|
WELCOME To Our Website Visit Here and Listen to us at 96.3 WGOG
CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS ON OUR "MORNING SHOW" PAGE **************************************************************************************************************** |
|
**********************
********************** 1. "Better As A Memory" - Kenny Chesney
Join Kris 9:00am until Noon for the Top 30 Countdown on Saturdays *********************** VISIT
***********************
888-3600
Bantam Chef Cheeseburger Plate: July 3 Todd Thrift Click on picture to add your birthday or anniversary to our list
TUNE IN TO 96.3 FM WGOG  Every Saturday morning 7:00 for the "Ask The Experts Show" with Lance Yuda of Zone 7 Nursery"
South Carolina 2-1-1 is a comprehensive guide to the community resources in your local area and state.
****************** Click here
FOR ROAD CONDITIONS ****************
|
The following is a WGOG Editorial. Your response is welcome. You may mail your response to WGOG, P.O. Box 10, Walhalla, SC., 29691 or fax to 638-6810, or email gary@wgog.com. WGOG's Editorial Staff: Gary Butts Dick Mangrum Peter Kent WGOG EDITORIALS Editorial 7/03/08---We miss Fritz!
At a time when gas pump prices are hitting new highs and at a time when we’re told to brace for utility rate increases as never before, it’s nice to hear a voice from the past has not lost his outrage.
When we read the Greenville News quoting former Senator Hollings saying, “We’re in a hell of a fix in this country. I’m going to holler as loud as I can until they do something,” we’re left to say that’s the Ernest F. Hollings we remember. And, yes, we miss “Fritz” Hollings.
Hollings’ critics thought he was a liberal in disguise serving a mostly conservative electorate. What we remember about Hollings is the way he could size up a situation for what it was. Take the collapse of our country’s textile manufacturing base.
Don’t get us wrong! We like having one of our homegrown, Lindsey Graham, in the U-S Senate. But we miss what was a frequent independent---at times cantankerous---voice about Washington’s shortcomings and misdeeds. He called it as he saw it. And he was un-relenting on Washington for its failure to save the domestic textile sector---whether he was pounding out the message from the dais at Tri-County Tech’s “Report to the People” or filling the ear of a local newspaper editor at Seneca’s Bonanza Steak House.
Frtiz, you may be a healthy, hearty 86, but we hardly knew you.
That’s our view point. What’s yours?
Editorial 6/26/08 --- Drought two summers in a row
Some parts of Oconee have been getting rain, but not the spot where the intake lays for Seneca’s water system. Seneca may have unlimited water from Lake Keowee at no charge but if there isn’t enough water to draw, then there are problems not only for Seneca’s customers, but for wholesale customers as the Town of Salem and the Pioneer Rural Water District. The word from Seneca and Salem is conserve, conserve, conserve.
Welcome, to a second straight summer of drought. This time parts of Oconee have been placed in the exceptional category when it comes to just how bad things are. When grass turns crunchy, the economy winces---especially with gas pump prices approaching four dollars a gallon and predictions of even higher pump prices.
None of this does anything to help Oconee grow its tourist base. The Oconee Parks, Recreation and Tourism Commission, led by one of our favorite people, Mildred Spearman, is trying. We wish them good luck.
That’s our viewpoint. What’s yours?
Editorial 6/16/08 ---"Seneca’s Hall of Fame"
The latest inductee into the Hall of Fame of the Greater Seneca Chamber of Commerce is Rhett Evatt---Mr. Oconee Federal Savings and Loan Association!
We think it’s a well-deserved honor for many reasons---not the least of which is that Evatt has always comported himself in a manner fitting that of a good financial officer. Under Evatt’s time at the savings and loan, many Oconeeans qualified for loans to build their first homes. But he has always guided the savings and loan with wise and prudent policies. His record should be a lesson to the wet-behind-the-ear crowd that have caused today’s housing credit disaster.
We found it somewhat ironic that Rhett Evatt goes into the Seneca Hall of Fame the night after the release from prison of one of the city’s best all-time top athletes. Many people now believe Aikens’ 14 year sentence was excessive. He certainly paid his debt to society.
It gets us to thinking that if Seneca has a Hall of Fame, why not a Hall of Fame for its greatest athletes. There have been plenty of them. And we think if there ever is a Seneca Athletic Hall of Fame, Aikens belongs there with Orr, Cunningham, Kay, the Reames, and the Laceys.
That’s our view. What’s yours? Editorial 6/11/08 - “Primary Election Day” WGOG has been broadcasting live election return coverage in Oconee County for a long time. I’m always amazed at how the process works. It’s truly a demonstration of the local democratic process at it’s finest. Our hats off to Joy Brooks and all the folks in the county Voter Registration and Elections office for a job well-done. Gone are the days of hand-counting ballots. I would venture to say that the time that it took to count every precinct box in the county this past Tuesday, set an all-time record. The total numbers were in by 8:19pm according to our clock….that’s less than an hour and a half after the polls closed! For that, we can thank modern technology and the folks that engineer and operate that technology! Congratulations to all the winners in Tuesday’s election. Some will have it all to do again in November’s General election. Other’s who have no opposition to face in November, will now have to wait for their new terms to begin. And congratulations also to those who fell short of being elected this time around. Your willingness to throw your hat into the ring and give the voter’s a choice, is something to be proud of. Better luck next time. Yes, I would say that this past Tuesday’s Primary Election was another great example of our democracy in action. The only disappointment was the less than 24% registered voter turnout in Oconee County. Maybe we can change that in November. That’s our viewpoint, what’s yours? Editorial 6/3/08 - What’s killing us here in South Carolina?
