Hazel S. West

Easley — Hazel Smith West, 86, widow of the late Virgil Leslie West, died Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 at Rainey Hospice House in Anderson.

She was born in Easley to the late Dewey and Elsie Ellenburg Smith. Surviving are a sister, Lois Smith Stewart; two nieces, Kim Garner (Mike) and Kay Arnold (Jimmy); two nephews, Jeff Derrick (Rhonda) and Skip Smith (Kathy); and a host of loving grand-nieces and nephews and great-grand nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Welton “Bud” Smith.

A graveside service was 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 at Robinson Memorial Gardens, 1425 Powdersville Road, Easley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 309 Pelzer Hwy, Easley, SC 29642, or to Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Rd., Anderson, SC 29621.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or in person at Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown, which is assisting the family.

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Vote in conflict with July decision
to return money to taxpayers

By Nicole Daughhetee
Staff Reporter
nicole@thepccourier.com

COUNTY — Following Monday night’s school board financial services workshop, School District of Pickens County board trustees Judy Edwards, Jim Shelton and Herb Cooper voted to allocate $3.1 million to complete the technology refresh in 475 elementary and middle school classrooms, as well as to allocate $550,000 to replace the damaged roof at R.C. Edwards Middle School.

Trustees Ben Trotter and Jimmy Gillespie opposed the motion, while SDPC board chair Alex Saitta was not present for the workshop and subsequent meeting.

“I’m not going to be able to vote for the roof to be put on Edwards because it would come out of the building fund and I voted to give that back to the taxpayers, so I’m going to stick with that,” said Gillespie. “Although, I do want a new roof put on Edwards.”

By Nicole Daughhetee
Staff Reporter
nicole@thepccourier.com

COUNTY — At Monday night’s financial services workshop involving SDPC administrative staff and board trustees, superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew expressed the district’s desire to make board members aware of prioritized needs remaining in the building program.

The top five projected needs for the building program in Pickens County are the R.C. Edwards Middle School roof replacement, followed by modifications and improvements to the pick-up and drop-off loops at Forest Acres, Holly Springs and West End elementary schools, and, finally, classroom presentation packages (part of a technology refresh) in the elementary schools.

Editor’s Note: We generally only run letters to the editor beginning on page 4A, our Opinion page, but this letter from Dan Coke of Easley carries a message that is so timely and meaningful that we could not resist starting it here on page 1A. Carol Coke was a wonderful person whose memory is missed daily by people all around Pickens County, and her legacy lives on, as the school district where she worked for 25 years recently dedicated a professional learning area in her memory at Hagood Elementary School. We ran a photo of the dedication on page 1A of the Oct. 3 edition of the Courier.

Dear Editor:

Thank you for running the picture and words about my wife Carol Littlejohn Coke in the October 3 issue of the Courier. Our whole family is very proud of all the accomplishments of Carol during her school career. It was such an honor that the school district and Hagood Elementary dedicated the Professional Learning Center at Hagood to the memory of her.

By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher

PICKENS — The cause of a fire at the old Brunswick Yarn building on Oct. 9 is still under investigation, but Pickens Fire Chief David Porter says that his department has ruled it unknown.

Porter told Pickens city council during its regular meeting Monday that investigators with several insurance companies have sealed the area around the old mill, but he feels with the debris and damage the fire caused it is unlikely that a cause will ever be determined.

EASLEY — An Easley woman was killed last Friday after she was struck by her own vehicle outside her home.

Jessica Hoepelman-Garcia, 34, was walking behind her vehicle, a Mercury SUV, when it rolled backward and hit her around 7 a.m, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.

Kelley said Hoepelman-Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is still under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

LIBERTY — With apples and pumpkins everywhere and leaves changing colors, autumn is definitely in the air in Pickens County.

In celebration, the city of Liberty will host its first-ever Fall For Liberty festival next Saturday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.