Let's Hope for a Fantastic New Year
As we bring in the new year in our small little part of heaven called Indigo Hall at Kiawah River Estates, let's hope we can be thankful for what we have as a community and family.
The new year should bring in some new changes to our community, we will also see change in the surrounding areas of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates.
As for our community, we are changing management companies. Property Management Services was awarded the new contract. Our contact will be Cheryl Baily. Let's wish our new management company much success.
On Betsy Kerrison Parkway, the proposed development known as the Health and Wellness Village had a public hearing before the county council on December 12, 2023. The council was inundated with overwhelming objections to this project, and the developer has agreed to meet with the community prior to returning to the county council. A small informal poll was sent out by the Johns Island Advocate, and a 75% opposition to the rezoning was recorded. (The Johns Island Advocate)
Charleston County - A new proposed 1/2 cent sales tax referendum meeting will be held in late January/early February. This new tax proposed would be a transportation sales tax. (The Johns Island Advocate)
Beachwalker Park - The park is located on Kiawah Island and is run by the Charleston County Parks Commission, but the land on which it is located is leased by Charleston County from its owners, Kiawah Partners. The lease was signed in 1976 and has a 99 year term. Since the Development Agreement between Kiawah Partners and Town of Kiawah Island expired late last year, the Town is going through a rezoning process that includes Beachwalker Park. There was some concern on social media that this would adversely impact the park. There will be no impact, at least not through 2075.
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The Johns Island Advocate)
Now That's Interesting
Did you know?
The earliest recorded New Year's celebration is thought to be in Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C., according to Earth Sky. While the celebrations actually occurred during the vernal equinox in mid-March — as this was considered the start of the new year by the calendar at the time — an eleven-day festival was held that would probably put our current parties to shame. According to History.com, the Ancient Mesopotamian people performed rituals, celebrated the religious victory of the sky god Marduk over the sea goddess Tiamat and either crowned a new king or allowed their old king to continue his reign. The new year wasn't always celebrated in January, The Ancient Roman calendar used to follow the lunar cycle, and had the new year beginning in March. Sosigenes, an astronomer, convinced Julius Caesar to follow the solar year, instead. From 46 B.C. on, the new year began in January.
Starting the new year in January was partially done to honor the god Janus, for whom the month was named. Since Janus had two faces, he was able to look back into the past and forward into the future simultaneously, making him a great spokesperson for the holiday we celebrate today.
Most of us are familiar with the traditional ball drop in New York City's Times Square; even if we haven't sojourned to the city to see it, we have likely watched it on TV. But why does New York drop a giant, lit-up ball on New Year's Eve anyway? According to PBS, the festivities of New Year's Eve moved to the New York Times building in 1904 after previously taking place at Trinity Church in Manhattan, where spectators were able to hear the chiming of the bells signaling midnight. However, when the fireworks began, it quickly became obvious that the usual spectacle wouldn't do: Hot ashes fell down on the streets after the display, causing problems and leading the New York Police Department to put a ban on fireworks. New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs went to Walter Palmer, the Times' chief electrician, to create something different to draw in crowds and avoid the rains of fiery doom. Palmer, inspired by the maritime tradition of dropping the ball so sailors could adjust their chronometers while at sea, devised the idea of dropping a lit-up ball on New Year's Eve.
The tradition of dropping the ball in Times Square has been a tradition ever since 1907.
Hope all have a very Happy New Year.
The blog will be short this month. I am busy gathering important, new article information and checking into some specific aspects of our community, the surrounding communities of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. Keep checking. February should be a full blog with new information coming.
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