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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I'M GONNA BRING THE MEETING TO ORDER IF, UH, THAT'S OKAY.
SO, LET'S, UH, CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND GO THROUGH THE PLEDGE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR.
YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF, JANAE? YES.
THIS IS SHENA HAYES, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NORTH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE, OF THE, UH, NORTH BROAD AREA.
PHIL KAISER FROM SOUTH OF BROAD.
UM, I AM, UH, SOUTH OF BROAD MARK RENNICK, NORTH OF BROAD SCOTT, ATHLETIC SUPERVISOR.
BLUFFTON, BOB ROSA, ATHLETIC SUPERVISOR, SOUTH OF NORTH OF BROAD.
WELL, WE ALWAYS LIKE TAXPAYERS ROUNDING.
THE SUPERINTENDENT FREEMAN, PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, GABBY.
ANYTHING ELSE? ME, ANYWAY, MARKETING COORDINATOR.
ERIC BROWN PARK, IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR.
DALE BUTTS, ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, HEATHER CLINTON, ADMINISTRATION.
WELL, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR, UH, UH, BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? UH, I, I DO WANT TO, UH, UH, NOTE THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, PUT SOMETHING IN HERE IN TERMS OF, UM, ADDRESSING OUR OPEN SPOTS.
IF I COULD AMEND THE AGENDA, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I GUESS WE COULD MAKE IT, UH, UH, STATION UPDATE.
WE CAN PUT IT IN UNDER THERE, BUT ADDRESSING THE BOARD, UM, BOARD VACANCIES.
JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THAT.
UH, COULD I GET A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE, UH, AGENDA WITH THAT CHANGE? PLEASE MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE, THE AGENDA WITH THE ADDITIONS OF THE BOARD VACANCIES.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE FROM PUBLIC COMMENT? I WOULD PRESUME THAT OUR TAXPAYER WOULD BE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WELL, FEEL FREE TO GO UP IN FRONT.
GIVE US YOUR NAME, ADDRESS US, AND, UH, UH, I THINK WE HOLD THESE TO THREE MINUTES, BASICALLY.
I'M WITH, UH, THE SOAR REPRESENTATIVE, AND I WOULD BE POTENTIALLY INTERESTED IN A VACANCY.
WE CAN DISCUSS THAT SOME OTHER TIME.
UM, I WAS VERY INVOLVED WITH PTI AND SOAR SPECIAL NEEDS WITH A TENNIS PROGRAM ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
I AM HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO START UP WORKING WITH, UH, BILL LOVE AND TERRY, UH, GEER OVER AT BEAUFORT COUNTY SPECIAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES, AND WORK IN COOPERATION WITH, UH, SPECIAL NEEDS TO START A PICKLEBALL PROGRAM.
UM, THEY'RE EAGER, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
THEY'LL HAVE ABOUT 12 TO START THIS, THIS, UM, APRIL AND MAY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO USE THE BATTERY CREEK SOUTH SIDE PICKLEBALL COURTS.
WE CAN'T BUST THEM, UH, TO THE COURTS, AND THEY'RE BEING USED AND THEN SEND 'EM BACK.
UH, LIKE IN PRIOR PROGRAMS, WE WERE ABLE TO RE, WE WERE ABLE TO USE RESERVE UNDER THE PERMISSION OF GOING THROUGH YOU GUYS TO RESERVE THESE COURTS FOR THIS PURPOSE FOR, UH, VOLUNTEERS LIKE MYSELF
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TO TEACH THESE KIDS HOW TO PLAY TENNIS.NOW I'M LOOKING AT PICKLEBALL SO THAT THEY CAN THEN PARTICIPATE AND GO INTO HIGHER LEVEL COMPETITION, WHICH IS USUALLY IN HILTON HEAD FOR NATIONALS AND SO FORTH.
UM, WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO GET THIS CONVERSATION GOING, NO, NO, YOU HAVE TO PAY $50.
WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT THESE INDIVIDUALS.
WE, I'M, I'M NOT LOOKING TO SPEND MY TIME RAISING MONEY FOR IT.
I, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT IN THE PAST.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW.
NOBODY, WELL, IN, IN GENERAL, WE HAVE A RENTAL FACILITY FEE FOR ALL OF OUR FACILITIES.
AND ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS BOARD IS TO SET THOSE FEES, AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY WAIVER OF ANY FEE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE BOARD NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN A, UH, FORMAL PROPOSAL NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED, WHICH WE WILL ACT ON.
UH, SO, UM, I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND, UM, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE MET YOU.
