‘Put Parents in Charge Act’ raises concerns
on both sides of issue in Greenwood, area

February 16, 2005

By WALLACE McBRIDE
Index-Journal senior staff writer

Hundreds of people gathered on the Statehouse grounds Tuesday in support of a bill that would give tax credits to parents of children in private schools.
However, the bill, dubbed “Put Parents in Charge,” still raises some concerns on both sides of the issue in Greenwood and the Lakelands about the level of state involvement in schools that would be the ultimate benefactors in the tax-credit program.
“If the money’s going to follow the student, the accountability should follow them also,” said Dan Powell, superintendent of Greenwood School District 52, Ninety Six. “There is no accountability – that’s the main issue we have with it. We have to be accountable, but if they’re going to give the money to private schools or home schoolers with no accountability, it’s not a level playing field.” Greenwood Christian School Administrator John Davis said he didn’t want to see any government mandates to accompany the bill, which currently resides in the House Ways and Means Committee.
“It could be a great benefit to our parents and our school, as long as it is passed the way it is currently presented,” Davis said. “It’s written as a parent tax credit and not as a voucher. But if it were changed in some manner then it could be a concern.”
He said Greenwood Christian School’s Bible teacher, Joseph Johnson, attended Tuesday’s rally.
“It could be a positive experience for parents who want to put their children in a private school,” he said.
“The one concern that we have is that there are no stipulations for our schools as far as meeting our standards, both academically and spiritually.”
“I would like to see a tax credit for tuition, because I think it would help our parents who are struggling to send their children to an independent school,” said Cambridge Academy headmaster Bob Steely.
“Many people confuse a tax credit with what many refer to as vouchers. This is not a voucher program,” Steeley said. “There’s no direct government dollars coming to the school. The tax break goes to the parents, not to the school.”
Powell said a study commissioned by the S.C. School Board Association and the S.C. Association of School Administrators concluded that Put Parents in Charge would sap $234 million in education funding from the state.
“(Private) schools will not have to accept anyone they don’t want to, and I’m sure they’re going to be very selective,” Powell said. “What can happen is that the best and brightest could leave public schools, and we’ll be accountable for the students we have left.”
“Kids have to be able to be tested when they come into our program, and we have to be able to maintain our standards,” Davis said. “Kids have to be in agreement with our philosophy and know they’re going to be taught the Bible daily.”

Wallace McBride covers Greenwood and general assignments in the Lakelands. He can be reached at 223-1812, or: wmcbride@indexjournal.com

Mary R. Chumley

Mary Roberts Chumley, 88, widow of Fred C. Chumley, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 at Laurens County Hospital.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Nell Davenport

Onita “Nell” Weathers Davenport, 81, of 301 Oakwood Drive, widow of James William Davenport, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 at the National Healthcare Center.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Bernice Farmer

WATERLOO – Bernice Price Farmer, 88, resident of Cannon Road, widow of Claiborne L. Farmer, died February 15, 2005 at Magnolia Manor in Greenwood.
Born in Greenwood County, September 9, 1916, she was a daughter of the late Oliver and Jesse Griffin Price. She was a member of Lakeview Baptist Church.
Surviving are a daughter, Faye F. Randall of Greenwood and a son, Wayne Farmer of Hodges. A sister, Mrs. Clarence (Mary) Wilson of Greenwood. A sister-in-law, Frances G. Farmer of Greenwood. Three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Thursday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Charles Wilson and Rev. Joseph Ouzts officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Harold Price, Don Price, Richard Price, Pete Simpson, Robby Strickland and Don Farmer.
The family is at their respective homes and will receive friends at the funeral home from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE FARMER FAMILY
PAID OBITUARY

Lillie Mae Gilchrist

RICHMOND, Va. — Minister Lillie Mae Gilchrist, 74, of 500 W. Crieff Road, died Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 at Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond.
Born in North Carolina, she was a daughter of the late Sim Brown and Queen Ella Brown. She retired from Phillip Morris in 1991.
Survivors include her husband, John Robert Gilchrist; a brother, James Brown of North Carolina; and two sisters, Sarah Johnson and Eleccie Stokes of Richmond.
Services are at noon Friday at Greater St. Beulah Holiness Church, 2700 Q St., conducted by Bishop James A. Davis. The body will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. Burial is in Oakwood Cemetery.
Chiles Funeral Home, 2100 Fairmont Ave., is in charge.

