by Scott Stanley, NorthMyrtleBeachOnline.com

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH,  September 29, 2007 – North Myrtle Beach residents and visitors saw an unusual site today of a plane being towed back to the Grand Strand Airport after an emergency landing on the beach.

Around 6pm this evening, Phil Ulrich, pilot and owner of Classic Air Adventures, according to witnesses, executed a perfect emergency landing on the beach around 15th Ave North.  The plane, a WACO bi-plane manufactured in 1941, experienced a reported engine failure while flying two passengers along the beach.

Shane Duffy, chief pilot of Executive Helicopters, said Phil had masterfully brought the WACO down to the beach without injury to either of the passengers or beachgoers.  Duffy had been in flight returning to the airport when instructed by the tower to investigate the report by the WACO of an emergency landing on the beach.

Due to the experience of Ulrich, the landing was so well executed that witnesses to the landing had asked if it was a scheduled landing on the beach.

After the safe landing, city of North Myrtle Beach Police and Executive Helicopters staff assisted in towing the aircraft back to the airport.

Ulrich was overheard commenting, “In over 30 years, this was his first single-engine engine failure.”

By Jim Hulen-NorthMyrtleBeachONLINE.com

Wampee, SC  September 28, 2007—The Chesterfield Missionary Baptist Church was the staging area for volunteers coming from all over Horry County.  

They were there for the United Way Day of Caring to finish off the new building, landscape the property and move the North Strand Helping Hand from their old location near Seacoast Hospital to property on Long Bay Road off Highway 90 in Wampee, SC.

The physical part of the project started July 11th of this year with a ground breaking ceremony, although the fundraising effort began late last year.  

The critical needs of the North Strand Helping hand found attentive ears among many in the community.

Around two hundred thousand dollars had to be raised to place them in a new home.  

Many people gave as much as they could; some gave a lot but wished to remain anonymous; others like the North Myrtle Beach Women's Club and the North Myrtle Beach Rotary each gave $1,000.

An on-going building fund effort and the sale of land owned by North Strand Helping Hand provided a strong foundation for the fundraising.

For the remainder, two large donors stepped up to the plate.

The Tidewater Charity Tournament Committed agreed to raise $15,000 for the North Strand Helping Hand during their third annual South Carolina Senior Pro Tour.  Due to the generosity of over 180 business, including Scott and Ann Sutherland of Tidewater Builders, Martins PGA Tour Superstore, Freedom Boat Club, Myrtle Beach Direct Air, Oceanfront Realty, Outback Steak House and many others, they succeeded.

By Jim Hulen-NorthMyrtleBeachONLINE.com

Little River, SC  September 25,2007—A process that began in October, 2004, with Loris Healthcare System’s application to expand to a full service in-patient hospital with sixty beds, finally had the last obstacle removed.

With both Loris Healthcare System and Grand Strand Regional Medical Center removing their mutual court actions objecting to each other’s expansion, Seacoast is ready to expand.

Timothy Browne, CEO of Loris Health Care System said, “We filed a certificate of need with the state in Columbia to add 50 beds to the campus at Seacoast [because of the] great community response to the outpatient services and the explosive growth in this area.”

Browne went on to explain that they had taken a conservative approach to the build process and had not begun any design efforts except for the schematic the SCDEH application required.

“We expect to break ground as early as the first quarter of next year, but realistically, with an 18 to 24 month construction process, the first patients won’t be in the new beds before 2010,” said Browne.

The Loris Health Care System’ revenues are around $185 million dollars. They are a not-for-profit organization and were held up for over 25 months by litigation and objections from the much larger HCA Corporation which owns and operates Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.  

By Jim Hulen-NorthMyrtleBeachONLINE.com

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. September 24, 2007-- The Mayor Marilyn Hatley / American Heart Association Golf Tournament, which was held Saturday, Sept. 15, at Barefoot Resort & Golf’s Norman Course, raised $9,000 for the American Heart Association.

Mike Ross, head professional at Barefoot, said, “We had 60 golfers participating and eighteen hole sponsors.  All the entry fees go to the charity and around $3,000 was raised from the silent auction.”

Barefoot Resort and Golf has participated with Mayor Hatley in charity fundraising since 2005 when they supported a charity tournament with the Mayor to raise money for Indonesians devastated by the catastrophic tsunami that occurred December 26, 2004. 

In 2006, the charity tournament raised about the same amount of money for the American Heart Association and the North Myrtle Beach Humane Society.

The golf rounds, cart fee, a box lunch and heavy hors d’oeuvres of prime rib and shrimp were donated by Barefoot Resort and Golf. Mike Ross estimates that their contribution to the event was about $7,500 to $8,000.  Their generosity went a long way to making a successful tournament. 

The silent auction includes items donated by Annika Sorenstam, Natalie Gulbis, John Daly, Dan Marino and Hines.

Ross said, “I want to especially recognize Benjamin Daigneault, tournament coordinator and North Myrtle Beach Assistant City Manager, Joel Davis, for everything they did to make this a successful event.”

The Bi-Lo Team – Jason Jackson, John Cusick, Tim Tinker and Rick Glay – beat out the competition to win the tournament (shown with Mayor Marilyn Hatley).

Money raised will go toward education and research of cardiovascular diseases.

By Jim Hulen – NorthMyrlteBeachONLINE.com

North Myrtle Beach September 24, 2007—During the first week of the SOS Fall Migration, representatives from the O.D. Pavilion Social and Shag Club, members of the Society of Stranders and North Myrtle Beach city officials gathered to dedicate a historical marker located on the ocean side of the intersection of Main and North Ocean Drive Boulevard.

The historical marker recognizes the continuous role open air pavilions and shag dancing has played in the culture of the City and its predecessor municipalities.

Since 1936, an open air pavilion has been located at this intersection.  The first was Robert’s Pavilion, destroyed during Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and replaced by the current O.D. Pavilion. 

The O.D. Pavilion was build on the same foundation and with salvaged timbers from Robert’s.

In her remarks, Mayor Marilyn Hatley said, “This is the first historical marker in the city of North Myrtle Beach.  I want to give credit to the OC Pavilion Social and Shag Club and Bill Drew who led the effort in the coordination with the SC Archives and History Commission to get the approval for this marker.”

Afterwards, Hatley commented, “The twelve thousand members of SOS and the three times a year events they hold are not only delightful and entertaining but an economic boost to the community.  A Coastal Carolina University impact study showed a $7 million dollar stimulus for each of the events.  We are very grateful to be the historical home of the shag and beach music.”