A Long Time Coming SEAFIELDS AT
KIAWAH GAINS MOMENTUM
BY THERESA STRATFORD
For The Island Connection
Richard Ackerman, chairman, president and CEO of Big Rock Partners, the real estate investment firm behind Seafields at Kiawah Island, a 62+ Life Plan community, presented an update at the August 1 Kiawah Island Town Council meeting. He said, “We are happy to announce that last Thursday, we issued a $215 million municipal bond offering for the construction and permanent financing of the Seafields project. It’s been a long time coming, and this is a very difficult bond market.”
They just signed the notice to proceed for the contractor to start construction. Ackerman said it will start by around the
beginning of September. “The foundation will happen first in the fall, and then you’ll see dirt moving.”
He added that steel will start coming onsite around January with “a lot of building happening in the first quarter of next year.” Completion is expected in about 24 months, pending any delays due to hurricanes or other issues. He added that the Town expects occupancy in the Fall of 2025. Right now, 70 of the 90 units are reserved, and Seafields is expected to be completely sold out within the next six months.
For more information, visit seafields.com.
They have the Floor KIAWAH TOWN COUNCIL OPENS UP TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS
BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
Stepping up to the microphone at a Kiawah Island Town Council meeting gives citizens a chance to speak their peace, a chance to go on record and a chance to show support or to defend a particular issue that could dramatically impact their everyday way of life.
Some citizens have a lot to say, while others like to make their points short and sweet. Either way, citizens have a right to speak at the Town Council meetings during the public comment session.
For Kiawah Island Town Council, however, it was finally time to address the time public comments get. Kiawah Island resident Maura McIlvain started the public comment portion of the August 1 Town Council meeting with
a stern public comment about the possibility of limiting public comments.
On the agenda was an ordinance to amend the public comment portion of meetings to just three minutes per person, but with no overall time limit. The current ordinance has an overall time limit for public comments of 15 minutes, and individually, the time limit is five minutes.
Focusing on Community Benefit TOWN VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES
APPROVED BY COUNCIL
BY THERESA STRATFORD
For The Island Connection
The Town of Kiawah Island depends on volunteers for civic service to the community, for the good of the environment and wildlife habitat preservation, for local litter cleanups, for arts and cultural events and so much more. By giving up their time to better the surrounding area, volunteers truly are the heart and soul of the community.
The Volunteer Guidelines also help to define how volunteers are recruited and selected. “This will help us be more precise on how we want to see this process being done across all the different commissions, committees and boards,” he said.
McIlvain said, “The current ordinance limits our individual comments to five minutes, and now you are proposing limiting us to three minutes. This is a solution in search of a problem. I have been keeping track of the public comments. Last month, one person spoke; the month before that, eight people spoke; in
Recognizing all the work that volunteers do for the Town, Kiawah Island Town Council Member Michael Heidingsfelder wanted to make it official by clarifying the responsibilities and requirements for the various volunteers that serve the Town.
(continued on page 2)
“This came out of the retreat in February earlier this year,” Heidingsfelder said.
These guidelines, however, do not take away the role of the chair of these different commissions, committees and boards to define their particular detailed rules and mission statements that they will then use for volunteer recruiting or proposing new appointments for the volunteers.
The guidelines, which were also approved by Kiawah Island Town Administrator Stephanie Tillerson, Kiawah Island Town Attorney Joe Wilson and a human
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Public Comments (continued from page 1)
May, eight people spoke; in January, four people spoke. This council works for us. Wouldn’t you rather have our concerns on public record, rather than us stopping to talk to you in public? Even if it is accolades! This is not a problem. There is no reason to limit us to three minutes. I can’t think of someone who even spoke for five minutes in the last several months. This sends the wrong message. I think it sends the message that you do work for us, but you wish you didn’t have to hear from us.”
Kiawah Island Town Council Member John Moffitt introduced the ordinance to amend the Town’s current municipal code related to public comments at Town Council meetings.
“The current ordinance in place has been pretty limiting. We can only have 15 minutes of comment time total. That’s very restrictive. I tried to do two things: one was to remove that overall time, and we need to address the time that each individual currently has,” he said.
