May 14, 2010 Greenville Journal by Community Journals

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67˚

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Hot, isolated late storms 2 G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L | MAY 14, 2010

Isolated showers, storms

Scattered showers, storms

W o r t h

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They

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i t.

“It’s not rocket science. An intern could do it.” Greenville City Councilwoman G ay e S p r ag u e on the city’s need to deter mine where people get on and off the downtown trolley and when they use it.

“Greenville Women Giving is really very serious about how they give their money.” J a n e t S u m n e r , chair of GWG’s membership committee.

“It’s tough.” M a r t h a S h a l e u ly, advisor to teaching fellows at Fur man University, on job prospects for beginning teachers.

“I’ve learned there is no way to stop a hive from swarming once they are on a 60-foot high oak tree branch and that the best thing I can do is look back to the bees that have stayed and be glad.” Beekeeper L e n e tt e S p r o u s e .

quote of the week:

“Downtown is wonderful, but it’s not the entire city.” Greenville City Councilwoman L i l l i a n F l e m i n g during discussion of accommodations tax funding included in the proposed city budget to pay for the downtown trolley.

Going my way?

Greg Beckner/Staff

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In Memory Clockwise from top: Members of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard - Deputy Jeremy Jones, Deputy Robbie Brown and Deputy Gene Hall - raise the American flag to half staff during a special ceremony honoring fallen officers at the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center this week. Natalie Hill, left, a Master Deputy with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and member of the color guard, and Gene Clark, Deputy 2, with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and member of the color guard, salute the flag as it is raised to half staff in memory of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Greenville County.

Photos by Greg Beckner/Staff

Master Deputy David Weiner with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office plays Taps.

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In honor of Women’s Health Month, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System applauds our female practitioners for the skill and care they bring to our community. Jill Aboulian, PA Holly Tree Family Practice Brandi Alt, DO Highlands Center for Women Leah Aragon, MD Center for Adult and Family Medicine Wendy Arnold, FNP Taylors Family Medicine Laine Bennett, NP Milestone Family Medicine Kathryn Benson, FNP Premier Family Medicine Stephanie Berlet-Dach, DO Upstate OB/GYN Stacy Bizzell, MD Woodward Medical Center Jo Bradley, FNP Gateway Family Medicine of Travelers Rest Heather Brannon, MD Premier Family Medicine Cassandra Bray, MD Millennium Internal Medicine Sonya Cothran-Pate, FNP Piedmont Family Practice Kimberly Cox, NP Cornerstone Family Medicine Julie Dangler, MD Family Practice Associates of Easley Joanne Daniel-Saunders, MD Center for Adult & Family Medicine Tonya Edwards, MD Premier Family Medicine Jennifer Ellis, MD Hillcrest Family Practice Linda Giambalvo, MD Holly Tree Family Practice Debra Gibbs, FNP Hillcrest Family Practice Shannon Greene, NP Internal Medicine & Diagnostics Katarina Harris, MD Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Miranda Horton, MD Woodward Medical Center Allison Hunt, MD Family Practice Associates of Easley Amy Hunt, PA Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates Gretchen Johnson, MD Hillcrest Family Practice Shannon Johnson, MD Carolina Women’s Health Rebecca Keith, MD Carolina Women’s Health Elizabeth King, FNP Premier Family Medicine Gail Kirby, NP Upstate Cardiology Sharon Kofoed, MD Highlands Center for Women

Barbara Lanier, FNP Hillcrest Family Practice Laura LeBel, MD Highlands Center for Women Catherine Lewis, MD Hillcrest Family Practice Sandra Lowe, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Jennifer Martin, MD Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates Vanessa Mazzoli, MD Carolina Women’s Health Kathryn McFadden, PA Upstate Cardiology Kay Melba, FNP Powdersville Family Practice Barbara Moran-Faile, MD Upstate Cardiology Lindsay Morgan, NP Carolina Surgical Associates Lucretia Myers, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Stephanie Phillips, MD Gateway Family Medicine of Travelers Rest Tiffany Rhodes, MD Upstate OB/GYN Cheryl Sarmiento, MD Center for Adult and Family Medicine Cynthia Squires, MD Family Practice Associates of Easley Pam Stampfli, NP Internal Medicine & Diagnostics Cindy Steeves, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Angela Stoller, FNP Simpsonville Family Medicine Chyrel Stoner, MD Highlands Center for Women Amber Tallon, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Carmen Taylor, MD Simpsonville Family Medicine Caroline Timms, NP Cornerstone Family Medicine April Treas, MD Woodward Medical Center Kim Waldenmeier, NP Southern Vascular Associates Lori Weinstein, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Judy Wester, NP Palmetto Pulmonary & Critical Care Karla Whitcomb, PA Powdersville Family Practice Kristi Williams, FNP Holly Tree Family Practice Amy York, PA Upstate Cardiology Marcela Young, MD Marcela Young, MD Internal Medicine

For more information about these exceptional health care providers or their colleagues, go to www.stfrancishealth.org/findadoc. MAY 14, 2010 | G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L 5

Voices

O p i n i o n

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Good work, City In a diplomatic move worthy of the UN, the city of Greenville has managed to remove one of the biggest obstacles to municipal growth in South Carolina: the eternal turf war with single purpose districts. Two weeks ago, city officials forged a partnership with the Wade Hampton Fire and Sewer District that Mayor Knox White rightfully calls “the most important intergovernmental agreement the city has ever reached.” Here it is: retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009, Wade Hampton will provide fire protection to any properties within the district’s boundaries that choose to become part of the city of Greenville. The result: Wade Hampton’s tax base is protected and Greenville has transformed a steadfast foe of annexation into a friend. A simple realization made this possible, White said: the former foes were after two different things. Greenville’s primary goal is to grow its population, and accordingly, its economic development potential, White told Journal writer Cindy Landrum. As for the fire district, tax base was paramount, said fire chief Randy Edwards. Every city annexation chipped away at Wade Hampton’s tax revenue stream, jeopardizing its ability to provide services to the properties that were left. So the district fought every annexation request, no matter how logical in the sense of what annexation is truly about. Cities exist because people living in close proximity need urban services above and beyond those typically required by people who live in more rural, unincorporated areas. These include a higher level of police and fire protection, planning and zoning, building code enforcement, solid waste collection, parks, recreation and the like. These aren’t frills; they’re part of urban life. Other states, most notably our neighbor, North Carolina, recognize this by allowing cities to annex any adjacent property that meets an “urban density standard” of at least 60 percent developed land and a population of at least 2.3 people per acre. That’s because these bordering areas are “paper cities”: they have the population density of cities, require the services provided by cities and use the amenities of the cities they border. By all that’s logical and fair, they should be part of those cities. The reason that truth is not recognized here is rooted in the Palmetto State’s rural history. Special purpose districts formed to provide single services as needed. They served a vital function – but South Carolina now has more than 500 such districts, with their own elected boards and power bases. People with power are loathe to relinquish it – which is why long-serving rural legislators have ensured South Carolina’s annexation laws remain among the most onerous in the nation. The economic cost has been significant: the inability to annex the suburban paper cities surrounding them keeps cities like Greenville and Spartanburg deceptively low in the statistical marketing rankings that business and industry use to guide their expansion plans. Consequently, some never even give South Carolina a glance. Which brings us back to Greenville’s simple realization. Municipalities have fought this anti-annexation hostility for years to no avail. City leaders could continue to fling themselves against this wall or find a creative alternative. So they did. The partnership “is a positive thing for both sides,” Fire Chief Edwards told The Journal. Which explains the brilliance of the breakthrough – and why Greenville’s economic future is now a hundred shades brighter. 6 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

c o mm u n i t y ,

heard

here

The soul of a people A couple of weeks ago I stumbled into a new book by David A. Taylor called “Soul of People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America.” Though the Project is best known for the series of state, city, and county guides it produced (including ones on South Carolina and Spartanburg County), I’ve always been interested in the Writers’ Project because of the unusual nature of its government mission: put writers to work collecting stories. Taylor argues that it was only through this federal program that the long-ago dream of quintessential American writer Mark Twain could be carried out: “When a thousand able novels have been written there you have the soul of the people, the life of the people, the speech of the people. And the shadings of character, manners, feelings, ambitions will be infinite.” “Caught in the wreckage” of the Depression, writers found stories a way to prop up a people in times of need. Writers fanned out all through America and listened, recorded and transcribed the memories and insights of the “soul of a people.” Many of the down-and-out writers making $30 a week for the WPA in the 1930s went on to become some of America’s finest: fiction writers: John Cheever, Richard Wright, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, poet Kenneth Rexroth, oral historian Studs Terkel. On Sunday I was doing a little work down at the mill village of Glendale. There were dozens of people I didn’t know walking the new Greenway Trail, and I watched from the window of Wofford’s new Goodall Environmental Studies Center as whole families strolled along the creek. They stopped to read the kiosk history and looked up into the empty space where one of the oldest and biggest mills in Spartanburg County once stood. As I slipped out the front door I ran into one of the families I’d seen walking the trail. The father was staring intently up at the façade of our restored building. “I worked here in the ‘70s,” he said as I turned from locking the door. “You want to go inside?” I asked. “Man, that would be great,” he said.

kudzu telegraph by john lane “Watch out though. The memories might come flooding back.” The man was in his fifties. He’d worked on the mill site after the structure had become a warehouse, but his memories of the place were strong and deep. “We used this room for our kitchen,” he said, pointing to the front room on our right that we’ve converted to a laboratory. “And this is where the boss’s secretary sat in a little alcove. We had drop ceilings back then. We couldn’t see any of this beautiful woodwork.” He paused to take in the whole space. “My goodness, you still got the old safe. You know the combination? I do.” I grabbed a legal pad and followed him around recording what he remembered about the building. He walked around the rooms, and the stories began to surface. “The company that used the mill as a warehouse still supplied the village with water, and there was a well down there behind the mill,” he said. “People came right in here to play their water bills.” He wandered to the back of the Great Room and looked out the window at Lawson’s Fork. “You know we had a big pump down there at the river and we filled that big water tank up there behind the superintendent’s house with it. We used it for the sprinklers. One winter the pipes froze, and when they thawed the water still wasn’t moving from the tank to the buildings. We flushed out the main pipe and it was clogged—with baby catfish!” He said they realized they’d sucked the fish up filling the tank from the creek. When I left Glendale yesterday I felt like maybe I was a part of my own little writers’ project. Maybe Wofford hasn’t just “restored” an old mill building. Each time we open the doors to those who knew Glendale in another life we’re starting to “restory” the place as well. John Lane teaches at Wofford College. His latest book is “Circling Home.” Contact John at john@kudzutelegraph.com. His Web site is www.kudzutelegraph.com.

In My Own Words features essays by residents with particular expertise who want to tell readers about issues important to them. To write a column – or to suggest someone else – please contact Lyn Riddle at 679-1250 or lriddle@greenvillejournal.com.

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C ont ac t Cindy La ndrum a t 679- 1237 or c l a ndru m @ g re e n v i l l e j o u r n a l . c o m . The council will hold another work session and a public hearing on the budget on Monday. The work session starts at 4 p.m. and will be held in the ninth floor conference room of City Hall. The public hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers on the 10th floor.

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Some Greenville City Council members say a proposed 65 percent increase for solid waste collection just plain stinks. But finding a way to offset a part of the increase – from $8.50 per month to $14 per month – will require the council making some hard decisions. “We’re putting things on the table we never would have put on the table before,” said Councilman David Sudduth during a budget work session Monday. In addition to the solid waste fee increase, the budget proposed by City Manager Jim Bourey included a 5 percent cut in department budgets, elimination of 34 jobs, no merit pay increases for employees and increased zoo admissions. It did not include a tax increase. Bourey said when he presented the budget that maintaining core services was one of main goals. But during the 90-minute work session, some council members said they couldn’t support a 65 percent increase in solid waste fees. “You can call it anything you want to, a fee or a tax increase,” said Councilwoman Lillian Fleming. “But people still have to pay for it.” Every dollar cut from the fee would be $180,000 the council would have to find somewhere else, Bourey said. Several other cities have eliminated their recycling programs, something Mayor Knox White said he hasn’t heard folks saying they want done in Greenville. When asked by Sudduth what kind of fee increase she could support, Fleming said she could find a 40 percent increase “almost palatable.” Councilwoman Gaye Sprague said the council should consider lowering the city’s reserve, which is now required to be 20 percent of the general fund by council policy. City officials said the city could probably lower its reserve to 18 percent and not hurt its bond rating as long as it had a plan to replenish the fund. That could free up $600,000 to $700,000. Council also discussed why the city manager recommended using $161,646 in accommodations tax money to fund the downtown trolley when the accommodations committee recommended about half that amount. Bourey said about 70,000 people ride the trolleys each year, but city officials don’t know where they get on and off. The trolley is free and is funded entirely by the accommodations tax. Council members say the trolley needs to be studied further. The council also said it would find funding for two school resource officers. The city had asked the school district to start paying for those police officers, but the school district’s budget has been hit even harder than the city’s.

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GSP wins new carrier by cindy landrum | Staff

It took unprecedented

cooperation between the Upstate and the Lowcountry – regions of South Carolina which are fierce competitors when it comes to economic development and politics – to land Southwest Airlines. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport had been trying for years to lure the discount airline to put an end to some of the highest fares in the country – which prompted 66 percent of its potential customers to fly out of Atlanta and Charlotte and kept an untold number of companies from considering locating in the Upstate. Charleston’s search for a low-cost carrier hit a crescendo after AirTran Airlines’ departure in December sent airfares skyrocketing. Columbia-area senators’ blockage of an incentive bill to entice low-cost carriers to the state and their attempt to get $10 million added to the bill for the Columbia Metropolitan Airport to use to draw a discount air carrier could have played a part in the timing of Southwest’s announcement Tuesday it would begin service to GSP and Charleston in 2011 without government subsidies. “I think with the talk in Columbia over the past several weeks, they

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decided why promote a plan that would subsidize their competition,” Greenville Mayor Knox White said. Southwest recently announced it would not serve Columbia, despite the airport offering the airline $15 million in incentives including breaks on landing and terminal fees. GSP and Charleston had been courting Southwest separately when Helen Hill, the executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, suggested the two regions work together to woo the airline. It worked. “We look forward to serving the Palmetto State with Southwest Airlines’ unique brand of genuine hospitality, great value, a robust and reliable flight network, and our terrific employees who deliver excellent customer service,” said Dave Ridley, Southwest’s senior vice president of marketing and revenue management, in a statement. Ridley was in Greenville two weeks ago for Food for Thought, an ErwinPenland sponsored conference that spotlights creativity. He was asked to talk about the airline’s corporate culture. But Joe Erwin said he doesn’t think Ridley’s visit had anything to do with Southwest’s decision. Instead, he said, it was the totality of people from all over the Upstate coming together. Southwest wasn’t trying to wrangle

money out of the state, but instead wanted to have a “backstop” in case it lost money in the market during the initial years of operation, Erwin and Ben Haskew, president of the Greenville Chamber said. “They expected an economic shortfall in the first two years of operation,” Haskew said. “Southwest expects that in all the markets they enter.” In the panhandle of Florida, a market the airline will start serving this month, St. Joe, a development company, provided incentives. “Here, we don’t have that monolithic player,” Erwin said. “But it was more them seeing the totality of people coming together.” Haskew said more than 200 Upstate companies made pledges to fly Southwest if it came to GSP or to provide in-kind services. Some of the companies tried to fly out of GSP, while others went to Atlanta or Charlotte for cheaper fares. “Even wonderful companies like Michelin found it necessary to send vans of people to Charlotte because of cost,” he said. Southwest currently serves 68 cities in 35 states and is the largest U.S. carrier, based on domestic passengers. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day, according to the company.