SO I'M, AGAIN, IT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT, UM, YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PROGRAM IN PLACE, OR ARE YOU PUTTING A PROGRAM TOGETHER, OR, I MEAN, WHERE DO YOU STAND ON, ON, ON THAT? UM, IT'S, IT'S READY TO GO.
THE ONLY HURDLE IS NOW, UH, FOR, UH, US TO SEE IF YOU WOULD APPROVE THAT.
LIKE IN PRIOR YEARS WHEN WE DID THE SAME PROGRAM, BUT TENNIS AND USING THE SAME FACILITY AND, AND ONLY THE TWO TENNIS COURTS.
NOW IT'S ONE TENNIS COURT AND TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SIGN TO BE PLACED SO THAT THE TWO PICKLEBALL COURT PICKLEBALL COURTS ARE RESERVED FOR, FOR THESE FIVE WEEKS ON THIS DAY, FOR THIS HOUR.
SO, SO SPECIFICALLY, I MEAN, USUALLY, AND AGAIN, WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN HERE, THEY BASICALLY TELL US THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT, WHAT SPECIFIC DAYS THEY WANT.
WE HAVE ALL AND WHAT SPECIFIC TIMES.
AND, AND, AND WE'VE HAD A COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, ONE OR TWO OF YOUR INDIVIDUALS.
UH, AND THAT EMAIL, AND I HAVE ALL OF THAT, THAT IS A SPECIFIC DAY, A SPECIFIC HOUR FOR STARTS ON THIS WEEK GOES.
SO CAN YOU ARTICULATE THAT TO US RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW? IS THAT, REMEMBER I USED TO GO THERE, I HAVE TO PUT THOSE SIGNS UP AT THE, AT THE COURTS? YEAH.
I MEAN, UM, I HAVE IT ON MY PHONE AND I, AND THIS, THIS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND RIGHT, WHERE DO WE STAND WHEN VOLUNTEERS ARE US UTILIZING, WHEN WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER GROUP UTILIZING OUR FACILITIES? THAT'S FINE, BUT WHERE DO WE STAND WITH LIABILITY ISSUES AND OTHER THINGS? THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING AS A PARTNER HERE THROUGH SOAR.
THE SPECIAL, THE LOCAL SPECIAL NEEDS AND ALL OF THAT.
I'VE SPENT THREE HOURS GOING THROUGH ALL THAT PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN A COACH IN THE PAST, SO WE ARE COVERED FROM A LI I, I WANT THAT TOO.
SO WE, WE ARE COVERED FROM A LI LIABILITY PERSPECTIVE.
SO, UH, YOU NEED THE SOUTH SIDE LOCATION DUE TO TRANSPORTATION? NO, THE TRANSPORTATION IS BEING PROVIDED BY YOUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DISABILITIES AND OKAY.
THEY, THEY ARE ORGANIZING THEIR END WHO'S GONNA ATTEND.
THEY PUT 'EM IN A BUS, THEY DRIVE 'EM OVER TO THE SOUTH SIDE.
WE, THE VOLUNTEERS TAKE OVER WITH ONE OR TWO OF THEIR PEOPLE STAYING THERE AS WELL, AND WE HAVE AN HOUR PROGRAM, AND THEN THEY BUST 'EM BACK.
SO YOU, YOU'RE REQUESTING FIVE, THIS IS A FIVE WEEK PROGRAM? YES.
UH, AND, AND SO IT'S TUESDAY AT AT 10 30 TO 1130, THE 23RD, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A, MY PHONE WITH ME OR WHATEVER.
IT GOES FOR FIVE WEEKS TO MAY 20 SOMETHING.
SO, SO WE'VE GOT YOU, YOU WANNA USE SOUTH SIDE, YOU WANT TO USE TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS.
FOR A ONE HOUR PERIOD? YES, SIR.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 HOURS OF PICKLE COURT TIME, UH, OVER A FIVE WEEK PERIOD? UH, ONE HOUR ONCE A WEEK.
SO 10 HOURS OF RENTAL, BASICALLY.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE YOU'RE COMING FIVE TIMES AND YOU'VE GOT TWO COURTS, RIGHT? YES.
I I, I'M SOMEWHAT AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD OFFERED UP, UH, AS A POTENTIAL LOCATION, BURTON WELLS, BECAUSE WE HAVE 16 PICKLEBALL COURTS THERE.
SO NOW TO BE OPTIMISTIC IN NOT FACTUAL, UM, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE TENNIS PROGRAM AND, AND REALLY GET IT GOING.
