December 29, 2006

FRANCIS MARION HOSTS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

Dec. 19, 2006: Special thanks are in order to Rotarian Steve Dopp, General Manager of the Francis Marion Hotel, for agreeing to host our annual Holiday luncheon. The hotel was beautifully decorated and the food outstanding.

Entertainment was provided by the John Tecklenburg trio and the student chorus from Fraser Elementary School, brought to us through the efforts of Rob Dewey.

Wendy Marcus gave us a brief history of Hanukkah and lit the candles of a Menorah for us. She gave thanks to the Rotary for being a group that encompasses folks from all races and religions.

But it is pictures that tell the story, to glance on, find yourself and friends, and remember not to return to fellowship with the club until January 9th.

Submitted by Fred Sales, Keyway Commitee

December 15, 2006

Preserving Morris Island

Dec. 12, 2006: Today Rotarians learned a little more about what national organizations are doing to conserve and protect land locally in our beautiful Lowcountry. David Agnew discussed the Trust for Public Land and its role in preserving Morris Island, a local barrier island.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Locally, TPL has been preserving land in South Carolina since 1990. TPL is currently working with three major programs in South Carolina: Charleston County, Beaufort County Rural and Critical Lands, and Hilton Head Island Conservation.

While there are many organizations that work to conserve land, TPL is different in that it works to put the land into public use, such as a park, playground or open space. This is increasingly important, as Agnew showed on a map depicting urban areas in South Carolina. These urban areas continue to grow, and Clemson University predicts that South Carolina will have 868 square miles of urban space by the year 2030!

Part of the land TPL is trying to save in Charleston County includes Morris Island, which is located at the mouth of the Charleston Harbor. Morris Island is very historically, culturally and environmentally significant, and TPL has been working tirelessly with other organizations to save it from development. In fact, one of the partners in this effort is a forward-thinking local developer, the Ginn Company. In February of this year, Ginn bought the island for $6.8 million and sold it back to the Trust for $4.5.

TPL is trying to raise money to achieve three goals for Morris Island: protect it from development in perpetuity, develop a master plan and put the island into public ownership, and provide meaningful public access to the island. So far, significant contributions have been received from the SC Conservation Bank and Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as future donations from the SC State Ports Authority and private funds. If you are interested in helping this worthy cause, please visit , View by State, South Carolina.

Submitted by Amy Riley, Keyway Committee Chair

December 10, 2006

The Global War on Terrorism

December 5, 2006: Sheriff J. Al Cannon Jr. spoke to the club on Tuesday. Sheriff Cannon began his career in law enforcement over three decades ago with the North Charleston Police Department. After earning a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the College of Charleston, and his juris doctorate from University of South Carolina, he turned back to law enforcement. He was first elected to his present position as Sheriff in 1988.

Sheriff Cannon spoke to our club about some political trends he has been noticing since the November elections. He expressed his concern that the public is not educated about what is happening around it. For example, the reality is that this community is at risk for terrorist attacks due to the port. Our port sees a large volume of traffic which makes it a potential target or a place of entry for terrorists. Sheriff Cannon said there is no spot in our community that is more or less likely to be attacked - everywhere is potentially vulnerable in these times.

Sheriff Cannon raised many other interesting topics for reflection. He noted that there is a public sentiment that our President is not adept in foreign relations and that he may not be intelligent. Then how is that he has managed to convince Congress and allied countries to follow his lead in Iraq? Sheriff Cannon discussed how widespread some public misconceptions may be right now.

Some interesting questions came from our club members: Why would the media show the best places to attack the nuclear plants? Why are we letting secure information leak out onto the internet? Can we do something locally to block out illegal immigration from our northern borders? What can we do to protect our community from terrorist attacks? These questions probably have no certain answers, but Sheriff Cannon will broaden your perspective if you lend him your ear.

Submitted by Jackie Gottfried, Keyway Committee

December 3, 2006

Transportation & Growth Management

November 28, 2006: Susan Richards, representing the League of Women Voters, spoke on the key issue of transportation and growth management. She showed how both can support or detract from each other. She has the expertise to speak on this topic as she has completed a two year state-wide transportation study and spearheaded efforts to encourage the adoption of transportation as an issue at the 2002 State League convention. Currently she serves on the Charleston County Transportation Advisory Board and the CHATS Commuter Rail Committee.

According to Richards, in the past real estate deals were connected to transportation needs and that has led to what we now know today as urban sprawl. In 1998 the Charleston area had a total urban area of 155 square miles. Currently that has grown to approximately 419 square miles and in 2030 we are projected to have 860 square miles of urban area. It is easy to see that transportation is a key issue that will affect all of us more and more as years go by. Richards made the point that, when you address the issue of transportation, it must be addressed in the regional level; not just by municipalities.

She shared information from "Growing by Choice or Chance: Statewide Strategies for Quality Growth in South Carolina." The report cited that with the state office of research and statistics projection, South Carolina will add 1.1 million new residents to the current population in the next 25 years. The land-use decisions of today will impact us and our children for the next 100 years.

From the report, Richards shared the 10 Principles of Quality Growth for South Carolina and the State Actions being taken to ensure quality growth. She emphasized transportation and land use in planning and the principles for successful development focused around the transit system. She cited examples of organizations that are using transportation and growth management, such as Allendale County's Scooter Program and counties using a Ride Program, to improve the quality of life. She cited the need for "complete streets" in our area, which are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and transit riders. Transportation and growth is and continues to be a key issue affecting all of us and needs our involvement.

Submitted by Wayne Outlaw, Keyway Committee