The
Bluffton Breeze
NOVEMBER
2013
The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Inspiration from The Founder The Long Distance Call A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign which read: “$10,000 a minute.” Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor. Finally, he arrived in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Upon entering a church there, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read: “Calls: 35 cents.” Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor. “Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?” The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, “Son, you’re in the Lowcountry ...now it’s a local call.”
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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 Zuckeman, Michele Roldan-Shaw, Amber Kuehn, Donna Huffman, Jim Sauter, Barbara O’Connor, Joan E. Morris CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Eric Horan, Margaret Palmer, Ed Funk COVER PHOTO Eric Horan CORPORATE OFFICE 12 Johnston Way, Suite 300 P.O. Box 472, Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.8877 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. All rights are reserved.
Breeze Contents
November 2013 volume 11, no.11
Features 24 HAPPY THANKSGIVING
The diversity of food, friends, erxperiences and pleasures for which Blufftonians are most thankful.
32 ICE MAN IN A HOT TOWN
Ron Wilson, NHL coach living in Bluffton, tells great stories of his challenges and path to Olympic glory.
40 A TRIP TO CUMBERLAND ISLAND
It’s well worth the trip given the exciting and some- times scary mixture of forest and wild animals.
Departments
Breeze Subscriptions Available $45 for 12 months mailed to you Call 843 757-8877 email randolphblufftonbreeze@gmail. Or send check to the Bluffton Breeze, P.O. Box 472, Bluffton SC 29910
6 History 8 Tide Chart 10 Points of Interest 13 Fellowship 14 Health 16 Bulletin Board 18 Music Town 20 Environment 26 Reflections 28 Wine Within Reach 30 Restaurants 44 Golf Report 46 Golf Course Guide 51 Over the Bridges
The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Breeze N o v e m b e r T i d e s Tide chart is calculated for the May River F1
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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.
Points of Interest By Randolph Stewart
Pathways to the future First you have to have the bones. The grid roadway system fills that requirement. Traffic can dissipate and cars can’t get going too fast due to numerous block intersections that slow them down. The block sizes are the right sizes for “walkability”. Places are strategically linked to other places, so the town is “concentrated”.
One might imagine Old Town, say the corner of Calhoun St. and May River Road, 100 years ago. No automobiles. No paved roads. No sidewalks. No storm drainage. No benches. No stop signs. People got around by walking. Sure you had to look out for horse and buggies and the inevitable trail left by these beloved animals. But the pace of life was slow, everything was close by and you walked everywhere.
Experts know that the average person will walk about 5 minutes before deciding to drive. Of interest, Venice Italy has 1500 intersections per square mile while LA has 15! Of course Venice was planned centuries before cars could have been imagined! In contrast LA was planned during the heady days of America’s infatuation with the automobile. The point being, the more intersections, the easier to walk, the longer the blocks the less you are encouraged to drive a car. Today all of the new development in Old Town as Stock Farm, Calhoun Promenade, and Tabby Road all are designed on the grid system and are pedestrian-friendly. The second element is all about place. We need to un-
Then along came the automobile. Trees were cut down and streets were paved. Storm drainage was dumped into the May River. Our jobs, schools and services migrated further afield and, of course, we got there by car. One by one, the local dog population was thinned out through the new perils of crossing the road. In the 80’s and 90’s as Hilton Head grew, Bluffton became the “short-cut”. Construction trucks and holiday-makers never stopped, except maybe to get the “30 MPH is the Bluffton State of Mind” award! Along with growth came the danger to our pedestrians. Fortunately, Bluffton’s Town Council and Planning Staff “got it”. They had the vision to pave the way for the future, literally. And as a result, we’re on our way to making the Old Town truly “pedestrian-friendly!” For brevity, we will use this criterion to encompass multi-modal transportation such as bicycles and golf carts – anything that is not the automobile. And today our focus will be on Bluffton town, leaving Greater Bluffton for another discussion. So what exactly did our planners do right? Let’s talk about three critical elements of planning.
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derstand the places people want to go. The development codes, now entitled the Unified Development Code, play a critical role. It involves the “mixed-use” concept to help encourage pedestrian-friendly streets and promote a more rewarding lifestyle. Essentially it allows people to live closer to home, work, church and school. The Town has pocket parks and public places to play, relax or picnic. From Old Town you can visit the Heyward House Visitor Center, dine, listen to music, visit art galleries, watch the sun set over
the May River, take in a show at May River Theatre, get a haircut or see a doctor. And once this “concept” is understood, it gathers momentum. Every month in Bluffton there are more and more things to do without using your car. The final element is a safe and friendly environment. This
vation and health benefits. Now what can we do better? Well, if you ask 10 people you would get an overwhelming response of … parking, parking, parking. After all, Bluffton encourages visitors and more are coming every day. So where do we put all the cars so people can walk during the most active hours and during festivals. As we continue to grow I am confident our savvy planners and Town Council will find a way to address this concern without changing the feeling of the town. What else needs to be considered for the future? Encourage the development of an east-west grid system north of May River Road to create more traditional lots, more on street parking, multiple ways in and out thereby dispersing traffic. There is also the matter of the overhead lines. Moving them underground would greatly improve the street aesthetic as well as be able to weather a hurricane. And it can be done. Finally, let’s not forget to mention Palmetto Transportation and the need to have covered sheds for people to wait on the bus or trolley, and a regular
involves planning elements most people don’t even notice even as they reap the benefits! Ordinances encourage building closer to the sidewalk. A clear street typology and hierarchy (both historic and new streets) is established to separate busy streets from lessbusy streets. Narrowing the radius of corners to the smallest permitted by the fire department decreases the distance in the crosswalk and naturally slows down cars. The environment is improved by creating parallel on-street parking, installing street trees and lighting, building raised curbing in the more dense areas, adding landscaping, providing benches, trash and recycle cans. The aesthetic of intermittent brick sidewalks helps water tree roots by being pervious and this contributes to safer more beautiful streets. The unique and attractive street signs, way-finding kiosks, having mid-block cross walks and clearly marking them improves walkability. The more people walk, bike or ride their golf carts, the less fuel consumption and better the air quality. The tree-lined street contributes to our beautiful town, but also provides shade, converts CO2 to oxygen and provide habitat for birds and wildlife. So good planning adds beauty, preser-
schedule for just local transportation. The bus can take people to local multiple stops in greater Bluffton and Old Town. This would take more cars off the roads and strengthen our Pedestrian-Friendly town.
I come to you
So we’ve come a long way, but there is still more to be done. Let’s keep walking in the right direction and do it often! The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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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 !
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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
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 Sunday Masses: 4pm & 6pm, Espanol 1pm Monday to Friday 5:45 and 8:30am EPISCOPAL The Church of the Cross 110 Calhoun St, 757-2661 495 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-2662 Sunday Worship: 8am & 10am 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
May River Baptist Church SC-170, North of US 46, 757-2518 Sunday School: 9:45am Sunday Worship: 10am & 7pm
Holy Resurrection Church at St. Andrews Catholic Church 220 Pickney Colony Road, 837-4659 Orthros: 9:30am, Liturgy 10am
St. John’s Baptist Church 103 Pritchard Street, 757-4350 Sunday Worship: 11am
JEWISH
St. Matthew’s Baptist Church SC Highway 170, 757-3255 Sunday Worship: 11am Indian Hill Baptist Church Hwy 278 next to Eagle’s Point, 757-3255 Sunday School: 9:50am Sunday Worship: 11am & 7pm
Temple Osah Shalom at Lowcountry Presbyterian 278 Simmonsvill Road, 705-2532 Shabbat Worship 3rd Friday of month, 8pm
METHODIST Bluffton United Methodist Church 101 Calhoun Street, 757-3351 Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Worship: 8:30am & 10am 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 11am PRESBYTERIAN Lowcountry Presbyterian Church US 278 and Simmonsville Road, 815-8570 Sunday School: Adult 9:40am, Children: 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 LowCountry Community Church Bluffton Campus: 801 Buckwalter Parkway, 836-1101 Sunday Worship: 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am
LUTHERAN Lord of Life Lutheran Church 351 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-4774 Sunday School: 10am Sunday Worship: 8am, 9am, 11am
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES Kingdom Hall, SC 46, 815-4455 Sunday Public Talk: 9:30am & 3:30pm Spanish Public Talk: 12:30pm
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Breeze H e a l t h
Vaccines for Adults
Provided by Jim Sauter, Pharmacist
Quick – do you know if you’re up to date on your vaccines? Or, do you think of vaccines as just kid’s stuff? Apparently lots of folks do, given that way too few adults receive the recommended vaccines. That puts them – and those who come into contact with them – at greater risk for vaccine preventable diseases.
How does this all work? Vaccines ally with your body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity. But first a reminder about immunity. When germs invade your body, they attack and multiply, causing an infection. Your immune system works bravely to fight it off. This leaves your body with a supply of cells that now recognize this invader, providing immunity.
Consider this:
Vaccines imitate, but don’t cause an infection. They help the body learn how to respond if a real infection attacks your body. As your body builds immunity, however, it is normal to have mild symptoms such as fever.
In 2012, there were 42,000 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) – the highest number in a single year since 1955. Nearly a quarter of these cases were in adults. Most of the babies who died from the disease, in fact, picked it up from an adult in the home. In 2011, most of the 4,000 people who died from pneumococcal pneumonia were older than 50. The highest rate of death was in those older than 65, yet only two-thirds of this age group receive the vaccine. Only about one-third of U.S. adults at high risk for hepatitis B have received the vaccine. Fewer still have received a vaccine for hepatitis A. If you’re someone who’s afraid of vaccines, you need to know this. You can’t get a disease from the vaccine. They won’t cause you harm. Instead, the more people who receive vaccinations, the fewer germs are around you. Vaccines virtually wiped smallpox and polio off the face of the map.
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So which vaccines do adults need? Recommendations vary depending upon your age, overall health, and medical history. It’s important to stay up to date with vaccines if you have special health conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular, liver, or renal disease. That’s because some vaccine-preventable diseases may put you at increased risk for serious complications. Your doctor may also need to make adaptations with vaccines if you are pregnant or have a medical condition. For example, in certain cases, you may need to avoid nasal live attenuated influenza vaccine and use an injectable form instead. Remember, all adults – no mater how healthy you are – should have a seasonal influenza vaccine every year. You can talk with your doctor about your schedule for vaccines.
