Lowcountry Weekly July 2 – July 15 by Lowcountry Weekly

Reflections on the good life in coastal South Carolina }.

Lowcountry

Happy Birthday to Us! 4

Lowcountry Weekly at 25

Ann Head Literary Prize 6 Congrats to Noah Cayanan

The Back of the House 10

A tasty art exhibit

Independence Day Supper 12

Savor the 4th of July

Made in the Shade 15

Ode to the humble fern

Wild Kingdoms 16

Along life's trail

Beaufort Water Festival 3

Blue Skies & Starry Nights

July 2 – July 15, 2025 .{ Opinion, Arts, Culture, Lifestyle, Cuisine }.

Gilbert Law Firm llc

cover notes

To mark the 25th anniversary of Lowcountry Weekly's first issue, we chose 9 of the 650 images that have graced our cover over the past quarter century. Maybe you'll recognize some of your favorite local artists! To learn who they are, visit www.lcweekly.com. To read more about our 25-year adventure in publishing, see our column on page 4.

r yWeekly

o w c o unt

LAlisha Doud alisha@dcgilbert.com

Daun Schouten daun@dcgilbert.com

Laure Gallagher laure@dcgilbert.com

Ashley Hart ashley@dcgilbert.com

Joy McConnell joy@dcgilbert.com

Johanna Graham johanna@dcgilbert.com

Kathy Crowley kathy@dcgilbert.com

Dawn Shipsey dawn@dcgilbert.com

July 2 – July 15, 2025

Publisher: Jeff Evans — Jeff@LCWeekly.com

Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly

Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com

Advertising Sales: Jere Russo — 401-787-3280 or JereRusso@Gmail.com Delayna Earley — 804-347-8704 or Delayna.TheIslandNews@gmail.com

Art Director: Lydia Inglett

Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkleworks

Contributing Writers: Bradley Beck, Katherine Tandy Brown, Debbi Covington, Luke Frazier, Wendy Hilty, Jared Madison, Cele & Lynn Seldon, and Sutty Suddeth What’s Happening Calendar: Staff – Editor@LCWeekly.com

Letters to the Editor, comments or suggestions can be addressed to: Lowcountry Weekly 106 West Street Extension, Beaufort, SC 29902

Call: 843-986-9059 or Email: Editor@LCWeekly.com

Lowcountry Weekly is published every other Wednesday and distributed throughout Beaufort County at various restaurants, retail locations, hotels and visitor’s centers. The entire contents of Lowcountry Weekly is copyrighted 2025 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.

TEEN DANCE

Looking Back On 25 Years RANTS & RAVES

Aquarter century ago – in the actual olden days – Jeff and I were wide-eyed newlyweds with big dreams and little sense when we invested our meager savings in an obscure local rag, about a year old, called Lowcountry Bi-weekly. We hated the name – so clunky! – and figured we’d soon go weekly anyway, so we dropped the “bi,” spruced up the design, added some new features, and Lowcountry Weekly was born.

We’re still biweekly. But, hey, it’s only been 25 years. Have patience.

From the beginning, it was a crazy risk. We had no idea what we were doing or how to do it. We had a “vision,” but even that vision was vague. Both “come-yahs,” besotted with all things Beaufort County, we knew we wanted to celebrate its amazing cultural and environmental heritage.

And we wanted to create a space where writers could write. Really write.

But what kind of publication were we, exactly? Not a newspaper, per se, but not a journal or magazine, either. We played with the word “magapaper” for a while. Eventually, we settled on a tagline: Reflections on the good life in coastal South Carolina. It was never meant to sound fancy or high falutin’. By “good life” we meant just that. We did not mean the “high life” nor the “life of Riley.” Just the good life.

We wanted to tell you about our hundreds of visual artists – and show you their fantastic work. For 25 years, we’ve done that in our pages, and especially on our covers. To this day, we never “pre-promise” a cover, nor do we seek out cover art. Our policy has always been to choose our cover at the last minute –just pick our favorite image from the selection of artwork submitted. In 25 years, we have never lacked for cover art. Our challenge is typically choosing between so many great options.

We also wanted to celebrate our theatre performers (so many productions over 25 years!) and our musicians (so many concerts!) and our writers, both local and visiting. (Oh, the readings and signings and literary festivals we’ve covered!)

We wanted to shine a light on our natural environment, our architectural wonders, and our culinary delights. Enter Mark Shaffer, who joined our LCW family around 2008 and stuck with us for many years. A seasoned journalist with impeccable credentials, Mark invented ‘The Backyard

Tourist,’ taking readers on adventures up and down the east coast. Through his ‘Moveable Feast’ feature, you dined vicariously at the finest restaurants around; his ‘Life Behind Bars’ took you out drinking; his ‘Burger Beat’ pointed you toward the best burgers in the Lowcountry. Speaking of food, we’d be nothing without Debbi Covington, our fabulous foodie who’s been writing her regular column here for 20 years. She started as our ‘Everyday Gourmet’ then later began to ‘Celebrate Every Day.’ Somehow, despite her hectic life as Beaufort’s favorite caterer, cookbook writer and personal party-thrower, Debbi has never missed a deadline. There are literally thousands of her recipes on our website now. I’m in awe of her endless energy and creativity, and she writes like an editor’s dream. Which brings me to our revolving stable of columnists. From the get-go, we were blessed with an array of terrific contributors who just love to write. Sometimes they were sharing their expertise. (Remember ‘Fashion Granny’? ‘Travel Tapas’? ‘Ask the Yogi’? ‘So You Want to Start a Business’? ‘Civitas’? ‘Calling Card’? ‘Aunt Bossy’?) And sometimes, they were just sharing their thoughts. (Bernie Moscovitz mused freely in ‘Standpoint.’ Jim Tatum made us laugh with ‘Reflections and Refractions.’ Laura Von Harten, may she rest in peace, wrote colorfully of her lifelong home in ‘My Lowcountry.’)

Vivian Bikulege was in and out of the paper for 20 years, with her poignant reflections on ‘Whatever.’ Laura Packard graced us with her humor and heart (‘What I’ve Learned by Accident’) and Jack Sparacino was a fan favorite. Terry Sweeney wrote the uproarious ‘Happy Winos’ column for a while, then Terry Connor took over with the slightly-more-serious “Drink Globally.”

And let’s not forget our spectacular garden columnists. We’ve been publishing ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’ since 2009, when Lanier Laney came to us with the idea.

In 2011, Lanier passed the baton to Alice Massey and Laura Lee Rose, who lured Will Balk, Jr. into the mix a year or two later. Alice moved away, but she left us a stellar replacement in Sandra Educate, who introduced us to Wendy Hilty. These columnists are all master gardeners and delightful writers and we’ve been privileged to publish them year after year.

Katherine Tandy Brown and Sutty Suddeth started the fascinating ‘Wholly Holistics’ column a few years ago, and now Jared Madison has joined them. Mindy Lucas worked as a Staff Writer for a while, bringing some serious reporter’s chops to the table.

More recently, we’ve added talented columnists Luke Frazier (‘Flow Country’) and Carolyn Mason, and the dynamic duo Lynn and Cele Seldon, who drop in on area restaurants to write ‘The Lowcountry Dish.’

Of course, the oldest “regular” is this column. My baby. I’ve been writing it since before I had my baby, and that baby turns 24 this month. Looking back at those early columns, I feel tenderness toward the young woman who wrote them, but I hardly know her anymore. Reading forward through them is a revealing, amusing, and often deeply humiliating experience – like reading the story of my adult life. (Some years were more ‘adult’ than others.) For over two decades, I’ve poured everything I have onto this page –done some serious “oversharing,” as my husband likes to say. Five years ago, I called this column “the biweekly bane of my existence and my greatest joy.” That hasn’t changed. Thank you, readers, for indulging me.

