island eye news - october 14, 2011

8/3/2019 Island Eye News - October 14, 2011

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Halloween Guide page 20Fabulous Foodpage 18Sol Driven Train page 14

I n s i d e I s l a n d E y e

S u l l i v n s I s l n d I s l o f p l m s g o t I s l n d D w s I s l n d

Since May 2005

Octobr 14, 2011Volum 7 Issu 12 FRee

Gentscontinus on 15

Andy Bean and Fuller Condon, also known as the Gentlemen or the

Gents, dress well when on the road. At their recent performance at

Eye Level Art in downtown Charleston, the duo donned bowties

and tan-colored suits tting Lowcountry apparel. Bean sported a

slicked back hair-do, kept rmly in place with Layrite, an old-time

pomade that smells like coconut. At the time, he was brandishing

the comb he had used on its brilliant surface: sadly, it had broken

in two.

After years of touring across the nation,half of the critically-acclaimed Two Man

Gentleman Band has found a new home

where their bowties will t right in. Last

month, Condon, who plays the upright

bass and the kazoo, moved to Folly

Beach from New York City. Condon says

hes been looking for a place here for a long

time.

Now were local, says Condon

(aka the Councilman) proudly. As a

local band, fans can expect to see the

Gentlemen out and about more often.

Bean also made a recent move, as

though the two bumped heads and

bounced in opposite directions. Now

based in Los Angeles, Bean playsthe electric four string guitar and

takes the occasional interlude on the

mouth trumpet.

Condon and Bean graduated from

Columbia University in New York, where

they lived for 14 years. Condon studied music;

Bean, mathematics. One of his fans called Bean

a math genius which he denies. Multi-talented

none-the-less, Bean is also a writer and a comedian,

as is the Councilman. Their unique sense of humor

Locl ntsHalf of tHe two Man GentleMen Band finds a HoMe on folly

By BridGet Manzella


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2 October 14, 2011CiviC

There will be no parking lotbuilt on the lot at 3206 PalmBoulevard, but the City of Isle ofPalms has a few hoops to jumpthrough before owning it. The

City is looking to purchase theproperty to create an open "greenspace" for residents and visitorsto enjoy. This would also preventthis pristine lot from having aMcMansion built upon it. Likemany other issues on the barrierislands, this one maintainsquite a good deal of rumors. Toclear up concerns, or dispel anymisinformation, Administrator

Tucker presented the keypoints of the Citys plan for thefuture use of Greenbelt fundsat their last Council meeting onSeptember 27.

Melinda Mitchell, who spokebefore Council at the meeting,

was concerned that oncemoney is granted to the Cityfor designated green space,it becomes the Citys money.There are much better optionsout there, and I believe thatCouncil overlooked this issue,said Mitchell. She added thatthe City does not have to buyland with this money, and thatthe Charleston County Parks

and Recreation Committeerecommended that Council not gothrough with this use of funds.

I was asked to put this PowerPoint presentation together

to provide City Council withan update on where we were,stated Administrator Linda

Tucker. The Goal 3.4 of theCitys comprehensive plan is topromote maintenance of greenspace throughout the island.What we are currently working onis the acquisition of land at 3206Palm Boulevard. This propertyhas been in the same family since1945, and in June of 2010 theproperty was limbed up andplaced on the market.

Shortly after the property wasput on the market, it beganto attract much attention. Asmentioned in a previous article in

the Island Eye News, the propertyis strewn with Grand Oaksand an extensive dune system.Administrator Tucker believesthat these oaks withstoodHurricane Hugo, due largely inpart to the rolling topography ofthe lot. A concerned residentgot the ball rolling on this issue,informing City ofcials of thisuntouched gem.

You have to negotiate with acooperative owner to be able toutilize Greenbelt funds, said

Tucker. This would be theCitys third attempt to identify a

project for Greenbelt funds. Oneattempt was on the property at45th Avenue and Palm Boulevard,and although the owner wascooperative, they gave us avery small time frame. Anotherproperty that we have looked atis what we now refer to as the7th Avenue triangle. This is atriangle of undeveloped property;however the owner was not

willing to let us get the propertyappraised.

The City then shifted theirfocus towards the lot at 3206Palm Boulevard, having itappraised in March and passinga resolution in June to complete

the application for Greenbeltfunds. Administrator Tuckerinformed those present at theSeptember 27 meeting that theCity was currently in the processof reviewing the grant application.

We have had a successfulapplication in the amount of$474,000 towards the appraisedvalue of the property (roughly$1.3 million), stated Tucker. If

the City acquires the property,we would go back and trim thevegetation, and perhaps have apedestrian pathway through theproperty. Parking would remain

unchanged, and no parking lot orplayground would be built on it.It is the stance of the City of Isleof Palms that no City funds willbe used to further acquire theland.

Where from here?

The fact of the matter is thatthe City needs more moneyto acquire this lot. This is

why they are ling two moreapplications: one with the Landand Water Conservation fund,and another with the SouthCarolina Conservation Bank. Isleof Palms ofcials also hope toreceive donations from residents

who are supportive of the landacquisition. Although that mayseem rather difcult, the City hasalready received an unsoliciteddonation from a concernedcitizen.

For Council meeting videos,

agendas, and additional info, visit

www.iop.net.

Clearing the airCity offiCials updated on land aCquisition

By Blake BunCh


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October 14, 2011 3

www.islandeyenews.com

Isle of Palms886-6428www.iop.net

Tuesday, October 18

Ways and Means CommitteeMeeting5:45 p.m.1207 Palm Boulevard

Tuesday, October 25

City Council Meeting7 p.m.1207 Palm Boulevard

Thursday, October 27

Election Candidate ForumCandidates for the IOP CityCouncil election will have anopportunity to speak7 p.m.

24 Twenty-eighth Avenue

Sullivan's Island883-3198www.sullivansisland-sc.com

Tuesday, October 18

Regular Council Meeting6 p.m.1610 Middle Street

Wednesday, October 19

DRB Meeting6 p.m.1610 Middle Street

Wednesday, October 26

Tree Commission7 p.m.1610 Middle Street

Friday, October 28

Council WorkshopDiscussion of Accreted LandManagement Plan2:30 p.m.2050-B Middle Street

Civic CalendarRecycle - Wednesday, October 19 - Recycle

civic

Lynn Pierotti

publisher

[email protected]

Bridget Manzella

editor

[email protected]

Swan Richards

senior graphic designer

[email protected]

Lori Dalton

sales manager

614-0901

[email protected]

Blake Bunch

assistant editor

[email protected]

Melissa Caloca

intern

[email protected]

Contributors

Bob Hooper

Edward Jones

Eric Penrod

Susan Middaugh

Katherine Saenger, DVM

Published by

Lucky Dog Publishingof South Carolina, LLC

P.O. Box 837

Sullivans Island, SC 29482

843-886-NEWS

Submit your letters to the editor to:

[email protected]

Future deadline:

October 19 for all submissions

for our October 28 issue

Lucky Dog PubLishing

of sc, LLcPublisher of the Island Eye News, The

Island Connectionand The Folly Current.

The Island Ee News, a wholl owned subsid-ia of Luck Dog Publishing of SC LLC, is afee, independent newspape published eve

two weeks and is fo and about the Isle ofPalms, Sullivans Island, Goat Island and De-wees Island. Copies ae mailed fee of chageto eve active mailbox in ou coveage aea

and ae also available at aea businesses andb subsciption to non-islandes. Subsciptionsae $39/ea fo non-esidents.. Contibutionsof infomation, pictues and aticles ae wel-

comed and ae used accoding to space limita-tions and news value and cannot be etunedexcept b special equest. Op-ed aticles andletters to the editor do not necessarily refect

the opinion of Luck Dog News, o its wites.

All advetising ates ae listed at:www.islandeyenews.com

unde advetising.

With the election coming up onNovember 8, we asked Isle ofPalms City Council Candidatesthe following ve questions:

1.The main issue in the IOP electionfour years ago was an increasingencroachment of commercialrentals into the neighborhoods.One of the responses from theCouncil was to pass a limit onany new rentals to a maximumof twelve occupants. If youare elected, will you keep thisordinance? If not, how would youchange it?

