Rally for Charleston port

Rally for Charleston port A group calling itself Citizens Related to the Port of Charleston plans to hold a meeting on Monday, 'to express appreciation to those in the maritime shipping industry for their years of service to the Charleston community.'
   The Charleston Post and Courier newspaper said the program is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium.
   The newspaper quoted Benjamin Flowers Jr., one of the organizers, as crediting Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and state Rep. Wendell Gilliard with helping to organize the event.
   The meeting was called as Maersk Line announced plans to pull out of the Port of Charleston by the end of 2010, with reductions in service coming in the next few months.
   The port, members of the International Longshoremen's Association, and local politicians are trying to convince Maersk to remain in Charleston.
   In a letter to the newspaper, Flowers wrote that Monday's meeting 'will not be an event at which to place blame or point fingers. This will be an opportunity to encourage and support the industry on which so many of us depend.
   'We believe that the shipping industry has always been the strength of Charleston, giving life to economic growth and supporting industries and businesses, including tourism, manufacturing, transportation and importing and exporting,' he added. 'We in South Carolina know that the health of our ports is a top priority, as is the health of the banking and mortgage industries and the auto industry.'