TheSunNews.com: Opinion

We Want Better Access, Not Worse

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:34 EST

A pair of bills being debated in the S.C. House illustrate the ongoing tension between those who would open government up for all to see and those who seek to close its doors to pesky outsiders. The first would outrageously clamp the door firmly shut on a wide swath of law enforcement records. The second would helpfully ease the path for citizens who seek to learn more about their government.

The first, H. 4740, would allow police – or any other public agency – to withhold any “information to be used in a prospective law enforcement action or criminal prosecution.” After its introduction Tuesday, transparency advocates quickly responded with indignation.

“This is a carte blanche to withhold every police report,” said Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association.

Atlantic Beach: A Mess Worth Saving

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:54 EST

Atlantic Beach is a mess – an unmitigated, chaotic, exasperating, maddening mess. And yet we can’t simply write off the town.

The latest twist in the town’s ongoing predicaments came at what was supposed to be a full meeting of the Town Council on Monday night. As reporter Lorena Anderson wrote, however, only two council members bothered to show up. Those who were there heard a report on the town’s finances that staggers when we consider the full depth of its ignorance.

The town, meant to serve the needs of its citizens, to be accountable to them for the wise use of their tax dollars, seems to have no idea what’s going on. How much money is coming in? Nobody claims to know. How much is being spent? Again, nobody claims to know. Meanwhile, $138,000 from last year simply vanished into thin air. The whole thing is farcical. Girl Scout cookie sellers do a better job of tracking their finances.

Benefit

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:37 EST

The Salvation Army of Horry County has a new and innovative fundraiser in the works, the “Roast on the Coast” April 3 saluting David Bennett, the former head football coach at Coastal Carolina University. Bennett had agreed to the toast and roast prior to his surprise replacement as coach. Captain Bret McElroy of the Salvation Army says he plans to make the roast an annual event.

Ed Piotrowski, chief meteorologist for WPDE News Channel 15, will be the master of ceremonies at the Sheraton Convention Center Hotel. Dinner will be at 7 p.m. and the program will start around 8 p.m. McElroy expects the program to be finished by 9 p.m. He plans three or four roasters and has a commitment from one. “It’s just a lot of fun – to benefit the community, help others and have a good time,” McElroy says.

The Salvation Army, a United Way community partner, has experienced an increased demand for basic safety net assistance even as the venerable charity has had fewer resources. “Our services are needed more than ever,” McElroy says. “Every year we turn away a lot of people because of a lack of resources.” In recent years, the Salvation Army’s United Way allocation was reduced as the United Way fund drive lagged. Red Kettle drive revenue fell by $50,000 as the economy slowed. The 2011 kettle drive was $20,000 stronger than the previous year but still $30,000 short of the 2007 total.

Paradigm of MB Passion

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:45 EST

Over the years we’ve watched a number of merchant groups band together downtown with the idea of boosting business in Myrtle Beach. Most did only a brief turn upon the stage before the curtain quickly fell down and shuffled them off. A precious few others lasted long enough to make a real difference. The Oceanfront Merchants Association has been one of the lucky latter.

As reporter Lorena Anderson detailed on Monday, the group has worked feverishly the past five years to continue to draw visitors downtown and to encourage new visitors to make the trip. Thus far, they’ve been commendably successful, with popular Hot Summer Nights events and annual festivals that draw thousands downtown.

Those leading the charge, most notably president Jonathan Staton, will soon receive a well-earned rest after the association hires an executive director to take over much of the day-to-day operation. From Staton’s comments, it sounds as though it could not have come any later. The leadership has been run ragged.

Happy birthday, Charles

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:45 EST

Today marks the 200th birthday of the incomparable Charles Dickens.

The acclaimed English novelist brought innumerable characters into our lives, including Madame Defarge, Pip, Ebenezer Scrooge and David Copperfield. He eventually turned out 20 novels as well as a variety of short stories, plays, poetry and essays before he died in 1870.