From the start, Lowcountry Weekly developed organically, with some wonderful surprises along the way. Pat Conroy wrote his first (and last) restaurant review here (singing the praises of Griffin Market), and

Daryl Ferguson’s series ‘Where America Really Began’ evolved alongside the Santa Elena Foundation. We partnered with the Beaufort International Film Festival in its infancy, and though BIFF is our younger sibling – only going on 20 – it feels like we grew up together. The Pat Conroy Literary Center has also been a treasured partner. At some point, we started an annual Poetry Contest and, later, an annual Short Story Contest. You may not have noticed, but we also have an annual Chicken Issue, featuring chicken art on the cover. Yes, chicken art. We’ve always been a bit kooky.

And did I mention we’ve always been free? For 25 years, we’ve depended solely on advertising, and it hasn’t been easy. Thank goodness Amanda Hanna joined us as Sales & Marketing Manager 10-plus years ago. She’s worked absolute magic, not to mention working her way into the hearts of advertisers all over Beaufort County. Without Amanda and her revolving sales team – we recently welcomed Jere Russo – I doubt we’d still be in print.

And without our advertisers – and you, dear readers – all bets would have been off a long time ago. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for getting us. Thank you for loving us.

Lowcountry Weekly has always been about love. So, I hope you don’t mind if I end this reflection by thanking my husband, Jeff Evans, who holds it all together. Jeff calls himself the “publisher,” but he’s also the graphic designer, the business manager, the IT guy, the bill payer, the dispute settler, the maker of uncomfortable phone calls, the re-stocker of toilet paper, and the one who takes the trash to the dump. Jeff is our rock and our foundation.

And because we decided long ago that I should work from home while he works from our downtown office, we are still happily married after 25 years.

Thanks for the memories, y’all. Here’s to the next quarter century.

Margaret Evans is the editor of Lowcountry Weekly. She has been writing her award winning column, Rants & Raves, for 25 years.

Margaret Evans

Lowcountry Weekly, July 12, 2000

Noah Cayanan Wins the 6th Annual Ann Head Literary Prize

As creators and sponsors of the annual Ann Head Literary Prize for Short Story Fiction, the family of Ann Head is pleased to announce the winner of the fifth annual award is Beaufort High School is rising senior Noah Cayanan.

Cayanan’s short story, “Reflections of Hollow Men,” was an instant favorite with the judges. The story follows a young detective investigating a series of similar deaths but no clues to a killer, though his personal life is bleeding into the investigation. The story reflects its author’s love of psychology, which he plans to pursue with a career as a psychiatrist. Cayanan is a member of DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) and an avid skater.

As prizewinner, Cayanan received a cash prize of $500 and his name was engraved on the Ann Head Literary Prize plaque permanently displayed at Beaufort High School.

The winning story was chosen from entries written by BHS students and submitted for consideration. The high caliber of the stories made the decision of the judges, all family members of Ann Head, extremely difficult, although highly enjoyable. The family is grateful for the enthusiastic support of the BHS English Department and English teacher Michael Gautier, as well as for the support and partnership in this endeavor of Jonathan Haupt, executive director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

The family of Ann Head congratulates each of the students who submitted a story for the competition this year. They are writers all, and they have proved that they can each craft an original short story. Keep it up, writers of Beaufort High! Who knows how many more future Pat Conroys Beaufort High might foster?

About Ann Head: Writer Ann Head, the pen name of Anne Wales Christensen Head Morse (1915–1968), was the granddaughter of Abbie Holmes Christensen, who came to Beaufort during the Civil War to educate the recently freed enslaved populations of the Sea Islands. Moving back and forth between Boston and Beaufort, Ann carried on the family tradition of bucking traditions and creating new literary forms. Ann was Pat Conroy’s first creative writing teacher at Beaufort High School and became Conroy’s mentor, confidante, and friend. She was a central figure in Beaufort’s midcentury literary scene, befriending many of the famous authors who wintered in Beaufort, including Samuel Hopkins Adams (whom she considered her

mentor), Somerset Maugham, John Marquand, and Katherine and E. B. White among others.

Ann published over fifty short stories and serials in the major national magazines of her day, with many of her stories set in a small town just like Beaufort. She wrote of divorce, snobbery, affairs both emotional and sexual, prejudice, death, and out-of-wedlock childbirth, championing the non-typical heroines of the magazines that eagerly accepted her work. In addition, she authored four novels which were published internationally, most notably Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, a compelling story of teen pregnancy which was on school reading lists for 50 years and is credited with helping create the Young Adult novel genre.

Ann died suddenly in 1968, at the age of 52, cutting short a vibrant life and promising literary career. She was posthumously inducted in our state’s literary hall of fame, the South Carolina Academy of Authors, on May 4, 2024. The life of Ann Head is chronicled by her daughter, Nancy Thode, in the newly published anthology Ahead of Her Time: The Trailblazing Life and Literary Legacy of Ann Head.

EXCERPT FROM

“REFLECTIONS OF HOLLOW

BY NOAH CAYANAN

Tonight, Lewis, accompanied by half of the San Francisco Police Department, worked in the bright light of a floodlight, casting a pale brightness upon an entire crime scene. Lewis worked in homicide and saw hundreds of murders, bodies, cases. Yet this one was unusual.

MEN,”

Detective Lewis Harper was no stranger to the monsters living in the city’s darkness. In every shadow or eerie calm, a monster may lurk, ready to pounce and sink its sharp, gleaming fangs deep into the clean, unscathed flesh of the pure. But the monsters weren’t real. That was one of the few things that Lewis was certain of. The only monsters were the ones living deep inside of humans, an excuse for their inexcusable actions.

There was no night like tonight. The moon gleaned beautiful light into the night, flooding the streets of San Francisco enough to chase away the little dancing shadows, leaving only the long, stalking, and eerie shadows to watch over the quiet people of the city.

The moonlight wasn’t the only force chasing away the night – traffic lights, busy buildings, the bustle of busy city people. It was away from this stir that Lewis did his work.

Murder was usually a mess. Hot, sticky, nasty blood, broken windows, kicked-in doors, and broken furniture were the obvious ones. The bloody spectacle left behind usually covered the more precise disarray –fingerprints, hair, saliva, any trace of DNA that could link the detectives back to the culprit.

Yet the scene in front of Lewis was neat.

The body was sat neatly in a plastic-covered chair, one hand folded gently in his lap. The other extended, resting atop a knee, palm upwards, holding a classic Baltic watch. The kill wound was a gash in the victim’s neck, cut with insane precision. The wound was wrapped in bandages prior to Lewis’s arrival.

Lewis stirred. A kill like this was disturbingly unusual. He turned to the forensics team. The most he got was a small shrug from Jocelyn Ni, an astoundingly upbeat woman, carrying a crude and passive sense of humor to any crime scene. Her presence always made very real tragedies feel like movie sets.

“No Trabajo,” Jocelyn exclaimed, making her way over to Lewis. Despite being nearly 3,000 miles away from any area that speaks Spanish, she loved to remind everyone that

she could speak it rather fluently. After a puzzled expression from Lewis, she clarified. “No work. The whole place was wiped clean. We’re on our way out.”

Lewis couldn’t help but stare at Jocelyn. Not due to her calming features, but at the normality of her statement. He was speechless. A crime scene with no evidence? It was simply preposterous.

