Local essay winners promote
abstinence to their classmates

Middle school program teaches students
dangers, consequences of premarital sex

December 14, 2005

By JACKIE R. BROACH
Index-Journal staff writer

Two Westview Middle School students were commended Tuesday for being role models for their classmates.
Seventh-grader Denzel Anderson and eighth-grader Dustyn Attaway were named winners in an essay contest sponsored by Heritage Community Services. In the essay titled “I’m Worth the Wait,” students were asked to explain why they plan to abstain from sex until marriage.
In his essay, Anderson said he knows practicing abstinence is the only guaranteed way to prevent contracting sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. His parents and other family members have warned him of the dangers of premarital sex and their words affected him and his outlook, he wrote.
Attaway outlined several reasons why he plans to abstain from premarital sex. The first, he wrote, is because he doesn’t want to “be another statistic.” The Heritage program teaches students that condoms and other means of birth control don’t offer guaranteed results. “I want to share (that) monumental event with someone I’ll spend my entire life with,” Attaway wrote. “I want to be the guy who had the courage to wait.”
Both winners were recognized Tuesday, when they were given certificates for a free meal from McAlister’s Deli and ice cream snacks from Chick-fil-A and Sonic.
“These essays were phenomenal and embodied the ideals of abstinence until marriage and good character,” said Africa Lomax, Heritage’s regional director.
Westview principal Cyndi Storer told the boys she was proud of them and thanked Heritage for its work with the students.
“A lot of students don’t have the courage to stand up and discuss the issues these students brought out in their essays,” she said. “It takes a lot and it makes a difference when other teens to hear their peers take a stand.”
Seventh- and eighth-graders at Westview and at other school have been learning about abstinence and the dangers and consequences of premarital sex in a program Heritage sponsors at area middle schools. Formed in 1995, Heritage’s goal is to address the growing need for resources that help individuals recognize the association between making intelligent choices and maintaining personal control over opportunities for success.
Attaway and Anderson said they had enjoyed the contest and the opportunity to express their opinions.
“Some kids don’t necessarily hear things like this at home,” Attaway said.

Gertrude Rouse Finley

ABBEVILLE — Services for Gertrude Rouse Finley, of 1002 Secession Ave., are 1 p.m. Thursday at Mount Canaan Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Oliver T. Baylor. Burial is in Long Cane A.M.E. Church Cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at 12.
The family is at the home.
Brown and Walker Funeral Home is in charge.

Louise Gillian

GREENWOOD — Louise Morrell Gillian, 79, resident of 216 Briarwood Road, wife of Ernest “E.C.” Gillian, Sr., died December 13, 2005 at her home.
Born in Hartsville, December 19, 1925, she was a daughter of the late Barney McCoy and Pauline McInville Morrell. She was a graduate of Hartsville High School and retired from Commissioner of Public Works after 19 years of service. Mrs. Gillian had served as a volunteer at Self Regional Medical Center for the last 17 years.
She was a member of Rice Memorial Baptist Church and the Lydia Sunday School Class.
Surviving in addition to her husband of 60 years are two sons, Ernie Gillian and wife, Candy of Greenwood and Mike Gillian and wife, Susan of Belvedere; a brother, Wilbur Morrell of Hartsville; three sisters, Lizzie Stewart of Florence, Mary Cooley and Doris Bateman, both of Hartsville; five grandchildren, Kevin and wife, Ashley and Jason Gillian of Belvedere, Paige Hodges and Anna and Ashton Ready, all of Greenwood; four great-grand-children, Ryan and Camryn Gillian and Carson and Mary Elliott Hodges; a daughter-in-law, Janice McMahan of Abbeville.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 pm Thursday from Rice Memorial Baptist Church with Rev. Alvin Hodges and Rev. Jimmy Tucker officiating.
Pallbearers will be John Long, Ted Stewart, Gary Gillion, Tim Hodges, Brian Redd and Ray Morrell.
Honorary escort will be members of the Lydia Sunday School Class of Rice Memorial Baptist Church and the volunteers of Self Regional Medical Center along with John Hastings, Joe Scott, Ray Witt, Dan Wideman, Jyll Maddox, Jack Simpson, Dr. Floyd Hatcher, Dr. Ed Rapp, and Nay Morrell.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 1 pm Thursday.
The family is at the home on Briarwood Road and will receive friends at the funeral home from 5:30 to 7:30 Wednesday evening.
Memorials may be made to the Self Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, 1325 Spring Street, Greenwood, SC 29646, Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Rice Memorial Baptist Church, 1975 Hwy 72 West, Greenwood, SC 29649.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Gillian family.
PAID OBITUARY

