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PERMIT NO 27
Volume 4 Issue 18 FREE January 9, 2009

Sullivan’s Island • Isle of Palms • Goat Island • Dewees Island

Goodbye,
Green
Heron
by Kristin Hackler

S
ullivan’s Island lost another little
part of its soul on December 31,
2008, as the Green Heron shut its
doors for the last time. Opened a little
over 20 years ago as the Wishing Well
by Mr. and Mrs. Grubber, this small
mom and pop convenience store has
changed very little throughout the years.
“I remember when you used to be able
to play pool in the back and buy a single
cigarette at the counter,” said Sullivan’s
Island resident and Green Heron
regular, Rocky Worthman. Although
the cigarettes went back to being sold
in packs, the store still sold everything
a beach going family would need: from
the laundry detergent they forgot to
bring to the beach house, to sunscreen
lotion, baseball caps, fun floats and a
smorgasbord of candy and ice cream.
And because they were part of such a
closely knit community, they also kept
running tabs for almost every family on
the island.
As a child of Sullivan’s island and
son to one of Bert’s Bar’s owners,
Rocky has seen the island change
throughout the years and did not feel
angry when the Green Heron closed; he
felt defeated. “This island is changing,”
said Rocky. “There used to be a time
see Heron on page 2 Polar Bear Swim 2009!!! Check out the chaos on page 19.

Inside Island Eye

Year in Review on page 4 Historic island cottages on page 16 Light it up winners on page 23
2 January 9, 2009
Daily
Heron extinct? Heron from cover

By Heather Holbrook
bell tethered to the handle won’t ring
Island I anymore now that the padlock is secure.
A narrow piece of real estate where

T
he letter sign outside the Green
kids of all ages used to jockey for
Heron on Sullivan’s Island is
oversized sno cones in a slew of flavors
missing a few letters. It says:
on any given July afternoon, the Green
“Come i r a great b re akfst”
Heron was host to folks choosing candy
If there was room up there it might
necklaces and Charleston Chews from
now say:
wooden bins after church on Sundays,
“Closed. Too bad it came down to
mamas sipping coffee after
this, neighbors. Forced
the SIES 7:40 bell had rung,
by several cosmic What’s going and little hands reaching into a
factors, we’re done.”
Iconic to be sure, the to be next, clunky freezer for semi-frozen
Dunleavy’s ? We all have ‘Mayberry by the
ice cream treats after school.
little store on Middle
Street that, in the old
Sea’ tee shirts, have stocked up
days, was known as
on SI sweatshirts to give to out of town
Gruber’s Wishing Well had struck
folks/wannabe islanders, wandered in to
a balance between all things local
get a sub sandwich or to buy last minute
and tourist. The Heron’s appeal was The Green Heron opened its door for the last time on New Year’s Eve.
birthday gifts like the Edgar Allen Poe
unpretentious and as comfortable as
bendable figure. In its day, this was THE when everyone would wave at childhood. Though the hope is that
a worn-in Rainbow flip flop. But the
place to get a loaf of bread or a stick you when you walked down the someone will step in and bring the
heavy glass door with the Swiss cow
of butter without leaving the street and they would go out of Green Heron back to its former
island. And I happily paid for their way to help you. Now they sandy-floor and first-name-basis
the convenience. won’t even look at you; it breaks glory, we will probably never see
“Put it on my tab” was my heart.” Sullivan’s was once this little community gathering place
an all too common phrase every child’s land of enchantment, again.
uttered by my three year Rocky remembered. Everyone
old son, a phrase I had to rode bicycles, children hunted
explain to him in three year for horntoads, there were endless
old words when he’d toss the expanses of marsh to play in and
same phrase to the cashier at, oyster roasts were held at the drop
say, The Pig or Barnes and of a hat, “It was the greatest place
Noble. No no no no no no on earth,” he sighed. After the
no we have to use MONEY closing of Bert’s Bar in December,
at those stores, son. Some 2007, the loss of the Green Heron
months our tab would be is, to many locals, another sad
$300, listing everything from step away from the island of their
morning coffee and fried egg
sandwiches with friends and
Greek salad working lunches
to fists full of bubblegum
and Saturday night bottles
of red wine. Well, wine back
Civic Calendar
when the Heron had a liquor
Isle of Palms
license. Losing THAT was
Contact: Linda Lovvorn Tucker Tuesday, January 20
one nail in the coffin. Yes,
886-6428 Ways and Means Committee
yes the coffin Heather, tell us
City Hall: 1207 Palm Boulevard 5:45pm
more about the coffin. What
Recreation Center: #24 28th Avenue
Sullivan’s Island
see Extinct on page 3 Tuesday, January 13 www.sullivansisland-sc.com
Board of Zoning Appeals Contact: Lisa Darrow or Andy Benke
5:30pm at 883-3198
Town Hall: 1620 Middle Street
Public Safety Committee
5:30pm Wednesday, January 14
Planning Commission
Wednesday, January 14 6:30pm
Public Works Committee
4pm Thursday, January 15
Board of Zoning Appeals
Planning Commission 7pm
4:30pm
Tuesday, January 20
Recreation Committee Town Council
5:30pm 6pm

Thursday, January 15 Wednesday, January 21

Personnel Committee Design Review Board
5:30pm 6pm

www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009 3

Marty Bettelli Luck y D o g P ubl i sh i n g , L L C

Publisher of the Island Eye News, The
a word wi t h an in t erim ma y oral candida t e Island Connection and The Folly Current.

By Ali Akhyari Lynn Pierotti

was with the encouragement of Mayor Publisher

W
ith the Isle of Palms mayoral
election drawing closer
every day, it’s time to look
at the third and final candidate: Marty
Bettelli
“The primary concern of any
government is to take care of its
residents,” Bettelli says.
Bettelli has been a resident of Isle
of Palms for 40 years. His time as a
resident began when he and a couple
of friends rented a home on Cameron
Boulevard while he worked as a missile
technician on a nuclear submarine
during his service in the United States
Navy. When he was afforded the
opportunity to settle, he married his
current wife, Linda, a native Sullivan’s
Islander, and moved to the Isle of
Palms permanently. They have been
living in the same classic, island-style
home since 1971.
In addition to his tenure as a
resident, Bettelli’s experience as a City
Council member is one of the reasons
he believes he would make a good
mayor. He has been a member of the
Council for 10 years and he says it
Carmen Bunch, at the time, as well as
his neighbors and friends that he sought
a position on the Council. Since then
he has served on every Committee and
has served as Chairman of every one
except for Ways and Means.
Bettelli says he looks forward
to improving the Isle of Palms as
Mayor while maintaining the sense of
community that makes it a wonderful
place to live.
Like many islanders, Bettelli
believes that the beach is one of the
greatest resources of the Isle of Palms
and that it should be maintained with
that in mind. However, keeping a
sharp eye on the City’s budget will be
the most important issue for the next
Mayor, he says. Bettelli says the City
will have to closely monitor the budget
and spend money wisely.
Due in part to his experience
appointing board and commission
members on the Personnel Committee,
Bettelli recognizes that there are
different viewpoints as to how the City
should operate and which direction it
should go. The island, he says, is in a
state of fluctuation and is constantly lynn@luckydognews.com
changing. However, a balance should Kristin Hackler
consciously be sought after with the Editor
care and welfare of the residents kristin@luckydognews.com
getting the highest priority. The City,
he says, should work to bring residents Ali Akhyari
closer together and foster friendships Assistant Editor
throughout the community. With that ali@luckydognews.com
in mind, he suggests an annual island Heather Boggs Holbrook
gathering, specifically designed for the Contributing Editor
residents after the tourist season winds heather@luckydognews.com
down. The idea is for island inhabitants
to grow the sense of community Swan Richards
that naturally exists in conjunction Graphic Designer
swan@luckydognews.com
with island life and to rediscover the
blessings that can be forgotten during Brittany Urbach
the busy summer months. Reporter
For more information, visit www. brittany@luckydognews.com
martybettelli.com. A candidate forum is
scheduled to take place on January 12 Jennifer Miller
at 7pm at the Isle of Palms Exchange Graphic Design
jennifer@luckydognews.com
Club with the mayoral election
following on January 27. Look for the Chelsea Langan
candidates’ answers to the Island Eye Advertising
News’ own questionnaire in our next chelsea@luckydognews.com
issue.
•

see Extinct on page 3
exactly killed the Green Heron?
No ornithological expert myself,
all I can outline for you is what I have
pieced together over these last months.
I’m leaving out every name on purpose.
I did not interview anyone before I
wrote this, but after talking with most
of the key players at one time or another
I expect I have about as cohesive a
picture as anybody else around here.
Let’s see. In the last three years and in
no particular order we have no lease,
a lost liquor license, the need for
plumbing and roof repairs, debt debt
debt, the downturn of the US economy,
lack of loyal customers, depletion of
good inventory, troublesome town
ordinances, high overhead, hurt feelings,
mismanaged record keeping and a
lawsuit. What a shame.
I was in the place at least thrice a
week for about seven years. I drank
coffee here with Tim while we decided
to move to Sullivan’s Island. I met
Dawn, my first friend on the island,
through the Green Heron, was invited
to our first kiddie birthday party while
in line at the Green Heron, was offered
my first newspaper job while shopping
at the Green Heron, after a hurricane ate
melting ice cream from a warm freezer
in a dark Green Heron, shared many a
sno cone fest with Marie-Louise and
her kids in front of the Green Heron.
You have your own memories I’m sure.
Mostly good, I hope.
I’ll miss the Green Heron’s particular
brand of island funkiness, but I’m not
going to miss Sunday mornings trying
to back my golf cart into Middle Street
waiting for a break in the Stella Maris
parade of traffic. I’ll miss the candy. It
just tastes better than the candy at the
gas station. But what I really miss was
what it never really was; the perfect
island bodega. It once was. Almost.
Now that the Green Heron has
gone the way of another extinct island
species, Bert’s Bar, I invite all islanders
to reflect on the complexion of our
community. What’s going to be next,
Dunleavy’s ? Poe’s Tavern?(well of
course not Poe’s Tavern; THAT’S
certainly not going anywhere.) How
would the Isle of Palms look with no
Red & White, no Long Island Grill or
no Sea Biscuit?
Here we welcome the new (Hi
Medley! And uh, hi Home Team BBQ
whenever you get here) and try to
embrace change in 2009. But change
because of failure- a failure to survive-
is nothing but sad for everyone.
Contributors
Lisa Mitchell
Jane McMackin
Catherine Malloy
Sierra Gibson & Jeffrey Knighton
Bobby Cummings
Richard Hricik
Bobby Cummings
Dimi Matouchev
Mary Gatch
John Nelson
Published by
Lucky Dog Publishing
of South Carolina, LLC
P.O. Box 837
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
843-886-NEWS
Submit your letters to the editor to:
info@luckydognews.com
Future deadlines:
January 14 for all submissions.
The Island Eye News, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Lucky Dog Publishing of
South Carolina LLC, is a free, independent
newspaper published every two weeks and
is for and about the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s
Island, Goat Island and Dewees Island.
Copies are mailed free of charge to every
active mailbox in our coverage area and are
also available at area businesses and by
subscription to non-islanders. Subscriptions
are $30 per year for non-residents and are
available by sending a check to Lucky Dog
Publishing, LLC, P.O. Box 837, Sullivan’s
Island, SC 29482. Contributions of information,
pictures and articles are welcomed and are
used according to space limitations and
news value and cannot be returned except
by special request. Our editorial content is
primarily dedicated to the area of distribution;
ad space is open to all businesses who want to
reach the Island Eye News market. Complete
ad creation is $50, however, changes of up to
30% of the original ad are included at no extra
cost. All advertising rates are listed at www.
islandeyenews.sc under “advertising”.

www.islandeyenews.com
4 January 9, 2009
2008 Year in
Review
January 1
2008 Polar Bear Swim
January 8
As the culminating activity to the second
grade money unit, Ms. Utsey’s 2nd grade
class hosted the Sullivan’s Island Elementary
School Snack Restaurant.  Parents,
grandparents and siblings
participated and as part of
the fun, students priced
the food, made menus,
served as waiters and
waitresses, used money
skills to tally the bill
and made change as
people paid their bills.
Civic
February 14
Valentine’s Day Teddy Bear
Parade at Sullivan’s Island
Elementary.
February 6
The Keenager’s meeting at the
Isle of Palms Recreation Center
featured a special guest who came
ready to show island seniors how
to shimmy away extra weight while
having plenty of fun in the process.
January 10 Jennifer White, a professional
The City of Isle of Palms pledged bellydancer who teaches belly
$2 million to help pay for the dancing at the Rec
beach nourishment project at Center, gave an
Wild Dunes. Councilmember Dee interesting talk
Taylor made the motion which on the history
passed with an 8-1 vote. “This is a of belly dancing
historic vote for the City of Isle of
before inviting the
Palms,” Taylor said. group to join in.
February 2
Residents enjoyed part of
the Lowcountry Blues Bash February 9
The annual Sullivan’s Island Fire
being held at the Isle of
Department Oyster Roast. Boasting
Palms Recreation Center
the largest crowd to ever attend
the fire department’s winter oyster
roast with a little more than 8,000
attendees, the profits from this year’s
roast went directly to the Charleston
January Nine firefighters’ fund.
22
At an IOP City Council
meeting, Mayor Sottile
swore in Ben Hull as the new
Recreation Supervisor for the
IOP Recreation Department.
www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009 5
Daily

February 28 March 20
Doggie Day at the IOP Field Day at Sullivan’s Island
Recreation Department. Elementary School. With
the help of teachers and
parents, students
participated in three
open events (jump
rope, three-legged
race and the
sack race) by
February
grade level and
15
then worked in
The Conlon Company 9/10 yr old
small groups
basketball team became the 2008
to participate in
Season champs and tournament
as many of the
champs at the IOP Rec Department!
“Buddy Events”
The team held an amazing record
as possible in 1 ½
of 10-1 and was coached by Philip
hours.
Charles.

February 29 March 22
The Isle of Palms Recreation Isle of Palms Easter Egg Hunt
Department competes in the
South Carolina Athletics
Basketball All Start Program.

February
26 March 4
The Isle of Palms City Council In honor of  the birthday of beloved
unanimously voted to move forward children’s author Dr. Theodor Seuss
with the new Public Safety Complex, Geisel, the Cat in the Hat, (a.k.a. Rick
which houses both the IOP Police Pelletier), stopped by the Edgar Allan
and Fire Departments in two separate Poe Library to read  to over 150 of
wings. Dr. Seuss’ biggest, or maybe smallest,
fans.

www.islandeyenews.com
6 January 9, 2009
Daily

March 24
Liz and Ed Morgan of Hugee, SC, began their day
with a quick splash in the Atlantic ocean before April 26
beginning their on-foot cross country journey to A smoking ban for Isle of Palms’
Seaside, Oregon. businesses is first proposed during
the City Council meeting.

