Since May 2007

PRESORT STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
CHARLESTON SC
POSTAL PATRON
PERMIT NO 437
Volume 13 Issue 20 FREE January 3, 2020

Engineer Don Johnson, Firefighter Shamar Brown and Lt. Nate Adams were among those delivering toys to local kids on Dec. 21.
Photo by Ryan Kunitzer.

St. Johns Fire District Makes Christmas merrier

BY RYAN KUNITZER
For The Island Connection

F
amilies throughout Johns Island and Wadmalaw
Island had a merrier Christmas this past year,
thanks to the efforts of the St. Johns Fire District’s
“Stuff-A-Truck” program and the local BI-LO store.
In its second year of the program, the STJFD collected School District. There were several hundred donations,
toys for local kids and delivered them, along with meals along with more than $100 in cash contributions from
provided by BI-LO, on Dec. 21. The families were chosen area residents.
through a partnership with the Charleston County

Save The Light Therapeutic Horsemanship Mystery Plant

Page 6 Page 9 Page 15
2 January 3, 2020
civic

Town of Seabrook Island Council Meeting

T U E S D A Y, D E C E M B E R 1 7
BY GREGG BRAGG
Lynn Pierotti The Island Connection Sr. Staff Writer
publisher

S
lynn@luckydognews.com eabrook Mayor John Gregg broke
the usual quiet that accompanies
Brian Sherman public hearings, summarizing
managing editor ordinance 2109-12 as a required measure
ICEditor@luckydognews.com
for the Seabrook Island Town Council.
Scheduled for a second reading later in
their Dec. 17 confab, the measure updates
Jennifer Tuohy the town’s beach management plan – as
contributing editor required by the state every five years – and
jennifer@luckydognews.com a sense of urgency accompanied the action
in light of recent changes to the town’s
leash law. Gregg’s was the only comment,
Alejandro Ferreyros however, and the mayor proceeded to the
senior graphic designer town’s financial report.
alejandro@luckydognews.com Total assets for the Council remained
level at just over $5 million. The town
Lori McGee earned nearly $25,000 during the month
sales manager of November, for a running total of
$1.268 million, or 65.7% of annual
lori@luckydognews.com
budget. The Council spent nearly $59,000
during the month, for a running total
of $1.085 million for the year, or about
Senior Staff Writer 56% of budgeted expenditures. Council
Gregg Bragg member Skip Crane asked the question
on everyone’s mind as the budget year
comes to a close: “Are we going to have a
Contributors big month in December (to get the town
Ryan Kunitzer to 100% of budget)?
Stephanie Braswell Town Administrator Joe Cronin
Valerie Doane responded by saying the difference was
Alberta Barron the amount transferred from the general
Mitch Pulwer fund at the close of 2018 for road repairs.
The roughly $750,000 is neither income
Kathy Kunkelman
nor expense, and, despite its deflating
Norman Powers effect on projections, including it in the
Dorree Lynn books is a matter of good accounting,
John Nelson he suggested. The annual report of the
town’s books for 2018 seemed to amplify
the point.
Glaser & Company representative Erik
Glaser delivered an “unqualified report”
of SITC’s 2018 books, and his additional
comments really set Seabrook apart.
He characterized the town’s financial
condition as “very strong” and said no
adjustments – for example, additional
questions, documentation or changes –
were required to prepare his report, with
a nod to Town Clerk/Treasurer Faye
Allbritton’s efforts and practices.
“I (audit) a number of local
municipalities and retirement plans, and
it’s refreshing to see this level of preparation
compared to (Seabrook’s) peers. It is as
healthy a town as I have worked with in
25 years,” Glaser concluded.
Council member Skip Crane
provided the report for the Public Safety
Committee. He said the town’s annual
emergency preparedness exercise was
still the biggest single topic during their
December meeting. Crane reported the
town’s website has been updated with
emergency information provided by the
Community Emergency Response Team
and that broken links have been fixed
since last month’s report.
Crane’s report bled into a description
of the Disaster Recovery Council. The
group decided to reduce the number of
response categories from five down to
three, deeming two of the designations to
be practically superfluous. The committee
also agreed with consultant Scott Cave
that hurricanes are the realistic incident
the town can prepare for. Both theories
will be tested in early 2020, when the
town conducts a test of its ability to
respond to an emergency.
Council member Pat Fox said a new
channel of communication is available
as part of her public relations reporting.
The announcement that the Seabrook
Island Property Owners Association
will publish a newsletter titled Currents
caused a disturbance in the force. The
new publication means funds previously
allocated to The Seabrooker by SIPOA
will be redirected, pushing the paper
below its shoestring operating threshold.
Furthermore, the Council followed suit
with a unanimous decision to split its
financial support between the two outlets
for at least the first six months of 2020.
A review of Currents’ success will be
conducted down the road, said Gregg.
Gregg opened his report by
acknowledging receipt of a letter from
a consortium of residents living on Old
Drake Drive requesting help with a
buffer between the subdivision and the
Seabrook Island Utility. He asked SIU
Commissioner Tim Morawski for an
update. Morawski said SIU had fully
considered the request. Because an
artificial barrier had never been erected by
SIU and the area in question is located in a
jurisdictional “no-man’s land,” Morawski
said it is the official position of SIU not
to undertake any mitigation efforts.
Morawski concluded by intimating that
his public comment constituted the official
response from SIU to the plaintiffs.
The mayor moved on to SC H4431
– Business License Tax Reform. Gregg
reiterated that the town receives about
49% of its revenues from business licenses
and SC-H4431 threatens its income
in several ways. He said the town has a
letter ready for the postmaster opposing
the measure, in full cooperation with the
Municipal Association of South Carolina.
Seabrook will be joining six – and counting
– other municipalities, including Hilton
Head, Bluffton, Beaufort, Port Royal,
Hardeeville and Yemesee.
Gregg addressed a number of
housekeeping issues. He asked Council
Member Jeri Finke to follow up on
rumors of an amendment to the Stafford
Act proposed by U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler,
D-New York. The Stafford Act gets credit
for the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and the amendment could improve
the benefits available to municipalities.
Now accustomed to wearing multiple
hats, he also delivered the report for the
ailing town administrator.
The mayor also made a number of
assignments ratified by the Council,
including:

