SC Department of Transportation needs to hear from residents on bridge project

Road project options open

I sent the South Carolina Department of Transportation a suggestion on the 278 bridge project and I think it is worth sharing with the general public to gain support. Given the size and complexity of this project, it is virtually impossible to make everyone happy. However, I think that the latest proposal from the SCDOT is the best.

I do have one significant suggestion that I posted on the SCDOT website today. That is to eliminate the light at Windmill Harbor and instead build a multilane overpass over 278 near that point allowing east bound traffic access to the RV park and other areas on the right and allowing Windmill Harbor residents access to a ramp on the westbound side.

What prompted this suggestion is the overpass at Sun City allowing access to the north and south sections without the need of a traffic light.

I think a traffic light at Windmill Harbor would 1) slow traffic, 2) lead to accidents when people run the red lights, and ultimately deaths from these high speed collisions.

- Ron Gathro, Hilton Head

Keep victims’ informed

There may not be a shortage of effort on the part of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department to solve cold cases, but apparently there’s a huge shortage of motivation to provide regular feedback to the families of murder victims. All it takes is an occasional reassuring phone call from the detective assigned to a case to the affected families. I know that law enforcement agencies are often only inclined to receive information, but not often give it (see SLED’s unwillingness to share any information about its investigation into Paul Murdaugh’s and his mother’s murders), but it takes relatively little time and effort to keep families informed of progress in any particular case, even when the case is months and sometimes years old.

- Roger Elmore, Beaufort

Support rescue plan relief

In SC today, 250 cities and small towns struggle without benefit from the American Rescue Act due to our state not applying for the federal money available, allocated to us, our share of the pie, our chance for better recovery.

All we need to do is apply. They play politics, while many suffer. Shocking, deplorable. We, the people of South Carolina, live in a state where the leaders are deaf to the cries of those less fortunate among us.

Thank you, Island Packet, for bringing this to our attention. Now that we know, it is up to us to do something about it.

Shame on our US congresspeople and shame on our senators. Shame on our governor, and state and local governmental leaders. I ask all SC citizens to look into their counties and ask the status of our application for American Rescue Act relief.

Today, let’s knock on their doors, call their offices, and write letters in hopes that they get read and published. Let’s act and watch what happens together, and when the time comes, vote accordingly.

- Susan Baukhages, Bluffton

End domestic violence

We are moving in a new direction in South Carolina with many new voices and stances.

As a community, we need to take an active role in combating domestic violence and the trauma that it causes, and taking claims of domestic violence seriously and not looking the other way. We are one, the voice for the voiceless and strength for the weak.

The Pinehurst Community Action has started a new initiative regarding combating domestic violence and its root causes and bringing healing through nature for the trauma of domestic violence.

I am reaching out to you to begin a conversation about how we as community can take domestic violence seriously and bring us up to the national level of awareness and solutions.

- April Jones, Pinehurst Community Action

Bookmobile much appreciated

As a resident of the Cypress Retirement Community, I am gifted with the many resources and services our community offers. In addition to the amenities offered within our community, are many provided by outside agencies. I am most appreciative of the Beaufort Book Mobile Service that comes to our facility on a biweekly basis. The Cypress has a lovely library with a very competent staff of volunteers and for this we, the members, are very appreciative. My focal point for this letter of gratitude is directed, in particular, to the Beaufort Bookmobile System.

What a wonderful service the Beaufort Bookmobile provides. Because it is a regional system , access to the vast collections is limitless and we, the recipients, just need to make our specific titles or interest known. The professional librarian who meets with us receives our varied requests, offers insights into titles or authors meeting our individual needs and procures the titles for us. In essence, all we need to do is show up at the activity location outside our main building and the service is there for us.

There are many to thank for this service and not the least of which are those whose idea it was and those who have perpetuated it. In viewing the list of the stops for this wonderful service I realize how varied in age and undoubtedly interest the users are. The personnel manning the bookmobile must meet the needs of all of us and in my opinion they succeed.

- Elizabeth Rae, Hilton Head

This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 6:00 AM.