The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park is the area’s most prominent and popular park. Located in downtown Beaufort along the waters of the Beaufort River, this vibrant, multi-acre park provides a breathtaking view of the Beaufort River, the Woods Memorial Bridge, the western tip of Lady’s Island, the eastern side of Port Royal Island and the northern tip of Parris Island.

On any given day, youngsters pull crabs from the rising tides of the Beaufort River, fishermen hook dinner for the night and shrimpers use centuries-old techniques to throw castnets to catch the tasty crustacean.

From a riverfront swing, you can see Parris Island, boot camp to all Marine recruits from East of the Mississippi, and home of one of the nation’s first Spanish settlements at Santa Helena. In the distance, the Beaufort River empties into Port Royal Sound, one of the East Coast’s most productive estuaries.

Shade trees swaying in the sea breeze provide a relaxing atmosphere. Other amenities include a variety of flowers, shrubs and plants, a stage for performances, a pavilion for displays, and a grassed amphitheater for picnicking, Frisbee or simple relaxing. One of the most popular features are the riverside swings, providing a simple opportunity to enjoy gentle sea breezes as a variety of water activities (fishing, boating, etc.) contribute to the relaxing atmosphere.
The park created public open space in an area where docks used to provide river access for downtown Beaufort merchants. Over the years, the docks became somewhat decrepit and, with newer and more efficient methods of delivery, the area was ripe for redevelopment. Henry C. Chambers, then mayor of Beaufort, worked with federal officials to gain financing to create the park with a series of seawalls and infill.
Today the Waterfront Park is home to many of Beaufort’s best-known festivals, including the Gullah Festival (Memorial Day week), Water Festival (a weeklong event in mid-July), and Shrimp Festival (early fall).
The park is only steps away from dozens of restaurants, shops, art galleries, churches and historic homes, and the Downtown Marina is located at the western tip of the park. There is a playground and restrooms in the park. Vehicle parking is available in several nearby lots or on the streets, and the park is handicapped accessible.
For More information contact Michael Mark of Team Beaufort.

A century later, the English stepped into development plans for the Beaufort area when, on March 24, 1663, King Charles II granted the Coastal Area to eight ‘Lord Proprietors.’ They named their territory “Carolina” in honor of King Charles I.
Beaufort, the second oldest town in South Carolina, was founded in 1711. Beaufort was named for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort (1684-1714), one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina.
Beaufort was a colonial gem with wealthy planters and merchants. Nearby is Penn Center, the first school for freed black slaves established by Unitarians from Pennsylvania even as the Civil War waged on. In the 1980s, Beaufort saw its tourist fortunes rise with the filming of several major Hollywood films here, including “The Big Chill,” “Forrest Gump,” and “Prince of Tides” – the latter written by Pat Conroy, who calls this area his home.
Beaufort’s been named a “Best Small Southern Town” by Southern Living, “Top 25 Small City Arts Destination” by American Style, a “Top 20 Fishing Town” by Field and Stream, a “Top 50 Adventure Town” by National Geographic Adventure and a “Top 200 Outdoors Town” by Outdoor Life magazine.
A careful note of local importance that sets apart the Carolinas: In Beaufort, South Carolina, the name is pronounced BYEW-ford. In North Carolina, a coastal town of great similarity with the same spelling is pronounced BO-fort.
For information about Beaufort’s celebration of its 300th birthday and the city’s extensive history, visit http://www.beaufortthreecentury.org/.

Hunting Island State Park on the Atlantic is one of the most popular state parks and beach areas in South Carolina, attracting over a million visitors annually. The pristine sandy beach, natural setting and warm Atlantic Ocean make a perfect getaway among its 5,000 acres. Hunting Island features a campground, which has spaces for RV’s and tent campers, as well as a primitive camp site for established groups. The camping area has easy access to the beach.

The park is located at the eastern tip of U.S. Highway 21, about 15 miles from downtown Beaufort and a 20-minute drive from many popular neighborhoods in the Beaufort area. It’s the primary ocean access for northern Beaufort County and, unlike commercially developed resort beaches, is a natural setting more reminiscent of a deserted isle.

The Hunting Island historic lighthouse is the state’s only lighthouse open to the public to climb. From the top platform, you get a sweeping view of the ocean, beach and the marshland.

Fishing is popular in the lagoon, in the four miles of ocean surf and from the fishing pier which reaches 1,120 feet into Fripp Inlet. Located at the pier entrance is a Nature Center with exhibits of the local wildlife and marine life. Use of the pier is free with park admission.

