Plumbers in Sullivan's Island, SC

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Several Sullivan’s Island dog walkers and regulars are speaking up about their personal experiences with coyotes.

This comes a day after town officials reported five coyote-led attacks involving dogs within the month of August.

They say the wild animals has been approaching people, dogs and roaming open areas of the beach more often than usual.

The Jourdan family says they experienced a too-close encounter with a coyote over the weekend.

“They were out halfway to the water, from the dune, so middle of the beach. And they were attacked by coyotes,” Jourdan said.

Five-year-old Willie Nelson, the Jourdan family dog, was taken by two coyotes early Saturday morning while on a walk with a babysitter.

Jourdan says it happened in broad daylight and in the middle of the beach.

He adds the family was devastated by the loss of their “wonder dog.”

“I was trying to get closure for my family’s sake, for Willie, because we weren’t even there. Which was frustrating. I crawled on my belly for over four miles between stations 26 and 28,” Jourdan said.

The attack occurred at Station 27, a part of the beach several residents have called a “breeding ground” for coyote packs.

Officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources say the breed has been approaching people, dogs and roaming open areas of the beach more often.

They add that mid-summer and fall are peak active times for these animals, meaning it is when coyotes migrate to new spaces, feed and have young.

SCDNR officials say another reason for the increased interactions could be from them being opportunistic feeders, meaning they will be quick and take anything they need.

Others say they have been chased by coyotes in the past but escaped.

“We were walking in June when a coyote came out of the dunes and started chasing,” Sullivan’s regular Shelly Carson said. “I was able to chase it away, and it ran down the beach to chase a golden retriever.”

Now, they avoid the area altogether or take proactive measures to be able to walk safely.

“I’ve always known there are coyotes here,” Carson said. “Never seen one until this year. Really, March was the first time I had my first sighting and started carrying pepper spray on the beach. In June I started carrying a birdie alarm. And now I carry a stick with me too.”

Visitors are asking for help from officials to curb the problem.

“It’s close to our hearts, but the coyote system is unfortunately not something that is new, declining or lessened. Rather the opposite,” Jourdan said.

They ask for coyote population control, area management and listening to residential concerns.

Town officials say they do have systems in place to manage the problem, which include education, tracking, hazing and lethal control.

They ask anyone who experiences an encounter or sighting to report the problem immediately.

If you run into a coyote, you’re advised to react loudly, throw small sticks or cans or spray the animal with water.

For more information on coyotes along Sullivan’s Island, click here.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Sullivan's Island For All wants to make sure people know not only the beauty of the Maritime Forest, but also how it protects the community.

Karen Byko, the president of Sullivan's Island For All, says the forest is more than just a home for wildlife.

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"The trees here are protecting us, so we need to protect them," she said. "The Maritime Forest provides a vegetative wall between the ocean and the homeowners, so that as storm surge comes in from the ocean, they provide that wall to protect us from that water. It's critically important that we preserve these trees to protect the island from that kind of destructive erosion."

Byko says there are some threats to this forest, such as the illegal cutting of the trees.

"We have people frequently who come out here and cut into public land trust, trees, and vegetation they do not own and they don't have a right to do," she said. "This land is protected for all of us to be able to enjoy."

According to Byko, everyone should care about this issue. She advocates for the protection of these 195 acres.

Sullivan's Island For All wants to make sure people know not only the beauty of the Maritime Forest, but also how it protects the community. (WCIV)

"We live in a world where we know the effects of climate change are accelerating," Byko said. "We know these types of habitats are increasingly being destroyed and eroded. I just encourage everybody to come out here and know why we are fighting so hard to try to save this."

Byko also mentioned this forest is one of the last of its kind.

"There are very few places we can go to anymore that we can be in a wild space like this and be able to just enjoy it," Byko said. "If you look at maritime forests, you'll find there are very few that are left along the entire East Coast of the United States. This is one of the last few remaining Maritime Forests in the United States that's easily accessible to anybody."

