Board Shuns Support of Alternative School Plan

Anderson County School District 5 was invited to present an overview of their proposed Pilot Project for the Alternative School to the Anderson County Board of Education Monday night at their regular meeting. The presentation detailed a plan to help find a new entry point for students who might benefit from the Alternative School.

The proposal would allow students to be admitted to the Alternative School without first being expelled from their current school. The new program would, in special circumstances, allow a student to be transferred to the alternative school without the stigma of having an expulsion on their record. Officials said that other similar schools in the state already had a similar policy to allow students to transfer into alternative schools without being expelled.

Dist. 5 asked the County Board for a letter of support for the pilot program to be given to the Alternative School Board at its next meeting. The County Board rejected the request by a vote of 5-3.

The proposal will be considered by the Alternative School Board later this month.

Museum Secures Grant for New Exhibit

Belton- The Anderson County Museum was recently awarded $30,000 in grant money from the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. The money is for development of a permanent exhibit showcasing the early history of commerce in Anderson County.

A grant for $20,000 was awarded in August from the federally designated heritage area. The Mountain Lakes Regional Advisory Committee, a committee of the SCNHC representing Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties, gave a $10,000 grant from funds that are raised through appropriations from the region's counties.

Visitors to the "Trade Street" exhibit will be immersed into the business history of Anderson County through the eras of growth, which laid the back-bone for modern day business.  The exhibit will showcase artifacts, pictures and display cases from an existing collection.  The grant funds will hire a design firm to design the facade, design and fabricate interpretive panels, and design, construct and install display systems for the exhibit.

Michelle McCollum, president and CEO of the SCNHC, said both the State Partnership Board and the local committee recognized the potential impact of this project. "There is no doubt this type of project builds community pride and stimulates economic growth through tourism." McCollum said, "Through the development of quality interpretation, our communities' diverse history and heritage can be shared with both residents and visitors alike. The Heritage Corridor is proud to partner with the Anderson County Museum on what will be a terrific addition to the site."

The SC National Heritage Corridor federal grants program has awarded over $3.5 million to South Carolina communities since 1999. Grant awards are limited to projects within the Heritage Corridor and require a 50/50 reimbursable cash match. For more information about the SCNHC, please visit www.sc-heritagecorridor.org.
 

County Board of Education Meets Tonight

The Anderson County Board of Education will meet tonight at 6 at the offices at 402 Bleckley Street. No agenda for the meeting has been released.

The Alternative School Pilot Program is on the agenda for this meeting.

Anderson Youth Stand Up for Homeless

A homeless man recently died here in Anderson.  A friend of a friend.  It hurt to hear that this had happened.  It hurt even more to learn that he likely would be alive had he only been “rescued” hours earlier instead of “discovered” too late.  Unfortunately, homelessness lives in our own back yards.  Whether you see it or not in the course of your daily routes around town, it exists.  You might not recognize it if it doesn’t look like a tattered and tired “street” person sitting in a cardboard box under the viaduct.  Sometimes it takes another form.  Maybe it looks like a young Mother and her child who travels from family member to family member because she has no place to call her own.  Perhaps it’s the guy who sneaks back into work after everyone else leaves, so he will have a place to sleep.  Perhaps it’s someone you’ve passed on the street.  And you never knew.

Anderson University’s Baptist Campus Ministries teamed up with Family Promise to coordinate Homeless For The Homeless, an event to raise awareness and funds for homelessness in Anderson. ...Read Full Story Here

Carnival To Offer Year-Round From Charleston

MIAMI, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise operator, will introduce the first year-round cruise schedule from Charleston, S.C., with the deployment of the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy in May 2010. Carnival Fantasy will operate five-, six- and seven-day voyages to The Bahamas and Key West, Fla., from the Passenger Terminal in historic downtown Charleston beginning May 18, 2010. On Carnival Fantasy's new Charleston-based cruises, Carnival is expected to carry more than 140,000 passengers annually from the port. Including Charleston, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate from 20 North American homeports in 2010, with 12 year-round departure points - the most in cruising.

