TURNING
THE PAGE
A look back at the
top headlines of 2018
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2O18 
In the NEWS
The 2018 calendar year was filled with intriguing headlines for residents in the Greer area.
The following is a Top 5 list of the major stories that took place over the last twelve months,
along with a few others that stole the spotlight.
Hotel, streetscape plans advance
The biggest headline of
2018 could likely find its
way back onto this list in
2019.
The City of Greer is
inching closer to the start
of its streetscape project,
which will revamp roads
in downtown and make
way for a new hotel and
parking garage.
The project, set to break
ground in January, will
INDEX  | LIVING HERE
CLASSIFIEDS
COMMUNITY NEWS
B3
A3
EDUCATION B6
IN MEMORIAM A6
OPINION A4
SPORTS B1-2
WEATHER A6
PAIGE HANEY
864-414-9937
PHaney@CDanJoyner.com
www.GreenvilleLifeSC.com
SOUTH CAROLINA’S PREMIER WEEKLY
2018
1
likely be bid for line, installing pavers, re-
a total of $10.8 pairing all broken curbing
million. and gutters, ensuring ADA
The street- accessibility, and install-
scape project ing all new landscaping
includes work and lighting.
on all roads in In addition, the City of
the central business dis- Greer has also received
trict. The centerpiece is plans for a new Hampton
transforming Trade Street Inn to be located at the
through a shared street corner of Jason and North
design — milling it down Main Streets. The plans
to one inch below the curb are for a four-story struc-
Development explodes in Greer
Dozens of major hous-
ing developments were
approved and some even
began construction in
2018. From the Greer Mill
to Ansel School Road to
Abner Creek Road, Greer
has continued its rapid
growth.
One of the largest proj-
ects approved was a 348-
unit development located
 | SPORTS
YOUR STORIES
People who
inspired Greer
in 2018
B4
LIVING HERE, SELLING HERE
Wishing you a Happy,
Healthy and Prosperous NEW YEAR
201
9
GREER, SOUTH CAROLINA VOL. 105 NO. 52 75 CENTS
Higher turnout
An energized local elec-
torate provided a higher
turnout than anticipated
during the 2018 midterm
elections in November.
“When we opened up at
7 a.m., we had a line that
came all the way into the
building and out onto
the sidewalk,” said Boni-
ta Rice, who was working
the Super Mill precinct
at Praise Cathedral that
Tuesday. “It stayed that
way for about an hour
and a half. The flow (was)
steady.”
At other polling places
across the Greer area, the
story was similar.
“I expected it to be busy,”
Election Official Tara Wav-
ture that will contain 108 le, who was working at
rooms with outdoor ame- Chandler Creek, said. “We
nities. had a big line. We thought
“Our goal is to have our the rain would keep peo-
hotel ready to go by the ple away, but it certainly
summer of 2020,” said (didn’t).”
Property Owner Yatish Pa- Official results from
tel. Greenville and Spartan-
A proposed parking burg Counties indicated
deck will be located be- around 50 percent partic-
hind the hotel next to Ja- ipation from registered
son Street. voters.
Statewide, Henry McMas-
3
on Highway 14 two required parking
and Gibbs Shoals spaces,” said Paul Harri-
Road. son, founding Partner and
This mixed-use Professional Engineer with
development, blueWATER Civil Design.
called Sudduth Farms, sits In addition to a two-car
on a total of 81.02 acres garage, the units with four
and will add 153 single bedrooms will also have
family lots and 195 town two spaces in the drive-
homes. ways.
“Each single family unit During consideration for
will have a minimum of the project, Planning Com-
 |
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Playoff runs, THE GREER CITIZEN,
coaching changes
and adversity
CALL US TODAY AT 877-2076
B1
www.GoodToBeHomeSC.com
ter was elected Governor,
earning 61 percent of the
vote in Spartanburg Coun-
ty and 57 percent of the
vote in Greenville County.
2
Mark Ham-
mond won the
Secretary of State
race by about the
same margin, tal-
lying just over
60 percent of the
vote in both counties.
Curtis Loftis will contin-
ue as State Treasure, ob-
taining 61 and 63 percent
of the vote, while Alan Wil-
son continues as Attorney
General, garnering 63 and
60 percent.
Other race winners in-
clude Molly Spearman
as State Superintendent
and Richard Eckstrom as
South Carolina Comptrol-
ler General.
Locally, William Tim-
mons will represent Dis-
trict 4 in the United States
House; Pat Sudduth de-
feated Bob Cotter in a
bid for Greenville County
School Board’s District 18
seat; and Rita Allison won
reelection uncontested.
missioner Judy Jones said
density will continue to be
a problem as Greer grows.
“Greer is getting ready
to have a density problem
as a whole,” Jones said.
“It’s going to be a real con-
cern.”
“We have to think of cre-
ative solutions for things
like that,” said Greer Plan-
ner Kelli McCormick.
STEPHANIE MILLER
864-915-6076
SMiller@CDanJoyner.com
A2 THE GREER CITIZEN NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

School safety in focus

A February shooting at
a high school in Parkland,
Florida, which killed 17
people, put school safe-
ty at the forefront of the
discussion for many local
districts.
A student-led walkout
at local high schools took
place in March. The event
was designed to to draw
attention to gun violence
and ask for solutions.
The walkout lasted 17
minutes for each victim
lost in Florida.
Greer High and other
Greenville County Schools
offered students alterna-
tive uses of the time, such
as: wearing the colors of
the affected school (Marjo-
ry Stoneman Douglas High
School), making posters
to support the school and
the victim’s families, and
writing letters to legisla-
tors regarding gun laws.
Football fans also saw
increased security at their
4
favorite high
school team’s
stadium this Fall.
Greenville
County Schools
instituted a clear
bag policy for all athlet-
ic venues. Under the new
measure, spectators are
prohibited from entering
athletic venues with cam-
era cases, briefcases, back-
packs, cinch bags, large
purses, and similar items.  should be the case for our
Approved bags include
clear, gallon-sized zip
storage bags, clear totes
and small purses.  Folding
chairs and blankets are
subject to search.  “We secure our buildings
In Spartanburg District
Five, officials added metal
detectors at Byrnes High’s
Nixon Field. Gates opened
two hours before kickoff
to accommodate antici-
pated delays, and each bag
was screened upon entry.
“If you look around,
places like Timmons Are-
na, Bon Secours Wellness
Arena, Fluor Field already
have clear bag policies,”
Greenville County Spokes-
person Beth Brotherton
said. “As we continually
try to update our safety
and security measures,
we look for what the best
practice is at the moment.
If clear bags are the ex-
pectation at concerts or
college games, we feel that
high school athletes as
well.”
Brotherton said the
move to clear bags is a
step in the right direction.
during the school day, but
we also have to think about
the world we live in and
some of the large events
we hold on school prop-
erty,” Brotherton said. “At
athletic events, we have to
be thinking about what we
can do and not ignoring
security issues.

Other Weather wreaks havoc

major
Weather became a factor
for South Carolinians this
fall.

5
In September,
officials issued

news an evacuation or-

SHERIFF LEWIS INDICTED,
SUSPENDED FROM OFFICE
A Grand Jury indicted
Greenville County Sheriff
Will Lewis on charges of
misconduct in office and
obstructive of justice in
April.
Lewis was suspended
from his position as sher-
iff via executive order
from South Carolina Gov.
Henry McMaster and was
replaced with appoint-
ed Sheriff Johnny Mack
Brown “until Lewis is ac-
quitted, convicted, the in-
dictment is otherwise dis-
posed of, or until a sheriff
is elected and qualified in
the next general election
for county sheriffs,” a
statement from the gover-
nor read.
An investigation into
Lewis’ actions began in
2017 when the sheriff’s
former assistant, Savanah
Nabors, filed a civil law-
suit claiming Lewis sexual-
ly assaulted her in March
of that year.
Lewis admitted to hav-
ing what he described as
a “consensual encounter”
outside of marriage, but
denied criminal actions.
McMaster previously
called for Lewis to resign,
saying, “If I could remove
him from office, I most
certainly would.”
Brown, who served as
Greenville County Sheriff
for six terms beginning
in 1972, most recently
served as South Carolina’s
U.S. marshal when he was
appointed by President
George W. Bush in 2002.
Noah Guthrie
NOAH GUTHRIE MAKES
STRONG RUN ON AGT
Noah Guthrie’s fan club
grew over the summer
thanks to his stellar per-
formances on the hit tele-
vision show, America’s
Got Talent.
The Greer singer made
his debut in June 2018,
earning a standing ovation
from the four AGT judg-
es, including Simon Cow-
ell, performing Rihanna’s
“Love on The Brain.”
Born and raised in Greer,
Guthrie began pursuing a
career in music as an up-
perclassman at Greer High
School.
Guthrie released his first
album, “Among the Wild-
est Things,” in 2013.
“It’s one of the best feel-
ings there is—getting to
share what you do with
people,” Guthrie said. “A
lot of people know me for
covers and that’s totally
fine. It got me very far in
my career. But I knew that
I at least wanted to get one
original on the show. That
was my goal starting out,
and I was super happy to
be able to do it.”
Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown
Soon after, he was con-
tacted by the television
show Glee.
The experience on AGT,
however, has changed his
life.
“I definitely have been
recognized a lot more,”
Guthrie said. “Most people
that come up to me tell me
that they’ve voted for me
and that they’re behind
me, which is good to hear.
It’s good to have the com-
munity behind you.
“I really wasn’t sure
how far I would go when
I set out to do this,” he
said “I just thought that
if I could get a couple
of weeks on the show,
it would be a big win.”
W.E. WILLIS ATTACK
RESULTS IN SIX ARRESTS
More than six arrests
were made in connection
with a robbery and kid-
napping that took place
at a W.E. Willis convince
store in September.
Mark Alan Wright, 49,
Jack Foreman, 38, Jer-
maine Bernard Williams,
38 and Jeffery Kevin Mul-
lins each face charges that
include counts of armed
robbery, assault and bat-
tery and burglary. At
least three of the four are
charged with attempted
murder.
In addition, deputies
have also charged Kenyat-
ta Foster, 42, and Ronald
Edmond as accessories
after the fact. The mother
and son had stolen pistols
that were tied to the case,
according to police.
Police believe that on
Sept. 25 at around 4:30
a.m. the suspects con-
spired to commit the bru-
tal attack and robbery that
occurred with Foreman
allegedly having stolen
a truck on Sept. 18 from
Budget Tire Co. located on
Poinsett Highway.
The incident began at
the W.E. Willis store, locat-
ed at 3601 Hwy. 414; then,
the suspects kidnapped
Mr. Willis and took him
to his residence on Sweet-
gum Road, where they
encountered Mrs. Willis
inside. Once inside, the
suspects bound Mrs. Wil-
lis and continued to tor-
ture the victims for 30-40
minutes before ultimate-
ly shooting and stabbing
Mrs. Willis.
The suspects ransacked
the residence and fled in
a vehicle belonging to the
Willis’ with an undisclosed
amount of cash.
“Deputies received this
call around 5 a.m.,” Sheriff
Johnny Mack Brown said.
“When we arrived there,
the store was in disar-
ray, and there was blood
found.”
“Our investigators
found Mr. and Mrs. Willis
at their residence, where
they entered and found
them bound and tied and
der for a number
of counties near
the coast as Hur-
ricane Florence
found its way to the shore-
line as a Category 4.
The evacuations brought
many to Greer, including
40 senior citizens who left
their home at Murrells In-
let. The Thrive at Prince
Creek residents stayed
unable to move,” he said. nearly a week after a diffi-
Around 7 a.m. that cult move.
morning, investigators “It’s tough because be-
discovered the torched ve- ing displaced from your
hicle belonging to Mr. and home is never easy. Now, from the storm. pacts come in a variety of
Mrs. Willis and collected a try and do it at 90-years- In December, more than ways. You’ve got wind and
piece of evidence that was old,” Thrive at Greer Pres- 80,000 Upstate residents snow. You’ve got freezing
eventually tested for DNA. ident Tim Cook said. “Our lost power as a result of a rain. When you combine
Investigators later collect- hearts are definitely with major winter storm. all of those things, it just
ed another article of evi- them through this, and Greer CPW customers makes it worse,” Duke
dence, near Bates Crossing also the team members were back up and running Energy Spokesman Ryan
Road, that also contained that traveled with them. soon after the storm, but Mosier said. “The weath-
DNA; leading investigators They also left their homes some Duke Energy cus- er takes down trees. The
to the names Foreman and and family members be- tomers had to wait days trees take down the infra-
Wright. hind. It was just a sacri- for the lights to come back structure. It makes for a
“The DNA match es- fice.” on. long few days for a lot of
tablished a good starting The residents returned “When you’re dealing folks.”
point for our investiga- home to minimal damage with a storm like this, im-
tors,” Sheriff Brown said.
“Working around the
clock, these investigators
were able to place these
suspects at the related
crime scenes.”
David Merhib
GREER CHAMBER FINDS
NEW PRESIDENT
The Greater Greer Cham-
ber of Commerce named
its new president and CEO
on in November after Mar-
jorie Dowd’s short 2018
stint.
David Merhib was cho-
sen for the job, having
served as the President of
the Brookings Area Cham-
ber of Commerce in South
Dakota for the last four
years.
Merhib will be joining
the Chamber on Jan. 28.
“I am looking forward
to leading the Greater
Greer Chamber of Com-
merce and working with
the Board of Directors,
Chamber staff and Cham-
ber membership,” Merhib
said. “My goal is to keep
the Chamber relevant
through new and existing
programs and initiatives
that impact the business
community as well as de-
velop and create opportu-
nities for business growth
throughout the Greater
Greer area.”
Prior to his tenure with
the Brookings Area Cham-
ber, Merhib spent fifteen
years in the museum field,
with his last position be-
ing held at the Visual Arts
Center in the Washington
Pavilion of Arts & Science.
He holds a master’s de-
gree in Educational Ad-
ministration from South
Dakota State University,
and a Bachelor’s Degree in
Arts History from the Uni-
versity of Oregon.
Merhib is also a gradu-
ate of the Institute of Or-
ganizational Management
from the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 COMMUNITY
Community
News
MAC ARNOLD TO COME
TO THE SPINNING JENNY
Mac Arnold & Plate Full
O’ Blues is coming to The
Spinning Jenny on Friday,
Dec. 28, from 7-10:30 p.m.
The Spinning Jenny is
located at 107 Cannon St,
Greer.
Tickets are available at
www.tickettailor.com.
Doors will open at 7 p.m.
with the show starting at 8
p.m.
Tickets are $10 in ad-
vance or $14 at the door
plus fees.
For more information,
visit www.macarnold.com.
Mac Arnold’s first band
included James Brown on
piano.
Mac moved to Chicago
and Muddy Waters hired
him on the spot.
He toured and recorded
with the Muddy Waters
Band and recorded LPs
with Otis Spann and John
Lee Hooker.
Mac moved to Los An-
geles and produced Soul
Train with his friend Don
Cornelius.
He even played bass on
the Sanford & Son televi-
sion show when he wasn’t
playing bass for Otis Red-
ding and B.B. King.
He retired from show
business to be an organic
farmer.
Mac is back with his own
band and a “plate full” of
CDs, building a new foun-
dation in blues, soul and
funk. Mac now resides in
Pelzer, SC, where at the
age of 10 he got his first
taste of the blues when he
learned to play his brother
Leroy’s home-made guitar.
Going back to his roots,
Mac is serving up a mess
of Blues with his own
band, “Mac Arnold & Plate
Full O’ Blues”.
The band consists Aus-
tin Brashier on guitar and
vocals, Max Hightower on
keyboards, harmonica,
guitar, bass, and vocals,
Scotty Hawkins or Dizzy
Dizzy on drums and vo-
cals, and Mac Arnold on
vocals, bass and Gas Can
Guitars.
PAIGE HANEY
864-414-9937
PHaney@CDanJoyner.com
www.GreenvilleLifeSC.com
SOLD
If you want SOLD results, call us
We would love the opportunity to speak with you.
WILD ACE WILL RING IN THE
NEW YEAR IN GREER
Ring in New Year in
Greer at Wild Ace Pizza &
Pub on Monday, Dec. 31,
from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Wild Ace Pizza and Pub
is located at 103 Depot
Street, Greer.
Wild Ace Piiza and ACE
Catering & Events invites
you to ring in the New
Year in Downtown Greer.
Avoid the long lines and
over priced tickets - join
us for everything New
Years Eve has to offer.
The evening will include:
Red carpet reception,
Heavy hors d’oeuvre Buf-
fet, Full cash bar, Dance
party with Live DJ, Party
favors, Interactive pho-
tobooth, Balloon Drop
at midnight, Champagne
toast at midnight and a
Black Tie Optional Dress
Code.
Transportation to and
from the party is available
from dedicated drivers
provided by Wild Ace.
Distance limit is a maxi-
mum of 8 miles from Ace,
and times will be reserved
and assigned prior to the
event. Please plan to tip
your driver.
Email denise@thewil-
dace.com with Name, # in
party, pickup address, and
phone number to be add-
ed to the ride pool.
You will receive an email
confirmation.
SPINNING JENNY TO HOLD
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY
The Spinning Jenny is
hosting Rockin New Year’s
Eve Party on Monday, Dec.
31, from 8:30 p.m. to 1
a.m.
The Spinning Jenny is
located at 107 Cannon St,
Greer.
Live music will be per-
formed by Hot as a Pepper
Dance and Party Band ft.
The Habanero Horns.
Hot as a Pepper provides
the best in current to clas-
sic dance music including
rock, disco, funk, pop, top
40, R& B, and more.
Doors will open at 8:30
p.m. with general admis-
sion tickets $20 if pur-
chased in advanced or $25
at the door.
VIP tickets are $40 or
$45.
General Admission tick-
ets include: Champagne
toast, Swag Bag with Par-
ty Favors, Selfie Throne,
LIVING HERE
THE GREER CITIZEN A3
Raffle for prizes-money to
benefit Greer Relief, Party
snacks and Access to Main
Bar for Beer or Wine.
VIP Tickets include all
GA benefits plus: VIP early
entry at 7:30 p.m., Private
area with Private Bar, Re-
served Prime Seating, Sig-
nature Liquor Drink (only
one per VIP customer),
includes two Drinks and
Heavy hors d’oeuvres.
RING IT IN ROWDY WITH
STOMPING GROUNDS
Stomping Grounds
Coffee House and Wine
Bar is hosting Ringin’ It In
Rowdy on Monday, Dec.
31, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Stomping Grounds is
located at 209 Depot St,
Greer.
Spend the evening with
Barry McGunthrie, Jr.,
Greer’s unofficial country
spokesman and comedian
extraordinaire.
It is going to be a fun
filled evening, complete
with comedy, DJ, redneck
dining, two beer/wine
drinks and a cash bar as
well.
Tickets are $50, and part
of the proceeds will bene-
fit Greer Relief.
Tickets are available at
eventsatthedavenport.
com.
Tickets sales are limited.
This will be a ware-
house, come as you are (or
wear some camo) red solo
cup party.
For more information,
look up Barry on Facebook
at https://www.facebook.
com/barrymcgunthriejr/.
SCSO CPA
TO BEGIN IN JANUARY
The Spartanburg Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Office (SCSO)
is currently taking appli-
cations for the 2019 ses-
sion of the Citizen’s Police
Academy (CPA).
The Citizen’s Police
Academy will consist of
14 sessions offered on
Thursday evenings from
6-9 p.m.
The classes will run
from Jan. 24 through May
2 and will end with a grad-
uation ceremony.
The class will be limited
to the first 25 applicants,
and applicants must suc-
cessfully pass a back-
ground investigation.
Applications will be ac-
cepted through Dec. 31.
SELLING HERE
STEPHANIE MILLER
864-915-6076
SMiller@CDanJoyner.com
www.GoodToBeHomeSC.com

