01/19/2016 |

Daily Archives: 01/19/2016

01/19/2016 Opinions

A respite from winter

This past weekend, I went with a group to Edisto to stay with a generous friend who had invited us all down.

We were a group of nine women, and we had a wonderful time together.

olivia6-25 Page 4A.indd A few of us were gathered on the screened porch overlooking the canal drinking hot tea and listening to the twittering of birds. There is a group of gourd birdhouses hanging near the porch, and a good deal of activity was going on.

It looked like two couples of brightly colored birds, but I didn’t know what they were.

At first I thought Eastern Bluebirds, but after getting the binoculars for a close-up view, it was clear these little birds were something else.

So, we looked through the field guide to birds and found they were buntings.

They are beautiful birds who look as though the rainbow wrapped itself around their little bodies.

They were very busy, chirping, flying away, then returning and going in and out of their gourd homes.

Their feathers reflected the bright sunlight, and it was a pleasure to be able to watch them.

The weather was beautiful on Saturday, and we were able to go to Botany Bay Nature Preserve and explore.

The marsh is all around the area, and the river bounds the land on one side. Spanish moss cloaks the ancient live oaks.

There is a pond on the land, where we spotted a floating log. Or so we thought.

The pond was covered with green scum, and the log had an irregular, somewhat bumpy, appearance.

Then it moved slightly.

“It moved. It moved.”

We were excited. I got the camera and zoomed in on the log and found it was not a log at all. It was the head of a fairly large alligator.

He didn’t seem at all interested in us, but we were very interested in him.

I got one good head shot.

As someone wisely pointed out, where there is one gator there might well be more. I also remember reading that a gator is capable of lunging 20 feet out of the water, and this made me a little nervous.

We left the gator and walked about half a mile to the beach, which is as untouched as it was in the 1700s. The guide on the beach said the shoreline has eroded about one mile in a hundred years, but by placing large felled trees along the edge, the shore line has regained about 50 yards in a decade.

There were a variety of shells, but people aren’t allowed to remove them from the beach. However, people had hung conch shells on the bark trunks of Palmetto trees. We did the same. I suppose it was like placing our flag on the shore to mark that we had been there.

I took off my shoes and walked along the shore line. The water wasn’t all that cold, and the feel of wet sand beneath my bare feet gave the illusion of summer.

We were so lucky to have been given such a beautiful day right in the middle of winter. What a gift. And the memory will remain imprinted on our spirits and will help get us through the remainder of the winter. Thank you to all the wonderful friends who made this such a memorable experience.

01/19/2016 Opinions

New South Carolina: Who are those guys?

One of my favorite movies is the 1969 classic “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The ultra-cool Paul Newman and Robert Redford play small-time bank robbers in the turn of the century cowboy West who were relentlessly pursued by a posse of lawmen that followed them for months across mountains and deserts, to big cities and ultimately even to South America.

phil1-21 Page 4A.indd The constant refrain between Butch and the Kid as they struggled to stay one step ahead of the posse was “Who are those guys?”

I thought about the movie this week when I was reading about the massive influx of new South Carolinians to our state. The rate of our population growth is the fifth highest in the country. I asked myself, “Who are those guys” and equally important, “why are they coming to South Carolina?”

The more I thought about it, the more I saw parallels with the movie — so stay with me on this one.

The underlying backstory of Butch and the Kid was the relentless change that was coming to the West with new people and new technology that disrupted our boy’s traditional way of life. In the past, our heroes would ride into some isolated little town, knock off the bank for a few hundred dollars and then ride off in a cloud of dust.

By the time the local sheriff realized what happened, gathered up the locals and rode off in search of the boys, Butch and the Kid were safely in some two-bit cow town in the next county over, blended into the local saloon and bordello culture.

But technology changed all that. With the advent of the telegraph, one lawman could reach another miles away in minutes and the railroad enabled a posse to load up their horses and cover vast distance in a hurry in pursuit of the outlaws.

OK you say; good story but how does this relate to South Carolina?

We in the Palmetto State are like the Old West; our way of life is changing (for better and worse) with the relentless influx of new people, largely driven by technological changes. Consider this:

South Carolina is among the top 10 states in the nation for both the pace of growth and the actual number of additional residents.

According to United Van Lines, South Carolina is the second most popular destination for state to state moves. We are second only to Oregon. They calculate that for every four people that move out of our state, six more move in.