You don’t have to look deep into the latest report on the Health of South Carolina’s People and Environment before you find the crux of the matter or, if you prefer, the bottom line.
The 2008 report includes a chart on the ten leading causes of death in South Carolina for the year 2005.
Would it be any surprise to hear that the single greatest cause of death is heart disease? That disease took 24 percent of the 2005 death toll in South Carolina. Cancer placed second at 22 percent.
You hear a lot about influenza and pneumonia. But they accounted for two percent.
Stroke was six percent. And accidents made for 5-point-8-percent.
Other individual causes of deaths for South Carolinians in 2005 included respiratory disease, diabetes, and kidney trouble.
So, here’s our question. What are we individually going to do about that? And what more can the state do to keep us healthy.
That’s our view. What’s yours? Editorial 5/27/08 - Oconee: Proactive or Reactive?
Someone prominent in Oconee County who has been around here all his life recently said this about our community. We are re-active instead of pro-active. In simpler terms, we react to the problem instead of anticipating what could happen and heading it off before it becomes a problem.
A recent conversation with the county’s first-year administrator and the commercial development that has begun at the Bountyland intersection bring all this to mind. We are just getting to know Dale Surrett and he is just getting to know us. But what seems apparent so far is that his type of thinking is something new for our county. And it is thinking that is right for our time.
If a convenience store, a drug store, a bank, a strip shopping center, and a supermarket are all going to position themselves for all of the heavy traffic that passes thru the South Carolina 28-188 intersection, then it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that highway improvements will have to follow.
But if we look at this a different way, we could ask this question: Why not the highway or other infra-structure before the development?
Wouldn’t that be a new way to do business in Oconee? A better way?
Surrett has opened our eyes to the importance for the county to have a comprehensive plan. Maybe we are wasting our breath over the impact zoning would have. Zoning is government’s way to regulate land and buildings. But the comprehensive plan looks at the county as a whole and can serve as a guide to how development should occur or not occur. Zoning and comprehensive plan are two separate things. Important but separate.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
Editorial 5/22/08 - Getting Ready for the Visitors
Seneca Event planners are confident that this holiday weekend is going to be a weekend to remember in their city. Some downtown streets will be closed to regular traffic to allow visitors to Meet and Three to sample the food, take in the crafts, and enjoy the music of Alamo, Billy Joe Royal and others.
The first Memorial Day weekend celebration was a success with the famed beach music the Tams the featured act.
This year, however, Seneca has incorporated television to go along with radio and newspaper to get the word out. So Special Events Chairman Joel Ward is confident crowds will be even larger.
Which gets us to something that Ward’s fellow councilman Ronnie O’Kelley is concerned about. Considering these tough times, O’Kelley is hopeful that many downtown businesses will stay open late Friday and Saturday, May 24th and 25th to be of service to the crowds. What these visitors may spend shopping should be good for Seneca.
That’s our view. What’s yours? Editorial 5/15/08 - “Rating WGOG”. The "radio" is
something in the dash of your car, on your bedside table, on your kitchen
counter-top, or on your picnic blanket next to the food basket which
hopefully keeps you informed, inspired, and entertained. Radio has been
around for decades, and continues to get better - we hope. Editorial 5/8/08 - “Culture of Philanthropy”
Even in tough financial times, a culture of philanthropy is being formed in Oconee health care circles----and it amounts to millions of dollars worth of pledges and contributions to the county’s top medical care projects. Jeremy Wright says by tradition, fundraisers in Oconee County have normally been galas, bake sales, and golf tournaments. But the Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation, which Wright chairs, is changing that. From those with the true altruistic spirit, the Foundation solicits pledges and contributions to help pay for the community’s biggest health care projects. And it is succeeding. While it is true, the Foundation may be behind in its goals, what the fundraisers have accomplished is certainly remarkable in our lagging economy. So far, the Foundation has raised 2.75 million dollars for the patient tower and 4.2-million for the Hospice House. And Wright is looking long term. Beyond the opening of the tower of patient rooms and the completion of a second addition to the Hospice House, Wright says, the Foundation has its eyes on creating an endowment of one million dollars by the year 2015---an endowment that, when invested, can earn Oconee Medical Society 50 thousand dollars a year in interest. Wright calls it a “culture of philanthropy.” That’s our view. What’s yours? Editorial 5/1/08---Sane, reasoned discussions
Election year or not, Frank Ables is to be congratulated for spreading the word about what Oconee County government has up its sleeve. You can draw the inference that the recent public meeting at Fair Play Youth Center about the proposed zoning enabling ordinance was an orderly discussion of whether government regulations of land and buildings would a good thing for the southern end of the county. Then, consider that the earlier countywide public hearing went without major incident, you have two beneficial meetings in a row. My, how things have changed in Oconee County.
What we liked especially about the Fair Play meeting was that the crowd, though concerned, seemed open-minded and willing to learn why the county thinks that the community would be a good spot for an effort at citizen-initiated zoning. Fair Play residents also learned about the county’s intent to development highway 59 into a second industrial park.
A telling moment at the meeting may have occurred when a woman in the back explained that one of her joys about living the country life in Fair Play is to sit outside at night and watch the sky. As someone who lives next to the Fair Play Commerce Park, she’s worried that what goes in there will come with night lights. We liked the quick response she got from county administrator Dale Surrett who indicated that that is something that can be negotiable.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
Editorial 4/247/08 "The Retirement of Ed Taylor" You just have to look at Seneca and Walhalla high schools to find a couple of the most successful athletic coaches anywhere. The School Board this week honored Lady Bobcat coach Amanda Holder for state titles and those 600 basketball victories. The talk is Holder is nearing retirement.
