Teacher Michelle Lee (left) and several James Island High School students joined John Crisco of the FBMP (right), and in an hour they picked up nine bags of trash from an eight-block area.

By Lauren Dean

With unusual foresight, Folly Beach City Council passed a resolution right before the 2009 Fourth of July debacle that transferred $15,000 in funds allocated for beach management to create a civilian beach patrol. The Beach Management Patrol, which originally consisted of Ali Akhyari , Eric Cadiz and John Crisco, was quickly put together in the aftermath of that disastrous weekend and the three young men could be seen walking or cycling up and down the beach wearing identical gray polo shirts. It was a hard, hot job that paid eight bucks an hour.

Only John Crisco is left, a dynamo who has trudged the beaches ever since – just about every day, all year long – to keep Folly’s beaches free of the stuff people leave behind and the stuff that washes up on the beach. Flotsam and jetsam and then some. “John is truly an unsung hero,” said Zoning Administrator Aaron Pope. “He has been selflessly working behind the scenes performing the kind of invisible service that people take for granted.”

“If you’re too cool to pick up trash on the beach, you’re part of the problem,” said Crisco. “It makes such a difference when you see other people out there picking up trash. It’s a hard day when you find things like dirty diapers on the beach, then you see someone else walking down the beach picking up trash and you’re reenergized.”

The Beach Management Patrol has been picking up trash from the beach front, beach access areas, parking areas, and roadsides since mid August of 2009. A conservative estimate of litter collected thus far is almost 900 kitchen-sized bags of assorted trash, according to Crisco. “Each bag weighs an average of 35 pounds, which means that in less than one year we have physically removed no less than 14 tons of litter, nearly half of which was recyclable,” he said.

This figure does not include such things as construction debris or damaged sand fencing, which would bring the total debris collected to about 20 tons. “If we had a utility vehicle at our disposal, our effectiveness and efficiency would easily be magnified tenfold,” Crisco said.

He’s not out there alone anymore, Crisco said, adding that there are about a dozen active reliable volunteers of the Beach Management Patrol like Nancy Smith, who can be found regularly cleaning her section of the beach in the mornings or Paul Hume, who cleans up on the West side. “One of our best volunteers, Chris Peters, found a twenty dollar bill while he was picking up litter and used the money to buy a grabber from Lowe’s so he could pick up trash faster,” Crisco said.

There are many other unsung heroes picking up trash, according to Crisco, who said he has a long list of people who support the program and attend scheduled beach sweeps and other events. He said several local residents deserve special recognition. Long-time local Julia Scott has formed a group that meets across from the Crab Shack every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. to clean the roadsides within a block of Center Street. “Then there’s Danny. Nearly every morning like clockwork out by the pier, Danny is guaranteed to be lugging a bag of garbage around. He has rarely spoken with me and seems to prefer discretion, but this guy is truly an inspiration,” Crisco said.

Volunteerism takes many forms and is a fundamental aspect of the Beach Management program, according to Crisco. “We know that certain areas of the beach are covered, so we focus our efforts elsewhere. Without all these volunteers, we simply would not have been able to make such a significant impact on the health of our beach and the environmental awareness of our community.”

In addition to removing trash, damaged sand fencing, and large debris that has washed in, the Beach Patrol serves as a liaison to Public Safety and Public Works, reporting violations and erosion. As the local volunteer base has grown, the Beach Management Patrol has placed buckets in local businesses for donations to help defray the cost of materials.

Surfriders, the US Coast Guard, local schools, and other organizations and community groups have organized their own beach clean-up efforts or joined forces with Crisco, and the Beach Management Patrol sponsors events like the “After Fourth Beach Blitz” and the “Sunday Sweeps” that give residents an opportunity to become more actively involved in helping to keep our beach clean.

Crisco has been relentless in achieving his goals. Although he had been repeatedly told that Charleston County would never agree to the recycling bins he wanted for the beach access points, he managed to acquire 20 brand new 95-gallon recycling roll carts. “Prior to the placement of these recycling bins, there were no bins on the West side except the one at Third Street,” Crisco said. “The new bins clearly made a big difference with this year’s holiday trash pileup. It gives people a chance to do the right thing.”

Crisco’s long range goals include continued community activism and volunteer support, recycling improvements, and the acquisition of a used ATV. The Beach Management Patrol recently received $25,000 in funding from the accommodations tax and City Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks is looking for grant money to augment that funding. “I wish I had a magic wand to wave that would make this happen overnight,” she said, “but it takes time to really get things up and running.”

Kevin Boniface has recently joined the Beach Management Patrol as a paid employee and Crisco would like to hire several other part-time employees who are CPR trained and can work with Public Safety. In addition to an ATV, Crisco would like to purchase a john boat so the team can remove litter and debris from the marshes. “I would eventually like to see Beach Management grow into Island Management, covering all roadsides and accessible marshy areas,” he said.

