A suspect who walked out on a $230 bar tab at the Surf Bar about 1:00 a.m. on 1/21 has not been apprehended, according to Folly Beach police. He and a male friend were last seen driving off at a fast rate of speed in a white Ford pick-up truck. If caught, they will be charged with embezzlement.

He seemed like such a nice guy

Police were called to the Holiday Inn around 3:00 a.m. on 1/24 by a woman who reported personal items had been stolen from her room while she was asleep. According to the victim, she had met a man at Snapper Jack’s earlier in the evening. After having some drinks there, they went to her hotel room. She stated she fell asleep about midnight with the man in the room. When she awoke around 3:00 a.m., the man was gone. Also missing were the victim’s .22 magnum, $140 in twenty dollar bills, and some costume jewelry. The victim didn’t know the suspect’s name, but described him as a white male in his late 20s with a dark “military style” haircut and a scar on his right temple from an “Iraq war wound.” The investigating officer asked for assistance from the staff at the Holiday Inn, but they did not know how to pull up the security footage for the evening. No one at Snapper Jack’s recalled seeing the couple in the bar that evening. The handgun was entered into the NCIC stolen guns file.

It’s a dog’s life

While investigating an alarm call on Seacrest Lane about 3:00 p.m. on 2/14, an officer was approached by a neighbor about a white female wandering around with a dog. The officer located the subject, who was disoriented and could not make a complete sentence. EMS was called and the subject was transported to MUSC. The dog was placed in the kennel for his own safety.

Bang, you’re dead

A Folly Beach man told Public Safety on 2/16 that his landlord “threatened to put a bullet in his head and put him in the grave” when he complained about a leaky roof that hadn’t been repaired. He said the landlord then got upset because of the complaint and decided to evict all his tenants. The victim said he had not reported the threat at the time it occurred because he was waiting for the eviction hearing, but when he got there the clerk rescheduled the hearing because the magistrate was out sick. As the landlord and the tenants being evicted were walking out of court, the landlord pointed his finger at one of the tenants as if it were a gun and he was going to shoot her. The clerk saw the gesture and called the Charleston County Sheriff’s office. It is not known if anyone pressed charges.

Did he bite his ear off?

In another tenant/landlord fracas Public Safety officers were dispatched to an E. Hudson address on 2/19 due to a report of a young man fighting an older man. The officers could not locate the subjects, but when they returned to the station the victim was there, having been walked to City Hall by the complainant. The victim refused five requests for medical attention and declined to press charges. Twenty minutes later, officers were again called to the E. Hudson address. Photographs were taken of the victim’s ear and hands, the areas that showed the most injuries. The suspect is a tenant who was being evicted. He was located and charged with Assault. A court date has been set for 4/16/2010.

You want me to do what?

On 2/20 a victim came to the Public Safety office to report a vandalism to his vehicle. The victim said he had been coming to work at Rita’s around noon and made a wide turn into the parking lot to avoid a puddle. Three young boys between the ages of 15 and 17 were on skate boards and they thought he was trying to hit them. The victim heard them yell a profanity suggesting that he do something personal to himself, and when he returned to his vehicle several hours later a shorter version of that same profanity was scratched into the left rear door of his Chevy Blazer. The estimated damage to the vehicle is $300. The suspects have not been identified.

Got beer?

At approximately 1:00 a.m. on 2/20, a white male was seen staggering across Cooper Avenue toward Center Street with a glass of beer in his hand. He was coming from the direction of The Surf Bar and the glass appeared to be the same type used at the Surfbar. The subject had a strong odor of alcohol, his eyes were red and glassy, he was unsteady on his feet, and he was slurring his words. He admitted taking the glass from the Surfbar but claimed not to know he couldn’t drink alcohol in the street. After returning the glass to the Surfbar, the subject became argumentative and uncooperative. He would not stand still for the officer to complete his paperwork. At this time the suspect was arrested for open container and disorderly conduct and transported to Charleston County Detention Center.

Was that Abraham Lincoln?

