Monthly Archives: June 2021
Paying tribute
Instead of its traditional ceremony at Sunrise Cemetery, Pickens’ American Legion Post 11 hosted a Memorial Day event in front of the Pickens County Courthouse on Monday, paying tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The event drew a sizeable crowd and featured the posting of the colors by the Pickens High School JROTC and speakers including State Sen. Rex Rice and State Rep. Davey Hiott.
Easley residents concerned about growth, development
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — During Easley City Council’s May 10 meeting, several residents shared their concerns about proposed developments coming before council and the overall growth of the city in recent years, with some calling on the city to 
adopt a moratorium on high-density projects to better plan for growth.
Projects mentioned by residents during the meeting included
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PHS class of 1971 set to hold 50th reunion
PICKENS — The Pickens High School Class of 1971’s 50th reunion will be at The Lighthouse Restaurant Event Center in 
Seneca from 5-9 p.m. June 19.
The cost of $50 per person covers the cost of heavy hors d’oeuvres, a DJ and lots of wonderful time with old friends and classmates.
Payment can be made by mailing a check to Sharon Crowe, 389 Talley Bridge Road, Cleveland, SC 29635, PayPal to scrowe002@aol.com or Venmo to crowesg@gmail.com.
State campaign encourages support for those in recovery
Behavioral Health Services planning community event
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
STATE — South Carolina has launched a new initiative aimed at helping residents understand that those with substance 
use disorder can and do recover.
The Embrace Recovery SC campaign officially launched on May 13.
Sara Goldsby is the director of the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS).
“It seems like we get together too often to talk about the consequences of addiction and the negative impact of the drug crisis, but today we’re here to do
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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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