Civic Calendar
K iawah Island Town H all
Published by 21 Beachwalker Drive
Lucky Dog Publishing Kiawah Island, S.C. 29455
of South Carolina, LLC Phone: 768-9166
P.O. Box 837
Town of Kiawah Public Safety Ways & Means Fax: 768-4764
Committee Committee
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482 Jan. 15, 11:30 a.m. Jan. 28, 2 p.m.
Town Council Seabrook Island Town H all
843-886-NEWS Meeting Kiawah Town Hall Kiawah Town Hall 2001 Seabrook Island Road
Jan. 7, 2 p.m. Seabrook Island, S.C. 29455
Future submission deadline: Kiawah Town Hall CERT Team Town Council Phone: 768-9121
Jan. 8 for the Jan. 22, 3 p.m. Meeting Fax: 768-9830
Jan. 17 Issue Public Works Kiawah Town Hall Feb. 4, 2 p.m. Email: lmanning@townofseabrookisland.org
Committee Kiawah Town Hall
Op-ed articles and letters to the editor do not Jan. 13, 10 a.m. Board of Zoning Johns Island Council
necessarily reflect the opinion of Kiawah Town Hall Appeals Town of Seabrook Meetings are held at the Berkeley Electric
Lucky Dog News or its writers. Jan. 27, 3 p.m. No meeting dates Co-op located at 3351 Maybank Hwy., Johns
Environmental Kiawah Town Hall available as of the time Island.
Committee Meeting of this publication Chairman Chris Cannon: 343-5113
The Island Jan. 14, 2 p.m.
Kiawah Town Hall Charleston County Council
Connection 4045 Bridge View Dr., N. Charleston
958-4700
Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC News Updates
Publishers of Island Eye News, Online at City of Charleston
The Island Connection facebook.com/ 75 Calhoun St.
islandconnectionnews 724-3745
& SiP Magazine
January 3, 2020
civic
• Asking Finke to participate in
the Johns Island Task Force – A
consortium of residents set on
improving transportation in the
area while preserving its heritage;
• Asking Fox to look for additional
ways of advertising Seabrook;
• Requesting Council Member
Barry Goldstein to follow-up
on engineering issues like the
ponding and re-design of the
grounds around Town Hall;
• Appointing Wayne Billian and
Sharon Welch to full terms on
the Planning Commission. Cathy
Patterson was also tapped to fill
a partial term due to expire in
December 2020;
• Selecting Janet Gorski to fill
a partial term on the board of
zoning appeals;
• Appointing Bob Driscoll to the
DSO;
• Re-appointing Frank Farfone, Ed
Maher and Elizabeth Murphy to
the Public Safety Committee;
• Keeping Stephen Brown as the
town’s attorney;
• Keeping Faye Allbritton as the
town clerk/treasurer and Joe
Cronin as town administrator.
The town administrator took the reigns
and:
• Won the approval of the Council
for a temporary waiver of the
town’s prohibition against the
discharge of firearms, aimed at
thinning the deer herd by 50. The
“thinning” will take place between
Jan. 3 and March 1;
• Won Council approval to hire
auditors Mauldin & Jenkins LLC
for 2020;
• Renewed the contract with Island
Beach Services for another year
of beach patrol, despite repeated
claims by residents, “they spend
their time everywhere but on the
beach.” Cronin and the mayor
both responded that the Council
will be keeping a close eye on them
this year and re-issuing their call
that residents call Town Hall with
complaints;
• Won support for the 2020 meeting
schedule.
Morawski came back to the floor with
news SIU’s distribution of fresh water
to Seabrook residents made $10,000 in
November and $183,000 for the year.
Sewage treatment, however, has generated
a $27,000 loss so far in 2019. SIU plans to
raise sewer rates by approximately $2.70
per month.
Ordinance 2019-12 was the last item
on the agenda, scheduled for a second
reading. The measure passed unanimously.

