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Interesting facts about Myrtle Beach

·      That Spanish explorers sailing north from Hispaniola in the early 1500s were the first “tourists” along the Grand Strand?  Lucas Vazques de Allyon and his group originally landed near the Cape Fear River in the 1520s.  Like Columbus before him, de Allyon was searching for a water route to the Far East.  Working southward, he established the first European settlement in the United States at Winyah Bay, 30 miles from present-day Myrtle Beach, in September 1526.  That settlement, San Miguel de Guadalupe, was abandoned early the following year when de Allyon and most of the 600 settlers died from hardship and disease.

·      That Pepper Geddings Recreation Center is named for Arthur Joseph “Pepper” Geddings, Jr.?  Nicknamed “Pepper” for his lively, positive personality and his competitive spirit, Geddings took part in city recreation programs for seven years and was well known by all.  He graduated from Myrtle Beach High School in 1965 and left for college to continue his love of baseball.  Pepper graduated with honors from Wingate Junior College in 1967.  Then, during a game between Appalachian State University, where he was a junior, and Wingate, Pepper was accidentally struck by a pitched baseball.  He died from the injury at age 20.  Myrtle Beach was building a recreation center at the time, and in 1968 the new facility was named in Pepper’s honor.

·      That the city’s web site received an average of 6,300 individual page requests per day this summer?  The week of June 29 was the busiest with 59,371 page requests, for a daily average of 8,481.  Generally, the most visited pages on the city’s site are job postings, visitor information, events, recreation, weather and the police department.  Other popular pages in recent weeks include the sign-up for South Carolina’s Largest Garage Sale and the proposed ordinances for the motorcycle-related rallies.

·      That 545 international students from 29 countries have registered at Chapin Memorial Library this summer?  That’s a slight increase from last year, when 534 students from 22 countries signed up for temporary library cards.  Russia accounted for 302 of this year’s international students. Here are the other countries represented and the number of students from each:  Albania (1), Bulgaria (12), Belarus (4), China (1), Colombia (13), Ecuador (3), Estonia (1), France (14), Germany (2), India (1), Ireland (65), Jamaica (1), Kazakhstan (18), Latvia (1), Lithuania (1), Moldova (16), Poland (7), Romania (3), Slovakia (3), Spain (1), Sweden (2), Tajikistan (1), Turkey (9), the Ukraine (45), Macedonia (5), the United Kingdom (7), Uzbekistan (2) and Serbia/Montenegro (4).

·      That the Myrtle Beach Swim Team broke 118 individual and relay records this year, including three state swimming records in South Carolina?  Megan Kingsley (age 11-12) broke the state record in the girls 200 yard butterfly and 100 and 200 meter butterfly events.  The Myrtle Beach Swim Team finished fourth overall at the 2008 SC Swimming Short-Course Championships.  At the 2008 Long-Course Championships, Kingsley and Lauren Campbell (age 13-14) successfully defended their individual high-point champion titles.  The team also sent a record three swimmers to the 2007 National Club Swimming Association Junior Championships in Orlando.  During the year, the team hosted five meets at Pepper Geddings Recreation Center.

·      That 11 loggerhead sea turtle nests containing 1,163 eggs have been found so far this year in the City of Myrtle Beach?  Four additional nests containing 424 eggs were found between Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove.  Nests that are discovered in heavily traveled areas of the beach are carefully relocated to Myrtle Beach State Park, just south of Myrtle Beach, or to Waites Island, north of North Myrtle Beach.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, endangered loggerhead turtles swim ashore to lay eggs between late April and early September and may nest several times during the season.  Eggs incubate for two months before hatching, usually between late June and early November.  Baby turtles emerge at night and find their way to the ocean.  Bright artificial lighting can disorient the newly hatched turtles, which is why Myrtle Beach has regulations regarding seaward-facing illumination.  At maturity, loggerheads typically are three feet long and weigh 250 pounds.  Loggerheads can live more than 50 years.

·      That dogs and other animals are prohibited on Ocean Boulevard, between 21st Avenue North and 13th Avenue South, from March 1 to September 30 each year?  The only exception is for “direct and expeditious crossing” of the street.  Violations may result in an offense summons (citation) and animals may be impounded.

