The Breeze May 2016

M a y 2 01 6

The Breeze THE MAGAZINE OF BLUFFTON

WHAT’S BREWING IN BLUFFTON? SEE PAGE 20

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NOTES FROM THE EDITOR: This is going to be a great month in the Lowcountry. Mother’s Day, Mayfest, beer fests and Memorial Day, with lots of friends and family having fun all month long.

Bluffton is more than “A Sense of Place.” It is about the people who live here and devote their spare time to the community and those in need. The Rotary Club and their members do just that. They have done so much to make our little town what it is today. They never ask for praise or credit, but we would like to tell their story. Mike Covert is President of the Bluffton Rotary Club, and when you read about all he has done to help so many, you will wonder how he finds the time. Support the Rotary Club and their efforts by having fun at the Mayfest.

But it’s not just the leaders of these clubs growing the town; it’s our neighbors and all the small businesses working hard to make it with all the big name shops found here. Our local brewers are no exception. Andrea Six visited the three microbreweries in town to learn about craft brewing and how they’re working to break down barriers in the industry. Read her article and you might just learn something; I know I did.

Marine Biologist Amber Hester Kuehn might just teach you a thing or too, as well. In this issue, she shares fond memories about growing up on the May and reveals a few misconceptions about animals in the area. I wonder if this contributed to her future dreams and current career? Bet on it!

While we have fond memories growing up in the Lowcountry, many that moved here did not have such pleasant experiences.

Thanks to Arnold Rosen, we are able to share three stories from Sun City residents about the horrors they witnessed as children in Nazi-controlled Europe. This Memorial Day, honor our fallen heroes, who paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom.

It is not often that we are able to interview a New York Times bestselling author. Michele Roldan-Shaw did just that with insight into Mary Alice Monroe’s life, her love of nature and how it reflects in her writing and latest work, A Low Country Wedding.

Architecture in the Lowcountry has not changed in several hundred years. With the help of illustrations by local architect Pearce Scott, we are pleased to bring you a piece on The Lowcountry Vernacular Style. We take a look at how the early settlers, our climate and dwellings evolved to influence homes built today. Yes, we are living in the past and it is here to stay.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we have put together a short piece on famous moms and how they influenced their sons. I know you will find it interesting.

For those that are long time Breeze readers, we have moved our “Over the Bridges” event calendar to our website. Go to bluffton.com, click on “Events” and you will find information on all kinds of happenings around town. If you have any events you would like posted, send an email to Randolph@bluffton.com.

Support our advertisers and be sure to tell them you saw their ad in The Breeze. Thanks and enjoy.

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The Breeze

THE MAGAZINE OF BLUFFTON PUBLISHER Lorraine Jenness lorraine@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 EDITOR Randolph Stewart randolph@bluffton.com 843-816-4005 COPY EDITORS Allyson Jones allyson@hiltonhead.com Andrea Six andrea@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 SALES DIRECTOR Chierie Smith chierie@bluffton.com 843-505-5823 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Liz Shumake liz@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 Lauren Brooks lauren@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Mlay graphics@hiltonhead.com 843-757-9889 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amber Hester Kuehn Denise Milanese, Olive Moonstar, Steve Nichols, Michele Roldan-Shaw, Arnold Rosen, Andrea Six PHOTOGRAPHERS , ARTISTS Andrea Six, Mike Ritterbeck, Pearce Scott, Chierie Smith CORPORATE OFFICE 40 Persimmon St. Suite 102 Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.8877 DISTRIBUTION Bruce McLemore, John Tant 843.757.9889 The Breeze is published by Island Communications and The Breeze Media, LLC. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without permission from the Publisher. The Breeze is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. The Breeze is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, or changes in information. The opinion of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its Publisher. All published photos and copy provided by writers and artists become the property of The Breeze. Copyright. 2016.

CONTENTS

MAY 2016, VOLUME 14, NO. 5

08 Surviving WWII: Lowcountry

Residents Tell Their Stories

F E AT U R E S

12 Exploring the May River 16 Service Above Self:

A Legacy of Leadership 20 What's Brewing in Bluffton?

26 Living in the Present Vernacular 32 Mike Covert:

Leading by Example

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38 Lowcountry Living with

Mary Alice Monroe 44 Famous Mothers

D E PA R T M E N T S

08 History

12 Environment 24 Faces of Bluffton 26 Architecture 30 Directory 36 Tide Chart 42 Restaurant Guide ON THE COVER: Southern Barrel Brewing Co., photo by Andrea Six

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HISTORY

Surviving WWII:

Lowcountry Residents Tell Their Stories

By Arnold Rosen Photo: Wwiimemorial, Lipton sale at English Wikipedia

The White Cliffs

of

Dover

There’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

There’ll be love and laughter and peace ever after Tomorrow, when the world is free.

E

veryone in America waited for the words of this song (most popularly sung by Vera Lynn) to become a reality. Finally, on May 7, 1945, Victory in Europe (VE Day) arrived, the day of Germany’s surrender, which officially ended the European phase of WWII. Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was to follow on August 15, with Emperor Hirohito formally signing Japan’s surrender on September 2.

Still, vague memories remain—of listening to the radio broadcasts describing the celebration in Times Square, reading about it in the Daily News and Life magazine, and watching the Fox and Movietone News clips at the Saturday matinee in the Surf Theater on Coney Island.

I’ve had the opportunity of talking to several individuals now living in the Lowcountry who endured hardships during WWII when they lived in Poland, Germany and Though I vividly recall the December 7, 1941, Japanese Vienna. In honor of Memorial Day, I’m sharing their attack on Pearl Harbor, it’s not so for VE or VJ Day. stories.

Gerda Stief Hollinger: Surviving the Moves

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I was born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1934 and for a few years I was growing up a happy German kid. Just before the war broke, since my father was dead, my mother’s brother in Brooklyn said, “Anna, come over here and leave the baby (that’s me) with our other brother in Germany. You can stay with me, learn English and get a job.”

Life in Augsburg was difficult, especially during the American bombing attacks. To save the surviving children, we were sent out to relatives in the country. I was sent to Silesia. After the war, the Russians were given our town, which placed us behind the Iron Curtain. As we were not allowed to send mail, neither my family in Augsburg nor my mother knew if I was alive or dead.

In Silesia, I lived with my Aunt Traudel. We knew the Russians would come and take my aunt’s house and possessions because she was wealthy. To avoid them, we packed a few clothes and valuables and started to walk toward the west. We walked for two weeks and slept in open fields or in nearby forests.

Unfortunately, as we approached Czechoslovakia, we walked right into the Russians. We were ordered back to Silesia.

The Russian soldiers periodically came into my aunt’s house and took whatever they wanted, including her grand piano. Eventually, they moved into her house and forced us out. We moved six times in six months, and with each move another soldier wanted our place to live. Eventually, we were told the residents of Silesia would be moved to Siberia. I thought, “Oh, my God, I’ll never see my mother again.”

We were in a freight train five days and six nights, but instead of being shipped to Siberia, we were transported to Hamburg, Germany. The Russian guards only let us out at night and then, to amuse themselves, would make us stand in a line against the side of the train, lower their rifles and act like they were going to shoot us. It was scary. Men, women and children were deprived of all manner of human decency. The Russian soldiers were horrible. There was a lot of cruelty during the war and many Germans were just as horrible as the Russians. Even now I can still remember the SS in their black uniforms, spreading their hatred and blaming the Jews for the downfall of the German economy.

