Open letter to Beaufort County officials
Another vote is coming up on protecting the Gullah people and culture of St. Helena Island or allowing developers to build resorts, increase land values and taxes, and uproot our neighbors from property owned by their families for generations.
There’s a sign after crossing the bridge to St. Helena Island that proudly says “Seat of the Gullah culture.” The County seal has the phrasing “Preserving Heritage.”
Now my point – what you say with your vote about protecting the Gullah culture will say a lot about your culture.
– Jerry Floyd, St. Helena Island
‘Can’t get no satisfaction …’
I wonder how many of our teachers might see this Rolling Stones song as their anthem? Many across the country who chose a profession based on truly altruistic values, have to wonder why they now feel under assault?
School boards and administrators, unable to resist caving to purely ideological and politically slanted complaints, have led to books of great worth that help students deal with challenges life throws their way, disappearing from school libraries.
Now, as our state legislators try to pass a badly named “Transparency in education” bill (H3728), teachers would face a long list of forbidden topics, along with a terrible complaint structure that would surely just drive many more good teachers to quit.
Public schools, while South Carolina continues to rank near the bottom in support of education, watch their dollars shrink as our governor signs a bill thwarting the constitutional prohibition of public tax dollars for private and religious schools. And teachers in S.C. are, by law, forbidden the option of collective bargaining. Little incentive for new teachers, even substitutes, to consider coming to help fill our growing teacher vacancies.
So I say to all teachers out there, I love you for what you do, thank you! Have a great summer — and I hope you come back.
– Tim Dodds, a retired college educator residing on Lady’s Island who “was blessed with a good union”
Thank you from AMIkids Beaufort
With a slight breeze and partly sunny skies, and with great fellowship and fun, the AMIkids Beaufort 2023 Croquet Picnic at Brays Island was a hit on May 6!
On behalf of the AMIkids Board of Trustees and our fine staff, I extend a special “thank you” to the Brays Island community and to Phil and Amelie Cromer, who hosted our Captains’ Party at their beautiful Beaufort home the Friday before croquet.
We also thank Mark Robertson of 98.7 The River radio station for joining us as Master of Ceremonies for the day.
With the support of 24 croquet teams, dozens of court sponsors and those who gave so generously, we exceeded our fundraising goal and will be able to make much-needed improvements at our campus this summer, including new bathrooms and painting all the structures.
At AMIkids Beaufort, we help young men separate a troubled past from a bright future and have been doing so since the mid-1980s in Beaufort County. AMIkids Beaufort’s campus in Dale provides not only education but numerous hands-on vocational opportunities, treatment and behavior modification.
We have a nationally recognized welding program and utilize a YouthBuild federal grant, a new carpentry shop and partnership with Low Country Habitat for Humanity to help our students learn construction skills while at AMIkids Beaufort.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success. For more information visit www.amikidsbeaufort.org.
– John C. Williams, Chairman, AMIkids Beaufort Board of Trustees
