July LIBPA Newsletter

Island Notes: Business Relocation: Gail Mullin owner of Mortgage Associates recently moved from 69 Sams Point Road to the newly renovated building directly across from the Valero convenience store on Sams Point Road. This is another great example of the Expanded Home Business zoning allowing good things to happen in our community. Some of the nearby residential neighbors were initially concerned with the effect on the general neighborhood of the transition of the older home to a business site. However, after reviewing the limitations, contained in the Expanded Home Business zoning, which are designed to protect adjoining residents most of the concerns disappeared. Welcome Advanced Real Estate Company. The Advanced Real Estate Company has recently opened for business at 27 Tidewatch Circle (directly across from Cougar Drive on Sea Island Parkway). Laura Dahl, who started the firm and is the owner and broker-in-charge plus being a new member of LIBPA, holds a broker’s license in Virginia and South Carolina. She is one of only two accredited seller representatives in Beaufort. Congratulations! Mr. Harley Laing who recently joined LIBPA was also appointed as a member of the City of Beaufort/ Town of Port Royal Joint Planning Commission and one of the Commission’s representatives to the Northern Regional Plan Steering Committee. A Good Political Race. Our congratulations to Senator Catherine Ceips on her victory in the recent primary, runoff and special election to replace District 46, Senator Scott Richardson. We also thank Lady’s Island resident Terry Thomas (D) and Greg Graziana (L) for running campaigns based on issues and giving the voters real choices.

Change Of LIBPA Officers:  Jane Frederick, who was elected LIBPA Vice President for 2007, had to resign due to the work load she was experiencing as an architect and co owner of Frederick and Frederick Architects. During the June meeting, members elected Stephanie Bost, who has served as our Treasurer for the past few years, to replace Ms. Frederick as Vice President for the remainder for the year. Board Member Roger Talmage was elected as Treasurer to replace Ms. Bost. As can be seen, the existing officers and members of the Board of Directors are playing musical chairs with the LIBPA officer billets and for 2008 will be looking for new officers and members of the Board of Directors. If you would consider serving the community in 2008 as an officer of the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association or a member of the Board of Directors please let us know.

To The Educators Of Lady's Island Children - Thank You: Richard Tritschler, President, LIBPA Each day, during the school year, over 4000 children walk through the doors of our schools on Lady’s Island. They are met by teachers, administrators and staff members who, in spite of many obstacles (budgetary, regulatory, political, social), consistently demonstrate sincere concern for the personal and intellectual growth of the children. Please know how very proud we are to have you as part of our community and how much we appreciate the professional job you do with our children. Best wishes for a great summer.

Paving Of Dirt Roads On Lady's Island: A portion of the funds allocated for road construction in Beaufort County is designated for the paving of dirt roads. The Beaufort County Engineering Department maintains a list of unpaved roads and ranks the individual roads according to a “needs” formula. The roads deemed to present the most serious “need” are then recommended for paving. This recommended list of roads is then presented to the Beaufort County Transportation Committee, which is tasked with reviewing the recommended projects and either concurring or modifying the list plus approving the allocation of funds. As can be seen, there really is system and procedure for determining which roads will be paved and in what order. Over the last few years, Lady’s Island has been the location of a good number of road paving projects. Beginning in 2006 a 4 year (2006-2009) $3.9 million Beaufort County Paving Program was established with Lady’s Island being the recipient of 26% of the allocated funding. The actual paving is awarded by contracts which assemble unpaved road in the same vicinity under a single contract. The 2 general areas on Lady’s Island, which were included in the plan, were Quail Run and Academy Estates. The Quail Run project, which was recently completed, included the paving of Honeysuckle Lane, Fiddler Road, Chickadee Lane, Flycatcher Lane, Wood Duck Lane and Carolyn Drive for a total cost of $1,008,617. The following road paving projects have been recently advertised for bid – Woods Lane, Varsity Street, Alumni Road, Faculty Drive and Mayfair Court. Actual paving on these projects should be accomplished in the 2007/8 time frame. Once these projects are completed, there are no dirt road paving projects scheduled for Lady’s Island prior to 2010. In 2010 a new Beaufort County 4 year paving plan will be developed with all of the remaining dirt roads being reevaluated, based on need, for paving. Editor’s Note: A special thanks to Ms. Maggie Hickman, Administrator for the Beaufort County Engineering Division who always takes the time from a very busy schedule to provide LIBPA with information such as contained in this article.

