The Bluffton Breeze December 2013 by The Breeze

www.blufftonbreeze.com

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Inspiration from the Founder

Bluffton Breeze The

The magazine of Bluffton FOUNDER Donna Huffman

PUBLISHER Eric Einhorn ericblufftonbreeze@gmail.com EDITOR Randolph Stewart randolphblufftonbreeze@gmail.com SALES DIRECTOR Bonnie Stewart bonnieblufftonbreeze@gmail.com 843 505-0945 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gene Cashman III, Jevon Daly, Joel Zuckerman, Michele Roldan-Shaw, Amber Kuehn, Andrew Peeples, Tamela Maxim, Barbara Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Joan E. Morris CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Eric Horan, Margaret Palmer, Ed Funk COVER PHOTO Ed Funk ART DIRECTOR Jane Skager PRINTER Accurate Lithography CORPORATE OFFICE 12 Johnston Way, Suite 300 P.O. Box 472, Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.8877

www.blufftonbreeze.com

The Bluffton Breeze Magazine is published by The Bluffton Breeze 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 Bluffton Breeze Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claimes in any advertisement in any issue. The Bluffton Breeze Magazine 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 Bluffton Breeze Magazine Copyright.

Breeze Contents

December 2013 volume 11, no.12

Features 14

YEAR END SCHOOL REPORT

OUR BLUFFTON BEAUTY

THE HEROES OF SUN CITY

CUMBERLAND ISLAND PART II

It’s the end of the year, so we’re switching roles and grading the Bluffton High School

We celebrate the Hollywood success of one of our true Blufftonians -- Simone Griffeth

Mr. Arnold Rosen has found a way to make sure the stories of our heroes are never forgotten

The sequel of Michele’s adventure in uncovering the magic of this unique island.

Departments 7

History

Environment

10 17 22 24 32 34 36 40 48 49

Tide Chart

Fellowship

Bulletin Board

Over the Bridges

Wine Within Reach Restaurant Guide Reflections

Music Town

Golf Course Guide Golf Report

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Find out how history shaped Bluﬀton. And how Bluﬀton shaped history!

A visit to the Heyward House reveals the mystery of Bluffton. You’ll find out why the May River is so much more than a beautiful waterway. Why Bluffton’s breezes were an attraction to the rich and famous. Why decisions made in Bluffton changed the USA forever. Get to know Bluffton through its character. And the characters that built it. To understand Bluffton you need to get a sense of its rich history. easy. The Heyward House makes it fascinating and eas

DID YOU KNOW? Antebellum Bluffton was a quaint, yet affluent summer village and was home to a high number of South Carolina Militia officers. Confederate Brigadier-General Thomas F. Drayton’s home was situated at the northeast corner of Boundary and Water Streets, positioned adjacent to Heyward Cove. Drayton’s house was consequently destroyed in the burning of Bluffton on June 4, 1863. The Pine House, which now occupies this beautiful parcel, was built by Dr. Freeman Walker in 1905. Contributed by: Jeff Fulgham Historian and Author

www.blufftonbreeze.com

We’re also Bluﬀton’s Information Center

Get walking tour maps and invitations to fun places Sign up for personal guided tours Our friendly staff knows Bluffton inside out!

NOVEMBER 7 Event

The Society's lecture series features Kim Poovey, a local author and storyteller. Her lecture will be on clothing and textiles during the Civil War. 11am at the Heyward House

The Bluﬀton Historical Preservation Society 70 Boundary Street, POBox 742 Bluﬀton SC 29910 For more information call 1 843 757 6293 Or visit our website at www.heywardhouse.org

Breeze H i s t o r y

A Memorable True Story of a Modern Christmas Miracle

Written and Illustrated by Andrew Peeples (1905-1979) Provided by Donna Huffman

A true old time Blufftonian will remember Mr. Andrew Peeples. He was born in 1905 in Bluffton and was one of fourteen children of a prominent Bluffton merchant. His father owned a quaint shop on Calhoun Street called “Peeples Store.” This little structure still stands on Calhoun Street as “The Store.” Andrew graduated from Bluffton High School and later from The University of South Carolina. He was also a graduate of The Alvienne School of Dramatic Art in New York. The stories Andrew has written have been recollections of his childhood in Bluffton around the early part of the century. His daughter, Mildred, sent me this story and I could think of no better gift than to share this with everyone in Bluffton. Andrew Peeples died on January 16, 1979 and he is without a doubt a genuine Bluffton Folk. The little stranger in my native town of Bluffton, South Carolina, came into my life Christmas Eve under circumstances most embarrassing to me. I can only believe that an angel--one of the guardian angels that watch over little children--planned it that way for a very special purpose. How else can I explain the strange events which began in the late afternoon of that memorable day?

For instance, who but an angel urged me to get ready for our Sunday school Christmas Tree a whole hour before the church bell rang, and then hurried me off while the sun was still bright enough for me to see that shiny quarter half buried outside my front gate?

Who but an angel made me run to the store and exchange my sudden wealth for that brand new mouth organ in a bright red box, and then prompted my father to heave a sigh and say, “Please son, go down to the river and learn to play a tune.”

And who but an angel led me into the chilly dampness underneath the deserted steamboat wharf, and then sent that little stranger to the flowing well on the beach, in easy earshot of my practicing place? Anyway, there I was with my brand new mouth organ, seated and shivering on a drift of dead marsh grass, practicing a plaintive little melody, a sort of wail or dirge, called ‘Reuben.’ í It was the top tune in Bluffton. Any mouth organist in the town could close his eyes and breathe sadly into a few minor keys and render ‘Reuben.’

But my musical talent was limited. No matter how sadly I breathed, or into which combination of keys I breathed, the succession of sounds that came out of my beautiful little instrument of tin and wood was as unrelated to a dirge as the clanging of cow bells to a lullaby. Had I not believed that practice makes perfect, those harsh discords would have discouraged me. Instead, they inspired me to even greater effort. And I was breathing in and out just as hard as I could when suddenly, from behind the nearest barnacle-covered piling, a pair of big black eyes began staring at me, and the mouth organ fell out of my cupped hands. I was so embarrassed that I fumbled the little instrument in my lap before I could get it in the bright red box and conceal it deep down in my side coat pocket. Then I began skipping oyster shells across the water, hoping those big black eyes would go away as silently as they had come.

But instead of going away, they moved out from behind the piling, bringing with them the rest of an oddly dressed little boy just about my age. The red woolen stocking on his head was pulled down over his ears and his grayish sweater reached almost to the tops of his enormous black rubber boots. He stood there looking at me with a grin on his face that reminded me of a stray puppy that wanted to be friendly. I skipped another shell. I was in no mood for friendliness with a stranger who had sneaked up on me and shamed me half to death. I wanted him to go away and leave me alone. “My name is Jesus,” he said and I almost fainted before he added, “Antonio Fernandez.” I recognized the accent of the Portuguese fishermen who sometimes sailed their boats up the river to Bluffton.

He pointed to a small cabin sailboat anchored in the shallow water near the flowing well. “That my papa boat,” he said “I come ashore with the water jug and I hear the music.”

I felt like saying, “Fill your jug and leave me alone.” But I skipped another shell and continued avoiding those big eyes. I thought that if I ignored him, he’d go away sooner. But he didn’t. He kept on talking.

“My papa teach me the harmonica. Then I drop the harmonica over board. Now it is Christmas already and we have no music on boat.” The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Buy another one,” I said. It slipped out before I thought . “Sure we buy another, when we find fish,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next day.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe next week. But now is the time for the Christmas music, Like the ‘Jingle Bells.’”

Right then the church bells began to ring. “Gee whiz,” I cried, jumping to my feet, “I forgot about the Christmas tree! I got to go!” I was glad for the excuse to get away from that talkative little intruder. The church was filled when I got there. I had to wedge myself between two other boys on a front bench. Everybody was excited, waiting for Santa Clause to appear from his hiding place back of the big candle-lighted tree in front of the pulpit. In a few minutes the organ was playing and everyone was singing, ‘Silent night, holy night,’ and then there was a prayer, and then the bible story about little Jesus in the manger and the shepherds and all that, and then-well, I thought they would never get to the tree.

Finally Santa Clause came out of hiding and then there was so much commotion on the benches that he had to hold up both hands for quiet. Then he talked a little while about the spirit of Christmas. He even quoted one of the bible verses I had learned in my Sunday school class, the one about how being more blessed to give than to receive.

Written and illustrated by Andrew Peeples

I thought that was a strange verse to quote at a Christmas tree. We came to a Christmas tree to get, not give! At least I did. Ever since I had entered the church, I had been trying to spot my package on the tree and figure out what was in it. I had a feeling it was a pocket knife, or maybe a new fountain pen.

Just as soon as Santa Clause finished his little talk, my Sunday school teacher and another lady went up to the tree and began taking the gifts off the tree and handing them to Santa. He would bring each one to the chancel rail and read aloud the name on it. Then a boy or a girl would run up and receive it from Santa Clause. I sat poised on the edge of my seat, ready to jump the three or four feet to the rail the second my name was called. Several times I almost slipped off the bench!

By the time the tree was stripped down to the last two gifts, my heart was running wild. One of them had to be mine. I couldn’t sit any longer. I had to stand up and put one foot forward. The first of the last two gifts was for a little girl. Knowing that the next one had to be mine, I sprang up to the rail and waited for Santa to return with it from the tree. But when he came, he didn’t read the name on the package, he just stood there looking over my head at something to the rear of the church. Then he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “There’s a little stranger in the vestibule, do you know his name?” I looked quickly at the little stranger. He had taken the red stocking off his head and was holding it in his hand. But I recognized the grayish sweater and the enormous black rubber boots. “His name is Jesus Antonio Fernandez, he lives on a boat,” I said. Santa looked at the name on the gift he was holding in his hand, “This is for you,” he said to me. “It’s the last gift on the tree. Would you be willing to have your name rubbed out and the name of little Jesus put on it?” For a moment I hated the little stranger. Wasn’t it enough that he had embarrassed me underneath the wharf? Why did he have to follow me to the church and take my gift, even before I could see what it was? I wanted to yell “NO, NO! Its my gift and I want it for myself!”

In anger I thrust my hands into my coat pockets. In one of them I touched the bright red box I had concealed there. And then something---I know it was the angel---made my hand grasp it and pull it out and hand it to Santa and say, “This is what he wants, he can have it instead.” “God bless you,” Santa said. “Now go and bring him up here while I get his gift wrapped and his name on it.”

Hand in hand we came up to the chancel rail, and side by side we stood there. Santa Clause read out my name first. Then, chuckling merrily, he said, “Well, well, well. We’ve come to the very last gift on the tree, and it’s---let’s see--it’s for our very special guest, little Jesus Antonio Fernandez!”

We tore wrappers off of our gifts as we hurried out into the street. Little Jesus looked at mine and I looked at his, and we laughed until we almost cried. Then we both began playing our beautiful brand new mouth organs just as hard as we could. Little Jesus was playing ‘Jingle Bells,’ and I was once again attempting ‘Rueben.’ I can only believe that it was planned that way by an angel---one of the guardian angels who watches over little children.

www.blufftonbreeze.com

Presented by The Bluffton Historical Society

OUR FAMILY VALUES MAKE YOU SPARKLE

With our staff we have over 100 years of experience. You will see our passion in a truly great selection. We love to make friends, so have really, really low prices. We do repairs right in the store -- for safety and low cost. Above all, we treat your jewels like they are our own.

Let your old jewels shine

We will ﬁnd new life in your old jewelry. Bring in the things you never wear and let’s discuss some ideas. You’ll see how a small change will make them shine for the times.

Hostess gifts and lots more

Browse our “Store Next Door” and let your imagination go. We have all kinds of hostess gifts, seasonal garments, creative accessories and great costume jewelry.

Golis Jewelers We’ve earned your trust

Fifteen years here in Bluffton Best of Bluffton, last 7 years 1008 Fording Island Road, Kitties Crossing

843-815-4367

Like us on Facebook

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze D e c e m b e r T i d e s LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

12:33 AM 7:09 AM 1:20 PM 7:25 PM 1:25 AM 8:00 AM 2:12 PM 8:16 PM

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

2:17 AM 8:50 AM 3:03 PM 9:07 PM

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

3:09 AM 9:41 AM 3:54 PM 9:58 PM

Th 5

LOW 4:01 AM HIGH 10:34 AM LOW 4:44 PM HIGH 10:53 AM

Su 1

full moon

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

Sa 7

LOW 5:47 AM HIGH 12:29 PM LOW 6:28 PM

Su 8

Tu 10

4:53 AM 11:31 AM 5:36 PM 11:52 PM

Tide chart is calculated for the May River 4:49 AM 11:14 AM 5:15 PM 11:41PM 5:28 AM 11:54 AM 5:51 PM

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

3:51 AM 10:00 AM 4:19 PM 10:19PM

Sa 21

Th 12

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

4:47 AM 11:00 AM 5:14 PM 11:13 PM

Su 22

F 13

HIGH 5:41 AM LOW 11:55 AM HIGH 6:07 AM

Sa 14

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

12:02 AM 6:31 AM 12:45 PM 6:57 PM

Tu 24

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

1:09 AM 6:57 AM 1:24 PM 7:16 PM

Su 15

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

12:49 AM 7:18 AM 1:30 PM 7:43 PM

W 25

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

1:59 AM 7:52 AM 2:14 AM 8:09 PM

M 16

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

2:16 AM 8:02 AM 2:13 PM 8:26 PM

Th 26

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

2:52 AM 8:54 AM 3:08 PM 9:08 PM

Tu 17

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

2:16 AM 8:42 AM 2:53 PM 9:06 PM

Fr 27

HIGH 3:48 AM LOW 9:59 AM HIGH 4:05 PM LOW 10:09 PM

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

2:56 AM 9:21 AM 3:30 PM 9:45 PM

Sa 28

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

3:35 AM 9:59 AM 4:06 PM 10:23 PM

Su 29

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

4:12 AM 10:36 AM 4:40 PM 11:01PM

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

12:53 AM 6:44 AM 1:29 PM 7:24 PM

W 18

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

1:54 AM 7:47 AM 2:27 PM 8:23 PM

Th 19

HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

2:53 AM 8:53 AM 3:23 PM 9.22 PM

F 20

The lunar month is the 29.53 days it takes to go from one new moon to the next. During the lunar month, the Moon goes through all its phases.

10 www.blufftonbreeze.com

LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW

W 11

M 23

Mo 30

TU 31

HIGH 12:23 AM LOW 6:09 AM HIGH 12:37 PM LOW 6:31 PM

4:47 AM 11:02 AM 5:04 PM 11:09 PM

HIGH 5:47 AM LOW 12:02 PM HIGH 6:04 PM LOW 12:08 AM HIGH 6:46 AM LOW 12:58 PM HIGH 7:02 PM LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

1:05 AM 7:42 AM 1:53 PM 7:57 PM

You’d have to leave Beaufort county to find beef as good as this! The only butcher in Beaufort county to bring you USDA prime beef. And fresh sausages made to order. We’re proud to bring you the best meat that you can get!

SCOTTS MARKET

1230 May River Road 843 757 3103

French Cuisine at affordable prices DAILY SPECIALS LOUNGE & DINING ROOM EARLY BIRD

Chef Claude and Uli welcome you! 1533 Fording Island Road, Moss Creek Village Reservations 843 837 3336

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze E n v i r o n m e n t

Diving the May By Amber Kuehn

The May River is like a Southern Lady. She keeps her secrets buried deep and does not reveal her age. She flows gracefully and keeps her reflection handy. Beneath the surface where the sunlight does not go, there is a place that gives Lady May’s secrets away. There is a vast fossil bed that lies between the Alljoy Boat Landing and THE Sandbar. The treasures found here are millions of years old. Before the last Ice Age began, Bluffton was part of the Ocean floor and the beaches were in Columbia, SC. Just imagine 50 foot long sharks and ancient whales swimming in the clouds overhead. Upon their death, their bones settled in hundreds of feet of water. Today, under only 30 feet of water, you can find shark teeth of Carcharodon Megalodon, bones of ancient whales, and even some civil war artifacts. They’re buried in just inches of sand that is constantly shifting with the tide. It is like a hidden hope chest of ancient memorabilia. Oddly enough, this is the December edition and we are talking about diving in the May River! The water is 45 degrees in the middle of winter which is the best time to find fossils. Because the water is so cold, the multitude of microorganisms that thrive in the water during the summer have died, causing the water to clear up a little bit for adventurous, certified SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) divers. What does this ageless beauty look like below? The ebb and flow of the tide results in a topography that you might not expect. There are ridges, 2-4 foot hills and valleys that run north and south, perpendicular to the east/west tidal flow of the river in that area. It is interesting to feel the current on the floor of the May which is slightly less swift than on the surface. The bottom is firm…no pluff mud down there...and covered with course sand. There aren’t many stationary hard objects for sponges and sea whips to attach to, so many of the fossils become substrate for these soft corals. To uncover her secrets, you need full SCUBA gear, and the help of a weight belt heavy enough to keep you on the bottom and resistant to the current. You

12 www.blufftonbreeze.com

also need a tool to probe the sand, like a screwdriver or dive knife. When a hard surface is detected simply brush away the sand to reveal the object. Most of the discovery is done by feel since the best visibility may only be 2 feet using an underwater flashlight. Tip for the wise: The May is a tidal embankment (not actually a river) -- a body of water formed by the Ocean pushing into land, flowing back and forth

with the tides along the path of least resistance. It is a good idea to enter the water just before slack tide (when one tide cycle stops and the water is still before the next cycle begins) to avoid turbidity and to scout out a spot without the push of the current. Coincidentally, slack tide lasts about 30 minutes and depending on the efficiency of the wetsuit, you may only be able to stand it for the cold for about 20 minutes! Why would anyone crawl around under water in the dark and risk hypothermia? Those of us that are impressed by nature would compare it to Capt. Jack Sparrow’s quest for the Fountain of Youth. There is a surge of excitement when you find something hat has been waiting to be discovered for millions of years. This is clearly not for everyone, but for those in search of adventure, this “black water diving” is more than just treasure hunting. It is about unique experiences that add

depth to your day to day life. For example, on one fossil dive I remember coming face to face with a large spider crab that assumed the fighting position, but it was so cold that he moved in slow motion. I laughed at him, despite the fact that he was not kidding. It was something that I did not expect to see – my surprise and wonder at that moment, alone with nature, left a lasting impression. What does it take to be a diver in the May?

Water carries sound 4 times faster than air. A diver in the May River surely knows when a motor boat passes overhead, but the direction that the sound is coming from is hard to determine. Boat motors are very loud underwater; the fish and dolphins must be so annoyed. Remember: Boats must stay 100 feet away from a dive flag – It’s the law.

Of course, you need some qualifications: A SCUBA certification, a dive flag, and a Hobby Diver License from the State of SC, to comply with the law. The South Carolina Underwater Antiquities Act of 1991 as it pertains to fossil collection states that all finds over 50 years old must be reported quarterly to the South Carolina Museum Commission (custodian of paleontological materials for the state). Nothing may be removed that would necessitate a mechanical lift or underwater excavation. In addition to these basic requirements, it is recommended that you have quite a bit of diving experience, comfort in zero visibility water, and a sound mind to prevent panic when bumped by a curious sea creature passing by! A Hobby Diver License is required. But you also need a bit of skill, comfort

in zero visibility water, and a sound mind to prevent panic when bumped by a curious sea creature passing by! What will you hope to find?

The most popular treasure in the fossil bed is the ancient shark tooth belonging to Megalodon, the largest apex predator that ever lived in the sea, becoming extinct 1.6 million years ago (mya). It ruled the Ocean in the Miocene Epoch (23 – 5.3 mya) and scientists believe that the depletion of food supply (whale) caused its demise. The Pliocene Epoch (5.3 – 2.6 mya) was a cooling period caused by shifting continents that blocked Ocean access as tectonic plates collided to form dry land. Changes in temperature, salinity and range caused the extinction of many marine species… but that is another lesson…

The color of these fossils depend on the sediment The ear bone of an ancient whale where they were deposited. In the May, most of the fossils are dark grey/black, but beige colored fossils have been found on rare occasion. How about a real adventure for your kids?

The Megalodon shark tooth

Megalodon had 46 front row teeth (24 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower). Most modern sharks have at least six rows of teeth, so Megalodon may have had 276 teeth! They are easy to identify mainly by their large size and chevron shape between the root and the blade. The tooth position in the mouth is opposite of what you might think. The convex (rounded) side faced inward while the flat side would have faced the Ocean…and any unfortunate prey.

I taught a high school Marine Biology class for a semester a few years ago and was astonished that most of the kids were unimpressed with these fossils. They are distracted by modern technology, social media and easy to access virtual experiences. My plea is this: Parents, create a seed of environmental awareness by exposing your kids to the outdoors and let them discover the excitement of real adventure! It will give them an experiences that they will never forget. Suggestions range from camping and nature walks to boating tours and even SCUBA classes (minimum 10 years of age). Spark their curiosity! Encounter the real thing. The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

tools that is doing so. He knows which student’s families are homeless and makes sure they get plenty of food in the lunch line as well as fills their backpack up to take home with them on weekends - as that may be the only food they have. They are shown the same courtesies and respect as those who are more fortunate. He helps the less fortunate students develop a sense of self-worth by providing them with all the help and academic attention they need. He has taught staff how to recognize signs of abused kids and how to help and counsel them.

2012-2013 Summary

EOC’s Biology US History HSAP HSAP ELA HSAP Math HSAP Both

*EOC - End of Course

86.1% 64.4% 96% 90% 90%

BCSD

3 Yr

#1 #1 BCSD #1 #1 #1

+14% +16% 3 Yr +16% +17% +18%

HSAP - Required to graduate

This includes home abuse, on school buses and making all on campus understand that bullying is wrong and will not be tolerated. Mr. D, and his staff will not let the Special Needs Students be left behind. There are many programs that give them individual attention as well as encouraging them to

AP Program Mean Scores Advanced Placement BLHS SC US Global Average Score

3.04 2.96 2.95 2.97

become involved socially within the school family. Mr. D. is aware that with 1200 students there will be drugs on campus. He is not afraid to call in the drug dogs at any given time and search lockers, students and cars in the parking lot. This alone is a great deterrent and along with the hard work of the School Resources Officers, provided by the police department, has worked toward having a drug free and safe campus. Students with language deficiencies are assured to get tutors and participate in programs that help them learn better English and bring their grades up as well as test scores. The student government

has a role and a voice. This includes suggestions, complaints, and ideas for achievement, safety issues, and development of a school spirit like no other. Students helping students make Bluffton High a better place for all. This pride and caring attitude is found in academics, sports, cultural activities, and everyday student life. The teachers are another very important component to The Plan and Bluffton High Schools success. A Like Course Team approach has been implemented within and across the various departments. Working with each team and teacher on the team, he has strengthened and made consistent the course plans to the highest standards. This approach has created a collaborative spirit and professional pride among the teaching staff. This not only helps the students succeed but also makes all teachers better, and to feel that they are making a difference. He challenges his staff to do better, earn the respect of the students, and show compassion to all. Advanced Placement 2011 2012

# of AP Exams

393

391

# Scoring 3 & Above

219

267

% Scoring 3 & Above

56%

68%

2013

+521 +341

66.3%

Bluffton High has a heart. Everyone counts and is important. From the administration and staff, to all students, everyone is treated with respect and as individuals, not just another number. This is the foundation of Mr. D’s vision and personality and it has carried throughout the school. He has given many reasons for the students to want to go

PSAT: College Readiness PSAT: 2012-2013

BLHS

Class of 2014 Juniors 53% (53%) Class of 2015 Sophomores 66% (50%)

Nation 46% 38%

to school, work hard and help others, teachers to respond to the individual needs and differences of their students, and to make THEIR school the best it can be. All Blufftonians should be proud. Bluffton High is a State of Mind just as the town. We say Mr. D. gets an A! The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

With show-stopping dance numbers performed to such classics as “We’re in the Money” and “Lullaby of Broadway,” this quintessential tap-dancing production tells the story of a small town chorus girl who steps into the starring role to save the show-within-a-show.

