[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Happy fourth of July. I'm Jackie Broach and this is First Friday with Georgetown County.
With me today is a first time guest and a new person in our agency. This is Kelly Robertson Slagle and she is our new economic development director. So Kelly is going to talk with us today a little bit about herself and, and what is coming up for economic development in Georgetown County. So Kelly, you are new to Georgetown but not really, right? Tell us about.
[00:00:38] Speaker A: That's correct. Well, first of all, thank you for having me. Really excited to be able to join you today and introduce myself to the community and you know, have our conversation. But to answer your question, yes, I'm, I'm new ish, if that makes sense.
My husband and I have owned a second home, I'll say in the Grand Strand area for the last seven year. So I've been able to enjoy and, and kind of get to know the area and the community as a, I'll say a tourist and like a part time resident down here for the last several years. So we're super excited to be, to be full timers now and officially be residents of South Carolina.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: And you come to us from I.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: My husband and I moved here from Southern Maryland, specifically Charles County. And for those listening that may even be a little bit more familia are from the La Plata area of Charles county. That's considered Southern Maryland.
And if you look at us on the map, we're just south of Washington D.C. about 45 minutes.
Folks that travel up and down the east coast are probably very familiar with Route 301 as an alternate to 95. If you've gone on Route 301, you've gone right through Charles County.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Okay. And you are definitely not a newcomer to economic development.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: No, definitely not.
I've had the very good fortune of having an amazing career in economic development starting my, I'll say 26th, 27th year, worked 25 years in the state of Maryland. A variety of positions over the years from working for the state agency, which is the Maryland Department of Commerce out in the Southern Maryland region, worked for them for a couple years, then work for what would be similar to what you folks in this area know as the cog, the Council of Government type organization, did economic development again out in the Southern Maryland region, but also did some government relations working with our federal, state and local delegations and then towards the, I would say more recent part of my career work specifically in a local jurisdiction, in an economic development office and you know, working. I feel like I've touched about every part of economic development, but definitely the last seven to eight years as a director in a senior leadership position, working with teams in both Calvert county as well as Charles County.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: So what was it that made you want to move down to Georgetown?
[00:03:23] Speaker A: So I fell in love with Georgetown pretty quickly.
You know, for me, there's a lot of Georgetown county that reminds me of Charles County.
I am, I'll say, seventh generation from Charles county to kind of put it into perspective. So my has been from that area for many years.
And there were parts. The first time I came to Georgetown, there were parts of the area that reminded me so much of home. The water aspect of it, the close, like, family history aspect of it reminded me a lot of Charles County. We certainly have sections that were very rural, a lot of woods, you know, undeveloped areas, if you can call it that.
[00:04:12] Speaker B: That.
[00:04:13] Speaker A: But, you know, there was just a lot. And I felt at home here.
Loved the uniqueness of not just the walk a mall neck portion of it, which I think a lot of people are certainly familiar with, but also historic downtown Georgetown.
My goodness. I mean, we loved it so much that our daughter got married here just this past April.
And we. Thank you. And we.
She got married out. Her and her husband got married out in the Planersville areas where we actually hosted the event.
But we had a little over 100 friends and family from outside the area that stayed in historic Georgetown. And my goodness, we were so excited to be able to introduce them to the area. And they have also fallen in love with it and plan to come back.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Wonderful, wonderful. I know our tourism agents, our tourism management arm, will really appreciate that.
So your daughter also went to ccu?
[00:05:08] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:05:08] Speaker B: So you were a big Chanticleers fan?
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Yes, big. Big Chanticleers fan. Big ccu. We loved following the base over their world series run over the last couple of weeks. Even wore our coastal gear to work. I saw that with that. So absolutely, she had a fantastic experience there and loved it. Loved the area so much she decided to stay.
Found her forever.
Brandon, who is from this area, and ultimately, you know, they've gotten married and they've settled in like the Forest Brook area of Myrtle Beach.
She had a wonderful opportunity. Opportunity. Did an internship with the city of North Myrtle beach through their parks and rec division. And then when she graduated, had a wonderful opportunity to join their team. And she's been there for about three and a half years now. Fantastic group up there.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: So I'm worried them down to Georgetown.
So it is an interesting time for economic development in Georgetown County. We have a lot of change on the horizon. Obviously they are as we speak tearing down the steel mill and IP is idle, has been for several months now. So what, what do you see on the horizon for Georgetown County? What, what are your goals?
[00:06:30] Speaker A: And yeah, I mean I'm definitely in very much started. This is my sixth week.
Things have been going really well for folks that have read articles or even I've had a chance to speak to you. I'm very much still in my first 90 day. What I like to say my, my listening period where I you know, meeting with industry but also our industry partners. I have a tour scheduled with the president of ori, Georgetown Tech. Excited to get out there and meet those folks and, and others.
So definitely when you say it's an exciting time that is probably an understatement with the opportunities that are on the horizon for, for the county, not just with the steel mill and IP but also certainly with the growth and potential in the mast that's been developed for the airport out in Andrews with the Georgetown Business Park. You know, we're cutting the ribbon on some new businesses out there.
We have a fantastic partnership with Santee Electric with the spec building that is expected to be delivered in September. We have another one that we're going to be starting right on the heels of that.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: So just for anybody who doesn't understand the lingo.
