Monthly Archives: October 2016
Community groups improve slave cemetery at Soapstone Church
Courtesy photo
Three local community groups recently joined forces to spruce up the slave cemetery at Soapstone Church near Pumpkintown.
By Perry Gravely
Special to The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — In a time when diversity provides unwarranted tension, three diverse community groups recently came together to spruce up the slave cemetery at Soapstone Church near Pumpkintown.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 51, Greenville Seminoles Youth Association and Arise from the Ashes of Pickens joined hands on a Saturday morning to work at the cemetery and show community spirit and respect for those resting in the unmarked graves.
Before starting work, the group gathered in a circle of unity, said a prayer and sang a spiritual appropriate for those who were being honored. Then the group went to work for several hours pulling weeds, cleaning off the grave sites, clearing the nature trail, installing a meditation bench, spreading mulch around the entrance and placing more than 100 American flags on the grave sites.
Mabel Clark, the primary organizer of the event, with the leadership of Troop 51, was thrilled with the participation and the statement made by the groups working together.
“My heart was so touched seeing the excitement on each of their faces, like they were there for the slaves,” Clark said. “Just to see a group come together for this project and how they worked together was wonderful. They seemed so happy doing it, and I was really inspired by them.
“The timing was so appropriate, because it tied into the commemoration of 9/11 as well.”
Soapstone Baptist Church, which manages the cemetery, is one of the oldest African-American churches in the Upstate. The church and community were founded just after the Civil War by freed slaves and originally called “Little Liberia.” The original church was constructed in 1899 and, according to a history prepared by Dennis Chastain, was burned during the racial strife in 1966 and rebuilt the following year. Located next to the current church is a one-room school that is believed to be one of the first African-American schools in this area. Through the efforts of Clark, the history and property have been preserved.
“This was fun. It was interesting and historic, and I had never seen a slave graveyard before,” said Jayden Foster, a sixth-grader from Tanglewood Middle School and a member of the Greenville Seminoles.
“It seemed very patriotic to do this project,” said Jacob Santeler, a sixth-grader at Pickens Middle School and a member of Scout Troop 51. “It was a good time and shows a lot of respect for the slaves buried here, and it helped out the church.”
Even though from different backgrounds, the goals of the groups are very similar in many respects and an important focus centers around improving the lives of the youth in local communities.
One of the groups participating, Greenville Seminoles Youth Association, was founded by Jimmy Green and provides a positive alternative for at-risk youths between the ages of 6-13 from inner-city communities in Greenville.
“I had an opportunity to play sports growing up, but after I got out, they discontinued these sports for the inner-city kids,” Green said, explaining why he started the program 42 years ago. “I wanted to give these kids a chance to play sports, but they could only play if they kept up good grades.”
In addition to organized football, baseball and basketball teams, the program provides mentoring and tutoring for more than 140 youths. Green has served as a coach, mentor, tutor, sports commissioner and a positive role model for thousands of youth from inner-city Greenville.
When asked about his thoughts on the Greenville Youth program, Terry Sullivan, a seventh-grader at Berea Middle School, said “it is a hard-working team. We like to work and joke a lot. This shows me leadership, and this project at the cemetery makes you feel good inside.”
Another group assisting with the project was Arise from the Ashes (AFTA), which according to its founder and president Betty Robinson, is a “community revitalization program. Providing hope, inspiring people and working with our youth.”
AFTA also focuses on mentoring youth and providing activities through a theater program and youth volunteer opportunities in the Pickens community. AFTA has scheduled a similar project to clean up the cemeteries at Cold Springs Baptist Church and Secona Baptist Church on Oct. 29, and the public is invited to assist.
The final group, Boy Scout Troop 51, located in Pickens, is a program for boys 11-17 and teaches youth leadership and life skills through outdoor activities and community projects. Troop 51 recently celebrated its 75th anniversary and meets weekly at its scout hut on Black Snake Road in Pickens. The troop participates in at least one adventure each month and includes camping, hiking, backpacking, cycling and community projects.
Residents enjoy Pumpkin Festival
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Local residents kicked off fall with the 38th annual Pumpkin Festival on Saturday in Pumpkintown. The event, which chairman Buddy Cox called “one of the largest one-day festivals in the state,” ran from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and drew thousands to the grounds around the Oolenoy Community Building for food, games, live music and arts and crafts.
Dedication event set at Dacusville Fire Substation
PICKENS — A ceremony is planned this Sunday, Oct. 16, to dedicate the new Dacusville Fire Substation.
Community members are invited to join the celebration at the new station, located at 120 Hamilton Road in Marietta.
Festivities will begin at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served from 2-4 p.m. The dedication ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. Multiple people will speak about the new substation and the Dacusville community fire protection.
Once speakers are finished, a plaque will be presented that recognizes all those who were involved in the substation planning and construction. Coupled with the dedication, there will also be a fire hose uncoupling ceremony, similar to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Alex Saitta running for school board re-election
PICKENS — Alex Saitta is running for re-election for the Pickens seat on the Pickens County School Board.
He and his wife, Carmen, have two daughters. Scarlett is in ninth grade at Pickens High School, and the other will follow next year — Amber is in eighth grade attending the Youth Leadership Academy charter school.