Nancy Lindler

Nancy Maryland Huyler Lindler, 72, of 440 Dogwood Drive, widow of David Lee Lindler, died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005 at her home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Deloach scores 41 as Tigers top GHS

December 14, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

With teammates in foul trouble all around him, Trevor Deloach decided to offer up a little revenge on his own.
One week after watching the Greenwood High School boys basketball team walk off his home floor with a overtime win, Deloach scored 18 of his team’s 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Tigers to the 76-71 victory Tuesday night.
Deloach finished with a career-high 41 points, 14 rebounds and eight steals.
“This was important for us,” Deloach said. “I wanted to win. So, I put my team on my back. That’s all I could do. “It was a make-or-break game, but we wanted to come out with the W.”
The Tigers’ next leading scorer was sophomore Duke Thomas, who fouled out with 10 on three 3-pointers. Deloach’s fellow-starters Markese Holloway, who had three fouls in the first half, and William Culbreath, who finished with four fouls, added seven and six points, respectively.
Deloach, who dropped in a previous career-high 31 on the Eagles the first time around, impressed college scouts from Lander University, Charleston Southern and Newberry College by scoring all but three points on a Tigers’ 17-6 run midway through the fourth quarter to erase a nine-point deficit.
The Saluda junior opened the scoring stretch with a dunk with 4 minutes, 7 seconds and capped it with a baby hook over Greenwood 6-foot-5 center Xavier Dye, giving the Tigers a 72-70 lead with 47 seconds remaining. It was Saluda’s first lead since the team was up 16-15 with 1:32 left in the first quarter.
“There came a point midway through the second half where I looked at Trevor and said ‘you have to take us there,’” Saluda coach Jimmy Kinard said. “When you have a kid that is on, you just have to get him the ball and let him play.”
After Greenwood’s Larry Middleton made one of two free throws with 21.8 seconds remaining, Deloach was immediate fouled on the ensuing inbounds and promptly drained both foul shots for the 3-point lead.
The Eagles didn’t connect on their next possession and Saluda’s Tevin Brooks was fouled on the rebound.
Brooks knocked down both free throws for a 76-71 score.
“The last part of the fourth quarter we sort of froze. We played tight,” Greenwood coach Hob Chandler said. “They made the plays down the stretch and we didn’t. It’s what we were able to do down there.”
The Eagles (1-5), who were coming off Monday’s 29-point loss to North Augusta, got balanced scoring with the absence of leading scorer Armanti Edwards, who is in Spartanburg getting ready for Saturday’s Shrine Bowl.
Junior point guard Andre Day led 10 different Eagles with 16 points with four 3-pointers. Dye scored 11, while Middleton and senior guard A.J. Lomax chipped in 10 apiece.