[00:07:47] Speaker A: Yes. Tell us, what is that? So a spec building is short for speculative building and really for communities like ours to be able to construct a building that's, you know, and these are large scale buildings, like 100, 150,000 square foot buildings that are basically there ready for a manufacturer. So when we're meeting with site selectors and we're working with our state agency with clients, manufacturers, high tech, you know, from a variety of industry sectors, we have what I like to call product.
We have something that is for the most part fairly close to turnkey for them to immediately come and put their finishing touches on it but basically be able to locate and bring those jobs here to Georgetown County. So to be able to have that resource and that tool, that key partnership with Santee Electric is, is amazing. It's quite frankly it was a tool that I did not have in Maryland.
We don't, they just didn't have the structure like that there.
And not a lot of communities have the ability to have these, what we call spec buildings available, that product available, just sitting, you know, ready. So you're, you're that, I'll say you're, you're that much further along in the site selection game as they're looking at, you know, communities and, and they're looking at communities all over the United States and to be able to have that product available is really key.
[00:09:25] Speaker B: The Andrews Industrial park really kind of has just been booming lately. I talked with Maya, the only other person in your department, you know, before you came on board. She's kind of kept me updated and there has been a lot going on.
[00:09:38] Speaker A: Out there, a lot of, a lot of interest. I mean what a fantastic piece of property, fantastic office park, great location, you know, close to you, you know getting it's right off of five and I'm still learning my roads. 5:31.
[00:09:55] Speaker B: I, I don't do navigation very well.
[00:10:01] Speaker A: 521. 521. Thank you.
[00:10:03] Speaker B: Behind the camera is helping us out here.
[00:10:05] Speaker A: Five I said 531521 and and I am, I'm a visual person and folks that have had a chance to meet me, I'm all about, never ask me for directions.
[00:10:14] Speaker B: It will not go well.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: But yes, right there off of 521, you know, great highway access, full, you know, full infrastructure in there. It's also serviced by rail, you know, gas, electric, you know, fiber, all of it is, is located in there. We do have a couple other lots that are available that we're working with the state and also with the North Northeast Economic Development alliance or nisa which is our, our regional economic development partner to promote that park to site selectors.
So exciting times all the way around. But back to your original which was the steel mill and ip, you know, both of those properties are privately owned.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: A lot of people just, they don't seem to quite comprehend that and what that means.
So the county doesn't get to decide what goes there.
[00:11:12] Speaker A: Exactly, exactly. And you know I had a very similar project that I was actually actively working on when you know, my husband and I made the decision that we were going to come south in you know, privately owned, actually coal fired facility. Very similar to what we know down here as Winyah, serviced by rail water, you know, tri modal but it was privately owned and where we were working with that owner was, you know, they were reviewing bidders, interested folks on that party and that or on that particular piece of property. And when they got close to their final decision is when they brought the county in and economic development in to then work with a contract purchaser from that stage forward. And it's very similar situation to what is going on with ip. Again, privately owned, currently in zone, currently zoned Heavy industrial.
We did have a meeting with them. I know we worked with you to get a press release out from the county on that information, essentially saying that.
[00:12:20] Speaker B: They are paying us the courtesy of sharing some information with us as they go through the process. But it will be their decision.
[00:12:27] Speaker A: It will ultimately be their decision. And from an economic development perspective, whoever they choose, whoever ultimately is the buyer, we will absolutely work with them, welcome them into the community and, you know, help to get them through those ultimate steps to whatever it's going to be, whatever that project's ultimately going to be from, you know, from that stage forward. So we appreciate the outreach from IIP and the transparency that they were able to provide to us.
You know, we had a great conversation and we encourage them to continue to keep us updated over the next several months to a year. You know, that it's going to take them a while to review and want.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: It to, we want them to make a good decision that's going to be good for our community, which is what they have committed to doing. They're still keeping the, the, the health of Georgetown county in mind. I, in the. Health is probably not the right word.
[00:13:23] Speaker A: But just, you know, you know, I, I, I was a, I was very appreciative to hear them say that they want this to be a good project for the community.
[00:13:33] Speaker B: Yes, they, they still have a stake in the community. They do still have a box plant here.
[00:13:37] Speaker A: Yes, that is still open. Yep, that is still open. Still employees, over 125 people.
You know, that's, that's a major employer for Georgetown county. And, you know, they are, they are committed to that. So, so, yeah, so we're, you know, we stand by to assist as we can, but ultimately are waiting to find out who that contract purchaser is going to be. So that way we can, you know, work a little bit closer with them.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: Yeah, we are probably just as anxious as everybody out there.
[00:14:06] Speaker A: Absolutely. Absolutely.
[00:14:08] Speaker B: Well, what else can you tell us about what's in store for Georgetown County?
[00:14:12] Speaker A: So the other, I would say the other big project that I'm really excited about is the, the port.
You know, when I was looking at the opportunity to come work here, you know, of course I did my homework, did my research and, you know, realize, wow. I mean, the county in general and the elected leadership and senior leadership that had the foresight to go in and be able to, you know, acquire some of the, the property out there and then start that remedial cleanup and work with the state, that's, that's huge.