UM, SO I SEE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS
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NOT JUST, UH, PICKLEBALL, BUT POTENTIALLY IT, IT COULD BE TENNIS TOO, BUT WITH KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICS.SO I'M STARTING HERE AND I'M LOOKING TO DO A FALL PROGRAM.
I BELIEVE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE 10, 12 PARTICIPANTS IN THE SPRING AND THAT IT'S GONNA BE GAINING INTEREST, AND I THINK IT COULD MUSHROOM INTO TWICE AS MANY PARTICIPANTS, AND WE MIGHT NEED TWO DAYS A WEEK.
I, I THINK THE POTENTIAL IS IS THERE FOR, AND, AND IT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, I'VE DONE THREE YEARS HERE AND THREE YEARS UP IN DELAWARE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TENNIS, AND IT REALLY GREW, PICKLEBALL IS A SPORT THAT IS GONNA BE, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PICKLEBALL, IF YOU'VE I'M SURE HEARD ABOUT IT, IT'S INCREDIBLY POPULAR AND IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO, TO PLAY.
SO I THINK THAT THESE SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE WILL, WILL EMBRACE IT MORE, AND IT WILL BECOME A LITTLE BIT BIGGER IN THE, IN THE FALL AND BEYOND.
THAT'S WHY I WAS MORE, WE DIDN'T PAY A RENT FEE BEFORE.
AND I THINK WE CAN'T AFFORD TO THE, THE RAISING THAT MONEY, IF IT DOES INDEED.
WE START IT AND IT STARTS GROWING.
WELL, WE'RE CLEARLY, UH, IN SUPPORT OF, UH, RECREATION FOR DISABLED FOLKS, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AND WANNA SUPPORT THAT.
UH, AND IF THE PROGRAM, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, IS NOT BEING CHARGED ANY, NO ONE'S BEING CHARGED ANY FEES FOR IT, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD, UH, MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR A WAIVER OF SOME SORT.
UM, SO, UM, DOES SOMEONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION HERE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO HERE? OR RECOMMEND QUESTION? GO AHEAD, JOHNNY.
CAN WE, THE QUESTION IS WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIABILITY FOR THE PARTICIPANTS? YEAH, WE, WE, YEAH, WE, UH, ASKED, UH, THAT QUESTION, JOHNNY, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO THIS UNDER, UH, UH, THE GROUP SOAR.
APPARENTLY THEY'RE GONNA BE THE OFFICIAL PERSON WHO'S GONNA BE PUTTING THIS PROGRAM ON APPARENTLY.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD DO WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THEM HAVING THE PROPER INSURANCES.
YEAH, SO, SO WE ARE, WE, WE LOVE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO COME AND, AND HAVE A PROGRAM AS SUCH, BUT THERE'S A FEW, UH, LEGAL ISSUES I WANT TO ADDRESS AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TACKLE.
UM, ONE IS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE LIABILITY IS, IS, UH, IN PLACE BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
SO STAFF WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS DONE, UM, ON THOSE KIDS THAT'S GONNA BE PARTICIPATING.
A LIABILITY FORM WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE TOO.
IF IT'S GONNA BLOW UP THE WAY HE'S SAYING IT'S GONNA BLOW UP, THEN I WOULD PREFER THAT THIS GO TO A SITE THAT ACTUALLY SPECIALIZE IN PICKLEBALL, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS HE'S HERE TODAY, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY TENNIS AT THE OTHER SITE, THEY'LL BE HERE TOMORROW SAYING, NOW WE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO USE IT BECAUSE IT'S SO BIG.
AND NOW YOU'VE IMPEDED ON TENNIS COURTS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, IT'S A VERY VALID POINT, AND I, I, I MISSED MY CONNECTION WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT BURTON, THAT I, I THINK THAT WHEN, IF AND WHEN IT DOES GROW, THAT THE LOGISTICS OF OF TRAVELING TO BURTON MAKES MORE SENSE WITH THE SIX COURTS.
AND WE JUST NEED THAT ON RECORD BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE, WE DON'T WANNA COME TO YOU LATER ON AND SAY, YOU CAN NO LONGER PLAY HERE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF IT.
NOW IT NEEDS TO GO WHERE THERE'S ACTUALLY PICKLEBALL BEING PLAYED.