2. The current Council is workingon a comprehensive parking plan.Do you see parking as a problem?If so, how would you like to see itresolved?

3. Do you support the purchase ofthe front beach lot on Palm Blvd.by the City? Why or why not?

4. The City has produced abalanced budget the last fouryears without having to raisetaxes. Has this Council beena good steward of the Citys nances? What part of the cities nances are you most proud of?What would you change?5. What attributes do you bring tothe City Council?

The following represents eachCandidates answers:

ColonelAnne BAuer

1. Yes, I would keep the ordinanceon limitations for short termrental occupancy in residentialneighborhoods. As a residentialisland, I believe it is critical tosupport our island residentsand their right to live a peacefulexistence. Building rentalsproperties to accommodate largenumbers of visitors will infringeon residential quality of life.

2. Yes, I believe parking is aproblem and will, most likely,get worse as new residences areconstructed in the neighboringareas. Since this is the only publicbeach accessible for miles, it isnatural for people to want to visitour beautiful island. Currentlythe council has determined thatthe planning commission, incollaboration with the council,

will review the informationcollected over the past two yearson island parking, conductmore public hearings, determineappropriate utilization of outsideconsultants, and outline a plan atthe conclusion of that process. Iam in support of this process and

will welcome the opportunity toassist in analyzing options witha goal of retaining residentialinterests.3. I am in support of the islandpreserving land (green space) forthe future. The city has attemptedtwo previous land purchaseoptions without success. Giventhe fact that there are very limited

IOP candidates weigh-in on island issuesBy BrIDGET MANzELLA

Candidatescontinues on page 4


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CiviC

opportunities for land purchaseon our island, I believe it is in allour best interests to capitalizeon any reasonable option. Thecouncil has provided thoughtfulanalysis of their rational to thispoint with more than half thecost of this land still outstanding.I think the ability to obtain the

remaining funds will be thecritical factor. The current landunder consideration provides anopportunity to preserve a pristinearea representative of the islandprior to massive development. Ifthis lot is lost to development, abit of our history will be lost withit.4. Yes, I believe the council hasbeen a very good steward ofour island nances. Each citydepartment produces a detailedbudget and has been scallyresponsive. The city managementclosely monitors our expendituresand revenue. As a result, the city

closed last years budget withover $570,000 surplus. I believethis can only have happened witha scally astute team runningour city.5. The attributes I bring to thiscouncil are dedication, decisionmaking skills grounded on facts,extensive civilian and militaryleadership and managementbackground, integrity, positiveattitude, energy and a sense ofhumor.

Ryan Buchannan

1. I have no intention of changingthe current ordinance. The

initiative the city took ve yearsago to develop the LivabilityCourt has helped alleviateproblems associated with rentalsto improve the quality of life for

year round residents.2. Yes, parking is a problem,mainly ve months of the year. Weneed to have open discussionsbetween the residents and theCity to develop a comprehensiveparking management planprior to anymore knee jerkordinances. As the only memberthat voted against tearing downthe dunes along Ocean Blvd toput in commercial parking lots

in this residential neighborhood,I will continue a common senseapproach to problem solving. Weneed to use our County funds topipe the ditch along the oceanside of Palm Blvd. from 21st aveup. This would allow cars toutilize the entire right-of-way asseen on the opposite side of thestreet. The golf cart parking thatI developed at 25th, 23rd, and 21stAvenue beach access paths havebeen successful & needs to beexpanded.3. This was sold to council thatGreenspace funds were onlyavailable to purchase property.

This is not true. A better use of

these funds would be to offsetthose allowable expenses that arein the Citys current budget. Anexample would be the budgeteddune walkovers. We dont knowif we will ever have enough moneyto purchase this property, so letsoffset our budget expenses nowand pass the savings on to thetaxpayers.4. I am a good steward of theCity's nances. I was the onlymember to vote against spendinghundreds of thousands of dollarsto build the Ocean Blvd. parkinglots. These lots would havein turn generated an annualoperational decit to the citythat the taxpayers would have tocover. This is only one example

where money could be betterutilized.5. I am the only council memberrunning who has had the privilegeof raising a family on the Isle ofPalms, experiencing rsthandour recreation programs,Sullivan's Island Elementary& Laing Middle. I know what afamily friendly, family orientedcommunity is, I live it every day.I bring the experience of beinga small business owner who'smade cut backs & concessionsin order to survive this strugglingeconomy. Conservative scalresponsibility that I practice in theprivate sector everyday is what

we need on this City Council.

Jimmy caRRoll

1. I have no interest in overturningexisting ordinances.2. I strongly feel that parking hasbecome the main issue facingthe island. The quality of lifefor residents is being negativelyimpacted. A 1985 publicreferendum provided about $1.6million for the purchase of overve acres to be used as parking.

This property is located wherethere are restrooms, restaurants,great beach accesses andemergency facilities. We needto maximize this space. A whileback, Charleston County Parksand Recreation offered to buythis lot to build a garage, but weturned them down. Could thisstill be a possibility? A parking/trafc consultant needs to behired to help develop an island

wide parking plan. Other resortcommunities have the sameproblems, we dont have to re-invent the wheel. No matter

what, we need to make sure we have open communication with our residents about theirneighborhoods.3. I am totally against thispurchase. We have parkingproblems along Palm already.We have beach accesses severallots away in both directions.Why create a passive parkin a residential neighborhood?

Why take a valuable lot off

the tax books? Why createmore congestion in an alreadydangerously crowded area? I amall for green space, but this is notthe right location. This purchaseis ludicrous! I am not hearingisland residents speaking in favorof this. Lets let the residentsdecide.4. The city is fortunate that almost2 of the island is non owneroccupied. Non owners pay 50% ormore than residents in propertytaxes. Plus those that rent bringin additional room accomodationtax revenue. Approximately85% of our revenue is due to nonowner occupied properties. Ourservices are subsidized by nonowners. Without these monies,

wed be broke. Lets not shoot thegoose that lays the golden egg.5. I bring local to citygovernment. I was raised on theisland and Ive raised my 3 sonshere. I also started and basedmy career here on the island. Iunderstand the value of being aresident a family a propertyowner and a business owner.My whole life is the Isle of Palms.No one loves it more.

BRian Duffy

1. We listened to our residents, soI would keep it. I was very involvedin the analysis that led to itsdevelopment. When comparingthe occupancy level for our variouszoning districts, it was easy tosee that the real estate/mini-hotel interests had abused theSingle Family Residential zoningdistricts (i.e. the neighborhoods).

This ordinance returns balancebetween the zoning districts andhas not caused the predictednancial devastation. In fact,accommodation tax revenues areat an all time high.2. Parking is a problem and

will be more severe as the EastCooper region grows. Developinga parking management plan

with a goal to discourage non-resident parking and trafc inresidential neighborhoods wasadded to the Comprehensive Plan

in October of 2008. The planningcommission, with city councilssupport, is still working on theplan and no decisions havebeen made. I am appalled thatsome city council candidates arespreading disinformation aboutthe parking plan. These samecandidates do not know thedifference between budgeting andprocurement. I fully expect theresidents to engage in meaningfuldialogue with the planningcommission and city councilso that we can create a parkingmanagement plan meeting ourneeds and the goal established inour Comprehensive Plan.3. I support this purchase becauseit is a prime example of themaritime forest the Isle of Palmsonce was and once it is gone itis gone. Second, it is completelyconsistent with one of our statedgoals in our ComprehensivePlan: promote the maintenanceof green spaces throughout theisland (I hope youre seeing apattern here). Finally, the City

will not incur any debt to acquirethis land.4. Without a doubt, the City hasnever been in better nancialshape. I am most proud of theCitys staff for how well theyresponded to councils challengeto improve services and reducecosts. One example is that ofour public works director who

was especially creative in puttingtogether a plan that allowed us toeliminate one garbage truck fromour inventory of vehicles. Ourmanagers are diligent in keepingcosts under control.5. I believe in openness andtransparency, process andperseverance, and that the onlymistake you can make is notxing a mistake. Todays citygovernment is more open andtransparent than ever and I planon continuing to improve it whileI am on council.

