Fees Up Again
Council Trying Again
On Road Use Fee
After shooting down a road user fee at the September meeting, Saluda County Council brought it back to life at the Mon., Nov. 11, meeting.
The main difference in the new ordinance is the fee has risen from $20 to $25.
If the fee passes the third reading, the money will be used to repair and maintain the county’s roads.
According to the ordinance, the owners of every wheeled and titled vehicle, except licensed and registered mobile homes, required to be registered and licensed in Saluda County by the S.C. Department of Transportation, shall pay annually a road user fee of $25.00.
The fee will be included in the vehicle property tax notice.
Funds derived from the fee will be used exclusively for improving roads and streets, which are not part of the state or federal road system.
Council Vice-chairman Frank Daniel said a public hearing on the ordinance will be held Mon., Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Council rescinded a decision made at a previous meeting on buying a trailer for the Election and Voter Registration office from the Saluda Fire Department for $3600. It was discovered after the vote that the County EMS had a trailer that can be used for transporting voting machines to and from precincts at no cost to the county.
David Enzastiga, CPA, with Rich & Enzastiga Firm, presented the audited financial statement for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
A primary concern is the county has dropped below the $2 million it is required to have in reserve to operate the county for six months. The fund balance on July 1, 2018, was $2,073,938, while the balance on June 30, 2019, was $1,830,126.
Council voted to adopt the Saluda County Recreation Rule and Rental Policy at the recommendation of Recreation Director Paul Ergle.
Ergle said travel teams, not affiliated with the Recreation Department, are using the county’s facilities free of charge, but the county still has to maintain the fields. He said some teams from out of the county are using the facilities.
Ergle said Saluda is one of the few counties that does not charge rental fees for use of facilities, and recommended the county adopt fees, including $20 an hour for baseball fields, and $25 for the soccer field for in-county teams, and $30 for baseball per hour and $35 for soccer for out of county teams.
There is also a fee for all day use for the soccer field and the entire complex.
Ergle said these fees are comparable with neighboring counties.
Council approved by a 3-1 vote to replace the camera system at the American Legion Building. County Emergency Management Director Josh Morton said the current cameras are more than a decade old and the DVR is six to seven years old.
He said putting in an entirely new system would cost approximately the same as buying a new DVR, so he recommended buying a new system for $4359.20. Daniel and Councilmen Wayne Grice and Jones Butler voted for the new system. Councilman Justin Anderson voted against.
Assistant Emergency Management Director Jill Warren asked permission to submit a grant application for new radios for the EMS and Fire Departments. The $400.355.07 grant will require a match of $40,035.00.
Warren said this was the same grant the county sought last year, but did not receive. The $34,000 matching money for that application in still set aside, so the county would need an additional $6,035.50 if the grant is approved.
Council approved the request.
A request by Solid Waste Coordinator Jacob Schumpert to fill a vacation position in the Solid Waste Department was granted.
At the beginning of the meeting, Daniel expressed the county’s sympathy to the family of Billy Asbill on his passing. Mr. Asbill worked at one of the convenience centers.
Man Dies In Monetta Crash
A man died in a fiery crash Fri., Nov. 15, near Monetta.
According to Deputy Coroner Angie Rita, the victim was identified as William Robert Abener, 69, of Ridge Spring.
Lance Corporal Tyler Tidwell of the S.C. Highway Patrol said the accident happened at 6:48 a.m. on S.C. 23 near Peach Orchard St., about 1.3 miles north of Monetta.
The driver of a 1975 Chevrolet pick-up was travelling north, when the vehicle went off the left side of the road, hit a tree and became fully engulfed in flames.
The victim was not wearing a seatbelt.
Assisting on the scene were the S.C. Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, EMS, Ridge Spring Fire Department, and Chief Deputy Dudley Rushton and Mrs. Rita from the Coroner’s office.
Chairman Resigns,
Filing Announced
Saluda County Chairman Derrick Jones abruptly resigned Fri., Nov. 8.
In his letter Jones gave no reason for his decision, other than to say it was time to resign.
On Sun., Nov. 10, Jones also resigned as pastor of Saluda Church of God, citing health reasons.
Filing for the office with open Fri., Nov. 29, at 12 noon and will close on Sat., Dec. 7, at 12 noon.
The party primaries will be held Jan. 21, 2020, and the special election will be held on Mar. 24, 2020.
See the official notice in this week’s print edition for further information.
Chairman Jones Resigns
Chairman Resigns,
Filing Announced
Saluda County Council Chairman Derrick Jones resigned abruptly Fri., Nov. 8.
This necessitates a special election for fill his seat. Following is the filing information.
Candidate Filing Period: The candidate filing period for County Council Chairman Special Election for Saluda County will open at noon on November 29, 2019, and close at noon on December 7, 2019. Any candidate seeking a political party’s nomination for this office must file with the county board of voter registration and elections in the candidate’s county of residence during this period.