THIS BIG, BOLD, TONY® AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL WILL BRING YOU TO YOUR FEET , CELEBRATING THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF !

16 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Breeze F e l l o w s h i p AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL Cambell Chapel A.M.E. 25 Boundary Street, 757-3652 Sunday School 8:45am Worship:10am ASSEMBLY OF GOD New River Worship Center Hwy 170 & Argent Blvd. (next to ESPY) 379-1815 Sunday: 10:30am Wednesday 7pm BAPTIST First Baptist Church of Bluffton Boundary at Church Street, 757-3472 Sunday School: 9am Worship: 10:30am & 6pm First Zion Baptist Wharf Street 757-3128 Sunday School: 9am Sunday worship: 10am May River Baptist Church SC-170, North of US 46, 757-2518 Sunday School: 9:45am Sunday Worship: 10am & 7pm St. John’s Baptist Church 103 Pritchard Street, 757-4350 Sunday Worship: 11am St. Matthew’s Baptist Church SC Highway 170, 757-3255 Sunday Worship: 11am Indian Hill Baptist Church Hwy 278 next to Eagle’s Point, 757-2603 Sunday School: 9:45am Sunday Worship: 11am

Bible Missionary Baptist Church Goethe Road Community Cntr, 815-5523 Sunday Worship: 11am Bible Study: 6pm CATHOLIC St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church 333 Fording Island Road, 815-3100 Sat. 4pm, 6pm Sun. 7:15am, 9am, 11am, 5pm, Espanol 1pm Mon-Fri 6:45am Chapel, 8:30am Church EPISCOPAL The Church of the Cross 110 Calhoun St, 757-2661 495 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-2662 Sunday Worship: 8am & 10am

METHODIST Bluffton United Methodist Church 101 Calhoun Street, 757-3351 Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Worship: 8:45am & 11am Church of the Palms United Methodist 1425 Okatie Highway, 379-1888 Sunday Worship: 10:30am St. Luke’s United Methodist Church SC Highway 170 near Sun CIty, 705-3022 Sunday Worship: 8:30am and 10am PRESBYTERIAN

The Episcopal Church of Okatie At St. Luke’s Baptist Church Hwy 170 and Snake Road, Worship: 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday, 8:30am GREEK ORTHODOX Holy Resurrection Church at St. Andrews Catholic Church 220 Pickney Colony Road, 837-4659 Orthros: 9:30am, Liturgy 10am JEWISH

Lowcountry Presbyterian Church US 278 and Simmonsville Road, 815-6570 Sunday School: Adult 9:40am, Child 10:30 Sunday Worship: 8:30am & 10:30am Grace Coastal Church (PCA) 1425 Okatie 15 Williams Drive (off SC170), 379-5521 Sunday School: 11am Sunday Worship: 9:30am NON-DENOMINATIONAL Live Oak Christian Church Bluffton High School Auditorium 757-5670 Kidstreet: 9:15am, Worship 10:15am

Temple Osah Shalom at Lowcountry Presbyterian 278 Simmonsvill Road, 705-2532 Shabbat Worship 3rd Friday of month, 8pm

LowCountry Community Church Bluffton Campus: 801 Buckwalter Parkway, 836-1101 Sunday Worship: 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am

LUTHERAN

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES Kingdom Hall, SC 46, 815-4455 Sunday Public Talk: 9:30am & 3:30pm Spanish Public Talk: 12:30pm

Lord of Life Lutheran Church 351 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-4774 Sunday School: 10am Sunday Worship: 8am, 9am, 11am

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

our bluffton beauty and the silver screen By Tamela Maxim

When Martha Crapse, one of Bluffton’s first real estate brokers, heard there was trouble with the Gulf Oil commercial being shot on Hilton Head because a strong-willed Palomino was too much for the film crew and wouldn’t go near the ocean, she knew what to do. And, so after a phone call to Frances Griffeth, 15 year old Simone’s path to the silver screen was launched. Simone Griffeth, who had her first horse, Ginger, when she was only 7, was not afraid of stubborn horses. On day one of a three day shoot, the powerful horse, with Simone barefoot and bareback, raced over the dunes, reared up and headed for the ocean. If Simone’s stop-a-man’s-heart good looks, and horse whisperer charm weren’t enough future-paving good fortune, the commercial aired during one of the Apollo Space missions, setting the stage for dreams come true. Despite “instant fame” and offers for modeling and commercials in New York, Simone’s parents refused permission and their chomping-at-the-bit prodigy would have to wait until after college before they would acquiesce. Even when the call to Hollywood came, Mama Bear Frances Griffeth traveled with her daughter – and, on the film studio’s tab. So, just how did this down-to-pluff-mud Bluffton girl get from the Bluffton Slowcountry to the Hollywood Hills? How does a water-skiing, shrimp net throwing, shotgun shooting, fried squirrel for breakfast girl become Bluffton’s first movie star? Her parents had more to do with it than they probably realized. Good genes for beauty; ballet lessons from her mother; a Scot’s stubbornness; a southern gentleman father and gorgeous mother who would float downstairs for nights out in Vogue glamor and Chanel mist (the same woman who fried the squirrel). Simone’s acting debut was in a ballet as a cabbage in Mr. McGregor’s garden. She “wrote,” directed and performed in after dinner performances with brother Bob and at age 11, after seeing The Sound of Music in Savannah there was no turning back; her star was hitched.

18 www.blufftonbreeze.com

After the commercial on the beach, the starry-eyed

Simone began to dream about her future. She knew she needed an orbit for her star, but how, what, where and when? She thought she might like to be the next Jane Pauley or Diane Sawyer, but maybe being an actress would be more exciting. Her parents insisted that she attend college, so they packed her off to USC in Columbia, where she performed in theater and created and starred in her own children’s television show called “Rio” on the NBC affiliate WIS-TV. There were interviews, lots of children and animals, trips to the circus, rodeo --- it was challenging and fun. A monkey was once brought to the show and after taking one quick look at the lights, cameras and all the children, he flew under Simone’s cowgirl dress, wrapping tail, legs and arms around her limbs. Animals and children were cute, but Simone was ready to orbit somewhere bigger, brighter, faster and oh so very much more grown-up. She knew she wanted to go to New York and/or Los Angeles for television, commercials and film, but she chose big-city-enough Atlanta as her interim star incubator. She had enough common sense to know that unfamiliar ponds sometimes have big, mean alligators. Southern “gators” weren’t so bad, but she wasn’t sure about LA and New York. She moved to Atlanta after school in June and with the help of the Atlanta Models & Talent Agency, landed a starring role in the cult classic Swamp Girl, filmed in the Okefenokee Swamp. By February she had saved enough money and gained enough confidence to move to California where she acquired an agent and a little apartment. Picture 20 year old Simone in low riding hip hugger red corduroy bell bottoms and a skinny little striped top. She (and her mother) rented a convertible, drove to Santa Monica and had their first sighting of the Pacific Ocean at Malibu. They thrilled at being in a hotel with a revolving restaurant at the top.

When Simone saw L.A. she thought to herself, with exclamation points, “I love this place” The first famous person she worked with was Vincent Price on a Mattel toy commercial. She describes herself as starstruck, but trying hard not to show it. He told wonderful Dracula stories and was a charm-dripping gentleman. But, sometimes the famous people were not so nice and hardly resembled their on-screen personas. Simone had always been fascinated with “I Love Lucy’s,” Lucille Ball, but when she was sent for an audition on the Disney Ranch and the trailer door was opened by her idol, she was painfully disappointed. All Simone could think about was the Lucy she loved so dearly --- Lucy in the chocolate factory; Lucy and Ethel stomping grapes; Lucy who made the whole world belly laugh. But the real Lucy wore a bathrobe and had a turban on her head; was hard, driven, whiskey-voiced and not very lovable. And, no, Simone did not get the part. Actress Bea Arthur (“Maude”) was tough on screen and not so surprisingly also tough in person. Simone played the role of Bea’s spoiled daughter-inlaw in “Amanda’s by the Sea,” a television show based on Britain’s Fawlty Towers. Bea, who was going through a divorce (in real life), liked to strategically place screwdrivers – not the kind for carpentry - behind the 3 stage set so she could knock ‘em back at necessary intervals, plus she’d had a few before she got there. The show was canceled after airing only 10 of 13 episodes and when Simone’s agent secured another part for her in the new show “Golden Girls,” Simone told her agent, “Please hurry - make the deal before she finds out it’s me.” Bea, upon seeing Simone on the set barked in her dramatic, throaty boom, “OH (pause) YOU AGAIN! Is this an omen?” The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Simone may have graduated with honors from Masters Class in dealing with tough broads, but at least she escaped joining the zombie world of drugs and alcohol so common during the zany 70s and 80s. When her new friends tried to include her in the pill popping/nose snorting/orgy culture she would say, “Oh (laugh, sweet smile) I’m much too southern for that!” with slow southern drawl emphasis. Sylvester Stallone and Simone were in Death Race 2000 together with co-star David Carradine. Stallone kept talking about a script he’d written about a boxer and that he was going to star in the film. Even though all of the studios liked the script, they wouldn’t use Stallone as the star, but eventually he found a producer who mortgaged his home to do the movie and the low budget I-toldyou-so film “Rocky” was shot in only 28 days for about $1 million. One of Simone’s favorite leading men was Jeff Goldblum. She remembers him as tall, skinny and Ichabod-Crane-like. They took ballet together and he would usually forget his ballet shoes. His blacksocked feet looked like floppy bean bags as he did his entre chat trois – flip, flip, flip go the feet in the air. He was one of the guys who worked in a restaurant and smelled of garlic. Simone later played his fiancé, Bunny in Ten Speed & Brownshoe with Ben Vereen. When she saw him later (after the film, The Fly) Jeff’s transformation was impressive. He had developed a cool sophisticated look and it was obvious he’d been working out. Simone also loved playing undercover agent with Tom Selleck and had a wonderful two weeks filming in Hawaii. She had known him years before he ever played the Magnum P.I. role. They had done a Hanes pantyhose commercial together at the Harold Lloyd estate. They were dressed in 1920s costumes. Simone wore her own dress that she’d found in a thrift shop. The setting was a Great Gatsby-ish party with Tom and Simone coming down the staircase. Simone wore silver high heels and the scene was shot so many times that when she got off the plane in South Carolina to meet her parents, she hobbled on her blistered feet. Simone and Tom bumped into one another over the next few years at auditions and she especially remembers seeing

