PRESORT STANDARDUS POSTAGE PAIDCHARLESTON, SC

PERMIT NO 437 March 6, 2009Volume 4 Issue 22

Historic Homes page 9 Crawfish Boil page 14 Ft. Moultrie page 18

I n s i d e I s l a n d E y e

Silent IslandBy Lynn Pierotti

On Thursday, February 26, a select committee met at the Sullivan’s Island municipal center in front of an overflowing crowd to discuss the island’s proposed noise ordinance regulations; in particular, a suggestion that “the town consider stopping amplified music at 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends”. The Committee was made up of island residents including Skip Condon, a resident who lives next to the business district and a downtown restaurateur, Ann Kilpatrick from the Planning Commission, Rusty Bennett from the Sullivan’s Island Business Council, Mayor Carl Smith and Council members Pat O’Neil and Everett Presson. Mayor Smith opened the meeting by explaining the origins of the ordinance, and then gave the floor to Councilman Presson.

Presson stated that he has, and will be, keeping a close eye on the growing business district. “The business district has changed dramatically over the last few years. We have to stay on top of it,” said Presson. He stated that the proposed ordinance would help to prevent the business district from infringing on the neighborhoods and surrounding residences. One neighborhood group calling itself ‘Quiet Island’ complained of “Roaring late night traffic, drunken behaviors such as property trespass and home invasion; as well as alcohol fueled arguments, public littering, defecation, fornication and urination” on and around nearby private property. Presson also referenced an email he had sent out, asking a portion of the island how they felt about the proposed suggestions: according to Presson, 32 people agreed with the idea while 26 were against it. As Presson stated himself, it was not the landslide he had hoped for either way.

As the discussion continued, Committee members Kilpatrick and O’Neil referenced Judge Molony of the Isle of Palms Livability court, who was invited to speak at the last Sullivan’s Island Council meeting, as having stated that the

May your blessings out number the shamrocks that grow, and may

trouble avoid you wherever you go.~Irish toast

see Silence on page 4See page 8

2005Since May

S u l l i v a n ’ s I s l a n d • I s l e o f P a l m s • G o a t I s l a n d • D e w e e s I s l a n d

FREE

Pay to parkAdministrator Andy Benke stated that the Town would like to have parking meters installed and functional by May. However, Everett Presson assured the public that the main concern was to follow the will of the residents on the matter.“If the Town doesn’t want to do it, we won’t do it,” Presson said. Although he added that the response he has received thus far has been in favor of the meters. Benke pointed out there are still a lot of details to work out. The Town still has to meet with the Department of Transportation to go over the requirements, such as potential encroach-ment permits, as well as making sure that the expensive meters are only installed where they are needed. However, he hopes to have something to present in March.The Council discussed the possibility of instituting the project in the form of a resolu-tion instead of an ordinance, which has to be voted on three times before it is official, so that the meters could be installed in time for summer. Again, Presson warned against rushing the matter which he described as “a big change” and “controversial”.“If it doesn’t get done by May, then it doesn’t get done,” he said. “I want to make sure this is what people want.”“We’re going to have a public hearing before we do this. Everyone’s going to have their chance to have their say.” Presson stated.

Water rates on the rise?After previously stating that the Town could avoid increasing its water rates, Jerry Kay-nard announced that residents may see in-creases in the future. Previously, the Town’s water rates became an issue during discus-sions surrounding budget shortfalls within the Town and the Water and Sewer Depart-ment. However, the opinion seemed to be that water rates did not need to be increased. A recently conducted rate study, though, seems to have turned the opinion so that residents should be paying more for their water and sewer service.Several factors are contributing to the idea. A limited customer base keeps the Town pretty much set in how much money they collect. Second, the downturn in the economy has created financial hardships for the Town. Finally, the conservation-minded island is using less water. While using less water is ecologically responsible, Kaynard says that it is creating more strain on the Water Depart-ment. He is confident that an increase will be needed when the final numbers from the rate study are available.“Everybody wants immediate service at the lowest cost possible,” Kaynard says. “It’s

quite an effort to get it there and make sure it’s always there.” A meeting was expected to take place on March 2 regarding the issue. However, details were not available by our deadline.

Accreted Land and the Commercial DistrictPat O’Neil stated that progress has been made by the consultants who were hired to make recommendations regarding the ac-creted land and commercial district master plans. According to O’Neil, the consultants responsible for the accreted land have sub-mitted a draft of their recommendations. As a result, a meeting will be scheduled in the fu-ture for the consultants to explain their draft. He also said that the consultants respon-sible for the commercial district plan have submitted another draft of their recommen-dations. They had previously submitted their proposals to the Town and its residents at a public meeting. Another community meeting to reveal and discuss the plans will be sched-uled in the future, as well.

Dealing with noiseResidents continued to voice concerns over a noise ordinance after the Council decided to put the ordinance on hold last month. In-stead, a Noise Committee has been formed, consisting of representatives from various groups who have concerns, to discuss the problem further. In addition, a questionnaire has been sent out to residents to get an idea of how islanders feel as a whole.One resident was curious as to why the Council doesn’t take the matter into their own hands and vote on an ordinance one way or another. Mayor Carl Smith stated that the Council wanted representatives from the community to come up with better so-lutions and that they are trying to be “very specific” to the problem. Another resident also suggested the Town follow in Awendaw’s footsteps and allow residents to vote on the matter themselves.

Cell Tower updateThe Council reported that AT&T and T-Mo-bile have both installed their equipment on the new cell tower and that Verizon will be the next company to do so. It was noted that AT&T and T-Mobile have installed ‘repeaters’ on the tower that “bounces a signal” from the tower. Verizon, on the other hand, will install their equipment so that a stronger signal is available for their customers. Nextel is sched-uled to come on board after Verizon.The Council also pointed out that the Town should collect about twice as much ($40,000-$50,000 total) in fees associated with the

tower and the companies using it.

Getting stimulatedWith discussions of stimulus money echoing throughout the country, the Council dis-cussed the potentials that Sullivan’s Island may have for getting their share for various construction/infrastructure improvements. The Town has identified four projects totaling $19,200,000 in cost that include improve-ments to the Wastewater Treatment Plant ($4.2 million), Water Department infrastruc-ture ($7 million), storm water drainage infra-structure ($5 million) and a new Town Hall building project ($4 million).Town Administrator Andy Benke stated that the money is for “shovel ready” projects, or projects that are basically ready to go and only need funding. Mayor Smith, though, pointed out that projects which meet that criteria are already funded. However, it was stated that any projects funded after Octo-ber can be refunded through the stimulus money.

Planning Commission vote postponedThe Council voted to defer voting on an ordi-nance that would add two more members to the Town’s Planning Commission. The at-tempt to do so has been met with resistance and controversy. The vote has consistently been 4-3 in favor of the ordinance with its creator Jerry Kaynard, along with Buddy Howle, Everett Presson, and Mary Jane Wat-son, giving it the support it needs to pass. However, the ordinance died in December when one of those supporters were absent from the meeting and the vote ended in a tie. However, Kaynard re-introduced the ordi-nance last month.Perhaps in an effort to avoid the same fate, Presson made a motion to defer voting on the ordinance at this meeting as Howle was ab-sent, a fact which most likely would have re-sulted in another tie, forcing Kaynard to start over again with the ordinance next month. The motion passed and the ordinance will be up for vote again at their next meeting. Mayor Smith reminded everyone that he would continue to vote against the ordinance.

Public policePat O’Neil expressed his concern with the Town’s police officers being hired by the local restaurant owners to patrol the area during the night hours in an effort to combat noise. He suggested that it may be preferable for the Town to take on the responsibility of keep-ing extra officers on duty for that purpose so

2 March 6, 2009

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Civic

see SI Council on page 5

Sullivan’s Island Town Council - February 17

Isle of Palms886-6428www.iop.net

March 10Board of Zoning Appeals5:30pm

March 11Planning Commission4:30pm

March 12City Council (Special meeting)5:45pm

Sullivan's Islandwww.sullivansisland-sc.com883-3198

March 11Planning Commission6:30pm

March 12Board of Zoning Appeals7pm

March 17City Council6pm

March 6, 2009 3

Lynn PierottiPublisher

lynn@luckydognews.com

Kristin HacklerEditor

kristin@luckydognews.com

Swan RichardsGraphic Designer

swan@luckydognews.com

Ali AkhyariAssistant Editor

ali@luckydognews.com

Heather Boggs Holbrook Contributing Editor

heather@luckydognews.com

Brittany UrbachReporter

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Interns Jennifer Millar

Bridget HinkebeinBri Horahan

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ContributorsHartley Cooper

Charleston CountyMia Burmeister-Laws

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David FarrowMeredith Nelson

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the island eye news, a wholly owned subsid-iary of Lucky Dog Publishing of South Carolina

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Sullivan's Island/Isle of the Palms2nd and 4th Thursday of the monthExchange Clubhouse 201 Palm Blvd.

For more information call Jim Raih 886-5224.

Kiawah/Seabrook1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month

meetings rotate between Kiawah and Seabrook.For more information call Frank Farfone 768-1105.

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The direction of the Wild Dunes constructionJohn Hemphill, Administrative Vice President of Lowe Enterpris-es, commented on the progres-sion of the Village in Wild Dunes. Phase I of the Village has been successfully completed and they have already closed on 90% of them. In regards to Phase II, they are no longer pre-selling, like they were in the past. “It’s still our intent to go forward with Phase II,” said Hemphill. They will begin further implementation of Phase II when the market improves. “We’re hopeful the market will turn around—we know we have a valu-able product,” said Hemphill.Lowe Enterprises is looking at the overall business climate to determine their position with the project. “We’re keeping an eye on short range trends,” said Hemp-hill. Before Lowe Enterprises can begin moving on with Phase II, they must go back to their origi-nal designs and update them based on the current changes implemented in the building or-dinance. Hemphill estimated the project would take in excess of 12 months to get off the ground once the market has improved.

