Volume 40:11
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Postal Permit 03
Folly Beach SC
November, 2016
Volume 41:4 April 2017
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club, est. 1938
Editor: Susan Breslin, [email protected], (843) 588-3026
POSTAL PATRON
FOLLY BEACH 29438
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New Flood Maps are a Stunner
The widely-feared flood maps issued by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have provided
happy surprises for most Folly Beach residents. Almost all
the city’s 2,600 properties had lower base flood elevations
(BFE’s); 31 properties dropped out of the flood plain
altogether, and only one was added to the plain.
- Most owners of properties which had been below BFE
will no longer face the expensive and difficult choice of
whether to jack their houses up to meet or exceed FEMA
standards, and they will have more freedom to add to
structure on the property.
You can find out your new BFE by going to the city’s web
page (www.cityoffollybeach.com). Above “Flood and
Hurricane Information” at top right, there is a box labelled
“Search this web site.” Enter “New FEMA flood maps” in
the box and click on the magnifying glass. That will bring
you to a page for New Flood Maps.
These maps are preliminary, and FEMA held three hearings
in March in Charleston County, but there shouldn’t be
widespread changes in them.
The maps are based on newer modelling, and they don’t
factor in projected sea rise. They will have a big impact on
the wallets of Folly Beach owners:
Click on “read more” at the end of the sentence “View new
preliminary Charleston County FEMA flood maps HERE.”
Then click on “HERE” in the sentence “View new
preliminary Charleston County FEMA flood maps HERE.”
That will bring you to interactive maps.
- Flood insurance premiums should go down;
- The City’s Community Rating Service (CRS) ratings should
go down the next time they are calculated (down is
good). Properties below BFE have a big effect on the
ratings. The city has managed to reduce the ratings so
owners get a 15% deduction on their flood insurance
premiums; now they will try to reduce it to 20%.
Put your address on top of the words “Find address or
place” in the box at top left, or scroll down and to the right
in the map itself. When you find your property, click on it
and a box will appear with your flood zone and BFE. (Your
property could be in two flood elevations, so look for a line
and click on each side of the line.)
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Study
The City has worked with the SC Sea Grant Consortium, the
University of South Carolina, and Elko Coastal Consulting
(the City’s consulting firm, owned by a Folly Beach
resident) to study ways to arm Folly Beach to arm Folly
Beach to deal with expected sea level rise. The wideranging 24-page draft report has many surprises. For
instance, there’s an emphasis on protecting the marshes, a
stress on keeping ditches clear to facilitate run-off, and a
plan to map all water mains and lines.
photo by Eric Lutz
This handsome fountain has been installed in a
niche in the City Hall façade, thanks to a grant of
$5,300 from the Folly Tourism and Visitor
Promotion Committee. The top fountain is for
adults, the middle fountain (left) is for children and
the wheelchair-bound, the bottom right fountain is
for dogs, and the faucet (center) is for refilling
bottles.
To see the report, go to www.cityoffollybeach.com, the
city’s web page, and put “Sea Level Rise” in the “search
this website” box at top right.
The City’s Planning Commission will join with City Council
to discuss the report at a public workshop on Wednesday,
April 5th at 6 pm. City residents are encouraged to read
the report, and to attend the workshop. This is about the
future of Folly Beach.
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Folly Clubs and Organizations
about historic southern gardens. All interested are
welcome. Happy Easter.
Lynn Ray Smalley
Civic Club
(843) 588-0093 [email protected]
Happy Springtime. I would like to invite everyone to join us
on Tuesday April 18th at 7 pm for a presentation by the
Folly Turtle team as they tell us about the upcoming Turtle
season on Folly. We look forward to welcoming you to the
Civic Club.
“D” Doyle Word 843-588-2297
[email protected]
Exchange Club
Exchange would like to thank everyone for supporting our
oyster roast and silent auction at Bowen’s Island on March
26. The music, oysters, friendship and fun were amazing
and the funds raised will go a long way to help Exchange in
the community. Big thanks to the Shakin’ Martinis,
Sunflowers & Sin and Teresa Parrish for the tunes! We look
forward to seeing you at the Sea and Sand festival April 8th
where we will have our famous burgers and dogs for sale!
