The image on our cover is "Bewitched Bird of Paradise" by Peg Weschke, one of many pieces that will available at the Art League of Hilton Head's annual fundraiser, Got Art? For more information, see page 6.
August 19 – September 1, 2020
Publisher: Jeff Evans — Jeff@LCWeekly.com
Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly.com
Staff Writer: Mindy Lucas — Mindy@LCWeekly.com
Editor at Large: Mark Shaffer — BackyardTourist@gmail.com
Sales & Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com
Digital Marketing & PR Director: Kim Sullivan — 803-606-1530 or kim.theislandnews@gmail.com
Advertising Sales: Betty Davis — 843-252-9076 or Betty.IslandNews@Gmail.com
Art Director: Lydia Inglett
Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkle Works
Contributing Writers: Will Balk Jr., Vivian Bikulege, Katherine Tandy Brown, Ryan Copeland, Debbi Covington, Sandra Educate, Susan Murphy, David Murray, Laura Lee Rose, Sutty Suddeth, and Donald Wright
Letters to the Editor, comments or suggestions can be addressed to: Lowcountry Weekly
106 West Street Extension, Beaufort, SC 29902
Call: 843-986-9059 or Email: editor@lcweekly.com
Lowcountry Weekly is published every other Wednesday and distributed throughout Beaufort County at various restaurants, retail locations, hotels and visitor’s centers. The entire contents of Lowcountry Weekly is copyrighted 2020 by P. Podd Press, LLC. No part may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. A stamped, selfaddressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned. L o w c o unt r y
What’s Your Sign? One Saturday in Beaufort RANTS &
Last Saturday, my husband and I were traveling down Boundary Street when we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by hoopla. As we rolled up to the light at the corner of Ribaut, there appeared to be two public demonstrations vying for attention (and horn honks) – two groups of Beaufort citizens, on opposite sides of the street, chanting, brandishing posters, and waving flags.
On the old Piggly Wiggly side of Ribaut were ‘Back The Blue,’ a bunch of folks decked out in patriotic garb, rallying in support of law enforcement officers and first responders. Across the street, ‘Unified Beaufort’ was protesting racial injustice. Slogans like “Black Lives Matter” and “Police the Violence” caught my eye.
I felt myself tense up. The endless Either/Or imagery of 2020 America had come home to Beaufort. The relentless pressure to stand on one side of this road or the other. Law Enforcement or Black Lives. ( Hello? I choose both!) I was half hoping to return from my errand, jump on Facebook, and learn that this fleeting vision out my window had, in fact, been one big rally – a joint demonstration –utilizing both sides of the road.
No such luck. Definitely two separate rallies. Fortunately, they remained peaceful throughout the day – i.e. “incident free” –though a photographer on the scene said some “minor heckling” had occurred
between the groups. I guess that’s about the best we can hope for these days. Minor heckling never killed anybody, right? Maybe minor heckling even makes you stronger?
Ugh, I don’t know. Minor, major, or medium-strength, I hate heckling. Especially hometown heckling.
I did learn, a few days later, than some police officers had shown up at the Unified Beaufort rally, and that did my heart good. This Unified group, led by Tim Garvin, has consistently risen above the chaos we’ve seen elsewhere in the country – reaching across boundaries, resisting discord – and I’ve been impressed with their commitment to non-violence even as they keep their message front and center.
Elsewhere in Beaufort – on the same Saturday – a small group of parents were protesting the BCSD’s recent decision to start school online instead of in person. Posters featured slogans like: “Kids Won’t Learn If They Can’t Return,” “No Face to Face Classes? Refund Taxes!” and, my personal favorite, “Hell No! They Will Go!”
As the mother of a Clemson freshman who’s currently “going off to college” in her childhood bedroom – in a house that seems to grow smaller by the day – I feel their pain and also the BCSD’s. The Covid 19 pandemic has created an impossible situation for teachers, parents, and students of all ages.
Speaking of which, I listened to a podcast last week that featured working parents commiserating over the fact that their children’s schools had decided to go virtual. Fortunately, they had all found alternative places to send their kids during the workday – churches, community centers, etc. – where adults will be supervising them in groups as they take their classes online. The podcast parents were grateful that their communities had stepped in to fill a vacuum, but one quipped, ironically, “Congratulations. You’ve invented . . . school.”
But back to Beaufort. Over at the downtown post office, on that very same Saturday, yet another group of concerned citizens were showing their support for the U.S. Postal Service, an institution that has received more love in the past few weeks than it has, perhaps, in my lifetime. Remember when we all complained about the long lines and slow delivery, and “going postal” was a popular expression? I imagine those sentiments wouldn’t play well today. Thanks to Donald Trump’s weird crusade against the USPS – and worries about how it might affect the election – this long-in-the-tooth, inefficient behemoth of a utility has suddenly been recast as America’s sweetheart, the very lynchpin of our democracy. So last Saturday, Beaufortonians stood outside our downtown branch bearing signs with slogans like “Hands Off My Mail,” “Rain, Sleet, Snow, Voting,” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Save Our USPS.”
I’m also told I missed an Anti-Maskers’ demonstration the day before, but that’s just hearsay, so don’t quote me on it. Either way, I think I’ve made my point that Beaufort has been in full protest mode, much like everywhere else.
Writing in the Washington Post a couple of months ago – when I kind of figured this protesting stuff was a passing phase, and more specifically targeted – Thomas Sugrue contrasted our current unrest with that of the ‘60s:
“The 1960s protests happened at a moment of great economic prosperity that conspicuously left a growing segment of the black population on the sidelines. The 2020 protests, by contrast, are playing out in the context of a massive economic collapse that is affecting people of color particularly harshly (half of all working-age African
RAVES Margaret Evans
Americans are unemployed today) but hitting everyone hard. The diversity of this year’s protests points to the reality that during a deep recession, in the midst of a pandemic, everyone is a potential agitator.”
Well, maybe not everyone. I’ve mentioned here before that I’m not a big protest person. It’s not just because protesting makes me feel awkward – like somebody I’m not – but because I’m terrible at summing up my thoughts in a short, pithy, poster-worthy way. (Have you noticed?)
If I showed up a protest, I’d have to hold a giant, unwieldy banner. You’d likely see me floating catchy slogans like this:
• I Support the USPS, but UPS is Faster and Has Better Tracking! (Also, I enjoy voting in person. Makes me feel good. I like the stickers. But maybe I’ll vote by mail this year.)
• I Hate Masks – so Hot and Dehumanizing – But I Wear Them. (Etsy has great deals on some cute floral prints!)
• Black Lives Totally Matter – Duh – and I (Obviously) Back the Blue, too!
• Open Our Schools! But Only If It Seems Safe. Maybe Half Days? Alternating? Good luck keeping little kids in masks. And six feet apart. One second thought . . .
• Silence is NOT Violence. People are Silent for Many Reasons. Shall I List Them? (I’m gonna need a bigger banner.)
• I’m White, But I’m Not “Fragile.” (I’m frustrated. I’m upset. I’m confused. Sometimes I’m even angry. But I’m not fragile.)
• Can We Please Stop Labeling Each Other and Start Listening to Each Other? Seriously, y’all.
• “You Want a Revolution? I Want a Revelation!” – The Schuyler Sisters, Hamilton Hey, that last one might actually fit on a protest poster. Maybe I’ll get the hang of this yet.
