October 18, 2006

It’s Time to Celebrate Hardeeville!

The City of Hardeeville has something for everyone at the

8^th annual Celebrate Hardeeville Festival on October 28^th

The City of Hardeeville invites everyone to the 8^th annual Celebrate Hardeeville Festival on Saturday, October 28^th. The festival is a full day of fun for the whole family, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the grounds of the Hardeeville Community Center, 205 East Main Street.

“There is something for everybody,” said Hardeeville Mayor Rodney Cannon. “You just can’t beat what we have going on here for our citizens on October 28^th.”

“I love this festival,” said Hardeeville City Councilwoman Bea Jones. “The community gets together and just has a really great time.”

The festival features live music, children’s rides, food vendors and arts and crafts booths. The grand finale is a fireworks display.

Last year’s first-ever car show was so popular that the festival committee is putting it on again this year. The inaugural car show attracted about 75 antique and classic cars.

“We’re looking at over a hundred this year,” Mayor Cannon said. “You do not have to belong to a car club. Just sign up and show off your fabulous car.”

Admission to the festival is free. For $8, children can get a wristband to enjoy as many rides as many times as they want.

“That really goes over big. Bring your kids out and let them get a wristband and ride all day,” Mayor Cannon said.

While Hardeeville will benefit from the tremendous growth coming its way, the city will also continue to have a festival with an old-time, neighborhood atmosphere.

“This festival is one of the things that we love to do, because we love to give back to our community and we love to have our citizens come out and enjoy themselves,” Mayor Cannon said.

The City of Hardeeville thanks all the generous sponsors who make the festival possible.

“The festival is always free, and we’re proud of that,” Councilwoman Jones said. “We appreciate our sponsors helping us keep it free for our community.”

Spots are still available to have an arts and crafts booth or to enter the car show. For more information, call Hardeeville City Hall at (843) 784-2231.

October 12, 2006

Hardeeville Celebrates Ground

 Breaking for Tradition, S.C.

Public Invited to October 21 ‘Founders Day’ Celebration to

Learn More About 5,300-Acre, 9,500-Home Community

Hardeeville Mayor Rodney Cannon, city council members and other area leaders, as well as U.S. Representatives Joe Wilson and Lynn Rivers, joined Core Communities President Pete Hegener today to officially break ground on the Tradition master-planned community.

Following a traditional groundbreaking ceremony, leaders shared plans for the 5,300-acre community that will include 9,500 homes; $40 million in amenities, parks and open greenspace; residential, commercial and retail areas; new school locations; police and fire stations; and, a Tommy Fazio-designed, championship golf course. Other amenities include a 50,000-square- foot fitness and spa center, a tennis pavilion, basketball court, an event staging field, Grille Restaurant and a town center that models the Main Street feel of small town charm with plenty of greenspace sprinkled with fountains and monuments of the past. As well, the community’s plans include land set aside for school construction, a demonstration of the community’s dedication to providing educational tools for the entire region.

                “The city of Hardeeville is thrilled about the addition of Tradition, S.C., to our community, as it brings exciting new opportunities yet keeps our traditional values, providing our residents with a new community where they can live, work, invest and enjoy life,” said Mayor Cannon. “We’re happy to bring local leaders and VIPs together for this momentous occasion as we celebrate this great opportunity.”

Located near the I-95/U.S. 278 interchange in the city of Hardeeville at 3171 Independence Blvd., the project is positioned to attract new businesses and homeowners, with close proximity to Savannah, Ga., and Hilton Head Island, S.C. Easy access to I-95 presents an opportunity to increase real estate demand by encouraging job growth, as well as the potential to increase the commercial tax base. Currently, Core Communities employs more than 200 people that work on the site daily, and once vertical construction begins that number will increase to 600. In a first for the region, costs for infrastructure improvements are being paid through development impact fees which place the burden on property owners within the new community rather than local taxpayers.

“At Core Communities, we’re proud to offer all of the best and most popular elements in community design, and we’re focused on making Tradition, S.C., a community that this entire region can be proud of,” said Hegener. “We’re looking forward to continuing our long-term partnership with the area’s leadership and bringing to them a high quality of development which can only enhance the area.”

Phase One of Tradition construction, scheduled to begin early 2007, will include 1,200 homes on a 200-acre golf course, 360 townhomes, more than 100,000 square feet of commercial space on 15 acres and eight acres set aside for new police and fire stations.

During the groundbreaking ceremonies, Core Communities also revealed details for the first public event on the Tradition, S.C., property, a “Founders Day” celebration to be held Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will include family-friendly games and activities, contests and prizes, such as hot air balloon rides, a rock climbing wall, gigantic inflatable slide, magicians, food and refreshments. Live music will include local favorites Paradise Bay, Shannon Tanner and The Target Band.

