By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

CLEMSON — Several Pickens County residents have asked the Pickens County Legislative Delegation to take action this session on adding a seventh seat to the Pickens County School Board.

“Back in June, I sent a letter to each of you asking that you act on House Bill 4299 — adding a seventh seat to the school board, and address things that have jeopardized the school district,” Central resident Heidi Williams said during the annual legislative delegation meeting held earlier this month at Clemson City Hall. “I understand we are in the clear with AdvancED (the accreditation agency for school districts, which had issued findings against Pickens County prior to its most recent positive report).

“It is time to bring that conversation to the Statehouse. Empower us to bring that seventh member to the school board and, hopefully, county council.”

The bill was originally introduced last spring by state reps. Gary Clary of the Clemson area and Neal Collins of Easley. After passing third reading in the House, the bill was sent on to the Senate and has remained there since.

Six Mile resident Francis Plotnik thanked House members for introducing the bill and advancing it to the Senate. But Plotnik asked legislators when the bill would be approved in the Senate and signed by Gov. Nikki Haley.

State Sen. Larry Martin of Pickens was noncommittal.

“It’s still in the Senate — it’s on the calendar for consideration, and there’s no timetable to take it up,” Martin said.

When Plotnik responded that “it would be nice to see it taken up as soon as possible,” Martin replied that all he could say was that the bill was still in the Senate.

“You’re not going to goad me into responding to a question like that, or we would be here all night,” he said.

House Bill 4299 was proposed in reaction to increased concerns that last spring’s AdvancED report, expressing criticism of what it said was the school district’s failure to take corrective actions on a couple of issues that proponents felt could lead to the loss of accreditation.

But senators Martin and Thomas Alexander, the latter representing a portion of Pickens County in addition to Oconee, were hesitant to say whether they would vote for the measure.

The bill stipulates that the seventh member must serve at large “and initially be appointed by a majority of the legislative delegation of Pickens County.” The at-large seat would eventually be terminated, and the number of members and single-member school board districts increased to seven, based on the seven attendance zones.

Finally, the bill stipulates that all Pickens County School Board members “must be elected by majority vote beginning with the general election in 2016.”

Shortly after the bill was introduced, Martin said he felt the school board itself should be responsible for correcting problems with AdvancED. The Pickens County senator said the seventh school board member, while theoretically avoiding tie votes, is not the real issue with the accreditation agency.

“It’s not tie votes, because that’s not identified in the AdvancED report, and while I’m sure the superintendent (Danny Merck) would rather not see more tie votes, and a more education-friendly board, which I get, as a practical matter the AdvancED report focuses on the actions of board members,” Martin said.

Alexander agreed, adding, “My focus is that (the school district) keep accreditation, and I’m not sure (adding a seventh board member) is the way to achieve that.”

Other audience members in attendance at the annual meeting agreed.

“I am opposed to 4299,” said Junius Smith. “We need debate, but (school district officials) want these sweet people instead of people who disagree about everything. That’s baloney. We need to debate.

“If you want to talk about a mess, you got it in the internal structure of the school district.”

Weldon Clark said he, too, is opposed to the idea.

“We need a vocal school board, delegation and county council to discuss things and disagree,” Clark said. “It’s called democracy.”

—

PICKENS — With the Pickens County School Board currently considering a proposal that would close Ben Hagood Elementary School, located at 435 Sparks Lane in Pickens, the school’s PTO is working hard with the community on a “Save Hagood” campaign to keep the school’s doors open.

[cointent_lockedcontent]The Hagood PTO plans to stand up for the students by speaking at the Pickens County School Board meeting on Jan. 25. The meeting, which will be held in the board room of the Curtis A. Sidden Administrative Office at 1348 Griffin Mill Road in Easley, is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m.

The PTO is urging all who want to see the school remain open to attend the meeting to show their support.

Courtesy Photo
Ben Hagood Elementary PTO member Stephanie Sampson hands out information in the student pick-up line about the upcoming efforts to save the school.

