COUNTY — Red Ribbon Week has been celebrated in schools across the country since 1985.

Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he decided to join the DEA, his mother tried to talk him out of it.

“I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference,” he told her.

Many across the country started wearing red satin ribbons in honor of Camarena and his battle against illegal drugs. In 1988, the National Family Partnership sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Campaign, an initiative that has taken place every year during the week of Oct. 24-31 since 1988 to honor the memory of Kiki Camarena.

Every year, the Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County Youth Board works to raise awareness about substance abuse in the community. Their efforts during Red Ribbon Week are particularly focused on elementary-aged children.

This year, the Youth Board, along with the Steppin’ It Up Coalition, will be hosting a Drugs are Despicable Family Movie Night at the Central-Clemson Recreation Department on Monday, Oct. 24, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The movie “Despicable Me” will be shown, and Youth Board members will perform a skit to raise awareness about substance abuse.

This is a free event that is open to the public. If you have any questions about the event, contact prevention specialist and Youth Board coordinator Jessica Gibson at (864)898-5800.

PICKENS — Pickens Presbyterian Church and Child Development Center will host a free fall festival on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the church, located at 311 W. Main St. in Pickens.

Inflatables and games will be in place for the kids. There will be child performances by Powerhouse Dance Co., Mountain View Quartet, the Sweet Potato Pie Kids, the 3K, 4K and 5K CDC kids, as well as a magician and balloon art, face painting and a silent auction featuring many great items.

Barbecue plates and hot dog plates will also be available for purchase. Cost is $5 for barbecue, $3 for a hot dog plate and $4 for a two hot dog plate. All entertainment will be free, as well as games and balloon art for the children.

• Barbery to preach at Liberty Revival

The Carolina Community Church will be host a revival starting Sunday, Oct. 9. The event will feature the preaching of the Rev. Curtis Barbery. This will be Barbery’s 1,007th revival service. The revival will have two services in the morning on Oct. 9, with one starting at 10 a.m. and another beginning at 11 a.m. That evening Barbery will preach again at 6 p.m. On Monday, Oct. 10, the service is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Pastor John Revis at (864) 760-7207 or (864) 933-1867.

PICKENS — After a long week of rumors around the Pickens community, School District of Pickens County spokesman John Eby confirmed on Tuesday that Pickens High School head football coach John Boggs has been relieved of his coaching duties.

“This afternoon, Coach Boggs was released from his football coaching responsibilities, but will remain a faculty member as a math teacher at Pickens High School,” Eby told the Courier in an email on Tuesday. “Assistant coach Chad Seaborn will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Pickens High will begin a search for a new coach after the season.”

Eby had said on Friday that Boggs was “on leave from his duties” as Pickens football coach.

Eby gave no word on the reasoning behind the move.

Pickens-area school board member Alex Saitta told the Courier earlier in the day Tuesday that school district superintendent Danny Merck had said in an email that Boggs was “suspended until Saturday.”

“He didn’t say more than that in his email, and I have not talked to Dr. Merck yet,” Saitta said. “Unfortunately, long before I got on the board, the school board delegated all hiring of coaches to the superintendent. So the board knows little about the hiring, replacing or disciplining of coaches. I don’t agree with that, and I think the board should have some involvement in all things that affect students, parents and the community.”

After picking up their first win of the season against West-Oak two weeks ago before an open week last week, the Blue Flame will travel to Seneca to take on the Bobcats this Friday.

Seaborn, who served as head coach from 2010-14, prior to Boggs’ hiring, will be the interim head coach. Seaborn had another stint as interim coach when his predecessor, currently Liberty High School athletic director Brett Turner, had to miss a game.

Boggs, a former Shrine Bowl lineman at Pickens, was in his second season as head coach of his alma mater after going 4-7 last season. He was also the head coach at Walhalla before leading the football program at Westsidein 2012 and 2013.

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

PICKENS COUNTY — County council members agreed Monday night that there is a place for the Pickens County Cultural Commission, one of its advisory boards.

But they’re not sure yet what the board will look like going forward.

Council members considered a recommendation from committee that the cultural commission be dissolved.

But that idea didn’t sit well with them.

The recommendation came after county officials were told by a cultural commissioner that the board had lost direction and that its recommendations were seldom listened to by staff.

Another cultural commissioner disputed those notions in letters to local media.

“I’m not in favor at this point in time of dissolving the cultural commission,” councilman Tom Ponder said. “The question I have is, what is their function?”

The commission’s function had been fundraising, he said.

“I think they’ve gotten away from that,” Ponder said. “There is a need for that type of thing, but I’m just not so sure that some of the people who’ve been serving in that capacity can serve in that capacity, based on their actions of the last couple of years.”

Boards and commissions are an arm of council, Ponder said.

“When it appears that these boards and commissions have a different agenda, move in a different direction, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear them,” he said. “But we sure don’t want to be attacked by them.”

One commissioner had said the commission’s opinion was not taken into account concerning the termination of a former museum director.

Orientation sessions for boards and commissions would be helpful, Ponder said.

“The board doesn’t have the authority to hire or fire anybody,” Ponder said. “They don’t have the authority to spend money. There are a lot of things they don’t have the authority to do. But sometimes these boards feel like they do have, and they expect us to answer to them.”

A former county administrator was known to tell council members not to overreach, to “stay in our lane,” Ponder said.

“We need to understand what our responsibility is and live up to our responsibility,” he said.

Council members suggested that staff meet with the commission.

“To see that there is a purpose and that they understand what their purpose is,” Ponder said. “With all the things going on in Pickens County, with the Hagood Mill property, and we need to do more with the museum, it might not be a good idea to dissolve the commission. It might be a good idea to look at what the commission’s function is to ensure that the people on the commission understand what its function is. If they can’t buy into the program, they need to go somewhere else.”

Councilman Trey Whitehurst also questioned dissolving the commission.

“People on a dysfunctional board can be replaced,” he said. “It was created for a purpose. There had to be a need. We have to figure out what that need was. Do we still need that need today? And if we do, does that board properly fulfill that need?”

Council chair Jennifer Willis agreed.

“Does the board have a proper function, or do we need to change the function of the board?” she said.

County administrator Gerald Wilson said staff members had met with the commission and are seeing “positive progress.”

The motion is dissolve the cultural commission failed unanimously. Councilman Neil Smith was absent from Monday’s meeting.