COVID-19 UPDATE #5
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Message from Board President, Dan Kortvelesy
As I sit here on Friday morning composing this note, SC is in a state of emergency, Florida isn’t. Belk’s is closed, Dillard’s isn’t. These are indeed confusing times.
As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 emergency, we, as concerned citizens, are trying to sort through the bombardment of information that we are receiving constantly. A question that I keep getting on a daily basis is, when are you going to shut down the island? Let’s step back a moment and examine where we are at this time.
Yesterday, the SIPOA Board of Directors spent the better part of the morning sharing through email, their thoughts regarding this very topic. The consensus was clear, at this time we are not shutting down the island to visitors, we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops, and we understand that at some later time we may need to take this action. Please keep in mind that we did not develop this consensus in a vacuum. We reached out to our neighbors (Kiawah) to see how they were handling their gate. We reached out to the rental agencies for some data concerning what they are observing in their businesses. They are seeing many more cancellations than bookings. This is normally a very busy time of the year (spring break). Property owners who usually rent are coming here because their home on the island is now vacant. Some of the rentals are for PO families who want to be close but not in the same home. Next point considered by the Board, absent an available testing program, how do we know who’s more infectious? A visitor from Charlotte who is sheltering in a villa or the property owner who just traveled to Europe? All our public buildings are closed which limits social interaction. Our other consideration was what do the medical professionals say? What does the CDC say? They continue to stress that the only way to insure one’s safety during this emergency is to shelter in place and maintain safe social distance (in addition to washing one’s hands and using sanitizer regularly).
I will be the first to agree that we are only at the beginning of this emergency. How are we going to feel when we are sheltering in place 4 – 6 more weeks? Where do we reach out for comfort during this time? Families often provide security and solace during troubling times. Do you know how to Skype? Facetime? Duo? etc. Maybe this is a good time to learn how to use these platforms as we communicate with others. Extend your good will to others, it will put a smile on your face.
Stay safe! Dan Kortvelesy
**Please fill out the New Vehicle Registration form if you need to obtain a barcode for a new vehicle. A member of our staff will contact you once your request has been processed. You can also find the New Vehicle Registration form listed under “Forms” on our website sipoa.org.
Thank you!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
EVENTS CANCELLED
Seabrook Insurance 101 – Monday, March 23, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Bocce Ball Meet & Greet – Saturday, March 21, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SI Birders – Out of concern for everyone’s health and safety, Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) has decided to cancel ALL events until further notice. We realize that as much as we would love to be with everyone talking about the birds on our island, we don’t feel we can safely maintain social distance while viewing and discussing the birds.We encourage everyone to follow the guidance from the CDC. Only if appropriate, we encourage you to enjoy the outside spaces like the beach and nature walks for birding and nature watching. We will work on providing blogs that will give you ideas of activities that you, your children and grandchildren can do in a safe and responsible manner. Thanks for your understanding and be well.
Turtle Patrol Cancels All Pre-Season Meetings – Due to the current health crisis, the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol has cancelled the 2020 Kick-Off and New Member Orientation Meetings scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd . The New Member Training on April 18th and the T-Shirt Pick-up Party on April 25th have also been cancelled.
One of the important functions of the Kick-Off Meeting is to order the new Turtle Patrol t-shirts and hats for 2020. This year we plan to accomplish this by submitting the order forms and payments directly to Bill and Linda Nelson. Current Turtle Patrol Members will be sent detailed instructions.
New Members: For potential new members, the outline of the New Member Orientation, a summary of volunteer opportunities and a new member sign-up form are available on the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol web site, siturtlepatrol.com. The Orientation Outline can be found under Information/Training and the new member sign-up form and a summary of volunteer opportunities can be found under Information/Forms & Resources. If you decide to become a member, please send an email to Gary Fansler at fanslergary@gmail.com to obtain an order form for t-shirts and hats. You can also contact Terry Fansler at terry@carettasway.com with any questions. Please do this as soon as possible as the overall T-shirt/hat order will have to be submitted by April 2nd.
We hope to reschedule the New Member Training when possible. In the meantime, we will use on the job training by scheduling new members with more experienced members.
**If there is an event we missed or if you would like to announce a cancellation or suspension, please email your request to eblast@sipoa.org.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES SUSPENDED
Seabrook Island Coin Club – Suspended
Men’s Bible Study – Suspended
D.I.R.T Genealogy – Suspended
Monday Bridge Group – Suspended
Ladies Bible Study – Suspended
Seabrook Stitchers – Suspended
Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange Club Handbook
Please double check your personal information now…
March 31st – the deadline for Additions, Corrections and Deletions
The Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange Club Handbook team is pulling the loose ends together now. Design and layout, proofing reading, printing and distribution in April will allow for distribution of the new edition before Memorial Day.
Please review your listing in the 2019-2020 Handbook – if find you find changes are needed, please email today your name(s), local address and contact number(s) to:
KS-ExchangeNames@outlook.com.
Name(s) – The name(s) you use while you are here on Seabrook Island.
Address – Local address (# and street name)
Contact number(s) – One you use when you meet someone on island. Cell numbers have become the most common entry… Two numbers can be listed for each address on separate lines or one number on the same line for two residents.
The annual Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange Club Handbook is your quickest access to locating your neighbors on Kiawah, Seabrook, Cassique and Kiawah River Estates. It is also your best reference to local businesses, charities, emergency services, restaurants, social activities, tide charts and frequently called numbers. All in one place for your use throughout the year.
Publication of the annual Handbook allowed the Exchange Club to grant over $140,000 last year to many local charities… as listed on page 194 of the 2019-2020 Handbook.
Now is the time to ensure that your information is accurate in the next edition of the Handbook, which will be distributed before Memorial Day. Extra copies are always available at the SIPOA office, the SI Club office and SI Town Hall. If in doubt… send your information. Better to be safe, then sorry!
If you’re interested in attending an Exchange meeting and/or learning more about the Exchange Club, contact any member or email us at KS-ExchangeClub@outlook.com.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in ensuring the accuracy of the new Handbook, and your use of the information provided.
-Submited by SIPOA, sipoa.org or 843-768-0061