civic

Meet the candidates

SEABROOK ISLAND EVENT SET
FOR JAN. 6
Tid e Char t
STAFF REPORT
The Island Connection

S
eabrook Island residents will have the board are Chuck Cross, Ian Millar, John
opportunity to meet the candidates Kinne, Joseph Sesody, Joseph Penny and Date High Tide Low Tide
for the Seabrook Island Property Richard Siegel.
Owners Association from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Candidates for two-year terms on Jan 03 1:37am/2:03pm 7:41am/8:06pm
Jan. 6. the Nominating Committee are Julia
This event is an opportunity for Thogmartin, Melodie Murphy and Roni Jan 04 2:32am/2:56pm 8:42am/8:56pm
property owners to get to know the Berttucci. Jan 05 3:26am/3:50pm 9:42am/9:47pm
candidates and to make an informed Election materials will go out to
decision when voting in the election in property owners in early January. If you Jan 06 4:19am/4:42pm 10:38am/10:37pm
January. Candidates will be running have been voting using a paper ballot in
for four open seats on the SIPOA board past SIPOA elections, you are asked to
Jan 07 5:10am/5:33pm 11:30am/11:27pm
of directors and two open seats on the switch to the online ballot at cognitoforms. Jan 08 5:59am/6:21pm 12:19pm
SIPOA Nominating Committee. com/SIPOA1/sipoasignupforevoting.
Candidates for three-year terms on the Jan 09 6:47am/7:08pm 12:16am/1:06pm
Jan 10 7:34am/7:55pm 1:04am/1:52pm
Jan 11 8:20am/8:42pm 1:52am/2:38pm
Jan 12 9:07am/9:30pm 2:40am/3:25pm
Jan 13 9:55am/10:22pm 3:31am/4:12pm
Jan 14 10:45am/11:17pm 4:23am/5:01pm
Jan 15 11:36am 5:18am/5:53pm
Jan 16 12:15am/12:31pm 6:18am/6:47pm

Hurricanes, storms, etc., are NOT included in the predictions.

