<strong>Hospitality and healthcare workers go hand in hand</strong>

As the vaccination process in our area continues, our local health care workers have been working tirelessly to ensure our community gets vaccinated in a quick and healthy manner.

The Beaufort Area Hospitality Association (BAHA) aimed to find a way to say thank you to the many healthcare heroes in our community fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and getting vaccinations out these past few months. BAHA has received more than 100 donations from industry partners to support area health care heroes to keep their morale high and convey how very thankful we are for their devotion to our community’s health.

Many of the businesses that were severely affected by the pandemic this past year did not hesitate to donate to the cause. Donations poured in from local hoteliers for “Staycations” at the Beaufort Inn, Best Western Sea Island Inn, Holiday Inn Beaufort, and the Hilton Garden Inn. Area restaurants including Breakwater, Saltus, Plums, Hearth, Q on Bay, Q’s Chicken Shack, and Old Bull Tavern donated numerous gift cards. Other donors included Hunting Island State Park and Balance Barre &amp; Fitness.

While some folks would not connect hospitality and healthcare together, this past year has proven them wrong. The same healthcare heroes we aim to honor with these donations, are also the ones that provided area hospitality business with to go orders and frequent visits while indoor dining was closed.

If the pandemic has any type of silver lining, we would think it brought a significant appreciation to two industries we all need and are grateful for in the end.

<em>– Ashlee Houck, Executive Director,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>

<em>Beaufort Area Hospitality Association

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<strong>We have a lot of questions</strong>

My husband and I moved to Beaufort from the Upstate two years ago. We built a new house within a short walking distance of downtown so that we could enjoy our quaint new hometown.

What disturbs us the most about the quickly moving demolition and building projects downtown is the seeming persistence of the forces behind the additional rooms for the Beaufort Inn, including a parking garage.

The Inn’s existing 48 rooms, including houses that they have acquired on Port Republic and Craven, are already creating traffic congestion problems in that area. I personally was tied up there (Sunday), for example. When they have large events such as weddings, it’s a zoo down there.

Our quaintness and small coastal town appeal is quickly eroding. What can we do besides complain?

Is there a move afoot to stop these projects? Did we choose the right new mayor who can balance the old with the new and who will know how to say, “Enough is enough?”

Is the Historic Review Board caving to these entities because of the almighty dollar? There are lots of questions.

<em>– Suzanne Brown, Beaufort</em>