December 8 edition

Sheriff’s Office gets break in cold case

Forensic science and genealogy help identify 1995 murder victim as a Florida woman

From staff reports

It took more than 27 years, but the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has caught a break in the case of an unidentified female mur der victim found May 24, 1995 off Cotton Hall Road in Yemassee.

Through advanced DNA tech nology and genealogy research, the woman has been identified as Maria Telles-Gonzalez of Kissimmee, Fla.

HUCKABY

About the case

On May 24, 1995, an employee from the South Carolina Highway Depart ment discovered the body of a dead wom an in a drainage ditch on Cotton Hall Road in Yemassee.

Sheriff’s deputies and investigators

began investigating the death.

According to retired BCSO in vestigator Maj. Bob Bromage, the woman suffered a violent death by strangulation. The woman was killed elsewhere and the body had been moved. When found, she had been dead for 24-36 hours.

An autopsy was performed at the Medical University of South Caroli na. Pathologists deemed the wom

an’s death a homicide.

The woman, clothed only in un derwear, was not identified at the onset of this investigation, and there were no personal effects at the scene to help identify her.

Investigators provided informa tion on her death to local media and employed forensic technologies available at the time to try to identi fy her. Efforts to identify her in 1995

LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT

proved unsuccessful and the case grew cold.

The woman’s physical description, including surgical scars, was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and searched against missing persons nationwide. To date, no matches have been made through the NCIC entry.

BEAUFORT

Spoiler alert! This is going to be a positive, upbeat column about the cool things that happened in our community over the weekend.

It was OFFICIALLY the city of Beaufort’s Holiday Weekend and even Mother Nature got with the program by providing mild weather – shorts weather, some might say. There was that slight overcast on Sunday but who could complain? To be sure, some did complain – probably about all the increased traffic, especially on Sunday during the parade and if you were crazy enough to try and cross the Woods Bridge from Lady’s Island.

But by most accounts, the Night on the Town activity was a huge draw, Saturday’s boat parade had the traditional dozen or so deckedout vessels (Congratulations to Mayor Stephen Murray and his family who took top honors for decorations) cruising the waterfront and Sunday’s parade was possibly the biggest in local history.

When you have South Carolina’s No. 1 high school football team

Conroy Center hosting panel on book challenges, bans

From staff reports

In 1962, the Beaufort County School District faced a parental complaint calling for a ban of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye The novel was defended before the school board by storied Beau fort High School English teacher Gene Norris, mentor to a then 16-year-old high school junior named Pat Conroy.

In his empowering description in My Reading Life of how his En glish teacher addressed and won this challenge against Salinger’s

beloved coming-of-age story, Con roy also recalled Norris’s overar ching message to his student and to all readers: “Literature tells us to be brave. It demands it of us.”

As the Beaufort County School District is now in the midst of re sponding to an unprecedented challenge against 97 books in its library collections, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a panel discussion on book challenges and bans, and the forc

Committees vote to return first four books to shelves

From staff reports

The first four Beaufort County School District (BCSD) Library Mate rials Review Commit tees voted Thursday, Dec. 1, at Bluffton Mid dle School to return the books they were reviewing to the library shelves.

The committees voted unani mously to return The Handmaid’s Tale The Perks of Being a Wall flower and The Kite Runner to the shelves for all grade levels, while

voting to return Speak with a 4–1 vote.

The four books the committees were re viewing were chosen first because the par ticular titles are also utilized in some high school Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

The decisions could still face an appeal from the original com plainant within seven days of the

Ho! Ho! Ho! ’Tis the season to be merry

LOLITA

Maria TellesGonzalez

People pass by the City of Beaufort Christmas tree on their way to the sea wall prior to the start of the annual Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday evening at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The tree was lit Friday during Night on the Town. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Bob Sofaly snapped this photo of dancers from The Beaufort Academy of Dance performing Nat King Cole’s “The Happiest Christmas Tree” during Night on the Town on Friday on Bay Street.

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

VETERAN OF THE WEEK JOHN ABNEY

Beaufort’s John Abney, 65, joined the United States Marine Corps in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1975. After Boot camp at Parris Island, he became an administrator, first serving more than seven years with an F-4 squadron at MCAS Beaufort. He deployed with the squadron to Iwakuni, Japan, Ice land, Norway, Arizona and the Philippines.

He returned to Beaufort to serve as a Drill Instructor where he was meritoriously promoted to Gun nery Sergeant. He then served more than five years with an F-18 squad ron at MCAS Beaufort, again with numerous overseas deployments.

A one-year tour on Okinawa fol lowed before a tour at MCAS Cher ry Point, from which he deployed to three Navy ships during Desert Shield/Storm.

Abney returned to Beaufort and Parris Island on the MCRD staff in charge of the Depot Ad

ministration Center. He retired in 1996 as a Master Sergeant with more than 20 years of ac tive service. Along the way he completed a bachelor degree and then used the GI Bill to earn a Masters of Social Work degree. He then worked for the Beaufort County Assessor’s Office, the Department of Social Services (5 years) before returning to federal service for 16 years as a civilian helping service personnel and their families.

Abney’s final position was Pro gram Manager for the Exception al Family Member Program at Beaufort installations. His list of

public service positions is long and includes Volunteer Guardian Ad-Litem, member of the Beaufort County Planning Commission, Psychiatric Technician at Beau fort Memorial Hospital, active member of the Montford Point Marine Association, DAV Service Officer and Associate Minister at Grays Hill Gospel Deliver ance Church. He’s been married for 42 years to Linda (Smalls) of Beaufort.

– Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 9. For nominations, contact jechubb 1 @gmail.com

OBITUARY Palmetto Animal League hosting holiday open house

From staff reports

Palmetto Animal League invites the community to a Holiday Open House at their Adoption Center in Okatie.

Lester Wayne Earley of Bluffton, S.C., died on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Wanda W. Rivadeneira of Spotsylvania, Va.; his children Lelonie P. Earley of Bluffton, Delayna Earley Jarrell (Addison) of Beaufort, Kenneth J. Earley (Cindy) of Columbia, S.C. and Wayne Earley of Parksley, Va.; a step-daughter Kelly Meador of Spotsylvania, Va.; and many niec es, nephews and grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

The event will take place from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, and guests are invited to drop by for cookies, hot cocoa, and cof fee. It’s a great time to spread holiday cheer to shelter pets.

“Homeless pets live com fortably at our no kill adoption center until they are adopted, no matter how long it takes,” PAL President Amy Campani ni said in a news release. “They feel the holiday excitement all around, and they love when people come to PAL to spend time with them.”

PAL is waiving adoption fees

for cats, kittens, and adult dogs during the event as a part of their monthlong Season of Sec ond Chances.

“If your home is missing the pitter patter of paws, this will be a great day to find your new best friend,” PAL Adoption Coordi nator Sally Dawkins said. “But we understand not everyone can adopt and that’s OK. We hope everyone will drop by to make some holiday memories.”

As a part of their mission, PAL will be collecting much needed items for their pet pantry, in cluding cat and dog food, toys, treats, pet beds, and cozy blan kets. They will make sure gifts get to those animals who need them most this holiday season.

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

Advertising

Director Amanda D. Hanna 843-343-8483 amanda@lcweekly.com

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

DISCLAIMER

Cat of the Week:

sure

day.

up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

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.

Gallaway’s smile is

to brighten anyone's

Gallaway loves to play with other cats and all people. He has one of the best personalities in our adoption center. Gallaway is 5 months old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Gallaway, Cookie, 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. Our annual Season of Second Chances runs through January 7th. Fees are waived on adoptions of kittens, cats, and adult dogs.

John Abney

December 10

2010: Harriet Keyserling, who, as a champion for women’s issues, represented Beaufort for 16 years state legislature, died of kidney failure at Beaufort Memorial Hospital at the age of 88 She was elected to Beaufort County Council in 1975. Then from 1977 to 1993, Keyserling spent her time in Columbia focused on energy, nuclear waste, the arts, education, women’s rights and ending the filibuster in the House. She was the mother of longtime Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling.

– Compiled by Mike McCombs

Wayne earley

Beaufort Memorial, OneBlood celebrate 20-year partnership with blood drives

From staff reports

Get on the Big Red Bus and help save lives at the 20-year anniversary of a partnership between Beaufort Memorial Hospital and OneBlood. All eligible donors are welcome to join a series of special blood drives at Beaufort Me morial locations December 12 through 15.

“As the sole provider of blood for patients at Beau fort Memorial, OneBlood has been a very valuable partner

for our hospital and our com munity,” said Dr. Brad Collins, board-certified pathologist and medical director for labo ratory services. “Twenty years ago, we faced a critical need for a reliable, consistent blood supply and through the ex traordinary efforts of commu nity leaders, OneBlood, blood donors, hospital administra tors and others, we were able to make it a reality that con tinues to benefit us all today.”

OneBlood’s signature Big

Red Bus is a staple in the community, as is their donor center located on Boundary Street in Beaufort. Thousands of donations have been col lected over the years locally. Each donation helping give others a second chance at life.

“OneBlood’s partnership with Beaufort Memorial is tru ly a lifesaving mission,” One Blood Senior Vice President of Corporate Communica tions and Public Relations Su san Forbes,.“OneBlood oper

ates around the clock to make sure blood is available when and where it is needed. It’s a team effort to save lives and our hero blood donors are a crucial part of the team. Each donation helps ensure a ready blood supply for our hospital partners and their patients.”

Blood drives will be held on the following dates and locations: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon day, Dec. 12, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, 955

BOAT PARADE

Ribaut Road 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13, Beaufort Memo rial Medical & Adminis trative Center, 990 Rib aut Road 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednes day, Dec. 14 Lowcoun try Medical Group, 300 Midtown Drive 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thurs day, Dec. 15, Okatie Med ical Pavilion, 122 Okatie Center Boulevard North Generally healthy people

age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. Photo ID is required. Each donor will receive a OneBlood plush blanket; $20 eGift card; and, a wellness checkup, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.

To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type visit oneblood.org

Mayor

Shelves

from page A1

initial decision. The Board of Education would then have 15 days to rule.

As of press time, the district had not confirmed an appeal.

Ninety-seven books were

removed from the shelves of libraries and classrooms in the BCSD and are to be re viewed for their appropriate ness by the committees. The reviews were triggered by the complaints of a group of parents that the books were obscene and inappropriate, though the list of books is nearly identical to a list com

piled by a political group, Mom’s For Liberty.

The committees must con sist, per state guidelines, of a school librarian, a district teacher, a parent (other than the complainant), a school administrator, a district-level administrator, a community member and a member of a School Improvement Council

in the district.

The committees are then randomly selected by Super intendent Frank Rodriguez and are tasked, according to the BCSD, “with reading their assigned book in full and then meeting as a group to share and discuss findings.

