April 6 edition

Beaufort Food Truck Festival returns Saturday

By Mike McCombs

After being canceled for the second time in three years, the Lowcountry Jaycees are hosting the 5th annual Beaufort Food Truck Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 8 on Paris Avenue in Port Royal.

In 2020, like many other events, the Food Truck Festival was a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Returning for it’s fourth edition in 2021, the event had a banner year after a few changes – longer hours, beer sales and a move from Beaufort Town Center to Port Royal.

Then last year, the threat of

a hurricane washed the festival away, leading to this year’s event this weekend.

“It was definitely a good choice that allowed us to raise more money,” Lowcountry Jaycees President Jennifer Argetsinger said of the 2021 addition of a beer tent. “And we’re going a little bit longer again this year. There should be a good variety for all the types of people who may attend.”

There will be 14 trucks at this year’s event with the fare ranging from desserts and ice cream to Polish, American and Filipino to wings, barbecue, hot dogs, soul

food and seafood. In addition to beer, there will also be water ans soft drinks.

There will be live music by Campfire Tyler, Steel Rail Express and El Camino, as well as artisan crafts and a kid zone and a variety of games for families. The festival is open to the public with free admission.

The Food Truck Festival is the signature event of the Lowcountry Jaycees. Most of the proceeds will benefit Jaycee Camp Hope, a statewide residential camp for in-

SEE FESTIVAL PAGE A4

‘Protect St. Helena’

Community comes out in droves to oppose development of Pine Island and St. Helenaville

By Delayna Earley The

Island News

ST. HELENA ISLAND – Hun-

dreds of concerned citizens from all over northern Beaufort County gathered on Thursday evening, March 30, for one reason — to preserve the land and culture on St. Helena Island by protecting Pine Island and St. Helenaville from being developed into a golf course and gated community.

The rally was held at St. Helena Elementary School on St. Helena Island, and community members lined up outside of the

The Fifth Annual Beaufort Food Truck Festival is set for Saturday on Paris Avenue in Port Royal. Proceeds of this event will benefit Jaycee Camp Hope, a statewide residential camp for individuals with disabilities aged 7 and older.

File photo by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, speaks against the development of Pine Island during a community rally on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at St. Helena Elementary School on St. Helena Island. Delayna Earley/The Island News

Bluffton’s Lee Groscost captured this egret on his first trip to the Port Royal Cypress Wetlands at the end of January.To submit a Lowcountry Life photo, you must be the photographer or have permission to submit the photo to be published in The Island News. Please submit highresolution photos and include a description and/or names of the people in the picture and the name of the photographer. Email your photos to theislandnews@ gmail.com

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VETERAN OF THE WEEK JOHN ROBINSON

Beaufort’s John Robinson, 55, joined the United States Navy in 1986 after graduating from Beaufort High School. After boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill., he trained in electronics, as a SONAR technician and as a submariner. He served aboard fast-attack submarines – first USS Philadelphia (SSN-690) and next USS Corpus Christi (SSN 705). Over a six-year period he experienced the North Atlantic, even above the Arctic Circle, and many months in the

John Robinson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

They’re bullies, not Nazis

A recent letter writer took exception to those who label book removal proponents as Nazis. I agree with the writer – calling someone who disagrees with you a Nazi is generally not conducive to a rational discussion (unless they really are Nazis like the Unite the Right extremists in Charlottesville, Va.).

I believe it would be better to label the book removal proponents as bullies because that’s what they really are. They are a very vocal minority who believe they can use threats and harassment to impose their will on the majority. They claim to support parental rights yet they want to usurp the rights of the majority of parents who don’t agree with them.

I have attended several Beaufort County School Board meetings where the topic of book removal was discussed. An overwhelming majority of community members and students have spoken out against book removal. It is gratifying to know that 33 of 36 books that have been reviewed so far have been restored to library bookshelves. It is unfortunate that so much time and energy have been spent on this issue, but it is encouraging to see the will of the majority ultimately prevail.

The letter writer also weighed in on government over-regulation of industry. We have seen time and again where deregulation and corporate greed have caused great harm to people, the economy, and our environment. No one wants to “strangle” industry with regulations but reasonable people realize that some level of regulation is necessary.

In the writer’s own words, “Regulations to protect the environment and worker safety should be adequate and enforced.” Finding the right level of regulation will always be challenging and it will always be subject to

ON THIS DATE

April 6

2019: Former U.S. Senator and S.C. Governor Fritz Hollings, a longtime mentor to Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling, dies at the age of 97.

2019: The NAO Santa Maria, a handbuilt replica of the largest of Christopher Columbus’ 15th-century ships that sailed to

Mediterranean Sea. His final tour was at the Submarine School in Connecticut where he taught. He left active duty in 1995 as a First Class Petty Officer (E-6). He used his GI Bill to earn a BS in Education and later earned an MBA. He returned to Beaufort and worked for the City of Beaufort Fire Department for 23 years. While there, he was also Program Director for an authorized VA training

disagreement. It is interesting to note that states with the highest level of regulation (N.Y., Calif., Mass., etc.) also have the most robust economies. I’m not suggesting causeand-effect, but overzealous deregulation is definitely not the answer – it imposes a huge hidden cost on consumers and taxpayers.

– Peter Birschbach, Port Royal

Y’all warm my heart

The Island News is an excellent publication. I spent an afternoon in Beaufort on March 28, had a sandwich at Rain-N-Bagels, bought a book at McIntosh Book Shoppe, had a cup of coffee next door and took a buggy ride with Anastasia. Along the way I picked up your paper and only now that I am back in New York City have I had the chance to read Sara Gregory’s story on the students, with excellent perspective she provides from outside experts. I think you should nominate it for a Pulitzer in local reporting or whatever category is appropriate.

Y’all warm my heart.

– Kathleen Brady, New York City. Brady has penned the books “FRANCIS AND CLARE The Struggles of the Saints of Assisi;” “LUCILLE The Life of Lucille Ball;” and “Ida Tarbell Portrait of A Muckraker,” among others. Learn more at www.kathleenbrady.net

It is, after all, their education

Kudos to the Beaufort High School group for speaking out about the literature that is proposed on the banned books list. It is after all, their education. There is little to fear from reading a book and much to fear if books are banned.

Also, if parents don’t want their go children to read a book, they can choose

the Americas from Spain, visits Beaufort. The ship, open for tours, would stay in Beaufort for eight days.

April 9

1890: Robert Smalls marries Charleston schoolteacher Annie E. Wigg. It was Smalls’ second marriage.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat of the Week: Endora is a peach! This beautiful girl loves to talk and play with new people who visit her room. She enjoys her time looking out the window or lounging with one of her roommates. She is 2 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

center in the Department. He recently became the Director of Public Safety for Beaufort County, continuing more than 35 years of service to the public.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 9. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com

for them opt out. Why must all students be affected? I am glad that Beaufort is meeting about each book and taking a deliberative stance about these books.

– Marcia King, St. Helena Island

Canceling my cancellation

My wife and I have lived in the Beaufort area for four years; two in downtown on North Street, two on Dataw Island. We became avid readers of The Island News from its free distribution stand outside Blackstone’s on Scott Street.

When we moved to Dataw in April 2021, we made an annual subscription to the The Island News to continue our readership. Much to our consternation, the paper is mailed, not delivered. This means it arrives two to four days late. The final straw came on the April 1 delivery with the front-page headline, “Rally to ‘protect St. Helena’ set for Thursday,” Thursday being March 30 –two days prior!

I was all set to call and cancel our subscription (at odds with my background in broadcast and print news reporting, and being a firm believer in supporting local news media). Then I read Stephen Murray’s terrific op-ed setting the record straight on downtown development. It just got better with commentaries by Terry Manning, Tim Wood, and Carol Lucas, as well as the (Lowcountry Weekly) review of John Warley’s book “Jury of One” and Debbie Covington’s recipe for pimento cheese tea sandwiches (my wife’s favorite).

This one, very late, untimely news edition contained irresistible thought-provoking content available nowhere else on the planet. I subsequently canceled my call to cancel and will forthwith consider my $100 annual subscription a charitable contribution to local journalism. Keep up the good work.

– James Kemper Millard, Dataw Island

April 12

2019: Twenty-one-year-old U.S. Marine Cpl. Tyler P. Wallingford, an Aircraft Ordinance Technician with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) is shot and killed aboard MCAS Beaufort.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

Videographer Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

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DISCLAIMER

Dog of the Week: Harley is one of our longest residents – she has been with us for more than 700 days consecutively. She is a beautiful, smart, and energetic dog who would make a great companion.

Harley is 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Endora, Harley, or any of our other pets, call our adoption center at 843-645-1725 or email us at info@ palmettoanimalleague. org to set up an appointment.

All content of The Island News, including articles, photos, editorial content, letters, art and advertisements, are copyrighted by The Island News and Island News Publishing, LLC, 2022, all rights reserved. The Island News encourages reader submissions via email to theislandnews@gmail.com. All content submitted is considered approved for publication by the owner unless otherwise stated. The Island News is designed to inform and entertain readers and all efforts for accuracy are made. Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Island News, its publisher or editors. Content published from Care Magazine® is intended as a reference and options source only, not as a guide to self-treatment or substitute for profession medical advice. It is provided for educational purpose only. Readers assume full responsibility for how this information is used. The Island News reserves the right to refuse to sell advertising space, or to publish information, for any business or activity the newspaper deems inappropriate for the publication.

Showing their loyalty

Local Habitat for Humanity groups welcome CEO Reckford

From staff reports LowCountry Habitat for Humanity and Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity hosted a breakfast for staff, board members, and community leaders on Callawassie Island on Thursday, March 30, as they welcomed Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford.

Reckford’s visit to the area was part of a two-day visit addressing solutions for affordable housing, which is of elevated interest in the region.

Reckford was the Keynote

Speaker at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Annual Community Meeting, which highlighted the recent work of the Foundation and the committed partnerships the Foundation has developed over the years with local nonprofits and individual donors.

Reckford’s speech, “Affordable

Housing: A Prerequisite for Healthy, Sustainable Communities,” is a highly relevant and timely topic in our area and why Habitat took center stage. CommunityWorks in partnership with government mu-

nicipalities in Beaufort and Jasper counties recently created an affordable housing fund, Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust, in response to the need for affordable homes throughout the Lowcountry – $3.4 million was pledged to start the initiative, which launched in January 2023. The breakfast was an intimate event with affordable housing advocates and HFHI senior leadership. Reckford gave brief remarks after engaging with local Habitat supporters from north and south of the Broad about housing issues affecting the area.

Nationally Ranked Health Care

Only 5% of hospitals in the U.S. have earned the Top Hospital award for patient safety and quality — and Beaufort Memorial is one of them.

We’re proud to be among the select group of hospitals recognized by the national hospital safety watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group for putting patients and their safety first every day. Not only does it mean our team is focused on you, it means you can feel confident in trusting us when it matters most.

We all want access to top healthcare, because we know that “top” means a commitment to pursuing and achieving the best, which is especially important when you’re looking for medical services and care. And the good news: it’s right in our backyard.

Eight Donald Trump supporters rallied at noon on the Bellamy Curve on Boundary Street for the former President on the day of his arraignment in New York City. Later in the day in New York, prosecutors unsealed a 34-count felony indictment against Trump. The former president pleaded not guilty. His next scheduled court appearance is Dec. 4. Photos by Jeff Evans/The Island News

Executive Director of Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity Brenda Dooley, Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford, and Executive Director of LowCountry Habitat for Humanity Barbara Thomas, on Thursday, March 30, at the affiliate breakfast on Callawassie Island. Submitted photo.

Out with the old ...

Submitted photo.

A white linen First Friday event April 7

From staff reports

Don your white linen attire and celebrate spring during the April 7 First Friday event in historic downtown Beaufort.

Bay Street and sections of West and Scott streets will be closed from 5 to 8 p.m. for patrons to enjoy more than 30 antique vehicles from the Sun City Car Club of Hilton Head, as well as music by the Sweet Grass Angels (Elaine Lake, Velma Polk, and Penney Smith).

White linen-draped tables provide seating for a resplendent evening to enjoy the entertainment.

Stroll through Beaufort’s array of unique shops or dine at one of the many restaurants.

The First Friday event is free and open to the public.

Festival

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dividuals with intellectual disabilities aged 7 and older. Camp Hope, established in 1969, strives to give campers healthy experiences outdoors through four summer sessions. Benefits include exercise, outdoor activities, personal growth, and social development with peers and caring adults.

The Jaycees will use the remaining proceeds for local community causes.

“In the past we’ve had the majority of our trucks just about sell out,” Argetsinger said. “In 2021, we donated $6,000 to Jaycee Camp Hope. If we’re able to do that, I think this would be called a success.”

The Lowcountry Jaycees, also known as the Junior Chamber of Commerce, are the premiere leadership training and community service organization for men and women between the ages of 21 and 40. They promote leadership training and self-improvement by providing service and support for our community.

Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com

Pine from page A1

school building, waiting to get into the school’s cafeteria. According to Fire Chief Bruce Kline with the Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District, about a thousand people came out to support the cause, although not everyone was able to get inside of the building.

One by one, speakers who represented the Gullah/ Geechee people, residents of St. Helena Island and local bodies of government got up and spoke about what would happen to the “soul of the Sea Islands” if the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) were revoked.

The CPO, community-driven zoning laws that were written in the late 1990s and adopted in 1999, essentially protect St. Helena from being overly developed in order to protect both the land and culture that exists on the island.

Meeting set to discuss Reimagine Ribaut Road project

From staff reports Beaufort County is hosting a meeting to discuss the Reimagine Ribaut Road project from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, April 20, at Technical College of the Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Road, Building 23.

This is an opportunity for

citizens and stakeholders to share their thoughts and concerns, and to provide input that will help shape the master plan. It will provide valuable information about the project, and is an excellent opportunity for the public to share their comments.

NEWS BRIEFS

Glover to hold meeting on St. Helena

drainage

Beaufort County Council Member York Glover (District 3) is hosting a community meeting at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 11, to present the results of the recently completed drainage study of St. Helena Island.

The meeting will be held at Beaufort County Library St. Helena Branch, 6355 Jonathan Francis Drive.

Consultant Crystal Mueller, with Woolpert, Inc., will be the guest speaker. The meeting is open to the public.

For questions and more information, visit Beaufort County Stormwater Management.

Rembold to speak at April 11 LIBPA meeting

The Lady’s Island Business & Professional Association will meet at 8 a.m., Tuesday, April 11.

Beaufort County Airports Director Jon Rembold will be the featured speaker.

The public is invited to stop by for coffee and conversation. The meeting will be held at the Beaufort Realtors’ Association Headquarters at 22 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island.

The Reimagine Ribaut Road project is an initiative that aims to enhance the 5.5mile corridor from Boundary Street to the Russell Bell Bridge. Beaufort County, City of Beaufort, Town of Port Royal, and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. are working together to create

LWV Beaufort meeting

April 13

The League of Women Voters Beaufort will hold their general monthly meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 13 in the Meeting Room of Sea Island Presbyterian Church on Lady’s Island.

The meeting will discuss the future projects of the Education and Healthcare committees. Also at the meeting, the Voter Registration for High School Seniors committee chairperson will be recruiting volunteers to work in late April and May to register students and discussing how the junior members of the League and their associates can help in this endeavor in their respective schools.

As always the public is cordially invited to attend all meetings of the LWVB held on the second Thursday of each month.

The LWVB is a non-partisan organization whose mission is to register and educate voters about issues of interest in our local community and to work with other organizations to promote projects to help alleviate any problems these issues may cause.