At around midnight on 2/20 Scott, the bouncer at Snapper Jack’s, was attempting to talk to a male subject on the sidewalk, who appeared to be intoxicated and was having trouble understanding what was being said. When the officer asked for his identification, the suspect handed him a five dollar bill. A woman who identified herself as the subject’s wife came out of the bar and she was intoxicated to the point that she rambled on and would not cooperate. The officer offered to call a cab to take them home, but at this point the subjects began to use profanity, referring to the officers as specific personal parts of the body. A crowd was starting to form, so the officers arranged for the cab to meet the subjects at the Pantry. A friend – a sober adult – showed up and offered to take them home, so the cab was cancelled, and both subjects were issued citations for disorderly conduct.

Baby, it’s cold outside

Police received a call on 2/21 that someone was trespassing at 205 E. Arctic. When the officers arrived, they located two subjects hiding in separate rooms on the property. They admitted they were not supposed to be on the property and had jumped over a locked gate to gain entry. One of the suspects was cited for trespassing and released. The other subject gave a wrong name but the officers discovered he was misrepresenting himself to avoid arrest. When his true identity was discovered, he was arrested on two outstanding bench warrants and transported to the Charleston County Detention Center.

Mayor Carl Beckmann has taken full responsibility for the recent problems experienced by Folly Beach renters who were unable to obtain parking decals. “I jumped the gun,” he said, referring to a letter that was sent to residents indicating that only property owners would receive decals this year.

The letter was written by Buddy Maupin, manager of City of Folly Beach Parking Authority, but Beckmann said he did edit it before it went out. “I knew what I was trying to say,” he said, admitting that it apparently did not come out like he meant for it to. According to Beckmann, his intention was to make sure that property owners received the decals because they are the ones who pay taxes. He said it would then be up to the owners of the property to give the parking stickers to their tenants.

Beckmann said City Council had been talking about how to manage the decal issue, which was getting out of hand, according to Beckmann. He said that he and the parking manager had looked at some figures and there were more stickers issued than there were residents on Folly Beach.

“We had people with stickers who live on James Island who were coming to the washout to surf,” he said, adding that he felt it was unfair for Folly residents to have to compete for parking spaces with people who don’t live on the island.

Beckmann said he was not aware until the February 23 City Council meeting that anyone had been denied a parking permit. He said renters have been getting decals and that those who couldn’t get them “didn’t check, didn’t call” about it.

Beckmann said a mass mailing would go out to all postal box holders within the week explaining the procedures involved in order for renters to obtain the decals. He said they must produce two documents proving that they live at Folly Beach. Acceptable documents include a driver’s license showing a Folly Beach address, a Voter’s registration showing a Folly Beach address, a lease indicating the tenant will be a resident through the end of 2010, or a letter from the owner of the property stating that the renter has permission to live at that address and will reside there through the end of 2010. The deadline for getting parking decals is April 30, according to Beckmann.

DJ Rich

Rich came to Folly Beach in 2003 and “hasn’t looked back.” He was at Clemson majoring in business management, but was eager to get some “real work and life experience.” His grandmother, Florence O’Donnell, had been a Folly fixture for years, operating the “Sanitary Cafe” on Center Street back in the 1970s and Rich spent much of his childhood here. “I knew it was where I’d end up making my home,” he said.

Rich was general manager at a restaurant, but like most folks in the food and beverage industry, he wanted a place of his own. In 2005, he and his grandmother took over Planet Follywood on Center Street, where you can find Rich most days if you want to talk politics, which he’s happy to do.

Rich said he was becoming more and more concerned as he watched a City Council so consumed with in-fighting that it couldn’t get any legislation passed. “I was constantly having to watch what they were doing in order to protect my business,” Rich said. “It was time to either put up or shut up.” So Rich threw his hat in the ring.

It did not seem to Rich that Council members were prepared for meetings. “After a while you ask yourself, ‘If I’m doing more homework than they are, why aren’t I on the Council?’ It just went from there.”

Rich said decisions are made too often without public input. “Let’s get public input before we hire consultants,” he said, citing the recent traffic study that he said cost taxpayers $40,000.

Trash and litter is a major concern for Rich and he thinks Folly Beach should set up its own recycling center, which he believes would pay for itself within a short period of time. “Why should we constantly be begging County for more pick-ups and more bins. Why should we let them come out and make money off of us?”

Rich serves on the Accommodations Tax Committee and received the “Good Neighbor Award” in 2009 for organizing “Follypalooza” and “A Taste of Folly” to help Center Street businesses in the off-season. He said he will bring common sense and a can-do attitude to City Council.

