A“big, beautiful” but temporary chain-link fence proposed by chairman of the Freedman Arts District Dick Stewart just may become a reality … eventually.
Stewart, whose 303 Associates own a number of buildings in the downtown area, offered to pay for a replacement fencing along the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park at a meeting of the Waterfront Advisory Committee last month.
The proposed fencing would be a visual improvement to the existing fencing installed by the city last June, while advisory committee and city officials decide how to repair the sagging seawall.
City Manager Scott Marshall told City Council members last week during their monthly work session that he is collecting information on a proposed alternative. In meantime, Stewart, at that
a December 2025 hearing to allow an injunction while their case against the property owners who have blocked access to the cemetery with a locked gate proceeds to trial. Asa
The gates are open
Judge protects access to Big House Cemetery — but the fight isn't over
By Delayna Earley The Island News
A Beaufort County judge has ruled that a historic Gullah Geechee cemetery on St. Helena Island must remain accessible for burials and cleanup days while a broader legal battle over permanent access plays out in court.
Judge Carmen T. Mullen issued the order Thursday, Feb. 19, partial-
MORE ONLINE Read the full court order and lawsuit filings at YourIslandNews. com.
ly granting a temporary injunction sought by members of the Big House Cemetery Committee and partially denying it. She also refused to dismiss the case, which was a separate victory for the plaintiffs.
Beaufort Charities Festival set for this weekend
Staff reports
The Beaufort Charities Festival will bring people together in the name of fun and fundrais ing at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal this weekend thanks to hot oysters, cold beer and live music.
The two-day event, which began as a golf tournament in 1976 and morphed into an oyster roast before adding a second day in recent years, marks 51 years of dedicated service to the Beaufort County community. All proceeds directly benefit local nonprofit organizations. Over the decades, the organization has consistently adapted to meet the community's needs, expanding its events and initiatives while staying true to its mission of supporting local causes.
TCL begins search for
The Beaufort Charities has generated more than $2 million in net proceeds, impacting countless lives in Beaufort County. The organization remains committed to its founding principles of transparency and local impact, ensuring that all funds raised stay within the community.
Don’t miss the festival they talk about all year long.
The ruling does not resolve the underlying dispute. But for now, the gates on Everest Road must open.
A cemetery older than the Civil War
The Big House Cemetery sits between Seaside Road and the Harbor River on St. Helena Island, tucked
SEE GATES PAGE A6
from California, enjoys an oyster
the Annual Beaufort Charities Festival on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal. The two-day festival, which began as a golf tournament in 1976 and morphed into an oyster roast before adding a second day in recent years, will celebrate its 51st year of dedicated service to the Beaufort County community this year. All proceeds directly benefit local nonprofit organizations. Amber Hewitt/FILE/The Island News
Arionte Mouton
during
LOLITA HUCKABY
Everest Road as seen on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, on St. Helena Island. Judge Carmen Mullen recently ruled that community members be given temporary access to hold funerals and do cleanup at the Big House Cemetery, located just off of Everest Road, following
Aarons Smith/The Island News
LOWCOUNTRY LIFE & NEWS
Erich Hartmann took this photo of the Fishcamp dock in Port Royal. To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit high-resolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@gmail.com.
VETERAN OF THE WEEK JOSEPH (J.) SMALLS
American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Joseph (J.) Smalls, 76, who graduated from St. Helena High School in 1967 and joined the U.S. Army. He attended Basic Training at Fort Gordon and then armor (tank) training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Smalls was assigned to an armor unit in Manheim, Germany for two years before transferring to units on Staten Island, N.Y. and Fort Dix, N.J. He separated from active duty at Fort Meade, Md., in 1970 and joined the reserves at Bayonne, N.J. He then worked as a shipfitter in Hoboken, N.J., for eight years before moving to Texas to become a city bus driver in Houston for 15 years. In 2010, he retired and returned to St. Helena. He is a member of the DAV chapter here.
NEWS BRIEFS
LWV Beaufort meets Thursday
The League of Women Voters Beaufort will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 5, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufor at 108 Sams Point Road.
Guest speakers Wendell Roberson and Jean Felix, will present "Understanding Primaries" — in coordination with the Beaufort County Voter Registration and Elections. All are welcome to attend and learn about the upcoming primaries.
Indivisible Beaufort meets March 14
Andra Watkins will be the guest speaker when Indivisible Beaufort meets next at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 14 at the Beaufort Branch Library on Scott Street. Watkins’ topic will be “Using Project 2025 to Create a Christian Nationalist Government.”
Watkins is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the leading voices in the country on Christian Nationalism. She writes the Substack (blog) “Such a Time as This” (https://substack.com/@ andrawatkins), formerly “How
Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life.”
She grew up in Florence and attended the largest Christian National Church and school there through 12th grade. She then attended Liberty University on scholarship her freshman year.
Watkins lived in Charleston for 33 years. After spending periods of time out of the U.S. on writing residency, she and her husband now live permanently abroad. She will be presenting and answering questions live on screen through a ZOOM teleconference.
The event is free and open to the public.
Registration opens for Sheriff’s Office CERT Basic Training Program
Registration is open for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Program.
This program provides training to Beaufort County residents to enhance their self-sufficiency in the event of a disaster. Participants learn skills that will enable them to provide emergency assistance to their families and neigh-
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
March 7
2022:
March 8
1971: Beaufort native Joe Frazier defeats Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden in New York City to improve to 27-0, win the
bors. CERT classes are offered free of charge and are held at various times throughout the year. Spring 2026 classes will be held at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center, located at 2001 Duke Street in Beaufort.
Tuesday, March 17
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 19,
5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, March 23
5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28 9 a.m. until the end of the exercise
Registration is required due to limited seating. To register, please visit https://certapplication.paperform.co.
For more information about the course, please email cert@bcgov. net or call 843-255-4007. You can also learn more by visiting the Sheriff’s Office website at www. bcso.net; click on the “Resources” tab.
Board
of Elections hosting community forums
The Board of Voter Registration
He has two sons in the U.S. Army; one is a Blackhawk mechanic and the other a communications specialist; both are veterans of the war in Iraq.
– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207 For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
and Elections of Beaufort County will be hosting several Community Forums in the months leading up to the June Primary Elections. These meetings will be open to the public and are held at locations across Beaufort County. Topics include: How to Register/Who Can Register to Vote Upcoming Elections What is on the Ballot What voters can expect at the polls Absentee Voting Early Voting Sample Ballots Poll Workers And More
Dates and Locations of Forums: Thursday, March 19 6 p.m., St. Helena Library; 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, S.C. 29920 Thursday, April 9, 6 p.m., Hilton Head Island Library, 11 Beach City Road Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
For more information, please contact Jean Felix at 843-2556954 or via email at jean.felix@ bcgov.net.
– Staff reports
Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping. com
Billing questions only.
CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901
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The Ring world heavyweight title and retain the WBA and vacant WBC world heavyweight titles.
March 9
1874: The Town of Port Royal is incorporated with the State of South Carolina.
March 10
March 11
2019: Beaufort weightlifter Dade Stanley sweeps silver medals in the 81kg weight class at the IWF Youth World championships in Las Vegas. Stanley lifted 133kg on the Snatch, 155kg on the Clean & Jerk and 288kg Total, all silver-medal efforts.
1913: Former Beaufort resident Harriet Tubman dies of pneumonia in Auburn, N.Y.
– Compiled by Mike McCombs
Do you value your free hometown newspaper – made by locals, for locals? Free news isn’t cheap. Please help support The Island News!
Donations gratefully accepted at www.yourislandnews.com or The Island News, PO Box 550, Beaufort, SC 29901
Joseph (J.) Smalls
By Gene Brancho
The Island News
A new spot for Lowcountry barbecue is setting up shop in downtown Beaufort. Mother Smokin' Good BBQ announced on Monday that they will be opening a brickand-mortar restaurant in downtown Beaufort at 101 Scott Street, the site of the former YoYo's Ice Cream Shop.
According to owners Marquith and Danielle Green, the new spot will offer take-out service only, but with an expanded menu.
Focusing on traditional, Lowcountry-style barbecue, the family has been operating a very popular food truck in the area since 2017, popping up at our local festivals and other events throughout Beaufort County and the Southeastern U.S., and has amassed quite a following.
"The new spot will allow us to expand on what we've offered on our food truck menu, and to add additional items," Danielle said.
"Our menu will offer ribs, brisket, pulled pork nachos, turkey legs and chicken, as well as other Lowcountry favorites including hash, collard greens, black eyed peas over rice and all of the other fixings you expect from a local southern barbecue restaurant," she added.
"We serve the kind of barbecue that we grew up on here in the area, the kind we love," Marquith said. "All of the meat smoking will be done on site to guarantee peak freshness."
Barbecue making news in Beaufort
Mother Smokin' Good announces move to downtown; Bordertown BBQ opens with a splash
In May, Mother Smokin' Good BBQ will be opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Beaufort at 101 Scott Street, the site of the former YoYo's Ice Cream Shop. Photo courtesy of Gene Brancho
"We're especially excited about our popular Oorah Devil Dog," Danielle said. " It's one of our most popular items from our food truck; a foot-long beef smoked sausage sandwich that everyone loves. We can now add additional toppings for it including chili and other things, since we aren't limited to what we are able to stock in the truck."
The couple have been looking for a brick-and-mortar spot to open a restaurant for the past two years.
"We've been searching for the perfect location, and looked at several other locations. When this one was offered to us, it was kind of a no-brainer," Marquith said.
Plans are to have the new spot open in the middle of May, right after the annual two-day Taste of Beaufort festival, and it will be open seven days a week, to start.
BBut don't worry. Mother Smokin' Good BBQ will still be bringing their food truck to our local festivals.
"Yes, we'll still be joining in the fun at A Taste of Beaufort, The Soft Shell Crab Festival, The Gullah Festival, the Beaufort Oyster Festival, and many others, so you'll be seeing a lot of us," Marquith said. "That's where we got our start here, and where we've met so many wonderful people."
We're excited to be able to bring a traditional, local barbecue flavor to the downtown Beaufort area and we look forward to being a part of our wonderful downtown community," Danielle said.
More barbecue news
Speaking of barbecue, Bordertown BBQ opened its doors on Saturday at Beaufort Town Center
offering a Texas-style barbecue experience. What seemed like half the town showed up to get a taste of the new fare, as the line extended out the front door, around the building, and even spilled over onto the street.
The opening day was so popular, the restaurant ultimately ran out of most of its food to serve.
Bordertown's menu offers a mix of Texas-style barbecue and Mexican street fare.
“The close overlapping of Texas barbecue and Mexican cuisine is what makes our name Bordertown, and the inclusion of Mexican flavors to traditional Texas barbecue is what makes our menu different because they compliment one another,” said co-owner Kristen Miklinevich.
According to Miklinevich, the key to their taste is “Central Texas-inspired slow smoked meats on a 1,000-gallon stick burner.” In typical Texas barbecue fashion, the menu offers smoked meats by the half-pound, and includes smoked brisket, pulled pork, beef ribs, chicken, turkey, pork ribs, smoked brisket tacos and sandwiches, smoked pork carnitas, grilled local shrimp and fish tacos,
"We started to run out of some items around 5 p.m., on Saturday. Then we called the kitchen completely by 8 p.m.," she said. "We had no idea how many people would show up, or what items they’d favor most when they did, so we didn't know whether to smoke five bris-
Bordertown BBQ is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can find it at 2001 Boundary Street at Beaufort Town Center, behind Starbucks. Photo courtesy of Gene Brancho
kets or 15. Now that there’s a better idea of that, we will do our best to ramp it up — still, with the intention to run out. Not running out means food in the garbage because we don’t serve day-old barbecue.
"Our patrons were wonderful with lots of familiar faces of people who have been cheering us on, helping us build, and just being excited for us. We already have met so many cool people who will hopefully be our regulars."
Bordertown BBQ is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., unless the food runs out again. You can find it at 2001 Boundary Street at Beaufort Town Center, behind Starbucks.
eaufort Memorial is expanding access to heart care in the Lowcountry with the addition of an experienced cardiologist to its team.
Dr. Terry Grainger, board-certified in cardiovascular disease and fellowship-trained in cardiology, has joined Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists and is seeing patients in both Beaufort and Okatie. With more than 30 years of experience, he offers a compassionate, expert approach to diagnosing and treating conditions such as coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension.
Dr. Grainger also brings expertise in sleep and obesity medicine, including treatment for sleep apnea. He joins Beaufort Memorial from Prisma Health in Columbia, S.C., where he cared for patients with a wide range of heart and sleep disorders.
Focused on preventive cardiology, Dr. Grainger works closely with patients to encourage healthy habits and reduce the risk of heart disease.
“I treat patients the way I want my own family to be treated,” he said. “Building strong relationships is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.”
Greenville, N.C.
At the practice, Dr. Grainger joins board-certified interventional cardiologists Drs. Stuart Smalheiser and Francis O’Neill, as well as physician assistant Tara Kay, MMS, PA-C and nurse practitioner Nicole Gray, MSN, FNP-C, AGACNP-BC.
Second survivor of St. Helena mass shooting files lawsuit against Willie’s
By Delayna Earley
Island News
The
Nearly five months after gunfire erupted at a crowded alumni gathering outside Willie’s Bar and Grill, a second survivor has filed a civil lawsuit alleging the bar’s operator illegally overserved alcohol and failed to protect patrons from a foreseeable act of violence.
The complaint, filed Feb. 27, in Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas, was brought by Beaufort County resident Sundeya Clark, who says she was among more than 20 people shot during the early morning hours of Oct. 12, 2025
Four people were killed. Clark’s lawsuit names Willie Turral Food Services, LLC, which operates as Willie’s, as the defendant.
According to the complaint, Anferny Devon Freeman arrived at the establishment armed with a firearm and was served alcohol despite being intoxicated, or was served to the point of intoxication, in violation of
South Carolina law.
The filing alleges staff failed to recognize or respond to what it describes as a “dangerous state.”
The suit further alleges employees failed to remove Freeman from the premises and that the business did not implement adequate security measures before or during the shooting. Freeman, 27, was arrested in November and charged with four counts of murder. According to Beaufort County Public Index records, the case was filed Nov. 14 2025, and remains pending in General Sessions court.
A Beaufort County grand jury later returned indictments against Freeman, formally advancing the case toward trial.
Law enforcement officials have previously indicated they believe more than one person fired weapons during the altercation. A third suspected shooter has not been publicly identified.
Clark’s lawsuit asserts
claims of negligence, negligence per se tied to alcohol service statutes, premises liability and negligent security. She is seeking actual and punitive damages and has demanded a jury trial.
The complaint alleges Clark suffered serious and permanent injuries, including physical pain, emotional distress, loss of income and ongoing medical expenses.
A second civil action
Clark’s filing follows a similar lawsuit filed in December 2025 by Quinnetta Clark, another survivor of the shooting.
In that case, Quinnetta Clark named Willie Turral individually, the LLC operating the bar, property owners James and Bernice Wright, Freeman and additional unnamed defendants.
The complaint alleged the premises had a “known history of violence” and that the defendants failed to anticipate and guard against a foreseeable risk of harm.
It is not immediately clear
whether the two plaintiffs are related.
The earlier suit also included claims under South Carolina’s alcohol service laws and alleged inadequate security and crowd control at the alumni tailgate event, which drew hundreds of patrons to the Frogmore establishment that night.
What is “dram shop” liability?
Both lawsuits invoke what is commonly referred to as dram shop liability.
Under South Carolina law, businesses licensed to sell alcohol can be held civilly liable if they serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person, or allow a patron to become intoxicated, and that intoxication leads to injury or death.
The statutes cited in the earlier complaint include S.C. Code §§ 61-4-580 and 61-6-2220, which prohibit serving alcohol to intoxicated individuals.
In civil court, plaintiffs may argue that a bar’s un-
lawful service of alcohol was a contributing cause of the harm that followed. Those claims are separate from, and proceed independently of, any criminal prosecution.
License revocation and closure
In the days following the shooting, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner publicly called for the bar’s liquor and business licenses to be revoked, describing the location as a repeat source of law enforcement calls.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue temporarily suspended the bar’s alcohol permits in the aftermath.
Willie Turral initially said he would fight to keep the business open but later announced Willie’s would close and outlined plans to convert the space into a community-focused development center. No reopening date or redevelopment timeline has been filed in court records.
In January, Turral filed a
separate lawsuit against the property owners alleging he had been unlawfully locked out of the building. That case was dismissed shortly after filing, according to court records.
As with all civil complaints, the allegations in Clark’s lawsuit have not been proven in court. The defendant has 30 days from service to file a response. With two civil lawsuits now active and the criminal prosecution moving forward under indictment, the legal aftermath of the October shooting continues to unfold in parallel tracks one focused on criminal accountability, the other on whether the business that hosted the gathering shares responsibility for what happened.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
BMH announces Marissa Jamarik as new Chief Nursing Officer
Staff reports
Beaufort Memorial has welcomed a new Chief Nursing Officer.
Marissa Jamarik, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, joins Beaufort Memorial from a nurse leadership position in Charleston, bringing with her extensive experience as both a CNO and System Vice President of Nursing across complex health systems. She brings with her a proven record of transforming clinical operations, having successfully led organizations to achieve national nursing excellence designations by advancing quality, patient safety and the overall patient experience. She’s no stranger to leading through large-scale organizational growth and has deep expertise in workforce optimization and align-
Lowdown
from page A1
same work session, outlined plans for a walking trail marked by public art through the park and downtown area. The “statue trail” would be a tourism enhancement, according to the Freedman Arts District officials who said they’d like to see the new fencing and the public art in place ASAP.
Marshall gave no time frame for when he will have information to provide City Council for their decision.
Marissa Jamarik
ing nursing excellence with broad organizational goals to ensure smart, sustainable growth and maintain exceptional care delivery.
“As Beaufort Memorial continues to grow and innovate, strong nursing leadership is crucial,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “Our patients and families will benefit tremendously from Marissa’s focus on quality, safety and the overall patient experience, and her leadership will elevate nursing practice across our organization and strengthen the care we provide to our community.”
Throughout Jamarik’s career, she has been recognized for her
City’s stormwater project moves forward; citizens still want better communication BEAUFORT — The gaping hole at the intersection of Charles and Bay Street which plagued downtown motorists and retailers through the Christmas shopping season has been patched so that downtown traffic can continue, but the $11 9 million stormwater drainage update is still far from over.
The city is working with the S.C. Office of Resilience, manager of the project, and contractors with Gulf Stream Construction and McCormick Taylor Engineering to make sure the project, as well as the King Street drainage project is complete by December 31 2026 or else return unused funds to the American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, from which those tax dollars came.
City Manager Scott Marshall has instituted a weekly email “Bridge Report” providing information on the progress and other major city projects, all to improve communication. But, as we know, there are always items that “fall through the cracks.”
One of the recent examples involves a very large, very beautiful oak tree at the corner of Port Republic and Charles which homeowners fear could become another victim of the stormwater replacement project.
A smaller oak, estimated to be about 100 years old and located at the terminus
leadership, mentorship and commitment to fostering a culture rooted in accountability, integrity and compassionate care, making her a match for Beaufort Memorial’s community-centered mission and vision for healthcare in the Lowcountry. Her leadership philosophy centers on service, collaboration and transparency, ensuring that frontline nurses have a strong and influential voice in shaping clinical practice and policy.
Nursing is a calling, Jamarik said, and as a nursing leader she is passionate about being the voice for frontline staff.
“The frontline is the backbone of healthcare,” she said. "I’m excited to enhance professional governance and leadership development so that every nurse at Beaufort Memorial feels supported, valued and
of Charles Street in the Waterfront Park, was cut down at the start of this project, to the chagrin of those who weren’t aware the plans included tree removal.
The owners of 915 Port Republic Street and the estimated 300-year-old oak that, according to those owners is the subject of more tourist photographs than the circa 1820 home itself, have been carefully monitoring the engineering plans for the project since the beginning. Their concern focused on the future of the oak whose roots reach under the sidewalk and dangerously close to Charles Street.
A meeting organized mid-February by state Rep. Shannon Erickson with the homeowners and representatives of the various parties ended with promises of careful monitoring for the oak tree’s root system. Therefore, the owners were surprised last week to find out the sidewalks along parts of Port Republic and Charles Street, covering the tree roots, were being ripped out to make way for
connected to our mission.” Jamarik’s career began in 1987 in northern Virginia, entering nursing in interventional radiology and intensive care. She eventually took on leadership roles in critical care and float pool before transitioning to executive nurse leader positions at the hospital, then the health-system level, earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Walden University in 2016 In 2021, she began a Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive role in Charleston, where she oversaw 2 000 nurses as a part of a system that included four acute care hospitals, six emergency departments and more than 120 facilities across four counties.
She steps into the role previously held by Karen Carroll, DNP, RN,
improvements to the water and sewer lines, part of the replacement project.
It was a matter of communication, or lack of it, said Peggy Simmer who bought the home with her husband largely because of the beautiful tree. Simmer, who prides herself on communication as newsletter coordinator for several downtown neighborhood associations, expressed concerns that many citizens share when public projects come rolling along and catching them unawares.
Government agencies, with a pledge for “transparency” and help of social media, appear to be trying harder to keep the community inform but it’s not easy.
It all points to the public’s responsibility to stay vigilant, speak out and try to influence changes, which anyone who tries it knows, is certainly is easier to say, than do.
Speaking of trees … CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Maybe you saw the latest tree murder on Savannah television last
NEA-BC, whose 46 years at Beaufort Memorial (26 of them in the CNO role) helped shape the ethos of direct patient care and nursing leadership at the organization.
The CNO role oversees nursing practice across the growing Beaufort Memorial system, championing professional development, workforce initiatives and supporting the evolving organization’s continued commitment to clinical excellence and patient-centered care.
“Our responsibility as leaders is to create environments where nurses can thrive, even in complex times,” Jamarik said. “Supporting nurses and clinical teams so that they can provide exceptional, compassionate care is a responsibility I take very seriously, as well as a privilege.”
month when community residents in western Chatham County rallied around a 300-year old oak in an effort to protect it from Georgia Power.
Well, they lost … contractors for the utility cut down the magnificent oak last week in front of the television crews, despite pleas for mercy from concerned tree-lovers.
Of course, the property owners had sold an easement to the tree site more than a year ago but that didn’t make the loss any easier for those who recognize the value of trees.
Georgia Power said the removal was necessary for utility transmission expansion and since the action was in violation of Chatham County tree removal ordinances, they would be paying fines.
“Unfortunately the tree must be removed,” was part of the company’s statement.
Sound familiar?
FYI: Dominion Power plans to schedule a workshop in Beaufort later this month to explain their upcoming tree-cutting plans,
always a joy for locals.
City Manager Scott Marshall is “having conversations’ with the utility company, which has a franchise agreement with the city, about the number of hanging power lines from Dominion’s power poles, lines that apparently have been installed by contractors for the various telecommunications company on Dominion’s poles but are NOT being removed. City Councilman Josh Scallate brought the issue up at last week’s council worksession, when Marshall said he had heard the concerns and was discussing it with Dominion representatives.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C. native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
FRIDAY
rch 6th
5
8 : 0 0 P M STEAMED OYSTERS & FROGMORE STEW ALL AGES WELCOME!
Parris Island, MCAS Beaufort heighten base access security in wake of attack on Iran
Staff reports
With the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel last week, Beaufort’s military installations are experiencing heightened security measures, including access to the bases for civilian employees, contractors and visitors.
According to a post on Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort’s Facebook page, “the commander of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) has directed all installations to implement heightened security measures at all entry gates until further notice. These measures include but are not limited to 100% ID checks, random vehicle inspections, and the suspension of the Trusted Traveler Program until further notice.”
The Trusted Traveler Program previously allowed DoD-affiliated sponsors to vouch for vehicle occupants for installation access. At this time, all unvetted visitors must report to the installation Visitor Center to request access. For additional information on MCAS Beaufort access procedures, please visit:
https://www.beaufort.marines. mil/Base-Access/
of our Nation’s choosing,” according to the MCAS Beaufort statement.
Drivers have been advised to expect delays and possible random inspections at all entry gates and should plan accordingly.
“These enhanced security measures are being implemented to safeguard our service members, civilians, and families, while ensuring our continued ability to generate and project combat power at the time and place
This will affect graduations going forward at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
“All non Department of War credentialed holder vehicles entering the base will be searched. These measures apply to all personnel and visitors, including families attending this week’s graduation ceremony for Echo Company.”
Parris Island’s Facebook page shared the identification requirements for installation visitors: All individuals 18 years of age and older must present a
valid form of identification to access the base. Acceptable forms of ID include: REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued identification card; United States passport; or ... Other federally approved identification credentials.
For more information on accepted credentials, please check the following website: https://www.mcrdpi.marines. mil/Visitors/Base-Access/
Foreign Nationals Foreign nationals who have not submitted SECNAV Form 5512/1 for base
to Parris Island will not be granted entry and may be subject to additional screening by government partner agencies.
Vehicle Inspections & Prohibited Items
The Provost Marshal’s Office will conduct vehicle inspections prior to entry. All vehicles are subject to search. Firearms, ammunition, and other prohibited items are not authorized aboard the installation.
For questions regarding prohibited items, please contact the Provost Marshal’s Office at 843-228-3444 or 843228-2995
Beaufort County Black Chamber Gala
Gates from page A1
along a dirt road called Everest Lane, known by community members simply as Everest.
Allegedly, the roads, Everest Road and Everest Lane, began to be known as Everest by the community because they led to the place where their ancestors could “forever rest.”
According to court filings, the cemetery dates to the period of slavery on St. Helena and has been in continuous use by the surrounding Gullah Geechee community for generations.
The cemetery's location near the water is not incidental. Gullah Geechee tradition holds that ancestors' spirits travel back across the water to their homelands in Africa.
The lawsuit opens with a line written in Gullah Geechee: “De wata bring we and de wata gwine tek we bak.” The water brings to us and the water will take us back.
How access was lost
The dispute began in earnest in May 2024, when Theresa Aigner, who had purchased property on Everest Lane approximately four years earlier, relocating to St. Helena from out of state, changed the gate code on a gate she had installed on Everest in late 2023, without notifying the community. She had previously giv-
en community members and local funeral homes the code. Then, without warning, she didn't.
The consequences were immediate and painful.
Around 10:30 p.m., on May 29 2024, a three-car crash claimed the lives of five St. Helena residents, including relatives of several plaintiffs. Their families could not bury them at Big House Cemetery. They could not get through the locked gate on Everest.
