The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1994 OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS SECTION sraolln dCbdijD sfisfe Ktenas sosiBs Laurens County rejects local option tax soundly defeated here by much greater margins. In Newberry, voters added their stamp of approval to a revenue ordinance giving voters the right to cast ballots on most proposed tax increases for the county budget and tax increases of more than 4 mills per year for schools. The ordinance includes a formula that allows for yearly cost-of-living increases for county operations based on inflation and growth. Voters approved the ordinance by a tally of to 1,961, said Eleanor Alewine, director of the office of Voter Registration and Elections in Newberry County. Votes in both counties will be certified By April Moorefield-Lucas Laurens Bureau LAURENS Voters in Laurens County rejected a local option sales tax for a third time Tuesday, but the vote against the measure was the closest yet.

Meanwhile, voters in Newberry County cast ballots in favor of an ordinance that gives them the right to vote on some county tax increases. In Laurens County, the question was whether voters wanted to boost sales tax from 5 percent to 6 percent as a way of reducing property taxes, said Rita Henderson, director of the office of Voter Registration and Elections. There were 6,885 votes against the measure and 6,024 in favor, unofficial totals show. On two previous occasions, the sales tax question had been By April Moorefield-Lucas Laurens Bureau LAURENS State Rep. Marion Carnell won an overwhelming victory in the House District 14 race Tuesday, with the longtime Democrat beating Republican challenger Ron Moore.

A fellow incumbent, state Rep. Donny Wilder, also a Democrat, downed Republican challenger C.B. Rowe in the House District 15 race, according to unofficial vote totals. Carnell got 4,166 votes in his bid to return to the state legislature, well above of the 2,618 votes cast for Moore, according to unofficial totals. Carnell led the balloting across the district, winning Abbeville, Greenwood and Laurens counties.

Wilder tallied 3,578 votes and Stores in Ware Shoals and Ninety Six. He previously served in the House of Representatives from 1961 through 1964 and has been there continuously since 1 967. His opponent, Moore, 52, is the general manager of radio station WLMA in Greenwood. A native of Clinton, Moore has never held an elected office. In House District 15, Wilder has served as the representative since defeating Rowe in a special election in June 1992.

"I'm pleased and I appreciate the support of the people, particularly the work of a lot of friends and supporters," he said Wednesday. "I guess most of the people know me, and they know that I've worked hard in trying to serve them. I think my experience, service and availability were probably the key things in my favor." Rowe 1,953, unofficial totals show. Wilder won throughout the district, carrying Laurens, Newberry and Union counties. Votes are to be certified in Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, Newberry and Union Thursday morning, election officials said.

Carnell's tenure as the representative from the District 14 communities totals almost 30 years. "I'm just really grateful that the people of this district continue to place their trust and confidence in me," he said. "I will represent the people of District 14 and South Carolina in the same way I have been, and I will continue to be accessible and willing to help any person I can with any agency of state government." Carnell, 66, of Ware Shoals, is president of the Piggly Wiggly radio. A private forestry consultant, Rowe, 37, lives in Clinton. He Dr.

Harold P. Jackson has treated thousands of children in Greenville County over the years at the Greenville Hospital System Center for Developmental Pediatrics and in an earlier practice. Now the PSC orders $55 million Southern Bill Doctor known rale reduction v.v.v.' Wm. as 'Stonewall' plans to retire 'i 44 1,1 ''1 STAFF DAVC CKREN Dr. Harold Jackson of Greenville's Children's Hospital By Linda Carron Staff writer The little man with thinning white hair, wearing a bow tie and dark- rimmed glasses walked in the door and filled the room.

i Barely 5 feet tall, Dr. Harold P.1 Jackson has a commanding presence recognized by friends and strangers alike. 1 "It's his eyes," said Gail Crowe, office manager at the Center for Developmental Pediatrics, where Jackson works. "He's known for the twinkle in his eye and his obvious love for children fills the foom." Over the years, the gentle man known to many in the Greenville Hospital System as "Stonewall," has treated thousands of children in Greenville County. And now he plans to retire.