April 20
April 19 The 4th Annual East Cooper
Annual Isle of Coastal Triathlon began at the
Palms Yard Sale Isle of Palms County Park and
at IOP Recreation crossed through Mount Pleasant
Department turned out and Sullivan’s Island.  Nearly 200
a total of 54 tables and competitors from 13 states, as well
a variety of vendors. as Canada, Ireland and the Czech
Republic, took part in the race.

March 25 April 24 April 25

The infamous and sorely
misconstrued “Sandcastle Ban” on
Isle of Palms is brought up during
a City Council meeting. It was later
clarified that Council was merely
trying to find a way to keep the
beaches safe by requiring that beach
goers fill in any holes they dig in the
beach sand.
April 10
The City of the Isle of Palms
completes the renovation of the 21st
Street beach access.
The Exchange Club
on the Isle of Palms
celebrated its 60th year
as a club on the Isle of
Palms.
Sullivan’s Island Elementary School
annual Career Day.  Students in the
third, fourth and fifth grades had the
opportunity to visit with different
speakers from our community.

www.islandeyenews.sc
January 9, 2009 7
Daily
June 12
A Civil War cannonball,
measuring 10 inches across
May 1 and weighing 128 pounds,
Sandbag removal began at Wild Dunes as the was picked up by
renourishment contractors prepared to start dredging equipment 2 ½
pumping in sand. miles off the coast and
was deposited on the
beach at the northern
end of the Isle of Palms
around 3:00am. Since
the project began, workers
on site heard the clanking of
the cannonball bouncing to
May 20 shore.
2008 Isle of June 2
Palms Recreation Center The Island Turtle Team June 10
Baseball Season Champions, locates nest #5 at 56th Isle of Palms Mayor Mike
Charleston’s Landsharks. Avenue. It was the Sottile defeated Mount Pleasant
f

team’s first relocation

er

g Councilman Joe Bustos for the

w

er
rab of the season and held a Republican nomination for State
ba
ar
yb whopping 148 eggs. House Seat 112.
otob
ph

May 2
The Isle of Palms City
May 1
Council held a special
Sullivan’s Island Elementary
meeting in which they
celebrates May Day.
unanimously voted to award
the Wild Dunes beach
nourishment contract to
Weeks Marine, Incorporated.
May 21
Piccolo Spoleto Sand
Sculpting Competition.
Fifty-nine sand sculpting
teams competed in 4
categories. First place
winners included the
IOP Volcano, Archeo-
Awesome, Afternoon
Nap, and H.L.Hunley.
June 5
Sullivan’s Island Elementary School celebrated the
class of 2008 graduation. (front row: Hannah Haskell,
Sydney Burkhardt, Trey Perry. Back row: Clayton
Fain, Mr. Bryan Smith,  Joseph Perkinson, Kaileigh
Dilks.)

www.islandeyenews.com
 8 January 9, 2009
Daily
July 4 August 23
On the Fourth of July, Sullivan’s July 30 Friends and neighbors gathered to
Island was bombarded with visitors, The Toni Morrison Society celebrate the beginning of fall at the
as is the custom. However, this year dedicatesda bench at Fort Moultrie in Summer Soiree on Sullivan’s Island.
a particular section of beach was memory of the Middle Passage.
completely trashed. A fraternity/
sorority group was largely blamed
for the littering. According to
Council member Jerry Kaynard,
hundreds of beer cans, along with
other forms of trash, were left on the
beach and even buried in the sand.

July 22
July 23
The Isle of Palms Recreation
The Town of Sullivan’s
Department receives an award from
Island and the City of Isle of
the Municipal Association for their
Palms held their joint annual
“Bark Park”.
Disaster Preparedness Expo
at the Sullivan’s Island Fire
Department.

July 10 July 24 August 11

Isle of Palms resident Anna-Raquel The Sullivan’s Island Fire August 21
The Isle of Palms
Robison took home the girl’s title in Department presented their official City Council passed
The South Carolina Department of
$5,000 donation from the funds Transportation (SCDOT) Commission
the 54th Al Esposito Junior Amateur the first reading
Golf Championship at the Charleston raised at the annual Floppin’ Flounder gave approval to a contract that calls
of an ordinance to
Municipal Golf Course, shooting 131 run to Angel Touch, an organization for the rehabilitation of the Ben Sawyer
create a smoke-
the first day and 123 the second. founded by several Bishop England swing bridge on SC 703 in Charleston
free workplace
students to help fund cancer research. County. The contract only permits the
environment on the
bridge to be completely closed for seven
Island with a 5-4
days during the 24 months allowed for
July 26 vote.
the project.
IOP Beach Run and Youth
Fun Run.
August 16
The Isle of Palms held their
10th Annual Half-Rubber
Tournament at the City’s
Recreation Center.

ck
rn
s>

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January 9, 2009 9
Daily
September 26
Leigha
Mataosky,
a resident
of Isle of
Palms,
and her
debate
partner
Graeme Crews,
both seniors at Academic October 16
Magnet High School, October 1 Members of the Isle of Palms
traveled to Yale University Isle of Palms and Fire and Police Departments took
in New Haven, Connecticut, Sullivan’s Island on members of City Hall and
and placed 1st in Public temporarily switched the Recreation Department in a
Forum Debate to claim the to well water for the friendly “Kickball Invitational”, a
title of Yale University Public month of October until team building exercise designed
Forum Debate Champions. repairs to a leaky water by Ben Hull of the Recreation
September 5
line under Charleston Department. the City Hall/
Surfers tear up the Isle of Palms surf
Harbor were made Recreation Department squad
as Tropical Storm Hanna passed the
by Charleston Water won the first match 8-5 while the
South Carolina coast.
Systems. second match was a 3-3 tie.

September 16
The South Carolina Supreme Court
ruled in favor of Sullivan’s Island’s September 20 October 4
right to prohibit smoking in the work In celebration of South The 16th annual Isle of Palms
place. Sullivan’s Island amends their Carolina’s annual Beach Connector Run and Walk for
Smoking Ban ordinance to keep it Sweep/River Sweep, Wild the Child was held, a fund
compliant with the Clean Air Act. Dunes Resort employees and raiser sponsored by the Isle
members of the Wild Dunes of Palms Exchange Club to
community, along with the support child advocacy and
Isle of Palms Exchange Club the prevention of child abuse.
September 7 in a Beach Sweep.
The Barbeque for Bucks October 3
benefit was held for Nancy Due to a gale force Nor’easter
Lloyd, 37, of Isle of Palms, settling in over the coastal
who was the victim of a tragic regions of Georgia the
car accident in Charleston on Savannah Saltwater Classic,
Memorial Day in which the which focuses on the capture
driver of the colliding vehicle of Kingfish mackerels, was
died on impact and left Lloyd moved from Georgia to
with severe head, neck and Sullivan’s Island and renamed
bone injuries. the Sullivan’s Island Saltwater
Classic.

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10 January 9, 2009
Daily
October 19
Roy Williams led the first Sullivan’s
October 25
Island historic tour of homes and
The Isle of Palms Neighborhood Association
buildings with an informative, lively November 9
Oktoberfest was held at the IOP Exchange
two hour trolley adventure. Williams The National Park Service
Club. Approximately 70 people attended.
is author of the book Images of marks the transfer of
Members enjoyed German beer, brats
America: Sullivan’s Island.  ownership of the Charleston
and homemade dishes from neighbors
Light on Sullivan’s Island
while enjoying the beautiful sunset on the
October 21 from the Coast Guard to the
waterway.
The Town of Sullivan’s Island National Park Service. The
participated in a Wellness event also featured an Art
Program accompanied by on the Beach display in
a friendly competition. It the old guard house.
was announced that the
Fire Department won the
contest by losing the highest November 15
percentage of body fat The annual Sullivan’s Island Fire
among competitors. They Department Oyster Roast was held
were awarded with a six under the Big Tin. Almost 1,000
month PrimeTime Fitness people attended the event, raising
membership on Sullivan’s between $2,500 and $3,000 for the
Island. Sullivan’s Island Fire Department.

