SECURING THE SHORE

Shore Beach Service Keeps Beachgoers Safe And Comfortable

The widow was well into her 80s, and the temperature had climbed into the 90s when she set out for a walk on Coligny Beach.

A bit later, her daughter and son-in-law grew concerned when she had not returned.

Scanning the shore, they set out to find mom — only to spot her arm-in-arm with a strapping, smiling lifeguard.

Sure enough, she had lost her bearings and was being escorted in search of the family condo along South Forest Beach.

The happy, anxiety-relieving reunion was all in a day’s work for Shore Beach Service, a hardy crew charged with the safety and comfort of Hilton Head beachgoers.

“We always find them — whether it’s adults or children,” said Mike Wagner, owner, president and beach patrol director of Shore Beach Service.

Established in 1974, the service is under contract with the Town of Hilton Head for responsibilities ranging from renting umbrellas and beach chairs to gathering trash left on more than 13 miles of beaches — to lifesaving.

Employees also assist local authorities enforcing beach codes and rules, including those covering pets on the beach at prohibited times.

Bob Bromage, Hilton Head’s director of public safety, said Shore Beach Service cooperates daily with the town’s beach operations, code enforcement and fire and safety units.

“They are, essentially, force multipliers,” Bromage said. “Their contribution is essential to safety on those beaches.”

Add to that: watchdogging the shoreline environment by spotting the movement of endangered sea turtles (nesting season is May through October), instructing visitors against collecting sand dollars, stocking beach containers with doggy bags for pet waste and removing mammals stranded in the sand.

But Beach Service is best known for its corps of lifeguards, operating on land, water and on foot, in trucks, beach vehicles and on high chairs rising above the shore.

During summer months, when locals and visitors descend on Hilton Head’s popular beaches, Beach Service employment “swells” to more than 100, Wagner said.

Most days, at least “65 or 70” lifeguards are on the beaches, he added.

Staffers are recruited from across the county and around the world, with lifeguard certification a priority. Beach Service workers are put through physical training and classroom education to boost skills in shore and water safety, and local rules and regulations.

Recruiting talent is a top priority, Wagner said. Conventional advertising for candidates was sometimes ineffective, but “word of mouth” has proven successful in producing applicants, he said. Time and again summer staffers have referred qualified, job-seeking friends to Beach Service.

Securing lifeguards is essential to the success of Beach Service. It’s no small task.

The American Lifeguard Association said a nationwide shortage of trained and certified lifeguards is disrupting operations at pools, lakes and beaches. The shortage is yet another result of the COVID-19 pandemic that slowed lifeguard recruiting, training and certification.

Wagner said Beach Service has nurtured an effective pipeline for talent through the nation’s colleges and universities — particularly school teams for swimming, water polo, track and tennis. The combination of athleticism and team experience is invaluable, he said.

This year employees hail from around the globe, Wagner said, including South Africa, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Canada and Hungary.

Many are student-athletes who sought jobs on Hilton Head after hearing from friends who worked here, he said.

Several schools have become regular sources of employees: Lindenwood University of Missouri; Delta State University of Mississippi and Emmanuel College of Georgia.

Training in the ocean, in swimming pools, in the sand and in the office is designed to produce skilled employees — and fierce competitors. Top lifeguards for Beach Service compete in contests sponsored by the South Atlantic Lifesaving Association. Recent competitions have been held in Jacksonville, Fla., and Virginia Beach.

Hilton Head beachgoers this summer are likely to see Beach Service employees training for team and individual events. It’s a rigorous challenge for men and women that includes a run-swim, 100-meter dash, 2-kilometer run and a beach flags challenge to test agility, speed and determination – “kind of a quick twitch” assessment, said Wagner.

Wagner is the second generation to manage Beach

Service, succeeding his father, Ralph, a former Fortune 100 company executive who left behind Chicago winters and relocated to Hilton Head. The elder Wagner bought Beach Service in 1992 after scouring the island for a business to own and operate.

During college days as a business student at the University of Illinois, Mike Wagner worked summers with his father at Beach Service — “always with the idea I would be coming down here.”

After graduating in 1995 with a degree in marketing and business administration, he worked in private business a few years before joining his father full-time in 1998.

Summer is the busy season, to be sure, with incident reports mounting into the hundreds and thousands. One of the most frequent matters handled by Service workers, according to Wagner, is jellyfish stings (more than 21,000 last year).