A4 THE GREER CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
E I’M JUST
ager to see the ‘bio-flick,’ Bohemian
Rhapsody, after seeing the film’s
trailer advertised both on-line and
television, Paul and I settled into our
plush seats at the Tryon theater, a tub
of popcorn between us and a plastic cup
containing my obligatory prosecco in the
drink holder.
By the way, boys and girls, it’s ever so
nice to see a film in a smaller theater
that allows such indulgences. Also, be-
cause everyone knows everyone else in
a town of 2,000, no one dares to annoy
others by texting on a glowing phone or
chatting during a film for fear of being
called out: “Ed! Hush! We can hear you
all the way up here on the balcony!”
The film was magnificent. The per-
formance by Rami Malek as Freddie
Mercury was nothing short of astonish-
ing. There was never a moment in the
film when I didn’t think I was actually
watching the flamboyant late vocalist of
the legendary band, Queen. Every move-
ment, every nuance, the ability to convey
a myriad of feelings even when there
was no dialogue, marked his talent. And
THROUGH THE YEARS  | KAELYN’S
Greer
welcomes
new arrivals
Editor’s Note: Walk down mem-
ory lane with us! In upcoming
editions of The Greer Citizen, we
will be taking a look at old news-
papers and bringing you stories
from the past to commemorate
our 100-year anniversary. We
hope this section gives you a bet-
ter look at the people, events and
businesses that made the Greer
area a great place to live for the
past Century.
Wednesday January 6, 2009
Cute babies headlined this
New Year edition of The Greer
Citizen in 2009.
Brianna Martinez was the first
baby born at Greenville Memo-
rial Hospital, weighing in at 8
pounds, 7 ounces.
“She’s a blessing from God,”
the baby’s mother, Celia, said.
The parents were slightly
bummed out about missing
out on a tax incentive, but were
overjoyed to welcome their new
daughter.
In other news, Greer May-
or Rick Danner was handling
the 2008 economic crisis by
monotoring the city’s financial
situation very closely.
“I think ’09 and ’10 hold a
significant amount of weight.
I think that is some of the pri-
mary focus we are going to see
from council and staff.”
Robert Irby was being held
without bond, charged with
the shooting death of Sheila
Grayson.
The story said Irby confessed
to police that he had waited for
Grayson to open her garage as
she left for her job at BMW.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR  |
Submission guidelines
T
he Greer Citizen accepts Let-
ters to the Editor. Letters
should be 125 words or less
and include a name and a phone
number for verification.
The Greer Citizen reserves the
right to edit any content.
Letters to the Editor can be
mailed to 317 Trade St., Greer
29651.
The Greer Citizen
Established 1918
Steve Blackwell | Publisher
Billy Cannada | Editor
Preston Burch Photographer
Mandy Ferguson Photographer
Kaelyn Cashman Staff Reporter
Opinion
The Greer Citizen
We are the champions
SAYING
PAM STONE
as the heart pounding percussion and
driving base lines heralded the begin-
ning of yet another one of their string
of hits, my eyes swept over the audi-
ence surrounding us and I was slightly
surprised to see rather a sea of bifocals
and greying heads as well as shining
bald pates. And bemused, frankly, to see
those heads begin to nod in time to the
intro of “Another One Bites The Dust.”
An entire theater of Baby Boomers get-
ting down with the music they embraced
in the 70s and 80s. Adorable.
And then, as in that moment of horror
when you try to take a photo of your dog
on your bed with your phone, only to hit
‘reverse camera’ by mistake and see a
close up of your aging face in the worst
lighting possible, I realized I was one
GUEST EDITORIAL
A look at those who give
back, make a difference
Given how bad news tends to dominate head-
lines – and how misdeeds are far more likely to
find their way onto the nightly news than acts
of kindness – it’s easy to lose sight of the basic
goodness and generosity of people.
Yet all around us people are making a dif-
ference in ways large and small – sharing with
those who aren’t as fortunate, lending a hand
to neighbors in need, extending kindness to
strangers or working to improve our communi-
ties in some way.
As we count our blessings this holiday season,
it’s worth saluting those among us who chip in
to make a difference. Here are a few noteworthy
examples I’ve come across within just the past
few weeks:
USC and Clemson took their rivalry off the
field for a couple of worthy causes, with fans
competing in a blood drive and food drive.
Nearly 4,700 people donated blood to the Red
Cross, and thousands of pounds of food were
donated to stock the shelves of Harvest Hope
and Golden Harvest food banks. (The Tigers
won the blood drive, while the Gamecocks won
the food drive.)
Students and teachers at Philip Simmons
High in Berkeley County have opened a chari-
table food and clothes pantry at the school,
according to the Daniel Island News. The pan-
try benefits families of students at the school,
and others nearby, needing help with food and
clothing. According to a teacher who helped or-
ganize the project, “Philip Simmons students…
manage the pantry like a retail store, except ev-
erything is free.”
A Mount Pleasant, S.C. orthodontist dedicat-
ed a percentage of receipts from new patient
treatments in October to support women bat-
tling breast cancer. According to the Moultrie
News, Kelley Orthodontics donated $2,900 to
SOS Lowcountry, a nonprofit that helps breast
cancer patients.
On a recent Saturday, high school and col-
lege-aged volunteers made repairs to seven
Columbia homes whose owners were without
the means to fund the work themselves. The
The Greer Citizen
is published every Wednesday by
The Greer Citizen, Inc.
317 Trade St., Greer, S.C. 29651
Telephone 877-2076
Shaun Moss Advertising Periodicals Postage Paid at Greer, S.C.
Julie Holcombe Graphic Artist Publication No. 229500
Stephanie Reider Office Manager POSTMASTER - Send address changes to
The Greer Citizen, P.O. Box 70
Greer, S.C. 29652
There was never a moment in the film when I didn’t think I was
actually watching the flamboyant late vocalist of the legendary
band, Queen.
of those people. Tapping my foot and Bohemian Rhapsody and trying not to be
bopping my head… insulted when the few teens in the crowd
There are certain moments that sneak giggle during particular scenes showing
up on you in life that make you realize music being recorded on reel-to-reel
you’re no different from anyone else, instead of digital software.
that the great equalizer known as Father But giggle away you fans of Drake
Time is claiming you, not so much with and The Weekend and Sia. No films will
a whisper, but more of a cuff across the chronicle their careers in 30 years as
back of the head: your Christmas card they have the musicians that mastered
list grows smaller as friends and family their instruments and had the strength
have passed away...No one asks if your of vocals that never needed in-studio
parents are still alive…young people tweaking to bring them on key. Freddie
asked if you voted for Truman (that Mercury, David Bowie, Roger Daltrey,
would be a ‘no,’ you little b*******) Zeppelin, Lennon and McCartney, The
And then there you are, sitting with Stones...
your AARP Homies, changing position Oh, yes, we might be old, but we saw
from time to time to give your new the best concerts, hands down.
hip or stiff back a break as you watch
KORNER
KAELYN CASHMAN
Staff reporter
Forgiveness
O
ne of the most valuable
lessons I have been remind-
ed of during 2018 is the
importance of forgiveness.
Without forgiveness, we are
left with ruptured relationships,
hurting hearts and devastated
dreams.
But when we recognize that
Jesus Christ came to earth to
take the punishment we deserve
for all of our sins, the Holy Spir-
it inside of us will give us the
ability to forgive others.
Each of us has fallen short,
has said something we regret or
has done something we wish we
could take back.
While there is no rewind or
 | re-do button in life, forgiveness
can open the door for healing,
hope and happiness.
1 John 1:5-10 says, “This is
the message we have heard
from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light, and in him is
no darkness at all. If we say we
have fellowship with him while
we walk in darkness, we lie and
do not practice the truth. But
if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship
project was sponsored by Home Works, a Mid- with one another, and the blood
lands-based Christian ministry that fixes up the of Jesus his Son cleanses us
homes of people in need. from all sin. If we say we have
Wanting to help comfort and encourage peo- no sin, we deceive ourselves,
ple battling cancer, four Upstate cancer survi- and the truth is not in us. If we
vors decided upon a novel approach: They au- confess our sins, he is faithful
thored a book -- which they’re distributing for and just to forgive us our sins
free – to share their personal stories. It’s titled and to cleanse us from all un-
“Four Stories of Hope,” and it’s available by call- righteousness. If we say we have
ing 864-455-5809 or emailing ksusko@ghs.org. not sinned, we make him a liar,
According to WSPA-TV news, the writers are and his word is not in us.”
members of a cancer support group sponsored Forgiveness does not come
by Greenville Health System’s Cancer Institute. easily when someone hurts us
If there’s a silver lining to the recent cata- deeply, but the alternative is
strophic flooding wrought by Hurricane Flor- bitterness that eats away at us.
ence – which devastated communities and up- Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to
ended countless lives – it’s the way ordinary it that no one fails to obtain
folks stepped up to assist in the recovery effort. the grace of God; that no ‘root
Months later, those efforts are continuing. The of bitterness’ springs up and
Warehouse, a Conway, S.C. restaurant and mu- causes trouble, and by it many
sic venue, holds a weekly spaghetti plate fund- become defiled.”
raiser to assist uninsured homeowners who With the start of a new year
lost their homes in the flood. According to the just around the corner, I pray
Horry Independent, area musicians contribute we will enter into its days with a
weekly by providing entertainment, and local renewed purpose in loving and
dignitaries wait tables.  forgiving others.
The Bar-B-Q Grill in Ridgeland, S.C. teamed Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if
with the Marcus Lattimore Foundation to offer you forgive others their tres-
free Thanksgiving meals to local residents, ac- passes, your heavenly Father
cording to Bluffton Today. will also forgive you, but if you
*The Summerville Journal-Scene reported do not forgive others their tres-
that Summerville police collected and delivered passes, neither will your Father
Thanksgiving turkeys to 40 grateful area fami- forgive your trespasses.”
lies. Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “I there-
The holidays will include other acts of gener- fore, a prisoner for the Lord,
osity and goodwill, most of which might never urge you to walk in a manner
be publicized. worthy of the calling to which
With the limelight so frequently focused on you have been called, with all
our worst qualities, rather than our better an- humility and gentleness, with
gels, it’s good every now and then to acknowl- patience, bearing with one an-
edge those who give of themselves – a little or other in love, eager to maintain
a lot -- for a cause beyond their own interests. the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.”
This guest editorial was submitted by South Carolina Comptroller Richard Verse 32 continues, “Be kind
Eckstrom. to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in
Christ forgave you.”
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 NEWS THE GREER CITIZEN A5

