The 5th Annual Charleston International Film Festival (CIFF) presented by Charliewood Pictures, will kick off Opening Night on April 11 at the Sottile Theatre. A reception with Mayor Riley will begin the evening from 5-7 p.m., with Sundance Award winning film ‘Robot and Frank’ immediately following.

Films of all lengths and genres will be showcased from the Lowcountry and across the globe at Sottile Theatre and Cinebarre, including an outdoor screening under the stars. There is also a screenplay competition, nightly after-parties, and an awards gala.

This year, CIFF is working in cooperation with Mark Bryan and Carolina Studios to announce a “Stuff the Music Bus” art supply drive in support of Yo Art! Carolina Studios provides at-risk students with a creative outlet outside of the public school system by giving them the opportunity to write and record their own original compositions in their Charleston-based studio on wheels, allowing for a natural organic cooperation between the groups. Yo Art provides children living in public housing and attending Title One schools the opportunity to explore their aptitude in the arts by ensuring that they have access to the proper art supplies, and education to do so. The group is working in eight public schools that are predominately in low income districts and they are filling the gap where funding has diminished for art related education.

“Our programs expand on the arts by relating to global and local issues such as recycling, good nutritional habits and community service,” says Gene Furchgott, founder of Yo Art.

Local artist Douglas Panzone will also be on site painting a street mural live during the festival. In addition, the SC Film Commission presents the Young Filmmakers Project on Saturday April 14, at 11 a.m. at the Sottile Theatre. The Young Filmmakers Project gets kids out into state parks across S.C., learning creatively through media arts.

“The union between Yo Art, Carolina Studios, SC Film Commission and the Charleston International Film Festival is the perfect collaboration to expose at risk kids and teens to traditional art, music, and film and we are proud to be a part of it.” says Ron Krauskopf, Marketing Director for CIFF..

The Carolina Studios Bus will be parked outside of the theater each day during the festival, April 11-15, and will be available for people to tour and admire. It will be parked outside the theaters at these specific times: Sottile Theater: Wednesday & Friday 5-7PM, Saturday 11AM-7PM. Cinebarre: Thursday 5-7PM, and Sunday 11AM-5PM.

Get a glimpse of the bus at CarolinaStudios.net. Anyone leaving art supplies behind during their bus tour will receive a coupon for $5 admission to any CIFF film block throughout the festival. Please provide only newly-purchased art supplies.

Tickets for CIFF are available online at CharlestonIFF.com or by contacting the CIFF office at (843) 817- 1617. Price per screening block is $10.00, but special promotions and giveaways will be done through CIFF’s Facebook & Twitter pages. Festival passes are available good for access to all screenings, panels and parties (excluding the awards dinner) for $99.

For more information on Yo Art go to YoArtInc.org. For more information on Carolina Studios go to CarolinaStudios.net. For more information on the Young Filmmakers Project and SC Film Commission go to FilmSC.com. 

Share on Facebook

On a perfect St. Patrick’s Day Saturday on Folly Beach, Charleston SUP Safaris and Flipper Finders hosted the First Annual Shamrock SUP Race, raising $600 for Pet Helpers and the Emerson Rose Heart Foundation. Congratulations to division winners Caroline Rossi, Bubba Catoe, Sammi Arnold, and Tyler Cross.

Share on Facebook

A sand sculpting competition is part of the fun at the Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival.

The 2012 Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival will take place the weekend of Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. Center Street will be shut down at 8 a.m. March 24 and the arts, crafts and food vendors and non-profits will open their booths at 10 a.m.

At 11:30 a.m., the street party and live music will get kicked off on the Follywood Stage by Reid Stone and Jeff Davis of Guilt Ridden Troubadour, followed by the Folly Beach Bluegrass Society from 12:50-1:50 p.m., and the Shakin’ Martinis from 2:10-3:10 p.m. Concrete Jumpsuit will close the festival down on that stage from 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Meanwhile on the Chill & Grill Stage (the main stage), Champagne & Friends will get things rolling at noon and play until 12:50 p.m., followed by Weigh Station from 1:10-2:10 p.m., Jupiter’s Garden featuring James Justin Burke from 2:30-3:30 p.m., and Stereo Reform will bring it home from 3:50-5:00 p.m.

The Folly Art Guild will also be holding its Tides of March Festival in the Folly River Park on Saturday.

Sunday the festival will continue with the Folly Wahine Surfing Competition and the Folly Beach Now Sand Sculpting Competition. The day will culminate with the East Coast Party Band concert at the Tides Resort.

This festival is free and open to the public, and there will be nearly 100 street vendors offering arts, crafts, clothing, concessions, children’s games, silent auctions plus much more.

The Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival is presented by the Folly Association of Business, Follywood Productions and Blue Planet Green Events. More information can be found online at www.follybeachseaandsand.com.

Coordinators for the event are now accepting sponsorship and vendor applications, volunteer sign-up forms, silent auction items, etc.. To donate a gift for the silent auction, sign up as a sponsor or vendor, contact Toni Reale at toni.reale@gmail.com. For more information about the music lineup for this year, contact Ben Bounds at follywoodrocks@gmail.com. To join the Folly Art Guild, contact Andie Weathers at andiew@earthlinnk.net or Kerry Hupp at kerryhupp@bellsouth.net. To sign up for the Wahine Surfing Competition, contact Nancy Hussey at nancy@follywahine.com. To pre-register for the Sand Sculpting Competition, contact Vince Perna at vperna@dunesproperties.com.

Share on Facebook

Introduction: The Club provides a forum for the candidates to present their positions to voters and respond to brief written questions. The location is the Community Center and commences at 7 P.M. Tuesday, February 21^st. The Club invites as many of the voters/residents to attend as can fit safely in the room.

Process

The Vice President will give a brief welcome.

The moderator will read the biography and the candidate has no more than 4 minutes to speak. There will be a time keeper

After the speeches there will be a refreshment interval. Snacks and soft drinks will be provided.

On reconvening the moderator will read out a question for the candidate. The candidates have one timed minute to reply.

This process will be repeated until either it is time for the meeting to end or the questions become exhausted.

Rules for Questions:

THERE ARE FIVE (5) CANDIDATES SO TIME WILL BE SHORT. QUESTIONS MUST BE SHORT AND CAPABLE OF SHORT ANSWERS.

• must be LEGIBLE and Signed;
• must be a question not a statement;
• must not be defamatory;
• to be used, the author of a question must be present;

Production of Questions

Email questions received before the meeting and questions deposited in a question box at the library ( 12^th March onwards) or handed in at the door will be reviewed for use. Note cards and pencils will be provided. The question cards will be collected and sorted by Club Volunteers. The same Three (?) questions considered of prime importance to the community, created by the Civic Club, will be asked in random order of each candidate. This will allow voters to compare candidates’ answers to the same question.

THERE WILL BE MORE QUESTIONS SUBMITTED THAN THERE WILL BE TIME TO ANSWER SO PLEASE REALIZE YOUR QUESTION MAY NOT GET ASKED.

Library requirements

The room has to be returned for library use so the audience will be asked to allow the club members to restack the chairs and set out the tables for the next day by 10 P.M

DJ Rich

DJ Rich

Dear Friends and Neighbors-

It has been an honor to serve you on Folly Beach City Council, and I look forward to our bright future together. As your representative, I am constantly working with not only other members of our Council, but elected officials statewide, to ensure Folly Beach has the best present and future possible, while learning lessons from our past. You can’t know where you are going without knowing where you have been, and keeping our rich history and heritage should be a top priority.

We have met many of our goals, and our island is in a great place right now. We are very healthy financially, have a thriving business district, new-look police department, more green space and parks. We updated building codes to lower flood insurance, strengthened our Beach Management Patrol, and brought police dispatch back to Folly Beach. Overall, our City has improved significantly over the past 2 years (please visit VOTETEAMDJ.com for more info), and I look forward to new challenges in the future.

As we work towards these goals, we need input from you. This is your island and your future as well, and we need to hear from you on making our island a better place to live. Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions or concerns (djforfolly@yahoo.com). Your vote for me on April 3^rd will ensure that we keep a cohesive Council, working together without mediation, while keeping Folly’s history alive. Thank you for your time and support. 

