Dr. F. Marion Dwight Bamberg Christmas Parade Grand Marshal

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

Longtime Bamberg physician Dr. F. Marion Dwight has been named the Grand Marshal of the 2011 City of Bamberg Christmas Parade. Francis Marion III grew up at Poinsett State Park near Sumter, SC where his father was Park Superintendent. He graduated from Edmunds High School in Sumter, and Clemson University, where he was a member of the varsity swim team. In 1958, Dr. Dwight graduated from the Medical University of SC. After completing an internship at Roper Hospital, he came to Bamberg where he has been in private practice for 53 years.

Dr. Dwight is a member of the South Carolina Medical Association and American Academy of Family Practice. He is a Senior Medical Examiner with the Federal Aviation Association, qualified to examine pilots for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class certificates. He is a Charter Diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice and is additionally certified in geriatrics. Through the years he has been associated with Dr. M. C. Watson, Dr. H. A. Moskow, Dr. Danette McAlhaney and Dr. John Hayden. He presently serves as Chairman of the Bamberg Board of Public Works Commissioners and is a member of the First Baptist Church, the Men’s Garden Club and Society of the Hills of Santee.

His hobbies have included flying as an instrument rated private pilot, scuba diving, golf, hunting and Clemson football. He is the father of five children, married to Annette B. Zemp in 1976 and together they have seven children, thirteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Dr. Dwight’s greatest joys of life have been realized through his large extended family and the many friends he has made through the practice of medicine in Bamberg.

Walter E. ‘Pete’ Brooker Denmark Christmas Parade Grand Marshal

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

Denmark Mayor Gerald E. Wright has appointed Walter E. “Pete” Brooker as Grand Marshal for the Denmark Christmas Parade. The parade is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 3, 2011 and will begin at 1:00 pm. The parade will begin on Carolina Highway in front of Shuman Owens and proceed north to City Hall.

Walter E. “Pete” Brooker was born in Denmark on June 21, 1919. He is a lifelong resident of Denmark, except for time spent overseas during World War II. Brooker is a graduate of Denmark High School and Presbyterian College. He served on numerous boards, including banks, educational institutions, charitable organizations and hospital.

He was an officer in the US Army Infantry in World War II. He saw combat duty in Africa and Europe. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge. He retired as commander of the Bamberg County National Guard unit with the rank of colonel.

Brooker served as Mayor of Denmark from 1954-1976, at which time he resigned to accept a commission with the SC Department of Transportation, where he was elected vice chairman, and then chairman for two terms. He presently serves as chairman of the Denmark Planning and Zoning Commission. He has made many generous contributions of both time and resources to the Denmark Community.

He is retired from his business, Brooker’s in Denmark, but still arrives for work every morning. Pete Brooker was married to the late Mildred “Sis” Zeigler of Bamberg. Their two children are Walter Jr. and Paula B. Guess (current manager of Brooker's Hardware) who live in Denmark. He also has two grandsons, Connor and Paul Guess of Denmark.

Cheez & Cracker Box

Students from the Career and Technology Education Department at Bamberg Ehrhardt High School decided to do something special for those in need for Thanksgiving. In their Professional Development and Leadership Class they decided to unify their efforts in a way that they could give back to the community, especially during this period of rising unemployment and demand for assistance to the needy. The class decided to sell candy and use the proceeds to purchase food supplies to donate to the Cheese and Cracker Box. According to the students, it’s their way of reaching out to area residents who might not be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving meal, or are not able to spend the holiday with family or friends.

Red Raiders defeated by Hemingway 32-7

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

The Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders’ quest to win the Class A Lower State Division 1 Championship and return to the state finals for a second consecutive year came to an end Friday night at Leon Maxwell Stadium with the Red Raiders (11-2) going down to a 32-7 defeat at the hands of the Hemingway Tigers (13-0). Hemingway will now advance to the Class A Division 1 finals Friday at Benedict College where they will face defending champion Abbeville for the state title.

The game was a tale of two halves with the final score not being indicative of the game. The Red Raiders dominated the game in the first half with a punishing ground attack and took a 7-0 lead at 5:28 of the first quarter on a 10 yard run by Chip Wannamaker after a Brent Cook PAT was good. As fate would have, Wannamaker would suffer a leg injury in the first quarter after scoring the Red Raiders only touchdown, dealing the offense a loss of one of its two 1,000 yard rushers on the season. The Red Raiders would take a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half Hemingway would take the opening possession and march down the field and tie the score at 7-7 with 6:03 left in the third quarter on a nine yard touchdown pass to East Carolina commitment Jabril Solomon. Blessed with good field position most of the second half Hemingway would score 25 unanswered points to record the win over a Red Raider team that featured some talented seniors but was heavily laden with sophomores and juniors.

After the game B-E head coach Kevin “Butch” Crosby acknowledged the effort put forth by his team. “They’re a good football team, you can’t take that away from them” Crosby said of the largely senior dominated Hemingway team, adding “our kids fought hard, they did what we asked them to, they didn’t quit, they didn’t give up.”

Coach Crosby noted that one key for his team during the game was the lost of Wannamaker’s production in the backfield. “That kind of took some of the air out of us with D. J. (Demetrius Odom) the other Red Raider 1,000 yard running back, back there by himself.” “You know you got one head of the monster gone and they only had one to key on, so I think that’s a key to it.”

Coach Crosby said his team would get passed this game. “We go on, we move on these young kids will bounce back.” Crosby noted that in 2008 when he became coach the team was laden with sophomores when they took on a Chesterfield team “and Chesterfield smacked us in the mouth” those kids grew up and took us to a state championship game, adding that’s what we hope this group will do.”

Theodore ‘Chap’ Chaplain

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

Bamberg County lost a true sports legend Sunday night with the announcement that legendary Denmark Technical College Basketball Coach Theodore “Chap” Chaplain had passed. Chaplain who starred in basketball at Voorhees College in the 60’s and would later be drafted into the NBA, went on to a standout coaching career at Denmark Technical College, where he often inherited players passed up by most schools, becoming one of the most winnings coaches in South Carolina’s history. Funeral services are incomplete at this time and will be announced later.