At the April General Meeting, the Civic Association awarded Margaret Childs with the first Helping Hands award. Margaret has been vital member of the Archdale community, raising money and organizing meals for the Charleston Ronald McDonald House, as well as giving of her time and energy to countless other projects. Congratulations Margaret for your selfless donation of time and spirit. Our second presentation was to Steve Hurley. Steve was given a plaque commemorating his service to the community as Civic Association President for the past 2 years. If you know of someone in Archdale who deserves recognition for their volunteer activities, please call me to nominate that person.

This months yard of the month goes to Ethel Powell of 112 Botany Bay Blvd. Newcomers to Archdale, they have transformed their yard from and average lot to one of the nicest yards in Archdale. Congratulations!

As we move into summer, I'd like to remind all Archdale residents not to routinely park on the common grassy areas. Occasionally parking on the common areas while you work in the driveway or move another automobile is acceptable, but routinely parking on the grass is not. Not only will this damage the turf, but it violates the legal definition of the common areas as being for the enjoyment of all Archdale residents. Similarly, if you live near a common area and would be interested in helping with it's upkeep (occasionally trimming bushes and watering flowers) please let me know. A well maintained entrance to a neighborhood says a lot about the people who live there. While I'm on the subject of common areas, some of you have commented on the recent condition of the boulevard. Due to contract negotiations with the lawn service company, we were without lawn service for a period of one month. A big thanks to Eric Kohl for helping me cut the boulevard grass while between contractors. The period between contracts saved the Association hundreds of dollars. At the present rate of dues collection, we will not have enough money to keep the common areas maintained. I urge you all to please pay your dues promptly, if you have not already done so. Reminders will be mailed out this month. Since the lawn maintenance company is new, if you notice that your common areas are not being mowed, please call me so that I can correct the problem.

The annual Archdale Boulevard clean-up was held on Saturday, May, 8. As usual, it was a success, with over 200 bales of pine straw spread, dozens of flowers planted, and trees and bushes along the boulevard being trimmed. A special thanks to all those who volunteered: Bob Ticknor, Melva Provenzano and her children Alex and Kiley, John Bowling, Jeff Salata, Steve Hurley, Bobby Beard, Mark Mellinger, and Fred Fahney. Also, my thanks to all those who stopped to pay their dues and say hello.

The next general meeting will be held on June 15th at 7:00 p.m. at the Ashley River Fire Station. Please bring a folding chair, as seating may be limited. The guest speaker will be Rob Fowler from Channel 2 news. He will speak on hurricane preparedness. This year is supposed to be an active one for hurricanes, so please come to the meeting to learn what you can do to protect yourself and your property. We are currently trying to make a list of any Archdale residents who may be traveling during the summer or who will need assistance in the event of severe weather. If you will need assistance or know someone who will, please contact one of the board members or myself.

The Ashley River Fire District will be holding elections on June 15, from 7am until 7pm at the Ashley River Fire Dept. If you are interested in obtaining an application for the board, contact the fire department at 552-2425 for more information. Archdale's own Ed Davis is running for a board position this year, so lets get out the vote and support Ed and the Ashley River Fire District.

The blood drive was a HUGE success! We exceeded our goals, and collected a total of 36 pints of blood. We so overwhelmed the Red Cross staff, that they ran out of blood collection bags, and a few people unfortunately had to be turned away! Your donations will help over a hundred people in need of blood and blood products. A big thanks to Steve Hurley for all his effort in organizing the drive. We will certainly be doing another drive in the future, so stay tuned.

If you are interested in advertising your business in the newsletter, please contact either myself or one of the other board members. Archdale residents receive priority in obtaining advertising space, and we prefer not to have competing advertisements from the same business category.

My name is Ann Gregowicz and I would like to introduce myself as the new Archdale Civic Association treasurer. I reside at 204 Mansfield Blvd. in the Oaks of Archdale section. My husband Bob, and I have been married for 25 years and we have a daughter, Claire; a son, Timothy; and a grandson, Paul, 10 months. Our family was transferred to Charleston in 1988 by the Air Force. We came to love the area so much we decided to make Charleston our home. We built our home in Archdale in 1991. I am a registered nurse and am employed by Cigna Healthcare Healthsource. I look forward to meeting the members of our community and am delighted with the opportunity to serve in my new position as treasurer. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

In our last newsletter I told you about Steve Dyer loosing his little girl and many of you helped him financially, with the funeral. The Dyer family thanks all of you who were kind enough to contribute to the fund. I also told you that Steve was diagnosed with cancer. On May 12th, 1999 Steve Dyer lost his courageous battle and passed away. On behalf of the Dyer family, I thank you for all the support you have shown as neighbors and friends.

Editor’s Note: Steve Hurley, thank you for all you do for the community by being an outstanding neighbor and friend to so many.

I have been asked to provide you with some information on burning regulations in this issue. First, South Carolina has a confusing mix of regulations. We have to extrapolate the needed information from DHEC, Forestry regulations and the Fire Code. I will attempt to provide you with a short summary here.

1. The only materials allowed to be burned are landscaping material. (i.e. tree limbs, brush, grass, leaves etc.)
2. You must obtain a permit from SC Forestry. The permit is free. Call 1-800-986-3746.
3. After obtaining your permit, you then need to call the Ashley River Fire Department at 552-2425, to give the following information.

1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone number
4. Permit number

4. Some hints to ensure the fire does not get out of control include.

1. Keep a garden hose ready.
2. Do not leave the fire unattended.
3. Cool the area with water when completed
4. Notify the Fire Department when you've finished burning.
5. Do not burn on windy days.
6. KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM FIRE.

As our neighborhoods become more built up it is imperative that we become more fire safe. If you have any questions or need further information, I can be reached at 552-2425 or ARFD@dycon.com.