                For more information about the town of Tradition, S.C., contact Core Communities at (843) 815-4025 or visit the community’s Web site at www.traditionsc.com.

October 11, 2006

Firefighter Gives Students a Fun

 Lesson with a Serious Message

Hardeeville fire prevention officer Shane Comparetto

visits West Hardeeville School for Fire Prevention Week

With all their gear on, firefighters might look a little scary to a child.

To show children not to be scared of a firefighter who’s trying to help them, Hardeeville fire prevention officer Shane Comparetto visited West Hardeeville School classrooms and had the teachers put on all the gear.

Some younger students laughed as their teachers put on the big boots, the bulky pants and jacket, the heavy helmet, even the mask that’s connected to the air tank so the firefighter can breathe. But the students got the message.

“It’s still the same person, right?” Comparetto asked the students. “It’s not that scary because we know who’s underneath these masks, okay?”

It was part of the lesson Captain Comparetto gave to all West Hardeeville kindergarten through 5^th-grade classes for Fire Prevention Week.

Comparetto got the students involved by asking questions like, “What do you do if your clothes catch on fire?”

                The students yelled in unison, “Stop, drop and roll! And cover your face!”

The visit from Hardeeville Fire and Rescue is far from the students’ only safety lesson. Safety instruction is part of West Hardeeville’s curriculum.

“They have a whole week’s lesson on safety – not just fire safety, but gun safety, electrical safety, bicycle safety, anything safety,” Comparetto said. “We are so happy to be integrated with the school and see them put this in the curriculum. It’s just great news for us in the fire department, and it makes the whole community safer.”

The fire safety lessons seem to stay with the students. To illustrate, Captain Comparetto struck up a conversation in the hallway with eighth-grader Timothy Bostic, who knew the answer to every question he was asked.

When asked what to do if his house is full of smoke, Timothy responded, “You find the nearest exit. You crawl, because smoke floats to the roof. You go to the family safety spot like a mailbox or a stop sign.”

Comparetto then asked, “What if you forgot your PlayStation in there?”

Without hesitation, Timothy responded, “You don’t go back and get it. That can be replaced.”

                “The best reward we can get is when we come back a year later and see the kids, and what we taught them is still sticking in their heads,” Comparetto said.

October 2, 2006

City Welcomes New Finance Director

Former Port Wentworth assistant city administrator

Michelle Werner brings a strong background to Hardeeville

The City of Hardeeville’s new finance director, Michelle Werner, is no stranger to our area. She comes to Hardeeville from just one exit down Interstate 95 – where she was assistant city administrator for the City of Port Wentworth.

“One of the things that impressed us in our interview process was that Michelle was familiar with what is going on in Hardeeville and she really wanted to be a part of it,” said Hardeeville city manager Shane Haynes. “We felt that we had someone in Michelle who had done some homework and research, and also had some compatible experiences in what was going on in Port Wentworth and the growth that we’re experiencing here.”

“There are a lot of similarities (in Port Wentworth) to what’s going on here,” Werner said. “Port Wentworth is farther along in their development, but they’re not going to have as much (as Hardeeville). In Port Wentworth we had three different subdivisions under construction, and it’s really neat to go out there and see the progress that’s being made and people moving in. It’s very exciting.”

Werner earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia in 2000. After graduate school, she worked at the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Regional Development Center in Augusta, Ga., where her main focus was grant writing and grant administration.

In 2004, Werner took the newly-created assistant city administrator position in Port Wentworth, where she managed human resources and finance.

“She has a fantastic resume and educational background,” Haynes said. “We feel that Michelle is going to do a fantastic job for us.”

“This seems to be a very good working environment,” Werner said. “Everybody has a really good attitude about working together and helping out, and I sensed that right away. I’m very excited about being here.”

The addition of Michelle Werner is not all that’s new in the city’s finance department. In the past, only one employee was responsible for everything related to the City of Hardeeville’s finances; but now some of those jobs are being done throughout City Hall.

“It was a huge burden to have all those responsibilities on one person,” Haynes said.

While Werner is responsible for the day-to-day analysis and management of the city’s finances, duties such as accounts payable, payroll and human resources have been divided among other city staff members.

“I’m sure Michelle is going to bring some ideas and some fresh looks at how to best manage the finance department,” Haynes said. “We want her to streamline that process. We think now more than ever we’re in a better position to succeed and to meet city council’s goals and objectives in terms of the finance department, and also be as responsive and efficient as we can with the community.”

September 23, 2006

Suspect Shot After Threatening

Police Officers with Gun

Homicide, carjacking suspect is shot after threatening Hardeeville

 police officers on Interstate 95; officers are uninjured

A suspect in a homicide in Savannah and a carjacking in Effingham County was shot after threatening Hardeeville police officers with a gun on Interstate 95 early Saturday morning.

Hardeeville Police received a call at 5:18 a.m. that a man armed with a gun had carjacked another man on I-95 near the Georgia-South Carolina line. Five minutes later, a call came in that a black Nissan had gone off the road and down an embankment near mile marker 6 on the interstate. Two Hardeeville police officers responded to the wrecked car, which was determined to be the same vehicle from the carjacking.

The officers stated that the driver ran toward them and shouted obscenities with a gun in his hand. One of the police officers fired his gun at the man in self-defense.

The suspect was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but died. Prior to carjacking and wrecking the Nissan, the man had been injured when he crashed his own car on Interstate 95. The nature of his injuries and cause of his death are being investigated.

The Hardeeville police officers were not injured. Their names are not being released, pending the outcome of the investigation into the incident.

“All indications are that the officers acted accordingly and did nothing wrong,” Hardeeville Police Chief James D. Hubbard Chief Hubbard said. “This is something they didn’t want to happen. No officer wants to take another life.”

Hardeeville City Manager Shane Haynes said, "It is tragic when any individual loses their life, and the unfortunate events of this morning are no different. It is regretful that any of our officers would be placed in a position where they had no choice but to use lethal force. Our officers responded with extreme caution and in the highest professional manner under the intense circumstances.

“As always we are thankful for their sacrifice and bravery beyond description in protecting our citizens and community,” Haynes continued. “Our prayers are with the family members that have been tragically impacted in these events and with our brave officers, their families and the police department as they work through this difficult time."

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting.

August 1, 2006

Hardeeville Honored with State Award

City Receives a 2006 Municipal Association of South Carolina

Achievement Award for its Community Complex

The City of Hardeeville has received a state award for a project that preserves our community’s past while leading the way into our future.

Hardeeville’s city hall and community campus won this year’s Municipal Association of South Carolina Achievement Award for cities and towns with populations of 1,001-5,000. The City of Hardeeville received the award this past weekend at the MASC annual meeting on Hilton Head Island.

Mayor Rodney Cannon accepted the trophy on stage, but said that the award belongs to the entire community.

“I’m really happy for our citizens,” Mayor Cannon said. “Our citizens are really getting a better quality of life by what’s being done, and this just showcases to the other parts of the state what kind of quality of life we have in Hardeeville and what we’re trying to do to continue that quality of life.”

“[The trophy presentation] did bring tears to my eyes,” said City Councilwoman Bea Jones. “As hard as we all worked – the whole town, the whole community – it’s nice for people to say, ‘Good job.’ It was wonderful to be presented before the whole state the job that we did – building a beautiful place, a long-lasting place for our whole community to share – using accommodations tax money and not costing the taxpayers anything.”

“It certainly is the community’s award,” said City Councilman Earl Cooler. “A lot of people came in here initially, when everything got rolling to get this building built, and contributed a great deal, sacrificed to get it going and stayed behind it until we really have a nice facility now.”

The city hall/community center at 205 East Main Street is a replica of the old Hardeeville Consolidated School that was built on that very spot in 1928. The building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 2003, making way for the new community center that opened in September, 2004. To keep the spirit of the old school alive, a committee of former students was involved in the design of the new building.

“It tore at the hearts of many members of our community that we were looking at the demise of this building,” said City Councilman Bill Horton. “The powers-that-be in office at that time came up with a brilliant plan to reconstruct a facility here and to make it again the center of our community.”

The city hall/community center houses several city department offices and the city council chambers. The Rodney Cannon Community Room hosts a number of events each year.

A showcase of the community center is the museum that proudly displays all sorts of memorabilia from life in Hardeeville over the years. The museum is named for the late Barbara Pinckney, a 1952 graduate of Hardeeville Consolidated School and possibly the biggest supporter Hardeeville has ever had.

The recreation complex behind the community center is where the city puts on community events like the Celebrate Hardeeville Festival and the National Night Out on Crime. Hardeeville’s youth and adult athletic teams play on the football field and four baseball fields, and people from around the community use the complex to play basketball or take a leisurely walk.

“Everything community-wise that happens in Hardeeville happens here (at the community complex),” said Mayor Pro-Tem Brooks Willis. “[The Achievement Award] says that we’re a community that works together and we’re a community that wants to get ahead. It’s just a great thing for the City of Hardeeville.”