New Communications Tower On Lady's Island?: Clearshot Communications, LLC is proposing to construct a 150 foot tall monopole communication tower at 42 Pleasant Point Drive (latitude N32-28-51.6) (longitude W80-40-15.5). As part of the permitting process, Dynamic Environmental Associates has been hired to determine if the project may affect historic resources that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. In this regard, they have requested LIBPA assistance. If you have information regarding historic resources in the vicinity of this project please contribute such information direct to Sec106@DynamicEnvironmental.com. This project must be reviewed and approved, at a date to be determined, by the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals and the Development Review Team, both of which allow public comment. The proposed tower would be located in the northern portion of Lady’s Island which is zoned rural and as such falls under the County regulations for communications towers. These regulations require that it be proved that the same service cannot be provided from an existing tower, such as the one located at the intersection of Sams Point Road and Brickyard Point Road. This new tower will probably require review and approval from the military due to being in the general flight pattern of the Marine Corps Air Station. Of specific interest is the requested height, since 150 feet tall towers (or higher) require lighting. Actual application for the tower has not been submitted to the Beaufort County Planning Department at this time. However, once the actual application has been submitted and dates established for official review of the request, opportunities will be provided for public comment. As a matter of general information new communications towers are not authorized in the Community Preservation area of Lady’s Island. The existing tower near the intersection of Brickyard Road and Sams Point Road is not close to being utilized to capacity.

When The Going Gets Tough - We Work Together Well:  When the McTeer Bridge was damaged, within 24 hours representatives of LIBPA, Carlotta Ungaro, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Joy Hardy, Executive Director of Main Street Beaufort were joining forces to find ways to help local businesses and the Lady’s Island community. Ms. Ungaro attended meetings with the Department of Transportation and the City of Beaufort, on the Beaufort side of the river, and passed the word to LIBPA. Steve Thompson, LIBPA web master, passed the latest word to the community via the LIBPA web site. Over the next few days the situation was handled in as professional a manner as could have been hoped for and was done without bickering or the normal governmental red tape. The Governor sent additional Highway Patrol and Robert Clark, the SCDOT Senior Engineer (who worked with LIBPA on the Sams Point Road project) was personally on the scene and streamlined the contracting system to allow, in an amazingly short period of time, a well known and respected contractor to begin working to repair the bridge. The City of Beaufort bit the bullet and blocked the side streets, synchronized their traffic lights and their police officers joined the other law enforcement officers and worked long hours in keeping the traffic moving. The School District rerouted the Beaufort High School busses to reduce traffic on Highway 21. Through it all William Winn, Director of Beaufort County Emergency Management Department, once again demonstrated why we, as a County are lucky, to have an individual with his dedication and talent. Lady’s Island County Councilman Paul Sommerville was tireless in his efforts to make the public aware of the problem and find solutions. The manner in which a very tough situation was handled is something of which we all can be proud. To everyone who orked so hard for so long to bring order out of potential chaos – thank you. There is a degree of comfort in knowing when the going gets really tough we can work together to find solutions.

SCB&T To Build New Bank On Island:  Recently, executives of the South Carolina Bank and Trust gathered at the former site of Island Outfitters (directly across Sea Island Parkway from the present location of the Lady’s Island branch of SCB&T) to celebrate the ground breaking for construction of a new bank. The new facility, which is scheduled to open in the first part of 2008, is a result of SCB&T’s desire to provide the best service possible to an increasing number clients. The new facility will be larger and able to offer additional services such as safety deposit boxes. As can be seen from the artist rendering of the new bank, traffic coming from St. Helena can now pull directly into the parking lot of the new bank. Stephanie Bost, President of the Lady’s Island branch of SCB&T indicated that the new bank will allow her and her staff to better serve their customers. However, she promises to retain the comfortable and friendly atmosphere her friends and customers indicate is one of the attractions of her present (and smaller) location.

