HEALTH: Blood, platelet donations needed in wake of Hurricane Florence. PAGE A6
SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2018
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Whitehall Park gets go-ahead from City, County By Justin Jarrett
One by one, community members stepped to the microphone at the Bluffton Library on Monday night and laid out the myriad reasons a park on the Whitehall Property was so important to them. One by one, the members of the Beaufort County Council revealed the impact those statements had on their vote on the matter. After more than an hour of public comment and discussion, the Council voted unanimously to enter into negotiations to purchase a 9.72-acre portion of the picturesque Whitehall Property from the development company that owns it. The Beaufort City Council previously approved a 30-year agreement with the County to provide maintenance for the park.
Even several Council members who expressed concerns about the proposal — namely the cost (the vote authorizes the County to pay up to $4,371,000 for the property) and the fact that the City of Beaufort has not agreed to foot any of the bill — voted in favor of Councilman York Glover’s motion, in large part because of the public comment from a number of the more than 6,000 community members who have signed a petition in support of the project. “I came here tonight convinced I was going to vote against this,” said Bluffton Councilman Jerry Stewart, “but I do have to take into account the comments that were made here this evening. A lot of the citizens of the county are clearly behind this. … Because of what you said tonight and because of the
conviction of how you presented it, I’ve been convinced to vote in favor it it.” Community members young and old gushed about the property on the Lady’s Island side of the Beaufort River and what an expansive park there will mean for generations of Beaufortonians to come. Beaufortonian Kathy Mixon said the Council would one day be hailed as “visionaries” for voting to preserve the land as a park, and Fereol de Gastyne referred to the property as “the crown jewel of Beaufort.” Stewart and Councilman Steve Fobes expressed their concern that the City of Beaufort had not agreed to share in the cost, which is a break in precedent from previous land purchases in which the County and municipality have split the bill. They also balked at
Lending a helping hand
the price tag, and Councilman Stu Rodman worried that the County will end up covering significantly more than half of the developer’s cost to purchase the entire 20-acre tract. But advocates say having a park on the property for the foreseeable future is priceless. “It’s what’s the value to the community that’s really important to us,” Councilman Brian Flewelling said, “and as we can see, this is very important to the community.” Just before the Council voted on the proposal, Chairman Paul Sommerville recounted a story from his childhood, during which his grandfather would take him to the Whitehall Property. Now the next generation of Beaufort County residents will be able to share similar memories.
Chamber files suit in festival fight By Justin Jarrett
The battle over two of Beaufort’s favorite fall festivals escalated last week when the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Beaufort. The fight began when the City of Beaufort filed for the trademarks for the Beaufort Shrimp Festival and Taste of Beaufort last year and subsequently denied the Chamber’s request to hold the Shrimp Festival at Waterfront Park next month. The Chamber’s suit alleges the City made false representations when applying for the trademarks and violated the Chamber’s constitutional rights when denying the permit in July. The Chamber also claims it was asked to pay 10 percent of its event profits in exchange for use of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, which it says is more than any other organization has been charged. In an email statement through attorney Ashley Twombley, Chamber President Blakely Williams said the Chamber made every possible effort to resolve the dispute without taking legal action, and an email string between representatives of the embattled entities shows the City declined the Chamber’s request for arbitration until after this year’s Shrimp Festival, which the City plans to hold Oct. 5-6. “The Chamber was left with a stark choice,” Williams’ statement said. “Either bow to the City’s demand or stand up for what we believe is right, just and lawful.” The email from Williams requesting arbitration acknowledged that such a meeting might not be feasible before this year’s festival and said, “If the City commits to arbitration quickly, the Chamber would be willing to agree to allow the October 5, 2018, Beaufort Shrimp Festival to take place without challenge.” The message further stated that “allowing the event to take place without challenge could harm the Chamber’s position” and asked for a binding agreement to arbitration no later than Sept. 12, after which point the Chamber would move forward with legal action. City Manager Bill Prokop says the City was surprised by the lawsuit. “According to the Chamber, it was unable to come to any agreement with the City. We believe it is better stated that the Chamber has been unwilling to sit down with the City and discuss how we can move forward and work together,” City Manager Bill Prokop said in a statement. “The Chamber states that its goal is to be an advocate for its members. We believe the interests of both the Chamber’s members and the citizens of Beaufort would be better served by using member dues and taxpayer dollars on civic projects, infrastructure development and community improvements, not legal proceedings.”
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hile Beaufort County was spared by Hurricane Florence, our neighbors to the north were hit hard, and local authorities are doing their part to help those affected by the storm. Engines and firefighters from Burton, Lady’s Island/St. Helena, and Beaufort/ Port Royal fire departments deployed on Tuesday, Sept. 18, to Hartsville to assist with the relief effort. While there, some of the firefighters had the opportunity to take a lap around Darlington Speedway in the fire engine. The task force of three engines and 12 firefighters assisted for 24 hours before returning home, but other local firefighters have continued to assist via the South Carolina Firefighter Mobilization program, Burton Fire District spokesman Lt. Daniel Byrne said. Beaufort County EMS also sent crews to the Myrtle Beach area to assist with the relief effort.
ISLAND GIRLS NIGHT OUT Local ladies had a sweet time at SugarBelle. PAGE A4
NAMASTE Y’ALL Participants reach for the sky at Yoga Under The Stars. PAGE A5
FIRST FRIDAY Head downtown Oct. 5 for a good time. PAGE B1
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