S o u t h w e s t ai r l i n e s

3 Number of Boeing 737s and the number of cities in Texas – Houston, Dallas and San Antonio – Southwest served when it began service in 1971.

10.5 Years, average age of the airline’s fleet. 68 Number of cities served by the airline (it will increase to 69 when it begins service in Panama City Beach, Fla. later this month). Fellowship Trained Vascular Physicians

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14 million Bags of pretzels served on Southwest flights in 2009. 86 million Number of passengers carried in 2009.

T h i s

w e e k ’ s

“When the opportunity arises for us in a slightly smaller market, we need to take advantage of it,” said Southwest spokesperson Ashley Dillon. “It was an attractive business and tourist destination that lacked service. Southwest will serve the market independent of the actions of the legislature.” Dillon said Southwest will spend time researching which destinations will be served from GSP. “Obviously, we don’t want to start with too much service,” she said. The airline will release details on start dates, destinations, number of departures and fares at a later date, she said. Some destinations mentioned are Baltimore, Chicago Midway, Nashville and Houston. “We know Southwest will be strategic in its selection of cities,” said Rosylin Weston, spokeswoman for GSP. “No matter what the cities are they select, the flying public will benefit.” Weston said the airport’s runway is used at 45 percent of capacity. Currently, the airport averages 70 flights per day. “We can more than accommodate the new service by Southwest or any existing airline that wants to expand service,” she said. The airport also has terminal and gate space available and has identified space in the airport if a build-out is required, she said. While GSP has attracted low-cost carriers before, Southwest is in a whole different ballpark, Upstate officials said. The airline’s staying power differentiates it from other airlines. Southwest has made a profit every year and it has never left a market. Southwest also will provide access to more cities initially than any other low-cost carrier has at GSP, Erwin said. “This is a game-changing announcement for the future of the Upstate,” GSP Executive Director Dave Edwards said. Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey said he expects companies to announce they’ll locate in the

c o v e r

“This is a game-changing announcement for the future of the Upstate.” GSP Executive Director D a v e E d w a r ds

Upstate even before Southwest starts service. “I think it will happen within six months,” he said. Minor Shaw, vice chair of the GSP Airport Commission, said the Upstate has missed landing business and industry because of a lack of affordable air service. White said the Southwest announcement is a “blockbuster” decision for Greenville and the Upstate. “Too many doors were closed to us because of high air fare,” White said. “We saw it all of last year.” White said at least two companies eliminated Greenville from consideration for relocation of corporate headquarters because of the lack of affordable airline service. Many more didn’t even put Greenville on its list to consider, he said. “I think they’ll dominate the airport. They’ll blanket the market,” White said. “It’s just huge.” The airlines which already serve GSP could benefit from Southwest’s arrival, Haskew said, but they’ll have to lower their prices. If they do, they could see increased traffic as people who had been flying out of Charlotte and Atlanta return to the Upstate for their airline travel, he said. “Southwest will have a transformational impact on the Upstate,” he said. But now the hard part begins, Weston and Haskew said. “We’ve got to put people in seats,” Haskew said. Conta c t C i n d y L a n d r u m a t 6 7 9 -1 2 3 7 or c l a nd r u m @ g re e n v i l l e j o u r n a l . c o m .

Trying to have a baby? Every woman who wants to have a baby but has trouble achieving or sustaining pregnancy needs to know where she can get help – the area’s leading fertility specialists at the Fertility Center of the Carolinas. Join our highly skilled and compassionate doctors as they discuss the latest advances in fertility treatment: Thurs., May 27 • 6:30 p.m. Patewood Memorial Hospital Light refreshments will be served. The event is free but registration is required. To register, call 1-877-GHS-INFO (447-4636) or go to ghs.org/360healthed.

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what if it is? When an indoor comfort system fails – with “fail” ranging from energy inefficiency to mechanical breakdown – you can either repair what’s broken or replace it with something new. Should you patch a problem, swap a component, modify existing equipment … or invest in a total upgrade? Consider the following to get a fix on whether it’s best to repair or replace.

Star-rated comfort systems which, properly installed, can save up to 40% on heating/cooling costs. This age-out rule also applies to furnaces and boilers more than 15 years old. Keep your cool. Heating units tend to outlast cooling components, so it often makes economic sense to repair an air conditioning problem rather than replace the entire HVAC system. Just a phase (out). Ozone-depleting refrigerants are being phased out in favor of more eco-friendly options. So avoid costly repairs on older units requiring discontinued refrigerants such as R-22. The Goldilocks syndrome. This room is too hot; that one is too cold. The culprit could be improperly-sized equipment (bigger is NOT always better) or faulty ductwork. Have an HVAC contractor measure your home to determine the precise capacity – no more, no less – needed for optimal comfort.

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What’s too much? A repaired part oftentimes fixes the problem. But if your HVAC frequently malfunctions, tally repair bills from the past couple years to calculate whether money might be better applied toward a new, high-efficiency system that pays for itself through energy savings. If a proposed repair costs $500 or more, consider replacement instead.

Age up? Age out. Heat pumps and air conditioners more than 10 years old should be replaced. Even when still fairly dependable, they’re far less-efficient than new Energy

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Grant expands Frazee’s dream by anna b. mitchell | Staff

Led by Kory Kraft, 22 children skipped, ran or dragged their feet – all while maintaining a single-file line – to the Pinckney Fludd Park four blocks away. Kraft works part time with the Frazee Dream Center, a program operating out of the old Central Baptist Church for four years and the after-school home to scores of children from Stone and League academies in Greenville. “You could call me the after-school teacher,” said Kraft, also a student at Greenville Technical College. “Call me the director of fun.” Everyday, scores of children hop off a school bus, walk into the former church’s gym, drop off coats and bags near the door and then race to a snack room. About 20 volunteers are usually on hand from an area high school, church or civic organization to help the center’s director, Matt Reeves, and a small staff. Some kids stay for an hour or two; more stay for dinner; several participate in evening karate, basketball, art, music and wrestling classes. Their parents pay nothing, and Reeves has kept it going – initially by mortgaging his house to buy the church – for less than $250,000 a year. This includes serving more than 600 meals to children a week. “My wife can squeeze the copper out of a penny,” Reeves said of his partner at Frazee, Jenny. Their 4- and 8-year-old children also spend afternoons at Frazee. The center has simple goals – create a safe environment that emphasizes literacy and a healthy evening meal for kids growing up in extreme poverty. These children get homework help and a healthy dose of discipline from Reeves, who sold his landscaping business in January 2007 to focus on the center full-time. “Smile, OK? Smile,” Reeves calls out to a boy he’s had to set straight. He calls everybody “baby” and reminds them several times that he loves them. A $100,000 state Department of Education grant announced last week will pay for a new mentoring program at Frazee – in essence paying one of the part-time staff, Alise Brown, to go full-

Community center runs tight operation, adding mentor program time and find 81 middle-class families to commit four hours a month to spend with a Frazee student. Frazee will become part of the Palmetto Mentoring Network, which includes three other school- and communitybased programs in Charleston, Orangeburg and Richland counties. All told, 590 at-risk South Carolina children will be paired with mentors. “We want for our children to see that employment is not only possible but important,” Jenny Reeves said. “They will realize their choices affect their

future and their community.” Most of her students come from families, she said, who are adept at surviving but don’t have much left to offer children financially and emotionally. Many have moved dozens of times, lack a father figure and have never had a room of their own. Drugs and violence intrude regularly into their lives. The Frazee Center, she said, gives teachers a place to call when a student is struggling with an assignment or has acted out in class. “For me to fail, I would have had to fall through many opportunities,” Reeves said. “These kids get one mistake and they are on welfare the rest of their lives.” Contact Anna B. Mitchell at 593-8919 o r ami tch e l l @ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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Sterling remains free on bond by april silvaggio | Staff

More than a year after the former chairman of HomeGold Financial Inc. was convicted of swindling $278 million from more than 12,000 investors, Jack Sterling has yet to spend one day behind bars. Since his conviction in March 2009 for securities fraud, he has remained free on an appeal bond. His defense attorney, Bart Daniel, said this week, “His appeal is moving forward.” It isn’t uncommon for such appeals to take anywhere from 12 to 18 months, said Daniel, a Charleston lawyer who served as U.S. attorney for the South Carolina District from 1989 to 1992. HomeGold and its subsidiary, Pickens-based Carolina Investors, collapsed in 2003. Sterling, now in his early 70s, was initially charged with one count of conspiracy and two counts of securities fraud. He was convicted in March 2009 on one count of securities

fraud and sentenced to five years in prison, ending a lengthy investigation by the state. Prosecutors had urged the judge to Sterling sentence Sterling to 10 years, the maximum for a count of securities fraud. Sterling was the final defendant among six former HomeGold or Carolina Investors officers who were indicted by a state grand jury and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. All were either convicted or pleaded guilty. Sheppard, 52, the former chief executive officer of HomeGold, was convicted in February 2007 of securities fraud, conspiracy and obtaining property by false pretenses. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.Karen Miller, 58, the former chief financial officer of HomeGold, was sentenced in May of last year to spend two and a half

years behind bars. Earle Morris Jr., 81, the former Carolina Investors chairman who once served as lieutenant governor and comptroller general, was convicted in November 2004 on 22 counts of securities fraud and sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. Ann Owen, former Carolina Investors vice president, pleaded guilty to eight counts of securities fraud in July 2005 and was sentenced to 10 years, suspended to 90 days with five years of probation, home detention and electronic monitoring for 18 months. Larry Owen, former Carolina Investors president, pleaded guilty in July 2004 to 22 counts of securities fraud. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. Owen was released from the South Carolina Department of Corrections in August 2008 after serving four years. C o n t a c t A p r i l S i l v a g g io at 679-1266 o r a si l v a g g i o @ c o m m u n i t y j o u rn al s.co m.

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AUGUSTA ROAD AREA $429,900 - Charming home in walking distance to Augusta Circle. 4 BR-3BA– Over 2700 sq. ft. Open floorplan. LR w/fpl, DR, screened porch, den w/wet bar & a bonus room. Master suite w/wall of built-ins, a kitchenette, walk-in closet & private bath-could be used as an in-law suite. Updated kitchen w/quartz counters & ss appl. Fenced backyard & patio, out-building w/storage & 1-car attached garage. BUYER BONUS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT. VIRTUAL TOUR

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AUGUSTA ROAD AREA $395,000 - Charming 2-story traditional home within walking distance to GCC & Augusta Rd. shopping. 3BR/2.5BA. Over 2500 sq ft & beautifully decorated thru out. 9’ ceilings w/open floorplan. Completely updated kitchen w/granite, ss appl & butlers pantry. Incredible Master BR w/walk in closet.& master BA w/jetted tub, sep shower, & double vanity. 3d story lg. bonus room. Beautiful landscaping & spacious deck. BUYER BONUS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT. VIRTUAL TOUR

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GREEN VALLEY - $880,000 - Green Valley golf course. Custom built brick home on 3.4 acres featuring 5 BR/6BA. Updated kitch w/ granite. MBR w/ his/ hers full BAs. Guest suite on main could be 2nd MBR. Nice open floorplan plus tons of storage. 2-car attached garage & 3-car detached garage w/ spacious guest apt. This property also has a putting green & rocking chair front & back porches. VIRTUAL TOUR

NORTH MAIN - $529,000 - Amazing find for downtown seekers! 2-story brick townhome in gated community on Main St. 3BR, w/ master on main. Updated master bath, den w/vaulted ceilings & fpl, kitchen updated w/granite & ss appliance, loft office/study has wall of built-ins, 2-car garage & brick courtyard. BUYER BONUS PROGRAM PARTICIPANT. VIRTUAL TOUR

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You’ll Be Home Before You Know It. MAY 14, 2010 | G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 13

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Selection of a contractor should come soon for work on southern Greenville County’s newest park at Cedar Falls on the Reedy River. Right now the Greenville County Recreation District has about $1.3 million to build the park and develop amenities, said Paul Ellis, planning director for the district. He expects the park to be essentially complete in 12 to 14 months. “We still need to come up with enough money to fix the dam,” he said. “That money will have to come from other sources since DNR (state Department of Natural Resources) won’t allow us to use the (Colonial) pipeline spill money for that.” There are a series of round gates on the western side of the old Cedar Falls dam that must be repaired to keep a constant water level behind the old structure, recreation officials have said. The gates frequently are stopped up by debris and could pose a danger to paddlers moving through on the planned Reedy River blue trail system. Councilman Fred Payne and state Rep. Eric Bedingfield joined a small group from the community at Monday’s announcement at an overlook near the falls. Bedingfield, who was one of the leaders in the fight to free up the mitigation funds for the park presented Ellis with an outsized check for more than $920,000 from DNR. Payne, who represents the area on county council, said the drive to build the park has been one of the success stories of his tenure. The park will feature river access trails, parking lots, kayak launches and fishing spots. The area will also feature a long series of rock shoals

i n

b r i e f

t h at t i m e o f y e a r Pomp and c i r c u ms t a n c e

was a popular song in the Upstate over the weekend. A record number of Clemson University graduates earned degrees. Of the 2,638 graduates, 2,157 received bachelor’s degrees, 425 earned master’s degrees and 56 received Ph.D.’s. Clemson President Jim Barker, Provost Dori Helms and U.S. Rep. James Clyburn addressed graduates behind a lectern constructed by a team of student researchers from wood saved from trees that were removed from campus. Four of the students graduated, including Nathan Asire of Greenville, who earned a master’s degree in architecture; and Eric Burress of Sumter, Kamilah Campbell of Philadelphia and Anna Eckert, of Vienna, Va., who earned their bachelor’s degrees in

cascading down from a 100-year-old rock dam, and historic early industrial ruins. Some seafood lovers might have to settle for steak. That’s because colder than normal weather this past winter has reduced the populations of two key commercial marine species, white shrimp and spotted seatrout, officials with the state Department of Natural Resources said. Coastal water temperatures dropped to

visual arts. Furman University awarded 596 undergraduate and seven master’s degrees. The Scholarship Cup, given each year to the graduating senior with the highest academic average, was awarded to two students – Caroline Elizabeth Davidson of Charlotte and Charles Neville Reese Jr. of Daleville, Ala. – who completed their studies with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. Benjamin Holland Able of Saluda and Emily Catherine Wilson of Hartsville received the General Excellence awards, given by the Furman faculty to the outstanding male and female student in the graduating class. The commencement speaker was graduate Andrew McCarthy. More than 900 students graduated from Bob Jones University. At North Greenville University, 275 students received their undergraduate and graduate degrees. The University of South Carolina Upstate graduated about 800 students.

