Just days after Hurricane Irene swept across our shores, The Charleston Bocce League ventured out to Folly Beach to commence their semi finals and finals for the season’s Championship Tournament. Upon arriving at the beach, it was all too clear that a major storm had just passed. The water line was up to the dunes and there were patches of dune grass strewn throughout the beach. Where 12 inches deep of deep soft white sand used to lie, the beach had been washed away and replaced by a hard, unforgiving black grit.

The ocean was still churning, murky at best, with gray foaming white caps. The clouds were dark and rain felt imminent. What used to be blue skies, white beaches and a bluish-green ocean was transformed into a muddled mixture of grays. Clearly, the mood was set for the final leg of the tournament.

First up in the semi-finals was our 2^nd season team Coach and K-Dog (Paul Stevens & Kevin Ward) currently the 4^th place seed entering the tournament, taking on the 1^st place seed and freshman team Balls to the Vol (Aaron Alexander & Slim). After the first couple of rounds Coach and K-Dog had a commanding lead up 3-0. But Balls to the Vol weren’t going to roll over and play dead. They fought back and took the lead with some impressive ball skills. A few unfortunate tosses by Coach and K-Dog were all it took to seal their fate as Balls to the Vol advanced to the finals.

Concurrently, the second leg of the semi-finals was being battled out by 2nd place seed and freshman team Bocce Bros (Matthew Johnson & Zach Carichiuta) taking on the 6th place seed and 2^nd season team Bocce and Bullwinkle (Katie & Adam Webb – yours truly). Unbeknownst to either team was the bocce battle that was about to ensue! Bocce and Bullwinkle, being the only coed team in the semi-finals, had something to prove. After two rounds Bocce and Bullwinkle were able to squeak a 2-1 lead, but it wouldn’t last long. Bocce Bros battled right back to take the lead at 3-2. Then some impressive skills and a good turn of luck led by Katie gave Bocce and Bullwinkle a commanding 6-3 lead (playing to 7). Bocce Bros had other plans however. A few key rounds with some defensive maneuvering and great tosses breathed new life into this game. After what must have been a 45 minute battle the Bocce Bros were able to take the lead and then the win with a 8-6 final score, moving on to the finals.

The battle for 3^rd place between Coach and K-Dog & Bocce and Bullwinkle was short and to the point. Bocce and Bullwinkle still pumping with adrenaline and fuming from their loss, they made short work of Coach and K-Dog. With 4 points in round 1 and 3 in round two Bocce and Bullwinkle secured 3^rd with a commanding 7-0 win.

The sun was setting as the finals began between Balls to the Vol and the Bocce Bros. It was a great spectacle to watch! Here were the two teams that rightfully belonged in the finals. Neither team had missed a single match out of the 42 played throughout the season, and neither team dropped below the top 3 for the season. It was truly a battle between the best and both were out to prove a point. The name of the game with these two teams is the long ball. If they had a motto it could be “go long or go home”.

Balls to the Vol started out strong, and after only a few rounds had a 3-0 lead. The Bocce Bros weren’t going to go out without a fight though. They fought hard and threw well to take the third round with a single point bringing the score to 3-1. Balls to the Vol wasn’t having it though and made the last two rounds game changers. You know it’s truly impressive to see these two teams toss a 107mm ball what must have been 30 plus yards at a target the size of a golf ball and land within 6 inches of it time and time again! But that’s exactly what happened, and Balls to the Vol showed a commanding presence with the last few rounds to close out the match with a 7-1 victory!

Loggerhead’s Beach Grill, this year’s league sponsor, hosted the award ceremony and the end of the year celebration. Balls to the Vol took the 1^st place trophy along with $300 prize money and ensured that the Charleston Bocce League Championship Trophy stayed another season on Folly Beach! Bocce Bros took the 2^nd place trophy and $200 prize money followed by Bocce and Bullwinkle in 3^rd place with $100. Also honored was The Good, The Bad, The Bocce (Vanessa During & Chad Garrett) for the Baddest Ballers and Bocce Said She Was 18 Officer (Will Phillips & Bart Smith) for best team name! All in all it was a great end to another successful season for the Charleston Bocce League.

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Oceana volunteers on Folly Beach recreate a scene from last year's gulf oil spill to encourage ocean conservation efforts.

