Cayce City Council Considering Strict Parking Rules

The Cayce City Council is considering a major change to parking rules for residences within its boundaries. At the March 2^nd meeting, an agenda item included discussion and approval of Ordinance 2021-07 amending Article 9 of the zoning ordinance to add a new section 9.11 concerning vehicular parking in yards in residential zoning districts.

Currently, Cayce’s zoning ordinance does not regulate parking vehicles in front yards. The city claims that it receives a large number of complaints and inquiries about parking vehicles in residential front yards. The new Ordinance requires front yard parking to be contained to an improved surface

The new section in the zoning ordinance will require each home to have a designated parking area covered with concrete, asphalt, bricks, crushed stone, gravel, mulch or other pervious materials. Tire ribbons of asphalt, brick, concrete, or some other hard impervious surface are permitted where the overall parking space meets the size requirements.

The March 2^nd council meeting had the first reading of the ordinance, which would become effective 180 days after second reading approval.

Language from the ordinance will include: “No person shall park a vehicle of any description, including but not limited to automobiles, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, all-terrain or similar off-road vehicles, recreational vehicles, motor homes, campers or camping trailers, trailers, boats, and jet skis within the front yard of any property used for residential purposes except upon a parking space designed in accordance with this section. This section is not intended to prohibit the temporary parking of a vehicle upon a driveway.”

The amount of space taken up for parking at a residence will be defined in the ordinance as: “Parking spaces and driveway shall not occupy an area greater than 40 percent of the primary front yard or 500 square feet within the primary front yard, whichever area is greater. On corner lots, parking spaces and driveway may consume the above amount of area within either the primary front yard or the secondary front yard, but not both. On through lots, parking spaces and driveway may consume the above amount of area within only one primary front yard.”

Not everyone is happy about this proposed change in parking regulations throughout the city. Karen Fitch, a Cayce resident, has started a petition opposing the regulation on www.change.org.

Fitch states in her petition, “This petition is to stop the passing of Cayce’s proposed parking ordinance 9.11: Vehicular Parking in Yards of Residential Areas. Cayce is comprised mostly of single family dwellings with many residents not subject to mandatory HOAs. Cayce, as a whole, is not a planned unit development where rules, regulations and restrictions are imposed contingent upon the selling and buying of a property. Cayce is not the suburbs; we are not and should not be uniformed.  Our city is rich in history; our homes are eclectic and charming; our residents are welcomed from all socioeconomic backgrounds.”

Fitch believes that the new rules will cause a financial burden on Cayce residents who will have to make improvements and changes to their yards to accommodate the requirements. “It is inequitable to ask homeowners now, especially during the country’s economical hardship, to add additional construction on their property when it was not required at the time of purchase or construction,” she said. 

The petition is seeking two hundred signatures and has already reached 80% of the goal. 

SC Senate Reviewing Ignition Interlock for DUIs

Today, a South Carolina legislative committee will vote on legislation to help stop drunk driving. The proposal, S.28, would make South Carolina the 35th state to enact an all-offender ignition interlock law.  

Introduced in the S. C. Senate by Senators Hutto, K. Johnson, Climer, McLeod and Stephens, this proposed bill contains a number of provisions relating to driving under the influence. 

Deaths in South Carolina caused by drunk driving claimed 285 lives in 2019. According to MADD Regional Executive Director for North and South Carolina Steven Burritt, laws like S.28 reduce drunk driving deaths by 16%.  

 

The section of the bill that mentions the ignition interlock law is proposed as follows:

“(H)(1)  In lieu of serving the remainder of a suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit, a person may enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program pursuant to Section 56‑5‑2941, end the suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit, and obtain an ignition interlock restricted license pursuant to Section 56‑1‑400. The ignition interlock device is required to be affixed to the motor vehicle equal to the length of time remaining on the person’s suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit. If the length of time remaining is less than three months, the ignition interlock device is required to be affixed to the motor vehicle for three months.

       (2)  The person must receive credit for the number of days the person maintained an ignition interlock restriction on the temporary alcohol license.

       (3)  Once a person has enrolled in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and obtained an ignition interlock restricted license, the person is subject to Section 56‑5‑2941 and cannot subsequently choose to serve the suspension.”

This bill is currently being reviewed by the Judiciary Committee. 

Town of Lexington Suspends Its Face Mask Ordinance

Effective immediately, the Lexington Town Council has voted to suspend the ordinance that requires individuals to wear face coverings in retail establishments (grocery stores, pharmacies, big box stores, etc.) within Town limits. 

Suspension of the face mask ordinance was announced on Friday.

Also on Friday, SC Gov. Henry McMaster announced that face masks would no longer be mandatory in government buildings.

By executive order McMaster rescinded mandatory face coverings in state government offices, buildings and facilities. The governor also said in a release, the process of returning the remaining state employees back to the workplace on a full-time basis, can begin.

“Now that the majority of South Carolinians are eligible to receive the vaccine, and infections and hospitalizations have dropped significantly, state agency heads may safely bring back the last group of state employees working remotely,” McMaster said.

