PRESORT STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
Volume 3 Issue 3
Seabrook Beach Club
celebrates grand opening
I
t was a rainy start to Thursday, May
21, but that didn’t keep visitors and
beach goers from strolling through
and admiring Seabrook Island’s newest
facility, the Beach Club, on its first full
day.
The Beach Club’s 5000 square feet
encompass the Seabrook Shop, a combined
beach supply store and gift shop; a
recreation room complete with a pool
table, arcade games and wall mounted
flat screen TV; two swimming pools, one
each for kids and adults; a circular brick
patio ideal for weddings, including a small
preparation facility (formerly the exercise
room); and a casual restaurant located on
a 180 degree open air patio with steps that
lead right down to the beach.
I n s id e
page 3 Captain sams
CHARLESTON SC
PERMIT NO 437
FREE May 29, 2009
The Seabrook Shop, which was
housed in the former Beach Club, is still
run by island merchant manager Nancy
Jones. “We’ve changed the level of what
we offer in the gift shop,” Jones said
of the new facilities. “We offer quality
giftware as well as beach ware. We’ve
really upgraded the quality of everything (above) Seabrook Island Club general manager Caleb Elledge and executive director Joe Salvo enjoy the
and we have more items coming in every deck at Pelican’s Nest. (top) The seaward facing side of the new Seabrook Island Beach Club.
day.” A special feature that the shop is
now offering is its own Private Label
wine, which comes in Chardonnay, culinary experiences – from owning his southern, Asian and southwestern. He
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and White own restaurant in Kentucky to working describes the food at Pelican’s Nest as
Zinfandel. in various restaurants in Washington, “casual, convenient and fast.” “We’ll
D.C. and Pennsylvania, to opening probably have more seafood entrees, but
Pelican’s Nest, the newly reborn
the Turtle Point Clubhouse on Kiawah we also serve beach favorites, such as
restaurant, is proud to feature chef Randy
and the Atlantic Room at the Kiawah burgers and chicken sandwiches,” said
McDonald, a Johnson and Wales graduate
Ocean Course. His favorite styles of food
who comes from a diverse background of Opening continued on page 2
preparation are a combination of upscale
t h e I sl a nd Con nection. . .
page 4 Message to Garcia page 8 Golf in any weather
2 May 29, 2009
“Permit” me to explain
From home repairs to construction, Seabrook requires building permits
“
From time to time, people on the are Seabrook residents required to comply
island voice concerns over the fact with Charleston County’s building codes,
that their contractor has to get a said Pierce, the requirements are also there
permit for this or that,” said Randy Pierce, for their safety. “It kills me to hear when
the Town Administrator for Seabrook someone on the island hires a person to
Island. “But it’s for a very good reason do some work for them and they pay half
that we ask them to do this.” Not only up front, and then they never see the guy
again. The whole situation could have
The Island been avoided with a quick, two minute
call to Town Hall.”
With any construction on the island, a
Connection resident needs to have a zoning permit from
Town Hall before requesting a building
Lynn Pierotti permit from Charleston County. This rule
Publisher doesn’t apply to simple improvements,
lynn@luckydognews.com
such as the property owner choosing to
Kristin Hackler
Managing Editor
kristin@luckydognews.com Opening continued from front cover
Chef McDonald. “We also have a great
Swan Richards
pizza oven, so we’ll be working on some
Graphic Designer
swan@luckydognews.com specialty pizzas for the menu, as well.”
Across the street, the Island House
Ali Akhyari is well on its way. The exterior work is
Assistant Editor wrapping up and workers are moving
ali@luckydognews.com to the interior and adding all of the
Brittany Urbach details that will help make this new
Reporter community building such a beautiful
brittany@lukcydognews.com asset to Seabrook Island. Joe Salvo,
executive director of the Seabrook
Chelsea Langan Island Club, hopes to have the 30,000
Advertising square foot Island House completed by
chelsea@luckydognews.com Labor Day. “In the end, we really just
Interns want to engage the whole community,”
Jennifer Millar said Salvo. “These buildings were built
Micah Brown through community effort and we feel
Evans Craddock that they reflect everything that the
residents of Seabrook Island need and
Contributors want in their amenities.”
Jennifer Barbour For more information about the
Chris Brooks Seabrook Island Club, please visit www.
Olivia French discoverseabrook.com.
Lynda Fox
Civic Calendar
Mary Girault
Dwight S. Ives
Christa Lewis
SC DNR Monday, June 1
Mike Vegis
Kiawah Island Environmental
Committee
Published by
3pm - 5pm
Lucky Dog Publishing
Town Hall - 2nd Floor Conference Room
of South Carolina, LLC
P.O. Box 837 Tuesday, June 2
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
Kiawah Island Town Council
843-886-NEWS 2pm - 4pm
Town Hall Council Chambers
Future deadlines:
June 3 for
Kiawah Island Ways and Means
submissions. Committee meeting
8am
Kiawah Island Municipal Center’s 2nd
Floor Conference Room
Wednesday, June 3
Kiawah Island Planning Commission
3pm - 5pm
Town Hall Council Chambers
Seabrook Island Planning Commission
– work session
Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC All Planning Commission meetings will
Publishers of Island Eye News, be held at 2:30pm at the Town Hall
The Island Connection and unless noted otherwise on the Town
bulletin board.
The Folly Current.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
paint an interior wall or lay tile, but if
the property owner has hired anyone
to do that job for them, that person is
required at a minimum to have a business
license on the island, as well as a specialty
license (For specialties such as “painter”
or “carpenter”). Individuals are allowed to
have up to three specialty licenses each, a
rule which prevents a single person from,
say, building an extension on a house on
their own. For any contractor doing work
on a residential home, they should either
have a residential license or a general
license as well as a zoning permit and
building permit. There is no dollar limit
to permitting; if a contractor has been
hired, they’re required to be permitted.
Again, Peirce stressed that this is not
only for compliance with Charleston
County regulations, but also to keep
the residents’ safe. “When applying
for any license, the person must show
that they are bonded for a minimum
of $5,000 and, if they have more than
Thursday, June 4
NOTE: Johns Island Council moved to
Thursday, June 11.
Kiawah Island Arts Council
3pm - 5pm
Town Hall - 2nd Floor Conference Room
Monday, June 8
St. Johns Fire District Commission
7pm
St. Johns Commission Building
3327 Maybank Highway, Johns Island
Wednesday, June 10
Seabrook Island Planning Commission
All Planning Commission meetings will
be held at 2:30pm at the Town Hall unless
noted otherwise on the Town bulletin
board.
Thursday, June 11
NEW DATE:
Johns Island Council Meeting
7pm – 8pm
Berkeley Electric Co-Op on Maybank Rd.
three employees, that they also provide
worker’s comp.” This rule allows the State
to become involved if something goes
wrong with the construction/renovation
of a home. “But if the person isn’t bonded
or licensed, the State can’t do anything,”
said Peirce. “And as for the worker’s comp
regulation, if a worker is injured in your
home and doesn’t have worker’s comp,
then you, the homeowner, are liable.”
Pierce also noted that the Town has
hired a new code enforcement officer,
Maurice Glunt, who is a former building
code inspector for Charleston County.
“He knows most of the contractors and
knows what to expect on a jobsite,” said
Peirce. Glunt has the ability to write
citations, but his purpose is simply to
make sure that everything is being done
in compliance with the law.
If you have any questions about building
permits or would like to check on a
contractor’s licensing on the island, please
call Seabrook Town Hall at 768-9121.
Kiawah Island Town Hall
21 Beachwalker Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
Phone: 768-9166
Fax: 768-4764
Email: cwilson@kiawahisland.org
Seabrook Island Town Hall
2001 Seabrook Island Road
Seabrook Island, SC 29455
Phone: 768-9121
Fax: 768-9830
Email:
lmanning@townofseabrookisland.org
Johns Island Council
Meetings are held at the Berkeley
Electric Co-op located at 3351
Maybank Hwy, John’s Island.
Chairman Chris Cannon: 343-5113
Charleston County Council
4045 Bridge View Drive, North
Charleston
(843) 958-4700
City of Charleston
75 Calhoun St.
(843) 724-3745
May 29, 2009 3

Steel wall at Captain Sam’s?

By Kristin Hackler

W
ith a public hearing fast However, the suit states that these
approaching on June 10, worries are unfounded, as the revetment
the controversy over the will be “environmentally appropriate”
development of Captain Sam’s Spit and will have “no negative impact on
is once again boiling to the surface their [piping plovers] habitat, nor on the
of island politics. Sidi Limehouse, birds themselves”.
owner of Rosebank Farms, formed the The steel sheet pile wall public hearing
organization “Friends of Kiawah River” is a crucial step in Kiawah Development
in March 2009 in order to protect the Partners’ progress on the Captain Sam’s
river and its surroundings. According development. Whether you approve or
to the organization’s mission statement, disapprove of the wall’s construction,
the group wishes to encourage others to your opinion will make a difference
help “… preserve the visual character, at the public hearing on June 10. The
the tranquility, the fauna and the flora meeting will be held at the Berkeley
of the Kiawah River and its surrounding Electric Cooperative Community
marshes, banks, sand dunes, and Captain Room, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns
Sam’s Spit for all future generations, so Island, at 6:30pm. Oral statements
that they, too, may experience the natural will be heard at the meeting, but for
beauty of the area.” the sake of accuracy, important facts
The public hearing, called by the A view from Beachwalker Park of the bend in the Kiawah River which is eating away at the land connection and statements should be submitted in
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource to Captain Sam’s Spit. written form to the presiding officer at
Management (OCRM), is being held in Pilkey said, gesturing toward the oceanside opening of the meeting or mailed to:
response to Kiawah Development Partners II’s (KDP) the Kiawah River. “After that, the sand is rebuilt within a
application for the Kiawah Island Sheet Pile Project, decade. It’s all part of the long shore transplant of sand.”
which involves the construction of a steel sheet pile SCDEHEC-Office of Ocean and
There are currently no structures on the spit and, Coastal Resource Management
wall, road and crane travel way to provide access during according to Nancy Vinson of the Coastal Conservation
construction of the area otherwise known as Captain League, it is home to the federally endangered piping attn: Alan Flemming
Sam’s Spit. 1362 McMillan Avenue, Suite 400
plover, as well as the diamond back terrapin. She goes Charleston, SC 29405
In December of last year, KDP was denied permission on to note that Captain Sam’s Spit is protected under
by the OCRM to build an approximately 2,700 foot long the federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act and is part of
revetment along the northeast end of the Spit, though a dynamic inlet system that constantly migrates. “The As we only had a very short period of time to receive
they were permitted to build a revetment along the 273 proposed bulkhead/revetment would prevent this natural comments on this article, we were unable to reach Kiawah
feet which constitute the parking lot for Beachwalker flow of water and movement of sand and could have Development Partners for further information before going
Park. This decision by the OCRM to deny KDP the serious unintended consequences on the River, marsh to print. Please continue checking in with The Island
permission to build the revetment, however, was delayed and adjacent lands.” Connection for updates on this issue.
six months beyond the lawful deadline, causing “further
advance and intrusion of
the riverfront critical line
into Captain Sam’s Spit
high land by reason of
the continuing process of
erosion”, according to the
civil action suit filed by
KDP against the OCRM
on May 5, 2009. Because
of the OCRM’s actions,
the KDP is filing suit for
an amount of no less than
$100 million.
Kiawah Development
Partners acquired the
peninsula known as Captain
Sam’s Spit in 2007, which
is comprised of 130 acres
of high land within it’s 1.25
mile length. According to
KDP’s suit, reports which An arial view of Captain Sam’s Spit. Green box indicates the area where
have monitored this area have the above potograph was taken.
established that “this part of Kiawah Island’s
beach has been stable, accreting, and growing
steadily all along the oceanfront and inlet where
the Kiawah River meets the ocean.”
However, there are certain parties that
would argue with them, including the Friends
of Kiawah River and the Coastal Conservation
League.
Orrin H. Pilkey, a coastal geologist and
professor emeritus of the Nicolas School of
Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University
with a specialization in barrier island coasts,
spent some time with Nancy Vinson of the
Coastal Conservation League recently to
discuss the development of Captain Sam’s Spit.
Their discussions were captured in a short video
composed by artist Mary Edna Fraser entitled
“50 houses on Kiawah Sand”.
“Every 30 – 40 years, this inlet cuts right
through and the sand washes to Seabrook,”