Fortunately, I was able to contact my aunt and uncle and arrange transportation back to Augsburg and home. Then, after the war, I boarded a troop ship, which docked in New York Harbor, to join my mother. I felt good again. I was so happy to see the Statue of Liberty, I almost cried.

After high school, I got a job and met my future husband. It was love at first sight and, on our second date, we decided to get married. My husband, Wally Hollinger, became an Air Force pilot. We are blessed with two wonderful children, eight grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Allen Kupfer: By the Grace of Jozef

I was born in 1923 in Warsaw, Poland. The happiness of growing up as a child faded when the Nazis began to reign terror upon the Jewish people.

Filmstrip Photos, top to bottom:

• Tanks near the city of Bydgoszcz, during the Invasion of Poland, September 1939 (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1976- 071-36 / CC-BY-SA 3.0)

• Flight and Expulsion of East Prussia (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1976-072-09 / CC-BY-SA 3.0) • Destroyed Warsaw, capital of Poland, January 1945

(Photo: Stanisław Jankowski, Adolf Ciborowski “Warszawa 1945 i dzis” Wydawnictwo Interpress, Warszawa, 1971) • Soviet soldiers in Berlin, May 1945, (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R77767 / CC-BY-SA 3.0) • Arrival of Jewish refugee children via boat (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S69279 / CC-BY-SA 3.0)

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Map Source: Bennet Schulte/Wikipedia

middle class, living in a large apartment, and, from what I was told by my parents, living a comfortable life in Vienna.

One evening, there was a knock at the apartment door and there stood three Gestapo troopers. They arrested my grandfather and father and took them to the local jail, where they spent several days. In the meantime, the Gestapo drove a truck up to the business and confiscated all the merchandise and machinery. But there was a twist of fate: My father knew one of the Austrian policemen at the jail and somehow, with his help, he and my grandfather were released.

I witnessed the brutality of human beings in 1939, huddling with my relatives in a Warsaw basement with other Jewish families, bracing as German bombs vibrated the walls. Shrapnel ripped through the man next to me, killing him instantly. I was 15 years old and it was the first death I ever witnessed. It would not be the last. I soon was living with my family and more than 300,000 other Jews in a walled-off section of the city. Disease devastated the jammed community, and bodies began to fill the foul streets.

In December 1942, I fled with two friends into the bitter cold looking for a safe house, but found warmth in a haystack on a small nearby farm. The farm’s owner, a Catholic named Jozef Macugowski, saw us and took us in.

I spent months at the Macugowskis, lying in near blackness in a shallow ditch beneath the basement floorboards, pondering what he called his “good fortune.” We could hear every conversation and every telephone call. The risk was there on an hourly and daily basis. But the risk was even greater for Macugowski, his wife and their three young children. If, at any time, the Germans had a suspicion that we were down there, none of us would have survived, including the Macugowskis and their children.

More than 75 years later, I still grow emotional when describing the farmer’s generous spirit, crediting it for reaffirming my faith in mankind.

I didn’t know those people, and they were willing to save another human being. That’s probably the greatest calling a person can have. That’s the peak of humanity.

I came to America after the war ended, aboard a military transport ship entering New York Harbor with hundreds of others similarly displaced, scared but hopeful to start a new life in a great country.

Kurt Fried: A Twist of Fate

The Gestapo knocked on the door. I was five months old, living in Vienna, when the Nazis annexed Austria on March 12, 1938. My grandfather and father had a leather manufacturing business in Vienna, making leather jackets, coats, pants, etc., which were distributed throughout Europe. We were upper10 bluffton.com

When my father arrived home, he made a decision that the family was going to leave Vienna and come to the United States. He was able to secure visas for my mother, my brother and I, since the three of us were born in Austria and fell under the Austrian quota. We also had a number of family members living in the States who were able to sponsor us. Sometime in the second week of October, my mother, 5-year-old brother, and I left for Holland to board a ship for New York. We sailed aboard the Statendam (which was later sunk by a German U-Boat).

My father, his parents, and a cousin who were born in Poland could not get an immediate visa, as the Polish quota for 1938 was closed. My father and his entourage went to Italy and arrived in the United States one year later. My parents loved this country, but could not replace the life they left behind. It affected my mother most profoundly.

A

rnold Rosen is a historian for the Sun City Veterans Association, who writes profiles of veterans about their military service. Arnold served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, attached to the 75th Air Depot Wing, Chinhae, Korea and the 543rd Ammo Supply Squadron, Ulsan, Korea. He lives in Sun City, Hilton Head, South Carolina and can be reached at arosen@hargray.com.

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Photo courtesy of Chierie Smith

ENVIRONMENT

By Amber Hester Kuehn, Owner of Spartina Marine Education Charters e were always bored. I think 12-year-olds are destined to be disenchanted, but when the keys to the motorboat were relinquished, things changed.

“Be careful,” Mom said as we rushed down the dock.

The tube hit the water as fast as you could say, “I’m first!” and we were off. What was she thinking? The entire goal of tubing is to destroy the rider—to throw them off so that their bodies bounce across the water like a skipping stone. How in the heck did we not injure each other? Not only was it dangerous, it was the most fun I have ever had.

My second best memory? Exploring the May River. Little did I know that these expeditions would shape my career.

We didn’t have a depth sounder, GPS, cell phone, bottled water or even a current registration, but we survived somehow. When we hit a sandbar, we had to figure out a way to get the boat to float again after collecting all of the items that flew off after hitting the sand at 20 mph. Thank goodness a Boston Whaler is “unsinkable.” After hitting the sandbar a second time, we were sure to remember it.

Most of my knowledge of bottom topography in the May was ingrained during these episodes.

“Do NOT take the boat out at night,” Mom said. The boat had no running lights and drifted quite nicely down the river before we cranked the engine.

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Nighttime brought new and interesting things to the water’s edge. One tool that is old school enough to be applied is the flashlight, with a bulb. LED was not available yet, but shining a somewhat dim light into the marsh grass at low tide was like plugging in Christmas lights. Of course, we were terrified and our screams scared the animals away—but they were there the next night and we were prepared to be brave. A glimpse of body shape and fur revealed that the owners of glowing eyes were raccoons, mink and river otters. Also, deer made an appearance in the background at the high marsh, closer to solid ground. That is as far as my childhood interest extended.

I didn’t wonder why the animals were there, and I’m pretty sure that they didn’t care to see children in the middle of the night shining lights in their eyes. We were interrupting their dinner of fiddler crabs and snails.

Though deer are vegetarians, they do not eat marsh grass.

It is too tough and they prefer the plants you paid money for—chewy with exotic flavor. Adults may be interested to learn that deer lick marsh grass to add a mineral to their diet that they would otherwise get from rocks: salt. (FYI, rocks are not found naturally in the Lowcountry. They have all been brought here from somewhere else.) Marsh grass is the only plant on the Eastern Seaboard that drinks salt water and excretes salt out the blade. I remember thinking that marsh grass had shiny diamonds (actually dried salt

crystals) on its leaves when the summer sun was strong. But again, I did not wonder why.

To me, it looked like an oyster grew branches to make the cluster. I will have to say that this is quite logical, but incorrect. Larval oysters attach to a hard surface when they are ready to settle down. Since there are naturally no rocks in the Lowcountry, the available hard surface is each other.

Crassostrea Virginica, or Eastern oyster, are abundant on the Atlantic Coast, but look and taste different in a variety of ecosystems. Oysters in Beaufort County filter water from the nursery of the ocean, consuming millions of microorganisms floating in the water column—that is what you are tasting.

They grow long and slender because they are growing so close to one another in the cluster. The Blue Point oyster in Connecticut is the same species, but is singular and round as there are plenty of rocks to attach to and room to spread out.

Their diet is very different outside of the salt marsh estuary and, therefore, they taste different.

I also didn’t understand why my fiddler crab collection never made it past three days in a bucket with sand. In hindsight, I should have made the connection: The tide never comes inside the bucket. Without sea water to moisten their gills, the fiddler crabs dry out. Despite all of the attention that I gave them, I didn’t know to add salt water.

Another thing I didn’t quite know was the location of a blue crab’s mouth. It is between the eyes, but isn’t it logical for a child to think the mouth is the pincer on the claw? Please say yes. I thought that the crab’s teeth were the jagged sharp edges that bit you. Then they swallowed the food at the pincer and it traveled down the claw and into the belly.

Actually, the pincer delivers the food to the mouthparts, which also move back and forth to force water inward and over their gills. If I had slowed down for two seconds, I may have figured these things out more quickly.

I did think from time to time about things that made no sense.

My mom told me to go wash off with the hose when I was sticky after swimming in the river. She said it was the salt drying on my back that made me uncomfortable. I HATE washing my hair—still do—but when I skipped my hair during the hose down, I thought to myself: “Salt doesn’t smell bad and water doesn’t smell bad so I’m good.” However, something was very wrong with this theory. It was the microorganisms from the ocean’s nursery still in my hair that produced the unpleasant smell. When you get out of the water in the Lowcountry and you feel sticky, it is not only salt.

Just so you know.

Looking back, I wish that I had been more patient and observant, but then I was a teenager (enough said). Enjoy the river; it is more entertaining than you can imagine.

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O L D T O W N

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You don’t want to miss historic Bluffton near the May River for some of the most unique shopping and dining in our area. It’s all blended with colorful and creative art galleries, history up and down local streets, and dining for lunch and dinner in charming settings. The Bluffton Old Town Merchants Society warmly encourages visitors to come and spend an afternoon or a day discovering historic Bluffton.

Set of six English plates by Copeland Circa 1850

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Service Above Self: A Legacy of Leadership

By Denise Milanese and Olive Moonstar

The Bluffton Rotary Club is a vibrant collection of citizens from diverse backgrounds and professions with a legacy of leadership that has helped the group accomplish some great things in our area. Their leadership is reflected in the Four Way Test, recited aloud by the group at every meeting, and is proffered for members to practice in their professional and personal lives: “Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? Is it Beneficial to all concerned?”

Since 1988, the Club’s list of elected officers reads like a “who’s who” of Bluffton citizenry. Among them, Dot Jeger, past president (2012-2013), is proud of the Club’s reputation, and says, “The public can be confident that every dollar raised for community programs goes directly to support those projects.”

Dan Wood, past president (20052006), views the Club as a “premier civic organization.” The current membership of approximately 85 members represents men and women of all ages. Dan said he has observed that, “New members often join to network and expand their business presence in the community. However, once they begin to participate in the Club’s service activities and projects, they recognize the importance of the mission and their goals and expectations shift to serving the community.”

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Members actively seek out opportunities to alleviate need wherever they find it. Larger non-profit programs like Bluffton-Jasper Volunteers in Medicine and Bluffton Self Help receive substantial contributions towards their efforts.

Additionally, child welfare and development programs, such as Backpack Buddies, Happy Feet/Warm Hearts, and Christmas Angels, have been regular service projects for the Club. The Happy Feet program provides shoes to children who need them, and has evolved to include coats for students who need them. Rotarians donate food, backpacks and their time to Backpack Buddies so that children can take home food on Friday afternoons, sometimes providing the only food the family will have to sustain them through the weekend. It’s a simple, yet elegant, rationale: Students with good shoes, warm coats, and full stomachs can focus on doing their best in school and can become productive citizens in their own right.

The Rotary Club of Bluffton serves our community with vigor. In a directive initiated by current president Mike Covert, the group seeks out new areas of need in the community and brings those potential projects to the group for consideration. Mike is particularly proud to share that, “This year we have raised more funds to support more initiatives than ever before!”

Turn your head in any direction in Bluffton, and you’ll likely be looking at a successful Rotary project. For example, they were instrumental in creating Oscar Frazier Park and Community Center; initiating the project and raising funds for construction. The completed Community Center and

Another of Rotary’s past leaders, Jim Hudson (2011-2012) is especially proud of their ongoing support of the Rotaract and Interact Clubs at University of South Carolina at Beaufort and Bluffton High School, respectively. “Students, while being mentored by a Rotarian, develop a robust understanding of youth civic service and duty,” says Jim. They are guided in selecting and fundraising for their own projects, as well as participating in Rotary Club of Bluffton’s own fundraising and service activities.

Dot Jeger is particularly mindful of the long-term benefits of introducing youth to the values taught by Rotary Club principles. “Students are inspired through the experiences and learn that hard work and fellowship can create meaningful change in their communities, as well as in their own lives,” she says. During her leadership, she helped launch the USCB Rotaract Club, facilitated the Interact Symposium to share ideas and experiences between high school clubs and started the Youth Exchange and the International Young Professionals programs.

the adjoining park were later gifted to the Town of Bluffton to provide a gathering place for community groups and an outdoor venue for concerts, picnics and other familyoriented activities.

Not all of the work done

by Rotarians takes on such a serious demeanor. The Bluffton Village Festival, also known as Mayfest, is a fun, unique event in our community—drawing nearly 20,000 people to the streets of Old Town Bluffton one day every spring.

Thirty-eight years ago, the event was started by native Babbie Guscio as a celebration of local artists and craftsmen, and a day of family fun and great food. The Rotary Club of Bluffton generously agreed in 2009 to take over the logistics and operations of the event. This year’s Bluffton Village Festival is on May 7th. The event will raise thousands of dollars to benefit local organizations, create sales opportunities for surrounding businesses, and enhance the quality of life for everyone in our beautiful community.

Additionally, the club supports the Bluffton Historic Arts and Seafood Festival, providing a significant amount of the volunteer labor for the week-long event.

The local group is a part of Rotary Club International, representing over 200 countries with a membership of more than 1.2 million men and women worldwide.

Together, they work for disease prevention and treatment, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health, and education and literacy, to name just a few.

Rotary Club International has also played a key role in the eradication of the crippling, and sometimes fatal, impact of polio worldwide. Their support of this global public health project has been so successful that over the next year or so, polio will be relegated to a footnote in history.

But resting on their laurels is not the Rotarian way.

They’ve already identified the next global health need and are coordinating with world health organizations to support efforts to research and develop treatments for Alzheimer’s. The first step has already begun with the establishment of the Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (C.A.R.T.). The newest member collection and donation effort will begin vigorously funneling resources, both financial and professional, to help make this devastating disease a distant memory.

Whether ensuring that local kids have food to eat and good shoes to wear to school, or making sure that children in Peru have clean drinking water, the leaders of our community join together in the Bluffton Rotary Club to use their skills and experience to do some incredible work. Through this legacy of leadership, they become part of something bigger than themselves, build a better Bluffton and have some fun in the process. For the members of the Bluffton Rotary Club, their service above self makes them leaders in our community.

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peanut butter stout, vanilla bean cream ale, peach ginger beer with lemon and a sangria saison are just a few of the concoctions crafted around town. But you wouldn’t know that or get to try these tasty brews unless you strode inside River Dog Brewing Co., Southern Barrel Brewing Co. or even Fat Patties, where brewers are coming up with craft beers unique to our Carolina coast.

“The guys that operate on the super small levels can do some unique boutique things,” reveals James Brown, the brewmaster at Salt Marsh Brewing, the new nanobrewery, which sits on the second story of Fat Patties, overlooking the booming burger joint.

“We’re so small that we can be a little more nimble and try out a little more exotic ingredients and fermentation processes.”

Which is exactly why Brown teamed up with Nick Borreggine and Fat Patties to open Salt Marsh right in the heart of Bluffton.

After working for a few years at River Dog, Brown knew he wanted to do things on an even smaller scale, which would allow him to play and get more unique hops and boutique grains— ingredients that brewers wouldn’t want to use on a large scale because it would ramp up costs significantly. After all, he, like many brewers in the area, wants to craft creative, artful brews.

“Bringing that level of creativity and boutiqueness to downtown was so intoxicating because there’s nothing like that in Bluffton,” Brown admits.

With their Hoppin’ John IPA, State of Mind Saison, Dixie Delight Dubbel, Oyster Town Brown, River Wise Berliner Weisse and a few bourbon barrels to age new brews, they’re just starting to experiment.

While Brown brews to the tunes at Fat Patties on Bluffton Road, John Federal heads the brewery at River Dog out in Okatie, where, in April, he started doing small batches only available on tap at their bar. Federal plans to use these craft brews to educate guests on the different hops and malts.

Walter Trifari at Southern Barrel Brewing Co., Photos by Andrea Six 20 bluffton.com

Southern Barrel is already on the small batch bandwagon—out of 12 beers on tap, about four are small batch rotations. Federal and Walter Trifari, the brewmaster at Southern Barrel, even have their own SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hops) beer series showing customers how the two ingredients interact with each other.

Salt Marsh Brewery

“I already knew it was an uphill battle here in Bluffton, as far as the culture of beer versus the rest of the country, and I was okay with that. Our job here is just to keep educating people on beer,” Trifari explains.

The Brew Biz It seems the brewing business is exploding here in Bluffton, with the opening of River Dog Brewing Co., Southern Barrel last May and Salt Marsh at Fat Patties in October.

However, the truth is Bluffton—and the entire state of South Carolina—is a bit behind.

Just 250 miles away in North Carolina, there are more than 150 breweries. South Carolina doesn’t even have 50 yet, which is less than Georgia, where brewery laws are even more constrictive.

On the other hand, business is booming in states such as California, where there are more than 500 breweries, and Colorado, which is on the cusp of 300. Every state runs on a three-tier system—manufacturing, distribution and retail—and some of these leading states have laws allowing breweries to be their own distributor, instead of using a distribution company which takes a share of the profits. The effect? Obligatory distributors rise in power in the market at the expense of craft brewers. That’s one of the reasons why you don’t see Salt Marsh’s brews anywhere else in town but Fat Patties.

“Currently Salt Marsh is at Fat Patties only, as South Carolina does not allow us to distribute,” Brown explains.

While North Carolina breweries are allowed to bypass the second tier and self-distribute, South Carolina prevents this and breweries, such as Southern Barrel and River Dog, who have retailer licenses, must send anyone looking to get a keg to their distributor. They are only allowed to sell glasses of beer, six-packs and growlers.

These regulations were put in place during Prohibition and these antiquated laws aren’t conducive to small businesses. They allow big breweries to get bigger at the expense of newcomers, who already have higher costs for production, ingredients and packaging. But even with these hurtles, craft beer sales continue to grow.

Last year, while overall beer sales went down .2%, craft beer sales grew about 12.8% (twice as much as imported beer), according to the Brewers Association. Though macrobreweries have a hold on the beer market, craft breweries have risen to the challenge.

“Macrobreweries have learned over the years how to sell quite a bit of beer. They know how their packaging colors work and where it needs to be placed in the cooler,” says Trifari. “They will even make beers that look and, they think, taste like craft beer and try to get their name off the whole package so people think it’s craft.”

Creative—some say sly and sneaky—marketing has allowed macrobreweries to produce and line up beers at stores that look like craft brews. It’s also trained individuals to think that beers are best served at the coldest temperatures—which may be true for some, but is certainly a myth in many cases.

River Dog Brewing Co. 21

The Breeze MAY 2016

As Trifari puts it, cheaper beer doesn’t taste very good when it warms up and that’s why companies insist on frozen beer glasses and ice-cold beer—because the colder the beer, the less you taste.

“We’re trying to help people understand that good flavor comes from good ingredients, taking time to make the beer and that here we are making the beer, as part of the community,” Trifari notes.

Brothers in Arms Sharing ideas, ingredients, equipment and knowledge is what’s helping Bluffton’s craft brew scene boom.

It’s why you’ll find Red Eye Perks at Salt Marsh and Perkolatte at River Dog, both collaborations with Old Town’s Corner Perk Coffee Roasters. And the small batches are doing their fair share of attracting regulars who are embracing new tastes and are excited to learn about hops from New Zealand or how pilsner malt and Amarillo hops interact with each other.

Local craft breweries have to band together because they too are in their own uphill battle and, to survive, it’s vital for the community to embrace local products and businesses—just as they’ve done with local boutiques such as Cocoon and Gigi’s, restaurants such as Cahill’s and Walnuts Café—and help their neighbors.

“Just supporting a local brewery is huge and it’s simpler than most people realize,” says Trifari. “Actually buying some beer from us goes a long way; it’s going to help my kids play soccer or help some other kids get braces. It’s going to impact the local community more than people think.”

While buying beer plays a big part, getting out, enjoying quality time engaging with one another and learning is just as important.

This month, Southern Barrel celebrates its one year anniversary on May 15 with live music and possibly even the release of some new brews; the South Carolina Brewers Guild puts on their first beer festival on May 21 in Cayce, SC; and River Dog throws their own beer festival, Barrels and Bluegrass, on May 28 from noon to 5 p.m. at Honey Horn Plantation with three bluegrass bands, locally-sourced Lowcountry fare and about 50 breweries, who’ve been encouraged to bring special and rare beers that push the envelope.

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“We’re really trying to push that unique edge on people because, for us, the benefit is more people get interested in what beer can be,” Federal explains.

After all, each brewer is like a different chef and each of Bluffton’s brewers have worked their way from home brewing to brew pubs and big production breweries and then scaled back to smaller settings, just miles off the May River, to concoct appealing creations for different tastes.

River Wise Berliner Weisse, 4% APV

“We’re all going to be unique in our own way, be it different ingredients or a different process, but all of our goals are the same: to produce clean, refreshing, and the highest crafted beer possible,” Trifari says. “Salt Marsh, Southern Barrel, we’re all brother in arms, banning together to try and make craft beer better.”

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22 bluffton.com

Hoppin’ John Jay IPA , 7% APV

Hive-a-weizen 5.4% APV

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The Breeze MAY 2016

25

ARCHITECTURE

his article is not meant to be a history or architecture lesson, but more a reference point for contemporary examples of the great variety of architectural interpretations we see being built around us today. George Owens, Chief Building Official for the Town of Bluffton, was asked how many building permits are active at this time and he replied, “Around a 1,000.” For many of these buildings, the design is influenced by Bluffton’s Unified Development Ordinance, private community architectural guidelines and the fact that we love Lowcountry Vernacular.