The question from Moffitt was, should individuals have some sort of time limit or should Council vote to remove time limits altogether for public comments?
Kiawah Island Town Council Member Russell Berner suggested keeping it at five minutes per person. Kiawah Island Town Council Member Michael Heidingsfelder noted, “I would support that. We need some clarity.” And Town Council Member Bradley Belt concurred that he would support that too.
Belt added that Council should be able to have the discretion to extend the time as needed.
However, Kiawah Island Mayor John Labriola was in favor of removing a time limit for individual public comments altogether. “I would get rid of the time limit. God bless them. If they want to come and they want to talk and they are nervous and anxious, I don’t want to be doing a ‘ding, ding, ding.’ That’s cumbersome. We will know if someone is rambling and we can say to them, ‘you’re rambling.’”
Ultimately, the ordinance to amend the municipal code about public comments unanimously passed with changes to it. The time limits were taken out completely, and the portion of the ordinance that says that members of the public cannot ask Council questions during their public comments was also removed.
Moffitt said, “If someone asks us a direct question, we can answer it.
However, we cannot debate. For example, someone made a public comment about saving our trees earlier and asked us if we are getting an ordinance in place for that. The answer is yes. But when the commenter said they thought it was taking too long, well, that is their opinion and we can’t answer that.”
Labriola concluded, “This issue falls under a broad rubric of interaction between volunteers, municipal, officers and the community at large. There has to be a give and take. A couple of them commented earlier of communication being sent out that needed to be qualified, so I think we should hold to
that and be mindful of communication going out. If communication is inaccurate, we’ve got to be able to clarify, conversely, if they have something they want to share, they ought to be able to come and share it. I just don’t think we are that sophisticated of a community that it has to be that regulated. I think we have to be able to go back and forth.”
McIlvain approached the microphone again at the end of the meeting’s public comment portion. “Sometimes people will come up here and give you accolades and you are going to want all the time in the world to hear that. I am giving you accolades. I appreciate it. Thank you.”
TOWN OF KIAWAH
Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, September 11 at 1 p.m.
Kiawah Island Town Hall
Town Hall Meeting with KICA’s Board
Tuesday, September 20 August 28 at 1 p.m.
Kiawah Island Town Hall
Town Council
Tuesday, September 5 at 1 p.m.
Kiawah Island Town Hall
Planning Commission
Wednesday, September 6 at 2 p.m.
Kiawah Island Town Hall
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TOWN OF SEABROOK
Public Works Committee
Monday, September 11 at noon
Seabrook Island Town Hall
Town Council Work Session
Tuesday, September 12 at 1 p.m.
Seabrook Island Town Hall
Planning Commission
Wednesday, September 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Seabrook Island Town Hall
Environment and Wildlife Committee
Thursday, September 14 at 1 p.m.
Seabrook Island Town Hall
Conversation Rocks
A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST AT HOLY CITY BREWING
BY VICTORIA BOCK For The Island Connection
Charleston has always been a city that rocks. Its majestic landscapes and waterways have inspired countless generations of Lowcountry musicians. But the delicate ecological balance in the region is under increasing threat from rapid urbanization, coastal development and climate change. The urgency to conserve land has never been more critical.
On August 26, a group of passionate Charleston music scene veterans are coming together to advocate for land conservation and raise funds for safeguarding cherished Lowcountry landscapes. The musicians have partnered with Lowcountry Land Trust and Holy City Brewing to organize a benefit concert that will raise money for permanent land conservation efforts.
The “Lowcountry Summer Sendoff” concert will take place at the marsh-front Porter Room at Holy City Brewing on August 26 from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. The concert is family-friendly, and all ages are welcome to come show their support for Lowcountry land conservation.
Popular food truck Blue Pearl Caviar will be on site, and a private bar within the venue will also be available for guests to purchase drinks. Holy City Brewing is reviving its Angel Oak Pale Ale for the event and donating one dollar from every drink sold to Lowcountry Land Trust. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase and can be used toward various prizes. Tickets are $20, and advance purchases are recommended. The lineup
The Lowcountry Summer Sendoff will feature notable musicians from Charleston’s rich rock ‘n’
Lowcountry Summer Sendoff
roll history, including members of Madam Adam, The Working Title, Shinedown, Quench, Plane Jane, Groovy Cools and Grayman, among others.