www.islandconnectionnews.com
4 May 29, 2009
General Steele gives a Message to Garcia
If men do not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? ~Elbert Hubbard, A Message to Garcia
“B
y the time you graduate from college, a third
of what you learned as a freshman will be
obsolete,” said Lieutenant General Michael
Steele to the five recipients of this year’s Kiawah-Seabrook
Exchange Club scholarships. He went on, addressing
not only the students, but the room of Exchangites
gathered at the Turtle Point Clubhouse for the May 20
Exchange Club dinner. The normal clatter of dishes and
background chatter were absent as the members leaned in
with increasing interest to the General’s speech. “We live
in an exciting time,” he said, “a time of constant change.
The internet ties us and links us in ways we’ve never
known before; a benefit which makes education easier,
faster and more accessible, but it also has a negative side
as underdeveloped countries realize more and more the
imbalance of the world.” He gave the example of an iPod.
Today, it can hold 16 gigs of memory, which is enough
to store several hundred books. By 2030, a single iPod
could store 16 terabytes of information; or roughly the
entire contents of the Library of Congress. “All of this
knowledge on one iPod,” said the General, “knowledge
which will be shared by a growing global population
who will want more wealth distribution, more quality
of life and in turn, this will create more instability. We
have been in a time of instability since the 1980s – we’ve
known it publicly since 9/11 – and we will continue to
remain in it for at least the first half of this century.” In
this time of change, the General remarked, we have to
become comfortable with uncertainty and should look to
accomplish our tasks to the best of our abilities. “And as
you work through this, learning every step of the way, I
encourage you to learn about yourself.” He said. In fact,
he encouraged the students to go home after the meeting
and, in a quiet moment, write down on a sheet of paper,
the words “who am I?” “Look into your heart,” he said.
Lieutenant General Steele address the Exchange Club.
“What is your character, your values, your beliefs, your
ethics? If you do this, you will discover what is good
about yourself, and I encourage you to capitalize on those
aspects. If you’re honest, you will also discover things
that need improvement, and I encourage you to pursue
that, as well.”
It was while he was as student at the Citadel that
Lieutenant General Steele first read the novelette Message
to Garcia. At the time, he dismissed it as another classic
forced on him as an English requirement. It wasn’t until
his nine weeks in Ranger School that the full meaning
of the book truly hit home. Five days into the nine week
(l to r) Exchange Club Youth of the Year Keenan Fisher with scholarship award winners Nigel Capers,
Cierra Wrighton, Carlton Cohen and Saul Tovar.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
training course, wherein soldiers are deprived of sleep,
food and shelter and are given progressively more difficult
tasks to accomplish, Steele and his Ranger buddy were
talking about whether or not they could finish the full
program. Steele didn’t know who brought it up, but they
both began talking about the book Message to Garcia.
“During the rest of the course, we talked about
that book and the character of people who accomplish
tasks no matter what,” he said. “It’s not about the man’s
accomplishment (the background of the story describes
how one soldier, Andrew Rowan, took a message from
President McKinley to Garcia in Cuba, showing America’s
support for them during the Spanish-American War), but
rather about moral character; how one should capitalize
on the good and improve on the bad.”
He wrapped up his speech by reading the last paragraph
of the story:
“There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no
recommendation; and all employers are not rapacious and
high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.
My heart goes out to the man who does his work when
the ‘boss’ is away, as well as when he is at home. And the
man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes
the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and
with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest
sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets ‘laid
off’ nor has to go on a strike for higher wages.
Civilization is one long anxious search for just such
individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted.
He is wanted in every city, town and village – in every
office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for
such: he is needed and needed badly – the man who can
‘Carry a Message to Garcia’.”
May 29, 2009
4 annual th
Hydrangea Festival
I
f you like hydrangeas, then you know
that Rosebank Farms is the place to
be on June 13 and 14, where owners
Sidi Limehouse and Louise Bennett will
once again host the annual Hydrangea
Festival. This popular festival celebrates
one of the Lowcountry’s most beautiful
plants during peak blooming season.
Since last year’s festival, more than
1,200 new plants have been added to
the existing 2,000 hydrangeas. Sidi is
recognized throughout the southeast
region as an expert grower and
knowledgeable professional. He has been
growing and propagating hydrangeas
since his boyhood on Johns Island.
From 10am – 4pm, visitors may take
a leisurely self-guided tour among the
several acres of hydrangea gardens. Sidi
and local horticulturists will be available
to answer questions and provide advice
about care, variety and location … in
other words, all the correct information
one needs to become a successful
hydrangea grower.
From noon until 1:30pm, enjoy lunch
at tables set up next to the hydrangea and
rose fields. Sidi’s famous whole hog BBQ
will be served with all the trimmings and
Rosebank vegetables, grown for taste
(not shelf-life!), will be featured along
with the barbeque. The cost of the lunch
is $12, but the advice and tours are free.
Various cultivars of oakleaf, mophead,
lacecap and panniculata will be on
display. Over 500 established hydrangeas,
new and old standby varieties, will be
for sale. Hydrangea fans will also enjoy
the floral displays designed to show how
hydrangeas can be used to decorate the
home and table.
In addition to enjoying the culture of
hydrangeas, guests will also be able to
enjoy the Rosebank Farms rose gardens.
The gardens feature more than 300 roses,
plus another 80 cutting garden roses
from Kordes, all selected for adaptability
in the Lowcountry.
The farm also features artwork created
by local artists, the Johns Island Museum,
a 19th century freedman’s schoolhouse
with local history dating back to the days
when Indians inhabited Johns Island,
and don’t forget the barnyard animals
– they never disappoint and are always
entertaining!
The farm is located at 4455 Betsy
Kerrison Parkway on Johns Island, just
before the Kiawah/Seabrook traffic circle.
For further information, call 768-0508
or email@RosebankFarms.com For
directions, log onto www.rosebankfarms.
com.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
5
Become a
Steward of Children
O
n Wednesday, June 24, the react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange This program is valuable for all adults,
Club will offer a unique change to particularly those who interact with
make a difference in the lives of hundreds children. In the end, adults are responsible
of children. According to Elizabeth for the safety of our children. 
Huggins, the prevention program manager “By enrolling in our training session, we
for Darkness to Light, for every adult who will gain new tools to help in reducing the
takes the “Stewards of Children” training incidents of Child Sexual Abuse,” writes
course, they each have the chance to better Ristow. “This mission has been a passion
the lives of an average of ten children. “Just of mine for some time, and I hope it will
think of how many children we could also become yours.”
impact,” said Fred Ristow, chairman of the The program will be held at Seabrook
Club’s child abuse prevention committee. Town Hall from 3 – 5:30pm on June 24
Darkness to Light’s “Stewards of and a $10 donation is requested in order to
Children” is a revolutionary Sexual Abuse
help pay for materials and to cover the cost
Prevention training program which of the training.
educates adults to prevent, recognize, and
About the Stewards of Children training program:
mThe program is the only adult-focused child sexual abuse prevention program
proven effective in improving adult child-protective practices over the long term.
mStewards of Children was the 2007-2008 McGruff National Crime Prevention
Program of the Year.
mThe 2.5-hour training is engaging and interactive, featuring over an hour of video
interviews with survivors and professionals in the field, accompanied by group
discussion led by a credentialed facilitator.
mThe program focuses on seven simple, proactive steps that any adult can take to
better safeguard the children in their life.
mThere are 1,800 credentialed facilitators internationally, and over 150,000 adults
have taken the training. Almost 10,000 of those adults trained are located in our
Tri-County area.
mTraining participants include parents, grandparents, teachers, faith leaders, youth-
serving organizations, youth athletic leagues, and child protection agencies.
6 May 29, 2009
Hurricanes 2009: what’s in store for the east coast?
T
he southeast coast of the United
States affords its residents luxuries
which people from all over the
world travel here to experience. The
lush marshlands, the salty breeze and
the unique ocean views are the idea of
paradise for many. But all the benefits of
coastal living come with a price.
Hurricane season officially begins on
June 1 and coastal residents are very aware
of the Lowcountry’s potential for disaster
as this date comes and goes. This is
especially true in 2009 as we approach the
20 year anniversary of Hurricane Hugo.
On the back drop of that disastrous storm,
it has never been more imperative to be
prepared for hurricane season; and part of
being prepared is being aware.
Every year, people turn to various
sources for a hint of what to expect out
of the Atlantic Ocean. William Gray, of
Colorado State University, is one of the
most popular and analyzed hurricane
forecasters in the United States. Along
with his protege, Philip Klotzbach, he
has spent many years analyzing data and
developing models that are designed to
reflect an understanding of tropical storm
activity in the Atlantic Basin, the most
inconsistent tropical storm corridor in the
world.
Fortunately, the odds seem to be in
favor of an average hurricane season, as
opposed to the above average year that was
correctly predicted last year. According to
Klotzbach and Gray, there is a 67% chance
of one or more tropical storms hitting the
East Coast of the U.S. this year. That is
up 17% from last year. Gray says there is
a 60% chance of at least one category 1-2
hurricane making landfall (up 16% from
last year) and a 45% of at least one category
3-5 hurricane making landfall (up 14%
from last year). Last year, there were six
major storms while Gray predicted nine.
Despite the great amount of research
and analysis Gray introduces into
his predictions, even he says that it is
impossible to accurately predict with any
certainty what the Atlantic has in store
for us this early in the season. However,
statistics do not lie and the numbers
show a huge decrease in major hurricanes
(category 3, 4, or 5) making landfall in
the eastern United States over the last 43
years, compared to the previous 43 years.
From 1923 to 1965, there were 24 major
hurricanes to hit versus just 7 from 1966
to 2008.
This phenomenon has many people
asking “why”.
The most popular theories have pointed
to global warming. Famous personalities
like Al Gore have paraded the theory in
front of the public and shown that an
increase in tropical storms and hurricanes
is exactly what many scientists predict
will happen in conjunction with global
warming.
Hurricanes get their massive amounts
of power from warm tropical waters. So
it stands to reason that warmer water
equals more fuel for hurricanes. Mark
Saunders, professor of climate prediction
at the University College London, recently
published his research in the journal
Nature which suggests a correlation
By Ali Akhyari
between increased water temperature and
increased hurricane activity. This explains
why 2005 was a record breaking year for
hurricanes and why 2007 saw relatively
few.
Saunders’ study focused on a band
of water from around Puerto Rico and
Northern South America to the coast
of Africa where Atlantic hurricanes are
born. His study suggests that with every
one degree Fahrenheit increase in water
temperature, hurricane activity will
increase about 50 percent.
In 2005, the average water temperature
in this region was 1.4 degrees higher than
normal. That year there was a total of 28
named storms and 13 hurricanes. However,
in 1971, when water temperatures were the
coolest they have been in recorded history,
there were only 13 named storms and six
hurricanes. While Saunders’ study focused
solely on water temperature correlations,
he admits that changes in wind patterns
actually have a larger impact on hurricane
activity than water temperature.
A recent study conducted by the federal
government uses this last fact to suggest
that global warming may actually decrease
the number of hurricanes we see. Wind
shear, a change in wind speed or direction,
is a crucial factor in the development of
hurricanes, which is why El Nino and La
Nina shifts are so closely watched during
hurricane season. Shifts between El Nino
and La Nina change wind shear over the
Atlantic. Increased wind shear disrupts
hurricane formation, resulting in fewer
hurricanes.
Chunzai Wang, a research
oceanographer at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
states that an increase of one degree Celsius
in water temperatures in the Indian and
Pacific Oceans increases wind shear by up
to 10mph in the Atlantic. Wang’s study
was based on observations and records of
landfall hurricanes instead of computer
models. However, critics say Wang used
poor data that was rejected by the Nobel
Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change. Furthermore, he only
studied hurricanes that make landfall in
the U.S., which can be as few as 10 percent
of all Atlantic hurricanes. That panel has
already stated that man-made global
warming has likely already increased
hurricane activity.
However, Klotzbach says that global
hurricane activity has not increased at
all over the past 30 years in relation to
warmer ocean temperatures. He says that
the only area where hurricane activity
really fluctuates is in the Atlantic, which
he attributes to the multi-decadal increase
in the Atlantic Ocean thermohaline
circulation (THC). Ocean salinity, not
global warming, is what drives this
mechanism, according to Klotzbach.
According to their data, the number of
major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean
was only about 1/3 as many from 1970
to 1994 as they were from 1945 to 1969,
when the earth was actually experiencing
a small cooling cycle and the levels of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were
significantly lower. He suggests that
increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic
www.islandconnectionnews.com
is a cyclical event. When comparing the
recent increased activity since 1994 to
activity from 1950-1964, the numbers
are basically the same, although water
temperatures (and fashions) were cooler in
the 50s and 60s.
Researchers on both sides of the global
warming fence use different sets of data
and details to support their arguments.
As the debate continues, it is apparent
that the relationship between hurricane
activity and global warming is too poorly
understood to make a firm conclusion. In
the meantime, Mother Nature is content
with continuing her work behind a few
shrouds of mystery. Regardless of what
prediction or theory you choose to follow,
one thing is certain: The South Carolina
Name that ’cane 2009
There are six lists of names that rotate every
year for naming hurricanes. Names are
typically removed from the lists each year
as significant storms names are retired, like
Hazel (1954), Fifi (1974), Hugo (1989),
Andrew (1992) and Katrina (2005). The
names Dean, Felix, and Noel, three of
the most devastating storms of the 2007
Atlantic hurricane season, were retired by
the World Meteorological Organization’s
Regional Association IV Hurricane
Committee. They were replaced with
the names Dorian, Fernand, and Nestor.
Three names were retired from the 2008
Atlantic season. Hurricanes Gustav, Ike
and Paloma will be replaced by Gonzalo,
Isaias and Paulette and will be in rotation
in 2014.
Gustav first made landfall as a Category
1 hurricane in Haiti before striking
Cuba as a Category 4 and finishing up
in Louisiana as a Category 2. Gustav
was responsible for 112 lives, mostly in
Haiti, and causing $4 billion worth of
damage in Louisiana. Hurricane Ike
struck the Turks and Caicos Islands and
Great Inagua Island in the Southeastern
Bahamas on September 7 as a Category
4, before hitting Cuba followed by
Galveston, Texas as a Category 2. Ike
killed over 80 people and caused an
estimated $19.3 billion in damage.
Since tropical cyclones were first
named in 1953, 70 names have been
retired, the first two being Carol and
Hazel in 1954.  Paloma was the second
Lowcountry is right in the line of fire for
Atlantic hurricanes. It is important to
be prepared. For a wealth of emergency
information, visit www.charlestoncounty.
org. Click on “Departments”, then “Law
Enforcement/Public Safety” to find
information on emergency management
and preparedness. Also, check out the
www.scprepares.org website for emergency
number lists, emergency kit preparation,
tips on handling pets, as well as methods
for dealing with disasters from tornadoes
to biological emergencies.
Detailed information on Klotzbach and
Gray’s predictions can be viewed at http://
hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/.
strongest November hurricane on record,
reaching Category 4 status before hitting
Cuba and destroying an estimated 1400
homes and causing $300 million in
damage.
The naming of hurricanes has been
traced back to a tradition in the West
Indies that is still practiced today, where
storms were named for the Catholic
Saint’s Day on which they landed. For
example, hurricane San Filipe struck
Puerto Rico on September 13, 1876.
When another storm struck exactly fifty
years later, the storm was christened San
Filipe the Second.
Hurricanes are named alphabetically,
although the letters “Q” and “U” are
always left out and the lists only go to
“W”. If the list is used up for the year
and storms are still forming, the storms
are then named alphabetically from the
Greek alphabet, Alpha to Omega.
2009 hurricane names
Ana Larry
Bill Mindy
Claudette Nicholas
Danny Odette
Erika Peter
Fred Rose
Grace Sam
Henri Teresa
Ida Victor
Joaquin Wanda
Kate
May 29, 2009 7