“Bottom line is that people are less inclined to litter when the beach is clean,” Crisco pointed out. “Our ultimate goal is to increase community awareness to the point that people don’t litter and those who do stick out like a sore thumb.”

Italics: Anyone who would like to volunteer or coordinate the work they are already doing with the Beach Management Patrol can contact John Crisco at follybeachcleanup@gmail.com or call Aaron Pope at 588-2447, extension #3.

Share on Facebook

Half-rubber tournament brings back memories

As indigenous to the low country as palmetto bugs and shagging on the beach, half-rubber is a game that resembles baseball but is played with half of a rubber ball and a broomstick. The game can be played anywhere, but everyone agrees the beach is best. (Italics?)

Nine years ago Brian Koster organized the first Folly Beach “Man of the Sand” Half-Rubber Tournament. A friend with an autistic child told him about Camp Good Times, the only camp in the low country for autistic children, and Koster decided to help. “It was a no-brainer,” he said, “Half-rubber is synonymous with Folly Beach. The tournament links this timeless low country tradition to a good cause.” There are other tournaments, but the Man of the Sand is widely acknowledged as the most popular and regularly raises $5,000 or more each year for Camp Good Times.

Half-rubber has been around the low country since the 1920s and while there are differences of opinion as to when and where it all started, everyone agrees the game is in a league of its own and nothing else is quite as challenging or more fun to play.

Now

Modern half-rubber teams consists of a pitcher, catcher and one or two fielders. It’s a game that demands intense concentration and excellent hand-to-eye coordination. The relationship between the pitcher and the catcher is the backbone of the team. A pitcher and catcher who have played together for a long time are hard to beat.

“It’s not easy to pitch half of a rubber ball,” said David Smith, who pitches for Old School, “but good pitchers can sling a ball side-armed and get that ball to do what they want. It whizzes through the air, twisting and spiraling its way to the batter, and man is it fast.”

The catcher snags those rockets bare handed (gloves are for sissies) and it’s not unusual to break a finger, but any catcher worth his jockstrap just  tapes it to a good one and keeps on playing, according to Old School catcher Eddie Cornwell, who waved a few misshapen fingers in the air.  Smith has been playing with Cornwell for 30 years and calls him “the best catcher I ever knew.”

Hitting half a ball with a broomstick is no small feat, either. With baseball, you swing at the ball. With half-rubber, you swing where you think the ball is going to be, according to Smith.  A good pitcher can fool you most of the time, although experienced players eventually learn to read the ball. “I never could get interested in playing baseball,” Smith said. “It’s no challenge. How could you miss? You may as well put the ball on a tee.”

Then

Half-rubber conversations inevitably turn to whether the game was first played in Charleston or Savannah.  “I don’t want that question ever answered,” said Koster. “Let it be the million dollar question that never gets answered. What matters are the challenge and the camaraderie.”

J. G. Braddock is 80 years old and has been playing half rubber since he was ten or twelve. “I don’t know where the game originated,” Braddock said. “It’s been around so long there is no one left alive to say with certainty where some genius first razored a rubber ball in half and swiped the handle off his mother’s broom.”

Braddock remembers half-rubber played in his native Jacksonville when he was six years old and in Savannah, where his family moved when he was ten. In 1941 he moved to Charleston and by 1945 he was playing half-rubber most very day between the ends of two apartment buildings in the Robert Mills Manor housing project. His most memorable game was in the early afternoon of August 15, 1945.  As he was waiting his turn at bat, someone threw open an upstairs window and yelled “The Japs have surrendered” and the half-rubber players left a ball hanging in the air to join the crowd surging towards King Street to celebrate the end of the World War II.

Reverend Robert P. Dukes said he knows for a fact half-rubber was played in Charleston back in the 20’s. He learned to play in 1939 from his brother-in-law, who had been playing for 15 years. It was an easy pickup game because back then all you needed was a pitcher, catcher and two pieces of equipment.  “I played my first game with a rubber ball cut in half that I bought at the Kress store on King Street and a handle cut from my mama’s broom.”

The rules have remained pretty much the same, according to Dukes. The hitters don’t run bases and their score is determined by how and how far they hit the ball. “Three strikes you’re out. Hit the ball on the ground, it’s a single. Hit it in the air across the street, it’s a home run.”

Braddock agreed with that. “Three strikes or 10 or 20 or even 100 didn’t count as long as the catcher missed the pitch and there were only three ways to make an out – a tip or fly caught by a fielder or a swing and miss caught by the catcher.”

Both men were lifeguards at Folly Beach in the late 40s and have fond memories of playing half-rubber on the beach. According to Braddock, the two most popular places were in front of Rainbow Corner, which he called the “shag capital of the world” and the old pavilion, site of the present Holiday Inn.

Braddock said when he was chief lifeguard for the Township of Folly Beach in 1950, the game was outlawed in front of the pavilion after several beachgoers “came dangerously close to being decapitated” by broom handles slung from sweaty hands, but games were in progress up and down the rest of the beach from daybreak to sunset.

