By Shamira McCray
smccray@postandcourier.com
These butts and their filters have been found in dead animals, including fish, sea turtles and birds. The items can also leach toxic chemicals into the water and soil, which could be lethal for small animals like shrimp and crabs.
Ray started an online petition to ban smoking on Folly Beach for these reasons and has helped interim City Administrator Aaron Pope develop a proposal for a smoke-free beach. So far, her petition has 620 signatures.Â
The proposed ordinance prohibits smoking, holding and carrying a lighted or activated smoking product only on the sand and at beach-access points. The prohibited products include cigarettes, pipes, cigars and electronic smoking devices. Disposing of these products would only be allowed in designated containers, as well.
It doesn’t take long for folks to spot him. And, at this point, he’s used to smiles and friendly conversations. He’s known on the Isle of Palms as Beach Santa and just by looking at him you can see why. Dressed in red with a snowy white beard and blue eyes, he carries around his business card … a candy cane.
“You can tell he must be Santa. He’s locally, world famous,” says Linda Rowe, a conservation assistant for the South Carolina Aquarium.
Today he’s on his normal trek. His mission - to fill his naughty bucket. According to Beach Santa, he would rather not have to fill the naughty bucket, but until beachgoers land on the nice list, he won’t stop. How do you land on the nice list? Well, Beach Santa says by leaving only one thing on the beach … footprints.