Provided by Jan Brewington, Oceana Organizer

Conservation group Oceana hosted a mock oil spill on Folly Beach this past April 20 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster. Local residents and volunteers helped stage the event, which was also attended by Folly Beach Mayor Pro-Tem Laura Dukes Beck and Surfrider Charleston Chapter President, Marty Morganello.

Volunteers clad in hazardous material clean-up suits went through the motions of cleaning a fake spill site, in what amounted to an all-too-familiar reminder of the footage from last year’s actual clean-up.

Laura Dukes Beck spoke to the gathered crowd with the message, “What if it happened here at Folly Beach?” “We have to jealously guard our beautiful beaches”, she said.

The message was that offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous, with calls to immediately transition from a dirty energy past to a clean energy future. James Island High School students from Michelle Lee’s Environmental Studies classes gave up a day of their spring break to stage the mock oil spill. Student Taylor Stubbs, an ocean lifeguard on Folly, said, “If it happened here, my entire life would be affected. I grew up here; I practically live on the beach.”

Oceana supports offshore wind in South Carolina as a viable alternative to offshore drilling, and demonstrated this by planting replica wind turbines throughout the scene. In a telling display, the turbines spun effortlessly in the coastal breeze. Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Since 2001, they have protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures.

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On a day when the weather forecast was calling for possible thunderstorms and windy conditions, the grounds of the newly renovated Sol Legare Seashore Farmers’ Lodge Museum and Cultural Center were sheathed in a vast blanket of blue. The once-dilapidated building was celebrated in its fully restored glory on the early afternoon of Saturday, April 16,^, with food, re-enactments, speeches and a swell of community pride.

After two years of hard work, sweat, donations, volunteerism, and teamwork by a collection of persevering individuals, the Sol Legare community – and all those who contributed to the building’s resurrection – finally had their day in the sun.

A crowd filled with faces and voices of days past, mixed with the laughter and enthusiasm of Sol Legare’s future, gathered beneath an open tent and listened as Lonnie Gilliard offered a prayer. The 90-year-old Gilliard referred to his childhood days, when the Lodge was in its infant years and stood strong. Also on hand for the opening was energetic Mamie Ruth Chavis, who, at 90 years old, was seen dancing later that afternoon to the DJ’s techno beat. Lucinda Singleton, also 90, sat alongside Mamie in the front row, with a contagious smile and hearty laugh that engaged anyone within sight and sound of her.

Dignitaries and local political figures followed Mr. Gilliard at the podium, including renowned Gullah Geechee preservationist Dr. Emory S. Campbell of Hilton Head, Sol Legare resident and Lodge activist Ernest Parks, and present day Lodge president and long time Sol Legare resident, Edward Wilder, Jr.

Following Edward Wilder at the podium was his cousin Bill “Cubby” Wilder, who was born in Sol Legare and served as a James Island City Councilman. Much credit is given to Cubby as the man who persuaded the James Island City Council to contribute the initial funds to help rebuild the Seashore Farmer’s Lodge in the amount of $50,000.

Mayors Bill Woolsey of James Island and Folly Beachs’ own Tim Goodwin also offered their sentiments. “It’s a jewel of James

Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin in attendance at the Sol Legare Grand Opening.

Island and Sol Legare,” Mayor Woolsey remarked.

Folly Beach resident Mike Riffert and Vance Sudano were on hand as the contractors who volunteered their expertise to analyze and oversee the miracle of transforming a collection of century-old beaten boards, panels, and wooden structures from the brink of collapse intoto the solid building it is today. Corie Hipp, who started with the Sol Legare project back in its infancy, was instrumental in seeing the Lodge through its rebirth. “If it weren’t for Corie, we would still be working on the foundation,” said Arthur Wilder, another major project contributor.

The highlight of the opening remarks came when Michael Bedenbaugh, a representative of The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, presented Ernest Parks with a plaque honoring the Sol Legare Seashore Farmers Lodge Museum and Cultural Center as the recipient of the South Carolina Historic Preservation 2011 Honor award. Many apply for this award every year, but only five are fortunate enough to earn this recognition. The board selected the Sol Legare Lodge unanimously.

