Daily Archives: 04/05/2016
Easley First Baptist to dedicate new facilities
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — According to Easley First Baptist Pastor John Adams, the physical transformation his church has been undergoing the past few years hasn’t been readily apparent.
“You can go past our church and never know something’s been going on, building-wise,” Adams said.
But the construction is nearly done, and it’s almost time to celebrate.
“I cannot put into adequate terms how huge this is for us,” Adams said.
The church will hold a Dedication Day program Sunday, April 17, to celebrate the end of its current building program.
The new facilities include a state-of-the-art kitchen, an indoor children’s playground — part of the new youth and children’s facility — and a music suite containing four small rehearsal rooms and a “huge, huge” rehearsal space that can also host small concerts and gatherings, Adams said.
While the current congregation will certainly enjoy the new facilities, that’s not why the church launched its $6.8 million program, Adams said.
“We did this for the generations to come,” Adams said. “Not only to shape this generation, but the next generation and the next and the next. We did this for all of Pickens County, because we want all to come to know Christ, to have a personal relationship with him.
“We want them to know that they are loved and welcomed,” he continued. “We have a common theme here, ‘Welcome to the banquet table.’ We want everyone to come to God’s one banquet table.”
The arrival of the recession in 2008 came after the church had begun the building program.
“We started this with the worst timing in the world,” Adams said. “But our church said, ‘We can’t stop.’ We made some wise decisions.”
The goal was not to build a “Taj Mahal,” Adams said.
“I’m not a brick-and-mortar guy — that doesn’t inspire me,” he said. “What inspires me is when someone comes to know Christ in this building, when a family is restored that has been broken, when someone finds their calling here.”
The congregation hopes the new facilities will help feed the spirit.
“We want this to be a safe place, a welcoming place, an inviting place, a hotbed of spiritual transformation,” Adams said. “We want this to be holy ground so that lives can be transformed.”
“Gathering, growing and going” is a refrain you’ll often hear from EFBC members.
“That’s our definition of discipleship,” Adams said. “Everyone has two things they need to go and do — they need to serve the church and they need to go and serve the world. That’s something everyone can grab onto. It’s a good starting point.”
Dedication Day will begin at 9 a.m. with growth groups, Bible studies for every age. Worship will begin at 10:15 a.m., and the dedication of the church’s facilities will be held at 11:30 a.m.
At noon, a covered-dish luncheon will be served.
“It will be a spread,” Adams said. “It will be quite a meal.”
At 1:30 p.m. a musical celebration, “Voices of the Spirit,” will be held. It will be a worship service of African-American music, featuring the poetry of James Weldon Johnson and led by the EFBC Sanctuary Choir and soloist Valisa Smith.
“The musical celebration will be second to none,” Adams said.
The community is encouraged to help the church dedicate and celebrate its new facilities on April 17.
“We did all this for you. This is all built with the idea of spiritual transformation because of what Jesus did for us,” Adams said. “Every boy and girl, mama and daddy, grandparent, single or married, whatever walk of life, you are welcomed here. Come be our guest. Come be a part of the family.”
TD club to host pancake breakfast
PICKENS — The Pickens TD Club will host a pancake breakfast this Saturday, April 9, from 7:30-10 a.m. at the Gatehouse Restaurant.
The cost is $10 per ticket. All proceeds will go to assist with all levels of football in the Pickens community.
Clemson Police Department to hold free family fun event
CLEMSON — An upcoming event aims to show the community — and kids in particular — that law enforcement is here to help.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 10-16, and the Clemson Police Department is holding a Family Fun Kick-Off event from 2-4 p.m. this Sunday, April 10, at Nettles Park in Clemson.
There will be a lot going on that day, Clemson Police Department victim advocate Debra Shockley said.
“We have 21 agencies confirmed at this point that are going to come out and participate,” she said.
The Clemson PD will have patrol cars out for children to see.
The Clemson University Police Department will also have a patrol car display. The Clemson Fire Department and EMS will have fire trucks and ambulances for children to explore, Shockley said. Clemson Area Transit will have one of its city buses there.
“Bikers Against Child Abuse will have motorcycles for the children to crawl all over,” Shockley said.
There will also be a bike rodeo.
“We’ll have an officer do a safety talk about bicycles, and we’ll have an obstacle course set up,” Shockley said.
The Parenting Place is seeking donations of new bicycles to give away during the event, said Greta Young, executive director of The Parenting Place.
