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Did you know there are 6 elected members serving on the Fort Mill Town council? Fort Mill is divided into 4 wards with an elected member to serve those areas plus 2 more elected officials to represent “at large” seats. To qualify and campaign for a ward seat, you must live within the ward, however, everyone can vote for the candidate running for a seat on town council….which means YOUR vote counts!!! The council members serve staggered 4 year terms and this year the seat serving ward 3 is between 2 candidates: incumbent- Larry Huntley and challenger – Julia Beilsmith. So…what is the difference between these candidates?
Larry Huntley has served on town council since 2007, he is rooted in our community and embraces growth as it is a “good problem to have”. He is a husband, father, and grandfather who invests his time and stories (packed full of wisdom) with them daily. Larry Huntley is running on his voting record.
Julia Beilsmith is a newcomer to Fort Mill and brings with her the experience of many years of public service. She is an engineer who works in Huntersville,NC, a wife and mother who believes her experience can help effectively manage the growth in Fort Mill.
Both candidates are concerned about traffic, water and sewer lines, and the right balance between residential/commercial development.
Both candidates are likable, engaging, and open to sharing their time to connect with citizens.
You can reach Larry Huntley by cell 803) 417-0851
Julia Beilsmith: juliamahurin@hotmail.com or (813) 956-3436
To hear the entire interview on “Close up” visit http://www.WRHI.com
Filed under Close up: Fort Mill/ Tega Cay
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Today’s edition of “Close up: Fort Mill/ Tega Cay” was packed full of nutritious ideas for living a healthier life. My guest, Carol Green is a nutritional therapy practitioner with an office in the Clebourne building (suite 120) right here in Fort Mill. We covered a lot of information during our 30 minutes on air interview and still didn’t get to everything!! Carol believes that most health conditions can be avoided, diminished or eliminated through good nutrition. I do too, however, defining and achieving “good” nutrition is a personal journey for each of us. It’s nice to know that we have Carol Green, NTP here local to help us achieve personal wellness and….she offers a complimentary 30 minute consultation!! Speaking of local… Just so you know- The Peach Stand offers a variety of gluten free products as well as grass fed/free range meats. For more information, recipes or to contact Carol visit http://www.tasteofhealing.com
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Today’s edition of “Close up” featured Carol Dixon and Alexa Spratt who both serve on the Fort Mill History Museum committee. The Fort Mill History Museum is located at 310 N White St in Fort Mill and is quickly becoming a “branding” feature of Fort Mill- by displaying incredible exhibits, sharing History lessons dating back to Spanish explorers and promoting the rich culture of art, life and manufacturing of textiles in our town…. That’s just a snippet of what they do!!!!
It’s not too late to purchase your tickets for “The Art of the Knight Gala” happening on Friday Oct 4, 2013 however, the last day is Sept 21st. Also- be sure to attend “Art on Main” happening Saturday, Oct 5, 2013 from 10am-4pm in Historic Downtown Fort Mill. for more details visit http://www.FortMillHistoryMuseum.org. …And be sure to “Like” them on Facebook: Fort Mill History Museum!!! Today’s interview can be heard on http://www.WRHI.com. “see you on the radio”. Patti 🙂
September 17, 2013 · 5:39 pm
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Today on “Close up: Fort Mill/Tega Cay” I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Hugh Wilson. Dr Wilson is the principal of The Palmetto School which services children at The Attention Home, Safe Passages and Pilgrims Inn. With over 40,000 children in South Carolina suffering from physical and emotional abuse, often neglected by parents who are addicted to drugs, it is imperative that we all contribute where we can to raise dollars for the academic welfare of our kids in York County attending the Palmetto School!
**October 12, 2013 is the 4th annual RUN FOR ATTENTION benefitting the Palmetto School 9am @ Knight’s Stadium – prizes, food and family fun!!
**USATF certified 5K RUN ****1 mile FUN run/walk******meet Matt Elliot********
go to http://www.runforattention.org for race details and http://www.WRHI.com to hear full interview!!
See you there!!!
September 10, 2013 · 5:00 pm
Elevate”
“Cookies for Kids Cancer” is a sweet idea with a serious purpose! A national nonprofit dedicated to childhood cancer research. Throughout the month of September we are “Painting the town Gold” to show our support in Fort Mill and Tega Cay for families who have faced the “C” word. Our 2013 SC Strawberry Queen, Dana Boutwell has a mission to raise awareness and funding through “30 Days for a cure”. The month started off strong with Daniel Kauffman tossing the first pitch at the last Knights game in Fort Mill. Daniel was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed- he is 5 years old today. His family’s story inspired our SCSF Queen to advocate for this “cause before crown”.
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Middle school is a time for discovering who we are and how we relate to the world through the reflection of how the world sees us and relates to the person we are “perceived” to be.
