Articles

Volume 1 Issue 23

March 7, 2008

Seabrook Town Council – February 26, 2008

“You know it was the Navy that shot down that satellite,” Councilman Holtz reminded Council before going into the minutes of last meeting. He also noted that the Marines designed the guidance system on the missile, as well.

Financials for the month of January
“Last month, we didn’t have the final result for December and therefore the entire year of 2007,” Mayor McNulty reported.  For the 2007 year, the revenues for the Town exceeded expenditures by $572,000. Compared to an excess of  $564,000 in 2006, this number seems to be pretty consistent. In 2007, the Town handled two major expenditures; the transfer of $200,000 to the Seabrook Island Utility Commission, an amount which was passed on in the form of a rebate to the islanders, and  the building of the bike path.
       “January is always a month that doesn’t tell much because of timing, but for the month, revenues exceeded expenditures by $56,000,” said the Mayor. “That’s about $15,000 more than we had budgeted.” However building permits, which were budgeted to be down about 5% in expectation of the downturn in building business, were down 7% as of February 20. “However, if you take out the permits related to the Horizon Plan,” said the Mayor, “the other building permits are down over 20% in the first 6 or 7 weeks of the year. It will be interesting to see how that plays out the rest of the year.”

Blair Jennings for County Solicitor
Blair Jennings, candidate for Charleston and Berkeley County Solicitor, asked to speak for a few minutes to Council during the meeting. Running for 9th judicial circuit, Mr. Jennings grew up here in Charleston and moved back in 2000 with his wife Bonnie and three children. Mr. Jennings noted that he began his career in prosecution as a law clerk in the 5th Circuit Solicitors Office while he attended law school. Following graduation, Mr. Jennings was hired as an attorney and remained with the 5th Circuit Solicitors Office until November of 1999. Following his return to Charleston in 2000, Blair was named Deputy Solicitor in Berkeley County by Solicitor Ralph Hoisington in 2001. For the last seven years, Mr. Jennings has supervised all of the administrative and prosecutorial functions of the Berkeley County Solicitors Office and has gained a reputation for working hands on with local law enforcement, running a smart and efficient office, and most importantly, keeping violent and career criminals off the streets. Find out more about Mr. Jennings at www.blairjennings.com. He also noted that he would appreciate Council’s support in the Republican Primary elections on June 10.