The Station at Build a home

Freshfields Village with a golf club
By Mary Girault Provided by Christa Lewis

B
y the year’s end, The Station at Freshfields Village will be open, and island
On Sunday, June 7, 2009, Osprey Point Golf Course will be the site of 100+ golfers
residents and visitors will have a convenient new place to procure necessities
ready to tee-off for Habitat for Humanity.
including fuel, a convenience store, and a laser car wash.
Every registered player will receive a free Nike duffle bag and will compete for top
The Station is being developed by Kiawah Development Partners (KDP). “We know
prizes in overall score, closest-to-the-pin contests and hole-in-one challenges. With
that the residents and guests of Kiawah, Seabrook and lower Johns Island have wanted
prizes such as the new Callaway Diablo Driver, a BMW, and cash, this benefit will be
a convenient fuel and car wash alternative,” said Townsend Clarkson, chief operating
fun for everyone. For the past two years, the Sea Island Habitat Golf Benefit has sold
officer of KDP. “The Station at Freshfields will offer competitive prices, service and easy
out with waiting lists.
access.”
At the reception, there will also be a silent auction featuring gift baskets filled with
The Station will be everything a convenience store ought to be, with a New York style
wine, jewelry, golf accessories and much more.
deli, a cold and hot beverage station, beer cave, nutritious snacks, clean restrooms, bike
racks, porches complete with rocking chairs that invite socializing, and clerks who learn Co-chairs of this year’s tournament are Frank and Ginny Larence. “Charity begins
your name and preferences. at home; this is in our own back yard,” said Ginny. “So often, we have the sentiment
of ‘not in my back yard’, but yes – these families are in our back yards! Coming from
Gas will be offered from eight pumps at competitive prices. The touchless laser car
a professional career into a volunteer career, I appreciate that 91.1% of every donated
wash cleanses safely and is environmentally friendly – utilizing 40% less water than
dollar goes to building homes. When I ask my friends to donate, I can confidently
traditional car washes. A vacuum cleaner and air pump will also be available.
assure them that their money is going directly to the mission.”
The Station will be located near the Kiawah Island entrance to Freshfields Village,
just across from Bank of America, and just behind the new Kiawah Island bike path. To register: contact Christa Lewis at Sea Island Habitat for Humanity at either:
The nostalgic architecture by MG Architects will blend in with Village style, with 768-0998 x111 or advancement@seaislandhabitat.org.
building and engineering expertise provided by Hill Construction and Thomas &
Hutton, respectively.

Kiawah Golf Resort

takes tennis’ top spot
by Mike Vegis

F
or the third time in four years, readers
of the leading online tennis travel
website, TennisResortsOnline.com,
have named Kiawah Island Golf Resort as
the number one tennis resort in the world.
The rankings are based on the overall
tennis program including instruction,
teaching staff, facilities, as well as other
resort facilities such as lodging, cuisine,
service and value. TennisResortsOnline.
com rated Kiawah as the number one
resort in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, it
dropped to number three before returning
to the top spot in the latest poll that was
released this May.
Under the direction of Roy Barth
since 1976, the tennis program at Kiawah
Island has become one of the finest tennis
programs in the country. The combination
of Barth’s teaching experience and
professional background has made him an
integral part of Kiawah’s tennis programs.
Barth played professionally for seven years,
during which time he was ranked in the
top 50 in the world and competed against
such tennis greats like Borg and Connors.
In 1990, he was awarded the PTR Pro of
the Year and in 1997, Barth was inducted
into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of
Fame. In 1999, he was inducted into the
Southern Tennis Hall of Fame and he is
currently Chairman of the United States
Tennis Association (USTA) Davis Cup
Committee.
Guests of Kiawah Island Golf
Resort can enjoy two separate
tennis facilities: West Beach
Tennis Center and the Roy Barth
Tennis Center near the resort’s
oceanfront hotel and spa, The
Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf
Resort. West Beach features 14 Har-Tru
clay courts, two lighted hard courts and a
backboard. Guests at The Sanctuary are
also steps away from the East Beach tennis
facility, which features nine Har-Tru clay
courts (one lighted) and three hard courts
(one lighted), as well as a zoned practice
court with a ball machine and automatic
retrieval system. Both clubs offer fully
staffed pro shops, complete instructional
facilities, and are beautifully landscaped
with lush shrubbery separating the courts
for privacy.
For more information, visit www.
kiawahresort.com or call 800-654-
2924. Visit www.kiawahmoments.com to
experience special Kiawah Island moments
through guest’s stories, pictures and video.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
8 May 29, 2009
Sun Devil Classic
Golf Tournament
On Monday, June 22, Sam Schirmer Nationwide Insurance Agency will present
the 2009 Sun Devil Classic to benefit Charleston Collegiate School. This year’s
tournament will be hosted at The River Course at The Kiawah Island Club with
a shotgun start at 12:30pm. This fun-filled, competitive day of golf includes gifts,
raffle prizes, and three chances to win $1,000,000 in the Solaris Shoot-Out. This
is a great way to entertain friends, customers, and top employees. Sponsorship
opportunities are available.
For more information, call Charleston Collegiate School at 559-5506 or visit
charlestoncollegiate.org/newsevents/golftournament.
PHOTO BY Olivia French
(l to r) Tim Ford, Tommy Ford, Paul McGuire and Doug Van Scoy.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
Playing through: BIFMC tou
I
t was ideal Scottish golfing weather; about 50
degrees with a wind chill in the mid 40s and
a light drizzle that fell consistently from an
overcast, evenly gray sky. It was the type of day
that, if you were actually out playing golf, you
were a man’s man (or a tough-as-nails woman)
and no one blamed you for the 8am snifter of
scotch; in fact, it was probably encouraged. But
this wasn’t Scotland, it was Charleston and it
was in the middle of May, and the poor souls
on the golf course were far more used to dealing
with the blazing sun and trying to remember
where they put the insect repellent than they
were used to finger numbing temperatures and
unrelenting rain. But despite the cruel twist in
weather patterns, the golfers stuck it out, layered
their windbreakers with sweaters and played on,
because this wasn’t just any day for golf, it was
the 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Invitational at
the Kiawah River Course for the Barrier Islands
Free Medical Clinic.
“It was tough gathering sponsors this year
because of the economy,” said Dr. Arthur Booth,
co-founder with Dr. Charlie Davis of the Barrier
Island Free Medical Clinic, “But we’ve had a lot
of people show up and bring their friends to
help support our cause.” The cause being the
clinic’s mission to serve the health and wellness
needs of the medically underserved who live or
work on Johns, Wadmalaw and James Islands.
Founded in April 2008, the clinic, located on
Maybank Highway on Johns Island, kicked off
their first year serving 378 patients. However,
since January of this year, the number of
patients has skyrocketed to 850, with almost
2,000 patient visits by May of 2009. “There are
estimates that the number of uninsured people
in this country is around 38 – 40 million,” said
Dr. Booth. “I’d say it was closer to 41 million
and half of them are not insured because they
just won’t get it, but the other half simply can’t
afford it. Those are the people we’re reaching
out to, those who can’t afford insurance, and
it’s a cyclical service. The one’s who can’t afford
insurance live here, on Johns Island, Wadmalaw
Island; but they work on Kiawah and Seabrook.
They’re our gardeners and trash collectors, the
day laborers without whom we would be a
mess.” He smiled, “It’s heart warming to see, in
2009, so many people who have the heart to do
By Kristin
the right thing. We’re not only helping them,
we’re helping you and me. It’s wonderful to see
such goodness in folk.”
And the Barrier Island Free Medical Clinic
is not only helping the uninsured, it’s helping
the average tax payer, as well. “Hospitals have
a tremendous amount of unfunded care,”
said Eugenia Beach, executive director of the
clinic. “Last year, MUSC had $2.7 million in
unfunded care, while Roper St. Francis had
about $6.2 million between their four facilities.
At our current rate, we have the potential to
save Roper St. Francis around $600,000 this
year.” Beach explained that recent figures have
shown a drop in the number of visits to the
hospitals’ emergency rooms from their coverage
areas: from 185 visits per month to 108. “The
average cost of an ER visit is between $700 and
$1000,” said Beach. “If that’s your only means
of primary care, it becomes very expensive,
very quickly. We’ve been impacting the ERs
across the Lowcountry by providing early
care: preventing strokes, treating diabetes and
hypertension, caring for coronary disease and
depression. In fact, that’s our greatest measure
of success; how many people we’ve diverted
from emergency rooms, effectively saving
taxpayers’ money.”
Thanks to the generous support of this year’s
sponsors, the clinic hopes to make a serious
dent in this year’s budget, though they aren’t
expecting to raise as much as they did last year
and are still facing a roughly $200,000 shortfall
for 2009. However, they have high hopes for
their second fundraiser for the year – a wine
festival at Freshfields Village which should take
place in early September.
So many people reached out to the clinic
this year and gave what they could, despite
the financial climate. The Barrier Island Free
Medical Clinic heartily thanks all of the
volunteers who toughed out the unseasonably
cold weather and made this year’s tournament
possible, as well as the many sponsors who were
able to lend a helping hand.
For more information on the Barrier Island
Free Medical Clinic, call (843) 266-9800 or visit
3226 Maybank Hwy, Suite A, Johns Island.
 May 29, 2009 9

ughs out coldest day in May

in Hackler

(above) Golf group Poe, Barbario and Young. (right, top) Dar Murphy, Kathleen Murphy, Capey Freeman and
Anne Long brave the cold rain on the course. (right, below) David Stilring, Bill Davis, Woody Hancock and Charlie
Septer take on the elements.
Title sponsor: Kiawah Island Real Estate

Presenting sponsors: Brad and Ann Munday & Whitlow and Linda Wyatt

Corporate sponsors: IMSCO, Inc & Prestige Farms

Gold sponsors: Anonymous, Joy Craft, KIRE (Lewis Driskell/Gordon Hillock), Merrill
Lynch (Fetner-Tobin Group), Pepsi Bottling Group & Roper St. Francis Health Care

Hole sponsors: Chase (Bobby Medlin), Geiss Jewelers, Kiawah Island Golf Resort,
Koenig Construction, Henry J. Lee Distributors, Lexus of Charleston, National Christian
Foundation, Picky and Clean Property Management, Seamar Construction Company,
Sticky Fingers, Wayne Windham Architect, PA.