Why I Desire To Represent District 124 In The South Carolina House of Representatives : by Shannon Erickson, Candidate for District 124 Seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives My name is Shannon Erickson, I am running for the South Carolina House of Representatives, and I would be truly honored to have your support and especially your vote! As I have contemplated running for this office, I have sought wisdom from several people around the state and have been honored by their support and encouragement. Although several people have asked me about specific issues, the most resounding questions are: Shannon, why do you want to run for the House? And…What do you stand for? As to running for this seat, I believe that I can be an effective member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. I feel connected to Beaufort County and I feel prepared to take on the issues that matter to House Seat 124 constituents. My husband, Kendall, and I have lived, worked, worshipped, and played in Beaufort since 1985. We’ve raised two children, one now in college and the other in graduate school, and have enjoyed watching them and their friends grow up into responsible adults. I have grown a successful small business employing 56 people with three different locations. I have volunteered in our community with United Way, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Water Festival, Lady’s Island PTO, St. Peter’s Church, and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few. I am a University of South Carolina-Beaufort alumnus, I exercise my right to vote, I pay taxes, I am a neighbor, and (I hope) a good friend. I think it is fair to say that I am truly invested in Beaufort County and the Lowcountry of SC. For the past two years, I have spent my fair share of time in Columbia. I have volunteered as an advocate for early childhood and small business issues with the 300 member South Carolina Child Care Association. I have offered amendments to bills, testified in front of House and Senate committees and watched the day-to-day workings of our General Assembly. I have been effective in Columbia and I know that I will apply the same work ethic and tenacity to all the issues that come before me as the Representative for House Seat 124. There will be a learning curve for whoever the citizens of Beaufort elect to represent the 124th district but as an educator I understand that a good teacher knows there is always more to learn. I am ready. That leads me to what I stand for. With nearly 2500 bills and resolutions introduced during any given legislative session, there is plenty to learn in Columbia. There are likely as many questions as answers to consider as we seek to move our state forward. While generally, I support a pro-business, pro-family, smart-growth agenda, I also know that with literally hundreds of ideas on the table, it will be essential to keep my office and my ear open to the people of this district so that I can best represent the values and interests of the people of Beaufort County. I would be honored to represent you in the SC House. I want to work for you to ensure that our state’s economy is strong and vibrant and that we encourage business to make sure that South Carolinians who need and want good jobs can work to support their families. I want to make sure that when our state grows, we grow in such a way that allows your children and my children and even their children one day to swim in the creeks and fish in the marshes and listen for the sound of the baby ospreys each spring. I want to ensure that South Carolina is a place where all children receive an excellent education and a solid foundation for success in life. I want to help protect the family values that set us apart as a special place- the kind of place where we greet our neighbors, cheer our local teams on weekends, and where visiting strangers feel the warmth of our hospitality. In the forthcoming days of this campaign, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what is important to our community and possible solutions to the challenges we presently face. I sincerely want to represent you in Columbia to help make sure that South Carolina continues to prosper and that Beaufort remains the kind of place we all love to call home.