45 degrees or lower for eight straight days, reducing trout to below their long-term average and killing the majority of overwintering white shrimp. The trout loses aren’t as severe as those in the even colder winter of 2000-2001, state biologists said. Still, officials with the Department of Natural Resources said scientists with the agency will continue to monitor the situation closely. White shrimp sampling before and after the

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water temperatures dropped in January indicate that 80 to 90 percent have been lost. In January 2001, white shrimp dropped to less than 5 percent of the normal population. Samples taken in March and April of this year show similar numbers to other years when a large percentage of shrimp were lost to cold weather, but the situation isn’t thought to be as bad as the severe die-off recorded in 2001. White shrimp that overwinter in the state’s coastal rivers, bays and sounds spawn in May and June to produce the fall white shrimp populations that supports the shrimp baiting and commercial trawling fisheries. The Department of Natural Resources usually opens the commercial shrimp trawling season in May to harvest the large roe shrimp after officials have determined that adequate spawning has occurred. This year, the opening may be delayed, depending on what May sampling indicates, officials said. It happened without ceremony or fanfare.

But South Carolina has a new top federal prosecutor. Criminal defense attorney Bill Nettles was sworn in as the state’s new U.S. Attorney during a private gathering last week. His office says a formal investiture will be scheduled later. The U.S. Senate approved Nettles’ nomination last month. President Barack Obama in December nominated the 48-year-old attorney to succeed Walt Wilkins of Greenville. Kevin McDonald has served as acting U.S. attorney since Wilkins left office in January. Nettles is a graduate of The Citadel and Widener School of Law. He served as a public defender in Richland County for two years before going into private practice. He has been practicing with his father-in-law, former judge and Charleston School of Law founder Alex Sanders.

Join us for these exciting events! The Woodlands at Furman One Year Anniversary & Masterpiece Living Kick-off! Monday, May 17 - Friday, May 21 Monday, May 17 1pm 3pm

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Tuesday, May 18 11am 3pm

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Chef Patrick Wagner, Culinary Institute of the Carolinas Russell Stall, Greenville Forward Executive Director

Wednesday, May 19

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Anyone can be a victim of property crime. “But people don’t think it will happen to them,” said Greenville Police Department Media Relations Officer Sgt. Jason Rampey. “People don’t wake up in the morning with the mentality of ‘I’m going to be a victim today.’” That mentality is the reason many people don’t write down serial numbers or mark their property with unique identifiers, he said. If the victim doesn’t know the serial numbers, Rampey said it’s sometimes a challenge for police to recover the items. Greenville Police’s current system for locating stolen property requires that staff manually enter information from pawn tickets into a database. A different, web-based service, Leads Online, aids law enforcement officers by automatically providing information about items sold at area pawn shops. City Manager Jim Bourey asked city

council members to appropriate $7,500 to fund a subscription to Leads Online for Greenville police on Monday. The council will vote on the measure next week. Greenville Police Chief Terri Wilfong said the subscription is necessary to expand the department’s ability to find stolen property. Officers have access only to records from pawn shops in Greenville County and the pawn ticket process can take several days to complete. The new database takes 30 seconds for pawn shops to upload information, according to Leads Online’s web site. “This is an excellent system,” Wilfong said. “It will be much more timely.” And, the database includes pawn shops from all over South Carolina, she said. Once the stolen item’s location is known, pawn shop owners can provide information to police about the person who sold the stolen property. Since Jan. 1, the department has processed 187 burglaries ($318,306); 319 auto break-ins ($210,995), and 171 larcenies ($322,085).

We believe in South Carolina.

16 G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L | MAY 14, 2010

Leave those cute birds alone by april silvaggio | Staff

The temptation is enormous. That fledgling songbird hopping along the ground at the edge of the bushes must certainly need someone’s help. Turns out, in most instances the sparsely feathered little creature is actually just learning to fly. Most likely, its parents are watching from a perch nearby. “One of the biggest dangers they face is being kidnapped by humans,” said Joanna Weitzel, executive director of Carolina Wildlife Care in Columbia, one of the largest wildlife conservation and rescue organizations in the state. The organization is one of a very few statewide that is federally licensed to care for migratory birds. “Most people don’t realize that fledglings can be on the ground for several days before strengthening their flying skills. This is when they are most vulnerable.” But humans aren’t the only danger. Cats are, too. So are natural predators, like owls. Then there are bicycle and automobile tires. After the birds take flight, windows become yet another threat. Since 1967, the average population of the common birds in steepest decline has fallen by 68 percent. Some individual species have dropped by as much as 80 percent. All 20 birds on the national “Common Birds in Decline” list lost at least half their populations during the past four decades. Included on the list are those native to the southeastern U.S., including the Northern Bobwhite, the Whip-poorwill, the Eastern Meadowlark, the Field

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Sparrow, the Grasshopper Sparrow and the Little Blue Heron. One of the biggest factors playing into the decline, especially among songbirds, in South Carolina is loss of habitat, researchers said. Suburban sprawl has replaced the forests and meadows that once served as flourishing habitats for the Painted Bunting, the Blue Jay, the Northern Cardinal and the Carolina Wren. Those who enjoy bird-watching can make their property more attractive to the feathered creatures by offering water, shelter, food and a potential habitat, Weitzel said. Noisy water features attract more migratory birds. But it is important to remember that things folks do to keep their lawns green like dousing the grass with herbicides, fungicides and pesticides can prove lethal to birds, she said. Should someone come upon a bird that they believe might be in need of help, it is best to stand back for a moment and watch. If it indeed is a hatchling that has fallen from a nest and not strong enough to stand, it should be placed back in the nest. “It is an old wives tale that a bird will reject its young if a human touches it,” Weitzel said. “That is like saying

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we would reject our baby if a stranger touched it. It simply isn’t true. Birds don’t have a keen sense of smell.” If the nest can’t be reached, make a substitute nest with a small basket and line it with pine needles or leaves. Place the basket as close to the nest as possible, and watch for three hours to ensure the mother returns to feed the baby. If a fledgling learning to fly appears to be in imminent danger, try to stay within 30 feet when selecting a safer location. If the parents are not seen returning to the baby after three hours, only then consider it to be orphaned. If a baby bird is obviously injured, or has been caught by a cat, then the baby cannot be returned to its family and needs to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink, because it could aspirate very easily on a drop of water. And because they require feedings every 30 minutes, getting them to a rehabilitator quickly is important for survival. The same is true for an adult bird if after placing it in a small covered box with air holes and keeping it in a dark, quiet location secure from pets and children it does not regain its senses and ability to fly. If emergency care is needed for a bird found in the Upstate, it is best to call Wildlife Rehab of Greenville at 233-0339 first, Weitzel said. That organization can often arrange for transport to Carolina Wildlife Care in Columbia, she said. “This time of year, we may see a dozen a week from the Upstate,” she said. C o n t a c t A p r i l S i l v a g g io at 679-1226 o r a si l v a g g i o @ g re e n v i l l e j o u rn al .co m

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864.239.3999 | jpcollection.net 18 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

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Kostas Poulos knows quality and the customers’ satisfaction is his satisfaction. He is a tailor and has been since he was 13 years old, working beside his father in Tripoli, a quaint town on the southern coast of Greece. Since he was a child, his father instilled in him a desire to work hard and to always do the best to please the customers. “I try to make the customers feel happy before they leave through the door,” he said in a heavy accent, unmistakably Greek. Poulos came to America on July 16, 1970 and opened his shop on West North Street three years later. He has never wanted to be anything other than a tailor and does not plan on retiring anytime soon. “I can’t do anything else,” he said. “Everything about my job is wonderful.” People come to him for his impeccable work and the best suits available. Businessmen, who have transferred from companies such as Michelin and BMW, to places such as California and Germany, call Poulos. At the same time, he serves men from down the street. Word of mouth has been the best advertisement for him, he said. His customers come back because

they know his first-class work. Fabric is the most important thing in the business, he said, which is why he carries only the finest brands available, many hailing from Tuscany, Milan, and Paris. The neckties on display have Prada, Valentino, and Dormeuil stitched on the label. Poulos sells more French-cut men’s dress shirts than any other vendor in South Carolina. “I believe in quality. That’s why I am here,” he said. Every cut, every stitch, is done by Poulos himself. Sometimes his hands get tired, he said, but not often. They are used to the work. Tailoring is a very special business, Poulos said. “You have to be patient. You must put the time in. It’s not something you can skim over or do quickly.” His wife, Christina, helps him in the shop. She helps fold the clothes, or arrange the suits or helps with administrative duties. She also looks after the store when he travels back to Greece once every year or two to visit his family and friends. One thing his wife does not do for him is pick out his clothes in the morning. He does that himself. Contact Amanda evans at ae van s@ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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BSOU-C2060-Greenville Biz Journal-10x11-NP-4.30

Theater demolition makes way for classrooms by anna b. mitchell | Staff

Jane Lynch, now in her early 50s, said she remembers seeing “Star Wars” at Greenville’s Astro Theater the year after she graduated from high school. “It was so cool,” Lynch said. The bathrooms were marked for “Astronauts” and “Astronauties.” “It was just really the place to go,” she said. “Before that all the theaters were

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downtown on Main Street.” Today, the Astro is on its way to becoming a pile of rubble. The property of Greenville Technical College since 2002, the theater will by fall of next year be the site of a LEED-certified glass-and-brick home to computer technology for the school. Lynch works for the architectural firm designing the structure – Freeman & Major – and said she was awash in memories of her dating life, first-run movies and funky space décor when she heard about the job. The man in charge of the construction – Greenville Tech’s Tuck Hanna – said he attended a showing of “Gone With The Wind” in the theater’s early days in the 1960s. The theater stopped showing movies in the late 1980s and had fallen into disrepair after its original owner sold the property in 1974. Tech bought the building and grounds for $800,000 and plans to put a $4 million building in its place. Bits of asbestos and lead paint

have been removed, and the building will be dismantled over the next couple of weeks. Architect Joel Van Dyke said he sat down with multiple department heads and concluded the interior of the new IT building will need a lot of natural light, open work spaces, meeting rooms and room to grow for the college’s computer servers. The IT department is currently split into two dark, dated buildings that front Pleasantburg Drive across from Eastland Baptist Church. Lauren Simer, the college’s vice president for institutional effectiveness, said she heard one of the buildings – neither of which is original to the college – once held a swimming pool. Hanna said both will likely be torn down. “The existing warehouse they are using has a lot of roof leaks in it,” Van Dyke said. “So they are having to deal with catching the water every time it rains.” Aside from IT operations, Simer said, the new building will house logistics, the mailroom, data center and offices for

planning and grants. With these people all working in the same building, she anticipates more creative collaboration and cost-saving efficiencies. The IT department oversees operations on all of the college’s computers – more than 3,000 on four campuses and various satellite branches. Simer said she wants all the computers to be working off a central server, with little computing going on at individual terminals throughout the college. Simer was hired two months ago and oversees all the departments going into the new building. Van Dyke said he does not yet have a rendering available for the building’s exterior because changes to the design are inevitable. He said the materials will likely match what already exists on campus with a modern twist. The building will also collect rainwater off its roof to irrigate landscaping. Contact Anna B. Mitchell at 593-8919 o r ami tch e l l @ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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were up at the end of 2008 – the most recent year for which data is available – and the school district as a whole saw the percentage of children graduating in four years increase to almost 74 percent. The 2006-2007 school year had produced a 70.1 percent graduation rate. Jason McCreary, director of the department of student performance, told Greenville County School Board members at their committee of the whole meeting Tuesday that South Carolina continues to have the most rigorous graduation standards in the nation. No state requires more class credits – 24 – to award a diploma, and two states (Wyoming and California) require 13. South Carolina also requires more math than 41 other states and more science than 21 other states. On top of that, South Carolina is one of 24 states that administers an exit exam (the HSAP) and one of 13 that tests students in core subject areas (English, history, science, math) with end-of-course exams that count for 20 percent of a child’s grade. McCreary said these state-to-state disparities make the graduation rate a poor way of comparing South Carolina to the outside world. For the past five years, his department has calculated a so-called success rate including those who’ve received a certificate of completion, a county occupational diploma, a county certificate of completion or a GED. By this reckoning, he said, students are measured by their individual capabilities and come to an 86 percent success rate. Carolina Academy had a 51.4 percent graduation rate but a 71.4 percent success rate. “There are some stark contrasts among schools when you consider this,” McCreary said. “We have a greater holding pattern than people believe. The students are completing programs that challenge them.” Carolina Academy improved its graduation rate almost 10 percentage points from 2007 when it was 41.8 percent. Double-digit improvement also took place at Berea High (62 up to 73.5 percent) and Wade Hampton High (74.7 to 85.6 percent). Two high schools – Blue Ridge (69.7 percent) and Mauldin (72.2 percent) experienced graduation rate declines. Considering the district’s success rate, several schools were in the 90th percentile – Wade Hampton, Riverside and Hillcrest. School board member Tommie Reece joked that Greenville Schools should secede from the South Carolina Department of Education rather than be subjected to unfair graduation standards. Fifth-year graduates would increase the school district’s performance by a couple percentage points, for example. Students on Individual Education Plans who were given five or six years to graduate must as of this year also be calculated under the four-year graduation requirement. “Every time we turn around, there’s something coming from the Department of Education that is not helpful,” she said. “How far do we let this go before we rise up?” Board member Debi Bush confused committee chairwoman Linda Leventis Wells when she offered a motion for the district to secede from the state. “I’m looking at you and you look awfully serious,” she said. In other school board business: Construction Management Director Brian Morris reported the district could save as much as $17 million on energy costs over the next five years if the people in schools follow energy-saving protocols. The district has purchased energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, but the final step, he said, is getting people to do simple things like turn on printers only when they are needed. Energy bills had been $1.50 per square foot in the district; they are now $1.38. “We are finding parking lot lights on 24-7,” Morris said. “We are finding stadium lights on.”