Rich can be reached at 475-9787 or at planet_follywood@yahoo.com.

Paul Hume

Hume was living in Wisconsin, but felt the lure of the sea. He had been up and down the East Coast from Florida to Virginia looking for the right place to settle in. After one night in a house behind what was then the “Purple Pelican,” Hume and his wife leased an off-season beach house for six months. “That was 13 years ago,” Hume said, “and we’re still here. It’s easy to get hooked on Folly.”

Hume has served on the Planning & Zoning Commission for six years and has thought about running for City Council for some time. He said what pushed him over the edge was when Council was discussing a smoking ban and one member said “. . . there’s precedence for individuals to give up their rights” for the collective good.

“The answer to Folly’s problems is not us who live here giving up more of our rights,” he said. “We already have more laws than we probably need. Whether it’s parking or garbage or noise, we have the ordinances. Enforce them!”

The “anything goes” attitude people have about Folly could be changed using a common-sense approach, according to Hume. “Take litter, for instance,” he explained. “What if we were to issue a bunch of tickets one week-end and have a story in the Post & Courier – “$72,000 in Litter Tickets Written at Folly Beach” – or undercover cops issuing tickets for littering?” He said it would not take long for people to see the light. “We would not have to do this over the long run. Perception is reality. Folly would no longer be considered the place where you can get away with anything.”

Hume said not much can be done about the 14,000 cars that squeeze their way onto Folly Island on a summer weekend short of putting up a gate. “We don’t want to live in a gated community,” he said, “so we need to come up with a way to deal with the problem.” One of his suggestions was to take two photos of violations – one of the infraction and another of the offender’s license plate – so when he shows up in court he can’t wiggle out of paying his fine.

Hume said he would bring to the job his experience on the Planning & Zoning Commission, a pragmatic, common-sense way of looking at issues, and the ability to help move things forward.

Hume can be reached at 588-2605 or humep@bellsouth.net.

Susan Breslin

Breslin got to Folly Beach the way most folks do – by accident. She came to visit and kept coming back. In 1995, she bought a house on E Arctic. Although she worked for many years as a city planner in New York City, Breslin pointed out that she was raised in a small town and feels very much at home in Folly.

Breslin said she is running for City Council because the priorities of the City are off-balance. “The needs and interests of the residents ought to come first and far too often are coming last, she said. “

It troubles Breslin that Folly is losing its sense of community. She said 80% of the houses on Folly are assessed at 6%, which indicates they are either second homes or rentals. “I would like to bring more good neighbors to Folly Beach by marketing it as a place to retire or raise a family.”

She would go after policies unfair to residents, such as parking permits only for property owners, requiring residents to purchase garbage containers from the City, and charging excessive minimums for water consumption. “Folly Beach is full of small households that use only one-third of the water they are charged for and generate only a tiny amount of garbage.” She said it is not fair to treat them the same as vacation rentals that make completely different demands on City services.

Festivals on Center Street have become a way of life on Folly and are sometimes portrayed as necessary evils. Breslin would reshape them so they are less of an inconvenience to residents. She said these festivals help only some of the downtown businesses and they do not keep taxes from going up. “Center Street businesses don’t pay accommodations taxes,” she said, adding that it is A-tax money that keeps taxes down.

Another concern is lack of code enforcement. She said it is distressing how many good rules are not enacted because Planning or Council members say “What’s the point, it won’t be enforced anyway.” She would hire an Enforcement Officer to make Folly’s codes and regulations meaningful.

Breslin said she would bring to the job experience as a city planner, two years on the Folly Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, and a conviction that the needs of residents are best served through open government. “City Council doesn’t even know what’s going on sometimes. The City should be open about its business,” she said. “The City belongs to us.”

Breslin can be reached at 588-3026 or breslins@att.net.

Pennell Clamp

Clamp is a native South Carolinian who bought a home on E Ashley 15 years ago and now lives on Oak Island. “I was retired and had a lot of time on my hands,” Clamp said, “so I started sitting in on Council meetings and saw things going on I didn’t agree with.” What bothered Clamp most during his three-year observation period was the way he saw Council throwing money around. His research showed an annual budget that had soared from $2.2 million in 2005 to $6.1 million in 2009. In the same time period, Clamp said the number of City employees increased from 21 to 56.

