Charleston Bocce League holds their first annual Bocce tournament on Folly Beach.

By Alan L. Kleinfeld

The rain earlier in the day had left the sand wet and hard. The tide was coming in and the clouds had decided to stick around. It could storm again any minute. But that didn’t stop the members of the Charleston Bocce League (CBL) from holding their first annual Bocce tournament.

So at 6:30.p.m. on August 24, 22 two-person teams gathered on the beach in the third block of West Ashley and battled it out over suds, sand and sportsmanship to be the 2010 champions.

This is a significant milestone for the fledging league, which is not quite a year old. Organizers, the husband and wife team of Adam and Katie Webb, began the journey to start a league after a second honeymoon of sorts in Northern California last October, where they witnessed structured games of Bocce first hand.

“Living in Charleston and playing Bocce just about every weekend throughout the summer, this seemed like a no-brainer and needless to say we loved the idea,” said Adam.

“This way we have a chance to take a break, relax, and enjoy each other’s company in a laid back yet competitive environment. Plus it gives us an excuse to get out to the beach more often,” Katie said.

The CBL is now part of a six-city league that includes, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and Portland, Oregon.

During the season, the CBL meets every Tuesday evening and each team plays two matches with a match consisting of five games. Team names run from standard to creative. Some favorites include “Balls on the Edge,” “Bocculism,” “Bocceholics,” “Bocce and Bullwinkle,” and “I Thought I Signed Up For Kickball.”

The recent tournament was played bracket-style, like NCAA, each winning team pitted against another winning team until the final two winners play against each other. The winner of this tournament is invited to play at the national tournament later in the year in Las Vegas.

“They also receive a trophy and a $200 prize,” said Webb. “In the future we hope the league can cover the expense to send the champions to Nationals, but that would be determined by the size of the league and the expense,” he said.

In a nutshell, local Bocce is played with a set of four balls for each team, one set is red and one is either blue or green. Then each team has one off-white pallino, a smaller ball about the size of a golf ball used as a marker. The object of the game is to get your team’s balls as close to the pallino as possible. After both teams have thrown all their balls the team with the ball closest to the pallino gets a point for every ball that is closer than their opponents. This is a match.

According to bocce.org, versions of Bocce started some 5,000 years ago, when Egyptians tossed polished stone at targets on the ground. In modern times, the first Bocce clubs were organized in Italy, with the first leagues created around 1947. Italian immigrants coming to America at the turn of the 20th century brought the game with them and it’s thanks to them that Bocce has come to grow in the United States. Next to soccer, it is the most popular sport in the world, according to bocce.org

Still in its infancy, the CBL is off to a good start, especially with a sponsorship from the Drop In Deli. “We gave them beer cozies, t-shirts and a place to eat and drink on league nights,” said manager/owner Matt Loda. “We expect to do the same thing next year. It’s been a fun experience.”

The Charleston Bocce League has only been around since January 2010, but it has certainly flourished. With more than 45 members and local sponsorship, Bocce on Folly will be rolling smoothly for some time to come.

Editors Note: Weather caused the end of the tournament to be postponed and a winner was not named. The final two matches took place after The Current went to press. The winning team will be announced in a future issue of The Current. The two teams in the final were 107mm Sag (Anthony Smith and Ed Lighhart) and Balls on the Edge (Rob Diprima and Brian Hawkins).

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Gene Mathes

By Lauren Dean

*Editor’s Note: We are sad to report that, after this article went to print in the Folly Current, Gene Mathes passed away on Tuesday, August 31. He will be greatly missed.

Folly Beach takes care of its own. That’s what makes Folly Folly. It’s not the beach or the laid-back bar and restaurant scene. It’s not surfboards and skateboards. It’s the people who live here and how they come together to help one another in times of need.

Gene Mathes needs us now, and Folly has come through for him. Gene was walking home from Center Street late at night on August 7 when he was struck from behind by a hit and run driver. He never saw what hit him and if he did, it’s not likely he’ll remember it. Our minds won’t less us remember stuff like that.

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He was just around the corner from home, somewhere between Huron and Indian on West Second Street. Since that night he has lain in a bed in the ICU at MUSC, where he has undergone exploratory surgery and dozens of tests and procedures.