Home and Garden Club
209 West Indian, April's Yard of the Month, is the home of
Melesia Walden and Craig Mason. They have designed a
multi-segmented garden in their search for sunlight and
care of their family. Melesia first came to Folly through
family and boating, while Boeing introduced Craig to the
south. They bought their home in 2010, but became full
time residents and gardeners only recently.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, one of the main
causes of Exchange. Join us at our April dinner meeting
(7pm) where our speaker will be Shannon Stroer from Dee
Norton Child Advocacy Center. This is always a very
informative and important meeting, so please join us. We
will also hand out pamphlets about how to talk with
children of different ages and sexes about signs to look for
and topics to discuss. Please stop by our booth and grab
this important information!
DJ Rich (843) 475-9787
Melesia likes quirky design and welcomes visitors with
large galvanized horse troughs, strategically placed to
capture the sun, abounding with onions, lettuce, kale, fruit
trees, hydrangeas and fan palms. A dark blue wood and
wire fence with pineapples from her grandmother greets
guests parking. New live oaks keep the original one
company, along with sea grass beds, fan palms, boxwoods
accented with lenten roses, fig and pomegranate trees. A
second fence, to keep grandchildren and dogs safe, offers
climbing vines, a water oak and boxes of Boston ferns.
[email protected]
Senior Citizens
Folly Beach Seniors will meet Thursday, April 6th at 11 am
in the Community Center. All 55 and older are welcome to
attend and enjoy good food and fellowship.
Our next meeting will have one of our own as speaker,
Marie Lowther. She will tell us about her recent trip to
Ireland, and the history of the SCGC Carrier 610A.
Our food will be around ham provided by Buzz Edwards.
Please bring your favorite dish to accompany it.
The main garden is flush with white and lavender azaleas
and hydrangeas under large oaks and palmettos. A
hammock swings, and Saint Augustine grass carpets the
walkway. The right fence hosts fern, ivy and miniature
spruces in boxes. Asparagus fern, broad leaf palm, yew
and boxwoods are present throughout.
Thanks to our Morris Lighthouse speakers at our March
Meeting. They told us about the history and said it is
owned by the state, but Save the Light has a 99-year lease.
Pink camellias, Melesia's favorite, line the left bed, with
summer begonias and fuchsia azaleas. A colorful bottle
tree watches over a bright yellow bench. A sandbox for
grandchildren can be seen. A walkway of stained pavers
leads from their entrance, anchoring a foxtail fern bed with
bright pink hydrangeas. A lovely statue of a lady views
mambo ferns, small camellias and Indian hawthorn.
Our sick and shut ins are part of our Community. Let us
always remember them in some way. We wish you and
your family a happy and blessed Easter ☺!
Pauline Ray (843) 588-9580
Green Team
Folly Green is proud to announce that the “SAIL” Team at
James Island Elementary School has adopted the 3 West
walk-over and will cut a ribbon on Saturday, March 25th.
Melesia and Craig enjoy planting and seeing things
grow. Melesia patterns her gardening after her mom and
grandma, who have obviously passed green thumbs on,
the mantra being "do it yourself".
Interested in a beach/island clean up? The Green Team
has been asked to set up all beach/island clean ups. Please
contact Teresa Marshall: [email protected].
Our next garden workday is Saturday, April 1st beginning
at 9 am. Feel free to join us.
We meet the first Thursday of every month – 6 pm in
Council Chambers. Everyone is welcome.
Teresa Marshall (828) 553-4690
[email protected]
Congratulations to Melesia and Craig. May they continue
to enjoy following their garden sun and Folly's relaxed
lifestyle. A special thank you to Kyle Barnett at the
Horticultural Society for speaking at our March meeting.
A very special farewell to Anna Lewis who has been an
integral member of our Garden Club for many years.
We will meet at noon in the Community Center on
Tuesday, April 25th. Leigh Handal Jones will speak
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From the Desk of the Mayor
We are also sending Deputy Chief Mims to the National
Hurricane conference toward the end of April. It is
imperative that we learn and improve to maintain industry
best practices in hurricane preparedness, response, and
recovery. He will be able to bring back some great
information as well.
