Daily Archives: 11/27/2018
Parades start this weekend
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — As Christmas inches closer and closer, Pickens County municipalities are all set to start this year’s parade season.
The town of Six Mile will kick off the season this Saturday, Dec. 1, at 10:30 a.m. with its 48th annual parade running along Main Street. Participants will start lining up after 9 a.m.
The city of Liberty will hold its parade at 6 p.m. the same night. Liberty’s parade, which is themed “A Candy Cane Christmas,” will start at the old high school football stadium and run along S.C. Highway 93.
Next Tuesday, Dec. 4, the city of Clemson will hold its parade downtown. With a “Parade of Lights” theme, the parade will start at 6 p.m. on College Avenue. Longtime local residents Bruce and Dot Yandle will serve as grand marshals in the parade. The city will also have pre-parade festivities beginning at 5 p.m.
On Friday, Dec. 7, the town of Central will host its parade along Main
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Continuing a Christmas tradition
Local residents gathered last week to watch the lighting of the huge Christmas tree in front of the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative headquarters on Main Street in Pickens for the 37th year in a row. As part of the ceremony, a new plaque explaining the history of the tree was unveiled. “The Deodar Cedar that stands in front of the Blue Ridge Headquarters in
Pickens has been lit in recognition of the Christmas season for over 50 years,” the plaque reads. “This large conifer was spared the bulldozer’s blade during the construction of the Pickens Office in 1953. When Charles E. Dalton became President and CEO in 1982, he began the tradition of holding a tree lighting ceremony to bring the Pickens Community together during the holiday season. This tree has become a main stay at Blue Ridge Electric and in the Pickens community as a whole.” At right, current Blue Ridge president Jim Lovinggood and his wife, Denise, pose alongside the plaque with Dalton and his wife, Libby. Dalton, who retired in January, had the honors of lighting the tree this year. Photos by Karen Brewer/Courtesy The Christian View magazine
McGuire wins runoff for Clemson City Council seat
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — The runoff for the third and final Clemson City Council seat up for grabs this year came down to a 14-vote differential, with Clemson 
University professor Fran McGuire earning the seat over John Fulmer in the Nov. 20 runoff election.
Of the 834 total votes cast, McGuire edged Fulmer 424 votes to 410. The runoff was required when neither candidate surpassed the necessary threshold to win the third seat in the Nov. 6 general election. Robert Halfacre and Alesia Smith were the top two vote-getters in the election.
McGuire, who chairs the Clemson Planning Commission, congratulated Fulmer “on his excellent campaign.”
“I am thrilled and humbled,” McGuire said. “I thank everyone who
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School board OKs $8.4M in capital improvements
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — The Pickens County School Board voted 6-0 Monday night to approve $8.4 million for 2019-20 as part of a capital improvement plan involving technology, student activity and facilities that officials say totals $47.2 million in projects over the next five years.
The plan includes the purchase of long-term items such as network redesign, classroom technology, security card access, activity buses, athletics, artificial turf and tracks. Funding will come through money
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Visitors center now open
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Officials, business leaders and community members gathered recently to celebrate the grand opening of the Pickens Visitor Center.
The center, located at 222 W. Main St., houses the Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce, the Pickens Revitalization Association office, Lake Hartwell Country Regional Tourism District’s Pickens office and the Pickens County Cooperative Extension Service office.
Even before the Nov. 16 opening, there was already interest in the center, Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce executive director Kimberly Smagala said.
“It’s a good problem to have when you have a big tour bus show up in this tiny little parking lot and you have about 60 people pile out and try to find
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Easley Soccer Club added to international program
EASLEY — The Easley Soccer Club has joined forces with an international soccer academy to help build the sport’s base in Easley and open players’ eyes to the game on a global level.
Celtic Soccer Academy announced in a news release this week that Easley Soccer Club has been added to its ever-growing International Club Partnership Programme. The long-term partnership with Easley Soccer Club will involve the sharing of club methodologies, coach education and coaching camps and will also present Easley Soccer Club with the opportunity to visit Glasgow, Scotland, to experience what life is like for an academy player at Celtic Football Club.
Easley Soccer Club will also have the chance to send its coaches to Celtic
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Dream Center Resale Store to host Christmas Open House
PICKENS — On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Dream Center Resale Store in Pickens will host a Christmas Open House from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The store is located at 529 Hampton Ave. between Save-A-Lot and the Dollar Tree. Apple cider and cookies will be served during the event. In addition to the normal wares, the store will feature a display of new merchandise suitable for those on any Christmas list. In addition, the store will also be collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Santa Shoppe at the
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Deadline Friday for time capsule submissions
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Local residents have until Friday to take items to the Pickens County Museum of Art and History for consideration for placement in a new time capsule that will be buried at the Pickens County Courthouse.
Easley Mayor Larry Bagwell didn’t waste any time submitting items 
representing Easley for possible inclusion in the capsule. He took the items with him Nov. 15 to the kickoff event of the museum’s “150 Days of Pickens County History” campaign. During that event, Pickens County mayors opened and read letters from 1968-era mayors that were placed in centennial time capsule that was buried at the courthouse in 1968 and unearthed last month as part of the celebration of the county’s 150th anniversary.
“A lot of people think I ought to be put in a time capsule,” Bagwell said. “I’ve been around long enough.”
His items included two baseballs from the Big League Baseball World
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Wierzbicki named player of the year
PICKENS — Pickens High School’s Lexi Wierzbicki has been named the 2018 Region I-4A volleyball player of the year.
Wierzbicki, a senior middle hitter, led the Flame with 322 kills and 378 digs. She also recorded 81 blocks.
Wierzbicki was voted unanimous region player of the year for the third year in a row. She was a Region I-3A all-region selection in 2015.
Blue Flame standouts Sydney Bolding, Abigail Durham and Kaylee Gillespie were also named to the Region I-4A all-region team. Bolding and Gillespie were also named to the 2017 all-region team.
Bolding, a senior middle hitter, recorded 283 kills and led the team in
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Championship Bull Riding returning to Pickens every Saturday until March
PICKENS — For the eighth year in a row, Championship Bull Riding will return to Pickens this Saturday at the indoor arena located at 422 Ann St.
Championship Bull Riding will be held at the location every Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. each week through March 2019 and will feature junior amateur and open bull riding. There will also be calf riding and mutton busting.
Admission is $10 per person, with kids under 5 years old getting in free.
Those who would like to compete can get booked by visiting the indoor arena on Mondays from 7-9 p.m.
For more information, call Ernie Treadway at (864) 608-3807.
