![]() He accepted the position of Executive Director of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority. He retired in September of 1992, but three years later he took on a challenge of which he had no idea the magnitude. ![]() Later, he joined the Air Force, serving 26 years, but never managed to get stationed in his beloved Myrtle Beach. He embraced the beach town lifestyle and had a great time here. Buddy Styersīy the time Buddy was a teenager, his family had relocated to Myrtle Beach. Now Dino serves on the advisory board to preserve that local landmark. Once when he was a kid, the guys who worked at the Kozy Korner took him to Charlie’s Place to see Little Richard in concert. Just a few doors down was Ben’s Broadway Theater that will one day be part of a cultural arts center under the auspices of the City of Myrtle Beach and Coastal Carolina University. He and his parents lived above the family business, the Kozy Korner diner. Most people remember stories about their childhood that they tell friends and family, but rarely do you get the detail and entertainment value that comes from reading about Dino’s tales of growing up in what is now our new historic district. Greek Boy is a substantial coffee table book that gives a vivid account of what it was like to grow up in Myrtle Beach from the mid-1940s through the end of that century. At the door, you may notice a couple of books for sale with an author whose name may be recently familiar to you, Dino Thompson. This dapper duo makes everyone feel at home. But an even greater draw is the owners, both named Dino. One of the most popular restaurants in Myrtle Beach is Flamingo Grill because it has something delicious for everyone, steak, seafood and pasta. But don’t worry, he had two friends with him. My other favorite Jack story is how he got to Myrtle Beach to start with. ![]() They put him in charge of raising the money to save the building. The property owner was called and he granted Jack a 24-hour reprieve in which Jack convinced the City Council at that night’s meeting to buy the property. He happened to be driving by, realized what was about to happen, jumped the curb and drove in front of the heavy equipment in the nick of time. Not only did he chair the “All Aboard” committee that raised the money to restore it, he actually put himself in front of the bulldozers that were just about to raze it. ![]() While the other seven speakers are booked at the Chapin Memorial Library, Jack kicks off the series by speaking at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot and with good reason: It wouldn’t be standing if it weren’t for him. He photographed my wedding and even did my in-laws’ wedding forty years before. I have literally known Jack Thompson all of my life and I have the baby pictures taken in his studio to prove it. I’d like to tell you a few things about each member of this fab five from my perspective that may give you a little more insight into why these folks are so special. Two others have become some of my favorite people over the last few years as I have worked with them to share my hometown’s past. Of the seven featured speakers, three I’ve known for so long that I don’t ever recall not knowing them. Their press release regarding the series invited everyone to “Join us to hear about Myrtle Beach’s past from a local historian's perspective.” However, my favorite way to learn about Myrtle Beach’s past is listening to the stories of those whom I like to call the History Keepers.įor the fall of 2022 into the spring of 2023, a special, speaker-led educational series was initiated called Through the Lens of Time: Myrtle Beach History by the City of Myrtle Beach’s Seniors Advisory Committee and co-hosted by Chapin Memorial Library. These books, documentaries and historical markers are my primary sources of information. While I don’t have every local history book ever published in my possession, I have a lot. I can’t get enough of Myrtle Beach history.
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