Tommie Tucker Jr.

HODGES — Tommie Tucker Jr., 72, of 105 Pansy Road, widower of Carrie Bell Tucker, died Monday, Feb. 14, 2005 in Tucson, Ariz.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

EHS girls advance

Lady Vikings avoid exit during first round

February 16, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Special to The Index-Journal

One year ago, the Emerald High School girl’s basketball team was bounced in the second round of the AA state playoffs.
On Tuesday night, the Lady Vikings got back to the second round after downing Keenan, 60-43 in the opening round of this year’s Class AA playoffs.
“I felt we needed to get out early and apply some full court pressure,” Emerald coach Anarie Duckett said.
“The last few games we had to use that press late to get some fire in our bellies, so I thought we needed to do it early tonight, if we wanted to see the next round.”
The Lady Vikings travel Thursday to Broome, which beat Abbeville in the opening round.
Tuesday’s game got off to a fast-paced start. The two teams traded baskets through the early part of period. Keenan’s Michel Green scored eight of her 12 points in the opening three minutes of the contest.
Emerald’s Elizabeth Nicholson answered back with five first-quarter points of her own, to send Emerald into the second quarter with a 14-10 lead.
Nicholson poured in 23 points to lead all scorers.
“Elizabeth is a leader. She does what we ask her to do, but she also knows when to step it up. She does whatever it takes,” said Duckett.
The Lady Vikings were able to stretch their lead in the second period. Dominick opened the period by sinking an 18-foot jumper from the top of the key. At the midway point in the period, Emerald’s Barbara Ligons drove the baseline and scooped in a twisting, acrobatic reverse lay-up, putting the Lady Vikings ahead 23-14. Emerald gained a 31-22 halftime lead when Tecora Chambers turned a steal into a transition lay-up near the end of the second period.
“Tecora is so quick,” Duckett said. “She may have only had four points but they came at the perfect time. She boxed out and did exactly what we asked of her.”
The Lady Vikings blew the contest wide open in the third period. Using an oppressive full court trap, Emerald raced out to a 47-29 lead by the quarter’s end. Barbara Ligons led the charge for Emerald in the frame, popping in 6 of her 12 points in the period.
The Lady Vikings were able to maintain their double-digit lead throughout the fourth period, despite Keenan’s best efforts. The Lady Raiders’ Santera Grooms scored eight of her team-high 16 points in the frame. Emerald would put the game a way at the 2:20 mark, scoring on a misdirection play, with Sarah Rush popping open for the lay-up. The play killed any remnants of a Keenan rally, and was a catalyst to the 60-43 final score.
The Lady Vikings head into the second round of the AA state playoffs with a 15-7 overall record.