Some of those residents were buried more than 20 miles away, in Seabrook, separated from generations of family laid to rest at Big House. Shortly after, Robert Cody Harper and Walter Robert Harper, Jr., who also purchased property on Everest Road in 2024, erected a second gate at the cemetery entrance off Everest Road, further blocking access.
The Big House Cemetery Committee formed in response, first attempting to negotiate with Aigner. Those efforts failed.
The case was filed April 30 2025, in Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas.
What the judge ruled
After a December 16 hearing at the Beaufort County Courthouse, a site visit by the court and parties to the cemetery and both access roads at issue, and post-hearing briefing, Judge Mullen issued her order.
She found that the plaintiffs had established a sufficient legal basis to warrant court protection while the
case proceeds to trial.
Under the order:
For funerals and burials, plaintiffs must give defendants at least three days written notice through counsel. Defendants must then open the gates on Everest from sunrise to sunset on the specified date to allow access for funeral homes, vault trucks and related vehicles.
For cleanup days, plaintiffs must provide at least 14 days written notice. Defendants must open the gates for the full designated day.
Plaintiffs must post a bond of $5 000 to cover potential roadway damage during the injunction period.
The injunction remains in effect until the case goes to trial or is otherwise resolved.
The defendants had argued that an alternate route, Pope Estates Way, provides sufficient access to the cemetery, and that the case should be dismissed entirely. Judge Mullen disagreed on both counts.
What the community is saying
Plaintiffs responded to the ruling with relief and resolve.
"This order means a lot to me," said plaintiff Julia B. Scott, who has family members buried at the cemetery, in a statement released by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). "Now we can use the road to access
the cemetery for funerals and cleanup efforts, and I know that when my time comes, I can be laid to rest next to my mother and other family members. I hope and pray that one day soon we will again be able to visit the cemetery anytime, without having to ask."
Plaintiff Shanoma Watson said the ruling offered something the community had been denied for too long.
"It has been almost two years since we've been able to properly visit and care for our sacred burial ground," Watson said in the same statement. "We are overjoyed that the court has recognized our need to access the cemetery for burials and clean-up days."
The CCR's Emily Early, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, called the ruling a meaningful step, while making clear the broader fight is not over.
"We are thrilled that the court has rejected the defendants' attempt to dismiss this case and has ordered that the gates be opened for burials and clean-up days," Early said. "The community's right to access Big House Cemetery doesn't depend on the whims of out-of-state landowners who moved here years ago and decided to lock the community out of their sacred burial ground."
Theresa White, founder and CEO of the Pan-African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network, said her organization was among the first to rally around the Big House Cem-
etery families after access was blocked.
"I am overjoyed that Judge Carmen Mullen is moving in the right direction towards resolving this and reopening the graveyard to the families permanently," White said. "It should never have been blocked in the first place.
The only right thing to do is to allow it to reopen without any restrictions on the families long term."
White lives in Savannah, but her mother's family is from the island. She said she sees the Big House case as part of a larger pattern that threatens Gullah Geechee burial grounds across the island.
"Almost all of the graveyards on St. Helena Island are on the waterfront," she said, "which is the area of land that developers and people with a lot of money find most desirable to build on. And these houses are along the way to the graveyard, or they're the ones blocking entry to the graveyard."
While nothing official has been announced, White said community members were working toward establishing a bond fund to try and raise money to help meet the court-ordered $5 000 bond requirement.
What's still unresolved
The temporary injunction is exactly that, temporary. The underlying legal questions have not been decided.
The Plaintiffs assert two claims. The first is brought under South Carolina's cem-
etery access law, which has long recognized the rights of heirs and community members to access, visit and maintain gravesites.
The second is a claim for a prescriptive easement, a legal right to use another's property that can be established through decades of open, continuous and uninterrupted use.
Plaintiffs argue that community members, funeral homes and others have used Everest for exactly that kind of long, unbroken access to the cemetery. Defendants have disputed both claims and maintain that Pope Estates Way is an adequate alternative.
They also contend that Everest, a private subdivision road, has sustained damage from prior funeral processions.
Plaintiffs are represented by Tyler D. Bailey of the Bailey Law Firm in Columbia and attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights.
The injunction will remain in place while those broader questions are decided, meaning that for now, when someone needs to bury a loved one at Big House Cemetery, the gates on Everest must open. The case remains pending in Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Mrs. Barbara W. Marshel, President-Director of Marshel's Wright-Donaldson Home for Funerals and wife of Mr. William Marshel, accepts the "Carry It Forward" Scholarship presented by Ms. Anita Prather on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 during the Beaufort County Black Chamber “Beaufort in Black” Gala held at Dataw Island. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Stephen and Mary Mobley accept the Community Steward Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Mobley's Repair Shop on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 during the Beaufort County Black Chamber “Beaufort in Black” Gala held at Dataw Island. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Teen detained in connection with February Capehart Circle shooting
Staff reports
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), investigators detained a 17-year-old Burton teen on Tuesday, March 3, on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a juvenile and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.
The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on Feb. 19 2026, just before 3:30 a.m., on Capehart Circle in
Burton. Deputies responded to reports of gunfire directed into a residence. Fortunately, none of the individuals inside the home were injured.
According to the BCSO, through the course of the investigation, the 17-year-old male was identified as the suspect in the incident.
He was transported to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
The Sheriff’s Office encourages residents of Beaufort County to report any suspicious or criminal activity by calling our non-emergency dispatch line at 843-5242777. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may submit tips through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, online at tipsbft.com, or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT (844-8477238).
Monday protest
More than 70 protesters gathered outside Beaufort City Hall, holding signs criticizing President Trump, U.S. economic policy, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the recent military action in Iran. Organizer Carter Hoyt said she observed increasingly positive responses from drivers passing the demonstration. Photos by Asa Aarons Smith/The Island News
Whitney McDaniel awarded 2025 Rotary Club of Beaufort Rotary Bowl
Staff reports Certified financial planner Whitney McDaniel is the 2025 recipient of the Rotary Bowl, the Rotary Club of Beaufort’s highest honor. It was presented by Rotary Club of Beaufort President Ron Garrett at the club’s Wednesday, Feb. 11, luncheon meeting.
McDaniel is the 58th recipient of the Bowl, which was first awarded in 1936. It is not presented every year, but only when the Rotary Club of Beaufort believes it has a candidate who has ex-
Festival from page A1
hibited significant selfless service.
Such was the case for McDaniel. She joined Rotary in 2004 and has held the positions of club secretary, club treasurer, club president, and Assistant Governor for Rotary District 7770. At times, she held more than one of these positions simultaneously.
McDaniel moved to Hilton Head Island in the early 90s following graduation from the University of Kentucky. After a short career in retail, she began a professional
career in banking, eventually moving to Beaufort, and receiving certified financial planning status and a position as a vice president with Wells Fargo Advisors. She is married to realtor Todd McDaniel and has two adult sons.
According to the Rotary Club of Beaufort, McDaniel believes in doing the right thing, believes in giving back, and believes in the power of a hug. Most importantly, she exemplifies the motto of Rotary – “Service above self.”
eat oysters (no lines) and fireside seating. Unlimited beer and wine will be available upon purchase of a souvenir cup.
• Excitement builds with two live auctions featuring unique items and experiences.
Kids will have a blast in the FREE Kids Zone (ages 6 through 12).
Entertainment: Burnt Church Revival (Day), Shot Through The Heart – Bon Jovi Tribute Band (Afternoon) and Four Piece And A Biscuit (Evening).
Tickets
One-day and two-day tickets ($85) are available for purchase at https://bit.ly/4lggEtt. For more information, visit www.BeaufortCharities.org.
Staff reports
Maison Beaufort returns with curated Antiques, Home & Garden Show
Maison Beaufort Antiques, Home and Garden Show — founded by friends with a shared passion for design and the Lowcountry — returns Thursday, March 5 through Sunday, March 8 2026 to Tabby Place on Port Republic Street in Beaufort.
The highly anticipated spring event brings together top dealers from across the Southeast and beyond, offering distinctive pieces that blend timeless appeal with
personal style — all set against the charming backdrop of historic downtown Beaufort.
“What started as a passion project among friends has grown into one of Beaufort’s most anticipated spring events,” said co-founder Lisa Costigan. “We hand-select every dealer to create an immersive experience where guests can discover beautiful pieces — and find something they simply cannot live without.”
Whether refreshing a space
or searching for the perfect statement piece, attendees will discover a thoughtfully curated mix of antiques and one-ofa-kinds, decorative accents, fine art, lighting, linens, and garden accoutrements. Indoor and outdoor displays create a dynamic shopping experience designed to delight every aesthetic.
Located just steps from Beaufort’s scenic waterfront, Maison Beaufort invites locals and visitors
alike to enjoy a weekend of style, inspiration, and community in the heart of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Opening Night Preview Party 4:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 5 — Enjoy early access to the show with a glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres at this festive, ticketed reception. Tickets: $50 (advance purchase required; limited availability).
General Admission 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, March 6 & Saturday, March 7; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, March 8 — Explore curated indoor and outdoor displays and discover that must-have treasure to take home. Tickets: Preview Party tickets are limited and require advance purchase. General admission tickets are available online and at the door.
For more information, visit maisonbeaufort.org.
Junior League Prom Boutique
The Doctor Is In!
Sometimes we are sick and we don’t even know it.
We have heard of situations where people feel perfectly fine, appearing to be in great physical shape, and yet they discover they have a serious illness. It is devastating news, but it is good that they finally know about it and can seek out a doctor’s help. Although there are many who are sick, the doctor can only help those who recognize they need healing.
We are all in need of healing.
Even though we are created to know and love God, we often choose actions which separate us from God. This is what the Bible calls “sin.” In smaller ways or bigger ways, we all experience daily temptations to sin. When we sin, we end up hurting ourselves and those around us. Reflecting back over the years, we can see how our hearts have been spiritually wounded by our sinful choices.
God the Father loves us despite our sin.
It is easy to imagine that God loves us less when we sin. But Jesus shows us that we are loved despite our sinfulness. The Father’s limitless love for us is not dimmed by our brokenness. We can’t decrease his love for us by our sins, nor can we increase his love for us by good actions. As a loving Father, his love for us is already overflowing, incapable of increase or decrease.
Jesus is the divine physician.
During his ministry, Jesus did not spend all of his time with the religious leaders of his day, those who thought of themselves as holy and close to God. Instead, Jesus usually sought out sinful men and women, those who recognized their need for forgiveness and healing. He explained, “It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
(Mark 2:17)
God freely offers us his forgiveness.
Since Jesus was not an ordinary man, but God in our midst, he was able to forgive people’s sins. On one beautiful occasion, a woman with a sinful reputation came and began crying at his feet. Jesus recognized her sorrow for her sins and had pity on her. He told her, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace!” (Luke 7)
Christ’s healing brings joy.
Imagine the joy of that woman, who leaves Jesus knowing that she is forgiven of her sins! This is the joy that we have as Christians. Recognizing our spiritual brokenness, we follow the woman’s example and turn to Christ with repentance. And we too experience forgiveness and healing at the hands of the divine physician!
Clara Cabezos Minguez and Amara Davoudi, both foreign exchange students from Spain, look at dresses during the Junior Service League of Beaufort Prom Boutique held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Iris De bois and Léane Brunet Garcia, both foreign exchange students from France, try on dresses during the Junior Service League of Beaufort Prom Boutique held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
BA earns Advanced Placement School
Honor Roll –Platinum Distinction
Staff reports
The College Board announced that Beaufort Academy has been named to the 2025 Advanced Placement Program (AP) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering strong academic results while broadening student participation. This recognition reflects Beaufort Academy’s commitment to fostering a college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
Beaufort Academy’s AP program highlights include:
81% of seniors took at least one AP Exam during high school; 85% of seniors scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam; Beaufort Academy currently offers eight AP courses; and The program is supported by five dedicated AP teachers.
“AP gives students opportunity to engage with college-level work, earn college credit and placement, and build professional career skills they can use no matter what path they choose after high school,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “Congratulations to this year’s AP School Honor Roll recipients for proving it’s possible to expand participation in these rigorous courses and still drive strong performance.”
TCL begins search for new president
Longtime TCL president Richard Gough announced retirement in October
Staff reports The Technical College of the Lowcountry has begun the search for a new president, according to a media release.
Longtime TCL President, Richard Gough, announced his retirement in October at the monthly meeting of the college’s Area Commission. Gough, who began his tenure at TCL in January of 2014, said in an email to staff recently that it had been both “a privilege and a joy” to work alongside TCL’s more than 270 employees.
“Serving as president of this special college has been the most incredible opportunity of my pro-
fessional career,” he said. “Together, we have strengthened TCL, expanded our impact and opened doors of opportunity that have changed lives across the Lowcountry.”
The college plans to honor Gough at various events coming up this spring.
The search for a new leader will be led by TCL’s Presidential Search Committee comprised of members of the S.C. Technical College System and the Area Commission.
The committee is seeking a high-energy, ethical visionary and collaborative leader with at least ten years of experience as an academic executive or administrative leader, preferably in a technical or commu-
nity college setting.
Those interested in learning more about the position or applying can view the full position description posted at https://jobs.chronicle. com/job/37936459/president/.
Treasure House donates
$112,500 to Holy Trinity
Staff reports Treasure House Thrift & More, a mission-driven organization which is an outreach of St. Helena’s Anglican Church, presented a check to Holy Trinity Classical Christian School in the amount of $112,500 on Friday, Feb. 6 during K-12 Chapel.