Tidal current direction changes and tide time predictions can be
very different. Tide predictions are PREDICTIONS; they can be
wrong so use common sense.
Source: saltwatertides.com
January 3, 2020
daily
Volunteers needed
OPENINGS TO BE FILLED ON KI
COMMITTEES
BY STEPHANIE BRASWELL EDGERTON
For The Island Connection
T N
he Town of Kiawah Island is
seeking volunteers to fill one
opening on its Audit Committee
and would also like to add a new member
to its Arts and Cultural Events Council.
The Audit Committee helps the
mayor and Town Council fulfill their
responsibility to provide oversight of
management regarding the Town’s systems
of internal controls and risk management;
the integrity of the Town’s financial
statements; the Town’s compliance with
legal and regulatory requirements and
ethical standards; and the engagement,
independence and performance of the
Town’s independent auditors.
The committee meets as needed,
usually during the annual audit. Those
who are interested in the position should
email their resume to Town Clerk Petra
Reynolds at preynolds@kiawahisland.org.
The job of the Arts and Cultural Events
Council is to:
daily
TOKI wants input on
landscaping plan
BY STEPHANIE BRASWELL EDGERTON
For The Island Connection
T
he Kiawah Island Parkway serves
as the gateway to the island and
includes 2.4 miles of roadway
between the roundabout and the main
gate. The Town is working with Outdoor
Spatial Design, a local landscape
architecture firm, to develop a plan to
refresh and improve the landscaping
along the parkway.
The goal of the project is to develop an
aesthetically pleasing, resilient landscape
that utilizes more than 80% native plants.
It will also incorporate strategies to reduce
and filter storm water runoff, minimize
• Source concerts and cultural arts
events;
• Assist in the development and
distribution of promotional
materials;
• Prepare production plans and
manage logistics of performances;
• Assist at events;
• Evaluate the event results.
The preferred skill set includes:
• Cultural arts background and
expertise;
• Excellent planning and
organizational capabilities;
• Basic computer skills;
• Knowledge of performing arts and
performing arts groups;
• Ability to work in harmony
with performing arts groups and
Council members.
For more information, email Arts Council
Chairman Gary Rice at garyrice@gmail.com.
the use of pesticides and enhance wildlife
habitat.
The conceptual landscaping plan
will be presented to Town Council
in January. The Town is asking for
feedback on the project. Please review
the plan at kiawahisland.org/wp-content/
uploads/2019/12/reduced-20191212 _
presentation_boards_kiawah_eblast.pdf
and provide your input by completing
the survey by Jan. 6. The proposed plan
at will also be on display at the Municipal
Center through that date.
daily
Short-term rentals
KI ORDINANCE BECAME
EFFECTIVE JAN. 1
BY STEPHANIE BRASWELL EDGERTON
For The Island Connection
ew pages that provide detailed
information on rentals have been
added to the Town of Kiawah
Island’s website. Property owners can
now obtain information by viewing
the rental location map, and a 24-hour
hotline and online reporting form have
been established to serve as resources
for residents who want to report any
problems.
The Town’s amended short-term rental
ordinance became effective Jan. 1, 2020.
For example:
• If you’re renting your property for
less than 30 consecutive days, you
need an annual rental business
license for each property prior to
advertising or renting, and the
property must pass inspection for
conformance to building codes.
• A property that is rented for
14 days or less in total during a
calendar year is not considered a
short-term rental. Any property
rented on a long-term lease basis
(30 days or longer) must have a
standard business license instead
of an STR license.
5
• Licenses are distributed on a first-
come, first-served basis. Licenses
expire on Dec. 31 annually and
must be renewed no later than
Feb. 28 (Feb. 29 in a leap year)
annually to avoid penalties.
Existing STR license holders have
first preference to renew annually
to maintain their license, as long
as the license is in good standing
with the Town. To apply for a
license, visit citizenserve.com/
Portal/PortalController
• As of Nov. 30, 2019, the number
of available licenses remaining in
the capped areas is 164.
The Town Council has voted to add
code enforcement officers to patrol the
island in the evening. The officers will
focus primarily on STR compliance and
respond to any complaints after hours.
The town also added an STR compliance
clerk position to help with compliance
measures, accommodation taxes auditing
and processing STR business licenses.
6 January 3, 2020
RUN SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 1
Morris Island Lighthouse. Photo provided.
PROVIDED BY CCPRC
For The Island Connection
T
he Charleston County Park and Recreation
Commission (CCPRC) is proud to partner with
Save the Light, Inc. for the third year to host
their annual half marathon and 5K, set for Feb.1. Both
USATF-certified races start at 8:30 a.m. and will begin
arts & events
Save the Light
and finish near the Folly Beach Pier. The half marathon is
a run-only event; the 5K is open to runners and walkers.
The half marathon and 5K support the preservation
of the Morris Island Lighthouse by Save the Light, a
grassroots nonprofit organization formed in 2000 to save
the lighthouse from being lost to the sea.
“A one-two punch sure to start the New Year off on the
right foot, this race presents a unique way to support your
fitness goals and the preservation of the iconic Morris
Island lighthouse,” said CCPRC Fitness and Wellness
Manager Allison Foster. “Actually, I consider it a trifecta
– fitness goals, preservation and Folly Beach.”
“We celebrate the opportunity to further our
preservation efforts with the support of CCPRC and this
long-standing race,” said Patty Geery of Save the Light,
Inc.
Registration for the race is now open at
CharlestonCountyParks.com. Advance registration is
$54 for the half marathon and $28 for the 5K. Online
registration ends Jan. 29; in-person registration will be
held at the Tides Hotel Jan. 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and
on race day from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. – at an increased rate.
