<em>President of the Friends of Crystal Lake, Peggy Allard, shares her determination to preserve the park</em>

First I was sad now I am angry. However, along with that anger is determination. I am determined that this action, whether deliberate, or a stupid activity that got out of hand, will not stop the progress of this park. Although a setback, it only spurs all the dedicated volunteers and county officials to continue this work so everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of this property. The goal of the Friends of Crystal Lake is to have this 26 acre piece of land provide walking trails, fishing spots, places to sit and relax from daily stresses, and to be able to enjoy the vista of the beautiful lake from our dock. It is this dock that was recently burned down to the water that must be rebuilt.

For some things words seem totally inadequate and such is the feeling I get when viewing the burned remains of the dock on Crystal Lake. Why would anyone simply decide to burn down a structure that they were apparently using; it makes no sense. This is our land; we the people of Beaufort County own it. Whoever burned down the dock, was actually destroying something that is essentially theirs. They need to learn to appreciate what they destroyed by putting time and energy back into building this park.

It is sad and frustrating that someone has so little regard for the hard work of others, that they just destroy it. But the Friends of Crystal Lake are dedicated and determined. We will complete work on the Lake trails and we will replace the dock and we will find out who did this. And then we can all enjoy this wonderful oasis of tranquility and beauty right in the middle of Lady’s Island.