Lawmaker Group: No Unemployment Benefits

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17  -- The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the nation's largest nonpartisan, individual membership association of state legislators, recently passed a Resolution Opposing Federal Mandates on Unemployment Insurance. The resolution opposes the required federal changes which would expand eligibility of unemployment insurance and move the system toward a federally controlled social welfare program.

Governors of several states, including Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and South Carolina, have already indicated they will reject federal stimulus funds because the American Recovery Reinvestment Act, ARRA, required changes to state laws which will increase spending, result in increased taxes, and create future budget liabilities. ALEC legislators strongly oppose forcing states, as a condition of federal funding, to change state unemployment insurance laws.

The federal government's meddling in state unemployment insurance eligibility is a misuse of stimulus funds, and a violation of the powers explicitly reserved for the states in the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Oldham, Volunteers Honored for Air Show

Anderson County Council passed a resolution honoring Hugh Oldham, the volunteers and businesses who helped make the 2nd Annual Snowbirds Over Anderson Air Show a success.

Friday Energy Summit Agenda

AGENDA for the Energy Summit, Friday at the Anderson County Civic Center.

8:00                                    Registration
8:30 to 10 am                Opening Session

Ronnie Booth, Tri-County Technical College President
Trish Jerman, S.C. Energy Office
Duke Energy – Mike Wilson
Blue Ridge Electric Coop – Terry Ballenger
Piedmont Natural Gas – Hank McCullough
Fort Hill Natural Gas – Joey Hawkins
Recognition of Elected Officials / Special Announcement

10:00                                 Coffee Break
10:15 - 11                        Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Session I
10:15 to 11 am
Session II
11 am to 11:30
Session III
11:30 to 12
Session IV
12 to 12:30 pm

Ballroom A
William Livoti
Baldor Electric Company
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION & IMPACT ON YOUR BOTTOM LINE – PART I

William Livoti
Baldor Electric Company
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION & IMPACT ON YOUR BOTTOM LINE – PART II

William Livoti
Baldor Electric Company
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION & IMPACT ON YOUR BOTTOM LINE – PART III

Steve Whaley
Blossman Propane
“The Police Interceptor”

Ballroom B

Charles Rampey
SC MEP
CREATING YOUR ENERGY STRATEGY TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY & BOOST YOUR BOTTOM LINE PROFIT

Charles Rampey
SC MEP
CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVES & CARBON FOOTPRINTING

Benjamin Leigh
Sustainability Institute
BLOWER DOOR & DUCT BLASTER DEMONSTRATION

Alan Wyatt
Eaton Corporation
LEEDS PRODUCTS

Ballroom C

Gina Humphreys
Anderson County
SHOW ME THE MONEY

Trish Jerman
S.C. Energy Office
S.C. POLICY & LEGISLATION

Gina Humphreys
Anderson Count
SHOW ME THE MONEY

Tim Mays
Blue Ridge Electric Coop
UTILITY BILLING ELEMENTS

Ballroom D

Benjamin Leigh
Sustainability Institute
ENERGY CONSERVATION 101

Perry Stephens
Duke Energy
‘Smart$aver’ INCENTIVES

Joey Hawkins
Fort Hill Natural Gas
BACK TO BASICS
TANKLESS WATER HEATER

Hank McCullough
Piedmont Natural Gas
2009 ENERGY PRIORITIES & REBATE PROGRAMS


12:30                                 Lunch and Keynote Speaker

Benjamin Leigh – Key - Sustainability Institute of Charleston
Energy Audits and Practical Energy Efficiency Strategies

1:15 to 2:15                    “Best Practices” Session

Oconee County – Time of day usage
Pickens County – Biodiesel - Chap Hurst
LEEDS   - SYS Constructors & Tri-County Facility Project
Eaton Corporation - Alan Wyatt  – ROI: Outside Lighting w/sensors
Clemson University Sustainability -  Tony Putnam

2:15                                    Forum Questions & Answers

Council Shoots Down Gun Ordinance

     Anderson County Council shot down an ordinance Tuesday night which would have prohibited shooting a firearm within 300 yards of a dwelling or business in unincorporated areas of the county.

     By a vote of 5-2, council members rejected the ordinance proposed by County Councilmen Tom Allen after complains from several of his constituents. Allen and Councilmember Gracie Floyd voted for the ordinance.

