Lowcountry
cover notes
The image on our cover is "The Witness" by Kris Peterson, one of 10 artists who will open their studios during the Pigeon Point Studio
Art Walk on Saturday, October 12th. For more information, see our story on page 11.
yWeekly
September 25 – October 8, 2024
ro w c o unt
LPublisher: Jeff Evans — Jeff@LCWeekly.com
Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly.com
Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com
Art Director: Lydia Inglett
Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkleworks
Contributing Writers: Katherine Tandy Brown, Debbi Covington, Sandra Educate, Wendy Hilte, Michael Johns, Carolyn Mason, Cele & Lynn Seldon, and Sutty Suddeth What’s Happening Calendar: Staff – Editor@LCWeekly.com
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 2024 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, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned.
A Modest (Musical) Proposal RANTS &
Two assassination attempts on a former president. Exploding beepers and walkytalkies in Lebanon. Bombs threats in Springfield, OH. Lockdowns right here in our local schools.
It feels like the world is falling apart. And everybody’s got a solution, right? Most have placed their faith in the upcoming election. Just put the right people in power –whoever you think they are – and all our problems will fade away.
With all due respect to you dedicated partisans out there, I don’t believe it for a minute. Maybe I’ve just lived too long. Maybe I’ve studied too much history. But it seems to me that since time in memoriam, despite countless fluctuations in power and leadership – the waxing and waning of this party or that – the world has ever been thus.
So I think it’s time to try something new. Something radical. Something completely revolutionary.
My friends, the time has come for Mandatory Choral Singing.
I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to hear it! Don’t even start with the “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket” business. This is choral singing we’re talking about. You don’t have to be Pavarotti! For those who truly are tone deaf, percussion instruments can be provided.
In my imaginary Mandatory Choir, everybody has something to contribute, because everybody has some degree of musicality. Okay, maybe not everybody – but those who don’t are few and far between. And typically sociopaths.
“The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils,” wrote Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. “The motions of his spirit are dull as night, and his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted.”
And for the rest of us, let there be mandatory choral singing!
Seriously, we could start with the public schools. We could begin every school day, in every classroom, of every grade, with choir practice. What better way to start each day than with group singing? The birds do it, and look how efficient, functional, and happy they seem! Also, they’re survivors. As direct descendants of the dinosaurs, they’ve got to be doing something right. I can’t prove it’s morning singing, but can you prove it’s not? I don’t think so.
I can hear the pushback now: “But Margaret, public schools can’t just force kids to sing in choirs!”
Well, why not? We force children to learn reading and writing and arithmetic. We make them take science and social studies and PE.
10th 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 words “on the edge” 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 $15 per story. Only one entry per person please.
• All entries must include your name, address, email address and phone number.
• Entries must be received by Friday, October 4, 2024.
• 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 St., Extension, Beaufort SC 29902.
• Winners will be published in the October 23th issue of Lowcountry Weekly.
Why not mandate choral singing?
“But those things – math, reading, etc. –are necessary for living and working in the modern world,” you might respond. “Choral singing is not.”
At which point, I’d make my case. I would start with this passage from The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery:
“Every time, it’s a miracle. Here are all these people, full of heartache or hatred or desire, and we all have our troubles and the school year is filled with vulgarity and triviality and consequence, and there are all these teachers and kids of every shape and size, and there’s this life we’re struggling through full of shouting and tears and laughter and fights and break-ups and dashed hopes and unexpected luck—it all disappears, just like that, when the choir begins to sing. Everyday life vanishes into song, you are suddenly overcome with a feeling of brotherhood, of deep solidarity, even love, and it diffuses the ugliness of everyday life into a spirit of perfect communion . . .
"Every time, it’s the same thing, I feel like crying, my throat goes all tight and I do the best I can to control myself but sometimes it gets close: I can hardly keep myself from sobbing. So when they sing a canon I look down at the ground because it’s just too much emotion at once: it’s too beautiful, and everyone singing together, this marvelous sharing. I’m no longer myself, I am just one part of a sublime whole, to which the others also belong, and I always wonder at such moments why this cannot be the rule of everyday life, instead of being an exceptional moment, during a choir.”
This! Every word of this! Nobody need ever write about the power of choral singing again, because Barbery has said it so perfectly.
But that’s just the perspective of someone listening to a choir. I contend that people must actually SING in a choir if my world-changing vision is to be realized!
And yes, I’m being purposely grandiose and silly here, for funsies, but do hear me out. This is a serious proposal, and I’ve got science to back me up.
According to the Sing Up Foundation, there’s now a wealth of research proving the benefits of singing on health and wellbeing across a lifespan. The data suggests that those benefits are wide-ranging and holistic –psychological, physiological, behavioral, and social. You can read all about it at www.signupfoundation.org
RAVES
Choral singing is particularly good for our purposes here, because it improves social bonding and cohesion. Singing, itself, is “an intimate activity,” and when we share it with others, it helps strengthen bonds, says the Sing Up Foundation. Group singing enhances empathy and generates feelings of social inclusion, the organization says.
As a veteran choral singer and current second soprano in the chancel choir at First Presbyterian Church, I can only say . . . Duh I’ve been a chorister all my life and these “scientific findings” are not news to me. They’re just reality. Try singing in a choir with somebody whose politics you hate and continuing to harbor ill will toward that person. Go ahead. I dare you! It’s literally impossible. So back to the mandatory choral singing in public schools thing . . .
My scenario would play out like this: By the time kids went off to college and/or entered the workforce, they’d be well-steeped in choir culture – its spirit and ethos – and choral singing would become an optional activity. But you know what? I’ll bet lots of people would choose to continue. People don’t stop exercising just because they no longer have to take PE, right? Some things are just too good –and too good for you – to give up!
There would be university and community choirs to join. (There already are!) Companies and corporations could encourage morning choral singing for their employees if they wanted to – it would surely increase job satisfaction and productivity – but, again, the government would be out of it by that point.
Hey, I’m not some authoritarian nutcase. I’m not envisioning some creepy, compulsory National Choir Corps, the likes of which you might see in a place like North Korea. No, I’m just a humble choral singer in South Carolina who believes she knows the secret to world peace and wishes to share it with the masses. Is that so wrong?
If you have a better idea, bring it on. I’m listening. But I’d rather be listening to music. Or, better yet, singing it with you.
Margaret Evans is the editor of Lowcountry Weekly. She has been writing her award winning column, Rants & Raves, for 25 years.
