Sandspur - City of Folly Beach

Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
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Folly Beach SC
Volume 40:1 January, 2016
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club, est. 1938
Editor: Susan Breslin, [email protected] 588-3026
POSTAL PATRON
FOLLY BEACH 29439
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It’s Folly Beach Election Time!
On Tuesday, April 5th, Folly voters will go to the polls to
elect three Council members. That may seem like a long
time from now, but the process starts this month.
overseas for the election, call 843-744-VOTE and ask
about voting by e-mail.
.
The Sandspur will carry profiles and photographs of the
candidates in the March issue.
There are three seats up for grabs. They are currently
held by Tom Scruggs, Sandy Hickman, and Eddie Ellis.
Scruggs confirmed to the Sandspur that he will not run
again. Candidates must be permanent residents of Folly
Beach, and registered voters.
New Faces at City Hall
Candidates for the seats have to file official paperwork
with the Municipal Clerk, and pay a $25 filing fee. The
filing period opens at 9 am Monday, January 22nd and
ends at noon, Monday, February 1st. The Municipal
Clerk, Colleen Jolley, will accept candidate filings on the
second floor of City Hall every weekday from 9-5 during
that period, except for a lunch period from 12-1. Please
note that on the final day, filing ends at noon.
In order to vote in the election, you
must be a Folly Beach resident and a
voter who registered at least 30 days
before the election. The last day to
register in person at the Board of
Elections is Friday, March 4th, and by
mail it’s Saturday, March 5th.
The Civic Club will sponsor its traditional “Meet the
Candidates” forum on Tuesday, March 15th. Stay tuned
for details, and think about the questions you want to ask
the candidates.
Registered voters can vote absentee as soon as the Board
of Elections has final ballots. For more information, go to
http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/bevr/ab
sentee-voting.php. If you qualify to vote absentee, you
must mail in an application, and complete and mail the
ballot which is sent back. Once you apply to vote
absentee, you cannot vote at your polling place.
If you plan to vote absentee in other elections this year,
consider checking the box at the top of the application
which asks to receive all ballots. If you plan to be
There are two new faces at City Hall. Ryan Hall has filled
a new position, IT Administrator.
His work was previously handled
by a consultant. He’s digging into
all the City’s systems, looking to
innovate, consolidate, and save
money. He says the biggest
information technology
investment the city has is in Public Ryan Hall, new IT
Administrator
Safety (where he sees the most
opportunities), so it may be fitting that he moved into a
vacant office behind Dispatch. He’s from Chicago, and
studied in Baton Rouge, where he worked in IT for the
City. His wife is from Charleston, so when they had a
son, they moved here to be closer to her family. They
live on Yonges Island.
Colleen Jolley is the new Municipal Clerk. She arrives
here just in time to organize an election, one of her
responsibilities. She had been a
Municipal Clerk in Darien, a coastal
shrimping community; Assistant to the
Glynn County Administrator; and
Deputy Clerk in McIntosh County. She
moved here because her husband’s job
was relocated. They rented a house on
Folly Beach, and she took some time to
Colleen Jolley, new
help their blended family settle in, and
Municipal Clerk
then applied for a part-time job. The
interviewer looked at her resume and said “Folly Beach is
looking for a Municipal Clerk. You’d be perfect for it.”
She is not looking to make big changes, but to serve the
public. She asks that if there’s anything she can do for
you, please let her know.
1
.Folly
extolling the Folly motto: "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
The bed to the right is anchored with another live oak. Huge fatsia
japonica offer textured greenery and attract bugs away from his
home. Philodendron and iron plants abound here.
Green rye grass joins all the beds, maintained by fertilizing twice a
year to achieve the expanse of lawn so desired in his North Carolina
hometown. He planned for low maintenance requiring no irrigation.
Mediterranean palms waft in the left side bed with new oak growth
serving as a privacy border. A ponytail palm flips near the left side
entrance. A rotating red, white and blue balloon floats nearby from a
former 4th of July. These colors are among his favorites as a veteran.
Congrats to Ricky Long for establishing his green personalized
landscaping. It is evident he has strong roots in Folly.
The Garden Club will meet at noon in the Community Center on
Tuesday, January 26th. Julie Hensley, landscape architect for the
Folly Community Garden, will speak about its design, and Teresa
Marshall will talk about ways to use it. All interested parties are
welcome to attend. Happy 2016!