“I’m not a Conservative or a Liberal,” Clamp said. “I’m a realist.” Clamp ran a business of his own for 20 years and said the City should be run like a business. It should be effective and efficient and there should be accountability. “City Hall doesn’t sell anything or produce anything. They have to rely on money coming from taxpayers in order to exist. You have to be prudent when you are spending someone else’s money. You have to spend it like it was your own money.”

An admitted “numbers freak,” Clamp would go over the budget line by line, something he said many Council members neglect to do. “You can box me up and send me to Bull Street if I ever vote for a tax increase,” he said, adding that while it’s not possible to foresee an emergency that might necessitate a tax increase, “We should turn over every stone and make sure we’re lean and clean before we ever ask the taxpayers for more money.”

The fragile nature of Folly’s environment and ecosystem concern Clamp, who said there should be zero tolerance for abusing, misusing, neglecting, littering or otherwise disrupting the land, beaches, waterways and marshlands of Folly Beach. “There is no excuse for anyone not living in harmony with our environment and ecosystem,” he said.

Clamp, who currently serves on the Board of Zoning Appeals, said he would bring to the job a substantial business background, a true interest in the community, the time and inclination to crunch the numbers, and a talent for good, honest, debate. Referring to recent issues with City Council, he said “We need to work in harmony in the interests of the 2,200 people who live on this island.”

Clamp can be reached at 518-3620 or pmc5242@aol.com

Laura Beck

Beck became a full-time Folly Beach resident in 2001, but has family ties going back three generations to great-grandparents who lived on E. Cooper. “I have history here and understand the changes the island has been through,” she said.

Beck is the only incumbent City Council member in the race. She won a Council seat in 2006 after serving four years on the Planning & Zoning Commission and wants to remain on Council to work on issues such as the zoning rewrite, the traffic study, and litter problems.

Work on the zoning re-write still has a long way to go, according to Beck. She said the City has yet to articulate a vision of what the island should be. As an example, Beck used a Hurricane Hugo analogy in which the entire beach is wiped out. “What do we want Folly to look like if we have to rebuild? We don’t want a cookie-cutter approach,” she said. “We need to get creative and also make sure proper design standards are put in place.”

Regarding the traffic study, Beck said she relied on the advice and opinions of the experts. She favors the traffic circle at Center Street and Indian Avenue that she said would make it easier for West side residents to exit the island, a median on Center Street to insure pedestrian safety, and changing stop signs on Second Street to provide for “an alternative method of going from North to South.” Beck said she would also change the direction of stop signs at several E. Ashley intersections to slow traffic on that street.

Folly Beach recycles at a higher rate than most places, according to Beck, and although she has not looked at the cost issues, she said options to consider include taking care of our own recycling, hiring someone other than the County to pick it up, or contracting for pick-up on the summer weeks the County does not come out.

Beck said what distinguishes her from other Council candidates is her ability to look at proposed legislation “through the eyes of an attorney” and her status as a parent with young children. “I bring balance to Council. Parents and younger people have different issues and a different focus.”

Beck can be reached at 843-224-1063 or dukesbeck@yahoo.com.

Bob Hatcher

Hatcher is quick to admit that his first hurdle will be to convince Folly Beach voters that he actually lives on the island. While it’s true that he owns a house in South Windermere, his home on E. Arctic is his legal residence. In fact, Hatcher met his wife at that same house in 1947. “This is my home,” Hatcher said. “What happens in Folly Beach is important to me.”

Since he was retired and had the time, Hatcher began attending Council meetings and was frustrated at the lack of communication. “I felt there were things I could do to help wrap things up, a better way of asking questions to prompt thoughtful responses rather than the ‘Hey, dummy, you’re doing it the wrong way’ attitude I saw.”

What concerns Hatcher most is that Folly doesn’t have a set of current zoning codes and ordinances. He said people are reluctant to buy homes or invest in Folly Beach because they don’t know what’s going to happen. “Having a moving target is not conducive to growth,” he said.

One of his strengths, according to Hatcher, is his willingness to do his homework. He has read the new Zoning Ordinance -all 278 pages – and he reads the budgets each year. “I can promise you that when I sit down, I’ve read everything that’s available because it affects me and if it affects me, it affects the rest of Folly Beach.”