The value of the book is to be examined as a whole, consid

THE MOST ADVANCED JOINT CARE OPTIONS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

ering the impact of an entire work, transcending individ ual words, phrases, and inci dents.”

The committees were to committee to complete their reviews utilizing the BCSD Review Committee Checklist and issue a written report of their findings to the appropri ate parties, including the Su

A large crowd gathers at the sea wall to watch the annual Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Shirt sleeve weather made it a perfect night to watch the colorful boats as they cruises by the seawall several times.

perintendent and the Board of Education.

Two more committees were to commence last week, re viewing The Lovely Bones and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You According to BCSD Director of Communications Candace Bruder, those books were selected because of their print availability.

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

City of Beaufort

Stephen Murray leads the annual Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday near the seawall of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. His family served as crew and played Christmas carols on Kazoobie Kazoos. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

It’s a Nutty Christmas – A few good men

From staff reports

When the boards on which local artists would be paint ing Nutcrackers for the “It’s a Nutty Christmas!” outdoor exhibit in Beaufort had to be constructed, creator/producer Danie Connolly didn’t have to search to find someone to do it. Her mother was a Marine, so she knew exactly where the best of the best were.

Stationed on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris island are Captain Tim Duggins and Drill Instructor Junior Loveless, who are blessed with carpentry skills. Con nolly met the men previously when she needed work done around her home in Beaufort.

She asked the two Marines for help, and soon they were

one for these career Ma rines, knowing the end re sults would provide funds for Beaufort Art Association’s (BAA) art supplies and edu cation for children.

Duggins is the proud father of three young daughters and has another girl on the way. Loveless has two boys and a daughter of his own. This was a mission that needed to be accomplished.

the hands of the area’s talent ed artists, the first panel to re turn to the BAA was Tiffany Jones’ rendition of a bulldog dressed up as a Marine. Find ers Keepers owner Dick An drzejczyk then selected it as his choice to display in front of his store.

assembling the 6-foot and 4-foot wood panels, complete with strapping and screws. The project was an easy

Santa and his elves would have been envious of the two-man construction crew as they magically complet ed the task. In no time at all, they had accumulated enough art panels that, when painted, would put smiles on Beaufort citizens.

Once the panels were in

County Christmas Tree lighting set for Friday

From staff reports

Everyone is invited Friday, Dec. 9, from 6 until 8 p.m., to attend the annual Christmas tree lighting in the Beaufort County Courthouse Pla za. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the event is free to the public.

There will be an appear ance by a special guest from the North Pole arriving in his sleigh, face painting, food trucks, and of course lots of music and holiday carols being sung. Food and bever ages will be available from Time to Eat, Mother Smokin

Panelfrom page A1

es behind them, at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11 in the McLean Hall audito rium of the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Beaufort campus (104 Reynolds St., Bldg. 12). This event is free and open to the public.

The educational conversation will be led by New York Times best selling author and former South Carolina Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth and will focus on the organizations, the funding, and the politics surrounding banned books, censorship, and challenges to free speech and intellectual freedom.

Wentworth is currently teaching a College of Charleston Honors College course on banned books and literature suppressed on po litical, religious, social, and sexual grounds, as well as the origins of book banning in western culture and contemporary issues around

Casefrom page A1

Bromage called the case “extremely frustrating.”

A cold case

In January 1999, Sheriff PJ Tanner directed Sheriff’s Of fice investigators to examine the agency’s unsolved mur ders or cold cases.

“We care about these in vestigations. Great care is put into these investigations,” said Bromage, now the Public Safety Director for the Town of Hilton Head. “Sheriff PJ Tanner, without his leader ship, we wouldn’t be hav ing this conversation. Cold case initiatives in 1999 were very few.”

Bromage is still a reserve deputy for the BCSO and remains in charge of cold case investigations.

Cold case investigators, along with a team of retired law enforcement profession als, reviewed reports and in ventoried evidence of those cases which included the 1995 murder of the unidentified woman found in Yemassee.

With improvements in fo rensic science, investigators submitted evidence from the unidentified woman’s case to the South Carolina Law En forcement Division’s Forensic Laboratory for DNA and fo rensic analyses.

A DNA profile of the wom an was developed and up

Good BBQ, Lowcountry Taps HHI and Cinnabon. The trucks will be set up and ready to serve by 5:30 p.m. and will be available throughout the event. Park ing is available at the Main Administration Building lo cated at 100 Ribaut Road.

internet regulations. Wentworth will be joined in dia logue by South Carolina ACLU le gal fellow and legislative advocate Josh Malkin; community education advocate, consultant, and nonprof it leader AJ Davis; and Charleston journalist Paul Bowers.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Marjory Wentworth

Wentworth is the New York Times bestselling author of Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets (with Kwame Alexander and Chris Colderley). Her books of poetry in clude Noticing Eden, Despite Gravity, The Endless Repetition of an Ordinary Mir acle, and New and Selected Poems

Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize seven times.

She is also the co-writer of We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph

loaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Na tionwide comparisons with missing women having DNA profiles in CODIS were con ducted. None matched the un identified woman’s profile.

Meanwhile, NCIC teletypes of missing women with sim ilarities to the unidentified woman were received. Hun dreds of NCIC teletypes of missing persons, having par tial matching characteristics with the unidentified woman, were received and eliminated as being her.

False hopes

In 2004, on the Doe Net work’s website, investigators observed a listing of a miss ing person, Sybil Warren, with physical similarities to the unidentified woman. War ren’s mother was contacted and gave cold case investi gators a DNA sample. SLED DNA analysts were able to exclude Warren as being the unidentified woman. Warren remains missing.

In 2006, Interpol was con tacted and issued a black notice internationally to as sist in identifying the wom an. No leads on her identity were received.

In 2007, investigators sub mitted the unidentified wom an’s DNA for biogeographical analysis to determine her eth nicity to better target identifi cation efforts. DNA Print Ge nomics reported that people with similar DNA markers self-identified as South Asian,

Andrzejczyk was a 20-year career Marine (also a gemol ogist, coin dealer and air traf fic controller). And, by coinci dence, he has one of the finest collection of nutcrackers for sale in his store.

As you residents stroll downtown and discover the more-than-50 nutcrackers on display there, hopefully they notice the proud Marine standing at attention at Find ers Keepers at 920 Bay Street.

County hosting recycling event

From staff reports

The Beaufort County De partment of Solid Waste and Recycling will host two free electronics recycling events for County residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The events will be held at two locations: Beaufort County Public Works, 9 Benton Field

at Mother Emanuel (with Herb Fra zier and Dr. Bernard Powers) and Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Hu man Rights (with Juan E. Mendez). She is co-editor with Kwame Dawes of Seeking: Poetry and Prose inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green and the author of the prizewinning chil dren’s story Shackles.

She served as the poet laureate of South Carolina from 2003-2017. This year, she was named a Black Earth Institute Fellow. In 2020, she was named a National Coalition Against Censorship Free Speech is for Me Advocate. Wentworth teach es courses in writing, social justice, and banned books at The College of Charleston, where she is part of the Social Justice Working Group for the Center for the Study of Slav ery and the Refugee Resettlement Taskforce.

Josh Malkin

Malkin joined the ACLU of South Carolina as a Legal Fellow in the fall of 2021. He comes to the ACLU deeply committed to advocating for

Road, Bluffton; or Beaufort County Pub lic Works, 140 Shanklin Road, Beaufort. Residents are asked to stay in their car during the event. Staff will unload elec tronics. Residential only.

Any personal computers, laptops, CRT monitors, LCD monitors, CRT televisions, non-CRT televisions, print

racial and education al equity and pro tecting the rights of children. Prior to law school, Malkin spent five years teaching middle and high school math in New Orleans East.

Anjene “AJ” Davis is a resident of North Charleston in the Chicora/ Cherokee community where he is the neighborhood association pres ident. Davis is also an employee of Charleston County School District and a co-founder of Community Solu tions Consulting, a consulting firm that creates and drives strategies for pro grams that improve equity, community engagement, citizen values, and organiza tional effectiveness, establish strong external partnerships for promotion

ers, hard drives, and mis cellaneous electronics (cell phones, radios, and fax ma chines) will be accepted.

For questions about Beau fort County recycling events, please call the Solid Waste and Recycling Office at 843255-2736 for more informa tion or visit their website at www.beaufortcountysc.gov/ recycle

of racial and social equity and inclu sion, and advance equity through thoughtful community engagement, strategic partnerships, andinnova tive program development.

Davis created and directed a parent engagement concept, Low country Black Parents Association, designed to provide parents of stu dents in high-poverty schools with the skills to enhance their advocacy abilities. He earned his M.S. degree in organizational management and his B.S. in Human Services at Spring field College.

Paul Bowers

Bowers is a writer, father of three public school children, and former education reporter in North Charleston. He serves as volunteer communications secretary for Charles ton Democratic Socialists of America and writes a weekly newsletter at bru talsouth.substack.com

Hispanic, and Middle Eastern. This new information coupled with the woman’s Leonisa brand underwear, which was mostly sold in Lat in American countries at the time, led investigators to con clude she was most likely of Hispanic descent.

In 2010, investigators with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office volunteer cold case committee, contacted the in ternational Spanish language television network, Univision, to request publicity on the case of the unidentified wom an. Univision agreed and pro duced a segment that aired in April 2011.

Following Univision’s broadcast, investigators re ceived information from a man who said the unidentified woman resembled his sister, Josefina Nava. The man, who lived in New York, told inves tigators Nava was originally from the Dominican Republic and disappeared in Italy in the early 1990s.

Investigators reached Na va’s family in the Domini can Republic via telephone and obtained photographs of Josefina. She resembled the unidentified woman. Na

va’s biological mother and son agreed to provide DNA samples to compare with the unidentified woman.

The FBI was contacted and sent an agent in the Domin ican Republic to collect the samples. DNA analysis and comparison were conducted at the Beaufort County Sher iff’s Office Forensic Services Laboratory. Nava’s moth er and son’s DNA samples showed no biological con nection to the unidentified woman. It is believed Nava remains missing.

Subjects were interviewed through the years, one as far as Ohio. Those subjects were eliminated as being involved in the unidentified woman’s death.

A breakthrough In 2020, following stories of numerous national suc cesses in identifying persons through genealogy research, cold case investigators em ployed the assistance of Para bon Nanolabs. The uniden tified woman’s DNA extract was sent to Parabon, analyzed with its advanced technology, then uploaded to numerous ancestry databases.

A list of potential distant relatives of the unidentified woman was received through Parabon. The Assistant Pub lic Information Officer at the time began research on the woman’s family tree. Some time later, a volunteer mem ber of the cold case commit tee was enlisted to assist, and ultimately, took over the task of research.

