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Day: August 1, 2023

On Boats and Camaraderie: The Annual Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival Returns

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Fifteenth Annual Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival in the Market Common

The Fifteenth Annual Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival Saturday, April 29, 2023 by Melissa LaScaleia The annual Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival will be held at the Market Common on the big lake in Grand Park on Saturday, April 29. A beloved Market Common tradition, the festival acts as a fundraiser for Ground Zero, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Founded by Scott and Kimberly Payseur twenty-five years ago, the organization offers support to students during what is, for many, difficult pre-teen and teen years. “There are students who struggle to fit in anywhere,” Scott says. “So we create a place where everyone feels welcome no matter their background, family situation, or religious beliefs. We are a ministry-driven organization, but we support students no matter their beliefs.” Ground Zero seeks to make a positive impact in these students’ lives, to help them develop life skills like self-reliance, confidence, and empathy— skills that will act as a foundation for their future success. “We establish authentic relationships with students and teach them how to do the same, empowering them by sharing tools they can use in their daily lives to impact the world around them,” Scott says. “And we do it by focusing on sharing fun, wholesome, and rewarding experiences with them— both as a means to uplift, as well as to expose them to healthy ways of having a good time.” The Dragon Boat Festival is a perfect example of the type of activity Ground Zero champions— fun, uplifting, unique, and memorable. “Ground Zero is community-minded which is why we love this festival so much,” he adds. “It brings businesses and neighborhoods together for a fun, family-oriented day,” says Stephanie Sebring, advancement director for the organization. “I love what I do because we get to make a positive impact in the lives of kids during the years they’re most susceptible to influences that can change the course of their lives. I have children of my own, and I think the best legacy we can leave with them is in the quality of the time spent together.” Now in its fifteenth year, the festival draws thousands. People come to watch the ornately-decorated dragon-shaped boats, manned by teams of their friends, colleagues, and community members, race against one another for the best time. The boats are brought in for the event, along with professionals who know how to steer them properly to avoid any directional mishaps on the lake. Anyone can form a team to fundraise and participate in the races. There are a diverse array of groups who form teams year after year, such as: schools; families; businesses; HOAs; medical groups; gyms; investors; clubs; golfers; churches; and friends. Each participant is asked to raise $250, and Ground Zero works with each team to secure additional members, funding, and sponsorship if necessary. Also manning the boat is a drummer, an individual who, as the name implies, beats steadily on a drum for motivation and to hopefully keep everybody paddling in unison. Each team gets a one-hour practice session the week leading up to the races, which is typically a noisy, uproariously fun time. Then it’s time for the big day. Four boats race at a time, and there can be well over sixty teams. While four are racing, four boats are loading, so there’s never any lag in time for participants. There’s a first heat in the morning, followed by a second heat in the afternoon, in which everybody races again. They take the best time from all of the teams, and pair similar times up in the final race, around 4pm. In the afternoon, they race the boats with the fastest times and the winning teams are awarded a trophy. “Holding the festival at the Market Common is part of what makes it so special,” Scott adds. “It’s beautiful, and the smaller body of water ensures people can see the races easily and watch right at the finish line. If people want to leave, they can explore the area’s dining, shopping and other attractions by foot. The setting of Market Common makes the festival unique in addition to the uniqueness of the Dragon Boats themselves.” The festival is host to a variety of other activities including music, food, sundries, arts and crafts, and an adult inflatable area. There are activities for children too, like face painting, a family fun zone, and more inflatables. This year’s platinum sponsor for the event is Dependable Plumbing Service and Air. Other sponsors include: Tidelands Health; Monarch Roofing; Homewood Suites Coastal Grand Mall as well as others. “These sponsors help support the festival and make our events possible for the youth in our community, as do the participants and attendees,” says Stephanie. Be sure to register for the event early to secure your commemorative and much coveted T-shirt. 15th Annual Dragon Boat Festival Grand Park in the Market Common Saturday, April 29 8am-4pm Free admittance; Family Fun Zone $10 per person for daily pass. Visit www.GZdragonboat.com to register. Requested fundraising goal: $250 per person. To learn more about Ground Zero visit: www.mygroundzero.com 843-945-9440

Coastal Insider March & April Edition 2023

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The Coastal Insider March and April Edition