Alan Price is a local Charlestonbased solo artist who spent previous years playing guitar and touring with multi-platinum rock band, Shinedown, Madam Adam and Quench. He recently introduced his soulful new band, Alan Price & the Modern Day, with Will Turpin of Collective Soul.
Cult Rock Revival features former members of Madam Adam and The Working Title, two area bands with national success. The group will crank out hits from Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Dick Dale, The Sonics, The Clash, The Police and more. If Quentin Tarantino started a cover band, this would be it.
Speed of Sound is a high-energy rock ‘n' roll band with a focus on vocal harmonies and good vibes that features members of regional favorites Plane Jane, Groovy Cools and Grayman. SOS performs original songs plus covers by The Strokes, REM, Blondie, Cage the Elephant, Kings of Leon, The Police, The Pretenders, Tom Petty and many more.
Founded in 1986, Lowcountry Land Trust partners with landowners and community organizations to permanently protect and nurture land throughout coastal South Carolina. Lowcountry Land Trust holds conservation easements on over 150,000 acres across 17 counties in coastal South Carolina and manages communitycentered places such as the Angel Oak Preserve.
More information about Lowcountry Land Trust is available at lowcountrylandtrust.org.
What: Benefit concert for the Lowcountry Land Trust
Where: Holy City Brewing at The Porter Room
When: August 26, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Why: Charleston musicians raising funds for Lowcountry land conservation
More Info: Tickets: $20 lowcountrylandtrust.org/events
Alan Price.
Speed of Sound.
A Hub for Healing HEALTH AND WELLNESS VILLAGE MAY COME TO SEA ISLANDS
BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
The Sea Island area of Johns Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah Island aren’t exactly known for their conveniences. Sure, they are relatively close to Charleston, James Island and West Ashley –each of which have a business for practically every need – but for the residents of the Sea Islands getting to those conveniences requires a longer drive, most likely in traffic.
Building some of the conveniences that residents in the Sea Island area could use makes sense. That’s why John Skerchek of potential development Island Park Place presented to the Kiawah Island Town Council on August 1.
The presentation was mostly done as a courtesy as a neighboring property of the Kiawah Island Town Council’s Chambers. Although the Town has no annexation authority over the property, it will be located next door to its Council chambers, which is in unincorporated Charleston County.
Island Park Place will be a health and wellness village. With the new MUSC Medical Center coming to the Sea Islands, Skerchek said Island Park Place will complement that. In the presentation, he stated, “Our health and wellness village will support the
goals for a high quality, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly environment that will complement and enhance the emerging concentration of world-class health care and supporting wellness practices.”
The Island Park Place developers are an 11-person team, all who live on the Sea Islands. Their hope is to not only make it available for Kiawah and Seabrook residents, but Johns Island as well.
Their team includes experts on traffic, the environment and architecture, and they even have a former DHEC staff member as a partner to guide them on South Carolina regulations.
In the presentation, Skerchek also noted, “The trend toward health villages is to recognize that the industry’s future will transform from a health care system that historically focuses on treating the sick to a valuebased one, designed to keep people healthy and well.”
The Island Park Place website has a survey for members of the public to fill out. The idea for the survey is so that the developers can get a better understanding of what types of health services residents in the area would like to see. Some of the options are cosmetic procedures, dermatology,
dentistry, a medical spa, healthy eateries, gastroenterology, podiatry and more.
In the presentation, Skerchek wanted to make it clear that the development will be considered a low impact design, meaning that they will put an emphasis on nature and the environment. They will have grand tree protection zones, extended buffers, walking and biking trails, open spaces, a fitness path, wetland preservation and what they call healing zones. They are also adopting the concept of “timeless architecture.”
The healing zones, pedestrian trails and paths, as well as the open spaces, will not only be utilized by patrons of the area, but also by the employees. They’ll also be used for treatment, Skerchek said.
