PRESORT STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID
FOLLY BEACH, SC
PERMIT NO 27

Vol. 1 Issue 7 Folly Beach’s Newspaper January 23, 2009 w FREE

A bleak future for Redbays

By Ali Akhyari

O
n January 13, Laurie Reid of
the South Carolina Forestry
Commission, along with
Billy McCord of the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
spoke to the Folly Beach City Council
about an epidemic known as Laurel Wild
Disease (LWD) which is being spread by a
foreign beetle and quickly killing Redbay
Laural trees.
The tree is very ecologically important,
McCord says, as a source of food for
many animals, housing for others, and a
stabilizing factor on our barrier islands.
For a particular species of butterfly, it is
the only tree in which it will reproduce. As
a native plant, it naturally thrives in our
marine environment and is able to survive
flooding and strong winds, keeping soil in
place during extreme weather. According
to McCord, about 30-40% of the lots
on Folly Beach have at least one Redbay
Laurel.
However, the tree is of little economic
value, which has put a damper on the
possibility of federal funding to help
curb the problem. Strategies, such as
the organized removal and handling of
infected trees, are expensive for individuals
and municipalities alike.
“The USDA really couldn’t care less
about it,” Mayor Carl Beckmann stated.
Reid added that the South Carolina
Forestry Commission is focusing its
funding on research in lieu of slowing
the spread. With or without State and
Federal dollars, Reid and McCord
stressed the importance of implementing
a management strategy as soon as possible
due to the beetle’s natural cycle.
During the colder winter months,
the beetles, in all different stages of

see Redbay on page 4

I
N
S
I
D
E Goapele on page 5 Snow on Folly on page 8 Fluoridation on page 9
2 January 23, 2009
Put your best food forward

Woody’s Pizza
By Becca Finley

I
n my mind, any place that posts a sign stating, “Get
your Woody serviced here” insists on a surefire good
time. Woody’s Pizza epitomizes what a good dining
experience should be: cozy atmosphere, exceptional food
and the friendliest of staff and patrons.
The food and beverage business claimed Woody’s
proprietor Todd Webb long ago. For the majority of
the last two decades, he donned the black pants and
white shirt in some of Charleston’s finest of fine dining
establishments, including McCrady’s, a restaurant which
was recently recognized as one of the top 10 restaurants
in North America by Opinionated about Dining. But one
sunny April, about six years ago when the 39 Center
Street location became available, Todd left the land of fine
dining, pulled the trigger on his dream of a neighborhood
pizza joint and the rest … history.
The simple menu consists of pizzas, subs, salads and
a full bar. If you crave pizza, try The Woody. It’s Todd’s
version of a supreme: pepperoni, sausage, meatballs,
mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black and green
olives, a tomato based sauce and a mozzarella/provolone
cheese mix. The delightfully thin crust combined with
a perfect amount of cheese and sauce rates this, hands
down, as one of the best I have ever eaten and I mean in
my life. Two things I know—a good burger and a good
slice of pizza. I will now make the drive from Sullivan’s
Island any time my pizza beast growls from within.
If you are leaning more towards a sub, wrap your
hands around The Goodfella. This heated sub loaded
with honey baked ham, prosciutto, pepperoni,
provolone, mayo and a housemade vinaigrette
will warm your cockles: the bread is sinfully
soft and fresh and the sweet and savory choice
of meats delights the taste buds. Add the Greek
salad to compliment anything you may order.
The color palate of the salad excites the eyes and
the addition of banana peppers adds a wonderful
surprise to the traditional version of the Greek
salad. The balsamic housemade vinaigrette that
is drizzled on both The Goodfella and the Greek
salad has as an interestingly sweet twist. Try and
guess what the ingredient is or better yet, ask the
staff yourself when you go in.
Woody’s hosts a trivia night on Thursdays and
starting in the Spring, check out music on the deck
featuring bands like the Stono River String Band.
Hours of operation are 11am-11pm Sunday
thru Thursday, 11am-midnight Friday and
Photos by Courtney Jarrard
Saturday. For more information, visit the
web site www.dowoodyspizza.com or call
(above) Left to right:
843-588-0088. Owner Todd Webb
Fun Fact: Todd’s favorite band is The with employees Alanna
Pixies and he is currently reading The Art Chandler and Charles
of Racing in the Rain. Smith (left) The
Woody, the pride of the
Becca Finley is a freelance writer and establishment.
marketing/branding specialist www.
bayoulogic.com who recently moved to
Sullivan’s Island from Dallas, Texas.

Kick it to the curb

F
olly Beach residents now have an
option to buy new, conforming trash
receptacles from the City. While
residents are not required to purchase
the cans, which cost $75, there are many
benefits. According to City Administrator
Toni Connor-Rooks, the new cans are
easier to handle, more sanitary, more
aesthetically pleasing, and can hold
more garbage. The new cans are also less
dangerous to workers, making injury less
likely.
Service will also be more efficient with
the new cans. They are designed to work
with the new trucks that the City has
purchased, which can lift the receptacles
with mechanized arms. Steve Robinson,
Director of Public Works, says the first
truck was purchased about 14 months ago
when restaurants were required to use the
new receptacles. Since then, the City has
purchased a couple more trucks to service
the rest of the island.
The $75 cost of a new trash receptacle
can be paid all at once, in monthly
payments of $6.25 in association with
their utility bill, or $18.75 quarterly. For
more information or to purchase a can,
contact the Public Works Department at
588-2447.

