2018 Hall of Fame

NEW HALL OF FAME CLASS - Inducted into the Saluda County School District Hall of Fame Friday were, L to R, Phyllis Deloach, Deborah Minick, Corey Daniel, and accepting for their late brother Ronald Coleman, Ben and Buddy Coleman.

District Inducts New
Hall of Fame Class

  The Saluda County School District inducted its 2018 Hall of Fame class at the halftime of Friday’s Saluda-Abbeville game.
  Inductees and their resumes are as follows:
  The late Ronald Coleman - 1967 Graduate , 1966 Most Valuable in Football , 1966-67 Basketball Most Valuable Player on the Region 5-A Conference Championship Team, Averaged 20 points per game in his senior season, 1967 North South All Star Game.
  Corey Daniel - Football 92-93, Track All Region, All State,;  Region Champion in 100 Meters, 200 Meters, Long Jump, Triple Jump; State Champion 100 Meters, Long Jump; Basketball All Region , All State, Region Player of the year, North South All Star Game; Attended Erskine College on a Basketball Scholarship.
  Phyllis Deloach - Lettered in Volleyball, basketball and Softball; 4 years all Conference in Basketball; 1985 High School All American; Attended Anderson College.
  Deborah Minick Teacher at Saluda High School 1986-2018; Taught Teacher Cadets 1997-2016; CERRA Board of Directors Executive Committee; PACE Teacher 2004-2018; SHS Teacher of the Year 2002 and 2007.

 
Richland Creek Antique Fall
Festival  November 2, 3, 4

  The 23rd Annual Fall Festival/Tractor/Engine show and pull will be held at  Richland Creek Farms, 542 Richland Creek Road, Ward, Nov. 3-5
  The festival  site is located between Batesburg-Leesville, Ridge Spring and Saluda. From  Batesburg-Leesville take Hwy. 178 north toward Saluda or from Ridge Spring take Hwy. 39 north toward Saluda from Saluda take Hwy. 39 south toward  Ridge Spring follow the signs and exit onto Duncan Road which leads to Richland Creek Road.  The gates open at 9 a/m. each day.                               
  This family event has activities planned for everyone with demonstrations  of old farm machinery, steam engine, saw mill, hit miss engines,  syrup cooking, shingle making, thrashing of grain, blacksmith shop, a barnyard   exhibit, pedal tractor race/pull and a antique tractor pull for tractors through  1960. There will be  vendors and exhibitors for men, women and children, and a variety of  great food, soft drinks and homemade ice cream.
  On Friday at 7 p.m. there is be a dun demonstration antique the tractor pull, and on Saturday competition antique tractor pull will begin at 1:00 p.m..                               
  The highlight for the weekend is a visit to Richland Springs Baptist Church  for Old Fashion Day on Sunday beginning at 10:00 A. M. The church is located    at 1895 Duncan Road.    
  Admission is $5.00 a day for Friday and Sunday and $10.00 a day on Saturday  for adults; children under 12 years old are admitted free. RV hookups are available    by reservations  at $45.00 for the weekend for water/electric only.     This is an educational/family event and NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR OTHER  CONTROLLED  SUBSTANCES WILL BE PERMITTED!!!    
  For additional information  call 864 445 2781/e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sheriff’s Office Trunk or Treat

  Saluda County Sheriff’s Office invites you to join us for Our Annual Trunk or Treat Wednesday October 31, 2018 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm at the Saluda County Recreation Complex located on the baseball field below the Sheriff’s Office.
  The night will consist of a costume contest, judging the decorated trunks, games, hayride, food and at 6:30 we will line the children up and begin our Trunk or Treat walk. At that point the children will receive their candy. We would like to allow the children of Saluda County to be able to have a fun and safe time celebrating Halloween. Admission is free; however we will be collecting can goods to help stock up our local food bank.
  The Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our invitation out to churches.  We have been able to reach some churches; however some we have not.  We would like to invite you to come and share this fun filled night with us.
   If you would like to bring a decorated car and/or a table to set up outreach information please make contact with Melinda H. Reeves at (864) 554-1364 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  We would like to have the walking track full of vehicles. 
  (See the print edition for more Halloween activities)