County Council behind the scenesDickie Schweers of the Charles-ton County Council R-East Coo-per came to speak to the Isle of Palms City Council. He spoke in regards to the County budget, the Transportation Sales Tax (also known as the half cent sales tax), the Solid Waste Program and its challenges, and the hand held radios issue. On the issue of the budget, Schweers said that 27% of gen-eral fund revenue comes from inner sales taxes. At this point, the County Administrator ap-proached the podium to comment on the status of State funding. The House Ways and Means Committee presented an $8 - $10 million reduction to the County. The County therefore might have to reduce services, and will

definitely have to cut back some-where with this $8 - $10 million cut. “We are 10% below what was budgeted for the 2009 fiscal year,” said Schweers. The Transportation Sales Tax was the next order of business. The County is looking to do re-construction of Johnnie Dodds Blvd. beginning in September of this year. They have narrowed the list of contractors down to four firms. The County Council has recently begun to move toward a more benefit-cost-related model. This means that the worst roads are receiving the most attention and efforts from the County. The third order of business was the Solid Waste Program. Re-cently, the County reported that it has recycled 22,000 tons of re-cyclable waste from the residents of the County. “Our recycling program is very strong, but those numbers aren’t very impressive,” said Schweers. Buckhannon commented at this point, saying that recycling is an extremely important way to preserve the environment. He said living in a family of five people, their recyclable waste each week is greater than their garbage.Schweers then said that the County has hired Kessler Con-sulting to give the County input about the Bee’s Ferry Incinera-tor, which deals with recyclable waste. The last order of business on the County’s agenda was the hand held radios issue. There has recently been some major com-munication problems with the new digital radio systems put in place for the Isle of Palms. “A dead radio is absolutely worth-less,” said Schweers. When there was a fire on the island a few weeks ago, people on the scene were not able to com-municate quickly with each other. This posed a great problem for the City and for its citizens. There is, however, a new radio system tower under construction on Six Mile Road in Mount Pleasant, but it won’t be operational until the end of March.

Chief Graham approached the podium at this time to address the issue the fire department is having with the digital radio sys-tem. She said they are currently using analogue radios because they are working better than the digital radios at this point. The problem with the analogue radi-os, though, is they are not work-ing as well as they used to. County Council representatives said that they have been using every available resource possible to find the problem with the digi-tal radio frequency problem and a representative from Motorola said they have been dedicating all of their resources to finding the cause of why the system has been performing poorly. He then said they had a major breakthrough earlier that day. Technicians discovered that con-nectors going out to the antenna system are bad. Therefore, the antenna output is poor, due to these bad connectors. They are trying to fix the problem within the upcoming week. After hearing this, Councilman Dee Taylor commented on the amount of money they’ve spent already on this digital radio system, saying, “It’s disturbing to me—and I’m sure the Coun-cil—that we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars [on this system].” “We cannot not have communi-cation,” said Councilman Taylor. At this point, the City Council assured the County Council they are not going to drop this issue, and they will continue to stay di-rectly on top of it until the prob-lem has been resolved.

A full, 10 item agenda for the Ways and Means CommitteeCouncilman Dee Taylor spoke on behalf of the Ways and Means Committee at the City Council meeting. The first three items on the agenda came from the Pub-lic Safety Committee and were approved by the members of this Committee unanimously. The first motion was for the “Ap-

Isle of Palms City Council - February 24, 2009

see IOP Council on page 5

current ordinances, if enforced, should be effective. Most members of the Committee were in agreement that the problems have not been the noise emanating from the bars themselves, but from the crowd leaving the bars.

This shifted the conversation from shutting down music earlier to beefing up the police presence in the district and/or possibly employing an officer on foot or golf cart. These officers would issues tickets to anyone violating current ordinances. Anyone failing to pay these tickets would be issued a bench warrant. O’Neil stated that, “People will understand that we mean business and if they want to persist in that

kind of behavior, they will have to do it somewhere else.”

Though not a public meeting, Mayor Smith invited comments at the end of the Committee's presentation. The first to speak was Judge Steven Steinert, who suggested that everyone "relax" a bit and work on enforcing our current ordinances. He wondered why Council was approving three more outdoor dining areas that “will surely increase the noise” in the business district. Steinert also provided the best line of the meeting when he amended an earlier statement made by Councilman Presson, who said he did not care if another person ever came to Sullivan’s Island; to which the Judge quipped, "You do not care unless they are coming out to buy a house from

you."Recomendations from this committee

were presented at the committees of council meeting on March 2. More information will be available in our next issue.

Isla

nd

Edit

oria

ls4 March 6, 2009

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About a year ago, some wag in a letter to the editor in another publication claimed that Charleston had

become a commodity, not a community. While that might be true on the peninsula, different communities are striving to retain and, in many cases, redefine their neighborhoods.

The aim of these pages is to help you, the residents, voice your opinions on where you feel your community needs to go. We recognize that these are scary times, but these times are no more terrifying than any other. The toothpaste is out of the tube, but now we know where it is. We just need to agree on how to clean it up.

That’s where these pages come in. The folks at Lucky Dog are curious to see what your solutions to the problems might be. More importantly, what do you think the problems are? We suspect that as time goes on, the concerns of Sullivan’s Island will be those of Seabrook Island, and they will only grow greater over time.

What you will find is fact clothed as

opinion – not the other way around. We hold true to the proposition that those who are willing to give up liberty for security will achieve neither. Your liberty is the ability to speak out about your concerns without fear of being censored.

The fact that this paper reaches many of the areas not especially covered by other, larger concerns is an opportunity to let voices reign, where elsewhere they are just chatter. Things are going to happen in the world, the state and the county that will affect the lives of everyone reading these words.

Will you agree with everything you read? Lord, we hope not. The only way to examine issues is to hear all sides, then make your decision.

What we need is your input, your opinion – your voice. Many of you are not native to these shores, many of you are. The influx of population in the last ten years has altered the Sea Islands and surrounding areas in ways unimagined before Hurricane Hugo.

The 21st Century crept up on the Lowcountry as the 20th snuck by. There is a sense of separation from one community to the other as various new alliances rise and fall. The conventional wisdom is that we are knocking on the door of 1929 and the Great Depression: we could be. On the other hand, we could be facing events more daunting than those of Charleston harbor in April of 1861.

A community is not the culture, not society. It is your neighbors. It is people willing to help clean up after a storm or disaster. It is a special relationship that conveys from the bad times to the good. It is not something that could be sold for all the tea in China. It is not, nor has it ever been, a commodity.

Let us hear from you. To quote Abraham Lincoln, “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”

Your voice

Dear editor:

South Carolina and the Lowcountry hit the jackpot this month by celebrating three outstanding, now-famous young talents that have either “bin yah” or “come yah”!

Viola Davis was nominated Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie, Doubt: a strong performance in spite of Meryll Streep's effort to intimidate the determined mother, who only appears on screen for 11 minutes. Davis was a guest on Tavis Smiley's PBS show February 2. She said her family lived in St. Matthews before they moved to Rhode Island.

Shepard Fairey from Charleston has gained fame for his street art and graphics. His iconic poster image of Barack Obama has taken the art world by storm. We can still see Fairey's "Andre the Giant" posted on the Ravenel Bridge from time to time. Fairey was

featured on a recent Charlie Rose show on PBS.

Callie Shell, a Sullivan's Island resident, was selected as The Time's behind-the-scenes Obama photographer back in 2007. Shell's candid work has resulted in the best selling Commemorative President Obama: Path to the White House. It is jumping off the bookshelves of area stores.

What pride we have watching these talents "make great." Congratulations! Sandra N. Fowler

Kudos to IOP Council!

I’d like to congratulate our IOP council members (Rice, Piening, Loftus, Duffy, Cronin, and Buckhannon) who voted to protect the definition of Family in our municipal code. This vote puts a pause in the dismantling of our single-family zoning ordinances

that was initiated by Council in 2007. It boggles the mind to think that language was inserted into the code that would identify groups, such as four to six foursomes of golfers, as a family. How could this have even been considered? Single-family residential areas are the heart and soul of this island. Without them, we would no longer be a community. As a resident, I am gratified to see our elected representatives listening to the voices of residents about their wishes for their island home.

Marilyn TaylorIsle of Palms resident

Thank you, dear islanders,On Saturday, February

22, 2009, we said our final goodbyes to our dear “Papa,” Carl Eugene “Tucker” Dodson. His funeral service and the performance of the military honors were simply perfect. So many of you came to the

services to lend your support, your arms, your tears. So many of you called or wrote kind words. So many of you lent us your clothes and your homes. So many of you made meals (delicious meals!) and then they magically appeared on our table amongst beautiful flower arrangements. So many of you helped get the word out and helped orchestrate all of these gifts being brought to us.

We want to say, thank you. Thank you for making a difficult and painful time pass over us with the greatest ease possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our relatives and friends from other parts of the country remarked on the warmth of the people here and of your generous outpouring of support. We are so lucky to live among you and so proud to call you our dear friends.

From the Dodson family, thank you.

Letters to the Editor:

Should Sullivan's Island consider stopping amplified music at

11pm on weekdays and midnight on the weekends?

Send your response to info@luckydognews.com, call

886-NEWS(6397) or vote online at www.islandeyenews.sc.