20 www.blufftonbreeze.com

him from a distance on the Universal lot wearing a white dress uniform. Simone, walked over to Tom. “What are you doing? You look like a million dollars!” Tom’s reply – “Oh, just another pilot.” When he told her about the show, she said, “If THIS one doesn’t sell, they need to have their heads examined!” And, as you have guessed by now – Simone was right and Magnum P.I. was one of the highest rated shows in the history of television. Other Simone stories: Another of her other favorite leading men was David Carradine who included a tribute to her in his book, Endless Highway. He once told her he was sorry that he’d never hit on her. Simone remembers working with William Shatner. He played the part of a Sergeant, but she would forget and call him Captain. She learned a little known trivia item about the Movie 10 from actor Robert Webber. He told her that the music Bolero was popular when he lived in New York – it was music to be played as you set your charms against a pretty girl along with a few strong drinks – thus the famous love scene in 10 is set to this “theme” music. Leslie Nielsen was known for always having a whoopee cushion handy. Simone learned magic from the famed magician Harry Blackstone for a part in a Mandrake, the Magician. She once baked a coconut cake for cigar smoking James Coburn that he wanted as a gift for his ballet dancer girlfriend; Simone said that James smoked so much during the cooking that it probably had a rather Cuban flavor. Simone has been very active this past year, including the second female lead as Sam Shepard’s wife in the film, Savannah and a recent commercial at the Biltmore mansion. She plays Barbara in the film, 10 Rules for Sleeping Around, a romantic comedy shot in Charlotte, NC directed by Leslie Greif. And, the movie The Untouched is a murder mystery set in Savannah, Georgia where she plays a shrewd calculating woman who is very ambitious for her son. Simone will be starting her next session of acting classes (for all ages) in early January and you can reach her at simonegriffeth@gmail.com or 843.384.4466 for more information.

we cate parti r large aes n small! d

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze B l u f f t o n B u l l e t i n B o a r d

Halo is a spirited girl who loves to play and enjoys jaunting around a yard. When you see that big smile on her face and tennis ball in her mouth you can’t help but fall in love. Let’s find her or another a home for Christmas. Call 843-645-1725 info@palmettoanimalleague.org

Hope and Encouragement Self-Improvement Resource Worship & Practical Bible application Food, clothing, shelter If you need assistance, contact us at 843-505-1538 www.myfathershousebluffton.org

Free Advice! Third Tuesdays Events Hosts a Panel of Experts in a Local “Shark Tank” Forum (Without Teeth) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. 400 Buckwalter Place. (843) 540-0405

“Island Vibes” a display of Quilts December 9 - February 28 Sponsored by Palmetto Quilt Guild

BLUFFTON CARES Haley Lawson is a graduate of Bluffton High School and is teaching in Uganda. She has reached out for help to purchase Book Bags and School Supplies for her 31 Children. Let’s show her that BLUFFTON CARES Please give a small amount to help. Call Sharon Brown at 368-6755 or The Breeze at 843-757-8877. Tax Deductible. Cards Accepted

22 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Farm fare from Bluffton and beyond, every Thursday 2pm to 7pm Farmers Market was voted the most celebrated Market in SC and 11th in the USA! For future announcements on the Bluffton Bulletin Board call the Breeze at 843 757 8877.

Congratulations to Bluffton High School Army ROTC Raiders National Champions

Broadway Back In Da' Woods Productions presents a full-stage musical "Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish" Friday, December 6 beginning at 7 pm. University of South Carolina in Beaufort.

Tuesdays from 2 - 6pm Buckwalter Place

The Chambers Non-Profit Committee hopes you remember the Local Charities during this month of Giving: Bluffton Area Community Association Bluffton Self-Help Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry God’s Goods Thrift Store Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity Hospice Care of the Lowcountry Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry Lowcountry Legal Volunteers Moss Creek Marines Osprey Village Programs for Exceptional People (PEP)

Rambler’sLife: TheSouthReloaded Michele Roldan-Shaw Book Signings & Readings Dec 1 2pm George & Lillian Heyward’s House Dec. 10 7pm - Corner Perk Dec. 12 6:30pm Vineyard 55 Dec. 14 2-4pm ArtWorks in Beaufort Dec. 18 6pm Picture This Gallery, Hilton Head www.ramblerslife.com The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze O V E R T H E B R I D G E S *Wheelchair accessible event.

BEAUFORT *Dec. 5 CELTIC CHRISTMAS CONCERT Harry O’Donoghue and Carroll Brown present a lively program filled with spiritual, Celtic, and traditional seasonal songs, complimented by stories and Irish recitations. Beaufort County ArtWorks, 379-2787, 2127 Boundary St., Beaufort (K-Mart Plaza). 7:30 pm $12 (Group of 10 $10, Kids $5) *Dec.5 & 8 FA-LA-LA-LA-LA Winter Holiday Concert, Beaufort Symphony Orchestra. Purchase in advance online at TIX. com or by calling 800-595-4849. USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. Thurs. 7:30 pm, Sun. 3 pm $37.50 *Dec. 13-15 A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES Welshman Peter Townes presents holiday nostalgia at its best. Learn who the Welsh are, including the difference between the Welsh and the Irish, Scots, Picts, and the Bloody English! Beaufort County ArtWorks, 379-2787, 2127 Boundary St., Beaufort (K-Mart Plaza). Fri. & Sat. 7:30 pm, Sun. 3 pm $12 (Group of 10 $10, Kids $5) *Dec. 15 USCB FESTIVAL SERIES Music for strings and clarinet by Antonin Dvořák, David Bruce, George Gershwin, and W.A. Mozart. USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. Call 208-8246 Mon.-Fri. for tickets or purchase at the door. 5pm $40, $45, $50 *Dec. 19-22 HONKY TONK ANGELS HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR Three good ole country gals provide many surprising twists and turns in this musical comedy revue, including a gospel soul sister who also happens to be a psychic manicurist! USCB Center for the Arts (Purchase Now), 521-4145, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. Thurs.-Sat. 7:30 pm, Sun. 3 pm $20-$25 (Seniors $18-$20, Students $10-$15)

HILTON HEAD ISLAND *Dec. 2 JOY TO THE WORLD Eric Tsai on violin with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, 842-2055, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy. (278), HHI. 4 & 8 pm $25, 40, 50

24 www.blufftonbreeze.com

*Dec. 7 CHRISTMAS ON BROADWAY ballBreeze O V E R presented T H E B RbyI DtheG EFred S AAstaire room dance showcase Dance Studio, 837-6161, Seahawk Cultural Center, H.H. High School, 70 Wilborn Rd. 7 pm $22 (Kids $15)

Sat. Dec.7th THE HERB SOCIETY OF HILTON HEAD from 10AM to 1PM in the Courtyard of Pineland Station (Highway 278 and Mathews Drive), will hold their semi-annual sale of quality herb plants and Herb Society products which includes French Market Soup Mix, Curry, Flavored Vinegars, Jellies, Bouquet Garni, Herbs and Flowers Note Cards and more. All profits from the sale are donated to local charities. For further information, call (843) 363-6602 *Dec. 13 THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS is an Island tradition offering something for everyone’s musical taste. The chorus continues its love affair with Dave Brubeck celebrating Christmas as only a jazz legend can. Hilton Head Choral Society and Orchestra, 341-3818, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy. (278), HHI. 8 pm $25 (Reserved $30) *Dec. 18 THE MOST HATED MAN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY Learn about William Henry Brisbane, one the state’s most passionate defenders of the “peculiar institution” in his proslavery newspaper, from the pulpit, or in public speeches and debates For adult audience only. Coastal Discovery Museum Calendar, 689-6767 ext. 223 (reservations required), 70 Honey Horn Dr., HHI. 3 pm $7 *Dec. 25 OUR COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER A traditional turkey buffet at no charge for residents and visitors away from their loved ones. Donations for food and supplies may be mailed to the Christmas Dinner, P.O. Box 541, Bluffton, SC 29910. Guests’ free-will offerings go to “Meals on Wheels” and “Second Helpings.” Reservations are encouraged, call 843-705-5725 or 843-304-1086, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy. (278), HHI. 11 am-3 pm Free *Dec. 4-29 42ND STREET With show-stopping dance numbers performed to such classics as “We’re in the Money,” and “Lullaby of Broadway,” this quintessential tap-dancing show features one dazzling scene after another! Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 842-2787, 17 Shelter Cove Lane, HHI. Tues.-Sat. 8 pm, Sun. 2 pm $45, 55 (Kids $31, 37)

SAVANNAH

BLUFFTON

Nov. 29-Dec.1, Dec. 5-8, Dec. 12-15, Dec. 18-Jan. 1 SAVANNAH HARBOR FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS A spectacular holiday adventure! The drive-through light experience will showcase over 80 larger-than-life displays. The Staples Safari Zoo will showcase wonderful, exotic animals from around the world. Savannah Harbor Foundation, Hutchinson Island. 5:30-10 pm $25 per automobile Parking for the winter village at no additional charge.

Dec. 7 BLUFFTON’S CHRISTMAS PARADE Enjoy its State of Mind! Town of Bluffton, 706-4500. Starts 11 am along Bridge St. from M. C. Riley School, up Calhoun St., over May River Rd., and ends on Pin Oak St. Free

*Dec. 4-8, 11-15 Join our walk on THE JOURNEY to Bethlehem. Cross the Sea of Galilee to the market-place. This memorable production is on the grounds of the Savannah Christian Church. Dress prepared to walk roughly 3/10 of a mile on a cleared path through the woods. (A tram is available for people with special needs.) SCCJourney.com, 912-925-9657, 55 Al Henderson Blvd., Sav. 6-8 pm $5 *Dec. 1-26 A CHRISTMAS TRADITION Holiday glitz and glitter! Christmas standards you know and love, sprinkled with comedy and audience participation for a great seasonal event. Savannah Theatre, 912-233-7764, 222 Bull St. Tues.-Fri. 8 pm, Sat. 3 & 8 pm, Sun. 3 pm, Mon. 12/23 8 pm, Tues. 12/24 2 pm (no show Christmas day) $37.45 (Group of 20 $30, Coupon $34.24, Kids $18.19) *Dec. 13-14 HOLIDAY POPS Sing-along carols, Nutcracker excerpts, Skaters Waltz, Sleigh Ride, O Holy Night, Hallelujah Chorus. Savannah’s favorite holiday concert with The Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra. SCAD Box Office, 912-525-5050, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 912233-4709, 222 East Harris St., Sav. 7:30 pm $36, 60, 100 *Dec. 27-30 JUKEBOX JOURNEY Popular music and professional choreography from the 1940’s to the present are presented in a colorful and fast-moving production filled with lavish costumes and comedic skits. Savannah Theatre, 912233-7764, 222 Bull St. Fri., Sat. & Mon. 8 pm, Sun. 3 pm $37.45 (Group of 20 $30, Coupon $34.24, Kids $18.19) Jan. 4 ELVIS LIVES is an unforgettable multi-media and live musical journey across Elvis’ life. Featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises’ worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, as well as a tribute to Ann-Margret. Johnny Mercer Theatre at the Savannah Civic Center, Broadway in Savannah, 912-651-6550, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. 8 pm $30-50 (plus fees)

*Dec. 12 LUNCH WITH AUTHOR: CLAY RICE, one of the foremost silhouette artists in the world. He will serenade us with some of his original songs and make a silhouette of you to be placed in one of his books. USCB Lunch With Author, reserve at 521-4147, Moss Creek Clubhouse, HHI. Noon $42 (includes lunch)

*Dec. 14 METOPERA – LIVE! presents Verdi’s “FALSTAFF”! Cinemark, 757-2859, 106 Buckwalter Pkwy., Bluffton. 12:55 pm $24 (Seniors $22) Encore: Dec 18, 6:30 pm $22 (Seniors $20) *Dec. 15 BETHLEHEM’S CHILD – A cantata by Victor C. Johnson and Lloyd Larson, performed by the Chancel Choir, with the Wesley Ringers (bell choir). Bluffton United Methodist Church, 757-3351, 101 Calhoun St. 8:45 & 11:00 am Free-will offering Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. Kahlil Gibran

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

The Heroes of Sun City

A tribute from the Bluffton Breeze The world wars are long gone, but we are not without global conflict. The new war is more random. It takes place in the mountains of Afghanistan and in cities across the world. It is characterized by enemies who do not play by any rules. That unreal day of 9-11 symbolizes how a single tragic event is able to bring out the resolve of a nation. And for that reason it will always be remembered. December is when we remember Pearl Harbor. A different era. A different war. A seemingly long time ago. This was an event that we were equally unprepared for. A moment that symbolizes the will of all Americans to rise up and fight for what is right, and do it with total commitment. So we would like to use December to honor an individual that captures the spirit of war heroism. For our readers at Sun City, please forgive us. You know all about Arnold Rosen and what he writes. Many of you have been the subject of his writings. But we believe the world should know. Because he has made the sacrifice (beyond serving in our armed forces) of chronicling the amazing stories of our veterans. The titles of two riveting books,“Keeping Memories Alive” and “Before It’s Too Late” make his purpose clear ... and it is quite remarkable that all of his stories come from people living in Sun City. When you read these books you will be reminded how war brings out amazing facets of human nature. You will laugh, cry and sit on the edge of your seats in suspense. You will appreciate the bravery of these men and women by the simple truth that they were the very, very lucky ones that made it back. Mr. Rosen is a great writer, interviewer and editor. He makes it easy for us to soak in the heroism. He also makes it clear that the heroes of war are not just those in the front line, but all those who came together in support of the cause. He is extremely sensitive in his work. As he says in one of his introductions, “One of the greatest privileges I’ve had in my five years living in Sun City has been meeting so many veterans. Their aging bodies may be frail, their faces may be lined with wrinkles and marked with age spots, but they tell their stories with pride and humility”. Here are just a few snippets of the stories he shares: (Note the titles are ours.)

