2009 Hurricane Season Begins…and I need your help
June 1st, 2009 Editorial, McClellanville Events Daniel Bates Comments
Hurricane season is once again upon us and this year will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo which devastated McClellanville on September 21st (and well into the 22nd) of 1989. Amazingly there was no loss of life within the town, but the path of destruction was the worst left by a hurricane at it’s time and McClellanville was ground zero. Anyone that lived here at the time knows that there are many reasons to not want to relive the agony and loss experienced. However, I’d like to propose that after 20 years we are due for an “I Survived Hurricane Hugo” celebration and remembrance.
I’ll be posting more about Hurricane Hugo and hurricane preparedness later, but to prepare for the coming anniversary I would like to gather pictures of the village after Hugo in order to prepare a slideshow. Fallen trees, muddy floors and streets, damaged homes and boats, volunteers, National Guard, cleanup efforts, whatever you have that will add to the story.
If you have a scanner you can scan and email your photos to me. Otherwise I will be scanning pictures. You can submit them at our office and I will scan them and get them back to you as soon as possible. Be sure to mark them with your information so nothing gets mixed and they are returned to the right place. You can submit individual pictures or packages and I will sort through them and choose the best. Through this effort, we will be preserving these images forever. If we get enough images I will even prepare a slideshow presentation for the town and make CD’s available. All credit will be given to the original photographers, so please feel free to submit your best images.
We have a whole new population in the village that didn’t live through this experience that forever reshaped the way we viewed life. Many have seen scrapbooks from one person or another, but few know the whole story. An event like this can pull us together as a stronger community as we share our past experiences. As the eyes of the nation fall on us again I propose that we present an image fitting the way that we banded together after Hugo to repair the Village.
There is no denying that it was a horrible experience. A decade later, we still used “before Hugo” and “after Hugo” as the major time indicator. I know some suffered enormous financial loss, but I dare say that McClellanville is a better place because of those tragedies because of what we learned about ourselves in the rebuilding process. We learned the generosity of the human race as volunteers poured in to help a small town they had never heard of but saw only glimpses of on the news. FEMA was probably less helpful than their dreadful performance in New Orleans after Katrina, but nobody gave up and begged for a handout. We rebuilt.
If you ask most people you’ll find that the biggest tragedy wasn’t the shrimpboat in their front yard, 6 inches of mud in their house, or even their missing roof…it was that grandma’s quilt was missing or the ruined wedding album. These are the things that we lost that we’ll never get back. I was only 9 at the time of Hugo and couldn’t grasp that at the time (it was a big adventure for me, since there was no school for weeks and weeks and tons of new things to see) but I realize this now.
So dust off your scrap books and share your stories as we remember a part of our history that helped make us the town we are today…Who’s with me?
Shrimpboat picture courtesy of Mike Burton.
McClellanville Mother’s Day Wrap-up
May 10th, 2009 McClellanville Events, Neighborhoods Daniel Bates Comments
My Mother’s day in McClellanville was spent watching my little one to give mom a well deserved break. We wrapped up the day by going to the Town Hall to the “Mothers Who Love Puppies Benefit Concert” to benefit Helping Hand Animal Rescue & Rehab Therapy to hear Kathy Livingston (the one from Nature Adventures Outfitters) sing. She had a great voice, singing a great mix of kids songs, folk songs, beach songs, and contemporary and all of her record sales go to charity.
Ken Burger had a great article in the Post and Courier about being “Raised by a Hundred Mothers“, a feeling I can definitely relate to having grown up in McClellanville. I’ve written about the it-takes-a-village mentality before, but Burger puts it best with this line, “Looking back, there were truly super women. They worked full time, sang in the choir, volunteered at the school, taught us to dance, held our families together and somehow found time to raise a village full of children.”
The Post and Courier also reported on one of our own this weekend, St. James Santee Episcople Churches minister, Jennie Olbrych. I adore Jennie. She is an amazing woman who is passionate about God’s word and always willing to help members of the community despite not living in McClellanville. You can spot her in the videos on my most recent Shrimp Festival article as she has been responsible for blessing the fleet the past few years…come rain or shine.