The Census Bureau says that between 2010 and 2014, our population grew by 4.5 percent while the national population only grew by 3.3 percent.

In real numbers, this means that 150,000 people moved to our state from 2012 to 2013. By comparison, Columbia’s population is only 130,000

The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach metropolitan area, which now includes Brunswick County in North Carolina, is the seventh fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation.

Four of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing counties are now in South Carolina, all of them along the coast.

All of this tells us there are a lot of folks coming, but who are they?

As expected, most come from surrounding states, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. After that, it’s the Northeast and Midwest states.

Folks moving here are disproportionately old. Across South Carolina, nearly two-thirds of the population gains from mid-2010 to mid-2013 were more than 65.

The technology changes are part of what is driving folks to come to South Carolina. Now that air conditioning is ubiquitous, our hot summers are now tolerable and our mild winters have always been attractive.

Today, it’s easy for people to live anywhere they want and stay connected to their family via smartphones and other technology. You may not have your grand kids on your lap, but you can FaceTime with them on your smartphone as often as you’d like.

And when you do want to have them on your lap, air travel has become so easy and cheap that living 1,000 miles away is no big deal.

Well, we know what happened to Butch and the Kid — ultimately they fled to Bolivia (where the forces of modernization had not arrived) and they ultimately died in a hail of bullets. It’s like the saying “adapt or die”…and our boys couldn’t adapt.

We in South Carolina need to be thinking a lot about what all this means and how we can adapt.

Because they will keep coming. Count on it.

Phil Noble is a businessman in Charleston and president of the S.C. New Democrats, an independent reform group founded by former Gov. Richard Riley to bring change and reform. He can be reached at phil@scnewdemocrats.org.

01/19/2016 Local News

Why we celebrate the King Holiday

The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.

We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision filled a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.

The King Holiday honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a color-blind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.

On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.

It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream.

We commemorate on this holiday the ecumenical leader and visionary who embraced the unity of all faiths in love and truth. And though we take patriotic pride that Dr. King was an American, on this holiday we must also commemorate the global leader who inspired nonviolent liberation movements around the world. Indeed, on this day, programs commemorating my husband’s birthday are being observed in more than 100 nations.

The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.

The Holiday commemorates America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence — the man who taught by his example that nonviolent action is the most powerful, revolutionary force for social change available to oppressed people in their struggles for liberation.

This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.

Every King Holiday has been a national “teach-in” on the values of nonviolence, including unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation, which are so desperately-needed to unify America. It is a day of intensive education and training in Martin’s philosophy and methods of nonviolent social change and conflict-reconciliation. The Holiday provides a unique opportunity to teach young people to fight evil, not people, to get in the habit of asking themselves, “what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict?”

On the King Holiday, young people learn about the power of unconditional love even for one’s adversaries as a way to fight injustice and defuse violent disputes. It is a time to show them the power of forgiveness in the healing process at the interpersonal as well as international levels.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on the Holiday, his followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitate housing, tutoring those who can’t read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the broken-hearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.

Dr. King once said that we all have to decide whether we “will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Life’s most persistent and nagging question, he said, is `what are you doing for others?’” he would quote Mark 9:35, the scripture in which Jesus of Nazareth tells James and John “…whosoever will be great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever among you will be the first shall be the servant of all.” And when Martin talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on February 4, 1968 in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life. “I’d like somebody to mention on that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others,” he said. “I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life…to love and serve humanity.

We call you to commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership. And with our hearts open to this spirit of unconditional love, we can indeed achieve the Beloved Community of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.

May we who follow Martin now pledge to serve humanity, promote his teachings and carry forward his legacy into the 21st century.

01/19/2016 News

The man behind the dream

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta in 1929 to teacher Alberta King and Baptist Minister Michael Luther King. He graduated high school in 1944 at age 15 and enrolled at Morehouse College, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology in 1948. Following this, King went on to earn a B.D. from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951, and a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955.

In 1953, King married Coretta Scott, a New England Conservatory music student, and they eventually had four children. The son of the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, King was ordained in 1947, and in 1954, he became the minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

King’s legacy as a Civil Rights advocate began in 1955 when he led a boycott of Montgomery’s segregated city bus lines. The following year earned King a major victory and prestige as a civil rights leader when Montgomery buses began to operate on a desegregated basis. As a result of his outspoken criticism of segregation, King’s home was bombed.

King organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, which gave him a base to pursue further civil rights activities, first in the South and later nationwide. In 1959, he visited India, further cultivating his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. King’s practice of civil disobedience led to his arrest on numerous occasions in the 1950s and ‘60s. His campaigns had mixed success. The anti-segregation protest he led in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963 brought him worldwide attention: King was arrested and jailed. During his incarceration, King penned “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail,” which is still studied in writing and rhetoric classes today.

The August 1963 March on Washington, during which King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, brought together more than 200,000 people. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In the same year, King and the SCLC joined the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., made famous by police who beat and tear gassed participants. In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which suspended literacy tests and other restrictions that prevented blacks from voting.

King’s leadership in the civil rights movement was challenged in the mid-1960s as other civil rights leaders grew more militant. His interests, however, widened from civil rights to include criticism of

Although there still exists some doubt that he was the lone shooter, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., and died in prison in 1998.

the Vietnam War and a deeper concern over poverty. His plans for a Poor People’s March to Washington were interrupted by a trip to Memphis, Tenn., in support of striking sanitation workers.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

James Earl Ray, a career criminal, pleaded guilty to the murder and was convicted, but he soon recanted, claiming he was duped into his plea. Ray’s conviction was subsequently upheld, but he eventually received support from members of King’s family, who believed King to have been the victim of a conspiracy. Ray died in prison in 1998.

01/19/2016 Local News

Vineyards at Lake Keowee ladies ‘Tie One On’ to spread warmth

EASLEY — Seven years ago, Vineyards at Lake Keowee resident Kay Schultz wanted to do something to support her new community.

Like many newcomers to Pickens County, Schultz was shocked to discover how many children were living in poverty and how many people were being served by Meals on Wheels.

When she learned a blanket tying technique using the softest fleece, an idea was hatched. Why not organize her neighbors and make blankets for children and the elderly?

Being a fun-loving group, they called themselves “Tie One On.” For the next few years, the ladies met around the holidays, and eventually each month, to make blankets for local charities.

United Way director Julie Capaldi and the “Tie One On” ladies of the Vineyards at Lake Keowee enjoy a drink as they make blankets for those in need.

Because United Way director Julie Capaldi was knowledgeable about Pickens County, she was invited to be a part of the group. While sitting around the dining room table each month, Capaldi had the opportunity to educate the women about the most pressing needs in Pickens County. The list of blanket needs grew to include the elderly, impoverished children and homeless families with children.

Eventually Schultz moved to Atlanta, but her legacy did not move with her. Mary Steele and Cathy Rogers took over the project, and on Jan. 11 the 1,000th blanket rolled off the dining room table and into the arms of someone who desperately needed a warm hug.

Someone like three children that school district family liaison Cindy Burgess helped after a house fire destroyed everything they owned. Burgess met the family at their grandmother’s house, where they were living temporarily.

“The sadness was written on the children’s faces,” she said. “When I handed them each a soft new blanket of their own, they immediately grabbed them and just hugged on them. It meant so much to them to have something soft and comforting to hold that belonged just to them after losing everything.”

Family liaison Whitney Moore also finds the blankets incredibly important in her work.

“There was one family that I helped last year that needed a bed,” she said. “The little girl’s bed had a hole in the mattress, and her brother was sleeping on a couch in his room. Through United Way’s Ron Webber fund, I was able to purchase new beds, and through Tie One On, I gave each child a new a fleece blanket. They were so excited.”

According to Capaldi, an active and engaged volunteer is the key to a vibrant community.

“Whether driving for Meals on Wheels, organizing food baskets for the elderly, serving on local boards or organizing programs for local schools, Pickens County is lucky to have a community so devoted to making life better for everyone,” she said.

01/19/2016 Local News

Rebuild Upstate celebrates record

UPSTATE — The lives of 120 Upstate families were made better in 2015 thanks to the volunteers at Rebuild Upstate.

This nonprofit that serves Pickens, Greenville, Anderson and Oconee counties more than doubled its number of homes repaired from its previous record of 62 in 2013, said Chris Manley, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director.

In 2015, 120 homes were repaired and improved throughout the four-county area through the work of 900 volunteers, who performed more than 15,000 hours of service. Rebuild Upstate’s community impact was more than $562,000.

