Businesses can use ‘healthy suspicion,’
purchase orders to combat fraud

July 25, 2006

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

A healthy suspicion and following a set of guidelines for handling purchase orders are ways that a Greenwood businessman and a law enforcement official suggest for local companies to protect themselves against misrepresentation.
Businesses in a four-county area were bilked out of $90,000, and a local man was arrested and charged with representing himself as a high-level employee of a Greenwood roofing business.
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office investigators claim Harrison Whit Bourne, 34, of 716 Stanley Ave., Greenwood, used the name of C.E. Bourne Roofing, a legitimate and well-established Greenwood County business, to acquire goods and services. “Greenwood is the size community where companies are known to one another. The name Bourne is associated with that company,” Greenwood Police Chief Gerald Brooks said.
For business people approached by someone who says he works for a company and wants to make purchases in that company’s name, Brooks suggests that you “call that company’s number in the white pages or yellow pages, and that will connect you with somebody in authority.”
A business owner could make that call either while the person stands at the counter or by going into a separate room, Brooks said.
Doing it that way — while the person who is making the order for goods and services is standing in the business — means the person won’t answer the phone call himself. The owner of the business being approached will be talking to a legitimate employee of the business making the request for goods and services.
“At the police department, we do a fair amount of business with vendors. We use purchase order numbers. That way, if someone shows up in uniform saying he wants goods and services, the business can say, ‘We have to have a purchase order number,’” Brooks said. “It’s out of the ordinary not to have one. They’re (businesses) familiar with city policies.”
Brooks said businesses could show a product or even negotiate a price with a customer representing himself as being an owner or employee of another business, but, before the transaction is completed, “talk to someone in that company,” he said.
Web sites related to identity theft have an abundance of information about personal identity theft. But there is little guidance for businesses on how to protect themselves against misrepresentation.
In Harrison Bourne’s case, investigators claim he ordered and then received a wide variety of items. These included a $60,000 Caterpillar skid-steer forklift, a Ford F150 four-door pickup and 15 hours of limousine service.
Warrants were issued by Greenwood and Laurens investigators, and the local sheriff’s office said Bourne also is being investigated for thefts in Greenville County and will be questioned in connection with other thefts in Greenwood and Abbeville counties.
Sheriff’s investigators said officials with C.E. Bourne Roofing told them that Harrison Bourne does not work for the company and has never been affiliated with the company. He is neither the son of an owner of the company nor a son of any employee at C.E. Bourne.
C.E. Bourne has a 100-year tradition in Greenwood, observing the milestone this year, and a fifth generation of the family that founded the business now runs it, according to a February article in The Index-Journal.
The company started with a couple of trucks and five employees and now has about 30 trucks, 60 employees and eight crews. The company started as a sheet metal business but has narrowed its focus to roofing (industrial commercial, institutional, governmental and residential). The company has played a part in completing many structures in the Carolinas and Georgia, the article said.
Bill Wilson, owner of Thayer’s gift and furniture shop, a 90-year institution in Uptown Greenwood, said business experience is valuable in gauging the validity of a person’s representation as being affiliated with another business. “We would take a credit card and check it out before we’d let that much go,” Wilson said. “We would not let (merchandise) out before we know who they are. It sounds like some inexperience in business. If it’s some prominent person’s child, I would not let them have that much unless we have established some relationship with them. I might let them open up a charge account for $100. If I lose that, it’s not that much.”
Wilson said of the amount Bourne is charged with taking, it was “incredulous they let him run up that much.”
“You get suspicious,” he said. “There are warning flags.”

