Group will ask Greenwood City Council
to lift beer, wine ban that others support

May 9, 2006

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

Fresh air, food and spirits — some say it’s not a good mix. Others have the view to let people vote with their dollars.
Opposition is forming to a proposed City of Greenwood measure that would lift a restriction on outdoor beer and wine consumption. The ordinance amendment would permit consumption at restaurants’ seating areas in the Uptown business district.
The part of the outdoor cafe ordinance that allows consumption outside of restaurants failed two years ago to pass city council, and a Greenwood minister said he is concerned now that the idea is back for a hearing Monday before city council.
The Rev. Hal Lane, pastor of Westside Baptist Church, is marshaling forces against lifting the ban as chairman of a Lakelands Baptist Association committee that deals with political issues.
Lane said the council and the public might not want to consider the issue from a morality standpoint so arguments are being fashioned to oppose lifting the ban from an economic standpoint.
“It concerns me that we are trying to create a family atmosphere, and some people will see it as no problem but others will. People who don’t want this will stay away. Why limit their participation?” he said.
The Partnership Alliance is organizing an effort to have the ban on outdoor consumption of beer and wine at restaurants’ designated areas lifted. CEO Jeff Fowler said if the ban is lifted, it will not lead to people walking the streets carrying open containers of alcohol.
What the city council is being asked to do is to amend the current outdoor dining ordinance to allow customers eating outside at restaurants to be served beer and wine. Just beer and wine would be allowed, not liquor.
Fowler said repealing the ban on serving beer and wine to outdoor diners is part of an overall strategy endorsed by the Partnership Alliance board to promote greater retail opportunities and new attractions in Greenwood and generate more traffic for retail businesses.
“We’re not here to try to be divisive and we’re not asking for our morals to be imposed on anyone. By the same token we don’t want others to impose their morals,” he said. “We want this to be a market-driven decision.”
Restaurants that find outdoor serving of beer and wine with meals enhances their business will offer it, while those that find their sales going down won’t, Fowler said.
“If enough people support it with their dollars, they will sell it. If it’s hurting their sales, they won’t,” he said. “Let the market forces decide.”
Purely from a business standpoint, Lane said, it doesn’t make sense for city council to sanction something that will cause people not to want to come to Uptown festivals and restaurants.
People who do not want to see the public drinking ban lifted would be concerned about raucous behavior and about having their children and teens exposed to drinking, he said.
An e-mail advising of the council’s consideration of the issue was sent to the 48 churches of the Lakelands Baptist Association.
Lane said he won’t be able to attend Monday’s hearing, but he expects other opponents will attend. “If the decision is made (to lift the ban) no boycott is planned,” he said, “but I think a lot of people will not come downtown.”
“The bottom line is money,” Lane said. “I hope they will consider people who may want to support Uptown but they do not want alcohol to be part of that participation. We look at this as a first step, to opening it up citywide. Depending on what (city council members) do, many of us will make our decision.”
Families would be right to fear that containers of alcohol would be left where curious children could find them and that the atmosphere of Uptown would change with outdoor serving allowed, Lane said. “It’s part of the current situation of people not knowing how to have a good time without alcohol,” he said.
Looking at the issue from a morality standpoint, Lane said a person needs only to go to the Faith Home to see the human toll of excessive drinking. As a pastor and counselor, he said he deals with the effects on families of parents and others confronting their drinking addictions.
“There is so much immoderate use of alcohol these days,” Lane said.
“Just keep the law like it is,” he said of bars and restaurants being able to serve alcohol that stays inside. “They can still accomplish their goals. Money is not the most important thing. Revitalizing the community is promoting a family atmosphere and improving families, not just money. To suspend the law has few positives and many negatives, so why do it?”
Lifting the ban would not lead to designated drinking areas where drunk and raucous behavior would be tolerated, Fowler said. Restaurants would still maintain an atmosphere conducive to attracting diners, he said, and no one would “look the other way” to allow diners to roam with their alcohol.
“Walking around with a drink in your hand is not what anybody is talking about here,” Fowler said. “I don’t know of anywhere in the state where you can walk the streets with an open container.”
The proof that allowing drinking in designated areas can coexist with a family atmosphere already exists, said John Lowery, marketing director for the Partnership Alliance. Live After 5 events are successful in attracting audiences of all ages and family situations, he said, and drinking is confined to private property without people wandering around with their alcohol.
“Companies looking at new locations look at quality of life and they also look at city ordinances,” Lowery said.
“Restrictive city ordinances hamper some things that their well-educated and sophisticated employees want to do.”