Lynn Ray Smalley 588-0093 [email protected]
Clubs and Organizations
Civic Club
On behalf of the Civic Club's new Board, I hope everyone had a
Folly Jolly Holiday and is about to settle in to a Happy and Healthy
New Year! The Civic Club invites all residents to our monthly
meetings on the third Tuesday of the month to hear guest speakers,
meet with other Follyites and get involved to any extent you want!
We are always looking for great ideas for projects, ways to spend the
money we raise and suggestions for speakers on topics relevant to
our little slice of paradise.
This month we will welcome Mayor Tim Goodwin to give us a look
at the "state of Folly Beach." He and Council have been busy
moving forward the 10 year comprehensive plan, looking at beach
management issues and assessing what went well and what can be
improved following the historic flooding. You won't want to miss it!
Skipping ahead to March, mark your calendars for the meeting on
March 15th when we will invite candidates for City Council to a
Candidates Forum -- those vying to represent Folly on Council will
make an introduction and policy statement and then take written
questions from the audience. It's a great way to get informed before
you cast your vote April 5th!
If you haven't gotten yours already, don't miss the 2016 Folly Beach
calendar with fabulous photos and valuable coupons for local
businesses. It’s only $10 and available at several local shops and at
City Hall. Never miss a recycling day again!
See y'all on the 19th when we'll also hand out the prizes for the Light
Up Folly holiday light contest! Congrats to all the winners - it's
especially nice to see a college student (Second Place winner Kalen
Simpson) renting on Folly with such great FB spirit!
Last, but not at all least, I'd like to give a BIG thank you and shout
out to Gene Fallaw who has led the Civic Club so wonderfully for the
past several years. You are a one-and-only and our town is so much
better for it!! Great job, Gene!
Exchange Club
Your Folly Beach Exchange Club thanks all who stopped by to
purchase a burger or hot dog at this year’s Christmas Parade! The
proceeds will help us continue to support our community! We also
gave away free handheld American flags to many kids during the
beautiful Folly day.
Mark your calendar: our annual oyster roast and silent auction will be
held March 27th at Bowen’s Island. Coolers are welcome and great
local music will be provided by some of Folly’s top musicians.
Tickets will be available from any Exchange member and at the door.
We accept credit cards for both tickets and auction items.
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
Regina Anderson (843) 633-0200 [email protected]
The Folly Beach Seniors will meet at 11 am Thursday, January 7th in
the Community Center. We will enjoy the New Year with a covered
dish lunch. Please bring your favorite dish including desserts.
Our speaker will be Nancy Bloodworth, who has opened a business
providing help to seniors with the little things that cause problems –
giving rides, looking after pets, running errands.
Our thanks go to Buzz Edwards for showing a Christmas video with
carols, and to Mary Rhodes for her 26 years as our Treasurer. We
visited Jenkins Orphanage on behalf of our club, and our gift
certificates were well-received.
We wish all a healthy and prosperous 2016! Let us begin the New
Year by remembering our sick and shut-ins with a card, call or visit.
Home and Garden Club
January 2016's Yard of the Month winner is Ricky Long at 309 East
Huron. After visiting for over 20 years, this Charlotte native's dream
was realized in 2012 when he bought his home and began his journey
to become a permanent Folly Islander. He says that "peace, love and
kindness" brought him here.
He has large live oaks, one of which curves in the front bed above
pink flying pigs which pay homage to his father (a farm boy who
often used the phrase "when pigs fly"). Red knockout roses add
contrast among cast iron plants. A full rosemary plant scents this
area with a hula hoop (used by his daughter-in-law in a Folly Gras
parade) hanging overhead and other quirky yard art below. A big
foot with upturned toe was grandfathered in from the previous
owner. Nearby is a statue with squashed face and covered ears
Pauline Ray 588-9580
2
From the Desk of the Mayor
The Chief’s Corner
Welcome to 2016!!! I would like to first thank everyone
involved in bringing Folly another year of great Christmas
and New Year’s celebrations and decorations. As always we
enjoyed the festive activities that could not happen without
the hard work of many volunteers along with your City
Employees. The volunteers are too many to list. Thanks
again for your hard work and dedication.