The Lodge was also presented with the 2011 Preserving Our Places in History Project award from The SC African American Heritage Commission earlier this year.  Finally, the moment all were waiting for took place as Edward Wilder, Ernest Parks and Bill “Cubby” Wilder, all with scissors in hand, stepped forth and cut a red ribbon to make the grand opening of the Lodge official.

The audience then shifted its attention towards the road that runs along side of the newly opened Museum as Ernest Parks, James Brown, Donald West and Donnel Singleton, in the blue Union jackets of the Massachusetts 54th, prepared their muskets alongside Luke Sollitt, William Shabrough and John Holl of the Citadel Living History Society, who represented the grey coats of the Confederate troops. The two small groups then reenacted the very first scrimmages ever to take place between Confederate soldiers and a Union regiment made up entirely of black troops. It also marked the first time all-black troops had defeated Confederate troops.

Re-enactor Ramona LaRouche sat on the Lodge porch, dressed as Suzi King Taylor, a nurse who took care of the Massachusettes 54^th, and taught the soldiers how to read and write while they camped at Sol Legare. Betty Brown sat across from her, dressed as famous heroine Harriet Tubman, whose underground railroad once trailed through this part of James Island.

The final re-enactment performed was by Ernest Parks and James Brown, who presented the final part of a three-act dramatization called The Ghosts of Sol Legare. This moving and stirring act recalls Charleston in 1959, when African-American workers were fired from their positions at the Medical University of South Carolina after protesting the unfair conditions in which they worked.

Food was served throughout the entire celebration. Visitors walked in and out of the Museum, friends and neighbors embraced, and all visitors were warmly welcomed. The American colors with the inscription “54^th Regiment, Massachusetts Vol.” adorned on it snapped in the breeze as it stood in front of an encampment scene staged on the front lawn.

To assure the following generations of Sol Legare linage have their Culture Center and Museum for many years to come, Ernest Parks and Corie Hipp are already looking ahead at ways in which the only museum on all of James Island can sustain itself. It is now open for tours and is available as a conference and meeting space. To visit or inquire, call 327-2213 or email sollegare@gmail.com.

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Brian Eichelman, manager of McKevlin’s Surf Shop, and team rider Bryant Thomas are putting Folly Beach surfing back on the map. Over the past year, the two have been hard at work filming and editing footage taken during last year’s hurricane season swell on Folly. The end product is a completely local surf film and includes the several key spots that make Folly Beach unique to other Southeastern beach breaks.

“It all started after Bryant was uploading these viral videos on the Internet. He is one of our team riders, and it was getting to the point that he was uploading them everyday, with us following,” says Eichelman. This included the viral video “May Day,” which piqued owner Tim McKevlin’s interest in Thomas’ videos.

With the purchase of a new camera, their project was soon underway. McKevlin’s was a key element in this film’s creation, but support was given by local business Surf Bar, and media outlets Eastern Surf Magazine and the City Paper. Nationally, surf companies Analog and O’Neill have already endorsed Waves in Our Pocket.

To start their project, the boys set out to some of the premiere surf spots along the Southeast, primarily around North Carolina’s Outer Banks. When they arrived back home they began filming and five months later, the boys lucked out. The hurricane swell that came through mid-summer glued Thomas to his camera for hours, not allowing him to surf the swell he was dying to get in. “He got footage of people pulling out crazy stuff – pulling out of barrels and huge airs,” says Eichelman. “The word got out that he was out there, and people would stay calm in the shop, but head directly to the line up, tending to show-off when they got out there. It definitely paid off.”

Thomas did most of the filming and editing, but he also received help from his two brothers, Robert and Ellison, who assisted in some of the filming and marketing aspects of the production. Heading up the music for the film is Chad Davis, a go-to surf flick music producer who has worked on a lot of Taylor Steele’s movies. Matt Helen, another Taylor Steele veteran, worked on the duplication and packaging of the film.

Waves in Our Pocket premiered at the American Theater Downtown on March 26. There will be a free screening tomorrow, April 2, off of W. Cooper St. and Surf Bar starting at 7 p.m. Tickets to the event are free, and can be picked up at the Surf Bar or McKevlin’s Surf Shop.

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This year’s fashion show line-up will include collections from MEW, Mamie Ruth, Krista Beth Huff, and Clewis Reed. 10 Cane Rum will also be at the show, so be sure to get a signature cocktail. The event went extremely well last year, and the fashion show this year will include emerging designers who gained recognition during fashion week last year. Come out and support your local designers.