Our purpose today is to remember a coach who is already on his way to the sidelines. After 23 years, Ed Taylor is giving up head baseball coaching duties at Walhalla.
It seems like just yesterday Taylor was a young man at the start of something special—something that would amount to 300 victories. He marvels over how time flew by. But he’ll tell you that it has been fun and, for his success, he credits the players.
It was fun for us to be at the microphone to cover some of Ed Taylor’s better teams. The 1992 team was the most successful, finishing second in South Carolina 2-A, second only to the Bamberg-Ehrhart team powered by future Major Leaguer Preston Wilson.
In our farewell interview with him, Taylor showed a keen memory for players, teams, seasons, and even plays that decided a game. But he also regaled us with a reminder about a snake that invaded our broadcast booth one time---something we had long ago forgotten.
That’s our view. What’s yours
Editorial 4/17/08 “The Redneck Dictionary” One of my favorite gifts this past Christmas was a copy of the New York Times bestseller, “Jeff Foxworthy’s Redneck Dictionary”. You heard me right, New York Times bestseller! It’s Foxworthy’s alphabetical list of words you thought you knew the meaning of. But as he explains in the book’s preface, early in his career, people in New York, L.A. and Chicago, made fun of the words he used in everyday conversation. That’s when Foxworthy began to realize there were actual real words that he and his family and friends used in a totally different way than Webster intended. Now we’re not trying to help Foxworthy sell his book. He’s done quite well with that already. We just thought you might enjoy, and perhaps even relate to, a sampling of his Redneck references! Take the word, mayonnaise. Used in a sentence, it might go like this…”Mayonnaise a lot of people here tonight”. Or, the word, banner, might be, “His grandma cusses so much, they’re gonna banner from the Little League Park.” Last but not least, debate….as in, “Everytime we go fishing we end up arguing about what to use for debate.” We’ll stop there. By the way, this editorial is not meant to condone or condemn the Southern dialect. It’s just a lesson in what some consider an entirely different language. And as Jeff Foxworthy himself said, “Speaking Redneck is a heck of a lot easier than speaking French.” That’s our view point. What’s your’s?
April 10, 2008
Editorial April 10, 2008---“Can’t We All Get Along?”
Do you remember the question Rodney King asked after being pummeled by some Los Angeles policemen? His question was, “Can’t We All Get Along?”
We think of that question when it comes to one of the more divisive issues in these Oconee County contemporary times. Unfortunately, the proposal that Oconee County create, in a few instances, overlay zoning districts and to permit, in other areas, citizen-initiated zoning divides many of our good friends and neighbors.
But here’s hoping that Tuesday’s hearing is peaceful and beneficial to everyone who must decide whether the time is right for government to regulate land and buildings across our beautiful county. If there’s no name-calling and no outlandish statements, then maybe all sides can emerge with a better understanding of what’s at stake.
Our opinion is that, at least, in certain parts of Oconee zoning would help. Yet, we appreciate the fear of some county residents who believe government is overly intrusive.
We’re all aware of the opinions of those pro and con, but what about those who express no view, who do not speak out in public. Are they the silent majority in this? And might their attitudes help determine? While we are weary of sending every issue to the ballot box, we go back to Neal Workman’s idea for a referendum. Why not let a vote of the people settle this?
That’s our view. What’s yours?
April 3, 2008
Editorial---We’ve lost “The Greater Good”
Is there a word or a phrase in the English language that fits when you hear someone say just what you were thinking? Perhaps what you hear is something you agree with but haven’t been able to call up the right words.
It happened to us the other day when we were struck by something Dr. Ronnie Booth said at a meeting of the Oconee Economic Development Commission. The dialogue pertained to government’s task to serve the people and the obstacles in the way. Booth, president of Tri-County Technical College, drew on a life’s experience to comment that part of the problem is that the populace has lost its virtue of sacrifice for the greater good. We tend to think of ourselves a lot more than we used to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Yes, Virginia, this is no longer Kansas. Something has pierced thru the American spirit.
While we are congratulate Dr. Booth for nailing it, may we rejoice over a jewel the sports world can claim. Some of Pittsburgh-based Beano Cook’s comments on ESPN always seem right on. For instance, did you catch Beano when he was pontificating about who should have been included in a list of the top all-time men’s collegiate basketball players. Some people believe Bill Walton outranks Bill Russell, but not Beano. In fact, Beano says on any list, Russell should be number two. Can you guess who Beano ranks as number one any list? FDR. That is, the four-term president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, credited with leaving this country out of its worst financial crisis ever.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
March 27, 2008
Editorial---What’s Wrong with 2010?
Imagine two years into the future. Doesn’t sound like a long way off. The year is 2010 and, if the hunch of some observers plays out, the young Third District Congressman who used to sell furniture in Westminster is giving up his seat in Washington for a run at South Carolina Governor.
But, let’s also imagine that in the November election that year, Oconee leaders propose a proposition that the public accept one more penny on the local sales to create millions of dollars for badly needed projects that regular Oconee tax payments just don’t meet.
Our drift is that 2010 is a better time for one percent than 2008. It’s an idea we picked up from county Capital Projects commissioner Sam Dickson who, earlier this month, wondered aloud whether eight months is enough time for all the work needed to research a one percent proposition and to adequately place the issue before the public. And, if fellow commissioner Julian Stoudemire, is correct when he describes Oconee as a “reactive” county---not “pro-active,” then two years time would be welcome to adequately position the next one percent vote.