Guards carry Lady Eagles by Lady Tigers

December 14, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Syteria Robinson, Vijya Corbett and Ashly Chandler are at another level from their Saluda counterparts and they proved it Tuesday night.
The Lady Eagles’ guard trio combined for 50 points in limited action to lead Greenwood to a 66-37 win.
Robinson, a freshman who usually starts, came off the bench to lead the Lady Eagles (3-3) with a career-high 24 points with four 3-pointers.
Robinson, who only scored 3 points in Monday’s loss to North Augusta, entered in midway through the first quarter and immediately knocked down a 3-point shot from the left wing to contribute to a Greenwood 12-0 run. It was a run that essentially put the game away.
“I didn’t start Sy (Robinson) because she didn’t have a good game last night. But I think it was good for her,” Greenwood coach Susan Thompson said. “She really upped her game and played great defense out there.
“She stayed here (in the gym) after school and that shows dedication.”
Chandler finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and six steals, while Corbett chipped in 11 points, including seven during that key first-quarter run.
With a 26-point lead, Chandler and Corbett sat out the fourth quarter.
Robinson, who added six rebounds and five steals, entered the final quarter late and drained her fourth 3 for the game’s final points to make it 66-37.
In all, Greenwood played 13 players, getting points from nine of them. Six different Lady Eagles scored in the fourth.
The win came 24 hours after falling by eight to the Lady Yellow Jackets, but seven days after knocking off the Lady Tigers by 32 in Saluda.
“The biggest thing was that we didn’t come out and take them for granted,” Thompson said. “Most of the girls scored tonight. They’re really building confidence.”
Senior Tokia Yeldell led the Lady Tigers with 13 points, including the game’s first basket: a 15-foot double-pump jumper 30 seconds in.
Sophomore Ashley Proctor followed that with a layup off a steal to give Saluda a 4-0 lead.
But Greenwood quickly answered with a 12-0 run, getting all of the points from Chandler, Corbett and Robinson.
In fact, that threesome provided the first 31 points for the Lady Eagles.
Sophomore center Brantley Sacoco was the first outside that guard triad for Greenwood, scoring the team’s final three points of the first half to give the Lady Eagles a 34-14 lead at the half.
Greenwood stretched its lead to 26 when Robinson scored six of the team’s 8-0 run to bring the total to 44-18.
The Lady Eagles improved the lead even more in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Courtenay Reid knocked down a 3-pointer to put Greenwood ahead 63-33 with 3:09 remaining.

Helping others was a way of life for Emma Gaskin

December 14, 2005

Some people are saints. Others live saintly lives. Emma Gaskin, who died Monday at the relatively young age of 57, fit both descriptions.
This caring lady turned her employment at the Emerald Center in Greenwood into a labor of love. Considering the way she devoted herself to helping the people there, it was clear she looked on them as more than “clients.” They were more like her family. In fact, to her they were family. It was not a one-way street, either. Her service was bread on the waters. For all those she touched, she, too, was family.
Emma Gaskin was not much different away from her job.
She lived to make others’ lives better. Through her civic, neighborhood and other efforts, she brought a new meaning to volunteerism.

SHE ALSO REALIZED the value of education and managed to get a degree from Lander University.
That, of course, equipped her to extend the range of reaching out to lend a caring and loving hand wherever it was needed.
Once, when three of her nephews needed a home and a family home environment, she assumed the responsibility of raising them. They, in effect, became the children she never had.
Not many people accomplish as much as Emma Gaskin. But, then, not many people have the qualities that made her the model for the quintessential role model for young and old alike.
Greenwood County Council member Edith Childs said Miss Gaskin was the kind of person who wanted to see and help people reach their fullest potential. Where helping others was concerned, her potential seemed endless. For her, though, enough was never enough ….. it had no limits.

SHE WAS ALWAYS doing something for her community or for someone in it ….. and that included all of Greenwood.
Councilwoman Childs also said Miss Gaskin was encouragement personified. Once she gave her the ultimate compliment: “Edith,” she said, “ you make a difference in this community.”
That, perhaps, defines the character of Emma Gaskin better than all her attributes ….. and there were many. She made a difference in this community. A big difference. Until someone comes along to replace her – if anyone can – her efforts in helping others set the standard. Role model? Absolutely!