Isle of Palms Magazine Winter 2016-17

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to his nephew, Michael Carroll, and his wife, Ashley, who
continue to run it with the same professional yet laid-back
flare that Jimmy and Karen implemented from the begin-
ning. Bringing it back full circle, Carroll Realty continues
to play a big role in the Recreation Center by sponsoring a
youth sports team every year since they opened.
9. Carmen BunCh: Hurricane Hugo defines time here:
There is “before Hugo” and “after Hugo.” Carmen Bunch’s
time to shine came in that rare in-between: during Hugo. A
Navy veteran, she moved to the island shortly after World
War II and helped operate her husband’s family restaurant
at Breach Inlet before working for the Charleston Naval
Shipyard. She became increasingly involved in the island
community and was elected as the island’s first female mayor
in 1985. In a very controversial move, Bunch declared
martial law in the hurricane’s aftermath – essentially not
allowing any unauthorized personnel, even residents, back
onto the island – to prevent looting and to ensure the safety
of the community. While displaced island residents did not
take kindly to her decision, she stood her ground and was
re-elected for four consecutive terms before retiring in 2002.
10. Fire ChieF ann Graham and ChieF oF
PoliCe Tommy BuCkhannon: Ann Graham and
Tommy Buckhannon have both dedicated themselves to
the safety of Isle of Palms residents and visitors for over 30
years. Graham started working with the IOP Fire Depart-
ment in 1985 and became the first female fire chief in the
state in 1994. Not only fighting fires, she is also involved in
search and rescue operations for swimmers in distress and
in drownings. A YouTube video made in 2011 even shows
Graham rescuing a fellow officer and stranded swimmer amid
20-foot waves
spawned by
Hurricane
Irene.
Chief of
Police Tom-
my Buckhan-
non has been
serving Isle
of Palms resi-
dents on the
police force
since 1980,
following in
his father’s
footsteps.
He leads
19 sworn
police officers
and 11 civilian personnel in serving the island’s citizens on
matters from crime prevention and criminal investigations
to traffic enforcement, victim services, animal services and
beach patrol.
The
dedication
of Graham
and Buck-
hannon to
the safety of
the Isle of
Palms com-
munity and
vacationers
over the past
decades is a
driving force
behind its
welcoming
and safe
reputation.
Former Mayor Carmen Bunch
Fire Chief Ann Graham
Chief of Police Tommy Buckhannon
Courtesy of The Moultrie News.
Photo courtesy of the city of Isle of Palms.
Photo by Brian Sherman.
There’s an old saying that “it takes a village to raise a child.”
But when there’s no village, it takes dedicated and passionate
bright stars to build a city. There are innumerable more
people who helped shape this island to be what it is today
over the past 120 years: business owners, Council members,
visionaries and ordinary residents and vacationers who have
all fallen in love with this six-mile stretch of coastline. We
hope this list helped shed some light on some of them.