“We have limited our footprint to preserve the natural elements of the wetlands and natural habitats and are confident that we are helping to preserve the iconic Southern live oak trees which will be a master planning focal point throughout the village.”
The architectural firm for the project, LS3P, was on hand to present the concept of the design. Design Leader, vice president and principal Brian Wurst said, “We design without ego, so when John came to us, we looked at his vision and we fully embraced it. We went with a cool, comfortable, Southern manner of living. The interior would be warm and comfortable. The architectural expression enhances the mission of the medical village. It will be a place of creative healing and health, so we wanted that walkability and those courtyards. We wanted that organic village feeling. Like a welcoming space for all. We want this idea of transforming to an outdoor space for employees and patients getting treatments.”
A potential benefit that Skerchek mentioned is hopefully reducing traffic. Island Park Place could reduce some traffic leaving Johns Island, since residents will no longer have to access some of the services off the islands. Those same services would now be offered at the new health village.
Thompson Turner Construction also contributed to the presentation and had their Director of Strategic Planning Ginny Kirk speak at the Town Council meeting. She said, “Thompson Turner serves a number of sectors, including K-12, higher education, hospitality and health care. With health care, we have built a number of projects in a range of sizes and scope. We recently completed a small replacement hospital in the Pee Dee community for MUSC and are currently working on a larger hospital in Summerville, as well as two large projects downtown for the College of Medicine and the College of Health Services. We also worked with Prisma on smaller projects that might be more relevant to what the health village will bring. We enjoy working in the health care sector and we think this is an important project for the community.” Island Park Place will be submitting the plans to Charleston County, and then there will be a four to five month process before they can get before the Charleston County Planning Commission, so all the plans at this time are preliminary.
The team said they would like to see “keys in doors” in 2026.
Council Member Michael Heidingsfelder asked how the medical services would be divided up in the whole plan. Skercheck said, “This is a suburban/urban mixed use property. This would have about 60% direct medical services and about 20% health retail, like eateries.” Pharmacy is also considered medical retail at this time. Some practitioners have also asked about the availability of dwelling units on the property for employees, so Skerchek said they do plan to have a very limited amount of residential spaces on the site as well.
Skerchek added, “I initially came here in the early 1990s, and bought my first property in 1997 on Kiawah Island, so I am a resident. I have witnessed the changes and the lack of day-to-day health care solutions. I want to guarantee the best results, and we are passionate about this.”
For information, visit ippsupport. com.
Volunteering Rules (continued from page 1)
resources consultant, are the outcome of a consensus from their collective review.
The document defines a volunteer: “This volunteer policy provides the TOKI’s principles and practices by which we involve volunteers and is therefore relevant to all staff, select volunteers, and Town Council. Volunteers are individuals who undertake activities on behalf of the Town, of their own free choice, unpaid and without financial gains and focused on creating public and community benefit.”
Expectations for the volunteers are defined as:
• To be reliable and honest.
• To uphold the Town’s values and comply with organizational policies.
• To make the most of opportunities given, e.g., for training.
• To contribute positively to the aims of the organization and avoid bringing the organization
• into disrepute.
• To behave in a reputable manner.
• To respect confidentiality.
• To carry out tasks within agreed guidelines.
The guidelines also state that bi-annually, each commission, board and committee should review their mission statement, rules of procedure and position description.
Volunteers will be required to fill out an application and will undergo an interview with a Town Council member and the chair of the respective commission, committee or board. Once the assessment process is complete, the
final decision to appoint the volunteer will be up to Kiawah Island Town Council.
Council Member Bradley Belt asked if a section stating that there is “no requirement to attend” be omitted from the guidelines. He felt that it needs to be removed because, “When volunteers do not attend, it just puts an added burden on the existing members.”
Tillerson clarified that since the volunteers are appointed, they can be terminated by a chair or member of Council at any time. “Removal of a
volunteer is written about in the charters for the different commissions, committees and boards,” she explained. It was unanimously decided to remove this sentence: “There is no enforceable obligation, contractual or otherwise, for the volunteer to attend or to undertake particular tasks or for the organization to provide continuing opportunities for voluntary involvement, provision of training or benefits.” This sentence remained in the guidelines: “However, there is a presumption of mutual support and reliability.”
