Cat-astrophe

Fearful feline faces freezing

January 19, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal staff writer

It promised to be another long, cold night for one Greenwood cat stranded on top of a utility pole off Trakas Avenue.
The cat has been sitting atop the 30-plus-foot pole since at least Sunday morning, and neighbors are concerned that dehydration, starvation and low temperatures could take their toll on the feline before they are able to rescue it.
Greenwood Police on the scene Tuesday night said nothing would be done for the cat until daylight today.
The idea of tranquilizing the cat proved to be “much more risky” than originally thought – and riskier than leaving the cat on the pole until daylight, said Karen Pettay, director of the Greenwood Humane Society.
“I’m believing, by faith, it will last one night,” she said.
The cat was grooming itself, and Pettay said that is a good sign. “It seems very relaxed,” she said.
As he was traveling down his street Sunday morning, Trakas Avenue resident Joel Shaw noticed something unusual about a utility pole in a neighbor’s yard just a few houses away from his home.
“I noticed the dogs (in the yard) making a ruckus – they kept barking and looking up at the pole, and that’s when I noticed there was a cat up there,” he said. “Since then I’ve been trying to find somebody who can help us get him down.”
The utility pole sits between two houses, and Shaw said he believes the cat climbed the pole because it was afraid of several dogs that live in the yards. Even though the pole is not on his property, Shaw said he contacted local authorities and CPW to see if they could help save the cat.
Since the cat is perched on a live utility pole, police and fire authorities are unable to climb the pole or go near the electrical wires to reach the cat.
Capt. Sonny Cox with Greenwood Police said the departments were at a standstill in the situation.
“We’re calling on all of the resources that may be available to help this cat. We would love for it to come down naturally on its own,” Cox said. “The police department is not equipped for this. Nobody is qualified to go around those electrical wires – only CPW has that knowledge.”
CPW representatives were at the scene Tuesday to survey the situation, but by evening nothing had been done to cut the power to the pole. Authorities also were unsuccessful in attempts to get a homeowner whose fenced yard is beside the pole to take a rottweiler inside – the hope was that without the threat of harm from the dog the cat could climb down.
But Pettay, who has also headed efforts to save the cat, said she was concerned it may not be able to climb down the pole on its own.
“It’s one thing to climb a tree, but I don’t think it can come down a straight pole that has no branches,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “We’re willing to get up there and take the risk, but we don’t have the equipment. We’ve exhausted all of our resources.”

James Avery

James Edward Avery, 73, of 211 Willowbrook Road, husband of Annette Mercer Avery, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005 at his home.
Born in Newberry, he was a son of the late Charlie and Vera Bauknight Avery. He was retired from Lowe’s and was an Army veteran. He was Methodist.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Michael Wayne Avery and Alan Terry Avery, both of Greenwood; a sister, Doris Johnson of Newberry; two brothers, Elbert Avery and Charles Avery, both of Newberry; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. James Boling. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at the funeral home.
The family is at the home.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Sam Barrett

GREENWOOD – Loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Samuel Eugene “Sam” Barrett, 89, resident of 139 Avondale Road, husband of Katherine Battles Barrett, died January 18, 2005 at his home.
Born in Rome, GA, May 10, 1915, he was a son of the late John Marion Barrett and Lela Mae Walters Barrett Townsend. He was retired from Greenwood Mills.
A member of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church and the Men’s Bible Class of the church, he was a past member of the Mathews Lion’s Club and was a Mason.
Surviving in addition to his wife of the home are a daughter, Jo Anne Barrett Smith and son-in-law, Herbert C. Smith, Jr. of Greenwood; three sisters, Mrs. Jack (Effie) Griffin of Atlanta, GA, Mrs. Brimp (Clara) Warren and Mrs. Irene Marbut, both of Summerville, GA; a grand-daughter, Sherri Lynn Smith; grandson, Brian Keith Smith and wife, Schanen Jester Smith; three great-grandchildren, Sarah Katherine Adams, Graham Barrett Adams and Savannah Paige Smith.
Mr. Barrett was predeceased by brothers, Thomas Barrett and Medlin Barrett and sisters, Mardcan Barrett McGregor and Adele Barrett Tebalt.
Funeral services will be conducted at 12 noon Thursday from the BIyth Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Leland Scott and Father Timothy Tebalt officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be J. W. Walker, Doug Shannon, J. D. Smith, Jim Vaughn, Gerald Burton and Bernard Padgett.
Honorary escort will be members of the Men’s Bible Class of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church along with Leroy Banes.
The family is at the home in Avondale and will receive friends at the funeral home from 11 to 12 noon on Thursday.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, 509 Kirksey Drive, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE BARRETT FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Bobby Clanton