Man of the Sand 2010

Now it’s three and four-man teams, fancy aluminum or laminated bats and pre-cut balls from sporting goods stores, but it’s still a game that gets the juices flowing and brings back memories (or aspirations) of youthful exuberance and stamina, sun and sweat and good friends out to have a good time.  This year’s tournament was held on June 10 and 11 in front of the Folly Beach Holiday Inn.  Koster says he doesn’t have a final figure yet but estimates that Man of the Sand 2010 raised approximately $7,000 for Camp Good Times.  This year’s was organized by Koster, Stephen Slaughter, Wayne Turner, Jimmy Mazyck and Bruce Inabnett, who regularly raises the most money for Camp Good Times. This year’s winning team was The Capones -one Charlestonian and three players from Savannah.

The Capones might have taken home the trophy, but everyone was a winner. “Everyone walks away from the table happy,” Koster said. “We get to play half-rubber, drink cold beer, check out the girls in bikinis, and help the kids. That’s what it’s really all about. We do it for the kids.”

You can catch a game of half-rubber most Sundays from mid-April through October on Folly Beach in front of the Holiday Inn parking lot. (Italics)

Share on Facebook

By Chris Wilkerson

“My inspiration comes from my love of animals,” Janet Fincannon says simply. A recent newspaper article made Janet realize that there was such a thing as oxygen masks for pets that could be used in rescues.
In the event of a fire dogs and cats trapped inside of a house do not always have the same ability to flee as a human might. Regardless, they are just as susceptible to smoke inhalation as a person anyway. A survivor usually requires the use of an oxygen mask to recover directly after being pulled from the disaster. These masks are made to fit a person’s face and don’t work

Local woman Janet Fincannon is on a mission to save pets in fire emergencies and is starting with Folly Beach.

effectively for a pet. According to Folly Beach Public Safety Director Terry Boatwright, emergency personnel usually use something like a “Dixie Cup” with a hole cut into the back that could fit over an animal’s snout. The pet masks are designed to fit snugly over an animal’s snout and feed oxygen to an animal that’s been overcome with smoke, he adds.
“That’s a good thing,” says Boatwright. “On a grand scale, they’re very beneficial. In responding to structure fires, it is not uncommon to encounter family pets suffering the effects of smoke inhalation. Such devices have proven beneficial in saving the lives of family pets.”
While these pet masks are readily available, Janet realized that our local Charleston area Fire Departments did not have any. “Instead of being sad or upset about it, I decided to do something about,” she said. That’s how the campaign began. She set up a business account and began the arduous task of trying to raise money which she would use to purchase the pet masks for the Fire Departments. She developed a logo and a website. Soon after, the Invisible Fence company learned of her effort and wanted to be a corporate sponsor, she says. They have previously been involved with similar pet mask programs and have offered to match all donations she receives up to $3,000. “I was really excited about this. It meant double the amount of masks for the donations I receive!”
On November 9, Janet was able to make the first donation of pet oxygen masks to local fire departments which included Folly Beach. As a result, the Folly Beach Public Safety Department is now equipped with a set of masks which includes three different sizes for the various sizes in which our furry friends and companions come.
Janet wants to stress that all donations are used for the purchase of pet oxygen masks. Any expenses incurred such as the website, stamps, business cards or anything else come straight from her own pocket. “I would like to thank all donors, past and future, and let everyone know that every donation, no matter how large or small, is appreciated.”
Her goal is to continue provide pet oxygen masks, with your help, until every fire department in the United States has a set. “This is not something anyone can be against. Who would not want to have the opportunity to help save a pet’s life,” she says. Thanks to her work and the selfless donations of fellow animal lovers, Folly Beach’s Fire Engine 1 is now equipped with pet oxygen masks that could save the life of your dog or cat in the event of an emergency.
If you would like to join Janet in her cause and donate money for the purchase of pet oxygen masks or just to learn more, visit her website at: www.oxygenmasks4pets.org.

Share on Facebook

The Folly Beach City Council held its monthly workshop and regular meeting, back-to-back, on December 8. Council member Tim Goodwin was absent from the meeting and Mayor Carl Beckmann explained that he was sick.

