December 1 edition

LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN

LOLITA HUCKABY

not ‘annexation wars’ … but ‘mob rule’?

Beaufort names 3 finalists for city manager

From staff reports

Beaufort City Council has an nounced the three finalists for the open City Manager position. The public was to have a chance to meet them from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednes day, Nov. 30, at the Landing Pad at 500 Carteret Street.

The three finalists are: Reece Ber tholf, City of Beaufort Deputy City Manager; Matthew DeWitt, City of Newberry City Manager; and Scott Marshall, Beaufort County Director of Human Resources.

Beaufort’s search for a new city manager began immediately af

Most recently, the Beaufort City Council drew attention last week when they actually had a split vote, 3-2, opposing annexation of a 4.7acre waterfront parcel adjoining Clarendon Plantation, which came into the city 16 years ago. Potential buyers of this proposed piece of property on Patterson Road asked to come into the city for fire and po lice protection, for which they were willing to pay additional taxes.

What they didn’t say… but the neighbors did … was that they wanted to build a deep-water dock longer than the 300-foot limit set by county regulations. That issue was first brought up at the Mu nicipal Planning Commission last month where a dissenting member voted against the request, calling it “zoning shopping.”

“Zoning shopping” came up again during the City Council meeting when neighbors spoke in opposition of the annexation. Their concerns prompted Mayor Stephen Murray to suggest “mob rule,” in an interview with The Beaufort Gazette, was at play instead of “good planning.”

“Mob rule” is an interesting charge to be made by an elected leader in response to residents voicing their concerns. Actually, it’s almost amazing how little public comment is made in response to government actions that are going to affect your wallet, come tax time, or your neighborhood, when the wooded acres around your home are clear-cut for more cookie-cutter developments.

ship assessment, and initial inter views of the top can didates. The City had 23 applicants from 12 states.

Profiles of the fi nalists, in alphabet ical order:

ter Bill Prokop, the current city man ager, announced in late September that he would re tire from his po sition in January 2023. The position was advertised na tionally, and the application pe riod went from Sept. 28 through Oct. 21, 2022.

The Municipal Association of South Carolina helped in the screening of candidates. The pro cess included a teamwork/leader

On Nov. 30 City Council members were to conduct final interviews with the candi dates. That was followed by the open house for the public to meet the finalists.

Reece Bertholf Matthew DeWitt Scott Marshall

Reece Bertholf Bertholf is cur rently deputy city manager for the City of Beaufort. He is a native of Minnesota, and enlist ed in the Marines after high school. He served in the Marines from 1997 to 2001 in Okinawa, Japan, and in Beaufort. In 2001, he began his

City Council is expected to make its decision by the middle of De cember.

Letters to Santa

Forum scheduled to discuss book bans

Conroy Center event to be held at TCL as BCSD reviews removed books

By Mike McCombs

Beaufort’s Pat Conroy Liter ary Center is hosting an event Dec. 11 entitled Book Challeng es Forum — Resisting Attacks on Public Education.

The event is billed as “a public

conversation with a quartet of ex pert panelists: educator, activist, and former South Carolina Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth; South Carolina ACLU legal fel low and legislative advocate Josh Malkin; community education ad vocate, consultant, and nonprofit leader AJ Davis; and journalist Paul Bowers.”

City will celebrate holidays this weekend

From staff reports

The Christmas season will shift into another gear as the City of Beaufort celebrates all weekend, Dec. 2-4.

Beaufort's holiday extravaganza will be packed with music, food, entertainment, shopping, parades — and Santa, of course. The weekend kicks off with Night on the Town at 6 p.m. on Friday. Bay Street will be closed

to traffic, and downtown retailers will be open.

Roving choirs from Beaufort High School will sing Christmas carols, while the Parris Island Marine Corps Rock Band will perform on the main stage at Charles and Bay streets. Other performers on that stage will include the Praise Assembly

It’s

Burton Firefighters Cory Hagan, left, and Lt. Nick D’Angelo put up the last of the Letters To Santa mail boxes Tuesday morning at the Shell Point Station. Children can leave a letter to Santa, and Burton Fire District will make sure he gets it. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

EDITORIAL/DESIGN

Editor-in-Chief Mike McCombs theislandnews@ gmail.com

Art Director Hope Falls ads.theislandnews@ gmail.com

Sports Editor Justin Jarrett LowcoSports@ gmail.com

Videographer

Delayna Earley delayna. theislandnews@ gmail.com

VETERAN OF THE WEEK RICHARD SURRETT

Beaufort’s Richard Surrett, 62, joined the United States Marine Corps in Sacramento in 1979. After boot camp in San Diego, he trained in Aberdeen, Md., as an armorer, to repair small arms. His first assign ment was at MCAS Yuma. He then trained for embassy duty and was assigned first to East Berlin, East Germany before unification. While there he was on lock-down when Egypt’s Anwar Sadat was assassi nated; President Reagan was shot and Lech Wałęsa led Solidarity to

power in Poland. His next embassy was in Caracas, Venezuela where he met his wife.

He then trained as an Aircraft

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Book bans attack free speech

The School District’s (poten tial) book ban leads us like Alice down a rabbit hole. And when even award-winning literature is targeted, it’s the equivalent of a five-alarm fire.

Obviously, there may be books not fit for the growth and develop ment of children in kindergarten through 5th grade. However, that’s no reason for these books to be discarded and not seen in our middle and high schools libraries.

Moms for Liberty, and similar groups, should not take the place

try's MacLean Hall (104 Reynolds Street, Building 12).

Ordnance Technician before being assigned at MCAS El Toro. After that duty, he attended Drill Instruc tor school before serving as a DI in San Diego. He then transferred to MCAS Beaufort (ordinance) with deployments to Iwakuni, Japan, and, during Desert Storm, to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia arming air combat op erations in Iraq. He then returned to embassy duty first in Cairo, Egypt and then Dhaka, Bangladesh.

His final duty station was at MCAS Tustin, Calif., from which he

retired in 1999 as a Gunnery Ser geant with 20 years of service. He returned to Beaufort where he built a home during 17 years working in construction and as a building in spector, both for Beaufort County and commercially for military hous ing construction at PI, Tucson, Fort Knox, Camp Lejeune and in Hawaii.

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

843-343-8483

Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping.com Billing questions only.

According to the Conroy Center’s promotional materials, the conversa tion will focus on the growing num ber of book challenges and bans facing school classrooms and librar ies, including those here in Beaufort County. Participants will discuss the origin of book challenges, how they are funded and organized, how they are addressed by the school systems and what intellectual freedoms may be at risk when students' access to literature is restricted or removed.

The forum, scheduled for 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, is free and open to the public and will be held at the Technical College of the Lowcoun

ON THIS DATE

Ninety-seven books have been removed from the shelves of librar ies and classrooms in the Beaufort County School District (BCSD) while they are reviewed for their ap propriateness by Library Materials Review Committees. The reviews were triggered by the complaints of a group of parents that the books were obscene and inappropriate.

The committees are randomly selected and are tasked, according to the BCSD, “with reading their as signed book in full and then meet ing as a group to share and discuss findings. The value of the book is to be examined as a whole, consid ering the impact of an entire work, transcending individual words, phrases, and incidents.”

of parents deciding for themselves what their children are exposed to. Nor should the excuse that such exposure take place in the home only, because then we remove the ideas of shared thought and discussion.

Book bans and other tactics by Moms for Liberty is part of a

The committees will issue a writ ten report of their findings to the appropriate parties, including the Superintendent and the Board of Education.

Four books are currently under going the review process — The Handmaid’s Tale The Perks of Be ing a Wallflower, Speak, and The Kite Runner. These book were giv en priority because they are used in some high school Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

BCSD Director of Communi cations Candace Bruder said two more committees are commencing this week, reviewing The Lovely Bones and Stamped: Racism, Anti racism and You

According to Bruder, these books were selected because of their print availability.

broader attack on free speech in the classroom that amounts to educational censorship. We must combat these efforts in order to protect the First Amendment rights of students and teachers, and preserve free speech in America.

– Mare Deckard, Lady’s Island

At an initial meeting for these new committee members Thurs day, Dec. 1, Bruder said, committee members will be provided infor mation to ensure understanding of the review process and will receive a copy of their committee book for review. Then, as with previous com mittees, a subsequent meeting date will be provided for the committee to complete its review utilizing the Beaufort County School District Review Committee Checklist and issue a written report of its findings to the appropriate parties.

Bruder said four more commit tees and their assigned book titles will be announced Friday.

DISCLAIMER

32-4-1.

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat of the Week: Hulu is ready to chill with his favorite people. This is one handsome ball of fur who is ready to settle down and be pampered. He is a sweet and lowkey gentle giant with a luxurious fur coat that just begs to be stroked and brushed. Hulu is 2 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

Dog of the Week: Abe is a handsome and energetic dog who is looking for a home that can fit his active needs. He is working with our training team and volunteers to learn even more skills before he heads to his new home. Abe is 4 years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Hulu, Abe, 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 includ ing articles, photos, editorial content, let ters, art and advertisements, are copyright ed by The Island News and Island News Publishing, LLC, 2022 all rights reserved. The Island News encourages reader sub missions via email to theislandnews@ gmail.com. All content submitted is con sidered 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 pub lished 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 as sume full responsibility for how this infor mation 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 inappro priate for the publication.

Richard Surrett

Dian Brownfield of Lady’s Island shot this photo of the last of the shrimp boats at Port Royal in late November. 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 high-resolution 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

December 3

1981: Joe Frazier fought Floyd Cummings to a 10-round draw in Chicago. The bout would be the last for Frazier, who retired with a professional record of

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

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

HELP breaks ground on new building

From staff reports

HELP of Beaufort marked its “soon to be 50” year mark, with a groundbreaking cer emony Monday, Nov. 21 on their property at 1600 Ribaut Road in Port Royal.

In attendance were HELP volunteers, board members, grantors, Port Royal Mayor Joe DeVito, Rep. Shannon Erickson and Greg Brusnon from Brunson Construction.

This community’s new building will offer larger pan try and clothing areas, as well as a client Wellness Produce Garden, the first of its kind and much needed in the area. They will also be able to ex pand all current programs and add new ones in the near future.

Last year HELP assisted 11,370 clients with food be tween their in-house pantry, Mobile Pantry and Mobile Meals Programs and this number is only expected to increase.

Executive Director Lori Opozda thanked volunteers for all the countless hours they put in, inside and outside

Manager

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career with the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, work ing his way up through the ranks. He became fire chief in 2015, and was named deputy city manager in July 2021.

Bertholf has a Bachelor of Science in business adminis tration from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and an MBA from The Citadel. He also has an Executive Certifi cate in Public Leadership from the John F. Kennedy School of

of HELP, and for keeping the organization running smooth ly, serving all of the communi ty needs. She also went on to thank all of the citizens, local businesses and churches for assisting with all their needs throughout the year.

Purchasing their property last spring, HELP kicked off and is still running a building campaign. Community out reach started right away with Twingi Productions stepping in and offering their architec

Government at Harvard Uni versity. Bertholf is a graduate of Leadership Beaufort, Lead ership South Carolina, and the Diversity Leadership Initiative at the Riley Institute at Furman University. He is a member of the International City and County Management Associa tion. He is currently chairman of the board for Riverview Charter School and the Child Abuse Prevention Association. He and his wife, Mikie, have two children, and live in Beaufort.

Matthew DeWitt DeWitt is currently city

tural services for free, working hand-in-hand with the Town of Port Royal and Brunson Construction.

Brunson Construction is looking for local businesses to team up and get this build done with them – Built FOR the Community BY the Com munity.

Through fundraising ef forts and the generosity of local businesses and donors, HELP has been able to secure funding to get through the

manager for the City of New berry, S.C. He has served in that position since 2016. From 2012 to 2016, he was assistant city manager of Newberry. He also served as director of Community & Economic De velopment for Newberry. From 2004 to 2010, he held various positions at Newberry College, most recently as executive di rector of the Athletics Club and Athletic Development.

DeWitt has a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Newberry College, and a Master's in Athletic Adminis tration from Troy University. He has a Master of Public Ad

first two phases of the build and needs community assis tance to complete the build. The organization would like this to be a fully funded com munity project, and not have to obtain funding through a lender so future donations can go directly toward the needs of the community and not to pay interest on a loan.

The Wellness Produce Garden will not only be a source of food for the pantry, for clients it will also be able

ministration from Clemson University, and is a graduate of the S.C. Local Government Management Training Pro gram and S.C. Economic De velopment Institute.

He is a board member of the Newberry Opera House and Clinton Newberry Nat ural Gas Authority. He is a member of the International City and County Manage ment Association.

He and his wife, Jessica, have three children.

to teach them how to garden affordably at home, no mat ter where they live. Holding Cooking Matters classes through the Lowcountry Food Bank, they will also be able to teach clients how to cook dif ferent foods and make afford able, healthy meals for their families.

HELP also hopes to be a resource for area schools for field trips, on gardening and healthy eating education.

HELP is hosting its third

Beaufort County. He is a native of Danville, Va., and is a retired U.S. Air Force officer, having served for 23 years. After his military career, he was ap pointed executive director of the Beaufort County Board of Elections & Voter Registration. In 2013, he became director of the Beaufort County Parks & Leisure Services. He then be came deputy town manager for the Town of Bluffton, and was named interim town man ager in January 2021 In July 2021, he rejoined Beaufort County in his current position.

Marshall has a Bachelor of Science in political science

annual toy drive this year. This could not be accom plished without the 35-plus businesses that assist with toy collections. Through their generosity, we are able to give families in need toys, clothing, shoes and wrapping paper for their children.

To make a donation to HELP for their building cam paign, assist in any of their programs or volunteer you can visit their website at www. helpofbeaufort.org

and psychology from East ern Michigan University and a Master of Public Adminis tration from American Pub lic University. He also has a Master Certificate in Human Resources Management from Villanova University. He is a graduate of the Gettysburg Leadership Institute. He is a member of the International City and County Manage ment Association and is the co-author of an ICMA publi cation on hiring veterans in local government.

He and his wife, Virgin ia, live in Beaufort and have two children.

