Dear Island Neighbors,
We’ve got several different Island items this time, so let’s jump in.
Unfortunately, we must start with a sad one.
Thank you, Roy Williams
There’s an old saying that “Every time an old man dies, a library burns to the ground,” meaning that many of our elders – of both sexes – are repositories of huge amounts of important history and the wisdom that can flow from that, and with their passing much of it is lost forever.
If that is true, Sullivan’s Island just lost our own Library of Congress. On March 11, 2023, Roy Williams passed away at age 87.
No, not the basketball coach from the other Carolina. I’m talking about the longtime – including his childhood – resident of the island who was a career teacher, an author of several books and the unofficial historian of Sullivan’s Island who gave so generously of his time and knowledge. You can view his obituary at https://bit.ly/RoyWilliams.
Here are just a few of the ways in which Roy shared his deep and broad knowledge of island history:
Working with the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, he led bus tours of the historic structures on the island.
Also with the BGCC, he was the subject of a valuable oral history interview about the island in earlier years, with BGCC President Mike Walsh - https://bit.ly/SI-History
Roy was also a frequent contributor to public comment sessions of Town Council and board or commission meetings when a matter involving preservation of our historic structures was under discussion.
He authored – with the late Make McMurphy – the “Sullivan’s Island” book in the Arcadia Publishing “Images of America” series - https://bit.ly/IOA-SI.
Many of you, but sadly not enough, have had the privilege of either meeting Roy Williams personally, hearing his valuable presentations or reading his book. If you haven’t, I recommend that oral history interview and book.
Mutts for Miles
If you were a dog in a shelter, you probably wouldn’t get much active outdoor time. So if you had a chance to walk or run on the beach for a little while, you’d probably wag your tail off. And if you are a human who has thought that it would be fun to have a dog to walk on the beach after work but can’t commit to anything beyond that, pet-wise, there’s a chance to do just that. Commence wagging your own tail.
The Dorchester Paws shelter folks are again this year offering their “Mutts for Miles” program, which they successfully launched here last year. On Wednesdays, they’ll bring some lucky pooches here for hour-long, 6 p.m. beach walks with some lucky folks who have barked, uhh, booked, a reservation in advance. It’s a great way to have a little time with a dog who will definitely appreciate the opportunity. For more info, or to book a reservation, go to https://bit.ly/SIMutts.
And needless to say, the Dorchester Paws folks have no intention that you might want a repeat date with your pup, or even an adoption invite. Nope, it never crossed their minds. Not once.
SIPD shoutouts
The great work of our police officers all too often goes unnoticed, until someone gets in a real bind and needs help fast. Of course, our well-trained officers are just what you need in that event, but they also do wonderful things for our community that may escape your notice. Here are a couple of examples.
One night in February, officers stopped a driver for a driver’s license violation and learned that he was delivering an Uber Eats order to an island resident. Obviously, the driver couldn’t continue to the delivery due to the violation, so our Officer Carlos Hernandez stepped in. He offered to take the food and finish the delivery – and he did. His willingness to lend a helping hand saved the night for the Uber Eats driver, and the island customers still got their food while it was hot. In how many towns can you answer the doorbell and find a police officer there with your Uber Eats order? Thanks, Officer Hernandez, for your community service with a personal touch. Five stars.
And in March, Officer Sydney DeNett, in partnership with WakeUp Carolina – a community organization focused on awareness and education regarding substance abuse – organized a community training event at Town Hall to provide instruction in how to recognize drug overdoses and treat them with Narcan. More than 40 people who have been touched by substance abuse attended. They received training and Narcan overdose prevention kits. Thank you, Officer DeNett, for your initiative in this important educational activity. We may never know whose life will be saved because of this training, but it is likely that someone, somewhere, sometime will owe their continued existence to it.
You can stay in touch with the great work of our Police Department by following them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SIPDSTRONG
See you around the island!
Pat O’Neil, Mayor
843-670-9266
Twitter: @oneilpm1
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