But naysayers to this line of thought say why delay. The county’s major needs aren’t going away. They shouldn’t have to wait. It will cost more to wait. Yes, we agree. But this November, from what we can tell now, the voters are going to have much on his mind as he closes the voting booth curtain. They must decide whether to vote for a president who is going to bring the troops home or a president committed to making Iraq safe. The cost of living, of course, will be part of it.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
March 20, 2008
Editorial---This Maddening Rush to Economic Development
Few Oconeeans have their pulse on the heartbeat of the county any better than Julian Stoudemire. As an attorney, he has spent a lifetime representing many of our citizens, many of whom seek his help at their lowest moments. And his work as city attorney, city judge, and service as Walhalla also put him in the mainstream with the public. Maybe that’s why when Stoudemire speaks about the mood and the plight of the average Oconeean, officialdom should take not.
His comments at the organization meeting of the county Capital Projects Commission are instructive. Stoudemire questions whether November 2008, given the mood of the electorate, is the right time to again place a sales tax increase proposition before the voters. In recent years, two similar propositions failed at referendum. But this time, perhaps more than any other, there is greater unrest about the cost of life’s necessities---gas, health insurance and, oh yes, the billions spent in Iraq. If Stoudemire’s hunch is correct, then November will see unprecedented voting numbers---many first time voters. And the question, of course, is to what extent will those voters be motivated by a distaste by what is happening in the United States?
So, would any or all of this bode well for a proposition to ask the Oconeean to accept another penny on the sales tax for worthwhile public benefit projects---such as a new library or a recreation center?
We, like Mr. Stoudemire, are wondering.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
March 13, 2008
Editorial---Has the election process lost something?
It may be the law, but we don’t have to like it!
The Seneca election has reminded us that un-opposed ballot candidates may have their names deleted from the ballot and automatically go back into office, as long as one important provision is met. And that is that no one officially announces as a write-in during a period following the end of regular candidate qualifying.
We appreciate the argument that this can be a money-saver, especially for a small government with little revenue. And we understand that this eliminates the possibility that, where voting rolls are small, of a conspiracy of individuals who collude to put their guy in without the rest of the voters knowing anything about it.
Still we have a
concern. And it’s that period of time between the end of write-in ballot
qualifying and the actual election day. What if during that period the one
candidate for office is revealed as an incompetent or worse. There seems no
recourse to right a wrong. That’s our view. What’s yours? March 6, 2008
Editorial-- Wayne Morton's Golden Mic Award
It's always nice when "one of your own" is recognized in a special way. Such is the case with the host of WGOG's Golden Corner Morning Show Monday through Friday, and Sunday's Golden Corner Gospel program, Wayne Morton. Wayne was recently honored with the Singing News Magazine's Golden Mic Award...
"Chosen by a panel of Singing News and Southern Gospel music radio executives, Singing News presents 'The Golden Mic' monthly to broadcasters who display excellence and dedication to Southern Gospel music, church work and their communities. Based on such criteria, it's doubtful a more deserving DJ could be chosen than the March 2008 recipient, Wayne Morton. Wayne's professional, evangelistic and personal background is impressive. He has had experience in radio, television, newspaper, magazine, and other media outlets for the past 38 years, and he is currently the operations manager and morning show host at WGOG and co-hosts "Golden Corner Gospel" each Sunday.
A Walhalla native and Westminster High School graduate, Wayne has been married almost 40 years to the former Donna Cox. He and Donna have two daughters, three grandchildren, and have a fourth grandchild on the way. Wayne is also an ordained minister and has worked as a military and volunteer hospital chaplain.
Congratulations, Wayne, we appreciate your hard work and dedication. February 28, 2008
Editorial---New blood means new life for Oconee Aeronautics
For decades Oconee’s airport near Clemson has been a whipping boy---used as an example of a wrongheaded way to spend valuable tax dollars. It has been seen as recreation for a select number of people able to afford an expensive hobby. But that may be changing.
County leaders recognize the economic value of having a well run airfield that can accommodate flights by executives of Oconee’s manufacturing sector. And better a well run, attractive airport can help sell the county to outsiders to invest here.
Through the years, we haven’t heard a lot from the airport. But that may change. There’s a new chairman of the Oconee Aeronautics Commission and two new members. And they are making some noise to indicate it won’t be business as usual.
Dan Suddeth of District Two is one of those new members. And he would like a more active commission---a better educated commission about airport matters and better able to advise the county administrator and the county council.
Airport manager Kevin Short also feels a wind change. Traditionally, Short and his predecessors have set meeting agendas with business the airport manager believed the commissioners should transact. Now Short is inviting the new chairman, Tom Luke, and the rest of the commission to write the meeting agendas.
We see that as more inclusive, a good thing.
That’s our view. What’s yours? February 14, 2008 Editorial---Litter Survey This Saturday
How does our county look when it comes to litter? Is there less than before? Volunteers with Keep Oconee Beautiful Association will set out this Saturday for various spots around the county to gauge the problem.
Phil Soper, “KOBA” president, says this kind of survey is something done every year, at the request of the national group Keep America Beautiful. And Soper says each time the surveyors notice an improvement.
We hope that is true.
Keep Oconee Beautiful can stand some help. If you’d like to volunteer for this Saturday’s survey, contact Nicci Hanewald at 985-8904 or nicolehanewald@bellsouth.net
That’s our view. What’s yours? February 7, 2008 Editorial---It Was Too Good to Be True
David Smith has Gone Green in Westminster. A recommendation by the city administrator and approved by the city council could save future forests…or at least some trees.
Ever since taking on the combined duties of administering the city utilities and general city government, the former south Georgian has impressed people with his skills at efficiency.
One thing he did which allowed for greater public understanding of how Westminster city government works is the detailed book he compiled each month to give reporters covering city council meetings. It sure saved reporters a lot of questions and it contained valuable pieces of information that just aren’t explained during council meetings.
Well, here’s where the problem arose. Not every reporter would faithfully cover a Westminster. And Smith had no choice but to throw out some of those thick books.
So, now only agenda sheets will be handed out. If a reporter, or any member of the public, wants the same printed information the mayor and council get, he’ll have to pay 10 dollars a copy or 100 dollars for an annual subscription.
Fortunately, another David Smith quality is to patiently answer a reporter’s question---so we are confident that we will get the information you need.
That’s our view. What’s yours? January 31, 2008 Editorial---Was it worth it? All this national attention?
The Presidential primary vote winners in Oconee County---John McCain and John Edwards---have at least one thing in common. They were the only major presidential candidates to campaign inside Oconee County…and it appears all of that local campaigning paid off for them.
But what else does it appear? And what can we say about all of the national attention that was paid to our small state, as the result of the political parties playing with the primary election calendar?
Well, for one, folks elsewhere learned more about our small, but beautiful state. They may also have picked up that though we are one state, there are distinct pockets of the state which adhere to different beliefs and have different needs. And that’s probably a good thing to point out to the rest of the country because there’s one thing for sure: It’ll be years before we’ll probably see another Presidential candidate. Those who win the nomination of their parties likely won’t return to South Carolina this year. If they do, probably only to the Palmetto State’s largest cities. And not to our outpost here in the Golden Corner.
That’s our view. What’s yours? January 24, 2008 Editorial---Is Everything OK in Seneca?
The political pundit George Will has opined that small voter turnouts translate to an electorate satisfied with their representatives.
So, what then do we make of the field of candidates for the March Seneca election that includes one candidate for mayor and just six candidates for the four available city council seats?
Can we infer that Seneca voters are, for the most part, satisfied with the way their city is run and the services that are offered?
We wonder if Mayor Dan Alexander, the only ballot candidate for mayor March 11th, will regard his re-election as a mandate of some kind to continue the Alexander-style of mayoral service. Time will tell.
And what’s to be made of the four council position field attracting no more than six ballots. Does it mean most Seneca people couldn’t care less? Or does it basically mean a vote of confidence in Seneca government?
That’s our opinion. What’s yours?`
January 17, 2008 Editorial---How Did We Get Here?
No tax, old or new, is popular. But without a tax how do we stop criminals? How do we put out the fires? And how do we pave the roads? Only an anarchist would not care about this. We care, and we think you do, also. Proponents of an extra penny on the sales tax for local projects to make life better believe a sales tax is a fairer than the property tax. But, guess what? The results of recent votes by Oconeeans show county residents don’t want it. Yet, we may wind up this November voting again. Regardless whether a higher sales tax fails for a third time, we are still left to wonder why the electorate has such a distaste for their government. Most government workers are honest and conscientious and try to do what’s right for those they serve. Only a few are dishonest. And we hope that only a small number are incompetent. But we worry that those who are no good are spoiling our way of governance. Who is to blame for this? The sad answer is that we probably are all to blame. We are in this together. One way we think we can reach better government and greater support from those it serves is to stress civics in our schools. We don’t think they are stressed enough. Walhalla High School and the rest of the county’s high schools are to be commended for their effort last year to awaken their oldest students to the need to vote in this participatory democracy. It’s not enough. We think the schools should stress in the early years the need for children to learn about government and to consider government service. Otherwise we are doomed. That’s our view. What’s yours?
January 10, 2008 Editorial----Where's The Beef ? January 3, 2008
Editorial---Does Clemson Need A Second By-Pass?
Shortly after 4:30 on a late fall afternoon, 123 traffic headed into Clemson was backed up from the lights at College Avenue all the way back to the Hampton Inn. Surely, we thought, there must be an accident of some kind. But an hour later, it was worse. This time the same two lanes of traffic were clogged from the lights all the way back to three-quarters the way across the Seneca River Bridge. This was no Friday afternoon on a Clemson football weekend. The basketball Tigers weren’t even playing at home. Why so much traffic? Well, this is nothing new for Clemson folks. They’ve been putting up with heavy 123 traffic both directions for quite a time. At times, there’s even gridlock between College Avenue and the 76 turn toward Anderson.
What’s the solution? Widening 123 seems to be out of the question. There’d be too much right-of-way to buy.
Clemson already has a by-pass of sorts---if you count South Carolina 93 to Perimeter Road to U-S 76. But Perimeter Road is supposed to be a road for campus traffic, though we all know it’s used as a shortcut.
Well, then what about a third by-pass to the north of Clemson? Say a major span over Lake Hartwell north of the railroad trestle that would send traffic north of the city in a route eventually feeding into 123 on the Greenville side of Clemson. The cost, you ask? Millions, maybe billions. Well, it’s not our money. On second thought, it is our money. We can dream, can’t we?
That’s our view. What’s yours?
December 27, 2007
Editorial---"Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" December 13, 2007
Guest Editorial---Walhalla's White Christmas
Hello and Merry Christmas! The Christmas season is upon us yet again. Doesn't it seem like it got here quickly this year? In October, my family took at trip to Virginia and Maryland for a few days, and while on this trip, my boys, ages 10 and 6, approached me in a shop with great excitement. They had found the PERFECT Christmas present for my husband, and they came to me with their decision to put their own spending money together so that they could buy this perfect gift for their dad. It took nearly every dime they had, but they were determined. And this reminded me--the need to give is so present in all of us.