Lifeguards are trained to flush the sting with ocean water and a mixture of water and vinegar.

A note to beachgoers: Jellyfish season is expected to continue through the summer and into early autumn

HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK RECEIVES $2.5 MILLION INVESTMENT

Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park received a $2.5 million investment from the Mellon Foundation, the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. This investment, spread over a two-year period, will go toward the Freedom Plaza, The Classroom-Lab building, the Interpretative Trail, and infrastructure for the future Interpretive Center. Freedom Plaza will serve as a “profound” connection to West Africa, the birthplace of many Mitchelville residents, a news release said. For more information, visit exploremitchelville.org/

$1 MILLION DONATED TO HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE FREEDOM PARK

Moon King Entertainment Group, The Bank, and the Island Legacy Fund announced a $1 million gift committed to Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park. The Bank, Moon King Entertainment Group and the Watterson Family Foundation have created the Island Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to focus on Hilton Head Island housing, childcare and preservation initiatives.

Historic Mitchelville is “uniquely positioned to broaden the awareness and recognition of its rich story,” a news release said. Current funding is supporting the creation of Ghosted Structures representing the historic homes, a Church reflection area that also highlights a 4,000-year-old indigenous imprint and a Classroom- Archaeological Lab building that will support education programs and excavations on site for the foreseeable future.

“This gift from The Bank and the Island Legacy Fund is transformative to the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park project. The funds will enable us to move ever closer to building the full park site and sharing the unique story of Mitchelville with people in and outside of the Lowcountry,” said Ahmad Ward, executive director of the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park.

Summer Reading Program Promotes Literacy

The Beaufort County Library System and the Beaufort County School District have collaborated for a summer reading program: “All Together Now.” This year’s program accommodates summer schedules with minimal deadlines and flexible timeframes to complete goals. Printed game boards serve as the centerpiece of the program and, along with something to read, are the only necessary components of participation. Local businesses and organizations have provided prizes, donations, and incentives. The program ends July 31. The program is designed for all ages. Contact Theresa Furbish at theresa.furbish@ bcgov.net or 843-255-6442.

Hhi Fire Rescue Receives Agency Training Program Certification

Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue’s 911 Communications Center received an Agency Training Program Certification, a Project 33 Initiative, from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International. Public safety agencies use the APCO International Agency Training Program Certification as a formal mechanism to ensure their training programs meet APCO American National Standards. Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue will be recognized at APCO’s 89th Annual Conference & Expo, Aug. 6-9 in Nashville, Tenn.

Hilton Head Adopts New Strategic Action Plan

Hilton Head Island Town Council adopted a new Strategic Action Plan, which the Town said is an ambitious, community-focused blueprint celebrating the island’s history, culture, environment, and socialeconomic diversity while addressing its most pressing needs and services. The plan contains 54 strategies, including: establishing a growth management strategy to proactively protect the island’s rich natural resource; implementing an initiative to outline the Town’s commitment to preserve and expand workforce housing options; and developing the William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor Plan. The complete Strategic Action Plan is available at hiltonheadislandsc. gov/strategicplan/

Hilton Head Island Adopts 2024 Budget

Hilton Head Island Town Council voted 5-1 to approve the fiscal year 2024 consolidated budget on second and final reading. There’s no funding increase in property taxes. The $129.95 million budget includes funds for sewer connection and home safety and repair programs and the addition of 14 full-time positions. For more information, visit hiltonheadislandsc.gov/budget/ FY2024/.

Rotary Club Of Hilton Head Island Recognizes Students

The Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island recognized students for excellence, leadership and service. Students were, from Heritage Academy, Jettie Sheane Nelson and Kellen Kubec; Elliot Kennedy (Hilton Head Island Middle School); Benjamin Lewis (Hilton Head Island High School); Eden Myers and Bridget Wilkie of Hilton Head Preparatory School; and Olivia Halloran (St. Francis Catholic School).

Chelsee Kuklinski and Whitney McGuire, of HHIH, received scholarships for four years of academic pursuits. Kuklinski will attend West Virginia University. McGuire will attend the University of South Carolina.

Tcl And North Greenville University Announce Transfer Agreement

Technical College of the Lowcountry and North Greenville University signed an articulation agreement that enables TCL’s early care and education students interested in furthering their education to seamlessly transfer to NGU.

The agreement enables TCL students who have completed the college’s Associate of Applied Science in Early Care and Education degree program to transfer into NGU’s online Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Educational Studies program.