BSDC meeting set for April 13

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s (BSDC) April meeting will be held Thursday, April 13, at the

City of Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray speaks during the community rally against the development of Pine Island on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at St. Helena Island Elementary School on St. Helena Island. Delayna Earley/The Island News

“One person wants to change the law to suit his purposes,” Marquetta “Queen Quet” Goodwine, Chieftess of the Gullah/ Geechee Nation, said. “We knew this was a unique place, we did not want it to be a gated area, we did not want … our environment to be damaged. We do know that overbuilding on this coast is causing ocean acidification, which is causing us to lose our bivalves, mean-

ing our oysters, our crabs and anything that has a shell on it. We know that it lowers our water quality. We also know that due to climate change we are dealing with sea level issues. So, we do not want our wetlands filled in, and that is exactly what you would have to do at Pine Island and St. Helenaville to build.”

The rally was held to garner support and spread awareness before the April

a master plan for improvements along the corridor.

In addition to the symposium, citizens and stakeholders can complete a survey and provide comments on an interactive map by visiting www.reimagineribautroad.com. This website is a fantastic resource for

Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will start at 7.

The Cobia are returning, therefore, Capt. Danny Rourk of Tailwind Charters will be the presenter. Rourk will present rods and reels, choice of lines, and baits of choice. He will also discuss offshore versus inshore fishing, along with rules and regulations for Cobia.

Beaufort Boat & Dock Supply, Butler Marine, and Danny Walsh and the Achurch Real Estate Group again are our monthly $50 drawing sponsors. Remember to weigh in your favorite catch at the Beaufort Boat & Dock Supply at 1734 Ribaut Road, Port Royal during regular hours. Congratulations to Gregg Digiovanni, last month’s winner. Winners must be present at the next month’s meeting to receive the cash award.

Guests are welcome. Reservations are not needed. For additional information, contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-522-2122 or email fgibson@islc.net

South Carolina Bluebird Society holding presentation

Glen Hendry, Trail Director for the South Carolina Bluebird Society (SCBS) is providing a presen-

10 meeting where the Beaufort County Land Use Committee meets and receives recommendations from the CPO committee.

“Y’all are here tonight, refusing to allow, not just your natural resources, but your cultural resources from being destroyed,” State Senator George “Chip” Campsen said. “There is incredible history here that should not be homogenized into the next Hilton Head.”

Mayor Stephen Murray of Beaufort said that the people of St. Helena aren’t asking for anything special, just to have what they have been asking for for 30 years to be honored.

He also said that instead building golf courses and gated communities to keep people out, the people of St. Helena Island should ask for the same amenities that other parts of Beaufort County have, such as community centers and better schools.

“All of the elected bodies have said that this is inappropriate land use and we

anyone who wants to learn more about the project or get involved in the planning process. For questions or persons requiring additional assistance due to language barriers, contact the Engineering Department at 843255-2700.

tation from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, April 21 on local cavity nesting birds, including the Eastern Bluebird. Hendry has a wealth of knowledge and expertise regarding cavity nesters.

The presentation will be held at the Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. The event is free and open to the public. Donations to the SCBS are welcomed. Contact Becky McCollam at chopperjoe1616@gmail.com to RSVP or if you have any questions.

Sail and Power Squadron requests expired flares, offers boat inspection

The Beaufort Sail and Power Squadron, now recognized as America’s Boating Club of Beaufort, in conjunction with the Town of Port Royal, fire chiefs, and S.C. Department of Natural Resources is sponsoring an event for boaters to turn in expired flares and get a free boat inspection.

This event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 13 at the Sands Beach Landing in Port Royal. No reservation is required.

For additional information, contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843522-2122 or email fgibson@islc.net

– From staff reports

VIDEO For a brief video of Queen Quet speaking at Thursday’s rally, follow the digital link provided or go to https://youtu.be/jaL9OFB36s

stand by you,” said Mayor Murray.

Queen Quet and several other speakers mentioned that they hope to have the April 10 meeting moved to a different location, such as St. Helena Elementary School, to accommodate a larger crowd of people.

She also said that it is possible that topics from the 3 p.m. April 10 meeting could end up on the agenda for the County Council meeting later in the evening.

“I see a lot of you showed

VIDEO For a brief video of City of Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray speaking at Thursday’s rally, follow the digital link provided or go to https://youtu. be/8b8Y1eJOWqo

up here tonight, but we need you to show up on the 10th, too,” Penn Center’s Marie Gibbs said.

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com

The BB&T bank building on Port Republic Street is in the process of being demolished to make room for a new events center, an extension of the Tabby Place at The Beaufort Inn. Photo courtesy of Mindy Lucas.

Partnerships, funding good for BMH Healthcare Workforce Development projects

From staff reports

A hospital-based education center, state-of-the-art simulation lab and career development program are among the projects set to receive $2 million in funding through a partnership between Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH), the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), Beaufort County and the City of Beaufort.

“We are so proud to have the City of Beaufort, Beaufort County and USCB working with us on this important endeavor for our community,” BMH President and CEO Russell Baxley, MHA, said in a news release. “Together, we are working to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals in the Lowcountry and provide pathways for residents in our community to achieve their career goals.”

The new education center and simulation labs will provide a dedicated space with access to medical equipment, technology and training for future and current healthcare professionals, including nursing students enrolled at USCB and in the Beaufort Memorial PATH Program. The simulation labs will also be used by current nursing staff for continuing education on clinical competencies and skill demonstration. The 6,340 squarefoot facility will be located on the second floor of the Beaufort Memorial Medical and Administrative Center at 990 Ribaut Road.

“The measure of a university’s success so often reflects the strength of its partnerships,” USCB Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Eric Skipper, PhD, said. “We are proud to partner with Beaufort Memorial Hospital, the City of Beaufort and Beaufort County in this effort, which will enhance opportunities for our nursing students and produce more nursing graduates to serve our region.”

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were next door to Beaufort is not a surprise, said Ericka Burroughs-Girardi, research program coordinator at County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.

Places like Beaufort, with a wealth of resources, investment and better-paying jobs, tend to draw people from counties where those opportunities are lacking, contributing to the deficit in those counties, she said.

“It’s almost like a drain,” said Burroughs-Girardi, who has family ties to South Carolina and graduated from the College of Charleston. “Everyone is going to focus on that one community where all of the resources seem to pool and then the other county starts

City Council recently approved an amendment to the City of Beaufort FY 2023 budget, allocating $1.5 million to healthcare workforce development programs and simulation labs in the new education center. The City received funding through a grant from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a nursing expansion and retention program. USCB will also be contributing $500,000 to the education center project.

“We’ve worked closely with Beaufort Memorial Hospital,

to suffer. This is what we see happening with this juxtaposition of Beaufort and Allendale.”

Between April 2020 and July 2021, Beaufort’s population rose 2.5 percent while Allendale’s fell 2.3 percent, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Many of those lower-ranked counties, not just in South Carolina but across the South, were part of the Black Belt, which referred to the rich soil that made them agricultural centers in the past. Those counties, which also have a higher percentage of Black residents, see higher rates of poverty and suffer from a lack of investment, not just in businesses but also in schools and other amenities, she said.

“When we see poor economic conditions, poor health outcomes almost al-

USCB and Beaufort County to bring this project to fruition,” said Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray.

“We need more healthcare workers in this region, and this initiative will address that in a concrete way. This is another example of how our partnerships are helping to grow jobs, our workforce, and our local economy.”

“These programs, which are being partially funded through an FY23 state budget proviso, are essential to educating and retaining high quality health care professionals in our region. Beaufort

ways follow,” Burroughs-Girardi said.

Those counties also lack what is referred to as “civic infrastructure,” or places in a community where people can connect, such as parks and libraries. That also includes a connection to the internet where many of those rural counties lack broadband access, said Maya Pack, executive director of the South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health. Allendale is tied for the fourth-worst percentage of residents with broadband at 64 percent and Beaufort is tied for the second-highest rate at 89 percent, according to the county rankings.

That connection is vital not only for telehealth, but also many jobs, and during the COVID-19 pandemic it was the link to school.

“Broadband access is

Memorial’s initiatives benefit all of us,” City Manager Scott Marshall added.

The Beaufort Memorial PATH Program has been showcased as an innovative example of workforce development by the South Carolina Hospital Association and includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education, and even non-traditional financial assistance to encourage and incentivize individuals to advance their careers and support a better healthcare network.

Providing several avenues for

now a social determinant of health,” Pack said, among those non-clinical factors that affect a person’s health.

It is one reason Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., helped launch a campaign called GetConnectedSC last month to expand access to areas that currently lack it. Out of a $65 billion pool of money at the federal level, the state has a five-year plan to put a minimum of $100 million a year toward that effort.

That will make those communities more attractive for industries relying on that access, thus helping improve opportunities there, Pack said.

“In today’s economy, so many jobs can be done fully remote so there may be jobs in rural communities that were previously not available to them,” Pack said.

career development to bolster the county’s healthcare system, the PATH Program is a joint venture funded by the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation and Beaufort County. In the summer of 2022, the county provided initial funding for BMH’s proprietary program with a contribution of $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

An additional $500,000 towards construction of the educational center brings the County’s total investment in healthcare workforce development to $1.2 million. The fully committed collaboration between Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, USCB, and Beaufort County School District, has made the PATH Program effort a success.

In the first six months after launching PATH, 20 individuals have graduated from the 12-week program to obtain positions as EKG technicians, clinical medical assistants and patient care technicians. An additional five nursing students have also received scholarships through the program for courses at USCB or Technical College of the Lowcountry.

“The Beaufort Memorial team has been the key ingredient in this initiative,” said Special Assistant to the County Administrator Hank Amundson. “We want to support this mission to both improve our community’s healthcare system and help individuals advance in the workforce to provide a better quality of life for them and their families.”

Community members interested in learning how they might join the team at Beaufort Memorial and grow their career through the PATH Program should visit BeaufortMemorial.org/Careers or attend an RSVP-only Career Fair on Wednesday, May 3. Visit BeaufortMemorial.org/JobFair for details and to reserve a spot.

“The importance of getting that broadband infrastructure built can really not be overstated.”

About 40 percent of the rankings are based on those non-clinical factors, such as poverty levels, because people have come to a growing understanding that they have a big impact on health, Pack said.

“People understand that poverty imposes a lot of barriers and that health behaviors are informed by one’s environment,” she said.

Someone who lacks transportation not only would have difficulty getting a job with benefits like health insurance, but also getting to doctors appointments and might not be able to access healthy fresh food.

“All of those factors, in confluence with one another, are what is making the health outcomes in some of

our rural communities really challenging,” Pack said. It is not just health.

Many of those barriers also change how connected residents feel to their communities and whether they can actively engage with one another, Burroughs-Girardi said. Allendale has the lowest voter turnout rate among all South Carolina counties from 2016 through 2020, according to the rankings. It is an important way to judge the civic health of a community, Burroughs-Girardi said.

“Research shows there is a direct link between civic health and health outcomes,” she said.

From Beaufort to Bluffton and Hilton Head, The Post and Courier covers news impacting your community. Subscribe for more local coverage at postandcourier.com/ IslandNews

Beaufort Memorial’s 12-week PATH program provides classroom and clinical training that enables individuals to move into new career positions within the hospital. Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Being a parent is probably one of the toughest jobs that we ever do. Today’s families face many obstacles, and we want you to know that there is help.

Our local Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) offers a variety of programs to the community to help raise awareness about child abuse and its effects on the community.

For more information about CAPA’s outreach programs, please contact April Fletcher-Clark, Director of Programs, at 843-524-4350 or outreach@ capabeaufort.org

CAPA offers comprehensive prevention programs to effectively educate and empower children to recognize, interrupt, and report unsafe or uncomfortable behaviors and situations. CAPA combines Play It Safe!® and Think First & Stay Safe® curricula (best practice, evidence-informed, and age-appropriate) to meet Erin’s Law standards as required by the South Carolina Code of Laws and the State Board of Education. Their program emphasizes every child’s right to stay safe from abuse, neglect, harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and grooming using proven prevention strategies, including assertiveness, advocacy, and increasing self-efficacy. Each lesson includes takeaway resources and materials in English and Spanish, so children

and their families can reinforce these concepts at home.

CAPA offers parenting classes that are affordable and open to the general public.

Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)

Mondays 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

CAPA Parenting Center –currently virtual 1340 Ribaut Road, Port Royal

$40 for an 8-class session Contact April Fletcher-Clark, Director of Programs, at 843-524-4350 or outreach@capabeaufort. org

Triple P (a best-practices positive parenting program with over 25 years of research behind it). The class is structured into eight sessions covering a wide range of topics. Sessions include group dis-

cussions, activities, and role-playing opportunities. The sessions are taught continuously, and participants may join in at any time. Topics covered include: Teaching parents how to build positive relationships with their children Helping parents set rules and give instructions their children will follow Encouraging parents to praise

behavior they like

Helping parents teach their children new skills

P.S. We Love You (parent support group)

Thursdays 6:15 – 7:45 p.m.

• offered 1st and 3rd Thursdays, at the CAPA Parent Center, 1340 Ribaut Road, Port Royal Please call ahead to check current schedule, 843-524-4350

This group is FREE to join and is open to any parent. We will laugh, learn, share and love—our children, grandchildren, and each other. The group invites speakers to deal with topics of particular interest to the group including health, budgeting and baking, adult education opportunities, and child-rearing.

For more detail about other programs CAPA offers, visit https://capabeaufort.org

Also, visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for a complete list of product recalls, including household products and appliances not specifically related to children. To register your car seats for automatic recall notices, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Other agencies also issue recalls such as the Toy and Product Recall Finder at Parents.com

Water aerobics may ease the pain of arthritis

Arthritis is the nation’s most common disability, affecting 50 million adults in America. For seniors who suffer from arthritis, research recommends the benefit of water aerobics to ease their pain. Seniors who feel stymied by arthritis pain the prospect of increasing movement is the last thing they want to do because they fear injuring themselves further. But exercise in the water adds buoyancy and protects inflamed joints, and it can be fun.

The Disease:

Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and it may occur as

a result of infection, trauma, or degenerative change.

It has been proven that seniors who begin a recommended exercise, such as water aerobics, sticking to it is associated with better outcomes. The results from

several studies indicate that water exercise patients report less pain, improved joint function, increased muscle strength and better perceived quality of life and well-being. However, complying with an exercise does

not mean exercising intensely. In fact, moderate exercise is just fine.

Checklist for Seniors

Starting a Water Aerobics Regimen:

Check in with a physician before beginning a water aerobics routine. Those with arthritis often fear creating more pain or injury to their body. Clearance for physical activity is good common sense and a smart practice for those with arthritis. If taking a class, find a certified instructor. There are several associations that certify instructors including the

Aquatic Exercise Association and the Arthritis Foundation. Begin exercise in moderation to avoid injury.

Individuals may also exercise safely on their own. The Arthritis Foundation has a 45-minute water exercise DVD. Water exercise may also be conducted in a bathtub at home focusing on the small muscle groups rather than the large muscle groups that require a pool or spa.

Seniors who use the support of wheelchair or walker may still enjoy benefits of water exercise with help of flotation belts.

To find a local aquatics class, contact: Beaufort County Parks and Recreation: https:// www.bcscrec.com/ aquatics; Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry: https://www.beaufortjasperymca.org/ aquatics; US Marine Corps Community Services: https://southcarolina. usmc-mccs.org/ recreation-fitness/ aquatics

Sources: American College of Physicians, www.acponline.org and the American College of Rheumatology, http://www.rheumatology.org

All children deserve to be loved, nurtured, and kept safe from intentional and unintentional harm.

Deer proofing your garden environmental CARE ©

Creating a beautiful and bountiful garden is a popular pastime for people in the Lowcountry. It is important to keep in mind that aesthetically appealing plants may be appetizing to area wildlife, including deer. Those who do not want their gardens to turn into all-you-can-eat buffets for deer, rabbits and other wild animals can take a more proactive approach to gardening.

