Dear Island Neighbors,

Well, Spring has sprung, although Spring clearly had a few false starts this year. Here’s to a lovely season!

And speaking of lovely Spring weather, AKA primo beach weather, this is a reminder to plan your trips off and on the Island with beach traffic in mind when necessary, i.e., every weekend day without a hurricane (and “weekend” now seems to include Friday!).

We are continuing to coordinate beach traffic management with our Isle of Palms and Mount Pleasant neighbors, but all of us are constrained by limited resources. Our colleagues with the Mount Pleasant Police Department already do their best to adjust the timing of their most Island-relevant traffic lights (including Center Street and Rifle Range Road/McCants) on heavy beach traffic days.

Please get the Beach Reach and/or SCDOT 511 apps to check out real-time conditions on the traffic cameras showing beach traffic. 

Herewith a few other important items!

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH...

...especially if you are planning to cut, destroy or otherwise injure any of the trees in the Town’s protected land which includes the Maritime Forest, or to assist anyone doing that.

Why the Ides of March? Because on March 15 our Town Council voted unanimously to support Staff in the use of any and all appropriate Town Ordinances and State statutes in these cases, including but not limited to a long-standing State statute which allows charging anyone who destroys trees in our Town-owned Maritime Forest with a felony, potentially with prison time, when appropriate. You can read the State statute at https://bit.ly/SC1611520 This law makes such activity a felony when it exceeds a minimal threshold.

Yes, we said FELONY.

You have likely heard of the outrageous environmental vandalism recently perpetrated in a large section of the Maritime Forest. (If you haven’t, Google “Sullivan’s Island Maritime Forest tree cutting”). This is malicious destruction of public property that belongs to the Town, property which benefits the entire Island and its residents, not to mention a multitude of human and avian visitors.

Council’s action means that anyone accused of cutting trees in the Maritime Forest may find themselves may find themselves being arrested, booked and charged with a felony. If found guilty, they may find themselves in PRISON for up to 10 years, depending on the scope of the offense.

Not to mention what a felony conviction can do to one’s professional career and livelihood.

The Town is asking anyone with information on the recent cutting to please contact our Police via the numbers below, or at frontdesk@sullivansisland.sc.gov .

And we also need to prevent any future incidents of unauthorized tree-cutting in our unique, valuable Maritime Forest. While the Island has a season in which limited, cutting can occur with a Town permit, that season is over, so if you see something, say something!

Don’t limit your concern to chain saws. We have had several instances of “slash and squirt” tree killings in which the guilty party slices through the bark of a tree to later squirt a poison in the slash.

If you see anyone attempting to cut or otherwise damage trees in our protected land, please notify our police immediately. You can call the non-emergency number managed by Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch (843 743 7200...after our area code, think of our school + 200: “SIES200”). You can also call an on-duty SIPD officer directly at 843 883 9636.

THANK YOU, CHIEF STITH!

Last month, our great Fire Chief, Anthony Stith, marked the 40TH Anniversary of his service to the Town. We are so fortunate to have had his leadership, devotion and protection for this time and to continue to have it.

Please thank him when you see him.

WHO DOESN’T WANT THESE DAY-TRIPPERS?

They all carpool in one vehicle, don’t tie up Middle Street while stopping mid-block in hopes of a parking spot materializing out of thin air, won’t take up seats in your favorite Island restaurant, and don’t leave their bottles, cans and busted beach chairs on the ground by the beach path garbage cans.

We refer, of course, to shelter dogs from the Dorchester Paws Shelter, who will be visiting the Island for brief, supervised, leashed times on the beach under a new program.

“Mutts for Miles” will allow a limited number of shelter dogs to come out for a one-hour stroll or run on the beach with volunteers who register in advance. The dogs will of course have been vetted in advance for vaccinations and suitability, and will have to have a volunteer who has committed in advance to be their beach buddy for the hour.

Says Town Administrator Andy Benke, “For those living on or near Sullivan’s Island, the restorative and healing value of the beach is well known.  It is wonderful to share the beach and Maritime Forest in order to bring joy into the lives of a few animals that spend months at the shelter before finding a forever home.”

If you are interested in learning more, go to https://bit.ly/MuttsForMiles.

And I would never suggest that those clever folks at the Dorchester shelter are setting us up for gateway, uhh, dogs, leading to adoptions!

INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS ARE BACK THIS YEAR!

After a two-year hiatus, one of our long-standing traditions is returning.  Following Council discussion in our March 15 meeting, Councilmember Kaye Smith, Chair of the Recreation Committee, wants you to know that, “we are happy to announce that in addition to our new tradition of fireworks at Christmas, we are bringing back fireworks for the 4th of July”.

More details as that date approaches!

See you around the Island!

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