What’s your sign?
Margaret Evans is the editor of Lowcountry Weekly (www.lcweekly.com) and blogs at www.memargaret.com
Earth to Sky
National Association of Women Artists Exhibit at Art League Gallery
The SC chapter of National Association of Women Artists, an elite group of 47 painters, mixed media artists, sculptors and photographers, is showcasing juried member works inspired by the beauty and solitude of land and sky at Art League beginning September 9.
The artists and their works represent an eclectic mix of styles and media. From bright and bold to monochromatic and somber, from naturalistic to abstract, the pieces all celebrate our vast earth and beautiful skies.
NAWA is made up of over 800 professional women artists. Works done by NAWA members are included in collections at The Smithsonian Institution Archives, The Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, and other American institutions.
Earth to Sky will be on display September 1-26.
Art League Gallery is dedicated to providing as safe an environment as possible. To that end, Art League is following all CDC and Town of Hilton Head guidelines, including mandatory masks for all employees and patrons, contactless and cashless service, frequent sanitization of the gallery, and a limit of 10 visitors in the gallery at any one time.
Art League Gallery is located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, 843.681.5060.
Circle of Hope by Sandy Dimke
At ‘Got Art?’ Everyone Gets Art
Art League of Hilton Head’s annual fundraising benefit, Got Art?, makes collectors out of art enthusiasts. Each $100 ticket provides participation in the live Zoom drawing and guarantees one original piece of art. Only 100 tickets will be sold. This popular event is sure to be a sellout!
Artwork donated by Art League member artists may include paintings, drawings, photography, collage, jewelry, ceramic, and sculpture. Each piece of art is valued at $200 or more.
What makes this event exciting is that ticket holder’s names are selected at random. This allows each person to select one piece of art. You never know when your name will be called or which pieces will still be available when it’s your turn to choose. Got Art? always proves to be a lively event!
WHEN: Thursday, October 1, starting at 6pm. When your name is drawn, choose an original piece of art. Everybody is a winner!
FREE PUBLIC PREVIEW: See the artwork in person at Art League Gallery. More than 100 Got Art? artworks will be on display at Art League Gallery September 29October 1, from 10am-4pm. Make a list of your top favorites to prepare for the live Zoom event on October 1, 6-7:30pm. The artwork will also be viewed online on our Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/ ArtLeagueHiltonHead /) and our website (www.artleaguehhi.org).
ARTWORK PICKUP: All artwork may be picked up from the gallery the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 2, 3 and 4, following the event during our business
hours Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm.
HOW: Purchase a $100 ticket. Visit www. artleaguehhi.org/gotart or call (843) 681-5060. Tickets also available at Art League Gallery and Art League Academy.
Only 100 tickets will be sold. You must have a ticket to participate in the live Zoom event. Each ticket awards one piece of art.
WHERE: Art League of Hilton Head Gallery located mid-island, inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, 843.681.5060, www. artleaguehhi.org
6th Annual Sea Island Spirit Writers
Short Story Contest
Writers, Far and Wide – Here’s a chance to get paid for writing! Sea Island Spirit Writers’ critique group is again sponsoring a short story contest open to all writers 18 years old and up. The phrase “torn scraps of paper . . . ” must appear in your story of 750 words or less. Your story could net you $100 for first place, $50 for second place, or $25 for third, and publication in Lowcountry Weekly.
THE RULES ARE SIMPLE:
• Entry fee is $10 per story. Only one entry per person please.
• All entries must include your name, address, email address and phone contact.
• Entries must be received by Friday, September 25th.
• Entries cannot have been previously published. We want new, fresh fiction.
• Digital entries only please. Submit to editor@lcweekly.com by email with “Short Story Contest” in the subject line.
• Payment may be made either by check or credit card. To pay by credit card, call Lowcountry Weekly at 843-522-0418. To pay by check, make checks out to “Lowcountry Weekly”, with “Short Story Contest” in the memo line. Mail to Lowcountry Weekly, 106 West Street Extension, Beaufort SC 29902.
• Winners will be published in the October 14th issue of Lowcountry Weekly.
Glasses by Reni Kuhn
Fall Means Saltwater Fly Fishing
Iagree with the person who said the best time to go fishing is when you can. However, here in the Lowcountry my favorite best time to go fishing is the fall. And it’s right around the corner, from about mid-September through at least early December.
The fall is such a comfortable season, with the heat and humidity not entirely absent but with at least a strong hint that the sauna-like conditions of July and August are well on their way out. The air begins to feel slightly cooler and just a little drier, visibility gets a little longer, the marsh grass still holds its bright green of summer and the colors and contrasts become sharper. As the fall progresses we get the bonus of seasonal changes. Not a sudden, harsh Montana-like blast of winter but a much gentler, mostly visual transition as marsh grasses and deciduous trees put on their dormant uniforms while temperatures remain mild. Light layering is all we need with the cool nights and pleasantly warm days. Any breeze this time of year is usually short lived, being associated with brief, passing fronts and not at all persistent like the typical winds of early spring. And I’m immensely grateful that it’s still way too soon for even the lightest coat of frost on the deck.
And then, of course, there’s the fishing. Keep in mind I’m not talking about just any fishing. I’m talking about fly fishing in the inshore salt waters around Beaufort. More specifically I mean the myriad of creeks and rivers among the marshes and barrier islands from about the middle of Hilton Head Island to about the middle of Edisto Island. This estuary extends inland as far as far as10 miles and forms about 150 square miles of prime habitat for red drum, aka spot tail bass, redfish or just “reds”. Reds are an ideal fly fisher’s quarry. These inshore waters become stuffed with shrimp during the fall, so the reds feed voraciously, sometimes rather recklessly with a “get it while the gettin’s good” attitude. This season offers the best chance that you may luck into one of those dream come true fly fishing days:
A towering cumulus cloud, mostly snow white with a little pink shading to grey and charcoal is billowing up toward the eastern horizon, far out somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. When the sun is well up a shaft of sunlight drills through a hole in the clouds like a movie projector and a small area of the mostly shaded marsh grass lights up like a neon sign. The colors are brilliant against the softest,gentlest blue sky toward the opposite
horizon. The wind has gone dead calm. The water is like a mirror. It’s reflecting this scene as far as you can see.
across the shallow flat much like the water is pushed by bottle nose dolphin. That’s the reds’ primary predator and they will run for their lives.
You’re positioned over the outer edge of a mud flat in about four or five feet of water at about the mid-point of ebb tide, a modest tide on the first or last quarter of the moon. Easily holding the boat in the gentle tidal current you notice a patch of nervous water, a section of otherwise mirror flat water that’s just started jiggling a little for no apparent reason. It’s some distance, maybe three hundred feet or more upstream. Then a few gulls and terns gather over the nervous patch of water, circling, hovering, and occasionally dipping down to the surface. The patch of nervous water is moving.
It’s a school of reds. They’re prowling the flat, in water so shallow it reveals every move they make, their dorsal fins occasionally and only briefly cutting sharp v-wakes. They’ve found a pod of shrimp which scatter in all directions, some flipping into the air with the reds in pursuit, backs half out of the water. The reds are getting the lion’s share of the shrimp. The terns are there to get their share. You’re there to get yours. And you can if you play it right.
But first you have to pinch yourself. No, you’re not dreaming. Indeed, it’s a dream come true.