[00:14:47] Speaker B: There's so much potential out there.
[00:14:49] Speaker A: So much potential. And I've been out there Several times and Ms. Angela, Angela, the county administrator, she likes to call it the money shot.
Looked at the money shot and boy, is it just amazing to be able to look directly across at historic Georgetown, then kind of turn a little bit and be able to see the park, see kind of the mouth of, of the waterway. Envision, you know, once the dredging project is done there at the harbor, being able to look at Goat island, you know, the property there where their steel mill is. I mean, there's just a lot of amazing redevelopment opportunity ahead. And I am extremely excited to be able to be a part of the team that will help to lead that.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: Well, we are extremely excited to have you as part of the team and we cannot wait to see what is ahead. So, Kelly, thank you so much for joining us.
[00:15:44] Speaker A: You're very welcome.
[00:15:45] Speaker B: And I look forward to working with you in the future and seeing what the future holds.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Absolutely. And we're neighbors.
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely.
[00:15:50] Speaker A: Right across the hall. So invite me back, you know, later on. You know, I would love to continue to keep everybody updated on some of the projects that we have. And, and thank you again for inviting me. I'm really excited to be out in the community and meet more of the residents as well as the, the business owners and our community partners.
[00:16:08] Speaker B: We will absolutely welcome you back.
All right, Kelly, thanks.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: You're welcome.
[00:16:15] Speaker B: Our next guest is Afra McCrae, our director of voter registration and elections. And Afra is here to talk to us about a special election that we are having next week. Afra, tell us a little bit about that. Who are we voting for? Or rather what. Not. Not which candidate, which office.
[00:16:31] Speaker C: Okay, so the special election is scheduled for July 8.
That is next Tuesday.
Early voting ended on yesterday, July 3. So that ran from June 23 until yesterday, July 3, from 8:30 to 5 at the county office.
We have three candidates on that ballot.
I won't mention names because as long.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: As you mention them all.
[00:16:58] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:16:59] Speaker B: Just no favoritism.
[00:17:00] Speaker C: Right. So we have three. We have three candidates on that ballot. You'll see an Alex Belsard, you'll see a John Tester, and you'll also see a Gerard Ownby, again scheduled for next Tuesday.
I really wanted to come on here and discuss the districts because this election is very district based.
[00:17:27] Speaker B: I don't get to vote in this one. I was sad.
[00:17:29] Speaker C: Right?
[00:17:29] Speaker B: I'm always sad, but I don't get to vote.
[00:17:32] Speaker C: You are like many that have came to vote and don't live in District 6.
So again, this election is for school board District 6. And the most confusing thing about it.
[00:17:44] Speaker B: Is, is that the same as Council District 6.
[00:17:46] Speaker C: Correct.
[00:17:47] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:17:48] Speaker C: So while county council and school board District six match or they're the same, it's still quite confusing because many of your voters are not sure which districts they live in. And so the walk on my neck, this is where most of those voters are, are going to be in Pawley's, Allen and Murrell's Inlet. And as you know, a lot of those voters are from other states, other parts of, of the state. And so they come in and they get registered to vote, but a lot of them don't figure out which districts they're in.
So I'm going to give you a good example is Waverly Road. Okay. That is a split district area.
So if I'm not mistaken, I believe the right side of the road, depending on which part of Waverly a voter lives on, you're either in District 6 or District 2. And so just because you have a neighbor that lives across the street and in conversation they tell you, hey, I just went to early vote for the school board district.
A lot of people think they're eligible because they live in such close proximity to their neighbor. And so then that neighbor comes in and we go, no, you're not eligible the other side of the street.
[00:19:01] Speaker B: Sorry, you're on the other side.
[00:19:02] Speaker C: Right, right. And so that's where your GIS mapping portal is really important for anyone who wants to, wants to learn how to use it.
Be prepared, know your districts prior to voting. I really can't stress that enough.
It's going to be really important to know that you're eligible before you show up to vote.
[00:19:22] Speaker B: I know there are some very easy ways to figure out your district. You want to tell us about those.
[00:19:26] Speaker C: Correct. So there will be maps at the precinct in addition to the maps at the precincts. You can give us a call, we will confirm which district you live in. If you want to familiarize yourself with the GIS mapping portal, you can go to the county's website, enter in your address.
You do have to layer, do some layering in that mapping portal.
That way you can see exactly what you need. But one of the easiest ways is probably going to be be to give our office a call.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: You can also just go right online, is it scvotes.gov and you can pull up all of your voter information. Correct. Every district, every, every office that you're allowed to vote for, correct year. And I'm Pretty sure I have a card in my wallet that tells me what district I'm in.
[00:20:14] Speaker C: You should, as long as you didn't tear off the white portion of that card.
[00:20:17] Speaker B: I have the fancy new plastic one.
[00:20:19] Speaker C: And that fancy card. Although it's really great and you can't tear it up as easily. It doesn't have your districts on it.
[00:20:26] Speaker B: It doesn't?
[00:20:26] Speaker C: No, ma' am. It only has your picture and your voter registration number.
[00:20:30] Speaker B: Oh, so I should have kept the paper card?
[00:20:33] Speaker C: The paper card is helpful.
