Shark Savant

GOLD

STANDARD

BY CLAY BONNYMAN EVANS | PHOTOS BY RUTHE RITTERBECK

Humans have a deeply embedded, natural fear of apex predators in their environment. So, when it comes to the ocean, it’s no surprise that sharks haunt the human imagination.

Thanks in part to Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel “Jaws” and the blockbuster Steven Spielberg movie it spawned, fears about sharks went into overdrive in the mid-1970s with devastating consequences for shark species and their ocean environment.

But Hilton Head High School senior Delcie Swift has a message for anyone afraid of sharks: they really aren’t scary or particularly dangerous.

“I want to teach people not to be afraid of sharks,” she says. “The occasional shark bite does happen, but it’s so unbelievably uncommon.”

When Delcie began to consider projects for a Gold Award — the highest recognition given by the Girl Scouts of America — she decided she wanted to educate the public about sharks. On a suggestion from shark expert Kim Ritchie, associate professor of Natural Sciences at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, Delcie zeroed in on educating elementaryage kids.

Three years later her in-depth project, “Sharks of the Low Country,” has been adopted as an educational tool in the Coastal Discovery Lab at Hilton Head’s Coastal Discovery Museum. The display includes a shadow box and five containers full of shark-tooth fossils; charts describing shark anatomy, skin and how to identify species from tooth fossils; information about threats facing sharks; craft activities; and a guide to shark species found in Hilton Head waters.

“It has been a wonderful sense of accomplishment to hear from museum volunteers that my display is wildly popular among kids,” Delcie, 17, says. “I feel like I’ve made an impact on the age groups I hoped to reach.”

On top of that, on Sept. 15 she received the prestigious Gold Award for the project. Given to just 5.4 percent of scouts, the award often grants advanced rank for recipients upon enlistment in the U.S. military.

Though born elsewhere — “All I can remember is living in a city, and not liking it,” she says — Delcie moved to Hilton Head with her family when she was 6.

She quickly discovered her deep love for the ocean and the beach.

“I grew up with turtles. Since I was 6, I was wandering around with (Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head) and doing conservation projects involving “bees, bats and sharks,” she says.

Her father, James Swift, director of golf at Sea Pines Country Club, had her on the water from a young age, even teaching her to pilot a boat.

“He never put caution tape up around me,” Delcie says.

While working around marinas and docks, she realized how many people were “absolutely terrified” of sharks, based on ignorance about a critical part of the ocean ecosystem.

“It wasn’t fair, but they just didn’t understand,” she says. “When you think about it, you are going into their home.”

Shark bites on humans are rare, with just over 3,000 confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide since 1580 (about seven a year), according to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida Museum. Most bites are not fatal: just one of the 47 attacks documented in the United States in 2021 resulted in a fatality. And the lifetime risk of death from shark attack in the United States is 1 in 4,332,817 — more than 50 times less than the risk of being killed by lightning.

“Sharks are animals. They are curious, and the only sensory organs they have is their mouth and the front of their nose. So, they feel things, they bite things,” Delcie notes. “People who are bitten are just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” such as when sharks are feeding on fish.

But on the disastrous flip side, humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year, many illegally.

“Between overfishing and the finning industry, sharks are often caught by mistake, and instead of being released fishermen cut off their fins to sell on the black market,” she writes in the project. “Without their fins, sharks drown after being thrown back.”

A two-sport athlete, Delcie plays center for the Seahawks basketball team and is a highly rated softball pitcher. She hopes to receive a softball scholarship and study marine biology in college.

“I’ve known for a long time I wanted to build a career in marine conservation, and I wanted to share that with my community,” she says.

The shark project, she says, “has made me confident that I’ve chosen the right career path.”

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DELCIE SWIFT EARNS AWARD FOR EDUCATIONAL PROJECT ON SHARKS

TIMELINE 20 22 2022 JANUARY TO APRIL

LOOKING BACK AT LOCAL HEADLINES

STORY BY ANTHONY GARZILLI

01 JANUARY: The Lowcountry was welcomed to the New Year with a powerful overnight storm on Jan. 3 that left thousands without power. Severe storms and a cold front brought heavy rain and heavy wind. Wind gusts reached 49 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Hilton Head Island Land Trust conducted a contest to name the pair of eagles that were part of its popular “Eagle Cam.” After more than 400 submissions, the eagles’ names selected were Harriet and Mitch, named after Underground Railroad crusader Harriet Tubman and General Ormsby M. Mitchel, who founded the Town of Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island. Beaufort County adopted a revised redistricting map. The biggest changes pertained to the historic Gullah neighborhoods on Hilton Head Island. Of the island’s 14 Gullah neighborhoods, 12 were kept together in their entirety in District 10. Spanish Wells was split between Districts 10 and 11, while Chaplin ended up entirely in District 11. District 8 occupies a smaller portion of Hilton Head because of those changes. 02Hayden Gregory was hired as Bluffton High School’s new varsity football coach. FEBRUARY: Celebration was in order as Hilton Head Christian Academy’s girls basketball team won the SCISA Class AA state crown. Skylar Smith and Tamya Hutchinson each scored 13 points in the 45-34 win over Orangeburg Prep. Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka won a defamation lawsuit against local government critic Skip Hoagland. She was awarded $50 million in damages. A jury ruled that Sulka would receive $40 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages from Hoagland.

2022 JANUARY TO APRIL

Improvements were earmarked for the island as Local icon Stan Smith was presented the Order of

Islanders Beach Park at Folly Field Road planned the Palmetto by Gov. Henry McMaster. The award is to get a new pavilion that will give visitors with presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary disabilities or other special needs a chance to enjoy views of the beach. The pavilion will feature a wide entry path for wheelchair access and benches for seating. MARCH: The war in Ukraine was felt in the Lowcountry as Illia Ovcharenko, a 20-year-old native of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine and only 110 miles from the Russian border, took second place at the Hilton Head International Piano 03 04achievement and service. APRIL: The RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing returned at full capacity and the patrons were rewarded with a memorable event. Jordan Spieth won the tournament, defeating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff. The Lowcountry mourned the loss of Andrew Farbman, owner of Amigos Cafe Y Cantina in Bluffton, who was killed after he was struck by a car when walking on Spanish Wells Road on Easter

Competition. Sunday. A Hilton Head Island resident, Farbman, 62, Jeff Prekop, who runs a dog-grooming business was known for his business acumen and his friendly on Hilton Head Island, helped animals in Ukraine. demeanor.

He drove animal relief supplies from locations Improvements to the area moved forward as Hilton outside the country to a central camp in Ukraine. Head’s airport got the go-ahead from Beaufort

Supplies were then distributed to locations across County Council for a terminal upgrade. The project the country. will include approximately 43,000 more square feet Good times returned after a two-year hiatus as for terminal space, three jetways for passengers, new

Hilton Head’s St. Patrick’s Day parade marched parking, security upgrades, all-new baggage claim, a down Pope Avenue on March 13. Allan and Gloria new grand hall and a four-lane passenger drop-off and

LaCoe were the grand marshals. pick-up area.

2022 MAY TO SEPTEMBER

Hilton Head Island Town Council approved final reading of an ordinance that redraws the boundaries for the island’s six Town Council wards. MAY: The national spotlight was on our area as NBC’s “Today” was broadcast in front of a live audience May 20 from a house on the beach. The show’s “3rd Hour” featured Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer. The crew went on a fishing adventure, rode with the Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island, celebrated Melvin’s birthday and enjoyed local whisky.

Short-term rentals were a hot topic and in May the town of Hilton Head moved ahead with a plan — enforceable Jan. 1, 2023. The ordinance includes a variety of initiatives. “The ordinance will help create a balance to ensure residents, short-term rental owners and guests are all able to enjoy the island,” the town said.

Another initiative moved closer to being finalized this month as the town reviewed plans proposed for the MidIsland Tract and overall Mid-Island Initiative Area. Mayor John McCann believes the plans for the 103-acre mid-island community park will “transform” the island. Plans were approved in November.

Educators got a raise as county Board of Education approved the authorization to pay a 3% cost of living increase to full-time active employees.

Beaufort County Council voted to stop the collection of school impact fees and provide refunds for people who have

05 paid them. The decision was not without some opposition. David Striebinger, school board chair, and superintendent Frank Rodriguez released a letter arguing against the decision. Refunds for the fees will be distributed to property owners in the order they were collected. JUNE: The Lowcountry keeps growing, with Bluffton and Hardeeville continuing to show growth. The U.S. Census Bureau said Bluffton ranks No. 1 and Hardeeville No. 06 8 among the fastest-growing cities based on population. Hardeeville saw a 14.3 percent increase; Bluffton’s went up 12 percent. Hilton Head Island Town Council approved the fiscal year 2023 consolidated budget on June 7. The $119.5 million budget will reduce property tax millage for town property owners from 28.10 mills to 23.10 mills – an 18% decrease, a news release said. State lawmakers reached agreements that will impact the Lowcountry, including reduced tax rates and rebates for many South Carolinians. A spending plan clears the way for I-95 to be expanded to six lanes to Walterboro from the GeorgiaSouth Carolina border. JULY: Athletics was in the spotlight as the USC Beaufort Department of Athletics was officially approved as provisional members of NCAA Division II. The school joins 07 the Peach Belt Conference. Congaree Golf Club in Jasper County announced it would

2022 MAY TO SEPTEMBER

host The CJ Cup in October. The event featured a 78-man field and 20,000 fans. Rory McIlroy won with a 1-shot victory.

The Hilton Head Island Airport received $12 million in additional funding for the estimated $53 million terminal upgrades in the South Carolina State budget. The project is estimated to be completed in mid-to-late 2025. The airport at this point received $33 million overall.

In local news that grabbed national attention, former Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh was indicted on two counts of murder in the June 7, 2021, killings of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and his son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, state law enforcement said. Alex Murdaugh, 54, has denied having any role in the deaths. The indictment accuses Murdaugh of killing his wife with a rifle and his son with a shotgun. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

AUGUST: Stephenie Price resigned as police chief of the town of Bluffton. Captain Scott Chandler was named interim chief. Price had been chief of police since Oct. 12, 2020.

Bluffton’s Anne Fernandez shot a 4-under par 206 to win the Jimmy Self Invitational hosted by the Palmetto Dunes George Fazio Course. Fernandez won the girls 13-18 division. She won by 28 shots.

An 88-year-old woman in Sun City Hilton Head was killed by an alligator Aug. 15, the Beaufort County Coroner’s office said. The body was discovered near the

pond in Sun City. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was removed from the pond and euthanized. Hilton Head Island Town Council passed an ordinance allowing lower-speed e-bikes on the Town’s public pathways. The ordinance requires that safety information regarding the use of all bicycles be given to anyone who rents or purchases a bicycle on Hilton Head Island. SEPTEMBER: There were anxious moments this month for residents of the Chimney Cove Village, but they were not expected to be evicted in September, as originally planned. Eviction notices to residents of the low-income apartment complex on Hilton Head Island were rescinded, according 08 to a letter they received from management. The Board of Directors of Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity unveiled the house named in honor of retired President and CEO, Pat Wirth. During her years of dedicated service, 54 houses were built in Bluffton and 14 houses were built in Ridgeland. The football number worn by Dwon “D.J.” Fields Jr. will not be worn again after Bluffton High School retired his No. 55. A ceremony was held Sept. 16. Fields was shot and killed March 2021. A proposal to allow golf carts on multi-use paths on Buckwalter Parkway and Bluffton failed to move ahead. The ordinance failed on a Beaufort County Council first reading with a 5-5 vote. Those voting against the proposal cited safety concerns.

09

2022 OCT-NOV.

OCTOBER: The Lowcountry mourned the loss of an icon as Steve Carb, who changed the restaurant scene in the area, died at the age of 63. He helped found the SERG Group, which became the island’s largest employer.

“His impact on our restaurants and the hospitality and tourism industry on Hilton Head Island has been substantial,” the SERG Group said.

LaVerne Stewart, who teaches English Language Arts at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was named Beaufort County’s 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year. Stewart has 22 years of teaching experience.

Hilton Head Island again earned accolades as Condé Nast Traveler said Hilton Head Island was chosen as the No. 1 island in the U.S. for the sixth consecutive year in its 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Storm season became a threat as the effects of Hurricane Ian were felt in the Lowcountry, but it did not directly hit the area. There was no major impact according to officials. Sustained winds of 38 miles per hour and gusts of 52 miles per hour were recorded on Hilton Head Island. Beaufort County saw about 1.5 inches of rain.

Chris Blankenship was named fire rescue chief for the town of Hilton Head. Blankenship came to Hilton

10 Head Island Fire Rescue as a college intern in 2001. He was promoted to senior firefighter in 2004 and captain in 2014. In 2018, he was named Deputy Chief of Operations. NOVEMBER: Voters in the Lowcountry went to the polls. On the island, incumbent Patsy Brison (Ward 2) and Tamara Becker (Ward 4) won. Steve Alfred won Ward 5. The race for island mayor went to a runoff between JoAnn Orischak and Alan Perry, with Perry winning. For county school board, Elizabeth Hey won District 11 10. In county council races, Tab Tabernik (District 6) and Tommy Reitz (District 11) were winners. A topic of discussion all year was brought back to the forefront when a workforce housing framework was adopted by the town of Hilton Head. The plan includes collaboration, planning, management, and finding funding. Earlier this fall Beaufort and Jasper counties, along with the participating municipalities, pledged $3.4 million to support the production and preservation of affordable housing for workers critical to the region’s infrastructure like teachers, law enforcement officers, first responders and service industry workers.

U.S. 278 CORRIDOR PROJECT MOVES FORWARD BURGEONING BRIDGE PLANS

BY MARK E. LETT

Hilton Head and Beaufort County leaders are determined to complete the picture for a building a new, much-debated bridge connecting U.S. 278 with the island.

It’s a commitment that calls for cooperation, communication and a lot of cash.

Once completed — and the goal is 2028 or early 2029 — the six-lane bridge is expected to improve traffic flow, enable bicyclists and pedestrians, enhance safety and satisfy a laundry list of government specifications. Replacing four, two-lane bridges with a single, six-lane span is seen as an antidote to maddening congestion from breakdowns, accidents and periods of high-tourist traffic.

The expansion also is intended to ease the comings and goings of workers essential to island commerce. More than 60,000 vehicles currently cross the bridges each day.

Among the engineering and construction tasks: securing the bridge in bedrock — beneath the water and gooey

pluff mud — to better withstand hurricanes and earthquakes.

The price tag: Some $320 million, assuming timetables are achieved, and inflation is managed.

The path to a new bridge has had its share of twists and turns, including studies, public hearings and plenty of give-and-take among county-town-state stakeholders.

County and town councils in August agreed to establish a six-member commission to set criteria and recommend an independent firm to develop a plan to deliver the project. The county and town boards are expected to review a recommended firm next month.

At the core of the initiative is a stretch of bridge to extend between the Moss Creek and Spanish Wells communities. Government officials also plan an “endto-end” review of 278 from I-95 to the Sea Pines Circle. High on the to-do checklist is installation of a signal light system to sync and smooth traffic to and from the island.

“Essentially, this is a county project that profoundly affects the town,” said Glenn Stanford, a member of the Hilton Head Council since 2019.

A spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Transportation said SCDOT is project manager on behalf of the county. The state will “plan and manage construction through completion of the project,” said Pete Poore.

The project is awash in government acronyms, flowing from local to federal agencies with interest and responsibilities ranging from bridge construction to environmental protection. Satisfying those constituencies will require a focused choreography of listening, learning, sharing and collaboration.

“Coordinating all the stakeholders and the public through the project and to stay on task is essential,” said Jared Fralix, Beaufort County’s assistant county administrator for infrastructure.

Fralix said officials are committed to keeping the citizens informed along the way.

“There will be a lot of touchpoints,” for public review and input, he said.

Citizens tracking the project must navigate through state and federal agencies and programs with oversight. For example, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires such initiatives to pass a FONSI review (Finding of No Significant Impact). Agencies and involved parties include LATS (Lowcountry Area Transportation Study), SCDOT and STIP (State Transportation Infrastructure Bank).

“The project team has conducted four large public meetings, additional smaller public meetings, and presentations to the local governments,” said SCDOT’s Poore.

Finding a way through the acronyms and agencies begins with the six-member committee’s assignment to select a consultant for the independent study. The committee includes three staff members from the county and three from town.

Officials said they expect a recommendation within nine months after a consultant begins work on the independent study. Citizens will have the opportunity to meet with the consultant and review recommendations, officials said.

“There will be interim reports as the independent review moves through the process, as well as final reports,” said Shawn Colin, assistant Hilton Head Assistant Town Manager-Community Development. “These will allow for public input and review.”

The plan and the process face scrutiny from skeptical citizens. Steve Baer, a former member of the Hilton Head Town Council with nearly four decades of experience in engineering, has been among the most active challenging the project.

“My greatest concern is that our local politicians will prevent us from seizing the great opportunities this project provides,” Baer said. “As it stands, they cannot prove they have solved the congestion problem.”

As the project advances, Baer said, he remains “suspicious.”

Discussion of a new bridge has been around for more than five years, leading to a recommendation for a sixlane solution. Each existing bridge is more than four decades old. Fralix said the six-lane approach is the most efficient and cost effective.

In an uncertain economy with rising inflation, officials are concerned that construction costs might be difficult to predict with precision. The agreement reached between the county and town calls for a “value engineering” analysis to weed out unwanted costs.

County Council Chairman Joseph Passiment said, “we need to move forward as quickly as we can.”

“We hope to start construction in 2024,” said Passiment, a Sun City resident. “There will always be opposition and it’s always going to be a sore spot for some.

“In the end, I think this will be a wonderful enhancement to life in the Lowcountry.”

Bustling bluffton

HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TOWN

BY TIM WOOD | PHOTO SUPPLIED

BRIDGE AT CALHOUN FILLING UP

We’ve seen The Bridge at Calhoun take shape over the past year, and now developer Matt Cunningham said the mixed-use center at the corner of Calhoun and Bridge Street is finally full of activity.

The space’s building got certificates of occupancy in mid-October and filled up with residential and commercial tenants. Cunningham said the second-story living quarters have six of the 11 units occupied — three with residents and three being used as AirBNB rentals.

The Bridge’s six commercial units are also filling up. African-Caribbean eatery, Okan, is in the final stages of buildout, with the restaurant slated for a late February opening. Savannah men’s and women’s clothier J Parker Ltd is also constructing their first Lowcountry store, and Cunningham said the timeline is on track for a March PLANNED PROJECTS COMING TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND2023 opening. Cunningham said a home décor shop and a high-end lingerie shop are also set to open later in 2023. The two remaining spaces are both hot commodities, as the developer said he hopes to finalize negotiations on the last commercial partners by the end of December. Art will be a focus at The Bridge, with two framed-in canvas spaces built into the building design to house a rotating lineup of local artists.

RIVER DOG COMING TO OLD TOWN

Local brewer River Dog has received preliminary plan approval from the Bluffton Planning Commission to open a 50,000-square-foot facility on Jennifer Court near the intersection of May River Road and Buck Island Road. The building blueprint wraps around the Parker’s property, with a 20,000 square-foot brewery space and 30,000 square feet reserved for a food hall, retail space, tasting room, business offices, and a beer garden. The plan was met with ardent opposition from neighborhood residents, especially from the Red Cedar Street homeowners that are adjacent to the proposed brewery. The Commission’s Aug. 24 preliminary approval was contingent on the developer addressing all community concerns around privacy and parking.

Bluffton is busy with projects. Here’s a look at what’s going on.

PROPOSED RIVER DOG BREWERY FACILITY

There are more approval stages before the plan goes before Town Council for a final vote. Co-owner Dawna Gray first made a proposal to return to the Jennifer Court location in 2018. This plan is two and a half times bigger than the earlier proposal.

MINI GOLF PLANNED FOR BLUFFTON

Lighthouse Lagoon is turning into one of the more epic development stories of the COVID era. The 1.3acre project, Bluffton’s first miniature golf course, is being built across from Station 300 in the lot next to Subway at Buckwalter Place.

The 18-hole miniature golf course was first announced in February 2021 with a planned summer 2021 opening. The development plan was approved by the town in August 2021, with a new opening date set for spring 2022.

Developers Billy and Collin Hubbard have endured one supply chain issue after the next. The basic concrete framing of the course was completed in July, complete with a lighthouse that, when painted, will be a mini version of one on Hunting Island. But a delay in the course carpet combined with a construction worker shortage has pushed back the timeline further.

“It has been an epic journey. I was born here, I know there are few entertainment options that everyone in a family will enjoy,” Billy Hubbard said.

Hubbard said the latest delay is precast concrete storm drain piping that has been on back order for months. The site prep contractor is anticipating getting the piping on site in the next month.

Then they will construct the 1,300-square-foot building which will house golf clubs and balls, concessions and access to bathrooms. There will also be an 840-squarefoot pavilion to host parties of up to 40 people.

Hubbard said that if all pieces fall into place, they hope to have Lighthouse Lagoon open by March 2023.

ROASTING ROOM’S FINAL SHOWS

It has been a year of transition at The Promenade in Old Town, and that trend continues through the fall with the most seismic turnover just announced.

Owner Josh Cooke announced on Nov. 12 that The Roasting Room music venue will not be booking musical acts in 2023. The Room’s last shows will be right where they started in 2015, with acclaimed singer/songwriter Angie Aparo playing two shows on Dec. 22-23.

“I can’t pin any one thing as the reason we’re closing. It’s just a mix of a lot of events and signs that it was time,” Cooke said of the closure.

The Corner Perk owner will continue to own the space on the second floor of the caffeine epicenter of Old Town. Cooke said he has hired a new catering coordinator to focus on booking parties in the space.

“And if you want to throw a party with a local musician, I’m sure we can find a few thrilled to play in the space,” Cooke said.

Could The Roasting Room get a reboot down the road?

“This is the end of one chapter. We’re open to however the story continues to play out.”

Women’s clothing store Cocoon and gift shop Lily Bluffton both closed at the end of October. The Lily space will be used as office space, while the Cocoon space has been rented out for retail use.

Ben and Jerry’s closed at the end of summer and is being converted into a wine and charcuterie café. Corks closed in July and is being converted into an upscale seafood, Crudo, by restaurateur Brian Behnke. Cookware shop Cassandra’s Kitchen opened next to the former Corks space in September.

MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANNED

Bluffton is aiming to build more affordable housing units on a 1.78-acre site at 1095 May River Road. The town has formed a public-private partnership with developer Workplace State of Mind LLC, a group led by managing partner State Rep. Bill Herbkersman.

The plan is to build 12 affordable housing homes on the town-owned site, a purchase made in 2018 after 12 years of setting funds aside for such affordable housing land buys. Under the partnership agreement, the town will donate the land and reimburse the developer for the planning, permitting, design and infrastructure costs.

The neighborhood will be protected by a 30-year affordability covenant. That means the homes will be reserved for income-qualified buyers for 30 years.

The projected homes will be split among three Area Median Income categories — 60, 80 and 100 percent of the region’s median income, currently set at $76,480 for a family of two and $95,600 for a family of four.

PETS

MO NTH Of THE

ADOPT THEM AT: NOAH’S ARKS RESCUE Noah’s Arks Rescue specializes in helping animals with special needs. Meet these pets and their other adoptable animals by appointment only at 231 Hazzard Creek Village, Suite 3 in Ridgeland. For more information: 843-540-6755 OR GO TO WWW.NOAHS-ARK.NET

RHETT

Age: 6 years old Gender: Male Weight: 60 pounds Breed: Pit Bull Temperament: Sweet. Playful. High energy. Strong handler required.

KEITH

Age: 6 years old Gender: Male Weight: 58 pounds Breed: Pit Bull Temperament: Sweet. Playful. High energy. Must be the only animal in home.