Margaret Evans
Magnificent Music Making
USCB Chamber Music returns for its 45th season
By Michael Johns
USCB Chamber Music's 45th season promises to be its biggest, most varied, and richest. An international array of string, wind, brass, percussion and vocal soloists will perform music written in the 1600's to music currently being composed, from Argentina, Austria, Bosnia, Brazil, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, and the United States. Artistic Director, pianist, host, and high- wattage personality Andrew Armstrong has assembled an all-star cast of talent to animate a spectacular range of colors, moods, and styles.
The opening concert, Sunday, November 10, 5:00, features Stefan Jackiw, one of America's foremost violinists, and clarinetist Yoonah Kim, hailed by The New York Times for her “inexhaustible virtuosity.” They begin with Schubert's calming, transcendent, non-denominational “Ave Maria,” arranged for violin and clarinet. Mr. Armstrong joins them for the spirited and sublime Poulenc Clarinet Sonata, Stravinsky's crisp, neo-classic trio version of L'Histoire du Soldat, Richard Strauss' extravagant, bursting-at-the-seams Violin Sonata, Op. 18, and closes the evening with Astor Piazzolla's raucous and untamed Libertango. When have you experienced an integrated concert of trumpet, voice, guitar, violin, and piano? The New Year brings such an opportunity. On Sunday, January 12, 2025, 5:00, hear Belgian trumpeter/vocalist Jeroen Berwaerts, Balkan-American guitarist Mak Grgić, Hungarian-American violinist Abigél Králik, and home-grown Andy Armstrong perform a concert traversing continents, centuries, and genres. Baroque composers Leonora Duarte and J. S. Bach, classical-period standouts Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Ludwig van Beethoven (Violin Sonata No. 7), twentieth-century nationalists George Enescu, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Miroslav Tadić, along with song composers Richard Rodgers and Jacques Brel, will all be represented. It promises to be a luscious collage of tuneful, memorable, and evocative musical delights. That Saturday, January 11, at 3:00, the players present a second-annual, one hour, Youth Concert. This FREE for Youth event features conversations about music and performances of works by Enescu, Beethoven, Tartini, et. al.
Sunday, February 16, 5:00 is a joyous homecoming, reuniting cellist and former Artistic Director Edward Arron and pianist Jeewon Park with Lowcountry audiences. They have recently been augmenting their national and international reputations and will serve up three duo works: Gaspar Cassadó's Requiebros; a Spanish-inflected dedication piece for Pablo Casals, Arvo Pärt's
hypnotic and deeply meditative Spiegel im Spiegel, and one of the most significant cello sonatas of the nineteenth century, Felix Mendelssohn's Sonata No. 2, for Cello and Piano. Andy will perform a surprise original work of his own composition and team up with Jeewon for four-hand versions of Gabriel Faure's Dolly Suite, an affectionate, chiffon cupcake of childlike naïveté, and George Gershwin's adventures of a tourist sampling European glories, An American in Paris.
The first half of the Sunday, March 9, 5:00. concert features Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet by Ernest Chausson. This is powerful and fiery music, orchestral in its capacity to thrill with sweeping waves of sound and operatic in its ability to create compelling emotional scenarios. Frequent and much-appreciated guest violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti joins Andy for the solo roles. The accompanying quartet consists of four members of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings program at Mercer University. On most programs this out sized work would
occupy the second half. On March 9th, however, that honor goes to the largest ensemble ever to appear on this series, a conductor- less chamber orchestra of 13 accomplished and vigorous performers from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings. They will collaborate with Ms. Moretti on J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. The program will close with a dazzling work so cherished that its popularity can be whispered in the same breath as Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Handel's “Hallelujah Chorus:” Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Ms. Moretti will be the brilliant soloist in the Spring and Winter movements. Sunday, April 6, 5:00 the season concludes with soprano Indra Thomas, marimba virtuoso Eriko Daimo, and composer/saxophonist Alison Shearer joining Andy for a gala celebration including a world premiere and music for recital-halls, opera-stages, campgrounds, and jazz-clubs. It begins with Baroque structural perfection and energy by Johann Sebastian Bach and continues with the Impressionistic shimmer of Debussy, arranged for marimba. Three opera arias: “Pace, pace mio dio,” from La Forza del Destino (Verdi), “O mio babbinocaro,” from Gianni Schicchi (Puccini), “Vissi d'Arte,” from Tosca, and Alison Shearer's world premiere, Luminescence, for soprano, alto saxophone, marimba, and piano, close the first half. This three-movement work has a unique Lowcountry point of view as Ms. Shearer formed some of her musical impressions one spring evening sitting on a Bay Street porch and later reading Lowcountry descriptions by Dr. Lawrence Rowland and Pat Conroy. The second half includes Richard Strauss' haunting miniature to love and reverie, Mörgen! (Tomorrow!), Opus 27, No. 4, followed by two African-American spirituals, “Deep River” and “Ride On, King Jesus!” The energy then turns from religious-folksong introspection to delicate Romanticism and acrobatic brilliance with Emmanuel Séjourné's Concerto for Marimba and Strings, which leads surprisingly to the jazz-standard, “Misty,” by Erroll Garner for the memorable conclusion to an adventurous season.
The 45th USCB Chamber Music Season has multiple musical delights for every palette and sensibility. Artistic Director Andy
Armstrong has scoured the western chamber music repertoire for brilliantly absorbing and passionately heartwarming compositions and secured impeccably trained and technically polished artists to perform them. Experience in-the-moment creativity with musicians who arrive in Beaufort with performance-earned reputations in hand, assuring they will deliver intriguing, soothing, probing, joyous, and memorable concerts. On merit, USCB Chamber Music has risen to an enviable position; the 2024-2025 season is almost entirely sold out by subscription. There are some seats remaining but do not take the chance at missing out on this exciting season; reserve your seats today for the Lowcountry's premiere chamber music series.
There are three ways to enjoy each concert: in person and virtually by LiveStream and On- Demand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing opportunities. On- Demand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic. com or call 843-208- 8246, Monday through Friday. The concerts are on five Sundays, November 10, 2024, January 12, 2025, February 16, March 9, and April 6, 5:00 pm at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort in the downtown historic district.