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
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Breeze B l u f f t o n B u l l e t i n B o a r d
Opening November 8 Call 8434-815-5581
Photo by: Wink Gaines
Saturday Nov. 15thPepper Hall Plantation Tickets: Larry Muething 290-5372 Julian Weston 247-0767
Ten
Female
artists
to
present
“Images”
The Coastal Discovery Museum will host ten female artists that have banded to present a multimedia program of “Images” from November 7 through January 14. The exhibition contains watercolors and oils, acrylics, collage and monoprints. The subjects in this exhibition range from abstract to representational art, landscapes and figures.
Tuesdays from 2 - 6pm Buckwalter Place
The opening reception at the Museum is scheduled for Thursday, November 14 from 5-7 pm. There will be talks or demonstrations by the artists from 1-3 pm December 2 through December 5.
Annual Holiday Gallery Walk Old Town Bluffton, SC – 3 TO 8 PM Nov. 19, 2010
Visit blufftonchamberof commerce.org for times and locations of newworking meetings Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner
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Wine and refreshments will be served by each gallery. Boundary, Church, May River and Calhoun Streets
For future announcements on the Bluffton Bulletin Board call the Breeze at 843 757 8877.
BLUFF TON OCTOBER MUSIC LINE UP
Free Advice! Third Tuesdays Events Hosts a Panel of Experts in a Local “Shark Tank” Forum (Without Teeth) from 5:307:30 p.m. 400 Buckwalter Place.
Farm fare from Bluffton and beyond, every Thursday 2pm to 7pm Farmers Market was voted the mostcelebrated Market in SC and 11th in the USA!
CAPTAIN WOODY’S Thurs – Mike Korbar Fri – Jim Davidson Sat – Jordan Ross
CORKS Tues open mic night w/ Johnny O & the Port O Johns Fri 1st - Gary Byrd and The Outlaw Band 8th - La Bodega 15th - Shaky Bones 22nd - Frequensea 29th - Patterson Colt and The Peacemakers OLD TOWN DISPENSARY Mon -Tues Snowbird Mike Wed – Dos Amigo Thurs– 17th, 14th - Neil & Bob 21st CC & Whitt Fridays - Crenshaw & Harden Sat 9th - Simpson Brothers 16th - Low Country Boil 23rd - Patterson Colt 30th - Cranford Hollow Sundays - Tommy Crenshaw 1-4
TAVERN 46 Tuesdays - Doug Marshall Every Thurs – Deas Guys Wed 6th - Savannah Edwards 13th - Tommy Crenshaw 20th - Savannah Edwards 27th - Tommy Crenshaw Fri 8th - Brad Wells 15th - Kellen Powers 22nd - Doug Marshall 29th - Doug Marshall with Souls Harbour
VINEYARD 55 Thurs 7th, 14th, 28th - Hannah Thurs 21st - Neil and Bob Fri 8th - Btown 15th - Patterson Colt 22nd - Shaky Bones 29th - Neil and Bob Sat 2nd, 16th, 30th Jude Michaels Sat 9th - Lauren Lapoint Sat 23rd - Jeff Beasley
COCONUTS Mon & Tues Karaoke Wed - The Groove Town TOOMERS SEAFOOD HOUSE Assault Band Thur - Sat 6-9pm Tim Malchak Thur - Pachanga Music Fri - Sat - Dance with DJ’s The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Sounds from the Vineyard Written by Jevon Daly Vineyard 55 is smack dab in the middle of Bluffton. The area has come a long way in the last 5 to 10 years. New growth means more restaurants and music venues. Calhoun street is hoppin’ pretty much every Friday and Saturday night and I went to V55 to see what was going on. They have live music every weekend [Thurs, Fri and Sat] and deal in craft beers and a hand selected wine list. Why WOULDN’T we feature them in our ‘Bluffton - Music Town’ feature this month? Oh we will.. .....WE WILL {writer cackling}. When I sat down with manager Cassie she told me tall tales of the time. Like when Jude Michaels played for 7 hours straight. I know from experience what it is like to wear crowds out with 3 hour sets, but 7 hours???? What is it about Bluffton locals that pulls that kind of performance from a musician? I could feel the inspiration in the air. The front porch was full the night I went and Laura LaPointe had the crowd singing along with her on almost every
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tune. She seemed thrilled to be back and made a comment that “it is great to see you all singing my original songs!” Cassie spoke of the magic of the tides bringing in the locals after scorching sandbar rainstorms. “If you work on Calhoun street or in the Promenade and it starts raining, you’d better get to work early and expect the cash register to start fillin’ up quick” she said. Jeff Beasley and Jude Michaels play often in a rotation on the sprawling front porch with local songster Craig Coyne and other acoustic guitarists. “The atmosphere is very relaxed, the spanish moss, the street lights -- it’s like your stepping back in time”, says guitarist Craig Coyne. “There’s really no pressure on you out there. I feel like I can be myself”.
Breeze E n v i r o n m e n t
PERFECT FOR OYSTERS
Yes there is an R in the month (for the uninitiated that’s when oysters are at their best.) So it’s the perfect time to talk about one of our great passions in Bluffton. But first, an important introduction. Last Month we met Amber Kuehn, head of the Sea Turtle Protection Project on Hilton Head. She gave us a fascinating glimpse into what is needed to bring the Loggerhead sea turtle back to full strength. Well this month we are introducing her in a different capacity. Environmental Editor for the Bluffton Breeze.There is nobody more qualified to do this. First and foremost Amber is pure Bluffton and as she said last month “Children raised experiencing the May River have absorbed it into their bones. For me, it shaped my career as a boat captain and fueled my passion for the conservation of the marine environment.” Then she has all the “masters” we need: Master of Science, Marine Biology, Master Scuba Diver Trainer and Master 100 USCG Captain (that’s really useful if you want to get closer to what matters). Importantly, through her years of generating support for the turtles, she has learned to convey things in a way that us mere mortals can understand (at least most of it). So welcome to Amber. Now let’s get back to oysters.
By Amber Kuehn
Fair warning….A bushel of information made to fit into a pint size recyclable container describes the article below. If you learn something, use it to impress a captive audience around the oyster table at the next oyster roast. Like George Costanza, you too may claim to be a marine biologist! Hope it helps. An ancient staple Oysters have been around for millions of years like many organisms in the sea. Approximately 4,200 years ago, Indians started stacking oyster shells to form shell rings, or shell middens (mounds) found in South Carolina, Georgia, Northern Florida, and Louisiana. These rings range from 50 – 300 feet across and 2 - 10 feet tall. It is amazing that there are 19 registered in Beaufort and Charleston Counties that remain intact after thousands of years in the elements.
Evidence of ancient oyster roasts suggests that oysters provided a stable local food source that was consistently harvested over time – which meant that a shift from wandering hunter-gatherers to coastal residents had taken place. The seaside climate was mild and transportation by water was easy. These Indian tribes, collectively called Creek Indians, could “sit themselves down and stay awhile”. Sound familiar? That tradition is still true today. So what do these shell rings tell us? Archaeologists think the shell rings are trash piles because
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they also contain broken pottery, broken hand tools fashioned out of shell and stone, blue crab remains, terrapin turtle, alligator, fish (including shark), other mollusks, and animal bones. Think about it … What would you do with the empty shells if there were no hole in the middle of the table? Carbon dating indicates that the shell rings were abandoned about 3,000 years ago. Some scientists speculate that the Indians depleted the oysters as a food source and had to give them a break for a while. European colonists established permanent colonies in Carolina by 1670 and eventually forced the Indians to leave the coast after the Yemassee War, 1715 – 1717. Colonists were no strangers to eating oysters and by the mid to late 1800s, oysters were sold on street carts like hotdogs! Oysters gave the people more than food: Lime pro-
duced from oyster shell was sold as fertilizer and chicken feed. It was also used to make tapia or “tabby”, a concrete-like building material made of lime, oyster shells, sand, and water. Empty oyster shells were used as road and dock building material. When the hurricane of 1893, “the Big Blow”, destroyed many food sources, oysters provided income for people who had lost everything.
Hesitant side note: However, “In South Carolina, sex ratios were skewed toward more males when growing in aggregate as opposed to those growing singly” according to a report produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) in 2007. I’m sure there is a good ole’ boy joke in there somewhere.
To continue the biology lesson: The two gametes (sperm and egg) meet in the water to form a zooplankton called a veliger. After about two weeks, it loses its locomotive appendage and is ready to settle down. It prefers to cement itself to an oyster shell, hence the cluster, but will settle for any hard surface in a pinch. Now it is called a spat and will grow rapidly for two or three years before it is ready for harvest. Coincidentally, there are two good pet names here.
The oyster business expanded outside the immediate coastal area with refrigeration (ice) and canning. The L.P. Maggioni Company established its cannery on Daufuskie Island in 1893 and was one of 4 South Carolina canneries – along with others in Charleston and Beaufort. Today the brand Daufuski Oysters® is alive and well – distributed in San Francisco from farmraised Korean oysters in cans that can be bought in the supermarket. The Bluffton Oyster Company is the last remaining hand shucking oyster house in South Caroli- The valves (shells) of oysters are not identical. na, and the last cannery, La- The cupped side is the left side and the flat side is dy’s Island Cannery, closed in the right side. Oyster larvae settle on the left side developing the adductor muscle – the chewy thing 1986.
How do they feed? They suck water in, ingest phytoplankton, and spit it out clean. It’s called “Filter Feeding”. Bluffton oysters are intertidal, spendthat may stay attached to the shell when you dig in ing half of their lives How oysters do it and leaves the purple “scar”. The adductor musabove the water at low Crassostrea Virginica is the cles opens and closes the shell of a live oyster. tide (closed up tight) and scientific name for our local half below, submerged at eastern oyster. This bivalve high tide (slightly open to filter feed). Because they (two shells connected with a hinge) is quite imare generally harvested at low tide, it takes a little pressive! Did you know that the oyster spends the steam to open them up. first year of its life as a male and then switches to female after it spawns for the first time? Eastern oysters release sperm when water temperature reaches 68 degrees and this action stimulates the females to release eggs. [Remember when you got out of the river feeling all sticky and your mom told you it was salt!?] Spawning begins as early as May and continues through November in warmer years. Each year, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) determines when the oysters are ready for harvest. From May to August (no R in the month) they are less firm in texture since spawning is in progress and they are highly concentrated with the abundance of micro-organisms ingested in the warm water. So let them “eat, drink, and be merry” for those months and we will stick to blue crab and lowcountry boil in the summer.
