Gendarme: G-E-N-D-A-R-M-E

Genetic Center wins local Corporate Spelling Bee

February 23, 2005

By TASHA STEIMER
Index-Journal staff writer

Gendarme.
That was the word that clinched the win for the Greenwood Genetic Center team Tuesday in the second annual Corporate Spelling Bee.
The team, sponsored by Fuji Photo Film Inc. and Elliott Davis LLC, beat The Index-Journal team in a spell-off to win the tournament by correctly spelling the words “antaean” and “gendarme,” which is a French policeman or a cavalryman in the old French army.
Robert Lebel, a member of the winning team, said he was ready to go up against the other teams especially the returning winners from Capsugel, a division of Pfizer.
“I told a friend at Capsugel this morning that ‘We will bury you,’” he said.
Even though the team was prepared, member Sherry Pearson said she “was scared to death” when it came time for the spell-off against The Index-Journal.
“They were tough,” she said.
Teammate Julie Jones added, “They were very worthy opponents.”
All members of the team said they enjoyed the experience and are already looking forward to returning next year to defend their title.
“We love sponsors, and it’s a great cause,” Pearson said.
Jones said, “We’re not going to reveal our strategy.”
Lebel added, “It’s a trade secret we’ll hold onto for next year.”
Eight companies or agencies participated in the spelling bee including Capsugel, Upper Savannah, Greenwood Mills, Countybank, Greenwood Capital Associates and Phi Theta Kappa.
The Spirit Award went to visitors for the Upper Savannah team, sponsored by the Self Foundation, who brought along signs and noisemakers to cheer on the team.
Sandra Owens, executive director of the Greenwood Literacy Council, said the agency was pleased with this year’s turnout.
“I thought it was great,” she said. “We had more teams than last year and the competition is beginning to build between the teams. We were also happy to see the cheering sections.”
Owens said several teams – such as Greenwood Genetic Center, Upper Savannah and Phi Theta Kappa – were able to participate because some local companies sponsored non-profit organizations who had teams.
“Those donations made it possible for teams that could not enter otherwise to do so,” she said. The Phi Theta Kappa team was sponsored by Greenwood Development Corporation.
Owens said this year’s spelling bee raised approximately $4,500 – more than $1,000 more than last year.
“All of the money we made here stays here to support our program,” she said. “The teams were eager to participate again and we’ve had donations from other companies.”

Nominations needed for HOF

February 23, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Time is running out for anyone who wants to make sure their favorite former Greenwood or Brewer high school athlete gets a chance to join J.W. “Pinky” Babb and Joe Anderson in the Greenwood Athletic Hall of Fame.
The deadline for submitting nominations for the hall’s second induction class is March 1.
And as Greenwood athletic director and football coach Shell Dula will attest, the nomination is the key.
“We can’t consider anyone unless they are nominated,” Dula said. “Some people were saying ‘I don’t know why so-and-so wasn’t included.’ But when you look back you’d find that so-and-so wasn’t nominated.”
David Bell, who heads up the hall’s nominating committee, said there are about 30 names still remaining from last year’s nomination submissions, but he hopes to see plenty more.
“There were a lot of nominations left over from last year, and all of them will carry over,” Bell said. “We have had some new nominations turned in. Some are the same and some are new.
“But we want to make sure to get every deserving candidate. We want anybody deserving to have their name in the hat.”
Bell said he especially would like to see nominations on former athletes from Greenwood’s early years, along with nominations for female stars.
, former Brewer standouts and non-football athletes.
Nomination forms are available at the school’s athletic website. You can also pick up a form at the school’s main and athletic offices along with County Bank locations, Action Sports, Rick’s Uptown Café and Workman’s.
Any former Greenwood or Brewer student-athlete who has been out of school for longer than 10 years will be under consideration.
A 10-member nomination committee will go study the list of selected players. The nomination committee will narrow a list of viable candidates that will be approved by a five-member selection committee.
The hall’s second class will be formally announced in August during halftime of the Greenwood City Championship football game between Greenwood and Emerald high schools at J.W. “Pinky” Babb Stadium.
Along with Babb and Anderson, the hall’s inaugural class also consisted Greenwood greats Ray Bowick, Robert Brooks, Leonard “Budgie” Broome, Tyler Hellams, Sonny Horton and Harvey White and Brewer High School coach Luther Bradley and Brewer standout Milton Nicholson.
Dula said that narrowing down the hall of fame’s second group would be just as hard if not harder than selecting the inaugural class.
“There were some last year that were pretty much a given,” he said. “Greenwood High couldn’t have a hall of fame without most of the first 10 from last year.
“But it will be a hard process for several years, because Greenwood has such a rich tradition.”

Opinion

Driver charged in death at port has a long record

February 23, 2005

One of the hardest things a parent has to face is the death of a son or daughter. Bill Hughes of Greenwood had to face that awful experience recently. His son died when he was run over by a truck at a shipping terminal in Charleston. His tragic death was bad enough, but considering the record of the man who was driving the truck makes it that much worse.
William E. “Bill” Hughes Jr., 42, of Mount Pleasant, was a stevedore supervisor at the terminal when a truck driven by Archie Porcher hit him. Porcher has been charged with reckless homicide. According to reports, he was supposed to be proceeding straight after a shipping container had been removed from his truck. Instead, reports say he made a U-turn and then ran over Mr. Hughes.

RECORDS AT THE S. C.. Department of Motor Vehicles and the State Law Enforcement Division show Porcher has a criminal record and dozens of driving violations.
After several such accidents at state ports, some people are saying the prospective employee screening policies for ports workers should be strengthened before anyone is allowed to operate heavy machinery.
In his most recent offense before this one, Porcher’s driver’s license was suspended June 23, 2004. That wasn’t the first time it was suspended, though. His South Carolina driver’s record notes two previous suspensions and 24 convictions for various moving violations, including careless or negligent driving and speeding. He was involved in six accidents before the one that killed Mr. Hughes.
There hardly seems any question that screenings, or background checks, should be stronger for ports workers.

IT’S LUDICROUS TO THINK to think that anyone with a record like this truck driver was operating moving equipment in the first place. It creates a number of questions, naturally. What are the screening policies? Why was Porcher employed as a driver? Did union membership a factor? Why must fatalities occur before safeguards are established?
These and other questions should be answered. Quickly. It’s obvious that something must be done before other fatal accidents occur on the ports.
While Porcher faces reckless homicide charges, it appears that others should share the blame.
Whoever allowed a criminal with multiple driving convictions to operate heavy, moving equipment around a crowded port terminal should be investigated, too. Otherwise they’ll be treating the symptoms instead of the disease.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Obituaries

Ruth Finley Gulledge

ABBEVILLE — Ruth Finley Gulledge, 79, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 at Agape Nursing Facility in Lexington.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home.

Ira Kenneth Eskridge

WARRENTON, VA – I. Kenneth Eskridge, 85, died on February 20, 2005 at Warrenton Overlook in Warrenton, VA. He was a son of John Burl Eskridge and Mary Elizabeth Colvin Eskridge and was born in Bristersburg on December 22, 1920.
Mr. Eskridge had two siblings who preceded him in death, Zola E. Omorff and Selvin Colvin Eskridge. Mr. Eskridge, a widower, was married to Anne Marriott Piercy.
Survivors include his daughters: Ruth Anne Eskridge of Bristersburg and Jean Mason Eskridge Shirley of Greenwood, SC. Grandchildren are Joe A. Shirley II of Greenwood, SC, Mason Burl Eskridge Shirley of Clinton, SC.
As a young man, Mr. Eskridge was an apprentice watch and clock maker in Washington, DC. A lifelong resident of Fauquier County, he was a farmer most of his life. Mr. Eskridge was a communicant of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Catlett, VA. He was a member of the Mt. Carmel Masonic Lodge #133, in Warrenton for 57 years. He was also a direct descendant of Colonel George Eskridge, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and the King’s Attorney.
A Memorial service will be held at St. Stephens Episcopal Church on Friday, February 25, 2005 at 11 a.m. Interment at Warrenton Cemetery will be at 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Stephen’s Building Fund, 8538 Greenwich Road, Catlett, VA 20119.
PAID OBITUARY