Digital E-Paper The Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider magazine is dedicated to connecting our unique communities of the Grand Strand. From providing valuable community information, such as local area events, businesses, and dining; to educating the public on real estate market trends, our publication offers something for everyone. Take a look at our most recent editions below, or click the link to browse our archives. Coastal Insider This month’s edition is as exciting as ever! Exclusive articles include: 15th Annual Dragon Boat Festival Carolina Home Watch Meet Your Neighbor – William Oscar Jack Thompson and the good ol’ days Alsuna’s Health Solutions March & April 2023 Edition Archives The Healthy Habits New Year’s Challenge Read More Gem McDowell Law Group Read More Q&A With Eva Gaddy Read More Manifest Design Read More Celebrate Our Veteran William Oscar, WO Part 1 of 2 Read More Coastal Concierge Medicine & Aesthetics Read More No posts found 1 2 3 4 5 A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM     Despite being a warm-weather enthusiast, February has always been one of my most favorite months. I love the stillness of deep winter and nature’s unapologetic absence of any floral frippery. In a world which often demands we always be on, it’s nice to know that an off button still exists, unable to be tampered with. I delight in this nature-imposed time-out as it reminds me to take one too, so I can also rest and recharge. I’m grateful for the mild winter weather in our subtropical zone, and the welcome sound of the waves, however chilly they may currently be. And then of course, there’s Valentine’s Day— a holiday I’ve always enjoyed. Pink and red are two of my most favorite colors, and the profusion of their brightness and vitality against the backdrop of winter’s grays couldn’t come at a more fitting time. But aside from the cheery visuals, (and the hedonistic headiness resulting from the profusion of extra cookies, chocolate and flowers) Valentine’s Day has a special place in my heart precisely because it’s the one day that we celebrate matters of the heart. We all have our own personal definitions and experiences of love. But at the core of love’s variegation resides the common theme of relating and the happiness that arises from that connection. Whatever it is we feel affinity for— be it a person, an animal, or a place— when we relate, we connect and feel a sense of happiness because we have the experience of not being alone. Here at the Insider, we always knew that building, supporting, and connecting with our community was important— we’re happiness junkies! And it shows in every page of our publication. This month, we celebrate our love for Myrtle Beach with two articles that celebrate the good old days. In researching content for the article, I came across some great resources. I would like to thank local resident and renowned photographer, Jack Thompson (also featured within), for sharing his genius with us and allowing us to showcase his copyrighted classic photos of Myrtle Beach’s golden years from his personal collection. I’d also like to credit PBS; they ran an uplifting and nostalgic piece about Myrtle Beach last year that filled in some historical gaps. As we settle firmly into 2023, here’s to the love that we all embody, and all the love that we are capable of. Cheers! – Melissa LaScaleia Senior Staff Writer / Editor

Coastal Real Estate March & April Edition 2023

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Coastal Real Estate March and April Edition

Coastal Real Estate In addition to providing valuable community content, one of our goals is to educate the general public on real estate market trends. In this edition, we focus on stats and homes for sale. Archives March & April 2023 Edition A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM     Despite being a warm-weather enthusiast, February has always been one of my most favorite months. I love the stillness of deep winter and nature’s unapologetic absence of any floral frippery. In a world which often demands we always be on, it’s nice to know that an off button still exists, unable to be tampered with. I delight in this nature-imposed time-out as it reminds me to take one too, so I can also rest and recharge. I’m grateful for the mild winter weather in our subtropical zone, and the welcome sound of the waves, however chilly they may currently be. And then of course, there’s Valentine’s Day— a holiday I’ve always enjoyed. Pink and red are two of my most favorite colors, and the profusion of their brightness and vitality against the backdrop of winter’s grays couldn’t come at a more fitting time. But aside from the cheery visuals, (and the hedonistic headiness resulting from the profusion of extra cookies, chocolate and flowers) Valentine’s Day has a special place in my heart precisely because it’s the one day that we celebrate matters of the heart. We all have our own personal definitions and experiences of love. But at the core of love’s variegation resides the common theme of relating and the happiness that arises from that connection. Whatever it is we feel affinity for— be it a person, an animal, or a place— when we relate, we connect and feel a sense of happiness because we have the experience of not being alone. Here at the Insider, we always knew that building, supporting, and connecting with our community was important— we’re happiness junkies! And it shows in every page of our publication. This month, we celebrate our love for Myrtle Beach with two articles that celebrate the good old days. In researching content for the article, I came across some great resources. I would like to thank local resident and renowned photographer, Jack Thompson (also featured within), for sharing his genius with us and allowing us to showcase his copyrighted classic photos of Myrtle Beach’s golden years from his personal collection. I’d also like to credit PBS; they ran an uplifting and nostalgic piece about Myrtle Beach last year that filled in some historical gaps. As we settle firmly into 2023, here’s to the love that we all embody, and all the love that we are capable of. Cheers! – Melissa LaScaleia Senior Staff Writer / Editor Stay Tuned! We have great content coming out and you’re going to want to stay on top of it! Fill out the form below to subscribe to our mailing list and receive Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider in your inbox each month. If you don’t receive an email from us in about 5 minutes, check your junk/spam folder.

