Effective March 1, all dogs living or visiting the Isle of Palms must have and wear a City-issued license and collar for the current calendar year.

Proof of current rabies vaccination is required before receiving a dog’s license and collar. The fee is $10 for IOP residents and $25 for non-residents and visitors.

Licenses and collars can be purchased at the Public Safety Building at 30 J.C. Long Blvd. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday.

Having newly approved this policy, the Isle of Palms City Council is hoping it will allow better tracking of all resident dogs on the island, as well as those belonging to visitors. This will also lead to quicker reuniting of owners and their dogs in the event a dog gets lost.

Previous regulations required residents to register their dogs and obtain a license for $2.

For more information regarding pet policies in the Isle of Palms, call 843-886-6522

The dining experience in the Charleston, SC area has always been top notch, and recently the National Geographic recognized dining in Isle of Palms, SC as just that.

The new travel book, “Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe,” lists the best hot spots around the world. The listings are divided into sections like markets, seasonal items, street food and desserts, and top 10 lists.

The Isle of Palms is listed as one of the best places to offer dining with magnificent views of the water, which comes as no surprise to those who’ve enjoyed the superb views.

Some other places listed in the book are The Boathouse at Breach Inlet and top old-fashioned candy stores includes Economy Candy on New York’s Lower East Side. Also, Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand, held each fall; the oldest street market in Rome, Campo dei Fiori; the bourbon distilleries of Kentucky; and La Rioja, Spain, recommended for its fall wine harvest.

The film “Slow Ride: The Life and Times along the S.C. Intracoastal Waterway” was shown as part of ETV’s Southern Lens program, which is a production of the Center for Documentary at the College of Charleston.

Director Tim Fennell says the 3,000-mile-long inshore navigation channel along the Atlantic coast is the Route 66 of waterways, and he wanted to show how the South Carolina portion is important to the state.

The South Carolina portion of the waterway flows from Little River to Hilton Head Island.

The film is also being shown at the SC Aquarium to help announce the center’s next documentary, a look at the inter-connected water resources of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
According to the Post and Courier, the growing demand on that water has the state’s grappling with Western states-style “water wars” issues. The aquarium is partnering with the center on the effort.

The City of Isle of Palms, SC was the 2009 recipient of the Communications Award.

For a number of years, residents and visitors of IOP were very interested in city policy-setting. Town officials were bombarded with requests for copies of agendas and minutes from council meetings.

In response, council created an online newsletter. This e-newsletter was both economically and environmentally friendly while still allowing a wider distribution of information. They also hoped the newsletter would attract more attention to the city’s newly updated Web site.

Three distinct e-newsletters were created geared toward meeting notices and records, recreation opportunities, and amenities and regulations. These newsletters were sent out on a monthly basis.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive with subscribers numbering more than 1,500. The e-newsletters are an effective way to disseminate important and urgent news.

Isle of Palms officials have found an innovative and efficient way to communicate with interested residents. The e-newsletters have created more informed citizens and better equipped officials. This new dialog will prove vital as the island continues to grow.

The 25,000-square-mile area is home to an immense number of marine species. The underwater world is critical to marine life while also allowing for exploration in biopharmaceuticals.

Last week, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council made its final vote to protect the reefs. The plan calls for an innovative balance between protecting critical habitats while allowing fishermen continued access to traditional fishing grounds.

The one stipulation for the fishing boats is that they used engine gears that do minimal damage to reefs. This type of agreement is a first for fishery councils in the U.S.

Follow up action by the regional council will be held in Charleston, SC next week. This meeting culminates more than 10 years of collaboration between scientists, managers, conservationists and fishermen.

The fragile reefs lie 1,000 feet or more below the ocean’s surface. Individual colonies may be more than 1,000 years old and individual coral mounds may be more than one million years old.

The partnership between all players and the ongoing teamwork and understanding is a model situation for all competing businesses. It is a prime example that two opposing businesses can come to an agreement and coexist on agreeable terms.

Watch the video here: The EDF.

Learn more here: Folly Beach Blog

Charleston’s cruise port, which is located in the historic district, is host to the following cruises over the next year and a half:

2009

Carnival Triumph 5 Night Bahamas – sail date: November 2, 2009 – sails to Freeport, Bahamas and Nassau, Bahamas before returning to Charleston. Prices for this cruise start at $569 per person, double occupancy, not including gratuities and government fees and taxes. This pricing structure (double occupancy, etc.) will be uniform for all cruises listed below.

2010

* Carnival Glory 5 Night Bahamas – sail dates: May 24, 2010 or November 1, 2010 – sails to Freeport, Bahamas and Nassau, Bahamas before returning to Charleston. Prices for these cruises start at $479 per person.
* Celebrity Mercury 10 Night Caribbean – sail date: April 9, 2010 – sails to Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; and Nassau, Bahamas before returning to Charleston. Prices for this cruise start at $899 per person.
* Celebrity Mercury 10 Night Western Caribbean – sail dates: February 26, 2010 or March 19, 2010 – sails to Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; and Nassau, Bahamas before returning to Charleston. Prices for these cruises start at $789 per person.
* Celebrity Mercury 11 Night Eastern Caribbean – sail dates: February 15, 2010, March 8, 2010 or March 29, 2010 – sails to San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Tortola, British Virgin Islands before returning to Charleston. Prices for these cruises start at $999 per person.
* Celebrity Mercury 16 Night Transatlantic – sail date: April 19, 2010 – sails to Cartagena, Colombia; Panama Canal, Panama; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico; Acapulco, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and ending in Los Angeles, California. Prices for this cruise start at $1,399 per person.

Check out the cruise ships’ Web sites for more information. You could also get in touch with a travel agent who could set up your vacation for you. Either way, bon voyage!