Treasure House commits 50% of its net profit to HTCCS each year. This remarkable gift was made possible by generous donations of items to the store, as well as a wonderful group of St. Helena’s volunteers, who are led by
store manager, Jill Rubin.
Treasure House now has two locations. The original store is a community-centered shop located at 914 Boundary Street in Beaufort and features clothing for all ages, a designer boutique, toys, books, and more. The second location, which opened in 2025 is located at 2219 Prince Street in Beaufort and features furniture and home decor. All sales support nonprofits in our community.
Holy Trinity Head of School Minnie Bullock said in a media release,
"We are incredibly, deeply grateful for our hardworking friends at the Treasure House and their generosity to Holy Trinity. This ministry is fueled by volunteers and your donations! I encourage you to stop by one of the locations of the Treasure House. You will be amazed at the ‘treasures’ you will find. Of course, the real treasure is the volun-
teers who serve there in the love and power of Christ."
In addition to Holy Trinity, The Treasure House supports local organizations such as CAPA, Rooms of Grace, HELP of Beaufort, Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, and Mercy Me Sober Living, to name only a few. The Treasure House also serves as a safe place for people to go for help.
People in the community know that they can go to The Treasure House for assistance, and they will be outfitted according to their needs, at no cost if necessary. Those who seek assistance know that they will be treated with dignity, and their story will be kept private. Founded in 2012, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School (HTCCS) provides students with a distinctly classical and distinctively Christian education in Beaufort. Holy Trinity serves students from preschool-12th grade.
USCB awarded grant to advance Sexual Violence Prevention
Staff reports
The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) has been awarded a $3 500 South Carolina Sexual Violence Prevention Grant to strengthen campus-wide efforts focused on preventing sexual harassment and interpersonal violence.
The funding will support Sand Shark A.C.T. (Awareness. Consent. Trust.), a dynamic sexual assault prevention and awareness initiative led by Brandon J. Wright,
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Development & Dean of Students.
Sand Shark A.C.T. empowers students with skills and confidence to foster safe and respectful relationships. Through workshops, educational programming,
and campus events, A.C.T. equips students to recognize healthy relationship dynamics, understand and practice consent, and intervene effectively in challenging situations.
“An effective prevention strategy must go beyond a one-time event,” said Wright. “Sand Shark A.C.T. is about building a culture of accountability, respect, and trust where students feel empowered to support one another and stand against sexual violence.”
The grant is administered by the South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on College Campuses (SCIP), which works to coordinate and implement best practice standards across higher education institutions across the state. The grant serves as supplemental funding to enhance comprehensive campus prevention plans and supports innovative initiatives addressing sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, gender-based harass-
ment or bullying, and stalking.
At USCB, this initiative is strengthened through a collaborative partnership with Hopeful Horizons, a local organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Together, USCB and Hopeful Horizons provide students with expert resources, survivor-centered support services, and community-driven education to foster a safer, more compassionate campus environment.
Richard Gough
Library names Threet Artist in Residence for Spring
The Beaufort Library has named Genni Lib Threet its next Artist in Residence for the spring.
Threet is an artist, creative writer, and educator who blends art history, mixed media, and the natural world into projects that are thoughtful, colorful, and genuinely accessible.
Through her “Art with Intention” series, Genni invites participants of all ages to slow down, look closely at the world around them, and reconnect with the simple act of making something by hand.
She will host programs at the Beaufort and Port Royal Branch libraries in March and April:
Cover to Cover: Paint Your Own Writing Journals (All ages), 11 a.m., Thursday, March 5, Port Royal Branch.
Marsh + Moon: Painting Meaning Through Lowcountry Symbols (Adults), 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 11 Port Royal Branch; 11:30 a.m., Thursday, March 26, Beaufort Library.
Words to Keep: Poetry Bracelets & Painting (All Ages), 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, Port Royal Branch; 4 p.m., Thursday, April 2, Beaufort Library.
Space is limited for each session. Register online.
Listen on the Lawn set for Sunday
As a part of the USCB Center For The Arts’ Listen on the Lawn series, the Beaufort Theatre Company will be performing “Rising Voices” from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 8
The event is a fundraiser for Teams 2 and 10 in CAPA’s Dancing With Our Stars. Make a suggested donation of $20 to the team of your choice. Donations will be accepted the day of the event.
Bring a chair or a blanket, along with a picnic basket and snacks or beverages. Just come prepared to enjoy a beautiful evening of music on the lawn under the oaks.
Fredericks hosting another book signing
A book signing is scheduled for “Contemporary Southern Vernacular: Creating Sustainable Houses for Hot, Humid Cli-
mates,” written by local architects Jane and Michael Frederick of the Beaufort firm
Frederick + Frederick Architects. The book signing is Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Nevermore Books at 910 Port Republic Street.
Architectural Digest named the book one of the best design books of Fall 2025
Publisher's Weekly praised the book in saying, "In this authoritative handbook … the authors demonstrate the importance of incorporating environmentally conscious systems, from high-efficiency HVAC units to native landscaping. They encourage readers to build homes in harmony with their environment, arguing that "by leveraging the beauty of the land, and all that it has to offer, into the design of the home, its value increases. This well-informed blueprint for resilient design will appeal to architects and prospective homeowners alike."
‘Unveiled’ -- Beaufort Art Association set to host 62nd annual Spring Art Exhibit
The 62nd annual Beaufort Art Association Spring Art Exhibit, titled “Unveiled,”
will be held Tuesday, March 10 through Friday, March 13, in the lovely Old Bay Marketplace & Rooftop in downtown Beaufort at 917 Bay Street. The public is invited, and admission is free.
The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and Friday until 6 p.m.
Local artists, BAA members and non-members alike, plus budding artists from area high schools are invited to participate. Guidelines, forms, and more information about deadlines and registration are available online at www.beaufortartassociation.com.
Artist Amiri Farris has been selected to judge this year’s show, the BAA’s largest art exhibit and fundraiser of the year. Farris is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and university professor who received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Savannah College of Art and Design.
More than $3,000 in prizes will be awarded, including “Best in Show,” First, Second, and Third places, the “Founders Award,” “3-D Award,” and several memorial awards. “There will also be the coveted “Peoples Choice Award” voted on by all visitors to the show,” said Walter.
In conjunction with the show, Farris will
be teaching a Professional Art Development Workshop on Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, Beaufort Campus. Cost is $75 per person, with a portion going to benefit the BAA Spring Show, and space is limited to 40 participants.
This workshop is designed for emerging and mid-career artists, focusing on the process of preparing artwork for presentation, both visually and conceptually. The workshop is open to the public but registration must be made in advance by contacting either Anne Short at anneshort13@gmail.com or Traci Walter at jollypigpottery@gmail. com. Once registered, payment will be accepted for the workshop in cash or check at the door.
Beaufort Art Association is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), powered entirely by donations and volunteers.
Rep. Mace announces Congressional Art Competition
Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) has announced the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for high school students across South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. This annual nationwide competition, sponsored by Members of Congress, gives talented young artists the chance to showcase their work on a national stage. This contest is open to all high school students in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. The first-place winner will have their piece displayed in the U.S. Capitol for an entire year and will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a special reception recognizing winners from across the country.
“Our district is full of incredibly talented young people, and this competition gives them a chance to showcase their skills on a national stage,” said Congresswoman Mace. “We're excited to see the creativity and talent our students bring to this competition, and we encourage every high school artist in the 1st District to submit their work.” Artwork must be the student's own original work and should capture aspects of life in South Carolina's 1st District. All artwork must be submitted by March 30 2026 For more information or to submits, visit https://bit.ly/3MOmd5t.
– Staff reports
Come join in with the Beaufort Drum Circle, learn some rhythms and have some laughs at The Arts in Port Royal. Asa Aarons Smith/The Island News
HEALTH
How and when scar revision surgery can help you
By Dr. Heidi Harrington Beaufort Memorial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics
When healthy skin undergoes traumatic injury, disease or surgery, scar tissue can form as your wound heals.
Dr. Heidi Harrington
Though helpful, this process can cause changes in your appearance: scars can vary in size, shape and color, and can distort parts of the face like your eyes, lips and brows. Scar revision surgery can help remedy these issues.
With today’s surgical techniques, revision surgeries have a great track record of success. They offer a number of benefits that can help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Scar revision surgery helps correct many types of scars, including atrophic scars (indented scars covered in thin skin, like acne scars), hypertrophic scars (raised, thick scarring) and keloid scars (even more raised, spread-out scarring).
When using cosmetic surgery to treat scars, the surgeon first removes excess scar tissue. Next, the surgeon typically makes a couple
of small incisions on either side of the scar. This produces V-shaped skin flaps that create a less obvious scar.
There are several reasons to undergo scar revision surgery. It can help you feel more confident, move past scar-related pain and regain use of the body part affected by scarring.
Improved appearance and confidence
Scars can leave you feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. You may experience anxiety or depression, embarrassment, shame or a desire to avoid social settings,
Procedures such as facial scar revision surgery can correct discoloration, abnormal texture and other aesthetic issues. While helping to restore a more natural appearance, surgery can simultaneously have a positive effect on mental health.
Plastic surgeons are specially trained to help you feel more comfortable and confident in your skin. That training comes out in everything we do, from face lifts and breast augmentation to scar revision surgery.
Reduced pain
Scars caused by surgery or traumatic injuries (such as burns) can
Yoga has strong range of benefits for cancer patients
Special to The Island News
Yoga has been practiced for centuries to build strength, flexibility and balance while fostering a strong connection between the mind, body and spirit.
Today, growing research shows that yoga may also offer meaningful benefits for those on a cancer journey: lowering blood pressure and stress levels, as well as improve a person’s coping skills.
“One of the best exercises for cancer rehabilitation is yoga,” says Dr. Eric Turner, a board-certified, fellowship-trained medical oncologist with Beaufort Memorial Oncology Specialists. “Studies show the effect of yoga on cancer patients can be significant, and when used alongside medical treatments, yoga can help decrease some symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment, while also helping patients deal with what can be a very stressful diagnosis.”
While yoga does not treat or cure cancer, it can play an important role in managing many of the physical and emotional side effects associated with cancer and its treatment.
Like other forms of gentle exercise, yoga may help patients cope with:
Fatigue Sleep disturbances
Anxiety
Depression
Reduced mobility or stiffness
Research indicates that yoga may help patients:
Reduce pain
Improve flexibility and overall mobility
Enhance quality of life
Support healthy stress
hormone regulation and immune function
Reduce inflammation
The American Cancer Society reports that one study showed that breast cancer patients who participated in hour-long yoga classes three times per week during six weeks of radiation therapy experienced less fatigue and an improved ability to perform daily activities.
“I often recommend yoga as a complementary practice during treatment,” Dr. Turner says. “Exercise in any form is helpful for people with cancer, and yoga is a good form to start with. It offers gentle poses you can do at home when you’re feeling up to it.”
Interested in trying yoga? There are many different styles, and some forms are more intense than others. It helps to understand the terminology before you sign up for a class. Here’s a quick guide:
Ashtanga
The word ashtanga means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit. Ashtanga yoga, sometimes referred to as power
yoga, is very physically demanding and requires moving rapidly between poses. These classes can be more difficult than others, so if you’re feeling unwell after treatment, this style may not be best for you.
Bikram
In a Bikram yoga class, you will practice in a room hotter than 100 degrees. You may also see this class called hot yoga. Some studies claim Bikram yoga can improve strength, range of motion and balance. Like Ashtanga, Bikram yoga can be strenuous and may be too difficult if you’re experiencing side effects from your cancer treatment.
Hatha The term hatha is a generic term for yoga that involves poses and breathing techniques. This is a general style of yoga that is typically slow-paced.
Yin, or Restorative In a restorative yoga class, the focus is on calming the body and relaxing the mind. This style is very gentle and allows you to spend a lot of time in poses. You may use props in this class, such as bolsters and blocks, to help support you as you settle into poses. Studies show restorative yoga may decrease fatigue and improve emotional well-being in cancer patients.
hurt. Depending on your specific case, your scar may cause a slight itching sensation or result in extreme, lasting pain when touched lightly.
When other treatment methods, such as corticosteroid injections, are ineffective, scar revision surgery may help. In some cases, the plastic surgeon may perform neurolysis or neurectomy, which involves surgically addressing nerve issues that could be contributing to your pain. This can help reduce your pain even more if appropriate.
Regained use of affected limbs
Healthy, normal skin contains elastin, proteins that help your skin stretch and return to its original position. Scar tissue may be stiff and can lack elasticity. As a result, some scar tissue may not stretch properly. This is known as scar contracture.
Contractures can be stiff areas that are difficult to stretch. You may have a hard time moving or using the affected area. While this isn’t a big deal in some areas, it can limit your mobility and range of motion if the scar is on a joint or other area that you depend on to perform daily activities.
By removing contractured tis-
sue, your plastic surgeon helps you regain function of the affected limb. After scar revision surgery, you may be better able to raise your arm, bend your knee and perform other tasks that were made difficult or even impossible due to your scar.
Before heading to the operating room, your surgery team may check your scar’s stage. It’s important to remember that scars take time to mature. While other treatment options can treat scars early on, scar revision surgery is reserved for mature scars.