Folly Beach residents can purchase new trash receptacles which are safer, easier to
handle, and easier on the eye for $75.
www.follycurrent.sc
January 23, 2009 3
civic

City looks at expansion Lynn Pierotti

Staff Report Publisher
lynn@luckydognews.sc

T
he City Council had a hard time
agreeing on how to accommodate
their Public Safety Department,
which has outgrown their facilities.
Mayor Carl Beckmann emceed a
presentation to highlight the reasons
for expansion and why the City should
build an addition to the Fire Station.
would be $89,667 under this plan.
But other options were considered as
Mayor Carl Beckmann
made a hard sell for
feet of space and would cost $36,000 to
Ali Akhyari
make the kitchen and lounge compliant.
Editor
Furthermore, the City would have to ali@luckydognews.sc
compete with all the other organizations
that currently use the Community Kristin Hackler
Center for their meetings, in addition Managing Editor
to the fact that there would be no space
for a jury room or office for the clerk or
kristin@luckydognews.sc

According to a “needs assessment”,
square footage needs to be increased
by 6,200 square feet to accommodate
their needs. Currently, the City has
9,200 square feet of space.
All Council members seemed to
agree that the expansion is necessary. the tune of $1.8 million.
The transfer to a new City Hall, which
was built in 1997, resulted in a decrease in
area by 300 square feet. It was the result of
“champagne dreams and a beer budget”,
according to Beckmann. Furthermore, the
number of City employees has increased
significantly since then, cramping the
amount of workspace available.
Beckmann made a hard sell for
building a second floor on the fire station
to the tune of $1.8 million. The new space
would add 5,000 square feet to the Fire
Station, 1550 square feet to the bay area,
760 square feet for a mezzanine, and 860
square feet for a connector between the fire
station and City Hall. Beckmann added
that construction costs are at an all time
low, making this the best time to make
the move. He added that the project could
be done without raising property taxes, if
$800,000 were taken out of reserve funds
as a down payment. However, it was noted
that the removal of those funds would
result in the loss of $32,000 of interest to
the city every year. The annual debt service
building a second floor
on the fire station to
well and the Mayor presented them side
by side. There was an option to rent space
from Prudential and Avocet. According to
the presentation, renting from Prudential
would cost $4,017 a month ($48,204 a
year) with a gross increase in space of 3,000
feet over two floors. However, this space
is not handicap accessible. The Avocet
option, however, is handicap accessible in
addition to having an elevator. The total
cost would be $7,600 per month ($91,200
a year), according to Beckmann. Both
options would put the City in competition
with other private businesses for space, he
pointed out. Furthermore, he stated that
renting would be throwing money away
versus building their equity and assets by
adding on to the City’s property.
Another option, offered by Council
member Dave Stormer, was to use the
Council chambers for additional space
and move their meetings to the recently
renovated Community Center. This
option would add only 1200 square
Swan Richards
judge since court is held in the Council
chambers. Fire Personnel would move
Graphic Designer
swan@luckydognews.sc
into the Council chambers and it would
cost about $270,000 to renovate.
However, Stormer presented
Brittany Urbach
Reporter
another option at the meeting which brittany@luckydognews.sc
would move the police department
Richard Brendel
off the island to another piece of City Advertising
owned property. The cost to add 5,000 richard@luckydognews.sc
square feet of space would be about
half of the estimate to add onto the fire Becca Finley
station. However, Public Safety Director Copy Editor/Reporter
info@luckydognews.sc
Terry Boatwright stated it was not a good
idea to divide the department. While Interns
many cities have separate police and fire Jennifer Millar
departments, Folly Beach has a combined Bridget Hinkebein
Bri Horahan
Public Safety Department. Furthermore, Ashley Anderson
the departments are relatively small
and officers often have to come back to •
headquarters. While Folly Beach now Contributors
consists of the area up to the Piggly David Farrow
Wiggly, the concentration of activity is on Becca FInley
Mia Burmeister-Laws
the island itself. Moving the police away
Cortney Ness
from the epicenter of activity is a bad idea, Brittany Urbach
according to Boatwright.
Council members Stormer and Tim Published by
Goodwin argued that there was simply Lucky Dog Publishing
not enough money to do anything at this of South Carolina, LLC
P.O. Box 837
time.
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
“I’m not convinced you can do this 843-886-NEWS
without raising taxes,” Goodwin said. “I
think moving forward on anything right Future deadlines:
now is not a good thing.” He added that January 28 for submissions.

What a relief
the City had to take money out of their
reserve fund to balance the budget last year
and that taking an additional $800,000
Y a r d sal e b e n e fits r e li e f f u n d out in order to build an addition the
Rose Hardware will be hosting a community yard sale on February 28 to benefit Public Safety department is something
the City should not do. “We can’t keep
the Folly Beach Relief Fund. Anyone who wants to set up and sell property for their
own personal needs is welcome to join the sale. Also, anyone who would like to doing that,” he said.
donate items for the purpose is welcome to do so. Come by or contact Rose Hardware The City Council finally agreed
to focus on building the $1.8 million
ahead of time if you would like to participate in any way.
All sorts of hardware and supplies will be available at the yard sale in addition addition while not actually proceeding
to any other materials being sold and brought by others. In addition there will be a with the project until March, when the
City will have a better idea of how much
15%-off sale at Rose Hardware during the yard sale.
revenue they will be seeing in the coming
The Folly Beach Relief Fund is kept at City Hall for people needing emergency
year. There are many options within that
assistance.
plan that can bring the cost down and the
The yard sale will go from 10am until 2pm at Rose Hardware. The store is located
Council will examine the choices in the
next to the Post Office on East Indian. You can also call for more information at coming months.
885-9650.
The Folly Current, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Lucky Dog Publishing of South Carolina
LLC, is a free, independent newspaper pub-
lished every two weeks and is for and about
Folly Beach. Copies are mailed free of charge
to every active mailbox in our coverage area
and are also available at area businesses and
by subscription to non-islanders. Subscrip-
tions are $30 per year for non-residents and
are available by sending a check to Lucky
Dog Publishing, LLC, P.O. Box 837, Sullivan’s
Island, SC 29482. Contributions of informa-
tion, pictures and articles are welcomed and
are used according to space limitations and
news value and cannot be returned except
by special request. Our editorial content is
primarily dedicated to the area of distribution;
ad space is open to all businesses who want
to reach the Folly Beach market. Complete
ad creation is $50, however, changes of up to
30% of the original ad are included at no extra
cost. All advertising rates are listed at www.
islandeyenews.com under “advertising”.

Civic Calendar
Tuesday, January 27 Monday, February 2
Planning Commission
Folly Beach City Council call City Hall for times
7pm Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC
Publishers of The Folly Current, The Island
Eye News and the Island Connection.
www.follycurrent.sc
4 January 23, 2009
Heat up your winter
The Charleston Fire Department Wives Club has put together a calendar
with some of Charleston’s bravest!  It features 15 of Charleston’s Fire-
fighters.  The calendars are on sale for $20 and 1/2 of the proceeds are
going to the MUSC Children’s Burn Center.  The other 1/2 will go to-
wards events that the Wives Club sponsors for the department.  For more
information or to purchase a calendar contact Rachel Sheridan at rsheri-
dan@kenchellephoto.com or 843-860-4383.
www.follycurrent.sc
is collecting and harboring seeds from
Redbay from page 1
Redbay Laurels and individuals can
development, are hiding out within the participate. For information on proper
tissues of the infected tree. As the weather methods, identification, and forms, visit:
gets warmer, the adult beetles begin to www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/
leave the infected trees in search of new, index.shtml
healthy trees. In order to have the biggest 4) Don’t cut down healthy Redbay
impact, it is imperative that any strategies Laurels. It is imperative to save as many
be implemented before the beetles start as possible and, as evolution would have
leaving the trees in en masse. it, there may be some trees that have a
McCord has identified a lot within the natural resistance to the fungus. It would
known area of infection on Folly Beach be terrible to unwittingly kill a tree that
which could, ideally, be utilized as a burn could hold the key to this problem.
zone. During these crucial winter months, Unfortunately, the outlook is grim. It
the City, with the help of residents, could only takes one beetle, only 2 millimeters
cut down infected trees and bring them to in length, to kill an entire tree. If that was
this spot to burn them in a hot, controlled not enough, even though the beetles are
fire. This could drastically reduce the asexual in nature, meaning they come in
number of beetles, which might slow the male and female varieties, they can still
spread of the disease while research is reproduce asexually. However, by working
being conducted. However, it will require with the City and environmental agencies,
the teamwork of the island’s residents. you can help save our precious trees by
The City Council is attempting to move following the instructions above. Keep a
quickly on this problem in order to take look out for flyers and mailings from the
advantage of these cold winter months when City for future planning and prevention.
the beetle is lazy. Mayor Beckmann urged
the Council to develop a strategy and have
a plan before January is out. Furthermore,
he plans to discuss the matter with Kiawah
and Seabrook Islands, who have already
been dealing with the issue for some time.
In the meantime, there are things you can
do as individuals:
1) Be sure to identify any tree before
cutting it down and/or removing it. If it
is a Redbay Laurel, contact the City or the
South Carolina Forestry Commission for
instructions.
2) If you suspect a tree is suffering from
Redbay Laurel Disease, contact the City or
the South Carolina Forestry Commission
for confirmation and further instructions.
3) Participate in seed collection. In
order to preserve this species of tree, the
South Carolina Forestry Commission
Healthy leaves of the Redbay Laurel.
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January 23, 2009
W
ell folks, that one special time
of year that you either love or
hate is approaching, and for
those of you who have someone special to
spend this day with are probably trying
to come up with ideas for a romantic
evening, right? Well let me help you out a
bit, at least with the music!
You should definitely go with some
music that will “set the mood”. You will
probably want some soft jams, particularly
from the sensual, soulful genre, and in
that case, I highly recommend Goapele.
Based in Oakland, California, her
name is pronounced Gwa-pa-lay, and
she has been on the music scene since
2001. This singer/songwriter released her
first single ‘Closer’ in 2001, and after it
topped the charts from San Francisco to
Baton Rouge to D.C., she collaborated
with a few others and produced her
first album in 2002 called Even Closer
under their independent record label,
Vanishing island homes, part two
I
recently visited with Folly Beach
Mayor Carl Beckmann, Jr. and City
Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks
to discuss historic homes and both
are interested in preserving the face of
Folly Beach while promoting progress.
Mayor Beckmann pointed out that, “We
encourage our residents not to tear down,
but to remodel and add on; the reasons
being that the cottages are small to begin
with and they represent the essence of
Folly Beach. We have encouraged many
residents to renovate the exterior of their
homes and add on to the back instead of
tearing down the whole building. That
way, you still see the small cottage, even
though it’s been added on to. When
people do that, it keeps the essence of
Folly intact”.
With this statement in mind, I spoke
with Christopher Liberatos, an architect
with Fairfax, Sammons Architects on
Broad Street in downtown Charleston,
and asked him what historic cottage
Planet Follywood - 588-7380
Fridays and Saturdays – Dan Clamp
Chill & Grill - 588-2392
1/23 Reid Stone and Friends
1/24 Graham Whorley
1/28 The Hawkes
1/30 Reid, Rusty, Ward from Sol Driven
Train
1/31 Justin Burke from Jupiters Garden
Folly Beach Crab Shack - 588-3080
Tuesdays Trivia Night
Wednesdays Dave Grunstra
Fridays Howard Dlugasch
Saturdays Jesse Prichard
Music
Play some Goapele
By Cortney Ness
Skyblaze Recordings. Two years later,
the independent label was picked up by
Columbia/SME Records, which led to
the expansion and re-release of her album
in 2004. She then collaborated with her
original artists and producers and released
Change it All, an album focusing on social
and political activism; a result of her
dissatisfaction with the 2000 and 2004
elections. Her lyrics tell of her own and