State tourney in full swing

May 9, 2006

By JIM JOYCE
Special projects editor

Bishop England High School came to Greenwood to defend its AA high school golf championship, and had a pretty commanding lead after Monday’s first round at the Greenwood Country Club.
Paced by Wright Blanchard’s one-under 71, Bishop England finished the first round with a 302, nine shots better than Cheraw’s 311.
Blanchard, one of only three players to shoot par 72 or better, had four birdies, one double bogey, one bogey and 12 pars in his round of 36-35 — 71.
Emerald’s Vikings were 14 shots behind the leaders, with Wells Ballentine shooting three-over 75 to lead the team. Austin Hood and Brandon Trantham added 80s, and Travis Wrapp had 81 for the Vikings.
Even though it rained Sunday, Ballentine said he was pleased with his score for the first day.
“It dried up nicely and the course was fine,” Ballentine said. “It wasn’t too bad, except for a few spots, and I’m fine with my score.
“I hit the ball good and struck it solid. I hit my irons and drives nice, but I three-putted a few times.”
His plans for the final round today were, “just play my game.”
Other than Blanchard, only two other players managed to shoot better than par.
McCuen Elmore, of Cheraw, and Kyle Bearden, of Barnwell, had 70s — both getting five birdies, three bogeys, and 10 pars. Elmore was 36-34, Bearden went 35-35.
Following Emerald in team scores were Newberry 317, Barnwell 317, Abbeville 322, Woodruff 327, Silver Bluff 330, Central 330, Swansea 334, Waccamaw 339, Aynor 343, Liberty 346, Palmetto 353, Andrews 375, and Gilbert 377.
Thomas Horne shot 78 to lead Abbeville, the only other team from the Lakelands area playing in the tournament.
Colby Williams added an 82, Blake Ricketts had 85, and Jeffery Moates had 81 for the Panthers.
In individual scoring for players not on qualifying teams, Callie Bell, of Chapman, had 77, and Chris Watkins, of Crescent, and Andrew Stancil, of Chesterfield, tied at 78.
Cameron Coffey, of Ninety Six, shot 87.
For tournament co-director Robin Scott, Emerald coach, the team scoring was higher than he expected.
“With the conditions being a little wet and the greens holding a little better. I thought there would be lower scores as teams.Some individual scores were pretty good, but I thought team scores would be a lot better.”
However, he said his Vikings played about as good as they have in any tournament this year.
“It would be nicer if we were a little closer to first, but it can be done if we can shoot about three shots better than we did, and they shoot what we did today.
“I was hoping we’d be a little closer to within striking distance,” Scott said.

Obituaries

Adell Arttaway

McCORMICK — Services for Adell Arttaway are 11 a.m. Wednesday at Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. James F. Davis, assisted by Minister Sarah Robinson. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers and flower bearers are friends of the family.
The family is at the home of a sister Elsie Partlow, 3605 Cokesbury Road, Hodges.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, Greenwood, is in charge.
Online condolences may be made to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net

Harold Hudson, Sr.

GREENWOOD — Harold D. Hudson, Sr., 81, formerly of 105 Lawton Street, widower of Sue Dellinger Hudson, died Sunday, May 7, 2006 at Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home in Anderson.
Born in Greenwood County, he was the son of the late James Willis and Annie Elizabeth Saunders Hudson. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and was a member of the D.A.V. Mr. Hudson was a retired truck driver and was of the Baptist Faith.
Surviving are two sons, Harold Hudson, Jr. of NC and James Hudson of Ninety Six; a daughter, Elsie Nickles of Hodges; seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and his long time special friend, Dot Geeter.
Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens with Dr. Robert Miller officiating. The family will receive friends after the service at the cemetery.
Memorials may be made to D.A.V., PO Box 2071, Green-wood SC 29648 or to a charity of one’s choice.
The family is at the home of his daughter Mrs. Elsie Nickles, 5814 Hwy 185, Hodges.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Mattie Ruth Irvine

Mattie Ruth Irvine, 90, died Monday, May 8, 2006 at the Saluda Nursing Center.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home & Crematory.

