Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Buddy Poppy sale benefits veterans, dependents; Poinsett gets facelift

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75 YEARS AGO - 1945

Nov. 2 - Nov. 8

- The air force marked up a second try victory for its B-29s over the mileage and adverse weather of the tough nonstop hop from Japan to Washington. Four of the Superforts flew in to National Airport after a 6,544-mile trip from Mizutani on the Japanese home island of Hokkaido. Their time was 27 hours, 29 minutes. The 43 flyers succeeded in a task which defeated three other B-29s in the first attempt in September but failed in a more ambitious plan to better the world-distance record by having one of the planes go on to Cuba or Puerto Rico. The distance record of 7,158 miles was established by the British in 1938.

- Gleaming new 1946 Chevrolets, sounding an appealing note in sleek, modern styling, and embodying the latest results of new engineering programs, are now on display at Courtwright Chevrolet Co.

- Attending the South Carolina Tuberculosis Association's 28th-annual meeting with Christmas seal conference at the Hotel Columbia, Columbia, are Dr. W. J. Snyder Jr., president of the Sumter County Tuberculosis Association; and Edwin Boyle, Mrs. V. C. Barringer, Mrs. Florence B. Bolger, Dr. C. H. White, Mrs. Delgar Dorn and Mrs. Timmons Edens. Mr. Boyle is a member of the executive committee on the Board of Directors of the S.C. Tuberculosis Association. Dr. Snyder and Mrs. Barringer are also on the Board of Directors.

- Veterans of World War II have an opportunity which has never been accorded to veterans of any of our other wars in all our history - they can, if they will, inherit the American Legion. Never before have the veterans of an American war been offered an opportunity to take over lock, stock and barrel a prosperous and powerful going concern like the American Legion. It has a local branch - its post - at almost every crossroads in the nation.

- Dr. E.C. Jones has been appointed chairman of the black division of the Victory War Loan drive, and he is now organizing the various committees to carry on the campaign. He will handle applications for bonds at the division headquarters which was located at 5 W. Liberty St.

- The Sumter County Poultry Judging team competed with teams from other counties across the state at the annual poultry judging contest held during State Fair week. As a result of this competition, Sumter County Judging team was placed in the blue ribbon group. This year's team was composed of Misses Elizabeth Heriot, Dot Wilson and Mary Frances Heriot from Mayesville School and Miss Elma Johnson from Sherwood School. The team received a cash award of $8 for their outstanding work.

- City taxes are coming in very well, it was reported by City Manager J.A. Raffield, with $5,916.60 collected on Thursday, the first day the books were opened, and $2,545.50 collected yesterday. Taxes are payable this month without penalty, but after Nov. 30, they carry a 10 percent penalty. Paving assessments could be paid in November and December without penalty. They will carry a penalty after Dec. 31.

- The Sumter city manager reported that good progress was being made on the community building which was to be constructed on North Salem Avenue between Hampton and Calhoun streets. With good weather and materials, it is expected to be completed by the last of this month of December. Also, he noted that the installation of parking meters was continuing, and it was expected that they would go into operation sometime next week.

- The 1945 Buddy Poppy marks the 24th-annual sale of these patriotic symbols by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said Post Commander J.L. McInnes, in announcing the chairman of the Buddy Poppy campaign for Nov. 10, which will be under the direction of Post Junior Vice Commander James W. Scarborough. The sale of the Buddy Poppy is strictly a nonprofit venture, sponsored exclusively for the benefit of disabled veterans, their dependents, the widows and orphans of deceased veterans and the past three years the members of the Armed Forces of World War II and their dependents.

- Gates of the Sumter County Fair will open soon. The fair this year will have as an added attraction horse races for Saturday, Nov. 10. The races are to start at 2 p.m., and the best horses in the two Carolinas will participate, both trotters and pacers. It is expected that this feature of the fair will attract a large crowd. Officials feel fortunate in securing a war exhibit of the Air Force from Shaw Field. This will be one of the main attractions in the main exhibit building.

50 YEARS AGO - 1970

July 5 - July 11

- The Cambodian army battled its way today to full control of the town of Saang, 20 miles south of Phnom Penh, after suffering some of the heaviest losses it has reported for one day of fighting. Other Cambodian troops pushed back a threat to Kompong Thom, 80 miles north of the capital, with the aid of South Vietnamese warplanes.

