Issue 24, December 18, 1996
Some restaurant openings and closings: Knickerbocker's on the Water, in Barefoot Landing, closed a few days ago. It may reopen at a different location next year. In its place at Barefoot Landing will be Joe's Crab Shack. Over at Broadway at the Beach, Grandma's Saloon has also closed. The NASCAR Cafe's opening is now set for late January. And the All-Star Cafe made official the news everyone in Myrtle Beach already knew, that they would be opening an outlet next to Planet Hollywood in 1997. Several months ago Rockburger, a hamburger and rock and roll oriented place on Ocean Boulevard near the Pavilion, closed. They also might reopen later in a different location.
The very famous soul food eatery in Harlem named Sylvia's is seriously considering setting up a location in Atlantic Beach, the small predominantly black beach town located in the middle of North Myrtle Beach. The location would be right on U.S. 17. The original 'Sylvia', mother of the owner, is from Hemingway, S.C., near the beach areas.
Jet Express, the discount airline that serves the Grand Strand, will be taking a 'winter vacation' from the area and temporarily suspending service to
Myrtle Beach from January 6 through February 27. If you need to inquire about reservations already made, call 1-800-386-2786. This sort of move is not unusual in the industry. Although the Grand Strand is becoming more and more of a year-round resort, there is still a drop-off in business during the middle of the winter.
The recent proposal from the South Carolina Department of Transportation to co-fund part of the Conway Bypass road project has been matched by the Horry County Council, which agreed to pay its share of the project from a new tax. The new 1.5 percent tax on hotel rentals, restaurant food, and entertainment admissions will go into effect January 1.
The national agency that predicts the severity of hurricane seasons has some bad news for 1997. Next year is predicted to be an active one, especially for the eastern U.S. Atlantic coastal areas. Last year they predicted a busy season, and it wound up being even worse than they had predicted. The El Nino winds which sometime moderate the hurricane season are not active, and the stratospheric winds will be coming in from the west, which can intensify Atlantic hurricanes. The late 1990's are shaping up to be one of the most active periods of Atlantic coast hurricane activity this century.
The two Grand Strand venues that feature numerous guest artists have announced their 1997 schedules (booked so far). The schedule for the Palace Theater will be in the next issue; their earliest date is in March. Here is the Alabama Theater's roster, highlighted by appearances of the theater's namesake group, two of the Mandrell sisters, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Billy Ray Cyrus:
Jan 16-18: Patsy Cline Tribute
Jan. 25: Boots Randolph / Floyd Cramer
Jan. 31 - Feb. 2: Alabama
Feb. 8: Charley Pride
Feb. 22: Jim Nabors
Mar. 1: Glen Campbell
Mar. 8: The Lettermen
Mar. 15: Bobby Vinton
Mar. 22: Louise Mandrell
Mar. 28-30: Alabama
Apr. 5: Loretta Lynn
Apr. 11-12: George Jones
Apr. 19: Marty Stuart
Apr. 26: Patty Loveless
May 3: Boots Randolph / Floyd Cramer
May 9-11: Alabama
May 17: Tracy Lawrence
May 25: Mark Chestnutt
May 31: Barbara Mandrell
June 14: Pam Tillis
June 20: John Berry
June 27: John Anderson
July 5: Billy Ray Cyrus
July 12: Tracy Byrd
Aug. 8: Beatles 1964 Tribute
Aug. 15: Oak Ridge Boys
Aug. 22: Ricky Van Shelton
Sep. 13: Ray Price
Sep. 22: Billy Dean
Sep. 27: Jerry Clower (comedian)
Oct. 11: Glenn Miller Orchestra
Oct. 18: Patsy Cline Tribute
Oct. 25: Loretta Lynn
Nov. 1: Boots Randolph / Floyd Cramer
Nov. 7-9: Alabama
Remember that performances by the group Alabama tend to sell out well in advance. Call 803-272-1111 for more info.
You may have noticed that these issues have been a little more widely spaced than usual during the holiday season. News tends to slow down a bit this time of year along the strand, and if your life is anything like mine during December, you don't have much spare time for reading in any case. I have taken advantage of the fluid nature of Internet mailings to either issue frequently (during last summer's hurricane threats) or less so when the news slowed down.
I will probably not publish another issue until after the new year has come, so let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and best wishes for a great holiday season. As the first calendar year of the Myrtle Beach Internet News comes to a close, I would like to thank everyone for subscribing and for the positive feedback, especially regarding my hurricane updates. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or items to be included in the newsletter, feel free to contact me at bgrimsle@mbsc.com. See you in 1997!
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