Serving up great service is their pleasure
Tyler reflects
on Chick-fil-A
success
BY BILLY CANNADA
EDITOR
Open since May of 1998,
Chick-fil-A of Greer has
seen plenty of success un-
der the direction of Owner
Operator Bill Tyler. The
restaurant was the first
free-standing Chick-fil-A
in the Upstate and has
since become a family sta-
ple for many in the area.
We caught up with Tyler
to see what’s next for one
of the country’s favorite
chicken destinations.
Question: Give me a lit-
tle bit of the history be-
hind Chick-fil-A Of Greer.
How did this restaurant
become so successful?
Bill Tyler: My wife Su-
san is a Greer native and it
made a lot of sense for our
family to locate and create
deep roots in Greer. I had
previously been the Own-
er Operator of the Green-
ville Mall Chick-fil-A loca-
tion, starting in 1987 but
when our corporate office
informed us that Greer
was their first “target lo-
cation.” That would start
what would eventually be-
come one of the most suc-
cessful markets in our en-
tire chain. It made perfect
since for my family and I.
Success is a word that has
many meanings to many
people. Has our business
grown to height of “suc-
cess” in sales volume be-
yond what we could have
ever imagined? Yes, it has.
Building a business of any
DINE
kind that is sustainable
takes time, patience and
perseverance. It takes a
big picture vision and it
takes the ability to adjust
as you go along.
Has our business had
“success” in developing
young people and giving
them foundational work
and life principles that
they will be able to take
with them once they move
into a different phase of
life? Yes, it has. Our phi-
losophy is about investing
in people’s lives not just
financially but personal-
ly. We recognize that ev-
erybody has a story and
every story is different.
We teach treating people
with honor, dignity and
respect. This starts behind
the counter with each oth-
er and translates to the
guest side of the counter.
Q: What does Chick-fil-A
do differently that makes
the brand so attractive
to customers? How have
you seen Greer custom-
ers make this restaurant
part of their routine?
BT: With any brand
in the restaurant busi-
ness it should be about
great food, great service
in a clean environment.
Sounds simple enough
right? At least 60 percent
of restaurants fail within
the first year of opening
and 80 percent of restau-
rants fail by their fifth
anniversary. Going back
to Chick-fil-A’s first loca-
tion in 1967 in Atlanta’s
Green Briar mall, to now
having 2,500 locations,
our brand has taken the
slow and methodical way
of growing. This has giv-
en our brand time to try
things and fail without
TIME
affecting the business in
a negative way. This has
also translated from the
national level to the local
level. I believe that our
“secret sauce” has noth-
ing to do with nuggets,
it’s our people. In Greer
we have a very methodi-
cal process in our hiring
practices that we do not
deviate from. Selecting the
“right fit” for our business
is the number one, most
important decision that
we make day in and day
out. Our goal is to make
every interaction with our
gust personal, and not
just another transaction.
We exist to create mean-
ingful experiences for all
who come in contact with
our business in Greer. A
good number of Chick- PHOTO | SUBMITTED
fil-A restaurants have
done away with family The Chick-fil-A of Greer team has achieved plenty of success since opening in 1998.
events because of the vol-
umes that our restaurants Q: How has the App The interest in trends and mindset shifts
are doing and the limited changed things for you the App has been tremen- in the way that customers
space that it creates. Our guys? Have you noticed a dous. Chain-wide, the App think. I believe that, phil-
philosophy, although hard lot of interest in it? is accounting for around osophically, we are on a
sometimes, has been to 15 percent of sales vol- really good path. I believe
keep those weekly oppor- BT: There are several as- umes. That is pretty sig- that there are two signifi-
tunities for families to pects of the App that are nificant. The future is un- cant opportunities that we
come together and play “game changers.” For the limited for the Chick-fil-A will probably focus on in
bingo, make crafts to- guest, it creates conve- App. In 2019, our guest 2019—the first being our
gether or play games like nience. A guest can make will be able to come into catering opportunities.
family trivia a part of our their order before arriv- our restaurant, sit down We need to educate our
DNA. We believe that our ing at the restaurant and at a table and place their guest about the different
locals know that they can notify us when they pull order from their App. One delivery and catering op-
come to a welcoming en- into the parking lot that of our team members will portunities that we offer.
vironment, have a great they have arrived and ei- bring their meal directly to Catering is a thriving busi-
meal and wind down from ther walk in and pick up the table. This is just one ness by itself, and I really
this hectic culture that we their order, or go through example of an ever-evolv- don’t believe that we have
sometimes live in. I liken it the drive thru and be on ing piece of technology even started to tap into
to inviting our guest into their way. For the restau- that has become an inte- the potential that is in the
our “living room” for a few rant, it helps us to create gral part of our business. marketplace. The second
hours on a Tuesday eve- additional capacity to would be the Mobile App.
ning. Remember, every- serve more guest. What Q: What are some goals There are so many op-
one has a story and if we this means is when a guest you still have for the portunities in this digital
can just be a small part of knows that they can skip store? world that we live in and I
having a positive influence what they may perceive as believe that a business like
on their story then it has a long line, they will use BT: The challenge that ours can capitalize in a big
been a great day at Chick- the App more often, thus every business owner has way in this space.
fil-A of Greer. resulting in our business is to stay ahead of the
selling to more people. ever-changing business

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 Obituaries
The Greer Citizen

A6 THE GREER CITIZEN 

2018
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

In MEMORIAM
OBITUARIES
Deadline: Noon Tuesday

Cost: $60 without photo;

$75 to include 1-column
black and white photo
Greer lost one of its most notable citizens when
Dr. Nancy Lee Turner Welch passed away on Sept. 27, 2018. Email:
obits@greercitizen.com
NOTABLE PASSINGS  |
Along with her notable passing, the community also mourned the loss
of charity founder Bella Muntean and team grandfather Jack Mahan Questions: Call 877-2076.
among other business, civic and religious leaders. Rev. Choice E. Watson, 85
Retired Pastor

 |
January 2, 2018
ONLINE
Talmadge ‘Slab’ Campbell, 86
Veteran
Former City Council
View Obituaries
Member online
January 7, 2018 at
J.N. ‘Mac’ McFadden, Jr., 92 greercitizen.com
Veteran
JACK MAHAN Music Evangelist
July 7, 2018 January 31, 2018 In loving memory
The Greenville Braves Juanita G. Rogers, 86 of
travel baseball team gath- Retired Teacher Mrs. M.L. (Mag)
ered to honor Jack Mahan, January 31, 2018
the top fan they knew as Terry
BELLA MUNTEAN ‘Pop”, in July by planting Pauline ‘Polly’ Edna Brewton Sunrise 10-23-23 Sunset 09-13-11
April 6, 2018 and dedicating a tree at Brannon, 100
the home of his daughter. Centurian Mother still hears the
Isabella “Bella” Grace “All I can say is there was June 22, 2018 Christmas carols
Muntean, 15, passed away nobody better. Nobody She sees the Christmas lights
after a battle with osteo- louder. He was a big cheer- William Earl ‘Billy’ She feels our love
every day and night
sarcoma. er,” she said. “He spoke McCullough, 77
During her illness, the to everybody. He was ev- Owner, McCullough Shoes Mother shares our hopes
Riverside High student be- erybody’s friend…And he McCullough Properties, and all our cares
gan a mission to provide loved all of our kids, not Greer Storage and She will even remind us
pillowcases full of toys just his grandkids.” Auto Market To always say our prayers
and American Girl dolls to After receiving a trans- August 6, 2018
other children in the hos- plant in 1997, Jack spent Mother we want to tell you
pital. time volunteering and Louis C. Rogers, 83 You still make us proud
Since her passing, the speaking to promote or- Retired Carpenter You’re standing very high
above the crowd
Dr. Nancy Lee Turner Welch Riverside High and Mid- gan and tissue donation. October 15, 2018
dle School bands com- We are trying each day
missioned a piece entitled To stay in God’s Amazing Grace
NANCY WELCH “While listening to her “Unwavering Heart” in the You went to Heaven before us
September 27, 2018 eulogy, I was in awe,” flute player’s memory. to help set our place
Greer Mayor Rick Danner Her mother, Brenda, is
We don’t have enough said. “It just occurred to continuing her mission by We’ve made mistakes
ink and paper to write all me what an icon she really launching Angel Heart of from time to time
that could be said about was to this community. Hope in October God forgives mistakes
that we make
Nancy Welch who passed She has done so many From her obituary: Bella If we will only continue to climb
away last Thursday... amazing things, but be- was always smiling, posi-
Welch, who spent more yond that, she was an in- tive, selfless and always Family please be thankful today
than two decades as the credible lady.” there, no matter how she Mother is always beside us
host of the “Nancy Welch Welch spent many years felt, to help others in In her own special way
Show” on WSPA-TV, made
a name for herself through
her popular cooking seg-
working in education,
serving as vice president
of student services for
need. She loved igniting
faith and changing lives!
She was an inspiration to
$25Certificate
$25 Gift Gift Certificate She loves all of us dearly
So try not to shed a tear
As she celebrates Christmas
ments and her support of Greenville Technical Col- all of us and the world is Sign up asSign
a preferred customer customer
up as a preferred
local charitable causes.
She was the author of
lege’s Greer campus for
nearly 20 years.
a better place because of
her. Her legacy will live on
$25 Gift Certificate
& receive&a receive
$25 gift acertificate
$25 gift certificate
In Heaven with Jesus this year.

