January 2021 Edition
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM
This past year has reinforced for me what I’m most grateful for in my life. And in welcoming 2021, I’m taking extra time to acknowledge and appreciate those things— namely, my family and this place I call home, Myrtle Beach. It wasn’t always this way, however. My goal was to move to NYC when I graduated from college, but God had a different plan for me.
Over the past decade living here in Myrtle Beach, I’ve discovered a new love for this area specifically, as well as South Carolina in general. The friendliness and generosity of spirit amongst the people here is heartwarming and always puts a smile on my face; so too, does the beauty of our ocean and coastline.
Unique personalities make up the South Carolinian culture, as we are an amalgamation of transplants as well as natives. People move here from every place, including internationally, and from every background and walk of life. But the heartbeat, the pulse, it’s still the same small business heartbeat that sustains our region and area. It’s really profound to see the common thread throughout these businesses— the passion, caring and commitment.
I’ve come to see that it’s a lot more exotic here than I realized. I used to think a faraway city could satisfy my need for diversity, but then I saw that diversity was all around me. As soon as I moved away, I felt something very precious to me was missing.
As I read through our front page article, I’m humbled to see the level of growth in this beautiful area that I once took for granted. To kick-off the New Year, we chose to highlight the burgeoning real estate market here, because the expansion impacts our community positively, and because we’re proud that Myrtle Beach, our city, is #3 on the best list. Because we’ve always championed small businesses, we’re excited to share this information in support of our community and those business owners, both current and future.
We, at The Coastal Insider, hope you enjoy our New Year’s edition. And we wish everyone an inspired and blessed start to your 2021.Megan Parker
Coastal Insider January 2021
January 2021 Edition Click to view January 2021 Stay connected with our top stories delivered every month! A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM This past year has reinforced for me what I’m most grateful for in my life. And in welcoming 2021, I’m taking extra time to acknowledge and appreciate those things— namely, my family and this place I call home, Myrtle Beach. It wasn’t always this way, however. My goal was to move to NYC when I graduated from college, but God had a different plan for me. Over the past decade living here in Myrtle Beach, I’ve discovered a new love for this area specifically, as well as South Carolina in general. The friendliness and generosity of spirit amongst the people here is heartwarming and always puts a smile on my face; so too, does the beauty of our ocean and coastline. Unique personalities make up the South Carolinian culture, as we are an amalgamation of transplants as well as natives. People move here from every place, including internationally, and from every background and walk of life. But the heartbeat, the pulse, it’s still the same small business heartbeat that sustains our region and area. It’s really profound to see the common thread throughout these businesses— the passion, caring and commitment. I’ve come to see that it’s a lot more exotic here than I realized. I used to think a faraway city could satisfy my need for diversity, but then I saw that diversity was all around me. As soon as I moved away, I felt something very precious to me was missing. As I read through our front page article, I’m humbled to see the level of growth in this beautiful area that I once took for granted. To kick-off the New Year, we chose to highlight the burgeoning real estate market here, because the expansion impacts our community positively, and because we’re proud that Myrtle Beach, our city, is #3 on the best list. Because we’ve always championed small businesses, we’re excited to share this information in support of our community and those business owners, both current and future. We, at The Coastal Insider, hope you enjoy our New Year’s edition. And we wish everyone an inspired and blessed start to your 2021. Megan Parker
Coastal Home Insider January 2021
The Coastal Insider and Coastal Home Insider From entertainment, leisure and beaches to local businesses and community, we bring it closer to you. Plus advertising with us is in alignment with our mission! * Take a peek at our past editions * Check out our latest Coastal Insider Issue Click to view Coastal Insider * Take a peek at our past editions * Check out our latest Coastal Home Insider Issue Click to view Home Insider Stay connected with our top stories delivered every month! A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM This past year has reinforced for me what I’m most grateful for in my life. And in welcoming 2021, I’m taking extra time to acknowledge and appreciate those things— namely, my family and this place I call home, Myrtle Beach. It wasn’t always this way, however. My goal was to move to NYC when I graduated from college, but God had a different plan for me. Over the past decade living here in Myrtle Beach, I’ve discovered a new love for this area specifically, as well as