Local teen comes one step closer
to Usher-ing in acting dreams

August 28, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Greenwood’s Asia Brazil acted in a calm and collected way the first time she met R&B singer Usher at Camp New Look: She rushed toward him at top speed.
Her friends would later tell her that one moment she was standing right beside them, and the next moment she was being held back by 10 of Usher’s bodyguards.
Brazil and the other 150 campers had been waiting in the Morris Brown College gymnasium at Camp New Look in Atlanta for the famous artist when someone spied him walking into the gym.
Needless to say, Brazil was there first.
“It was shocking, at first,” she said about meeting Usher.
Usher’s last album, “Confessions,” won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2004, according to Billboard.com. One of his last singles, “Burn,” also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2004.
Brazil was the only South Carolinian to be selected out of 6,000 applicants to attend the two-week camp in July hosted by Usher and other celebrities.
The camp was designed to teach kids who want to work in the entertainment industry how to perfect their talent and deal with the business side of being in the public eye.
Kids who wanted to dance, act, create music or play for a professional sports team came to the camp to receive guidance from celebrities already in the business, Brazil said.
Brazil was accepted to the camp because of her grade point average and a three-page essay she wrote about why she wanted to go to the camp.
She spent the weeks learning how to dance with a professional choreographer and act with Usher.
Brazil said Usher told her that she did a good job acting out a scene from the movie “Spider-man.” She said she wants to become an actress in movies and television after graduating from Emerald High School.
Brazil said finding out she was going to Camp New Look was the best birthday present she’d ever gotten.
Camp New Look’s information packet came in the mail near her birthday.
She said she screamed and jumped around her mother, Alacis Williams, after opening the packet.
Williams said she was excited about her daughter going to the camp.
When Brazil puts her mind to something, it happens, Williams said.
At the camp, she also got to meet celebrities such as NBA basketball player Shaquille O’Neil, playwright and actor Tyler Perry and music producer Jermaine Dupri.
Brazil was amazed to meet and talk to people she knew from television and the movies.
“It was mind blowing,” she said.
But Brazil wasn’t as excited to see those celebrities as she was meeting Usher, Williams said.
Her daughter has been a fan of Usher’s for a long time.
Brazil has a large picture of Usher in her room, one of Usher’s towels from a concert she went to and his VIP pass from the last concert at Camp New Look.
Each dance, music and sports group performed at the concert before recording artists Sammy and Sean Paul came on.
Brazil said she liked talking to Usher during the camp.
Usher was friendly with the people at the camp and gave everyone a nickname, Brazil said.
Her nickname was originally “40-yard dash,” after their original meeting.
It got changed to ‘Candy’ soon after, Brazil said.
Brazil said Usher might let her have a chance at her dream later this year. She said he wants her to be in his next movie.
Now many things have to be done at once, Williams said.
Acting as Brazil’s manager, Williams is looking for a tutor and agent for her daughter.
Brazil owes the chance to be her own star to her favorite star.

LU cross country ready for year

August 28, 2006

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

The Lander University women’s cross country team finished fourth in the 2005 Peach Belt Conference run, but the difference between that and second or third was about as close as you can get.
Points are tabulated according to the finish of five runners on each team, and Lander had a total of 89. That’s eight points behind second and only three behind third place.
“We thought we could do better, but we had a couple who didn’t do as well as I thought, and we had two runners get beat at the finish line,” coach Bob Stoner said.
“We were that close to second and, hopefully, we can get back up there again.”
Stoner has an opportunity to see where the Lady Bearcats stand Saturday when they host the Lander Invitational at Connie Maxwell Children’s Home.
It is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m.
“We have three of our top five runners back, but we lost our No. 1 runner in Ivana Petrovic,” he said. “We also lost our No. 5 runner, but we have a good nucleus back.”
The returners include sophomore Anna Lohmann, of Clemson, who finished 14th in last year’s PBC meet, sophomore Olga Nunez-Lopez, of Chapin, and senior Margaret Mobley, of Augusta.
Lohmann ran 20:50.46 in the PBC meet, which Stoner said is a good average time on that level.
“We’ve got two freshmen (Mary Alexander, of Spartanburg, and Chesley Ashford, of Greenville) who can help, but the biggest new runner is Cassie Rowland, who transferred from Spartanburg Methodist. She will help us a lot.
“I don’t know if we have anybody as good as Ivana, but from one to five, we will be as effective,” Stoner said. “This is a strong conference and we had a shot at second last year. Hopefully, we can get in the top two or three this year.”
An added advantage for PBC teams this year is the moving of Kennesaw State and North Florida.
“They were way out in front of everybody,” Stoner said. “Now, everybody has a chance to win it, and it has gotten more competitive.” Basically, the schedule remains the same as last year.
There will be two big area events being Saturday’s Lander Invitational and the Oct. 12 Erskine Invitational at Erskine College.

