Boeing breaks ground on North Charleston assembly plant

Boeing
Boeing Breaks Ground on Second 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston, SC

Charleston Regional Business Journal
Boeing’s work begins: ‘Gentlemen, start your engines’
By Chelsea Hadaway and Molly Parker

The Post and Courier
Boeing breaks ground for historic North Charleston plant
By Katy Stech

The Wall Street Journal
Boeing Breaks Ground on South Carolina Dreamliner Plant
By Peter Sanders

Channel 2 WCBD
Leaders gather in North Charleston for Boeing groundbreaking






Channel 4 WCIV
Boeing Breaks Ground for Historic Plant

Channel 5 WCSC
Boeing breaks ground on new era in SC industry

North Charleston Christmas Events

To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, the City of North Charleston will host the following public Christmas events.

Winter Wonderland
Thursday, December 3 and Friday, December 4 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at Armory Park (5000 Lackawanna Boulevard). This free pre-school event provides young children an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, including holiday arts & crafts, live performances, and music. Pre-registration is required.

Breakfast with Santa
Saturday, December 5 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Felix C. Davis Community Center (4800 Park Circle). Breakfast with Santa commences the Christmas Festival and gives area children the opportunity to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. A hearty meal is provided. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Felix C. Davis Community Center for $4.00 per person.

Christmas Festival and Parade
Saturday, December 5 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm around Park Circle with the Christmas Parade beginning at 6:00 pm. The Christmas Festival includes a Holiday Market with craft vendors and local farmers, food vendors, and live musical performances on two stages. The Christmas Parade begins at the corner of Montague and Mixson Avenues, proceeds down Montague, around Park Circle, and concludes at Armory Park. Immediately following the Christmas Parade, Mayor R. Keith Summey will light the City’s Christmas tree located outside the front entrance of the Felix C. Davis Community Center.

Christmas lights and displays will shine at Park Circle and on the eight exterior islands nightly from December 5 until New Years Day.

For pre-registration, ticket purchases, and general inquiries, contact the North Charleston Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 745-1028.



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City Council expresses opposition to the Point of Sale Bill

On Thursday, November 12, 2009, the North Charleston City Council passed a resolution urging the South Carolina General Assembly to oppose H3272, the Point of Sale Bill.

The resolution reads as follows:

A RESOLUTION

A RESOLUTION URGING THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL
ASSEMBLY TO OPPOSE H3272, THE POINT OF SALE BILL

WHEREAS, H3272, the point of sale bill, is not the fix for Act 388, and

WHEREAS, H3272 only presents another piecemeal approach to change the already fragmented state tax structure; and

WHEREAS, H3272 is a shortsighted attempt to fix a global economic problem of no credit and a slow housing market due to job loss and retirement worries; and

WHEREAS, H3272 never allows all property to true up to its full market value causing unfair inequities among homeowners living in different neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, H3272 causes public schools already suffering from revenue losses to incur additional revenue losses; and

WHEREAS, when senators return to Columbia in January for the legislative session they should vote “no” on this bill and let the Taxation Realignment Commission complete its study of the state tax code; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the City of North Charleston affirms its opposition to H3272, the point of sale bill, believes that the Taxation Realignment Commission should be allowed to complete its study of the state’s tax structure before any additional piecemeal tax changes are passed by the South Carolina General Assembly.

THE ABOVE RESOLUTION SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON ITS RATIFICATION BY CITY COUNCIL.

The Background
“In 2006, the legislature passed tax reform legislation, Act 388, which made several changes to the way municipal governments…”

2009 Session
“Legislators introduced several bills in the 2009 session to eliminate Act 388’s point of sale provision. These bills…”

Local Consequences
“The artificial value of the property for tax purposes was intended to make sure an owner…”

Senate Testimony
Miriam Hair's (Municipal Association of South Carolina) remarks to the Senate Finance Special subcommittee

Community Input Sought on LAMC Revitalization Plan

The Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) is holding a public meeting and open house on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, at the Military Magnet School, located at 2950 Carner Avenue in the Chicora/Cherokee neighborhood, to gather input on its Revitalization Plan. The revitalization study is funded from the South Carolina State Ports Authority Community Mitigation Plan.

Attendees will receive information regarding the Plan and have an opportunity to make written or verbal comments. EDAW/AECOM will provide a brief, formal presentation of the Plan development process and proposed implementation strategies. Displays highlighting the Plan will be set up in the school auditorium with project team members from EDAW/AECOM, LAMC, and the City of North Charleston to answer questions.

Over the past eight months, LAMC and the City have worked to create a unified community vision and implementation strategy for long-term growth and equitable development in seven neighborhoods in North Charleston’s Neck area, including Liberty Hill, Accabee, Union Heights, Howard Heights, Windsor, Five Mile, and Chicora/Cherokee. “Neighborhoods deserve to participate as partners with policymakers, service providers, regulatory agencies, industry, and developers to improve the community,” said Coakley Hilton, LAMC President. “The LAMC Revitalization Plan gave us an opportunity to do that. How we act on that opportunity is up to us.”

The Revitalization Plan identifies a number of strategies and goals for economic development, housing, community facilities, and land use. Issues of concern include affordable housing, improving neighborhood appearance, increasing parks and greenspace, preserving existing neighborhoods, redeveloping vacant and dilapidated properties, and identifying traffic and transportation improvements.

The community was involved early in the planning process to help formulate the vision for the LAMC neighborhoods. More than 25 organizations and business leaders were interviewed to gain various perspectives about the future of the LAMC neighborhoods, followed by a series of public community visioning workshops that involved hands-on exercises and discussions.

LAMC is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of advocating environmental justice and promoting community development, education, quality housing, and community involvement. The LAMC Revitalization Plan is a component of the Community Mitigation Plan between LAMC, the South Carolina State Ports Authority, and the City of North Charleston to mitigate potential impacts of the new port terminal development at the former Navy Base in North Charleston. LAMC now serves as the primary community liaison between elected officials, public agencies, planners, private developers, and the neighborhoods it represents.

More information on LAMC can be found on its official website http://lamcnc.org/.

Boeing to Place Second 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston

Below is a compilation of news stories, videos and pictures from various sources regarding the announcement by Boeing to place a second 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston.







Boeing
Boeing to Place Second 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston, SC

Charleston Regional Business Journal
Excitement reigns as Sanford signs Boeing incentive
Molly Parker

Boeing Co. bringing 787 plant to North Charleston
Molly Parker

Boeing billing North Charleston plant as strike-proof as optimism spreads
Molly Parker

Upstate has tools for Boeing
Scott Miller

Post and Courier

Bringing Boeing to S.C.THE ART OF THE DEAL
Allyson Bird

Experts: Boeing move a message to unions
Dana Hedgpeth, The Washington Post

State relied on power of tax breaks, incentives
Rudolph Bell, The Greenville News

Staying focused was key, Mayor Summey says optimism was order of the day
Schuyler Kropf

Sanford signs incentive package for Boeing
Associated Press

TRIDENT TECH: Gearing up to teach thousands assembly skills
Katy Stech

Welcome to town, Boeing
Brian Hicks

BOEING: Aircraft giant lands here, Aviation giant expects to break ground on new assembly plant within the next few weeks
John McDermott, Yvonne Wenger

Summey foresees booming future, Mayor says spin-offs will add to number of jobs
Warren Wise

Boeing lands here, Aviation giant expects to break ground on new assembly plant within the next few weeks
John McDermott, Yvonne Wenger

Lawmakers offered lure worth $450M
Katy Stech, Yvonne Wenger

At the controls, notable 787 executives
Staff Report

Boeing could lead state's rebound, economist says
The State

Boeing: 'Hiring in the thousands,' Details not available yet, but open slots are estimated to be about 3,800
Katy Stech