As the guide or your fishing buddy quietly poles the shallow draft boat to intercept the school you both must avoid movements that rock the boat. That will displace a heavy wave
Check the fly line you’ve already pulled from the reel and coiled on the deck to ensure it is tangle free and you’re not standing on it. It’s best to be barefoot (with sunscreen) or to wear special lightweight stocking-like slippers that allow you to feel the line on the deck. The intercept point should be where the school will pass beside the boat within casting range. In this scenario (dead calm conditions) that should be no closer than 60 to 80 feet. If the reds are still actively feeding when they come within range it’s your double lucky day for they won’t be too sensitive to what’s going on nearby. With no more than three or four smooth false
casts, keeping a low profile as dictated by sun angle and shadows and all the while not rocking the boat, aim the cast into and near the edge of an actively feeding school. Let it sink for a few seconds and then retrieve it in short, quick motions mimicking a fleeing shrimp. Be ready. Even in this shallow water these little rascals will be anywhere from one to three feet long If there’s no take, lift about 35 feet of line for a back cast, change direction as needed and try another presentation, again being careful not to rock the boat or create a shadow. If you can still see the school but they are no longer actively feeding they can be a lot touchier, so you can’t cast too close. You’ve got to lead them. We call it sight casting, but in this case don’t look at the fish when you cast; look at your target, which is not where the fish are but where they’re going to be. Depending on their speed, the current and sun angle the target may need to be 15 to 20 feet or more in front of them. It can be quite a challenge. We don’t always catch them. If we catch a few it’s a bonus. Lucky for us, redfish don’t live in ugly places.
Tight lines,
Dave Murray
Dave Murray helped pioneer salt water fly fishing in the Lowcountry. He is a retired Orvis endorsed guide and currently teaches Orvis and Bay Street Outfitters’ fly fishing schools. He lives in Beaufort with his wife, Terry. He can be reached at davemurray1033@gmail.com
Dave Murray FAIR WEATHER FISHING
The F Word
No, not that “F word.” Not the one that I heard so often while working on the thoroughbred racetrack in my 20’s from people who punctuated their sentences with the expression as a matter of course. In order to sound tough, I guess. But as a visualizer, I jumped nearly every time I heard it because the “movie” of that “activity” replayed in my brain. I could live the rest of my days without that word entering my ears and be perfectly, delightfully happy.
Enough digressing. What I’m addressing is the other four-letter F word. The one that’s currently running rampant in our society, our country and the world at large. Fear. And that one can be so insidious, so disguised, that identifying it as a root cause of suffering, of anger, of shame, can be tricky, if not nigh impossible. Fear can govern our lives without our knowing it. Did you realize that the three aforementioned emotional states all can be born from fear?
I believe that two forms of fear exist. The first roars in as the result of perceived danger, and can evoke the fight or flight response. The standard example of that type of fear is the oncoming train, and if you should find yourself in that situation, by all means, take flight. Get off those tracks pronto.
Just this morning, I was about to turn right onto Ribaut Road at the Bay Street/Depot Road/Ribaut stoplight on a green signal.
Fortunately, I took one more look and saw a car approaching the light from my left at speed. She has a red signal, I thought. She’ll stop. But she never did. Simply flew right on through that major intersection without a thought of slowing down. Another two or three seconds and you’d be reading this in my epitaph. Whew! Fear definitely came up for me at that close call. Then relief. Then yes, anger. All to be expected.
Though I’ve mentioned this in previous columns, it’s worth repeating, that the pandemic has triggered widespread fear on many levels and for good reason. It can be deadly for you and/or loved ones. The perpetrator – the Covid-19 virus – is a smart, sneaky little sucker. The medical and scientific communities are trying to nail its behavior patterns so those experts can inform the public what to be on the lookout for. My heartfelt wishes go out to them. May they find solutions soon. But until that time, each of us is making decisions based on what we feel is right for us and for our families . . . and hopefully, for our fellow man, i.e. mask-wearing in public.
What I find personally during these uncertain times is that my fear level can change from day to day. Not a follower of hard news, I avoid major stories and incessant pundit speculations about political, economic and pandemic issues. Yep. Just call me Ostrich. However, occasionally, a piece of news will
sneak past my don’t-tell-me-unless-a-hurricane’s-on-the-way radar, and I can fall right into fear. Which can get big. Often much larger than the issue deserves. Not unlike a dog when its hackles rise to make it look bigger or a bear when it stands up to threaten. Once my mind gloms onto it, fear can take time and focus to shrink back to size.
To quote visionary pioneer in women’s health, Dr. Christiane Northrup, “Your mind can be a dangerous neighborhood where you shouldn’t go alone at night.”
Meditating, reading or listening to a soul-soothing book or music, chatting with a friend, walking or biking on the Spanish Moss Trail can return my brain to a far-safer neighborhood.
That said, however, most days, living in the Lowcountry is enough to counteract any fear that comes my way. Good heavens, all you have to do is walk outside and look around at the exquisite vistas. What an up – mighty, graceful live oaks with icicles of Spanish moss and rain-fed clumps of resurrection fern; glorious expanses of marshlands that reflect every vivid hue in VanGogh’s palette at sunset; the ever-changing skies just as wide as those in Big Sky Country; fascinating wildlife . . . magnificent wood storks and pelicans, skulking gators, elusive marsh hens, Gullah “shrimps;” and then, the water. Ah, the water. If you ever have the opportunity to fly over our Lowcountry, jump on it. Veins of salty water thread through the land like blue highways across a map.
The second kind of fear is the kind that may seem massive, that may make you want to run from it and/or stick your head in the sand. It’s Ostrich again. Essentially, it’s the fear of change, the fear of trying something new, of testing out a new behavior, of breaking a habit or addiction that you may have been escaping behind for years, perhaps even the fear of succeeding at something you really want.
Confronting these fears, standing toe-totoe with them head on can start you on the road to new behavior. Identify the fear, claim it and call it out. Then choose a method to resolve the issue. Above all, don’t hesitate to get help if you need it. During my last move – this one across town from one house to a smaller one – I found myself so overwhelmed by the amount of packing and pitching I still had left to do before the movers arrived in four days
HOLISTICS
by Katherine Tandy Brown WHOLLY
that I was in a complete panic. Pure fear that I’d never get it all done in time. So I called a friend who’s a professional organizer, and she gave me the name of a woman who could help. The minute this efficient lady walked in my door each day, I’d feel calmer. I dubbed her my “packing coach,” and we worked together under her directions. I swear I could never have moved without her.
As I was leaving home for my freshman year in college, my mom gave me a spot-on piece of advice that I still use when needed. “You’ll always be fine if you have an alternative.” Words to remember, as there usually is one.
As for the other F word, perhaps someone near and dear to you has gently – or firmly –“suggested” that you cut that expression out of your collection of frequent go-to swearwords. Maybe Covid isolation has led to introspection, and you’d like to clean up a few things in your life that aren’t working for you anymore, that make you feel bad about yourself and/or waste time – overeating, not exercising, staying up too late and not getting enough sleep. If excessive cursing happens to be one of those habits you want to break, you have two choices, both the brainchildren of swearing expert (Who knew?) James V. O’Connor. You can attend The Cuss Control Academy in Northbrook IL. Or pour yourself a stiff one and snuggle up to Cuss Control: The Complete Book on How to Curb Your Cursing. Really. The book has been featured and reviewed on hundreds of media outlets the likes of TIME magazine, The Oprah Show, the New York Times, and the O’Reilly Factor. If you try either of the above and the process works, we want you as a Wholly Holistics guest columnist for the download on your experience!