IT'S JUST FOR THE VOLUNTEERS STARTING UP RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT'S A LOGISTICAL THING THAT IT'S CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE I KNOW THAT ARE BEING WILLING TO VOLUNTEER, I THINK AS THIS GOES AND THEY, THEY FEEL IT AND THEY LOVE IT, THEY'LL BE MORE WILLING TO DRIVE A LITTLE FURTHER TO, AND I, AND I, AND I'M NOT AGAINST IT.
I, I EMBRACE IT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION IS PROTECTED BY ANY LIABILITY ISSUE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S IRONED OUT FIRST BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER ON THAT SPECIAL NEEDS SPECIFICALLY? WELL, WELL, I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.
I, I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN MAKE A MOTION, WE CAN APPROVE, UH, THE GROUP SOAR, PROVIDED YOUR, UNDER THAT GROUP FOR THESE SPECIFIC DATES, UH, ON THESE SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS SPECIFIC FIVE INSTANCES ON AT THAT PARTICULAR HOURS, PROVIDED THAT YOU MEET THE CRITERIA FOR INSURANCE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT IF THE PROGRAM, WE, WE, AT THIS LEVEL ARE NOT GIVING JUST OVERALL FEE WAIVERS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE.
WE'RE GIVING FEE WAIVERS FOR THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST LAUNCHING.
AND I, I THINK THAT WILL COVER US IN THAT FASHION, THE, THE INAUGURAL PICKLEBALL PROGRAM FOR FIVE WEEKS PERIOD.
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THINK WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IT FOR THIS REQUEST.IT EXPANDS WE'LL LOOK AT OTHER POSSIBILITIES, EITHER MOVING BURDEN WELLS OR, I UNDERSTAND.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WAIVE THE FEES FOR THE PICKLEBALL COURTS, THE SOUTH SIDE FOR THE DATES THAT WERE MENTIONED FOR THE ONE HOUR FOR FIVE WEEKS STRAIGHT.
UM, AS LONG AS THE LIABILITY WITH SOAR ISSUES ARE WORKED OUT.
UM, SO MY POINT OF CONTACT, YOUR POINT OF CONTACT WILL BE HEATHER, AND THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THE NORMAL CHANNEL.
HOPE, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND YOU'LL COME BACK TO US AGAIN IN THE FALL AND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN REVIEW.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE HERE FROM PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, VERY GOOD.
UM, REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER MINUTES.
UM, ACTUALLY THESE MINUTES WOULD BE, WOULDN'T THESE BE THE FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY MINUTES? FEBRUARY 8TH? YEAH.
SO WE, THAT'S ANOTHER ADJUSTMENT TO THE, TO THE AGENDA THAT WE APPROVED.
YEAH, A MOVE THAT WE APPROVED THE MINUTES I HAD, I, I READ THEM WHEN SHE SENT THEM, UH, EARLIER.
I, I HAD ONE COMMENT ON THE MINUTES AND IT'S, I MEAN, I HAD A COUPLE SMALL THINGS AND THEY'RE, THEY WERE QUITE NICE JOB THERE, HEATHER.
WE, WE APPARENTLY TALKED, WE APPARENTLY TALKED QUITE A BIT AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, THE ONLY, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAD, I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT POOLS, UH, THAT THE COUNTY HAD PUT $3 MILLION INTO THE POOL.
IS IT, WAS THAT ALL THREE POOLS OR WAS THAT THE BLUFFTON POOL? I THINK THAT WAS ALL THREE.
THREE? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WAS ALL ANOTHER TWO TO ALL.
SO I JUST ADD AN ASK AT THE END OF THAT, SO, GOTCHA.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE.
THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WOULD BE TODAY, MARCH 13TH IN BLUFFTON.
THAT'S ALL I HAD, SO THANK YOU.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE? MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ALL IN FAVOR? LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST SAY ONE THING.
I CAUGHT WHAT YOU SAID THERE, BRUCE.
SO THE MOTION PASSES TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
SO, UH, YEAH, WE GOT, I THINK WE GOT, I SUGGEST WE GO UP VERY FROM THE AGENDA AND HAVE, UH, DALE INTRODUCE THE NEW DIRECTOR.
DALE, PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR NEW DIRECTOR WHO WE'RE SO HAPPY IS HERE.
I, UH, AM AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UH, MR. ERIC BROWN IS OUR, OUR NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.
HE, UH, BEGAN WORK ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, GOING THROUGH ORIENTATION AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN WE INTRODUCED HIM TO, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL ON MONDAY EVENING.