Heidingsfelder added that it would be up to the chair of the commission, committee or board to define term limits for the volunteer position if applicable. These guidelines were approved by the Town of Kiawah Island. Tillerson said that the chairs for the different commissions, committees and boards would be responsible for making sure that their volunteers read and had a copy of the guidelines before beginning their position.
The Arts and Cultural Events Council’s is all volunteers except Ruthie Foster, far left, the events coordinator.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF KIAWAH ISLAND
Begone, Asian Longhorned Beetle
AUGUST IS THE MONTH TO CHECK YOUR TREES
BY KELSI FINK For The Island Connection
The U.S. Department of Agriculture declares August as “Tree Check Month” for the Asian longhorned beetle. The USDA and its partners are asking the residents of South Carolina, particularly Charleston and Dorchester counties, to check their trees for this invasive insect and the damage it causes and to limit the movement of host materials, such as firewood. August is the most important time of year to look for the beetle because it’s when people are most likely to see adult beetles.
“You can help us protect more trees and eliminate the beetle from the United States. If you take a walk, take a look,” said Josie Ryan, APHIS’ National Operations Manager for the ALB Eradication Program. “The sooner we spot the beetle, the sooner we can help stop its spread.”
The current program eradicated beetle infestations in Illinois, Boston, Massachusetts, New Jersey, parts of New York and parts of Ohio.
The Asian longhorned beetle is an invasive, wood-boring beetle that attacks 12 types of hardwood trees in North America, such as maples, elms, buckeyes, birches and willows. Infested trees do not recover and eventually die. Infested trees also become safety hazards since branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms.
In its larval stage, the insect feeds inside tree trunks and branches, creating tunnels as it feeds. Adults chew their way out in the warmer months, leaving about ¾-inch round exit holes. Once they exit a tree, they feed on its leaves and bark before mating and laying eggs, which creates another generation of tree-killing beetles.
The adult beetle has distinctive markings that are easy to recognize:
• A shiny black body with white spots about one inch long.
• Black and white antennae that are longer than the insect’s body.
• Six legs and feet that can appear bluish in color.
Signs that a tree might be infested include:
• Round exit holes in tree trunks and branches about the size of a dime or smaller.
• Egg sites appearing as shallow, oval or round wounds in the bark where sap might weep.
• Sawdust-like material called frass found on the ground around the tree or on the branches.
• Branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy-looking tree.
What to do if you find something:
• If you think you found a beetle or tree damage, report it by calling the ALB hotline at 1-866-702-9938 or submitting an online report at AsianLonghornedBeetle.com.
• Try to photograph the beetle or tree damage. If you can, capture the beetle in a durable container and freeze it, which helps preserve the insect for identification. Then report it.
• If you live in an ALB quarantine area, please keep the tree-killing pest from spreading. Follow state and federal laws, which restrict the movement of woody material and untreated firewood that could be infested. For more info, visit AsianLonghornedBeetle.com. For local inquiries or to speak to your USDA State Plant Health Director, call 1-866-702-9938.
Two Green Thumbs Up
KIAWAH ISLAND GARDEN CLUB STARTS AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER
BY KRISTIN B. THOMPSON For The Island Connection
The Kiawah Island Garden Club will be ending summer vacation and starting anew in September. The club will welcome longstanding members and greet new friends at the Sandcastle at 9:30 am on September 20. While having a chance to catch up and enjoy refreshments and coffee, members will review the plans for the rest of 2023.
The first half of the 2023-24 program year is shaping up nicely. After the casual get-together on September 20, a tour and talk at Caw Caw Park is planned for early October, followed by a brief walking tour and house tour in historic Charleston later in the month. In November, there will be a hands-on holiday decor workshop, and winter holidays will be celebrated in early December by viewing the decorations at the Sanctuary, followed by a festive luncheon at Jasmine Porch.