Environmental impact
Our oysters are a keystone species, namely an organism that has a large effect on the environment relative to its abundance. Along with marsh grass, it functions to improve our water quality with filtration and stabilize the topography of the marshland by creating a buffer for erosion. It also provides food and habitat for a diverse range of organisms in the estuary. Since oysters filter the water, they retain any bacterial matter in it. So it is critical to control pollution and siltation entering the May River. The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) tests the May River water quality monthly as a way to The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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monitor the safety of shellfish consumption. Currently, the oysters in the headwaters region of the May River are not available for harvest. The May River Watershed Action Committee meets quarterly to review remediation for water that reaches the May River from inland sources. One such action is the recent construction of a water retention pond at New Riverside to hold run-off water, allowing particles to settle out into the pond before flowing forward. Preliminary results show that it is working. Harvesting oysters
Most oyster beds are leased commercially. This practice dates back to Proprietary and Kings Grant eras in the late 1600s through 1700s. Currently, there are state oyster beds (commercial and recreational harvest) and recreational oyster beds (recreational harvest only) in addition to commercially leased oyster beds. I am confident when I say that it is not an easy job to pick oysters, but if you are interested in the novelty, portions of Bull Creek are designated for recreational harvesting. You must have a boat, a saltwater fishing license, and perform the task between Oct.1st, 2013 and May 15th, 2014. Harvesting at night is not allowed – OK? Conservation
Despite Maggioni’s belief that this area had an inexhaustible supply of oysters, harvesters began to realize that returning the empty oyster shells would keep the beds productive. Although this practice was initiated to keep up with demand, we will call it a step in the right direction. Mr. William Fait, manager of the Charleston Canning company was the earliest to warn about pollution and its effects on the oysters in 1905. The South Carolina oyster industry was at its height of production between 1900 and 1935.
Today, Beaufort County is responsible for 45% of shellfish harvest in South Carolina. The Bluffton Oyster Company leases the commercial oyster beds on the May River and supports conservation by returning empty shell to the oyster beds as required by their permit. All oysters are picked and shucked by hand.
South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE) also places empty shell at 44 sites to encourage spat recruitment. You can recycle empty shells at the Trask Landing drop-off site at the end of Sawmill Creek Road from September 15th to April 30th. Local oyster shells only! Enjoy the season and be careful with those oyster.
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The great taste of Bluffton Oysters Most of us have heard that “Bluffton oysters taste better than other oysters”. Of course there is a degree of pride involved, but one local puts forward this argument for the case: “If you get deep water oysters from New Orleans, you will taste a humongous oyster that is full of mud since they spend their lives under water. In Bluffton the tide goes out and the oysters bask in the sun for six hours spitting all the mud out. When the tide returns, they suck in the incoming water. Fresher, cleaner, tastier Bluffton oysters. It’s that simple.” Well, it may not be that simple but tasty none-the-less.
we cate parti r large aes n small! d
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
A huge choice of wines By the glass or by the bottle 22 Fresh craft beers on tap Gourmet pizza and great dishes Bring your friends and relax Sink back in our couches Or sit on our famous porch.
Halloween Bash Oct 31!!
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 November 2013
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Our typical Thanksgiving dinner menu goes back 300 years and reflects the holiday’s roots in nostalgia for an idyllic time when hearth and home, family and community were valued over industrial progress and change.
While many elements of the modern holiday menu are very different from the foods eaten in 1621, the bounty of the New World’s autumn and the feelings of Blufftonians are clearly the same and a basis for celebration. The impulse to share hospitality with others and give thanks for abundance because it transcends the menu. Here are a few Bluffton Village Voices about Thanksgiving favorites. Emily Grenier: My favorite Thanksgiving item is my grandmother’s stuffing. We still call it stuffing even though we don’t stuff it inside the bird any longer. It’s super simple to make and it’s always excellent. You use one bag of hamburger buns that you have allowed to stale to make bread crumbs. You then brown one pound of Jimmy Dean sage sausage and drain the fat from it. You mix together the bread crumbs and the sausage and add to that mixture 1 chopped onion & 2 stalks of celery finely minced. Add 1 egg and half a cup of chicken stock. Mix that all together and put it into a baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy. The interior should still be moist and the exterior should be browned and crispy. It is delicious!
Lisa Sulka: My favorite dish is ‘macaroni and cheese’.. this has been the same since I was a child... my grandmother had THE recipe.. She cooked her macaroni, added the usual ingredients, but the cheese OH MY.. she would hand slice the extra sharp cheddar, in small slivers and she had a way of making sure every piece of macaroni was touching cheese... can’t you picture it? Stringy, yummy, gooey, cheesy macaroni and cheese...I still have not perfected this, but I will keep on trying.... Angeline Barrett: The request that I select my favorite dish actually made me think hard about the beautiful Thanksgiving table and the enormous amount of dishes spread across and in front of me. I decided that the best dish is actually not a food at all, but the fabulous gathering of friends and family recounting old times and new that makes every bite of each dish so warm and enjoyable. What else is there, but friends and family? They make everything better.
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Sandy Benson: My mom’s stuffing....a mixture of Italian sausage, prosciutto ham, Italian bread moistened with homemade chicken broth; its’ amazing...in the turkey and out! Oh and her lime green jell-o with pineapple chunks and Cool Whip is to die for! Natalie Hefter: I’m not the chef in the family, but that certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t have my favorite dish made by my wonderful husband - has to be his stuffing. Now, I grew up with some pretty good stuffing - I had thought, until Chris and I married and he took over the Thanksgiving dinner preparations for our family. The preparation starts early in the day with veggie chopping - and the smell starts to take over the kitchen long before dinner is ready. Usually, I have to have a little ‘quality control’ tasting mid-day! Carrots, celery, parsnips - oh my! Roberts Vaux: We always ate late as we went to a community church service then had a bird hunt. Therefore, we had a large hearty breakfast, which I always wanted to have later in the day instead of turkey. Shrimp and Grits; not done with Yankee overtones and without regard to the impact on your health. On Wednesday morning, peel shrimp and put heads and shells in pot of water to make shrimp broth. Cook bacon until crispy. Set aside. Divide bacon grease in half cook chopped onions until dark brown. Set aside. In another pan cook flour until dark brown. Slowly add shrimp stock adding seasoning to taste and onions. When smooth and seasoned turn pot off and allow to cool. Reheat the next morning and top with crumbled bacon. Be sure that the gravy is thick and when reheating do not allow to boil. Add raw, picked and deveined shrimp 5 minutes before serving.
When cooking the grits use half the water called for in the recipe and when too thick add whole milk to obtain consistency. You can always tell someone who does not know how to cook grits - they are thin and runny. Grits are supposed to be thick to hold gravy. Put a scoop of grits on your plate and with the back of a spoon make a well and put shrimp gravy in middle. Jennifer Green: Favorite Thanksgiving dish - that is hard for me! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love all of the dishes because we all get into the kitchen and cook together. It’s just such a special time with family and, sometimes, close friends. I cherish that time of year more and more! Mary Herbkersman: My favorite Thanksgiving dish is a full plate....the meal made by my mother-in-law :) Joel Zuckeman: Simple for me.....I like stuffing with gravy...and also cooked onions! Sheri Stahl: Cranberry jello salad! Cranberry, lemon jello, nuts, celery. Topped with juice from canned cranberry mixed with cream cheese. Oh, and pineapple too....... It’s yummy. Michael Hahn: Jagermeister Michele Hunter: I honestly can not choose just one favorite Thanksgiving dish. I loved the crunch of the apples in my Mom’s cranberry salad, the Savory seasoning in G r a n d ma’s dressing, and the sweet crunchy pecan topping on my Aunt’s sweet potato casserole (which could also double as dessert!). The turkey was always perfect and the mashed potatoes got creamier each year. Of course, to top off almost everything on my plate, lots of amazing gravy leaving just enough excess to sop up with
a flaky roll. For me, it was the perfect combination of family recipes that worked so well together to create the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner memories. Happy Thanksgiving! Donna Huffman: Being married to a BBQ Pitmaster has its rewards and one of them is a moist, delicious smoked turkey at Thanksgiving. The flavor of the turkey meat after hours of cook time over that hickory wood adds another reason for the season! Debbie Cort: I’m a huge fan of stuffing! My mom is the type of cook that doesn’t really follow recipes and I find that I’m following in her footsteps. A little of this, a pinch of that... there are so many variations on stuffing and I think this year I want to lean more towards a stuffing with wild mushrooms, garlic rosemary sourdough and fresh herbs. I’ll go online and search various recipes and then start the planning process for this year’s culinary creation. The holiday season will feel official once the shopping list is ready! Let the planning begin!! Maureen Richards: PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE YUM! Tammy B Sauter: My Moma’s sweet potato souffle. It is delicious and made with a whole lot of love! She has made it as long as I can remember Thanksgiving and now it is the favorite of the grandchildren. It is a real tradition and treat! Dot Yeger: It seems Thanksgiving is just around the corner already...funny how much faster time flies as we get older! We’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving at our home in Bluffton for the past 10 or so years now. It is always somewhat of a challenge to get the menu items “just right” as everyone has their absolute favorite item that must be part of Thanksgiving! For my daughters, the “must have” item is broccoli cheese casserole. The original recipe came from their father’s sister. The recipe is a very cheesy broccoli and rice casserole dish. Another favorite is sausage stuffing with giblet gravy. In these “healthy eating” times, eating sausage based stuffing...it is delicious...with real giblet gravy... definitely something reserved for holidays and special times...and never as good the second time around. Kim Jones: mmmmm..... my favorite dish is a slice of turkey with sweet potato casserole on top; it’s dinner and dessert in one bite! As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John Fitzgerald Kennedy The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Blood and Water Written by Gene Cashman III
For all that modern Thanksgiving has become, a sort of amalgamated cocktail of over hyped commercialism, greed and consumption I, gratefully, learned and then have retained a more pastoral sentiment about the event. Sure, annoying elements exist around the fringes of my pumpkin colored glasses but I can say without a hint of schmaltziness that family blessings and genuine thankfulness are at the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving Day table. That does not mean the holiday event, or any circumstance that brings together several generations of family is free of stress, expectation or disagreement. To expect perfection in such a setting is akin to thinking lemons taste good without sugar; especially when my family is involved. That being said, the act of gathering generations, the value of family is something to rejoice over. I didn’t always understand that value. A memory central to my current world view of Thanksgiving occurred while I was in college. The average college student is more focused on their own desires and pursuits than the needs of others. In this regard I was a pretty average college student. Up until this particular year, Thanksgiving was more about a status quo checklist I equated with tradition and less about an appreciation of what I was experiencing. For example, the food was important, football on TV was important, getting out of cooking or cleaning was a definite priority, but it was all about how the day and my family served me. At that moment in my junior year I did not revel in learning how my grandmother braised a lamb or how a brother-in-law could teach me proper duck hunting etiquette. I missed the point of a family gathering all together. I took family for granted. This particular Thanksgiving was spent up the road in Lumber City Georgia at my Uncle John Davis’ Farm. I arrived in from Auburn, where I was in school, just as the sun was setting a few days before Thanksgiving. I arrived pretty low in morale. The football team stunk, my love life stunk, and I had no idea what I should do with my life. Shallow reasons to be down perhaps, but to college kid still learning the ropes it was what held my attention at the time. When I turned off my car and stepped out into the November night air I was not prepared for how the next few days would refocus my appreciation for family and the Thanksgiving season in general. Opening the creaky back door to the main house, everyone stopped talking, turned and upon seeing me in the doorway immediately rushed over with hugs and kisses. It was apparent they were waiting on my arrival. I had been missed, but now that I had arrived, the circle was complete and people were not just glad to see me, but they could truly start the celebration. This wasn’t an unusual reception, but this time I wasn’t annoyed with the fuss and lipstick and attention. I embraced it. It wasn’t just about me, but that a we, an us had been completed when I arrived. I let the gratefulness over take my usual cynical self. I let myself enjoy the reception. Perhaps this struck such a chord with me because I was low at that moment, but that homecoming reception caught my eye and my heart in ways that had not occurred to me before. Family was unconditional in it’s love for me.
