SiP magazine
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND ISLE OF PALMS Volume 8 | 2022
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INSIDE SiP FEATURES
HISTORY SNAPSHOT
68 | THE HEALING GROVE A memorial for a Dewees Island son takes root and branches out. By Hastings Hensel
36 | A DICHOTOMY OF WAR AND PEACE Why a pair of Civil War cannons sit beside a house of worship on Sullivan’s Middle Street. By Brian Sherman
62 | IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME? How a community restored the Crab Bank bird sanctuary, and why they did it. By Hastings Hensel
74 | GOLDEN RECORDS Isle of Palms live music mainstay, The Windjammer, turns 50. By Marci Shore 78 | PARTNERS IN PINTS Dunleavy’s Irish Pub, Sullivan’s Island’s favorite watering hole, celebrates 30 years of being a local. By Marci Shore 82 | STYLING THE WAVE Interior designer and Sullivan’s islander Cortney Bishop adds a touch of sophistication to Middle Street. By Denise K. James 88 | SUMMER ADVENTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSPENSE IOP author Mary Alice Monroe’s new children’s series set on Dewees Island is teaching the next generation of environmental stewards. By Carol Antman
FIELD GUIDE
22 | UNMASKING THE CEDAR WAXWING These “tipsy” songbirds are prevalent on our barrier islands. By Sarah Diaz 24 | IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS A great horned owl family’s surprise choice of sanctuary on Sullivan’s. By Delores Schweitzer
30 | MARKING HISTORY ON SULLIVAN’S ISLAND Sullivan’s preserves its history through three new historical markers. By Mike Walsh
40 | THE SANDS THROUGH TIME The Sand Dunes Club has been a place for relaxation and recreation for generations of Sullivan’s Island’s residents and military visitors. By Mike Walsh
ISLAND LIFE
Explore what makes life on our islands spectacular places to visit and special places to live. 44 | SPREADING A LITTLE KINDNESS The Law Enforcement Neighborhood Support program looks to help neighbors help their neighbors. By Brian Sherman 48 | HALF A BALL, DOUBLE THE FUN How a sliced-up rubber ball and a broomstick spawned Half Rubber, a uniquely regional coastal sport. By Colin McCandless
SIP SALUTES
Dive into the local personalities that make our islands so unique. 50 | THE IDYLLIC DAYS OF DORIS DAYHOFF Born and raised on Sullivan’s, Doris Legare Dayhoff shares memories of growing up on the island. By Brian Sherman 56 | PAINTING A LIFE ON SULLIVAN’S Lowcountry artist Beth McLean captures the spirit of the South with her impressionistic oil paintings. By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
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RISING STARS | 40
The rising tides of creators and companies new on the scene. 95 | RIDING THE WAVE: PHILIP ANTMAN By Grace Nichols 97 | THE WINNING SPIRIT: ZACH DAVID By Grace Nichols 99 | WRITING FOR THE STARS: JASON TRACEY By Colin McCandless
SIP SCENE
After you’ve soaked up the sun, explore other activities islanders enjoy in their downtime.
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100 | NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK New establishments in old places, both IOP and Sullivan’s welcome four new restaurants. By Stephanie Burt 108 | THE SIGN GUY How whimsical poster art elevates the Awendaw Barn Jam. By Marci Shore 114 | A TASTE OF ART Celebrating more than two decades of Art on the Beach and Chefs in the Kitchen. By Carol Antman 118 | VIBES & VOCALS The who, what, and where of live music venues on the islands By Marci Shore 120 | SIP CALENDAR Your essential guide to island events
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EDITOR’S LETTER
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Photo by Minette Hand
elcome to the eighth annual issue of SiP – the magazine dedicated to celebrating life on the beautiful barrier islands of Sullivan’s, Isle of Palms, Dewees, and Goat. This is a milestone year for many reasons, especially for two local mainstays; The Windjammer on IOP and Dunleavy’s Irish Pub on Sullivan’s. It’s a time to celebrate 50 and 30 years of business, respectively. Join in the jovial reflections and salutations in our double feature on these favorite island watering holes. This year, both islands welcome a bevy of new restaurants, so we tasked local food writer Stephanie Burt with exploring all the New Kids on the Block (page 102). We also sat down with islander Cortney Bishop for the skinny on how she helped transform a former taco/pizza joint on Middle Street into the glamorous new hangout, The Longboard. Read Styling the Wave (page 82) to find out more about Bishop and her island style. Protecting the beauty of our special environment is a task many islanders take to heart. One Isle of Palms resident, Mary Alice Monroe, infused her writing career with the theme of protecting nature. Now, The New York Times bestselling author has turned her pen toward the next generation, with the first in a series of children’s books that looks to inspire future island leaders to cherish and protect the natural beauty around us. Discover how in Summer Adventures and Environmental Suspense (page 88). Just off the shore of Sullivan’s, a special place has been given a new lease on life as a sanctuary for visitors to our isles: the shorebirds. Hastings Hensel and Mic Smith paddled out to Crab Bank to learn how a community restored this sanctuary, for the birds (page 62). The mission of SiP is to celebrate our cherished communities. We hope the stories within its pages highlight what a special place these islands are, whether you’re here for a vacation or a lifetime.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Editor-in-Chief
Living and Selling the Lowcountry Lifestyle Amy Rogers
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Lynn Pierotti Publisher Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Editor-in-Chief Cristina Young Art Director Brian Sherman Copy Editor Rob Byko Photographer Swan Richards Ad Designer Lori McGee, Marci Shore Advertising Executives Contributors Carol Antman Stephanie Burt Joe Caldwell Katie Charlotte Josie Derrick Sarah Diaz Hastings Hensel Denise K. James Colin McCandless Grace Nichols Delores Schweitzer Brian Sherman Marci Shore Mic Smith Mike Walsh
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www.sipmagazinesc.com Instagram / Facebook @SiPMagazineSC About SiP SiP magazine is published annually by Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC., 2205 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island, SC. SiP is mailed to all property owners on Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, and Dewees Island and distributed free at select locations.
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Contact SiP tel. 843.886.6397 mailing address: po box 837 Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482 for editorial inquiries jennifer@luckydognews.com for advertising inquiries lynn@luckydognews.com www.luckydognews.com Cover Photo by Josie Derrick Copyright 2022
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CONTRIBUTORS
Carol Antman is driven by creative curiosity. Her passion for travel has led to living on a kibbutz, hitchhiking the Pan American Highway, vagabonding in Europe and Central America, and camping throughout the United States. to discover a home on Sullivan’s Island. As a travel writer, she is inspired by the idea that everyone has a story. A life-long pianist, Carol was also the founder of Creative Spark Center for the Arts.
Stephanie Burt is the host and producer of The Southern Fork podcast and a writer based in Charleston. She is a frequent contributor for Saveur, and her work has appeared in numerous other publications, including The Washington Post, CNN’s Parts Unknown, Conde Nast Traveler, and Atlas Obscura. She focuses on researching heirloom ingredients, interviewing passionate culinary makers, and, when she’s in the kitchen, perfecting her roasted chicken recipe.
Rob Byko is photographer and realtor at Byko Realty, an agent of ERA Wilder Realty. Rob and his wife Karen live on Sullivan’s Island with their two rescue boxers, Finster and Kayla. Rob serves the community as vice-chair of Charleston County Public Library Board and as a board member for the Rotary Club of Charleston. An environmentalist at heart, Rob hopes his work inspires a protective spirit in others and renews a commitment to safeguard our natural resources for the benefit of all. a
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Josie Derrick is a lifestyle and brand photographer calling the Lowcountry home. Josie specializes in working with makers, creatives, and small business owners to help them create intentional imagery to tell their brand stories.
Sarah Harper Díaz studied Biology at the College of Charleston for her Bachelor’s degree and at the Citadel Graduate College for her Master’s. She is the director of the Sullivan’s Island Bird Banding Station where she studies songbird populations year-round with a special focus on migratory birds. She started banding marsh sparrows with fellow Sullivan’s Islander Will Post in 2007 and has since banded at a variety of bird banding stations throughout the country. She has also spent time banding birds in Belize, Peru, and Costa Rica.
Hastings Hensel is a freelance writer and teaches writing at Coastal Carolina University. He is the author of two poetry collections - Ballyhoo and Winter Inlet - and a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Sewanee. He lives with his wife, Lee, and their dog, Huck, in Murrells Inlet, where he also works as the captain’s chronicler for Jolly Roger’s Fishing Adventures.
Denise K. James is an independent writer and editor based in Atlanta. Her work is featured in numerous print and digital publications, including Wealthy Single Mommy, Birmingham Lifestyle, HomeLight, VisitJacksonville.com, Edible Northeast Florida, Celebrate Hilton Head and elsewhere. When she’s not writing or editing, Denise enjoys exploring Atlanta, roadtripping, daydreaming, cooking and reading great works of literature.
Caroline Knopf is a freelance photographer. After 26 years in New York, she has returned to her Sullivan’s Island family home. She and her husband, Mark, both photographers, have opened The Space Studio in Charleston and have a sailing charter (alliancesailing.com). She is an advocate for preserving the historic and natural treasures of the island and its Maritime Forest. She is currently developing Maritime Outpost, a capsule collection of clothing and accessories inspired by her love for the island.
Colin McCandless is a freelance writer based in West Ashley. . He has over 16 years of writing and editing experience, working for magazines and newspapers and developing blog and website content. He writes for Mashed.com, Charleston Regional Business Journal, Fifty Plus Advocate, HealthLinks Magazine, and Mount Pleasant Magazine, among others. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, birding, and playing trivia and tennis.
Grace Nichols is a recent graduate of the College of Charleston where she studied writing, rhetoric, and publication within the School of English. Being from Ocean City, Maryland, she feels right at home when immersed in coastal towns. Through writing for The Island Eye News, she has cultivated a great admiration for the Lowcountry’s islands and respect for the community. She plans to stay in the Charleston area to pursue a career in writing.
Mic Smith as thrilled to capture the people and activities around the Isle of Palms Marina with his camera, given it’s one of his happy places. An Isle of Palms resident for a quarter century and an active boater for nearly a decade, Smith is always eager to take photo jobs that require him to get in his boat!
Mike Walsh is a retired orthopedic surgeon from Atlanta who married a Charleston native and immediately fell in love with the Lowcountry and its history. Since retiring in 2015, Mike has devoted his time to activities having to do with local history, including working as a National Park Service volunteer at Fort Moultrie, serving on the Fort Sumter - Fort Moultrie Historical Trust board, and as president of the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center.
The Declaration of Independence of the
Palm Republic
Delores Schweitzer was lucky enough to grow up on Sullivan’s Island and wise enough to return in her mid-30s, where she makes a study of appreciating the quiet beauty and many natural and communal gifts of these islands. She never was much of a bird watcher until this year, but, as her article indicates, she is enchanted by new island stories unfolding, sometimes in her own back yard!
Brian Sherman is a freelance writer, editor and graphic designer. A native of Philadelphia, he graduated from Memphis State University, has lived in 10 states and landed in the Lowcountry the day before 9/11. Back when he had a real job, he was the editor of three different newspapers and a national magazine. He lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Judy, and their adorable but incorrigible dachshund, Jelly Bean.
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formerly known as the Isle of Palms of the State of South Carolina within the United States of America
he unanimous Declaration of the undersigned as leaders, visionaries and rapscallions of the Isle of Palms, South Carolina within these United States. When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth and seas, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature entitle them, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that we shall declare the causes which impel us to separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all persons are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among us, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to rise up, abolish it, and institute new Government. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right and their duty to throw off such Government. This is our just and sacred mission. Such has been the patient sufferance of the Isle of Palms, and it is now a necessity to alter the former system of government. The history of the present politicians and bureaucrats of South Carolina is a history of repeated injury and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over our Island. To prove this, let Facts be submitted. The State Legislature, having passed SC Statute 57-5-845, abolished the right of Home Rule from only four of two hundred and seventy one municipalities of the State, including the Isle of Palms, for the purpose of forcing these four independent municipalities to provide government services to all comers without the ability to charge or otherwise be reimbursed for those services without the subjective consent of our Department of Transportation Overlord, the result of which is to be treated differently from the remaining two hundred and sixty seven municipalities. This Statute is unconstitutional on its Face, in direct violation of the 1973 Amendment to the State Constitution, and treats these four municipalities as servants of the ruling class. The State Department of Transportation has reconfigured public parking on an Island thoroughfare in violation of Home Rule, State law, and the State’s own codes and safety regulations. These actions have put the public at risk of serious harm and bodily injury. This was done at the direction of the State Senate Transportation Committee and orchestrated by the Chair of said Committee. All was done for the sole purpose of South Carolina State Senators pandering for off Island votes to ensure their self-serving goal of reelection. The South Carolina Secretary of Transportation, having graced our Island with her presence, and believing she VISTandOUR TO LEARN MORE. to our Mayor that she was not treated with the dignity respectWEBSITE demanded of her high office, communicated was removing our only emergency access lane to the mainland to punish us for our indiscretions. This vengeful Get your passport card, and your supportaltering by traffic and unlawful act must not be allowed to and stand.green Our connector to the show mainland was restriped, displaying flags, t-shirts, hats, bags,causing flags,accidents stickers, etcconnector to patterns in the middle of theour night, without the consent of thebeach Isle of Palms, on the double in the last twelve months. acts were taken by theonline Secretarystore. with no expert opinion or study whichThese canvengeful be purchased on our and are in direct violation of South Carolina State Law, Statutes, Codes, Safety Regulations and common decency to one’s fellow man. These actions taken against our Island are a direct attack on our right to Home Rule as guaranteed by our Constitution, the safety of our residents, and interferes with the safe and free flow of traffic on our Island. These collective actions remove our safe access to emergency services and impose costs to our City and infrastructure without remuneration, resulting in an unlawful Tax on our Citizens, all constituting taxation without representation. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms, to be answered with either silence or open threats of further@PalmRepublicSC retribution for seeking that our lawful voice be heard. These self-appointed Royals of the State, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, are unfit for the offices they hold, as they attempt to force citizens to kneel to oppressive and unjust regulation in direct violation of the Constitution they pledged to serve. We, therefore, the Representatives of this great Island declare ourselves and all like-minded residents, that we should andBe ought to be Freethat and Independent Peoples. As such,to weshake ought tooff bethe Absolved from all to it known the undersigned came shackles of Allegiance the the State of South Carolina. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Tyranny of this South Carolina State Government and reclaim our right to free flow of Liquors, we mutually pledge to each other our right to enforce the Laws of this land and our sacred Honor. Home Rule through the use of public demonstration and illumination of the We further declare that we have an abiding our adjoining communities. We encourage wrongs perpetrated onlove ourforfellow residents of this Great Island.them to come enjoy the beach with which we have all been blessed, but only after the South Carolina Department of Transportation complies with its own laws, codes, regulations and safety guidelines to provide safe passage on our Island.
thePalmRepublic.org
Marci Shore spends her time between the Lowcountry and the foothills of North Carolina. She’s written for SiP since 2015. She’s a singer-songwriter and fiddler with various groups and the founder of the hemp and herbal topical company, Ma’ Formulas.
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FIELD GUIDE
UNMASKING THE CEDAR WAXWING
These “tipsy” songbirds are prevalent on our barrier islands. By Sarah Diaz. Photo by Joel Caldwell.
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ur barrier islands are temporary homes to a large variety of migratory songbird species. In the late winter and early spring, you’ll see them out and about, constantly on the move, foraging for winter berries, seeds, and insects. The cedar waxwing is one such visitor, and it can alter its diet based on its ability to find certain foods. Berries and seeds are more widely available in the winter; come summer, these silky songbirds feast on insects. Cedar waxwings are easily identified both by their calls and appearance. Their shrill, high-pitched “see” call and trills are unique, and their stylish plumage is light brown with a brown crest, a black face mask, and a yellow tip of the tail. The yellow pigment on the tips of the wings and tail feathers comes through their diet. Waxwings that eat honeysuckle species sometimes have bright orange tail tips. Another unique feature of the cedar waxwing is the red, waxy tipping of the wing feathers, which gives the bird its name. These waxy appendages are usually found on the tips of the inner wing feathers and are occasionally found on a few of the tail tips. Males have more waxy appendages than females. Some younger females have no waxy appendages at all.
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Because they eat so much fruit, cedar waxwings can become intoxicated if they eat fermented berries.
A Bird in the hand
It can be difficult to differentiate male from female waxwings. However, professional bird banders can usually discern the sexes by observing several characteristics: The throat patch is darker and wider in males; the width of yellow in the tail tips is longer in males than in females; the length and number of waxy appendages vary by age and sex, with some overlap among older females and younger males. As oftentimes occurs in songbird banding, older females can begin to closely resemble or even be indistinguishable from younger males. This phenomenon, known as senescence, mainly occurs among wood warblers. For example, most female common yellowthroats are a dull brown with a dull yellow throat and undertail coverts. Older males are brighter yellow and have a full black mask with silvery edging. Younger males have at least some black flecking on the head but do not yet have their full mask. Once songbirds reach adulthood, it’s otherwise impossible to distinguish between a 2-year-old bird and a 10-year-old bird. Long-term bird monitoring stations, such as the Sullivan’s Island bird banding station, collect important data on both the age of migratory songbirds and how often they return to an area. While cedar waxwings do not typically return to the same overwintering or breeding grounds each year, other migratory songbirds, such as painted buntings, often do. Habitat destruction is a major factor affecting both migratory and resident bird populations. Conserving and managing public lands by removing invasive plants and planting native plants in your backyard are two vital ways to help bird populations thrive and prosper. You can attract cedar waxwings to your yard by planting native fruit-bearing shrubs, which act as vital food sources for overwintering birds. These include palmetto trees, American holly, eastern red cedar, and wax myrtles. SiP
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FIELD GUIDE
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IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS A surprise choice of sanctuary by a great horned owl family leads to a season of wonder on Sullivan’s. By Delores Schweitzer. Photos by Rob Byko and Delores Schweitzer.
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first heard their hoots drifting across our backyard while my Jack Russell terrier, Stella, was on her evening patrol last fall. The wooing conversation was a novelty I had never experienced in a lifetime of nights on Sullivan’s. I doubted my ears, and yet, the late-night calls continued through November and December. I found an owl pellet near our trash bin. Stella pointed out a white milky residue on our back step and a small downy feather. The evidence that I was in the presence of greatness was confirmed one January morning as I stood on our back steps, watching light creep into the eastern sky. I watched her silently alight upon a branch in our live oak, unmistakable in horned silhouette, intensity, and precision of landing. She and her mate picked a good location with fine amenities. A quiet neighborhood. An abandoned nest about 30 feet up that was move-in ready (great horned owls don’t make their own nests). Excellent hunting opportunities between Battery Logan and the Maritime Forest. Rats and squirrels in abundance. And the pitch of our roof was the perfect perch for watching, planning, and swooping. In mid-February, I spotted the first fuzzy white head in the nest. The mother struggled to keep the restless owlet under her wings, giving warning hoots to noisy, circling crows. The watchful father perched nearby for support. A week later, I saw two fuzzy white faces peering down at me – a pair! So exciting. Which made it all the more alarming when Stella gave her “there’s something in the yard” bark two days later, and I discovered one of the owlets at the base of the oak. Whether it fell or was pushed out, I knew it wasn’t safe on the ground. What to do? Reaching out to the Avian Conservation Center at the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw generated a quick response – could I put the owlet back in the tree? The defensive owlet puffed up its wings, snapped its beak, and showed its talons. I
Opposite page: One of the great horned owlets peers out from the nest. This page: The tired mother takes a quick nap. WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 25
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A group of owls is called a parliament, and they conversed a lot.
Clockwise from top: The owlets venture out of the nest. The Sullivan’s Island Fire Department assists with an avian rescue. Papa Owl brings home rabbit breakfast. Stella keeps watch over her back yard.