November 3
The Town of Sullivan’s
Island passed first reading of
ordinance 2008-10, which
October 31 would make it illegal for
The Isle of Palms deliveries to be made in the
holds its annual commercial district before
Halloween Carnival 7am or after 10pm.
and Costume
Contest.
November 7
Mayor Sottile
officially resigns as
Mayor from the Isle
of Palms City Council
to become the State
Representative for
district 112.

November 22
The Annual Roast by the Coast was
October 24 held at the Sullivan’s Island Fish Fry
A heavy rain hit the islands and Shack and funds raised went to the
flooded most of the roads and homes. Sullivan’s Island Elementary School.
More than 700 people attended Roast
by the Coast, going through 135
bushels of oysters and enjoying music
from one of the Lowcountry’s most
popular bands, the Blue Dogs.

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January 9, 2009 11
Daily
December 10
A great day for children-related charities in the Lowcountry
as they received proceeds from the 2008 Annual Isle of
Palms Connector Run and Walk for a Child during a Mount
Pleasant Exchange Club meeting.

December 1
The IOP Exchange Club
sponsored a food drive
to benefit East Cooper
Community Outreach.
The Club collected a December 7
total of 1200 pounds of Sunrise Presbyterian held their annual Live Nativity, complete with
food. a barnyard cast of characters, Christmas carols and singing in sign
language. The church even featured a first century Bethlehem village

0 9
2 0
December 11
December 6 December 8 The Isle of Palms Recreation Department
The IOP Garden Club held their The Sullivan’s Island held a very well attended cookie decorating
annual Wreath Sale at the Isle of Palms Council amended their workshop. It’s always good to see kids really
Exchange Club. The Garden Club uses business license fees get into their art.
the profits from their annual wreath sale ordinance to increase
to support their ongoing community by 50 percent for bars
projects. and restaurants instead
of 75 percent, which
moved their rate to
three dollars per $1000.
The rest of the business
community was given
a 10 percent increase in
December 4 the ordinance.
The Isle of Palms Recreation
Department hosted their Annual
Tree Lighting Ceremony on the
Front Beach area of Isle of Palms.
Live entertainment included
the band Two 3 Ways and the
Sullivan’s Island Elementary
School Chorus.

www.islandeyenews.com
14
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
M
artin Luther King, Jr. day is celebrated on
the third Monday of January and is one of
only four federal holidays commemorating
an individual person. This year, it will be celebrated on
January 19, 2009. Although the campaign for a holiday
in King’s name began soon after his assassination in
1968, the day was not signed into law until President
Ronald Regan passed it in 1983, and it was not
celebrated by all 50 states until 2006. South Carolina
was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday
for all state employees. Dr. King is celebrated as the
spokesman for the nonviolent civil rights movement
and was successful in getting the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed in
Congress.
Facts about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael
King, Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Five years later, King’s father changed both their
names to Martin Luther, after the Reformation
leader.
 Known for leading the civil rights movement
in the United States Advocating nonviolent protest
against segregation and racial discrimination.
 King skipped the ninth and 12th grades and
entered Morehouse College at age 15
 He received his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology
from Boston University in 1955.
 When King received the Nobel Peace Prize in
1964, he was the youngest man ever to receive the
honor.
 Argued that he was morally responsible
for disobeying unjust laws in his ‘Letter from
Birmingham Jail’, written in 1963, the same year
as his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the Lincoln
Memorial in Washington, D.C.
 King’s doctrine was influenced by the non-violent
teachings of Mohandas Gandhi.
 King was Time Magazine’s first African American
Man of the Year.
 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in
Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. James Earl
Ray was convicted of the killing and sentenced to 99
years in jail. Ray, an escaped convict, pleaded guilty
to the crime in March 1969. He died in 1998.
It’s not the tree,
it’s the spirit
Sullivan’s Island
resident David
D’Antonio
shares a little
Christmas joy
in the Southern
tradition.
www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009
 Six million signatures were collected for a
petition to Congress to pass the law naming a federal
holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It
was termed by a 2006 article in The Nation as “the
largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history.”
His publications include:
 Stride Toward Freedom, (New York: Harper
& Row, 1958). The story of the Montgomery Bus
Boycott.
 The Measure of a Man, (Philadelphia: Pilgrim
Press, 1959). A selection of sermons.
 Why We Can’t Wait, (New York: Harper & Row,
1963). The story of the Birmingham Campaign.
 Strength to Love, (New York: Harper & Row,
1963). A selection of sermons.
 Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or
Community? (New York: Harper & Row, 1967).
Reflections on the problems of today’s world, the
nuclear arms race, etc.
 The Trumpet of Conscience, (New York: Harper
& Row, 1968). The Massey Lectures. Sponsored
by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
(Posthumously).
Sources: MSN Encarta; Garrow, David J. “King,
Martin Luther, Jr.” World Book Online Reference
Center. 2006. World Book, Inc. 13 Jan. 2006; Martin
Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Site:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/ ; TheKingCenter.
org; Nobelprize.org: http://nobelprize.org/index.html
 January 9, 2009 15
Business
Make your New Year’s financial resolutions
Provided by Jennifer Cox
sure it is still appropriate for your risk • Build an emergency fund. It’s a their price happens to be down.
Financial Focus tolerance, family situation and time good idea to build an emergency fund • Diversify, diversify, diversify. In
horizon. containing six to 12 months’ worth of 2008, we witnessed something that’s
• Increase your 401(k) contributions.

I
f you’re like many people, you’ve
made some New Year’s resolutions.
Perhaps you’ve vowed to go the
gym more, or learn a new language, or
reconnect with long-lost friends. All
these are worthy goals of course, but at
the same time, you don’t want to neglect
one of the most important areas of your
life: your finances. So this year, why not
make some financial resolutions?
Here are a few to consider:
• Stay calm. As you’re well aware,
2008 was not exactly a stellar year for
the stock market. What will 2009 bring?
No one can say for sure, but it seems
likely that we are in for some volatility
in the months ahead as we slog our way
through the recession. As an investor,
your best move is to stay calm and
remain focused on your long-term goals.
Review your financial strategy to make
Even though you might not
have enjoyed looking at your
401(k) statements during
2008, it’s still a good idea to
boost your contributions for
2009. Why? For one thing,
you typically invest pre-tax
dollars in your 401(k), so the
more you put in, the lower
your annual taxable income.
And your earnings grow on
a tax-deferred basis, which
means your money can
grow faster than it would
if placed in an account on
which you paid taxes every
year. Furthermore, you can adjust your
investment mix to reflect changes in
your risk tolerance and your proximity
to retirement.
living expenses, held in a liquid account.
If you face an unexpected expense, such
as a major medical bill or a costly car
repair, you don’t want to be forced into
cashing out any stocks, especially if
unusual, though not unheard of: a
bad year for stocks and
bonds. In the past, it’s
more often been the case
that when stocks are up,
bonds are down, and
vice versa. That’s why
diversification makes so
much sense. By spreading
your dollars among an
array of stocks, bonds,
government securities,
certificates of deposit
and other investments,
you can help reduce the
impact of a downturn that
primarily affects just one
type of asset. Of course diversification,
by itself, cannot guarantee a profit or
see Resolution on page 22

Dynamics of energy usage is changing

By Bobby Cummings, CFP, CFBS, CLTC

T
he world of energy is
undergoing dramatic
change.
Throughout the 1990s,
crude oil prices in the
United States averaged $20
a barrel, with highs of $35
during the 1990-91 Persian
Gulf War and lows of $11
after the 1998 emerging
market crises, according
to the Energy Information
Administration. Since then,
petroleum prices have
skyrocketed.
“Oil, the Economy
and the Stock Market,” a
white paper by Joseph H.
Davis, Ph.D., and Roger
Aliaga-Diaz, Ph.D., of
The Vanguard Group, cites past oil
price increases caused by oil supply
disruptions centered in the Middle
East. Notable oil supply shocks include
the 1956 Suez Crises, the 1973 Arab
Israeli War, the beginning of the Iranian
Revolution in 1978, the onset of the
Iran-Iraq War in 1980, and the Persian
Gulf War.   “Without this artificial demand stimulus,
Today, some analysts believe the
dramatic rise in oil prices from $20 a
barrel in 2001 to more than $140 in
2008 (before its recent dramatic drop
back below $100) results primarily from
the first global demand shock.   sold in the world market at $4 would
Throughout this decade, the global
economy has expanded robustly and
commodity demand has surged. China
and India have more than doubled their
combined share of oil consumption
since 1990, and many experts anticipate
that China’s demand for oil will double
again in the next two decades.   including poorer, rapidly developing
Economists have countries, is taking more of an interest Power and the Glory,” reported that
long observed that in renewable energy sources. A recent
see Energy on page 21
oil price shocks article in the Economist, titled “The
tend to precede
U.S. recessions
as consumer
discretionary
spending declines
and further
investment plans
stall.
According to
the study, the U.S.
economy would
have avoided five
out of the past six
recessions had oil
prices remained
unchanged.
Many emerging
economies employ subsidies that
keep domestic fuel prices far below
the world price. As a result, these
countries consume far more fuel than
they would otherwise. By one estimate,
countries with fuel subsidies accounted
for virtually the entire increase in
worldwide oil consumption last year.
world oil prices would have been
significantly lower,” says economist
Robert H. Frank at Cornell University’s
Johnson School of Management. With a
$2 per gallon subsidy in effect, gasoline
sell for $2. “The problem is that when
the price of a good is below its cost,
people use it wastefully. The external
costs like dirtier air and increased
congestion are hard to measure, but are
nonetheless substantial,” says Frank.  
The good news is that the world,
www.islandeyenews.com
16
The vanishing island cottages
Historic and Island
Homes
T
he word “cottage” comes from
the early Middle Ages and can
mean different things to different
people. For the purpose of this column,
“cottage” will refer to the small and
often quaint homes that were initially
built along our coast as getaways for the
wealthy. In the 1800s in Charleston, the
affluent were the only ones that could
afford these second homes and who had
the luxury of time to enjoy them.
Back then, a cottage was a simple
wooden structure, consisting of only the
necessary sleeping and day rooms and a
small kitchen; quite dissimilar to today’s
beach cottages, which seem to consist of
a minimum of three bedrooms, stainless
steel appliances and at least two baths.
The original cottages had the bare
minimum and required minimal upkeep.
Their footprints were smaller in square
footage than the average sized house,
allowing them to be nothing more than a
simple retreat, a place to relax.
It may well be this quest for bigger
and better that is pushing out some of
the last tributes to our islands’ simpler
by Mia Burmeister-Laws
David Schneider of Schneider Historic Preservation completed surveys for the Sullivan’s
Island Historic District work. He had several favorites, but called this cottage “Sullivan’s
Island in a nutshell” - the shutters are a fanciful shade of purple.
pasts. Although current changes in
our market might make these cottages
attractive again in the future, they are
still disappearing at a slow but steady
rate.
Sullivan’s Island has recently taken
www.islandeyenews.com
photo by David Schneider
action as a community to protect their
historic cottages and homes with the
addition of a Historic District, which,
according to the National Register,
protects homes approximately 50 years
or older. Folly Beach has also shown
recent interest in protecting historic
structures on the island. I consulted
Michael Bedenbaugh, the Executive
Director of the Palmetto Trust of South
Carolina - our State Partner to the
National Trust for Historic Preservation-
to answer a few questions.
According to Bedenbaugh, the most
important step a community can take in
protecting their historic cottages from
vanishing is to have the community
leaders answer the question, “What
makes our community unique and
attractive to loyal visitors?” and then
act on the answer by protecting those
positive attributes.
Saving the world starts at home
By Hangerhead
S
ome people blamed the smoking
ban. Others say it was a change
in the building’s ownership
which resulted in a much higher rent.
Whatever the reason, everyone who
lives on Sullivan’s Island recalls the
closing of Bert’s Bar, the beloved
watering hole. I think some regulars are
still recovering from the loss. Almost
a year to the day, the Green Heron
closed its doors on the same island. No
more delicious sandwiches wrapped in
love, foil, and sometimes entertaining
sarcasm. No more toys and candy to
delight the youngsters walking into their
own personal wonderland.
In our current financial crisis where
people are getting laid off, jobs are
scarce, and money is tight, it is difficult
to make an argument for people to
January 9, 2009
A second option, says Bedenbaugh,
is for the citizens to develop
communication systems that encourage
positive action in protecting their local
resources. “Write articles in local
papers, set up informative meetings and
seminars, use your passion for what
you believe, but back it up with facts,”
says Bedenbaugh. “Find those persons
who have successfully won protection
in similar communities around our state
and utilize their experience.”
Although some may feel that
protecting historic homes slows a
community’s economic progress,
Bendenbaugh argues the opposite. For
example, he says that “Folly Beach
still has that traditional South Carolina
beach feel that has attracted generations
of beach lovers to the area for decades.
Embedded in its small business
district of family owned businesses
and neighborhoods is an innate sense
of community that is lacking in the
modern beach side developments that
have appeared over the past thirty years.
This is what makes Folly Beach unique
among beach side destinations in South
Carolina. If protected, it will create a
more loyal visitor base and sustainable
economy over a greater period of time.”
More on cottages in the next article
of Historic and Island Homes .
See you around Charleston!
Please let me encourage your own
thoughts by sending an email to Mia@
RealEstateMIA.com or call me at
843-810-1000. Let me know what you
would be interested in learning. You
can also view this article at any time
in the future on my websites at www.
HistoricAndIslandHomes.com or www.
RealEstateMIA.com
Mia is trained in historic real estate
by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
buy local, especially since it usually
means spending more money. The
United States market has been flooded
for years with more affordable foreign
goods and American businesses are
drawn to inexpensive outsourcing in
other countries. One could argue that
our government made firing American
workers popular before the current
fad. However, the closing of our island
businesses will not result in jobs being
shipped overseas. It results in local jobs
lost and the loss of the lifelong dream of
a friend or neighbor, as well as the loss
of a locally based community resource.
There are so many factors that can
be attributed to businesses like these
failing, especially these days. Like
rising costs and market fluctuations,
see Localize on page 22
January 9, 2009 17

Hi! My name is Mikie Track Star and I am one lucky pup! My family and
I moved here from Charlotte, NC, to the Isle of Palms in June. We were lucky
enough to end up in Wild Dunes, where I am a professional beach walker and
tennis enthusiast.
I hang out at
Morgan Creek
Grill when I’m
not sunbathing on
my boat the “Go
Fish!”
I pride myself
on being fashion
forward and have
my Mom to thank
for keeping my
wardrobe up-to-
date. Surf’s up …
got to go!

www.islandeyenews.com
18 January 9, 2009
Nature
Tangled up in mystery plants
By John Nelson

