Monthly Archives: October 2018
SDPC’s Merck joins education leaders in Finland
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — School District of Pickens County superintendent Danny Merck 
is currently on a weeklong trip to Finland, joining 22 other South Carolina leaders visiting public schools.
“I have studied Finland’s success extensively, as we are constantly looking for the best ways to improve learning,” Merck said. “To see their schools and speak to their education leaders in person is an invaluable opportunity.”
Merck, who is the only school official from the tri-county area of Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties making the trip, said he received an invitation to join the group in May.
“We are studying many areas, including early childhood, career and technology education, special education, world language in elementary, afterschool programs, personalized learning, project-based learning, retention philosophy, engagement, culture, safety and philosophy,” he said.
The public education system in Finland consistently performs at the top of
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Pickens County councilman says hotel survey would help with ATAX requests
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Pickens County Council members approved a number of accommodations tax funding requests last week, but they want more data to accompany future requests and recommendations.
In discussions about funding recommendations from the ATAX committee, council members have expressed frustration with what they say is a lack of information from applicants regarding the amount of tourists their events bring into the county.
“What I’m looking for is … actual numbers as to how many people you put in hotels,” Councilman Trey Whitehurst said. “I haven’t seen that in really
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Pickens County: More than 150 years in the making
By G. Anne Sheriff
Courtesy Pickens County
news@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County was Cherokee Indian territory until the American Revolution.
The Cherokees sided with the British, suffered defeat, and surrendered their South Carolina lands. This former Cherokee territory was included in the Ninety-Six Judicial District.
In 1791, the state legislature established Washington District, a judicial area composed of present-day Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties, and then composed of Greenville and Pendleton counties. Streets for the courthouse town of Pickensville (near present-day Easley) were laid off, and soon a cluster of buildings arose that perhaps included a large wooden hotel, which served as a stagecoach stop.
In 1798, Washington District was divided into Greenville and Pendleton
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Sheriff’s office chief deputy recognized for excellence
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The second in command at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office was recognized last week for his long career in law enforcement.
Chief deputy Creed Hashe was awarded the 2018 Billy Wilkins Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement during a special term of court at the Pickens County Courthouse.
“I didn’t see this coming,” Hashe said. “This is a beautiful plaque, but the sad thing about this plaque is it’s not big enough, because there are so many names that should be on there. There are so many people that come
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EHS hall of fame class honored
EASLEY — Easley High School inducted a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night during the Green Wave’s game against Greenwood.
The group of Green Wave athletes joined an already prestigious group in the hallows of Easley fame.
Sammy Galloway, a 1969 EHS graduate, earned three letters in football, along with two in baseball and one in track. A member of the 1967 Class 2A State championship football team, he was named one of the top 100 players in the country his senior season. He was selected to play in the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game. He signed a grant-in-aid with South Carolina to play football and was a
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Easley Community Band to play at Foothills Playhouse
EASLEY — The Easley Community Band will perform its first concert of the 2018-2019 season at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, at the Foothills Playhouse in Easley.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Proceeds benefit the Easley Community Band and the Pickens County Humane Society.
For more information, visit easleycommunityband.org or find the band’s Facebook page.
Easley could provide boost to new affordable housing development
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — An assist from the city of Easley could help spur interest in an 
affordable housing development, officials hope.
During a work session last week, city council members discussed the Trailside Active Affordable Housing development, located at North 5th Street and West D Street, near the Doodle Trail.
Council passed an ordinance in June transferring 18 lots to Quinn Satterfield Inc. “for the purpose of constructing affordable home occupied single-family units.”
The homes will range from $120,000 to $160,000. Phase I of the development includes 12 home sites.
Applicants must be approved for a loan for the property they want to build on at Trailside. Once they’re approved, applicants will draw down that property for construction.
But so far, applicants haven’t made it all the way through the application
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Jeep club plans 8th ‘Memory Lane’ trip
PICKENS — Pickens County is celebrating its 150th birthday. With so many great milestones to commemorate, a local group is remembering Larry Hinkle and the impact he had in the community with the World’s 
Largest Jeep Dealership located in Pickens.
The legend continues today through “Upstate Legends Jeep Club” with its annual “Memory Lane” trip to Gatlinburg, Tenn., to pay tribute to Hinkle. This year marks the eighth year of the Memory Lane trip, and a special limited shirt design was released for the members taking the trip this year.
Because of Hinkle’s influence and impact on Pickens County, Upstate
Legends was formed in June 2010 by Gary Robinson, Roger Cassell and
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Remembering the way it was
Miss Maude Moore was our sixth-grade teacher. She drove a little gray car and lived with her sister. She’d graduated from Flora McDonald College 
and approached teaching much like Miss Dove in the book “Good Morning, Miss Dove.”
She ran her classroom with perfect discipline, and we learned.
No one questioned her authority. We were a little afraid of her. Once, a new boy — a rarity in our little rural school — came into our class.
He wasn’t the usual farm child taught to respect his elders. The first thing we noticed about Pate Johnson was his smirk. He didn’t pay attention in class and was reluctant to follow instructions.
On his third day in class, Miss Moore, as was her custom, told him to go to
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Letters to the Editor
There are angels all around us
Dear Editor,
On Monday, Oct. 8, my husband and I were on our way from Pickens to Easley. We were on Highway 8 just past the Landmark Church sign when my car spluttered and quit. Out of gas! We were in the right lane, but not completely off the highway.
That’s when God sent us an angel — a young man around 30 years old. He helped us get our car completely off the road. We thanked him and thought that was the last we would see of him. Wrong! A few minutes later, he returned with a gasoline can in his hand, and he proceeded to put gas into my empty tank. He wouldn’t let us pay him, and I did not get his name, but I know he lives on Cedar Rock Road outside of Easley.
I just want to thank him for his help and let him know how very much we appreciate his act of kindness. May God bless you and yours, and my prayer is that when you need an angel God will provide one for you.
Again, thanks so much for your act of kindness.
Sonny and Georgia Harvey
Pickens