The volunteer reached hundreds of potential fami ly members through email, many of whom questioned the volunteer’s identity and purpose.

In October 2022, the vol unteer received a lead on a possible biological son of the unidentified victim. The vol unteer reached the victim’s possible son via email, and he agreed to upload his DNA profile to GEDmatch. Within minutes, Parabon reported a parent-child match between the unidentified victim and the son.

An answer brings questions

The victim was identified as Maria Telles-Gonzalez, who was 36 years old at the time of her death, a wife and mother of three.

Investigators have been in contact with Telles-Gonzalez’ family members who report ed to have last seen her in 1995 at their Merrimack Drive home in Kissimmee, Fla. In vestigators traveled to Flori da to interview Telles-Gonza lez’ family members.

Through the investiga

tion and interviews of vari ous family members, it was learned the day following Telles-Gonzalez’ return from a trip to Puerto Rico in May 1995, she left her Florida home after her three children went to school. She never re turned. It was also learned that Telles-Gonzalez’ hus band was home alone with her when the children went to school. She left without her vehicle. The suitcase she arrived from Puerto Rico with was also gone.

Telles-Gonzalez has never been reported missing. As expected, identifying Tell es-Gonzalez brought quick focus on a possible person of interest.

Investigators are trying to identify two people closely connected to Telles-Gonza lez; her close friend whose name may be “Patricia” and a male friend/suspected boy friend, who remains uniden tified. They are believed to have also lived in the Kissim mee, Fla., area.

The investigation into the murder of Telles-Gonzalez is ongoing and active.

“We’re a long way from where we started,” Tan ner said. “We hope we’ll be able to resolve this case in a timely fashion.”

Anyone with information about Maria Telles-Gonza lez’s disappearance or mur der is encouraged to call cold case investigator Robert Bro mage at 843-816-8013 or via email at robertb@bcgov.net

Left: Friend of Maria Age;

Right: Friend of Maria Age Progression Rendering Suspected Boyfriend of Maria

AJ Davis

Marjory Wentworth

Josh Malkin

AJ Davis

Paul Bowers

USMC Captain Tim Duggins and Drill Instructor Junior Loveless assembled the 6-foot and 4-foot wood panels, complete with strapping and screws, needed for the “It’s a Nutty Christmas!” outdoor exhibit in Beaufort. Submitted photo.

leading the parade –congratulations Eagles –there’s bound to be plenty of pep! Plus the Battery Creek and Beaufort Academy football teams were there too, showing their support along with marching bands and cheerleaders.

The Water Festival crew was there with Commodore James Nutt at the helm, reminding us that summer will be here before we know it, and so was the infamous Jim Palmer in the Lions Club convertible, the Lions Club being the official organizers of the annual parade.

Of course there were politicians – state Rep.

Shannon Erickson was present, chauffeured by her patient husband, Kendall, and the Beaufort and Port Royal city council members floated along the route as well. As usual, the Beaufort County Council members were missing and there weren’t as many politicians as usual – we missed you, Sen. Tom Davis – but election year is almost over so maybe they were home resting.

There were motorcycles, tricked- out sports cars, the local Jeep club and dance schools – who realized Beaufort had so many dance schools? There were decorated dogs, even pot-bellied pigs, goats and a pony. Unfortunately, no cats (cats don’t put up with parades).

Local churches had their

floats, reminding us of the “reason for the Season,” as did local construction companies, tow trucks and even a unit of farm tractors!

Who couldn’t love a parade with farm equipment, reminding us of the area’s rural past.

The die-hard dedicated volunteers of the Pritchards Island Turtle Team were all decked out along with information about the number of nests they’d help protect this summer, 125 on Pritchard’s, 118 on Little Capers – and a “trash tree” reminding all to keep those darn balloons out of the water.

Of course there were the fire trucks, looking all shiny and new, except for the city’s 1955 American LaFrance engine which they still keep

rolling. And with the final fire truck, Santa.

For those who couldn’t or simply chose not to attend the parade, the city of Beaufort’s Facebook page has a number of photographs you can check out. If parades or having simple fun is not your thing, don’t bother.

Speed limit lowered on Bay Street raceway BEAUFORT – More good news. The speed limit on the western end of Bay Street has been lowered from 30 mph to 25.

The new state Department of Transportation signs went up last week and there was much rejoicing, especially by the Bay and North Street neighbors who have hammered the city council, the police department, state

Rep. Shannon Erickson and about anyone else who would listen.

Of course, once the news was posted on the city’s Facebook, an immediate cry went up from other neighborhoods who wanted their protection against the roadway speedsters.

Harris Teeter, we’re still waiting LADY’S ISLAND – And dare we hope … progress on that magical Harris Teeter grocery store we’ve been anticipating since 2016?

New landscape fencing has gone up at the Sea Island Parkway site and the city hall folks who know about such things say the North Carolina-based grocery chain, which went through a thorough design review back

9 unclaimed veterans to be interred Friday

From staff reports

Nine unclaimed veterans are being laid to rest Friday at Beaufort National Cemetery. Wreaths Across America

Beaufort invited citizens to come and stand for the vet erans at a ceremony set for 11 a.m.

“Please join us,” the post read. “Our community and Wreaths Across America Beaufort family can be the family for, and say thank you to, 9 veteran heroes.”

According to a Facebook event created by Janice Shel ton and Amvets Post 70, the veterans to be interred are:

Calvin Forte, Jr., SP4 U.S. Army, Vietnam (Beau fort County)

Kenneth Hopkins, SSGT USMC, Vietnam (Charleston County)

Richard Sloane, SR U.S. Navy, Vietnam (Charles ton County)

Paul Graham, Jr., SP4 U.S. Army, Vietnam (Charleston County)

Michael R. Heaton, SR U.S. Navy, Vietnam (Charleston County)

Philip McDonnell, FR U.S. Navy, (Charleston County)

Bruce E. Junkins, A1C U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Charleston County)

Raymond O. Herring, Jr., YN2 U.S. Navy (Charles ton County)

Pinkney L. Preston, SR U.S. Navy, Vietnam (Charleston County)

in 2020 including a major tree-removal discussion, is back with us.

City Manager Bill Prokop, who is leaving the post in January, said at a community meeting back in March the project was “still on track with construction to start later this year.” Not much time left.

Now that Sonic appears closed, wouldn’t that be a great location for Graham Trask’s proposed Dunkin Donut shop which was rejected by the county but still under court appeal?

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

After the official color guard and the Parris Island Marine Band led the way, the first group in Sunday’s Beaufort Christmas Parade was the Beaufort High School Eagles football team, which recently won the Class 3A State Championship. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Santa and Mrs. Claus were all over the place during the annual Beaufort Christmas Parade on Sunday afternoon. Somehow, they managed to go from one float to another during the hour-and-a-half parade.

The Grinch was on hand for the annual Beaufort Christmas Parade on Sunday. Here, he walks with some of the Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire Department’s finest.

Options & References for a Healthier Life

Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?

By Lindsey DeSoto, RDN, LD

Breakfast is often de scribed as the most import ant meal of the day, but is skipping this morning meal really detrimental to health?

Newer research suggests this may not be as bad as many of us believe.

Breakfast literally means “to break the fast.” It is the first meal of the day after a stretch of not eating overnight.

Breakfast earned its title as the most important meal of the day back in the 1960s after American nutritionist Adelle Davis suggested that to keep fit and avoid obesity, one should “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”

Though a recent study of 30,000 adults found that 15% regularly skipped breakfast, many still believe it to be the most important meal of the day. Breakfast provides the body with important nutri ents, to start the day feeling energized and nourished. Many also believe that it can promote weight loss. But is breakfast really the most im portant meal of the day?

As with most things in nu trition, the answer is com plex. While some research suggests that skipping breakfast is not harmful, other research suggests oth erwise. Eating regular meals and snacks, including break fast, allows for more oppor tunities throughout the day to give the body the energy and nutrients it needs to function optimally.

However, as long as a per son can fit their nutrients in during other meals, breakfast may not be the most critical meal of the day. Here is what the science says.

Evidence in support of eating breakfast

Most of the claimed ben efits of eating breakfast are primarily derived from obser vational studies, which can not prove cause and effect.

For example, one 2021 systematic review of 14 ob servational studies found that those who eat breakfast

seven times per week have a reduced risk for heart dis ease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, ab dominal obesity, cardiovas cular-related death, elevat ed low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Again, this particular group of studies can only suggest that those who eat breakfast are more likely to have a reduced risk for the cardiovascular and metabolic diseases mentioned above. It cannot prove that breakfast is what is causing it.

However, an analysis of data on over 30,000 North Americans shows that peo ple who skip breakfast may miss out on important nu trients. The most common nutrients those who skipped breakfast fell short on include folate, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B3, vita min C, vitamin D.

What is more, one random ized control trial published in 2017 that included 18 partic ipants with type 2 diabetes, and 18 healthy participants found that skipping break

fast caused disrupted circa dian rhythms in both groups.

Those who skipped break fast also experienced larger spikes in blood glucose lev els after eating. The authors of the study thus suggested that eating breakfast is vital for keeping our internal clock running on time.

Does skipping breakfast cause weight gain?

Although many people report increased feelings of satiety after starting their day off with breakfast, studies suggest that those who omit or consume breakfast both end up with nearly identical total daily calorie intakes.

Interestingly, one study found that skipping breakfast may actually lower total daily calorie intake by 252 calories.

Researchers did note, how ever, that it decreased the overall diet quality when any meals were skipped.

At this time, there does not appear to be any strong evidence that ties breakfast intake to weight gain.

Are people who eat breakfast healthier?

According to one 2018 observational study, those who frequently eat breakfast often pay more attention to their overall nutrient intake, regularly participate in phys ical activity, and adequately manage stress.

Conversely, those who skip breakfast tend to have unhealthier lifestyle hab its such as frequent smok ing and drinking. They also tend to have diets higher in fat, cholesterol, and calories than habitual breakfast eaters.

These findings suggest that lifestyle habits may con tribute to the overall health status of breakfast eaters, not eating breakfast.

Should you eat breakfast?

Because breakfast gives us the opportunity to fuel our body with nutrients, it is an important meal. However, according to recent studies, it may not be the most im

parent PULSE ©

portant meal of the day.

Eating breakfast and lis tening to your hunger cues is very important if you wake up hungry in the morning. However, if you get busy and skip breakfast one day, there is no need to feel guilty.

If you habitually skip breakfast, it is important to ensure you are optimiz ing your nutrient intake at other meals.

Certain groups of people, such as fitness professionals or athletes who train early in the morning, may also feel better after eating breakfast.

What should you eat for breakfast?

If you enjoy break fast, begin your day with nutritious foods.