I
f you are a cocker-spaniel, you may not
want to look at this picture!
Here’s a plant with a kind of brutal
winter beauty; the drying leaf stalks topped
with a constellation of brown, spiny burs.
You might have a feeling that this is a plant
that wants to spread itself around, if it can.
And it wants you to help.
This is a member of the sunflower
family (and the botanists have determined
that it a relative of the common ragweed).
It is an herb that is widely distributed in
North America, is easily found throughout
southern Canada as well as every one of our
United States. It is an extremely successful
weed, usually found on disturbed ground,
agricultural fields, cattle lots, roadsides,
and places that are being excavated.
The plants get to be two to three feet tall
with lots of attractive, dark green leaves.
Blooming takes place during the summer
and each plant produces a number of small, drab
flowers. Male and female flowers will be produced
on the same individual plant. (Such a plant is termed
“monoecious,” and another good example of such a
plant would be corn.) However, it is what those female
flowers develop into that has really made a name for
this species.
Each flower has a tiny inferior ovary (same goes for
everything else in the sunflower family, by the way).
As the ovaries grow, following pollination, they are
ultimately covered up by a special “involucres”, a sort
Photo by Tony Adcock now-extinct Carolina parakeet, a flock of
of wrapping that is abundantly equipped with pointed,
soft spines. LOTS of them. As the season wears on,
the involucre’s spines harden, becoming quite stiff,
thus forming the recognizable burs. Of course, the burs
will detach themselves quickly just as soon as some
unfortunate critter runs through them. The same thing
will happen with obliging socks and trouser legs, so
you need to be careful around this stuff.
Clearly, the spiny burs make an effective means for
this plant to get its seeds into new areas; in this case
with the help of an animal. If you have ever tried to
comb these things out of Fluffy’s fur, you
will know what I am talking about. A bur,
once attached, is only going to get more
deeply embedded in fur, often needing to
be cut out (carefully) from a tender ear
with a pair of scissors. I have an idea that
the burs sometimes are attached so deeply
that they will never fall out on their own,
and following the demise of whatever
animal might be carrying them along,
would still be associated with the carcass.
In such a case, doesn’t it make sense that
the seeds within the burs would benefit,
upon sprouting, from an immediately
available concentrated dose of fertilizer in
the soil?
(By the way, those of you who are
familiar with the paintings of John James
Audubon will know his depiction of the
them noisily chattering away in a patch of
our Mystery Plant.)
John Nelson is the curator of the Herbarium in the
Department of Biological Sciences at the University
of South Carolina. As a public service, the Herbarium
offers free plant identifications. For more information,
visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196.
Answer:
“Cocklebur,” Xanthium strumarium

Painting with light in a dark world

By Mary Gatch

V
OCs, or Volatile Organic
Compounds, are chemicals
from liquids and solids that
vaporize at room temperature and enter
the atmosphere (a phenomenon known
as “outgassing” or “offgassing”). The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has found concentrations of VOCs in
indoor air to be two to five times greater
than in outdoor air, and can occasionally
shoot up to 1,000 times higher (for
example, while a room is being painted).
VOCs are an important factor in indoor
air quality issues such as sick building
syndrome. The EPA reports health
effects from VOCs including “eye,
nose, and throat irritation; headaches,
loss of coordination, nausea; damage
to the liver, kidney, and central nervous
system.” Some VOCs are suspected
or known to cause cancer in humans.
Key signs or symptoms associated
with exposure to VOCs include
conjunctival irritation, nose and throat
discomfort, headache, allergic skin
reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum
cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis,
epistaxis, fatigue, and dizziness.” Some
of these symptoms are probably familiar
to anyone who has painted a room or
dyed their hair in an enclosed space.
Scientists are beginning to find
evidence that prolonged or intense
exposure to VOCs can impact
our immune systems and lead to
allergies and MCS (multiple chemical
sensitivity).
Very high concentrations of indoor
VOCs occur for about six months after
painting with solvent-based paints
or finishing floors with conventional
products. Other common indoor sources
of VOCs include paint thinners, wood
preservatives, adhesives, detergents,
pesticides, dry cleaning solvents, and
tobacco smoke. VOCs can be generated
from fabric, upholstery, carpets,
furniture, photocopiers, and printers.
One prominent irritant is
formaldehyde, which is found in high
concentrations in adhesives used to bind
building materials such as plywood,
particle board, and most fiberboards
such as MDF (Medium Density
Fiberboard). You’ll generally find a
lot of formaldehyde in wall coverings
and “wood” furnishings which aren’t
made from solid wood (e.g., furniture,
cabinetry, shelving, and laminated
countertops). Also, Formaldehyde often
evaporates from paints, varnishes,
chemicals used for sealing and finishing
walls, insulation, and interior fabrics.
To avoid VOCs, consider the
following steps:
When painting, look for zero-VOC
paints, stains, and strippers.
Use zero- or low-VOC sealers,
waxes, and adhesives.
Opt for solid wood furniture when
possible; avoid items made of
particle board or MDF.
Choose natural, untreated fibers for
window treatments, upholstery, rugs,
and carpets.
Use natural, non-toxic cleaning
supplies.
For new construction, minimize
the use of products containing
formaldehyde or other harmful
VOCs.
If possible, make sure your
home’s and office’s interior
spaces are well-ventilated
(especially when painting or
working with any chemicals).
Avoid dry cleaners using
perchloroethylene (a safe
choice is Americlean in North
Charleston); otherwise, air
out dry cleaned clothes before
returning them to your closet.
The VOCs emanating from
a product dissipate over time
as the chemicals vaporize.
VOCs from paint dissipate
fairly quickly, with most
offgassing occuring during
the first six months after
application. Other sources,
such as particle board, may
continue to offgas for 20 years
or more. If you already have
products in your home with
high concentrations of VOCs
such as cabinetry made with MDF or
particle board, you may want to use a
sealer to minimize the amount of VOCs
entering your interior atmosphere.
Certain types of air purifiers can also
help to eliminate VOCs inside your
home.
Ventilation is always important to
see Paint on page 23

www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009 19

Over 2000 people participated in this year’s Polar Bear

Swim. In addition, approximately $15-$20,000 was raised
to benefit the Special Olympics.
Above: (L to R) Tom, Bill, Brian, Darragh, and George
Dunleavy, Caitlin Maher, Katherine and Patti Dunleavy, and
Jamie Maher.

www.islandeyenews.com
20 January 9, 2009

U.S. Symbols January

1 2

3
1. OSWN _________________________________

4 5
2. LDSE __________________________________
6

7
3. ANMSNOW _____________________________
4. IEC IGTNSKA ___________________________
8

5. ATNVOCIA _____________________________
9
6. EWN ARYE _____________________________
10 11
7. CPEEA _________________________________
8. ARAYJUN ______________________________
12

9. LASGO _________________________________
13

10. RFSAC ________________________________

Across Down
3. honors the author of the Declaration of 1. let freedom ring 11. NEISMTT ______________________________
Independence 2. Words to the salute to the Flag
4. honors the first president 5. a symbol full of symbols 12. NURTOIEOLS __________________________
7. seen in the air and on coins 6. where the President lives
8. she lifts a torch 13. RNEWTI _______________________________
9. honors the author of the Emancipation
Proclamation
10. first ten Amendments
11. AKA old glory or the star-spangled
banner
12. "We the People..."
13. "We hold these truths to be
self-evident..."

Do you know what this?

