Monthly Archives: February 2013
Board OKs 1st reading of prayer amendment
Nicole Daughhetee/Courier
Local resident Juliette Kozak addresses the school board at Monday night’s meeting regarding student-led prayer. More than 20 people spoke at Monday’s meeting.
By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff
COUNTY — Once again the School District of Pickens County’s Curtis A. Sidden Administrative building was packed with a standing-room-only crowd of concerned Pickens County residents, the majority of whom disapprove of the SDPC board removing student-led sectarian invocations from the start of board meetings.
Despite more than 20 public speakers, comprised of local ministers, parents, students and members of the Pickens County community, the amendment to the current policy, which supports non-sectarian, board member-led invocations, passed a first reading in a 3-2 vote Monday night.
SDPC trustees Saitta, Shelton butt heads again over policy
By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff
COUNTY — Former SDPC board chairs Alex Saitta and Jim Shelton are, once again, at odds over SDPC policy — in this case as it relates to Monday night’s adoption of the first reading on the policy realigning to student led invocations prior to the school board meeting.
After a motion was made, and seconded, to adopt the amendment to policy BE, which moves from a student-led sectarian invocation to a non-sectarian board member-led invocation prior to SDPC board meetings, Shelton attempted to amend the motion and table the decision to a later date.
Although he received a second from Ben Trotter, Shelton’s amendment failed.
“When this issue came up in the last meeting, the minutes say motion was made by Judy Edwards and seconded by Dr. Herb Cooper to ask legal counsel to draft a policy concerning non-sectarian prayer for the board to review at a later date.,” said Shelton. “According to our policy it says that proposals for new, deletions of or changes to existing policies, which this does, has to be sent to policy committee. What we’ve done is not referred this to policy committee.”
Edwards, the current SDPC board chair, and Saitta both said Shelton read the policy incorrectly.
“I believe this is not a change. It is adding to the policy,” said Edwards.
Easley community leader Barnes dies
GARNET BARNES
EASLEY — A longtime Easley businessman and community leader will be laid to rest this afternoon.
Garnet Barnes, who founded Barnes Real Estate, Barnes Insurance Agency and was a co-founder of Smithfields Country Club, passed away on Monday at age 88.
Barnes, an Easley High School graduate and Easley Athletic Hall of Famer, was a member of First Baptist Church of Easley for 78 years. Funeral services will be held at the church at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday), with entombment to follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park Mausoleum.
In addition to his business endeavors, Barnes served on various committees in Easley and the Upstate.
Hale wins Pickens County Has Talent
Easley High School student Allison Hale, right, won this year’s Pickens County Has Talent competition on Saturday night at Easley High. Pictured with her, from left, are fourth-place winner Beth Wilson, third-place winner Ella Hennessee and second-place winners Hannah and Kaitlyn Kearse.
EASLEY — Easley High School student Allison Hale took home top honors and a $500 cash prize in Saturday night’s Pickens County Has Talente finale at Easley High.
With her vocal rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” Hale wowed the crowd and got the most votes in a field of 16 contestants to win the competition.
Seneca bomb threat suspect charged in two Clemson cases
MELISSA ANN GRIGGS
CLEMSON — A woman already facing bomb threat charges in Oconee County was charged last week in a pair of threats in Clemson late last month and early this month. Melissa Ann Griggs, 38, faces a total of 30 charges in a string of bomb threats, mostly in the city of Seneca.
Clemson University police charged Griggs Feb. 19 with two felony counts of making a bomb threat in connection with two incidents that resulted in the evacuation of the Hendrix Student Center on the school’s campus.
Police said the first incident occurred Jan. 30 when the building was evacuated by staff members after a woman caller said she overheard someone say the word “bomb.”
On Feb. 4, a female caller told the Hendrix information desk that there was a bomb in the building.
Police searched the building both times and found nothing.
Chamber holds banquet
The Pickens Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet last Saturday at Pickens First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, featuring guest speaker Jane Jenkins Herlong. Dr. Jim Mahanes, left, was honored as the Citizen of the Year at the banquet, while Amy and Mark Barrett, below, received recognition for Michael’s Restaurant, the 2012 Chamber Member of the Year.
Sticking to the basics
Nicole Daughhetee
Life As I Know It
By Nicole Daughhetee
Having not one, but two parents who possess degrees in English and experience teaching writing courses, you can go ahead and shake your head in an act of pity (as if to say “those poor children”) for what my daughters must endure from the writing and grammar police.
You would be correct in assuming we uphold high standards in my home when it comes to language and the written word. I don’t expect my girls to be perfect or to even enjoy English the way I always have, but I would like them to learn to write and speak correctly.
Who are they representing?
Olivia Fowler
On The Way
By Olivia Fowler
We are Americans. We live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And sometimes the stupid.
Some may and likely will be offended by that opinion. Just remember that the right to bear arms isn’t the only amendment. We also enjoy free speech. This means we have the right to speak freely, not that we enjoy or agree with the speeches made by everyone. So if you favor violence against women, stop reading now.
Not everyone has to agree that violence against women is wrong. But it would be helpful if someone who opposes the law to protect women from violence could explain their opposition in a way that doesn’t make them sound idiotic. Yes, I said idiotic. And I meant it.
Let the Boy Wonder live
Ben Robinson
All About Ben
By Ben Roninson
According to the Internet, the folks at DC Comics have a big surprise lined up. Robin, Batman’s steady sidekick, actually dies in an issue this week.
Been there, done that.
You see, this Robin isn’t actually Dick Grayson, the young circus performer who became Batman’s sidekick and practically his adopted son. That Robin became a teenager, then the leader of the group known as the Teen Titans.
Eventually the original Robin became Nightwing, starred in a comic himself, and had an affair with Starfire, a gorgeous young hero from a planet that is apparently home to good-looking female heroes.
Prayer at school board meetings: Not a black and white issue
Compiled by Nicole Daughhetee, Staff Reporter
Compiled by Nicole Daughhetee, Staff Reporter
For the second time in two months, a standing-room-only crowd packed the School District of Pickens County’s administration building on Monday night to speak out on the district board of trustees’ actions surrounding student-led prayer at board meetings.
We’ve put this page together to present the viewpoints of Pickens County residents and school district trustees, as well as the proposed amendment to district policy which received first-reading approval at Monday night’s meeting and sample alternative prayers provided by SDPC lawyer Bick Halligan.
Also included in its entirety is the original letter that the district received from Freedom From Religion Foundation staff attorney Patrick Elliot, which sparked the controversial conversation and the board’s actions over the last two months.
FFRF Letter
This is the full text of the original letter sent to former SDPC board chair Alex Saitta by Freedom From Religion Foundation attorney Patrick Elliot.
To: Alex Saitta, SDPC Board Chair
I am writing on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (“FFRF”) to alert you to a serious constitutional violation by the School District of Pickens County Board of Trustees. FFRF is a national non-profit organization with more than 19,000 members, including more than 150 members in South Carolina. Our purpose is to protect the constitutional principal of separation between state and church.