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Tough market for new teachers by anna b. mitchell | Staff

Teaching fellows at Furman University have as a rule been snatched up by school districts before their senior year is over. Graduation ceremonies were last Saturday, though, and the school’s four senior Teaching Fellows were still looking for work, said their adviser, Martha Shaleuly. “I have two music education majors who are planning to get married,” she said. “They are both looking for jobs. It’s tough.” Statewide, about three band directors are expected to retire this year. Overall, districts hiring rookie teachers was off by more than a third this past school year, said South Carolina Department of Education spokesman Jim Foster, and will likely go down more next year. “In a typical year, we have around 3,000 of those induction teachers – students who are getting their first job out of college,” Foster said. “This year we had only 1,900, which was a dramatic, obvious fall off.” The South Carolina Department of Education reported last week that as many as 3,800 local school district positions – 2,500 in the classroom – could be eliminated this coming school year under proposed statewide cuts. Those teaching cuts, according to a survey of school districts, would be on top of 1,400 positions lost in classrooms this year. These include about 50 anticipated next year in the city of Spartanburg

Clock is ticking for Teaching Fellows to find jobs and more than 200 in the Greenville County School District. “Early childhood is our biggest program, and that is the area that districts have the least difficulty filling positions,” said Charles Love, dean of the School of Education at USC Upstate. “So there is some concern there. Math and science and special education – they really don’t have problems getting jobs.” Few school districts will know until this coming fall whether they can or must hire new teachers after the ones they still have are shuffled around to positions opening up through natural attrition. Districts in Greenville and Spartanburg are planning to increase class sizes, which means teachers at every school will find themselves on an “excess” list. This means a long wait for those graduating seniors hoping to secure teaching jobs. Under the state’s Teaching Fellows program, administered by the Rock Hill-based Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, graduates have one year to find a job or face paying back up to $24,000 in loans. The Fellows program requires students teach in South Carolina for at least three years to have those loans forgiven. They can defer payback for another three years if they go to

graduate school or join the military. If all else fails, they can go to the CERRA board and explain their case. Jenna Hallman is the Teaching Fellows coordinator for CERRA and keeps tabs on roughly 400 students at 11 colleges statewide. The General Assembly had for several years paid $4.2 million a year to provide fouryear, $24,000 scholarships to 175 new Fellows a year. Budget cuts last year reduced the freshman Fellows class to 150 and is anticipated to be the same this year. “We’ve acknowledged this is a difficult time,” Hallman said. “It is an unprecedented budget situation. People are having to work a little harder to find a job.” USC Upstate graduated 200 education majors this winter and spring, and Love said he hasn’t heard any news good or bad about his students’ job prospects. “It’s competitive,” he said, “but there are still jobs. We had a job fair here and still had 20 school districts recruiting our kids. They still have recruiting and travel budgets, and that was in March.” Hallman said CERRA would host an online job expo June 8 and 9 and encouraged would-be educators who are certified to check it out at www. cerra.org. She said teachers willing to move to counties with critical needs – especially Palmetto Priority schools – also have a good chance of getting hired. Contact Anna B. Mitchell at 593-8919 o r ami tch e l l @ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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Group surpasses $1 million in grant-giving by anna douglas | Staff

M A Y featured event Keeping you healthy, active and informed! EmErgEnciEs: mEEt Us BEforE YoU nEEd Us Tuesday, May 18 • 12 – 1 p.m. Village at Pelham Community Center When should you call 911 or visit the emergency department? Learn common first aid treatment methods, how to recognize stroke symptoms and how to decide if you need to visit the emergency department. Presented by Village Hospital Emergency Department staff members. Lunch provided. Free. Register today at villageatpelham.com or call 864-849-9470. The Village at Pelham medical campus features the Village Hospital, a medical office building, with a variety of medical practices and the Surgery Center at Pelham. It is conveniently located off I-85 at Westmoreland Road and Highway 14 in Greer.

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The Greenville Free Medical Clinic will purchase new x-ray equipment and expand its dental services thanks to a grant from Greenville Women Giving (GWG). The $65,000 grant is one of eight projects funded by GWG, a special initiative of the Community Foundation of Greenville. “Charities need our help right now,” said Janet Sumner, chair of GWG’s membership committee. “Organizations count on corporations, state and federal agencies and individual donors who may not have as much money to give right now.” The local women’s philanthropic organization raised $396,000 this year, pushing its four-year total to $1.25 million. “(GWG) wants to give onetime grants that will have a longterm, lasting effect,” Sumner said. “Greenville Women Giving is really very serious about how they give their money.” The Salvation Army received the largest grant from GWG this year. The group gave $80,000 to fund the Smart Center After School program at East North Street Academy. Other local organizations that received funding: The Meyer Center was awarded $49,290 to expand scholarships for special needs children. Project Hope received $45,200 to establish a new classroom for autistic children. The South Carolina Children’s Theatre will fund a bullying and gang awareness program for Greenville County Middle Schools with a $40,000 grant. The Triune Mercy Center received $45,000 to construct a safer, more accessible entrance. United Ministries was given $48,000 to fund 600 GED exams. The Washington Center will purchase Promethean Board systems

The Meyer Center was awarded $49,290 to expand scholarships for special needs children.

for severely disabled students with a $23,810 grant. GWG’s 350 members pool their money to collectively give to Greenville charities. Every member makes a 3-year commitment to give $1,000 annually, Sumner said. “Everything is kept very close to home,” she said. “It’s important to learn about what your community needs.” The organization will celebrate its fifth anniversary in fall 2011. Sumner said those interested in joining GWG are invited to the group’s next event: a wine and cheese social on June 17. More details on that event will be announced on GWG’s website, www.greenvillewomengiving.org. Dedication to helping local charities is at the heart of GWG’s mission, Sumner said. “If we aren’t going to help, who will,” she said. Contact Anna Douglas at ado u gl as@ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

A beautiful time by april silvaggio | Staff

Two weeks from now, 63 contestants in the Miss and Teen Miss South Carolina pageants will take to the woods, leaving the glare of photographers’ flashbulbs behind. At a location undisclosed to most in the outside world, they’ll set up their own tents, cook healthy food over an open fire and learn the skills required to survive in the wilderness. Odds are pretty good they’ll even be thrown a curve ball or two. “They don’t have a clue,” said Gail M. Sanders, who serves as comptroller for the Miss South Carolina Organization and is the wife of Miss South Carolina Organization president and CEO Joe P. Sanders III. “Most of these girls have never even camped before. And they are going to have to figure out how to dress out there for a formal affair.” It’s all part of the Miss South Carolina Pageant’s Duke of Edinburgh Weekend, held in conjunction this year with Greenville’s Scottish Games May 28 and 29. One year ago, the Miss South Carolina Pageant, at the request of Sam Haskell, III, who chairs the Miss America Organization Board, became the first pageant in the Miss America Organization to have contestants participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Young Americans’ Challenge. The idea of the Young Americans’ Challenge was derived from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award established in 1956 in the United Kingdom by HRH, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. It is designed to provide opportunities for young people between the ages of 14 and 25 to develop personal and lead-

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ership potential. Three award levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold, recognize successful participation in volunteer activities, physical activities, developing practical and social skills and completing an adventurous journey. A guest of the Miss South Carolina Organization, HRH Prince Edward, the son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will present Duke of Edinburgh Awards to Miss and Teen South Carolina contestants who qualify for the recognition during a “Garden Party” at White Oaks on Roe Ford Road on Saturday, May 29. But first, the contestants have to meet their challenges. By the time their Adventurous Journey weekend arrives, the 56 contestants who are working towards Bronze medals will already have completed three months of community service, physical recreation and skills training. Seven young women, who were among the 41 who earned Bronze during similar events last year, will be working towards Silver medals. At that stage, the requirement increases to six months community service, physical recreation and skills training. “You have to understand, for most of them their idea of an adventurous journey up until now was a Howard Johnson’s without room service,” Sanders said. “This is about team building and empowerment.” Tickets may be purchased by calling the Miss South Carolina Organization in Liberty at 843-9090. Proceeds from both events go to the Children’s Miracle Network.

5/11/10 11:01:17 AM

For the contestants, it all begins May 27. After getting settled at their campsite, they’ll have to figure out the best way to properly dress for “An Evening of Dreams with Miss America.” The event, which is open to the public only with advance reservations, features both HRH Prince Edward and the reigning Miss America Caressa Cameron. “This will be the first time we’ve ever had British Royalty together with Miss America royalty,” Sanders said. On Friday, May 28, the contestants will walk in the Great Scot! Parade opening the Greenville Scottish Games behind HRH Prince Edward, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Miss South Carolina Kelly Sloan and Miss South Carolina Teen Ali Rogers. Following the events in downtown Greenville, the contestants will return to the wilderness with HRH Prince Edward to make s’mores, Sanders said. “I hope when they are 40-year-old, this is something they’ll remember and appreciate,” she said. On Saturday, May 29, the contestants will compete on the Greenville Scottish Games athletic fields in such sports as caber – or large wooden pole – tossing as part of their Adventurous Journey, Sanders said. “Initially, they had called us because they wanted to start a Lad and Lassie pageant,” Sanders said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh! I’ll be happy to help if you let my girls participate in the games as part of their Adventurous Journey.’ I had never imagined saying Miss South Carolina contestant and axe throwing in the same sentence.” The weekend wraps up for the pageant contestants with the 2 p.m. “Garden Party.” C o n t a c t A p r i l S i l v a g g io at 679-1226 o r a si l v a g i o @ g re e n v i l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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Legislation allowing school districts to freeze automatic salary increases teachers receive for each additional year of classroom experience could be one step closer to passing Tuesday. The state Senate is expected to give final approval to a joint resolution to allow school districts to waive state-mandated teacher salary step increases next school year. The resolution would then be sent back to the state House of Representatives to see if it concurs with an amendment the Senate added to clarify districts would have to pay teachers and school and district administrators for changes in their education level. Under the state’s minimum teacher salary schedule, salaries rise for each year of experience a teacher has in the classroom, up to 22 years. Teachers also get increases for earning a higher degree. Some school districts, such as Greenville County Schools, pay more than the state’s minimum salary schedule. According to the resolution, school boards would have to take a public vote to suspend the teacher salary step increases.

School districts which suspend the teacher raises would be prohibited from raising salaries of district and school administrators. Greenville County Schools proposed the idea to legislators as a way to save teacher jobs. “When you are forced to make cuts, it doesn’t make sense to give raises to others when you can use those funds to save jobs,” said Oby Lyles, school district spokesman. The district would save $2.5 million and 42 teaching jobs, he said. At the district’s first budget work session last month, Superintendent Phinnize Fisher told the board it was looking at about $30 million in cuts. At the time, the superintendent told trustees that it would have to consider cutting 226.5 teaching positions, 31 full-time elementary science instruction positions, 30 custodians and 31 district-level personnel. That budget was based on the district being required to give teacher salary step increases. The board gave first reading to the budget on Thursday. Contact Cindy Landrum at 679-1237 or clandrum@greenvillejournal.com.

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Jockey Lot is staying by anna b. mitchell | Staff

Attorney Dickie McClellion laughed when he was asked whether Wal-Mart was buying the 63-acre Jockey Lot in northern Anderson County. “I wondered when someone from the newspaper was going to call me,” McClellion said. “I have been asked that question 500 times in the last two weeks.” The sprawling flea market on U.S. 29 attracts more than 1,000 vendors every weekend and a couple million visitors a year. But rumors that Wal-Mart might be purchasing the site for a distribution center lit up the call center at the county’s 911 office, Jockey Lot manager Ricky Spearman said. “Anderson County called us three or four weeks ago and said they’d answered over 200 calls,” Spearman said. “I think it scares everybody more than anything.” Anderson County Lt. Garland Major confirmed people were calling 911 asking about the Jockey Lot, though not as many as McClellion had heard. “We got a couple calls,” he said. “Yes, we do get strange calls.” Asked whether people might not realize 911 is for emergencies only, he replied: “You’d think.” The Jockey Lot’s puppy-dog alley, its nearly 130,000 square feet of indoor vendor space, acres of open concrete tables for family yard sales and deep-fried treats and biscuits give it a festive feel every weekend of the year. McClellion bought the land and set up the flea market in the late 1970s after a visit to Mexico. He wanted to bring an open market to Anderson, he said.

McClellion said he has no intention of selling the Jockey Lot but had second thoughts when he heard about the rumored Wal-Mart offer of $40 million. “I got to tell my secretary that one!” he said. “We don’t want to run nobody off, but I don’t know who would be crazy enough to pay me $40 million.” He said he has other business

ventures he has a part share in that do run into big numbers, and he postulated a bleacher conversation at one of his boy’s baseball games perhaps was misheard and repeated with embellishment. He said he also hasn’t been seen at the Jockey Lot much recently because of family commitments. That and the impending departure of Spearman, he said, might also be

contributing to ill ease at the flea market. “This rumor has been so persistent,” he said. “I got one that this will be our last weekend.” He said the Jockey Lot will be open another 20 years if he has anything to say about it. Contact Anna B. Mitchell at 593-8919 o r ami tch e l l @ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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MAY 14, 2010 | G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 27

I n

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HockeyGreenville hosted a Season Ticket Lottery Draft event for season ticket holders, hockey fans and the Upstate community at the Bi-Lo Center.

Photos by Keith Driggers/Contributing photographer

Clockwise from top:

A fan tries out his slap shot.

Bill Holt and wife Gaye were the first season tickets holders for the new Greenville Hockey team.

Michael Hilla exhibits his balancing and bouncing skills with a hockey stick and practice ball.