A mature scar has passed through the healing stages, a process that typically takes around 12 to 18 months. Sometimes, a plastic surgeon performs scar revision surgery earlier than 12 months. Reasons for this may include extreme deformity caused by the scar or significant loss of function. By working with your care team, you can determine the best time for corrective surgery.
Heidi Harrington, M.D., is a boardcertified and fellowship-trained plastic surgeon with two decades of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery experience. She sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics in Okatie.
Stand up straight!
How your posture might be causing back pain
Special to The Island News
If you’ve ever dealt with back pain, you aren’t standing alone – it’s one of the most common ailments as we get older, causing us to miss work, sit out social events and make visits to the doctor.
While medication and surgery may seem like the only solutions, there’s another factor that often gets overlooked: posture. Improving how you sit, stand and move can make a big difference in keeping your back healthy.
When you slouch while standing or hunch forward in your chair, you throw off your body’s natural balance. This extra strain lands on the muscles, ligaments and vertebrae in your lower back.
“Over time, poor posture can lead to spinal misalignment and increase your risk of injury,” said Mary Descaro, clinical lead physical therapist at Beaufort Memorial Outpatient Rehabilitation Services. “It can also reduce flexibility, strain your joints and cause pain in other areas, including the neck, shoulders and head.”
Posture falls into two categories. Dynamic posture is how you hold your body while moving, and static posture is your position when sitting, standing or lying down.
When standing, stand tall with your shoulders back and your head level, with your chin parallel to the floor. Gently tighten your abdominal muscles, keep your knees slightly bent and let your arms hand naturally at your sides. Your weight should be evenly distributed through your feet, hips and knees. Aim for this same alignment when walking.
When sitting, sit upright with your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Your knees should be level with or slightly higher than your hips, and both feet should rest flat on
the floor. Distribute your weight evenly across both hips. Even long-standing posture habits can be improved with practice. If you’re not sure where to start, these tips can help: Mind your legs – avoid crossing them while sitting. Crossed legs shift your weight to one side and prevent proper alignment.
• Support your lower back – use a small pillow or lumbar support when sitting, especially at a desk, to maintain the natural curve of your spine.
• Keep it moving – try not to stay in a single position for too long. Stand up, stretch or walk around every 30 minutes if possible.
• Consider physical therapy – physical therapy can teach you stretches, strengthening exercises and proper movement techniques to improve posture during daily activities and exercise.
• Check your driving posture – adjust your car seat so you’re sitting comfortably close to the steering wheel, at about a 30-degree angle. Your arms should rest easily on the wheel, not reach for it. On long drives, use cruise control when it is appropriate and safe to do so, so both feet can rest flat on the floor.
The long and short of it is that good posture does more than simply ease back pain; it can improve balance, make breathing easier and even support your digestion.
Sitting up straight and standing tall isn’t just about looking confident – it’s a simple habit that can have lasting benefits for your overall health.
Iam 80 years old and worry about my memory.
Sometimes — when I write about my past — I worry if my “facts” are accurate. In this regard some of my readers may recall a recent column about Hans Speidel.
Several months ago I wrote about a speech I believed I had heard at The Citadel in 1966. The speech was made by a Wehrmacht General, Hans Speidel, who had been Chief of Staff to Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, aka the “Desert Fox.” When I tried to verify this event — calling five The Citadel classmates — none remembered Speidel.
In an effort to verify this memory, I went to see Tessa Updike who serves as the Citadel’s Archivist and its Digital Librarian. Updike confirmed that Speidel came to The Citadel, twice, and did speak to the Corps.
While in Updike’s office I had the pleasure of seeing an inventory of everything that is archived in The Citadel’s Museum — General Mark Clark’s campaign papers; photographs of Clark at Panmunjom; medals and papers of graduates killed in Vietnam.
What I didn’t expect to find was the oral narrative of Joseph Trez who described the Fourth Class System in the 1960s — my time at the military school.
And if there is any fundamental question shared by every The Citadel graduate it is, “Was my plebe year as hellish as I remember?”
Trez says that in 1967 there were 17 different companies and “17 different cultures.” Some of those cultures were “fraternal,” some were “brutal,” and
Lessons on courage, character, the Battle of Thermopylae
everything hinged on the Company Commander, the active duty (TAC) officer and the “things that upper-class rank holders experienced when they were knobs.”
Apparently there was enough hazing and abuse throughout the Corps to alert General Hugh P. Harris (Mark Clark’s successor) that something needed to be done to curb what was underway.
Many know I have written a column of some sort since the early 90s; and I have previously written about my own “plebe experience.”
In that regard, I have been clear that 1963-1964 was, by far, the worst time in my life. I kept a diary and, some of you know, questioned the usefulness and utility of that nine-month-long chamber of horrors, wondering how that time affected me in the long haul.
Trez says that General Harris knew something was seriously wrong and in 1968 created a commission to deal with the “racking;” sleep and food deprivation; late night “sweat parties” and all the rest that inevitably led to poor academic performance and mandatory summer school if one wanted to stick around.
“But did any of that behavior ever make an entry in the Post and Courier? I
think history will show it didn’t. It certainly wasn’t on any TV program reporting abuses in the Forth Class System at The Citadel. It was Citadel introspection that there are problems and we needed to fix it.”
Trez graduated in 1969 went to the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga.; then Vietnam; and to Fort Bragg “in various command and staff assignments.” He came back to The Citadel in 1978 seeking an MBA and eventually getting a teaching job in the Army ROTC Department.
When he came back, The Citadel was courting Admiral James Stockdale, who had previously been a POW in Vietnam, “a Medal of Honor recipient and he had come to us from being the Superintendent of the Naval War College.”
“He received letters from the parents that described the brutality and hazing that their sons were experiencing, and the deprivation of sleep and food and he related to it as treatment that he and his fellow POWs received.”
“That just turned his stomach and he could not understand how this was happening at The Citadel.”
Stockdale formed his own Commission to change the System in 1979; and in this process sent a signal that academics were “priority number one” and Citadel would no longer be “wedded to traditions.”
“So, alumni members of the BOV (Board of Visitors) and a segment of the cadet corps … started fighting everything Stockdale did.
“Alums were apoplectic about what was happening
in this report because it took out “racking” and it took out deprivation of food and sleep, and no upperclassman was (now) allowed in the freshman’s room during “study periods.”
The “alums” revolted against these changes and an incident — involving an upperclassmen pulling a .45 on a freshman — eventually led to Stockdale’s resignation.
Trez says this systemic self-examination was then, abruptly, interrupted with the arrival of Shannon Faulkner — the first woman seeking admission to The Citadel’s all-male ranks.
For at least a year, 1993 the crenelated fortress-like barracks on the Ashley River came into the cross-hairs of the American public overwhelming the alumni, the Board of Visitors and the cadets — all of whom believed women would be fatal to The Citadel’s brand.
When Trez again returned to the campus — now as Commandant of Cadets —
he knew the hazing was still going on but that “toughness” was not the same as “leadership.”
Trez discovered that Pat Conroy’s novel, “The Lords of Discipline,” was on every cadet’s bookshelf — and that most cadets, even the women, believed that adversity, even the brutality as described by Conroy in “Lords,” were key ingredients for the making of The Citadel’s “Whole Man.”
In 1994, The Citadel got an unexpected injection of money, big money, from Bill and Gay Krause. Trez (and others) believed that earmarking this money for the study of Leadership, Ethics — especially Ethical Reasoning — was one way to repair the school’s tattered reputation.
The Krause Center would not be a symbolic, one-off stab at restoring decency; it would be a major academic element of the curriculum that would extend over the entire four years. It would involve a reading list — texts
on moral crisis and conflicts of interest — guest speakers and meaningful “community service.” It would require buy-in from the faculty, Board of Visitors, the battered alumni and, of course, the cadets themselves. This effort would not, could not, be lipstick on a pig. When I was a cadet, The Citadel’s actual purpose was to produce soldiers — in my case 2nd Lieutenants who would command rifle platoons in Vietnam. Now that role is to produce “Principled Leaders” who will enter the work force with a grounding in ethical reasoning taught over the entire four years. Today’s Citadel graduates will not get a SEC-caliber football team. They will get lessons on courage and character. And yes, they will still read about the Battle of Thermopylae.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
SCOTT GRABER
Scott Graber at The Citadel.
Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island News
Legality be damned
So it takes a war to create the ultimate diversion? A war that has already claimed the lives of three of our military. An illegal war, I might add, but then, that’s a minor consideration to those calling the shots -- no pun intended.
For those of you who still wish to defend the so-called leader of our country, I suggest you might want to review the United States Constitution. It takes Congressional vote to engage in wartime activity. I humbly suggest, dear reader, that bombing another country constitutes “wartime activity.”
In Article I, the Constitution empowers Congress to provide for the common defense through a set of enumerated authorities concerning war and national security. Central among these powers is Clause 11 of Article I, Section 8, which authorizes Congress to declare war. (Wikipedia)
But then remember Venezuela. First the attack on boats supposedly carrying drugs, something that was never proven. That, however, wasn’t enough to satisfy our warmongers.
On Jan.,3, 2026, the United States launched a military strike in Venezuela and captured the incumbent Venezuelan president and his wife; the U.S. operation was code-named Operation Absolute Resolve. The U.S. Armed Forc-
es bombed infrastructure across northern Venezuela to suppress air defenses.
And let us not forget Greenland and the “threat” to overtake that piece of land.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said on Jan. 6, 2026 that President Donald Trump and his advisers are discussing a range of options to acquire Greenland and that “utilizing the U.S. military is always an option.”
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," Leavitt said in a statement obtained by ABC News' Rachel Scott.
She surely didn't mean 47's buddy, Vlad.
Denmark and its NATO allies pushed back after Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller claimed the U.S. has a right to Greenland and did not rule out
the use of American military force to seize it.
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, in a joint statement with Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said, “Sabre-rattling about annexing Greenland is needlessly dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said he would introduce a war powers resolution focused on Greenland.
“We must stop him before he invades another country on a whim,” Gallego wrote on social media. “No more forever wars.”
Newsflash! This most recent attack, with casualties already mounting, indicates very simply that 47 is willing to shift focus to another region. Furthermore, let me reiterate that the focus is AWAY from the Epstein files, 47’s Achilles’ heel, a bit different than bone spurs, but I digress.
Meanwhile, Somalia has become a lightning rod for MAGA Republicans, with Trump calling the country a “hell hole” and repeatedly attacking Somali immigrants in the U.S. as “garbage who contribute nothing,” comments that have sparked widespread backlash.
According to the think tank, New America, 47 has so far launched 135 strikes in that country in his second term, more than the entire Bush Jr, Obama and Biden presidencies combined.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched Operation
PHawkeye Strike against Isis in Syria, in coordination with Jordan, in December of 2025. The most recent attacks took place earlier this month.
Yes, the operation was a direct response to the killing of two U.S. soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter. However, three additional U.S. military personnel and two members of Syria’s security services were injured in the attacks. 47 blamed Isis for the attacks, but Syrian officials said the attacker was a disgruntled member of the security services facing dismissal over allegations of holding extremist views.
On Christmas Day 2025 47 ordered strikes against Isis targets in Nigeria after he accused the group of targeting Christians. The U.S. military confirmed “multiple fatalities” after camps in Sokoto state near the border with Niger were hit during the strikes.
U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth said of the attacks: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The Department of War is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas.”
He added: “Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” He then warned: "More to come …" 47 said the attacks were “powerful and deadly” and “at levels not seen for
many years, even centuries!” Superlatives continue to abound!
When 47 began his second term in office, it was on the promise of putting “America First.” For many of his MAGA supporters, that meant rejecting interventionist policies that had overextended the country’s military commitments across the globe. Where are you now?
His National Security Strategy, published last year, promised that “the affairs of other countries are our concern only if their activities directly threaten our interests.” (Independent-U.S. edition)
To say that 47 is playing fast and loose with our military is an understatement. None of what I have included in this piece had congressional approval.
Up to now, we have lost three members of our military, and let's not forget the 100-plus Iranian school children.
Let me conclude with this: under this administration we now have a Department of War rather than a Department of Defense. Let that settle into your brain. To me, it speaks volumes. To those of you who support this, I have one suggestion — a vacation in Ukraine.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
City Council must focus on what matters, not on politicking
oliticking should have no place in our City Council’s ability to articulate a clear set of priorities for Beaufortonians’ limited capital spending dollars.
One would have thought the obvious priority was fixing the Waterfront Park. Nothing seemed further from the truth, however, during the City’s Tuesday, Feb. 17, capital projects quarterly meeting where Council members politicked to continue allocating money to unrelated, over-budget, park projects. In fact, only 5 minutes was spent discussing the Waterfront Park during this two-hour meeting.
Sorry, guys, we’ve got it all backwards here.
The city spent $5 million of borrowed money on Phase 1 of Southside Park –yes, only on Phase 1 which comprised a meager playground, pavilion, parking lot, and toilets.
Another $1 million was spent on Washington Street Park, $500 000 on Pigeon Point Park, and then another $100 000 on the initial planning and design of yet another park, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Park.
To the utter shock of City Council and residents alike, city staff divulged Southside Park’s expected final costs have ballooned to over $12 million, encompassing five phases. Phase 2 alone is reported to cost $6 million. To date, nothing has been allocated to fix the Waterfront Park.