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After my hearty greeting I was given a tux jacket and black tie and escorted to a makeshift receiving line. I stood at the foot of a grand staircase a little self conscious of my silly outfit. My self consciousness was quickly forgotten when a loud announcement was made by my father, “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls” he boasted “I present you Isobel Macrae Cashman. Hip Hip.” Everyone shouted in response “Hooray!” My grandmother appeared in a beautiful dress and my grandfather in a tuxedo; both were nearly 90 years old. They clung to each other sweetly as they descended the staircase to applause and whistles. This was the celebration of my grandmother’s birthday, a party to kick off a weekend of family. A great deal of planning had gone into this event. It occurred to me that this was now more than a meal and bad pro football. It had not quite dawned on me that the event was about heritage, revelry and joy but it would by the time I left. Family was involved and intentional. I watched as they made their way down the staircase and was struck by the way they looked at each other, how I noticed my grandmother’s natural beauty and my grandfather’s sheer joy at the attention. I also noticed that my sisters dabbed tears from their eyes and everyone’s faces shown brightly with a fervent appreciation of the moment. Once through our receiving line the music was turned way up, drinks were poured and the whole extended family danced and laughed until well after midnight. I will never in all my days forget that party and seeing my reverend brother-in-law dancing with my grandmother to the B-52’s party song “Love Shack” and having her dance so hard that her glasses fell off. Family was fun and loud. Upon making my way back to the small cabin where I would be sleeping I found my brother in law Skip sitting at the small breakfast table. He was sleepily staring at a single piece of cake left over from the party. When he heard me he looked up and smiled a wry and playful grin and let loose a sort of guttural laugh that emerged as a full body rumble when released from his lungs. I smiled and replied “what?” He laughed again “you saved me from eating this piece of cake. It’s your sister’s favorite, she is hoarding it for her coffee in the morning.” He poured me a drink and we talked. I told him of all the junk going on with me. He listened and listened. Finally he polished off his drink, stood up putting his big hand on my shoulder. “Lighten up Francis” he said, quite simply and ambled off to bed. Family keeps you grounded, and humble. That Thanksgiving Day, as we all sat around a large table talking and passing food I took stock of things. I had taken family for granted. My family was unconditional in its love for me, they were intentional and had an interest to be involved, they were fun and boisterous and they held me accountable to reality. I decided at that table to raise a glass “I just wanted to say” I stumbled for the right words “how much I appreciate all of you.” Everyone smiled and agreed and went back to their conversations. For me, though, it was a shift in paradigms. I would leave that event with an intention to truly soak in all that a family, warts and all, can be and provide; to love my family back. What has occurred to me in the years after this event, is how important it is for me, for us all, to be family back to not just our own kin but to someone that needs the same embrace and epiphany Thanksgiving 1998 gave me. Be good to one another. The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Breeze W i n e W i t h i n R e a c h
Mad about Malbec By Michael Mavrogordato Last month I offered a framework by which you could begin to learn your taste in wine and not be beholden by ratings from pundits whose mission is to impose their taste on you. I’ll get back to this framework shortly, but the other hurdle people face is the number of choices available. The world is awash in wine, and much of it is mediocre, but there are varietals and regions which regularly produce good wines. Today’s recommended varietal is the malbec which mostly comes from the famous region of Mendoza in Argentina.
Driving down the Bluffton Parkway, I stopped at Big Jim’s to check out their wines and buy my favorite vodka, Reyka. Sure enough, they had a small, but good selection of malbecs, but what really caught my attention was a 2010 French
To refresh your memory, the four building blocks of appreciating red wine (and understanding your bias), is to look for fruit, acidity, tannins and alcohol. My taste is to seek balance over the four dimensions, but many people lean toward fruit and alcohol. Who am I to disagree? What matters is your enjoyment of a particular wine, and understanding why you like it. Let’s apply this methodology to the malbec. I have a special affinity for Argentine wines because when we lived there in the early eighties their wine and beef pulled us through a war (the Falklands), three governments in five years, and 3000% annual inflation. Curiously, the malbec was then the runt of the wine litter. The predominant varietals were bonarda and cabernet sauvignon, and their blends were superb but a few of the older established wineries (Norton, Trapiche and Bianchi) took a big risk. Using cuttings from a French varietal called Cot (planted in the 40’s) they decided to expand near Mendoza. To visualize Mendoza, imagine a far smaller, more modest version of Denver but with a backdrop of mountains, which would dwarf the Rockies. Just west of the city the Andes tower 20,000 feet to starve the valley of Pacific moisture, but because of abundant sunshine and snow run-off, this desert region has become ground zero for terrific wine. Argentine Malbec is a star on the world wine stage, and deservedly so, but the question remains, what can we buy in Bluffton?
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malbec (the mother of all malbecs worldwide) from Cahors called Clos de Coutel. However, I had to continue to Belfair Wine & Spirits to find what I was really looking for, the Mendoza Broquel ( 2011) from Trapiche. With two bottles in hand I thought to myself, why not compare the parent with the child, and by proxy, the differences between Old and New World wines? Clos La Coutale 2010 ($15) The French are among the “greenest” people anywhere. They ban hormones in dairy and meat; ban genetically modified grains and ban the
irrigation of vineyards (exceptions exist.) Nature must rule and the French winemaker accepts nature’s majesty in stride and it is his ability to deal with uncertainty which begins to explain the art of French winemaking. The French see it as their duty to extract the maximum of what their soil and weather can provide and for this reason, vintages matter, and varietal blending is used to hone in on what that region’s wine should taste like. To the French the soil and
Cahors France
just enough tannins to provide structure. By the way, Kermit Lynch, who is probably the best and most knowledgeable importer in the US, introduced Clos de Coutale to the US. If you ever see their name on a bottle, buy the wine regardless of origin or varietal. It will be money well spent. Broquel 2011 ( $15) Three hundred days of sunshine, plentiful water, and French oak barrels are the secrets to a great Argentine malbec. The perpetual sunshine acts as a growth propellant, and when the grapes are harvested late, the sugars translate into alcohol levels which are nearly impossible to achieve in cooler climates. Finally, when aged in oak barrels the tannins are tamed to the taste of the winemaker. This cycle is so predictable and controllable, it acts like a quality control guarantee for the consumer, and Broquel is not only a worthy graduate of this system, the winery --Trapiche -- basically invented it. Trapiche has been around for ages (1890) and is now a mammoth operation (owned by a US venture capital fund, go figure!) but their wines are models of value and consistency.
