HAMPTON - More than 200 people crammed into County Council chambers, filled the lobby of the B.T. DeLoach building, and spilled out into the parking area. Parents, grandparents, volunteers appealed to council. Children cried.
All in support of recreation.
All to no avail.
Councilman Chris Haulsee's motion Monday night to make recreation the top priority in a possible one cent Capital Projects Sales Tax referendum - and make plans for a county-owned and operated multi-sport complex - died for the lack of a second.
"We have a health department already and we do have libraries. Recreation needs to be our top priority," said Haulsee. "I think we have an issue with our kids. They are the future of Hampton County...but they are being left behind and the county needs to step up...I think we need to spend more on recreation than we are now."
"I think it needs to be a county-owned facility, but where that location would be I don't know," he added. "I don't think we need to try to work with every single municipality. If it ends up in Hampton, or if it ends up at Lake Warren, that's where it ends up."
Disappointed families lingered long after the meeting adjourned.
"Can't Hampton just do one thing for us?" asked nine-year-old Lew Wrice.
One option considered earlier by the CPST committee, but ruled out, was to spend $2.5 million on fields for a rec complex, but this would not be enough to fund buildings. This option was ruled out because it limited the number of projects to only three.
With a second reading scheduled for phase two of the proposed CPST ordinance on the agenda, youth sports commissioners attended the meeting to also request that council make recreation the project's top priority, plan for a county-owned multi-sport facility, and set aside more money for recreation as a whole.
"We don't think that what's in there is enough to do what we need to do," said Hampton Youth Baseball Commissioner Craig Gooding on behalf of the 250 kids and their families involved in his program. "We do need a health department, we do need libraries, but the libraries are ten times better than the recreational facilities we have now. We've been playing on the same fields for 40 or 50 years."
Gooding pointed out that while some teams, like the Pony League, have no facility large enough so they borrow the high school park, but counties all around us are building new rec complexes. He also pointed out the economic benefits of such complexes, such as hosting tournaments.
"When people look for a place to live, they look for recreational opportunities. We think economically this could bring money back into the county...Compared to other counties, we're probably about as far down the totem pole as a county can get. We are at the bottom of the rung. That's why you're seeing these people here today, they've seen what other counties have."
DeKelley Pittinger, commissioner of the Hampton-Varnville Youth Football League that engages an equal number of kids, spoke somewhat passionately at the meeting, often to rousing applause.
"We have championship caliber football teams, with get-by facilities," he said. "We're struggling, but it's the best we can do right now. Our kids are not just from towns, they're county kids, and this is why we need a county facility...We have an opportunity right now to support our young people."
Pittinger added that kids needed more "to get them outdoors, and away from the X-Box and the video games" and that providing that would be an investment in Hampton County's future.
"Imagine if just one of those kids turned pro, imagine what he would give back to Hampton County. Our kids are Hampton County's 401K plan - if we don't invest in them now how can we expect to move on and become stronger in the years to come?... We have quality kids in this county, and we ain't giving them what they need and that's a fact."
Councilman Charles "Buddy" Phillips expressed surprise at the community interest so late in the process, after few attended earlier meetings.
"I'm a little taken aback by the outpouring of people here at this meeting. I'm surprised, I'm not sure anyone went to our earlier meetings...I don't know that we need to throw out everything we've done since November. I don't have a problem with awarding more money to recreation, I think we need it, but we didn't we have more input earlier?"
"We want to do what the people want, but it looks like now we are behind the 8-Ball," he added.
"There was not a single soul here at the last three meetings, but they're here tonight," countered Haulsee.
Councilman Virgin Johnson questioned why County Council should overlook the recommendations of its own committee.
"You hire a person to do a job, and you can't overlook the people you hired. How are you going to overlook the committee?"
"How are you going to overlook the children?" asked a coach in the audience.
After Haulsee's motion died, most of the adults left Council Chambers appearing angry.
"Y'all just lost a whole bunch of votes," said one disgruntled citizen. "We need a new board up there."
After the adults left, youth commissioners sent the children, many wearing their sports uniforms, back into Council chambers to stand prominently for the duration of the meeting.
Recreation advocates were not the only ones to plead their case. Two members of the regional library board, Diane Bush and Beth McNeer, were also present to address council.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the council to strengthen the literacy of our county," said Bush.
"We have seen a double-digit increase in visitors, and both libraries need expanding," said McNeer. "We're desperate for more space, and we see this as the only time the library will get more space."