Many of you recall collecting for the White Christmas program during your years in a Walhalla school. The White Christmas program was started by my grandfather, EB Stoudemire, during the Great Depression of the 1930s. A Newberry College graduate, he came to Walhalla in 1923 and became Superintendent of the Walhalla Area Schools in 1925 at age 22. He retired on his 65th birthday in 1968 after 43 years as Superintendent. During his tenure, he coached football and taught science, as well. He had great affection for the students in Walhalla, and knowing of the needs that so very many of them faced during the era of the Great Depression, he sought to provide Christmas presents for those who were less fortunate. Students of all grades gave pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half-dollars. The recipients of these gifts were, and remain, nameless. The need is particularly high for our students this year. These are students in our midst, and are sometimes students that you would never realize were in such need.
The Walhalla schools will continue their White Christmas collections until December 20th. What a glorious opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child! The White Christmas program is solely funded by the donations received each year by each individual Walhalla school. We are so proud to be a part of such a wonderful tradition of hope and sharing, spanning nearly three-quarters of a century of giving for the students in our midst. I encourage you to support the White Christmas program by making a donation at Walhalla Elementary, James M. Brown Elementary, Walhalla Middle, or Walhalla High. Thank you for the care and concern you show to our students, and may the Christmas Spirit live in you this season, and all year long.
December 6, 2007
Editorial---Are “Clean Elections” Truly Possible?
If you were with us last week, you heard our appeal to whoever will win President next year to give this country some badly needed hope. Now, we turn our attention to the process that elects our president and the rest of our leaders---from the Courthouse to the White House.
Brett Bursey stirred the audience at the recent meeting of the Clemson Area League of Women Voters to think about what’s lacking in this land of the free when it comes to selecting our leaders. This citizen activist with his controversial background touched on some very serious problems that, sadly, some of us have ignored at everyone’s peril.
Bursey simply wants more people to vote. It’s good for our process. And he, representing the South Carolina Progressive Network, and President Janie Shipley of the Clemson Area League of Women Voters are pleased to hear that the Oconee School District is encouraging students to begin to register to vote. There is a little known law on the books that permits students who turn 18 by General Election Day to register now. For registration purposes, a mass assembly of students across the county is scheduled today at Walhalla High School.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
11/29/07
Editorial---Who can give us hope?
Which one of ten to 20 major party presidential hopefuls can give us hope? We don’t have to remind you we are a country weary of war and worried for our financial future. We seem to have no idea how much oil is left and how much eventually we’ll pay. The cost of food, of late, has become a big concern for many Americans. One Oconeean told us recently he doesn’t buy any food in the supermarket these days unless it is on sale.
While we here struggle, let’s not forget our friends up north where wintertime oil heating prices are expected to reflect as much as 25 or 30 percent increase!
These are some reasons why the Clintons, the Thompsons, the Edwards, the Huckabees, and whoever else is out there need to give us hope…and then deliver.
Here’s one issue we fear won’t get the proper attention during the presidential election campaign which reaches South Carolina in January in the form of presidential primaries: It’s the high cost of health care. We’d like to see a reasoned, level-headed discussion. Honestly, can we talk? Many individual cases are heart-breaking. A young man tells us he has a medical condition that requires attention but he has no job. His parents don’t have gainful employment. And he doesn’t have the money for the doctor. And then for those who are fortunate to have work and to have an employer who offers health insurance as a benefit, there was this recent headline in USA Today: “Health Insurance Crisis---Traditional Pensions Are Almost Gone. Will Employer-Provided Health Insurance Be Next?”
This kind of thing makes us wonder whether next year or some time soon Americans, at the ballot box, will decide that it’s time to try national health care. That’s our view. What’s yours? 11/15/07 “The End of an Era” During this time each week, we usually try to steer clear of any subject that borders on commercial content. We’ll try to do that today as well. But please forgive us if somewhere along the way this editorial starts sounding like a paid advertisement. It’s not intended to be that way at all. It’s just that we somehow felt like it would be fitting to pay tribute to a Walhalla business that officially closes its doors this week. Generations of folks listening to me right now, have furniture in their homes that was purchased at Sibley Furniture. That’s because, as promised by George Sibley, that furniture has lasted for years. Sibley Furniture’s reputation for offering well-made American furniture at a fair price, along with quality service, made it an institution to be trusted by thousands for over 40 years. Sadly, George Sibley is no longer with us. But his legacy lives on in the values he left behind with each transaction, each interaction, and each conversation. His honesty, integrity, and fairness left their mark on the community through every single person he dealt with. This week, his family has opened the doors to Sibley Furniture one last time, in an effort to sell the remaining inventory. No gimmicks. Just good furniture, at highly discounted prices. Just like George Sibley would have wanted it. That’s our viewpoint, what’s yours? November 8, 2007 The Soldier By Jim Sanders, III Having left Walhalla early that November morning in 1999 after a short hometown visit, I had benefited from light holiday traffic on I-85 and made good time coming through Atlanta. By 10 A.M., I had already driven over 350 miles and was less than two hours from my residence in Crestview, Florida. Near Montgomery, I exited and gassed up on the Interstate. Two hours later, about 80 miles from my destination, I approached a sign on the side of S-331 that read, “Welcome to Opp, Alabama, the Town of Opportunity.” I pulled into McDonald’s with anticipation of a hot cup of coffee with a sausage and egg biscuit for breakfast before their lunch menu began. In front of me was an elderly gentleman who turned toward me as I gave the waitress my order. With a friendly smile he said, “Good morning! Ain’t never seen you in here before. You from around here, or just passing through?” I told him I lived down the road in Crestview, Florida, just over the state line. He said, “Heck, I’ve been through Crestview many times. My name is Hayford Johnson but everyone around here calls me Mister J. I come here every morning since my wife died. I love their scrambled eggs, gravy and biscuits.” About that time the waitress said, “Here’s your order, Mister J.” He politely said to me, “Come on over and sit with me if you’d like.” I received my order on a tray and sat down with him. No other customers were around at the time. He removed his cap and placed it in his lap, folded his hands, lowered his head in silence for a few seconds, then raised his head and put his cap back on. It was a black cap with brightly gold embroidered letters. On the top was “Retired Veteran” and below was “Iwo Jima.” The lines of age on his face showed me the calendar had turned over many years during his lifetime. I asked him, “Were you on Iwo Jima?” He replied, “Yep, I served in the Marines in the Second World War,” as he placed the fork on his biscuit and cut it in half. He said, “You ever served in the armed forces?” I said, “Yes sir, served in the USAF for 22 years and now work for the Air Force as a government civilian at Hurlburt Field.” As his eyes brightened and his eyebrows furrowed with a serious look, he said, “Those Special Forces guys you have at Hurlburt have a tough job in Iraq and Afghanistan.” I told him, “Yes sir, I’m proud to be around highly trained professionals who know their mission. Flying helicopters or being on a C-130 gunship in sandstorms and team-working with Special Forces is a tough job. Plus, they are away from their families a lot – but that’s part of being a Commando.” I could now tell he had proudly served his nation as part of a great generation of Americans who had served during this era. I sipped on my coffee and didn’t ask him any questions. He just started telling his story as if it were cathartic to get it out of his mind and into the open to a perfect stranger. He said, “Back in my day our creed was plain and simple: just duty, honor and country and being a freedom fighter to any threat of oppression. We landed on Yellow Beach at Iwo Jima with little resistance in February 1945, and then all hell broke loose. Our vehicles mired in the volcanic ash and mud. When I got ashore there were dead soldiers and body parts all over the place. Smoke and the smell of gun powder were in the air mixed with the smell of burning flesh. We lost a lot of good marines. We buried them, when we could, in mass graves. Morale was low. There were flares at night that lit the sky as we stayed low in our foxholes. Finally, troops worked their way up Mt. Suribachi. It was a brave undertaking. We had a code of honor to die for our country. The enemy’s code was suicide before surrender. The flame throwers got them out of the caves and pillboxes. It was a smoldering inferno, and those who did not come out died either from lack of oxygen or from shooting themselves rather than giving up. We had mass casualties and many were wounded. When I landed on that shore I had four stripes on my sleeves, but so many got killed they gave me a battlefield commission as a brown bar lieutenant. Yes sir, I left a few close buddies on that black rock island in the Pacific.” His eyes watered as he looked down at his half-eaten meal that had become cold. Finally I said, “Sir, it is an honor and a pleasure to meet you. Not long ago I met a man who looked just like Robert Young, the actor who played on TV in “Father Knows Best.” He was on Omaha Beach but would not talk about it although his wife talked proudly for him. Was it hard to tell me your story?” He replied, “Well, some carry it inside and keep it stored up. I don’t brag about it but don’t mind talking to another vet. Besides, you seemed like a pretty good listener.” He got up from the table and took his tray to the trash receptacle. He said, “Hate to rush off but I got to go over to the town of Baker and check on my show horse. I just love horses. I have a man who trains and rides him and takes good care of him. He’s won over ten ribbons in the southeast.” I told him, “Take care of your self, Mister J.” He replied, “Well the Good Lord has given me 80-plus years, and 2000 is less than two months away. By the way, it’s Veterans Day today. I’m going by the local cemetery before I head to Baker and pay my respects to several who proudly served their country. Those boys were raised right here in Opp.” As he backed out and came around to where I was standing at the entrance of McDonald’s to wave goodbye, I saw a blue decal on the driver’s side of his windshield indicating that he held the rank of an officer; below the decal was a base entrance sticker to Fort Rucker. It was about 11 o’clock that Thursday on 11 November, 1999. That day I stood firmly at attention and gave him a proud salute. This was a special “goose bump” thrilling Veteran’s Day for me. Armistice Day was meant to end all wars on the eleventh hour of the eleventh month in 1918 and was later changed to Veterans Day. The exact day and close to the exact hour I saluted…the Soldier. November 1, 2007
Editorial---Voters have choices
Who says we live in a time of apathy? And who says our lack of interest in government forces us to accept the quality of the public servant we are left with? Well, it’s “they” who say that. And all of you know who “they” area.
This fall’s elections offer a hope for democracy. We have competitive contests for mayor in two Oconee County towns.
Walhallans may choose among Randy Chastain, Jim Satterfield, and Wayne Smalley to serve as mayor of city government. At Salem, the mayoral contest between Dianne Head and incumbent Thurmond Coward offers a choice to the voters in that town.
The qualifying period expired in Westminster with one candidate for mayor, the current mayor, Derek Hodgin. Does it mean Westminster voters are satisfied with city government as led by Hodgin since the mid term resignation of Tom Green? Does it mean Derek Hodgin is unbeatable in 2007? Or does it mean all other Westminster residents simply want nothing to do with being mayor of their town?
We would prefer to think that this is a vote of confidence in Hodgin. He appears to want to change Westminster for the better. We wish him the best. One thing Hodgin made known recently that plagues his town---and plagues all of us in Oconee---is our nasty, filthy habit of littering. Here’s what so frustrating about the litter and our disregard for those who have to clean up our mess: The City of Seneca has probably spent in excess of 100 thousand dollars to beautify the asphalt east entrance to the city. Yet, already, the vegetation beds in the medians have become an ashtray for cigarette butts.