Deer are opportunists who will no doubt see your garden as a salad bar ripe with all of their favorite foods. As housing and retail developments continue to encroach on the natural habitats of deer and other animals, these animals are becoming more visible. Deer may not be able to forage for food effectively in their smaller, natural surroundings, or they may become accustomed to the “easy pickings” they find

in neighborhood yards. Either way, you may encounter a deer in or around your area.

Keeping deer at bay involves some work and maintenance on the part of a homeowner. There are safe and humane methods to repelling deer, or at least blocking access to the plants worth protecting. Here are the main ways to deer-proof a garden.

Fence It

Fences are one way to deter deer from entering a yard and dining on your garden.

Keep in mind that deer can jump fences that are quite tall, but they have to be especially motivated to jump an eight-foot-tall fence. Still, they tend to be wary about scaling a fence when they cannot see what is on the other side. Therefore, if you are fencing out deer, choose a fence that camouflages the

garden well and completely encloses the area to be protected. If you do not want the fence to be solid, consider putting stakes or thorny plants within the garden so that the deer will hesitate to jump into the garden.

Scare Them

Deer are naturally skittish around people, but over time they can become quite complacent around human beings. Once a deer decides that something will not present a threat, the deer can adapt to its presence.

Motion-activated devices may not work, nor the presence of pets. Predator urine is typically an effective way at keeping deer at bay. Bottled coyote urine can be quite effective, although human urine may work as well. Reapplying the product weekly around the plants is a good idea.

Repel the Deer

There are many organic or safe chemically based products on the market that deer may find offensive to the taste or smell.

Hot pepper, sulfur and eggs or even the use of soapy water have been successful in certain instances. The use of blood meal or even human hair around the garden may repel the deer and keep them on a different foraging path. However, remember that any deer that is very hungry may ignore unpleasant tastes or smells for a quick bite.

Change Plants

If other food sources are available, there are some species of plants and trees that deer will avoid. Filling your garden with these plants can help you maintain a beautiful, albeit un-

tasty, environment for deer.

Just be aware that some of these suggestions are not advised if you have young children helping out in the garden. Check with your local plant nursery or research online about poisonous plants.

When planting annuals, select among:

Alyssum

Begonias

Calendula

Celosia Dianthus

Foxglove Geraniums

Parsley

Poppy

Snapdragons

In terms of perennials, plant these items once, and deer could stay away:

Ageratum Anemone

Astibe

• Bearded iris

Catmint

Honeysuckle • Lantana Monkshood

Rock rose

Rosemary Soapwort

Wisteria

Plant these herbs alongside flowers for even more protection:

Chives

Eucalyptus

Garlic

Mint Thyme

Wintergreen

Gardeners who use a combination of methods to keep deer out of their yards and gardens may have a higher success rate at deterring these animals.

Sources: Clemson University Extension Service, https://hgic.clemson.edu/; Get Busy Gardening; https://getbusygardening.com/ deer-resistant-plants/

Seven easy ways to poison-proof your home

Each year, millions of people are accidentally poisoned. Simple items you find in any home can turn into deadly toxins when not handled properly.

44% of poisonings involved children younger than six, who tend to be at greater risk of swallowing household cleaners and other products because they are curious and like to put substances in their mouths. Other poisoning victims include older adults taking several medications. They may become forgetful and mistakenly take too much or the wrong kind of medication. 65% of poison exposures were safely managed over the phone and did not need medical treatment in a health care facility.

Here’s how to poison-proof your home. Follow these guidelines for optimal safety.

1) Carefully store medicines.

Medicine can often pose a very serious poisoning threat, especially in homes with young children. Those colorful tablets, liquids and capsules can resemble candy.

• Keep medicines—evenover-the counter remedies—under close supervision and completely out of reach of children and pets. Make sure all medications stay in their original containers with labels and directions visible. Even adults can accidentally take the wrong thing or too much.

2) Be careful with sprays. Pesticides, insect repellents, spray paints, weed killers and products used to kill mold and mildew are necessary, but caution must be exercised when storing them. The spraying mechanism can also be a hazard for little children who don’t know how to point them and can accidently spray themselves and each other in the face.

• Choose a high shelf or lockable cabinet to store such items. Be sure to keep them in their original containers and make sure labels are legible. If containers become corroded or damaged, dispose of them immediately in the correct manner and at the correct loction. Your local waste management services should be able to instruct you on how to do this.

3) Keep control over household cleaners.

Once again, chemicals such as furniture polish, ammonia, laundry bleach and others are neces-

sities in every household. But they can cause any number of exposure and poisoning mishaps if mishandled.

• Keep cleaners up high where children can’t reach them. Use child safety closures on cabinets where you store them.

• Never put household cleaners into unmarked bottles, cans, or food containers, such as plastic Tupperware types of containers. Children may confuse the contents for food.

Don’t mix cleaning fluids of any kind. Doing so can cause poisonous vapors that can overcome even an adult.

• Supervise children if they are using cleaning products. Make sure they use adequate protection, such as rubber gloves, and always make them wash their hands after cleaning. That’s good advice for parents, too.

4) Avoid ant and roach baits and rodent pellets. Children and pets don’t recognize the threats that these items pose. The bait traps or pellets are often on floors behind furniture-hidden areas—and can look like toys. Also, children often instinctively put things in their mouths trying to understand what they are.

• Don’t leave these hazards where children and pets can reach them. If pests are a persistent problem, it may be better to retain the services of a professional extermination service that can use pesticides that don’t pose any poisoning threat. If these traps are your only option, place roach and rodent baits in areas where children can’t touch them. If possible, place rodent bait in a tamper-resistant bait station. If you have older children in the house, instruct them never to touch ant and roach baits or rodent pellets.

5) Know the best way to keep paint. Storing paint is a great idea. You can always use it to touch-up scuffs and dings as needed. But, if you intend to keep paint around the house, you need to know how to do it safely.

• Make sure lids are tightly secured and that you have left a dab of the paint color on the lid or label. You can even label each can with the room in which the paint was used. This will make it easier to find the color you need.

Keep paint in a cool, dark place, like a basement or garage.

• Label each can with a date. Latex or water-based paint expires after about 10 years. Oil-based paint can last up to 15 years.

• If the paint is expired or has gone rancid or separated, dispose of it. Call your local waste management service to get specific instructions for doing this safely.

• To dispose of latex paint without taking it to a recy-

cling center, add equal parts cat litter to latex paint in the can. Stir the cat litter into the paint until it thickens and will not spill. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour. Throw the dried paint in the can in the garbage with the lid removed.

6) Live in harmony with nature and animals. Some of the most unexpected poisoning incidents occur as a result of exposure to living things that occur naturally around your home—plants and animals.

If you are new to an area, learn as much as you can about the local flora and fauna. Know which plants are poisonous to humans and animals and remove them if possible.

• If removal is not possible, teach children to avoid these hazards. Tell them not to eat mushrooms and berries or to put any flowers or leaves in their mouths.

• Do not leave pets unattended around toxic plants. Know which snakes and insects are poisonous and teach the entire family to be wary of these. Be vigilant about poisonous insects and snakes. Clean out dark or damp areas where these creatures can hide. Remove plants that attract certain animals and insects.

7) Be aware of invisible vapors.

Each year, people die from inhaling vapors and gases accidentally. Because some of these have no smell or can overcome adults quickly, they represent a serious household poisoning hazard. Never leave your car running in a closed garage. The fumes can render adults, children and pets unconscious, leading to death.

• Invest in a carbon monoxide detector. This gas can leak from gas stoves, heaters, and refrigerators or via poorly ventilated gas appliances.

• Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors.

Make sure your chimney is completely clear and clean before you light a fire.

• Never, ever burn charcoal in your house.

If you think that someone in your household has been poisoned, retain the substance that they have ingested and the container it came in. Immediately contact The National Poison Control Center. They will connect you to the poison control center closest to your location.

The National Poison Control Center toll free phone number is 1-800-222-1222.

Sources: poison.org/stats/ and poison.org/actFast/

Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi

By Becky Sprecher For The Island News

It’s time to laugh. That means it’s time for Falstaff, Giuseppi Verdi’s final work and one of his finest. And not only that, he wrote it when he was a mere 80 years old.

Translating material adapted from Shakespeare into a musical format is no easy task for a composer at any age, and opera history is littered with many failures that were quickly forgotten. In addition to shortening the length of the play and simplifying the plot, there are a great many other challenges to overcome, as David Littlejohn explains in The Ultimate Art: Essays Around and About Opera:

“He (Shakespeare) could make the English language perform magical tricks through newborn diction and lavish imagery, through outrageous insult or tearful understatement … through his ability to interweave the language of many different classes of people and types of people. He was a master plotcrafter who could create characters more subtle and complex (or, when called for, more winningly simple) than those of any other playwright … None of these qualities is readily recapturable or reproducible on the operatic stage.”

But we are talking about Verdi here and like all of the great opera composers, he was primarily a dramatist. This skill would serve him well in crafting a plot that drew

chiefly from the “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” but also included material from other Shakespeare sources.

While his two previous efforts at bringing Shakespeare to the stage, MacBeth and Othello, were (and still are) extremely successful, they were pretty much 19th-century Italianized versions of the original plays that were truncated. Says Littlejohn, “It is only in Falstaff that Verdi was able to equal, even occasionally exceed, the rich human comedy of the plays from which he drew.”

Premiering in 1887, Verdi’s original production of Falstaff was set in Windsor, England in the beginning decades of the 15th century.

The Met’s production, however, takes place in mid-20th-century England, just after the Second World War when the aristocracy was dwindling, and society was rapidly changing.

The plot is fairly simple. Sir John Falstaff is having a midlife crisis. An aging knight who has enjoyed a life of prodigious self-indulgence, he now finds himself running short of funds. To rectify the situation, he decides to seduce two wealthy young women, Alice Ford and Meg Page, then contrive to seize their husbands’ fortunes.

The ladies, however, are having none of it. When Alice and Beth get wind of all the shenanigans, they band together with a neighbor named Dame Quickly to set in motion a series of hilarious events,

one of which results in Falstaff being thrown into the Thames in a laundry basket.

At the opera’s climax, the ladies lure Falstaff to Windsor Park at night, convincing him that seductions are in the offing. But instead, they have concocted a masquerade of witches and fairies who frighten Falstaff, chastise him for his transgressions, and encourage him to repent.

Eventually, he good-naturedly admits that he’s been duped, and acknowledges his short-comings. They all laugh, agree that everything in the world is but a jest, and go off to celebrate.

Falstaff is a tremendously flawed yet likeable character, so it requires a singer of maturity and nuance to pull it off. Michael Volle, an experienced baritone who has had a long career specializing in complex

Country artist Houser to headline Water Festival’s Concert In The Park

From staff reports

Country Music artist Randy Houser will be the performer for the Concert In The Park for the 67th Annual Beaufort Water Festival. The headliner was announced on the Water Festival’s official Facebook page at 10 a.m., Monday, April 3.

Andrew Beam and Gabrielle Mooney are the opening guests for the show sponsored by BOB 106.9 FM of Savannah.

With a voice The New York Times describes as “wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over,” Houser racked up three consecutive No. 1 hits and more than four million in singles sales to date with his Stoney Creek Records album How Country Feels. He topped the charts with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash and CMA Song of the Year-nominated “Like A Cowboy.”

Houser added a fourth No. 1 to his catalogue with “We Went” from his 2016 album, Fired Up. Houser’s sixth studio album Note To Self is available now via Magnolia Music Group and features 10 tracks all co-written by the Mississippi native. Currently in the top 30 and climbing at Country radio, lead single and title track “Note To Self” marked his “powerful return” following 2019’s critically-acclaimed album Magnolia, with MusicRow boasting the Mississippi-native “remains one of

ARTS BRIEFS

Randy Houser, who has had four No. 1 hits on the Country charts, will headline the 67th annual Beaufort Water Festival’s Concert In The Park.

country music’s very finest vocalists.”

With multiple sold-out shows in 2022 including an at-capacity stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Houser wrapped his coheadlining tour with longtime friend Jamey Johnson and is currently on the road with Cody Johnson.

Along with preparing new music and a relentless touring schedule, Houser landed on-screen roles in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and more, as well as the inspiring The Hill starring Dennis Quaid. For more information, go to RandyHouser.com.

Purchase your tickets at https://www.bftwaterfestival.com/purchase-tickets.html#/

Wagnerian roles such as Wotan in The Ring and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger, hits the mark. Volle leans into the humanity of Falstaff, giving us a multi-dimensional portrayal of the knight who one moment is a curmudgeonly buffoon, and the next a spent old man.

Ailyn Pérez as Alice and Jennifer Johnson as Meg more than hold their own with Volle’s Falstaff, but look for contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux to steal the show as Miss Quickly. Whenever she comes on stage, you know something funny is about to happen.

Verdi departs from his normal musical style with Falstaff in the sense that there are no traditional arias. The music moves from one idea to the next in rapid fashion, but, unlike Wagner, it is still extremely lyrical. Much of the singing takes place in ensembles

that are very sophisticated musically but come across as natural conversation. The orchestra also plays an expanded role in commenting on the action and giving us clues as to the inner feelings of the characters.

In Opera Wire, Chris Ruel says of Falstaff: “Verdi gave us a beautiful lesson. At 80 years old, he chose a comedy as his last opera because I think it was the culmination of all he had learned about humility and life. At the end of the opera, when Quickly asks Falstaff how he could’ve possibly believed the two young women would fall in love with him, he shrugs it off, agreeing with her. ‘Yes, yes, you’re right. Ah! But it was fun!’”

So put your tax returns in the mail on April 15, then join us for an afternoon of gorgeous singing and lots of laughter. And by all means raise a glass of wine to Verdi at your post-opera supper. Maybe 80 is the new 60 after all.

Beaufort Theatre Company presents Tony-winning ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

From staff reports Beaufort Theatre Company presents the delightfully madcap musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” April 15 to 23, at the USCB Center for the Arts, located at 801 Carteret Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fastpaced, wildly funny, and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience.

An eclectic group of mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life-un-affirming “ding” of the bell that sig-

nals a spelling mistake.

Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! At least the losers get a juice box. A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a delightful den of comedic genius.

An editor’s not, however, this production is rated PG13 and is not recommended for children younger than 16 years old.

The cast features Chris Barr as Mitch Mahoney; Christi Barr as Rona Lisa Peretti; Caroline Fonseca as Logan Schwartzandgrubenierre; Alex Long as Chip Tolentino; Paddy Myers as Leaf Coneybear; Joe Ogiony as Vice Principal Douglas Panch; Julie Seibold as Marcy Park; Jordan Robinson as Olive Ostrovsky; and Dakota Wright as William Barfee.

The show is produced and directed by Bonnie Hargrove. Other members of the production team are Musical Director Madeline Helser, Choreographer Christi Barr, Set Designer Greg Rawls, Lighting De-

WANT TO GO?

What: ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

When: Saturday, April 15 to Sunday, April 23

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort

Tickets: $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, and $15 for students May be purchased online at USCBCenterForTheArts. com or by calling the CFA Box Office at 843-521-4145.

signer John Dowbiggen, Sound Engineer Wes Tinsley, Costume Designer Caroline Fonseca, Scenic Artist Mary Ann Ford, and Stage Manager Barry Reese.

Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, and $15 for students and may be purchased online or by calling the CFA Box Office at 843521-4145. The USCB Center for the Arts is wheelchair accessible, with free parking next to the theater.

For a complete listing of adult and children’s events, visit us online at USCBCenterForTheArts.com

Conroy Center’s Open Mic

Night

set or April

13 at Black Chamber

In partnership with the South Carolina Writers Association and the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (BCBCC), the Conroy Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 13, at Sandies at the BCBCC at 711 Bladen Street, featuring short readings by local poets and writers.

The featured author for National Poetry Month is Jacquelyn Markham, author of two chapbooks and a personal mythology. Markham’s newest collection is Rainbow Warrior. Books will be available for sale and signing.

