Hilton Head mayor wrong: No community demand to close beaches for coronavirus | Letters
When Hilton Head Island Town Council closed our beaches, Mayor John McCann said the community demanded they do so. No one I spoke to demanded we close the beaches. Quite the opposite.
I understand the concern of spring break college students in large groups on our beaches, but why close Islanders Beach Park? Isn’t that predominantly used by Hilton Head residents?
We pay for parking passes to park, is the mayor going to reimburse the residents for the two or more months he will not allow us to park in our lot?
Oh, and by the way, he told the Island Packet about Verona, Italy, “I didn’t know about it. I heard on TV that (the coronavirus) is affecting Italy, but I didn’t know it was that part until you told me.”
That confirms that his trip was a boondoggle.
Brian Doyle
Hilton Head Island
‘Senior hours’ on the Hilton Head Island beach?
Suggestion to the Hilton Head Island community: please open the beaches for “Senior hours.” We are solitary creatures, need exercise, know how to behave and promise not to wear a bikini!
Terrie Winkates
Bluffton
It’s not all up to government; coronavirus cure weeks away
At the first sign of the coronavirus everyone in America cried, “What is the government going to do about it?”
Why do we so depend on government to solve all of our problems when we know from past experience they seldom get things right, at least, the first time around?
During World War II, President Roosevelt had the wisdom to invite American industry to help solve our many problems in developing and manufacturing war materials instead of relying on the standard procedures of the government.
Today, finally, President Donald Trump has enlisted business and industry to help solve this pandemic in America and none too soon.
And, as you may know, there is a cure for the virus that is weeks, not months, away from being approved by the FDA. Two medications that are readily available. At last we may finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
However, what is missing in all of the reporting is the response from the hundreds, if not thousands, of charitable organizations. Who are they? What are they doing? Why do we not know? And the multimillionaires and billionaires, what are they doing?
May we ask the mainstream media, at least for the moment, to stop trashing our president and tell the American people the whole story?
We live in hope!
Tom Hatfield
Hilton Head Island
Visitors put locals at risk in Beaufort County
When I moved to Hilton Head Island in 1986, the Charles Fraser concept of a mixed community of gracious retirement living in a world-class resort was in full flower. That promise is being betrayed by keeping Hilton Head Island open in midst of an epidemic, risking my life so that others can have fun!
Donald G. Kennedy
Hilton Head Island
Walk on the beach good for our health
How unfortunate that the misbehaviors of those who chose to ignore recommendations about social distancing due to the coronavirus have cost the rest of us the opportunity to engage in the healthy, restorative activity of a walk on many of our local beaches.
Our natural environment supports our physical, emotional, and mental health, all of which are stressed to the limit in these uncertain and difficult times.
Newsfeeds in recent months have touted the researched benefits of the “nature pill” to reduce stress, anxiety, and improve health.
As a health care professional, I would hope that those who make decisions about such closures will think creatively to offer access to the healing and easily social-distant walk on the beach. Please don’t let the selfish actions of a few punish so many.
Christina Nietert
Hilton Head Island
We need to be more sensible to fight COVID-19
I know many restaurants are offering take-out, pick-up, etc. I don’t worry about the food so much as I worry about the containers in which they are packaged, which could carry the COVID-19 virus.
Rather than purchase food, why not buy gift cards for future use when all of this madness is behind us? It accomplishes the same purpose of providing income for the restaurant and its employees.
If you are going to the grocery, take wipes with you as well as your own bags. Use the self-checkout if possible; wipe the area with a wipe. Use your knuckle to activate any action involved with making your payment. Clean your hands with wipes once you are finished. And, of course, you will have disinfected your buggy handles before starting the shopping process.
I’ve watched people continue to grab door handles when they could use a shoulder or hip to open a door. Be sensible.
None of us is invincible. We need to be cautious and proactive. I miss human contact as much as anyone else, and so I’ve visited two of my neighbors and had driveway conversations. One neighbor came to me and we enjoyed the sun and breeze of my backyard.
We will get through this. It would be nice if we could isolate Hilton Head Island for a period of time, but the town government indicates that isn’t possible. The island, to my knowledge, has no confirmed cases – let’s try to keep it that way.
Sunni Bond
Hilton Head Island
Close Hilton Head Island to tourists
It makes no sense to close all county government buildings, schools, beaches, restaurants, bars, etc., while allowing, and in some cases encouraging, visitors from other infected communities onto an island with an ageing population and limited health care facilities.