The City does not do enough on a day-to-day basis to insure that Council members have the information they need to make informed decisions, and it is not doing enough to communicate with its citizens, according to Hatcher. “You hear residents talking, they’re unhappy with this, unhappy with that, but they’re actually frustrated because they don’t know what’s going on.” He cites as an example, the new Folly River Bridge, which will have a huge impact on some residents. “The City should sit down with these people and say, ‘Hey, here’s what’s going on.’”

Hatcher said he would bring a substantial business background to the job. He has a degree in Economics and has managed budgets and the logistics of managing resources to get the job done. “Some members act like they’re running for re-election at every Council meeting,” Hatcher said. “I’m going to work real hard to be an effective Councilman for four years.”

Hatcher can be reached at 588-2415 or roberthatcher@comcast.net.

Joel Flores

Not available for interview.

Still reeling from the tragic and untimely death of Mississippi Delta bluesman Lil’ Dave Thompson on Valentine’s Day, and reflecting on the success of this year’s Lowcountry Blues Bash, it’s as good a time as any for us to turn the spotlight on the Folly Beach blues scene.

As some of you may or may not know, Lil’ Dave Thompson was killed in an automobile accident on Feb. 14, after playing a gig at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ on Sullivan’s Island as part of the Blues Bash. Although the club had arranged lodging for Thompson and his band for that night, he told venue employees that he was worn out from nearly two months on the road and was longing to get back to Mississippi.

“Dave was truly the most professional touring Bluesman and all around nice guy,” Home Team BBQ Talent Buyer and GM Tony McKie said in a conversation with the Follywood Insider this week. “I am lucky also to have called him a friend. Hosting what turned out to be his last show leaves me with mixed emotions. He will truly be missed by Blues fans everywhere.”

Thompson embodied everything that is the Mississippi Delta Blues. A throwback from the old days with a new generation swagger, Thompson was always on-time, friendly, courteous, grateful, and most importantly, he always brought his best to the stage.

Although none of the venues on Folly Beach were officially involved in this year’s Blues Bash, Follywood Productions and the Surf Bar hosted one “unofficial” event on Feb. 14, which ran simultaneously with Thompson’s last performance just an island inlet away, featuring The Eric Deaton Trio with special guest Davis Coen. Deaton is best known for having joined North Mississippi Hill Country Blues legend Junior Kimbrough’s back band as a bassist and sometimes guitarist when he was only 18. When Kimbrough passed in ’98, Deaton found an immediate opening as bassist for the Burnside Exploration with Garry Burnside, youngest son of Hill Country Blues legend R.L. Burnside, and his cousin Cedric Burnside. He parlayed that into lead guitar roles with both Afrissippi and Jimbo Mathus’ Knockdown South. He has since struck out on his own with his new trio featuring Nate Robbins of Rockett 88 and Charles Gage of Duwayne Burnside & Mississippi Mafia. Mathus’ new band, The Tri-State Coalition, was also a part of the Blues Bash playing the Pour House on Feb. 12.

The show at the Surf Bar, which followed the overwhelmingly successful Folly Gras Parade, was on-fire. Deaton & Co. kicked things off with a straight-forward electric mix of classic blues standards and his own originals. Coen also chimed in with some originals of his own, sharing the vocals with Deaton throughout the night. The Surf Bar staff was highly complimentary of the performance and said it was “exactly the right fit” for the bar’s post-parade party. Deaton and his band mates said they would spread the good word about both the bar and the island’s hospitality and good vibes from here to North Mississippi.

The Surf Bar kept with the Mississippi music theme the following Saturday night when they hosted local Alt-Country / Americana act Guilt Ridden Troubadour which features Mac Leaphart and his partner in crime Reid Stone, former Daybreakdown front man and Vicksburg, Mississippi, native. Stone’s musical roots and past touring and recording experience in Mississippi led him to both personal and professional relationships with each of the aforementioned artists, and the band’s set that night seemed to take on a tone that was just a little on the Bluesy side.

Considering that so many of those tightly-knit Mississippi Blues musicians were all in Charleston on the same weekend, and that it ended with such a tragic note, you can bet that there were many heavy hearts traveling that highway from here to the Crossroads. Please keep Lil’ Dave, his family and band mates in your prayers.