“We are taking it day by day, hour by hour,” said Gene’s sister Michelle Mazyck, who didn’t leave his bedside for the first few days in ICU. “It was touch and go at that point,” she said. Doctors think Gene will spend two more weeks in the ICU and six-months in the hospital after that. Gene is a veteran so the VA will pick up most of his medical expenses, but not all of them.

Folly has rallied for Gene. Lance Howard, owner and chef of the Sunset Cay Yacht Club, held a benefit for Gene on August 28 that raised approximately $2,500. For a $20 donation, folks got all the Frogmore stew they could eat plus free wine and beer with all proceeds going to Gene.

Local musician Dan Clamp put together a group of musicians who donated not just their time, but also the proceeds from their tip jar. “Dan’s an awesome guy,” said Lance. “He stepped right up and organized the music.”

Folly residents opened their wallets for Gene, spending approximately $1,500 on items donated from residents and local businesses. “This is an unbelievable turnout,” said Jim Mazyck, Gene’s brother-in-law. “Michelle cried when we drove up and she saw so many people here. This was a great thing for Lance to do.”

“Our community is so small, but it is so generous,” Michelle said. “We are thankful for the love and caring everyone has shown us. I had no idea so many people knew Gene.”

Gene Mathes turned 60 on August 30. Well wishers signed a huge card at the benefit. Gene is still in a coma, so he couldn’t read the sentiments expressed there, but Michelle hopes that one day soon he will know how many people have cared so deeply for him.

A $1,000 reward has been offered for information to help find the person responsible for the accident. Maybe someone will have a guilty conscience and come forward and say “I did it.” It’s not too late to do the right thing.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can come by Michelle’s Salon & Spa at 103 East Cooper or drop a donation in one of the jars at local businesses. Checks should be made payable to Eugene Mathes.

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When Rita’s Seaside Grille opened on Folly Beach in April of 2009, the owners and staff were overwhelmed by the support they received from the laid-back, island town. Owner John Davis says, “We really wanted to do something to show our support for Folly Beach and since the event falls on 9/11 we felt it appropriate to celebrate Folly’s Finest. With the summer crowds dying down, it’s the perfect time for locals to come out to the beach to have a little fun.”

Tickets are available for $10 in advance at etix.com or $12 at Rita’s the day of the event. Patrons are also encouraged to bring school supplies which will be donated to local elementary schools.

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City Council: August 24

Good Neighbor Award

Daniel Culpepper, James Dowdy, Sonny Miles, and Jack Thomas received the “Good Neighbor Award” for their prompt action in helping to put out a fire at the Sandbar Apartments.

Appointments

City Council reappointed John Kachmarsky as Municipal Court Judge, Been Peeples as City Attorney, and Mary Cunningham as Municipal Clerk. Mayor Tim Goodwin reappointed Marlene Estridge as City Clerk/Treasurer. An ordinance bringing the duties and terms of office into compliance with state law was also passed.

Mayor Pro Tem election

To no one’s surprise, Laura Beck was re-elected Mayor Pro Tempore. Every election cycle, which means every two years, Council selects one of its members to act as Mayor during an absence. In the event of a vacancy occurring, the Mayor Pro Tem would act as Mayor until an election could be held.

Red Bays revisited

After all the brouhaha at the last City Council meeting, Pennell Clamp’s ordinance revoking the previous Red Bay Laurel legislation was introduced and received unanimous approval. Now only those Red Bays that pose a threat to life or property will be removed. Not only will the City not pay to remove trees from private property, it will also fine owners who fail to remove hazardous trees. The price for failure to comply is steep – up to $500 and no less than $100. “There’s been lots of studies and work done that show it’s useless to try to fight this doggone little beetle that’s destroying these trees,” Clamp said. “I hate to admit defeat, but it’s fruitless to spend money where we’re not getting any return.”

Waiver of permit fees for lighthouse

Council then addressed the issue of building permit fees for work on the Morris Island Lighthouse that had been waived by then Mayor Carl Beckmann. City Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks said Beckmann’s decision to waive permit fees for work on the Morris Island Lighthouse had never been blessed by City Council, which was necessary in order to make the waiver legal, and that the City lost approximately $16,000 in permit fees due to this waiver. But, “in an effort to show support for this national monument” Council voted to “together as one voice waive all fees” for the ongoing work on the light house that had already been permitted. The waiver of permit fees will not apply to future work on the light house.

