August LIBPA Newsletter

PLEASE VOTE SEPTEMBER 4! IT COULD ELECT OUR NEXT REPRESENTATIVE: We, in District 124, are privileged to have 3 well qualified candidates seeking election to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Unless a candidate chooses to run as an independent, the election on September 4 could select our next Representative to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Some of the political sages predict that since it is a primary for a single position, the turn out of voters will be low and with a low voter turn out and 3 candidates there is a high probability neither of the candidates will receive over 50% of the total vote. If that occurs, there will be a “Run Off” election on September 18 between the two candidates receiving the most votes.  There may or may not be a final winner declared on the evening of September 4, but please take the time to vote. We have 3 great candidates seeking to represent our area at a time that some tough issues are scheduled to be considered by the South Carolina House of Representatives. They (and the community) deserve a good voter turn out. Please take the time to cast your vote on Tuesday, September 4.

Island Notes: Market Check. At the end of 2005, Lady’s Island had an inventory of 118 houses on the market and available for realtors to show potential buyers. By the end of 2006 that number has increased 113% to a total of 251 houses on the market. A quick check of the MLS on July 16 showed 353 Lady’s Island houses on the market to include 53 new homes and 27 homes for sell in the Royal Pines community. The numbers speak for themselves. It is tough real estate market today. Great Response for LIBPA Business Pamphlets. Pat Harvey Palmer and Judy Smith report a great response to the recent letter inviting members to have their businesses included in the new edition of the Lady’s Island Business Pamphlet, presently in the process of being compiled. In addition to being made available to all visitors at the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, included in a number of “mail outs” to potential visitors and clients, pamphlets will be made available to each of the businesses included in the pamphlet for such use as they may desire. For $25, it is a great deal for LIBPA members. If you have not requested inclusion of your business in the pamphlet, call Pat or Judy at 522-0066.  Just a Reminder. If you are a LIBPA member and have not provided Steve Thompson (web master for the LIBPA web site) the address for your business web site please take the time to do so. Steve links your membership listing on the LIBPA web site to your business web site and highlights it in yellow. It is a free service to our members and with the number of visitors we get to the LIBPA web site it is good advertising.  Change of Date for Oyster Roast. In an effort to the reduce the number of events scheduled for the busy December holiday period and make it more convenient for our members the annual LIBPA Oyster Roast will be held at the Sheriff’s Camp on Tuesday, November 13, 2007. Please put the date on your planning calendar. Nice job. The new commercial building and landscaping at Oakwood Plaza really looks nice and is a great addition to the appearance of the area. A special thanks to the Mitchell family for investing in Lady’s Island.  Marina plans approved. The Northern Corridor Review Board has granted final approval for construction of a 16,500 square foot Butler Marine facility to be located opposite the Lady’s Island Marina.

Congratulations Lady's Island - St. Helena Fire Department: Representatives from the Lady’s island – St Helena Fire District recently won 4th place in the state competition of 24 entries demonstrating rescue capabilities in car wrecks. They will represent the state in the 2009 international competition to be held in Canada. Lady’s Island fire fighters also placed third in navigation of the Combat Challenge (obstacle course). We are proud of the fact that the competition demonstrates to everyone how very, very competent our fire fighters are at their profession. However, we appreciate the great job they do every day with compassion, concern and competence for everyone in the Lady’s Island – St. Helena Fire District. Congratulations on winning the competition and thank you for your contribution to our community.

Medicap Pharmacy - The Personal Approach To Service:  Recently a LIBPA member told of calling Darrell Bauer, Medicap Pharmacy owner and pharmacist with a problem regarding medication for her visiting grandchildren and the exceptional efforts to which he went in order to provide assistance. In the same period, a local veterinarian mentioned the exceptional service Darrell provides by mixing “designer” pet medication that will allow owners of animals of various sizes and temperaments (hates pills) to be able administer medication. When Darrell and his wife, Jennie purchased the Medicap franchise on Lady’s Island they indicated a dedication to the concept of being able to provide “personalized” pharmaceutical service to the community. From the reports we have recently received they have attained their goal – a pharmacy that sees their customers as a neighbor - not just another prescription. Thanks Darrell and Jennie for your support of LIBPA (Jennie is a former Vice President of LIBPA) and professional contribution to our community.