THE MOST ADVANCED JOINT CARE OPTIONS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

We Keep You IN

At Beaufort Memorial, our entire team of physicians and joint care experts is committed to helping you be your best and enjoy life without pain.

A testament to our quality outcomes, the Joint Replacement Center is one of only three programs in South Carolina to achieve advanced certification in knee and hip replacement. Our boardcertified surgeons are skilled with state-of-the art minimally invasive technology, including Mako SmartRoboticsTM for knee and hip replacement. Many of our patients go home the same day as their surgery.

At Beaufort Memorial you’ll also find:

• Joint preservation therapies

• Numerous non-surgical treatment options

• A personalized approach to restoring joint function

• Pre-operative education classes that engage patients and caregivers in the healing process

• A Joint Optimization Program that follows you through the process to ensure the best outcomes

• Outpatient and in-home rehab services to get you back in the game faster

Scott Marshall Marshall is currently direc tor of Human Resources for

In left photo, Rep. Shannon Erickson speaks as, from left, Port Royal Mayor Joe DeVito, Twingi Productions architect Jon Sojkowski and HELP of Beaufort Executive Director Lori Opozda look on at HELP’s groundbreaking ceremony Monday, Nov. 21 in Port Royal. Photos courtesy of SK Designs.

Operation Holiday Heroes registration underway

From staff reports

Operation Holiday Heroes is taking applications for any one who may need Christmas assistance this year.

Operation Holiday Heroes is a countywide collaboration to assure that every child and family in need in Beaufort and Jasper counties has toys at Christmas.

This year, United Way of the Lowcountry is proud to part ner with Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, The Agape Fam ily Life Center Hardeeville, Antioch Educational Center, Bluffton Self Help, The Deep Well Project, Love House Ministries and The Salvation Army of the Lowcountry to bring the magic of Christmas to families in the Lowcountry.

To participate in Operation Holiday Heroes, each family must register for assistance at one of the participating non profits. A complete listing of Beaufort and Jasper county registration dates, times and locations is available in En glish and Spanish at https:// uwlowcountry.org/santa/

Since the 1950s, United Way of the Lowcountry has been working to create a better life for the residents of Beaufort and Jasper counties. Our fo cus is on protecting services vital to the immediate basic needs of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Each year, United Way rais es funds through its annual campaign, special events and grants. Just as funds are raised locally, United Way funds stay local. Visit www. uwlowcountry.org for more information.

Habitat for Humanity Turkey Trot 5K a huge success

Local tradition raises almost $40,000

From staff reports

The 2022 LowCountry Habitat for Humanity Turkey Trot 5K and Fun Run pre sented by First Federal Bank, held on Thanksgiving morn ing, was a joyful success.

Seven hundred and nine ty-three people registered for a favorite local tradition.

The community event raised almost $40,000 for the local affiliate for Habitat for Hu manity, which has five hous es under construction or in the design phase in Northern Beaufort County.

The overall winner of the race was Nash Mills, a freshman on the Men’s Cross-Country team at UNC Wilmington and former Beaufort High School ath lete. The 18-year-old ran the 5-kilometer race in 16:26.79.

In second place was Gavin Moore, and Maxwell Da vis took third place overall. They finished in 16:39.33 and 16:45.69 respectively.

LowCountry Habitat for Humanity would like to thank its presenting sponsor,

First Federal Bank, for mak ing this event possible for the local community. Contribut ing sponsors were Chandler Trask Construction, Collins Pest Control, Grayco, Eat Lo cal Beaufort (Saltus, Plums and Hearth), Beaufort Memo rial Hospital, Best Western Sea Island Inn, Picklejuice Productions, Grounded Run ning, Pepsi, BJWSA, and Rain-N-Bagels.

OVERALL WINNERS

1. Mills, Nash, 18, 16:26.79

2. Moore, Gavin, 18, 16:39.33

3. Davis, Maxwell, 21, 16:45.69

FEMALE 12 AND UNDER

1. Johnson, Taylor, 11, 23:42.50

2. DeBello, Gia, 12, 25:04.92

3. Bretz, Taylor, 10, 27:10.92

FEMALE 13-19

1. Mendoza, Heidi, 15, 22:55.84

2. Zajac, Chloe, 15, 23:42.50

3. Leszczynski, Elena, 17, 25:17.96

FEMALE 20-29

1. Cozzens, Maria, 27, 20:25.31

2. Tierney, Casey, 27, 23:00.28

3. McClure, Maggie, 22, 23:08.01

FEMALE 30-39

1. Anderson, Meredith, 36, 20:36.05

2. Lomas, Jesse, 33, 22:05.11

3. Whitmore, Ashleigh, 39, 22:15.88

FEMALE 40-49

1. Eldridge, Kelly, 46, 22:01.86

2. Hill, Ashley, 40, 23:57.54

3. Frost, Brandy, 48, 24:07.20

FEMALE 50-59

1. Young, Lee, 58, 26:32.46

2. Logan, Elena, 59, 28:48.04

3. Wilson, Patricia, 56, 29:00.67

FEMALE 60-69

1. Kennedy, Sandy, 62, 25:24.66

2. Jessee, Sally, 67, 28:49.44

3. Parsons, Linda, 60, 29:52.14

FEMALE 70 AND OVER

1. Dickerson, Anne, 74, 28:46.60

2. Gallup, Suzanne, 77, 31:16.02

3. Duensing, Thirza, 70, 41:54.25

MALE 12 AND UNDER

1. Norton, Gus, 9, 23:02.29

2. Kruse, Charley, 12, 23:07.64

3. Johnson, Chase, 8, 25:32.50 MALE 13-19

1. Richardson, Jesse, 16, 17:02.39

2. Bennett, Charlie, 19, 17:41.95

3. Dunning, Stephen, 17, 18:02.17

MALE 20-29

1. Tierney, Josh, 27, 16:57.59

2. Sanford, Bolton, 26, 17:45.86

3. Sanford, Charles, 27, 18:11.67

MALE 30-39

1. Noble, Stephen, 35, 17:00.19

2. Rowen, Jamie, 32, 18:56.68

3. Foster, Nathaniel, 35, 20:10.46

MALE 40-49 1. 12. 1432 Fahey, Tim, 49, 18:58.14 2. 27. 1587 Bullard, Justin, 47, 20:45.18 3. 28. 1999 Dyson, Greg, 40, 20:53.91

MALE 50-59

1. Mendoza, Daniel, 51, 20:21.61

2. Sanford, John, 56, 21:34.75 3. Fleming, Cory, 54, 22:11.10

MALE 60-69

1. Leitzel, Benjamin, 62, 21:30.78

2. Carter, Larry, 65, 23:27.22

3. Lopez, Ludovic, 67, 24:50.52

MALE 70 AND OVER 1. Sullivan, Alan, 71, 28:40.08

2. Barnett, Clyde, 75, 37:56.98

3. Unger, Dick, 77, 51:51.63

BURNING THE TURKEY

Firefighter/EMT Cory Hagan of the Burton Fire Department steps back as the turkey he just placed in boiling oil erupts into a fireball during a demonstration of what happens when everything goes wrong while trying to fry a turkey for Thanksgiving. In the perfect scenario gone wrong; the oil was too hot, the cauldron was too small and overfilled and the turkey was still semi-frozen. Capt. Dan Byrne of the Burton Fire District said, “the majority of home fires we respond to start in the kitchen. The majority of those start on the stove.”

After the fire had burned itself out, Firefighter/ EMT Cory Hagan removes the turkey from the pot of hot peanut oil. Frying turkey in the Low Country has become very popular.

Dataw community raises $75,572 for wounded, disabled veterans

From staff reports

Once again, Dataw Island members and supporters pre sented an amazing week-long celebration of service to ben efit wounded veterans. To gether, the events last month raised more than $75,000 to benefit Tee It Up for the Troops and local veterans or ganizations.

“Every year our members come together in support of veterans, and every year they outdo themselves,” General Manager Ted Bartlett said in a news release. “And staff steps up as well – the one man golf marathon is truly impres

Lowdown

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Port Royal annexation could displace mobile homes

PORT ROYAL – Another annexation request of inter est is being considered by the Port Royal Town Council. The request, if passed at the December meeting, will allow the potential buyers to demolish Beaufort Mobile Home trailer park on Parris Island Gateway to make way for new apartments. No evidence of “mob rule” yet on this annexation request. In fact, Town Coun cilman Kevin Phillips was the only voice to question the wisdom of the proposal after he heard the demoli tion of the park, with its 50 lots, meant those residents would be looking for homes elsewhere if the annexation is granted.

sive and is truly commend able. The sacrifices made to present all these events and the fundraising efforts are simply phenomenal.”

The week began with the “Flag Brigade” in which vol unteers lined the streets with 3,500 American flags, followed by a “Big Break” su perintendent’s revenge-style golf tournament. The day culminated in a happy hour like none other – guest bar tenders volunteer and raise money as attendees "Tip It Up for the Troops" at the Da taw Island Pub.

Monday featured the fa

No “mob rule” there when one lone councilman votes “no” because of concern where the 50 residents are gonna go. But in this age of much local discussion about the need for “affordable” or “workforce” housing, it’s dif ficult to understand why the elected bodies, represented by their planning adminis trators aren’t requiring those potential buyers to commit – prior to getting their annex ation requests met – to look out for those who can’t afford $1,000 monthly rents.

The same can be said for the county, where Admin istrator Eric Greenway and his staff are working with Columbia developer Jeffrey Wheeler who is buying two lots on Wilmington and Prince Streets – the former offices of S.C. DHEC and, before that, the main county administration building and then the sheriff’s office.

The county council voted

mous "Golf Marathon" with Director of Golf Chris Fearn playing an astounding 256 holes of golf – solo – in one day. Beginning well before dawn and playing until sun set, Fearn scored 65 birdies and four eagles, with numer ous members and veterans serving as volunteers and lin ing the course to cheer him on. Monday also featured the "Adaptive Golf Scramble" for local and visiting veterans.

Although 256 holes of golf in one day takes a serious toll on the body, Chris makes this sacrifice to support those who have suffered lasting pains.

to accept Wheeler’s $1.1 million offer over other enti ties, including the Beaufort Housing Authority, but the agreement requires a city approval of a development plan consisting of “signif icant” affordable or work force housing units.

For those concerned about the availability of housing, let’s hope the county and city officials will hold firm and come up with a reason able plan, not just a plan that proves profitable for the developer.

Banned book debate, again, in 2022 BEAUFORT – Banned books.

You bring up the subject, and it brings up all kind of debate about constitutional rights and even flashback images of Germans carry ing the ban a bit further into burning books during Hitler’s reign. You can read

“These men and women sacrifice so much for this country, and they deserve our full support,” Fearn said. “Whether that is donating to a good cause or just simply being there for a veteran and telling them ‘Thank you’ for their service and sacrifice.”

Tuesday began with the "Veterans March and Pomp & Circumstance Ceremony," where veterans of all ages and their supporters gath ered for an interactive flag ceremony, complete with musical performances by the Dataw Singers, the pledge, the presentation of the SC

about it in other parts of the country, but it’s not something you traditionally associate with the laid-back Lowcountry. Until recently.

Thanks to the concerns of some parents, concerned citizens and a nationally organized group, Moms for Liberty, described as a conservative parents rights group, the debate was sparked earlier this fall at a Beaufort County Board of Education meeting where supporters of a ban and those opposed spoke out.

The complaints about inappropriate books being available in high school and middle school libraries had been brewing since the 2022 fall session began but became more public when concerned citizens on the opposite side realized Beau fort County School District officials had ordered almost 100 books – 97 according to reports – removed until

Governor’s Proclamation de claring Dataw Island Tee It Up For The Troops Day, and presentation of the colors. New this year was also a "He licopter Ball Drop."

Afterward, a full field of golfers – including 75 guest veterans – enjoyed the Vet erans Golf Classic & Cook out on both the Cotton Dike course and the Arthur Hills Morgan River course.

Also new this year, Wednesday evening the Low country Symphony present ed a magical "Salute to Ser vice" concert.

Events wrapped on Thurs

they could be individually reviewed by appointed com mittees, which will make recommendations back to the superintendent.

Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union, which also has got ten into the fray, point out these types of challenges are being voiced in at least seven other South Carolina school districts – maybe more by the time you read this.

Some of those voicing concerns about the avail ability of these questionable books are reportedly part of the group that opposed masking for students and school personnel during the COVID pandemic.

Much has been said already and much has been written about the book bans, probably even more than subjects like school vio lence, teachers’ salaries or educational equality. Even

day with perhaps one of the most special events as Dataw Island Veterans were hon ored at the "Veterans Break fast." The annual breakfast welcomed Chris Bowers of Leashes of Valor as our guest speaker, who was also hon ored with the presentation of a handmade quilt made by the Dataw Quilters.

Also honored with a quilt and as Leashes of Valor Vet eran of the Year was our own Col. Glenn Blackburn, who for many years led the charge on Veterans Week and to which its tremendous success can be attributed.

Lowcountry literary saint Pat Conroy weighted in on the subject – long before his death in 2016.

When his own books, Prince Of Tides and Beach Music were banned by the Charleston, W.Va., school board in 2007, he wrote a let ter to the community ques tioning why citizens groups mobilized to make the work of teachers so much more difficult.

“In my travels around this country, I have discovered that America hates its teach ers, and I could not tell you why,” he wrote. Amen, Pat. You always had a way with words.

Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today, Beaufort Today and The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.). She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com

The 2022 LowCountry Habitat for Humanity Turkey Trot 5K raised nearly $40,000. Submitted photos.

Photos by Bob Sofaly/ The Island News

100 Women Who Care donates to Good Neighbor Medical Clinic

From staff reports

In seven short years since 100 Women Who Care was formed in Beaufort, the orga nization has donated more than $400,000 to local char ities. This past quarter, 100 Women Who Care donated $13,100 to Good Neighbor Medical Clinic.

Good Neighbor is a non profit organization that pro vides free, compassionate, primary and preventative

care to low-income, unin sured patients. The organi zation has a direct influence on the lives of their patients and the donation from 100 Women Who Care this fall will help them continue to provide needed services to residents of Northern Beau fort County. Partners make “Good Neighbors.”

The way 100 Wom en Who Care works is not complicated.

