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"The Harbour Town Lighthouse was recently repainted," writes Deep Throat. "A group of us were wondering if it was painted the wrong shade of red by mistake. The color now is more a crimson (like the USC color) in lieu of the original candy red stripe. Was the lighthouse repainting job an error?"
I do not disparage my fellow newshound. I'm always grateful to hear from members of the Get A Life Club.
At least it has not been painted the color of Clemson. That would be a silo-sized scandal for the lighthouse that brands Harbour Town and the Sea Pines Resort. Its image often represents all of Hilton Head Island, and South Carolina tourism.
Mind you that the red-and-white-striped lighthouse has never guided ships o'er the rocky shoals. It was built in 1969 to steer bulging wallets, and the Yankees attached thereto, onto these shores. It has worked so well that the real question is why the stripes aren't painted green.
But red is a traditional color for lighthouses. And, by chance, it matches the eyes of many folks the lighthouse has piloted this way. In the newsroom, we learned to look at our watches when anonymous tips flow in, just to see if it's cocktail hour. But we soon discovered it is always cocktail hour.
And we've learned that the straw that stirs the drink is color.
We have a Red Roof Inn, without a red roof. We have argued over the meaning of "forest green." We have told Dunkin' Donuts and Cracker Barrel that their identifying logo colors can't fly here.
Pete Dye told me that Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser was caught before the first Heritage golf tournament pulling up red stakes as if they were weeds. He apparently thought the color was tacky.
So when they repaint the Harbour Town Lighthouse, the most photographed symbol of Fraser's vision, everyone should snap to. It's the same in Beaufort, where scaffolding now embraces the historic Parish Church of St. Helena. Whatever happens is of biblical proportions.
Sea Pines executive Cary Corbitt assures me the lighthouse was repainted the same color, and that it is the original color. He said that several years back, when the resort did not own the lighthouse, it was painted a lollipop red that was brighter than it should have been. It's the same with the famous Harbour Town rocking chairs. Corbitt is returning some that came in bright red instead of burnt red.
Maybe they didn't rock the boat. The right stripes are allegedly in the right place. Until cocktail hour.