Merry Christmas &

several published books Danner presented Welch and she will never be for-
towards your
towards
Sign up as current
a preferredyour order.
current order.
customer
& receive a $25 gift certificate Happy New Year (2019)
and the baker of Greer’s with a key to the city in gotten. May we all strive
towards your current
Christina BuChheit order.
famous “angel biscuits” 2016. to be like Bella. Christina BuChheit Love and miss you,
found at Greer Communi- 864-706-1070
Christina 864-706-1070
BuChheit Your sons
ty Ministries’ annual Big Product Website:
Product cbuchheit.myrandf.com
864-706-1070
Website: cbuchheit.myrandf.com L.R. (Lee) Sr.
Product Website: cbuchheit.myrandf.com
Thursday event. and Jim
 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 PAGE LABEL THE GREER CITIZEN A7

Open House New Trinity Baptist Church

2OG6SDUWDQEXUJ+LJKZD\‡:HOOIRUG

HEARING 417 S. Suite

Buncombe Rd.
7C
IONS Greer, SC 29650Victor Baptist Church 121 New Woodruff Road • Greer
879-2913

, Nov. 9,PRACTICAL
2011 ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Northwood Baptist Church
888 Ansel School Rd., Greer • 877-5417
Liberty Hill United Methodist Church
301 Liberty Hill Rd., Greer • 968-8150
12 noon, and 2HEARING
p.m. Glad Tidings Tabernacle
100 O’Neal Road, Greer • 909-9409 O’Neal Baptist Church Liberty United Methodist Church
SOLUTIONS New Covenant Fellowship
2425 Racing Rd., Greer • 848-4521
3420 N. Highway 101, Greer • 895-0930
Pelham First Baptist Church
4276 Highway 414, Landrum • 292-0142
Memorial United Methodist Church
d Get Straight Unbiased
The Plaza Answers Trinity Fellowship Church 2720 S. Old Highway 14, Greer • 879-4032 201 N. Main St., Greer • 877-0956
3610 Brushy Creek Rd., Greer • 877-0419 People’s Baptist Church Mountain View UMC
417 S. Buncombe Road 310 Victor Avenue Ext., Greer • 848-0449 6525 Mountain View Rd., Taylors • 895-8532
Jim Swiger H.I.S. 1700 N. Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville • 244-6011
HEARING Greer, SC 29650 BAPTIST
Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church
201 Jordan Rd., Lyman • 879-2646
Sharon United Methodist Church
1421 Reidville Sharon Rd., Greer • 879-7926
AID Jim SCSwiger DHEC #412
Abner Creek Baptist Church Pleasant Grove Baptist Church St. Mark United Methodist Church
Blue Cross Blue 2461 Abner Creek Rd., Greer • 877-6604 1002 S. Buncombe Rd., Greer • 877-6436 911 St. Mark Rd., Taylors • 848-7141
REPAIR Licensed Hearing Aid Specialist
Shield
SC DHEC #412 Airport Baptist Church Pleasant Hill Baptist Church
4899 Jordan Rd., Greer • 895-3546
St. Paul United Methodist Church
3856 N. Highway 101, Greer • 895-5570
& Humana 776 S. Batesville Rd., Greer • 848-7850
ALL MAKES
Blue Cross Blue Shield & Humana
Apalache Baptist Providence Baptist Church Victor United Methodist Church
1915 Gap Creek Rd., Greer • 877-6012 2020 Gibbs Shoals Rd., Greer • 877-3483 1 Wilson Ave., Greer • 877-5520
238-4754 Free
se call for appointment. Hearing
Bible Baptist Church Rebirth Missionary Baptist Church
2375 Racing Road, Greer • 877-0449
Woods Chapel United Methodist Church
2388 Brown Wood Rd., Greer • 921-3557
6645 Mountain View Rd., Taylors • 895-7003
269-1007 Tests
r 281-1092 Blue Ridge Baptist Church
3950 Pennington Rd., Greer • 895-5787
Riverside Baptist Church
1249 S. Suber Rd., Greer • 879-4400
Zoar United Methodist Church
1005 Highway 357, Greer • 877-0758
3315 Brushy Creek Rd., Greer • 877-8090
BridgePointe Southside Baptist Church
600 Bridge Rd., Taylors • 244-2774 410 S. Main St., Greer • 421-5686 PRESBYTERIAN
Burnsview Baptist Church St. John’s Baptist Church Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church
9690 Reidville Rd., Greer • 879-4006 2 Groveland Rd., Taylors • 879-2904 2094 Highway 101 North, Greer • 483-2140
Calvary Baptist Suber Road Baptist Church Devenger Road Presbyterian Church
101 Calvary St., Greer • 877-9759 445 S. Suber Rd., Greer • 801-0181 1200 Devenger Rd., Greer • 268-7652
Calvary Baptist Taylors First Baptist Church Fellowship Presbyterian Church
108 Forest St., Greer • 968-0092 200 W. Main St., Taylors • 244-3535 1105 Old Spartanburg Rd., Greer • 877-3267
Calvary Hill Baptist United Family Ministries First Presbyterian Church
100 Edward Rd., Lyman 13465 E. Wade Hampton Blvd., Greer • 877-3235 100 School St., Greer • 877-3612
Calvary Road Baptist Church Victor Baptist Fulton Presbyterian Church
108 Bright Rd., Greer • 593-2643 121 New Woodruff Rd., Greer • 877-9686 821 Abner Creek Rd., Greer • 879-3190
Camp Creek Baptist Church Washington Baptist Church
1100 Camp Creek Rd., Taylors 3500 N. Highway 14, Greer • 895-1510 OTHER DENOMINATIONS
Welcome Home Baptist Church

CL
Cedar Grove Baptist Church
109 Elmer St., Greer • 877-6216
Community Baptist Church
arolina 4389 Wade
Hampton Blvd.
642 S. Suber Rd., Greer • 848-3500
Double Springs Baptist Church
3800 Locust Hill Rd., Taylors • 895-1314
1779 Pleasant Hill Rd., Greer • 901-7674
CATHOLIC
Blessed Trinity Catholic Church
901 River Rd., Greer • 879-4225
Agape House 900 Gap Creek Rd., Greer • 329-7491
Anglican Church of St. George the Martyr
427 Batesville Rd., Simpsonville • 281-0015
Barton’s Memorial Pentacostal Holiness
Highway 101 North, Greer
Bethesda Temple 125 Broadus St., Greer • 877-8523
Beulah Christian Fellowship Church

T
Ebenezer-Welcome Baptist Church
awn Taylors 4005 Highway 414, Landrum • 895-1461
El Bethel Baptist Church
CHURCH OF CHRIST
Riverside Church of Christ
1017 Mauldin Rd., Greenville • 283-0639
Calvary Bible Fellowship
Holiday Inn, Duncan • 266-4269
864-292-1842
& ractor
313 Jones Ave., Greer • 877-4021 2103 Old Spartanburg Rd., Greer • 322-6847
• 879-2913 Calvary Chapel of Greer
Emmanuel Baptist Church 3315 Brushy Creek Rd. • Greer • 877-8090
423 S. Buncombe Rd., Greer • 877-2121 CHURCH OF GOD Christ Fellowship
Enoree Fork Baptist Church Church of God - Greer 343 Hampton Rd., Greer • 879-8446
For information 100 Enoree Circle, Greer • 268-4385 500 Trade St., Greer • 877-0374 Christian Heritage Church
about advertising Fairview Baptist Church Church of God of Prophecy 900 N. Main St., Greer • 877-2288
on this page, 1300 Locust Hill Rd., Greer • 877-1881 2416 N. Highway 14, Greer • 877-8329 Christian Life Center 2 Country Plaza • 322-1325
call 864-877-2076. First Baptist Church Eastside Worship Center Christian Outreach 106 West Rd. • 848-0308
202 W. Poinsett St., Greer • 877-4253 601 Taylors Rd., Taylors • 268-0523 El-Bethel Holiness 103 E. Church St. • 968-9474
Freedom Fellowship O’Neal Church of God Faith Family Church
4373 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors • 631-1336 3794 Berry Mill Rd., Greer • 895-4273 3339 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors • 244-0207
Friendship Baptist Church Pelham Church of God of Prophecy Faith Temple 5080 Sandy Flat Rd., Taylors • 895-2524
1600 Holly Springs Rd., Lyman • 877-4746 139 Abner Creek Rd., Greer • 801-0528 Harmony Fellowship Church
Good News Baptist Church Praise Cathedral Church of God 468 S. Suber Rd., Greer • 877-8287

301 McCall St. • Greer 1592 S. Highway 14, Greer • 879-2289

Grace Baptist Church
848-5500
760 W. Gap Creek Rd., Greer • 879-3519
Grace Place
407 Ridgewood Dr., Greer
Greer Freewill Baptist Church
110 Pine Ridge Dr., Greer • 968-0310
Groveland Baptist Church
2 Groveland Rd., Taylors • 879-2913
Heritage Chapel Baptist Church
218 Alexander Rd., Greer • 989-0170
Highland Baptist Church
3270 Hwy. 414, Taylors • 895-5270
Hillcrest Baptist Church
111 Biblebrook Dr., Greer • 877-4206
Hispanic Baptist Iglesia Bautista Hispana
DILL CREEK COMMONS 199 Hubert St., Greer • 877-3899
1379 W. Wade Hampton, Greer Holly Springs Baptist Church
864-848-5222
250 Hannon Rd., Inman • 877-6765
Locust Hill Baptist Church
5534 Locust Hill Rd., Travelers Rest • 895-1771
Maple Creek Baptist Church
Greer 609 S. Main St., Greer • 877-1791
3390 Brushy Creek Rd., Greer • 879-4878
EPISCOPAL
Good Shepherd Episcopal
200 Cannon St., Greer • 877-2330
LUTHERAN
Abiding Peace Ev. Lutheran Church
401 Batesville Rd., Simpsonville •288-4867
Apostolic Lutheran Church
453 N. Rutherford Rd., Greer • 848-4568
Immanuel Lutheran Church & School LCMS
2820 Woodruff Rd., Simpsonville • 297-5815
Redeemer Lutheran Church, ELCA
300 Oneal Rd., Greer • 877-5876
Saints Peter and Paul Ev. Lutheran
400 Parker Ivey Dr., Greenville • 551-0246
METHODIST
Bethel United Methodist Church
105 E. Arlington Ave., Greer • 879-2066
Covenant United Methodist Church
1310 Old Spartanburg Rd., Greer • 244-3162
Harvest Christian Church
2150 Highway 417, Woodruff • 486-8877
International Cathedral of Prayer
100 Davis Avenue • Greer • 655-0009
Journey Fellowship
1846 Old Hwy. 14S • 877-2442
Lifesong Church
12481 Greenville Highway, Lyman • 439-2602
Living Way Community Church
3239 N. Highway 101, Greer • 895-0544
New Beginnings Outreach
104 New Woodruff Rd., Greer • 968-2424
New Hope Freedom
109 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. • Greer • 205-8816
New Life in Christ 210 Arlington Rd. • 346-9053
Point of Life Church
Wade Hampton Blvd. • Duncan • 426-4933
Shekhinah Kind Glory Church
600 N. Main St., Greer • 655-4545
Springwell Church
4369 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors • 268-2299
St. Andrews Anglican Church
www.standrewupstate.com
United Anglican Fellowship

QF
Memorial Drive Baptist Church
UALITY
570 Memorial Drive Ext., Greer • 877-7061
Milford Baptist Church
1282 Milford Church Rd., Greer • 895-5533
OODS Mount Lebanon Baptist Church
572 Mt. Lebanon Church Rd., Greer • 895-2334
New Hope Baptist Church
561 Gilliam Rd., Greer • 879-7080
New Jerusalem Baptist Church
508 North Main St. • 877-4043 413 E. Poinsett St., Greer • 968-9203
7 am - 10 pm Mon.-Sat. New Life Baptist Church
90 Becco Rd., Greer • 895-3224
Ebenezer United Methodist Church
174 Ebenezer Road, Greer • 987-9644
Faith United Methodist Church
1301 S. Main St. (S. Hwy. 14), Greer • 877-0308
Fews Chapel United Methodist Church
4000 N. Highway 101, Greer • 895-2522
Grace United Methodist Church
627 Taylor Rd., Greer • 877-7015
Lee Road United Methodist Church
1377 East Lee Rd., Taylors • 244-6427
1001 W. Poinsett St., Greer • 629-3350
United Christian Church
105 Daniel Ave., Greer • 895-3966
United House of Prayer
213 Oak St., Greer • 848-0727
Upstate Friends’ Meeting (Quaker)
P.O. Box 83, Lyman • 439-8788
Upstate Tree of Life
203 East Bearden St., Greer • 848-1295
Victorian Hills Community Church
209 Victor Ave. Ext., Greer • 877-3981
Vine Worship Center
4373 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors • 244-8175