Elbert Bobby Clanton, 55, of Houston, Texas, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005 at his home.
The family is at the home of his mother, Louise Hunter, 1701 E. Durst Ave.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Elizabeth Hasting

SALUDA, SC – Elizabeth Burnett Hasting, 93, of 3004 Old Edgefield Rd., died Tuesday, January 18, 2005 at Saluda Nursing Center.
Born in Saluda County, and a daughter of the late Butler and Carrie Leopard Burnett, she was the wife of the late Jacie Lee Hasting. Mrs. Hasting was retired from Greenwood Mills - Ninety Six Plant and a member of Friendship Pentecostal Holiness Church, She is the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Surviving are several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Family will receive friends from 6 until 8PM, Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at Ramey Funeral Home.
Funeral service will be held 2PM, Thursday, January 20, 2005 at Friendship Pentecostal Holiness Church with the Rev. Boyd Arnold officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Friendship Pentecostal Holiness Church, 9602 Hwy. 178 S., Saluda, SC 29138.
Ramey Funeral Home is in charge.
PAID OBITUARY

“Sis” Hughes

GREENWOOD – Elsie Anderson “Sis” Hughes, 84, of 201 Logan Road, widow of Richard M. Hughes, died Monday, January 17, 2005 at Magnolia Manor.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late Joe and Lessie Hinton Anderson. She was retired from Nantex-Riviera and was a member of Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Surviving is her daughter, Linda H. Phillips of Greenwood; a son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Elaine Hughes of Greenwood; a sister, Mrs. James (Vivian) Edwards of Greenwood; three grandchildren, Kitty Hughes Coker and Rick Phillips, both of Greenwood and Mickie Phillips Ellis of Due West; and four great grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mayhew West officiating. Burial will be private.
Pallbearers will be Chris Coker, Rick Phillips, Robin Conner, Junior Nickles, Andy Ellis, James Hughes and Bobby Hughes.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, Memorials & Tributes Pro-cessing Center, PO Box 5216, Glen Allen VA 23058-5216 or to HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Wayne Moore

GREENWOOD – Wayne Oscar Moore, 66, of 129 Allison Drive, died Monday, January 17, 2005 at his home.
Born in Ninety Six, he was a son of the late Roy Lee and Geneva “Sis” Fortner Moore. He attended school in Ninety Six and was formerly employed by Monsanto and Daniel Construction before becoming the owner and operator of Moore’s Used Cars. He was a US Air Force veteran.
Surviving are two daughters and sons-in-law, Melody and Ralph Mack of Waterloo and Kim and Steve King of Ninety Six; three sons and daughters-in-law, Pat and Debbie Moore and Gregg and Zella Moore, all of Greenwood and Howard Moore of Ninety Six; 11 grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
Services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bobby Davis officiating. Burial, with military rites, will be in Elmwood Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Mike Marler, Albert Burnett, Clarence Young, Ricky Robinson, Phillip Fortner, Allen Fortner, Rev. Gene Davis and Donnie Davis.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
The family is at the home of his son, Pat Moore, 304 Kelli Drive, Greenwood.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Bennie A. Reynolds

Bennie Melvin Alexander Reynolds, wife of Cornell Reynolds, of 518 Maxwell Ave., died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Friendly Funeral Home, Calhoun Falls.