others’ experiences, and, while staying true
to the signature style of her first album,
she uses her second album as a chance to
branch out and take aesthetic risks such as
in the song ‘Love Me Right’.
Her songs are indeed romantic love
ballads, but they are also songs that have
been politically and socially inspired. In
fact, the production of Change It All led
to the website ChangeItAll.org, which
was founded by Goapele and Skyblaze
Recordings. It is an online community
that provides a forum for the open-minded
and those seeking change, and informs
Historic and Island Homes
By Mia Burmeister-Laws
homeowners should consider before
renovating? He replied that one should
hire an architect that works well with
small houses and can make the most
of the space you have. “I recently had a
client who wanted an eat-in kitchen and
they thought that they needed to add on
to their house to get one,” said Liberatos.
“But with better planning of the space
they had, we found they already had the
room to expand and we saved the expense
of an addition”. He went on to explain that
if an architect you’ve hired recommends
gutting a house, you should get a second
opinion before going forward.
Materials should be considered as
well, said Liberatos. Lowcountry beach
climates can be extremely harsh on
building material. When looking for
exterior trim, hardwoods and cypress will
last much longer than softwoods, which
tend to only survive a couple seasons in
the salty beach winds. If you have an old
cottage with original interior paneling or
Surf Bar - 588-2009
Sundays Dangermuffin
Mondays Graham Whorley
Sand Dollar - 588-9498
1/23-1/24 Jeannie Wiggins
Folly music
scene
www.follycurrent.sc
5
visitors of political and social
“change-makers”, both past
and present.
When all is said and done,
you just cannot go wrong
with the jams of Goapele
for this Valentine’s Day.
Her tunes are smooth and
flow through your speakers
like a soft breeze with the
occasional gust of wind to
break the flow, adding a sense
of rushing to the moment.
Her lyrics are fresh and edgy
and her voice is comforting
and melodic. Her songs
‘You’, ‘Closer’, ‘Don’t be Shy’,
and ‘Love Me Right’ are all
great songs for creating that
intimate atmosphere for you
and your special someone. So visit her Then, when February 14 rolls around,
Myspace page at www.myspace.com/ all you will have to do is dim the lights,
goapelemusic or her website at www. light some candles, and set your iPod to
goapele.com and download her music. Goapele’s tunes.
bead board, you should retain as much of you make of them. They protect the
it as possible. “if it’s lasted this long, it will creative, the unique, and the elegant
certainly be more robust than new wood,” qualities of our past while encouraging
Liberatos explained. “Also, keep in mind tasteful growth and inspire that warm
that mildew thrives in this area, so avoid feeling of “coming home”. What drew you
any materials that could act as ‘food’.” to the islands?
Finally, like many old buildings built Send your emails to Mia@realestatemia.
before air conditioning, sea island cottages com or call (843) 810-1000. Let me know
were built to catch breezes and most what you would be interested in learning
rooms would have at least two windows more about. You can also view this article
or “exposures”. “I lived in one cottage at any time on my websites at www.
on Sullivan’s Island that had three main historicandislandhomes.com or www.
rooms, each with three exposures,” said realestatemia.com.
Liberatos. “so it
was well ventilated.
If you must add
on, try not to
block another
room’s exposure,
and try to make it
livable without air
conditioning”.
H i s t o r i c
districts are what
8 January 23, 2009
A tropical snow
Folly Beach was the scene of an interesting,
meteorological phenemenon that resulted in a snow
storm which was completely isolated to 307 Shadow Race
Lane.
Upon some investigation, the phenomenon turned out
to be Tim Dowd, owner of 307 Shadow Race Lane. Dowd,
a 6 1/2 year resident via Ohio, is very familiar with snow.
Last year, when temperatures dipped below freezing, he
recalled thinking, “it’s cold enough for snow”.
The ski slopes of Ohio don’t depend on Mother Nature
to dump inches of the white stuff, he thought. Instead,
they use huge snow blowers to provide skiers with powder
when its not falling from the sky. That’s when Dowd
wondered how exactly the process works. He discovered
snowathome.com, a website that explains how to make
your own snowblower which is a relatively simple
contraption made up of a specialized piping system,
available at the website, an air compressor and pressure
washer. But in addition to the equipment, temperatures
need to be below freezing and the humidity has to be
right.
It only happens a few times a year on Folly, but if he
could only take advantage of those times when weather
conditions are ripe...
This year it happened on January 17. Dowd’s family
and neighbors awoke to about 7 inches of snow in the
front yard and driveway. The result was a short lived
winter wonderland.
“I didn’t know if it would work,” Dowd said. “I
just wanted it to work so bad.” With a huge grin and
unstoppable laughter, he was as excited as his 4 1/2
year-old son Max, who was throwing snowballs and
“sledding” down the driveway on a boogie board. A lot of
other neighbors and their kids came out to enjoy Dowd’s
winter gift which included cinnamon buns by a backyard
fire. Many of the children had never seen snow before.
Some opted to stay with the familiar swingset while
others braved the mystery and enjoyed the snow.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Dowd says.
January 23, 2009
A fluoride through the Lowcountry
M
ost people are unaware that
when they are drinking tap
water, they are most likely
drinking unnecessary chemicals that are
purposely added as part of a public health
program. While this is not a secret, it is
certainly not a well known fact. As a
result, citizens are unknowingly allowing
their government to pump their bodies
with chemicals whose safety is still being
debated. Every time a Lowcountry resident
ingests tap water, they may actually be
ingesting a poison thanks to something
called “fluoridation”.
In November of 2008, Charleston
Water Systems (CWS) began a major
