The photograph on our cover is by Gary Geboy, from his upcoming exhibit with Susanna Glattly, Super-Natural, at USCB Center for the Arts. For more information, see our story on page 14.
ryWeekly
October 11 – October 24, 2023
Publisher: Jeff Evans — Jeff@LCWeekly.com
Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly.com
Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com
Advertising Sales: Hope Falls — 757-274-7184 or Ads.TheIslandNews@Gmail.com Sandy Schepis — 678-641-4495 or SandySchepis@Gmail.com
Art Director: Lydia Inglett
Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkleworks
Contributing Writers: Katherine Tandy Brown, Teresa Bruce, Debbi Covington, Sandra Educate, Wendy Hilte, Carolyn Mason, Lila Meeks, Margit Resch, Cele & Lynn Seldon, and Sutty Suddeth
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
LLowcountry 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 2023 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.
Her Final Bow RANTS & RAVES
Marlena Smalls arrives for our interview
wearing a purple tee-shirt that reads “Roth High School 50th Class
Reunion: 1966 – 2016.” With her cropped platinum hair, gold hoops, red lipstick, and enormous personality, she still manages to out-dazzle anybody I know. She always has.
And for over three decades, that light she shines has illuminated the history and culture of the Gullah people for all the world to see. And I mean all the world. For 33 years, Marlena’s Hallelujah Singers have literally crossed the globe educating, entertaining and – perhaps most importantly – spreading love.
They will continue to do these things well into the future, but Marlena won’t be with them. Not on stage, anyway. In 2024, Marlena Smalls is officially retiring. It’s almost impossible to imagine.
She’s been here in the Lowcountry since the early 80s, when she moved from Dayton, OH to make a new life for herself and her six children following a divorce. For a while, they slept on her sister’s living room floor, and life was a real struggle. Though her parents were South Carolina natives, Marlena had been raised in Ohio and had no professional connections here.
That didn’t stop her from landing a plum job as the Arts Coordinator for the City of Beaufort.
While in that position, the gifted vocalist who’d studied voice in college began traveling around the sea islands collecting Gullah music. She told herself she was doing it for her job, but she was really doing it for herself.
“I was learning who I was,” she says. “Learning about my culture. There was so much I didn’t know. I knew that my mother grew up in Honea Path, SC, and that her father was mixed. I knew my grandmother had Indian in her and was black as night. I knew she always had rice on the stove, but I didn’t know why. I knew she wore beads and bracelets and a medicine bag around her neck, but again, I didn’t know why.”
While Marlena was learning more about her Carolina roots, she met and married a man by the name of Smalls. The marriage didn’t last, but the name stuck, and it suits her.
Around here, if your name is Smalls, chances are you’re doing big things.
For example founding the Beaufort Gullah Festival.
“That was my brainchild,” Marlena tells me. “I was trying to raise money to put on a program for the kids at the city gym.”
It was 1985, and Marlena had already become Governor Dick Riley’s go-to vocalist when he hosted visiting governors and other dignitaries. She called his office and told them about her idea for a festival to raise money.
“Gov. Riley ended up getting us $45,000,” she says. The first Gullah Festival graced Waterfront Park that year.
A few years later, Marlena mounted a performance based on the life of Mahalia Jackson, with a cast of 60 – most of them kids. The USCB auditorium was packed.
“White, Black, Jews, Gentiles, whatever It was huge,” she says. “It caught the eye of Harriet Keyserling. She called me the next day and asked me over for tea.
‘Marlena, how in the world did you get all those people in there?’ she asked. She was talking about the audience. The representation. Rich, poor, black, white, etc . . I told her, ‘That’s easy. KIDS.’”
Keyserling asked Marlena if she could do something on Gullah. “That’s when I wrote ‘Church,’ ‘Nothin’ but the Blues,’ and ‘Going Home.’”
The Hallelujah Singers were born.
It was 1990. As a state legislator, Keyserling had connections with the National Endowment for the Arts, the South Carolina Arts Commission, and lots of other grant-making organizations. “Harriet really got us started,” says Marlena. “After that, the Arts Commission created a series for us. A six-week series in the fall – when people were coming in for the tour of homes.”
But the Hallelujah Singers wouldn’t stay local for long. Almost immediately, they began performing around the Southeast, and soon thereafter, they were traveling the country.
“I want to talk to people about diversity, and how to love and forgive,” she tells me. “It’s not that hard. If there was anything my parents gave me, they gave me that. I’d like to talk to women, especially, because we’re the first teachers. And a lot of the hate comes from us. I would love to talk to women over coffee, where we can really just be honest.”
Coffee Talk with Marlena? About love and forgiveness? Sign me up!
We both agree that our country is in trouble, but Marlena has very little patience for pessimism or victim mentality. In fact, I’d call her a clear-eyed American patriot.
“We’re so caught up in what we hear on the news,” she says, “but take it from a simple woman like myself, a black woman with six kids. America allows you to do anything that you want to do. It does not guarantee you that it’s going to be easy, but if you have the guts and the stamina and the knowledge to work toward your dream, in America, you can do it. No matter who you are.”
I’d say she’s living proof.
Margaret Evans is the editor of Lowcountry Weekly. She has been writing her award winning column, Rants & Raves, for over 20 years.
Dr. Marlena Smalls
“Soon enough, we were going to Spain, France, England, Portugal – two or three times a year, at least,” says Marlena. “I even took Gullah to Japan. From that, I ended up doing PBS, the BBC and NPR.”
And she hasn’t stopped since. Former Penn Center director Emory Campbell once told Marlena, “Girl, you took us all over the world.” Indeed, she did.
With an honorary doctorate from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Smalls thinks of herself as a teacher first and an entertainer second. She does NOT think of herself as a preacher.
“Gullah is not gospel,” she tells me. I ask her to elaborate.
“You can feel these songs, but we’re not trying to save anybody.”
Classic Marlena. Among her many talents, the woman is seriously funny.
So what’s next for this local/international treasure? How does she plan to spend her time in retirement?
BEFORE HER FINAL BOW
There are several opportunities to see Marlena Smalls in action before she retires.
10/22, Community Sing – featuring the Hallelujah Singers and the choirs from Tabernacle Baptist and Carteret Street Methodist, with guest musicians. Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret Street, Beaufort. 3pm. Admission is free, donations accepted.
11/23, Gullah Christmas – Thanksgiving Evening at 5pm. Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street, Beaufort. 5pm Admission is free.
2/20/24, Beaufort International Film Festival – Opening Night Performance, What happened to Bubba’s Mama? She opened a blues club!
(More information in future issues.)
Margaret Evans
The Watcher
Don’t judge, observe. I know this is easier said than done, but what am I referring to exactly? People, places, and things?
No, I’m referring to our personal thoughts. I’ve been dancing all around this lately, both internally and on this platform. That said, I feel I’ve been too ambiguous for some while being too esoteric for others. I intend to convey a more defined and refined point this go-around. I intend for the reader to not be so intimidated, joy-sticked, and confused by thoughts, as well as to notice something deep within. You can’t master something until you can teach it.
First off, I don’t judge. I now know this to be thinly-veiled bulls*** right there. Some people are kind enough to say this as a warning that they are totally judging you then and there. Not sure who they’re foolin’. Themselves maybe. Honestly, we all judge. It’s how we’re built, so why not be honest about it?
I am asking you to use that innate labeling system in a new and innovative way. Now, as you sit reading this, take two or three minutes and simply observe your thoughts. Give yourself permission to judge later, as we must. There, that already feels more realistic, doesn’t it?
After spending those few minutes observing yourself, what did you find out?
Your answers will vary from I am a sack of s*** to he’s a sack of s*** to delusions of grandeur and everything in between. If you were able to simmer down for just a second or two during those few minutes, (transpersonal experiences don’t need long to make a lasting impression) what, rather, who did you sense? Were you able to notice the watcher within? If not, that’s okay, this test is not timed. Like Dori, “Just keep swimming.”
What I’m talking about is the Higher Self or Oversoul. But, the question remains, what
did you observe? Do the exercise over again in a quieter moment, if you must, but answer that question for yourself. Rinse and repeat as often as you can or desire.
Some, like Eckhart Tolle, have referred to this unique observation as the “Watcher”. Now, here’s the core question I’d like to think this “Watcher” would want us to ask: Do thoughts create feelings and emotions or is it the other way around? It’s important how you answer this question. What I am endeavoring to ferret out are ways that we victimize ourselves without even knowing it. Does an elite few want the masses to be mindless? I think so, but that’s a delicious conspiracy theory for another day.
How can we begin to shift this focus? First off, like G.I. JOE, knowing is half the battle. I recommend becoming a peeping Tom on your thoughts. It’s not been outlawed yet like some other tom-foolery. The other side of this is where all sorts of dogmatic and scholastic points-of-view are offered. Are we not taught from an early age, don’t think, just do?