In another maverick move, the former Mayor had appointed a bridge committee – which, in and of itself, was a good thing – but, again, he had neglected to get the required blessing of his council, so Council moved to make the committee official.

New equipment for Public Safety

Two new Council members double teamed Chief Boatwright while the third new member tried in vain to defend him. D.J. Rich and Pennell Clamp went straight for the jugular questioning the Chief’s request for radar and camera equipment for two squad cars that had not yet been purchased. “Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?” Rich asked. The Chief said the money for both the cars and the equipment had already been funded and he was just there to ask permission to swap out some of the equipment since he had determined that his actual needs were somewhat different from Council’s best guess when they itemized expenditures in the FY10-11 budget. The badgering continued to the point that a dismayed Chief Boatwright eventually responded “I have no idea how to answer that question.”

“The Chief is just asking you to take money that’s already been approved and shift it around so he can get the equipment he needs,” said Mayor Goodwin. Laura Beck reinforced the Mayor. “We told the Chief this was how much money he would get and this was what we thought he would need,” she said. “We’re just shifting things around to meet his needs. It’s not impacting the tax payers any more than what has already been allocated.”

Still the Chief was forced to defend his request for two in-car cameras and three radar units instead of the three cameras that had been allocated. “Some of our radars are dying on us, others can only pick up on-coming traffic,” he said. “Equipment that only works part of the time is no good. I asked for six radar units . I need six units. I’m here asking you for three units.” The harassment continued regarding the advisability of purchasing cameras and radar before the Chief had the three new squad cars Council allotted him. “I’m not here asking to buy the equipment today,” Boatwright said, “The money is there. Trust me to use the money as I see fit.”

Paul Hume finally brought some closure. “Everybody is right,” he said, “but this is a process, not an event. We shouldn’t hold up the process. He’s trying to make better use of the money we’ve already given him. He doesn’t want to be waiting for equipment after the cars come in. There are no smoke and mirrors here.”

After unanimous approval of the Chief’s request, Charlie McCarty told a story about two men talking about what they did for a living. “I buy pieces of submarines,” said one of the men. “Pieces of submarines?” said the other. “Why are you buying pieces of submarines?” “Because they’d never give me enough money to buy a whole submarine at one time.” So it goes.

Hobie Cat illegally removed from beach

With Boatwright finally off the hook, the little matter of the Hobie Cat that was damaged when it was removed from the beachfront on October 30, 2009 took center stage. The owner asked the City for $800 to repair the boat and $70 for the permit he had bought to store the boat on the beach since, apparently, that had been money down the drain. Council got all hot and bothered over whether the boat had a current registration since the picture of the boat showed a Michigan registration that expired in 2006 right next to the City of Folly Beach permit, which was issued on July 18, 2009. In the end, they voted unanimously to force the owner to provide proof of ownership and to give them an actual bill for the repairs, and went so far as to suggest that the owner find somebody who would repair the boat for less than $800.

According to records, Public Safety told the woman who complained about the Hobie Cat that the boat was properly permitted and could be stored on the beach, and she threatened to call the mayor. Later that day, Public Works employees were instructed to remove the boat. “Why was the boat removed?” asked Clamp. “There is no one here tonight who can answer that question,” responded Mayor Goodwin, and that was the end of discussion regarding the possible involvement of former mayor Carl Beckmann in the removal of the boat.

But it was Charlie McCarty’s question that really got to heart of the matter. “Do we really want to issue permits for unregistered boats to litter our beach?” Where else can someone park a boat for an entire year for $70? Hobie Cats stored on the beach have become airborne and damaged private property. The Cape Verde hurricanes are lining up like little soldiers ready to march across the Atlantic ocean. What would happen to the stored boats if one of those hurricanes hits Folly Beach?

Planning Commission: September 13

The Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, September 13 to give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the new regulations governing weekly vacation rentals. The Public Hearing will be at 7:00 p.m. in Council chambers.

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The City of Folly Beach will honor a “Hometown Hero,” Dr. Dilan Ellegala, at a city-wide celebration at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 9, for his pioneering work with health care professionals in Africa. Doyle “D” Word, the volunteer director of Dr. Ellegala’s foundation – Madaktari Africa – will also receive a “Hometown Hero” award. Both men live on Folly Beach.

“Many people on Folly Beach knew Dilan and D as wonderful neighbors, but we had no idea of the remarkable things they are doing in East Africa until we read The Post and Courier’s outstanding series on Dilan’s work,” said Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin. “We want to celebrate that work, and contribute by raising badly-needed funds.” The City is also recognizing Madaktari team members and the MUSC Global Health Team.

Dr. Ellegala trained medical paraprofessionals at a clinic in rural Africa to perform neurosurgery. He is now organizing other health care professionals – doctors, nurses, and medical technicians – to pass on their skills so that East Africa can develop first-class medical care in a third-world setting, without relying on visiting professionals who provide care without passing on skills. He juggles that work with a neurosurgical position at MUSC, which has supported his work by creating the MUSC Global Health Team.

Mr. Word left retirement to head up Madaktari Africa as a volunteer. The foundation negotiates with African governments to establish its programs, recruits medical professionals to do the training, and obtains donated medical equipment and supplies to support the work. Many of the volunteer medical professionals come from MUSC.

The Folly Beach celebration will be held at the Holiday Inn/Tides Hotel on the second floor. The hotel is contributing the space. The event will include presentations to Dr. Ellegala and Mr. Word and a slide show and talk about the work of Madaktari Africa. All Folly Beach residents and owners, as well as friends and colleagues, are urged to attend this happy event.

The City encourages everyone to contribute to this outstanding work. Madaktari Africa has an urgent need for funds to ship medical equipment already contributed to Africa. The cost of a container and shipment is between $9,000 and $15,000. Contributions can be made at the celebration or by mail to Madaktari Africa, c/o City of Folly Beach, PO Box 48, Folly Beach SC 29439.

“Right now, I have a basement full of donated medical equipment,” said Mr. Word. “When I travel to Africa, I take as many suitcases full as possible. We could use some old, small suitcases, but it would be great to be able to ship a container of this wonderful, modern equipment.”

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Mayor Tim Goodwin

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

The final days of summer on Folly are winding down and the beach is gradually being returned to the turtles, birds, and Folly residents. Even though our visitors have their place and we welcome them, it is exciting when it is time for all of us to take a deep breath and do all the things we avoid doing during the time of crowded beaches, heavy traffic and noisy nights.

Folly has come a long way since last year when we faced problems such as underage drinking, open container, trash on the beach and various types of behavior that was not only illegal but unacceptable. At one of the first work sessions held after the election ,City Council as a whole made a commitment to begin a campaign to educate visitors about the rules and regulations so visits could be fun while avoiding behavior which could result in going to court and paying a fine. This commitment resulted in news articles which were very informative including letters to the deans of all colleges located in this vicinity with rules and associated fines attached, and commitments on the part of our Public Safety Officers to saturate, enforce, and educate.

As you all are aware, one of Folly’s greatest assets is the employees. Today I want to take this opportunity to recognize four of our employees and congratulate them on their appointments by City Council. Marlene Estridge was reappointed as the City Clerk-Treasurer. Marlene has held this appointment for many years and has done an excellent job. Her knowledge of the history of Folly Beach is unsurpassed, making her a popular source of information. We are very fortunate to have someone of her caliber to serve in this position. Ben Peeples was also reappointed. Ben has been with the City for too many years to count and has won many battles for the City during those years. We are privileged to have Ben as our City Attorney and appreciate his willingness to accept this reappointment. John Kachmarskey was reappointed as the municipal judge. John has been with the City for approximately ten years and does an excellent job at all times. The job, however, gets to be especially challenging during beach season when there are heavy crowds and more tickets are written. We are pleased that he wishes to continue in this position. Mary Cunningham was appointed Municipal Clerk. She has been with the City in a full time position for approximately five years and before that, she was part-time. Mary can always be counted on to undertake any tasks presented to her and gets them done in a timely manner. She is efficient, hard working and helps us all stay on schedule. Again, congratulations! I am proud to be associated with all four. I hope others will join me in congratulating these worthy individuals.