To add insult to injury, the city’s retained engineering firm, pitched the need for a complete, commercial-like, renovation of the Pigeon Point boat landing to include increasing its elevation by 4 feet for “resiliency” – a solution which vocal Pigeon Point residents don’t want and one which will certainly cost taxpayers millions.
The city is in the midst of its most extravagant spending spree of the last 50 years. The American Recov-
ery Protection Act (ARPA) “gifted” the city more than $23 million of taxpayers’ money. This money caused the city to “find” projects on which to spend such enormous sums. The result is the $12 million Charles & Craven Street drainage project which closed off Bay Street during the Christmas shopping season crippling downtown merchants. The cumulative impact of the ongoing closure of the waterfront park and street closures will result in the future closure of many downtown businesses -- all “help protect” 50 homes at a per home spend of $240,000
The City also spent $11 million on the King Street drainage project replacing what appear to be 18-inch ceramic pipes with enormous, 6-foot-in-diameter concrete ones. The cost of these projects ballooned beyond expectations as too much money needed to be spent by a fixed date by government officials and at any cost on what are overengineered projects. It’s not clear exactly how many homes and businesses the $11 million King Street drainage project benefited other than
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
‘Trust God, but tie up your camel’
Seems to be a lot of fear-mongering flowing about the impending, crucial Nov. 2026 midterms, including threats from high places about taking over elections.
Back in 2024, I called Sheriff P.J. Tanner, asking his response then to warnings about proud-boy types obstructing polling places. His welcome response, that he and his officers would absolutely not tolerate any such behavior, I am sure holds true despite his very unpopular invitation to ICE to enter into a formal Task Force relationship.
To Tanner’s credit, he is law enforcement first, and protecting your civil rights is part of that. No one can take over the State’s nor each county’s role in controlling our elections, and there are legions of organi-
zations and lawyers and judges who will protect that process. And your Beaufort County Election folks are all dedicated professionals there to help us.
Despite the possibility that the state did respond to the DOJ’s request for voter role data, no “purge” of voter roles could occur at a federal level that the state would allow. And you can just go to “scvote.gov” and check your registration status, update if needed (you must if you’ve moved). Should do that anyway. The only thing that will threaten your vote is if you don’t go and cast it. In the meantime, prior to the June 9 primary voting, you can attend the weekly Monday 4 p.m. protest by City Hall in Beaufort (going over a year now) and continue to exercise your concern for any issue (the favorites are now often anti-ICE
a perhaps only a handful.
An encouraging show of activism against the City’s misplaced largesse was exhibited by a group of Point residents which successfully convinced the city to eliminate an unnecessary multi-million-dollar pump station in one of the Point’s serene parks.
Politicians spending other people’s money is on one hand intoxicating yet on the other hand a dangerous cocktail. For decades, Beaufort City Councils have used their position of power to spend taxpayer money to compete with the private sector by buying failed commerce parks and unnecessary commercial buildings all while borrowing against future taxpayer revenue to construct extravagant parks and embark on overdesigned drainage and public facility projects. Beaufort now has the hangover of all hangovers from its spending and no more money to fund the “basics.”
Council members must stop politicking. What remains of our city’s meager capital spending financial resources should be directed to what really matters — the
“What remains of our city’s meager capital spending financial resources should be directed to what really matters — the Waterfront Park.”
Waterfront Park. Further spending on Southside Park must be delayed and the scope of the entire project revisited and reduced. All spending on other parks must also be tabled. Consistent with the neighborhood’s wishes, the overengineered renovation of the Pigeon Point landing should be downsized to simply fixing the dock and the boat ramp – something I understand has been completed. The overdesigned and overbuilt Charles & Craven and King Street drainage projects need to be finished on time and under budget. Other planned drainage
sentiments and request for justice around the Epstein files). And on Saturday, March 28 at noon, City Hall site again, there will be a large national protest called “No Kings” — but again, your sign may express YOUR issue of merit. Then, the option of marching down a sidewalk to downtown, where we can patronize our favorite shops and restaurants, sign in hand! Sometimes it does seem a lot separates us from one another, but I think a faith and trust in the ultimate sanctity of our democratic values and system of laws is one thing we hold in common.
– Timothy Dodds, Lady’s Island
Kudos to Ms. Earley
I want to commend [The Island News’] assistant editor, Delayna Earley, for the five
projects such as the $1 25 million Bayard Street and $216,000 Pigeon Point Drainage Study should be put on hold. The same goes for the Duke Street project. Our city government should not be looked upon to provide for nor does it have the resources, capabilities, nor cash to carry out a wish list of capital spending projects dictated by empirically flawed public surveys and pushed by self-serving individuals and interest groups supported by the politicking of council members. Let us work together to focus our resources on what really matters.
Graham B. Trask grew up in Beaufort and continues to be a resident of Beaufort. He owns a home in Beaufort’s landmark historic district. He also owns several businesses as well as residential and commercial real estate located throughout the City of Beaufort and specifically in the historic district. He adds value to almost 50 different resident business owner tenants to help them grow their enterprises. He is also the president of Protect Beaufort Foundation, Inc., and Beautiful Beaufort Open Land Trust. Contact him at Graham@ grahamtrask.com.
well-written and informative articles in the Feb. 19 issue of the paper, all of them about what's going on in the City and with the City Council. I'm afraid too few citizens realize that what happens within the City has a tremendous impact on the lives of all who live north of the Broad River. The reality is, whether you live on St. Helena Island or in the Seabrook area, if someone asks you where you're from you'll answer Beaufort, S.C.
We're proud of our beautiful and historic city, and I hope Ms. Earley's articles will generate more interest in what we do and how we decide on our policies. I also hope you'll continue to share articles such as these with the community.
– Edie Rodgers, Beaufort
CAROL LUCAS
GRAHAM TRASK
McMaster should veto bill keeping college payments secret
ov. Henry McMas-
Gter needs to veto rushed legislation that seeks to keep public payments to college athletes secret.
To do otherwise would tarnish his career of supporting transparency as embodied in the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
If you haven’t been paying attention to this month’s controversy, you probably know college athletes now are able to get paid big money while they’re still in college. It makes a lot of sense because it allows them to receive something for putting their bodies through all sorts of strain and pain.
In the event they have a terrible injury and can’t later turn pro, at least they’ve earned something. For colleges, it’s a good deal because it allows them to keep athletes in colleges
Ato play, instead of leaving quickly for the bucks. So it is good for colleges and it’s good for athletes. But at issue is whether public universities like Clemson and the University of South Carolina should be able to shield public payments to key players from disclosure as required by the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
The key phrase here is “public dollars.” Because once a college absorbs a gift or fee from an outside source and puts it in a foundation or in its general fund,
that money is public, not private. And state law currently requires its disclosure.
But colleges want to keep these payments quiet. Which is why the state House rushed a measure to keep the money private by a 111-2 floor vote outside of the normal deliberative process. The bill didn’t even get a committee or subcommittee vote before it hit the floor, thus chilling debate and showing all of the symptoms of a runaway legislative train.
The bill then went to the Senate, where it zoomed along without a subcommittee hearing. It left the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 11 and passed 30-13 on the second of three readings in the Senate.
The third reading generally is pro forma.
But some good reporting by The Post and Courier gave lawmakers pause with
questions about how some of the millions of dollars of private payments that went to Clemson University that became public money was remarkably similar to state tax money that was appropriated to Clemson.
So the Senate hauled in athletic officials for another hearing to wipe some of the egg off of their faces and to be assured that appropriated tax money wasn’t being used to pay college athletes.
You can probably read the writing on the wall, right? Of course, college officials said appropriated money wasn’t being used.
But senators didn’t ask whether “public money” was being used, according to one attorney. And that’s the key question, because millions from TV rights, ticket sales and donations become public money once accepted by the university.
Besides, as the Post and
Courier reported, appropriated money that is roughly equal to the amount being paid to student athletes ended up in the same athletic department accounts that were paying the students, making it impossible to tell which dollars were paying for what.
So despite this shell game and after the Senate’s political theater, senators said OK to the bill and merrily sent it along on Feb. 26 to the governor.
Now McMaster has three choices – sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. We urge him to veto the legislation to protect his long record of standing up for government transparency.
In 2017 when he signed a law to strengthen the FOIA, McMaster said “Government has to be accountable to the people it serves, and its citizens should have
unimpeded access to public information that speaks to whether or not their best interests are being served.” He also has long shared a four-word mantra to keep the public’s trust in government and about its right to know: “When in doubt –disclose.”
Not only should the governor use this to veto this bad legislation. But members of the General Assembly should use it to sustain his veto.
Whenever colleges are paying millions to have star athletes on their rosters using public money, the amount being paid needs to see the light of day, not be stashed in dark corners under sweaty lockers.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
To all the dogs I’ve loved before
recent Facebook post tells that on the sixth day, God created animals, then walked the earth and named all of them. As He walked, He was accompanied by a small, furry beast that stayed close to His heels. Having named all the animals, God started to rest. The small mammal timidly asked, “Lord, what name do you have for me?” God answered, “I have saved the best for last. I am giving you my name spelled backwards: D – O – G.”
In the Aristotelian order of beings and things, dogs do not reside just below the Creator. Angels do, then man, then dogs someplace in the vast kingdom of animalia, then plants, soil, and rocks. Some of us dog lovers would dispute that, as we have known dogs who may have been angels in disguise.
Including our current dog, Daisy, I have had eight dogs living with me and my family. With the exception of the first one who was a pure English setter puppy, all of my dogs have been mongrels. My dogs have been giveaways, pound puppies, or strays that stayed. At age 7, my father brought home the setter, Spotty. My mother always said she was toilet-training brother Tom and the pup at the same time. One of them had to go. I voted for Tom, but my voice didn’t count. When Spotty went off to her new home,
I sat on the living room sofa and cried for a very long time. Losing Spotty introduced me to grief, a tough but necessary lesson. My dogs have worked hard to teach me tolerance and patience. Perhaps they were trying to prepare me for mothering a human child. When another brother and his wife visited with their baby daughter and changed her exceptionally dirty diaper shortly after arrival, my usually well-behaved Noggs decided this was a cue to unleash his sphincter at the other end of the room. His notion of solidarity, while eliciting loud expressions of disgust, equipped me for an extensive variety of future dog and child messes.
The enthusiasm with which my dogs have greeted every new day has been a lifelong example of gratitude and joy. This is magnified on daily walks, vacations, and particularly visits to the beach. As the leash has come out, they have exuded anticipation and wild energy. During our Morehead City years, we often walked at Atlantic
CancerSupport
Beach, where, in winter, dogs could run off restraint. How exuberant Inkee was when he could dash and charge the breakers. One Christmas afternoon as we took a beach hike, Inkee ran off and found himself a several-days old pelican carcass in which to roll. That was a memorable ride home.`
Perhaps because dogs love stuff humans find repulsive, I have vivid memories of those events. I have sunny memories, too. A basset hound/lab mix, Inkee, the Best Dog in the World, had the most cheerful disposition of any dog I have known. Having enjoyed a dog circus, our daughter decided Inkee would learn tricks. He spent hours jumping through hoops, standing on stools, and turning in circles. He also tolerated being dressed up. Inkee loved everyone, even the neighborhood kids who harnessed him to a skateboard and drove him up and down the street.
All of my dogs have taught me about unconditional love. They are better at it than humans.
During divorce, death of parents, estrangements of family members, they have tried to meld their bodies to mine as if to take on my sadness. Upon returning from any journey, even trips to the store, they have greeted me as if I have been gone for months. The slightest attention makes them
smile. Like Spotty, my dogs have taught me how to live with grief. Humans live longer than dogs, so inevitably, we lose them to accidents (Smike), cancer (Noggs and Inkee), old age (Nickie, CareBear) and poison (Bootie -- a beagle mix who roamed the countryside and probably ate a hot dog laced with strychnine). I grieved each one, then inevitably, shoved the sadness into the well of sorrow that never entirely dries up, and moved on with living. When I think of them now, I smile at the memories, even the stinky ones.
Our current dog, Daisy, is a half-basset/pit bull/bird dog mix. She has never met a culvert she doesn’t like. Daisy has the strongest prey instinct of any pooch we’ve had. Her kill ratio of moles is one out of two holes dug. Her core belief is that all humans were put on earth to pet her. I have thought about adopting another dog, but I have reached the conclusion that Daisy is too much of a narcissist and would not share her humans.
She is my last dog. We have reached an age at which we really want to outlive this girl. I could not bear her having to go to a shelter in her old age.
The last time I retrieved Daisy upon returning from an out-oftown trip, the kennel was boarding several dogs from the county shelter because it was overcrowd-
ed. My heart hurt for those sad creatures, all of whom looked to be mutts with a splash of pit bull in them.
I believe that unless your animal is a candidate for the Westminster Dog Show, get it spayed or neutered. If you think fixing your dog is too expensive, do not get a dog. When you consider 10 to 15 years of dog food, sterilization is the least of the cost. Most shelters will include at least part of the neutering fee in the adoption price.
They are worth every penny. My dogs have never cared where I went to church, what jobs I had, what car I drove, how I voted, with whom I socialized. They never cared whether we are at war or who the President is. As long as they had food in their bowls at supper time, water when they wanted it, a designated comfortable spot for sleeping, and at least one cuddling session each day, they were content.
Several years ago in a Sunday sermon, my pastor said that dogs and other animals do not go to heaven. I know that is the theology passed down for millennia. I believe, though, that if dogs don’t go to heaven, it can’t be heaven.
