Daily Archives: 10/08/2014
United Christian Ministries helps those in need
COUNTY — More than 25 years ago, several area church leaders gathered together and began discussions about how to best serve people visiting their churches asking for help with food, clothing or money to pay their rent, electric, or heating bills.
This group of church leaders soon recognized the value of combining resources and developing a system of record-keeping and communication to serve people in need. From this cooperative effort, United Christian Ministries opened its doors to its neighbors in need in July 1989. Supporting churches provided food, clothing, financial gifts and lots of volunteers. In its first six months of operation, UCM provided 538 emergency food packages, assisted 112 households with utility payments, with a total expenditure in direct aid of $7,624.
Fast forward 25 years, and UCM is thankful for the support of approximately 80 churches. During the first six months of 2014, support received by UCM from the faithful churches, businesses, and the community provided 1,137
Council recognizes Brannon at meeting
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Officer Matthew Brannon was recognized Monday evening for his five years of service to the Pickens Police Department and was awarded a certificate by mayor David Owens at the monthly city council meeting.
Also honored but not present at the meeting was Irving Whitmire, who has worked for the city for 15 years.
Local resident Teresa Brock returned to council to complain about a traffic ticket she received for speeding. Brock still doesn’t believe she was speeding when the ticket was issued. She further complained about trash pickup in the city.
Dogs are special in their own way
Every dog that comes into our lives is special. And the little dog we lost in April was such a part of our lives that her death left a huge hole in our hearts.
Cheetah was a five-pound Chihuahua with a huge personality. She was dearly loved and a part of all our activities. When she died, I thought I would never have another dog. And for six months, those were my feelings on the subject.
And then we visited friends who had a Chihuahua named Bullet. He is the son of Trigger, who is the son of Pistol.
He ran over and jumped into my lap and worked the magic spells of dogs. He melted my heart.
It was time to look around and consider what dog would be a good fit
Getting back in shape
I’m finally getting over this injured leg. The doctor was putting a bandage that prevented me from taking a shower all week. After complaints from several of my friends, she decided a different bandage would work just as well.
Now that I am better, I need to set new habits. I need to exercise every day. Just saying that I get plenty of exercise in my daily routine does not work any more. Honestly, if I only took in 100 calories a day, that would work. But since I have the diet of a small herd of cattle, I need to be more active.
I can find my old basketball at home. My old goal is now part of a fallen tree, but I can drive over to one of the parks the county now supplies and play there. I guess the kids the parks are built for are too busy playing video games to use the parks. Luckily, I’m not smart enough to be any good at the video games, so I still need a
Courier Letters to the Editor 10-8-14
Where is Congress?
Dear Editor,
Where in the heck is Congress? They should be in session debating a course of action for Iraq. Instead they are on a five-week recess running for reelection instead working for the security of this country.
Protecting their cushy jobs is more important than protecting the USA.
They take the month of July off, work eight days in August and then take five weeks off to run for reelection, then people get upset over a salute.
Here’s a real scandal. One-third of our embassies do not have an ambassador. The Russian ambassador was finally
Community Calendar
• PHS Craft Fair needs vendors
A craft fair will be held at Pickens High School on Nov. 1 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost for a 10×10 vendor booth will be $10. Email tammyferguson@pickens.k12.sc.us for an application. Money and applications are due by Oct. 20.
• Pickens-Liberty Lions plan meetings
The Pickens-Liberty Lions Club is in need of new members. The club meets the first and third Thursday of every month at Pizza Inn in Pickens. Dinner begins at 6:40 p.m., and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to
PCLA fall book sale planned this month
PICKENS — The Pickens County Literacy Association will be holding its annual fall used book sale on Oct. 24-25.
Proceeds from the event help the PCLA continue its program of volunteer tutors helping adults improve their reading skills.
The two-day event will be held in the All Saints Hall of Pickens Presbyterian Church, located at 311 West Main St. The sale will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. It’s not too late to donate to the sale. Items needed include like-new or gently used books of all types, video and audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs.
Drop-off locations in Pickens are the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative office, Grace United Methodist Church, Holy
Public invited to town hall meeting
PICKENS — A town hall meeting will be held at the Hagood Community Center — also known as Pickens Senior Center — on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited.
The meeting is planned to discuss with community members the renovations planned for the center’s auditorium. Upcoming programming, which will be made possible by some of the renovations planned, will also be discussed.
Community input is welcomed on future activities. National Endowment for the Arts will help, through a $25,000 Our Town grant, with the design and programming for the auditorium.
The public is asked to come find out about the exciting renovation and programming at the historical former Pickens
Pumpkintown prepares for 36th annual festival
PUMPKINTOWN — Fall is here again, and thousands of visitors will descend upon the 36th annual Pumpkin Festival in Pumpkintown on Saturday, Oct. 11.
The festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is the time of year to enjoy a wonderful fall day in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains while taking advantage of some outstanding shopping, music and food. The festival will kick off at 9 a.m. with a parade from the Pumpkintown Fire Department and ends after passing the Oolenoy Community Building (5301 Dacusville Highway).
Courier Onituaries 10-8-14
Polly R. Pace
Pickens — Pauline Reeves “Polly” Pace, 90, of N. Catherine Street, and wife of the late William Hancel “Hank” Pace, Sr., died Wednesday Oct. 1, 2014 at her home.
Born in Pickens County, she was the daughter of the late Waddy Avery Reeves and Liza Jane Queen Reeves. Mrs. Pace was retired from Singer Manufacturing. She was a member of Pickens First Baptist Church and was an Auxiliary Volunteer with Cannon Memorial Hospital for several years.
Surviving is a son, the Rev. William H. “Bill” Pace, Jr. (Deanna) of Pickens; several grandchildren and great grandchildren; two sisters, Emma Lou Grant of Pickens and Jeanette Hamlin of Piedmont; and two brothers, James