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Residents of Folly Beach will help the Kervins this Sunday, February 20, with a gala benefit at the Tides Hotel, starting at 3 p.m. For $25, attendees will get prime oysters from Crosby’s, sizzling barbecue from the Folly Beach Crab Shack, beer from Pearlstine’s, and music from some great local bands. All of the proceeds will go to the Kervins.

There will also be a silent auction with some unusual prizes: a parasail trip, a gym membership, a wedding or commitment ceremony, a last will and testament, an eye exam, a private yoga session, and more. And there will be drawings for a door prize which will be a massage by Nancy Kervin.

The Kervins need every bit of it. “We lost everything – furniture, clothes, Christmas presents, even our bird,” said Kervin, a well-known massage therapist who is trying to keep her business together as she moves from place to place, rebuilding their lives.

The Kervins have lived on Folly for 15 years, and hope to stay here. “I love Folly, and wouldn’t want to raise my daughter anywhere else,” Kervin said.

“Folly is a close-knit community that reaches out to those in need,” said Ron Hill, owner-operator of the Folly Beach Crab Shack and the man who worked with other businesses to contribute to the benefit.

“Come on out at 3 p.m. on February 20 to celebrate the Folly spirit with your neighbors,” he said. “Let Nancy and her daughter know that the Folly community cares, and enjoy a wonderful afternoon.”

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From the sophisticated seared diver scallop, porcini mushroom risotto at The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn to the savory seafood platter at the family-owned Starfish Grille, participating restaurants range from elegant dining rooms to more casual establishments. Tickets are not required; however, reservations are strongly advised. Menus vary at every restaurant.

Restaurants offering three courses for $20 include Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Charleston Crab House, Daniel Island Grille, FISH, Folly Beach Crab Shack, Hyman’s Seafood Company, J.Paul’z, Gilligan’s, Locklear’s Lowcountry Grill, Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurant, North Towne Grill and Seafood, Old Towne Grill and Seafood, Palmetto Ale House, Queen Anne’s Revenge, Social Restaurant +Wine Bar, Southend Brewery & Smokehouse, Starfish Grille, Sunfire Grill, T-Bonz on North Market Street, T-Bonz on Old Towne Road, Tabbuli Grill, Toast of Charleston, Vespa Pizza, Wild Wing Café Downtown, Wild Wing Café Market at Oakland, Wild Wing Café North Charleston, Wild Wing Café on Coleman and Zeus Grill.

Restaurants offering three courses for $30 include 82 Queen, Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar, Atlanticville, Bambu, Bocci’s Italian Restaurant, Blossom, Blu Restaurant & Bar, Boathouse at Breach Inlet,Carolina’s, Charleston Grill, Circa 1886, Cypress, Eurasia Café & Wine Bar, Firewater Grille, Fleet Landing, Grill 225, Hall’s Chophouse,High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill, Hucks Lowcountry Table, Husk,Iacofano’s, Il Cortile del Re, La Fourchette, Lana, Liberty Tap Room,Magnolia’s Uptown Down South, McCrady’s Restaurant, Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar, Oak Steakhouse, Oscar’s of Summerville, O-Ku, Old Village Post House, Palm Tree Grille at the Embassy Suites Airport Convention Center, Pearlz on East Bay Street, Pearlz on Magnolia Road, Red Drum Gastropub, Red’s Ice House Bohicket Marina, Red’s Ice House Shem Creek, Rice Market, Rita’s Seaside Grille, Saffire at the Charleston Marriott, Slightly North of Broad, Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar, The Atlantic Room at the Ocean Course, The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn, The Jasmine Porch at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Library at Vendue Inn, The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Tristan and Wentworth Grill.

To continue whetting appetites, the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association’s annual Oyster Festival is slated for January 30, 2011, a wonderful epilogue for Restaurant Week. For more information please visit www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.

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Approximately one year ago, the City received approval from Charleston County to explore a project to alleviate drainage issues on West Ninth Street, move several ditches and pipes, and realign Red Sunset Lane so that it falls onto the City owned right-of-way. As a final step in gathering public input on this project, the Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on Monday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers.

All residents are encouraged to attend this meeting and offer their testimony in support or in opposition to this project. If you have any questions about the details of the proposed project you may contact Steve Robinson, Director of Public Works at 513-1832. Maps of the proposed realignment are also available at City Hall for viewing.