Alsuna’s Health Solutions

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An Opportunity for a Business Partnership by Melissa LaScaleia Alsuna Roland is a health and wellness coach originally from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. “My goal is to help people build their own roadmap to health, then they can walk that path at their own pace,” she says. “I share the science, my knowledge, and what has worked for me, and guide people from that place.” Alsuna’s place of knowledge is considerable. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of bacteriology and microbiology, and worked for the NY State Institute for Basic Research as a research scientist/microbiologist. She was in charge of the clinical laboratory in microbiology, which encompassed bacteriology, parasitology and mycology, for ten years. She also opened the first Caribbean restaurant and bakery on Staten Island, called Alsuna’s Caribbean Cafe, where she made healthy food true to her roots. When Alsuna’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, she switched gears, searching full time for answers to help him heal. In the process, she discovered why disease can’t live in an alkaline environment— and specifically how to balance the alkalinity of the body with each unique blood type. Her quest took her to India, where she studied Ayurveda and homeopathy. She hypothesized that the body needs to be cared for holistically— physically, mentally and spiritually— to function and thrive. This is known as homeostasis. From her studies, she was able to put to rest the question that plagued her: why two people with the same dis-ease could have such different outcomes— one getting better and the other not. “There’s a mental cause attached to a physical illness, and they’ve proven it,” she says. “And once we can identify the trauma that’s held in that organ, then the physical healing process can begin.” When she returned from India, Alsuna started her own wellness business incorporating everything she learned. She focussed her program on helping people in four main areas— hydration, detoxification, nourishment, and exercise— the latter in whatever form a person most enjoys. “In my more than twenty years of practice as a wellness coach, the key factor, I’ve found, is hydration,” she says. “The human body is 70% water; the brain is 85% water. However, not all water is the same. When I discovered electrolyzed reduced water, that’s when my business in terms of wellness, became a lot easier. Simply by hydrating with it, a lot of other symptoms and imbalances disappeared. My clients raved about the many positive results they experienced.” Today, Alsuna has shifted her focus to helping people stay well before they get sick, prevention being the more economical and peaceful option. And she’s looking for people who have a passion for wellness to partner with her. “2020 changed the world,” she says. “My focus now is on total wellbeing. What has caused me to evolve my business is the awareness that it’s not just water that is so important— we need to heal the gut and the brain. Science is convinced that there is a direct connection between the gut and the brain, and health and having a healthy gut microbiome.” Alsuna acts as a mentor for people who want to begin or add on to their personal health and wellbeing business, either through product promotion, networking, or direct partnering. “This is an opportunity for people who want to add an additional revenue stream or add on to a business they’ve already started,” she says. “You don’t need to have experience in this industry either, just a passion to learn and listen to people.” Alsuna’s Health Solutions 843-636-3785 alsunahealthsolutions.com

