School puts stop to tissue rationing

September 27, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

A Greenwood elementary school that kept bathroom tissue and paper towels out of its student bathrooms for seven school days has put the tissues and towels back into bathrooms.
Mathews Elementary School stopped handing out bathroom tissue to its students Tuesday morning, principal Mona Borland said.
Mathews bathrooms’ were restocked with bathroom tissue by school janitors Tuesday morning.
“Sometimes we try solutions that are not the best ideas,” Borland said.
Former principal Dottie Kinlaw created the policy of rationing bathroom tissue about Sept. 18.
Kinlaw has since moved to North Carolina for her husband’s new job, Borland said.
She said she means no disrespect to Kinlaw as a principal.
Borland has been principal of Mathews Elementary School since Monday.
Kinlaw started the policy to stop students from creating messes in the bathroom, including jamming the toilets with paper towels and spitting wads of tissue at the bathroom ceiling to make them stick.
Borland said she doesn’t know a lot about the policy, but to her understanding, students were handed tissues and toilet paper from teachers instead of the bathroom.
She said she discontinued the policy because she didn’t think it was necessary to keep tissue from students. “I don’t think it speaks to the dignity of the students,” she said.
Borland was also approached by a parent and then two teachers who were concerned about the lack of access to bathroom tissues for students.
She will replace Kinlaw’s policy with a clear and direct approach on bathroom etiquette on a student-by-student basis.
Borland said that students will be taught not to abuse their bathroom rights.
Greenwood School District 50 officials were unavailable for comment before press time.

Brigitta E. Barbour

ABBEVILLE — Brigitta E. Barbour of Abbeville died on September 13, 2006 at the age of 69 from Leukemia. Born in Wels, Austria, Brigitta was the daughter of the late Rudolf and Lea Ransmaier and widow of Roger C. Barbour. Her brothers, Rudy Ransmaier and William Anderson, predeceased her. Surviving are her sons Clayton Brockway and Douglas Brockway of Old Saybrook, CT and Francis Barbour of Spartanburg, SC., her five granddaughters, Danielle, Frankie, Katrina and Gloria Barbour and Amy Saxton and two great grandsons, Levi Barbour and Christopher Saxton. Brigitta had retired from the SC DOT in 2003 after 21 years of service.
A memorial service will be held at the Harris Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday September 28, 2006 at 7:00 pm.
Online condolences may be sent to the Barbour family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home, of Abbeville is assisting the Barbour family.

Sarah Kate Blaes

Sarah Kate Lang Blaes, 99, resident of Greenwood, widow of William N. “Bill” Blaes, died September 21, 2006 at Hospice House in Greenwood.
Born in Lincolnton, GA, March 2, 1907, she was a daughter of the late Robert Bruce and Kate Willingham Lang. She was a graduate of the University of Georgia where she received her Master’s Degree. Mrs. Blaes retired in 1978 after thirty years of service as a teacher in the public school system of Cincinnati, OH. Formerly of Cincinnati, she had made her home in Greenwood since 1978.
A member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and the Greenwood Catholic Women’s Club, she was also a former teacher of religious education in the church. She was presented the Order of St. Bernadine Society in 1997.
A member of the Greenwood Woman’s Club, she was an active volunteer at Self Regional Medical Center and was an avid golfer and gardener until she turned 98 years old.
Surviving are a son, William Bruce and wife, Joan Blaes of Cleves, OH; two half-sisters, Catherine Schumpert of Charlotte, NC and Martha Burns of Whiteville, NC; two half-brothers, James W. “Jimmy” Britt of Greenwood and Edward Britt of Easley; five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 12 noon Friday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church with Rev. Timothy Tebalt officiating.
Entombment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.
Pallbearers will be Tony Blaes, Chris Blaes, Greg Phelps, John Sontag, Pat O’Hair and Grainger Hines.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 10 AM Friday.
The family will receive friends at the church from 10 AM to noon Friday and will be at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Britt, 312 Barkesdale Street immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 915 Mathis Road, Greenwood, SC 29649, the Sarah Kate Blaes Scholarship Fund, c/o Lander University, 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29649 or to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
For additional information and online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Blaes family.

Geneva S. Massenberg

Geneva Stevens Massenberg, 86, formerly of 912 Spring St., widow of Morris Massenberg, died Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006b at Magnolia Manor of Greenwood.
The family is at 912 Spring St.
Services will be announced by Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc.