Is it realistic that all will learn at the same speed and manner? Just because one person is faster on the uptake, doesn’t mean that person needs the special education class. Do we not study for the right answer rather than studying how to find the right answer? All this begins at an early age, can continue into grad school, and beyond. When we graduate from whatever level of
WHOLLY HOLISTICS
by Sutty Suddeth
education and tradition we inevitably find that we need to think outside the box even though we were never trained in such a way. Has innovation ever come from inside the box? No, innovation demands a new box nobody has ever seen before. This new box is often mocked, ignored, or persecuted.
There’s no need to worry about the devil inside once you are aware. While ignorance can be thought of as blissful, it rarely involves that key element of growth, does it? The point of no return is fictional. Just like you can find a fight every day of your life, you can always find structure and someone to zealously enforce it, regardless of whether it fits with today’s times or not. Traditions certainly matter, but what alchemy forged a tradition to begin with, if not that thrill of feeling like it’s fresh and new?
Back to the original question regarding thoughts. Until we take ownership of our thoughts, we’ll be a slave to them. By ownership, I certainly don’t mean an iron, white-knuckle grip. I mean an acknowledgement and a willingness to hold these thoughts in your hand like a bird. You don’t want to crush the bird, but you don’t want it escaping until you’ve squared away a safe place to release it to the nature from which it came.
If you allow, noticing a thought drop into the DM’s of your mind can be enlightening. These bullies are usually recurring and shame-filled. When the bully penetrates your sacred psyche, notice the bump-bump of your heart. Notice your breath or an unpleasurable, barely audible, moan. Acknowledge, rather than ignore, such things that gurgle up like the swimming pool in the backyard of the house in Poltergeist
What lessons does this teach us? Hopefully we can eventually file it under a “beautiful mistakes” category. We must label, so why resist?
It’s when you become comfortable with your warts and all, that true inner peace can be had.
The year: 1987. The setting: The Rocks of Fripp Island, SC. Sutty first answers the siren call of writing. In the years and publications since, the destination has been Divinely timed, while being Divinely unknown. A reformed Reiki Master of more than a dozen years, an emotional energetic alchemist, as well as a student in various energetic modalities. My favorite Buddha quote is, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” Visit Home / Chris Suddeth (journoportfolio.com) for more info.
Truffles Cafe & Alvin Ord’s Sandwich Shop
Celebrating 40 Years of Iconic Dining in Beaufort County
Forty years of anything tasty makes for our kind of anniversary and that’s especially true in the restaurant business. That’s why when we learned that two of Beaufort County’s quintessential restaurants were both celebrating their “Ruby Jubilee” in 2023, we knew we needed to write something gem-like. So, we’re raising our glass and extending a sincere congratulations to Truffles Cafe in Hilton Head and Bluffton and Alvin Ord’s Sandwich Shop in Port Royal for the mouthwatering meals they have served our community tirelessly, graciously, and deliciously for the past 40 years.
TRUFFLES CAFE
more dining tables. Thus, the current iteration of the now-iconic Truffles Cafe concept was born.
Sandy and Kreis moved away from the area in 1986, while Price and his wife, Karen — whom he met at the restaurant — continued running the business. As Truffles continued to garner rave reviews and gain notoriety in Hilton Head, they opened their second Truffles Cafe in Belfair Towne Village Bluffton in 2000. And, if that wasn’t enough, they—along with brother Sandy—also conceived and opened Chow Daddy’s in Hilton Head in 2014 and in Bluffton in 2015. In 2016, longtime managers Fernando and Heather Lossada (who also met at Truffles) became partners in the business.
Today, Price overseas the entire operation, while Karen oversees the marketing and interior design, Fernando runs the day-to-day operations of the restaurants (along with Jeannine Gleason in the Belfair Town Village location), and Heather runs the office. “We are so fortunate to work with so many amazing people that help us serve our guests each day,” says Price. “These people that comprise our great teams are responsible for our 40 years of success.”
Just as Charles Fraser was developing Hilton Head in the early 1980s, Price Beall, along with his brother, Sandy, and sister-in-law, Kreis — all of whom were in the restaurant industry — met the forward-thinking developer at a party. He was building a new shopping center in Sea Pines at the time, and asked the trio if they would be interested in opening a restaurant in the center. The three of them then flew to New York to look at a variety of different restaurant concepts and came back to Hilton Head to open their first Truffles Cafe in 1983.
The concept started out as full-blown bakery, along with deli cases filled with meats, cheeses and prepared salads, a live fire grill, and a specialty foods market. The Bealls quickly realized that running a bakery and a prepared foods market in a seasonal location wasn’t profitable, so they removed the bakery and refrigerator cases, added a bar, and exchanged the specialty foods market for
We’re sure that’s true, but the delicious food and atmosphere at both locations play
Lynn
chicken sandwich and a burger that’s as pretty to look at as it is to eat; and specialty dishes like spinach quiche, pot pie and crab cakes.
The dinner menu has many of the same offerings (thank goodness!), with the addition of some tasty shareable appetizers like tuna wonton, mushroom crostini and some seriously sinful parmesan fries served with white truffle aioli, and delectable entrées like grilled tuna and salmon, fried coconut shrimp, baby back ribs (also since the beginning), meatloaf, grilled chicken with a parmesan pesto glaze, pesto pasta with shrimp and roasted mushroom pasta.
Entrées are served with heaping helpings of decadently creamy mashed potatoes or basmati rice, along with ever-changing fresh vegetables du jour.
big roles as well. The lunch and dinner menus are extensive, truly offering something for everyone. For lunch, the menu is loaded with classic soups (both the tomato dill soup and the baked French onion soup have been on the menu since they opened, so you know they are delicious); creative hearty salads like tuna napa salad and curry chicken salad (also on the menu since the beginning); hearty sandwiches, including ham and brie, mango
The beers are cold, the cocktails are creative, the wine list is varied (they even have their own house sangria), and the desserts are original and house made — you can’t go wrong with either the key lime pie or the decadent blondie! Both locations feature a sophisticated interior design and hip vibe—thanks to Karen’s impeccable design eye and the help of local designer, Melanie Congdon with J. Banks Design Group in Hilton Head—along with patio seating and a full bar for imbibing or dining.
Of the Truffles Cafe experience, Price adds, “We all love food and the restaurant business and are always looking for new additions to the menus and ways to take great care of our teams, all the while remembering the reason for our being here is to offer our guests a friendly and enjoyable dining experience.” After 40 years, we’d say they have it figured out. (continued next page)
Truffles at Belfair in Bluffton, Seldon Ink
Cele &
Seldon
Truffles coconut shrimp, Silver Cup Media
Pasta at Truffles, Seldon Ink
ALVIN ORD’S SANDWICH SHOP
In Northern Beaufort County, Alvin Ord’s has been serving sandwiches and more since 1983 as well, when Tom and Marie Lewis opened on West Street and then moved to Ribaut Road shortly thereafter. The story goes that Tom Lewis was working at a Fortune 500 company in Austin, Texas, where he met Alvin Ord Johnston in various business dealings and became fast friends. He’d often go over to Alvin Ord’s restaurant on Wednesdays, and they’d have lunch, share stories and swap recipes. Six months later, Alvin disappeared. It wasn’t until later that it was discovered that he had gone to Washington State to become a Trappist Monk.
Around the same time, Tom’s professional workload had taken over and his family was resentful for how little time Tom spent at home. Tom recalls spending the day with his son in the park and his son casually saying that he was sad that he never saw him anymore because he worked so much. It was at that point that Tom decided he needed to make a change.
“A secret that my grandfather told me once was that if you start a business and give your customer the highest quality you can give them at the best price and with a smile, people will come back.”
And, indeed, people have been lining up for the tasty sandwiches for 40-plus years and counting.
Earlier this year, it was time for Tom and Marie to pass on their reigns and retire. But the key was finding the right person to entrust their legacy. We are thrilled to report that the Lewis’s have bestowed their Alvin Ord’s baby to none other than Nick Borreggine of Fat Patties and Shellring Ale Works fame, along with his partner (and dad), Nick, and their wives, Michele and Kathy.
impressive. He was the kind of person we wanted to sell the business to.”
Piggybacking on what Tom’s thoughts are on the success of Alvin Ord’s, Nick adds, “It’s not just one thing. It’s being a part of the community, giving back, the staff, the homemade bread, the quality ingredients. It is because of these things that it fits in with our business model so well.”
Another ingredient to the success of Alvin Ord’s is the staff. With six full-time employees — in addition to Marie, who plans to continue working there for the foreseeable future — who have all been with the shop for 12 to 30-plus years, Ms. Mary, Ms. Sunny, Ms. Ronette, Ms. Mollie, Ms. Eriko and Ms. Lisa manage the bread baking, the sandwich making, the counter ordering, and the smiles coming all day long. “When Tom first approached me, it was a deal breaker for both of us if the women would not stay on,” says Nick. “They are all so pleasant, cheerful and gracious.”
welcome), a somewhat Trappist monk décor paying homage to Alvin Ord Johnson, a half-dozen tables inside, and a covered patio for sandwiches alfresco.
When we talked with Nick about the new ownership, he shared with us that he was worried about ‘the new guy taking over the iconic local spot.’ So much so that he waited to announce that he had taken over until now.