Louise Mathews retired from a career in community colleges, and before that, theater. A 13-year come-by in Beaufort, she has been a dingbatter in North Carolina and an upstater from New York.
ANDY BRACK
LOUISE MATHEWS
ART
“The World is Our Oyster” — Beaufort Art Association January/ February show Through February, Beaufort Art Association Gallery, 913 Bay Street, Beaufort. For hours and more information, visit beaufortartassociation. com. The show is free and open to the public. More than 60 local artists exhibiting new art throughout the gallery exploring the beauty of the Lowcountry. Maritime art of all kinds will be showcased. The new show celebrates treasures of the Lowcountry coastal paradise — plenty of marsh and boats and birds and seafood — with different artistic interpretations in many styles and mediums. Jewelers, potters, sculptors, wood workers, textile artists, and painters of all mediums are represented.
Budding Artist After-School
Art Club
4 to 5 p.m., or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesday/ Thursdays, Happy Art Studio, 10 Sam’s Point Way, Beaufort. Ages 8 to 13. Painting, drawing, clay or crafts. Visit www.happyartstudio.net.
CALENDAR
Beaufort Charities Annual
Two-Day Oyster Roast
5 to 10 p.m., Friday, March 6 and noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, March 7, Live Oak Park, 904 14th Street, Port Royal. Friday’s ticket price ($40) includes live entertainment, Frogmore Stew, steamed oysters, plus unlimited beer and wine souvenir cups available for purchase. Saturday’s ticket price ($50) includes live entertainment, the annual oyster roast, unlimited beer and wine souvenir cups available for purchase, two live auctions (3 and 6 p.m.) and a free kids zone. A two-day ticket is available for $85. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/49jecyd.
Friends of Fort Fremont Oyster Roast
5:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 13, Live Oaks Park, Port Royal. $40 per person. Tickets available at www. fortfremont.org or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 982, St. Helena Island, 29920 by March 9. No walkins on day of event. Oysters and chili catered by Sea Eagle Market. Music by the Sweet Ferns. Silent Auction, appetizers and desserts. BYOB and chairs.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to midnight, Mondays, Tomfoolery, 3436 17 Market, Habersham, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Karaoke with Ali
9 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort. With DJ Ali.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.
Trivia with Tom –Bricks On Boundary
7 p.m., Every Thursday, Bricks on Boundary, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https:// rb.gy/o9nhwe.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.
Bluffton Night Bazaar –a Lowcountry Made Market
5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.
Habersham Farmers Market
3 to 6 p.m., Fridays, Habersham Marketplace. Vendor roster includes B&E Farm, Cottonwood Soap, Flower Power Treats, Hardee Greens, Megs Sweet Treats, Vitamin Bee, Lady’s Island Oyster Company, Pet Wants.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew
9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.
Karaoke with Melissa
7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Drive, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
Port Royal Farmers Market
9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine.
You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry,
WHAT’S HAPPENING
beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http://www. portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.
Slip and Splash Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, Battery Creek Pool, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, and Bluffton Pool, 55 Pritchard Street, Bluffton. $5 per person. Stay busy for hours climbing on our inflatable challenge track.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew 7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.
Eric’s Karaoke Krew 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.
Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud 9 a.m. to noon, 1st Saturday each month, Port Royal Farmer’s Market, Corner of Ribaut Road & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal. Free. DAYLO Students and other volunteers will read to young children, who are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animals.
Karaoke with Melissa 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.
DANCE
Lowcountry Shaggers
6 to 9 p.m., Mondays, Albergotti Grill, Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary Street. Shag lessons with Tommy & Sheri O’Brien and others. Occasional ballroom and once-a-month line dancing. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com of email lowcountryshaggers@aol.com.
The Beaufort Shag Club
6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, AmVets Club, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free lessons for members from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We also host a dance the second Saturday of each month from 7 to 10 p.m. Lessons will run September through May only. Visit our FaceBook page (beaufortshagclub) for current events.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
BEMER Longevity Technology 9 a.m., 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, 2 times a day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free.
Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.
HISTORY Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.
The Historic Port Royal Museum 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory.org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail. com or call 843-524-4333.
Tour Historic Fort Fremont Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public.
The History Center is open Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfre-
mont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@ bcgov.net.
LIBRARY ACTIVITIES
“Hidden Gems” Book Club
3 p.m., third Monday of each month, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Free. So many books, so little time. St. Helena staff have uncovered some great titles to get you started on your “hidden gem” journey. Join us for lively discussions and coffee or tea. No registration required.
Career Navigator
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., every Tuesday, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free one-on-one resume writing and job application assistance with a Career Navigator from Palmetto Goodwill. No appointments necessary. For more information call 843-255-6458.
Bridge Club
10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-2556458 for more information.
Mah Jongg Open Play
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island. Already know the basics of this fun and popular tile game? Join others for open play – all materials supplied. Cards may be purchased at nationalmahjonggleague.org.
Mahjong Club
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Fridays, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. All levels of players are welcome. Feel free to bring your own mahjong sets. Plan to meet every week. For more information, call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843-255-6458.
MEETINGS
League of Women Voters Beaufort
5:30-7 p.m., Thursday, March 5, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort, 108 Sams Point Road. Guest speakers Wendell Roberson Sr. and Jean Felix will present "Understanding Primaries" in coordination with the Beaufort County Voter Registration and Elections. All are welcome to attend and learn about the upcoming primaries.
Indivisible Beaufort
11 a.m., Saturday, March 14, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street. The event is free and open to the public. Featured speaker Andra Watkins, a New York Times best-selling author and one of the leading voices in the country on Christian Nationalism, will speak on “Using Project 2025 to Create a Christian Nationalist Government.” Watkins writes the Substack (blog) “Such a Time as This” (https:// substack.com/@andrawatkins), formerly “How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life.”
Beaufort Lions Club
6 p.m., first and third Monday of every month, St John's Lutheran Church, 157 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort. For more information, visit thebeaufortlionsclub@gmail.com or follow on Facebook/Instagram/Nextdoor.
ET/UFO/UAP Discussion Group Sundays, (March 22, 3-4:30 p.m.; March 29, 7-8:30 p.m.; April 5, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 12, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 19, 3-4:30 p.m.; April 26, 7-8:30 p.m.), 2 Habersham Park House, Habersham, Beaufort. Free and open to the public. Watch and discuss the most important event in human history. The "Disclosure of UFOs/UAPs." We will watch interviews from retired military and civilians sharing their UFO experiences from the series “Cosmic Disclosures,” “Gaia.” Come and learn about these paradigm shifting events. We are moving into disclosure — might as well be educated. Questions? Please email ncloring@ icloud.com.
PFLAG Savannah –Beaufort Peer Group
6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of every month, Fellowship Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort (UUFB), 178 Sams Point Road, Beaufort. Free. The group will be moderated by Rick Hamilton and Kay Carr. The provides advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, family, peers, and allies in the Lowcountry. The peer group provides a safe and strictly confidential environment for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, friends, and allies to discuss the challenges faced in coming out or being out in neighborhoods, the workplace, school, or church. The organization offers resources for counseling, educating, and advocating to achieve an equitable, inclusive community where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. Minors under the age of 18 are required to come with an adult parent, guardian, or mentor. Additional information about peer groups, membership, donations, and volunteering is on the website www.PFLAGSavannah.org and on Facebook.
Beaufort Chapter of America’s Boating Club 6 p.m., 2nd Tuesday of most
months, at various Beaufort/Port Royal venues. Regular meetings begin with a Social, followed by Dinner and often include an exciting Guest Speaker from the Lowcountry. For Meeting Information or Educational Opportunities, please contact Paul Gorsuch, Administrative Officer at admino@beaufortboatingclub.com . Boat ownership is not required, however a passion for safe responsible boating is mandatory.
Zonta Club of Beaufort 6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal.
Rotary Club of Sea Island lunch meeting 12:15 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 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, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.
Rotary Club of Sea Island social gathering 5:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of each month, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information, visit www.seaislandrotary.org.
Beaufort Rotary Club Noon, Wednesdays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Catered buffet lunch, followed by a guest speaker. Prospective members welcome. For further information and upcoming speakers, please visit website www.beaufortrotaryclub. org.
The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group 8 a.m., first Thursday each month, University Bikes, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/dirt/wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-575-0021 or email universitybicycles@hotmail. com.
Parents Alienated By Their Adult Children
10 a.m., Thursdays & 6 p.m., Fridays, Lowcountry Outreach Center, 80 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort. This is a 12-step support group for Parents Alienated By Their Adult Children and is based on the international group, Parents Alienation Advocates (PA-A). Contact Marye Jo Hartley or Greg Hartley at 703-9662014 for more information.
Emotions Anonymous International local group meeting
4 p.m, Thursdays, via Zoom. Emotions Anonymous International, (EAI), is a nonprofit program designed to help people with emotional difficulties. It has a chapter in the Lowcountry and members want others who feel the need to know they are welcome to participate. There is no charge to participate. They are based on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and follow a specific format designed to provide the support and tools for navigating life’s painful difficulties. All are welcome. Anyone interested in participating may contact the group via email at EALowcountry@ gmail.com or call or text Laurie at 252- 917-7082. For more information on EAI visit www.emotionsanonymous.org.
Al-Anon Beaufort County
7:30 p.m., Thursdays, 80 Lady’s Island Drive in Beaufort. “Do you worry about how much someone drinks? Is it affecting your life? You are not alone. Al-Anon Beaufort Serenity Group offers help and hope. Join the group in Beaufort, or visit the Lowcountry page at https://bit.ly/3HvksaF for more times and locations.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry
7:30 a.m., Fridays, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady's Island Dr., Ladys' Island. Catered breakfast from local chef. Speakers weekly. Occasional social events replace Friday mornings, but will be announced on our website, www.rotaryclubofthelowcountrybeaufort.org.
MUSIC
Campfire Tyler
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundays, The Fillin’ Station, Lady’s Island. Lowcountry Wind Symphony rehearsals
7 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort High School Band Room. The Lowcountry Wind Symphony, a 65-member concert band, invites new members. Woodwind, Brass, Percussion. Open to adults and talented high school youth. For more information, email director@lowcountrywindsymphony.com or call 843-304-0543.
Live entertainment 7 to 11 p.m., Wednesdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
Chris Jones 7 to 11 p.m., Thursdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
Habersham Third Fridays
Music on Market
5 to 8 p.m., third Friday of the month, Habersham Marketplace.
Live entertainment 9 p.m. to midnight, Fridays & Saturdays, Luther’s Rare and Well Done, 910 Bay Street, downtown Beaufort.
OUTDOORS/NATURE
America’s Boating Course
6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort. $50 for first family member; $15 for each additional family member sharing a book. Boaters born after July 1, 2007 are required by paw to pass an approved boater education course before operating a boat, personal watercraft or specialty prop craft powered by a 10-horsepower or larger motor. A NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators) approved boating class reduces your risk of accidents and injuries, saves you money on boat insurance, and qualifies you for a South Carolina state operator certificate. Online registration -- please preregister at https://bit.ly/3MfK11Q. Email education@beaufortboatingclub.com.
Free boating inspections
Get a 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. Email Safety@beaufortboatingclub.com.
The Beaufort Tree Walk Lady’s Island Garden Club invites you to take a meandering walk through the Historic “Old Point” and enjoy some unique and noteworthy trees. The “Walk” takes about an hour, is a little over a mile starting at the corner of Craven & Carteret streets in Morrall Park and concluding in Waterfront Park. Booklets with map and information about each tree are available free at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street.
Tours of Hunting Island Every Tuesday, Hunting Island State Park, 2555 Sea Island Pkwy. Free, park entry fees apply. Sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For more information call the Hunting Island Nature Center at 843-838-7437.
RECYCLING
Computer recycling program
St. Andrew by the Sea Methodist Church, 20 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. St. Andrew by the Sea has started a program where your trashed computer is wiped clean of all data and recycled to Missioncentral.org — a 100% charity cause.
SEWING/QUILTING
American Needlepoint Guild
Meeting
10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month. The Hilton Head Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in needlepoint to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at hiltonheadislandchapter@needlepoint.org.
Embroidery Guild of America Meeting Second Tuesday of every month, Palmetto Electric Community Room, Hardeeville. The Lowcountry Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America welcomes anyone, beginner or experienced stitcher, who is interested in any type of embroidery including needlepoint, crossstitch, surface and beaded embroidery, hardanger, bargello, sashiko, etc., to join us for stitching, learning and fellowship. For more information, please contact us at lowcountrychapter@egacarolinas.org.
SPORTS/GAMES
ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Carteret Street. Events will be held weekly. Contact Director and Club Manager Susan DeFoe at 843-5972541 for location.
Charity card game
3:30 p.m., first Tuesday of each month, Mangiamo‘s Pizza, 2000 Main Street, Hilton Head Island. The Hilton Head liberal men’s group is sponsoring a free social/charity event with a fun, easy to learn card game. A percentage of the money spent on food and drink goes to the charity of our choice. Come socialize, have fun, and support a good cause. Reserve a spot by texting Dave Desjardins at 202-460-5286. Bridge Club 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Beaufort Branch Library at 843255-6458 for more information.
Beaufort Masters Swim Team
6 to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, Wardle Family Port Royal YMCA. Coached practices. Ages 18 & older, all skill & speed levels, no prior swim team experience needed. Visit lowcountryswimming.com for more information.
