By Jerry Bellune
JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Amid fears that Pine Island will be sold, a petition drive has been started.
Whether Dominion Energy will sell the popular island and employee club in Lake Murray is not clear.
"Dominion Energy has been taking a measured approach with decisions about how our workplace will continue evolving," said Rhonda O'Banion of the Lexington County-based utility that now owns SC Electric & Gas. 
"The planning process has included an evaluation of employee clubs at Pine Island, Misty Lake in the Aiken area and Sand Dunes in the Charleston area.
"The clubs have been shut down for the past 2 months as we have worked to slow the spread of the virus and to protect the health and safety of our employees and their families. The employee clubs will remain closed for the foreseeable future. 
"This decision was not reached easily, and we recognize the affection that many employees and their families have for the employee clubs.  We will address before the end of 2020.
Yet a petition drive has started online to prevent a sale.
Michael Monroe said SC Electric & Gas employees, many of them now working for Dominion Energy, were promised lifetime memberships to Pine Island.
"Just a few short days ago, Dominion announced to its employees that they will be permanently closing Pine Island. 
"This leaves the entire lake community in shock. The staff team that works on the island are completely oblivious. 
"The previous head council of the Pine Island Club is bewildered, seeing as all of their efforts to improve the island and its community have been all for nothing.
"Word around the community says that Dominion intends to sell the island to another company, which will likely restrict public access to the island and, instead, expensive houses and condos would be placed on the island.
 Monroe's petition can be found online at https://www.change.org/p/dominion-energy-save-pine-island-club