10 Things You Should Know About The Northern Regional Plan: by Jim Hicks, Lady's Island Representative, Beaufort Planning Committee The drafting of the Northern Regional Plan has been completed (after 1 year of work) and can be read at either the Beaufort County or LIBPA web site (www.libpa.org). With only 86 pages, it is reasonably short, considering it is designed to serve as a guide or road map for growth in northern Beaufort County for both the County and the 3 municipalities until 2025. The plan will now go before the municipal and county planning commissions and councils for consideration and hopefully approval. This plan is the result of efforts by representatives of each government in northern Beaufort County (north of the Broad River) and members of the community to chart a course for future growth, identify potential problem areas and develop tools for coping with these problems before they reach crisis level. Following are 10 things that you, as a resident of Lady’s Island and northern Beaufort County, should know about the plan. (1) Projected growth. The projected growth, for the area of Beaufort County north of the Broad River, between now and 2025 is an additional 42,914 people and 16,255 houses. The present population is estimated to be 34,452 growing to 123,532 in 2025. Lady’s Island is projected to grow by another 2,577 houses and 7,000 people reaching a population of 18,911. (2) Projected cost. To provide the necessary infrastructure for this growth will cost, over the 20 year period, approximately $350 million of which $300 million (85%) is for building new roads and transportation related projects. The remaining $50 million is for construction of other public facilities. To operate the additional facilities and provide the necessary services is estimated to cost over $230 million. When the total bill is tallied up and we look at what we have in our wallet (projected income) as a county we come up short $236 million. This does not count the cost of additional schools which will be added upon completion of the School District’s facilities study which is presently in progress. (3) Transportation. Future growth is going to require the portion of Highway 21 from the Whale Branch to the entrance to the City of Beaufort (intersection with Highway 170) be widened to 6 lanes. On Lady’s Island the portion of Highway 21/Sea Island Parkway from the Woods Memorial Bridge to the Publix intersection is going to fail (reach an unsatisfactory level of service). Attention is also going to be needed for the portion of road from the intersection of Sams Point Road and Brickyard Point Road down to Coosa Elementary School. Other roads of projected concern are Joe Fraizer Road and Highway 21 in the vicinity of Frogmore on St. Helena. (4) Growth boundaries. The City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal have agreed to limit their municipal growth, by use of annexation, to Lady’s Island and Port Royal Island. The Town of Yemassee has also designated specific limits as to its expansion over the next 20 years. The City of Beaufort and Beaufort County, as a way to reduce future traffic problems, have jointly agreed to not “up zone” rural property on Lady’s Island. Community Preservation zoning, similar to what we have on most of Lady’s Island, will be respected by the municipalities in the event of annexation. This is already being done on Lady’s Island by the City of Beaufort as a result of past agreements. (5) Annexation. This plan doesn’t allow one bit of annexation that wasn’t authorized before the plan. By previous mutual agreement the only municipality that will consider annexation of property on Lady’s Island is the City of Beaufort. As part of the plan the County agrees to not increase density of county property adjacent to municipal property for more houses than is presently authorized. If your property is in the County, contiguous to the City and you want more density than presently authorized – annex. If you are in the County now, satisfied with the present zoning and services, you may remain exactly as you are now. If, in the future, the Lady’s Island community chooses to incorporate, that is still an option and a choice. (6) Rural areas. Municipalities will not annex property in the rural areas of Coosaw Island, St Helena, Dale and Sheldon. All growth in these areas will be guided by the County. It is envisioned that the gross density of rural land will remain at one unit per three acres. (7) Lady’s Island. For all purposes very little has changed in regard to Lady’s Island except Beaufort County and the City of Beaufort are seriously attempting to work together and have agreed that what is zoned rural today will remain rural. As a matter of policy the County is not going to increase residential density on property that is contiguous to property in the City of Beaufort. (8) Enforcement. Once agreed to, this plan is only as effective as the participants are willing to honor the provisions of it.  (9) Intergovernmental Agreements. Following the plans approval, intergovernmental agreements will be prepared to provide additional detail of the basic agreements contained in the plan. In addition to annexation and growth boundaries, these agreements are scheduled to address recommendations by representatives of the community (technical committees) to include such areas as standardized environmental standards, economic development and work force housing. (10) Comprehensive Plan. Each of the participating governments will be guided by the Northern Regional Plan and the intergovernmental agreements. In the future, the provisions of the plan and these agreements will be included in the updated versions of the respective Comprehensive Plans and ordinances. Will the Northern Regional Plan solve all of our problems with growth? Certainly not. Nor does it mean that the local governments agree on everything or will agree on everything in the future. It does mean that the elected officials of Northern Beaufort County (along with others) have worked for over a year to find common ground from which to jointly attack the problems of growth. The result of this effort is the Northern Regional Plan. It may not be perfect, but it is a whole lot better than the intergovernmental feuding of the past. On behalf of LIBPA and the Lady’s Island community to everyone involved in the preparation of the Northern Regional Plan, please accept our sincere appreciation.