“Alright then. I’ll see you back at the station,” Lewis stated firmly, despite his mind being somewhat aloof. As the rest of the force cleared out, Lewis lingered longer than usual. He scoured each and every inch of the body, chair, room, and building. There were no signs of foul play whatsoever.

Lewis would stir about this for days. Every report of the crime from every team was unable to come up with substantial evidence, setting Lewis’s teeth on edge. Eventually, the hustle and bustle of the city would end up drowning out the noise of the neatly packed murder.

It was hardly a few weeks before Lewis forgot about the kill. The busy atmosphere at the San Francisco Police Department never failed to comfort Lewis. Something about the air was calming, despite the murders taking place on a daily basis.

Beaufort High School English teacher Michael Gautier, Ann Head Prize winner Noah Cayanan, and Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt

School Supplies Drive for Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

DAYLO (The Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, and the Storybook Shoppe children’s bookstore are collaborating on a school supplies drive to benefit Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, a Title 1 school serving students in grade K-8, through July 27. Donated supplies from the school’s wishlist can be dropped off at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) or the Storybook Shoppe (Tanger 2, A190, 1414 Fording Island Rd, Bluffton).

from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and at the Conroy Center’s Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center on Saturday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Requested items: Crayons, markers, and colored pencils (Crayola brand preferred); #2 pencils (Ticonderoga brand preferred); student-sized scissors (Fiskar brand preferred); dry erase markers (Expo brand preferred); office supplies for teachers, including tape, staples, paper clips, and pens; sticky notes (Post-It brand preferred); plastic

Drop-off bins will also be available at DAYLO’s Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Port Royal Farmers Market on Saturday, July 5,

zippered bags (Ziploc brand preferred, quart & gallon size); composition notebooks; erasers; pencil pouches; loose leaf notebook

paper (Wide & College Ruled); index cards; plain folders with pockets; binders (3-inch); dividers (5 pack); highlighters; tissues; Clorox wipes; hand sanitizer; paper towels; academic planners; and gift cards.

Learn more about DAYLO: https://linktr. ee/DAYLOBFT. Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center: www.patconroy literarycenter.org. Learn more about the Storybook Shoppe: https://www.facebook. com/storybookshoppe. Learn more about St. Helena Elementary School: https://shes. beaufortschools.net

Thru August 30

DAYLO with school supplies

The Rush Job

One thing I don’t miss about the work world is the feeling of always being rushed.

Recently, a friend dropped by and we sat on the porch for a long, hefty, unplanned chat. It wasn’t penciled in on any online calendar. And when she left, I didn’t feel that familiar gut clench: Now I have to make up that lost hour. No unanswered emails loomed, no deadlines

ticked by. Nobody needed me for anything — except that friend in the porch chair. And she had my full attention.

I can appreciate it now because the memory of how it used to be is still sharp enough to make my stomach tighten.

As an early adopter of the work-fromhome life, I was never truly off the clock. There was no good excuse to take a sick day when coughing alone at your laptop didn’t infect anyone else. Once, I booked a haircut and color at a fancy new salon that served wine. It was in a trendy part of town, and I figured I could multitask — reply to emails while the foils processed.

I didn’t plan for a furious, overserved client to throw red wine at my stylist mid-appointment. The stylist retaliated. Wine met wine. A brawl broke out. Police were called. Someone pulled the fire alarm.

That’s exactly when my boss texted: Can you hop on a call? Now?

She assumed I was primly seated at my desk, not hiding in a salon bathroom with dripping foils and sirens wailing. I panicked, started yanking the foils out of my hair, tied on a scarf, slipped out the back door, and ran home — called her breathless. I don’t remember what the call was about. I do remember the sheer terror of not being available.

As everyone else joined the work-fromhome crowd, I eased up on my expectations.

But that feeling of juggling — work, family, friends, teaching, errands, workouts, travel — left little space for something as simple as an unhurried conversation with a good friend. And really, we were all doing it. Getting a group together for drinks after work required complex, exhausting logistics that sometimes felt like it wasn’t even worth the trouble.

Those days, I always felt like everything could fall apart if one ball dropped. As I moved through the last decade of work, grandchildren came along. I cringe as I tell you about the second grandson’s birth. The very hour he was born, I was coordinating a webinar for a major client. AT&T glitched out, I didn’t have any internet service in the nursery waiting room where I whispered directions to the team trying to proceed with hundreds of paying customers waiting to join. Finally, I just turned off the phone and walked into the room where my new grandson was ready for me. The webinar was a disaster, but that baby boy was everything my heart desired. And the dozens of emails that followed the tech failure, who even remembers them now? What did it really matter?

Packing my days with nearly impossible to achieve goals left little room for contemplation, gratefulness or the simple joy found in time that’s sprinkled lightly like a dusting of powder sugar on blueberry

By Carolyn Mason

pancake. If I could go back to that over scheduled, internally stressed, worried over striving self and tell her anything, it would be to remind her of life’s hourglass. It’s tumped over, the sand gently trickling down. I’d tell her, don’t do all those things you thought you had to do. Don’t fill up every moment with an accomplishment. Of course, if I wanted to reach her, I’d have to send a meeting invite.

Which is why now, I revel in the air around my life — the space between obligations. I still have projects and deadlines and family duties. But instead of squeezing life in around them, I try to let them flow into each other, gently and with intention.

The constant feeling of impending doom has lifted, and I don’t take that lightness for granted.

Carolyn Mason is a freelance writer who writes about everything from long haul trucking to how to retire gracefully. She and her husband Jeff live on Lady’s Island and have embraced the delights of the Lowcountry lifestyle.

Katherine Scott Crawford at the Conroy Center

The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, in partnership with Beaufort Bookstore, will host an evening with novelist Katherine Scott Crawford, author of The Miniaturist's Assistant, on July 17 at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing through Beaufort Bookstore. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.

ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE AUTHOR

The Miniaturist's Assistant explores the mystery of time, how our choices ripple throughout history, and what it means to be a fully-realized woman — in any century.

2004: In historic Charleston, recently divorced art conservator Gamble Vance throws herself into her career restoring centuries-old miniature portraits. But one portrait haunts her: a woman in a fox stole, with familiar hazel eyes. When Gamble meets a girl in an alley, she’ s convinced it’ s the same woman — and it’ s not the first time they’ve met. For help, Gamble turns to African American Studies scholar Tolliver Jackson — a former foster kid with secrets of his own. But as Gamble’ s memories resurface, the pair discover a connection which may endanger more than one life . . . in more than one lifetime.

Author Katherine Scott Crawford

1804: Miniature portraitist and fallen-away Quaker Daniel Petigru paints for Charleston’ s high society. Daniel and his sister live with a free Black family, their connection long and complicated. When Gamble arrives from the future and her presence puts them all at risk, Daniel must decide if he loves her enough to let her go.

“The Miniaturist’s Assistant is a multifaceted love story wrapped

in a mystery that unfurls on the changing winds of history. A rollicking, page-turning tale, this unforgettable novel explores time travel, art, passion, the complexity of past sins, and the abundant promises embedded in the here and now. Katherine Scott Crawford has written a beautiful book steeped in humanity, truth, and wonder.” — Connie May Fowler, Author of Before Women Had Wings

Katherine Scott Crawford is the award-winning author of The Miniaturist’s Assistant and Keowee Valley. A former backpacking guide, adjunct professor, and recovering academic, her newspaper column appeared weekly across the country and abroad, including in USA Today, The Detroit Free Press, the Herald Scotland, and more. Winner of a North Carolina Arts Award in fiction, she holds an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She’d rather be in the woods with her dog than anywhere else, enjoys curious people, adventure, and snow — and believes historical fiction the best way to time travel. An eleventh-generation Southerner,

she directs writing retreats at a remote mountain lodge in Western North Carolina, where she lives with her family.

