Daily Archives: 04/02/2019
Adult coed volleyball leagues now forming
PICKENS — The Pickens Recreation Department is now holding registration for adult coed volleyball.
Players must be 21 years old or older, and ID is required. The registration fee will be $45 for in-city couples and $55 for out-of-city couples and due at time of sign-up. Individual fees are $22.50 in city and $27.50 out of city.
Due date for registration fees is this Friday at the Pickens Recreation Center on Sangamo Road. Fees are non-refundable.
Once registration is concluded, single players will be placed on
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Might still doesn’t make right
I went to the flea market Wednesday morning to buy some jonquils. I found them, as always in the spring, in all colors and varieties at the table where a couple sells them each year. I came 
home not only with jonquils, but with the memory of a chance encounter that moved me profoundly.
I was walking down the last row not yet explored and saw a large beveled-edge mirror at in a booth manned by a young couple.
The size was right, the glass was first-quality, but the frame was not a winner.
But the price was $10. And the frame could easily be painted.
So I decided to buy it. It was very heavy, and the young man said he’d be glad to carry it to the car for me.
Since I could barely lift it, I accepted his kind offer.
We talked a little bit, and he said his wife told him he is supposed to negotiate on price. I agreed. He should have started
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O’Shields Grocery
The year 1954 was a big one for the O’Shields family. I recall Daddy, my brother, Bobby, and a couple others gathering some tools from the old garage and heading across the field toward 
the west side of the house.
When I asked what they were going to do, Bobby replied “we’re gonna build a store.” Then the excitement began for me. A store. I could not believe it.
All the good things Uncle Grover had in his store would be close by in our own store. I don’t recall it taking that long to build. A few hundred concrete blocks, several shelves, mostly stocked with candy, I envisioned.
And so it was … O’Shields Grocery, a northern Pickens institution. We were on the map. We even had had rabies inoculation clinics there. It was a neighborhood meeting place
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New SC child welfare chief faces big task
Gov. Henry McMaster has made a promising hire to help turn around the S.C. Department of Social Services which, like the Department of Corrections, has been operating in crisis mode for years. So it’s clear that Michael Leach of the Tennessee 
Department of Children’s Services will need plenty of help to bring to South Carolina the kind of reforms that improved his Tennessee agency and, more importantly, the lives of thousands of often abused or neglected children.
There’s much to recommend Mr. Leach. The Tennessee agency suffered from ills remarkably similar to those in South Carolina, but in a hopeful sign, it now stands out as a national model for
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Courier Letters to the Editor 4-3-19
Views not shared by community
Dear Editor,
I’m writing today with a request. Would you please consider setting a limit on the number of times a month that you publish letters from each reader?
I appreciate that you need content and that drama sells papers, but the divisive letters that you publish almost weekly from the same three writers are exhausting. More importantly, they represent a small group of very vocal people who seem to think that their intolerant views are shared by our entire community. They are not.
As shown in election after election, including the most recent
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Courier Obituaries 4-3-19
BETTY COWARD STILLWELL
SIX MILE — Betty Rand Coward Stillwell of Six Mile passed away peacefully on March 30, 2019, surrounded by her family.
She was born in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 8, 1934, to William 
Roscoe and Elizabeth Purnell Rand. She was preceded in death by her sister, Billie Frances, her parents, and her first husband, James Kent Coward Sr.
Betty grew up in Garner, N.C., and was a member of Garner United Methodist Church and enjoyed shepherding her three younger sisters. At the age of 16, she won a trip to Hollywood in
Honoring local leaders
The Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce and Pickens Revitalization Association teamed up to honor 
local businesses at their annual banquet on March 23 at Occasions at Wedgefield in Central. In addition to a night of dinner and dancing, officials presented awards to deserving local businesses and the annual Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award. The chember’s Business of the Year award was presented to Lyn Hatton, owner of Serenity at Sunset on Main Street in Pickens. In addition, PRA officials honored former chamber director Mike Parrott with the Outstanding Community Service Award, the Colonial House Bed & Breakfast with the Outstanding New Business Award and the Corner Drug with the Legacy Award. Also honored were Main Street Challenge winners the Twisted Skillet Bistro, Burgess and Taylor General Store and the Colonial House. The Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award was presented to Tammy Aiken Clark, chair of the Friends of the Pickens County Guardians ad Litem board. Clark is the organizer of the organization’s annual Clusters for Kids Oyster Roast, which is in its sixth year and will be held on Nov. 23.
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Easley chamber presents annual leadership and business awards
EASLEY — The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 71st annual meeting and awards dinner at South & West in downtown Easley on March 14. Sponsored by Sam’s Club of Easley, awards were presented to honor businesses and individuals for their leadership, business success and community service.
Three awards were presented for volunteer leadership to the chamber. Sam Gillespie of American Legion Post 52 was honored as the 2018 Ambassador of the Year for his hard work in assisting the chamber with membership retention efforts and event planning. The 2018 Director of the Year was awarded to Sid Collins of YMCA of Easley, Pickens and Powdersville. As a member of the Easley Chamber Board of Directors, Collins was recognized for his steady leadership and innovative ideas. Craig Williams with Carolina Alliance Bank in Powdersville was
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YAMS and others to take part in old-time radio show performance
PICKENS — This Saturday, April 6, the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) will host their third radio show at the Hagood Community Center (aka Pickens Senior Center) Auditorium 
from 7-9 p.m.
Electric City Bluegrass 104.7 FM of Anderson will produce the show, and Bud Burdette will be the emcee.
Three groups from the Upstate will be entertaining. Mountain Bridge is a traditionally styled bluegrass band led by Chad Simpson and Josh Johnson. Simpson brings vocal stylings similar to James King and Junior Sisk to the band along with his strong rhythm guitar. Johnson
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Courier Community Calendar 4-3-19
• Pavilion opening in Dacusville April 6
The grand opening of the Dacusville pavilion is set for April 6. Gates at the event will open at 4 p.m. Special guests Little Roy and Izzy will begin their show beginning at 6 p.m. The Sweet Potato Pie Kids will open the show.
Hamburgers and hot dogs will be available, and those in attendance are asked to bring lawn chairs. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the gate the day of the event. Children under