Filing Location: Saluda County Voter Registration and Elections Commission, 111 Law Range Rd, Saluda, SC 29138 (864) 445-4500 # 2200
Filing Hours: Weekdays: Friday, November 29, 2019 from Noon to 5 pm, Monday-Friday, December 2 – 6, 2019 from 8:30am-5pm, Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 9 am – Noon.
Filing Form: The Statement of Intention of Candidacy & Party Pledge (SICPP) form required for filing is available in the “Candidate Information” section of scVOTES.org and at the county voter registration and elections office.
Filing Fee: Filing fees are paid at the time of filing by candidates seeking the nomination of a party nominating by primary. Filing fee checks should be made payable to the appropriate state political party. A candidate seeking the nomination of a party nominating by convention does not pay a filing fee.
State Ethics Filings: Candidates are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests and a Campaign Disclosure online with the State Ethics Commission at http://ethics.sc.gov. Failure to file these documents may result in a candidate fine but will not disqualify a candidate from the election. Contact the State Ethics Commission for more information.
Saluda Woman Dies
In ATV Accident
A Saluda woman died Wed., Nov. 6, in an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accident.
According to Deputy Coroner Angie Rita, Amanda Lynn Storey, 38, died on the scene when the ATV she was riding stuck a tree.
The accident happened at approximately 4:40 p.m. at 1262 Chappells Hwy., Saluda.
Assisting on the scene were the S.C. Highway Patrol, Sheriff’s Office, County EMS, and Old Town Fire Department.
Chief Deputy Dudley Rushton and Mrs. Rita investigated for the Coroner’s office.
LIVE P.D. STARS - Fans of the popular “Live P.D.” A&E series got a big surprise when they attended the Sheriff’s OFffice’s Trunk or Treat Mon., Nov. 4, and saw two of the series’ stars Lt. Danny Brown and Dep. Addy Perez from the Richland County Sheriff’s office attending the event, which featured a large turnout. The two pose above with Sheriff John Perry and members of the department. (Sheriff’s Office photo)
CHARLIE FOUNDATION FEATURED - The November meeting of American Legion Post 65 had as special guests Charlyn Staubes and Ann Coker, sisters of Colonel (Ret) US Marine Corps and former Chairperson of the Saluda County Council, the late Don Hancock. They highlighted the story of “The Charlie Foundation”; Hancock’s dream of a non-profit organization that would focus on education, quality of life and economic development for Saluda County Residents and bring it to fruition for perpetuity. For more information about “The Charlie Foundation, go to www.thecharliefoundationsc.org. Pictured left to right: Past Post 65 Commander Al Butler, sisters Ann Coker and Charlyn Staubes and Post 65 Commander John Hood.
Domestic Violence Remembrance
Service Remembers the 41 South Carolinians
Murdered In Domestic Violence In 2018
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Town of Saluda partnered with The Safe Home to remember the 41 South Carolinians who were murdered by their intimate partner in 2018. This was done during the monthly Saluda Service Network meeting on Thursday, October 24th.
The name of each victim was read aloud as candles were lit in their honor, followed by a moment of silence. The service was concluded by releasing a paper lantern in memory of Annie Rowe, a member of the Saluda County community who lost her life in a domestic violence event in 2013. Present on Mrs. Rowe’s behalf was her daughter, Melissa Proctor.
If you or someone you know is being abuse, you are not alone!! There is help here waiting on you when you are ready! Reach out to your local victim advocate or to The Safe Home www.thesafehome.org, or The Cumbee Center for Abused Person www.cumbeecenter.org.
Josh Price, Brandi Hallman and Jesse Quattlebaum
Dale HallmanScholarship
Established By Ducks Unlimited
Recently, the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter held its annual fall banquet at Tin Roof Farms in Saluda.
Through the generosity of the attendees, Saluda County Ducks Unlimited was able to raise $2,000 for the Dale Hallman Memorial Scholarship. Dale was an avid outdoorsman and a member of the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter at the time of his line of duty death while he was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office.
This scholarship was created by Dale’s wife, Brandi, in an effort to give back to the community of Saluda that Dale loved. As a result of this scholarship, one student from Saluda High School and one student from King Academy will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for college.
If you would be interested in helping this cause, Brandi can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To date, Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 200,000 acres in South Carolina and over 14 million acres across North America. Ducks Unlimited also offers scholarships up to $10,000. You can apply for the Ducks Unlimited scholarship at Ducks.org.
If you would be interested in joining the Saluda County Ducks Unlimited Chapter, they can be reached on Facebook.
CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOW
Here is a great idea, lets buy Christmas presents from small local crafters and self- employed people from our neighborhood.
Join us at the Annual Christmas Craft Show at the Saluda National Guard Armory on Saturday, November 16th, and Sunday, November 17th.
We have local crafters who make jewelry, clothes, dish cloths, pocketbooks, little girls bows, hair clips, floral arrangements, cakes, candies, pillows, wreaths, wood crafts and many other items for Christmas gifts.