An awards ceremony will be held post-race at the
Tides Hotel. Awards will be distributed to overall and age
group winners for both the half and the 5K. In addition,
finisher medals will be provided to half marathoners.
As a premier sponsor for the race, the Tides Hotel is
offering a discounted rate of $99 per night plus tax for
an oceanfront room with two queen beds for participants
who book before Jan. 5.
Save the Light, Inc. purchased the Morris Island
Lighthouse from its previous owner in 1999, and then
transferred ownership to the state of South Carolina
through a lease agreement. Save the Light retains
responsibility for planning, engineering, fundraising and
execution of all aspects of the preservation of the Morris
Island Lighthouse.
To register for the Save the Light Half Marathon and 5K,
visit CharlestonCountyParks.com, or call 843-795-4386
for more information. For more information on the Save the
Light organization and the Morris Island Lighthouse, visit
SaveTheLight.org.
January 3, 2020
daily
Indiana Day
SEABROOK HOOSIERS MARK
2 0 3 R D B I R T H D AY
The winning indoor BULZiBUCKET team: Left to right: Alan Armstrong, John Bush, Kate
Ryan, Dudley Schleier and Joyce Phillips. Photo by Valerie Doane.
BY VALERIE DOANE
For The Island Connection
I
ndiana was admitted to the Union
on Dec. 11, 1816, and, on the same
date in 2019, 28 Hoosiers gathered
to celebrate the ninth annual Seabrook
Island Indiana Day.
The Oyster Catcher Community
Center hosted the festivities, which
included heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks,
BULZiBUCKET, Indiana trivia, an
auction, singing and much Hooser
camaraderie. The evening concluded with
the usual singing of “Back Home Again
in Indiana.”
The Organizing Committee was
composed of Alan Armstrong, Valerie
Doane, Pat Greubel, Susan Meloy, Sam
Reed, Cindy Willis and Max Willis.
7
arts & events
Guest speaker
GARDEN CLUB WELCOMES
SUZANNE STREHLE
BY ALBERTA BARRON
For The Island Connection
P
lease join the Seabrook Island
Garden Club in welcoming guest
speaker Suzanne Strehle at the
Oyster Catcher Community Center on
Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m.
Originally from Augusta, Georgia,
Suzanne is now a member of the Seabrook
Island Community. She fell in love with
flowers when her first-born was just a
toddler and worked one day a week in a
local flower shop to pursue her passion.
She took orders over the phone but loved Suzanne Strehle.
watching the designers and their creations.
to build her business here in Seabrook,
A graduate of the American College
Kiawah and Charleston. She works with
of Allied Arts in Atlanta, Suzanne also
many local country clubs on their holiday
studied with a Japanese Ikebana teacher
décor and members’ social events.
for five years and traveled to Japan to earn
her degree in Sogetsu Ikebana. She has We hope to see you on Jan. 10. As
enjoyed a lengthy career and has worked always, all members and guests are
in every facet of the industry. In 1986, she welcome. Monthly agendas include light
was inducted into the very selective and refreshments at 9:30 a.m., a brief business
prestigious American Institute of Floral report at 10 a.m., followed by the guest
Designers. speaker. The meetings usually conclude
between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Unless
As a florist and event coordinator in
otherwise noted, the meetings take place
Augusta, Suzanne acquired some very
on the second Friday of each month at the
important accounts, including Mercedes
Oyster Catcher Community Center.
Benz, IBM, Golf Digest and Rolex. When
she decided to move to Seabrook, she For membership information, contact
sold her shop in Augusta and continues carollstclair@gmail.com.
8 January 3, 2020
SEADOGS set annual meeting
BY MITCH PULWER
For The Island Connection
S
EADOGS, the Seabrook Island
advocacy group for owners and their
dogs, will hold its annual meeting
Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. in the Live Oak Hall at
the Lake House.
The officers will provide an annual
review of 2019 for the SEADOGS
organization, then we will be honored
to have special guest Ric Sommons,
the owner of Dolittle’s Premium Pet
Provisions. Ric will share his thoughts on
pet food and the current state of the pet
food market. He has simple advice on how
a few minor changes to your dog’s diet can
improve the dog’s health and welfare.
Dolittle’s has been a part of the
Charleston community since 1994.
Ric has years of experience reviewing,
researching and selling quality pet food.
We are excited to hear his views on this
important and timely issue.
All Seabrook Island residents are
invited to attend the meeting. We are
always looking for new members, so
please join us to hear about the good work
SEADOGS does for the Seabrook Island
community. As usual, SEADOGS will
be collecting donations for a charitable
organization in the community. This year,
we will be helping Meals on Wheels with
the purchase of pet food that is distributed
to pet owners in need. If you would like to
daily
make a donation, you will be able to do so
at the meeting.
Since the meeting will be held during
dinnertime, we will have a potluck meal.
If you can, please bring either an appetizer,
arts & events
Keystone
Connection
P E N N S Y LVA N I A
PA R T Y P L A N N E D
BY KATHY KUNKELMAN
For The Island Connection
I
f you’re a Seabrooker with a
Pennsylvania link, mark your calendar
for the second annual "Pennsylvania
Connection” party.
The get-together is set for Feb. 12 at
6 p.m. at Oyster Catcher Community
Center.
“Connection” is broadly defined for
this all-island event: Anyone who was
born or raised in the Keystone State;
lived, worked or was educated there; has
Pennsylvania friends or relatives; traveled
Commonwealth roads; or has a soft spot
for such native delicacies as soft pretzels
or sticky buns.
To sign up for the event or to help
with planning, email Kathy Kunkelman
at kkunkelman@comcast.net. About 80
Seabrookers attended the first Connection
last year.
main dish or dessert. SEADOGS will
provide the drinks.
For more information on the event
or about the SEADOGS, contact Mitch
Pulwer at mjpulw@yahoo.com.
January 3, 2020
Therapeutic horsemanship
VOLUNTEER TRAINING SET FOR JAN. 25
BY NORMAN POWERS
For The Island Connection
C
harleston Area Therapeutic Riding, the
Southeast’s oldest and largest program dedicated