Benefactors: AMCS, Inc, Jeff and Kathy Bixler, Blue Flame Gas Co., Dr. Arthur and Linda
Booth, Dr. Alan and Ruth Gillespie, Dan and Nancy Grover, Harry and Mercy Lightsey,
Charlie and Rose Septer, Dr. Jim Spann, Bill and Patty Staemfli and Terry and Tilly
Weaver.

Friends: Gary and Barbara Bressler, Laurie and Ann Burpee, Shannon Butler, Clay
Cahoon, Charleston Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry, LLC, Dr. Charlie and Barbara
Davis, Dr. John and Lou Davis, Judith Davis, Michael and Toula Digiovanni, Jack and
Pat Duncan, Ralph and Nancy Edwards, ESC Elevator Co., Bob and Nancy Fisher, Ron
and Carol Hacker, Dennis and Sheila Hampton, Peggy Levinson, Thomas Little, Mappus
Insurance Agency, Michael McCanna, Ann McKee, Joseph Minor, Bob and Linda Nevin,
Steve and Ginny Orban, Robert Philbeck, Dan and Nancy Pricket, Marygrace Redfern,
Peter and Mary Ellen Redfern, Ed and Lois Rineheimer, R.I. Foundation – Fanning, Brian
and Marilyn Sturgell and William and Christy Taylor.

www.islandconnectionnews.com
10 May 29, 2009
Daily Discoveries

Brown Pelicans
By Jennifer Barbour
“Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican! equally thrilled to see the
His bill holds more than his belican. spectacular show they
He can take in his beak put on, diving from great
Enough food for a week. heights to catch fish. Under
But I’m darned if I know how the perfect conditions, a pelican serves
helican.” can live to be more than 30 a s one of
Dixon Lanier Merritt years old. A healthy adult South Carolina’s
(1879-1972) pelican will weigh five to m o s t significant pelican
eight pounds, consuming

G
rowing up on the Gulf coast
of Florida, I spent many
days at my grandparents’
place on the beach. Next door was a
seabird sanctuary that housed injured
pelicans. The smell alone kept most
people at bay, but I managed to drag
my grandfather in every time we went
for a walk. The workers would let me
throw fish to the pelicans on the beach
at sunset. My little hands could only
get one fish out at a time, making the
pelicans fairly impatient. I remember
seeing fishing line and hooks caught on various legs,
wings, and pouches. Some birds had bills partially broken
off and some had eyes that looked cloudy. While my
grandparents place was sold years ago, I still find my way
down to the beach when I’m in town, stopping by the
seabird sanctuary to visit the pelicans.
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a common
sight for Kiawah and Seabrook residents and guests.
People are awed by the elegance and grace exhibited by
these birds as they soar above the waves, and they are
three to four pounds of
fish per day. They primarily
use their pouch to catch
fish, but will also flap their
pouch to cool their body
temperature, much like
a dog will pant. In calm
winds, brown pelicans can
fly up to 35 mph. Their
wingspread ranges from six
to seven feet, tip to tip.
PHOTO BY JAMIE ROOD Male pelicans are larger
than females and have a
longer bill. From late winter to early spring, males and
females work together to raise their young. Males bring
the material for the nest building and females construct a
nest in the sand. Two to four eggs are laid and the chicks
hatch after 30 days of incubation by both the male and
female. Pelicans feed their youngest chicks regurgitated
fish. Later, the older chicks feed from the parents pouch.
Young pelicans learn to feed themselves by copying
adults in the wild, however, some of this behavior is most
likely instinctive. Chicks are fully grown and able to fly
by 11 to 12 weeks of age.
We are fortunate to live near
Deuveux Bank, a 25-acre
sand spit located in the mouth
of the Edisto River, which
rookeries.
A brown pelican becomes sexually mature at two to
three years of age. Immature pelicans are brown with a
white belly, while mature pelicans have a blackish belly
with a more silver back. Adults have a white head and
reddish-brown neck during the summer. During the
winter, adults have a white neck and yellow head. This
colorful plumage helps in attracting a mate during mating
season.
Natural enemies of the pelicans are man and
occasionally raccoons in the nesting colonies. Pelicans
face a wide variety of unnatural threats as well: oil spills,
pesticide runoff, fishing lines, guns, cars, boats, and
power lines. While there are many human activities
that threaten this species, one simple thing you can do
is properly recycle your monofilament fishing line. The
Kiawah Island Community Association, the Town of
Kiawah, as well as the Resort’s Nature Program actively
participate in recycling monofilament fishing line. Look
for a fishing line recycle container at your favorite fishing
spot, or bring your extra line to the Nature Center to be
recycled.
About the Author: Jennifer is a Naturalist with the
Kiawah Island Nature Program. To contact her with
comments or personal stories, email her at Jennifer_
Barbour@kiawahresort.com.
* Information taken from the Suncoast Seabird
Sanctuary (Indian Shores, FL)

Kiawah Island Golf Resort Recreation

Below is a condensed list of activities available.  Please visit www.kiawahnatureprogram.
com for more information on all our nature tours and family activities, or call the Heron
Park Center, 843.768.6001, to make a reservation.
Adult Twilight Paddle: May 29, June for specific tours & times
1,3,5,8,10,12 - $50/$55 Kiawah Night Exploration: June
All About Snakes: May 31, June 2, 7, 2,4,8,11 - $15
9 - $7 Kiawah’s Deadliest : May 30, June 3,6,
All About Turtles: June 4,11 - $7 10 - $7
Alligator Adventure: May 30, 31, June Kiawah’s Deadliest Catch (crabbing):
2,4,6,7,9,11 - $15 available daily – call for specific tours &
Back Island Birding: May 29, June times
2,5,8,12 - $25 Kid’s Night Out - Kamp U Rock!:
Birds & Butterflies Walk: May 30, Saturdays - $42/$62
June 3,6,10 - $10 Kid’s Night Out - Sanctuary Splash
Dolphin Encounters: available daily – Bash: Fridays - $42/$62
call for specific tours & times Morning Fun Run: Daily, 6:30 – 8 am
Family Craft - Birdhouse Decorating: Motorboat Tours: available daily – call
Thursdays - $10 for specific tours & times
Family Craft - Organic Beach Bag Night Beach Walk: May 29, June
Coloring: Saturdays - $10 1,3,5,8,10,12 - $10
Family Craft - Postcard Making: Ocean Seining: May 29 - $10
Wednesdays - $12 Pick Up Games: Monday through
Family Craft - Stepping Stones: Sunday - Free
Fridays - $10 Recycle Cycle: June 3 and 10 - $15
Family Craft - Tye Dye: Tuesdays - $12 Reptile Round Up: May 29, June
Fishing Charters: available daily – call 1,3,5,8,10,11,12 - $5
for specific tours & times Shark Fishing: available daily – call for
Gator Walk: May 29,31, specific times
June1,2,4,5,7,8,9,11,12 - $12 Walkin’ in the Wild: June 4 and 11 -
Jr. Naturalist Herpatology: May 29, $10
June 5,12 - $15 Wildlife in the Wetlands (bike tour):
Kamp Kiawah: Mon – Sat - $47/$67 May 30, June 2,4,6,9,11 - $20
Kayaking Tours: available daily – call  