Council coup fails

Council member Tom Scruggs surprised the rest of Council when he made a motion to hold a special meeting on January 19 to discuss the possibility of inserting a referendum during next year’s April 6 election that would allow residents to change the City’s form of government from a “Strong Mayor” to a “Strong Council” system. Scruggs argued that the current form of government is not working and is evident in the fact that Council has done a lot of talking but can’t seem to get anything done. Maybe with a Council form of government, they would have made more progress over the past few years, he said.
Council member Dave Stormer concurred. “Something a little more collegial would be more appropriate in a community this size,” he said adding that the entire Council would share in the responsibilities and decisions that the Mayor currently wields. “It’s just a bad system.”
However, Council members Ellis, Beck, and McCarty all argued against the concept saying that the timing is terrible and that there is way too much going on with the litter issue, City Hall/Public Safety Expansion, bridge replacement, traffic study among other things. Furthermore, the City’s staff is already overworked they said. Ellis wrote the idea off as a simple personality conflict saying that Scruggs’s motion “is a direct response to him [Mayor Beckmann]”. Instead, he said it should be a campaign issue and the voters could decide that way. Beck argued that such a huge referendum needed more time to be digested by the Council and the citizens. Putting this on the April 6 ballot was too soon, she said. Scruggs retorted that his motion only opens the floor for a formal discussion among Council and does not actually create the referendum.
The Council voted 2-4 against the motion with Scruggs and Stormer casting the two affirmative votes.

City employees to see raises

The City Council unanimously passed a resolution that would add about $61,000 in expenditures to the 2009-2010 budget. The money reflects the results of a compensation study that suggested many of the City’s employees are underpaid in comparison to surrounding communities and similar municipalities. However, the vote did not occur until after Council member Eddie Ellis expressed some issues he had with the study and resolution.
Ellis suggested that the “higher-ups” in the City were getting raises before employees who sit lower on the proverbial totem pole. Furthermore, he asked if raises should occur retroactively since the study suggested employees were being underpaid the entire time the study was being conducted.
City Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks assured Ellis that everyone entitled to a raise would be receiving it at the same time. Council member Tom Scruggs also said that the study was necessary to see how much of a raise, if any, employees needed to receive.
According to Council member Dave Stormer, approximately 71 percent of the compensation adjustments will be occurring within the Public Safety Department. Employees receiving adjustments should expect to see the salary increases starting this month.

Mayor’s Comments

The Regular City Council meeting opened with Mayor Beckmann providing a short commentary on the Beach Management Patrol and Fire Department tours. He expressed a great amount of satisfaction in John Crisco of the City’s Beach Management Patrol which was forged this past summer and is charged with keeping the beach front free of litter and educating visitors on City ordinances.
“He is a ball of fire,” Beckmann said. When asked to provide some suggestions for improving the patrol and beach litter in general, Crisco responded with a 15-page report, according to Beckmann. He added that the patrol is doing a great job.
He also pointed out that the Public Safety Department recently had some visitors in the form of students who were given a tour of the City’s Fire Station. Interested members of the public should contact Public Safety Director Terry Boatwright or Deputy Fire Chief Brad Wade for information on tours.

Wanna do the repeater?

Deputy Fire Chief Brad Wade explained the need for Ordinance 21-09 which would permit the communication tower at the water plant to be increased in height by 50 feet for a total height of approximately 245 feet. The height is necessary for a potential, multi-phased approach to improving radio communication for emergency services as part of the consolidated 9-1-1 dispatch move which allows Charleston County to handle dispatch for local municipalities under one system. However, the transition has been less than perfect.
“We have a communication problem in Charleston County,” Chief Wade said. The problems, he said, are mostly occurring in island communities like Folly Beach. Communication is being disrupted by oceanic interference, which is unpredictable he added. On some days, radios are completely useless and Public Safety personnel have to use their cell phones to communicate.
The first phase of the solution includes creating a “repeater site” on Folly Beach. The current tower does not have any more room as it is filled with other users such as cell phone company. Increasing the height of the tower will provide the necessary space.
Chief Wade says that ordinance is a bit proactive as the County still has to agree on the plan. However, by passing the ordinance now, which requires another vote, the City will be ready if the County moves ahead with the plan. Furthermore, he adds that the City is not expected to incur any cost for the construction since the City subscribes to the County’s service and it is the service that is failing.
Motorola, the company behind the communication system, is sure this will fix the problem.

Other ordinances and resolutions

The Council unanimously passed Ordinance 22-09 which accepts a “Quit Claim Deed” from Milton Loehr for a property located on East Ashley at the Washout. The property is beach-side and basically underwater. The ordinance also directs the City’s attorney to prepare a Quit Claim Deed themselves giving the property over to the “Folly Beach Nature Conservancy. The TMS number for the property is 4391400029.
An ordinance that would get the Council more involved with special event requests was postponed. A Special Events Committee has been created that streamlines the process people have to go through when getting permission for special events such as Surfers Healing and Follypalooza, for example. However, Council member Stormer, who introduced the ordinance, pointed out that the Special Events Committee may have been introduced incorrectly and may not be authorized to make the decisions they have been making. The ordinance would create another step for applicants to take. The Council agreed to postpone the ordinance pending counsel from the City’s attorney.
The Council simultaneously and unanimously passed the following resolutions in one vote:
57-09: Authorizes Mayor Beckmann to sign a letter of agreement with B.P. Barber to provide preliminary engineering services and acquire an easement to cross the Folly River to replace the City’s sewer for no more than $8,300.
59-09: Expresses the City’s opposition to State House of Representatives Bill H-3272 and urging legislators to vote ‘no’. The City would like the Taxation Realignment Commission to complete its study of the State’s tax structure before the bill is voted on.
60-09: Adopts the 2010 meeting schedule for the City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Board, Utility Board, Community Promotion Foundation and Official Holiday Calendar.
61-09: Approves the City Administrator’s request to surplus a 1995 Chevrolet long-bed pick-up truck.

