NEWSLETTER Fall 2015

LITCHFIELD BEAUTIFICATION FOUNDATION

Officers Tom Leis, President Ron Eaglin, Vice President Mark Gilles, Secretary Ken Dewell, Treasurer Vonne Pannucci Landscape Operations Ragan Ormand, Information Officer Kathy MacSorley, Public Relations Board Members Joseph Muffolett Doug Waikart Cary K. Smith Carlethia Rudolph

Published by Litchfield Beautification Foundation,

Pawleys Island, South Carolina. LBF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization

dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of the Litchfield corridor,

Hwy. 17 landscaped medians with plantings and maintenance.

LBF is funded through private donations and Accommodation Tax grants.

Visit us online to learn more about us, contact board members, or make a

donation.

Contents: Letter from Tom Leis, President page 2

Landscaping The Median page 3

Treasurer Report, Flag Project page 4

Stormwater Drainage and the Medians page 5

Healthy Habits for Clean Water page 6

Business Donors page 8

Litchfieldbeautification.com Or call 843.235.3087

2

Letter from the LBF President, Tom Leis

THANK YOU! To the homeowners who have supported the maintenance of the Litchfield Corridor with their many years of donations, words of thanks and encouragement. Also to the numerous business who are listed on our web site www.litchfieldbeautification.com who have continued to support our work through the good times and also the lean times. Thanks to the HOA’s who have willingly given generous donations to keep the corridor looking like the pristine area that we have all come to expect. Without the financial support from these organizations and A Tax grants from Georgetown County, we would not be able to keep OUR corridor looking the way it does!!! To our webmaster, Vince Franco, without to his talent and time, we would not have the outstanding website, which he created and manages. A special thanks to Vic Figlar, who was the original landscape director. He was instrumental in acquiring new plantings, conferring with Waccamaw Landscaping to establish the right priorities as related to regular maintenance, and checking the medians regularly to see the results. Last year Vic turned the reins over to our present landscape director, Vonne Pannucci, a great addition to our team. As always, our thanks to Jean Rothrock and her team at Waccamaw Landscaping. They collaborate with us to develop and implement a vision that maintains the high standards that have become the pride of our community. Another group that many times gets overlooked or is some cases is not known is the Waccamaw Management Company, who through the generosity of their President, Press Courtney, and the talent of several of the staff working at Waccamaw Management, have donated their time and talent to manage our financial records, record and manage all of the donations checks and send the thank you letters, renewal letters and 2nd request letters. They are a very valuable player in making this all happen and we could not do it without them. There are many men and women who have served on the board for a number of years and without them, we would not be where we are today. And remember that the LBF is always looking for interested people to join our team. In addition to our board of directors, we have a great group of individuals who serve on our advisory board, and provide help and support throughout the year, when called upon. Their names are listed on our website. I cannot end this without thanking our current board of directors who volunteer their time and talent as LBF board members and spend many hours doing numerous things for our Corridor that make this all come together. While there names are listed on our web site, I want to also show them here and ask everyone who enjoys the beauty of what we call the Litchfield Corridor, to thank them for their service the next time you see them. Treasurer /CRO - Ken Dewell Director of Operations - Yvonne Pannucci Public Relations Director - Kathy MacSorley Secretary - Mark Gilles Ragan Ormond -Information Officer Joseph Muffolett -Director at Large Cary Smith -Director at Large Doug Waikart -Director at Large Also, welcome to Carlethia Rudolph, the newest board member to join our team. You may know her from her real job as Director of the Waccamaw Library. If you are not a donor to the LBF, please consider becoming one to help us keep this work going. Be a source of our community pride! Belong to the effort that sustains our unique and beautiful community!

3

Landscaping the Medians

By late January the Willbrook intersection was completed and planted with rows of muhly grass, a drought

tolerant grass that will have a pink hue in the fall.

With that accomlished, the new median, implemented by the state, is coming together. Now that the median

project is nearing completion, the landscaped beds, chosen by the SCDOT, have been planted and they will

maintain them for one year. After that, the LBF has agreed to maintain the first three beds on the north end of

the project, down to Martin Luther King Road, as long as it is funded by Accommodation Tax grants. Pawleys

Island Highway Beautification Program will maintain the rest of the completed project with a guarantee of

funding as well.

The following is a list of the plant varieties and the quantities installed in the 3 beds that the LBF will

eventually maintain:

(30) 3 gallon Dwarf Palmetto

(332) 3 gallon Regal Mist Pink and White Muhly Grass

(337) 1 gallon Fortnight Lily

(336) 1 gallon Asian Star Jasmine

(128) bags hardwood mulch

In other news along the highway, using A-Tax awarded funds, an area north of Sandy Island Road was hydro

seeded in an attempt to improve the median turf. It is still a work in progress with no further plans, as yet, to

complete any other medians until that new grass is flourishing.

