By Tess Malijenovsky
Board members of the Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort came to the Tuesday night City Council meeting dressed in purple for their cause. An official proclamation was made to honor November as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The board members gave each council member a purple bracelet so that they too can show their support.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, the sixth leading cause of death among American adults, and the fifth leading cause of death for adults aged 65 years and older.”
Son-in-law to Dan Vaden, who passed from Alzheimer’s, and family were also present at the meeting to ask that the City Council annex the former O.C. Welsh building to Beaufort’s commercial district. The commercial area is one of the largest in the county and will boost residential employment. The motioned was passed, meaning that the new Vaden of Beaufort location will soon be able to join the bustling commercial zone of Robert Smalls Parkway.
Later a select number of ATAX grants recommended from Tourism Development were passed, including $10,000 to the Black Chamber of Commerce for out of market advertising, $6,000 to USCB, and $7,000 to the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Congress.
Also, a young exchange student named Masu Chiriboga from Riobamba, Ecuador, came with her uncle from town to present gifts to Mayor Keyserling, the flag of Ecuador and a wooden figurine. Masu is attending Beaufort High School during her stay in Beaufort.