Share on Facebook

This skeleton was among 19 discovered thanks to Robert Bohrn in 1987. The bodies belonged to African-American Union soldiers who were stationed on Folly Beach in 1863.

I love Folly Beach. Being born and raised on James Island, Folly Beach is a part of my soul that I have always cherished and loved. As an infant in the 1950s, I cut my teeth on the surf and sands of her beach. As a child I learned to swim, body surf, and collect shells on her shoreline. And as a teenager I began to walk in the footsteps of Union Army soldiers whose footprints were washed away by time and tide.

During my Fort Johnson High School years (1972-76), I began to relic hunt Folly Beach with a passion. Research and legwork led me to find many artifacts left by the Union Armies’ occupation during the Civil War.

Folly Beach became the staging area for the Union Army in 1863. Its proximity to Morris Island made it a perfect location for the placement of troops, as well as all of the equipment necessary for the capture of Charleston.  It was at this point that Folly Island became a sea island city. With bakeries, lumberyards, newly made roads and large camps of Union soldiers, the island’s population swelled to well over 10,000 inhabitants. Each camp was the pride of their respective regiment. Soldiers from states such as New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Indiana, and Illinois were present. Each of these soldiers, experiencing the southern climate for the first time, learned of its difficult and deadly nature. Many soldiers succumbed to diseases that occurred because of poor food quality, unsanitary conditions, and the island’s bad water supply.

Then in July and August of 1863, the 54th and 55th Massachusetts, the first African-American soldiers in the United States Army, arrived on Folly Island. Little did the soldiers know that their presence would change history.

Sgt. Andrew Jackson Smith of the 55th Massachusetts was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery at the Battle of Honey Hill, SC, on November 30, 1864. He was stationed on Folly Beach during their stay.

The 54th Massachusetts would be the first to arrive on Folly Beach. This regiment changed the way America would think about African-Americans as soldiers. These soldiers’ sacrifices during the Battle of Battery Wagner on Morris Island were a true test of their bravery and skills. Leading the charge towards Battery Wagner, they earned their place in the annals of American history.
The 55th Massachusetts was the sister regiment of the 54th. When the call went out in Massachusetts that an African-American Regiment was being raised, the response was so overwhelming that it became possible to raise two regiments. The 55th arrived on Folly in August of 1863. The troops’ first order of duty was to prepare a campsite on the island. Tents were raised, the jungle was cleared, and roads were made. The camp was to be one of the best on the island, complete with a hospital, a sutlers and an ordnance store. Wells and latrines were dug and stables for the horses were built. From this camp, soldiers would leave daily to perform arduous fatigue labor on Folly and Morris Islands. Building fortifications on Morris Island, these soldiers were under constant artillery fire from the Confederates.  They sustained many casualties during their fatigue duty, but they would have to fight an even more deadly foe: disease.
In 1972, when I first began to search for relics on Folly, I was lucky to be granted permission to metal detect around some good spots on the island. I found bullets and buttons lost by the soldiers, and for years I would search this sea island for artifacts. On the beach, in the jungles, and in home owners’ yards, my search for the Union Armies’ leftovers would continue.
Then in 1987 my life would change forever. A new housing development was being built where I knew I had found Union relics before. As they began to clear a road through the palms, I was right there behind the bulldozers. Relics were to be found just about everywhere. Uniform buttons, bullets and other artifacts were being brought to light because of the bulldozing and land clearing.
Then, they started to bulldoze a small sand dune where I had never found artifacts before. But as they cleared the dune down about four feet, we began to find uniform buttons. The buttons were very corroded, which was unusual because normally the buttons were not corroded at all. As I was digging one of those buttons, my hunting partner found a human femur. We immediately stopped digging, left the site and went to my home to figure out what we had discovered. Our game plan was to return the next day and walk the site without metal detectors to see if we could see any more bones. If we found more, we were going to contact the University of South Carolina Archeology and Anthropology department.
The night before our return it rained all evening. This would uncover any more bones that the bulldozer had uncovered. As we arrived at the site we began to find small bones scattered about that the rain had exposed. Only small bones were found, so we assumed that just one soldier uncovered. I gathered up the bones in a small towel, walked about ten yards and started to dig a hole to place the bones in. As the shovel entered the sand it struck an object about a foot down. On the end of the shovel were three human vertebrae held together by a root. I looked into the hole and saw three Union buttons. Overwhelmed by what was being uncovered around me, I simply sat there in the sand. Relic hunting, in an instant, had become something sacred. I was actually touching a Union soldier from the Civil War.
I filled in the hole, placing the bones carefully back into it. I then contacted the University of South Carolina and told them about what I had discovered. We met at the site, and showed them where the remains were found.
For two weeks we excavated a total of 19 Union soldiers. Research would show that the soldiers were from the 55th Massachusetts. The discovery would be the first of its kind ever made. It was determined from military records that these soldiers died of disease while on Folly Beach. The soldiers were reburied on Memorial Day 1989, with full military honors in the Beaufort National Cemetery. Thousands attended this event, and relatives of the soldiers and the Governor of Massachusetts were in attendance.
And all of this happened because of a shovel full of sand from Folly Beach.
Now, twenty years after their reburial, we are on a mission to recognize these 19 soldiers who gave the last full measure of a soldier for their country. As a small gesture of thanks for their sacrifice, we are working with the State of South Carolina to have a State Historical Marker placed here on Folly Beach. A piece of cast aluminum to honor those of flesh and blood who fought, lived and died here on Folly Beach.
It is an honor and a privilege to recognize their sacrifice, and future generations will benefit from the memory of what they did during the Civil War here on Folly Beach.