26 www.blufftonbreeze.com

The Immense Loss I got up early Sunday morning, December 7 1941. ... still a little groggy after a late night party. I walked out on the fantail ... and noticed huge splashes in the water around us. I asked the OD “What the hell is going on here?” He said, “Oh that’s them old PBYs of ours dropping water bombs.” About that time I hear the roar of engines and bullets were flying everywhere, ricocheting off the decks and walls. We saw the low-flying Japanese torpedo planes all around us and the OD and I dove down the hatch ... another sailor and I went to the armament room and found a .30 caliber machine gun. We didn’t have anything else, most of the guns and ammo had been removed the day before because of the visit -- get this -- of some foreign ministers and a deputy ambassador of Japan. We were like sitting ducks -- flags, banners, awnings -but not guns or ammo. My sailor buddy tried to get that machine gun to work but we couldn’t; it never had been fired. I looked north across the channel and saw the battleship Arizona destroyed and sinking in a fiery blaze ... I could hear the moans of the wounded and dying around me, and curses of men who flailed helplessly at the Japanese. Edmund (Gene) McGuire

The Hardship My worst memories of combat were trying to survive from the cold. I was cold, cold, cold! We couldn’t carry much equipment in our backpack for warmth. I didn’t have a heavy coat, just a field jacket and I was freezing. The Army tried to ship us overcoats but they never arrived. We just had to huddle together to keep warm. I remember taking off my paratroop boots on night. My buddy told me, “Don’t do that, Bob, you’ll freeze!” But my feet were so cold I took my boots off anyway to rub my feet. The next morning the boots were frozen solid and it took a long time to soften them up to get them back on. I’m still cold, after all these years! It’s up here (Bob points to his head.) Bob Holly He left on our fourth wedding anniversary when he got his notice to serve. I was six months pregnant and they gave him a deferent until the baby was born. We had our first and only child, Arla, in March 1943. What was ahead of me? I was frightened ... I remember crying all day trying to figure out a budget of $78 a month. Where would I live and how would I care for the baby? Allotment checks were the same every month, although there was one stretch where I didn’t get a cent from August to February. I thought we were going to starve! When I finally got the back money, it was like hitting the lottery. Jean and Sylvester Crumlich

Mixed Fortunes The pilot shouted for us to get ready for a crash landing. I quickly strapped our radio operator into his seat, opened the ceiling escape hatch and fell to the floor bracing my back against the pilot’s bulkhead. My future looked bleak. I didn’t know of a single survivor from any past B-26 crash. Yet I felt strangely peaceful. My only regret was for my parents, as I pictured them receiving the inevitable ”missing in action” and, later, “killed in action” notices. The plane smashed into the Maas River at 250 miles an hour and split in half on impact. The front section sank like a submarine in a few seconds. I was underwater but able to stand on the plane’s floor and push our radio operator out of the hatch ahead of me. We struggled to the surface fore air. In a moment, our pilot and co-pilot burst to the surface and the four of us swam towards shore. Our turret and tail gunners never made it out of the Marauder. When we reached the river’s bank, a young German officer was waiting. He pointed his rifle at us and in perfect English stated: “For you I think the war is over.” Jim Howel The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Clothing

Shoes

Accessories

SIZES: Ä&#x20AC;ÄĄÄ Ä&#x2021;Ĺ?Ĺ?Ĺ?Ĺ?Ĺ? AGE: Yours!

Recipe

â&#x20AC;Ś to a great holiday outfit!

! IGHerT IES N LAD y ev of ay rst Wednesd the fi 8 pm month from 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

DECEMBER 4TH: Guest, Weniger Plastic Surgery

featuring Colorscience Pro make-up LIBATIONS, REFRESHMENTS & LIGHT FARE

40 Calhoun StreetĹ?Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ĺ? ( Ĺ? +3*Ĺ? (1ĂťĹ?0+*Ĺ?Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ĺ? +* 5Ĺ?Ä˘Ĺ? 01. 5Ĺ?Ĺ?Ä Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ?ÄĄĹ?Ä&#x2021;

FACEBOOK US! @ Gigi'sBluffton

28 www.blufftonbreeze.com

843.815.4450

I was sharing a foxhole I dug with my buddy, Robert Young. We covered it with logs and branches. One night it was late and we didn’t have time to cover the hole, we just hunkered down in our sleeping bags and suddenly awoke to an artillery barrage. A tree, hit by a shell, burst and landed on my buddy. It killed him instantly. I reached over and tried to revive him but he wasn’t moving. I was in shock. Bob Holly

The Unexpected

(My Dad) and his crew suddenly sustained a tremendous explosion. The tank crew didn’t know what hit them. It was an 88 round that pierced the front armor plate. Everyone else in his tank got killed, but luckily Dad, in the turret, got blown clear. During the attack he was wounded in his leg by a bullet. The doctor told him to put in for a Purple Heart award but he denied the incident—he never admitted he got shot, nor did he ever tell me he got shot until about 2000. “Yeah,” he said, “I got shot. (But) I never really told anybody.” He pointed to his leg and showed me his scar. He turned down a Purple Heart because, he said, the wound wasn’t bad enough. George Hawley in the words of his son, Wayne

We worked in a secure building at Bainbridge Island, intercepting and copying Japanese transmissions. These messages were from shore to ship or ship to ship. The high-powered antennas allowed us to listen in to their broadcasts throughout most of the Pacific Ocean. After a while, you got to know the particular idiosyncrasies of the sender and could identify him without having met him. I would copy the same sender for a long time, which had a real advantage because you just knew (especially if he had a stutter in his transmission) who he was. On my last day the Japanese sender broke into English (in Morse code): “SAVE O SAVE! WE ARE SINKING!” His ship was in the midst of battle and it was going down. I almost felt like I was losing a friend. Elaine Barlett We had Christmas dinner on the line and I remember that I got about 20 packages, which I opened and shared with everybody. The Germans were on a hill near us and they were singing Christmas carols in German and we were on anther hill—we could hear them. Bob Holly The Air Corps sent us to Hunter Field in Savannah, Georgia and we picked up a “spanking new” B-25 bomber ... (they) had the WASP (Women’s Air Force Service Plots) ferry planes from the factories to stateside military bases. These women flew every airplane in the USAAF’s inventory, including half of all pursuit planes delivered during the war. I would see a tiny, 100 pound woman sitting in the cockpit of one of these big four-engine bombers. It was an amazing sight! George Scuffos

The Humor The captain ordered all crew to abandon ship. There were 2,000 of us in the water ... Some were in rafts: many others were floating aimlessly. We had an executive officer who was a regulation guy, a stickler for proper uniform attire. White socks were a ‘no-no’ for him. Everyone had to wear black socks. There was a fireman in the water with us, an Olympic swimmer. Our stickler exec was on the life raft with 20 other guys who were all standing up. The raft was under water. They yelled to the swimmer, ‘Come on aboard!’ The fireman yelled back, ‘I can’t! I got white socks on!’ And away he went. Bud Ledbetter The government was drafting men into the Marines, Army and Navy. When Jim arrived, they had four lines—Marine, Navy, Army and Coast Guard. They placed him in the Marine Corps line. Jim asked the guy alongside, “Do you want to go into the Marines?” “Yeah!” he said. They switched places and that is how Jim entered the Navy. James Capossela The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

The Humor (cont’d) I went back to Guam for R&R. That was a joke! They packed us a lunch -- sandwiches, cokes and a couple of beers. We played softball with the crew of another ship for about 3 or 4 innings and then they chased us back to our ship to make room for another crew coming in for R&R. Robert (Buddy) MacMillan When his children asked (Major General Close) what his medals were for, he explained as he pointed to them. “This one was for brushing my teeth every day; this one was for polishing my shoes and this one for making the bed.” Winton Close

The Romance Mildred Pickers was a nurse at the Perth Amboy hospital, when I arrived. The surgery was successful. While I was recovering I was attended by several other nurses. One morning I had the following exchange with another nurse: “You Know Miss Pickers? I want to take her out for a date!!” “No, I don’t think so!” “Will you ask her?” “No, not me!” “You ask her” “No!” I finally told her (halfheartedly in jest), “You ask her today. If you don’t I’m going to grab hold of you!” Mildred walked into the room and said to me, “I hear you want a date with me?” I said, “Yeah; what’s wrong with that? She says, “Nothing; but I’m too old for you; I’m older than you are!” “So what; I don’t care. I still want to go out with you.” I was in the hospital for about a week. A day before I was to be discharged, I asked her, “Do we have a date?” She says, “Oh, all right!” We were married for 59 years. John Hango

The Kindness I was hiding about an hour when a very elderly woman, maybe about 90 years old, came into the barn. But she was tall and strong, carrying what appeared to be buckets. She came within 25 to 30 feet from where I was hiding; I wondered whether or not to stay put. I decided to step forward and hope for the best. I stepped into view and from my pack pulled out the little American flag the Air Corps had given us to identify ourselves. I waved the flag and said, “American, American!” On seeing me she dropped her buckets and came charging right towards me. She grabbed me under the armpits, picked me up off the ground and bounced me in unbridled joy while my feet never touched the ground. She took me into the farm house where the rest of the family lived, and they broke out some wine and cheese and called a neighbor over and started a little celebratory party on my behalf. Sam Najarian One day during The Death March my dad noticed a farm house way off in the distance. He saw someone coming from the farm house towards the ragged line of 10,000 marchers stretching across 20 miles. As the person walked closer my dad saw that it was an old woman, in that freezing weather, with a pot of tea in one hand and a cup and a saucer in the other. She walked up to one of the GIs and said to him, “Would you like a cup of tea?” One normally would think, how does that help—helping just one man? But it was a gesture, a symbol that ... inspired the men who saw it as a single act of kindness. Jim Hoel

The Dedication He never regretted his military service. “If I hadn’t been married, “ he said, “I would have stayed in. I’m just thankful to be here. I served my country, survived the war and am happy to be in Sun City.” Charles Burton

30 www.blufftonbreeze.com

It’s hard to hide a Chef’s passion. For 17 years our Chefs have shown their passion in the finest beef dishes from the rotisserie and taste sensations from the catch of the day. Sit at the Chef’s counter and watch the fun. Or sit back and be served with perfection. Welcome to the Chef’s place.