“We actually bought Alvin Ord’s back in June,” Nick said. “We wanted to prove to the town that we aren’t going to change a thing.
We’re pleased to carry the torch in the next phase. Hopefully, we will make it another 40 years.”
We have no doubts.
Addams Family: The Musical
Director Travis Hornsby and Musical Director Karri Kearns are in preparation for May River Theatre’s Fall 2023 production of The Addams Family – A New Musical Comedy. The show opens just in time for Halloween on Friday, October 20th and runs through Sunday, October 29th.
MRT currently has nine board members that are committed to engaging the Bluffton community through a breadth of quality theatrical performances that facilitate growth in both the production and understanding of the entire theatrical experience. They are actively involved both in front of and behind
Tom and his family returned to Beaufort, where he had lived as a teenager and young adult and decided to open a restaurant like the original Alvin Ord’s in Texas. There was one big difference, however. Tom never liked the bread they were using at the Texas outpost, which was Alvin’s mom, Gertrude Wallace’s recipe. Tom took his own grandmother’s bread recipe, tweaked it, threw in a secret ingredient, and perfected it. Now, 40 years later, they are using the same bread.
One of the keys to 40 years of success, according to Tom, is the quality of the ingredients. “It’s the key to some extent of the success of the sandwich shop,” says Tom.
Yep—you heard us right. As of this past June, Tom and Marie Lewis sold Alvin Ord’s to Nick and his family. Their relationship goes back 20-plus years to when Nick first came to Beaufort and started Panini’s. After a few missteps along the way due to Nick’s admitted youth and inexperience, Tom came to Nick’s rescue with staff, equipment and advice. Although Nick no longer owns Panini’s, he went on to open highly successful Fat Patties in 2012 and Shellring Ale Works in 2022. “I can honestly say that without Tom, we would not be where we are today,” reflects Nick. When it came time for Tom and Marie to sell beloved Alvin Ord’s, they remembered Nick saying that if ever they were considering closing or selling, he’d like the first right of refusal. “We couldn’t think of a better person,” says Tom. “The way he runs his business and treats his employees is
But let’s be honest here. It’s truly the food that is the secret to the success of Alvin Ord’s. Sandwiches are served on the aforementioned French bread (available in either white or whole wheat) in small, medium or large sizes, with generous helpings of meat. The Salvation (an ode to Alvin Ord Johnson’s ordination as a monk) is the original, with toasted cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses with ham, salami and spiced luncheon meat, dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and mustard. The Cheese Salvation skips the meats, and the Ham Salvation is overstuffed with ham.
The decadent ooey-gooey meatball sandwich features the same cheeses with homemade meatballs, Italian sauce and onions, while the roast beef and turkey sandwiches highlight in-house made-fromscratch roasted meats, with lettuce, tomato, onions and mayonnaise. Then there are the fancier sandwiches, like pastrami, a Reuben, a Rachel (turkey instead of pastrami), BLT, clubs, tuna salad, pork barbecue, French Dip, and a classic Philly cheesesteak. Salads range from chef, taco, tuna and turkey, with sides to round out the meal, including chips, pickles, potato salad and coleslaw.
The Ribaut Road location hasn’t changed much since it opened. It’s a straightforward sandwich shop with counter service (and usually a line—call-ahead orders are
Loosely derived from the successful TV series and films, The Addams Family franchise is more popular than ever with the recent success of the streaming series Wednesday. Cast in this creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky musical are Jared Cotton as Gomez Addams, Elissa Harrell as his wife Morticia, Lily Beck as daughter Wednesday, Elliot Mathis as son Pugsly, Kay Owen as the Grandma, Kyle Price as kooky Uncle Fester, Chris Hoffer as Mal, Ellie Friedman as Alice, Shea Hiscock as Lucas, Rhett Foster as the butler Lurch, and Adalyn Aebersold as Cousin Itt. This hilarious and slightly fright-filled musical is offered thru Theatre Rights Worldwide. The Musical is based on the book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa and Orchestrations by Larry Hochman. All characters created by Charles Addams. Choreography by Kimberly Reigert.
May River Theatre is a local theatre company started by Ed & Jodie Dupuis in 2002.
the curtain. May River Theatre is excited to continue a tradition of quality entertainment with their production of THE ADDAMS FAMILY – A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY as part of their 2023 Season. For more info on tickets, sponsorships, gift certificates and becoming part of the MRT family, please visit www.mayrivertheatre.com
Want To Go?
Alisha Doud
alisha@dcgilbert.com
Daun Schouten daun@dcgilbert.com
Laure Gallagher laure@dcgilbert.com
Ashley Hart ashley@dcgilbert.com
Joy McConnell joy@dcgilbert.com Dawn Shipsey
Wicker
melissa@dcgilbert.com
Sam Bailey
samuel@dcgilbert.com
The cast
Alvin Ord’s on Ribaut Road, SK Signs, Designs & Marketing
builds a perfect sandwich, SK Signs
Spotlight on Rose Cofield A True Story of Courage & Sacrifice
La Petite Gallerie, an intimate Old Town Bluffton shop featuring local art, is introducing the gallery artists to newcomers to our area, and reintroducing to our old friends . .
In October we are spotlighting artist Rose Cofield. Previously Rose was a threedimensional sculptural artist, studied at New York University, New York, NY and received a grant for Apprenticeship at The Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture, Mercerville, NJ (USA). She also taught sculpture workshops through the South Carolina Arts Commission’s “Artist in Education” program, conducting sculpture workshops in South Carolina schools and art organizations. Now working primarily in 2D, Rose considers herself an abstract intuitive painter. Adding one layer at a time, she develops her style using color coordination and lines. She also uses geometric pieces, sometimes in the form of painted paper, to add form and dimension. Her blank canvas begins without preconceived notions which allows her instincts and emotions to guide her. This intuitive style encourages her to use creative thinking and experimentation to expand the process. She also uses her imagination to shape her unique artistic vision. This process results in one-of-a-kind pieces allowing the viewer to trust their instincts and letting their emotions guide their appreciation.
Rose is a Signature Member of the National Association of Women Artists,
in both the New York and South Carolina Chapters where she has shown her work in many of their exhibitions.
Rose’s unique and thought-provoking art is on display at La Petite Gallerie, and she herself is generally working there on Sundays. Stop by to see her soon – she is delighted to share her latest artistic insights!
La Petite Gallery is located at 56 Calhoun Street, Bluffton. www.lapetitegallerie.com
(Editor’s Note: I first heard the story of Homeira Qaderi – and her harrowing escape from Afghanistan – from her literary agent, Marly Rusoff, over drinks at Saltus. I remember thinking at the time that it would make a great movie. Two years later, New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff has turned Homeira’s story into a book, with Marly as one of the “characters.” The author and other “characters” will be in town for this year’s Conroy Festival. – Margaret Evans)
Afeminist Afghan writer who gained celebrity by winning custody of her young son, now marked for death by the Taliban. An unusual young American diplomat raised on tales of Holocaust heroism. A New York literary agent with an ambassador ex-boyfriend and surprising contacts on the streets of Kabul.
When the U.S. began its withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Afghan Army instantly collapsed, Homeira Qaderi was marked for death at the hands of the Taliban. A celebrated author, academic, and champion for women's liberation, Homeira had achieved celebrity in her home country by winning custody of her son in a contentious divorce, a rarity in Afghanistan's patriarchal society. As evacuation planes departed above, Homeira was caught in the turmoil at the Kabul Airport, trying and failing to secure escape for her and her eight-year-old son, Siawash, along with her parents and the rest of their family.
her escape. He needed to risk his life to get them through the gate in the final hours before it closed forever. He borrowed night-vision goggles and enlisted a Dari-speaking colleague and two heavily armed security contract “shooters.” He contacted Homeira with a burner phone, and they used a flashlight code signal borrowed from boyhood summer camp. For her part, Homeira broke Sam’s rules and withstood his profanities. Together they braved gunfire by Afghan Army soldiers anxious about the restive crowds outside the airport. Ultimately,
to enter the airport, Homeira and Siawash would have to leave behind their family and everything they had ever known. The Secret Gate tells the thrilling, emotional tale of a young man's courage and a mother and son’s skin-of-the-teeth escape from a homeland that is no longer their own.
Author Mitchell Zuckoff and Special Agent Sam Aronson will be in conversation with Landon K. Thorne at USCB Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 28 at 11:15, as part of the Pat Conroy Literary Festival. Tickets are $10. www.patconroyliteraryfestival.org
In The Secret Gate: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan (Random House Hardcover; On Sale: 4/25/23), Mitchell Zuckoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours writes about the frenzied final hours of the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan and how these three ordinary-yet-remarkable people joined forces and engineered a breathtaking rescue plan that climaxed in a dash for freedom amid gunfire at a secret CIA entrance to the Kabul airport.