Membership Report: by Gail Clark, Membership Chairman, LIBPA As most of our members know, the LIBPA membership year is divided into two phases. The first 6 months of each year we place emphasis on retaining existing members. This phase ends on June 30 when, with regret, we delete from the active roles those members who after 4 letters and a personal visit or phone call still have not paid their annual dues. The second phase begins in July when the emphasis is directed toward attracting new members. As an incentive for potential new members; as of July 1, the initial membership fee ($45) constitutes the annual dues for the remainder of 2007 and all of 2008. As to our membership, over the past 12 month period (June 30, 2006 to June 30, 2007) LIBPA joined 32 new members (17 business and 15 residential) and lost 19 members (12 business and 7 residential). The reasons for the loss of members include going out of business, relocating (both businesses and residents), and in some cases the failure of LIBPA to deliver what the individual member had hoped to receive from the organization. We presently have 249 members which is the highest membership number we have ever enjoyed. As we begin the 2007 membership drive please remember that our best recruiter for new members is you, a present member. We fully accept that many of the 12,000 residents and 463 businesses on Lady’s Island are simply too busy to attend the monthly meetings and are comfortable allowing others to speak for them regarding the key issues facing the island. However, we continue to find the most common reason for not belonging to LIBPA is that no one has told them what the organization does, invited them to a meeting, gave them a newsletter and asked them to consider becoming a member. Over the next few months please take the time to consider which of your fellow business men or women or neighbors might enjoy and benefit from membership in LIBPA. If you need extra newsletters or support from our Board of Directors just let us know. When we stand before a council or committee and begin with the phrase “I am here today representing the 249 members of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association” membership matters.

Thanks Ms. Bost: Ms. Stephanie Bost, Vice President of the Lady’s Island Branch of South Carolina Bank and Trust and member of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association Board of Directors since 2001, recently announced that she has accepted a position with BB&T in Fayetteville, North Carolina and will relocate there in August. Ms. Bost has contributed to our community in many ways ranging from serving as the Administrative Chair of the Port Royal Methodist Church, a member of the Board of Directors of Friends of Caroline Hospice, twice sponsoring foreign exchange students, establishing various SCB&T sponsored programs and activities at Lady’s Island Elementary School and Lady’s Island Middle School and serving as the LIBPA treasurer until recently when she was elected Vice President. We, in LIBPA, are always are happy to see our members receive recognition of their professional efforts in the form of advancement. Recently, when asked if she would serve as Vice President of LIBPA for the remainder of the 2007 year her reply was “I will serve in any capacity that will benefit the organization’. The nature of her reply was indicative of her attitude toward community service in general. Lady’s Island is a better place because Ms. Bost was here and we wish her every success in her future efforts in Fayetteville.

Status Of Widening Project For Lady's Island Drive: The Beaufort County Engineering Department is moving quickly on the transportation projects approved for funding by the success of the 1% sales tax referendum. A contract has been awarded for the design of the widening of US 21/SC 802 (Lady’s Island Drive) and also for design of a new bridge parallel to the McTeer Memorial Bridge. Collins Engineers, Inc. of Charleston has been awarded the contract for both projects. Actual work has begun on the project with the initial survey presently in progress. The design phase is anticipated to be completed in 18-20 months and work should begin shortly afterwards in 2009.

Lady's Island Law Enforcement Statistics:  When a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Deputy responds to an incident on Lady’s Island a report is required to be submitted as a matter of record. Following is a review of a representative number of types of incidents reports, which were submitted for the first 6 months of 2007 as compared to same period in the previous 4 years.                Items of interest in the full report include a slight increase in both grand larceny and the number of traffic accidents (remember the McTeer Bridge was out during this reporting period). With the exception of those two areas the number of reportable incidents in the majority of areas decreased from the number reported in the past. This follows a trend of decreasing incidents (1,391 -2004, 1,228 – 2005, 1,193 – 2006, 1,074 -2007) on Lady’s Island. This trend is supported by the decreased number of dispatch calls directing an officer to investigate incidents on Lady’s Island (4,445 in 2006 and 3,887 in 2007). A review of the statistics indicates that Lady’s Island continues to be a very safe community, thanks to the high level of professionalism on the part of the officers of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the leadership of Sheriff P. J. Tanner.