By Michele Roldán Shaw

Sigler’s Rotisserie & Seafood, 12 Sheridan Park Circle 843 815 5030

WE MAKE BIKING EASY

We offer much more than all the great bikes. We’ll get your bike perfectly in tune. Do all the safety checks. So you have peace of mind on the road. And you’ll ride off like never before. New and used bikes, parts, services, tune ups, group rides.

THE BLUFFTON BIKE SHOP 4 Oliver Court 843 706 2473 Blufftonbicycleshop.com

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze W i n e W i t h i n R e a c h

Champagne? Or not. By Michael Mavrogordato With the holiday season upon us I thought it would be appropriate to cover sparkling wines. Besides being my wife’s favorite category (I must therefore tread carefully!) wines such as champagne are associated with celebrations, and when served, they take on special meaning? Why is this? What makes these wines so special? First, a quick tutorial. The sparkling in the wine comes from fermenting the wine twice. There are two methods for this process, one expensive, and one cheap. The expensive method requires that the second fermentation be made in the bottle. This is called the “methode champenoise”, and is the only method used for French champagne, Spanish cava, and select California sparkling wines (usually identified on the label as the traditional method). The cheaper method uses pressurized stainless steel tanks to finish off the fermentation. All Italian sparkling wines such as asti spumante, prosseco, moscato, lambrusco are made this way. To complicate matters further, the double fermentation is accomplished by adding yeast and sugar to create even more sugar and carbon dioxide. This alchemy continues with choosing and the mixing the varietals (the cuvee) to create the style and sweetness of the wine, which can go from bone-dry (brut) to sickly sweet (doux). My firm recommendation is to stick to brut or extra dry for all sparkling wines. And then comes the glass in which to serve a sparkling wine. These wines must be served in a flute glass if they are to retain their character. Old-fashioned coupe glasses allow too much of the carbonation to dissipate and will render the wine flat. Sparkling wines can be red, white or rose. Avoid the reds such as moscato, and lambrusco because what is sent to the US is dreadful. The whites and rose are another story so let’s begin with champagne: If you see champagne on the label, it will be French from the champagne region, which is roughly 100 miles NE of Paris. No sparkling wine from any other law-abiding country can label their sparkling wine as champagne. The varietals will be predominantly chardonnay, pinot meunier and in many cases pinot noir (without the skin). Pink champagne uses pinot

32 www.blufftonbreeze.com

noir with a quick pressing of the skins to add the color. This is the easy part because when it comes to evaluating champagne using my three pillars for a white wine (fruit, acidity and alcohol), I have a problem but so do the pundits. As you can now appreciate, champagne (or any sparkling wine) is the result of serious tinkering by serious winemakers, who in turn will make a wine that will inevitably fall into one of two camps: light and crisp or full-bodied and creamy. This dichotomy of styles drives the pundits crazy because they prefer the latter, while consumers prefer the former and so do I. My favorite pundit propaganda for a full-bodied champagne describes Krug (a truly venerable French house not to be confused with the American label) as: “The Krug Grande Cuvee is a smoky, intense wine, with layer upon layer of coffee, roasted nut, golden piecrust, ripe apple, honey and spice flavors; perfectly poised. “ This same reviewer, who had the extraterrestrial ability to find golden piecrust in wine, then proceeded to award a 96-point rating! This is absurd because this is not what champagne, or any sparkling wine is about. Sparkling wines should be associated with elegance, lightness, and subtle flavors which are then heightened by the tingling feeling from carbonation. With this in mind, let’s see what I found in Bluffton. I began my search looking for my favorite champagne, Pommery. Alas, this label is little known in the US, much less in Bluffton, but I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of other sparkling wines available. I settled on four, each very representative of their respective region. Moet & Chandon Brut Imperiale ($60 @ Belfair Wine)

I could have chosen any of the great French labels ( Pol Roger, Veuve Clicquot, Roederer, Perrier Jouet, Taittinger etc.) but this wine has really stood the test of time. It is a “can’t go wrong” quintessential champagne, and unlike other producers, they have resisted the temptation to please the pundits by making it more full-bodied and creamy. This is a beautifully balanced wine : delicate, crisp, hints of fruit ( pear),

reasonably light with a long bubbly finish. It is a “mood” wine, and for the right occasion it will shine well beyond its price.

This is a seriously good wine. Bone-dry, assertively crisp, with good structure, and very refreshing. A great buy!

Domaine Carneros 2009 (Taittinger) ($26 @ Bill’s) Several famous French producers copy their champagnes in California but they can’t label it as champagne. The Taittinger entry, Domaine Carneros, is a good facsimile of the French version and it sells for half the price of the original. However, if you are a part of the ABC (anything but chardonnay) movement, you will not like this wine. The chardon-

Prosecco Santa Margherita ($ 20 @ Big Jim’s) I must confess that I have always been a fan of prosecco, and this one is very good. Of all the wines reviewed, this probably the most delicate. It is so light, dry and airy that it invites you to sip it forever, and at the same time, it has enough fruit (peach and apple) to keep it interesting. If you want to kick this wine up a notch, add a little peach nectar. This

nay is obvious, protruding fruit (pears, again) with a full-bodied, creamy background. In short, if you want to taste something in vogue with the pundits and on the cheap, this is a good choice.

aperitif, known as the Bellini, and made famous by Harry’s Bar in Venice, leaves the ubiquitous Mimosa in the dust.

Elyssia Grand Cuvee Brut ($20 @ Big Jim’s) Spanish cava will always be the dark horse of a tasting. When a wine is associated with college parties, major cork popping, and other nefarious behavior, it is tough to earn respect. This cava is the exception!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Final tip: never pop or explode the cork of a sparkling wine. Besides being dangerous, it will deplete the carbonation instantly. Instead, carefully remove the wire cage, and twist the cork slowly until you hear a hiss.

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze RRestaurant Breeze e s t a u r a n t GGuide uide AMIGO’S, MEXICAN BELFAIR TOWN VILLAGE 815-8226 MON-SAT 11-9

CORNER PERK, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, COFFEE, TEA BRUIN & BURNT CHURCH 816-5674 M-F 7AM-4PM SAT 8AM-3PM, SUN 9AM-2PM

BLUFFTON BBQ**, BARBEQUE PORK & RIBS PROMENADE 757-RIBS WED THU FRI SAT 11-Whenever

DIMARE’S STEAKHOUSE & ITALIAN CUICINA BLUFFTON RD 815-6900 TUES – SAT 4:30 -10PM

BLUFFTON FAMILY SEAFOOD HOUSE** 27 DR. MELLICHAMP DR. 757-0380 LUNCH/DINNER MON-SAT 11-9

DOWNTOWN DELI, BURGERS& SANDWICHES DR MELLINCAMP 815-5005 MON-SAT 8-3

BRITISH OPEN PUB, PUB, SEAFOOD, STEAKS SUN CITY & SHERIDAN PARK 705-4005 MON-SUN 8-9 SUN BRUNCH 8-1

FUJIYAMA, SUSHI/ASIAN CUISINE BI-LO CENTER 706-9907 MPN-TH 11AM-10PM, F/S 11AM-10:30PM, SUN 12-10PM

BUFFALO’S, CONTEMPORARY PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6630 LUNCH MON-SAT 11-4

GUISEPPI’S, ITALIAN KITTIES CROSSING 842-8333 MON-SAT 11AM-10PM SUN 11 AM-9PM

CAHILL’S CHICKEN KITCHEN**, SOUTHERN HIGHWAY 46, 757-2921 LUNCH MON-SAT 11-3 SUPPER THU-FRI-SAT 5-9 SAT BREAKFAST 7-12 SUN BRUNCH 9-3

GRUBY’S, NEW YORK DELI OKATIE VILLAGE DRIVE 705-4190 SUN-MON 8AM-8PM

CAPTAIN WOODY’S**, SEAFOOD, SANDWICH, SALADS PROMENADE 757-6222 MON-SUN 11 - 10

INN AT PALMETTO BLUFF, CONTINENTAL PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6500 DAILY 7AM -10PM

CLAUDE & ULI’S BISTRO**, FRENCH MOSS CREEK VILLAGE 837-3336 MON-SAT LUNCH & DINNER

KATIE O’DONALD’S, IRISH AMERICAN KITTIES CROSSING 815-5555 MON-SUN 11AM-2PM

CORKS WINE CO.,CONTEMPORY, TAPAS THE PROMENADE, 815 5169 MON 5-10 TUES -SAT 5 -MIDNIGHT

KOBE STEAKHOUSE, JAPANESE/SUSHI PLANTATION PARK 757-6688 LUNCH (EXCEPT SUNDAY), DINNER

**For more information see ad in the magazine

LA HACIENDA, MEXICAN KITTIES CROSSING 815-4540 MON-THU 11-10 FRI 11-10:45

34 www.blufftonbreeze.com

MAY RIVER GRILL**, SEAFOOD/CONTEMPORARY MAY RIVER RD., OLD TOWN 757-5755 MON-SAT 5-9 DINNER TUE-FRI 11:30-2 LUNCH MOON MI PIZZA 15 State of Mind Street 757-7007 Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM MI TIERRA, MEXICAN DR. MELLINCHAMP 757-7200 MON-THU 11-9 FRI-SAT 11-10 MULBERRY STREET TRATTORIA, ITALIAN HWY 278 837-2426 TUE-SAT 11-3 & 5-10 SUN 10:30-9 OKATIE ALE HOUSE, AMERICAN SUN CITY 706-2537 LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK

SAKE HOUSE, BEST BUY PLAZA ASIAN FUSION/SUSHI 706-9222 11:30AM-10PM, SUN FROM 12PM SIGLER’S ROTISSERIE & SEAFOOD, SHERIDAN PARK CONTEMPORARY 815-5030 MON-SAT 4:30-9:30 SIPPIN COW CAFÉ**, DELI SANDWICHES/SWEETS MAY RIVER ROAD 757-5051 TUES – SAT 7AM – 3PM, SUN 9AM – 2PM SUGAREE, BAKERY BURNT CHURCH & BRUIN RD. 290-8585 MON-SAT 6 AM-3PM TAVERN 46, AMERICAN BLUFFTON ROAD 815-2327 MON-FRI 11AM-11PM SAT-SUN 9:30AM-9:30PM

OLD TOWN DISPENSARY, CALHOUN STREET 837-1893 MON-SAT 11AM-2AM SUNDAY BRUNCH

THE COTTAGE, BREAKFAST & LUNCH CALHOUN STREET 757.0508 BR. 8-11AM, LUNCH 11:30 - 3PM, SUN 8-2PM

PINO GELATO CAFE, CONTEMPORARY, DESERTS BRIDGE CENTER 837-2633 MON- SUN 12PM-10PM

TRUFFLE’S, CONTEMPORARY BELFAIR VILLAGE 815-5551 DAILY 11AM-10PM LUNCH & DINNER

POUR RICHARD’S**, CONTEMPORARY BLUFFTON PARKWAY 757-1999 MON-SAT 5:30 - 10

VINEYARD 55, 757-9463 CALHOUN STREET CONTEMPORARY MON-TUES 4-CLOSE WED-SAT 11-CLOSE

R&D WINE BOUTIQUE, WINE & FOOD BEST BUY PLAZA 837-3747 THURS TO SAT, 11:30AM TO 9PM

WALNUTS, CONTEMPORARY SHERATON PARK 815-2877 MON-FRI 8AM-3PM SUN 10AM-3PM

RUAN THAI CUISINE, AUTHENTIC THAI BELFAIR TOWN VILLAGE 706-3636 M0N-SAT 11-3 LUNCH -MON-SUN 4:30-10 DINNER

WILD WING CAFÉ, PLATTERS, SALADS, SANDWICHES HWY. 278 837-WILD DAILY 11-1:30 AM

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Christmas Joy

Strands of decorative lights shone softly from the tree

casting a romantic glow across the room. An old vinyl copy of White Christmas played quietly. The presents were wrapped and placed strategically throughout the room ready for the big morning. Seven stockings hung from the mantle laden with goodies, one for each member of the family, pets too. All that was left was for Betsy and jolly ole me was to finish off a glass of cabernet sauvignon and head to our big warm bed. “Dinner was superb babe” I said turning to kiss my wife on the head. However, before I could make the connection I heard an odd creak and saw a flash of light from the corner of my eye. What happened next was a mixture of involuntary reaction and futile attempt at saving the day. Betsy leapt forward to grab the tree as it fell, I pulled back to miss getting hit, we crashed into one another as both glasses of wine tumbled from our grasp onto the couch. We both ended up under the toppled tree. For a second it seemed as if time stopped. Slowly sound began to creep back in. I could hear Betsy giggling, the record still played soft and low, our dog was panting on the other side of our pine prison. I must admit an expletive escaped my lips when I visualized the mess we had on our hands. “Dang Dog!” I blurted out “I bet that mutt did this trying to drink water from the stand.” I attempted to get up, causing fragile ornaments to clang together loudly. “Honey” Betsy replied still giggling, “hush or you’ll wake the kids!” I fumed “wake the kids! You have to be kidding me!”