What’s that about the road being paved with good intentions?
Mr. Jerry Cummin, head of the External Affairs Committee, reported on the second round of public workshops for the Charleston County Comprehensive Plan. This meeting summarized what happened at the last meeting and gave people a chance to express how they feel Charleston County should be developed over the next ten years. This included areas where development should not occur.
      “Last Tuesday, the Mayor, all of the Seabrook Council members and I attended another workshop, the Cross Island Parkway Study,” Mr. Cummin reported. “Two members of Charleston county where there, Curtis Inabinett and Paul Thurmond, as well as John’s Island resident and head of the Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands Thomas Legare, Alex Dadok of the Coastal Conservation League and Chris Cannon of the John’s Island Council. Dick Hughes from the Seabrook Property Owners Association also attended, as well as Mr. Charles Lipuma and Mayor Wert from Kiawah. There was a good turnout from Seabrook.” Mr. Cummin reported that the meeting discussed four alternatives to road improvement on Johns Island and that this time, the study area was expanded toward highway 17. A color coded map displayed where loss of service might occur over the next 20 years with each plan, and Mr. Cummin noted that there was a failing loss of service on every future mapping. “The Cross Island Parkway solution seems to be the best,” said Mr. Cummin, though it still showed future failing levels of service in several areas. The funds for the improvements would come from the half cent sales tax, which is expected to have roughly a $1 billion set aside for highway and mass transit projects. “It was interesting to note that Seabrookers and Johns Islanders pretty much agreed on what needed to be done,” said Mr. Cummin. “66% of the overall attendees approved of a new corridor. 69% of Seabrookers approved, as well as 71% from Johns Island, so Johns Islanders realize we need the new corridor as much as we do. Thanks to the mayor, we had an excellent turnout of 117 residents, as opposed to Kiawah, who only reported 9 attendees.” Residents can still fill out questionnaires on the Cross Island Parkway study until March 7. Forms are available online at www.ccroadwise.com.
       As for the I-526 extension, the County still has some studies to go over, including the environmental impact study of the project. “The meeting you were at didn’t seem to mention the Maybank Widening study,” said Councilman Holtz. “The county and city are in conflict over what should be done on the Maybank Highway,” said Mr. Cummin. “They don’t want to become another Folly road or Savannah Highway.” Attending citizen Mr. G. Mandelsohn asked to address Council on the issue, and stated that he had  read all the possibilities and no one seemed to be pulling it together. “I wrote a letter to the editor, saying its time to connect the dots. It looks like there are a few things that are going to happen, that need to happen. I-526 is going to happen, whether we like it or not, growth is going to happen and the roads need to be fixed. We need to do a major fix on Maybank – the mayor suggests the grid system of smaller roads so you don’t have one main artery that no one can cross. Several streets would help the safety issue and create pedestrian friendly areas and smaller shopping centers. I don’t like the idea of a Folly Road on our island.”
Water pumps, activate!
Mr. Joe Hall of the Utility Commission asked to add on to the end of Mr. Mandelsohn’s statement before going into his report. “The St. Johns Water Company serves 4500 residential units on Johns Island. Including the houses that have wells, we serve about 5,000 houses. To date, the city and the county have already issued 2.5 times that number of building permits for just John’s Island. Over the next 15 years, traffic will be 2.5 times worse than it has been. I work very closely with the Johns Island residents and I’ve learned that Johns Islanders want the alternate route, but they’re skeptical about using smaller roads. The same plan was used in South Windemere, but what happened was that residents got concerned about traffic and asked for speed bumps, which killed the alternative method of moving traffic. The comprehensive plan that is being discussed tonight – they want to reverse the building permits that have been issued, but they can’t.”
            Mr. Hall also reported that the rehab of the wastewater pump system has been awarded to James F. Peterson, a Public Utility contractor out of Hollywood. His bid came in at $100,000 less than the $ ¾ million allocated to the project. “Most of the bids were close to this number, so I guess contractors are hungry right now,” said Mr. Hall. Also, the drilling under the Stono River is complete and Charleston Water Works has run their 30 inch pipeline from Folly to Stono, which will hook up to Charleston from that end. “St. Johns Water is planning to run water into the pipe earlier than may, so we’re right on time. Finally, things are going our way.” Mr. Hall reported.
            Councilman Holtz asked if the permits Mr. Hall mentioned earlier related to suburban or rural growth.  “If the county commission keeps the Urban Growth Line where it is, how can we have growth? We can’t.”
            “I don’t know if that boundary had been set,” Mr. Hall answered. “This comprehensive plan is supposed to address that. If you come down River Road to Maybank and hit Plowground, that big triangle in there is going to be built up, from the airport to Maybank. It’s in the rural area, so they won’t get sewer from Charleston, but they have been annexed into Charleston.”

All in the golden afternoon
The mayor reported that Council had received landscaping recommendations from Sunburst landscape. Mr. Pierce and Sunburst received a list of recommendations from the Accommodation Tax Committee, and prioritized what they felt needed the most immediate attention. “We’ll be going out later this week to see what they’re talking about,” said the Mayor. “Councilmembers are welcome to attend, but we’re just making sure this is what we want to do.” Recommendations included rebuilding and relocating the electrical meter and irrigation controllers further from the bike path, removing wax myrtles that are in decline and impeding the growth of more desireable species and removing plant species that do not enhance the marsh setting. A full list of the recommendations are available at Town Hall.

Beach patrol reinstated
Mayor McNulty noted that Council had signed a contract with the Sheriff’s Department that was the same as last years. The beach will be patrolled from Memorial Day toLabor Day, eight hours a day. “The terms are the same as last year and we have the money in the budget,” said the Mayor. “Everyone seemed satisfied with it last year so we’re going forward with it this year.”

Balancing act
The Mayor made several motions to help balance the budget for the new year. To save time, he asked Council to review and approve the following items at once: A motion to move $70,000 to Bike Path Fund, retroactive to December 31, 207. “I asked for this in November, but we never did it, so I was approved for a retroactive approval,” said the Mayor. “This is just for money we needed for the bike path.” Council needs to set aside $120,000 for the bike path bridges since the quote came in at $117,000 and the budget for the municipal court had $10,000 left over last year. “Since the money is for educational programs that the judges go to and charge us for, we could easily move $10,000 from that fund into the general fund with no problems,” said the Mayor. He also asked for an increase in the emergency fund to reflect that the Town needs to have at least a third of its annual expenditure set aside just in case, the Town needs the money quickly. “I’d like to move the number to $300,000 and include the money for the CERT equipment into the same fund, which means we’d have $325,000 with $25,000 specifically for CERT,” the Mayor asked. Finally, the transfer of $1,800 from the fund for new computer equipment needed to be moved to the general fund.. Council approved of all the changes.

Charity
The Mayor reported that last month, he brought up the question of charities. “I have heard overwhelmingly that we should not contribute to charities and that Council should take the position that the Town should not be involved in charities. Let’s continue to do what we’re doing,” said the Mayor. Council approved unanimously to continue the policy.

The green miles
Council approved milage reimbursement to match the IRS allowance; from .485 to .505, “which has probably already fallen behind,” joked Mr. Peirce. Council approved unanimously. Councilman Du Bois suggested battery powered bicycles for Council use instead.

Emergency aid
Councilman Savin reported that the Office of Surgeon General has established a medical reserve core with the Department of Homeland Security and the White House USA Freedom Corp to be called the Lowcountty Medical Reserve Corp. “People in the medical field who indicated that they would be interested in helping in a disaster were contacted and asked to join the Corp,” said Councilman Savin. “They would assist in evacuations, perform triage, patient care, supplements medical shortages, etc. To be a member of this Corp, you have to take the ICS classes offered through FEMA. There will be a meeting on February 28 and two training sessions later. I”ll be a member of it. It seems to be a little bit of a duplication of CERT and, in fact, might not be as complete as CERT. But I’ve joined it and will keep everyone updated as it concerns the town.”

Charleston Visitors Bureau reports
Katie Chapman of the Charleston Visitors Bureau reported that the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition had a record year in ticket sales and hotel occupanacy; 8% higher in sales than last year. The Food and Wine festival was held from February 28 – March 2 and was attended by member of Southern Living, the Michelin Travel Guide, Gourmet Magazine and Bon Apetite magazine.

Second step in the Comprehensive Plan update

       On February 26, Charleston County held the second public meeting out of three discussing the 2010 update on the Charleston County Comprehensive Plan. From the October meeting, more than 600 ideas were organized by plan element and the “strong” and “weak” places of each community were mapped. “Strong” areas suggested places that are a draw for people and included places like historical buildings, wetlands and public parks. “Weak” places were areas at are generally considered to be dangerous, in disrepair or in any way unappealing to the community. According to the workshop data collected “Overall, the natural areas (marsh views, rivers and beaches) were the strongest themes. Wadmalaw was identified as being strong because of these qualities. Almost all weak places were associated with traffic issues and Maybank Highway, followed closely by River Road, was the most specific reference.” Strong places included Wadmalaw Island for its limited land development, high quality natural/visual environment, mature tree canopy (especially along roads), and preservation of rural landscape; Community Centers as important gathering places; Maybank Highway (on Wadmalaw Island) for its tree canopy and new guard rails around canals and creeks; Angel Oak and Rockville for its sailboat races, the landing, shrimping and charm. Weak places included Maybank Highway because of traffic (congestion and safety) and overdevelopment, including  intersections with River Road, Bears Bluff, Main/Bohicket; River Road because the speed limit is not enforced, dangerous road curves and its intersection with Maybank Highway; Stono Bridge and Limehouse because of inadequate infrastructure planning, traffic congestion,
the quality of schools and an abundance of Habitat for Humanity houses and finally the intersection of Main Road and Savannah Highway for its bad congestion from bridge traffic.
       County planners also learned that citizens were very concerned with land use, especially the preservation of historic and rural character, uncontrolled residential growth, the need to promote “green” sustainable development, limiting density in rural areas, requiring new development to pay for itself, preserving the quality and character of Johns and Wadmalaw Island and providing for quality public space and open space in new and existing developments.
       Residents were then asked to read over nine goals that had been distilled from the first meetings results. Residents were asked to rate each goal on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being “most important”). Goals included statements such as “how important are unique Lowcountry natural resources such as rivers, creeks, wetlands, aquatic and wildlife habitat, beaches and dunes, groundwater, forests, farmland soils, and air quality will be preserved, mitigated from any potential negative impacts of growth and development, and/or enhanced”. Room was left to comment on each statement in the form. Second, residents were asked to use the same scale on seven land use goals, including statements such as “how important is coordinating residential land use patterns with employment and retail development to provide communities and neighborhoods where people can live and work”.
       Finally, residents were again divided into groups and asked to look at a map of the Johns Island area. Groups were asked to look at how the map was divided into “character areas” and either agree or disagree on how the areas were labeled. For example, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands were identified as “beach communities” while Rockville was considered a “town” and the majority of Johns Island was identified as “rural”.
       To view the results of this second Comprehensive Plan public workshop, please see www.charlestoncounty.org. The final public workshop for the Comprehensive Plan update will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at St. Johns High School and will focus on the draft plan and associated recommendations.