Boeing, in their own words
Staff Report

This is bigger than big
Ken Burger

WCBD News 2
Sanford, state lawmakers laud Boeing decision to come to SC


Boeing jobs impact to be felt immediately


Rep. Henry Brown congratulates lawmakers for landing Boeing plant

Boeing to put 787 plant in North Charleston, bringing 4,000 jobs


WCIV News 4
North Charleston Mayor Reacts to Boeing News


The History of Boeing's Arrival to Charleston


Banking on Boeing


State Leaders React to Boeing Announcement


Boeing to Place 787 Assembly Line in North Charleston

WCSC News 5
Boeing banks on Charleston, stakes claim for new 787 facility

Summey press conference

Gov. Sanford gives credit to many for Boeing's arrival


The Seattle Times
Recreating local plants in S.C.
Dominic Gates

Machinists disappointed, call union 'a handy scapegoat'
Lynn Thompson, Sonia Krishnan, Melissa Allison

'We did all we could' to keep 787 work, Gregoire says, but GOP disagrees
Andrew Garber, Kyung M. Song

Hutchison faults Gregoire, Constantine on 787 decision
Bob Young

Who's to blame for losing the second 787 line?
Jon Talton

Boeing: South Carolina reaction


KOMO News 4
Second 787 assembly line goes to South Carolina


Sen. Murray: 'We're all really disappointed'


Gregoire: state remains strong aerospace player


KING News 5
Boeing Everett workers worry about Charleston 787 quality


Watch: Boeing historian: Charleston a bad move for Boeing


Watch: Snohomish Co. Executive reacts to Boeing South Carolina decision


Watch: Boeing Machinists union president reacts to S.C. decision


NBC Nightly News
Boeing 787 Goes South


The Associated Press
Boeing picks South Carolina for 2nd 787 line
Dianel Lovering, George Tibbits

Bloomberg News
Boeing Doubles Bet on 787 Scheme That’s 2 Years Late (Update1)
Peter Robison, Susanna Ray

Wall Street Journal
Boeing Selects S.C. for Dreamliner Plant
Peter Sanders

Market Watch
Boeing picks South Carolina for 787 assembly hall
Jim Jelter

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing picks S. Carolina for 2nd 787 line

Seattle Post-Intelligencer
What now? Boeing move sends state scrambling
Levi Pulkkinen, Eric Nalder, Scott Gutierrez

Financial Times
Boeing to build 787s in South Carolina
Hal Weitzman

Reuters
Machinists Dispute Boeing Strike Concerns

Dallas Morning News
Boeing to put second 787 line in South Carolina
Terry Maxson

Clemson University
Clemson University experts on Boeing's decision to bring 787 production to South Carolina

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
Take a virtual tour

The Plane

About the 787 Family

More 787 Videos

Citizens speak out on potential Pinehaven Post Office closure

A public meeting was held to discuss the possible closure of the United States Postal Service’s Pinehaven Post Office on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at St. Matthews Baptist Church.

The Pinehaven Post Office resides within a neighborhood where many rely on public transportation, yet the USPS held a public meeting in a different postal code district to receive public comments regarding its closure. The City of North Charleston felt it was best to convene a public meeting in a central location, so all of the area’s residents had an opportunity to provide input.

We encourage the public to continue to send their comments to the local postmaster.

Timothy D. Shaw
Postmaster
United States Post Office
7075 Cross County Road
North Charleston, SC 29418
timothy.d.shaw@usps.gov

Two petitions were circulated and signed at the meeting.
Petition One
Petition Two

The following are comments received from the public meeting attendees:

Gretchen Wright
USPS told us to use the supermarket to buy stamps, but there are none in our area. This logic is flawed.

Elais Bartman
The next closest Post Offices are across the Ashley River and up Rivers Avenue. The lack of transportation of many of this area’s residents will keep them from being able to get to these Post Offices.

Herb Cunningham
The next closest branch is 5.4 miles away. We have a lack in mobility. The only way we have to reach the other Post Offices is to take a bus. Why are the disadvantaged shut down first. This is a slap in the face.

