Published by FRIPP ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

SEPTEMBER 2006

Look, Grandpa. It's Bambi

by John E. Dayner

Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump go the tires as I cross the bridge. To the left, the fishing pier and the Atlantic, to the right, the inlet - maybe a dolphin or two - and that osprey nest. (Sometimes, he sits on the railing, fishing. Does he have a name? How about Oscar?) The green of the Security roof, some deer grazing - more in evening than in midday - some with tagged ears, à la the fertility program, and another new house in the River Club. Then there's that little white-lettered sign, "Fripp Island is a wildlife refuge." Fripp's a refuge for me, too, and one of life's nagging little facts is that costs money. In its second year, the six-year deer program, supported solely by private contributions, needs more funding to continue successfully. Here's some history, an update, and a bottom line.
     It began in earnest in June of 2001, when according to a Trawler article, 140 Fripp residents counted 457 animals and projected that there were between 500-600 on Fripp. Other estimates ran as high as 1600. A later survey by Holterra Wildlife Management estimated 523 deer, with a female-to-male ratio of two-to-one. A FIPOA Deer Committee formed, did a study, reported results and ran a residents' survey to determine a course of action. The debate about what to do, detailed in subsequent issues of The Trawler, considered three options: 1) do nothing, 2) cull the herd by shooting, and 3) immunize the deer with contraceptives.
     For a while, there was no action, except for the increased appearance of deer in both common areas and on private property. More and more, deer browsed on young plantings - including those on the University of Georgia's deer-resistant list (they hadn't seen the list), walked on the roads and were hit by cars. Even though a letter in The Trawler said there was plenty of food for deer on Fripp, the increased numbers meant that the herd seemed more desperate for food and began to look ragged and underfed. The general consensus was that "do nothing" wasn't a humane measure.
     The prospect of culling the herd, a seemingly simple solution, raised the heat of the discussion a notch or two. While it would cut numbers immediately, allowing hunters to come on private property and shoot near houses, people and pets raised safety worries; corralling deer and shooting them in a confined area was, at best, distasteful and, at worst, abominable to some residents. All recognized the temporary nature of the option: animal populations rebound quickly after this type of reduction. Many also were unaware of another fact in deer populations, reported in well-documented studies - The CASH Courier (www.all-creatures.org), Hinterland's Who's Who (www.hww.ca) - along with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Tufts-Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine: the better the browse, the higher the occurrence of multiple births. Culling the herd and leaving a fertile population with more food would mean the rate of growth would at least double (67% of well-fed whitetail does have twins, 12% have triplets). At an estimated ongoing yearly cost of $50,000, culling would be much more expensive and much less effective than contraception.
     Since Fripp is an isolated island environment, Tufts and HSUS agreed to do an experimental study of deer immunocontraception here. How does the program work? In their report to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Rick Naugle, the HSUS's "man on the ground with the darts" on Fripp, and Dr. Allen Rutberg of Tufts write that in 2005, a team darted 93 does, found at bait stations or on the streets, with a sedative. The radio-transmitter darts allowed personnel to follow the animals until the sedative took effect. As befits a scientific experiment, upon capture, they treated the eyes with an ophthalmic ointment, checked vital signs, monitored pulse and respiration, removed the dart and treated the wound with antibiotic ointment. Then they tagged the ears, and to insure the general health of the deer, measured and weighed the animal, examined it for prior injuries, injected another antibiotic, took a blood sample and injected one of five contraceptives available. Workers also placebo-injected nineteen females to serve as controls, and fitted twenty does with radiocollars to track and monitor movement. That was the first year. The second-year plan for January-March 2007 is to immunize another 100 females after pregnancy testing, and to recapture surviving tagged does from the first round. If the population estimates are right, there should still be 50-100 fertile females on Fripp.
     Spayvac-for-Wildlife, Inc., the contraceptive manufacturer, indicates the vaccine is effective for at least three years; HSUS and Tufts feel it may be more long-term. In addition, 21 of the 93 marked deer either died or are assumed dead, a 7-month survival rate of about 78%. The SCDNR report says that high deer population density, accompanied by few multiple births, high rates of fetal loss, neonatal mortality, parasitism, and food scarcity all contribute to high Fripp deer mortality. The original estimate was a 50% reduction in the deer population at end of six years, but according to Dr. Rutberg, sterilization and the high death rate should reduce population more quickly than the earlier estimate. The survivors will have more food and will be healthier, outcomes that meet or surpass earlier expectations. 

Now about cost. HSUS is administering the deer fertility control program. Of course, HSUS is a charitable group, its sole source of income being donations. The majority of expense is in the first three years of capturing and tagging; the first-year bill was a bit over $51,000 for equipment, vaccine, supplies, travel, and consulting. The original projection for the first three years was $38,000 per year, with the whole program estimated at $152,000. Even though Fripp residents housed HSUS and Tufts personnel, and volunteers helped with the tracking and tagging, other travel and equipment costs increased. Does this really surprise anyone who has experienced estimated expenses on Fripp? In 2004, we raised a substantial amount by donations from Fripp property owners - 343 donors contributed $41,400 in 2004 and 2005; this year 18 contributed $3200. All that money went directly to HSUS to help defer the cost, but they alone have been funding the project since. Since Fripp property owners are the ultimate beneficiaries of this program, now is the time to show our gratitude to HSUS again and to help ensure the program's successful completion. Here's the bottom line: we have contributed less than the first year's expenses, and we have five years to go.
     As you drive a golf cart around the island, it's obvious that new house at the River Club is one of many. In spite of our growth, we've exercised good judgment in our effort to live in harmony with nature: we set buildings in natural surroundings, we maintain ponds and the salt marsh, we have a loggerhead program, and we've committed to limiting our deer population logically and humanely. All that makes Fripp a unique sea island where property values continue to climb, and where property owners can still show Bambi to their grandchildren. It's time to pony up: preserving Fripp's wildlife isn't free.
     Please mail donations to: FIPOA, 225 Tarpon Blvd., Fripp Island, SC 29920, making your generous check payable to HSUS, and noting in the Memo section: Fripp Deer. Please send your tax-deductible donation now, lest your good intentions, as so often can happen, fall into a crevice and disappear.

Splinters from the Board

by Kate Hines, General Manager

There was no Property Owners Association Board meeting in July. Items here are from the August Board meeting.

• The Board approved a resolution to add a rule to prohibit trespass in posted areas. Courtesy notices or POA citations can now be issued if someone is caught trespassing in areas with posted hours of operation or posted open sunrise to sunset. The POA citation is $100. A state ticket would be $257.50. Normally, a courtesy notice will be issued at the first offense.

• Research into providing wireless Internet service for the entire island has shown that it is not feasible at the current time. The Club office does have wireless available and POA will try to add it at the 225 Tarpon office as well in 2007.

• POA bridges passed inspection. The engineer suggests adding rip rap to the embankments on Fiddler's Trace and Tarpon Boulevard bridges.

• Crossover 23 has been renovated. Crossovers 26 and 29 are undergoing major repairs now.

• We need rain! POA lakes have been at very low levels due to lack of rain. If you see an aerator in trouble, call the POA office 838-4155.

• 2004 Survey review: It was noted that issues raised in the survey have been adequately addressed and many improvements can be seen. The Security Committee thoroughly reviewed survey comments concerning security. Other committees will review the areas concerning them. Board members will be appointed to review other comments when there is no corresponding committee.

TRAWLER LINE

THE TRAWLER

Founded January 1978

Published by and for the Members of the Fripp Island Property Owners Association
Publishers:  FIPOA Board of Directors
Coordinator:  Tina Reeves
Editorial Committee:
Don Aldrich, Patty Patek, Phyllis Conrad, John Dayner, Gary Flynn, Tina Reeves, Stewart deWitt

Trawler Deadline for November Issue is September 30.