South Carolina in general. The friendliness and generosity of spirit amongst the people here is heartwarming and always puts a smile on my face; so too, does the beauty of our ocean and coastline. Unique personalities make up the South Carolinian culture, as we are an amalgamation of transplants as well as natives. People move here from every place, including internationally, and from every background and walk of life. But the heartbeat, the pulse, it’s still the same small business heartbeat that sustains our region and area. It’s really profound to see the common thread throughout these businesses— the passion, caring and commitment. I’ve come to see that it’s a lot more exotic here than I realized. I used to think a faraway city could satisfy my need for diversity, but then I saw that diversity was all around me. As soon as I moved away, I felt something very precious to me was missing. As I read through our front page article, I’m humbled to see the level of growth in this beautiful area that I once took for granted. To kick-off the New Year, we chose to highlight the burgeoning real estate market here, because the expansion impacts our community positively, and because we’re proud that Myrtle Beach, our city, is #3 on the best list. Because we’ve always championed small businesses, we’re excited to share this information in support of our community and those business owners, both current and future. We, at The Coastal Insider, hope you enjoy our New Year’s edition. And we wish everyone an inspired and blessed start to your 2021. Megan Parker
Myrtle Beach’s Real Estate Boom
Drone footage of the “Golden Mile” in Myrtle Beach, a stretch of prime, privately-owned waterfront properties. Real estate in the Myrtle Beach area in general has seen steady growth in the past years; but Covid-19 has triggered the market to boom. How Our Sunny Shores Grew to Become an Unprecedented Market Hot Spot by Melissa LaScaleia For years, a myriad of age groups— including growing families, young professionals and retirees— have been drawn to the Grand Strand for its Southern hospitality; mild climate; championship golf courses; and 60 miles of gorgeous beach line; causing many to dub it the perfect place to call home, and at an affordable price. Those with entrepreneurial dreams appreciate the pro-business environment, fueled, as it is, by low income taxes and numerous incentives for growing companies, as well as the area’s cultural preference for shopping local. In recent years, the area’s charms have made it a real estate hot spot. But the 2020 real estate market for the Myrtle Beach area has seen a flurry of activity unlike any from recent memory. Not only have we hit historic record highs with home sales in our area, but we’ve also seen historically low mortgage rates. This has created an environment appealing to both buyers and sellers— ushering in a positive morale-boosting win-win situation that benefits the entire community in the otherwise pallor of pandemic life. “Because of Covid, we saw less sellers wanting to put their homes on the market because they wanted to avoid having large numbers of people coming into their home for viewings or open houses,” says Jim Parker, who’s been in the real estate world for over twenty-five years. “At the same time, there were a lot more buyers from out of state. A lot of people are now working from home, and many came here seeking a nicer environment from which to do that, with more space and lower property taxes. With most activities shut down in larger cities, many people opted to relocate to an area with mild temperatures and more opportunities to be outside enjoying nature.” Jim is the co-owner and broker-in-charge of Real Living Home Realty Group, a local real estate franchise that specializes in the latest tools, technologies and resources to help people with their real estate needs. Real Living believes in empowering buyers in making well-informed decisions about relocating to Myrtle Beach. And, for those who already live in the area, to help them find their best next home in which to create new memories. (To assist them with their mission, they are projected to roll out a map program this year that includes detailed profiling of available subdivisions. Prospective buyers will be able to see neighborhoods from a birds-eye view with drone footage— including recent homes sold and current homes for sale, to find the right fit that will meet their needs). Summer is traditionally peak inventory-time for the real estate market, but this past summer, with less homes on the market and a higher demand, the fair market value of homes rose. Get email alerts custom to your home search needs. We will keep you in the loop with new listings and price changes in the Myrtle Beach area. The spectacular vista of Pawley’s Island, a quaint, peaceful, seaside community at the southernmost part of the Grand Strand, and one of the most desirable in terms of places to live. Drone footage of the Myrtle Beach subdivision, The Gates. Real Living is implementing the latest in technological tools to assist out-of-state clients in seeing homes and the surrounding area from a vantage point they otherwise would not have. “Historically, sellers who were still willing to jump in were able to get their homes sold in a faster time-frame and for more money,” says Jennifer Hamilton, director of sales for Real