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From the Desk of the Mayor
September 2010
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
The final days of summer on Folly are winding down and the beach is gradually being returned to the turtles, birds, and Folly residents. Even though our visitors have their place and we welcome them; it is exciting when it is time for all of us to take a deep breath and do all the things we avoid doing during the time of crowded beaches, heavy traffic, and noisy nights.
Folly has come a long way since last year when we faced problems such as underage drinking, open container, trash on the beach, and various types of behavior that was not only illegal but unacceptable. At one of the first work sessions held after the election ,City Council as a whole, made a commitment to begin a campaign to educate visitors about the rules and regulations so visits could be fun while avoiding behavior which could result in going to court and paying a fine. This commitment resulted in news articles which were very informative; letters to the deans of all colleges located in this vicinity with rules and associated fines attached; and commitments on the part of our Public Safety Officers to saturate, enforce, and educate.
As you all are aware, one of Folly’s greatest assets is the employees. Today I want to take this opportunity to recognize four of our employees and congratulate them on their appointments by City Council. Marlene Estridge was reappointed as the City Clerk-Treasurer. Marlene has held this appointment for many years and has done an excellent job. Her knowledge of the history of Folly Beach is unsurpassed making her a popular source of information. We are very fortunate to have someone of her caliber to serve in this position. Ben Peeples was also reappointed. Ben has been with the City for too many years to count and has won many battles for the City during those years. We are privileged to have Ben as our City Attorney and appreciate his willingness to accept this reappointment. John Kachmarskey was reappointed as the municipal judge. John has been with the City for approximately ten years and does an excellent job at all times. The job, however, gets to be especially challenging during beach season when there are heavy crowds and more tickets are written. We are pleased that he wishes to continue in this position. Mary Cunningham was appointed Municipal Clerk. She has been with the City in a full time position for approximately five years and before that, she was part-time. Mary can always be counted on to undertake any tasks presented to her and gets them done in a timely manner. She is efficient, hard working and helps us all stay on schedule. Again, congratulations; I am proud to be associated with all four. I hope others will join me in congratulating these worthy individuals.
Also, Council elected a Mayor Pro Tempore during the August 24th Council meeting. City Council is charged by State Law to elect, after each regular two-year election, one of their body as the Mayor Pro Tempore. The Mayor Pro Tempore serves for two years and acts as Mayor during the absence or disability of the Mayor, and acts as Mayor if a vacancy occurs until a successor is elected and qualified. Council Member Laura Beck was elected to serve in this position. Welcome aboard, Laura.
Several weeks ago there was an article in the paper about one of Folly’s Home Town Heroes, Dr. Dilan Ellegala, a neurosurgeon at the Medical University. He and his medical team have spent a lot of time in Africa doing medical training. One time, while in Tanzania, he performed brain surgery in an operating room where there was only the doctor, nurse, and someone holding a flashlight in case the lights went out. There was no "ventilator" to keep the anesthetic flowing, only a relative of the patient who took over hand pumping the chemical when the anesthesiologist tired. After returning to the United States, Dr. Ellegala organized the Physicians Training Partnership, a program which is geared to training surgeons who will stay in their homelands and help train other African surgeons, rather than use their new skills to work in the West. After reading this story and others of Dr. Ellegala’s accomplishments, I knew there was no doubt that that the residents of Folly Beach would like to meet Dr. Ellegala and hear more about his mission work. Therefore, on Thursday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Tides (Holiday Inn), there will be a celebration of Dr. Ellegala’s achievements. Please join us and meet Folly’s Home Town Heroes.
The City’s independent auditors have completed the audit for Fiscal Year 2009-2010. Unless notified otherwise, the auditors will make a presentation to City Council at a work session prior to the regular meeting on September 28. The work session will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Mayor and City Council will be having work sessions in the near future to address various matters as discussed in prior letters, i.e., golf carts, dogs on the beach, dog tags, new bridges, and waterline conflicts, just to name a few. We will be posting the dates, times, and subject matters at City Hall, on the web site, and at the Post Office.
Also, be on the lookout for information and articles on our new “Outbound 911” which is the City’s Alerting System. This is a new and innovative way to notify residents of important events.
Labor Day is around the corner so Have Fun - Be Careful – Be Safe – Obey the Rules – Leave No Litter – If you Drink, Don’t Drive – and – If you Drive, Don’t Drink. Also, if you have a complaint, if you have a suggestion, or if you would like to volunteer to help your community, please contact me at 513-1835 or e-mail me at timgoodwin@bellsouth.net .
~ the Mayor
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