Meanwhile, a young American diplomat named Sam Aronson was enjoying a brief vacation between assignments when chaos descended upon Afghanistan. Sam immediately volunteered to join the skeleton team of remaining officials at Kabul Airport, frantically racing to help rescue the more than 100,000 stranded Americans and their Afghan helpers. When Sam learned that the CIA had established a secret entrance into the airport two miles away from the desperate crowds crushing toward the gates, he started bringing families directly through, personally rescuing as many as fifty-two people in a single day.
On the last day of the evacuation, Sam was contacted by Homeira's literary agent, Marly Rusoff, who persuaded him to help
Sayers to Interview Qaderi
Hear author Valerie Sayers interview writer author and
The Pat Conroy Literary Festival on Saturday Oct 28th at USCB
at 2 pm. Homeira will discuss her memoir Dancing in the Mosque a People
of
Week, and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. The book is written as an open letter to her young son who was taken from her. The Secret Gate by Mitchell Zukoff tells the story of how she got him back.
"When I was began writing Dancing in the Mosque I thought the presence of the Taliban in the life of a little girl was the biggest story in the world. Writing allowed me to look at the world through a different lens. I was raised a child under Russian occupation, followed by the terrifying rule of the Taliban. After they were defeated in 2001, they became ghosts who occasionally came back to life in my nightmares. I had no idea that the Taliban would return and that my nightmares would become a reality."
Homeria defied the law, when at the age of thirteen, she risked her freedom to teach children reading and writing as she fought for women’s rights in her theocratic and patriarchal society. She is currently at Yale University where she is completing her novel Tell Me Everything, which will be published in 2024. Writer Homeira Qaderi
teacher Homeira Qaderi at
Auditorium
Magazine Book
the
Side-By-Side
Two local non-profits collaborate with local artisans on exciting art exhibit
Art League of Hilton Head and Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head Island host
“Side-by-Side: People, Places & Things of the Lowcountry”
“We are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between two local non-profit organizations, Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head Island and Art League of Hilton Head,” says Amy Wehrman, Academy Manager. “Our upcoming art exhibit features a side-by-side theme of People, Places & Things of the Lowcountry. The exhibit showcases the beauty of the Lowcountry through the lenses of local photographers and the skillful hands of our local artisans.”
Local artists teamed up with local photographers and recreated a photograph into their own medias and styles, resulting in a truly unique and captivating collection. The exhibit will showcase each artists recreation next to their paired photographer’s image of
inspiration. We invite you to join us in celebrating the beauty of our community and the talent of our local photographers and artisans at this one-of-a-kind exhibit.
There will be an Opening Reception on Wednesday, October 18, 5-7pm. Attendees will be asked to cast their vote for favorite photograph, favorite recreation and favorite pair.
Lifelong Learning is a non-profit offering continuing education for mature adults. Its teacher volunteers hold over two dozen classes during two semesters every year. Class subjects include history, philosophy, art, gardening, architecture, and more. Students can attend an unlimited number of classes a semester for a low flat fee.
Art League Academy offers art classes, demos and workshops taught by professional art educators in all media and for all skill levels, including true beginners.
The exhibit runs Mon., Oct. 16 – Wed., Oct. 25. Art League Academy will be open 10am-2pm each day of the exhibit. A reception wil be held Wed., Oct. 18, 5-7pm.
Art League Academy is located at 106 Cordillo Pkwy., Hilton Head, 843.842.5738.
2nd Annual Mutt Mixer to Support PAL
Mingle with some of the Lowcountry’s cutest and most eligible dogs at the 2nd Annual Mutt Mixer concert event supporting pet rescue on Thursday, October 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head.
Guests will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, beverages, door prizes, live music by the bluegrass band “Lowcountry Boil,” and new this year professional portraits of your dog with a minimum donation to Palmetto Animal League. As always, the party is “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Dog), as AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head is a dog-friendly dealership. For those hoping to find their next great love at the event, fee-waived pet adoptions will be available, made possible through a generous grant from the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®).
“Last year’s event was a blast with many people coming out to support animal rescue and others hoping to make a connection with one of our adoptable dogs,” said PAL
Honesty
Bribes, racketeering, and other forms of corruption are all evidence of wrong and selfish motives operating in the lives of elected officials, and even in law enforcement at times in the United States and elsewhere.
So then how can we pray to protect our governments and officials from temptation?
In Government A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE
When such cases are uncovered, they shine a light on the motives of people involved in them. When greed, anger, and revenge are seen in Truth’s light, they lose much of their power to do harm, because people can see their evil nature. Left unchecked, however, they can influence attitudes not just toward elected officials but also toward the rule of law. This is an important point to consider if we really want to support those who have been elected to manage our country. Good and honest government isn’t just up to those who have been elected. Individual citizens have a supporting role, and it includes more than just criticism of officials they have selected.
What’s often overlooked is the power of prayer to restore trust and honesty in government. Healing prayer neither ignores wrongdoing nor explores it with delight, as news accounts sometimes do. The effective prayer to destroy it takes cognizance of the error that has been committed but doesn’t dwell on it. What heals is the spiritual fact that God, Truth, was and is always present, and that each of us, as the son or daughter of God, is designed to respond to Truth. In this light, no one has a genuine desire for error of any kind, because it’s natural to love good, not evil.
Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, wrote, “Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity, – these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 58).
As both the elected and the citizens who elected them purify their motives more in favor of universal good, the government will act more consistently, providing and enforcing laws that are fair and equitable. An electorate that keeps in mind the whole picture, rather than focusing on self-centered solutions, seeks to support just and fair decisions that benefit all people.
Staying informed as to what is going on in the world, while not being mesmerized by the details, requires alertness. It may be helpful to pause occasionally, or even often, during the day and just check our thinking. Are our thoughts affirming the intelligence in ourselves, our co-workers, our government? Or are we thinking quite the opposite? What we think individually does make a difference in our world. We must do better than simply ignoring error or dwelling on it. We can pray to know spiritual facts and let them uncover conditions that need specific prayer.
This spiritual approach is indeed helpful in destroying error of all kinds, because it brings it to light so that justice can be done. And our truly thoughtful prayers support those entrusted with governing our countries and the world by insisting on the presence of good and the powerlessness of evil.
Often the question arises, “What really is prayer?” Is it pleading with God for something? Is it telling God what to do? There really is no formula for righteous prayer. Sometimes our prayers can be an almost wordless conviction of God’s power and authority as able to annihilate evil’s claim to existence.
Our prayers become more effective as we increase our knowledge of good’s reality. Then it becomes easier to recognize corrupt or dishonest activity – because its stands out in bold relief as totally alien before Truth. The Holy Bible begins, “In the beginning God created ” As our prayers start with this beginning, they naturally uncover and eliminate whatever is not of God, good. As more and more people turn to this spiritual way of thinking, we can expect that wrong thinking and wrong acting will become less and less common. I like to think that the day will come when everyone will see that honest and upright government truly is the only way to go.
By Bea Roegge
our dogs with a fun night out of the adoption center and the possibility of finding a forever home!”
The first 100 people to arrive at the Mutt Mixer with a donation of pet supplies or cash, valued at $20 or more, for PAL will receive a free event T-shirt.
“The Lowcountry is known for its live music, vibrant happy hours, and love of animals, so inviting the community out to celebrate all these pastimes while supporting pet rescue just feels right,” said AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head Customer Relations Manager & Delivery Specialist, Bill Harper.
Attendees may RSVP to be eligible for door prizes at https://muttmixer2023.eventbrite.com
As another way to support PAL’s no kill animal rescue programs, AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head will donate $100 to PAL for every dog or cat adopted in October!
“Our ‘Subaru Loves Pets’ mission is more than a slogan; it’s a way of life for our customers and our staff,” said Harper.
“AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head wouldn’t be the same without the pitter-patter of paws on the showroom floor.”
President Amy Campanini. “AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head’s Mutt Mixer provides
Lowcountry Boil
Paid Advertorial by The Christian Science Society of Beaufort
Ann Gunn, photograph
Chris Crotty, oil
Super-Natural
By Teresa Bruce
Trees can’t physically move, or so thought Macbeth in fateful, false security before Birnam Wood to Dunsinane came. Artists
Susanna Glattly and Gary Geboy never doubt the power of trees. Instead they harness that power in a show opening Friday at University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) Center for the Arts, hoping their
ethereal charcoal drawings and alternative process photographs will change the way mere mortals see the forest for the trees.
The scale of the drawings and photographs on view beginning October 13th at USCB is no coincidence. Both artists come from cinematic backgrounds: Susanna Glattly as a scenic artist for feature films and TV and Gary Geboy as
Director of Photography for documentaries and corporate films. Both started looking at the Lowcountry through the lens of newcomers, after moving to Beaufort with their respective spouses. But after twenty years, each artist has grown roots entangled with the story of trees.
The opening reception of “Super-Natural” on Thursday, October 19th is a red-carpet moment for Glattly and Geboy’s mutual subjects, but not necessarily one with a happy Hollywood ending.
“Some of my large-scale constructions take months of work in the darkroom,” says Geboy.
“But it all starts with a split-second snap of the shutter. And honestly, that’s how fast the pace of change in the Lowcountry feels to me. In another 20 years, I might not be able to find these massive trees and the zen of undisturbed horizons over the creeks and marshes.”
