Mayor's Message - February 2025

An article in a recent edition of Charleston Magazine caught my eye since it was profiling a young family that recently moved to the island. It stated: “This family had lived in eight homes in the Charleston area over the years. Then, they stumbled across a newly renovated home on IOP situated in an idyllic neighborhood just blocks from the ocean.” I had to remind myself of the proper definition of idyllic: extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque. That’s how this article described the place we get to call home and experience every day! Other quotes from the article that describe our community and are worth highlighting:

• “Prior to moving away from the area for a short time, the family first rented a home on IOP for the winter a few blocks from the ocean, near the rec center and quickly fell in love with the more subdued, off-season vibe. They decided if they were to ever move back to the area, this is where they would live.”
• “An additional draw for IOP was the neighborhood. We had friends who told us how great the area is for families - it’s like Mayberry by the sea.”

What a great story! Sometimes a newcomer’s fresh perspective is just what is needed to remind us how fortunate we are to live where we do and how special our community is. Isle of Palms offers many activities for our enjoyment. Have you found yourself taking it for granted? Is it time to look at our community with a fresh perspective? Every time I come over the connector and see the ocean, I try and remind myself how blessed we truly are and use it as inspiration and motivation to continue to work hard to protect the place we call home.

Some great upcoming events:

February 4^th - Speaker Series at the Rec - 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. - Navigating the college admissions process. Join Lisa Gastaldi, Lowcountry Counseling as she prepares parents and students for the college process.

February 21^st – Community Wellness Fair - 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. - Join us at the Rec for a morning full of Health & Wellness 

• East Cooper Medical Center will be onsite with FREE Cholesterol and Glucose screenings. 
• Over 25 Wellness Vendors onsite to showcase services, products and programs they offer to the community

February 28th - Coffee with the Mayor – 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at The Outpost Marina Store.

March 1^st – Front Beach Fest – 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Front Beach - Join us for a spring festival! We’ll have live music, local arts and craft vendors, food from our local restaurants, children's entertainment and more! 

You can get updates or find more information at iop.net on these and other upcoming events or you can sign up for Sunnie to receive text alerts of city events and news by texting "Hello" to (877) 607-6467.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve! See you around the island.

Phillip Pounds, Mayor IOP

843-252-5359

ppounds@iop.net