YesNo

Silence from cover

proval of Change Order #7 in the amount of $2,973.44 for the Public Safety Building to resolve conflict between water and drain-age along Pavilion”. The sec-ond motion was the “Approval to purchase a smaller satellite dish in the amount of $1,500 from SCETV with installation by Mobile Communications”. The third motion was the “Approval to purchase from Motorola a second repeater from FY 2008-2009 bud-get that has a remaining balance of $10,296.79”. All motions were passed unanimously.The next three items on the agenda came from the bulkhead at the Marina, which is scheduled to reopen in early April. “With these three motions, we’ll really be able to finish the project at the Marina,” said Councilman Taylor. The first item was the “Approval of Marina Bulkhead Change Order #2 to remove and replace damaged electrical cables and water lines, to reconfigure a por-tion of the existing restaurant

dock so as not to interfere with the new bulkhead, and to install an additional 619 cubic feet of sand and fill in the voids between the two timber bulkheads in the amount of $53, 879.26”. This will add 12 days onto the contract. This was approved by Council unanimously.The second item was the “Ap-proval of Marina Bulkhead Change Order #3 to furnish and install an aluminum access hatch providing access to buried utilities located behind the new bulkhead for $6,543; Jon Guerry Taylor has agreed to share in the cost at 50%, or $3,271.50, leav-ing the cost of Change Order #2 at $3,271.50 for the City. There is the addition of one day to the contract”. The motion passed unanimously. The third item was to “Reserve $60,000 from the Marina Bulk-head Project for Brian Berrigan, Marina Manager, to serve as Proj-ect Manager to make improve-ments related to the sewer pump-out, electrical, fuel and water lines after the Marina Bulkhead Project is completed, yet to be

completed by July 1, 2009, using licensed contractors adhering to codes and reimbursement to the Manger based on submission of actual invoices; City Administra-tor will have the final approval on all decisions”. Councilman Taylor clarified this motion to the Council saying, “[We’re] basically reserving a certain amount of money for the Marina Manager to be the Project Manager. He will communicate and coordinate with our City Administrator, follow-up on the code guidelines, approval processes, accounting processes, purchasing processes, and so-forth-and-so-on, to get the rest of the project done.” The motion was passed unanimously by Council.The next item on the agenda was the “Award of one qualified sole source contract for engineering services associated with sand fencing and vegetation in the amount of $9,100 and engineer-ing services associated with the post-project beach monitoring in the amount of $298,000 to Coastal Science and Engineer-ing; total amount not to exceed $310,000 and contingent upon maintenance of permit compli-ance”. Councilman Taylor as-sured Council that this is all within the project’s budget, and is part of the continuing re-nourish-ment project. The motion passed unanimously. The last item on the agenda was the “Approval for the Isle of Palms Water and Sewer Commission to use $14,249.50 of the City of Isle of Palms’ SCE&G Non-standard Service Funds to offset the cost of upgrading power to the new pump station on Ocean Blvd.

at 9th Avenue.\”. The motion passed unanimously. Who Knew plants could get you a $500 fine . . .“Who knew plants could get you a $500 fine?” said Councilman Buckhannon at the last Public Safety Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 10. Citizen Chris Donavan spoke at the meeting on behalf of the place-ment of the “NO PARKING” signs on 25th Avenue. Donavan said she put plants at the front of her property to prevent people from parking there. The plants seemed to cause quite a ruckus as the Police Department notified her of a $500 fine for each plant, each day, until they were removed. Councilman Buckhannon said they’re trying to work with the State to put more signage up and alleviate the problem of parking on the street.Councilwoman Carol Rice ap-peared disturbed by the issue Donavan brought up, saying, “Is that correct? And is that actually legitimate? Can they fine her for a plant?”Councilman Buckhannon ad-dressed her concern, saying, “That was mentioned—she would have been fined. I noticed that some of those plants have been taken up now, so I’m not sure what the fine is now, or what it would be, but it is per obstruc-tion.” He then assured the Coun-cil that the Building Department tries to enforce the issues and the policies the Isle of Palms has for parking.“Maybe we need to look at that

March 6, 2009 5

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Civic

Everett Presson files for reelectionProviDeD

Everett Presson filed recently for reelection to the Sullivan’s Island Town

Council. The election will be held on May 5. Presson, a 38 year resident of the Island, has served for four years on the Council. He was instrumental in passing the first comprehensive smoke free ordinance in South Carolina. 24 other local governments have now passed similar ordinances.

During his term, Presson helped to strengthen the historic protection ordinances by adding more houses to the protected list. He also pushed for the construction of the cell tower on the Island and called for studies for long range planning in the accreted land and the

commercial District. He is also involved in the long term study of the Island’s water and sewer system. He has long advocated for the protection of the Island’s green space and was appointed by Mayor Marshall Stith to raise the money required to place the accreted land the land trust.

Presson is married to the former Margaret Bristow from Darlington, South Carolina, and has two children, Eliza, 23, who is working in Washington DC and is going to law school in the fall and Anna, 11, who is in the fifth grade. Presson was one of the founders of the Children’s Garden School and is a member of the Church of the Holy Cross.

that they will remain under the Town’s employ instead of the business community. Presson suggested that the Police Com-mittee take on the issue in the future. “It’s the Town’s responsi-bility anyway,” he said.He also noted that a resident had offered to donate a golf cart for police use in the com-

mercial district. He stated it would allow police officers to be more intimate with late night patrons of the area, allowing them to be more conscious of noise and drivers who may be too intoxicated to get behind the wheel. Previous attempts to use bicycles have been thwarted be-cause special training is needed, Presson added.

SI Council from page 2

IOP Council from page 3

see IOP Council on page 18

6 March 6, 2009

www.islandeyenews.sc

Daily

The Children’s Garden School on Sullivan’s Island began offering open enrollment

for the 2009-2010 school year on February 23, 2009, and invite the parents of preschool age children to sign up quickly, as available openings tend to go fast.

Two classrooms will be offered during the school year, serving three year olds and four year olds, Monday through Friday, from 9am to 2pm daily. Class size is limited and the school offers the lowest teacher-to-child ratio in our area. Class programs include an introduction to Spanish, art, science, gardening, and movement classes such as yoga and tumbling.

“Our children leave our school fully prepared to succeed in any kindergarten program, public or private,” stated Mary Colarusso, Director. “We offer the finest curriculum and low teacher- to-child ratios, allowing us to provide each child with caring

and attentive guidance.” Founded in 1988, the

school was started by early childhood professionals and interested parents who wanted a comprehensive enrichment program to nurture young minds and bodies. The central theme of the school is to encourage and support the child’s love of learning so that each child may reach his or her fullest potential socially, emotionally and intellectually.

School Director Mary Colarusso will begin her seventh year this fall as lead teacher. She holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Boston State Teacher’s College and an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts. For more information you may visit the school’s website at www.childrensgardenschool.com, or call Hartley Cooper, School Administrator at 814.8411.

Blossoming young minds enroll now

ProviDeD By HArtLey CooPer

Alice in Wonderland brings local theater to life

By Brittany Urbach

“Be what you would seem to be -- or, if you’d like it put more simply -- Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.” –

the Duchess, Alice in Wonderland.

The theater community has come to life on the Isle of Palms with the presentation of the play Alice in Wonderland. The performance took place on three nights: February 19, 20, and 21, and was completely sold out on the last two nights.

Recreation director Norma Jean Page characterized the play as a great success. “The turnout was fantastic,” says Page. The Recreation Center was the facility where the play was performed. There were 160 seats and admission for children 12 and under was free.

Page believes in bringing the theater to the Isle of Palms community because it’s a great way to get children and families involved in local community activities.

Director Jimmy Ward of the Crabpot Players was the director of the play and did an excellent job creating the feel of Alice in Wonderland. Ward’s group, the Crabpot Players, used to perform on Isle of Palms at the Windjammer.

Alice brings local theater to lifeBy BrittAny UrBACH

SIX ISLANDERS FILE FOR MAYORAL AND COUNCIL SEATS

Thursday, February 19, 2009 at Noon the Town Clerk received six candidate petition packets:

1 MAYORAL POSITION - CARL SMITH (Incumbent)

3 COUNCIL SEATS - MADELEINE MCGEE

PAT O'NEIL (Incumbent)MIKE PERKIS (Incumbent)

EVERETT PRESSON (Incumbent)SUSAN ROMAINE

The Town Clerk forwarded candidate packets to the Charleston County Elections Commission for processing. The State Ethics Commission certifies the candidates - deadline March 6, 2009.

MUNICIPAL ELECTION - VOTE ON TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2009VOTING & VOTING REGISTRATION QUESTIONS?

Call (843) 744-VOTE

“Be what you would seem to be -- or, if you’d like it put more simply -- Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.”

– the Duchess, Alice in Wonderland.

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Better together

So far, this column has explored food and wine pairing options around the topics of Valentine’s Day (chocolate) and

Mardi Gras (Creole/Gullah). I’ve centered my writings on the traditional cuisines of these holidays and what wines are appropriate to pair. I’m taking the other side of that equation with this issue’s column: I’m going to start with the wine and go from there.

Most people have heard of the early varietals that first made their way to the American table: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. But these varietals are only the tip of the iceberg. There are over 10,000 documented varieties within the species Vitis Vinifera (the “European” or “true” wine grapes). Three are used primarily for raisin production and less than a dozen for table grapes, while about 230 have some prominence in the world of fine wines and hundreds more are used for wine in limited or local areas; and most people can only name a handful of these thousands of wine grapes!

Here are a few of my favorite random red varietals and the food pairings to go along with them. I’ll tackle random white varietals in the next column:

Carignan: The most widely planted French red wine grape. It is also known as Cariñena or Mazuelo in Spain and Cariginano in Italy; but no matter how it’s spelled, most people have never heard of it! The plant has extremely high yields, which lead to widespread planting. It is often used as a blending grape due to its tendency to have high color, acidity, and tannins in order to add these qualities to a wine. There are a handful of winemakers (Chameleon Cellars being one) who make the single varietal Carignan wines which typically have cherry, strawberry and raspberry qualities, as well as distinctive violet or rose

petal flavors. Some are made with a light oaking period, which bring out the vanilla, smoke, and anise flavors of the grape. With sturdy tannins and firm acidity, this wine is perfect with roasted white meats (chicken, turkey and pork) and any grilled red meat, or simply with a great burger!

Pinotage: This grape is the result of a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault varieties, and was created in South Africa in 1925. It has only recently (since the 1960s) become the foremost red wine produced in South Africa. Pinotage is also grown in Zimbabwe, New Zealand, and is produced by a handful of California producers. The wine is made in a variety of different styles…from youthful and light to deep and rich. Most contain a nice depth of flavor with a refreshingly fruity quality that often leads to interesting

levels of spice, smoke, and often briary qualities. With a dry aftertaste, soft tannins and good acidity, Pinotage (Robertson Winery is a great starter Pinotage) is perfect with beef roasts, stews, lamb, game meats (venison), pasta and steaks.

Carmenere: This is one of the oldest varieties planted in the Bordeaux region of France. However, the plantings have not been maintained in Europe and are now quite scarce. Many experts think that Carmenere was once a clone of Cabernet Sauvignon, while others feel that it could be Biturica, the grape that produced the ancient Roman wines. In any case, it’s become more widely planted in Chile than anywhere else in the world since being introduced to South America in the 1850s. Actually, Carmenere was often misidentified as Merlot until 1994 when a French Ampelographer (scientific wine dude) discovered the truth. The wine exhibits a deep red color and aromas of red fruits, spice, and berry. Its tannins are often soft and the wine has a medium body which leads to an easy drinking style. The wine (like with Orzada’s Odfjell) often exhibits some grilled herb and cocoa notes which, along with the berry and spice, make this wine perfect for any meat from duck to burgers.