Mendoza Argentina
its microclimate (terroir) determine the distinctive possibilities of a wine, and the French consumer knows this. It is then incumbent on the winemaker to match that expectation. This Cahors is a perfect example; 2010 was an average year in southeast France, and yet it came out chewy, beefy, loaded with fruit (blackcurrant) and pepper. How did they do this? Put simply, they threw in some merlot and tannat to maneuver the wine to a standard recognizable to the French! Using our four dimensions and my palate, this Cahors has: high fruit, low acidity, good alcohol, and
Broquel is a Cahors on steroids, but without the spiciness! It explodes with fruit (think blackberry jam) and yet it is not a “fruit bomb”. The alcohol level (14.5%) is high but this is commensurate with a big (modern) wine and, most importantly, it is framed with enough tannins to deliver the substantial feel which good wines deliver. The finish (i.e. the lingering taste on the back of the tongue) is impressive, but to be honest, this is more a function of the alcohol level than from the interaction of the other three dimensions. Again, using our four dimensions: Off the chart fruit, high alcohol but not offensive, good tannins and negligible acidity. Here are some other malbecs that I can recommend, all available in Bluffton: Norton Reserva, Felino, and my favorite, Las Nencias. Try any of these instead of a California zinfandel for Thanksgiving and you will be pleasantly surprised. Cheers. The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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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
DIMARE’S STEAKHOUSE & ITALIAN CUICINA BLUFFTON RD 815-6900 TUES – SAT 4:30 -10PM
BLUFFTON BBQ**, BARBEQUE PORK & RIBS PROMENADE 757-RIBS WED THU FRI SAT 11-Whenever
DOWNTOWN DELI, BURGERS& SANDWICHES DR MELLINCAMP 815-5005 MON-SAT 8-3
BLUFFTON FAMILY SEAFOOD HOUSE** 27 DR. MELLICHAMP DR. 757-0380 LUNCH/DINNER MON-SAT 11-9
FIDDLEHEAD PIZZA BURNT CHRUCH ROAD 757-6466 MON-SAT 11AM - ‘TIL LATE
BRITISH OPEN PUB, PUB, SEAFOOD, STEAKS SUN CITY & SHERIDAN PARK 705-4005 MON-SUN 8-9 SUN BRUNCH 8-1 BUFFALO’S, CONTEMPORARY PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6630 LUNCH MON-SAT 11-4
FUJIYAMA, SUSHI/ASIAN CUISINE PIGGLY WIGGLY CENTER 706-9907 MPN-TH 11AM-10PM, F/S 11AM-10:30PM, SUN 12-10PM 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 CLAUDE & ULI’S BISTRO**, FRENCH MOSS CREEK VILLAGE 837-3336 MON-SAT LUNCH & DINNER
INN AT PALMETTO BLUFF, CONTINENTAL PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6500 DAILY 7AM -10PM 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
CORNER PERK, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, COFFEE, TEA BRUIN & BURNT CHURCH 816-5674 M-F 7AM-4PM SAT 8AM-3PM, SUN 9AM-2PM
LA HACIENDA, MEXICAN KITTIES CROSSING 815-4540 MON-THU 11-10 FRI 11-10:45
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**For more information see ad in the magazine
MAY RIVER GRILL**, SEAFOOD/CONTEMPORARY MAY RIVER RD., OLD TOWN 757-5755 MON-SAT 5-9 DINNER TUE-FRI 11:30-2 LUNCH 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 OLD TOWN DISPENSARY, CALHOUN STREET 837-1893 MON-SAT 11AM-2AM SUNDAY BRUNCH
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
PINO GELATO CAFE, CONTEMPORARY, DESERTS BRIDGE CENTER 837-2633 MON- SUN 12PM-10PM
THE COTTAGE, BREAKFAST & LUNCH CALHOUN STREET 757.0508 BR. 8-11AM, LUNCH 11:30 - 3PM, SUN 8-2PM
PLUMS, AMERICAN BELFAIR TOWN VILLAGE 706-3647 LUNCH 11-4 DINNER 5-10PM
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 November 2013
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ICE MAN IN A HOT TOWN It takes skill and strength to play the game. And Ron has done that. But to coach hockey it takes nerves of steel and a big attitude. You’re standing in a suit, watching the lines flow in and out, and hoping the strategy will pay off. Your stars are underperforming, the opposition is living up to its reputation. The pressure is on. And when it’s the Olympic final, multiply that by ten! This is Ron Wilson. He lives quietly in Bluffton, but his achievements have been anything but quiet. Aside from coaching three NHL teams and being one of the most winning coaches of all time (top 3), he’s the guy who took the USA hockey team to the Olympic final in Vancouver and came within an overtime goal of upsetting the Canadians on their home ice. Ron talks about coaching, fighting, and the challenge of having to sit out the world’s most celebrated hockey star. He also shares heartwrenching moments of American war heroes inspiring the US team. Breeze interview by Eric Einhorn Was it because your dad was a player that you got big in hockey? When you grow up in Canada it’s what you do! My Dad was never overly involved in what we were doing. But there were three of the four brothers close in age and my Dad had a 20 year playing career so we’d go to the practice in the morning to get out of our mom’s hair,
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help the training staff clean up the dressing room, lay out towels etc., and then we were allowed to go and skate. And in the winter we built a rink in our yard and the moment it was frozen the neighbors would come over and play. So Canada is declining as a hockey force because global warming prevents these home-made rinks?
(Laughter) Actually it’s because hockey has exploded as a global sport and there are just so many rinks everywhere. The NHL went from a Canadian league to a world league. Canada still has 50% of the players, but after that come Americans (lots from California which is hard to believe) Swedes, Russians, and Czechs. While these guys want to play for their national teams in the Olympics they want to play for the best league in the world which is here. How do you handle coaching with all the languages? They all speak English – even the young kids coming in from Russia. In sports it’s the world’s language. If you were to give the Maple Leafs of your time the equipment of today, how would you fare against today’s Leafs? The athletes have grown exponentially. In my day I was average – five eleven and played at 175. Today I’d be tiny. The average size of players in the league today is six two and over 200 pounds. But the smaller guy has gotten back because now they want more skill. When I started as a coach, when you didn’t have a good team, your job was to be a “destructive coach” instead of a constructive one. You had to destroy the other team’s game plan, neutralize the good players and the rules allowed you to do that. Holding away from the play, kind of cheating, was allowed. Now they’ve taken that out. After the lockout in 2005 they freed up the skilled players to make the game more exciting. When you played were fights prevalent? Oh yeah! I played against the “Broad Street Bullies” [Philadelphia Flyers] and Big Bad Bruins [Boston]. People used to say when you got to Philadelphia and you drive in under the Spectrum it felt like the bus was still moving when they turned off the keys – because it was still shaking! All the players would say “OMG this is going to be the last game of my career”. You were really intimidated. Did the gloves come off like they do today? A lot more actually. The fighting was a lot less regulated. Now people overreact to some of the fighting but in fact the injuries that are highlighted rarely come from a punch – it’s often a guy slipping and hitting his head on the ice. If you got punched in the head, did your team mates cover for you? I was never a fighter, but each team has enforcers – in common language “nuclear deterrents”. They’ve got a bunch of missiles, we’ve got to have as many. The threat of a nuclear attack usually kept things relatively calm.
As a coach are you ever saying “go get ‘em”? No never. At least I didn’t. Maybe there are coaches that tap people on the shoulder and tell ‘em to get into a fight. But those players already know what their job is in terms of intimidation or changing the direction of the game – it’s the role they play. There will always be bullies who intimidate – making opponents think about getting hurt rather than making the play. They don’t have the skills to do other things. This stuff happens in all of sports – like baseball you’re not allowed to throw at anyone but it still happens. And when a batter gets hit – all hell breaks loose. And the Saints? That was really extreme but not uncommon in the NFL from what I’ve heard. They just happen to be caught. But nothing that far in hockey? What I’ve seen is that the players put money on the table for their own fun – like golf where you place a little side bet. Somebody will put on the board: Game winning goal $100, big hit $100. Money goes in a pool and they’ll have a party at the end of the season and the money that’s left over goes to charity. But that’s all within the rules. So they wouldn’t say “hit Crosby?” No that goes too far. There will be guys talking before the game “somebody has got to get to this or that guy tonight” and they’ll say it in general and that applies to the group on your team that plays that way. That’s usually the enforcers? Not always. But I would rather one of my players hits an enforcer really hard – not in a cheap way – but legitimately. He knows that will create a response! Sometimes you’re losing a game and down 3-0 and your tough guy will go out to start a fight and change the dynamic of the game. But that’s only successful if your tough guy wins the fight. If he gets his ass kicked it actually depresses everybody and they say “We can’t do anything tonight” – so you have to be careful! My thing was always either go all skill and have the best players – or if you’re going to be tough be really tough. Otherwise it wastes time. Talking about the strategy side of coaching, are there “plays” in hockey like in football? – because it’s hard to see them? Not really. We used what we called “systems”. How you forecheck, how you play, how you defend, how you get the puck back. Now they call it “structure” – this guy should be in the area, he should be there and everything The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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So you have a core structure. How many times do you change that in a year? You tweak those things based on how your team is playing and the opponents you’re are facing. We watch a lot of video to figure out the structure of other teams. If you’re playing the Penguins with their high skill level you’re trying to neutralize that skill level – and get them to play outside their comfort zone. So you’re trying to deny Sidney Crosby the puck or if he gets the puck a lot cover up all his options --who he will pass to etc. Do you actually coach players technique – or is it too late for that? You’re always trying to maintain strengths and improve weaknesses. Same as any sport. A good putter needs to keep putting to maintain it even if the driver is the issue. Give us an example of how you made a player better. Easiest example is Paul Kariya. He was our top player in Anaheim. In college he was just a playmaker, not a goal scorer. I kept saying to him – you’re good enough to score and we don’t have anybody else good enough! You’re making plays other guys can’t finish so you’ll have to become a goal scorer. So this kid would spend all his waking hours working on his shot and he ended up with one of the sneakiest, best wristshots in the NHL. Then we worked on his defense. He thought it was all about offense and to heck with it. But defensively he didn’t help at all. So I took him aside pointed out his plus/minus was -17 [Plus minus is the difference between goals for and against when you’re on the ice]. So I said to him look at the season as one game. You lost by 17! Is that good? Without playing any defense you would have had to score 17 more goals in order to tie the game. So get a better balance. Lose maybe just a little bit of offense, but you’re going to gain so much by helping all the guys you’re on the ice with. And it worked? Oh yes – the next season he was +35 he could shoot the puck and defend. A light went on and he was an instant All Star. So do all your players look for help? Not all the guys, but the really good players are sponges. They want more and more. They have bigger hard drives than other guys and they have the ability to process all that information. But you still had to give pointers? I always felt my job as a coach was to make the game as easy as possible by filtering all the information – cut down all the noise to give a few things to focus on. Like these 3 to 5 things will win the game. It’s just like golf with people who have 6 or 7 swing thoughts – no way a human brain can process that in a single swing!
