Mobile Home Sales in Lydia, SC

Special to Wooster Daily Record

WOOSTER − The stories in Lydia Thompson's book, "Retrieving the Wheatfield: Look Where He Brought Me From," take her from a child living on a plantation in South Carolina to an adult making a significant impact on Wayne County.

Discussing in an interview her book, which gelled over a period of three to four years, the 91-year-old Thompson asked, "Do you know who you are?"

"Many people in America don't know who they are," said Thompson, whose own identity encompasses roles in government, social work, health care and education.

"If you know who you are, you won't go around labeling people you don't know," she said. "You don't know everything, and neither do I."

A book sale and signing by Thompson is slated for noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Wayne County Public Library, 220 W. Liberty Street.

Lydia Thompson's story of resilience and faith

In story after story detailing discrimination, injustice and triumph over the tragedy experienced by her and her family as she grew to adulthood, Thompson relates how she relied on the faith she has carried throughout her life.

Thompson quoted her mother, Sally Lee Patterson Gilyard, as saying, "There's gonna come a day when we will see the light of a new way to live, a new hope. … We gonna climb as long as God is on our side."

Her father, Abraham Gilyard, a sharecropper's son, told his 10 children that those who came before them hoped "for a better life… we come a long way, but it ain't over yet. We still got some hard times a coming."

Thompson and her family moved to Wooster at the beginning of the 1940s from a plantation in segregated South Carolina. They and other African American families were "seeking freedom, justice and opportunity," one of her six children, Bonnie Mootry Engram, wrote in a statement about the book.

Thompson, married to the late Rev. Rufus Thompson for more than 60 years, made herself known as a woman of purpose and persistence in just about every area of the community.

She was instrumental in the effort to name a street in honor of Rosa Parks, whom she once invited to speak at an annual meeting of the Wooster chapter of the NAACP.

Meeting Rose Parks and other memories

Daughter Vicki Saunders recalled a visit home from college.

"I walked into the living room, and (Parks) was standing (there). I dropped my laundry," Saunders said.

One of Thompson's favorite memories revolves around her involvement in Wooster being named an All-America City in 1974, when she was president of the Wayne County Council on Aging.

"We beat Pontiac, Michigan," she said with pride because Pontiac was then rampant with discrimination.

Thompson frequently punctuates her remarks with a thumbs-up gesture, demonstrating her positive spin on life.

Lydia Thompson's word in Wooster and Wayne County

Thompson has been featured in The Daily Record multiple times, and articles about her are included in her book.

Among the achievements of Thompson, a graduate of Wooster High School, are earning a degree from Wayne Practical Nursing School, Wooster Business College in real estate and the University of Akron Wayne College in social work and gerontology.

Her community service efforts have been wide ranging, including being a member of the Wooster City School District and the Wayne County Schools Career Center Board of Education and serving United Way, the YMCA, NAACP and Quota Club.

Among her numerous awards are the University of Akron Wayne College's first Distinguished Alumni Award and membership in the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

One of Thompson's favorite endeavors has been performing "Famous Black Women: Voices of the Past, Present and Future," portraying Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Miss Jane Pittman, Mary McLeod Bethune and Parks.

Thompson said she worked hard on her reenactments, copying their dialect and "what they said, how they sounded."

Thompson's book is compiled partly from journal entries she penned in longhand over the years.Saunders said she took it upon herself to sit down and type the entire book, all 237 pages, for publication, beginning in January.

"What is the wheat field? The wheat field is about a family who joins in increasing the knowledge of who they are and where they are going by God's grace," states the final page of Thompson's book.

Additional information is available from Engram at 708-261-4032 or bomo1954@comcast.net.

Music, literature and visual arts coalesce in the mind of seasoned violinist Lydia Chernicoff, who founded local chamber music project New Muse Concerts.

“I want to change the conversation around classical music as being a formal and exclusive art form,” Chernicoff told City Paper.

Musically ambitious from a young age and encouraged by creative parents, Chernicoff studied violin and chamber music. By age 18, she earned an associate’s degree in arts from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts.

“It was a time when I got really interested in how all of those things were or could be related to each other,” she said. “How language and music and drama and visual art could all be a part of the same conversation.”

Chernicoff and her husband moved to Charleston in 2017 after she completed her master’s of music in violin performance at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. She finished her doctorate in music arts from University of Maryland, commuting between cities. She knew Charleston was the perfect spot to bring her dream of creating New Muse to fruition, and she founded the company in 2019.

New Muse chamber concerts all have a unifying artistic theme, yet deviate from the classic format.

“We give background on the composers: who they were, how they lived, what they were going through,” Chernicoff said. “We show how the pieces on the program were constructed and how they relate to each other, and we give an inside view into the process of rehearsing and performing. We invite you in.”

