Dear Island neighbors,

I hope you are enjoying what I consider the best time of the year on the Island! Herewith are several items of note; please check them out.

HELP OUR POLICE GIVE DESERVING KIDS NEW BIKES FOR CHRISTMAS.
Last year our great Police Department conducted their first campaign to give Christmas presents of new bicycles to as many needy area children as possible, via the Toys for Tots program. They far surpassed their original goal and delivered more than 220 new bikes. This year they are shooting for 300, and we’re counting on you to help them!

The program is again being led by Officer Glenn Meadows, and everyone is pitching in by receiving the donated bikes and by assembling the ones that require it. They’ll be receiving donated bikes (and helmets) through December 18. Only NEW bikes, either assembled or still in the box, are accepted. (When I offered them my trusty steed, they recoiled in horror and told me to get it off the property.) And of course, the helmets must be new.  Monetary donations cannot be accepted, but you can go online and order bikes for delivery to the address below.Donated bikes can be dropped off at the Sullivan’s Island Police Department, located inside Town Hall at 2056 Middle St. between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday, or shipped directly to the Police Department at that address. If you want to make an afterhours bicycle donation, please contact Officer Meadows at 843-834-4298 or  gmeadows@sullivansisland.sc.gov . And if you want to help with assembling bikes, you can also reach out to him that way. Let’s get them well past 300 bikes! You can track their progress by following them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SIPDSTRONG

ELECTION DAY
Not that you are likely to escape the ads reminding you that it impends, but don’t forget that Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.  As always, thanks to Rev. Polley and the folks at Sunrise Presbyterian Church for allowing their facility to be used for our one and only precinct. The election is conducted by the Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration. Polls are open 7AM to 7PM.

HOLIDAY PARK LIGHTING AND FIREWORKS! 
Please come out to Stith Park on Friday, December 2nd, around 5:00 PM for our annual Holiday Park and Fire Station Lighting ceremony. The talented, award-winning Wando High School Chorus will again perform some great seasonal music, and the ever-impressive holiday lights will be turned on for the season...and for the first time at our newly renovated Fire Station. And that will be immediately followed by...FIREWORKS!
Yep, fireworks in December, returning for a repeat appearance, this time due to popular demand! Hopefully we will have a crisp, clear Fall night which should make the show even more memorable than its usual summer version.

Setting up and taking down the holiday lights each year is always an impressive feat by members of our Fire and Maintenance Departments, both under the leadership of Chief Anthony Stith. Please thank those folks when you see them.

Finally, Chief Stith has dropped this tantalizing hint: “We may have a surprise visit this year.”

Hmmmm...I wonder who??

PLANNING COMMISSION FOLLOW-UP TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND DESIGN STUDY GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS
The next meeting of the Planning Commission will be on Wednesday, November 9 at 4:00 PM. They will consider some of the recommendations produced by the very effective and hardworking Historic Preservation and Design Study Group, which was so ably led by Chair John Winchester and Co-Chair Aussie Geer. Council forwarded many of those 

recommendations to the Planning Commission, as they involve potential changes to the zoning ordinance, and at this meeting the Commission will be addressing the first tranche of these. For more info, please go to https://bit.ly/SIPlanningCommission.  

THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS
As I have previously expressed, I frequently catch myself taking the Island for granted in the course of day-to-day activities and responsibilities.
So it’s always healthy to remind myself of the abundant blessings we enjoy here: a wonderful small-town place with great neighbors; tremendous natural resources all around us with an amazing array of flora and fauna; a fascinating history that predates the founding of the country, with lots of historic resources throughout the Island. What’s not to like? I am very thankful for the size of our BIGGEST problems! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

See you around the Island!

Pat O’Neil
Mayor
843 670 9266
Twitter: @oneilpm1
oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov