DI News History - August 17, 2017
TEN YEARS AGO - PACT program makes impact
One of the main stories in the Aug. 16, 2007 issue of The Daniel Island News was about a program called “Parents and Children Together” (PACT). PACT, which started in Charleston 25 years ago and is the only program of its kind in South Carolina, provides family support and education from qualified family educators who hold a Master’s or PhD and from professional early childhood teachers. Each class of the 10-week session lasts 1 1/2 to 2 hours and consists of fun, hands-on discovery parent-child activities, followed by a parents’ discussion period (determined by topics selected by parents) while the children play together with early childhood educators.
The issue also featured a story about then Daniel Island teenager Hans Hilkhuijsen. At the time, Hans was 14 years old and had been nominated to play baseball as part of the “People to People” Sports Ambassador Programs overseas. Founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the program’s mission is to foster peace through understanding, using the camaraderie of sport to connect people and the cultures of the world.
“People in Europe were sick of all the war going on and after World War II they wanted their kids to have peace with each other,” said Hans. “So they started to play sports with each other.” The location of the games that year happened to be a very special place to the Hilkhuijsens.
“This year, of all years, it was held in Holland, [his father’s] home country,” Hans’ mother, Anne, said. “Then we found out that the base of the games was to be in Haarlem, which is Tim’s grandfather’s hometown. After that, we knew it was meant to be and we had to make the trip at whatever cost. I guess I would call it a sign or divine intervention.”
FIVE YEARS AGO - The Simmons Apartment project
In the Aug. 16, 2012 issue of The Daniel Island News, one of the main stories featured the new proposal of the Simmons Park Apartments. A group of Daniel Island residents, mostly those living or working in close proximity to the proposed complex at 211 River Landing Dr. (adjacent to the fire station between River Landing Drive and Pier View Street), took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns about the project at two public gatherings in August that year—the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA) meeting and the City of Charleston Design Review Board meeting. Since then, the apartments have opened and now several businesses are also in operation in the retail space.
Also in the news was a story about a fun kids’ camp on the island that was started by three friends from Daniel Island, all rising 7th graders at the time. They called it “Camp Doodlebug” and in 2012 it was in its third year. Georgia Garner, Alyssa Brewer and Sydney Carmain, the camp founders, did all the planning and prep for the camp, from scheduling out activities to purchasing supplies (they borrowed cash from their parents, then paid them back from the camp fees collected), to getting “counselor” tee shirts. The girls added a charitable element to that year’s camp and donated all of their proceeds to the Children’s Hunger Fund in Haiti.