Three nonprofits are cho sen to make their appeal at a meeting of the group each quarter. The ladies in atten dance vote, and each woman writes a check for $100 to the winner. It’s as simple as that.

Those interested in finding out more about 100 Women Who care or Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, please check these websites: 100wwcbeau fort.org and gnfmcbeaufort. org

FEEDING THE COMMUNITY

Building a tree?

Holidays

from page A1

Dance Team, Beaufort Dance Academy, Southern Unlimited Dance Company, and United Dance Plex.

The Community Bible Church Soul Patrol Puppet Team will perform at Bay and Carteret streets.

Food will be available along Bay Street from vendors such as St. James Orthodox Church, the Rhett

House Inn, Harmony Lodge, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Teen Challenge, Logger Head and more.

Parents can bring their kids to have their pictures taken with Santa on the West Street Extension from 6 to 8 p.m. Mayor Stephen Murray will read “The Night Before Christmas” on the main stage, and the Christmas tree lighting will take place at 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the Gullah Taste of Christmas kicks off at 11 a.m. at Henry C.

Chambers

The Lighted Boat Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. – grab a seat at the park to get a great view.

There will be free family photos, compliments of Jamie Peart, at J. P. Signature Group. Light refreshments will be provided.

And, of course, on Sunday there will be the annual Christmas Parade, led by Santa and featuring local bands and lots of floats. The parade begins at 3 p.m. in downtown Beaufort.

Waterfront Park.

100 Women Who Care’s Laura Riski presents a check to Cassi Kilpatrick, Executive Director of Good Neighbor Medical Clinic. Photo courtesy of 100 Women Who Care.

City employees were in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on Tuesday, Nov. 29, putting together a giant Christmas tree. Beaufort's big holiday weekend starts at 6 p.m., Friday, with Night on the Town.

Photo by Jeff Evans/The Island News

The annual Thanksgiving Community Meal could never get off the ground without an army of volunteers on Thanksgiving Day at St. Helena Episcopal Church. From right, Rae and Rob Ream and Sue Sassman dish out food for those who choose to dine “in house.” The crew in the background are preparing take-out orders.

Someone has to continually stir the gravy so it doesn’t burn. Here, Stephen Shinners stirs some of the 20 gallons of gravy used during the annual Thanksgiving Community Meal at St. Helena Episcopal Church. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

USCB receives grant to develop teachers

Largest grant in school history will be implemented in Beaufort County School District

From staff reports

The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) re ceived a $5.1 million Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant earlier this month from the U.S. Department of Edu cation and will partner with Beaufort County School Dis trict to implement it.

Called MASTERY (Meld ing Academics, Support, and Training of Educators for higher Retention Yields), this grant project will expand USCB’s recruitment, prepa ration, and support of high ly qualified, diverse teacher candidates for 21 high-need schools in the Beaufort Coun ty School District (BCSD).

Aligned with local commu nity needs, MASTERY will focus on developing teach er candidates in the critical shortage areas of early child hood education, Gifted and Talented education, middle and high school math and science (STEM), special ed

ucation, and English as a Second Language. The grant also will provide teacher can didates and working teachers

better access, better prepara tion and better outcomes. At the end of the day, we have to show improved metrics across the board. This grant enables us to recruit and train high-quality, diverse educators who will positive ly impact the trajectory of so many young people,” USCB Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Af fairs Eric Skipper said in a release.

The Department of Edu cation awards TQP grants through a competitive appli cation and review process. The University of South Car olina Beaufort, in partnership with Beaufort County School District, received one of only 22 grants awarded nation wide. This is the largest grant in the University’s history.

become teachers, supporting the work of in-service teach ers, and improving the learn ing outcomes for students in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This initiative is ex pected to produce more than 100 new teachers for BCSD.

with university-based and district-level support.

“The TQP grant is a game-changer that will drive

MASTERY is designed to enhance the already strong partnership between USCB and BCSD, by recruiting more people who want to

Lowcountry Montessori School named Wildlife Habitat and Monarch Waystation

From staff reports

Lowcountry Montessori School in Beaufort has been officially designated a Wild life Habitat and Monarch Butterfly Waystation.

The environment of the school has been beautiful ly transformed over recent years by Ecology and Gar dening Guide, Samantha Campbell, and her students.

Certification from the Na tional Wildlife Federation

requires that an environment provide adequate food, water, and cover, as well as places to raise young (birds are suffi cient) for wild creatures, and that sustainable practices are used to maintain it all (elim inating pesticide and herbi cide use).

Campbell, a recent win ner of Keep South Carolina Beautiful’s Outstanding Per formance Educator Award, said that adequate milkweed

and nectar producing flowers are essential for the Monarch Waystation certification. She added that any garden, yard, or unused land can achieve a habitat that encourages wild life.

Each fall millions of mon arch butterflies make the journey from the U.S. to cen tral Mexico, where they wait for spring to return to North America for breeding in the warmer weather. Without

milkweed in their breeding areas and flowering plants along their migration routes, monarchs cannot birth their new generations or sustain their ancient journey. Habi tat loss and the widespread use of herbicides are serious threats to one of the world’s great natural wonders.

For details on certifica tions, visit nwf.org/CERTIFY or monarchwatch.org/way stations

“Our district is excited to collaborate with our local higher education partner USCB on the MASTERY Teacher Quality Partnership Program to grow educators right here in Beaufort Coun ty who will possess special ized regional skills direct ly aligned to our students’ needs,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “We look forward to welcoming future USCB MASTERY ed ucation graduates as BCSD teachers and the many pos itive impacts they will have on our students for years to come.”

Over the next five years, the grant will provide sup port for USCB to:

Hire an Induction Coor dinator to support firstyear teachers and their teacher mentors; Employ three new facul ty members: two in Ear ly Childhood Education and one in STEM Edu cation; Strengthen the Teacher Cadet program at local high schools; Expand the University’s Call Me MISTER pro gram, which supports men of color interested in teaching at the early childhood or elementary level.

The TQP grant also pro vides material support for BCSD to purchase maker space equipment such as 3D printers and robotics technol ogy for each of the 21 identi fied high-needs schools. The grant also will allow USCB to create a state-of-the-art curriculum lab for its teacher education program.

Samantha Campbell and students helped Lowcountry Montessori School earn a Wildlife Habitat and Monarch Butterfly Waystation designation. Photo courtesy of Lowcountry Montessori School.

Beaufort County School District Superintendent Frank Rodriguez (left) and Bruce Marlowe, Chair of USCB’s Department of Education, are pictured here with Education majors (left to right) Jaire Brown, Kayla Townsend and Eugene McClaurin. Susan M Lynch/Beaufort County School District

Holy Trinity hosting annual Christmas Program

From staff reports

Holy Trinity Classical Christian School is hosting its annual Christmas pro gram titled Evergreen at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Com munity Bible Church. This is a Christmas musical celebra tion including musical and dramatic performances fea

faithfulness.

Anna Booman, Grammar School Fine Arts Teacher and Choral Director for Holy Trinity, said, “We are so used to seeing Christmas trees at this time of year, we are apt to miss the symbolism with in those beautiful branches. We hope that our Christmas Evergreen, will inspire us all, through sto ry and song, to remember afresh Christ’s love for us

Holy Trinity students will present an array of musical offerings, including several German carols such as Silent O Tannenbaum sung in the original language. Throughout the program, there will be many opportu

nities for congregational par ticipation in the singing of the most beloved Christmas carols.

The event is free. Doors open at 5:30 pm. The program will be held at Community Bi ble Church, 638 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort 29906.

Bogguss brings ‘Swingin’ Christmas show to Beaufort

From staff reports

USC Beaufort Center for the Arts invites you to come out and “Be at the CENTER of it all” with A Swingin’ Little Christmas with Suzy Bogguss.

Bogguss’ Swingin’ Little Christmas is a joyous, festive evening of traditional songs and spontaneity.

“The audience is different every night and so is our per formance,” Boggus said. “The folks that come out are always in the spirit and eager to par ticipate. They're very much a part of the show.”

Bogguss had six top-10 country hits in the 1990s, including “Someday Soon,” “Aces,” “Outbound Plane” and “Drive South.”

The musicianship is jaw-dropping and Bogguss’ rich and fluid voice takes the audience through sentimen

ART BRIEF

tal songs like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” to her own raucous “Two Step Round The Christmas Tree.”

It’s a fun-filled night of all the Christmas classics sprin kled with some of Suzy’s hits through the years and select songs from her recent releas es American Folk Songbook, Lucky and Aces Redux.

“My favorite thing is watch ing the people who were pret

WANT TO GO?

Who: Suzy Bogguss

What: A Swingin’ Little Christmas When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street

Tickets: Visit www. uscbcenterforthearts.com or call 843-521-4145.

ty much dragged to the show, and seeing their faces change as the night goes on,” Bog guss said. “I love the whole Scrooge transition.”

Tickets are on sale now for this one-night-only perfor mance, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8 at the USCB Center for the Arts at 801 Carteret Street.

Tickets and details are available online at www.usc bcenterforthearts.com or by calling 843-521-4145.

of

The events are free and open to the public. More informa tion is available from McIn tosh Book Shoppe, 917 Bay Street in Beaufort, 843-5251119 or online at barnwell photo.com

The photo above is from the 2021 Holy Trinity Christmas Program. For the finale each year, the student body and faculty come together and sing Adeste Fideles Photo courtesy of Holy Trinity Classical Christian School

Barnwell in Beaufort for book signing

Photographer and au thor Tim Barnwell will be at McIntosh Book Shoppe from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, signing his new books Jewels

the Southern Coast: Archi tectural Gems of Charleston, Savannah and Beyond and Tide Runners: Shrimping and Fishing on the Carolinas and Georgia Coast.

Beaufort and the surround ing areas are heavy featured in both of Barnwell's books.

GERD is not ‘just’ heartburn

Holiday feasting can bring on indigestion. Gastroesoph ageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common digestive disorders in the world. It happens when acid comes up from the stomach, which is acid-resistant, into the esophagus, which is less acid-resistant.

Dr. James East, a gastro enterologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, says GERD may be common, but there can be potentially se vere complications if it's on going and left untreated.

Heartburn — it's the car dinal symptom of GERD.

"GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease, is when you get acid and chemical dam age to the lining of the esoph agus," says Dr. East.

You might feel a lump in the throat, have difficulty

swallowing, have chest pain, a cough, or have worsening asthma-type symptoms.

"Complications of GERD include esophagitis, inflam mation in the bottom of the esophagus," says Dr. East, " If this is persistent, you can develop scarring and a stric ture."

But if it's persistent and heals, the lining of the esoph agus can change to a more acid-resistant form, which is

Barrett's esophagus.

"Barrett's esophagus is a reasonably common com plication of GERD," he says. It affects 10% to 15% of peo ple with GERD. And a much smaller group faces another risk, says Dr. East.

"About 1 in 200 patients with Barrett's esophagus per year will develop esophageal adenocarcinoma."

There are innovative treat ments for GERD and med ications, like proton pump inhibitors. But first, avoid triggers, like coffee, alcohol and smoking.

"If you have severe or fre quent GERD, you should seek medical advice," advises Dr. East.

Source: https://newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinicminute-gerd-is-not-just-heartburn/

What to know about shots for arthritis

Corticosteroid shots are in jections that help to improve pain and inflammation in the joints resulting from arthritis.

Arthritis is a chronic inflam mation of joints. It can lead to: stiffness pain swelling loss of joint function

Several treatment options are available to reduce pain and improve joint functions. These include pain relief med ications, exercises, and physi cal therapy. However, doctors recommend injections when conservative treatments can not relieve symptoms.

What are corticosteroid shots?

Doctors use these injec tions to treat acute flare-ups of joint pain or swelling result ing from arthritis. This may help improve people’s quality of life and make it easier to perform daily activities. Using steroid injections is common for reducing inflammation in the joints. Although they are not able to treat the underly ing condition, they can help to improve the symptoms.

Types of injections:

Doctors may recommend different types of injections

for people with arthritis. At present, there is no stan dardization for the injection types doctors may advise for their patients.

How do they work?

These shots either go di rectly into the joint or into the muscle or soft tissue. These injections consist of cortico steroids, which are chemicals similar to the cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the body’s natural anti-inflammatory hormone, which the adrenal glands produce. After injec tion, the medication slowly releases into the joint, helping to reduce inflammation and pain.

Some injections start to re lieve pain within hours, and the effects should last from a few weeks to a few months. The duration of the effect de pends on the type of arthritis and its severity.

Short-acting soluble ste roids can easily dissolve into the body and start act ing. Therefore, they can start showing effects within a few hours. Long-acting steroids take longer to dissolve into the system. They require a week to become effective.

People must discuss their health status with a doctor be

fore receiving a shot. General ly, people can continue to take their usual medications before having the injection.

Where do doctors inject them?

According to the location of inflammation and pain, a doc tor will inject the shots in the following areas: directly into the in flamed joint, also known as an intra-articular (IA) injection into the muscle, also known as an intramus cular injection into the soft tissue close to the joint, also known as a peri-articular injec tion

Sometimes a doctor will use a local anesthetic to reduce the discomfort of the injection.

After injection:

Doctors may advise people to wait in the clinic 10–15 min utes after the injection in case of any reaction to it. Some people may also experience pain and swelling near the joints after the injection. How ever, this gets better in a day or two. Bruising can also occur at the region of the injection. This also goes away after a few days.

How effective are corticosteroid shots?

2017 research suggests that doctors have widely used cor ticosteroid injections over the past five decades to reduce joint pain and inflammation. According to the study, cor ticosteroid injections were more effective in reducing pain 1–2 weeks after injection, while their effectiveness was less significant 4–24 weeks after injection. However, the pain relief from IA cortico steroid injections is of short duration. This may be due to the short half-life of IA corti costeroids.

Who can and cannot have these shots?

These shots are suitable for most adults and qualifying children. Their use is also safe during pregnancy and breast feeding. However, such indi viduals must consult a doctor to discuss possible consid erations before receiving the injection.