Some healthy breakfast foods include eggs, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, berries, wholegrain toast, chia seeds, cot tage cheese, avocado, nuts. Find what works best for you Recent nutrition research continues to show us that

there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to food. What is important when it comes to achieving optimal health is adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Ways to improve your health include: get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week strength training activi ties for all major muscle groups two or more days a week maintain a healthy weight limit added sugar, saturated fat, and processed food eat a variety of nutri ent-dense foods pay attention to your body and hunger cues drink plenty of water avoid tobacco products and excessive alcohol use get at least 7 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period.

The bottom line Although research sug gests that breakfast may not be the most important meal of the day, it is still import ant. It serves as an opportu nity to help you fuel your day and provide key nutrients that your body needs.

If you choose not to eat breakfast, there is no rea son to feel guilty, and there is not much evidence that it can negatively impact your health.

What is important is to eat in a way that works best for you while living a healthy lifestyle and ensuring your nutrient needs are being met during your other meals.

If you are finding it chal lenging to meet your nu tritional needs, consider speaking with a registered dietitian who can help you navigate through any ques tions you may have.

Source: Fact checked by Hilary Guite, FFPH, MRCGP; https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/isbreakfast-really-the-most-import ant-meal-of-the-day

Keeping kids healthy and happy while traveling

If you are traveling this holiday season and if you have kids in tow, you know it’ll be more of an adventure than a vacation.

Traveling with children presents special challenges. It disrupts familiar routines and imposes new demands. Involving children in the planning, may lessen the stress of travel.

Adam Keating, MD, a pedi atrician with Cleveland Clinic Children’s said if your little travelers are grumpy, it’s usu ally because they’re tired, hun gry, thirsty, or over stimulated.

“The way to prevent that among kids can really be around preparing ahead, so making sure that you have wa ter for the kids, that you have healthy snacks, that you're keeping up with regular sleep schedules and routines as

much as you can when travel ing,” he advised.

Bring snacks and familiar foods with you. This helps when travel delays meals or when the available meals do not suit the child's needs.

Small crackers, unsugared ce reals, and string cheese make good snacks. Some children can eat fruit without prob lems. Cookies and sugared ce reals make for sticky children.

Talk to your health care provider before traveling with a child. Children may have special medical con cerns. The provider can also talk to you about any medi cines you might need if your child becomes ill. Know your child's dosage of common medicines for colds, allergic reactions, or flu. If your child has a long-term (chronic) illness, consider bringing a

Everywhere That People Care

copy of recent medical re ports and a list of all medi cines your child is taking.

When flying with babies and infants:

If you are not breastfeed ing, bring powdered for mula and buy water after you get through security.

If you are breastfeeding, you can bring breast milk in larger quantities than 3 ounces (90 milliliters), as long as you tell secu rity people and let them inspect it. Small jars of baby food travel well. They make little waste, and you can dispose of them easily.

If you’re flying, children of ten have trouble with pressure changes at takeoff and land ing. The pain and pressure will almost always go away in a few minutes. If your child

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.

has a cold or ear infection, the discomfort may be greater.

Your provider may suggest not flying if your child has an ear infection or a lot of fluid behind the eardrum. Chil dren who have had ear tubes placed should do fine.

Some tips to prevent or treat ear pain:

Have your child chew sugar-free gum or suck on hard candy when tak ing off and landing. It helps with ear pressure. Most children can learn

to do this at about age 3. Bottles (for infants), breastfeeding, or sucking on pacifiers can also help prevent ear pain.

Give your child plenty of fluids during the flight to help unclog the ears.

Avoid letting your child sleep during takeoff or landing. Children swal low more often when they are awake. Also, waking up with ear pain can be frightening for the child.

Give your child acet aminophen or ibuprofen about 30 minutes before takeoff or landing. Or use nasal spray or drops before takeoff or landing. Follow package instruc tions exactly about how much medicine to give your child.

Keeping kids healthy while traveling can also be a challenge, especially if you’re flying.

“Airports can particularly be one of the places in which we see the biggest crowds and so keeping distance from people as much as you can be helpful,” said Dr. Keating. He adds that it’s also im portant for kids wash their hands before eating and to try to avoid touching their faces. Parents can always consider masking children in crowds to protect them from respiratory viruses too.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic New Service, ccnewsservice@ccf.org; https://medlineplus.gov/ ency/article/002427.htm

Options & References for a Healthier Life

Medical scams targeting seniors

This is a time of year when thoughts turn to giving… just be careful you’re not getting taken. Especially if you’re an older health consumer.

Scammers are offering Medicare beneficiaries cheek swabs for the following screenings/tests to obtain their Medicare information for fraudulent billing pur poses, or possibility medical identity theft. The screen ings/tests include genetic testing for cancer, hereditary cancer, pharmacogenetics (medication metaboliza tion), DNA, dementia and Parkinson’s. With cardio vascular genetic testing, screening/tests advertised can include cardio/cardiac genetic, comprehensive car diovascular panel, cardio vascular disease genetic kit, comprehensive cardiomy opathy NSG or hereditary cardiovascular profile.

Dr. Kristen McDer mott-Mozzo (our daughterin-law), who works with older patients in a clinical setting, brought to my attention se rious frauds that often target this patient demographic. She has provided background and information on the test

ing/screening scams that she most often encounters when interacting with her patients.

In this issue, we will talk about how to avoid genetic and cardiovascular genetic testing fraud when Medicare is billed for a test or screen ing that was not medically necessary and/or was not or dered by a beneficiary’s treat ing physician.

With this type of fraud, companies will 1. Offer you “free” or “at

not cost to you” test ing without a treating physician’s order, then bill Medicare.

2. Use “telemedicine” to offer testing to you over the phone and arrang ing for an unrelated physician or “teledoc” to order the test.

3. Call you via telephone stating your doctor or cardiologist requested that you have the test ing done and they will

send you a testing kit.

4. Bill Medicare (usually thousands of dollars) for a broad range of ge netic tests that you did not request or possibly even receive. If Medi care denies the genetic test claim you could be responsible for the en tire cost of the test, aver aging $9,000 $11,000.

5. Bill Medicare for a pharmacogenomic test (to determine how

you metabolize drugs) that are not covered by Medicare or apply to you

6. Request your Medicare number (and/or pos sibly driver’s license) at health fairs, senior centers, assisted liv ing facilities, malls, farmers’ markets, park ing lots outside retail store, home shows, or at church-sponsored wellness events

What you can do to stop genetic testing fraud

Be sure that your treat ing doctor has assessed your condition. Al though Medicare covers many genetic tests for diagnostic use, it ONLY covers one preventative genetic test to screen for cancer.

• Do not give out your personal information or accept screening services from someone at a community event, a local fair, a farmer’s mar ket, a parking lot, or any other open event.

Always read your Medi care Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB). The words “gene analysis,” “molecular pathology,” or “laboratory” may indi cate questionable genet ic testing has occurred.

EDITOR’S NOTE Over the next few weeks, Care magazine® will be spotlighting several medical scams that even savvy seniors can fall for.

If you received a cheek swab or a screening that was not medically necessary, report your concerns about bill ing errors or possible fraud to Medicare and your local SMP (Se nior Medical Patrol). In South Carolina, the Department on Aging/ SMP can be reached at aging.sc.gov or call 1-800-868-9095. Note that there are numerous Current Procedural Ter minology (CPT) codes that have been associat ed with genetic testing complaints as noted by SMP. All the codes are in the 81200 – 81400 CPT series associated with Gene Analysis and Mo lecular Pathology. You can review your MSN for these codes.

Next week: Durable Medi cal Equipment fraud

Sources: Kristen McDermott-Moz zo, DO, is a board-certified family medicine physician; https://www. smpresource.org/Content/Medi care-Fraud/Fraud-Schemes/

Understanding and treating oily skin

There are many reasons why skin can become oily, from genetics to hormones and diet. Any or all of these factors can cause the seba ceous glands in the skin to produce excess sebum, or skin oil. Too much oil can leave skin feeling greasy or looking shiny. Dermatologist Dr. Lo retta Pratt has some suggestions for how to keep oily skin under control.

Seven Simple Tips for Treating Oily Skin

1. Go hands-free: The skin on the face is often one of the areas that people find to be too oily. It’s also one of the areas that’s hardest to cover up in social situations, mak ing it a primary area of concern for many patients.

“On average, people touch their face between one and two dozen times every hour. Each time there’s a chance to transfer dirt, bacteria, and more oil onto the face. Face touching is usually done uncon sciously, so being aware of it can help prevent further irritation,” says Dr. Pratt.

2. Use blotting papers: Over-thecounter blotting papers can be used throughout the day as needed to ab sorb excess oil buildup on the skin.

Blotting papers don’t prevent or slow oil production, but they’re a quick and discreet way to man age symptoms while going about

your day. “Just be sure to follow the directions on the package,” advises Dr. Pratt.

3. Remove makeup before bed: For people who wear makeup, it’s important to remove it when it’s no longer needed or desired.

“As far as your skin is concerned, makeup is debris. Leaving it on overnight allows it to mix with se bum, bacteria, dirt, and dead skin cells, which can then clog pores and lead to further irritations like acne,” explains Dr. Pratt.

4. Wash regularly: It’s a fairly safe assumption for people of all skin types and ages that washing your skin—primarily your face— twice a day is a good routine.

It’s also a good idea to wash up after sweating, like after exercising. But don’t overdo it; cleaning your skin too frequently can aggravate it. Pay attention to how your skin re acts to your cleaning regimen.

For oily skin, lightweight foaming products are usually a better fit than heavy, creamy products.

5. Try using astringents: After the skin is washed and clean, fol low up with an astringent. These products help to unclog pores and remove oil.

Check the ingredients before you purchase an astringent. Salicylic acid, witch hazel, and citric acid can all provide benefits for oily skin. But

try to avoid alcohol-based astrin gents, which some people find irri tates their skin.

6. Exfoliate with care: Exfoli ating helps to remove debris that might be left behind by regular cleaning. For oily skin, it is appropri ate to exfoliate only once per week.

“Exfoliating too often can irritate the skin. Watch for signs of over-ex foliating such as redness or flaking. Too much can actually cause your body to produce even more oil in response, so it’s a fine balance. Also, limit the use of facial brushes and scrubs with beads or rough coarse particles,” says Dr. Pratt.

7. Always finish with moisturiz er: Washing, exfoliating, and using astringents all remove oil, which is the goal with oily skin. But remov ing oil also dehydrates the skin, which can be an issue.

Skin is made up of many layers. Sometimes the deeper layers dry out and can’t absorb more water while the surface layers have excess oil, so it’s actually possible to have skin that’s both dry and oily at the same time.