Living. “The average sales price in October was 0.4% over the selling price. People were bidding on homes, sometimes offering above the listing price to secure the deal. And because of the difference in median income throughout the region, buyers from the Northeast could make these purchases without any problems. It really worked well for everyone.” Here are some additional statistics: For Sellers: Housing sales have increased 12.8% year over year with the median sales price increasing to $255,000 in the month of October, up 9% from 1 year ago at $234,000. The pandemic has created a desire for out-of-state residents to migrate to our area, at the same time, less people are willing to sell. With demand high and supply low, these two factors equate to a strong seller’s market, resulting in a housing inventory equating to an anemic 2.9-month supply of homes for sale. Less inventory and more buyer demand has driven home prices above asking price in the most highly-desired segments of real estate. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, we have seen a 6.1% increase in 3 bedroom home sales, and an 11.2% increase in four bedroom home sales. Since March, homes over the $300,000 price range have seen the largest increase in sales— 16.4%. Homes ranging from $200,000 to $300,000 account for a 12% increase in sales; and single family homes from $100,000 to $150,000 have seen a steady decrease in sales. For Buyers: Buyers win too. To offset the economic impact of Covid, early in the pandemic, the Federal Reserve sought to stabilize the housing market by purchasing mortgage-backed securities. These securities are bundled mortgages sold to investors to provide more credit in the market. The Fed has planned to keep this policy in place until at least 2023, giving the housing market confidence that though the interest rates are anticipated to rise to 3.4% in 2021, the interest can be expected to remain low, granting more buyers access to the home-buying experience. Nationally the median home sales price is $324,900 compared to our median sales price of $255,000. Additionally, our inventory of homes offers buyers more square-footage for less money. Residents of densely
David Parker with Parker Insurance
A Passion to Help and Educate People in the Ever-Changing Medicare World by Melissa LaScaleia David Parker is an independent insurance broker serving the residents of the Grand Strand. He specializes in Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans and also offers clients life, dental, vision and hospital plans. In an interview, the Insider asked David about his experience in his industry and how he came to work as an independent insurance broker. For most of his career, David worked for two of the largest health insurance carriers in the nation. Humana, when they expanded their Medicare program, hired him as one of their first agents in Virginia. After working for them for thirteen years, they offered David an early retirement option and assistance in branching out on his own as an independent insurance broker. The offer afforded him and his wife the opportunity to move to Myrtle Beach full time and for him to expand his business outside of his native Virginia. “We’ve had a house in Myrtle Beach for the past nine years,” he says. “My wife Sally and I always loved the Market Common area and decided to build here in 2019. We love the lifestyle; it’s so active here and we have met some incredible people. “We joined a wonderful church, and overall, it is just a great, close-knit community. You have access to everything you need here. My wife can work remotely and I am continuing to grow my business in South Carolina.” “I can’t say enough good things about Humana,” David continues. “But it is nice for my clients to be able to pick from all carriers because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution— everybody has different needs. “This path is an opportunity to stay with my clients long-term; as their needs change throughout their lives, I can continue to refine the plans and options that would best serve them, and help them through every step of the process. “I’ve been in the insurance industry for almost 25 years, and I’ve focused on Medicare for the last twenty. I have a lot of expertise in this industry, and I make sure I stay on top of things in the ever-changing Medicare world with continuing education and certification courses.” Today, David continues to present all available options to his clients. He acts as a mentor, educating them on the differences between plans, helping them to enroll, and assisting them with any questions or needs they have afterwards. “Medicare allows you to change your plan every year,” David says. “And when that time comes, you want to be working with someone you trust, that is knowledgeable and that can help you navigate through the changes and answer your questions. That’s my passion— educating and helping people. I love what I do. I pursued my own path because it offered an opportunity for me to continue to do what I really love, but on a broader basis.” David’s mission is to educate and assit the community in their health care needs. As an independent agent, he represents all carriers, and is able to help his clients select the plan that is the best fit for them. As part of his mission to educate and assist the community, David hosts presentations for people