Waking Up Dead
Ryan Copeland’s new memoir chronicles the weird life of a funeral director’s son.
If you've ever met anyone who grew up in the funeral industry, you'll know that they're weird. Author/columnist Ryan Copeland, the son of Beaufort’s longtime coroner/funeral director, the late Curt Copeland, reflects on his unusual upbringing in his new memoir Waking Up Dead, available at amazon.com For this issue of Lowcountry Weekly, Ryan interviewed himself. (We told you these people are weird.)
May I start by asking why you chose to interview yourself?
Yes, you may start that way. It’s just an odd format. Everything I do is odd, have you not read my book, Waking Up Dead?
Yes, let’s talk about that for a moment. Why this book, why now?
It’s something that’s always stirred inside of me. People have come up to me for what’s felt like generations now to ask why I’m not in the funeral business like my dad. That’s those who don’t start by asking if I’m related to my dad because they’d never heard of me. I have a million stories from growing up in this town with everyone knowing my dad and few knowing me because we were so different in personality. I just considered my stories somewhat unique. The curiosity of people around me were always piqued when I related what my dad did for a living as a funeral director and county coroner, so I thought I’d compile the stories from my perspective and share. That’s nice and all, but why now?
My dad passed away ten years ago and it finally seems safe to talk about some of this. But also, we’re in the middle of a pandemic and I had nothing else to do. If I were smart I’d have used the time to work on inventing a new medication, or writing a software program or basically anything useful to humanity. Writing, though, is the only thing that’s ever come naturally to me. That, and throwing a baseball, but who wants to sit around and watch me throw baseballs to myself?
Is that why you self-published instead of going through the traditional route?
Look, self-publishing (rightly) has a stigma attached to it, but I promise you this was the quickest and easiest way to get this done
during federal, state and local quarantine. I also had an editor graciously comb through and I can assure you this isn’t a dime-store novel. It’s also not going to end up at a yard sale. Yet. What kind of audience are you hoping to capture for this book?
Obviously anyone in Beaufort who knew my dad could read the book and understand my perspective. Unlike me, my dad seemed to generate a strong reaction in people. He was always in the public eye and people seemed to really love him or . . . a different reaction. Aside from the public, however, he was a normal guy with a family and none of his six grandchildren remember a ton about him, so I wrote some of the stories down for them. I think it also speaks maybe to a larger audience about how parents and children relate to each other when they’re so different. Maybe some fans of true crime and non-fiction will also enjoy. Basically, I asked myself what type of book I’d like to read, and this was it. This is not War and Peace but it’s not exactly summer beach reading either. It’s hopefully something with a little for everyone.
Yes, you’ve described yourself before as both “exceptionally average” and “radically moderate.” Your dad, meanwhile, was a larger than life character.
Is there a question there?
No, just pointing out that you're not unique.
My stories are, I think. I’d never make a comparison to Frank McCourt in Angela’s Ashes, but that’s maybe the best modern memoir available, and the story of an Irish immigrant who becomes a teacher grabs your attention because of the writing of the author. My story is not heartbreaking and I’m not profound like McCourt, but I tried to cross the sensitive nature of my topic with lightheartedness.
Let’s talk about that – you know death is a serious topic.
It is, but when you’re around it a lot the normal human emotions become more and more difficult to tamp down. No one can live equably with doom and gloom all the time. I was at a funeral in Bluffton a few years ago where a bagpiper went to play “Amazing Grace” at the end. Only he either hadn’t warmed up the pipes sufficiently or he’d never actually played the instrument before. What
came out was something closer to a clarinet being played by a walrus. I know that sounds ridiculous but so did that bagpipe. I almost had to leave the pew because it struck me as so absurd and funny. I think Dad would have had a hard time with that, too. These are the kinds of things we have to acknowledge. I wrote in the book about how I gradually moved from cutting the grass at the cemetery to driving a family in the limo for services to driving bodies in the hearse. That wasn’t a natural progression but when you’re dealing with people in a time of grief, all sorts of emotions will come out of them. I learned that I’d rather be with the ones who couldn’t talk.
So the humor in the book is intended?
Absolutely. Right now, with deaths being tallied and reported daily, it’s important to remember that even if death happens to us all, we can and should still find humor in life. There’s nothing inherently funny about a statistic, but if you dig into the stories of the people behind the statistics you’ll find something funny and relatable.
What do you miss most about not being in the funeral business?
All the money I could have made had I not turned it down. No, I’m kidding – I’m a high
school librarian so obviously money isn’t an issue. Kidding again! I would have to say the smells. Not the embalming fluid smell, which is so hard to get out. I miss the smell of walking into the building when the carpet was just vacuumed. The flowers were always fragrant and the coffee maker always had a pot on and the toner in the copier was always full. It’s that odd mix – half church sanctuary and half office space – that I miss. There are people who always seem to “hang out” at a funeral home. They just go and sit and wait to see who turns up next on the stretcher. I always found it odd, but there’s a comfort in it, too, I guess. I miss being able to go to my dad’s office, sit down and shoot the breeze for a good ten minutes.
That’s all the time we’d need.
You’ve had a column in the local newspaper for several years now. You have also written two or three local history books and now this memoir. Are people tired of you?
Only the people in my own home. Possibly some neighbors.
So what’s next, then?
Beaufort is full of flavor and character. I said in the book that Beaufort was the smaller-scale envy of both Charleston and Savannah. Things are accessible here. We’ve also had, historically, a slightly larger proportion of eccentricity than either of those two fine cities. I’ll find something or someone to write about.
Meet the Seat People
USCB Center for the Arts gets creative with its ‘Fill the House’ campaign
If they could talk, they’d tell you the show must go on.
But they don’t talk; they just seem to listen. And that might very well be their best feature.
Introducing the “Seat People” –hand-painted wooden cutouts that literally sit in as audience members at USC Beaufort’s Center for the Arts.
A creative new fundraiser launched by center, these colorful characters are used not only to mark seats for social distancing but to fill the house with warm bodies. Or in this case, wooden bodies.
“It’s been a lot of fun and each one is unique,” said the center’s director Bonnie Hargrove.
As Hargrove explained, an audience is something the center has been sorely missing since the theater had to shut down earlier in the year from the pandemic.
Normally Hargrove, and Deon Furman, the center’s only other employee, would have spent the first half of the year planning the lineup for the next season, booking shows and finalizing contracts.
In addition, auditions for local performances would have been in full swing and the children’s theater would have been hard at work practicing.
But all that changed at the end of March when an executive order issued by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster closed theaters, auditoriums and performing arts centers among other venues.
The center, which had already closed its doors along with the university about a week before, was suddenly in crisis management mode.
“It was certainly sad and scary, but it was more, ‘We gotta do this, but how do we survive and how soon will we be back open,’” Hargrove said.
After crediting ticket holders and calling to reschedule or postpone acts, Hargrove and Furman sat down to brainstorm for fundraising ideas.
The center relies on ticket sales, donors and sponsors to fund its programming, so figuring out additional forms of revenue wasn’t just a novel idea – it was critical to keeping the doors open.
In fact, trying to stay financially solvent has been top of mind for theaters everywhere, said Hargrove, who frequently participates in virtual meetings and calls to network with other venues around the southeast.