To avoid this, a lightweight mois turizer should be applied at the end of the skincare routine. If moistur izer is put on without cleaning first, bacteria and oils can get trapped against the skin, leading to clogged pores and further issues.

care TALK ©

“Everyone’s skin is different, and it’s important to know your own skin, and what works and what doesn’t,” says Dr. Pratt. “When choosing skincare products, don’t worry about the brand name or the celebrity endorsements. Focus on the ingredients.”

For people with oily skin, there are some ingredients that are probably best avoided. These in clude cocoa butter, coconut oil, petroleum jelly, silicone, alcohol, products that are oil-based, min eral oil, shea butter, vitamin E. These are all likely to clog pores or cause irritation for people with oily skin types.

Instead, try using products that include: green tea, niacinamide, L-car nitine, licochalcone A, cosmetic clays (such as green clay), aloe vera, honey, oatmeal, products that are water-based. Many times, packaging will be labeled with the word “noncome dogenic,” which just means that it won’t clog pores.

“Your skin isn’t shy. It will tell you what works or doesn’t work. And for anyone having a hard time, visiting a dermatologist is always a great op tion,” says Dr. Pratt.

Loretta Pratt, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and dermatology in practice with Advanced Dermatology P.C.

Why volunteering can benefit your mental health

If you’ve never participat ed as a volunteer, you may want to reconsider. Not only will you be helping others in need, but it’s good for your mental health too!

“Studies have indicated that volunteering is great for your mental health,” said Susan Al bers, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic. “It has been shown to decrease stress lev els, depression, anxiety and boost your overall health and satisfaction with life.”

Dr. Albers said when you help other people, it activates the reward center in your brain and releases serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.

That’s why many peo ple often feel better after volunteering.

Some other benefits include meeting new people, getting in some physical activity and developing a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.

It may also give you a new perspective on life.

Dr. Albers said volunteer ing doesn’t always have to be something major, you can do simple gestures like donating food, taking out someone’s trash or shoveling an elderly person’s driveway.

“You can get your entire family involved in volunteer

ing. It is great to role model to children that this is a great way to boost your mental health,” she said. “It’s free. It’s an activity that everyone can do. It doesn’t require a lot of skill or time.”

Dr. Albers reminds people to consider the time commit

ment required —and it is a serious commitment— before signing up for volunteering.

She also suggests picking something that is meaning ful to you.

Source: Cleveland Clinic New Service, ccnewsservice@ccf.org

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.

USCB Center For The Arts moving to Met Live Encores

From staff reports

Given recent technical is sues with USCB Center For The Arts’ broadcasts of The Met Live in HD opera offer ings, the CFA announced this week it is switching to The Met Live Encores.

This series will feature the same operas as the Live in HD series with all the same interviews, simply on different dates. The shows will be broadcast at 1 p.m., on Saturdays.

The schedule:

La Traviata, Dec. 10 The Hours, Dec. 14 Fedora, March 18 Lohengrin, April 1 Falstaff, April 15

Der Rosenkavalier, May 6

Champion, May 20 Don Giovanni, June 3 De Zauberflote, June 10

From staff reports

Bogguss brings ‘Swingin’ Christmas show to Beaufort

From staff reports

Tickets are still available for A Swingin’ Little Christmas with Suzy Bogguss at the USC Beaufort Center for the Arts. Bogguss’ Swingin’ Little Christmas is a joyous, festive evening of traditional songs and spontaneity.

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

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

The musicianship is jaw-dropping and Bogguss’ rich and fluid voice takes the audience through senti mental songs like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” to her own raucous “Two Step Round The Christmas Tree.”

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.

It’s a fun-filled night of all the Christmas classics sprinkled with some of Suzy’s hits through the years and select songs from her re cent releases American Folk Song book, Lucky and Aces Redux.

Tickets are on sale for this onenight-only performance, 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.uscbcenterforthearts. com or by calling 843-521-4145.

Holy Trinity hosting annual Christmas Program

Holy Trinity Classical Christian School is hosting its annual Christmas program ti tled Evergreen at 6 p.m., Tues day, Dec. 13 at Community Bible Church. This is a Christ mas musical celebration in cluding musical and dramatic performances featuring Holy Trinity students in grades K-12.

This year's inspiration for the program comes from the life of Saint Boniface, a mis sionary bishop who brought the message of Christ to Ger many in the 700s. Legend

states that Boniface was the first to use an evergreen tree (what we know today as the “Christmas tree”) as a symbol of Christ’s never-changing faithfulness.

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.

Throughout the program, there will be many opportu nities for congregational par ticipation in the singing of the most beloved Christmas carols.

WANT TO GO?

Who: Holy Trinity Classical Christian School student body

What: Evergreen, the annual Christmas program

When: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Community Bible Church, 638 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort 29906

Tickets: The event is free and open to the public.

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.

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

Fields, Phares set to play in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl

From staff reports

After winning a state

championship last week, two

Beaufort High School foot ball stars are set to play in South Carolina’s most pres tigious in-state all-star game.

Beaufort High’s Kacy Fields and Colton Phares are playing in the 75th annual Touchstone Energy Cooper

atives Bowl, showcasing the top senior talent in South Carolina in a North vs. South all-star clash at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10.

Hilton Head High coach B.J. Payne will be an assistant for the South team, as well.

The game will be played at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadi um in Myrtle Beach and will

feature 88 seniors from across the state.

Tickets are available online at TouchstoneEnergyBowl. com/tickets for $25. Tickets will cost $30 on game day.

The 2022 Mr. Football award, given to the state’s top senior football player, will be award ed at halftime.

Sand Fleas’ starting pitcher Ethan Watkins delivers the ball against the Red Snappers during Beaufort County Adult Baseball League action Monday night at Burton Wells Recreation Center. The game had to be called in the second inning because of rain with the Red Snappers leading the Sand Fleas 8-2. The game will be completed at later date. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Freedom of speech is — and isn’t — for everyone

The marriage counselor explained I was caught in what she deemed a “lose-lose” situation.

When asked, “Honey, do these pants make me look heavy?” I could either lie to my wife and be untrue to my self, or I could tell the truth and sleep alone. If you didn’t already know, I can tell you, a cold bed will take the edge off even the sharpest tongue.

I say this to make the point that most people know there is no such thing as absolute freedom of speech. So why do people keep pretending they don’t know that? Either civics education in this country is woefully inadequate to help people understand what speech the First Amendment does — and doesn’t — protect or a lot of people who should know better are out here lying to keep the masses stirred up.

First, let’s look at what the First Amendment actually says, courtesy of Wikipedia: “In the United States, free dom of speech and expres sion is strongly protected from government restrictions by the First Amendment to

the United States Constitu tion, many state constitu tions, and state and federal laws. Freedom of speech, also called free speech, means the free and public expression of opinions without censorship, interference and restraint by the government.”

Wikipedia is not a source I would normally quote, but it offers a nice summary of the fact the amendment is intended to be a firewall from punitive action initiated by the government.

Not from actions initiated by the owner of the privately owned company where you work, who heard you calling him a tightwad or worse — especially in an at-will state like South Carolina.

Not from being banned by the social media platform

where you posted right-wing talking points and racist im ages. (You weren’t “canceled,” Ye (Kanye? Mr. West?), you were banned for posting stuff you were warned not to post)

Not from advertisers choosing to withhold reve nue from social media plat forms that publicly announce they are abandoning content moderation. Who wants their bread-and-butter products posted in the middle of a racist flame war?

And not from an angry wife you described as “booty licious,” no matter how well intentioned you might have been. (Ahem) But I digress.

The First Amendment pro tects American citizens from the government, but even then there are exceptions.

The Freedom Forum In stitute lists these categories on its website: Obscenity.

Fighting words. Defamation.

Child pornography. Perju ry. Blackmail. True threats. Incitement to imminent lawless action. Solicitations to commit crime. (Those last few make you wonder how some folks have managed to stay out of prison long

Either civics education in this country is woefully inadequate to help people understand what speech the First Amendment does — and doesn’t — protect or a lot of people who should know better are out here lying to keep the masses stirred up.”

enough to be running for president again, huh?) The First Amendment doesn’t protect you if your speech falls under any of these. And, as the site notes, “Some experts also would add treason, if committed verbally, to that list.” (How is you-know-who still free? Goodness!)

Now, none of these are surprises to me and neither should they be surprises to most people who call themselves “free-thinking patriots.” But a lot of people act like they have no idea

what freedom of speech is and isn’t.

They take to the airwaves and go online talking all kinds of crazy about how sen sible moderation of speech is some kind of liberal scheme to destroy the country and people should take up arms to defend themselves from tyranny like during the Revolutionary War and, and, and … It never occurs to these rabble rousers the outlets they use to say this stuff exist because they actually do still have freedom of speech. I could make an argument

that some of their “free speech” actually has been ruinous for the country as a whole and deserves to be prohibited. These folks want the power of freedom, but don't want to accept any kind of responsibility for that power.

Maybe I’ll make that case in another column.

As somebody who writes on a regular basis for the public arena, as a former journalist of 20 years, and as an engaged citizen of the United States of America, I don't want government prohibition of speech. But I also understand no one has the right to say any thing and everything in all circumstances without fear of consequences.

It's not protected by the Constitution. It's not protect ed by the First Amendment. It's not even smart.

Which might explain why so many dumb people keep saying otherwise.

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

How the west was won and America lost its soul

Manifest Destiny! America’s mantra of the 1800s. A na tional obsession to move westward, to secure and possess all the lands between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. To secure and own it, America surely did, and in only a few decades of the 19th Century. How did this happen? Guns won the West – Remingtons and Colts slaughtered tens of thousands of buffalo, which carcasses were left to rot on the great Plains, until almost none remained. While the “White Man” was eliminating the “Red Man’s” basic sustenance, the “White Man” also was crushing all the native Indians, the original long-time residents of that land. To hell with ‘em all, along with the critters they lived on.

Sadly, America’s cultural im perative of “The Gun” remains a significant American ethos 200 years after slaughtering beast and foe alike.

Numbers do not lie. Almost 16,000 Americans die each year (excluding suicides) from guns. In addition to the loss of innocent human life, these deaths cost America’s economy almost one-half of $1 trillion yearly. Each year, about

3,400 children and teens die by gun-based homicide. Children and teens “of color” are four times more likely to be killed by guns than those that are white.

Stalin said, “One death is a trage dy; a million is a statistic.”

Have gun deaths become only numbers in America, just another statistic easily ignored, except to the families and loved-ones who have lost their beloved? How in the name of Hell do we tolerate this hem orrhaging of lives given up to the Temple of the “Legend of the Gun?” No other country stomachs such in sanity. We are unique. Shame on us.

