DECEMBER 21 - 27, 2017
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Board asks voters to OK millions for schools By Amy Rigard
Santa visited the Port Royal Farmers Market where he took time out for a family photo with the Bacon girls, Bentley, 4, Spencer, 2, and 5-day-old Sullivan. Santa’s visit was sponsored by the Beaufort Garden Club. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
Staff reports
Before he hits the skies on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus visited various sites around Northern Beaufort County to find out who has been naughty and who has been nice. On Dataw Island, Santa Claus and hundreds of “elves” hosted a Lunch with Santa and a Toy Extravaganza in the Carolina Room at Dataw Island. The children and accompanying adults were treated to a kid-friendly complimentary lunch, then the kids got to choose from a sea of toys and sit with Santa for a family photo to complete the afternoon. The event was filled with smiles and giggles but one thing was notably missing: a deployed parent. VMFA-312 and 251 are serving in the Far East and aboard a boat in an undisclosed location. For some, this is their second year in a row without their parent/spouse home for the holidays. Meanwhile, the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District held its first-ever Kids Christmas on Dec.14 at its headquarters on Lady’s Island. There were hotdogs and hamburgers grilled on the district’s brand new cooker and a visit from Santa Claus to cap off the evening. About 40 children, mostly family and friends of the firefighters attended. Chief Bruce Kline said his firefighters planned on taking Santa on a guided tour of the district so he can visit with all the neighborhoods prior to Christmas. The jolly old elf also visited with children at the Port Royal Farmers Market. On another holiday note, the staff of The Island News wishes each and everyone a very Merry Christmas!
Clockwise from above: Santa Claus made an early visit to Dataw Island to visit with children of deployed military personnel from the VMFA-312 & VMFA-251 squadrons from the Marine Corps Air Station. Photo provided; Chief Bruce Kline of the Lady’s Island/ St. Helena Fire District mans the brand new cooker and grills burgers and hotdogs during the inaugural Kid’s Christmas at the headquarters on Lady’s Island. Photo by Bob Sofaly. Santa Claus paid a visit to the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District. Here, Santa visits with Melinda Ellis and her great-granddaughter Katherine Johnson. Photo by Bob Sofaly.; Santa Claus paid a visit to boys and girls of all ages at the district’s headquarters on Lady’s Island. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
The Beaufort County School District’s board of education voted Dec. 12 to hold a countywide bond referendum on April 21 to raise not more than $76 million. The money would be used to to address the overcrowding caused by the booming student population, as well as aging facilities, mostly in the southern part of Beaufort County. If county voters approve the referendum, general obligation bonds not to exceed $76 million would be used to build additional classrooms at River Ridge Academy and May River High School; to construct a new school in Bluffton; and new Career and Technical Education (CATE) buildings at Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island high schools. Battery Creek and May River high schools already have CATE facilities. The decision to hold the special election split the board 6-5. The majority favors immediate action to begin construction, and the minority raised concerns over the higher cost and the fairness of scheduling a vote outside the general November election cycle. Traditionally, there is very low voter turnout on a Saturday. Board members Mary Cordray, Earl Campbell, Geri Kinton, Cynthia Gregory, Bill Payne and Evva Anderson voted for the referendum proposed by Superintendent Jeff Moss. The minority bloc of John Dowling, David Striebinger, Joseph Dunkle, Christina Gwozdz and JoAnn Orischak wanted more time to further develop the referendum and favor buying portable classrooms to help alleviate the overcrowding problem while the plans on exactly how the taxpayers’ money would be spent are finalized. Those who voted against the referendum noted that this new motion was made quickly, and the accompanying projects list wasn’t introduced before the Dec. 12 meeting. Dunkle, who voted against the referendum, noted that of the five projects proposed to receive funding, only two were previously discussed, and no specific and concrete plans for the other three currently exist. He said the projects have unknown locations, an unknown timeframe for completion and no identified funding source since no millage exists to fund the projects. “It’s unfortunate this happened the way it did because I think if more time and thought had been given, there could have been buy-in from many of the board members,” said Dunkle. “It was very game, set, match, and they just wanted to push it through.” Those who voted in favor of holding the referendum in April argued that the county needs to address overcrowding issues immediately. We are. Accreditation
A FINAL FAREWELL Nathaniel Rufus Bennett, a Beaufort mainstay, has died at 64 years old.
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