UM, INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JOHN ROBINSON DID THOSE HONORS, AND HE SAID OF MR. BROWN, WHEN WE WERE TASKED WITH FILLING THIS CRUCIAL VACANCY, I ASKED THE HIRING TEAM TO BRING ME A LEADER.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE DONE THAT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE INCREASED VITALITY THAT WILL COME WITH MR. BROWN'S ARRIVAL TO OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
ERIC, UH, HALE'S FROM SOUTH FLORIDA, WHERE HE HAS OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN PARKS AND REC WITH THE CITY OF HOLLYWOOD AND THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH.
HE IS HIGHLY MOTIVATED, ENJOYS IMPLEMENTING CREATIVE IDEAS AND NEW PROGRAMS. AND, UH, I WISH YOU GUYS ON THE BOARD COULD HAVE SEEN HIM IN OUR STAFF MEETING JUST PRIOR TO THIS.
IT WAS, UH, SOME OF THAT WAS ON DISPLAY, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE VERY PLEASED MOVING FORWARD, UH, WITH, WITH MR. BROWN'S, UH, LEADERSHIP.
HE'S, HE'S BEEN MARRIED FOR, UH, 30 YEARS, FATHER OF TWO ADULT, UH, DAUGHTERS.
AND I KNOW THAT HE'S HAPPY TO BE HERE.
SO I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN AND, UH, LET HIM SAY A FEW WORDS TO YOU, ERIC.
AND, UH, YES, I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
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UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WILL, WILL TAKE PLACE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION.AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UM, SO IN BLUFFTON, UM, RIGHT NOW WE CURRENTLY HAVE LACROSSE IS PLAYING, UM, OUR 12 AND 14 S.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR TWO WEEKS NOW.
UM, THE 10 AND 14 GETS, I'M SORRY, THE EIGHT AND 12, EIGHT AND 10 GET STARTED IN TWO WEEKS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR ADULT VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UM, AS WELL AS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL.
UM, OUR SOCCER AND FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAMS. UM, THEY STARTED PRACTICING LAST WEEK, UM, AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO START APRIL 6TH WITH THEIR FIRST GAMES.
UM, AS FAR AS TOURNAMENTS, UM, OUR EIGHT U BOYS AND OUR EIGHT U GIRLS, UM, THEY BOTH MADE IT TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY LOST, UM, OUR 12 U BEAUFORT COUNTY TEAM.
UM, THEY PLAYED IN GREENWOOD AND THEY, UM, THEY LOST TWO GAMES IN A ROW AND THEY WERE KNOCKED OUT.
BUT, UH, BESIDES THE BEAUFORT COUNTY 12 U TEAM, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY THAT MADE IT TO STATE FROM, FROM BUFORT ITSELF.
BUT, UM, NO, UH, WE GOT, WE GOT SPRING SPORTS GEARING UP TOO.
UH, BASEBALL, WE WERE JUST A WEEK BEHIND BLUFFTON.
UH, SO WE'RE STARTING ON MONDAY, UH, BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING FOR SOME UNIFORMS TO COME IN.
SO WE'RE GETTING THAT STARTED ON MONDAY.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN NUMBERS GO UP IN ALL OF OUR SPORTS, UH, THIS SEASON.
I EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO KEEP GOING UP.
'CAUSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND HOUSES JUST KEEP POPPING UP IN BEAUFORT ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, WE GOT A MEETING ON FRIDAY, MYSELF AND THE OTHER TWO ATHLETIC, UM, EMPLOYEES IN BEAUFORT WITH A GUY TO SEE WHAT KIND OF TRACTION WE CAN GEAR UP FOR LACROSSE TO MAYBE POTENTIALLY START A PROGRAM IN BEAUFORT FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN OVER THE SUMMER, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP MEN'S SOFTBALL, UH, JUST THE MEN'S LEAGUE TO RUN WITH OUR CO-ED, AND WE'RE GONNA RUN KICKBALL OVER THE SUMMER AS WELL.
SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE SOFTBALL LAST YEAR IN BEAUFORT? UH, WE HAVE, SO WE RUN CO-ED, RIGHT? OH, YEAH.
UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE MEN'S LEAGUE, SO WE'RE GONNA RUN ONE OVER THE SUMMER.
SO THAT WAY IT DOESN'T OVERLAP WITH BLUFFTON BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL FROM BUFORT TO PLAY IN BLUFFTON, SO WE DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY FROM ANY OF THAT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA RUN DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TIMING ON SEASON.
WE'RE JUST GONNA SEE WHAT, WHAT KIND OF INTERESTS WE GET IN THE MEN'S LEAGUE, AND IF, UH, IF IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN BUILD ON, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND BUILD ON IT.
AND WHERE WOULD THEY PLAY? THEY PLAY BURTON WELLS.
BURTON WELLS, OR OLD BURTON WELLS.
UH, WE MIGHT HAVE TO SPREAD 'EM OUT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE WILL BE RUNNING OUR DIXIE BOYS SEASON THAT, THAT TIME AS WELL.
PLUS WE'LL HAVE CO-ED PLUS WE'LL HAVE, UM, KICKBALL GOING.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO KIND OF SPRINKLE 'EM AROUND TO, TO SOME OF THOSE FIELDS WHEREVER WE CAN KIND OF GET 'EM IN.
BUT I'D TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING AT, AT BURTON WELLS IF I CAN.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THESE GUYS? NO, THANK YOU.
SO WE HAVE PIVOTED FOR OUR SUMMER CAMPS.
SO WE ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS OF YESTERDAY AT MIDNIGHTS.
UM, BASICALLY THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAMPS.
UM, A SPORTS, UH, ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND THEN A, A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
UM, HE AT BLUFFTON CENTER AND BURTON WELLS AND ON THE ISLANDS, UH, SCOTT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE OUR CURRENT NUMBERS AFTER 24 HOURS, WE'RE ROUGHLY 50% FULL IN THE BLUFFTON SIDE.
A LITTLE SLOWER ON THE, ON THE BUFORT SIDE.
UM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, GOOD SUMMER, GOOD POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS NEW PROGRAM.
OKAY, SO FOR THE POOLS BATTERY CREEK, UM, EVERYTHING HAS PRETTY MUCH BEEN THE SAME FROM THE LAST MONTH.
UM, OUR PROGRAM, UM, THAT THEY'RE FINISHING UP BATTERY CREEK THIS MONTH, SO, UM, FOR OUR BEAUFORT POOL SWIM LESSONS ARE GONNA BE STARTING
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UP SOON FOR THE SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS.UM, THEY'RE ISR PROGRAM AS WELL IS FINISHING UP THIS MONTH AS WELL FOR THEM.
EVERYTHING ELSE HAS PRETTY MUCH BEEN THE SAME WITH WATER AEROBICS AT THAT POOL AND SWIM LESSONS.
OUR BLUFFTON POOL RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE STILL DOING OUR SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS GOING ON.
UM, THE REGULAR SWIM LESSONS IN THE AFTERNOON HAVE JUST FINISHED UP.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR FIN SWIM TEAM AND OUR LOW COUNTRY AUTISTIC ARE ALL THE POOLS PRETTY MUCH WIDE OPEN AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE ARE WANTING TO GET BATTERY CREEK AND BEAUFORT POOL UP AND RUNNING ALL SIX DAYS.
UM, I'M THINKING WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO DO THAT, SO I JUST, I WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AS RIGHT.
UM, THE CLASSES THAT WE'RE OFFERING ARE STILL GROUP PRIVATE SWIM LESSONS, STROKE IMPROVEMENT CLASSES, CPR AND WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR CLASSES,
ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH THE, THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CONTRACT WITH THE POOLS AT ALL, OR? WE ARE WITH THEM WITH THE SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS.
SO, UM, THEY COME TO US EVERY SO OFTEN WITH THE SCHOOL SWIM LESSONS.
UM, THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD RENEGOTIATED THAT CONTRACT, UM, FOR, I DIDN'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG.
CARLOS PROBABLY COULD HAVE TOLD US THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, DALE? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW IT WAS EXTENDED, BUT THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.
OKAY, SO FOR OUR BLUFF AND POOL, THE PROJECTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STARTING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE BLUFFTON POOL'S GONNA BE CLOSING SOON.
WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE YET, BUT WHEN IT DOES CLOSE, IT'LL BE CLOSED FOR ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.
ONCE THEY FINISH THAT PROJECT, THEN THEY'LL MOVE FORWARD TO THE BEAUFORT AND BATTERY CREEK POOL AS WELL.
ARE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UTILIZING THE BLUFF AND POOL AWARE OF ALL THAT? UM, THE LOCALS ARE AWARE OF IT, YES.
WE HAVE NOT POSTED ANYTHING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW A DATE.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT, WE DIDN'T WANNA GIVE THEM INFORMATION THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW.
WHAT ABOUT THE FINS AND ALL THE SWIM? THEY'RE AWARE.
