saturday at Campfield Memorial Baptist Church.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Campfield Memorial Baptist Church, 369 Campfield Church Road, Ellenboro, North Carolina 28040. Online condolences may be made at www.thewoodmortuary.com.

Annie Lee Washington

SPARTANBURG — Annie Lee Washington, 70, of 128 Hampton Drive, died Monday, May 21, 2007 at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Born in Cross Hill, she was the daughter of the late Willie Griffin and the late Lula Mae Workman. She was a member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Johnny Washington, Jr. of Greenwood; two sons, Robert Washington of Clinton and John “Tray” Washington of Spartanburg; one stepson, Tyson Collins of Spartanburg; one stepdaughter, Juliette Cook of Mountville; one brother, Ernest Griffin of New Jersey; and six grandchildren.
Services are Noon Saturday, May 26, 2007 at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Cross Hill, conducted by Bishop Emanuel Spearman. Assisting will be Minister Christopher Richard. The body will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the chapel of Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. from 6-8 on Friday evening and from 11 a.m. to the hour of the service. Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is assisting the family. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com.

Opinion

‘Reach’ of price of oil hits more than drivers

May 24, 2007

Every motorist in and around Greenwood is feeling the pinch of rising gasoline prices. They’re told, for one thing, that “refinery capacity” or some other influence is the root of the problem. By this time, though, it’s difficult to convince many of them that they aren’t victims of some kind of conspiracy that keeps prices on the rise..... particularly when “traveling” holidays approach.
Be that as it may, the fact is, the price of a gallon of gasoline is as high now as it has ever been and is indeed expected to go even higher. Every driver feels that in the pocketbook and some may even expect it. The rising gasoline prices, though, have other considerations that cost consumers.

TAKE GROCERIES, FOR EXAMPLE. Production and delivery costs often depend on some byproduct of petroleum and that, naturally, increases the cost of food, whether prepared at home or in a restaurant or fast-food facility.
There are so many things that come from or are affected by the price of oil that prices are influenced all over the place. Building materials, for example are affected, as are consumer products that some can’t even imagine.
So, when motorists complain about gasoline prices, they’re not alone. All consumers are being squeezed. What they see is at the pump. What they don’t see can, and does, hurt everyone, even when they might least expect it.