11 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Each time we publish an issue we feel we are creating a gift. I know you probably think that’s weird but it’s the way we feel at Mount Pleasant Magazine. We are not only creating a gift we can enjoy, but also a gift everyone who visits or calls Mount Pleasant home can enjoy. See, I knew you would think it’s weird. But maybe it’s not when you consider that each edition contains articles and photos that focus on Mount Pleasant, and the towns surrounding it east of the Cooper and up the coast, and highlights the people, places, events and history that make our hometown and coastal region the special place it is. Our reader surveys, conducted by a Citadel MBA class, show that many readers keep the magazine around for a long time, in some cases for years. The gifts included in the Family Edition are plentiful, starting with the front cover, which captures one of the best gifts we all can enjoy: the water surrounding Mount Pleasant in our magnificent Charleston Harbor and beyond. I had been talking to the captains of these watercrafts for months about capturing a photo like this. What I didn’t know was that Mayor Will Haynie was planning on giving the key to our city to Chip Deaton and Scott Connelly, co-owners of Charleston Water Taxi – a well-deserved honor. Charleston Water Taxi has been shuttling passengers back and forth from Mount Pleasant to Charleston for 20 years. The water taxi team couldn’t have said it better: “Being on the water brings people together in a way nothing else does.” The next time you want to journey to Charleston, skip the Ravenel and head over to Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina to take the Charleston Water Taxi. After all, Chip and Scott must be good at what they do, since they have two keys: one from our mayor, and another one for the water taxi. I hope Chip and Scott, along with the other boat captains, will think of this cover as their gift along with the 120,000 digital and print readers. For more about the cover, see Page 14. I must come clean, though. I started writing my publisher’s note on April 27 – my birthday. I began thinking about the different gifts I have received throughout my life. But make no mistake about it, regardless of when I write my publisher’s note, birthday or no birthday, our publishing family feels this magazine is our gift to our readers and the communities we serve. Before we leave each other, I wanted to wish our former editor Zach Giroux lots of encouragement on his new adventure. He once told me he had never worked for a publication where the enthusiasm and passion were so high. That meant a lot to me. Yes, my birthday is over, but to everyone reading this magazine, you’re giving me the best present I could receive, no matter what day of the year it is. Positively yours, Bill Macchio Publisher • Publisher@MountPleasantMagazine.com Mayor Will Haynie presents the key to the city to Scott Connelly and Chip Deaton. from the publisher VOL. 16, ISSUE 3 • Family Edition 2026 PUBLISHER BILL MACCHIO PUBLISHER@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER JAZZY JORDAN ASSISTANT@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM COPY EDITOR COLIN MCCANDLESS ART DIRECTOR DANA COLEMAN PRODUCTION MANAGER BETHANY LONG BRAND AMBASSADOR STACEY MCLOUGHLIN STACEY@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ELLEN KERR ELLEN@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM DIGITAL MANAGER ALLYAH HARRAR ALLYAH@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM CONTENT PUBLISHER BELLA HARRAR CONTENT@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM DIGITAL/WEB EDITOR GEORGE CONKLIN AD DESIGNERS BETHANY LONG KIM HALL WRITERS MARY COY • LAURA FOGARTY • ALLYAH HARRAR BELLA HARRAR • WILL HAYNIE • WENDY HELMS ELLEN KERR • CARI LAWSON • L. C. LEACH III COLIN MCCANDLESS • SARAH ROSE • BROOKE WATSON PHOTOGRAPHER MARK STAFF INDEPENDENT MEDIA CONSULTANTS ELLEN KERR ELLEN@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM MARNIE BONN MARNIE @MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM BRIANNA ZAPPULLA BRIANNA@MOUNTPLEASANTMAGAZINE.COM ADMINISTRATION & BOOKKEEPING GINGER SOTTILE ALISON REED BOSS DOG REGGIE DISTRIBUTION/DIRECT MAIL U.S. POST OFFICE • HARRIS TEETER • CVS Mount Pleasant Magazine is published locally by a team of independent contractors. Mount Pleasant Magazine is published locally six times per year by Media Services, Inc. 1013 Chuck Dawley Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Copyright © Media Services 2026. All rights reserved. Reproduction electronically or in print format without the expressed written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited and a violation of U.S. copyright laws. Inquiries to: Mount Pleasant Magazine P.O. Box 22617, Charleston, SC 29413 843-881-1481 The gift will keep on giving if you love what you do
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