The current Ben Hagood Elementary School opened its doors in 1980 and has impacted Pickens County as a community and family.

Since then, thousands of students have walked the halls and have continued down a successful path in life. The PTO believes the community wants and needs this school to stay open for future generations to come. The school is growing both academically and with extracurricular activities and events.

The PTO recently helped raise more than $12,000 for new playground equipment and new technology in the classrooms.

The school enjoys a meal together on the first Thursday every other month at the local Wendy’s, with the restaurant chain allowing Hagood to keep 15 percent from the sales that evening as a way to raise money.

The students have also sold Yankee candles. The sales have made the school $7,000 in profit in the bi-annual event, which takes place with help of the community and families of students at Hagood.

The school also offers Literacy Night, where students participate in reading, eat dinner and receive a book to take home.

Another part of Hagood Elementary School’s importance to the community is that it houses the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAMs) program. The YAMs program introduces children to the traditional music of their heritage. It is open to all students, third through fifth grade, who are interested.

The PTO is working hard to voice its concerns, with community members recently passing out flyers asking Pickens-area businesses to use their outdoor or indoor signs to get the message out by placing the moniker “Save Hagood” on them.

The intent is to make sure all in the Pickens community know what is happening. The message is another way to stand up for the children and staff of the school. PTO officials said their biggest fear if the school is closed is that its students will be divided among other schools, raising the number of children in those schools, as well as in their classroom sizes.

[/cointent_lockedcontent]

PICKENS — If you have ever wondered about the workings of a colony of honeybees, the Pickens County Beekeepers Association has just the class for you.

PCBA will be offering an introductory beekeeping class this spring. The four Saturday sessions will cover all of the information needed for anyone to start keeping bees.

The first class session will be held on Jan. 30 at the Fellowship Hall of the Pickens Presbyterian Church, located at 311 W. Main St. in downtown Pickens, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. There will be opportunities during subsequent classes for the students to get hands-on experience with beekeeping equipment and to see the inside of an active bee colony. Experienced beekeepers will cover honeybee biology, nectar and pollen gathering, honey bee pests and diseases, hive components and assembly, products of the hive and marketing honey.

The cost of the class is $50 per person and includes course materials and a textbook. Youth 14 and under (accompanied by an adult) may take the class for $25 per person. Those completing the class may take an examination to become a beekeeper certified by the South Carolina Beekeepers Association. Registration also includes membership in the Pickens County Beekeepers Association, whose members offer support and mentoring to its members.

For more information and to receive registration forms, contact Cyndi Banks at pcbanews@hotmail.com. The deadline for registration is Jan. 23. People interested in beekeeping are invited to join the association, which meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the Pickens Presbyterian Church. Visit the PCBA website for more details.

PICKENS — The Lonesome River Band will perform this Saturday at the fifth annual Winter Bluegrass Jubilee to be held at Pickens High School, located at 150 Blue Flame Drive in Pickens.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance at phsarts.ticketleap.com/yam/. For more information, call (864) 878-4257.

The Lonesome River Band’s enduring fans and peers have supported the group for more than 30 years and recently honored them with four International Bluegrass Music Association nominations. Three of the nominations are for songs from their current Billboard Bluegrass Chart album “Turn On A Dime,” released by Mountain Home Music Company.

Lonesome River Band has been in the studio this month recording a soon-to-be-released new album. Fans can expect to hear new songs and fan favorites during the concert. Band members include Virginia Country Music Hall of Famer and five-time IBMA Banjo Performer of the Year Award winner Sammy Shelor, Brandon Rickman on guitar, lead and harmony vocals, Mike Hartgrove on fiddle, Barry Reed on bass and Jesse Smathers on mandolin and lead and harmony vocals.

Last year, Shelor and Hartgrove performed with actor Martin Short when Steve Martin was honored with the 43rd American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award — the highest honor for a career in film. The award was presented to Martin during a gala tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., and aired on TBS. The star-studded event included Tiny Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Conan O’Brien, Dan Aykroyd, Jack Black, Kevin Nealon, Steve Carell and many more.