to empowering adults and children with
disabilities to live more active and fulfilling lives through
therapeutic horsemanship, will train volunteers Jan. 25
in preparation for its 12-week spring classes, which begin
in February.
Training for potential volunteers will take place from
9 a.m. to noon at CATR’s longtime home at Brickhouse
Equestrian Center on River Road on Johns Island.
CATR serves more than 150 riders each year.
Volunteers ensure that students can safely achieve their
riding goals by working as side walkers and horse leaders
9
in support of the rider. The January training will offer
everything volunteers need to know to start working
with CATR students. Previous experience working with
horses is not necessary, but registration is required to
participate in the training.
To learn more and to register, email volunteers@
catr-program.org or call Volunteer Coordinator Kenna
Brookshire at 843-559-6040.
January 3, 2020
doctor dorree
Exploring your midlife
sexuality
BY DR. DORREE LYNN
For The Island Connection
W
hen it comes to aging and sex,
aware of it or not, like it or
not, we have become our own
pioneers.
While some of us look into the mirror
and see a facsimile of our parents or
grandparents, others look quite different
from those generations. Perhaps some of
this is due to ever-increasing cosmetic
procedures, or, more probably, it’s because
more of us are eating well, exercising and
in general taking better care of ourselves.
Many of us visually appear and act
younger than previous generations did at
our age.
However we look or act, it is
indisputable that we are living longer,
healthier and more active lives than any
generation before us. A man reaching 65
today can expect to live to age 84, and a
woman to almost 87. Most babies born in
1900 didn’t live past 50. Not only that, a
11
majority of us are sexually active, either
alone or with a partner.
unlike the date
listed on a milk
bottle, sex has
no expiration
date.
While we had a paucity of role models
from previous generations showing us
how to stay active and live with vitality,
sex was a taboo. Too few have paved the
way for open talk about sex at midlife
and beyond, much less provided detail
about how to continue to enjoy an active
sexual life. So, once again, as we were in
our youth, we are pioneers as we explore
our own sexuality. We have the chance,
perhaps even the responsibility, to
become examples and mentors for those
generations following us. We have grown
into becoming the role models we once
sought.
Unlike the date listed on a milk bottle,
sex has no expiration date.
I’ll give you many more tips if you
continue to read this column in the new
year. Remember: Your brain is your largest
sex organ. Change your attitude and often
your body will follow.
Join me in 2020 for more advice on
dating, sex, love and spirit. Meanwhile,
you can always read my book, “Sex for
Grown-Ups: Dr. Dorree Reveals the
Truths, Lies and Must-Tries for Great Sex
after 50.”
Best wishes for a kind, joyous, growing
and fulfilling 2020.
 January 3
ONGOING
WHAT: Beachfront Lights Out
WHERE: all seaward, beachfront
properties
WHEN: 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.
MORE INFO: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service discourages the use of outdoor
lights when not required, in order to
protect nesting sea turtles. When on the
beach at dark, use red filters on flashlights.
Artificial light such as flashlights without
filters is prohibited on the beach at night.
This includes flashlights on phones as well.
Tuesdays
WHAT: Kick-it at Bohicket
WHERE: Bohicket Marina
WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Face painting, a balloon
artist, DJ and sand art bracelets. Co-
sponsored by The Town of Seabrook Island
& Bohicket Merchants Association. For
questions, call Todd at 248.719.0076.
WHAT: Wine Tasting
WHERE: FortyEight Wine Bar and
Kitchen
WHEN: 6 p.m.
MORE INFO: The tastings usually
feature two to four bottles of wine and
last until those bottles run out. Donations
are accepted and all proceeds go to
Lowcountry Food Bank, a nonprofit that
feeds families in need with warm, healthy
meals.
Wednesdays
WHAT: Kids Fish
WHERE: Bohicket Marina
WHEN: Check-in at 8:30 a.m., fishing
from 9 to 10 a.m. and 10 to 11 a.m.
MORE INFO: For ages 4-14. Cost is
$7- includes bait, tackle, rod and reel.
Check-in 8:30, fishing 9 to 10 a.m. and
10-11 a.m. Co-sponsored by The Town of
Seabrook Island & Bohicket Merchants
Association. For questions, call Todd at
248-719-0076.
SECOND AND FOURTH
WEDNESDAY
WHAT: D.I.R.T (Digging Into Roots
Together)
WHERE: Lake House • Seabrook Island
WHEN: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: If you are interested in
genealogy and want to network with others
who share your interest, or you would like
some guidance in getting started on your
own family history journey, please join
us. For further information, check out the
blog at diggingtogether.blogspot.com or
email diggingtogether@gmail.com.
Thursdays
WHAT: Live Music at The Andell Inn
WHERE: The Andell Inn Hotel,
Freshfields Village
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
MORE INFO: Relax with cool jazz
every Thursday evening in the lounge of
the Andell Inn Hotel. Drinks and food
available. No cover charge. 843-793-6050.
AndellInn.com.
Island Connection Calendar
Thursdays & Sundays
WHAT: Live Music
WHERE: FortyEight Wine Bar and
Kitchen
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Featuring 48 wines by
the glass every day. For details, visit
FortyEightWineBar.com.
Third Saturday of the
Month
WHAT: Sea Islands Cars & Coffee
WHERE: Freshfields Village, Kiawah
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
MORE INFO: This free event will feature
antiques, classics, exotics, concepts and
any other cool cars. Coffee and other
refreshments available for purchase by Java
Java Coffee House. If you have any specific
questions about the event, please contact
Bruce Stemerman at bstemerman@gmail.
com.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3
WHAT: Christmas Bird Count
MORE INFO: Each year from Dec. 14
through Jan. 5, people across the country
participate in the annual Christmas
Bird Count. Each count takes place on
a specific day in an established 15-mile
wide diameter circle and is organized
by a count compiler. Seabrook Island
is part of the Sea Island SC count
