FIPOA

NEW COVENANTS RECOMMENDED BY BOARD

At its November meeting, the Board of Directors of the Fripp Island Property Owners Association (FIPOA) approved the draft of new covenants to be recommended to the property owners for a vote to adopt during the month of January 2009.

The draft will be discussed in future issues of The Trawler and submitted to the property owners during the month of January 2009.

Background: The ownership of property on Fripp Island is currently governed by a set of covenants written and administered by the Resort, through its Architectural Review Board (ARB). The ARB is controlled by the Resort, and the Resort reserves the authority to override any of the actions of the ARB. In the administration and enforcement of the covenants, the ARB has a set of guidelines to follow that was also written by the Resort. Neither the covenants nor the guidelines allow for any meaningful input from the property owners.

The current covenants provide, among other things, that they may be amended at various times. The next window of opportunity will be April 2009. It is the objective of the FIPOA that the draft, as it will be presented in its final form in January 2009, will be adopted by the property owners as the amended and restated covenants of Fripp Island. We will need the signatures of a majority of the then owners of property substantially affected by the new covenants in order to bring about the changes being proposed.

In June 2005, the Board formed a Covenants Review Committee consisting of Ed Barnhart, Budd Catlin, and T Thomas. This committee has worked since that time in the review of covenants of many other property owners' associations. It has been a long process, which included working with the General Manager, the Association's attorney, and informal discussions with Bill Wardle and representatives of the Fripp Island Resort.

The New Covenants: In its broadest sense, the new covenants, when adopted, will place the Board of Directors in the enforcement position currently held by the Resort. But there are several very important and substantial differences between the current covenants and what is being proposed. One of the most significant changes is that the new covenants give our property owners a voice in future changes to the Covenants and the Architectural Guidelines. And there will be Rules and Regulations about property use to be adopted in the manner already prescribed in our Bylaws. These Rules and Regulations will include some of the material covered in the current covenants and ARB Guidelines.

There will be other changes in the terms of the covenants. Some of these changes in language take advantage of thirty years of court decisions on the interpretation of covenant provisions; some by the removal of unnecessary language because of the removal of references to the developer; and some in recognition of the more modern approach given to covenants.

The new covenants do not in any way affect the existing contractual agreements between the FIPOA and the Fripp Island Resort. For instance, some of these agreements require that the Association recognize certain functions of the Resort and assist it in certain ways. With the passage of time and the change of circumstance of the Resort from a developer to an operating company, some of these obligations are not as applicable today as when agreed to previously, but the Association is still bound by these agreements.

Your Comments Solicited: In future issues of The Trawler, the committee will go into more detail about some of the more important changes being proposed in the new covenants. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions for improvement that arise from this article or a future article, please call Kate Hines at (843) 838-4155 or email her using this link . She will get your questions to the committee and they will be addressed in short order.

The timeline will be announced in the March 2008 Trawler issue.

Important Reminder: Remember, we will need the signatures of a majority of the then owners of property substantially affected by the new covenants in order to bring about the changes being proposed. Hopefully the effective date of the new covenants will be April 29, 2009.

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Island Services

CHIEF'S CORNER

During a recent Security Committee meeting, several issues of concern were brought to my attention. I feel that addressing them in this column will benefit all residents and guests on Fripp Island.

It appears that there are many homeowners who are unaware of our House Watch Program. If your residence will be unoccupied and you would like Security to check it on a daily basis, all you need to do is to contact our office during normal working hours with your request. Your residence will then be placed on our House Watch until your return. I was also advised that some of our residents and guests were hesitant to call Security because of the numerous questions they are asked. I assure you members of my staff will ask only necessary questions. However, if you call 911, the County dispatchers are required by their policy to ask certain questions. You should also be aware that while you are answering questions with the dispatcher, a patrol officer has already been dispatched and is enroute.

There seems to be some confusion about when to call 911 and when to call Security. The best advice I can offer is if you have or are witnessing a serious crime in progress or if you have a fire or medical emergency, call 911, and they will notify our dispatcher. All other types of calls should be directed to the Security dispatcher at 838-2334.

Some owners are unaware that the Security Office is not manned 24 hours a day. The office located at 225 Tarpon Blvd. (the POA Building), is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, except on holidays. If you need to speak with an officer after normal working hours, on a holiday, or on the weekend, you can call 838-2334. We will have an officer meet with you at your residence, at our office, or call you on the telephone, whichever you prefer.