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considered my insufficient gardening gloves and lack of coordination on ladders, then came up with an alternate plan.
SIFD to the rescue
I knocked on the door of the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department and asked Capt. Drew Levay, Marc Micalizzi, and Don Harbaugh if they might help an owlet out. Capt. Levay was game. In his 20 years with SIFD, he had wrangled all manner of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish, but no owls. The owlet put up a noble but futile show of bravado while its parents watched from the neighboring yard. Capt. Levay gently placed it in a protected tree crevice about 15 feet off the ground. For added sanctuary, we called off our landscaping service, temporarily re-wilding our backyard. For two weeks, it hardly moved, but it called for food and looked healthy. The parents fed it along with the second owlet in the nest. Still so young when freezing temperatures and fierce March winds blew in, I worried. But owlet talons are strong, and Whoodini, our escape artist, held on, wrapping wings tightly about himself for warmth. By mid-March, Whoodini and sibling Capone were bigger, stretching wings with rapidly developing adult feathers. I checked the yard each morning and night when Stella patrolled, and the begging cries became a familiar soundtrack. When I heard the guttural directions of the parents, I gave them space. A group of owls is called a parliament, and they conversed a lot. Whoodini and Capone were hungry all the time, sometimes complaining about the food and tossing it off the branches. We got used to grisly leftovers in the yard.
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Attracting Owls Mandy Feavel, of the Avian Conservation Center at the Center for Birds of Prey, provides tips for creating good owl habitat.
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Install a nesting box Many owls use cavities or dying trees to nest in, but you can also install a nesting box to provide safe shelter for the owls you are trying to attract. One way to invite owls to your backyard is to give them space to not only rest but to nest and raise young. Species of owls in South Carolina that are cavity nesters include barred owls and screech owls. Don’t use pesticides or rodenticides Do not use pesticides or rodenticides in or around your home. These are poisons and will not only kill the prey (food source), but owls can easily get poisoned if they eat prey that have been killed through the use of pesticides or rodenticides. Add a large birdbath Although they may not be frequent visitors to birdbaths, owls also need water for drinking and bathing. Owls get most of their fluid needs from their diet, but, during the summer or in hotter weather, they may visit slightly larger, deeper birdbaths to drink or bathe. Create a perching spot Give owls a safe space to rest and save energy while watching for prey by creating a perching spot for them. Owls use perches as a resting spot while they are hunting, preening, or simply on the lookout for other predators. Since most owls don’t venture out until night, they like to hide inside dense cover during the day. Natural perches such as old trees, branches, and snags all provide excellent safe spaces for owls to use as perches. Keep the grass growing Need an excuse not to mow the lawn? Many of an owls’ natural prey choices, such as moles, mice, shrews, and voles, are drawn to long, thick grass. Mowing your lawn less often creates just the right environment to draw out these little critters and provide a more appealing hunting ground for owls. For birds of prey or shorebird questions or emergencies, call 843.971.7474 or email dispatch@avianconservationcenter.org
Whoodini hanging out in the author’s backyard.
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The defensive owlet puffed up its wings, snapped its beak, and showed its talons.
Together again
As they fledged, they climbed on the branches with short, uncertain steps. Whoodini got wild one morning and made a mad sprint some 40 feet up and back again, careening and flapping like a tightrope walker, getting his first view of the nest and Capone since his fall. Capone, made bold by Whoodini, climbed down to see him the next day, and that night we found them perched as a happy pair high in the tree. Two days later, Whoodini flew to the second-story roof of our house and had to figure out how to get back to the tree before the crows came. Two nights after that, he made a bumpy landing at our back door during a thunderstorm, treating us to more fluffing and beak clacking when we turned on the light. “Nothing to see here,” he seemed to say. And yet, there was more to see in the coming weeks: attempted running takeoffs, climbs on fence posts and trees, short descents between branches, learning navigational planning, discovering a wider world. Capone, a little slower to develop strength and confidence, made short flights. No longer needing the nest, they found a taller tree with more branching possibilities in the yard of neighbors Katie and Chris Kronzer. Daily flight lessons with parental coaching were a particular joy. Descents were elegant; lifts were more controlled. The father approved. In early April, I had my last sighting of the young owls in the yard. I heard their calls, each day a little further away, and in midApril while on my evening walk with Stella, I caught the familiar strains of their animated conversation and saw Whoodini and Capone perched in trees behind Construction 230 at Fort Moultrie. SiP
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HISTORY SNAPSHOT
MARKING HISTORY ON SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
Aerial view of Battery Capron/Pierce Butler showing the four mortar pits, each containing four 12-inch coastal mortars. Modern day Middle Street is shown at the right of the photograph, circa 1930. Courtesy Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
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The Town of Sullivan’s Island looks to preserve its history through new historical markers. Working with the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, the first three markers will commemorate the island’s military heritage. By Mike Walsh
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magine visiting Valley Forge, Gettysburg, or even Sullivan’s Island’s own Fort Moultrie, and find no explanatory signs or markers anywhere, nothing to explain what that strange-looking structure is, what took place here, and who was part of it. The National Park Service goes to great lengths to explain the meaning of its 423 sites and their significance to America. But what about Sullivan’s Island, whose recorded history goes back to 1674? Where are the historical markers to educate people on the nearly 350 years of history on Sullivan’s Island? While there are a few: the African-American Cemetery, the CCC Camp, and Breach Inlet for example, there is so much more that could be highlighted. Fortunately, this past fall, the Sullivan’s Island Town Council approved and funded three markers as a trial for improving historical signage on the island. The Public Facilities Committee asked the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center for recommendations for those markers. Here’s what’s planned.
The Mound (Battery Capron/ Pierce Butler)
In 1885, due to fears of increasing naval power among European nations, President Grover Cleveland instructed Secretary of War William Endicott to devise an improved system of coastal defense. Known ever since as the “Endicott System,” it included several significant changes on Sullivan’s Island, the most visible being the construction of nine artillery batteries. The first of those batteries to be constructed was a coastal mortar battery that housed 16 12-inch mortars. The hill directly behind Stith Park on Middle Street, known to local residents as “the mound,” was the site of that battery. Lack of congressional funding led to a delay in construction until 1896. Stimulated by the mounting tensions between the United States and Spain that ultimately led to the Spanish-American War, the mortar battery was completed and turned over to the command of Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1898. Originally named for Capt. Allyn K. Capron, who was killed at the Battle of La Quasina, Cuba, in 1898, the mound was later divided into two sections, the second being named for Col. Pierce Butler of the Palmetto Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, who was killed in 1847 during the Mexican War. Battery Capron/ Pierce Butler was deactivated in 1942 with the removal of its guns.
Soldiers loading one of the 16 12-inch coastal mortars that were part of Battery Capron/Pierce Butler, circa 1908. Courtesy of Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
Saluting Sondermann Much of the history of Fort Moultrie and much of the information contained on the new panels is based on the work of Lt. Col. Karl Sondermann. In 2013, he published a master’s thesis: “Remembering the Legacy of Coastal Defense: How an Understanding of the Development of Fort Moultrie Military Reservation, Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, Can Facilitate Its Future Preservation.” Sondermann is still on active duty with the Army.
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HISTORY SNAPSHOT
Obtained by the Town of Sullivan’s Island after World War II, the old battery was used as a potential fallout shelter during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Over the ensuing decades, little use was made of the it except as a favorite playground of island children. However, by 1992,the 40-foot-deep mortar pits were considered a hazard to public safety, and it was recommended that they be filled in. It took a decade to find enough appropriate fill material to eventually transform Battery Capron/Pierce Butler into the mound. This first marker for the mound will be placed in front of the town park and playground.
Fort Moultrie Military Reservation Rear Gate and Second Post Chapel
Residents of Sullivan’s Island had never held title to their land and homes. Instead, they were given long-term leases with the understanding that if their property were ever needed for national defense, that would take precedence. From 1895 to 1897, the War Department acquired more than 300 acres of the island through the right of eminent domain. With that, Fort Moultrie became Fort Moultrie Military Reservation, stretching from Station
12 to Station 18. Since the only physical connection with the mainland was a bridge at the southwest end of the island, Station 12 was designated the front gate and Station 18 the rear gate. Stimulated further by the Spanish-American War in 1898, the military reservation continued its transformation during 1902 and 1903 into a small city. Because of its location between two residential sections of the island and the long-standing habit of islanders being allowed to transit the military reservation as they traveled from one end of the island to the other, the post quartermaster decided not to
New post chapel, Fort Moultrie Military Reservation, 1944. Now Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church.
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Rear Gate, Fort Moultrie Military Reservation, circa 1943. Courtesy Fort Sumter Museum, donated by Rita Van Overshelde, formerly First Sergeant Rita Cornoyer, WAC.
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Regimental drill inspection, circa1940, showing the expansive parade ground. In the background is the home of the post commander at 1702 I’On Ave., the bandstand – now in Stith Park – and Jasper Hall – the Officers’ Club, now the Sand Dunes Club. Courtesy Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
Raising the 48-star flag on Fort Moultrie’s flagpole. Courtesy Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
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install rigid boundaries between the civilian and military sections. During World War II, however, there were guardhouses with checkpoints at both gates, and civilians had to obtain passes to enter the military reservation.The first post chapel was a stone church located at Station 14 and Middle Street. Originally Holy Cross Episcopal Church, the building was purchased by the Army during its 1902 to 1903 expansion. With the increase in personnel during World War II, a new, larger post chapel was needed. The current Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church was the last structure built by the Army on the island in 1944 as the new post chapel. Using the standard “Army Quartermaster’s 700-series” design, the church was woodframed with clapboard siding, numerous large windows in the nave, and a modest steeple near the front. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt favored this design, intended to remind troops of churches in their hometowns. With the troop drawdown after World War II, all religious services were moved to this chapel and continued there until the fort closed in 1947. This second marker will be at the stone pillar marking the rear gate adjacent to Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church.
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Fort Moultrie Military Reservation Parade Ground and Flagpole Area
With the completion of the expansion that created Fort Moultrie Military Reservation during the first decade of the 20th century, the Army now owned more than one-third of Sullivan’s Island. The main part of the post extended from Station 12 to Station 18 and eventually comprised some 250 structures. At 1701 Middle Street was the post headquarters building, which is still standing. Stretching from there to the south and west was the expansive parade ground, complete with bandstand – now located in Stith Park – and within view of the commanding officer’s home at 1702 I’On Avenue The open field on the north side of Middle St., between Station 16 1/2 and Station 17, served as another important part of fort life: the flagpole area. Here stood the post’s main flagpole, where the daily raising and lowering of the flag took place. Interestingly, the Fort Moultrie flagpole has always appeared to be made out of two pieces, harking back to the bravery of Sgt. William Jasper, who, on June 28, 1776, during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, retrieved the shot-away Moultrie flag and tied the flag and remaining pole to a sponge staff from one of the cannons, creating a two-part flagpole. Here on the far left of the field was the provost marshall’s office and post guardhouse or jail, which is now gone. The third marker will stand in front of the old flagpole area on Middle Street. SiP
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HISTORY SNAPSHOT
A DICHOTOMY OF WAR AND PEACE
A pair of Civil War cannons sit beside a house of worship on Sullivan’s Middle Street. Here’s the story of how God came to be behind the guns. By Brian Sherman. Photos courtesy Linda Smith.
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rive southwest down the center of Sullivan’s Island, and you’ll eventually encounter a sight that might look more than just a little bit out of place – a pair of cannons pointed skyward and mounted on concrete pillars on either side of Middle Street. The columbiads are large-caliber, smoothbore weapons used during the Civil War and to defend the U.S. coast for a century after the War of 1812. Today, they appear to represent an intriguing dichotomy of war and peace, seeming to stand guard over a church that has continued to expand its presence on the island since its inception shortly after the U.S. Army abandoned Fort Moultrie in 1947. The guns, located at Station 18, stood at the rear entrance of Fort Moultrie, according to a master’s thesis written in 2013 by Lt. Col.
Opposite page: This photo, taken in the 1940s, shows the columbiad guns behind the Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church on Middle Street. The Presto Cafe and Moultrieville Post Office are seen in the foreground. This building would become church’s Family Life Center and the town’s command hub in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. This page: A contemporary photo shows the guns still in place behind the church. Photo by Rob Byko. Below: A contemporary photo of the front of the church. Photo by Linda Smith.
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Karl Sondermann. The pillars that support the weapons of war, completed in September 1940 by contractor John M. Porter of Charlotte, North Carolina, are made of reinforced concrete and cost the government $5,635. The nearby church complex, located in a triangle bounded by Station 18, Middle Street and Central Avenue, got its start as the post chapel, completed in 1944 and dedicated at a ribboncutting ceremony by Col. Lloyd W. Goeppert, commanding officer of the fort. When the Army left, the War Assets Administration rented the building to a group of Sullivan’s Island residents who had been meeting in private homes, according to a history of Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church written by members Terry and Linda Smith. (Linda’s grandmother, Henrietta Moore Legare, was a founding member of the church.) In the beginning, members of the local Jewish community used the building as well. The Smiths relate that Rutledge Avenue Baptist Church in Charleston, with the assistance of the Rev. W.E. Abrams, superintendent of the Baptist City Mission, was the sponsor of the island mission. The WAA sold the building for $4,500 in 1949, with the island congregation putting up $1,000
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Top: The church circa 1950. Above: The Pastor’s house, circa 1947. This was located across from the church on Central Ave., and was formerly a junior lieutenant’s quarters when the property was owned by the Army. Photos courtesy of Doris Legare Dayhoff.
of the purchase price. The building was offered for sale in an advertisement in the Feb. 7, 1949, issue of The News & Courier: “A standard type chapel building, approximately 37’ by 81’ with steeple, frame construction with asbestos shingle exterior siding and composition roof, together with a tract of land of approximately .539 acres. Fair value: $4500.” The initial mission family on Sullivan’s Island included 37 people, with Rev. Abrams serving as the interim pastor and the Rev. A.W. Coppedge taking over in 1949. The Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church was officially organized on January 8, 1950, with 75 founding members. Its initial slate of officers included George L. Patrick Jr., Cecil W. Truesdale, C.F. Mahoney, and Cephas Mahoney, deacons; Mrs. Henrietta Moore Legare, church clerk; Mrs. J.H. Johnson, treasurer; Fred Dorn, Sunday School superintendent; and Mrs. Grace Blanchard, president of the Women’s Missionary Society. It didn’t take long for the church’s footprint to expand, again courtesy of the War Assets Administration. The News & Courier reported on Nov. 2, 1951, that Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church had purchased the former Fort Moultrie nurses’ quarters and moved the building across Middle Street. Relocated to a spot behind the sanctuary, it was used as a kitchen, nursery, and Sunday School rooms. “Men of the church are working at night and on Saturdays to complete repairing and painting,” the newspaper article read. Not long after, the church spent $7,500 for the junior lieutenant’s quarters, across Central Avenue, and turned it into a home for its pastor. The church’s footprint continued to expand when, according to the history written by the Smiths, office space and Sunday School rooms were built over a 55,000-gallon cistern that originally was constructed to supply water to Fort Moultrie. Another piece of the puzzle was put in place when, in 1960, the church spent $6,000 for the property across Station 18. The home of the Presto Café and the Moultrieville post office became Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church’s Family Life Center. The church was apparently finished buying property after that, but improvements continued. In 1965, the asbestos siding on the original chapel building was removed and replaced with brick veneer, and a portico was added. When Hurricane Hugo swept through the Lowcountry in 1989, the church suffered significant damage, but the Family Life Center was not harmed and became the command center to coordinate relief efforts on Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms. Members of the congregation repaired the chapel after the storm passed through. According to the Smiths, animals, as well as people, have found refuge within the walls of Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church and its exposed ceiling beams. “An endearing story relates an odd sound heard during choir practice one evening,” they wrote. “After several interruptions of the practice, the source of the disturbance was spotted. A stray island cat had found its way into the church and had climbed one of the beams. Perhaps to get a better look at the choir? “The poor cat got itself into a precarious position, now hanging from a beam. As plans were underway to rescue the hapless creature, the cat released and fell to the carpet unharmed. It fled, never to be seen again. The cat apparently decided that being Baptist was dangerous.” The guns that appear to be guarding the church have their own story to tell, but as they stand on either side of Middle Street on Sullivan’s Island, their history will be forever entwined with that of Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church. SiP
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HISTORY SNAPSHOT
A photograph of the Officer’s Club circa1930s/40s. Courtesy Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
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THE SANDS THROUGH TIME Built in 1926, the Sand Dunes Club has been a place for relaxation and recreation for generations of Sullivan’s Island’s residents and military visitors. By Mike Walsh.
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or those who spent their summers on Sullivan’s Island from the 1950s onward, many of their memories include the Sand Dunes Club, located at 1735 Atlantic Avenue. Wedding receptions, family reunions, and, since the 1960s, fun in the club’s pool, all fill the recollections of those good times. Longtime island resident Tom Proctor says that after moving here in 1962, he became the “third” lifeguard at the new pool: “It was about 1965, after I had already done some lifeguarding on Isle of Palms.” Proctor also recalls riding his bike through the rainwater that always filled the semi-circular driveway and enjoying the swings on the playground. And parties, lots of parties, usually filled with laughter and noise but always closed down at 11 p.m. Like Proctor, Adele Tobin has fond memories of many different social events at the club; she and her husband, Bob, provided the music for some of them. However, she also confesses that “In my younger years, a group of us used
to climb the chain-link fence that was about 7 feet tall in the middle of the night for very enjoyable swims. During that same period, I had a golden retriever named Bear whose left front leg had been destroyed by a car. He would climb that fence with us and swim for hours. The fence was no deterrent to him or to us. I think the few policemen at the time knew we were doing it but kept quiet.” Some of the earliest memories come from island historian Roy Williams. The property was bought by the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company in 1950, when Roy was about 14 years old, and his father helped him get a part-time job sweeping up the place. As Roy recalls, “There was a middle-aged couple and their daughter who took care of the club. I believe they actually had an apartment there. They were very kind. Since the club was on Front Beach, I would head for the ocean about 3 or 4 p.m. every day. In those days, before air conditioning, the windows were always wide open, letting in the sea breeze, but when
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A group of us used to climb the chain-link fence in the middle of the night for very enjoyable swims. – Adele Tobin
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a thunderstorm came up, there was a mad scramble to shut all the windows before the place got wet. I particularly remember the huge stone fireplace in the building. ”
Military recreation
Even though island residents’ memories go back decades, the history of this location and the buildings that have occupied it go back almost 100 years. According to Lt. Col. Karl Sondermann, whose 2013 master’s thesis provides a source for much of the Fort Moultrie story of coastal defense, the War Department decided that the old fort, sitting on a few acres of land, would expand to become Fort Moultrie Military Reservation. That took place between 1895 and 1910, with the Army taking over some 300 acres of Sullivan’s Island by right of eminent domain. In 1902, the beautiful homes between Station 17 and Station 18 on I’On Avenue were built as Senior Officers’ Row. Though it’s hard to imagine now, those houses were originally oceanfront. With the enlargement of the reservation came increased personnel of all ranks, and with that came an increased need for recreational facilities. The first to be created was in 1926. Local papers in May reported that “Plans are being worked out under the direction of Lt. Col. R. John West, commanding officer at Fort Moultrie, for the construction of a beach recreation center on the front beach of Sullivan’s Island. … [T]his center shall include diving board, slides, ropes and various other paraphernalia appertaining to the enjoyment of surf-bathing.” In addition, “As an accessory
Opposite page: Top, The Sand Dunes Club today. Photo by Jennifer Tuohy. Bottom: The Officer’s Club in 1950. Courtesy Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie National Historical Park Archives.
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to this recreation center, freshwater will be piped to the vicinity of the high-water mark and a number of shower baths constructed.” It’s unclear whether this outdoor water sports center was originally planned to include a building, but, only a month later, Col. West was receiving donations from local citizens “for a dance hall on the beach at Little Egypt, with a boardwalk extending out over the water. This will contain a department of the Post Exchange, soda fountain, and clubrooms. Attached will be freshwater showers, dressing rooms, open-air moving picture theater seating fifteen hundred with comfortable seats. If funds will permit, bowling alley and shooting gallery will be added.” Construction must have moved along at a record pace because on June 30, 1926, the facility that became known as “Jasper Pavilion” was open, “made possible by generous donations from interested local citizens.” If we have any doubt about whether this was at the same location as the Sand Dunes Club, it was described as being “located on the beach almost directly in front of the officers’ quarters.”
By February of 1933, progress was well underway for the new $9,000 officers’ club, which was anticipated to be “the scene of dances, card parties, and other functions.” The facility was completed on March 3, 1933. On July 27, 1933, a notice appeared noting a reception “in honor of the officers and ladies of the 252nd Coast Artillery Corps, North Carolina National Guard” at Jasper Hall, which appears to be the first use of that name to refer to the officers’ club that replaced the Jasper Pavilion. In the receiving line that evening was none other than Col. George C. Marshall, post commander and future Army chief of staff, author of the Marshall Plan after World War II, and secretary of state under President Harry Truman. A curious twist occurred in June of 1934 when a perhaps more egalitarian commanding general of the 4th Coast Guard Artillery ordered that the designation of the building be changed from “Officers’ Club” to “Recreation Building.” Despite the change of label, Jasper Hall continued to be an integral part of the life of Fort Moultrie Military Reservation until the fort was deactivated in August of 1947. Ownership then passed to the Township of Sullivan’s Island. The building lay unused until 1950, when SCE&G successfully bid $27,500 for the facility, and it became a club for its 900 employees as well as island residents. This year the property was sold for $16.2 million to John Derbyshire, whose company owns properties on both islands. The historic building may not be demolished without permission from the town. From Jasper Pavilion to Jasper Hall to the Sand Dunes Club, nearly 100 years through wartime and peace, this marvelous structure has been an important part of the fabric of Sullivan’s Island. SiP
This center shall include diving board, slides, ropes, and various other paraphernalia appertaining to the enjoyment of surf-bathing.
An Officer’s Club
Jasper Pavilion served both officers and enlisted soldiers for almost six years until, on the evening of April 10, 1932, it burned to the ground in under two hours. The loss was put at $8,000. All that remained was the huge stone fireplace in the main room. As early as November of that same year, plans were already on the drawing board for a new facility to be built on the same location, including “the great stone fireplace, relic of the pavilion which was burned to the ground.” But now this was slated to become an “officers’ club,” built as an “elevated bungalow type, with a golf shop underneath.” On the main floor, there was to be a “large assembly room … a coat room, and a ladies restroom.” Under the original plan, there was also to be a caretaker’s apartment built underneath.
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ISLAND LIFE
SPREADING A LITTLE
Kindness
The Law Enforcement Neighborhood Support program is a partnership between the IOP Exchange Club and the IOP Police Department to help neighbors help their neighbors. By Brian Sherman. Photos by Rob Byko.
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n his inauguration speech in January 2022, Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds embraced the notion of being contagiously kind – the idea that treating people with passion and respect will encourage others to do the same. After two years of pandemicinduced and social-media-driven diatribe, it’s no coincidence that the same concept serves as the foundation for a fledgling organization established to provide help for those who really need it. The Law Enforcement Neighborhood Support program, a partnership between the Isle of Palms Exchange Club and the IOP Police Department, was established to provide immediate financial assistance for those in need, including public safety employees, other IOP residents, and even visitors to the island. With volunteers donating their time and money, every dollar raised will go to a worthy cause, according to Ted Kinghorn, who, along with fellow Exchange Club members Tony Jones and Carol Truslow, is serving on the panel responsible for approving requests for funds. Local residents apparently are anxious to help their neighbors in need. The LENS program took in $25,000 in donations in its first two weeks.
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Ted Kinghorm and IOP Exchange Club member and former Councilman Marty Bettelli enjoy a laugh at the Exchange Club oyster roast.
Neighbors helping neighbors
The first contribution came from George Reeth, who helped set up a similar program in Charleston, and, by March of 2022, LENS had 34 founding members. The LENS Advisory Board includes Reeth; Jean Blackwell, a retired CEO of the Cummins Foundation; Jeff Burda of the Boulevard Company; retired Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon; former IOP Mayor Dick Cronin; Dimi Matouchev of Edward Jones; Kitty Riley of the Kitty Foundation; and Colin Smoak, board chairman of the Harbour Club. “By modest acts of tangible support, through these volunteers, this will have a powerful domino effect for years to come within our island community,” Pounds wrote in support of the program. “Kindness is the best way to tackle a problem because it lowers defenses, increases emotional warmth and empathy, and, above all else, it helps create a sense of community.” According to Kinghorn, a former member of the IOP City Council, in addition to accepting donations from local residents and businesses, the LENS program will hold fundraisers at least twice a year: during National Police Week in May and on Giving Tuesday, five days after Thanksgiving. He says other events might be planned as well. Before LENS was created, if a member of the Isle of Palms law enforcement family required financial help, “We all just pitched in a little bit of money and did the best we could with what we had,” IOP Police Chief Kevin Cornett says.
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“By modest acts of tangible support ... this will have a powerful domino effect for years to come within our island community.
Page 45: IOP Police department and Exchange Club members gather at the Exchange Club’s annual oyster roast. Kneeling, left to right: Field Training Officer Ian Mobley; Justin Altman. Standing: LENS Program Founding Member Ted Kinghorn; Animal Control Officer Ryan Warren; Cpl. Louise Hardy; Officer Sydney Kowsky; Code Enforcement Officer Trent Hill; Sgt. Matthew Storen; Executive Assistant Tracy Waldron; and Kitty Riley, president of the IOP Exchange Club.
Donations that matter
Kinghorn is quick to point out that help also will be provided for employees of other city departments, as well as for island residents and visitors. The IOP City Council recently dedicated $10,000 of state accommodations tax money to LENS, to be used to help tourists in need. “For example, if visitors need to be quarantined because of COVID and they’re stuck on the island for four days, we would step in and take care of that,” Kinghorn explains. He adds that it was necessary for an organization such as LENS to be established. For instance, the Police Department recently helped an out-of-town resident who wanted to show his appreciation by making a donation. However, Chief Cornett had to say “no thank you” because there was no organization that could legally accept the money. The same was true for a dozen or so local residents who have been enjoying table tennis at the IOP Recreation Center for almost a decade. For a fee of only $10, they were playing 50 to 70 times a year, and the Rec Department was providing awards and T-shirts. The players passed the hat to make a donation, but the department wasn’t able to accept the money. Now, all donations can flow through the Exchange Club, and people who need a financial helping hand can apply for assistance. And, if all goes as planned, the Exchange Club and the IOP Police Department will bring a little more kindness to the island. SiP
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ISLAND LIFE
HALF A BALL, DOUBLE THE FUN
How a sliced-up rubber ball and a broomstick spawned a uniquely regional coastal sport. By Colin McCandless.
The Annual Half Rubber Tournament at the Isle of Palms’ Recreation department draws teams from across the South. Photo courtesy IOP Rec Department. 48 | SiP
IOP Rec Annual Half Rubber Tournament
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into this because of my father,” he recalls. “He f you’ve ever ventured over to the Isle of loved that game.” Palms Recreation Department around the The sport retained a lasting appeal for him as second Saturday in August, you might have he aged. “It’s a great old man drinking game,” observed a peculiar spectacle: a pitcher hurling says Myatt, chuckling. “You don’t have to run a red half rubber sphere while a batter standing bases. You can play young kids. It’s a social kind 60 feet away swings at it with a long, skinny of game.” wooden bat that looks a lot like a Schwartz, who grew up broom handle. The uninitiin Riverland Terrace on ated may have been left “Cut a rubber ball James Island, also wondering: “What began playing half happened to the in half, grab a broom handle, rubber when he rest of the ball? and suddenly you had a cheap, was a child. Did someone He became break it in fun game that could be played interested two?” a f t e r No, the virtually anywhere.” watching ball is just older kids fine; it’s play. In those formative days, they would cut a supposed to look like that. A regional game rubber ball in half and use a broom handle, he played primarily within the coastal regions of recollects. South Carolina and Georgia, half rubber referLike Myatt, Schwartz played mostly on the ences the funky slice of sphere that cuts and spins beach but has also played it on a tennis court. its way to hopeful hitters. The accommodatHe has fond memories of playing half rubber all ing pastime can be played on various surfaces, day on the beach at Kiawah. “That was a real joy,” including the beach, grass, tennis courts, and he reflects. “Once you bat and you hit that ball even in parking lots. and it’s sailing off like a frisbee, you’re sold on it.” Pitching with a half rubber brings its own What’s the rub? source of enjoyment. “A good pitcher can throw Half rubber is similar to baseball, except there a ball that’ll rise up through the strike zone,” are no bases and no running, and only three says Schwartz, cracking a smile, a gleam in his people are required — a pitcher, a catcher, and eye. “And it moves actually above the bat. And an outfielder — to form a team. A game lasts you do that a few times, that’s an experience. three innings, and a team must record three But that whack and that ball sailing off — you’re outs to retire a side. Scoring consists of singles, hooked at that point.” doubles, and home runs, and there are no called Myatt contrasted pitching in half rubber with balls and strikes. “Ghost men” advance when pitching in whiffle ball, noting that “in whiffle there are hits. If a match is tied after the full three ball, you can’t repeat a pitch. When you release innings, you play extra innings to determine a a whiffle ball, the pitcher doesn’t know where winner. To expedite the game, every hit in extra it’s going. It just does what it wants to do.” With innings scores a run. half rubber, you can throw the same nasty curve Its exact historical origins are murky. Isle of pitch ad nauseum until a batter learns how to Palms native and retired postal worker Ricky hit it. Myatt, a longtime player of the sport and “oneMyatt and Schwartz enjoyed the game so half” of the partnership that owns the business much, they literally bought the Half Rubber Half Rubber, along with Charleston attorney trademark — along with the eponymous busiand Johns Island resident Paul Schwartz, says it ness — from a company named Land Shark is believed it was first played either in Charleston Productions, Inc. in the 1990s. For Myatt, it or Savannah. “In Savannah, they always say that was a fitting tribute to his father, who passed they started it,” quips Myatt. “I don’t know if away the same day they acquired the rights anyone really knows.” to the game. They sell half rubber balls, bats, What is known is that half rubber has been and T-shirts. Schwartz’s nephew worked with around for a while — likely since before World them for a while and “pitched” their product War I. Myatt’s dad played in the 1930s. During to baseball coaches at every level from Little those financially lean times, the activity was League to high school and college. The Citadel born more out of necessity. “His kind of take on and Stratford High School were among their it was, nobody had any money,” notes Myatt. But clients. “It’s a very good hand-eye coordination cut a rubber ball in half, grab a broom handle and tool,” says Schwartz. suddenly you had a cheap, fun game that could Their half rubber products used to be sold be played virtually anywhere. in Piggly Wiggly grocery stores and other local locations, but, when Piggly Wiggly started closFollowing in footsteps ing stores, it evolved into mostly an online busiMyatt began playing half rubber as a kid. ness. “We’re looking to get it distributed more Since he grew up on the beach, sand became his locally and nationally,” Schwartz says. SiP main playing surface. “For me personally, I got
The IOP Rec Department hosts its 24th Annual Half Rubber Tournament on August 13, 2022. Recreation supervisor Aaron Sweet has coordinated the tournament, which initially launched in the summer of 1998, for the past eight years – since he started serving in the supervisor position. The tournament is typically held during the second week of August. Teams generally consist of three to four players: a pitcher, a catcher, and up to two outfielders. It is open to ages 16 and up, though Sweet said player ages mostly range between the early 30s and the mid-60s. The number of participants has fluctuated – in previous years as many as 20 to 30 teams showed up for the two-day tourney. But in the past five years, the average has hovered around eight to 12, allowing the entire tournament to be completed in a single day, says Sweet. There are usually a couple of Isle of Palms teams as well as squads from Charleston, James Island, and Goose Creek. Additionally, a team from Savannah or Tybee Island, Georgia, often enters, reviving some spirited debate about which city invented half rubber. IOP’s tournament is played on the department’s grass soccer fields. Sweet sets up backstops and batting cage netting to catch errant balls that fly past the catcher. He sprays in a home plate and places the pitching line 60 feet away. While traditional half rubber rules tally singles, doubles, and home runs, the only hits scored in the tournament are singles and homers. Balls hit past the pitching line are singles. Temporary fencing erected 120 feet from home plate marks the home run boundary. Belt a half rubber over the fence, and you’ve got yourself a leisurely trip around the bases. Aside from earning bragging rights and a championship T-shirt, prizes are awarded to the first and second-place teams. IOP and Mount Pleasant business sponsors donate items including gift cards, certificates, hats, and koozies to the winners, according to Sweet. As the half rubber tournament action commences, this uniquely provincial coastal sport never fails to attract the attention of onlookers. “Whenever the tournament is going on, it sparks interest,” says Sweet.
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SiP SALUTES
The Idyllic Days of Doris Dayhoff Born and raised on Sullivan’s, Doris Legare Dayhoff shares memories of growing up on the island. By Brian Sherman. Photos by Caroline Knopf.
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oris Legare Dayhoff enjoyed an idyllic childhood on Sullivan’s Island eight decades ago, hanging out with her friends, spending hour upon hour on the beach, and helping out in her dad’s oyster business. All that might have taken a terrible turn for the worse when World War II, already into its third year in Europe, was foisted upon Charleston’s sparsely-populated neighbor by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But despite the rationing of everything from beef to gasoline, precautions local residents were required to take, the specter of German submarines lurking along the Atlantic coast, and the presence of a military installation on the island, the war didn’t change Doris’ life all that much. At least that’s the way she remembers it. “I didn’t feel like we were in any danger,” she says. says. “I was too young to understand that. And I was so busy having a good time.”
A century of memories
Doris Legare Dayhoff celebrated her 94th birthday on March 10, 2022. She and her husband, Harry, moved to Mount Pleasant’s Old Village in 1962, and she hasn’t lived on Sullivan’s Island since the early 1950s. Nevertheless, she has fond and wistful memories of the place she called home during her formative years. Doris came into the world in a house on Station 26 1/2 on the island’s back beach. Her mother, Henrietta Moore Legare, the oldest of eight children, was born on Dewees Island, while her father, Frederick Harrison Legare Sr., was originally
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Cheryl and Jerry relaxing at their Atlantic Avenue home on Sullivan’s Island, with their two golden doodles Banjo and Bosco—the real bosses in the family.
Doris with her mother Henrietta “Etta” Moore Legare on the porch of their Sullivan’s Island home.
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The town marshal slept all day and made rounds all night.
Doris and future husband, Harry Dayhoff (left), her grandparents Louis Napoleon Moore and Rosa Baker Moore (center), and Doris eating watermelon on her family’s farm on Sullivan’s (right).
— DORIS LEGARE DAYHOFF from Mount Pleasant. Her mom was around 2 years old when Doris’ grandfather, Louis Moore, bought a 5-acre farm and moved the family to Sullivan’s Island, where they grew cantaloupes, watermelons “and everything I can think of,” Doris says, adding that just about everybody on the island raised chickens, owned a cow and tended to a vegetable garden. “You just ate your own food,” she said. Most of the people who lived near the Moore farm were summer residents, and Doris’ grandfather, a contractor as well as a farmer, built many of the homes in the area. The Atlanticville post office, where Henrietta was the postmistress, served the summer visitors and closed down during the winter months. Near the other end of the island, the Moultrieville post office was open year-round. Places of business on the island were few and far between, says Doris. Mr. Werner’s variety store was about two blocks from the fort, while Miss Mary Ann Maguire sold candy and other items in a small shop on Middle Street. “The
Old Maids,” as Doris and her friends called them, also had a retail establishment. Doris attended the old Sullivan’s Island Elementary School and went to high school in Mount Pleasant, first at Pitt Street Academy and later at the new Moultrie High School, built just in time for her to graduate. “The original school was old and beat up and had no air conditioning and outside bathrooms,” she explains with a grimace on her face. The Legare family – Doris had two brothers who are now deceased – was among the first on Sullivan’s Island to own a car and “All of us could drive by the age of 14,” she points out. She admits that she failed her driver’s test the first time she took it in Charleston, but that didn’t seem to mean much on the island, where youngsters were able to get behind the wheel even without a license. Doris remembers that law enforcement was not a big issue when she was growing up on Sullivan’s Island. “The town marshal slept all day and made rounds all night,” she says.
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War time, fun time
Life on Sullivan’s Island changed after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Doris remembers that her family could buy only three gallons of gasoline a week, leather was scarce, sugar was rationed, shoes had ineffective cardboard soles, nylon stockings were unavailable, and you had to turn in your empty toothpaste container when you purchased a new tube. Margarine, meanwhile, needed some work to be edible. “It looked like white lard. You put yellow food coloring in it and mashed it until it looked like butter,” Doris says. Even worse, in her mind at least, was the fact that underwear lacked elastic: “It was horrible.” Doris said one of her aunts helped make life a little more bearable by purchasing a used parachute and making silk slips, nightgowns, and curtains with the material. During the war, the summer residents disappeared and just about everyone on Sullivan’s Island was employed by the military. Doris’ father had a job at Fort Moultrie and her mother
Top: Doris and future husband Harry Dayhoff. Right: Double Doris. Doris Dayhoff with her friend and cohort growing up on Sullivan’s Island, Doris Lancaster. 54 | SiP
was hired at the Moultrieville post office. A freshman in high school when the United States entered the war, by the time they were 16, Doris and her friends were regulars at USO dances on Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms. Most of the local high school boys were away fighting the war, but they were replaced by the many soldiers who were stationed on the island and in the greater Charleston area. The girls were accompanied by chaperones, of course, but, according to Doris, they disappeared once the bus reached its destination at Fort Moultrie or the IOP Pavilion, leaving the 16-year-olds pretty much on their own. “They didn’t have enough girls,” Doris said. “Even some of the older women came to dance with them.” Doris remembers the parties for the servicemen who were leaving Sullivan’s Island to join in the war effort. They were held, in many cases, at her house because her father was among the only local residents brave enough to let servicemen celebrate in his yard. On their way off the island, the pilots would fly over the beach and the men would say goodbye by dipping their wings. “We would never see them again. I don’t know if they lived or died,” Doris muses.
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We would never see them again. I don’t know if they lived or died.
— DORIS LEGARE DAYHOFF
Sacrifice on Sullivan’s
The escapades for Doris and her compatriots extended beyond USO dances and going away parties. “We girls got away with a lot,” she remembers. “We got to go to the PX and buy Cokes, and we could go to the theater, though the military men got to go in first. The movie was 10 cents, and another 5 cents for popcorn.” She remembers seeing movies starring Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Frank Sinatra, among others. But the war years were not all fun and games on Sullivan’s Island. Homes were required to have blackout curtains on the windows, and there was always the possibility of an attack by German submarines. Now and then, the air raid siren would sound, and local residents would have to cut the lights off and sit in the dark. One day, Doris and her brother found a “big round thing with porcupines” on the beach. They didn’t know it at the time, but it turned out to be a mine that had floated ashore. Doris tells some interesting stories about her husband Harry Dayhoff’s experiences on Sullivan’s Island during the war. He survived an accidental shot in the head with a rivet gun while working on the Fort Moultrie radio tower. Later, after a night of reveling with his friends at the Presto Café, he woke up the next morning in his bed – on the fort’s parade grounds. Her father Frederick didn’t go back to selling oysters after the war, but he did buy a shrimp boat. However, he kept tearing up his nets and, according to Doris, her mom ordered him to “get rid of that boat.” In addition to her idyllic childhood and interesting war-time experiences, Doris owes one more debt to her existence on Sullivan’s Island. In 1946, she was at the local roller-skating rink when one of her friends pointed to a soldier and said, “Look at that guy over there.” “No. Don’t look at him,” Doris responded. “He’s mine.” As it turned out, Doris was right. After being stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and returning home to Chicago, Harry Dayhoff came back to Sullivan’s Island around Christmas time 1948 to ask for Doris’ hand in marriage. “He was from Chicago, but he learned to be a southerner,” Doris says. Doris and Harry lived in Columbia, South Carolina, Sullivan’s Island, and on Isle of Palms, before eventually putting down roots in Mount Pleasant. But despite her long absence from Sullivan’s Island, she still has fond memories of her time there. “We had so much company when we were there. Our cousins from Charleston wanted to go to the beach,” she says. “We loved that beach.” SiP WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 55
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Painting a life on Sullivan’s
Lowcountry artist Beth McLean captures the spirit of the South in her impressionistic oil paintings. By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy. Photos by Rob Byko.