Additionally, the executive order removes the previously mandatory face mask in restaurants rule.

Town Council continues to urge compliance with COVID-19 recommendations issued by DHEC and the Governor’s Office.

Remembering Bill Mooneyhan on the Day of his Funeral

 Reprinted with Permission from West Metro News:

By Terry Ward – WestMetroNews – I’ve searched for a way to deal with the loss of my good friend, Bill Mooneyhan who passed away last Saturday. His funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at Providence Presbyterian Church, Hummingbird Drive, West Columbia.

The death of Bill is not only my loss, but a loss to anyone who supports the well-being of West Columbia. Bill always promoted the place where he lived and those he cared about.

He touched many and they have expressed their affection for him on social media. Dealing with his death is a struggle, but writing about him helps.

The River District ribbon-cutting

First, I remember Bill’s generosity and how much it meant to me.

I knew him for about eight years. Former West Columbia Mayor Bobby Horton introduced me to Bill. As a news person, Bill was somebody I needed to know. But he was a giver, too.

In time, to thank me, Bill has given me and my wife, Lana, gift certificates to Cafe Strudel and Terra. He has given me tickets he’d purchased to Taste on the River, the West Columbia Beautification Foundation’s Tribute for Trees; the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber Gala and the Airport High School Education Foundation dinner.

On top of that, Bill has given me a free oil change at Mooneyhan’s Repair Service. He gave us pancake suppers and a bar-b-que Boston butt from charity work he did with the Cayce-West Columbia Lion’s Club.

I never asked for, or required any of these gifts. Bill just gave them because he was generous. I know of many others who have told me that he has bestowed gifts upon them, too.

Also, as a businessman, Bill would refer me to the car repair shops of colleagues he was a mentor to, instead of taking the business himself. Because they needed new customers.

Bill liked to talk

Just last week Bill told me he called West Columbia Developer Joe Taylor. Joe was on the road and told Bill he had 45 minutes before he got to his destination and he was sure Bill would take at least that amount of time to talk. Close friend Steve Cohen would tell Bill his phone battery was dying, when he needed to get back to work. Bobby Horton knew his lunch hour would double to two, if Mooneyhan happened to catch him on the way out of Compton’s.

Many of us had the pleasure of Bill’s extended phone conversations. I’d go by Mooneyhan’s too, and listen to Bill. He always had something entertaining or informative to tell you. It’s why I sought him out. He knew what was going on. He loved to tell you about his family, too; past and present.

Bill would drop a name. But I didn’t think he was talking about anyone to build up himself. He usually did it as respect for that person. He wanted you to know they were somebody, in order to build their stature. And in the capacity of name-dropper, Bill served as a conduit for the community. He spread news, but it was in an effort to bring various segments together for progress.

Bill

Family

Price, Williams, and Mooneyhan are the families about which Bill would share tales. Those stories would include Legendary Clemson Football Coach Frank Howard, his great uncles Earl and Billy, and his aunts (Aunt Lena as I recall) who lived in the New Brookland Mill Village. His cousin is Kathy Rish. She and her husband Mac, former West Columbia mayor, used to babysit Bill when he was a child.

One story was of Constable James Earle Price. Bill’s great uncle, who was shot and killed by a bootlegger in 1925 at the Gervais Street Bridge.

Bill’s New Brookland family included mayors, teachers, fire chiefs, city officials and a state representative. He was very proud of them all.

And no one loved his father as much as Bill loved Bob Mooneyhan, longtime football coach and and athletic director at Airport High School. He was proud of his mother, Anne Price Mooneyhan, who taught English at Brookland-Cayce High School.

And the family closest to Bill, he loved most. He was severely protective of his children. Emily, Michelle, Charlene, Bill Jr. and grandson, David. If anyone showed harm toward his children, they were going to have to go through Bill Mooneyhan to get to them. He loved his wife Laura, and made sure you knew how much he thought of her. Bill genuinely cared about his sister, Kathy and brother Robert, and all of his extended family. Bill would spend Sunday mornings visiting his elderly relatives at nursing homes.

As I age, I realize the importance of the legacy you build in your life. Bill’s legacy is one of fellowship, family and giving. Upon Bill’s death, I have lost a cherished friend. But I will remember Bill Mooneyhan, and the things he told me, for as long as live.

Bill Mooneyhan’s legacy is one that will live on after him. I know I have learned a lot from him.

Joe Wilson announces his legislative agenda

Representative Joe Wilson (R - S.C.) has announced his legislative priorities for the coming year. As the House of Representatives member for the Second Congressional District, Wilson represents constituents from Columbia west towards the Aiken/Augusta area at the Georgia border.

"Every year, I announce my priorities as Representative of South Carolina's Second District," Wilson said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to share the 2021 Legislative Agenda with you. I look forward to putting these priorities in place and continuing to work for the people of South Carolina’s Second District." 

Earlier this month, Wilson shared the 2021 Legislative Agenda with members of the community in West Columbia, Aiken, North Augusta, and Barnwell. 