Tigers roll past Wildcats

January 19, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

NINETY SIX — The only thing that really stopped Markese Holloway in the first half Tuesday night was himself.
The Saluda junior center scored 17 of his 27 points in the first two quarters despite spending some time on the bench with three fouls, leading the Tigers to a 75-64 win over Ninety Six.
The Saluda victory pushes the team’s record to 15-2 overall and 2-1 in Region III-AA play and sets up a critical matchup Friday night with defending region champion Emerald, which is also 2-1 after Tuesday’s win over Mid-Carolina. There is a four-way tie for first place in the region, which includes Saluda and Emerald.
The Wildcats, who had two starters on the bench in street clothes, dropped to 2-11 and 1-2 in the region.
“Markese really played well for us and Jarvis (Abney) and Montez (Mathis) did a good job of getting it in to him,” Tigers coach Jimmy Kinard said. “We made it a point of emphasis to get it in there, and Mark did a good job of finishing it.”
“I know that Ninety Six played a little short-handed. They had a couple of starters out for disciplinary reasons, but the rest of them flat got after us. But it was good for us to maintain that momentum, because I know it’s going to be a dogfight up there at Emerald.”
Saluda also got 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks from sophomore Trevor Deloach and 10 points from senior Rodrecus Tolen.
Ninety Six senior Tyler Robinson led four different Wildcats in double figures, scoring 14 points while grabbing 16 boards. Quendrick Taylor, playing his first game of the season at point guard, and Kenneth Griffin each had 13 points, while Stephen Miller added 10.
During a three-minute stretch in the second quarter, Holloway, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, chipped in eight points on a 15-2 run. It was a run that turned the Tigers’ four-point advantage into a commanding 36-19 lead with 4 minutes, 14 seconds left in the first half.
After leading by as much as 20 in the firs half (43-23), the Tigers took a 45-28 leading into the halftime break, thanks to Antwon Nicholson’s tip-in at the buzzer.
Despite the huge hole, the Wildcats didn’t stop pushing, outscoring the Tigers 19-14 in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 12.
The lead was 10 when Griffin drained a 16-foot jumper to make it 67-57 with 3:09 remaining, but the Wildcats never cut it into single digits.
Saluda made only 2 of 10 free throws in the final 74 seconds of play, but Ninety Six managed only five points in that time.

Black leaders and others must encourage students

January 19, 2005

One of the primary themes around South Carolina during Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances was education. Nothing could have been more to the point that involves the future of all South Carolinians.
Former Governor and U. S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley told about 2,000 marchers at the State House in Columbia that quality education should be available for every child in the state. “We have not placed a high enough value on a good education,” Riley said.
He’s right. But, then, that’s not something that hasn’t been heard before. Still, the effort to make that happen must continue. It’s not simply a black issue, either. It is important to every child, regardless of color or anything else.

THERE IS ANOTHER POINT, though, and it’s something that doesn’t always get the needed attention. It involves children and parents, certainly, but it involves many other people. Black leaders – and white leaders for that matter – have a crucial role to play and too many just don’t show up “when the roll is called.”
It’s a simple point, too, and the quality of the educational system has nothing to do with it. Youngsters of all colors must constantly be encouraged to take advantage of the education available to them. Too many black youngsters, particularly, often go through the motions but simply don’t take education seriously.
When parents and other adults don’t emphasize the importance of education, younger, impressionable minds can easily look at school – attendance and studying – as something that really is not so important.

UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, it’s significant that leading figures in all walks of life, especially black men and women who can exert influence, emphasize what getting an education means. One thing’s, for sure. It means more than many youngsters of all races and ethnic backgrounds realize.
All of us, without question, should do everything we can to make sure educational opportunities are not only equal, but the best they can possibly be. Excellence in education is not out of the question, but it can be if it’s not something we strive for ….. and that goes for every citizen in the Palmetto State.
We can talk about equality all we want to, but in the absence of education, there can be none. Education is the great equalizer. We should all keep that in mind, especially black leaders. They can complain, but they can do better. They can encourage kids to go to school ….. and learn.