From The State today: the proposed bridge to replace the worn-out bridge over the Congaree is on hold again, to address a lawsuit from Friends of Congaree Swamp.
According to The State, “The ruling issued Tuesday bans the Federal Highway Administration from starting the bridge project until it either modifies its environmental assessment or completes an environmental impact statement.” It doesn’t stop repairs from being made on the old bridge. The last repairs made on the bridge cost one man his life, one a surprise swim in the middle of winter, and a third a few hours suspended from the bridge until firefighters were able to rappel down to him and rescue him.
The bridge is on the list of top ten bridges in SC needing repair by SCDOT.
Clearly, a new bridge is needed. The next closest crossing is at I-77 outside of Columbia, and in the opinion of a former inspector, “I inspected this bridge 18 years ago and recommended that it be closed for use immediately. Large spalls (chunks) of concrete were breaking loose and falling to the river and ground below. I installed a sign warning boaters and fishermen not to stand or park beneath the bridge. This bridge needs to be closed NOW - AND REPLACED. It can not be repaired.
Friends of Congaree want to see SCE&G’s line incorporated into the bridge design to lessen the footprint, and to have the bridge extended past the current causeways, at a doubling of the cost of the project.
No flaws in the initial plan were found, or there would have been an injunction stopping the project, based on fact. Instead, this is a harassing law suit, to stop progress on a bridge because it’s not all that the tree-huggers want it to be, and who want to double our tax dollars to build to their tastes.
Look, about a mile-and-a-half of the swamp is downstream of the bridge. It’s not in any danger of drying out anytime soon. It’s in the Fork Swamp, and is fed, flowed, and flooded by the Wateree River, not the Congaree. (”Fork Swamp”…get it?) So that leaves dead critters. SC DNR recorded 48 roadkills in a two day period. Apparently possums, raccoons, and deer mean more to FOC than people. An extended bridge, which they sued to get, will allow these animals to wade under spans instead of climb the causeways.
Are dead possums, raccoons, and deer worth an extra 38 million bucks? Not to me.
I want a bridge that won’t fall out from under me when I take my boat to the river. Friends of Congaree, either come up with the extra 38 million, or shut up and put people over roadkill, and get over yourselves.
Until this is settled, I guess I’ll put my boat in at Lowfalls…see you there.
According to this, Joyce Jones Parrish, who filed last month for the School Board race in District 4, has officially announced her campaign.
She’s running against incumbent Michael Drake, and shares the battle with Ernest “Bucky” Stokes.
The race will be decided on November 4, as part of the general election.
From the article:
“Before her retirement in 1997, Parrish had been principal of St. John Elementary and Bethlehem Elementary schools in the district. After moving briefly to Columbia following her retirement, she returned to St. Matthews at the end of 2000. She filed for the District 4 seat in 2004, but withdrew her candidacy.
Parrish says she never stopped supporting the schools. She also cites her commitment to putting children first and, “changing the makeup of a school board that does not adequately represent the constituents they serve.”
“Presently, Calhoun County has a school board whereas several of its members who have school-aged children do not allow their children to attend the public schools of Calhoun County,” she said.
According to Parrish, she regularly attends board meetings, “to observe firsthand the operation and the way things are done.”
“When someone is elected to represent the people that voted for them, they should be a voice for those people, not a select group of the people,” she said.”
Interesting point, about board members with kids not going to district schools.
Another point could be made that perhaps if board members aren’t buying off on our education system (and not just the one in Calhoun County, but state-wide), vouchers and school choice’s time has come?
Love to hear what you think about this. Comment below.
Tags: election 2008, Local, schools
A preliminary autopsy has revealed very little about the skeletal remains recovered in northwestern Calhoun County Saturday.
According to the Times and Democrat, “Investigators now believe they are the remains of a white female between 30 and 50 years old. She stood between 5 feet 3 inches tall and 5 feet 7 inches tall.”
The cause of death is still not known, but hopefully a more thorough examination of the body may yield some clues.
According to reports in the Times and Democrat, skeletal human remains were found in northwestern Calhoun County.
The Sheriff’s Office got a call from an unamed citizen who discovered the remains.
“We do have some missing persons files that we’ll be looking at,” Sheriff Thoma Summers said. “That will be the first thing we go on. Of course, we have to determine the race and gender before we get started with that.”
More on this story as it becomes available.
With all the hubbub over the wastewater treatment plant, I thought it would be great if you could hear the opinion of someone who doesn’t own land next to it, or an engineer that’s being paid to install it, or the leaders of Town, who have to bend to the will of DHEC and come up with something to improve on what we have now.
So, how about the editor-at-large of ecoworld.com? “In today’s world, subsurface drip irrigation is one of the most efficient ways of water dispersal.” She goes on to say, “This system is also an environmentally friendly alternative to the more wasteful systems (like sprinkler or surface irrigation). Ideally, when it is an option, wastewater (or effluent) is used to grow crops and maintain grasses, in order to preserve the limited freshwater for other uses.”
Now, this is coming from a site that is dedicated to “Nature and Technology Working Together. It’s not coming from Kevin Strickland, the embattled engineer who’s responsible for getting St. Matthews into compliance with DHEC regulations. It’s not coming from Mayor Joe Sikes or Town Administrator Dick Whetstone, who are responsible for implementing the system without a major increase in water and sewer rates. It’s from an organization that doesn’t even know St. Matthews exists, the left-wing bastion of eco-warriors.
Listen, don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself what’s going in the ground in Calhoun County. Make arrangements to tour the WWTP and see what’s being pumped out of there. I’ll bet the only ones that have seen what’s leaving there are the ones in favor of this.
And, bear in mind that those in favor of this thing live here, too. They have to look their neighbors in the eyes every day, and answer for the results of their decision, good or bad.
Come on, people! Don’t let anyone else do your thinking for you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go potty…
Tags: Local