Candidatescontinues from page 3

Candidatescontinues on page 5


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October 14, 2011 5CiviC

Candidatescontinues from page 4

Michaelloftus1. An occupancy limit was placedon homes with new rental licenses

while existing rental licenses weregrandfathered in. Nobody lostrental revenue and no new mini-hotels have been able to pop up.After all of the negative rhetoric,

the occupancy limits are clearlyworking. I would not change theordinance.2. Parking is a problem and

we need to be proactive asthe population increases. ThePlanning Commission (PC) hasbeen tasked with recommendingseveral alternatives that will bepresented to residents for theircomments. Parking nodes onOcean Ave have been discussedbut based on comments fromresidents, that idea will not bepart of the nal plan. I lookforward to seeing what the PCproposes and I am eager to nd

a solution.3. I voted to move forward withthe plan to use green space fundsto purchase the lot on Palm tobecome a natural park. This

was the rst opportunity for alandowner to sell property that

would meet the strict guidelinesset by the county on how wecan use these funds. There hasbeen a lot of misinformation

being deliberately circulatedabout this. Let me set the recordstraightthis property will be leftin a natural state for all to enjoy.

There will be no parking on thisproperty and no island tax dollars

will be used for the purchase.4. The City has been an excellentsteward of residential taxdollars and City Administrator

Linda Tucker and team deserverecognition. During my term, theCity has replaced the bulkhead atthe City Marina, paid down debton capital equipment, improvedthe intersection at 41st andPalm, and upgraded the drainagesystem. These initiatives wereaccomplished without raisingproperty taxes and without hiringadditional personnel.5. I am presently Mayor Pro-

Tem, Chair of the Real PropertyCommittee, and have served onmany committees including thePlanning Commission. I have aBS in Education and spent most

of my career managing largedistribution centers for majorcorporations. 16 years ago Ibecame an executive recruiter.My wife Marla and I movedhere from Atlanta 10 years agobecause we fell in love with theIsle of Palms. I initially ran forCity Council because I felt that Icould help stop overdevelopment.I have no nancial incentive to

be in ofce. I want to continue tohelp make improvements and notsee us take a step back.

JiMMy Ward

1. I will keep it, no changes.2. Day visitor parking is aproblem, especially the summermonths. Isle of Palms muststay in compliance the Beach

Management Act so as notto jeopardize access to beachre-nourishment funds, whenneeded. That being said, I amtotally against constructingcommercial parking lots in anyresidential neighborhoods, asproposed this summer by citycouncil. Isle of Palms is notrequired to provide any dayvisitor parking in neighborhoods

within a mile of the front beachcommercial district, based uponmy understanding of the BeachManagement Act.3. Supporters of this lot purchaseare touting that the lot will be a

passive park. We already havea huge passive park on theisland. Its called the beach.

The key phrase in the questionis purchased by the city. Myanswer is no. If private citizens

would like to form a group topurchase, maintain and paytaxes and insurance on thisresidential lot, thats ne withme. The city already owns two

residential lots behind the public works department (purchasedin 2006 for 1,000,000 taxpayerdollars) that need to be utilized.If citizens want a park why notconvert these lots in to a park?4. A balance budget meansrevenues equal expenditures notrevenues plus transfers fromother funds equal expenditures,

as is the current practice by citycouncil. Fund balances of theMunicipal A-Tax, Hospitality Taxand State A-Tax on June 30, 2010

were over $2,600,000. Thesesame fund balances on June 30,2012 are projected to be a littleover $1,100,000. What happenedto the almost $1,500,000? It wastransferred to other funds, inpart, to balance the budget. Ifcouncil simply decides to defercosts to another year they callit a surplus. Really. We can dobetter than this, much better.Really. Obviously, the city cannotcontinue to spend money at the

rate they are going. Dont forgetthe city still has well over $16,000,000 in long term debt thatmust be serviced for many years.

The city spends too much money.5. I am a true scal conservativeand a Certied Public Accountant.I will bring to city council scalresponsibility and accountability.


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www.islandeyenews.sc

CiviC

For the past several months the

debate about Sullivans Island

Elementary School has captured

our attention and rightly so.

However, there are a number of

other issues that the Sullivans

Island Town Council is working

on that should be of interest to

all residents. The following are

three selected issues that were

discussed at the Town Council

meeting on September 20, 2011.

Town Hall: New or Renew?

In June, the Sullivans Island

Administration and Police

Department moved out of Town

Hall, 1608-1610 Middle Street,

because of mold problems. Town

Hall and Police operations moved

into two double-wide housetrailers placed behind the Fire

Station, 2050 Middle Street. Town

Council is working to determining

which of three options will be best

for re-establishing a permanent

Town Hall. Regardless of the

Option chosen, current thinking

is that the Police Department will

remain near the Fire Department.

Option 1 is to renovate and

return to the Station 16 Town Hall

building. Major considerations

are the cost of renovation, the

extent to which this historic,

ground level building (it ooded

during Hurricane Hugo) can be

recongured to meet the needs of

a contemporary town operation,

and the resale value of this

building.

Option 2is to purchase a different

building on the Island and sell

the old Town Hall. One potential

candidate is 1714 Middle Street,

the former Fort Moultrie Post

Exchange and Gymnasium.

The primary considerations

are the purchase price, the

cost of reconguration into

administrative / ofce spaces,and the cost of updating and

maintaining a historic building.

Option 3is to build a new Town

Hall behind the Fire Station.

Although I was initially against

this option because of potential

parking problems, I have been

pleasantly surprised at how well

the Interim Town Hall behind

the Fire Station is working.

Parking has not turned out to

be a problem for staff members

or residents attending Town

Council meetings, and there is a

lot to be said for a single, central

location for all Town operations

Administrative, Police, Fire,

Water & Sewer and Maintenance.

At present, Town Council has

contracted with Creech and

Associates, a Charleston rm

with extensive experience with

reutilization of historic buildings

as well as design of small town

civic buildings, to carry out a

professional needs assessment

to determine the optimal size and

conguration of administrative

space for Town Hall and Police

Department operations. Withthis information in hand, the

next step will be to get detailed

cost estimates for each of the 3

Options listed above. Once these

facts are in hand, Town Council

can determine the most viable

and cost-effective options and

obtain citizen input.

4-way Stop Signs for the

Intersection of Middle Street

and Station 22

Perhaps you have noticed the

brand new sidewalks, curb cuts

and pedestrian crosswalks in our

Downtown area, along Middle

Street from Station 22 to the

Fire Station, and also near Fort

Moultrie. We can all celebrate

the absence of potholes on the

newly resurfaced Middle Street.

However, another change is in

the works that may - or may not -

be as welcome.

Due to a citizen complaint to

the South Carolina Department

of Transportation about safety

at the intersection of Station

22 and Middle Street, DOT

conducted a trafc count, on a Tuesday in June. The ndings

indicated a need for 4-way Stop

signs at this intersection. Town

Council did not ask for this. It

is a decision that DOT has made

based on its trafc ow criteria -

A citizens perspectiveItems from the 9-20 sullIvans Island town CounCIl meetIng

by susan mIddaugh

Perspectivecontinues on page 7


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October 14, 2011 7


Dear Editor,

The six members of the SI Town Council arepreparing to make a grievous error in refusing toreconsider their vote to ratify the proposed lease forthe 77,000 SF Sullivans Island Elementary School,the negative impact of which will be borne by ourisland community for generations to come. The onevoice of reason is that of our ne mayor, Carl Smith,

who has been on Town Council since 1987, andknows a thing or two about not only architecture,but about what makes SI a desirable place to live andraise families. Based on the information presentedby the school design team at Sunrise PresbyterianChurch on September 22, the school as proposedresembles nothing so much as an industrial park inthe middle of an historic, residential neighborhood.