Economic Development In Beaufort County: by Kimberly Statler, Executive Director, Greater Beaufort-Hilton Head Economic Partnership  For the last six months, I have had the tremendous privilege of working for the Greater Beaufort-Hilton Head Economic Partnership. During that time, I have talked with many local groups about Beaufort County’s opportunities as well as its challenges. I can see no challenge before us that cannot be overcome by taking responsibility for the issue or deficiency, coupled with a relentless effort to pursue it. My career in economic development has truly come full circle. I spent four years in Iowa working for the Governor developing policy to tackle our largest state obstacle. That obstacle was not corporate taxes, or workforce, or even infrastructure: we had aggressively worked all those issues to create solutions. Our challenge was that CEOs had no desire to live in Iowa where one could experience a 40° below wind chill and a winter that started in October and ended in April. Not to mention the fact that it was a farm state where there had been little to no emphasis on recreation and culture. So, how did we fix that? The Iowa legislature passed a $250 million bond program to assist local communities build major community complexes and funded an additional $200 million over the last 10 years for smaller cultural projects. It did not stop the snow, but it certainly demonstrated an aggressive position on the issue to change the entertainment and cultural landscape. So, here I am charged with promoting business development in one of the most desired areas of the country. But, to whom is it desirable? The answer is, everyone that wants to live here and enjoy this amazing quality of life. Major residential developers have seen the value of this region and have mapped out incredible business strategies to capture the quality of life element of Beaufort County and package it in wonderful marketing strategies that have brought thousands of people to this region. I am now in the opposite situation of where I stood over 10 years ago. Beaufort County has the ability to attract residents. But, pro-business policies have not been developed, the incentive toolbox does not exist; nor is there a plan for what we want from a business development perspective for Beaufort County. The good news is, we can create all of these missing policy pieces at the local level and begin strengthening and expanding the commercial tax base. No amount of money invested in community attractions can compete with the exceptional quality of life in this county. This area is a gift that has yet to be positioned for business development purposes. So, what can you expect from the Partnership in the next year? You are going to see an aggressive policy push at the local level to bring all the necessary pieces forward for county and municipal council consideration. These tools, combined with a targeted marketing campaign, will make all the difference in bringing business and industry to Beaufort County. We look forward to an eventful year and welcome input from our existing business community.

Real Estate News: by Pat Harvey Palmer, President, Beaufort County Association of Realtors, Owner & BIC Hometown Realty Realtors are funny people. If you ask 10-15 Realtors what the market is like and how things are doing you may get 10-15 different answers. Realtors, for the most part, are optimistic individuals willing to work the hours to make things happen. This is not a business for everyone. Realtors work weekends, after hours and whenever our clients need us. We are flexible, usually agreeable and eager to help our clients no matter what they need. After almost 30 years in this business, here in Beaufort, I must tell you that the changes are almost beyond belief. Thirty years ago Beaufort was predominately a military town with fast food joints and bars. Things started to “pop” in 1979 when the Holiday Inn was built (now Ramada Inn) across from the Government Center. Beaufort was, at that time a hidden secret, but not for long. We are surrounded by water and water seems to attract everyone. People love to look at it, fish in it, swim in it, and boat in it. Water seems to be a magnet to buyers. So, consequently, we have been invaded by visitors from our neighboring states that want to enjoy our beautiful Beaufort. Now back to Real Estate – This whole industry is demand and supply. In 1978 you could purchase a new 1600 sq ft home for $42,000. Now you cannot even purchase a lot for that price. We have enjoyed a very lucrative market over the years and in particular over the last couple of years. We could hardly keep our heads above water we were so busy. Our appreciation has been skyrocket year after year but and the buyers kept coming and buying. Now, all of a sudden (over the last 6 months or so), things have slowed down quite a bit. Our market is flooded with inventory and the buyers just aren’t there. We find ourselves staring at the phone wondering if it’s broken. Prices keep coming down and down to attract purchasers. There are all kinds of incentives for both the Realtors and buyers. The sellers that have had to move are suffering with multiple mortgage payments. The buyers that would really like to buy can’t, because they are waiting for a property to sell else where. Those that can buy are almost overwhelmed by having so much to choose from and can be very selective with the area they select as well as the price. From a realtor’s view here is what the market looked like this last May as compared to May 2006.                   Editor’s Note: Pat Harvey Palmer, who contributed this month’s real estate article, is indicative of the professional realtors in our community who contribute both their time and talent to making our island a better place to live, work and raise our families. Pat has served 2 terms as President of LIBPA, is finishing her second year as President of the Beaufort County Association of Realtors, also served as President in’89 & ’90, presently is serving as Treasurer of the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District, serves as a member of the Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee, is chairman of the Sight Committee for the Beaufort Lions Club, treasurer of her homeowners association and is a member of the LIBPA Board of Directors. As can be seen she does a great deal more for our community than selling real estate.— Thanks Pat.