organized by Wildlife Biologist Aaron
Given. The Seabrook Island Birders will
again support this year’s 120th annual
CBC on Jan. 3. For more information,
visit seabrookislandbirders.org or email
seabrookislandbirders@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5
WHAT: Backyard Birding
WHERE: Clear Marsh, Seabrook Island
WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
MORE INFO: Join SIB members at the
home of Patricia and Paige Schaefer at
2565 Clear Marsh on Seabrook Island.
Their home is in a beautiful wooded
lot that has frequent songbird visitors.
Hopefully we will also be privileged
to see the redheaded woodpeckers that
make their nest nearby. Maybe the
Baltimore oriole will make another
appearance. For more information on this
and other activities, check the website:
seabrookislandbirders.org
MONDAY AND TUESDAY,
JANUARY 6 AND 7
WHAT: Seabrook Island Artists Guild
workshop
WHERE: The Oyster Catcher
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
MORE INFO: The Seabrook Island
Artists Guild will present a workshop
featuring Chris Groves. Participants must
register by Dec. 27 by contacting Bob
LeFevre at rodory@gmail.com. The cost is
$195 for members of the Seabrook Island
Artists Guild and $225 for non-members.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9
WHAT: Rediscovering The Lowcountry
Landscape in The Footsteps of Our
Forebears
WHERE: The Lake House, Seabrook
Island
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Noted conservationist and
author Dr. Richard Porcher will be The
Seabrook Island Natural History Group’s
first speaker of the new year. Dr. Porcher
will explore the rich human and cultural
history of our area. A Berkeley County
native and well-known conservationist
who taught biology at The Citadel for
33 years, he has an intimate knowledge
of Lowcountry history written into the
coastal landscape, from the shell middens
of Native Americans to the remnants of
plantation agriculture and post-Civil War
phosphate mining. His talk will offer a
unique perspective on how human activity
has shaped the Lowcountry over centuries
of habitation.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10
WHAT: Seabrook Island Garden Club
WHERE: Oyster Catcher Community
Center
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
MORE INFO: Suzanne Strehle will be the
guest speaker. A graduate of the American
College of Allied Arts in Atlanta, Suzanne
also studied with a Japanese Ikebana
teacher for five years and traveled to Japan
to earn her degree in Sogetsu Ikebana.
She has enjoyed a lengthy career and has
worked in every facet of the industry.
In 1986, she was inducted into the
very selective and prestigious American
Institute of Floral Designers.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
WHAT: Chakras and Crystals Yoga
Workshop
WHERE: Studio 33 in Freshfields Village
WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: A yoga workshop for all
levels of students to discover and balance
the chakras, using crystals for support
and harmony. All participants will receive
a chakra crystal set to take home. $35
in advance; $40 at the door. Details at
studio33kiawah.com.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
WHAT: Liquid Pleasure
WHERE: Grand Oaks Ballroom, The
Sanctuary
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Get down and boogie as
Liquid Pleasure ignites the night with a
variety of tunes from Aretha Franklin
and B.B. King to today’s most popular
hits. Liquid Pleasure has been delighting
audiences for more than two decades.
This multicultural icon has committed its
profession to bringing music to an array of
audiences with a Motown big band feeling.
Sponsored by the Town of Kiawah Island
Arts & Cultural Events Council.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
WHAT: Seabrook Island Birders -
Learning Together
WHERE: Maintenance Center
WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: By now, the wintering
birds have found their way back to
Seabrook Island. We will tour around the
ponds at the water treatment area, the
gardens and possibly the horse pastures
in search of wintering waterfowl, birds of
prey and passerines. For more information
on this and other activities, visit
seabrookislandbirders.org.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
WHAT: Quentin E. Baxter Presents
Carmen Bradford
WHERE: Turtle Point Clubhouse, Kiawah
Island
WHEN: 5 p.m.
MORE INFO: Multi Grammy-nominated
musician, producer and world-renowned
drummer Quentin E. Baxter presents
another fantastic three-concert series at
Turtle Point Clubhouse. The first concert
of the series will feature award-winning
vocalist Carmen Bradford. From swinging
on the 2019 Grammy-nominated “All
About That Basie” to producing a warm
and beautiful collection of vocal/piano
duets, Bradford’s body of work reflects
a vast depth of musical experience and
technical brilliance. $25, or $60 for the
series. Sponsored by the Town of Kiawah
Island Arts & Cultural Events Council.
January 24
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
WHAT: Seabrook Island Birders -
Center for Birds of Prey
WHERE: Live Oak Hall, Lake House,
Seabrook Island
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
MORE INFO: Watch for more details at
seabrookislandbirders.org.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
WHAT: Travelin’ McCourys
WHERE: East Beach Conference Center,
Kiawah Island
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Fresh off a 2019 Grammy-
award win for Best Bluegrass album,
the Travelin’ McCourys will make their
Kiawah Island debut. Born into the
bluegrass tradition, McCoury brothers
Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo) spent
years on the road with their father, Del,
who ranks among the most influential
and successful musicians in the history
of the genre. They honed their skills in
the legendary Del McCoury Band before
setting off on their own. Together with
fiddler Jason Carter, bassist Alan Bartram
and latest recruit Cody Kilby on guitar,
they assembled a group that could take
what they had in their DNA, take what
traditions they learned and heard and push
the music forward. $10. Sponsored by the
Town of Kiawah Island Arts & Cultural
Events Council.
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January 3, 2020 15
mystery plant

