Third Homemade Genius event
brings youths back to Uptown

July 9, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Sammy Baylor doesn’t see a lot of young people hanging around Uptown nowadays.
Back in the early ’80s, when Baylor was growing up, a movie theater and monthly concerts attracted kids to the Uptown area. Now, it’s a different story for young people, Baylor said. “They have nothing to do,” he said.
Ian Morris knew that youths needed more things to do when he helped form Homemade Genius, a nonprofit organization that encourages artistic and musical expression. Slowly, Homemade Genius is bringing people back to Uptown.
The organization hosts concerts and art shows in Greenwood designed to bring the young, the old and the in-between together. Saturday’s Homemade Genius show featured 12 bands, including world-traveling indie rockers Elf Power, and five local businesses hosting art from regional artists.
Morris and friend Kendric Anderson got inspired to create Homemade Genius after finding nothing exciting going on for people their age. The biggest accomplishment for young people in the past few years has been the skate park at the civic center, but younger kids can’t easily get to the park without cars, Morris said.
The youths are hungry for something new and exciting, he said.
“They want to do something, and we want to give them a positive outlet,” Morris said.
Homemade Genius has put on three shows since March 31. Attendance for each new show is bigger than the last one. Everyone benefits from Homemade Genius: businesses make more money and people have fun in Uptown, Morris said.
Mark Sieskman and Maria Morozowich came from Columbia to see some of their friends who were playing Saturday. He thinks Homemade Genius is a good thing for the town.
“Stuff like this doesn’t happen much in Greenwood,” Sieskman said.
A few hundred people sat in clumps Saturday underneath the trees lining South Main Street despite the slightly overcast sky. The John Banks Trio, a jazz band Baylor came to see, finished their set at about 3:15 p.m. By the time the alternative country band Rejection Letter began playing about 15 minutes later, a group of about 10 people in black T-shirts, aviator sunglasses and tattoos stood in front of the band.
Youths had arrived back in Uptown.

Opinion

Worst threat to humanity leaves liberty no option

July 9, 2006

While the passions commensurate with Independence Day still linger, perhaps it’s time to review a few pertinent principles. Some things we all are aware of, to be sure, but sometimes we simply don’t take them out and look at them very often. One is why we have gone to war.
It’s not just for the present, either. It’s historical in nature.
There are many veterans in Greenwood and the Lakelands area who remember all too well that war is what Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman said. It’s barbarism and what is remembered most, hell. They also know all too well that sometimes it becomes necessary to protect lives as well as a way of life.
Independence Day, of course reminds us that freedom is never free and there are American graves all over the world to prove it.

OUR VETERANS HELPED FIGHT the forces of fascism and communism, more than once. Contrary to what some might think, those forces were verily stopped in their tracks, too. There’s really no telling what our efforts in WWI and WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Caribbean, the Balkans and the Middle East have done for the welfare and future of all people everywhere.
Now we’re fighting perhaps an even worse threat to humanity: terrorism. Terrorists can and often are an invisible enemy to anyone and everyone who doesn’t toe their extremist line. They kill indiscriminately and think nothing about it. The more brutal they can be and are perceived only add to the subliminal fears that are aided by beheadings and other horrible acts that mark their bloody manifestations and reputations.

IT ALSO TENDS TO UNDERMINE the determination to prevail until this “ism” also is stopped in its collective tracks. Terrorism, this edition of fascism, has only two goals: kill everyone who disagrees and rule the world. Terrorists won’t stop. They have to be stopped.
There are some, of course, who are sincere in opposing some of our actions. Others use them for political exploitation.
Shakespeare wrote that “the evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones.” Is that something the people of this great nation are willing to accept? As we see every day, some would be happy with that. Fortunately, though, for us and the world, it’s not what the majority of Americans are made of ..... and, of course, Americans come from every corner of the earth. That fact alone speaks to the greatness of who we are, what we are, and the very nature and responsibilities of freedom.

