publisher: folly beach civic club est. 1938 postal … · publisher: folly beach civic club est....
TRANSCRIPT
1
Volume 40:7 July, 2016 Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club est. 1938 POSTAL PATRON Editor: Susan Breslin, [email protected] (843) 588-3026 FOLLY BEACH 29439
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Folly Public Works Works WondersYou see them riding around Mondays and Thursdays in Folly’s distinctive orange trucks (three in winter, four in summer, and a fifth as a spare) collecting the waste generated by our lives. But that’s a small part of what our Public Works staff do.
They handle landscape maintenance on public property, headed up by Reinhardt Deleston (with experience from the county) and Murphy Jenkins. They clean and maintain the library/community center and other public buildings (except City Hall and Public safety). With guidance from Foreman Sam Fields, they paint, patch, fix and install equipment like the new ADA access mat at the 110 East Arctic beach access. They operate and maintain the trucks, tractor, and other equipment in their inventory. They help clean up and remove large debris (trees, boat parts, fencing and dead animals) on the beach and public property. They grade/repair roads shoulders and repair walk-overs. They
Team Delta (James Brown, Robert Williams and David Campbell)
doing preventive maintenance on one of the City's five garbage
trucks while it's parked at the James Island PSD yard
put up holiday lights and decorations. They read water meters and repair hydrants. They put up and repair signs.
These men are our neighbors – most live near Grimball Road on James Island. Some have been helping us for decades – Charlie Gathers has been here for 40 years, Sam Fields for 30, and Earl Wright for 20.
Their importance to the City and its residents was brought home during the floods last Fall – Public Works picked up all the debris, cleaned out the mud, and cleared the drains. The County provided no help.
Eric Lutz, who added the non-water part of Public Works to his portfolio when Kevin Whitsett resigned, says the Public
Works staff love their jobs and love Folly Beach, in part because the public treats them well. He loves working with them, because “it’s a really good crew and they get to accomplish a lot.”
Mayor Tim Goodwin says the Public Works staff are “the best public relations people we have” because of the way they interact with residents.
Foreman Sam Fields accompanies a wounded veteran on the new
handicapped beach access mat installed by Public Works.
When they’re not on assignment, Public Works staff are based in the Water Works building near the tennis courts, where they also store equipment and supplies, and material (such as holiday decorations) which used to be stored in a rented unit on James Island.
James Brown, a driver, spruces up City Hall
If you see Public Works staff working on Folly, stop and let them know their work is noticed and appreciated. They’re a big part of what makes Folly Folly.
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Postal Permit 03
Folly Beach SC
2
Folly Clubs and Organizations Civic Club
Wow! What a wonderful annual picnic! It was so nice to be at the Park sharing a beautiful evening with Family Fun Night and to see so many of Folly’s young families. Thank you to all who brought yummy salads, sides and to our wonderful grillers, Bobby Dockery and Doyle (Dee) Word.
We had many new members sign up and welcome all Folly
residents to get involved or, at least, on our mailing list. If
you would like to join, please email me or message us on
our Facebook page. It’s only $10/year and a great way to
keep up with what is going on in our community. We take a
hiatus during the summer but will return the third week in
September. We’re planning speakers now so please let me
know any suggestions you may have. Have a great summer! Regina Anderson (914) 400-6435
Home and Garden Club Folly's annual nonresidential Yard of the Month is the picturesque Methodist church at 118 West Indian, built by parishioners in the 1940’s. Surrounding gardens were created 15 years ago by the United Methodist Women’s Circle.
Visitors are drawn to the bed with the old rugged cross covered with jasmine. A wrought iron sign offers the church's denomination. Holly ferns, red knockout roses and Margarita daisies pay homage here. A large oak adorned with resurrection fern stands to the left with angular palmettos. Breezy fan palms and sagos rest beneath.
A hand-laid brick walkway leads supplicants to the vestibule. The front bed offers symmetry with three central Pittosporum aligned with three planters. The central planter contains a topiary rose. Cone-shaped boxwoods adorn the flanking planters with dianthus among red and purple daisies. Lantana, variegated fuchsia, red and yellow plumbago along with red knockout roses and dwarf gardenias complete this bed. The balance continues on either side with deep fuchsia and white crepe myrtles below statuesque palms.
