Patriotic fervor during Apple Festival luncheon

Cecil Sandifer belted out another rousing version of “God Bless America” and Senator Lindsey Graham warned that the U-S is in for a long fight against the Taliban and Isil.  The state’s superintendent of education keynoted the Apple Festival luncheon, sponsored by the Westminster Rotary Club, and extolled the value of good education and the quality of South Carolina’s educators.  But the specter of Sunday’s 15th anniversary of 9-11 was on the minds of Senator Graham and the Rev. Randy Keasler who gave the invocation.  Graham predicted, “We are going to win this thing,” referring to the fight against terrorists.  But he cautioned the luncheon audience, “They want to kill everyone here,” said Graham.  Westminster resident Betty Johnson, known for her Easter Egg hunts for children, received the Rotary Citizen of the Year award.