Arthritis injections are not suitable for a few people. This can be due to the following: previous allergic reac tion to steroids or any other medicines previous diagnosis of depression or having a close relative with the condition presence of an infection contact with someone with: » measles

» chickenpox » shingles recently taking or about to take certain vaccina tions

People must also consult their doctor if they have: high blood pressure unhealed wounds eye conditions such as glaucoma fragile bones

Possible side effects: Most people do not expe rience any side effects from these shots. However, longterm use can result in some side effects. These shots may also deteriorate the joint car tilage and weaken tendons. Long-term steroid use may also result in bone necrosis. This is the loss of blood sup ply to the bone tissue, which can cause significant limita tions in function and daily activities.

Other possible side effects of steroids include: dizzi ness, blurred vision, irregular heartbeat, numbness, diffi culty urinating, shortness of breath.

Doctors recommend using injections to treat arthritis no more than 3–4 times a year into any joint. Increasing the frequency of injections can lead to adverse effects such as increased cartilage volume loss.

Summary: Corticosteroid shots are

injections that help to re duce pain and inflammation of joints. Currently, most of the research focuses on ste roid injections. Although few other options exist, their use is not widespread due to a lack of evidence and standardization.

These injections provide short-term pain relief, but long-term use may cause ad verse effects for both children and adults. Before taking the injection, people must con sult a doctor to understand the risks and benefits.

Sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday. com/articles/shots-for-arthritis? Biologics. (2022). https://www.arthritis.org/drugguide/biologics/biologics Bullock, J., et al. (2018). Rheumatoid arthritis: A brief overview of the treatment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC6422329/ Joint injections for arthritis pain. (n.d.). https://www.arthritis.org/healthwellness/treatment/treatment-plan/ disease-management/joint-injectionsfor-arthritis-pain Joint injections (joint aspirations). (2022).

https://www.rheumatology.org/IAm-A/Patient-Caregiver/Treatments/ Joint-Injection-Aspiration VanBeek, C. (2015). Cortisone injections: Worth the stick? https://www.stamfordhealth.org/ healthflash-blog/orthopedic-spinesports-medicine/cortisone-injections/

Everywhere That People Care The trusted Care magazine is now back in print as a regular con tributor to The Island News, with Karen Mozzo as editor. Together we’ll deliver information, references, and options for a healthier life.

Options & References for a Healthier Life

Use eye cosmetics safely

It’s holiday time and dress ing up for parties and events often means applying make up to look your best. Safety ex perts within the Office of Cos metics and Colors in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) offer consumers the following advice:

• Keep everything clean. Dangerous bacteria or fun gi can grow in some cos metic products, as well as their containers. Cleanli ness can help prevent eye infections.

Always wash your hands before applying eye cos metics and be sure that any instrument you place near your eyes is clean. Be especially careful not to contaminate cosmetics by introducing microorgan isms. For example, don't lay an eyelash wand on a coun tertop where it can pick up bacteria. Keep containers clean, since these may also be a source of contamina tion.

• Don't moisten cosmetic products. Don't add sali va or water to moisten eye cosmetics. Doing so can in troduce bacteria. Problems can arise if you overpower

a product's preservative ca pability.

Don't share or swap cos metics, including creams People can be harmed by others' germs when they share eye makeup. Keep this in mind when you come across "testers" at re tail stores. If you do sample cosmetics at a store, be sure to use single-use applica tors, such as clean cotton swabs.

Don't apply or remove eye makeup in a moving

vehicle. Any bump or sud den stop can cause injury to your eye with a mascara wand or other applicator.

• Check ingredients, in cluding color additives.

As with any cosmetic prod uct sold to consumers, eye cosmetics are required to have an ingredient decla ration on the label. If they don't, they are considered misbranded and illegal.

In the United States, the use of color additives is strictly regulated. Some col

Can music help someone with Alzheimer’s disease?

‘Tis the season when joy ous music fills the air and as so many of the holiday tunes are learned in child hood, they may be a posi tive therapy for someone with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that causes brain cells to waste away and die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and social abilities severe ly enough to interfere with daily function.

As many as 5.8 million people in the U.S. were liv ing with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And this number is projected to near ly triple to 14 million people by 2060.

Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer's disease. An early sign of the disease is difficulty remem bering recent events or con versations. As the disease progresses, memory impair ment persists and worsens, affecting the ability to func tion at work or at home.

Musical memories often are preserved in Alzheimer's disease, though, because key brain areas linked to musi cal memory are relatively undamaged by the disease.

Research suggests that lis tening to or singing songs can provide emotional and behavioral benefits for peo ple with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

Music also can benefit caregivers by reducing anx iety and distress, lightening the mood, and providing a way to connect with loved

ones who have Alzhei mer's disease—espe cially those who have difficulty communicating.

If you'd like to use music to help a loved one who has Alzheimer's disease, consid er these tips:

• Think about your loved one's prefer ences. What kind of music does your loved one enjoy? What mu sic evokes memories of happy times in his or her life? Involve family and friends by asking them to suggest songs or make playlists.

• Set the mood. To calm your loved one during mealtime or a morning hygiene routine, play music or sing a song that's soothing. When you'd like to boost your loved one's mood, use more upbeat or fasterpaced music.

Avoid overstimula tion. When playing music, eliminate com peting noises. Turn off the TV. Shut the door. Set the volume based on your loved one's hearing ability. Choose music that isn't interrupted by commercials, which can cause confusion.

Everywhere That People Care

• Encourage move ment. Help your loved one to clap along or tap his or her feet to the beat. If possible, consider dancing with your loved one.

• Sing along. Singing along to music togeth er with your loved one can boost the mood and enhance your relationship. Some early studies also sug gest musical memory functions differently than other types of memory and singing can help stimulate unique memories.

• Pay attention to your loved one's response. If your loved one seems to enjoy partic ular songs, play them often. If your loved one reacts negatively to a particular song or type of music, choose something else.

Connect with more infor mation at the Alzheimer’s Association®, https:// www.alz.org and other care givers locally at Alzheimer's Family Services of Greater Beaufort, http://afsgb.org.

Source: adapted from an article at https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic. org/discussion/consumer-healthcan-music-help-someone-withalzheimers-disease/

The trusted Care magazine is now back in print as a regular con tributor to The Island News, with Karen Mozzo as editor. Together we’ll deliver information, references, and options for a healthier life.

or additives approved for cosmetic use in general are not approved for areas near the eyes.

• Use only cosmetics in tended for the eyes on the eyes. Don't use a lip liner as an eye liner, for example. You may expose eyes either to contamination from your mouth or to color additives that are not approved for use near the eyes.

Say "no" to kohl! Also known as al-kahl, kajal, or surma, kohl is used in some

parts of the world for en hancing the appearance of the eyes. But kohl is unap proved for cosmetic use in the United States.

Kohl contains salts of heavy metals such as an timony and lead. Reports have linked the use of kohl to lead poisoning in chil dren. Some eye cosmetics may be labeled with the word "kohl" only to indicate the shade, not because they contain true kohl. A prod uct's "ingredient statement" should not list kohl—this is not an FDA-approved color additive. Check the ingredi ent statement to make sure that kohl is not present. Don't dye eyelashes and eyebrows. No color addi tives are approved by FDA for permanent dyeing or tinting of eyelashes and eyebrows. Permanent eye lash and eyebrow tints and dyes have been known to cause serious eye injuries. Use care with false eye lashes or extensions. False eyelashes and extensions, as well as their adhesives, must meet the safety and labeling requirements for cosmetics. Since the eyelids are delicate, an allergic re

action, irritation, or injury in the eye area can occur. Check the ingredients to make sure you are not aller gic to the adhesives.

• Don't use eye cosmetics that cause irritation. Stop using a product immediate ly if irritation occurs. See a doctor if irritation persists. Avoid using eye cosmet ics if you have an eye in fection. Discard any eye cosmetics you were using when you got the infection. Also, don't use eye cosmet ics if the skin around the eye is inflamed. Don't use old eye cosmet ics. Manufacturers usual ly recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase. Discard dried-up mascara.

• Don't store cosmetics at temperatures above 85° F. Preservatives that keep bac teria or fungi from growing can lose their effectiveness, for example, in cosmetics kept for long periods in hot cars.

This article is excerpted from the FDA's Consumer Update page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

Holiday hazards for pets

Xylitol poisoning can kill your dog

XYLITOL is a sweeten er that is found in a wide range of products. It might also go by other names, in cluding wood sugar, birch sugar, and birch bark ex tract. Peanut butter and oth er nut butters

Sugar-free desserts Sugar-free candy and mints

Sugar-free jams, jel lies Sugar-free gum Mouthwashes, oral rinses, and tooth

pastes Cough syrups Medicines for adults and children

Dietary supplements (like fiber gummies and sleep aids)

ALWAYS check the in gredient label! Xylitol poisoning can start within 20 minutes!!

Signs include: Vomiting Decreased activity level Weakness and col

lapse Difficulty walking or standing Shaking or seizures Coma Liver failure Bleeding problems Call your vet, emergen cy animal clinic, or animal poison control center if you think your dog has eaten a product containing XYLI TOL. Every second counts!!

Source: fda.gov; content current as of 10/21/2022

Who cares about public notices?

You have the right to know what’s happening in your community.

Public notices – information local governments are obligated to provide citizens – are required to be published in local newspapers to provide a public record that’s accessible to everyone.

Public notices keep you informed about your government. But, in some states legislators are trying to keep public notices from appearing in local newspapers. This severely impacts government transparency and, in turn, limits the public’s right to hold them accountable for their actions.

Let your state legislators know that you value being able to access notices in your newspaper and that they are worth the investment.

Protect public notices i in newspapers and protect your right to know.

America’s Newspapers is a national association supporting journalism and healthy newspapers in our local communities. Find out more at www.newspapers.org or follow us on Twitter @newspapersorg or on Facebook @americasnewspapers.

JUSTIN JARRETT

Eagles’ return trip to state a rarity for Lowco squads

If you’re new around here, the juggernaut Bryce Lybrand has built at Beaufort High might have you thinking it’s old hat for football teams from the Lowco to make the trek to Columbia (or Clemson, in different times) the week after Thanksgiving and try to bring home a state title.

Not so much.

The road to the state’s public school state championship game has been a treacherous one for teams hailing from the Lowco — which we currently define as our immediate coverage area of Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton counties.

Beaufort’s trip to the Class 4A title game last season was the first SCHSL championship game ap pearance for the Lowco in a decade — like the Eagles, Ken Cribb’s Bluff ton squad fell to South Pointe in the Class 3A championship in 2011 — and only the second for Beaufort since integration. Mark Clifford took the Eagles to the Class 4A-II title game in 2007, falling to Clover, and that was Beaufort County’s first representation in the championship game in 27 years.

Lybrand’s Eagles are the first team from these parts to make it to state in back-to-back seasons since the great Dan Utley coached H.E. Mc Cracken High School to runner-up finishes in Class 1A in 1976 and 1977 (Utley also took Hilton Head Island High to the Class 3A title game in 1990 before falling to Camden).

To find a SCHSL state champion from the Lowco, you have to go back to 1997, when Leroy Riley coached the now-defunct Walterboro High School to the Class 4A-II title with a 28-27 win over Hartsville. And that is the only SCHSL state champion ship trophy that has come back to the Lowco since integration.

To find a champ from Beaufort County, you have to go all the way back to the 1945 Beaufort Tidal Wave coached by L.J. Russell, who blanked Clover 26-0 in the title game to capture the school’s second Class B title along with coach Dana McLendon’s crown in 1935.

So regardless of the result Thurs day night, the Eagles and the entire Lowco community can take pride in what this team has accomplished. And if they win, we will have wit nessed something this region has coveted for quite some time.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

Beaufort comes back for more

Resilient Eagles down Dillon, going back to state ‘to win it’

By Wes Kerr LowcoSports.com

It takes an unparalleled level of talent, grit, and re silience to mold a champi onship football team. Bryce Lybrand’s Beaufort Eagles might just have them all.

Kacy Fields led a stellar ground game with three rushing touchdowns, and the Eagles overcame a shaky start on the road Friday to vanquish Dillon, 30-21, and advance to the SCHSL 3A State Championship game.

Beaufort claimed its second consecutive Lower State title and became the first team to win at Dillon in the postsea son since 2011, earning the right to face Powdersville for the Class 3A title at 7 p.m. Thursday at Benedict College in Columbia.

“They say big-time players make big-time plays in bigtime games, and our guys shined really bright tonight,” Lybrand said. “They don’t quit, they just keep fighting. Just really proud of the kids and the coaching staff, doing what we need to do to win the football game and get anoth er chance to play for a state championship.”

The Eagles absorbed the first blow of the night, as a

After defeating Dillon, 30-21, for the Lower State Championship on Friday, Nov. 25, Bryce Lebrand, right, head football coach at Beaufort High School, told his team he didn’t want “to go just to go (to Columbia). I want to go up there and win the S.C. State Championship!” The Eagles will face the 13-1 Powdersville Patriots from Greenville on Thursday, Dec. 1, in Columbia.

strong Dillon offensive line paved the way for an open ing 12-play drive. Beaufort looked to have the stop on a 4th-and-3 inside the 10, but a late flag gave the home side a first down before big Chris McCollum punched it in from 3 yards out for the early lead.

It continued to spiral ear ly for the visitors, as a mis played handoff on offense put the ball on the ground and back into the hands of the Wildcats. But a hungry Beaufort defense got it right back, forcing a three-and-out

thanks to a holding call and a terrific defensive play from corner Dom Camacho.

It took just two plays on the Eagles’ second drive to find the end zone. Samari Bonds showed off his quickness on a 24-yard run, and senior stud Colton Phares broke free for a 36-yard touchdown to knot the Lower State final at 7. Beaufort’s stout run defense forced another punt as Fields, playing both ways, raced from the secondary to shut down Ty Martin.

Bonds and the Eagles

ANATOMY OF A PLAY

struggled to find their groove offensively in the second quarter, but a hard-working Beaufort defense came up big again to force a turnover on downs in the red zone. After freshman quarterback Josiah Oxendine impressed with a deep pass on the run to Don nez Alford, the Eagle second ary held the Wildcats down amid clouds of smoke on the field lingering from celebra tory fireworks.