If you would like to write to the TRAWLER, please send your letter to:
Attention: Letter to the Editor
FIPOA, 225 Tarpon Blvd.
Fripp Island SC 29920
or email: fipoa@islc.net

Board of Directors 2006 - 2007
Paul Hummer - President - President@fipoa.org
Bob Young - Vice President - VicePresident@fipoa.org
Buck Mathews - Secretary - Secretary@fipoa.org
Bill Buschur - Treasurer - Treasurer@fipoa.org
Mary Cantley - Mary@fipoa.org
Charlie Davis - Charlie@fipoa.org
Bob Davidson - Bob@fipoa.org
Joe Gannon - Joe@fipoa.org
Tom Hunter - Tom@fipoa.org
Alan Price - Alan@fipoa.org

Board Meeting Schedule
September 9, 2006 - 9:00 am
October 21, 2006 - 9:00 am

(This schedule is subject to change)
Meeting begins at 9:00 am at the FIPOA Administrative Office. All meetings are open. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, call in by telephone. 888-311-9051, 56413#

Fripp Web Sites
FIPOA Home page - http://www.fipoa.org
Minutes from the last Board Meeting - http://www.fipoa.org/minutes.html
HOT NEWS! Breaking information for Property Owners - http://www.fipoa.org/hotnews.html
Gate Pass Email Form - http://www.fipoa.org/gatepass.html
F.Y.I. - http://www.fipoa.org/fyi.html
Governing Documents, Rules and Regulations - http://www.fipoa.org/govdocs.html
Links such as Beaufort County, POU, Fripp Owners Club websites, etc. - http://www.fipoa.org/locallinks.html

SIGN UP TODAY FOR FIPOA
E-MAIL SUBSCRIBER SERVICE
to receive notification of minutes and other pertinent information as it happens! Sign up by sending an email to khinesfipoa@islc.net and putting "add me to the minutes list" in the subject, or send a short note to FIPOA, 225 Tarpon Boulevard, Fripp Island, SC 29920 with your name and email address. We would like have EVERY owner subscribe to this service. Email addresses will be kept confidential.

Help Us Say Thank You To Our Security Department

The summer season has certainly made us aware how fortunate we are to live on Fripp Island. Let us take a moment to reflect how thankful we should be to have Security Department to give us all an added sense of protection. Isn't it great to know that help is at hand when you need it?

What better time to give the Security Staff a well deserved "Thank You" than our annual Christmas fund?

Please make checks payable to Christmas Fund
Mail to: Hildy Aldrich
868 Sabal Court
Fripp Island, SC 29920

Sincerest thanks to all who contributed to last year's Christmas Fund.

Letters to the Editor

THE TRAWLER welcomes brief (a maximum of 250 words), factual and temperate letters from its readers. Only original letters, signed with the writer's name, address and telephone number, will be considered for publication. Letters are subject to editing, condensation and republishing in any format. All letters submitted become the property of THE TRAWLER. Publication does not imply agreement by FIPOA of views expressed. Regretfully, we cannot account for unpublished letters.

Dear Friends: It is difficult to write what is in my heart about your outpouring of friendship following the death of Barbara. A simple thank you is just not enough. But I do want to thank you and express to you my feelings about the uniqueness of Fripp Island, shown through its residents, that will continue to cause me to call Fripp my home. So many of you have been generous with your time, giving me the emotional support I so seriously needed. And many of you opened your homes to my friends and family from out of town, which was a testament of your support and impressive in the eyes of those who came. The food and beverages that continue to find their way to my home have truly sustained me during this time, and have been beyond anything I could have possibly anticipated. And so many flowers, I really could not believe it. My saddened heart is also filled with a deep sense of appreciation for the many friends I have and for all they have done for me during this period. Sincerely, Mike Pepin

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Thank you for all of your concern and support. It has helped strengthen and sustain me through a very difficult time. I am grateful for all of the good wishes, prayers, cards, emails, meals, visits, rides, and other help during my lengthy hospitalization, cancer treatments and recuperation. I feel blessed to have such wonderful people in my life and fortunate to be able to continue my recovery on this beautiful island that is our home. Gratefully, Caroline Lutz

 

How do you say thank you to a group of property owners who came together like never before? Do you mention the incredible amount of household donations or the endless hours of volunteering? Or do you marvel about lines of shoppers at 6:30am and traffic backed up all the way to Hunting Island? Honestly, it's difficult to properly convey how grateful we are for the incredible support of this year's Community Centre Treasure Sale. As you may know, we raised $19,386, which exceeded all previous records by a substantial margin. However, what really blew us away was the incredibly giving spirit of so many Fripp Island Property Owners. Whether you gave us a couch, worked a pricing shift, or helped deliver a purchase to a customer's home... Please know that you are appreciated. On behalf of the entire FICC board, we will always by indebted to each and every one of you for your awesome response! Sincerely, Chris Assaf President Fripp Island Community Centre and All Faiths Chapel

The Dilemma of the Dead Trees

by Phyllis Conrad

Suddenly this spring, dead trees started showing up all over Fripp Island and Hunting Island. I know some of you have already researched it, but for those of us who have not done our homework, I will try to bring you up to speed.
     The dead trees are Red Bay Trees. They are being attacked by an invasive beetle species known as the Ambrosia Beetle. The beetles came to us from far away on a container ship coming into Port Wentworth, GA. They were first identified on Hilton Head is 2003. The beetle carries a fungus that eventually cuts off nutrients to the tree and has no known predators, so his numbers are quickly escalating.
     The Forestry Service is furiously studying the situation to try to figure out what to do to stop the invasion, similar to the Dutch Elm disease that wiped out the Elm Trees many years ago. Then, not so many years ago, the Dogwood Trees all up and down the coast were hit with Anthracnose. These were both non-native diseases introduced probably by transplanted landscape plants from foreign countries. So far, the Service has not figured out what to do about the Ambrosia Beetle, so all we can do is be vigilant about cutting the dead trees down and removing the eyesore. I spoke with Laurie Reid at the SC Forestry Commission, and she stressed that it is very important that we NOT remove these trees from the island as that will just spread the beetle faster. So far, they are just in 4 counties-Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton, and Hampton. It is fine to put the branches through a chipper or to burn them.
     These trees are an important component of the Maritime Forest as the fruit is a good source of food for animals, and the leaves provide wonderful shade for all. They are also very drought tolerant.
     If you see dead trees on vacant properties, call the FIPOA at (843) 838-4155, and they will send a letter to the owner. Remember, before you cut down your own dead trees, you must get a permit from the ARB unless the tree is less than 6 inches in diameter. The ARB's phone number is (843) 838-1540.

Fire Department

by Chief Joshua Horton

Know Your Officers

by Chief Mike Binkowski

This month we would like to highlight Lieutenant Tim Miller. Lt. Miller has been with the Fripp Island Patrol for four years. In July of 2005, Tim was promoted to Lieutenant and currently holds the position of Operations/Training Officer.
     The South Carolina Security Chiefs Association and Beaufort County Sheriff Office awarded the Security Officer of the Year Award to Lt. Miller in 2004.
     Lt. Miller is originally from Canton, Ohio and is a former E-4 Specialist in the U.S. Army Airborne. He also takes pleasure in spending time with his eleven-year-old son Brady. Tim and his wife Mary, a former FIPOA Security Officer also share their Lady's Island home with their two dogs, Brutis and Chico.

From the Desk of the General Manager:

by Kate Hines, CMCA, AMS, MCM

The importance of regularly scheduled maintenance was brought home to me this summer.
     In my personal life, it came from a run-in my eldest daughter had with a piece of broken furniture while attending a party at a local Beaufort apartment complex. She ended up with a shattered toe that landed her in the hospital. If the complex had taken better care of their property, she wouldn't have had the accident.
     Here on Fripp, the message came thru loud and clear when our lagoons started drying up. Even though we have a contract with a great company, Estate Management, to check algae content and keep the aerators running, we hadn't checked the marsh-side condition of an intake pipe that runs under the dam at the Blue Heron Lake since its installation in 2001. Some of you may remember that extensive replacement job under the supervision of Hank Wetzel and Dave Kobick.
     It turns out that little by slow, Mother Nature has been throwing stray reeds and silt into the pipe. What happened after all this time is the equivalent to a big hairball getting lodged in a cat's throat, but our pipe couldn't yak it up! We needed the rescue efforts of Jim Yeager and his Earthworx team to remove all of the obstacles, and now we once again have good flow thru the pipe. With a major fish kill averted, we have adjusted our computer calendars to remind us to check its condition every 6 months.
     This lake incident is a good example of why the POA has contracted with Miller Dodson Associates for a Reserve study. With the information we obtain, we will be better able to estimate the life of what we currently have, plan for repairs, and budget for future estimated replacement costs. The report should be finished by October.
     Of course, unexpected eventualities come up even when you use the "7P" theory (call me if you need it spelled out), as the planned replacement of crossovers 23 and 26 show. With unforeseen contractor delays, the replacements scheduled for late spring were pushed back to mid to late summer. Crossover 23 refurbishment was finally completed Friday July 28th. Crossover 26 will be completed soon. From this point forward, two crossovers will be replaced or refurbished every year. By the time the two a year cycle is completed it will be time to restart.
     Regularly scheduled maintenance is needed all over the island, and we try to stay on top of it. If you see something that needs attention, please notify us (843) 838-4155.

