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Soccer program builds bridge to Germany

April 13, 2009 By

The term “football” means something else in Germany, and recently the eyes of high school sports fans in Montabaur, Germany have been on Columbia, South Carolina, where soccer matches have taken place between Americans and Germans.   They weren’t professional players, and they weren’t men. The teams are made up of teenage girls, learning about each other’s cultures through an exchange program, which allows a group of German teenagers to come to South Carolina for ten days each year to play soccer tournaments. American teens are treated to the same, every other year.The program has been in place for six years, and the American team has won the final tournament most of those. The winner of the tournament receives the coveted Alfred Mueller Cup, named after the program’s German founder, who has been in Columbia in recent weeks. Mueller had a giant smile on his face when he was presented last week with a gold-framed copy of a resolution passed by the South Carolina House, honoring him for his efforts and those of the soccer exchange program. He said the program is about more than soccer. Mueller says it’s about two cultures learning about each other, and people becoming friends for life, even though their homes are separated by many miles.

Coach Paul Amstrong of Columbia says it shouldn’t be surprising that Columbia girls have done well over the years in tournament play against their European friends. He says even though soccer is very popular in Germany, American soccer programs for girls are as strong as any in the world. Armstrong says soccer has been a passion of his, and the program is as well. He says it gives teens an unforgettable experience.   “They get to be exposed to new cultures, different ways of life.  And they learn that people are people everywhere.  They’re staying in the homes of Americans, and our players will stay in the homes of Germans when they go to Germany next year.” 

Michelle Loeder(LOAD-der) is a striking German teen, who not only plays soccer but speaks English like an articulate American, and even interprets for the whole group when that’s needed occasionally. She enjoyed a chance to play baseball, and she really likes South Carolina.  “It’s a beautiful state.  I love it, and I like the weather a lot, of course.  And there’s lots of history here.  The school system is very different.  The classrooms are more disciplined from what we’ve seen this week.  But teens are the same, talking about the same things, I think internationally the same.”

Loeder lived with her family in the U.S. near Washington, D.C. for some years, and had actually been to Myrtle Beach on a previous trip to the Palmetto State.

Next year, a group of South Carolina teens and some of their families will travel to Germany to continue Mueller’s dream.

Listen to William’s story                                            

(contact William Christopher:  wchristopher@learfield.com)

Filed Under: Human Interest, News

Columbia summit will draw together local leaders to learn about access to stimulus money

April 13, 2009 By

State and local officials from all over South Carolina will converge in Columbia Friday for a summit concerning stimulus funds. It’s not a political rally connected to Governor Mark Sanford’s attempts to divert $700 million in federal stimulus funds, but is focused on other stimulus money which the state will receive automatically. Reba Campbell is helping to organize the event.  “The funding that’s causing a controversy at the Statehouse rigt now is a very small part of what’s coming to South Carolina.   The summit presentations will be from agencies such as Labor, Commerce, Energy…” [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

SCDA introduces bill to improve oral health care of SC children

April 13, 2009 By

As universal health care continues to be a hot topic, the South Carolina Dental Association wants to remind us of the importance of oral health care. A bill has passed a senate subcommittee and full committee and is primed to be introduced to the General Assembly concerning the children of our state and their dental care. Tooth decay is the number one child disease in the country with children missing over 51 million school hours each year because of the illness. Many children do not have dental insurance making it less likely they will visit the dentist compounding the problem. Horry County Senator Raymond Cleary, the only dentist in the Legislature, says the health of the child is what is really important. He says it’s sad when a child cannot get treatment due to the lack of money. “Different parents have different dental levels of education,” said Cleary.

“I see a lot of patients that say, ‘the only time my parents ever took me to a dentist was to have a tooth pulled. I just want to make it better for my kids’. I think that’s what the coordinator helps do. It breaks that cycle and it helps these children to get healthier. It would be silly to have a child walk around where he has double-vision or he can’t see the blackboard. I think it would be the same thing if a child was holding his jaw all of the time because he’s in pain.”

Cleary says the bill would initially be introduced in the four poorest counties of South Carolina, but those counties are yet to be determined. He says that until funds are made available, the program cannot function. Cleary says this will not supersede other priorities of the state. According to him, “right at this stage, it’s only going to be paid for if funds are available. To be honest, at this time, there may be some grant money or some federal money available.

“We both know that from a state standpoint, I don’t see any money becoming available and I have not asked for any money from the state level to fund it and will not ask for any money at the state level to fund this at this time. I do think that our priorities have to be to keep teachers teaching and things like that.”

Approximately 430,000 children in South Carolina live below the poverty level and are high risk for oral disease according to the SCDA.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Legislature, News

Railway expansion causes division between city and port

April 13, 2009 By

Local opposition may derail State Ports Authority plans for railway expansion at a new container terminal.The State Port’s Authority is building a new container terminal at the former Navy base in North Charleston and plans call for an expansion of railways and better access for trucks.

“We’ve reached a point where we seem to have stagnated in terms of progress with the port and rail access and this is a means of facilitating that somewhat,” says Merrill.

Author of a port restructuring bill, Representative Jim Merrill of Daniel Island, says the railroads in the city of North Charleston have been there longer than the city lines. The port’s two main railroad companies, Norfolk Southern and CSX, are within miles of each other, but now, Merrill says there are plans to talk with each company to provide one railway site on base through the South Carolina Public Railways, making shippers and truckers happier.

“The reality is that there is a port that is being constructed there, in order to minimize traffic and congestion and still make the port viable, there needs to be both truck access and rail access,” says Merrill.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and other city officials say they are upset with the plans because they were not consulted. The city says bringing trains in from the North would clog areas and disrupt communities. As Merrill sees it, the railroads could be put to use for the port of Charleston’s business and allow everyone to benefit.

“I think that all of this is going to end up being constructive and be good for the state as a whole, in terms of making the Port’s Authority more viable, putting North Charleston in a good position to negotiate its future and moving things along for the Lowcountry too,” Merrill says.

Merrill looks forward to meeting with Mayor Summey to work out the fine points of the plans. The restructuring bill was passed by a House subcommittee, now it is expected to move to the full House Judiciary Committee this month.

Filed Under: Business, News, Transportation

Clyburn: Sanford masking unemployment with stimulus funds debate

April 13, 2009 By

Sixth District Congressman Jim Clyburn says while Governor Mark Sanford continues his tug of water with the state legislature over $700 million in stimulus money unemployment in the state continues to rise at an alarming rate. South Carolina’s unemployment rate reached 11 percent in February. Clyburn accuses Sanford of using the issue of the stimulus money to mask his inability to get a handle on the unemployment problem the state faces. Clyburn says he is particularly concerned about a number of areas in his district.

“I know at least two counties in our state that’s over 22 percent unemployment, Marion County which is in my district, has got 22 percent unemployment and Allendale County next to Bamberg, that’s in my district, has 23.9 percent unemployment. I think at the height of the Great Depression the unemployment rate was 24 percent, so these are depression numbers.”

According to the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, the statewide unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in February 2008.

Clyburn says he hopes that Sanford finally decides to accept the stimulus money so that a number persons, especially teachers, are not added to the unemployment rolls that are likely to grow well into the summer. “If you’re at 11 percent unemployment, who are those people? We weren’t at 11 percent unemployment last year this time, and the figures indicate that we are second only to Michigan and that we have the  fastest  growing unemployment rate in the country.”

Clyburn says Sanford must come to grips that far too many citizens in the state are losing their livelihoods and their homes and that the stimulus money will help a number of persons remain gainfully employed.

Filed Under: Economy, News, Politics & Government
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