Bluffton hairdresser of the stars shares fond memories of Barbara Walters’ class act
Remembering Barbara
As so many people, I am sad to hear the passing of Barbara Walters.
My first job in the beauty industry was working as a receptionist at the Kenneth Salon inside the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. I remember first seeing her there. I was young and ambitious, in my 20s, from rural South Georgia. Seeing Barbara was one of the few celebrities who made me feel like I had arrived in NYC and maybe had a chance to be in the mix.
Eventually, as we would run into each other more and more often, Barbara would always acknowledge me by saying, “Hello, handsome.” I came to believe that she most likely didn’t remember my name until a full-circle moment when I was back in NYC from my work in Los Angeles with Paula Abdul on American Idol. Paula was a guest on The View. I was backstage after styling her hair, and as Barbara walked by to go on set, she turned to me, winked and said, “Hello, Dennis.”
For me, and probably so many of us, in person and in journalism, Barbara was the gold-standard of smarts, class and grit.
Dennis Stokely, Bluffton
Protect St. Helena
Beaufort County should uphold St. Helena Island’s Cultural Protection Overlay that it adopted in 1999 and reject the proposed development of Pine Island Plantation that developers have proposed.
One of the last unspoiled Sea Islands in South Carolina’s beloved Lowcountry, St. Helena Island is worthy of continued protection for several reasons.
First, St. Helena Island is recognized nationally as a center of Gullah culture, which has deep roots in St. Helenaville and on Pine Island.
Second, the proposed development, if approved, would undermine Beaufort County’s Comprehensive Plan that specifically recognizes the importance of the Cultural Protection Overlay in protecting St. Helena’s traditional rural lifestyle.
Third, allowing the proposed development would increase litigation risk for Beaufort County by creating constitutionally impermissible spot zoning.
Finally, the proposed development will adversely affect historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places as well as environmentally sensitive areas including the St. Helena Sound.
Beaufort County is already under intense development pressure on both sides of the Broad River. Changing zoning laws to allow the proposed development of Pine Island would set a dangerous precedent that will encourage and accelerate this pressure even more.
William J. Cook, Okatie
I-95 standstill
My wife and I lived in South Carolina for 13 years, during which time we became avid Gamecock fans. We decided it would be fun to meet some family members in Columbia and travel together to the Gator Bowl.
We assumed there would be heavier-than-usual traffic, but imagine our surprise when it took more than five hours to drive from Columbia to the Georgia state line. Interstate 95 in South Carolina was a parking lot, primarily because the two southbound lanes could not accommodate the increased traffic.
Once we got to Georgia and then Florida, there were three and sometimes four southbound lanes. Therefore, the heavy traffic moved at a much faster pace.
In Jacksonville, we heard countless horror stories about the traffic in South Carolina. People found it hard to understand why I-95 in South Carolina was so inadequate as compared to Georgia and Florida.
South Carolina has continued to lag economically behind Georgia and Florida. Perhaps highway infrastructure has something to do with this.
A few years back, the gas tax in South Carolina was increased to improve roads and highways. Where has this money gone? It certainly hasn’t done anything to improve I-95.
Frank Morgan, former SC resident now in Glen Allen, VA
Can’t hide books
Kids are smart. When you tell them they can’t read specific books, they will find a way to search out the banned books. It’s easy on the Internet.
They will read them and learn what real life is about. Hopefully, they will continue to read more books and become educated, open minded adults.
Ceil Treiss, HHI