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This page: Works in progress in McLean’s studio. Previous page: McLean on the porch of her Sullivan’s Island home with her two dogs.
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I sold my first painting at Spoleto in Marion Square. It was a typical little palm tree and sunset, but it was exciting. — BETH MCLEAN
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here are few places more perfect for a painter than Sullivan’s Island. Sandpipers scurrying along the sand, quaint historic cottages, sun-soaked landscapes, and mesmerizing marsh scenes are all ready to provide inspiration on a moment’s notice. For artist Beth McLean, Sullivan’s has been both sanctuary and stimulation over the four decades she has called the island home. Sitting on the sofa in her artists’ studio overlooking the large swath of Maritime Forest just past Fort Moultrie and with the Atlantic Ocean beyond, Beth’s affinity for Sullivan’s, and for this particular location, is easy to understand. The view is idyllic, the light sumptuous, and the space open and airy. “It’s a nice place to paint,” she says with characteristic humility. There’s no need to ask why she never left after arriving on the island in her early 20s. While the whole area inspires her, there’s something about the small-town feel on Sullivan’s, “the funky little cottages, the environment, the wildlife” that won her heart. The budding oil painter first arrived here in 1982, following a brief stay on neighboring Isle of Palms. Originally from a small town in North Carolina, she had just completed a degree at the Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale
and was looking for a home in Charleston. “I knew I wanted to come to Charleston. It was something I needed to do,” she says. She also knew she wanted to be on the beach. “I love the beach, being near the water, and always have.” At the time working as a commercial artist to pay the bills, she never stopped honing her craft. “I was always taking classes. The Gibbes Museum used to a have a little studio - where Husk is now.” She traveled to New York, Chicago, Arizona, and even France to take workshops from well-known artists and also ventured to inspiring places such as Monhegan Island, San Miguel, and the Bahamas. But she always returned to Sullivan’s, to her community. In the summer of 1989, she bought her first home, one of those “funky little cottages” she so loved. The former military building was just a block from the fort, a small two-bedroom home on a large lot between Middle Street and Ion Avenue. Three months later, Hurricane Hugo arrived. In the aftermath of the category 4 storm, her little cottage was uninhabitable, so she set about rebuilding. There was a silver lining to the tragedy; the original cottage had been closer to Middle Street and didn’t have an ocean view. When she rebuilt, she was able to
Stella Maris, oil on canvas, by Beth McLean.
Napping, 10x8 giclee print on canvas, by Beth McLean.
Sandpipers, 12x24 giclee print on canvas, by Beth McLean.
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Beth’s paintings are inspired by the glowing light in the landscape and the faces of the South.
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— JULIE COOKE
relocate it on the lot closer to the ocean and raise it up 8 feet. “The builder was the one who suggested adding a second floor; I had originally just planned to do a little one-story,” she says. That second floor is now her studio/bedroom, but the home still feels like a classic Sullivan’s Island cottage. “My original floor plan for this house was the same as the little house; I even kept the tongue and groove construction/flooring.” A few years after the house was finished, Beth took the leap from commercial artist to full-time painter. “I started saving up enough paintings to be able to have a show and then was accepted by Spoleto,” she says. Appearing at Charleston’s internationally renowned Spoleto Festival USA in 1998 was the boost her career needed, and her transition to professional artist was complete. “I sold my first painting there in Marion Square,” she recalls. “It was a typical little palm tree and sunset, but it was so exciting. I sold a lot of paintings that first year. That really encouraged me and inspired me.” She returned to Spoleto for eight years before gaining gallery representation and eventually connected with Julie Cooke when she started Sandpiper Gallery on Sullivan’s Island. As one of Cooke’s first artists, Beth has been represented by Sandpiper and its sister gallery in downtown Charleston, Dare Gallery, for two decades now. “Julie is so supportive of her artists; it’s just great to have this gallery on Sullivan’s,” she says. “It has a great atmosphere. It’s bright and cheerful with many talented artists.” “Beth’s paintings glow with a soft energy and although her palette is colorful, the paintings are quiet, restful and often tug at your heartstrings,” says Cooke. “Whether it is the beauty of the grasses and wildflowers in the dunes, the grace of a centuries-old beach cottage, or the longing to sit and gaze at the ocean; the call of the sea is felt in her landscapes.” Inspired by masters of fine art such as Joaquin Sorolla, Mary Cassatt, and John Singer Sargent, Beth’s real passion lies in figurative art. “Her figurative work has a softness and attention to subtle gestures that makes it uniquely recognizable as a McLean painting,” says Cooke. A series of sweetgrass basket weavers she produced and made giclee prints of is among her most popular work at the gallery. While she paints a variety of subjects — landscapes, shorebirds, boats, beach scenes, and even the occasional portrait of her muchloved dogs, Tulley and Honey — it‘s clear that figurative art is her personal passion. “Perhaps it’s because it’s such a challenge,” she says. “They say if you can master the figure, you can paint anything.” For the last two decades, she has met weekly with a figurative group on Sullivan’s Island. “We have a model and draw and paint from
quick poses anywhere from one-minute poses to 15-minute poses,” she says. “It is the best practice for drawing the figure as well as all drawing.” Beth’s drive to constantly improve on her craft is reflected in her work. Her growth over four decades from student to classic Lowcountry artist to embracing impressionism and figurative art is reflected in her powerful and beautiful works. That journey has been intertwined with her love for a home that
has offered so much inspiration. “Over the years, we have seen her work ebb and flow between impressionist paintings in oil and looser abstract works in pastels — but always with that signature rich luminous palette,” says Cooke. “Her optimism and love of life are evident in her moving, warm and distinctly classic paintings; both her talent and her happy approach to life make her a pleasure to represent.” SiP
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If you build it, will they come? 62 | SiP
How a community restored a coastal bird sanctuary, and why they did it. Hastings Hensel explores the conservation marvel that is Crab Bank. Photos By Mic Smith
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Writer Hastings Hensel takes in the 30-plus-acre bird sanctuary Crab Bank from his kayak. The sandbar is only a short paddle from Shem Creek marina.
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“We were knee-deep in the pluff mud for Crab Bank.” Riley Egger
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he February morning is cloudless and unseasonably fair when I launch from Shem Creek Landing and paddle a familiar route — past the shrimp boats moored to the pilings and the waterside restaurants just beginning to open their doors for brunch. Out in the Charleston Harbor are the usual suspects: container ships, dredgers, trawlers, sailboats, sport fishers, pleasure yachts. My destination of Crab Bank, though, isn’t one of human commerce, unless you count as commerce the shark’s tooth hunters and birders allowed to comb its shores from mid-October to mid-March. The trip itself isn’t very far or long, not even against the incoming tide, and to the naked eye, Crab Bank may resemble any unremarkable 30-plus-acre sand spit. You get the sense out there that thousands of people could pass by without realizing its importance. “But there aren’t many places like this,” says Janet Thibault, a wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, who meets me at Crab Bank in her Boston Whaler and takes the time to show me the place for what it is — a seabird sanctuary recently restored in what can only be called a heroic environmental collaboration. Thibault tells me that, in just a few weeks’ time from our visit — on March 15 — Crab Bank will be closed to the public so that more than 5,000 shorebirds and seabirds can use the entire intertidal zone to commence their nesting season. Thousands of adult pelicans will begin making stick nests, laying eggs, and protecting their naked and blind chicks after
the hatch, which usually occurs in late May. Over the course of the summer, the chicks will eat food out of their parents’ pouches and begin flapping their wings. In September, the chicks will finally fledge — that is, they’ll learn to fly independently — and then, in the winter, they’ll migrate south before returning again in the spring. It’s a cycle of come-and-go as essential to this ecosystem as the tides. And that’s just the pelicans. Crab Bank also supports between 1,200 and 1,500 terns, over 300 black skimmers, and five to seven pairs of American oystercatchers — a variety of species whose populations have all declined globally since the 1970s. “These birds won’t nest where there’s human disturbance,” Thibault says. “They need isolated islands that don’t have any predators, and they like islands because coyotes usually can’t get out there. There aren’t trees for a raccoon to live in.” Thibault gets out of her boat with her spotting scope in tow. As we walk the shoreline, she speaks measuredly about birds, in equal parts seriousness and awe. I can tell she not only knows the science of birds, she cares deeply about them, too. In fact, when she sees two dead ibises on the beach, she picks them up so that later she can conduct an informal autopsy. “These birds need these special places that are ephemeral, that have a little bit of interruption from the storms and overwash, which kind of naturally renourish the island and keep vegetation down and kind of rearrange things,” she says. “Because they really like to live on the edge. They like those
When dogs or humans “flush” a flock of birds, this can disrupt them from consuming the necessary calories and energy needed for migratory flights.
dynamic systems. So, when you start putting in hard structure, like groins or jetties to stabilize, that’s kind of the worst thing to do for coastal birds.”
Caring about Crab Bank
All this is not to say, however, that Crab Bank didn’t require human intervention. Although Crab Bank has been on the map for a long time, the sand began to erode away each year with rising waters — what’s known in environmental terms as “coastal squeeze.” “We’ve been watching Crab Bank since our founding in 1992,” says Captain Chris Crolley, the owner of ecotour and environmental education company Coastal Expeditions. “For the past seven years, we’ve watched Crab Bank just dwindle and dwindle and dwindle until it finally went away completely. I guess it was 2017 when the eggs washed up on Sullivan’s in a high-tide event, and 2018 or 2019 was the first time anybody alive could remember no nesting at all on Crab Bank, and it was just devastating.” However, in what Thibault calls “a pretty unique opportunity” and Crolley calls “the most meaningful conservation work we’re going to be able to take part of in our lifetime,” a coalition of folks from Coastal Expeditions, DNR, the Coastal Conservation League, and Audubon South Carolina began researching the possibility of using dredge spoil — the sediments extracted from deepening the harbor channel — to restore Crab Bank. The problem was that the Army Corps of Engineers is required to go with the lowest-
cost alternative, which meant offloading the spoil into a free-range dump zone offshore. “In the case of Crab Bank,” says Corps Chief of Programs and Civil Works Project Management Branch Jeff Livasy, “it was not the least-cost, so it essentially became its own project for beneficial use where SC DNR signed on as the sponsor to pay the cost share.” The coalition, in other words, needed to raise money. First, they took advantage of an Army Corps of Engineers program that helps offset the costs when dredge spoil is put to beneficial use. South Carolina Audubon came through with a $750,000 grant from
“They need isolated islands that don’t have any predators, and they like islands because coyotes usually can’t get out there. There aren’t trees for a raccoon to live in.” Janet Thibault
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Because Crab Bank was created using dredge spoil, the sandbar is a great place to find shark’s teeth and other seashells when it is open for foot traffic from November 15 to March 15.
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The coalition received donations from large corporations such as Boeing. They created a trust fund called the Coastal Birds Conservation Fund, an interest-bearing account that protects these birds in perpetuity and is managed by DNR. They also decided to move the location of Crab Bank to shallower waters and farther away from the mouth of Shem Creek. “Despite political opposition — there were some people that just didn’t want it, didn’t like it — we kept the coalition together,” says Crolley. “We did regular meetings, we scheduled a grassroots community demonstration by encircling the island, in October 2018, with more than 200 self-powered craft. We all circled Crab Bank to voice our support. We raised funds. We just stayed the course until it was a final victory.” Riley Egger — a Land, Water, and Wildlife Project Manager for the Coastal Conservation League — puts it this way: “We were knee-deep in the pluff mud for Crab Bank — advocating, organizing, researching, fundraising — whatever it took to bring back Crab Bank so the birds and people can reap the benefits for generations to come.”
Leaving a legacy
As Thibault and I round the eastern shore of Crab Bank, she sets down her spotting scope and shows me the species on which she did her graduate work — the American oystercatcher. As I peer into the scope, Thibault begins spilling all sorts of avian wisdom. She tells 66 | SiP
me that shorebirds feed on invertebrates and are solitary nesters, whereas seabirds have a strictly fish diet and are colonial nesters. She tells me that wading birds such as egrets and herons aren’t strictly coastal and have a back toe, which allows them to perch. But it’s not long before Thibault begins talking about birds in a more existential sense — the reason, that is, why this work is so important in the grander scheme. “I just think it’s a shame to live in a world without them,” she says. “And it’s not necessary. I don’t want to live in a reality where they’re all gone because … why? I want other people to see how cool it is. Because if you just kind of stop and watch, you see so much.” Looking through the scope, I see and admire so much — the bird’s long bill, shaped like an oyster knife, which it uses to pry open bivalve mollusks. The bird, a species of concern, dodders about almost humorously, but there’s no mistaking it — in the act of observation, in the knowledge of its imperiled nature, I feel a kinship and a desire to protect. This is exactly what Crolley believes is a necessary first step in environmental conservation: in order to protect something, you first have to love it. “If you get out there and see something that’s inspirational, that moves you,” he says, “All of a sudden, you see something real. There’s not a screen between you and that thing.” I leave Thibault to return to her boat and her workday ahead. I launch my kayak and begin paddling back toward Shem Creek,
floating along on the rising tide, with the Charleston skyline and Ravenel Bridge suspended there like giant grins. The moment — one of beautiful juxtaposition — is worthy of a picture, but I don’t take one. Instead, I watch as a flock of birds banks and wheels in a cloudless blue sky. “What a great asset to have as a city where you can see the city, and there’s a freighter in the background and young dinosaurs being born in the foreground,” Crolley says. “Industry and nature don’t have to be mutually exclusive. If you make the right choices, they can thrive right next to each other.” It’s a sentiment The Army Corps of Engineers echoes. “We’re a technical organization primarily,” Livasy says, “but we’ll always look at Crab Bank as a landmark legacy that you can see, right there in the harbor. A I drive to and from work, it’s hard for me not to look over there and see how neat it is to have been part of building an island inside our harbor — something that’s going to benefit the shorebirds that live here and migrate through here.” SiP
While you can still take pictures of this natural wonder from a kayak or boat, Crab Bank is closed from March 15 to November 15 to allow the birds to nest in peace. “The birds need the entire intertidal zone,” says DNR Biologist Janet Thibault (pictured right). “They’re using every single spot of this island. The birds are nesting up on the dry sand, but they’re using the entire beach and intertidal zone to feed their chicks, for their chicks to come cool off on the breeze, and for them to kind of loaf and hang out. That’s why it needs to be protected.” One way to enjoy the birds is to check out the Pelicams — two live feeds that, according to Coastal Conservation League Project Manager, Riley Egger, “allow a birds-eye view of shorebird colonies.”
“Whatever it took to bring back Crab Bank so the birds and people can reap the benefits for generations to come.” Riley Egger
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healing grove The
A memorial for a Dewees Island son takes root and branches out. Hastings Hensel meets the McIntyre family and visits their son’s living legacy. Photos by Mic Smith.
O
f all the great trees, the bald cypress might be the most fitting symbol of Being. Bearded with moss, they can resemble wise, old sages. Rooted with knobby knees, they can also seem playful, perhaps childlike and innocent. They are called bald cypresses because, as deciduous conifers, they shed their needles each fall. And yet some specimens in our state – in the Congaree National Swamp or the Francis Beidler Forest, for instance – are more than a thousand years old. You might even say that the very name itself – cypress – seems to sigh itself into essence. No wonder, then, that a cypress grove planted on Dewees Island 23 years ago has grown into a worthy memorial of a young man who loved trees. His name was Jeremy McIntyre, and, on a recent warm March morning, his family sits on their Dewees dock, sips coffee, and remembers him. “He was actually kind of an amazing human being,” says Barbara McIntyre, Jeremy’s mother. “He put a whole lot of life into a short period. We always said he was just doing it faster than all of us.” “He was a unique human,” says his sister, Cori McIntyre. “He really did it all in 26 years. I’m still trying to catch up with him and I’m 46.” Indeed, in little over a quarter century on this Earth, Jeremy’s accomplishments read like a litany of incredible feats. He went to Stanford. He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. He sang in a band and in an acapella group. He got a master’s degree in environmental engineering and helped rescue watersheds and decommission dams. He was the All-American captain of the Stanford sailing team and spent months sailing around Dewees Island in preparation for the Atlanta Olympic trials. But then the unthinkable happened. Jeremy was killed by an avalanche in Alberta, Canada, while backcountry skiing with a friend. Even after all this time, the McIntyres have to take moments here and there to pause as they talk about Jeremy. For its part, Dewees – the private residential island they’ve called home for nearly 30 years –
Bald cypress trees are known for their “knees” — knobby protrusions that link their root systems. Some say the knees exist for stability; others say for nutrient intake. Cori McIntyre believes “It’s an act of compassion.” WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 69
Standing in the Dewees Island Memory Garden, Dave McIntyre takes a moment to remember his son and behold the island’s beauty. Opposite page: The family sits on the memorial bench.
seems to amplify the silence. Beside them, their Grand Dunes trawler creaks in its dockside slip on the outgoing tide. The skeletal frames of sailboats have been dragged up the beach, where party boaters have come and anchored and are throwing footballs on the shore. A bald eagle circles above the house, just below a yellow dust-cropper mosquito plane that whirrs across the blue sky. “When we lost my brother,” says Cori McIntyre, “at the time my father was working for Westvaco, and his boss donated a bunch of trees to give away at the funeral. That was just kind of our memorial. My brother was a big tree hugger.” Jeremy’s father, Dave, chimes in: “The foresters became aware of my son’s death. They were aware that he was into forestry and big trees, and so they donated a whole bunch of little seedlings.” The idea, they say, was something like a worldwide forest. People could take a seedling with them and plant a tree in honor of Jeremy. But once they realized they had a bunch of leftover seedlings, they brought them back to Dewees. “At the time,” Dave McIntyre remembers, “there were two naturalists on the island. One was Karl Olandt. So I gave the cypress to him, and, on his own initiative, as his own personal contribution to Jeremy’s memorial, he went out and planted them. All of them. It was kind of one man’s journey to plant them all.” These days, Olandt works as a landscape ecologist for Spring Island, in Okatie, South Carolina. He remembers fondly planting those cypresses. “I remember picking the area because it’s on one of the preserves,” he says. “There wouldn’t be houses or developments in that area, plus it was an old interdune ridge geologically in the formation of the island. So it’s a very, very low and wet area, which I knew the cypress would love. We had been battling an invasive Chinese tallow in that area, so I knew there would be gaps in the forest, and this would be a good, sturdy tree to go in there – the right habitat for them and they would have light.” Despite planting the seedlings in moccasin-infested swamps and dealing with deer that rub their antlers on the young trees, Olandt saw that many of the specimens seemed to thrive there. And although he hasn’t seen the trees in more than 15 years, he says, “I think management; I think long term. So I can plant a seedling knowing that I may not be alive to see it become a huge, grand tree. But it’s still very valuable. Somebody had to do it. It’s like leaving your legacy,
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I suppose.” Through good years and bad years, hot spells and cold snaps, storms and droughts, through all kinds of weather and life events, the cypresses grew. They aren’t native to Dewees, and their place in the history of the island is relatively short – European occupancy of the island goes back to 1696, and Native Americans lived and hunted on what they called Timicau Island – but the cypresses’ place on the island now seems predestined. With the morning’s coffee drained, and the sun beginning to ascend in the sky, the McIntyres pile into their two golf carts to visit the memorial as a family for the first time in a long time. It’s a short trip down dirt roads as familiar to them as their own signatures. They wave to and appear to know every passerby. They seem to be able to tell stories about every inch of the island. When they reach the grove, the cypress trees have just begun to bud, almost like they’ve painted their fingertips green. “I love cypress trees,” Cori says, as the family gets out to walk through the grove. “Because they’re here, they bring a whole life system with them. The birds they bring in, the animals they bring in, the food they provide, the shelter they provide – it’s pretty unique to the cypress tree.” “I find the swamp so beautiful,” says Barbara. “I have never seen cypress trees grow like this,” Cori says. “It blows my mind that we have such an established grove of trees. It’s the location. Look at the light going through the cypress there.” The family sits on a memorial bench to take it all in. It’s not long before their quiet contemplation turns, as it often does, to Jeremy. “He’d do his happy dance,” Barbara says, imagining what it would be like if Jeremy could see this place now. “He probably does his happy dance,” Cori says. “That’s probably why they’re so beautiful.” SiP
About her son’s memorial cypress grove, Barbara has written: “A serendipitous convergence of events created this beauty, out of the grief and pain of such a great love. This glade humbles us about out time on the planet. Trees that will be here for more than a thousand years remind us that our own cycle of life is only a moment in time.”