In 2010, when Saitta became the chairman of the board, the graduation rate was 71.2 percent. The board set a goal of 80 percent, and over the next few years it beefed up remedial reading, lowered class sizes, expanded the career center and hired graduation coaches. The graduation rate is now nearly 83 percent.
“I know what it is like to be a parent of children in school,” Saitta said. “When our girls graduate Pickens High, I hope both will be part of even larger graduating classes.”
Saitta strongly opposed the closing of any schools and voted against closing Holly Springs and A.R. Lewis elementaries.
“Taxpayers just spent $6 million to renovate the schools, and we’ll be paying off that loan until 2032,” Saitta said. “I voted against closing the schools. No one would spend their own money that way, and it shows how some decisions lack simple common sense.”
A former financial analyst, Saitta now prepares tax returns and manages rental properties. He has become the financial conscience of the board fighting waste, protecting classroom funding and advocating smaller class sizes.
“I proposed and voted to add many classroom teaching positions in the 2011 to 2013 school years, and have never voted to eliminate even one,” Saitta said. “Since then, the new board has fallen back into the bad habit of eliminating teaching positions — 65 the past three years, and I voted against all of that.”
In the wake of closing schools, eliminating teaching positions and having blocked attempts to bring Christian prayer back to school board meetings, Saitta sees himself as a watchdog on the board, looking out for the public’s interest.
“The question all voters need to ask themselves is this: Do you trust the school board to do the right thing when you’re not looking?” he said. “The public needs a trustee who is their eyes and ears, does his research, and has the courage to speak up when the board is ignoring the wishes of the people.”
Humane Society asks council, community for funding help
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — There are many advantages to living in the more rural parts of Pickens County.
But when you’re trying to find forever homes for dogs and cats, a lack of visibility isn’t one of them.
Banana pudding ain’t what it used to be
Do you remember banana pudding? I’m not talking about what is now called banana pudding, but the real kind. The kind Grandmama used to make for dessert on Sunday. There was none of this instant vanilla pudding poured over vanilla wafers and sliced bananas with no meringue on top She wouldn’t have served that to the dogs.
Courier Letters to the Editor 10-12-16
The second presidential debate
Dear Editor,
Thank goodness for Hillary Clinton! My admiration for her has gone over the moon since I watched Sunday’s second presidential debate. Secretary Clinton held her cool in spite of Mr. Trump’s disrespectful and unfounded attacks on her character and professional performance serving the American people for the past 30 years.
Griffin Ebenezer to celebrate 145 years
PICKENS — Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church will celebrate the church’s 145th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 16, with a special 10 a.m. service entitled “To God Be The Glory.”
The service will feature guest speaker Pastor Dr. Wallace S. Hartsfield of Kansas City, Mo.
Easley Chamber announces Christmas Parade of Lights
EASLEY — The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce announced recently it has assumed ownership and management of Easley’s annual Christmas parade, formerly managed by the city of Easley.
The change in event ownership will also come with a change in event date and time, with the parade moving to an evening time on the second Saturday of December. This year’s event, the Easley Christmas Parade of Lights, is set for Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. and is being presented by Hendrick Honda of Easley.
“With the city re-evaluating the many events it manages each year, the Easley Chamber saw a unique opportunity to support our community by taking ownership of the annual Christmas parade,” chamber president Cindy Hopkins said. “In our discussions, everyone was interested in growing the parade attendance, for both parade entries and spectators. Our chamber feels we could help with this goal since the footprint of our membership reaches far beyond the boundary of the city limits. We hope to recruit new parade entries from our business base, as well as attract more parade spectators from surrounding areas.”
Chamber officials also think that changing the parade date and time is another important factor in growing the participation.
“In recent years, there has been discussion from downtown merchants to move the parade to an evening time,” Hopkins said. “We think a Saturday evening makes it easier for groups and families to participate, plus the illumination aspect of an evening parade will create more excitement and will align perfectly with the city’s grand illumination event to celebrate the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree.”
The date of the city of Easley’s grand illumination event, which features holiday caroling, the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree and the arrival of Santa, will also move to the second Saturday of December to coincide with the new Christmas Parade of Lights.
The grand illumination festivities will begin immediately following the parade.
“We are extremely thrilled that the Easley Chamber of Commerce has taken on the responsibility of the Easley Christmas Parade this year,” Easley mayor Larry Bagwell said. “I wish them great success and invite everyone to attend and join me in the annual grand illumination ceremony following the parade back at City Hall.”
Hopkins noted that the chamber will work with the Easley Downtown Business Association to coordinate with downtown merchants to extend their business hours during the parade and grand illumination events.
“For our Easley Chamber of Commerce, it’s a business driver,” she said. “The greater participation we have in the parade, the more traffic we can help generate for our local restaurants and retailers. In the end, our involvement with the annual parade ties directly to our organizational mission to provide leadership and resources to strengthen the greater Easley business community.”
For more information on the Easley Christmas Parade of Lights, call the Easley Chamber at (864) 859-2693 or visit easleychamber.org.
Courier Community Calendar 10-12-16
• Free movie night planned by BHSPC
Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County Youth Board along with the Steppin’ It Up Coalition, will be hosting a Drugs are Despicable Family Movie Night at the Central-Clemson Recreation Central 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.
