Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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October 23, 2000_ Burroughs & Chapin Developer’s project to include USC ■ Burroughs & Chapin has planned a 700-acre research park on part of their land along the Congaree River by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock Myrtle Beach developer Burroughs & Chapin on Thursday unveiled its proposed “Green Dia mond” development, which includes USC its a cru cial part of the project. Burroughs & Chapin plans to build a tech nology village that backers are saying could give Columbia a version of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park between Raleigh and Durham. The 700-acre village would be about three miles south of USC, adjacent to the Congaree Riv er. Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is a 7,000-acre development with key partners in cluding UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University and North Carolina State University. It’s home to some of the biggest industrial and technological research companies. The Triangle sprung up beginning in 1959. thanks in part to efforts by local government, uni versity officials and businesspeople. Burroughs & Chapin representatives said the new research park here might take years to de velop, but the potential payoff for USC would be very substantial. The developers released information late last week to local media concerning details about the project, which counts heavily on USC to provide talent and research to fuel its growth. For now, USC officials are saying very litll* about potential contracts and their connection te the project. The project hits yet to receive full go-ahead because city planners claim that most of the lane in the Green Diamond development lies in a flood plairT The development could be a major factor ii USC’s quest to increase research monies. USC raised about $122 million in fiscal yea 1999-2000. In that same lime period, Duke raise* ■ $350 million, UNC-Chapel Hill raised $330 mil : lion and N.C. Slate raised $ 165 million. However, USC Director of Public Affairs Russ ■ McKinney said Burroughs & Chapin isn’t really L. looking at a development that would be close to the size or scale of Raleigh-Durham’s Research Triangle. 1 “The talks are very preliminary with Burroughs & Chapin right now,” McKinney said. “They have a strong concept of what the project should he, i and we are very supportive of that.” McKinney said the proposed USC Research 1 Development see page 2 SIGNS OF THE TIMES John Huiett Tnc Gamccock With the lottery referendum a little more than two weeks away, pro- and anti-lottery signs like the one above on Huger Street have begun to pepper Columbia’s roadsides. Even some who want to say yes to a state lottery admit that Georgia’s lottery has flaws. Pro-lottery senator: Don’t look to Georgia by Brandon Larrabee Tiic Gamucock South Carolina Sen. Robert Ford is a supporter of the lottery, but he dillers from most of his allies on one key point. He doesn’t want proceeds from the lottery to be spent the way Georgia does. His ideal model is Cali “I want to do what California did,” Ford said. “I want South Gir olina to fall in line this year.” Under California's plan, every student who gets a C average in college gets college lor free. Ford claims the Gilifomia system allows 6 million students to go to college without paying. In Geor gia, the state dispenses HOPE srhnhirshins In those that SCOre i : mmm Ford well on Hie SAT and maintain a B average while in college. According to Ford, South Carolinians have poured $1 billion dollars into the Georgia lottery, in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars spent in other stales and on other forms of gambling. “If you vole no for the South Carolina lottery, Georgia and other states win,” Ford wrote in one of his many fliers he distributes in favor of the lottery. According to Ford, he has worked to gather sup port for the lottery in the cities of Charleston, Co John Huiett Ttic Gamccock A pro-lottery billboard on Huger and Blossom streets. lumbia, Georgetown, North Charleston, Orangeburg, Myrtle Beach, Conway and Kingstree, as well as Jasper, Colleton, Beaufort, Berkeley and Dorchester coun ties. Ford has also been active on the college scene, vis iting The Citadel, South Carolina Stale University, College of Charleston, Medical University of South Carolina and Charleston Southern University. “By Nov. 6,1 hope to work every community in South Carolina,” Ford wrote on another llier. Ford will hold a pro-lottery rally Thursday at the Margaret Miller Cosmetology Center on Fontaine Road. Contributions to The Black Community Devel opers Program, the vehicle for Ford’s efforts, pale in comparison to larger groups on both sides of the issue. While No Lottery 2000 and The South Carolina Lottery for Belter Schools Coalition decide how to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for their causes, Ford has raised only a fraction of that — $ 11,000 from two contributors