Mike Keith, a business owner from Greer, stops to have his photo taken with Tom E. Hawk. the mascot for the Johnstown Chiefs.

The first season ticket holder’s name is drawn.

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INSIDE THIS WEEK : ON THE MOVE | INSIDE BUSINESS

T B A WITH LYN RIDDLE Asheville edged out Greenville in the online vote for Google Fiber, which is not sponsored by or even acknowledged as relevant by Google. Greenville led for a time, but the blog said Asheville’s faithful voters pushed the city over the top. But Greenvillians have no fear - Round II voting started last Friday…

Woodlands grows its offerings To offset occupancy shortfalls, community adds Life Care >

Business still likes South Carolina, at least they’re looking, according to the state commerce department, which is getting 10 to 12 business leads a week, compared to three a week this time last year… Fusion Audio and Video is moving its headquarters and showroom to a 16,800-square-foot former warehouse building at 119 N. Markley St. It is in the West End not far from Fluor Field… KPMG, a tax firm, has leased 8,150 square feet on the second floor at Main@Broad, the mixed use development that includes the just opened Courtyard Marriott and Nantucket Seafood Grill… Asheville’s Papas and Beer has located in the former Logan’s Steakhouse on Haywood Road. It bills itself as authentic California-style Mexican food…

Greg Beckner/Staff

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“We believe that stabilization will happen.” T r o y Ca n n a d ay Executive Director, The Woodlands at Fur man by Dick Hughes | Contributing

The Woodlands at Furman, the continuing-care retirement community, is wrapping up its first year with a new program to ease anxiety about health costs and to attract more residents to fill a shortfall in occupancy created by the recession. While the health care units are doing well, occupancy of the 132 independent living apartments is lagging at slightly above 25 percent, the major factor putting Woodlands into an operating deficit. Executive Director Troy Cannaday said skilled nursing is running at 80 percent of capacity, assisted living 60 percent and the dementia unit is half filled. About 35 apartments are occupied. Residents do not purchase apartments but pay a monthly service fee plus a fee for utilities and services. The apartments range from one to three bedrooms, and the fee ranges roughly from $1,700 to $2,500. Upstate Senior Living Inc., the nonprofit agency that owns the facility, is dipping into reserves to subsidize costs. But Larry D. Estridge, a Greenville attorney who is volunteer chairman, said the agency is making debt payments and has sufficient reserves to sustain the center as it fills up. “We believe that stabilization will happen – stabilization being 90, 95 percent occupied – will occur somewhere between the 36- and 48-month point. We are a year into it so in another two or three years we will be at that stabilization point,” said Cannaday. To showcase the amenities of the center and its wooded surroundings adjacent to Furman University, the Woodlands is celebrating its first year with a series of public events Monday through Friday. First proposed in 1999 by Furman University with an offer of 22-acres to be leased at no cost by the university, construction, after a couple of false starts, started in 2006. It opened to residents last year under management of Grey-

Greg Beckner/Staff

Dr. Edger McKnight, left, visits with his friend Rev. Jimmy Daughtry in the library of the Woodlands at Furman. The men were taking a tour of the facility when they stopped by the library.

stone Communities of Irving, Texas. It is the only university-linked retirement center in South Carolina. It also is affiliated with the exclusive Cliffs Communities, which was an investor. Cannaday believes Life Care also is unique in the Upstate. Under the program, once residents move from independent living, where Medicare reimburses care, residents will pay the same amount no matter what level of care they are in. “For somebody moving into member support or skilled nursing care, Medicare doesn’t cover those costs at all. Only after a qualifying stay in a hospital will Medicare kick in,” he said. New Care allows residents to more closely estimate future health care expenses. “We don’t know what fees are going to be in 10 years, but historical … we see anywhere from a 3 to 5 percent annual increase,” he said. The $78 million Woodlands project is funded through tax-free bonds issued by the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority, which required that 75 percent of the independent living apartments be pre-sold, a condition more than met at the time of closing. But the presales did not hold up. Cancellations poured in as

seniors who had planned to retire to Woodland saw their house values decline, were unable to sell homes, delayed retirement or simply had a change of heart. Some held onto their commitments but delayed moving. “People want to sell their homes before they move in, but they can’t sell their house,” said another director, James Neal of Neal Prince Architects of Greenville, who was responsible for overseeing construction and brought the project to completion $2 million under budget. Even in the best of times, Cannaday said, it is common to have cancellations between pre-selling and operational phases as reality sets in, life experiences change and priorities shift. “But we did have a higher number of cancellations because of the economic downturn,” he said. “That’s the past, and what we have got to worry about is moving forward.” Even with an expected increase of 1520 residents who plan to move in soon, Woodlands will remain below the occupancy stipulation of the bonds. “The key is when you look at that longer fill period,” said Cannaday, “do we violate occupancy and sales covenants, yes. Do we violate financial covenants of the bonds, no. We are in regular communications with the investment group. They are aware of all of our efforts. They are supportive of the life care option because we believe that will enhance the community.” Cannaday takes a bright-side view that low occupancy in the first year allowed the staff have time to strengthen core values of care and service, put Life Care in place, develop enrichment programs and build the relationship with Furman University. “Successful aging, what does it mean? I think that we’ve been able to focus on it in a different way than if we would have had 100 units occupied in a couple of months.” The Woodlands employs 115.

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MAY 14, 2010 | G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 31

Bizarro

GHS to cut 50 employees by April M. Silvaggio | Staff

As many as 50 employees of the Greenville Hospital System are expected to lose their jobs over the next two months as officials grapple the impact of a $10 million budget gap. The layoffs are necessary in spite of efforts by hospital system officials to lower costs through negotiations with vendors for supplies and services and implement belt-tightening procedures across the board, said Doug Dorman, GHS’ vice president of human resources. While plans for the layoffs are yet to be finalized, the cuts are expected to take place this month and next, officials said. Where possible, employees are being offered reassignments as an alternative to losing their jobs. A news release from the hospital said GHS is committed to working with the employees who are laid off to help them find other work elsewhere or

prepare them for other employment. All of the positions being cut are from support departments and areas with reduced patient volume, Dorman said. Administrators insist patient care won’t be affected. Officials said the 50 positions account for less than ½ of 1 percent of the more than 10,000 employees at GHS. While an additional 50 unfilled positions have been put on hold temporarily to minimize the need for more layoffs, hiring continues for more than 150 full-time jobs in areas ranging from accounting to social work. “Like other healthcare organizations, GHS will continue to adjust its workforce to its current patient volumes by flexing hours and moving staff to higher volume areas,” Dorman said. Officials said this week the $10 million budget shortfall is the result of seeing fewer patients than anticipated

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and no increase in payments from government programs. Like other hospitals across the U.S., GHS is experiencing a drop in the number of deliveries as families delay having children in the midst of a tough economy. Folks are also choosing to postpone surgeries, whether it’s plastic surgery or even major joint replacement, Dorman said. “In difficult financial times, many people lose their health insurance and are unable to pay for care even though the hospital system continues to provide emergency care for those who need it,” he said. Dorman said staffing changes will continue to be an ongoing process as GHS and other providers adjust to healthcare reform, changing technology and the evolving needs of the community.

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32 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

I N S I D E

B U S I N E S S

N E W S & A N N O U N C E M E N T S F R O M L O C A L C O M PA N I E S

Illinois Tool Works Inc. has acquired Vertique of Asheville, N.C., a warehouse systems company, and combined it with Hartness International of Greenville, which ITW acquired last year. Terms of the acquisition of Vertique by ITW would not be disclosed, a spokeswoman for ITW in Glenview, Ill., said. The purchase was completed last week. The combined company is called Hartness Vertique Warehouse Automation. The Asheville and Greenville operations will remain in place, the company said. Hartness, which was founded by Tom Hartness in 1940 with a Pepsi-Cola franchise and developed into a global packaging equipment and systems company, has 530 employees. It was purchased last year by ITW for an undisclosed sum. Vertique has 93 employees. Bern McPheely, Hartness president, said the two companies have been working together under a partnership for the past year. McPheely “Until now, we focused on customers in the food and beverage industry, which is Vertique’s core customer base,” he said. “Our new closer relationship means that we will work together to offer warehouse and distribution solutions for many other business lines.” Tim Gardner, executive vice president of ITW, said Vertique’s “growing warehouse automation platform” makes Vertique “a very complementary acquisition.” Jay Stingel, president and founder of Vertique, said the combination “is great news for Asheville and the Upstate.” He said the merged operations means growth can come at a “much faster rate than ever before since we can tap into the global resources, knowledge and customer base of Hartness International and ITW.” Illinois Tool Works is an industrial company with 825 diversified businesses in 52 countries. It had revenue of $13.9 billion last year, down 19 percent from 2008. It reported net income of $947 million in 2009, down from $1.5 billion the prior year. The company is traded on the NYSE.

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Nominations are now being accepted for South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2010, the annual program which recognizes the achievements of South Carolina’s top-performing private and publicly owned companies. The 2010 program includes slight adjustments to ranking criteria to allow organizations hit hard in 2009 by the national economy’s downturn to be eligible and compete. New for 2010 is a shift in the ranking system to allow “organizations with a strong track record of success, but which may have experienced unusual difficulty in 2009 due to the national economy’s downturn, to remain competitive in the program,” said Dan Adams, chairman of The Capital Corp., presenting sponsor of the program. To be eligible for honors, all nominees must complete the nomination form, available at www.thecapitalcorp. com, including three years of revenue/asset and employment information along with basic company information. Nominations may be submitted by companies directly or by third parties, and will be evaluated for completeness and ranked by a review panel from The Capital Corporation based solely on responses received. Fehrer South Carolina will be adding a shift which will create 26 new jobs at their facility in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Fehrer is a tier 2 automotive supplier that specializes in the production of seat pads and other seating components such as armrests, consoles and headrests. Fehrer is an international family-owned company that was established in 1875. They have been manufacturing in Laurens County since 1999. Submit entries to: Greenville Journal, Inside Business, 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, SC 29601 e-mail: greenvillebusiness@greenvillejournal.com

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MAY 14, 2010 | G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L 33

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First National cites progress by Dick Hughes | Contributing

First National Bank of the South has become “critically undercapitalized,” the trigger regulators typically use to give a bank a short window to raise money, merge with a healthier bank or face liquidation. A spokesman for the bank, Reed Byrum of Byrum Innovation Group, said regulators have not issued any new directives specific to the lower capitalization classification and that regulators are involved in the bank’s plan to raise capital. “We have a plan to raise capital and are in constant dialogue with regulators,” Byrum said. “They have given us the time to execute that plan to restore the capital ratio to acceptable levels.” The declaration of falling into the worst classification of a bank’s ability to meet its obligations was in the company’s quarterly financial report to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was released Monday.

That information was not included in the bank’s press release on its first quarter performance in which it reported a loss of $5.6 million. It exceeds the $1.4 million lost in the comparable period in 2009 but is less than the $9.6 million red ink in the fourth quarter of 2009. “While we are not pleased the first quarter resulted in a $5.6 million loss, we do see significant indications of progress,” said J. Barry Mason, president and chief executive officer said. The bank cited improvement in net interest margin, a reduction in overhead expenses (except for an increase in FDIC insurance) a decline in bad loans, recovery of $1 million in assets and an increase in liquidity. The bank said its portfolio of troubled loans declined by a bit more than $1 million in the quarter to $136 million and that it had contracts in hand to sell, at a discount, $2 million. In the filing with the SEC, the Spartanburg company said, however,

the “bank’s capital classification was critically undercapitalized as its tangible equity rate was 2 percent or less” based on the bank’s “regulatory report of condition and income” as of March 31. As of the end of March, First National of the South had a Tier 1 capital to average assets of 1.92 percent. That particular ratio for the holding company, First National Bancshares, was 1.24 percent. In simplistic terms, that means the bank had $1.92 in capital to back up every $100 in loans. A well-capitalized bank would have at least $10 for every $100. In its news release, C. Dan Adams, chairman of First National Bancshares, said the board and management “will continue to make major strides as the economy recovers, as we gain additional capital, and as we continue the bank’s resilience in handling non-performing assets (loans).” C o n tact Di ck Hu gh e s at dh u gh e s@ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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Feds to TSFG: Raise cash by Dick Hughes | Contributing

Carolina First and its holding

company, the South Financial Group, are under stringent orders of regulators to raise enough cash to cleanse its books of bad loans, maintain higher than normal capital ratios and to improve long-term earnings prospects. As the bank expected and publicly predicted, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve last week entered into a consent order and agreement with Carolina First and TSFG to force the bank to take steps to address its tenuous financial condition. “It is not a surprise,” said James Gordon, chief financial officer. “And it has no impact day to day on employees and customers. It’s business as usual for them.” He said 90 percent of what is in the orders are measures “we’ve already have been doing” and the other 10 percent imposes more administrative control over management.

The FDIC order is directed at Greenville-based Carolina First, the registered entity for the bank in the Carolinas and for Mercantile Bank in Florida. The Federal Reserve directive is aimed at TSFG as the holding company. The regulators put the onus on the board of directors to take full responsibility for complying with the dictates. It has 30 days to create a four-man committee to oversee management compliance. The FDIC’s order gives Carolina First 120 days to raise enough capital to improve its total risk-based ratio to 12 percent from 10.45 percent, a requirement that increases the pressure on the bank to raise hundreds of millions. The bank won’t say how much money it needs, saying the number will be determined in large part by potential investors. The company not only has to raise enough money to absorb millions in additional losses but enough to exceed the normal well-capitalized standard of $10 of capital for every $100 in loans to

$12 for every $100 and be able to maintain that through the life of the consent order, which could be two years. The bank has been exploring for the last several months various ways to raise money that would count as available capital: converting some or all of the government’s $347million in TARP preferred shares to common, selling additional shares in private or public offerings, or selling “all or a portion of the company.” The FDIC order insists the company’s contingency plan “shall include a plan to sell or merge the bank.” Asked about possible sale or merger, Gordon would only say TSFG is “considering all options.” Under the FDIC order, the company has 60 days to come up with a plan to “collect, charge off or improve the quality of” what bank examiners identified as substandard loans in excess of $5 million on the books of Carolina First and Mercantile Bank. The FDIC gave the bank two years to reduce the total of these doubtful loans by 75 percent. It has 180 days to clear up 15 percent. As of March 31, TSFG had $518 million in nonperforming loans, 6.3

percent of all its loans. At the annual meeting in Greenville Tuesday, shareholders have been asked to quadruple the number of allowable common shares to 1.35 billion and give the board discretion for a reverse stock split to exchange some multiple of common shares to one. The board wants the option to use the reserve stock split to push TSFG’s stock above $1 to protect its listing on NASDAQ, which issued a delisting warning when the stock fell below a buck and stayed there. Since January 2008, TSFG has lost more than $1.3 billion in nine straight quarters of red ink. A large portion of the losses were incurred in the early collapse of the residential and commercial real estate markets in Florida; loses in the Carolina, particularly in the coastal areas, also have been large. Carolina First and Mercantile Bank have 176 branch offices in South Carolina, Florida and North Carolina. With assets of $12.4 TSFG is South Carolina’s largest banking company. C o n tact Di ck Hu gh e s at dh u gh e s@ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce hired Allen C. Smith as its new president. Smith previously worked for the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina for the Smith past five years. Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management. In 2009, he was selected by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives as one of its “Top 40 under 40.” He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives as well as the Assistant District Governor for Rotary International District 7720. Smith graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Smith will begin his duties as President on Monday, June 7, 2010.

