Daily Archives: 06/01/2021
Who do you think is out there?
There have been a number of documented sightings by U.S. pilots of unidentified objects flying in the sky unlike anything known on Earth at this time. I saw it on “60 Minutes” last week.
It’s raised national security concerns, but in my opinion we on Earth have absolutely nothing to be concerned about.
Maybe somebody is making a new Star Wars series, but taking a different
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Knit one, purl two
Restless COVID hostages have abandoned their sourdough starters for knitting needles.
Knitting can be done alone or with a group and doesn’t require a lot of supplies. All you need is a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. Your skill level doesn’t matter. Classes are available everywhere — in stores, libraries and online. One advantage to knitting is that it is portable — you can take it with you.
Knitting is believed to have originated in the Middle East around the fifth
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An attitude of gratitude leads to contentment
Over a 12-year span at UCLA, American college basketball coach John Wooden won 10 national championships, and their total of 11 remains a record today.
Wooden is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in sports history, and more importantly an even greater person. He was a man of integrity and character and was highly respected on and off the court. He believed in discipline and felt strongly about teamwork and demonstrating appreciation
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Courier Letters to the Editor 6-2-21
More from our libraries, not less
Dear Editor,
Our excellent Pickens County libraries have been important to our family ever since we moved to Pickens County. Our children have learned to read, we have all borrowed books regularly, our children have attended events and we have used the online subscriptions.
During the pandemic, when we could not enter the library, we used the drive-through to keep reading. (Yet Councilman Alex Saitta suggested in the last Pickens County Council meeting that foot traffic was down last year — DURING THE PANDEMIC — as a support for the budget cuts.)
I strongly oppose the movement in county council to slash the library’s budget, both directly and by assigning responsibility for the museum without providing funds. This county and its citizens need even more from our libraries, not less.
Cary Berkeley Kaye
Clemson
Fleet Reserve holds Memorial Day event
By Lauren Pierce
Courtesy The Journal
lpierce@upstatetoday.com
SIX MILE — Fleet Reserve Association Branch No. 15 held a Memorial Day ceremony to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the line of service for the United States.
The day’s events were held at Six Mile’s Town Hall and ended with the presentation of a new flag at the fire station.
Fleet Reserve vice president
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Holly Springs Center hires new director
By Olivia Fowler
For The Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Matt Thomas was appointed as the new director of the Holly Springs Center last month and says he will be working full time to build and expand the center’s services.
The center, the former home of National Blue Ribbon School Holly Springs Elementary, has been transformed into a center offering classes in traditional Appalachian arts and a preschool to serve the community.
“My initial goal is for Holly Springs to continue to preserve mountain arts for all ages using every available resource,” Thomas said.
Located on an idyllic hillside on U.S. Highway 178 north of Pickens, the beautiful scenic site includes a nature trail, greenhouse and creek..The nonprofit organization was the brainchild of Betty McDaniel, founder of the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAMS) and Kenny Blakeney, longtime board member for the Birchwood Center for Arts and Folk Life. Both current Holly Springs board members were instrumental in making the Holly Springs Center a reality and forming a working partnership.
Thomas said he has been impressed by the mission of the center and wants to revisit the vision of the founders.
Thomas, who is the first full-time director for the nonprofit, has previous professional experiences as vice president of family services for the Foothills YMCA and as associate executive director of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery, Ala., where he oversaw outdoor studies at Camp Chandler.
Thomas said he wants the next generation, including his own two children, to learn about and be good stewards of the natural environment, history and the tradition of the Upstate
“The history and tradition is the cornerstone of all of that,” Thomas said.
Thomas shares a passion for history and loves the outdoor world surrounding the center.
One of his goals is to further develop the center’s nature trail and re-equip the existing greenhouse.
He said he’d like to teach young students how to grow fruit and vegetables from seed, and then transplant into a garden at the center. Students could also harvest what they grow.
He also plans to work toward getting the existing cafeteria and kitchen back in working order.
Thomas stresses the importance of establishing professional marketing practices and making the center more visible and easily accessible to the general public.
He said he wants to establish strong working relationships with board members and volunteers.
He said most nonprofits he has been involved with are dependent upon members of the retired community who volunteer both time and expertise.
“Ideas are always welcome,” he said.
Thomas is married to Amanda Thomas, a former third-grade teacher at Dacusville Elementary School and current third-grade teacher at East End Elementary School in Easley. They live in Central and have two children.
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Scholarship golf tourney continues to be successful
PICKENS — Twelve teams participated in the 17th annual Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award Golf Tournament held at Southern Oaks Golf Club on May 22.
The event, which is held annually, raised money for scholarships that will be awarded to Pickens High School basketball team members who plan to further their education. A senior from the varsity girls’
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Blue Flame finish spring on high note
PICKENS — Spring practices have finally come to an end for the Pickens High School football team, and after a disappointing finish to last season, the Blue Flame are more than ready to rebound following a solid session over the past 
month.
“I think it went good,” Pickens head coach Chad Smith said of spring practice. “We were able to bring in coach (Allen) Sitterle and made some changes. It was definitely more disciplined this spring.”
The addition of Sitterle — who led Daniel to four
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Green Wave feeling good after spring practice
By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — What a difference a year makes for Easley football.
Last year, with COVID-19 restrictions, first-year Green Wave head coach Jordan Durrah was having to hold virtual 
meetings with players and didn’t get to do many team functions.
“Being able to have a spring practice and being around the guys have made a big difference,” Durrah said. “We feel like we have a culture now. We feel like we have guys that understand what we are preaching, our core values, our work ethic, our discipline and just being together as a team. Being able to build relationships and physically being together instead of virtual has made a huge impact on our program.”
Friday night, the team capped off a successful spring season
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Porter, Scott named all-state in softball
COUNTY — Two county softball stars received some of the highest accolades in the state last week as they were named to the South Carolina Softball Coaches Association All-State team.
Easley’s Mary-Katherine Scott and Liberty’s McKenzie Porter were named members of the 4A all-state team and 2A all-state team, respectively.
Scott, a University of Maryland softball commit, was a dominant force for a Green Wave softball club that made the district playoffs.
On the year, Scott led the team in batting with an average of .442, while also bringing
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