Monthly Archives: February 2019
Easley annexes 55 acres of ECU property
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — The city of Easley will officially grow by more than 50 acres.
During its monthly meeting last week, Easley City Council approved on second reading an ordinance to annex 54.93 acres of property on Rolling Hills Road.
City administrator Stephen Steese said the land is owned by
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
More work coming at Mile Creek
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
SIX MILE — A number of improvements are in the works at Mile Creek Park in Six Mile.
County administrator Gerald Wilson talked about the park at county council’s recent planning retreat.
“There’s money out there in our ATAX fund that we could pay to finish some of these projects up,” he said. “It’s something to keep in mind.”
During the retreat, Councilman Wes Hendricks said getting the park “in tip-top shape” is one of his top priorities.
“We have the opportunity to have the best county park in the
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Flame grapplers qualify for state tournament
The Pickens High School wrestling team had a successful run at the individual Upper State wrestling tournament on Feb. 15-16. The event, which was held at Eastside High School, saw four Blue Flame wrestlers place. Jeffrey Hollingsworth came in third place in the 106-pound division, Elijah Holder came in third in the 138-pound division, Garret Kloth came in second in the 145-pound division and Ben Joye came in third place in the 152-pound division. The athletes will now move on to the individual state tournament at the Anderson Civic Center this Friday nad Saturday. Pictured, from left, are Coach Hough, head coach Sean Mansfield, Ben Joye, Elijah Holder, Jeffery Hollingsworth, Garrett Kloth, Coach Breelove and Coach Joye.
New turtle statue installed in Pickens
PICKENS — A new turtle for Pickens Turtles on the Town has been installed.
Hope, a Hawksbill sea turtle, is dedicated specifically to Kileigh Hope, but symbolically to all children who have enjoyed finding bronze turtles around Pickens for the past seven years.
Turtles on the Town was created by Louise Hope and Susan Hilyer in 2012 as a community project with their students. The original 12 bronze turtles were sponsored by local merchants and designed and crafted by Zan Wells. The Turtle Tour begins at Legacy Square and
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Pickens native to conduct All-State Orchestra
PICKENS — Pickens native Amy Mason Sckipp, Ed.D, will 
conduct the Junior All-State Orchestra at the All-State Festival in Lexington this weekend, Feb. 22-24.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Sckipp currently lives in Long Island, N.Y.
She earned her doctorate of education in music and music education from Columbia University in New York. She is an active member of the New York State Schools Music Association, Suffolk County Music Educators Association, Long Island String Festival Association and National Association for
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Courier Obituaries 2-20-19
SUDIE A. AIKEN
EASLEY — Clara “Sudie” Atkins Aiken, 88, of South 9th Street, 
wife of the late Robert L. Aiken, passed away on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, at her home.
Born in Pickens County, she was a daughter of the late Charlie “Chick” Atkins and Zora Mae “Tommie” Suddeth Atkins.
Mrs. Aiken was retired from Woodside Mill in Easley and later was manager of the Senior Center in Easley. She loved her family and enjoyed growing flowers, cooking for friends and family and crafting.
Surviving are her daughters, Judy Young (David) and Joy Wilson (Jason), all of Easley; grandsons, Scott Davis and Bryan Young; seven great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; and three granddogs.
Mrs. Aiken was the last surviving member of her immediate family. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by a son, Johnny L. Aiken; a grandson, Corey L. Young; sisters, Thelma Garrick and Edna Atkins; and a brother, Bud Atkins.
Graveside services were held on Feb. 14 at Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Condolences may be expressed online by visiting
Do you feel a spark of joy?
There are two shows I occasionally watch on television. Don’t ask me why.
One, “Hoarders,” is appalling, but something about it makes me want to know if these poor people can be helped.
The other reason I benefit from “Hoarders” is that it is so reassuring. I say to myself, “Well, the house is a little messy, but at least it isn’t as bad as that.”
So, I get to feel righteous for a little while.
But the other show I’ve seen, and I’ve only watched it twice, is called “Tidying Up.”
It features a tiny Japanese lady who is an expert in organizing your home and making it easier to keep that way.
Now this show is a real bummer. If you enjoy feeling inadequate, this is for you.
She comes to the home of some overwhelmed family who are exhausted, overworked and overwhelmed.
They need to get rid of stuff, but are too exhausted to deal with
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Courier Letters to the Editor 2-20-19
Drag queen event an eye-opener
Dear Editor,
Drag Queen Story Hour at the Five Forks Public Library was an eye-opener in more ways than one.
On one side of the police barriers, you had men dressed up as women, men dressed up as nuns with bizarre makeup on, and the LGBTQ community shouting “love not hate.”
On the other side of the barrier, you had men dressed as men and women dressed as women shouting “child abuse.”
There is clearly a stark contrast. Depending on your ideology, it
The dream within us
Our destiny is the core of our purpose and constantly urges and drives our responsibility to make sure we are doing everything we can to accomplish our 
mission. This divine calling fuels our thoughts and imaginations as we ask God to help keep us going forward and to never give up.
Once we discover our vision, our goal will not be easy. Dreams and faith go hand in hand. May we also consider that working a temporary job might be necessary in order to support our family while we are developing our skills and waiting for our dream to manifest.
Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “By failing to prepare, you are
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Keckley and Lincoln’s widow
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
In 2018, I wrote a two-part story about Elizabeth Keckley, a slave and dressmaker who became close friends with the Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln families in Washington after buying freedom for herself and her son. She then wrote a tell-all book in 1868, “Behind the Scenes,” which was full of intimate, personal details about President and Mrs. Lincoln. Scholars who have tried to understand the Lincolns and this era in U.S. politics have valued this book. It was very controversial, but riveting, and impregnated with detail. I could not professionally finish my review of the book without adding a third part; here it is.
Romantic history of Mrs. Lincoln
Keckley, the former slave, ironically wrote a chapter on the origin of the rivalry
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