approaching Medicare or getting close to that time. “When I began, Medicare was much simpler,” he says. “But with the numerous Medicare options available, it can be very overwhelming and confusing for most people. I’m there to answer their questions, help them gain a better understanding and feel comfortable with the plan they choose. “I also pride myself on always being available to my customers after the sale is made. It’s a long-term-relationship that I have with them. For most people, it’s a big decision, as it impacts their health as well as their finances, so I want to make sure they get enrolled in the right plan.” “My main goal is to make sure the people I deal with stay happy,” he adds. “I treat them the way I want to be treated, and the way I would want my parents to be treated.” Parker Insurance Envelope Phone
Infinity Hair Salon
Treating Your Hair Right and You Safely by Melissa LaScaleia Joyce and Gary Myers are the owners of three distinct, full-service hair salons located along the Grand Strand: Infinity Hair Salon in Myrtle Beach; Hair Etc. in Surfside Beach; and Hair Trends in Murrells Inlet. Each salon has a slightly different feel and personality— the culture influenced by that area of the Grand Strand where it’s located, as well as the clientele that patronize it. All of their centrally-located salons offer the same services, and cater to everyone from children to seniors. Joy and Gary have been working in the salon industry for the past twenty-three years— garnering a lot of experience along the way so they can best help people to nourish their locks and combat the deleterious effects ocean living takes on one’s tresses. “Beach living is beautiful, but it takes a heavy toll on your hair,” Joyce says. “You need to protect it from the sand, sun and salt water. There’s an excess of wind and humidity that your hair is exposed to constantly, as well as the damaging effects of the salt water. “A lot of people relocate down here or come for a short stay and don’t realize the effect the climate has on their hair, or how to manage it optimally in this new environment. That’s what we focus on with our clients.” Carolyn Taft, the manager of Infinity Hair Salon in Surfside Beach, stands in the back room ready to make some color for a client’s hair. “In order to protect your hair, you need to use the right products,” Joyce adds. “And those products change seasonally. Now that we’ve officially moved into winter down here, you need to make sure that you’re using the right products that are optimal for these harsher months. It’s winter hair care versus summer hair care. We offer keratin treatments, which, if they’re right for your hair, will help to control frizz from the extra humidity, and last for several months. “We offer the best services to keep your hair in optimal shape. And we are very selective in terms of who we hire as stylists— they are all excellent at analyzing the current state of your hair and making the best recommendations to help you reach your goals.” The stylists at all three salons are dedicated to their profession— committed to continuing their education, striving to grow their skills and staying current with what’s trending in the hair industry in terms of solutions as well as designs. “We have wonderful managers at each salon who have been with us for years,” Joyce says. “Carolyn Taft is at Infinity, Sheila Michelsohn is at Hair Etc., and Grace Smeallie is at Hair Trends. They are passionate about what they do, and help make our salons as successful as they are. “At our salons, we try to listen to our clients’ wants and needs along with sharing our ideas, in order to find the hairstyle that not only makes people feel their best but is easy to maintain. Part of our mission is to build lasting relationships with our clients, and with the community as well.” Kelsey Miles, a hair stylist at Infinity Hair Salon, shows off her colorful locks for our photographers. Each of the salons has their own unique personality and vibe based on the architecture of the space, the area in which it’s located, and the clientele. In keeping with that mission to make a positive impact on our community, Joyce continuously holds donation drives at the salons to help our more vulnerable populations, including youth, and local animal shelters. “Our philosophy at our salons is: ‘Be your best, feel your best, and do your best,’” Joyce says. “So we invest in those relationships in our community where we feel we can make a difference just as we invest in our relationships with our clients.” This February, Infinity Hair Salon, the youngest of the group, will be celebrating its third year in business. After the first wave of temporary closures due to Covid, all the salons reopened. Joyce remembers all the hair that needed to be fixed from people trying to DIY at home. “Please don’t cut your hair at home,” she says earnestly, but not without a chuckle. “It’s much harder to fix in the aftermath. We follow all the guidelines that the CDC has put into place. We practice social distancing in the salons, and everything is thoroughly sanitized and disinfected.” Infinity Hair Salon, Myrtle Beach Facebook Globe Phone Hair Etc., Surfside Beach Facebook Globe Phone Hair Trends, Murrells Inlet Facebook Globe Phone
WFXB Fox
Your Friends, Your Favorites, Your Fox, Locally by Melissa LaScaleia WFXB is a Fox affiliate news station broadcasting locally from the Market Common. They host three shows daily: Carolina AM, a live morning talk show hosted by Greg Rowles and Audra Grant; live coverage of Fox midday news; and in the evening, Not the News— a lighthearted satire of the news, also hosted by Greg and Audra. “The morning show is something to engage the community,” says Audra, who co-produces the show with her colleague, Laura Pence. “It’s unique in this market— something where people can grab a cup of coffee and sit down to be informed and entertained.” For the first ten minutes of the show, Greg and Audra chat unscripted— and as it’s a live broadcast— anything spontaneous or quirky, or both, can occur. “It could be something funny that happened before the show began,” Audra says. “We let it go where it leads.” Carolina AM covers a variety of topics. There is always something health-related, like statistics on exercise, or a latest nutrition find. Sometimes a dating tip. They’ll always do a show biz highlight, in which they relay the top four news-worthy stories involving celebrities. And then there’s a cooking segment. Often top chefs will appear as guest educators; at other times Greg and Audra will teach each other how to prepare a dish. “But it’s the things that people can relate to,” Audra says. “How to save $30 at the Dollar Tree, or create your own spa at home. I’ll bring something in from my home that I love, whether it’s an appliance or a favorite cleaning product, and do a segment about it.” It’s also highly interactive. “We’re always looking for ideas from our viewers,” Audra says. “The show is a real give-and-take. We want to engage with our audience. We get notifications from our audience in the moment, and we’ll relay that content and respond to it. “Our goal for the show and in general is connecting with the community. We share information in a different light, and a personal one. The world can get so heavy. We want people to be able to relax and watch the program with their kids or their best friend, engage with us in real time if they choose, and not worry about having a heavy heart afterwards.” Audra went to school for journalism at Winthrop University. Her first job out of college was as a weather anchor and a reporter. Audra Grant (right) on the set of Not the News, which airs weekdays at 10:30pm. Audra co-hosts the witty, lighthearted evening show with colleague Greg Rowles. “It’s so much fun”. she says. Audra Grant on the set of Not the News, which airs weekdays at 10:30pm. Audra co-hosts the witty, lighthearted evening show with colleague Greg Rowles. “It’s so much fun”. she says. “I still had a few more months of school left when I was offered a full time job as a weatherwoman and reporter at a small local station in Rock Hill, SC,” she says. “I didn’t know anything about the weather, so I would watch all the other weather networks in the area, and take the average as my prediction.” “What else was a college student going to do?” she says laughing. “It was a low budget cable station, and there was no cable affiliate. In between classes, I would draw the weather patterns with a magic marker, then run over to the station and give the map of my predictions to the graphic designer who would design it for the show. Then, after class I would record it.” Later, Audra’s career took her to WPDE in Florence where she left the duties of the weather for Channel 15 to Ed Piowtroski. “He was hands down the best meteorologist in this area,” she says. “And when I told him about what I did, he had a good laugh.” Audra worked as a general assignment reporter, then as an investigative journalist, then moved into anchoring and producing. She is best known for an expose she wrote on the Florence County treasurer’s office many years ago. “As a journalist, people send you info all the time,” she says. “And one day I got a tip that I felt I should pursue. Over the course of six months, I followed a trail and put the pieces together to discover that the treasurer for the county owed about 1 million in taxes that he hadn’t paid. He ended up being indicted.” A behind the scenes look at WFXB Fox 43 News Studio in Myrtle Beach. In camera, Audra Grant gets ready to film Carolina AM, the morning show she co-produces with Laura Pence. Audra first worked at WFXB ten years ago, covering feature stories and co-hosting Not the News. While taking time to raise her family, she worked as a freelancer. Then, this August, WFXB called and asked her to fill in for Not the News once more, as well as their newly formatted Carolina AM with Greg; and she never stopped. Not the News follows the 10pm news at 10:30pm so that people can relax and unwind with something humorous before bed. “Not the News is so much fun it doesn’t feel like a job,” Audra says. “I’ve learned a lot from it. Initially it was very challenging for me to do because it’s a spoof, and I was trained as an anchor to be serious. But Greg has a great sense of humor and can come up with puns relating to a story. I’m not funny at all, but I know how to set him up, so we work together really well.” The general format of the show follows a protocol that is designed to be so ridiculous that you can’t believe the topics are being discussed. “We make fun of the news, of off-the-wall things, and bring an air of light-heartedness to our viewers after they’ve watched the