We hear the notions that “guns do not kill; people kill.” Those persons who make such statements and other naysayers choose to blame mental illness, poor or ab

sent parenting, little or inadequate education, and other nonsensical excuses, leaving “the gun” without fault. Wrong. Too many guns, in too many wrong hands, equals too many senseless deaths.

Consider this: to own a gun in many states requires no background checks, permits, or training; these states allow untrained folks to open ly carry guns, of any type, anytime and anywhere, including at my alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. Visit my home state and you will see Texas’ illusions of “freedom” in the name of “The Gun.”

Daily, news sources report more meaningless killing. In 2021, there were 645 “mass” shootings, resulting in 645 deaths and countless injuries.

With one month remaining this year, America has already endured 638 “mass” shootings resulting in 637 deaths and many more injuries. That is an average of two every day, which could set an ugly record for “mass” shootings and the most homicides.

In the week alone before Thanks giving Day there were three: in Colorado, in Virginia, and Califor nia. These murders used a military weapon with a large magazine loaded with devastatingly destruc

tive bullets, an obviously preferred weapon of choice for mass murders. These military weapons are made for one purpose only — to kill other humans on the battlefield. On Sept. 19, 1994, President Clinton signed the law that made ownership of such weapons illegal, only to be allowed legal again after a 10-year period of sanity.

Newly minted social and po litical mass delusions that spew hate seem to be as frequent as mass shootings. Where does that craziness come from? Here is one possibility: about every day in June, demonstrations were conducted by heavily armed men belonging to ultra right-wing tribes. Anti-gov ernment militias and right-wing culture warriors, like the Proud Boys, comprised a majority of these and other intimidation protests. Threats of violence, even killings, by far right-wing crazies shouldn’t jeopardize our social and political disagreements. Americans, and our political leaders, can and must choose a different pathway.

Damned if I understand this folly. Being angry does not get close to how I, and many millions of other Americans, feel about senseless dai

ly killings by guns. There is much we can do to positively address the “gun” infection without “killing” our Constitution’s Second Amendment.

I strongly believe that many gunbased deaths are preventable. That said, do we simply not have the good sense, courage or dedication to stop this carnage? We eagerly dedicate our money and commit ment to eliminating medical deaths — deaths from cancer and heart disease decline every year, while deaths from guns increase.

Hello 21st Century America. An enlightened America; a well edu cated America; an empathetic and generous America. But something does not calculate; my pea-brain cannot connect the dots of cau sality that makes any sense as America’s homicides have surged. Have we the strength, dedication and common sense to solve this solvable disease? As a responsible gun owner, trained by Parris Island Marines, I believe we do. What do you believe?

SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION

coup of January 6.

Recently, I had the occasion to watch an interview with Ken Burns, American historian and producer of many rivet ing documentaries. During this exchange, he stated the following: “You can’t know where you are or where you’re going if you don’t know where you have been.”

It wasn’t as if I hadn’t heard some variation of this before. “History repeats itself,” my dad often said before launching into his ad monition of, “You only have to look at the Greeks and Romans to know that great civilizations reach their peak and then begin to decline.”

Said he very bluntly, “They seemingly have nowhere else to go.” My father, in addi tion to being a labor union president was also a student of history. Thus when I heard Mr. Burns speak, I was intrigued by his take and began to consider what I believe is a major part of the

dilemma we face today on the political front, failing to remember our history.

Those with a much better grasp of our nation’s annals than I have delineated know the occasions when our country has been at war with itself. Of course we all learned about the Civil War in school, whatever limited version may have been taught.

Additionally, we know our country was birthed by the Revolutionary War. But how many of us know there was only one successful “coup” in our country’s history? Until I began to write this piece and started to do some digging, I

certainly didn’t.

First, it is necessary to differentiate between a coup and a revolution. The latter is brought about by a large group of people working to achieve social, economic, and/ or political change. A coup, however, in layman’s terms, is the overthrow of a lawful government by illegal means.

Read the last sentence again and note the italicized words. Our country has seen one successful coup, and that was in 1898 in Wilmington, N.C. A group of white rebels (today they would be called white supremacists) joined forces with area militias to oust “duly elected” black leaders, and, as a result, black political and economic power in a city considered to be ahead of its time was dec imated for nearly 100 years.

As I read the information I had found in my research, I began to make certain connections to the attempted

Let me interrupt here and make a point that I find very disturbing, yet under standable, depending upon your political bias. I have encountered several people who try to trivialize January 6 and summarily dismiss the notion that our democracy was at risk. They refer to a “handful of people” and “just a bunch of morons.”

When questioned more closely, they revert to ques tions rather than answers. “Well, what about Antifa?” seems to be one of the more popular. So again, I did some digging and this is what I found. Between 1994 and 2020 there were 893 incidents that were categorized as ter rorist-generated. Fifty-seven percent of those were white supremacist groups, 25% were radical left-wing groups, predominantly Antifa-relat ed, and the remainder were those with other motives. All this said, let me be very clear:

I do not accept, much less advocate, violence from either end of the spectrum. We are simply better than that. And so the overriding question is this: was January 6 an attempted coup? Did our politics go over the edge of disagreement and careen into the realm of the unlaw ful and illegal? And even greater than this question is, was that event due to sponta neity or rather a premeditat ed conspiracy?

Sadly, as more information comes to light, it would ap pear that the latter is the case. Emails and texts reveal that the idea of the seizure of vot ing machines by the military was considered and would have been put into action had not cooler heads prevailed. It’s common knowledge, too, that pressure was exerted to come up with votes, and conversely, some election officials sought to toss votes away. Any or all of these would have resulted in the “ousting of duly elected

at david.m.taub42@gmail.com

leaders,” much like what happened in Wilmington 100plus years ago.

Surely it becomes ap parent that we must not let January 6 become a training exercise for further attempts to negate what we are so lucky to have, flaws and all. Is our government perfect? Not by a long shot, another phrase my Dad would use.

Is there any other country where I’d rather live? It never entered my mind until that horrific day as I watched our Capitol being ransacked, learning later that people lost their lives. That was the day I silently looked up and said to my father, “Perhaps you were right all along.”

Now I pray for the sake of my daughters and grand daughters that he was wrong. Only time and the urgency felt by so many of us will tell. Silence is not an option.

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

TERRY MANNING

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

DAVID TAUB

Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident.

CAROL LUCAS

The ending was unexpected

In 1954, I was 9 years old, and like most 9 year olds, was consumed with World War II. Many of my friends had German helmets, Japanese belly flags and ceremonial daggers “liberat ed” by their fathers. Movies like “Sands of Iwo Jima” and documentaries like “Victory at Sea” were reliable enter tainment entrees for me and my friends.

In 1954, a movie called “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” was released starring William Holden and Grace Kelley. In that movie a fighter pilot, Lt. Harry Brubaker, is tasked — along with his Navy squadron — to take out three bridges spanning a fictional gorge in Korea. Unlike many “war movies” made at the time, Harry Brubaker is a reluctant, unhappy hero.

Several weeks ago I saw a new Korean War movie, “Devotion”, that also involves blowing-up in bridges in Korea. The pilot in this film was not angry or reluctant about the task; rather he was anguished about the fact that he could not see what was directly in front of his F4 Corsair fighter plane. This was a well-documented flaw in the Corsair’s design and the reason it was sometimes dubbed “The Ensign Killer.”

“Devotion” is focused on the fact that this particular pilot is Black and fitting-into the mostly white U.S. Navy was almost as hard as flying the Corsair itself.

After seeing “Devotion” at Cinemark, Susan and I drove to the Mellow Mushroom for a herb and aioli-sauced pizza as well as discussion of “Devotion”. But I could not get “Bridges at Toko-Ri” out of my head, and our conver sation kept going back to “Bridges” and to Brubaker.

Harry Brubaker is a moody

lawyer who has been calledup to fight in Korea. He’s not happy about this and actu ally tells the admiral aboard his carrier how he feels about the war. The admiral, played by Frederick March, likes Brubaker because he reminds him of his son who was killed in World War II.

And so “Bridges” gives us an intelligent conversation about the necessity of war and why some are destined to fight and others get a pass. It is, in my view, some of the best dialogue about the uncertainly and unfair ness that comes with living on our strange, beautiful planet.

Dwight Eisenhower was elected President on the strength of his promise to go to Korea and to stop the bloodshed. “Bridges” was shot just after Mark Clark signed the cease-fire docu ments at Panmunjom. The American people were sick and tired and ready to leave that cold, costly stalemate behind. It is also remarkable that the Navy sanctioned “Bridges” given the moody, ambivalent Brubaker.

Harry Brubaker’s F2H Banshee was, by today’s standards, a smallish jet with a smallish bomb load — 1,000 pounds. The heavy duty bombing was usually undertaken by the propel ler-driven A-1 Skyraider that had a maximum bomb load of 8,000 pounds.

After successfully knock

ing out the bridges at TokoRi, Brubaker takes a hit that ruptures his fuel tank. This happens over a secondary target, a fuel dump, that was not anywhere near as important as the bridges he had just destroyed.

The best part of the film is Brubaker's effort to get his wounded Banshee back to the carrier. There is one final ridge that he must get past.

I cannot remember what was going through my 9-year-old mind, but I would bet my last quarter that I believed Brubaker would surmount that ridge. That he would get himself back to the car rier and into the thin arms of his gorgeous wife, Nancy, played by Grace Kelly.

But he doesn’t get past the ridge. He is forced to crashland on the mainland where we are now sure he will be rescued by helicopter. That helicopter is piloted by a lovable, green hat-and-scarfwearing misfit, Mike Forney, who is played by Micky Rooney. But in the movie’s final scene Harry Brubaker and Mike Forney are killed — by the North Koreans — in a drainage ditch.

That ending was unex pected and yes, I know, the good guys sometimes die. But this last scene was in keeping with the notion that Korea was not the same kind of heroic conflict we had won five years earlier. It rein forced the notion that Korea was a different kind of war and — to some extent — sig naled that future wars would be complicated, uncertain and that America’s tolerance for losing its teenagers in distant places had its limits.

Warmest Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season

(843) 524-2581 www.carolina-air.com

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

SCOTT GRABER

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Why, my soul, are you so downcast?

Since before the world was made God has known you and loved you. He has never taken His eyes away or ignored you. If you were to write down all the blessings and victories He has given to you, they would prove He has called you, has been guiding you, and has many wonderful things planned for your future.

Do you believe this today? Is your life heading in a direction that you are excited about, or are you downcast?

At this time of year, it’s common for many people to be filled with a mixture of emotions. Some are dealing with anxiety, while others are walking through a time of sadness and loneliness.

Maybe something negative happened this year and you have not recovered from it.

Maybe you have experienced a terrible loss and are in ago ny while trying to appear that everything is alright.

