SPORTS: Beaufort’s Stanley sweeps gold at Youth Pan Ams. PAGE A5
SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2019 WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Castro speaks to packed house in Beaufort Presidential hopeful finds many Democratic voters still undecided
Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks Friday, Aug. 31 at the Black Chamber of Commerce in Beaufort. Photo by Mindy Lucas.
Early approval City Council takes up annexation of Lady’s Island properties that upset residents
By Mindy Lucas Sally Domby, of Beaufort, and Donna Beer, of Okatie, waited along with dozens of others to have their pictures made with presidential hopeful Julian Castro, in town recently for a “meet and greet.” Held at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Aug. 31, the breakfast event drew somewhere between 200 and 250 people, who turned out to hear the Democratic candidate speak
on a range of issues from gun control to immigration to education and the economy. As Domby and Beer waited patiently in line, they talked about what they thought of Castro, who spoke for a little more than 30 minutes, and what they’d ultimately like to see in a president. INSIDE 1-on-1: Castro discusses gun violence, the border crisis and campaign strategy, A2-3
“It would be nice to have someone thoughtful and reasonable and compassionate and intelligent,” said Domby. On health care, Castro told those gathered he wanted to strengthen Medicare and make it available for those who want it, while allowing Americans who like their current plans to stay on those. “What I don’t believe is that the profit motive of “Big
SEE CASTRO PAGE A2
HURRICANE DORIAN
RIDING THE STORM OUT
By Mindy Lucas The annexation of two Lady’s Island properties into the City of Beaufort that had Lady’s Island residents upset was given preliminary approval on first reading at the city’s regularly scheduled council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The properties included a collection of parcels west of Sam’s Point Road along Williams Street and Mayfair Court totaling 6.9 acres and a larger 20-acre parcel east of Sam’s Point Road at 44 and 50 Miller Drive East. The applications for annexation had residents in neighborhoods nearing the properties upset, with the lion’s share of the concerns focused mainly on the Miller Drive East property which includes a 5-acre lake. The property’s owner had originally requested a denser zoning which would have allowed for “mixed use” including apartment buildings, which many in the semi-rural, single-family home community worried would not fit in with the size and character of the current neighborhood and would bring more traffic issues to an already congested part of the island.
Two employees with SP Plus, a subcontractor to the City of Beaufort in charge of parking meters, pay stations and collection of the funds, wrap one of the pay stations with plastic wrap and seal it all up with packing tape Monday near the Downtown Marina. The two unidentified employees said that because of corporate rules they were not allowed to give their names, nor how many machines they were going to wrap up. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
SEE CITY PAGE A3
Safety concerns postpone game The annual rivalry football game between Battery Creek and Beaufort High Schools, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 30, was postponed due to safety concerns. Beaufort High School athletics director Linc Lyles released the following statement: “Due to ongoing friction in the community and a potential threat of violence, and after consultation with law enforcement, the principals and athletic directors at Beaufort and Battery Creek high schools have decided to postpone tonight’s football game and reschedule it at a later date.”
SANFORD DELAYS DECISION Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Representative (R-SC-1) Mark Sanford postponed his political decisions, including whether or not to seek the Republican nomination for Mark president, until Sanford Dorian, and whatever may come from its aftermath, has passed, according to a statement released Monday afternoon.
Some stay, some go as hurricane that thrashed Bahamas prompts state of emergency, evacuation for Beaufort County
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mpatient and anxious. And with good reason to be so. That’s how Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling describes waiting for a hurricane, in this case Hurricane Dorian. I agree, wholeheartedly. Dorian translated from Greek means “maintains possessions well.” As I write this, she is doing just that, maintaining that in her possession, moving slowly from the devastated Bahamas on an unknown path that will in some way or another cast a shadow on our life here. We are all possessed by her until she passes. Some, long after. But by the time you read these words about waiting for Dorian, she will have likely already made her mark, whatever that may be, on
REMINDER: UPCOMING MEETING
MIKE MCCOMBS
Beaufort County. Hopefully you are all safe, well and have suffered as little loss as humanly possible. On Sunday, S.C. Governor Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation of coastal areas, including Beaufort County, beginning Monday at noon. But as expected, Beaufortonians are stubborn. As blue sunny skies belied the dark clouds to come on Tuesday,
ISLAND GIRLS NIGHT OUT
The monthly meeting of the League of Women Voters Beaufort Area is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 at Beth Israel Synagogue on Scott St. The meeting is free and open to the public.
August’s installment of Island Girls Night Out was held at Carolina Realty of the Lowcountry.
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS ON PAGE B3
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Beaufort resident Ken Szarek talked of his decision, like many, to stay put with his family. (Obviously, I’m still here, as well.) “The risk of going on the road is more than the risk of staying sheltered in place,” Szarek said. “it’s my first time staying. But I learned from the last couple times that maybe I should have stayed.” Previously, Szarek would pack the family and drive to refuge with relatives in Asheville, N.C., normally a 4-hour drive or so. Last time, the drive took 10 hours. “With the amount of information that we get now, I can make a more informed decision than I could in previous hurricanes,” he said. “Obviously each hurricane is a different process.” His house is stockpiled with
food, water and a generator and the plan is to hunker down. “Nah, I’m staying here. There’s far more danger to my family on that road,” he said. Courtney Cadien felt differently. She left Monday for the panhandle and Gulf coast of Florida for a mini vacation. “It was a mandatory evacuation,” she said. “I didn’t want to be stuck in traffic, stuck without power. And there’s flooding. We have flooding in our neighborhood when it downpours.” No matter what you and your family did, I hope it worked out and you’re safe and well. For those that stayed, please share your stories, news, photos and videos with us at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
INSIDE Lowcountry Life A2 From the Front A2-3 Around Town A3 IGNO A4 Sports A5 First Friday B1
Voies Legal Notices What To Do Directory Classifieds Games
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