There are a number of other random red varietals out there, all worth exploring and sampling at some point. Austria’s Zweigelt (Huber) displays ripe cherry flavors and has fine tannins, making it perfect with red sauce pastas and pizza. Mencia is a Spanish varietal grown in the Bierzo region. Mencias (Descendientes J. Palacios Petalos) generally exhibit rich currant, fruit, spice, and jammy chocolate flavors that pair perfectly with rich meat stews, port wine sauces, and any variety of chocolate desserts.

If you ever have any questions about wine and food pairings or are looking for a specific wine, feel free to contact me at WineByDrew@Hotmail.com. I am always open to feedback on my suggestions…let me know what worked for you and what didn’t! Also remember, all wines written about in this column are available from Sullivan’s Island’s newest addition, Café Medley!

The variety of varietals: red winesBy Drew HArriS

Fall grape leaves.

Carminere grapes.

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Is there a Leprechaun loose on Sullivan's?L o C A L B U S i n e S S e S S A y y e S

One second he was spotting me, the next I was struggling with this barbell.

He asked for a Guinness, but when I brought him a can he stormed out. He said he'd be back for Saint Patty's Day, though.

I turned to take an order and he was gone. At least he paid, but the bank wouldn't take the gold coins. Probably because they were chocolate. He said he'd see me again on Saint Patty's Day.

I always thought unicorns were fantasy, but when you see a leprechaun skip out on a tab on the back of one, you sort of change your perspective on things.

He sure enjoyed his morning muffin; finished it in one bite. I blinked and all that was left was this cane and a few gold coins.

I didn't know mythical beings aged, but that sure wasn't his natural hair color.

He asked if I had rainbow massage oil, but when I said no, he disappeared!

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Historic districts can be structured differently. It is up to the residents of each

city and town to be involved with its protection and maintenance. After all, it is the unique quality of the place that needs to be preserved and remembered. Not all historic districts are created equal. A good district is mindful to leave room for the district to grow while simultaneously respecting and maintaining the details of its past. When this is handled correctly, the town’s innate structural elements flourish. An example would be Sullivan’s Island.

I spoke with both Mayor Carl Smith of Sullivan’s Island and Mayor Pro-Tem Patrick O’Neil, PhD, about the recent implementation of the Sullivan’s Island Historic District. Mayor Pro-Tem O’Neil stated that, “Around 2003, the Sullivan’s Island Town Council became aware of the escalating threats to the Island’s historical and cultural fabric posed by the loss of a number of our historic structures and the demolition risk to others fueled by the escalating real estate market. Many of the structures that defined Sullivan’s Island were being lost to the

bulldozer, replaced by far larger, generic buildings. The feel of the Island was at risk. Council first responded by enacting a stopgap measure to prevent the demolition or change of structures that had been identified as historically significant in an earlier survey done by preservation expert David Schneider. In 2004, we passed ordinances that created a more specifically defined Historic Overlay District which included the previously designated structures, stipulating the ways in which these structures were to be protected. We also created the Design Review Board as the body to which owners could appeal the historic designation of their property and which reviewed plans for changes and additions to historic structures. When we completely revamped our zoning ordinance later, we added some ways in which historic properties were granted some ‘bonuses’ with regard to some of the restrictions in the overall zoning ordinance.”

“In 2007, we were successful in getting four separate historic districts (which don’t completely

overlap the Historic District created in the ordinance) placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inclusion in the National Register does not in itself add any more restrictions to the property. In fact, the properties recognized as contributing to these districts are eligible in some cases for state and/or federal tax credits. The process wasn’t easy, and we had the kinds of vigorous debates characteristic of the Island. But while the resulting ordinance and its implementation aren’t perfect and have been a work in progress, I think that these efforts saved Sullivan’s Island’s identity from being destroyed.”

Cottages and other historic buildings will be the ghosts of our architectural landscape if not for proper identification and preservation practices. An historic district could be the key to this protection. Just think of a beach, countryside or mountain retreat landscape without the quaint shape of the cottage. As more individuals make the conscious effort to ask before destroying, we may actually find more and

more enjoyment in what the past has already provided. It could even become a passion. This seems to have been the case for Michael Riffert and Dr. Christy Richardson on Folly Beach. After purchasing several cottages built in 1930, they remodeled them. One became Christy’s dentist office with the great big word SMILE, in true Folly fashion, over the entrance. The other cottages became the charming, bright yellow Beachside Bed and Breakfast, complete with dangling mirrored mobiles and fanciful ornaments. True Folly.

When forming an Historic District, it’s important not to “throw the baby out with the bath water” by trading old for new. By growing without losing the district’s character and maintaining what made the town or city special in the first place, you preserve the “essence” of the place you live.

To contact Mia, email Mia@RealEstateMIA.com or call 843-810-1000. View my websites at www.HistoricAndIslandHomes.com or www.RealEstateMIA.com.

Historic and island homesMiA BUrMeiSter-LAwS

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Behind the Roast Hunley memories

The Sullivan's Island Fire Department held their annual Fire and Rescue Oyster Roast, also known as "The Big One", on February 14. Despite the chilly weather, roasters came out in droves to enjoy heaps of oysters and one of the biggest and best social gatherings on the islands. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our local Fire Department!Volunteers really pull this annual event together

and their work is very much appreciated.

On February 17, the Confederate Heritage Trust and Sub Vets hosted their annual H.L. Hunley memorial service 145 years to the day that the Hunley first slipped into the water at Breach Inlet. Re-enactors marched from Fort Moultrie to Sunrise Presbyterian Church at Breach Inlet for the 7pm service and the re-enactors concluded the service with musket and cannon fire. The Hunley was the first combat submarine to successfully sink a ship, the USS Housatonic, killing five men aboard the Housatonic and all eight men aboard the Hunley.

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(above) A wreath from the memorial service. (below) Reporter Brittany Urbach poses with Hunley re-enactors.

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Fitness

You’re probably thinking green beer and lucky clovers, but along with the traditional Irish fare, those of you that

are a little more health conscious may be thinking about getting your share of greens-salad greens, that is!

The perfect salad can be quite healthy, delivering lots of nutrients at the cost of only a few calories. However, your salad plate can also deliver a lot of less healthy items and calorie-laden extras:

To begin building the perfect salad, • start with the right base. Pile on the leafy greens, and make them dark. Dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, mustard leaves, and beet greens provide lots of folic acid, lutein, and Vitamin A. Iceberg, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily bad for you, but it’s the least healthy of the common salad bar greens. Iceberg lettuce is full of water and low in nutrients.After your green base, load up on the • veggies. If you’re trying to stay green for St. Patrick’s Day, load up on veggies such as broccoli - which adds vitamin C, fiber, and calcium – and alfalfa spouts, loaded with vitamins and adding a delightful crunch. But remember, the more colorful your salad, the more of a variety of nutrients you are getting.

Try adding beets to help lower blood pressure, keep your memory sharp, and fight cancer. Red and yellow peppers have twice as much vitamin C as green peppers. Tomatoes not only provide vitamins A, C, and K, but are also full of lycopene, which has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Carrots are packed with beta-carotene to sharpen your vision.Despite the color, green peppers aren’t • as nutritionally beneficial as their red and yellow counterparts. Similarly corn, although not bad for you, doesn’t pack in as many nutrients, so you may want to enjoy it sparingly.When adding a bit of protein to your • salad, try to enjoy just a little of the bacon and hard-boiled eggs. A small amount of these items is fine, but you can substitute other protein substances with much less fat.Avocados do provide protein, heart-• healthy fats and a creamy delight to salads (and yes, they are green!), but just remember that even the healthy monounsaturated fats can contribute to too many calories. Nuts are similar in that they are packed with healthy fats, but gram-for-gram, fats have more than twice the calories of protein

and carbohydrates; therefore it is important to monitor your amounts and keep your servings small – a tablespoon or less.

Other healthy • choices that are not so calorie-laden include chicken, chick-peas, tuna, and tofu. Stocking your salad plate with a moderate serving of healthy proteins is the key to creating a salad that will fill you up for a while. If you’re adding a meat, stick to 3-4 ounces – about the size

of a deck of cards. If you’re scooping up another protein source, keep it to one spoonful. Avoid anything crispy, fried, or sitting in creamy sauce.If you must indulge, allow yourself • one high-calorie “extra.” Although many cheeses and nuts are filled with nutrients, they are also filled with calories. Be careful when selecting cheese, nuts, croutons, granola, or olives. A healthier choice might be a spoonful of sunflower seeds or dried fruit.If you do opt for cheese, try to limit • yourself to feta or blue cheese. The rich, sharp tastes of these cheeses go a long way, meaning you can get the same satisfaction with less calories.Go easy on the salad dressing. One • tablespoon of the average vinaigrette is loaded with about 50 calories, while one tablespoon of creamy ranch can add 90 calories. And really, when’s the last time you added only ONE tablespoon of dressing?! Salad dressings, even low- or non-fat, can also add a tremendous amount of sodium. Helpful hint: choose your favorite dressing, add only a tiny bit, then thin it with balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette!) – it will go farther and taste just as good. Also – always order dressing on the side, then dip your fork in the dressing before taking a bite of salad.

With this handy “Salad Survival Guide”, you can go totally green this St. Patrick’s Day and still keep your diet in check!

Meredith Nelson, M.Ed, is the owner of PrimeTime Fitness, Inc, on Sullivan’s Island. Offering group fitness classes, PrimeTime Spin, private yoga, personal training, and monthly gym membership, Meredith divides her time between the gym on Sullivan’s Island and limited in-home training on Daniel Island, where she resides along with her husband Mark. Meredith can be reached with your fitness questions at 883-0101, or Meredith@primetimefit.net. More information on PrimeTime Fitness can be found at www.primetimefit.net.