 

"As we move into 2021 and a new Congress, it is important to prioritize what is best for families," he said. "My legislative priorities this year include working closely with the Government of South Carolina to defeat the pandemic, creating jobs and economic growth, promoting conservative solutions, and safeguarding our military and veterans."

 

The Push for Progressivism

C.H. Browne, guest opinion

 

Many of us older types (and maybe a few younger ones) remember waking up in the morning to an America that was a bastion of freedom, positive energy, goodwill and common sense. It was an America where diverse points of view were celebrated and rewarded with an inherent and genuine regard for civility. Differing opinions would be enthusiastically offered with logical and intelligent discourse as the norm, not the exception.

 

Then, commencing in the 1950s, The Left gradually began to promulgate its concepts, mainly parroting the doctrines of the Soviet Communist regime. Through relentless perseverance and stealth it became entrenched in virtually all facets of American culture, education, media, jurisprudence and politics. Today, The Left has exerted its influence in ways most citizens never dreamed possible. Its goals were and still are concentrated upon ultimately controlling and then destroying American excellence and its unique time-tested values.  The fact that it has been so thoroughly successful in such a relatively short time is both astonishing and frightening beyond comprehension.

 

As if its meteoric rise and influence are not concerning enough, The Left’s current policies are terrifying. For example, let’s examine the advocacy of allowing hapless men not intelligent enough to recognize their own sex to compete in women’s sports as “women.” Just a few years ago, this asinine notion would have subjected to the proper ridicule that it so deserves. Not now, not with The Left’s relentless pressure tactics.  

 

Sadly, way too many businesses and CEOs have bought into the transgender hoax and even the moronic notion bizarrely called “gender fluidity.” (For those clueless few wishing to ascertain their gender, they need only to gaze into their pants.) Too many company leaders have fallen for the typical Leftist tactic of email bombs designed to indicate far more opposition than is actually the case.  Hasbro and Mr. Potato Head, are you listening?

 

The American Left today mimics the same tactics as the most dictatorial regimes in history.  It is considered a cliché to accuse a person or a group as being Nazi-like. Yet The Left, ANTIFA, Black Lives Matter, and the Democrat Party delight in doing so. However, the irony is the most vile and genocidal maniacs such as Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, and Mao would LOVE the tactics of suppression of speech, communication and freedom currently practiced by The Left and their supporters. 

 

They would completely approve of the Saul Alinsky-inspired disinformation campaigns waged by our bought and paid for pro-Left Wing Democrat PRAVDA press corps.  They would delight in the efficiently organized Leftist rioters who have toppled revered American statues and monuments, murdered innocent citizens and policemen, and destroyed countless businesses and their owner’s careers and dreams. 

 
The American Left is now by far the most dangerous encumbrance to ever infest America and its uniquely precious culture. The Left’s anti-America policies, its ongoing attempts to cancel that most marvelous proponent of human rights yet created by Man, The Constitution of the United States of America, and their relentless assault on our basic God-given freedoms, is the game-changer. 

 

We are at war with the most cunning and potentially destructive force America has ever faced. We can no longer look the other way, pretend that this coldly calculated assault is not happening or succumb to their will. The time to act is now. The Left needs to be totally challenged at every turn.  To do otherwise is to ensure that, as the U2 singer Bono so aptly put it,  “the amazing and unique American idea” is over.

Lexington Mask Protest Cancelled Due to Death Threats

An anti-mask protest planned in front of the Target shopping center on Highway 378 in Lexington for Monday was cancelled. The organizer, who wishes to remain anonymous, posted the event on social media and received immediate backlash.

The organizer is a professional in the greater Columbia area who strongly believes in freedom. Her idea was to create a visible protest in front of Target on Highway 378 during the heavily travelled afternoon commute time between 5:00pm and 6:00pm. The extent of the protest was to stand on the sidewalk and hold signs protesting the mask ordinance and the requirements of masks for students in schools. 

 

The Town of Lexington’s police department reached out to the organizer for more information on the structure of the protest. However, she had already decided to cancel the event due to fears for her personal safety, as well as that of her family.

 

The vitriolic comments targeted her business, encouraging people to boycott her professionally. The erosion of America’s constitutional right to freedom of expression is making it difficult for many to have their voices heard in the marketplace of ideas. 

 

The organizer posted the following comment on social media. “Morning all, I need to let you all know what has been happening to me. With much regret, I had to cancel Monday's attempt at a successful strike against the masks. After creating a public event on FB, sharing to every outlet I know, I have become under extreme personal attack, bullying, and harassment. 

 

“The "other side" is stopping at nothing to attack my family personally, financially, and psychologically, and have threatened financial and even physical death to our business and our family. I started by trying to delete negative comments, but they kept coming, and in force! 

 

“The "other side" is relentless, heartless, degrading, and have no regard to what "free speech" is. They don't understand it's ok to disagree and they do not need to come to an event if they are not interested, but what I don't understand is when this world started thinking it was ok to start harassing the other side so badly for believing something different than them. If maskers want to wear a mask for the rest of their lives I am ok with that, but my family and I are being severely targeted by those who don't want us to have the freedom to choose! This is a huge problem! I hope we can find other ways to make a difference.”