If your neighborhood or group has a particular question or concern, let me know and I would be happy to meet with them to answer any questions and discuss your concerns.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the quality of life on the Island, or wish to discuss a particular problem, please contact me in person, by telephone at 838-4113, or e-mail .

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CALL 911 IN ALL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Emergencies don't happen very often. But when they do, you want to get help fast. No one wants to spend time looking up the phone number. That's why 911 was created - to make it easy. In the United States and Canada, dialing 911 on your telephone is the fastest way you can get help for yourself or someone else.

As a matter of fact, we are fortunate enough here in Beaufort County to have an Enhanced 911 System (E-911). What this means is when you call 911, your address and name is automatically displayed on the dispatchers screen! Wow, we have come a long way! All of this brings me to the point of this article. When you are faced with an emergency, please do not call the fire station!

There have been a few occasions when a resident has called the fire station and we were out of the station. That person had to hang up and call 911 anyway. Let me also state that with the E-911 capability you may be alone and call 911 for help, but before you can say anything you become unable to speak. Because you called 911, the dispatcher has your address and can send help to you even though you were unable to give a proper address. Had you called the station, we would have no way of knowing if you were having an emergency or if you just dialed the wrong number. Our system of response is designed to be initiated by a 911 call to the Beaufort County Communications Center. Once they receive the call, it is immediately processed and simultaneously sent to the proper response agency; i.e., the Fripp Island Fire Department. While you may use our business number for non-emergencies, please use 911 for all emergency calls. This will help us help you in the most time efficient manner.

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Personality

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

The Fripp Island Volunteer Fire Department

Normally, we highlight one individual and his or her volunteer efforts. This time however, we feel that it is important to say a BIG thank you to a group of gentlemen who take time out of their schedules to help keep our Island safe. These brave men go through extensive training and will drop activities in their personal lives at a moment's notice.

Fripp Island owes a debt of gratitude to our Volunteer Fire Department members. Current members are Wally Adams, Don Aldrich, Dick Briggs, Jerry Burke, Budd Catlin, Fred Fuerst, Richard George, Bill Haley, Jay Harbeck, Bob Hess, Bill Houseal, Dick Mason, Dick Morrison, Harmon Morgan, Joe Oppenheimer, Jim Patek, Mike Pepin, Bob Pfaffroth, Jim Purcell, Tom Russell, Al Sobol, Max Stubbs, Ben TenEyck, and Gerry Weithman. Thank you, gentlemen!

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Nature

THOSE PESKY MOTHS

Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse in the gardening world on Fripp, we suddenly see our oleanders being eaten up. It turns out there is one thing that their poison doesn't affect, and that is the oleander caterpillar. These fuzzy little monsters do turn into a very colorful moth in their second life. It is commonly called the oleander moth but is also referred to sometime as the polka dot moth and the Uncle Sam moth because of its red, white and blue colors with the white dots. The moth is very distinctive with its dark, metallic blue wings with white dots. Its body is also metallic blue and the abdomen has a pair of white dots at its base as well as a red tip on the "tail".

This species is part of the family of wasp moths. They resemble wasps, which gives them protection from predators. Otherwise, they would be prey to many birds. Another added protection of this species is that the larvae feed on toxic plants like the oleander. These toxic chemicals are passed on to the adult making them very distasteful to predators.

One of the most distinctive differences in butterflies and moths is that butterflies fly during the day and sleep at night. However, most moths fly at night and their dull colors protect them from predators during their daytime resting hours. Since the oleander moth is a daytime moth, he gets to have the very colorful body.

I spoke with Debby Hopewell, our resident horticulturist. She recommended two different types of organic compounds to get rid of these pests. One is dipel dust, which is dusted on the plant. The other is a liquid called thuricide. The active ingredient in both is bacillus thurigenous, which attacks the moth's digestive system.

Now that we are through the busy holiday season we can get back to the garden and prepare for spring. Happy New Year to all.