Generations of literature students have learned at Dickens’ knee and we were no exception. While we harbor no fantasy that Dickens will return in the manner of Jacob Marley, to offer some wisdom from beyond the grave, we can’t help but echo Oliver Twist, in his earnest supplication to Mr. Bumble.

Pay for the Port Locally

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:29 EST

The Port of Georgetown needs its channel dredged. That’s nothing new. But a regulation change passed last year by Congress could provide a new avenue for getting that project completed at last: Local funding. It’s an idea that Georgetown leaders and port boosters should explore.

The problem by this time is a familiar one to most readers, we imagine. The port has become too shallow for many ships to use, but because fewer ships use it, the port has also become ineligible for increased federal funding. Authorized to be 27 feet deep, the harbor’s channel has silted up over the years, particularly in the 1.3-mile Sampit River section, which the most recent survey found to be only about 10 feet deep.

While the S.C. Ports Authority has done a commendable job of finding creative ways to boost the port’s business this past year, the agency has still had to turn away business that could have otherwise boosted the region’s bottom line. Reporter Dawn Bryant wrote last week that 10 businesses in the past four years were forced to look elsewhere because of the port’s channel depth.

Bring an End to Bear Baying

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:51 EST

A year and a half ago, the state was shocked by the videos of bear baying events in South Carolina released by animal activists. Leaders, residents and animal lovers around the state reacted with outrage, amazed that such a barbaric practice was still legal. Today, we’re still amazed that it is.

Those blissfully ignorant of the bloodthirsty affair – we can’t bring ourselves to call it sport – are often appalled by the details: The competitions, defended by practitioners as the best way to train dogs to hunt bears, involve securing a bear – often defanged and declawed – and loosing dogs to test their courage and ability to get the bear to bay, or stand up. Dogs are supposed to be pulled away before any contact occurs with the terrified bear, but the videos taken by the Humane Society of the United States in 2010 showed that bites often occurred. At one event, nearly 300 dogs menaced one chained bear for four hours.

Politicians were quick to act after the outcry prompted by the videos. At least three bills were soon offered in the state legislature, two in the Senate and one in the House, all of which would end the odious practice. All three were quickly assigned to committees about a year ago and haven’t seen the light of day since. That’s simply deplorable.

Time to Play Nice, Governor

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:44 EST

There’s a joke that’s been going around the area lately. We’ve heard it in a variety of forms, but the general idea goes something like this:

Gov. Haley endorsed Mitt Romney in the primary. That sure worked out well. She pushed hard for voter ID and immigration reform. The Justice Department nixed both of those. Haley encouraged DHEC to reconsider dredging for the Savannah Port. The legislature is now doing its best to undo that move. Boy, really hope the governor doesn’t get behind I-73.

No matter who’s in office there will always be jokes at their expense. Nobody’s perfect. But this joke highlights a phenomenon that’s become more clear in recent weeks and months: Nikki Haley is losing what influence she had.

Art Museum

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:32 EST

Artist Gaye Fisher knows the art museum of Myrtle Beach as well as anyone and she will talk about how this cultural jewel came to be as part of the free Family Day events Saturday at the museum. Family Day launches a yearlong celebration of the museum’s 15th anniversary.

Years before the museum opened in June 1997, Fisher, then president of the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, undertook to save Springmaid Villa, a large home in the Cabana section of Myrtle Beach. The house, built in 1924, had been sold to Elliot Springs and named Springmaid Villa. By 1975, development was closing in and the Springs family traded the house for a new home. Fortunately for posterity and the visual arts, Cox Construction Co. had not developed the property. “So in 1983,” according to the art museum’s account of its history, “abandoned at 5429 North Ocean Boulevard, the beautiful Springmaid Villa seemed to be waiting patiently to succumb to the fate of its neighbor, The Ocean Forest Hotel, torn down a decade earlier.”