Vernacular roots originated in the past, but one thing is certain—it is here to stay. There are no hard and fast rules to vernacular styling, as we see a wide variety of design elements being built today. The Breeze’s feature last month on Transitional Homes by Steve Tilton discussed this very same thought. We follow the same form and function of our historic past using the beauty of our natural resources and adapting to the climate, yet creating our own 21st century vernacular aesthetic. We find the style to be comfortable, relaxed, non-assuming and blends in with the surroundings, yet flexible enough to satisfy individual lifestyles.

Frank Lloyd Wright described vernacular architecture as “Folk building growing in response to actual needs, fitted into environment by people who knew no better than to fit them with native feelings.”

But, this quote is only partially right.

Vernacular architecture is different in different places. In each region, it evolved over time and tends to reflect the environment, the local technology and skills, the available materials and historical context from where it is derived. For example, the Pueblo Indians’ vernacular adobe was used in the sweltering dry southwest; the

26 bluffton.com

Algonquian Indian had the woodland Wigwams vernacular; the stone and half-timbered frame vernacular is found in Europe. They knew what their needs were and adapted sustainable materials to their climate.

Beaufort County has been inhabited through centuries by indigenous Indians, Spanish explorers, French immigrants and Scottish and British colonists, each one leaving their mark in some way on their shelters and homes. The local vernacular can be seen in early designs of English, Dutch, French and Spanish influences in the West Indies. Past architectural and historical design has been adapted to our current lifestyle and become the standard for most of our new homes.

Recently, I sat down with Bluffton architect Pearce Scott and we used his numerous wonderful illustrations and design interpretations to take a closer look at how this style is ever evolving.

The first consideration, even for settlers, is the site. The angle of the sun in summer and winter, direction of the breezes, protection of the natural resources and wildlife, access to the site, relationships to neighbors, and protection from the elements (which include rising waters), with the best views possible.

It didn’t take the early settlers long to figure out low-pitched roofs with broad overhangs provided protection from the summer sun and shed the rain away from the structure and the use of exposed rafters was simple, and less costly. Porches also provided shade, gathered the breezes and created an outdoor living environment. With an abundance of oyster shells in close proximity, they soon raised buildings off the ground by cooking lime from the shell and creating substantial tabby pier foundations. This also allowed the cooling breezes to pass under the home. The underpinning between the piers provided a place to pen pigs and chickens and kept them protected from predators at night. Today, this underpinning is used to keep the critters out.

Tall ceilings, often vaulted, and the use of double hung windows and transoms allowed higher hot air inside the home to ventilate outside and fresh cool breezes to recirculate inside from the bottom sash. Prior to the invention of screens, shutters would be closed on the sun side, opened on the shaded side, and also used to provide security and protection. It is interesting to note that the invention of screen mesh (originally used in baking) and its use on porches or windows kept mosquitoes out, resulting in a large reduction of malaria, once the leading killer in the Lowcountry.

Early Coastal Style architecture began with the one story cottage.

This later evolved into the prevalent one-and-one-half story raised cottage with double pitched gable, shed or hip roof. The use of a variety of dormers, ranging from multiple gable to shed roof designs, added interior light, as well as living space within the roof lines. These rooms were popular, as they were ventilated by cool The Breeze MAY 2016

27

evening breezes and, being off the ground, were not as susceptible to mosquitoes. All vernacular houses have porches or wrapping verandas. They are either added to or are part of the main mass of the house.

As the family grew, or as the house was passed down, bedrooms were continually added to the original structure. In the past, kitchens were in a separate building to prevent fire in the home. As technology increased, kitchens were added to the house. Today, we see additions to accommodate larger bathrooms, studies or mud rooms for laundry and household storage. Wall plate height and roof pitches often vary with vernacular style to prevent the exposed rafters and roof overhangs of the additions from clashing. This was also accomplished by adding narrow connectors or hallways called “hyphens” or adding “knuckles” to change the angle of the room to get another view.

When this occurs today, we say that the floor plan is “exploded.”

28 bluffton.com

Outbuildings, historically, were detached for feed storage, stables and smithing, workshops, servants’ quarters or plantation offices. These buildings now serve to create a compound on the site and are used for garages, gardening sheds and guest quarters.

True to the past, the homes of today continue to be built as wood frames with various types of horizontal siding, vertical board and batten and cedar shingles. Tabby is used for foundations and chimneys, and as the main structure of larger manor homes. Examples of this can be seen in remnants of the tabby mansion built by George Edwards in 1850 on Spring Island and the 1910 R.T. Wilson Mansion in Palmetto Bluff.

In the early and middle 19th century, Bluffton became a popular place for summer homes for those living in nearby cities, since the high bluffs and river breezes provided relief from the hot, low lying, malaria-ridden plantations. Thus began the appearance of the one-andone-half story vernacular homes. Those that survived the Federal burning of Bluffton include the Heyward, Card, Pine, Seabrook and Fripp Houses, as well as Cedar Bluff. Examples of historic two-story vernacular homes

are Seven Oaks and the Patzs Brothers House. In all, Bluffton has 47 vernacular structures that contribute to its National Historic District.

The historic homes in Old Town are left as reminders of her past and became the prevalent style for homes built today in the Historic District and in the outlying developments along the marshlands and surrounding estuaries. These new homes will be our example to the next generation of Lowcountry Vernacular homes.

The Breeze MAY 2016

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Directory of Advertisers Accurate Lithograph Pg. 37

Door 2 Door Dry Cleaning Service

May River Theatre Company Pg. 19

AllCare Tree Pg. 35

Morris Garage & Towing Pg. 23

Annette Bryant, Coldwell

Eggs n’ tricities Pg. 15

Palmetto Dental Arts Pg. 30

ESP Merle Norman Salon Pg. 23

Palmetto State Bank Pg. 23

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina Pg. 41

The Filling Station Art Gallery

Pour Richard’s Pg. 43

The Bark Shack Pg. 37

R. Stewart Design, LLC Pg. 30

Bluffton ATA Martial Arts Pg. 34

Four Corners Fine Art & Framing

Reminisce On the Promenade Pg. 14

Bluffton Bicycle Shop Pg. 35

The Roasting Room Pg. 25

Bluffton Pharmacy Pg. 35

Gigi’s Boutique Pg. 15

Spartina Marine Education Center

Bluffton Rotary MayFest! Pg. 18

Golis Family Jewelers Pg. 3

Cahill’s Pg. 48

Hilton Head Boathouse Pg. 32

Spring Island Pg. 5

Charter One Realty Pgs. 45-47

Hilton Head Exterminators Pg. 4

Squat N’ Gobble Pg. 41

Coastal Exchange Furniture & Art

The Island Pet Cremation Services

Stephens Land Service Pg. 31

Stock Farm Antiques Pg. 15

Banker Pg. 3

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Coastal Signature Homes Pg. 2

Jeanie Larson, The Alliance Group

Toomer’s Bluffton Seafood House and

Cocoon Pg. 14

Covert Aire Pg. 2

La Petite Gallerie Pg. 15

The Village Pasta Shoppe Pg. 43

The Dollenberg Team, Weichert

The Louver Shop Pg. 31

Walnuts Cafe Pg. 41

May River Grill Pgs. 43

Wayne McDonald Pg. 11

bluffton.com Realtors Pg. 11 30

Realty Pg. 4

Oyster Company Pg. 41

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Mike Covert:

By Steve Nichols

32 bluffton.com

handiwork is not only financial. Mike also donates his time, working countless volunteer hours with groups like the Backpack Buddies program of the Lowcountry Foodbank, Children’s Center of HHI, HELP of Beaufort, Bluffton Self Help and Volunteers in Medicine Clinic Hilton Head.