Also, Council elected a Mayor Pro Tempore during the August 24 Council meeting. City Council is charged by State Law to elect, after each regular two-year election, one of their body as the Mayor Pro Tempore. The Mayor Pro Tempore serves for two years and acts as Mayor during the absence or disability of the Mayor, and acts as Mayor if a vacancy occurs until a successor is elected and qualified. Council Member Laura Beck was elected to serve in this position. Welcome aboard, Laura.

Several weeks ago there was an article in the paper about one of Folly’s Home Town Heroes, Dr. Dilan Ellegala, a neurosurgeon at the Medical University. He and his medical team have spent a lot of time in Africa doing medical training. One time, while in Tanzania, he performed brain surgery in an operating room where there was only the doctor, nurse, and someone holding a flashlight in case the lights went out. There was no “ventilator” to keep the anesthetic flowing, only a relative of the patient who took over hand pumping the chemical when the anesthesiologist tired. After returning to the United States, Dr. Ellegala organized the Physicians Training Partnership, a program which is geared to training surgeons who will stay in their homelands and help train other African surgeons, rather than use their new skills to work in the West. After reading this story and others of Dr. Ellegala’s accomplishments, I knew there was no doubt that that the residents of Folly Beach would like to meet Dr. Ellegala and hear more about his mission work. Therefore, on Thursday, September 9, at 7 p.m. at the Tides (Holiday Inn), there will be a celebration of Dr. Ellegala’s achievements. Please join us and meet Folly’s Home Town Heroes.

The City’s independent auditors have completed the audit for Fiscal Year 2009/10. Unless notified otherwise, the auditors will make a presentation to City Council at a work session prior to the regular meeting on September 28. The work session will begin at 6 p.m.

Mayor and City Council will be having work sessions in the near future to address various matters as discussed in prior letters, i.e. golf carts, dogs on the beach, dog tags, new bridges and waterline conflicts, just to name a few. We will be posting the dates, times, and subject matters at City Hall, on the web site, and at the Post Office.

Also, be on the lookout for information and articles on our new “Outbound 911” which is the City’s Alerting System. This is a new and innovative way to notify residents of important events.

Labor Day is around the corner so Have Fun – Be Careful – Be Safe – Obey the Rules – Leave No Litter – If you Drink, Don’t Drive – and – If you Drive, Don’t Drink. Also, if you have a complaint, if you have a suggestion, or if you would like to volunteer and help your community, please contact me at 513-1835 or email me at timgoodwin@bellsouth.net.

Sincerely,

Tim Goodwin
Mayor

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I read the recent article in The Current about Marlene Estridge and could not agree with it more. I have known Marlene Estridge my entire life! I refer to her as my “Mom #2” as she has been very special to me and my family for over 50 years. My Dad was the Building Inspector at Folly in the late 50s and first met Marvin and Marlene at City Hall when he went to get building permits. That started the Neely/ Estridge friendship. My sister and I are the same ages as Butch and Billy (Marlene’s sons) so we have always considered them our brothers. Billy will kill me for telling you this, but he used to actually play Barbie dolls with me! Ah, the memories I have of us hanging out at Smoak’s Rent-a-Float, eating the best chili dogs eva’ at Pete’s, going to the pier (original pier) and seeing bands and riding the rides, going to the Exchange Club’s Oyster Roasts at the original library. I cherish those wonderful memories and Marlene is a part of them all! My family moved to Georgia in 1967, but we spent every summer and spring break at Folly, so our Estridge friendship continued and strengthened over the years.

After graduating from college, I packed up and moved back to the Edge and leaned on Marvin and Marlene as my surrogate parents, since mine were 300 miles away. Marvin would come to my rescue whenever I had household issues and Marlene fed me and my friends every weekend. Marvin died in 1982 and I practically moved in with Marlene. What can you say, losing Marvin was awful! But Marlene has managed to trudge on – through many trials and heartaches. Over the years, she saw me through my divorce and my Mom’s death. We’ve shed many a tear together, stayed up till the wee hours of the morning playing Rummikub, and traveled to International Fan Fair in Nashville, Tennessee.

She is ALWAYS there for me and I am so grateful for her unconditional love, strength and comfort over the years. She has been a pillar of strength and a part of the Folly Beach community for over 70 years. She is a friend to all, but I claim her as MY MOM #2.

Sincerely,

Mitzi Neely
P. O. Box 682

___________________________________________

Dear Editor;

I appreciate Mayor Goodwin’s concern for the complaints being made concerning golf carts on the roads. However, there are plenty of things to complain about happening on the roads, and I believe more problems can be attributed to other things on our roads than to golf carts. Some golf carts go too slow but so do some cars, while many go too fast. Some golf carts won’t pull over to let traffic pass, but we’ve all seen skate boarders and pedestrians hogging the road and refusing to get out of the way. Just because a few golf cart operators are impolite, let’s not pass more laws.

Golf carts provide a valuable function by keeping more cars off the roads, reducing parking problems, and are a ‘greener’ way of getting around. I think it would be great if every house had to have a golf cart for transportation on the island and cars were limited to access on and off the island. We’d all be safer and could sleep better at night (less noise), there would be more parking available, and you would actually be able to get around the island on weekends. I don’t think the traffic problems on East and West Ashley can be attributed to golf carts.

We cannot legislate respect for others, whether it’s with golf carts, cars, dogs, or anything else.

Ray Trine
313 West Ashley

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Anyone who stops by the Folly Beach Post Office on a regular basis has probably noticed that the two blue recycling bins have disappeared from the lobby.

“They’re gone,” said. Post Master Joanne Johnston. “We removed them about four weeks ago. They were getting filled too fast for us to maintain them, so we’re now directing people to the two larger bins at the back of the Post Office,” she says.

Regular customers remember the overstuffed bins with paper overflowing from the drop slot. Some times they were so stuffed that customers would leave their paper right on top, not even attempting to place it inside.

Although signs will be posted soon indicating where the larger bins are, for the time being Post Office staff is letting folks know via word of mouth.

The large blue bins, somewhat reminiscent of a hotel laundry container, have been outside behind the Post Office for about five years, but not many have known or used them due to the smaller bins that were once located inside the lobby.

“The larger bins mean that we can recycle more paper, but it also means people don’t have to try and cram stuff in when the smaller bins would get full,” Johnston said. “It also means we don’t have to spend the time maintaining the lobby.”

For those residents green-minded enough, Johnston states that individuals can pick up their own blue recycling bin to keep at home by calling Charleston County at 795-9060 .

Johnston asks that customers put only paper in the recycling bins. “They’re not for plastic or trash. Just paper recycling,” she said.
For more information on getting your own recycle bin, visit the Charleston County web site at www.charlestoncounty.org.

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See how easy that was?
About 2:30 p.m. on July 26, an officer stopped a vehicle on Folly Road for following another vehicle too closely. When asked if there was marijuana in the car, the subject said “No.” The officer asked him if he smoked marijuana and got a positive response, at which point he told him if he had marijuana on him for personal use he would receive a ticket and be released. The subject produced a Ziploc bag containing .9 grams of green leafy material and a glass pipe and was given a citation for simple possession of marijuana and released.

Missing purse found next to police station
A purse reported stolen from the Tiki bar at Blu about 4:30 p.m. on July 27 was recovered several hours later next to the police station by a Folly Beach Public Safety officer, who gave the purse to a City employee who gave it to another officer, who retrieved the driver’s license in order to notify the owner. When the purse was returned to its owner, she said the only thing missing was $800 in cash. Both City employees denied opening the purse while it was in their possession.

Anybody seen my crowbar?
In the early morning of July 28, a police officer was dispatched to the pier on a report of a man prying on the Pepsi machine and pulling money out. By the time the officer arrived the suspect was gone, but a very rusty pry bar and a one dollar bill were on top of the damaged drink machine, which had pry marks on the door but was otherwise undamaged.