Fields delivered a nasty stiff arm as he brought the ball inside the Dillon 25 on the Eagles’ next drive, but Alford read a Bonds pass per fectly and picked it off to keep the game tied. Jack Sumner surged into the backfield to sack Oxendine near midfield, and Robert Johnson ended the ensuing Dillon drive with a stuff of Martin for a 1-yard loss to force a punt.

Royals’ shortstop Hunter Dowis knocks down a sharply hit ground ball during the third inning and manages to stop the ball from going into the outfield against the Red Snappers on Monday at Burton Wells Athletic Complex. Dowis quickly turned around, picked up the ball and made the force out at second base. The Royals went on to outscore the Red Snappers 7-5 thanks to a three-run home run by Justice Stuckey. In other news, the Bucks won over the Sand Fleas in the bottom of the the seventh inning, 7-6. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Beaufort’s Kacy Fields is tripped up during the second half against Dillon High School in the Class 3A Lower State Championship on Friday in Dillon. The Eagles won the hard fought contest, 21-30, and will move on the State Championship against Powdersville on Thursday, Dec. 1. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

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Fan information for Beaufort’s state championship game

From staff reports

Here’s some game and tick et information from the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) for Beaufort High School’s appearance Thurs day night in the 3A State Championship Game against Powdersville:

THE GAME

3A State Championship Game

Spectators with tickets for the “HOME” side will enter through Gate 1. Spectators with tickets for the “VISITORS” side will enter through the visitor’s side of the stadium.

LOWER STATE schools are the “HOME” Team for 2022.

SCHSL Pass Gate is Gate 4 on the Home Side.

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Who: Beaufort (12-1) vs. Powdersville (13-1)

When: 7:06 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1

Where: Charlie W. John son Stadium, Benedict Col lege, 1920 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29204

TICKETS

$15.00 per person (NO PASS OUTS)

Everyone must have a tick et – except a toddler or in fant who can sit in a lap.

Stadium will be cleared after each game. Everyone must have a separate ticket for each game.

Purchase ONLY through GoFan.co. The direct link for tickets is http://bit. ly/3u7k3Bf

Tickets will not be sold on site at Championship Games.

Fans can cross to the oppo site side by walking behind the scoreboard. No one will be allowed to cross the field.

SPECTATOR ENTRANCES

Gates will open for specta tors no earlier than 1 hour prior to posted game time.

Statefrom page B1

The Eagles were envision ing a potential two-for-one opportunity late in the first half, but the chance slipped away just one play later. Bonds was looking to set up a screen pass to Phares, but McCollum got a paw on the feed and reeled it in for a monster interception. Mc Collum finished off the drive himself on the ground, strid ing across the goal line from the 1 to give the Wildcats the halftime lead. Despite turn ing the ball over three times in the half, the Eagles were down by just a single score on the road.

Beaufort came out of half time doing what it has done best, keeping the ball on the ground and letting its ath letes go to work. The Eagles conjured up a clinical sixplay drive to open the third quarter, using the speed of Fields, Phares, and Bonds to overwhelm Dillon’s defense before Fields burst through up the middle on 4th-and-2 for 22 yards and the game-ty ing score.

It was up to Beaufort’s ferocious defense to keep the momentum going, and Quion Rivers did just that. The unheralded junior line backer burst into the back field and pummeled Oxen dine to force a punt. Beaufort went right back to work and kept riding the hot hand of Phares and Fields behind a dialed-in offensive line with a 28-yard burst from Colton before Kacy stormed in from 2 yards out for his second score of the night and Beau fort’s first lead at 21-14.

The Wildcats answered on their next possession, start ing the drive in Beaufort territory after a long kickoff return and moving the ball forward with the quick legs

Clear Bag Policy in place for all spectators.

• No backpacks allowed in stadium.

No standing in aisles. Umbrellas are allowed in stadium. No outside food or drink, or coolers allowed into the stadium. No electronic noise makers allowed in the stadium per SCHSL policy.

Johnson Stadium is a to bacco-free facility.

PASSES 2022-23 SCHSL Pass ac cepted at Gate 4 on the Home Side of the Stadium. Media Pass Gate is Gate 4 on the Home Side of the Stadium.

CONCESSIONS

Concessions are available on both sides of the stadi um (cash and/or credit ac cepted).

PROGRAMS

Programs are available at all games – $5 cash.

EVENT APPAREL NW Designs will be sell

of Martin before the senior cruised in for a game-tying 4-yard touchdown. The track meet was on as the end of the third quarter approached, and it was Beaufort’s turn to put up a response. The Fields and Phares show con tinued on the ground with a dash of junior back Caleb Ulmer thrown in to push the ball inside the Dillon 20.

With a 3rd-and-13 looming, a gutsy trick play call turned into a massive break for the visitors. Lybrand pulled into his bag of tricks and called for Fields to throw to the end zone, and Alford snatched the ball away from McLeod Reichel for a pick. But as Al ford tried to take the ball out of the end zone, an illegal block in the back call on Dil lon resulted in a safety and gave the ball right back to Beaufort with a chance at a two-possession lead.

And the Eagles made the Wildcats pay.

Phares fought through a host of defenders for a first down on a 4th-and-4, and Fields broke off an 11-yard run before his teammates pushed him across the goal line from the 2 to give Beau fort a crucial two-posses sion advantage at 30-21 with less than seven minutes to play. The Eagles’ high-fly ing defense took the field again with a chance to all but shut the door on Dillon and delivered the knockout blow on a fantastic onetwo punch. Hart Cushman brought Oxendine down for a drive-opening sack, and Rivers picked him off on the very next play to send the Eagles faithful into a frenzy.

Dillon forced a fumble to get one last gasp at a late ral ly, and Oxendine completed a fourth-down pass to Al ford inside the BHS 20, but Beaufort’s stellar secondary fittingly finished the job, as Carter Bowersox stormed in for a sack before Camacho

ing official state finals merchandise on-site at the Football State Finals. Fans can also purchase via their online store, which is accessible at https://nwd. ink/s/schsl/

PARKING (Please follow all posted signs and parking staff)

Parking lots open 1.5 prior to first game time of the day.

$10 per car – cash only; ve hicles with trailers will cost $20.

Entrance for all traffic –Main Entrance at Two Notch Road.

Tailgating is allowed when lots are open; NO CHAR COAL GRILLS allowed.

All lots will be cleared with in 45 minutes following the final game of the day.

BUS PARKING (Teams, bands, etc.) Team, Cheer and Band Buses can drop off in that area behind the locker rooms, but they will park back up near the Pinehurst entrance on the gravel lot. Enter through back en trance off Pinehurst (Turn by CVS on Taylor St./For est Drive)

locked down his man and picked off a pass to punch the Eagles’ ticket back to the state title game.

Phares and Fields were the catalysts on the ground, combining for a whopping 323 rushing yards. Fields shined with 160 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, while Phares was ultra-efficient with 163 rush ing yards and a score on just 12 attempts. Bonds added 85 yards on seven carries to strengthen a dominant Eagles ground game. Oxen dine completed 9 of 19 pass es for 162 yards and two in terceptions, while Martin led Dillon’s rushing attack with 115 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.

When Lybrand’s team gets knocked to the mat, his team answers the challenge and gets up even stronger. With their third straight come back playoff win secured, the Eagles (12-1) will head back to Benedict College at 7 p.m.

Thursday to battle Powders ville in search of the Lowco’s first SCHSL state champion ship since the former Wal terboro High School’s title in 1997.

The task will be steep, but Lybrand’s squad has the confidence – and the heart break of the South Pointe defeat a year ago – to fuel them to a special evening in Columbia.

“Since we started this thing the goal was not to get back – but to win it,” Lybrand said. “If we walked on the field and people just looked, a lot of times they probably wouldn’t think it would be a team playing for a state championship. These guys just play so dang hard. Hopefully they give that same effort again next time.”

Wes Kerr is a graduate of Hilton Head Island High School and Davidson College. He reports on local sports for LowcoSports.com

Steve von Clausburg

Manager, First Vice President – Investments

TICKETS For a direct link to buy tickets for Thursday’s game, use this digital link or go to http://bit.ly/3u7k3Bf

ARTS

Gifts From the Boneyard

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 1-31, 2023, Port Royal Sound foundation (PRSF) Museum, 310 Okatie Highway, Okatie. The Friends of Hunting Island (FOHI) and The Port Royal Sound Foundation (PRSF) are hosting an art exhibit called, "Gifts From the Boneyard, Art Inspired by Hunting Island's Landscape.” The featured artist is Barbara James, a local fabric artist. Photographers Joan Eckhardt and Andy Stephens are also contributing pieces. Proceeds from sales will go to FOHI and PRSF. Opening gala from 4 to 6 p.m., March 2, 2023.

CALENDAR 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.

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.

Lowcountry Made Markets

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., first and third Saturday of each month through December, Buckwalter Place Park, next to Kroger off Buckwalter Place Blvd., Bluffton. Each market includes local vendors, live music, food and drink. The events are free. Participating vendors include: Gullah Express LLC (food truck), Declan’s Delights, Pick N Paint Pottery, Preservation Tree Art, 7th & Palm, Kara Artman Art, Southern Botanica, Hedone (bath & body), Blue Door Boutique, The Herb Room Organic Apothecary, Juke Joint Sweets, BPC Custom Furniture, Back to Eden Self Care Products, LLC, Shutterbug Custom Designs LLC, Pet Wants Hilton Head, Grind Coffee Roasters, LLC, Fabula Collective, The Artsy Girl, KODA Glass Designs, Lowcountry Livin’, Legacy Art Gallery, Cottonwood Soap Company, Marsh View Candles and Crafted With A Purpose.

Antique and Classic Car Show

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, 13 Market Street, Habersham, Beaufort. Show is free. $20 entry donation for cars, trucks, motorcycles. Door prizes, trophies, food and more. For more information, call 617-513-3938.

Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7, Hampton Hall Clubhouse, 170 Hampton Hall Blvd., Bluffton. Christmas music, holiday games, fun, prizes, guest speaker, and lunch.

Prepaid Reservations: Luncheon is $28 payable to CWC Bluffton and send to Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton SC. 29909 or email Julie.ott.az@gmail.com.

YMCA

Puppy Plunge

9 to 11 a.m., Saturdays, Dec. 17, Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 25. Wardle Family YMCA, Outdoor pool, 1801 Richmond Ave., Port Royal. Wellbehaved canines of all breeds and sizes are welcome. Cost is $10 per pup. All proceeds benefit the Y’s Learn to Swim program.

Owners will be required to sign a waiver before entering the enclosed, exterior pool area (use the side entrance gate), must be present with their pups at all times, and humans are not permitted to swim in the Puppy Plunge. The YMCA asks that pets be up-to-date on all vaccinations. Event is weather dependent so check the YMCA social media or call the Y front desk at 843-522-9622 the morning of the Puppy Plunge to check any status update.

Senior Citizen’s Tea

1 to 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 18, Marine Corps Air Station Officer’s Club. Hosted by the MCAS Beaufort Military Spouses’ Club. This is a tradition since 1968 to thank them for their support of the military community. For more information and to make reservations, call or text Christine Arbogast at 928-246-3775.

Beaufort Oyster Festival Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 21-22, 2023, Henry

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HIGHWAY 21 DRIVE-IN

The movies scheduled for this week (Friday, Dec. 2 through Thursday, Dec. 8, closed Wednesdays) at the Highway 21 Drive-In are Strange World (PG, 7 p.m.) and Wakanda Forever (PG-13, 8:30 p.m.) on Screen 1; Violent Night (R, 6:30 p.m.) and Ticket To Paradise (PG-13, 9:15 p.m.) on Screen 2; and Arthur Christmas (PG, 6:30 p.m.) and Devotion (PG-13, 8:15 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 Avatar: The Way of Water and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (December).

C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. www. BftOysterFestival.com.

Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection

Luncheon and Program

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 170 Hampton Hall Blvd., Bluffton. ‘Jazz it Up Feature/Speaker-Tempe Brown; Mini Jazz & Blues Concert. Prepaid Reservations: Luncheon is $28 Luncheon is $28 payable to CWC Bluffton and send to Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton SC. 29909 or email Julie. ott.az@gmail.com.

MCAS Beaufort Airshow

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

CHRISTMAS

Smile For Santa

9:30 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Dec. 3, 10, 17; in the Gazebo at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market. Hosted by the Beaufort Garden Club. Bring your children, grandchildren and/or pets to the Gazebo area at the market and take your photo with Santa. Garden Club members also will gladly take photos with your phones. Donations will be accepted and all proceeds will go to local charities.

Low Country Chorale:

To Sing Once More 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 157 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort. Doorsopen at 6:30 p.m. Low Country Chorale returns after three-year hiatus. Free parking.

Evergreen 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13, Community Bible Church, 638 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. The event is free. Doors open at 5:30 pm. This is the annual Christmas program for Holy Trinity Classical Christian School. Holy Trinity students will present an array of musical offerings, including several German carols such as Silent Night and O Tannenbaum sung in the original language.

HISTORY

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., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. 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.

Reconstruction Era History and the Civil War in Beaufort

6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17, Second Founding of America Learning Center, West Street. Free and open to the public. Join staff from the University of South Carolina Beaufort's Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era, Second Founding of America, and Reconstruction Era National Historical Park for an evening program on the importance of interpreting Reconstruction here in the community. Park Superintent Scott Teodorski will provide updates to park operations.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Escape Quest Games

9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

Dungeons & Dragons

4 p.m., Mondays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843255-6441. 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.

Time for Tea

(English Tea Party)

3 p.m., 1st Monday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

Recipe Club

10 a.m., 2nd Monday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

Knitting/Crochet Class

2:30 p.m., 1st Tuesday each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

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.

Coffee & Conversation

9 a.m., 1st Wednesday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456. Coffee with a librarian.

Teen Video Game Club

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

Hoopla Class

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

S.C. Works Job Coaching 2 to 4 p.m., Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. Free help with job searches, interviews.

Line Dance Class 3:30 p.m., 1st & 3rd Thursdays of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456.

Chess Club

1 to 2 p.m., Saturdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. Ages 5 and older.

Chess Meet Up

11 a.m., 2nd Saturday of each month, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

Chess Meet Up 11 a.m., 3rd Saturday of each month, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, 843-2556479. Instructor Henry Otto Seim will show beginners the basics or play a friendly game with more experienced players. All skill levels welcome. Extra boards will be set up.