By Steve Nichols

H

is personality is big—a genteel way of saying that he is quite a character. Yes, Mike is bearish, perhaps even intimidating in physical stature, but that isn’t all that defines him. He is a husband, father, grandfather, church member, board member, President of Covert Aire and other companies. But Mike is also a longtime volunteer, who seems to have unlimited energy for doing good deeds, both as an individual and through his company. His selflessness has helped people of all ages, many of whom have never even met him. Mike is a big, benevolent man with a passion for giving.

This bear-of-a-man has quietly cared for Beaufort County families in need for many years. For example, at Christmas, he teamed up with the Bluffton Police Department to provide toys and clothes to local children. He organized relief help immediately after the recent flooding throughout parts of South Carolina, quickly sending emergency supplies. His company is also one of the sponsors of the Tiny Home project, that built an entire house on wheels to help those displaced during the flooding in Columbia.

The Drive to End Hunger is an annual program Mike’s company started five years ago to deliver food to a local organization. Last year, on New Year’s Eve, they delivered over 2,500 pounds of food to Senior Services of Beaufort County. Additionally, Covert Aire was a sponsor for TV’s Extreme Makeover and contributed to building a new home for a deployed Marine and his family.

Mike and his employees also launched a new program, Operation Warm-Up. His company donated $10,000 of services and equipment to fix, replace or repair the heating equipment in as many homes as possible. As Mike himself puts it, “No one should be cold, especially the elderly and children.”

Quietly benevolent to his community, Mike has donated over $150,000 to local charities just in the last five years. His

His dedication doesn’t stop with charity work. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and various ministries at Lowcountry Community Church. Currently President of the Rotary Club of Bluffton, Mike leads by example—pitching in to help with projects, such as the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival, Bluffton Village Festival, Happy Feet, the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Christmas Campaign and many others.

Mike’s friend, former South Carolina State Senator Scott Richardson, says, “I met Mike three years ago while serving on the County Tax Commission Committee, and I knew within five minutes he was sincere and determined— that he was a ‘doer,’ not a ‘talker.’”

Just ask any Bluffton businessperson and you’ll hear that opinion echoed. “I’ve never met anyone who is so quick to jump in and help others,” says Lisa Carroll, a Bluffton business owner who has served with Mike in the Bluffton Rotary Club for many years. “When Mike hears about a problem, he’s one of the first to step up and do whatever it takes to help.”

As the current president of Rotary, Mike will return to this year’s Mayfest/Bluffton Village Festival as the Master of Ceremonies for the Pie Eating Contest, a much-loved part of the event.

The mammoth responsibilities of being a husband and father, running a thriving business and all his volunteer work, are formidable—good thing Mike has the brawny stature to bear the tasks (pun intended). If all that wasn’t enough, Mike is also running for a seat on the Beaufort County Council, District 7. According to Mike, “I have developed longstanding professional relationships with members of county councils, town councils and educational administrators. I will use my experience and leadership to work with community leaders to solve ongoing problems to benefit the citizens of Beaufort County.”

No matter what words are used to describe him, Mike Covert works hard to make a better tomorrow for his family and his neighbors. He has strong beliefs and acts upon those beliefs—true in his efforts to see the right thing done in the community. Mike is a leader with a good heart and the strength to do the things in which he believes.

Photo: Mike Ritterbeck

The Breeze MAY 2016

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The Breeze MAY 2016

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MAY TIDES

WED 11

Tide chart is calculated for the May River.

Full Moon May 21.

SUN 1

H L H L

4:30 AM 10:45 AM 5:00 PM 11:06 PM

THURS 12

MON 2

H L H

5:31 AM 11:44 AM 6:00 PM

FRI 13

TUES 3

L H L H

1 2:11 AM 6:32 AM 12:41 PM 6:59 PM

L H L H

1:11 7:31 1:35 7:56

AM AM PM PM

L H L H

2:09 8:27 2:28 8:51

AM AM PM PM

FRI 6

L H L H

3:05 9:21 3:20 9:43

AM AM PM PM

TUES 17

SAT 7

L H L H

3:58 AM 10:14 AM 4:12 PM 10:35 PM

WED 18

SUN 8

L H L H

MON 9

L H L

4:50 AM 11:07 AM 5:02 PM 11:27 PM

5: 4 1 AM 12:02 PM 5:53 PM

TUES 10

H L H L

12:21 AM 6:32 AM 12:59 PM 6:44 PM

WED 4

THURS 5

SAT 14

SUN 15

MON 16

THURS 19

FRI 20

SAT 21

SAT 21

L H

3:21 9:58

SUN 22

AM AM PM PM

L H L H

4:04 AM 10:11 AM 3:59 PM 10:34 PM

MON 23

AM AM PM PM

L H L H

4:43 AM 10:48 AM 4:38 PM 11:09 PM

TUES 24

H L H L

4:02 AM 10:12 AM 4:45 PM 10:38 PM

L H L H

5:22 AM 11:26 AM 5:17 PM 11:45 PM

WED 25

H L H L

4:54 AM 11:06 AM 5:37 PM 11:36 PM

L H L

6:02 AM 12:07 PM 5:58 PM

THURS 26

H L H

5:45 AM 11:54 AM 6:27 PM

H L H L

12:27 AM 6:44 AM 12:54 PM 6:43 PM

FRI 27

L H L H

12:28 AM 6:35 AM 12:39 PM 7:15 PM

H L H L

1:15 7:30 1:46 7:33

AM AM PM PM

SAT 28

L H L H

AM AM PM PM

2:09 8:21 2:42 8:31

AM AM PM PM

SUN 29

L H L H

1:15 7:23 1:21 8:00

2:00 8:09 2:01 8:42

H L H L

AM AM PM PM

H L H L

3:06 9:18 3:40 9:36

AM AM PM PM

MON 30

L H L H

2:43 8:52 2:41 9:21

AM AM PM PM

H L H L

4:05 AM 10:17 AM 4:38 PM 10:44 PM

TUES 31

L H

3:24 9:32

AM AM

H L H L

5:05 AM 11:16 AM 5:37 PM 11:50 PM

H L H L

1:17 7:23 1:58 7:37

AM AM PM PM

H L H L

2:14 8:17 2:56 8:35

H L H L

3:09 9:14 3:51 9:36

PM PM

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37

Lowcountry Living with

Mary Alice Monroe

Photo by Camilla Ferguson

By Michele Roldán-Shaw

M

This month, she releases the latest installment, A Lowcountry Wedding, to great fanfare and the buzz of several exciting local events. A Charleston wedding giveaway has engaged readers nationwide, and Monroe will speak at a book-signing and barbeque event on Nemours Plantation in Yemassee to raise funds for the Beaufort County Open Land Trust. As Monroe’s The bestselling novelist, long known for her sensitive professional success grows, her commitment to and emotionally compelling portraits of women, found championing nature only deepens. new underpinnings to her life’s work when she moved to Isle of Palms off the coast of Charleston.

