Dear Island neighbors,
Happy holidays!
I hope your shopping, decorating, cooking, and travel plans are all going well. Not to put a damper on things, but our public safety professionals would like me to share some tips to stay safe during the season.
PERSONAL SAFETY
Thanks to Police Chief Glenn Meadows for the following security advice:
If you’re traveling, ask a neighbor to pick up packages left on your porch, as well as mail and newspapers, to avoid tempting porch pirates and signaling that no one is home. Similarly, don’t post your travel plans on social media. Consider putting a few lights on timers so the house looks lived in.
If you’ll be away, you can ask our police to put your house on watch status. Fill out the form here (https://bit.ly/SIPDHouseWatch). You can email a scan of the completed form to Chief Meadows at gmeadows@sullivansisland.sc.gov or drop it off at Town Hall.
When shopping, stay aware of your surroundings and keep your purchases out of sight in your trunk or under a cover in your car. When out and about, trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, leave immediately.
Be aware of online deals that seem too good to be true, and double-check any emails or online ads with special offers or requests for charitable donations.
FIRE SAFETY
Fire is always a concern this time of year. Fire Chief Anthony Stith and Assistant Chief Amanda Hawver offer this guidance:
If you have a real Christmas tree, keep it well hydrated (watered daily) and away from any heat source. After Christmas, as soon as it dries out, take it to the curb. If you have an artificial tree, do not use electric lights on metallic trees.
Have your chimney cleaned annually and always use a fireplace screen. Never burn wrapping paper or evergreen boughs in the fireplace.
Don’t overload electrical outlets by plugging too many lights or devices into any one outlet. Check cords and bulbs before plugging in your holiday lights. Don’t use indoor lights outdoors. Keep your outdoor cords above ground.
Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and verify that your fire extinguishers are charged. Keep them handy — even if it offends your sense of holiday design. (They’re red; they’ll fit right in.)
Never leave cooking unattended. If a small grease fire occurs, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
If you’re planning to fry a turkey for any holiday celebration, you do not want this to be a “Hey y’all, watch this” event. Fry away from your house, and not under it or any other structure or low-hanging tree. Make sure the oil level can accommodate the turkey without spilling over and causing a fire. Check that the turkey is fully defrosted before adding it to the oil — otherwise the water released will cause an instant boil-over. Do not try any of this without watching several turkey-frying safety videos and having that fire extinguisher nearby. And NEVER leave the setup unattended once the heat is on.
NEW YEAR’S DAY POLAR PLUNGE!
The 31st annual Polar Plunge event, originated and promoted continuously by Dunleavy’s Pub, is now a treasured Island New Year’s Day tradition. The actual plunge into the water is at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, but folks will begin gathering and celebrating well before that. The slow trek to the beach will begin around 1:30 p.m. — don’t underestimate how long it will take.
Many of our Island restaurants will be participating with special outdoor service for food and beverages. Please be careful driving through the commercial district. Town staff has planned a newly modified traffic pattern from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, with the following closures:
- Station 22.5: Between Middle Street and I’On Avenue
- Station 22: Between Middle Street and I’On Avenue
- Middle Street eastbound (toward Isle of Palms): Between Station 22 and Station 22.5
For people using ride-share services, a mandatory drop-off and pick-up lane will be located on the north side of Middle Street east of Station 22.5 to avoid unnecessary congestion.
Please remember that the “Reason for the Freezin’” is to raise funds for Special Olympics South Carolina. Please bring cash to contribute to the many Special Olympics volunteers. If you can’t attend, you can donate at https://so-sc.org.
If you plan to actually join — vs. watch — the plunge, here’s a tip from painful personal experience: Wear some kind of dunkable footwear. Running barefoot over hard-packed little sand ridges gets painful quickly, especially in the cold.
Wear your wackiest costume. Come on out to see hundreds of your neighbors go off their meds all at once at a great family event.
HAVE A FINE SEASON!
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
See you around the Island!
Pat O’Neil Mayor
843-670-9266
oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov