No shooting zone overlay

As the County Planning Commission and County Council consider “no shooting zone overlay” for the Waccamaw Neck, there are a number of issues that need to be kept in mind;

1) Don’t make it illegal to shoot in cases of self defense or property protection.

2) Don’t make it illegal to hunt ducks in Murrells Inlet or on the Waccamaw River. I wake up every morning during duck season to the sound of shotguns and it reminds me of where I live and I am happy about that.

3) Not all firearms are “noisy”, i.e. paint guns, air guns, the new low velocity shotgun shells that are designed with noise in mind for urban use, also the quiet 22 caliber and increasing in popularity are legal “suppressors” or silencers for even the loudest guns.

4) What about Thanksgiving turkey shoots? The area near Hog Heaven is a great spot for that.

I am sure that there are other ideas that come to mind and I hope that you will contact the Planning Commission and your County Council Representative and let them know how you feel about the issue.

Bill Hills

Murrells Inlet

Sleeping bags

The men and women Marines of the Grand Strand Detachment of the Marine Corps League wish to thank everybody who answered our recent request for donations of sleeping bags to be sent to Help4Kids who then distributed the sleeping bags to disadvantaged children residing in the Grand Strand. Help4Kids is an outstanding charitable organization that has the wherewithal to locate these children and give them the help which they desperately need.

In addition to the above note of appreciation, we wish to thank two local organizations who stepped up to the plate and provided donations of heavy-weight blankets and sleeping bags to Help4Kids. The Grand Strand Optimist Club and the Greater Myrtle Beach Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association generously donated many blankets and sleeping bags to Help4Kids, who then distributed the warm sleeping items to the aforementioned children.

All of you helped us achieve the goal of passing on a message of hope for the future to a group of disadvantaged children residing in Horry and Georgetown counties.

Art Blenk, Chaplain

Grand Strand Detachment #873

Marine Corps League

Pawleys Island

Speaking truth to power

Professor Dan Abel and I come to the same conclusion from two very dissimilar places. He, from the world of science empiricism and I from the world of theology and prayer.

But first, I congratulate Dr. Abel on becoming the recipient of the 2012 Henry Hampton Woods and Water Conservation Memorial Journalism Award from the S.C. Wildlife Federation. I don't know Bill Holiday, who nominated Dr. Abel for this honor but it was a judicious and well-deserved move. We are fortunate to have such a visionary in our midst.

I am reminded of the Old Testament prophets who were called to speak "truth to power;" e.g., Moses addressing Pharaoh; Nathan addressing David; Elijah addressing Ahab; and so on … It is time that more clergy begin to speak Biblically about what science has told us for years; we live on a planet that is interconnected, interdependent, ecologically and environmentally fragile. Or as the poet John Donne put it many years ago: "No man is an island, entire of itself … any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; …"

In my struggle with the institutional church, I have come to believe there is only one dis-order whose urgency trumps all the rest: that is the state of our planet. Until people and churches are willing to acknowledge that our environment, the oceans, the forests, the stored resources beneath our feet, are not ours to exploit but to conserve, and treasure as holy gifts, there will be no air to breathe, or ocean to fish, or soil to plant.

Dr. Abel speaks truth to us all when he tell us that "what we are doing is the equivalent of inter-generational war — war against the next generation." Thank you Dr. Abel.

Hartmut Fege

Pawleys Island

Souper Bowl thanks

Habitat for Humanity Georgetown County's Souper Bowl, held on January 26, was, once again, a tremendous success raising money for its 92nd and 93rd home.

With over 100 volunteers taking part, it's impossible to thank each individually, but there are people who deserve special recognition for the success of this event.

Appreciation goes to Father Pat Stenson of Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church for the use of his beautiful parish hall and Michael King for his hours of help. Much gratitude is extended to the event's sponsor, South Carolina Bank and Trust, for their generous support. Tremendous thanks to the 41 area restaurants who donated their delicious soups.

Thanks and appreciation to everyone on the Souper Bowl Committee with special recognition to Chris Leonhardt, Jessica Dezendorf, Annamarie and Eddie Ferris, Lee and Paul Cotes, Andrea Zingales, Fran Spencer and Bob and Mary Rodamer. Thank you to Seacoast Artist Guild, Grand Strand Porcelain Painting Club, Scott Henderson, Heather Teems and Sarah Wilson and Coastal Montessori Charter School, Kathy Patrick and Low Country Prep, for their imaginative and beautiful bowls.

Very special gratitude is extended to Andy Giarrantano of the Front Street Deli and Ernest Brunson of Thomas' Café for their delicious soups and expert managing of the kitchen.

Acknowledgement goes to the Habitat staff for their help before, during, and after the event. Recognition must be given to Scott Richards/Matt Sedota and Will Isaacs of Easy Listening 105.9/Movin' 94.5 for promoting the Souper Bowl so generously; and to the Georgetown Times and Coastal Observer for their coverage of the event.

Area businesses were incredibly generous with gifts for basket items. Special thanks to OneThirtyOne Digital, Lowes Foods, Piggly Wiggly, Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Kudzu, Pawleys Island Bakery, Kroger and Better Brands for their donations. Special thanks to Applewoods House of Pancakes, Greenskeeper Florist, and Chocolate and Coffee House. Thanks are extended to Anything EATZ for their contribution of pizzas to feed our hungry ROTC students.

The Georgetown High School Junior ROTC students should be proud of their work, which once again they performed capably and with dignity. They added class to the event.

Finally, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone in the community who attended the Souper Bowl and on whom we can always count to support Habitat activities to enable us to continue building decent homes for people in need.

Kathy and John Morris

Chairpersons, Souper Bowl XV

Habitat for Humanity, Georgetown