Fisher had the vision for preservation of the landmark building and its resurrection as an art museum. Springmaid Villa was moved eight miles south on Ocean Boulevard to land -- not just any piece of property -- donated by Burroughs and Chapin. Thus the formal name of the museum, the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, which opened after 13 years of fundraising and construction of a wing, executive director Patricia Goodwin notes.

History Paved Over?

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:09 EST

State regulators’ recent decision to no longer require coastal developers to conduct archaeological surveys before building is a short-sighted and unfortunate choice.

South Carolina has archaeological sites that stretch back up to 12,000 years, said Elizabeth Johnson, deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. The coast in particular, as the first place Europeans settled, is rich in sites of historic significance. Many have been found, identified and studied, but nobody really knows how many others are out there to be discovered.

“There are lots of areas that haven’t had intensive, careful surveys,” said Johnson. “If there’s a really significant archaeological site it could be covered with grass or twigs and you’d just never know.”

Give Us Our Seats

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:35 EST

What do the South Carolina DOT Commission, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Human Affairs Commission and Winthrop University board of trustees have in common?

Each of the panels – as well as dozens of others – must be revised to accommodate the state’s new 7th Congressional District. For the sake of fairness, many of our state’s oversight boards are composed of members appointed by congressional district, to include members that represent the entire state. When the 2010 census added a new district to the mix, each of these panels became in need of updating.

Some of these groups we’d wager aren’t well known by the general public – such as the impressively named but obscure Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists – but others, like the board that oversees the Department of Natural Resources and the one in charge at the Department of Health and Environmental Control, have a much larger impact on the lives of all S.C. citizens.

Seating Chart Diplomacy

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:43 EST

It was disappointing Tuesday night to see South Carolina largely sit out as dozens of members of Congress crossed the aisle to sit with the other party for the State of the Union address. The initiative to mix the traditionally-divided audience began last year after the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and was promoted once again this year after a notably contentious 2011.

To be fair, not all leaders from South Carolina ignored the effort. Sen. Lindsey Graham sat with New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And South Carolina’s lone Democratic representative, Rep. James Clyburn, sat with Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling.

Will sitting with a political opponent for one night change the world? Did we expect politicians to break out in “Kumbaya” afterward? Of course not. But it does send a message that just for one night, if no other in the year, our leaders can at least sit next to their counterparts, giving us hope that they can work together to improve our nation.

Adult Rally Responses

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:51 EST

Let’s be adults about this thing.

The decision by Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson to change the dates of its rally events obviously caught elected officials off guard. And the wisdom of such a change from a public nuisance perspective is dubious. Three straight weeks of rally traffic and noise is a tall order.

Horry County Council, and particularly Councilman Gary Loftus, have responded to the extended calendar with indignation, threatening not to approve any vendor permits at all in May. They don’t want to play by our rules, Loftus said, so we just won’t play along at all. Parents will recognize the response. “He’s not playing right,” their child might say, arms crossed and sitting in a huff on the edge of the playground while the other children happily continue a game.

Harrelson Complete at Last

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:24 EST

It could be easier to get to the airport by the year 2000 if City Council approves $3.2 million to extend Harrelson Boulevard as part of the 1998-99 budget.

– June 8, 1998, article in The Sun News

Well, it only took about 15 years, marked by a series of funding squabbles between the city and county and a brief hiccup involving the Community Appearance Board, but the Harrelson Boulevard extension is finally done. For drivers on the city’s south end, this is long-awaited and enormously welcome news.

United Way Drives Are On Track

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:36 EST

United Way annual fundraising campaigns in both Georgetown and Horry counties have reached or passed 80 percent of the goals, keeping volunteers confident about meeting expectations for nearly 70 nonprofit programs providing a wide range of services.

The Georgetown County United Way has 80 percent of its $470,000 goal; the United Way of Horry County stands at 84 percent of its $1,275,000 goal and passed the $1 million point earlier in January.