Glattly agrees, adding the disappearance of any tree feels like a personal loss. She considers her giant subjects neighbors, individual sitters who have graciously agreed
to pose for an intimate portrait.
“The large format of my drawings demands from the viewer the gravitas these trees deserve, especially in light of the runaway development and climate issues that threaten our Lowcountry ecosystem.”
Super-Natural is the second time USCB Center for the Arts Director Bonnie Hargrove has paired Geboy’s photography with the work of other artists. Back in 2012, a show called “Organics” featured fiber artist Kim Keats’ baskets and bark sculptures along with Geboy’s dramatic, moody landscapes.
“For this new exhibit, it’s not just the subject matter that connects Susanna and Gary’s work,” says Hargrove. “It’s how each of them experiments and plays with their mediums. If you think charcoal drawings are all soft and blurry you’ll be amazed at the detail and texture of Susanna’s pieces. And if you associate black-and-white photography with fashion or news then the tones and painterly qualities of Gary’s work will blow you away.”
Another link between the work of both artists is that their materials come from their
subject. Geboy’s photographs are individually printed on handmade, archival paper –made from trees and natural fibers – and he searches for antique wooden frames to repurpose with fresh compositions.
Glattly uses fragile stalks of charcoal and graphite to make her large-scale, monochromatic drawings. Charcoal actually is wood-willow vine that has been heated at high temperature without oxygen, and then compressed. “It yields the deep darks and smoky effects that embody the ethos of the natural wonders I’m trying to capture,” she explains.
“Super-Natural” opens Friday, October 13th and will hang on the walls of USCB’s Center for the Arts on Carteret Street in Beaufort until December 18th. Meet the artists at the exhibit reception on Thursday, October 19th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm.
Glattly: “Typically, drawings are protected by glass, creating a barrier between the viewer, and introducing problems with glare, weight, and expense. Large scale only compounds these issues. So I am experimenting with substrates - mounting quality hot press watercolor paper to hand-made panels, and creating textured clay board panels with archival ingredients to come up with a rigid substrate that is more durable than paper but accepts charcoal in a way that preserves the freshness of a work on paper. But there is still the challenge of protecting the finished work. The very qualities I love most about charcoal - its richness and velvety matte sheen- would be ruined by typical varnishes. I fix my work with non-toxic casein and wax-workable fixative originally formulated by Edgar Degas for his pastels, and now produced by Spectrafix. I finish it off with a final coat of archival flat ultraviolet, protective water-borne varnish that I’ve used to diminish glare on scenery and movie sets.”
Geboy: “Platino-palladiotype (platinum palladium) printing is so old it’s new again, with prints valued higher and favored by art collectors today for their longevity and unmatched tonal range. When you coat paper in these precious metals and expose the image by ultra-violet light, this alternative process reveals a sensuous luminosity. Fun facts about the process:
• It was patented in the mid-1870s, pre-dating silver gelatin prints
• Requires 1 million times more light than traditional B&W or color photography
• Is more stable
An epic exhibit at USCB by artists Susanna Glattly and Gary Geboy
Susanna Glattly – Saturday's Child
Gary Geboy, above; Susanna Glattly, Quercus Virginiana, below
Gary Geboy
corner: the artists
Susanna Glattly, Resurrection, above; Gary Geboy, below
Gettin’ Our Spook on with CAPA
Would you like to host a Halloween get-together that begins with delicious refreshments and libations and ends with some Lowcountry-style spookiness? The complete itinerary for your bash is right here.
The Child Abuse Prevention Association, the Exchange Club of Beaufort, and event sponsor Beaufort Charities are cooking up a ghostly good time! The 29th Annual CAPA Ghost Tours will be held on the last three weekends of October (the 13th-15th, 20-22nd, and 27th-29th), in downtown Beaufort. Tickets are available at www.capabeaufort.org or by calling 843-52GHOST. Carriage tours are $30 per adult and $20 per child age 3-11. Carriage Tours leave every 15 minutes from the parking lot at 1006 Bay Street, beginning at 6:30 p.m., and last for about 45 minutes. Walking Tours are $20 for all ages. Tours leave every 20 minutes beginning at 7:00 p.m. from 611 Bay Street and last for about an hour. All proceeds benefit the Child Abuse Prevention Association, a local non-profit whose mission is to stop the vicious cycle of child abuse and neglect. Funds raised help the Open Arms Children’s Home, a local home for abused children, and other CAPA programming, including school-based prevention, in-home visitation, family foster homes, and safe sleep education.
From pirates to hags to historical ghostly characters, the moss-lined streets of the Historic Point will play host to vignettes highlighting some of the Lowcountry’s spookiest stories and creepiest apparitions – many with live actors portraying them. Year after year, Beaufort residents join in the fun, hosting porch parties and yard soirees and decorating their homes for the Halloween season. Earlier this week, Kim Clark (CAPA Board Member and former President) and I spent some time in the kitchen creating several hauntingly fabulous pre-carriage tour party snacks. We also made a couple of Halloween recipe videos for my “Celebrate with Catering by Debbi Covington” YouTube channel, if you’re brave enough to watch. Our menu is fun, easy to prepare, and quite tasty. Most of them are also appropriate for children’s parties. Scare up some of your best friends, reserve a carriage and organize a pre-tour party. Join us in support our local non-profits. CAPA will appreciate your participation, and everyone will have a hauntingly good time. Happy Halloween!
¼ teaspoon salt
Turn your meatballs into mummy heads for a fun Halloween party treat! Don’t want to make homemade meatballs? Use the frozen ones, they’ll work just as well. Just be sure to thaw completely before using.
For the meatballs: 1
1/3
1
1
candy eyeballs. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crescent dough is golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping. (Alternatively, you could use sliced black olives with pieces of pimento for the eyes. Use a drop of the marinara sauce as “glue” after baking.)
OLD GHOUL SPINACH DIP
By Debbi Covington
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the dough:
1 (8-oz) package refrigerated crescent dough
1 egg, beaten
Eyeball candies
Marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping
Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Shape into golf ball-sized balls. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add meatballs and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown, until cooked through. Remove from pan and cool completely. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open crescent dough and spread it flat on a cutting board. If there are seams, press them together. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips about ¼-inch wide. Wrap strips of dough around the meatballs and place on baking sheet. Brush meatballs with beaten egg. Decorate with
Truly an “old school” recipe, this is the first spinach dip that I learned to make in college. Serve it in a coffin bread bowl with tortilla chips and vegetables dippers on your Halloween party buffet.
For the dip:
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dried minced onion or ½ chopped onion
1 (1.4-ounce) package dry vegetable soup mix
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, chopped
For the bread bowl:
1 whole loaf bread, unsliced
4 long toothpicks or skewers
Mix spinach dip ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to marry. To make the bread coffin, you’ll need a whole loaf of bread that has not been sliced. Ask for an unsliced loaf in the bakery section of your local grocery store.
dip, making sure to keep a uniform border around the edges of the bread. Add spinach dip to the bread “coffin” and prop the lid open, using two toothpicks on each end. If the lid of the bread breaks off, just attach it back in place using toothpicks or skewers to hold it securely. Serve with tortilla chips and vegetable dippers.
SPOOKY HALLOWEEN PIZZA
Delicious, fun, and super easy! Use a store-bought crust or make your own.
1 prepared pizza crust
1 cup prepared pizza sauce
12 slices mozzarella cheese
Whole black olives
Whole green olives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the mozzarella cheese into ghost shapes, using a cookie cutter. Cut the olives in half to create the spider bodies and then cut some of the halves into thin slices to make the legs. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan or baking sheet
Any sturdy loaf should work. Cut the top portion of the bread, on three sides. Try to keep one long side attached to act as the lid.
Scoop out the middle of the bread to hold the
PRETZEL SPIDER WEBS
These fun Pretzel Spider Webs are a delicate sweet and salty treat. They could also be used as spooky decorations for a Halloween cake or pie.
1 (16-ounce) bag pretzel sticks
1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate melting candies
1 (12-ounce) package white melting candies
Assorted Halloween candies and sprinkles
Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange each spider web using 8 pretzels to create a circle, making sure the end of each pretzel is touching in the center. Repeat this for as many webs as you would like to make. Place chocolate melting candies in a microwave safe bowl and melt according to package directions. Fill a plastic bag or piping bag with the melted chocolate and cut the corner. Drizzle the chocolate in a straight line between each pretzel, being sure to cross the center of the pretzels. Then, drizzle the chocolate in a wavy circular motion, making 3 rings, to form the web. Be sure to make the chocolate circles thick versus thin to help bind the pretzels together. Also, add a little extra chocolate in the center. Sprinkle with festive candies and sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. Repeat the process with the white melting candies. Refrigerate the spider webs for at least 2 hours to allow chocolate to harden. Gently remove spider webs from the parchment paper before serving.
DEBBI'S PUMPKIN ROLL
Best eaten within 2 days after baking, this delicious Pumpkin Roll is an autumn favorite. For the cake roll:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust. Top with ghost cheese slices and olive spiders. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until pizza is warmed through and cheese is beginning to melt. Makes 8 slices.