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FRIPP RESIDENTS TAKE "ONE SHORT WALK" ON THE IMPROVED NATURE TRAIL

They began the Sea Turtle Association on Hunting Island in 1999. Both are very active members of the Friends of Hunting Island community. They became involved in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle program on Fripp in 2000 working with then Director, Bill Weldner. Hunting Island wanted the Natolis to continue to conduct their program. They decided their interests would be to develop the Fripp Island program after Bill Weldner left.

The Natolis have accomplished a great deal for our program. One of the most important tasks is that it introduces very young children to an active hands-on experience, knowing it is they, the young ones, who will perpetuate this vital program. There are 25 to 30 volunteer adults, who monitor the Sea Turtle Program from mid-May to August, walking the beach seven days a week beginning in the early morning. Many visitors’ families are active supporters who walk and patrol the beach, anxiously returning year after year.

Please check these two very informative web-sites. The Natolis encourage appropriate digital pictures of nature happenings and will include them on the web sites. www.islc.net/~fripplog & www.islc.net/audubon

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Island Clubs

Fripp Island Garden Club

The Fripp Island Garden Club held its first meeting of the 2007-08 season on September 5^th at the Fripp Island Fire House. Each of the members received an herb plant with their annual dues and the 2006-07 Beautification Committee had their ‘dedication’ of the crepe myrtle tree at the Fire Station. Dot Steele, President of the FIGC and Micki McCormick, Chairman of the Beautification Committee, gave Chief Josh Horton a check for the completion of the landscaping around the donated tree.

The October 3^rd meeting was a pleasant and rewarding ‘demonstration and tasting’ given by Chef Chad Smith of the Beach Club Restaurant. The four herbs he covered included cilantro, basil, sage and rosemary. Assisting were Chef Russell and Chef Sno (who has been at the Beach Club for about 14 years), with Sam helping by serving samples.

Chef Chad, although only 26 years old, did a fantastic job and has a very diverse background. He has an abundance of knowledge and a pleasant, caring approach to sharing his knowledge - it is evident that he has found his calling! Our good fortune - Chef Smith is considering starting a cooking school for us here, and we will be notified if that comes about.

The herb presentation was followed by our business meeting, led by President Dot Steele. She told us of the progress of the Tower project, with the bike path already moved, and that the Committee will be working on the best places for transplanting the five trees nearer to the tower. Deanna Hormel did an excellent job with the tip of the month on herbs.

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REMEMBERING WORLD WAR II

Jim Purcell, Bob Davidson, Tom O’Grady, Al Cooper, Don Thomas, Fred Thomas, Bob Burson
Seated: Al Sobol, Knobby Walsh, Al Schaufelberger
Not Pictured: Dick Morrison and Bill Watson

Ken Burn’s seven-part PBS TV series on World War II was the catalyst for a wonderful evening at the Fripp Island Community Centre on October 4 by remembering a key chapter in our nation's past. Two veterans – Al Cooper and Jim Purcell – and Dick Morrison, a retired educator, hosted the program. With more than 40 people present, Morrison served as the emcee for a time of review and reflection.

The highlight of the evening was listening to stories and comments from the eleven Fripp Island veterans of World War II: Bob Burson, Al Cooper, Bob Davidson, Bill Houseal, Tom O’Grady, Al Sobol, Jim Purcell, Al Schaufelberger, Fred Thomas, Don Thomas, Knobby Walsh, and Bill Watson. Dick started the discussion by asking the veterans to recall where they were on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He then progressed to when they entered the service and their different roles, which ranged from O’Grady inspecting for cracks on the aircraft carriers, to Al Sobol in the 10th Mountain Division Ski Troop in Italy, and to Jim Purcell who was a fighter pilot off the "Enterprise."

In a humorous moment, Al Cooper noted that he had been attracted to the Navy because they got to take showers every day while Bob Burson who was in the Army recalled having to go six weeks without a shower. Dick Morrison steered the conversation toward topics of military strategy, work on the home front, and the celebration of the War’s end. It was both an informative and memorable evening.

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ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS RECYCLED INTO ARTIFICIAL REEFS OFF FRIPP ISLAND

Artificial reefs have long been used to attract fish in our oceans. 40 armored personnel carriers were recently dropped off barges in front of Fripp Island. Reefs include the Dry Dock two miles off Fripp Island, the Tire Reef five miles off Fripp, and the 6-HI bouy nine miles off. Over the years, tires, cement, rocks, and recently New York City subway cars have been used to improve our ocean reefs.

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