Sandspur - City of Folly Beach

Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Postal Permit 03
Folly Beach SC
Volume 40:5
May, 2016
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club est. 1938
Editor: Susan Breslin, [email protected] 588-3026
POSTAL PATRON
FOLLY BEACH 29439
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How to Avoid the Zika Virus
and checked regularly by six inspectors. If mosquitos are
found, the county sprays by helicopter or truck. If there
are reports of mosquito-borne disease cases in the area,
additional traps would be installed. There is a trap on Folly
Beach.
The Zika virus, which is widespread in Central and South
America and can cause severe birth defects, has reached
Florida, and is expected to spread in the Southeast. It is
transmitted mostly by bites from the aedes aegypti
mosquito, which is common here. Not all mosquitos have
it. They acquire it by biting an infected person. These
mosquitos also carry the West Nile virus.
You can help those efforts. If you notice mosquitos, call
843-202-7887 and report it. The inspectors will check
nearby traps, and order spraying if needed.
You can get up-to-date information about the Zika virus
from the U.S. Center for Disease Control at
http://www.cdc.gov/.
The Ospreys Have Hatched
A pair of determined ospreys have made the Folly Beach
cell tower at East 5th and Erie their nursery for the fourth
year in a row, and neighbors are “standing guard” to protect
this endangered species – three of them called City Hall
separately to report that the chicks have hatched. The nest
is very high up, but observers think.there are three
hatchlings.
This mosquito breeds in standing water, inside or outside
your home (it does not appear to breed in the marsh).
Four years ago, neighbors caught a cell tower corporate
user cleaning out the nest. The city warned them that was
against the law. Last year, the nest was left untouched,
and the ospreys used it for their new eggs this year.
Here are some ways to protect yourself:
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Get rid of standing water on your property, in old tires,
birdbaths, pet bowls, pots, boat covers, shower floors,
or any other receptacle. Also check knots in a tree, or
outside taps if they drip – and depression where water
can collect.
If you have a little-used toilet, buy “Bunk” anti-larval
tablets and put them in the tank. Watch for eggs in
the tank, scrub them off once a week, seal them in a
bag and discard them. They can live a long time and
hatch elsewhere.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and ankle-length pants when
you’re outside, in both the daytime and early evening.
Jim Crow first spotted the nest four years ago, and
protested loudly when it was removed. He’s travelling in
Arkansas and missing the show this year.
If you live in a condominium, ask the management
company to take those steps. This article has tips for
Home Owner Associations: http://www.hoausa.com/article-zika.aspx.
Charleston County has an extensive mosquito control
program headed up by Frank Carson (who will speak to the
Planning Commission at 6 pm Monday the 2nd). Folly
Beach’s “Erie Canal” was dug years ago by the County to
drain standing water. Traps are set throughout the county,
photo by Bob Dockery
1
Folly Clubs and Organizations
Civic Club
Greetings! We had a wonderful talk by Dr. Katherine
Houghton at our April meeting on some of Folly’s history,
from the Civil War to the present.
The Civic Club is working on a history project that may
include oral/video histories of some of our residents and
the possibility of a History Museum on the island. There
was a lot of support and enthusiasm for the idea -- can’t
wait to get moving on this!
Next month, just in time for turtle season we will get an
update from the Folly Beach Turtle Watch folks. Don’t
miss that one! It’s May 17th at 7 pm. The annual Civic
Club picnic is also coming up June 21 st – hoping for a
great turnout! See y’all soon!
Regina Anderson 914-400-6435
[email protected]
Home and Garden Club
412 West Cooper, retirement home of Pat and Scott
Koster since 2012, is May's Yard of the Month. They
moved many times during his military career, but when
they visited Charleston, they realized as soon as they
came to Folly that this is home and where they belong.
Pat has designed many landscapes. Here she was given
a lovely live oak tree and tall palmettos on the right side,
along with lots of sand. She selects and helps with the
planting, and then Scott takes over with nurturing and
maintenance.