A retaining wall on the far right is lined with dwarf azaleas and orange day lilies. A meandering walkway leads to the Prayer Garden designed by Robert Knight along the marsh. This is a favorite of parishioners, with memory bricks and benches around a central angel statuary. A dwarf magnolia flourishes at the entry with planters replete with caladiums, begonias and impatiens.
All this beauty is a joint effort of the congregation with biannual volunteer workdays and weekly maintenance by parishioner Ed Hollingsworth. Our congratulations to the stewards of the beautiful place where they worship. Happy Fourth of July! Lynn Ray Smalley (843) 588-0093
Exchange Club At our June meeting, officers were installed for the new Exchange year: immediate past president Angus Smith, president DJ Rich, president elect Robert Lucas, secretary John Merritt, treasurer Mae Holmes and board members Sandy Hickman, David Walters, Jim Carney, Lavern James and Katherine Houghton. Good luck to all!
We also had a program development meeting with our incoming president, DJ Rich. He presented the groundwork for our upcoming year, and we are going to have some fun. We are continuing previous projects, such as flag displays, child abuse prevention, and skin cancer screening, while adding community litter sweeps, a golf tournament, city hall luncheon and membership socials around town. We are ready for a big year.
Exchange was proud to display our flags for Flag Day, and host the MUSC skin cancer screening bus on June 18th. Thanks to the City of Folly Beach, MUSC, the doctors and nurses, and everyone involved in its success. We screened over 110 people, setting a record for turnout and hopefully preventing further issues.
Join us at our dinner meeting Thursday July 21st at 7 pm when we give away two annual scholarships, and Tuesday, July 26th for Folly Family Fun night where we will cook our almost famous hamburgers and hot dogs in the Folly River Park. We hope to see you there! Any questions, please contact me. DJ Rich (843) 475-9787
Senior Citizens The Folly Beach Seniors will take a break July and August. We will not meet, but we will be active around our community. We will give a memorial for Helen Wylie, a long-time Folly resident and Senior Citizen. And we will stay in touch with our sick and shut-ins with a call, card or visit.
Enjoy your summer. Pauline Ray (843) 588-9580
Green Team
The Green Team’s latest water bottle filling station is up and running at Wave Watch playground on West Cooper.
A Beach/Street sweep was held Saturday, the 25th. Forty Boeing volunteers came out to help City staff and Green Team members in the clean-up.
The Green Team is a regular in the Wednesday Farmer’s Market. We have a story to tell – and items to buy!
The Green Team is presenting at the Senior Center on Riverland Drive, James Island, on our work July 6th at 1 pm. We’d love to have a cheering section from Folly.
Once again, stop by the Community Garden on West Michigan. It’s beautiful. Next addition: a gazebo.
We meet the first Thursday of every month, 6 pm at the Community Center. Everyone is welcome.
Penny Travis (843) 259-1143 [email protected]
3
HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE Winging It Is Not a Plan
Before:
Develop a Plan now. Do not wait until a storm is announced
Check your insurance coverage. Did you know it typically takes 30 days for a new insurance policy to become effective? Check into flood coverage. Most homeowner’s insurance does not cover floods.
Communicate with out-of-town family members; let them know your plan when a storm is present, and contact them afterwards. Make sure all family members know the name and contact information for your out of town family contact in case of separation.
If you have pets, pre-plan a hotel or shelter that accepts pets.
Have opening protection for your home’s windows, doors etc. readily available. Supplies immediately before a storm are difficult to find and may be more expensive. Factory-made storm protection is often the best, however, it you choose to use plywood it should be at least ½” thickness, pre-cut to fit openings and attached securely with screws for ease of removal.
Learn how to secure power, gas, and water utilities now. It is often best to secure all utilities when evacuating. In case of storm damage, this may reduce additional properties losses and illuminate hazards to your family and emergency workers.
Have a hurricane kit! The kit should include a portable battery-operated radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, food and water for several days, a non-electric can opener, medications, and cash (cards may not be usable if power is out for an extended period).
Hurricane Watch Issued:
Review your plan with your family and friends.