overhaul of its water system, including
the replacement of its cracked “day tank”.
The day tank holds the amount of water
needed for one day of service and is where
the chemicals are added. As a result, the
tank prevents the entire water supply from
being tainted in the event of an accident,
such as an overdose of chemicals.
Because of the overhaul, CWS
announced that the fluoridation of tap
water would cease until repairs are made.
According to Andrew Fairey, Chief
Operating Officer at CWS, the return of
fluoridation could be as late as July. But
while CWS may consider this a temporary
disruption of service, for the rest of us it
could be considered a respite.
Fluoride is an independent element,
meaning it can not be broken down
into simpler parts and still be able to
retain its properties. Fluoride has been
proven to improve oral health, mostly by
strengthening tooth enamel when it is
applied directly to the teeth. If you inspect
the ingredients on your toothpaste, you’ll
notice that the active ingredient is most
likely sodium fluoride and the process of
brushing your teeth applies this fluoride
directly to your teeth.
Fluoridation, on the other hand, is
the addition of fluoride to your drinking
water so that it is ingested instead of
applied topically. About 0.2 parts per
million (ppm) of fluoride can naturally
be found in water. CWS quadruples that
amount by adding 0.6ppm for a total of
0.8ppm. The amount ingested by CWS
customers is within the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental
Control’s (DHEC) recommended range.
Fairey says that CWS depends on entities
such as DHEC, the Center for Disease
Control (CDC), and the American Dental
Association (ADA) to research fluoride
and dictate its safety. These entities say
fluoridation is effective and should be
instituted. In fact, Fairey says DHEC gives
awards to municipalities for fluoridation.
According to Fairey, fluoridation’s
main purpose is to improve the overall oral
health of the population. In particular, it is
directed at low-income areas where people
are less likely to have dental insurance
or visit the dentist on a regular basis.
However, the program is large scale which
results in the fluoridation of everyone
within the service area. Fairey points
out that Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island,
Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook
By Ali Akhyari
Island, the majority
of Mount Pleasant,
North Charleston,
West Ashley, Daniel
Island, Cainhoy
and many other
incorporated and
non-i nc or porated
areas all receive
fluoridated water
from CWS.
It is important
to look at this from
a distance to get
an appreciation for
what is going on.
The government
is medicating its
citizenry, most of
which is ignorant to
this action, by putting a chemical in the
public water supply in hopes of improving
oral health. We are being forced to ingest
a chemical any time we use our tap water
in most of Charleston County, regardless
of whether we have dental insurance, use
good oral hygiene habits, or any of the
reasons Fairey noted that fluoridation is
imposed on a population. This would be
a fine practice and our governments could
easily be praised if fluoridation could
comfortably be accepted as frosting on an
already wonderful cake. However, Fairey
himself pointed out that debate on the
matter has been waged since fluoridation
began in the 1940s. This very fact shows
that there has not been a consensus on
whether fluoridation is effective and if any
amount of ingestion is even safe.
In fact, the ADA recently proved that
ingesting fluoride does have negative
consequences. According to Mothering.
com, the ADA recently sent out an
e-mail alert to its members, stating that
fluoridated water should not be ingested
by children under one year of age.
“Infants less than one year old may be
getting more than the optimal amount
of fluoride if their primary source of
nutrition is powdered or liquid infant
formula mixed with water containing
fluoride,” the e-mail stated. That’s a bit
of an understatement since the “optimal
amount” was later stated as being little to
none.
A negative impact of ingesting too
much fluoride known as “fluoridosis” was
the reason for the warning. Fluoridosis
actually causes the yellowing of teeth and
the weakening of tooth enamel. Ironically,
the same chemical that claims to improve
oral health actually degrades it in higher
levels of ingestion. There does not seem to
be the same relationship when it is applied
topically, such as with toothpaste.
Hardy Limeback, a member of a 2006
National Research Council panel on
fluoride toxicity, and former President
of the Canadian Association of Dental
Research states, “Newborn babies have
undeveloped brains and exposure to
fluoride, a suspected neurotoxin, should
be avoided.”
One has to wonder why we would use
a chemical with so many unknown risks
www.follycurrent.sc
when there are much
safer ways to go
about it. Dr. Arvid
Carlsson, a recent
Nobel Laureate in
Medicine, points
out that there is no
reason to take the
risk of ingestion.
“ I n Fairey says they are well aware of the
pharmacology, if
the effect is local,
it’s awkward to
use it in any other
way than as a local
treatment,” Carlsson
says. “I mean this is
obvious. You have
the teeth there,
they’re available for
you, why drink the stuff?”
Even the CDC pointed out that the
advantages of fluoride are observed
mostly when applied topically as opposed
to ingesting it. There is a lot of research
out there that suggests ingesting fluoride
can cause any number of health issues,
including low sperm motility, lowered
intelligence, tooth decay, and many other
things. Fairey, however, points out that
there is just as much, if not more, research
showing that fluoridation is an effective
oral health tool and safe in the prescribed
amount. While Fairey points out that
fluoridation is aimed at the impoverished
with poor oral health, there are counter
studies that show there is no relationship
between fluoridation and improved oral
health in many of these areas. There are
studies that examine many different
populations with different levels of
fluoridation without any changes that can
be attributed to fluoridation. The debate
goes back and forth. One simply needs
to pick a side and find an authority that