Thank You,
Aaron Pope, AICP

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Please bring canned goods to donate to the Lowcountry Food Bank. Prepare yourself for a warm, meaningful and fun time as we share, reflect and offer thanks for all of our countless blessings!

TURKEY SHOOT

Almost every year since 1961, the Folly Beach Department of Public Safety has hosted a turkey shoot for residents of Folly Beach. This year’s turkey shoot will be held in the Folly River Park beginning on Friday, October 29. The event will be held every Friday and Saturday night from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. beginning on October 29 and running through November 20 and will also be held on November 22, 23 and 24. Members of the Volunteer Fire Department will be running the event. The Department of Public Safety will provide ammunition, but those wishing to participate in the turkey shoot should bring their own guns. Shooters will aim at a paper target with an X in the middle. Volunteer Fireman Brian Porter, who is coordinating the event, said the winner of the 14-pound turkey will be the shooter who gets the one pellet that is determined to be closest to the middle of the X.

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Celebrate a Lowcountry tradition at Charleston’s most beloved nighttime holiday event – the Holiday Festival of Lights! With over two million shimmering lights, this three-mile driving tour brings more light displays year after year, with over 700 shining displays this season. Beginning November 12, 2010 and continuing through January 2, 2011, gather family and friends to capture the magic of the holiday season at James Island County Park.

Stroll through Santa’s Village and see the meticulously hand-crafted holiday sand sculpture constructed with 50-tons of sand; view sugary structures entered in the gingerbread house competition; shop at Santa’s Attic and the Incredible Gift Shoppe for hand-crafted goodies from local artisans; spoil your sweet tooth at Santa’s Sweet Shoppe, Frosty’s Treats or the Northpole Diner; make s’mores at the marshmallow roasting pits, and hop aboard the train for an up-close look at the light displays. Plus, enjoy nightly entertainment featuring bands, storytellers and much more. Wander over to Winter Wonderland, where a traditional 18-animal carousel ride whirls you around. Don’t miss the giant four-by-eight foot holiday card designs created by local school students as part of the annual holiday art competition, and be sure to stop at the Family Activity Tent, where kids are invited to take part in the new Light Display Design Contest for a chance to win waterpark passes for next summer!

For more information, including event hours and fees, call 843-795-4386 or visit www.holidayfestivaloflights.com.

Holiday Festival of Lights special events calendar

November 12: Opening Night Awards Ceremony and Tree Lighting, following by a live performance by Lowcountry Power Brass. 7 to 9 p.m.

December 1, 8, 15 & 22: Family Activity Tent presented by the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. Kids can create and enjoy free arts and crafts at the tent located in Winter Wonderland. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

December 1, 8 & 15: Santa Paws. Bring your furry best friend to meet and have a picture taken with Santa Claus. Donate pet food and receive 15% off the price of a photo package. Food to benefit a local animal shelter.

December 2: Movie Night. Grab a chair and a warm blanket to see “ELF”. No fee for movie. Show times are 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the Main Stage in Winter Wonderland.

December 3: Holiday Balloon Art. 6 to 8 p.m.

December 4: The Cooper School Choir featuring the Hungry Monks. 6 to 9 p.m.

December 5, 10, 14, 17 & 21: Mrs. Claus Storytelling. 6 to 9 p.m.

December 6, 11 & 18: Lowcountry Power Brass performance. 7 to 9 p.m.

December 7 & 12: Hungry Monk Music. 6 to 9 p.m.

December 9: Movie Night. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Show times are 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. in Winter Wonderland.

December 13 & 20: Franklin Hodge and band perform Christmas music. 6 to 9 p.m.

December 16: Movie Night. “Happy Feet.” Show times are 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Winter Wonderland.

December 19: Palmetto Bronze Handbell Choir. 6 to 9 p.m.

December 23: Holiday Balloon Art. 6 to 8 p.m.

December 31: Winter Carnival. This one-night carnival features inflatables, games, mechanical rides, a carousel, climbing wall, and a 9 p.m. fireworks show! $10 wristbands will be for sale at the Winter Carnival for unlimited rides on most attractions (does not include train). Single tickets are a $1 and most rides will cost about three tickets.

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