Happy Easter!! Yep, it’s that time of year again, time for
Easter Egg hunts in the Folly River Park, Easter Promenade,
Sun Rise Service on the Pier, Easter Cantatas at our local
Churches, and------ TRAFFIC (ugh). No matter how great
the day, or maybe because the days have been great, more
of our neighbors come to visit. As we all know that there
has been an explosion of housing units on James and
John’s Islands, bringing hundreds of more families that live
closer to us than ever, and we can all be assured that they
will be coming to visit the beach or use the boat landing on
the weekends. So, as Mr. Ellis says, “Slow Down, Relax, It’s
Folly.” These are words we all need to remember as we
move forward into summer.
I say these things to let you know that the service we
provide for you is not happenstance. Your staff takes
calculated steps in preparation, planning, and execution.
Even in little Folly Beach, there is a lot going on behind the
scenes. We continue to strive to bring you the level of
service you demand and deserve.
Andrew Gilreath
(843)588-7003 [email protected]
Board and Commission Vacancies
Volunteer! Live a longer, happier life! Meet people,
become involved, help your community, make a
difference! Folly Beach citizens have a long tradition of
service to the community in many ways. One of the most
important ways to serve Folly Beach is to volunteer to be a
member of one of our Boards and Commissions.
Festivals, Festivals, Festivals; everyone has an opinion and
ideas on how to fix the problems. I encourage everyone to
talk to your City Council and discuss your ideas. I also
encourage everyone to have these discussions in person
and not by email or social media. You lose a lot of
important communication when you don’t actively sit
down and have a face to face discussion. As I have said
before, festivals, farmer’s markets, and Family Fun Nights
are good for our city as a whole. They’re not for everyone,
but everyone has an opportunity to participate.
Ten Boards and Commissions currently have vacancies.
Some current members may reapply because they enjoy
their service and understand the importance of the work
they do for Folly Beach, but all applications are seriously
considered by City Council.
Remember: “Slow Down, Relax, It’s Folly!” As always if you
have any questions, ideas, or thoughts, please give me a
call, (843) 729-0298 or [email protected].
Some Boards and Commissions do not meet very often or
require much of a time commitment. Nevertheless, each
Board or Commission is critical to the proper functioning of
City government.
Mayor Tim
The Chief’s Corner
Information about each Board or Commission is on the
front of the City’s website, www.cityoffollybeach.com. All
you need to do is apply, and you can do that online at that
site. There are specific qualifications, such as skills or
experience, for some Boards and Commissions so you
would have to meet those qualifications.
March was another busy month for your Public Safety men
and women. We are preparing for the summer by
conducting water rescue training, setting up landing zones
for helicopter medivac, prepping all our equipment for
reliable and prompt emergency response, educational
training, and ramping up beach enforcement efforts.
Help make decisions about the future of your City.
Dale Stuckey, Mayor Pro Tem
(803) 351-5070 [email protected]
As I write this, I am in Charlotte, NC at a national
conference for traffic safety. I am focusing my educational
track on pedestrian and bicycle safety. Nationally,
pedestrian fatalities are up from years past. It is a huge
concern for us as well. This conference is a great
opportunity for Folly Beach to learn and observe what
states, cities, and towns all over the country are doing to
help combat issues that arise from interaction between
pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles. I am doing my best to
be a sponge for these ideas to bring them back to our little
slice of paradise for discussion and action.
From the city …..
….. the City is sponsoring Yoga at the Community Center
on Tuesdays at 10 am and Thursdays at 5:45 pm. $5
residents, $10 nonresidents.
….. The Folly Garden Club’s Easter Promenade will be
Saturday, April 15th. Gather at the Community Center,
10:45 am. Promenade down Center Street, 11 am.
Men, women, children and pets welcome. All must
wear a hat (no golf caps). Golf carts available for those
who have trouble walking.
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Folly Fun Stuff!
The 27th Annual Sea & Sand Festival, Folly Beach's longest-running and
most family-friendly fundraiser, is April 7-9th. The Miss Sea & Sand
Pageant kicks things off Friday Night in Folly River Park. Saturday's street
party will feature over 80 Local Art & Food Vendors, Live Music on Two
Stages, Kids Activities & Carnival Games, Silent Auction and more. The
festival will conclude with the popular Sand Sculpture Competition
Sunday afternoon on the beach in front of Tides/Blu from 1-3 pm. Tides
will have live music during and after the competition. Proceeds to benefit
participating Folly Beach-based charities and nonprofits.