James ‘Bo Pete’ W. Lagroon

James Wesley Lagroon, of 316 Evans St., widower of Lillian Terry Lagroon, died Monday, May 8, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in McCormick County, he was a son of the late Claude and Ella Harrison Lagroon. He was a member of Bailey Bethel AME Church, where he was a church steward, Senior Choir member and church singing convention member. A World War II veteran, he was also a member of Mount Pisgah Masonic Lodge No. 419.
Survivors include a son, Harold Harrison of Columbia; a sister, Eloise Terry of Greenwood; a niece reared in the home, Annie L. Nicholson of Greenwood; five grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.
Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at Bailey Bethel AME Church, conducted by the Rev. Paul Wharton, assisted by the Rev. Annette Edwards. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are members of Mount Pisgah Masonic Lodge 419.
Flower bearers are members of Mount Pisgah Order of the Eastern Star 418.
Visitation is at the home.
Parks Funeral Home is in charge.

William Perry Smith, Jr.

PAWLEYS ISLAND — William Perry Smith, Jr. age 65, formerly of Greenwood, SC died Sunday, May 7, 2006 at NHC Healthcare in Murrells Inlet.
Born in Columbia, he was the son of the late William Perry Smith, Sr. and Connie Riddle. He was a graduate of Wheat Ridge High School in Wheat Ridge, CO and the University of Colorado in Boulder. He worked with Monsanto in Greenwood for seventeen years before founding Greenwood Computers, Inc. d/b/a Microage and Emerald Internet Services both in Greenwood. Mr. Smith was active in Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow.
Surviving are his wife, Sue; sons, Todd D. Fischer, US Navy Ret. and wife Maxine of Lexington, SC, William Scott Smith and Bryan Pinckney Smith both of Greenwood; brother, Robert Olin Smith and wife Carol of Cordova, TN; grandsons, Riley Wilson Fischer, Mason Daniel Fischer, Kendall Lowe Smith, Marshall Attison Smith and Nathaniel Thomas Smith and a niece, Catherine Bryan Smith.
The family will receive friends 6:00-8:00, pm Tuesday May 9, 2006 at Goldfinch Funeral Home, Murrells Inlet, SC with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.
Graveside services will be 1:00 PM, Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia.
A memorial mass will be held 10:00 AM, Friday, May 12, 2006 at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church inPawleys Island, SC.
Memorials may be made to Memorial Garden Fund, NHC Healthcare, PO Box 309, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576.
PAID OBITUARY

William Perry Smith, Jr.

Ola Mae Stevens

Ola Mae Roundtree Stevens, 88, widow of Roscoe Stevens, formerly of 302 Sullivan St., died Sunday, May 7, 2006 at National Health Care. Born in Kirksey, Greenwood County, she was a daughter of the late Derrick and Lottie Lou Yeldell Roundtree. She was a member of Flint Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where she was an Usher Board, Senior Choir and Missionary Society member. She was a retiree of Emerald City Laundry. Survivors include two sons, Alvin Roundtree of Greenwood and Curtis Stevens of Columbia, Md.; three sisters, Ruby M. Speaks and Emma L. Watts, both of Greenwood and Mahula Moore of Philadelphia; a brother, Joel Roundtree of Edgefield County; eight grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren. The family is at the home of a son Alvin “Pee Wee” Roundtree, 110 Carver St. and the home of a granddaughter, Deborah Roundtree Harris, 110 Balsam Lane. Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

Opinion

Teddy Roosevelt’s advice is still pertinent in 2006

May 9, 2006

Some things - and words - stand the test of time. They are just as relevant now as they were hundreds of years ago.
Consider a few words of wisdom from President Theodore Roosevelt back in 1915. It was almost as if he were talking about what’s happening today, in South Carolina, certainly, but also all over the United States.
They are words of wisdom for the ages and should reach every one of us as we reflect on the controversy over solving the illegal immigration problem.
Speaking to the Knights of Columbus in New York on October 12, 1915, Roosevelt gave us a pretty good definition of what an American should be.

“THERE IS NO ROOM IN this country,” he said, “for hyphenated Americanism ..... The one absolute certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities .....”
Through the intervening years, of course, we have managed to overcome that and many other threats to our sovereignty and indeed our existence. Still, we see new situations these days that make something Roosevelt said much earlier - in 1907 - appear prophetic.
Consider the similarities of then and now. “In the first place,” Roosevelt said, “we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.

“BUT THIS IS PREDICATED upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ..... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ..... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ..... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
History, they say, repeats itself. It’s time, then, to reemphasize what “Teddy” had to say. It fit in 1907. It fits more in 2006. In fact, it’s so eerily familiar it’s a bit scary.
If President Bush wants to be the leader he is supposed to be, it wouldn’t hurt for him to start acting a little like ol’ Teddy ..... Roosevelt, that is.

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