Scott Liggett’s work on Hilton Head made the island a better place for all of us
Remember Scott for making HHI better
As recently reported in the Island Packet, Town Director of Public Projects and Facilities and Chief Engineer, Scott Liggett has passed away. We worked with Scott on a daily basis during his tenure.
To quantify Scott’s contribution to the quality of life on Hilton Head Island is unnecessary here, and is better accomplished by asking you to think about a time when you were on the beach, or at your child’s soccer or baseball game, or at a festival, or walking or riding your bike on a pathway. Do those experiences mean something to you? Scott’s work touched us all, whether it was building acclaimed parks, or improving roads, intersections, the beach and drainage.
Scott’s intelligence, articulation, and ability to manage complex issues were on daily display, but it was his daily humaneness and thoughtfulness that set Scott apart from all of us. He was a gentle soul with superb focus and ability.
So the next time you visit the beach, ride on a pathway, attend a festival or visit an island park, please remember an unassuming and humble public servant, who dedicated himself to making your experience on this island better.
Well done Scott; rest now.
Steve Riley, Chuck Hoelle, Greg DeLoach and Charles Cousins, Beaufort County
To Mayor McCann
Mayor McCann, with regard to your recent “I believe” statements for the annual Council Workshop:
Maybe you missed the workforce housing studies paid for by taxpayers. The data’s been gathered, analyzed, presented and discussed. Did you miss those meetings?
Maybe you never experienced having a low-paying job because you weren’t a “native” person, a minority or had to work multiple jobs to stay one step ahead of poverty. Worn-out clothes and a small apartment are not an indicator of “poverty.” Just ask any middle-class family with more than one child. Poverty is when you are forced to decide between paying the electric bill or buying food.
Maybe you never spoke with a worker who would rather live here than fight the traffic. Have you talked with any teachers or firefighters, nurses, or medical staff? You can’t solve this problem by building a parking lot in Bluffton or searching for a “regional solution.”
We have a workforce housing crisis, but it seems there is more interest in building parks than creating neighborhoods for the people that contribute to and enrich our community every day. We continue to build parks, but can’t seem to imagine neighborhoods ... why does that sound backwards?
Richard Dextraze, Hilton Head
Robert Smalls, Black American hero
February is Black History Month and Beaufort County has an excellent reason to celebrate. Here in in our own backyard, we have a Black American hero who deserves continual affirmation: Robert Smalls went from slavery to being a U.S. congressman. He also represented Beaufort in the legislature; both the House and Senate in Columbia.
In 1862, Smalls and his fellow slave crew commandeered the Confederate vessel, Planter, sailed it from Charleston under the noses of the Confederacy defenses, and delivered it to the Union blockade. Smalls participated in military campaigns along our coast, and was named Captain of the refurbished Planter, now a U.S. Navy ship.
His military achievements were parlayed into post-Civil War leadership roles, including his appointment as Collector of Customs for the Port of Beaufort.
The Beaufort County Republican Party proudly created the Robert Smalls Award, presented to outstanding leaders to our community. A recent award winner has been Senator Tim Scott, who himself is a remarkable local achiever. The latest was Senator Lindsey Graham.
By the way, Robert Smalls is generally credited as being the founder of the Beaufort County Republican Party.
Richard Geraghty, Bluffton
Paved paradise
When I read that the Old Fort Pub will be torn down and replaced by a six story condominium building, folk singer Joni Mitchell’s iconic lyrics sprang to mind:
“Don’t it always seem to go
You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone
They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot.”
Oh how I wish Charles Fraser were still here to remind us that to embrace the new, you must, at the same time, respect the old! The Old Fort Pub, a venerable reminder of Hilton Head’s proud past, will disappear. What a shame. Isn’t there another way?
Ford Hutchinson, Hilton Head