For more than 50 years, Fire Captain Bryan Porter served
the Folly Beach Department of Public Safety. He was an
innovator, leader, public servant, mentor, and friend to
hundreds. Everyone that knows anything about Folly knows
the legend and his never-ending contributions to this island
as a firefighter and public servant.
Captain Porter was one of the most dynamic personalities
that I have ever met. When I began my career at Folly,
Bryan immediately took me under his wing and filled me in
on the complete history of Folly Beach and his beloved fire
department. Never have you seen such pride in a man
about one community and one organization; you could see
him beaming with each and every story and we were all like
children on the edge of our seats hanging on every word.
One of Folly’s beloved sons left us last year: Captain Brian
Porter, a lifelong citizen of Folly Beach, and a volunteer Fire
Department member for over 50 years. Brian will be greatly
missed by all of us who knew and loved him over the years.
Some new faces joined us at City Hall in 2015. I would like
everyone to join me in welcoming our latest additions, IT
Manager Ryan Hall and Municipal Clerk Colleen Jolley, to
our Folly Family. I am certain they will help bring our service
levels to our customers, the citizens of Folly, to the highest
level possible.
Pride and integrity is how I would best describe my friend!
He took great pride and his integrity was never ending. I
once heard integrity described as how someone behaves
when they think no one is looking. Webster describes it as
one who is honest and having strong morals. No matter the
situation or circumstances, this type of integrity is what you
got from Captain Porter.
At the same time, our City Attorney for 40 years has
decided to retire and enjoy life from a different view. Ben
Peeples has been a part of so much of Folly’s history,
maintaining surfing as part of our culture to playing a key
role in obtaining all of our beach renourishments to date.
Join me in wishing Ben many happy years of retirement!
That being said, Ben, you ain’t off the hook! I’m sure the
city will be calling you for advice and history on many
subjects as we move forward.
In the past week I have had discussions with many
firefighters and citizens; they are quick to relate to his
public service and dedication, citing all the hours spent at
the station and emergency calls responded to over those 50
plus years.
While 2015 was a very busy year, I expect 2016 will be
equally busy. Your City Staff will continue to work on our
Beach Preservation along with many new projects to
enhance and maintain our quality of life at Folly. We
welcome your input into projects and ideas to help in this
endeavor. Also, Folly is dependent on the many Citizen
volunteers that serve on her Boards and Commissions. If
you are interested in serving in some capacity contact our
Municipal Clerk to throw your name in the hat.
Listening to these conversations, I quickly realized that
being a firefighter and responding to the community’s
emergency needs was only the tip of the iceberg with this
great man. In my view, his greatest contribution and his
legacy is the positive influence he made in dozens of young
lives that he helped mold at this small town fire station.
The direction, encouragement, training, and even parenting
when needed played a large role in the development of
many good young people that passed what they had
learned on to countless others. Many of these young
people themselves have gone on to have successful fire
service careers.
This is an election year for three Council Seats. I urge each
citizen to listen to the candidates, ask questions, and cast
your ballot for the ones you feel will represent all Folly
citizens to help preserve and improve our little piece of
paradise.
The thing I will miss the most is hearing him coming down
the hall for his weekly visits (yes you could hear him coming
long before he arrived). No matter how my day was going,
he could always bring a smile talking about the old days,
deer hunting, or just how we could solve the world’s
problems.
As always, call or e-mail me if you have any questions. You
will get a true answer to your questions (but not always the
answer you want!).
I wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
We will miss you, our friend!
Tim Goodwin 729-0298 [email protected]
Deputy Chief Steve Mims [email protected]
3
Letters to the Editor
Facebook Page Explodes
Thank you to the Citizens, Current Mayor and Council, Previous 8
Mayors and 20 Councils of The City of Folly Beach.
When Debbie Wilson Pustorino set up the Facebook page
I Love Folly Beach SC a year ago, she just wanted to share
her love of the beach. But she’d seen nastiness on other
Folly Beach Facebook sites, so she wrote an introduction
which said, in part, “Only Rules of respect I ask are .. be
kind.. get to know others who love it here and no politics,
religion or complaining. There are many other groups for
that on FB.”
At the last meeting I advised Council that they would get to do
something no Folly Beach Council has done in nearly 40 years.