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Seabrook Marchant, p r e s i d e n t / b r o k e r- i n charge of The Marchant Co., announced the formation of Marchant Property Management, LLC. The division will continue to be headed by Hunter S. Marchant Hughey who had previously served as property manager. Hughey, along with Brian Marchant, CFO, will also become principals in the newly formed company, as well as Seabrook Marchant and Anne Marchant. Lisa McDowell will serve as director of property management services. All properties previously under management contracts with The Marchant Co. will be transferred to Marchant Property Management, LLC.

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BehindTheCounterONLINE.com 36 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

Firm joins oil suit BY CHARLES SOWELL | STAFF AN UPSTATE LAW FIRM has become a player in the flurry of lawsuits stemming from the fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that has spawned an ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. John White, a partner in Harrison, White, Smith and Coggins, said the firm was asked to take part in a Florida lawsuit against all of the major parties to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. White and the other partners in the case will be representing three Floridians as representatives of the class of people who are dependent for their livelihoods on fishing, real estate and property ownership along the Gulf Coast. “Everyone who is taking part in this case on behalf of the plaintiffs brings something of significance to the table in the way of expertise,” White said. White’s firm is one of the major

litigators in South Carolina and has connections with other major firms through cases like the class action suit against Toyota over faulty accelerator pedals. He said attorneys are waiting for court officials to decide where to consolidate the flurry of cases filed against Transocean, LTD, operators of the deep sea drilling ship; British Petroleum, owners of the oil lease; Halliburton Energy Services, who provide drilling services and expertise; and Cameron Corp., makers of the shutoff safety valve systems that failed to prevent a massive oil spill that threatened much of the U.S. Gulf Coast. In the suit brought by White’s firm and others some of the same allegations surface about failed blowout preventers. White said he’s confident his firm and the partners can effectively show negligence on the part of BP, Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron.

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Workers for U.S. Environmental Services preparing booms for shoreline protection. © BP p.l.c

Meanwhile National Guard troops fanned out along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana in an attempt to deal with the massive slick that’s being fed by at least 5,000 barrels of oil a day gushing from the sea floor. C o n t a c t C h a r l e s S o w ell at 679-1208 o r c so w e l l @ g re e n v i l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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JOURNAL SKETCHBOOK INSIDE THIS WEEK : THE SCENE | SAMANTHA HARRIS | OUR COMMUNIT Y | OUR SCHOOLS

material world G R E E N V I L L E A RT I S T ’ S L O S S O F A T E X T I L E J O B A L L O W S H E R T O P U R S U E PA I N T I N G – O N FA B R I C

“Famsters” and some of the material they were made from in the studio of Greenville artist Kyle Buttram. 38 G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L | MAY 14, 2010

Greg Beckner / Staff

S K E T C H B O O K BY CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

WHEN KYLE BUTTRAM was laid off from a job in the textile industry in 2006, some might have called it bad luck. She calls it a kind act of Providence. The loss of the job as a fabric designer for a quilting supply company shocked her into getting serious about making art and, ironically, textiles play a major role. Buttram, who majored in painting at Bob Jones University, paints on top of stretched upholstery fabric. It was an idea she got from reading an article in the Sunday New York Times – a paper she got at Starbucks while trying to make ends meet – about a guy who painted on wallpaper. Buttram decided to try painting on upholstery fabric, a lot of which is as thick as the canvas on which she was already painting. She talked to fellow artist Paul Flint about her idea and he suggested coating the fabric with acrylic polyurethane. She quickly found that the fabric could be used as the background of A R T Sof . C Uthe L T URsubject. E . L IF E . a painting, or as part She discovered fabric could be used in landscapes as green pixelated fabric resembled field grass and blue fabric could look like sky or sea. With shading, she can make the fabric look three dimensional, giving her paintings depth. “The fabric can be the object or the background,” she said. “It’s very Aversatile.” R T S. C U L T U R E . L I F E . A R T S. C U L T U R E . L I F E .

The year she was laid off, she had no money to buy Christmas presents for her family. She decided to turn the stashes of fabric she had at home into fabric “portraits” of her 24 family members. “I wanted to do something fun for them. I love fabric and at the fabric company, I felt a little stifled,” said Buttram, who now lives in a house that was once the overseer’s house for Brandon Mill. Her brother-in-law said they looked like family monsters. “Famsters” were born. The next year, Buttram was looking for ways to make rent money and she made 10 “Famsters” to sell at her studio in the Flat Iron building on Pendleton Street. By the end of one First Friday event, she had sold eight. For the next First Friday, she made 20. They sold. Christmas came and she couldn’t make them fast enough. In March, Buttram started a “Famster a Day” project. She’ll make one “Famster” a day and take its picture somewhere in Greenville. She then posts it to her blog and people try to guess where the picture was taken. The “Famster” is sold on eBay, Etsy, in one of the galleries that carries Buttram’s work or through Buttram’s blog. So far, she’s concentrated on downtown. Every Sunday, she takes a picture of her Famster at a church. She’s taken pictures at several schools, including J.L. Mann, League Academy and A “Famster” has AGreenville R T S. C U L T U RE . L High. IF E .

C O V E R

Greg Beckner / Staff

Greenville artist Kyle Buttram with some of her creations.

been spotted at Fluor Field at the West End, the Peace Center and the Barkery Bistro. “A lot of the places have been my favorite places. I think it gives people a window into my Greenville,” she said. As the year goes on, the places she photographs will get more obscure, she said. “This year, I’m going to concentrate on Greenville,” she said. “but the Famster might have to go on vacation every now and then.” She said she hopes to promote downtown merchants through the one-a-day project. “I won’t be taking a picture at Ruby Tuesday,” she said.

Artists of the

A R T S. C U L T U R E . L I F E .

Upstate

A R T S. C U L T U R E . L I F E .

An Artisphere Juried Exhibition

Presented by

Buttram, 47, is grateful for the unexpected opportunity to pursue her art, she said, although she supplements the money she makes from art with odd jobs. She had always liked to draw and in high school, she took any art class she could. But she said she “lost her way” in college. “I had great professors at Bob Jones. They were very professional, very strict and very good at teaching classic art,” she said. “They weren’t real good at encouragement. I really thought I just wasn’t very good.” After college, Buttram, who was born on the BJU campus and attended the school throughout her academic career, headed to Washington, D.C. She did secretarial work and worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper in their database department. “I painted on the side on the weekend,” she said. “and I painted just for me.” The turning point, she said, was when she saw a copy of “The Artist Way” in a bookstore. The book reignited her desire to make art. “I was just ready to read it,” she said. She decided to get her teaching certificate through a career-switcher program. She taught in Virginia and for one year in South Carolina. Then came that fateful product development job at the fabric company. C o n tact C i n dy Lan dru m at 6 7 9 -1 2 3 7 o r cl an dru m@ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

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MAY 14, 2010 | G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L 39

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The view from here Cataloochee Valley BY CHARLES SOWELL | STAFF

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40 G R E E N V I L L E J O U R N A L | MAY 14, 2010

ELK TRACKS LITTER the ground around the porch at the Caldwell house in Cataloochee Valley. Located in the little-used northern part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee is the best kept secret in the iconic mountain range, said Brad Free, an interpretive ranger headquartered in Gatlinburg. That’s saying a lot in a 521,085acre park that gets more than 9 million visitors a year. Perhaps the best way to understand gorgeous Cataloochee’s lack of crowds is to ponder its isolation. For modern visitors you can get there by car, but it isn’t easy. Most of the earliest European settlers came via an old wagon road based on a Cherokee foot trail that connected the valley with the outside world over the Cataloochee Divide near Maggie Valley. “Few settlers came from the Tennessee side,” Free said. “They had better lands to fill.” The Cherokee only visited here to hunt or fish, said Free. The valley’s Cherokee name was “Gadalutsi.” The precise meaning has been lost to time, but most

scholars think it meant standing up in a row which either referred to the mountains that ringed the valley or the trees that topped the ridges. “There were other, richer valleys like the Tuckasegee and Oconaluftee Rivers that offered more of what the Cherokee wanted in a permanent settlement,” he said. “The soil was better in those much larger bottoms.” To be sure there are more isolated valleys in the park. Hazel Creek, tucked away behind Fontana Lake is a five mile boat ride or a 10- to 16-mile slog over some of the roughest terrain in the range. Cataloochee is most recently famous for the elk reintroduction program started there in 2002. Certainly the jaunty Elk Bugle Corps members buzzing about the upper valley in boxy vehicles are noticeable if the massive Wapiti mostly are not. Europeans wiped the eastern elk herds out shortly after their arrival in the area but the 52 animals introduced in the first rounds from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area have thrived. Bulls weighing as much as 700 pounds can blend in with the

dark woods surrounding the miles of open fields in the upper valley. The creatures only become noticeable when they move. The best time to see an elk is at dawn and sunset. Don’t get closer than 150 feet, park officials warn. An elk is easily the biggest creature in the mountains; bigger, by a considerable margin, than most bears. If a visitor gets close enough to alter the animal’s behavior, that’s too close, officials said. Cataloochee is more than elk. It is a place where the trout are feisty, the history rich with a bluegrass culture that runs deeper than a weekly segment on the radio. One of the industries in the valley during the late 1800s was trout fishing. Enterprising farmers built bunk houses and imported rainbow trout from western states for the dudes to catch at 50 cents per fish. GreenvilleJrnl_CAS8_tango_5.14:Layout 2

Wa n t to g o ? Take U.S. 25 to Interstate 26 and head toward Asheville. At Asheville take the Knoxville exit onto I-40 west. Follow I-40 for about 70 miles and exit 20 (U.S. 276). Cross under the interstate and turn right onto Cove Creek Road. Follow Cove Creek Road to the gap at the park boundary. Bear left at the first intersection (the paved road) for Big Cataloochee and the road tour of historic buildings. Bear right at the first park intersection (dirt) for the shortest trail leading to Little Cataloochee.

By the time the federal government got serious about buying up the land for inclusion in the national park system some of the farmers had prospered mainly by growing apples for the fresh fruit markets in Tennessee and Asheville. These wealthy farmers were some of the last holdouts in selling. The oldest log home is the Hannah 5/5/10

10:57 AM

cabin built in the middle 1800s in Little Cataloochee Community which was sort of a suburb of Big Cataloochee by then. Another Hannah, Mark, became one of the first park rangers. He was born in Little Cataloochee in 1906. Most visitors to Big Cataloochee come in via Cove Creek Road which passes through Cove Creek

Gap at the park boundary. There is a driving tour of most of the old structures in Big Cataloochee like Palmer Chapel and the Beech Cove School. Access to Little Cataloochee comes only by foot trail. It is a moderate one-mile hike to the Hannah Cabin. Follow on for a little more than three miles and you end up in Big Cataloochee at Nellie and the Beech Cove School. Big Cataloochee supports a fulltime campground but visitors should remember it is a long way to the nearest McDonald’s restaurant. It is roughly 10 miles from exit 20 on Interstate 40 and more than 20 miles in from the Tennessee side at exit 451. The roads are not paved in the park except for a short section leading down to Big Cataloochee. Contact Charles Sowell at 679-1208 or csowell@greenvillejournal.com.

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Your help is needed Behind the headlines by Samantha Harris The Phillis Wheatley Community Center in Greenville is in trouble. If the center does not raise some extra money soon, its after school and dance theater programs, which keep kids off the street and excelling in school, will have to shut down. The 90-year-old center’s programs serve 200 children from mostly lowincome, single-parent homes, and 200 more are on the waiting list. Last year, 85 percent of the parents of children in the programs were at least marginally employed. Today, that number is more like 10 percent. And 98 percent of the parents are single mothers. Students who attend the after school and summer programs get help with their academics and life choices. The students who participate in the repertory theater are known all over the Upstate for their performances. Participating in the theater

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performances is the caveat program challenges financially because educate the community about what leaders use to keep the kids engaged people think since the center has it takes to run the center, but also in their school work, said Donna community in its name that it is to ask people to pay it forward. We Coleman, executive director. run by the government, like other have people who have gone through “In our area, 37 percent of African community centers in the area,” the Phillis Wheatley Center, and American males and 23 percent Coleman said. “But we receive no they remember the benefit they of African American females will funds from the city or the county. got from the center. So if you know not graduate high school,” she We are a 501-C3, so we have to rely the center was beneficial to your growth and your life, we are hoping said. “In our program, we have a on grants and donations.” 100 percent graduation rate. We Also, the United Way of Greenville you will see there are kids now who had only one of the girls in the County, concerned about the need your resources, mentoring and program to become pregnant last year, but she persevered and now is attending college. So something we are doing with our program keeps the students engaged in their education even when they slip and fall.” If their grades slip, students cannot sing or D o n n a C o l e ma n , Phillis Wheatley Community Center Executive Director dance or participate in any performances. The group performs at functions throughout the year, most notably center’s financial stability and its assistance.” Sometimes people want to forget its annual fundraisers, “A Night ability to raise the money it needs, of Stars and Dreams” at the Peace did not renew funding for the where they came from, Coleman said. But in this case, they cannot Center for the Performing Arts and center. the “Reach into the Future” gala. The center received a $12,500 afford to do that. “I came through the Phillis The center needs $1.5 million each check from the organization on the year to operate its two buildings 25th of each month, which meant Wheatley Center, and so did my and its programs. they had to raise an additional parents, because back then it was the only game in town for children Monthly utility bills alone range $35,000 monthly, Coleman said. from $12,000 in the winter and Without United Way funding, from our community,” she said. $20,000 in the summer, when more center leaders need to raise about “What we need doesn’t take a lot from any one person. It just takes students come. The monthly water $500,000 for next year. bill is between $2,500 and $7,500. “If we do not raise the money, a lot of people doing a little. We “You can’t run a program without we cannot operate our after school cannot leave people behind who having a bathroom,” Coleman said, and summer programs, and our need assistance.” “so there’s no way to eliminate a repertory theater program of 26 water bill.” years will go away,” Coleman said. Two obstacles have put the center At a rally held Tuesday afternoon, Contact Samantha Harris at in dire financial straits lately, Donna Coleman called on members of the sharris@greenvillejournal. Coleman, executive director, said. community to help. com. “The center has always had “Our goal for the rally is to

“If we do not raise the money, we cannot operate our after school and summer programs, and our repertory theater program of 26 years will go away.”