Ben Bounds is the owner of Follywood Productions on Folly Beach. Follywood Productions strives to be the islands’ most dedicated event coordinating service, handling live entertainment and promotion for local and regional artists, venues, festivals, fundraisers, universities and special events. For more information, call 408-6439 or email follywoodrocks@gmail.com

This is Follywood – This is The Edge.

Singer/Songwriter Justin Burke has manned numerous musical projects before, namely Jupiter’s Garden, as well as several Rock/Funk bands consisting of close friends, but his new album harkens back to an old sound. Familiar originals are given new life after years of performance refinement, and new tunes invite fans back to the Folk/Blues roots which have helped identify Burke as an island icon.

While playing with Jupiter’s Garden and occasionally with local band Dangermuffin, Burke’s performances have ultimately led to funky renditions of Beatles tunes, as well as other classic covers. In his inaugural album “Southern Son, So Far,” Burke opens the floor to island friends and musicians, all of whom contribute to this grassroots album of folk lyrics, bluegrass breakdowns and organic mixture of Southern music.

Although it seems that the use of so many different instruments throughout the album would set the stage for more elaborate compositions, the songs are surprisingly concise and to the point. Whether it involves keys or trumpet, banjo or mandolin, electric guitar or acoustic, Burke and his plethora of musicians create an atmosphere that is very relaxed, specific, and indefinably local.

Dan Lotti and Mike Sivilli of Dangermuffin are audibly visible throughout the album, with Lotti singing backing vocals and Sivilli lending some electric guitar solos on tracks like “In the Garden,” “Free Love,” and “I Know You Will.” Band of Horses front-man Ben Bridwell also throws in his range of vocals in “The Rescue.”

The majority of the songs feature melodic instrument accompaniments in an almost Southern ballad-type structure, though the album is also peppered with several rock tunes with classic electric guitar feedback and bluegrass progressions.

The content of Burke’s album should be familiar to anyone who has lived on the island, its overall style reminiscent of a combination of the Avett Brothers, Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan and The Band album “Basement Tapes.” His live sets are always extremely positive, and this mindset definitely translates into these well recorded studio tracks.

The subject matters of Justin’s songs are always soulful and optimistic, mainly dealing with the joys of living set to clean, emotive arrangements. On songs like “I Know You Will,” and “Turn This Thing Around,” Burke unleashes this Dixieland sentiment: “Take me back to the good old days, when I was young, I know you will.”

Author Bill Noel

Bill Noel, author of the mystery novels Folly, The Pier, and Washout, will be holding book signings for his latest novel in the Folly Beach Mystery series, The Edge, at four locations on Folly Beach between March 20 and 26. This will be Mr. Noel’s first appearance on Folly Beach since The Edge was released in January.

In a review of Noel’s The Pier, The Clarion notes that, “Noel writes with a fast-paced, easily read style, with plenty of humorous asides … With his smarts nicely calibrated at the average reader’s level, Chris provides a good-humored, engaging entry into the world of Folly Beach.”

And according to a review of Folly by Grand Strand Magazine, “For those who enjoy reading local fiction, or just want a beach read with a bit of a twist, Folly should be right up you alley.”

Folly Beach is unique, the novels are quirky, and the locations of the book signings are unique in the world of literary endeavors! But then again, what’s normal on Folly Beach?

Mr. Noel will be signing and discussing his four books at:

• Michelle’s Salon and Spa, 103 E. Cooper Street, Saturday, March 20, 2 – 6pm
• Piggly Wiggly, 1985 Folly Road, Sunday, March 21, 1 – 4pm
• Lost Dog Café, 106 W. Huron, Tuesday, March 23, 7:30am – 1pm
• Bert’s Market, 205 E, Ashley, Tuesday March 23, 3 – 7pm

South Carolina’s Folly Beach is prominently featured in all four mystery novels. For more information, visit www.billnoel.com.

The Bureau of the Census will be canvassing Folly Beach beginning the week of March 1, 2010. Census workers, City residents or people familiar with the City, will be seeking to identify any “living quarters” and handing out a 2010 census questionnaire for the occupant. Living quarters are defined as any place where a person does or could live. The census workers will be knocking on doors and giving occupants a census questionnaire to be returned by mail. They will be asking no questions except about the address of the living quarters. When no one is home, they will leave the questionnaire on or near the door.