[00:20:34] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:20:35] Speaker C: It.
[00:20:35] Speaker D: It.
[00:20:35] Speaker C: The paper card can be helpful.
[00:20:37] Speaker B: Pro tip. Good advice.
[00:20:39] Speaker C: I also want to share that for any eligible District 6 voter who lives in Murrell's Inlet, there will only be one polling place on election day.
So anyone who wants to cast their vote on election day will have to report to the Murrells Inlet Fire Station headquarters.
That's right next to Lee's Apothecary.
[00:20:59] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:20:59] Speaker C: Okay.
If you live in Paulie's island and you're an eligible District 6 voter, you will cast your vote on election day at the Waccamaw Rec.
[00:21:08] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:21:08] Speaker C: Okay. And so again, that's July 8th from 7am to 7pm make sure you're in the district. District, please.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: And do all your research on candidates before.
[00:21:17] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:21:18] Speaker B: Make sure that you know who you're voting for and get through the. The whole process a little bit faster. Make it easier on poll workers and the people behind you. Right?
[00:21:26] Speaker C: Absolutely. Because as you know, we cannot advise on candidates at all. We can tell you who's on the ballot or show you a sample ballot, but we can't tell you anything more than a candidate's name.
So it is always good tip to do your research ahead of time.
Absolutely.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: What else do we need to know? What else is coming up this year?
[00:21:52] Speaker C: So the closest election is going to be that July 8th. You do have your municipal elections in November. So if you live in the city of Georgetown, town of Andrews, town of Paul, Lee's island, you will have an election.
I want to say it's November 4th, but if that's wrong, don't hold me to it. Call the office just to confirm.
So we have that coming up. That's your next scheduled set of elections. It's pretty much a quiet year for the voters unless you live in one of the municipalities. So at this point, we're just doing a lot of maintenance at the office to ensure that we're ready for July 8th and November 4th.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: So has filing already happened for those municipal elections?
[00:22:34] Speaker C: Fallon begins for the municipal elections in August. August 1st through August 15th, from noon.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: To noon, which will be here before we know it. So if you're interested in running for office, here is your chance. If you live in one of our incorporated communities.
[00:22:48] Speaker C: Correct. Now, city of Georgetown. Since they're a partisan municipality, they've already completed their candidate filing, which took place in March.
[00:22:57] Speaker B: Okay.
All right. Well, Aphra, thank you so much. You're welcome. I wish you a smooth election next week.
[00:23:04] Speaker C: Fingers crossed. From your lips to God's ears, right?
[00:23:08] Speaker B: Thanks, Afra.
[00:23:08] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:23:09] Speaker B: Our next guest is Ken Basler of the Georgetown 250 Committee, which is, of course, an offshoot of South Carolina 250. And I could not think of a more perfect day than July 4th to have Ken on. So, Ken, tell us a little bit about the committee, what its mission is and how people can get involved.
[00:23:28] Speaker E: Well, first of all, thank you, Jackie, for inviting me. Mean, this is a wonderful time. And we are actually in the midst of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which I guess you could say officially started in April with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. So the Declaration of Independence is coming up a year from now. Today, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which is what everybody likes to celebrate. So our job and our mission and our task has been to both educate our locals and our visitors on the American Revolution and the importance of South Carolina in the American Revolution.
And we are here to celebrate both with our locals and our visitors with regards to different activities that we're having in the area and educate, get the youth involved and get just the general public involved in learning more about South Carolina and the sacrifices that our fellow south Carolinians made 250 years ago, which was tremendous. Most people don't realize it, I would say, especially people that are not from the area and even people that are from the area, the depth and the importance of South Carolina and how we won the war here for the. For the colonies.
[00:24:54] Speaker B: Most people here have probably heard of the swamp fox, Francis Marion, but they may not know a whole lot more than that, really.
[00:25:01] Speaker E: Well, certainly the small fox, Francis Marion played a key role in turning back the British.
He was one of the most important people. But we had some very brave generals and some very brave folks that fought alongside with and in general, helped secure the victory.
For example, you know, the.
We just celebrated Carolina Day just this past weekend. Just this past weekend. And that was celebrating the victory of the Battle of Fort Sullivan.
And it was a huge turning point where the British, who underestimated the fierce people here in South Carolina and what they can do turned back the British, who would not appear again for three years later. So if you could picture this in your mind's eye, we fended them off here in 1776, and they did not come back three years later. And ultimately, with the siege of Charleston, decided that they wanted to pursue the war down here in the South.
Up until then, it was mostly fought up north, and the Battle of Monmouth being probably one of the last major battles that was fought up North. And then there was a little bit of a lull in activity here. And that's when Clinton and Cornwallis came down and. And Clinton left it in Lord Cornwallis's hands to take South Carolina. That's where things got a little bit heated.
You know, we have the militia that fought them in the low country, and you had people that fought them in the upcountry, whether it be General Morgan or DeKalb or any of those incredibly brilliant people and fierce people.
So those are. So when we say we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, particularly here in South Carolina, we are not just celebrating 2026, but we're celebrating all the way to the end of the war, because we basically scooted the British all the way up to ultimately Yorktown, where there was a surrender for Cornwallis to Washington. So.