Visitors will be able to enjoy free food courtesy of co-sponsor The Parenting Place. Walmart Neighborhood Market will provide free beverages for everybody.
Mr. Twister the Clown will be entertaining the crowd and doing balloon art.
The police department hopes the event will allow the community to “get to know us before you need us,” Shockley said.
“I go to a lot of scenes and people have no clue of who I am, what I do or that I even existed,” she said. “The chief and myself, we’ve talked about it multiple times — we do these events and this outreach so that people know that we exist. If we have a domestic violence victim who doesn’t know where to turn, she might remember, ‘Oh wait, that police department has someone, they have some program available.’ That’s the goal of doing these community events.”
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a nationwide event to honor victims’ rights and victims of past crime, Shockley said.
“This is the first time the police department’s done anything for National Crime Victims’ Right Week,” she said. “So we’re excited to actually to get to participate, observe it, bring the community out.”
The Clemson Police Department is holding several other events for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Shockley said.
On Tuesday, April 12, at 10:30 a.m., Clemson police chief Jimmy Dixon and other city staff will plant pinwheels in order to raise awareness and help prevent child abuse.
On Wednesday and Thursday of that week, the department is holding a free RAD Self-Defense class for women. The response has been great — the class filled up quickly.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, the department will hold a free outdoor family movie night at the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Clemson.
“They’ll get free movie, free snacks,” Shockley said. “Everything is free that we’re doing that week.”
The free movie event is a way for the Clemson community to interact with their local police officers.
“Getting to know us and what we do,” Shockley said. “So that people will realize what the officers’ role is, what they do, what the victims services role is and what I can do for you,” she said.
The Central-Clemson Library Branch will have a special display set up during the week with handouts about “scam prevention, identity theft, MARYS House, Pickens County Advocacy Center, The Parenting Place, for people to take and go,” Shockley said. “There will be displays of books with information pertinent to victims of different types of crimes.”
Keeping things real
It’s easy to lose perspective if we stay inside too much. When the news is particularly distressing to hear and the dark clouds seem to be gathering on the horizon, it is time to go out into the beautiful world and look.
A walk in the woods in the sunshine is great medicine for the spirit. Especially at this time of year, when nature is literally bursting at the seams. Everywhere I look there is the promise of new life and great things to come.
The azaleas are popping out, and the dogwoods have spread their lacy limbs throughout the woods.
The Japanese maple I bought for a song last year at the flea market made it through the winter and has put on new leaves. The Yashima cherry tree bloomed even though a large tree had fallen on it during the winter and broken off some branches.
The ground squirrels didn’t eat the tulip bulbs I’d planted in a pot. Yahoo!
The first miracle of the week was the appearance of a beautiful swallowtail butterfly. We’d heard that the extremely warm weather in December had brought butterflies out prematurely and then cost them their lives during the freeze.
The swallowtail flying around my pansies was alive and well. I guess he hadn’t heard he was supposed to be dead. So take that, doom and gloom.
It’s hard to despair of current events when there’s a concert of sound and color all around.
Just a few days ago, a visit to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher showed an amazing view of an environment normally invisible to us.
The seahorse aquarium was a trip to another world and another life form. We were there during feeding time and watched these tiny, delicately formed creatures eat. They wrap their tails around stalks of sea grass and flutter their wing-like fins to maintain an upright position while they eat brine shrimp.
The scene looked like something from an animated Walt Disney film.
We got to touch the back of a stingray as it swam and learned about horseshoe crabs. I never knew they had fingers on their arms used to feed themselves.
We watched sea anemones unfurl their petal-like appendages and then recoil when startled.
The display about hurricanes was especially interesting as it compared the force and destruction of each.
The volunteer manning the sea shell exhibit was highly knowledgable. She explained that during a storm surge when the ocean rises, large shells can be found unbroken on the shore afterward, because the water levels rise far above the rocky outcropping offshore that normally shatters shells.
Add that to the list of things I never knew. It is a very long list and gets longer every day.
There are things I still want to find out, but as for now, God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world.
Courier Letters to the Editor 4-6-16
Reasons why people will go to church
Dear Editor,
A number of years ago, Southern Gospel group The Kingsmen had a hit with a song called “Excuses” about why people won’t go to church. It was so popular it became a crossover hit on the country stations.
With that in mind, I’d like to share what I call, “Reasons Why People Will Go To Church,” and it goes like this.