Boomers share their concerns

July 25, 2006

By LESLIE DRAFFIN
Index-Journal intern

The war in Iraq, Social Security, health care and America’s dependency on outsourcing and foreign goods rank among the top concerns for baby boomers in Greenwood.
“The issue I’m most concerned about is the war in Iraq. I have two teenage boys and I worry we might have to go back to the draft,” David Burton, of Greenwood, said.
The Index-Journal conducted phone interviews with baby boomers and asked them about their present concerns and their worries about — and plans for — the future.
“I’m more concerned with Syria and especially Iran, who has a president that says he doesn’t believe the holocaust happened and who could also have nuclear capabilities,” said Butch Lesley, a Greenwood resident who is retired from the Air Force.
“Our tendency to get involved in world policing, especially in the Middle East, concerns me,” Ken Leach, of Greenwood, said. “And I’ve pretty much written off Social Security.”
Many Greenwood baby boomers say Social Security is something they have little faith in when it comes to their future.
“I just believe Social Security is falling apart,” Greenwood resident Neal Longmire said. “At first the age was 62 to 65 to receive Social Security benefits, and now they have pushed it up to 66 to 70.”
“By putting production capabilities into the hands of countries who aren’t politically friendly to the United States, like China, I worry that we’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Lesley said. “I’d hate to see our retailers out of business if something happens overseas.”
Still, with so many concerns revolving around foreign affairs, Greenwood baby boomers also worry about their personal lives and what their children might face as they grow older.
“I’m concerned about having to be dependent on my children for health care if something happens to me or my husband,” Suzy Mitchell, of Greenwood, said.
Mitchell also said she is worried about finding dependable, affordable and available health care facilities in the future.
“I think that the next generation will have to look at getting national free health care. It’s just not fair that so many companies are failing to support their employees,” Longmire said.
“The overall breakdown of family values is what I worry about most for my family and the world. So much could be improved if family values were improved,” Fran Wiley, executive director of the Piedmont Technical College Foundation, said. “As far as the next generation, I’m concerned about social issues like illiteracy, teenage pregnancy and peer pressure. Children are being influenced more and more by drugs and alcohol that weren’t as prevalent when I was growing up.”
The movement from locally owned businesses to big superstores is what worries Thomas Wingard, of Wingard’s Pharmacy.
“I’m just afraid the next generation will miss out on a lot if they can’t experience family businesses where people know who you are,” he said.
The baby boomer generation, defined as people born between 1946 and 1964, has experienced significant changes, including technology, communication and material possessions.
“You had three channels on the TV if you were lucky. It went off at 11. There were no TVs in your bedroom, and programs didn’t show all day long,” David Burton said.
TV programming and commercials once appealed to families, Lesley said, but today “you can’t sit down and watch a family show without being embarrassed.”
“I can remember going to visit my grandmother in Lexington and having to dial an operator to get in touch with anyone. There were no numbers you called directly. Here in Greenwood, it was different. We had numbers but, instead of numbers as a prefix, it was BA and then a number. The prefix BA referred to the family who owned the local telephone company,” Wingard said.
Computers and the Internet affect baby boomers who feel unsure about new technology, although some credit the Internet with helping their personal communications.
“With the Internet, I have been able to keep in touch with people I would never have found otherwise,” Arthur Gillespie, of Greenwood, said.
Along with world and personal issues, many baby boomers in Greenwood are getting ready for retirement by setting aside funds and planning activities for their future.
“I want to be able to work in the yard and play lots of golf, even though I’m not that good at golf. I just love going and watching other people. It’s quite humorous,” Longmire said.
“I might take on another career,” Leach said, “as well as volunteer and travel to see my family.”
“You know, I’ve been trying to think of something to do when I retire, but I’m not good at golf, so I guess I’ll just work part time until I find something I want to do,” Wingard said.
But other baby boomers looking toward retirement just want to find some peace and quiet.
“I want to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the lake,” Mitchell said. “I want to try and find some peace in all this hustle and bustle.”

June Husser

WHITEHALL, PA — M. June Husser, age 69 of Whitehall, died Saturday, July 22, 2006.
Beloved wife of Roy K. Husser; mother of Kirk J. (Beth Ann) Husser of SC, James B. (Barbara) Husser of Jefferson Hills; grandmother of Andrea (Bobby) and Laura; sister of Richard (Polly) Rodgers, Wayne (Audrey) Rodgers, John Rodgers, and the late Donald and Will Rodgers.
There will be no visitation. The Husser Family will receive friends at the John F. Slater Funeral Home, Inc., 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood, PA 15227 on Wednesday from 10:30-11:00 a.m. at which time a Memorial Service will be held. Interment will be held privately. If desired, family suggests contributions be made to Grane Hospice Care, 209 Sigma Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. www.johnfslater.com.
PAID OBITUARY

Betty Pardue

GREENWOOD, SC — Betty Polk Pardue, 55, of 211 Blyth Road, wife of William David Pardue died Sunday, July 23, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Atlanta, GA, she was the daughter of the late Durwood Polk and Selma Strickland Kelso. She was a faithful member of Augusta Highway Baptist Church and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Debbie Leckliter.
She is survived by four sons, Biemann Pardue of Hickory Tavern, Ronnie Pardue of Greenwood, Johnny Pardue of Ware Shoals, and Jeff Pardue of Greenwood; two sisters, Jackie Yorsten of Ware Shoals and Sandra Cogdill of Greenwood; and 11 grandchildren.
Services will be held 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, at Augusta Highway Baptist Church with the Reverend Craig Hughes and Kenny Griffin officiating. Interment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Jake Yorsten, Steve Drummond, Mike Leckliter, Glenn Drummond, Chris Tyler, and Benny Rexrode.
The body is at Harley Funeral Home where the family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 7:00-9:00 PM at Harley Funeral Home and will be placed in the church 1:00 P.M. Wednesday.
Memorials may be made to Harley Funeral Home, % Betty Pardue, P.O. Box 777, Greenwood, S.C.
The family is at the home.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.
PAID OBITUARY

State tourney time

American Legion Post 20 baseball team gears up for championship event

July 25, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

When it comes time to participate in the state championship round of nearly any sporting event, coaches sometimes have to make adjustments on the fly.
The Greenwood American Legion baseball team and coach Billy Dean Minor have had to make an adjustment before this week’s American Legion state tournament in Sumter even begins.
Post 20, the tournament’s fifth seed with a 19-5 record, was set to take on Richland in Wednesday’s opening round.
However, the American Legion’s state executive committee has changed the bracket, now pitting Greenwood against fourth-seeded Gaffney 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The double elimination tournament will conclude with Sunday’s championship game.
When asked if there are any overt adjustments to be made for facing Gaffney, a strange choice for a fourth seed considering its 25-1 record, Minor said changes would be minimal.
“We don’t necessarily adjust to meet our opponent,” Minor said. “If we go out and hit the baseball and get the pitching we’ve been getting, we’ll be fine.”
Eight teams from across the state will be participating in the event. Besides Greenwood, the tournament will feature defending state champion and home team Sumter, as well as Gaffney, Richland, Murrells Inlet, Cheraw, Florence and Rock Hill.
Should Greenwood defeat Gaffney Wednesday, it will face the winner of the Sumter-Murrells Inlet first round game Thursday. However, if Post 20 loses to Gaffney, it will face the loser of the Richland-Cheraw matchup Thursday. Times for the second round games are to be determined.
This is the second consecutive year Post 20 has participated in the state tournament. Last year, however, Post 20 got an exemption into the event because Legion Field was the host.
This season Greenwood certainly earned its way in. The squad decisively won the League VII title, and has been impressive in the playoffs.
Post 20 went 6-1 in the postseason leading up to the state tourney, sweeping Inman, 3-0, and dropping Lancaster, 3-1. If not for a dramatic ninth inning grad slam by Lancaster’s Steven Neff in game two of that series, Greenwood could have swept its way through the opening rounds.
Minor said he had an inkling Post 20 was set to have a solid season and make a run for state.
“We’re still a young team,” Minor said. “But we did have a better season than we had a year ago. I felt like if these guys could settle in and gel together we could win some ball games. And we did. We were one inning away from being undefeated in the playoffs.”
For Wednesday’s first round game against Gaffney, Post 20 will send ace Brandon Miller to the mound for the start.
Miller, a USC commitment, has shined so far this season, suffering only one loss and tossing a playoff no-hitter against Inman.
“Brandon’s done a good job for us all year, so we’re going with him against Gaffney,” Minor said. “He’s been throwing real well, getting good movement.”
Minor said he feels confident his entire pitching rotation, which also includes Justin Collier, Justin Lawson, Kyle Behrendt and Cruse Tollison, will be able to step up and give quality innings during the tournament.
If Greenwood has designs on winning a state title, particularly with its route possibly running through the Gaffney and Sumter squads, it will need to stay hot at the plate. Post 20 averaged over 10 runs per game against Lancaster, scoring 41 total runs in the series.
Part of that solid hitting has come from the steady flow at the top of the order. Brent Wham, Wofford commitment Kyle Behrendt, Tollison, Trey Wimmer and Keith Hill have proven capable of picking up timely hits and executing opportunistic base running in key situations.
Minor said the team will need to remain focused, as its routine will be changed for the extended road trip.
“We’re going down there to win, but we want it to be fun, too,” Minor said. “But again, winning is what we’re there for. The guys will have to get adjusted to sleeping in the hotels and such and I have meetings to attend, so it will be different.”
Temperature will most certainly be an issue, as well.
With highs in Sumter expected to be in the mid to upper 90s, Minor said it is imperative all the teams stay hydrated.

Suit against university ought to be thrown out

July 25, 2006

What drives this nation these days? That’s not a difficult question to answer. Our society is driven by everything from the ridiculous to the sublime. Mostly, though, it’s the ridiculous. The problems come when we suffer a case of terminal ridiculousness and then have continuous relapses.
One of the most ridiculous situations to come down the pike in some time is a federal lawsuit filed against the University of South Carolina by former Gamecock football player Moe Thompson. Thompson, remember, was dismissed from the university following his arrest on burglary charges in 2005. He transferred to Grambling University and later pleaded guilty to two counts each of attempted first degree burglary and petit larceny.

THOMPSON WAS SENTENCED to five years of probation and was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service. He also was ordered by the court to undergo random drug and alcohol testing.
Thompson and former teammate Kevin Mainord admitted in court testimony that they returned to a dormitory after a night of drinking and partying and took electronic equipment and other items from two rooms occupied by female students. The two female students were sleeping.
In the suit, Thompson claims USC failed to follow its procedures when he was dismissed and that the dismissal was handled in a “punitive manner.” He also claims it cost him a chance to continue his football career at another school.
Still, Thompson signed a professional football contract with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent but was released. HOW RIDICULOUS IS IT when an admitted criminal blames the university for his troubles? He was the burglar, not the school. Blaming USC for what he did on his own is outrageous.
Thompson also claims USC should have allowed him to “matriculate at a reduced pace” because of his verbal and reading disability,” according to a statement from his attorney.
Really? You have to ask how he got as far as he did if he had “verbal and (a) reading disability.” The fact that Thompson got as far as he did should argue that he knows right from wrong, and that burglarizing a female dormitory room while two female students were asleep in it was wrong.
The whole situation is ridiculous any way you look at it. The court should throw out the case before any taxpayer money is spent to fight it. It’s ridiculous on its face, and there’s no doubt that’s right.