To learn more about the Conroy Center, please visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

The Back of the House

One-day-only exhibit depicts the magic behind the restaurant kitchen doors.

Story and artwork by Danie Connolly

Anyone can cook; at least, that’s what they say.

If you ask anyone in the food industry, they’ll tell you that learning to cook takes too many hours for not enough money or praise. You can’t buy pride, especially in the restaurant business, but passion changes everything.

The talent gleaned from loving what you do is priceless. It’s not found in the flashy TV shows that elevate celebrity chefs to sainthood. But it lives in the honesty of cooking from laughter that bubbles up in front of hot stoves, from stirring and sharing generations of recipes. It’s in the fail-proof ingredients found in favorite dishes that mend broken hearts through apologies or yearly celebrations of flavors that bring families together. It’s the spur-of-themoment go-to dish concocted from whatever’s in the cupboard on a rainy night, not meant for a quick trip to the grocery store. It’s the can of beans in the back of the

cupboard that’s perfect when an old buddy pops in. That’s what makes a cook.

Now, blend that sauté of soul with the wizardry of turning dirty dishes around lickety-split so fast they could sue for whiplash. Add a prep cook who can chop faster than Superman’s speeding bullets and pair a line cook with a deep fry guy. Grab a savvy grill man who reads medium rare steaks better than your Aunt Sally can read your Uncle Freddy’s poker face.

That’s your food posse, and they reside in “The Back of the House.”

It’s a choreographed ballet the food crew performs; in – out, on tippy toes to reach the favorite pan. It’s where the language of food is expertly spoken.

Especially when there’s someone waiting out front in the dining room . . . starving.

Of course, the crew is working for the paycheck, but even more importantly, it’s for every time the waitstaff returns to the kitchen and says, “They loved it! It was delicious!”

On Monday, July 14, an art exhibition will celebrate the unsung heroes who create magic behind the restaurant’s kitchen doors. We invite you to enjoy this one-day event as our guest and appreciate the time, talent, and efforts that South Carolina’s most gifted artists have dedicated to creating exquisite, hilarious, and fantastic artwork depicting those food warriors who create culinary masterpieces in the “Back of the House.”

The artists have tread on unfamiliar territory, photographing anyone who stood for a nanosecond in front of a sink, stove, convection oven, open flame, or grill.

We can’t wait for you to see them.

You’re invited to “The Back of the House” on Monday, July 14 from 4-7 pm at the Restaurant Equipment Company of Bluffton, 1 Sherington Dr., Bluffton. It’s Free! Come enjoy some yummies for your tummies, some amazing

artwork, and great music by Flatt Silly, South Carolina’s favorite bluegrass band. For more information call 843-422-6940.

Artists Behind the Fog

The painters that bring condensation to fine art

By Tatiana Tatum

As an artist who paints foggy windows, I often hear, “Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that!” And occasionally, someone stumbles across another artist on Instagram who also paints condensation and asks, “Are you copying them?”

vulnerability and the gaze conceptually.

According to the artist’s instagram, steam obscures the likeness of the model just enough to be anyone who feels the same. instagram.com/alysaamonks; alyssamonks.com

But no artist owns a subject. Through art history, artists have returned to the same imagery over and over again. Not because they lack originality, but because some motifs are too powerful to let go. Just look at the Renaissance or Baroque periods: hundreds of “Madonna and Child” paintings, yet no one accused Caravaggio of ripping off Raphael.

To show just how rich and diverse the world of foggy window painting is, let me introduce you to a handful of artists — some well-known, one emerging — who’ve turned condensation into their visual language. It (Sort of) Started in the 18th Century French painter Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin was among the first to render condensation with breathtaking realism. In Glass of Water and Coffee Pot (c. 1760), he used thick, luminous brushstrokes to depict moisture clinging to a drinking glass; arguably one of the earliest examples of painterly condensation.

Alyssa Monks (Brooklyn, NY)

A leading figure in contemporary realism, Monks often paints women behind foggedup shower glass. Her work is exploring

Marilyn Minter (NYC)

Minter’s enamel-on-metal works are glossy, raw, and politically charged. In pieces like Chin Up and Control, sensual figures are seen behind condensation-covered glass — confronting beauty standards, media, and power. Marilyn’s career features work with the titans of the art world, like Gagosian Gallery. She once said: “I thought everything looked better a little wet.” marilynminter.net

Karin Kneffel (Germany)

Known for her photorealistic oil paintings, Kneffel overlays fogged or rainstreaked glass onto interiors and still lifes. Often including finger-written words or smeared marks, her work plays with perception and illusion.

Another Gagosian gallery’s protégé, she reinvents the idea of the “picture window” — a term from Renaissance painting describing a painted surface that mimics a literal window. But Kneffel fogs it up, turning viewing into an interactive process where the clarity is partial and the viewer becomes a witness to something half-seen. Gagosian: Karin Kneffel

Jochen Muehlenbrink (Germany)

Perhaps the most “Instagram-famous” foggy window artist, Muehlenbrink paints condensation as a nostalgic playground: smiley faces, stars, hearts, finger trails. His trompe-l’oeil technique that combines airbrush, acrylic, oil and occasional droplet of resin tricks the viewer into believing real moisture is present. jochenmuehlenbrink.de

Jerald Silva (California)

A seasoned painter, Silva paints rainy, steamy windows with delicate washes and scribbled marks. Unlike Muehlenbrink’s childlike doodles, his finger drawings feel

more like an artist’s signature — figure sketches, portraits, and linework etched into the fog. His works are deeply nostalgic and meditative. He utilizes technique of “watercolor done wrong”, pushing the boundaries of the medium. jeraldsilva.com

Tatiana Tatum (Beaufort, SC)

And me? I paint condensation over Lowcountry streets and car window views. For me, the fog isn’t just visual—it’s emotional. It’s about being the backseat passenger, creative energy bottled up, the outside world smeared by heat and humidity. “Lowcountry is so hot and humid, that at times I feel like the entire world is sweating, so I keep coming back to this imagery.” www.tatianatatum.com

These artists don’t just paint moisture. They paint memory, intimacy, resistance, and

boredom. All seen through the same filter: condensation. And while our interpretations vary wildly, we’re all part of a tradition that proves foggy windows are more than just a child’s plaything.

So the next time you see a painting of a steamy pane and think, “That looks familiar,” . . . that’s kind of the point.

Tatiana Tatum is a Beaufort-based artist obsessed with all things water—from condensation on windows to floating women. Her work has been exhibited at the Telfair Museum’s PULSE Art + Technology Festival, the Alexandria Museum of Art, and the Long Beach Island Foundation. You can find her works at www.tatianatatum.com and at Thibault Gallery in Beaufort, SC. For questions: tatiana@tatianatatum.com

Glass of Water and Coffee Pot by Jean-Siméon Chardin, c. 1761

Tatiana Tatum

Independence Day Supper

Have you seen Mel Gibson’s film, The Patriot? The movie was filmed entirely in South Carolina. It’s based on the life of Francis Marion, also known as The Swamp Fox, who was one of the great militia leaders of the American Revolutionary War. There's a scene in the movie when Anne Howard stands up in church and declares herself an ardent patriot. “Half the men in this church, including you, father... and you reverend, are as ardent patriots as I. Will you now, when you are needed most, stop at only words? Is that the sort of men you are? I ask only that you act upon the beliefs of which you have so strongly spoken, and in which you so strongly believe.” I love that quote! Independence Day is right around the corner and we're celebrating patriotism. It's all about being red, white, and blue. We Beaufortonians are so blessed to live in a military community. We're very proud of our ardent patriots, they're our superheroes! (Photography by Susan DeLoach)

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SALAD WITH BOURBON VINAIGRETTE

GRAND OLD FLAG PIZZA

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup vegetable oil

For the salad:

1 (5-ounce) container baby arugula

1 pint strawberries

½ pint blueberries

½ pint raspberries

½ pint blackberries

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted Place vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to mix. Place arugula on a large platter; toss with vinaigrette. Slice strawberries. Top dressed arugula with sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and chopped walnuts. Serves 8.