A8 THE GREER CITIZEN 
In BUSINESS
Openings, closings and anniversaries made business headlines in 2018.
ANNIVERSARIES
A Greer staple celebrat-
ed 50 years of business in
2018.
After starting a busi-
ness in the trunk of his
car, James Gregory has
watched Gregory’s Bou-
tique transform into a fix-
ture of downtown Greer.
But he gives most of the
credit to the people who
have helped him along the
way.
His employees say the
longtime owner has had a
lot to do with the 50-year
run of success, however.
“We’ve just had good,
reliable people,” Gregory
said. “We try to live by the
golden rule. I think that
helps a lot.”
Born and raised in
Greer, Gregory began to
sell clothes out of his car
as a part-time job while
he taught school. About
a year later, he rented a
store in Greer.
Gregory’s Boutique has
added some products
and dropped others over
the years but has most-
ly remained a store to
find suits, shirts, ties and
shoes.
Gregory has been in his
current location at 114 W
Poinsett St, Greer, for the
past 43 years.
NEW BEGINNINGS
In the same year Coun-
tybank opened its new
downtown Greer location,
the bank also combined
operations with long-
standing insurance pro-
vider B.A. Bennett.
B.A. Bennett was found-
ed in Greer in 1923 and
has accumulated 95 years
of active service through
auto, home, business, and
life insurance offerings.
B.A. Bennett President
Julie Lenderman said this
was the right move to help
the company expand its
services.
The bank took up resi-
dence at 300 Trade Street,
making the move from its
103 North Main location.
Countybank’s new loca-
tion has seen many uses
in the last 90 years, spend-
ing time as a five and dime
general store, candy store
and storage for Price’s
Feed & Seed.
EXPANSIONS
In 2018, much of Greer’s
business community was
planning for the future.
Two examples of this in-
clude the Inland Port’s
move toward expansion
and the planned develop-
ment of a number of Greer
breweries.
In December, the Greer
Inland Port received a
$25 million grant for its
planned expansion.
The Better Utilizing In-
vestments to Leverage De-
velopment (BUILD) grant
will also support the ex-
tension of Norfolk South-
ern’s Carlisle Passing
Siding, according to the
United States Department
of Transportation.
“This is a strong, col-
laborative partnership by
public and private enti-
ties, something the Trump
Administration has put
an emphasis on,” said
Bill Stern, South Caroli-
na Ports Authority Board
Chairman. “We are proud
to partner with these enti-
ties to better improve our
infrastructure in South
Carolina. While this proj-
ect may be in the Upstate,
it will serve the entire
Southeast region for years
to come.”
The expansion will in-
crease terminal capacity,
allow for additional stor-
age and processing tracks
inside the terminal which
will improve rail capacity,
efficiency and flexibility
and expand on-terminal
support facilities, officials
say.
 “As SC Ports continues
to see record growth, this
funding is critical for the
expansion efforts at In-
land Port Greer,” said Jim
Newsome, SCPA president
and CEO. “This project will
support local manufactur-
Here’s a look back at the year that was:
Southern Palate
ing, increase capacity for
logistics growth, and im-
prove transportation net-
works supporting traffic
flows for imports and ex-
ports throughout the state
and region.”
Other expansions are
also planned for 2019.
Southern Growl is one
of a number of businesses
hoping to build a brewery
in Greer in the near future.
The company submit-
ted an expansion request
to the Planning Advisiory
Committee in April, and
hopes to establish a mi-
crobrewery on North Bun-
combe Road.
Southern Growl is a
gastro pub on the corner
Wade Hampton and Bun-
combe Road with a focus
on craft beer.
OPENINGS
The 2018 calendar year
brought plenty of new
openings to Trade Street,
downtown Greer and
Wade Hampton Boulevard.
Below are just a few of the
businesses that have rea-
son to celebrate this New
Year.
Los Portales
Los Portales, a Mexi-
can restaurant opened up
shop at the site of the for-
mer Wild Ace Pizza at 109
Trade Street.
Southern Palate
Southern Palate began
its operation off Poinsett
Street in March.
Chef Denise Norman
has over 25 years of ex-
perience in the culinary
industry, graduating with
honors from the Culinary
Institute of the Carolinas.
The Normans also
own a wedding venue in
Landrum, where they ca-
ter for weddings and other
events such as corporate
functions and birthday
parties.
Scott Cannon Jr.
Cannon’s
Scott Cannon Jr. re-
opened his family’s
restaurant in July.
Cannon’s Restaurant
had been closed since the
end of 2017 due to the
passing of Scott’s grandfa-
ther, Virgil Cannon.
Scott plans to keep the
restaurant the “same way
it was,” with former cooks
and servers returning.
The Cannon family has
owned the restaurant for
the past 47 years.
New York natives An-
thony and Rob Mazzitel-
li opened the doors of
Mazzitelli Deli to Greer
patrons in June on Trade
Street.
The menu started out
basic, consisting of soups,
sandwiches, salads and
quiche.
Ross, Ulta Beauty,
Five Below
Three new retail stores
were added to the Pied-
mont Marketplace on
Wade Hampton Boulevard.
Five Below, Ulta Beauty
and Ross are now open
beside Kohls department
Business
The Greer Citizen
2018
store in Greer.
Halpern’s rede-
velopment of the
131,000-square-foot shop-
ping center also included
Ross, which opened in Oc-
tober.
Piedmont Marketplace
was in the final stages of
a $9.5 million renovation
that included rebuilding
the Five Below and Ulta
spaces and retrofitting a
former grocery store for
Ross.
The property features a
signalized main entrance
and is located near the
heavily-trafficked inter-
section of Wade Hampton
Blvd. and South Buncombe
Road, adjacent to Lowe’s,
The Home Depot, Quik-
Trip and other regional
and national retailers.
Kohl’s, the center’s
largest tenant, occupies
66,970 square feet fol-
lowed by Ross with 21,894
square feet and Tractor
Supply with 21,566. The
site has a 10,000-square-
foot outparcel for lease,
sale or build-to-suit and a
7,000-square-foot expan-
sion area available.
Urban Petals
A new design studio is
now in business down-
town.
Urban Petals, which spe-
cializes in floral and event
design, is located at 210
Trade St. and now holds
regular retail hours Thurs-
day through Saturday.
Stouffer has hired a few
new employees to help
with events and the busi-
ness at the storefront.
The store’s hours are
Tuesday to Thursday from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fri-
day and Saturday from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.
With its open floor
plan, customers are able
to browse Urban Petals’
selection of curated mer-
chandise while observing
wedding flowers in pro-
duction.
Their curated goods in-
cludes items such as home
décor, apothecary, textile,
tabletop accents, gifts,
and plants.
Ira’s Chicken
Four friends came to-
gether to open Ira’s Chick-
en at 107 S. Main St., Greer
in December. More than
50 percent of the profit of
the restaurant will go to
world missions.
CLOSINGS
While some businesses
are just getting started in
2019, others are gone for
good. Two major restau-
rant closings shook things
up in downtown Greer
ahead of the city’s streets-
cape and hotel project.
Rivera’s closed its doors
in February after a decade
of serving customers on
Poinsett Street.
Owners listed a number
of reasons for the deci-
sion, including: local in-
frastructure changes, in-
creasing competition and
time demands.
Over the last decade, the
Riveras developed regular
customers who became
good friends.
“We’ve had a good ten-
year run,” said co-own-
er Lucinda Rivera. “It’s
a small city, but it feels
bigger now than it did in
the beginning. I’ve loved
watching it develop; the
other businesses have
brought in other cultures.
It’s been nice to have inter-
actions with people from
all different walks of life.”
Rivera’s opened at the
beginning of the recession
in January 2008.
“They’re going to miss
us, and we’re going Dave
miss them,” Lucinda Rive-
ra said. “It’s definitely bit-
tersweet, but we’re tired.
“It’s a labor of love,” she
continued. “We definitely
appreciate and have en-
Dave Ramsey’s Endorsed
joyed it….the restaurant
Local
business is very fiscally
Investing
unstable depending on the
Dave Ramsey’s
economy. We’ve done real-
ly well.”Local Provider
Dave Ramsey &
Investing since 2001.
SKFS-1001-Green Citizen Ad_5.5x4.25.indd
BIN 112
BIN112 also closed its
doors Dave Ramsey & the Dave Ramsey ELP program is not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial
after 10 years of
service.
SKFS-1001-Green Citizen
SKFS-1002-Green
The restaurant’s
Jason and Lori Clark, sold
the 112 Trade Street loca-
tion to Jeff Gossett, who
recently opened SELECT
Restaurant.
“We would like to thank
all of our devoted custom-
ers, friends and family for
your continuous support
over the last 10 years,” Ja-
son said. “We are so proud
of the strides our team
has made during this time
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
Countybank
and of the awe-inspiring historic downtown Greer.”
amount of blood, sweat Greer Mayor Rick Dan-
and tears they have ded- ner said BIN112 helped
icated to the growth and make the downtown area
success of BIN112. After a destination, and said the
our best year ever, we are restaurant will be missed
closing and are excited by locals.
that something new and “For the past 10 years
fresh will take our place.” Lori and Jason Clark have
The two continued to poured their heart and
operate The Strip Club soul into BIN 112 creat-
104 at E. Poinsett Street. ing not only an awarding
“Our team has worked winning restaurant but a
hard to bring an incredible destination in downtown
dining experience to each Greer,” Mayor Danner said.
and every one of our cus- “Jason’s culinary mastery
tomers, both repeat and and Lori’s easy, friendly
one time, and we hope you front of house manner
will remember us fondly,” have created a fine dining
said Lori Clark, Co-Owner experience unrivaled in
of BIN112. “BIN112 has the Upstate for which the
been privileged to be a food scene in Greer will
part of so many special forever be indebted. From
life occasions, and to have celebratory events to ro-
nurtured so much culi- mantic dinners, the pa-
nary talent in the Upstate trons of BIN 112 knew ev-
food community. BIN112 ery visit would be special. I
has received many honors know I speak for the Greer
and it has many fans. We community when I say
are honored to have our thanks to Jason and Lori.
footprint in the growth of The BIN will be missed.”
304 N. Main St.
Dave
Dave Ramsey’s Ramsey’s Endorsed Endorsed Greer SC 29650
Local Provider for
Local Provider for 304 N. Main St.
864-879-0337
Ramsey’s Endorsed
Dave Investing since 2001.
to Ramsey’s Investing
Endorsed Greer SC 29650
for since 2001.
SimsAndKarr.com
Local Provider
Local Provider
Investing since 2001.
foris not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial
Dave Ramsey & the Dave Ramsey ELP program
864-879-0337
Securities offered through LPL Financial,
Member FINRA/SIPC
Investing SKFS-1001-Green since 2001.
Citizen Ad_5.5x4.25.indd 1
SimsAndKarr.com 6/8/16 3:40
Dave Ramsey & the DaveDave
Ramsey ELP program isRamsey’s Recommended Investing
Dave Ramsey & the Dave Ramsey ELP program is not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial Securities offered through LPL Financial,
not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial Member FINRA/SIPC
SKFS-1001-Green Citizen
SKFS-1001-Green Citizen Ad_5.5x4.25.indd 1
ProfessionalsAd_5.5x4.25.indd 1 since 2001. 6/8/16 3:4
Dave Ramsey & the Dave Ramsey ELP program is not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial 304 N. Main St.
Dave Ramsey & the Dave Ramsey SVP program is not affiliated or sponsored by LPL
Greer SCFinancial 29650
SKFS-1001-Green
Provider for Citizen Ad_5.5x4.25.indd 1 864-879-0337
since 2001. 304 N. Main St. • Greer SC 30429650N. Main St.
SimsAndKarr.com
Endorsed 864-879-0337 • SimsAndKarr.com Greer SC 29650
Securities offered through LPL Financial,
for
the Dave Ramsey ELP program is not affiliated or sponsored by LPL Financial Member
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member864-879-0337
FINRA/SIPC
FINRA/SIPC
1 6/8/16 3:40
SimsAndKarr.com
Securities offered through LPL Financial,
Member FINRA/SIPC
Ad_5.5x4.25.inddCitizen
1 Ad-3.2x4_11.1.indd 1 6/8/16 12/
3:4
owners,