Share on Facebook

There has been good news on existing home sales in recent weeks.  Nationally, sales of previously owned homes have improved and locally pending home sales have increased as first time buyers take advantage of the federal tax credit. However, a Wall Street Journal article, after previously reporting other improvements in the U.S. housing market, published a caveat: home sales are improving nationally at the “low and moderately priced” range but on the “upper end” ($750k+), “Sales remain mired in a deep slump and price declines are expected to accelerate.”
Many of the home sales (especially single family homes) in island communities within the Charleston area fall into the upper range. For some—notably Isle of Palms, Kiawah, and Sullivan’s Island—even the median listing price is well above the $750k price point. And, as I have reported elsewhere (see www.searspartners.com), about a third of Seabrook Island listings are in this high-end range (another 41% also require “jumbo” loans being at or above $471k).
Just as home sales vary across the country, so do they across various Lowcountry communities and neighborhoods. Table 1 compares all houses (single family and attached homes) listed and sold on the Charleston-Trident Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for the first half of 2009 compared to the same period a year ago. This allows comparison across island communities and across time. For purposes of this comparison, it should be noted that only a minority of Kiawah homes are listed/sold through the MLS.
Although some generalized and common sense patterns were found (generally new listings were down, median sales prices lower, days on the market higher), differences were found on every dimension among these communities.
Table 1: Comparison of All Home Sold through MLS
Jan-Jun 2008 vs. Jan-Jun 2009 for Selected Island Communities
As shown in Table 1, there were more listings on the MLS during the first six months of 2009 than in 2008 for Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island and Kiawah. Further, the latter two recorded an increase in the median price of new listings. Sullivan’s Island—unlike the others—also recorded more residential properties sold between this year and last. The greatest percentage of decrease in the number of homes sold was found on the Isle of Palms, which as one would expect also evidenced the greatest percentage increase of days on the market (DOM) before a property was sold (from 76 to 258). In contrast, Sullivan’s Island saw DOM slashed by one-third (from 257 to 168).
There were also island differences in the median price for which a home sold from 2008 to the same period this year. The sales price was up on Daniel Island, level on Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island, and down on Seabrook, Isle of Palms, and Kiawah.  Further evidence of the relative strength of the housing market on Daniel Island is apparent when comparing the difference between final list price and sales price.  The average home sold on the MLS was 93% of the listed price. The LP/SP ratio also remained constant (but lower, 91%) on Folly Beach. The greatest absolute drop between 2008 and 2009 was on Seabrook (from 94% to 87%) and the greatest percentage decline was the Isle of Palms.
The relative changes in each community from the first half of 2008 to the same period this year for each of these dimensions is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Percentage Change of All Homes Sold Thru MLS Jan-Jun 08 vs. Jan-Jun 09

So, what do the data show regarding the upper-end of the real estate market? Comparing the first half of 2008 to 2009 across these island communities, a small increase in share in Sullivan’s Island and Daniel Island was found for residential sales at $750k or above. The former increased 5 percentage points (from 86% to 91%) and the latter by 3 (16% to 19%). All of the other communities found market sales at the higher-end shrinking in comparison to those in the lower ranges. The most dramatic changes were on Folly Beach with 2009 sales at 43% of the 2008 level and Seabrook at just at half of the percentage sold in 2008.

From these data, the Wall Street Journal’s conclusion that the market for high-end homes is “mired in a deep slump” is only partially true.  Even within the limited Charleston metro area, there are pockets of improving high-end sales. Further, one can reasonably anticipate improvements in our regional real estate market to be differentiated among the island communities even as national economic conditions improve.