They will get to hire a City Attorney. If I make it to June 6th, I
will have served as City Attorney for 40 years. I have worked for
all of the Mayors of the City of Folly Beach, excepting one, and 20
different Councils.
She struck a chord. In a remarkably short time, the page
was flooded with gorgeous photographs, and the beach
had lots of strollers, heads down, looking for shark’s
teeth that end up photographed for the page.
I love Folly Beach, and have been honored to serve as the Folly
Beach City Attorney. (I never applied for the job, BTW, and
never expected to last this long.)
Joanne and I have plans to do some extensive traveling. I am
starting with a short trip to Anchorage via motorcycle by way of
Maine. This is the principal reason for my retiring.
Debbie’s Christmas present this year was that the page
membership jumped past 4,000, and it’s still climbing.
Members come from all over – many of them have
visited Folly and want to keep a connection. She says she
looks at it every morning because it makes her feel good.
Council will fill the position, and I anticipate that there will be a
number of qualified applicants. This is not a chance for you to
hook up your deadbeat relative with a good job, but of course, they
can apply like everyone else. I have suggested they get a young
person if she/he is going to have a chance to exceed my tenure.
She has had another reward. She met “the love of my
life” on the beach, they courted through Facebook
messages, and they recently moved in together.
Debbie credits a mention of the page in a City Paper
piece Stratton Lawrence wrote last summer for the
page’s initial popularity. Others credit her firm hand in
keeping the page focused on what it was founded for –
sharing a love of Folly, and of the beach.
I have already heard some speculation that I am leaving because I
am unhappy with the current Mayor or Council. Anyone saying
or implying this is speaking from a platform of total ignorance or
gratuitous lies. We have never had a Mayor or Council better than
the ones presently serving. They have an intelligence and
commitment to the job that is awe-inspiring. The same can be said
for the Staff.
New Methodist Pastor
On January 1st, the Folly Beach United Methodist
Church welcomes a new pastor, Rev. Randall Horres.
Coming with him to our Folly family are his lovely wife,
Renee, and two children. They will split their time
between our parsonage and their residence on James
Island. Both are native to the Lowcountry and we look
forward to having them with us.
It is sad leaving such a great group of people, but at the same time
it is easier because I know Folly Beach is in good hands.
Jo and I do not have plans to move from Folly Beach. I expect to
say here until I finish my Book. I hope that I can reveal enough
secrets in it, that I then will have to leave.
Seriously, I owe all of the Citizens a real debt of gratitude. The
practice of Law is relatively mundane but as City Attorney, one
gets to think Constitutional thoughts and play at the interface of
Governmental power and the Individual.
Keep a lookout for them and give them a warm
welcome!
Stay tuned for new and exciting happenings at the
Methodist church in 2016!
Chel Whaley
I have really enjoyed it, 75% of the time. Thank you,
Ben Peeples
Flood Assistance Deadline
Extended 30 Days
Correction: The 2016 Civic Club Calendar Committee regrets that
a photographer was mistakenly identified. The correct
photographer for the November photograph of a leaping dolphin is
Richard Beck.
The deadline to register for federal disaster assistance
is January 3, 2016.
The Small Business Administration's deadline for
homeowners, renters, and businesses to submit loan
applications for physical damage is January 4, 2016.
Toni Catoe, Civic Club Calendar Committee Chair
4
Light Up! Folly Winners
The Civic Club Board has selected the winners of the
Light Up! Folly contest. A big surprise was that this
year, all three cash winners are long-term renters, while
the two Honorable Mentions are owners. Here are the
winners and their works of art in lights!
1st Place ($200): Adam Bernans, 820 East Ashley:
Honorable Mentions (2):
44 Lempesis: Nelson and Mary Ohl:
photo by Teresa Marshall
2nd Place ($100): Kalen Simpson, 307 East Ashley:
photo by Regina Anderson
320 West Ashley: Raul and Dale Navarrete:
photo by Regina Anderson
3rd Place ($50): Kevin Hodges, 610 East Ashley:
photo by Regina Anderson
Some of these names may sound familiar. Kalen
Simpson, a College of Charleston student, was
Miss Sea and Sand. Those are red plastic drinking
cups providing the color in her center tree. And
Adam Bernans, a devoted gardener, recently had
the Garden Club’s Yard of the Month award.
photo by Teresa Marshall
5
Folly Fun Stuff!
