Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

PAGE 4—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, April 27, 1969 NANCE STREET PROJECT (Continued from page 1) city for the present as well as the future. It is difficult for me to give you a yes or no answer to your question regarding whe ther the Department would con struct a by-pass if the Nance Street project should be elimi nated. The purpose of the pub lic hearing was to determine the sentiment of the majority of the people of Newberry who would be affected by the pro posed improvement. . . “If future traffic studies should indicate that the by-pass can be constructed independent of the Nance Street project so as to give improved traffic ser vice that would justify the cost, we would then of course give this our serious consideration.” Mr. Pope also discussed the inadequacy of off-street parking saying, “I believe someone has been derelict in his duties, not getting more parking down in this part of town because peo ple simply cannot come down Boyce Street on which I have my office at the present time. They park on both sides of the street. Mr. Bergen has a trash truck out there that he uses constantly which is a source of annoyance to me. We have tried to get something done about it and we have been unsuccessful. “Nevertheless my first point is that we have not yet made a thorough traffic survey to see what can be done about remov ing the congestion down town; my second point is that we have not bought adequate parking space to take care of the needs of the merchants whose stores are on the north of Main Street. My third point is that the pri mary ingress and egress into the business section is from the east and from the west rather than from the north and the south and my fourth point is if you are just determined to have a north-south expressway, has any consideration been given to putting it over from the direct ion of Vincent Street down par allel to the railroad track where it would disrupt fewer people. “I can understand Mr. Ber gen's anxiety to get several mil lion dollars w r hile he’s highway commissioner spent here in Newberry, but as I said once before, I don’t think that should be the criterion for spending money. . .1 think we could spend our money to a lot better ad vantage to improving the main thoroughfare going out to the interstate instead of spending it across town taking peoples’ property. . . “I understand that the city will have to put up at least 25 percent of the cost of this pro ject, and I can tell you it’s go ing to take a great deal of mon ey to pay the condemnation cost and if you are expecting a bond issue of the citizens of Newberry to put up the million or three- quarters of a million dollars that will be Newberry’s share, I believe I can tell you now for these people that you are starting off with a pretty good crowd that are not going to sup port a bond issue of any kind if it’s got that included.” District Highway Commission er P]arl Bergen followed Mr. Pope in trying to address the audience which interrupted him several times. He told the group, “I’m here tonight because I want to be vrhere. I’m not hired to be here. I’m here in the interest of Newberry. Newberry has an op portunity to grow. This decision that council is going to make tonight is going to be the great est decision since they ran the Southern Railroad out. The same people that are against it are against everything. They are against schools, ihey are against hospitals—” At this point the audience loudly protested and refused to allow Mr. Bergen to continue for a brief period. “It’s easy to be against some thing,” Mr. Bergen said. “Some of you people are going to be hurt but you’ll be compensated well for what it’s going to take. We have an expression here of ‘expressway’. It’s no such thing as an expressway.” He said the street would be four to ifve feet wider than is Johnstone Street, which he des cribed as one of the prettiest streets in the city. “If this street were to go through,” the Commissioner said, “I promise you it will be one of the prettiest streets in South Carolina. It will be plan ned with beauty spots.” For the remainder of time Mr. Bergen tried to talk he was interrupted a number of times by others in the audience. Sev eral made various comments opposing the project. Mayor Shealy reminded those present that action by council Tuesday night would not be a final decision ; that another hearing would be held by the highway department and that the matter would come back to council again. The motion to approve the project was made by Council man Gardner, who said, “I would like for the people on this street to consider their chil dren and grandchildren in fu ture years, for traffic problems and for ways of getting around.” Councilman Bouknight second ed the motion. Councilman Cole man commented that, “I think what Mr. Bergen said about an important decision is entire ly correct. I think the decision we make tonight and in suc ceeding meetings will probably be the most important decision that this council, or maybe any council has ever made. I have thought about this thing and I want you people to know that. My only concern is you. I think we must not think only of five years or ten years or even 25 years. We ought to think about the grandchildren, and their grandchildren, and what they are going to think about Newberry. I think we are right at the threshhold. We just got an 800-employment garment factory which will certainly bring more people and traffic into Newberry. Any time you have progress you have change and when you have change you are going to affect people. If it weren’t you people, it