James T. Sears, PhD, is a Realtor and Real Estate Analyst. As an Accredited Buyer Representative, he specializes in residential real estate on the islands and investment properties in Charleston. More data are available at www.searspartners.com and he can be reached at property@searspartners.com

Share on Facebook

Shameful. Outrageous. Disrespectful. All of these adjectives could be used to describe the condition in which parts of Charleston County’s beaches were left after the recent Fourth of July holiday. However, one must hesitate to use the word “surprising”.
All of our barrier islands, from Isle of Palms to Folly Beach, saw an increase in the number of people coming to the beach during a typical weekend due, partially, to the fact that July 4 occurred on a Saturday this year. Furthermore, the rapidly growing population in Charleston County has become less likely to travel due to the economy and prefer to take what has recently been coined as “stay-cations”. The result was a huge influx of visitors and daytrippers to local beaches who wanted to enjoy the July 4 holiday.

Photo by Bubber Hutto

Linda Lovvorn Tucker, the City Administrator for Isle of Palms, stated that they had one of the largest beach visitation records during the July 4 weekend that the Town has ever known. Folly Beach had an estimated 40,000 visitors that Saturday alone. The more people you have, the more likely you are to have environmentally insensitive people. Who knows why, but to loosely quote the witty “Agent K” from the movie Men in Black, “A person is smart, but people are stupid.”
However, it was Folly Beach that found itself in the throes of a media avalanche when the trash story was attached to a possible ban on alcohol, as several residents presented pictures and strongly worded letters describing the amazing amount of trash that some environmentally insensitive people left on the beach. In the midst of their rage, many residents began crying for blood … or lower blood-alcohol levels, at least. Folly resident Bubber Hutto supplied pictures and several letters requesting that the City of Folly Beach follow Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island by banning alcohol on the beach in order to fight litter. However, the Folly Beach City Council recognized that litter and alcohol were inherently different issues at a July 14 workshop.
Folly Beach Mayor Carl Beckmann set the tone by pointing out that the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island had the same experience as Folly on July 4,and that both municipalities were inundated with visitors’ trash. Despite providing more trash cans on their beach accesses, Tucker stated that receptacles on the Isle of Palms were also overflowing, and that trash had been left on the beach, as well. It was something of a perfect storm; a situation that encouraged large amounts of trash to be generated in the beach area.
“I believe that timing circumstances impacted the appearance of the trash,” Tucker said. “From Friday until Sunday, the trash that was collected had no off-island destination.”
Despite having alcohol bans, the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s both had similar experiences. In fact, it was Sullivan’s Island in the news last year when a section of their beach was completely trashed by visitors. To combat the problem, Sullivan’s Island has been very straightforward in their use of signs at beach accesses and even a large traffic sign on the Ben Sawyer Causeway that warns visitors against littering. They also have a beach patrol which Fire Chief Anthony Stith believes helped to keep things more controlled this year.
The Isle of Palms has hired Schupp Enterprises to regularly sweep the beach. Bill Schupp, the company owner, stated that they picked up more trash this past Fourth of July than they have had to pick up during any weekend on record.
“We all had the same problem. Which direction we want to go in and how best to attack the problem is what Folly Beach has to decide,” says Folly Beach Mayor Carl Beckmann.
Currently, the trash “problem” is only a problem during the summer and only a severe issue for several days out of the year. Folly Beach Council member Tom Scruggs pointed out that the area of beach he patrols for their turtle watch program was not even impacted during the July 4 weekend. In other words, the problem is isolated. An alcohol ban for the entire community would not impact the litter issue.
“This Council has a trend of solving problems with new rules banning things,” Council member Eddie Ellis stated. He’d like to see the Council go in a different direction this time. In fact, he’d like to see community based solutions that reflect a smaller government.
The Folly Beach City Council spent an hour and half discussing how to fight litter on the beach. They considered putting more trash receptacles and trash bags at walkovers, as well as conducting more trash pick-ups. They also discussed doing a “litter blitz” over the course of several weekends in order to show that Folly Beach will enforce state litter laws, which can include up to $1000 in fines and jail time. It was noted that the blitzes could cost up to $10,000. However, that cost could be offset by the fines, Ellis said. Better enforcement of existing laws was also a focal point, and these ideas, as well as others, will be presented at a Folly Beach public meeting scheduled for August 4.
Other factors besides alcohol are largely to blame for the litter that was left on Folly Beach. However, that does not mean that an alcohol ban is not on the table for Folly residents. The Council also discussed “inappropriate behavior”, which had some Council members discussing a ban. Council member Laura Beck led that discussion and suggested partial bans that would only apply to certain “high holidays”, like July 4, that tend to include more drinking than usual.
However, one of the more popular ideas was a new law enforcement program that included a citizen patrol modeled after Del Rey, Florida. Citizens would be trained to patrol certain areas and work with the Public Safety Department to provide more “eyes and ears” to help local law enforcement catch inappropriate behavior, such as public urination, disruptive behavior and underage drinking.
Banning alcohol was not among the ideas that the City of Folly wanted to present in their battle against litter or inappropriate behavior. A survey provided by the Folly Island Voters Association (FIVA) suggested that the vast majority of people want a ban. However, a Post & Courier survey told quite a different story with 304 people against a ban and 149 people in favor of one. Our own Folly Current survey suggested that 85 percent of people do not want an alcohol ban and nearly 70 percent did not think an alcohol ban would significantly impact litter. 65 percent of those surveyed were either full-time residents, property owners, or previous residents of Folly Beach.
Those who will be attending the August 4 meeting will have an opportunity to say whether or not Folly Beach should ban alcohol on the sand. Despite the opinion that alcohol on the beach is not really associated with litter, Mayor Beckmann stated that they would get a poll from attendees on whether alcohol should be banned.
The August 4 meeting is expected to be held at the Holiday Inn at 6pm or 6:30pm. The event has not been officially scheduled, so be sure to check with City Hall. The meeting will also be posted on the calendar at www.follycurrent.com once the meeting becomes official.