Fix our roads, but how?

     On February 20, the second public meeting to discuss Charleston county Roadwise’s Cross Island Parkway plan was held at St. Johns High School.  Before presenting the newest traffic options, Roadwise employees reviewed data collected from the previous meeting. In attendance at the first meeting were 166 Johns Island residents, 9 Kiawah Island residents and 117 Seabrook Island residents. 46 of the attendees were from undetermined locations. Percentages were used to show which residents agreed or disagreed with the questions asked during the meeting. The results to each question asked were as follows:

Is there a traffic problem on Johns Island?
Johns Island:                 yes, 91%
Kiawah Island:              yes, 100%
Seabrook Island:            yes, 86%
Overall:                           yes, 72%

Should the county widen Bohicket Road, widen River Road or build a new corridor (Cross Island Parkway)?

Should the county construct I-526, widen Maybank Highway or widen Main Road?

What are the most important features of your area that you would like the county to consider?
1: Safety                                          6: Residential displacement
2: Trees                                            7: Threatened species
3: Wetlands                                     8: Floodplains
4: Churches and cemeteries       9: Cultural resources
5: Nature conservancy/parks   10: Farmlands

       In light of the data collected, Roadwise officials analyzed over 50 options and came up with four plans. Each plan showed how the level of service or “LOS” would be affected by the new construction. Areas with a great level of service and no congestion problems were highlighted in green and given an “A” rating, while areas with failing levels of service and high levels of traffic congestion problems were highlighted in red and given an “F”. The first “no build” option includes the construction of I-526 and the widening of Maybank, but does not include building a Cross Island Parkway. The projection map showed that the LOS in 2030 had an “F” rating on Bohicket from Maybank to Edenvale, on River from Maybank to Bryan’s Dairy Road, on I-526 itself and on Maybank from I-526 to B. Hayes Rd.  The second “widen Bohicket Road” option includes the construction of I-526 and showed LOS failing in 2030 on Bohicket from Playground to Edenvale, on River from Maybank to Plowground, on I-526 itself and on Maybank from I-526 to B. Hayes Rd. Option three, “widen River Road”, includes the construction of I-526 and showed LOS failing in 2030 on Bohicket from Maybank to Edenvale, on River from Maybank to Coquina Drive, on I-526 itself and on Maybank from I-526 to Sailfish Dr. Finally, the Cross Island Parkway option included the construction of I-526 and showed LOS failing in the same areas by 2030 as the “Widen River Road” option.
       In conclusion, the Roadwise committee stated that the Cross Island Parkway option seemed the like most reasonable choice. Unfortunately, in all of the level of service projections, I-526 showed a failing level of service on the section heading toward West Ashley. Because of these findings, Roadwise suggested that the Cross Island Parkway would possibly benefit from a separately constructed access to I-526, though no projections had been done at the time to see if this would affect anything.
       Before closing the meeting, Roadwise opened the floor to public comments. Many of the evening’s commentators asked Roadwise why every single projection included the building of the I-526 extension, to which the team had no direct answer. Andrew Geer of Johns Island noted that both exit points on Johns Island showed failing levels of service in twenty years. “It seems like, no matter where we go, we’re stuck. We’re just shifting traffic around and not fixing what needs to be fixed.” Alex Dadok of the Coastal Conservation League agreed, pointing out that a very strong option that Roadwise had not considered was the Johns Island Community Plan. Approved only this past fall by the City of Charleston, the Johns Island Community Plan suggests the use of a traditional “grid” system as opposed to the conventional system of creating main traffic arteries with no interconnecting roads. Lynn Lovelace of Johns Island agreed with Mr. Dadok, using the metaphor of cleaning out a cupboard. “The more space you create, the more you stuff things into it. No one’s really looking at the rate of development on these islands. Did Roadwise even attend the design charette (held by the Concerned Citizens for the Sea Islands on January 3) or look at more creative alternatives? How many people are going to be displaced by this Cross Island Parkway?”
       Mr. Thomas Legare spoke for the Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands when he stated that he was “mad as hell” at Roadwise. “Between our studies held in 1996 and 2001, more than 1,500 Johns Island residents said that they did not want a Cross Island Parkway. Where are the options from the Johns Island Community Plan? Why didn’t you provide an option that did not include I-526? There are over 12,000 residents on Johns Island and you only have the opinion of 166 of them. We need to fix our roads first.”
       A lawyer from Wadmalaw Island stated that the phrase “traffic volume” was misleading. “The volume figure from these studies is from two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. The rest of the day, these roads are fine. Right now, you have a four land bridge dumping into a two lane island road and if you complete I-526, you’ll have a highway dumping straight into Calhoun Street.”
       Chris Cannon, the chairman for the Johns Island Council, stated that he felt the design charette had several great points, but there was one problem. “I don’t care where you live, sooner or later, you have to cross a bridge. Whether you’re for or against I-526, you need to get off the island somewhere.” He pointed out the upcoming PGA tournament on Kiawah Island in 2012 was a given and would be a month long process as opposed to a simple four day event. “We need to decide how we’re going to handle the traffic from this before it gets jammed down our throats.”
       One final island resident simply asked the crowd “when is someone’s life worth more than a tree?”