Along with humans who come to the beach are an array of wildlife, ranging from loggerhead sea turtles to painted buntings, barracudas to sea horses, alligators, pelicans, dolphins and deer, raccoons, Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and even the rare coral snake. What they all enjoy is five miles of beach, thousands of acres of marsh, tidal creeks and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and ocean inlet.

Hunting Island State Park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal Program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The program was designed to provide employment during the Great Depression while addressing national needs in conservation and recreation.

The park’s interior has one of the state’s best examples of semi-tropical maritime forest with ancient sand dunes now dominated by such vegetation as slash pines, cabbage palmetto (the state tree) and live oak. Trails wind through the forest, perfect for hiking, running or biking.

For bird watchers, hundreds of species also are resident on or visit Hunting Island, including painted buntings, tanagers and orioles, along with pelicans, oystercatchers, skimmers and terns, herons, egrets, osprey, kingfishers and wood storks.

The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time. Admission is $4 adults, $2.50 seniors and $1.50 for children ages 6-15. Admission is free for youngsters age five and younger.

Michael Mark of Beaufort SC has enjoyed this park for 35 years, come visit, you will want to stay!

For purchases made after November 7, 2009, the income limits for eligibility have also been expanded. The credit does not start to phase out until Modified Adjusted Gross Income exceeds $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for married couples filing jointly. That wide range helps more people qualify for this credit.

Further, the credit can be claimed by homeowners buying a new principal residence if they have lived in their current home for at least five of the last eight years. For repeat purchasers, the credit is capped at $6,500.

Of course, there are limits. The right to use the credit is phased out as Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) rises from $75,000 to $95,000 on a single return, or $150,000 to $170,000 on a joint return. For example, if you show an AGI of $160,000 on your 2009 IRS return, that’s halfway up the phase-out range, qualifying you for half of the $8,000 credit — $4,000. Still not bad!
Under both the old and the new versions of the law, you can treat the purchase as having taken place on December 31 of the prior year if you want to claim the credit against that year’s taxes. You also can file an amended return for the prior year, if you’ve already filed, so that you can receive the credit immediately rather than waiting to file your 2009 tax return in 2010.
Most qualifying taxpayers will claim the credit of $8,000 for purchases through May 1, 2010 on their tax returns using Form 5405. Your Team Beaufort experts will gladly help you with this and any supporting documentation you may need.

Beaufort has been designated by the White House as a Preserve America community, a testament to the hard work of the community’s preservation movement and many accomplishments and advocacy of Historic Beaufort Foundation, its board and members, according to a statement by the foundation yesterday.

Preserve America recognizes and designates communities, including municipalities, counties, neighborhoods in large cities, and tribal communities, that protect and celebrate their heritage.

Since the program began in 2003, nearly 800 communities have been designated as Preserve America Communities from throughout the country. Participants come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and one U.S. territory. Newly designated communities are notified by a letter from Mrs. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States.

The letter from Mrs. Obama to the “Citizens of Beaufort” states in part that: “President Obama and I are proud of your community and we applaud your achievement. The Americans who came before us built this country on the strength of their hopes, hard work, and perseverance. Now you are using those same qualities to help share our history with today’s Americans and those of tomorrow. By strengthening your community, you are strengthening our country. You are showing that each of us has a role to play in shaping a better future, and we can do it by honoring our past.”

Communities may apply for special designation as a Preserve America Community, which recognizes communities that:
* protect and celebrate their heritage;
* use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization; and
* encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.

Benefits of designation include:
* White House recognition;
* a certificate of recognition;
* a Preserve America Community road sign;
* eligibility for Preserve America grants;
* authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials;
* listing in a Web-based Preserve America Community directory;
* national and regional press releases; and
* enhanced community visibility and pride.

(As quoted by the Beaufort Tribune)

The coastal conservation association has come up with a bold approach for a fishing tournament. Thirty days with 5 tagged redfish in the waters surrounding Beaufort.If you are in the tournament and catch one of these fish you have a chance to win a boat from butler marine of Beaufort or a four wheeler from Bass Pro Shops.This is a way to boost membership in a group that truly does have the future of Beaufort in its heart. These are people who fish. They have seen what over fishing has done in our area, and want to save Beaufort’s natural resources for the next generation. Billy Plair and Danny Rourk have tirelessly worked to help make Beaufort aware of what we have and know we must work to keep it.

When I was growing up in the Lowcountry we had no limits on fish so you caught as many as you were willing to clean. Then we had growth in our fishing population and it got harder to find the fish. We needed a change to help save this great natural resource.

Today we have people in place doing studies and making sure we are protecting our Lowcountry. We have the ear of the politicians and an organization that cares.

Get involved and help this continue and in the mean time get out and fish.

 Michael Mark

3^rd generation Local