The Flip Flop Drop starts at 10 pm on Center St. between Ashley
and Cooper, Thursday, December 31st. The Tides’ fireworks will
go off on the beach behind the Tides just as the flip flops drop at
midnight
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Come Freeze Your Bills Off at the Bill Murray Look-a-Like Polar
Plunge! Dress as your favorite Bill Murray character and
celebrate New Year’s Day. The 3rd Annual Bill Murray Look-aLike Polar Bear Plunge takes place on Friday, January 1st
beachside in front of the Tides Hotel.
Registration begins at noon at the information booth on the
beach. Judging will begin at 1pm. Prizes will be awarded for Best
Guy, Best Girl, Best Team and Best Overall Bill Murray. Plunge at
2pm Sharp!
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The Planning Commission will have a public hearing on the
City’s proposed Comprehensive Plan on Monday, January 4th at
7 pm in Council chambers. The plan has several controversial
proposals. You can find it on the City’s webpage:
www.cityoffollybeach.com. It’s one of the items featured on
the first page.
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Shred day, a Public Safety service, is January 8th from 10 am noon in the Public Safety back parking lot (Erie St. side), and it’s
free! Residents can bring paper and/or CDs and credit cards. It
does not have to be in a box. Public Safety will dump the
contents of the resident’s container into a garbage can that gets
loaded in the truck. Everything is shredded before it leaves the
property.
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Taste of Folly 2016 is Saturday, January 16th on Center Street.
The island's largest Foodie event will feature dozens of street
vendors, kids’ activities, live music, a hot dog eating contest,
chili cook-off, silent auction, date auction, Server Olympics and
more. 11am-5pm.
NOTE: DATE HAS CHANGED FROM CIVIC CLUB CALENDAR.
FOLLY BEACH LIBRARY
We have Story time and a craft Mondays at 10:30 am (except
Monday, January 18th for Martin Luther King Day). We will
also be closed Friday, January 1st for New Year’s Day.
Wednesday, January 6th at 6 pm is Knit Night. We will be
open Saturday, January 9th from 10 am–2 pm. At 11 am we
will show Inside Out and you can make a fun craft. At the
next meeting of the Folly Beach Book Club on Wednesday,
January 13th at 2:30 pm, we will discuss The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins. For more information on any of these
programs, feel free to give us a call or like us on Facebook.
Mary Bushkar, [email protected], 588-2001
6
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club
PO BOX 884 – FOLLY BEACH, SC 29439
www.facebook.com/groups/143962895676219
Printer: Print Shop of West Ashley 571-4811
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
TUESDAY and THURSDAY CLOSED
Other Saturdays & All Sundays: CLOSED
CLOSED January 1st (New Years) and 18th (MLK)
CALENDAR FOR JANUARY
Council Chambers
11th Planning Commission
12th Council meeting
25th Design Review Board
7pm
7pm
6pm
Clubs, Organizations & Committees
Art Guild
6:30pm
Save the Light
7pm
Senior Citizens
11am
Exchange Club Board
7pm
Folly Assoc. of Business
6:30pm
Surfrider Foundation
6:30pm
Civic Club
7pm
Exchange Club
7pm
Garden Club
noon
Library
4th, 11th, 25th Story Time and a Craft 10:30am
6th Knit Night
6pm
9th Open Saturday
10am-2pm
Inside Out at 11 am
13th Book Club
2:30pm
The Girl on the Train
5th
6th
7th
7th
14th
14th
19th
21st
26th
Recycling
4th, 19th (after holiday)
Volunteer Fire Fighters
5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
6pm
County Parks on Folly
www.CharlestonCountyParks.com, 795-4386
8th Bird Walk, Lighthouse Inlet 8:30-10:30am
11th Bird Walk, County Pier
8:30-10am
1st
1st
1st
4th
8th
16th
18th
Special Events
Flip Flop Drop
midnight
New Year’s Day
Bill Murray Look Alike Polar Plunge 2pm
Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing 7pm
Shred Day
10am-noon
Taste of Folly
11am-5pm
Martin Luther King Day (City Hall open)