The decision to go down this path was madecollectively by Town Council in January of 2010,

when few construction details were available. TheCharleston County School Board said clearly at itsAugust 22 meeting that it was open to consideringa smaller school. The SC Department of Educationstates in its design guidelines that the department

wishes to be exible and responsive with its designguidelines and that a school district may request

that a school deviate from design minimums, aslong as the proposed building meets code.So far, no amount of additional information,

no number of residents who have voiced theiropposition through a petition opposing such amassive school, has been able to deter our towncouncil members from their chosen path. Whatlevel of vanity and stubbornness must our councilmembers possess, to steadfastly ignore a strongand growing opposition to their support for thismassive project, and proceed with unwaveringdetermination down a path that could result inthe demise of the charm and small town characterprevious town councils have fought so valiantlyand successfully-- to protect? Why are the interestsof residents of other municipalities being given

more weight than the interests of SI residents? Didanyone on our council run on a platform of puttingthe interests of the residents of the Isle of Palmsand Mount Pleasant over those of SI residents? Yetthat is exactly what is happening.

Sullivans Island is not Mount Pleasant. If theMount Pleasant Town Council makes an error in

judgement, such as approving the installation of joltingly unattractive and massive electrical poleson Coleman Boulevard, the cost to x the problem

will be spread out over the relatively large residentialpopulation and business interests in MountPleasant. The cost to x the problems caused by theproposed SIES, which contradicts every design andneighborhood compatibility ordinance passed byprevious town councils, will be borne personally byeveryone in our small community, for generationsto come.

If you have not contacted Sullivans Island TownCouncil members and asked them to reconsidertheir support for a school of this magnitude, pleasedo so now. And consider joining so many other SIresidents who have signed the petition circulatingin support of a smaller school. If you would liketo sign, send an email to [email protected] andsomeone from Islanders for a Smaller SIES will getin touch with you.

If you sign the petition, at least our councilmembers cant say they didnt know. And if theycontinue down this disastrous path, we will know

for sure just how much weight the opinions ofSullivans Island residents carry with our TownCouncil.

Barbara SpellKaren CosteKathy and Will PostIslanders for a Smaller SIES

Letter to the editor. ..

and DOT owns this intersection.

In subsequent discussions with

the Town of Sullivans Island

administration, DOT has offered

a 6-month trial period to begin

sometime after the rst of the

year and to include Memorial

Day Weekend. Town Council

is requesting this trial period to

determine how well a 4-way stop

manages vehicle and pedestrian

ow. We may love it, we may hate

it or we may not care one way or

the other. We will all get a chance

to see what we think and it will be

important to convey our opinionsto Town Council for input to DOT.

I have been told that once

before quite a few years ago -

DOT installed a stoplight at this

location, only to remove it due to

widespread opposition. However,

the trafc from our beach and

restaurant visitors has increased

a lot in recent years. A trial period

seems to be a realistic way to

evaluate the pros and cons of

a 4-way stop signs at this key

Sullivans Island intersection.

Town Council will keep us

informed as DOT moves forward

with its plans.

Accreted Land Management

Plan: Workshop on October 28

Last Spring, Town Council

held a series of walks through

four areas of the Accreted Land

Trust area. Each of these four

site visits was followed by Town

Council workshop sessions to

draft plans for management of

our Land Trust area. These plans

were based on the site visits, the

management plan developed by

Coastal Systems and Engineering

consultants, and extensive

citizen input. Now, Town Council

will review this four-part draft

plan in a workshop session on

Friday, October 28, at 2:30 P.M.in Sullivans Island Town Hall,

2050 B Middle St. The public is

welcome to attend and observe

this working session of Town

Council. The workshop session

is not a public hearing; however,

it does provide an opportunity

to observe your Town Council

members at work on this difcult

and relevant Island issue.

For questions regarding

this article, contact Susan at

[email protected].

Perspectivecontinues from page 6

Armstrong

commendedProvided

Caitlin Armstrong.

Caitlin Armstrong, resident

of the Isle of Palms, is one

of six Wando High School

seniors named as Commended

Students in the 2012 National

Merit Scholarship Program.

Although these students will not

continue in the 2012 competition

for National Merit Scholarships,

the students place among the

top 5% of more than 1.5 million

students who entered the 2012

competition by taking the 2010

Preliminary SAT/National Merit

Scholarship Qualifying Test

(PSAT/NMSQT) . Congratulations

Caitlin!

Letterscontinues on page 8


8/23

www.islandeyenews.sc

8 October 14, 2011

Dear Editor,

On October 18th, theordinance that codies thenew lease between the Town ofSullivans Island and CharlestonCounty School District (CCSD)

will be ratied and the leasesigned. Town Council has heldthree public readings and the

votes have been six to one, withsix in favor and one abstentionon the rst reading and six infavor one against on the nexttwo. These votes of the Councilhave been after much communitydiscussion, many hours of talking

with residents and understandingthe realities as they exist forour island community to have aschool that serves our families.

On September 13th, theCCSD Board of Trustees by a 5to 3 vote, re-afrmed that theirstanding countywide operatingand nancial policy for building

Elementary Schools for aminimum of 500 students would,in fact, apply to SIES, as it hasapplied to Buist, Memminger andother new schools. This policyprovides for the best most efcientuse of taxpayer dollars. The CCSDstaff and Trustees conveyed whySIES cannot be built for a smallernumber of students than otherschools. An exception to this

policy would open CCSD up toothers requesting a waiver of thepolicy.

For background, two yearsago, at the very rst meeting withthe Mayor, CCSD staff explainedthe 500 student requirement. Ithas been the case all along, nota new or debatable number. Thefact is 500 student enrollment isthe smallest possible for a newschool in Charleston County.

Some CCSD Elementary schoolshave 700 students some evenenroll over 1,000. To limit growthat SIES Council explicitly wroteinto the lease that 500 was themaximum number allowed toattend. Only a small portion,about four classrooms, or a fewthousand square feet would beremoved if it was designed forfewer students. As of last Fridaythere were 420 students enrolledat SIES so 500 students is asmall change from our currentenrollment. Additionally, thepartial magnet status allows ourneighborhood zone of SI andIOP kids to be enrolled rst andmagnet slots opened up on aspace available basis by grade.

The new lease replaces onethat currently runs for 40 more

years. The older lease providesvery little protection. Council has

worked hard to negotiate a newlease that:

1. Reduces the amount of

leased land from 12+ acres to 5+acres; 2. Allows future zoning tobe enacted; 3. Requires properinsurance and indemnication;4. Provides joint use of thefacility and use of parking;5. Restricts construction; 6.Sets out a detailed communityinvolvement process; 7. Providesa plan that allows almost all ofthe anticipated vehicular andbus trafc at peak times to be

queued on the property; 8. Givesnew buffers that are 70+ feetfrom adjacent property linesbetween the leased portion of theproperty and the neighbors; 9.Provides $175,000 in funding tothe Town from CCSD to providefor infrastructure improvements;10. Spells out that Town Councilhas nal approval of design priorto construction; and 11. Limitsthe use to an Elementary School

where the existing lease allowspublic school purposes.

These are all vast improvementsover what is in place underthe existing lease. Council haslistened to those on both sides,researched all possible options,and worked closely to negotiatethe most favorable lease.

If you need additionalinformation on the lease, pleaseemail or call us. We want toanswer every question you have.You can read the new lease onlineat www.sullivansisland-sc.com.

Many neighbors, parents andfriends attended the CCSD DesignCharette and saw the beginningsof a world class, state-of-the-artschool that will be built on ourisland. There will be new drawings

available online very soon. Theseshow the beach view, a streetview of the proposed building as

well as the old building footprintvs. the new building footprint.You will be able to access thesefrom the Towns website underCurrent Projects, look for link toSouthern Management and thenclick October report.

We will continue to have anopen dialogue. We will continue to

work with CCSD to make positiveimprovements to the buildingdesign. We will work hard tokeep you informed as the projectprogresses. We encourage your

involvement. When the schoolopens in January of 2014, webelieve that residents will love thenew school and it will continueto anchor our town, as it has forover 50 years, drawing familiesthat want to raise their childrenand grow old here.

Sincerely,

Council members Hartley Cooper& Jerry Kaynard

Endorsed by Sullivan's IslandCouncil members Pat O'Neil,

Mary Jane Watson,

Madeleine McGee, and MikePerkis, as well as the Isle ofPalms City Council.