     County Councilman Bob Waldrep applauded Allen, saying proposing an ordinance that takes on the National Rifle Association and a gun-toting public took courage, but said he would like to explore other avenues to address the issue.

     There were 982 "shots fired" calls to county law enforcement in the past 12 months, according to Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper, who displayed a map of where each of those calls was made. Of those, no action was taken in 276 and there was no way to investigate 432 others. Skipper, who said he is a concealed weapons instructor, suggested that studying the density of some areas of the county might be one step in the right direction. Skipper added that adjacent counties, such as the more metropolitan Greenville County has no such ordinance.

     County Councilman Ron Wilson maintained the ordinance was an affront to the Second Amendment.

     "The Second Amendment t is not about shooting or hunting, it is about freedom," Wilson said. "A well armed society is a polite society. A well armed society is always free."

     Allen said that while the amendment did not pass, he will continue to explore a way to protect the safety of his constituents who are concerned about guns being fired in their neighborhoods.

Update on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 11:02PM by Editor

Council Tables Plan to Fold Public Safety, Environmental Enforcement into Sheriff's Dept.

     After more than a half hour of discussion, Anderson County Council tabled a vote on transferring budget and authority for Anderson County's Public Safety and Environmental Enforcement departments to the Anderson County Sheriff's department.

     While several council members expressed general support for the idea, confusion over submitted proposals to privatize some of the services, which County Council Chairman Eddie more suggested it could save the county "hundreds of thousands of dollars," led to the tabling of the vote.

     Councilman Ron Wilson expressed concerns that the county would shift $1.5 million dollars to the Sheriff's Department, even though the council would still control how the money would be spent.

Update on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 11:14PM by Editor

Councilwoman Floyd Criticizes Burns on New Hire

In a meeting that lasted nearly three hours, Anderson County Council Member Gracie Floyd used the closing mintues to criticize Interim Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns for his hiring of Glenn Brill as the director of the new Parks, Recreation and Tourism Division. Brill accepted the position, which will have an annual salary of $82,000. The new division will encompass the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center and Civic Center, Special Populations, Senior Citizens, Museum, Parks & Recreation and the Farmers Market.

Burns said that Brill's skills made him the clear choice for the position and the county will benefit from Brill's efforts. Councilmen Ron Wilson and Council Chairman Eddie Moore agreed with Burns' hiring of Brill.

Update on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 11:23PM by Editor

Council Members Support Balloon Festival, Other Projects

The following appropriations were approved unanimously at Tuesday night's Anderson County Council Meeting:

$5,000 for paving of New Street in Iva

$3,000 for the Balloons Over Anderson

$2,000 for Westside Athletic Association

$1,000 for Belton Senior Citizens

$700 United Way of Anderson County Gang Task Force

Hall of Fame Nominations Due Sep. 30

     Each year, the Anderson County Museum inducts two new members into its Hall of Fame. The ACM Advisory Committee will accept nominations for this honor through September 30, 2009. Judging is done using a point system and documentation of the candidate’s accomplishments in shaping Anderson County, state, national or world history. The nominees must be deceased for 10 years.

     Nomination forms are available at the Museum, or you may contact the Museum to have a form mailed or e-mailed to you. Nominations must be received no later than September 30^th to be considered for the May 1, 2010 induction.

     The Anderson County Museum is at 202 East Greenville Street, in downtown Anderson. The Fred Whitten Gallery and Museum Store hours are Tuesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Reading and Research Room is open 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and by appointment. ACM is handicap accessible and admission is free. Donations are always welcome. For more information, contact the Anderson County Museum at (864) 260-4737.  

BRILL TO HEAD PARKS, REC. & TOURISM

ANDERSON COUNTY, SC--Anderson County is proud to announce Glenn Brill as the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Division. Brill accepted the position, which will have an annual salary of $82,000. The new division will encompass the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center and Civic Center, Special Populations, Senior Citizens, Museum, Parks & Recreation and the Farmers Market.

“I am excited to join the Anderson County team,” said Brill. “I feel the new Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department will pay big dividends to Anderson County residents.”

“This is an exciting day for Anderson County,” said Anderson County Council Chairman Eddie Moore. “Our County has much to brag about including events, parks and beautiful Hartwell Lake. Having a department in place that is dedicated to enhancing our parks and capturing the convention and tourism industry will reap great rewards for our County and the entire Upstate.”

“Focusing our parks, recreation and tourism efforts has been one of my goals on the Council,” said Anderson County Councilman Tommy Dunn. “Reorganizing departments that directly and indirectly contribute to this goal is a great start toward seeing that vision come into focus.”

Glenn Brill has served as Director of the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) since December 2004. After graduating the University of Wisconsin Platteville in 1982 with a Bachelor’s in Radio/Television Management and minor in Business Administration, Brill spent 14 years working for two Convention and Visitors Bureaus in Wisconsin. He was the Director of Sales for the Fox Cities CVB and Executive Director of the Fond du Lac CVB. He is a member of the Hall of Fame for the Wisconsin Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Brill is a frequent speaker and author on the tourism and convention industries. He currently serves as the president of the SC Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus and as secretary of the SC Travel and Tourism Coalition.

 

DJJ Youth Service Day Makes Difference

By Samantha Harris
Senior Writer
 
     There was a time when Essence let her temper get the best of her.
     But Saturday afternoon, as she was helping to supply the homeless with free clothes and providing a bench where the weary can wait on the city bus, that life seemed ages away.
Essence, who is 13 years old, has gotten into trouble before. That trouble landed her in a South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice program which requires her to complete community service.
The program has helped her to get her life back on track, she said.
     During Saturday’s "Restoring Carolina Through Youth Service" day, Essence, other students in the Anderson County DJJ program and a handful of volunteers did service projects to give back to their community.
     The day started with installing benches at the Anderson City bus stops at the Emergency Soup Kitchen on Franklin Street and the Goodwill store on Clemson Boulevard.
     The Anderson County DJJ staff, grateful for the S.C. General Assembly’s assistance during tough budget cuts this year, wanted to help others in return, county director Amy Bradshaw, said.
     “We thought about what we could do, and very few of the bus stops in Anderson have a place for people waiting on the bus to sit,” Amy said. “So we decided to make some benches.”
The project quickly became a community effort, as McCoy Lumber of Honea Path donated the wood, United Way of Anderson donated the paint, a local builder made the benches and the students at the Anderson County Alternative School helped to paint them.
Bradshaw was impressed with the students’ efforts.
     “This shows others that these kids aren’t all bad,” she said.
Essence was smiling as she helped to install a placard on the new bench outside of Goodwill.
     “I enjoy being involved with helping other people,” she said. “I was on the wrong path because I had a lot of anger. But I started going to church, and I realized someone loved me. If I had someone who always loved me, then I had someone to work for and be good for.”
Brittany had a similar story.
     She was a student at Pendleton High School before she got into fights and was sent to the alternative school.
     “A lot of students fuss and cuss because they don’t want to be there, but it saved my life,” she said. “If you let it, the alternative school can turn your life around.”
Brittany started paying attention in school and working to improve her behavior. Administrators who cared and DJJ staff members supported her and gave her confidence, she said.
     When the students visited the soup kitchen to place the new bench, they saw dozens of people lined up outside waiting to eat. They invited the people back to the DJJ office, where they were giving away free clothes, another part of the service project.
     Brittany, who is expecting a baby in November, was moved by the crowd’s needs.
     “I see these people, and I don’t know, my heart feels for them,” she said. “Since I am carrying a child, it seems like my heart grows bigger and bigger. I know I am too young to be pregnant, but it has helped my life, in a way. I am doing so many things differently now because I want to be a good mother for him.”
     Saturday’s project came at the end of Brittany’s community service, but she plans to come back and help with future projects, she said.
     “My family has been through some rough things,” she said. “There were times when I didn’t know if we would make it to the next day. People helped us then, and now I want to help others because I know what it’s like.”
 
 

Grits & Groceries & Chicken

Heidi and Joe Trul, their son and their dog and their new chicken. Click Photo to visit Grits & Groceries. PHOTO PAUL BROWN