Go green this St.Patrick’s Day! By MereDitH neLSon, M.eD

Friday, March 6Budiroes presents: The Geechie BoysStarting at 9pm. David Fuller and Jim Moore from the East Coast Party Band. $10 at the door. 1517 Isle of Palms Blvd. 886-8288. Saturday, March 7Budiroes closing: last nightRonnie’s Last Night. Come say goodbye to Budiroes. 9pm. 1517 Isle of Palms Blvd. 886-8288.

Music at Morgan CreekRene Russell & Gary Hewitt from 6pm to10pm. on the Upper Deck at Morgan creek Grill. 80 41st Ave. Isle of Palms. 886-8980.

Gullah Heritage presents: Gullah cooking, African tales and African drummingToday, learn Gullah cooking from Veronica Gerald & Jesse Gant, listen to African tales from Alada “Muima” Shinault-Small and watch African drumming and dance by NIA Productions. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site:1254 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. Call 843-881-5516 or visit www.nps.gov/chpi.

Sunday, March 8Daylight savings begins. “Spring” clocks forward one hour.

Johns Island Presbyterian presents “A German Spring”Starting at 3pm, Johns Island Presbyterian Church will fea-ture Ralph and Erika Blanco, piano and violin, in concert. The program will include timeless masterpieces by Beethoven and Brahms. Please go online at www.jipc.org or call 559-9380 to reserve your FREE tickets, as space is lim-ited. The concert is presented free of charge with donations accepted at the door.

CSO presents: A musical response to the Schoen CollectionInspired by the current exhibi-tion The American Scene on Pa-per: Prints and Drawings from the Schoen Collection, this recital will include a selection of American composers. 2:30pm at the Gib-bes Museum of Art. Tickets are $7 for museum members, $15 for non-members. This price includes performance and museum admis-sion. Tickets can be purchased at the Gibbes Museum of Art Store or online at www.gibbesmuseum.org/events.

Monday, March 9Judy Glattstein, Into the Woods: Flowers and foliage for the shady garden

Free to Charleston Horticultural Society members and $15 for non members. 6:30pm at the Charles-ton Museum, 360 Meeting Street. Call 579-9922 or visit our website at www.charlestonhorticulturalso-ciety.org.

Tuesday, March 10Kid’s day at Seel’sDrop by Seel’s Fish Camp for the best kid’s deal in town. Every Tuesday, enjoy 99 cent kid’s meals and children’s movies on the big screen. For more information, please call 883-5030.

Wednesday, March 11Café Medley “over the hump” wine tasting From 6pm to 9pm. Purchase your own Cafe Medley wine glass for $10 and your first tasting is free! Bring your wine glass, and all future tastings are only $5. For more info, call Café Medley at 793-4055. Located at 2213 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island.

Friday, March 13PURE Theatre’s production of

Hogs by Rodney Lee RogersMarch 13 through April 4, at the Circular Congregational Church 150 Meeting Street, Downtown Charleston. Tickets are $30 and available at www.puretheatre.org or by phone at 723-4444 or 800-838-3006. Based on Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Rodney Lee Rogers’ adaptation updates the action to a small, coastal, south-ern town, in this world premiere production of Hogs, produced by PURE Theatre.

The 13th Annual Town of Mount Pleasant ArtFest At the Mount Pleasant Towne Cen-ter from 12 - 4pm. For more info, go to www.townofmountpleasant.com.

Saturday, March 14Kids Rock with Roger DayJoin Roger Day, singer/songwriter noted for his popular kid’s song, “I like Yaks”, will be performing for Creative Sparks’ Kid’s Rock series. Kids Rock will be held at 3pm at the Wando Performing Arts Cen-ter. Admission is $10 per person. The concert is produced by Cre-ative Spark Center for the Arts and Wando Community Schools. For more information call 881-3780.

Gullah Heritage presents: Spirituals, quilting and sweetgrass basket demosToday, listen to spirituals and gos-pels by The Brotherhood Singers, learn quilting from Dorothy Mont-gomery and watch sweetgrass bas-ket demonstrations by Elijah Ford. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site:1254 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. Call 843-881-5516 or visit www.nps.gov/chpi.

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Island Eye CalendarMarch 6 - March 19

CSO presents Merrill Lynch Masterworks: Karen Gomyo Sharing the stage for Dvorak’s Vio-lin Concerto is famed Canadian vi-olinist, Karen Gomyo. Tickets: $20 - $60; $5 students (with ID). Show starts at 8pm at the Gaillard Au-ditorium, 77 Calhoun St., Down-town. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 554-6060, at all Ticketmaster Outlets and at www.charlestonsymphony.com.

The Gibbes Museum of Art Community DayEnjoy complimentary admission and family activities courtesy of the Junior League of Charleston from 10am to 1pm. Beverages will be provided by Rising High Café. The Gibbes is located at 135 Meeting Street, Downtown Charleston. For more info, visit www.gibbesmu-seum.org.

Sunday, March 15Ides of March

Langley Wind Ensemble at Station 22 RestaurantFor over 10 years, the Langley Winds have been inspiring audi-ences and enhancing Air Force esprit-de-corps with superb artist-ry in a broad range of musical per-formances. The ensemble performs a varied repertoire from classical to pop, including familiar and patri-otic tunes. Starting at 5pm, the wind ensemble will play at Station 22 Restaurant. Tuesday, March 17Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Kid’s day at Seel’sSee Tuesday, March 10.

Irish whiskey dinner at the Old Village Post HouseThe Old Village Post House an-nounces a St. Patrick’s Day special event – a four-course Irish Whiskey Dinner, featuring authentic Irish cuisine and whiskey pairings. The event begins at 6:30pm. Tickets are $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 388-8935. 101

Wednesday, March 18The East Cooper Caregiver Education and Support Group Monthly support meeting from 9:30 - 10:30am at All Saints Lu-theran Church, 2107 Hwy. 17 North in Mt. Pleasant. All fam-ily members caring for someone with memory loss are invited to attend to share with and support each other. For more information, please call Ginger at 810-5576.

Native gardening and rain barrel demonstration Are you interested in tips that can help you create and sustain an attractive garden or landscape while protecting the environment and potentially saving on your water bill? From 6pm to 8pm at DNR Fort Johnson Marine Center, James Island. For more info, call 953-9354, or email CountsK@dnr.sc.gov.

Café Medley “over the hump” wine tasting From 6pm to 9pm. Purchase your own Cafe Medley wine glass for $10 and your first tasting is free! Bring your wine glass, and all

future tastings are only $5. For more info, call Café Medley at 793-4055. Located at 2213 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island.

Thursday, March 19Sullivan’s Island Elementary Kindergarten Open House

Starting at 8am. Come and explore the exciting opportunity of “Learn-ing by the Sea”. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2009. Sullivan’s Island Elemen-

tary School is located at 2015 I’on Avenue, Sullivan’s Island. 883-3118.

CSOL Symphony Designer Showhouse From March 19 through April 19, at The Maison du Pré Inn. Open daily from 10am to 4pm and from 1 to 4pm on Sundays, excluding Easter. Tickets are $20 at the door, or $15 in advance, and may be purchased online at www.csolinc.org. For further information, please

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Island Eye CalendarMarch 6 - March 19

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“Laissez le bon temps rouler”, French for “let the good times roll”, is a favorite Louisiana saying, but on Saturday, February 21, it could be heard all across Sullivan’s Island as Seel’s Fish Camp hosted their first annual Crawfish Boil in celebration of the Mardi Gras season.

Manning the crawfish pots was owner Harry Seel, who was showing off his Louisiana-based culinary training. Basket after basket of steaming crawfish, potatoes, corn and sausage quickly disappeared. You could see neophyte crawfish nibblers quickly becoming experts by the rapid increase of speed and ease with which the tails came out of their shells and how quickly the little red balls of crustacean treats vanished as the afternoon wore on. Louisiana’s own Abita and Dixie beers were stocked and iced, the Hurricanes were flowing and Dixieland jazz, from the River City Jazz Band spilled onto the street.

One did not have to go far into the crowd to hear favorite stories of experiences in “N’Awlins” (that’s how “New Orleans” is properly pronounced). Strangers jointly reveled over good times in true Cajun fashion. There were kids of all ages dancing in the isles between the crawfish cracking tables, beads adorning the masses, and gold, green and purple doubloons scattered everywhere. Paige, one of Seel’s most infamous and talented bartenders, even threatened to make a Hand Grenade for the first person who asked; another Bourbon Street concoction not known for its subtlety. The only thing missing was the washboard player.

Well, maybe next time. According to sources, there are more ‘boils’ being planned for the future. Check out the daily specials at Seel’s featuring fresh local seafood and an extended weekend brunch with daily omelet specials and more. Seel’s is located at 2213 Middle Street. Call 883-5030 for more information.

Laissez les bon temps rouler

Good food, good times, good music, good drinks and great crawfish were in abundance at Seel's Crawfish Boil on Saturday in true Mardi Gras fashion.

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Oenophiles rejoice! Café Medley on Sullivan’s Island is introducing two new,

fantastic wine clubs to the islands. Enjoy exotic wines that aren’t on their wine wall, and haven’t been distributed at their Wednesday night wine tastings.

“We started a wine club, honestly, because a lot of times these deals and low allocation wines come around, and I’d like to be able to offer those to our customers, but not put them up on the wall,” says co-owner Drew Harris. “It’s just a special way to do things for our customers.”

Some of the wines he comes across that are low allocation are ones that he doesn’t offer to the general public, but he can offer to the 50-or-so club members he hopes to have.

For any of those who have been to Café Medley’s Over the Hump wine tastings, you’ll most likely be flocking to the opportunity to join one of their wine groups. “People trust my palate,” says Harris. “If they like what’s on the wall, they’ll like the clubs.”

Harris is optimistic about the turnout for these clubs.

He hopes to get at least 30 or 40 people to join, and says he can accommodate as many people as would like to join.

Potential wine club members can join at any time and can subscribe to either of the two clubs for three, six, or twelve month increments. Anyone who signs up for a twelve month subscription in either club receives free admission to all the Wednesday wine tastings, and an extra five percent off all wine purchases at Café Medley.