"It scares the hell out of me," he said. "I just took a month off and spent it in the mountains to see if I could tolerate it." His sweeping eyebrows move up and down as he laughs at himself and his fears. He said his wife has been pressuring him for years to join the ranks of the leisurely and spend more time at their house on the lake at the University of the South. His clear eyes water when he talks about the children and how he will miss them. His hands seem to want to fly and move for emphasis, but he holds them still, grasping the edges of his desk.

"I get a strong emotional impact when I help a child," he said. "I still get that thrill when they let 'Dr. Jackson is more than a doctor, he's a tradition. This man has given his life to children. We owe him a Dr.

Bill Schmidt, medical director, Children's Hospital. me know things are so much better." Letters came pouring in from the many families he has helped when they heard of his retirement. "Words will never express our thanks to you and your staff for giving me back my little girl," wrote Vicky Parnell. "Twelve years ago a lot of teachers told my son he would never finish high school," wrote Susan Ellenberg. "He made the honor roll this year and has not fallen.

He wants you to know he made it. We cannot thank you enough." Back in 1953, Jackson formed the Christie Group with four colleagues. All had been influenced by their mentor and professor, Dr. Amos Christie at Vanderbilt University, Jackson said. "We were the first group of pediatricians practicing together in Wilder, 62, a Clinton native, retired as a self-employed businessman in the field of newspaper and 4, "NL He limited his practice to behavioral pediatrics, and from 1975 to 1988 served as director of Behavioral Pediatrics for the Greenville Hospital System.

He helped form the Center for Developmental Pediatrics for the hospital system in 1988. Although he is retiring, he said he will never be far from the Greenville Hospital campus. "I wilj be available for teaching," Jackson said as his eyes twinkle behind the dark frames. "I think the reason they call me Stonewall is that I'm strong, sturdy and obnoxious." Because of this steadfast reputation, the hospital staff and his patients are sad to see him leave. "Dr.

Jackson is more than a doctor, he's a tradition," said Dr. Bill Schmidt, medical director of the Children's Hospital. "This man has given his life to children. We owe him a lot." In Newberry 65 percent of the voters approved, while in neighboring Greenwood County about 5 1 percent voted against it. In Laurens County 55 percent approved the payoffs.

In Anderson County, because the margin was so slim, a recount may be called, officials said. Anderson County residents favored a ban on the payouts with 18,312 people voting against the measure and 18,252 voting for it. Those against the payouts spread their word at the grassroots level in each community, saying the issuewas about morals serves as the first vice chairman of the Laurens County Republican Party. The plan adopted would cut basic phone service costs and the cost of long distance calls, but officials said the impact on average rates remains to be determined. It also would reduce basic service costs for the poor by $7 monthly and reduce push button service by 50 cents monthly.

Phil Bradley of Greenville, the PSC member from the Upstate, called the outcome an attempt to balance interests. More drastic rate cuts could create financial problems for Bell that drive up its operating costs and force higher rates in reaction, he said. "The mood of the commission is to reduce rates as we can and still ensure the confidence of investors in Bell," Bradley said. Further rate adjustments could be made after the PSC reviews Bell's earnings for 1993 and this year. "It is easier for me to back off slowly than it is to make a big cut but have them turn around and come right back in here with a request for a rate increase," Bradley said.

The only PSC member opposing the rate cut was Warren Arthur of Hartsville, who wanted it to be larger. The dispute over Bell earnings stems from a state Supreme Court ruling that voided a new rate-setting plan for Bell adopted by the PSC in 1992. Bell sought those changes to help encourage development of the so-called "information superhighway" in which telephone, cable television and computer technology is combined. Critics say the proposal forces all customers to subsidize modernization that would benefit only a few.Bell contends the change eventually would benefit all customers. pays off ban payouts throughout the state.