Elizabeth S. Holmes

JOHNSTON — Elizabeth Satcher Holmes, 85, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005.
A native of Ward, she was a daughter of the late Ansel and Emma McGee Satcher. She was a homemaker and a member of Providence Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Wilbur Holmes Jr. of Johnston; two daughters, Betty Carpenter of Grovetown, Ga., and Mrs. Larry (Judy) Yonce of Greenwood; two sisters, Ruth Hurt of Greenwood and Annie Mae Hurt of Lexington; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Thursday at Providence Baptist Church. Burial is in Sunset Gardens Memorial Park.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Bland Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Providence Baptist Church, c/o Debra Hipps, 288 Long Cane Road, Johnston, SC 29832.
Bland Funeral Home is in charge.

Harry Irwin Jr.

Harry Penrose Irwin Jr., 83, of 123 Colonial Drive, husband of Evelyn Simpson Irwin, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home in Belle Meade.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home.

Willie Morris Sr.

MOUNT CARMEL — Willie Morris Sr., 87, widower of Mary Thomas Morris, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 at Abbeville County Memorial Hospital.
Born in McCormick County, he was a son of the late Alex and Azalee Cole Morris. He was a retired farmer, a member of St. Mary A.M.E. Church and the Sons of Aide No. 36.
Survivors include three daughters, Anomie Glover of Rochester, N.Y., Magi Brunet of Lithonia, Ga., Geraldine Morris of Abbeville; four sons, Willie Morris Jr. of Rochester, N.Y., Alex Morris of Lithonia, Ga., Jimmy Morris of McCormick, Samuel Morris of the home; a sister, Mary Power of Mount Carmel; 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home on Chateaux Acres, Mount Carmel, S.C.
Services will be announced by Brown and Walker Funeral Home, Abbeville.

William Arthur Price

NORTH AUGUSTA — William Arthur Price, 86, formerly of Laurens, died Monday, Feb. 21, 2005 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Augusta, Ga.
Born in Laurens County, he was a son of the late Arthur Lee and Annie Gambrell Price. He was an Army veteran and a member of Northside Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Roy Lee Price of Laurens and William “Ricky” Arthur Price of Aiken; three sisters, Shirly Belk of Greenwood, Guynell Walker and Hattie May Davis, both of Laurens; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services are 3 p.m. today at Northside Baptist Church, Laurens. Burial is in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation is 2-3 today at the church.
The family is at the home of Hattie May Davis, 185 Santa Fe Drive, Laurens.
Gray Funeral Home, Laurens, is in charge.

Mike Prince

DONALDS — William Michael “Mike” Prince, 45, of 38 Chickasaw Lane, died Monday, Feb. 21, 2005 at his home.
Born in Abbeville County, he was a son of William Clayton Prince and the late Emmie Jane Johnson Prince. He was a member of Winona Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father of Donalds; a son, Jason Prince of Ware Shoals; and a sister, Kimberly Finley of Donalds.
Graveside services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Winona Baptist Church Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. Stanley Fuller.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Pruitt Funeral Home, Honea Path.
The family is at the home.
Pruitt Funeral Home is in charge.

Butler Tolbert

McCORMICK — Services for Butler Tolbert, of 1223 Highway 28 S., are at 2 Friday at Lower Mount Moriah Baptist Church, McCormick, conducted by the Rev. Melvin Gordon. Burial is in the church cemetery. Body will be placed in the church at 11:30.
Pallbearers are nephews.
Flower bearers are nieces. Visitation is Thursday evening at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@emeraldis.com

Selly Young

WATERLOO — Selly Woods Childs Young, 90, of River Fort Road, widow of Paul Young, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenville County, she was a daughter of the late Tandy M. and Lillie Ridgeway Woods. She was retired from Rose’s Department Store and was a member of New Prospect Baptist Church.
She was twice married, first to the late Howard R. Childs.
Survivors include a daughter, Lucy C. Evans of Winston-Salem, N.C.; a son, Martin Howard Childs of Waterloo; three brothers, Cleveland Woods and Eldridge Woods, both of Greenville and Harvey Woods of Florence; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, conducted by the Revs. Harvey Woods and John Huckabee.
Visitation is 1-2 Thursday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
The family is at the home on Riverfork Road.
Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com