Whether or not your thumb is green, the Kiawah Island Garden Club is happy to welcome you. To join or renew your dues for the 2023-24 program year, mail a check payable to: Kiawah Island Garden Club C/O Lisa Milo, 70 LeMoyne Lane, Kiawah Island, SC 29455. Dues for this program year — August 1, 2023 until July 31, 2024 — are a low cost of $15.
Glen
The award-winning Gadsden Glen, now welcomes the Charleston
the area, Medicare and insurance
A Gift of Land
THE KIAWAH CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCES PROTECTION OF TWO PROPERTIES
BY ADAM WOLF For The Island Connection
The Kiawah Conservancy is excited to announce the protection of two new properties: 2 Kiawah Island Parkway and 77 Lemoyne Lane. These properties represent a significant milestone, as they are the 69th and 70th properties preserved.
Located near the island’s front gate, 2 Kiawah Island Parkway is situated between lands previously preserved by the Kiawah Conservancy, adding to a contiguous preservation area. Although it measures just under a quarter acre, this property holds important ecological value and has been noted as a high-traffic bobcat area in recent years. Two Kiawah Island Parkway plays an important role as a travel corridor wildlife, and natural travel corridors help to allow local and migratory animal populations to roam freely, ensuring an ecologically diverse future for our area.
At Eagle Island on Cassique, 77 Lemoyne Lane is a residential lot boasting over seven acres of natural wildlife habitat, including marsh and upland areas. This lot can be seen while traveling along the Kiawah River and from the Kiawah River Bridge. This preserved area provides valuable habitat for many of the island marsh species, such as the mink, diamondback terrapins and clapper
rails. Directly touching offshoots of the Kiawah River, the preservation of this land will continue to keep non-point source pollution from entering the river and contribute to the Kiawah Conservancy’s ongoing mission to protect the ecological health of the island and its surrounding watersheds.
The Kiawah Conservancy has the capability to be a holder of land and conservation easements, and, as such, it acts as a land trust. To date, the Kiawah Conservancy has preserved 70 properties totaling over 2,314 acres of pristine barrier island habitat. The organization would like to thank the donors of these two newest properties for entrusting them to our care for preservation in perpetuity. The gift of land greatly supports the Kiawah Conservancy’s mission and preserves unique habitats and wildlife.
Established by residents in 1997, The Kiawah Island Conservancy’s mission is to measure, manage, improve and advocate for the ecological health of the island and its environs. Contact the Kiawah Conservancy’s Land Preservation Specialist, Collie Farah, at Collie@kiawahconservancy.org or 843-768-2029 to learn more about donating your undeveloped property or to schedule a visit to one of our protected lands.
Meticulously maintained home on a beautiful lagoon. The home features soaring 20’ plus ceilings, a beautiful kitchen, and a spacious porch area. Seabrook Island amenities include 3.5 miles of private beach, a private club with two incredible golf courses, tennis courts, pools, a fitness center, and more.
77 Lemoyne Lane.
around the islands...
ONGOING
WHAT: Music on the Green
WHEN: Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Freshfields Village
MORE INFO: Join the community of Seabrook and Kiawah Island for a familyfriendly concert featuring regional bands! All are invited to Music on the Green. This is a great way to meet those in your community and explore the culture.
WHAT: Shag Night
WHEN: Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: The Village Green at Freshfields
MORE INFO: Head to Fresh Fields to participate in the Official Dance of South Carolina, the Shag. Whether you are a pro or new to the tradition, all are welcome.