36 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Written by Gene Cashman III

Sure enough, a wee small voice could be heard at the top of the steps. “Mommy” the voice called out softly. There was a long pause and then quickly “daddy?” We both held our breath. “Santa” the voice called out much louder and more enthused “is that you?” I turned to Betsy, we locked eyes and communicated in ways only couples with young kids can. We sprung into action. I bear hugged the tree and rolled it off Betsy who leapt over the edge of the couch and sprinted up the stairs. I was alone with the soft music, the mangled but still romantic lighting, two arm full’s of sappy limbs and the dog. The dog knew I was ticked. She stared at me, tail between the legs. I propped up the tree against the wall and begin sopping up the wine. Upstairs, it seems things were not settling down. I could hear several sets of footsteps scurrying about,Written excited by voices chirped and lights flipped on and off. I decided to stop cleaning and assist in calming thingsCashman down. By the time I arrived at the top of the stairs and into the children’s room all the kids were piled up in my son’s single bed, Betsy in the middle, reading The Night Before Christmas. Soft lamplight shown on their cherubic faces. My heart became more tender and my mood less stressed. “Ahh” my heart sighed “what gift’s!” A creak of the floor gave my presence away. “Daddy, Daddy” they exclaimed excitedly “we thought we heard Santa, it woke us up!” I smiled and plopped down on the end of the bed. Betsy winked and started to read again only to be quickly interrupted by our son. “Daddy” he said sternly “don’t turn on the alarm tonight. I don’t want Santa to get taken to jail.” We all had a good laugh “no problem son.” Restless and excited children take time to unwind on a random Tuesday much less Christmas Eve. We repeated our prayers, giggled some more, read a lot more, and sang every soothing Christmas song ever written. Finally the wave of emotion broke. With one final story and one last rendition of Away in a Manger sleepy eyes were fully restored. Peeling the children off us was a task but we managed and slowly crawled our way out of the room. “Mommy, daddy” our daughter called out. We froze thinking things were about to start back up, but instead she whispered, “Merry Christmas, I love you.” It was now very late. It had been a full day and now and even fuller evening. We came down the steps heavy footed knowing what was waiting in the den. The tree was propped up against the couch, which was still soaked

with two glasses of red wine. Presents were crushed and wrapping paper torn. We were confronted with recreating the perfect Christmas morning scene or cleaning up the wine, staking the tree down and calling it a night. “You know” Betsy said, “what we just had was pretty special.” I stared tiredly at her waiting for the punch line. “To have all of us in bed together, that was really a sweet moment.” I nodded in agreement. “You put up the tree, I’ll get the Oxyclean and I will meet you in bed in fifteen.” She kissed my cheek before bouncing off to the laundry room.

I awoke to an empty bed. It was early, barely light out. I assumed Betsy had gotten up before me to feed the baby and tidy up some more. I could not hear any footsteps upstairs running about. I thought it odd, but figured they’d been up late and were still racked out in bed. Nevertheless, I knew I’d be needed in the den so the festivities could begin whenever they did wake up. Betsy met me with a cup of coffee at our bedroom door y Gene and a smile. “Shh” she said, “follow me.” A mother’s III joy was painted across the corners of her face. When I rounded the corner of the den I saw the source of that joy. There on the couch, the children wrapped in blankets and pillows curled up with the dog and the cat. All sound asleep. On the coffee table a note, “dear santa” it read, “we love you.” A father’s joy quickly spread across my face. I hugged my wife “Merry Christmas.” She smiled “ yep, best gifts in the whole world.”

Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas” in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve. The poem ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the creation of the story of ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeer! The author of the poem, was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Lulabelle In The Low Country Hey Y’all! I am loving this wonderful weather! Time to get the recipe books out and search for something new for the holidays, along with a steaming cup of hot cocoa. This recipe makes an adorable Christmas cookie that’s perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange party, or one to make and share with friends and family. The colors are so pretty and I think these will make a beautiful and delicious treat that the whole family will love! Merry Christmas from Lulabelle! No Christmas is complete without your favorite Fruitcake. It comes in many sizes and shapes and there are even more recipes. We came up with a list of things that you can do with your left over cakes after the holidays are over.

Use as a doorstop Use as a paperweight Use to clean your pots and pans Use as boat anchor Use as bricks in fireplace Build a house with them Use it to hold up your Christmas tree Use as a pencil holder Give it to the cat for a scratching post Put it in the back yard to feed the birds Hold up your car when changing tires Slice and use for poker chips Use it to carve your turkey on Use the fruit for monopoly pieces Use as replacement for Duraflame log Take it camping with you... use it to weigh down the tent Let your kids use it for a science project to see how mold grows Use it as a seat at a stadium event Stand on it to change a light bulb Replaces weights when you work out Use as book ends at the school library Make Bocce Balls out of it 38 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Candy Cane Blossoms 1 bag Hershey’s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 egg 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons milk Red and Green colored sugar Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35) Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approximately 35 cookies.

What you have to say is important. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make it shine. Located in Bluffton, we bring you great service, fast turnarounds and outstanding quality through state of the art technology. We also offer design services. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to be associated with all businesses in our growing town -- like the Bluffton Breeze magazine. 43 Goethe Road, P.O. Box 1266, Bluffton SC 29910 accuratelith@hargray.com 843 757-2612

The

Bluffton Breeze Give the Breeze subscription for Christmas I come to you

For $45 you can give someone special the spirit of Bluffton for a whole year! Call 843 757 8877 Email randolphblufftonbreeze@gmail.com Or send a check to the Bluffton Breeze at PO Box 472 Bluffton SC 29910. The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Bluffton dogg. Nashville cat. Written by Jevon Daly In case you’ve never heard him, Zack speaks like a country star -- and he’s one in the making. So when he talks about a friend it’s “that’s my dogg!” Yes, one of our own has gone to make a name for himself in the big city. Zack Stiltner from Bluffton has written a bunch of tunes and headed to Nashville. Having been successful locally playing to large crowds at several of Bluffton’s music venues, namely Station 300, Corks and Tavern 46, the buzz about Zack prompted a sit down to discuss plans for his next move. “The interesting thing about this article, is that I was in your band.” said Me. “ Still are man!” Zack fires back, with the kind of genuine niceness that is Zack Stiltner. The kind of young man that has just gotten back from recording an all original CD in Nashville. The kind of young dude who thanks everyone {usually by name} over the microphone at gigs. The kind of young stud who doesn’t care if a drunken buddy clambers up to the stage unannounced to “sing” along with Zack on a tune. Zack is just a nice guy in his 20s with hair down to his shoulders who plays country and wants to make a living singing.

40 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Reverbnation/Zackstiltner should take you right to his new album, where you will hear songs of heartbreak and of love. The album features some young Nashville guns playing on it too. It sounds pro and apparently a lot of the songs were done in ‘modern’ country fashion. “You think you’re just gonna go in and record the song, but you actually take the song step by step and BUILD it. “ “You learn how to build it step by step. It’s not like singing someone else’s song or singing karaoke.” Most of the lyrics stayed exactly like Zack wrote them here in his studio in Bluffton, but he says the learning experience involved in actually producing a song was amazing. Talk of tempo and guitar tone seemed to hit home with Zack the most, paired with the willingness to bend a bit to get that ‘next level’ !%^#. “Sometimes the audience runs the show, and the band can just have fun and play.” “The audience entertains the band, the musicians entertain each other.” ‘The band’ ideal seems really important to Zack also. The feeling i got was that whomever is lucky enough to be feeding off of his energy on the bandstand will be a happier musician on the car ride home. I’ve definitely felt it. The crowd that comes to see Zack are

also very appreciative of Zack’s smile and -guitar hoisted up to the heavens, twisting on one heel- stage antics. People in Bluffton dig it. Team Zack. The conversation drifted from talk about Nelly, to the energy level it takes to do 3 or 4 hour gigs. “You know what keeps me going man , it’s just fun...it’s just fun...If I’m not doing having fun it starts to feel like a job.” “The best moments onstage are when someone is singing along with you, especially when it’s your song”. “I also like to go out and see my friends playing, which is hard sometimes ‘cause Bluffton keeps us all workin all the time.”

He mentions John O Gorman as his favorite performer locally, as well as Craig Coyne and Cranford. “I might only stay for 30 minutes, but so many of my friends are playin every night it is hard to get to all the gigs.” Having hung out with Zack before at shows or just at my house tinkering with tube amps, I was taken aback with his knowledge of what’s goin’ on in the pop world as well. The kid knows his metal, he knows his hip hop and he knows his Chuck Norris. It made me realize there is more to Zack than just the tight jeans and snakeskin boots.

22 Fresh craft beers on tap A huge choice of wines By the glass or by the bottle Gourmet pizza and great dishes Bring your friends and relax Sink back in our couches Or sit on our famous porch.