"Anybody in Charleston can get in their car, drive over here, find a parking space, and enjoy the Maritime Forest," she said.

I have lived on Sullivan’s Island since 1997.

In a recent article about an exclusive club being proposed for the island, developer Shep Davis said, “The property operated as a private club for close to a century without being open to Island residents.”

This is not true.

When SCE&G owned the Sand Dunes Club, island residents were allowed to buy passes to use the swimming pool for a very nominal fee.

The Sullivan’s Island Park Foundation held its annual fundraiser at the club. Innumerable residents used it for weddings, graduation parties, family reunions as well as bat and bar mitzvah parties.

The developers are requesting that Town Council change the zoning ordinances to allow for commercial use in a residential neighborhood.

This is a very slippery slope and a path Town Council must not take.

Single-family residential zoning has always been sacred on Sullivan’s Island, and separation between commercial and residential neighborhoods has always been maintained.

This is one of the things that makes our island special.

If an exclusive private club in the middle of a residential neighborhood is allowed on Sullivan’s Island, it could tear an irreparable hole in the fabric of our community.

PAT VOTAVA

Sullivan’s Island

Thanks for the recent, important editorial urging the S.C. Department of Transportation to improve safety conditions on King Street for people with wheels and pedestrians.

Speaking as a downtown resident without a car or bike, however, I am also concerned about the hazards of walking on Charleston’s many broken sidewalks.

I recently was dismayed to watch a young man in a wheelchair struggle to get past the broken sidewalk at 41 George St. near the College of Charleston. (I offered a push, but he declined and likely was embarrassed).

My husband fell a short time ago while trying to walk on the protruding and missing red bricks outside the college.

There are broken sidewalk pieces, and some sidewalks end in the middle of the block.

Is there any reason to allow safety cones to decorate a hole in the sidewalk for months at the corner of Meeting Street and Wragg Square?

Three months ago, I sent a list with photos of broken or unfinished sidewalks to the city authorities.

Two sites were fixed immediately on Calhoun Street in front of Gaillard Center (this was during Spoleto season), but most of the rest remain hazardous.

SHARON FRATEPIETRO

Charleston

Solomon Stevens’ commentary of July 30 said we have to resist the temptation to try to make our schools an extension of the moral or religious orientation of our homes. He wrote schools were never intended to be that and should not be that.

Yale University was founded as a Christian educational institution. In the book, “Sex and God at Yale,” author Nathan Harden chronicles the efforts of a secular president to replace that religious orientation with one based on raw secularism.

Among other things, he brought to the campus a lecturer who produced pornographic movies and claimed to have had sex with scores of women.

Things got so out of hand, the president was fired.

My point is that if Christians are not militant — in a nonviolent way — about what is being taught in schools, people who despise them and their beliefs will rush in to fill that vacuum.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote for “separation of church and state,” he did not write for separation of Christianity and state.

Mr. Stevens wrote our children need to learn how to think critically. That includes weighing and balancing competing arguments.

I agree. They need to balance 400 years of Christian teaching in this country with what has taken place in the non-Christian countries of the world.

Would we be better off today if our forefathers had embraced their religions and philosophies? Of course not.

I believe all public schools should teach the fundamental concepts of Christianity in order to provide the students with a basic understanding of the premise behind the many movements that have sharped our country.

Whether it was abolition, labor, civil rights or other movements, Christian principles have played a profound role.

Only after students understand this can they make intelligent judgments about competing arguments and how to confront complexities of the world around them.

GARY H. KNIGHT

Holly Hill

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Every nightfall, a rotating light pulsates around Sullivan’s Island twice every 30 seconds. The luminous source is the Charleston Light, also referred to as the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, which has stood watch over the cozy beach town for more than six decades.

When the pillar of light was first lit on June 15, 1962, it was recorded as the last major lighthouse in the United States built by the federal government. It was also the second brightest lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere, according to Fort Moultrie National Historical Park guide Shelby McAllister.