Zoysia grass in the center balances the beds. Beneath
the live oak are split leaf philodendron, bear britches and
asparagus fern, along with ubiquitous oleanders, red
amaryllis, Gerber and English daisies, red geraniums
preceding pink and white lollipops and little pinks, all
contained by carefully selected rocks from Folly 's recent
renourishment. A green fig tree ends the procession
while a trio of colorful gnomes watch. Bright color drapes
above in a box on the landing filled with white and purple
wave petunias and yellow dahlias in a flowing bed of ivy.
Pat always enjoyed perking up the gardens she
encountered and is pleased with the tropical aspect
here. Scott has planted herbs and vegetables and
focuses on their well-being. Kudos to the Kosters for the
beauty and bounty they have yielded.
The Folly Garden Club will meet Tuesday, May 24th, at
noon for luncheon at a local restaurant before the
summer break. Happy Mother's Day.
Lynn Ray Smalley 588-0093 [email protected]
Exchange Club
Our regular meeting was held April 21st and featured
Shannon from the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s
Center. Shannon’s presentation on the services offered
by Dee Norton was well-timed; April is “Child Abuse
Prevention Month”. The Folly Beach Exchange Club is a
proud supporter of the Dee Norton Center.
Our May dinner meeting will be held Thursday, May 19th
at 7 pm, 206 West Indian. Visitors are welcome.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Exchange Club
annual oyster roast! It was a great time with plenty of
tasty oysters and excellent local music provided by the
Shakin’ Martinis, Pork Chop Meyers and friends. A big
thank you also goes to the donors for our annual silent
auction……we sold out for the first time ever!
Attention Folly Beach high school seniors and college
students: Applications for the annual scholarships are
available at City Hall or contact Mae Holmes, 843-5889238. Applicants must be full-time Folly residents in good
academic standing. The return deadline is June 30, 2016.
Exchange will once again sponsor a free skin cancer
screening on Center Street, June 18th from 9 am to 2 pm.
The MUSC mobile screening unit will be parked in front of
City Hall.
If you are interested in learning more about Exchange,
please contact us at the phone number or email address
listed below.
Angus Smith 813-7704
[email protected]
Senior Citizens
The Seniors will meet Thursday, May 5th at 11 am at the
Community Center. All 55 and older are invited. Our
meat will be barbecue, prepared by Buzz Edwards.
Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish.
Thanks to Elizabeth Paul and Louis Kines from Sea Island
Habitat, who told us last month everything they do, and
how we can help. Our May speaker will be Katherine
Houghton, who will show a visual history of Folly Beach.
Let us remember our sick and shut-ins. We also want to
thank Folly Beach Public Safety. We are sending money
to the Folly Beach Anglers’ fishing tournament.
We hope to see you May 5th. Pauline Ray 588-9580
Parks and Recreation Board
The Parks and Recreation Board will sponsor a Folly Family Fun
series at the Folly River Park from June through August for
families with children 12 years old and younger. We are lining
up children's performers and refreshment vendors one night
each week from 5 - 7 pm. We are establishing a subcommittee
of community volunteers to help with these events, maximize
community participation and make these events succeed. This
is an outstanding opportunity for local adolescents and parents
to work together for just an hour or two a week in a family
oriented effort. If you would like to volunteer, sing or play an
instrument for children, paint faces, tell stories, make balloon
animals, teach art, host a dance party, sell ice cream or
popsicles or offer any other family friendly entertainment
during these events, please contact Amy Foxhall
at [email protected].
Deana Coggin
2
From the Desk of the Mayor
I want to congratulate the new City Council members
Laurie Hull and Teresa Marshall, and our returning City
Council member Eddie Ellis. It was a tight race and I think
one that brought to light some new issues and suggestions
for remedies to some old questions. It certainly showed
the voters’ interest in what is happening in their City.
As we move into May, many things will be happening. On
Monday, May 2nd, the Planning Commission will have a
presentation on the Zika virus by Charleston County’s
Mosquito Control Manager, with emphasis on property
maintenance to help control the mosquito population.