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By Marci Shore. Photos by Mic Smith.
indjammer
When The Windjammer opened its doors in 1972, there wasn’t live music at first. Bobby Ross started booking bands in the late 70s.
co-owner Bobby Ross recalls the moment he and a bartender at the time, Jace Boozer, locked the doors to the bar just before Hurricane Hugo hit in 1989. “I remember the look we gave one another as we were locking it up,” says Ross. “We didn’t know what we’d be coming back to.” They returned to a structure deemed “unrepairable” by engineers but a clientele that couldn’t be swept away. The beloved, one-level locals beach bar went into a gestation period and reopened on June 21, 1990, exactly nine months to the day after Hugo devastated the Lowcountry. “I remember that day vividly as well. We had just re-opened, and the cash register sales guy was being so methodical about explaining the differences in the cash registers. I was getting irritated with him as the crowds grew. I went back to help in the kitchen and burned the first hamburger to come out after the opening. They didn’t let me back in the kitchen. Those first 10 days were crazy,” said Ross, who has been a manager since 1982 and is now co-owner. Ross first made himself at home at “the Jammer” in 1974 as an 18-year-old who got
carded when he ordered a beer. At that time, those who were 18 could consume beer and wine legally but not liquor. He hated his job downtown so he quit it in 1980 and began to draw unemployment, at which time he says, he “basically handed the check right over to The Windjammer.” When the unemployment stopped, the bar tab did not. An opportunity arose that summer to pay off his tab when one of the bartenders took a cross-country trip to California. A managerial position opened in 1982, and, since the other owners liked what they had seen in Ross thus far, he was offered and accepted the job.
Putting the ‘Jam’ in The Windjammer
Ross recruited the help of Bunky Odom, who had been involved in band booking and management of rock ‘n’ roll greats like the Allman Brothers Band and other Capricorn label recording artists. Odom was now living on the Isle of Palms and was tuned into the pulse of music like the Athens and Atlanta scenes, and Ross said his guidance was pivotal for a couple of years in helping him to woodshed and learn about booking a room. Ross remembers Asylum Island and High Stakes as being among the first local bands he
booked. He said High Stakes still performs locally under the name Remedy. The Monday Jams were transformative and began to define the space as a routine stop for Southeastern touring bands. Ross said they got an early reputation for making bands feel at home. “The Monday Jams were great for the bands. They could make as much or more than what they were making on their regular stops. It started to hurt our weekend shows since we were having such a good turnout for Mondays,” Ross explained. Miles Crosby, the man with the legendary voice behind 96 Wave FM Charleston, did beachside broadcasts from the Jammer’s back deck in the early days. “It was a real hardship,” said Crosby, fondly reminiscing about the “symbiotic” relationship the radio station shared with The Windjammer to help attract unique bands to the area. The Wave was a renegade FM commercial reporting station acclaimed for playing cutting-edge bands and helping launch careers by playing unsigned artists. “It just wasn’t done at the time. We were a Billboard reporting station and to play an artist unsigned by a label was a big deal,” he emphasized. Hootie and the Blowfish formed in 1986 while in college at the University of South Carolina and played The Windjammer in the early 1990s; Ross recalls paying them $500. He also remembers lead singer Darius Rucker, a Charleston native, getting quarters on his tab to go play the poker machine before sound check. Soon, Hootie and the Blowfish would have the third best-selling debut album of all time – just behind Guns N’ Roses’ and Boston’s debut albums. A call from Ross to 96 Wave’s “Uncle Miles” late one night after a Hootie show helped set the vinyl in motion. “It was the last song of the night,” Ross remembers about the band, who packed the house but who were unsigned by a label. When they played Hold My Hand for that last song, the entire crowd was singing along. Ross said he picked up the phone and called Crosby at the radio station and told him he needed to play this song. Crosby agreed but said he had to convince two others in the office at the station to go against industry standards to play a cut from an unsigned group. “The 76 | SiP
employees as family and who held his wedding ceremony at The Jammer. “Bobby and Malcolm have chosen creativity and community over money. They could have cashed out years ago but chose to keep this outlet to share and create memories. We should be grateful.”
song was one of four songs on their EP kit,” Crosby recalls. “They agreed I could play it on the All Request Lunch segment. It was our most requested song for days.” It wasn’t long afterward that labels took note of the hot single showing up from the reporting channel, and Hootie and the Blowfish were signed by Atlantic Records. Almost 30 years, several Grammys, and many group and individual Billboard hit songs later, Rucker took time during the week of his appearance at the Masters Golf Tournament Rock Fore! Dough fundraiser concert to respond about the significance of The Windjammer to his band’s career. “The Jammer is a place where we cut our teeth,” he says. “We learned how to be a band there. It was our school. That place is just as special for the staff and Bobby as it is for the people who have played there.” EDWIN MCCAIN “I hope I’ll still be playing here when they have to help me off the stage,” says Edwin McCain about The Windjammer. McCain also had tracks played on 96 Wave before he was signed by a label. “Being played on 96 Wave made us all relevant. The conduit power of an FM station playing your music made record labels sit up ask ‘who are these guys?’” McCain says. His hits such as I’ll Be and I Could Not Ask for More propelled him to superstardom in the late 1990s. McCain describes a 20-year-old kid lugging in his own speakers to The Jammer, with Ross giving him a Saturday afternoon slot to “work on his 10,000 hours” toward becoming a master performer. “They were there for me at times when I was struggling,” says McCain, who still considers many present and former
COWBOY MOUTH Bluesy, punk rock band Cowboy Mouth’s frontman, Fred LeBlanc, says, “I have to agree with a quote from my guitar player. ‘When I die, I want to go to The Windjammer.’ It may be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bar in the world.” McCain agrees that if you want the “small, sweaty rock ‘n’ roll experience,” The Jammer is hard to beat. LeBlanc says aside from his home in Louisiana, The Windjammer is the only other place that feels like “home.” “They have a fondness for us wandering, musical vagabonds. Technically, the sound is great for both the band and the audience. They don’t use beat-up stuff – they use quality, up-to-date sound equipment. Malcolm and Bobby go out of their way to treat you like family. They have your back. There’s a lack of pretense there, and you know not to bring it there or you’ll get called out,” adds LeBlanc. When Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed band members’ homes, The Windjammer and bands such as Hootie, McCain, Sister Hazel, and Cravin Melon organized several days of shows to raise money to help them. “They literally gave us a home when we didn’t have one,” says LeBlanc. SISTER HAZEL Ken Block of Sister Hazel says, “It all started with Bob – a surly, teddy bear of a guy with a good ear for original music.” Floridabased Sister Hazel first hit the charts in 1997 with their song All For You. Block said it was hard to find a beach bar that didn’t want only covers like Brown Eyed Girl and Margaritaville and that embraced original music. It had also become hard to get booked at The Windjammer because its reputation for treating bands well, grew. “There was a last-minute cancellation, and Bobby put us in. Twenty-five years later, we do a threeday minifestival there every year called ‘The Hazelnut Hang,’ going back to our roots to
Opposite page: Left, co-owner, Bobby Ross and Bruce Willis in 1994, taken around dawn, toward the end of an all-night party thrown by Willis, a frequent visitor while he was in the area filming Die Hard With A Vengeance. Right: Ross counting cash at the bar. When he first stepped foot into the bar as an 18-yearold he was carded when ordering a beer. He is now a co-owner, along with Malcolm Burgis (founding partner) and Jack Alspaugh. This page: Top, Bobby Ross at the bar today. Photo by Mic Smith. Middle, Burgis (left) at Windjammer Thanksgiving. Bottom, Mark Bryan, guitar player for Hootie and the Blowfish. Bryan said he first realized the staff at The Windjammer was special when Bobby and his wife invited the young, relatively unknown group to their house for dinner.
The Windjammer was opened by brothers Malcolm and James Burgis in 1972 at the site of the establishment originally known as the Surf Deck, which dated back to the 1940s. The original Windjammer was a groundlevel, sand-filled bar with some pinball machines, pool tables, and a view of the ocean. “The original Windjammer is actually a lot like The Dinghy is today,” points out co-owner Bobby Ross. The Dinghy bar shares ownership with The Windjammer and is located across the street. IOP entrepreneurship was already a Burgis family affair. In 1962, their parents, Wallace and Elizabeth Burgis, opened one of the Charleston area’s only beachfront restaurants. The Palms, located just a few doors down from the present-day Windjammer, grew to be able to accommodate 250 people before Hugo destroyed it. Up until 1982, there were only two establishments offering live music on IOP, and the Windjammer was not one of them.
stay connected,” says Block. “I can’t tell you how many people tell me that they first saw us at The Windjammer. They drew people from all over the Southeast, who then went back to their homes like ‘seeds’ helping us to spread our music and expand our fanbase. This sort of place isn’t built overnight. It evolves over seasons, years, decades into the institution that it has become.” “In 2020, we had our worst year ever, and 2021 was our best,” says Ross. This season, one ticket gets you admission to both the 6 p.m. outdoor concerts on the Aloha Beach stage and to the 9 p.m. indoor concerts as well. In spite of the success of The Windjammer, Ross admits he does miss the more personal days of it being a mostly locals bar, before the area became a destination. He is quick to give credit to founding partner Malcolm Burgis, who recently turned 80, for allowing him the freedom to make some mistakes but also having the wisdom to know when to step in and reel in the vision. “He always reminded me to keep re-investing into the establishment,” he says. Looking back on the past 40 years of his time working at The Windjammer, Ross says that “moments” are not what stand out to him. “It’s the friendships. And not just with me. There are so many married couples who say they met here. So many past employees who are now like family.” Treating customers, bands, and employees like family may have been golden in helping them reach their 50-year milestone. “But at the end of the day, what sustains us,” says Ross, “is what you’re looking at right out that backdoor onto the beach.” SiP
Ringing the bell. Photo by Mic Smith. WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 77
Partners in pints: Dunleavy’s celebrates 30 years of being a local
The Dunleavys’ clan reunited for the bar’s 30th anniversary along with many fans and locals. 78 | SiP
By Marci Shore. Photo by Caroline Knopf.
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eorge Dunleavy envisioned that two of his children, Bill and Patti, would someday be partners in a restaurant. “We both worked in food and beverage. I was busy sailing, and she was busy raising kids,” Bill Dunleavy, co-owner of Dunleavy’s Pub on Sullivan’s Island, explains. In September of 1989, Dunleavy was working at Tommy Condon’s in downtown Charleston. Hurricane Hugo was spinning its way up the coast. “At that time, we didn’t know where it was going exactly. They told us to go home, and we expected to come back in the next day,” he says. A mark on the wall halfway up to the ceiling indicates where the floodwaters peaked at Tommy Condon’s. The restaurant was closed for nine months for repairs. Dunleavy’s sailboat was docked at Breach Inlet at the time. He sailed it up the Cooper River to Grove Creek to ride out the hurricane, hunkered down with four or five anchors, he says. “That storm changed a lot of lives.” When the food and beverage industry started to rise from its ashes post-Hugo, Dunleavy took a job on IOP at the One-Eyed Parrot – the
present-day Coda Del Pesce. He left that bartending gig late one evening in 1991 to wind down at The Breakers bar on Sullivan’s Island. Owner Charlie Barrington had tried to give the location a go after the previous establishment, The Rusty Anchor, was sunk by Hurricane Hugo. He told Dunleavy he was looking for someone to take over the space. “I told him I’d be interested.” “Six months after our father died, Patti and I were in business together. She said, ‘I’ll be the manager.’ I said, ‘No, you’ll be my partner,’” Dunleavy explains. Her children now grown, Patti took a leap of faith and moved from her hometown of Newhaven, Connecticut, to Mount Pleasant. Dunleavy had been making the six-to-seven-day sail from Block Island, Rhode Island, to Charleston every year since 1976, and has owned a cottage on Sullivan’s since 1984. “We opened Dunleavy’s on Tax Day, April 15, 1992.” This year, they celebrated their 30th year in business at the gateway to the island, on the corner lot at Middle Street and Station 22 1/2, with live music all day and with locals and Dunleavys from all over the country toasting and reminiscing. WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 79
Bill Dunleavy leading the annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. The event has raised over $500,000 for the Special Olympics and was started to raise money to help send a young Isle of Palms athlete to a Special Olympics competition in Ireland. Photo by Steve Rosamillia.
There was an empty bar stool for the milestone occasion where Patti, the oldest of the seven siblings, would have been meeting and greeting in her contagiously outgoing manner. Head of the cheerleading squad in high school, she passed away four years ago. Her son, Jamie Maher, left the cold New England winters in 1997, five years after the pub opened, relocating to work in the family business. “This was her dream. She just loved it,” Maher says about his mom, who initially was a fixture waitressing and managing at the pub but cut back on her shifts after a few years when her son rolled into town. Maher had been working as a bartender through college at Assumption College in Boston while completing his degree to be a history teacher. “I didn’t make it past the student teaching portion. I had been
working as a bartender at a resort in Block Island and had already visited Charleston and the pub several times,” he says. Twenty-four years later, Maher is still carrying on the vision of his mom and uncle, and his omnipresence at the pub is legendary to locals. He’s taking in deliveries and preparing for the lunch crowd at the crack of dawn. If need be, he can be seen closing the bar into the wee hours of the same workday. In between pouring pints, he did manage to make time to have a family and three kids of his own, all of whom have made frequent appearances in the bar and in the kitchen throughout the years. “I’ve had two great partners with Patti and Jamie,” Bill says, quick to give them credit for a large part of the pub’s success. “They both have such great work ethics and are so great with people.”
Left, Dunleavy’s Pub, opening day April 1992. Previously, the space was occupied by the Rusty Anchor restaurant, then The Breakers restaurant. Middle, Patti Maher, Bill Dunleavy, and their niece, Jeanie. Right, patrons enjoy the pub’s famed annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Photo by Steve Rosamillia.
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“The vision he had was for Dunleavy’s to be what the Irish call ‘a local.’” Carroll Brown
One of Maher’s most memorable days at the pub was September 11, 2001 – the day of the 9-11 attacks. He had watched from home as the twin towers were hit, and, by the time he arrived at work, the island seemed to have congregated at the pub to watch as events unfolded. “Bill went out and bought the biggest American flag he could find and draped it across the front of the building,” says Maher. Andy Donovan has been a bartender alongside Maher at Dunleavy’s for 16 years. In the wake of looming hurricanes and the aftermath of the rare snowstorm, he’s seen how the pub has become a hub of the community. “When everything else is boarded up and closed, we’re still open. It becomes a gathering place for the community,” he says, adding that since Bill has a house around the corner, it makes it easier for them to be open when others are not. Musician Carroll Brown has been performing at Dunleavy’s off and on for the last three decades, now hosting a Vintage Country Night on the first Tuesday of each month. “Bill has been the same since day one. The vision he had was for Dunleavy’s to be what the Irish call ‘a local.’” “In Ireland, they say, ‘we’re going to our local,’ which is their neighborhood pub,” says Brown, who does multiple Irish tours each year in addition to performing regionally. “When I’m in town, I come across the bridge to come here to eat partly because I know what I’m going to get. It’s consistent. As human beings, that’s what we do. We might try new things but go back to the things that are like family – in our comfort zone.” A couple of years after the pub’s opening, a member of the community approached Dunleavy about helping sponsor a young special Olympic athlete’s trip to Ireland to compete. “I thought she just wanted a donation, so I told her to come on by. What she wanted was to walk around with pails to collect money. That was the first year a few of us went into the water. She needed $7,000 and she raised $13,000,” he says. Since 1994, they have raised a total of close to $500,000 for the Special Olympics during the now annual Polar Bear Plunge event that draws enormous crowds of often costumed plungers every New Year’s Day. Donovan echoed the importance of consistency and community in the success of the pub. “Love it or hate it,” Donovan adds, “Bill doesn’t let trends or others dictate how to run the business. Like the cash-only policy. It seems to work for him. “People have been coming in and seeing the main players running it for 30 years now. It may be my ordinary Friday night, but there are people who look forward to seeing us all year. It may be just another workday for me, but I try to remember that it’s their vacation. Dads sit together at the bar watching games while their families run in and out five times a day while they’re at the beach.” The pub makes a lasting impression long after vacationers leave the island, and many send back photographs of them donning their Dunleavys T-shirts from far-flung corners of the world. “So many people say, ‘my brother used to come in here. Or my dad used to come in here,’” says Maher. “There’s so much staff turnover in restaurants. The key is continuity. Whether you were there last week or a year ago or 20 years ago, you’ll usually see either me or Bill.” “At the end of the day,” Dunleavy says, “the greatest compliment we get is when people say they ‘wish they had a Dunleavy’s in their town.’” SiP
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Styling the
WAVE
Island resident and interior designer Cortney Bishop brings a touch of sophistication to Middle Street with her bold, tropical design for The Longboard restaurant. Denise K. James meets Sullivan’s first lady of style. Photos by Katie Charlotte & Josie Derrick
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Opposite page: Cortney Bishop in her Sullivan’s Island home. Photo By Katie Charlotte. This page: A 9-foot, 6-inch turquoise Almond longboard hangs above the bar of The Longboard. Photo by Josie Derrick.
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t’s a Thursday afternoon, and I’m telling Cortney Bishop about how the print on my pants and the print on my shirt artistically clash — one of the many tidbits about fashion, art, travel, and other forms of inspiration that she and I have enjoyed relating throughout our discussion. A resident of Sullivan’s Island and a renowned interior designer across the Lowcountry and beyond, Cortney is a self-declared sponge of inspiration, always eager for the next moment that could influence her perspective and aesthetic. Recently, Cortney completed a project particularly dear to her: a new restaurant on Sullivan’s Island’s Middle Street. In collaboration with architect Beau Clowney, she transformed a former pizza joint into a chic, indoor / outdoor coastal eatery. The Longboard, which is within biking distance of her house, is the brainchild of Clint Gaskins, a longtime friend of Cortney’s and for whom she designed the original Longboard restaurant on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The two friends first met at The Red Party, held at the Old City Jail in Charleston, where Clint was catering for the event and Cortney was hosting. A few years later, when Clint was looking for a “coastal and surf-driven designer” for his St. John restaurant, he thought of Cortney. “He remembered the success of The Red Party, and, when he decided to open his first restaurant in the Caribbean, he called me and asked me to help,” Cortney recalls.
