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Material listed in reverse chronological order, most recent items first. Updated 04/08/2008

Fair Winds has learned that the Town of Mt. Pleasant may be preparing to appoint a commission or committee to advise it on where a Town sailing center might be placed. Obviously the services of sailors experienced in youth training and recreational sailing are needed. With sixty thousand residents, including many newcomers attracted to the Lowcountry because of their interest in sailing, it’s in the Town’s interest to consider applications for service on this commission from the broadest possible group to obtain a diverse and independent group which can obtain the confidence of both Government and the public. It’s also important that this group not be dominated by individuals associated with the State Ports Authority and commercial shipping interests which may be hostile to small boat sailing on our public harbor.

If you believe that you could contribute usefully to such a group, please consider faxing a letter or resume, with appropriate certificates if you have such, to Mayor Harry Hallman and Councilman Gary Santos. A link is available on the town’s website which will allegedly send your input to the entire town council. Since this issue is politicized, it is probably best if you do not mention your association with Fair Winds or myself. Let your qualifications be the basis of your request.

If you know of someone else who might be qualified to serve, please forward this message to them and refer them to our webpages www.wjhamilton.com/fairwinds/ for background.

To send your resume or letter to the Mayor and Gary Santos, fax to (843) 849-2765

Full contact information for all members of Town Council and a link to send a message to them can be found in the attached PDF document.

April 2- Sailing Center at Alhambra "Off the Table." Link to the report in the Moultrie News. This article proposes considering providing youth sailing in the ponds at I'On or the KOA playground.

April 2- Porches to Sidewalks Column on March 27 meeting at Alhambra Hall, Stuck in Irons, Town Unable to Set Course

March 27- Handout distributed at Feb. 27 Meetng (PDF)

March 19- Town releases detailed notice on sailing center meeting set for March 27. Read the full notice

March 4, 2008- Fair Winds will join other sailing oriented organizations at a public information booth to be operated at the St. Patrick's Celebration on I'On Square on Saturday, March 15. All local sailing organizations have been invited to participate and hand out information on their activities. Read an information flyer on the event.

March 1, 2008- An article on our efforts has been published in Coastal Currents, a boating oriented paper and electronic publication distributed at Marinas, boating centers and boating oriented businesses along the South and North Carolina Coast. You can read a copy of the electronic version of the article published earlier in their online edition here. Click on their logo at left to visit their website.

Feb. 26, 2008, 3 pm - We're back from our visit to Town Hall to review the records produced in response to FAIR Wind's Freedom of Information Act Request. A lot was learned and you can read our preliminary report. We photographed some of the critical documents and their linked in as images. We'll continue to refine this document over the next few days by adding additional document images.

Feb. 25, 2008 - There has been another development in the sad saga of Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Memorial Park, where the Town sailing center was to be located. The Mayor is now backing a "corporate retreat center" to be constructed there. This may be relevant to his decision to oppose a sailing center at the park.

Of course both the Harbor Hilton at Patriot's Point and the Holiday Inn both have large, well appointed meeting facilities in this area now. It's hard to see how the community benefits from building a competing facility on public land. Anyone who isn't familiar with the disaster that was public participation in the building of the Harbor Hilton at Patriot's Point should review how much money the state lost on that project. Hundreds of Hotel Rooms already surround the park. An actively used public park would enhance their value and a sailing center could be the centerpiece of that. We're going over for our first review of the Freedom of Information Act material on Tuesday morning. We'll leave from Bodacious Bagels about 9:45. The Town Attorney's office has been very gracious in this matter and we hope to find some of the answers we're seeking. Read the Post and Courier Article by Prentiss Findlay Hallman favors corporate retreat over dog park

Feb 22, 2008 - Will Haynie covers our Feb. 20 forum in his weekly sailing column in the Post and Courier. Read the Column

Feb 22, 2008 - Publicity materials for Feb. 20 Forum put in Archive. Radio Announcement and Flyer