COMMUNITY: Sarah Dyson named Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation chair. PAGE A4
JANUARY 25 - 31, 2018
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Film festival RETURNS
this February The Beaufort International Film Festival has been named a Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Top 20 Event in the Southeast for February 2018.
The 12th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF) will host thousands of film lovers from around the world from Wednesday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb. 25, in Beaufort. Considered one of the fastest growing film festivals in the Southeast, festival organizers are expecting their biggest crowds yet. With more than 12,000 attending some part of the five-day festival in 2017, even more are expected to attend in February. Awards will be presented in the areas of Features, Documentaries (Feature and Short), Short Films, Student Films, Screenplays, Animation, Comedy and Audience Choice. Also, winners will be named for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director BIFF 2018 also marks the inaugural presentation of the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is being presented to military technical advisor, actor and author Dale Dye. "If you look at his body of work in the film industry over the past three decades, read the stories from the directors he has worked with like Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone, you’ll see why we’re so very honored to present the first Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award to Hollywood legend Dale Dye,” said Beaufort Film Society
President Ron Tucker. Set decorator Missy Ricker will receive the Behind the Scenes Award for her nearly 20 years of career achievements in the film and television industries. "Our official selections represent the very best in filmmaking brilliance. Every human emotion will be affected, ranging from intense anxiety to a pull to the funny bone." stated Rebecca Tucker, co-festival director. The 2018 Beaufort International Film Festival finalists are as follows: Animation “Anxiety” directed by Allison Jones, New York, NY (SC premier) “An Idea” directed by: Juan Paulin, Morelia, Mexico (SC premier) “Human Town USA” directed by: Julie Greiner, Newbury Park, CA (SC premier) “Karma” directed by: Zhaoyu Zhou, Los Angeles, Calif. (SC premier) “KCLOC” directed by: Ninaad Kilkarni, New York, NY (SC premier)
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The STS Top 20 Festival and Event Awards have highlighted programs around the Southeast since 1985. “We’re thrilled that the Beaufort International Film Festival is being recognized for bringing filmmakers around the world together and showcasing a ‘films first’ mentality in Beaufort,” said Robb Wells, vice president of travel and tourism for Beaufort. “The film festival is truly a catalyst in showcasing the strength and commitment to arts and culture that Beaufort exhibits and the team deserves this recognition. They’re a prime example of true hospitality and class.” Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes them throughout the United States. The complete list of honorees can be found on the STS website. “The Southeast is home to unique and memorable events throughout the year,” said Bill Hardman, president and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society. “In spotlighting the Top 20 festivals and events each month, STS is not only giving these events the recognition they deserve but we’re also creating a quick reference guide to some of the best festivals in the Southeast. These events are important to the economic vitality of our communities and this is a way for us to acknowledge the time and resources organizers have tirelessly spent to create memories for their attendees.” STS, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism to and within 12 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Charlotte, N.C. (SC premier)
Documentary (Feature) “City of Joy” directed by Madeleine Gavin, New York, NY (SC premier) “Forgive, Don't Forget” directed by: Brad Bennett, Jonah Guelzo, Austin Journey, Paul Ufema, Lynchburg, Va. (SC premier) “Poisoning Paradise” directed by Keely Brosnan, Kawaii/Oahu, Hawaii (SC premier) “Purple Dreams” directed by Joanne Hock,
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Documentary (Short) “Almost Cured” directed by Tom Dierolf, Haifa, Israel (SC premier) “Bud's Odyssey” directed by Mark Kirkland, Burbank, Calif. (SC premier) “Just Wrong” directed by Teresa Bruce, Washington, D.C. (SC premier)
See FILM, page A6
Day dock to offer boaters new way to visit downtown The long-debated day dock, which will provide easier access for local and transit boaters to visit downtown Beaufort, should be ready in time for the busy summer boating and tourist season. The 200-foot dock will be accessed from a ramp on the east end of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and will enable boaters to visit downtown for shorter periods of time without interfering with marina operations. Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling expects the contract for the project to be signed soon, with construction to follow. The day dock project, expected to be completed by the summer, will follow design plans approved by the City of Beaufort Historic
Review Board in December. The $500,000 dock project includes about $280,000 in state and federal grants. “ The day dock has been debated since I first recommended it as the Chair of the Parking Committee of Main Street Beaufort,” said Keyserling. “This is important to boaters and merchants alike,” he said. “To have another source of parking in our downtown makes all the sense in the world.” Keyserling is looking forward to the completion of the project and the potential to welcome new visitors to Beaufort via water. “I believe it will connect the water and boaters to the downtown area in a way they
EVERY SECOND COUNTS Local escape room hosts thrilling Island Girls Night Out full of adventure. PAGE B1
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have never been able to connect,” said Keyserling. “I believe it will attract locals and boaters from Charleston to Savannah who want a nice day trip along the Intracoastal Waterway. And it makes for a short run ashore stop for transients passing through.” Keyserling realizes, however, that not everyone will be happy with the project. “Some have been concerned that the day dock will impair the vista views from the waterfront park,” he said. “Then there are others who know what was there before the park – a working dock – and realize that while the park is slam dunk gorgeous, the wall with no access changed a boating community that is missed by many.”
HEAD COACH SEARCH Beaufort Academy in search of new coach after head football coach steps down.
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Study proves open land benefits By Lisa Allen
When appraising a cherished family heirloom, one knows that regardless of the price presented, mere dollars can never express the true value of that slice of history, beauty and memory. The same goes for the acres and acres of open space in Beaufort County that allow all of us to drink in the beauty that surrounds us. How could we possible put a number to the view from Bellamy Curve, the glimpse of Battery Creek from Boundary Street, the expanse of the Beaufort River from the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park or the shaded miles of the Spanish Moss Trail? The Trust for Public Land put in a gallant effort to do just that. Economists from the national organization examined 81,000 acres of open space in Beaufort County, surveyed 400 residents, researched stormwater runoff and air quality, and analyzed the pre- and post-park property values of adjacent properties. Their goal was to quantify, in dollars and cents, the economic benefits of open vistas, parks, trails and nature preserves. The report, “The Economic Benefits of Parks, Trails and Conserved Open Spaces in Beaufort County, SC,” was funded by grants from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust. The study likely will help build support for a future bond referendum for the Rural and Critical Land Program. The last referendum in 2014 for $20 million was approved by county voters by more than 70 percent. Jessica Sargent, director of conservation economics for the Trust for Public Land, told the Beaufort County Council on Monday that the trust uses very conservative models. Even so, it concluded that properties near open space get a $127 million boost in value, which generated an additional $1.12 million in property taxes last year in the county. The 21,000 acres conserved by Rural and Critical Lands alone contributes a $22.5 million property value boost. Open space provides $27.4 million in stormwater filtration, based on average annual rainfall, the study said. In other words, by NOT developing land, the county saves that much in managing stormwater. The land does it for us. Undeveloped, protected land also See LAND, page A6
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