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 
Teams
have
playoff
succcess
A number of local
teams stood out from the
crowd in 2018, making
playoff runs and compet-
ing for championships.
In baseball, Blue Ridge,
Riverside, Greer and East-
side made some noise in
2
the playoffs.
Both Eastside
and Riverside
found their
way to the dis-
trict champion-
ship game, and
the Warriors
were able to move on to
the Upper State brack-
et where they fell to TL
Hanna and Nation Ford.
In softball, Blue Ridge,
Greer and Byrnes earned
postseason spots.
After torching their
way through the field,
Byrnes secured a spot
in its third-straight state
title game, but fell to
White Knoll.
Byrnes’ only two oth-
er losses of the season
came to Fort Mill (Upper
State championship) and
Ashley Ridge back in
March.
The Lady Rebels won
a total of 30 games and
went 8-0 in the region.
In boys basketball,
Greer and Eastside
missed out on a third
round matchup, falling
to Aiken and Ridge View
respectively in the play-
offs.
Byrnes was also oust-
ed in the second round,
but Riverside made it one
round further, falling to
Dorman, the eventual
Class AAAAA champ.
On the girls side, Greer
and Blue Ridge were
knocked out in the sec-
ond and first rounds re-
spectively.
The Eastside boys soc-
cer team came up just
short of another state
title in 2018, falling to
Chapin 1-0 after a strong
run through the postsea-
son.
The boys weren’t the
only Eagles soccer team
to fall one win short, as
the girls dropped their
state title match 2-1 to
Hilton Head.
The Eagles would not
be denied on the Wres-
tling mat, earning yet
another state champion-
ship in wrestling with a
46-18 win over Chapin in
the final.
Eastside has now won
its region more than 22
years in a row.
In volleyball, the Ea-
gles made a third round
appearance, as Byrnes
was ousted in the second
round.
The Eastside boys and
girls won championships
in 2018, scoring 497.5
and 384 respectively in
the state meet. __-
Yellow Jackets play for a championship
The Yellow Jackets got
over the hump in 2018.
For the first time since
2003, the Greer football
team found its way back
to Columbia to compete
in the state champion-
3
ship game.
Although Myr-
tle Beach came
away with the
Class AAAA ti-
tle, the team
sees this season
as one to build on going
forward.
“It says a lot about
our kids that they got
here,” Head coach Will
Young said. “Our play-
ers weren’t distracted by
outside things. It’s a hard
working group. They de-
serve to be here. They
deserve to win it. Just
didn’t happen for them.”
Greer wide receiver Ja-
leel Skinner, who caught
two touchdowns in the
championship game, be-
In SPORTS
The Greer area has plenty to offer when it comes to successful athletes.
In 2018, dozens of teams and individuals competed at the highest levels of their craft,
Here are a few of the stories that made sports headlines last year.
Local coaches battle adversity I
“It’s never the phone
call you never want to
get. It’s something no
one ever wants to experi-
ence. But at 47 years old,
that’s where I am—fight-
ing cancer.”
Those are the words
of longtime Greer High
School coach Travis Per-
ry, who began his battle
with bile duct cancer
earlier in the summer of
1
2018.
Its a fight Per-
ry never saw
coming, but one
he plans to win
with faith.
“I always felt
like I was in con-
trol of my life. I had ev-
erything under control.
I took care of my family.
I took care of myself. I
always tried to live right
and treat people right,”
Perry said. “When you
find out you have cancer,
it’s bigger than you are.
As much as I like to be
in control, there’s not a
thing in the world I can
do about it. You have to
submit these things to
God. That’s the only way
you can get through it.”
As difficult as the road
might feel at times, Perry
isn’t alone in his Journey.
“Cancer doesn’t care
about rivalries or your
opponents on the field
or what you’re doing. It’s
a disease that doesn’t
discriminate,” said Blue
Ridge coach Travis Hen-
son, who has recently
battled cancer in his kid-
ney. “I’ve seen that even
those people you coach
against come together to
fight against cancer.”
That’s exactly what
Henson’s varsity baseball
team did in March during
the Strike Out Cancer
event. The Tigers took on
Greenville and each play-
er on both teams played
in honor of someone
fighting cancer.
“The game was real-
ly symbolic of the fight
against cancer,” Henson,
whose team won in nine
innings, said. “You fight
and fight, and sometimes
it takes a little extra (for
us, it was nine innings)
to win. As coaches, we al-
ways talk about compet-
ing, but the fight against
cancer is one of the big-
gest ones any of us will
ever face.”
Henson’s struggle with
the disease dates back
to 2015, when the Tigers
had just won their first
region championship in
a while.
lieves his team will be
back.
Sports
The Greer Citizen
and some came away as champions.
Will and Michelle Young
“Life is sweet and it’s
short,” he said. “We’d
just come off a 17-game
winning streak and the
first region champion-
ship, and then here’s this.
That’s just the way life
works. You go through
hills and valleys. Your
faith is what’s constant.
Henson said, even
through the bad news, he
couldn’t help but smile.
“I went on the day of
graduation practice in
2015 to get the results
of my scan. I head from
the doctor and came
hopping back into grad-
uation practice all excit-
ed. The assistant prin-
cipal looked at me and
said, ‘I’m so glad you got
a great report.’ I said,
‘well, I actually didn’t
get a great report. They
found a tumor of my kid-
ney and there’s a good
possibility it’s cancer.’
She said, ‘I’m so sorry. I
thought everything was
good because of the
smile on your face and
the positivity.’ I told her,
‘I’m going to have that
no matter what.’ That’s
because of my faith and
what God has proven,
what he’s promised and
what he’s provided.”
Henson and Perry were
both cancer free after
surgery. Perry is continu-
ing treatments.
WILL TO WIN
Greer football battled
more adversity before
the 2018 season began,
“I think we went out
with a bang,” Skinner
2018
Travis Henson
as head coach Will Young ery Friday, Saturday and
received a kidney trans- Sunday in Charleston. To
plant from his wife, Mi- watch her struggle then,
chelle. it scares you a little bit.
The longtime head foot- You see what she’s going
ball coach was diagnosed through and you don’t
with Polycystic Kidney want to go through that.”
Disease (PKD) about 10 Following a successful
years ago. A hereditary surgery and recovery,
condition, Young saw his Young encourages others
mother suffer from PKD to become donors.
in the years prior. “Because there is such
“My mother’s last sur- a shortage in live and
gery was during football deceased donors, there
season. She went in, I re- needs to be awareness”
member we’d just lost to he said. “Just making the
Blue Ridge, and it didn’t small change on your li-
go well. We took off to cense to become a donor
Charleston and she hung is something everybody
on for the next three should consider doing
weeks. The football team because there are people
made the third round out there in need.”
that year, but I spent ev-
ring, but we have more to
come. We’re going to be
ready to put on a show
next year.”
Members of past teams
commended Greer on its
run to state, pointing out
that a successful team
brings the community
together.
“A lot of the guys one
these teams are still
around here,” said Justin
Hill of the 1994 champi-
onship team. “We know
what it’s like to be where
they are and how import-
ant it was for us. We re-
ally pull for them—not
only because we want
them to do well, but also
because there’s a piece of
all of us that wishes we
could go out there and
do it again.”
The Jackets won it all
in 1956, 1989, 1994 and
2003.
said. “I wish we could’ve
come home with that
B
BLAME
CANNADA
BILLY
CANNADA
Here’s
to the
new year
t’s something man
knows very little about.
Each year, between
11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31
and 12:00 a.m. on Jan. 1,
people resolve to be-
come better versions of
themselves, pledging to
improve wealth, spiritual-
ity, physical appearance
and all kinds of other
good stuff.
I don’t get it.
Honestly, it makes Janu-
ary even more depressing.
Not only do we have to
rid ourselves of all things
cheerful, but now we have
to rid ourselves of all
the candy we just got for
Christmas??
Seriously, if Christmas
is the most wonderful
time of the year, that
must mean January is the
least wonderful time of
the year. My wife isn’t big
on New Years resolutions,
but before I can even get
out of bed on Dec. 26, our
live Christmas tree will be
out the back door.
“Do you hate Christmas
or something??” I shout
every year, to no avail.
It’s strange to see it
happen. This woman, who
has been singing Christ-
mas carols with me for
the past two months, goes
on an anti-Christmas
cleaning rampage when
December the 25th ends.
Wanting to avoid con-
troversy, I joined in—toss-
ing our beloved stockings
and lights into a storage
box.
What great thing are we
all moving on to so quick-
ly? Why are we trading
our Christmas CDs for
Shaun T workout DVDs?
Why are we trashing our
box of grandma’s fudge to
make room for fruits and
vegetables?
We know we’re going to
be doing this stuff again
next December, so why
not just skip to that part?
But in the spirit of Janu-
ary, I’ll make a few resolu-
tions. Like everyone else,
I’m making these resolu-
tions with the intention of
breaking them ASAP.
1. I promise to not eat
Lifesaver gummies for
breakfast anymore.
Let’s be honest, this is a
resolution that isn’t going
to last long. Have any of
you had delicious Lifesav-
er gummies before? Yes?
Well, have you had them
for breakfast? You’re
welcome.
2. I promise not to talk
bad about sports teams I
don’t like.
There will be no more
grumblings about that
team from Durham or
those Tigers from Pickens
County. I don’t care if
they are tripping people
and grabbing the butts
of other players—I’m not
going to talk about it!
3. I promise to take
an interest in my wife’s
interests.
I realize this means a
lot more Gilmore Girls
and trips to Hobby Lobby
in my life, but hopefully it
will improve our relation-
ship.
5. I promise to not dam-
age any more of my house
watching North Carolina
basketball games.
This is one resolution I
need to keep. My remote
can’t take one more flight
across the room.
Well, that’s it. That’s all
you get. All my friends
and family wishing for a
better Billy in 2018 are
going to have to settle for
these things for now.
A person can only
handle so much change
at once.
Now, if you’ll excuse
me. All this talk of Life-
saver gummies has gotten
me hungry.
Don’t worry, it’s not
breakfast time.
B2 THE GREER CITIZEN SP0RTS
Brandon McMahan
Local conquers Mount Rainier
In May of 2018, Bran-
don McMahan’s long-
time hobby him to new
heights.
The 15-year City of
Greer Zoning Coordi-
nator reached the sum-
mit of Mount Rainier
in Washington in May.
The climb was close to
13,000 feet.
McMahan spent from
March last year to Sep-
tember of this year train-
ing to hike Mt. Rainier.
When he accomplished
his goal, it was emotion-
al.
“I got emotional; I
didn’t cry,” he said. “It
was kind of like two
years in the waiting, so it
meant a lot to me. I was
very proud. My family
was out there with me, so
it was good to have them
down at the bottom wait-
ing.
“They’ve put up with
Other major
sporting events
Greer High’s Jesse Godsey won a gold medal in the 25
freestyle swim competition at the Special Olympics in
Seattle, Washington.
The Byrnes softball team came up short of a state championship with losses to White
Knoll in the state final.
4
a lot,” McMa-
han, who had
an unsuccess-
ful attempt at
climbing the
mountain last
year, said. “When I first
came home last year, I
was probably unbear-
able to live with for a
few months because I
was just disappointed,
upset, so I kind of took
it out on everyone, and I
realized that and apolo-
gized quickly to my wife
because she had to deal
with it.
“They were super
proud (this year),” he
said. “It was worth it.”
McMahan made the
hike with nine others
through International
Mountain Guides.
“We had a great group
of people that I climbed
with this year,” McMahan
said, “great guides that
FILE PHOTO | THE GREER CITIZEN
got us up there and got
us down safe.”
McMahan hiked along
side a brother and sis-
ter team, with her being
a pediatric orthopedic
surgeon and him being a
photographer/filmmaker
out of L.A., as well as a
physical therapist, a Ca-
nadian banker and a re-
tired entrepreneur.
The hike took three
days to get up and down
again.
“First day, we climbed
to Camp Muir, which is
about 10,000 feet,” Mc-
Mahan said. “The next
day, we climbed to Ingra-
ham Flats and slept on
the glacier that’s at a lit-
tle over 11,000 feet.”
After reaching 11,000
feet, the trail is glaciers.
“You’re going from
glacier to glacier,” McMa-
han said. “There’s a lot
of crevices you have to
The Eastside wrestling team captured another state championship earlier this year, topping Chapin in the title dual.
FILE PHOTO | THE GREER CITIZEN
cross, cracks in the ice.”
Technical gear includ-
ed ropes, helmets and
spikes on the bottom of
shoes.
“It got sketchy in
parts,” McMahan said.
Following his success,
McMahan still encour-
ages others to reach for
their goals.
“If you fail, it’s not the
end of the world,” McMa-
han said. “My motto with
fail, it’s the first attempt
in learning.
“I failed, but I learned
what not to do,” he said.
“A lot of people can’t
say they’ve slept on a
glacier,” McMahan said.
“That’s one thing I final-
ly realized a few months
after I failed last year.
There’s not a lot of peo-
ple from South Carolina
that say they slept on
a glacier above 11,000
feet.”
The Blue Ridge girl’s golf team made its second straight appearance at the state
tournament with a third-place finish at Upper State this fall. The team includes four all-
region selections: Athena Dotsikas (the team’s only senior), Maggie Poole, Raquel Fowler
and Hailey Rainey.
Coaching jobs
change hands
Coaching jobs change
hands frequently, as
many sports fans are
well aware. Just in the
sport of football, coach-
5
es from Riverside, Blue
Ridge, Eastside
and Byrnes have
only been with
their respective
programs for
two seasons or
less.
When Michael Pettit
left Riverside baseball
two years ago, he hoped
it wouldn’t be for good.
“I never moved out
of Greer,” Pettit said. “I
stayed here even after I
went to Woodmont. My
wife and I just didn’t
want to leave. We love it
here, and we wanted our
child to be able to grow
up here. The dream, for
me, was always to be able
to come back and coach
at Riverside. It’s some-
thing I couldn’t say no
to.”
That dream came
true in June when Pettit
stepped in as head coach
for the Warrior baseball
team. He takes over for
Travis Pitman, who re-
signed from the job fol-
lowing a run to Upper
State in 2018.
“There’s not going to
be much of a building
process here,” Pettit said.
“At Woodmont, I was
building from the ground
up and trying to revamp
everything. But now I’m
stepping into a program
that is established and
has had a lot of success.”
Pettit graduated from
Riverside in 2005. He
won state champion-
ships with the baseball
team in 2003 and 2004.
“Riverside is rich in
baseball tradition and
history,” Pettit said.
“We’re always going to be
competitive. Travis did a
good job of getting us
back to being a compet-
itor at the state level, so
I’ve got some big shoes
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
Michael Pettit
to fill. Hopefully I’ll be
able to come in and take
us over that next hump.”
Petit isn’t the only
coach learning the ropes
at Riverside. Rick Martin,
the school’s new football
coach, is hoping to turn
things around after a
winless season in 2018.
A former offensive
coordinator under Phil
Smith, Martin stepped
into the lead role for the
Warrior football team
this fall.
“It’s not about me,” he
said. “This is something
that’s bigger than me or
any one of us. We just
have to be committed
to each other and to our
vision. There’s no magic
bullet here. I don’t have
the secret to all-of-the-
sudden becoming a great
football program, but we
have to work hard and
raise our expectations
and commitment level.”
At Blue Ridge, James
Thurn just wrapped up
his first season as head
coach.
“All I want our kids to
do is better every day,” he
said. “I know that sounds
cliche, but when you’re
trying to turn around a
program that went 3-8
and has not been suc-
cessful over the last cou-
ple of years, trying to get
better every day is a good
thing to focus on. I want
these kids to fight every
day and overcome some
adversity, because at the
end of the day, that stuff
translates to life.
PHOTO | SUBMITTED
FILE PHOTO | THE GREER CITIZEN
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 CLASSIFIEDS
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vertised in this newspaper
is Subject to the Federal
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which makes it illegal to
advertise any preference,
limitation or discrimina-
tion based on race, color,
religion, sex, handicap,
familial status, national
origin or an intention to
make such preference,
limitation or discrimina-
tion. This newspaper will
not knowingly accept any
advertising for real estate
which is in violation of the
law. Our readers hereby
informed that all dwelling
advertised in this news-
paper are available on an
equal opportunity basis.
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC
SALE
Property of the following
tenants will be sold for
cash to satisfy rental liens
in accordance with Title
39, Chapter 20, Section
10 through 50. All items
will be sold or otherwise
disposed of. Sale will be
conducted on 18th day of
January, 2019 at 1:00 PM
with bidding to take place
on lockerfox.com.
All goods will be sold in
AS IS condition, all items
or spaces may not be
available at time of sale.
Cash only and a $100.00
cleaning deposit will be
taken. Property is Storage
Rentals of America, 2276
North Highway 101 Greer
SC, 29651
Jerell Thomas unit 231,
household items
Sofia Guzman unit 238,
household items
Paula Grant unit 326,
household items
Robert Knight unit 825,
household items
12-26, 1-2
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
ANYONE CLAIMING a
Blue 2005 Suzuki XL7,
VIN#JSTY92V154102010
Vehicle at JEFFREY’S
TOWING, LLC, 280
Farms Bridge Road, In-
man, SC 29349, (864)
472-2284. Vehicle aban-
doned at I-85 South at 67
mile marker.
If no one  claims within 30
days an affidavit for a title
on an abandoned vehicle
will be filed.
12-26, 1-2,9
NOTICE OF
NOTICE OF
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Notice is hereby given
that LQ HOTEL GROUP,
LLC DBA MAINSTAY
SUITES intends to ap-
ply to the South Carolina
Department of Revenue
WANT IT!
FIND IT!
BUY IT!
SELL IT!
The
Greer
Citizen
CLASSIFIEDS
877-2076
for a license/permit that
will allow the sale and ON
premises consumption
of beer and wine at 2671
DRY POCKET ROAD
GREER, SC 29650. To
object to the issuance of
this permit/license, writ-
ten protest must be post-
marked no later than Jan-
uary 11, 2019.
For a protest to be valid,
it must be in writing, and
should include the follow-
ing information:
(1) the name, address
and telephone number of
the person filing the pro-
test;
(2) the specific reasons
why the application should
be denied;
(3) that the person pro-
testing is willing to attend
a hearing (if one is re-
quested by the applicant);
(4) that the person pro-
testing resides in the
same county where the
proposed place of busi-
ness is located or within
five miles of the business;
and,
(5) the name of the ap-
plicant and the address
of the premises to be li-
censed.
Protests must be mailed
to: S. C. Department of
Revenue, ATTN: ABL,
P.O. Box 125, Columbia,
SC 29214-0907; or faxed
to: (803) 896-0110.
12-26, 1-2,9
NOTICE OF
NOTICE OF
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Notice is hereby given that
JANAC, LLC, d.b.a. KC
MART 9 intends to apply
to the South Carolina De-
partment of Revenue for a
license/permit that will al-
low the sale and ON prem-
ises consumption of beer,
wine and liquor at 701
S. BUNCOMBE ROAD,
GREER, SC 29650. To
object to the issuance of
this permit/license, writ-
ten protest must be post-
marked no later than Jan-
uary 4, 2019.
For a protest to be valid,
it must be in writing, and
should include the follow-
ing information:
(1) the name, address and
telephone number of the
person filing the protest;
(2) the specific reasons
why the application should
be denied;
(3) that the person pro-
testing is willing to attend a
hearing (if one is request-
ed by the applicant);
(4) that the person pro-
testing resides in the same
county where the pro-
posed place of business is
located or within five miles
of the business; and,
(5) the name of the ap-
Last Week’s Answers
plicant and the address
of the premises to be li-
censed.
Protests must be mailed
to: S. C. Department of
Revenue, ATTN: ABL, P.O.
Box 125, Columbia, SC
29214-0907; or faxed to:
(803) 896-0110.
12-19,26, 1-2
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B4 THE GREER CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
In LIVING
HERE
One of the most important jobs for a local newspaper is to tell the stories
of its community members. In 2018, we heard from a number of unique individuals.
Gaelyn Jenkins and Raymond He
Students get creative with learning
One forward-thinking
librarian and several Riv-
erside Middle students
took learning out of the
classrooms and into the
community through the
help of a Learning Studios
grant in March of 2018.
Utilizing shared technol-
ogy and resources, eager
Library Club members and
a partnership with Dig-
ital Promise Global, the
school recently witnessed
the tangible results of its
efforts when the “Read
and Feed” little library and
food pantry was installed
at Woodland Elementary
in January.
Introduced in November
2016, the Global Goals,
Local Solutions challenge
asked students to offer a
solution to one of the UN
Sustainable Goals. Unable
to narrow the field to one,
the club decided to ad-
dress Quality Education
and No More Hunger.
After brainstorming
ideas, the students were
divided into four groups
Greer family finds redemption at STEP
After eight months in
the Greer STEP (Shelter
to Empower People) pro-
gram, a family of four
found redemption.
Chad and Lisa Clontz,
along with their two chil-
dren, Chance and Tim-
berlie, moved into a new
home in January with a
renewed drive and inspi-
3
ration.
“Their focus
is not on drugs
anymore,” said
Martha Bennett,
former director
of the shelter.
“It’s on family
and what can they do to
better their family. That
comes with a lot of lis-
tening and doesn’t always
come from a book.
“We’re not here to fix
homelessness in Greer.
We’re basically here to
eliminate it complete-
ly. That’s really our goal
here,” she said.
The shelter has helped
about 11 families so far.
“Lisa and Chad have
kind of been our poster
kids,” Bennett said. “We’ve
just become so close to
them because we know
what the past can be like.”
The past year has
brought many changes
in the lives of the Clontz
Living Here
Here are a few of their stories:
2
(Design, Mar-
keting, Logistics
and Research) to
make it happen.
“The only guid-
ance I gave was
to set up the teams,” said
Riverside Middle Library
Media Specialist Gaelyn
Jenkins.
The students decided
where they wanted to con-
tribute.
The Read and Feed sta-
tion began with a design
on paper before evolving
into a 3-D printer mod-
el, a cardboard version
and finally a wooden one;
plans for signage and door
styles (oven versus micro-
wave style) and competing
prototypes were adjusted
based on logistics; and
ideas for an electronic
alert system were scaled
back before the final prod-
uct was created.
Eighth grader Raymond
He was on the design
team.
“We did five, six, maybe
even 10 designs,” He said.
family members.
“I had just got out of
jail for not doing my com-
munity service,” Lisa said.
“We had relocated to Greer
because we were home-
less, and that was the only
place we could find.
“We had had so much
trouble getting help be-
The Greer Citizen
2018
The Research and Mar-
keting teams gathered
statistics and developed a
video to encourage book
and food donations for
the station.
“I like dancing and act-
ing and doing a video was
something I was interested
in so I thought that would
be fun,” said Kaitlyn John,
who was on the marketing
team, which also faced
competing ideas.
While some members
of the group suggested a
comedic approach, oth-
ers wanted a serious pro-
motional video. The team
compromised on a video
that encompassed both,
and were able to receive a
large amount of donations
without the added prom-
ise of incentives.
“It’s wonderful for
team-working. I had a lot
of fun because I was work-
ing with people I knew and
people I didn’t know so I
got to know them…I liked
listening to everyone’s
ideas,” John said.
cause we have two kids,”
she continued. “Our car
was on its last leg. At that
point in time, it had actu-
ally just been towed by a
good samaritan and was
not running, so we were
going to have to walk ev-
erywhere.”
Around the month of
The Global Goals, Local
Solutions challenge is only
one of the activities that
Riverside Middle students
have tackled through the
Learning Studios program.
Other semesters have ad-
dressed social equity with
the creation of student
suggestion boxes and
gaming for learning that
saw a group design “The
Struggle is Real” game
which explored what it is
like to be a teenager.
These projects repre-
sent a shift in learning and
teaching technique that
focuses on tangible expe-
riences offered in a shared
space.
“It is an emerging thing,”
Jenkins said. “Most librar-
ies are moving to a new
model…more about em-
powering students to be
creators and innovators.
It’s not just you come to
the library and you check
out a book and you might
learn new things. It’s also
about taking knowledge
and creating something.”
May, Lisa called STEP and
agreed to take the re-
quired drug tests.
“A month later, I get a
call from Martha,” Lisa
said. “I called her back; I
was scared to death.”
At the shelter, the family
took classes related to fi-
nances and the Bible, espe-
Couple starts
fresh in Taylors
Endless potential.
That’s what Ashleigh
Black and her husband,
Lawrence, see when they
look at the Taylors Mill.
“When you start to learn
more about the communi-
ty and the people, that’s
1
when it really comes alive
for me and get-
ting to know
those faces and
their stories,”
Ashleigh said. “I
think that’s what
keeps the spirit of this
place.”
The couple was one of
the newer tenants of the
Taylors Mill in 2018, open-
ing The Southern Bleach-
ery as an events space for
weddings, church gather-
ings and more.
With 20 years of startup
business experience, Law-
rence sees numerous pos-
sibilities for their portion
of the Taylors Mill prop-
erty.
“This place, it just start-
ed sparking a whole bunch
of thoughts for a whole
bunch of different busi-
nesses,” Lawrence said of
his original visits a few
years ago.
Lawrence is taking his
time to get this project
right.
“The pace of progress
for something this scale
is a lot slower,” he said. “I
enjoy being here. We really
do live, work, play here.”
The Blacks envision
three phases for the sub-
stantial work to be done
in about four years at the
Taylors Mill with the large
building as phase one, the
infiltration building as
phase two and the boiler
Lawrence and Ashleigh Black
cially once all four of the
shelter apartments were
occupied.
“There’s the sense of
community,” she con-
tinued. “There’s coming
down to the soup kitchen.
My kids begged to come
down here. My son begged
to come down here and
room as phase three.
“The first phase is the
market warehouse,” Law-
rence said, “and then the
yard adjacent to it.”
Grading was done to ac-
commodate a large park-
ing lot.
The Blacks are also
working to get the ware-
house on National Regis-
ter of Historic Places.
Greer Mill
The Blacks are partner-
ing in the redevelopment
of the Greer Mill into 100
or so apartments and
25,000 or so square feet
of retail space in the next
two years.
“The two properties are
so different,” Lawrence
said. “The approaches are
completely different. The
Greer Mill is a much more
traditional, historical re-
use.
“With everything hap-
pening in Greer and the
great leadership they
have, I think it lends it-
self to be part of a work,
play community in a small
town,” he said. “It’s a very
attractive location.”
Whereas the redevelop-
ment of the Taylors Mill
has more flexibility, the
Greer Mill is following a
more traditional path for
redevelopment.
“A lot of places like this
are the first generation to
find value and meaning in
the older buildings,” Law-
rence said. “It also fits in
with a lot of secular trends
in the US, moving back to-
wards urban areas, but
then also the rediscovery
of small town America.
Greer is a quintessential
small town.”
Chad and Lisa Clontz with
their two children Chance
and Timberlie
just pour tea. Timberlie
spent the day with Bennett
cleaning windows with
some of the other peo-
ple here. It’s not because
Timberlie was in trouble.
It wasn’t because Ben-
nett required it of her. It
was because I as a parent
thought she needed it.”
With the move into their
new place, Chad is now
able to walk to work.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 LIVING HERE
Rayleigh Lajoie honored
Rayleigh Lajoie is one-
in-a-million, and Moun-
tain View Elementary took
some time to celebrate her
uniqueness in September
with “Ray Day,” wearing
pajamas or pink shirts in
recognition of Childhood
Cancer Awareness Month.
The nine-year-old likes
cheetahs, cheese pizza
and chocolate ice cream.
Her favorite number is
three, and her favorite
movie is Frozen.
“I don’t have a favorite
monster…I like to play
with my friends….I love
music or art,” Rayleigh
said, answering various
questions from her class-
mates to help them create
a book about their friend.
More
stories
YORK RETIRES AFTER 27
YEARS AS A VETERINARIAN
A long-time Greer veter-
inarian retired and moved
to Colorado this past sum-
mer.
Dr. Lori York, who pur-
chased Blue Ridge Vet
Clinic in Greer in 1991,
called it a career after run-
ning the Blue Ridge Ani-
mal Hospital for 27 years.
At the end of 2016, York
sold the practice to a cor-
poration called Pet Part-
ners USA out of New York.
“It’ll be hard to leave
Greer,” Dr. York said.
“There’s 27 years of mem-
ories here. I’ve met a lot of
super great people, awe-
some people, that I never
would’ve met if I hadn’t
been here doing what I’m
doing.
“What’s incredible about
it is you see families with
puppies and kittens, and
that’s so exciting and joy-
ful like new babies,” she
said. “But then, so many
years later, you see those
puppies and kittens, and
now they’re old, and then
you’re with the family
again, and that’s a very
sad occasion where they’re
sick and dying or you put
them to sleep. For some
4
The day before
the K-5th grad-
ers discussed
friendship.
“We brain-
stormed what it
means to be a friend and
came up with ideas on the
whiteboard. The kids dec-
orated their (pink) shirts
using those words that
they came up with for Ray
Day,” said teacher Jennifer
Barnes. “She’s kind of a su-
perhero here.”
Words that went up on
the board included shar-
ing, loving, sweet, respect-
ful and nice. Drawings
representing her depict-
ed rainbows and colorful
hearts.
“I think (Ray Day) is
clients that I’ve had for 27
years, I’ve gone through
three or four generations
from puppyhood to old
dog. You get attached to
the people and to the an-
imals themselves.
HISTORIC JAMES HOUSE
OPENS AS B&B
Constructed in 1923,
The Louie James House is
one of Greer’s most prom-
inent examples of early
overwhelming for us all.
She means so much to
this school, our principals,
our teachers…Everybody
knows Ray and everybody
loves Ray,” said teacher
McKenzie Smith. “She is
such a sweet, strong, lov-
ing and hardworking girl.
So we feel touched to be
able to be a part of it all.
We’ve been really excited
about it. (The students)
are all about honoring her
and having this day be
about her. They are just as
excited.”
Enjoying punch, cup-
cakes and cookies (all in
pink–Rayleigh’s favorite
color) with her classmates,
she is your typical third
grade girl.
twentieth century Colonial
Revival residential archi-
tecture.
Named for William Louis
“Louie” James, a promi-
nent Greer farmer, mer-
chant and businessman,
the structure has only had
two owners in nearly a
century.
Erin Williams has owned
the place with her hus-
band, Perry, since 1991.
The architecture is
Beyond the classroom,
Rayleigh is one of only
nearly 500 people diag-
nosed with WAGR syn-
drome in the world, mak-
ing her one in 500,000 to
one million, according to
the National Library of
Medicine.
WAGR syndrome is
a rare genetic disorder
caused by the deletion
of genetic material on a
chromosome. It is charac-
terized by several factors
including: Wilms’ Tumor,
a childhood kidney cancer;
Aniridia, an eye condition;
Genitourinary problems;
and a Range of develop-
mental delays.
eclectic with Adamsesque,
Italianate, Georgian, Greek
revival and arts and crafts
features.
In August 2017, the
Williams opened a Bed
and Breakfast with four
guest rooms in the histor-
ic James House, filling up
the first two nights with
guests who traveled to
see the total eclipse of the
sun.
The James House Inn,
located at 401 West Poin-
sett Street, Greer, is a
5,000 square-foot Bed and
Breakfast that is colonial
neoclassical in design and
located in historic Greer.
The house features shared
spaces and amenities, in-
cluding a large entrance
hall with a studio grand
piano, living room with
60” TV, billiards room,
sleeping porch with busi-
ness center and 55” TV,
a dining room with a
trompe-l’œil ceiling, and
the landing with book cas-
es and a small sleigh bed.
The grounds include a
boxwood garden with a
large lily pond stocked
with koi and goldfish, a
hand pump, seating and
a hammock. Two of the
original bathrooms re-
main in The James House.
The James House joined
Wish granted
for grad’s dad
Two years ago, plans
changed for the Hughes
5
family.
Nicholas and
Kami Hughes
were preparing
to move to Flor-
ida with their
son, Joshua Lee
Vanghn, who
was getting set to attend
the Motorcycle Mechanics
Institute in Orlando.
“That was the plan be-
fore [Nicholas] got can-
cer,” Kami said. “As soon
as [Joshua] graduated, all
three of us were ready to
go.”
Nicholas was diag-
nosed with colon cancer,
and while under the care
of Wren Hospice, he ex-
pressed a desire to see his
son graduate from high
school.
“When I found out this
was his wish, I set out
to make it happen,” said
the National Register of
Historic Places on Sept.
19, 1996.
It was nominated based
upon the style of architec-
ture and the high level and
quality of construction.
The architect was Henry
R. Trott, who also partici-
pated in the design of the
Fourth Judicial County
Courthouse in Greenville,
and the builder was J.C.
Cunningham, who built
many of the homes had
the community. Construc-
tion was begun in 1921
and completed in 1923.
SPREADING HAPPINESS
THROUGH CHOCOLATE
Making people happy.
That’s what motivates
Shoppes on Trade Owner
Shelly Jordan to greet each
THE GREER CITIZEN B5
Jaime Hester, Director of
Clinical Services at Wren
Hospice. “I enlisted many
people. I was so blessed to
grant this wish.”
In October, that dream
came true.
“It makes me proud,”
Nicholas said. “It’s really
special.”
The honorary gradua-
tion, which took place at
Pleasant Grove Baptist
Church, was kept a secret.
“I think I’d almost made
it to the chair before I
found out what was going
on,” Nicholas said.
“I kept it from him,”
Kami said. “I kept telling
him, we’re going to eat.”
Joshua, who is a senior
at Byrnes High School,
wore a cap and gown for
the ceremony.
“It means a lot because
it gives me more boost to
actually graduate,” Joshua
said.
customer with a cheerful
“hello” and a free taste of
handmade chocolate.
Jordan, a licensed spe-
cialty chocolate manufac-
turer, has been hand mak-
ing goodies for 15 years
and has owned her busi-
ness for a little over four
years.
“It’s just a natural thing
to offer a sample,” Jordan
said. “Everybody should
get a little bit of happiness
when they walk in the
door.”
Jordan’s chocolates
come in different shapes
and flavors, such as pep-
permint mustaches, jala-
peño chickens, key lime
frogs with coconut in the
middle, nose truffles of
caramel and crushed pe-
cans, chocolate containers
filled with chocolates and
poppers, which are marsh-
mallows dipped in choc-
olate and rolled in hand-
crushed toppings.
“I have an off sense of
humor,” she said, “just
like making a chocolate
nose truffle of caramel
and crushed pecans. You
bite into it, and it oozes
out, yummy, right?”
Inspiration for the choc-
olate making came 15
years ago.
“When we were kids, we
would make lollipops and
sell them about a quarter
a piece at school,” Jordan
said. “It was something
that my mom did with us.”