Saving with Storytelling any have come to the Lowcountry and been enchanted by its golden marshes, spangled creeks, blowing dolphins, vine-draped forests and wild denizens of land, water and air—but few have made it their mission to protect and portray this beauty with such far-reaching impact as Mary Alice Monroe.

“The first thing I did was join the island turtle team,” recalls Monroe, who had been visiting the area with her husband, child psychologist Dr. Markus Kruesi, for many years before relocating permanently in 1999 after he was offered a position at MUSC. “The turtles are what prompted my decision to write novels that would not only entertain, but also have an underlying message to raise awareness of environmental issues.”

“I’ve always been involved in conservation,” she says, “but living in Washington, D.C. during the boom years made me see how quickly a natural environment could be destroyed. So coming to this pristine gorgeous place that I loved, I didn’t feel there was enough awareness of that threat.”

Monroe never preaches, however, as she knows this would only go in one ear and out the other. Instead, she uses what she calls “the power of story.” By bringing creatures to life and allowing readers to emotionally connect through an engaging plot, she is able to reach a broad audience—including newcomers to the area who might otherwise never take an interest in learning about local flora and fauna—and to unobtrusively bring attention to issues like water quality.

Her first book in this vein was The Beach House, about a young woman returning to her roots on the small barrier island where she grew up, and its release in 2002 kicked off a successful trilogy that told the turtle’s plight interlaced with human drama. It was an effective juxtaposition, one that Monroe would continue to develop in books, highlighting such species as the monarch butterfly and, most recently, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin in her Lowcountry Summer series “First I have a species, then I have a story,” explains featuring Delphine as wild foil to three Southern sisters Monroe. “People love Mamaw, but Delphine is the and their grandmother Mamaw. unique character in this series, the one who is teaching 38 bluffton.com

and educating my readers about the environment. I don’t point fingers or tell people what to do; it’s more that through my plots, settings, characterization and my own passion I can familiarize them, give them a painless education.”

According to Monroe, many people don’t know that 49 percent of resident dolphins in the Charleston estuarine waters are deemed unhealthy, a problem that may extend to other counties as well.

She also exposes the dangers of feeding dolphins, which “creates a generation of beggars,” as mothers stop teaching their young to forage or hunt; the practice has resulted in a surge of emaciated juveniles washing ashore because they can’t take care of themselves.

“I knew when I began the series that I did not want to write Flipper,” she says.

“My wish is that through this series readers will come to love and understand the dolphins, to admire them in the wild and as the magnificent creatures that they are, because that is enough!”

When Monroe writes of the natural world, it is not only from the head and heart, but also from the hands in a most meaningful way. “I do academic research, but I also roll up my sleeves and become a volunteer,” she says of countless hours spent with organizations like the Grassy Key Dolphin Research Center, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“I have worked intimately with each species so that when I describe looking a dolphin in the eye, it is at a very personal level. I have seen it, smelled it, done it.

That’s a promise to my readers, that what I write will be accurate and authentic.

So when they read it, not only will they learn, but they will care. Then I know they will act and be just as fierce about protecting the Lowcountry as I am.”

It is precisely because Monroe puts her message into practice that these efforts

have been so well-received—the positive impact made by her books is tangible and extensive. For The Butterfly’s Daughter, she gave away 10,000 milkweed seeds to be planted as crucial habitat for the monarchs. Since writing the Lowcountry books, she has heard from readers who say they no longer feed the dolphins that come by their dock because now they understand the reason behind the restrictions.

“I’ve gotten countless letters,” affirms Monroe, “starting with The Beach House and continuing now. We have records of people volunteering and donating money all along the eastern seaboard because of that book. That transcends storytelling—that is the why of my writing. I began the process to try and make a difference, and when I get letters like that it encourages me to keep going.”

Celebrating Lowcountry Love

For her latest novel, Monroe has chosen to bring forth another timely topic, the phenomenon of Lowcountry weddings, which she experienced when her daughter got married at one of Charleston’s historic plantations.

Monroe examines the lure of this area for couples, the difference between a traditional plantation setting versus the more casual carefree beach wedding and the greater implications of each in terms of shifting attitudes through the generations. Weddings are all about protocol, tradition, commitment and family values, Monroe says, and her book raises relevant questions about these by depicting the perspectives of Mamaw and her evolving granddaughters.

The Breeze MAY 2016

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Upcoming Events:

“It’s been a real journey to travel with these three sisters,” says Monroe, who has spent five years immersed in the series. “In the writing, I’ve become a grandmother three times, and at the heart of the books are a grandmother’s love, wisdom and the second chance at guiding a life.”

In order to delve deeply into the psychological issues her characters face, Monroe often discusses them at length with her sister who is a therapist; she even offers up manuscripts to her psychologist husband so that he can tell her if she’s gotten something wrong.

An emerging theme in A Lowcountry Wedding is the difficulty some people have communicating—a little boy with Asperger’s syndrome, a couple in a crumbling marriage, folks so keyed into electronic devices that they no longer engage with others—and she explores this by contrasting them against dolphins who are known as incredibly intelligent communicators.

This is the essence of Monroe’s writing, relating characters to each other and to the environment, so that what emerges is the healing influence of nature.

“That’s a hallmark of my books, the very idea that the landscape is nurturing,” says Monroe, who encourages people to go out and walk the beaches and forests in order to ground themselves, and to take time to learn the names of the animals. “I believe that we humans are experiencing a disconnect with nature—we see it through glass windows, we walk along paved sidewalks, we’re not as intimate with wildlife as our grandparents were. It makes us feel uncomfortable and we’re hungry to connect again.”

“I’m very fortunate because what I do for my work is also what I do for fun,” she says. “My girlfriends know I’m rarely available for lunch or dinner or for anything because I’m 40 bluffton.com

What: Fundraiser Barbeque/Book Signing featuring author Mary Alice Monroe as the guest speaker Where: The majestic grounds of Nemours Plantation in Yemassee When: May 22 at 11:30 a.m.

How: Ticket information is available by calling Beaufort County Open Land Trust at (843) 521-2175 Why: This event will benefit the conservation efforts of Beaufort County Open Land Trust and Nemours Wildlife Foundation ______________________

always working. But it’s what I love to do—I feel very blessed. There is such a tremendous return for working with something you’re passionate about.

I encourage people to volunteer and become passionate.”

Those interested in her books, or in wildlife and land conservation here in Beaufort County, will certainly enjoy hearing Monroe speak at Nemours Plantation on May 22. In the meantime, A Lowcountry Wedding is available for purchase starting May 3.

“I may not be read in 100 years,” Monroe says, “but I want to make a difference in my own time because we are on a precipice in the Lowcountry.

Whether you move here or you’re from here, there’s something about the winding creeks, the smell of the pluff mud, the sultry air—you fall in love. I could never leave; the Lowcountry is my home. But we need to protect what we love about the Lowcountry because if we don’t it will disappear, and once it’s gone it won’t come back.”

What: Lowcountry Wedding Contest, in which one lucky couple will receive an all-expense-paid dream wedding fit for a Southern storybook Where: The historic Legare Waring House in Charleston When: Entry deadline is May 31, finalists will be announced June 13, and the public will vote on the winning couple How: To enter, visit maryalicemonroe.com/ weddingcontest or Monroe’s Facebook page, where you can post a 30-second video telling why you would like a Lowcountry wedding Why: Everything is provided by the best vendors in Charleston, from gown, limo and honeymoon suite, to Firefly Distillery’s signature cocktail (sparkling wine with peach moonshine) that has already gone national!