A Glimpse Of The Future Housing Market:   With the local real estate and home construction markets struggling to regain a balance between supply and demand this might be a good time to look at what is anticipated in the future housing market. The following thoughts and projections are taken from a variety of studies and to include a recent presentation by Dr. Authur Nelson, PH.D., Director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech. Who will live in the houses of the future? There will be fewer families with children looking for homes in the future. This is due to all of us living longer and the national birth rate being at its lowest level (14 per 1000) since national data has been available. Based on a 2003 national HUD study, by the year 2040, we can expect an increase of 13% in demand for homes to support families with children, an 87% increase in demand for homes for 2 member (no children) families and a 38% increase in the demand for single individual housing. If this projection is correct, we can anticipate the largest future demand to be for housing to support older two member families. In Beaufort the majority of that market consists of retirees who chose this area for their retirement location. Where do the retired want to live? Based on a 2006 survey conducted by the Journal of American Planning tomorrow’s retiree desire to live in the following types of areas.                                                 With 51% of retirees desiring to live in an urban area (either in or near a city) this would indicate Lady’s Island will continue to be a popular place to live for many years in the future. It should be noted that if we have the political will to keep the rural portion of Lady’s Island from intense development there is projected to be a strong market for homes in that area. What type of home does the future home buyer prefer? The Journal of American Planning, based on its surveys, predicts that 38% of future home buyers will desire an apartment, condominium or town house type of home. The remaining 62% will be looking for a single family type of home on an individual lot. Of these home buyers 60% will want a home on a lot less than 1/6 of an acre (43,560 square feet) in size with the remaining 40% wanting a home on a larger (over 7000 square feet) lot. This study predicts that by 2040 the real estate market will be over loaded with homes on large lots due to their being fewer families with children or two member families desiring such homes. This may not hold true on Lady’s Island due to the large number of high quality private and public schools on the island which will continue to attract a disproportionate number of families with children. Other than general location and type of home what else is important to the home buyer of the future? According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors in coordination with Smart Growth of America the following factors were deemed, in the order presented, significant in their decision to purchase a home. 1. Sidewalks 2. Life Cycle mix (mixed ages of residents) 3. Stores and restaurants 4. Ethnic mix 5. Ability to walk to school. 6. Income mix 7. Transit access 8. Housing mix (Different styles and prices) Summary. None of the information contained in this article should surprise any resident of Lady’s Island. It is near 2 municipalities, has some of the best schools (public and private) in the county, offers a variety of types of housing, is ethnically, income wise and age wise mixed and is close to stores and restaurants. It is a great place to live today and will be a great place to live in the future, thanks to the efforts of the members of the community and organizations such as LIBPA.