Share on Facebook

How are Folly Beach restaurants doing this summer after economic fears gripped the nation this past winter?

Once upon a bad economy, the world fell into a recession. Not only did paychecks, stocks, and jobs dwindle, but luxuries too. Vacations, shopping, and extravagances were cut back and money was spared for necessities. But in a land far away from the Market of Stock is a small town at the Edge of America called Folly Beach, where it seems that the luxury of eating out could have a fairytale ending for Folly’s 2009 summer season.
It seems that the economic fears which plagued America this past year are unfounded in the restaurant business on Folly Beach and that the shaky economy might actually have helped these businesses thrive in 2009. The common thread in the financial tapestry of local eateries is that business this year for Folly restaurants is equal to, or greater than, last year. The success is partly attributed to the belief that travelers are taking more regional trips and staying closer to home. Perry Darby, owner of the Surf Bar, thinks that, “People in close demographics aren’t going to Paris or Rome; they are taking nearby trips and heading to the beach.” Similarly, the manager of the Crabshack, Dana Tinkler, recognizes that good business can also be credited to “day-trippers” as “people are finally taking advantage of their backyards: the beach.” The secret behind Folly restaurants’ continued success is because it’s a value-oriented luxury: great food for great prices.
However, some changes have been necessary. The Crabshack, for instance, added a $10 and under “Value Baskets” page to their menu for people eating out on a budget. No staff members were eliminated, however, and hours were adjusted. Seana Flynn, owner of Lil’ Mama’s, mentioned that they slightly increased their already low prices, but that they have been able to add more staff members. Menu offerings, pricing, and staff remained consistent at the Surf Bar, as well as at Woody’s. It was noted, however, that there has been a staggering amount of applications at several restaurants, more so than previous years, and that the resumes submitted appear overqualified. Although the addition of new restaurants may seem to add competition, Darby from the Surf Bar views Folly as a tent, “and there’s room for everyone”.
Last winter, unsure of what the future would hold, local business owners anxiously awaited the summer tourist season to see what impact the national economic climate would have. Charleston was not immune to the downturn, which means that Lowcountry residents have been included in the “staycation” trend. People are staying close to home and enjoying the Lowcountry instead of traveling. The niche’ market that defines the economy of local barrier islands like Folly Beach may actually be getting a boost from neighbors that would otherwise have opted for overseas destinations in healthier economic times.
Ultimately, the recession has not had a negative impact for the restaurants interviewed due to the large number of visitors to Folly, great food, great value, and great people. The local residents have also been significant players in helping out the local businesses by frequenting their local establishments, not only for the good value and good food, but for the love of Folly. And the people ate happily ever after.

NOTE: This article is the first in a series focusing on the state of the Folly Beach economy. We’ll be looking at local real estate next.

Share on Facebook

High flying flags

The Exchange Club has continued its annual tradition of placing flags on the causeway for the Fourth of July holiday. We hope the community has enjoyed this gesture and we thank you for your positive comments.

Join us!

The Exchange Club is holding a membership drive in July. Initiation fees are being waived and members will only pay $35 for their first quarter.

July meeting date moved

Photo by Robert Lucas. The Folly Beach Exchange Club recently elected new officers. (l to r) Folly Beach Exchange President Brett Barker, past president Rhetta Laurey and President-elect Matt Gerringer take a moment to stand in front of our Nation’s flag.

The July Exchange Club meeting has been moved to July 23 to avoid conflict with the National Convention. This meeting will include the annual Folly Founders’ Meeting. Frank Heinsohn will lead the presentation.

Welcome, new officers

Exchange Club held its officer and board induction ceremony at the June 19 meeting. Previous Past-President Jim Carney conducted the ceremony and President Brett Barker offered his comments on the coming year. In member news, David Walters was named Division Director for Division 10 at the recent South Carolina District Exchange 2009 Convention. Debbie Bucher has been added to the Executive Board and has also been named Social Chair. Exchange Club welcomes its Cindy Blanton as its newest member. Congratulations to all.

Share on Facebook