3
¼
½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½
¼ cup confectioner's sugar
For the filling:
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick baking spray with flour
(Baker's Joy). Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ground cloves, salt, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl; beat until well-combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs
back when touched. Sprinkle a thin, cotton tea towel with ¼ cup confectioner's sugar to keep cake from sticking. Remove cake from oven. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto the prepared tea towel. Carefully remove aluminum foil. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool on wire rack. Beat cream cheese and butter with confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and pecans until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over care. Re-roll cake. Place on a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving. Serves 8 to 10.
APPLE CIDER MARTINI
An Apple Cider Martini is the perfect fall cocktail. Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and only available during the autumn months. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your grocer.
2 shots bourbon
1 cup apple cider
Splash of ginger beer
Cinnamon sticks, optional
Apple slices, optional
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add bourbon, cider and ginger beer. Shake to combine. Pour into
and
The writer owns Catering by
and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina
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
martini glasses. Garnish with cinnamon sticks
apple slices, if desired. Serves 2.
MUMMY MEATBALLS
Debbi Covington
Moon.
Miss Flora’s First Season: A Game Changer
By Lila Meeks
In the autumn of 1986, the Steinway Brothers New York factory produced an exquisite 9-foot model D concert grand who came into the world feeling confident that she would, assisted by some of the world’s finest pianists, play some of the world’s greatest music during her lifetime. Fortunately, she was recruited immediately to the Brandon University School of Music, where staff had painstakingly prepared her quarters that fall. Once she had settled in, they realized that she was an exceptional protégé and joined with others who, enthralled with her many charms and attributes, named her after the respected and beloved first Canadian female foreign minister who had assisted in procuring the government grant to pay Steinway — Flora Isabel MacDonald.
In short order, Flora Isabel established herself as a prima donna in the department, and soon a remarkable nanny and Steinway technician Mark Cramer was hired to ensure her proper care. For the next 36 years she reigned as diva in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall of the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building. During those years, she rose to every occasion and often stole the hearts of visiting celebrities. One unforgettable evening, she and Marc-Andre Hamelin, considered by many to be the finest concert pianist of his generation, performed the entire and fiendishly-difficult Iberia Suite concluding to boisterous applause, with numerous encores. He ended the evening with a delicate Debussy encore he rarely played because most pianos were not responsive enough for it. In a later interview he said, “From the first note, I was immediately aware that this piano was responsive to my every whim.” Several years later virtuoso and author of The Classical Style, Charles Rosen, joined Miss Flora and observed, “This may be the most evenly voiced piano I have ever played.” He then asked for a felt pen and signed her bronzed-iron string-frame just next to Mr. Hamelin’s autograph. As luck would have it, Mark Cramer and pianist Andrew Armstrong became good friends who greatly admired each other’s devotion to classical music and skill with the piano. When the opportunity arose, Mark asked Andrew if he had the wherewithal to secure Isabel Flora as a permanent partner for his Beaufort series. With some trepidation –knowing full well that few small music venues can afford anything other than rental pianos,
Andrew asked the Beaufort Chamber Board if there were any possibility that she could become a resident artist with the USCB program. Friends’ habits formed over years of giving generously to both annual and endowment funding happily made the seemingly impossible, possible.
In July of 2022, Dr. Panu wrote a large check, and Staci Breton began the arduous and sometimes painful process of inviting Miss Flora to sally south to the Carolina Lowcountry. Reams of paperwork later, Miss Flora was transported by her private 18-wheeler across the border and arrived at the Art Center loading dock on October 17th. She was welcomed by Michael Johns, Jeff Herrin, and helpers. When she had her legs once more under her, she donned a Cramer-designed cover and special safety bumpers and retired to the temperature-and- humidity-controlled closet which had been especially prepared for her arrival to acclimate until the first weekend in November when she would make her Beaufort debut.
After Miss Flora’s extensive beauty parlor appointment on November 4, an exuberant and admiring Andy arrived, adjusted his new hydraulic piano bench, and instantly began to play Chopin while enthusiastically extoling Miss Flora’s myriad virtues. As many of those who were lucky enough to hear their first piece, Claire de Lune, on the USCB stage that fateful Sunday can attest, these two do make magic together. When, some three months later, Andy greeted his great, good friend Gramophone’s Artist of the Year James Ehnes to the stage, he was still in awe of James’ amazing talent, but he was no longer green with envy of James’ very fine Strad. As they
began to play a Beethoven sonata, Andy simply smiled smugly and asked Miss Flora for a few extra flourishes. There is no doubt that Miss Flora has taken USCB Chamber Music miraculously to a new plateau in the
classical music world. Her arrival has lifted the spirits of our resident pianist and the sound quality of each piece he so beautifully plays. Come catch the magic this season: November 12, December 10, January 28, March 3, and April 7. All Sunday concerts are at 5:00pm at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street in the downtown historic district. Can’t make it to the concert in person? No worries! Watch from anywhere in real-time with the live-stream link. All live and virtual attendees will receive an email link within 5 days of the concert, granting you exclusive access to the On-Demand version. You can enjoy the performance at your leisure for three weeks, reliving the magic whenever and as often it suits you. Season subscription tickets are still available for both live and virtual attendees. Tickets are available online at www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday.
NEW CONTAINER ARRIVING SOON!
Andrew Armstrong with Miss Flora
A Gift of Music on Fripp
By Margit Resch
Ineed a birthday present for my husband. And what do you think I can give my daughter for her graduation? I am at a loss… Familiar anxieties? Well, how about a song? A song specifically tailored to a loved-one of yours—your wife, your baby-son, your father, a good friend. Would a song not make a great gift? Well, come and meet Erin Bode, a singer/songwriter, who will perform on Fripp Island on October 22. One of Erin’s many talents and ventures, aside from entertaining audiences all over the world with her music, is writing and composing songs made-to-order, personalized according to your specifications, a song just for you, dedicated to someone you love. Erin calls this venture of hers YourSong. When you hear Erin perform, you will quickly realize that she is a perfect medium for this unusual enterprise, and that she would create a great mellifluous gift for you, that will please the recipient for years to come. Listening to Erin in concert, you will be mesmerized, like all her audiences, by her alluring, irresistible voice, her expressive phrasing, her striking stage presence, her creative lyrics and beautiful melodies. You will be enthralled by her musical savvy, her ability to switch seamlessly from genre to genre, from jazz to folk to pop music, and her creative ways of mixing these styles to intriguing effect.
Erin Bode (Boh-dee) is the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and grew up in a musical family in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. There, she was singing in a church choir. But in high school in St. Louis, she discovered and
fell in love with jazz and big band music, and she learned to play the trumpet. She also enjoyed acting in the local theater. She earned a degree in music and foreign languages at Webster University in St. Louis, where she stayed after graduating to sing and play in local engagements and where, in 2001, she released her first, self-produced CD called Request. Her second CD, Don’t Take Your Time, produced in 2004 by Maxjazz, gave her national exposure. According to Ken Dryden, Erin “has frequently been compared by critics and jazz radio hosts to both Eva Cassidy and the young jazz superstar Norah Jones for her willingness to explore a wide range of material in a fresh, often subtle manner.”
Erin Bode’s musical partner at the concert on Fripp is Taylor Eigsti (Eye-gstee), an equally versatile and impressive composer, and a magnificent pianist. Taylor grew up in Menlo Park, California and was considered a prodigy not long after he started playing piano at age four. He has been performing, touring and recording for more than thirty years, not only with his own trio, but also with luminaries like Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Vanessa Williams, Sting, Marian McPartland, to name just a few. Lately Eigsti has been regularly touring with two-time Academy-Award-nominated composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard and with the Rolling Stones’ long-time vocalist Lisa Fischer. It’s not surprising that he has performed in countless premier venues all over the world such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus, London’s
Royal Festival Hall, and at jazz festivals in Istanbul, Singapore, Sydney, Stockholm and many more. He even gave a private performance for President Clinton.
Eigsti has released eight albums in the role of major musician and bandleader, and he has appeared in over sixty albums as a sideman. He won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album with Tree Falls. He has also garnered three individual Grammy nominations for his work as a recording artist and composer, including Best Instrumental Composition and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. And he cowrote a featured composition with Don Cheadle for the Grammy-winning soundtrack to the motion picture Miles Ahead (2017). Last year, he premiered in the Bay Area a large-ensemble work called Imagine Our Future, commissioned by the Hewlett Foundation, featuring Lisa Fischer on vocals and a 12-person band, which compositionally “crowd-sourced” over one-hundred musical and multimedia ideas submitted by youngsters from Northern California.
According to Variety Magazine, “Eigsti exudes fearlessness and joy, secure in the belief that he can make music with anyone.” Erin Bode is not just anyone. She and Taylor make an outstanding duo. Treat yourself to their gifts of music on Sunday, October 22 at 5:00 pm at the Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Boulevard. Attendees get a pass at the Fripp gate. Tickets at the door: adults $30, students free thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund.