            For more information on the results from the Roadwise meeting and to see detailed maps of the four options, visit www.ccroadwise.com. The next Roadwise meeting concerning road options on Johns Island will be held this spring on a date to be announced.

In search of a better education
By Kristin Hackler

     On February 21, the Women of Independent Thoughts, otherwise known as WITs, held their monthly meeting at JavaJava in Freshfield’s Village. The crowd was a comfortable size for the little shop and after everyone got their lattes and hot coffees, the group settled down to listen to the featured speakers of the evening. Dr. Fayrine Brown of Capers Preparatory and Mr. Larry Blasch of Sea Islands YouthBuild, both charter school principals, took a few minutes to tell the group about their schools. Mr. Allan Vandall, a board member at Capers Prep, introduced Dr. Brown and informed the crowd that, due to South Carolina’s poor standing in the national education ranks, we actually lead the country in educational alternatives. Roughly 17% of the children in South Carolina attend either charter or private schools and the demand for higher education continues to grow. Unfortunately, most students can’t afford to attend alternative schools and often find themselves slipping through the cracks in the public school system. According to Dr. Brown, two thirds of American fourth graders cannot read at grade level and two thirds of low income eighth graders cannot multiply or divide two digit numbers. That’s where Dr. Brown and Mr. Blasch come in. Both principals take in students who are struggling in school and, in the case of Capers Prep, students who can’t afford a better education yet desperately need it.
       With little money but plenty of education (Fay has two Masters Degrees, an Ed.S and a doctorate in education) Dr. Fay Brown founded Capers Preparatory in 2003. After teaching in public schools for more than six years, Dr. Brown realized that the only way to save those students who were slipping was by starting her own school. Renting an old Comcast office unit tucked behind the Tomato Shed on Main road, Dr. Brown began accepting students based more on their desire to learn than their financial situation. In one case, a student that Fay used to tutor during her years at Haut Gap returned the day after getting his first job and handed his entire paycheck to her, asking if it was enough to cover the enrollment fee. The check was for $32.86, but Dr. Brown told him to return the next day for class. On average, it takes $350 a month for a student to attend Capers Prep, but since the majority of students in the school are from families either at or below the poverty line, the school relies heavily on donations from local church groups and organizations.
            Classes at Capers Prep are small, with no more than eight students to a class. In order to conserve on teachers, grades are taught by grouping the second graders with the third graders, fourth graders with fifth graders and so on. Classes are held in former cubicles where, by careful placement, almost seven desks can be squeezed in to the small space. Even still, the students at Capers Prep average an astounding 400 points higher on the SATs than their public school peers.
       What’s even more incredible is that with so little funds, Dr. Brown still finds ways to expose her students to the world. Instead of paying herself, Fay takes the school on trips to places like Bob Jones University where the students were able to attend college classes for a day, or to Washington, D.C. to see the Capital and learn how money is minted. To Johns Island students who in many cases have never even seen downtown Charleston or even a beach, these trips are a chance to see places they never could have imagined visiting on their own.
       After Dr. Brown’s talk, Mr. Blasch took a moment to tell the group about the other side of working with underprivileged students. While Capers Prep looks to help those children with a desperate desire to learn but no ability to fund their education, Mr. Blasch and the Sea island YouthBuild program work with students who have been outright rejected by the public school system. Most of the students are from single parent households and have been raised with little or no discipline. Their maturity levels are often so low that a strong part of the school’s program focuses on interpersonal skills.
       Instead of teaching along the lines of public education, the international organization YouthBuild focuses on teaching “real world” applications such as carpentry, plumbing, construction, technology and entrepreneurship. Students range in age from 16 to 24 and motivated students are able to put themselves on a “fast track” to get a high school diploma in as little as two years.  As part of their education, students take on charity projects for the local community. In fact, the construction class is currently building bookshelves for Mt. Zion Elementary.
       Mr. Blasch was thrilled to hold the first graduation ceremony for the school a week before the WITs meeting. The student will either attend Trident or go into the military, but he graduated with a high school diploma, not a GED. Mr. Blasch hopes to bring the number of students up from the current number of 48 to 250 in the next three to five years. Sea Island YouthBuild is sorely understaffed, but the program is still moving ahead.
       Both schools are definitely looking for volunteers to serve as mentors and/or to help with academic skills. Both, also, are in dire need of donations and welcome anyone who would like to sit on the school boards and work on fund raisers, as well as new educational opportunities.
       Capers Preparatory can be reached at 557-1821 and their address is 900 Main Road, Johns Island, SC 29455. Dr. Fayrine Brown is also available by email at fayrineb@aol.com.
       YouthBuild can be reached at 557-1611 and their address is P.O. Box 867, Johns Island, SC 29457. Mr. Larry Blasch is also available by email at siyb@bellsouth.net.
       The next WITs meeting will be held on Thursday, March 20. Seabrook's Ron Bourn will be presenting a program on CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and covering the details of being a member and how the program works. All Seabrook, Kiawah, and Johns Island women are welcome. The meetings are at JavaJava in the Freshfields Village and start at 7:15pm.  Attendees are invited to arrive early in order to purchase drinks and snacks. The official meeting starts around 7:30pm.  For more information on WITs and future meetings, please contact Barbara Measter at bpmeaster@yahoo.com.

Explore I-526 plans and alternatives
By Diane Lehder

       I-526 currently ends at Route 17, although the original plans call for extending the highway across the Stono River and Johns Island to the James Island Connector.  Charleston County Council has $420 million committed from the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank to complete this section of the “loop” around Charleston.  Work on the environmental impact statement for this project will begin in March.
      The Coastal Conservation League (CCL) and the Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands recently hired Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, traffic engineering consultants, to work with the Charleston community to explore alternatives to the plan, first drafted in the 1960s.  After a series of design “charettes” or interactive sessions with elected officials, community leaders and residents, Glatting Jackson has developed a series of engineering alternatives that address current traffic patterns and growth projections within the context of new planning concepts.
       The CCL will make a presentation at the Sandcastle on Kiawah Island at 7:30pm on Wednesday, March 26 to share these alternatives. The meeting is open to the public. Off-Island visitors should mention the meeting when they get to the Main Gate. 
       Regardless of where you stand on the I-526 extension, this is an opportunity for property owners to explore the issues involved and the new community planning and design processes being used in the Charleston area.
       For additional information on the alternatives, please visit http://www.newwaytowork.com/index.html and for additional information on the March 26 meeting, send your questions to KPOG@kiawah.org.