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What about creating the lines. Do you ever ask players who they want to play with? Well you need to be a bit careful asking too much. Everybody in sports is a little bit selfish. They want to do well personally. In team sports you see evidence every day. Everybody wants to win, but doing well personally takes the sting out of the team not doing well. That’s natural. Athletes have very sensitive egos. So imagine I’m one of your stars and have been screwing up. How do you tell me I’m not playing in the next game? I was always blunt. I remember what it was like to be a player and wanted to know why. At the beginning it was really hard – it wasn’t just sitting out -- you had to trade people or maybe send them to the minors – and that’s like putting your dreams on hold – so you get a lot of tears. I always try to avoid it but you’ve got to do it as a coach. Other people bring in staff to depersonalize it. I’m the one who made the decision so I’ve got to do it. Any example you’re willing to share? A big one. I’m the first coach to ever sit out Brett Hull. [An icon in hockey] In 1996 we won the World Cup with Brett. He is a hard person to manage -- a perfectionist and really hard on his team mates – and can be a real jerk at times. He’s misconstrued as being very selfish. At that world cup I gave him different responsibilities -- made him feel like he was my assistant coach in a way. I confided in him and listened and he played great and scored two big goals in the final game. He was 28 or 29. Fast forward to 2004. Brett is at the end of his career and he comes to camp and he’s grossly overweight. It’s a summer time camp because the World Cup is in September. He’s out of shape and refuses to get on a scale. Refuses! I can’t make Brett Hull do anything. So I said to the other guys we shouldn’t tell how he is from the scale, we’ll tell him by how he plays. This is a 3 week tournament – we just need 3 weeks from him. So he is AWFUL on the ice and I can tell that he knows I know he is awful. It’s like “I’m Brett Hull and there is no way Ron has the guts to not play me. Or the stupidity.” So I bring him in and say “Hully can we agree on something – you’ve been awful so far – can we agree on that?” And he says “Yeah I’m embarrassed at how I’ve been playing.” I say “everybody is saying it’s because you’re grossly out of shape and they don’t want you to play anymore but I’m giving you that chance. You can
play tomorrow and I’ll lean on you heavily and we’ll see if you’re OK. If not, then you make my decision that much easier.” And he’s like “No I get it, I understand.” But he didn’t take himself out? No -- he said “I appreciate you telling me” and I said “I know how much pressure you have on you because you’re Brett Hull.” So he plays the next game and he’s no better – we’re playing Canada and getting killed. Those were the most sleepless nights of my coaching career. Because you knew you had to do it? Yes. I was procrastinating. I was going to talk to him before the pregame skate. Then we’re all sitting around and the assistants are all looking at me and saying “what are you going to do with Hully?” I said “you guys talk me out of it because I’ve made up my mind I’m not going to play him tonight.” Somebody please talk me out of it because this was going to be controversial and there would be a big … storm in the media: Who do I think I am sitting out one of the best goals scorers of all time. But nobody talked me out of it. So Hully came in and I asked him to close the door. He had that look on his face -- we all know that feeling -- when you’re kind of facing the music. Like when you’re caught speeding? Exactly. He’s saying how do I get out of this. And Brett Hull’s a bit of a manipulator too. So I said I’ve made a decision and I’ve been backed up by everybody else here – you’re not dressing tonight. We can’t get you in shape in two or three days. We’ll see how tonight’s game goes and we’ll go from there. He had that look on his face – where his ears were pulled back – kind of like a dog that knows he’s done bad. He was swallowing hard and says “I was thinking after we had the talk that there is no way Wils has the balls to sit out Brett Hull. You wanna know something? You’re doing the right thing. I have newfound respect for you! But just keep me away from the media.” You couldn’t take that risk? No, he would have lost it and lashed out. He would have said something to maintain his pride because he’s Brett Hull. He would have said what an …hole that Wilson is. And that was the end of it? As I’m heading back to the hotel and I see Brett coming out with his golf clubs and his two buddies are with him.. And he says “Wils” come over – I want to introduce you to two of my better buddies – and he says “this is Coach Wilson – he has the biggest balls of any coach I’ve ever had. He actually had the guts to sit me out. And he says I deserve it – I’m awful”. The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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So you’re still pals—do you ever talk about it? He doesn’t like to think about it. Athletes like to forget all the bad stuff. What about positive motivation? The tightrope you walk when you’re coaching is not to allow your team to think it’s better than it really is. You can win 3 or 4 games and it’s easy to get up at a press conference. But you’re harder on a team when they’re playing really well and you’re a lot more sympathetic and praiseworthy when it’s not going well. Hockey coaches stand pretty straight up – almost at attention -- and don’t seem to show much emotion like in other sports. Are you churning inside? The most important thing you’re doing is managing line changes and getting the next line ready to go. So you have to study what the other team is doing. If they’re putting out a line that neutralizes yours, you’re trying to figure out how to free your skill players. So you’re not really watching like a fan – just focusing on decisions? Yes constantly. You have to be very observant generally. An assistant coach is more about correcting individuals, offering encouragement or instruction or passing on what I’ve seen. There are 20 guys on the bench and I don’t have time to have conversations with all of them. So I’m seeing things I don’t like and say to the assistant – have a talk with Eric – tell him he’s got to get going or I’m going to have to make a change. So let’s go to that great Olympic game. [Olympic Final in Vancouver 2010] Final period, 30 seconds to go. You’re down by a goal. At that stage decisions are over? No emotions? Well that was different. We had played so well. We were the only undefeated, untied team playing better than anybody expected. Everybody was underestimating us and favoring Canada, Sweden, Russia and the Czechs. And we kept saying that we’re not that way. Now in the ‘96 world cup, before the game I had said to the team that I think we’re going to be trailing tonight something like 2 to 1 with 10 minutes to go. And there are a couple of guys in here who are going to be our heroes . Like when Mike Eruzione got the winning goal [Miracle on Ice]. So mentally I had prepared us to be down 2 to 1. And we went on and won. In this game I had done the exact same thing. I had prepared my-
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self -- said it would be tight, hard fought game and it’s going to be really close at the end. But we’ve got all the bases covered so just relax and play. Enjoy the moment – you’re here for a reason and this will be over in a flash and you’re going to forget it all – so enjoy the smells, the sounds, we’re playing for a gold medal in Canada and we’re going to win but it’s going to come right down to the wire. And I want everybody to be prepared for that. It was 2-0 Canada half way through the second period. Then we scored. So 3rd period I knew we’re in exactly the same spot as when we won the World Cup in ‘96 and was very confident – even as it was drifting down … So you genuinely believed right to the end? Oh yeah, I believed and the other coach made a mistake by calling a time out. I had already called my last time out with a minute to go to set up what we were doing with the goalie pull. I wanted to put Joe Pavelsky on the ice but hesitated for a second and missed the chance. Joe’s one of those junkyard dog kind of players who would always come up with a big play when you least expect it. But I was stuck with no timeouts left. Then all of a sudden Mike Babcock calls a time out to make sure their team is set.
So I said – Pav you’re out there and we talked through how we needed to get a couple of people in front of the net. So Pav won the face off, then hunted down a loose puck, got it to Patrick Kane in the slot, Luongo stopped it and Zach Parise knocked the rebound in to tie it. That must have felt like a win?
It did. And had we had another two minutes we would have won the game. But there were only seconds left. We spent so much energy jumping up and down on the bench because we’d tied it that I feel it had somewhat of a negative effect in that we’re going to overtime. We thought if we can get through 20 minutes without shooting ourselves in the foot we can win the shootout because we had the best goalie and the top 3 shootout scorers on our team. We came really close -- Joe Pavelsky steals the puck, shoots and Luongo [their goalie] got it between his shoulder and neck. Then about 30 seconds later Phil Kessel hit the crossbar and into the crowd. Are you kidding me – we had two glorious opportunities and they hadn’t to that point. Our mindset
was it’s only a matter of time before we score – and we didn’t. Then Sidney Crosby scored –from a broken play where the puck hit the referee – and it was over. So they had good fortune – did you still celebrate? Not really because we really thought we were going to win. The conundrum of the Olympics is that if you win a bronze medal you win. But you have to lose to get a silver medal. That was the feeling then. In the world championships when we beat Russia for the bronze and felt as good as winning the gold – we didn’t think we’d be in the medal game. And we beat a team we had no business beating – and that was in overtime too. I can remember that’s the happiest with a team I’ve ever been because we were a bunch of nobodies and half way through it was 3-0 and I said between the second and third period “Guys, as Americans we don’t get many opportunities to win medals. Sure we’re playing the Russians and it’s only a bronze medal, but when you come back and get the bronze medal it’s going to be the greatest feeling you’ve had in a long time.” And it was. What is your style talking to the team on breaks -lay it out straight? Or big Motivational speeches? You don’t give too many big speeches. I coached 1400 games in the NHL. You don’t give 1400 Knute Rockne speeches, that’s impossible. Maybe a couple a year and you’re trying to be original. I used to edit movies – sometimes funny sometimes sad – like from Caddy Shack or Bull Durham – they have some great lines. What about for the Olympics – did you do anything special for motivation? In the summer before we got together we brought in Medal of Honor winners. One’s Mike Thornton, the most decorated Seal in history. Remember the scene in Forest Gump where he gets shot in the rear and goes backand keeps pulling people out – that’s based on him. He talked about representing your country and sacrificing. Then we had a Ranger who had his leg blown off in a road side incident – he could tell stores about being on the brink of death and doing things that are literally crazy. And he’s one of the craziest people I’ve met. That night he asked the team if they would like to go out and drink for nothing. He guaranteed one free round of drinks for the night. So we go into this nice bar in Chicago and he has the uniform on with medals all over – a ranger outfit. He loosens his prosthetic leg. A guy walks by and hits his leg and he’s on the floor – with the leg fallen off. He’s saying “Oh I think I hurt myself.” A few people feel so bad they of course offer him a drink – and he says if you’re buying for me you’ve got to buy for my buddies -- and that’s the team. (Much laughter) Another guy was the leader of the Seal group that captured the pirates -- what’s now the Captain Phillips movie. His Seal group was to clean up after action --a helicopter came in and they lit up the targets and had to make sure they’re dead. So there is this guy laying there and they hear a moan – and next thing he hears a click and he realized the grenade was about to go off. And he said he got “hamburgered” – that ‘s when you’re
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covered in body parts. He got a lot of shrapnel right in the groin area. And one of the guys comes over – and he asks – is it still there? And the guy says “Oh My God what have you done.” Two pieces had hit him and baseball size chunks of his inner thigh was gone – but no permanent damage! Then there was Chad Fleming a Ranger who had literally half his face blown off. It was really hard to look at him at first. He talked about how they were outnumbered and he had to look to see where they were and as he leaned out he was hit by machine gun fire. He thought he was going to die – but the guys who got him out said it was going to be all right. All he could envision was his three kids and somehow he hung on. He’s had over 30 operations to rebuild his head – it was amazing he could still talk. What a great message about never giving up and always fighting for something. Did all this last beyond the impact of the meeting? We had each player adopt a wounded warrior and make hockey cards with the soldier, his background, his injury, and the soldier sent something for good luck – like their lucky t-shirts they were wearing when their life was saved. This was really emotional for the team. On a lighter note, who chooses the suits you wear when you coach? I have a tailor in every place I’ve been. Guy comes in before the season and the tailor has some ideas with all the swatches and says you look great in this kind of material. In Toronto it was part of an advertising thing. You mean “we dress Ron Wilson!” Yes So you’ve just confessed, image does matter? Well a lot of guys don’t do that. But I started to get complements from a lot of people – wow you look good on TV. It was like Garanimals. I had suit #1 with three shirts per suit and 6 ties. And #1 goes with shirts 23 and 24. You don’t want to look like a banker where every suit is dark and every shirt is white and you just decide the tie. I want people to think I have a different suit on every single game. The first couple of years I had to have numbers so I wouldn’t screw up (much laughter). You’ve lived in a lot of great places in the US and Europe. Why did you settle in Bluffton? We first came and stayed in Hilton Head for my dad’s hockey meeting – and loved it. We initially bought a place on the island and then made a permanent home in Bluffton. We love boating and this is one of the nicest places in North America to have a boat. I play a lot of golf and just love the lifestyle. It slower and my wife enjoys walking and volunteering with groups like NAMI. Does a slapshot help you in golf? [Ron Wilson is a frequent club champion]. There are a lot of moving parts in both swings and it’s not about strength. It’s all timing --the muscles moving in synch – strong core muscles shoulder turn and snapping your wrist at the right time. I’ll try to remember that!