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough*

½ pound Italian sausage

1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed

1 (12-ounce) package mozzarella cheese

¾ to 1 cup jarred pizza sauce

1 (6-ounce) package pepperoni slices Follow directions on the pizza dough package for preparation and oven temperature recommendations. Press dough into a prepared 9x13-inch baking pan to form a rectangle. Parbake crust for 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven. Remove sausage from casings and cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Drain well on paper towels. Squeeze-dry thawed spinach to remove excess moisture; divide into two equal portions and set aside. Cut a few slices of mozzarella cheese. Using a very small star-shaped cookie cutter, cut stars to decorate the flag. Shred the remaining mozzarella cheese and set aside. Spread pizza sauce evenly over pizza crust. Top with cooked Italian sausage and half of chopped spinach. Use remaining spinach to form a background for the cheese stars. Decorate with mozzarella stars. Top the rest of the pizza with shredded mozzarella. Use sliced pepperoni to make stripes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is warmed through. Makes 12 slices. *I used

freshly made pizza dough from the Publix bakery. Pizza dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store will work, too.

SPARKLING SPRITZERS

Raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries

Prepared fruit punch

Champagne, ginger ale or lemonade

Place a combination of berries in an ice tray. Top berries with fruit punch and freeze for 12 hours or overnight. Place fruit punch cubes in tall glasses and cover with champagne, ginger ale, or lemonade. Number of servings varies with size of glasses.

The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@ cateringbydebbicovington.com

By Debbi Covington

Hot Hot Hot!

Unless you’ve been living in a cave lately, you’re likely aware of the extreme heat Beaufort – and much of the rest of the U.S. – has already been subjected to this summer. And we’re barely past the Summer Solstice. In my humble opinion climate change naysayers need to take a noontime walk on a day that the temperature number matches that of the humidity when both are in the 90s and the heat index is over 100 degrees. Then let’s discuss the possibility that the melting of polar icecaps and glaciers just might signal a major earth change. But ‘nuff said about that. Instead, my focus is on how to stay cool despite the odds, dude. First, a few facts. True news. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting uncommonly hot weather for the summer, and so far, these prognosticators are right on target. At the current rate of

climate change, temperatures are set to only get worse. According to a recent article in AARP’s e-newsletter, “Older adults are more likely to experience organ damage, a heart attack or stroke, or even die from extreme heat . . . ” Heat waves the summer of 2023 contributed to a total of 2,300 heat related deaths. And 2024 was the warmest year on record. A 2024 study published in Nature Communications indicates the world population of older folks at risk from chronic extreme heat will grow by 200 million-plus by 2050.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines “extreme heat” as a “period of two to three days of temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.” The “heat index” – how hot it feels when temperature is combined with relative humidity – also contributes to that definition.

“It’s the combination of heat and humidity that stresses the human body,” says David Della-Guistina, MD, a Yale Medicine emergency medicine specialist. When humidity rises, sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly, and the body can’t release heat efficiently. For example, if the temperature is 85 and quite humid but it feels like 100, your body can’t offload that heat. Under those conditions, you can become dehydrated in half an hour, which can result in heat illness, a blanket term that includes heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Damage to the brain and other organs is also possible.

Two high risk groups of people more likely to succumb to heat illness are 1) construction workers, utility workers, and farmers, all of whose jobs keep them in the heat, and 2) the elderly, especially those living in unairconditioned housing, whose bodies can’t adjust to changes in temperature as well as younger people’s. The elderly may also have chronic conditions and/or may take medications that are not as effective in high heat. Children two years old and younger, athletes, pregnant women, people who are obese, have heart, lung, or circulation issues, use drugs or alcohol in an unhealthy manner, are mentally ill, or have diabetes may also be negatively affected by extreme heat.

All that said, what’s a body to do with the heat index odds stacked against it? To quote a line from Leonard Bernstein’s remarkable West Side Story, “Just play it cool, boy, real cool.”

Following are a raft of suggestions that can help you beat the heat while staying safe.

The first and most obvious is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends consuming an eight-ounce cup of water every 15 to 30 minutes. A number of free phone apps, such as Waterllama, WaterMinder, and Aqualert, can provide great reminders.

Of course, an active athlete will need more liquid than a couch potato.

“We generally tell people to use the color of their urine to gauge how hydrated they are,” says Dr. Della-Guistina. “If your urine is yellow, you’re already one or two liters behind. If you’re drinking enough water, your urine should be clear to pale yellow.”

On ultra-hot days limit or skip entirely your alcohol consumption. At least alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water. Unless, of course, you’re rockin’ a beerguzzling, boat bobbing weekend on the Beaufort River Sandbar. That particular urine test could be flawed!

Don’t let your sodium level get too low, the doc adds, as that can precede major problems, including an altered mental state or cardiovascular collapse. Sports drinks can help replace electrolytes, including sodium, that water alone can’t do. Consider mixing half a sports drink with water to get the combo of electrolytes and hydration.

If you’ll be spending time outdoors in the hot sun, use sunscreen and reapply it every couple of hours, especially if you’re in the water a lot or on the Sandbar. As much as possible, avoid direct sunlight. Instead, pick a shady spot to put your feet up for a bit between sets of pickleball. Having grown up in the era of lounging in a tanning bed, slathering on baby oil, and using a reflector to draw sun to my face for a “healthy-looking tan”, I can testify that too much direct sun without a strong sunscreen can lead to skin cancer. No fun.

Check with your doctor to make certain you’re not on any medications that can change the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Some antidepressants, for instance, can affect the function of the hypothalamus, the body’s internal thermostat.

An ice-cold shower or bath can reduce your core temperature quickly and safely. If you’ve been working in the garden all day,

by Katherine Tandy Brown WHOLLY HOLISTICS

take three or four minutes for an impromptu shower under the hose over your head and back. Talk about refreshing!

If you don’t have air conditioning, spend a few hours in a library, café, or movie theater to help bring your body temp down before heading back out into the heat.

This next idea is pure genius. Make a DIY cold compress. Fill a clean sock with uncooked, dry rice, tie at the end, and put it in the freezer for a few hours. Unlike water, rice doesn’t freeze solid, so the sock will conform to your body more easily.

Along the same lines, apply an ice pack, cold washrag, or a bag of frozen veggies directly to pulse points on your neck, wrists, temples, armpits, or groin. Be sure to wrap the pack in a towel so as not to “ice burn” your skin.

Set your ceiling fan blades in the correct direction. To create a downdraft so the air blows at you, the blades must spin in a counterclockwise direction. Come wintertime, change them to go clockwise.

Wear lightweight, light-colored, breathable clothing. Think Lawrence of Arabia’s flowing robes. Also invest in lightweight sheets, such as linen or percale.

Limit your use of heat generating appliances – stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, and dishwashers – or run them early in the day. Use microwaves and outdoor grills for cooking.

