Monthly Archives: April 2013
Azalea Fest to kick off with ‘Your Carolina’ broadcast
PICKENS — The Azalea Festival, which rates among the South Carolina Upstate’s largest venues of arts, crafts, and musical events, will celebrate its 29th year, slated for April 19-20, in a large way.
According to Russ Gantt, director of the festival, local celebrities Jack Roper and Pickens County’s own Kimberly Kelly will broadcast the WSPA Channel 7 show “Your Carolina” live from Pickens on Friday, April 19, at 10 a.m.
“We are all really excited to have Jack and Kimberly coming to Pickens with ‘Your Carolina’ for the festival’s first day,” Gantt said. “There will be a stage near the courthouse, so folks can stop by and see this popular show in person.”
29th annual Azalea Fest coming up this weekend
PICKENS — Spring has always been special in Pickens County, with warm, sunny days and cool crisps evenings. And the second weekend in April offers the best way for area residents and visitors to Pickens County to say goodbye to the chills of winter with a two-day event filled with activities to thrill all age groups.
The 29th annual Azalea Festival, slated for April 19-20, is shaping up to be a weekend to remember by everyone planning to attend, Russ Gantt, director of the event, said.
“A lot of work, planning, and organizing is going into the 2013 Azalea Festival,” Gantt said. “Everyone working on this year’s event wants this to be the best festival to date.”
All aboard for fun
Central prepares to celebrate railroad heritage
By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff
After graduating from Clemson and securing a teaching position in the English department, I rented a little house in Central for several years. What I loved about Central was that it provided me with an easy commute to Clemson and offered me the peaceful serenity that life in a college town does not notoriously boast.
To reach my house on Mountain View Drive, I had to make a left off of Highway 93 and go underneath the train trestle and up a hill. I can’t count how many times I drove underneath or over those tracks — depending on how I chose to add variety to my daily commuter routes — without ever realizing the incredibly rich history and heritage they weaved into the town through which they ran.
In honor of the cherished tie that binds Central’s past to the future, members of the Central Model Railway and Historical Association, the Central Heritage Society, the Town of Central and its local businesses, have designed the Central Railroad Festival so that residents of Central and Pickens County, in addition to tourists and visitors, can celebrate the abundant history and heritage that defines Central.
Courier Obits 4-17-13
Martha Kay Collins Price
Central — Martha Kay Collins Price, 59, of Central, died Thursday, April 4, 2013.
Born in Spartanburg, she was the daughter of the late Gordon and Mary Ester Collins. She was of the Baptist faith and a former CNA.
She is survived by: a companion, Joe Bridges, of the home; two sons, Mickey Neal (Marlene) of Liberty, and Bo Price (Elaine) of Pickens; four grandsons and four granddaughters; three brothers, Ray Collins of Easley, and Junior Collins (Joann) of Pickens, and Luther Collins of Norris.
Courier Classified 4-17-13
Yard Sales
HUGE YARD SALE: Saturday, April 20 from 8 – 12 at 203 Hominey Hills, Six Mile. Items: used riding mower, office chairs, many items. 4/17
—————————————-
YARD SALE: Down sizing , from house to mobile home. Furniture, home appliances much more. Saturday, April 20 from 8 a.m. until. 412 Boundary Drive, Pickens. 4/17
Announcement
Do you own an antique or modern U.S. or foreign military vehicle? If so, “I WANT YOU” to join our veterans club, USMTM, please email for info: us.mtm66@yahoo.com. TFC
TaylorMade plans $13M facility for Pickens Co.
COUNTY — TaylorMade Golf Company will establish a new golf ball production facility in Pickens County. The company will invest $13 million in creating the new state-of-the-art facility, it was announced last Wednesday.
“The opportunity to have a permanent home in Pickens County was too good of an opportunity for our company to pass up,” said John Kawaja, executive vice president at TaylorMade Golf. “We are getting a new building in a booming area that will improve our unit production, quality and margin position. Most important, we are committed to keeping jobs in South Carolina.”
Pickens mayor: New fire fee will benefit residents
By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff
PICKENS — Faced with the decision of losing or keeping its fire department, the city of Pickens has opted to keep it, which means residents and business owners within the city limits are going to have to pay a new fire fee.
On Dec. 31, 2013, the city’s contract with the Shady Grove Fire District will end, and on July 1, 2014, the city’s contract with the Rural Fire District will end, meaning that the city of Pickens will no longer provide fire protection for two county districts, and the $500,000 the city receives in fire fees from the two county districts will be lost once those contracts have ended.
Baptist Easley plans emergency training
EASLEY — Baptist Easley Hospital will host an active shooter emergency training exercise on Thursday morning from 9-11 a.m.
In the scenario, an estranged father wanted on a domestic violence charge enters the birthplace to seize a newborn, ultimately shooting 19 people and exposing some to an unknown chemical hazard.
In addition to Baptist Easley staff, agencies involved will be the Easley Police Department, Easley Fire Department, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Pickens County EMS, Pickens County OEM, Pickens County HAZMAT, Oconee Nuclear Station, SCDHEC, FEMA Region IV, Clemson University and other area hospitals.
Last train out
After more than 100 years, Pickens
Railway makes final trip to Easley
By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff
PICKENS — At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, Pickens engine 9502 pulling locomotive CLCX 12132 of the Pickens “Doodle” Railway made its final journey from Pickens to Easley.
Although its glory days are long forgotten, the railroad is a vital thread interwoven into the rich fabric of Pickens history.
Donnie Sims, General Manager of the Pickens Railway Company (PICK) with 36 years of experience with the company under his belt, said though the company is still alive and well in Anderson, Pickens would not be what it is today without the railroad.
“People don’t realize it, but the railroad built Pickens,” Sims said. “The town was here before the railroad, no doubt, or else the railroad wouldn’t have been coming, but it was a major catalyst in freight coming into this town.”
The Pickens Railroad was a short-line railroad that operated in the Upstate for more than a century, beginning in the 1890s. Chartered in 1890 to build a 19-mile line from Easley to Oolenoy Gap, by way of Pickens, the 8.5 mile stretch of rail between Pickens and Easley opened in 1898. Two prior attempts at construction of the rail line had failed due to lack of investor interest.
Garden club celebrates 87 years
The members of the Pickens Garden Club celebrated the club’s 87th birthday April 2. Pictured are, front row, from left: Miriam Hendricks, Dora Tait and Maura Edwards. Second row: Lucy Ward, Selena Day, Cindy Wood, Katherine Gitto, Kathryn Morgan, Debbie Teeple and Ann Bowen. Third row: Avanell Morrison, Judy Atkins and Anne Hall. Back row: Ann Day, Pam Jones and Lindsey Jones. Rocky Nimmons/The Courier
PICKENS — Eighty-seven years ago, the year 1926, eight ladies gathered in Miss Elinor Knight’s music room under the bell tower of Pickens High School to establish the Pickens Garden Club.
The ladies attending were born in the late 1800s. Amazingly, the group had time to leave its ironing and quilting to think of flowers and nature’s beauty. This club, and through the years many others, beautified the town and the highways of Pickens.