Get the great taste of Old Bluffton! 55 Calhoun Street, Bluffton 843 757 9463. 7 Days a week from 11:30am. Music most nights. The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Expedition on Cumberland Island Part II

In Part I of this narrative the author enters the Cumberland Island backcountry on a solitary sleepout. We left her exploring a marsh inhabited by feral ponies and hogs, where after a series of misadventures she becomes separated from her camp with some doubts as to how to return... By Michele Roldan-Shaw Any wilderness adventurer worth their salt knows that going astray (avoidance here of the word “lost” is deliberate) isn’t so much a question of not knowing where you are—it’s the fact that progress in the direction you need to go is blocked by obstacles such as sheer cliffs, bodies of water, treacherous snow fields, un-crossable expanses of sucking mud, or forest tangles so dense you can’t even crawl through on your belly. And rest assured by the time you’ve been stopped dead in your tracks by one of these, the convoluted and highly misguided route you took to get there is totally impossible to retrace. But a way needed to be found; so with little heed

44 www.blufftonbreeze.com

to the munching ponies and rooting hogs, none of whom were any help, I scanned the distant tree line whence I’d come: there was a break in it that I hoped might be the slough I’d crossed earlier, on a little bridge pertaining to a proper road. I made for this distant beacon, cutting cross-country over parched tidal flats and bushwhacking through chigger-infested brush…and sure enough my calculations proved correct. “Whew, got outta that one!” I thought. Sometime later I reached the Settlement—remnants of a former African-African community— where several wild ponies were grazing around the church. It was cute but nothing really special. More interesting by far was the ramshackle conglomer-

ation of lean-tos and outbuildings next door, from which issued the crows of a rooster—meaning someone lived there. Undeterred by the “Private Property” sign, I rang a bell at the gate thinking I’d ask for a drink of water as an excuse to find out about the inhabitant. Her name was Carol and she was sun-weathered and healthy-looking in rubber boots and jeans, with her plaid shirt and graying pigtails. She led me to an outdoor faucet and said she’d be glad to show me her “little museum” if I came back tomorrow— right now she needed to feed the animals. That’s how I found out that Carol had lived on Cumberland for forty years, with no street address and a phone that doesn’t work. In the mornings she writes; by afternoon she’s in the garden. She only ventures to the mainland every couple months, and once she didn’t go for half a year. “Just depends how the scavenging’s been,” she told me. “How good the garden’s growing.” While we talked, a few buzzards clattered over her tin roof and hopped around the yard—they weren’t exactly pets but they’d eat out of her hand, and I watched as she fed them some mangy old freezer-burned coon-hock or something. “They’re so sweet to each other,” Carol said tenderly. She told me the general public didn’t really know that most of Cumberland was a protected wilderness. The majority came as day-trippers to get suntanned and see the ruined mansion, or take one of the van tours that posed an environmental threat. As for the ponies for which Cumberland Island is famous, she was totally against them being there. “They have a dang hard time,” she said. “They get snakebit; they’re not native so there isn’t much for them to eat; sometimes they get mired in the marsh muck, then the tide comes in and they die. The Humane Association and all the horse groups support getting rid of them…but the public love them.” People ask me, ‘Where can we see a horse?’ and I say, ‘You came here for livestock?’”

Once a week for four decades she had been riding the beach to do dead animal counts, which started as a way to draw awareness to all the sea turtles washing up because of the shrimp industry. Over the years she’d tallied more than 2,000, though lately the carnage wasn’t so bad because shrimping had scaled back with the bad economy. At some point she started collecting specimens that ultimately became the museum: a strange-smelling assortment of catalogued skeletons and pickled creatures in jars—snakes and squid, cooters and salamanders, baby leatherbacks and loggerheads, moles and mice, birdies and bunny-rabbits. There is also a state record hawksbill turtle carapace and the baleen of a juvenile humpback whale. Many of the marine creatures have already gone to the Smithsonian, and the rest will eventually be donated to the University of Georgia. She sent me off with a homegrown grapefruit, which I devoured appreciatively on the hot sand road away from her place. I’d broken camp on the river bluffs and was headed to Hickory Hill for my last night, which meant I had some serious ground to cover, starting with a cut across the island to the beach. People had told me I would be amazed by the beach here, that I would love the sand dunes, though to be honest I’d wondered how different it could really be. But then I hit that high white mountain of the first dune—it had to be two stories tall— crested it and passed through more shifting sands that rolled away in dips and rises, all heaped-up and powdered-soft like Dixie Crystals; and by the

Carol knew of way more interesting stuff than that. A biologist who escaped big-city life in Atlanta, she’d made it her business to do a biological archive of Cumberland. “I wanted to study the ecology of this island and investigate the connections between things,” she said. “The last two weeks I’ve been going through parasite data.” The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

fast. I could barely walk by the time I reached the landing, but still I felt happy to have come. I met a middle-aged couple waiting for the boat, and the woman told me all about their adventures: fishing and exploring and gathering mussels; feeling the river breeze at Brickhill, and bedding down snug-tight despite the rain under ancient oaks at Yankee Paradise. They’d spent their last night here at Sea Camp, and earlier this morning they’d taken a blanket and pot of coffee down to the beach to watch the sunrise.“You sure know how to live!” I said with genuine pleasure.“It was just the perfect trip,” the woman smiled. I thought about that for a long time afterwards. They’d encountered all the same weather conditions as I had, covered the same terrain, only they’d done it with ease and opulence, whereas I’d come under equipped and pushed myself too hard as usual. “Michele, you’re thirty years old now,” I told myself. “You can’t just trudge forty miles with a full pack in broken slippers anymore.” I decided if I ever came back to Cumberland it would be with a whole different game plan; I’d wear proper shoes and spend more time in the hammock.

time I’d trekked through this broad expanse and reached the beach proper it hit me: all alone in this desolate wind-swept universe! There was nothing and nobody for miles, just the shorebirds and murmuring wavelets and stout-hearted little palmettos in silhouette against the blow-out sun. There was even a baby alligator, just sort of chilling and letting the surf wash gently over him. I was loving wild Cumberland. But after several days of hard travel in my Kung Fu slippers, my knee had started to hurt mysteriously. I was in pretty bad shape by the time I limped into Hickory Hill, where I boiled a supper of noodles with arugula from Carol’s garden and glasswort gathered in the marsh. Later I cowboy-camped on the hard, tick-infested ground, amidst whippoorwills, lightning bugs, barred owls and mosquitoes. After a cold night with bugs swarming around my head, I broke camp and dragged the bum leg seven miles back to the ferry dock before break-

46 www.blufftonbreeze.com

A few days later my limp was mostly gone and I had a presentation to do in front of a Sun City travel club. There were a few familiar faces in the crowd, including one woman who approached me beforehand to say thanks for taking the time. She gave me a card in which she explained how she was originally from Switzerland, but that she had lived here for many years and loved getting to know her adopted country; she really appreciated hearing my stories. “With all your adventurous travels,” she wrote, “I thought perhaps you could use a good pair of walking shoes. Enclosed is a $50 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.” Ma’am, if you’re out there reading this, I want you to know I got a pair of hot-pink ultra-light running sneakers and my knee hasn’t hurt since. THANK YOU! Oh and p.s.—Merry Christmas. For more of Michele Roldan-Shaw’s writings visit www.ramblerslife.com

Breeze G o l f C o u r s e G u i d e

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

Breeze G o l f C o u r s e G u i d e Golf Course

Designer, Course

Yds*

Belfair Golf Club 200 Belfair Oaks Blvd, (843) 757 0715

Tom Fazio: East West

6,936 7,129

74.4 75.3

Berkeley Hall Golf Club 366 Good Hope Road, (843) 815 8444

Tom Fazio: North Tom Fazio: South

6,936 7,129

75.1 74.6

Chechessee Creek Club 18 Chechessee Creek Dr, (843) 987 7070

Coore & Crenshaw

6.606

71.8

Colleton River Plantation Club 60 Colleton River Driver (843) 837 3131

Jack Nicklaus Pete Dye

6,936 7,129

76.1 74.7

Crescent Pointe Golf Club 1 Crescent Pointe Dr, (843) 292 7778

Arnold Palmer

6,733

n/a

Eagle’s Pointe Golf Club 1 Eagle Pointe Dr, (843) 757 5900

Davis Love III

6,738

73.1

Hampton Hall Golf Club 89 Old Carolina Road, (843) 837 3131

Pete Dye

7,503

76.9

Hilton Head National Golf Club 60 Hilton Head National Dr, (843) 842 5900

Gary Player Bobby Weed

6,731

72.7

May River Golf Club, Palmetto Bluff 350 Mount Pelia, (843) 706 6579

Jack Nicklaus

7,171

75.4

Moss Creek Golf Club 1523 Fording Island Road, (843) 837 2231

George Fazio: South Tom Fazio: North

6,885 6,555

73.4 72.5

Island West Golf Club 40 Island West Drive, (843) 689 6660

Clyde B. Johnston Fuzzy Zoeller

6,803

73.2

Oldﬁeld Golf Club 9 Oldﬁeld Way Okatie, (843) 379 5052

Greg Norman

7,142

75.4

Old South Golf Club 50 Buckingham Plantation Dr, (843) 837 7375

Clyde B. Johnston

6,772

72.4

Pinecrest Golf Course 1 Pinecrest Way, (843) 757 8960

Rocky Rocquemore

7,489

n/a

Rose Hill Golf Club 4 Clubhouse Drive, (843) 757 9030

Gene Hamm

6,961

74.1

Sun City Golf Club 672 Cypress Hills Dr, (843) 705 4057

Mark McCumber: Hidden Cyprus Mark McCumber: Okatie Creek

6,946 6,724

73.2 71.9

Rating*

*Ratings for the longest tees

48 www.blufftonbreeze.com

Only a handful of shopping days left before Christmas? Well, that’s the downside of whiling away your time on the golf course when you should be out trampling folks at the mall or outlet stores, like everybody else. But not to worry. This Vagabond Golfer has carefully examined the latest golf goods, and hand-selected a laundry list of products that any links-lover would be thrilled to ﬁnd under the tree. Taylor-Made Drivers They are the industry leader, because (or perhaps in spite of) the fact that they bring out new models with jet speed In fact, JetSpeed is their shiniest new model, following close at the heels of the SLDR (referred to as the “Slider” driver.) The SLDR driver is a revolutionary new club featuring a sliding weight system that allows the golfer to easily and efficiently manipulate ball flight from a fade to draw. SLDR is engineered to launch the golf ball high, fast and long. JetSpeed is the company’s first-ever driver to incorporate Speed Pocket technology, utilizing a low and forward center of gravity to promote distance and accuracy with less spin. Both are excellent products, and either one is an improvement over what’s currently in the bag.

Miura Wedges These are the Stradivarius, the Rolls Royce of the wedge industry. Handmade in Japan, elegant and superbly crafted, there is no golf club available any better looking or performing than these. The K-Grind Wedge has a distinctive fluted sole, and has reinvigorated thousands of short games and provided confident, highspin exits from countless bunkers. TRUE Golf Shoes Odd looking, yes, but amazingly comfortable. These are shoes you can literally take out of the box in the parking lot, wander to the first tee, play 18, even 36, with nary a blister. They are low-to-the-ground so you can really feel the course contours underfoot. The minimalist shoe is the hottest trend in golf footwear, and TRUE shoes are at the forefront of this wave.

Breeze G o l f R e p o r t Written by Joel Zuckeman Tin Cup This is a cute little product that helps a player mark their ball in distinctive patterns. Use this high-quality metal stencil, and emboss your ball with a perfect horseshoe, star, martini glass, or any number of whimsical designs. Use Tin Cup and you will never, I mean never ever, be confused as to who’s ball is whose.

Ecco Shoes First popularized by superstar Freddie Couples, Ecco Shoes have rocketed to incredible popularity with golfers of all ages. Taking both comfort and performance to new levels, the evolution of ECCO's best-selling golf shoe continues with the Street Evo One. This stylish, performance based men’s golf shoe features Hydromax technology, flexible light weight construction and a low profile for greater stability, feel and power. It’s the complete shoe for the complete golfer.

Vans shoes These are decidedly not golf shoes, but even the most avid player is off the course far more than he or she is on. Vans are casual, colorful, utilitarian, stylish, and ooze California Cool. There are plenty of people who, despite the rise of the “Tiger Generation” over the last 15 years, consider golf to be incredibly stodgy. Dedicated golfers can help turn back that stuffed shirt image by slipping on a pair of Vans post-round; they have been making wearers look hip since the first model came out way back in 1966.

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

50 www.blufftonbreeze.com

REED GROUP

The Bluffton Breeze December 2013

We have a huge selection of beautiful Christmas trees ... and one that’s just perfect for you!

Brrrrr ... it’s cold outside. But I just LOVE Christmas. I wonder what’s going to be under my tree!! LUNCH Mon to Sat, 11am - 3pm SUPPER Thurs, Fri, Sat, 5 - 9pm BRUNCH Sunday 9am - 3pm SATURDAY BREAKFAST 7am - 12pm

1055 May River Road, Bluffton, SC 1 mile west of Old Town Bluffton

52 www.blufftonbreeze.com

843 757-2921 www.cahillsmarket.com