Deadline approaches January 1

In Pickens County, the Sassafras Mountain brick paver donation program, which has raised about $40 thousand for the viewing platform on top of South Carolina’s highest point, officially draws to a close January 1.  Mark Hall, the Jocassee Gorges project leader for the state DNR, says they are close to breaking ground for the platform, so it’s time to wind up the campaign.  In time for Christmas you can still designate a brick in memory of a child, friend, or loved one.  So far, private donations total about $500 thousand for a viewing platform with what’s considered an unparalleled view of the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.  Prelminary plans are complete for an observation structure to straddle the peak at 3,553 feet above sea level.  Besides being the state’s highest peak, Sassafras sits on the state line with North Carolina along the Continental Divide and is one of the most important features of the Foothills Trail.  That 77-mile trail connects Oconee and Table Rock state parks.