- Mayor R.E. Graham presented Little Miss Sumter, Virginia Ruth Wriggley, 6, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wriggley, with a letter from the mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, where she will be competing in the Little Miss Hemisphere pageant in September. She will be in the second grade at Furman Elementary School next year.

- With only six games remaining to be played in the 1970 American Legion Baseball season, the Sumter P-15's have a chance to go undefeated throughout the season. Sumter extended its winning streak to 12 consecutive victories with its narrow 3-0 victory over Turbeville in Riley Park. The P-15's gave an excellent performance, but so did Jake Gibbons' boys, who kept up with Sumter both defensively and offensively.

- A near capacity crowd was on hand at Sumter Speedway, and the temperature was high, and so was the action on the track as Guy Gamble and Slick Gibbons came out on top of all the rest in the two feature races. It was the first win this season for Gamble, but for Gibbons, it was his 11th in a dozen tries.

- Approximately 1,000 people stroll through Sumter's Swan Lake-Iris Gardens each week, enjoying the swans or a picnic and a walk around the lake. Caretaker Ron Burnett has the job of keeping the park's wildlife healthy, caring for plants and cleaning up after the visitors.

- Able Answering Service has been purchased by Answering Network of South Carolina Inc. from Abe Thomy. The local firm was previously a telephone answering service, also providing two-radio communications and city-wide radio paging facilities, operating offices in Florence and Sumter. Answering Network will continue to provide services now being offered; however, it will also provide additional services such as fire alarm service, burglar alarm service, mobile telephone services and many other communication facilities as may be needed.

- Norman F Brown Jr., a native of Aiken County, has joined the Sumter County Agriculture Extension staff as assistant county agent to Dick Tillman. Brown is a 1956 graduate of South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, receiving a B.S. degree in agriculture. He has also completed graduate work in agriculture in S.C. State College.

- As the stage is set for this Saturday's Derby Awards Night Festival at Rocks Pond Campground Pavilion near Eutaw Springs, a local young lady will be "coming home" to perform for a lot of personal friends and many more radio and TV fans. She is Margaret "Maggie" Griffin of Elloree and now a featured singer with The Arthur Smith Show.

- Manchester Future Farmers of America Chapter honored its principal, two faculty members and the chapter president at a recent meeting. B.F. Robinson, principal, and Mrs. Irene B. Williams, Home Economics teacher, received "Special Recognition Plaques" for their cooperation, service and devotion to the chapter since the beginning of the school.

- The Youth Councils of the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Young Women's Christian Association are in the process of planning a "Miss Bates Pool" pageant. The purpose of the pageant is to provide an evening of entertainment, to acquaint the residents of the county with the swimming facilities and to encourage the use of the pool as recreation for children and families.

- The Sumter P-15's unloaded for 13 hits and coasted to an easy 14-0 victory over Manning and by doing so clinched at least a tie for the American Legion League IV championship. The victory was the 13th-consecutive victory for coach Bernard Jones' boys, who now need only one victory to take the league championship.

- The Chandler All-Stars defeated the Windham All-Stars in the Dixie Youth all-star game at Palmetto Park. The Chandler Stars, coached by Harry Chandler and composed of players from the Northern, Western, Eastern and Poinsett leagues, tallied in the first inning after a leadoff single by Tomas Dollard. The Windham Stars, coached by T.W. Windham and consisting of players from the Crosswell, Southern, Central and Poinsett leagues, scored their first and only run in the second frame.

- The firm of Fort Roofing and Sheet Metal Works Inc. has three specialties: roofing, installation and servicing of residential and commercial heating and air conditioning and made-to-order specialties. Large industrial roofing jobs are the principal part of the Fort business.

- A new 104-room Holiday Inn located off Interstate 95 near Turbeville will be open for traveling motorists by the end of this month. Construction of the million-dollar inn, owned by a group of local citizens, was begun the first of the year by the Albert Owings construction company of Memphis, Tennessee.

- Recent improvements and additions at Poinsett State Park have pushed the Sumter County facility closer to its goal of serving as a versatile, year-round recreation center. Cabins, campsites, museum, lakeside and recreational equipment have been refurbished in the last year. The improvements are part of a state-wide facelifting of parks by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

- Sgt. 1st Class Clarence Stukes of Headquarters Company, Fort Polk Academy, has been chosen soldier of the quarter for the fourth quarter of 1970. He was selected on the basis of "exemplary diligence and proficiency in the performance of assigned duties as well as distinctive qualities of leadership, military bearing, courtesy and knowledge of current events."

