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UNION — While members of the U.S. military are overseas protecting the country, two local women are doing what they can to protect them.

Buffalo Elementary teacher and part-time Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant Heather Barnado has partnered with Union native Melanie Goings Campbell — who is also a teacher and part-time Mary Kay consultant — in “Operation Sunscreen: Protecting Those Who Protect Us.”

The project involves collecting sunscreen for military members who operate in scorching hot locations such as Iraq and Afghanistan, in which temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In those areas, temperatures are heightened by the dry, desert environments, and painful sunburns are one of the issues soldiers have to grapple with on a constant basis. Technically, it is even a chargeable offense for military members to suffer from any preventable infection caused by harmful effects of the sun and be rendered unfit for duty.

An article on Defense.gov — the website of the U.S. Department of Defense — titled “Sun can cost you more than the skin off your nose” states, “Three year-round sunscreen rules: Use it liberally. Use it often. Apply it to exposed skin at least 20 minutes before going outside.”

Barnado and Campbell said the campaign is special to them because of family members in the military. Barnado’s paternal grandfather — Wilson Grady — served in the Air Force and in World War II and retired from the National Guard. Her maternal grandfather — Frank Silvers — served in the Army. Campbell’s father — Santuc resident George Goings — is retired from the Army National Guard and both of her grandfathers served in World War II.

Barnado and Campbell will be outside Walmart in Union on Saturday, June 22, and Saturday, June 29, accepting donations for the project. A $12 package will give a soldier a Mary Kay Sun Care Sunscreen SPF 50 and a Mary Kay Sun Care Lip Protector SPF 15. A $20 package will include two of the sunscreen SPF 50 and one lip protector.

Barnado said no profit will be made from the donations. Campbell will deliver all of the products to Fort Jackson at the end of this month.

“Skin care is important, and when they’re out in the field, they might not think about little things like that,” Barnado said. “This is a way we can support them and what they’re doing for us, and show them we’re thinking about them.”

Barnado said the campaign has already received a positive response from calls, emails and texts, and they have already received 42 donations. She also mentioned several of the contributors have been veterans, who have shown lots of support.

For more information about “Operation Sunscreen,” contact Barnado at hbarnado@union.k12.sc.us or Campbell at mcampbell9498@marykay.com.

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UNION — The business portion of Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Union City Council included action regarding Public Safety vehicles and an appointment to the city election commission.

Chief Sam White addressed the council Tuesday evening, recommending the purchase of police vehicles as discussed during the City of Union 2013-2014 Budget Work Session in early spring. During the work session, the Public Safety Department asked council to consider adding one patrol vehicle to the fleet per year for the next six years. The estimated costs for each vehicle are as follows:

• Chevrolet Tahoe — $27,000
• South Carolina Tax — $300
• Emergency Equipment — $11,000
• Reflective Markings — $600
• Total — $38,900

White said that after six years, this would provide each officer with an assigned vehicle.

“This would enable off-duty officers to respond in a more timely manner since they would already be in their equipped vehicle,” White said. “This would eliminate officers from reporting to the fire department, locating their shared vehicle, or finding another way to report to the emergency.”

White provided a list of benefits:

• Improve patrol car longevity and maintain quality condition
• Improve officer satisfaction with employment
• Reduce collisions
• Increase patrol presence
• Increased visibility in the community
• Decrease in response time to call back situations
• Improve officer job performance
• Cars would be in the community, not at the fire department

During the work session in early spring, council decided that if the Public Safety Department was under budget in the current fiscal year by the requested amount, then funding the vehicle out of the 2012-2013 budget would be considered.

White said he believes the department will be well under budget — enough to purchase the vehicle — but he said he would have no way of knowing until the numbers are finalized by the city’s finance department.

Council member Jim Wilson said he thought the decision should be tabled until the numbers were final. Wilson pointed out recent millage increases, saying that one mill was worth about $14,500.

“That (the total cost of the vehicle) would be about two mills we wouldn’t have,” Wilson said, making a motion to table the decision.

White agreed that it was a good idea to wait until the numbers were finalized. The motion unanimously carried.

Appointment

In other business, council unanimously voted to appoint Melissa Brown to the City of Union Election Commission Board. The vacancy was due to the death of Marion Fant. Brown has been a resident of Union for 39 years and has worked at the polls for a number of years.

“I hope to participate by shaping my community and encouraging citizens to get involved,” Brown stated in a letter to council.