What's next?
After Haulsee's motion died, the CPST ordinance did not receive a second reading. A second reading has been scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. during a special meeting in council chambers.
Two more readings must be approved before the referendum question is presented in final form to the South Carolina Election Commission by the noon Aug. 16 deadline, or the plan is dead for this year unless a special election is held.
To be ready for the commission by the deadline, council would need to hold a second reading no later than Aug. 7 and a final reading no later than Aug. 14, said County Administrator Sabrena Graham. By law, there must be a seven-day period between readings.
"I believe and hope there's time, but it's going to be tight," said Graham. She added that she was busy communicating with all councilmen to determine the next step.
"We are working against the calendar now," said Gray. "All of this tonight may push us past the deadline."
Meanwhile, supporters of recreation have started an online petition and a Facebook campaign entitled "A show of public support for sports and recreation in Hampton County." They are also urging all citizens to call and email your council members to show your support.
By Tuesday, over 150 adults had signed the petition in only one day.

Council reacts
Gray and Phillips offered further statements after the meeting.
"I support recreation a whole lot more than people felt I do, but there are things that are needed other than recreation," said Phillips. "And I'm not going to spend $8 million on something helter skelter. We need more planning before spending that kind of money. There are just too many unknowns to decide it all in a 15-minute time period. We need to go back, start over, and see what we can salvage out of this."
"We had a committee working on this for nine months, and we're certainly not going to slap them in the face after all their work just because of one special interest group," said Gray. "It's not like we gave them nothing, we gave them plenty to start with, something to build on."
Haulsee declined to comment after the meeting, except to say that it was not over yet.

Commissioners react
Gooding said that it was only just recently that any county official asked him for input on this capital project.
"No one asked me anything until about a week ago," he said. "Before that, I was never once asked what we need. I don't know what to say. I saw this coming 10,000 miles away."
Pittinger also said that no one from the committee had contacted him for input.
"This hurts our kids," he added. "My kids are done, but my grandkids might not be."

What parents, children think
Several families and their children expressed their disappointment with council after the meeting.
"You say you know our children are important to our county, then make it known," said Shelia Platts.
Kelly Shipes said that our current facilities will continue to be an embarrassment.
"We have quality talent on our teams, playing on facilities that are not what we see at other places, and we need to guard that talent and make them feel important," she said. "It's not fair to the kids. If you don't want them in jail, give them something to do."
Tonya Pittinger, co-commissioner of the local youth football league, comforted her son, DeKelley, Jr.
"This is really ridiculous," she said. "They don't want us to support the future of our county. The county needs to vote no for everything on this referendum."
"I'm very disappointed," said her son. "It's just pretty sad...If they would have just given us a little bit."
Eleven-year-old Robbie Poston, Jr. expressed his frustration with the county.
"Barnwell and everybody else has a stadium. I was really disappointed that they didn't give us the money to do this."
Nine-year-olds Matt Poston and Caleb Ayer also expressed their disappointment.
"I had hoped that they would decide to support the children," said Poston.
"It sucks to have to practice football on a baseball field," said Ayer. "I just wanted a good practice field."

In other business, County Council:
- Gave third and final reading to an ordinance establishing an agreement requiring municipalities to share the cost of housing municipal prisoners in the Hampton County Detention Center at a rate of $25 per inmate per day. The towns will also have to approve the agreement, which would be effective Jan. 2011.
- Voted 3-1 against giving the Hampton County Board of Elections and Voter Registration members a stipend after the state totally cut their pay. Haulsee cast the lone vote in favor.
Prior to the council's decision, board member and volunteer coach Beverly Cook told the council that she had changed her mind about asking for the stipend.
"I am first and foremost a mother. Two of my children are athletes, and I very much support these kids. I can't ask you for that stipend, to help me pay my bills, when you don't support our children."