·      That Myrtle Beach’s property tax rate of 64.4 mills for fiscal year 2008-09 is lower than the millage rates of Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, North Charleston, Charleston, Rock Hill, Anderson, Orangeburg and North Augusta?  Here, in descending order, is a list of cities and their millage rates....

·      That Chapin Memorial Library had cardholders from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and 35 foreign countries during the last fiscal year?  Cardholders in the U.S. alone hail from 673 different zip codes.

·      That 5,087 businesses paid to renew their city business licenses by the June 30 deadline, while 481 others reported they were no longer in business?  The business license fee is based on a company’s gross receipts.  Late payments are still being accepted, subject to a five percent penalty per month, and new businesses may apply at any time.  Typically, the city will receive hundreds of additional new or replacement licenses during the year.

·      That parking decals that allow city-registered vehicles on which city taxes are paid to park free at any metered space are annual decals?  If your vehicle is eligible, you must get a new decal each year.  The decals feature the vehicle’s license plate number, the year of issuance, and a bar code identifying the owner.  Decals which have expired will result in parking tickets.  Parking meters are in effect from March 15 to September 15 each year.  For more information about the decals, call the Finance Department at 918-1150.

·      That Myrtle Beach is beginning a “police cadet” program for young people, age 18 to 20, who want to become law enforcement officers? The city seeks to hire six cadets to assist with police operations and learn about law enforcement.  A high school diploma or general equivalency degree (GED) is required, and cadets selected must be eligible to meet basic law enforcement officer requirements, except for the minimum age.  Cadets chosen must be willing to take a police officer position with the City of Myrtle Beach when they reach 21.  The starting salary for these full-time positions is $22,505.  No previous experience is required.  For more information, contact the Human Resources Department at 918-1114.  The application deadline is June 30.

·      That the State of South Carolina offers a handy “flag status” page on its web site, to alert everyone when flags are to fly at full-staff or half-staff?  Visit http://www.gs.sc.gov/GS/GS-flags-status.phtm to see current and future half-staff occasions or simply search for “flag status” on the state’s home page, http://sc.gov/.

·      That Myrtle Beach has four official Sister Cities:  Burlington, Ontario, Canada; Keighley, England; Pinamar, Argentina; and Killarney, Ireland?  A small Sister City delegation from Myrtle Beach, including the reigning Miss Sun Fun, Jana Snapp, will visit Burlington next weekend to participate in that city’s Sound of Music Festival.  Miss Sun Fun also will ride on a parade float Saturday, June 14, in Burlington.

·      That Myrtle Beach was the site of a German prisoner of war camp during the latter years of World War II?  Approximately 600 prisoners of war were first housed at a P.O.W. camp near Cane Patch Swash beginning in mid-1944.  The camp was later moved to the Myrtle Beach Air Base, in barracks which the P.O.W.s helped to build.  While here, the P.O.W.s also worked on local construction and agricultural projects.  The Myrtle Beach camp was one of 20 permanent P.O.W. camps and eight temporary ones in South Carolina during the war years.  (Credit for this information goes to Greetings from... Myrtle Beach, A History, 1900-1980, by Barbara Stokes, available at Chapin Memorial Library and local bookstores.)

·      That Myrtle Beach has 32 buildings that are seven to nine stories tall, 55 buildings that are 10 to 14 stories tall, and 33 buildings that are 15-plus stories tall?  The tallest in the city, currently, is the Ocean Forest Plaza at 23 stories.

·      That actress Joan Crawford was the guest of honor when South Carolina’s first-ever Welcome Center for travelers opened on the Grand Strand in February 1968?  The state hired four hostesses, outfitted in uniforms and brimmed hats, to greet visitors at the new Welcome Center.

·      That 46 people have streets named for them on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, now known as The Market Common?  Two additional namings of streets for individuals are pending before the Planning Commission.  Here are the 46 individuals and the streets that are named for them:  Maj. Gen. (Chaplain of the United States Air Force) Charles C. Baldwin (Baldwin Lane), Col. Larry K. Barton (Barton Circle), Joe W. Blizzard (Blizzard Street), Col. Alva George Branch (Branch Street), Col. Curtis L. Brown (Curtis L. Brown Lane), Gen. Bruce Carlson (Carlson Street), Gen. Michael P.C. Carns (Carns Lane), Col. Charles E. Cook, Jr. (Cook Circle), Col. Edsel J. “Coupe” DeVille (DeVille Avenue), Col. Robert G. Emmens (Emmens Street), Lt. William Glover Farrow (Farrow Parkway), Col. Francis S. Gabreski (Gabreski Lane), Maj. Gen. James Franklin Hackler, Jr. (Hackler Street), Brig. Gen. Joel T. Hall (Hall Lane), Hoyt L. Hendrick (Hendrick Lane), Brig. Gen. James Howell Howard (Howard Avenue), Brig. Gen. Robert G. Jenkins (Jenkins Lane), Capt. Paul Johnson (Johnson Avenue), Brig. Gen. Thomas Merrit Knoles III (Knoles Street). Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Kruzel (Kruzel Street), Col. Warren R. Lewis (Lewis Street), Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force Rodney J. McKinley (McKinley Circle), Maj. Gen. Gilbert L. Meyers (Meyers Avenue), Chief Master Sergeant Gary J. Moser (Moser Drive), Chief Master Sergeant Gerald R. Murray (Murray Avenue), Col. Joseph R. Nevers (Nevers Street), Col. Robert P. “Pancho” Pasqualichio (Pancho Street), Capt. Stephen Richard Phillis (Phillis Boulevard), Maj. Gen. Harold L. Price (Price Lane), Lt. Gen. Joseph J. Redden, (Redden Lane), General Robert H. Reed (Reed Street), Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, Jr. (Rosa Circle), Lt. Gen. Evan W. Rosencrans (Rosencrans Lane), Lt. Col. William H Rutherford (Rutherford Loop), Maj. Gen. Ervin C. Sharpe (Sharpe Lane), Lt. Col. Anthony “Tony” Shine (Shine Avenue), Col. Thomas C. “Buddy” Styers (Styers Way), Col. Charles M. Thrash (Thrash Way), Mrs. Wilma Hucks Tirrell (Tirrell Circle), Maj. Gen. William Burbridge Yancey, Jr. (Yancey Way), Chief Master Sergeant James Cope (Cope Circle); Chief Master Sergeant Kenneth R. Meeks (Meeks Lane), Chief Master Sergeant William J. Tucker (Tucker Way), Chief Master Sergeant Robert Kalcevic (Kalcevic Lane), Chief Master Sergeant Wayne J. Chandler (Chandler Lane), and Chief Master Sergeant Ronald L. Satterwhite (Satterwhite Way).

·      That the list of hurricane names for 2008 begins with Arthur and ends with Wilfred?  Here are the official names for the 2008 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30:  Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.  The names are created by the National Hurricane Center.  Originally, only female names were used, but the list now alternates between male and female names.

·      That there is no U.S. 17 Bypass?  What nearly everyone calls the “bypass” is really just U.S. 17.  It does not have the “bypass” designation.  Kings Highway, by the way, is U.S. 17 Business.

·      That Chapin Memorial Library now offers downloadable audio books for MP3 players from Chapin Memorial Library?  The downloads work with many MP3 players (although not iPods) and are free to library cardholders.  About 400 titles are currently available.  If you don’t have an MP3, you can listen to the audio books on your computer instead.  With downloadable audio books, there’s nothing to check out and nothing to return. Aren’t sure how to do it?  Call the library at 918-1275 or drop by for an in-person lesson.

·      That the Matt Hughes Memorial Skate Park, between Pepper Geddings Recreation Center and Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, is free and open to the public?  Rules for use are posted, and helmets are required!  The park’s hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., daily.  When the park opened in 1998, it was named in honor of Matthew Reed Hughes, a local skateboarder who died following a skating accident near his home.