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Expedition on Cumberland Island Part I By Michele Roldan-Shaw 40 www.blufftonbreeze.com
For as long as I have known of Cumberland, I have thought of it as a wilderness island. A place to camp out. Somewhere reached only by boat. A final frontier of the South. There was a certain iconic image I’d always see: a path through Cumberland’s maritime forest—more of a tunnel really—hacked into dense thickets of saw palmetto beneath a canopy of wind-and-salt-twisted live oaks. Their overarching branches, rich with resurrection fern and Spanish moss, formed an exquisite tangle against the sky; the path was a warm orange carpet of their leaves. It seemed a forest dense with silence, exoticism and solitary adventure. That was the Cumberland I wanted to see, and thus it never occurred to me that thousands of people visit every year, or that most only stay a few hours. I was surprised to learn of a ruined mansion on the island, and a grand hotel, and private homes belonging to a handful of lucky residents. I didn’t know about any of the wilderness vs. tourism controversy; in my imagination Cumberland was fresh and primal as the Jurassic era, and one day when I got organized I planned to go there and have me a lil ole sleep-out. After years of thinking about it, finally last spring I mobilized to action. I booked ferry passage and set aside four golden days in April, when hopefully the weather would be perfect, the bugs would behave and the snakes would still be sleepy. On the eve of my departure I talked to my mom over the phone; from the opposite coast she wondered what her daughter was in to this time. “I found Cumberland Island on the internet,” she said. “Crocodiles and sharks!”“Alligators, Mom, not crocodiles,” I reassured her. “And there are sharks right here in the May River where I go swimming all the time—they never do anything.”
From there conversation turned to deadly snakes and feral hogs that’ll charge and tear you up, but I didn’t feel afraid. Though technically part of Georgia, Cumberland would be much like the Carolina Lowcountry I’d spent the previous nine years exploring: maritime woods, tidal marshes, little brackish swamps and flat Atlantic beaches. It’s an environment I’m familiar with, comfortable in, adoring of its good qualities and patient with its flaws; and when you love and understand a thing you can no longer really fear it. A solo backpacking trip here would be a walk in the park. A chilly spring rain was falling as I boarded the ferry
in St. Mary’s, Georgia. I’d hoped for the best so my only raingear consisted of a plastic garbage sack, and my toes were poking out of my wet cloth slippers—par for the course in my world. Nevertheless I was in high spirits; my pack was trim and light with the bare minimum, and I felt ready to bound ten miles to the remotest camp spot on the island. Once on the other shore, a ranger debriefed me and perhaps a half-dozen fellow campers on what to expect. The raccoons were bad, and with their little hands they could get into backpacks and cosmetic bags looking for toothpaste; they’d lick pots clean if you left them out at night, or eat a hole through a tent by the broad light of day just for the smell of a candy wrapper. Wild ponies roamed freely over the island, but they were NOT to be approached—a man recently decided to crawl around on all fours with the herd, and later went on to get twenty or thirty stitches. Yet another cautionary tale began, “There was a lil ole baby gator on the beach….” But so long as we minded our business, the ranger assured us, we were sure to enjoy our stay. Her name was Pat and she had worked for the Cumberland park service since 1977. Born and raised in St. Mary’s, her voice carried the soft lilt of the Geechees, and her big-hug attitude was a comfort in the drear. “I just want y’all to be happy and have a good time,” she said. “If it’s rainin’, I tell people to think sunny thoughts!” I took her advice and felt bright despite the drizzle as I struck off down the trail; soon I entered a tunnel-path identical to the image nurtured in my mind’s eye for so long. I was finally here! And there couldn’t be a better time—the wet woods were fragrant with bay and wax myrtle, and blossoms had come out on the sparkleberries. For a soundtrack I had surf-roar, wind-stirrings, drops dripping, and the happy chatter of a thousand little birdies. The sky was white, the air cool, and the backcountry all my own. After a few miles I ran up on my first wild pony. It was grazing in the forest a few yards away—rather an odd sight, and I wasn’t sure what it would do. Making no sudden movements I observed, and presently reached this rhyming conclusion: just a gentle wild pony munchin’ grass, and me a crazy harmless human trudgin’ past. We both kept quiet as I went around it. By early afternoon I’d reached Hickory Hill then Yankee Paradise, two primitive camp areas in the The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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island’s interior. I pushed on. Lunch was carrots, nuts and a piece of chocolate, meager rations that I nibbled while sitting on a fallen log; then the trail spit me out at Main Road, a washboard sand track running the length of Cumberland. This thoroughfare had been the subject of much controversy ever since tricky legislation managed to exclude it from the protected wilderness surrounding it, thereby opening a Pandora’s Box of tourist activities that otherwise wouldn’t be permitted—in particular van tours that many consider an ecological threat. But I was not yet aware of that; I was too busy looking for pygmy deer. On previous visits to Georgia’s Golden Isles—namely Sapelo and St. Catherine’s—I’d had close encounters with these elusive beasts. I saw their tiny tracks, scarcely an inch in length, and mistakenly took them for those of regular whitetail fawns. Until I spied it: a miniature buck
with itty-bitty horns, snubby snout and a fuzzy look… what was that thing?!? And why was nobody talking about this? I became obsessed with pygmy deer, stalking them every chance I got; but later I could find no relevant information on the internet, and so had been nagged by the mystery ever since. Now here on Cumberland I happened to strike up a conversation with some fellow hikers—a mother and son team out of Atlanta—and they were able to shed some light on this puzzling topic: they said the little deer were dik-diks! (There is a long-standing tradition of importing exotic species to the barrier islands—zebras and buffalos and ostriches and such—as rich owners of yore had nothing better to do.) But subsequent internet research failed yet again to confirm the dik-dik hypothesis…and anyway I never saw them on this trip.
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By the time I reached Brickhill Bluff, on the northern end and marsh side of the island, I’d walked ten miles and the sun had broken out; the creek was sparkling and a stiff breeze shooed most of the bugs away. In the golden light of evening I scouted a good spot to pitch camp: gentle river bluffs provided an ideal situation. I put up my minimalist tarp shelter, which nestled neatly under some palmetto fronds; I strung the hammock in a quadrangle of water oaks; I ate my supper of thin soup heated over a tiny camp stove. There was the periodic CRASH! of dive-bombing pelicans, and the whir of flipping fish fins, but mainly a tranquil quiet prevailed…this was sure enough a pretty spot. Just at dusk—that is to say after a red sun-ball dipped behind the distant low tree-line of the mainland, but before a pinkish-orange tinge could fade from the sky—the whippoorwills began calling to their companions and that empty lonesome hour set in. I sat in the tent not thinking but feeling. Then suddenly I heard it: a sharp puff of air, marine but also mammalian, and without having to look I knew it was the sound of dolphins. There with my eyes closed I saw the pod traveling upriver—not fast on a mission, but not dilly-dallying or fishing either…just swimming by as dolphins do. I smiled and thought, “Yes! This is the tender coast that’s dear to me, so intimate and soothing; I must remember that in the dead of night.” An hour later I was drifting to sleep when I heard something big moving outside—instantly my mind went to vicious boars. I thought, “Whose idea was it to have people camp out where wild beasts threaten to trample you in your sleep?” I hopped up and peered out the tent flap, but it was only a peaceful pony munching saltwort in the moonlight. So much activity, so many noises in the first watch of the night! Squawks and splashes, rustles and crashes, sniffles and scuffles, chitters and tussles, little footfalls in dry leaves…all these critters marauding about, and me laid flat amongst them! But I was tired and passed out anyway. The next morning I woke up a stiff cold mess. (Turns out my little fleece sleep-sack was inadequate in April, even though I piled on every last layer of clothing at my disposal, excepting the gym shorts that were wrapped around my head against mosquitoes since my tarp shelter had no mesh; but something about the humidity makes it feel fifteen degrees colder, so during the night I got up to do jumping-jacks and boil a cup of plain water in an attempt to warm
I had asserted that my philosophy where it came to travel was “the gnarlier the better,” though lately I’d mellowed a bit and begun to wonder, “When are things too gnarly?” To this the young man replied sagely, “When you’re dead”—whereupon I threw back my head and laughed.
myself internally, which only helped a little….) Anyhow that was over now; it was morning and the day promised much. Once I’d thawed out and eaten an oyster plucked from the low-tide bed beyond my campsite, I determined to sally forth on an excursion. Supposedly there was an old church nearby, the one remaining structure of a former African-American community called simply “the Settlement.” I made for it, but soon got distracted by a side trail that led me through the woods before fading to a faint game-trace along the marsh. Here, like so many areas of Cumberland, the ground was all torn up by prancing ponies and rooting hogs; their ubiquitous droppings were definitely the biggest bummer so far. That and the ticks: on one particularly bad stretch of trail I discovered that in the time it took me to stop and flick one tick off my leg, a dozen more would crawl up my shoe. “Dang,” I thought in exasperation, “if they’re gonna allow this place to be a giant barnyard, they might as well bring in a flock of five-thousand free-range hens to keep the ticks down.”
His words rang strongly now as the way became increasingly impossible, yet I stubbornly refused to backtrack. I might have cut cross-country through the woods, but between me and where I knew the road ought to be was a 40-foot impenetrable wall of saw palmetto, trees and vines. “This is for horses and hogs,” I thought, “not for little girls.” A minute later I saw the whole dang menagerie: mares and foals in the boggy spartina, a bunch of rusty-colored pigs that went tearing off into the brush when they caught sight of me, and two raccoons scavenging shellfish a mere foot or two away, though they either didn’t notice me or care. Clearly this was a major crossroads for the animal tribes, and with them as my witnesses I vowed to find a way back from here or perish .... To be continued -- the dramatic conclusion in next month’s Bluffton Breeze.