In Charleston for example, directors with the Charleston Stage decided to delay the opening of the its 43rd season at the closed Dock Street Theatre until January, 2021, saying the move would make them financially stronger when the theater did reopen.
In addition, the nonprofit has had to cut its operating budget for the next nine months by
Artist Dusty Cady Wilson, left, with Pat Green and Bill Robinson
Mindy Lucas by
Seat People with Oliver
60 percent, more than $1 million dollars, and furlough 19 staff members, according to its website. What’s more, other part-time actors,
musicians and technicians in the Charleston theater community have also been impacted by the shutdown, directors said.
In Savannah, the Savannah Theatre and Lucas Theatre also had to cancel or postpone concerts and shows.
While bleak, this “new reality” for the performing arts has challenged theater directors and planners to get creative not only in their funding – but in their programming as well.
Unlike some centers that had to close completely during the pandemic, the Center for the Arts was at least able to offer live streaming or virtual content through already established partnerships, Hargrove said.
While it doesn’t replace an in-person show or performance, those who miss the theater can purchase tickets online and watch performances by the Metropolitan Opera or National Theater from the comfort of their own home.
Film and independent movie buffs can also take advantage of the center’s “Virtual Cinema” and watch a critically ac-
claimed film for a nominal fee and half of the ticket price goes back to the center.
“That’s done well,” said Hargrove. “And now we’re looking at doing more streaming content.”
In the meantime, Hargrove said she and Furman have been spending time letting people know the center is still there.
The Seat People or Fill the House campaign as it’s also called, works in addition to the center’s annual donor campaign. The extra initiative has been a big help, Hargrove said, since it’s been the only source of revenue the center has had this summer.
“I hope it shows some sort of spirit of creativity and whimsical fun,” she said.
So far center volunteers and local artists have created some 21 Seat People. Some are of the artists themselves, while others are Hollywood stars or literary characters.
“And they could use some friends,” she said.
Those interested can purchase a Seat Person for $300 or a pair for $500.
In the meantime, the center hopes to reopen with limited capacity around Oct. 1. It has instituted new cleaning protocols and will be following recommended safety guidelines in terms of social distancing and wearing masks.
And when the Seat People are no longer needed, Hargrove said sponsors can take them home.
“We will miss them,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll have a party or something for them.”
Lucas is a
If You Go
The Seat People will be featured as an outdoor installation as part of the Art Speaks opening, 6-7 pm, Sept. 10, at the Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort.
A special juried exhibit, Art Speaks will feature over 50 pieces of new work, in a variety of mediums, created by local artists during the pandemic. Motor City Pops will be on hand for the event.
For more information on Art Speaks or the Fill the House campaign, visit www.uscbcenterforthearts.com.
Greg Rawls & Katherine
Omar “Omally” Patterson with Self & Josephine Baker
Mindy
staff writer for Lowcountry Weekly and reporter for The Island News.
Random Recipes
Cooking is therapy for me. A day alone in the kitchen is not only a great chance to be creative, it's also an opportunity to escape from the concerns of the day. It's kind of like culinary yoga. Over the years, I've learned that messing up every dish in the house is very good for my soul. I've been cooking a lot this summer. Many new and yummy recipes have been added to my catering menu. Just as many have been added to our dinner party repertoire and I'll be sharing a bunch of them over the next several issues. Stay tuned and Happy Cooking! xox
SPINACH RICOTTA ROLL
This yummy vegetarian recipe is basically a savory sponge roll with a ricotta filling. It's delicious served warm or chilled. It also reheats well in the microwave.
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
For the ricotta filling:
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray with aluminum foil with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine eggs with mascarpone cheese,
flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir in spinach. Spread spinach mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until set in the center. Sprinkle a thin tea towel evenly with ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese. Invert cooked spinach onto the parmesan cheese on the towel and gently peel off the aluminum foil. Roll the spinach, like a jelly roll, in the towel and set aside to cool slightly. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese with sour cream, garlic powder, sun-dried tomatoes and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Gently unroll spinach and evenly spread the ricotta mixture over the top. Re-roll the spinach with the filling, removing the tea towel. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8
CHIPOTLE SHRIMP IN PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE
Serve this delicious shrimp over hot cooked noodles, rice or even freshly baked biscuits like I did. Canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce may be found on the Hispanic food aisle in your local grocery store.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 heaping teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan divided
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. chopped green onions
Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and chipotle peppers and cook until shrimp and pink and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove shrimp to a plate. Over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, heavy cream and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Let simmer. Sprinkle cornstarch over the sauce mixture and whisk in until mixture begins to thicken. Add cooked shrimp back to the sauce and cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and chopped green onions before serving. Serves 2.
STRAWBERRY LEMON BLONDIES
These easy blondies are much like a soft shortbread. They're moist and dense with little pockets of fresh strawberries in the batter. A hint of lemon gives these a delicious treats a tangy vibe.
By Debbi Covington
For the blondies:
2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup diced fresh strawberries For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon strawberry jam
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9inch baking dish with parchment paper; leaving long edges to help lift out the blondies for easy slicing. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients and mix until no more dry flour is present. Gently fold in the
diced strawberries. The mixture will be thick. Spread the mixture into prepared pan as evenly as possible. Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, just until the edge begin to turn golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick inserted in the center will be moist but not wet. Do not overbake or the blondies will be dry. Life the blondies onto a wire rack using the edges of the parchment paper. Let cool completely. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, strawberry jam and lemon juice until no lumps remain. Spread the glaze over the cooled blondies. Let glaze set before slicing. Makes 12.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 525-0350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com
Life’s Little Events
I’m in the post office the morning after returning from some travels, picking up “held mail” and restarting delivery. I’m standing in line, wearing a tee-shirt given me by my son. He got the shirt for participating in a charity event put on by a New York group, the Robin Hood Foundation. Across the back of the shirt is the name “Robin Hood” in bold letters.
Walking up to stand behind me in line is a guy who has the rare qualities of being both older and shorter than I am. His hair looks like mine does when I get up in the morning after a bad night’s sleep. I think there might be a widow’s peak in there somewhere. He has a scruffy moustache that the hook of his nose partially covers, and his glasses look to have part of his breakfast on the lenses.
After standing behind me for a minute, the man taps me on the shoulder and says, “I know that guy.”
“What guy is that?” I ask.
“That guy on the back of your shirt.”
“Oh,” I say, realizing what shirt I have on.
“Robin Hood. Yeah, he was a good guy. Robbed the rich to give to the poor, as I understand.”
“He could really shoot the bow and arrow,” he says.
“That, too,” I concede.
“I used to shoot in tournaments,” he continues. “Fired 3,200 arrows a day for practice. Made lots of money. Made $5,000 in one day.”
“Ooh, man!” I say. “That’s good money.”
“I was in the Army, too,” he goes on. “Fought in three wars. Joined when I was thirteen.”
“Son of a gun!” I say. “You sure couldn’t do that today, even if your parents didn’t like you.”
“In Korea there were 300,000 people trying to kill me,” he continues. “I never knew why.”
“That’s the way wars work,” I say, “unless you were maybe acting up or something.”
Neither rain, sleet, nor a pandemic can keep our trucks from rolling because of Second Helpings’ volunteers.