Ruth L. Thomas

Ruth Lawson Smith Thomas, 90, of Sterling House, widow of Bud Carlton “B.C.” Thomas, died Monday, September 25, 2006 at Hospice House, Greenwood.
Born in Buffalo, SC, she was a daughter of the late George Glenn and Leila Ann Estella Bryson Lawson. She was retired from Greenwood Mills, Durst Plant and was a member of Harris Baptist Church.
She was twice married, first to the late Jay Gus Smith and was preceded in death by sisters, Flora Fleming, Geneal Sanford, Thelma Lawson and Mildred Carver and a brother, Frank Lawson.
Surviving is a daughter, Sadie Marie Baldwin and her husband, Clyde, of Lucedale, MS; a son, Tedd R. Smith and his wife, Brenda, of Greenwood; two stepdaughters, Jackie Childress and her husband, James, of Greenwood and Gerry Skinner and her husband, Malcolm, of Greenville, SC; a stepson, David Thomas and his wife, Lucky, of Greenville, SC; a sister, Eloise Reynolds and her husband, Bobby, of Greenwood; three grandchildren; five step grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Frank Thomas officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be James McClendon, Kenneth McClendon, Tommy Miller, Ricky Duff, Mike Baldwin, Greg Jones, Davis McClendon, Jason McClendon and Jamie McClendon.
Honorary escort will be members of the TEL Sunday School Class and the Joy Group of Harris Baptist Church along with Norris and Linda Wilson and Joyce Smith.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
The family is at the home of her son, Tedd Smith, 109 Eagle Road, Greenwood.
Memorials may be made to Harris Baptist Church, 300 Center Street, Greenwood, SC 29649.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Hanna dominates again

Greenwood falls 7-0 in girls tennis

September 27, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

The T.L. Hanna Lady Yellow Jackets returned to Greenwood Tuesday for the second week in a row, this time to face the Greenwood Lady Eagles in a tennis match at Gatewood Racquet Club. The results were the same for T.L. Hanna coach Sandy Thompson’s squad as they dominated Greenwood in a one-sided 7-0 victory.
“I wasn’t expecting 7-0, so I was impressed and everybody played strong.” Thompson said.
Lady Eagles coach Jim Still’s perspective on the match was positive in light of the loss.
“I thought the girls came out and played real hard and just ran into a really good team today that was a little more experienced,” Still said. “We really didn’t play bad, they just played better.”
The Lady Eagles’ Haley Sayer faced off against Molly McDonald, and following a hard-fought opening set, which McDonald won 6-4, Sayer fell in the second set 6-0. Taylor Poznick battled against McDonald’s younger sister Bett McDonald in her match on court three. Poznick also lost a tough opening set before the younger McDonald ran away with the second set, giving T.L. Hanna a 2-0 lead following her 7-5, 6-1 victory. Poznick led 5-4 in the first set before the momentum shifted to McDonald.
“I’m really pleased with the way our No. 2 (Poznick) played,” Still said. “She showed a lot of maturity playing against a more experienced player.”
The Lady Eagles attempted to counter with their own sibling combination of Lori and Jeannie Flick in the number three and four spots, but would not have the same results as the Lady Yellow Jackets.
Gina Nicolopulos breezed to victory 6-0, 6-1 in the third spot. Nicolopulos took an early lead in both sets as Flick struggled to get into a rhythm in the match. The Lady Yellow Jackets Cayla Gunter took care of her match 6-3, 6-2 against Jeannie Flick closing out the match on a well-placed drop shot.
Anna Pritchard rounded out the singles matches for the Lady Eagles, losing her match against Courtland Haynes 6-0, 6-0. In doubles play, Sayer and Poznick faced the McDonald sisters in a pro-set match that was all T.L. Hanna as they won 8-3. The No. 2 doubles match almost went to three sets as Kaitlin Glanton and Tiara Moore rallied in their second set after trailing 5-1 before losing their match 6-0, 7-5.
“We’ll bounce back and we’ve got an important match Thursday at Easley and we’ve got a shot to finish second in the region and that’s our goal,” Still said.

Rules on state vehicles should be clear, equal

September 27, 2006

One more time!
There have been debates among South Carolina lawmakers from time to time about how state-issued vehicles should be used. Even the state’s fleet of airplanes at one time was a matter of contentiousness. It’s a question of how the vehicles are used, whether for personal reasons or on business for the people of the state.
In state government, like everything else, it seems, what goes around comes around ..... again and again.
Wonder how many times taxpayers in the state have presumed the question was settled once and for all. The way it looks, though, it’s not and never has been.

THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS on vehicles issued to constitutional officers, so when Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom used his on a family vacation there was, technically, no violation.
That, however, has brought calls for more control and this, as always, is sure to be used as a political hammer. In fact, it already has brought out the critics.
There ought to be clear and legal guidelines, no doubt about that. That would, hopefully, clarify the rules. In the meantime, though, there’s an old saying that is made for this situation. It’s simply that things not only should be right, they should look right as well. Sometimes, even when no one has done anything wrong, it doesn’t look right. This kind of thing has been a two-way street, too. Through the years, neither Republicans nor Democrats can claim the upper road.