Opinion

‘Message’ from the Bulge as pertinent now as then

August 28, 2006

“Battleground” is a classic motion picture that is shown occasionally on television . It is about the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, one of the pivotal engagements between America’s l01st Airborne Division and Nazi forces. There are many South Carolina veterans who were there. They remember it well.
There are too many today, however, who know about that struggle only because of the movie. If they pay close attention, though, they will notice some prophetic dialogue that speaks to the environment of conflict that threatens the world of 2006.
One character, An army chaplain, delivered a sermon in the field to American troops. He spoke as if he could see into the future. Of course, the writers were responsible for that dialogue.

WHAT WAS WRITTEN THEN, though, reinforces the prescient wisdom and credibility of what was noted way back when.
The chaplain talked with the troops about why it was necessary for them to be there and why they were fighting the fascist threat to the world. He emphasized how crucial it was to stop the spread of fascism before it spread too far to stop.
What followed - the prophetic part - is eerily coming true now, well more than a half century later. The most worrisome thing, he said, was that in time we would forget why we had to fight that war and what the dangers of not resisting fascism were.
Now, fast-forward to the present struggle against Islamic radicals who use terror and murder to advance their bloody agenda. They believe Israel has no right to even exist and have sworn to do anything necessary to destroy that nation.

THE U. S., WHICH WAS instrumental in the creation of modern Israel and has been it’s friend ever since, is, therefore, considered by terrorists as a land of infidels who also need to be killed.
The anti-American hatred among extremist Muslim terrorists indeed is not new. It dates back to 1948 when modern Israel was created by the United Nations largely through the efforts of the U. S. We have been targets at various times ever since. It was not extraordinary, then, for that “Battleground” chaplain to be so clairvoyant. The writer had plenty of history to support his “vision.”
The threat today is not any different. Fascism lives and still endangers us and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, too many Americans are validating that character’s remarkable “we will forget” dialogue.

Obituaries

Rogelio ‘Roger’ Dimen

SALUDA — Rogelio “Roger” Dimen, 59, of 1490 Hollywood Road, husband of Rhonda Lake Dimen, died Thursday, August 24, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in the Phillipines, he worked most of his life as a cook and was a member of Bethany United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, of the home; his mother, of the Phillipines; several brothers and sisters.
Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Bethany United Methodist Church. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Visitation is 10-11 Monday at the church.
Ramey Funeral Home is in charge.

June Ferguson

ABBEVILLE — June Price Ferguson, 73, resident of 2354 Hwy. 284 Nation Community, wife of Herbert Harris Ferguson died Sunday Aug. 27, 2006 at her home.
Born in Ware Shoals, SC she was a daughter of the late Sylvester ‘S.A.’ and Corrine Ware Price.
She was a retired textile employee with Milliken Textiles, Abbeville Plant and Huggins Garment Co. She was also a member of Bells United Methodist Church.
Survivors are: her husband Herbert Ferguson of the home, 2 sons Dr. John Herbert Ferguson and his wife Debbie of Peak, SC and Michael Craig Ferguson and his wife Catherine of Williamston, SC, 1 sister Geraldine Price McMahan of Grovetown, GA, 4 grandchildren John Matthew Ferguson, Kiri Nicole Ferguson, Katie Marie Ferguson and Tyler Benjamin Ferguson.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday Aug. 29, 2006 at 11:00 AM at Bells United Methodist Church. The burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The body is at The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home where the family will recieve friends from 6:00 until 7:30 PM Monday evening. The family is at the residence 2354 Hwy. 284 Abbeville, SC.
Memorials may be made to Bells United Methodist Church 2540 Flat Rock Rd. Abbeville, SC.
THE CHANDLER-JACKSON FUNERAL HOME, ABBEVILLE, SC IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.chandlerjacksonfh.com
PAID OBITUARY