Completed projects included 50 large handicap accessible ramps (20 feet or longer), 19 small handicap ramps (smaller than 20 feet in length), six wedge ramps for aided accessibility, four roof repairs, 13 roof replacements, 12 shingle replacements and three metal roof installations, three HVAC replacements or repairs, 20 flooring repairs or replacements, two electrical repairs, 14 plumbing repairs, 15 grab bar installations (for safety purposes) and 36 assorted other projects.

Rebuild Upstate helps low-income homeowners with home repairs and accessibility improvements to create safe, livable housing in existing homes and neighborhoods. Typically, homeowners fall into one of three segments: low-income families with children in the home, seniors age 60 and older and people with disabilities.

Rebuild Upstate uses a diverse funding model comprised of individuals, corporations, foundations, local churches and small businesses that support the organization, Manley said.

“This year is a testament to the awesome ability of people to come together as a group to help and aid others across the Upstate,” Manley said.

01/19/2016 Lifestyles

Courier Community Calendar 1-20-16

• Classes offered at Hagood Center

New Fiber Room Center activities at the Hagood Center in Pickens have been scheduled for January and February.

There will be additional new activities scheduled throughout the next few months. Pre-registration and lists of the supplies are not available. In January, the center will offer self-binding receiving blankets with Sara. Cost is a $5 donation for the center.

On Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 and 8, enjoy an introductory painting on silk three-day class with Cheryl. All supplies will be provided at the cost of a $10 donation to the center.

A new weaving class will be held each Tuesday from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This class will continue each Tuesday for approximately three months. During the class the participants will complete three weaving projects: a teacher orientation practice project, a teacher directed color-scamp project, and a student designed project. At the completion of the class, the participants should be able to weave “on your own.” The participants will be expected to purchase a book and minimal supplies for a total cost of approximately $20.

On Jan. 14 and 21 will be the “self-binding receiving blanket” with Sara. It is an all-day participation class beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 2:30 p.m., with a break for lunch around 11:30 a.m. The cost for the class is a $5 donation to the Pickens Community Center. Please have your squares of flannel cut before class. Supplies you will need include one 40-inch square of flannel, one 30-inch square of contrasting flannel and thread to match.

The center does have a few sewing machines which have been donated, but you may prefer to bring your own.

Below is a list of the center’s regular activities:

Monday: 10-11:30 a.m. — cathedral window quilts with Jacquie

Tuesday: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. — weaving with Pat; 9-11:30 a.m. — doll clothes with Jacquie; 10-11:30 a.m. — yo-yos with Irene and prayer shawls and cancer caps with Sharon (in the library). Wednesday: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. — weaving with Pat (in the heritage room); 10-11:30 a.m. — knitting with Tally.

Thursday: 10-11:30 a.m. quilting with Sara; 1:30-3:30 p.m. — rug hooking with Cheryl.

• Grace UMC plans 5th Sunday Singing

The community is invited to Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens as it will host a 5th Sunday Singing in its fellowship hall at 6 p.m. on Jan. 31. Each “5th Sunday Singing” at Grace will include special music and your favorite songs to sing along to.

• Pickens Church of God plans breakfast

Pickens Church of God’s community breakfast will resume this month from 8-10 a.m. on Jan. 23. The church will also host a car wash during the breakfast to raise funds to take the youth to WinterJam next month.

• Camp Creek moves Sunday services

Camp Creek Baptist Church will move its Sunday service to the Rosewood Center in Liberty for the next few weeks. The move is temporary due to the remodeling of the church’s sanctuary. AWANA clubs will still be held at the church in Central as usual, in the fellowship hall on Wednesday nights.

01/19/2016 Food

Ground meats make great supper dishes

By Olivia Fowler

For the Courier

ofowler@thepccourier.com

As long as we live, we are faced with the daily question “what’s for supper?”

Not everyone has a suggestion, but if we offer options we often hear “no, I don’t want that.”

If you’re tired of that tired routine, blow their minds.

Don’t ask what they want. Just fix it.

One of the great things about these recipes is how different familiar ingredients become when mixed with ground meats.

Ground sirloin is used in the Salsa Meat Loaf, ground beef and pork are combined in the Swedish Meatball recipe and ground round is the meat featured in the Chili Con Carne.

A word to the wise, though — if you have a houseful of picky eaters, just don’t tell them what’s in the dish until after they eat. It can save a lot of wear and tear on the nerves.