Sales Tax Referendum

Capital Projects Sales Tax Referendum

      When voters go to the polls on November 6, the following County Sales and Use Tax (Capital Projects Sales Tax Act) Referendum will be on the ballot,
  If the referendum passes, the items listed on the ballot will benefit from the one cent on the dollar sales tax of projected revenue for the next eight years. This tax is a fair way to create revenue for much-needed county pro-jects, Property owners currently bear the bulk of tax responsibility. Over the eight years, a one-cent tax will generate almost $9 million. Increasingly, counties are using CPST revenue to supplement property taxes and state revenue shortfalls. Over the next few weeks, you will see flyers and signs about the referendum, and a public meeting will be held prior to November 6 for questions and answers. Additionally, the list must be voted in as a whole. If the referendum passes, Saluda County will have the opportunity to make positive changes! Please, support this referendum! Thank you!
Marvin Gootee
Committee member
Local Questions
COUNTY SALES
AND USE TAX
  Shall a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in Saluda County for not more than eight (8) years, beginning on the May 1, 2019, to raise the revenues which will be applied to pay directly the cost of or to pay debt service on bonds issued to defray the cost of certain capital improvements set forth below for the County and shall the County be empowered to issue, either at one time as a single issue or from time to time as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the County in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $9,400,000, to be repayable solely from the sales tax or other available sources, the proceeds of which shall be used to defray the costs of the capital improvement needs of the County, including specifically the following purposes, listed in order of priority with estimated cost: Projects:
  1. Saluda County Library (Saluda County) $125,000
  2. Saluda County Animal Shelter (Saluda County) $125,000
  3. Ridge Spring Downtown Revitalization and Economic Development $175,000 (Town of Ridge Spring)
  4. Reconstruction of Bathrooms at Brooks Royston Park (Saluda Recreation District) $50,000
  5. Saluda County Detention Center (Saluda County) $8,434,304
  CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE SALES AND USE TAX REVENUE COLLECTED UNDER THE CAPITAL PROJECTS SALES TAX ACT: The capital projects sales and use tax shall be used and expended for procurement, design, engineering, construction or improvement or similar type uses of the projects listed above. Net proceeds of the sales and use tax must be expended for the purposes stated, with some of the projects listed above expected to be funded simultaneously. The completion of the above projects funded by the sales and use tax is subject to acquisition of property and right-of-way, design and engineering considerations. Funding of projects from other sources, bids in excess of project estimates, qualifications of bidders, cost overruns, financing costs, exhaustion of net sales and use tax revenues prior to the completion of the projects stated above and other unforeseen circumstances and conditions, which, if any of these circumstances are encountered, the County Council reserves the right to make adjustments to the priority of the projects as originally submitted by the Capital Project Sales Tax Commission.
  INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS. All qualified electors desiring to vote in favor of imposing the tax for the stated purposes shall vote “YES.” All qualified electors opposed to levying the tax shall vote “NO”.
o Yes
o No

The Thrill of the Hunt Saluda’s
2nd Annual Extravaganza Expo

  Most, if not everyone, have watched or at least has heard of the television shows Antiques Roadshow and American Pickers. Although collecting has always been a hobby for some, these, as well as other similar shows, have increased the popularity of collecting and picking for individuals across the United States. Everyone either collects something or they know someone who does.
  Everyone has their own story behind why they collect what they do. Often collections connect people to a period or time that they feel strongly about. This is why many collect nostalgic items that remind them of and allow them to relive their childhood. For example, at last year’s Extravaganza Expo, there was a man who purchased a farm bell because it reminded him of the special times that he spent at his grandparents when he was growing up. There was also a woman who was at the Expo who was looking for a Tip Cola bottle because she remembered enjoying these drinks back in the 1940s, and this bottle she was searching for had to have “Edgefield, SC” on it because that was her home town. Others collect items that indicate a specific interest. Vintage duck decoys were among some of the favorite Expo purchases last year of a young couple who were decorating their first home with hunting décor.
  You name it; someone collects it: old toys, cast iron, antique and vintage furniture, vintage tools, head vases, old bottles, pottery, primitives, vintage bicycles, gas and oil memorabilia, advertising signs, and the list goes on. Often collecting is a quest, a lifelong pursuit of these types of items the collector is passionate about.
  Not only do collectors enjoy the hunt for their passion, they also relish good conversation with life-long collectors as well as those just thinking about starting a collection.  These conversations include talk about what they collect or want to collect, the best places to go to hunt for additions to their collections, their most prized piece in their collection, and even the one that got away.
  It doesn’t matter what you are passionate about, what your collections consist of, or if you just want to find something special for your home or man cave, you are sure to have good conversation with other lookers, shoppers, collectors, and vendors both local and even states away, while experiencing the thrill of the hunt at the 2nd annual Extravaganza Expo at Saluda Pickers. This year’s Expo will take place October 19–20 at 605 Johnston Hwy, Saluda.

New Deadlines

New Printer,

 New Deadlines

  After serving as the Saluda Standard-Sentinel’s printer for nearly 40 years, Bruner Publishing of Lexington is going out of business.
  This issue will be the last printed by Bruner.
  Begining with the October 18 issue, the newspaper will be printed at the Index-Journal in Greenwood.
  With this new arrangement, there will be some major changes.
  The paper will be printed on Monday night, rather than Tuesday afternoon, so this will require new deadlines.
  Deadlines for news stories, advertising, photographs, etc. will be 2 P.M. FRIDAY.
  Deadline for classifieds will be 10 A.M. MONDAY.
  The printed newspapers will be picked up on Tuesday morning and should be available to the public around 11 a.m. or earlier.
  We will have to “play it by ear” for awhile until we adjust to the new schedule. Watch for Facebook postings on October 16 for information on when the papers will be available for purchase.
  The newspaper will also be a smaller size, the same size as the Index-Journal and The State, for instance. This will also take some adjustments, as we have to resize all our ads, photos and column widths.
  Please bear with us in the weeks ahead as we transition to this new arrangement.
  We have enjoyed our long association and friendship with the Bruners and extend our best wishess to the owners and employees