In addition, to maintain the appearance of the Litchfield corridor, we decided to replace 148 dead and

damaged plant material within the median beds. The same plant size similar to ones originally installed were

used to ensure survivability. This was completed in late spring.

Many of the trees, including the crape myrtles, suffered a bagworm infestation in early August. All the

medians were treated at that time to prevent any carry over life cycles of the insects into next year. It has

proven effective.

Several beds have been severely damaged by errant drivers since spring. We have worked diligently to

immediately remove any debris from these accidents to maintain the continued beauty of the corridor.

The LBF is so fortunate to have Vonne Pannucci, our Landscape Operations Director, oversee and fine tune all

the projects that keep the corridor beautiful.

4

TREASURER REPORT by Ken Dewell

LBF as of July 31, 2015 Current- on hand: Operating cash $ 26, 339 A-tax funds $ 46, 200 Flag fund $ 447 Unanticipated Landscaping $ 125,333 Replacement fund Projected: Budget 2015 $ 147,700 Anticipated Donations $ 83,200 A-tax Receipts $ 62,500

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

FLAG PROJECT

2016 Flag Days:

Memorial Day, May 30

Flag Day, June 14

Independence Day, July 4

Patriots Day, September 11

Veterans Day, November 11

Our web site, litchfieldbeautification.com

features an “IN HONOR OF…. “ scroll with

names of individuals that have been honored

by family or friends with a $25 donation to

the Flag Project. A personalized flag card will be sent

be sent to the donor.

5

Are the LBF medians helping our stormwater drainage?

The LBF started this year with a conversation about how much the median is improving our

environment. Certainly, keeping the median free of trash and well maintained goes a long way.

Indeed, maintenance is the most important aspect of any landscaping from an aesthetic and

environmental standpoint. Some of the many other benefits include: enhanced visual experience

for drivers, reduced nighttime glare from headlights, preventing vehicles from crossing the median

into oncoming traffic, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen to the atmosphere, and

reducing soil erosion and stormwater runoff. With all that in mind, we contacted Tracey Jones, the

Stormwater Division Manager for Georgetown County to see what we might improve on. Our

discussion has lead us to investigate where the stormwater runoff is occurring in our area. Tracey

has implemented a study of the drainage in our corridor with the possibility of adjusting the

landscape to better manage the runoff.

While that is in progress, the following pages include an article for homeowners that has been

reprinted from the EPA on the subject of stormwater pollution.

6

A HOMEOWNERS GUIDE TO

HEALTHY HABITS FOR CLEAN WATER

From the

Enviornmental Protection Agency

As stormwater flows over driveways, lawns, and

sidewalks, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other

pollutants. Stormwater can flow into a storm sewer

system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or

coastal water. Anything that enters a storm sewer

system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and providing

drinking water. Polluted runoff is the nation’s greatest threat to clean water.

By practicing healthy household habits, homeowners can keep common pollutants like pestcides, pet

waste, grass clippings, and automotive fluids off the ground and out of stormwater. Adopt these

healthy household habits and help protect lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands and coastal waters.

Remember to share the habits with your neighbors.

Vehicle and Garage:

Use a commercial car wash or wash your car on a lawn or other unpaved surface to minimize

the amount of dirty, soapy water flowing into the storm drain and eventually into your local

waterbody.

Check your car and other equipment and machinery for leaks and spills. Clean up spilled fluid

with absorbent material like kitty litter or sand. Dispose of the absorbent material properly.

Recycle used oil and other automotive fluids at participating service stations. Don’t dispose of them in your trash.

Lawn and Garden:

Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. When use is necessary, use these chemicals in the recommended amounts. Avoid application if the forecast calls for rain; otherwise,

chemicals will be washed into your local stream.

Select native plants and grasses that are drought and pest resistant. Native plants require

less water, fertilizer and pesticides.

Sweep up yard debris, rather than hosing down areas. Compost or recycle yard waste when possible.

Don’t overwater your lawn. Water during cool times of the day, and don’t let water runoff

into the storm drain.

Vegetate bare spots in your yard to prevent soil erosion.

7

Home Repair and Improvement:

Before beginning an outdoor project, locate the nearest storm drains and protect them from debris

and other materials.

Properly dispose of construction debris such as concrete and mortar.

Use hazardous like paints, solvents and cleaners in

the smallest amounts possible, and follow the

directions on the label. Store substances properly to avoid leaks and spills.

Use non-toxic, biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable products whenever possible.

Clean paint brushes in a sink, not outdoors. Properly dispose of excess paints, through a

household hazardous waste collection program, or donate paint to local organizations.

Use native plants in your landscaping to reduce the need for watering during dry periods.

Consider directing downspouts away from paved surfaces onto lawns and other measures

to increase infiltration and reduce polluted runoff.

Pet Care:

When walking your pet, remember to pick up the waste and dispose of it properly. Flushing

pet waste is the best disposal method. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public

health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and

eventually into local waterbodies.