backs up that position, such as DHEC.
Any large-scale improvement in the
oral health of a population can not be
attributed to fluoridation. Think about
it. How does one prove a hypothesis?
In middle school we learned about the
scientific method and how to conduct
an experiment properly. Any experiment
of value has to be controlled. We could
9
compare populations that don’t have
fluoridated water to those that do.
However, because the active ingredient
in toothpaste is sodium flouride, it would
be impossible to attribute any difference
to fluoridation since most people use
toothpaste on a regular basis and we know
the fluoride in toothpaste is responsible for
improved oral health.
risks associated with fluoridation. One
has to ask though, why take the risk if
it is obviously not completely safe and
its effectiveness can not be proven? This
is not like the inconsistencies that say
eggs are good for you one year and bad
the next. We get to choose if we eat eggs
and what kind of eggs we eat. Our public
water supply, though, is something most
of us are dependent on and something
that is supported with our tax dollars. It
is necessary.
A governing body should generally err
on the side of caution when it comes to
the safety of its citizens. That does not
seem to be the case with fluoridation. It
is irresponsible to pick and choose which
studies to give credence to and which
agencies you listen to. Because reputable
agencies in our own country debate
fluoridation’s value and safety, there is no
reason for Charleston County to spend
$100,000-$150,000 per year to put a
potentially dangerous chemical in our
water. Most of us, unaware that fluoride
is even being put in our water, aren’t being
given a fair chance to make a decision
about what we put in our own bodies. It is
obviously dangerous enough that infants
should not ingest it at all. Higher doses are
dangerous to adults and can affect a child’s
development. Our drinking water should
be safe for everyone. Why add a chemical
that is obviously dangerous to at least a
portion of the population and possibly
the rest of us? Wouldn’t it be a better idea
to perhaps, put a tube of toothpaste in a
person’s mailbox with a pamphlet about
oral hygiene? Right now, we haven’t been
given a fair choice. I know I wasn’t asked if
I wanted to drink fluoride. Were you?
For more information visit: fluoridealert.
org, mothering.com, fluorideaction.net.
10
From December 31 to January 11
December 31- A vehicle with four
occupants was pulled over for following
another vehicle too closely on 171 near
Mariners Cay. The officer discovered a
couple of empty beer bottles and a bottle
of rum that was 3/4 empty. Further
investigation turned up a pipe with
“marijuana residue” in the glove box. All
four occupants were arrested.
January 1- A resident of East Cooper
Avenue called police after he returned
home at about 1:09am to find an
unknown woman passed out on his
couch. He admitted he had left the door
unlocked. Police removed the woman
and attempted to contact someone to
pick her up, but were unsuccessful.
Officers determined the woman to be a
danger to herself and, therefore, placed
her under arrest and charged her with
public drunkenness.
January 2- It was reported that several
lights had been removed from the
Christmas displays at the Folly Beach
City Park.
January 2- During patrol, an officer
noticed a vehicle parked in the roadway
and facing the wrong direction and
discovered the owner was at 307 West
Ashley. The officer knocked on the door
and smelled marijuana when it was
M
y name is David Farrow. Some
of you might remember my
column, “Do You Know Your
Charleston?” that ran in a lot of other
newspapers for six years at the turn of the
century. Some of you might remember my
tours of downtown Charleston. Most of
you probably don’t have a clue as to who I
am. That’s okay; together we are about to
embark on a journey into history.
Those of you old geezers who remember
me will be curious to learn that I am back
from Georgetown, SC, where I wrote a
weekly column for a couple of years.
It wasn’t the same.
It wasn’t Charleston. It wasn’t you.
Police Reports
opened by Subject 2. She permitted the
officer to come inside and was greeted
by two other subjects inside. The officer
was “pointed” to a 1.6 gram bag of
marijuana that was weighed by subject
3 and noticed several bottles of various
alcohols. Subject 1, who was 19 years old,
took responsibility for the marijuana and
alcohol. All three received citations and
left the scene.
January 3- A woman filed a report after
attempts to have her vandalized car taken
care of by the perpetrator, who turned
her down with threats. On October 23
of 2008, she says, the subject was at the
Sand Dollar Social Club and appeared
“agitated”. He walked outside and began
punching and kicking cars, one of
which belonged to the complainant. She
decided to approach the subject after she
received an $1800 repair estimate who, in
response, asked if she “knew who he was”
and stated that he has “killed someone
before”. She wanted the report on file for
possible repairs and a restraining order.
January 3- A resident reported that her
golf cart had been stolen and described
the cart to officers. The next day, Folly
Beach Police received a call that the golf
cart had been seen at a residence on Teal
Avenue and that an individual had been
identified driving it. Contact was made
with the individual who was arrested
without incident.
The pace of place
By David Farrow
We have shared memories, you and I.
We go back to watching the girls riding
horses at sunset on the beach of Sullivan’s
Island; we remember being surfer dudes
listening to WAPE on Folly; we recall
listening to the Tams at Art’s New
Seaside on the Isle of Palms and the long,
dangerous drive back over the two-lane
Cooper River Bridge.
We remember the drive-in theaters like
the Magnolia and the North 52. A quick
story about the North 52 drive-in which
could be seen from the train station: There
was a line of pine trees that obscured the
screen from the station until there wasn’t.
I can recall being nine or 10 years old,
www.follycurrent.sc
January 4- At 10:36pm, officers
responded after being flagged down at
the end of East Ashley in reference to a
bloody and belligerent man. The subject,
