Voter registration drive

The Georgetown County League of Women Voters (LWV) is participating in a LWV National Day of Voter Registration on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Locations will be the Georgetown County Public Library  and the Midway Fire Station. Times will be 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. All eligible voters who have never registered previously are invited to come and register to vote. Please bring your Social Security number.

Voter I.D. is optional as the federal judges have not made their final declaration that would require photo I.D. The League is a strong advocate for ensuring that impediments such as a mandatory picture ID are defeated. It has partnered with other groups such as the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union to ensure that this does not happen. Our local LWV hopes that many will take advantage of our rights as citizens to register and vote. Our Web site is: lwvgc.org for more information.

Ralph P. Edwards

Georgetown LWV Voter Services chairman

Georgetown

No Room at the Inn?

I want to begin this letter with a heartfelt thanks to Pastor Don. He has graciously agreed to host my daughter's Girl Scout troop at Pawleys Island Community Church. This is a beautiful facility that will make our meetings extra special and his show of support and hospitality is greatly appreciated. He also helped us out of a big jam.

For the past two years my daughter's Girl Scout troop was meeting at one of the largest churches in Pawleys Island. We always cleaned up behind ourselves and showed great respect for this facility. Unfortunately, we were recently informed that we will not be able to meet there anymore. Various reasons were given — none of which made any sense or appeared sincere. In the end, our group collectively felt snubbed and abandoned. This put us in a desperate situation to find a suitable meeting place at the last minute.

Our tireless and wonderful troop leader took to the phones to find another church or facility that would be willing to open its doors (and hearts) for our Girl Scouts. To our dismay she was turned down by some of the other large churches in Pawleys Island — one of which I know has hosted the Boy Scouts for many years.

I find myself very disappointed that these churches, all possessing many classrooms, play yards, and large meeting areas, couldn't find any room for our girls one night a week during the school year. This is a sadly missed opportunity to influence and nurture our young women.

A special shout out to the Pastor at Christ the King who recently offered his church.

Thanks again Pastor Don for coming to our rescue!

Teresa Welsh

Proud Girl Scout mom

Pawleys Island

Mojo Reluctantly Endorses Sales Tax

The Editors,

Mojo sidled up to me the other day and asked if I would help him with a problem. “I’m all for the capital projects sales tax”, he said, “but I don’t know if I should endorse it.” “Why wouldn’t you endorse it if you like it?”

 “I don’t know whether my endorsement will help or hurt its passage. People have been known to discount what I stand for just because I’m a dog. I don’t want that to happen with the sales tax. In fact, I would be happy not to endorse it if that would help its passage.”

“Well friend, tell my why you support the tax?”

“Let me comment on the slices of the project pies. Obviously, the portion directed toward dredging the port is critical. That portion will show that locally, we are serious and it will help us leverage millions more dollars to get the job done. One only has to ride on some of the roads targeted for improvement to know how needed road construction is. I’ve friends who are fire dogs and they have told me how badly fire stations need to be updated and how the establishment of new stations will save residents thousands of dollars in insurance. Libraries are critical places of learning in our society. Remember last week when you were in the library and I waited in the car? I saw a mother taking her two young children into the library. They were all excited. She explained to a person who held the door as they rushed in, ‘They are on their way to get their first library card’. I know that folks have questioned the slice going to recreation. However, that is very short sighted. I have contacts with police dogs who remind me that youngsters get into trouble between 3 and 6 in the afternoon. If we can intervene early on, providing recreational opportunities during that time, we might just prevent some young people from going astray. Recreational facilities are lot less expensive than juvenile detention centers and prisons.”

I told Mojo that I really did understand that point. I was once involved with the Youth Assistance Program, a diversion for minor and first time juvenile offenders. We got them out of the system. The community decided what was necessary in response to their offense. Time and time again, I saw juveniles who got in trouble during that afternoon time frame.

Mojo continued, “And remember when we lived in Rock Hill, up in York County? They had Pennies for Progress. Part of the recreational expenditure there made it attractive to have youth soccer and softball teams come from all over to the county for tournaments And finally, get this.” Mojo was on a roll. “Guess who winds up paying a lot of the sales tax? People from Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina …”

“Whoa, Mojo, you’ve convinced me. You don’t need to worry about whether or not to endorse the proposal. You just did.”

Sincerely,

The Rev. Dr. Jim Watkins and Mojo

Pawleys Island