The Charleston Light was erected to replace the defunct Morris Island Light, which was rebuilt in the 1870s after being destroyed in the Civil War. The lighthouse was at risk of being destroyed again by erosion and was later decommissioned.

Standing at 162.5 feet tall, approaching vessels in the Charleston Harbor could see the flash of the Charleston Light’s 28-million candlepower beam from more than 50 miles offshore. Five years after its construction, its wattage was reduced to 1.2-million candlepower, but it is still visible more than 25 miles away.

Its bright light wasn’t the only thing that caught people’s eyes. Many residents felt the original red and white color scheme was an eyesore. As the sun bleached the red to orange, it was decided that a paint job was in order. Black and white was the popular choice, so the Charleston Light received a makeover.

Sixty-one years later, the mid-century monolithic structure serves as more of a nautical landmark than a navigational aid, but its maritime history is not lost at sea. It was a fixture of the U.S. Coast Guard Historic District that includes buildings dating back to 1894.

When the Coast Guard automated the lighthouse in 1975, it no longer needed a keeper. In 2008, the Coast Guard relinquished ownership to the National Park Service.

THE MAN BEHIND THE LIGHT

Architect Jack Graham’s creation was not only the last of its kind, but it was also one of a kind. His vision for the lighthouse lit up in his mind when he was a 25-year-old graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture and a serviceman in the Coast Guard.

In Graham’s last month of active duty, a supervisor gave him a final assignment of designing a lighthouse. The Coast Guard was displeased with the previous drawings that made it resemble a World War I battleship signal tower. By the time Graham was finished, it looked like an air traffic control tower.

Unlike typical circular lighthouses, Graham’s design was triangular with steel girders for the framework and aluminum alloy for siding. He credited his modernist approach and design to his college professor Louis Kahn, an influential modern architect in the post-World War II era known for his monumental and brutalist style.

In September 1989, Graham’s work would be put to the test when Hurricane Hugo lashed the island as a Category 5. The lighthouse’s design was intended to withstand winds up to 125 miles per hour. Hugo brought winds of 160 miles per hour, and the lighthouse never faltered.

In 2009, on Graham’s 75th birthday, he was able to view his creation from the top as he rode in the elevator for the first time. He wasn’t aware that his design was used for the lighthouse until three years after it was built, when he was flipping through a boating magazine.

The lighthouse became eligible to be listed on the National Register as part of the structures in the Coast Guard Historic District in 2012. That same year marked the structure’s 50th anniversary, during which Graham was recognized for the first time with an official ceremony and a historical marker on site.

Before Graham’s passing in June 2022, his wife Martha, who lives in Maryland, wrote “The Charleston Light and The Adventures of Scoops the Seagull.” The children’s book is about the lighthouse, which her beloved husband nicknamed “Sulli.”

Graham’s story lives on in the annals of history and is rekindled every time the sun sinks down past the horizon on Sullivan’s Island. That’s when the lighthouse and Graham’s legacy truly come to life.

Today, the lighthouse stands as one of the most technologically advanced for its time. It is the only lighthouse in America that has both an elevator and air conditioning, according to McAllister.

Due to ongoing problems with the elevator, there are no plans to open the lighthouse to the public. Of the 15 historic lighthouses in the state, none are currently open to the public due mainly to structural issues, she noted.

“This is history that is slowly disappearing, but not many people realize that,” McAllister added.

The National Park Service celebrates National Lighthouse Day every August by opening the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse grounds to the public. The last time the lighthouse was open for tours was 2018.

By Zach Giroux

Sullivan’s Island Fire Department Renovates Facility: Fire Station Facelift Charleston & Mount Pleasant, SC Retirement Living Options at Franke at Seaside Southern String Supply: Master of Their Craft

These quaint communities in South Carolina are a testament to the state's rich history.

When you think of South Carolina, you likely picture pastel-colored homes in Charleston or the Grand Strand's golden sandy beaches. But what if we told you there's more to the state beyond its big cities?