That’s our view. What’s yours?
October 25, 2007 “Another Oktoberfest in the Books” Now that the 29th Annual Walhalla Oktoberfest is over and done, we thought it might be appropriate if we weighed in on the success of this yearly event, and others like it. For towns the size of Walhalla, an annual festival, fair or other such event, depending on where the proceeds go, can mean big money into the budget of the city’s chamber of commerce, and the town’s general operating funds. Regardless of where the actual festival proceeds are designated, the hope is that local businesses will benefit from the influx of visitors that will stop in to make a purchase and perhaps make a return trip into town in the future. Needless to say, we realize that a good portion of the income from these events must be rolled over into the expenses of staging the event again next year. The point being, that in our opinion, the positives of local events like Oktoberfest and the Apple Festival, far outweigh the negatives. Much of the success is dependent on the weather and this past weekend could not have been any nicer for the 29th Oktoberfest. Despite competing with afternoon home games for both Clemson and South Carolina, as well as other local happenings, the crowds at the Oktoberfest were great. We applaud all the folks that make it happen year in and year out. From the volunteers that work the gates and direct parking, to the security officers and everyone in between, here’s to a job well done. We hope the Oktoberfest and other local festivals like it, have a long and prosperous future. That’s our viewpoint, what’s yours ? October 18, 2007 Editorial—Can the Bush war policy survive? If we can believe what we've read, one of the more patient supporters of the President's prosecution of the Iraq war could be losing his patience. Our U.S. senator, Lindsey Graham, has been most articulate in defining the stakes in Iraq and the need to be patient. But even he, on the eve of his next election, appears to be in the mood to re-assess. When we think of the possibility that by year's end, Graham will feel compelled to switch positions, we're reminded of a bumper sticker we saw recently in Oconee County. It read, "Stop This Needless War." We're also reminded that when the esteemed Senator Goodwater paid a call to the Nixon White House besieged by Watergate, the Nixon presidency had little life left. We know not whether any of this can accurately parallel what's going on today, but the choice Americans make next year could well reflect whether any of what has happened in Iraq has been worth it. Then again, the self-described patient man who is our president now may be right. And if he is, then history will prove the latest invasion into Iraq as important to democratic rule. To paraphrase something Mike Wallace said after 9-11, "I'd like to be around to see how this all turns out." That's our view. What's yours? October 11, 2007 Editorial—Our schools little salespersons When we heard a recent editorial from our friends at Toccoa, Georgia's W-N-E-G Radio, all we could mutter is, "Amen, brother!" We'd like to repeat it here for you... and wonder if you think the problem in neighboring Stephens County is a problem here in Oconee County. If it is, we'd like to hear from you. "As has been the case with every increase in local school taxes, we've heard the same discussion - debates about whether we have a bloated administrative bureaucracy, debates about what teachers are paid, debates about the local tax burden, etcetera, etcetera. The school board could cut all that noise down to a whisper with one simple resolution. It would read something like this: "In exchange for this tax increase, we promise no child attending a public school in Stephens County will ever be turned into a little salesperson to raise money for school programs." If you're a parent, or even if you're not, surely you've been confronted by a child in school who's selling something on behalf of some extracurricular activity. Cookie dough, pizza kits, wrapping paper, magazines, citrus fruits ... people will buy things they don't really need to support their children, their grandchildren, and their nieces and nephews. After all, who can turn down a 7-year-old who really doesn't know what he or she is selling, and who's doing it only because an adult told them that they should, or because they could win some "prize?" Once upon a time, such sales seemed to be rare things high school seniors undertook to fund end-of-the-year trips, but now they have infected virtually every grade. It happens everywhere, not just Stephens County. An enormous cottage industry has grown up around school-related sales, with outside companies keeping a sizable portion of the proceeds while the children receive pennies on the dollar. How did it come to this? With the many millions of dollars we spend on education in this country every year, why must our children - and our parents - be forced into hawking products to help support our schools? It's not right. It needs to stop. And if they put a stop to it, the Stephens County Board of Education would be on the vanguard of an effort that will be applauded loudly statewide, one that could snowball into something that would provide genuine relief for our students, parents, and residents at large. And it would make that tax increase a lot easier to swallow, too. That's our view. What's yours? October 4, 2007 Editorial---Hope for Afghanistan
While we seem to be immersed in whether our continued military presence in Iraq is the right thing, we continue to fight a similar war on another front. And Will Brown believes there is hope for Afghanistan.
It was good the other day that Captain Brown reminded us of the stakes in Afghanistan. Sitting in the conference room of the Hamilton Career Center, the men and the women of the Seneca Rotary Club watched a replay of the planes hitting the towers. It was a reminder, of course, why the U-S and other coalition forces landed in Afghanistan about a month after 9-11.
Remember when our president grabbed the bullhorn amid the debris of the World Trade Center and promised, in effect, to retaliate against those responsible. At that moment, the civilized world was one with the United States. And that’s why still today more countries deploy forces to Afghanistan than they do to Iraq.
So, six years later---and one year after Will Brown’s deployment---it was good to hear a progress report on the progress of Afghanistan. And, yes, despite a resurgent Taliban and a thriving opium crop, good things are happening in Afghanistan. A good example is the capital city of Kabul. When the Taliban ruled and hosted bin Laden, Kabul was a city of one million people. Today it numbers four million. And Will Brown will tell you that in Kabul you can find healthy commerce enjoyed by a free people.
That’s our view. What’s yours? September 27, 2007 Editorial---West Union ruling could have FOI impact
The September 19th show cause hearing revealed the possibility that a dispute in the small Oconee town of West Union could have greater implications across the Stat |
