Daily Archives: 07/16/2019
Toyota of Easley donates to Feed a Hungry Child
Feed a Hungry Child Pickens County was awarded a $32,800 check by Toyota of Easley last month. The owners, management and staff of Toyota of Easley worked throughout the month of May to raise the funds. Presenting the check were Tommy Norris and Ryan Norris, along with many of the Toyota of Easley family. In attendance from FAHC were Kathy Brazinski, Carol Nichols and Tiffany Williams. The money will be used to help feed children in elementary, middle and high schools in Pickens County as part of the organization’s backpack program, which provides food for the weekend to children in need. For more information about Feed A Hungry Child, visit pickenschildren.com.
Roper ready to take on new role
As the newly appointed acting administrator for Pickens County, this is the first of many letters I intend to write to enhance communication with the public. I have worked in state and local government for more than 25 years, and this new role is special to 
me because of my love for Pickens County.
One of my first memories is of playing in the creek with my cousins at my Grandpa Cannon’s house on Cove Creek Road above Pickens. I remember my dad teaching me the smell of bream beds on Mauldin Lake, back when you could fish there. I remember being baptized as a child at Flat Rock
What would Betsy Ross think?
This may come as a surprise, but a tennis shoe company just stopped production of a tennis shoe that had a miniature emblem of a Betsy Ross or colonial flag on it.
The reason for the withdrawal of the shoe from the market is that a protest was made saying the emblem should be removed because it was a symbol of racism.
She was an upholsterer in Philadelphia who happened to be related to someone associated with George Washington and part of the rebellion. I don’t believe Betsy Ross made the flag with racism in mind.
Maybe I am not connecting the dots, but I really can’t understand the protest.
First, although slavery is a blot on our history, it was common in the 13 original
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Uncle Dewey’s dog
Uncle Dewey was my uncle and one of Daddy’s brothers. He lived on a farm in Dacusville with my Aunt Margaret. Everybody called her “Marget.” Also living with them were their daughter, Fay, and her husband, Charles Holder. Another son, D.B., was around 
somewhere creating trouble for untold numbers of folks, I am told.
We visited Uncle Dewey’s home regularly, as we did Daddy’s other brothers and sister. It was almost a Sunday afternoon ritual. No matter in which direction we left home, we almost always ended up at one of his siblings’ homes. He must have loved them very much.
On occasion, I would help Uncle Dewey harvest okra, squash, corn and tomatoes from his garden. I remember Uncle Dewey would give me socks to wear on my hands and arms while picking okra. It was quite prickly and could cause a rash. We would carry them to Washington Street in Greenville and sell them. We would sell everything that we carried in short order.
Uncle Dewey had a small, feisty dog named Hornet. Hornet was a character and went practically everywhere with Dewey. They frequented Daddy’s fishing lake and caught
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Courier Letters to the Editor 7-17-19
Lions year in review
Dear Editor,
The Pickens Lions Club just wrapped up its 2018-2019 fiscal year, which ended June 30, and my first year as a Lion and as the club’s president. It has been an interesting, daunting, fun and rewarding journey.
My wife, Gennie, and I joined the Lions Club to meet people and to serve those in need. We looked at other clubs in the area and decided we wanted to help this club because of their small size and we wanted to serve in the community in which we lived. When we joined, there were only four members, whom I refer to as the “Core Four,” and these guys were working to keep the club from folding. The “Core Four” are Gabby, George, John and Doug. The first immediate need was to increase membership, and that has been our No. 1 goal from the start. I set three goals — to increase membership to 20, to have three service projects a year and to have three fundraisers a year. Other goals were added as we moved forward and discovered different needs for us and the community.
To meet our goal of adding new members, I started a letter campaign, mailing letters to various folks letting them know that there is still a Lions Club in town and we are looking for movers and shakers to join us. In addition to the Azalea Fest, we did some new
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Courier Obituaries 7-17-19
BOBBIE LEE MOODY HUGHES
PENDLETON — Bobbie Lee Moody Hughes, 85, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.