You should consider becoming a member of Fripp Island Friends of Music. Membership gives access to all five concerts, including the post-performance reception, where you meet the musicians while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared fresh by Harold’s Chef Services. It also helps fund FIFOM’s Music-in-theSchools program. The basic FIFOM membership, $100, has not changed. It saves you $50 compared to the sum of five $30-tickets. FIFOM is supported by the SC Arts Commission. To become a member, text or call Vanessa Peñaherrera at (704) 807-0255 or email vandy116@gmail.com Go to frippfriendsofmusic.com for more info.
Tim Conroy Book Launch
As a prologue to the annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival on October 26-29, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center is honored to host a free public drop-in launch event for poet Tim Conroy's second book, No True Route. Join us on Wednesday, October 25, from 5-7pm at 601 Bladen St., in downtown Beaufort. No advance registration required. Books will be available for sale and signing. Refreshments will be provided. Conroy will read from his new book of poetry at 5:30 p.m.
ABOUT NO TRUE ROUTE
"The title of Tim Conroy’s second book, No True Route, asks us to think about journeys in both time and space. And, for sure, there are poems throughout the book taking up the themes of movement, direction, detour, destination. These are poems by a man looking back over his life—those landscapes of time and family and loss—and thinking about how he got here. What were the signposts? Where could his life have taken another direction? What then? Who would he have been? Not this man, certainly. Another,
perhaps harder, or lost, and not a writer. Don’t we all think about the choices we made or failed to make, the inheritances we rejected and those we kept, like a mother’s jar of seashells on a bookshelf, a slight thing, a thing weighted with memory, and inevitabilities?
"Yet, I’m struck by a theme of sustenance that threads the book—a mother packing her children’s lunches, a joke between spouses about a soup of nothing, coastal meals of crab and shrimp, a bag of chips that rivets a dog’s attention. Or dreams that will be eaten. Rainwater in chalices. Surely that is another way to think about our lives: the things and people that have sustained us, fed us, kept us going. And surely that is another way to think about poetry like this. Something to chew on. Something that can keep us going. Words that sustain." – Ed Madden, former Poet Laureate of Columbia, S.C., from the preface Author of the collections A Theology of Terrain and No True Route (forthcoming in October), Tim Conroy is a poet and former educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines, Jasper Magazine, Marked by the Water, Sheltered, Twelve Mile Review, Poetry on the
Comet, The Post and Courier, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor, Tim, and his wife Terrye, live in Dunedin, Florida.
Preparing for Spring in the Summer Heat of Autumn
That is exactly what I am doing. I am now ordering spring flowering bulbs as well as seeds that I will plant in the autumn for spring. I know that our temperatures right now are higher than our real fall cool down so may seem weird to plan for spring now, but there are reasons for it.
Bulbs need to be cooled for about 10 –12 weeks if you live in horticultural zones, 8, 9, or 10. We are zone 9A. The bulbs need a consistent 38-45 degree temperature in a dark place. I use the refrigerator in my garage that is known as my “overflow” fridge. I have been ordering a narcissus mix (or daffodils if you prefer to call them) that is especially selected for our southern region. I usually do not plant them until December or January. Our soil never really freezes solid, but I want it to be cool when I plant those bulbs. I have also ordered alliums, iris, and species tulips to precool and plant.
Now is the time to order those seeds as well for spring planting if you wish to plan ahead. There are many reputable online seed companies. In South Carolina we have one of the oldest seed companies in the United States. Park Seed Company was founded in 1868. They were originally in Pennsylvania, but they are now located in Greenwood, South Carolina.
By Wendy Hilty
difficult to find shrubs and other perennial plants in our region since so many growers produce plants for the northern spring market. There are some local nurseries who are recognizing our unique growing conditions so look around if you wish to add to your garden in the more favorable fall season.
I am looking forward to our fall cool down and the chance to plant my seeds for spring flowers. It will also be nice to get back on my back porch and relax a bit without feeling like I am in a steam bath.
ATTN: CITADEL FAMILY
To help kick off the 8th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival,
as a fundraiser for the Pat Conroy
Center, featuring remarks from The Citadel Head Basketball Coach, Ed Conroy.
October 26th, 5:30-8:00pm Beaufort Yacht & Sailing Club $150 per person Purchase tickets at https://rb.gy/a8ngv or email PCLCFest@gmail.com
Now is also a good time to order flower seeds as well. There are certain flowers that do extremely well if they are planted in the fall. I plant Orlaya grandiflora in October. It comes up right away and stays about six inches tall throughout the entire winter and then, when spring comes, it spurts and is flowering by April. It is a beautiful Queen Anne’s Lace type of flower with bright white petals. Ammi majus is like a giant version of Queen Anne Lace. It gets around four feet tall with large umbrella shaped blossoms. Both Orlaya and Ammi majus are known as umbellifers – plants that have umbrella like blossoms. There are horticulturists who are umbellifer specialists and love those type of flower heads. Neither Orlaya nor Ammi has a common name that is in popular use. Sorry.
I also plant Borage in the fall. Borage can be viewed as an herb or a flower. As an herb, its cucumber flavored leaves are used in cocktails or salads. As an ornamental plant the small blue flowers are bee magnets. In England, Borage is used as a garnish in Pimm’s Cup, one of the Brit’s favorite summertime drinks.
I also plant sweet peas ( Lathyrus odoratus) in October. In Britain, that is the traditional time to plant them and with our (usually) mild winters, it works here. I plant mine in a large container with a trellis for them to twine to. Unfortunately, that devastating hard freeze that we had in December killed mine this year, but every other year I have had an early crop of fragrant sweet peas.
Of course, right now, our gardens are looking a little shopworn. We need that late October or early November cool down to really help our plants to come back for one last hurrah. Don’t be afraid to put down another layer of mulch or compost. I have been composting in the fall to allow nutrients to be absorbed into the soil. I can see where my plants are so I do not smother seedlings and sprouts as I possibly might in the early spring. Rosebushes in particular like to have their roots covered in nice rich compost or mulch.
Speaking of roses I have received emails from various rose companies that their plants are available to re-order for spring. With our mild winters, you could plan roses now.
Fall is the best time of the year to plant any kind of shrubs or ornamental trees. They will have the entire winter to acclimate to their new location and develop strong roots before our hot and humid summer. Sometimes it is
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.
Orlaya grandiflora
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
EVERY 2ND TUESDAY, SHARING HEARTS SUPPORT GROUP Tell your 10-minute story of a life lesson or healing message using your own song, poetry, reading, art or verbal storytelling. Come away with an uplifting sense of support and connections or to just listen. To register leave voice mail with name, and phone number at 843-5256115 or email reneesutton@healthierhealing.com Notification will be done of any location change. Free. 2201 Boundary St. #208, Beaufort.
Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land's End Road, St. Helena Island is open. Docent-led tours are every Saturday at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. 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 is open to the public Monday through Sunday from dawn to dusk. For more Information visit www.forttremont.org or contact Passive Parks manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net
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
TONGOING
PROGRAMS & CLASSES Knitting/Crochet Club
1st Tuesdays @ 2:30; Line Dance Class 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 3:30; Basic Computer Skills Class Wednesdays @ 9; Hoopla Class 2nd Mondays @ 10 and 4th Wednesdays @ 4; Escape Quest
Games daily during library hours; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Art Club
1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 4; Teen Anime Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 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 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 and once a month Line Dance is taught. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Beginner classes in Jan., Mar, May, and Sep. 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
MAYE RIVER QUILTERS meets 1st Saturday of Every Month, 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.
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 843-473-3939 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.
KARAOKE AT THE MOOSE Sing with us Thursday evenings at The Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd. 7:30-10:30pm. Brought to you by #top6entertainment Mardi & Dennis Topcik. The Moose is a family friendly place and Thursdays are also Pizza Night!
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, 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.
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. From 10am to 2pm Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm at the Fort Fremont History Center at the
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 Facebook - USCGA 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 www.beauforttoastmastersclub.org
FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 4 - 6pm. 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 Mr. Hal. Definitely shop.
COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE Safe & effective centuries old healing system treats and prevents many 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
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, Senior Services of Beaufort, 1408 Paris Ave., Port Royal; Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stages - Mondays 1pm, Parsons Parlor, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret, Beaufort. Respite Programs: Social Day Program- 10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Mon. at Cornerstone Christian Church, 2301 First Blvd., Beaufort, Weds. & Friday at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $12$24. 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, 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 843815-6616 (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 at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson at 843715-3583 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 10am-4:30pm and 8am on Family Graduation Days. Closed all Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.