Sandy Hickman

Sandy Hickman

I am Sandy Hickman, and I am asking you for your support on April 3rd in my bid for city council. I was born and raised on East Erie, where I currently reside with my husband, Ken. Both my parents, Marcia and Angus Smith, were involved in the Folly community. My father was a Volunteer Fireman and Civic Club member. My mother is known by many as the “Bread Lady” for the Sandbar Restaurant. My daughter, Veronica Bolus, was also born and raised here on Folly and is active in the surfing community. I am a Board Member of the Folly Exchange Club where my, brother, Angus, is also currently the President. I am in the process of retiring so I can devote more time to Folly.

I have seen many changes take place here on Folly Beach. The present Council and Mayor are taking Folly in the right direction. Folly Beach has always been a laid back town and I believe it should remain that way for years to come. In order for this to occur, we all must be respectful and considerate of each other in our community as well as visitors. The stress of the day melts away as I approach Folly. “There’s no place like HOME”! I am available to speak to any and all of my fellow Folly Beachers. I can be reached at 437-0340 or sandi4council@yahoo.com.

Tom Scruggs

Tom Scruggs

My links to Folly Beach are broad and deep. I operated the “Twister” at the old amusement park, and helped run Folly Bingo (later the Islanders Shag Club and now Taco Boy). When I wasn’t working, I was either surfing or listening to awesome bands on the old pier. After graduating from James Island High School, I earned a business degree from the University of South Carolina and served in the U.S. Air Force.

In 2000 my wife Sandy and I became permanent residents of Folly Beach. I retired last March from my career as a human resources and risk management specialist (managing compensation, benefits and training programs, workers compensation and safety, and finding personnel for key positions all over the country). I’ve been working part-time on our Beach Management Patrol, helping to keep our beach and streets litter-free and serving as an “ambassador” for our city.

Our son Matt and his wife live on James Island and our daughter Carla lives in North Carolina with her husband and child. My sister Sandra Boyd lives on Folly Beach and my twin brother Tim lives in Hanahan.

I’m a member of the Folly Beach Civic Club, member/past president of the Islanders Shag Club, an Elder for James Island Presbyterian Church. Sandy and I continue to help with the FB Halloween Carnival and “Save the Light” (Morris Island Lighthouse Preservation).

If you elect me, I’ll put my personnel, finance, and planning experience to good use for Folly Beach.

Sincerely, Tom Scruggs

Eddie Ellis

Eddie Ellis

Hi! I’m Eddie Ellis. Thank-you for electing me two terms. In 2004, I promised to vote no to a property tax increase, and an increase in zoning density. In 2008, again I pledged those promises, and “to work to keep Folly a laid back residential community”. I kept my promises! If re-elected, I promise the same. Therefore, I’m asking for your vote on April 3. Please vote for me!

Serving entails more than simply voting no. I have provided fiscal responsibility and looked out for the taxpayer. In 2007, I reduced the property tax increase by $114,000. I improved the sewer finances by eliminating the $60,000 yearly PILOT, which was draining our sewer reserves. Moving forward, I want to work to establish a utilities capital improvement plan, and an infrastructure reserve. I know the city finances, and I’m confident I can serve to provide fiscal integrity, and work against property tax increases.

Legislation I introduced and passed PROHIBITS any further CONDO DEVELOPMENT, and reduces development density. Other legislation prohibits any further increase in beachfront commercialism, and limits transient vendors in our business district. I REFUSE to let Folly be a CASH COW!

Effectiveness takes working with others. I opposed County Consolidated Dispatch, and worked to overturn it. It took perseverance and cooperation from others to return our dispatchers. I’m experienced, effective, and as a graduate of MASC Elected Official’s Institute, I’m educated. Most important, I can work with mayor, council, and staff. That’s what it takes – and your vote – so please do! Contact : 588-9595 or eddie.ellis@comcast.net.


Share on Facebook

Narrowing down the entries to the top three was a tough job for our three judges, but they did their best. We wish we could publish them all.