[00:27:51] Speaker B: So.
[00:27:53] Speaker E: Without the battles that were over 400 battles in skirmishes here in South Carolina, without those battles and skirmishes and the bloodiness of the war, I think more people were injured here in South Carolina than anywhere. But I could be wrong on that. There could be some other places, but I know there was a lot of bloodshed, and that ultimately force them up through the Carolinas to Virginia and to their fate in Yorktown.
So that era will also be celebrated here in the state and in Georgetown County.
So for what we're doing between now and July 4, 2026, is more or less the beginning of our celebratory activities. But then there will be a period where. Where we're going to be focusing a lot on the history of the area and trying to educate people about these fierce battles and skirmishes. And although Georgetown county didn't have key battles, we did have some key skirmishes that changed and altered the course of the war in its own way, primarily because it was well below country, in general, was a very important place, resource rich. We had naval stores here, we had food here, we had rice plantations, and we had a way in and out, even though it was difficult to get out of Winyah Bay. Entrance as it is today.
They had what's called the shallow bar, and now it's the bar outside Winyah Bay made it difficult to bring big ships in, but they did, did manage to maneuver them in. And the British did have smaller warships here in Winyah Bay, so as did the Americans. And we had a schooner that helped protect the Winyah Bay entrance by the name of the Rattlesnake. And it was here for a while to help slow down or subdue what was going on with the British. So the key story here in Georgetown is how we dealt with the port, how we dealt with the British and the colonials and the patriots as far as loyalties were concerned. I mean, it was a very much neighbor versus neighbor thing here.
A lot of loyalists and sometimes that was driven by who was in port at the time.
So merchant class and the planter class here. So it's a very interesting, very dynamic story.
Love to have a producer out there that could somehow figure out how to compile that into a nice play. That would be great because it really was a lot of drama here on the streets.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: And of course, part of the group's mission is to tell the story and find a way of reaching people to engage them and get them interested in the story. So Carolina Day was one way of doing that. And we've got some other events coming up that are going to aim to do the same. Can you tell me about those?
[00:31:08] Speaker E: That's right. So we're constantly planning events. We're really good at planning events, mostly smaller venues. I mean, we. Georgetown County Museum is a. A key player, a key component in what we're doing here in, in Georgetown County. We just recently had the grand opening, the Francis Marion Interpretive center there, which is still there. Still. I, I tell you, when I learned about the American Revolution in Georgetown and what Francis Marion did. Take a walk through the Francis Marion Interpretive Center. But above and beyond that, we have other events that are. Have been starting to fill our dockets.
We're looking at putting in a festival in November, the Sweet Potato Festival, which will help us celebrate the role of Oscar Marion.
[00:32:03] Speaker B: Now, who is Oscar Marion?
[00:32:05] Speaker E: So Oscar Marion was Francis Marion's enslaved servant. And they, those two grew up together and fought side by side throughout the Revolutionary War.
And Oscar being a key component of that Low Countries militia, is also a veteran. So we're at the moment, anyway, unless things change, planning on having this celebratory activity down in Front street to right in conjunction with Veterans Day. You know, Veterans Day is on on Tuesday and the Saturday before, we're. We're hoping and planning to have a celebratory activity around Oscar Marion, which will be called the Sweet Potato Festival. Details to come.
[00:32:58] Speaker B: And why sweet potatoes?
[00:33:00] Speaker E: Good question.
So there's a famous painting, and I don't remember who did the painting, but there's a famous painting of Francis Marion meeting a British officer in the swampland.
And they had a. A discussion. It was kind of a little truce going on there to have some discussions. And they served a sweet potato dinner.
And if you look at the painting real carefully, you could pick out what we believe is Oscar Marion behind Francis and another. Another gentleman of color serving the sweet potatoes.
And that has become, in a way, a symbol of the fighting vigor of the militia, because they virtually lived on sweet potatoes out there. They grew wild. They dug them up, they ate them, as we know, high in vitamin C, lots of vitamins, but it kept them going.
And they believed in that simple, hard lifestyle back there.
The British officer was taken aback by that. Couldn't believe that this is what they were subsisting on.
So it's a little bit of local lore, but it's also driven by that photograph, and it's a true story. So it's not just local lore.
[00:34:22] Speaker B: It's a story that I had not heard before, and I think a lot of people probably have.
We focus a lot on Francis Marion, but this is an interesting take on it.
[00:34:31] Speaker E: It is an interesting take, and we're trying to highlight that. If you go into the Francis Marion Interpretive center, the first thing you see is two mannequins. One is dressed in the typical attire that Francis Marion would wear, and the other person is dressed in the attire that Oscar Marion would wear. So that they're representing Oscar Marion and Francis Marion together. Going to the side of the museum, you'll see a mural with Oscar Marion and Francis Marion together.
So I think it's important to bring up the fact that he was so instrumental in this, in the fight for liberty.
So, yeah, we're bringing that to attention.
We also have some other activities moving up, coming, coming forward. We. We want to, you know, join with the Hopsley Plantation on celebrating Thomas lynch, both senior and junior. But Thomas Lynch's junior's birthday is coming up soon.
[00:35:32] Speaker B: Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
[00:35:34] Speaker E: That's right. And. And what is.