A New Elementary School For Lady's Island?:  In 1995 a brand new Coosa Elementary School, with a 550 student capacity, opened its doors to an enrollment of 400 students. Due to the intense growth on Lady’s Island the school experiences an average increase of 26 students each school year. Last year, the school attempted to cope with 648 students through the use of 8 mobile classrooms (expect a ninth one for 2007/2008 school year). The recently completed school district facilities study recommends, along with many other things, that a new elementary school be built in the northern part of Lady’s Island within the next 5 years. Funding for this school would be part of a school bond referendum tentatively being discussed in the spring of 2008. Before we, on Lady’s Island, celebrate the recommendation for a new elementary school it would probably be wise to review the history of the quest for a third elementary school on the island. LIBPA took the lead in lobbying for another Lady’s Island elementary school in 2002 and assumed success when School District Superintendent Herman Gaither announced there would be land for the school (25 acres) purchased in 2003 with construction scheduled to be completed by 2006. The land for a new school was not purchased. In 2004 a long range school facility study (Dejong Study) was conducted with LIBPA representation as part of the study group. The study projected that 3 additional elementary schools would be needed in northern Beaufort County with the first one (Lady’s Island, we hoped) being completed in 2009. The School Board’s Facilities Committee directed the consultant to “revise and update enrollment projects and to revisit the proposed projects”. The result was a modified list of recommended projects which included no new elementary schools for the area north of the Broad River through 2020 and added another elementary school for the area south of the Broad River. In 2007 the firm of Associated Planning and Research was hired to conduct another facilities study (this one for only the next 5 years). The initial report includes a recommendation that land be purchased and another elementary school built in the northern part of Lady’s Island within the next 5 years. What is at stake, with the question of a third elementary school on Lady’s Island, is the ability of children on the island to attend “community schools” which are located a short distance from their home. There is no question that the total amount of space available in elementary schools located north of the Broad River could absorb the student growth on Lady’s Island for many years. How long the children would have to be on a bus each day is another matter. The news that the new study supports the construction of another elementary school on Lady’s Island is great. We fully appreciate that we now have a new School District Superintendent and many new members of the Beaufort County School Board but after working for so many years to promote a third elementary school on Lady’s Island and having experienced similar news in the past, it is with a touch of cautious optimism that we celebrate. For a third elementary school to become a reality requires the members of the School Board to concur with the consultant’s recommendation and agree to include the project in the next school bond referendum. If the school is included in the next referendum, the challenge will be to justify to the public all of the projects in the referendum, including a new elementary school on Lady’s Island, which will not be easy.  Regardless of the challenges ahead, it is good news and LIBPA stands ready to go to work to ensure that Lady’s Island has a voice in the upcoming dialog on the subject of how to best solve the overloading of Lady’s Island’s elementary schools. One thing is for sure – doing nothing and adding another mobile classroom next year is not the answer. Editor’s Note: Articles in past LIBPA newsletters (available on the LIBPA web site newsletter archive) on the subject of another elementary school on Lady’s Island include October 2006 “Have We Priced out Families with Children? which deals with the cost of housing in relation to the number of students and November 2006 “Coping with the Student Crowding at Coosa Elementary School” which reviews various possible solutions to overcrowding.

Home Construction Slows Down On Lady's island :  Every 6 months, in an effort to monitor growth, we check the number of residential building permits issued by Beaufort County for construction on Lady’s Island and compare them to the same period for the last 5 years. The mid year figure usually gives us an indication of how many new families we can expect for that calendar year along with the accompanying increase in the number of cars on our roads and new students in our schools. We have built an average of 182 new homes on the island each year for the last decade. This year is going to be significantly different. With home builders attempting to reduce the size of their inventory in a struggling real estate market it should come as no surprise that fewer permits to build new homes were requested in the first six months of 2007. As to the inventory of new homes, a recent check of the multiple listing service (MLS) shows 53 newly constructed homes on Lady’s Island are presently on the market. Of these 53 homes, only 22 were built in 2007 with the remainder built in 2006. While 24 of the homes have been on the market over 6 months. As to price, the lowest was $185,903 and the highest being $1.9 million with a median price of $430,000. Following is a comparison of the number of permits issued for construction of new houses on Lady’s Island in the first 6 months of each of the last 5 years.                                         The low number of residential building permits speaks for itself. We are building fewer homes on Lady’s Island. The implications are not quiet as straight forward or obvious. Construction of homes is the basis of almost 1 of every 3 businesses on Lady’s Island with gross 2006 revenue of over $6 million. As to the affect of the construction slow down on the local employment market the National Association of Home Builders indicates the construction of 100 homes generates 350 jobs for 1 year of which 280 of them are local jobs. So even though many will say that we on Lady’s Island can use a reduction in the pressures of growth – there will be a price.