Challenged by business
As a child growing up in Atlanta, Cortney didn’t know exactly what career she wanted to pursue; she only knew she liked the challenge of business. Both entrepreneur and artist, young Cortney made her 84 | SiP
first dollar selling splatter-painted socks, lemonade, and “whatever she could get her hands on.” The whole time, artistic influences were quietly in the background, shaping what her future might look like. With a mother who owned an interior design firm and a grandmother who worked as a dressmaker, Cortney was surrounded by creative women. Though she followed her father’s advice and enrolled in business school at the University of Georgia, the underpinnings of creativity followed her. During her collegiate years, she “dabbled” in fashion, worked in retail, and got a job with Capricorn Records, picking out bands such as Beck and 311. She also traveled internationally and spent time “tweaking her creative side,” she says. Although her zeal for all things creative perplexed her business-minded father, Cortney had the distinct feeling that she was headed in the right direction. “As a kid, you want to please parents but also find your right fit,” she says. “I got the full perspective about what was going on in the world before shaping my business. Looking back, I understand why my dad was not as enthused about it. But I wasn’t done exploring; I was still looking for what I really loved.” After college, Cortney accepted a marketing position with The Beach Club at Kiawah, a members’ club on the gated barrier island. There, she networked with people who would become contacts for her future design business. At 27 years old, she had the epiphany that would shape her new career: She wanted to work in either fashion or interior design. Because she’d moved to Tennessee — her husband Baker’s home state — she decided interior design was the more practical choice. “Design made sense with my mom’s background,” she says.
Opposite page: With a mix of island-style and traditional Sullivan’s Island architecture, The Longboard fits in with its surroundings while adding a touch of style to Middle Street. Photo by Josie Derrick. This page: Custom sapele wood tables for the booths were crafted by the restaurant’s neighbor, Brooks Custom Woodworks. Light fixtures by Allied Maker complement the flood of natural light in this vibrant and colorful space. Photos by Katie Charlotte.
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“I thought I could dig my heels in and learn it. I was always looking ahead at trends, and I was often in the pop world looking for ideas.” Two years after beginning her career in interior design in Knoxville, Cortney was ready to start a business of her own. She headed back to the Lowcountry, buying a home on Sullivan’s Island, a corner of the Lowcountry she chose “because of its quirkiness.” After decorating it, she started hosting parties, sharing the aesthetic with her friends and their friends, helping launch her into Charleston’s burgeoning renaissance. If you’re curious about whether the interior design trends of the Charleston area have changed in the last decade and a half, Cortney reports they definitely have. When she started her business in the early 2010s, Lowcountry homes still embodied a lot of the typical Southern coastal charm, paying scant attention to design trends. But that has changed drastically. “At the time, Charleston was more traditional,” she says. “It hadn’t branched out to eclectic. I think the renaissance in Charleston has definitely infiltrated design at this point. Today, people like a more laid-back, more Cortney boho style.” Her own home is artistic and bohemian, she says – a testament to the fact that she is “a gypsy traveler.” Cortney considers her home her canvas and is constantly changing everything from the paint colors to the furniture to the artwork. Still, you might not notice the designer’s home as anything out of the ordinary as you cruise Sullivan’s on a golf cart or a bike – the house is understated and traditional on the outside. Venture inside to Cortney’s inner world, however, and it’s a colorful representation of her many loves. “My house is changing all the time,” she says. “It feels
fresh and young and collected. I am definitely driven by bohemian inspiration. I encourage people to mix [things up], too. It creates a more interesting story. It creates more meaning in your home and in your life.”
“
Scouting for stories
I think the renaissance in Charleston has definitely infiltrated design. Today, people like a more laid-back, more boho style.
The act of connecting the two, home and life, is the cornerstone of Cortney’s design philosophy. Her love for art, fashion, and global culture continues to inspire how she guides her clients. She encourages them to reach back into their own lives for the most significant experiences — and to let those experiences inspire a dining room or sunroom. It’s an individual’s story and a family’s story that creates a more interesting home, she says, and she keeps an eye out for these stories when scouting design inspiration. “Traveling to places like New York, Morocco, and Paris, I am always looking for a beautiful story,” she says. “A granddaughter still quilting. A family with a generational rug business. Those relationships are what drive my passion and creativity.” A trip to Morocco led to Bishop sourcing one-of-a-kind tiles from an artisan. “They were 69 cents each and so whimsical. I chose nine or 12 and put them in a bag. Later, I placed them in my fireplace on Sullivan’s. Now I look at them every day and am reminded to keep traveling and exploring.” Cortney’s blending of design with the human experience is exactly what Clint was looking for with The Longboard. He says that to achieve experiential dining, a restaurant’s decor must be part of the overall concept and just as creative as the food and drinks. “Decor must be accompanied with a comparative level of human resources,
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Opposite page: An inviting u-shaped bar occupies the center of the restaurant, while custom-colored floor tiles by Eskayel for Clé Tile make a statement, emulating The Longboard’s lively, bohemian spirit. Photo by Katie Charlotte.
culture, architectural design, food, and beverage creativity,” he says. “If you don’t have a balanced combination of all of the above, the holes in your design become quickly exposed.” The restaurant, which opened last summer, is a breath of fresh air with an indoor/outdoor concept that welcomes in the sea breezes. Cortney’s design effortlessly merges the worlds of laid-back island style and traditional Sullivan’s Island architecture. Pops of tropical patterns dance across booth seating; bleached shiplap walls contrast with custom-colored floor tiles; and an inviting U-shaped bar at the center creates an open, welcoming experience for diners. Each day for Cortney is a new adventure. She prepares to embrace the adventures with a quiet morning ritual consisting of tea, prayer, and journaling, which, she says, keeps her grounded. Then, during business hours, she devotes herself fully to her design studio, where she works with a number of talented women. As the “boss,” much of Cortney’s time is spent communicating, and she is careful to maintain a work-life balance and not get too absorbed in outside noise. “I’m here at the studio from 9:30 or 10 a.m. to 6:30 or 7 p.m., and then I go home to my family, and we enjoy dinner,” she says. Though some are skeptical of the saying, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Cortney shows it can be achieved. The trick is to find what inspires you and turn it into a business. Of course, this designer’s good fortune and success comes from the fact that she’s inspired by almost everything. “I love shopping for accessories and going to art shows,” she says. “I love meeting artists. When I travel, I love seeing new hotels and restaurants, looking at the best stores and walking the streets. It’s all like a puzzle. Those images and experiences in my mind become my ideas for the future.” SiP
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SUMMER ADVENTURE
AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSPENSE IOP author Mary Alice Monroe is known for her activism through fiction. Now she is teaching the next generation of nature lovers how to respect their environment with a new children’s series set on Dewees Island. Carol A ntman took her granddaughter, Emilia Mae O’Donnell, to meet the author at the site of her inspiration. Photos by Caroline Knopf.
Mary Alice Monroe and her co-author, Angela May, read their new book in an idylic perch on Dewees Island. 88 | SiP
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Mary Alice Monroe with one of the Dewees Island Nature Center’s resident turtles.
“The right book with
the right kid can really change a kid’s life,”
says Alyson Heller, editor of The Islanders. That thought was readily apparent when the book’s authors, Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May, visited Sullivan’s Island Elementary School. Every child in the entire school had read the book. It had been integrated into their curricula, everything from costumes to science projects. Like the book’s main character, Jake, each student was keeping a nature journal. “Mine has drawings of the beach at sunset, birds, and the Angel Oak,” says my third-grade granddaughter, Emilia Mae O’Donnell, who was so engrossed in the story that she drew a picture of a pirate and a treasure chest in an attempt to guess the book’s sequel. “And I got it right!” she enthused. Aboard the ferry to Dewees Island with the book’s authors, the story came alive as she and I read of Jake’s similar journey. “All around me, the blue water spread out as far as I could see. Acres of bright green marsh grass waved in the breeze along the shore. I spied a long line of brown pelicans flying low over the marsh in tight formation, their 6-foot wingspans almost touching the water …” The Islanders tells the story of three children spending a summer on Dewees Island. Angela remembers going several years ago and “The magic of the first visit has never faded,” she says. It’s a unique island with only 90 | SiP
a few permanent residents. Even though it’s just a 20-minute boat ride from Isle of Palms, it is a world apart. “I wanted to unscreen and go green,” Mary Alice said of her choice of locales for her first children’s book. Dewees is a land of discovery for The Islanders kids. They learn to drive golf carts and boats, swim, and discover pluff mud, seashells, and critters. The setting “is so tactile, so real,” says literary agent Faye Bender, who represents Mary Alice and Angela. Emilia and I bumped along in our own golf cart and visited some of the book’s settings: The Nature Center, with the giant alligator skeleton and aquariums of turtles, and the gazebo where the kids ran from a coyote. We walked on the vast, empty beach and pictured what it would be like to come here from “up North,” like Jake did. Although he chafed at the idea of being without electronics at first, he eventually enjoyed it. “My summer was different here, compared to the ones back at base. There, I spent a lot of time indoors playing video games. When I went out, I played team sports. On the island, I was more on my own. I could explore. Go swimming. Read. I could do whatever I wanted to do. And I was never bored! I was learning not just about critters and plants, but about myself.” Emilia imagined spending the summer like Jake, without her usual distractions. “It gave me an idea of living on an island without a lot of people and showed me that not everybody has everything I have,” she says. Living without the internet would be “hard and fun at the
Top: The Dewees Lagoon. Bottom: Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May at the Dewees Island Nature Center.
same time.” After the kids mistakenly take a boat that they think is abandoned, they are punished by being put on the turtle patrol, which requires them to get up super early. Although that part sounded rough to Emilia, she thought the turtle’s hatching was the most exciting part of the book. “We watched, almost holding our breath, as one lone hatchling, dark brown and only 3 inches long, wiggled its flippers and pulled itself from the nest. Without pausing, the hatchling began digging its flippers into the sand as it headed straight for the sea.” Many readers thought that was the best part, too. A child named Sydney wrote, “My favorite part was when the baby turtles hatch because I love turtles. When I went to Florida on vacation, I saw a lot of nests.” The authors have tapped into the sense of wonder and thrill of discovery that middle-grade readers have. New York Times critic Kwame Alexander wrote, “This is storytelling for young readers at its finest. Equal parts summer adventure and environmental suspense, The Islanders is a middle-grade love letter to family, friendship, and the natural world.”
NATURE LOVERS
Mary Alice Monroe’s 27 books, including the popular Beach House series, passionately explore the intersection of Mother Nature and human nature. Local author Pat Conroy described her as “the premier nature writer among Southern novelists.” She has been WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 91
recognized with awards and distinctions ranging from the South Carolina Academy of Authors Hall of Fame to the prestigious Southern Book Prize for Fiction, but she is most proud of serving on the Island Turtle Patrol for more than 20 years. That role has deepened her commitment to protecting the fragile coastal environment. She was moved by a turtle laying eggs with tears running down its face. “Science explains those tears as a natural cleansing of the eyes, but, as a writer … as a woman, I saw them as a mother’s tears. … the tears of duty, love, and commitment … of resignations and acceptance … knowing that all young are poised for leaving and that no mother can protect her children from their fate.” From that inspiration, The Islanders was born. “I knew there was a story there,” she says. Like all of her novels, this one relied on academic research and her work with wildlife experts as well as her own experience. The Islanders is the first in what will be a series of three middle-grade novels: ages 8 to 12. The second one, Search for Treasure, will be published in June 2022. There is a fallacy that writing for children is easier than writing for adults. It’s actually
Letters from fans to the authors. Below, the authors relax on Dewees Island beach.
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harder in many ways because it requires an understanding of how this age group is different from adults. Children don’t want too much description or internal dialogue. They want action. “The pacing and word choice are different,” says Mary Alice. “You have to trust that the kids will get it because there’s not as much internal thought.” When her 10-year-old grandson read a first draft of The Islanders, he pronounced it “slow.” So the pace was quickened. A fan letter from a child named Destiny shows the improvement: “I love how the book gets more exciting along the way and the adventures that the three go on.” The hardest part is crafting an authentic voice. “Middle-grade readers are discerning,” says Faye Bender. “The character’s voice needs to feel like someone their age.” Mary Alice added: “If the author does her homework, she’ll know as much about each character as her own children. … we know what they would say and how they would respond.” A young reader named Brynn identified with the story and wrote: “If I had to rate your book, it would be a 10 because of the detail and all the characters. You are an amazing author. … the book inspired me to write and get out more.”
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This is storytelling for young readers at its finest. Equal parts summer adventure and environmental suspense. Kwame Alexander, The New York Times
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Another fallacy about middle-grade books is that they should avoid tough subjects. Children this age know a lot about the world, but finesse is important because they are still tender and somewhat innocent. The topics tackled by The Islanders include racial diversity, illness, depression, financial insecurity, and amputation. But Emilia wasn’t bothered by any of that. “I think that made it more exciting,” she says. “Kids are exposed to so much,” says Bender. “I think any book that doesn’t explore that to some extent is dishonest.” The Islanders is Mary Alice’s first book to have a co-author. Angela May has a back-
ground in media, journalism, and public relations and has worked with Mary Alice for more than 10 years. This is their first book together. “It was an incredible experience,” says Angela of the four years they traded notes and suggestions back and forth. She is most surprised and delighted by how the book has brought generations together. Grandparents read it to their grandchildren and children pass the book along to siblings. A fan letter from a child named Samantha said, “I love your book a lot. … it changed my life. I’ve told every single family member about it. I read it to my sister so she can fall asleep. I wish I could be there in person to tell you that.” Back at Sullivan’s Island Elementary School, Angela and Mary Alice were astounded to see the many ways the book had been creatively interpreted. The Islanders was a perfect choice for the school that bills itself as “learning by the sea” and integrates a coastal environment theme across all subject areas. The authors visited each classroom, answered questions, and read some of the students’ nature journals. They were even asked for autographs. But the highlight for Mary Alice was that when they found out there was going to be a second book, “They cheered.” SiP
DON’T BLINK You could miss the perfect swan dive. When illness or injury threaten to take time away from what matters most, Roper St. Francis Healthcare is here for you.
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RISING STARS Catch a glimpse of islanders following their dreams and passions into the stratosphere.
Riding
the
Wave Philip Antman
P
hilip Antman’s first summer running Salt Marsh Surf Co. went better than clutching a barrel wave. Following a rule change by the City of Isle of Palms in May 2021, Antman’s company became the first to offer lessons on IOP under the new regulations. Antman, a Sullivan’s Island native, credits growing up on the Island and its community of surfers for cultivating his lifelong passion for surfing. When he started 30 years ago at the age of 9, Sullivan’s “had quite the scene” for surfing, says Antman. “I grew up really looking up to the surfers on Sullivan’s Island.” Hearing the generational surfer stories about traveling to places like Hawaii and Costa Rica in search of the perfect wave further sparked his interest in the sport. With the established surfing network on Sullivan’s to admire, Antman spent his adolescent years dedicated to riding the waves. He started entering amateur competitions, traveled to other beaches, and constantly read articles in Surfer Magazine. Although he “was one of the more avid surfers” within his group of friends, they all loved the “little community” they had. Antman originally wanted to study physical oceanography at the College of Charleston, to learn more about waves and wave prediction. However, the college did not offer that major, so he opted for marine biology, with a focus on fishery sciences – which led to a semester at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. It was the combination of his educational background, love for surfing, and a strong work ethic gleaned from installing solar panels for a living that created the ideal backdrop for starting Salt Marsh Surf Co. “Working in the solar industry for three years showed me what high-end professionals are doing. To scale that down to a surf lesson business on the beach is more within my wheelhouse, and I feel builds on my experience,” he says. Even though the transition to start Salt Marsh Surf Co. made sense for Antman, he still felt a little aprehensive going before the IOP City Council for approval, mostly because of its history of resisting commercial activity on the beach. Antman explains that his lessons have a “really low impact on the beach.” Children's surf camps are groups of just eight. “We are providing a huge service because it’s what the people of Isle of Palms and Charleston want, and I am a lifeguard now because that’s one of the requirements. So you’re adding extra lifeguards to the beach. Obviously, I am keeping an eye on everything, not just the kids I am teaching.” To Antman, the services he provides are more than just surfing or paddleboarding; they perpetuate a tradition. “The stoke, the enthusiasm, and taking care of Mother Nature,” he says. “I am passing on the knowledge to the next generation.” All the participants benefit from his expertise in marine biology and reverence for the area. In the future, Antman hopes to partner with local nonprofits and potentially extend some of his programs to Costa Rica. But for now, the cliché “when you do what you love, you don’t feel like you’re working” could not stand truer for Antman. — Grace Nichols Photos by Caroline Knopf.
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We are providing a huge service because it’s what the people of Isle of Palms and Charleston want.
COMPANY Salt Marsh Surf Co. ENTREPRENEUR Philip Antman FOUNDED May 1, 2021 LOCATION Isle of Palms PRODUCTS Surf Lessons and Stand-Up Paddleboard Eco-Tours WEBSITE saltmarshsurf.com WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 95
RISING STARS
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The Winning Spirit Zach David
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hen “you go to a tailgate, everything you see is in that teams’ colors. The missing piece is when fans go into that cooler, the booze they grab and drink.” This realization, that bottles do not reflect team spirit, motivated Zach David and his wife, Azucena, to put their game day faces on and set out to create “the missing piece to the perfect tailgate.” In 2020, they founded Game Day Spirits, the first spirit company geared toward the 200 million sports fans in the United States. By creating a unique business strategy that ties team colors to the bottle, Game Day has become the official vodka of 10 college and six NFL teams, including some elite squads such as the New England Patriots. David, an Isle of Palms native, kicked off his 17 years in the wine and spirits industry when he took his first job after graduating from the University of South Carolina. The international business and real estate double major did not originally intend on entering the industry, but, while at a job fair, a wine company booth caught his eye. After “some real-life experience” outside of school, David obtained a scholarship through Charleston’s Rotary Club and decided to pursue a master’s degree program in Argentina. “It wasn’t impossible,” says David, who was blindsided on his first day of class when he realized he was the only student not fluent in Spanish. “It was the best experience that I have ever had because it opened my eyes to different cultures.” Returning to the United States with a master’s degree and a new perspective on life took David’s career to the next league. A promotion moved him to Miami, where he met Azucena, a University of Miami graduate who specializes in marketing and design. From Miami, the couple went to Boston and later California, with David working for Constellation Brands, one of the largest publicly-traded wine companies in the industry. As vice president of sales for the Northeast and West regions, David managed the sale of 10 million cases, more than $1 billion in revenue. Despite his success at Constellation Brands, David needed to shift gears. In 2019, Azucena, pregnant with their first child, was hospitalized for more than two months. The alarming ordeal made David realize he wanted to be able to spend more time at home. “So I quit,” he says. The couple moved to the Isle of Palms, where they went all-in on Game Day Spirits. Becoming entrepreneurs was “the hardest thing we have ever done,” says David. “To be able to move back here, set up roots, and have our daughter see her grandparents every day – there’s no regrets.” David is adamant that Game Day’s victory as a brand has stemmed from hard work, courage, and having a strong team to support him. “Having the right people around you that aren’t just going to tell you that everything is great, but having people tell you what you’re missing, what is wrong, where you’re gonna run into problems, to have people really pressure test it. That’s the people who I value the most.” Last year, the company sold 40,000 cases of vodka, representing about $5 million in revenue. Before long, it will be tackling the seltzer and bourbon industry as well. — Grace Nichols Photo by Caroline Knopf.
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Last year, the company sold 40,000 cases of vodka, making about $5 million in revenue.