LOCAL MILITARY
OPFOB names Hynes Board of Directors Vice Chairman
Staff reports Operation Patriots FOB (OPFOB) announce the addition in February of John Hynes to its Board of Directors, where he will serve as Vice Chairman.
Hynes brings more than 35 years of senior leadership experience in aerospace, defense, and national security, along with a lifelong commitment to service, mission execution, and organizational excellence.
Following his service as
an aviator in the U.S. Navy, Hynes transitioned into the aerospace and defense industry, holding executive leadership roles at some of the nation’s most respected organizations. His career includes leading ManTech’s security and mission assurance organization, serving as General Manager of SAIC’s mission support business, and acting as Chief Executive Officer of TASC.
After the successful sale of TASC to Engility, Hynes
became President and Chief Operating Officer of the combined company. He later served as CEO of Applied Insight, followed by Executive Chairman, guiding the company through its successful sale to CACI.
In addition to his role with Operation Patriots FOB, Hynes currently serves on
the Board of Directors of Peraton and is Chairman of Idemia Public Security. His previous board service includes the Intelligence and National Security Alliance and the Capital Area Food Bank, reflecting a deep commitment to both national service and community impact. Hynes is a graduate of
the U.S. Naval Academy and George Washington University, and a recipient of the Federal 100 Award from Federal Computer Week.
“John’s leadership, integrity, and deep understanding of service, both in uniform and beyond, align perfectly with the mission of OPFOB,” said JR Brown, OPFOB Founder and CEO. “His experience and perspective will strengthen our Board and help guide OPFOB as we continue to serve veterans,
first responders, and their families.”
Operation Patriots FOB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans, active duty military, and first responders through outdoor-based programs that foster camaraderie, mental wellness, and healing. Located on 268 acres in Ridgeland, OPFOB has welcomed more than 33 000 visits in just five years, all at no cost to those served.
DoD’s TAP Program essential to successful separation from military, future success, Part 2
Last week’s article can be read online at https://bit. ly/4b2AOSW. That first article covered the DoD and USMC TAPS Program. A 1 000word article can only provide limited information about TAPS or transitioning for Marines and other military personnel. Because of this, it's crucial for anyone leaving the service to: Use the TAP Transition Staff and Counselors, a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (Many installations have a VSO available). Each county in most states has a Veterans Service Office with VA-accredited VSOs available. Military Installation Resources include Life Counselors, Chaplains, Medical Professionals, Behavioral Health Teams, VSOs, and the Education Office. And read everything published to help military members (and their families) transition successfully from military service to civilian life.
Reading should include the following guides, directories, webpages, catalogs, and articles:
1 DoD TAP Pre-Separation Counseling Resource Guide at https://bit.ly/4b0gsdf.
2 Military OneSource. Military OneSource is a DoD program providing comprehensive information, resources, and assistance on every aspect of military life at no cost to you or your family. Call toll-free at 800-342-9647, use the chat option at www.MilitaryOneSource.mil, or download the My Military One Source app. International calling options are available online at www.militaryonesource. mil.
3 National Resource Directory (NRD) at https://www. nrd.gov.
4 Department of Labor (DOL Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOLVETS) webpage at https:// bit.ly/4rb1Ldt.
5 VA main webpage at www. va.gov,
6 VA TAP Course Catalog at https://bit.ly/407PgUL.
7 Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Veterans Development (OVBD) webpage at https://bit. ly/4slva5l.
8 Managing Your (MY) Transition Timeline (MYTT) web link at https://bit. ly/4slZk8P.
9 TAP Interagency Website Guide (TIWG) at www. TAPevents.mil/resources.
11 TAP Participant Guides webpage https://www. TAPevents.mil/resources.
12 Register on VA.gov webpage by creating a Login. gov or ID.me account at https://www.va.gov/sign-in.
13 VA Benefits and Services Online Course/Participant Guide at www.TAPevents. mil/courses.
14 VA Discharge Upgrade/ Correction webpage at https://bit.ly/3OUqdlG.
15 VA Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) webpage at https://bit.ly/47nqqnN.
16 VA-Accredited Representative webpage at https://bit. ly/4sr9ipv.
17 The Island News article titled “Things you need to know about Veteran Service Officers,” by Larry Dandridge, dated Sept. 4 2024 at .https://bit.ly/4rTrkAW.
18 VA Education and Training Benefits webpage at https://www.va.gov/education/, (17) Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG) at https://bit. ly/3NeO7b9
19 Federal Student Aid Programs webpage at https:// studentaid.gov/.
20 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) webpage at https://bit.ly/4aLrgNl.
21 VA Health Care webpage at https://www.va.gov/healthcare/ (Must have a DD214 or equivalent to enroll).
22 VA Life Insurance webpage at https://bit.ly/4bk8YTB.
23 State VA Offices webpage at https://bit.ly/4u6PZmV.
24 SC County Veterans’ Service Offices webpage at https://bit.ly/4u1bztb.
25 VA Vet Centers webpage at https://www.vetcenter. va.gov/ or call 877-9278387
26 VA Home Loans at https:// benefits.va.gov/homelans/.
27 TRICARE webpage at https://www.tricare.mil/, the Continued Health Care Benefits Program (CHCBP) https://www.tricare.mil/ CHCBP, the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) Health Care at https://www.tricare. mil/TAMP, and the Health Insurance Marketplace at https://www.healthcare.
gov/veterans/.
28 DOL Veterans Employment/Training Service (VETS) webpage at https:// www.careeronestop.org/ veterans/.
29 Credentialing Opportunities online (COOL – Industry certifications and licensure) of Defense Credentialing Opportunities online (DoD COOL) webpage at https://www. cool.osd.mil, Army Opportunities online (Army COOL) at https://www.cool. osd.mil/army/index.html, Marine Corps Opportunities online (Marine Corps COOL) at https://www. cool.osd.mil/usmc/index. html, Navy Credentialing Opportunities online (Navy COOL) at https://www.cool. osd.mil/usn/index.html, Air Force Opportunities online (AF and Space Force COOL) at afvec.us.af.mil, Coast Guard Opportunities online (Coast Guard COOL) at https://www. cool.osd.mil/uscg/index. html.
30 MILGears (Combines education, training, and experience to create a path to career development) webpage at https://milgears. osd.mil/, Job Training — DoD SkillBridge (A job skills training program) at https://skillbridge.osd.mil/, Apprenticeships at https:// www.apprenticeship.gov/, U.S. Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) at https://usmap.osd.mil/ index.htm, GI Bill-Apprenticeships at https://bit. ly/3MT6Etw.
31 Volunteering webpages at https://www.volunteermatch.org/, AmeriCorps at https://www.americorps. gov, Peace Corps at https:// www.peacecorps.gov/.
32 Federal Employment Transitioning to Federal Employment webpage at https://www.TAPevents. mil/courses, Office of Personnel Management at https://www.opm.gov, USA Jobs Help Center at https://help.usajobs.gov/ how-to, Feds Hire Vets at https://www.opm.gov/fedshirevets/.
33 DoD Mentoring webpage. The mission is to provide a supportive framework for mentors and mentees to connect, learn, and thrive together -- https://bit. ly/3OM4IUb.
34 Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses and Caregivers (TEAMS) webpage at https://bit.ly/4uaRZuA.
35 Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) webpage. Free assessments to identify skills, interests, and aptitude. College credit by Examination (CLEP & DSST Exams) at https:// www.dantes.mil.
36 Joint Services Transcript (JST) webpage at https:// jst.DoWed.mil/jst and Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) at https:// www.airuniversity.af.edu/ CCAF/.
37 Consider Starting a Business (SBA Entrepreneurship at webpage Track: Boots to Business (B2B) course) SBA at https://www. sba.gov/, B2B Classes at https://sba.my.site.com/s/, Local Assistance at https:// www.sba.gov/local-assistance, SBA Learning Platform at https://www.sba. gov/sba-learning-platform.
38 SBA Veterans Federal Procurement Opportunities and Assistance. System for Award Management (SAM) webpage at https://www. sam.gov.
39 VA Small and Veteran Business Programs at webpage at https://www.va.gov/osdbu/.
40 APEX Accelerators webpage. Formally known as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers or PTAC. Find APEX accelerators at https://www.apexaccelerators.us/#/.
41 Immigration Status. The DD eForm 2648 preparation counseling checklist for active component service members allows a service member to opt in to request additional information regarding immigration status and expedited naturalization. If using the printed form, the option must annotate an “opt-in” election in Section XI - Remarks, Item 48 This indicates the Service member would like to receive additional resources on immigration and expedited naturalization. https://dodtap.mil/dodtap/ app/resources/forms. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service at https:// www.uscis.gov/ and your Installation Legal Office.
42 State Veterans Benefits. To research state veteran benefits, the VA.gov website provides a link to each state's veterans’ page. From there, choose a state and review its benefits. Take advantage of the benefits earned during your military Service. Consult
a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to learn about your federal and state veterans’ benefits and get assistance with filing for them. SC’s State Veterans Benefits are some of the best in the country. For example, they are much better than NC’s benefits. VSO services are free. State Veteran Benefits: https:// www.va.gov/statedva.htm.
43 USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Supplemental Food Programs (SNAP, MIC, FDPIR, and SFSP) https://www.fns.usda.gov/ military-veteran.
44 Commissary, Exchange, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Benefits. Use of the commissary, exchange, and MWR facilities is an essential benefit for those serving in the military. Upon separation, those receiving an honorable discharge may be eligible for access to some or all of these services post-transition. Commissary and Exchange Privileges for Veterans: https:// bit.ly/4l7bYWS. MWR Programs: https://bit.ly/4bkT77i. MWR Travel: www. AmericanForcesTravel.com, Veterans Military Exchange Online Shopping Benefit. All honorably discharged veterans have lifelong online access to military exchange shopping benefits. Use VetVerify.org to verify eligibility and establish an online account before visiting the following sites: (1) ShopMyExchange.com: https://www.shopmyexchange.com/; (2) mynavyexchange.com; https://www. mynavyexchange.com/; (3) mymcx.com; https://www. mymcx.com/, and (4) shopcgx.com; https://shopcgx. com/.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge
LARRY DANDRIDGE
SERVICE DIRECTORY
ATTORNEY
Christopher J. Geier
Attorney at Law, LLC
Criminal Defense & Civil Litigation
2048 Pearl Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450
chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com
AUDIOLOGY & HEARING
Beaufort Audiology & Hearing Care
Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A
Licensed Audiologist
38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007
Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You
The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center
Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A 206 Sea Island Parkway, Suite 31, Beaufort thebeaufortsound@gmail.com www.thebeaufortsound.com | 843-522-0655
CHIMNEY SERVICES
Put your business in the spotlight by advertising in the
Directory. Connect with eager customers, showcase your expertise, and secure your space today! Connect with one of our advertising reps: Amanda Hanna – amanda@lcweekly.com | Sasha Horne Hirshout – sasha.theislandnews@gmail.com
A customer favorite! Enjoy the classic newspaper format in a digital environment. Published every Thursday, the E-Edition is a digital replica of the print newspaper, with all of the same news and advertising content, on your computer, tablet or smartphone.
CLASSIFIEDS & GAMES
CARTOON
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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AUCTIONS
Annual Equipment Consignment Auction. Live On-Site: Saturday, March 21st at 10AM. 7120 Lyle Rd, Chester, SC. Accepting consignments now! Randy Ligon 803-366-3535. TheLigonCompany.com. SCAL1716, SCAFL4120, NCAL8951, NCAFL10066
ESTATE AUCTION. Sat., March 14 at 9:30 AM. 150 Tinker Town Rd., Fairfax, SC. Estate of the late Mr. John Flagg. Woods mower, tons of power tools, small farm implements, utility trailers, shop equipment, scrape blade, plumbing/ electrical supplies, hardware bins, tool boxes, lumber, all kinds of clamps, vises, grinders, ladders, wood working equip, etc. Auction is packed! We can’t photo everything on the website. Come to auction expecting to see much more! Accepting consignments! 803-860-0712. www.cogburnauction.com
FIREARMS AUCTION – LIVE, ONLINE & PHONE BIDDING – March 14th @ 10am. Military, Modern, Sporting & Classic Firearms. www.montroseauction.com 478-376-4559 Greensboro, GA GAL 2006
ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25-word classified ad will reach more than 1 5 mil-
lion readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561
HELP WANTED – DRIVERS
ADVERTISE YOUR DRIVER JOBS in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Your 25word classified ad will reach more than 1 5 million readers. Call Randall Savely at the S.C. Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561
MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
Audien Hearing. The world’s first hearing aid with touchscreen controls. No tiny buttons, apps or prescriptions. 45-day risk free trial. Free shipping. Lifetime support. More than 1 5 million happy customers. Call Audien 1-855-620-9614 are for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-844-775-0366 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
TELEVISION & INTERNET SERVICES
DIRECTV OVER INTERNET – Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84 99/mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-855-237-9741
DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84 99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-844-624-1107 Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80 000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-877-542-0759
VACATION RENTALS ADVERTISE YOUR VACATION PROPERTY FOR RENT OR SALE to more than 1 5 million S.C. newspaper readers. Your 25-word classified ad will appear in 80 S.C. newspapers for only $375. Call Randall Savely at the South Carolina Newspaper Network, 803-750-9561
YOUR AD HERE Contact Amanda Hanna (amanda@ lcweekly.com) or Sasha Horne Hirshout (sasha.theislandnews@gmail.com).