No advance registration is needed to attend. Writers interested in

reading from their work (3 to 5 minutes) can sign up at the start of the event or in advance by emailing contact@patconroyliterarycenter. org

Book launch for Jury of One set for April 14

The Conroy Center will host the book launch for Jury of One, the new Beaufort-based legal thriller from novelist John Warley, Pat Conroy’s classmate at The Citadel. This free public drop-in event will be held at the Conroy Center at 601 Bladen Street, on Friday, April 14, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale and signing. No advance registration needed.

As a special feature of this event, there will also be a jewelry

give-away with a donation to the Conroy Center.

An evening with Colleen Oakley

The Conroy Center, NeverMore Books, and The Rhett House Inn will host an evening with USA Today bestselling novelist Colleen Oakley at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 15. Oakley is author of the newly released The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise – a selection of the Reader’s Digest Book Club and a Most Anticipated New Release of 2023 by Southern Living and Today. The $36 registration fee includes a signed copy of the novel, the author’s book talk, and refreshments, and music by the Alibis. Additional copies of the author’s books will be available for sale and signing

through NeverMore Books. This special event will be held at The Rhett House Inn at 1009 Craven Street.

For more information or to register, visit http://bit.ly/3Kdtwyf

Beaufort Human Library back for thirds

The third edition of the Beaufort Human Library will be held on opening day of National Library Week, from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 23 in MacLean Hall, Building 12 of the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), at 104 Reynolds Street in Beaufort. The event is free and open to the public.

The event is hosted by TCL; the nonprofit Conroy Center; the DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization) chapters of

Beaufort Academy, Beaufort High School, and Battery Creek High School; and volunteer community organizers. The program is funded in part with a grant from South Carolina Humanities, a nonprofit organization inspiring, engaging, and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture, and heritage.

Participating Human Books include Major General Harold L. “Mitch” Mitchell (ret.), Rev. Lori Hlaban, Rev. Rebecca Albright, Lola Campbell, Aki Kato, Gwenn McClune, Rodney Adams, Dana Ridenour, Ryan Copeland, Isabella Troy Brazoban, Eric Hayes, two Joseph Taylors, and others, with a special appearance by historical re-enactor and educator Donald Sweeper as celebrated Beaufortonian Robert Smalls.

Michael Volle sings Falstaff. Submitted photo.

The angel said, ‘Jesus is not here, He is risen!’

This is the time of year when Christians focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Spring is a season of new life as His followers remember how He suffered and shed His blood on the cross and after three days He arose victoriously from the grave. To be honest, holy week is not so much a jolly time of celebration but rather calls for serious meditation, humility, and being grateful for the precious gift of salvation.

It is bittersweet because it’s never pleasant to imagine an innocent person being brutally tortured, but knowing that Jesus miraculously came back to life, is a demonstration of His infinite power and authority and why we are so filled with humility and joy. Jesus Christ demonstrated His passion by surrendering His life so that we could live.

I admit I am an emotional person. I remember going to see the Passion movie when it was released, and I was deeply touched, to say the least. It’s not uncommon for me to shed a tear when I witness something that moves my soul and this was no exception.

Recently, I was watching a story about the Make-AWish Foundation and how it provides a way for very sick children to experience a happy but most likely last request and I cried through the entire program. As the scenes of what Christ went through were presented, I wondered how anyone could watch this and not be convicted.

I’m not ashamed to wear my feelings on my sleeve. I have no desire to hide behind a mask to pretend I’m not spiritually discerning. I often write about how easy it is to

BILLY HOLLAND

become calloused by the harshness of life and the danger of losing the sensitivity of our conscience.

I think about the life of Jesus and the reason why He came to earth which is explained so clearly in the 16th verse of the third chapter of John. I think about how He was betrayed by those He trusted and was denied by His closest friends. The religious community rejected His message as did the political system along with the demands from the general population, who eventually agreed to publicly execute Him for admitting He was the Son of God.

Sadly, things have not changed that much. We know that Jesus existed, that He was an amazing teacher and had the power to demonstrate miracles, but it’s when He rose from the dead that proves He is truly the Messiah and sets Him apart from every other religion in the world.

We notice that He was constantly approached by those in desperate need, and it was His character to be concerned and compassionate. The world has always been filled with human suffering, and He is always ready to respond with love and mercy. Being knowledgeable about the Bible is good but that does not necessarily mean that someone is following Christ. It is what they do with what they have learned that transforms

emotions into spiritual obedience.

When we see someone who needs help or even an encouraging word, what good does it do to just look

who Jesus is and why He came is heaven’s promise of eternal life, and it’s our responsibility to remain steadfast in our obedience to Him.

Beyond the new clothes, the feasts, and the Easter festivities, may we give honor and worship to Christ that rescued us from being permanently separated from God. Dear friend, without being forgiven of our sins, we are carrying the weights and chains of misery and hopelessness. Come to Jesus today and He will set you free, save you, and be with you forever.

Learn more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

Parental rights and freedom of choice

Parents have the right to provide input as to what public schools teach their children. They have the right to determine what their minor children are allowed to check out of their school library.

Beaufort County School

District students are not forced to read a book that their parents do not want them to read. If a teacher assigns a book for their child to read for a class and a parent objects to the book, they can work with their child’s teacher and/or administrator to select a different book for their child that still meets the state standard being taught for the class.

Parents have the right to send their child’s teacher, librarian, and/or school administrator the title and author of any single book in

RICHARD GEIER

the school library that their child cannot check out. Parents can even send an entire list of books and authors that their child cannot check out. In fact, parents can inform the school that their child is forbidden to check out any books in the school library without their consent.

Parents do not have the right to determine what books other parents’ children may check out of the school library. If parents are concerned that school library books forbidden for

Iwatched the pathetic huckstering of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham last week, almost weeping as he pleaded for monetary contributions for the man said to occupy the 892nd place in the world in terms of wealth (Trump’s worth is said to be $3.2 billion).

As my disgust rose like bitter bile, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the lyrics from Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 hit, “Mrs. Robinson.” At one point, Paul Simon sings: “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

With a little research, I discovered that DiMaggio and Simon met one day in a restaurant, and the songwriter had a chance to explain what he meant, since DiMaggio was still around. Simon told him, “I was asking where all the heroes that we know have disappeared to.” He then added, “Genuine American heroes are in short supply.” I wonder what Simon thinks of the nation’s supply these days.

Having lived in South Carolina for 25 years, and always having had an interest in politics, I grew

their children may be passed on through other students in the school, they have a number of choices.

They can closely supervise their children’s choice of friends. They can inform their children that they are not allowed to get any books from their classmates. They can closely check on every book their child brings home. If these choices are insufficient in the parents’ minds to protect their children from having access to books they object to, they have the choice to send their children to another school.

Beaufort County has a school choice option that every parent is allowed to take. They can choose a different district school where they believe that their children will not be influenced by other children to read books

Parents have the freedom to choose one of many options to ensure their children younger than 18 years old are not exposed to content they find objectionable, but they should not have the freedom to eliminate other parents’ freedom to allow their children access to books.”

that they as parents have determined to be forbidden. They also have the choice to apply to charter schools that may or may not have books they deem as objectionable. Although charter schools are tuition free, parents also have the freedom to enroll their children in a private

school, a school whose library contents may meet their standards, knowing they will have to either pay tuition or look into scholarship options. Lastly, parents can elect to homeschool their children.

In my opinion “book accessibility” is about free-

once-credible stature.

dom of choice. Parents have the freedom to choose one of many options to ensure their children younger than 18 years old are not exposed to content they find objectionable, but they should not have the freedom to eliminate other parents’ freedom to allow their children access to books. Parents have the freedom to allow their children to read and be exposed to controversial, challenging, lurid, and even uncomfortable topics in books so that they may be guided by a parent, loved one, or trusted teacher to cope with and understand the subject matter as it relates to the world we live in.

to admire Senator Graham, despite my Democratic leanings. I felt he was one conservative with whom I could agree on some things. After all, I had voted consistently for John Heinz, a Republican, while living in Pennsylvania, and as recently as 2016, I wrote in John Kasich’s name in the presidential election, despite knowing I was throwing away my vote.

Furthermore, my admiration for Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger knows few boundaries. All of these Republicans are ethical and moral, and I admire that in any person, regardless of his or her politics. Just as these politicians are moderate on many levels, so do I bill myself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. It concerns me that in today’s toxic atmosphere,

compromise has become the dirtiest of words. But back to our Senator-huckster and his moral bankruptcy. I decided to research the word “huckster”, not wanting to misuse the moniker. I found the synonyms “hawker,” “peddler,” and a further definition of someone who sells something in an annoying, aggressive or dishonest way. In other words, a con man. Graham’s performance on FOX News couldn’t have been more insulting, more annoying, more dishonest, had he stood on a street corner with a cup in hand. And we question the homeless who do the same. As I sat and watched, I was reminded of those scamming figures of religion who became known for bilking their congregations out of millions, people who are poor by any standard, but were and are convinced to fork over their hard-earned money in the name of God. Sadly, in some respects this comes perilously close to the “Graham-scam” as there are those who see Trump as “God’s choice” and bill him as the second coming. That Senator Graham is feeding into this defiles what was his

Remember Tammy Faye Baker, tears on those obviously false eyelashes, pleading beside her husband, Jim, who also cried as he was taken to jail on charges of fraud? Theirs is a story worth referencing because of the frightening comparison. It was discovered that Jim Baker had a sexual encounter with a woman named Jessica Hahn. Sex, however, quickly pivoted when it was found that hush money in the amount of $265,000 was paid to Hahn from the PTL (Praise the Lord) fund associated with Baker’s ministries. Are you beginning to get the idea?

And then there was Oral Roberts in the 80s when he climbed his tower saying, “Give me $3 million, or I’m not coming down.” Is this really how you want to be seen, Senator Graham? That you feed into this manner of speaking is despicable.

This isn’t the first time Graham has walked a fine line and even crossed over into the territory of “questionable.” In 2022 the Senate Ethics Committee admonished him for soliciting campaign contributions for Herschel Walker on

five separate occasions. That he did this in a Federal Building made it fair game for retribution from the committee.

It was Lindsey Graham who said this: “If we make Donald Trump our nominee, he’ll destroy the Republican Party, and we deserve it.” Yet this is the same man, whose words are as destructive as those of the former President’s “death and destruction” tirade, when he spoke immediately after the indictment became fact. Graham not only advocated “smashing windows” but also “punching a cop.”

And so, Senator, as our one-time sensible and rational congressman, are you now willing to throw yourself on the pyre to serve the man you seem to worship? Has huckstering a group of people for what you hope will be their allegiance really worth it?

Where are your morals and ethics? What would your friend, John McCain think? Where have you gone, Senator Graham?

Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”

We have more that unites us than divides us

Many years ago I was sitting in the first day of a political science class my sophomore year of college. The professor walked into the classroom and wrote the following on the board: “All general statements are untrue.”

He then turned to the class and asked if anyone would disagree with that statement. In that we were a group of new sophomore students and he was a college professor with a PhD behind his name, no one spoke up.

With that he said, “I start class this way because one of the main reasons that you are in here is to learn how to think for yourself, and if what I just wrote on the board is true, then the statement is also untrue because it is a general statement, so how

JIM DICKSON

can it be true and untrue at the same time?”

Often times today when I read an op-ed in the paper or hear talking heads on TV, I think back to that day, because it seems to me that in the past few years we have become a nation of people who are quite comfortable making general statements about almost anything.

For example the other day I heard a conversation of political pundits one of which made the statement “All Dems are after is anything that they can get free,

and they have no regard for the financial health of the nation, and an out of control national debt means nothing to them.”

The same day I read an op-ed that the writer said that all Republicans are unfeeling, money grubbing bigots’ who have no regard for anyone but themselves and especially people of color. Both are general statements, and both are obviously untrue.

Sadly we hear this kind of speech more and more every day, and I can’t think of any reason that it is healthy for the country. It only benefits those who would do us harm and divides us. I am pretty sure that the truth is that most Americans on the left and the right share many common principles, such as the sanctity of life, the primacy of truth, the importance of the rule of

law and due process, the punishment of criminals, freedom of speech and religion, the dignity of work, a free press, holding elected officials accountable for their actions, the value of family and a love of country to name a few. In other words we have much more that unites us that we do that divides us.

I am by nature a fiscal conservative and firmly believe that it is best for me personally and for the nation as a whole to have a sound fiscal policy and only spend what you can pay for. History teaches us that unrestrained spending never ends well. I am most displeased with the spending policies of the current administration, and would be very pleased to see them replaced by people who come closer to agreeing with me.

Having said this, I don’t think that the Biden administration is populated with evil, stupid people who are intent on bringing the country to its knees by unrestrained spending as some would have you think. I do believe that they are misguided, but that does not necessarily make them bad people.

I don’t think that if Republicans gain control of the government that they will do away with all social welfare programs, and leave the poor and disadvantaged to fend for themselves. I also believe that it is way past time for elected officials to stop the name calling and divisive speech, and once again work together to solve some of the serious problems that we are faced with. We will all be better for it if that happens.

We are coming into a political season where political propaganda from both sides are going to be flying at us fast and furious. What that college professor said to his class back in 1961 is just as true today as it was then, and for the benefit of us all, I hope that we will think it through for ourselves and not blindly accept what we are told by either side, and remember, “All general statements are untrue.”

Born, raised and educated in the Southwest, Jim Dickson served in the U.S. Navy Reserve in Vietnam before a 35-year business career. Retired to St. Helena Island, Dickson and his wife are fiscally conservative, socially moderate and active in Republican politics, though they may not always agree with Republicans. Having lived around the country and traveled around the world, Dickson believes that the United States truly is the land of opportunity.

In

Richard Geier is the Beaufort County Board of Education Member representing District 4.

CAROL LUCAS

Where have you gone, Lindsey Graham?

Without a hurt a heart is hollow

It is Saturday and I’m in Port Royal. This morning I have my coffee and a view of the early morning marsh.

Last night I made myself a Scotch and then asked Alexa to engage Josh Groban. I like all the ballads that Groban sings, all of them having compelling, comprehensible lyrics, and I know that Groban will eventually get around to “Try to Remember.”

“Try to Remember” is a song from “The Fantastics” — a play that ran for many years beginning in 1960. Susan and I saw this play twice, but I heard the tune long before we saw the play. In fact, I remember when and where I was when that happened.

I was a sophomore at The Citadel and one afternoon, for some reason, I found myself in The Citadel’s cavernous field house. I don’t remember why I was there (I didn’t play basketball or lift

SCOTT GRABER

weights) but I heard music — a song being sung by The Citadel’s glee club. I would later learn that they were rehearsing for a performance that would honor General Mark Clark’s wife, Maurine, better known to us cadets as “Rennie.” Perhaps it was Valentine’s Day, or her birthday, but they were singing “Try to Remember” and I was instantly attracted to the tune and to its simple, poetic lyrics. I remained in the shadows, under the bleachers, listening and wondering just what were the memories that Rennie Clark would “try to remember.”

Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and, oh, so mellow

Try to remember the kind of September When grass was green and grain was yellow …

I thought her memories would be those of a young, beautiful woman, getting to know her soldier-husband just back from World War I. I thought that those memories would include pinning the first star on his collar and watching him rise in the same way his friend, Dwight Eisenhower, was rising through the ranks.

In fact, Mark W. Clark became the Army’s youngest three-star general in 1942. And in 1943 he took command of the 5th U.S. Army that invaded Italy at Salerno, just South of Naples. Clark’s plan (Code named Avalanche) did not prepare the site with artillery — Clark thinking surprise would be deci-

sive — and the 5th Army was nearly decimated by a series of German counterattacks. Despite this near-defeat, and growing criticism about his plan, Clark was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Thereafter Mark Clark and British General Montgomery began a long, bloody slog up the spine of Italy toward what was called the “Winter Line.” This strategy was also controversial and came to a head with the assault on the Gari River — a failed effort that cost him 1,681 casualties. There were many more casualties at Monte Cassino.

There is no question the Operation Overlord — the invasion of France — bled troops, tanks and warplanes from the 5th Army and the Italian Campaign. But Clark’s decision to capture Rome — allowing the German 10th Army to escape and erect yet another defensive “wall” above Rome

— was controversial at the time but has largely been ignored by historians.

Mark Clark remained in the Army after 1945 finding himself signing the cease fire at Panmunjom, calling it the most humiliating signature in his life.

Clearly there was disappointment and regret in their lives and maybe that regret passed through Rennie Clark’s mind as she listened to the young cadets sing, Deep in December its nice to remember Although you know the snow will follow Deep in December its nice to remember Without a hurt the heart is hollow

As the Korean War wound down, South Carolina was wondering what to do with The Citadel. The number of new cadets showing up at Lesesne Gate was cratering and there was

rumbling in the Legislature about The Citadel’s cost and whether it was worth it.

Fritz Hollings told me that he and Jimmy Byrnes decided Mark Clark could revive The Citadel’s fortunes, and they began to court Clark with tales of largemouth bass. He took the job and brought his wife to Charleston where she died (in 1966) serenaded and well-loved. I can still remember standing under those bleachers wondering what memories I would have when I reached Rennie Clark’s age. And now I’ve reached that age and the music, and the lyrics help me remember slow dancing with my wife; stumbling along Hadrian’s Wall with my son; and having enough “hurts” to keep my heart from being hollow.

Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com

What would best serve the needs of Saint Helena?

By Janet McCauley

I’m a Come’yuh and part of that

“second northern invasion” of South Carolina. Nine years ago, never with the intention of moving here, I came to visit my brother, a disabled vet working with the military in Beaufort and I fell in love. I restored a house in foreclosure, then bought a sweet little cottage in Dulamo on Saint Helena.

I delved into the history, culture, ecology, gardens, and literacy becoming a licensed history guide, Founding Board Member of Adaptive Golf Experience, turtle conservationist, co-chair of Books Sandwiched In and graduate of Leadership Beaufort. I spend the majority of my time as an ambassador to our numerous visitors throughout Beaufort, Penn Center and Parris Island.

The developer that purchased the land in the Saint Helena Island Cultural Protective Overlay Zone adjoining my community alleges that he has “met extensively with

community groups” and held numerous meetings, planning an exclusive gated golf club resort in collaboration with the community.

When? Where? Who? Nothing has been transparent in the two years that his “expert team” worked behind the scenes to garner support from those who have already made millions in development.

He spoke at a County meeting stating he had property rights and was an immigrant. South Carolina became the wealthiest state in the Union by the time of the Civil War based on the forced immigration of the abducted and enslaved Gullah/Geechee people and we all have a legacy of immigration.

Cultural Protective Overlay

Zoning, in place since the 1999 and supported by the Beaufort County 2040 Comprehensive Plan, was very clear when the developer bought this Nationally Designated Historic property. How is it that our County Administrator, another transplant here, proposes ordinances allowing for develop-

ment agreements that would not be transparent and that would open up deals on large tracts of land totally contrary to zoning in existence that is supported by local and state laws?

We’ve watched the archaeological digs, surveyors, clearing of trees for the power poles – which by-the-way run through our yards, and never once has the developer communicated with us. Dulamo, Saint Helenaville and Pine Island have sacred grounds that were indigenous homes and hunting grounds, Plantations, Oyster Factory and Gullah settlements.

The developer claims it’s been a gated community for 150 years –by no stretch of the imagination is a pasture gate across a dirt road to a family property a gated community.

How many dump truck loads of dirt will it take (and where will it come from) to establish housing and a viable causeway? What impact will this development have on the infrastructure, traffic, culture,

wildlife, vulnerable waterways, sustainability? How realistic is his claim that the owners will not live here or impact county services?

Sixty-six multimillion-dollar houses with guest houses also implies short term rental issues. The county just revised impact fees because of the significant growth but those fees only cover a portion of the costs related to development.

I have heard the term “Ecotourism” bantered as one of the attractions, and the developer states that an exclusive golf course would promote camaraderie. Seriously, if you want to see camaraderie, attend a Community Sing at Penn Center or come out to an Adaptive Golf Clinic where volunteer certified coaches work with handicapped veterans, civilians and their caregivers at Parris Island, an award-winning golf course.

Large yachts and exclusive golf courses do not constitute “ecotourism.” As an avid kayaker, hiker and biker, I’ve cleaned trails

and pulled invasive weeds in State and National Parks, kayaked and hiked hundreds of miles and visited museums all over the world, instilling a true appreciation of the Gullah/Geechee Heritage and our incredible ecosystem. The Greenspace referendum was passed overwhelmingly by voters – this proposal is contrary to the intent of that initiative.

The unique Gullah/Geechee culture, language, music, and sense of community was clearly conveyed at the Community Rally on March 30 and incredibly inspirational. Let’s look at what would best serve the needs of Saint Helena by bringing projects to the community that will have a positive impact, respect our history, learn from our elders, entice our young people to stay here, provide viable work and much needed recreational and educational opportunities.

Janet McCauley is a resident of St. Helena Island whose community is impacted by the Pine Island development plan.

Let’s resolve this Earth Day to preserve healthy forests

By Tim Joy and Madeleine Para

Earth Day (April 22)

is a great time to remember all the reasons it’s important to preserve our natural environment, especially trees. Take a walk down a treelined path in just about any park in Beaufort County, and within minutes you can feel your blood pressure dropping. Whether it’s a fragrant pine, a majestic oak, or the beauty of a magnolia in full bloom, there’s just something about trees that connects you with nature, inspires wonder, and brings about a sense of peace with the world. Trees also play a critical role in our quest to preserve a livable world and prevent the worst consequences of climate change, thanks to

the fact that they absorb and sequester carbon dioxide that traps heat. As a climate solution, there are few things that can beat trees. U.S. forests currently pull 12% of our carbon pollution out of the atmosphere. By protecting, expanding, and managing our forests in a way that is climate-smart, we can reduce emissions up to 21% by 2030.

In addition to helping us preserve a livable climate, trees benefit our health tremendously. Each year in

the U.S., 12,000 people die from heat-related causes, a figure that can be significantly lowered with the addition of trees that reduce temperatures by 10 degrees. By reducing heat, trees also lower the risk of power failures caused by high demand for air conditioning. Other benefits of trees include reducing anxiety and depression and helping us breathe easier by absorbing air pollution.

The benefits of trees, unfortunately, are not shared equally by all Americans. In urban areas, poorer neighborhoods have significantly fewer trees than more affluent neighborhoods. As we work to increase urban forests here and around the world, no one should be denied the benefits of trees because of their economic status.

In our efforts to expand and improve tree cover in the U.S. and throughout the world, there are a number of steps the federal government can take to facilitate healthy forests everywhere. We can start by curtailing and halting the decimation of forests through illegal clearing of trees.

In the previous Congress, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and seven other senators introduced the Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade Act of 2021, otherwise known as the FOREST Act. This legislation addresses the problem of illegally deforested land for agricultural use — palm oil, soy, beef. This practice, especially in tropical regions, has a devastating impact on the climate. Rainforests that normally serve as carbon

sinks, pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere, become carbon emitters. If deforestation was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The FOREST Act would ban access to U.S. markets for goods produced in illegally deforested land. The legislation would also use market leverage to encourage better monitoring of illegal deforestation and protect more trees.

Sen. Schatz is expected to reintroduce the FOREST Act in this Congress. When he does, we hope Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott will sign on as co-sponsors. A companion bill is likely in the House, and we hope Rep. Nancy Mace will support that, too.

Other legislation expected in this Congress will support the planting of more

trees and improving tree equity in urban areas. These healthy forest initiatives provide a great opportunity for bipartisan cooperation. Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed strong support for employing trees as one of the solutions to climate change, and we hope all members of the South Carolina congressional delegation will get behind these measures.

This Earth Day, let’s resolve to put an end to illegal deforestation and plant more trees to help us to preserve a safe climate for future generations. It will provide a cooler, healthier environment for everyone. Now, who’s up for a walk in the park?

Tim Joy is group leaders of the Beaufort chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Madeleine Para is the executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Three Nights of Prayer

8:30pm

Good news: Jesus is still healing today! As God in our midst, Jesus healed many people during his ministry on earth, often with a simple touch or a word. He still loves us and desires to heal us, both spiritually and physically, and even in our own day he continues to offer freedom and healing to those who ask! The problem is, we often assume he doesn’t do things like this anymore, so we don’t bother to ask. Or we have faith, but we don’t know how to ask for healing.

Last spring, we hosted several evenings of prayer for healing, led by a special speaker, Reverend Greg Bramlage. He travels across the country helping people to ask Jesus for the healing that they need. He and his prayer team will be returning April 17-19 to help us grow deeper in our love for Jesus and our experience of his healing.

If you have been away from Mass, Easter is a great time to come back!

Our hearts long to truly worship together in person with the angels and saints in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and our souls hunger for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

Last year, we witnessed many healings from Jesus! There were many spiritual healings, such as people finally able to forgive someone who has done them tremendous harm. There were also many physical healings, including sight and hearing being restored, serious back or shoulder problems healed, and a woman regaining her ability to move freely without a walker! We can’t wait to see what Jesus does this time! Why not join us for this year’s mission? We all need healing in one way or another. All of us have room to grow in our love for Jesus and our experience of his mercy. There is no cost, and all are welcome to attend, whatever your faith background might be. Please join us and bring a friend!

Easter Sunday at Saint Peter’s 2023

Sunday, April 9

English: 7:00 am 9:00 am 11:00 am

Spanish: 1:00 pm

For complete Holy Week schedule and Confession opportunities, please visit www.stpetersbeaufort.org/easter

Christ Reveals Himself to Us in the Eucharist

On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples recognized the Risen Christ as he broke the bread, which was the way the early Christians described the Eucharist.

Jesus is still walking alongside us, wanting to reveal himself to each of us in the breaking of the bread. In the Mass, we encounter the Risen Lord, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

If you have been away, know that you are missed, and our parish family is not the same without you! We look forward to seeing you this Easter and encountering the Risen Lord with you!

SPORTS&RECREATION

Battery Creek’s midfielder Sophia Felix splits the Hanahan defense and moves the ball upfield Tuesday, March 28, at Dolphins Stadium. The visiting Lady Hawks managed to eek out one goal for the win against the Lady Dolphins during the tightly contested match. The Dolphins dropped to 9-3-1. Bob Sofaly/ The Island News

Creek girls salvage split with Hawks

LowcoSports.com

Eagles keep Beaufort Track Classic titles at home

LowcoSports.com

The Beaufort Track Classic is an event with a rich tradition and impressive list of meet record-holders. The Beaufort Eagles added to their own rich history in the event by sweeping the team titles Saturday at Beaufort High School.

Beaufort’s girls racked up 160 points to cruise to the crown with Woodland (99) in second and May River (94.5) third. Anna Lyles won gold in the 400-meter hurdles and the pole vault, and Charlize Antia won the 800 and teamed with Yzeult Antia, Christine Conte, and Aleeyah Echols to claim the 4x800 title for the Eagles. Anaiya Houseal also claimed an individual title in the high jump.

The boys race was a bit tighter, but the Eagles still won the title with relative ease, compiling 144 points to runner-up Johnson’s 117. Eric Smart won the 110-meter hurdles, Kacy Fields broke the meet record to claim the javelin, and Trae Campbell, Christopher Gordon, Xzavier Lacefield and Darien Brown teamed up to take the 4x800 relay.

The Whale Branch girls placed sixth with 69 points, as Grace Bing won the 100-meter hurdles and the quartet of Natalia Aburto, Destiny Pryor, Larmore Pryor and Talaijah Bartley blazed to gold in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. The Warriors also placed sixth in the boys standings, and Battery Creek was seventh with a

discus title from Tanner McCracken. Hear more about the Eagles’ track team from boys coach Reggie Jones, who was a guest on Tuesday’s episode of the LowcoSports Lowdown. Watch it on the Lowco Media YouTube channel!

Girls

TRACK & FIELD

Beaufort Track Classic

1. Beaufort 160 — Charlize Antia (800m, 2:25.03); Anna Lyles (400H, 1:16.82; PV, ???); Anaiya Houseal (HJ, 5-4); Charlize Antia, Yzeult Antia, Christine Conte, Aleeyah Echols (4x800, 11:00.99)

2. Woodland 99 — Kayla Ferrell (200m, 26.13; 400m, 1:00.76); Lyniah Kitt (TJ, 36-4.5)

3. May River 94.5 — Abbee Bolin (3200m, 12:49.16); McKenna Swinton (SP, 37-4); Macey Dowe (Disc, 111-6; Jav, 109-2)

4. Hilton Head 86 — Cynthia Gudaitis (1600m, 5:12.11)

5. Johnson-Savannah 73 — Deanne Williams (100m, 12.48); Le’Ryah Bryant (LJ, 17-3)

6. Whale Branch 69 — Grace Bing (110H, 16.90); Natalia Aburto, Destiny Pryor, Larmore Pryor, Talaijah Bartley (4x100, 48.97; 4x400, 4:10.48)

7. Colleton County 30

8. Battery Creek 24

9. Royal Live Oaks 9.5

10. Cross Schools 8

11. Allendale-Fairfax 4

12. John Paul II 2 Boys

1. Beaufort 144 — Eric Smart (110H, 15.91); Kacy Fields (Jav, 144-7); Trae Campbell, Christopher Gordon, Xzavier Lacefield, Darien Brown (4x800, 8:30.60)

2. Johnson-Savannah 117 — Samari Dowdy (100m, 10.81); Joshua Quarterman (HJ, 6-4); Favion Kirkwood (LJ, 21-6; TJ, 42-2); Jamori Taylor, JaQuay Foster, Jadon Pugh, Samari Dowdy (4x100, 42.77)

3. Hilton Head 115 — Bryce Broome (800m, 2:06.04); Caden Thune (1600m, 4:36.49); JD Gilman (3200m,

10:07.72); Franklin Holland (PV, 12-0)

4. Woodland 79 — Malique Middleton (400m, 50.87; HJ, 6-4); James Moseley (SP, 46-8)

5. May River 67.5 — Darrion Perry (400H, 56.42); Spencer Buick, Darrion Perry, Robert Taylor, Byron Barley (4x400, 3:32.31)

6. Whale Branch 52

7. Battery Creek 51.5 — Tanner McCracken (Disc, 137-0)

8. Colleton County 29 — Tyrone Wilson, CCHS (200m, 22.70)

9. Allendale-Fairfax 15

9.

11.

12.

Beaufort softball continues domination

LowcoSports.com

The Beaufort High softball team finished off a magical March with two more dominant victories last week, blanking Class 5A West Ashley, 10-0, before routing Class 4A Hilton Head Island High, 18-0, in a pair of non-region games.

Kylie Rast shut down the Wildcats, striking out 12 and walking one in a one-hit shutout and going 2-for4 with a pair of doubles, two runs, and two RBIs. Adalyn Johnson added two doubles and two RBIs.

Johnson took the circle against the Seahawks and struck out nine with one walk in a one-hit shutout, and she and Rast both went deep to lead the offensive outburst.

Rast was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a homer along with two walks,

four runs, and five RBIs, and Johnson went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs, and five RBIs.

The Eagles (10-3, 4-0) have won eight straight going into a region doubleheader against North Charleston on Wednesday with five shutouts over that stretch.

Beaufort 10, West Ashley 0

WP: Kylie Rast 5IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 12K

BFT (9-3): Rast 2-4, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBI; Adalyn Johnson 2-3, 2 2B, R, 2RBI; Reese Brozek 0-3, 2R, RBI; Riley Brozek 1-3, R, RBI; Jayla Champion 1-2, 2R; Arianna Smith 1-3, R Beaufort 18, HHIHS 0

WP: Adalyn Johnson

After following up a red-hot start with a three-game scoreless streak, Battery Creek’s girls soccer team got back on track with a pair of wins last week, including an overtime victory at Hanahan to split the season series with the Hawks.

The Dolphins were blanked twice by rival Beaufort High and suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against the Hawks on Tuesday, but they bounced back with a 3-0 win at Jenkins in Savannah on Wednesday and won 3-2 in overtime at Hanahan on Friday.

Sophia Felix scored a pair of goals and Yasmin Velasquez-Alvarado added one with Josie Fent providing all three assists to give the Dolphins (10-3-1, 1-3) their first Region 8-3A victory.

Creek’s boys (6-6, 2-4) lost 5-0 and 4-1 to the Hawks. Both Battery Creek teams face Philip Simmons on April 18 and April 21 to wrap up region play.

GIRLS SOCCER

Porter-Gaud 2, Beaufort 1

The Eagles found the net first on a Selena Duncan penalty kick in the 55th minute, but the Cyclones evened the score shortly thereafter and added the game-winner with 15 minutes left. Porter Gaud put heavy pressure on the Eagles defense all night but struggled to find the back of the net with star Eagles keeper Quinn Wilson stopping 20 of 22 shots on frame.

HH Prep 3, John Paul II 2 Emma Sauls and Ayla Reynolds each scored on assists from Hollis Melnick, but the Golden Warriors couldn’t stop HHP eighth-grader Ashley Brothers, who scored a hat trick to hand JPII (5-1-2) its first loss.

Beaufort Academy 5, Bridges Prep 0 Beaufort Academy 6, Patrick Henry 2 BA (7-2-2, 3-1); PHA (5-5, 2-3)

BOYS SOCCER

Beaufort Academy 3, HH Prep 2 Andrew Butterfield scored twice and Gavin Midyette added a goal to help the Eagles escape with a hard-fought win in Sea Pines. Beaufort Academy 5, Patrick Henry 1 Andrew Butterfield scored a brace, and Evan Rankin, Nick Cooper and Timmy Horgan each added a goal for the Eagles (9-3-2), who are 6-0-1 in their last seven matches.

Bamberg-Ehrhardt 10, Whale Branch 2 Hanahan 4, Battery Creek 1 Bridges Prep 1, Bamberg-Ehrhardt 1

Hanahan High School’s Aiden

Rosales, left, and Battery Creek’s Aston Morgan get a little tangled up as they both try to control the ball during their conference game at Battery Creek High School on Friday, March 31. The Dolphins lost the match, 4-1. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Hilton Head Christian Academy 15

John Paul II 12

Royal Live Oaks 3

Beaufort’s Davariyah Smith easily clears 4 feet, 8 inches in the high jump during the annual Beaufort Track Classic on Saturday, April 1, at Eagles Stadium. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Beaufort’s Layla White, left, gets the baton from Claire McDaniel during the final leg of the girl’s 4x800-meter relay during Saturday’s annual Beaufort Track Classic. The girls, along with Christine Conte and Yzeult Antia, won the relay with a time of 11:99. Bob

Sofaly/The Island News

Beaufort High School pitcher Kylie Rast is all smiles after stealing second base during the bottom of the first inning against West Ashley on Wedensday, March 29, at Beaufort High School. Rast pitched the entire game, which only lasted five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. The Eagles won, 10-0. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

BASEBALL

Fort Dorchester 4, Beaufort 1

BFT (9-4-1): Logan Brutcher 1-3, 2B, RBI; Zack

Talbert 2-3, 2B

John Paul II 10, Thomas Heyward 1 (G1)

WP: Ross Putnam 5IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 7K

JPII (4-7): Stewart Misko 1-3, 2R, 4SB; Bryant

Jolley 1-2, 2B, R, 2RBI; Garrett Heathcott 2-3, R,

RBI; Ayden Kollstedt 1-3, 2RBI

THA (2-6): Dietrich Shuford 1-2, 2B

Thomas Heyward 14, John Paul II 3 (G2)

WP: Ayden Lassiter 2IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K

THA (3-6): Brody Crider 1-3, 2R, 3RBI; Dietrich

Shuford 1-3, R, 2RBI; Lassiter 2-2, HR, 2R, 2RBI;

Dylan Stuckey 1-2, 2B, R; Dodge Peeples 2-3, 2R,

2RBI; Ryder Smith 1-3, 2R, RBI

JPII (4-8): Talon Putnam 1-2, 3B, R

Summerville 7, Beaufort 3

BFT (9-5-1): Mason Connelly 1-3, R; Malcolm

Webb 1-3

Beaufort 9, Fort Dorchester 5

WP: Carter Bowersox 2IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB,

HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

Logan Brutcher 1-2, 2B, BB; Dom

Camacho 1-2, BB; Zack Talbert 1-2, BB; Davis

Woods 2-2

SOFTBALL

Bamberg-Ehrhardt 14, Whale Branch 0

John Paul II 11, Battery Creek 9

WP: Tevi Mullen 7IP, 7H, 9R, 2ER, 1BB, 13K

JPII (5-1): Shelby Pinski 2-4, 3B, 2R, RBI; Cayce

Graves 3-5, 2B, 2R, RBI; Lauren Majorkiewicz 1-3,

2R; Alexa Eaddy 1-5, HR, 2R, RBI; E.Borgan 2-4, R;

Hannah Ketchledge 3-3, 2B, R, 2RBI

BCHS (6-6): Caitlyn Bentley 3-4, 2R, 3RBI;

Brooke Crosby 1-4, 2B, RBI; Alex Thomas 1-4, R,

2RBI

Battery Creek pitcher Stella Schubert unleashes the ball during the early innings of the Lady Dolphins’ non-conference game with the Golden Warriors of John Paul II on Thursday, March 30, at Dolphins Field. The visiting Golden Warriors came away with an 11-9 win and improved to 5-4, while the Lady Dolphins to dropped to 6-6. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Bridges Prep 29, Whale Branch 9

WP: R.Cowan 3IP, 2H, 9R, 7ER, 11BB, 7K

BP (4-7): Baylee Stevenson 1-2, 3BB, 3R; Kristin Ketola 1-1, HR, 3BB, 4R, 2RBI; Mallorie Brown 1-2, 2B, 3BB, 4R, 2RBI; Riley Cowan 1-2, 2B, 2BB, 2R; Olivia Randall 2-2, BB, 2R; Becky Hansen 2-3, R, RBI;

WB (1-5): Sylise Edwards 1-1, 3B, BB, 3R, RBI; Angie Rosario 1-1, 2B, 2BB, 2R, RBI

John Paul II 13, Cross Schools 1

WP: Tevi Mullen 7IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 11K

JPII (6-1): Shelby Pinski 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2R, 3RBI; Samantha Reilly 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2BB, 2R; Cayce Graves 2-5, 2B, HR, R, 4RBI; Alexa Eaddy 3-3, BB, 2R, RBI; M.Zeroll 2-4, 2B, R, RBI; Hannah

won by forfeit Beaufort 4, Hanahan 3 Singles

Paris Ave Saturday, April 15th

Beaufort’s Blake Burns has his stick and the ball knocked out of his hands during the second half of the Eagles’ game against Philip Simmons on Thursday, March 30, at Eagles Stadium. The Eagles went on to defeat the visiting Iron Horses, 8-9, in double overtime and improved to 5-6, 2-2 in Region 8-3A. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

1. Graeme Angus (B) def. Mitchell Woods 6-0 6-0

2 Diego Alvarez (B) def. Dylan Kennedy 6-0 6-0

3. Casey Hoogenboom (B) def. Cameron Wefield

6-0 6-1

4. Briggs Holcomb (H) def. James Simmons 6-4

6-3

5. Jackson Beazley (H) def. Grisham Stone 6-3

6-4

Doubles

1. Angus/Alvarez (B) def. Woods/Kennedy 6-0 6-0

2. Hanahan won by forfeit

BOYS LACROSSE

Beaufort 9, Philip Simmons 8

Jacob Preston scored three goals and assisted on three more, Anthony Migliorino added two goals and four assists, and Riley Durette had two goals and two assists to lead the Eagles. The second of Hunter Booher’s goals proved to be the game-winner.

May River 15, Beaufort 4

GIRLS LACROSSE

Philip Simmons 14, Beaufort 5

BFT (2-8, 0-3): Sophia Pellegrino 4G, Liz Livesay 1G

HHIHS 16, Beaufort 2 BFT (3-9): Sophia Pellegrino 1G, Liz Livesay 1G

Follow your dreams

Aaron Reynolds, an author who has written more than 50 children’s books, speaks to the youngest students at Coosa Elementary School on Wednesday, March 29 on Lady’s Island. Reynolds, whose body of work includes books such as “Creepy Carrots” and a series for young readers called “Fart Quest,” visited the school and spoke to all of the students about what it is like to be an author and encouraged them all to follow their dreams when choosing a career. “We like to try and bring in one author a year to speak to the kids,” Coosa Principal Melissa Pender said. “(Reynolds) was so great, we are so happy we got him to come. We are already looking for next year’s author.” Delayna Earley/The Island News

TCL’s Physical Therapist Assistant program gets new technology

‘Anatomage Table’ enhances way instructors teach, students learn about anatomy

From staff reports

The Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program has received a new piece of equipment that both instructors and students say significantly enhances the way they teach and learn about anatomy.

“It’s really an invaluable tool,” said Lawrence Dee, a first-year student in TCL’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program.

PTA students like Dee got their first look at the technology, known as the Anatomage Table, this semester and have been singing its praises since.

“It helps us to see the way joints are moving under all the tissues and the different systems of the body,” he said.

“It’s really neat. There’s just a lot you can do with it.”

Described as a “game changer” by PTA Program Director Kara Santana, the table takes digitally reconstructed images from the bodies of real human cadavers donated for scientific research and provides detailed,

3D views of the body’s various systems. TCL was able to purchase the table, which cost $74,598, with funding provided by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

As she explained, it takes anatomy out of the textbook.

“It helps our students make connections on how things are actually moving and working,” she said.

With the swipe of a hand or touch of the screen, Santana is able to pull up various systems such as the nervous or skeletal system, zoom in for a closer view, or rotate the body for different views. The images are also integrated with functional anatomy elements so a per-

son using the table can produce heart motion, simulate nerve pathways or replicate physiological interactions between stimuli and anatomical systems.

PTA instructors will integrate the tool with classroom instruction, but students can use it anytime they are in the classroom, Santana says.

In fact, she sees the table helping health sciences students in other courses make those all-important connections.

“I think in general, this could help almost every class we have – Neurological Rehabilitation, Kinesiology, even pathology,” she said. “I wish they had had this when I was in college.”

United Way offering $1,000 college scholarships for nontraditional women

From staff reports United Way of the Lowcountry’s Women United is offering $1,000 scholarships for nontraditional female students attending college in the Lowcountry.

The Women United Scholarship is designed to help ease the financial burden for female students in Beaufort and Jasper counties who are struggling to pay for higher education.

The scholarship is open to female students of any age who are attending the Technical College of the Lowcountry or the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and who are registering for a minimum of six cred-

it hours. Applicants must have made contributions to their community through volunteering in church, nonprofits, civic organizations, educational institutions, or other community service activities.

“We know that nontraditional students often face unique challenges when it comes to paying for college,”

Women United’s Scholarship Committee Chair Gloria Duryea said in a news release. “The Women United Scholarship is designed to help ease that burden and make it possible for more women in our community to pursue their educational dreams.”

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Established in 2020, the Women United Scholarship Fund has already provided 11 local nontraditional female students with $1,000 scholarships each, totaling $11,000.

“We’re proud to support these hardworking women as they strive to improve their lives and the lives of their families,” said Duryea. “We encourage all eligible students to apply for this opportunity.”

Applicants may access the scholarship application and eligibility criteria by visiting https://uwlowcountry.org/ wuscholar. The application deadline for the 2023-2024 school year is May 31.

Steve von Clausburg

Branch Manager, First Vice President – Investments

Whitney McDaniel, CFP® AAMS®

Financial Advisor, Vice President – Investments

Katie C. Phifer, CFP® , RICP ®

Financial Advisor, Vice President – Investments

Wells

PTA Instructor Kara Santana (middle) demos the new Anatomage Table for PTA students (left to right) Justin Blocker, Lawrence Dee, Guillermo Fuentes and Savannah Carpenter.

Photo courtesy of Technical College Of The Lowcountry

VIDEO

For a brief video from Aaron Reynolds’ appearance at Coosa Elementary School, visit https://youtu.be/ stRSHAoEyyU or follow the digital link provided.

ARTS

Artisan’s Spring Fling Market

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 8, Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort. Handicraft arts and crafts fair. Local artists providing jewelry, shell art, culinary, wood design, paintings, pottery, textiles, home décor, photographs and more.

You & Me Paint Along Fun

10 to 11 a.m. or 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, Coastal Art Supply, 216 West Street, Beaufort. Come paint along with your little one (4 and up) during Spring Break.

Guided by Camilla Pagliaroli of Create with Camilla, you will paint a pair of Sea Turtles on two canvases. Price for two participants is $40, and includes all supplies, and you will go home with your own Lowcountry works of art. Advance payment required to secure your spot (max 4 pairs per session). Register at https://coastal-art-supply.square.site/classschedule.

Lowcountry Glass Mosaics Workshop

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22, Morris Center For Lowcountry Heritage, 10782 S Jacob Smart Blvd, Ridgeland. Ages 16 and up.

$55 registration fee. Create a luminous mosaic suncatcher in this 4-hour workshop led by glass artist Pat Stone. You’ll also learn how to safely cut glass, follow mosaic patterns, and grout pieces. Purchases are non-refundable. Register at https://www.morrisheritagecenter. org/event-5047016.

CALENDAR

Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Sharing Hearts Support Group

5:30 to 7 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, 2201 Boundary Street, Suite 208, Beaufort. Free. Come tell your 10-minute story of a life lesson or healing message using your own creative expression through a song, poetry, reading, art or verbal storytelling. Come away with an uplifting sense of support and connections or to just listen. Register by leaving a voicemail with name, phone and number of attendees at 843-525-6115 or send email to reneesutton@healthierhealing. com. Notification will be done of any location change due to seat requirements. Next event is on Tuesday, April 11.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd, Beaufort. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Trivia with Tom – Fat Patties

7:30 p.m., Every Wednesday, Fat Patties, 831 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with either Parker or Eric.

Trivia with Tom – Bricks On Boundary 7:30 p.m., Every Thursday, Fat Patties, 1422 Boundary St, Beaufort. Free. Team trivia event, win house cash and Beer Bucket prizes! For more information, visit https://rb.gy/o9nhwe.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Thursdays, Amvets Post 70, 1831 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Free. Public is welcome. Enjoy Karaoke. Dinner will be available.

Bluffton Night Bazaar — a Lowcountry Made Market

5 to 8 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road. A highly curated selection of accessories, clothing, home goods, custom gifts and more by local artists and makers.

Rooted Beaufort Yoga classes

5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Thursdays, Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal; 9 to 10:15 a.m., Whitehall Park or Pigeon Point Park. Rooted Beaufort is a collective of local Yoga teachers who host outdoor yoga classes and donation-based events with proceeds being donated locally on a rotating basis.

Wet Willie’s Trivia Night 7 to 10 p.m., every Thursday, Wet Willie’s, Beaufort Town Center. Win awesome prizes while you sip the worlds greatest daiquiris and munch on delicious bites.

Wet Willie’s Bingo Night 7 to 10 p.m., every Friday, Wet Willie’s, Beaufort Town Center. Win free giveaways, merchandise, and more cool prizes.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9 p.m., Fridays, Highway 21 Bar, 3436 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy Karaoke with Lt. Dan.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Fridays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free.

Enjoy Karaoke with Parker.

Karaoke with Melissa

7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Fridays, R Bar & Grill, 70 Pennington Dr, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Drum Circle

6:30 to 8 p.m., 2nd Friday of every month, Gazeebo, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Free. Anyone welcome, no experience necessary. Eric Roy, a recent transplant from Connecticut with successful experience in leading drum circles, is our new facilitator. He will start sessions off with 1520 minutes of instruction on djembe playing

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HIGHWAY 21 DRIVE-IN

The movies scheduled for this week (Wednesday, April 5 through Tuesday, April 11) at the Highway 21 Drive-In are The Super Mario Bros. Movie (PG, 8 p.m.) and Champions (PG-13, 9:30 p.m.) on Screen 1; Dungeons & Dragons (PG-13, 8:15 p.m.) and Scream VI (R, 10:45 p.m.) on Screen 2; and John Wick, Chapter 4 (R, 8 p.m.) and Plane (R, 10:45 p.m.) on Screen 3 (Friday and Saturday).

Online ticketing is available at hwy21drivein. com on the Now Playing page. Patrons are asked to arrive early on Friday and Saturday nights. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

“Our family at the Hwy. 21 drive in feel a responsibility to our community,” a statement from Highway 21 Drive-In management reads. “We are concerned about many things in these trying times and in making the right decisions. We are concerned with our employees, our patrons, our business, our community’s businesses, and the health and well-being of all.”

A reminder: no outside food or beverages can be brought into the drive-in.

Upcoming movies include Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5) and among Renfield (April 14).

and teach a selected traditional rhythm & accompaniment for participants to play. In addition, there will be time allotted for spontaneous group drumming. Bring a drum, if you have one, a chair and a desire to have fun. The Drum Circle has several extra drums and many other percussion instruments that anyone can use. To receive updates on future events, send your email to lannyk13@gmail. com. This session will be on Friday, April 14. Highway 21 Flea Market

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday, Highway 21 Drive-In. Sellers, vendors, handmade items, unique products and yard sale items. For information, email lowcountryfleamarket@gmail.com.

Port Royal Farmers Market

9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, year round, Naval Heritage Park, 1615 Ribaut Road, Port Royal. Rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese, as well as plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. There are prepared food vendors serving barbecue, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. No pets allowed. For more information, visit http:// www.portroyalfarmersmarket.com/, visit @ portroyalfarmersmarket on Facebook or call 843-295-0058.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

7 p.m., Saturdays, The Beaufort Moose Lodge, 350 Broad River Blvd., Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Lt. Dan. Come early at 6 p.m. for Steak Night.

Eric’s Karaoke Krew

9:30 p.m., Saturdays, Rosie O’Grady’s, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 2, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy karaoke with Eric.

Karaoke with Melissa

8 p.m. to 12 a.m., 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, Peaceful Henry’s Cigar Bar, 181 Bluffton Rd, Bluffton. Enjoy food and drinks during Karaoke with Melissa.

Bluffton Night Bazaar

5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 6; Thursday, May 4, Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. The markets are familyfriendly and free to attend. Lowcountry Made’s night market is back for the Spring.

Two of these special night markets will be held on First Thursdays in April and May. Each Bluffton Night Bazaar market features 24 local makers, live music, and handcrafted cocktails. Vendor applications for the Spring markets are available on the Lowcountry Made website, lcmade.com. Applications for the October-December Bluffton Night Bazaar markets will open in August.

Play & Eat – Dinner Theater

6 to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays, April 15, April 29, May 13, May 20, June 3, June 17, and July

1, Hilton Garden Inn, 1500 Queen Street, Beaufort. Solve a murder mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just to let you know the murderer is hiding somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as one of the suspects if you don’t watch it. This is a prize-winning competition and everyone is a participant. For more information, contact 843-592-6209 or playandeatdinnertheater@ gmail.com, or visit the website at www. playandeatdinnertheater.com.

Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm., Wednesday, April 19, Hampton Hall Clubhouse, 170 Hampton Hall Blvd., Bluffton. “The Fabric of Friendship” features speaker Norma McMurry. Cost is $28 and must be prepaid by April 1. Make checks payable to CWC Bluffton and send to Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton SC 29909. For information contact Carol Mock at 843705-7604 or Julie Ott at 602-750-5465 Julie. ott.az@gmail.com.

MCAS Beaufort Airshow

Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23, 2023, MCAS Beaufort. Visit BeaufortAirShow.com. General admission is free.

Wild Women’s Tea Party

2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 29, Indigo Hall at Indigo Run, 103 Berwick Drive, Hilton Head Island. Join us for a madcap afternoon of whimsy and elegance at the Lowcountry Legal Volunteers 11th Annual Wild Women’s Tea Party. Our Emcee is the beautiful and talented Riley Miller of WJCL. Wear your finest jewelry and that perfect little black dress and enjoy some decadent food, desserts and

drinks. A perfect afternoon for you and your friends! Our Afternoon Highlights Include: A Fashion Show with all the latest styles from J. McLaughlin, Exciting Raffle Prizes, and a Silent Auction with luxury items and local experiences. Plus, fabulous prizes for best hat, best dressed, best dressed table and as always, wildest hat! For tickets, visit https:// rb.gy/2ar8. For more information, call 843815-1570 or email executivedirector@lclv.org.

Memory Matters Brain Booster Class

1 to 3 p.m., Monday, May 8, 15, & 22, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 99$ fee. A threeweek brain wellness course for active adults that promotes positive lifestyle strategies for improved brain health. Instructed by Memory Matters’ Community Education Director Debbie Anderson.

Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection Luncheon

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 17, Hampton Hall Clubhouse, 170 Hampton Hall Blvd., Bluffton. Derby Days: Feature-Heroes on Horseback. Invited Speaker: Rose Lewis. Cost $28, must be prepaid. Please make checks payable to CWC Bluffton and send to Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton S.C. 29909. For more information call Julie Ott at 602-705-5465.

Memory Matters: Ask a Neurologist

10 a.m., Saturday, May 20, Memory Matters, 117 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. $20 for this session, or $40 for all Memory Matters sessions. Speaker: Dr. Jill Trumble, St. Joseph’s Candler Neurology.

Memory Matters: Preparing for the Unexpected

10 a.m., Wednesday, June 7, St. Gregory the Great Catholic School, 38 St Gregory Drive, Bluffton. $20 for this session, or $40 for all Memory Matters sessions. Speakers: Lowcountry Council of Governments, Geriatric Care Manager, Elder Law Attorney, Bluffton Fire Department.

Memory Matters: Simple Suppers –Healthy Eating for Two

10 a.m., Wednesday, June 21, First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. $20 for this session, or $40 for all Memory Matters sessions. Speaker: Chef Kim Baretta. 67th annual Beaufort Water Festival

Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 23, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort.

EASTER

Easter Eggstravaganza

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 8, Community Bible Church, 638 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Free. Enjoy train rides, a petting zoo, a picnic lunch, jumpers, and face painting. For more information call 843-5250089.

HISTORY Beaufort History Museum at the Arsenal

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday;

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, 713 Craven St, Beaufort. General Admission for Adults $8, Seniors $7, Active Duty Military and College Students with ID $5. Children/Teens younger than 18 Free. Explore and experience more than 500 years of Beaufort History with knowledgeable docent guided tours.

The Historic Port Royal Museum

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or upon request, Thursdays through Sundays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory.org, email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail. com or call 843-524-4333.

Tour Historic Fort Fremont Dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, The Fort Fremont Preserve, 1124 Land’s End Road, St. Helena Island. Free and open to the public. The History Center is open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and, in March, Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about the fort’s history during the Spanish-American War through interpretive signs, self-guided walking tours with a smart phone, exhibits in the history center, and docent-led tours. For more information visit www.fortfremont.org or contact Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid at snagid@bcgov.net.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Law Talk Select times and days, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, Seabrook. To register, call 843-255-6479. Free. Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with volunteer attorney. Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5 to 6 p.m., Landlord Tenant Law; Tuesday, March 18, 5 to 6 p.m., Wills, Estates, and Probate; Saturday, April 29, 11 a.m. to noon, Heirs Property; Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m. to noon, Starting a Business or Nonprofit.

Dungeons & Dragons 4 p.m., Mondays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6441. Ages 12 to 18.

Lego Club

4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. All ages welcome.

Law Talk

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., select Tuesdays, Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort.

To register, call 843-255-6481. Free. Brief topic overview with Question & Answer with

volunteer attorney. Jan. 24, Wills, Estates, and Probate; Feb. 28, Estate Planning; March 28, Advanced Health Care Directives; April 18, Starting a Business.

Teen Art Club 4 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6441. Ages 12-18.

Teen Anime Club

4 p.m., 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

MEETINGS

The Beaufort Trailblazers –

A Volunteer Group

8 a.m., first Thursday each month, Herban Marketplace, Beaufort. Anyone interested in supporting or building off-road/dirt/ wilderness mountain biking/jogging/walking trails near is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 843-575-0021 or email universitybicycles@hotmail.com.

League of Women Voters

6 to 7:30 p.m., second Thursday of every month, Meeting Room, Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Ladys Island Drive, Beaufort. Free. The Public as well as LWVB members are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be about the topics members have suggested as projects for 2023.

Zonta Club of Beaufort

6 p.m., 4th Tuesday of each month, Smokehouse, Port Royal. Until November 22, we are participating in a service project with a global organization called Free the Girls. We are currently collecting new and gently used bras to help women rescued from trafficking start their own businesses selling the bras. Last year our club collected more than 600 bras and we are hoping to beat that number this year. Our collection sites are Amy Bowman State Farm Agency, 1284 Ribaut Rd., Myrna B. Breland, CPA, 1 Professional Drive, Port Royal, and Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs, 34A Savannah Hwy. Maye River Quilters

9:30 a.m., Monday, May 1, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. To attend the meeting as a guest, send an RSVP email to mayeriverquilters@gmail.com. For more information and for membership forms to join the group, call 843-705-9590.

OUTDOORS

Port Royal Cypress Wetlands tours

10 a.m., Saturday, April 8; 9 a.m. Friday, April 28; 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, April 29, Birthday For The Birds; 9 a.m., Saturday, May 13; 9 a.m. Friday, May 26; Port Royal Cypress Wetlands. Bring your friends and visitors to a free guided tour of the wetlands sponsored by Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and led by Master Naturalist Jill Moore. The egrets, snowy egrets and woodstorks are all nesting and the rookery is an exciting place! Alligators and turtles are basking in the sun and spring is in the air. This is a great time to learn about this magical place. Tours are limited in size. T0 sign up at www.foprcw.org and register on line.

S.C. Bluebird Society Presentation

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, April 21, Downton Beaufort Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort. Free. Glen Hendry is the Trail Director for the SCBS and will provide a presentation on local cavity nesting birds to include the Eastern Bluebird. Glen has a wealth of knowledge and expertise regarding cavity nesters. Please RSVP to Becky McCollam at chopperjoe1616@gmail. com or if you have any questions.

Roseate Spoonbills, Woodstorks and Limpkins

7 p.m., Thursday, April 27, Fripp Island Community Center, 205 Tarpon Blvd, Fripp Island. Craig Watson’s talk will center around three relative newcomers to South Carolina, the Roseate Spoonbill, the Wood Stork and the Limpkin. These birds were seldom seen in South Carolina until fairly recently and are now here year-round. Craig will explore the reasons behind this move north. Meet and Greet begins at 6 p.m., bring something to share at the snack table and meet your fellow birders. For more information visit www.islc. net/audubon.

RUNNING

67th Beaufort Water Festival 5K/10K

8 to 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 22, 904 14th Street, Port Royal. $20. The 67th Annual Beaufort Water Festival welcomes you to the Festival’s second event of the year. The races will start at 8 a.m. in beautiful Port Royal at Live Oak Park. This is a wonderful flat course that takes you along the mossdraped giant live oaks with beautiful views of the Intracoastal waterway. The course is USATF Certified #SC18011DW. 5k is a run or walk. Walk up registration will be available the day of the race for $25. Packet pick-up and Walk up registration at Live Oak Park on April 22 begins at 7 a.m. Awards to overall Male and Female and top 3 in each age division. Timing is provided by Grounded Running. Participants pre-registered by April 10 will receive a 67th Annual Beaufort Water Festival 5K/10K T-shirt. Registration after April 10, 2023, and Walk up registration cannot be guaranteed a T-shirt. Packet Pickup will take place at Grounded Running, located at 2139 Boundary Street, Suite 108 on Friday, April 21 from 12 to 5 p.m., and at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal on Saturday morning from 7 to 7:40 a.m. Race day registration will take place on Saturday morning from 7 to 7:40 a.m. to ensure an on-time start at 8 a.m. To register visit https://rb.gy/euwp.

SPORTS Beaufort Masters Swim Team 6 to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, Wardle Family Port Royal YMCA. Coached practices. Ages 18 & older, all skill & speed levels, no prior swim team experience needed. Visit lowcountryswimming.com for more information.

VMFA-312 returns

VA benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers

This article will introduce VA Life Insurance options, claims, and beneficiary assistance. There is too much information to cover every aspect of what you need to know about VA life insurance in one article, but if military members, veterans, and their families, survivors, and caregivers read this article and the other references in this article, they will be on their way to understanding what they need to know.

The first two articles in this series of five were published on March 16 and March 30. Those articles covered VA healthcare, education, training, and employment benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers and VA home loan programs for surviving spouses. You can read: Part 1 at https://bit. ly/3TOYiSE and Part 2 at http://bit.

ly/3MxaQwz

The two best ways to find out what a veteran’s spouse, dependent, survivor, and family caregiver VA benefits are and how to apply for those benefits include:

1. Reading the VA’s webpage titled VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, Survivors, and Family Caregivers found at https://bit. ly/3ZsrvET and …

2. Asking a VA-trained and accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO). Read about VA Accredited Representatives and how to find one at https://bit.ly/3rNLdvy https://bit.ly/41PPiQM, and https://bit. ly/3qbLVSL

Do not miss out on spouse, dependent, survivor, and caregiver benefits

According to the VA,

the spouse or dependent child of a veteran or service member may qualify for benefits, like home loans, health care, life insurance, or money to help pay for school or training. The survivor of a veteran or service member may qualify for added benefits, including help with burial costs and survivor compensation. A family caregiver of a veteran may also be eligible for support to help them better care for the veteran — and for themselves.

VA life insurance

The VA offers quality life insurance coverage for veterans, service members, and their families. According to the VA Life Insurance webpage https://www.va.gov/ life-insurance/, VA life insurance can offer financial security for veterans, service members, and their spouses and dependent children.

Act quickly. If you are ending your military tour of duty soon, you’ll need to get new coverage quickly. In some cases, veterans must act within 120 days of leaving the military to be sure there’s no break in their coverage.

VA life insurance options

The About VA Insurance Options and Eligibility webpage found at http:// bit.ly/3m2tfGB states, “Different programs cover veterans (VGLI), service members (SGLI), and family members (FSGLI). If you are an active-duty service

member, you are automatically enrolled in SGLI, which can also cover spouses and dependent children. You may also be able to get short-term financial coverage through TSGLI to help you recover from a traumatic (severe) injury. And if you have a service-connected disability, you may be able to get coverage through VALife.”

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)

Find out if you are eligible for SGLI, how to access and manage SGLI, how to get SGLI, how to make changes to benefits, how to change beneficiaries, how much SGLI costs, and how to apply for VGLI when you separate or retire, and more at https://bit.ly/3Gxbsia SGLI only remains in effect 120 days after a military member leaves military service.

Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI)

Learn all about FSGLI at https://bit.ly/3WUMGOe FSGLI offers coverage for the spouse and dependent children of service members covered under full-time SGLI.

Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI). Read online about TSGLI at https://bit. ly/3WDXEYI. TSGLI provides short-term financial support to help eligible service members recover from a severe injury. If you were covered by SGLI and experienced a traumatic injury while serving, you need to find out how to file a claim for TSGLI or appeal a past decision. The VA is expanding TSGLI benefits on April 14, 2023. These types of care are being expanded:

(1) Limb reconstruction surgeries; (2) Inpatient hospitalization at critical

care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and skilled nursing facilities; and (3) Care to help veterans transition from an inpatient facility to living at home (called therapeutic pass).

Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI)

With VGLI, military members may be able to keep their life insurance coverage after they leave the military for as long as they pay premiums. Find out the eligibility requirements, who is covered, the benefits, how to get the benefits, how much the insurance costs, how to choose beneficiaries, how to convert VGLI into a commercial policy, whom to call for help with a claim, what forms do family members need, how to access your policy online, how to get disabled and terminally ill policyholder assistance, and much more at https://bit.

ly/3IeOldv

Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife)

The VA began offering a new life insurance plan on January 1, 2023, for all service-disabled veterans. VALife offers guaranteed acceptance of whole life insurance with no medical exam requirements, no time limit to apply, with locked in for life premium rates, if you have a service-connected disability. Read the information at http:// bit.ly/40Gmf10 to answer questions about eligibility for VALife, how to apply for VALife, benefits with VALife, when your benefits start, premium rates, changing form S-DVI to VALife, what you should know about changing to VALife, How beneficiaries can file a claim, whom to call for answers to questions, and much more.

VA Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI)

If a veteran has received a Specially Adapted Housing Grant, the VA offers mortgage life insurance. See the VA fact sheet titled Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance or call 800-6698477.

Official VA YouTube

Channel

Learn more about VA life insurance at the official YouTube channel for the US Department of VA at https://www.youtube.com/ user/DeptVetAffairs. Below are some sample videos you may want to watch.

VA YouTube titled, Protect Those Who Matter Most with VA Life Insurance https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MMO_u_

fMz1E

VA YouTube titled, VA Life: Guaranteed Acceptance Whole Life Insurance for Veterans https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=0zydvCmJ7-Q&t=13s

VA YouTube titled, Are you Eligible for Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife)? https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=umVFO71Ebos&t=18s

VA YouTube titled, VGLI Explained –Veterans’ Group Life Insurance https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6heLAw6jJ9Q

VA Fact Sheets on Life Insurance

Find more about VA Life Insurance in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) fact sheets on insurance at https://benefits.

va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets.asp

VA Life Insurance Publications & Handbooks

Again, there is too much information on VA Life Insurance to cover in one newspaper article. So do your homework by:

1. Reading the VA webpage https://www. benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/,

2. Watching VA YouTube Videos on VA Life Insurance,

3. Download and read the SGLI and VGLI Handbook found at https://www.benefits. va.gov/INSURANCE/ docs/SGLI-VGLI-handbook.pd

4. Download and read the SGLI Procedures Guide found at https://www.benefits. va.gov/insurance/ docs/TSGLIProceduresGuide.pdf

5. Download and read the TSGLI Procedures Guide found at https://www.benefits. va.gov/insurance/ docs/FSGLIProceduralGuide.pdf, and

6. Asking a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to help you with understanding and applying for Veterans Life Insurance.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.

Museum seeks USS Intrepid crew members

From staff reports

August 16, 2023 will mark the 80th anniversary of the commissioning of USS Intrepid (CVS11), the World War II-era Essex class aircraft carrier that is now the centerpiece of the Intrepid Museum in New York City. To mark the occasion, the Intrepid Museum is putting out a coast-tocoast “all call” for former Intrepid crew members, to be reunited in a special 80th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration on board their ship.

The Museum is also seeking and accepting donations of per -

sonal artifacts and memorabilia from former crew members and their families. Each item added to the collection helps the Museum perpetuate, honor, express and interpret Intrepid’s stories of service, and to fulfill its mission to honor, educate and inspire millions of people each year.

To learn more about this commemoration and for registration information, former crew members and their family members can visit intrepidmuseum.org/80 or email fcm@intrepidmuseum.

org

a special ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Intrepid’s commissioning on Wednesday, Aug. 16, honoring former crew members from all eras of the carrier’s service, who will reunite and share stories of their tours of duty. The Museum will host a special former crew member dinner event that evening and guided tours of the ship. For some former crew members, this will be the first time they have been aboard their beloved ship since the completion of their service. While the Museum recognizes the ship’s commissioning anniversary every year,

the 80th celebration promises to be the largest gathering of former crew members since the 75th anniversary in 2018. Intrepid’s 80th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration is open to the public, and will feature events specifically tailored for former crew members and their families, as well as opportunities for members of the public to interact with our visiting former crew members. Now a national historic landmark, the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11) was one of the most successful and stalwart ships in U.S.

history. Nicknamed “The Fighting I” by its crew, Intrepid served in the Pacific during World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike. Intrepid later conducted submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic during the Cold War and served three tours of duty off Vietnam. It was also one of the primary recovery vessels for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini missions, and retrieved astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gus Grissom and John Young after their respective orbits and splashdowns in the Pacific.

The homecoming will feature

LARRY DANDRIDGE

A U.S. Marine with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312, returns March 14 from a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. VMFA-312 returned from a UDP, which provided forward presence and assisted commanders around the globe. Photos by Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin/USMC

Friends and family prepare March 10 for the arrival of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312 from a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 7 April 2023

Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel B. W. Ward

1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel M. C. Rock Commander of Troops, Captain E. P. Lee • Parade Adjutant, Captain E. M. Pierone Company “D”, 1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain E. P. Lee

Drill Masters • Staff Sergeant T. M. Hinton, Staff Sergeant R. W. McNew

PLATOON 1025 Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt C. L. Natonabah

PFC Baker, T. J.

PFC Bloodsaw, B. I.

PFC Brown, D. L.

PFC Canupp, K. L.*

Pvt Chavezcantu, P.

PFC Choudri, S.

PFC Coleman, Kaiden

PFC Copple, K. M.

PFC Enamorado, M. E.

PFC Espinozavelasquez, Rosio

Pvt Ford, J.

Pvt Fossa, M. A.

PFC Garavito, M. T.

PFC Gossett, Joy

Pvt Harris, A. J.

PFC Hoegler, P. E.*

PFC Key, A. D.

PFC Laconca, L. J.*

Pvt Laskowska, M.

Pvt Lineberry, Kendall O.

PFC Liramartinez, N.

PFC Lloyd, H. S.

Pvt Mcpherson, S. E.

PFC Mersan, Shelby C.

Pvt Narcizomartinez, Y.

PFC Ortizviera, E.

Pvt Peraltagarcia, K.

PLATOON 1026

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt E. A. Damian

Pvt Alicea, E. A.

Pvt Bailey, I. S.

Pvt Barrett, A. L

PFC Brothers, M. L.

PFC Brown, J. T.

PFC Bullard, T. C.

PFC Chen, B. B.

Pvt Cochran Iii,C.

Pvt Cruzhernandez, K.

Pvt Davidson, D. A.

Pvt Frame, H. C.

Pvt Fraser, N. D.

PFC Gardner, S. F.

Pvt Gazzia J. A.

PFC Hair, G. J.

Pvt Harris, A. A.

Pvt Hopkins, Samuel J.

PFC Hyppolite, L.*

PFC Jordan Jr, A. M.

Pvt Lang, P. A.

PFC Lionelli, J. A.

PFC Mares, C. A.

PFC Martinez, L. A.

Pvt Montoya, A.

PFC Murray, P. F.

Pvt Obando, J. A.

PFC Pack, J. R.*

PLATOON 1028

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt I. D. Colón Dominguez

PFC Akinrotoye, A. P.

Pvt Avilamato, C. A.

Pvt Betancourt, G.

Pvt Bradham, C. K.

Pvt Braga, N. D.

Pvt Braga, N. A.

Pvt Brown, L. E.

Pvt Bullion J. D.

Pvt Camacho, F. D.

Pvt Colon Ortega, A. J.

PFC Cooper, J. E.

Pvt Creusere III, J. W.

Pvt Cruz, A. R.

Pvt Cubagalera, M. Y.

PFC Frazier, D. K.

Pvt Hernandez Cepero, Y.

Pvt Jacobs, M. F.

Pvt Kaler, E. S.

PFC Keaton, K. J.

PFC Lopezpotes, D.

Pvt Martinez, R.

PFC McKenzie, N. J.

Pvt Milone, J. T.

PFC Molina Aquelal, F. X. *

PFC Mukwaya, M. M.*

Pvt Oneal, D. A.

PFC Pina, F. M.

Pvt Pohrishchuk, P.

PFC Pratt, N. J.

PLATOON 1029 Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt J. E. Burris, Jr.

PFC Akbulut, B. C.

PFC Ayala, E.

Pvt Basdaocosta, E. W.

Pvt Booher III, J. C.

Pvt Boyer, K. F.

PFC Butler, C. A.

PFC Connors, N L.

Pvt Desulme, C.

Pvt Diggs, D. T.

Pvt Dilissio, N. T.

Pvt Dorn, T.

Pvt Frazier, Z. S.

Pvt Gardner, N. C

PFC Gareis, L. J.

PFC Gooch, B. W.*

Pvt Hardy Jr. M. A.

Pvt Haywood, J. D.

Pvt Hill Jr. B. S.

Pvt Hoyos, J.

PFC Hurd Jr. M. J.

Pvt Keys, B. J.

Pvt Kim, J. D.

Pvt Lui, F.

PFC Longo, N. V.

PFC Magill, W. C.

Pvt Marcellez, O.

Pvt McGraw, M. T.

Pvt Mclaughlin, N. J.

PFC Mendez, H. E.

PLATOON 1030

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt A. M. Kim

PFC Almahrouq, S. M.*

PFC Alvarez, R. A.

PFC Amaya, R. J.

PFC Bantug, M. A.*

PFC Barnd, E. C.

PFC Bland, B. N.*

PFC Bourg, C. T.

Pvt Bueno, R.

PFC Bustillo, G.

Pvt Casillas Jr., L. M.

Pvt Cervantesbautista, A.

Pvt Chanoine, E. E.

Pvt Cortes, J. M.

Pvt Darling Jr., G. R.

Pvt Dereskewicz, D. R.

PFC Dieng, M.

PFC Edouard, C. L.

Pvt Elie, H. A.

Pvt Elmeus, M.

Pvt Etienne, D.

Pvt Galindorojas, E.

Pvt Garciadominguez, J. D.

Pvt Germain, R.

PFC Gotham, A. H.

Pvt Gupta, A.

Pvt Hebert, A. M.

Pvt Hoover, G. M.

LCpl Hunter, D. K.

Pvt Ladson, L. B.

PFC Lebron, J. I.

Pvt Olmos, Kenneth A.

Pvt Palaciosmurillo, J. M.

PFC Paredes, R. J.*

Pvt Park, Michael

Pvt Parodiburgos A.M.

Pvt Patterson, M. G.

Pvt Phillips, M. A.

PFC Phillips, R. R.

Pvt Pinkerton, Z. T.

Pvt Rice, W. A.

PFC Robinson, T. A.

PFC Rodriguezpastrana, J

PFC Rosalescristino, A. G.

Pvt Rosario, A. E.

Pvt Ruffin, M. X.

Pvt Sanchezalvarado, C.

PFC Sarmientobeltran, A. A.*

Pvt Sixeus, K. M.

PFC Ternier, C. M.*

Pvt Veldof, C. J.

Pvt Watson, A. E.

PFC Reid, Sumoya A.

Pvt Sherman, J. S.

Pvt Silveriodomingo, S. M.

Pvt Smith, F. O.

Pvt Stanfield, S. G.

Pvt Thomas, K. N.

Pvt Tompkins, E. R.

PFC Urbaezreyes, N. M.

PFC Valencia, M.

PFC Valles, T. J.*

PFC Vargas, A. H.

PFC Verastegui, K. J.

Pvt Walsh, A M.

Pvt Pannu, A. S.

PFC Pash, C. B.

PFC Pate, J. L.

PFC Pham, T. M.

Pvt Pierce, T. A.

PFC Quinonesaponte, B. A.

Pvt Reynolds, N. D.

Pvt Rivera, D.

Pvt Rodriguezlila, J. G.

Pvt Salomon, B.

PFC Sanchez, R. C.

Pvt Simmons, D. T.

PFC Smith, R. M.

Pvt Swe, P. T.

Pvt Thomas, C. R.

Pvt Tipton, J. B.

PFC Trudeau, M. A.

Pvt Whitaker, N. D.

PFC Williams, A. S.*

Pvt Real, S.

Pvt Robinson, C. J.

PFC Rosspenegor, D. A.

Pvt Rowe, R. G.

Pvt Sanchez, C. A.

Pvt Sanchez, R. A.

PFC Schmitt, N. W.*

PFC Sema, D.

Pvt Sotoamador, G. A.

Pvt Stubbs, I. A.

Pvt Sturgell, B. M.

PFC Tilyayev, S. M..

Pvt Tomlinson, J.

Pvt Vernon, J. A.

Pvt Walker Jr, C. C.

Pvt Walker, J. A.

Pvt Weil, S. D.

PFC White, G. A.

Pvt Zambranodaniels, A.M

Pvt Molina, B.

Pvt Moll, J. H.

Pvt Murgitroyde, L. D.

Pvt Pennington, D. E.

Pvt Prichard, N. W.

PFC Reahl Jr. W. L.

PFC Robinson Jr. C. D.*

Pvt Samuel, J.

PFC Sanchez Gomez, C. J.

Pvt Scott, T. S.

Pvt Smith, D. T.

Pvt Snyder, N. R.

Pvt Staley, M. S.

PFC Sturgell, T. W.

Pvt Thomas, D. D.

Pvt Ursillo Jr. J. J.

Pvt Vargas, D. R.

Pvt Warner Jr. T. D.

Pvt Williams, R. T.

Pvt Willoughby, G. B.

PFC Wozniak, K. K.*

Pvt Lee, B. A.

Pvt Lehmann, M. G.

Pvt Mangarelli, G. G.

PFC Mayancela, D. A.

Pvt Mcgee, A. M.

PFC Medina, A.

PFC Miller, J. T.

PFC Nievesrodriguez, K.

Pvt Ocompopliego, G.

Pvt Renteria, A. J.

Pvt Rodriguez, R.

PFC Schilling, G. M.

Pvt Singer, C. R.

Pvt Stewart, J. M.

Pvt Suarez, J. C.

Pvt Vannieuwenhze, C. R.

LCpl Wachter, R. A.

PFC Walker, C. T.

PFC Zampino, V. J.

*Denotes Meritorious Promotions

Christopher J. Geier Attorney at Law, LLC Criminal Defense & Civil Litigation 16 Professional Village Circle, Lady's Island Office: 843-986-9449 • Fax: 843-986-9450 chris@bftsclaw.com • www.geierlaw.com AUDIOLOGY & HEARING

Beaufort Audiology & Hearing Care Monica Wiser, M.A. CCC-A Licensed Audiologist 38 Professional Village West, Lady's Island monica@beauforthearing.com

www.beauforthearing.com | 843-521-3007

Hear the Beauty that Surrounds You

The Beaufort Sound Hearing and Balance Center Dr. Larry Bridge, AU.D./CCC-A 206 Sea Island Parkway, Suite 31, Beaufort thebeaufortsound@gmail.com www.thebeaufortsound.com | 843-522-0655

Bay St, Beaufort, SC 29902

379-4488

& Ginny DuBose, Owners aldubose@yahoo.com

THURSDAY’S CARTOON

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