Dec. 21, 2021 • Volume 24, Issue 24 • Complimentary • BlufftonSun.com
INSIDE • Bethlehem scene shares tradition of three generations 16A • High-tech musical light show thrills fans, helps charity 22A • Find more extravagant light shows in community 27A • Hurricane season ends without storms 30A • On the Porch with Doug Corkern, architect turned artist 32 A
Holiday harvesting of oysters requires care, culling, control By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
’Tis the season for feasting on beasts for the table, but some treats don’t need a carving knife to relished. Oysters have always figured prominently among Lowcountry’s culinary delights, from beach bonfires, outdoor grills, home cooks and restaurant chefs, and this is the time of year when they are in their glory. Oyster harvesting season opened Oct. 15 and runs through May 15 – usually, barring storms or heightened bacteria levels. You don’t need a large, commercial boat like local companies have to harvest oysters. Individuals may harvest their
own oysters – if you’ve got the right knowledge and equipment. You have to also be willing to protect the oyster beds, because oysters are not only a choice morsel valued my many, they are also one of the reasons our local waters continue to be treasured. “Not only are oysters important to our waterways because of the habitat they create and the erosion they prevent, but one single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day thereby improving the water quality,” said Rachel Hawes, Land, Water and Wildlife project manager for the Coastal Conservation League. “The SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES presence of oysters in our waterways is Make sure to take the proper tools, and be prepared to get muddy when harvesting oysters. Cull
Please see OYSTERS on page 12A
the dead shells and oysters smaller than three inches where you harvest. Enjoy your haul, and remember to recycle the empty shells at recycling stations around the county.
Another round of school violence threats has families on edge By Tim Wood CONTRIBUTOR
After dealing with an unprecedented challenge last year with the COVID pandemic, Beaufort County school officials and families are dealing with an escalating level of social media idiocy this year with
a series of “challenges” inciting violence in the schools. A 12-year-old student was arrested on Dec. 10 after officials at H.E. McCracken Middle School found graffiti threatening a school shooting. The student was charged with making threats and malicious injury to property at the school. Bluffton Police
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Chief Stephenie Price said the minor is being processed through the family court system. A second threat of violence of McCracken is still being investigated, along with eight other instances of threats against schools across the county. Seven of the eight incidents revolve around
warnings of shootings at the schools either on Dec. 10 or Dec. 13. Thankfully, none of the threats led to actual reports of gun violence. BCSD spokesperson Candace Bruder said that officers are still working to
Please see THREATS on page 10A