Speeder nabbed for marijuana possession
On July 28 at 4:45 p.m. an officer monitoring traffic flow in the 900 block of East Ashley clocked a vehicle at 42 mph and pulled the car over in the tenth block, where the officer noticed an overpowering smell of marijuana. The driver was asked if there were any narcotics in the vehicle. When she hesitated, the officer said honesty might result in her getting a ticket rather than a trip to jail, so she told him there were a pipe and some marijuana in the center console. The officer retrieved a glass pipe and a grinder that contained about one gram of marijuana. The passenger claimed the drugs belonged to him and both subjects were cited for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Who’d she piss off?
Officers responding to a reported vandalism about 1:00 p.m. on July 29 discovered a Jaguar that had been scratched with what appeared to be a pair of scissors all over the entire body of the vehicle, which was otherwise in good condition. The victim stated she had last driven her car the previous night and left it parked in front of her house on East Arctic. Officers estimated the damage at approximately $3,000.

Anybody got a shovel?
On July 30 about 2:30 a.m. an officer on patrol at Summer Place Lane observed a Ford Explorer stuck in the sand on the beachfront. The officer called for backup and approached the vehicle. A man who was trying to dig the truck out with a plastic cooler lid admitted to being intoxicated and said he knew he had messed up by driving on the beach. He also admitted he did not have his driver’s license. A female passenger also appeared to be intoxicated. Moore’s Towing was called to pull the vehicle out of the sand but the man did not have any money so Moore’s took the vehicle with them. The subject was issued a citation for driving on the beach and he and the passenger were left standing in the sand.

Car chase results in multiple-vehicle accident
Residents on East Ashley Avenue and customers at Bert’s heard screaming sirens and saw blue lights flashing around noon on August 6 as a red Ford pickup truck fled Charleston County and Folly Beach police vehicles. The car turned right onto Center Street and crossed the bridges to Folly Road where it attained speeds of up to 70 mph before colliding with an SUV pulling a tractor in front of the American Legion. The driver of the truck, who was seriously injured, was transported to MUSC and charged with failure to stop and DUI. No further information is available.

A case of mistaken proximity
Close to 2:00 a.m. on July 31 Public Safety was dispatched to the site of a drunk and disorderly man banging on the door of a residence demanding to be let in. The responding officer was told that the man had awakened everyone in the house and frightened them with his obscenities and violent rage. The suspect, who was found grossly intoxicated just down the street, said he was trying to get into the house because he thought his friends were in there. The man was arrested for public drunkenness and transported to the Charleston County Jail.

I’ve had enough of you
The music had been turned down by the time Public Safety arrived at an apartment building on West Ashley Avenue in response to a loud music disturbance call at 8:00 p.m. on August 1, but several people were pointing at one of the apartments. As the officer was talking to the complainant, he could hear someone shouting obscenities. The complainant said he had called the cops numerous times regarding the subject, who had never been cited. The neighbor said he’d had enough of this and offered to come to court to testify against the subject, who was still cursing and shouting when the officer knocked on his door. The subject was advised to calm down, cited for disorderly conduct and issued a summons to appear in court.

Honesty really is the best policy
About 4:45 on August 6 an officer on patrol observed a pickup truck drive over the crosswalk at Indian and Center Streets while pedestrians in the middle of the road were trying to cross the street. The officer pulled in behind the truck and followed it to the Sand Dollar, where he performed a traffic stop. The officer told the subject he smelled marijuana and advised him that if he was honest and told him where his stash was he would let him go with a ticket. The driver produced a Ziploc bag containing 13.5 grams of green leafy material from his pocket and was cuffed and secured in the police cruiser. The officer then approached the passenger and told him what was going on with the driver and he, too, offered to surrender his contraband for a ticket, handing the officer a baggie with 11.5 grams of green plant material. He was cuffed and secured in the cruiser with his friend while the vehicle was searched. A glass pipe was retrieved from the center console and after the subjects were checked through NCIC and found to be free of any warrants, they were cited for simple possession of marijuana and released.

Let’s stop in the middle of the street and snort some coke
Police approaching a BMW parked in the roadway about 11:30 p.m. on August 6 noticed the passenger had a bag of white powder and a rolled up ten dollar bill in his hand. The subject was asked to place the items on the hood of the car, where the powder tested positive for cocaine. The subject said the driver, who was not arrested, didn’t know about the cocaine and he was released. The subject was searched for drugs and weapons both before and after being transported to the Charleston County Detention center and booked for possession of cocaine.

Slugging it out
While parked next to the police station just after midnight on August 7, an officer noticed two females coming out of the Surf Bar who were obviously involved in a physical altercation. The officer called for backup when one woman punched the other in the face and both women went to the ground. The subject who was swinging was cuffed and the one bleeding from the nose was advised to stay on the ground and wait for EMS. The officer did not see who started the fight and was getting conflicting stories from the participants, so both women were issued citations for disorderly conduct before being taken home by friends.

I don’t suppose alcohol was involved
A vehicle traveling west on East Ashley in the oncoming lane of traffic was stopped by an officer about 2:30 a.m. on August 7 and it was discovered that the 20-year-old female was driving under a suspended license. After talking to the subject, the officer issued her a state traffic ticket for DUS first and a warning for driving in the wrong lane of traffic. The passenger had a valid ID, so she was allowed to switch seats and drive the vehicle to the subject’s home in West Ashley.

Litterer blows a .22
An officer on foot patrol about 2:00 a.m. August 10 saw a beer can come flying out of a yellow SUV as it turned onto Center Street from East Ashley and immediately got in his cruiser and pursued with lights and sirens. When he stopped the vehicle just north of Indian Avenue, the female driver was having trouble opening the window. The officer smelled alcohol and saw an open Coors Light bottle on the center console. The driver’ speech was slurred and although she had on flip-flops, she was very unsteady on her feet. She couldn’t say how much she’d had to drink, but thought it might be a lot. She tried unsuccessfully to use her hands to balance on one leg and could not count correctly. The officer arrested her for DUI and Tommy’s Towing was dispatched. The subject was transported to the Charleston County Detention Center, where she blew a .22 on the BAC test. After being advised that her license was suspended, she was booked into the jail on charges of DUI first, open container, and littering.

Who were those guys?
About 3:00 a.m. on August 8 some friends were drinking at an East Cooper residence after the bars had closed when two young males that the complainant did not know came to the house. The party moved to the back deck and two of the females present left at that time. When the victim awoke the next morning, he discovered that the front door was open and two lap top computers with chargers as well as a cell phone and his wallet were missing from the dining room table. He said he thought the strangers, whom he described as white males about 21 or 22 wearing white hats, had stolen the items and he thought the two females who left the party early knew the suspects. The females were located and said they did not know anyone at the party and they felt uncomfortable and that was why they left. No further action was taken.

Beware of dog
Police were dispatched about 3:30 a.m. on August 9 by a man who was renting a house in the 300 block of East Arctic. He said his son was awakened by the dog growling and saw a six-foot tall white male in a white tee shirt opening the sliding glass door. The complainant yelled at the intruder, who stumbled across the deck and fell down the stairs, but got up and ran off down the beach. The officers searched the beachfront, roadways and under adjacent houses, but could not locate the suspect.

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The Other Guys is a silly buddy-cop-action-comedy that makes you feel like you are riding in the car with someone who just learned how to drive a stick shift: the movie never really achieves a smooth ride.

With the help of narrator Ice-T, we are introduced to two mismatched New York City detectives, Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who are trying to fill the super-action shoes of their doomed police partner predecessors (played by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). The problem is that Gamble doesn’t want to leave his desk and Hoitz is bound to his by past mistakes. They soon stumble into an evil plot that involves the abuses of Wall Street and a Bernie Madoff-inspired character, David Ershon (Steve Coogan), is at the center of it all.

This is the fourth time that director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell have worked together (following Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers). Their attempt to educate the audience on the ills of Wall Street falls apart by the middle of the film and we are left with a ton of tiny sub-plots that distract the audience from the plot line … if there is one. The point they were trying to make was a good one – how badly the financial elite have screwed over the common folk in the last decade – but because of the utter lack of focus it is lost, never to be found.

The hardest thing to get over during this film is that the brilliantly funny moments shine a harsh spot light on the uninspired moments. You are left feeling a bit awkward because you want to like this film for those parts, but can not because most of the film falls flat. The actors seem to have the same idea as they clumsily wait for the next zinger to come into play.

I wanted to like this film. I wish I liked this film. It had the potential to be as hilarious as some of its predecessors, but was bogged down with an utter lack of focus. The Other Guys would be a wonderful DVD rental on a rainy day and with such a great cast, that’s a disappointment.

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