Volume 3 Issue 5

July 13, 2007

Lettitor
By Heather Holbrook

     Swelter. Puddle. Drench, sizzle. Melt, expire, perspire, glisten. Sweat. And more sweat. Some hardy people weather this time of year better than others. I admire those tennis players, runners, and boaters with their SPF 50 out there in the full blaze of July’s noontime sun. Alas, I am not one of them.
      You’ll find me and legions of other easy-witherers out and about in the small hours of summer days at 6:00am or 5:00pm headed to the beach, the pool, to run, to water the flowers, talking to neighbors in the middle of the street. But as soon as the sun is up, I head in for awhile. I would no more take a walk at 1:30 on a summer day than ride my bike in a snowstorm. Not that I crave an air-conditioned life; those artificial arctic blasts may be a momentary and welcome relief when you walk through the door, but once your body simmers down a notch, it’s not good. Grocery stores are the worst offenders with temps dropping into the 50s, particularly in the quiescently frozen confections aisle. Other public buildings are a close second on the goosebump-o-meter: libraries, utilities, movie theaters. I have a friend who forgot to bring a sweater to Palmetto Grande the other day and had to dash into Old Navy to buy a sweater so she could enjoy her movie. Closer to home should you need to cool off, just step into Bert’s Bar- the Coldest Place in South Carolina.
      So how in the world could people have tolerated Southern heat in ages past? There were no leisure clothes to speak of; in the name of propriety men wore long sleeved shirts with starched collars and a tie, vests and light-weight jackets. There was no such thing as shorts (for adults). And then there was the ever-present hat, at once shielding one’s head from being baked while trapping in body heat that might otherwise escape.
      But the women. Think Laura Ingalls in her enormous calico bonnet on Little House on the Prairie. Women for eons wore layers of silk, cotton and lace yearound, with boning and laces and starchy ruffles. And there was no Lycra. Sitting on the porch with a fan in one hand and an iced tea in the other, catching a slight ocean breeze was the best these women could hope for. Never mind working up a sweat doing chores like cooking by a hot stove, ironing all the aforementioned clothes and chasing little children around the yard. All this makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about it. No strappy sundresses, no flip flops; and look what they had to swim in! The bikini was not invented until 1946 by some Frenchmen. I’ve read they didn't really create the bikini as drawings of two piece suits have been found on wall paintings dating back to 1600 B.C. They just got the world to start wearing them.
      No matter what you’re wearing, I say head for the ocean to cool off in the days ahead. Where else can you feel a breeze but on a boat whether it be sail, power, pontoon, dinghy or kayak. Chances are simply better if you’re on the water. To beat the heat, some of our live aboard sailor friends tell me they dip a bed sheet in water and wrap themselves in it at night to keep cool in stifling tropical heat. That’s pretty extreme, but it works until you dry out again. So when the July heat gets to be too much for you, find a friend with a boat or better yet get out there and learn to sail one yourself. With the wind in your hair and spray of the sea on your face, as long as you have your SPF 50 you’re good to go. Leave your spats and suspenders behind.

Sullivan's Island Fish Fry for the fallen firefighters

      He won’t admit it, but there was a tear in Chief Stith’s eye as he held up the donation check from the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department for the Charleston Fallen Firefighters Fund. “We had to change the amount this morning,” Chief Stith said as he scribbled in a new dollar figure on the check. “We received two donations just now, one for $1,000 and one for $9,000.” The additional money brought the total amount raised at the 58 th annual Fish Fry for the Fallen Firefighters Fund to an amazing $45,000. “This is over three times the amount we’ve raised at any of the Fish Fries I’ve been to in my 25 years at this fire department,” said Chief Stith. Not only was the original profit from the Fish Fry going to be donated to the fund, but once the companies the firefighters purchased their supplies from found out about the effort, donations began pouring in. All of the fish was donated by Simmons Seafood, while the rest of the food, dinner supplies and condiments were donated by Piggly Wiggly. Even Pearlstein Distributors donated 50% of the kegs for the event and 514-Jump! donated the use of one of their jump castles.
      More than 4,000 people attended this year’s Fish Fry, breaking the past record number of attendees by over 800. “All I can say is thank you for your support,” said Chief Stith as he grinned from ear to ear. “This is a great thing you’ve all done and it’s a great display of what a community can do. Thank you, everyone, for coming through. This is probably the best feeling I’ve ever had.

Thank you, Sponsors

Platinum
Buddy Bebergal, Alice Paylor and Kit Regnery
Boehm & Haynes - East Islands Real Estate
The Charleston Battery
The Island Club
The Island Eye News
Islandscape Landscaping
Poe's Restaurant and Pub
Eleanor and Michael Washburn  

Gold
Atlanticville Restaurant and Pub
Avrum Bebergal and Matt DeAntonio – Carroll Realty, Inc.
Kathleen and Robert Brunson
Beth Cavanaugh-The David M. Gilston Insurance Agency
Bobby Cummings, CFP, CFBS-Lighthouse Financial
Jerrold M. Buckaloo MD – Palmetto Hand Surgery
Andrea and Edwin Cooper
Daly & Sawyer Construction
Dunleavy’s Pub
The Everett Presson Group
Exit Realty Charleston Group
The Haskin Family
Herlong & Associates Architects, Inc.
Ilderton Contractors
Jerry Kaynard
Wade and Eunice Logan
Lori and Robert Lyles
Millie and Michael O’Shaughnessy
Off the Hook Bar & Grill
The Ramsdale-Ross Family
Tim Reese -Carriage Properties. LLC
Senator and Mrs. Greg Ryberg
SIBS& P Club
Harriett and Steve Steinert
Mark Tanenbaum and Kiara Balish
Dianna and Jeffrey Thompson

Silver
Terry and Dennis Fisher
Barry and Elaine Krell
Anne and Leonard Long
Pelican Cleaners
Sandra and Tom Player
Station 22 Restaurant