Ladies ages 4 and up are invited to compete for the titles of Miss Sea and
Sand on Friday. April 7th in the Folly River Park at 7:30 pm. Divisions are:
Tiny Miss: ages 4-5; Little Miss: 6-9; Junior Teen: 10-13; Teen: 14-17; Jr
Miss: 18-20; Miss: 21-25; Ms: 26 and up; Mrs.: any age, must be married.
Contact Andie Weathers 843-729-9196 or [email protected].
Easter Season Church Services
Publisher: Folly Beach Civic Club
PO BOX 884 – FOLLY BEACH, SC 29439
www.facebook.com/Folly Beach Civic Club
Printer: Print Shop of West Ashley
City web page: www.cityoffollybeach.com
City Radio Station: 1610 AM
LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION
MONDAY 10-6
FRIDAY 10-6
CALENDAR FOR APRIL
Council Chambers
rd
3
11th
17th
United Methodist Church: Palm Sunday, April 9th. Worship at 10 am
followed by fellowship meal and Easter egg hunt.
Maundy Thursday Service April 13th at 7 pm includes Holy Communion
followed by a Tenebrae Service
Easter at the Pier Sunday, April 16th 6:30 am, Easter Cantata 10 am.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Holy Week and Easter Services:
Palm Sunday, April 9th Passion of the Lord: Saturday, 5 pm; Sunday 9 am
and 11 am. Monday, April 10th, 9 am; Tuesday, April 11th, NO Mass
(Chrism Mass @ Cathedral, 11 am); Wednesday, April 12th, 9 am
Thursday, April 13th, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 pm; Friday, April 14th, 9
am Mass; Liturgy of the Passion, 3 pm; Saturday, April 15th, Easter Vigil,
8:15 pm; Easter Sunday, April 16th, 9 am, and 11 am.
Baptist Church: Friday, April 14th: Good Friday Service of Tenebrae at
Folly Beach Baptist Church at 6:30 pm. Saturday, April 15th: Easter Egg
hunt at Folly River Park from 1-3 pm - with egg hunt, refreshments,
and face painting. Bring a basket. Sunday, April 16th: Community
Sunrise Service at the Folly Pier at 7 am. Easter Sunday Worship Service
at 11 am with the Celebration Choir presenting "Worthy Is the Lamb,"
with the Pastor’s Easter message.
Planning Commission
Council meeting
Design Review Board
County Parks and Recreation
- Yoga Unplugged at County Park. Mondays and Wednesdays: April 3, 5,
10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 5:45-6:45 pm. Age:16-up.
- Boot Camp at County Park: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Age:16-up.
- Folly Beach Bird Walks: Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve Bird Walk
Friday April 14th, 8:30-10:30 am. Age:12 and up
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7pm
7pm
6pm
Clubs, Organizations & Committees
Every Monday evening: Farmers’ Market
4th
Art Guild
6:30pm
5th
Save the Light
7pm
6th
Senior Citizens
11am
6th
Exchange Club Board
7pm
6th
Green Team
6pm
th
13
Folly Association of Business
6pm
18th Civic Club
7pm
20th Exchange Club
7pm
25th Garden Club
noon
Library
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th Story Time, craft
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th After-School Club
12h
Book Club
10:30am
3:30pm
2:30pm
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You
11th
Open Saturday
Angry Birds
10am-2pm
11am
Recycling
10th, 24th
FOLLY BEACH LIBRARY
Story time and a craft are Mondays at 10:30 am. Monday afternoons, our
After-School STEAM Club (STEM + Art) meets at 3:30 pm. The Book Club
will meet Wednesday, April 12th at 2:30 pm to discuss My Grandmother
Asked Me to Tell You She Is Sorry by Fredrik Backman. We will be open
Saturday, April 8th from 10 am–2 pm; we will show Angry Birds at 11 am
and you can make a fun craft. For more information, call us.
Mary Bushkar (843) 588-2001 [email protected]
WEDNESDAY 12-8
2nd SATURDAY 10-2
Volunteer Fire Fighters
th
th
6 , 13 , 20th, 27th
6pm
Special Events
8th, 9th
9th
10th
14th
15th
16th
17th
22nd
Sea and Sand Festival, Art in the Park
Palm Sunday
Passover begins at sunset
Good Friday
Easter Promenade
11am
Easter Sunday
Tax Day
Earth Day