Follow The Numbers:  Last year our state elected representatives in Columbia passed a law instituting a 1% sales tax designed to reduce the individual home owner’s property tax. Specifically, the state would use the funds from the 1% sales tax to pay for that portion of the property tax that previously was charged for operation of local schools. Obviously, this is a good news/bad news type of tax. If you are a home owner, it is good news that you will pay less tax. If you are a parent or local school administrator you must now be at the mercy of a state level bureaucracy to decide how much money you may have to operate local schools. That may not be good news. If you don’t own a home and live or just shop in Beaufort County you now pay 1% higher prices and help reduce the property taxes for Beaufort County home owners. That may not be perceived as good news by those individuals. The 2006 property tax for a $200,000 home on Lady’s Island was $1,493.60 and the new 2007 tax, without the school tax, for the same home is $864.80 for a savings of $628.80. The approximate (2002) median income on Lady’s Island was $62,000 which, if it was spent totally in Beaufort County, would mean the individual property owner would really save only $28. A more realistic scenario is 50% of total income ($31,000) spent in Beaufort County producing $310 of revenue the remaining $327 being paid by either a visiting tourist or resident of Beaufort who does not own a home. Whether this tax produces good results in Beaufort County in the form of better schools or simply is a form of shifting of taxes from one group (home owners) to another group (general Beaufort County public) remains to be seen. The bottom line for home owners is that your property taxes will be less this year – thanks to the new 1% sales tax law. The more expensive your home - the bigger the tax break. If you don’t own a home but live in Beaufort County you are going to pay more taxes. Once the taxes are collected, the folks in Columbia will tell us how much of the money which we provided will be returned for operation of our schools. The truth is the jury is still out on whether this new state imposed 1% sales tax is a good or bad thing and only time will tell.

Thank You For Your Support: by Priscilla Drake, Outgoing Principal of Lady's Island Middle School I’d like to thank the community for the support given me during the past 6 years as I served as the principal of Lady’s Island Middle School. While serving as principal, I was able to see many positive things take place such as the implementation of several programs. Some of the programs implemented under my tenure are: the Teacher Advancement Program, Middle Years Program and single gender education. Additional programs implemented to assist with student achievement and motivation were: the enhancement of the performing arts programs, Beaufort County’s only steel drum group, RIT Band classes, clubs, Mime Troup, an increase in the number of male students participating in dance classes, the arts department work with the Arts Circus at the Beaufort Museum, student recording and documentation of life on Saint Helena Island, the number of students participating in community service projects, and an increase in the number of students participating in Beaufort County Sea Island School of the Arts summer program. Also, our school’s participation in the 21st Century After-school Program by receiving a four-year grant worth over $500,000, teachers also wrote and received several smaller grants. Our school facility underwent air conditioning renovation, landscape improvement, painting and improvement in security with the installation of additional lighting and security cameras. Our students participated in the enhancement of our school campus by assisting with the installation of a fish pond near our main entrance. Watching our teachers grow as they earned highly qualified status, received master’s degrees in gifted education, arts education and school administration, receive National Board Certification and the implementation of the Career Development Facilitator has been rewarding. This past year, the school was successful at the implementation of the healthy food program by being the first school in Beaufort County to implement a self-serve salad bar and Asian food bar. Our school was successful at being the first middle school in the county to adopt a mandatory school uniform policy which will be implemented this coming year. I am proud to be a part of the implementation of the new summer school model implemented this year by Lady’s Island Middle School and Beaufort Middle School. The implementation of our Annual School Carnival has been one of the most positive ways of involving community and families in the school community. I am proud of our Junior Scholars, gifted and talented students, our students’ improvement in this spring’s MAP results and Mr. Joseph McDomick for being selected as Hardeeville Wal-mart Teacher of the Year. I’d like to thank our school business partners, South Carolina Bank and Trust and Walgreens, School Improvement Council and PTO for their support throughout my tenure as principal. Editor’s Note: Ms. Drake, who is scheduled to be the Principal of St. Helena Elementary School next school year, successfully guided the Lady’s Island Middle School through some very challenging years. There are many young men and women who attribute their success in high school and college directly to Ms. Drake’s personal interest and leadership. We wish Ms. Drake every success in her future efforts at St. Helena Elementary School and offer our sincere appreciation for her contribution to our community.