would probably be other people. Look ing at it from a long-range standpoint, we cannot afford to pass this project up.” Councilman McAlhany told the group. “This is not an express way. This is going to be a city street. As far as the safety, I feel it will be much safer than it’s ever been before.” When questioned by a mem ber of the group whether he would want the highway run ning by his house Mr. McAl hany replied that he would be glad to see B oundary Street widened even though it would come within a few feet of his front porch. Councilman Partain received warm applause when he an nounced that he would vote against the project. L. W. Franklin service Sunday Mr. Lonnie William Franklin, 74, of 824 Oneal Street, died early Friday afternoon at the Newberry County Memorial Hos pital after several days serious illness. Mr. Franklin was born and reared in Newberry and was the son of the late Rome P. and Mrs. Ida Darby Frank lin. He resided in Washington for a number of years and was Retired Supt. of Mail for the Congressional House Members. Since his retirement he had made his home in Newberry. He was a member of the First Baptist Church; a member of the NARCE; a member of the Veterans Barracks No. 3032, and the American Legion Post No. 24. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Janie Lee Vines Franklin, New berry; one brother, Marion Franklin, Newberry; one sister, Mrs. W. H. (lola) Templeton, Orangeburg; two grandsons, Lonnie W. Franklin II, Cayce and James Henry Franklin, Co lumbia; also two great grand children. Funeral services were held at 4:00 p.m. Sunday from the First Baptist Church conduct ed by Rev. J. Anderson Bass and Rev. Ralph E. Rhyne and Rev. James Williams. Burial was in Newberry Memorial Gardens. Active pallbearers were Pete Parrott, Jerry O’Quinn, Wyman Williams, Grady Graham, Car- roll Eargle, Ray Schumpert, Fred Schumpert, P. K. Harmon. Steve 0. Minick rites Wednesday Steve Olin Minick, 58, of 2329 Harper St., died Monday night at the hospital. He was born in Saluda county a son of the late Olin Watson and Inez Shaw Minick. He was a merchant and a member ot Central Methodist Church. Surviving are a stepmother, Mrs. Helen Epting Minick of Newberry, his wife, Mrs. Car rie Wightman Minick; a daugh ter, Mrs. Rudolph Ferguson of Greenwood, four brothers, Mea dors Minick of Kinards, John ny Minick of Columbia, Joe Robert Minick of Hillside, N.J., and Billy P. Minick of New berry; five sisters, Mrs. Rae Cava'eri of Augusta, Ga., Mrs. Maydee Nabors of Laurens, Mrs. Irene Crapps and Miss Lillie Minick of Columbia and Mrs Nell Betchman of Newber ry- Funeral services were con ducted Wednesday at Whitaker Funeral Home by Dr. George Duffie, Rev. Leon Jeffords and Rev. Leon Wagnon. Burial was in Rosemont cemetery. L N. Floyd of Columbia dies Lonnie N. Floyd, 48, of Co lumbia, employee with Rosen Mills, Patterson, N. J.. died Friday in Patterson, N. J. He was born in Lake City, son of Mrs. Lauvenia Mathews Floyd and the late Roland L. Flovd. Mr. Floyd was a veteran of World War II. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Bobby Counts of Colum bia; his mother of Columbia; two sisters, Mrs. Willa Hatched of Columbia and Mrs. Etta Shealy of Chapin, and two grand children. Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. Monday in Columbia. Newberry native died Saturday Mrs. Mary Burton Renneker, 83, widow of Clarence A. Ren neker died Saturday at her home in Orangeburg. Services were held at 3 p.m. Sunday in Orangeburg. She was born in Newberry, daughter of the late James Al bert and Goode Griffin Burton. She was a 1906 graduate of Winthrop College. Surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Marion Spigner of Charlotte, N. C.; a son, Clarence, Jr. of Orangeburg; and two sisters, Mrs. James Thompson and Mrs. R. B. Waters of Newberry. Daniel Berry service Friday Daniel W. Berry, 73, a re tired merchant, died at 12:15 a.m. Thursday in Newberry, where he had made his home for several years. He was a native of Edgefield County, a son of the late John W. and Loomis Henrietta Ber- ry- Surviving are a sister, Mrs. V. B. Pearsall of Silverstreet and a brother, Ike Berry of Ninety Six. Funeral services were con ducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Greenwood, by the Rev. Alton Brown. Burial was in Elmwood Cemetery. Pallbearers were nephews. Mrs. Mary Neal dies Monday Mrs. Mary Ella Griffith Neal, 68, widow of John Eddie Neal, died Monday night at a Colum bia hospital. She was a native of Saluda County, a daughter of the late J. F. and Elizabeth Sheppard Griffith. She was a caterer in Silverstreet for 22 years before retirement and was a member of Trinity Methodist Church and the WSCS. Surviving are a son, James E. Neal of Asheville, N. C.; three daughers Mrs. H. W. Cle- land of Clinton, Mrs. W. D. Su- ber of Newberry and Mrs. Frank Y. Adams of Silverstreet; two sisters Mrs. Bill Roberts of Charlotte and Mrs. Lalla Gamer of Saluda; two broth ers, Brodie Griffith of Charlotte and Motte B. Griffith of Ral eigh, N. C.; and six grandchild ren. Funeral services were con ducted Wednesday from her church by the Rev. James Mis- hoe, the Rev. Ralph Lowrimore and the Rev. Phil Jones. Bur ial was in the church ceme tery. ' “y Newberry '.tr Wednesday, Apr. 23rd SHOWS 4 and 8 P.M. Fairgrounds SPONSORED BY JAYCEES 3V Sells&Gray POPULAR + CHILDREN PRICES * Va PRICE 1 00 THRILLS-LAUGHS 1 00 ACRES OF TENTS WORLD FAMOUS CIRCUS STARS WILD ANIMALS :lephants ALL NEW THIS YEAR AWT ADVANCE TICKETS AT REDUCED PRICES C A\/C^ ^OMVC TICKETS ON SALE NOW OMVC^ OAKLAND 66 SERVICE STATION WEST ELECTRIC SERVICE TURNER & TAYLOR, JEWELERS CARTER’S RECORD MART