If you sent the Folly Current physical copies of your photos, they’ll be available to pick up from Marlene Estridge at City Hall on March 19. The winners will be contacted with their prizes — gift certificates to the Brick House Kitchen and to Cinebarre.

Thanks again to everyone who entered, and look out for the 2013 contest coming next December.

ABOUT THE JUDGES

Hunter McRae is a professional photographer based in Charleston, specializing in  weddings. She worked for seven years as a photojournalist in Boulder, Colorado Springs, and the Savannah Morning News before moving home to Charleston. Her work can be seen at www.huntermcrae.com

Justin Morris photographs to explore his creative side. “Photography is a never ending road and there is always something new to learn or shoot, which I really love,” he says. His work can be seen at www.follyhood.blogspot.com

Lindsey Graham works as a wildlife photographer specializing in birds. “I am always striving to capture subjects in motion,” she says. “Those split seconds highlight fascinating detail and movement you wouldn’t normally be able to see with the naked eye.” Her work can be seen at www.facebook.com/FlyWayPhotos

BEST SHOT BY A FOLLY BEACH RESIDENT

FIRST PLACE

St. Hilda’s Abbey, Whitby, England

John Appleby

The judges felt that overall, this photograph told a story, between the sky, the castle, and the pond. “You can see the wind. There’s a lot of depth,” says Lindsey. “There’s color popping off of everything,” says Justin. Hunter appreciated how the viewer’s eyes are led in a flow around the photograph.

SECOND PLACE

Dog and Kayaks

Jim Crow

“This gave me an emotion. It’s a simple, nice idea,” says Hunter. Justin liked the simplicity of the two kayaks, and liked that the boats were solid colors without writing — “that would have taken away from the composition.” It made Lindsey yearn for summertime.

THIRD PLACE

Sailor’s Delight

Diana Joan Vincent

“This is a tough picture to get,” says Lindsey. “The boat is exposed nicely and the background isn’t blown out.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Prayers in the Wind, Japan

Diana Joan Vincent

The judges found this photo striking and intriguing, partially due to the mystery of what they were seeing.

BEST PICTURE TAKEN AT FOLLY BEACH

FIRST PLACE

Beach Crossover

Raphael Koenig

The dramatic color of this picture led the judges to believe it was an HDR photograph. Justin admired the vivid, sea-warped lines in the wood. “Your lines lead you to the guy at the end,” says Hunter. “Your eyes know right where to go.”

SECOND PLACE

Sunrise on the Pier

Bill Noel

“Simultaneously dramatic and peaceful and a beautiful image all around of Folly Beach,” says Hunter, pointing out that the photographer took a cliché image and creatively gave it life.” Justin was impressed with the timing capturing the angle of the sun, and the ability to capture the right exposure.

THIRD PLACE

Magical Kayaking

Jan Buffington

The judges were immediately moved by the proximity of the photographer to the dolphin, giving them a feeling that they were in the water with the animal. “It’s hard to capture that split second when they emerge, and to get it while the sun is setting is impressive,” says Lindsey.

HONORABLE MENTION

Tide Pool

Raphael Koenig

“You can tell the photographer was trying to be creative with viewpoints, layering the image,” says Hunter. Koenig, a German exchange student who vacationed on Folly Beach with his host family, took the image before sunset on the beach.

Share on Facebook

Based out of Greenville, SC, The Bad Popes are a five-piece ensemble consisting of Jef Chandler (guitar, vocals), Charles Hedgepath (guitar, vocals), Chris Garrett (bass), Mike Bagwell (pedal steel), and Joe Cash (drums). All veterans of the South Carolina music scene, The Bad Popes have been playing as a unit since 2002, with Joe Cash coming on board in 2010. Adept in many different styles of music that fall under the umbrella term Americana, the band plays everything from Western Swing in the manner of Bob Wills to rock in the spirit of the Allman Brothers to straight up country material like Hank Williams, Sr. Featuring original material as well as select covers, The Bad Popes showcase the dueling leads of Mike Bagwell and Charles Hedgepath, and the rhythm section of Chandler, Garrett, and Cash. Having released their eponymous debut CD in 2009, the Bad Popes are currently touring to support their latest release Town and Country, which was released in 2012.

