The Spot: Summerville Journal Scene

Chamber After Hours

What a terrific turnout for the Chamber Member Reception and Business After Hours Thursday at the Visitor Center. It was definitely old home week for many of the attendees judging from the decibel level generated by all the good conversation going on in the standing room only event. The sponsors (Tony Pope State Farm Insurance, Olde Towne Mortgage, and Appraisal Services of SC, Inc.) had to have been tickeled with the event.A great chance for folks who don't see each other all that often to catch up on all the news. Among the most amazing of those in attendance was Faith Sellars looking as lovely as every in her bright pink jacket. Looking forward to many more Chamber events.
Oh, and byt the way, Summerville's mighty lucky to have Rita Berry and staff to lead the way.

A difficult week

This has been a devasting week for the Lowcountry with the loss of so many who contributed so much to our communities. Their families and friends grieve their loss. But the potential good works these men would have given back to the schools, civic organizations and sports programs are a loss to all of us. This is a good time to reflect on the unsung heroes among us, those who give back in their everyday lives, people who reach out to others not only in their professional lives but in their private lives as well. Our goal this week has been to bring to our readers the stories of these men's lives, through recollections of those who knew them. The story has been an international one, the kind that is usually another place, with some other community in shock as we look on from our living rooms. This time it was us. This time we aren't the onlookers. We encourage your comments. Just click on the comments button at the bottom of this post.

Fire tragedy hits home

The following is the story set to run in tomorrow's Journal-Scene, co-written by Julie Smith and Judy Watts. The fire at the Sofa Superstore has hit home with two Summerville ties:

"Two men with Summerville ties were among the nine City of Charleston firefighters who perished Monday night in one of the worst fires in Lowcountry history, The Journal Scene has learned.
Firefighters Louis Mulkey and Brandon Thompson, who started their careers at Summerville Fire & Rescue, were among the missing after the roof of the Sofa Super Store on Savannah Highway collapsed during an inferno that began at about 7 p.m.
Mulkey’s mother, Ann Mulkey, was surrounded by friends and family in her Rose Lane home in Summerville Tuesday morning as people learned of her son’ death.
Mrs. Mulkey said she and her husband Mike received a call from a chaplain about 12:30 a.m. to come down to Fire Station 11 on Savannah Highway.
Until then, she had thought their son was safe.
“I thought I saw him on camera. I even said to Mike, ‘That looks like Louis with his back to the camera.’ But it must not have been him,” she said as she slowly turned the pages of a family photo album. “It wasn’t him.”
Mrs. Mulkey said her son loved sports.
“He loved football and basketball and had coached both,” said Mrs. Mulkey.
Mulkey was the JV basketball coach for Summerville High School and also worked with the children’s burn unit.
“He always loved working with kids,” Mrs. Mulkey said.
Firefighters reportedly rescued at least two people from the blaze that engulfed the building in flames. The roof later collapsed, trapping firefighters inside.
The bodies of Mulkey, Thompson and seven other firefighters were brought out when the flames were extinguished.
Mulkey, described as “a heck of a nice guy,” was the former brother-in-law of Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas.
In March 2006 Mulkey and two other Charleston firefighters were commended by Mayor Joe Riley and Fire Chief Rusty Thomas for saving a police officer who suffered a heart attack during a foot chase.
Using one of the automated external defibrillators kept at all Charleston fire stations, Mulkey re-started Officer Justin Sicheri’s heart.
Thompson was engaged to be married, according to a source who requested anonymity. He was the brother of Dorchester County sheriff’s deputy Frank Thompson."

Share your memories of these two firemen and any others lost in the blaze with us right here at The Spot.

A new venture...

We are kicking off a new feature at the Summerville Journal Scene. With the addition of "Blogs" we encourage readers to comment on the paper, website or anything else that strikes your fancy.