WWII Dog Patrol on Fripp Island

by Page Putnam Miller

(This is the fifth in a series of articles about Fripp Island's past. Page Miller, a resident and historian who is writing a book on the history of Fripp, will coordinate the series and be one of the major contributors.)

World War II brought to Fripp for the first time people who did not just visit but who lived for an extended period on the island. In June 1942 Coast Guardsmen in New York and Florida intercepted German spies who had come ashore in rubber boats from German submarines cruising the American shoreline. The intent of these Germans was to use explosives to cripple the industrial and transportation centers in the United States. The capture of these spies and saboteurs exposed the vulnerability of the American coast. Government officials debated the best method to protect America's extensive coastline from infiltration by the enemy. In September 1942, the Navy authorized the mounted beach patrol and it became operational two months later with thousands of men aided by horses and dogs protecting the shore.

     The Commander for the Coast Guard Mounted Patrol, Sixth Naval District, which extended from Wilmington, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida, was J.E. McTeer, the Beaufort County Sheriff who had led hunting expeditions to Fripp Island in the 1930s. McTeer recruited eighteen-year old Ned Brown, who as a boy had hunted for raccoons on the islands. Brown served on Hunting Island, where the patrol lived in the cabins that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed in 1938 for the new state park. Jack Woods, whose father had worked for the Waterhouse grocery on St. Helena Island and who was also familiar with the barrier islands, worked on the boat that ferried supplies to the patrol unit on Fripp and other islands that had no bridges.
     Woods recalled that on Fripp the recruits had hastily constructed in a few days the patrol's barracks, located near Skull Inlet. The building of rough timber and oblong in shape had no indoor plumbing. Since there was no well on Fripp, water had to be brought along with the other supplies. The nine men who made up the patrol on Fripp served three shifts of eight hours each. The dogs were mostly used on the night shifts and always worked under leash. The purpose of the patrols was to report activities along the coastline rather than to function as a military force to fight hostile armed troops. With notification and communication at the core of mission, the Coast Guard laid along the Atlantic beaches fifteen hundred miles of new telephone circuits that provided reporting stations at quarter-mile intervals.
     Because of the small size of Fripp Island, the patrol had dogs, all German shepherds, and no horses. The military had acquired these dogs from patriotic citizens who loaned them to the government for this special mission. The kennels on Fripp were as important as the barracks and the men took considerable care with the dogs. The district's official newsletter, Hoof Prints, provided advice on caring for the animals, such as keeping them in the shade after 10 a.m. on hot summer days, unless they were on patrol.
     Every other day a supply boat, a forty-foot motorized whaleboat with an open hull, came to Fripp with mail, water, and food. The Parris Island Commissary supplied the food, and a cook prepared the meals for the Fripp unit. The men supplemented their routine rations with fish, shrimp, duck, and deer. There were two small docks on Skull Inlet, one for delivering supplies to Fripp and the other for Pritchards Island. Besides anticipating the arrival of the boat, the men had few activities to break the monotony of the daily patrols. Commanding Officer McTeer encouraged swimming from April to October and also instituted a program of competitive sports. There were boxing contests and basketball tournaments between the various posts in the Sixth Naval District.
     The Fripp patrol ended in the fall of 1944, about two years after it started. With the dissipating threat of U-boats and the war's progress in Europe, the military called a halt to all coastal patrols. Although the coastal patrols never captured any spies or saboteurs, their presence deterred further landings by the enemy. Those engaged in the patrols often found along the shores debris and empty rafts, as reminders that German submarines were not far away.
     With the departure of the beach patrol, the abandoned barracks provided a shelter for outings to Fripp. There was a kind of squatters' rights practiced whereby whoever found the barracks empty could make use of them, an arrangement that worked well until the barracks collapsed into the sea during the 1950s.