“That was huge – to start off the new year” reaching $1,046,000 in contributions and pledges on Jan. 6, says Julie Kopnicky, marketing and communications coordinator at the United Way of Horry County. The annual fundraising campaign, which started in September, reached $1,074,102 as of Monday, leaving $200,000 to go. Campaign chairwoman Cathe Singleton is working with leaders in all seven areas of the Horry campaign: industry, professional, Myrtle Beach, North Strand, South Strand, inland (Conway, Loris, Aynor) and public service. The latter includes municipal and county governments, Horry County Schools, hospitals, Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

Welcome to Budget Season

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:54 EST

Poring through the 379 pages of Gov. Nikki Haley’s executive budget would take a while even when there isn’t a local presidential debate and state primary going on. But now that things have quieted down a bit, we’ve had time to pick out some of the best and worst of the governor’s budget proposal, released Jan. 13.

Lawmakers in the state House will be working on their own budget in the coming weeks, and they have no requirement to take any direction from the governor’s proposal. Nevertheless, it does offer both a good starting point for budget discussions and a window into some of our governor’s priorities and philosophy. The budget offered by Haley, her first as governor, certainly includes some bold ideas, such as her debatable proposal to phase out corporate income tax and her plan to bribe counties and municipalities to take over maintenance of what are now state roads. Whether those ideas will get much traction in an election year for the legislature is dubious, however.

Here’s a few more highs and lows of the $22.8 billion budget:

Stub it Out, Myrtle Beach

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:46 EST

“We have a rather fingernails grating on the chalkboard saying: We would like for our coastal areas not to be the ashtray of the coast.”

– George DuRant, spokesman for Smoke Free Horry

Now that North Myrtle Beach looks to be on track to pass a public smoking limit of some sort in the city’s businesses, the next domino in the campaign to curb the dangerous habit should be Myrtle Beach.

Plenty of Work For Both Sides

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:26 EST

Don’t worry, Democrats, we haven’t forgotten that you exist.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for our Grand Strand Republicans, what with first the presidential debate and all the hoopla surrounding it and now the primary coming up Saturday. But for many residents, it’s all been little more than a sideshow. If the 2008 and 2010 elections can be used as a barometer, at least a third of Horry County’s voters pull the lever for Democrats. In Georgetown County, the number is closer to half.

For these voters the turbulent past week has likely been a strange one, watching the players on the other side rise and fall and drop out. But while Democrats may not have a primary to vote in – although they can vote on Saturday if they want to – there’s still plenty to do in the coming weeks and months.

Southern Hospitality

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:38 EST

For one night this week, Myrtle Beach was on the mind of millions of people around the nation, as viewers tuned in to the Fox News debate on Monday.

As city spokesman Mark Kruea told The Sun News afterward, “This is the kind of exposure you just cannot buy.”

But that exposure can cut both ways. Just ask any of the presidential candidates who were on the stage Monday night. By most accounts, the area came off pretty well, with thousands of news articles and TV airtime. The publicity will be more than welcome for our tourism industry.

Remember the Goal

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:27 EST

As a region built on beach tourism, we should be doing all that we must to protect that asset. That’s the bottom line when it comes to the ongoing discussions about coastal development rules. But there are plenty of questions to answer first.

The Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management – a panel of 17 politicians, business leaders and conservationists – has been meeting for months to tackle the issue of beachfront development and management. Perhaps most key to that effort is the tug-of-war over the state’s setback line – the imaginary line in the sand drawn in 1988 from one end of the S.C. coast to the other. In theory, the idea was that no new buildings were to be constructed past that line, now set at 20 feet inland from the beach. In practice, an aerial study completed last year estimated that there were 1,383 beachfront structures beyond the line, almost half of them on the Grand Strand coast.

Now the study committee has narrowly voted to endorse moving that line back to 50 feet, a change that could drastically alter the future of beachfront development, both in our area and throughout the state but that would protect our eroding shoreline. If only it were that simple.