Bob Brennaman

Every year the Municipal Association of South Carolina Municipal Association of South Carolina recognizes and encourages innovations and excellence in local governments through its Achievement Awards. The 2009 winners were recently announced.

The town of Mount Pleasant was the 2009 recipient of the Public Service Award.

Mount Pleasant is a rapidly growing and vivacious area, making it a highly desired place to live. Local officials in Mount Pleasant knew that it was nearly impossible for middle-income workers to find a place to live in town.

Many of these workers were commuting from nearby towns – Goose Creek, Summerville or West Ashley. These long commutes were not only tiresome for the drivers themselves, they also created extra congestion on the roadways.

The town council created the Workforce Housing Advisory Committee which in turn generated workforce housing in various areas around Mount Pleasant. These zoned areas provide affordable housing within the town of Mount Pleasant.

Consequently, numerous workers can now live within the city in which they work. This has dramatically cut down on commuting traffic and made the lives of many middle-income workers much less stressful.

Wanting to search for Charleston, SC real estate, then please visit us on the web. If you are looking for beach area real estate then stop by our Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island or Folly Beach web site.  If you want to live in one of the better planned communities on the East Coast then visit our site devoted to Daniel Island homes.  If you want to live in one of Charleston's best suburbs look for homes in Mt. Pleasant, SC here. We also have a site devoted to retirement and second homes in Charleston.

The City of Isle of Palms, SC was the 2009 recipient of the Communications Award.

For a number of years, residents and visitors of IOP were very interested in city policy-setting. Town officials were bombarded with requests for copies of agendas and minutes from council meetings.

In response, council created an online newsletter. This e-newsletter was both economically and environmentally friendly while still allowing a wider distribution of information. They also hoped the newsletter would attract more attention to the city’s newly updated Web site.

Three distinct e-newsletters were created geared toward meeting notices and records, recreation opportunities, and amenities and regulations. These newsletters were sent out on a monthly basis.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive with subscribers numbering more than 1,500. The e-newsletters are an effective way to disseminate important and urgent news.

Isle of Palms officials have found an innovative and efficient way to communicate with interested residents. The e-newsletters have created more informed citizens and better equipped officials. This new dialog will prove vital as the island continues to grow.

Wanting to search for Charleston, SC real estate, then please visit us on the web. If you are looking for beach area real estate then stop by our Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island or Folly Beach web site. If you want to live in one of the better planned communities on the East Coast then visit our site devoted to Daniel Island homes. If you want to live in one of Charleston's best suburbs look for homes in Mt. Pleasant, SC here. We also have a site devoted to retirement and second homes in Charleston.

Like the current bridges, the new bridges will be two lanes each. Additionally, the new bridges will be wider and higher and will include a bike and walking lane. Both new bridges will sit slightly north of the existing bridges. Plans are being developed to include the least possible impact on adjacent areas as well as the surrounding environment.

Many surrounding businesses and complexes have various concerns regarding the new construction. Dozens of people have commented on SCDOT’s plans and have inquired as to the plans for lighting and traffic flow.

SCDOT is still in the development phase and plans have yet to be finalized for general bridge construction.

Wanting to search for Charleston, SC real estate, then please visit us on the web. If you are looking for beach area real estate then stop by our Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island or Folly Beach web site. If you want to live in one of the better planned communities on the East Coast then visit our site devoted to Daniel Island homes. If you want to live in one of Charleston's best suburbs look for homes in Mt. Pleasant, SC here. We also have a site devoted to retirement and second homes in Charleston.

Few turtles get to experience the joy of flying. However, three lucky turtles managed to finagle a one-way ticket from Maine to South Carolina, thanks to efforts made by various groups, notably the Sullivan’s Island turtle watch group.

A 95-pound Loggerhead Turtle barely fit through the cockpit door of a small two-person, single-engine airplane. Accompanying him were two smaller Kemp’s Ridley turtles. No peanuts were served on the 1,300 mile trip from Biddleford, Maine to Charleston, South Carolina.

The loggerhead was on its way to the South Carolina Aquarium, the other to a Georgia sea turtle hospital to continue treatment after cold waters in the North Atlantic stunned them last year.

They need longer rehabilitation, and the sea turtle hospital in Maine needed to make room for a new season of distressed sea creatures. The loggerhead is also undergoing rehabilitation due to loss of bone and scutes as a result of cold water stunning. However, it is on pace to be released as early as next spring.

"Cold stuns" are an endemic problem for sea turtles when weather changes water temperature too fast for them to move farther south. They become lethargic and eventually can quit moving or die.

The Kemp's Ridleys are an endangered species; the loggerhead is a threatened species.

The six-hour plane ride was much healthier for the sick and stressed turtles than a 25-hour car ride. The volunteer pilot, along with help from the pilot’s association and the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, funded much of the trip.

Wanting to search for Charleston, SC real estate, then please visit us on the web. If you are looking for beach area real estate then stop by our Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island or Folly Beach web site. If you want to live in one of the better planned communities on the East Coast then visit our site devoted to Daniel Island homes. If you want to live in one of Charleston's best suburbs look for homes in Mt. Pleasant, SC here. We also have a site devoted to retirement and second homes in Charleston.

More great news for the Charleston-area economy: Automotive tire industry leader, TBC Corporation, is moving in, creating jobs and boosting the port’s activity.

TBC recently announced plans to occupy a 1.1 million square foot distribution center to be developed in Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone / Charleston in Berkeley County. The 400-acre industrial park is a joint venture of Rockefeller Group Development Corporation and MeadWestvaco Corporation’s Community Development and Land Management Group.

The infrastructure and the proximity of the Port of Charleston complement the planned growth and will allow the companies to meet the growing demand of their customers. The East Coast Distribution Center will primarily support TBC’s wholesale operations.

The expansion of TBC’s east coast distribution center to the Berkeley County site near the I-26/Jedburg Road interchange will provide necessary access to the deepwater Port of Charleston, which will allow TBC to receive product from international as well as domestic suppliers, subsequently streamlining product and inventory management to the benefit of its customers.

TBC’s distribution center will have a dramatic positive impact on Berkeley County, the Charleston region, and the entire State of South Carolina. Accordingly, a collaborative private/public effort was forged to pursue TBC. TBC will be one of the largest users of the Port of Charleston, and TBC expects to bring thousands of containers through the Port annually.

Wanting to search for Charleston, SC real estate, then please visit us on the web. If you are looking for beach area real estate then stop by our Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island or Folly Beach web site.  If you want to live in one of the better planned communities on the East Coast then visit our site devoted to Daniel Island homes.  If you want to live in one of Charleston's best suburbs look for homes in Mt. Pleasant, SC here. We also have a site devoted to retirement and second homes in Charleston.