For more on the City of Hardeeville’s 2006 MASC Achievement Award, watch a feature program about it on the Hardeeville Television Network. The programming schedule is on the HTVN link on our website.

To watch a video about Hardeeville’s Achievement Award, click here

July 20, 2006

Hardeeville Hosting Night Out

Community is invited to come together for Hardeeville’s observance of National Night Out on August 1

The City of Hardeeville invites everyone out on August 1 for a night that’s a lot of fun – with a serious message.

The city is bringing the community together for our second annual National Night Out on Crime celebration, on Tuesday, August 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. on the grounds of the Hardeeville Community Center. It is free of charge.

Night Out is a nationwide observance to promote crime prevention awareness, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and show criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime.

 “If you show unity and everybody comes out and shows support for what you’re trying to do with public safety, criminals see that. They know that you know your neighbors and they know that you’re going to be looking out for them, and they hesitate to come into the neighborhoods and commit some type of crime,” said Hardeeville Mayor Rodney Cannon.

“A long time ago people used to have block parties, and everybody would sit on their front porches and holler to their neighbors as they went by, but we don’t do that anymore. That’s a shame, but at least once a year we can get together and reaffirm our connection with our neighbors in the community,” said Hardeeville City Councilwoman Bea Jones.

National Night Out has a festive atmosphere, with a disk jockey providing music and city staff serving hot dogs, watermelon and drinks. The entertainment includes a magician, a balloon artist, a dunking booth, and an inflatable waterslide and “moonwalk.”

“You get everybody out, everybody learns who their neighbors are, and we have a lot of fun at the same time,” Mayor Cannon said.

“We would love to have a big crowd for all the festivities,” said Hardeeville Parks and Recreation Director Joe Gailey.

Along with the food and fun, National Night Out is a great opportunity to talk to your Hardeeville police officers and firefighters. They will also have their vehicles and equipment on display.

“Our police officers and firefighters do a tough job for our citizens, and you really need to get to know them,” Mayor Cannon said. “Your children need to get to know them, so the children aren’t scared of them and they know that’s where they need to go when they need help.”

Hardeeville police officers will demonstrate to children the dangers of drinking and driving. Kids will be able to drive a golf cart through a winding course of road cones – but they’ll have to do it wearing special goggles that simulate how your vision is affected when you’re under the influence.

            Meanwhile, Hardeeville firefighters will be giving lessons in the Kids’ Fire Safety House, a mobile classroom that shows children fire hazards in the home. At the end of the demonstration, smoke is piped in so children can practice crawling under smoke and getting safely out of the house to the family meeting spot outside.

            “You should bring your kids out and let them see this, to understand how to get out of the house,” Mayor Cannon said. “It’s very important to have a plan and know where you’ll meet if you get separated if, God forbid, something like that was to happen.”

Along with all the activities outside, a number of local agencies will have displays set up inside the Community Center with information to help you prevent crime. A new addition to Night Out this year will be a local bicycle shop teaching children bicycle safety.

            Whether it’s the information booths or the dunking booth, National Night Out has something for everyone. City leaders say what really matters is just that you’re there – showing your neighbors that we’re together in the fight against crime.

            “Your neighbors will help your children if they see somebody trying to pick them up, your neighbors will watch out for your house, your neighbors will make sure that you’re safe and you’ll make sure that they’re safe. That’s the kind of community everybody wants to live in,” Councilwoman Jones said.

            More than 34 million people in over 10,000 communities in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide participated in the 2005 National Night Out, according to the website www.nationaltownwatch.org.

July 12, 2006

Youth Football Kicking Off Soon

Football players and cheerleaders can register through

 August 4 for the upcoming Hardeeville Patriots season

                Another exciting season of youth football will soon kick off at the City of Hardeeville Sports Complex.

                Registration for the 2006 Hardeeville Patriots youth football and cheerleading season is going on through August 4. You can register your child at Hardeeville City Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

                Youth football is divided into three age groups: Small Fry (7-9 years old), Peewee (10-11) and Midget (12-13). Cheerleading is open to ages 4-13. The age cutoff is November 1.

                The registration fee is $35. You must fill out the registration and insurance forms, and first-time participants need to bring a copy of their birth certificate. The $35 fee is divided into $20 dollars for the Hardeeville Patriots Booster Club for uniforms and equipment and $15 for the city for insurance and field maintenance.

                The season runs August 19 through November 4. The Hardeeville Patriots participate in a league with teams from the neighboring communities of Ridgeland, Bluffton, Estill, Hampton and Allendale.

“I look forward to the excitement that Hardeeville Patriot youth football brings each year. This is my first season and I look forward to watching all the children have fun,” said Joe Gailey, Hardeeville’s new parks and recreation director.

