24 IslandVibesIOP.com HISTORY a youth sports team every year since they opened. 9. CARMEN BUNCH Hurricane Hugo defines time here: There is “before Hugo” and “after Hugo.” Carmen Bunch’s time to shine came in that rare in-between: during Hugo. A Navy veteran, she moved to the island shortly after World War II and helped operate her husband’s family restaurant at Breach Inlet before working for the Charleston Naval Shipyard. She became increasingly involved in the island community and was elected as the island’s first female mayor in 1985. In a controversial move, Bunch declared martial law in the hurricane’s aftermath – essentially not allowing any unauthorized personnel, even residents, back onto the island – to prevent looting and to ensure the safety of the community. While displaced island residents did not take kindly to her decision, she stood her ground and was re-elected for four consecutive terms before retiring in 2002. 10. FIRE CHIEF ANN GRAHAM AND CHIEF OF POLICE TOMMY BUCKHANNON Graham and Buckhannon, now retired, both dedicated themselves to the safety of Isle of Palms residents and visitors for over 30 years. Graham started working with the IOP Fire Department in 1985 and became the first female fire chief in the state in 1994. Not only fighting fires, she was also involved in search and rescue operations for swimmers in distress and in drownings. A YouTube video made in 2011 even shows Graham rescuing a fellow officer and stranded swimmer amid 20-foot waves spawned by Hurricane Irene. 6. THE BURGIS FAMILY Members of the Burgis family weren’t the first business owners on Front Beach, but their legacy has been anchored there for decades. Wallace and Elizabeth Burgis opened a full-service restaurant on Front Beach in 1962, with just six stools and two tables. The popular Palms Seafood Restaurant was one of the first oceanfront restaurants in the Charleston area, serving up specialties such as fried creek shrimp and Mrs. Burgis’ famous coleslaw. When it was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo, it had grown to 12 stools and seated more than 250 people. Their sons, Malcolm and James, opened the Windjammer in 1972 on the site of J.C. Long’s former SurfDeck. Beach views, beer, volleyball, live music and a touted “jam good time” have been drawing locals and vacationers to Front Beach for nearly 45 years. 7. THE STONE FAMILY In 1977, Don Stone bought Island Realty from Bill Walters, who gave the business its current name after purchasing it from Al Johnson, who was J.C. Long’s broker. Don was an astute businessman and understood that what was good for Isle of Palms would be good for all businesses on the island. For nearly 40 years, the Stone family has been influential in steering the housing and rental market to be the flourishing business it has become. Today, his son Sandy and wife Peggy own the company, and his grandsons, Alex and Eric, also work there. They attribute their business’ success to decades of being active in the community they serve. Sandy also served on the Isle of Palms City Council from 2010 to 2013. 8. THE CARROLL FAMILY The Carrolls are another family that has influenced the island for generations. The matriarch, Kathy Carroll, ran the Isle of Palms Recreation Center in its infancy. With the help of the Women’s Auxiliary, she held fundraisers for new equipment, rather than asking the city for money. In 1981, she and her son, Jimmy, co-founded Carroll Realty, the island’s oldest owner-started real estate company, which was a catalyst for what the local real estate and property rental market has become today. Jimmy remains an agent for Carroll Realty but sold the company to his nephew, Michael Carroll, and his wife, Ashley, who continue to run it with the same professional yet laid-back flare that Jimmy and Karen implemented from the beginning. Bringing it back full circle, Carroll Realty continues to play a big role in the recreation center by sponsoring Buckhannon began serving Isle of Palms residents on the police force in 1980, following in his father’s footsteps. He led 19 sworn police officers and 11 civilian personnel in serving the island’s citizens on matters from crime prevention and criminal investigations to traffic enforcement, victim services, animal services and beach patrol. The dedication of Graham and Buckhannon to the safety of the Isle of Palms community and vacationers over their careers was a driving force behind its welcoming and safe reputation. There’s an old saying that “it takes a village to raise a child.” But when there’s no village, it takes dedicated and passionate bright stars to build a city. There are countless other people who helped shape this island to be what it is today over the past 120 years: business owners, council members, visionaries and ordinary residents and vacationers who have all fallen in love with this 7-mile stretch of coastline. We hope this list helped shed some light on some of them.Con Wallace Burgis Kathy Carroll Fire Chief Ann Graham Don Stone and grandson Mayor Carmen Bunch Chief of Police Tommy Buckhannon From page 23
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