Cancelled fireworks Don’t damper island’s Spirit as Exchange Club unfurls 50 new flags
By Lorne Chambers | Editor
While they may sound regal, “King Tides” have been a royal pain in the butt on Folly Beach as of late. It was these extra high tides, combined with a storm front exacerbated by Hurricane Joaquin last October that led to historic flooding on Folly Beach and around the state.
While not as devastating as a 1,000-year flood, it was still a bummer for many when the annual Independence fireworks display was cancelled on Folly Beach this Fourth of July. And those pesky king tides were the culprit yet again … at least in part.
On a holiday when we celebrate our country’s independence from an overbearing monarchy, it’s ironic that a king (tide) would be what impeded on our freedom … freedom to launch Chinese-made pyrotechnic devices into the night’s sky and cheer as they explode into pretty fireballs with loud noises that send our pets scurrying under tables and down unfamiliar streets.
The above-average high tide at sunset on the Fourth of July took away the normal beach area from which the firework’s display is typically launched. This played a big factor in the Folly Association of Business (FAB) cancelling the island’s annual Independence Day fireworks display.
But the king tides weren’t the only culprit, according to Ken Merkle, general manager of Tides hotel. Merkle also sits on the board of directors for FAB, which inherited fireworks duty three years ago when the City of Folly Beach decided to allocate its fireworks funds towards beach renourishment. Merkle says costs were also an issue, because it would have made the costs go up even higher had they launched the fireworks from a barge because there just wasn’t enough beach to even setup based on the ordinances and mandatory setbacks. Not to mention the old vendor the city used to hire to do the fireworks has gone out of business and other vendors charge significantly more, especially on July 4 when their services are in high demand.
So in addition to the unusually high tides, good old-fashioned capitalism and the law of supply and demand put a damper on the Independence Day fireworks display this year.
But proving the American spirit is alive and well at the Edge of America, the Folly Beach Exchange Club picked up the flag and carried on … literally. At its June 14 meeting, Folly Beach City Council passed a resolution authorizing to give $1,000 from it’s discretionary fund to The Folly Beach Exchange Club to purchase and place 50 new American flags on the island.
In what has become a Folly Beach tradition in recent years, the Exchange Club displayed the new flags on the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier during the holiday weekend.
FAB president Lewis Dodson said that in lieu of the Fourth of July fireworks, FAB would be putting on a display the Sunday before Labor Day. Pyrotecnico, who does the RiverDogs games and Patriot’s Point fireworks, will provide the Labor Day weekend display.