Obituaries

Ada Banks

SALUDA — Ada Bledsoe Banks, 88, of 206 S. Jennings St., widow of Malcolm Ray Banks, died Friday, July 7, 2006 at Providence Hospital, Columbia.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of the late Berryman R. “B.R.” and Belle Boone Bledsoe. She worked with Civil Defense, the Saluda County Commissioner, Banks Supermarket and retired from the Saluda County Treasurer office. She was a charter member of Saluda Baptist Church and taught the First Grade Sunday School Class for many years.
Survivors include a son, Ronnie Banks of Huntsville, Ala.; two daughters, Mrs. Tom (Jackie) Insalaco of Saluda and Mrs. Mack (Madelyn) Brown of Lexington, N.C.; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren. Services are 3 p.m. today at Saluda Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Norman Rogers. Burial is in Travis Park Cemetery.
Visitation is 2-3 today at the church social hall.
Memorials may be made to Saluda Baptist Church Youth and Children’s Group, 112 W. Wheeler Circle, Saluda, S.C. 29138.
Ramey Funeral Home is in charge.

Mary Frances Beasley

TRENTON, SC — Mrs. Mary Frances Beasley, 81, died at her home on Friday, July 7th. She was the daughter of the late Mary Hill and William Joseph Beasley of Donalds, SC.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 10, 2006 at Sweetwater Baptist Church, with Dr. Paul Noe and Chaplain Dexter Lambert officiating. The family will receive visitors at Sweetwater Baptist Church one hour prior to the funeral service.
Graveside services will be held at 3:30 p.m. at Donalds Baptist Church Cemetery, Donalds, SC.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons and nephews. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Joy Choir and the Mary Stephen’s Sunday School Class.
Mrs. Beasley was a member of Sweetwater Baptist Church, the Mary Stephen’s Sunday School Class and the Joy Choir. She was retired from General Electric of Florence, SC.
Preceding her in death were four brothers, Otis, Ray and Horace Beasley of Donalds, SC, Albert Beasley of Ware Shoals and sister, Catherine Widener of Greenwood, SC.
She was the loving mother of Brenda F. Young (Phil, deceased) of Trenton, SC, Freda C. Burnette (Don) of Spartanburg, SC, Cheryl E. Johnson (Claude) of Florence, SC and William H. Woods (Susan) of York, SC. She is also survived by three sisters, Judy F. Mitchell (Jerry) and Ruby Inez Clinkscales (Carlton) of Donalds, SC and Ola Mae Chapman (Bill) of Florida; one brother, Floyd P. Beasley (Eula) of Donalds, SC; two dearest aunts, Edna Woods and Sara Ashley of Donalds, SC. She was the loving grandmother of nine grandchildren, Angie Duncan (Jason), Stephen, Colby, Jeffrey and Cassie Burnette all of Spartanburg, SC; Melissa and Mandy Johnson of Florence, SC; Andrew and Katherine Woods of York, SC and two precious great-grandchildren, Gabi and Cameron Duncan of Spartanburg, SC.
Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Hospice, 2260 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta, GA 30904.
Rowland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
PAID OBITUARY

Tommy Cason

HODGES — Services for Tommy Cason, of 107 N. Hodges School Road, are 1 p.m. Monday at Rose of Sharon Church, conducted by Elder Isaih R. Campbell, Pastor and Rev. Keith Cromer, assisted by Rev. Norris Turner and Evangelist Mary Greenwood. The body will be placed in the church at noon.
Pallbearers are Kennedy Reynolds, Lafayette Williams, Stanley Marshall, Bryan Wardlaw, Todd Will and Chuck Goodman.
Flower bearers are Vanessa Bryant-Goodwin, Deborah Perkins, Carolyn Williams, Evelyn Williams and Florence Gilchrist.
Honorary escorts are Fuji Film Associates and Brewer Class of 1964.
The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net

Mollie McDade

HODGES — Mollie Jean Smith McDade, 54, of 512 W. Grumbling Road, wife of James “Jimmy” William McDade, died Friday, July 7, 2006 at her home.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of Walter James Smith and the late Dora Agnes Taylor Smith. She was retired from Greenwood Mills Chalmers Plant.
Survivors include her husband of the home; her father of Greenwood; a son, James Brian McDade of Greenwood; a daughter, Carmen McDade Edwards of Greenwood; a sister, Shirley Smith Leopard of Myrtle Beach; two brothers, Tommie Lewis Smith and Tony Edward Smith both of Greenwood; three grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Blyth Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Tim Ellenberg. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Bill Wilson, Kenneth Davenport, Ricky Taylor, Robbie Taylor, Allan Werts and Larry Price.
Visitation is 7-9 tonight at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of her daughter, 1302 Bucklevel Road.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Service is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com