·      That Myrtle Beach regulates what towing companies may charge for non-consensual tows from private property?  Chapter 23, Article VI, Section 133, specifies that private property must be properly posted, indicating that parking is prohibited.  Such signs must include the telephone number of the towing company servicing the property.  The city sets the maximum charge for a non-consensual tow from private property at $90 for vehicles of less than 10,000 pounds or $210 for vehicles of more than 10,000 pounds.  Towing companies may charge an additional $30 if dollies or “go-jacks” are actually used.  Storage, after the first 12 hours, is limited to $18 per 24 hours for the smaller vehicles and $30 for the larger ones.  If a vehicle owner returns to claim the vehicle before it is physically connected to the tow truck, the “no-tow” charge is a maximum of $30 ($60 for the larger vehicles). At any time a vehicle is in the custody of the tow truck operator, the vehicle owner may remove personal property from the vehicle without charge and without regard to any towing or storage charge owed.  Contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department to report violations of this ordinance.

·      That the A-10 Thunderbolt, better known as the Warthog and a familiar sight in the air for longtime Myrtle Beach residents, was a single-seat, twin-engine jet designed for close air support and attack?  The Warthog, stationed at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, is one of the planes on display at Warbird Park.  Fairchild-Republic built 715 A-10s at an average cost of $11.7 million, and most of the jets remain in active service. The Warthog has a top speed of 450 knots (518 miles per hour) and a maximum takeoff weight of 50,000 pounds.  Its cruising speed is 340 miles per hour, with a flight ceiling of 45,000 feet.

·      That illustrations of Myrtle Beach appeared on two Saturday Evening Post covers, giving Myrtle Beach national recognition as a vacation spot?  The first cover appeared August 10, 1957, and featured a scene of utility linemen taking a break from their work to enjoy the beach and the surf.  The second cover appeared July 8, 1961, and featured a rainy Saturday afternoon at the Dunes Club, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  Many local faces of the time were captured by artist Ben Prins, who created both Saturday Evening Post covers.  The original covers are on display at Chapin Memorial Library, but you can now own reproductions, thanks to the Friends of Chapin Library.  For information about ordering poster-sized recreations of the magazine covers, call the library at 918-1275.

·      That the City of Myrtle Beach has had impact fees for new water and sewer service connections since the mid 1980s?  Impact fees are a one-time charge to offset the cost of expanding our water and sewer service to handle growth.  Impact fee calculations are based on the type of structure to be built, and the fees must be paid before a building permit is issued.  For instance, residential project fees are based on the number of bedrooms, restaurant fees are based on the number of seats, retail space fees are based on the square footage, and office space fees are based on the number of offices/employees.  Here are examples of current inside-the-city water and sewer impact fees for certain types of projects.

·      That the Myrtle Beach Convention Center has a videoconferencing center that you can rent for long-distance job interviews, depositions, meetings and even family get-togethers?  The center features dual monitors and is the only one available locally for public use.  The cost is $150 for the first hour, plus a $50 set-up fee, and $75 for subsequent half hours.  It’s less expensive than a plane ticket and faster than a flight.  Contact the Convention Center at 918-1225 for details.

·      That the multi-purpose path around the lakes at Grand Park, adjacent to Farrow Parkway, is 1.1 miles long?  People who walk or jog the trail frequently ask how far it is.  By the way, the paved multi-purpose path along Farrow Parkway, from Kings Highway to US 17 Bypass, is approximately 3.5 miles long.

·      That the Myrtle Beach Planning Commission and staff considered 131 site plans and surveys, 35 final plats, 21 street name requests, 18 zoning text amendments, 11 rezonings, 13 annexations, three planned unit developments and one alley way swap during 2007?  The city annexed a total of 310.1 acres during the year, for a total city area of 14,931.2 acres, or 23.33 square miles.

·      That Myrtle Beach’s Solid Waste Division picked up 28,713 tons of solid waste and recycling during fiscal year 2007?  That’s 57,427,660 pounds of garbage, yard debris, bulky junk and recycling placed on the curb by residential customers in just one year.  Household garbage accounted for the largest share, at 20,882 tons.  Yard waste (tree limbs, leaves, grass clippings) was next at 4,361 tons, followed by 2,766 tons of bulky junk (discarded appliances, furniture, etc.).  Finally, Myrtle Beach residents recycled 704 tons (1,408,000 pounds) of metal cans, glass bottles, plastic containers and newspapers last year.  (Commercial solid waste is collected by private haulers and is not reflected in these totals.)