_____________________________

Dear Island Neighbors andFriends,

An island resident left letterson doors this week in an attemptto get residents to sign a petitionfor a smaller than 500 student

school to be rebuilt on SI. This isnot possible. Please let me explainthe facts and show you that asignature for a school less than500 students is an endorsementfor NO school on SI. Anyone whotells you differently is wrong.

This is a complicated issue andnot one that can be managed in athirty-second sound bite. Pleaseread my note below and, if youhave any questions, feel free tocall or email me.

The plans to build a new schoolon SI have been completelytransparent. Throughout thepast two years, the schoolhas been covered extensivelyin the media, through publicvotes, through public meetings,comments, letters, emails, andfrankly, through the election ofour current leaders on SI.

For the record, I and many otherSullivans Island ElementarySchool (SIES) proponents would

welcome a smaller school ifit were possible. However, westrongly prefer a 500 studentschool to no school at all. Abouttwo years ago, SuperintendentNancy McGinley met withMayor Carl Smith and other

town leaders. In this and othermeetings, the deal made wasclear: either a 500 student schoolor none at all. This is a nancialreality that we do not control,the message has been consistentthroughout the process, andneither side has waivered.

There are two administrativebodies working on our school. Oneis our SI Town Council, theother is the Charleston CountySchool Board (CCSB). Theyhave collaborated on this issuesuccessfully, negotiating a newlease to replace the existinglease (the new lease is online at

the Towns website). The CCSBapproved a new 500 studentschool for SI about two years agoafter meeting with Mayor Smith,our attorney and other townleaders. Since then, the CCSBhas changed members, and 3 ofthem are in favor of building asmaller school. The reality is that6 of them are not, and the CCSBvoted last month to reafrm a500 student school to be builton SI under the guidance of thenew lease. From the CCSBsperspective, building a new school

Letterscontinues from page 7

Letterscontinues on page 10


9/23


10/23

for fewer than 500 students isa dead issue. Remember, theCCSB is the entity paying for thisschool, and it is 500 or zero. It isnot 400, 350, 300, or any othernumber. They cannot make anexception to that policy as it wouldbe nancially, operationally, andpolitically unsound.

On SI Town Council (SITC),

there were two unanimousresolutions (including MayerSmith) supporting a school of upto 500 students (January 2010 &May 2011). Now, Mayor Smith hasdecided that he is opposed. Now,as per his written letter to theeditor, and despite knowingthe facts for over two years, hefeels that a new 500 studentschool will be out of character

with our island. Fortunately,the six remaining Town Councilmembers fully and emphaticallysupport the rebuilding of SIES asa 500 student school. The lease

with the School District has hadthree readings and will be ratiedon October 18th.

So what gives? What is asmaller school? Is it a lowernumber of students? Is itsquare footage? Also, what is acommunity? Is it just SI? IOP? MtPleasant? Charleston County? Issome modest amount of diversitya bad thing for our children? Hereare the facts. Right now, wehave +/-420 children enrolledin SIES. With the new school,

we are programmed to house upto 500 students in +/- 73,000SF. If we were to drop to 400

students, the school would loseonly 4 classrooms and a modestamount of common area. Theschool size would still be +/-65,000 SF, per South Carolinaeducation building standards.

So where are we? This issuehas already been debatedextensively. Yes, 73,000 SF is abig - very big - building. However,SIES is a giant part of the soulof our community. It is how wecontinue to bring families with

young children to live among

us. It is, in my opinion, a vitalpart of who we are as a communityand a tangible way that we valueeducation.

Those who oppose thenew school currently seek areferendum. If enough signaturesare validated on the new petitioneffort for a referendum, the Town(all of us), will be forced to fundthat referendum. Regardlessof what the Referendum says,

please know that ultimately youare voting to either have a school

with 500 students, or you arevoting for NO school. There isno gray. It is all or nothing. Theplea that some residents want asmaller school is a ruse for havingno school built at all. If you aredoubtful of this, please ask themhow they intend to accomplishtheir objective.

I have asked a number of folkswho oppose the school how theydene success. Often the answeris: Something smaller that tsour island character. That isa great answer, but it does notgive us a tangible denition orgoal to work towards in a uniedmanner. Some want fewerstudents, not understanding thatthe size of the building will notbe signicantly reduced. Some

want no students from IOPand/or Mt Pleasant, which isunrealistic and ridiculous. Some

just dont want the school at

all. Unfortunately, most do notseem to understand the politicaland economic realities standingbefore us. It truly is 500 or0. We should be spending thisvaluable time and energy uniedas a community, working onbetter design, sustainability, andoptimizing the use of the building.

PLEASE DO NOT SIGN ANYPETITION ASKING FOR ASMALLER SCHOOL. IF YOUALREADY HAVE, AND NOSCHOOL WAS NOT YOUR REALINTENTION PLEASE ASK TOREMOVE YOUR NAME.

Sincerely,Loren Ziff

10 October 14, 2011

(l to r) Jimmy Ward, Olivia Lodge, Emma MacMillan, Caitlyn Miller & Alli Cherry.

Rehearsal begin for the Crabpot Players production of

"Catholic School Girls" produced in conjunction with the

Isle of Palms Recreation Dept. Performance dates November

16, 17, 18 & 19. Tickets go on sale October 17.

Call 886-8294 for more information. All tickets sale proceeds go

to the City of Isle of Palms.

Players rehearse

Letterscontinues from page 8


11/23

Atlanticville Restaurant on Sullivans introduces Chef Bobby

Yarbroughs 2011 fall/winter menu. It features many

Atlanticville signature favorites as well as some innovative and

exciting new additions.

Atlanticville is open 7 nights with dinner service beginning at 5:30.Sunday Brunch from 10am to 2pm with Live Flamenco/Spanish guitar

by Dori Chitayat. Their popular Thai Tuesdays feature Live Music on

the porch Jim and Whitt Algar. Fall is the perfect time to dine al-

fresco or enjoy a drink on the porch.

For additional information, please contact

Brad Creger at 723-1447 or bradcreger@

gmail.com.

Fall into fabulous foodProvided

Upper right: Atlanticville Chef, Bobby Yarbrough

Lower left: Fall menu item at Atlanticville

wine & dine


12/23

October 2October 14 Island Eye Calendarriday, OctOber 14

one Hall Fright Nightshoose from Nightmare Manor10), Chaos Quarantine ($8), therror Trail Hayride ($12), andycho Clowns in 3-D ($6). Openpt. 30-Oct. 1, 7-9, 13-16, 20-23,-30 from dark to midnight. $25four attractions. Held at Boone

all Plantation in Mt.Pleasant.r more information visitonehallplantation.com.

he Gold Bugmilies are invited to come to thert auditorium on Friday, Oct.

14 at 7 PM to see The Gold Bug.Actors will introduce childrento Poes work. This event is freeand sponsored by The Co-op.For more information visit www.creativespark.org.

Saturday, OctOber 15Poe: Back from the GraveHeld at dark on Fort Moultrieon Sullivans Island. VIP ticketholders begin the evening at thehome of one of Sullivans Islandsmost successful artists, a shortwalk from the performance.

This reception will feature heavyappetizers, wine, beer, a Poethemed cocktail and a rst stepinto Poes fantastical mind,sponsored by Triangle Char andBar. Advanced tickets are $30 andVIP tickets are $55. Purchase byphone at 881-3780 or online atwww.creativespark.org.

Bike to NatureRides will follow paved paths andfeature stops to investigate anddiscuss natural features of thepark. Bring your own bike orrent one on site! Pre-registrationrequired. Held at PalmettoIslands County Park on IOP from9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. For moreinformation visit www.ccprc.com.

MOnday, OctOber 17Barre FitnessHeld at the IOP Rec CenterMondays at 9:15am. $10 per class.

For more information visit www.iop.net.

tueSday, OctOber 18Charleston Beach Volleyballand Social ClubThrough Oct. 25. Sign up as anindividual, individual with friends,or team. Pickup games are everyTuesday From 5:30 p.m. to dark.All games are played at Station22 on Sullivans Island. 5-7 p.m.For more information visit www.charlestonvolleyball.net.