B6 THE GREER CITIZEN 
Greer police host first G.R.E.A.T. graduation
BY KAELYN CASHMAN
STAFF WRITER
The Greer Police Depart-
ment hosted its very first
G.R.E.A.T. program gradu-
ation on Wednesday, Dec.
20, at Chandler Creek Ele-
mentary School.
G.R.E.A.T is Gang Re-
sistance Education And
Training.
“For the past eight
weeks, six officers have
meet weekly with fifth
grade classes to teach
lessons about bullying,
handling, peer pressure,
and drugs,” said Jennifer
Dodds, Assistant Principal
at Chandler Creek Elemen-
tary School.
“Although Greenville PD
has offered the program
in select schools over a
few years, this is the first
time the program has been
done in Greer,” she said.
About 150 students
graduated from the six-
week program, which
started in October.
“We have a lot of stu-
dents, unfortunately, who
have not seen police of-
ficers in a positive light,
and I really wanted them
to understand that they
are people who can help
you especially as you’re
moving into middle school
and into adulthood, work-
ing with peer pressure,”
Dodds said. “I really want-
ed them to see the officers
in a positive light and be
Our Schools
The Greer Citizen
we handle those type of
situations.”
Zach Williams, Training
Officer with the Greer Po-
lice Department, found
out about the program
and introduced Greer to
the concept.
“I thought it was a really
good idea, so I introduced
it, and the chief was sup-
portive,” Williams said.
“So, we had a meeting with
all the command staff and
talked about it. They liked
the idea, so we went ahead
with it.”
Greer police officers ob-
served a program in prog-
ress through the Green-
ville City Police, and seven
officers participated in a
G.R.E.A.T. training held
in Greenville to be able
to teach the program to
Greer students.
“The G.R.E.A.T. program
is actually international,
and it’s funded by the fed-
eral government, so most
of the cost is subsidized,”
Williams said. “They hold
KAELYN CASHMAN | THE GREER CITIZEN trainings throughout the
country.”
Assistant Principal Jennifer Dodds (left) called the names of about 150 fifth grade students “It’s a 40-hour training,”
at Chandler Creek Elementary School. Each student had the opportunity to shake hands he said. “They explain the
with Greer Police Chief Matt Hamby (second from left) during a Dec. 19 graduation as program.”
well as other officers, inculding Zach Williams (right) who brought the first G.R.E.A.T. After completing the
(Gang Resistance Education And Training) program to Greer. training, the program
has been implemented at
able to know that these have been fundamental that’s a big deal in mid- Chandler Creek Elemen-
are people who can help in helping the students dle school, what do they tary School first due to
you.” as they get ready for mid- do when someone wants the established relation-
“It’s had a wonderful dle school in understand- them to do the wrong ship through the Real
impact in that manner,” ing how to deal with that thing, so they’ve really Men Read program, where
she said. “The lessons peer pressure. Certainly, learned lessons on how do Dodds asked police and
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018
fire personnel to read to
the students.
“We’ve been doing that
for a couple years, and it’s
really well received,” Wil-
liams said. “The kids love
it.”
“Since we already kind
of had a partnership with
them, it just made since
that they be the first one,”
he said. “They’ve really
liked it from all the feed-
back I’ve gotten, so I think
we’re going to try and see
if we can’t expand to some
of the other schools.”
The G.R.E.A.T. program
has an elementary as well
as a middle school cur-
riculum with six different
lessons ideally one week
apart.
“It’s a really good pro-
gram for the kids be-
cause all the lessons are
taught by officers in full
uniform,” Williams said.
“They’re learning life skills
that they may or may not
get at home, like anger
management and how to
deal with bullies.”
“These kids love it,” he
said. “They get to see the
same officer come in ev-
ery week, so they kind of
build a relationship with
them, and seeing them
in uniform, it helps keep
them from being afraid or
anything in the future be-
cause they have that posi-
tive relationship.”
kaelyn@greercitizen.com | 877-2076
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018 FUN AND GAMES
Alternative therapies
in cancer treatment
DEAR DR. ROACH: I
wonder why you never
talk about holistic mea-
sures to prevent illnesses,
such as cancer. I just read
an article by an oncologist
who said there are certain
anti-cancer supplements
that work, including vita-
min D, magnolia extract
and artichoke extract, all
of which have been shown
in laboratory studies to
kill a variety of cancer
cells, including colon,
breast and liver cancers,
and leukemia. Artichoke
extract also contains cy-
narin, which decreases in-
flammation.
Other compounds that
can reduce cancer growth
are black cumin seed oil
and bee propolis, which
is rich in caffeic acid
phenethyl ester (CAPE),
chrysin and cinnamic acid
-- compounds that affect
cancer genes. Studies
show that they reduce the
growth of many cancers,
including colon, prostate
and kidney.
I’ve also read about the
powerful effects that sim-
ple seasonings have on
cancer cells: black pep-
per, sage and oregano. My
question to you is: Why
isn’t this blasted all over
the news media, and why
don’t physicians who can
access this information
tell it to their patients? --
V.A.
ANSWER: The therapies
you mention are termed
“complementary” or “al-
ternative” treatments,
specifically “herbal treat-
ments.” Holistic medicine,
on the other hand, aims to
Soap Updates
BY DANA BLOCK
THE BOLD AND
THE BEAUTIFUL
Hope and Liam an-
nounced the name they
chose for their unborn
daughter. Ridge asked
everyone in attendance
for Christmas dinner to
share how they had been
blessed. With hearts full
of love and gratitude, Xan-
der carried on a Forrester
tradition about the true
meaning of Christmas.
The Logan sisters saved
Charlie and Pam a place
at the table. Ridge gave
Steffy a gift for Taylor.
Zoe demanded that Reese
quit putting on an act, but
he assured her that he
would make her proud.
Hope planned a romantic
getaway for her and Liam,
but baby Kelly’s fever put
a glitch in their plans. Re-
ese’s past caught up with
him when a shady char-
acter came to collect on
a debt. Liam made Steffy
a promise about the fu-
ture of their family. Wait
to See: Several lives are
changed forever as “B&B”
celebrates its 8,000th epi-
sode!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Abigail and Chad were
granted a Christmas mira-
cle. Leo made a spectacle
out of himself at the chil-
dren’s party at the hospi-
tal. Roman arranged a spe-
cial moment between Will
and Sonny. Abe received
an unexpected gift from
TO YOUR
GOOD HEALTH
KEITH
ROACH, M.D.
treat the entire person --
physically, mentally, emo-
tionally, spiritually. Holis-
tic medicine ought to be a
goal for all providers, since
health consists of much
more than mere absence
of physical disease. While
a physician can help with
some of these aspects, it is
difficult or impossible for
one person to be expert in
helping a person meet all
goals of wellness, which is
why collaborative care is
so important.
With respect to the herb-
al treatments you men-
tion, and others like them,
it is my opinion that these
have potential to help
treat some kinds of can-
cer. However, I am quite
convinced, after reading
many studies, that none of
them is completely effec-
tive at preventing or cur-
ing cancer.
Compounds can be very
effective at killing can-
cer cells in a laboratory,
but that is very different
from killing cancer cells in
a person at a level that’s
achievable without toxici-
ty. That’s why they aren’t
on the news media -- they
aren’t a cure, and haven’t
been proven definitively
helpful. If that changes, I
will be among the first to
spread the news.
Where I believe alter-
native therapies have the
PATRICK MCELHENNEY | CBS
Wayne Brady stars as
‘Reese’ on ‘The Bold and
The Beautiful’
Sheila. Chad was stunned
to learn that he was Char-
lotte’s father. Meanwhile,
Abigail and Gabi had a ma-
jor showdown. Claire and
Tripp grew closer. JJ tried
to get Haley to open up
about her problems. Jen-
nifer apologized to Abigail
for not believing her. Gabi
feared for her life as she
found herself at Stefan’s
mercy. Jennifer attended
the New Year’s Eve bash
with Dr. Henry Shah. Eric
consulted Justin about
suing for custody of Hol-
ly. Wait to See: A special
guest arrives at Doug’s
Place.
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Ryan continued to tor-
ment Kevin. Lulu confided
in Laura about something
unexpected she was expe-
riencing. Olivia made an
important discovery. Ju-
lian celebrated a belated
THE GREER CITIZEN B7
Compounds can
be very effective at
killing cancer cells
in a laboratory, but
that is very different
from killing cancer
cells in a person...
most potential in cancer
is in combination with tra-
ditional therapies: helping
people feel better through
chemotherapy and radi-
ation. Some herbals, like
turmeric, have solid data
showing benefit in combi-
nation with chemotherapy
in treating some cancers.
However, finding an on-
cologist who has expertise
in alternative treatment
might not be easy.
Similarly, finding an
alternative medicine pro-
vider who knows enough
about cancer and che-
motherapy to be of value
to both the patient and
the oncologist isn’t easy.
There are some centers
where both traditional and
complementary therapies
are used, and where the
patient’s entire care team
is aware of all the treat-
ments a patient is getting.
Dr. Roach regrets that
he is unable to answer in-
dividual letters, but will
incorporate them in the
column whenever possi-
ble. Readers may email
questions to ToYourGood-
Health@med.cornell.edu.
Christmas. Kevin bought
a little more time. Ava
lashed out. Laura looked
to Felicia for help. Griffin
struggled with his feel-
ings. Jason warned Sonny
not to get too close to Mar-
gaux. Kim was touched by
Drew’s support. Michael
attended a charity gala.
Willow went on a date with
Chase. Kim reminisced
about her past. Kristina
made a big decision. Kev-
in received an unwelcome
visitor. Wait to See: Ava is
affected by Lulu’s visit.
THE YOUNG AND
THE RESTLESS
Billy and Victoria spent
the holiday together and
discovered old romantic THE SPATS by Jeff Pickering  |
feelings. Jack shared a
sweet memory with Dina
after she didn’t recognize
him because of her de-
mentia. Devon faced his
first Christmas without
Hilary, but he was soon
joined by Nate and Ana,
who shared their holiday
traditions with him. Kyle
replaced his expensive
watch with the less flashy
one Lola could barely af-
ford. Lola was horrified
 |
to learn how much Kyle,
in turn, had spent on her RFD by Mike Marland
gift. Ana accused Devon
of taking credit for the tal-
ent she discovered. Later,
Fen realized that Ana was
writing songs anonymous-
ly, and with much reluc-
tance she fessed up. Wait
to See: Christine targets
Victor.
AMBER WAVES by Dave T. Phipps  |
OUT ON A LIMB by Gary Kopervas  |
B8 THE GREER CITIZEN PAGE LABEL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

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