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<p><strong>Local tennis is ruined</strong></p>
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<p>All high schools in Beaufort County have tennis teams. Hilton Head Island, the County and (the City of) Beaufort helped to ruin tennis.</p>
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<p>I played tennis four years for Beaufort High School and lived on Hilton Head for eight years. (I) played tennis in 14 states and thought you should have a more accurate picture of tennis because you may be writing about the topic.</p>
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<p>The Family Circle tennis tournament relocated from Harbor Town (Sea Pines) to Daniel Island (Charleston) in 2001. At Chaplin Park (Hilton Head Island town and public courts), four courts were built, and then later two more courts were added.</p>
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<p>It was a beautiful facility to play at and the only courts (that I'm aware) on Hilton Head where you could hear the ocean at high tide. The facility was severely mismanaged, as the public couldn't even get a court in prime-time hours, due to Hy Tennis Academy using all the courts for lessons. Hy Tennis rented from either the town or Island Rec, a non-profit that managed the tennis courts.</p>
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<p>Tennis players, especially high school-aged and younger, need people to emulate for tennis to have it's best chance to grow. Florence, S.C., built a 30-court facility and now has a women's pro tournament. Wood+Partners designed the facility, the same consultant who is conducting Beaufort County’s Master Plan for parks. The young players in Florence will see the pro players every year and get excited.</p>
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<p>The best chance for a tennis facility to be built is having more than one person on County Council who plays tennis. Family Circle laughed at these folks on Hilton Head. Beaufort was stolen from us.</p>
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<p>People go to a park "to get it away from it all." That includes the Governor, but a person can’t really get away from the Governor’s crap.</p>
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<p>I thank the Lord I have more than one hobby. May not be enough, with a new town manager and mayor for Beaufort, in seeing recreation turn the corner.</p>
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<p><em>– Joe Mac of Beaufort owns University Bikes</em><br></p>
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<p><strong>US energy policy pathetic</strong></p>
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<p>This should make Americans ask the fundamental question: What is the difference between what a public non-profit utility company provides and what a private for-profit oil company provides?</p>
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<p>After all, they both sell energy to all United States citizens. The difference is that natural gas and electricity are sold in the form of a public good, whereas oil is sold in the form of a private good. Accordingly, on the grounds of promoting national security, the United States Congress should convert all oil companies to utility companies. This would eliminate the windfall profits and force the oil industry to earn just enough income to cover operating expenses just as natural gas and electric utility companies are required to do.</p>
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<p>The resulting drop in gasoline prices would further stimulate the economy and lighten the energy stranglehold upon the United States by the Middle East. It would also eliminate the influence of the oil lobby.</p>
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<p>In this case, desperate times call for deliberate measures. But as pathetic as the energy policy is in the United States, the effort to develop alternative sources of energy won't really be accelerated until the oil dries up and the Saudi's place solar cells all across their desert and then sell us the electricity.</p>
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<p><em>– Joe Bialek, Cleveland, Ohio</em><br></p>
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<p><strong>Journalists have earned “scorn of society”</strong></p>
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<p>Terry Manning complained that journalists need support, not scorn. I agree in principle, if in fact journalists are engaged in journalism.</p>
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<p>The problem is that so many of them are not, as has become increasingly obvious in recent years. Over the past several decades, so-called journalists incessantly bashed Bush and trashed Trump, but doted on Clinton and Obama.</p>
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<p>They savaged conservative nominees to the Supreme Court, but now that another leftist has been nominated, they are calling for civility. They dismissed multiple, serious irregularities in a presidential election, and described the destruction of U.S. cities as “mostly peaceful” protests. It is clear that these journalists are parroting talking points being disseminated to them (from where, I wonder?).</p>
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<p>For example, I remember when every major news network spontaneously chose the word “gravitas” to describe what Dick Cheney brought to the Republican ticket in 2000. Coincidence? No. Embarrassing for journalists? Yes.</p>
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<p>Please, no more hand wringing over support for supposed journalists. They’ve not earned our support. They’ve earned the scorn of society, because they’re not being journalists but propagandists.</p>
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<p><em>– Steve Walton, Port Royal</em><br></p>
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<p><strong>Thanks for supporting veterans</strong></p>
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<p>I want to thank The Island News for all the support you provide to our veterans, military members, and their families.</p>
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<p>Although I am not a veteran, I feel a debt to those who served and do what I can to support and help them. I maintain Gene Slover’s U.S. Navy Pages (https://Eugeneleeslover.com), to promote the history and heritage of the U.S. Navy. It is not only for veterans, but for the younger generations so they can learn about the men and women who have served and continue to serve and the equipment they use to maintain our freedom.</p>
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<p>I particularly want to let you know how much I appreciate the publishing of information from Lt. Colonel (ret.) Larry Dandridge on veterans’ benefits. I pass them along to all the veterans in my contact list. With many friends in my hometown of Philadelphia, I also send the articles to members of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial Society. They enjoy, appreciate and benefit from the valuable information in those articles. Thank you for all The Island News does for our veterans.</p>
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<p><em>– Jeff Jacobs, Isle of Palms</em></p>
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