She was born on Oct. 31, 1933, in Greenville to the late Rev. Daniel W and Callie Stephens Moody.
Mrs. Hughes was a devoted Christian, and even during her sickness, she shared her love for the Lord with everyone she met. She was a devoted mother and wife, as well as being a business woman in her earlier years, owning and operating her own upholstery business. She also loved the outdoors, and her interests included camping, spending time at the beach, picnics, bluebird watching and spending time with her family.
She is survived by her two daughters, Tammy Hughes Lognion (Dwayne) of Pendleton and Anita Hughes Bratcher (Tommy) of Belton; one granddaughter, Shelly Bratcher Barrow of Belton; two sisters, Betty Haire of Easley and Ellen Harris of Easley; and two brothers, Gearld Moody of Easley and Donald Moody of Williamston.
She was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Alfred Eugene Hughes; two brothers, Daniel W. Moody Jr. and Calvin W. Moody; and one sister, Shirley McKee.
Memorial services were held on July 12 in the funeral home chapel. Burial was held at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Pickens.
Online condolences may be made to dillardfunerals.com.
Dillard Funeral Home is assisting the Hughes family.
VIVIAN H. BLALOCK
EASLEY — Dorothy Vivian Holder Blalock, 82, of Oaklane Drive, wife of the late Jack “Frosty” Blalock, passed away on Friday, July 12, 2019.
Born in Pickens County, she was a daughter of the late Martin and Lucy Baines Holder.
Mrs. Blalock was retired from Judson Mill in Greenville after 52 years of dedicated service. She was a member of Enon Baptist
Soccer, volleyball signups now open
PICKENS — Fall soccer and volleyball registration is open now through July 26 at the Pickens Recreation Center on Sangamo Road.
The following coed age divisions are offered for soccer — 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-15. For volleyball, age divisions are 7-9, 10-12, 13-14 and 15-17.
Birthdate cutoff for both sports is Sept. 1, 2019, and birth certificates are required at registration.
Following registration, a skills and evaluation day will be held for each age division. The registration fee of $45 for in-city residents and $55 for out-of-city residents provides a jersey to be kept.
Those interested in coaching or who need additional information are asked to call the recreation department at (864) 878-2296.
From the heart
YouTube channel gives flea market pickers online ‘shrine’
When you write a column called “Mountain Rhythms,” you can’t pass up a story like this: “Old-time Flea Market pickers live forever in the cloud.”
Old-time pickers happen to be one of my great interests in life — partly because I’ve become one of them myself. And the group that gathers every Wednesday morning to entertain bargain hunters at the Pickens Flea Market has become, like the Rolling Stones, an institution.
But it’s an institution that, sadly, is fading slowly away. At least that’s the way Chris DeJong felt
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TCTC students’ NCLEX scores surpass state, national rates
PENDLETON — Tri-County Technical College’s recent associate degree nursing graduates earned a 92.59 first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX).
Their performance on the exam surpassed both state and national pass rates.
According to the National Council State Board of Nursing, the state pass rate is 92.42 and the national average is 89.27.
Following May graduation, 54 first-time candidates took the computerized licensure exam, which tests a graduate’s basic nursing knowledge and decision-making ability on commonly encountered health-care situations. Graduates of Tri-County’s RN program
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Knights of Columbus host golf tourney for Special Olympics
UPSTATE — Each year the Knights of Columbus, Council 6884, hosts the Special Olympics Golf Tournament, which benefits Area 13 Special Olympics.
This year the tournament was held at Oconee Golf and Country Club on June 4. The Oconee Federal Charitable Foundation, for the third year, was the title sponsor of the tournament.
Last year, the tournament generated a $26,000 donation for Area 13 Special Olympics, and since 1994 the tournament has provided more than $246,000 for the cause.
Tournament chairman Rick Hamilton said the Knights try to make the event a fun day of golf for participants, with great food and prizes.
He thanked the Oconee Federal Charitable Foundation for its continued generous support and stressed this a communitywide effort supported by
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