DCSD Maintenance Department to Get Overhaul
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CAR HAULERS 1B 2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 7A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 3B BOOKINGS 5B CLASSIFIEDS QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 143, No. 34 NTWO SECTIONS e• 14 PAGwES s&PreESTAs BLISHsED 1874 75¢ SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 Darlington, S.C. WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Denny Hamlin Sweeps Track Too Tough To Tame DCSD Maintenance Department to get overhaul maintenance to preventative By Melissa Rollins Editor work, he is anticipating some [email protected] challenges in the near future, During a special-called including the fact that one- meeting Aug. 28, the third of his maintenance Darlington County School department is eligible for District Board of Education got retirement in the next 3-5 a first-hand account of the years. In the next decade, that inner workings of the district’s number will increase to 60 per - Operations and Maintenance cent. Department. Ervin McElveen, The biggest challenge in Director of Operations and that, McElveen said, is that he Maintenance, gave a presenta - is unable to hire anyone before tion and then took questions a retiree leaves. from board members. “A lot of knowledge has The district currently walked out the doors,” employees 30 maintenance McElveen said. workers and 94 custodians who One example of just that is maintain the grounds at 24 the fact that the district has a locations and the nearly 2 mil - work order system that no one lion square feet inside of dis - currently employed with the trict schools. district knows how to operate. McElveen said that his office Board chairman Jamie works hard to ‘provide a clean Morphis said that the meeting and safe environment through - and presentation were neces - out the Darlington County sary because the board has to School District for every stu - understand where the mainte - dent, every day.’ nance costs are coming from. He also said that while he is Denny Hamlin had double the luck this Labor Day Weekend, winning both Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 and the NASCAR XFINITY trying to shift from status quo Series race on Saturday. Hamlin rode into Victory Lane for his second time, celebrating with his family by his side. DCSD ON 3A PHOTO BY MELISSA ROLLINS Raceway dedicates Jeff Gordon Finish Line Terrace legend; this is a tough race - By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer track. There's no other track [email protected] in NASCAR like it.” Darlington Raceway recog - Gordon said he was a big nized NASCAR superstar Jeff fan of Darlington's successful Gordon on Thursday, August 'Throwback Weekend' theme, 31 by dedicating its first new which pays homage to the his - Finish Line Terrace seating tory and culture of stock car area in his honor. racing. He also noted that 'The Darlington Raceway presi - Track Too Tough to Tame' dent Kerry Tharp said he was remains a prestigious chal - very pleased that Gordon lenge that can make the agreed to have his name asso - career of an aspiring racer. ciated with this project, and he “To me, Darlington really is could think of no better person what NASCAR is all about,” to christen the first of these said Gordon. “If you can win seating expansions. at Darlington, the respect that Facilitator Charles Weathers Sr with Darlington County Council “I can honestly say that in you earn within the sport and members (seated, left to right) Bobby Kilgo and Le Flowers. the twelve years I've been from the fans, it takes you to a PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES associated with NASCAR, Jeff Gordon and Darlington President Kerry Tharp cut the ribbon. whole other level.” there hasn't been a more first- PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES Tharp said Darlington class individual that I've had Raceway plans to install as the privilege of dealing with secured the pole position 81 he'd actually won that many many as 12 more dedicated Council talks than Jeff Gordon. He's a true times. times at Darlington. seating terraces to give fans “an ambassador for the sport both “He also won seven times “This track has meant so enhanced race day experience.” on and off the racetrack,” said here at Darlington, and six of much to me over the years Also, Tharp announced courthouse repairs Tharp. those were at the Bojangles' throughout my career in that Darlington Cares, the During his 25 year career, Southern 500. That's another NASCAR,” said Gordon. “It's a local charitable arm of the Council member Bobby By Samantha Lyles Gordon won 4 NASCAR Cup reason we called this the legend. It's one of those track NASCAR Foundation, is Staff Writer Kilgo said that when the Championships, had 805 Finish