The Good Ol’ Days of Myrtle Beach with Jack Thompson

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A Trip Down Memory Lane with the Renowned Local Photographer and Artist by Melissa LaScaleia “I was born in Greenville, SC in the latter years of the Depression,” says Jack Thompson. “When I was thirteen years old, I would hang out with my friends in the back doorway of the local pool hall, affectionately nicknamed The Cat Dive, where we could listen to the older fellows talk. “One day we heard them telling stories about Myrtle Beach— a place where you could dance with girls, and walk with them in the moonlight, and drink beer. Well, you can imagine how that excited a couple of thirteen-year-old boys. “So the three of us got on a little two-lane highway with the intention of hitchhiking to Myrtle Beach. But it seemed only local farmers were traveling those roads. “It took us two days to get there, and when we arrived, my friends went to the beach and I went straight to the Pavilion and asked the man running the photo booth for a job. He asked me when I wanted to start, and I said: ‘Right away as long as I can get a milkshake and a hamburger.’ “It was 1951. The year when three little runaway boys went off and found their place in history. “Carol’s father came down the next day and brought him home; he grew up to be the governor of South Carolina. Freddie got severely sunburned and went home on the bus to go into business with his father, and wound up a multimillionaire. My parents sent my elder brother, Joe, to come get me the next day. “When he arrived, he scolded me and told me we were leaving the next day. That night he came back with his arm around a beautiful girl and said: ‘I’m not going home. Can you get me a job here?’ So we stayed. © Jack Thompson © Jack Thompson © Jack Thompson Previous Next “It was God’s place; it was like no other place. It was a wonderful life, like what you could only dream about. When I graduated high school, I went to work for Pixy Pin-Ups, a traveling photography company that was part of JCPenney, taking portraits of babies and children. “I traveled around the country for three years, and afterwards returned to Myrtle Beach and opened my own photography studio, Jack Thompson Studios, in 1959. “I published the first news magazine in Myrtle Beach, Insight Into the Grand Strand, in 1969; then a magazine, The Grand Strand Golfer, in 1970; and a book, Memories of Myrtle Beach, in 2007. “I’m in the process of publishing a new book right now, a photography book of billboards from the ‘50s. My father always told me, ‘Son, don’t hide your light under a basket. Get out there and create all you can, because what won’t kill you will make you stronger.’ “Because of my photography and other literary accomplishments, Coastal Carolina University granted me an honorary degree: I’m now Dr. Jack Thompson, Master of Fine Art. I’m still operating the gallery, and people are still moving here and wanting to decorate with my images of the way Myrtle Beach was. “My favorite saying is: ‘Falling in love with Myrtle, she’ll sweep sand into your shoes that will seep into your blood and melt your heart, and you’ll never be able to leave Myrtle. And if you do, you’ll always come back.’ “My favorite place here used to be the Pavilion. And today, I’m still wandering up and down the Grand Strand, and all I can hear is my own heart looking for old Myrtle Beach, that is slipping away with the tide.” Jack Thompson Studios 611 Broadway Street Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 843-450-3555

William Oscar Warren Jr., Part 2 of 2

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MYV - Celebrating Our Local Veteran - William Oscar

Born in the Roaring ‘20s — U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class, Farmer & Epic Traveler Celebrate Our Veteran gives voice to the stories of the U.S. military veterans living amongst us. The actions of these brave and dedicated people, who have served our country both in active military duty as well as administrative positions, have and continue to contribute to the protection and preservation of us and our country.  We hope that this section of our paper is an opportunity for our community to hear and see veterans with new eyes, and for veterans to receive recognition and honor for their experiences and life journeys.  This month’s Celebrate Our Veteran recounts the story of William Oscar Warren, Jr., known to his friends as WO, as told in his own words. This is part two of a two-part series, continued from last month. Click here to read Part 1.  by Melissa LaScaleia Continued from last month…. “On Monday I went to the order room to check in, and the sergeant said to me, ‘What are you doing here?’ And I said, ‘I’m signing in.’ And he said, ‘I already signed you in. I knew you’d be here. Take your wife and go home and get settled and come back tomorrow morning.’ After graduation, I was going to be sent to North Africa for my duty assignment, but my wife was about 5 months pregnant, so they sent me to Donaldson Air Base in South Carolina instead. I found out that they had a detachment at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, 25 miles from my home. And I explained my personal situation to my sergeant and he agreed to send me there for my regular duty instead. I was able to live at home and drive into work every day. This was during the Cold War era, so we were always expecting to be attacked by somebody. I worked behind a big wall of plexiglass, and any information I had, I had to write backwards so the commanding officers in front of the glass could read it. It took some practice to get good at that, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. My days were a combination of studying radar, working behind the plexiglass writing, and working on what was called a height finder, to discover the whereabouts of enemy planes. One night about 2 am, I was on radar duty; my radar scope was covering 500 miles in all directions. I saw a blip come up on the edge of my scope. I immediately started to track it, but when the needle had rotated around one time, the dot was in the center. Then the next time, it was almost off the screen. It got my attention, so I called it in to my headquarters, Shaw Air Force Base. They had picked it up too, but also couldn’t identify it. I kept a log book of my recordings that I wrote out by hand, this was the era before computers, and I recorded it as an unidentified flying object. We never knew what it was, but it was moving fast. Everything went pretty smoothly during my time in the military. We went on what was called maneuvers in 1955, in Louisiana and Texas for three months. These were joint Army, Navy, and Air Force mock war training operations. We packed up all our equipment and loaded up a convoy that we took to Louisiana, doing what we did in North Carolina, scanning the skies. In the mock encounter, somehow a plane got through our system, and in the exercises we were all killed. Once in the service, I really enjoyed it, and was thinking about staying in. I made Airman 1st Class in twenty-two months. I had 26 months to make staff. But then I found out that as a radar operator, you can’t make staff your first enlistment. I was kind of disappointed. I decided to leave the military early because the government had too many enlisted men and they were letting 600,000 men out early if they wanted to go. My father wanted me to come back home, so he offered to build a service station with all expenses paid, for my brother and I to run. I decided to take the offer, and signed up with Philips Petroleum company in 1957 after I was discharged. Then I got into the oil business, running delivery for kerosene, gasoline, and fuel oil. We delivered anything from 5 to 150 gallons at a time to tanks in people’s yards or on their farms. We also built two more stations that we rented out, and sold Phillips 66 gasoline to other stations. We stayed in the business until 1996. Then we sold it, and my wife and I bought a van and started traveling. We covered all fifty states, all over Nova Scotia, and parts of Mexico and Canada. While we were traveling, we were still managing farmland from afar. I was on the board of the Erwin Voluntary Fire Department for over fifty years, as director. I did it as a civil servant, and they gave me a plaque to commemorate my service. I started playing golf when I was thirty years old, and played until I was ninety-three when a sciatic nerve in my right leg started to bother me; I never got over it and lost interest in the game. We were traveling until 2010, then we kind of slowed down. We’ve still done a bit of traveling since then. My wife wanted to spend more time in Myrtle Beach, SC, so we bought a park model camper at Myrtle Beach Travel Park. We spent part of our time in Myrtle Beach, and the other part of the time in Erwin. We were staying in our own home in Erwin until two months ago, when my wife broke her hip. She’s using a walker now, doing physical therapy, and my eldest daughter didn’t think … Read more