COMPANY Game Day Spirits ENTREPRENEURS Zach and Azucena David FOUNDED August 2020 LOCATION Isle of Palms PRODUCTS Vodka WEBSITE gamedayvodka.com
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RISING STARS
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Writing
C
for the
Stars Jason Tracey
SI: Vegas executive producer and Isle of Palms native Jason Tracey maintains a strong connection to his hometown despite living in Altadena, California, a Los Angeles suburb. Tracey, 43, grew up on Shady Lane, where his family moved when he was only a year old. His parents, Jack and Jan, still reside there, and Tracey and his wife, Amanda, have a house on Isle of Palms where they typically stay for a month during summer with their children. Tracey’s hectic production schedule precludes him from returning as much as he would like – Amanda and the kids go more often than he does. “It’s her adopted home,” says Tracey. While in hindsight his career choice seems like a no-brainer, Tracey, who attended Sullivan’s Island Elementary School, Laing Middle, and Wando High – class of ’96 – didn’t plan on going into the television business. He entered college thinking he would pursue something pre-law, studying public policy and international law at Duke University. Yet fate intervened. Tracey was hired at Duke’s student-run TV station. He loved it and spent more and more time there, eventually running the station in his senior year. Tracey also worked a stint at WCBD-2 Charleston during college. He already felt comfortable with the idea of a foray into TV because of his father worked in TV and radio advertising and included Jason in bit parts as a kid. Jason would watch him edit tapes, and that learning experience prepared him for his eventual career choice. “Having a dad who knew about TV production helped,” reflected Tracey. The TV gigs inspired Tracey to change his career trajectory. Tracey and Amanda, who met at Duke, moved to Los Angeles in 2000 after graduation. Amanda had grown up in San Marino, California, and Tracey aspired to work in Hollywood. One of his early gigs involved working under film writer Randall Wallace – Pearl Harbor, Braveheart – assisting with production for We Were Soldiers, a 2002 war film starring Mel Gibson. He later wrote scripts with Craig O’Neill, and Tracey cited his big break as gaining representation with Creative Artists Agency. He and O’Neill kept writing together and, in 2005, landed a short-lived show called Just Legal, starring Don Johnson. Writing work on other shows followed including Justice and Cold Case. Tracey quipped of his brief writing spell on Cold Case as having “a cup of coffee in the big leagues.” He landed his breakthrough with Burn Notice, from 2002 to 2012, getting in on the ground floor and joining the staff before the first season aired. “Burn Notice was my fourth shot at making it,” he jokes. Tracey started in a junior position as an executive story editor, rising to a senior position as executive producer, writing the overarching storylines and final edits. Being there at the beginning allowed Tracey and O’Neill to “really support show creator Matt Nix’s vision.” Tracey wrote storylines for six seasons. “It was wild to watch it grow an audience,” he mused. “We felt, in our own little way, that we caught lightning in a bottle.” Tracey joined Elementary midway through its first season. It was a series starring Lucy Liu that conceived a contemporary spin on the narratives of Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. “That was a tremendous learning opportunity. It was so much fun.” He stayed through its entire production run, from 2012 through 2019.“We probably told as many stories about Sherlock Holmes as Arthur Conan Doyle,” he jests.
Today, Tracey is working on the second season of CSI: Vegas, having successfully helped relaunch the iconic franchise late last year. The show is returning for 18 episodes, with production slated for late May. Tracey has been a fan of CSI ever since arriving in Los Angeles in 2000 – the same year the now more than two-decadeold forensics crime drama series became the biggest show on TV. Because it was a Jerry Bruckheimer production and also featured talented actors, Tracey, who at that time hoped to make it in the film business, thought “it looked like a movie.” “It was cinematic,” he said. “It felt like a movie on TV. CSI was this weird bridge.” Evaluating his own career prospects, Tracey realized early on that TV was the more stable industry. His opportunity to take the production reins of CSI: Vegas came when two of his industry contacts sought to reboot the show for its 20th anniversary. When they called, Tracey needed no convincing. “I was very excited,” he remembers. Tracey is also enthusiastic about writing for Marg Helgenberger, who is reprising her role as Catherine Willows in the second season. “The bad guy of this season has a plan that’s fascinating,” Tracey adds. “There’s nothing better than a story with a great villain.”
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— Colin McCandless
We felt, in our own little way, that we caught lightning in a bottle.
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SiP SCENE
New kids on the
block What’s old is new again. Get ready for new restaurants in old places on both IOP and Sullivan’s that recall the best of the past with plenty of modern preparations and perks. Stephanie Burt tours the newest establishments on the islands with the deepest roots. Photos by Josie Derrick.
A
s the tide continues to shift on both the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island restaurant scene, gone are the days when vacationers and residents alike had to cross a bridge – or three – to enjoy a dining experience to remember. “Charleston’’ caliber dining, in spots such as The Obstinate Daughter and Coda del Pesce, has been well-established on the islands for years, and this newest crop of restaurants recently open or opening soon are filling in the gaps with plenty of retro fish camp vibes, fried favorites, and family-friendly menus. When it comes to the newest spots opening on Sullivan’s or IOP, the menu for this year includes paneled interiors, fried green tomato appetizers, and frozen drink machines swirling coconut-scented cocktails. And it’s not only the menus and the vibes that are retro in new spots to dine – the locations are, too. The current restaurant scene is emerging firmly anchored in the islands’ restaurant history – in the actual buildings, in fact. The names and the menus have changed, but the addresses on Ocean Boulevard, Middle Street, and the Isle of Palms Marina stay the same. The sun is out, the seagulls are calling on the breezes, and we’re all getting hungry from a day on the islands. Rinse off that saltwater, gather the family, and go out to eat together. The patio is open, the drinks are cold, and the fried shrimp is fresh and hot. It’s time to eat.
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LAWRENCE’S SEAFOOD COMPANY 1130 Ocean Blvd., IOP www.lawrencesseafood.com Only three dining spots on Isle of Palms have ocean views, and Lawrence’s Seafood Company is one of them – but with one major exception: a boardwalk from the deck directly to the sand and waves, making it a true gem of a place to enjoy a bite. The seafood restaurant is named after J.S. Lawrence, the man who purchased the island in 1897, graced it with its current, tropical moniker, and opened a beach amusement property. In that spirit, its menu goes back to the classics of many a beach boardwalk spot, focusing on freshly fried seafood, honey butter hush puppies, shrimp and grits, and sandwiches. “By far, my favorite item is our lobster roll: a fresh, split buttered roll piled with our signature lobster salad,” says Alana Wise, regional manager of Perry Hospitality, the company that owns Lawrence’s and neighboring Coconut Joe’s. “The tender Maine lobster is paired with fresh dill, mayonnaise, and our secret blend of spices, and I can’t stop eating it! I like to get it with our Brussels sprouts, which are tossed in a mustard bacon glaze to make it a full meal.“ The restaurant makes the most of its beachfront setting, with temperature-controlled views from inside, but if outside in the sun is your preference, Lawrence’s has outdoor lounge areas on its sunny deck with bright, comfortable couches that invite you to linger over a beverage. There’s also a covered patio in the front of the restaurant for those who don’t want to give up the ocean breezes but would prefer some more shade. And about those beverages? In addition to cocktails and beer and shot combos, Lawrence’s Seafood Company offers more than 20 beer selections, from Coors Banquet to local favorite Palmetto Huger Street IPA. Score some spicy shrimp tacos as a summery pairing, and toast to J.S. Lawrence for his grand idea all those years ago. WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 101
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THE LONGBOARD 2213-B Middle St., Sullivan’s Island www.thelongboardsullivans.com The Longboard’s sister restaurant opened in 2015 on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, so it made sense to keep the island sensibility for its prime spot on Sullivan’s Island. The whole restaurant feels like a cool breeze after a hot day, and that’s amplified by the smart focus on the raw bar side of the menu, from local peel-and-eat shrimp to oyster happy hours. “In general, we really focus on small plates and try to cater to snacking with some friends between lunch and dinner service — we have started opening at three to do just that — as well as those more traditional diners that are looking for an entreecentered meal,” says Executive Chef Will Fincher (pictured left). His face will be familiar to island residents from his long tenure at The Obstinate Daughter a few blocks north. While his current restaurant is inspired by Caribbean breezes, this Decatur, Alabama, native creates dishes with a wide range of influences. He’s worked in Charleston for years and is adept at creating dishes that appeal to its diners. Some of the stars of the show include a hamachi crudo with chili oil, fried shallot and lime, and soul-satisfying croquettes made from local white fish with a green curry aioli, fried to a crispy golden brown. If island time has you lazing about for breakfast that turns into brunch, don’t sleep on Fincher’s vegetable hash with sweet potatoes, scallions, cauliflower, and a generous drizzle of hollandaise. That might be decadent enough for many diners, but for those who insist that more is more, the kitchen will happily add eggs, bacon, or even pork belly to the dish. The center of the restaurant is no doubt the beautiful bar, which offers cocktails and wines by the carafe. If you want to be part of the “in” crowd as you belly up, however, order the Painkiller shooter. This frozen concoction is the restaurant’s most popular cocktail, a fun take on a Caribbean classic.
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SULLIVAN’S FISH CAMP 2019 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island sullivansfishcamp.getbento.com The Basic Projects team, behind restaurants Basic Kitchen in Charleston and Post House in Mount Pleasant, is finishing up a thoughtful restoration of the former Sullivan’s restaurant, which closed in 2020. In a throwback to the classic fish camp, with plenty of elements created by local artists, Sullivan’s Fish Camp includes a 70s-tastic dining room with lacquered paneling, original artwork on the placemats by local artist Mickey Williams, and custom-stained glass billiard lamps from Charlestowne Stained Glass Studio. It’s the fitting next chapter for the original restaurant that was owned by siblings Sammy Rhodes and Donna Rhodes Hiott for 30 years. “We’re really drawn to properties with a history, and Sullivan’s is chock-full of memories and personality,” says co-owner/operator Ben Towill. “For us, it’s about breathing new life into a place that has been well-loved and, hopefully, keeping it a mainstay in the community. We love the laid-back vibes on Sullivan’s Island and can’t wait to be a part of the vibrant eating and drinking scene.” The classic Southern fish camp idea also heavily influences the menu, with plenty of fried seafood combos and other family-friendly classics, including lobster rolls. Lowcountry native Nathan Hood, the executive chef at Post House, will be bringing his focus on local seafood to this restaurant as well, with plenty of seafood specialties including crudos with locally caught, ultrafresh fish, along with seafood towers that feature oysters, shrimp, and other delicacies. The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner service, and there will even be a gift shop with hats, tees, and plenty of floatable key chains. After all, it’s a beach town, and this restaurant will celebrate that fact.
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The view over the intracoastal waterway from Islander 71 will be a huge draw for patrons.
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ISLANDER 71 Isle of Palms Marina islander71.com Another fish house idea is opening soon on one of the hottest properties on Isle of Palms — the former Morgan Creek Grill at the IOP Marina. When that restaurant closed in 2020, many IOP residents wondered what would become of the space. Longtime locals Dave and Chrissy Lorenz and Jon Bushnell wondered too, and, as part of the Mex 1 Coastal Cantina family, they also recognized an opportunity. Since the property is owned by the town, the trio submitted a request for proposal and went through the process, and Islander 71 was born. The team has been in deep renovation mode, transforming the space, including adding astroturf, restyling the existing outdoor bar, and adding two back decks that face the Intracoastal Waterway — in general, capitalizing on some of the most stunning water views in the region. “We love the island, and the restaurant’s name comes from the year we were all born,” says Dave Lorenz. “We live on the island and enjoy being able to ride our bikes to a local watering hole, so we knew we had to do it right. This space and food should remind you of simpler times.” Simpler times, sure, but with plenty of televisions to watch the game, a stage for live music, fried shrimp hot out of the kitchen and piled in a basket — oh, and those aforementioned views — Islander 71 will most likely usher in a new era of fun on its side of the island. The restaurant anticipates plenty of special events in the space, and a view like that is something that deserves a toast, whether it’s during a noteworthy occasion or on a Tuesday. SiP
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The Sign Guy
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A rustic music venue’s weekly barn jams are elevated by whimsical poster art. By Marci Shore. Illustrations by Gil Shuler.
W
hen Eddie White, founder of the Awendaw Green Barn Jam music venue, asked graphic designer Gil Shuler if he’d do a poster for the Wednesday night jams, Shuler told him, “Yeah, dude. I’ll do one.” Over a dozen years and 700 posters later, Shuler’s whimsical works of art get nearly as much attention as the colorful lineup of local and regional musicians who croon on the venue’s rustic stage on the outskirts of Mount Pleasant. “He expresses himself artistically on a weekly basis and brings in whatever is on his mind: music, news, politics, weather, personal love, tragedy, and a thousand more things,” says White. Initially, the posters all used the image of a mason jar (a jam, or fruit preserve reference), along with a guitar or other music visual: “It just seemed to work well to go along with the rural barn jam theme. But after a while, I felt I exhausted all the variations on that theme,” Shuler says. When he first took on the project, it was just after the 2008 recession, and Shuler had a little more time for freelance work. He had been employed in graphic design and marketing for over 35 years, usually having to follow rigid visions for clients and their projects. His work was featured in the design of many iconic Lowcountry logos for businesses such as the Riverdogs baseball team, Poe’s restaurant on Sullivan’s Island, and Jack’s Cosmic Dogs on Highway 17. Shuler also designed posters for various venues in downtown Charleston, often in exchange for tickets: “Eddie’s the best. He gave me free rein to design whatever came to mind – no guidelines.” Gil on his design inspiration: The owl with the cassette tape for a head (above): “I always try to have something that relates to nature since the Barn Jam is basically in the country and outside — then I try to tie it into music — hence the cassette tape head. Next page: Man fishing into the guitar hole: “A classic ‘country / outside’ type image but make the fishing hole a guitar sound hole. Man climbing up guitar strings like a ladder: “I was observing a guitar up close and my imagination got the best of me: I thought the strings looked like a ladder and thought, what if there was a little guitar man inside.” Man jumping into guitar pool: “This was created during August when it’s stifling hot, so I’m always thinking about swimming. I just thought a guitar pool would be cool — then stick a shark fin in there for fun.” Guitar lightning bugs in the jar: “For the first few years of designing these posters, I focused on a ‘jam jar’ — this was the idea of collecting cool insects that are actually little guitar bugs — in the jar.” Cardinal with headphones: “I love birds and the cardinal is one of my favorites. I just made it a little more human. Camp fire inside a circle: “The fire is a guitar pick.”
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“
We could do it without these weekly posters, but it wouldn’t be as cool, fun, and meaningful. – EDDIE WHITE
Seeking a sign
Every Tuesday afternoon before the Wednesday night jams, Shuler takes off his 9-to-5 designer cap and allows his imagination to flow through his tablet stylus and into Adobe Illustrator. No clip art in sight, he said. Inspiration for the poster theme might come from an idea he “locks away” from something he sees that week: “Tuesday might come around and I’ll start working on the design and I’ll realize, ‘no, that won’t work.’”
Inspiration may simply come from looking around his office and thumbing through a book or magazine. It may come from listening to the music of the musical lineup that week – or possibly from the name of a band or musician performing that Wednesday. For the January 19, 2022, poster, Shuler took note of the ‘19’ and an idea jumped out to design a poster featuring a COVID-19 test. White has a limited number of prints made for the Jam, and then freely tacks up the digital
poster on social media. The popularity of the posters inevitably led to the idea of compiling some of them into a book unambiguously titled Barn Jam Posters. Having designed many coffee table books for his clients and already having connections with printers, the process of creating the book was seamless, he says. The release party to unveil the book was something else, especially since it coincided with a nationwide shutdown. Nonetheless, more than 500 copies of the book have been WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 111
Gil Shuler and Eddie White on the stage at Awendaw Green. Photo by Rob Byko. 112 | SiP
sold since its release. Often an artist who performs at a show will request a copy of the poster as a keepsake. Shuler will gladly email a high-resolution file in exchange for a few dollars. He estimates he’s spent over 20,000 hours designing the posters in the past dozen years, a time period he refers to as a weekly “class” in free expression and skill honing. Other compensation comes in the form of some free dental work for him and his family from White, whose day job is running a dental practice in Mount Pleasant. A lifelong music lover and garage band musician himself, Shuler said he also simply sees it as a way to personally contribute to the local music and art scene. “The posters are immensely important to the artist and all the fans of Awendaw Green,” says White. “We could do it without these weekly posters, but it wouldn’t be as cool, fun, and meaningful.” SiP
Barn Jam Awendaw Green has hosted a Wednesday night outdoor barn jam at its rustic location under the oaks 18 miles from the islands since 2008. The Barn Jam at Sewee Outpost is a safe haven for original musicians, with around five different acts starting at 5:30 p.m. The music usually wraps up around 9:30 p.m. Expect a family-friendly, laid-back atmosphere with bonfires, a possible goat or two, and unique live music from regional and local acts. BYOB, with food offered by Holy City Popcorn and the Roost Bar and Grille. There’s a $10 cash-only cover, and kids under 12 are free. Leashed dogs are allowed. Visit awendawgreen.com for more details. The book, Barn Jam Posters, can be purchased at gilshulergraphicdesign.com/portfolio/ barn-jam-posters-book/.
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Art on the Beach / Chefs in the Kitchen 2022
takes place Sunday, November 13, 2022. For more information, including artist applications and tickets, visit artonthebeachchs.com. Ticket sales start in June 2022, and all proceeds benefit Charleston Pro Bono.
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a taste of
art
Carol Antman, founder of the Art on the Beach/Chefs in the Kitchen fundraiser, reflects on the history of the 23-year-old event and how it inspires creativity and community on Sullivan’s Island.
I
was visiting New York several years ago and went on a tour of artists’ studios. As I ducked into a basement, I banged my head really hard and got a great idea: Art on the Beach and Chefs in the Kitchen. “People would love a self-guided tour of homes on Sullivan’s Island full of artists and chefs,” I thought. And it would be a great way to raise funds for Creative Spark Center for the Arts, which I had founded in 1989. Like many of my ideas, including starting the art center itself, my modest proposal grew quickly as it ignited people’s imaginations. Twenty-three years later, the yearly tour continues, having raised nearly $1 million and becoming one of the area’s most anticipated events.
Bringing Art to life
Creative Spark’s mission over its 25-year history was to bring the world’s cultures to audiences and schoolchildren. Every school year, we coordinated tours and artistic residencies that brought the study of geography, social studies, and history to life. Children drummed with African musicians, saw dramatizations of Appalachian folk tales or Japanese myths, created with master crafters, and wrote poetry. We collaborated with Head-
start, the Boys and Girls Club, and our neighbors in Snowden to provide scholarships to study music, art, dance, drama, and creative writing with our faculty or to attend summer camps. Art on the Beach was the funding source for much of that work. Throughout all we did, we were guided by our passion to use the arts to create community. In 2014, after 25 years, Creative Spark was reaching the end of its history and an idea emerged for Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services to acquire the fundraiser. CPB serves the vital legal needs of Charleston’s economically disadvantaged people. Recently, for example, it helped a single working mother of five to repair and stay in her rented home. Another case helped a grandmother gain legal custody of her orphaned grandchild and another helped a woman resolve a discrepancy in her identification documents that prevented her from getting a drivers’ license. “In the midst of these demanding issues, “hosting an event like Art on the Beach brings in needed funding,” says Executive Director Alissa Lietzow. To professionalize the event, Maryann Mazurek of the Event Cooperative joined the team. “This tapped into a passion for me,” she says of the chance to strengthen her ties to the artistic community. Even during the pandemic, they
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Page 114: This piece by Sally Evans was featured on the 2012 Art on the Beach poster. Clockwise from top left: A chef from Mex 1 fills a tasting tray. 2019 artist Claire Kendall live paints. The 2016 poster art. The Drifter prepares for its tasting in 2021. Patrons look on at photographer Joe Benton’s work. Patrons enjoying a beautiful day on the tour. Photos courtesy Charleston Pro Bono and Carol Antman.
kept people engaged and the brand relevant by partnering with Charleston Home + Design magazine and staging a free event on Instagram that included tours of popular homes such as Mugdock Castle on Sullivan’s Island and chef boxes delivered to viewers.