As I drove my son to his 6th day of Middle school this morning, he asked me: “mom, because I have Autism- will my children have Autism?”. …. Huh??? The question hit me hard for a couple of reasons (not counting that I needed coffee)! Mitchell is 11years old and to my knowledge has only referenced himself to the diagnosis once, in a statement of past tense last summer, when he began a sentence with; “Mom- remember when I was a baby and had Autism…. It seems that Middle School has already challenged my son’s perception of himself….”more coffee please” “/.
Middle school represents a culture of youth where words, emotions, and life circumstances can leave lasting impressions. At a time, when parents could be the ultimate resource, we are often pushed aside as our emerging young adults strive to navigate the challenges of life independently. It’s tough because as parents, we want to take the pain away and remind our kids how awesome they are no matter who said what! However….here is the deal: when we give something to our kids that we didn’t get- we take away something we got. Did you cruise through middle school without a few hurt feelings, layers of questions or a daily dose of humiliation in class? Most of us carry more than a few embarrassing stories from those formative years in middle school and those “pains” can shape our perceptions, choices and decisions of the adult we ultimately morph into.
Did I share all this in response to Mitchell’s question?? No way, after all he is in middle school with an attention span of a Nano second! Mothers intuition whispered, “keep it simple and tread lightly”.
“No – although there is a genetic link to autism, there is no definitive cause.”
Sure I wanted to say more….I was also curious: “why do you ask?”
He answered with a middle school cool vibe, “I was just thinking about it….that’s all.”
Yeah right- my “mom-dar” knows better as I’m quite sure the A word has been said by someone, somewhere, at some point during his school day.
As I took a deep breath and suppressed my primal instinct to protect my youngest son from the potentially painful “world of words”, I shared a story about him as a little boy on the way to speech one Thursday afternoon.
For over four years, Mitchell and I would spend hours together in the car making our daily rounds from speech, occupational, and play therapy talking, pointing and consciously connecting with each other through communication. On this particular day, as I pointed to a yellow car expecting Mitchell to look and repeat “yellow car”….I got this instead: “mom, can we just be quiet now”…
(Well just shut me up was my first thought as I smiled from ear to ear). My boy just “asked” a question!!!
I knew in that moment, Mitchell would learn to navigate his way in this world of words which we all call home.
On this morning before Mitchell exited the car, I reminded him that although autism may be a part of what he is, it does not define who he is.
As I drove away from the middle school with one more check in the review mirror, just to make sure he made it through the front door, I recalled my little two year old son standing on the bathroom counter. I’m standing behind him, trying so hard to help him “see” himself in the mirror: I take his finger and point to his mind- “I’m smart”, I take his arm and make a muscle- “I’m strong”, and I place both his hands over his heart- “I’m kind”.
What my little boy (ok…not so little anymore) doesn’t know is how often without him there- I looked at my own reflection and repeated the same mantra: “I’m smart, I’m strong, and I’m kind”…..just like this morning as I drive away.
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Congratulations to Sarah Bazey, our 2012 Mrs. international!!! This lady is amazing – having suffered 3rd degree burns to over 40% of her body in a helicopter crash, she continues to serve as a spokesperson for the Phoenix Society sharing a message of hope and strength.
Thanks to everyone in my life who have supported my efforts to raise awareness for Autism through the International System. Mel and Mary Richardson have developed an opportunity for all women to embrace their femininity, support each other and pursue a competition where the blessing is in the experience of making a difference.
When you first arrive at the International pageant- the energy of over 50 breathtakingly beautiful women is enough to make Angelina Jolie want to run home and hide!! However, with each individual conversation -as we get to know each others hearts and causes, an incredible miracle begins to unfold. It’s not about the “crown” …it truly is about the “cause”!
This year- the class of 2012- was extra special! It was an honor to share the stage with all 54 of the most amazing women. I hope that each one of my pageant sisters will walk away from this week with the same blessing that I received.
Was I disappointed??? Heck yes!!! Was I hurt … Did I feel rejected…. You bet!!! When Autism is the message and the message is not picked for the International title … It feels personal… I’m human with emotions that scream….REALLY????
As I looked at the top 16- Autism, Post traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s …. NOT there!!!
Cancer, heart disease…. Well represented.
As contestants, we can prepare and present our best and it may not be enough to claim the crown. Judges are people with their own set of life experiences and sometimes your cause will “click” with theirs and sometimes it doesn’t. That is the excitement of the sport of pageantry!!
Each contestant has five minutes to make their message heard and who knows where the starting point is….???
I love the time and attention that the International System takes to help all the contestants understand that it’s the people who know us best – our family, friends, and community- whose opinion we should always hold dearest. Above all, it’s the vertical accountability to GOD who has given each one of us a unique purpose with the skill set to accomplish the task that matters most.
God knows our hearts and my heart is filled with love for the Mrs International Class of 2012!!!
Congratulations to all of you!!!
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Patti Mercer 