Wine all the timeBy BrittAny UrBACH

CASUAL WINE CLUB$35 / monthTwo great value wines picked by Drew and not available on the wine wall. These wines will help you expand your wine knowledge and experience, and are perfect to be consumed now with friends and family! These wines will often be blends or different varietals you don’t usually purchase.Choose either one white and one red wine, or both white or both red.Two tasting note sheets with information about each wine and food pairing suggestions.10% off all wine re-orders of monthly selections.Invitations to special tastings.Special alerts to low-production wine availability.Free Cafe Medley etched wine glass (when available!).

SERIOUS WINE CLUB$65 / monthTwo age-worthy, bold, often small production wines picked by Drew and not available on the wine wall. These wines are chosen for their character, flavor, press reviews, and aging potential. Able to be enjoyed now, but will also get better with age. Wines for those of you who want something a little special in the glass or decanter! Red wine only club.Two tasting note sheets with information about each wine and food pairing suggestions.10% off all wine re-orders of monthly selections.Invitations to special tastings.Special alerts to low-production wine availability.Free Cafe Medley etched wine glass (when available!).

Best In Show Sherry Knight & Lola (Terrier Mix)

Best Senior 1 Bonnie Crosby & Bea (Cairn Terrier)

2 Frazier Neal & Ryleigh (Irish Setter) 3 Alex Barnes & Sam (Golden Retriever)Cutest Puppy 1 Susan & Mic Smith & Indy (Puggle) 2 Ryan O'Shea & Jules (Weimaraner) 3 Shelley Lemeranea (English Bulldog) Most Beautiful ~ Small 1 Ashley Periman & Minnie (Pomeranian)2 Karen Lynn & Shem Creek (Pug) 3 Lynn Hartie & Dolly (Chihuahua)Most Handsome ~ Small 1 Cindy Tighe & Huck (Shetland Sheep Dog)2 Brandon Williams & Meatloaf (English Bull Dog) 3 Ricky Shaw & Toby Keith (Jack

Russell) Most Beautiful ~ Large 1 Kim Andrews & Georgia (Springer Spaniel)2 Brian & Jan Lambert & Mabel (Great Dane)3 Dave Griffin & Katiebelle (Blood Hound)Most Handsome ~ Large 1 Roberta Browning & Pockets (Burmese Mountain Dog)2 Ann Armstrong & Riley (Great Dane) 3 Frank Malatesta & Barney (St. Bernard) Most Ear-resistible Ears 1 Sherry Knight & Lola (Terrier Mix) 2 Amy Rediker & Brady (Beagle)3 Amy Wood & Marley Chinese (Shar pei) Best Eyes 1 Linda Haight & Crawford (Maltese)2 Linda Wiljamae & Mia (Weimaraner) 3 Caroline Winn & Walter (Bassett Hound)Best Dressed1 David Kent & Ziggy (German Shepard) 2 Joseph Stocking & Norma Jean (Bassett Hound) 3 Sis Nunnally & Carmie (Black Lab)

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Drivers of all types and makes of vehicles are invited to join in a scavenger-hunt

style competition which travels in and around Charleston’s most popular attractions to raise money for LifeManagement Center, a South Carolina based 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that offers solutions to transform educational and professional challenges into life achievements for children, families, adults, and communities.

“The Road Rally is an event that offers excitement for car enthusiasts, treasure hunters, and competitors alike,” explains Louisa Shingler, event chairperson. “It’s a great way to have some fun while helping LMC raise money to assist children and adults in overcoming the learning challenges associated with ADHD, LD, dyslexia, social, and behavioural challenges.”

The Road Rally is an un-timed scavenger hunt-style motor sport competition involving a driver and navigator. The driving team

is given a set of instructions and clues that follow a scenic course marked by checkpoints at local businesses and attractions in the Charleston area. Participants will pass through some of the area’s most picturesque landscapes, viewing marshes, historic attractions and roadways while making stops to receive clues. Winners will be announced and awards presented for a number of categories.

The Road Rally begins at 4pm at The Citadel Holliday Alumni Center (located at 69 Hagood Avenue) with the finish line party commencing at 6pm. An assortment of food, an open bar, a silent auction music by DJ Ric Rush, are all part of the evening’s excitement. Tickets for the event can be purchased at lifemanagement.org for $75 per person or by calling the Center at 852-5705. Current 2009 sponsors include SunTrust Bank, Piggly Wiggly, MINI of Charleston, Salmon’s Dredging and McAlister Development Corporation.

It’s a mad, mad, mad, fund-raising world

“Are yoU reADy to rALLy?” BrinGS SCAvenGer-HUnt StyLe event to tHe LowCoUntry

Pet Helpers Pets of the Week

Pet Helpers is located at 1447 Folly Road Hours: Mon. – Fri. from 11am – 6pm

Sat from 11am - 5pm. Closed: Sundays and Holidays.

For more information, call 795-1110 or go to www. pethelpers.org.

Adoption fees include spay, neuter, vaccina-tions, testing, and mi-crochip ID Pet Helpers Low Cost Spay-Neuter Clinic 302-0556, call

for appointment.

MOLLY: Aren’t I crazy ador-able?! I’m all dressed up for

St. Patrick’s Day and ready to go home to your party. I’m a

HUGE bundle of love - weigh-ing in at about 19lbs, but I

have gorgeous long hair and am the belle of the ball. If

you like a woman with a little meat on her bones, then I’m

the one for you!

SCRUFFY: Okay...here’s my scoop: I really am an ador-able, three year old male, Jack Russellish fellow and GREAT with adults, but I have big issues with any

other animals or children. I want to be your one and

only love...but will be yours forever. Come get me!

As a result of the popularity of the annual Pet Fest, we have expanded it to a two day pet festival. On March 28 and 29, Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park will be packed

full of pet exhibits, demonstrations, experts, and entertainment. New this year, dock diving will be featured, along with festival

favorites including Lowcountry Dog Magazine Cover Model Contest, pet contests, dog show, Frisbee dogs, microchipping clinic, and children’s activities. The best part is leashed pets and Gold Passholders are admitted free! For more information, visit www.ccprc.com/petfest or call 795-4FUN.

Mount Pleasant Pet Fest

ProviDeD By CHArLeSton CoUnty PArkS AnD reCreAtion

Mount Pleasant Pet Fest

Palmetto Island County Park444 Needlerush PkwyMount Pleasant, SC884-0832 or 795-4386

Fee: $5 or three Greenbax for adults per dayFree: ages 12 and under and Gold Pass HoldersSat – Sun, March 28-2910am-4pm (Sat)12pm-4pm (Sun)

Doggie Days2009

17March 6, 2009

www.islandeyenews.com

This spring, show your support for breast cancer patients by joining rēhava

Real Estate Store for a two-day event titled Rally, Roast and Ride, benefiting the Charleston Breast Center. The event kicks off with a Rally, Roast and Ride Oyster Roast on Friday, March 27, from 7-10pm at Gold Bug Island located at Mount Pleasant, and will continue on Saturday, March 28 at 1pm with Rally and Ride for Breast Cancer event.

The rēhava Real Estate Store and American Biker invite local bikers to participate in the ride on Saturday, March 28. The ride starts at 1pm from the new location of American Biker on College Park Road, off I-26, Exit 203. Both events are planned for those who want to make a personal difference in the fight against breast cancer and raise funds for a non-profit organization that is devoted to saving the lives of women in the Lowcountry.

According to statistics, every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. In the Charleston Tri-county area, approximately 367 women are diagnosed each year. The annual cost of breast cancer care is around $11,440 for an average patient, which puts a tremendous financial stress on patients and their families. The Charleston Breast Center offers financial support to local

women going through breast cancer treatment in South Carolina, allowing them to focus solely on recovery.

The oyster roast is open to the public and tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the rēhava store, or at www.rehava.com/tickets or by calling 747-4762. Your ticket purchase entitles you to enjoy Carolina oysters, beer, wine and live music by The Bushels, as well as a silent auction promoting Health and Wellness. Tickets for the ride are $30 and those bikers that purchase tickets for the oyster roast will be automatically entered in the ride. American Biker will be at the oyster roast, showcasing a variety of motorcycles and signing up for the Saturday rally and ride.

About the Charleston Breast Center

The Charleston Breast Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit, community-based medical facility coordinating comprehensive breast health care services in the Lowcountry and surrounding coastal communities. Their mission is to bridge state-of-the-art breast cancer detection and treatment with education and compassionate, comprehensive care. Their outreach and

education programs are focused on providing breast health and wellness services to the community, with an

emphasis on reaching underserved women. For more information, please visit www.

charlestonbreastcenter.com or call 556-0116.

Rally, Roast and Ride for Breast Cancer

ProviDeD The Eastern Screech owl is a local bird you may have heard before, but

have probably never seen. I photographed this red morph Eastern Screech Owl in a nest box on James Island at Dill Plantation. There is also a grey morph which is less common in our area. The mother (or father) was so protective of the eggs that she did not flee when I mounted a ladder and stuck a close-up lens right in her face! The screech owl is the smallest owl in the Lowcountry. It measures only seven to 10 inches and has small ear tufts and large eyes with bright yellow irises.

Eastern Screech Owls hunt at dusk and at night and feed on insects, snakes, birds, and rodents. They have been seen bringing one species of snake to the nest (the blind snake) without killing it, unlike all of the other prey they feed to their young. The blind snakes are not for dinner: They are welcomed new residents of the nests and they feed on insect larvae, which thrive in the

nest’s somewhat filthy conditions, and parasitize the chicks. Chicks which reside in nests with snakes

tend to be healthier and had better survival rates.*

Owls have evolved to hunt at

night and most species have asymmetrical ears (one ear hole is higher up than the other), which allow them to do

some pretty complicated

math in a fraction of a

second. Their brains are able to measure the

difference in the time it takes a sound to reach each ear and the difference in the intensity of the sound in each ear and voila! The owl can pinpoint the exact location of the prey both vertically and horizontally. In the blink of an eye, the owl silently swoops down to capture its prey in its sharp talons. The owl’s wings are able to remain silent in flight due to two modified primary feathers. One edge of the feathers is jagged—not smooth like all other birds—a feature which reduces the noise of the air flowing past them.

Eastern Screech OwlBy SArAH DArGAn HArPer

PHotoS By: SArAH DArGAn HArPer

*Live Blind Snakes in Eastern Screech Owl Nests: A Novel Commensalism, F.R Gehlbach and R.S. Baldridge.