WedneSday, OctOber 19After School Adventures -Mountain BikeWe will ride mountain bikesaround the park, learn how thegears operate, and have some funin the process. Pre-registrationrequired. 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. atPalmetto Islands County Park onIOP. For more information visitwww.ccprc.com.

thurSday, OctOber 20

Birding BasicsThe class will begin with birdingessentials, covering everythingfrom proper attire, gear, basicterminology, characteristics of birdgroups, etc. We then move intothe eld to spot and identify ourwinged friends. Pre-registrationrequired. Held from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. at the Palmetto IslandsCounty Park. For more informationvisit www.ccprc.com.

Friday, OctOber 21McMahon PlaygroundHaunted HouseJoin the City of Charleston as wetake you through rooms of thrillsand chills. McMahon Playground.McMahon Playground. $2 perperson Oct 21, 2011 - Oct 30,2011. For more information, visitwww.charleston-sc.gov.

Pumpkin PaintingAll supplies and materialsprovided. Register by, Wed. Oct.19 . Fee: $5. 10:00 a.m. Heldat the IOP Rec Center. For moreinformation visit www.iop.net.

Saturday, OctOber 22

60th Annual Christ Our King-Stella Maris School BazaarA fun day for families of allages. Booths range from Jumpcastles, face painting, craftersand much more. Come supporta tried and true tradition east ofthe Cooper. Held at the schoolplayground at 1183 Russell DriveMt. Pleasant, SC. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.For more information, contactAmanda Salmonsen [email protected].

Beach Lovers Book ClubWe will be discussing Grapes ofWrath by John Steinbeck. NewReaders are always welcome. Heldat the Edgar Allen Poe Library on

Sullivans Island At 10:30 a.m. Formore information contact [email protected].

MOnday, OctOber 24Boone Hall Pumpkin PatchAttractions include a corn maze,jump pillow, giant slide tower,hay mountain, a spider web, andmore. $8/Monday-Thursday,$10/Friday-Sunday Open untilSept. Oct. 31. Held at BooneHall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant.For more information visit www.boonehallpumpkinpatch.com.

tueSday, OctOber 25Team TriviaWhether youre a TV-buff, aHistory major, the guy who knowseverything about sports, or theone who can remember lines fromevery movie youve seen, TEAMTRIVIA is right for you. Join us

each Tuesday from 8p.m. until10 p.m. Win house cash prizes!Held at Fiery Rons Home TeamBBQ on Sullivans Island. Formore information visit www.hometeambbq.com.

WedneSday, OctOber 26

Cafe Medley TastingWeekly wine tasting. $5, $13 withcheese plate. Held Wednesdays,6-9 p.m. at Cafe Medley onSullivans Island. For moreinformation visit cafemedley.com.

12th Annual Halloween CarnivalIOP Methodist Youth invitecommunity children from 3 yearsto 5th grade to get a jump starton Halloween festivities. Comedressed in your favorite costumeand join us for Trunk or Treating,and be ready to have some fun.Food will be available for purchase,so dont even worry about eatingbefore you come! All activities areFREE. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

thurSday, OctOber 27Da Gullah RootzLocal reggae band led by singer/percussionist Rankn, jammi

with a heavy dose of funk, rock,and ska. This weekly event onSullivans features jerk rubbedchicken, shrimp, and porkdishes, too. 9 p.m. Free. HeldThursdays at Fiery Rons HomeTeam BBQ on Sullivans Island.

For more information visit www.hometeambbq.com.

Saturday, OctOber 29Halloween SpooktacularKustom DJ Services Plus will bespinning dance tunes, and therewill also be live music by theCoast Runner Band. The nightalso features a silent auction, a$500 grand prize for best costumeas well as $100 prizes for othercategories, and more. $20. Heldat Omar Shrine Temple in Mt.Pleasant from 6:30 p.m.-12 a.m.

For more information, look for on Facebook.

The 7th Annual Fur BallCharlestons premier dog-frienevent, Pet Helpers biggestfundraiser of the year! Eveningincludes silent and live auctionopen bar, served dinner, danciand live entertainment. Held at6:30 p.m. at the Marriott HotelLockwood Blvd., Charleston $1per person, $75 per dog For moinformation visit pethelpers.org

Live Music caLendar

The Windjammer Isle of PalmsFriday 10/14 Fowlers Mustachewith the Hibachi HeroesSaturday 10/15 John King Bandwith Matt HoskinsThursday 10/20 Truth & SalvageCo. with Brian RightFriday 10/21 Jason Bolandand the Stragglers with AmericanAquariumSaturday 10/22 Matt Mackelcanwith Scottie FrierFriday 10/28; Saturday 10/29 Music Unlimited (Student/TeacherConcert)Contact Windjammer at 886-7000.

Hometeam BBQ Sullivans IslandTuesdays Team Trivia

Friday 10/14 ShonuffWednesday 10/19 LukeCunninghamSaturday 10/22 Hired GunsWednesday 10/26 Mac LeaphartFriday 10/28 Jack Roberts andthe Hinges with OuterventionContact Hometeam BBQ at 883-3131.

Wild Wing Cafe Mt. PleasantFriday 10/14 Ben Fagan and theHoly City HooligansSaturday 10/15 Jamisun DuoSaturday 10/22 IrresponsibleBeach LifeFriday 10/28 Marys Got a BandSaturday 10/29 Halloween withPlane JaneContact Wild Wing Caf at 971-WING.


13/23

The boys of Sol Driven

Train know how to have

a good time. Attend one

of their live shows, and it will

be rather challenging to keep aCheshire cat grin from enveloping

your jaw line. Their on-stage

antics, varying personalities,

and extremely obscure set lists

provide audience members with a

glimpse into a talented local band

with a universal understanding

of music. This is a band that is

constantly on the move, and the

fact that they call Charleston

home, as well as promote the local

music scene at large is benecial

to all island dwellers.

Over the summer, Sol Driven

Train recorded Watermelon, an

eclectic EP that tallies up to their

sixth ofcial release. The Train

was touring heavily around the

continental United States, but

still found time to show their

hard core fans some love. The

Watermelon release party went

hand in hand with Sol Fest,

their rst venture into holding

a festival. Remaining a truly

homegrown band, they hosted

Sol Fest at the Windjammer on

the Isle of Palms, and made sureto include some of their favorite

acts on the bill. This is how the

local music scene thrives, and SolDiv Ti is th ft is.

With this music edition looming,

it was only tting to contact Joel

Timmons (guitar, vocals) on the

road to see what was in store for

the following months.

BB: In lieu of your busy summer,

what have been some of the

bands personal highlights?JT: We had a blast this summer

playing festivals and touring

from Nantucket to Key West and

out to Colorado. Two nights at

The Windjammer with a bunch

of our favorite bands from the

Carolinas was a real highlight

for us as well. Personally, I really

enjoyed paddle boarding in the

Keys, surng on Nantucket,

whitewater rafting in Colorado,

and attending my brothers

wedding on the ColumbiaRiver Gorge in Oregon. Wards

personal highlight this summer

was visiting Mt. Rushmore and

spending time with his nieces.

Russell enjoyed spending time

lakeside with his girlfriend in

Wisconsin. Wes loved seeing

Bruce Hornsby perform at the

Biltmore House in Asheville, NC,

but Rustys personal highlight

from the summer is a secret, and

he wont tell.

BB: Surely you guys love the

summer time, but what does fall

entail?

JT: After a little time off at

the end of August and early

September, were back on the

road for the fall. Im currently

writing from inside the van,

heading south on I-95 towards

Washington, DC after a few

nights out on Nantucket. Our

14 October 14, 2011


music

Th pic suits, butt dws, d bds... S Div Ti kps it cssy.

Summer never ends for Sol Driven TrainIsland Roots Band Releases W a T e r m e l o n , Hosts local FestIval

By Blake BuncH

musiccontinues on page 16


14/23

15October 14, 2011


music

Gentscontinues from cover

permeates everything they do,

from their lyrics to their costumes.

The Gents write tunes with

titles like William Howard Taft,

Fancy Beer, Chocolate Milk,

and Me, I Get High on Reefer.

Apparently, since the Gentlemen

wrote the song about Taft, people

have been coming up to them

with facts and stories about the

extra-large former President of

the United States.

The song about Taft pretty

much wrote itself, since bath,

Taft, and fat all rhyme, explains

Condon.

Bean and the Councilmans

humor is also showcased on their

blog. The Quick Conversations

with the Gentleman series is

particularly funny. One such

conversation goes like this:

The Scene: Andy Beanencounters an Old-Timer in ahotel elevator.Old-Timer: Nice bowtie.Bean: Thanks, old-timer!Old-Timer: Reminds me of howI used to dress when I was a

young man.Bean: Yeah, not too many youngpeople dress this way anymore,do they?Old-Timer: Young people dresslike shit.(Exeunt Old-Timer)

From this quick conversation,

you may be able to deduce that

the Two Man Gentlemen Band

is beloved by both older and

younger generations. Their music

is timeless, coming out of a 20s

and 30s jazz-y and swing-y

tradition, as Bean puts it. Their

inuences include bands like

Slim and Slam, Louis Armstrong,the Mills Brothers, and Bob Wills.

Bean and Condon started out

busking in New York in places

like Central Park. One day, one of

Carson Dailys friends passed by

and asked them to play a private

party. They didnt realize whose

party it was until they got there

and saw the man himself. At the

time, their music was a little more

country, but got more jazz-y and

swing-y over time.

Condon and Bean have been

on the road now for four years.

According to the Gentleman, they

have played in South Carolina

two times a year for the past 3 or 4

years. One of their long time fans,

Mike Miller, saw them the frsttime they played in Charleston,

at the old Map Room in West

Ashley, and has been following

the band ever since.

Its vaudeville and swing. It

can be a little bawdy at times,

explains Mills, who has always

enjoyed music of the 20s and 30s

and is a member of the Charleston

Swing Dance Association. He is

drawn to both the Gentlemens

sense of humor and the way their

songs make the audience want to

participate.

For more information about The

Two Man Gentlemen Band, visit

www.thetwogentlemen.com.

(l to r) Andy Bean and Fuller Condon.


15/23

16 October 14, 2011


music

fall tour will take us from the

Northeast to the Deep South

and back down to Key West for a

four night run during the week-

long Halloween Fantasy Fest.

Meanwhile, were working on

mixing and post-production for a

new full-length release, due out

in 2012.

BB: Where/with who did you

guys record Watermelon? What

was the driving force for putting

out this EP? Really, what are

some of the main benets of

getting an EP out there?

JT: We recorded the ve songs

for Watermelon, as well as

ten more songs, at Charleston

Sound with Jeff Hodges and

Joey Cox. After three weeks

in the studio earlier this year,

we had fteen songs recorded

that we all felt good about. We

didnt want to release all fteen

on one album, so we took the

oddball songs and put them ona summer EP. It was fun to use

the EP as a sort of showcase of

the diverse directions of where

our sound is heading, and as a

preview for next years full-length

release.

BB: Sol Driven Trains sound

has evolved very much since

the early days.... You guys still

play straight up rock, but are

constantly working with a Ska/

Reggae/Calypso feel as well.

How large of a role did the horn

section play in this transition?

JT: I think our musical

trajectory has veered at timesmore toward American roots

music, emphasizing storytelling,

musical simplicity, and vocal

harmonies; and at other times

toward a more world-beat sound

with polyrhythmic percussion,

punchy brass, and uplifting

lyrics. Our capable rhythm

section, along with the horns,

allows us to visit those warm

musical climates that stretch

from New Orleans south to the

Caribbean.

BB: You are extremely proactive

about exposing younger local

bands. Who are some of your

favorites, or who has mentored

you in the past?

JT: Some of our favorite young

bands on the scene are Fowlers

Mustache, Gangrene Machine,

The 3 Dudes, Sarah Cole and

The Hawkes, Elise Testone,

and Hey Rocco. We hope to

make Sol Fest an annual

event to introduce folks to the

Lowcountrys beauty and wealth

of homegrown musical talent.

Some of our musical mentors

over the years have been Miller

Asbill (Laing/Wando band

director), Hazel Ketchum and

John Holenko of Hungry MonkMusic, Rik Cribb (Skwzbxx,

The Cribb), Bob Smalls (djembe

teacher at Creative Spark), and

Mark Bryan (Hootie and the

Blowsh).

BB: You have become a

procient banjo picker, is

anyone else learning any other

instruments?

JT: Youre very kind. Wes Powers

(drums) is also working on the

banjo, and Ward Buckheister

(trombone, guitar) is learning

the piano and continuing his

advanced studies of the triangle.

Rusty (bass) is learning to play

the standup bass, and used

it some during our recording

sessions this year.

BB: How have you seen the

Charleston music scene grow

over the past few years? What is

it in particular about the barrier

islands that you see as a source

of inspiration?

JT: There have been several

bands to recently bring national

attention to the Charleston

music scene: Shovels and Rope,

Band of Horses, and Need to

Breathe to name a few. Also, the

amount and diversity of local

music venues has created anexciting scene where national,

regional, and local acts are

performing every night. I have

to extend congratulations to The

Pour House for bringing quality

live music to Charleston for the

past ten years.

Living on and around the

barrier islands of South Carolina

provides us inspiration through

the intersection of natural

beauty, exciting history, and rich

cultural heritage. Like a shifting

sand bar, our sound has changed

with time, retaining a rawness

shaped by wind, waves, and tide.

We love the Lowcountry, and it is

a wonderful place to call home.

For more information, visit

www.soldriventrain.com.

Musiccontinues from page 14


16/23

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A word from the micRapping on the venue/musician Relationship

From the miccontinues on page 22


17/23

October 14, 201118

One night, my grandparents

were awakened onenight to sounds of the

piano being played and theirdachshund, Schnapps, howlingaway. Thinking it was an intruder,Granddad grabbed a baseballbat while Grandma called 911.But, what Granddad found whenhe entered the music room wasquite a surprise. Schnapps wasstanding on the bench, playing

the keys with his front paws. Mygrandparents encouraged theactivity, and Schnapps becamesomething of a star in theirhometown.

With the invention of You-Tube,one can observe many animalsplaying the piano voluntarily.Animals seem to enjoy musicmuch as we do. But, it turnsout that they dont only enjoy it;music can also be therapeutic

and calming to animals.Recent studies show that musiccan profoundly inuence animalbehavior. Music therapy for petsis one way to help a dog withbehavioral or anxiety problems.Music is one way to control and

mediate the sound environment,said sound researcher JoshuaLeeds, who co-authored a newbook and CD set called ThroughA Dogs Ear: Using Sound toImprove the Health & Behavior ofYour Dog.

Leeds applied psychoacousticprinciples of tone, rhythmand pattern identication tohandpicked, modied, andrearranged traditional classical

pieces to create canine musicof simplied sound. The results were dramatic. Researchersfound that 70 percent of dogs inkennels and 85 percent of dogs inhouseholds showed a reductionin stressed-out behavior when

listening Leedss CD.Harpist Alianna Boone

conducted her own study in 2000to gauge the effect of harp musicseffect on animals. She played forhospitalized canines at a Floridaveterinary clinic and found thatduring her hour-long sessions,the heart rate, anxiety levels,and respiratory rates of the dogsdecreased.

The next time you and your

pets are stressed out by all ofthe sounds around us. Put on aclassical CD and chill out.

For more information about BeesFerry Veterinary Hospital, visitwww.bfvh.net or call 769-6784.

be a MozartBy Katherine Saenger, DVM

Your mutt may


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20 October 14, 2011

Kids, send you guess o this weeksEye Spy to: [email protected]

Please include you mailing addess with

you submission.

Do you know what this is?

No one coectly guessed last issue's Eye Spy! It was the boat wheel infront of the Brooks Woodworks. The rst person to send in the correct

answe o this issue will eceive a coupon o a frEE ice ceam at

Ca Medley on Sullivan's Island.