a 17 year-old, had a large gash on his
forehead, and was leaning against a truck
whose windshield had been knocked out
and was lying on the hood. The subject’s
father was trying to calm him down as
the subject tried to get anyone nearby
to fight him. As an officer approached
and told him to calm down, the subject
threatened to stab the officer in the
throat. The subject was advised that
he was under arrest. He tried to elude
officers and then tried to hit the officer
who was attempting to detain him. The
subject was handcuffed with help from
the father and received medical attention
from first responders for the gash on
his head. The subject bent a rear door
of the police car while being carried to
the hospital after repeatedly kicking and
continued to be uncontrollable from the
hospital to the drunk tank he ended up
in.
January 10- At some point during the
previous night, the complainant reported
that his license plate had been stolen
from his 2005 Honda Civic.
January 11- An officer clocked a vehicle
traveling 51 mph on Center Street leaving
Folly Beach and conducted a traffic
stop at 12:05am. The officer observed
the smell of alcohol on the driver while
waiting for the East Coast Champion
with my father. Somebody knew nothing
about the dearth of trees lining the station
and began to show “blue” movies (This
was a Navy town. Today, you’d see the
same thing on basic cable, but in 1960,
girls were loath to show their knees except
at the beach – I’ve never figured that out).
My father went ballistic.
It was handled. The next time we
were there, a wall separated us from the
salaciousness.
I remember the stories of U-boats in
our harbor, which, despite naysayers, I
maintain was possible to this day. I still
have the pictures of the submarine nets in
Coburg Creek.
I remember jumping off the Ben
Sawyer Bridge with Taylor Silcox and Ted
Deas when we were 17, as if we had good
sense. I recall the story of the policeman
who claimed he was on that bridge during
Hurricane Hugo. The bridge broke from
its moorings and the drawbridge began
spinning like a top with the public servant
still on it. The allegation is that the man
timed the whirls so that he could spin
off onto the Mount Pleasant side of the
causeway. Good television, but I have
never bought it.
I was one of the first bartenders out
at Kiawah in 1976. The only dwellings
at the time were the inn and a couple of
cinderblock houses. One afternoon, a
woman from Ohio was golfing and hit her
ball into one of the many lagoons and she
January 23, 2009
asking for her license and registration.
She admitted to drinking a few drinks
as the designated driver for the evening.
The officer conducted a field sobriety test
which the driver promptly failed. The
driver was arrested and later registered a
.19 blood alcohol level on a breathalyzer.
She was charged with speeding and
DUAC.
January 11- Three police officers
responded to a call regarding a fight
in progress at a local restaurant/bar
at 11:55pm. Upon their arrival, they
witnessed a guy being thrown out the
door with several other people telling
him to get out. The officers were told that
the man who started the fight was still
inside and had grabbed the guy’s face
who was just thrown out. Upon entering
the business, officers observed the 6’3”
instigator still trying to fight other people
and one officer pulled out his taser, put
it in the small of the man’s back, and
ordered him outside. The man complied
and was put into handcuffs. He began
revealing his intoxication by cursing at
the police and acting, generally, as if he
were drunk. The subject was arrested
and taken away without paying his bar
tab which totaled over $100 because
the bartender had taken the man’s
identification instead of a credit card to
hold the tab open. The man who was
originally thrown out was given a ride to
his residence on Folly Beach.
innocently stuck her hand in to retrieve it.
Living in the Lowcountry is like living in
New York. You better figure it out pretty
quickly lest the line that separates the quick
from the dead dissolve. Anyone from the
area can tell you that golf balls look just
like alligator eggs. The hapless tourist was
bitten. Apparently, she was more shaken
up than hurt. The next day, my favorite
headline of all time appeared on the front
page with a file photo of a gator’s jaws
wide open. It read: Renegade Alligator
Bites Woman. My thought was, “What
a shame! A perfectly tamed alligator has
gone postal. How will the family take it?”
Many of us grew up watching
Charleston remain what author Elizabeth
Verner Hamilton described as a “raft
going nowhere and we couldn’t have
been happier”. It was a different place, a
different pace, a different time and space.
Stay with me as we meet the “been
ya’s.” Rejoin me on my quest to preserve
a memory as a fly in amber. As for all my
old readers, welcome back. Thanks for
having me back in your lives again and tell
everyone who might give a rat’s behind to
e-mail me.
History is like divorce. There are three
versions: his, hers and the truth.
Together, let’s see if we can paint a
mosaic our grandchildren will cherish.
Barring that, let’s have a little fun.
David Farrow can be reached at info@
luckydognews.com.
January 23, 2009
Cold water swimming not just for polar bears
W
hen the air is cool and the
water temperatures are
chilling, don’t be afraid to
grab your surf board and plunge in …. just
make sure you’re wearing the proper cold
weather gear to keep you from freezing to
the bone.
Most people, inside and outside of
the surfing community, are well aware of
wetsuits, regardless if they know how they
work or not. However, wetsuits are not
the only option for staying warm when
water temperatures plunge in the winter.
Drysuits are another option that give you
some say-so in how warm or cold you’re
going to be.
Drysuits are an excellent way to protect
yourself from those frigid waters, as you
can wear insulating clothes underneath
and they won’t get wet. If the water is
unbearably cold, you can put on a heavy
sweatshirt, long johns, and sweats beneath
your drysuit, says Adam Von Ins, manager
of Air in Mount Pleasant.
The revolutionary technology of
drysuits allows surfers to experience
excellent rides with a full range of motion,
