It’s been a while since I have written and many of you have been asking what I have been up to. In addition to trying to find some form of employment, I have been very active in the community, out in the 17 by-pass with my volunteers, and have some great events coming up, so please mark them on your calendars.
Coming up first, I will be traveling south to New Port Richey at the end of the month for a Harley Davidson “Party and Poker Run”. This is not just “any” run, this is “Jessie’s Ride” for “Jessie’s Place”, the Citrus County Child Advocacy Center named and supported by the Jessica Lunsford Foundation headed up by her father Mark Lunsford. My good friend and by-pass helper Buddy Sessions will go along with me to participate in this ride. These Harley Davidson bikers we are trying to “run out of the beach” were instrumental “all across the country” raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help enact consistent laws across the country for “child sexual predators”. Because of Mark’s appearance several times in our area and across the state, and because of the more than 17,000 petition signatures obtained here on the Grand Strand, and because of the hard work of our local legislators in the House and Senate, especially Alan Clemmons, we were able to enact the “toughest” Jessie’s’ Law in the United States in South Carolina.
Coming up first, I will be traveling south to New Port Richey at the end of the month for a Harley Davidson “Party and Poker Run”. This is not just “any” run, this is “Jessie’s Ride” for “Jessie’s Place”, the Citrus County Child Advocacy Center named and supported by the Jessica Lunsford Foundation headed up by her father Mark Lunsford. My good friend and by-pass helper Buddy Sessions will go along with me to participate in this ride. These Harley Davidson bikers we are trying to “run out of the beach” were instrumental “all across the country” raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help enact consistent laws across the country for “child sexual predators”. Because of Mark’s appearance several times in our area and across the state, and because of the more than 17,000 petition signatures obtained here on the Grand Strand, and because of the hard work of our local legislators in the House and Senate, especially Alan Clemmons, we were able to enact the “toughest” Jessie’s’ Law in the United States in South Carolina.
Mark has been busy working with the “Surviving Parents Coalition” and will be in Washington, D.C. this week with John Walsh and others, continuing to urge our elected officials to continue to crack down on these perverts.
Thanks to Senator Ray Cleary, I have some special items to give to Mark from the South Carolina Legislature. If you feel that your child is safer because of our laws, and the laws Mark has help enact across the country, make a contribution to help at http://www.jessiesplacecitrus.org/ or if you want any information of the run on February 28th, log on to http://www.hdcrystalriver.com/ and click on the events section. Just so you know, the guy who is running all over the United States and has been for years, Mark Lunsford is a BIKER! When Mark asked me on the phone what was happening in Myrtle Beach, I told him they are “shooting themselves in the foot”, mainly due to the behavior surrounding the Atlantic Beach Bikefest Memorial Day Weekend Event. I will reiterate what I always said on the air, this is not a Black/White issue, but more one of demographics.
On March 28th, I will be attending a 1st time reunion with 5 other comrades I served with in the Central Highlands of Vietnam from January 1968 to September of 1969. This will be the first time we have seen each other in person since then. We will be meeting just outside of Columbia, and I’m sure there will be a lot of laughter and tears. We were all assigned to the 330th Radio Research Company, part of the Army Security Agency. Our mission, intercepting hostile communications, breaking them down, and informing our forces of movements by the enemy. Our base camp was on Engineer Hill; also know as Camp Holloway in Pleiku, South Vietnam.
From there, some of us traveled to different small detachments scattered all over the Central Highlands in support of operations against the enemy. It was one hell of a way to enter into manhood, in a combat zone. It was even funny, coming home from my first tour at 19 years old, and being refused a beer because I wasn’t 21. See if you can pick me out in the picture?
Coming up on May 10th – 17th, it the 7th Annual “Lou Krieger’s Cruisers” trip on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean on the “Freedom Of The Seas”, the largest ship at sea. We will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida and have a lot of events associated with our group. Accommodations have been set up for people arriving early at the Radisson Resort At The Port and we already have 28 people signed up to go.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE AT THE BEACH FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON WEEK, HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET OUT OF TOWN. We will be sailing on the “Freedom Of The Seas” the Largest Cruise Ship Afloat !
Call Sam, our travel agent at the Cruise Corner at 1-888-742-7245 for more information. Our prices start at $949 and include all of your port fees, taxes and surcharges…no surprises! We have a pre-cruise meet and greet scheduled for April 26th, so call today to join us!
Next on the list is the upcoming Sons Of Italy Lodge 2662 Italian Festival to be held on June 27th and 28th from 11am until 6pm at the Market Common in Myrtle Beach. This is the first of two Italian Festivals; the second will be in the fall. On hand will be lots of food and vendors and also some fantastic entertainment. I will be the emcee on the Legends in Concert Entertainment Stage with a variety of “free” shows you won’t want to miss. “Margaret Curry”, a fantastic vocalist and guitarist will open the show for us each day, she will be followed by the “Dean Martin Variety Show featuring the Goldiggers”,
the fantastic “Blues Brothers” from Legends In Concert and closing the show each day, “Michael Sokolik the 2008 Ultimate Elvis Winner” at Legends in Concert sponsored by Elvis Presley Enterprises. We will also have lots of Italian Music, Food and some other local performers in between those acts.