Salsa Meat Loaf

1 lb. ground beef sirloin
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
Dried parsley to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the ground sirloin, salsa, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, and garlic. Season with parsley, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a 5×9 inch loaf pan.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Swedish Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:

1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (through a cheese grater)
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. milk
4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 tsp. black pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

6 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. flour
1 qt. beef stock
1/2 to 3/4 c. sour cream
Salt
2 to 4 tbsp. of lingonberry, cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly, more or less to taste (optional)

Sauté the grated onion in the butter over medium-high heat until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the bread pieces with the milk. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread soaks up all the milk. When it does, pulverize the bread in a food processor and pour it into a large bowl.

Add the cooled onions to the bowl of milk and bread. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients—eggs, ground pork, ground beef, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper. Wash your hands then mix well for about two minutes until the ingredients are well combined. Wash hands thoroughly after this.

Use a tablespoon to measure out the meat for the meatballs. As you form the meatballs, set each one aside on a sheet pan or plate. You should get 40 to 50 meatballs.

Heat six tablespoons of butter for the sauce in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium and add some of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, browning them slowly on all sides. Be gentle when you turn them so they don’t break apart. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through; only brown them at this stage. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, setting them aside so you can make the sauce with the remaining pan butter.

Start the sauce. If the butter has burned throw it away and use six new tablespoons. Heat the pan butter on medium and whisk the flour in. Cook until the color of coffee with cream. This is how you make a roux.

As the roux is cooking, heat the beef stock in another pot until it simmers. When the roux has cooked until the color of coffee-with-cream, slowly add the hot beef stock a little at a time. Everything will sputter at first, and the sauce will seize up and solidify. Keep stirring and adding stock slowly, and it will loosen up and become silky.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You might need to do this in batches.

To finish, move the meatballs to a serving dish. Add the sour cream and mix well. Either add the lingonberry jelly to the sauce or serve it on the side.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients for potato crust:

1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes
1/4 c. half-and-half
2 oz. unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk

Ingredients for meat filling:

2 tbsp. canola oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 c. fresh or frozen English peas

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch sauté pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chili Con Carne

2 cans (15 oz. each) red kidney beans or small red beans, drained
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, quartered, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground round
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomatoes
1 can mild green chiles
2 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno chile pepper, optional
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash ground cloves
1 small bay leaf

Prepare beans unless using cans. Rinse dry beans, cover with cold water, and let soak overnight. Drain, transfer to a large saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Cover and simmer for about an hour, or until tender. Drain.

In a large skillet, brown the onion, pepper, and ground beef in oil. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, adding a little water if needed to keep from sticking. Check and stir frequently. Add the cooked or canned beans and heat through.

01/19/2016 Classifieds

Courier Legals 1-20-16

SUMMONS

IN THE PROBATE COURT

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF PICKENS

IN THE MATTER OF

ESTATE OF NELLIE BAGWELL

CASE NO. 1987ES3900103

TO: Possible unknown heirs of Nellie Bagwell

YOU ARE HERE SUMMONED and required to answer the Petition for Sale of Real Property in this action, a copy of which was filed in the Pickens County Probate Court on September 12, 2015, and is hereby served upon you by Publication, and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Petition on the subscriber at his office at 859 Pendleton Street, Pickens, South Carolina, 29671, within thirty (30) days after the date of service; hereof upon you, exclusive of the day of such service; an if you fail to answer the said Petition within the time aforesaid, the Petitioner in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in said Petition and judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Petition.

ACKER LAMBERT HINTON, P.A.

Adam B. Lambert

Attorney for Petitioner

Pickens, South Carolina

Dated: December 30, 2015

Jan. 6, 13, 20

————————————————————————–

NOTICE OF SALE

2015-CP-39-589

BY VIRTUE OF A DECREE of the Court of Common Pleas for Pickens County, heretofore granted in the case of United States of America, acting through the Farmers Home Administration, United States Department of Agriculture vs. Christa L. Moss, I, the undersigned Master In Equity appointed under Order of said Court, will sell on February 1, 2016 at 11:00 o’clock, a.m., at the Pickens County Courthouse, Pickens, South Carolina, to the highest bidder, the following described property, to wit:

ALL that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, situate, lying and being in the State of South Carolina, County of Pickens, located 2.5 miles North, Northeast of Pickens, being shown and designated a a portion of Lot No. 7 of Blue Ridge Estates on plat prepared by C. E. Shehan Surveying, dated November 9, 1983 and according to said plat, having the following courses and distances, to wit: BEGINNING at iron pin at axle on edge of Blue Ridge Circle; and running along common line of portion of Lot No. 7 herein conveyed and Lot 8 N 75-15 West 179.01 feet to old iron pin; running thence along line of McJunkin North 03-48 East 149.05 feet to old iron pin; running thence along line of McJunkin North 03-48 East 149.05 feet to old iron pin; continuing along line of land of McJunkin North 83-26 East 38.00 feet to new iron pin; running thence along line of portion of Lot No. 6 and a portion of Lot No. 7 (as shown on plat) South 44-17 East 219.40 feet to new iron pin on Blue Ridge Circle; running thence along edge of Blue Ridge Circle South 33-41 West 49.85 feet to the beginning corner.

This being the identical property conveyed unto Beverly E. Widener by deed of the United States of America recorded December 10, 1987 in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Pickens County in Record Book 26 at Page 55.

This being the identical property conveyed unto Christa L. Moss by deed of Beverly E. Widener recorded November 22, 1993 in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Pickens County in Record Book 222 at Page 122.

TMS #4192-09-26-1622

Property Address: 134 North Blue Ridge Circle, Pickens, SC 29671

TERMS OF SALE: For Cash, the Master In Equity will require a deposit of 5% of the amount of the bid (in cash or equivalent) by 4:00 p.m., on the sales date, the same to be applied on the purchase price in case of compliance, but in case of noncompliance within Twenty (20) days, the same to be forfeited and applied to the costs and Plaintiff’s debt and the property shall be resold at the risk and expense of the former purchaser. Purchaser shall pay for the deed and necessary revenue stamps for the deed. Purchaser to be responsible for payment of taxes and assessments not past due at the time of sale.

No personal or deficiency judgment being demanded, the bidding will not remain open after the sale but compliance with the bid may be made immediately.

The sale shall be subject to taxes and assessments, existing easements, and restrictions and easements and restrictions of record, and any other senior encumbrances.

Interest on the balance of the bid shall be paid to the day of compliance at the rate of 6.5% per day.

The sale will not be held unless the Plaintiff or its attorney is present at the sale or has advised the Master’s office of its bidding instructions. This sale is subject to all matters of record and any interested party should perform an independent title examination of the subject property as no warranty is given.

___________________________

R. Murray Hughes

Special Referee

Gary P. Rish, PC

Attorney for Plaintiff

P. O. Box 508

Irmo, SC 29063

(803) 749-1764

Jan. 13, 20, 27

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF PICKENS

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

CASE No. 2015-CP-39-0872

Billie Jane Pressley, Plaintiff, vs- Teresa D. Fowler, Leslie C. Pressley, Curtis Blake Pressley AND John Doe and Richard Roe representing possible unknownparties, Defendants.

Upon reading the attached Affidavit, it appears to my satisfaction that this is a proper case in which service may be had upon Defendants by publication as authorized by 15-9-730 and 15-9-720 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976).

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, that the Lis Pendens, Summons and Notice and Service by Publication shall be published in Pickens County Courier, a newspaper having general circulation in the County of Pickens, South Carolina, once a week, on the same day of each week, for a period of three consecutive weeks, said publication being hereby designated as the one most likely to give notice to said Defendants. Any Defendants having a last known address shall be mailed a copy of the Summons and Complaint certified mail\restricted delivery.

AND IT IS SO ORDERED.

/s/ Perry H. Gravely

JUDGE, THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OR

CLERK OF COURT FOR PICKENS COUNTY

PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA

Date: January 4, 2016

Jan. 13, 20, 27

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LIS PENDENS

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF PICKENS

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

CASE # 2015-CP-39-872

Billie Jane Pressley, Plaintiff, vs- Teresa D. Fowler, Leslie C. PressleyCurtis Blake Pressley, and all Persons unknown claiming thru William A. Pressley deceased,anyright,title, estate, interestin orlien on the realestate described in the Complaint; being as a class designated as John Doe, and any such unknowninfants or persons under disability or in the military service being as a classdesignated as Richard Roe, Defendants.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an action has been commenced and is now pending before this Court upon Complaint of the above named Plaintiff against the above named Defendants for partition and sale of the following described real estate which is the subject of this action:

ALL that certain piece, parcel or lot of land with the improvements thereon, situate, lying and being in the Woodside Mills Village Plat #2, in the Town of Liberty, State of South Carolina, County of Pickens, and being more particularly describedas Lot 38 as shown on a plat entitled “A Subdivision of Woodside Mills, Liberty, Plat No. 2, Liberty, S.C.” made by Piedmont Engineering service, Greenville, S. C., dated December, 1951, and having the courses, distances, metes and bounds as will be shown by reference to said survey recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds for Pickens County in Plat Book 1920 at Page 138. According to said plat, the within described lot is also known as No. 4 Tillman Street and fronts thereon 126 feet.

The interest of the Plaintiff is the one-third (1/3) interest in the above property conveyed to the Estate of William A. Pressley by Deed of Distribution of the Estate of Curtis W. Pressley dated December 23, 2010 and recorded January 24, 2011 in Deed Book 1366 at page 48. The Estate of William A. Pressley is being probated in the Pickens County Probate Court in case file #2010-ES-39-509 (See Deed of Distribution dated March 7, 2014 and recorded March 7, 2014 in Deed Book 1587 at Page 329). Billie Jane Pressley and William Lee Pressley are the two children of William A. Pressley and the sole heirs of William A. Pressley as to his real property. William Lee Pressley conveyed all his right, title and interest in and to this property unto Billie Jane Pressley by deed dated February 19, 2014 and recorded February 28, 2014 in Deed Book 1586 at Page 114, Pickens County records.

Pickens County Tax Map Parcel #4087 12-95-9512

Property address: 4 Tillman St., Liberty, SC 29657

_/s/_______________________

R. MURRAY HUGHES, III

Attorney for Plaintiff

P. O. Box 1389

Pickens, SC 29671

(864) 878-2124

SC Bar #2800

July15, 2015

Pickens, South Carolina

Jan. 13, 20, 27

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SUMMONS

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF PICKENS

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

CASE # 2015-CP-39-872

(Non-jury Partition Action)

Billie Jane Pressley, Plaintiff, vs- Teresa D. Fowler, Leslie C. Pressley, Curtis Blake Pressley, and all Persons unknown claiming thru William A. Pressley deceased, anyright,title, estate, interestin orlien on the realestate described in the Complaint; beingas a class designated as John Doe, and any such unknowninfants or persons under disability or in the military service being as a classdesignated as Richard Roe, Defendants.

TO THE DEFENDANT(S) ABOVE NAMED:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to answer the Complaint in this matter, a copy of which was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Pickens County, and to serve a copy of your Answer thereto upon the subscriber, R. Murray Hughes,III, at his office located at 4606 Moorefield Memorial Highway, Suite 3, (P.O. Box 1389) Pickens, South Carolina, 29671, within thirty (30) days from the date of service hereof upon you. If you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, the Plaintiff in this action will apply to the Court, above named, for judgment by default to be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the within Complaint.

YOU WILL FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that should you fail to answer the foregoing Summons, the Plaintiff will move for a general Order of Reference in this case to the Special Referee for this Court, which Order shall, pursuant to Rule 53 of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, specifically provide that the Referee is authorized and empowered to enter a final judgment in this case and any appeal from the final judgment entered herein to be made directly to the South Carolina Supreme Court or Court of Appeals as appropriate.

TO: MINORS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS:

YOU ARE HEREBY summoned and notified to apply for appointment of Guardian ad Litem to represent said infant under eighteen years of age within thirty days after the service of this Summons. If you fail to do so, application for such appointment will be made by Plaintiff herein.

TO: INFANT(S) OVER FOURTEEN YEAR OF AGE AND IMPRISONED PERSON(S):

YOU ARE HEREBY summoned and notified to apply for the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem to represent you in this action within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, and if you fail to do so, application for such appointment will be made by the Plaintiff herein.

TO: INFANT(S) UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE (INCOMPETENT OR INSANE) AND TO THE GENERAL OR TESTAMENTARY GUARDIAN, COMMITTEE WITH WHOM (S)HE (THEY) RESIDE(S):

YOU ARE HEREBY summoned and notified to apply for appointment of a Guardian ad Litem to represent said infant(s) under fourteen years (said incompetent or insane person) within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, and if you fail to do so, application for such appointment will be made by the Plaintiff herein.