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After his father was released, he returned home and stayed there and “Meditation” and “Reminiscence,” began to sculpt. Tuan got interested in the art form, downtown Greenville’s newest pieces of public art, have a peaceful, serene although he clashed with his father about feel that is in stark contrast to the life of his father’s rigid approach to sculpture. In 1986, Tuan tried to escape by boat the artist who created them. Vietnamese artist Tuan Nguyen down the river. Shots were fired, his experienced the fall of Saigon, survived close friend died and Tuan was arrested. He began sculpting a failed escape attempt with clay from the in which a close friend floor of his cell, which was killed and spent was packed tight with time in a prison camp other inmates. His before finally escaping sculpting led to Tuan’s to Cambodia after a release to his parents. two-month long walk He made another through the jungles of escape attempt, this southeast Asia. time with help from an He has been living in underground network. the United States since After a two-month 1989. long walk through the Tuan is known for jungles of Southeast using graceful lines and Asia and eluding rhythmic compositions potential captors, to radiate peacefulness Tuan made his way to and serenity in his large Cambodia. bronze sculptures. He is He spent time in known for his ability to Greg Beckner/Staff refugee camps in infuse the physical mass of the sculptures with a "Meditation," Tuan Nguyen Thailand and the Philippines before sense of weightlessness. moving to the United The statues – one of States. He lives in an angelic-like human form holding a flute, the other a male California. The sculptures are the most visible and female holding a violin and its bow -- are at the corner of Main and Broad new public art in downtown Greenville, streets in front of office space occupied but they’re not the only new public art at the Main @Broad development. by Fidelity Investments. The walls of the new public “We believe the Tuan sculptures add significantly to the overall project restrooms behind the waterfall wall at panache and are not only striking, the development are covered with 600 but capture the enlivened spirit of decorative tiles painted by children Greenville,” said Bo Aughtry, principal during last year’s Artisphere. With the help of a paint-your-ownof Windsor/Aughtry Co., the developer of the Main@Broad property, and a pottery studio, employees of Design Strategies, the project architects, supporter of the arts in Greenville. Charlie Thompson of Midtown helped children paint about 600 tiles Artery helped Windsor/Aughtry bring that include everything from flowers to buildings to the sun. the Tuan pieces to the location. The tiles were later fired and stored until Tuan was born in 1963 into one of the wealthiest families in Vietnam. it was time to install them in the restrooms. After the fall of Saigon, Tuan’s father was taken to a forced labor camp to be Conta c t C i n d y L a n d r u m a t 6 7 9 -1 2 3 7 or c l a n d r u m @ g re e n v i l l e j o u r n a l . c o m . “re-educated” by the communists.

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Arts Calendar May 14-20

Distracted Globe at The Warehouse Theatre Late Night Improv May 14-15 , 235-6948 Greenville Little Theatre Studio 444: A Two Night Stand May 14-15 , 233-6238 Greenville County Youth Orchestras Romantic Landscapes May 15 , 467-3000

速

Music in the Woods Aaron Berg May 15 , 363-8666 Carolina Youth Symphony Repertory & Concert Orchestra Concerts May 16 , 232-3963 Greenville Chautauqua Society Dr. Seuss: Imagine That! May 18 , 244-2499 Carolina Bronze Handbell Ensemble Spring Concert May 18 , 238-4639 The Warehouse Theatre 13th of Paris Through May 22 , 235-6948 Wits End Poetry Coffee & Poetry May 16 , 298-0494 Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive PictureMeFree May 20 , 232-2273 Artisphere & Centre Stage Artists of the Upstate 2010 Through May 28 , 271-9398 Metropolitan Arts Council One-Stop Open Studios Exhibit Through May 28 , 467-3132 Upstate Visual Arts The Historical Morgan House & Textile Industry Exhibit Through May 28 , 269-8282 Greenville County Museum of Art Grey Album Through Jun. 6 , 271-7570 A Portrait of Greenville Through Sep. 26 , 271-7570

46 g r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

S c e n e . H e r e . T he

week

the

local

arts

Riverdance Farewell Performances!

world

EDUCATION Fabric of our lives On Wednesday, May 26 the Upcountry History Museum will host a Lunch and Learn, from noon to 1 p.m. titled Greenville and the Great Textile Strike of 1934. Dr. Judy Bainbridge will explore the effects of this monumental event in labor relations in Greenville County. UHM members are admitted free; $5 for non-members; Lunch will also available for sale. Seating is limited. Call 467-3100 to reserve seats.

MAY 21-23

The ropes SC Children’s Theatre is taking registrations for 2010 Summer classes and camps. SCCT’s Theater Arts Conservatory is a professional center that provides instruction to young people ages 2 through adult at their headquarters in downtown Greenville. Summer session classes include half day and full day camps, exploration, process acting, production acting, intensive training classes, dance and musical theater classes. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. or additional details or to sign up, go to www.scchildrenstheatre. org or call Jill Wolf at 235-2885, ext.16.

SPOKEN

A thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance. Part of The Greenville News Broadway Series.

Steve Martin Performing with

The Steep Canyon Rangers

“Requiem for Andy” by JJ Ohlinger. Watercolor. www.ohlinger.com.

WORD

Hear it here On Friday, May 14 at 7 p.m. Leopard Forest Coffee Co. will host a poetry reading featuring Vera Gomez, followed by an open mic session. Leopard Forest is located on Main Street in Travelers Rest. info@trilliumartscentre.org , 834-2388

JUN. 10 CALL

LIVE

BOARD

MUSIC

Bells, bells Carolina Bronze, an advanced handbell choir of ringers from throughout the Upstate area, will hold a concert at First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 16 and at Daniel Memorial Chapel on the campus of Furman University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18.

‘Peter Pan’ South Carolina Children’s Theatre will hold auditions for “Peter Pan” on May 22. Auditions for those up to 12 will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For those 12 and older auditions will be from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For complete listing of characters and details, visit http://www.scchildrenstheatre.org/onstagetickets/onstage/peter-pan

Steve Martin performs songs from his bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, with special guests The Steep Canyon Rangers.

Harry Connick, Jr.

Send us your arts announcement. Fax 679-1238 or e-mail: greenvillearts@greenvillejournal.com

JUN. 18

Timeless songs and the unprecedented talent that is Harry Connick, Jr. and his orchestra combine for what is sure to be an unforgettable concert experience.

Enjoy a free guided tour: 2pm Sundays May 16, 23, 30 • June 6, 13, 20, 27

peacecenter.org Crossword puzzle: page 54

420 College Street

Greenville SC 29601 • 864/271-7570 • info@greenvillemuseum.org

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MAY 14, 2010 | g r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 47

o h Now

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t h e y

entering

the

d i d n ’ t

c r i m i n a l’ s

mind...

Really? Robbing cars in a church parking lot on a Sunday? Shame, even more than normal for thieving. One downtown area church had three cars broken into. The windows were smashed and among the items stolen were an iPod Touch, empty purse and a navigation system. Cops call it the smash and grab. It happened last week on Camperdown.

A purse was taken from a Chevy Equinox after the passenger front window was, well, smashed.

The designated legal publication for Greenville County, South Carolina NOTICE OF APPLICATION Notice is hereby given that Saffron’s Westend Cafe, intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license/permit that will allow the sale and ON premises consumption of BEER, WINE, & LIQUOR at 31 Augusta Street, Greenville, SC 29601. To object to the issuance of this license/permit, written protest must be received by the S.C. Department of Revenue no later than May 23, 2010. For a protest to be valid, it must be in writing, and should include the following information: (1) the name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest; (2) the specific reasons why the application should be denied; (3) that the person protesting is willing to attend a hearing (if one is requested by the applicant); (4) that the person protesting resides in the county where the proposed place of business is located or within five miles of the business; and, (5) the name of the applicant and the address of the premises to be licensed. Protest must be mailed to: S.C. Department of Revenue, ATTN: ABL, P. O. Box 125,Columbia, South Carolina 29214; or faxed to: (803) 898-5899

SUMMONS AND NOTICE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF PICKENS IN THE FAMILY COURT THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT 2010-DR-39-340 2010-DR-39-341 2009-DR-39-1131 Cynthia Maria Soma, Plaintiff, vs. Timothy Jason Townsend, Mark Russell Chapin and Thermal Soma, Defendants. TO THE DEFENDANT THERMAL SOMA: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint for termination of parental rights in and to the children in this action, the original of which has been filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Greenville County, 301 University Ridge, Greenville, South Carolina on the 24th day of March, 2010, a copy of which will be delivered to you upon request; to serve a copy of your Answer to the Complaint upon the undersigned attorney for the Plaintiff at 1314 East Washington Street, Greenville, South Carolina, 29607, within thirty (30) days following the date of service upon you, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, Plaintiff will apply for judgment by default against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Vanessa H. Kormylo Attorney for Plaintiff S.C. Bar No. 12040 1314 East Washington Street Greenville, SC 29607 Telephone (864) 242-1644 Fax (864) 640-8879 Greenville, South Carolina

PUBLIC SALE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on 5/22/10, at 9:00 a.m. at Woodruff Road Storage, 1868 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC, the undersigned, Woodruff Road Storage will sell at Public Sale by competitive bidding, the personal property heretofore stored with the undersigned by: 1. Unit: C152, Walter M. Parks, Jr., 9 Charlotte Street, Greenville, SC 29607 Furniture/Misc. 2. Unit: B216,Claudia Ruiz, 120 E Nussa Avenue, McCallen, TX 78501 Washer/Dryer, Furniture 3. Unit: A023, Hosea Ratcliff, 2211 Hudson Road, Greer, SC 29650 Appliances, Boxes/ Misc., Exercise Equip. 4. Unit: C038, Timothy G, Sunde, 234 Marci Rush Lane, Greer, SC 29651 Furniture/Misc. 5. Unit: C088, Renee WhitmireMoss, 320 Easterlin Way, Greenville, SC 29607 Grill, Stove, Microwave 6. Unit: B117, Terri Butler, 150 Oak Ridge Pl. Apt. 11A, Greenville, SC 29615 Furniture, Boxes/Misc.

SUMMONS STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT COUNTY OF GREENVILLE 2010-DR-23-0781 Benjamin Perry Levi, Plaintiff vs. Kerry Levi f/k/a Kerry Griffin, Johnny Allison Robinson and Ricky Junior Griffin, Defendants. TO THE DEFENDANT JOHNNY ALLISON ROBINSON: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint herein, a copy of which is herewith served upon you (and which has been filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court) and to serve a copy of your answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at the address shown below, within thirty (30) days after the date of such service, exclusive of the day of service. If you fail to answer the Complaint within that time, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Alex Kinlaw, Jr. Judge of the Family Court Thirteenth Judicial Circuit March 1, 2010 Greenville, SC

LEGAL NOTICES Only $.79 per line ABC NOTICE OF APPLICATION Only $145 Call or email Anita for more information tel 864.679.1205 • fax 864.679.1305 email aharley@communityjournals.com

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48 g r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

Ah concrete, how do we use thee. Someone used a hunk last week

to break the front door of the Red Carpet package store and stole some bottles of vodka.

A bad week to own anything copper on Pendleton Street last week

after two homes were vandalized and copper was stolen. Total damages? More than $5,000.

The “What were they thinking of the week:”

An employee of Holmes Bible School said he noticed siding missing from two buildings at the school. He said he was working on Briggs Ave. And noticed two black male suspects pushing a trash can with siding inside it. He drove up to them and they left the trash can and fled. He said the siding in the trash can was taken off the bible school buildings. Most of the siding was removed from one building and half from another building. Not all the siding was recovered. — Me l i ssa B l an to n

NON SEQUITUR

O u r C O mm u n i t y

c o m m u n i t y news,

events

and

happenings Father Hayden balances plates on the way to his “Rio De Janeiro” tables at Hospice of the Upstate’s annual Celebrity Waiter event at Tuckers Restaurant. More than $15,000 was raised to support the mission of Hospice of the Upstate, providing end-of-life care.

At the SC Native Plant Society’s May meeting, Chris Cicimurri, curator of education at Clemson University ’s Bob Campbell Geology Museum , will present “Cast in Stone – Ancient Plants.” She will describe the evolution of plants and will bring fossils to use in comparing ancient and modern species. The meeting is Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m., Founders Hall, Southern Wesleyan University, Central. The public is invited. For more information, visit www.scnps.org/activities.

KIDS•TEENS•ADULTS Personal development classes that make a difference. Someone YOU know DESERVES this experience!

Don’t miss out on our Summer Programs! Lots of schedules beginning the week of June 14th. ...it’s MORE than you imagine!

To register, visit millielewisgreenville.com, call us at 864.299.1101, or come by our studio at 1228 S. Pleasantburg Dr. in Greenville.

Come & Play in the Clay

CAT’S Clayworks A full service pottery studio where you can create on your schedule not ours!

Safe Kids Upstate will give away bike safety information and 300 bicycle helmets while supplies last during the Greenville Drive game on Friday, May 14. For more information, visit safekidsupstate.org. The New Balance Girls on the Run 5K will take place Saturday, May 22, 9 a.m., at CU-ICAR. Proceeds benefit Girls on the Run, a program led by Children’s Hospital of Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center that combines training for a 5K with esteem-enhancing workouts for girls ages 8-15. Fee: $25 in advance or $30 on race day. To register, go to ghs.org/girlsontherun.