www.islandconnectionnews.com
May 29, 2009
Local artists
receive grants
T
he Coastal Community
Foundation has awarded nearly
$56,000 to 19 local artists and
arts organizations. The awards were made
in two funding programs supported by
Foundation endowments: The Expansion
Arts Fund and the Griffith Visual Arts
Fund.
“Past awards from these endowments
have helped launch programs and careers
that today are established parts of the
artistic wealth of the Lowcountry,”
said Richard Hendry, Vice President of
Programs for the Foundation. “This year’s
recipients are going places artistically, and
we hope their awards will help them know
that they are valued and appreciated.”
The Expansion Arts Fund was created in
1988 when local donors met the challenge
issued by the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA) to match $60,000 to
create a local funding source to provide
grants to “Expansion Artists.” Through
this endowment, the Foundation seeks to
promote and expand the works of new and
emerging arts groups and individuals.
In the years since, the fund has grown
from $120,000 to a corpus of more than
$227,000. Since its inception, more than
$355,000 in grants has been provided,
with additional grant dollars provided by
the John & Susan Bennett Memorial Arts
Endowment, created in 2002 through a
bequest from John Bennett to honor his
grandparents.
The program operates in alternate
years, with a maximum award amount of
$5,000.
In addition, a $5,000 grant from
the Griffith Visual Arts Fund at the
Foundation was recommended for
Wadmalaw artist Bernadette Cali.
Because of fund establishers Donna and
Mike Griffiths’ love of the Lowcountry
and its local artists, they created this fund
in 2003 to give an annual grant to a single
artist to produce a work of art reflecting
“the look and feel of the Lowcountry,”
which the artist may then keep or sell. The
award will support Cali’s creation of an oil
painting of the building and grounds of
Johns Island’s historic Progressive Club.
An exhibit of Cali’s new and past works is
expected to be held at the City Gallery at
Waterfront Park early in 2010.
In its 35-year history, Coastal
Community Foundation has awarded
more than $75 million in grants and
manages assets in excess of $105
million. Last year, Foundation funds
generated over $11.8 million for
charitable programming, community
projects, educational initiatives and
scholarships. To learn more, go to: www.
coastalcommunityfoundation.org.
Individuals and organizations
receiving Expansion Arts grants:
Charleston Academy of Music – Music
Bill Carson – musician & documentarian
Fletcher Crossman - painter
Zelda Grant – fabric artist
Ashley Harwood – sculptor in wood
Molly Hayes – photographer
Joanna Jackson – sculptor in wood
Michael Moran – wood sculpture
New Music Collective - music
PURE Theatre – theatre
Redux – exhibit and performance space
Georgette Sanders – pottery and
sweetgrass basketry
Samuel Sfirri - composer
Henrietta Snype – sweetgrass basketry
The Village Group – producer, rural
Georgetown arts festival
Darryl Wellington – writer
Hunter Wentworth – filmmaker
Julian Williams - ironworker
www.islandconnectionnews.com
Cultural calendar
Friday, May 29
Music on the Green at the Village
Green
Featuring Meanie, Miney, Moe from
6-9 pm. A Charleston based three piece
rock band that plays mainly classic hits
and a variety of R&B. For more info,
call Guest Services at 768-6491.
Monday, June 1
Farmers & Art Market at the
Freshfields Village Green
From 4 – 8pm, visit local farmers,
artisans, and food vendors who offer
a variety of the freshest local produce
and unique handmade crafts, including
honey, flowers, handmade jewelry,
sweetgrass baskets, food, and much
more. Various stores will feature local
artists each week. For more info, call
Guest Services at 768-6491.
Friday, June 5
Music on the Green
At the Freshfields Village Green from
6 – 9pm. Come listen to Bradford
Station. Led by guitarist Brad Henty,
Bradford Station plays variety of tunes
including blues, rock, beach, country,
and jazz. Sponsored by the Town of
Kiawah Island. For more info, call
Guest Services at 768-6491.
Monday, June 8
Farmers & Art Market at the
Freshfields Village Green
From 4 – 8pm, visit local farmers,
artisans, and food vendors who offer
a variety of the freshest local produce
and unique handmade crafts, including
honey, flowers, handmade jewelry,
sweetgrass baskets, food, and much
more. Various stores will feature
local artists each week. For more
information, call Guest Services at
768-6491.
11
Friday, June 12
Music on the Green
From 6 – 9pm at the Freshfields Village
Green, come listen to Shrimp City Slim.
Original music with a combination of
post-modern blues and musical flavors
of the Carolina coast. Sponsored by the
Town of Kiawah Island. For more info,
contact Guest Services at 768-6491.
Sunday, June 14
Blues in the Night
Starting at 4pm at the Kiawah River
Course. Enjoy music from world
renown blues musicians Satan & Adam
(Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee - guitar &
vocal & Adam Gussow - harmonica)
and Eddie  Shaw & The Wolf Gang; the
former backing band of the legendary
Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets available
beginning June 1 at Town Hall.
Tickets $25 for the food buffet at the
River Course (required for attendance).
Tuesday, June 16
Seabrook Island Art Guild (SIAG)
meeting
The Seabrook Island Art Guild meets
on the third Tuesday of every month
at the Property Owners Association
building at 3pm. If you would like to
join the Guild, membership dues are
$20/year. For more information, please
contact Robert McBride at 768-3696.
Saturday, June 27
Beach Music at Kiawah
7:30pm at the Kiawah Sandcastle
pool.  The Islanders, a six piece band,
will play beach music poolside at the
Sandcastle.  Need Shag instruction
or a review? Come at 6:30pm to meet
with our Dance Pros.  Bring your
own beverage and snacks, if desired. 
Tickets available beginning June 12  at
Town Hall.
12 May 29, 2009

Rural Mission New requirements for

Seafood Jamboree saltwater fishing license
By Chris Brooks By the SC Department of Natural Resources

A
Seafood Jamboree is a wonderful happening of food, praise, singing and

T
fellowship which bring together people of all walks of life for an evening of he recent session of the
sharing and inspiration. Unforgettable, traditional Lowcountry/Sea Island South Carolina General
dishes are served under the trees at the Rural Mission and visitors will be able to enjoy Assembly made changes to
their food while taking in a priceless view of Bohicket Creek. This event has been a the Saltwater Recreational Fishing
Rural Mission tradition for over thirty years. These Tuesday evening gatherings provide License effective July 1, 2009.
the bond that brings together those of faith seeking to make life on the Sea Islands more License fees will not change.
enjoyable. The changes to the South
Please inquire about having your group, or simply yourself, attend and share in this Carolina Saltwater Recreational
experience. This is also an opportunity to support the Mission’s ministry and to show Fishing License will allow better
appreciation to our many volunteers. Please call the Mission at 768-1720 during the access to information about
9am to 5pm workday, Monday through Friday, to ask about the schedule. If possible, recreational catch, which will
give us a head count to assure that everyone can be accommodated. All inquiries should lead to better management of
be made at least by the Monday before these Tuesday gatherings. South Carolina’s valuable marine
resources. The changes also ensure
Location: The Rural Mission is located at 3429 Camp Care Road. Turn that anglers in S.C. will simply need
at our sign next to Church of Our Savior on Bohicket Road, Johns Island.
to purchase a single license to fish
Schedule :Seafood Jamborees begin at 6pm and end around 8:30 or 9pm.
anywhere in both state and federal
(Scheduled dates may be added or deleted so please call)
saltwaters. Revenue generated from
June 9, 16, 23, 30, July 14, 21, 28
Cost : The Mission asks for a donation of $15 per person. Saltwater Recreational Fishing
Please ask about the cost for different ages or circumstances by calling License sales will be used for the
768-1720. direct benefit of South Carolina’s
marine recreational fisheries.

May spells “fun” Currently a saltwater recreational

fishing license is required for commercial public fishing pier, fishing

at SINHG
people: off a licensed for-hire vessel (charter and
• Harvesting oysters or clams. headboats), fishing with three or fewer
• Fishing for finfish from a private fold-up traps, fishing with three or fewer
by Lynda Fox boat or transporting catch in a drop nets, fishing with three or fewer

T
he Seabrook Island Natural History Group spring season wrapped up in May private boat. hand lines with a single bait and no hooks
with a great party and great trips. The May 8 Fish Fry at Betty Stringfellow’s The new legislation will require a saltwater (chicken necking) and taking shrimp over
home was lots of fun for the 234 attendees. Vice president Pete Hubbard had recreational fishing license for people who bait (still required to have Shrimp Baiting
everything perfectly planned and the weather fully cooperated. May trips included also: License).
the always popular Spirit of South Carolina, along with a Charleston Harbor Tour • Recreationally fish from shore
and a Blue Crabbing Clinic with Lowcountry Boil. (beach, bank, private dock, free Saltwater Recreational Fishing License
public pier, etc.). fees remain at the following:
The term “Tall Ship” brings to mind billowing sails, salt air, sun, and sliding
silently through the water. All of this and more greeted SINHG members on board • Recreationally harvest shrimp and/ Annual Resident - $10
the Spirit of South Carolina, the 140 foot, two masted tall ship. Four hours sailing or crab. 14-day Resident - $5
in Charleston Harbor, with history lessons and magnificent views of the waterfront, You may purchase a license by Annual Non-Resident - $35
Fort Sumter and waterfront Charleston, made this one of our favorite trips. telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a 14-day Non-Resident - $11
The tall ship trip this spring was especially wonderful. According to trip participant week by calling toll free 1-866-714-3611
Roger Steel, it was “a great day, sunny, not too hot and a stiff breeze; we sailed the or by going online at: www.dnr.sc.gov/ DNR protects and manages South
entire time.” purchase.html. Carolina’s natural resources by making wise
SINHG hopes everyone has a wonderful summer. When July comes around, There are a few exceptions that will and balanced decisions for the benefit of the
be sure to renew your membership and look for fall trip announcements. Then in allow people to harvest marine resources state’s natural resources and its people. Find
August, check out the fall speaker program. Current SINHG members will receive without a saltwater recreational fishing out more about DNR at www.dnr.sc.gov.
information via email. Information is also available at www.sinhg.org. SINHG license, including fishing off a licensed
membership is open to all Seabrook Island residents.