Check your hurricane kit.
Make evacuation route plans based on storm projections, travel and lodging plan should be well inland (routes are defined on the SCDOT website)
Think about your pets in planning.
Fill vehicles with fuel.
Fill prescriptions.
Secure items in yard that could become projectiles in the storm.
Secure buildings to include utilities and openings.
Fill containers and bath tubs with water.
Place refrigerators setting to coldest temp.
Monitor local and national weather updates.
Warning to landfall:
Stay calm; follow your family hurricane plan.
Place valuable items in a safe waterproof area or containers.
Take insurance information with you and review.
Monitor media for updated storm and community information.
Contact your out of area family contact and inform them of your plans.
If evacuating to a shelter bring blankets, sleeping bags, and other basic supplies for several.
Complete the securing of your home.
Leave when evacuation order is given! Remember in a severe storm emergency services may have to evacuate for their protection personnel and emergency equipment.
After The Storm:
Monitor media for information of conditions and time frame on safe return.
Return home when local authorities deem area safe to return.
Check home for the damages before entering hazardous conditions, beware of trees and limbs that could fall causing injury.
Secure minor damages that will continue to allow rain, weather conditions etc. that could cause further damage to your home or contents.
Beware of down utilities lines; treat all lines as if they were live.
Do not connect generator to your home’s electrical system unless it has been wired by a licensed electrician for this application. The generator could feed power back into the power lines causing injury to worker or your neighbors!
Contact insurance carrier to report damages. Take photos for documentation of damages if possible.
Notify authorities of immediate hazards that may exist.
Drive only if absolutely necessary.
Open home for ventilation to assist in drying out.
Beware of downed utility lines (assume they are live).
Beware of food spoilage in refrigerator and freezers
4
Returning to the Island Safety and Security
It is our goal to provide for the safety and security of our citizens after a large scale disaster; for this reason, Public Safety may find it necessary to limit access to all or portions of the island based on the extent of damage.
When returning to the island after a storm event; a police officer will be posted at the entry point, logging persons entering and exiting the island. Two forms of ID (pictured ID and utility bill) confirming you are a resident or property owner may be required to come on to the island under certain conditions. A log will be kept of persons entering and leaving the island for a period deemed necessary based on infrastructure and safety conditions. A pass will be issued by the access attendant to post in the front window of vehicles.
Citizens must keep in mind that the City of Folly Beach only has control of the roadways coming onto the island itself; major highways and bridges leading back to the area are likely to be closed to incoming traffic until cleared by SCDOT.
All media outlets (TV, radio, Websites) should be monitored routinely for updates on conditions on Folly Beach and access routes leading to the island. Media outlets will be updated routinely by the City’s Emergency Operations Center with the latest information available in the recovery process. Emergency and temporary contact numbers will also be published on these outlets as normal communications may be down for some time.
As the island is deemed safe, controlled access may be reduced. Repair contractors may be required to check in with a specific destination with the approval of the property owner at the check point until the city can return to normal operations.
Garbage Collection July 4th Public Works staff have voted to work July 4th so that the holiday trash can be collected quickly. They will take July 5th as a delayed holiday. The County will collect recycling on July 5th, after the holiday
No Fireworks July 4th Because of King Tides, the Folly Association of Business will be unable to set off fireworks the evening of July 4th.
From the Desk of the Mayor Let me begin by saying Happy Fourth of July!! Yeah, I know
there will not be any fireworks this July 4th. The Folly
Association of Business, (FAB), and the City had to make a
difficult call. Due to the forecast of King Tides, and the South
Carolina State Law which says all firework displays will be a
minimum of 300 feet, one football field, from any structure, it
just was not possible to happen this year on July 3rd, 4th, or 5th.
But, take heart, FAB and Public Safety are working diligently to
have a fireworks show on Labor Day weekend again this year.
This makes Folly unique, since everyone has a July 4th fireworks
show; but there are few on Labor Day. Just know that FAB and
the City work closely together trying to bring this and other
events to the City in the best possible manner. I guess it is true,
“that time and tides wait for no one.”
