Olivia Fowler

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

Over the weekend we went to see the new Meryl Streep/Julia Roberts movie “August: Osage County.” The acting was remarkable, but this was not an uplifting, feel-good movie. It was about a monstrous, self-centered, drug-addicted, psychopathic mother who could have prevented her husband’s death but chose not to.

If you think your family is dysfunctional, go see this. Even if your parents are serial killers, they will look like Ward and June Cleaver in comparison.

It was fascinating. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the screen… The effect on the audience was the same as if they had witnessed a fatal train derailment with no survivors.

Although the movie was disturbing, our trip to the concession counter was even more so.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

I’ve had a few problems today with my computer. I saved my column, and even called it up to send it to Zack so he could build the Opinion page. But somehow I lost the file, somewhere on my hard drive.

I’ve checked with the guys who actually understand these computers, Rocky and Zack. Both agree that I have lost my column. They’re too busy doing the actual work of the paper to search for some dumb guy’s column. They are doing what we need smart people for, and both qualify for that title.

Me? I am the dumb guy who offers comic relief. I’ve done it for years, although I used to get laughs by saying things that

Guest Editorial

By Jimmy G Taylor

Being a young boy growing up in the remote areas of Oconee County near Oconee Station and Pickett Post, us kids hardly ever saw a black person — maybe once a month or so when we got to go to Walhalla for something. Also, there weren’t many blacks in Walhalla in the late 1940s.

We moved to Pickens County in ’49 and later ended up near the town of Norris.

Being raised on a farm, I went to work at the age of 14 helping Mr. Cook on his farm. He was also in the business of moving families; Sometimes we moved them downstate, out of state or just across the street. There were two or three

Olivia Fowler

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

I think it could be helpful if public meetings had soundtracks as the movies do. Before you dismiss this as a crazy idea, give it some thought.

What if each board and commission in the county had its own theme song? And what if there was a musical score to give the audience clues as to what was actually taking place.

It would save so much time. For example, prior to votes about budget cuts or tax increases, the soundtrack from Jaws could be played.

It would certainly be appropriate. The dread, fear and mounting tension of the music would prepare the audience for the worst.

The “one issue” board members, those who come to life only when specific concerns come up for debate, could declare their views accompanied by that old favorite, Three Blind Mice. If a debate developed during the discussion, those who disagreed but didn’t want to go on record as opposing the first group could stand and counter with a little known version of Row Row Row Your Boat.

It would go something like this:

Group One —

“Three blind mice, three blind mice,

See how they run, see how they run.”

Group Two —

“Row, row row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

You’re never going anywhere,

But hold on to your dream.”

Group One —

“We’ll never stop playing our drum and fife,

And pledge to continue in stress and strife,

Until our opponents depart this life,

Three blind mice.”

The chair could then stand and say, “send this matter to the committee for study. We’ll review it later.”

And so, instead of hearing the same tired old points belabored, the music could communicate exactly what is happening.

Those who want to work cooperatively with others who don’t share their viewpoints could also have musical accompaniment. I suggest Climb every Mountain.

“Climb every mountain,

Search high and low,

Follow every highway,

Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,

Ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow,

‘Till you find your dream.”

In that instance, any of the high school choral groups could simply sing, in perfect harmony of course, as a replacement for actual debate.

If attempted discussion lasted too long, say more than three minutes, the chorus could skip to the end and drown them out with the last verse.

Immediately after the chair recognizes a member, the chorus could break into song.

Just before board members file in to take their seats, one of the school bands could play the theme from Superman. This would show some respect for the mission.

After members are seated and the meeting is called to order, the band could tune up softly in the background. Then maybe, near the beginning when old business is addressed, the old Sam Cooke hit from the sixties, “Chain Gang,” would be appropriate.

“That’s the sound of the men,

Working on the chain, ga-ang

That’s the sound of the men,

Working on the chain, gang

Can’t you hear them singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)

I’m going home one of these days

I’m going home, see my woman

Whom I love so dear

But meanwhile I gotta work right here”

And to insure public attendance, fried chicken should be served halfway through all meetings, because hungry people have a hard time agreeing on anything.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

I had a bit of a crisis this weekend. Somehow my car keys were not in my jacket pocket.

I ran my route Wednesday, driving all over Pickens County. I was off work Thursday, and quite honestly, glad of it. I did not make my weekly trip over to my friend Tim’s house, choosing to stay home and watch television instead. Friday I got up, showered, and got ready for work. I stumbled out to my car, checked my pockets, but found no keys.

I decided the keys were inside the house, though I had no memory of bringing the keys inside with me. A quick search of my bedroom and the area where I sit to watch television

Former SDPC official gives thoughts

Dear Editor,

I was the building program administrator for the School District of Pickens County from mid-2009 until early 2013.

I was responsible for the construction of seven new schools like Liberty High School and Chastain Road Elementary. We also made additions and renovations to another 20 schools. I worked closely with the architects, engineers, multiple general contractors and local/state governing authorities. I interfaced daily with

Unhappy with board action

Dear Editor,

I am disappointed the Pickens County School Board voted against selling the abandoned Gettys Middle School for $300,000. Legacy Charter School was going to buy the school and renovate it for the students of Easley.

Even trustee Judy Edwards said the school district should keep the school because it may be needed in the future for another school. Legacy would have given Easley that extra school Edwards talked about, at no cost to the taxpayers of Pickens County.

This is what Legacy did in Greenville. Their non-profit organization funded the purchase and renovations to Legacy Parker and Legacy Elementary, and these schools now serve 1,100 low-income students on the west side of Greenville.

Olivia Fowler

On The Way

By Olivia Fowler

We always seem to have a brush pile somewhere on Fowler Farm that needs to be burned. Some years there’s more than one, according to events involving trees and fences, branches and undergrowth. It’s interesting to see how quickly an area can transform from a spread of green grass into a jungle. One day you may have a groomed yard or healthy pasture. With a few weeks of neglect, honeysuckle, blackberry brambles, broom sage and tiny trees will begin their invasion. If too much time passes without some kind of maintenance, the area becomes a jungle.

Briars, brambles and rogue tree limbs can’t be left lying around. They have to be piled up in an uncultivated area, away from buildings and woods, then left to dry out so that later, when the time is right, they can be burned.

Ben Robinson

All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

The news is that it is now a new year, and I’m looking forward to a better year.

The past two years have been rough. I was fired from the job I had held for more than 20 years by folks who had basically only driven by the office.

So I cannot dwell on their problems. I have been lucky to have the opportunity to work with my longtime friends at The Courier. Why worry about how the other guys are doing when I have the opportunity to work and build this newspaper up?

This year should be interesting as I learn more about The Courier.

Just because I’ve known several of the people here many years does not give me the right to do things my way. It is only respectful to learn the ways of the Courier staff

Delegation meeting set for Jan. 2

Dear Editor,

There will be a Pickens County Legislative Delegation meeting on Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dacusville Community Center. This will be a great time for all citizens to look our delegation members — Larry Martin, Phil Owens, B.R. Skelton and Davey Hiott — in the eye and ask tough questions about why South Carolina’s educational system, our ethics laws and our roadways are consistently rated some of the worst in the nation. These guys have been in Columbia for years, and we still see little to no improvement in these core functions of government.

We can also ask why our delegation overwhelmingly voted against Gov. Haley’s common-sense budget reductions. It seems odd that they would vote against