Sudoku 9 x 9, no hints (easy)

5 9 3
1 2 7
7 9 3 1 6 8 2
6 8 5 1 7 2 Send in your answer. If you’re
the first one to get it right. We’ll
9 7 recognize you in our next issue!
9 3 2 1 4 6
9 2 1 3 7 4 6 7 9 8 5 1 2 6 4 3
D E C L A R A T I O N O F I N D E P E N D E N C E
3 1 2 6 9 4 7 5 8

5 9 3
13
C
C O N S T I T U T I O N
5 6 4 8 7 3 1 2 9 13. WINTER
12
A 6 4 1 2 5 8 3 9 7
E I
12. RESOLUTION 11. MITTENS
B I L L O F R I G H T S
10
F L A G
11 8 5 3 7 6 9 4 1 2 10. SCARF 9. GOALS

4 6 7
L U E
A 9
L I N C O L N M E M O R I A L L 9 2 7 3 4 1 5 8 6 8. JANUARY 7. PEACE
E H L L
S E E A 2 8 6 1 3 5 9 7 4 6. NEW YEAR 5. VACATION
S T A T U E O F L I B E R T Y
8
B F
A I Y O 4 7 5 9 2 6 8 3 1 4. ICE SKATING 3. SNOWMAN
B A L D E A G L E
7
H T E 2. SLED 1. SNOW
R W
6
R G 1 3 9 4 8 7 2 6 5
W A S H I N 5G T O N M O N U M E N T
4
E D January
B E
3
J E F F E R S O N M E M O R I A L (easy)
L P
1 2 Answers for Sudoku 9 x 9, no hints
U.S. Symbols

www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009 21

IOP Rec
Isle of Palms Recreation Center Youth Drawing $85 resident/$90 non-resident
www.iop.net IOP Middle School Dance Ages 7 to 12 yrs 6 week session
843-886-8294 January dance on 1/30—TICKETS Wednesdays, 4pm to 5pm
SOLD AT THE DOOR $50 resident/$55 non-resident Salsa Dancing
Lowcountry Blues Bash Per month Ages 12 Yrs +
Saturday, February 7 Island Arcade Day No partner needed
5pm-8pm Saturday, January 24 Youth Tennis Thursdays, 7:30pm-8:30pm
Sunday, February 8 12pm-4pm Learn the basics $35 residents/$40 non-residents
2pm-5:30pm Register your bike, get FREE all day Ages 6 to 8 Yrs: Beginning January 6
$5 admission play on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4pm to Senior Shuffleboard
Children under 12 YRS-Free $5 without bike register 5pm January 13, 10am-12 noon
Doors open 30 minutes prior to 1st Ages 9 to 12 Yrs: Beginning January 6 Must pre-register by Jan. 9
performance Youth Baseball Registration on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 5pm to FREE
Fast Start, T-Ball, & Machine Pitch 6pm.
Sports Conditioning IOP Only January 19 to 23 $80 resident/$85 non-resident Speaker Course
Tuesdays & Thursdays Open January 26 to February 6 6 weeks session Wednesday, January 14
5:15pm to 6:15pm $30 resident/$35 Non-Resident 2pm
$60 resident/$65 non-resident $20/$25 Fast start Adult Co-Ed Tennis Outlook & Opportunity
$7 per class Learn the fundamentals How political & economic forces affect
Basketball Free Throw Thursdays, 6pm to 7pm today’s market
Yoga (16 Yrs +) Ages 9 to 12 Yrs $45 resident/$50 Non-resident FREE
12:30pm to 2pm January 16 6 week session Reserve your seat by calling: 886-8294
Tuesdays & Thursdays Friday, 6pm
$80 resident/$85 non-resident/session Must register in advance Intermediate Women’s Tennis Canasta
$10 per class FREE Experience needed First and third Tuesday of the month
Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:30am-2:30pm
Evening Yoga (12 Yrs +) Cheer/Dance Class 9am to 10am Free
5:30pm to 6:30pm Ages 8 to 12 Yrs $85 resident/$90 non-resident
Mondays & Wednesdays Beginning January 13 Youth Tae Kwon Do (6-11 Yrs)
$60 residents/ $65 non-residents/6 Tuesdays, 4:30pm to 5:30pm Beginner Women’s Tennis Saturdays, 9am-10am
weeks $70 resident/$75 non-resident Learn the fundamentals Can enroll in January
$7 per class 6 week session Tuesdays & Thursdays $30 resident/$35 non-resident
10am to 11am

Energy from page 15 (3). They are expecting their 3rd child Investors Services, Inc. (741 Johnnie
Bobby Cummings is the owner of in January 2009. Dodds Blvd. Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464)
China has a large wind-generation
Lighthouse Financial of Charleston. For more information contact Bobby member SIPC.
capacity which is expected to grow
He is a Certified Financial PlannerTM via email at rcummings@finsvcs.com Opinions expressed are subject to
by two-thirds this year, and that the
and Certified Family Business or by contacting his office at (843)884- change without notice and are not
country is the world’s second largest
Specialist and has been in business 9898. To find out a little more about intended as investment advice or to
manufacturer of solar panels. Brazil
since 1990. Bobby’s focus is providing Lighthouse Financial please visit predict future performance. Consult
has the second largest bio-fuel industry,
comprehensive financial planning and the following web address: www. your financial professional before
which already provides 40% of the
investment advice to business owners, lighthousefin.net making any investment decision. Past
fuel consumed by cars there. South
professionals, retirees, and people Bobby Cummings is a registered performance does not guarantee future
Africa is leading the effort to develop
planning for retirement. He lives on representative of and offers securities, results.
a new class of safe and simple nuclear
Sullivan’s Island with his wife Kristin, investment advisory, and financial
reactors.
son Tanner (5), and daughter Keenan planning services through MML
The world of energy is changing.

www.islandeyenews.com
22 January 9, 2009

Boom! An Earth mystery

By Emma Rose Stark, Age 9, SIES 3rd grader
(With help from her mom, Laura Rose)