Your cooperation is encouraged for a number of reasons:

-South Carolina is expected to have a population increase sufficient to add a member to the U.S.House of Representatives

-Population statistics are used by federal and state governments as the basis for distribution of grants and services to municipal jurisdictions.

-Planners use the results to project the changes that will be needed in governmental services.

-Businesses use the results to determine where and what products and services will be needed in new areas.

The information gathered is confidential. Census workers take an oath not to disclose any personal information during their lifetime, or face a five-year prison term.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

On or about March 1, the Folly Beach dispatchers joined other dispatchers in Charleston County to form the 911 Consolidated Dispatch Center. Most of you are aware dispatchers are to be transferred; however, some of you were not aware it would be as early as March 1. Director of Public Safety Boatwright has sent a letter addressing the 911 system: what it will do, when to use it, and other information which will be valuable to keep for future reference.

The purpose of this letter is to assure everyone that the most important aspect of all of this is you and your safety and well being, as well as the well-being of your animals. I am committed to making this transition as easy for you as possible while giving you this reassurance: Your needs, whether it concerns public works, public safety or anything else have always been and will continue to be my first priority.

I know one of the major concerns is our Folly Beach animals and what will happen if help is needed after 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on the weekends. I have met with Chief Boatwright to ensure animal related services after hours have been addressed in a way which will be satisfactory to our residents. All animal-related service calls and non-emergency matters will continue to be taken and dispatched on a 24/7 basis. Citizens only have to call the number they are accustomed to calling for service, which is 588-2433. After-hours animal related service calls will be assigned to a Folly Beach shift supervisor to ensure the appropriate animal services response is taken. Animal Services Officer Ralph Bryan, working in partnership with Carol Linville of Pet Helpers, will continue to build a cadre of animal services volunteers so that “on-call” assignments can be shared.

Knowing you have other concerns about this transition which you would like to discuss, I am available to meet with you during the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For your convenience, however, I am extending my weekday hours to be available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and also on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The only dates and times I will be out of the office are Saturday, March 13, 2010, and March 15 – 18, 2010. When we meet, I will do my best to address your concerns and answer questions regarding the transition of the on-site dispatchers to the Consolidated Dispatch Center and any other concerns you may have.

When Council and I first addressed the 911 Consolidated Dispatch in 2008, there were several reasons we made the decision to join other communities in Charleston County and transition to a Consolidated Dispatch Center: 1) the dispatchers in the Center will be well-trained; capable of relaying information over the phone that could save lives; 2) Folly Beach had a significant number of turnovers in the Dispatch Department, as many as nine in one year; 3) the calls on non-emergency incidents will still be handled ultimately by the Folly Beach Public Safety; and 4) after a period of three years, Charleston County will be paying the entire cost of the dispatchers; Folly Beach will pay nothing. This is a significant savings for the City of Folly Beach and during these times of economic hardship, it is important that the city make every effort to keep cost at a minimum without sacrificing or compromising the safety and well being of our residents.

I look forward to hearing from you and am hopeful this addresses some of the concerns you may have.

Carl B. Beckmann, Jr.
Mayor of Folly Beach

A resolution (R08-10) authorizing the expenditure of $7,400 to install a surveillance camera, drop box and security phone inside the foyer at City Hall was passed. The drop box is used primarily for complaints or other communication from the public and for the payment of parking tickets. Discussion centered on the merits of having the box and camera outside vs. inside or whether they were needed at all. The telephone is automatically linked to the 911 dispatch system, according to Chief Boatwright who said the phone could be used as an “on the spot” means of reporting emergencies and would be particularly useful to people who don’t have cell phones.

Councilman Dave Stormer challenged passage of a resolution (R10-10) authorizing a contract with Glick & Boehm for engineering services on the City Hall expansion project. Stormer questioned what he referred to as a “secret, sweetheart deal” and claimed that the contract dated August 7, 2008 had been signed by Mayor Beckmann, but had come to the attention of City Council members only two weeks ago and had not yet been seen by the City Attorney.