·      That the city-wide speed limit is 30 miles per hour, unless otherwise posted?  By the way, the speed limit on Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach ranges from 50 miles per hour (a short distance at the northern end) to 25 miles per hour (in the heart of the downtown area).  Are you exceeding the speed limit?

·      That you can buy and fly the Myrtle Beach city flag, with its seagull, wave and sun design?  The three-by-five foot outdoor flags are available from the city’s Purchasing Division for $45.59 each.  The late Jane Charles, wife of former City Council member Harry Charles, designed the city flag in 1992. 

·      That the exhibit halls at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center hosted 42 tradeshows, 19 corporate conventions, 17 consumer shows and 26 competitions or concerts during fiscal year 2007?  More than 520,000 people attended those 105 events.  In addition, the Convention Center’s meeting space hosted another 50 events with an estimated attendance of 23,000.  Combined, all of these events created an estimated 186,000 room nights for local hotels.

·      That Robert M. Grissom Parkway, which runs from Harrelson Boulevard on the south to Carolina Bays Parkway on the north, is named for a long-time Myrtle Beach City Council member and mayor?  The late Bob Grissom served for 16 years on City Council, including three terms as mayor.  He died in 1998, and the road was named in his honor in April 1999.  Grissom Parkway is sometimes known as “the Bob” among locals.

·      That Canal Street Recreation Center’s banquet hall holds up to 300 people and features a full-service kitchen?  The banquet hall is often used for birthday parties, wedding receptions, dances, family reunions and group meetings.  The large space can be divided into smaller sections with moveable walls, and the rental fee includes tables and chairs.  Call the staff at Canal Street Recreation Center, 918-1465, for more information.

·      That Myrtle Beach city staff members speak at least eight languages, in addition to English?  As an international tourism destination, city staff members are occasionally called upon to help translate for visitors and others in the community.  Languages spoken include Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Portuguese and Albanian.

·      That Myrtle Beach’s first “airport” was a grass landing strip that opened in August 1928 near the current intersection of Seaboard Street and Mr. Joe White Avenue?  Myrtle Beach Estates, one of John T. Woodside’s companies, built the makeshift runway to attract wealthy investors.  Myrtle Beach began building a real municipal airport in 1939.  (This tidbit is from Barbara Stokes’ new history book about the area, Greetings from Myrtle Beach, A History, 1900-1980, now on sale at local bookstores and Chapin Memorial Library.)

·      That there’s a meaning behind the city’s “First in Service” promise that you see on city vehicles and elsewhere?  Here is the philosophy developed by our staff.

·      That the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation has begun or completed a long list of projects during its seven-year history?  Accomplishments include new entryway landscaping, Ocean Boulevard streetscape improvements (lighting, sidewalks, trees, etc.), reconstruction of Mr. Joe White Avenue from Kings Highway to Ocean Boulevard, creation of a new oceanfront park (Justin W. Plyler Park), stormwater system improvements, creation of a parking management program, implementation of a storefront facade loan program, review and revision of zoning regulations, infrastructure and utility surveys, and a cooperative marketing plan for the downtown area.  The design for a mile-long public boardwalk is complete, and planning is underway for additional street and entry improvements.  The DRC area stretches from 16th Avenue North to Sixth Avenue South, from the ocean to Kings Highway and includes the area along US 501 to Oak and Broadway Streets.

·      That Myrtle Beach will have its third historical marker in early 2008 when plaques recognizing the Myrtle Beach Army Air Field and Myrtle Beach Air Force Base are installed near the former front and back gates?  Historical markers are authorized by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

·      That Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, home of the Myrtle Beach Seahawks, was re-named for long-time Myrtle Beach High School football coach Doug Shaw, who died suddenly November 11, 1994, at age 52?  The football stadium was built in 1968 on city-owned land behind Pepper Geddings Recreation Center and given to the city.  A $200,000 community fund-raising effort for the new stadium was prompted by a bleacher collapse at the high school field then in use near Oak Street and 12th Avenue North.  Originally, the new football field was simply named Memorial Stadium, but on September 12, 1995, City Council approved a resolution renaming the facility in Doug Shaw’s honor.  Shaw had been Myrtle Beach’s head football coach for 25 years and an assistant coach the two previous years.  His football teams had a record of 223 wins, 77 losses and two ties.  They won four state championships and 16 conference titles and competed in the playoffs 23 of his 25 years.  As one of South Carolina’s greatest and most loved coaches, his death was front-page news across the state.  Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium is soon to be jointly owned by Myrtle Beach and the Horry County school district under a $3 million improvement plan that includes a new artificial turf field and an eight-lane rubberized track.

·      That Myrtle Beach has an on-staff growth coordinator and an on-line annexation guide to help adjacent property owners understand the benefits of annexing?  Cities provide a higher level of service than unincorporated areas, at a very reasonable cost.  In fact, Myrtle Beach developed a worksheet to show how affordable annexation really can be in your individual circumstance.  To learn more about annexing your property or neighborhood into the City of Myrtle Beach, visit our Guide to Annexation or call Growth Coordinator Edna Wright at 918-2008.

·      That the underground utilities fund established in 2001 by the City of Myrtle Beach and Santee Cooper has completed nearly nine miles of underground wiring projects worth $17.3 million as of 2007?  Overhead utilities lines have been removed and placed underground along much of Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway, as well as on 21st Avenue North, Mr. Joe White Avenue, Withers Drive, portions of Grissom Parkway and other streets.  The underground utility work is funded jointly by the city and Santee Cooper.  Myrtle Beach contributes 40 percent of the franchise fee it receives from the utility, and Santee Cooper matches that amount.  The fund agreement generates approximately $2.3 million annually for underground utility construction.

·      That SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, has an office in the City Hall Annex on 10th Avenue North and offers free business consulting and workshops?  Their expertise includes retail, manufacturing, sales and service, as you’ll see at http://www.mbscore.org. 

·      That Myrtle Beach had 14,032 voters registered for the November 6, 2007, City Council election?  October 6 was the last day a voter could register and be eligible to vote in November.

·      That aerial photographs taken near Myrtle Beach in 1930 first revealed the presence of thousands of crater-like features known today as the Carolina Bays?  As part of a Depression-era program to assist farmers through aerial photography, geologists F. A. Melton and William Schriever first observed and photographed the bays from the air.  In 1932, they shared their findings with the scientific community.  A 1933 Harper’s Magazine article by Edna Muldrow, "The Comet that Hit the Carolinas," alerted the entire country to the bays’ existence.  The Carolina Bays are tens of thousands of shallow, oval depressions ranging from 200 feet to seven miles (Lake Waccamaw) across, all oriented in a generally northeast to southwest direction.  Most have an elevated sandy rim more prominent on the southeastern edge.  Carolina Bays heavily dot southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, but can be found scattered along the mid-Atlantic seaboard.  Similar oval depressions also have been found in Alaska.  The exact origin of the bays is unknown and the subject of much discussion.  Melton and Schriever proposed the predominant theory, then and now, that they were formed by a meteor or comet that broke up upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.  Other theories through the years for the bays’ formation include giant beavers, whale wallows, underground springs, ocean currents and wind action.  Visit http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/cbaymbsc.html to see the original aerial photos that revealed the bays.  Then visit http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/recentcb.html for more recent photos.

·      That Myrtle Beach was the site of a prisoner of war camp, one of many in South Carolina, during World War II?  Approximately 600 German prisoners of war were housed here, first in a wooded area north of 71st Avenue North, and then in barracks the prisoners helped build at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.  (Learn more about Myrtle Beach’s early history in Barbara Stokes’ soon-to-be-published book covering the years from 1900 to 1980.)

·      That people are welcome to get married on the public beach, as long as it’s a non-commercial wedding?  The beach is a romantic place to tie the knot, and no permission is required for simple, non-commercial weddings.  However, the city prohibits commercially-produced weddings and other commercial transactions on the public beach.  This includes wedding planning services, catering and commercial wedding photography.  Structures, including arches, also are prohibited on the public beach.  Of course, the city has several beautiful parks, oceanfront and elsewhere, that make great settings, and those in commercial areas are available for commercially-produced weddings.  For more information about getting married on the beach or on other public property, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.  “We want to get married” is the second FAQ on the list.  By the way, Horry County Probate Court issues an average of approximately 500 marriage licenses per month.  About a third of those are to Horry County residents.  The remaining two-thirds are to in-state and out-of-state residents.