Well, they go because there’s a new preacher and they want to check him out. They heard there was going to be an argument known as a row.
The church is having a big dinner after service, must be there for that and how!
There’s a trip to the mountains planned by their Sunday school class. Don’t want to miss that!
It’s Halloween, and the church is handing candy out.
They themselves have purchased a new vehicle to show off. Perhaps married a new wife or husband, too.
They come to gather up gossip.
Young people come to see if they can get a date with another they’ve been eyeing.
They’re needing help with their power bill or need food from the food bank.
They’re hoping to make a buisness deal with someone who attends the church.
They’re running for some public office.
They’re putting on a front to look good for everyone to cover up their sorry life they think they’ve got hidden. That’s a laugh!
It’s winter, and lakes and parks are closed so they go just to have somewhere to go, and here they come. Spring comes and they become magicians — they pull a disappearing act.
It’s bingo night.
They’re in trouble and suddenly think they need to go to church, although it never mattered before and won’t when the trouble passes.
Their child or grandchild is involved in a play or some church activity.
They have a new baby to show off.
They were dragged to church since they were born, so it’s just a habit. A family tradition.
They need the sleep. Look around you this Sunday.
These are some of the reasons people will go to church. Sadly the real reasons to go are never considered by them.
Reasons such as going to thank God for his love and goodness.For giving his only begotten Son. To get a blessing. To fellowship with other believers. To worship God and be thankful they are allowed to freely worship Him.
What an ungrateful lot they are!
Eddie Boggs
Westminster
Liberty restaurants to hold Emma KAPPS night Thursday
LIBERTY — On Thursday, several Liberty-area restaurants will participate in a fundraiser for Emma KAPPS Night. The event helps provide riding helmets for kids in the Liberty area.
A portion of the proceeds from the restaurants will be donated to the program.
Restaurants that will be participating will be the Liberty Subway on U.S. Highway 178, Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant and Tony’s Pizza.
All are invited to support the program for KAPPS, which stands for “Kids Are Precious People.”
EMS officials offering public education forums
COUNTY — Pickens County EMS is currently promoting Public Education Forums for the citizens of Pickens County.
PCEMS is willing to meet with your group to discuss the services that PCEMS has to offer the citizens and visitors of Pickens County. Some of the topics are who to call in case of an emergency, what to expect when EMS arrives, some of the things you can do before EMS arrives and some simple steps you can take to prevent calling EMS. There will be other topics covered as well.
The meeting will end with a question-and-answer session for the public to ask the EMS personnel question about services provided. This forum is recommended for small groups such as church groups, civic organizations and HOA’s.
For more information, contact PCEMS training officer Lane Wood at lanew@co.pickens.sc.us or (864) 230-0424 or PCEMS assistant director David Childress at davidc@co.pickens.sc.us or (864) 898-5335.
Grace United planning spring hand bell concert
PICKENS — Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens will host a spring concert presented by the Bells of Grace Hand Bell Choir.
The concert will take place on Sunday, April 24, at 4 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. There is no admission fee.
This group of 15 ringers plays a six-octave set of English hand bells cast by the Schulmerich Company in Sellersville, Pa. They also incorporate a five-octave set of tone chimes into their performance.
First organized more than 25 years ago, members of The Bells of Grace have performed on numerous mission trips throughout the Southeast and also in Mexico. Under the current direction of Marilyn Gromlovits, the group looks forward to sharing a program of music which they sincerely hope will be uplifting and inspiring to all.
Courier Obituaries 4-6-16
Allene Duncan
Liberty — Allene Garrett Duncan, 90, of 311 Lee St. passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, March 29, at her home.
Born in Six Mile, she was the widow of Broadus Allen Duncan Sr. and the daughter of the late James Eugene and Edith Ellen Howard Garrett. She was a homemaker and a member of Calumet Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Dorcas Sunday School
Greater Clemson Music Festival offers something for everyone
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — The Greater Clemson Music Festival is about to kick off, bringing weeks of concerts and other events to the area.
The festival, now in its fifth year, will begin on Friday, April 15, and conclude on Sunday, April 24.
“It’s really turned into something that’s really good for the community,” festival chairman Vince Jackson said. “People really look forward to it in April.”
The event showcases the talented local artists of today while celebrating the musical history of the area.
In fact, the festival grew out of Jackson’s book “The Littlejohn’s Grill Story: Blues, Jazz and Rock n’ Roll in Clemson, SC.”