“This contract was not one entered into by the City of Folly Beach,” Stormer insisted. He suggested that the contract be sent to the City Attorney and the Comptroller for “stringent assurance that it is in the best interests of the City.” Of particular concern to Stormer was the stipulation that the architect would receive 8.25% of the construction costs, which he said was out of line with other contracts he had seen. The resolution was rejected by Council.

First reading on the new Zoning Ordinance, which had been scheduled for the February 23 City Council meeting, was scratched from the agenda at the last minute. The Mayor said he and the Planning & Zoning Commission chairman decided not to bring the plan forward at this time because of some interesting ideas brought forth recently that he said could result in significant changes to the document. However, Council and the Planning Commission had voted in a joint session to put the ordinance on the agenda so it could receive first reading and go to the Planning Commission for public input before the election. On the Monday before the Tuesday City Council meeting, three Council members – Beck, Goodwin and Stormer – petitioned to put the Zoning Ordinance back on the agenda for the February 23 meeting, and it passed unanimously.

“Let’s not make this a political football,” Beck said. “What we have now is a patchwork quilt. We need to hit the ‘save button’ and continue to move forward with this ordinance.”

“This ordinance is head and shoulders above what we have now,” Stormer added. “Let’s turn it over to the people and let them have a stab at it.”

Goodwin said passage of the ordinance would stop a moving target. “Sure it will be amended when we get comments from the public,” he said, “but we need to get it in front of them for their input.”

The ordinance was sent to the Planning Commission and will be up for discussion at the March 1 regular meeting. The formal Public Hearing will be in Council chambers on March 8. Residents are encouraged to attend both meetings. Beck said since the ordinance received first reading at the February 23 Council meeting, the same Planning Commissioners who have worked on the plan for the past three years will be the ones to present the ordinance to the public, and it will be possible to pass the ordinance before the April 6 elections.

In other business, a resolution (R11-10) approving the sole sourcing to B.P. Barber for engineering services in the relocation of sewer lines off the Folly River bridge passed unanimously; an ordinance (02-10) creating a Staff Event Planning Committee passed second reading with dissenting votes from Mayor Beckmann and Councilman McCarty; an ordinance clarifying the language on requests for “open containers” (03-10) passed first reading unanimously.

There are a lot of things to consider when fishing in the Lowcountry, but I never thought I would have to worry about whether or not the weight of snow would cause the tarp covering my boat to collapse! Valentine’s Day weekend brought the first real snowfall that Charleston has seen in quite some time. Fortunately, the snow was followed by a stretch of brilliantly sunny days with temperatures reaching into the 60s. Fishermen weren’t the only people celebrating the good weather; the redfish were pretty darn happy, too. As the water temperature warmed, the reds really turned on. It seemed everybody on or in the water really appreciated a few hearty days of sun.

While the redfish have become more active, they are still somewhat wary and cautious. They continue to huddle in large schools (sometimes numbering in the hundreds), and will continue to do so into March. As I wrote earlier this year, fly fishermen enjoy a distinct advantage in these conditions since the presentation of flies can be so delicate. A well-cast fly landing in the water is almost imperceptible to the fish and can be cast within feet of a school without spooking them. Fly patterns with gold and other flashy colors work well. When redfish refuse these, we’ll often go to smaller flies in lighter colors that resemble minnows.

If you aren’t fly fishing, you’ll still need to consider the impact your lure makes when it hits the water. Redfish are defensive right now and will flee rather than investigate a strange sound or a lure that makes a big splat when it hits the water. The standard ¼ oz. jigheads that you could bomb into a school of fish in the fall and draw aggressive strikes will now send the entire school fleeing. Try using the least amount of weight possible to get your lure in front of fish. You might have to try casting lures with almost no weight at all, which may alter your casting range.

Keep practicing the stealth and slow deliberate movements that you’ve been using throughout the winter to sneak up on schools of redfish. It takes some patience to get to them, but casting to massive schools of fish can send your heart racing. The water temperature is now firmly on the upswing and is setting the stage for our fisheries to roar back to life. It will be here before you know it.

See you on the water!

Capt. Geoff Bennett operates Charleston Charter Fishing providing fly fishing and light tackle charters. Clients choose from a full menu of fly rods, artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at captain@charlestoncharterfishing.com.