Finally, I’d be remiss to not take a moment to acknowledge the two mom’s that make my everyday life possible. My Mom, Susan Bates, lives just around the corner from me. I can literally see her house through the woods (do I get credit for not being a momma’s boy if I told you that I lived away from home for 8 years?). My mom is a strong, confident, and beautiful woman. My wife and I both have a great relationship with her (and my dad) and eat dinner with them almost every week (Thursday’s are Survivor night at the Bates house). She’s also been a Godsend the past two years watching our son while we work and even allowing the occasional date night and I’m so happy he has someone like her to take him out in the garden, tromping in the woods, and crabbing.
My wife, Josie is my rock! We were friends before dating and as a result know each other very well and compliment each others weaknesses. She is an amazing mother with the perfect amount of discipline and love for our son. She keeps me grounded but always supports me a rare thing to find. She works hard and always has a smile on her beautiful face. I definitely couldn’t do all the things I do without the help from these two great women and I often call upon them to review my articles, so my website wouldn’t be the same without them either.
PS - Charleston Painter, Katherine Muschick, wrote a great article about the McClellanville Arts Council’s Youth Art Show, so please check that out and leave a comment on her site. Congratulations to the great local artists as well!
Strawberry Picking at Patriots Farms
May 7th, 2009 McClellanville Events Daniel Bates Comments
Patriots Farms
10970 A N. Hwy 17
843-887-4010
Pre-picked Bucket: $10
U-pick Bucket: $7.50
A few miles north of McClellanville on Highway 17 you’ll find Patriots Farms, or as it is more commonly known, “the strawberry farm”. The strawberries have just ripened and will only be in season for another month or so, so be sure to go get some soon. You may want to give them a call and listen to the answering machine message for their times as it may change depending on the availability of the crop. If you’re picking your own ($7.50 per bucket), I’d recommend the morning while it’s still cool. You can easily fill a bucket in twenty or thirty minutes worth of picking…even with a 2-year-old robbing a few. Or you can pick up a bucket of freshly picked strawberries for just $10. They also have strawberry jams and honey.
Not only is strawberry picking a great summer activity, but they’re of course a tasty treat that can be prepared many ways. They’re great as a snack all by themselves or on cereal or shortbread with whipped cream or baked into a cobbler. I personally love to cut the tops off and lay them on a baking sheet and freeze them. From there you transfer them to zip lock bags and keep them year round. Use them like ice cubes, a cold treat, or blend them up in daiquiris!
33rd Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
May 6th, 2009 McClellanville Events Daniel Bates Comments
This will be the third year I’ve covered the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival on my blog, so it’s starting to become old hat. This year my wife’s parents came down to enjoy the festivities though, so I’ve included a small portion of the picture that my mother-in-law took while enjoying the festival and the blessing of the fleet.
This was the 33rd year of the annual event, which includes vendors, games, silent auction, live music, dancing, and of course seafood. Overall, it was a great day for kids of all ages, except for a brief shower right in the middle of the blessing of the fleet. The Lowcountry Shrimp Festival is organized by and profits Archibald Rutledge Academy. Both these new websites are courtesy of MCVL.net - Lowcountry Blogging Network - contact me today to get your own website).
Just before the blessing I escaped across to the other side of Jeremy Creek to film the blessing of the fleet from a different perspective. I’m going to try to incorporate more videos into my posts in the future, but it’s all a learning process.
Asbestos and McClellanville Homes
May 5th, 2009 Buyers Daniel Bates Comments
The following is a guest post written by Joe Lederman and provided by Asbestos.com - The Leading Mesothelioma Cancer Resource. I can’t attest to the frequency of presence of asbestos in homes in McClellanville, but it reinforces the need for a qualified real estate agent and home inspector who can detect the presence of the material.
Located in the southeastern region of the United States, South Carolina is home to rich mountain ranges, national parks and monuments. In South Carolina, The state was important in the manufacturing, processing and use of asbestos because of its natural deposits and large shipping industry. Many companies that used asbestos include the Charleston Navy Yard, Carolina Shipping Company and Detyen Shipyards, Inc.
Purchasing or moving into a new home is the investment of a lifetime. It will insure you and your family will have a safe and healthy home for a long foreseeable future. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was a prominent building application throughout the 20th century.