- An organization everyone comes into contact with every day celebrated its ninth anniversary with an open house during the week and a cookout at the picnic area near Shaw's main gate. Be it calling the tower-radar approach control facility or just picking up the telephone, everyone comes in contact with the Air Force Communications Service daily. Representing the worldwide command on Shaw are: the Ninth Tactical Communications Area; the 2020th Communications Squadron; and Detachment 2, Fifth Mobile Communications Group.

25 YEARS AGO - 1995

April 5 - 11

- Expansion of the city's Pocotaligo sewage/wastewater treatment plant will cost closer to $10 million, rather than the $9.5 million estimated earlier. Engineers from Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern, a Florence architectural and engineering firm hired to design the expansion, presented Sumter City Council with blueprints for the sewage plant expansion.

- Partisan politics may no longer be welcome in Sumter municipal elections. Sumter City Council voted 6-1 to give preliminary approval to ending political party distinctions in city elections. The proposal is likely to receive final approval from council during its next meeting on April 18. If approved, the proposal would be submitted to the U.S. Justice Department, which has final say over changes in an election's process.

- After a wet winter that left standing water in fields for weeks, South Carolina farmers are now looking to the skies for rain during one of the driest springs on record. But many people, including those who work at landscape nurseries, car washes and irrigation companies, like things just the way they are. A state crop report showed 59 percent of the topsoil across South Carolina needs moisture.

- Six local youths were state winners in the NBA Skills Games competition held in Charlotte. Matthew Shaw and Andrew Moss won the 9-11 division, Anne McDowell Calloway and Emily Bland the 12-14 division and Scott Burkett and Wilson Clark won the 15-17 division.

- The Morris College National Alumni Association will induct four persons into the Athletic Hall of Fame during the 1995 Alumni Weekend activities. The inductees are Robert E. Martin and Milton Page, two former outstanding football players, and Rosa W. Thompson and Cora Gerald Rogers, stars on the women's basketball teams that won two Southeastern Athletic Conference championships in the 1950s.

- Students, teachers and administrators from Sumter's two public school districts gathered on the Sumter County Courthouse steps to draw attention to the issue of education funding. The state Senate will decide the fate of the districts' state funding in the next few weeks. The state House of Representatives already passed its budget, which has been widely criticized for its cuts in education.

- Wouldn't it be nice if disposing of your garbage meant merely lifting a lid in your basement or garage and tossing the bag through? If it's left up to some Alice Drive Middle School sixth-graders, someday "taking out the garbage" may mean just that. Last month, the students' vision of a future where homes are equipped with an underground system for recycling garbage earned them a place as semifinalists in a national science competition sponsored by Toshiba Corp.

- Sumter Christian softball coach Lea Brush spent most of Friday's game against Northside Christian cautioning her scorekeeper not to tell her Lady Bears the actual score of the game. The tactic? She didn't want her team to become too relaxed. Sumter Christian jumped to an early 4-0 lead only to escape with a 6-5 victory over the Lady Eagles to win the Coastal Conference 2A championship.

- Bo Betchman had rather modest expectations heading into his freshman baseball season at The Citadel last year. "I didn't know what to expect," he said recently. "I kind of expected to get a little bit of playing time at third base." The former Sumter High School shortstop and P-15 second baseman far surpassed that meager goal. Betchman started 62 of the Bulldogs' 66 games at third base and finished with a .324 batting average, ranking second on the team in batting.

- During the past two decades, Sumter has come to be known as the state's manufactured housing retail capital. And now, more than ever, manufactured housing dealers are cashing in on the consumers rushing into Sumter to find a good deal on a home. Sumter has 15 dealers and nearly 500 manufactured homes in a three-mile stretch of road on U.S. 378 between Shaw Air Force Base and the Alice Drive intersection.

- Sumter County Council members say the county's dirt roads, after years on the back burner, will be a priority in budget deliberations that begin this month. With this winter's wet weather and public pressure to see results from a $15-per-car road-user fee the council imposed last year, the roads situation has apparently reached critical mass - the point where something has to happen.

- Kenny Franklin isn't shy about sharing his plans for the 1995 track season. "I want to get to the state meet in three events this year and that's what I'm aiming for," said the senior sprinter from Sumter High School. Which three events is the question. As SHS head track coach Rut Dingle puts it:"Kenny probably could win every (track) event except the pole vault and the shot." Franklin is one of the most versatile athletes on the SHS Squad.