BPW Manager Bruce Ellis retires after 30 years

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

The Bamberg Board of Public Works (BPW) will begin conducting a search for a new manager beginning December 31, 2011. After an approximately 30 minute closed meeting Thursday evening, at their October 20 meeting, BPW Commissioners adjourned back into open session with BPW Chairman Dr. F. Marion Dwight stating that BPW Manager Bruce Ellis had submitted his letter of retirement to the board. Board members voted to accept Ellis’ letter of retirement effective November 1, 2011.

Commissioners then approved the appointment of Will Martin to serve as acting manager effective November 1. Bruce Ellis will continue working for the BPW until December 31 and will continue working on-ongoing BPW projects along with “bringing Martin (Will) up to speed on any and all other items that the company has coming up,” until December 31, 2011.

In a phone interview on Friday morning, Ellis, who has been BPW manager since 1981 stated that he had given the Board notice about six months ago that he would be retiring sometime this year.

Also during the meeting in the manager’s report:

• Manager Bruce Ellis stated the BPW had been looking at spending $40-$45,000 on the demolition of the old water tank on Elm Street and had received one bid of $87,000 from a Columbia, South Carolina based- Carolina Wrecking. Other bids on the demolition ranged from $49,000 to $67,000. But, Ellis noted one “refutable company” form Missouri “who did not want to layoff any personnel, would do the job for $16,200. “We could save a lot of money, which would be great,” Ellis stated of the company submitting the low bid.

• At the end of the meeting Ellis presented BPW Chairman Dr. F. M. Dwight with a letter of thanks from the City of Bamberg for the extra $50,000 the BPW gave the city this year.

Gift of Sewing

Mary Dykes is a feisty lady with a love for helping people. When she came on service earlier this year with Amedisys Hospice, she immediately began asking what she could do to help our other patients. In response, Mary crocheted several hats and blankets for members of the Amedisys Hospice staff and our other patients.

“If I can help people, I will,” said Mary. The Hilda resident has spent her entire life helping others, she says. She even had a member of her family drive her to the Amedisys Hospice office in Orangeburg to give her nurse some hand-crocheted hats. “The weather was getting cold and I knew that pretty girl would need ‘em,” said Mary.

Amedisys Hospice improved her health and has since discharged her off of hospice services. But they still speak to Ms. Mary regularly and appreciate the warmth she has brought to their hospice patients. “Ms. Mary is one of those ladies who warms your heart when she says hello,” said Heather Strickland, with Amedisys Hospice. “She lets you know that you are loved.”

Bamberg PD hires new officer

The Bamberg Police Department hired Lance Alan Thomas on October 20th as a police officer for the City of Bamberg. Thomas is originally from Gainesville, FL and is married to Mary Azzarelli Thomas and they reside in Bamberg. He has a degree in Human and Public Service with a major in Criminal Justice. He worked as a police officer in Orangeburg for ten years and was in Iraq for three years as an International Police Advisor with the US Department of State on a CIVPOL Mission.

Thomas says that hopefully he can live up to the citizens of Bamberg's expectations and looks forward to serving the community.

Allendale-Fairfax forfeits to B-E

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

In a game that had major Region 5-A Championship implications it was learned at press time on Tuesday afternoon that because of the alleged use of an ineligible player the Allendale- Fairfax Tigers were forced to forfeit their Friday night game with Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School and possibly the other games on their schedule. More information on this breaking news story will be in next week’s edition of the Advertizer Herald. The Red Raiders were led offensively by sophomore Chip Wannamaker, who had three touchdowns on the night including the possible game tying score with 1:51 left on the clock in the fourth quarter. B-E junior halfback Demetrius Odom would record two touchdowns on the night, with the first score coming at :50 of the first quarter to get the Red Raiders on the score board first.

While acknowledging the special team breakdowns his team had earlier in the game, B-E head football coach Kevin “Butch” Crosby noted that on the road in a game like this that those were situations your team just has to “fight through.” With an eye to the playoffs, Crosby was upbeat even though the lost may mean that his team may have to go on the road in the playoffs.

“We just have to keep going. If it means that we have to be on the road, we’re used to that. We’re road warriors; we’re not going to back down. Things happen for a reason that’s how we always look at it.”

The Red Raiders open the scoring at :50 of the first on a 29 yard run by Demetrius Odom making the score 7-0 after a Brent Cook PAT. The Tigers would come back with two touchdowns in the first and second to lead 14-7 at halftime. The third quarter was all B-E with Wannamaker and Odom scoring on runs of 10, 2 and 2 yards respectively giving B-E 28- 14 advantage with :19 of the third. One A-F touchdown in the third and two in the fourth would give the Tigers a 36-28 lead with 9:22 left in the game.

Refusing to quit, with less than two minutes on the clock, BE sophomore quarterback Sumner Cooler found junior Lan Hiers down the right sidelines on a 64 yard pass play that Hiers carried to the A-F two. Wannamaker would again hit pay dirt at 1:51 of the fourth making the final score 36-34 A-F after a B-E two point conversion attempt failed.

Andrew Jackson falls

Jackson Price

With only nine players on their roster, the AJA Confederates football team just can't catch a break or their breath this season. The team’s 43-0 loss to JIC on homecoming, Friday night at Hallman Sease Field, did not reflect the intensity of the contest. Defensively AJA was led by Schyler Waltz, who had 2 intercepts in the first half against James Island Christian School.

Jack Price led the team in tackles with 9, Jake Sease 8, Matthew Avant 7 and Schyler Waltz 6. On offense for AJA Eddie Ricks had 36 yards rushing, while Matthew Avant added 20 rushing, 12 passing and 11 receiving yards.

D-O gets win

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

The Denmark-Olar Vikings got a much needed Region 4-A win Friday night. The Vikings (3-6, 2-5) defeated Wagener-Salley (2-7, 2-5) 51-30 in Wagener. DO junior quarterback Lindsay Johnson led the Vikings on offense with 239 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He was followed by senior Darin Washington with 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Senior Ulysses Gissentaner added an 80 yard kickoff return for a score. And, Quodarrel Thomas had a 65 yard return for a score.