Her first concert was an anniversary celebration at Principle Gallery Charleston on Meeting Street in 2019. Soon she was hosting more official New Muse events, including “Speakeasy,” a 1920s-themed program that took place just before the covid-related shutdown.

“We want these concerts to feel very casual,” she said. “The performances are at a very high level, but the atmosphere is lively and inviting, and you don’t have to know when to clap or what to wear. You can enjoy a glass of wine and some good conversation.”

During the pandemic, New Muse partnered with the Charleston County Public Library to put on virtual concerts. Now the series is experimenting with creative in-person concert venues that have included breweries and art galleries.

New Muse will put on a show in October, “From Chaos to Harmony,” that explores the concept of the Greek ideal. Chernicoff’s own Trio Appassionata will perform, which includes her longtime friends and collaborators cellist Andrea Casarrubios and pianist Ronaldo Rolim. The trio has performed all over the world together for the last 15 years and recorded a 2014 album, Gone Into Night Are All the Eyes.

Above all, Chernicoff is grateful to collaborate with artists of different backgrounds and disciplines in Charleston.

“None of this would be possible without our community here,” she said, “and it’s really been a thrill to see everyone get excited about what we’re doing and get involved.”

New Muse Concerts’ “From Chaos to Harmony” will take place Oct. 26 at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Visit newmuse.org for more information.

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According to her American coach Mark Schubert, Chinese distance star Li Bingjie has tested positive for COVID-19, most likely keeping her from racing at the 2022 SC World Championships.

Bingjie, who is the reigning Short Course World Champion in both the 400m and 800m freestyle, began to feel ill upon her arrival in Melbourne. After coming into the meet as the heavy favorite in both events, Bingjie scratched the 400m freestyle on day 1 of the meet, leaving Australian Lani Pallister to claim the World Championship title. It was possible that Bingjie would return for the 800m freestyle on day 2, but she once-again decided to scratch, leading to speculation about the nature of her illness.

That speculation was confirmed today as her coach Mark Schubert said that Bingjie tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving in Melbourne. Schubert also said that there were additional COVID cases amongst members of the Chinese team prior to the beginning of the meet. He did not confirm how many of those cases are currently active.

Schubert, who helped coach 8 US Olympic Teams, moved to China to coach earlier this year on a sabbatical from his “elite training group” based in Southern California, The Swim Team (TST). Prior to forming The Swim Team, Schubert was the coach of Mission Viejo for several decades across multiple stints, coaching swimmers like Janet Evans, Shirley Babashoff, Brian Goodell, Mike O’Brien, Sippy Woodhead Kaitlin Sandeno, Jessica Hardy, Larsen Jensen, Erik Vendt, Lindsay (Benko) Mintenko, Ous Mellouli, and Dara Torres.

Several other members of the Chinese team also scratched from events. It is known that other members of the team tested positive for COVID-19, but SwimSwam has not been able to confirm exactly which ones (besides Li).

#Melbourne2022There are some scratches according to the start lists:Yang Junxuan 100 and 200 freeYu Yiting 100,200 and 400 IMLiu Zhitong 200 flyTang Qianting 100 IMPan Zhanle 50 free

— Chinese Swimming News and Results (@CHNswim_fan) December 11, 2022

At the 2021 edition of the SC World Championships, there were a total of 37 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the meet, with 15 of those cases coming from athletes. Notable swimmers who tested positive include American Olympic Champion Lydia Jacoby and Great Britain’s Max Litchfield. At those Championships, FINA, now known as World Aquatics, forced entire countries to withdraw from the meet due to positive cases and several swimmers left the competition early due to COVID concerns.

On December 12, Melbourne reported a total of 4,376 new COVID cases, though total testing data isn’t available. Last week, data showed a 4.6% increase in the positive test rate in Victoria, the state Melbourne falls under.

Here are the high school athletes in the Upstate who are signing with colleges through the November signing period. Athletes listed below were submitted by athletics directors and coaches.

This list will be updated.

(name, high school, college)

Baseball

Joe Cash, Spartanburg, North Greenville University

Elijah Franz, Mauldin, Spartanburg Methodist

Garrett Fulmer, Spartanburg, The Citadel

Hunter Garrett, Mauldin, Anderson University

Cooper Osullivan, Pickens, Newberry

Griffin Pickhardt, Mauldin, Southern Wesleyan

Taylor Rabe, Greenville, Ole Miss

Zach Stover, Powdersville, Anderson University

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Men's Basketball

Jordan Butler, Christ Church, Missouri

Jordan Miller, Dorman, Wingate University

Women's Basketball

Josie Workman, Byrnes, North Greenville

J'Adore Young, Greenville, Ole Miss

Women's Cross Country

Caroline Lyerly, Greenville, Tennessee

Men's Golf

Henry Hall, St. Joseph's, North Greenville

Gage Howard, Woodruff, Presbyterian College

Blake Kelly, Woodruff, North Greenville

Ben McKinney, Woodruff, Presbyterian College

Women's Golf

Emilyn Davis, Belton-Honea Path, Lander

Madison Dixon, Boiling Springs, USC Upstate

Abby Franks, Dorman, University of North Georgia

Ivy Schulze, T.L. Hanna, Clemson

Maddie Grace Peake, Dorman, Presbyterian College

Men's Lacrosse

Connor Brewington, Dorman, North Greenville

Sailor Henderson, J.L. Mann, Furman

Noley Wallace Hiller, J.L. Mann, UVA Wise

Brixten McKenzie, Dorman, Lincoln Memorial University

Isabella Ortiz, J.L. Mann, North Greenville

Max Porterfield, Dorman, Lander University

Women's Lacrosse

Brooke Kelley, T.L. Hanna, Anderson University

Men's Soccer

Jonah Biggar, Oakbrook, South Carolina

Hampton Hughes, Christ Church, Davidson

Women's Soccer

Martha Bishop, Spartanburg, Samford University

Autumn Cayelli, T.L. Hanna, South Carolina

Rylee Carroll, T.L. Hanna, Anderson University

Henley Grunst, T.L. Hanna, Flagler

Eva McCoy, Southside Christian, Stetson University

Softball

Courtney Baldwin, Crescent, Limestone

Emily Blackwell, Crescent, North Greenville

Emma Bright, Dorman, Converse College

Ella Edgerton, Dorman, Bluefield University

Rileigh Farr, Pendleton, Southern Wesleyan University

Mackinzie Jefferson, Westside, Southern Wesleyan University

Lydia Johnson, Dorman, USC Aiken

Carson McCowan, Dorman, Newberry College

Elissa Rich, Westside, Allen University

Jada Sanders, T.L. Hanna, USC Sumter

McKenzie Wessel, T.L. Hanna, Spartanburg Methodist College

Kasey Wolfe, Dorman, Presbyterian College

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Women's Swimming

Anna Buchert, Spartanburg, Lenior Rhyne University

Delaney Franklin, J.L. Mann, South Carolina

Morgan Greenlee, Spartanburg, Frostburg State University

Kylie Larkin, Christ Church, South Carolina

Sylvia Walker, St. Joseph's, Stony Brooke

Camrynn Wilson, Spartanburg Day, UCLA

Men's Tennis

Jerome Falcon, Spartanburg, Colgate University

Men's Track and Field

Ezekiel Bailey, Southside Christian, Anderson University

Carlmelo Martin, Boiling Springs, East Carolina University

De’Marco Thomas, Boiling Springs, Converse College

Women's Track and Field

Anna Belle King, Liberty, Belmont Abbey

Volleyball

Macie Gentry, Pickens, North Greenville

Anna Nedwards, Hillcrest, North Greenville

Emily Normand, St. Joseph's, Wofford

Kate Renfrow, Dorman, Presbyterian College

Jurnee Robinson, Mauldin, LSU

Anna Schneider, Mauldin, Newberry

Wrestling

Landon Teague, Liberty, Lander

BRYSON CITY, N.C. (WLOS) — At Swain West Elementary School, a grateful grandmother credits first grade teacher Lydia Sale for bringing her grandson out of his shell and turning him into a social butterfly.

During a recent lesson, the class broke down words into syllables, an exercise to help them read better. In the middle of the group is an attentive boy named Kevin.

"I like doing math and reading," says Kevin, when asked what he likes most about school. It's a huge change for Kevin's grandmother, Christine Summey.

"He didn’t want to have nobody near him, you know," recalls Summey. "His reading level was very low. His math was not that great."

Summey says Ms. Sale and the staff at Swain West have made a huge impact on Kevin, both academically and socially, so, she nominated Sale for 'Thanks to Teachers.'

"Once he came into this school, and Ms. Sale’s class, he just soared," says Summey.

Lydia Sale is only four years into her teaching career, but, her desire to teach goes back a few years.

"When I was four years old, in pre-k, they did an interview with me about what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said I wanted to be a teacher. So, I’ve known my whole life," says Sale, who grew up in Swain County.

Sale, who began her career when the pandemic started, says this is her first 'normal' year of teaching. She knew Kevin needed a little extra help socializing. After working with him, the first grader can now work a room.

"He was off in all these different little groups seeing, did he want to play with these kids that were playing with Legos? Did he want to draw? Did he want to read a book? He was able to have conversation and play with any kid in any situation in the classroom."

"I like everyone in school, and everyone in the city," declares the first grader. Kevin says he is "so happy" when he wakes up each morning knowing he's going to school.

"We’re very, very appreciative," says Christine Summey of Lydia Sale.

Does your child have an amazing teacher? Nominate them to be featured in our Thanks to Teachers segment, click HERE to nominate them!