reated on a chilly island afternoon, the December Island Vibes snowman cover was a labor of love from start to finish. Sculpted by the award-winning talent of local artists Tommy Freeman and Doug Vogel, our sandy snowman brought warm smiles to the curious crowd of islanders who gathered to catch a glimpse of the work in progress. The talent behind this cover’s masterpiece has been competing in the annual Piccolo Photographer Tonya McGue offered the finishing touches with a festive hat and scarf just as the rain began to intensify. Frosty was built well below the high tide mark, ensuring he would be taken out with the tide. No sea or land creatures were harmed in the creation of this happy, charming Lowcountry snowman. Cheers! 4 FROM THE CREW IslandVibesIOP.com Island Vibes Vol. 1, Issue 3 December 2023 PUBLISHER BILL MACCHIO PUBLISHER@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM MANAGING EDITOR ZACH GIROUX EDITOR@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ART/ADS PRODUCTION DIRECTOR BETHANY LONG ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER JENNIFER BURKE JENNIFER@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM BRAND AMBASSADOR SONYA BUCKHANNON SONYA@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MORGAN WINNINGHAM SOCIALMEDIA@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM COPY EDITOR COLIN MCCANDLESS PHOTOGRAPHY TONYA MCGUE CONTRIBUTORS ISABEL ALVAREZ ARATA • HEATHER ROSE ARTUSHIN • ROBBIE BERG RYAN BUCKHANNON • SONYA BUCKHANNON MARY COY • MAURICE FRAZIER CLARK LEACH • COLIN MCCANDLESS JULIE NESTLER • PHILLIP POUNDS GINGER SOTTILE • RUSTY STREETMAN SALES REPRESENTATIVES ANDY BIMONTE ANDY@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM STACEY MCLOUGHLIN STACEY@ISLANDVIBESIOP.COM ADMINISTRATION & BOOKKEEPING GINGER SOTTILE BOSS DOG REGGIE DISTRIBUTION ISLE OF PALMS • WILD DUNES • GOAT ISLAND DEWEES ISLAND • U.S. POST OFFICE • HARRIS TEETER • PUBLIX • ASHEVILLE/HENDERSON AIRPORT • ALL SC WELCOME CENTERS is published locally by a team of independent contractors. is published 12 times per year by Islands Publishing LLC. 1013 Chuck Dawley Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Copyright © Islands Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction electronically or in print format without the expressed written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited and a violation of U.S. copyright laws. Content, including editorial, advertising or comments, that threatens, harasses or degrades others may be revoked or refused from print and online publication at the sole discretion of Island Vibes. Inquiries to: Island Vibes P.O. Box 22617, Charleston, SC 29413 publisher@islandvibesiop.com D The pride of Isle of Palms yesterday, today and tomorrow. Publisher’s Note This is a good time of year to look back on the previous year’s endeavors. It’s not every year that your undertakings include launching a new publication, especially one like Island Vibes. As Zach mentions in his editor’s note, we started Island Vibes during Isle of Palms’ election season. Not just any election, but one that included a referendum for capping island short-term rentals and a slate of eight candidates to fill four seats on the IOP City Council. It was an election that divided Isle of Palms like few others. The issues surrounding this election motivated 56.86 percent of island voters to cast their ballots — an amazing turnout considering the average Charleston Country turnout for the recent elections was 22.91 percent. Vibe: A distinctive feeling or quality capable of being sensed. That’s the definition, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The same can be said about the positive aura and energy that Island Vibes is projecting across Isle of Palms. First impressions are crucial, particularly when you launch a newspaper at the height of election season. Now that the election is over and we’re out of the woods, it’s fair to say we couldn’t have picked a more pivotal time. I’d even venture to say that Editor’s Note About the Cover As a publisher, it’s important to always include the viewpoints of all sides. Your opinion on any matter is irrelevant; in this position you need to be unbiased and impartial. It’s about telling everyone’s story, not promoting your opinions. As a credible publication without an agenda, except to spread positive vibes on and off the island, leading up to election day we reached out to all candidates. We wanted our readers to become familiar with everyone who was running. Island Vibes shared unbiased coverage in our paper, and on social media and our podcast, www.IsleOfPalmsPodcast.com. In retrospect, Isle of Palms voters led the way with the largest turnout of voters in any municipality in Charleston County, 33.95 percent more than the average. That’s aswe’re better for it and here’s why. The adage, “your vibe attracts your tribe” may be cliché, but it couldn’t be more accurate. Since the inception of this newborn newspaper, we’ve been blessed to have the island community as a whole in our corner, especially with all of the contentiousness and divisiveness fevered by politics. The impetus for creating Island Vibes was and is to foster the unity of all things IOP. Thanks be to the man above, our brilliant staff and loyal supporters C For advertising, contact Bill Macchio at publisher@islandvibesiop.com or (843) 530-0403. For editorial, contact Zach Giroux at editor@islandvibesiop.com or (802) 733-6321. Spoleto Sand Sculpting Competition on the Isle of Palms for more than 10 years, winning in nearly every category including the highly coveted “Best in Show.” Generally a fair weather activity, sand sculpting presents its own unique set of challenges. Luckily for our artists, the drizzle on this blustery day provided just the right amount of water for a relatively easy sculpt. A bit of stress near the end with the partial collapse at the base of the snowman did not fluster our artists in the least. They simply regrouped, redid and regained a solid foundation for their “Frosty” lookalike. Frosty the Sandman By Laura Fogarty who make this pipe dream a reality. Furthermore, a special thanks to our readers, advertisers and residents who regularly attend our monthly launch parties each issue. It’s imperative for us to celebrate the most paramount part of this publication: the people. We thank you, we hear you and we’re here for you! See you around the island! Positively yours, Zach Giroux Managing Editor tounding! I hope this is a reboot for Isle of Palms, one that will encourage people to engage in meaningful and constructive conversations no matter what your position is. Thanks for reading Island Vibes. If y’all like it half as much as we love publishing it, then we know y’all are feeling the vibe! Positively yours, Bill Macchio Publisher
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