Charlie Ernest Hancock

SALUDA — Ernest Hancock, 89, died on August 26, 2006 at the Saluda Nursing Center. He was the owner and operator of Hancock Poultry, Inc for over 50 years. The funeral will be at 11:00 on Tuesday at Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at West Travis Park Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 6:00 to 8:00 at Ramey Funeral Home.
Mr. Hancock was born near McBee, South Carolina on May 6, 1917. He was the son of the late Newbie Winfield Hancock and the late Laura Ann Morgan. Surviving are his wife, Geneva Horne Hancock; his son Don Hancock of Saluda; two daughters, Charlyn Hancock Staubes of Saluda and Ann Hancock Coker (Richard) of Greenwood; four grandchildren, Keller Staubes (Nicole) of James Island, SC; Katie Staubes, of St.
Petersburg, Fl; and Justin Coker and Tyler Coker of Greenwood. Survivors also include his brother, N. W. Hancock, Jr, of Lexington; and sisters, Rosetta Leaphart of Gilbert and Mary Ann Hall of Columbia.
He is also survived by his stepson, Donald Horne of Saluda and five step-grandchildren, Sheree Bowick of McCormick, Hardee Horne, Toby Horne, Darren Horne, and Devin Horne, all of Saluda.
He was a member of American Legion Post 65 and was an active member of Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church.
A veteran of World War II, Mr. Hancock served in U.S. Army in the European Theater. He saw combat action in several campaigns including Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Central Europe, and Germany. His personal decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. He was wounded in France in July, 1944 and was captured by Nazi forces in December, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.
He was predeceased by Helen Price Hancock, his wife of 50 years, and his stepson Bernard Horne.
The family extends their thanks to the staff of the Riley Unit of Saluda Nursing Center and to Dr. Bill Sawyer of their compassionate care.
Memorials may be sent to Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church, 106 N. Calhoun Street or to the Saluda Nursing Center, 581 Newberry Highway, Saluda.
The family is at the home of daughter, Charlyn Hancock Staubes in Saluda.
Ramey Funeral Home is in charge.
PAID OBITUARY

Martin McAbee

McCORMICK — Martin Townes McAbee, 23, resident of 762 Barksdale Ferry Road, died August 27, 2006 in McCormick County from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Born in Greenwood July 11, 1983, he was a son of Jennings G. McAbee, Sr. and Patti Townes Herring McAbee. He attended Cambridge Academy and was a 2001 graduate of Emerald High School in Greenwood. He attended Lander University and was co-owner of McAbee Repossession Company.
From an early age Martin was a passionate person, very caring and giving, a gifted musician and he developed an extraordinary gift for computer technology.
A member of McCormick First Baptist Church, he was a former member of the Royal Ambassadors, Boy Scouts of America and was a member of Young Life of America.
Surviving in addition to his father of the home and his mother of Greenville are two brothers, Jennings G., Jr. and wife Mamie McAbee of North Augusta and Charles W. McAbee of McCormick; and Winston.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3:00PM Tuesday at McCormick First Baptist Church with Reverend Dennis Lynn officiating.
Burial will follow in the Troy Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be John Mark Shiflet, Timothy Floyd, Chad Herring, Clayton Vickery, Ben Ferqueron, Will Coleman, Randy Pace and Ian Morris.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home in Greenwood and will be placed in the church at 2:00 PM Tuesday.
The family is at the home on Barksdale Ferry Road and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6-8 PM Monday.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Homemade Genius, Inc. c/o Palmetto Bank, 701 Montague Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29649.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the McAbee family.
PAID OBITUARY

Ronald Raines

Ronald Oliver Raines 44, of 231 Lowell St., husband of Constance Brook Raines, died Saturday, August 26, 2006 at his home.
Born in Elberton, Ga., he was a son of Verona Lee Raines and the late Charles Raines. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, of the home; his mother, of Greenwood; a daughter, Brittany Raines, of Hilton Head; a son, Chandler Raines, of the home; two stepsons, Justin McFerrin and Alex Higdon, both of the home; a sister, Mrs. Robert (Rita) Henning, of Greenwood; two brothers, Raymond Raines and Richard Raines, both of Greenwood; a granddaughter.
Private memorial services are at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, 950 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com