Fripp Island Architectural Review Board

In recent months, the Fripp Island Architectural Review Board fielded several inquiries about covenant restrictions on business operations in the residential areas of Fripp Island. The Board would like to pass along the following information that explains the covenants and provides some practical guidelines for homeowners to use if they presently operate or contemplate starting any type of business activity in a residential dwelling.
   The Fripp Island Architectural Review Board is responsible for the enforcement of the covenants that govern the use of single-family residential property on Fripp Island. There is a growing concern among the property owners about the increasing amount of business activity in residential neighborhoods.
   The consolidated covenants that were recorded on May 1, 1974 in Book 220 at page 436, state that lots in "residential areas shall be used for residential purposes exclusively" and that any buildings on such lots are not to be used "for an activity normally conducted as a business..."
   Covenants and restrictions are intended to preserve the character of the neighborhood, lifestyle and quiet enjoyment of the residents and are designed to maintain the peace and harmony of the residential community without disruptions typically brought on by business and commerce.
   The standards adopted for the protection of the residential neighborhoods on Fripp Island prohibit business activity that adversely impacts the residential community, such as the following:

1) Business activity that is apparent or detectable by sight, sound or smell from outside the residential property,
2) Business activity that violates any zoning requirements.
3) Business activity that involves door-to-door solicitation of residents.
4) Business activity in which regular employees work at the residential property.
5) Business activity that generates parking or vehicular or pedestrian traffic that is noticeably greater than is typical of residential properties in which no business activity occurs.
6) Business activity that involves parking of construction vehicles or equipment on the residential property.
7) Placing a sign, symbol, logo or nameplate for a business or office on the residential property or the improvements to the residential property.
8) Advertising the address of the residential property or holding it out to the public as a business address.
9) Business activity that constitutes a nuisance, or a hazardous or offensive use, or threatens the security or safety of other residents.

   The Fripp Island Architectural Review Board respectfully requests your cooperation to ensure that private residential areas are protected and your neighbors are respected. Please contact the ARB at (843) 838-1540 if you have questions concerning covenant restrictions.

Because We Care

By Chris Assaf, President of the Community Centre

Do you remember the first time you came to Fripp Island? Can you think back to how it felt the first time you walked the beach, took a golf cart ride or watched a sunset blaze over the marsh? Can you, just for a moment, recapture the magical calm that this island gave you?
     How does it feel now when you cross the bridge? Can you almost hear your blood pressure drop each and every time? Do you find yourself dreading leaving this peaceful oasis to return to the outside world?
     Fripp Island is like that. Once you've vacationed here, you return year after year and if you're truly blessed - you are able to own a small piece of this paradise. It's a special place we all care deeply about.
     I've thought a lot about that as we've planned the expansion of our Community Centre. Why should we expand? The answer I keep coming back to is BECAUSE WE CARE!
     The Fripp Island All Faiths Chapel and Community Centre is the only facility on our island that is owned and managed 100% by property owners. In addition to our weekly Vespers Service, over 70 other activities are offered to the entire community each month.
     Sadly, the building has now become much to small for current needs and is extremely outdated. Our plan is to increase the chapel by 60 seats, renovate the kitchen and improve the adjoining community room. Our goal is to raise $400,000 by year's end which will completely finance the project.

Over the next few weeks, you will be contacted by a BECAUSE WE CARE fund raising volunteer. I hope that you will thoughtfully consider your pledge and give generously. I pray you will elect to give something back to this island that has given so much to you.