/s/_______

R. Murray Hughes, III

Attorney for Plaintiff

P.O. Box 1389

Pickens, SC 29671

(864)878-2124

S. C. Bar #2800

July15, 2015

Pickens, South Carolina

Jan. 13, 20, 27

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PETITION for DETERMINATION OF HEIRS

PETITIONER: Charlena Elizabeth Blake

DECEASED: William Turner Gowens

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:

DATE OF BIRTH: 09/21/1913

DATE OF DEATH: 05/26/2002

NAMES OF POSSIBLE KNOWN HEIRS AND RELATIONSHIPS:

REASON FOR PETITION: To establish the heirs of the deceased dated on date of death.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: February 16, 2016

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Place: Pickens County Probate Court

222 McDaniel Avenue

Pickens, SC 29671

PURPOSE: Hearing upon the Petition of Charlena Elizabeth Blakein the Estate of William Turner Gowens.

DESCRIPTION OF PLEADING: Petition for Determination of Heirs under South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976, as amended.

A full copy of the Summons and Petition is available from the undersigned attorney. If you do not appear at the hearing or file and Answer, the relief requested will be granted.

Executed: Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

_________________________

BY: Adam B. Lambert

P.O. Box 9

Pickens, SC 29671

(864) 878-1184

Jan. 13, 20, 27

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Legal Notice

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is a cooperative program financed from federal., state, and local funds. We are subject to the rules and regulations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. “Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer”. Accordingly, persons who believe theyor their organization to be subjected to discrimination by the Extension Service may file a written complaint. Such complaints should be sent to either:

Director, Cooperative Extension Service

103 Barre Hall

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 29634-0110

Administrator, Extension Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Washington, DC 20250

Secretary of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Washington, DC 29250

The Pickens County office of the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is located at 222 West Main Street, Pickens SC 29671. Office hours are 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday.

Jan. 20

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LEGAL NOTICE

The Pickens County Planning Commission will meet in a work session on Monday, February 8, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Main Conference Roomat the Pickens County Administration Facility, 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC.

After the work session, the monthly Planning Commissionmeetingwill be held at 6:30 p.m. in the same location. The following items will have a public hearing at this meeting:

1. LU-16-002Joseph Kirk/Brittany Roper requesting land use approval related to a recreation use greater than 1.00 acre. Proposed use is located at 250 Saco Lowell Road, Easley.

TMS# 5029-15-74-3235

2. SD-16-002Keowee Mountain, 5 lot addition to an existing Residential Development located on SC 133, Sunset.

TMS# 4152-00-00-5338

More information for each item is available in the Planning office in the Department of Community Development and is open for public inspection during regular business hours. If any member of the public requires special assistance please call 864-898-5956.

Jan. 20

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NOTICE

The Vineyards Fire Commission will hold a Budget Review Meeting to review fire department activities in 2015 and explain the budget to be submitted to the Pickens County Commission for the fiscal year 2015-2016 at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at the fire station located at 111 Granny Gear Road, Sunset, SC, 29685.

Jan. 20, 27

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01/19/2016 Classifieds

Courier Notice to Creditors 1-20-16

The publisher shall only be liable for an amount less than or equal to the charge for the space of the item in error in the case of errors in or omissions from any advertisement, and only for the first incorrect insertion.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES

All persons having claims against the following estates MUST file their claims on Form #371ES with the Probate Court of PICKENS COUNTY, the address of which is 222 MCDANIEL AVE., B-16 PICKENS, SC 29671, within eight (8) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or within one (1) year from date of death, whichever is earlier (SCPC 62-3-801, et seq.), or such persons shall be forever barred as to their claims. All claims are required to be presented in written statements on the prescribed form (FORM #371ES) indicating the name and address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, the amount claimed, the date when the claim will become due, the nature of any uncertainty as to the claim, and a description of any security as to the claim.

Estate: Jesse Holmes Morgan, Jr.

Date of Death: 12/20/2015

Case Number: 2015ES3900822

Personal Representative: Betty M. Stephens

Address: 156 Glassy Mountain St.

Pickens, SC 29671

Attorney: R. Murray Hughes

Address: P.O. Box 1389

Pickens, SC 29671

Jan. 6, 13, 20

Estate: Mildred Reece Derossett

Date of Death: 11/20/2015