Solar Farm

RIBBON CUTTING AT SOLAR FARM - Gov. Henry McMaster was in Saluda Fri., Aug. 25, take part in the ribbon cutting at Saluda II Solar. Pictured, L to R, are Brenda Long; Charles Long; County Councilwoman Gwen Shealy; Rep. Cal Forrest; Councilman Frank Daniel; Zoé Gamble Hanes, president of Pine Gate Renewables; First Lady Peggy McMaster; Gov. McMaster; Danny Kassis, SCANA; Sen. Shane Massey; Coumnty Councilman Jones Butler; Charlie Long and his father Tyler Long. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

Governor Cuts Ribbon At Solar Farm

An appearance by S.C. Governor Henry McMaster highlighted the ribbon cutting at Saluda II Solar Fri., Aug. 25.
  Located on the Columbia on land and owned and operated by the family of the late Joe Long, the solar farm produces enough power to supply energy to 750 home in Saluda County.
  Developed over 46 acres, this 4.7 megawatt solar farm is one of 12 projects owned by Pine Gate Renewables in South Carolina.
  Facts About Saluda II 
  •$6.5 million investment 
  •Created 140 jobs for local workers during construction
  •More than $26,800 paid to taxing districts in Saluda County in the first year of operation. Tax revenue will help fund schools, fire district and other important county services.
  Among the many present for the ceremony were Joe and Mildred Long’s three children, the Rev. Joe “Nicky” Long, Carlene Temples, and Charles Long and their families.
  Zoé Gamble Hanes, president of Pine Gate Renewables, presided at the event.
  “It has been a great week for the sun,” she said, referring to Monday’s total eclipse.
  “Did you notice during the eclipse, when there was just a tiny sliver of the sun was showing, yet it was complete daylight outside,” she said. “That shows the power of the sun.”
  “Pine Gate Renewables is proud to bring clean, renewable energy resources to South Carolina as part of our commitment to Getting Solar Done. Our Saluda II Solar project is an investment in the local community and we look forward to continuing to expand the impact of utility-scale solar energy in the state.
  Tyler Long, grandson of Joe and Mildred, and son of Charles and Brenda Long, spoke on behalf of the family. He sad his family was very happy to be a part of a project that will provide a sustainable source of energy to local residents.
  Danny Kassis of SCE&G and SCANA said Saluda is the current “Solar Energy Capitol of South Carolina,” with Saluda I Solar on the Johnston Hwy. also in operation.
  Kassis said SCE&G is happy to buy the electricity produced by the solar panels, and this was just a start. He said Saluda II will be a 30-year asset to the community.
  Saluda County Council Vice Chairman Gwen Shealy said putting solar panels on farm land was a good use for the property, providing a clean energy source on facilities that have a low profile.
  Michelle Caldwell of USDA said her department was happy to be a part of the project.
  Gov. McMaster praised solar as a source of clean energy, with no pollution and little use of local infrastructure.
  “Pine Gate Renewables is just the latest company of many in the solar industry that have invested in South Carolina and our people, and we are proud to say that our state is poised to be on the cutting edge of an industry that will prove to be an important one to our country’s future.”
  McMaster said he joined with the president of Clemson and the University of South Carolina who said their were tired of hearing, “We are a poor state and can’t do anything.”
  He said there is plenty the state can do, and S.C. has gained attention worldwide.
  “We have 160 German companies in this state,” McMaster said.
  “Everybody wants to come to S.C., because we are known as a hand shake state, which means if we give you our word, we stand by it.”
  After the governor’s speech, a tibbon was cut in front of the panels, and guests were served refreshments and given a tour of the facility.
  While the panels on the Johnston Hwy. solar ar are stationary, the ones at Saluda II follow the sun during the day.

11th Annual Riverfest

The 11th Annual Riverfest is Saturday, Sept. 2,  from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Big Man’s Marina, Hwy 391, 125 Big Man’s Rd, Lake Murray. Featured will be the Kenny George Band on their Borrowed Trouble Tour, crafts, food vendors, Lake Murray T-shirts, kids slide & bounce houses, Pelican Ice and more. Tune into Z93.1 The Lake for more information. See you there.  (Standard-Sentinel photo from 2014 Riverfest)

Eclipse Excitement

TEXAS ECLIPSE VISITORS - Anita L. Cochran and William D. Cochran from the McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin were in Saluda Monday for the eclipse. They were staying with Anita’s brother and and sister in law, who live in Aiken. Since Austin is in Travis County, they were told William Barret Travis was born here. They were also told Saluda’s Mitchell Spearman just went to work at the University of Texas. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

DOWNTOWN CROWDS - Visitors from as far away as California were in Saluda Monday to view the eclipse. This is just some of the crowd at the Saluda County Library. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

Saluda County  Resident To Be Featured
In National Down Syndrome Society Video

Kate Matthews To Help Kick Off Down Syndrome
Awareness Month In Unique Annual Video Presentation

   NEW YORK (Aug. 21, 2017) – Kate Matthews of Batesburg, SC, will appear in the bright lights of Broadway on Saturday, September 16, as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Times Square Video presentation. The featured photographs highlight children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome, reminding the world in a very big way about the contributions and milestones of people with Down syndrome. These collective images promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.
   The photo of Kate, who happens to have Down syndrome, was selected from over 2,000 entries in the NDSS worldwide call for photos. Almost 500 photographs will appear in the video, which will be shown in the heart of Times Square. 
   Kate is pictured playing on the playground at her church.
  The Times Square Video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The video presentation will be followed by the 23rd Annual Flagship Buddy Walk in New York City. This year, Buddy Walk events will be held in more than 275 cities across the country, as well as select international locations, in and around October with over 325,000 people participating around the globe. For information about the NDSS Buddy Walk Program, visit www.buddywalk.org or call 800-221-4602.
 