Eriko Damo
Indra Thomas
Poet Laureate Headlines Open Mic Night
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center's monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, October 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured writer is Columbia City Poet Laureate Jennifer Bartell Boykin, author of Only Believe, selected for the 2023 Hilary Tham Capital Collection. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other local writers in many genres. The program is free to attend and will be live-streamed on the Conroy Center’s Facebook page. Writers interested in reading from their work during Open Mic should contact the Conroy Center in advance to sign up: contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
ABOUT THE FEATURED WRITER
Poet Laureate of Columbia, South Carolina, and a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, Jennifer Bartell Boykin is the author of the poetry collections Traveling Mercy and Only Believe. Her poetry has also appeared in Obsidian, Callaloo, the Raleigh Review, kinfolks: a journal of black expression, the museum of americana: a literary review, and Scalawag. Bartell Boykin is the recipient of fellowships from Callaloo and The Watering Hole. A school librarian at Muller Road Middle School in Blythewood, SC, she previously taught creative writing and English at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC, where she was also named the 2019–20 Teacher of the Year. She has been recognized as an American Library Association
Spectrum Scholar and an Augusta Baker Scholar at the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science, where she earned her master of library and information science degree. Bartell Boykin was born and raised in Bluefield, a Black community in Johnsonville, South Carolina.
“Bartell's Only Believe carefully treads through remembering childhood assault confounded with good memories that some would struggle to keep, including memories that elders lose if we're not quick enough to catch them. These poems are part oral history and part affirmation, but this collection complicates faith and walks readers closer to truth, healing, and forgiveness and standing tall in a grandmother's house.” – Tara Betts, author of Refuse to Disappear and Break the Habit
Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
Mary Grayson Segars
Studio #2
Atelier Off Bay 14 art galleries and studios open to the public
Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment (843) 379-0186
203 West Street, Historic Beaufort
Poet Jennifer Bartel Boykin
Ninth Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival
Iwas born to be in a library,” wrote beloved and bestselling author Pat Conroy (1945-2016) in his book My Reading Life. Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, this year’s Pat Conroy Literary Festival will pay special tribute to the vital work of librarians in championing the welcoming world of books, stories, and storytellers. The Conroy Festival will be held in Beaufort on November 1 and 2, with the Conroy Center also open to the public for tours on October 31 and November 3.
Kirsten Ness (At Loggerheads), with a special appearance by Gallery Books vice president and executive editor Carrie Feron.
Now in its ninth year, the Conroy Festival is a popular destination event with literary tourists visiting from across the country as well as for local readers, writers, educators, and students of all ages. With a robust schedule of free and ticketed educational and enrichment programs, this year’s festival will include author conversations and readings, panel discussions, writers workshops, book signings, musical performances, guided tours, a film screening, and a read-aloud for children and their families.
Featured presenters include New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander (Black Star), Kirsten Miller (Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books), Raj Haldar (This Book Is Banned), and Cassandra King (Tell Me a Story), as well as Reese’s Book Club author DéLana R.A. Dameron (Redwood Court). A lively panel discussion with Southern women mystery authors will include Agatha Award-winning and USA Today bestselling novelist Susan M. Boyer (The Liz Talbot Mysteries), Alicia Bessette (The Outer Banks Bookshop Mysteries), and
High school and college student volunteers from DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization will host a read-aloud for young readers and their families at the Port Royal Farmers Market. A Freedom to Read panel discussion, moderated by intellectual freedom champion Pat R. Scales, will feature youth advocates and librarian advocates who have been instrumental in local, regional, and national responses to education censorship. The festival will also include a private prescreening (open to festival attendees with advance registration) of the new featurelength documentary film Banned Together, prefaced by a tribute to librarians and followed by a discussion with producers Tom and Jenn Wiggin. A celebratory musical performance by the famed Beaufort Mass Choir and a reception at the Conroy Center will conclude this year’s festival.
To the benefit of writers, the Conroy Festival will also host a quartet of workshops on poetry, prose writing, and publication, led by Tim Conroy, Susan Madison, Valerie Sayers, Sean Scapellato, John Warley, and Chad Rhoad.
The ninth annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of the Robert S. Handler Charitable Trust, the South Carolina Arts Commission, Bank of America Private Bank, and others.
Most festival events will be held at the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Center for the Arts and at the Conroy Center. Advance registration is requested. (If a festival event is not sold out beforehand, tickets may also be available on the day of.)
For all details on the Pat Conroy Literary Festival’s schedule of events, presenter and instructor lineup, sponsors, locations, and how to register in advance, please visit www. patconroyliteraryfestival.org or https://patconroyliteraryfestival2024.eventbrite.com
To learn more about the year-round educational programming of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, please visit www. patconroyliterarycenter.org. The Conroy Center is located at 601 Bladen Street in historic downtown Beaufort and open to the public for guided tours on Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. (or other times by appointment).
Pigeon Point
Pigeon Point artists will again showcase their work on Saturday, October 12, 10am to 2pm. Ten artists, working in a variety of mediums, will open their studios to the public. Items will be on display and for purchase at each site.
Maps will be available at Pigeon Point Park and at every location for the self-guided tour, which can be followed in any order. Look for the colorful signs at each stop. Parking is available at the park and along the street.
This eclectic neighborhood is enriched with many creative people, each with a distinctive voice and history.
Eric Horan, a commercial photographer, is known for his wildlife photography in the Lowcountry and in Colorado, where he documented wildlife behavior for the state. He is a master naturalist who started a business, Lowcountry Photo Safaris, in order to teach and guide other photographers in the coastal salt marshes and maritime forests that are often his subjects.
Tom Mannon does relief carving in a variety of wood species, using traditional hand tools, then finishes with linseed oil and wax. Tom’s subject matter ranges from figures to nature, nautical/maritime compositions and classical themes.
Anne Dickerson , quilter, has had a lifelong love of fabric, color and design. Quilting is a craft with both utilitarian roots and artistic aspirations, with lots of room to play in-between. Along with quilts and pillows, Anne sometimes creates pictorial fabric collages with a humorous message.
Author Raj Haldar
Kwame Alexander, photo by Harlen Miller
Sunflower Sepals by Joan Furlong
Author DéLana RA Dameron
Studio Art Walk 2024
Sandi Atkins is a fiber artist who works in several different mediums. She will offer needle felted items, pictures using a Japanese method called Kimekomi and Indigo dyed items such as aprons, placemats, and napkins at the art walk.
Helena Appleton creates jewelry from semi-precious gems, pearls and enameled copper wire, which she manipulates into different formats and shapes. Her training in studio arts and architecture gave her an extensive foundation in color and design. “Elegance with an edge” is her focus.
Kris Peterson paints exclusively with pastels. She finds that their intense colors and soft effects lend themselves to depictions of birds, marsh and beach scenes, which are her favorite subjects. Kris’ images will also be available on cards and other items.
Lorri Motes is a stained-glass artist who is primarily self-taught, after learning the basics five years ago from a friend. Her creations range from small to large. She also does commission work.
Joan Furlong is a botanical artist who works in graphite, color pencil, watercolor, acrylic and pen and ink. She studied illustration at the New York Botanical Garden and holds degrees in art, horticulture and landscape architecture. Her purpose is to represent the timeless beauty and passing phenomena of the world around us with her finely detailed work.
M.Z. Thwaite has won numerous awards for her short stories and essays. She has published
three novels in her Tidewater series, which are set in the south, and recently completed her first historical women’s fiction novel.
Participating artists will be prepared to share their process, training, background and materials with visitors.
Sundown over Pinckney by Eric Horan
Palms by Lorrie Motes
Are You Ready for Some Football?
'Tis the season! It's once again time to break out the coolers and team banners and head back to college to watch football teams pass, toss and kick a pigskin ball up and down a field of green grass. Some folks that I know actually plan their lives around football season and travel up and down the east coast to attend every game. What's the most fun –the game or tailgating? Over the past few years, I've had multiple requests for recipes for tailgating food. So, I contacted my galpal and favorite photographer Susan DeLoach, and she and I spent an afternoon tasting and photographing some new and fun ideas for tailgating. We'll be sharing them with you in the next two issues of Lowcountry Weekly. Happy Football Season! (Reprinted from October 2016)
SWEET VIDALIA ONION DIP
1 large finely diced Vidalia onion
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 green onion, sliced, to garnish
Crostini or crackers, to serve
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir onion, mayonnaise, cheeses, Worcestershire sauce and garlic power together until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared casserole dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with green onion. Serve with crostini or crackers. Serves 8 to 10.
LOADED TOT KABOBS
1 (2-pound) bag frozen tater tots, thawed Wooden skewers
Shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Real bacon bits
Finely diced jalapeno peppers
Sour cream
Thread 5 or 6 tater tots on each wooden skewer. Place prepared skewers on a lightly greased baking sheet or on a grill pan. Bake at 350 degrees until browned and crispy or grill until browned and toasted. Sprinkle
skewers with shredded cheese and continue cooking until cheese begins to melt. Remove skewers from heat and top with bacon bits, jalapenos and sour cream before serving. Serves 12-15.
1½ sticks salted butter
2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Tailgating Part 1
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup pepperoni minis
Jarred pizza sauce, heated
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 24-cup mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Stir in oregano, flour, sour cream and pepperoni minis. Mix well to combine. Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full with the cheese-flour mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from muffin pans and serve with warm pizza sauce. Makes 40-48 puffs.
SLOPPY JOE BREAD BOWLS
8 sourdough rolls
1 pound hamburger, cooked and drained on paper towels
1 (15-ounce) can sloppy Joe sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Sliced grape tomatoes
Sliced green onions
Hollow out the inside of sourdough rolls. Set aside. Combine cooked hamburger with sloppy Joe sauce, onion, ketchup and Italian seasoning in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until heated through. Fill each sourdough roll with meat mixture. Top with cheese, sour cream, sliced tomatoes and green onions. Makes 8.
By Debbi Covington
GARLIC-PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS
1 dozen chicken wings
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Season wings generously with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place wings on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Heat oven broiler to high and broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until wings are brown and crispy. In a small saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute 1 tablespoon minced garlic over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and add 4 tablespoons butter. Stir until melted. Add parsley. Pour mixture over hot wings, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving. 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. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@ cateringbydebbicovington.com
PEPPERONI PIZZA PUFFS
What Do You See?
Abstract Art Show coming to SOBA Gallery
The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) is excited to present the latest featured artist exhibit, "What Do You See?" by Jane Capraro, also known by her artistic signature "JC Kuller." This
captivating exhibition will run from Sunday, October 6 through Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the SOBA Gallery. The community is warmly invited to the opening reception on Friday, October 11, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., where guests can meet the artist and immerse themselves in her thoughtprovoking works.
Jane Capraro’s creative journey is deeply influenced by her father, John Kuller, an illustrator and oil painter, whose legacy she honors by signing her pieces with her maiden name, "Kuller." After a successful banking career in New York City, Jane returned to her first love, painting, and began exploring the world of abstract and abstract expressionism under the mentorship of Missy Gentile at SOBA. Her artistic evolution has led her to create works filled with energy, hidden meanings, and raw emotional honesty.
In 2024, Jane received the prestigious “Best in Show” award for her abstract piece The Queen. Her work continues to gain recognition in the local art community, with her pieces currently on display at Alexander’s Restaurant on Hilton Head Island and at the SOBA Gallery.
In her artist's statement, Jane reflects on the emotional and freeing process of creating abstract art. She shares, "Painting in abstract is an emotional, freeing, and creative force that I use to interpret and express my vision of the world within and around me. I aim to create art that is transcendent, pointing the viewer into different worlds that may be humorous, magical, peaceful, sad, or may speak of an injustice or challenge."
For more information about the exhibit or to contact the artist, Jane Capraro can be reached at JCKuller@Outlook.com
Who Am I To Judge?
Idid not acquire a bachelor’s degree in the field of criminal justice nor political science. I never registered to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). There is no plaque on my wall commemorating the achievement of obtaining a Juris Doctor. I have not been acquainted with the long nights of studying and the stress inducing internal disposition associated with passing the bar examination. I’ve neglected to conduct any legal research in respect to preparing documents in assistance to any judge in the form of a clerkship. You won’t find any record of me trying a single case. Therefore, I’ve missed out on the opportunity to be elected or appointed to a judicial seat.
With all the above being true, who am I to judge?
I am a great contradiction at times. My subconscious acting as the judge, jury, and executioner to the souls I encounter daily. The nerve of me. Shouldn’t he who is without sin cast the first stone? Yet, my throwing arm could rifle a two-seam fast ball straight down the plate so fast that I would have MLB scouts fainting in infatuated disbelief like starstruck Elvis Presly fans. All the while, I am three connecting flights, a train ride, and an Uber away from being “sinless.” Quite honestly, more times than not, I find myself being judgmental (in my head) to people who are doing the same things I have done in some
form or another during some part of my life.
In order to counterbalance my preconceived deranged episodes of saint like virtuoso where I somehow forget all the mistakes, cruel words, missed opportunities, and incredulous actions I have taken part in, I prompt my subconscious with a question: “What if every harsh word you have every spoken to another, every mistake you have made, every lie you’ve ever told, the lowest points of your life, and the most unsavory actions you have undertaken were all put on the world’s largest jumbotron and played on repeat for the entire world to see? Would you still be so judgmental of others?”
When I think about every man, woman, and child in the world being able to see the not so amazing parts of me and my life on repeat, it instantaneously humbles me. I’m honestly so far from perfect that the idea of perfection might as well be in a different dimension than I am. So then why do I hold others to standards that I know I have continually failed to maintain myself? Why do any of us do it?
Fathers are angry at the boys that break their daughters’ hearts, yet those same fathers have broken countless hearts on their way to emotional maturity. People who have been unfaithful in the past dishonor their experience by passing judgment onto others who are being unfaithful in the present. We’ve
all shown up late somewhere. We have all hurt others, intentionally or not. We have all failed. We have all implemented the irreproachable resolutions of our unhealed traumas to a gentle world. I’m sure lies both white and sordid have passed from the lips of most of us at some point or another. Rational or not, we have all had reasons and excuses for straying away from the straight and narrow even if by a degree.
As I began to heal my soul and mature, I found that injustice, gossip, fear, inconsiderate actions, and unconscious comportments made my stomach turn, all the while forgetting that I was seeing an aspect of my unhealed self in another. I don’t believe that any one of us, before we are born, sits in some sort of hyperbaric soul chamber selecting negative aspects of our psyche and experiences that we want to bring into the world: “anger . . . check, impatience . . . check, alcoholism . . . of course, abusive parent . . . why not?, abandonment issues . . . sounds awesome!” I must remind myself that everyone is simply trying to keep it together amid floating around on a rock in the middle of vast nothingness.
We are each charged with the task of overcoming our fears and traumas in hopes of reaching a more unified connection with the highest version of ourselves. If we are being honest and accountable on this journey of salvation, we understand that when we focus
by Jared Madison WHOLLY HOLISTICS
on the shortcomings of others, we highlight the short comings within ourselves. Some of the things I have done in the past I would never do today. A higher part of me understands that even today, some of the worries and reactions I have are beneath me. The key to growth is accountability within oneself. What someone else is doing or being has absolutely nothing to do with me in most cases.
The more I remind myself of my own imperfections, the easier it has become for me to navigate through life with peace. I have been broken and I have been healed. I have been a liar and have spoken and lived my truth. I have been unfair, and I have been kind. I have missed so many opportunities that I could be the poster boy for failure; “come on down to earth where when you fail 1,000 times, you’ll still get 1,001 opportunities,” yet I still get up and try again. If I can be all things iniquitous and the Divine can still work with and through me, then anything is possible for anyone who is at any point in his/her life. Everyone is therefore exactly where they need to be on their own path at this exact moment.
Life is a journey that resembles a book. When we read an adventure novel, we don’t stop at chapter two and close the book because we don’t like how the main character behaves; we keep reading and we keep growing with the hero/heroine. At the end of the novel, we gain a better understanding of that character and hopefully ourselves as well. When you pass judgment onto others you are only observing a very particular and passing part of a very long and arduous journey. What rational scientist makes a conclusion when only given a small percentage of all the factors involved in the experiment?
Judge not because it’s the holy thing to do. Judge not because everything and everyone will be okay in the end and if it’s not okay right now, it is not the end.
My Favorite Fall Flower
As the weather finally begins to cool down, now is a great time to plant perennials and shrubs. Unfortunately, since most sane people are tired of their gardens by this time of the year, garden centers stop carrying many of the plants that would benefit from being planted now. They stock up in the spring when we are anxious to get outside and play in the dirt.
In the Lowcountry with our hot and humid summers, plants need to go into the ground very early in the spring to stand a chance to survive our summers. Better yet is to plant in the autumn when they will have our cool winter to grow nice strong root structures without having to expend so much energy to survive. What to do? There are shrubs available locally as well as some perennials. You can, of course get fall chrysanthemums, asters, and plants that will winter over such as ornamental kale. I think the garden centers here are starting to carry more things for fall planting. Do not be afraid to use online sources for plants. It is important to check reviews to make certain that you are dealing with a reputable nursery.
I really do love mums (Chrysanthemum indica -the most common species). I think I associate them with fall and football games. When I was in high school, everyone wore a “Football Mum” to Homecoming tied with ribbons in the school colors. They are a flowering perennial that is sometimes referred to as a subshrub because they can get woody. There are over 20,000 different cultivars worldwide and 7,000 in China. The blossoms can be pompom shaped or buttons or even daisy like. Chrysanthemums are native to Asia and northeastern Europe and were first cultivated in Japan between the 8th and 12th centuries. The name is taken from Greek and means “Golden Flower” since many of the blossoms are yellow. Chrysanthemums are so important in Japan that one appears on the Imperial Seal and the monarchy is referred to as the “Chrysanthemum Throne.” Many autumn festivals in Japan revolve around this flower and Chrysanthemum Day is celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th month. The first Japanese book on this flower dates from 1717 and chrysanthemums are a common theme in Asian art. Chrysanthemums were first brought to America in 1798. Japanese immigrants to California started the commercial growing of mums in the 1880’s.
The cultivated varieties are much more colorful and interesting than the natives and growers are still developing new varieties with new colors and longer lasting flowers. Chrysanthemums commonly bloom in autumn. They are what is known as a short daylight grower – our shorter days trigger their blooming. I find that if I over winter mine, they will bloom at strange times – early spring, midsummer, and then perhaps again in the fall.
I think our seasons and climate confuse them! Up north, they took the cold like champs and
bloomed faithfully every September.
I find it interesting that in Australia, they bloom in May and are a common Mother’s Day gift. Down Under, May is in their autumn. You are probably aware of the unique and rather strong smell of chrysanthemums. Their flowers in the past were made into a tea that supposedly had anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits. Mums are also the source of a natural insecticide called Pyrethum. Luckily for us, they are deer resistant for the most part. Remember that a hungry deer will eat almost anything and they do not read the labels.
One of the best things about this perennial is its ability to last for a long time – both as a garden plant and as a cut flower. I buy mums
By Wendy Hilty
during the fall to decorate my porch and place in my garden. Sometimes, I forget about my mums and they die from lack of water. Other times when I am on top of my game and are not too involved in the holidays, I will plant them out in the garden, cut them back, and they will return in the spring. They are difficult to kill.
As our days get shorter, consider putting a bright spot on your deck, porch, or patio and use chrysanthemums. They also are great to bring into your house as a potted plant or a cut flower.
Wendy Hilty is a Master Gardener and member of the Lowcountry Master Gardeners organization. She is also a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and likes to spend her time attempting to grow an English Cottage Garden in our heat and humidity. Her Comyagardener blog won a state-wide award from Clemson University last year. Wendy firmly believes that the most important tool for a gardener is a good sense of humor.
Garden mum
Toes Back in the Sand
It took my wife, Allison, 10 years to convince me to let her paint my toenails. She considered it a hot style for the right kind of man, and evidently that was me. Her keen former-manicurist eyes told us so. About 2 years ago I finally said why not? Now I like how it looks and appreciate the pizzazz it adds to otherwise unadorned toe digits. It also functions like a litmus test of sorts when others observe it. I’ve had a couple of double takes, some furtive glances, and more than a few exclamations of appreciation, mostly from females. Nothing crazy for a color, mind you, tones of blue and green suggestive of an ocean’s palette is what I choose. In a peculiar way, it was this decision to embrace something different like painted toenails that helped launch us closer to living near the beach. Living near water has been important to me forever. I’ve enjoyed being close to Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, harbors and
rivers of all shapes and sizes, up and down the East Coast. But the ocean is different. The writer Charles Bowden talks about The Great Plains being an “expanse and sensation more than a location,” and that is exactly how the beach feels to me.
Almost three years ago I walked the perimeter of Martha’s Vineyard Island, covering 60+ miles over four days walking 6-8 hours per day (you can read about it here).
In that great expanse I traveled through sensations and mystifications, losing track of time and distance (and, eventually, three toenails). The first day I was lashed by rain for all but about 45 minutes. On the third day I had to wade a rushing inlet, after all the days I was exhausted. When I flew home to Cleveland Ohio, I left a part of my spirit there. I knew I had to get back to living closer to the salt and sand to reclaim it. In August we made the move to Beaufort.
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It had been nearly 40 years since I lived close enough to an ocean beach to consider it part of my life. I mean it has always been a part of my spirit life, and there have never been any significant gaps in getting to the beach for visits and vacations since the time I was in diapers, but I’m talking about it being part of my home life, where I live. Now my toenails are painted Beaufort Blue, and I live twenty-six miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
This is a profound fact, and the culmination of what started as wistful desire, morphed into longing, functioned as a regret for a brief while, turned into resolve in the time of COVID, and became a reality after a two-year stop in Knoxville, Tennessee. It came down to the “why not” and the decision to take a leap of faith.
Yesterday I got in my car and drove to the beach, not as part of any grand adventure or special vacation. My journey from my Mossy Oaks neighborhood starts with a glide over the McTeer Bridge, anticipation already building. I then navigate the Lady’s Island commercial cluster and cruise past the Executive Airport as the buildings start to thin out. I’m on Sea Island Parkway and bound for glory.
As I cross the bridge to St. Helena’s Island and make it through Frogmore the vibe gets more rural south and coastal combined, but it’s the turn right before the Shrimp Shack and Gay Fish Company that opens the view and starts the music in my head. The Harbor River bridge rises like a promise and for real you ain’t in Kansas anymore.
I landed on the southern side of Hunting Island beach and the atmosphere was
By Luke Frazier
crackling with clouds, waves, wind, sun, and shadows. But also suggestions, murmurs, declarations, and possibilities. There’s something about looking out over endless water that invites all the emotion and thoughts you can muster. When I go to the beach I enter a zone, and when I get into the water it becomes even more sublime and hard to describe. I become a part of it all and all of it becomes part of me. This is part of my reclamation process; I try to just listen and be there.
Then I got in my car and drove home, not to a hotel or Air BNB or friend’s house or rental cottage. Just home.
I’m hopeful this is just the beginning of sharing my reflections on life in the Lowcountry. There seems to be very real passion here for the visual arts, books, food, flora & fauna, God, guns, history, boats, and fishing. If I can offer a perspective that entertains or provokes a good ponder, then I will consider it a worthwhile endeavor. In the meantime, my lost toenails have all grown back, and they await their next color iteration, maybe a Port Royal teal?
Luke Frazier is a writer and award-winning media producer who recently transplanted to the Lowcountry. He runs NOW Communications, which focuses on the needs of mission-driven organizations. Luke believes questions are often more important than answers, and that capturing stories always matters.
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TO RENT or OWN
ITALY: Tuscany townhouse for rent by the week in historic UNESCO village. Sleeps 4, large furnished garden, easy walk to shops and excellent restaurants. www.cozyholidayrentals.com or 401-862-2377.
FURNISHED LUXURY APT In the heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. Please call 843-812-4229.
CLASSES & SEMINARS
LOCO SCRIBBLERS 3:00 5:00 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Are you a scribbler (professional or hobby writer)? Check out our small and informal Beaufort area writers club. All skill levels and subjects welcome including fiction, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and memoirs. Free. Call or email for more info and the meeting location in Port Royal: beaufdick@gmail. com or 843-322-0616.
FREE HYPNOSIS/HYPNOTHERAPY INFORMATION session and guided group meditation workshop. This free session will focus on stress reduction and relaxation. Open to the public, every 3rd Monday of the Month, at 7 pm Eastern via Zoom. Bring a friend, learn more and RSVP for Zoom Link at www.guidepathhypnosis.com or contact Chris at chris.guidepath@gmail.com
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY ONGOING PROGRAMS & CLASSES Stitch Happens, Mondays @ 1:30, Bluffton; Basic Computer Skills Class 1st & 3rd Fridays @ 11:30am, Lobeco; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Gaming Club 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 4
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
ART LEAGUE OF HH CLASSES & WORKSHOPS With over 25 local professional art educators, and guests from around the world, Art League of Hilton Head offers classes and workshops in all media for all levels of students. Visit www.artleaguehhi.org or email academy@artleaguehhi.org for more info.
POTTERY CLASSES IN BEAUFORT McSweeney Clay Studio offers 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 - Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 6-9pm. Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom and once a month Line Dance. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com
WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB meets evenings at AMVETS, 1831 Ribaut Rd., Port Royal from 7-9pm, and the 2nd Sat. of the month 7-10pm. Free lessons to members Sep. to June. Visit The Beaufort Shag Club on Facebook
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
SEA ISLAND ROTARY CLUB has a 12:15 lunch meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information about the Rotary Club of Sea Island please visit our website at www.seaislandrotary.org
NEW BRIDGE CLUB at the Beaufort Branch Library
Wednesdays at 11am starting September 18th. The first session is for beginners new to the game, and following sessions will provide some instruction and we will learn as we play. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for the military lounge at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport. It is operated by a cadre of volunteers. Formerly the USO Lounge it has been renamed “Savannah Salutes,” and continues to provide a respite for travelling active duty, retired and reserve military, veterans and their families. The facility requires volunteers to keep the lounge open from 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. There are three shifts each day, with two volunteers on duty for each shift. Interested in volunteering? More info and application forms are available at the www.savannahsalutes.org or call John Findeis at (912) 507-4848. The airport will provide free parking.
VETERANS FIRST THRIFT STORE is in need of volunteers. Summer hours are Thursday thru Saturday - 10am4pm. Volunteer hours are very flexible! Stop in the store at 612 Robert Smalls Parkway to fill out a volunteer application or call the store at 843-263-4218. Please consider helping this very worthwhile organization!!
SECOND HELPINGS seeks volunteers to crew trucks in Bluffton and Beaufort to distribute food to local charities. Offering a flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@ secondhelpingslc.org
BEMER LONGEVITY TECHNOLOGY 10-11a Fridays via Zoom. Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Want to grow better, not older? Have one and want to learn more about it? Come for Q&A about this longevity-enhancing medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being. Sessions are designed to support those who have their own unit but everyone is welcome. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.
CARIS HEALTHCARE: WE HONOR VETERANS Hospice Program. You a Vet with a little time to share with other Vets with limited time? The We Honor Veterans program seeks volunteers who are Vets to offer a listening ear for our Veteran patients. Volunteers also participate in our Pinning Ceremonies for Veteran patients. Contact 843473-3939 or smilliken@carishealthcare.com
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY: Non-denominational meditation, silent prayer and healing group forming. All welcome. No previous meditation experience needed. Call Michael 843-489-8525.
HABITAT RESTORE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS We're looking for volunteers for cashiers, sales floor associates, donation processing, donor data entry, and donor ambassadors. Interested? Go to lowcountryhabitat.org/volunteer or call 843-525-0055.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Calhoun Station Thrift Store in Bluffton. All funds generated are returned to other nonprofits in the community. Store is open Wed & Sat 10am to 1pm and located at 77 Pritchard St. Volunteers can stop by store or contact Cate Taylor, 843-310-0594 or catetaylor@frontier.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 530 Charles St. 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.
PORT ROYAL MUSEUM is open Thursday through Sunday at 1634 Paris Ave., from 10 - 3 or upon request. Free admission! Call 843-524-4333 or email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com to request a special opening.
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
TOUR HISTORIC FORT FREMONT—Travel to the 1800's and the Spanish American War. The Fort Fremont History Center is open from 10am to 2pm Fridays, Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm at Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land's End Road, St. Helena Island. Visitors to Fort Fremont can learn about the fort's history by reading interpretive panels, taking a self-guided tour with a smart phone, visiting the history center exhibit hall, or attending a docent-led tour of the property. The Preserve grounds are open to the public Monday through Sunday from dawn to dusk. For more Information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact the Passive Parks Department Director, Stefanie Nagid, at snagid@bcgov.net
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 (706-633-6192) and visit us on FacebookUSCGA Beaufort
BEAUFORT TOASTMASTERS CLUB meets from 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm the first & third Tuesday, in the Beaufort College Building, Rm. 103 (USC-Beaufort Campus), 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. To learn more visit beauforttoastmastersclub.toastmastersclubs.org
FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 46pm. Walk In Clinic. No Need to Pre-Register or Call. Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs Clinic. 1214 Prince Street, Downtown Beaufort
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 Miss Ann. Definitely shop.
CRESCENT HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 121pm 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., Fridays, 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.
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, 843-689-3616 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 or call 843-379-3350.
ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER BEAUFORT, Support Groups: Caregiver - Weds., 12:30pm, Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stagesMondays 1pm, Respite Programs: Social Day Program10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Weds. & Friday. All meetings are at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $13-$26. Early Memory Loss: Maintain Your Brain - 2nd & 4th Thursday, 10-11:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-5219190 or make an appointment, 1500 King St., Beaufort, free; Purple Haven Project - Educate local establishment staff to better interact with a person with Alzheimer's call 843-521-9190.
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); 843-6816655 (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 Tuesdays 9am-12pm at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: 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 all Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.
CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS At Praise Assembly Church Fridays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems by looking to scripture. Meal at 6pm; Praise, Worship; Big Meeting. 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7pm. 800 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 205-475-3600 or 303-521-1891.
BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL
Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. Foolish Frog on Facebook
Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or Luther's on Facebook
Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 524-7771 or www.qonbay.com
Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town Center. Irish American Sports Pub & Eatery. C'mon down! Rock & Roll Lunch. Monday - 25% Off Burgers; Tuesday - 25% Off Fish & Chips. Wed, Fri & Sat - Karaoke. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 3793474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
BLUFFTON/HILTON HEAD
Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com
Captain Woody’s, 14 Executive Park Rd., Hilton Head, 843-785-2400; 9/26 Brian Bazemore, 9/27 Pete Carroll, 9/28 Tug Boat Tradd. - OR - 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton, . Wednesdays - Trivia. 9/26 Jay Morelock, 9/27 Phillip Cox . www.captainwoodys.com
The Jazz Corner, Village at Wexf1ord, Hilton Head. Sundays - Deas Guyz; Mondays - A Journey Through Jazz with The Martin Lesch Band; Tuesdays - Fat Tuesdays: A Swingin' Celebration of New Orleans and Beyond; Thursdays - Lavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. 9/25 Quiana Parler's Quartet, 9/27 & 9/28 Joe Alterman Trio, 10/2 Bobby Ryder, 10/4 & 10/5 Aimee Nolte Quartet, 10/9 Quiana Parler with the Lavon Stevens Trio, 10/11 & 10/12 Joe Gransden's "The Good Life" - Tony Bennett tribute. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com
OUT OF TOWN
The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 9/27
The Bad Girls Club: Dante's Inverno, 9/28 Grlwood; Babe Club; Pinkie, 10/1 Medium Build; Anikka Bennett; Josh Gilligan, 10/2 Gangstagrass, 10/3 & 10/4 Shovels & Rope; Al Olender, 10/6 Cults; Glom, 10/8 Demon Hunter; Impending Doom; War of Ages; Opponent, 10/10 KPOP Night, 10/11 Lotus, 10/12 Snow Strippers; Damon R. & Suzy Sheer. (843) 853-2252 or www.musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. 9/25 Wheeland Brothers; Rockstead, 9/26 - 9/28 Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, 10/1 Micky & the Motorcars, 10/2 Charleston the Band, 10/3 Carrtoons & Friends; Datsunn, 10/5 & 10/6 Spafford; Underground Springhouse, 10/8 Cimafunk, 10/9 The Snozzberries,
10/10 The Brothers Comatose; Pixie; The Partygrass Boys, 10/11 Daddy's Beemer; Monsoon, 10/12 Shwayze; Sensamotion; Cloud9 Vibes. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 9/27 A Thousand Horses, 9/28 High 5, 10/4 Rock the 90s, 10/10 Jerkweed; Plain White Ts, 10/11 High Society, 10/12 Carolina Children's Charity Event with Shot Thru the Heart - Bon Jovi tribute;a Cornhole Tournament. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
THEATER/FILM/DANCE
Tues 9/24, The Philadelphia Eleven, a new documentary, will be screened at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Port Royal. This screening honors the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia ordination of the first women to the priesthood of the Episcopal church. The 90 minute screening starts at 6:30pm at 1004 11th St. in Port Royal. Free and open to the public.
GALLERIES/ART
Now – 10/6, ‘Imagine’ Art Quilt Exhibit at the Coastal Discovery Museum at historic Honey Horn on Hilton Head. www.coastaldiscovery.org
Now – 10/26, Frozen Moments, 50-year retrospective of Sandy Dimke’s photography at Beaufort Art Association Gallery. 913 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com
Now – 1/14/25, ‘Timeless Treasures,’ student artwork created at Camp Conroy at Beaufort Art Association Gallery. www.beaufortartassociation.com
Now – 2/22/25, Language of Clay: Catawba Indian Pottery and Oral Tradition at Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, US 17, Ridgeland. www. morrisheritagecenter.org
10/6 – 11/2, What Do You See?, featuring works by Jane Capraro – aka JC Kuller – at the Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) Gallery. Opening reception Fri 10/11, from 5 to 7 pm. Corner of Church and Calhoun Streets in Bluffton. www.sobagallery.com
Sat 10/12, Pigeon Point Studio Art Walk. Ten neighborhood artists will showcase their work from 10am - 2pm on this self-guided tour. Maps available at Pigeon Point Park and at every stop along the tour. Parking available at the park and along the street.
10/16 – 3/23, This Is Not: Aldwyth in Retrospect at the Coastal Discover Museum on Hilton Head. The public is invited to the opening reception on Thur 10/17, from 5-7 pm. Guest Curator Mark Sloan, former director of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, will conduct a tour of the exhibition before the reception at 4 pm. www.coastaldiscovery.org
BOOKS & WRITERS
9/27 & 9/28, 8th Annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention hosted by the Pat Conroy Literary Center. Fri 9/27 at TCL in Beaufort and Sat 9/28 at the Culinary Institute of the South at TCL in Bluffton. Featuring keynote speakers Kimberly Brock, Amanda Jones, and Rhonda McKnight, and a panel of local authors. To register, visit https://lowcountrybookclubconvention2024.eventbrite.com For a full schedule, visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
Sat 10/5, John Doriot, award winning author and poet from Georgia, will read and sign books from 10am – noon at Marshview Mercantile, 2631 Boundary Street, Beaufort. Along with his latest book of poems, he will be signing his children's books about Oreo, an adventurous dog. Free and open to the public. For every 10 books sold, John will donate $100 to CAPA.
Thur 10/10, Open Mic Night at the Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort. Free and open to the public. 6-7:30 pm. Featured reader: Columbia Poet Laureate Jennifer Bartell Boykin. Other readers will read for 3-5 minutes each. If you’d like to read, email contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
11/1-11/2, 9th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival in and around Beaufort. For a complete schedule of events, workshops, visiting writers, and registration information, visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
MUSIC
Sun 11/10, USCB Chamber Music opens its 45th season with world class musicians performing music by Schubert, Poulenc, Stravinsky, Strauss, and more. 5pm at USCB Center for the Arts in Beaufort. For more information visit www.uscbchambermusic.com
OTHER EVENTS
Now – 9/30, Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry’s Online Silent Auction. To see list of auction items and/or bid, visit https://lowcountryhabitat.cbo.io
Sat 9/28, Beaufort County Youth Conference, for middle and high school students. Breakout sessions, music, food, fun, door prizes, tee-shirts. Parent and adult wellness workshop. 9am-3pm at TCL in Beaufort. To register call 843-812-4399 or visit www.caraesbeaufort.org
Sat 9/28, Recovery Jam, a concert of live music –with food trucks! – to help combat the opioid and substance abuse crisis in the Lowcountry. From 2-6 pm at 20 Carecore Dr, Bluffton. For more information visit www.betterdaysharmreduction.com
Sat 9/28, 9th Annual OktoPRfest, Paris Avenue, Port Royal. For more information visit www.portroyalova.com
10/4 – 10/5, 30th Annual Shrimp Festival, Waterfront Park, Beaufort. For more information visit www.beaufortshrimpfestival.com
Sat 10/5, Fish and Grits Music Festival on Hilton Head Island. Family friendly event featuring international and local live music, dance, arts, and crafts. Celebrating Gullah Geechee culture. Lowcountry
Celebration Park. For more information and tickets, visit fishandgritsmusicfestival.com
Sat 10/5, Indivisible Beaufort Meeting at 11 am, Beaufort Downtown Library. Topic: Exploring Project 2025. Discussion led by Barbara Nash, former candidate for the SC House, retired healthcare professional and college educator. Free and open to the public.
10/11- 10/13, 14th Annual Habersham Harvest Festival, Habersham Marketplace. For more information, visit www.habershamharvestfestival.com
Sat 10/12, Community Prayer Gatherings in Beaufort. Sidewalk Prayer at 877 Sea Island Parkway from 9-11 am, followed by Prayer in White Hall Park, 120 White Hall Dr. on Lady’s Island, from 2-4pm. For more information call Janet Rogers at 843-599-1010.
10/19 & 10/20, Historic Beaufort Foundation’s 50th Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens tour, featuring homes of the National Historic Landmark District and a classic Lowcountry property, Tombee on St. Helena Island. For a full schedule, tickets, and more information, visit www.historicbeaufort.org
Tuesdays, Tours of Hunting Island sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For info call the Nature Center at 843-8387437. Tours free are and park entry fees apply.
First Saturday of the Month, Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud at Port Royal Farmers Market. DAYLO students and other volunteers will read to young children between 9am and noon. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal.
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 Mitchell by Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.
Ongoing, Beaufort Tree Walk by the Lady’s Island Garden Club through the historic Old Point enjoying some unique and noteworthy trees. Takes about an hour and is a little over a mile, starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret Streets and ending in Waterfront Park. Booklets with a map and info about each tree available FREE at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.