WHAT: Wake School
WHEN: Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Charleston Aqua Park
FOR SALE | 3002 Plow Ground Road, Johns Island
$3,450,000 81.65 ACRES
2 Homes, 2 Renovated Barns, Lit Dressage Ring, Pond & Pastures
Jimmy Dye, REALTOR ® Broker-in-Charge, Founding Partner of The Cassina Group 309 Coleman Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant SC 29464 (843) 452-6482 | JDye@TheCassinaGroup.com | JimmyDye.com
MORE INFO: This class is open to children ages 6 to 14 years old, no experience required. This event is a unique opportunity to hop on a wakeboard and socialize with other children in the community. All of the gear will be available at the park, participants are also welcome to bring their own gear. The cost for this event is $30 per person. Space is limited.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
WHAT: The Alva Anderson Quartet with Special Guest Mark Sturbank
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Seabrook Island Club
MORE INFO: Join vocalist and violist Alva Anderson for an evening of jazz, blues, bossa nova and original music. Originally from the Bronx, her style is influenced by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Ruth Brown. Joining her is Frank Duval on piano, Brett Belanger on bass, Dave Patterson on drums and Mark Sturbank on sax. Tickets are available for purchase online.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
WHAT: Genealogy Club
WHEN: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Seabrook Island Lake House
MORE INFO: The Genealogy Club is available to residents of Kiawah and Seabrook Island. Members of this group gather together to learn more about their family histories, share their stories and help other members of the local community do the same. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information or to get involved please email Lynn Baker at bakerlynnd@gmail.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
WHAT: Paper Shred Event
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Kiawah Island Town Hall
MORE INFO: The Town provides complimentary shredding services for all Kiawah residents quarterly on the Thursday before Brown Trash. Documents should be brought to the Town Hall parking lot at 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway for disposal on designated days.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
WHAT: Cars & Coffee
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
WHERE: The Village Green
MORE INFO: This event will feature current automobile models, classic cars and other unique automobiles. All are invited to bring their unique car to this event to share with the community. Coffee and breakfast are available for purchase at Java Java.
WHAT: The Dirt Dash Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k
WHEN: 8 a.m.
WHERE: Johns Island
MORE INFO: Test your endurance and strength while participating in a 14-year-old Charleston tradition. Registration for the race is available online. More information is available online regarding this event. Please see the website for a list of full information.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
WHAT: Sandcastle Book Club
WHEN: 1 p.m.
WHERE: The Sandcastle, Kiawah Island
MORE INFO: Every month, the Sandcastle Book Club is hosting their meeting at the Sandcastle. This month the book will be Hang The Moon by Jeanette Walls. If you are interested in joining this club please contact Peg Michel at mm.michel49@ gmail.com or Frances Boyd at boydfm1@comcast.net for more information.
BRING THE ISLAND
The Legacy We Leave
BY ROM REDDY
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ho among us does not want to leave a better world for our children and grandchildren? Well, we better start paying close attention to the spending habits of our federal government, which can be best described as out of control. Our federal debt has grown to $33 trillion in 2023 – 12 zeros. One billion is one thousand million and one trillion is 1,000 billion. This debt equates to roughly $100,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States and approximately $235,000 for every taxpayer.
for international payments, demand for dollars decreases further, exacerbating this vicious cycle. Over time, this erodes our ability to spend and invest in our country. What does this mean to the world we leave to our children?
What is the federal debt? When we spend more than we take in for any given year, the difference is the deficit that must be borrowed. An accumulation of deficits is the federal debt. As recently as the year 2000, our federal debt was about $10 trillion. So, in the ensuing 23 years, we increased our debt to $33 trillion or an average of $1 trillion of spending more than we take in every year. Recently, we have increased that pace, adding close to $2 trillion to the debt every year. Fitch recently downgraded the U.S. debt from AAA to AA+ citing “high and growing general government debt burden.”
Who holds all this debt? Roughly one half of the debt is held by domestic investors and one half by foreign governments in the form of U.S. Treasuries because the United States is seen as stable, rich and dependable. The biggest foreign holders of U.S. Treasuries are China, Japan the U.K. and Saudi Arabia and their Sunni allies. As the perception of U.S. financial stability decreases, the demand for U.S. debt decreases, pushing up interest rates and making it difficult to fund the ever-increasing federal debt. As Russia, China and Saudi petrodollars move away from the dollar as a reserve currency
Every dollar that goes to interest payments means fewer resources to build a stronger, more resilient future. Being irresponsible with our budget means our kids and grandkids inherit this growing monster. In 2022, thanks to low rates, the average interest rate on federal debt was 2.07%, or about $725 billion of interest annually – roughly $2 billion per day. As a reference, in 2001, average interest on federal debt was 5.4%, a rate we are rapidly approaching. At that rate, our interest expense would rise to $ 1.8 trillion – or $5 billion per day. The buyers of U.S. debt will start seeing us as increasingly unstable, forcing rates up and decreasing the availability of debt to fund our spending spree.