Along with 2022 com ing to a close, we have the new year just a couple of weeks away and fear of the

BILLY HOLLAND

unknown can be a little stressful.

Has disappointment in the past, caused you to not be as confident or optimistic as you once were? Of course, we all have times in our lives when we are upset and feel that nothing is going right.

Don't worry, you are perfectly normal. Life is a series of ups and downs and no matter how jolly of a personality you may have, there will be seasons when we search deep within ourselves to see if we are being attacked or maybe we need to forgive ourselves.

Whatever the case, it’s easy to wallow in our sorrows, but when we turn our attention away from ourselves and fo cus on loving God and those

around us, the dark clouds begin lifting, and the joy and brightness of God's presence will fill our hearts.

I want to share God’s word with you from Psalm 42:5 and repeated again in verse 11, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” This is a passage from David and if you study his relationship with God, you know he had his share of sorrows, but he also learned how to encourage himself.

He wrote this when his son Absalom committed treason, but even through something as devastating as this he expresses that hope becomes even more empowered when everything seems hopeless. He examines his own heart and comes to the under standing there are times we will not comprehend why we are going through trials, but we are to obey and glorify God while we are waiting for our answer.

Instead of going to bed

Love God, Love Others, Reach Out

All 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

and covering our heads, let us look beyond our pity party and focus our eyes on the goodness of the Lord and how much He has done for us. Sometimes we are so absorbed with what we are going through, we forget all the things He has helped us with and saved us from.

I had two situations today that could have been tragic, but God intervened in them

PETER’S SAINT

CATHOLIC CHURCH 70 Lady’s Island Drive Beaufort, SC 29907 www.stpetersbeaufort.org 843-522-9555

both. I was driving on the by pass and was getting ready to change lanes when at the last second I saw a car beside me out of the corner of my eye. If I had turned into that car, the outcome would not have been good, to say the least. My wife kept talking and was never aware of the situation as I breathed a sigh of relief.

The second situation in volved me being on a ladder

this afternoon on the front porch. I thought I was on the bottom step but I was actual ly on the step above and fell onto the concrete and into the storm door. I broke the door and have a few bruises, but miraculously I was not seriously injured.

With two near misses on the same day, I've been hum bly counting my blessings.

I know it's easy at times to feel sorry for ourselves, but instead of feeling cast down, may we consider where we would be without God's con stant mercy and compassion. Hope is a small word like love and joy, but it contains the power of the human soul to trust God and live every moment as if His promises are going to be fulfilled in our lives. Often we are trou bled because we are focused more on what we interpret as a disappointment than on praising God for providing another opportunity to appre ciate His goodness.

Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

Mass Schedule Weekends

SATURDAY

5:00 pm 7:00 pm (Spanish)

SUNDAY 9:00 am 11:00 am 4:00 pm

Daily Masses

Main Church 8:30 am Mon Tues Thurs Fri

You’re Not Alone!

God Gave Us a Spiritual Family

We are not meant to journey to God all by ourselves. The current pandemic, forcing us into isolation and social distancing, has been a difficult reminder of our need for other people. We are not meant to be alone, separated from others. We depend on each another not only for our physical needs, such as food and medical care, but also for emotional health. Likewise, we are not meant to be alone on our journey with God. God intended for us to have a spiritual family to accompany us and support us in our faith.

The Bible is the story of God forming a family of faith. As we explored in our message series, “Preparing the Way,” God always intended for us to know and love him through a family of faith. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were to help each other to love God. After sin entered the world, God called Abraham and began a new spiritual family. Abraham’s descendants eventually became the nation of Israel. God promised that one day, he would bless the entire world through Abraham’s descendants. (Genesis 12:3)

Through Jesus, the family of faith becomes open to all humanity. God did something no one could have imagined: he became a human being, Jesus of Nazareth. He was born into the people of Israel. Through Jesus, all the nations of the earth are indeed blessed. The family of faith expands into a worldwide family, through which all peoples can come to know and love Jesus. Through this family, Jesus continues to invite all to share in the victory he has won for us.

The family of Christian believers is called the Church. The original Greek word translated as “church” meant a gathering of people for a specific purpose. The early Christians began to describe themselves with this term. They were not referring to a building for prayer, as we often use “church” today, but Christians united in Jesus as a spiritual family. In the New Testament, we see this word used to describe the worldwide Christian family as well as local communities of Christians.

Holy Cross Mission

Historic Church 12:00 pm - Wed 9:00 am - 1st Sat of Month

The Book of Acts describes the first years of the Church. The Acts of the Apostles is the book in the New Testament directly following the four Gospels. In Acts, we see how the Christian faith began to spread throughout the whole world. We experience the joy of the early Christians, and we are inspired by their willingness to risk everything to follow Jesus and to share his Good News with others.

The example of the early Church inspires us still today. In this message series, we will explore some of the important themes and events in the Acts of the Apostles. What mission did Jesus give the apostles? How did Jesus continue his ministry through them? What lessons can be learned from the early Christians that still apply to us today, as we journey with God?

The Early Church

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.

Heirs Property Workshop

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, Penn Center’s Frissell Community House, 16 Penn Center Circle-West, St. Helena Island.

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. Well-behaved 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 843522-9622 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 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 Santa & Friends 6:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8, Beaufort Town Center. Free and open to the public. Bring your own camera. Visit and take photos with Santa and Friends at Beaufort Town Center's Center Stage. Make plans to grab dinner and do a little shopping.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HIGHWAY 21 DRIVE-IN

The movies scheduled for this week (Friday, Dec. 9 through Thursday, Dec. 15, closed Wednesdays) at the Highway 21 Drive-In are Strange World (PG, 6:30 p.m.) and Wakanda Forever (PG-13, 8:30 p.m.) on Screen 1; Christmas Vacation (PG-13, 7 p.m.) and Violent Night (R, 9:15 p.m.) on Screen 2; and Polar Express (PG, 7 p.m.) and Elf (PG, 9 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).

Annual Tree

Lighting Ceremony

6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9, Beaufort County Courthouse Plaza. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Event is free to the public. There will be an appearance by a special guest from the North Pole arriving in his sleigh, face painting, food trucks, and of course lots of music and holiday carols being sung.

Food and beverages will be available from Time to Eat, Mother Smokin Good BBQ, Lowcountry Taps HHI and Cinnabon. The trucks will be set up and ready to serve by 5:30 p.m. and will be available throughout the event. Parking is available at the Main Administration Building located at 100 Ribaut Rd, Beaufort, SC 29902.

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.

Lowcountry Made Christmas Market

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, Live Oaks Park, 904 14th Street, downtown Port Royal. Market includes local vendors, live music, food and drink. The events is free.

Participating vendors include: Amidst the Alders, Mother Smokin’ Good BBQ (Food Truck), Preservation Tree Art, True South, Pet Wants, Back to Eden Self Care (Tea), Blue Door Boutique, Clayed by Reena LLC, Raymonda Ceramics, Frosted Artistry, 7th & Palm, Tout Sweet Macarons, HandMade Beaufort, Lovin' My Skin, LLC, Low Country Livin', Finch Sign & Design Metalworks LLC, Honey Bunny Boutique, Oak and Octane, Vox Loci Studio, Salty Beach Berries, Sea Island Kids, wild light honey bees, Pure Essence, Bossy Brand by Morgan, Charleston Slate Works, William A. Glass, Take Home Sweets, Little Red Hen Housewares, Lowcountry Fluid Art, Fishsticks Coastal Crafts, Scenturo, Lily & Grace, The Polawana Puppy, Coin Art.

Jingle Jammie Jam

7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, Revolution Ballroom. Cost $20. Attire is festive holiday pajamas. Get cozy in your holiday PJ's and enjoy the magic of the season. Expect a gourmet hot chocolate bar, delicious hors d'oeuvres, holiday treats, a sounds of the season playlist, special performances and social dancing. Skip the line and sign up at https://bit.ly/3VvN5Xb.

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.

Santa Clause

Christmas Drive-Thru

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15, 16 Penn Center Circle-West, St. Helena Island.

Free gift of a toy for all boys and girls. Cosponsored with the St. Helena and Lady’s Island Fire Department.

Music From The Manger

7:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, Wardle

Family YMCA, 1801 Richmond Ave, Port Royal. Headlining the concert is local musician Liz Jane with her band including Jim Bachety (lead guitar), Kyle Fabian (bass), and Stefan Mozer (drums). Supporting Liz this year is a talented singer Emery Ward, the band Rock Solid and the Music From The Manger Choir led by Joshua Wall. Music From the Manger will benefit the YMCA Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $30, $60 for a family of four. Visit MusicFromTheManger.com.

Live Nativity Performance

6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 18, Penn Center’s Frissell Community House, 16 Penn Center Circle-West, St. Helena Island.

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, 843-2556456.

Dungeons & Dragons

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

Lego Club

4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, 843-2556540. 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, 843-255-6479. 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, 843-255-6479. 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

The Beaufort Trailblazers –A Volunteer Group

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

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 843-705-9590. 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).

NEW YEAR’S

Roaring 20s New Year’s Eve 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31, Revolution Ballroom. Attire is 1920's theme. Advance registration is required. Early Bird tickets (until Dec. 15) are $45 per person. Tickets after Dec. 15 are $55 per person. Tickets are non-refundable. Get tickets at https://www. revolutionballroom.com/event/newyear/.

OUTDOORS

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

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.

Jingle

YOUR EVENT HERE Send your events to theislandnews@gmail.com

A Marine veteran birthday

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Waa Gok Lem, seated, blows out the candles representing 95 years on his birthday cake as other active and retired Marines sing Happy Birthday to him Monday afternoon at his home. Lee enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 1950 and stayed until his retirement in June 1973. He did combat tours of duty during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Holding the cake is longtime friend J.R. Brown.

Standing in back are, from left, Mike Davis, Walt Field, Gunnery Sgt. Sean Kaspar, Chief Warrant Officer III Mark Pellon, Sgt. Maj. Charlie Ledford and Ron West. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

VA (and DOD) medical records

This week’s article is the second and final part of a two-part series on how veterans can get VA medical records in-person, by fax, and online and how to get copies of their Department of Defense Health records on the TRI CARE website.

Last week, Lowcoun try S.C. and Ga., veterans learned that they can get a copy of their VA medical records at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Cen ter’s Medical Records Office, located on the first floor, in the Welcome Center, at 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401. The phone number for the RHJVA Med Center Medical Records Office is 843-577- 5011, ext. 206333 the direct phone number is 843-789-6333 and the FAX number is 843-579-3783.

Question 5: How does a vet eran get his or her medical records from their VA health facility?