Fun with SINHG on the Spirit of South Carolina. PHOTO BY Roger Steel

www.islandconnectionnews.com
May 29, 2009
P
olitics can be as exciting or as dull
as a soap opera rerun.  Ronald
Reagan was coming to town as part
of a campaign tour while running against
the incumbent and very unpopular (at
the time) Jimmy Carter.  Inflation was
soaring, gas was dispensed on a first come,
first served basis beginning at 5am, the
economy was in a pickle, and the Iranians
were holding hundreds of US citizens
hostage.
I was in my senior year of college
As IVes sees it
THE DEATH WATCH
by Dwight Ives, ma, ma, lutcf
serving as President of the Baptist College
Republican Club and working every job
possible to pay bills and stay in school.
About this time, I received a call from one
of my favorite “moms,” Mrs. Francis B.
Stogner, asking IF I would be interested
in working for Ronald Reagan. (She had
more connection to national leaders than
the White House switchboard). I choked
out a “yes” before she changed her mind.
She gave me the particulars of where
to meet only after I gave her info for
my background check.  On her word,
state security once admitted me to the
Governor’s Mansion for President Gerald
Ford’s visit to SC. She had power but used
it quietly.  Her opinions were much louder.
I was like a second son to her, and we were
friends for years until her death.
She told me to meet at the Mills
House for instructions.  I was assigned to
work with Secret Service Agent Anthony
(“Tony”) Morango who had a great
reputation with volunteers.  I was not
disappointed.  He was quiet a man with
movie star looks, a gentle demeanor,
and the kindness of a saint.  Once we
had completed our duty of off loading
all national press gear, he selected me to
accompany him to hand out ditty bags to
other agents that evening. Doors would
open and mysterious hands would appear
and disappear, taking the bags with them.
www.islandconnectionnews.com
Once he addressed a disembodied hand as
“Sir!”  No faces were ever seen.
Early the next day, I met with Agent
Morango to reverse our movements,
taking all press gear to the Charleston
International Airport for scanning by
the US Air Force bomb squad before
reloading onto the plane. It was here that
he asked me to help “re-wire” him since
his communications device disappeared
into his perfectly tailored camel hair coat.
This task necessitated his revealing the
location of his weapon. Victoria never
had a secret like that. His secret was also
fully loaded but prepared for action. With
task complete, it was time to bid farewell,
never to meet again. He remained with
the plane to guard its contents. I returned
to the hotel to hear Mr. Reagan speak.
That afternoon I boarded the bus filled
with local press to witness Mr. Reagan’s
departure from the airport.  I took a seat
near the front while most others were
sitting in the mid and back sections. The
bus fell into place with the highly protected
entourage of limos and other vehicles, one
of which ahead of me contained my hero,
Ronald Reagan. Much to my surprise,
a man was standing dead center in the
back of a pickup truck with a tripod-
mounted camera.  The lens was pointed
forward in the direction of the limos. I
was in such awe that I gasped out loud,
13
“What’s that?”  From an unknown source
from the back and with no explanation
came the reply, “It’s the death watch.” I
had only an anonymous source and no
possible recourse for further info without
disrupting the harmony of the bus
occupants, so this slipped from memory
for a couple of years.
Enter the ever-popular J. Douglas
Donohue of the Post & Courier.  My
brothers had each taken his journalism
courses with great reviews. Now I was in
their place in his class. One day he spoke
of unusual events behind the scenes with
the media - usually meaning the printed
press, but he was multifaceted.  I raised
my hand and asked, “What about the
death watch?”  He froze in his tracks and
turned to me, saying in a booming voice
reminiscent of the “The Boo” in Lords
of Discipline, “How do you know about
THAT?”  Good or bad, I struck either
a home run or out. “I saw it!” I replied,
“When Reagan visited Charleston.”
Still booming, he said, “You remember
the Kennedy assignation…there was
only one camera.  Now when a national
candidate or the president is on the move
publicly, there is always a camera on him.”
Of course he required me to divulge my
ability and credentials to witness such an
event.  Needless to say, I got the “A” and
took a second course.
 Island Connection Calendar
Friday, May 29
Music on the Green at the Village
Green
Featuring Meanie, Miney, Moe from 6-9
pm. A Charleston based three piece rock
band that plays mainly classic hits and
a variety of R&B. For more info, call
Guest Services at 768-6491.
Saturday, May 30
Folly Beach Wahine Classic
May 30-31 – High tide 2pm. For more
info, call Nancy Hussey at 843-343-
4047 or email  ssc@surfesa.org.
Sunday, May 31
Male cat Neuter-a-thon
Pet Helpers Spay & Neuter Clinic, 1447
Folly Road, James Island. Cost is $11 per
cat. By appointment only. For more info
and to make an appointment, please call
302-0556.
Monday, June 1
Farmers & Art Market at the
Freshfields Village Green
From 4 – 8pm, visit local farmers,
artisans, and food vendors who offer
a variety of the freshest local produce
and unique handmade crafts, including
honey, flowers, handmade jewelry,
sweetgrass baskets, food, and much more.
Various stores will feature local artists
each week. For more info, call Guest
Services at 768-6491.
Wednesday, June 3
Starlight Cinema at Freshfields Village
Green
Starting at 9pm. Bolt (2008):  Bolt lives
on the set of his action TV show, where
he believes he has superpowers. Rated
PG. 96 minutes. Sponsored by SeaCoast
Sports & Outfitters. For more info, call
Guest Services at 768-6491.
St. Johns Rotary Club
The St Johns Rotary Club meets regularly
at 7:30am each Wednesday morning
in the multipurpose roomat Berkeley
Electric Cooperative located at 3351
Maybank Highway, Johns Island. For
more info, contact Martha Harris at 559-
6955.
Thursday, June 4
2009 Disaster Awareness Day
The Towns of Kiawah and Seabrook
present Disaster Awareness Day at the
Sandcastle on Kiawah Island. Vendors
and speakers will be available to share
information on how to prepare you and
your household for hurricane season, as
well as for earthquakes and other natural
disasters. This event is open to residents
of both islands and will be held from
10am – 3pm. Door prizes and a buffet
lunch will be provided.
Book Signing & Wine and Cheese
Reception
Do Old Dogs Dream. Author Harold
J. Creel, Jr. will be signing books at Pet
Helpers from 7pm – 9pm. Pet Helpers,
1447 Folly Road, James Island. All
evening proceeds benefit the rescue and
care of Pet Helper’s senior canines. The
Grey Muzzle Foundation, a national
organization, will be on hand to share
information on the care of senior dogs.
May 29 - June 13
Body, Mind & Spirit for Dogs and
their People
Dogs of all breeds – and their well
behaved people - are invited to attend
a special Wild Heir Labrador Rescue
(WHLR) benefit from 6 to 9pm at Fetch
Doggy Day Care at 1990 Ashley River
Road in West Ashley. All proceeds from
the evening will go towards surgery costs
for Callie. For further info, visit www.
wildheirlabradorrescue.org.
Friday, June 5
Music on the Green
At the Freshfields Village Green from 6
– 9pm. Come listen to Bradford Station.
Led by guitarist Brad Henty, Bradford
Station plays variety of tunes including
blues, rock, beach, country, and jazz.
Sponsored by the Town of Kiawah
Island. For more info, call Guest Services
at 768-6491.
Saturday, June 6
3rd Annual Read-a-Palooza
From 1 – 4pm, celebrate the beginning
of summer at the Johns Island library.
Join us for games, crafts, a jump
castle and summer reading sign-up!
The Johns Island Library is located at
3531 Maybank Highway, Johns Island.
For more info, call 559-1945.
Carolina Lady Anglers “Fishing for the
Cure”
The Carolina Lady Anglers are pleased
to announce the date for the 12th
annual “Fishing for the Cure” inshore
tournament. The tournament will be held
at the Charleston Maritime Center with
a 4pm weigh in. Entry fee will be $30
per angler. Youth anglers 12 and under
is $10 per angler. Entry forms can be
mailed to P O Box 13141, Charleston,
SC 29422. For more info, please e-mail
info@carolinaladyanglers.org or visit
www.carolinaladyanglers.org.
Leslie McCravy 5K Run to Benefit Pet
Helpers
Come out for a morning run to help
raise money for Pet Helpers in memory
of Leslie McCravy. Start and finish by
the Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier, Folly
Beach; race begins at 8am. Cost: Early -
$25 through June 1 includes t-shirt. Late
- $30 after June 1st includes t-shirt while
supplies last. Register at www.pethelpers.
org or www.active.com
Amateur and Pro Disc Golf
Tournament at Trophy Lakes
Carolina Watersports at Trophy Lakes on
Johns Island will be hosting an all day
Amateur and Pro Disc Golf Tournament,
open to the public. Trophy Lakes offers
a variety of family activities, including
a sand volleyball court, 18 hole Disc
Golf Course, climbing wall, walking
trails, trampoline, wakeboard park with
rails, sliders and jumps, music everyday,
picnic areas and camp sites. 3050 Marlin
Road, Johns Island. For more info, call
Matt  at 559-2520 or email  Matt@
CarolinaWatersports.com.
Sunday, June 7
4th annual Tricounty Cancer
Survivors Event
At the Charleston Elk Lodge off
Cosgrove Avenue. Please register online
at www.tricountysurvivors.org or by
www.islandconnectionnews.com
calling 873-9929.
14th Annual Sea Island Habitat for
Humanity Golf Benefit
This event is all about fun with a shotgun
start, putting contest, hole-in-one
challenge and great prizes! Come build
a house with a golf club at the beautiful
Osprey Point Golf Course. Contact
Christa Lewis at 843-768-0998 x 111 or
advancement@seaislandhabitat.org for
more details! 11 am @ Osprey Point Golf
Course, Kiawah Island.
Monday, June 8
Farmers & Art Market at the
Freshfields Village Green
From 4 – 8pm, visit local farmers,
artisans, and food vendors who offer
a variety of the freshest local produce
and unique handmade crafts, including
honey, flowers, handmade jewelry,
sweetgrass baskets, food, and much more.
Various stores will feature local artists
each week. For more info, call Guest
Services at 768-6491.
Wednesday, June 10
Starlight Cinema at Freshfields Village
Green
Starting at 9pm. Akeelah and the Bee
(2006):  Akeelah could provide her
community with someone to be proud
of at the National Spelling Bee. Rated
PG. 112 minutes. Sponsored by SeaCoast
Sports & Outfitters. For more info, call
Guest Services at 768-6491.
Public hearing: Kiawah River Bend
Revetment/Captain Sam’s Spit
OCRM has scheduled a public hearing
for Kiawah Development Partners’
proposal to construct a sheet pile wall,
road and crane travel way to provide
access during construction adjacent to
Kiawah River on land otherwise known
as Captain Sam’s Spit. The hearing
will be held at Berkeley Electric, 3351
Maybank Road, Johns Island, at 6:30pm.
St. Johns Rotary Club
See Wednesday, June 3.
Friday, June 12
Music on the Green
From 6 – 9pm at the Freshfields Village
Green, come listen to Shrimp City Slim.
Original music with a combination of
post-modern blues and musical flavors
of the Carolina coast. Sponsored by the
Town of Kiawah Island. For more info,
contact Guest Services at 768-6491.
National Fallen Firefighter’s
Foundation Golf Tournament
The Tri-County Fire Chief’s Association
and the St. Johns Fire Department are
holding a golf tournament to raise funds
for the National Fallen Firefighter’s
Foundation at Oak Point Golf Course
with a shotgun start at 9am. The cost
is $85 per golfer. Application and
sponsorship forms can be obtained from
either Battalion Chief Wayne Carter,
a.carter@stjfd.org, or Fire Chief Karl
Ristow, k.ristow@stjfd.org.
Moonlight Mixer
Dance the night away under the stars
at the Folly Beach Fishing Pier with
the return of the popular Moonlight
Mixers. From 7pm – 11pm, local DJ Rob
Duren will spin the hottest oldies and
beach music around.  Advance tickets
are $10 and $8 for Charleston County
residents.  If available, tickets purchased
on-site are $10.  Call 795-4FUN or visit
www.ccprc.com.
Mullet Hall Open Trail Ride
Bring your horse, camping gear, and
supplies for two nights of camping and
trail riding on 20 miles of beautiful,
wooded trails. A limited number of
camping hookups are available for $15
per night.  Primitive camping allowed
free of charge.  Fee includes a stall for one
horse and one bag of shavings (additional
bags $6/bag).  Pre-registration required
by Friday, June 12.  Call 795-4FUN
(4386) to register, or call 768-5867 for
more info. Fee: $35/$25 MHEC Trail
Pass Holder. Jun 12-14, 12pm (Fri) - 4pm
(Sun).
Saturday, June 13
4th Annual Hydrangea Festival
From 10am – 4pm, visitors may take
a leisurely self-guided tour among the
several acres of hydrangea gardens. From
12pm until 1:30pm, enjoy lunch at tables
set up next to the hydrangea and rose
fields. Lunch is $12, but the advice and
tours are free. Rosebank Farms is located
at 4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway on Johns
Island, just before the Kiawah/Seabrook
traffic circle. For more info, call 768-
0508 or email@RosebankFarms.com
May 29, 2009
I
had occasion to go to the First Flush
Tea Festival at the Charleston Tea
Plantation a couple of Saturdays ago.
It was out on Wadmalaw Island, not far
from Rockville. As my friend John Trott,
whose father lives a stone’s throw from the
property, reminded me, the plantation was
started as an experiment by the Lipton
Company back in the 60s.
I want to congratulate the PR
departments of “The Bridge” at 105.5 and
the tea plantation. The event was a family
affair, replete with funnel cakes and
attracted thousands of people with young
families, as well as senior citizens, out to a
great concert on a perfect May afternoon.
I went by myself. I sat under a sprawling
live oak, its tendrils draping the ground
Ta k e a p a g e
Johns Island Regional Library
3531 Maybank Highway
559-1945
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 10 – 8
Friday & Saturday: 10 – 6
Sunday: 2 – 5
Wee Reads (under 24 months with
adult) Monday, June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29
at 10:30am
Time for Twos (2 – 3 years old with
adult) Tuesday, June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
at 10:30am
Preschool Storytime (3 – 6 years)
Wednesday, June 3, 10, 17, and 24 at
10:30am
Saturday Family Storytime (all ages)
Saturday, June 13, 20, and 27 at 11am
*Computer Basics (adults)
Tuesday, June 2 from 10am – 12 noon Tuesday, June 9 from 4 - 5:30pm
*Files and Folders: File Organization
and Management (adults/young adults)
Tuesday, June 16 from 10am – 12 noon
Do you know your Charleston?
An informal tea
By David Farrow
which was splashed with shafts of sunlight,
and enjoyed some iced tea and tomato
pie, grooved on the music and watched
thousands of people parade in front of
me. It was an incredible cross-section of
Lowcountry humanity, from toddlers to
people on walkers, and all races passing
by. There were all types: from a young
girl with green hair and darned attractive
nose rings dressed in a manner that one
hoped her mother knew nothing about,
to women in their 60s, walking erect and
proud with a confidence borne only by
living life head on. Lawyers and executives
dressed casually in polo shirts and khaki
shorts, hippies strolled by in jeans and
old men with their pants up around their
sternums shuffled along.
*Internet Basics (adults)
Tuesday, June 23 from 10am – 12 noon
*Keyboard Basics (adults)
Tuesday, June 9 from 10am – 12 noon
*All computer classes are free. For more
information please call 559-1945 and ask
for the Reference Department. Class space
is available for 8 participants per session.
Read-a-Palooza: A Community
Carnival at the Library! (all ages)
Saturday, June 6 from 1 – 4pm
Join us for our 3rd Annual Read-A-
Palooza Festival with games, crafts, a
jump castle and summer reading sign-
up!
 