MAY 4 - 29, 2016

Directed & Choreographed by Casey Colgan

A SONG. A DANCE. A CON.

Go on a joy ride with two delightful con men in the French Riviera where the casino culture is de rigueur! A witty comedy that takes you on a stylish thrill ride of dazzling dances, songs and comedy.

Arts center of coAstAl cArolinA ARTSHHI.COm • 843.842.ARTS(2787)

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BLUFFTON’S

RESTAURANT GUIDE Cahill’s Chicken Kitchen** Southern 1055 May River Rd. (843) 757-2921

Corner Perk** Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee Promenade St. & May River Rd. (843) 816-5674 May River Grill** Seafood Contemporary Old Town Bluffton 1263 May River Rd. (843) 757-5755 Pour Richard’s** Contemporary 4376 Bluffton Pkwy.

(843) 757-1999

Agave Sidebar 13 State Of Mind St. (843) 757-9190

Bluffton BBQ Barbeque, Pork, Ribs 11 State Of Mind St. (843) 757-7427 The Bluffton Room Fine dining 15 Promenade St. (843) 757-3525 British Open Pub Pub, Seafood, Steaks 1 Sherington Dr. #G, Sheridan Park (843) 705-4005

Claude & Uli’s Bistro French 1533 Fording Island Rd. #302, Moss Creek Village (843) 837-3336 Corks Wine Co. Contemporary, Tapas 14 Promenade St. #306, The Promenade (843) 816-5168 The Cottage Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 38 Calhoun St. (843) 757-0508 Downtown Deli Burgers, Sandwiches 27 Dr. Mellichamp Dr. (843) 815-5005 Fat Patties Burgers, Sandwiches 207 Bluffton Rd. (843) 815-6300

Toomers Bluffton Seafood House** 27 Dr. Mellichamp Dr. (843) 757-0380

Buffalo’s Contemporary 1 Village Park Sq. (843) 706-6630

Butcher’s Market and Dell Deli 102 Buckwalter Pkwy., Ste. 3G (843) 815-6328

The Village Pasta Shoppe** Italian, Deli, Wine 10 B. Johnston Way (across from post office) (843) 540-2095

Captain Woody’s Seafood, Sandwich, Salads 17 State Of Mind St., The Promenade (843) 757-6222

Hogshead Kitchen Contemporary 1555 Fording Island Rd., Moss Creek Village (843) 837-4647

Walnut’s Café** Contemporary 70 Pennington Dr., Ste. 20 (843) 815-2877

Choo Choo BBQ Xpress BBQ, Pork, Ribs 129 Burnt Church Rd. (843) 815-PORK (7675)

Inn At Palmetto Bluff Continental 1 Village Park Sq., Palmetto Bluff Village (843) 706-6500

Squat N’ Gobble** American, Greek 1231 May River Rd. (843) 757-4242

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Hinchey’s Chicago Bar & Grill American 104 Buckwalter Pl., Ste. 1A (843) 836-5959

The Juice Hive Juice Bar 14 Johnston Way, Bluffton Village (843) 757-BUZZ (2889) Katie O’Donald’s Irish, American 1008 Fording Island Rd. #B, Kitties Crossing (843) 815-5555 Longhorn Steakhouse American 1262 Fording Island Rd., Tanger Outlet 1 (843) 705-7001

(843) 837-5111 Okatie Ale House American 25 William Pope Dr. (843) 706-2537 Old Town Dispensary Contemporary 15 Captains Cove, off Calhoun St. (843) 837-1893 The Oyster Bar Seafood 15 State Of Mind St., The Promenade (843) 837-1893

Mulberry Street Trattoria Italian 1476 Fording Island Rd. (843) 837-2426

The Pearl Kitchen and Bar Contemporary 55 Calhoun St. (843) 757-5511

Napoli Bistro Pizzeria & Wine Bar Italian, Mediterranean 68 Bluffton Rd. (843) 706-9999

Redfish Contemporary 32 Bruin Rd., Old Town Bluffton (843) 837-8888

Neo Gastropub - Farm To Table Fare 1533 Fording Island Rd. #326, Moss Creek Village

Sigler’s Rotisserie & Seafood Contemporary 12 Sheridan Park Circle (843) 815-5030

Southern Barrel Brewing Co. American 375 Buckwalter Place Blvd.

(843) 837-2337 Stooges Cafe American 25 Sherington Dr. (843) 706-6178 ** See the ads in The Breeze and Bluffton.com for more info

The Breeze MAY 2016

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Famous Mothers

Mary Ball Washington

Photo: upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/8/86/Mary_ Ball_Washington%28Pine%29.jpg

T

Nancy Hanks Lincoln Nancy Matthews Elliott Photo: Thomas Edison National Historical Park

he modern American holiday of Mother’s

Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, according to Wikipedia.com.

Pauline Koch Einstein

Photo: nps.gov/history/nr/ feature/family/

Photo: th.physik.uni-frankfurt. de/~jr/physpiceinfam.html

extraordinary sweetness and forbearance for which he known all his life. womenhistoryblog.com/2012/06/nancy-hankslincoln.html.

Jane Lampton Clemens (1803 –1890)

As a young woman of exceptional beauty and wit, as well In 1908, Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother’s as a graceful dancer, Jane Lampton was admired by many.

Day an official holiday, joking that they would have to also It has been said her engagement to John Clemens was proclaim a Mother-in-Law’s Day. However, owing to the more a matter of temper than tenderness, but she proved efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all US states observed the to be a truly loyal, steadfast partner. She married at the holiday. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation age of 20 and bore seven children, outliving all but three. designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, survived May, as a national holiday. In honor of this special day, her. steamboattimes.com/mark_twain_family.html. here are some facts about famous mothers.

Nancy Matthews Elliott (1810 –1871) Many years after Thomas Edison’s mother died, he was Mary Ball Washington(1708 –1789) looking through old family things and saw a folded paper Fatherless at three and orphaned at 12, Mary Ball was in the corner of a desk drawer. On the paper was written: placed under the guardianship of George Eskridge, a lawyer, “Your son is addled [mentally ill]. We won’t let him and for whom her son, George Washington, was named. come to school anymore.” Edison later wrote in his diary, She married Augustine Washington in 1731 when she “Thomas Alva Edison was an addled child that by a hero was 22 years old. It was her first marriage and his second. mother, became the genius of the century.” interesting.org/ Augustine died in 1743 when their son George was 11. june/edisons-amazing-mother.html.

Many historians harshly criticize Mary Ball Washington for being overbearing and selfish, but the facts show she Pauline Koch Einstein(1858 –1920) was wise and sought counsel from her highly respected Pauline Koch was Jewish from German parents. At 18 years older brother, Joseph Ball. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_ old, Pauline married merchant Hermann Einstein. She was a well-educated and quiet woman who had an inclination Ball_Washington. for the arts. A talented and assiduous piano player, she Nancy Hanks Lincoln(1784 –1818) made Albert begin with violin lessons at the age of five.

Nancy Hanks Lincoln died from milk sickness when During World War I, Pauline fell ill with cancer. At the end Abraham was nine years old. It was reported that Nancy of the war, Albert brought his terminally ill mother home was “superior” to her husband Thomas; a strong personality with him to Berlin where she later died. en.m.wikipedia. who taught young Abraham his letters, as well as the org/wiki/Maja-Einstein.

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