Lady Flashes cruise in opener

February 16, 2005

By MICHAEL STONE
Index-Journal sports editor

CALHOUN FALLS — Lauren Henderson wasn’t sure she was going to have a good game when her first 3-pointer went in. Or her second.
It wasn’t until the point guard third triple swished through that she knew it was her night.
That third 3-pointer came with 2 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter and give the Calhoun Falls High School girls basketball team a 16-point lead over Whitmire.
And that was plenty for the Lady Blue Flashes, as they defeated the visiting Lady Wolverines, 72-33, in Tuesday’s opening round of the Class A playoffs.
Calhoun Falls (16-4) faces the Indian Land/North winner at 7 p.m. Friday at home in the second round. The winner of that game was not available at press time.
If Henderson plays Friday like she did Tuesday, the Lady Blue Flashes will have little to worry about.
Henderson finished with 21 points, 11 assists and nine steals — one steal short of a triple-double — and spent half of the third and fourth quarters on the bench.
“Someone told me she was just short of a triple-double and I should put her back in, but I remember what happened in ‘Friday Night Lights,’” Calhoun Falls coach Eddie Roberts said. “We’re not taking a chance on getting her hurt.”
Henderson was the Lady Blue Flashes spark plug early on. She scored 16 points in the first quarter, hitting three 3s and turning three steals into three layups.
After that, Henderson was content with penetrating the Lady Wolverines’ defense and then dishing the ball to Ki-Key Norman.
Norman finished with a game-high 24 points, mostly on uncontested layups after Henderson had drawn the defense to her.
“This game gives us a lot of confidence, but I still think that we can play a lot better,” Henderson said.
It’s hard to imagine Whitmire agreeing with that.
All 10 Calhoun Falls players scored and five and five or more rebounds. Cherelle Bridges and Henderson had six each, while Brittany Obot and Roshundray Postel had five each.
Bridges and Henderson also keyed the Lady Blue Flashes’ half-court trap that took the Lady Wolverines out of their offense.
Whitmire took just 11 shots in the first quarter, while turning the ball over nine times.
Most of those turnovers happened when Bridges and Henderson double-teamed the Whitmire guards and poked the ball away.
Henderson opened the game by hitting a 3-pointer from the right wing, then fed Bridges for a short jumper and Obot for a 3 and an 8-1 lead, cause Whitmire to call a timeout.
The break didn’t help, because Henderson added a free throw and had a steal-and-layup for an 11-1 lead.
After Whitmire’s Jaruyatte Gray scored the first of her team-high 22 points for Whitmire, Henderson hit a 3 from the top of the key, scored off a steal from Bridges and then hit another 3, pushing the Lady Flashes lead to 19-3.
Calhoun Falls finished the opening quarter with a 27-5 lead and outcome was never in doubt.

U. N. is getting battered over oil-for-food scandal

February 16, 2005

News item:
“MUNICH, Germany – U. N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed Sunday for Europe and the United States to back a major overhaul of global security measures to combat global terrorism, keep weapons of mass destruction from spreading and quell regional conflicts.
“The U. N. plans call for tougher inspection rules for nuclear installations, a trust fund to help poorer nations fight terrorism, a drive to strengthen public health defenses against germ warfare and quicker action against potential threats.
“‘We must strengthen our collective defenses,’ Annan told an international conference of top security officials as he lobbied for approval of the new steps after the deep divisions that plagued the United Nations over the Iraq war in 2003.”

THE FIRST QUESTIONS SHOULD be, why now? Where have Annan and the United Nations been while the U. S. has shouldered the burden of taking on terrorists on their own ground? Why now, after serious allegations of corruption have surfaced against Annan and his son Kojo in the scandal-scarred U. N. oil-for-food program?
There are others involved, too, including the head of the program for the U. N., Benon Sevan. The depth of the scandal reaches into other pockets and areas, including banks. That is already known. What is yet to come in the continuing investigation could dwarf what has already been uncovered.
Despite everything, how far and how extensive the corruption goes in the oil-for-food boondoggle is likely to show wrongdoing on a major scale ….. that is, once all the investigations that are being conducted are complete.

THE REPUTATION OF THE U. N. has already taken a battering and some of the members of the Security Council, particularly France and Russia, are widely believed to have looked the other way while the $69 billion program was looted by Saddam and others.
Will this swindle help explain some of the heavy criticism the U. S. received from some of these people? Will it explain how our efforts to eliminate Saddam and fight terrorism in general were hindered at every turn in the U. N.?
Now, Annan wants “cooperation” in fighting terrorists on a global scale.
France and Russia involved? Annan and others? Fancy that!