SO ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PHYSICALLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW ARE FULLY AWARE OF THAT.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR ALTERNATIVES DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME? ARE WE GONNA SERVICE THEM? ARE THEY GONNA GO TO BUFORT? ARE THEY GONNA GO? SO THAT'S ALL COVERED? MM-HMM,
SO WE WON'T BE GETTING YOU, HEATHER WON'T BE GETTING CRAZY CALLS ABOUT WHY IS THE BOOK CLOSED CALLS ALL BUT YES, THE SWIM TEAM IS PLANNING ON GOING TO OUR BATTERY BE POLE.
BECAUSE EIGHT MONTHS, THAT'S A LONG TIME.
I THINK THE LAST TIME BLUFFTON WAS CLOSED, IT WAS CLOSED FOR WHAT I WANNA SAY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS.
IT ALL'S GONNA BE DONE, BUT, UM, FROM WHAT I'M INFORMED ABOUT IS THEY'RE FINISHING UP WITH THE ROOF, THEY'RE PUTTING INSULATION, ALL THE SLIDING DOORS ARE GONNA BE TAKEN AWAY AND AN ACTUAL WALL IS BEING PUT UP.
AND THEN THE BATHROOMS WILL BE REMODELED.
OFTEN AND MAY RIVER SWIM TEAMS KNOW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE SWIM TEAM SEASON STARTS, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF JUNE, BEGINNING OF JULY.
SO THEY WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER POOL.
UM, BUT THEIR SWIM COACH, WHICH IS GEORGE, HE'S AWARE OF THAT AS WELL.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE NOTIFIED EVERYBODY CORRECT THAT IT, THE CLOSURE IS COMING.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN.
SO THEY CAN FIND ALTERNATIVE PLACES.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE WILL FIND THE INFORMATION REALLY SOON, AND ONCE WE DO, WE'LL POST IT.
BUT, BUT WE'RE OFFERING UP OUR OTHER COUNTY FACILITIES AS WELL, TO THE EXTENT IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE MOMENT THE BLUFFTON POOL CLOSES, OUR PLAN WAS TO OPEN THE OTHER POOLS RIGHT AWAY, THE MOMENT THEY CLOSE.
BUT I'M IN THE IMPRESSION THAT I CAN START OPENING UP THE OTHER POOLS REALLY SOON.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADD IN HERE IS OUR BOARD HAS TWO OPENINGS ON IT.
UM, WE, UM, WE HAVE A, UH, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS IS, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MILITARY.
AND BILL BROWN, WHO FORMERLY WAS, UM,
[00:30:02]
WAS THAT, UM, MEMBER RETIRED.AND UNFORTUNATELY HE DIDN'T REALLY NOTIFY US THAT HE RETIRED AND HE WAS VERY HARD TO GET AHOLD OF.
BUT WE'VE GOTTEN AHOLD OF HIM.
UH, HEATHER HAS, I HAVE, UM, THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS IN HIS FORMER, UH, JOB AS REC DIRECTOR OVER AT, UM, UH, THE, UM, THE BASE.
SO WE'RE INVESTIGATING, FILLING THAT SLOT WITH SOMEONE OVER THERE, UH, FROM THE MILITARY.
AND THEN, UH, ROBBIE SHOCK WHO, UH, NEVER MADE A MEETING, BUT, UH, HE'S, UH, HE'S, UH, OUT AS WELL.
HIS SCHEDULE WAS NOT, UH, NOT, UH, CONDUCIVE.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE OPENING.
AND PHIL, I THINK WAS AN AT LARGE MEMBER BEFORE, NOW HE'S SOUTH OF THE BROAD DESIGNEE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE NOMINATIONS FOR AN AT LARGE, UM, MEMBER WHO CAN BE NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
SO HEATHER, WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO NOTIFY THE BOARDS THAT THAT'S OPEN.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOMEONE WHO YOU FEEL IS, UH, UH, WOULD BE, UH, HELPFUL ON THIS BOARD, UH, SERVING THE COMMUNITY, UH, CLEARLY, UH, GIVE THOSE TO HEATHER AND THEN HEATHER CAN DIRECT, UH, THEM TO HOW TO APPLY.
UH, YOU DO, YES, MR. OH, NO, NO, NO, NO.
SO, UH, I'M SPEAKING OUT LOUD.
SO, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE IN THAT REGARD.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CAUSE HERE WHILE WE'RE HERE? I THINK WE NEED FEMALE REPRESENTATION OF THE BOARD, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR BILL OUT.
WELL, AND IT PROBABLY WOULD BE GOOD TO OR TO HAVE TWO.