I spent the first 22 years of my life in the Palmetto State, and while I love revisiting Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia, South Carolina's small towns and secluded islands are well worth a stop, whether on a day trip or as your main destination. And don't worry — you'll find sweet tea, Southern hospitality, and a wide range of stunning landscapes all over the state. After all, our old license tags used to read: "Smiling faces, beautiful places."

We rounded up small towns in South Carolina with around 15,000 residents or less, excluding some slightly larger favorites like Hilton Head Island and Bluffton (which are worth visiting, too). So, whether you're looking for a mountain getaway or a beach vacation destination without the crowds, here are eight of the best small towns in South Carolina.

Sullivan's Island

A short drive from downtown Charleston, Sullivan's Island is one of the best beach towns in South Carolina. The 2.5-mile-long island is known for historic Fort Moultrie (with ties to the American Revolution and Civil War), a charming main drag, and pristine beaches unsullied by high-rise hotels or tourist traps. The appropriately named Middle Street — located in the center of the small island — is home to popular restaurants like Poe's Tavern (an Edgar Allen Poe-themed eatery with incredible burgers), Home Team BBQ, and The Obstinate Daughter.

Travelers Rest

The Upstate South Carolina region is dotted with lakes and rolling green hills in the shadow of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. Travelers Rest (or simply "TR") offers a dose of small-town living and outdoor adventure within 10 miles of the charming city of Greenville. Before you go hiking, kayaking, or mountain biking, fuel up at Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse, and end your day with a pint at Swamp Rabbit Brewery. Less than 20 minutes outside of town, Hotel Domestique offers a taste of the Tuscan countryside in South Carolina with beautiful grounds and accommodations overlooking the rolling hills and mountains.

How to Take the Ultimate South Carolina Road Trip

Georgetown

South Carolina has plenty of lovely coastal small towns, including Georgetown, located between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. It's the third-oldest town in the state, so there's plenty of history to explore, plus local shops and restaurants on Front Street. Go for a stroll along the Harborwalk to admire views of the sparkling water, grab lunch on the patio of Georgetown Corner Tavern, and try the pralines at Sweeties Homemade Ice Cream and Sweets.

Edisto Beach

The small town of Edisto Beach on Edisto Island is great for a laid-back coastal vacation. One of South Carolina's Sea Islands, Edisto is situated between Hilton Head and Charleston, and has beautiful beaches, including picturesque Driftwood Beach. Visit the Edisto Island Museum to learn about the history and culture of the island's Gullah Geechee people, descendants of enslaved Africans who remained on the southeastern coast of the United States. You won't find many large hotels in the area, so opt for a rental and enjoy the serene atmosphere and seafood restaurants.

Kiawah Island

Another barrier island on the South Carolina coast, Kiawah offers seafront serenity with an upscale twist. The primarily privately owned island is home to Kiawah Island Golf Resort, known for its championship golf courses, and The Sanctuary, a beachfront luxury hotel. Nearby Freshfields Village offers shopping (with lots of resort wear to choose from) and a range of restaurants.

Newberry

Located in the state's Midlands region, between Greenville and South Carolina's capital city, Columbia, Newberry has a quintessential small-town feel. The well-preserved downtown area features an opera house, antique shops, locally owned restaurants, and more. Plus, it hosts festivals throughout the year, including the annual Oktoberfest, Christmas in Newberry, and Pork in the Park events.

Beaufort

Down in the Lowcountry on Port Royal Island, Beaufort is another historic coastal town. It dates back to 1711, making it South Carolina's second-oldest city after Charleston. You can experience history firsthand by learning about Gullah culture at historic sites or on a tour, visiting ruins and old homes, and more.

Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island, tucked between Savannah and Hilton Head on the coast, is the ultimate escape when you really want to get away from it all. Only accessible by boat, the island retains its small-town atmosphere. You'll find a handful of cafes and restaurants, local artisans' shops, and the Daufuskie Island Distillery, which offers a range of tasty spirits such as a delightful Kona coffee rum. Keep an eye out for local wildlife, including dolphins and turtles, along the sandy shoreline.