Coastal Carolina Home Watch

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Coastal Carolina Home Watch

The Most Trusted Home Watch Service at the Beach by Melissa LaScaleia Almost eighteen years ago, Coastal Carolina Home Watch became the first company to offer professional home watch services on the Grand Strand and Waccamaw Neck. From concentrating on those who have homes at the beach but live out of the state or country, it was obvious that the service was sorely needed. “Home Watch is a service that visits unoccupied homes to make sure that things are all right during the homeowner’s absence,” says the company’s founder Jack Luber. “We are your line of communication while you are not here, always looking out for your best interests.” Over the years Coastal Carolina Home Watch has come to represent different things to their very loyal clients. Partner Steven Montesano found this out quickly. “When I came on board,” he says, “I quickly realized how diverse our services were because we work to meet our clients’ individual requests – and they have a lot!” From Debordieu Colony on the Waccamaw Neck to the Golden Mile, from the Market Common and Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach to Cherry Grove in North Myrtle, Coastal Carolina Home Watch’s core service is home checks. They visit the home and use the latest in reporting technology to keep their clients notified as to the date and time of the visit as well as the home’s condition. Pictures and videos are recorded and shared in the event of any issues. Over the years, services offered to their clients have expanded to include handyman; cleaning; rental by owner (Airbnb, VRBO) assistance, concierge, keyholder; pre and post storm services; and most recently, attorney probate assistance. Steven shares: “Our clients place a lot of trust in us because of our adherence to strict protocols and high standards. Each member of our team has passed criminal background checks, and as a company, we maintain a comprehensive range of insurance coverage. We are often asked to represent our clients while they are out of town because they are confident in our judgement, and respect our commitment to their privacy and confidentiality. It is the bedrock of what we do.” Longtime team member Jocelyn Dewey will tell you about the relationships Coastal Carolina Home Watch has with their clients. “We have some clients that have been with us for over fifteen years,” she says. “We know their families and they know ours. They tell us to: ‘Go ahead and take care of it,’ if we feel it needs doing. The trust and confidence people have in our team is something that we will never put in jeopardy or violate.” CCHW acts as your advocate and representative in your absence. They can arrange for and coordinate projects while you’re away so your time at the beach is spent doing what you want to do, not what you need to. “The homeowner hires the necessary vendors or contractors to perform the service,” Jack says. “But if we give the client a company to talk to, rest assured that we have a copy of that company’s insurance and we are listed as a certificate holder. We vet them because our reputation means everything to us.” Coastal Carolina Home Watch is the charter member of the National Home Watch Association. The organization was founded fourteen years ago to set guidelines, ethics, best practices, training programs, and insurance requirements for the home watch industry. CCHW became the first accredited home watch company in North America. All its team members proudly claim the designation of NHWA Certified Home Watch Professionals, ranking them among the elite in the home watch industry. Hiring Coastal Carolina Home Watch is like having your very own team here at the beach. Like their motto says: “We are your eyes and ears…when you’re not here.” Facebook Instagram Globe Phone

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