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Category Archives: Opinions

Courier Letters to the Editor 6-18-25

Prepare to meet your maker

Dear Editor,

Here’s an unpopular subject no one likes to talk about. You’re also never too old to learn something.

I recently found out that in the old days when, people would die, they were worried about being buried alive! Back before the 20th century, people were not embalmed when they died. The scary thing was that sometimes they weren’t dead! They had

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Salvation is free, but it’s not cheap

The Christian faith believes that God draws people to Himself when they hear the gospel message about how much He loves them. This is why evangelism is important, since the idea is that the more the gospel is presented, the more people will be convicted and respond to Christ.

After a person has made their public profession of

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Stick-built evangelism

Matthew 7:26-27 “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Carpenters sometimes use the term “stick framing” to describe a type of residential construction. Stick framing utilizes dimensional softwood lumber (spruce, pine,

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Courier Letters to the Editor 6-11-25

Courthouse, Carolina Investors

Dear Editor,

The Pickens County Courthouse has been overcrowded for a while, when it comes to space inside the building and parking outside. The county government has taken two steps to address this. First, we bought the old Carolina Investors building at 208 Garvin St. That building is two floors and 10,000 square feet and will help alleviate overcrowding inside the courthouse.

Moving from the courthouse to Garvin St. will be the Department of Juvenile Justice; Probation, Parole and Pardons; and possibly the public defender. They will be on the

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Getting community care is easier now

Remember when you wanted to go to a civilian doctor but getting VA approval for community care was such a hassle as you waited for it all to be signed off?

The 2019 MISSION Act, letting veterans seek civilian care while the Department of Veterans Affairs paid for it, was well intentioned, but like so many things, the steps were a burden. No more.

As of now, we have the Senator Elizabeth Dole

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Safety in the summer heat

Before we know it, we’ll need to move into hot weather mode and take steps to stay healthy and safe in the heat.

For me, most important is keeping the house cool, since that’s where I spend most of my time. The air conditioning will be set at 76 to 78 degrees, depending

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Do you have a moment to take God’s call?

Our Creator is always waiting and willing to bring us back into right standing with Him. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 that He leaves the 99 to find the lost one and brings them back into the fold. How does He do this? He brings conviction into their conscience, they see where they have strayed away from His truth, and

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What things do we fear?

John 14: 1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Not long ago I was jogging on an abandoned logging trail in the woods behind my house. In my peripheral vision, I sensed something unusual beside the trail. My mind was a million miles

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Courier Letters to the Editor 6-4-25

City council ignoring concerns?

Dear Editor,

The proposed Wolfcreek annexation continues to astonish a huge majority of citizens. 1,400 people have signed a petition in opposition, “NO ANNEXATION” signs are everywhere. Dozens of phone calls and letters have been sent to City Council with nothing but polite ambiguous responses.  Yet Council continues to move the process forward and everyone is wondering “Why”?  Everyone in the City and County are trying to understand the logic of continuing on this path.  A number have asked the Mayor and Council to provide a simple accounting of anticipated costs and income from the proposed annexation.  None has been provided.

It is increasingly apparent that the City Council is not representing the vast majority of voters who oppose this development, but rather, one entitled property owner and a predatory national land developer.  Executive sessions, private meetings in City offices, private phone calls, private emails, meetings in private homes.  No public comment allowed on the May 28 meeting agenda where Council will vote on a first reading!  Is

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this representative government??

 

The questions and issues grow weekly:

  1. The City has not addressed Service and Contiguity conflicts with State law.
  2. The 2012 Pickens Comprehensive Plan lists “Preservation of existing community character” as #1 priority. The County designated this area as “Agricultural Heritage” area with minimum 1 acre lots. Yet the developer, and apparently, City Council, think that a conforming use is 8 homes per acre with 7’ setbacks!
  3. The Federal Superfund site next to Wolf Creek is listed as an Active Site in the 2020 report with bans on drinking water and other toxic contamination warnings. Does the City Council think that it’s a good idea to build 140 homes on top of contaminated ground water? Does the Council intend to require that the developer post an indemnity bond to protect City assets from future lawsuits?  This is NOT optional.
  4. The City can’t account for $150,000 for fiscal year 2022-23. The developer is being sued for fraud in Charleston.  Where is the integrity in our process?

The developer told us at the April 23rd Town Hall that they need density to make money.  Why is it that the developer and property owner think that it is our obligation to change our community standards to accommodate their business model for earning a big profit?  Dean Holder’s relative Dwight Holder, built Heritage Estates with 2 acre lots and trees preserved.  Mr. Holders niece recently subdivided land around Holden Pond into 5 acre lots.  Community standards were respected in these developments.  BRD and Mr. Holder need to bring a development plan which respects OUR community standards and not the other way around.  Will City Council support this basic principle – and an overwhelming majority of citizens?  If Council wants to take a position that this city style high density development is “good for the community”, then lets put it to a vote for City voters and let the people decide.  We need to bring democracy to Pickens.

 

Sincerely

Peter Greenberger

Pickens

 

Roundabout is not the best solution

Dear Editor:

On Thursday, May 15th my husband and I attended the Information and Public Comment meeting at Ambler Elementary School.  We learned that this meeting was being held to give information regarding a proposed roundabout at the five-way intersection of Highway 11, New Hope Road, S. Saluda Road and Country Creek Drive in Northern Pickens County.

The total estimated cost for the improvement is $6,150.000 of which the Appalachian Council of Governments has secured federal funds in the amount of $4,680,000 and state funds of $1,170,000.  Who is responsible for the difference if the project goes over budget?

We do not believe that a roundabout is the best solution at this five-way intersection.  18 wheelers, trucks pulling boats and trailers, transporting mobile homes, heavy equipment, and construction materials travel the highway on a daily basis. In addition, recreational vehicles frequent highway 11. According to the representative we spoke with, vehicles would need to reduce speed to 25 mph to safely navigate the roundabout.  18 wheelers will struggle to reduce their speed, and it will take time to get back up to speed due to the inclines going south and north from the proposed project.  This could easily cause additional accidents when impatient drivers attempt to pass the slower vehicles.

There is a drop-off at the entrance of Aunt Sue’s and at New Hope Road. Weaver Creek is located on each property. How is this to be protected if a vehicle hits the roundabout wrong and overturns, creating an environmental hazard.

Highway 11 is designated as a Scenic Highway.  During the summer and fall months, this highway is heavily traveled by tourists and visitors who are unfamiliar with the road.

The construction of a roundabout is a very lengthy, expensive project. There are newly installed flashing yellow lights on Hwy 11 & flashing red on the side roads.  This is a temporary measure, but it is much more cost effective.  SCDOT could leave these lights in place and review the data at the end of the tourist season this fall.  Another solution would be to replace the flashing lights with traffic signals and, or widen the intersection and install turning lanes.

Nancy and Mike Goldsmith

Cleveland, SC

 

 

Outwitting the scammers

My phone number appears to have gotten on another list somewhere, and the potential scammers are coming out of the woodwork — again. I have my suspicions about where they could have found my number this time, but I can’t prove it, of course. All I can do is keep fending them off … by not answering the phone if I don’t recognize the number or hanging up quickly if I’ve answered and

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