For more information on Lonesome River Band, visit lonesomeriverband.com or find the band on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

COUNTY — Would you like to learn how to play the guitar, banjo, fiddle or mandolin? Enrollment is now underway for the Appalachian Evening Music Program. The winter session will begin the week of Monday, Feb. 1 at various locations. The enrollment period is open now and will run through Thursday, Feb 4.

This program is open to students from third grade through adults of all ages. It is designed to teach students to play Appalachian music with the guitar, banjo, fiddle or mandolin. The cost is $60 for a six-week session and $25 for instrument rental, if needed.

Anyone interested in signing up for this new session should contact one of the following program directors:

Easley: Tuesday nights at the First Baptist Church – Contact: Susan Ware-Snow, 864-979-9188 or susu9196@gmail.com.

Pickens: Monday and Thursday nights at the Pickens Community Center – Contact: Steve McGaha, 864-283-4871 or blindpunkin54@yahoo.com.

Six Mile: Monday nights – Contact: Jan Nations, 864-608-3171 or jhnations64@aol.com.

The Evening Music Program is sponsored by Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music Inc. (POSAM), a charitable non-profit organization. For more information on the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program, visit www.YAMupstate.com, Facebook: “YAM (Young Appalachian Musicians),” or contact Betty McDaniel (director) at (864) 878-4257 or mcdanibw1@gmail.com.

CLEMSON — A robust employment environment and continued growth in the manufacturing, health, leisure and hospitality sectors have a Clemson University economics professor optimistic about the 2016 economic outlook for the Upstate and South Carolina as a whole.

“Overall, the economic outlook here is upbeat for 2016. I see South Carolina and the Upstate exceeding the anticipated national economic growth of 2.5 to 3 percent and unemployment here may be under 5 percent by year-end,” said Scott Baier, economics professor and director of the BB&T Center for Education and Policy Studies at Clemson.

Baier said a number of factors are contributing to his optimism, including continued growth in manufacturing here, which includes well-paying jobs.

“Nationally, employment growth in manufacturing has been flat, but that isn’t the case in South Carolina,” Baier said. “We’ve had a long history of manufacturing here, especially in the Upstate, and we’ve brought in more high-tech manufacturing. Add to that the state has been very aggressive in attracting producers and the result is a growing labor force.”

South Carolina is attractive to manufacturers for a variety of reasons, Baier said. Potential employers see locating in a right-to-work state as an attractive draw. But right to work doesn’t mean substandard compensation as many of the new jobs are with employers who pay well.

“The other thing that’s attractive to an employer considering locating here is the flexibility in finding and retaining employees,” Baier said.

The security of having a job can have a ripple effect on consumer spending and bring a boost to a number of other industries, including housing, Baier said. “As residents here feel comfortable with job security and continued employment, housing construction should continue upward in the Upstate.”

Unlike nationally, the size of the labor force in the Upstate and the state as a whole is increasing, Baier said.

“People are migrating here for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s an aging population wanting a more desirable climate. Quality of life and cost of living also are draws as the price of land here is considered very reasonable.”

A factor that’s driving the positive outlook for health care in the Upstate is its growing aging population. As their health care needs increase, expenditures increase and that industry should see growth, Baier said.

Consumer spending and personal income in the Southeast have followed the national average in recent years, about 2 percent annually, Baier said.

“Though modest, salaries and wages have grown here while inflation has been relatively low, including food and energy prices,” Baier added. “We shouldn’t expect energy prices to continue falling, but wages should continue to increase, thus helping lift real personal income, which will benefit consumer spending in 2016.”

Baier said two unknowns that could affect the nation’s and South Carolina’s economic fortunes are the price of oil and interest rates.

“Normally, falling oil and gas prices are a good thing,” Baier said. “Currently, there is concern in the financial sector about the low cost of gas and oil. Oil prices and how they are related to the U.S. debt structure could create problems down the road.”

Baier also said the Fed’s recent interest rate increase raises questions about how those rates will be managed and navigated to a normal level without sending the economy back into a recession.