Law Talk

5 to 6 p.m., select Thursdays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-255-6540. Free. Brief topic overview with volunteer attorney. Sept. 1, Bankruptcy and Credit; Oct. 6, Landlord Tenant Law; Nov. 3, End of Life Issues. Call to register.

Law Talk

10:30 a.m. to noon, select Saturdays, Lobeco Branch Library, 1862 Trask Parkway, 843-2556479. Free. Brief topic overview with volunteer attorney. Sept. 10, Wills, Estates, Probate; Oct. 15, Wills, Estates, Probate; Nov. 5, Real Estate and Foreclosure. Call to register.

Beaufort Downtown Branch Library Special Programs

Select Tuesdays and Thursdays, Beaufort Downtown Branch Library, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, 843-255-6456. 2:30 p.m., Sept. 13, Civic Awareness; 2:30 p.m., Oct. 20, Friends of the Library Celebration; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 15, Beekeeping; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 13, Gingerbread House Contest.

MEETINGS

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.

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., Saturday, Dec. 3, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. The wearing of masks is encouraged. Social time, 9:30 a.m.; meeting starts at 10 a.m. For more meeting dates and times, and for membership forms to join the group, call 843705-9590. To attend the meeting as a guest, send an RSVP email to mayeriverquilters@ gmail.com.

MUSIC

Fripp Island Friends of Music Concert Series

5 p.m., specific Sundays, Fripp Island Community Centre, 205 Tarpon Blvd., Fripp Island. Individual shows are $30. Consider becoming a member of Fripp Island Friends of Music (FIFOM). Membership gives you access to all five concerts, including the post-performance reception where you meet the musicians while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared fresh by Harold’s Chef Services. It also helps fund FIFOM’s Music-in-the-Schools program. The basic FIFOM membership, $100, has not changed. To become a member, text or call Vanessa Peñaherrera at 704-8070255 or email vandy116@gmail.com. Go to frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information.

Schedule: Jan. 8, Andrew Armstrong (piano); Feb. 26, The Tony Lee Group (jazz); March 26, Kim Richey (singer-songwriter).

OUTDOORS

Port Royal Cypress Wetlands tours

10 to 11:30 am., Saturday, Dec. 31; 4 to 5:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27; 10 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 11; 4 to 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, Port Royal Cypress Wetlands. Bring your holiday guests to a free guided tour of the wetlands sponsored by Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and led by Master Naturalist Jill Moore. Moore is full of information about alligators, turtles, trees, plants, and the variety of birds that call the wetlands home. This is a great opportunity to learn about this magical place. Tours are limited in size so sign up now. Kat Bray, Tour Coordinator, info@foprcw.org.

RUNNING

Junior Service League of Beaufort 3rd Annual “Truckin’ It” 5K 8 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, Town of Port Royal. Cost varies depending on race. The Truckin' It race offers a 5K and fun run for children younger than 12 – 5K begins at 8 a.m.; fun run begins at 8:05 a.m. This family event is stroller and pet friendly. Following the race, meet and take photos with Santa. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3EaSICz. JSLB Truckin' It 5K and Kids Fun Run. Currently seeking sponsors for this event as well. For information about sponsoring or participating, please contact Allison Kindwall at run.jslb@gmail.com.

Walking on Sunshine 5K and 1-Mile Buddy Walk/Run

1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, USC Beaufort’s Bluffton Campus. The event starts and ends at the recreation center field at the university's Bluffton campus. All proceeds benefit Pockets Full of Sunshine, a non-profit organization that provides social and vocational opportunities for special needs adults in the Lowcountry.

Entry includes pizza and drinks, and prizes for the winners of the race. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are permitted. Entry fee for the 5K is $25 and $10 for the Buddy Walk/Run. To register, visit http://ow.ly/WCRB50LLozI.

Jingle All The Way 5K

8 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Mather Campus. Registration deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 7. Cost is $25 race fee + $2.50 sign-up fee. Hosted by TCL’s newly formed, student-led Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Club, this fun 5K fundraiser is open to all ages and will take participants across TCL’s beautiful and historic Beaufort Mather campus, through the artistic Ribaut Road tunnel and out to the scenic Spanish Moss trail. Cookies from TCL’s Culinary Institute of the South and lots of holiday cheer will be available at the race’s finish line. To register, visit http://bit.ly/3Vmeniy.

Dec. 1 can be another day

Thursday, Dec 1, is World AIDS Day for 2022.

A handful of people stopped reading at the end of that sentence. They don’t care about AIDS or HIV because in their minds it is “gay stuff,” and they don’t want to hear about any more “gay stuff.”

That’s one reason this is the 35th year World AIDS Day is being observed.

Too many people think it’s “gay stuff,” or that it’s a health issue more prevalent in demographic groups to which they don’t belong.

They decide it’s an issue they don’t want — or need — to hear about, when the truth is, if they really want to stop hearing about HIV/AIDS, we already have the means to eradicate it, if only more people cared and supported effective action.

In the United States, nearly 1.2 million people are living with HIV, according to HIV. gov. The website estimates nearly 13 percent have it but don’t know because they have

not been tested. New infec tions dropped 8 percent from 2015 to 2019, with an even larger 17 percent drop from 2019-2020 Experts attribute the latter drop to COVID-19, but rates actually increased among younger Americans.

People aged 13 to 34 accounted for 57 percent of new cases in the U.S. in 2020; those aged 25 to 34 com prised 27 percent.

As of December 2020 the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) put the number of people in South Carolina diagnosed with HIV (including AIDS) at approx imately 19,437: 14,018 men and 5,419 women. Most of

these people (9,895) are over the age of 50 years. Among new infections, though, 38 percent were aged 20-29 and 25 percent 30-39 Five per cent were younger than 20 What can we glean from these numbers? Probably that after 40-plus years of HIV and AIDS being a widely known public health issue, we are failing to imbue young people with enough informa tion to protect themselves.

Across the country, we're still fighting battles over pro viding young people methods for practicing safer sexual activity. One side promises literal warfare over birth con trol and ideology, while the other emphasizes personal freedoms, such as the right to choose how to respond to unwanted pregnancies. In the meantime, the simpler message gets lost that these methods also can ward off sexually transmitted diseases. Some look at the literal faces of the pandemic and conclude they have no need to care.

African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos continue to make up the majority of new diagnoses nationally at 42 and 27 percent respec tively, despite being 12 and 19 percent of the total U.S. population.

In South Carolina, the numbers for its Black resi dents are more pronounced, with African Americans making up 62 percent of new cases in the Palmetto State. That's not uncommon for southern states.

In fact, the South is where 51 percent of new diagno ses were made in the U.S. in 2020. Some folks here like to point fingers at their northern counterparts, especially areas where Democrats have political power, but the Northeast and Midwest region fall far behind the former states of the Confederacy in rates of HIV.

Musician Elton John wrote in The Atlantic in 2018 about how racism and geography have worked

hand-in-hand to boost the persistence of HIV:

“Persistent structural ineq uities in economic opportu nity, education, and housing disproportionately expose Black families … And a lack of representation, combined with a painful history of rac ism in medicine, has under mined the Black community’s trust in health-care systems and made people less likely to seek care.”

He concluded, “We can achieve an AIDS-free gen eration in America,” but not without facing head-on the biases and stigmas that have left African Americans and other marginalized commu nities more susceptible to various health threats.

There are drugs to prevent infection and drugs that can reduce the amount of virus in those infected to the point the risk of transmission is effectively zero. In 35 states, though, it still is a crime — tantamount to attempted

murder — for an HIV-posi tive person to have sex with another person without disclosing their status.

I would wager an HIV-pos itive person in treatment likely is a safer sex partner than someone who has no idea what their status is with HIV or any other STD. But hey, HIV is bad, so the people who have it must be bad too, right?

That’s because we keep thinking of it and talking about it like it’s “gay stuff,” when in actuality it has no respect for the labels we use to differentiate ourselves.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, het erosexual, Black, Hispanic/ Latino, Asian, white, cis gender, transgender, liberal, conservative, none of these matter as much as the fact we can eliminate HIV from all our lives if we just show the will to engage.

Terry E. Manning is a Clemson graduate and worked for 20 years as a journalist. He can be reached at teemanning@gmail.com

Is this really worth $160 plus taxes?

It is Sunday, and we’re in Frederick, Md. At the mo ment I’m in the lobby of a hotel that claims its rooms are actually suites — suites with their own uncomfort able sofa, narrow desk and miniature microwave. This chain also boasts a “full complimentary breakfast” and right at the moment I’m waiting for that little perk to start.

At 6:30, the coffee can isters are working, but the middle-aged attendant — the sole employee — says there will be a slight delay in the scrambled egg, hash brown, sausage patty part of their complimentary program, and we might, she says, want to watch the video monitor where a local minister is in the midst of his homily.

For several days Susan and I have been residing in of our loft in North Adams, Mass. Frederick, Md., is about half-way home. When we left

SCOTT GRABER

this morning there was snow in the mountains — the Berk shires — and the first part of our trip was a slow, winding, descent that reminded one of Norway although — come to think of it — I’ve never seen Norway.

Then we drove down the Taconic Parkway, crossed the Hudson at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and when we moved into Western Pennsylva nia, we found ourselves sucked-onto Interstate 84.

The Interstate System — put in place by Dwight Eisenhower as a homage to Hitler’s Autobahn — is built

for speed, directness and cruise control. In the process the Interstate removes all interest in the landscape and erases all sense of adventure.

If you get hungry, you are reduced to four or five food options clustered around each exit. If the Wendy’s is one-tenth of a mile closer to the exit than, say, Taco Bell, you’re going to take the Baconator and fries regard less of your love of Mexico and it’s gift to America — the burrito. The Interstate dulls the senses and reinforces the singular goal of maintaining an 80 mph speed.

As I write I can now see that the empty stainless steel chafing dishes are full of scrambled eggs, hash browns and circular, hamburger-like meat. And so I abandon my little table and join the des perate crowd of guests who are piling their small, entirely inadequate paper plates with those newly-arrived eggs and

hash browns — not to men tion the sesame seed bagels, cellophane wrapped banana nut muffins, pre-cooked waffles and the vanilla yogurt cups one finds, stacked-up, in a small refrigerator. But wait!

My bright yellow eggs are cold. My bagel frozen. The hash browns completely, entirely free of that savory, onion-enhanced, sautéedin-an-iron-skillet flavor that defined my youth.

My mind inexplicably jumps to Korea — to the im age of my exhausted father sitting outside a field hospi tal on the side of a tree-shat tered, recently reacquired hill — eating equally cold eggs, sausages and hash browns and being grateful for the opportunity.

And for a moment I’m tru ly ashamed of my contempt for this tasteless, semi-frozen, concoction of additives and artificial color that comes

“complimentary” with our $160, plus taxes, suite. What have I become? Now an attractive, younger woman wearing blue jeans and an Eddie Bauer fleece jacket walks up the attendant and says, “This is cold … and it’s an awful, disgraceful excuse for breakfast.” And with that she drops her fully loaded paper plate into the trash can.

While I watch this scene with more than a little admi ration for the angry woman, the lobby erupts. A loudtalking group of late-wak ing breakfast-eaters arrive toting brown paper bags that resemble what you might get at Publix when you forget to bring your own tote bag. These folks target the pre-packaged muffins sweep ing them into their bags; then they scoop-up all the small-boxed cereal. Then its into the refrigerator for the milk, butter and yogurt. Then

on to the oranges, bananas and apples. Finally, its a cup of coffee (for the road) and straight out of the sliding glass doors and into their full-sized Escalade.

There are, at the end of the lobby, two black suit-wearing managers standing behind a long, laminate reception desk. They are looking down at their respective computers — probably wondering when the last of the rampaging breakfast-seekers will leave — and who must witness this scene every morning.

How, one wonders, do they keep their smiling, stoic equanimity in the face of this frantic, frenetic scene each and every morning?

But maybe, I think, this little two-act play is worth $160 plus taxes?

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

It’s been a while since I last visited with you. A long story for another time. Currently, I am consumed with sickness. No, not Covid (been there, done that), or the flu, or any other bacteria or demonic viruses.

Rather, it is a sickness of the soul of America. And, although I have given this much deep thought, I do not have an answer for this sickness.

My favorite philosopher/ songwriter/singer is Jackson Browne. He is my hero. His music lights a fire in my soul.

During my long and lonely stay in the middle-At las mountains of Morocco, studying the social behav ior of wild Barbary mon keys, I played a cassette of Browne’s album “For Everyman.” Listening to it saved my sanity. I knew no French, classic Arabic, or “street” Arabic, nor Berber dialects. I felt very alone in a crowd. My best friends were

the monkeys I studied.

In high school and as a freshman at University of Texas, I took English litera ture. I liked most of what we had to read, until we got to “poetry.” I could not wrap my brain around “poetry.” It just befuddled me; as I got older, my poetry came in song. In song lies my understand ing of philosophy, another befuddlement that makes sense to me only in tunes. I want to share with you some thoughts to ponder.

In the year 1900, Spaceship Earth contained 2 BILLION humans. Homo sapiens. The word sapien derives from an old Latin word meaning 'wise.'

Today, there are 8 BIL LION humans residing on our abused planet. Do you understand how large a number that is? One billion is equal to one thousand million.

Consider this. If you spent $1 million every day, it would take you 8,000 days to spend 8 BILLION dollars — about 22 years! Viewed another way, the number of Earth’s deni zens skyrocketed four-fold in number, in only 120 years – a blink of an evolutionary eye for Homo sapiens. Eight BIL LION is a very big number.

The proximate cause of massive, and perhaps irre versible, negative changes in Earth’s climate is not destructive chemical gasses flooding our skies. Those, and other plagues, are the ultimate/end-game causes.

No, the proximate (primary) cause is overpopulation! Our Spaceship Earth can no longer support its “unwise” human populations.