Clean Water is Essential for Health
and Economic Development

By: Jason Fell,
General Manager of Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority

  Most of rural America’s water systems are more than 70 years old and it has been estimated that more than $335 billion will be needed over the next 20 years to complete the necessary upgrades.  Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) has a desperate need for infrastructure but for a different reason.  Saluda County’s rural areas have never had any water infrastructure.  SCWSA has only been in business for about 25 years.   Unlike many other water providers, SCWSA is in a growth stage of its business.  This growth is not like what you would expect, like what you see from the sprawl around cities.  Rather, SCWSA’s growth comes from an obligation to existing homeowners without adequate water supply or quality.  Over 70 percent of Saluda County residents today do not have access to treated drinking water.  It is SCWSA’s mission to provide water to all of rural Saluda County wherever economically feasible.
  To that end, SCWSA has been striving to construct its own Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for over 18 years.  SCWSA’s dream is closing in on becoming a reality, as the WTP nears completion.  The WTP will allow SCWSA the ability to provide its customers with great, treated drinking water.  Further, the WTP will meet our need to expand and provide water to all of Saluda County.   Currently, SCWSA’s average daily demand is about 1.75 Million Gallons a Day (MGD) and our peak demand is about 2.8 MGD.   Shortly after being placed into operation, SCWSA’s WTP be able to provide up to 6 MGD of water.   This WTP will pave the way for cleaner, more reliable water for you, for businesses already in the area and for new business that want to make their home here.
  This $23 million WTP project was funded by USDA Rural Development (RD), which provided the funding for our initial water and sewer lines in 1993.  Since then, USDA-RD has developed a long-term partnership with SCWSA, like they do with many other rural utilities across South Carolina.  USDA-RD has provided funding for all of SCWA’s major construction projects.  Last September, USDA-RD provided funding for a $5,000,000, eight-mile, 16-inch, waterline project which is nearing completion.  This September, USDA-RD provided $15,200,000 to fund another major waterline expansion in Saluda County.  This is the second phase of SCWSA’s multi-phase master plan to extend waterlines throughout Saluda County.  The map attached shows SCWSA’s existing waterlines as well as the proposed roads that will be considered for this Phase 2 project.
  Over the next few years, you will see additional projects that will bring more clean and reliable water to many more residents and businesses in Saluda County.  For example, with the help of Saluda County, SC Rural Infrastructure Authority and SC Department of Commerce, SCWSA is beginning construction on a two-mile, 10-inch waterline to a new business, SC Pet Foods Solutions, which will provide up to 100 jobs in the area.
  SCWSA’s board, workforce, and I feel that this task is not just our everyday job, but an duty and responsibility to serve those that we call friends and neighbors.  I implore the readers of the Saluda Standard-Sentinel to first, be interested in your water source and second, to engage with us at SCWSA to help us find solutions that meet the needs of Saluda County.

Council Restores County
Senior Center Funds

  Saluda County Council Mon., Oct. 8., restored the funds it had cut from the Saluda Senior Center during the 2018-19 budget process.
  Kathy Hendrick-Dublin, CEO of the Piedmont Agency on Aging, requested the $6500  be restored.
  Hendrick-Dublin said her agency decided to come to  Saluda County to run the program because of the commitment to senior citizens by late chairman Don Hancock, the local volunteers, and the financial support from County Council.
  She said the Agency provides Meal on Wheels to citizens in the Saluda, Ridge Spring and Delmar agencies and runs nutrition sites in Saluda and Delmar.
  She said the money was needed to continually support these programs.
  Council Chairman Derrick Jones said agencies like the Senior Center that previously got some financial support from the county were cut from the budget across the board this year.
  “We knew the ones who really needed the money would come back and request it,” Jones said.
  Council vote unanimously to restore the funds.
   Two public hearings were held at the beginning of the meeting. One involved an ordinance granting easement on property owned by the county to the Water and Sewer Authority.
  The other involved a new wireless tower for Verizon that will be built on Gabe Road, Johnston, Saluda County.  Ralph Wiengardner said the tower will fill a reception gap in an area that includes Bonham Rd., S.C. 121, Pencreek, and Hwy. 193.
  Council approved the ordinance and the tower later in the meeting.
  First reading was given to an ordinance dealing with distance and setback requirements in the building regulations, and an ordinance dealing with the T-hangar lease agreement at the airport.
  Permit fees were approved for mobile/manufactured home.
  A grant application was approved for communications equipment for the fire departments and EMS.  Included in the grant are 36 mobile radios, and 80 portable radios for the fire departments, and  nine mobile radios, and 18 portable radios for EMS. Total cost for the radios is $340,000, and will require a $34,000 local match. Saluda County applied for the grant last year, but it was not approved.
  Council voted to reimburse Coroner Keith Turner $1071.41 for the 2017-18 Corners conference, and to fund $1609 for him to attend the 2018-19 conference.