Following that presentation at 7 pm, a representative from
The Lively will make a presentation on their proposed
project at Grimball and Folly Road. Come out and hear
these two presentations to stay informed on what’s
happening in our community and the surrounding areas.
Tuesday, May 3rd will be the first budget work session for
the 2016-17 budget.
In an effort to improve customer service, your City Staff
has created a couple of new request forms on the City’s
web site. If you have a request for Public Works (drainage,
signs, potholes, repairs), you can now place your request
on the web-based form, to include pictures, and your
request will be addressed. You will also be able to apply
online for Resident Parking Passes, in an effort to allow
more time for citizens to obtain their passes beyond
Palmetto’s Wednesday office hours. Fill out the form on
our website, and your passes will be mailed to you. Our
staff members continue to try to make Customer Service
their priority.
Finally, along with our tourists comes weekly recycle pickups. Beginning with the pick up on Monday May 23rd, we
will have weekly recycle pick-up on Folly Island ONLY for
the rest of the summer. This seemed to work very well for
us last year and I hope we have another successful year of
recycling.
As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate
to contact me.
Tim Goodwin
[email protected] 843 729 0298
The Chief’s Corner
May is here, man is it ever... Our calls for service are
growing rapidly: for the second straight month we are
well over 1,000 calls for service.
I normally reserve this article for friendly reminders.
Although this month is slightly different, this is also a
reminder of sorts. I try to keep my finger on the pulse of
the city by speaking often to folks I see, reaching out to
others, and from time to time reading social media posts.
Although you won’t find me posting online, I do read in
order to ensure that I am aware of everything from
praises, to concerns and complaints, etc. I am not unique
-- I would say a good percentage of your public safety
folks do as well. We do it because we honestly care about
you, the visitors, and the level of service we provide.
Social Media is a mixed bag. In some ways it’s great, in
others it’s terrible. The main drawback is that it takes
away from open, face to face communication between
people. It’s always easier to complain online than it is to
work hand in hand for meaningful change.
Now that I have set the stage, back to the substance of
this article. Folly has some unique challenges: other than
a steady number of locals, our "population" is in constant
transition. The folks we address an issue with this week
are gone and replaced by a completely new group,
unaware of the previous folks or their interaction with
public safety the week before. What that means is we are
in constant education, and enforcement mode. I often
read that all we have to do is write a few tickets and the
problem will fix itself. We do, it doesn’t. That doesn’t
mean we will stop, it's just to say problems usually are
not that simple due to our transitional "population."
In case you are wondering what we do, here is a small
snippet. From March 1st until April 25th, 2016, we
answered 2,422 calls for service, arrested 24 subjects,
and issued 194 criminal citations. That doesn’t take into
account the 1,012 parking tickets we have also issued so
far this season. These men and women work hard for this
city. We are not omnipresent and will miss things from
time to time – it may or may not surprise you the actual
number of officers we have on duty any given day. I have
yet to speak to someone who hasn’t heavily
overestimated that figure. We are a small department
with big responsibilities. That being said, we rely heavily
on our community partnerships for help.
The next time you see an issue you would like addressed,
please reach for the phone in lieu of social media. I can
promise one thing: you will get much quicker results to
your concerns. We take calls 24 hours a day, seven days a
week at 843-588-2433 or 911. I’m also extending an open
invitation to sit down over a cup of coffee if you would
prefer that.
Andrew Gilreath
843-588-7003 [email protected]
3
Folly Fun Stuff!
Praise in the Park will be Folly Beach's first Gospel and Praise
music festival ever! On Saturday May 7th, the Folly River Park will
be the venue for an event showcasing some of the area’s best
Gospel and Praise music bands. The event is organized by the Folly
Beach United Methodist Men's Club to draw the community
together and introduce a younger generation to music that helped
shape our faith and undergirded our spiritual lives, while also
praising and learning to appreciate the contemporary music of
today's generation. A diverse musical lineup includes old-time
southern gospel and contemporary praise groups: the Dixie Aires,
the Agape Praise Band, Six Days and A Rest and the Joshua Singers
will take the stage in that order at 11 am through 5 pm. There will
also be surprise performances by local artists who will return to
their roots in Gospel music for this spectacular show. The festival
includes a silent auction with donated items from more than 40
local businesses, and a raffle for gift certificates from local
restaurants. There will be face-painting for the kids. Bring a beach
chair or blanket. The event is FREE to the public. Donations will be
accepted and proceeds from the event will go to local outreach
missions and a food bank right here on the island!
from the city…..
….. Residential decals are available without coming into City
Hall! Visit http://www.cityoffollybeach.com/residential-parkingdecals/ and fill out the application form, including your mailing
address. E-mail the form, a photo or scan of your driver’s license,
and a photo or scan of another proof of residency (utility bill, etc.)
to [email protected]. If you do not have a Folly address
on your driver’s license, e-mail two residency proofs. Your decals
will be mailed to you within a week or Palmetto Parking will contact
you if there are any questions. You can also fill out the form and
submit residency proof at Public Safety Monday-Friday, 8 am-6 pm,
and pick up decals at Public Safety three business days after
submitting the form. Or you can come to Palmetto Parking's office
inside city hall on Wednesdays from 11 am-3 pm.
Full-time residents can register two vehicles with residential decals.
Part-time residents are allowed only one decal. A golf cart does not
get a sticker, but is considered a registered vehicle. 2015 decals
will be valid until May 31st. Contact Palmetto Parking with
questions: by phone at 843-259-7127 or by e-mail
at [email protected].
….. Folly Beach is working with Charleston County to install traffic
cameras coming onto Folly to help residents and visitors determine
the state of traffic before leaving the house or as they plan their
trips. The footage will be available on SCDOT’s 511 app. We
hope the cameras will also assist our Public Safety Department in
criminal investigations.
….. Charleston County will begin summer weekly recycling May
23rd through September 12th from single family homes on the
island. Please make sure carts are pulled to the curb by 7 am
every Monday and returned to the house after pickup.
4
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club
PO BOX 884 – FOLLY BEACH, SC 29439
www.facebook.com/groups/143962895676219
Printer: Print Shop of West Ashley
City web page: www.cityoffollybeach.com
City Radio Station: 1610 AM
LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION
MONDAY 10-6
FRIDAY 10-6
WEDNESDAY 12-8
2nd SATURDAY 10-2
CALENDAR FOR MAY
Council Chambers
2nd
10th
16th
Planning Commission
Council meeting
Design Review Board
7pm
7pm
6pm
Clubs, Organizations & Committees
rd
3
4th
5th
5th
5th
12th
17th
19st
24th
Art Guild
Save the Light
Senior Citizens
Exchange Club Board
Green Team
Surfrider Foundation
Civic Club
Exchange Club
Garden Club
6:30pm
7pm
11am
7pm
6:30pm
6:30pm
7pm
7pm
noon
Recycling Mondays
EVERY Monday after May 23rd on Folly Island
ONLY: 9th, 23rd and 31st (Tuesday after holiday)
Off Folly Road: 9th and 23rd
Volunteer Fire Fighters
th
th
5 , 12 , 19th, 26th
6pm
County Parks on Folly
www.CharlestonCountyParks.com
2nd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th
Yoga Unplugged, Park
5:45-6:45pm
1st Adaptive Surfing Clinic. Park 6am-2pm
3rd, 5th-24th, HIT the Beach, Park 5:45-6:45pm
13th County Park Bird Walk
8:30-10:30am
27th Moonlight Mixer, Fishing Pier 7-11pm
28th Cast Off Fishing Tourn., Pier 6am-2pm
Special Events
th
5
14th
14th
15th
30th
Cinco de Mayo
Armed Forces Day
Art in the Park
Mothers’ Day
Memorial Day