It is likely that mass star vation, lack of potable water, destroyed non-productive agriculture, pandemics of diseases we do not even have names for, and the like, will soon eliminate many millions of us humans. Yet, this loss of human beings will not be sufficient to counterbalance the on-going destruction of planet Earth. In the not too distant future, some will survive, most won’t. Note the insight my songwriter/philosopher hero Mr. Browne has to say about this ongoing tragedy from “Before the Deluge.”

“And when the sand was gone and the time arrived; In the naked dawn only a few survived.

And in attempts to under stand a thing so simple and so huge.

Before that they were meant to live after the deluge.

Now, let the music keep our spirits high. Let the buildings keep our children dry. Let creation reveal its secrets by and by, by and by. When the light that’s lost within us reaches the sky.”

While the music is magical; the message is not.

Recent scientific studies in dicate that ambient tempera tures could rise so much that going outside for just a few hours in parts of India and Eastern China, “will result in death even for the fittest of humans.” When this occurs, mass migrations will occur; substantial exoduses from unlivable places have already begun.

The World Bank has noted that more than 8 million starving people have left their homes for the Middle East, Europe and North America. In the African Sahel

(borderline countries along the southern Sahara Desert, which is larger than the conti nental U.S.), millions of rural people, burdened by drought and widespread crop failures, have been streaming toward the coastal cities.

The migrations already have caused substantial remapping of the world’s pop ulations. These armies of im migrants may be welcomed with a different set of open arms; ones made of metal. What shall we do? Damned if I know. But one conclusion is clear: Mother Nature is a hard taskmaster. She neither forgets nor forgives. Treat her badly, as we have, and she will call in all debts.

“Well, all I know is what I read in the newspapers.” – Will Rogers. David M. Taub was Mayor of Beaufort from 1990 through 1999 and served as a Beaufort County Magistrate from 2010 to 2015. You can reach him at david.m.taub42@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: The opinions of our columnists in the Voices section are not necessarily the opinions of The Island News

TERRY MANNING

DAVID TAUB

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Using God’s speech filter in our conversations

As I’ve prayed for spir

itual awareness over the years, the Lord has been patient with my lack of understanding and has graciously allowed me to labor in the area of commu nication. When having a conversation with someone, listening intently helps to discern what is on their mind, but most importantly it’s even more important to listen to God in order to know how He wants us to respond.

For the Christian, there is no higher responsibility than to monitor and examine ev ery thought and word before we release it.

It’s common for most people to express whatever they feel like saying. To the individual, it’s the right of their independence. For the rest of us, it’s known as not having a speech filter.

The unrenewed mind, when left to do and say whatever it wants, is often referred to as foolish accord ing to the book of Proverbs. For example, the attempt to bring instruction to those who do not think before they

speak is the basis of Prov erbs 26:4, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like them.” Wasting time trying to explain only makes them more confident.

If we choose to argue with someone who is not thinking clearly, we stoop to a lower level and make things worse.

Since unlearned people despise wisdom, they enjoy drawing others into a con flict where they use deceit, become angry, and scoff at opposing ideas.

Seldom do we meditate about what we are going to say, but we are reminded in James 1:19-20, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to

speak and slow to become an gry, for wrath rarely produces the righteousness of God.”

The world is filled with differing opinions about ev erything and it does not take a lot of effort for a heated argument to arise. Being dis ciplined is difficult because we feel that we should stand up for what we believe. This can be true on the right occasions, however, the most important thing is to obey God. We should speak when He anoints us to give an answer, and if He says to be silent we should recognize this particular situation is not a divine appointment.

Matthew 12:36-37 goes even further by warning us that our speech is being recorded and will be used in our judgment. “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words, you will be condemned.”

It’s wise to be cautious when it comes to joining in certain conversations and to

not be so eager to expose our worldviews. If a controversial topic comes to the surface, we may bite on it or we can wait and sense the attitudes and spiritual atmosphere. I’ve heard people say, “it’s no one’s business what I believe” and “I never talk about reli gion or politics.” Evidently these individuals are con vinced it’s more comfortable to avoid serious discussions than be a part of them.

On the other hand, I often encounter those who courageously (or arrogantly) charge out of the gate with both barrels blazing. Whatev er the case, it’s good to have our spiritual antennas up and be ready to discern what is really going on and how or if God is planning to use us.

So, aside from our deeds having an impact on our integrity and respect, it seems our speech actually identifies the type of person we are. Matthew 7:17-20 uses symbolism to describe every person as a tree and what we do and say is the fruit we bear, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a

bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.”

It’s true we all make mis takes and constantly need to repent for our failures each hour, yet as believers in God, we must strive to seek His power to improve our

communication with one another. Whether it be with our spouse, our children, or at work, is our communication holy, healthy and whole some? Are we representing Christ in our conversations? Our words reveal our aware ness of His presence and this is what the Christian experi ence is about.

Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

Love God, Love Others, Reach Out

All

Marine

Corps Air Station Beaufort Drinking Water Sampling Open

House

December 8, 2022

4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Holiday Inn & Suites 2225 Boundary Street Beaufort, SC 29902

The Navy and Marine Corps are hosting an Open House on December 8, 2022, between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm at the Holiday Inn & Suites, 2225 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina to provide information to the public about the Navy and Marine Corps’ offer to sample drinking water wells near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort. The sampling is for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which may be present in these drinking water wells due to past use of firefighting foam or other PFAS-containing materials on base.

The Navy and Marine Corps are working in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

To schedule a sampling appointment, please call 800-818-8455.

We are committed to keeping the public informed of the Navy and Marine Corps’ drinking water sampling.

For more information, please visit our website at: http://go.usa.gov/xJgYA

Are Welcome for Worship

Sunday 8:30 am, 10:30 am at 81 Lady’s Island Drive

Pastor Steve Keeler (843) 525-0696 seaislandpresbyterian.org

This article and the next on veterans’ benefits will cover how a veteran can get his or her medical records online, in person, and by fax.

These two articles will also answer questions about how to apply for VA healthcare, how long it takes for a veteran to get their medical records, how secure VA health records are, how to find a VA Healthcare Facility, how the VA shares my health information with providers outside VA, how can a veteran get copies of their Department of Defense (DoD) Health records on the TRICARE website, where needed VA forms can be found, and much more.

Get records in-person and by FAX

Many Lowcountry S.C. and Ga., veterans know that they can get a copy of their VA medical records at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s (RHJVAMC’s) Med ical Records Office, which is located on the first floor in the Welcome Center, at 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401. The phone number for the RHJVAMC Medical Records Office is 843-5775011, ext. 206333, the direct phone number is 843-789-

6333 and the FAX number is 843-579-3783.

Read the VHA website page titled HOW TO GET YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS FROM YOUR VA HEALTH FACILITY, which is found at http://bit.ly/3VCO47p to learn how to request records.

Unfortunately, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Medical Records Office is cur rently severely understaffed. The RHJVA Medical Center is in the process of hiring more medical records special ists but has approximately three months of backlog in processing requests for Medi cal Records.

The Medical Center gets more than 100 fax requests and hundreds of phone call requests for records daily. With currently only two employees trained and employed to process requests for records, it will be a while before medical records can be provided in a timely manner.

However, veterans may

HERO

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brittney Porter, a drill master at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, guards an opponent Nov. 8 during the 2022 Armed Forces Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship at Naval Base San Diego. The tournament, hosted at the Admiral Prout Field House at Naval Base San Diego, was held in order to promote friendly competition and unity between active duty service members. Cpl.

Amelia Kang/USMC

VA medical records online

not know that they can review, print, save, download, and share their VA medical records and personal health information with the Veter ans Health Administration’s (VHA’s) online tools. The online method of getting copies of medical records is definitely the preferred way to get records, especially until the RHJVAMC can hire and train more employees to process record requests.

Get medical records online using Blue Button Veterans should go to the VHA’s GET YOUR VA MEDICAL RECORDS ONLINE (Blue Button) site https://www.va.gov/healthcare/get-medical-records/ to learn how to get their medical records online.

This site will allow veterans to sign in with their existing Login.gov, ID.me, DS Logon, or My HealtheVet account. If a veteran does not have one of these accounts, they can create a free Login.gov or ID.me account at the GET YOUR VA MEDICAL RE CORDS ONLINE site.

If a veteran needs help with any of these accounts, they can find help at: Login.gov – Access the Login.gov help center at login.gov/help ID.me – Go to the ID.me help center at Help.

ID.me

DS Logon – Call the DMDC Support Office at 800-538-9552

My HealtheVet – Contact the My HealtheVet Help Desk at 877-327-0022 or 800-877-8339 (Teletype writer or TTY), Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Central Time)

If a veteran has trouble signing in, he or she should be able to get answers to common questions about signing in and verifying their identity at the VA’s MyVA411 main information line 800698-2411 (TTY: 711). The help number is answered 24/7. What veterans can do when they sign in. Once signed in veterans can: Download a customized Blue Button report with information from the veteran’s VA medical records, personal health records, and in some cases military service records.

Download a Health Sum mary that includes spe cific information from the veteran’s VA medical records (like their known allergies, medicines, and recent lab results).

Build their own person al health record that includes information like their self-entered med ical history, emergency contacts, and medicines. Monitor their vital signs and track their diet and exercise with the VA’s online journals.

Share a digital copy of the personal health information the veteran entered themself with their VA health care team through secure messaging.

Eligibility to manage VA medical records

online

Veterans can use all the features of VA online medical records (called Blue Button) if they meet ALL of these requirements.

The veteran is enrolled in VA health care, and

The veteran is registered as a patient in a VA health facility, and The veteran has a veri fied Login.gov or ID.me account or a Premium DS Logon or My Heal theVet account

How can a veteran apply for VA health care?

Find out how to apply for VA health care at https:// www.va.gov/health-care/howto-apply/

Answers to veterans’ questions about managing their VA medical records

Question 1: Once a veteran is signed in, how does the veteran access their medical records?

Go to his or her welcome page dashboard. Then select Health Records and the veteran will be taken to a new page. From there, the veteran can choose to access these items:

The veteran’s VA Blue Button report.

The veteran’s VA health summary.

The Veterans VA medi cal images and reports.

Question 2: How can a veter an add information to his or her personal health record? Go to the main navigation menu. Then select Track Health. The veteran will be taken to a new page. From there, the veteran can choose to record different types of information like Vital Signs, Health History, Health Goals, and Food and Exercise efforts.

Question 3: Can a veteran get notifications when their medical images and reports are ready?

Yes. A veteran can sign up

to get notifications by email on the My HealtheVet web site. Veterans can get notifica tions with a Basic or Premium My HealtheVet account. If a veteran is signing up for a My HealtheVet account, go to “Notifications and Settings” on the registration page.

Select “On” for “VA medical images and report available notification.”

To sign up for an account on the My HealtheVet web site go to http://bit.ly/3X IMt1K

If the veteran already has a My HealtheVet account, the veteran will need to go to his or her profile page to update their notification settings.

Sign in to your account on the My HealtheVet website at http://bit.ly/3GUrJ1d

Question 4: What if a veter an cannot access all of their medical records through VA Blue Button?

Veterans can request a complete copy of their med ical records from their VA health facility or the Depart ment of Defense (DoD), de pending on where the veteran received care.

Continued next week.

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.

LARRY DANDRIDGE

LOCAL MILITARY

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 2 December 2022

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

1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel M. C. Rock Commander of Troops, Captain C. J. Hamilton • Parade Adjutant, Captain E. Lee Company “D”, 1st Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain C. J. Hamilton Drill Masters • Gunnery Sergeant T. M. Moore, Staff Sergeant B. Guzman

PLATOON 1088

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. A. Louis

PFC Abatan, Maliq O.

PFC Alancastro, David J.*

Pvt Aldaba, Sebastian

Pvt Auletoquendo, Yahir

PFC Bailey, Kaleb L.

PFC Beck, Benjamin E.

PFC Benitezmariche, Jose D.

PFC Berckman, John L.

Pvt Bertram, Justus M.

Pvt Butler, Owen C.

Pvt Clement, Owen H.

Pvt Colburn, Robert K.

Pvt Contreras, Marvin A.

Pvt Davis, Omarea D.

Pvt Dixon, Dominic M.

PFC Dunn, Avery C.

Pvt Evers, Brandon G.

Pvt Fincher, Christopher A.

Pvt Floresreyes, Erick

PFC Floyd Jr, James M.

Pvt Gao, Kevin

Pvt Garcia, Aztlan J.

PFC Gonzales, Brandontyler C.

Pvt Gonzalezmonsreal, Charley J.

Pvt Gonzalezvega, Jorge G.

PFC Haire, Garrison G.*

Pvt Hall II, Timothy R.

PFC Harbinson, Joshua A.

Pvt Hawkins, Jairus L.

Pvt Hendricks, Simon S.

Pvt Holland, Dwayne L.

Pvt Jackson, Breon M.

Pvt Jarrard, Amos M.

Pvt Johnson Jr, James A.

Pvt Keeney, Bryton C.

Pvt Lindsey, Daniel T.

Pvt Lindsey, Hunter R.

Pvt Martinez, Thomas R.

Pvt Mcallister, Phillip J.

PFC Mcleod, Christian D.

PFC Mcniven III, John A.

Pvt Miller, Dustin O.

Pvt Mingle, Carson E.

Pvt Nash III, Jawwaad A.

Pvt Neals, Jaheem J.

Pvt Perry, Nathaniel M.

PFC Pittman, Shaundel

Pvt Rangel, Austin M.

Pvt Razzoana, Michael D.

PFC Ross, Bryson G.

PFC Sanchez Jr, Alberto*

PFC Schifflett, Nicholas J

PFC Silvers, Trevor L.

Pvt Stanley, Coda J.

Pvt Thomas, Darion D. *

Pvt Thurmond, Nicholas B.

Pvt Triplett, Joshua R.

Pvt Tripp, Martin V.

Pvt Valenciagonzalez, Brayam U.

Pvt Villanueva Jr, Freddie D.

PFC Webb, Jeremy J.

PLATOON 1089

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt V. M. Castillo

Pvt Alamootero, Abdriel

Pvt Alston, Ameon M.

Pvt Bailey, Blake G.

PFC Beverly Jr, Timothy K.

Pvt Blakes, Kameron K.

PFC Brinlee, Lucas K.*

Pvt Brown, Joshua J.

Pvt Brown, Michael C.