Eat cool. Rustle up salads with cool avocado dressing, smoothies with fruit and healthy greens, chilled cucumber or squash soup, grilled fish, and make-your-own fruit juice popsicles. Yum!

Finally, take to heart the good-for-you words of comedian Bill Murray, “The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything.”

Even staying cool!

Made in the Shade

What was the most popular plant in both the United States and Europe in the mid nineteenth century? The humble fern. People just could not get enough of the many varieties of ferns to be used both inside and outside their houses. Fern motifs were used in wallcoverings, fabrics, wood carvings, and pottery. New Zealand adopted the fern as its national symbol and even today its rugby team displays the fern as its emblem.

Charles Darwin’s friend, Charles Kingsley, used the term pteridomania or “fern mania” to describe this obsession. Why did this mania come about? The development of a sturdy case with a glass lid called the Wardian case allowed plant hunters worldwide to ship new botanical specimens to England and beyond. Ferns became a preferred foliage plant because of their ease of maintenance and their preference for shade. They grew well in the darkest of Victorian houses. Outside they provided a feathery foliage that often contrasted with shrubs and plants with broad leaves.

Ferns are one of the oldest of plants and their ancestors existed as far back as 300 million years ago. There are at least 10,500 known species and ferns grow worldwide from tropical regions to temperate zones and even alpine areas. They reproduce by spores and have long rhizomes instead of deep roots. Ferns do not flower so it is only their foliage that makes a statement in a garden or as a house plant. Ferns do like moisture and will often be found growing naturally in damp areas and bogs. Decayed ferns known as bracken are the source of peat and the source of coal as well.

The tender shoots of emerging Ostrich ferns, known as fiddleheads, are a culinary delicacy, particularly in New England. I would always love it when May arrived and the fiddleheads would be harvested and sold in local supermarkets. Steamed and then served cold in a salad or warm with butter and salt, they were a favorite side dish for me. Ostrich ferns do grow here and are one of the largest garden ferns. With our hot sun, they really need some deep shade, but they can be a prominent garden feature either in the ground or in large containers. “Ferns in urns” are traditional in many Southern gardens. There are several other ferns that are easy to find in nurseries in our region and will do well in your garden. Ferns like acidic soil and

most of our soils tend to be acidic. Since ferns are indigenous to woodland areas with high organic matter, they do love rich composted soil. And ferns will even grow in the most difficult place – under a live oak tree.

our harshest winters. After our January snow and ice, they were the first ferns in my garden to bounce back with no die back.

Although Kimberley Queen ferns are native to Australia, they are commonly found

Autumn ferns are interesting in a landscape because the new fronds can be orange in color and they can take some sun rather than the usual full shade. The clumps can grow to between 18 and 24 inches tall. These ferns do seem to make it through all but

here. They have stiff upright fronds and work well in containers. They will take some sun especially morning sunlight. While pretty tough, this past winter caused mine to turn black and die. I had to replace them after having had them for three years. I really did not mind since they

By Wendy Hilty

had stood up well to our summer heat and winter chill during all that time.

Boston ferns or sword ferns are probably one of the most familiar in our landscapes.

These bright green ferns grow to about 2-3 feet in height and width. They do best in indirect sunlight or dappled shade. Because of the arching habit of their fronds, they look particularly good in hanging baskets and that is how they are generally sold at garden centers. Warning – Boston ferns can travel.

I have Boston ferns growing in a garden bed where they previous homeowner had them in baskets. They escaped. I don’t mind because they are easy to pull out and control, but once they get established it is worth keeping an eye on them to prevent a hostile take-over.

With some judicious watering and composting with organic material, ferns will give you a lacy understory plant or a house plant with a unique textured foliage. You might become an advocate of fern mania yourself.

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.

Fern

Wild Kingdoms

One thing I don’t miss about the work world is the feeling of always being rushed.

Recently, a friend dropped by and we sat on the porch for a long, hefty, unplanned chat. It wasn’t penciled in on any online calendar. And when she left, I didn’t feel

was no good excuse to take a sick day when coughing alone at your laptop didn’t infect anyone else. Once, I booked a haircut and color at a fancy new salon that served wine. It was in a trendy part of town, and I figured I could multitask — reply to emails while the foils processed.

that familiar gut clench: Now I have to make up that lost hour. No unanswered emails loomed, no deadlines ticked by. Nobody needed me for anything — except that friend in the porch chair. And she had my full attention.

I can appreciate it now because the memory of how it used to be is still sharp enough to make my stomach tighten.

As an early adopter of the work-fromhome life, I was never truly off the clock. There

I didn’t plan for a furious, overserved client to throw red wine at my stylist midappointment. The stylist retaliated. Wine met wine. A brawl broke out. Police were called.

Someone pulled the fire alarm.

That’s exactly when my boss texted: Can you hop on a call? Now?

She assumed I was primly seated at my desk, not hiding in a salon bathroom with dripping foils and sirens wailing. I panicked,

- Sun: 11am-9pm

started yanking the foils out of my hair, tied on a scarf, slipped out the back door, and ran home — called her breathless. I don’t remember what the call was about. I do remember the sheer terror of not being available.

As everyone else joined the work-fromhome crowd, I eased up on my expectations. But that feeling of juggling — work, family, friends, teaching, errands, workouts, travel — left little space for something as simple as an unhurried conversation with a good friend. And really, we were all doing it. Getting a group together for drinks after work required complex, exhausting logistics that sometimes felt like it wasn’t even worth the trouble.

Those days, I always felt like everything could fall apart if one ball dropped. As I moved through the last decade of work, grandchildren came along. I cringe as I tell

By Luke Frazier

FLOW COUNTRY

gratefulness or the simple joy found in time that’s sprinkled lightly like a dusting of powder sugar on blueberry pancake. If I could go back to that over scheduled, internally stressed, worried over striving self and tell her anything, it would be to remind her of life’s hourglass. It’s tumped over, the sand gently trickling down. I’d tell her, don’t do all those things you thought you had to do. Don’t fill up every moment with an accomplishment.

Of course, if I wanted to reach her, I’d have to send a meeting invite.

you about the second grandson’s birth. The very hour he was born, I was coordinating a webinar for a major client. AT&T glitched out, I didn’t have any internet service in the nursery waiting room where I whispered directions to the team trying to proceed with hundreds of paying customers waiting to join. Finally, I just turned off the phone and walked into the room where my new grandson was ready for me. The webinar was a disaster, but that baby boy was everything my heart desired. And the dozens of emails that followed the tech failure, who even remembers them now? What did it really matter?

Packing my days with nearly impossible to achieve goals left little room for contemplation,

The constant feeling of impending doom has lifted, and I don’t take that lightness for granted.

Luke Frazier is a writer and award-winning media producer who recently transplanted to the Lowcountry. He runs NOW Communications, which focuses on the needs of missiondriven organizations. Luke can be reached at nowandfuturecomms@gmail.com

Classifieds Classifieds

TO RENT or OWN

ITALY: Tuscany townhouse for rent by the week in historic UNESCO village. Sleeps 4, large furnished garden, easy walk to shops and excellent restaurants. www.cozyholidayrentals.com or 401-862-2377.

FURNISHED LUXURY APT In the heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. Please call 843-812-4229.

FOR RENT ON FRIPP 371 Speckled Trout Rd, Charming coastal retreat! Enjoy serene water views, mod -

ern amenities, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living, and quick access to fishing, beaches, and local dining. $3,500/mo. Call Diana Lopez at 276-6851260. Relaxation awaits!