TCL students who transfer to NGU will be provided with advising and academic support for a successful transition and are eligible for a 10% discount on tuition, officials said.

New Elementary School Planned In Bluffton

The Beaufort County school board authorized superintendent Frank Rodriguez to negotiate a contract with Quackenbush Architects and Planners to design a new elementary school serving grades preK-5, which is expected to house 800 students. The school is aimed at alleviating overcrowding in the community, a news release said.

The design work for the project will be funded by 8% capital bond funding. Funding is anticipated to come from a 2023 bond referendum.

The new PreK-5 elementary school, projected to be completed and occupied prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year, will be located on the May River High School property owned by the district at 601 New Riverside Drive. The high school currently occupies approximately 80 acres of the 225-acre campus.

May River High School Student Named Sc Teaching Fellow

Riley Brodie, a senior at May River High School, has been awarded the prestigious Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) South Carolina Teaching Fellowship. Brodie is a member of the MRHS Color

May River High Athlete Wins State Crown

May River High’s McKenna Swinton won the Class AAAA state shot put crown (39-5) at the state track and field championships. Swinton bested Ayanna Hunt of Westside (39-4). She was also fourth in the discus (115-5). Overall, May River’s girls finished fourth. Swinton has signed to compete at Claflin University. Macey Dowe of May River placed third in javelin (1156) and discus (118-8). Anya Arroyo was third in the 3,200 (11:12.04). Darrion Perry was second in the boys 400 hurdles (56.55).

Bluffton Sites Added To Reconstruction Era National Historic Network

The National Park Service added the Garvin-Garvey House and Historic Campbell Chapel AME to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. The national network connects sites across the country which provide education, interpretation and research related to the period of Reconstruction.

Hilton Head Senior Awarded A R T Scholarship

Sophia Paris, a senior at Hilton Head Preparatory School, was awarded a $2,000 art scholarship from Art League of Hilton Head. She will apply the scholarship to tuition at Tufts University this fall, where she plans to double major in engineering psychology and studio arts with a concentration in graphic design. Paris is an honor roll student and president of Hilton Head Prep’s Global Citizenship Club.

The Garvin-Garvey House was constructed around 1870 by Cyrus Garvin (Garvey) in Bluffton. It is believed to be the oldest extant dwelling built by a freedman in Bluffton and remained in the possession of the Garvin family until the 1960s. In 2004, the Town of Bluffton entered a partnership with Beaufort County to maintain Oyster Factory Park, which includes the Garvin-Garvey House.

Historic Campbell Chapel AME was originally built by enslaved people in Bluffton. In 1874, the chapel became part of the AME Church and served the community throughout the Reconstruction Era as a social, religious, and academic center of the community.

Cooking Fires Result In Destroyed Homes

Two homes in the Bluffton area were destroyed by fires that were a result of cooking incident, according to Bluffton Township Fire District.

The fires were at the Woodbridge subdivision of Bluffton and on Cherry Point Road near Okatie Elementary School. No injuries were reported in the Woodbridge fire. Neighbors alerted firefighters that they heard the occupant of the home on Cherry Point Road calling for help. Firefighters found the man and transported him to Memorial Health in Savannah with serious injuries, a news release said.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

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Hhih Relay Team Wins Boys State Title

Hilton Head High’s boys 4X400-meter relay team of Dacien Cohen, Jourdin Nelson-Davis, Zach Sellers and Jackson Rohr (3:22.04) took home the SCHSL Class AAAA state title at the state track and field championships.

Janile Roberson of HHIHS took second in the boys 200 dash (21.63) and Cynthia Gudaitis was third in the girls 1,600 (5:08.39).

Overall, Hilton Head High’s boys placed seventh.

Local Female Wrestlers Excel At Regional Competition

Five local girls finished in the top 5 at the Southeast Regionals Tournament hosted by USA Wrestling in Cherokee, N.C. Vivian Patricia Urriola, a rising freshman at May River High School, competed in the 16U, 117-pound class and took first in freestyle wrestling and third in Greco wrestling. Also competing for Bluffton-based Reverence Wrestling Club in freestyle wrestling were: Sophia Perez, McCracken Middle School (14U, 110 pounds) placed first; Aleysha Mendez, Red Cedar Elementary (8U, 52 pounds) placed second; Amaia Mendez, Red Cedar Elementary (10U, 76 pounds) was third; and Angely Mendez, Bluffton Middle School (14U, 119 pounds), placed fourth.