Is The Real Estate Market Dead - Or Just In A Coma?: by Everett Ballenger, Owner & Broker-In-Charge, Ballenger Realty The real estate downturn seemed to start in our area around June 2006. So we are now into the second year of the biggest down turn for residential real estate in decades. One that has caught a lot people by surprise both by its severity, and its duration…but not everyone. I went to a Brokers seminar in Columbia, South Carolina in September last year. There were some very good speakers, and one in particular stood out to me. He was the Chief Forecaster for Wachovia Bank. He said he did not see an upturn in the real estate market until the end of 2007. This raised more than a few eyebrows to say the least. Keep in mind that we were four months into the downturn, and most people in the profession thought the slow down would not last anywhere near that long and there would be a very soft landing. As we now know, he seemed to be on the money. The present consensus seems to be that the market will not turn positive until early 2008. One reason effecting the drawn out slow down is the huge inventory that is now available to buyers, both new and pre-owned property. New house builders were slow to realize the market had changed, and some were still going full steam ahead at the end of 2006 and even into early 2007. It was not until banks started pulling on the reins did some building companies slow down or stop altogether. The (big boys) like Centex and Pulte can finance their own construction, but even they are finding it necessary to offer incentives to buyers in order to move their inventory. In addition to the new homes there is a large pre-existing pool of homes from which potential buyers may choose. Some folks do not have a choice and have to put their house on the market. Some of our subdivisions have a large military presence, and when they receive orders to new duty stations, a lot of homes can come on the market all at once. In a strong market this is not too much of a problem, but in a slow market as we have now, listings can take much longer to sell. Some sellers of both new and pre-owned homes have been slow to set a price reflecting today’s reality, meaning the listing will stay on the market a lot longer, and may not sell any where near close to the asking price. So getting back to my question – is the real estate market dead, or just in a coma. Well the Beaufort area still has the fundamentals (as they say on Wall St). We live in a beautiful area where a lot of people would like to live. The problem is, if a prospective buyer cannot sell their house in say Ohio, this can result in them not being able close on a home in Beaufort. So is the real estate market dead? I don’t think so and recently I have detected a weak pulse and believe there are still signs of life. We, in Ballenger Realty, had a pretty good May, June was down again, but July shows encouraging signs of being a decent month. I believe this is how it will be until the inventory is reduced, and the market is on a more even keel. There is no need to get out the black suit just yet, there are signs of revival. However, if you are considering placing your home on the market, my advice is that if you do not absolutely need to sell at this time, wait until next spring for a better chance of getting a better and more realistic price. If you have no choice and must put your home on today’s market, for a property to have any chance of selling in today’s market, it needs to be well maintained, well decorated, not necessary in the trendiest colors, but with clean walls, no chips around door frames, base boards etc. If the house is older, it helps if the house has had a steady program of updating appliances, faucets, floor coverings etc. Tidy landscaping, with pretty flowers in the front yard creates a good impression. Talking of first impressions, it is said buyers will make up their minds within the first 15 seconds if they are interested or not, so it’s vital a seller has their ducks in a row before putting the property on the market. The following comparison of single family home sales for the first six months of each year, in Northern Beaufort County, over the last three years shows we have experienced a 38% drop in sales this year. It is a tough market but there is still life in it.                                      Editor’s Note: Mr. Ballenger, who was selected as the 2006 Realtor or the Year by the Beaufort County Association of Realtors is a long time member and LIBPA supporter. He was one of the first members to agree to “adopt” one of the medians on Sams Point Road, in regard to assuming responsibility for landscaping and maintenance. When the Keep America Beautiful sponsor for Sams Point Road declined to continue periodic trash pick ups, the members of Ballenger’s Reality volunteered to replace them. We thank Mr. Ballenger not only for the above article but also his contributions to our community.

Great Response For LIBPA Business Phamplets:  Pat Harvey Palmer and Judy Smith report a great response to the recent letter inviting members to have their businesses included in the new edition of the Lady’s Island Business Pamphlet, presently in the process of being compiled. In addition to being made available to all visitors at the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, included in a number of “mail outs” to potential visitors and clients, pamphlets will be made available to each of the businesses included in the pamphlet for such use as they may desire. For $25, it is a great deal for LIBPA members. If you have not requested inclusion of your business in the pamphlet, call Pat or Judy at 522-0066. DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15TH.

Why I Hope You Will Vote For Shannon Erickson: By Shannon Erickson, Candidate for District 124, SC House of Representatives Last month, in your newsletter, I announced that I had decided to run for the District 124 seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives and shared with you why I had made that decision. Due to the short time until the primary election on September 4, I know that no matter how hard I try, it is impossible to personally meet and discuss the issues with each of you. So, just in case I cannot get to your home or business in the next few days, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you just a little bit about who I am, what my qualifications are for the office and why I desire the privilege of serving District 124 as your representative. My husband, Kendall, and I came to Beaufort in 1985 and decided that this lovely area was perfect for our young family to stay and grow. Kendall worked for the SC Department of Revenue and later the Internal Revenue Service and I stayed at home with our children. Our social life was mostly at St. Peter’s Catholic Church…as you can imagine, most folks weren’t too keen on being friends with the IRS guy. Time went on and I worked various preschool teaching jobs but without my teacher’s certification and complete Early Childhood degree, I was limited in what positions I could hold. Kendall was now working as a CPA with Robinson Grant & Co. PA; the children were in elementary school, so I went back to school. I completed my Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina – Aiken (Beaufort campus) in 1997. One of the most wonderful times of my life was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework right next to my children. That same year, I started Lowcountry Building Blocks, Inc. and purchased Hobbit Hill Preschool in Shell Point. This well-known child care center became my focus and within two years the enrollment was full and a huge waiting list existed. I planned our budgets, kept us in the “black” and saw success. We had a wonderful niche of providing quality, early childhood academic and developmentally appropriate curriculum combined with child care hours for Beaufort’s working parents. With the success of this school and the residential growth of Lady’s Island, I made the decision to put another school there. Hobbit Hill, Too opened in October 2001 with a little help from the Small Business Development Corporation. This 5000 square foot preschool and child development center tripled our enrollment capabilities and jobs for our community. Hobbit Hill Cottage (formerly Ribaut Park Kindergarten), near Beaufort Memorial Hospital, joined the team in 2005. We now serve approximately 350 children, about 210 families, and have 56 staff in our 3 locations. I am very proud of the jobs we provide; of the service we provide for the Beaufort community, and honored that so many families trust us with their children each day. Due to my involvement with the South Carolina Child Care Association I have become very knowledgeable in regard to state level politics. This association, a group of private, for-profit child care owners and directors, is a strong force in early childhood policy and small business promotion. I served on the Board of Directors for two years and have served as President for two years. While holding that position, I have been volunteering in Columbia for the past two years sharing early childhood advocacy information and small business ideas with members of the SC General Assembly. I have sat on early childhood panels, testified at various committee meetings and offered suggestions on legislation. I know my way around the State House and believe that I am known as a fair and professional leader, child and family advocate, and small business person. I support our Governor and have worked closely with him and his staff on a variety of issues. I was able to suggest language and program points for the very first public/private early childhood program our state has ever undertaken. As the private sector early childhood expert on the committee, I worked for the Child Development Education Program pilot to be passed by the House and Senate. I have put in practice my beliefs in solidarity, collaboration and a strong work ethic on this program as well as the Governor’s Child Care Advisory Board, the First Steps/United Way Quality Task Force, a SC ETV Panel on 4-Year-Old-Kindergarten and the SC Senate’s Early Childhood Select Committee. Locally, I am an active member of the Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce and have served on their Board of Directors, chairing the Small Business-Entrepreneurial Round Table Committee. I am a member of LIBPA and the Beaufort County Child Care Director’s Network. I worked on the Beaufort Water Festival for over 12 years, first as the Antique Show Chair, then as a Director, and finally as a Coordinator. I support the Child Abuse Prevention Association, Friends of Caroline Hospice, and am on the Habitat for Humanity Women Build Committee. As you can see I am involved in our community and I care about our quality of life, our tax burdens, the impact of rampant annexation and the need for excellent education. I believe a Representative’s job is dual: constituent service and representing the community on those legislative issues, which impact our community and quality of life. To accomplish that, I promise to always be accessible and connected to the people of District #124. I did not enter into this race lightly. I took my time thinking, praying, seeking wisdom from family, friends, and state leaders before taking this step into public service. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, a strong, successful marriage of 24 years, two children in college, a rewarding career in local business, and a support system of co-workers, family, and friends that will allow me to be a reliable, hardworking, dedicated member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. As I have visited with the members of our community you have told me of your concerns regarding the impact of annexation, increasing taxes, the need to improve our schools, illegal immigration and the necessity to better promote economic development and diversity. These are tough challenges but if you will give me the opportunity, I am confident that together we can find solutions. I hope you find my qualifications worthy of your consideration and support. I believe in Beaufort and its people and would be honored to be House District 124’s new Representative.