“That was just right down the street here,” Jackson said during a recent interview at Hardee’s in Central. “It’s a great story.”
Littlejohn’s Grill was in business from about 1945-68 and was a major stop for African-American performers.
“James Brown performed there,” he said. “Anyone you can name of musical importance at that time came through here. Otis Redding, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, the Supremes, the Temptations — they were here. People were amazed by that. I was amazed by that when I first started investigating.”
That book sparked a conversation among the core group that eventually became the festival’s founders.
“We said, ‘You know, wouldn’t it be great if we start our own juke joint or nightclub and do this again?’” Jackson said. “What we decided instead was to do this music festival. We wanted to raise money for charities and put it back into the community that way.”
The late Larry Abernathy, then-mayor of Clemson, was instrumental in getting the festival started, Jackson said.
“He was a big music fan,” he said. “It was sort of his dream to bring all that back.”
Originally called the Nothing But the Blues Fest, the event focused strictly on blues music in its first years but has now expanded in scope, Jackson said.
“We always intended to expand, and we’ve finally done that,” he said. “We offer all kinds of music — reggae, gospel, rock, blues, jazz, roots. We try to have something for everybody.”
Originally held in Patrick Square in Clemson, the festival is now offering concerts and other events at venues throughout Pickens County and the surrounding area.
“We’re all over the place,” Jackson said. “We’re in Westminster, Seneca, Six Mile, Clemson, Pendleton. We’re got a big event on Main Street in Central. We try to do events everywhere. That’s what we’re about — bringing the music and bringing the history.”
The festival partners with the CAT transit system to offer historical bus tours.
“We do tours of the slave cemetery at Clemson University, the textile and railroad history of Central,” Jackson said. “We try to have a variety of things to engage as many people as we can.”
Wanda Johnson
The festival seeks to promote female African-American performers like Wanda Johnson, “South Carolina’s Lady of Rhythm, Blues and Soul,” and Loretta Holloway, “South Carolina’s Official First Lady of Song.”
“(We include) people like that who are getting their career going or trying to keep it going,” Jackson said. “We’ve got some really good performers.”
There will be a lot of familiar faces performing at this year’s festival, Jackson said.
Fayssoux Starling McClean
“Fayssoux McLean is a really great performer,” he said. “She’s sung with Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris and Tom T. Hall. She’ll be in Westminster and also in Six Mile.”
Brandon Turner is a really great guitar player, Jackson said.
Brandon Turner
“He’s played with Freddie Vanderford quite a bit,” he said.
This year’s big events include Six Mile Swing — featuring the Tony Tidwell Band, Fayssoux McLean, Brandon Turner and Wanda Johnson, as well as the Music on Main event in Central that will feature Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’Blues and the Beach Bash at the Madren Center in Clemson, featuring Men of Distinction.
Mac Arnold
Men of Distinction are a “really fantastic beach music band,” Jackson said. “They’re a nine-piece orchestra. They play all kinds of stuff. I say from Sinatra to Stevie Wonder — they do it all.”
Mac Arnold has performed at the festival year after year.
“He’s such a great guy,” Jackson said of Arnold. “He always comes down and supports us.”
A lot of the festival events are free. Organizers try to keep the other events reasonably priced, Jackson said.
The fest joins with the Hagood Mill and the Pickens County Museum of Art and History for some events, including an art show currently at the museum.
Organizers hold an art contest for designs for T-shirts and other advertising. The winners and other entrants’ work are currently being displayed at the museum.
“It’s another way to get people involved in the festival, through art,” Jackson said.
A 501(c)3 organization, the festival seeks to assist many local charities in the area, including Pickens County Meals on Wheels, Clemson Community Care and the Sertoma Club. The Beach Bash event during the festival helps the Sertoma Club pay for disadvantaged children to attend Camp Sertoma.
The festival has assisted Mac Arnold’s foundation, the I Can Do Anything Foundation.
“They provide musical instruments for kids who can’t afford them,” Jackson said. “If they want be in the band or something and they can’t afford a saxophone, they’ll help them out with that. Mac does really good charity work that way.”
Last year’s event raised more than $5,000 for area charities. Jackson said the festival wouldn’t be possible without the support of its sponsors.
“It’s a great event, and we have a lot of fun with it,” Jackson said. “I think we help a lot of people.”
For more information, visit clemsonmusicfest.org