Creating community
The fundraiser requires lots of community support. Generous businesses, especially Sandpiper Gallery and Station 22 restaurant, have been repeated sponsors. Summer Realty will be the title sponsor for the second time in 2022. “I’ve always loved the event,” says Summer Eudy, owner of the Sullivan’s Island real estate company. “It incorporates many things that are important to me: homes, architecture, food, art, and benefiting a good cause.” Patrons can check in on the tour under the pink awning at her Middle Street office, enjoy a frose and take a photo with The Pink Figgy, a 30-year-old limited edition Nissan Figaro convertible. Tickets for a chance to win a basket of artists’ creations will be sold there, too. Summer’s children are fifth-generation islanders, so her goal is to assist long-term island residents who want to sell their homes. “The event is great for brand awareness,” she says. Dozens of volunteers pitch in, some showing up every year. “I have been volunteering since my
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daughter was 4 years old,” says Dena Davis. “She turns 21 this week.” Davis was compelled to help because her daughter had such a wonderful experience in Creative Spark’s preschool program. “Art on the Beach is something I still get excited about every fall. Everyone should support this fundraiser at least once. Warning: It is addicting!”
Artists, chefs, homeowners, oh my!
The chance to sell and gain commissions draws an increasing number of artists each year. Last year, more than 100 applications were submitted for the 30 artist slots. “Events like this are business incubators,” says Mazurek. Katherine Heilig, of KLH Design, says that Art on the Beach is “definitely the most exciting” of the art events she participates in. Her blockprinted products ranging from stationery to pillows and candles have been very popular as well. “This event helped grow my business not just in sales but also in my following on social media,” she says. The heroes of the event are the gracious homeowners who open their homes to 500 strangers. “It’s not a big deal,” says MarieLouise Ramsdale, who has participated twice. Her own law firm recently won an award for its pro bono work, and she’s a lover of the
arts. “It makes you get your house looking good, and I’m happy to support good causes,” she says, pointing out that some areas of the home can be put off-limits so it’s not a terrible inconvenience. Chefs, who recognize the opportunity to market to this upscale demographic, outdo each other with elaborate displays and delicious bites. “When they added the Chefs in the Kitchen, it just took it to a whole new level!” says Davis. It’s a movable feast as patrons wander into beautiful kitchens where chefs whip up tasty creations. Some of the displays are works of art themselves, such as Salthouse Catering’s bountiful charcuterie, which is a veritable still life. With so many people contributing their support, the event has gained quite a reputation. Tickets sold out seven weeks in advance last year. When I was the director of Creative Spark, I would often say that we weren’t selling piano lessons and such – we were selling community. The reason for the longevity of Art on the Beach and Chefs in the Kitchen is volunteers, homeowners, chefs, artists, and coordinators working together for a good cause, which is so powerful. Their boundless creative energy and the enthusiastic participation of patrons make Sullivan’s Island a stronger and happier place to live. SiP
“
I have been volunteering since my daughter was 4 years old. She turns 21 this week! – Dena Davis
Clockwise from top left: Artist Cynthia Huston stands with her work featured in the Valko residence in 2021. Island resident Red Wood’s homilies were a featured part of the 2012 tour. The 2012 event poster. Annual chef participants, Cru Catering, prepares a savory treat in Pierce Cauthen’s residence. Charleston painter Art by Bri, sets up her work at Mugdock Castle. Photos courtesy Charleston Pro Bono and Carol Antman.
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VIBES &
VOCALS Local musician Marci Shore takes a tour through Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island live music hot spots to bring you the lowdown on the vibes and vocals to be found on the sea islands this season.
Photo by Tatiana Tidestrom 118 | SiP
COCONUT JOE’S BEACH GRILL
coconutjoes.biz, 1120 Ocean Blvd., Isle of Palms, 843.886.0046
Vibe Serving up dining with a view since 1997, the main restaurant area has a panoramic view of the beach while serving up fried or grilled seafood, ribeyes, burgers, and salads. Nothing says sunset on IOP like relaxing on the rooftop bar, cradling a colorful rum drink with an umbrella in it, and the ocean breeze in your hair. This is the second season of Joe’s new beachside bar, Colada Swings, featuring hammocks where you can socialize, sip, and swing. Vocals Joe’s Rooftop Bar will host music Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. More time slots may be added as the season progresses. Rotating acts include singer-songwriter Kevin Church, multi-genre singer and instrumentalist Chris Tidestrom, keyboard player/vocalist Jeremiah King, and party favorites by Lane Doss.
THE DINGHY TAPROOM AND KITCHEN
dinghyiop.com, 8 J C Long Blvd., Isle of Palms, 843.242.8310
Vibe Key West with a Lowcountry flair, the Dinghy boasts a variety of sandwiches, from fried bologna to a Cuban panini, and unusual appetizers such as conch fritters, alligator bites, and sweet potato fries topped with warm peanut butter – the Dirty Elvis. Drink specials weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Owned by the same folks who own The Windjammer, they know how to appeal to locals and tourists alike. With music, the patio bar gets lively in the evening. Vocals Weekly music is admittedly “random” in terms of days and times, says the manager. The genres range from rock and reggae to singer-songwriter and country. PAPI’S TAQUERIA
papisiop.com, 1012 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms, 843.926.7274
Vibe Papi’s creative tacos include a “Nashville hot chicken” variety, “a chorizo meatball” taco and a “pork belly, sunny side up and sweet potato” taco. Locally sourced seafood tacos and, of course, margaritas, are a specialty as well. Add to that a children’s menu and an impressive tequila brand list and you have
something for everyone. Sprinkle in a little celebrity spice by owner Wyatt Durette, cowriter of Zac Brown hits like Chicken Fried and Toes and you have a ‘hit’ restaurant. Vocals Live music on the patio six days a week – only occasionally on Monday – typically features a mix of acoustic folk/country solo, duo or trio acts from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. No cover. Rotating groups include Soulful songwriter Mel Washington, multigenre performer Dave Landeo, fun favorites by the Jeff Bateman Duo, solo rocker Donnie Polk, and husbandand-wife duo Gracious Day, among others. The online music calendar is updated regularly. THE REFUGE
therefugeiop.com, 1517 Palm Bvld. Isle of Palms, SC, 843.242.8934
Vibe Your sunrise to sunset location on IOP – equipped with both a full espresso and cocktail bar. Settle into the quaint cafe area to decompress with your morning cup of joe, and get gussied up to meet friends at the cocktail bar later that evening. There is a steakhouse night on Tuesdays, and four different menus of gourmet fare for breakfast, lunch, late afternoon, and evening. Dare you to try the habanero cocktail, Tropic Like It’s Hot? Though not located on the main oceanfront drag, The Refuge is next to Harris Teeter grocery in case you need some last-minute beach supplies. Vocals Live music featuring mostly 80s cover songs on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and for Sunday brunch. SMUGGLER’S-ISLAND EATS & RUM SHACK
smugglersiop.com, 1122 Ocean Blvd., Isle of Palms, 843.885.7009
Vibe Smugglers takes over the former location of Island Joe’s coffee and ice cream hut. It’s outdoor bar seating only, with a few tables on the patio. Fried seafood baskets, an enormous pretzel with spicy mustard and beer cheese, and multicolored frozen rum drinks are sure to draw a crowd at this new establishment. Located right on Front Beach, just steps from the beach access, Smugglers also is dog friendly. Vocals There is not a set schedule for live music, but you are likely to find a multigenre mix of live entertainment on the patio throughout the season. The best place to find these pop-up music announcements is on Smugglers’ Facebook page. THE WINDJAMMER
the-windjammer.com, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms, 843.886.8596
Vibes When the Jammer first opened its doors, “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones was a hit song and the Vietnam War was still raging. The Front Beach establishment celebrates its 50th this year. Though Hurricane Hugo took the original building, it could not take away the iconic vibe. Pabst Blue Ribbon and a $7 cheeseburger? Yes, please. Beach volleyball, bikini contests, and nationally-known music acts on the outdoor stage make the Jammer the island’s hottest spot. Vocals Live music is back with a vengeance for The Jammer’s 50th anniversary. Scheduled to appear outside on the Liquid Aloha Beach Stage: Tom Petty Bluegrass Tribute – New Ghost Town Mark Bryan – from Hootie and the Blowfish – with Dylan Fence, Patrick Davis; Leftover Salmon and Keller Williams; The Next Move; Future Birds, Yacht Rock Review; Grace Potter; The Blue Dogs; The Brook and the
Bluff; JJ Gray and Mofro; Mt Joy; The Vagabonds; Steve Earle and the Dukes with special guests the Whitmore Sisters; Funk You; Corey Smith; Flipturn; Edwin McCain; Drivin N Cryin; Muscadine Bloodline; Drive By Truckers; Moon Taxi; and Sister Hazel. DUNLEAVY’S IRISH PUB
dunleavysonsullivans.com 2213 Middle St, Sullivan's Island, 843.883.9646
Vibe Celebrating 30 years, the family-owned Irish beach bar on the corner of Middle Street is where you are most likely to find the locals and the best place on the beach to find a proper pint. You will also find the usual “liars’ club” locals bellied up at the bar nearly any time of day, and they are sure to add color to your imbibing experience. Dunleavy’s is known for its free popcorn, juicy burgers, grilled wings, rotating blue plate lunch specials, family-friendly vibe, and tendency to always remember your name when you come back. Vocals Vintage Country Music night is back the first Tuesday of every month in 2022. Hosted by Carroll Brown, there will be mandolins, fiddles, banjos, and special guests, including many beloved local musicians who step up for a song. Seats fill up early for these shows, so arrive by 7 p.m. for a good spot. It’s hit or miss, but occasionally you’ll find entertainers doing your favorite rock covers on weekends during high season. HOME TEAM BBQ
hometeambbq.com, 2209 Middle St., Sullivan's Island, 843.883.3131
Vibes Now with six locations, the Sullivan’s restaurant was the original. The barbecue pulled pork or chicken platters, sliders and grilled wings may be considered specialties. You’re likely to make a grand entrance showing up with a to-go order of any of these at a friend’s house. Settle onto a barstool and enjoy ESPN with a great variety of craft beer, cocktails, or a Gamechanger frozen concoction – a blend of rums, pineapple, and orange juice, toasted coconut with a dash of nutmeg, and a promise of a blackout or hangover if you drink it too quickly. You have been warned. Vocals Music returns to Fridays at Home Team starting at 10 p.m. This season’s lineup includes: the multigenre music of Shonuff, old timey fun with the Steady Hand String Band; red-dirt Americana sounds from local group Travelin Kine; Augusta-based jam band Bodega Cat; funky rock jams of Junco Partner; funk blues, jam, and rock from Funkshun; soulful, rocking rhythm and blues from Sufferin Moses; and Grateful Deal twirling classics from One Good Ring. MEX 1 COASTAL CANTINA
mex1coastalcantina.com/sullivans-island, 2205 Middle St, Sullivan's Island, 843.882.8172
Vibe Tex-Mex cuisine and surf bar theme. The upstairs patio overlooking Middle Street on Sullivan’s is an airy location to see and be seen. The cuisine is inspired by the light, fresh flavors of the Baja Peninsula. Tacos, salads, quesadillas, brown rice bowls, and house-infused margaritas are menu highlights. The patio and outdoor bar seating add to this establishment’s colorful ambience. Vocals Mex 1 Cantina will host live music every other Saturday, May through August, featuring DJ Jerry Feels Good; party favorites by the Jaykob Kendrick Band; Sol Driven Train; Bandmates; Ward Buckheister and Joel; and local band Chief Brody. WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 119
CALENDAR ONGOING EVENTS Lifeguarded Beaches
Isle of Palms County Park is lifeguarded on weekends beginning in May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beginning mid-June, lifeguards are on duty daily through mid-August and weekends through the last weekend in September.
Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market
Discover South Carolina-grown produce and local food vendors while enjoying live music. Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., April through September on Coleman Boulevard, next to Moultrie Middle School. ExperienceMountPleasant.com
IOP Farmers’ Market
Enjoy local produce and arts and crafts, every Thursday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. June through October. on the front lawn of the Recreation Center, located at 24 28th Ave. iop.net
MAY 2022
begin at 7 a.m; race starts at 8 a.m. iop.net/ recreation, 843.886.8294, raceroster.com
AUGUST 2022
Half Rubber Tournament
This annual tournament takes place at IOP Recreation Center on August 13. Register by calling Aaron Sweet 843.886.8294 or email asweet@iop.net. Three and 4 person teams, $25 per person. Check in/captain’s Meeting at 7:30 a.m., games begin at 8 a.m. halfrubber. com
SEPTEMBER 2022
IOP Community Wellness Fair
On September 23 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. the IOP Recreation Department teams up with the East Cooper Medical Center to offer flu shots and bloodwork for local residents, including cholesterol screenings and lipid profiles at the Recreation Center, 24 28th Ave. iop.net/recreation, 843.884.7031
Owls By Moonlight
The Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw hosts an evening in the nocturnal world of owls on December 8. This program includes a reception with refreshments and experiences with nearly 14 different species of owls. $75, thecenterforbirdsofprey.org
JANUARY 2023
Dunleavy’s Polar Bear Plunge
“We’re freezin’ for a reason.” Jump into the chilly waters of the Atlantic on January 1. Meet at 2 p.m., 2213 Middle St. Sullivan’s Island, dunleaveyspubpolarplunge.com, 843.795.5316
Charlie Post Classic 15K/5K
The Charleston Running Club hosts the 38th annual Charlie Post Classic 15K & 5K in late January. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department, 2050 Middle St. charlestonrunningclub.com
Spoleto Festival
OCTOBER 2022
FEBRUARY 2023
JUNE 2022
Fundraiser for the IOP Exchange Club’s programs for the healing and prevention of child abuse takes place October 1 at 8 a.m., IOP Connector. Registration is $35 or $40 on the day of the race. ioprun.com
Bring your pooch to the IOP Rec Center for some pampering and petting at the City’s hugely successful annual Doggie Days event. Get your pup vaccinated and show him/her off at the Dog Show for a yappy-fun day out. Early February, check iop.net/doggie-days-atthe-rec for exact date.
The annual international performing arts festival returns for its 46th season, running May 27 through June 12. Spoletousa.org, 843.579.3100
Floppin’ Flounder 5K Run/Walk
This community-wide group run hosted by the Charleston Running Club has had a faithful following for more than 25 years. It takes place Saturday, June 4 at 8 a.m. and starts in front of the Sullivan’s Island Elementary School. Registration is $45. floppinflounder.com
Piccolo Spoleto Sand Sculpting Contest
June 11 at 9 a.m. head to the beach at IOP County Park for a stunning display of sandsculpting prowess. The event is part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, which runs May 27 through June 12. piccolospoleto.com
Carolina Day Recognition
Battery Gadsden Cultural Center’s annual Carolina Day recognition is June 28, at 9 a.m. on the plaza in front of Sullivan’s Island Town Hall. Speakers will be followed by raising of the Moultrie flag. BatteryGadsden.com.
Battle of Sullivan’s Island Musket & Artillery Demonstrations
Fort Moultrie National Historical Park observes the anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, known locally as Carolina Day, on June 25 and 26. Revolutionary War artillery and musket demonstrations will take place on both days, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. nps.gov/fosu
JULY 2022
4th of July Golf Cart/Bicycle Parade
Deck out your golf cart or bicycle for this annual parade celebrating America’s independence. Start at the Sullivan’s Island Elementary School; end at Stith Park. Meet at SI Elementary, parade begins at 9 a.m.
Isle of Palms Beach Run
On July 23 choose from a Youth Fun Run, 5K or 10K run, or a 5K walk on the beach. Start at The Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd., at 8 a.m. Registration closes July 28. Race day registration and packet pick-up 120 | SiP
Isle of Palms Connector Run & Walk
Fire Prevention Celebration
Look for a SI/IOP parade of engines in October at Sullivan’s Island Fire House, 2050 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island.
Ghostly Tide Tales
Bring a blanket, flashlight, chairs, and friends for spooky stories by bonfire light on the beach at Isle of Palms, 28th Ave. Free. October 14, 6 to 7 p.m., iop.net/recreation
IOP Halloween Golf Cart Parade
Held on October 29, the parade starts at 11 a.m., line-up at 10:30 a.m. at 27th Avenue. You must pre-register at the IOP Recreation Department, 24 28th Avenue. iop.net/ recreation, 843.886.8294
NOVEMBER 2022
Art on the Beach / Chefs in the Kitchen
The annual fundraising event for Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services plans takes place Sunday, November 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tour Sullivan’s Island homes, see art from local artists and eat dishes prepared by Charleston chefs. Charlestonprobono.org/artonthebeach
DECEMBER 2022 IOP Holiday Festival
Celebrate the season on Front Beach, Saturday, December 3, 2 to 7 p.m. Enjoy the 25 foot Christmas tree, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, children’s activities and live entertainment, plus a visit from Santa Claus. iop.net/holiday-street-festival
Sullivan’s Island Holiday Fireworks
Light up the night at Sullivan’s Island Stith Park, 2050 Middle St. on December 2. Enjoy a fireworks display, the Wando Chorus, and the lighting of the town holiday lights. sullivansisland-sc.com
Doggie Days
Southeastern Wildlife Expo
SEWE is a three-day showcase of everything we love about wildlife, nature and artistic representations of them. Various locations, February 17 through 19. sewe.com
MARCH 2023
Front Beach Fest
Look for this annual party on IOP’s Front Beach celebrating the start of the season with local musicians, food vendors, jump castles, and other entertainment. Free admission. iop. net, 843.886.8294
APRIL 2023
45th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run
The annual run across the Ravenel Bridge takes place April 1. A world-class 10K foot race that begins in Mount Pleasant and ends in downtown Charleston. bridgerun.com
Isle of Palms Annual Yard Sale
Residents of IOP sell their gently used items in an island-wide yard sale at the IOP Rec Center in mid-April. iop.net or call 843.886.8294.
Isle of Palms Easter Egg Hunt
April 17, hunt eggs and get your photo with the Easter Bunny at 10 a.m. sharp. IOP Rec Center, 24 28th Ave. Free iop.net/recreation.
Isle of Palms Exchange Club Easter Sunrise Breakfast
Enjoy homemade breakfast courtesy of the Exchange Club members for free April 17 from 6:50 a.m. to 10 a.m. Easter morning at the Exchange Club, 201 Palm Blvd.
SI Farmers’ Market
The Sullivan’s Island Farmers’ Market is tentatively scheduled to return in April, 2023, running through June. Enjoy local produce and arts and crafts in Stith Park, 2050 Middle St. sullivansisland.sc.gov
Ashley Haynes EAST ISLANDS REAL ESTATE
#1 Top Sales Agent AGAIN on Sullivan’s Island for 2021 #1 Top Sales Agent AGAIN for combined areas of IOP and Sullivan’s Island in 2021 When buying or selling on the East Islands, you really need an
ISLAND AGENT in your corner!
843 813-6079 · ashleyhaynes.net · 29 JC Long Blvd, IOP WWW.SiPMAGAZINESC.COM | 121
LAST LOOK
A representative group of island revolutionaries and signers of the Palm Republic Declaration of Independence. Photo by Rob Byko.
THE PALM REPUBLIC Fashioned after Key West’s Conch Republic, the Palm Republic was founded this spring by former Isle of Palms Mayor Jimmy Caroll, officially known as His Highness, The Grand Potentate of All That is Salty, His Excellency, The Right Reverend, and current IOP Councilmember Blair Hahn – aka His Beaudacious Highness, Admiral and Grand Ruler of All Seas Less than 1 Fathom. The Republic was founded partly in jest but wholly in opposition to legislation passed last year that gives the Department of Transportation the authority to decide where visitors to four Lowcountry beaches can park on state-owned roads. 122 | SiP
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