"We thought it would be a step in the right direction if we'd won," Reed said. "We're going back to the drawing board and we're not going to let this thing die." South Carolina," Jackson said. "We segmented the group into areas of interest that included the emotional aspects of child development." Jackson's area of expertise was behavioral. He was a pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit disorder and he feels strongly about including parent education in his treatment. "I tell young doctors that if they just expect to see children in their practice, then they're in the wrong specialty," Jackson said.

"If pediatricians are not skillful with parents, they are not going to be happy." Jackson participated in the pediatric residency program at Greenville Memorial Hospital and contributed to the formation of the Neonatal Special Care Unit, the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic and the Pediatric Nurse Practitioners training program. Telephone company plans legal challenge. Decision also disappoints consumer advocates. By Tim Flach Capital Bureau COLUMBIA A rate cut of about $55 million for Southern Bell's customers was ordered Wednesday after the state Public Service Commission determined that the utility's profits were too high in 1992. The outcome, adopted 6-1, left both consumer advocates and the state's largest telephone company unhappy.

Elliott Elam of the state Department of Consumer Affairs said the cuts are "a mishmash" that seem insufficient. The agency wanted up to $100 million in reductions. Bell spokesman Ted Creech said the firm is "generally unhappy" and will challenge the decision legally. Bell denied its earnings were excessive. The rate cut for Bell's 1.2 million customers is almost equally divided between permanent reductions in the price of some serv-ices and a one-time refund expected to be about $35 per line.

The PSC agreed the refund would be delayed automatically if Bell goes to court trying to stop it. The other rate cuts could also be stopped by a legal battle. Bell also is dissatisfied that the PSC put the cost of some of its new services under state purview without agreeing that Bell could include those costs when determining rates. campaign Video poker vote by county OcoMt I NT A Video poker industry's costly Only 1 1 counties vote to prohibit payouts luncMtik 1 yJttotfCtfF mnumtortj Jfji4 'What's going to happen, people are just going to cross the county lines and spend their money Fred Collins, owner of Collins Music, video poker machine distributor Oops! Despite reports, Beasley isn't youngest recent governor-elect It has been widely reported that David Beasley is the youngest governor elected in South Carolina this century but it's not so. U.S.

Sen. Ernest Hollings wins by nearly a year, said Dan Boyce, reference librarian at the South Carolinia-na Library at the University of South Carolina. Beasley, born on Feb. 26, 1957, is 37 years old. Hollings' aides said that the senator, born on Jan.

1, 1922, was elected at age 36 and took office just after turning 37. Boyce said the youngest governor after the Civil War was John Gary Evans of Cokes-bi'ry, elected in 1894 at age 31. fr if- By Samantha Thompson Staff writer The video poker industry's 1 .3 million campaign to convince voters payouts should remain legal paid off in all but 1 1 of the state's 46 counties, but not all of the Upstate agreed. Five of the 1 1 counties that decided to ban video poker payouts on Tuesday were in the traditionally conservative Upstate. Video poker payouts are now illegal in Anderson, Oconee, Pick-ens, Greenwood, Union, Cherokee and York counties.

Other counties that banned the video poker payouts were Aiken, Chester, Chesterfield and Lancaster counties. But one of the industry's leaders said the loss of business in those counties may mean even more business for his company. "What's going to happen, people are just going to cross the county lines.nd spend their mon- Counties Counties voting no 11 voting yes ey there," said Fred Collins, owner of Collins Music, a Greenville-based business that is one of the state's largest distributors of video pokers machines. Collins estimates the 1 1 counties that voted to ban video poker payouts make up about 6 percent of his business. "We're probably going to get more than that back in the counties that retain the machines," he said.

In Spartanburg County 54 percent of the voters supported the measure, which allowed video poker payouts; in Greenville County 52 jtrcent approved. and crime, not the state's economy. Ann Reed, a leading representative of Keep Gambling Out of South Carolina, said the group was happy to win 1 1 counties and vowed not to gi up its fight to.