The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 33

1E Trf rrwfg-Joumal, Or nwood, S.C, Juff 29. 1 Learning is ageless process for one Tech student fZj I I "I know from experience how tough it is to make a living without a trade," says Ralph Nethken, who, at 61, is studying Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning at Piedmont Technical College. Describing himself as a "junior senior citizen," the West Virginia native dropped out of school in the eighth grade because of family hardships. His philosophy toward the value of family life and marketable job skills has evolved as a result of obstacles which he has confronted and overcome on both personal and professional levels. At 17, Nethken underwent training in the first of several skills he has acquired over the years.

He learned to weld in a program sponsored by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. "I didn't stick with welding," he recalled. "But, through it, I became fascinated with machinery. I learned enough in machine shop to raise and feed my family' Not a minimal undertaking for Nethken, whose family consists of his wife Emma, two sons, and two daughters.

Add to that one stepdaughter, four adopted children and seven foster children. Nethken began his varied career as a machinist at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock in Newport News, Va. Then he joined the navy, but an injury resulted in his being discharged after a year. He returned to his hometown of enrollment last September, he'd "burned a lot of midnight oil," he praised Tech instructors as committed and caring. Although he says he has struggled with math, Nethken has excelled academically with a 3.36 grade point ratio.

Like Nethken, many students enroll in the Heating, ventilating and Air Conditioning program to learn a new career. Others seek to upgrade present positions and improve knowledge in their present jobs, according to Department Head Larry Landrum. Instruction begins with fundamentals, terms, definition of the refrigeration cycle and the process by which heat is transferred from one place to another. Training then includes heat load calculations and oil, gas, electric, heat fump ad solar heating systems, addition, sheet metal, hydraulics and electrical courses are offered as they relate to air conditioning. The seven quarter day program meets four days a week from 8:30 a.m.

3 p.m., and the ten quarter evening program is offered from 6:30 10:20 p.m. "Graduates of the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning program are qualified for employment with local residential, commercial, and industrial companies," Landrum said. "Many of our graduates are now self-employed." Several courses in heating and cooling are also available through the Continuing Education Division of the college. For more information regarding the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning program, contact Larry Landrum at Piedmont Tech: 223-8357, ext, 360. Call toll-free 1-800-922-6235.

While visiting the Piedmont Tech campus with his son-in-law, who was enrolled in Construction Management, he decided to investigate the college's offerings. "My reasons for attending Piedmont Tech are two-fold," he said. "One is for my personal fulfillment; I've always been interested in heating and cooling systems. Now, thanks to Tech, I'm beginning to understand how they work!" The second reason is to ensure that his two young adopted sons, six and eight, master skills which will lead to job success. He intends to teach them everything he learns at Tech, and later to set them up in a family business.

The two boys spend hours in their father's shadow, learning daily the "hows" and "whys" of mechanics. "They follow me around, always questioning. They're learning already!" Nethken said. He added that his stepdaughter plans to enroll in Secretarial Science at Tech so that she can handle the records and bookkeeping aspects of the future family business. His two grown sons never indicated interest in skills training.

One is a coal miner, while the other works temporary construction jobs. Expressing a genuine love of children, Nethken said: "I had a tough childhood; that's why I keep a close eye on my youngsters. "I'm grateful to Piedmont Technical college for making it possible to realize goals for myself and for my family," Nethken noted. "You're never too old to learn; I can guarantee that!" While admitting that, since his Practice Ralph Nethken puts classroom knowledge just a magnetic starter which will trigger a to practice by using a training panel to ad- compressor or fan motor. (Tech photo) years and did some instructing.

"I wanted to return to the mountains, so it was back to the coal mines for six and a half years," he added. "I was forced into retirement in 1979 because of Morgantown, W.V. to work as an electrician and mechanic in the coal mines for six years. Nethken and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked as a machinist for 22 Cougar-panther breeding project bears hope for endangered cats Morris College given $100,000 my health. I came to the Greenwood area looking for a retirement home, which I found between Abbeville and Low-ndesville.

I've been here ever since!" Painting to be returned SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A painting, "Erminia and Vafrino Tending the Wounded Tancred," by the Italian artist Pier Francesco Mola (1612-1666), donated by the Kress Foundation to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in 1961, is to be turned to France as the result of newly discovered facts about its history. Curators in Paris and San Francisco are now convinced that the painting, acquired by the foundation from a Parisian dealer in 1953, is the one purchased by Louis XIV in 1685, later passed to the French national collection, and unaccounted for since 1875. The agreement to return the painting has engendered much goodwill. Before it leaves San Francisco, the Louvre will lend San Francisco a companion Mola painting from the royal collections, "Erminia Guarding her Flock," so that the two pictures may be displayed together here. Wilson, Spartanburg, assistant secretary; Dr.

Marion McLester, Rembert, corresponding secretary; Audrey Neal, Columbia, financial secretary and Dr. Beatrice Sanders, treasurer. Richardson praised Coker for her outstanding leadership and the Baptist women for their "unsurpassed support of Morris College, enabling the institution to meet its continuing goals of SUMTER A recent gift of $40,000 to Morris College has brought the contributions of the Baptist Women's Convention of South Carolina to nearly $100,000 the 1985-86 fiscal year. Other financial gifts were made to the college at the Thanksgiving Rally and the Mid-Winter Ban' quet. The college also received additional financial contributions from individuals and organizations within the convention for furnishings in the new women residence hall.