Potential McClellanville home buyers or those seeking to remodel a home built before 1980 should check for potential asbestos materials. This is not to say that you should be too worried because with the proper precautions, asbestos exposure can be easily prevented.
Even if asbestos shingles are on your home, if they are in good condition and left undisturbed, they are not a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard, leading to the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma. With a latency period that can last 20 to 50 years, this makes mesothelioma prognosis from physicians a difficult task.
The amount of asbestos-related incidents in the last few decades has lead to asbestos lawyer firms advocating victim rights around the U.S. The negligence involved with the asbestos scandal has been one of greed and dishonesty. Manufacturers of asbestos were aware of its toxic qualities, but repressed this information from the public.
If you suspected asbestos materials are in your home, most home inspectors and contractors advise to leave it un-disturbed as asbestos in good condition does not pose any health risks. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Council promotes the health and safety of the public and environment. These public organizations assist the disposal and removal of asbestos and other harmful materials. If asbestos removal is deemed necessary, it should be performed by licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials.
Once the removal process is completed, green insulation alternatives should be given serious consideration. These alternatives include: cellulose, cotton fiber and lcynene. Tax breaks are being offered through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. This package extends energy efficiency tax incentives first enacted in 2005 and even creates some new ones for those who remodel their homes using Eco-friendly materials. Insulation replacement can be vital to energy efficiency and is often overlooked by people looking to upgrade their homes.
With a lackluster economy, these kinds of figures have attracted those who were unaware of Eco-friendly construction. Not only will these asbestos alternatives reduce energy costs, they allow a lifestyle that promotes a clean, free of health damaging materials.
Could School Credits Save McClellanville?
March 25th, 2009 Editorial Daniel Bates Comments
With poor school performances rampant in Charleston County and the state as a whole, State Senator Robert Ford has finally decided that school tax credits for parents choosing to send their children to private schools could be the only solution to parents wanting the best possible option for their children’s future. The bill, as reported on by The Post and Courier, would “provide children with a tuition tax credit worth $2,433 for most, $4,867 for students with special needs and $3,650 for those who attend a failing school”. The P&C goes on to report that “Scholarships funded by charitable contributions also would be available for children whose parents earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty line, which is $44,100 for a family of four. ”
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McClellanville’s Archibald Rutledge Academy, where I attended from 4 year-old Kindergarten until graduation and would like to some day send my 2 year-old son, is one such school that could greatly benefit from such a bill. A $2433 tax credit for a school with a $3500 tuition would be huge for local parents who are seeing less and less in their paychecks. The bill would actually cover the entire tuition for children in poorer families, opening the educational possibilities to so many more children.
McClellanville Middle School Closes
January 27th, 2009 Editorial Daniel Bates Comments
The inevitable news that McClellanville Middle School will be closing to help Charleston County Schools try to trim their $28 million budget deficit was announced yesterday. The vast rural district serving the residents of McClellanville and most of Awendaw may be labeled “District 1″, but many residents didn’t feel that they were number 1 in the hearts of Charleston County School Board.
As a parent I hope that the children going to any of the closing schools don’t experience any turmoil during their transition and that it doesn’t impact their education in a negative way. As a local I can understand how upsetting it must be to see a school you’ve been committed to closing. But as a tax payer I think that it just makes sense after looking at the numbers.
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More McClellanville Land is Protected by the Nature Conservancy
December 3rd, 2008 Editorial Chris Comments
Once again The Nature Conservancy has preserved land surrounding McClellanville through purchase and conservation easement . Earlier this year an 812 acre tract of land just south of McClellanville was sold by the Nature Conservancy to Charleston County Parks. This land will be used as a public park with a few buildings but will remain protected through conservation easements. Through this process of buying land, establishing easements and reselling to public agencies and private individuals, the Nature Conservancy is protecting this area for future generations.
Last week The Nature Conservancy released the notice of it’s purchase of 4 more tracts of land totaling 1,116 acres in the McClellanville area. This land was purchased from International Paper, who is a major holding company of land surrounding the National Forest using the lumber from the fast growing pines to produce pulp for paper production (say that 3 times fast). Two tracts lie just north of McClellanville on both sides of Highway 17 and the others west on Highway 45 (see the Charleston Business Journals Article for more information and map). The price tag for the 1,116 acres? $6,445,000 or $5,775 an acres…and no I can’t find you a deal like that for a single acre.