clean streamline dives, and a light weight
feel.
During Charleston’s winter months,
Von Ins says there are typically more
Quote of the
Past Two Weeks:
I don’t mind
talking, I just
don’t like having
conversations
Surfing
By Brittany Urbach
wetsuit sales than drysuit sales. If you’re
in the market for a wetsuit but itching to
get in the water now, wetsuits can be worn
with booties and gloves for extra thermal
protection.
However, even if you’ve got all the gear
to jump into the water and tear it up year-
round, you can’t make the swell appear.
No matter how bad you want to surf, if the
www.follycurrent.sc
waves aren’t there, all you can do is dream
of the day Poseidon dies and you can run
to get elected to get the “god of the sea”
seat. However, if waiting for an immortal,
character out of Greek mythology to die
seems like to long of a wait, there might
be an option to classic surfing.
If you’re looking to take on a new sport
during this season, consider windsurfing,
11
kite boarding, or paddle boarding. Paddle
boarding is a relatively new sport, says Von
Ins. Local surf companies are beginning to
carry the equipment necessary to go paddle
boarding. Many of the paddle boards seen
on the market today are manufactured by
windsurfing and surfing companies.
“There are a lot of paddle boarders that
come out when the wind and waves are
down,” says Von Ins. “When winds at
20 knots or greater, you’ll see a lot more
windsurfers out there.”
For those interested in trying paddle
boarding, it’s an excellent spin on
traditional surfing. “Stand up paddle
boarding is kind of like standing on an
oversized surfboard that’s been shaped
for stability so you can paddle at slower
speeds,” says Von Ins. It’s also a great way
to exercise and will work muscles you
didn’t know you had. If there’s a soft spot
on you, stand-up paddle boarding will
find it.
There’s no excuse not to be in the water
during winter with all the revolutionary
technology out there and fantastic new
sports to try. Don’t be afraid to get wet
this winter season.
12
A
s the New Year approaches,
most of us furiously decide on
resolutions that will enhance our
current overall life health, whether it is
oriented toward relationship stimulation,
spiritual growth, physical fitness or
financial empowerment. How often have
you heard:  I will exercise everyday; I will
spend more time with my kids; I will limit
my cocktails to the weekends only? With
hopeful anticipation and true faith, we
dig into the positive start of our new year.
Setting such lofty goals for ourselves can
be a source of disappointment when we
falter and waiver from them.   the mere idea of
All this being said, I have decided to
take on a triathlon for my New Year’s
resolution. I, like so many, am one of
the New Year’s resolution-challenged. In
fact, I do not think I have ever stuck with
any resolution I have made on any New
Year’s Day, but this time I am determined,
focused and resolute. I am committing
to complete the East Cooper Coastal
Triathlon.
I am not going to lie … I am scared to
death. I have never remotely participated
in the sport of triathlon. I was a runner,
but have been remiss about following a
consistent running plan over the past year.
Last year at Christmas, under much duress,
January 23, 2009
Fitness
Why Tri?
By Becca Finley
was the first time I with Kyle, which my body fueled, healthy and ready to
sat on a bike since I concludes through very rock-n-roll. Monday, Heather analyzes my
huffed it around my scientific means (VO2 body fat ratio (not sure I am ready for this
old neighborhood testing), that what my reality) and I start strength training. Then,
when I was 12 in body is accomplishing Kyle will delve into the very specific path
Louisiana. And do and burning on its own I must follow to accomplish this triathlon
we even need to is not much. Yikes! My in the time frame allotted.  
begin to laugh about metabolic rate is 17% So, for the next four months, I will
the swimming? My lower than it should be be sharing with all of you the trials
abilities consist of and I apparently am not and tribulations of this huge lifestyle
knowing how to eating enough to truly commitment I am undertaking. Hopefully,
do it. And to top it feed my body. Are you it will inspire you to try something new
off, I am desperately aware that you need and follow through with your own goals.
claustrophobic and a certain number of Please follow us on this journey, or get
calories for your body to inspired and join me. We’ll be here for the
goggles and a wetsuit work healthily? I need next four months in all your Lucky Dog
paralyzes me to a to intake 1500 calories Publications. Drop me or the paper a line
point I can not even per day in order for my to share your tips training for triathlons.
begin to verbalize.  body to not eat itself Next issue: meet the trainers and 1st 2
So, why would I put myself through ,which seems absurd to me that a 5’2”, 110 weeks of training. 
the agony of taking on this feat? Because I pound woman would need this much food.
Becca Finley is a marketing and branding
need to. Because there is no greater sense However, now I have learned that your
specialist (www.bayoulogic.com) who recently
of self than when you complete something brain controls what organs (order from
moved to Sullivan’s Island from Dallas,
that is truly unimaginable to yourself. most to least important: brain, lungs, liver
Texas. Trainers include: Heather Carper,
But my true life line is the “how” part of and kidney, muscles) get nourishment and
manager/personal fitness specialist at Synergy
“how am I going to accomplish this?” A what isn’t being fed essentially gets eaten.
Fitness (www.synergyfitnessinc.com); Brian
team of accomplished personal trainers, Moral of the story is this: I am allowing
Devlin, BS, owner of Synergy Fitness; and.
motivationalists and physiologists will my muscles to be eaten by my brain. 
Kyle P. Radakar, MS, owner of Tempo
guide and push me through the process.   Tomorrow, I meet with Heather of Indoor Cycling (www.tempoindoorcycling.
First step … I trek over to Tempo Synergy Fitness for a whole new way to com) and certified Cooper Institute Physical
Indoor Cycling for a metabolic assessment look at food and what is necessary to keep Fitness Specialist.
www.follycurrent.sc