O
n Monday,
December
29, 2008,
at 1:45pm, people
from Isle of Palms
beach all the way to
Dunes West heard
a big sound and felt
their houses shake.
Channel 2 news
reported on a “large
boom heard in Mt.
Pleasant,” but I knew
Emma Rose Stark
that wasn’t the whole
story, because my
Mom was on the beach when it happened. She and
other people there heard three booms, not just one, and
the sounds clearly came from out to sea.
This was not the first time a strange boom has been
heard here. In spring, 2008, a loud boom shook our
house on Forest Trail. It felt like a brief earthquake and
shook the windows! I didn’t know what it was, so I
decided to investigate the mystery.
My Mom thought it might be an explosion, so
we drove around looking for fire trucks. We found
firemen at the IOP Recreation Center, but they didn’t
know what the boom was, either. They had even
driven around themselves and found nothing!
Not finding answers outside, I decided to go
online.  No newspapers or TV channels reported on the
boom that day, but I did find surprising information.
I found out that mystery booms just like the one we
heard have happened here and all over the world for a
very long time.
In the last five years alone, people have reported
hearing booms in coastal and lakefront areas in South
Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, San Diego, Five
Cities, California; Sonora, CA; Camden County,
Missouri; Knoxville, Tennessee; Galveston, Texas;
Vancouver, Canada; Norfolk, England; Sydney,
Australia; and Sri Lanka. This list is not complete.
Some inland places have heard them, too, like
Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2004, people there heard so
many booms over several weeks that the police force
increased patrols to find what caused them. They
never did.
Here is the interesting part. In every single case I
read, simple explanations for the noises were ruled out.
Seismologists recorded no earthquakes or tremors.
Military authorities—Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps,
Coast Guard, Ministry of Defense in England, etc.—all
denied shooting guns or cannons, and they claimed
they had no supersonic planes flying at those times.
Supersonic planes can go faster than the speed of
sound, and when they do they make a “sonic boom,”
which sounds very much like our mystery booms.
Sometimes, a reason for a loud boom will be
obvious, such as when the Naval Base in San Diego
tells the public there will be supersonic planes flying.
But how do we explain the noise when those reasons
are ruled out?
If you think it’s hard for us to understand the
mystery booms, what about people who heard them in
the 1800s, when planes didn’t even exist? Lewis and
Clark, the explorers sent west by Thomas Jefferson
in 1804-06, even wrote about mystery booms. They
called them “the artillery of the Rocky Mountains.”
The name often used today to refer to mystery
booms—“Seneca Guns”—was invented by writer
James Fennimore Cooper in 1851. In a short story he
wrote, titled The Lake Guns, “Seneca Guns” refers to
the legendary booms heard around Lake Seneca, New
York, nearly 200 years ago.
There are countless stories about booms from the
days before planes. I found an online article called
“Moodus Noises,” by James Mussulman. Moodus,
which means “strange noises,” is a Native American
word, and it described those people’s own experience
of mystery booms in the area that is now Connecticut.
In Mussulman’s article, he lists names given to
booms around the world in the 1800s: Cornwall
Thumps (Canada); Water Guns of Lough Neagh
(Ireland); Detonations of Comrie (Scotland); Barisal
Guns (India); air quakes or sea farts (Nova Scotia);
gouffre (Haiti); baturlio marina (Italy); mist poeffers
(Holland and Belgium); Bosumtwi oto atuduru which
means “Bosumtwi has fired gunpowder!” (Lake
Bosumtwi, West Africa). Mussulman also found
reports of the booms in Syria; Egypt; “Constantinople”
(now Istanbul, Turkey); Switzerland; France; Italy;
“Lapland” (now Sweden and Finland); and the Eastern
Himalayas.
If you want to see more explanations considered
for these noises, look on the U.S. Geological Survey
government website. But don’t expect to find the
mystery solved. Even scientists haven’t found the
answer. I love mysteries, which is why I will continue
to investigate the mystery of the unexplained booms.
It is amazing to me that even though people have
been trying for hundreds of years to explain these big
noises, Earth still isn’t telling us her secret.
To share your experiences with mystery booms,
or to ask questions about them, please email us at
mysterybooms@gmail.com.

Localize from page 16

Resolution from page 15 that have received the highest ratings
from the independent rating agencies. many of these factors are out of our control. However, local residents and visitors
protect against a loss, but if you aren’t do have at least some say in whether our local businesses will fail in the next
• Finally, be patient, disciplined
diversified at all, you are inviting couple of years. We can make a conscious effort to patronize these businesses
and forward-looking. The investment
significant risk into your investment instead of those larger corporate companies off the island. We can shop on our
world has taken some knocks lately,
portfolio. side of the bridge whenever possible.
but good investment opportunities are
• Stick with quality. During Despite the financial strain, many of your neighbors are spending money in
still out there.
turbulent times, quality investments your local papers to remind you of their business’ existence. When thinking about
are your best bet for “weathering the where to eat, which dentist/doctor to visit, or where to have a drink after work,
This article was written by Edward
storm.” If you’re buying stocks, look remember the places that are reaching out to you. Christmas has already passed,
Jones, located at 1505 Palm Blvd.,
for those companies that have long but it will come again and there will be other holidays, birthdays, and occasions
Isle of Palms, SC 29451. For more
track records of profitability, strong in the meantime which will require the purchase of something. Our local stores
information, please call the Edward
management teams, competitive
Jones offices at (843) 886-9229 or visit have some of the most unique, character filled gifts you can find. Remember
products and solid business plans. If them.
their website at www.edwardjones.com.
you’re considering bonds, find the ones Our local businesses exude the island flavor that drew most of us here. The
new Red Dot on Folly Beach is one of the coolest and coziest wine/liquor
stores you’ll probably step foot in. It’s because it is a Folly store that has reggae
A “Fettered” Santa playing in the background. Bert’s Market is a super-beachy Red & White that
you can walk into with nothing on but sand on your feet and a bathing suit.
From Dunleavy’s and Seel’s on Sullivan’s Island to the Marina Market on Isle of
Children got Palms, our local islands have their own unique resources. It would be criminal
an up close look to trade that in for a made-in-China Wal-Mart t-shirt or a Thick Burger from
at Santa Claus at Hardee’s. The food is much better and you’ll find a much more entertaining
the Poe Library t-shirts on the island, I guarantee you. We should be proud of our islands and
on Sullivan’s should demonstrate that pride by supporting the businesses that exemplify what
Island. Local island life is all about. It’s the residents that have always had the power. It’s just a
man Leo Fetter is matter of wielding it.
said to know the Hangerhead spends his evenings wandering throughout Charleston,
jolly gift-giver philosophizing and pontificating on soap boxes and street corners, sharing his
and was probably life views and ignoring the strange stares at his ubiquitous cranial aerial. He
responsible for doesn’t believe in cell phones or email, but we can usually find him in one of his
getting him to usual hiding places. So if you wish to comment or question Hangerhead, please
appear. write to info@luckydognews.com.

www.islandeyenews.com
January 9, 2009 23

Griswolds take back seat to IOP families

C
ongratulations to the winners of
this year’s Isle of Palms “Light
It Up” competition. Four first
place awards were given according
to the home’s location and judging
was based on each house’s shining
holiday spirit. The four divisions were
Breach Inlet to the IOP Connector, IOP
Connector to 41st Avenue, 41st Avenue
to Wild Dunes and the Commercial
District. A special thank you goes to this
year’s judges, Emily Dziuban and Amy
Wilkerson.

2008 Winners
Commercial Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2008 Isle of Palms “Light it up” contest.
1st Place
Windjammer Clockwise from top left: 1- The McArthur Family took first place in the 41st Avenue to Wild Dunes Category. 2- The Parker
2nd Place Family took first place in the Breach Inlet to IOP Connector Category. 3- The Prentice Family was awarded second place for
Wild Dunes Pavilion the Breach Inlet to IOP Connector Category. 4- The Evans Family received first place honors for the IOP Connector to 41st
Category.
Breach Inlet to IOP Connector
1st Place
Parker Family 704 Carolina Blvd
2nd Place
Prentice Family 401 Palm Blvd

IOP Connector to 41st Avenue

1st Place
Evans Family 3301 Hartnett Blvd
2nd Place
Leopold Family 4 24th Avenue

41st Avenue to Wild Dunes

1st Place
McArthur Family 12 48th Avenue
2nd Place
Goosgree Family 25 41st Avenue

Paint from page 18 does not circulate through your house. VOC-laden air is exchanged to the daughter Julian, and son Adam.
When weather allows, be sure to outside. You can contact her by e-mail at
avoid high concentrations of VOCs.
open your windows. And, if you are marygatch@dwellsmart.com or by
If you open a drawer or cabinet and
living in a newer home with airtight Mary Gatch is an owner of visiting the store at 615 Johnnie Dodds
experience that ‘new’ or ‘chemical’
insulation such as spray foam, you’ll DwellSmart, a one-stop shop for Blvd, Mount Pleasant (between Eco
smell, you are getting a whiff of VOCs
need to ensure that you have a method healthy and environmentally-friendly Fitness and Twin Rivers Bowling).
that have concentrated due to the lack
to ventilate your home on a regular products. Mary lives on Sullivan’s
of air circulation. The same thing
basis so that fresh air can enter while Island with her husband James,
happens on a larger scale if fresh air

www.islandeyenews.com