[00:35:37] Speaker B: What is that? The birthday.
[00:35:38] Speaker E: Birthday's, uh, oh, geez, August 5th or August 6th, and I don't remember exactly, but also Thomas Lynch Sr. Who was instrumental in helping to form a lot of the Foundational documents and discussions through the Provincial Congress and then the Continental Congress, didn't live to make it to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was coming home and wound up having a stroke. And although his son was not in the best of shape health wise, but did make it through, did a signing.
So these are other people from Georgetown county that we want to help celebrate on top of Francisco.
[00:36:20] Speaker B: Lynches, of course, lived at Hopsawee for a time.
[00:36:24] Speaker E: That's right.
[00:36:25] Speaker B: And their story is largely told there.
[00:36:27] Speaker E: Their story is largely told there. And also as an aside, if you haven't seen the museum at Hopsaway yet, if you haven't gone back there to see it, they have done a wonderful job in putting together the story of not only Hopsawee, but the story of the enslaved that have worked at Hopsawee and meticulously done. It's beautiful.
And then we're, you know, we're trying to work all sides of the county. You know, we have, we have other events. We will do some repetitive events. We'll do today at a FOX event event. We'll do the upcoming Constitution Day, which technically is not the American Revolution, but we celebrate with the Daughters of American Revolution Constitution Day at Brooklyn Gardens.
And the reason being is because what happened in the American Revolution at the end of the day, after the fighting was done and the Treaty of Paris was signed, we still needed a government. We still needed foundational documents.
So between then 1783 and 1787, we had to work on some foundation. We worked on our Constitution and Bill of Rights and stuff like that. So you can't have one without the other. And so we do try to link that component and that will be in September at Brooklyn Gardens.
[00:37:57] Speaker B: So it sounds like there's a really exciting full roster of events coming up this year.
[00:38:01] Speaker E: That's right. Next one up is Flo's Colonial Kids Camp. I mean, I'm sorry, let me back up.
So today on July 4th in the evening, we'll be at Kaminsky House, running the water table there. So if you have any questions about the 250th anniversary, the American Revolution, we will be manning that table and happy to answer any questions about that.
Moving after that, the third week of July, we have Flo's Colonial Kids Camp, which is held downtown on Punt Street. And it's a, a perennial thing. It's been going on for years and we'll be doing that and Flo and Phil Phillips do it, but we, we help some support it, you know, and this year we're giving scholarships to that camp. I think they've already been filled up. But giving scholarships through a grant through the ESC250.
[00:39:01] Speaker B: So that's great.
[00:39:02] Speaker E: So people that could normally not afford to go to de camp will be able to go to the camp this year.
[00:39:06] Speaker B: Okay, wonderful.
[00:39:07] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:39:08] Speaker B: So other than catching you at the water table tonight at the Kaminsky House, how can people keep up with what you guys are up to or maybe get involved if they would like, would like to become part of the 250 committee.
[00:39:20] Speaker E: Great question. So we would like everybody to visit our, our website first off, which is.
I'll make sure I get it right because I've, I've been known to say it wrong. It's sc250georgetown.org sc250georgetown.org that's right. Or they can email us directly at georgetowncounty250gmail.com Great.
[00:39:44] Speaker B: And you guys have regular meetings on Thursdays?
[00:39:47] Speaker E: I believe we have regular meetings usually the third Thursday of the month. And if you go to the website, it'll tell you the exact dates and times of that meeting. We've been alternating that meeting between the Georgetown County Museum and the Waccamaw Neck Library. So people that are living up on the Neck who don't really feel like driving that far on a Thursday evening can see us every other month at the Georgetown, I mean at the Walkmo Neck Library. Otherwise it's the Georgetown County Museum.
[00:40:21] Speaker B: You're losing some of your audience there because they're going to planning commission meetings on the third Thursday of the month. I can tell you that right now.
[00:40:27] Speaker E: We know that they could always contact us through email or go to our, go to our website, become members. If you become a member, then you could, you can unlock the, the member site and see the, the presentations. And in, in the minutes.
We, we know that there's a lot of things in general going on in Georgetown County. It's hard to pick a day where there's not a meeting going on.
[00:40:51] Speaker B: Yes, yes there is.
[00:40:52] Speaker E: And it wasn't our, wasn't our intent to, to put this meeting on top of other meetings. Like, like it has happened. But once we got into the groove, and we've been doing this, believe it or not, since 2023, once we got into the groove of having it this third, third week of Thursday, it was too late to change. It was too confusing for people.
So we do apologize for that. But Planning Commission is not going to move their meeting for us.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: They're not, unfortunately. I'd Rather go to your meetings, but.
[00:41:27] Speaker E: Well, you know, you could always call in apps and play hooky. I'm sorry.
[00:41:32] Speaker B: Well, not now that you've announced it to my boss.
[00:41:38] Speaker A: Well, Ken, thank you so much.
[00:41:40] Speaker B: I really appreciate your coming to talk with us about all this exciting stuff. And I am definitely going to see you. We're going to go to some of these events and maybe have you back to talk about them as they get closer.
[00:41:51] Speaker E: Oh, we would love to. Thank you very much, Jackie.
[00:41:54] Speaker B: Thanks, Ken.