New Superintendent

Mathis Resigns, Livingston Hired

By Dr. Arlene S.  Puryear
Saluda County School
District One Board Chair

             
  We are saddened to announce that Superintendent Dr. David Mathis informed the Saluda County School District One Board of Trustees at our meeting last evening that he wished to resign effective September 1, 2017. 
  He has been offered a position at the State Department of Education as Director of Early Learning and Literacy. 
  The Board has been extremely pleased with the outstanding leadership Dr. Mathis has provided to the District for the past nine years, and we will certainly miss his leadership in our District.  Importantly, Dr. Mathis has worked tirelessly to keep the focus on increasing student achievement, building an outstanding faculty and staff and providing numerous learning opportunities for our students to succeed.      
  As a Board, we also recognized that we needed to take steps immediately to identify a successor for Dr. Mathis so the District may continue with its progress and ensure a smooth transition in its leadership.  Faced with this prospect, the Board considered various options for conducting a superintendent search. 
  During our considerations, we discussed various circumstances, the understanding of which is essential for an appreciation of the decision, which we announced Monday evening.      It is well known that currently there is a great shortage of capable school administrators, including school superintendents, both in South Carolina and across the nation.  Further, the process of employing superintendents is extremely difficult, time-consuming, expensive, and potentially disruptive.  We believe it is in Saluda’s best interests to avoid these deterrents in determining our path forward.        The Saluda Board decided upon a strategy that we believe will be successful and lead to the result desired, i.e., the employment of an outstanding, experienced administrator, in our District, with minimum disruption and expense.  As a Board, we quickly realized that we are fortunate to have such an administrator already in our District. 
  It became clear to us that Assistant Superintendent Dr. Harvey Livingston is an excellent candidate to become the District’s next Superintendent.  Through his twenty years in our system, he has worked in a variety of capacities, including as teacher, Head Football Coach/Athlete Director, principal of Saluda High and Hollywood Elementary Schools and his current job as Assistant Superintendent, which has provided an array of experience working with human resources, public relations, student services and transportation.  Quite simply, he is the ideal candidate as he is fully versed in all areas of District operations and will be able to keep the District on the path of excellence.     
  It was the consensus of our Board that Dr. Livingston is the right person at the right time for Saluda.  Dr. Livingston has a highly successful track record with our District and is highly regarded in our District and community.  Dr. Livingston has been an integral member of the District’s administrative team for many years and is fully aware of, part of, and supportive of the exciting direction in which our system is heading - not to mention the upward momentum we are seeing with test scores and the graduation rate.
  During our meeting on August 7th, Dr. Livingston informed our Board that should we extend him the offer of the position of Superintendent, he would be honored to accept.  Accordingly, Dr. Livingston will be Superintendent-Elect until September 1, 2017, at which time     he will become Superintendent.  Dr. Livingston and Dr. Mathis will work together between now and the end of August 2017 to ensure a smooth transition.      
  We believe that our approach has enabled us to secure the employment of an outstanding administrator who can continue the current progress of the District with a seamless transition, is already completely familiar with our District’s operations and its staff, and is highly regarded in the State as an outstanding academic leader.  We are delighted to announce that Dr. Livingston will be our next Superintendent.

Late County Council Chairman Don Hancock’s chair was marked by a black ribbon at Monday’s Council meeting. (Standard-Sentinel photo)

County Council Holds

Poignant Meeting

 
Monday, Saluda County Council held its first meeting since the death of County Council Chairman Don Hancock.
  Vice-Chairman Gwen Shealy broke into tears when she said Chairman Hancock will be specially remembered at the September meeting.
  “We are very sad,” Councilman Frank Daniel said, “but we must go on.”
  Hancock was a proponent of economic development and Council took several steps in that direction at the August meeting.
  Second reading was given to an ordinance entering into  a contract for a fixed base operator, Saluda Sky Aviation, LLC, at the Saluda County Airport.
  First reading was given to an ordinance amending the Multi-County Industrial Park agreement between Saluda and Aiken County. Development Consultant Ed Parler said the agreement is needed to include recent development projects in the county.
  Council passed a resolution putting in the place the application of a fee in lieu of ad valorem taxes for a $45 million project known as Project PBM. An ordinance requiring three readings is the next step.
  Council agreed to apply for a grant that would run a waterline to the above mentioned Project PBM. The $740,000 project would install 11,600 feet of waterline on Duncan Road.
  Parler said the grant would be for $500,000 and the 25 percent match would be paid by the Aiken Edgefield Saluda Partnership with assistance from the electric cooperatives.
  Parler said residents on Duncan Road would benefit from the installation of fire hydrants, plus they can tap on to the county water if they should so choose. He said once the waterline line is completed, the county would deed the project to the Water and Sewer Authority.
  “In other words, this is a no lose situation for the county,” Councilman D.J. Miller said.
  Council took the first step that will lead to returning the Brooks and Roston Park to the community.
  First reading to an ordinance was approved to quit claim the property deeded to the Saluda County Recreation Association, Inc., in 1970 by Willette P. Satterwhite and Melverda Hook, to the Saluda Recreation District for a total purchase price of $5.00 and correction of a deed.
  Council approved adoption of standard operating procedures for EMS with year revisions, and modifying testing provisions of the Saluda County Abuse Policy and Procedures.
  Council approved Daniel’s appointments of Courtney A. Priester to the Saluda Nursing Center Board, and Margaret A. Nicholson to the Planning Commission.
  Shealy’s reappointment of Wayne Matthews to the Airport Commission was also approved.