Beaufort Values - Community Leadership:  By Diane DeWitt, a Republican Candidate for House of Representatives, District 124. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to tell you why I am seeking the House of Representatives seat for District 124. First, we need a representative who knows the people of District 124 and understands the issues that are important to them. Those issues include balancing infrastructure and economic development needs with our desire and duty to protect and preserve the pristine lowcountry ecological system and environment; maintaining a friendly and acceptable location for our military bases; and creating a fair method for funding public education and improving education in the 21st century through greater use of technology in classrooms and alternative school choices that will allow our children to compete not just in South Carolina but regionally throughout the Southeast. The needs of our district's aging population and veterans also must be addressed. Second, the complexity of our district's issues requires a representative who is knowledgeable in many areas of current law, as well as legislative history of existing laws and our district's local history. Third, we need a strong, principled representative who will be an advocate for District 124 in fighting for the funding we are entitled to and in persuading other members of the General Assembly that the majority of our citizens are not wealthy but are hardworking individuals, small business owners, veterans, and retirees on fixed incomes. Our representative must be both a leader and a team player; an advocate and a mediator; a listener and a persuader; a teacher and a learner; and a master in the use of procedural rules. I have the background, education, experience and skills to be a vocal and effective representative for the citizens of District 124. My lowcountry roots run deep, with past generations living in Colleton and Beaufort Counties since our country was formed. My parents, the late Sgt. Major Thomas Butler, Ret., USMC, and Yvonne Herndon Butler, are originally from Walterboro, South Carolina. Beaufort was my father's duty station of choice since it was close to home. After serving 33 years, including tours of duty during World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam twice, my father retired in 1973 while serving as the Sgt. Major of MAG 31, MCAS, Beaufort. I grew up here and am a graduate of Beaufort High School. My three children and two stepchildren are graduates of Battery Creek High School. I have a son in the U.S. Navy, a son-in-law in the U.S. Army, and a daughter and son in college. My stepsons work at Combahee-Chehaw and Cherokee Plantations. I graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1980 with a B.S. in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting, and received a Juris Doctor from the USC School of Law in 1983. Several house members are my law school classmates. Since completing law school, I practiced law in Colleton County for five years representing indigents in state and federal administrative appeals, magistrate, family, and circuit courts. My clients were seniors, veterans, abused children and severely battered women. I then served as Beaufort's Chief Public Defender for five years. I listened to the pleas of victims and their families and know all too well how greatly their lives and livelihoods were impacted by crime. Our police officers put their lives in jeopardy every day with little thanks but continue to proudly serve a criminal justice system that does not always produce fair or expected results. Since 1993 I have been a small business owner and private practice lawyer. During this time, I have represented small business owners, parties and children in the family courts, seniors in probate court proceedings, and have prosecuted child abuse and adult abuse (protective services case) for DSS. I know our state's child welfare laws and regulations, as well as the duties of related child welfare agencies and those established to assist senior citizens. I have experienced the need for expedient resolution of civil cases through the use of pilot programs in mandatory mediation and for business courts presided over by specially trained judges. I am fully aware of the rising costs of doing business in our state, the need for tax relief for homeowners and small business owners, and tax credits so we can grow our businesses without financial penalties for our increased output and efforts. In addition to practicing law for 24 years, I have taught graduate courses in Business Ethics, Legal Ethics, and Police Ethics as well as Constitutional Law and other topics for the SC Bar CLE program. I have broad legal experience but consider Ethics Laws, Constitutional Law, Family Law and Domestic Violence to be my greatest areas of expertise. I served as Chairperson of the S.C. Bar Family Law Council on which I served for seven years. During this time we tracked legislation, recommended changes, presented materials and testimony to committees of the General Assembly. My profession requires me to stay abreast of changes in the law and proposed changes in the law. I have served our community as a member of the Beaufort Rotary Club and its Board of Directors, as Chairman of its Law Enforcement Awards Committee, and Career Day Volunteer; Advisory Board of the Salvation Army; as a Middle School Mock Trial Judge and High School Attorney Mock Trial Coach; as a mentor and volunteer for the S. C. Women Lawyer's Association; as a Pro Bono Lawyer and Mentor for the South Carolina Bar, for CODA, the Legal Assistance to Military Program; and as a member of the PTOs and Booster Clubs of my children's schools. I am a member of the Baptist Church of Beaufort. I look forward to meeting you on August 14 and certainly would appreciate your support and vote in the September 4 primary. Feel free to contact me at Friends of Diane DeWitt, P. O. Box 1402, Beaufort, SC; 379-1779; or stop by my office at 1215 Boundary Street.