Isle of Palms seasonal resident Jeri-Baron Feltner snapped a picture of some very lucky dogs on the Isle of Palms this past Monday. Lucky dogs Spirit, Karmi, Mac and Scooter Girl enjoyed a great run on the beach, followed by some treats from cookie lady Nancy Gugino.

Lucky Dogs

The Fort Moultrie Visitor Center is in the process of finishing a new exhibit that will explore the role of Sullivan’s Island

in the international slave trade. Michael Allen, a National Park Service (NPS) employee, said that the new exhibit, African Passages, will complete the Visitor’s Center by providing a “holistic and diverse” view of Sullivan’s Island history and will “put a context to the early history of the community”. Through partnerships with the Avery Institute and private donors, various objects and artifacts have been given to the exhibit that will explain and bring power and passion to the story of the Middle Passage. Thomas Feelings’ collection of Middle Passage charcoals and Jonathan Green’s Gullah art will be on display, along with various West African objects and written texts explaining the details of the passage. Allen said that the exhibit “really has been a ten year journey” and will provide a foundation for African American history in the US.

Krista Kovach-Hindsley, NPS exhibit planner, said that the exhibit is an “opportunity for people to come and have a better understanding of slavery and Sullivan’s Island’s pest houses”. Sullivan’s was used as a quarantine post for Charleston when it was the major port for slave trade, especially in the 1700s. Ships carrying diseases were stopped in the harbor and their passengers were quarantined onboard or on the island in the pest houses.

The exhibit is in one corner of the Museum and the walls have been painted a vivid orange and text boxes on the walls provide a history of the passage. Artwork of local artists, including Philip Simmons’ ironwork, are on display next to drawings of the conditions both onboard and ashore during the Middle Passage. There is a replica of a slave ship, leg shackles and an 1803 slave identification badge, as well as

other objects that span the centuries.The exhibit will officially open on Sunday,

March 22, at 3pm with a public event on the park grounds at 1214 Middle Street.

www.islandeyenews.com

March 6, 200918

From Sullivan’s Island to the worldBy Bri HorAHAn

Artwork of local artists are on display.

again, as an encroachment,” said Councilwoman Rice.“We cannot have elective enforce-ment of our ordinances,” said Duffy. “We either do it across the board, or we don’t do it, and we fix the ordinances one way or the other.” At this time, Mayor Dick Cronin made a note that the Council deal with this at a further time and come up with a solution. Fire Department spending is upFire Department Chief Graham mentioned that the Fire Depart-ment is exceeding its annual 2008-2009 budget in two areas. One of these areas is the part time salaries, and the other is maintenance.Concerning part time salaries, the Chief noted that there are a number of Department person-nel serving in the military service. Therefore, there’s additional per-sonnel to cover those costs, which comes out of part time salaries.The maintenance issue comes about because there has been excessive outdoor element expo-sure to the equipment at Fire Sta-tion 1. This equipment is outside and, after inspection, contains dirt, gravel and other wind-driven paraphernalia. These elements are clearly causing many of the problems in the fire apparatuses. Round up your hazardous wasteThe second Household Hazardous Waste disposal event is scheduled to take place on March 14 at the large parking lot at Front Beach. Councilman Marty Bettelli said there was an excellent turnout at the last Household Hazardous Waste disposal event. He further encouraged citizens to bring their old paint, insecticides, comput-ers, batteries, cleaners, and other hazardous waste products to the event. “We exceeded expectations last time,” said Councilman Bet-telli.Ben Sawyer bridge restoration

The Ben Sawyer is scheduled to shut down on both sides of the road for a seven day period in late October/early November. This will also include the waterway, which will be closed for the full seven days, as well. There will be nothing navigating up or down the waterway, which could make an impact with the boat traffic at the Marina. Mayor Cronin said that this is something they’ll con-tinue to look at. More on “Family Unit”At this time, Councilwoman Carol Rice made the motion to adopt the second reading and ratifica-tion of Ordinance 2008 – 2009, but to take out the term “Family Unit also includes any group of persons who rents for occupa-tion in a short term dwelling”, as the term is defined in Section 5-4-201 of article nine. Council-woman Rice wanted to continue to research and find a better way to define the Family Unit.“I motion to amend that we take out the new verbiage, which I read a minute ago,” said Council-woman Rice.“By doing this, I think we’re going against the wishes of the Plan-ning Commission, which did recommend that we accept this re-codification as was presented to us,” said Councilman Bet-telli in response to the motion to amend. “I just think that maybe we can come up with some language that is more pleasing and more spe-cific for SR 1 and SR 2. I think it can be better,” said Council-woman Rice.“And I still personally don’t un-derstand why we even have to have the definition of a Family Unit, but that’s my own philo-sophical place,” continued Coun-cilwoman Rice. “It just kind of seems archaic and I don’t see why it has to be defined as a Family Unit. Maybe that part of it could be different.”Councilwoman Rice believes that the Council should pass the code,

but should also continue working on it and making it better. After some discussion about the definition, Mayor Cronin made a motion for the amendment. Seven Council members were for the motion and two were against, so the amendment passed. On the primary motion for re-codification

as amended, all were in favor. The motion passed.Miscellaneous businessSpecial election are set for May 4. Candidates must have informa-tion in to the Isle of Palms City Hall by noon on Monday, March 9.

IOP Council from page 5

19March 6, 2009

Charleston County Government’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department

is asking students in grades four through eight to submit artwork for the 2009 Charleston County Earth Day Festival design contest.

The theme of the contest and festival is “Do Your Part; Be Earth Smart”, which means preserving and protecting the Lowcountry environment while focusing on litter control, recycling, energy and water conservation.

The winning design will be displayed on this year’s Earth Day Festival t-shirts and will be on the cover of the festival’s newspaper insert and other advertisements.

The artwork will be framed and presented at the Charleston County Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18, at Park Circle in North Charleston. The winner will also be given a bag filled with recycled products.

For more information about this year’s Charleston County Earth Day Festival or the design contest, call Charleston County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department at (843) 720-7111.Visit the Charleston County Web site at www.charlestoncounty.org for news, services and up-to-date information relating to Charleston County Government.

Earth Day 2009 design challenge

Provided by CharleSTon CounTy

Submission rules Design entries must be • submitted by 4pm on Friday, March 20. Students submitting • artwork for this contest must be residents of Charleston County and must be in grade levels four through eight. (Only one entry can be • submitted per student.Entries can be mailed or • hand-delivered. Submit artwork to the Charleston County Recycling Center; Attn: Jenny Bloom; 13 Romney Street; Charleston, SC 29403. Designs submitted to this • contest will become the property of the Charleston County Solid Waste and Recycling Department.

Design specificationsThe design must be the • student’s original work. The image created should • convey the purpose of the Earth Day Festival and caring for and respecting the earth.The two-dimensional • image should not be larger than 8 1/2” x 11” in size. Any entries received that are larger than 8 1/2” x 11” will not be considered for the contest. Artwork can be in color or black and white.Students must attach a • sheet of paper to their design indicating their name; home address; city/state/zip; student’s phone number; student/parent e-mail; school name; teacher’s name; teacher’s e-mail; student’s grade; and student’s age. Students must provide all information requested to be eligible to win.

20 March 6, 2009

www.islandeyenews.com

No one guessed last weeks Eye Spy. It was a bench. There is a scoop of ice cream waiting for someone! Don't miss your chance this issue.

Do you know what this is?Eye Spy

JOKESWhat is the name of the detective who sings quietly to himself while solving crimes? Sherlock Hums!

Why did the farmer feed his pigs sugar and vinegar? He wanted sweet and sour pork!

Why do pens get sent to prison? To do long sentences!

What was the parrot doing in prison? It was a jail-bird!

Why did the doctor take his nose to pieces? He wanted to see what made it run!

Why is it dangerous to tell jokes to Humpty Dumpty? He might crack up!

What sort of animal is best at getting up in the morning? A Llama clock!

I hear you have just invented gunpowder? Yes, I was using some candles to light my laboratory and it came to me in a flash!

Please send your guess for this week’s Eye Spy to info@luckydognews.com. Please include your mailing address with your submission. The winner will receive a coupon for a free ice cream at Café Medley on Sullivan's Island.

21March 6, 2009

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isle of Palms rec CenterIsle of Palms Recreation Centerwww.iop.net843-886-8294

Tae Kwon Do (12Yrs. +)Lower belt:Monday, 6:30pm-7:30pm and Wednesday, 7pm-7:45pmBrown/Black belt, Wednesday, 7:45pm-9:15pmSaturday 10am-12 noon$35 resident/$40 non-resident/per month

Ping Pong TournamentSaturday, March 21 at 1pmRegistration March 2`-`18 Ages 9 to 15 Yrs.$5 each

Co-Ed DodgeballRegistration March 2 - 27 Fee: $60 per team18 Yrs. +Game days: Tuesdays 7pm and 8pmCaptain’s meeting April 2 at 6pm

Co-Ed KickballRegistration March 2 - 27Fee: $200 per team18 Yrs. +Game days: SundaysCaptain’s meeting April 1 at 6pm

Salsa DancingAges 12 Yrs. +No partner neededThursdays, 7:30pm-8:30pm$35 residents/$40 non-residentsNew session begins March 5

Canasta1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month11:30am-2:30pm Free

Yoga (16 Yrs. +)12:30pm to 2pmTuesdays & Thursdays $80 resident/$85 non-resident/session$10 per class

Sports ConditioningTuesdays & Thursdays5:15pm to 6:15pm class $40 resident/$45 non-resident$7 per class

Evening Yoga (12 Yrs. +)5:30pm to 6:30pmMondays & Wednesdays $60 residents/ $65 non-resi-dents/6 weeks$7 per class

Total Body ChallengeTuesday thru Friday8am-9amEveryday a different challenge$7 per class or purchase # of classes

Mat & FloorWednesdays, 1:45pm-2:45pm50+ Yrs.Focusing on Pilates, floor exer-cises$10 per class/or pay for the ses-sion

Mommy & Me

Wednesdays, (except the 1st Wednesday of the month)Toddlers, 3Yrs. & under ac-companied by an adult-play and socialize. 9:30am -11:30amFree

Friday Night HoopsMarch 13, 6pm-8pm7-12 Yrs.$10

Arc Babysitting CourseSaturday, March 14 9am-4pmBring lunchMust pre-register

Senior Sports ClassicHorseshoesTuesday, March 1010am-12 noonMust pre-regis-ter by March 6 Free

Speaker CourseWednesday, March 186pm“Creating a

Monthly Budget”

Baseball Home Run DerbySaturday, March 14 1pmAges 7 to 12 Yrs.Free

Camp SummershineIOP Registration begins March 30Non-resident registration begins April 13 Weekly program outlines on www.iop.net under “Recreation”

(Above, l to r) The Deck of Cards' Elizabeth Covington, Beck Buckhannon, Aspen Nestler, Ivy McComb, and Ashton Buckhannon. (Below) Alice and the White Rabbit. Tanner Pearson as Alice and Lauren DiNicolas as the White Rabbit in the Alice in Wonderland play at IOP Recreation Department. Alice in Wonderland, directed by Jimmy Ward, was a great success. Look for more acting opportunities at the IOP Recreation Department.