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Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Mon. & Wed. 10-8, Sat. 10-2

The North Greenville Rotary Club hosted a luncheon in the Wade Hampton High School media center for Interact students, their parents, club sponsors and Rotarians. Interact president, Jordan Locaby and Interact member, Evelyn Maris were awarded scholarships as part of the event. Pictured, from left to right are: Charles Slate, Rotarian and club co-sponsor, Janet Addison, teacher and club co-sponsor, John Catoe, Rotarian and club co-sponsor, and Evelyn Maris. Pictured in the second picture from left to right are: John Catoe, Rotarian and club co-sponsor, Charles Slate, Rotarian and club co-sponsor, Jordan Lockaby. On June 5 at 8:30 a.m., the fourth edition of the Safe Harbor Cycle Tour will begin from the Civic Center in Iva. The ride benefits Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic violence and their children in Anderson, Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee counties. The Cycle Tour starts in Iva and then rolls into northern Abbeville County through hills that form the banks of the Savannah River, Lake Russell and Lake Secession. Then the course heads back into southern Anderson County for Levelland. After the Cycle Tour, lunch will be served under the outdoor canopy beside the Civic Center. Riders can choose between a 25-mile or 65-mile course. Registration is from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. on June 5 or register in advance and save $5 by visiting www.safeharborcycletour.org. Great Escape 14 IMAX theatre in Simpsonville celebrated the week of its grand opening playing shows for a $2 minimum donation that benefitted the Make-AWish Foundation of South Carolina. The theater raised $28,004. If you are sponsoring a community event, we want to share your news. Submit entries to: Greenville Journal, Community Briefs, 148 River Street, Ste. 120, Greenville, SC 29601 e-mail: greenvillecommunity@greenvillejournal.com

MAY 14, 2010 | g r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 49

O u r

S c h oo l s

Activities, awards and accomplishments in the wild. The book tells the story of Mumsi’s adventure evading the big cat and introduces the children to the Swahili language and exotic African animals. The children also made bead necklaces and hand painted African-style art on T-shirts.

counties and awarded 217 new scholarships (206 $3,000 a year scholarships, and 11 $5,000 a year scholarships). Seniors Hannah Pace and Melissa Bjerke are recipients of the Greenville County Schools Pepsi-Golf Tournament Scholarship.

Palmetto Prep received a Chinese language program grant. In conjunction with the Confucius Institute of the Upstate, Palmetto Prep will begin offering instruction in Mandarin to students grades two through 5. children ages 2 - 5th grade. To celebrate they hosted a Chinese calligrapher and several Chinese dignitaries. A CCO M PLISH M ENTS Students at Beck Academy Middle School recently participated in the 56th Annual Greenville County and South Carolina Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Category winners were: Alexis Goodson, Second Place in Engineering for her experiment “Parachute Power” and Noah Dammers, Second Place in Chemistry for his experiment, “Polar Pop,” Christopher Thompson was awarded the Greenville County Medical Society Alliance Award for his experiment, “Germ Invasion.” The Awards Ceremony was held on March 16th at Roper Mountain Science Center. JL Mann Senior Cameron Blassingame is one of two of the student recipients of the Bi-Lo Charities/ Urban League Scholarship Program. Cam’s essay about his drive and determination received excellent reviews from the scholarship committee. Seniors, Hannah E. Kuzminski and Phillip Jervey Roper are recipients of the Watson-Brown Foundation Award. The Foundation received 1010 applications from the 16 eligible

The Student Support Services Debate Team at Greenville Technical College won first place in the annual SSS/McNair Debate sponsored by the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel. The Greenville Tech students faced teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee at Atlanta Metropolitan College in Atlanta. This is the first time a South Carolina team has been represented. Members of the debate team are: Angela Stewart, James Hogue, Robin Shaw, Lisa Nebo, Wendell Miller, Mary Allison Jackson, Barbara Pitts, Alan Burgess, and Calin Popoviciu. Coaches are Carmen Wade, student support services tutor coordinator, and Selena Blair, director of student support services. Submit entries to: Greenville Journal, Our Schools 148 River Street, Ste. 120, Greenville, SC 29601 e-mail: greenvillecommunity@greenvillejournal.com

MAY 14, 2010 | g r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 51

T h e

w e e k Look

Clockwise from top: A large crowd gathered on Main Street for the 2010 Artisphere. Arts in Action artwork by visual performing artist Brian Olsen. Peggy Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell, left and Bill Ebeltoft look at some of the work of Greenville artist Lynn Greer during Artisphere. Visual performing artist Brian Olsen leaps in the air to reach the top of his canvas during one of his Arts In Action show. Matt MacKelcan performs at the Peace Center Amphitheater stage. 52 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

the

i n j o u r n al

p h o t o s this

week

T h e

w e e k Look

whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

the

i n j o u r n al

p h o t o s this

week Clockwise from top: The pedestrian bridge over the Reedy River was colorfully decorated for the 2010 Artisphere. David Osterguard, who performed at Artisphere as a living sculpture, gives candy to a passerby. The Firecracker Jazz Band of Asheville N.C. from left to right, Jerome Widehorse on coronet, Rick Neiman on tuba, Mike Gray on snare drum, John Corbin on banjo and Earl Sachais on Trombone, perform on Main Street during Artisphere. Yogi Hall walks down Main Street on stilts during Artisphere. A large crowd gathered on Main Street for the 2010 Artisphere. Curtis Carlyle entertains Artisphere participants by juggling on Main Street. photos by Greg Beckner/Staff

Got p h ot os wor t h sh ar in g ? Send them to g re e n ville commu n it y @ g re e n ville jou r n al.com.

MAY 14, 2010 | G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 53

Would you like water with your seed?

F i g u r e .

t h i s .

Mark time

o u t .

By Bonnie L. Gentry

Great selection of birdbaths Birdseed • Feeders • Baths • Houses • Hardware • Gifts Locally Owned & Operated

Open Mon. - Fri. 9:30-5:30 • Sat. 9-5 626 Congaree Road • 864-234-2150 www.wbu.com/greenville

FRIDAY TASTINGS Presentation Promptly at 6:30, Done by 7:30

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

271-3919

ADMISSION PREPAID VISA / MC / AMEX / DISCOVER

Friday May 14th

INTRO TO FRANCE $20

Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux the Rhone & More Richard deBondt, Speaker Friday May 21st

ELYSE $30

Favorite Napa Valley Independent Michele Duckett, Elyse Sales Mgr., Guest Speaker Friday May 28th

HOW TO TASTE $20

“Wines 101” - Featuring Wines of Spain Richard deBondt, Speaker Friday June 4th

CALIFORNIA RED SURVEY $30 Cab, Meritage, Pinot Noir, & More David Williams, Speaker

Also Harvest Tour 2010 coming RICHES OF SPAIN soon WINE, FOOD & CULTURE Hosted by Richard & Karen deBondt of Northampton Wines 11 Days / 10 Nights Rioja, Basque Country, Barcelona October 2 - 13

Booking by Linda Young Young Travel & Cruises 864-232-8880 Full details at www.northamptonwines.com

& Wine Café

211-A E. Broad St., Greenville, SC • 271-3919

northamptonwines.com

Across 1 Group of notes 6 Is, in Ixtapa 10 Prefix with grain 15 National League East team 19 Renée’s “Chicago” role 20 Milky Way ingredient? 21 Guesstimate word 22 Speed-skating rink, e.g. 23 Invites the public 24 You can’t go when you’re in it 25 Districts 26 Pantheon site 27 It’s a racket 30 New Englander 32 Begin to use, as resources 33 Just so 34 Most violent 35 __ de corps 38 Caravan stopovers 40 Bobby Orr, for most of his career 41 S.O.S, for one 43 Trevi Fountain coin count? 44 Gelling agents 48 Having just seen a ghost, maybe 49 Mechanical connectors, half the time 50 Jumping contest entrants 52 __ du jour: bistro special 53 Hundreds of wks.

54 G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l | MAY 14, 2010

54 Cavalry blade 55 “I’ve __ thinking ...” 56 Venezia’s land 58 Feed store? 59 Alpine mont 60 Managing 61 Acts of faith? 64 “Come again?” 68 Like urban populations 69 In __ and out ... 71 Pottery ovens 72 Frankenstein aide 74 Throw a feast for 75 Data transfer unit 76 Odessa’s home 78 “Like that’s gonna happen!” 81 “Gymnopédies” composer Satie 82 1936 Olympics champ 84 Simple fellow 85 Seat of Hawaii County 86 Plebe’s denial 88 Some hangings 89 Group in power 91 Asian menu assurance 93 Musical “don’t play” 94 “Very well” 95 Disconnects 98 Knot, as of hair 99 Bi- plus one 100 Justice of the peace customer 101 State of inaction 108 Big butte 109 “Enough already!”

111 Dig find, perhaps 112 Part of a TV signal 113 Constantly 114 Duel-purpose equipment 115 Command after “Oops!” 116 Touches the tarmac 117 Brooding place 118 Soup scoop 119 Thorn in one’s side 120 Cut drastically Down 1 Harvester’s haul 2 Northern Arizona native 3 Farmer’s helpers 4 Sound right 5 Lose heart 6 Armchair QB’s channel 7 Men-only affair 8 Field shield 9 Hot Springs National Park state 10 Tribute and Miata 11 It might have a nut at each end 12 Sans companions 13 Digital watch abbr. 14 Dress shop compliment 15 You might get it in your pajamas 16 Draw forth 17 Emulates a horse whisperer 18 Frozen drops 28 Most favorable

29 Scout’s good work 31 Mezzo’s moment 34 Sportscaster Gumbel 35 See from afar 36 Wound remnant 37 Campaign vets 38 Eye impolitely 39 One making a good

impression? 40 Mile High athlete 42 Mover and shaker 43 Exit poll indication 45 Exhausted 46 Gully fillers 47 Frontier transport 50 What the dauntless

lack 51 [Quoted verbatim] 54 Rope fiber 55 Needing spicing 57 Ruckuses 58 More than a walk-on 59 High 80s, roughly 61 “Space Cowboys” actor __ Dean 62 Start of a new año 63 Tutelage 65 “La Dolce Vita” actress 66 Beanstalk menace 67 President who appeared on “Laugh-In” 70 ‘20s-’30s Flying Cloud, e.g. 73 Rap genre 76 Scrabble piece 77 Throw off 78 Expand the staff 79 Cathedral voices 80 Baseball Hall of Famer Wilhelm 83 Slender-bodied stinger 84 Silently endure difficulty, in slang 85 Chronic 87 Greeted the judge 89 “Atlas Shrugged” author 90 Internet gateways 92 Spark in a bookshop 93 “Thy Neighbor’s Wife” author 95 Studly sorts 96 Naproxen brand 97 Small victory margins 98 Crude abode 101 Zipped 102 Zip 103 Pantheon figures 104 Conspiracy theorist’s subject 105 “Show Boat” author Ferber 106 Clears (of) 107 Small snack 110 Scholastic mean, briefly, hidden in this puzzle’s seven longest answers

Crossword answers: page 47

Sudoku answers: page 31

A n d

f i n a l l y With

Ly n

Riddle

On remembering the Cat Dive If you know the words

Cat Dive, there’s a certain fundraiser coming up you’ll want to attend. Although now that I think about it, anyone who knows what the words refer to probably already knows about the event. These are folk who stick together, whether there’s an event coming up or not. They are the folks who frequented the Falls Street Café, a little white block of a building, rundown for many years, that once sat behind the Greenville News. It’s a vacant lot now, parked on when frustrated downtown drivers can sneak in. But for a time – as in 66 years – it was a place where the common folk

Greg Beckner / Staff

The Cat Dive, which closed in 1997, has since been torn down.

gathered. “If you were looking for a mechanic, plumber, to get your phone fixed, all you’d have to do was wait a few minutes and somebody would come in there who was licensed to do the work,” said former Greenville News columnist Reese Fant, who ate lunch there every day from the time he went to work at the News in 1968 until the restaurant closed in 1997. “It was just a big club.” The place got its nickname from an advertisement for Black Cat soles someone hung on a wall. It featured a black cat diving and people started saying, “let’s go see the cat dive.” It was the kind of place that opened early and closed late and in the early days was a hang out for the workers at Camperdown Mill, one building of which was located in what is now Falls Park, the other is now the Bowater building. (I didn’t know until researching this column that Falls Cottage, which houses Mary’s Restaurant, was once the home for the Camperdown Mill supervisor. History remains all around us.) Cat Dive favorites were hot dogs with chili and hamburger steak smothered in gravy and cooked onions. Back in the late 1960s, a hamburger steak plate cost $1 and a half steak was 70 cents. It was called the 70 and that name stuck even as the price edged up to $1.85 over time.

Wa n t to g o ? The 3rd annual Back to the Cat Dive Lunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 22 in the Social Hall of Second Baptist Church, 304 East Camperdown Way, Greenville. Hot dogs, slaw, baked beans and drinks available for eat in or take out. The Camperdown Mills Museum, featuring photos, artifacts and remembrances of Camperdown, the mills and the community, will be open.

“It was good food made out of grease,” Fant said. People setting out on paper routes would stop in, fishermen on the way to the lake, policemen on third shift. Nothing else was open at 3 a.m. When Rick Lowe took over the business from his daddy in 1962 – the café’s 31st year – he didn’t make many changes. Some worried when the mill closed business would dry up but it only got better. Seems the millhands made strangers a bit uncomfortable. Lowe’s sister ran Tucker’s in West Greenville, which was known for its ice cream. Folks called it the Kitty Dive. “A lot of crazy things went on that you can’t print,” Lowe said of the Cat Dive. There was usually a full house, but over time, the old building grew older. Health department regulations tightened. It became harder and harder to keep going. So Lowe closed it on Good Friday 1997 – which an employee called Bad Friday – and went to work for

the city as a parking lot attendant. But on May 22 at the Back to the Cat Dive Hot Dog Lunch in the social hall of the Second Baptist Church on Camperdown Way he’ll be back cooking – something he doesn’t do any more because his wife of almost 59 years Thelma is a great cook. The lunch is held to raise money for the Camperdown Mills Museum, which is located in the church. Lowe says there’s nothing special in his famed hot dog chili. The secret is in the slow simmer that binds all that goodness together. And maybe the pot. He plans to use the same chili pot he used at the café for the fundraiser. Got a story to inspire, amuse, or e n t e r t ain ?

C o n tact Lyn Ri ddl e at 6 7 9 -1 2 5 0 o r l ri ddl e @ gre e n vi l l e j o u rn al .co m.

MAY 14, 2010 | G r e e n v i l l e J o u r n a l 55

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