Let’s make sure our money goes to individual people in our town and not multinational companies. That way our local people will have a better Christmas and so will we. Support our neighbors and friends.
We will also have the best hot dogs and homemade chili in town.
Join us Saturday, November 16th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday, November 16th, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Christmas Craft Show.
100 Years
JOHN HARMON
100 Years Of Stories Told
BY WILL HARMON
On Wednesday, September 25, 2019, John Daniel Harmon reached the youthful age of one-hundred.
John Harmon is a lifelong resident of Saluda County, a World War Two veteran, and local legend. To me he is simply Granddaddy.
In his lifetime my grandad has been through every major historical event of the last one hundred years from the Great Depression to the Cold War and beyond. John Daniel Harmon was born in the early year of 1919 to Amos and Ethel. My grandad had six siblings, one of whom did not make it to adulthood. Childhood was rough in the early 1900s.
As soon as he was old enough to walk, he would find himself carrying out chores around their small home. My grandad once told me of an experience he remembers when he was around eight years old. His dad sat him on the back of an old mule and sent him trotting into town. Amos Harmon gave my grandad only a quarter to buy as much seed as he could to plant their field. His father, Amos Harmon, then told him that he could buy some candy with what was left.
John Harmon went to school through the tenth grade, mostly in one room school houses. He finished at Hollywood School in 1937 which is now known as Hollywood Elementary. After suffering through the Great Depression, John Harmon left home to fight in World War Two as a medic. To this very day, he is extremely modest about his involvement in the war. When someone makes a comment about him being a hero, he is quick to say that he is no hero.
Some of my best times with my grandparents were listening to my grandad reminisce about the war with a twinkle in his eye. I have always enjoyed spending time with him and listening as he tells about his experience overseas.
In one such war story, my grandad was almost court martialed. My grandad, a private first class, was cleaning under his bunk when he discovered a shell which he took to be fake. He was infuriated knowing that if it was found under his bunk during inspection, he would be disciplined for it.
He demanded “Who’s this damn thing belong to?”
A corporal and superior officer said, “pitch it here!”
Not wanting the shell found under his bunk he tossed it. Upon tossing it, the shell exploded with a loud boom. It blasted a hole in the floor and injured several people. The first thing my grandad was told by a commanding officer was, “We aren’t going to take responsibility for this mess, so they are going to drag you through it.”
They didn’t arrest my grandad, John Harmon, because the army knew they still needed him. Soon the corporal that he pitched the shell to testified that he had ordered P.F.C Harmon to toss it. Thus, my grandad’s name was cleared, and to this day he can still say he has never been arrested.
Today, my grandad still enjoys spending time learning what he can about the people and places of World War Two. Almost two years after the nightmare had begun my grandad boarded a ship in Marcel, France headed for New York City. Soon after returning home, he married my grandmother Grace Gentry Harmon and together they had five children.
John Harmon worked many jobs from running a small store, to working for the railroad, then to building roads as a superintendent with Eagle Construction. Throughout his life he has enjoyed hunting and fishing as well as raising his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
In his later years my grandad and grandmother traveled to many of the countries that he served in during the war. Sadly, my grandmother and John Harmon’s wife of seventy years passed away in April 2019.
He now enjoys sitting in his recliner and visiting with family and friends while recollecting one hundred years of his life. When asked what the key is to live one hundred years, he simply stated, “Don’t worry too much. Just don’t worry, because it won’t do no good anyway.”
Saluda Car In
Hot Wheels Finals
Saluda, SC, resident Chad Martin and his custom 1936 Chevy “One-Off” Truck, Brutally Sexy, will be among the 18 regional Hot Wheels Legends Tour winners flexing their muscle for the grand prize at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Nov. 5.
The winner will have his life-size custom vehicle immortalized as an iconic Hot Wheels 1:64 die-cast toy car!
The 2019 Hot Wheels Legends Tour has crossed the country, searching for a custom vehicle with the authenticity, creativity and garage spirit worthy of being inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends. And, what better stage to crown a champion than at SEMA — the premier annual automotive specialty products trade event in the world?
About Chad and his vehicle
Chad is the definition of designer, fabricator and pure artist. This car started as a concept drawing in 1999 that Chad dreamed up. After a few rounds of renderings and concepts, he found an old 1936 Chevy Sedan and got to work. Everything on this truck is made of metal, no fiberglass. It’s all welded and shaped by Chad. The only original pieces are the glove box and the head light buckets. It took him two years of consistent work to produce this beautiful car. Chad’s artistry shines with the detailed paint job with a paint color that he made himself — he calls it Green Dream. The truck has six 24” semi-truck wheels. Brutally Sexy, as he calls it, wowed all of the judges at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour event in Charlotte, NC earlier this year to earn a spot in the championship showdown at the upcoming SEMA Show.