If you can’t get to City Hall during business hours, you will still be able to register your children for football and cheerleading. The booster club is doing registration from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the City Hall parking lot.

                Again this year, the Patriots’ home games will be shown on the Hardeeville Television Network. All home games in each age group will be videotaped and replayed several times on Channel 63 on Hargray Cable.

In addition to the youth programs, the Hardeeville Parks and Recreation Department will soon begin registration for adult softball and flag football. Adult softball registration starts August 1 and the season begins September 18; adult flag football registration starts October 2 and the season kicks off November 5.

                For more information about any Hardeeville Parks and Recreation Department programs, call (843) 784-5194.

May 19, 2006

City Strictly Enforcing Land

Disturbance Regulations

The City of Hardeeville reminds anyone wanting

To clear property to talk with the city first

            The City of Hardeeville is showing how seriously it takes its laws regarding tree protection and land disturbance permits.

            A developer who violated the ordinance has been hit with the largest fine in the city’s history. Towne Park Jasper LLC has been fined $15,000 for cutting trees without a permit, in an area off Sgt. Jasper Park Road where the developer is building a townhouse community.

“In light of the recent tree violation and penalty, the City of Hardeeville planning staff urges anyone planning to clear their property, remove trees or perform any land disturbance to call or visit the Planning Department to determine what requirements need to be met. Staff will review your plans and inform you as to what can or cannot be done,” said Brana Snowden, City of Hardeeville planning director.

Proper land clearance is important for several reasons, according to Russell Byrd, principal planner for the City of Hardeeville.

“No one wants to look at something that’s clear-cut to the ground – empty dirt, empty land,” Byrd said. “It’s important to save some of the natural habitat that already exists for the wildlife and migratory birds, but also for aesthetic purposes and buffering.”

Cutting trees also impacts stormwater runoff. As Hardeeville public works director Jim Hatter points out, water that would have been soaked up by trees instead runs down the street or through someone’s yard.

“A lot of people go in and cut an acre of property, and they don’t realize what the law states about that until it’s too late and they’ve already done it,” Hatter said. “We have state laws and a city ordinance against clear-cutting trees. So come see us and let us know what you want to do, or you can be in a lot of trouble and it can cost you quite a bit of money.”

In fact, violations of the ordinance carry a fine of up to $500 per day per tree.

“What we want to do is balance your ability to do what you want with protecting the environment, having good, sound planning and protecting people’s property,” Byrd said.

            Hardeeville’s review and approval procedures are on the city’s website, www.cityofhardeeville.com, under the Planning and Economic Development section. Check the website to see exactly how the process works, or just stop by Hardeeville City Hall.

May 9, 2006

Voters Approve Change to

Council-Manager Government

Referendum Passes by a 64 to 46 Vote

            After the vote totals from Hardeeville’s May 9^th referendum were announced, Mayor Pro-Tem Brooks Willis said it was “a great day for the City of Hardeeville.”

            Hardeeville City Councilman Earl Cooler called the outcome of the referendum “a big step forward for the City of Hardeeville.”

            By a 64 to 46 vote, Hardeeville voters approved changing the City of Hardeeville from its council form of government to the council-manager form.

            “I’m very excited by the way the vote turned out, because it is a vote by the citizens for progression as they continue to move the city forward,” Councilman Cooler said.

            Under the council-manager form, Hardeeville City Council will strictly be a policy-making body and will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the city.

            City Administrator Shane Haynes will become the city manager and will carry out the policies adopted by council. City council members will not deal directly with city staff – only with Mr. Haynes.

            “I think we’ve got an instrument here now that will help us to fine-tune and further streamline an administrative machine that’s already operating well. I think this puts the final touches on it to where we can get on down the road to bigger and better things,” Mayor Pro-Tem Willis said.

            The May 9^th vote basically formalizes what the City of Hardeeville is already doing. The city is essentially operating as a council-manager government already, since council turned over the day-to-day management of the city to Administrator Haynes five years ago.

            “I think that, with Shane at the helm, it’s going to work out great,” Mayor Rodney Cannon said. “We were basically giving him that authority anyway with the day-to-day functions. Everything goes through Shane, so council has only one point of contact.”

            “I know I can’t be here full-time (at City Hall), I don’t know of any other council person who can be here full-time, so we need to be able to channel the direction of the day-to-day business through a manager so that it can be carried out,” Mayor Pro-Tem Willis said.

            The ordinance adopting the council-manager form of government goes into effect June 1^st. If you would like to know more about the council-manager form of government, see the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s explanation of the Forms and Powers of Municipal Government.

April 19, 2006