[00:41:54] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:41:56] Speaker B: Our next guest is becoming a monthly regular, Beth Goodall with our Parks and Recreation Department.
Beth, I want to talk to you about a couple of things this month, but we are going to start with something exciting that is happening this weekend. So if you don't get enough of your celebrations today with all the Fourth of July stuff, we have something you can come do on Sunday. Tell us about it.
[00:42:17] Speaker D: Absolutely. So a few years ago we've worked together with some, some individuals in the Chamber of Commerce because there was nothing really to do on the Sunday after July 4, no matter when that fail. Seemed like this Sunday, if it wasn't the holiday, there was kind of nothing much to do. And there's still lots of people here and lots of people who live here that want to celebrate on that Sunday.
So this will be our third annual Wave the Flag event. It's at Retreat park. Brings together bands and vendors and food and beverage.
Lots of people who wanted to celebrate the the fourth or right after the fourth. And caps off with a laser show sponsored by the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and the Hammock coast folks.
[00:43:07] Speaker B: And we, of course, for the festival itself are a sponsor along with vibetime.
[00:43:11] Speaker D: Absolutely. Vibetime is the organizer. There's a number of other sponsors. As the years have gone by, others have signed on because it is a great event. Also have a kickball tournament for families and teams who want to come play kickball. And this year they're adding bocce to the, to the lineup.
[00:43:29] Speaker B: So. Okay, that sounds exciting. Absolutely. And we have some pretty good musicians on the schedule for this year, including Elise Testone, who I remember from American Idol many, many years ago. I don't want to talk about how many years ago at this point.
[00:43:43] Speaker D: Yes, I think there's some, some bigger names. I think, think the music has actually grown and I think it's kind of a soul music event this year. So kind of the theme, but some really, really good, good entertainment from what I understand.
[00:43:58] Speaker B: And tell me about the laser light show.
[00:44:01] Speaker D: How so?
There are fireworks at many places and.
[00:44:07] Speaker B: Maybe not that night. I know the city does them on the 4th and so does Merle's on.
[00:44:11] Speaker D: Right. There's a number of fireworks available around the area. But we wanted to do something different also. You know, we're. We're pretty invested in outdoor environmental issues and that kind of thing. And so the laser light show came about because it is no impact, virtually no impact on the wildlife on. There's no trash generated. There's none of that. So we were really excited three years ago to see how that would work. And it was absolutely amazing. It set to music and it just is a very cool event. Chamber signed on, the Chamber of Commerce and the Hammock coast folks signed on to sponsor it. And it's just a really cool event.
Really amazing to see that, that show and set to the music.
[00:44:56] Speaker B: People seem to really enjoy it.
[00:44:58] Speaker D: Yes, absolutely.
[00:44:59] Speaker B: Okay, so that is happening this Sunday.
And something else exciting is happening this month. Tell us about SC7.
[00:45:08] Speaker D: Yes. So July is National Parks and Recreation Month and one of Georgetown County Parks and Rec. One of the things that we do a lot with now and try to promote is outdoor recreation. So we've actually been really working hard to do outdoor programming, outdoor facilities, trails, paddling, all of this.
[00:45:27] Speaker B: You're doing amazing things with your Georgetown Outdoor Adventure Trails goat program.
[00:45:32] Speaker D: Yes, your goat herd. The goat herd is growing to more than a thousand strong.
It has really come a long way, but folks recognize all of the natural resources here in Georgetown county and it really sets us apart. And the programming is amazing. But we've been working with a group called SC7 for a number of years. SC7 was founded by Tom Mullikan, who is now the director of South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Sources, which is wonderful. And also Michelle McCollum, who is the director of the South Carolina National Heritage.
[00:46:06] Speaker B: Corridor.
[00:46:09] Speaker D: National corridor organization.
So SE7 has been. This is the fifth year hosting an expedition across South Carolina.
Their goals are just like ours, to get people outside, to get people enjoying our natural resources, appreciating and protecting all of the beautiful lands found here in South Carolina. So we started working with SC7 a number of years ago. TL Staub, who is our goat herd leader, for lack of a better title, he went and participated in some of the expedition in some of the other areas of South Carolina.
And this year the expedition has agreed to come to us for two days in July.
So we'll be hosting on July 22nd and July 23rd. There's a great paddle planned on the 22nd on the black River Open to anyone who wants to come join, there's signups available on our Facebook page and the goat herd information and the recreation information.
[00:47:10] Speaker B: You do need to bring your own.
[00:47:11] Speaker D: Kayak, you do need to bring your own kayak or whatever you want to float on. It's a paddle, so if you want to paddle, board it or however you want to do it, canoe it. But yes, whatever you want to do to float on, you need to bring that with you. But all ages are welcome. We want to have a big turnout to show the SC7 folks just how great our Georgetown county folks are and how passionate about the rivers we are here and about paddling.
So then on the 23rd, the next day, we're going to showcase our urban trail.
So we have a couple of mile trail that's, that's designated within the historic district in downtown Georgetown. So for those folks who definitely want to get outside, but they might not feel as comfortable out in the woods or out paddling, we have the urban trail available. And so we want to showcase that to the SC7 folks about how a different, a different organization or different folks can get out in nature and outdoors, which is the goal. But, but in a different setting.