Eye Spy

Satuday, Octobe 1Jack-O-Lantern Countdown for Halloween(all ages)Countdown to Halloween by making papechain jack-o-lanten, when the last chain iso, its Halloween. Held at 10:30 a.m.

Satuday, Octobe 8DIY Arts & Crafts with Grace Dunbar (allages)Do-It-Yousel Halloween Ats & Cats withGood Witch o the South Gace Dunba.Held at 10:00 a.m.

EDGAR ALLAN POE BACK FROM THEGRAVE:CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS POETRY &ART EVENTDisplay you Poety Talents simila to thegeat Edga Allan Poe Style o Witing inCeating Dak Chaactes. Come by theLibay and pick-up the Poety Guide omCeative Spaks to assist you

with you ceativeimagination. Held at11:00 a.m.

fiday, Octobe 14THE GOLDBUG, ByEdgar Allan Poe (children& parents)

families ae invited to attendfot Moultie Auditoium to seethe movie, The Goldbug. Actos willintoduce childen to Poes wok. Thisevent is ee and sponsoed by The Co-op, along with Ceative Spaks and fotMoultie. Held at 7:00 p.m.Satuday, Octobe 15Spider Hat (all ages)Make a spide hat with constuction pape

and pipe cleanes. Held at 10:30 a.m.

Satuday, Octobe 22Halloween Masks (all ages)Design and make you own spooky mask toscae you amily and iends o Halloween.Ghost Stoy Pizza Paty o Young Adults(ages 11-17) Held at 10:30 a.m.

Thusday, Octobe 27Ghost Stories

Join THE HEADLESS HORSEMANto shaeGhost Stoies & enjoy eating Pizza / Dinkso Halloween. PLEASE rSVP BY TUESDAY,

OCTOBEr 25, 1:30 P.M. Held at 4:00 p.m.

PLAY with Dad: Decorate Pumpkins (allages)Satuday, Octobe 29 at 10:30 a.m.

Bing you pumpkin to decoate oHalloween - all mateials povided &

we will be seving Donuts & Cide

Celebrate Halloween with Poe!OctOber events at the edgar allen POe library


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21October 14, 2011

financial

You may not see it posted on your calendar, but Oct. 16 22

is National Save for Retirement Week. This annual event,endorsed by Congress, is designed to raise awareness about

the importance of saving for retirement so you may want to take

some time this week to review your own strategy for achieving the

retirement lifestyle youve envisioned.

If youre not convinced of the need for an event such as National Save for

Retirement Week, just consider these statistics, taken from the Employee

Benet Research Institutes 2011 Retirement Condence Survey:

The percentage of workers not at all condent about havingenough money for a comfortable retirement grew from 22percent in 2010 to 27 percent the highest level measured inthe 21 years of the Retirement Condence Survey.

Fifty six percent of respondents say that the total value oftheir households savings and investments, excluding thevalue of their primary home and any dened benet plans (i.e.,traditional pension plans) is less than $25,000.

Less than half of the respondents say they and/or their spousehave tried to calculate how much money they will need for acomfortable retirement.

These numbers are obviously troubling and they indicate that

most of us probably need to put more thought and effort into our

retirement savings. What can you do? Here are a few suggestions:

Determinehowmuchyoullneedinretirement. Try to denethe lifestyle you want during retirement. Will you travel the worldor stay close to home? Will you work part time or spend yourhours volunteering or pursuing hobbies? Once you know what

your retirement might look like, try to estimate how much itmight cost.

Identifyyoursourcesofretirementincome. Take into accountyour IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan,Social Security and other savings and investments. How much

income will they provide? How much can you withdraw from

these vehicles each year without depleting them? Calculateanyretirementshortfall. Try to determine if your

savings and investments will be enough to provide you with anincome stream thats adequate to meet your retirement needs. Ifit isnt, develop an estimate of the size of the shortfall.

Takestepstoclosesavingsgap.If it doesnt look like youllhave enough to meet your retirement needs, you may consideradjusting your savings and investment strategy. This may meancontributing more to your IRA, 401(k) and other retirementaccounts. Or, perhaps your investment mix may need to bereviewed to nd a better balance growth potential with risk. Or

you may need to take both of these steps. Monitoryourprogress. Once youve put your investment

strategy into place, youll need to monitor your progress to makesure youre on track toward achieving your retirement savingsgoals. Along the way, you may have to make adjustments, ifthere are changes in your objectives or your specic situation.

Taking these types of action can be challenging, so you may want

to work with a professional nancial advisor who has the experiencesand resources necessary to help you identify and work toward

achieving your retirement goals. In any case, though, National Save

for Retirement Week is a great time to consider your course of action.

This article was provided by Edward Jones, located at 1505 Palm

Blvd on the Isle of Palms. You can reach them at 886-9229 or visit

www.edwardjones.com.

A good week to think aboutretirement savings

Provided by dimi matouchev

Breach Inlet Tide Chart

Date High Tide Low Tide

Hurricanes, storms etc., are NOT included in thepredictions. Tidal current direction changes and tide timepredictions can be very different. Tide predictions arePREDICTIONS; they can be wrong so use common sense.

Source: www.saltwatertides.com

Oct 14

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Oct 21Oct 22

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22 October 14, 2011

Music is the lifeblood

of many today and

computers can help in so

many ways. iTunes has become

the defacto player on their laptop

or desktop. You can sync youriPod and many other music

players to it, download your

favorite music and be on the go.

If you Google iTunes alternatives

you will see all kinds of programs

that will work will your iPod/

iPad/etc. plus sites that offer

songs at very reduced rates.

Synthesizers, dubbers, mixers

are all available in both paid and free

versions and can do wonders in

the right hands. You can have

a studio in your living room for

little or no money. For those

who still have vinyl records and

cassette tapes you can buy usbturntables/cassette tape players

that allow to digitally copy the

media to your computer, run the

fle thru a cleaner and have a

digital copy of the music and

since you own the record/

cassette the copy is still legally

yours.

The computer can be used to

record all kinds of sounds, mix

them and create your own sound.

As with all computer programs

the more you use them the better

you get, so go make some sounds

and create!

I hope this helps and more nextissue!

If you have any problems,

questions, etc. about your

particular needs do not hesitate to

contact me at 822-7794 or email

at [email protected].

Music and computersBy BoB Hooper AKA rent A BoB

computer corner

with musicians whose talent

matches their passion. Original

music walks hand in hand with

culture. Just as reggae is the

sound of Jamaica, Calypso is

the sound Trinidad and Tobago,

and Dixieland Jazz helps to

defne culture in New Orleans,

music helps to make Charlestonunique. Charleston is blessed

to have so many original artists

that are on their way to bigger

and better things. I am proud

that Loggerhead's has played

a part in the overall exposure

of these talents, and we are

committed to bringing the best

talent in weekly.

Owning a venue has also had

a personal impact. Prior to my

time at Loggerheads, I did not

have a CD newer than the 80s.

My iPod also had a selection of

equally antiquated choices. On

any given day, my CD player

now plays music from local

artists that I have really begun to

enjoy. Who said you can't teach

an old dog a new trick? Having

a music venue has given us

the opportunity to understand

and better immerse ourselves

in the local culture. We have

had the privilege of meeting so

many talented artists, and the

followers that have been lured

by their talent. We have recently

installed a house PA system and

now have the ability to open

our doors to traveling bands as

they make their way through

Charleston. We are excited about

the opportunity to enhance the

local music scene by infusing

some new sounds from around

the country and beyond. Later

this month, we will be hosting aband from the UK.

Having a successful music

venue takes time and effort from

many. My wife, Yvonne, knows

frsthand, as she spends hours

every day listening to music,

scheduling and negotiating.

It is also nice to have friends,

advocates and mentors that are

willing to share insights and

preferences. Richard Brendel

is a guy that knows the local

scene and has been a good

friend and advisor since we

opened Loggerheads. Thanks

Richard! Most importantly,having regular support from the

communitys music enthusiasts

makes or breaks the venue, and

we greatly appreciate the locals

that support us so well. As long

as they keep coming, we will

continue to bring the best music

that the area has to offer.

From the miccontinues from page 17


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island eye news - october 14, 2011

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