CLASSES & SEMINARS

FREE HYPNOSIS/HYPNOTHERAPY INFORMATION session and guided group meditation workshop. This free session will focus on stress reduction and relaxation. Open to the public, every 3rd Monday of the Month, at 7 pm Eastern via Zoom. Bring a friend, learn more and RSVP for Zoom Link at www.guidepathhypnosis.com or contact Chris at chris.guidepath@gmail.com

BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY ONGOING PROGRAMS & CLASSES Stitch Happens, Mondays @ 1:30, Bluffton; Basic Computer Skills Class 1st & 3rd Fridays @ 11:30am, Lobeco; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Gaming Club 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 4.

FRIDAY SOCIAL DANCES The Hilton Head Carolina Shag Club hosts Friday dances from 6-9:30 pm at Dolphin Head Golf Club, 59 High Bluff Rd, Hilton Head Plantation. Open to the public. Shag, ballroom, swing, country, or line. Singles welcome. Cash bar and light dinners available. $5 floor fee. HHICSC also teaches beginner Shag lessons Tuesday nights. www.hiltonheadshagclub.com, or www.facebook.com/HHICSC

ART LEAGUE OF HH CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

With over 25 local professional art educators, and guests from around the world, Art League of Hilton Head offers classes and workshops in all media for all levels of students. Visit www.artleaguehhi.org or email academy@artleaguehhi.org for more info.

POTTERY CLASSES IN BEAUFORT McSweeney Clay Studio offers morning, afternoon and evening classes for children and adults. Pottery dates and parties available as well. Classes are on going. Beginner or advanced welcome. mcsweeneyclaystudio.com or call 843-694-2049.

LOWCOUNTRY SHAGGERS Mondays - Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary St. 6-9pm. Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom and once a month Line Dance. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com

WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB meets evenings at AMVETS, 1831 Ribaut Rd., Port Royal from 7-9pm, and the 2nd Sat. of the month 7-10pm. Free lessons to members Sep. to June. Visit The Beaufort Shag Club on Facebook

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

FREE VESSEL SAFETY CHECK by local members of the America's Boating Club of Beaufort. If your boat passes, you will receive a VSC decal to mount on your boat that will be visible to other boaters and maritime law enforcement personnel. Contact safety@beaufortboatingclub.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to staff The Lending Room, 954 Ribaut Rd across from Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Help us receive donations of gently used medical equipment and distribute them to those in need. We need to staff our showroom M-F 9:30-3:30 and Sat. AM. Shifts only 3 hours long. No experience is required but a familiarity with commonly used medical equipment helpful. Training will be provided. If you are looking for a rewarding volunteer job, learn about TLR and find volunteer application forms at lendingroombft.com or call Barbara at 314-660-4233.

LOCO SCRIBBLERS 3:00 5:00 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Are you a scribbler (professional or hobby writer)? Check out our small, informal Beaufort area writers club. All skill and subject levels welcome: fiction, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and memoirs. Free. Call or email for more info and meeting location in Port Royal: beaufdick@gmail.com or 843-322-0616.

SEA ISLAND ROTARY CLUB has a 12:15 lunch meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information about the Rotary Club of Sea Island please visit our website at www.seaislandrotary.org

BRIDGE CLUB at the Beaufort Branch Library Wednesdays at 11am. Join a session for beginners new to the game, other sessions will provide some instruction and we will learn as we play. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for military lounge at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport operated by a cadre of volunteers. The former USO Lounge is now “Savannah Salutes,” and continues to provide a respite for travelling active duty, retired and reserve military, veterans and families. We need volunteers to keep the lounge open from 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. There are three shifts each day, with two volunteers for each shift. Interested in volunteering? Info and application forms are at the www.savannahsalutes.org or call John Findeis at (912) 507-4848. The airport provides free parking.

VETERANS FIRST THRIFT STORE is in need of volunteers. Summer hours are Thursday thru Saturday10am-4pm. Volunteer hours are very flexible! Stop in the store at 612 Robert Smalls Parkway to fill out a volunteer application or call the store at 843-263-4218. Please consider helping this very worthwhile organization!!

SECOND HELPINGS seeks volunteers to crew trucks in Bluffton and Beaufort to distribute food to local charities. Offering a flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@secondhelpingslc.org

BEMER LONGEVITY TECHNOLOGY 9a Wednesdays via Zoom. Seen the buzz on “life span VS health span”? Want to grow better, not older? Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Come for Q&A about how this longevity-enhancing medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being in just 8 minutes 2X/day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Berg-

mann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.

CARIS HEALTHCARE: WE HONOR VETERANS Hospice Program. You a Vet with a little time to share with other Vets with limited time? The We Honor Veterans program seeks volunteers who are Vets to offer a listening ear for our Veteran patients. Volunteers also participate in our Pinning Ceremonies for Veteran patients. Contact 843473-3939 or smilliken@carishealthcare.com

SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY: Non-denominational meditation, silent prayer and healing group forming. All welcome. No meditation experience needed. 843-489-8525.

HABITAT RESTORE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS We're looking for volunteers. Cashiers, sales floor associates, donation processing, donor data entry, and donor ambassadors. Visit lowcountryhabitat.org/volunteer or call 843-525-0055.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Calhoun Station Thrift Store in Bluffton. All funds generated are returned to other nonprofits in the community. Open Wed & Sat 10am to 1pm at 77 Pritchard St. Volunteers can stop by or contact Cate Taylor, 843-310-0594 or catetaylor@frontier.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 530 Charles St. Looking for committed volunteers for clothes sorting, pantry help, front desk help and Mobile Meals drivers. We are open M-F from 9:30-12:30, Mobile Meals delivers to home bound seniors 5 days/week, routes takes about 30-45 mins. Email Lori at helpbeaufort@gmail.com, or call 843-524-1223, or stop in and fill out an application.

PORT ROYAL MUSEUM is open Thursday through Sunday at 1634 Paris Ave., from 10 - 3 or upon request. Free admission! Call 843-524-4333 or email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com to request a special opening.

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP - First Thursday of the month at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center, from 1:30-2:45pm, 900 Ribaut Rd. Beaufort. We're 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 – Running through July, the Fort Fremont History Center will expand operating hours to Thursdays from 1 to 4 pm, Fridays from 1 to 4 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. No admission fee. Docent-led tours are available by request. The Fort Fremont Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday. A selfguided walking tour is available for smartphones from the Apple or Google Play stores. For more information or to download the app, visit www.fortfremont.org

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 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 beauforttoastmastersclub.toastmastersclubs.org

FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans,

Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 46pm. Walk In Clinic. No Need to Pre-Register or Call. Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs Clinic. 1214 Prince Street, Downtown Beaufort.

CRESCENT 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., Fridays, 10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite A, Bluffton; for those who have experienced a loss and would like support and info associated with grief and bereavement. Corrie VanDyke, LMSW or Marie James, MA. 843-757-9388.

INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING? Second Helpings, of Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties, seeks committee members and chairperson for Healthy Food Program. Funding available to procure fresh produce and protein for the 60 food pantries and soup kitchens served by Second Helpings. Contact Exec. Dir. Lili Coleman, 843-689-3616 or execdirector@secondhelpingslc.org

BORN TO READ working for early childhood literacy, needs volunteers to deliver books and materials to new mothers at Coastal Community Hosp., HH Hosp., and BMH. Visits are from 10am – noon. More info at borntoread.org or call 843-379-3350.

ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER BEAUFORT, Support Groups: Caregiver - Fridays., 12:30pm, Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stages - Mondays 1pm, Respite Programs: Social Day Program- 10am-1:45pm $40 Day Fee, Weds. & Friday. All meetings are at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $13-$26. Early Memory Loss: Maintain Your Brain - 2nd & 4th Thursday, 1011:30am, $10/person, $15 couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-521-9190 or make an appointment, 1500 King St., Beaufort, free; Purple Haven Project - Educate local staff's to better interact with a person with Alzheimer's call 843-521-9190.