The coronavirus is travel-related, carried from country to country, state to state and community to community.
We should be following the example of the Florida Keys by closing Hilton Head Island to all tourists and visitors until such time as our schools, government buildings and local businesses are deemed safe to reopen.
If our governor won’t close the bridge, our mayor, town and county councils should act to ensure there is no lodging available on the island for any and all leisure visitors during this pandemic.
Alan Smith
Hilton Head Island
Please rethink banning residents from beaches on Hilton Head
To Hilton Head Island Mayor John McCann: Please rethink banning residents from using the beach. Please at least allow runners, walkers, gawkers, for exercise only.
OK, no sitters. But at least give us a view of our beautiful beach and ocean.
Many thanks.
Tim Guest
Hilton Head Island
You must assume that you and everyone else is carrying the virus
Last week I suggested a 15-day break from visitors as a reasonable way to protect the Hilton Head Island community. To accomplish this goal, we must all strictly follow guidelines.
Our surgeon general announced that most – and this has been my observation as well — are following the distancing of 6 feet and small groups, now defined as three people or less. Reality is that not everyone is cooperating, which is my observation also.
It is imperative that we all follow current guidelines on distancing to prevent coronavirus spread.
If we assume that each of us carries the virus, would we be compliant?
We cannot assume our friends, neighbors and guests are virus-free. At one social gathering of friends one was unknowingly carrying the virus. Two in that group became ill. The group was notified. More symptoms. More testing.
Yes, we can celebrate together, but practice safe distancing and group size.
Minimal musts for the next 15 days:
• Stay at home if you are sick or have symptoms.
• No handshaking.
• When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose.
• Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face.
The sooner we start with strict adherence, the sooner we will recover our health and well-being.
Jerri B. Perkins, MD
Hilton Head Island
Help those on front lines of coronavirus fight
In these uncertain times, its appears that residents of Beaufort County have become self-centered and selfish. This certainlly is not the time to be this way.
If I might make a suggestion in hopes it will be considered by the mayors and grocery store managers:
Set aside one day a week for only first responders, and all health care workers, mail and package-delivery workers.
They must show their name tag to get in.
They are out there saving lives and making deliveries and some cannot even get to the grocery store.
Then set aide one day for only those 60 and older.
The managers of grocery stores could get together and work out schedules as they could rotate stores and days.
I feel this would help some of the problems we are having since residents in this county don’t know how to be nice or respect ones another.
I have not been to a store since this has happened because I fear bringing home something to my husband who has Parkinson’s. My kind neighbor, who is a surgery tech, goes for me.
And to remind you again, she is on front lines too so she gets the leftovers if there is anything left.
So please, let’s try this out. You have the power to talk to the mayors and city managers.
My sister lives in Scotland and this is working out very well for them.
Jackie Strickland
St. Helena Island
How about the crowds pouring through the Lowcountry on I-95?
Checking on my business premises at Point South on Sunday, March 22, the traffic on Interstate 95 was heavy in both directions (especially heavy going north) for the four hours I was there.
Beaufort was a ghost town at 9 p.m. Saturday as we practice social distancing at an enormous cost to our hospitality industry.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are driving through our state – stopping at rest areas and stopping for gas, food and breakdown services – having contact with our local unsuspecting citizens. We don’t know where they have come from or who they have been in contact with prior to landing on our doorstep, or whether any of them are carriers of the coronavirus.
Is this mass movement of people through our state in keeping with our state and local distancing policies? Has anyone in authority thought about the potentially deadly consequences from infected travelers passing through the state?
Just asking.
Michael Kenny
Beaufort
This is the time to rally behind President Trump
At a time when America is facing uncertain times, our president and his team are working tirelessly to keep us all safe. They have admitted that they are in uncharted territory and have brought in very knowledgeable people to help them. They have set up guidelines for us to follow to try to protect us.
It is unacceptable that this newspaper will publish articles of someone’s opinion, from left wing newspapers, trashing our president at this time!
Instead of the media offering ideas at his press conferences, they act like piranhas trying to destroy him and his team.
The time for critiquing those in charge should be after the crises is over.
Phyllis Boyd
Hilton Head Island
Government incompetent
The gross incompetence of our government is disgusting, from (especially) the president on down.
I’d like to find a way to formally institute a petition to cut all their salaries and benefits in half for the foreseeable future. They need to feel this too. They need to feel this most.
Brian Cosacchi
Hilton Head Island
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This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 11:11 AM.