The convention is a state-wide organization of women in Baptist churches. Officers are: Dr. Mamie N. Coker, Clinton, president; Dr. Ethel M.

Gordon, Columbia, first vice president; Dr. Isa belle R. Dixon, Garnett, second vice president; Jacqueline Canty, Effingham, third vice president; Bernice Johnson, Conway, recording secretary; Jessie Carpet Vinyl Sales and Installation Insulate Your FLOORS BECKHAM'S Floor Covering 321 Grace St. 223-361 1 cougar already has been declared extinct. The panther could be next as it is the only endp.

tiered subspecies of mountain lion. Counted among the most-threatened animals in the world, the Florida panther is the only cousin to the mountain lion remaining east of the Mississippi River, said Belden. Now the tawny felines roam an area in South Florida, mainly in and around the Big Cypress National Preserve. Each of the independent animals ranges several hundred miles in search of food, shelter and occasionally a mate. Logan said two primary problems have contributed to the panther's demise in Florida: human persecution and loss of habitat caused by population increases and urban development.

Persecution included shooting by ranchers trying to protect livestock or just out of fear. "The panther is an indication of our quality of human life," Logan said. "We can't continue to change and degredate our natural areas as we have." The two female cougars cost about $1,300 to bring from Texas and a five or six-year study of possible habitats will cost up to $100,000 a year. The breeding work at White Oak Plantation, which is owned by Gilman Paper will be donated. At the same time as the breeding, wildlife biologists will search for a suitable habitat, likely in the Panhandle, into which they will release the panther -cougar kittens, said Tom Logan, chief of wildlife research for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.

If the young cats survive on their own, they then will be replaced by purebred panther kittens. "We're attempting to halt the extinction process," said Logan. "We've not had very many opportunities to do that in wildlife." Preparing the cougar-panther kittens will require close attention. Their prospective mothers will first have to be certified free from disease. Once born, the kittens will be sterilized to prevent creation of a new subspecies.

They also will wear radio-tracking collars so biologists can learn their habits. And although the kittens will be born in captivity, biologists will take care to keep from domesticating both the cougar-panther hybrids and eventually any pure-panther kittens that may be born. "What we don't want to do is turn a pair of young Florida panthers into an area and the first thing they do is get run over or shot or turn up on somebody's doorstep wanting to be petted or eat the dog food," Logan said. Only a few dozen panthers are believed still living in Florida. The panther is one subspecies with 28 or 30 cousins, including the cougars from Texas, to the mountain lion.

The Eastern THE HEAT IS OEM Sign up for Showtime now and see these great exclusives: 8:00 PM Stand located at Maxwell Ave. and Hwy. 225 By-Pass A Private History of Campaign That FatMMl' Mask TALLAHASSEE. Fla. (AP) Two cougars from Texas have been recruited to help the endangered Florida panther in a breeding experiment biologists say could help re-establish lost panther habitats in North Florida.

The female cougars from the mountainous desert region of Brewster County on the West Texas border with Mexico will be mated with a captive male at the White Oak Plantation. The private breeding camp near Jacksonville works to save endangered species from around the world. The S-year-old panther, nicknamed "Big Guy, has been in captivity since he was hit by a car in 1984 on Alligator Alley between Miami and Naples. One of the cougars is about 18 months old, barely old enough to breed, and the other is about 3 years old, said Chris Belden, a state wildlife biologist. Colonial Ball planned Aug.

16 COLUMBIA George T. DesChamps of Columbia, president of the South Carolina Society, Sons of the Revolution, has announced that the Colonial Ball will be held Aug. 16. The ball began as a Bicentennial project for the year 1976. Dr.

Edwin R. Worrell will serve as chairman, Harry Cunningham as secretary-treasurer, and Alex Geiger as master of ceremonies. Mrs. Edwin R. Worrell of the Columbia Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, will serve as liaison to the D.A.R.

The S.C. Society, Sons of the Revolution, was founded on April 18, 1889, to preserve the records, artifacts and memory of the patriots who served this nation in the American Revolution. Among its founders were Gov. J. P.

Richardson; Ex-Governors ML. Bonham and Wade Hampton; Cols. F.W. McMaster and A.D. Goodwyn; Drs.

A.N. Talley and R.N. Lawrence; Capts. U.R. Brooks and A.

P. Brown; also W.E. Harth and R.A. Lynch. Publisher of The State newspaper, N.G.

Gonzales, was also a founding member of the society. The Colonial Ball will be held at Radisson Hotel Columbia and interested SAR's, DAR's and CAR'S should write: S.C. SAR Colonial Ball, Box 486, Columbia, S.C. 29202. Musical works are commissioned HOUSTON, Texas (AP) Twenty-five works from prominent international composers are being commissioned by the Houston Symphony Orchestra in honor of the Texas Sesquicentennial.

The works are fanfare-like pieces from one to three minutes long and are to be performed throughout the remainder of 1986 at the beginning of each subscription concert by the HSO. The project will include compositions by such American composers as William Schuman, Elliott Carter, 'Jacob Druckman, Steve Reich, John Williams and Carla Bley. Russian composer Tikhon Khrennikov and Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen are among the non-American corn-poster included. Inn orittieGSquare PLUS (ilErEZOTiracsnE I ROOM I 9 Greenwood's answer to a fine HIS i 1 nuns. And you gwt this Bvrly Hills Rod, FREK.

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