Line Terrace, because you hear about before you donating $2,400 to the Jeff [email protected] courthouse was built, there career starts, 93 NASCAR Cup you got to that finish line ever take a lap around it. Gordon Children's Darlington County Council were many more terms of victories (third highest of all- ahead of everybody else seven Everyone basically tries to Foundation, which focuses on convened a work session criminal and civil court in time), 325 top five finishes, times,” said Tharp to Gordon, scare you to death before you treatment and research for August 29 at the Pee Dee the large 5th floor court - 477 top ten finishes, and who joked that he had no idea get here. And it stand up to its pediatric cancer. Council of Governments, room. He said that due to the where a main topic of discus - prevalence of pleas, dis - sion was the future of the missals, settlements, and county courthouse. mediation, the need for jury Facilitator Charles trial sessions has greatly Suite towers at Darlington Raceway renamed for Earnhardts Weathers Sr., founder and diminished over the past fifty “We believe we are doing that By Melissa Rollins CEO of Columbia-based man - years, and perhaps that spa - Editor here today.” agement consulting firm The cious courtroom could be [email protected] Tharp said the dedication Weathers Group, led the ses - pared down to yield more The Earnhardt name has of the towers was special sion. He encouraged Council space for other needs. become synonymous with because it was honoring the members to make a priority “The need for a large NASCAR. Now, the name is father-son drivers. list of issues – both near-term courtroom for civil court is forever a part of the “Darlington Raceway is and long-term – that they need basically almost over with,” Darlington Raceway. During a proud of its steep heritage, his - to address. Though the rank - said Kilgo, adding that there ceremony Sept. 1, the track tory and the reverence that it ings of these priorities varied, have only been two criminal renamed the red suite towers holds in the sport of NASCAR,” all members present listed the trials held in the main court - Earnhardt Towers in honor of Tharp said. “Over the years, aging Darlington County room this year. both Dale Earnhardt Sr. and we have had the opportunity Courthouse as a project that Kilgo said the county Dale Earnhardt Jr. to honor some of the sports’ requires action. should consider allocating “Some of the goals of the and our racetrack’s legends by County Administrator more space and resources for Throwback platform were to naming some of our facilities Charles Stewart said that the the busiest court operations, energize and rejuvenate some after them. We are all about Courthouse Construction like Probate Court, honoring the legends and of the history of the sport and Kelley Earnhardt Miller stands in front of the newly renamed Advisory Committee has met Magistrate Court, and Family make it like a reunion atmos - heroes of our sport. Today, we several times and is waiting for Court. Kilgo said that need have the privilege of naming Earnhardt Towers. phere for folks to come back PHOTO BY MELISSA ROLLINS Council to provide some for more private spaces to here Labor Day Weekend and our suite towers in tribute to guidelines for exactly how keep Family Court litigants pay respects to those heroes Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Throwback platform and this my dad and Dale Jr.,” Miller much money the county can apart is especially urgent and those legends who paved Earnhardt Jr.” being the final full-time sea - said. “This racetrack has cer - commit to building a new because that court often han - the way for this great sport of Tharp said the choice of the son for Dale Jr. in the Monster tainly meant a lot to my family facility or repairing the exist - dles emotional and con - ours,” said Darlington Earnhardts was an easy one Energy Cup Series, the syner - over the years. For me, just ing 1965 building. tentious matters like child Raceway President Kerry for his team. gy was there to make this ded - being a kid running around, Stewart said the court - custody. Tharp during the ceremony. “We came together as a ication come to fruition.” Darlington was a place that house has a number of securi - “That is also the most dan - staff earlier this year and dis - Kelly Earnhardt Miller was was close to our home so we ty issues, including a lack of a gerous court you will go into cussed some of the things we’d on-hand to represent the were able to come down in the secure prisoner transfer area because of the animosity like to do during this Earnhardt Family. conversion van, years ago, and (like an enclosed sally port) between the parties,” Kilgo Throwback Weekend to make “On behalf of the Earnhardt play in the infield; this has on the Public Square, no pri - said.