For more of Michele Roldan-Shaw’s writing visit www.ramblerslife.com
In order to gain a view of the terrain, I climbed a huge spreading live oak that looked over tidal flats. It was hot and quiet here on the leeward side. I decided to explore, and as I started into the marsh a zillion fiddler crabs receded in waves at my approach, making a collective soft trickling as they went. Over the following hour I picked a skirting way along the shoreline, forging ahead against all better judgment, and was soon up to my shins in the sulfurous-smelling muck. I thought perhaps I could round a point to a ruined wharf indicated on the map, from which I hoped to find the road again; but this turned out to be a serious miscalculation. It now occurred to me that it was quite impossible to return the way I’d come, as there was little chance of finding that game trace again. I was alone in a trackless waste, and it sort of blew my whole walkin-the-park-Lowcountry theory out of the water. While conversing with the mother and son hikers, The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Breeze G o l f R e p o r t Written by Joel Zuckeman
November means it’s time to give thanks. So be ultra-thankful you rarely, if ever, have to cross paths with these golf course misfits: THE CHATTERBOX (INCESSA LOCQUA) This human toothache’s mouth is constantly moving, though nothing good ever comes of it; nothing but incessant inanity dribbling from the lips of this poor wretch. Who’s to say why she can’t shut up for ten consecutive seconds, infringing upon, some might go so far as to say ruining the quietude which is one of the attractions of the game to begin with? Uncomfortable in her own skin? Blissfully unaware of the protocol of the game? Born without the benefit of the essential filter between brain and mouth that most humans possess? Maybe it’s all three. Too bad she can’t spend her leisure hours on the psychiatrist’s couch finding out, instead of riding shotgun in the cart, offering opinions, spouting clichés and buzzing in your ear like a mosquito. In her favor, at least she’s not a bloodsucking parasite. On the other hand, you can swat a mosquito and nobody cares. Markings: Comes in all shapes and sizes, but tendencies are to the extremes---usually either an ectomorph or endomorph. Lips are often chapped from profuse flapping. Behavior: Emits a constant stream of babble during the course of a round. She talks before, during and after most every shot of her own, and darn near everyone else’s. Call: “Never up never in, my what a beautiful day, I gotta get to the restroom, aren’t these new golf shoes precious but they hurt my feet, oh
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look at that robin, want a sip of my soda, I think George Clooney is the most…” THE CRETIN (TIFDWARF REX) Does it irk you to see someone toss a cigarette butt out a car window? A cretin is likely to dump the entire ashtray into the middle of the road. Golfers like this just don’t care. Period. How can one even count the ways they offend on the links? They might be clattering around at the ball washer, blithely cleansing their orb (often a stolen striper in the most insidious cases) at the exact moment you begin your backswing. They are of the mindset that the shortest distance between their ball and the cup is directly across your putting line, and not one in a hundred would be considered light on their feet. They don’t pick up a flagstick, they don’t pick up a bar tab, they don’t pick up the cart girl, but unlike the other two examples, the last is not for lack of trying. Ability is irrelevant, but think of the classiest golfer you know of, maybe a Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson or Jack Nicklaus. Now think of the polar opposite. That’s your classic cretin. Markings: Metal spikes, extra-long ball retriever, tube socks. Behavior: Takes beaver-pelt divots, trudges though bunkers and drags feet on the greens. Call: “I don’t really make ball marks.s” THE FOOT WEDGER (GENUS CHEATS) (HOMO CHEATUS) This one has as many ways of defrauding their opponent as there are holes on the course. Hell, as there are blades of grass on the tee box. They’ll strategically place the cart between the opponent and the ball, the better to surreptitiously
improve their lie without detection. They switch to their favorite “putting ball” on the green, and maybe toss their ball mark towards the hole to get closer to the cup, instead of marking appropriately. Chronic cases affect a ruse where they dislodge sand from the bunker with a phony golf swing, while simultaneously tossing the ball onto the putting surface. Golf requires tremendous concentration. Too bad you also have to concentrate on quelling their antics if you hope for a fair match. Markings: Beady eyes, furtive manner, carries custom golf pencil with eraser. Behavior: Never loses a ball, miraculously avoids hazards, somehow finds openings through thick trees to advance ball towards green. Call: “Oh, you’re right. That was a 7, not a 6. I forgot about that little chip shot.” “It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.” Hank Aaron
The
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The Bluffton Breeze November 2013
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Course Notes The East course wanders through lakes and ponds and is very walkable. The West Course has subtle beauty with gnarled oaks, and sparkling lagoons. The North Course is a marvel of tranquil lakes, bold fairways and challenging bunkers. The South Course offers a classic parkland golf experience. A timeless golf experience nestled within a landscape of ancient, mossy live oaks and long-leaf pine forests. Park and links settings for two of Golf Magazine’s top 100 courses. Pete Dye said it’s “the best I’ve ever built”. Home to the USGA Junior Amateur in 2015. Generous fairways but challenging elevated greens. Beach bunkers create an island experience. Water holes and huge oaks. Great golf for great value. Neither too long nor overly difficult with interesting boldly contoured greens. The course is routed through pines, oaks and native coastal wetlands. Relatively new, this links style golf course is well cared for and has generous fairways with challenging undulated greens. A collaboration between two designers this course is well accessible in every way. Enjoy the challenging final hole flanked by a marsh and elevated green. In the beautiful Palmetto Bluff compound, the course meanders through the May River Forest. Bermuda greens with undulating slopes are challenging. The “Devil’s Elbow” courses are lined by magnificent oaks and tall pines as well as salt marshes that change with the tides. Good for all levels of golf. The scenic design of Island West, with rolling fairways, elevated tees, preserved natural marsh areas, and large live oaks presents a magnificent experience. The Audubon Certified course runs through canopies of live oaks, broad savannahs and soaring pines up to the banks of the Okatie River. Rolls from an open pasture to dense forests, and views towards Hilton Head. Most holes are surrounded by nature and the course has a lot of character. Features tall pines, many challenging water hazards and picturesque holes. It has a good practice facility and is a good value. The course is enveloped in a peaceful setting of trees and blue lakes. It is well designed to be player friendly yet holds its challenges on the back nine. Okatie Creek lets the casual golfer enjoy golf, while Hidden Cyprus offers greater challenges. Both courses capture the magic of low country beauty.
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Breeze G o l f C o u r s e G u i d e
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Breeze O V E R T H E B R I D G E S BEAUFORT
SAVANNAH
*Nov. 1 BLACK VIOLIN “Violin like you never heard it before!” 7 pm. USCBeaufortCenterfortheArts.com. 801 Carteret St., Beaufort 521-4145 $20, 25 Seniors $18, 20; Students $15, 20
*Nov 1-22 “SAVANNAH LIVE” Wed, Fri. 8 pm. Sun. 3 pm. Nov. 2-23 “JUKEBOX JOURNEY” Thur., Sat. 8 pm, savannah theatre.com 912-233-7764, 222 Bull St. $37.45 Coupon $34.24, Group of 20 $30, Kids $18.19
*Nov 7-9 Annual HERITAGE DAYS CELEBRATION. Penn Center.com on St. Helena Island. 843-838-2432. 9 am-9 pm. York W. Bailey Museum, Food, Symposium, Entertainment, Parade Fees: $5-15 *Nov. 24 HANDEL’S MESSIAH (Part1) 4 pm. USC Beaufort Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St. 843-521-4145 $20, 25 Seniors $10,20, Students $10, 15 HILTON HEAD ISLAND *Nov. 2-3 “CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE” hhimotoringfestival.com. 9 am-4pm at Port Royal Plantation. Park at Honey Horn for shuttle to site. 785-7469 $30 & up *Nov. 6 “LUNCH WITH AUTHOR,” Mary Kay Andrews, as she reunites us with Weezie Foley in her holiday novella, “Christmas Bliss.” Noon at Sea Pines Country Club: 843521-4147 $42 (includes lunch) *Nov. 7-24 “4000 MILES” A cross-country bike trip by 21 year old who ends up as his 91 year old grandmother’s roommate. 7-9, 13-16, 19-23: 8 pm. Sundays: 2 pm. S.C. Repertory Company, 136 Beach City Rd., 342-2057 $32 Seniors $30, Nov. 8-10 HILTON HEAD OYSTER FESTIVAL at Shelter Cove Park. Fri.: 5-8 pm, Sat., Sun.: 11 am-5 pm. islandreccenter 681-7273 Bucket of Oysters $12. Admission $5 *Nov. 7-10 FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING. a musical parody of Broadway songs you know. www.artshhi. com 842-2787, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 17 Shelter Cove Lane, HHI. Tues.-Sat.: 8 pm, Sun.: 2 pm $50 *Nov. 11 “MOZART & HAYDN VISIT PARIS & LONDON” and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra performs 3 master works. 8 pm First Presbyterian 843-842-2055 $25, 40, 50 *Nov 30 CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING at the Hilton Head Arts Center parking lot. 12-4pm. A yuletide celebration with carols, photos with Sants, crafts. Meet the cast of “42nd Street.” *Dec. 2 “JOY TO THE WORLD” Hilton Head orchestra, chorus and concerto competition winner violinist Eric Tsai. Seasonal favorites at First Presbyterian 4 & 8 pm. 842-2055 $25, 40, 50.
*Nov. 11-17 SAVANNAH FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL. COM James Beard Celebrity Chefs, Rob Mondavi Jr. Wine Makers, cooking competitions for cooks & bartenders, food & wine booths, wine stroll on River St. and Ellis Square 912-232-1223 *Nov. 16-17 The 19th Annual TELFAIR ART FAIR. An open-air event with 120 local and national artists set up around Telfair Square. Sat.: 10 am-5 pm, Sun.: 12-4 pm. Telfair.org. 207 W. York St. 912-790-8869 Free *Nov. 18-24 JEPSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS – FREE ADMISSION! 10 am-4 pm. Featuring Robert Henri’s “Spanish Sojourns,” flamenco performance at 3 pm on 23rd. Also, a selection of Andy Warhol prints, silver from the Rizza Collection, treasures of the Near East from the Huntington Museum. 207 W. York St., Sav. 912-7908802 Free *Nov. 21 BIG BAND POPS! The Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra brings jazz rhythm to town with the Jeremy Davis Equinox Orchestra and Clay Johnston, Anie Sellic, solists. 7:30 pm, Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn, Sav. 912525-5050 SavannahPhilharmonic.org $16-70 *Nov. 22-24 “CHRISTMAS MADE IN THE SOUTH” 300400 artisans at the Hutchinson Island Convention Center, Savannah. Free parking. Fri.: 10 am-8 pm, Sat.: 10 am-6 pm, Sun.11 am-5 pm. 704-847-9480 $7, age 12 Free *Nov. 23 OATLAND ISLAND WILDLIFE CENTER “Harvest Festival” Cane grinding, butter making, apple pressing, sheep shearing, weaving, crafts, food, music. 10 am-4 pm. 912-395-1500 Rt. 80 $7, Kids $5, under 5 Free Nov. 28-Dec.26 “A CHRISTMAS TRADITION” at the Savannah Theater. Song, dance, comedy. Mon.-Fri. 8 pm. Sat. 3 pm, Sun. 3 pm (no shows Dec. 2, 9, 16, 25) 222 Bull St. 912-233-7764 $37.45, kids $18, 19. *Wheelchair accessible event.
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