Pvt Casabella, Jiovanni A.

PFC Chafin, Tristan L.

Pvt Cochran, Austin G.

Pvt Cunningham, Aaron D.

PFC Curry, Chase A.

Pvt Davis, Lance J.

PFC Echols, Colin R.

Pvt Edmonds, Tucker E.

PFC Fowler, Clayton M.

PFC Fuentesperez, Pedro

Pvt Gonzalezortiz, Anthony G.

Pvt Guidry, Kyron T.

PFC Hartz III, Julius D.

Pvt Hubbard, Preston N.

PFC Irizarrycaraballo, Raymond A.*

PFC Jackson, Tony Z.

PFC Jones, Katjj J.

PFC Kelley, Mekhi Q.

Pvt Kelly Jr, Carlton

PFC Kobrin, Levi A.*

Pvt Manuel, Logan B.

Pvt Marsah, Maxwell

PFC Mataruiz, Stacy V.

Pvt Means, Ethan A.

Pvt Morales, Armando J.

Pvt Myers, Leroy H.

Pvt Perezdina, Alvaro J.

PFC Plank, Vincent J.

PFC Rastetter, Tyler P.

Pvt Reardon, Michael R.

PFC Rhodes, Benjamin C.

Pvt Rhodes, Elijah M.

Pvt Riles, Nicolas I.

Pvt Rodriguezberberena, Hector F.

Pvt Rogers, Lucas J.

PFC Scarbrough, Jason D.*

Pvt Seabrooks, Raphael A.

Pvt Shaver, Bryson

PFC Smith, Antonio D.

PFC Smith, Thomas L.

Pvt Spivey, Jmari A.

Pvt Stephens, Isaiah D.

Pvt Teague, Devlin A.

Pvt Thomas, Jarvis T.

Pvt Tootle, Robert C.

PFC Umerah, Chukwuemelie V.

Pvt Vicente, Wilfri G.

Pvt Watkins, Sanders O.

PFC Watson, Aaron B.

Pvt Waugh, Gavin T.

PFC Wilcox, Samuel A.

PFC Williams Jr, Kevin D.*

PFC Wilson, Nathan M.

PFC Yeomans, Isaac S.

PLATOON 1090

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt C. A. Duncan

PFC Acevedo, Zahid J.

Pvt Acevedodelossantos, Edmund Y.

Pvt Beasley, Jacob R.

PFC Bello, Steven

Pvt Bobilin, Keaton A.

Pvt Brown, Jordan P.

Pvt Carpenter, Zachary L.

PFC Chiosi, John J.

PFC Clarkvazquez, Daniel A.

PFC Crespo, Kelvin L.

PFC Dersono, Giovanni L.

Pvt Distel, Chase R.

PFC Dolan, Joseph M.

Pvt Estime, Frenel

Pvt Fernandezmartinez, Jose L.

Pvt Figueroa, Davon Y.

Pvt Fisher, Justin T.

Pvt Frye, Rodney T.

Pvt Galu, Vasile O.

Pvt Gonsalves, Peter J.

Pvt Goodridge, Geraldo I.

PFC Graybeal, Chase D.*

PFC Hamby Jr, Courtney*

PFC Hastings, Johnathan T.

PFC Hernandezlucas, Nestor D.

PFC Hodgson, Alfredo L.*

Pvt Jimenezvargas, Jonathan J.

Pvt Kurten, Jake A.

Pvt Long, Jacob R.

Pvt Lopezhernandez, Alexis A.

PFC Macias, Walter A.

PFC Mcglone, Anthony J.

PFC Morales, Matthew

Pvt Mosher, Nolan D.

Pvt Ortiz, Matthew A.

PFC Perezhunt, Gilberto J.

Pvt Polanco, Ary R.

Pvt Price, Kai J.

Pvt Prosdocimo, Nicholas A.

PFC Purvis, Austin L.*

Pvt Richard, Cheristal

Pvt Rodriguez Jr, Lorenzo

Pvt Rogers, Matthew J.

Pvt Russ, Jason E.

PFC Sanchezeuropa, Jimmy

Pvt Schaffer, Matthew A.

Pvt Shaw, Tyler J.

Pvt Shepard, Aiden R.

LCpl Sisofo, Jack G.*

Pvt Sock Jr, Dale A.

Pvt Tamarizmorales, Jeff

PFC Taylor, Logan R.

Pvt Taylor, Luke C.

Pvt Theriot, Jack R.

PFC Tompakov, Alexander T.

Pvt Touma, Nicolas A.

PFC Vidal, Felipe

PFC Villalobos, Ethan W.

Pvt Webster, Wyatt B.

PFC Weir, Jeremy R.

PFC West, John L.*

Pvt Woodward, Michael J.

PLATOON 1092

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt J. N. GarciaSoto

Pvt Alves, Kevin P.

PFC Bailey, Mason D.

Pvt Barnett, Jamison M.

Pvt Bennett, Hunter C.

Pvt Bevacqua, Donato F.

Pvt Bluehs, Benjamin M.

Pvt Booker, Joshua B.

Pvt Boyle, Connor P.

Pvt Burley, Amorion J.

PFC Butler, Adam M.

Pvt Capuano, Vincent J.

Pvt Cardonalopez, Jan N.

Pvt Castro Jr, Pedro J.*

Pvt Collazos, Nicholas

Pvt Collins, Brady R.

Pvt Comire, Edmund D.

PFC Cooper, Evan A.

Pvt Daniels, Alexsander J.

Pvt Daquilemasatian, Eric A.

Pvt Dejesusmartinez, Albert J.

Pvt Dorsainvil, Jeff C.

Pvt Dothard, Bo T.

Pvt Feinberg, James E.

Pvt Feinberg, Thomas J.

Pvt Feliciano, Anthony

Pvt Florence, Rachaud R.

Pvt Giannola, Antonio M.

Pvt Guzman, Brian A.

Pvt Hanna, Jordan S.

PFC Hill, David K.

Pvt Kelly, Shawn V.

Pvt King, Shane A.

Pvt Kramer Jr, Michael G.

Pvt Lopez, Jair

Pvt Mafu, Mlotshwa M.

Pvt Massuh, Karym Y.

Pvt Mcdonough, John R.

Pvt Mikulski, Andrew J.

Pvt Montiel, Mauricio

PFC Moo, Laeloe

Pvt Morales, Alex

Pvt Ortiz, David D.*

Pvt Ortiz, Josiah

Pvt Paine, Tyler S.

PFC Palafoxcayetano, Alexander R.

PFC Partington, Rhett A.

Pvt Pascarelli, Cristofer J.*

Pvt Passamano, Adam J.

Pvt Prieto, Damian

Pvt Reio, Malique A.

PFC Reyes, Amani A.

Pvt Salazar, Christian S.

Pvt Salvador, Johan A.

Pvt Sicignano, Kaleb T.

Pvt Snyder, Brett A.

Pvt Stogsdill, Jayden E.

Pvt Surin, Kemar

Pvt Thomas, Shuwantae S.*

Pvt Tironi, Dante J.

Pvt Trent, Andrew M.

Pvt Watts, Jordan A.*

Pvt Wood, Owen T.

Pvt Yates, Camryn J.

PLATOON 1093

Senior Drill Instructor

Sgt E. A. Damian

PFC Adames, Dennys S.*

Pvt Allen, Austin W.

PFC Baumberger, Hunter L.*

PFC Billups, Laqwan L.*

PFC Bras, Dave S.

Pvt Campbell, Timothy J.

Pvt Chesler, Tyler J.

Pvt Crawford, Jayden I.

Pvt Dailey, Alec P. Pvt Davis, Ryan S.

Pvt Douangtavanh, Naatee M.

Pvt Flores, Bryan

Pvt Foflygen, Elijah B.

Pvt Graetzer, Thomas R.

PFC Gregory, Ethan J. PFC Gulomaliev, Muntazir

Pvt Harris, Hunter H.

PFC Jeanty, Rolph K. Pvt Jenkins, Kobe A.

Pvt Joseph, Kristley W.

Pvt Kuhles, Charles J. Pvt Lafountain, Matthew C.

Pvt Lam, Benson Pvt Loree, Devon A.

Pvt Madridzapata, Edwin N.

Pvt Maginnis, Griffin M.

Pvt Martinez, Jeremy Pvt Mcguinness, Seamus P.

Pvt Negronlopez, Maxiel

Pvt Nelson, Timmothy C. PFC Olds, Keytin H.

Pvt Opferman, Daniel T.

Pvt Oquendo Jr, Heriberto Pvt Pancake, Ian B.

Pvt Puckett, Logan W. PFC Quinonessabater, Nestor L.*

Pvt Quintero, Humberto A.

Pvt Ramadan, Yassin S.

Pvt Restituyosanchez, Bryan PFC Rivera, Tristian D.*

Pvt Rizvi, Shahrukh A.

Pvt Rodriguez, Dominick M.

Pvt Romancastillo, Richie K.

Pvt Sanchezsiranaula, Junior A.

Pvt Santinilopez, Omar R. PFC Schulz, Christopher A.

Pvt Shandor, Jacob P.

Pvt Shepherd III, Eric E.

Pvt Smith Jr, Jeremy W.

Pvt Smith, Devin C.

Pvt Souza, Tyler J.

Pvt Stein, Samuel D.

Pvt Sternquist, Joshua A.

Pvt Stevenson, Egan K.

Pvt Tette, James W.

Pvt Torrezbullock, Jose L.

Pvt Watchek, Samuel P.

Pvt Wen, Zixi

Pvt Williams, Brett R.

PFC Wotring, Max L.

Pvt Zhongorguaman, Anthony

PLATOON 1094

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt J. H. Wood

Pvt Allen, Eric R.

Pvt Barnes, Benjamin E.

Pvt Barnhart, Brody P.

Pvt Beckman, Richard S.

Pvt Butts, Jayce D.

Pvt Castilloguzman, Brandon A.

Pvt Castro, Amaury A.

Pvt Chhaturam, Devesh S.

Pvt Consler, Dylan M.

Pvt Cook, Hayden B.

Pvt Cook, Keenan M.

PFC Coon, Russell L.

Pvt Cunningham, Elijah J.

Pvt Doyle, James M.

PFC Drake, Mason B.

Pvt Fallin, Michael T.

Pvt Felix, Julious X.

Pvt Fennell, Aden J.

Pvt Filsaime, Marvens

Pvt Fouchey, Caleb M.

PFC Franquez, Oscar C.

Pvt Freire, Matthew A.

Pvt Graham, Liam J.

Pvt Grillo, Joel R.

PFC Habrle, Nathan A.*

Pvt Halaszynski, Austin L.

Pvt Hunt, Christion D.

Pvt Jenks, Zachary J.

Pvt Jeziorowski, Michael R.

Pvt Kastner, Kaleb X.

Pvt King, Carter C. Pvt Korede, Daniel B.

Pvt Krzeminski, Alexander R.

PFC Lanier, Jeremy A.*

Pvt Ledoux, Devin M.

PFC Liebold, Matthew M.*

Pvt Marotta, Benjiman T.

Pvt Martinez, Mason A.

Pvt Mcbane, Caleb G.

Pvt Mcmahon, John R.

Pvt Molinanegron, Israel E.

PFC Monroymolina, Manuel A.

Pvt Moua, Kongpheng A.

Pvt Murgitroyde, Lucas D.

Pvt Obrien, William T.

PFC Parker, Kameron M.

PFC Perez, Jose M.*

Pvt Ricks, Kylidge L.

Pvt Rosario, Jesus R.

Pvt Salazar, Jorge J.

Pvt Staunton, Sean T.

Pvt Stotler Jr, John W.

Pvt Thompson, Colby C.

Pvt Turcie, Mason C.

Pvt Uk, Rohan T.

Pvt Ullah, Abrar

Pvt Ullman, Kain A.

Pvt Vara, Maurice E.

PFC Weiss, Adam N.

Pvt Weston, Logan J.

PFC Zehr, Tristan M.

*Denotes meritorious promotion to current rank

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MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

For Lee, everything changed when his wife became Christian. He had married his high-school sweetheart, Leslie, and became an award-winning investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune They both assumed that God was a fairy tale; they believed only in what they could see and experience. But his wife was introduced to Christianity by a friend, and one day she shared with Lee that she now believed in Jesus.

Lee felt like he was losing his wife. She was becoming a different person. He worried she would no longer be the joyful, fun-loving woman he had married. He had not signed up to be married to a Christian! One of the things he most loved about her was how reasonable and logical she was. If he could demonstrate to her that Christianity is false, then perhaps she would leave it behind and everything could go back to how it was before.

He decided to approach Christianity like a crime investigation. Without telling his wife what he was doing, Lee began to use his skills as an investigative journalist to explore the historical claims of Christianity. He began seeking out experts in fields such as history, archaeology, Scripture, psychology, and medicine. He interviewed them at length, raising the typical objections against Christianity.

For each of his questions, Lee discovered compelling evidence. The facts indicated that the Gospels are reliable biographies of Jesus written by eyewitnesses, remarkably close to his lifetime. Jesus clearly understood himself to be divine, and it is this claim that led to his crucifixion. He did not have the attributes of a crazy person, nor did it make sense that he was a liar. He even fulfilled a great number of Old Testament prophecies about the Jewish Messiah.

Evidence for the Resurrection was especially persuasive. Lee especially sought evidence to disprove the Resurrection of Jesus. But he found that the alternative theories, such as the idea that Jesus somehow survived crucifixion, simply did not hold up against the known facts. Jesus had truly died, and yet a great number of witnesses had seen him alive after his death. This is what caused thousands of Jewish people to abandon their traditional faith and begin to worship Jesus as God.

Instead of convincing his wife, Lee became convinced. Although he did not want to believe, he was determined to follow the facts wherever they led, as in a courtroom. The evidence pointed to the verdict that Jesus was truly who he claimed to be. Lee eventually came to believe in him, joining his wife as a follower of Christ. Lee’s story has helped millions of people to explore the facts about Jesus and come to their own conclusion about him.

Lee Strobel shared his journey in the bestseller, The Case for Christ, recently made into a movie. The Case for Jesus, written by Dr. Brant Pitre, is another excellent book exploring the truth of the Gospels.