[00:48:15] Speaker B: Not everybody is happy in the woods. I know some people who are just not woodsy people.
[00:48:19] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[00:48:20] Speaker B: And during the summer I might be one of them.
[00:48:22] Speaker D: Well, we hope folks will also join us for that hike or historic district walk. It'll also be, it'll be the morning of the 23rd. There's also sign up for that available. You don't have to sign up, you can just show up. Yeah, but it's great to know for.
[00:48:36] Speaker B: The walk walk you do need to sign up for the path, you do.
[00:48:38] Speaker D: Need to sign up for the paddle because we would like to know how many folks we're looking at and if we need to kind of put folks in, in flights along the river. So. But yes, just, just come out and join the SC7 expedition as they come to Georgetown County.
[00:48:53] Speaker B: Well, that sounds really exciting. And the goat program in general is just really exciting. I love how that has taken off. I'm going to start calling TL the head goat.
[00:49:02] Speaker D: We call them the, the, the, the herd head or the head of our goat herd. Yeah, it's a wonderful program. There's still time to participate in the fit goat and iron goat challenges.
Those folks are, have been working hard, lots of miles being walked and paddled and biked. But there is still time, you know, for the contest for this year.
[00:49:23] Speaker B: I need to send to you all my miles for the last couple months.
[00:49:26] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. You keep up with it yourself. But there's some great prizes and just some. Some fun events coming out. You don't have to be a member of the herd or the challenge to join. There's paddles, a number of paddles each month. There's more coming up this month.
Some easy paddles, some harder paddles. We've got some. Some. We combine our goat herd hikes with a Walk with Ease Arthritis association program. There's hikes that take place both in the Georgetown region and on the Walk of My Neck on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In the mornings, they can check that out and join the herd there.
[00:50:04] Speaker B: It is free to be a member of the goat herd, though, so there's no good reason not to join.
[00:50:08] Speaker D: Right. And pretty much everything the herd does is free.
The hikes and those programs, the paddling, all of that is free.
So really just come all ages from adults, seniors and kids are welcome. Welcome to come out. Some are in urban areas, some are in on some of our trails.
Coming up, there will be a beach hike that'll be going out a couple of days a week.
[00:50:32] Speaker B: Now. That one's right up my alley.
[00:50:34] Speaker D: Yeah. So that's coming. Just lots of opportunities to get out and get out in nature and be active.
[00:50:41] Speaker B: Okay. Well, Beth, that all sounds great.
We will give a little plug in our next segment where I talk about upcoming events for your fall sports and summer sports. But thank you for everything you do.
[00:50:55] Speaker D: Thank you very much.
[00:50:57] Speaker B: That's it for this month's episode of First Friday with Georgetown County. Thank you for listening. As always, I'd like to end with some events happening in the next few weeks.
Let's start off with what's happening today as far as Independence Day celebrations. The annual Pawleys Island Fourth of July parade always draws a huge crowd and serious compliments. Competition for the best float award. The parade kicks off at 10am at the South Causeway. Also beginning at 10am is the North Litchfield Children's Parade. It leaves from Hanover Drive and winds through the neighborhood. The thing that sets it apart is a ban on combustion engines and a focus on kids and family funds that will feature lots of bikes, scooters, golf carts and the like.
The 42nd annual Murrells the and Inlet Boat Parade will set sail from the point of Garden City at 2pm Watch from the Marsh Swap or a Morse Park Landing. Inlet celebrations will also include live music all day on the Marshwalk and a fireworks show. At 10pm the Kaminsky House will host its annual patriotic concert on the lawn with music performed by the Indigo Choral Society. The event is free and open to all. The show begins at 6:30pm and includes a color guard and songs from the American genre, Carolina theme songs and a salute to our Armed Forces. Bring a chair or a blanket. The City of Georgetown's annual fireworks display will begin at 9:30pm from Morgan Park. Spectators are encouraged to watch from East Bay park.
If you'd like to help clean up after the fireworks. Murrell's Inlet 2020 will have a cleanup of the inlet from 9 to 11am on Saturday and is looking for volunteers. All supplies will be provided.
If you'd like to keep the celebration going through the weekend, we've got a couple of good options for you. Enjoy a free show on Saturday with Music in the park on Front street in Georgetown featuring beach music by the Tams, and of course, as Beth just told us, on Sunday the Wave that Flag Festival and Laser Light show will return for its third year at Retreat park in Litchfield.
The event will take place from 6 to 8pm followed by the laser show beginning at around 9pm later this month, we have countywide free sports camps taking place for kids ages 5 to 12. These include basketball, tackle football and flag football.
Registration for fall sports, including NFL, flag football and cheerleading is underway. Visit GTCParks.org to register.
The library's summer reading program is still going on and there are tons of programs at all five of our library branches. Check out our
[email protected] or contact your local branch for a full schedule and more information.
The Planning commission will meet July 17th at 5:30pm in the historic courthouse on Screven Street. County Council will meet in that same location on July 22nd at 5:30pm you can find more upcoming events and public meetings on our
[email protected] Please also keep up with us on social media and by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
As always, thank you for listening to this podcast. Join us again next month.