The Advent of Industry, The Designation of a Name
Myrtle Beach in The Early Years by Melissa LaScaleia The 114 acres of land located within the city limits of Myrtle Beach, today known as the Market Common, has a long and interesting history. Most people who have taken up residence there or in the Myrtle Beach area for any stretch of time, know that the Market Common used to be the site of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. But many don’t know of the history of this area before those important years of the 20th century. The Waccamaw and Winyah peoples were inhabitants of the land in and around the Grand Strand before the Spanish arrived to colonize in the 1600s. And although there is a rich artifactual trail documenting their existence, very little in the way of written accounts exists to tell their story. By the 1700s, the English were colonizing the eastern coast. Georgetown, South Carolina’s third oldest city, was founded in 1730. Surrounded by rivers and marsh, it became the center of America’s colonial rice empire. But elsewhere along the Grand Strand, the area that is today so bustling, was sparsely dotted with plantations or uninhabited. By 1735, in an attempt to encourage settlers to move into the uninhabited areas, the American colonial government began issuing land grants. One of the families, the Withers, received a tract of land around present-day Wither’s Swash. Additionally, settlers from the Waccamaw Neck, north of Georgetown and just south of Myrtle Beach, began to extend their plantations. Independent farmers and fishermen began to move into the area, with nuclear families to work and manage their self-contained homesteads. Even once the colonies gained independence, the area remained largely unchanged. George Washington traveled down the King’s Highway, and spent the night at Windy Hill, today part of North Myrtle Beach. Fast forward 100 years or so, and the area still had very little economy and even less infrastructure— leaving the coastline largely uninhabited. By the mid 19th century, the area’s largest industries were naval stores and timber. One plan for the area was to use the surrounding forests to build a railroad. As the economic landscape shifted, many farmers could no longer afford to pay their taxes, and sold their property to the timber and turpentine dealers. One such dealer, the Burroughs and Collins firm, acquired large tracts of land along the coast from these farmers, as well as from the Withers family. And at the turn of the century, the company began developing the area as a resort town. Franklin Burroughs envisioned turning the area into a tourist destination that would rival Florida and the Northeastern states. The Seaside Inn, the beach’s first hotel, was built in 1901. The new outpost was simply referred to as New Town, but the fledgling community was up for a new name. A local publication sponsored a contest to give the area an official name, and invited submissions. Mrs. Burroughs won, with her suggestion of Myrtle Beach, in honor of the wax myrtle shrub that grew in abundance throughout the area. In 1912, Simeon B. Chapin, a northern financier, met with the Burroughs family. Together they formed a new partnership— the Myrtle Beach Farms Company, and came to influence the area significantly with their projects for development. In 1937, the Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport was built and named after the mayor at the time, W. L. Harrelson, in honor of his support of the project. In 1938, Myrtle Beach was incorporated as a town. The United States Army Air Corps took over the airport in 1940 and converted it into a military base. Plans for redevelopment of the area were underway soon after the base closed in 1993, and the Market Common, as the picturesque work-live-play area was named, became a beloved addition to the many communities of the Grand Strand.
The Magical Adventures of Charlie’s Snowglobe: Part 1
Charlie’s Corner is the domain of Charlie, the furry four-legged lady’s man of Market Common. Each month, he’ll share information to help all new, visiting, and existing doggie community members get the most out of life alongside their human companions. Here, we’ll feature his reflections on what it’s like to be a dashing downtown doggie, as he reminds all of us how to play well together. This month Charlie gets up close and personal with one of his Christmas presents and enters a world of his dreams. Well, I survived another holiday season because I didn’t eat a poinsettia so that’s a plus. And I got this nifty snow globe as a gift this year. When I stare at it, it’s as if it transports me into the intricate world inside the glass. My globe has a castle that looks like it’s made of ice. If you get very close, you can see tiny people too, and a polar bear walking around the periphery. There are tall pines covered in snow— actually everything is— and the visual is quite striking. This is a gift with lasting value, let me tell you. With all of us spending more time at home these days, I while away the hours gently shaking my globe, watching the snow fall and musing about the world inside and speculating about whether everyone eats ice cream for dinner regularly or if they’re too busy worrying about frostbite prevention. I just got back from a walk in the park and it’s time for a nap. I like to take my snow globe to bed with me. I give it a