Why Am I Asking For your Vote And Support?: By Randy Bates, Candidate for S. C. House of Representatives, District 124 As you may know, I have served for nearly five years as Legislative Coordinator and Campaign Manager for Catherine Ceips, our State Representative since 2003. Last month, Catherine was elected as our State Senator, resulting in a special House election on September 4th to replace her. First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every person who participated in the campaign to elect Catherine Ceips -- as a committee member, a volunteer or active supporter -- as well as each person who took the time to vote in that election. While I may have been her campaign manager, it was you who made the difference. I thank you. Now, we are faced with the challenge of electing someone to replace Catherine in the House. In mid-July, I made the decision to offer as a candidate for this position. I believe I offer three crucial qualifications for the State House seat: First, I have the right experience to do a great job: real-world leadership experience; experience as a community leader helping my neighbors solve local problems; and experience serving our community side-by-side with Catherine as she has fought for the citizens of Northern Beaufort County. Having worked so closely with Catherine, I believe I can carry forward her hard work, stellar constituent service and positive, unifying leadership. I share her vision for our community. I helped her respond to constituent problems, worked with her on issues and probably understand her unfinished work in the House of Representatives better than anybody. Second, I'm a Reagan Republican: a fiscal conservative who believes in less spending and lower taxes. I understand that the most important thing any government can do is to let the hard-working taxpayers keep more of their own money. Government is necessary. Big government is not. Like our founding fathers, I believe the proper role of government is to do only those things that people cannot do for themselves. Third, I'm a hard worker. And there is just no substitute for good, old-fashioned hard work. No one will work harder than I will for the people of Lady’s Island, Saint Helena, Beaufort and Port Royal.  In the coming weeks, I'll be traveling to all corners of our district, meeting with voters to discuss the issues and my five major goals as your new voice at the State House: * Keeping taxes and spending as low as possible, so hard-working taxpayers can keep more of their own money; * Improving education, so South Carolina’s young people are given every opportunity to succeed in life; * Protecting our natural resources and preserving our quality of life; * Finding solutions to traffic congestion and other infrastructure problems caused by out-of-control over-development; * Finding local solutions to the illegal immigration crisis, that are not being addressed by the federal government; and * Continuing to enhance and improve services for South Carolina’s aging population. Most importantly, I will always listen to the people of this district to accurately represent your views on the issues we face. Just as Catherine did as our representative, I will stay in touch with you to serve you well. I look forward to meeting you in the weeks ahead and to working for you in the years to come. As always, please feel free to contact me if I may assist you on any matter. Thank you. Randy Bates 145 Alston Road, Lady’s Island, SC 29907 843.263.7287 – rhbates@charter.net                                                       Brief Biography of Randy Bates                          Veteran – United States Marine Corps & Marine Corps Reserve                                                                      1981-2000                                              Called to active duty for the first Gulf War                                            Marine Corps Family Readiness Committee                 2002-2004 – Volunteer appointment to a service-wide board dealing with family readiness                          BA & MA in American Studies/History - Pennsylvania State University                      Graduated with high honors and was a member of several national honor societies                          Chairman, South Carolina Republican Party Second Congressional District                                      Vice-President, Beaufort Federation of Republican Men                                              Secretary, Beaufort Area Republican Club                            Precinct Executive Committeeman, Beaufort County Republican Party                           Member – 2007 Platform Committee, Beaufort County Republican Party As a child of deaf parents, I was honored to serve as the Executive Secretary of the International Catholic Deaf Association – a social organization supporting Catholic Deaf issues.