NEWS: City improves rating in Flood Insurance Program, helping property owners. PAGE A4
APRIL 22–28, 2021
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Want to help track King Tides?
By Mindy Lucas Interested in learning more about King Tides? Want to help S.C. officials track these seasonal events? Now you can. Led by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the South Carolina King Tides initiative strives to document the effects that extreme tide events have on our beaches, coastal waterways, private property and public infrastructure. In fact, the first King Tide of 2021 is predicted to occur between
April 26-29. Those interested in learning how DHEC’s online reporting tool works so they can help track and document the tides, can watch a live online presentation coming up at 3 p.m. this Thursday, April 22. Since its launch in 2014, the King Tides reporting tool has been used by more than 1,500 members to generate more than 2,000 reports in South Carolina. The term “King Tide” is a non-scientific term used to describe the highest seasonal tides that occur
each year. For example, in Charleston, the average high tide range is about 5.5 feet, whereas a King Tide event may see a high tide reach 7 feet or higher, according to DHEC’s website. King Tides occur naturally during a new or full moon and when the moon is closest to Earth during its 28-day elliptical orbit. This is also known as perigee. The effects of these exceptionally high tides can vary. In some cases, they may be barely noticed, while in other cases they can cause erosion,
flooding and damage to property. This is particularly true when a King Tide event coincides with a significant rain event. To learn more about the initiative visit www.mycoast.org/sc. To register for the free webinar, go to https://bit.ly/3xd2Eai and enter your name and email information. Mindy Lucas is the Beaufort reporter for The Island News and is a staff writer for Lowcountry Weekly. She can be reached at mindy.islandnews@gmail.com.
A LOT AT STAKE FOR TOMATO GROWERS
Workers at Dempsey Farms set up some of the 35,200 tomato stakes needed for the eight acres of tomatoes being planted in the U-PICK field for this season. Davey Dempsey said the tomato field should be open by mid May or June and run “until we run out.” Photo by Bob Sofaly.
First male recruits graduate recruit training from 4th Battalion
By Gunnery Sgt. Tyler Hlavac, USMC On March 26, 2021 Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion completed recruit training with four male platoons and two female platoons – the first time ever that male recruits have graduated from the battalion. During training the platoons were segregated by gender and maintained separate sleeping and bathing facilities inside of their respective squad bays. Training events conducted outside of the squad bay were conducted in a gender integrated environment. Per the training order, platoons, both male and female, are the primary formation for initial training, and they progressively combine for larger training events as the program continues. This model enables appropriate acclimation to the training environment, development of relationships with drill instructors, and focus during the transformation of young women and men into United States Marines. Company staff were composed of Marines from both genders, and the platoon staff was comprised of Drill Instructors of the same gender as the recruits. Male staff to include company commanders, series commanders, 1st sergeants and chief drill instructors have previously been assigned to 4th battalion, but Papa Company hosted the first male drill instructors to serve in the battalion. Capt. Adan Rivera, who currently serves as the Papa Company Commander, said assigning male recruits to train at 4th Battalion demonstrates that recruits are held to the same standards regardless of gender.
Milner firm in Beaufort this month to assess historic structures By Mindy Lucas Members of an architectural firm contracted to update the City of Beaufort’s preservation manual and related documents will be in town later this month with plans to “walk every block” of the historic district and other areas. “We’ll be on the ground there the week of the 26th,” said Brad Roeder of John Milner Architects, Inc., at the latest Historic District Review Board meeting, held online on April 14. The firm was awarded the contract to update Beaufort’s preservation manual, supplemental manuals and list of contributing and non-contributing properties in December, and has been working on the project since. The “Milner Manual,” as it sometimes called, was written in 1979 and was meant to provide the review board guidance after Beaufort earned National Historic Landmark District status. A supplement was added in 1990 but it was never updated – something that many have said is long overdue given new technologies, ma-
terials and techniques that have been introduced in the building industry since then. In addition, the firm will also review the list of contributing and non-contributing properties and plans to “walk every block” with survey sheets from 1997, when the survey was last fully updated, noting any “changes, demolitions and new construction,” Roeder said. “From that we’ll make recommendations on whether anything should be added to the contributing structures list or downgraded to noncontributing or removed entirely if it’s not there,” he said. “And then we’ll incorporate all that of course into the design guidelines.” Both the preservation manual and list of contributing and non-contributing properties have come up in numerous meetings and discussions over the last few years as downtown development has heated up, most notably in recent discussions around the demolition of several buildings in the downtown commercial
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HDRB wants city to review demo plan U.S. Marines with Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, graduate recruit training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on March 26. Photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel C. Fletcher, USMC. “The recruits, when they go out and (conduct physical training), they will be side-by-side working out together,” he said. “When they go on the rifle range they’ll be shooting right next to each other.” Since its formation, 4th Battalion had served as the only training battalion in the Marine Corps for female recruits until Jan. 5, 2019, when India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion started their training cycle with one female platoon and five male platoons. Since that time female recruits have been assigned to all four of the recruit training battalions aboard the depot. Female Marines have trained aboard the depot since Feb. 23, 1949, when 3rd Recruit Training Battalion was activated. On May 1, 1954, 3rd Battalion was
re-designated as the Woman Recruit Training Battalion and remained under this designation until 1976 when it was re-designated as Woman Recruit Training Command. On Nov. 1, 1986, Woman Recruit Training Command was re-designated as 4th Recruit Training Battalion and became part of the Recruit Training Regiment. During January 1989, the 3rd Battalion companies were re-designated as November and Oscar Companies due to reorganization of the regiment. In October 1996, Papa Company was activated in order to more effectively train the larger number of female recruits arriving on Parris Island.
By Mindy Lucas Property owners need to take action if they’ve received approval for demolition and not sit on permits forever, the City of Beaufort’s Historic District Review Board says. That was one of seven recommendations put forward in a letter written and approved by members of the review board to be sent to the city for consideration. “In the past, demolition permits have been approved and property owners have not taken action in a timely manner,” the letter starts. “When an owner receives approval to demolish a structure, action should be taken to demolish and therefore
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Republican Club makes donation toward construction of Harriet Tubman Monument.
Battery Creek’s Riley Doray makes a big league play against Hanahan.
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RECENTLY DEMOLISHED The following buildings in Beaufort’s downtown commercial district have been demolished in last three years: • The Bampfield Building, at 307 West Street • 821 Port Republic, directly across from The Beaufort Inn • 346 West Street, former home of Nippy’s restaurant BUILDINGS SET TO BE DEMOLISHED • 211 Charles Street, home of a former A&P grocery store • 905 Port Republic Street, former home of the Pat Conroy Literary Center and other businesses