shake and watch as the snow gently swirls around, lulling me as I drift … off… to sleep… Whoa! I awake with a start. It feels like I’ve just been shot out of a cannon. I look down and gadzooks! Everything around me is as white as me and I’m swirling in the white and it’s swirling, and what on earth, am I floating? Through the air?! The answer, is yes. I am floating. But for some reason I don’t feel frightened, or like I weigh as much as I know I do (plus I’m sure I put on a few pounds over the holidays what with the roast turkey and all the cookies I snuck). Suddenly something else comes into focus. It’s tall and thin and majestic, and it looks like the ice palace from my snow globe. And it is! There are all the people gathered on the balcony, waving at me, and the polar bear is on the outskirts of the forest. Wow! I’m actually inside my snowglobe. This is great; take me to the ice cream. The snow around me seems to be lessening, and I’m gently drifting now onto the balcony amidst the clamoring people. I just love fans. Suddenly a very beautiful woman with grey skin and grey hair and a long grey dress comes forward and plucks me from the sky where I’m gracefully wafting. I know there’s magic afoot because I’m definitely not graceful. “Charlie! Welcome!” she says, and her voice sounds like the tinkling of little bells, or icicles falling. The people around her cheer, and for a moment I hope earnestly that I haven’t manifested myself into the wrong fairytale and that these people aren’t all excited about eating me. “I am Spring, Queen of the World-Inside-the-Snowglobe. We summoned you here to join us for our annual winter festival, and to thank you. Every time you shake our world and snow falls around us, you nourish us. Just as you cannot live without the sun in your world, in our world, we cannot live without snow falling around us. If you didn’t shake it up, we would become unhealthy and die away. You give us life Charlie. So we wanted to thank you and ask you to please never stop shaking our snow-globe world.” “I promise always to shake your world,” I say solemnly, mentally putting it on my to-do list along with watering my plants. It’s an awesome feeling to be responsible for something that is dependent on you entirely. “Thank you Charlie!” she cries. “Now we want to show you our world. Would you like some ice cream?” I just know that I’ve died and gone to heaven. Until next time, Continued next month. Click here to read Part 2.
Troy Smith
Holds an Appreciation of Europe’s Old Cities Where He was Raised, and Myrtle Beach’s Easy-Going Culture
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Let’s take a moment to make and savor these delicious muffins!
American Red Cross: Blood Donations In the Time of Covid
With hurricane season behind us, the American Red Cross is focused on maintaining an adequate blood supply for area hospitals.
The Hammock Shops of Pawleys Island
by Emily Smith Pawleys Island is a lovely coastal area, whose scenery is only outshone by the friendly faces who call it home. The Hammock Shops Village is a perfect example of how the town’s small businesses make up the heart of the community. Shopping local has never been more charming in the Village, or so steeped in local history. What began over 75 years ago as a single, small store selling hand-woven quality hammocks, is now a collection of nearly two dozen shops, each with their own unique treasures and vibe. While many visitors drop by to shop under the oak trees, even more visit to learn about the different crafts for which the Lowcountry is renowned. Partake in a wine-tasting, then learn how to braid a hammock of your own, or watch a sweetgrass basket being woven. Despite the challenges that Covid has brought to all public stores and gathering places, the Village has kept a positive attitude, and continues to provide enjoyable events modified to be safe for everyone in keeping with CDC guidelines. January and beyond in the Village offers live music in the gazebo and hosts fundraising events. The newest addition to the Village is a restaurant that seems to accentuate everything Pawleys Island is famous for. The aptly named Local has quickly become known for their delectable food and live entertainment. The gastropub welcomed the New Year with a jazz brunch, which are also held regularly, every Saturday. On the second Sunday of each month, Local hosts the Sunday Supper Song Swap. More information can be found by visiting Facebook @ Pawleys Local, or call 843-314-0474. Stores and events continue to operate cautiously, following sanitation protocols as laid out by the CDC. These safety guidelines are taken seriously by our community as an important part of keeping everyone healthy, and The Hammock Shops Village is no exception. To learn more about this enchanting Pawleys Island shopping center, visit www.hammockshopsvillage.com. The past year has been challenging for retailers and restaurants, and supporting our local area businesses has never been more important. This New Year, make your patronage part of your resolutions and take pride knowing that you’re helping to sustain our communities for everyone.
The 32nd Annual Community Christmas Dinner
Spreading Heart and Cheer to All – Take a moment to read all about how Janice Sialiano has given so much to our community with her annual Christmas dinners to those less fortunate than us.