On a brighter note, a little over a year ago I appointed a
Center Street Committee to help design how we, the citizens
of Folly, wanted Center Street to look, since we had opened
our new bridges and the Gateway to Folly was changing. One
suggestion was to change the traffic lanes on Center Street
to one in-bound lane, one out-bound lane, and a center
turning lane to keep traffic moving. This could only be
accomplished by repaving Center Street and restriping the
street accordingly. As we all know, this repaving job comes
with a high cost, so Council has been putting money aside in
the budget to help pay for this project. The great news is last
week the City received a grant from Charleston County, due
to a lot of hard work by the City Staff, in the amount of
$330,000.00 for repaving Center Street. The County will
oversee the project, and the exact timing will depend on
contractors and temperatures, but we are shooting for this
to be completed no later than March 15, 2017.
As the temperatures rise, our patience seems to fall short.
Please take the traffic and tourists into your plans. It makes
you have a better day when you plan for the worst scenario
and the best happens. Take time to enjoy the summer and
our beautiful beach. Drink plenty of water to help keep you
healthy, and remember; It’s great to live and play in a place
where everyone else wants to come to for a vacation!
Deputy Chief Steve Mims has prepared a very thorough
Hurricane Preparedness guide. You will find it on pages 3
and 4, which you can slide out to keep separately. Read it
carefully, and follow the guidelines; we want you out and
back safely if a hurricane visits this area.
As always, if you have any questions you can contact me at
843 729-0298 or [email protected]. Have a great month. Mayor Tim
5
Letter to the Editor I like to call my neighborhood the (tongue in cheek) country club section of Folly Beach because of the tennis and basketball courts in the 5th block east that adjoin the City water works property. The park was expanded with the Timothy Goodwin Pirate’s Cove Playground for the use of small children. More recently, our community has accommodated the need for older kids to have a place to gather and blow off some steam by installing a skate board park for that popular activity of pre-teens and teenagers.
If you don’t remember the enigma of adolescence, you can observe it in full force at the skate park. Self-entitled children attempting to rush the maturing process are found in abundance there. This behavior is exemplified by consumption of cigarettes and use of strong adult language in loud voices, as well as defiant disposal on the ground of cast-off wrappers, bottles and cans from their refreshments. Boys and girls locked in hormonal desires express their frustrations visibly.
The older kids, whether they like it or not, provide role models for the younger ones. Poor behavior is transmitted down the line and a cycle is established. The very young children in the Pirate’s Cove playground are within ear shot of the teens, and “little pitchers have big ears.” Residents adjacent to the park have been tolerant. How can we motivate our local children to provide good examples of behavior to those off-island visitors? I’m sure the last thing those youngsters want is a chaperone, but how else can they learn to respect this privilege without blowing it?
To the parents of these children, please have a conversation with your child about what goes on at the skate park and how they should respect the privilege or lose it. We need to clean up the language as well as the trash and keep our park family-oriented.
Sincerely, Jim Crow
….. from the City Non-Profit organizations and Public Agencies can apply for State Accommodations Tax grants. Request an application from Municipal Clerk Colleen Jolley, second floor of City Hall or call (843) 513-1836, or go to www.cityoffollybeach.com.
State law requires using Accommodations Tax funds for activities related to tourism fifty (50) miles or more away. Uses include promoting art and cultural events and operating facilities for culture and civic activities. City Council awards these grants to qualified organizations annually based on recommendations of
the Accommodations Tax Advisory Board. Applying organizations should demonstrate that their programs provide activities in Folly Beach which promote tourism from fifty (50) miles or more. Deadline for submissions is Friday, August 5, 2016 by 5 pm.
Folly Beach in Pictures
photo by Christian Brutzer
Civic Club President Regina Anderson with the Sandspur in Machu Pichu, Peru.
Children and young adults in the Baptist Church’s Vacation Bible School collected food and made toys for animals at the Folly Beach Animal Shelter. Rev. Richard Summey and VBS participants gave the food and toys to Sergeant Matt Hlavac on the school’s final evening. Jonah enjoys the new bench at the Bark Park, contributed by the Folly Beach Civic Club.
photo by Bob Dockery
6
Folly Fun Stuff!
A new children's church has been added to the regular Methodist Church Sunday worship service. After the children's moments, the
children will leave the sanctuary for a special lesson or activity related to the lectionary. They will return during the last hymn.
Nursery is still provided for younger children. Everyone is invited to visit the Methodist Prayer Garden at the
back right of the churchyard. Benches are available for sitting and spending time in prayer or meditation. Commemorative bricks are available for $35 and $50. You may go see those already in place
and contact Robert Knight at 843 817.0713.
☼ ☼ ☼ The Folly Parks and Recreation Board will host a Folly Family Fun
Night series with children's entertainment each Tuesday night during the summer at the River Park, 5-7 pm. The Board is seeking
entertainment donations. For information: www.follyfamilyfunnight.com or Angel Ward at 803-427-7790.
FOLLY BEACH LIBRARY It’s Summer Reading season and we have lots of great programs and prizes for all ages! We have Story time and a craft on Mondays at 10:30 am. Monday afternoons we have great programs for the children (except Monday, July 4th because we will be closed for Independence Day). July 11th at 4 pm, a Charleston local will perform Caleb Alexander: The New Generation of Magic. July 18th at 4 pm, Flow Circus will return. July 25th at 4 pm will be our Grand Finale Party and the Folly Beach Turtle Watch Crew will be here. On Wednesdays at 6 pm, we have Knitting on the Edge. We will be open Saturday, July 9th from 10 am – 2 pm; at 11 am we will show Angels in the Outfield and you can make a fun craft. For more information on any of these programs, give us a call or like us on Facebook.
Mary Bushkar 843-588-2001
Animals on the Beach Everyone in the Charleston area is enjoying our beautiful beaches! When
you’re by the water, please remember that we are not the only ones who
use the beach. You might see sea stars, hermit crabs, whelks, sand
dollars, or sea urchins. Many of them serve as popular souvenirs and
keepsakes for tourists and locals. Here are tips on how to minimize your
impact on living creatures at the beach:
Make sure you know the difference between a living and dead
animal.
Be careful what shells you pick up off the beach – some have living
creatures hiding in them!
It is common to see horseshoe crabs this time of year. Often you see
an empty shell, or molt, of a horseshoe crab. If you see a living
horseshoe crab stuck on the beach, especially upside down, return it
to the ocean. Do not handle the animal by the tail.
Meghan Galipeau, SC Aquarium
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club PO BOX 884 – FOLLY BEACH, SC 29439 www.facebook.com/Folly Beach Civic Club
Printer: Print Shop of West Ashley City web page: www.cityoffollybeach.com City Radio Station: 1610 AM
LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY 10-6 WEDNESDAY 12-8
FRIDAY 10-6 2nd SATURDAY 10-2
CLOSED MONDAY, JULY 4th
CALENDAR FOR JULY
Council Chambers 11th Planning Commission 7pm 12th Council meeting 7pm 25th Design Review Board 6pm
Clubs, Organizations & Committees 6th Save the Light 7pm 7th Exchange Club Board 7pm 7th Green Team 6pm 9th Folly Association of Business 6pm 9th Surfrider Foundation 6:30pm 21st Exchange Club 7pm
Civic Club, Senior Citizens, and Garden Club do not meet in July.
Library 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Knitting on the Edge 6pm 9th Open Saturday 10am-2pm Angels in the Outfield 11am 11th, 18th, 25th Story Time and a craft 10:30am 11th New Generation of Magic 4pm 18th Flow Circus 4pm 25th Grand Finale, Turtle Watch Crew 4pm
Recycling Mondays Collecting Tuesday July 5th and then EVERY
Monday on Folly Island during summer. Off Folly Island: 5th and 18th
Volunteer Fire Fighters 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th 6pm
County Parks on Folly www.CharlestonCountyParks.com
8th County Park Bird Walk 8:30-10:30am 9th SUP the Surf Zone, Park 8am-noon 15th Jr. Naturalist Sampler, Park10:30am-noon 22nd Moonlight Mixer, Fishing Pier 7-11pm 23rd Cast Off Fishing Tourn., Pier 6am-2pm 24th Kayak the Surf Zone, Park 8am-noon 28th Decoding Dolphins, Park 9-11am
Special Events 4th Independence Day 22nd Moonlight Mixer, Pier