THE LITERACY CENTER is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing, math and ESL. Students hope to acquire skills to pursue life goals, support families, and contribute to our community. Daytime and evenings in Bluffton and HHI. Call 843-815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-6816655 (HHI). No teaching, tutoring or other language knowledge necessary. www.theliteracycenter.org

THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY. Volunteer-based, non-profit provides groceries, clothing and basic items to ANYONE in need. Open Tuesdays 9am12pm at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson |at 843-715-3583 or sandalwoodpantry@gmail.com

PARRIS ISLAND MUSEUM. The legacy of the Marine Corps and the history of the Port Royal region. Thousands of artifacts, images, and other materials illustrate the stories in exhibit galleries from Native American to modern Marines. FREE admission. Mon-Sat 10am4:30pm and 8am on Graduation Days. Closed Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.

CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS At Praise Assembly Church Fridays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems by looking to scripture. Meal at 6pm; Praise, Worship; Big Meeting. 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7pm. 800 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 205-475-3600 or 303-521-1891.

BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL

Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. Foolish Frog on Facebook

Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or Luther's on Facebook

Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 5247771 or www.qonbay.com

Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town Center. Irish American Sports Pub & Eatery. C'mon down! Rock & Roll Lunch. Monday25% Off Burgers; Tuesday - 25% off Phillys; Karaoke Wed, Fri & Sat - 10pm. Daily Lunch Specials. (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) 6863443 or www.bigbamboocafe.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; ThursdaysLavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. 7/2 Grammy winning vocalist Quiana Parler with The Lavon Stevens Trio, 7/4 Closed! Happy 4th! 7/5 Zack Stevens Band 7/9 Bobby Ryder, 7/11 & 7/12 Aimee Nolte Quartet, 7/16 Grammy winning vocalist Quiana Parler with The Lavon Stevens Trio, 7/18 & 7/19 Noel Freidline & Maria Howell - With a Little Help From My Friends: A Jazz Celebration of the Beatles. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner. com

OUT OF TOWN

The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 7/10 David Nail, 7/11 Gimme Gimme Disco, 7/12 Gods; Dollamenu; Lefty Lucy; Acid Hawk, 7/18 Tropicoque TA Dance Party, 7/19 Now That's What I call a Rave. (843) 853-2252 or www.musicfarm.com

The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston.7/3 House @ the Pour House, 7/4 Kanika Moore & the Brown Eyed Bois - Jimi Hendrix & Betty Davis tribute, 7/5 The Grateful Brothers - Dead & Allman Brothers tribute, 7/10 Bears Gone Phishin'Phish Night Zero, 7/11 Runaway Gin - Phish tribute, 7/12 Wolf Mask; Jake Brownstein, 7/13 Space Armadillo featuring The Dude of Life, 7/16 Hot Like Mars, 7/17 Dog Named Squid; Colors in Corduroy; Channel Bluff, 7/18 The Budos Band; Benny Trokan, 7/19 The Stolen Faces - Grateful Dead tribute, 7/20 Spafford. (843) 571-4343 or www. charlestonpourhouse.com

Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 7/2 Yacht Rock Revue, 7/3 Edwin McCain, 7/4 & 7/5 Flipturn, 7/11 & 7/12 The Midnight City, 7/19 Mr. Fahrenheit - Queen tribute, 7/20 The 502s. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com

Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.

GALLERIES/ART

Now – 8/17, Wild Bees Photography Exhibit, featuring work by Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman at the Coastal Discovery Museum. For more info, visit www.coastaldiscovery.org

7/1-8/30, Beth Stern’s ‘Reflections’ is the featured exhibit at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery in downtown Beaufort. Opening reception Fri 7/11 from

5-8pm. Free and open to the public. www. beaufortartassociation.com

7/6 – 8/10, Flight-n-Fancy, exhibit of featured artist Janet Urbanic at the SOBA Gallery in Old Town Bluffton. Opening reception Wed 7/10 3-5 pm. Free and open to the public. www.sobagallery.com

Mon 7/14, The Back of the House, an exhibit of artwork inspired by those who work in the restaurant biz. One night only! 4-7 pm at the Restaurant Equipment Company of Bluffton, 1 Sherington Dr., Bluffton. Enjoy refreshments and music by bluegrass band Flatt Silly. FREE to the public! For more info call 843-422-6940.

7/22 – 8/22, Two Points of View, featuring photography by William Bosley and oil paintings by Murray Sease. Recpetion Wed 7/23, 5-7pm. Free and open to the public. Art League Gallery on Hilton Head. www.artleagueHHI.org

BOOKS & WRITERS

Thur 7/17, Evening with novelist Katherine Scott Crawford (The Miniaturist's Assistant), sponsored by the Pat Conroy Literary Center, in partnership with Beaufort Bookstore. 5 pm at the Conroy Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort. Books will be available for sale and signing through Beaufort Bookstore. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.

Mon 7/21, Author Talk with Brenda Sutton Rose ( Dogwood Blues, A Wiregrass Childhood) from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Roasting Room, 1297 May River Road, Bluffton, SC. The event is free and open to the public; $5 donation is suggested. Sponsored by Libraries for Kids, International. Attendees are invited to join the author for an optional Dutch Treat lunch afterwards. Space is limited, so reservations are necessary, and early arrival is recommended. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Tamela Maxim at 843.683.4100 or tamelamaxim@gmail.com or tamela.maxim@libraries4kids.org

Sat 7/26, Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair sponsored by the Pat Conroy Literary Center from 10am - 2pm at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Weezie Educational Pavilion (310 Okatie Hwy). A dozen local and visiting writers will be on hand with books for sales and signing, along with art activities and readings throughout the day. www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

try Celebration Park at Coligny on Hilton Head. 7:30 pm. Sponsored by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. www.hhso.org

Tues 7/22, Tower of Funk and the Choosy Mothers Horns will perform a FREE concert beginning at 7:30 pm, at Lowcountry Celebration Park at Coligny, Hilton Head Island. Sponsored by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

Tues 8/5, Martin Lesch Band will perform a FREE concert beginning at 7:30 pm, at Lowcountry Celebration Park at Coligny, Hilton Head Island. Sponsored by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

OTHER EVENTS

7/11 - 7/20, 69th Annual Beaufort Water Festival in Waterfront Park downtown. For a full schedule of events visit www. bftwaterfestival.com

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.

2nd Tuesdays - Most Months at 6pm, Beaufort Chapter of America’s Boating Club Monthly Meeting, at various Beaufort/Port Royal venues. Meetings begin with a Social, followed by Dinner and may include an guest speaker. For info or educational opportunities, contact Paul Gorsuch: admino@beaufortboatingclub. com Boat ownership not required, but a passion for safe boating is mandatory.

First Saturday of the Month, Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud at Port Royal Farmers Market. DAYLO students and other volunteers will read to young children between 9am and noon. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal.

Third Thursday, TECHconnect, a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around tech. Join the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:30-7:30pm. 843-470-3506. www. beaufortdigital.com

Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.

Tues 7/8 Junior Jazz Foundation All Stars will play a free concert at Lowcoun-

Ongoing, Beaufort Tree Walk by the Lady’s Island Garden Club through the historic Old Point. Takes about an hour and is a little over a mile. Starts at the corner of Craven & Carteret Streets ending in Waterfront Park. Booklets with a map and tree info available FREE at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven St.

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