The Nature Conservancy has also recently worked with the Evening Post Publishing Company in placing a conservation easement on a 1,144 acre tract of land they own on Old Georgetown Road. This tract actually surrounds a separate 100 acre tract of land owned by the Village Museum which also allowed for a conservation easement placed by The Nature Conservancy earlier this year. The Evening Post and Village Museum land surrounds the St. James Santee Church (also known simply as "Old Brick Church " by locals) built in 1768. It is of monumental importance that historical character of the land surrounding this 18th century church has been preserved from future development.
We are already blessed to have the massive Francis Marion National Forest and Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge as our own personal backyards, but these additional lands ensure further natural habitat and protect against future development in the area. The coastline surrounding McClellanville serves as an essential breeding and nesting area for endangered birds and turtles who are losing more and more habitat every year. The forest tracts serve as wildlife habitat to other birds and ducks including the swallow-tail kite. As the Charleston area grows and Mount Pleasant seems to creep closer with each passing day and Awendaw acts only sporadically to slow development, it is imperative that organizations like The Nature Conservancy are encouraged to do the work that they do. To date, The Nature Conservancy has protected almost 50,000 acres of land in the Seewee to Santee region, so the next time you see our own Mike Prevost at his office on Pinckney Street, tell him thank you…for you and your grandchildren.
2008 Village Holiday Art Walk
December 3rd, 2008 McClellanville Events Comments
This Friday (12/5/08) from 5pm to 8pm and Saturday (12/6/08) from 10am to 5pm the downtown area of McClellanville will be transformed into a holiday art walk. It will be a great time to get a head start (or finish up) your Christmas shopping while saving money at the same time. There will be plenty of locally-prepared baked goods, seafood and barbecue in addition to gifts of all kinds from local artists and business owners. I encourage everyone to come out and support the local economy. Here are the participating businesses so far:
Pinckney Street Kitchen, The Yellow Shop, Pluff Mud, Elizabeth Bronson Studio, Cassena Studios: John McWilliams and Nancy Marshall, Lee Arthur Studios, Sassafras, Another Time, Ma-King Concrete Works, McClellanville Arts Center, T.W. Graham Seafood Restaurant, and The Village Museum. For more information or to participate call Sarah Nell Scott at 887-4001. The wreaths featured here are some of my wife’s and will also be for sale as well.
What’s the Deal with the Stormwater Utility Bill?
November 18th, 2008 Uncategorized Comments
Only a few weeks after successfully reducing my Charleston County property tax bill. I received yet another bill in the mail. This time it was a Stormwater Utility Bill for $36, which just goes to prove that the government will always get what the government wants out of you, it just might take them a few tries.
According to Charleston County’s Stormwater Fee webpage this is supposed to assist with managing runoff and preventing pollution from being carried into our waterways. The fee is supposed to only apply to residents of unincorporated Charleston County and a few municipalities that asked for them to administer the fee on their behalf. I spoke with Mary Duke, McClellanville’s town administrator, who advised that McClellanville is not one of these municipalities and it’s residents should not have been billed. After several days of calling I finally heard back from a representative of Charleston County who confirmed that residents of McClellanville should not have received this bill and this was an error on the part of the County. He said in order to remedy the situation you can either call for an appeal form to be mailed to you or you can go online and fill one out here. Be sure to include your TMS# (which can be found on the bill) and state that you live within the town limits of McClellanville and the bill does not apply to you in the comments section.
I have to wonder if Charleston County’s repeated “errors” are more than a coincidence and that they’re not trying to make up the difference between their enormous spending budget and significantly less tax dollars from new growth and rising property values that they anticipated as if it were guaranteed to them. So, I am not telling anyone not to pay this bill if it arrives in the mail, but if you live in McClellanville proper I would appeal and wait for a response before you pay.
Note: I’ve already talked to one other resident of the town who received this letter, but if you live in the inside the town limits and received one please leave a comment below so the Town will know how many people were incorrectly billed. Also be sure to tell your friends and neighbors.
