Letters to the Editor - February 13, 2020
Group wants city to buy North Island Tract from State Ports Authority
Dear Community/Editor:
On Feb. 2, 2020, the following public letter was sent to Councilwoman Marie Delcioppo on behalf of the members of the Daniel Island Natural Resource Association (DINRA):
“Good Morning Marie,
Following up on our last email, DINRA and many DI residents would like for you to advocate for the city to buy the North Island Track currently being offered for sale by the SC Ports Authority, and place a Conservation Easement on the property with the owners designated as DI residents common domain. We wish this property to remain in a natural state for island residents to fully enjoy native plants, birds, wildlife and river views.
We believe that the short sale of the approximately 30 acre waterfront property on the Wando River in 2017 by the city deprived island residents and city taxpayers of at least 10 million dollars in common property equity. We would like this amount to be bid by the city to obtain the North Island Tract and have the property placed in the common domain to be overseen by an established conservation entity in perpetuity and DINRA.
Further, since the Conservation Bank property has been clear cut and bulldozed and contaminated with dredging spoils, bird and other wildlife habitat has been drastically reduced on the island: island ecology is in jeopardy. Mosquito breeding areas are estimated to have doubled with the recent clear cutting and spoils depositing on hundreds of acres of property on the south end and west side of the island. Air pollution tree buffers have been eliminated and the appearance of an industrial road bed from the west to east end of the island has appeared.
As our city council representative, we formally request you advocate for the city purchase of the North Island Track for the purpose of island ecology, habitat preservation, island resident natural area enjoyment, restitution of a below market value short sale, and the elimination of thousands of trees and wildlife habitats.
Since time is of the essence, please advise your position on the matter clearly and earnestly as our elected representative. The Delcioppo Nature Park is a great legacy.”
Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact our city representative at DelcioppoM@charleston-sc.gov. Or visit www.dinra.org.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ken Scarlett President, DINRA
Leash your dog!
Dear Editor:
The real danger on the island is not coyote, but careless dog owners who let their dogs off leash in the parks. I was walking this morning on the sidewalk around the baseball field with my two small dogs on leash, of course. A Huskie-like dog, over 40 pounds, trots up by himself and after a short sniff, grabbed my 26-pound rescue dog by the neck and pinned her to the sidewalk all the while with him growling and her screaming.
The female owner walks up and asks, “Did Bailey frighten your dogs?”
I screamed at her, “He had her by the neck in his teeth and growling savagely.”
No matter how tame you think your dog is: Never let it off the leash off your property. Doing so is totally irresponsible and dangerous.
Yvonne Michel
Daniel Island
Not in favor of Joe Cunningham
Dear Editor:
I was very interested in the two, not just one, letters appearing on your editorial page in favor of Joe Cunningham. I have also read with interest other articles written by the Democratic Party in favor of keeping him in office. I did not realize that all these years that I spent trying to reduce my taxes, put money in a personal savings account and in retirement funds, giving time and money to world-wide missions and the military at our church, helping to feed and clothe the poor, and respecting all presidents of the U.S. was just a waste of time.
It seems that if I just join the Democratic Party and vote for Joe Cunningham, all the world’s problems will go away.
Margaret McNab Gale
Mount Pleasant