SO AGAIN, YEAH, FEMALE, UH, WE'RE NOT EXCLUDING MALES, BUT YES, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME, SOME DIVERSITY ON THE BOARD IN TERMS OF GENDER DIVERSITY, I GUESS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE GOOD FOR THE CAUSE HERE? ALL RIGHT, AGAIN, I WANT TO WELCOME ERIC AND, UH, WE'RE JUST SO, UH, PLEASED.
UH, PHIL SAT IN, I BELIEVE, AND WAS PART OF THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS.
UH, HE'S GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THERE.
SO, UM, WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO GREAT THINGS FROM YOU.
SO, SO WITH THAT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOVE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
YOU'RE WATCHING BCTV LIVE, WORK PLAY.
PORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
FORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BEAUFORT CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUNTA DESENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL
[00:35:01]
INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.THIS, I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUTH.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS, THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRATA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY, WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861, IN A FOUR HOUR CANNON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
THERE WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BE AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL, UH, TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL IN A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO SHOT.
AND BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUTTING THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON THAT I HAD BEFORE.
NOW I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING.
WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR IN 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY
[00:40:01]
TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP.
AND SO, LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUN POWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE THEM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, BIG BATTLESHIPS OR THE THREAT OF THE ERA.
AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT FORT OIL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARAS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVYS OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEES, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCKS SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCKS SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN, THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY.
AND THIS IS GOING ON, UM, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT.
AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL IN THAT LIST OF 29.
SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ARE ON THE LIST, BUT BUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, CAPTAIN SBY.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GET, GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS.
THE CREW, WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD
[00:45:01]
AND THE SHIP.SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT TO 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED.
THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS OF THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREEMAN.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UH, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS WAS MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, A VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FOR ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR, UH, ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY ANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE.
[00:50:01]
UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY ANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINE FIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE IN OF GOD ERA, ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE OF THE ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES OF SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN AND PRACTICE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MINE LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND, UH, DRILLING SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD AT, PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREEMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION AND THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT.
AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAN IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, IT'S COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900 WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, THE DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
[00:55:01]
TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
THE OTHER DAY I WAS WALKING AROUND THE YARD AND I FOUND THIS EGGSHELL, AND I HAD A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WHAT IT WAS, BUT I WASN'T EXACTLY SURE.
I KNEW IT WAS A REPTILE SHELL, BUT I KNEW WHAT IT MIGHT BE.
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL MY WIFE FOUND THIS AND YOU REACHED DOWN AND GRAB THIS.
AND HERE IS A LITTLE BABY BOX TURTLE.
AND WHAT LIKELY HAPPENED IS THERE WAS A NEST IN THE BACKYARD AND ONE OF THE FEMALES LAID EGGS, AND THE EGGS HATCHED PROBABLY IN THE LATE FALL, AND THEN THE LITTLE BABIES OVERWINTERED IN THE NEST AND DIDN'T COME OUT TILL THE SPRING.
NOW WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD BOX TOTAL REPRODUCTION EVERY YEAR.
SO IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO, TO FIND ONE BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL ADULTS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO THE PARENTS ARE, BUT I DO KNOW WHERE A MALE IS, AND HE'S VERY CLOSE BY.
SO I CAN, I THINK I CAN GRAB HIM AND WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AT HIM.
SO LET ME PUT THIS GUY BACK IN.
AND THEN IF WE COME RIGHT OVER HERE, SEE OUR PRETTY CURL HONEYSUCKLE RIGHT HERE, AND REACH RIGHT UNDERNEATH HERE.
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOX TURTLES.
LIKE HE'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST BOX TURTLES I'VE EVER SEEN.
AND I KNOW HE'S A MALE BECAUSE IF I FLIP HIM OVER, HIS BELLY'S SCOOPED OUT.
THE PLASTER ONE IS SCOOPED OUT, AND THAT'S CHARACTERISTIC.
ALSO, IT'S GOT BRIGHT RED EYES.
FEMALES WOULD HAVE BROWN EYES.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL BOX DRILLS IN THE BACKYARD.
NOW SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN IN CAPTIVITY FOR I THINK 47 YEARS NOW.
THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS BACKYARD FOR AS LONG AS WE'VE LIVED HERE, AND I'VE HAD 'EM IN CAPTIVITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS NOW.
WE WOULD RELEASE THEM IF WE COULD, BUT WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM.
ANYWAY, IT'S NEAT TO KNOW, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE BOX TURTLES, BUT THEY'RE REPRODUCING AND DOING WELL RIGHT HERE IN THE BACKYARD.