As Americans, we need to recognize this growing peril and move it front and center in our election priorities. Is anyone in this presidential cycle clearly articulating a well-thought-out plan to address this hidden danger? No. If this were your credit card and 30% of your paycheck was going to just pay rising interest expenses – while the debt itself keeps growing – would you be panicked about your family’s future? Well, that is where we are nationally, and for our kids’ and grandkids’ future, we need our leaders to act.
Reddy or Not represents the opinion of Lucky Dog Publishing owner Rom Reddy but not necessarily that of the newspaper. In keeping with the paper’s philosophy of publishing all opinions, the publisher welcomes responses, which must be limited to 400 words and will be published on a space-available basis.
Images of Nature
JOIN SEABROOK PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB FOR A WORKSHOP
BY MAUREEN HEALY For The Island Connection
Eric Horan is a Beaufort, South Carolina commercial and fine art photographer. He began photographing wildlife professionally upon graduation from Colorado Mountain College. With a degree in Commercial Art and Photography, he worked as an intern to Don Dominick, the wildlife photographer at the Colorado Fish, Game and Parks Department. He has worked as a freelancer for notable travel and adventure publications, landed impressive covers (Smithsonian, Fodors and National Geography Books) and won prestigious awards.
Join Horan and the Seabrook Island Photography Club for the workshop “Finding your personal vision with nature and wildlife photography,” led by Horan, on September 21 at 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Seabrook’s Lake House.
“Accomplishing this requires learning the nuts and bolts of photography and being proficient with determining the best exposure; knowing and using light to your advantage; knowing what equipment and lenses to use for every situation; and gaining
a mastery of composition and formatting in producing all your images,” Horan says. “All this does not happen overnight and you may never be finished. Instead enjoy that it is a work in progress and the journey is the prize.”
Much of Horan’s time now is spent photographing wildlife while guiding other photographers on his Lowcountry Photo Safaris. His book, Beholding Nature, is available in bookstores or by contacting Eric at eh@horanphoto.com. This meeting is free to Seabrook Island Photo Club members. For guests and non-members, please bring a $10 donation. Email seabrookphotographyclub22@gmail. com if a gate pass is needed.
Get to Know Dylan Keith
A NEW SERIES INTRODUCING READERS TO KIAWAH RESIDENTS
BY KRISTIN B. THOMPSON For The Island Connection
Dylan Keith and his partner Kimberly Adele moved to Kiawah Island four years ago from the Dallas area. Dylan says that in relocating, “they searched for areas along the coast that featured natural surroundings, including a beach for Kimberly.” Among other considerations were access to an airport and proximity to a city for culture, shopping and metropolitan amenities. After their experience with suburban living and city living in Texas, immediate access to nature was a top influencer in their decision.
and visitors find it difficult to obtain a professional to capture photos of their family or betrothed during their time on Kiawah. Portrait photography is a specialty of Dylan’s, and, while he was used to traveling the world for his profession, he realized that he could share his love of nature on Kiawah with clients and enjoy spending more time on the island that is his chosen home. This year, he started Kiawah Sands Photography with the guiding principle “Authentic Moments in Authentic Nature”.
Like many new residents to Kiawah, the variety of nature on the island gradually became apparent to Dylan. “Instead of just one variety of heron, the great blue, or one type of egret, I became aware of the variety of species on the island. My love of nature led me to choose to live someplace where, whenever I walk outside, I want to take my camera with me.”
As a professional photographer, Dylan became aware that many island residents
In addition to his new business, Dylan finds time to volunteer for the town of Kiawah Island, serving as a valued member of the Kiawah Island Arts Council. He assists with vetting potential musical performers for the Council and facilitates the performances with onsite help with staging, lighting, ticket taking or whatever else is needed for Arts Council events. And, most importantly, he photographs the performers.
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