A precocious shrub
BY JOHN NELSON
For The Island Connection

S
ome time ago, this column featured a certain pine
tree called “pond pine” that grows in the Southeast
in places we call “pocosins.” You might remember
that a pocosin is a peat-based environment, technically
a wetland, alternately wet and dry. You might also
recall that the word “pocosin” is based upon a native
American word meaning “swamp on a hill.” The natural
history – and botany – of these places is fascinating, and
a major reason for this is that they naturally undergo
periodic fires, so the plants – and critters – within them
have evolved to deal with these curious situations. The
pond pines that grow in them produce short, stumpy
pine cones, which last on the branches for a long time
before shedding their seeds and after the seeds are shed
as well. Seed drop happens only when a fire goes through
the pocosin, heating the cones. Seeds that make it to
the peat will be able to sprout and grow. In a sense, the
maturation and longevity of the cones suggests that the
plants are “late” in getting their chores done, and thus This plant is native to China and rather commonly Besides its unusual habit of blooming when it’s cold,
the scientific name of the pond pine is pinus serotina. The grown now in gardens. It is closely related to the beloved this plant has another attribute: The scent of the flowers,
word “serotinous” means late, as far as seasonality goes. sweetshrub – calycanthus floridus – but has smaller fully open, is remarkable – a sweet sort of very delicate
It’s a good epithet for pond pine. flowers which are a cool shade of yellow, the inner petals lemony fragrance. The scent reminds me a bit of hyacinths
Our mystery plant, however, is not a pine and is not streaked reddish-purple. The flowers generally open with some rose thrown in. It’s wonderful to see and smell.
at all late, if you consider its blooming time. In fact, it is well before the egg-shaped, bright green leaves appear. If we do get some sleet or ice later, I’ll bet I will be able to
really early. Its buds break open during the coldest time The plant in my backyard, however, is a bit odd in not see the flowers through their crystalline shrouds.
of the year, long before any of the spring bloomers are shedding any of its summer leaves until late January,
John Nelson is the retired curator of the A. C. Moore
close to flowering. This is a shrub, and a really precocious so I think its schedule is a bit off. I have heard that the
Herbarium at the University of South Carolina in
one – in that its flowers appear early. The Latin adjective flowers tend to be pollinated by beetles, and, of course,
Columbia. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free
“praecox” means early, the opposite of “serotinous,” and, you would expect that any beetles available during the
plant identifications. For more information, visit www.
of course, this is where the English word “precocious” winter would be around on a warm day. My plant is
herbarium.org, call 803-777-8196 or email nelson@sc.edu.
comes from. I’ll go ahead and tell you that the word blooming like crazy right now, with the leaves still on. It
praecox appears in our mystery plant’s scientific name. also makes a good bird-nest bush: There’s a thrasher nest [Answer: wintersweet - chimonanthus praecox]
in here every spring.