·      That Washington Park Racetrack opened in 1938 on the northeastern corner of Oak Street and 21st Avenue North, offering horse-drawn harness racing?  The park featured a 5,200-seat grandstand and a one-and-a-half-mile, wooden-railed course.  Horse racing and betting continued at Washington Park until 1947, when the state ruled against that form of gambling.  Harness racing briefly returned to the site in 1951-52, followed by NASCAR races in the mid-1950s, until what would become known as Myrtle Beach Speedway opened west of the city in 1958.

·      That you can have your monthly Myrtle Beach utility bill drafted directly from your bank account or automatically charged to your Visa or MasterCard?  Or, you may call 918-1212 to pay a utility bill by telephone using either Visa or MasterCard.  The city also offers on-line bill payment as an alternative to having a traditional paper utility bill mailed to your address.  Visit www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/on-line.html for more information. 

·      That a Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a zoning district established by City Council to meet the unique needs of a project that is mutually beneficial to both the public and the developer?  PUDs are created by ordinance and enforced in the same way as other zoning districts.  Myrtle Beach has 40 PUDs in effect, the earliest of which was approved in 1978.  PUD zoning accounts for 5,008 acres, or 34 percent, of the city’s total area.  By the way, the term PUD will soon become PDD, for Planned Development District, as part of the comprehensive zoning re-write that’s underway.  PDD corresponds with the current enabling legislation in the state code.  

·      That the Myrtle Beach Fire Department will provide free smoke detectors and/or batteries to individuals within the city’s fire protection area who cannot afford to purchase smoke detectors or the necessary batteries?  Firefighters will even install the smoke detectors or replace the batteries.  For more information, contact the Fire Department’s Public Education Office at 918-1221 or visit any Myrtle Beach fire station.

·      That four City of Myrtle Beach staff members are serving on active military duty in 2007, and that nine others were called to active military service from 2001 to the present?  Currently, one police officer is serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, another police officer is serving in the Army National Guard, a fire captain is serving in the U.S. Army, and a firefighter/paramedic is serving in the Army National Guard.

·      That 534 international students from 22 countries signed up for temporary library cards during the summer of 2007 at Chapin Memorial Library?  The $8 cards allow visiting students and other non-residents of Horry County to use the library and its services, including access to the Internet from one of many public computers in the reference section.  Here’s a breakdown, by country, of the students registered in 2007:  Australia (2), Bulgaria (75), Belarus (4), Canada (5), Colombia (16), Ecuador (1), France (9), Ireland (48), Jamaica (5), Korea (2), Lithuania (4), Moldova (8), Poland (21), Romania (17), Russian Federation (260), Slovakia (15), Slovenia (1), Turkey (9), the Ukraine (25), the United Kingdom (2), Uzbekistan (4) and Serbia (1).

·      That 576 children and adults learned to swim during the summer of 2007 at Myrtle Beach’s Pepper Geddings and Canal Street Recreation Centers?

·      That Myrtle Beach issued 4,446 building permits for a total of $427,278,769 worth of construction value during fiscal year 2006-07, which ended June 30?  The number of permits sets a new record, while the construction value total is the second-highest recorded.  The permit numbers include 298 new single-family residences, 18 new multi-family structures and 47 new commercial buildings.  For 2006-07, residential permits of all kinds totaled $134,680,467 in value.  Commercial permits of all kinds totaled $292,598,302 in value for the year.

·      That Myrtle Beach requires annual licenses for dogs and cats, age four months and older?  The fee is $2.00 for male and spayed female pets and $5.00 for unspayed female pets.  Proof of current rabies inoculation is required, and the license (tag) issued must be worn on a collar or harness securely affixed to the dog or cat.  Licenses are available at the City Services Building, 921 North Oak Street, and at the Grand Strand Humane Society Animal Shelter on Mr. Joe White Avenue.  New annual licenses are available beginning June 1; licenses expire June 30 of each year.

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