as of Sept. 22. Anti-lottery groups, such as No Lottery 2000, have seized on lottery supporters’ comparisons to Geor gia’s system, attempting to turn what lottery supporters call a success into an albatross around the neck of the South Carolina plan. Lottery opponents claim that there are many (laws in the Georgia plan. They say Georgia’s system lakes money from low er-income families and give it to middle or upper-in come students in the form of scholarships. According to No Lottery 2000, the average family income of stu dents receiving HOPE scholarships was $45,000 in 1994-1995. “While higher levels of play come from poorer neighborluxxls and ethnic populations, studies in Geor gia show that those taking advantage of HOPE are al most exclusively middle class,” the group’s Web site says. But Ford claims that scenario only occurs un der Georgia's phut. “That’s if we adopt what Georgia’s done,” Ford said. “This isn’t Georgia.” Ford said that, eventually, “almost every stale is going to adopt 16 years of public education” for free. John Huiett contributed to this report. The city/slate desk can be reached at gamecockcttydesk@hotmail.com. Hodges announces prescription-drug discount for elderly ■ Applications for 'SilverCard' available to senior citizens by Betsy Baugh Tin: Gamecock Gov. Jim Hodges lias announced that applications for the “SilverCard,” a pro gram that will allow eligible senior citi zens to receive discounts on prescription medications, are now available. This $20 million program was pro posed by Hodges in his Slate of the Slate address and will be available to senior cit izens who do not have other prescription drug insurance. To qualify, seniors must be at least 65 years old and have lived in South Carolina for the past six months. The governor has loured the slate sev eral times in the past week in order to in •fomi seniors about the plan, said Hodges spokeswoman Cortney Owings. Hodges has also visited churches and pharmacies and made public service announcements. “We’re here to make sure everyone knows that senior citizens can begin ap plying for the SilverCard,” Hodges said. The plan will offer assistance to those who do not qualify for prescription-drug insurance. Less than one-third of senior citizens have a prescription-drug benefit. “Our purpose is to benefit those that cannot afford insurance but are not eligi ble for federal aid,” Owings said. “Many people do not know that Medicare does not cover prescriptions.” According to the SilverGtrd fact sheet, the amount of prescription drugs being bought by senior citizens hits risen by tin average of 19.6 prescriptions annually to 28.5. It is expected to reach 38.5 in an other 10 years. The cost of prescription drags is also rising, In 1992, the average cost of pre scription drags wits $28.50. Today, the av erage is $43.30. The average of total pre scription drug expenses in 1992 was $558, compared to $1,205 this year. The SilverGtrd pl.tn allows seniors to receive discounts on prescription med ications up to the annual deductible, and SilverCard see page 2 Port Expansion North Charleston officials ask state to fund project Associated Press CHARLESTON —irthe stale wants a new shipping terminal at the former Navy base, South Carolina will have to fund hundreds of millions of dollars of public .projects in North Charleston, according to a list submitted by city officials. The projects range from new gyms and sidewalks to rail and highway over passes. The city sent the list of more lluui 40 items to Gov. Jim Hodges. “They may say, ‘Forget it,’ and that’s line,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said. “Or they may say we need to sit down and talk, and that’s line.” The old Navy base came up as an al ternative to the proposed $1.2 billion Global Gateway project on Daniel Island that Hodges has said faced overwhelming opposition. The list includes a new waterfront park, African-American and maritime museums, a Futrex rail project and an ac cess road from the former naval base to 1-26. Other items asked for include dis They may say, “Forget it,” and that’s fine. Or they may say we need to sit down and talk, and that's fine.’ Keith Summey North Charleston mayor solving the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority and turning it over to the city. City officials also want to be part of the Stale Ports Authority board to be dis solved and turned over to the city. Summey wasn’t sure how much the projects would cost. He had said previ ously that it would take at least $750 mil lion to convince the city to use the old base as a shipping terminal. The Suite Ports Authority is seeking pemiits to build on 1,300 acres it owns Port see page 2 _ 10DAY 73 53 Tuesday 72 51 Inside USC rolls &* 5? over Vandy to take lead in SEC East Page 10 Quote of the Day “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” — William James Datebook WSSeaSSSS«SnSm^SasSSSSSKKBm9KsSSmSsmg8sgHS9SHsS88!S8BSji Monday • Greek Festival Tuesday . • Greek Festival • Salsa dance lessons, 7 p.m., RH ballroom