Porkchop Productions: Little Red
Riding Hood (ages 11 years old and
younger) Monday, June 8 at 2pm
Club Anime! (ages 12-19)
Wired (rising 6-12 graders)Wednesdays,
June 10, 17, and 24 from 2:30 – 4:30pm
Knitting Group (adults) Thursdays,
June 11 and 25, from 6 – 7:30pm
www.islandconnectionnews.com
There were an inordinate amount of
young parents who knew nothing of the
recession. On the whole there was money;
not scads of money, but these people were
either keeping up with their bills or on
their appearances. What struck me the
most, though, was that I didn’t know a
single one of them.
Who on earth were these people?
I reflected back some 30 years when I
went to the Spoleto finale at Middleton
Place. That also attracted quite an eclectic
crowd and was certainly a high point of
my year. The thing is that even though
there were thousands there, you could
always find a couple of hundred people
with whom you had at least a nodding
acquaintance.
Saturday Movie: Bolt (all ages)
Saturday June 13 at 3pm
Rated; PG; 96 minutes.
The Great Fettuccini: professional
juggler (ages 11 years old and younger)
Monday, June 15 at 2pm
Sea Islands Book Club (adults)
Tuesday, June 16 at 2pm
We’ll be discussing The Wedding
Machine by Beth Webb Hart.
Club Anime! (ages 12-19)
Saturday, June 20 from 3 - 4:30pm
Puppet Show: The Three Little Fishies
and the Big, Bad Shark (ages 11 years
old and younger) Monday, June 22 at
2pm. An underwater twist on “The
Three Little Pigs”
 
A Southern Tea Party (ages 11 years
old and younger) Monday, June 29 at
2pm. Learn about the history of tea with
Margarita Hart from the Charleston Tea
Plantation.
15
Not so here. There wasn’t even a faint
glimmer of recognition as the procession
moved on. Finally, I heard a voice call my
name, and I discovered my friend John
Trott right behind me. I sat with him
and his neighbors, one of whom I vaguely
knew, and had a perfectly grand afternoon.
Trott was as puzzled and amazed as I at
the fact that we didn’t know anyone. I’ve
known John for almost 50 years (that’s a
little scary) and between us, I would say we
have at least a few thousand people with
whom we could strike up a conversation.
We were bemused. There were a lot of
factors: our age, the influx of population,
etc., but one thing struck me in the midst
of our ruminations under the oaks. The
children in strollers will see a totally
different world 50 years from now.
Not only will every vestige of the Old
South be obliterated, but, I suspect the
New South will be a memory as well.
Half a century from now, I have
serious doubts that we will be celebrating
Confederate Memorial Day or Carolina
Day on the Battery, despite the best efforts
of my contemporaries. There simply won’t
be enough people to care. Those two
Charleston holidays – one signifying great
victory, the other ignominious defeat –
will be replaced by other more relevant
occasions celebrating other victories. The
events leading up to the commemorations
will not even be mentioned in the history
books.
It didn’t matter that grand afternoon.
Given the events unfurling in all of our
lives, I suspect it soon might, but as John
and I stood eating boiled peanuts and
laughing, there were enough distractions
to not think about the “uncertain” future
(when on earth was it ever certain?).
Reality was Shawn Mullins, iced tea,
laughs with an old friend and a sterling
afternoon in May. Sometimes, that’s as
good as it gets.
Want to read more? Visit David Farrow’s
blog at davidfarrow.wordpress.com.