The Bad Popes will be performing at the Surf Bar on Folly Beach on Saturday, March 24 at 9 p.m. For more information on the show and the band check out http://www.badpopes.com/

Share on Facebook

Are you an artist who enjoys creating works that convey the “look and feel” of the lowcountry’s unique life, culture, or environment? If so, then the Griffith/Reyburn Lowcountry Artist Award of Coastal Community Foundation invites you to submit your application for their annual grant. This $5,000 grant is intended to support the artist during the creation of a work of art, which will then be the personal property of the artist to keep, show, or sell at his or her own discretion. This is the ninth year of what is expected to be an annual competition.

Applicants must be citizens or residents of Charleston County in South Carolina and must be at least fifteen years of age. The proposed work of art may be done in oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, drawing, or a combination of those media, or it may be a work of three-dimensional fine art sculpture. Specific guidelines and applications may be downloaded from the Community Foundation website at www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org or requested directly from richard@coastalcommunityfoundation.org. The application must be postmarked on or before March 15, or hand-delivered to the Foundation’s office downtown at 635 Rutledge Avenue, Suite 201 no later than 5:30 p.m. on March 16, 2012.

There will be an open meeting to give prospective artists the opportunity to ask questions about this award at the Community Foundation’s office at 635 Rutledge Avenue, Suite 201 on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Seating will be limited, so please contact Richard Hendry, Program Officer, at richard@coastalcommunityfoundation.org or 723-3635 if you wish to attend.

Share on Facebook

“Serena is one of the most popular and recognizable athletes in the world, as well as an overwhelming fan-favorite at this event,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome another former champion to our player field as we prepare to celebrate our 40^th year in women’s professional tennis.”

Throughout her illustrious 17-year career, Williams has made an indelible mark on the sport of tennis. With 39 singles titles, including thirteen majors – the most among active players, this 30-year-old superstar has notched 501 singles victories. She leads the WTA with over $34.8 million in career earnings, the most of any female tennis player in history, and more than any other female athlete in any sport. Williams has also won Olympic gold for the USA in doubles (w/ Venus Williams) at the 2000 and 2008 games.

In 2012, Williams reached the quarterfinals at Brisbane and the fourth round at the Australian Open. Her 2011 season was highlighted by singles titles at Stanford and Toronto, a fourth round result at Wimbledon, and a finals appearance at the US Open. She also captured the US Open Series Championship with an 18-2 US Open Series record.

“The Family Circle Cup’s 40th year celebration is an important milestone in women’s tennis,” said Serena Williams. “This tournament has a key place in history, so I’m always happy to compete in Charleston.”

Williams has made five previous appearances in Charleston where she accumulated $336,540 in prize money, boasts a 12-4 record, and returns to this event with an active five-match win streak in progress, stemming from her 2008 Cup championship. Her Charleston earnings rank her at No. 7 among all-time Family Circle Cup money leaders.

“I’ve always loved Charleston. The fans are very knowledgeable, and the intimate atmosphere makes this tournament one of my favorites,” added Williams.

Cultivating her philanthropic influence, Williams opened a much-needed secondary school in Kenya in 2008. Her efforts to bring education to as many children as possible remains an ongoing initiative through the Serena Williams Foundation, which provides collegiate and entrepreneurial grants to high school students entering college and trade schools, as well as aspiring business owners. She has also become a co-founder of MISSION Skincare™ (missionskincare.com), the first line of products designed by elite athletes designed to meet the demands that athletes face during training and competition. MISSION Skincare™ product sales support the Serena Williams Foundation.

On September 20, 2011, Williams was appointed as UNICEF’s newest international Goodwill Ambassador, where she will use her popularity and personal interest in children’s issues to support UNICEF’s mission to provide a quality education for the most vulnerable children through the Schools for Africa program and the upcoming Schools for Asia initiatives. More information is available on her official web site at SerenaWilliams.com.

For information on Ticket Packages, Individual Session Tickets, Travel Packages, Team Getaways, visit FamilyCircleCup.com/Tickets.

Share on Facebook

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.

Share on Facebook

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.

Share on Facebook