Community Centre Daily Activities

Mondays:
  7:30 am- Low Impact Aerobics
  8:30 am- Fitness
11:00 am- Bridge
  4:00 pm- Yoga

Tuesdays:
  4:30 pm- BINGO
  1st Tues 10:00 am- Men's Investment
  2nd Tues 12-2:00 pm- ROMEO Lunch
  3rd Tues 3-4:00 pm- FIYC

Wednesdays:
  7:30 am- Low Impact Aerobics
  8:30 am- Fitness
  3:45 pm- Choir Rehearsal
  5:30 pm- Vespers
  8:00 pm- AA Meeting
  2nd Wed Craft Club
  4th Wed 10:00 am- Women's Investment

Thursdays:
  7:30 am- Low Impact Aerobics
  8:30 am- Fitness
  9:45 am- Duplicate Bridge
  1:00 pm- Mah Jongg
  4:00 pm- Yoga
  2nd Thur 8:15 am- FICC Board
  3rd Thur 9:30 am- Friends of Music
  4th Thur 7:30 pm- Audubon Club

Link to FIPOA Events Calendar

Fripp Island Women's Club Announces Events Scheduled for the 2006-2007 Membership Meetings

by Linda Sigafoos

October 12th---The Women's Club welcomes all Newcomers to the Annual Wine and Cheese Reception. For more information, please call Barbara DeBartolo, 838-7035, or Lorraine Tarczynski, 838-3175.

October 18th---The Fripp Islands Favorites Cookbook Kick-Off sale will start with Harry Merrill, Jr. of Harold's Catering doing a cooking demonstration of one of his recipes included in the Cookbook. The Board Members always provide the refreshments for this meeting, which is a great opportunity to taste other recipes in the book.

November 15th---Pierre McGowan, a local author, will engage us with stories about his adventures on and around Fripp Island. Pierre grew up on St. Helena Island and has written two books, Tales of the Barrier Islands and The Gullah Mailman.

December 6th---Catered Luncheon at the Community Centre with a musical performance by The Spirit of Old Beaufort. Eveline Stevenson, the daughter of Fripp Island Resident Evelyn Sutton, sponsors the holiday show.

January 17th---Andrew Limone, National President of the Interior Design Society will be speaking on the basic components of interior design. Andrew resides in New Jersey and vacations on Fripp Island several times a year.

February 21st---Former Hollywood actor and Beaufort tour guide Jon Sharp will entertain us with stories of old Beaufort.

March 21st---To be announced.

April 18th---Catered Luncheon and Stein Mart Fashion Show.

Meetings are held at 10:00 AM at the Community Centre. We encourage members to bring a friend. Dues are $10.00 a year and may be paid at any meeting.

Fripp Island Friends of Music

by Lloyd Arnold

The Garden Club

Back Row: (left to right) Debra DeBartolo, Jeannie Conner, Rita Merrill, Dot Steele, Deanna Hormel. Front Row: (left to right) Lillian Collings, Micki McCormick.

Co-Presidents are Micki McCormick and Deanna Hormel.
Co-Vice Presidents are Lillian Collings and Dot Steele.
Co-Secretaries are Jeannie Connor and Rita Merrill
Treasurer is Barbara DeBartolo.
If you would like to join the Garden Club, contact Deanna Hormel, 838-5567, or Micki McCormick, 838-5397.

Commodore's Corner

by P.J. Fineis

TENNIS

Courtside

By Patty Patek

All interested players who want to participate in the Fall Clay Court Championships being held on Sept 29 - October 1st, please sign up with the Pro Shop. We will have NTRP and Age Groups in Singles, Doubles and Mixed. Let's make it a big event!

The Men's Doubles League will start on October 10th and run for eight weeks every Tuesday at 2:00pm.

The Mixed Doubles League will start on October 12th and will run for six weeks every Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

Please call the Pro Shop to sign up for one or all, even if you would only like to substitute.

Men's Golf Association 

By Dick Briggs

The weather in July and August has turned hot and humid, so some of our players have gone to the mountains and others have stayed at home, but we have continued to play each Monday and enjoy the competition.
     In June, John Dunphy and Clay Bush won the Fripp Cup. The Fripp Cup is a two-man team event with six holes of alternate shot - best ball and scramble. September will bring on our annual flight championships - October the Red Ball - November our Member / Member tournament and Turkey Shoot.
     We have had two "Beat The Pro" days and each time the pros have taken a pretty good beating. There will be "Beat the Pro" days in October and December.
     We all note a change in our island and the turnover in the neighborhood. We want to welcome all the new home buyers and new home builders - many of whom use Fripp as a second home site.
     Please remember that even though you only visit the island for fewer than six months there is always a golf game for you on Mondays with the MGA.
     Our new members this year are : Charles Richman, Jim Richey, Dave Laird, Bruce Gales, Wayne Kemmerer, Tom Laing, James Muse , Pat O'Donohue, Roger Painting, and Jim Wolbrink. I am sure there are a few more. Welcome to a great golf group - the MGA.

GOLF

Women's Nine Holers

by Lorraine Tarczynski

The Nine Hole ladies finished the season with two tournaments. On May 18 we traveled to Dataw for a golf outing and luncheon. The Fripp winners of the tournament were: Third place - Maura O'Donohue and Linda Kaduk, Second place - Gwen Hudetz and Lynn Herron; First place - Teresa Hergert and Helen Marie Lloyd. The end of the year tournament results were: Most improved - Betsy Koehler; Low net - Lynn Herron; and Low gross - Barbara DeBartolo.
     Members were in "Hog Heaven" when Susan Price hosted the tournament luncheon at her beautiful home with lunch provided by Harold's Catering. Outgoing President Teresa Hergert did an outstanding job and all the members appreciate her leadership and many contributions. New officers for September 2006 are: President-Barbara DeBartolo; Vice President-Lorraine Tarczynski; Secretary/Treasurer-Rita Merrill.
     Our golf schedule will continue during the summer on an informal basis and new members are always welcome. Email - fripplady30@hotmail.com

Nine Hole Men's Golf

By Jack Buckley

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High Winds Slow Offshore Summer Fishing

By Captain Ralph Goodison

High winds and rough seas made for nightmarish offshore fishing. The seas have turned many offshore fishing adventures into near shore fishing excursions. In-shore fishing has continued decently.

The annual Fireworks Tournament was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to high seas. The winner with the largest Kingfish was Captain A.C. Harvey on Juggernaut with a 20 lb Kingfish, 2nd place went to Captain Tom Owens on No Slack with an 18.8 lb Kingfish. Captain C.G. Doolittle had the largest Wahoo at 32.2 lbs and a Dolphin weighing17 lbs. The largest Spanish Mackerel, weighing in at 3.6 lbs went to Captain Turbeville. Lewis Turner, Marina Manager, would like to thank the tournament committee and the many people who made the tournament a great success.
   

Inshore: Redfish, Sheepshead, Trout, Shark and Whiting Good; Flounder Fair;
Near shore: Blackbass, Shark Excellent;
Offshore bottom fishing: Blackbass Excellent; Grouper, Vermillion, and Red snapper Fair;
Offshore trolling: King - Good; Dolphin, Yellow Fin Tuna - Fair; Billfish - Showing;
     SCDNR says Blue Fin Tuna should be showing again this year.
Happy fishing!

Fripp Island Sea Rescue

by Paul Field
 

For the sixty-day period ending July 31, our unit responded to six marine emergencies. These cases involved twenty-two persons, one dog, an offshore scuba incident, four grounded vessels, and two swimmers stranded on a sandbar. Our participation was limited in the scuba case. We notified the Coast Guard of the two missing scuba divers and provided the navigational data. The search spanned twenty-six hours with Coast Guard helicopters rescuing both divers some fourteen to twenty-six miles offshore, respectively. The divers were vacationing at Fripp Island and had launched their vessel at Hunting Island. In all cases, no persons were injured and the related vessels did not incur damage except, the scuba incident where the twenty-one foot boat sank.

Our training program with the Coast Guard helicopters during nighttime hours continues to be conducted in Fripp Inlet.

To report a marine emergency, call Fripp Island Security at 838-2334 or Beaufort County Dispatch at 9-1-1.