MEDICAL SERVICES OF AMERICA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS - Volunteers needed for 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 At Shell Point Baptist Church Saturdays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems and looking to scripture for solutions. Meal at 6pm; Praise and Worship 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7:15pm. 871 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 843-592-1046.
he University of South Carolina Beaufort Lunch with Author Series 2023-2024 begins Wednesday, October 25 at The Belfair Clubhouse. The author, Mary Kay Andrews, will be discussing her new book Bright Lights, Big Christmas. About the Book – It’s a long way from a Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina to a certain street corner in Greenwich Village, but Kerry Tolliver—newly unemployed and romantically unattached—reluctantly agrees to make the trek and live in a tiny vintage camper with her gruff older brother (and his dog, Queenie) out of family loyalty. Selling Christmas trees at the family’s stand on a New York City sidewalk, Kerry begins to feel at home, succumbing to the charms of the quirky neighborhood, and making new friends who become like family . . . and maybe more. Surrounded by warm childhood memories, sparkling possibility, and the magic of Christmas, will this small-town girl surrender her heart to the bright lights of the big city?
About the Author – Mary Kay Andrews is The New York Times bestselling author of The Beach House Cookbook and thirty novels, including The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer, The High Tide Club, The Weekenders, Ladies' Night, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues. A former journalist for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Join us for lunch with author Mary Kay Andrews at Belfair Country Club on Wednesday, October 25 at 12:00 PM. Books will be available for purchase and the author will be signing books. Reservations must be made by September 27. Tickets are $60. The Lunch with Author series will continue on November 7, with Tracey Enerson Wood and her book The President’s Wife. For more info go to www.uscbcenterforthearts.com or call 843-521-4145.
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) 5211888 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.
Irish American Sports Pub & Eatery. C'mon down! Rock & Roll Lunch. Mondays-25% off Burgers! Tuesdays –25% off Shrimp & Chips Baskets! Wednesdays-25% off Philly Cheese Steaks! Wednesdays, Friday & Saturday - Karaoke. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie'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; 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. 10/11 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler, 10/13 & 10;/14 Neal Caine Trio, 10/18 Bobby Ryder, 10/20 & 10/21 Anything Mose - The Mose Allison Project with John Chin and Richard Julian, 10/25 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parler 10/27 & 10/28 Stephen Gordon Quarter. (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. 10/11 Black Hallows Tour - Change My Brain with Cakes; Casket Robbery; Cultus Black; Raven Black, 10/12 Deer Tick; Country Westerns, 10/13 Jawny; Adan Diaz, 10/14 DEHD; Sarah Grace White, 10/15 Common Kings, 10/18 Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics - 7pm & 9pm, 10/19 Boy Named Banjo; Brother Elsey, 10/20 Emo Night Brooklyn, 10/27 Free Throw; Prince Daddy & the Hyena; Charmer; Saturdays at Your Place, 10/28 Soja; Hirie; Mihali, 10/29 Lily's Burlesque. (843) 408-1599 or www.musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. 10/12 TreeHouse; Operation Irie ft. Monsoon, 10/13 The Beaches; The Thing, 10/14 Neighbor; OMIWIMO, 10/17 The Distinators; Sensamotion, 10/18 Sneezy, 10/19 The Dave Matthews Tribute Band, 10/20 Wolf Mask; Jive Talk, 10/21 Dr. Smiley
Face, 10/24 S.G. Goodman; She Returns from War, 10/26 Ghost-Note; Joslyn & the Sweet Compression, 10/27 & 10/28 Kitchen Dwellers; Fireside Collective. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 10/13
Maps for the self-guided art walk available at the entrance to Pigeon Point Park and at each location. 10am –2pm. For more info, email krispeterson811@gmail.com
10/16 – 10/25, Side-by-Side: People, Places & Things of the Lowcountry, a collaboration of Art league of Hilton Head and Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head. Opening Reception: Wed, 10/18, 5-7pm. Art League Academy, 106 Cordillo Parkway, Hilton Head Island, 843-842-5738.
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
THEATER/FILM/DANCE
Now – 10/29, Clue, the murder mystery comedy, at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cover Lane, Hilton Head Island. For tickets, call 843-842-2787
10/20 – 10/29, The Addams Family – A New Musical Comedy presented by the May River Theatre Company in Ulmer Auditorium, 20 Bridge Street, Bluffton. Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2pm. Tickets $25 in advance. https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/ addams-family-musical-2493499
GALLERIES/ART
Now – 10/31, Seasons of Life by Wyn Foland at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery, 913 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com
Now – 11/3, Tangled Up in Hues, featuring the work of Pat McGreevey at Art League of Hilton Head Gallery. Demo Fri, 10/13, 11am-12pm. Free and open to the public. Located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head, 843-681-5060.
Now – 12/18, Super-Natural, an exhibit of artwork by Susanna Glattly and Gary Geboy at USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St, Beaufort. Opening reception Thur 10/19 from 5:30 – 7pm. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Now – 2/10/24, Anonymous Ancestors at Morris Center in Ridgeland. Artist Susan Lenz uses hundreds of anonymous vintage photographs, letters, and printed materials to form a societal family tree. www.morrisheritagecenter.org
Now – 3/24, Intimate Oceans: Coral in Contemporary Art at Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head. 70 Honey Horn Dr., Hilton Head. 843-689-6767. www.coastaldiscovery.org
BOOKS & WRITERS
Thur 10/12, Open Mic Night, featuring poet Brooke McKinney (The Distance Between Birds). Sponsored by the SC Writers Association and Pat Conroy Literary Center, the event will take place at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (711 Bladen St., Beaufort) from 6 – 7:30pm. McKinney will be joined by local writers in many genres reading from their individual works for 3-5 minutes each. This event is free and open to the public. Writers wishing to read during open mic can sign up in advance by emailing contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
Tues 10/24, USCB Lunch with Author Series featuring Mary Kay Andrews (Bright Lights, Big Christmas) at Belfair Clubhouse, 200 Belfair Oaks Blvd, Bluffton. Starts at noon. Tickets $60. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Wed 10/25, Tim Conroy (No True Route) book launch at the Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort. Free public drop-in from 5-7pm. No advance registration required. Books available for sale and signing. Refreshments will be provided. Conroy will read from his new book of poetry at 5:30 pm. www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
10/26 – 10/29, 8th Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival, featuring discussions, writer workshops, a poetry reading, screening of The Lords of Discipline, and a musical performance by the Beaufort Mass Choir. For more info or tickets, visit www.patconroyliteraryfestival.org
MUSIC
Sun 10/22, 2nd Annual Community Sing featuring the Chancel Choirs from Carteret Street Methodist, Tabernacle Baptist and Dr. Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers. 3pm at Carteret Street United Methodist Church, 408 Carteret Street. Open to the Public, Donations will be accepted.
OTHER EVENTS
Thur 10/12, Show Stoppers Detailing Clinic sponsored by Women Driving America. This event is designed for women--by women. See how the pros detail a car being shown at the Concours d'Elegance. Learn their techniques, the products they use, and even what not to do when you wash and polish your own car. Location: Summer Breeze Ceramic Coating & Mobile Detailing, 110 Castlerock Road in Beaufort from 5:30-7 pm. The cost is $20. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited. RSVP to info@WDAcars.com
10/13 – 15, 13th Annual Habersham Harvest Festival. Featuring a vintage fair theme with family activities, local food purveyors, and artisan vendors.. The Habersham Harvest Festival is now a three-day event that begins with a Friday evening Carnival for rides, live music and food on 10/13 starting at 4pm. The full festival continues Sat 10/14 from 10am to 6pm, and Sun, 10/15 from 10am – 6pm. For more info, visit www.habershamharvestfestival.com
Travis Denning, 10/14 Nirvani - Nirvana tribute; Foo 4 You, 10/20 Rock the 90s, 10/21 Glamnation - Carolina Children's Charity, 10/27 Midnight City, 10/28 Mr. Fahrenheit. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com Tues - Sun: 11am-9pm
Sat 10/14, Pigeon Point Studio Art Walk. Twelve local artists – and their work – at 9nine different locations in the walking neighborhood of Pigeon Point in Beaufort.
Sat 10/14, Carteret Street United Methodist Church Annual Fall Bazaar, 8am – 2pm. Silent Auction, Jewelry, Good Junque, Book Booth, Handicrafts, Tools and Outdoor items, Plant Booth, Fresh Baked Goods Booth, Frozen Foods Booth and Concessions. 408 Carteret Street, Beaufort
Thur 10/19, 2nd Annual Mutt Mixer Concert to benefit Palmetto Animal League. Hors d’oeuvres, beverages, door prizes, live music by “Lowcountry Boil,” and professional portraits of your dog with a minimum donation to Palmetto Animal League. “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Dog), 5:30 – 7:30 pm at AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head.
Sat 10/21, 13th Annual Italian Heritage Festival, A cultural experience with food, wine, family activities, silent auction, and live music by the Hilton Head Big Band. Tickets $6 at the gate and in advance, free parking. From 11am – 4pm at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. www.iachh.org-italianheritage-festival
10/21 – 10/22, Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, sponsored by the Historic Beaufort Foundation. For a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets, visit www.historicbeaufort.org
First Saturday of the Month, Teddy Bear Picnic ReadAloud 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.
Tuesdays, Tours of Hunting Island sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For info call the Nature Center at 843-838-7437. Tours free are 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 5:30-7:30pm. 843-470-3506. www.beaufortdigital.com
Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by the 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.