Mr. Olsen
A lot of senior citizens are in this community and depend on the Post Office. If things are so bad, how can the USPS spend millions on advertising with the NFL?

Stanley Smalls
This postal district is predominantly people of color and senior citizens. Why is the USPS targeting a disadvantaged area? Rivers Avenue is too far way for many. The initial public meeting conducted by the USPS should have been located in this community, not in another postal district.

Paulette Dunham
This Post Office has always been successful. It is unfair to remove it.

Sinclair Jenkins
The Rivers Avenue Post Office is very difficult to transverse. The traffic is terrible when crossing Rivers Avenue.

Clair Laughlin
If the Pinehaven Post Office services such a large area, then why would you close it?

Clinton Brantley
This is a moral issue. It is about services, accessibility, and our senior citizens. They all should be considered.

Harriet Brown
We have lost so many other daily conveniences, and the Post Office would be a final blow. Many of the area’s residents lack transportation.

Bill Stanfield
The lack of clarity on the criteria of the decision to close the Pinehaven Post Office is disturbing. There are more public transportation riders here than in any other area. This is becoming a civil rights issue by the USPS taking away from the disadvantaged.

Lannette Poor
This community has a lack of transportation and we need the Post Office in our community.

Ms. Chisolm
The US Congressmen that represent this area should be present, but are not.

Leatrice Eddy
Moving the Post Office would create chaos. The mail is already late, how much later can we expect to receive our mail?

Patricia Brown
This Post Office is in the middle of a community and provides many services past providing postage stamps. The decision to close the Post Office is based on a flawed criteria and the USPS should reconsider.

Vanderbilt Evans
A timeframe has not been adequately communicated. If the USPS is using crime as part of their criteria, they should not. The USPS provides a service that others cannot due to federal law. This Post Office serves several communities and a reason for its possible closure has not been given.

Kenneth Blake
Why not close another branch, like Sullivans Island where the affluent live, so this community can continue to be served.

Robert Lee
I have held a post office box at the Pinehaven Post Office for 20 years. Closing the Post Office is a disservice to our community.

Judy Miller
I feel the community needs to look at the legal ramifications.

Pearl Middleton
Other conveniences have vacated the area. Why is the Post Office taking this service away?

Bernard Walker
I live in Mount Pleasant, but volunteer at a public school in the area. Whenever something negative has to happen, it always seems to happen to the minority communities. Others should be taken into consideration. The USPS is spending money frivolously in other areas and needs to reflect upon itself. Leave this Post Office alone.

Miriam Fraser
It is possible to pay for other governmental expenses, but not this one. That is a shame.

Erica Fludd
I attended the first meeting held by the USPS, which should have been held in this community. If the mail carriers are out longer, then they run a greater risk. Will they deliver mail in the dark? The mail is already late.

Javon Mack
The USPS has done an inadequate job at distributing information about the closing. I knew nothing of the previous meeting. They deliver millions of letters everyday, but can’t notify the public of the meetings they are holding a meeting.

Nathaniel Shivers
I do not understand why the USPS is shutting down this branch. The word about this has not been spread sufficiently. We get so much junk in the mail, but the USPS did not use their full ability to notify us of the last meeting.

AJ Davis
It is very telling that no representative from the USPS is present. It does not make logical sense to close this centrally located Post Office. Many of the area’s residents are on fixed incomes and are unable to travel to other locations. There are still individuals in this community that are unaware that the Post Office may be closing.

Ms. Sparkman
Every time there is a spending cut, we are hit first.

The Pinehaven Post Office is located here:
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Public Meeting for potential closure of Pinehaven Post Office

The City of North Charleston is holding a public meeting to receive input and increase awareness of the possible closure of the Pinehaven US Post Office and the impact it would have on the community.

WHAT
Public Meeting regarding the Pinehaven US Post Office

WHEN
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
6:00 pm

MEETING LOCATION
St. Matthews Baptist Church
2005 Reynolds Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29405

The US Post Office is located here:


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