Poe Library eventsPoe Library events1921 Ion Ave Sullivan’s Island 883-3914Hours:Mon & Fri: 2 - 6Tues, Thur & Sat: 10 - 2

Story times Ages 3-4: Tuesdays, March 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 10:30am – 11am. Ages 3-5: Thursdays, March 12, 19 & 26 from 10:15am –

11:15am.

Do it yourself Arts and CraftsWith Grace DunbarMarch 7 at 10:30am

Celtic MusicBy the ShamrocksMarch 13

Beach Lover’s Book ClubThe Book Thief by Markus Zu-sakMarch 28

Back when I gave tours in 1979 and in the ensuing years, there was a bumper sticker that read, “We Don’t Give A

(#%&*) (sic) Darn How You Do It In New Jersey.” To tell you the truth, we still don’t. Actually, many didn’t seem to be enamored enough with their birthplaces to stick around.

I understand that. When I was growing up here, I thought Charleston was a stifling place – a place with no opportunity, a place where your business was everybody else’s.

I went off more than once to find something I thought missing, only to find that it was missing in me. The thing is, I grew up in Charleston, a small city surrounded by farmland. Everybody knew everybody; not by choice, but by birth. The core of the people living Below Broad was related. My family is descended from Rene Ravenel, the leader of the Huguenot Expedition. He got here in 1686, so I couldn’t swing a flounder without hitting a cousin. To be honest, there are a few cousins I wouldn’t mind trouncing with a flounder.

Still, I have always come home. Before I left the last time, I was managing editor of The Charleston Mercury and wrote a weekly column for The Post and Courier. This was during the end of the transformation from Charleston, an old city rooted in customs and mores that have become caricatures for commodities - to Atlanta East, an urban area the size of Charlotte trying to contrive a common purpose and be hip with the same attractive mien of a sixty-year old man amid a Girls Gone Wild party at Lauderdale.

A lot of natives such as myself are saddened by the change: some are distraught. What I think is interesting is the refrain of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth in the back bars of old clubs about how it’s all changed, how much the area has grown. My thought has always been, “You sold it. What on earth did you expect?”

A lot of people were caught in the middle. In the rush to create communities, the landmarks were eradicated. In the rush to turn the Lowcountry into a Bizzaro theme park, the natives in between became confused.

As long as real estate was moving, many were eager to increase their market share. The dulcet tones of “jobs, jobs, jobs” became a siren call for the reasonable. No mention of for whom -- be they construction workers from Charlotte or illegal aliens that mow the lawns for the condo regimes.

The economy hummed right along … until it didn’t. What most of the people who live here now don’t remember is that the natives remember a life before money, a time when Charleston was an old lady with threadbare clothes and a razor sharp wit, a time when one could walk down the street, see a friend on the porch and by the end of the night have all your friends from childhood laughing and talking into the night.

That Charleston is gone, due to the vagaries of age as much as anything else. What it has been replaced with is an artifice that increased taxes to the point that the natives could no longer hold onto the ancestral homes. Truth became spin.

What I find interesting in this shifting paradigm is that the state has become more intrusive as prosperity wanes into a memory. We natives were already punch-drunk from

being told that “We are changing things because it’s good for the City.” Not the people, mind you, -- the City.

I write a blog, and I got a lot of local feedback that I wasn’t sure I could use. I post this column on that blog, and last time was overwhelmed by native reaction.

A friend named Ed wrote, “I can always count on you for your take of things. Although we have separate but equal political views, I find with you, you never want to come to a battle of wit unarmed. I am not an original Charleston native. As you know, I was sent here by the Navy because this was the only town I had never been thrown out of. Now it is 24 years later and I still haven’t been thrown out. Of course His Highness, the mayor, still has time. Keep up the good work.”

A man named Don penned, “True journalism versus opinion - reading that masquerades for news these days is what you offer. Keep it up; it is preferable to the clank of sycophantic spurs in the public square.”

A lady whom I shall refer as “GiGi” wrote, “The Praying Mantis is in amber.

Only you can take the DNA out and document the last two decades of Charleston’s history ( 1950’s & 60’s) before someone let the secret out and sold our neighborhood and displaced our families.”

Another belle named Pat implored, “Do please keep informing newcomers about how unique Charleston was before the great Ohio migration, since it is barely distinguishable from any other Starbucks/Pottery Barn/GAP encrusted barnacle of a town. My grandparents would keel over in shock if they weren’t already dead. Long live Gullah!”

Our landmarks, our touchstones to the familiar, have been replaced by a contrived culture that translates into a shopping outlet on the beach..

The new Myrtle Beach has achieved an identity as “Biker Branson By the Sea.” New Charleston is bereft of any real identity.

The pineapple and fountain at Waterfront Park and the new Cooper River Bridge are landmarks corporate media use to foster a false sense of community. To us, the shrimp man and the flower ladies were Charleston. Twenty years ago, you would walk down Legare Street and say hello to everyone you saw, because you were so taught. In return, whether you knew them or not, the powerful and the meek would smile and return your greeting warmly. Today, one finds aloofness - a sense of entitlement that only new wealth engenders.

We old timers understood wealth. We understood that graciousness could not be bought. During our childhood, Charleston was still stripped of wealth by the occupation of a foreign power -- the ruins of an ill-advised war and 130 years of economic depression and grinding poverty were evident.

I like the “come-yas” as much as the “been-yas”. People all over the world have been lured by opportunity and climate. There’s a lot of valuable talent.

What I worry about is that new people have no sense of history – neither ours nor theirs, for that matter. The majority don’t know that Charleston sits on a violent earthquake fault. The lessons of Hugo were posted on the bulletin board, then the sand dunes were bulldozed to erect high-rise condos and somehow this was thought to be a good idea. What concerns me is that the people who moved recently will find that we are not Charlotte-by-the-Sea.

We are Charleston. We are a people who endured a lot of history together. We encourage you to join us, but we really don’t give a rat’s behind how you did it in Muncie.

22 March 6, 2009

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Do you know your charleston

Lady CharlestonBy DAviD FArrow

David Farrow.

Sweet tea never knew what hit it. On Wednesday, February 26, Scott Newitt

and Jim Irvins of Firefly Vodka revealed their new line of Sweet Tea vodkas to the world at Seel’s Fish Camp on Sullivan’s Island. Following the phenomenal success of Firefly’s Southern Sweet Tea, Scott and Jim decided to shake it up a little and created four new sweet teas, tailor-crafted to the Southern palate: Mint, Lemon, Raspberry and Peach.

The product release party was well-attended, with special guest MC Brooke from radio station 95 SX introducing The Bushels, a popular local bluegrass band, who debuted their original song “Sweet Tea”, written in memory of a night with the popular

beverage. The main feature of the event

was the Sweet Tea vodka pairings. Seel’s chef Mark Inscome outdid himself, pairing the Mint Sweet Tea vodka with a tomato, cucumber and feta cheese salad with mint vinaigrette, the Peach Sweet Tea with a marinated pork tenderloin with peach glaze, the Lemon Sweet Tea with pan seared scallops on Lowoucountry grit cakes and lemon dill compound and finally, the Raspberry Sweet Tea with raspberry cookies drizzled with a reduced raspberry glaze. “Everything chef Mark made was great,” said restaurant manager Robbie Morton. “We heard all night long that the food was spectacular and went well with the drinks.”

Speaking of drinks, the crew at Seel’s were just as creative with the mixes as they were with the dishes. With four new vodkas on hand, bartenders slung some delicious originals, including Peach on the beach, a blend of Peach Sweet Tea vodka with orange and cranberry juice; The Sweet Tea Mint Julep, with Mint Sweet Tea vodka, simple syrup and soda over muddled mint leaves and crushed ice; A Raspberry Chocolate Martini consisting of Raspberry Sweet Tea vodka and Godiva chocolate liqueur; and a Lemon Fizz, comprised of Sweet Tea Lemon vodka, triple sec, lime juice and sprite.

A silent auction of items from local businesses was also held during the event, with all of the proceeds going to Windwood Farms, a home for children in Awendaw which provides family-focused, community-centered therapeutic interventions for abused and neglected children. Donating businesses included Lucky Dog Publishing, Dunleavy's, Seel's, High Thyme, Café Medley, Body by Anne, Beauty and the Beach, Body Garden, the Island Eye, Charleston Water Sports and the Pearl Flower Shop.

A little over 100 people attended the release party and Seel’s raised close to $2,000 for Windwood Farms. “It went really well,” said Robert Morton. “Fantastic, really.”

Seel’s Fish Camp features live music from The Bushels every Thursday night and,

for the month of March, is offering a Friday Fish Fry which includes fried flounder, homemade hush puppies and “slawtastic” coleslaw.

For more information on Windwood Farms, visit www. windwoodfarm.org

www.islandeyenews.com

23March 6, 2009

Fireflys gather at Seel’s

Firefly's new raspberry flavor.

(left) Paige Weatherford and J.D. Phelps mixing concotions with the new Firefly flavors. (above clockwise) Robert Morton with Claire Slover and Molly Lasher sporting Firefly tatoos.