We applaud all the hours you put in rescuing food, serving on committees, helping in the office, and maintaining our operations. Thanks to you, more than 19,000 people receive food every week.
We also salute all the volunteers at our 55 agencies that help distribute the rescued food.
To our volunteers staying home due to COVID-19, we welcome you back whenever you’re ready to rejoin us.
By
Donald Wright
“And I survived two train wrecks, four automobile accidents, and a plane crash,” he says, undaunted. “Now I live over in Ridgeville.”
“Must seem pretty tame out there to you now,” I offer.
The clerk interrupts, signaling that it’s my time at the counter. I walk over and take care of my business. When I take my mail and turn to leave, the guy is nowhere to be seen
Donald Wright retired from SUNY-Cortland after 31 years as a professor of African history. He has authored of half a dozen books, held Fulbright, Rockefeller Foundation, and NEH Fellowships, and lectured in South Africa, China, and cruises along Africa's Atlantic coast. He lives with his wife, Doris, in Beaufort.
Paul Bazemore Realty & Associates, LLC
Listing Homes for 4.5% (1.5% to my company, 3% to selling company)
HOW DO I DO THIS?
• Low overhead
• No 40% referral fees from a franchise broker
• No commission split
• No other agents to manage
My MLS fees Pay to have my listings on:
• Zillow • Realtor.com •Move • Trulia
•Homes.com • Listhub • Redfin
And, I pay a small fee to distribute listings on the IDX system allowing the public search of your property on hundreds of websites.
“I grew up in Beaufort, SC. I had a boat & motor when I was ten.
By age 13, I had 50 crab pots in Battery Creek that I pulled twice daily, taking my catch to Blue Channel for 6 cents a pound. Growing up here prepared me well to become a Navy Pilot & to sell real estate in the Lowcountry.”
• Retired Navy Captain • Author of “The Legend of the
• Navy Pilot Putter Frog of Frogmore, SC”
• 25 Years Experience
• Extensive experience selling in real estate waterfront properties
Member: Charleston Trident Association of Realtors MLS and Lowcountry Regional MLS
Broker in Charge
Classifieds Classifieds
TO RENT or OWN
IN THE HEART OF BEAUFORT. Whether you're vacationing, moving to Beaufort, or working for an extended period, the suites at Magnolia Court are your ideal home away from home. Choose from our 1- and 2- BR apartments in our Tabby Townhome or our 3-BR Craftsman Cottage next-door. Weekly & Monthly rates. https:// MagnoliaCourtSuites.com. Call 843-812-5175
FRANCE OR ITALY IN 2020? Locally-owned vacation rentals in villages near Bordeaux, France and Montalcino, Italy. Romantic, historic places, close to vineyards, walk to restaurants and shops. Visit www.cozyholidayrentals.com for photos and pricing or call 401-862-2377.
SCREENWRITERS CALL FOR MEMBERS Lowcountry Screenwriters is a new group in Beaufort looking for committed individuals with either screenwriting experience, prior film or prose experience, or have an interest in film writing. Not a class, but a workshop to critique and provide feedback to the group. For interest in attending email a little about yourself. emilydfj@gmail.com bakerjef@hotmail.com
FRIDAY SOCIAL DANCES The Hilton Head Carolina Shag Club hosts Friday dances from 6-9:30 pm at Dolphin Head Golf Club, 59 High Bluff Rd, Hilton Head Plantation. Open to the public. Shag, ballroom, swing, country, or line. Singles welcome. Cash bar and light dinners available. $5 floor fee. HHICSC also teaches beginner Shag lessons Tuesday nights. www.hiltonheadshagclub.com, or www.facebook.com/HHICSC
STAINED GLASS CLASSES IN BEAUFORT Pinto Bean Studio forming morning, afternoon and evening classes for adults 18 or older. Beginning & advanced classes. Marty Nash at 614-260-6668 or pintobeanstudio@hotmail.com
ART LEAGUE OF HH ACADEMY KIDS CLASSES Tuesdays, 9/12-9/26. Ages 5-10, 4:30-6pm; Ages 11+, 6:30-8pm. $40 per child/session. Debi West has 24 years teaching art to children and has national leadership advocating for art education.
POTTERY CLASSES IN BEAUFORT McSweeney Clay Studio is offering morning, afternoon and evening classes for children and adults. Pottery dates and parties available as well. Classes are on going. Beginner or advanced welcome. mcsweeneyclaystudio.com or call 843-694-2049.
LOWCOUNTRY SHAGGERS Mondays at the Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 6-9pm. Carolina Shag
Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom Dance and once a month a Line Dance is taught. Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com
BEAUFORT ART ASSOCIATION offers classes for artists at all levels. For info visit www.beaufortartassociation.com. or 913 Bay St.
WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB founded '02, meets Wed evenings at AMVETS on Ribaut Rd., Port Royal. Free lessons to members. The club is an ACSC, SOS, and the National Fastdance Association member. For info visit www.beaufortshagclub.com
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 1810 Ribaut Road. Looking for committed volunteers for clothes sorting, pantry help, front desk help and Mobile Meals drivers. We are open M-F from 9:30-12:30, Mobile Meals delivers to home bound seniors 5 days/ week, routes takes about 30-45 mins. Email Lori at helpbeaufort@gmail.com, or call 843-524-1223, or stop in and fill out an application.
SNOWBIRDS! Wondering what to do with unopened, non-perishable food items at the end of your stay? Drop them off at the YMCA and we’ll deliver them to a local food bank on your behalf. Conveniently located in Port Royal at; 1801 Richmond Ave., 843-522-9622, beaufort-jasperymca.org
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP - First Thursday of the month at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center, from 1:30-2:45pm, 900 Ribaut Rd. Beaufort. We are individuals with Parkinson’s care partners of those with Parkinson’s, and individuals or companies providing products or services for Parkinson’s patients. For more info: Rick Ostrander at pdawaresc@gmail.com or Facebook at Parkinson’s Support Group Of Beaufort SC Port Royal & Lady’s Island.
US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, Flotilla 07-10-01, Port Royal Sound, a uniformed, all volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard. We conduct safety patrols, assist search & rescue, teach boat safety, conduct free vessel safety checks and other boating activities. Monthly meetings are open to all and held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom at 7pm. For info call Flotilla Commander Pattie McGowan (706-6336192) and visit us on Facebook - USCGA Beaufort.
PASTEL ART CLASSES IN BEAUFORT now forming by artist Randall Messina. Beginner to advanced. Max class size 5 students. At Atelier on Bay, 203 West Street. Supplies provided. Classes fill quickly so call or email to reserve. One on one classes also available. 843-321-3281 or e-mail: randallmessina@gmail.com
PORT ROYAL MUSEUM now open to the public by The Historic Port Royal Foundation every Saturday at 1634 Paris Ave., from 10 - 2 or upon request. New exhibits added weekly; historian on hand 10 - 12. Free admission! Call 843-524-4333 or email unionchurch1004@gmail.com to request a special opening.
or email:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for a few hours each week at St. Francis Thrift Shop. Open Tuesday thru Saturday. Call 843-689-6563 or come in to speak with Mr. Hal. Definitely shop.
COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE Safe & effective centuries old healing system treats and prevents a wide range of health-related conditions. Experience individualized treatment in a peaceful group setting. Sliding scale fee. Beaufort Acupuncture, 12 Fairfield Rd, 5B, Lady’s Island. For info and to schedule: (843) 694-0050 or www.BeaufortAcupuncture.com
SECOND HELPINGS seeking Day Captains and other volunteers to crew our trucks distributing food to local charities. Flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@secondhelpingslc.org
AGAPE HOSPICE seeks volunteers to spend time bringing joy to our patients and families during a difficult time. Activities include playing music, baking, arts and crafts, pet therapy, manicures, listening to stories, holding hands, etc. Provide companionship to the elderly who often feel lonely and unappreciated. Contact Ashlee Powers at 843592-8453 or apowers@agapehospice.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort. Come join the team providing food, mobile meals, clothing and emergency financial assistance to those in need in our community. Open Mon-Fri 9:30-12:30. 2 Ice House Rd., Beaufort. Call or email Jennifer 843-524-1223 or info@helpofbeaufort.org
TIDEWATER HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 12-1pm Brookdale Hilton Head Ct., Hilton Head; for those who provide physical, emotional or practical support to a family member or friend. Jodi Johnson, LMSW. Bereavement Group: 5-6 pm., Thursdays, 10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite A, Bluffton; for those who have experienced a loss and would like support and info associated with grief and bereavement. Corrie VanDyke, LMSW or Marie James, MA. 843-757-9388
THE SANTA ELENA HISTORY CENTER in downtown Beaufort hosts regular lectures, presentations, exhibits and programs about history, culture, science and archaeology. For more info visit www. Santa-Elena.org or 843-379-1550.
INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING? Second
Helpings, of Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties, seeks committee members and chairperson for Healthy Food Program. Funding available to procure fresh produce and protein for the 60 food pantries and soup kitchens served by Second Helpings. Contact Exec. Dir. Lili Coleman, 843-6893616 or execdirector@secondhelpingslc.org
BORN TO READ working for early childhood literacy, needs volunteers to deliver books and materials to new mothers at Coastal Community Hosp., HH Hosp., and BMH. Visits are from 10am – noon. More info at borntoread.org. Interested volunteers call 843-379-3350.
ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER BEAUFORT, Support groups and Respite Pro-
grams: Caregiver - Weds., 12:30pm, Helena Place Assisted Living, 1624 Paris Ave., Port Royal; Living with Alzheimer's - for those diagnosed and still in early stages - Mondays 1pm, Parsons Parlor, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret, Beaufort; Social Day Program- 10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Mon. & Wed., Port Royal United Methodist, 1602 Columbia Ave., Port Royal, Weds. at Cornerstone Christian Church, 2301 First Blvd., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $12-$24 sliding scale; Maintain Your Brain2nd & 4th Thursday, 10-11:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Port Royal United Methodist, 1602 Columbia Ave., Port Royal; Free Memory Screenings available. (843) 521-9190 or (843) 263-2062.
THRESHOLD SINGERS OF THE LOWCOUNTRY
A choir to ease and comfort people at bedside by offering gentle voices and sacred songs, with sincere kindness. Two to four singers go to bedside when asked and sing a cappella and in harmony. Practice at St. John's Lutheran Church the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month from 2:304:00 pm. Our songs are our gift of service for no charge. Call Pat Keown at 843-476-6073 to either join or ask us to sing for a loved one.
THE LITERACY CENTER is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing, math and ESL. Students hope to acquire skills to pursue life goals, support families, and contribute to our community. Daytime and evenings in Bluffton and HHI. Call 843-815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-681-6655 (HHI). No teaching, tutoring or other language knowledge necessary. www.theliteracycenter.org
THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY. Volunteer-based, non-profit provides groceries, clothing and basic needs items to ANYONE in need. Open Tues & Fri 11:30am-1pm. Located at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds are needed. For info contact Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson at 843-715-3583 or email sandalwoodpantry@gmail.com
PARRIS ISLAND MUSEUM. The legacy of the Marine Corps and the history of the Port Royal region. Thousands of artifacts, images, and other materials illustrate the stories in exhibit galleries from Native American to modern Marines. FREE admission. Mon-Sat 10am4:30pm and 8am on Family Graduation Days. Closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Info at parrisislandmuseum.com or 843-228-2166.
MEDICAL SERVICES OF AMERICA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS - Volunteers needed to provide companionship or skills like yard work, music, and crafts to patients and their families or assist in the office with admin tasks. Volunteers needed in Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties. For info contact 843-322-0063
CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS Join Shell Point Baptist Church Saturdays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems and looking to scripture for solutions. Meal at 6pm; Praise and Worship at 6:30pm followed by Small Groups at 7:15pm. 871 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 843-592-1046.
Soil and What It Means to You
Be amazed by the biodiversity in soil! The soil food web includes bacteria, fungi, nematodes, worms, and all sorts of other creepy characters. I dig dirt. I have a tee shirt that one of my friends gave me to prove it. Plus, there is so much going on in living soil that you wouldn’t believe. In a teaspoon of good garden soil there are 300 billion microbes and miles of fungal threads. Our sandy or sandy clay soils are dying for compost. Adding compost will improve moisture retention and offer nutrients as plant useable forms in sandy soil. It helps to break up and loosen tightly bound water and nutrients in clay soil. Microbial activity is key to productive growth and development of plants. As plants make their own food from water and carbon dioxide, they need Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium to grow and manufacture the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that become leaves, flowers, seeds, fruit, and fiber.
and do not photosynthesize. They are attracted to the sugary exudates that roots of green plants offer as a reward to the fungal threads and mycorrhizae, which in turn increase the surface area of the roots and assist in the uptake of moisture and nutrients. They improve the soil structure as they break down organic matter into humus forming long carbon chains.
feed the soil and may exhaust the good microbes and worms.
Actinomycetes are microbes somewhere between fungi and bacteria which give that rich soil smell to the earth. They are also the source of the -mycin group of antibiotics. Streptomycin, erythromycin, etc.
Fungi. They are decomposers- saprophytes, and other molds, yeasts, and mushrooms with strands of mycelium capturing the energy of formerly living plants and animals and making humus. Fungi have no chlorophyll
Some of the smallest of the microbes are bacteria. Bacteria are microscopic one-celled critters which have been around for a couple of billion years. They are good at breaking down organic matter but also provide plants and animals with defenses against diseases and attack harmful germs.
The word soil means that there is life as well as the mineral, water and air components. Some of the easiest ways to have living soil.
Leave the leaves. Raking and bagging or burning leaves removes free fertilizer. Nature captures or sinks carbon to make plant parts. The leaves also contain other nutrients mined from the soil. When the leaves decompose, they insulate the soil, prevent moisture loss and soil erosion. They feed the soil and the soil feeds those recycled goodies back to the tree. So simple.
Avoid using chemical fertilizers. Many of them are salts and should only be used to jump start very depleted soils. As concentrated quick release sources of NP&K they don’t
Use organic fertilizers, mulches, and compost to enrich soil, improve texture and tilth, and make regular deposits in the soil food web’s band account.
For more information on soil conditioning visit the Clemson Home and Garden Information Center https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/ soil-conditioning-establishing-a-successfulgardening-foundation/
Laura Lee Rose is the Consumer Horticulture Agent and the Master Gardner Coordinator for both Beaufort and Colleton counties. Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
Phone: (843) 524-4000 • Fax: (843) 524-4006 Over Fifteen Years Experience Serving the Lowcountry’s Buyers & Sellers with Closings, Deeds & Contracts
2 Professional Village Circle, Beaufort, SC 29907
Derek C. Gilbert - derek@dcgilbert.com
Melissa R. Wicker - melissa@dcgilbert.com
Alisha Doud - alisha@dcgilbert.com
Bonnie Hart - bonnie@dcgilbert.com
• Bobbi Tealey - bobbi@dcgilbert.com
• Daun Schouten - daun@dcgilbert.com
Dawn Shipsey - dawn@dcgilbert.com • Emily Dixon - emily@dcgilbert.com
Joy McConnell - joy@dcgilbert.com • Kathy Crowley - kathy@dcgilbert.com
BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL
Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. thefoolishfrog.com
Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or www.luthersrareandwelldone. com
Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 524-7771 or www.qonbay.com
Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town center adjacent K-Mart. Karaoke Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays with Eric and the Girls9pm. Open daily for Rock N Roll Lunch 11:30am. Best Reubens, Phillys, Fish & Chips and Now a Great Shrimp Burger. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie O'Grady's on Facebook.
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 379-3474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
BLUFFTON/HILTON HEAD
Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com
Captain Woody’s, 6 Target Rd., Hilton Head or 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton. www. captainwoodys.com
The Jazz Corner, Village at Wexf1ord, Hilton Head. Sundays - Deas Guyz; MondaysMartin Lesch Band; Tuesdays - Fat Tuesdays - a Swinging Celebration of New Orleans & Beyond; Thursdays - Lavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. 9/4 & 9/5 John Bracket Quartet, 9/9 Bobby Ryder, 9/11 & 9/12 Lisa Kelly Quintet with Bob Alberti honors Lynn Roberts, 9/16 Quiana Parler with The Lavon Stevens Trio, 9/18 & 9/19 Noel Freidline Quarter with Maria Howell, 9/23 Bobby Ryder. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com
Omni Hilton Head Ocean Front in Palmetto Dunes. Buoy Bar - HH Prime - (843) 842-8000 or www.omnihotels.com
OUT OF TOWN
The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 9/3 Miss College of Charleston. 843-577-6969 or www.musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. Performances on the Deck Stage until further notice. Sundays - Motown Throwdown; Tuesdays - Nightshades; Wednesdays - Grateful Dead Wednesday with Reckoning; Saturdays - Ward Buckheister. 9/3 Brock Butler, 9/4 Sailin' Shoes - Music of Little Feat & Nola, 9/5 Robertrio, 9/10 Graham Whorley, 9/11 Gino Castillo & the Cuban Cowboys; Tomatoband, 9/17 Of Good Nature, 9/18 She Returns From War, 9/19 Marshgrass Mamas. (843) 571-4343 or www. charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. Thursdays - Karaoke. 9/4 - 9/25 Bud Light Seltzer Beach Series - Friday - Dan's Tramp Stamp; Saturday - Brady Smith; Sunday - Larry David Project; Monday - Josh Hughett; FridayRotie & Jeff; Friday - The Vagabonds; Saturday - Warrick McZeke. (843) 886-8596 or www.thewindjammer.com
Editors Note:
Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
GALLERIES/ART
Now - 9/26, Earth to Sky, an exhibit of work by the SC chapter of National Association of Women Artists at Art League of Hilton Head Gallery. Located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, 843-681-5060.
Now - 10/31, Seeking Solace, the work of artist Beth Tokey Williams and her poet daughter Hailey Morgan Williams will be featured at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery. This work was created during an Artist in Residence stint in the Dry Tortugas National Park. Opening reception Fri9/4 from 5-8pm at 913 Bay Street in Beaufort on Friday, September 4, from 5 to 8 pm.
9/3 - 11/2, 'Art Speaks' Exhibit at USCB Center for the Arts. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Take a journey to the past and “meet” Eliza Lucas Pinckney. In 1739, when Eliza was just 17 years old, her experiments with indigo resulted in a very profitable industry for the colony of South Carolina. Hear her unique story, learn how indigo dye was made, and make your own indigo dye t-shirt to take home. This family friendly educational experience is fun for all ages. Cost is $15 per person and reservations are required by calling 843-689-6767 ext. 223. The museum is located at 70 Honey Horn Drive on Hilton Head Island.
Saturdays, 9/12, 10/24 and 11/21, CPR Classes at The Wardle Family YMCA, located at 1801 Richmond Ave in Port Royal. 8am-12:00 pm. Cost is $35 for this YMCA certified course and those interested need to register at the Y as space is limited and filled on a first come, first serve basis. Questions? Contact Lou Bergen, Aquatics Director to register for this class. Call the Y: 843-5229622 or visit: beaufort-jasperymca.org
First & Third Tuesday, Beaufort Toastmasters Club meets from 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm in the Beaufort College Building, Rm. 103 (USC-Beaufort Campus), 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. To learn more visit www.beauforttoastmastersclub.toastmastersclubs.org
First & Third Wednesday, FREE Acupuncture for Veterans – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition, Their Families and First Responders are Eligible) 4 - 6pm. Walk In Clinic. No Need to Pre-Register or Call. Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs Clinic. 1214 Prince Street, Downtown Beaufort
10/1, Got Art? Art League of Hilton Head’s annual fundraising benefit. Each $100 ticket provides participation in the live Zoom drawing and guarantees one original piece of art. Only 100 tickets will be sold. Tickets available at www. artleaguehhi.org/gotart
WRITERS & BOOK EVENTS
Sat 9/12, 4th Annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention sponsored by the Pat Conroy Literary Center. The event will be live-streamed from the SCETV Lowcountry Studio in Beaufort, and viewable on the Conroy Center's Facebook page. 10:30 am - 4 pm. Presenters include New York Times best-selling novelists Grady Hendrix (The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires) and Wiley Cash (The Last Ballad); actress, counselor, and author Ruthie Landis (Beyond the Book Club); and a trio of authors selected by Wiley Cash’s Open Canon Book Club: Lori Horvitz (The Girls of Unusually), Silas House (Southernmost), and Crystal Hana Kim (If You Leave Me). For more information visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
OTHER EVENTS
Sat 9/5, Discovery Night at Coastal Discovery Museum. “Indigo Exploration” from 5-7 pm.
Thursdays and some Tuesdays, Tours of the Historic Hunting Island Lighthouse sponsored by the Friends of Hunting Island. Keeper Ted and his team will tell you all about the history of the Lighthouse which was built in 1875 and is the only Lighthouse in South Carolina open to visitors. If you are at least 44 inches tall you may also climb the 167 steps to the top of the Lighthouse for a 360 degree view. Reservations are recommended by calling the Nature Center at 843-8387437. Tours are $2 a person and park entry fees apply.
Third Thursday, TECHconnect is a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around technology. Come and join on the for the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:307:30pm. 843-470-3506. www.beaufortdigital.com
Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchel by the Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.
1st Saturday of Every Month, Maye River Quilters meeting at Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. Members meet at 9:30am for social exchange. The meeting starts at 10 am. We welcome new members. Please call 843-707-6034.
4th Saturday of Every Month, While Fort Fremont is closed during the construction of an Interpretive Center, the Friends of Fort Fremont is presenting historical lectures at 10am at the St. Helena Library. The first lecture will be “Bringing History to Life, Fort Fremont Dioramas" by Dennis Cannady, Master Modeler. For more information call the Library at 843-255-6487.