Another event I’m working on with Diane DeVaughn Stokes, Chis Beattie from Legends in Concert and Sandi Kendrick from the Horry County Arts and Cultural Council is the “Fabulous 50’s Weekend” as a part of the Sun Fun Festival on July 24th and 25th. This two day event kicks off with the “Fabulous 50’s Golf Tournament” on Friday morning for $59.00 per person, on Friday evening a sock hop will be held at “Revolutions” where I will guest DJ and a national recording artist or group will appear also. Right now I believe the Tams are one of the groups we are trying to have perform with us. We will have lots of contests associated with the “sock hop” and also a “silent auction” and some other things. On Saturday July 25th, a “Fabulous 50’s” festival at the Market Common from 10am-3pm with music, displays and contests, including a “Kids Elvis” contest that should be a lot of fun.
At 4pm that day a “classic car cruise” will take place to “Ragtops and Roadsters” in Murrells Inlet, located on the 17 Bypass. At 8pm, the “Fabulous 50’s Weekend” concludes with the “Ultimate Elvis Contest” at Legends in Concert. The winner of the contest will head to Memphis, Tennessee and compete in the final with other winners from across the country. The event is sanctioned by “Elvis Presley Enterprises” in Memphis. Last year 15 impersonators from across the country and Canada performed to a “sellout” crowd at Legends in Concert. If you want to see this competition, you need to get your tickets early.
Another date to put down on your calendar would be Saturday November 7th for the Adopt A Tree Golf Tournament. This tournament is the ONLY way we have of getting funds to continue to beautify and maintain the Highway 17 By-pass from Glenn’s Bay Road south to the Garden City Connector. This is a “volunteer” project that began as a joke on the radio it 2002, and has added a lot of color and beauty to our highway. Although we have the date, we don’t have a location yet, but we will have a tournament since we wish to expand a bit south down past the entrance to Indigo Creek. Indigo Creek residents….if you want some Palm Trees, we need some cash…that is what the Lakes did. They are $250 apiece to plant, we need a minimum of 5 trees, that’s $1250.00
Another date to put down on your calendar would be Saturday November 7th for the Adopt A Tree Golf Tournament. This tournament is the ONLY way we have of getting funds to continue to beautify and maintain the Highway 17 By-pass from Glenn’s Bay Road south to the Garden City Connector. This is a “volunteer” project that began as a joke on the radio it 2002, and has added a lot of color and beauty to our highway. Although we have the date, we don’t have a location yet, but we will have a tournament since we wish to expand a bit south down past the entrance to Indigo Creek. Indigo Creek residents….if you want some Palm Trees, we need some cash…that is what the Lakes did. They are $250 apiece to plant, we need a minimum of 5 trees, that’s $1250.00
I hope this gets you up to speed with what is happening, I’m still positive that Horry County will not get funding for the expansion and improvement of our airport terminal. I have received no response on numerous requests to Horry County for information on the sale of land that was to produce $25 million for this project and the Governor’s Office is adamant that they will not be giving Horry County $15 million also. That is what Liz and the rest of the crew went to D.C., only to get a “chilly” reception by the FAA reminding them of their previous failure. Although some money was received from the Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority for the expansion of Harrelson Blvd., they still remain millions short. At least the Horry County Council had enough sense not to buy into all of these laws enacted by the City Of Myrtle Beach. I remain on the side that says Myrtle Beach and Horry County should just enact the laws that are on the books, for cars and trucks as well as motorcycles. If the Harley Davidson Spring Bike Week crowd is successful in “boycotting” businesses and hotels in the City Of Myrtle Beach, you will then hear the outcry from those folks as well. What are we a retirement community or a resort/vacation community? I came here because we were a resort and vacation community and like the action and events…it is going to be an INTERESTING summer season.
Many thanks goes out to Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 of South Carolina for the effort they put forth to honor the veterans of the “forgotten” Korean Conflict, not war as it is called. A conflict that cost over 54,000 lives with over 8,000 still “Missing In Action”. If you are ever at the Market Common, make it a point to stop by the Valor Memorial Garden and see the memorial. Just another “great thing” that bikers have done in our community and believe me this was no “simple” undertaking. I will always remember the members of Rolling Thunder who gave of their time to say “WELCOME HOME” to the veterans that were on the last two Washington, D.C. trips. It was something I never received coming back from Vietnam, except from my immediate family!
Speaking of “bikers”, when I approached some members of the Legislature concerning the building of a Casino or two in Myrtle Beach, I was told that the gambling laws were “statewide” and it would have to be placed on the ballot for the entire state to approve. If this is the case, then how come the City Of Myrtle Beach can override a state law concerning the wearing of helmets for motorcyclists???? If they can, then maybe they should just tell the state, “if you are cutting our funding in Horry County and the City Of Myrtle Beach, we will just take a vote, and if it passes, build a casino!” I don’t see any difference, only if the measure were not carried locally. But then again, I’m not a politician….and DON’T intend on becoming one.
Speaking of politicians, I cannot leave without getting my dig in on Liz Gilland and her remark about her Rally vote. The one I am referring to is the comment about hitting the yes and no buttons at the same time! It’s a wonder the woman can sit in that chair with all the splinters in her butt from riding the fence! By the way Liz, by you hitting both buttons at the same time, or so you say, wasn’t that “gambling?” It’s ILLEGAL!
More to come……
God Bless,
Lou