Veterans can get a complete copy of their VA medical records directly from their VA health facility. Read the VHA website page titled How to get your medical records from your VA health facility, which is found at https://bit. ly/3VCO47p

Question 6: How does a veteran submit a medical records request to their VA Health Care facility?

Veterans need to fill out an individual request for a copy of their own health informa tion, VA Form 10-5345a. Vet erans can download the form at https://bit.ly/3VWo9b2

Veterans should submit their completed form 10-5345a to their VA health facility’s medical records office. This office is also called a Release of Information Office. As men tioned earlier, veterans can submit their forms by mail, by fax, or in person. Veterans should bring their Veterans Health Identification Card or driver’s license when visiting a VA Medical Records Office.

Question 7: How can a veter an find their medical records office?

Veterans should follow these steps to find contact in formation for their VA health facility’s medical records office:

1. Find your VA health facility at https://www. va.gov/find-locations

2. On your health facil ity’s website, scroll to the “In the spotlight” box.

3. Select “Access your health records.” This will bring you to a page with contact informa tion for the medical records office.

Note: If a veteran receives care at a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) or Outpatient Clinic (OPC), they should call the medical records office before going to the CBOC or OPC for Medi cal Records. Veterans should ask the CBOC or OPC if they have their records. Veterans may need to request their re cords through a VA medical center instead of the clinic.

Question 8: How long does it take for a veteran to get their medical records?

The time it takes for the VA to provide a veteran’s medical records depends on how the VA is storing the records and other factors (like high demand and staff shortages) like the RHJ VA Medical Center is currently experiencing:

If a veteran’s records are in an online system, it may take up to 30 calen dar days.

If your records are on pa per, it may take up to 60 calendar days or longer.

This usually applies to records created before 1998.

Veterans should allow time for the VA to process their medical records requests. If the VA estimates it will take them longer than expected,

the VA should send the vet eran a letter in the mail. If a veteran does not get a letter within 20 calendar days, they can contact the VA. Contact ing the VA before then may cause a further delay.

Question 9: How can a veteran get copies of their Department of Defense (DoD) Health records on the TRICARE website?

Learn how to get DoD Health Records on the TRI CARE website at https://bit. ly/3UDZirs. Military mem bers and veterans should keep copies of their medical documentation, records, and health care history informa tion for their own reference (and future VA Claims for disability). To learn more about why military members and veterans need to keep good health records, read The Island News article ti tled, “Why military members should keep good records of injuries and illnesses,” which was published on Nov. 18, 2020. Find that article at https://bit.ly/3Bd1BuF

If a veteran gets most of their medical care at military hospitals or clinics, the veter an will have a DoD electron ic health record. Read about the Military Health Record System (called MHS GENE SIS) and how to log into the GENESIS patient portal at https://bit.ly/3F5SXzl

If a veteran is retired or separated after Jan. 1, 2014, paper copies of their Service Treatment Records (STRs) were digitized following their retirement or separation from the Armed Forces. If a veteran’s STRs do not con tain information classified as sensitive, they will be avail

able via their Patient Portal, either TRICARE Online or MHS GENESIS.

To request a copy of your health record, you’ll need to submit a Request Per taining to Military Records (SF 180) to the applicable organization as identified on the form. Download the SF 180 form at https://bit. ly/3F980Iy. Requests can also be made in person to your last home military hospital or clinic. Civilian providers may keep paper records or use a private elec tronic health record system

Question 10: Will the VA protect a veteran’s personal health information?

Yes – https://bit. ly/3VCO47p is a secure web site. The VA follows strict security policies and practic es to protect personal health information. However, if a veteran prints or downloads anything from the website, the veteran needs to take responsibility for protecting that information.

Question 11: How does VA share my health information with providers outside VA?

The Veterans Health In formation Exchange (VHIE) program allows the VA to securely share a veteran’s health information with participating community care providers in the VA’s network.

VHIE also lets the VA share a veteran’s healthcare informa tion with the Department of Defense.

VHIE gives a veteran’s healthcare provider(s) a more complete understanding of the veteran’s health record. This more complete under standing can help a veteran’s provider make more informed

treatment decisions. The VA shares a veteran’s health information with participat ing community providers only when they’re treating the veteran.

If a veteran does not want the VA to share their information through VHIE, the veteran can opt-out at any time. Learn more about VHIE at https://bit.ly/3VVKp52

Question 12: What if I have more questions?

Veterans and their family members (nda civilian pro viders) can get more informa tion in any of these ways: Read the FAQs pages on the My HealtheVet web portal VA Blue Button FAQs at: https://bit.ly/3VC7FFj VA health summary FAQs at https://bit. ly/3FEk721

VA medical images and reports FAQs at https:// bit.ly/3iHSTyo Call the My HealtheVet help desk at 877-327-0022 (TTY: 800-877-8339) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact the VA online through My HealtheVet at https://www.myhealth. va.gov/contact-us

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

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 9 December 2022

Recruit Training Regiment • Commanding Officer, Colonel B. W. Ward 2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel C. J. Kearney Commander of Troops, Captain A. H. Mubarak • Parade Adjutant, Staff Sergeant A. C. Bowers Company “H”, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain A. H. Mubarak Drill Masters • Gunnery Sergeant T. M. Moore, Staff Sergeant S. A. Jones

PLATOON 2088

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. A. Louis

Pvt Adameoliva, J.

Pvt Anderson, J. L.

Pvt Aparis, J. D.

Pvt Austin, M. B.

Pvt Benoit, D. G.

PFC Black, J. S.

Pvt Bond, E I.

Pvt Cameron Jr. M. J.

Pvt Cannady II. S.

Pvt Champagne, D. T.

Pvt Charles, A. B.

Pvt Conner, T. G.

Pvt Coronado, S. T.

Pvt Cruz, J. P.

PFC Cruzramirez, J. A.

PFC Dawkins, K. D.

Pvt Dillon, K. M.

PFC Eichert, J. A.

Pvt Evon, K. D.

PFC Fauci, B. J.

Pvt Fields, D. L.

Pvt Fletcher, Z. C.

PFC Frazier, I. J.

Pvt Gomez, A. J.

Pvt Gomez, J. T.

Pvt Griffis, N. M.

Pvt Hawkins, L. J.

Pvt Hayes, K. J.

Pvt Horton, C. E.

PFC Howard, H. D.

Pvt Jesus, J. T.

Pvt Johnstone, A. M.

Pvt Kyser, A. P.

PFC Lavastida, A. PFC Lay, J. D.

PFC Lorenzo, E. Pvt Martinez, J.

PFC Martinez, M. M.

Pvt Martinezpena, R. R.

Pvt Mcneill, P. J.

PFC Mendezmunoz, K. J.

PFC Molinavenegas, J. A.

PFC Ontiveros, A. R.

Pvt Parks, N. D.

PFC Patton, J. A.

Pvt Pownall, K. R.

Pvt Rabon, S. P.

Pvt Richard Jr., V. S.

Pvt Richardson, H. R.

Pvt Rines, J. T.

Pvt Rodriguez, J. A.

PFC Salinas, A. E.

Pvt Sanchez, A.

Pvt Sanchez, R. N.

Pvt Sears, L. J.

Pvt Seavers, M. G.

Pvt Sherer, J. T.*

Pvt Speaks, C. M.

Pvt Thompson Iii, R. A.

Pvt Torrens, E. R.*

PFC White, J. A.

Pvt Williams, B. N.

Pvt Wilson, N. A.*

Pvt Young, A. Y.

PLATOON 2089

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. P. Villon

Pvt Aitken, R. C.

Pvt Alvarezdoriamedina, C. R.

PFC Ardito, F.

PFC Arroyofonseca, R. J.

PFC Beltran Jr., J. C.

PFC Bing, J. M.*

PFC Brower, C. C.

PFC Cabrera, J. J.

PFC Campbell, L. R.*

Pvt Cardona, A. S.

Pvt Casper, C. P.

Pvt Chaperno Jr., I.

Pvt Chmiel, B. M.

Pvt Coppock, T. M.

Pvt Davilapenaherrera, C. L.

Pvt Devine, I. N.

PFC Dickinson, M. A.*

Pvt Diegotenorio, B.

Pvt Dunn, L. W.

Pvt Edouard, T. S.

Pvt Frazer, A. P.

Pvt Frechette Jr., M. E.

Pvt Gagnelemay, N. C.

PFC Grafton, B. F.

PFC Hesco, E. G.

Pvt Heyward III, R.

Pvt Hill, A. G.

Pvt Immen, K. D.

Pvt Jordan, D. A.

Pvt Kilduff, M. P.

Pvt Krol, M.

Pvt Leclair, K. R.

Pvt Lund, J. L.

Pvt Mack, J. A.

Pvt Marone D. F.

Pvt Maxwell, L. E.

Pvt Mcgowan, L. E.

Pvt Mckay, M. S.

Pvt Mondesir, P.

Pvt Mott, J. M.

Pvt Nugranoguera, H. J.

Pvt Orebek, Z. L.

PFC Ortiz, A.

PFC Perez, R. D.

PFC Perezperez, R. A.

PFC Pilato, G.

Pvt Powell, T. Z.

Pvt Ramirezfigueroa, J. M.

PFC Rendonospina, J.

PFC Rinaldi Jr., J.

Pvt Roley, J. A.

PFC Rosa, I. N.

Pvt Sanchez, C. B.

PFC Santos, M. D.

Pvt Simpson, J. D.

Pvt Song, R.

Pvt Statzer, A. J.

PFC Stoval Jr., L. D.

Pvt Sweitzer Jr., D. P.

Pvt Traore, M. S.

Pvt Verplank, T. W.

Pvt Williams, K. K.

Pvt Williams, M. M.

PLATOON 2090

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt E. I. Kelson

Pvt Bourdierdrivas, P.

PFC Bundy, J. R.

PFC Bush, A. B.

PFC Collins, C. M.

Pvt Cortez, E. G.

Pvt Dillon, K. A.

PFC Duesing, P. E.

Pvt Figueroamercado, Y.

Pvt Garcialicea, D.

Pvt Gordon, T. S.

Pvt Huth, J. L.

PFC Lanni, A. F.

Pvt Lee, C. O.

PFC Lopez, I. D.

Pvt May, K. L.

PFC Mcelroy, H. B.

Pvt Mckinnon, K. J.

Pvt Medearis, M. N.

Pvt Melgarejobarreto, A. A.

Pvt Munoz, G. A.

Pvt Navarro, A.

Pvt Onofre, L.

Pvt Parapimora, J. A.

Pvt Perino, A. M.

PFC Peynado, D. A.

Pvt Porras, E.

Pvt Ringo, C. A.

Pvt Rodriguez, E. A.

Pvt Salomon, C. C.

Pvt Santana, M.

Pvt Simpkins, J. M.

PFC Stinson, Z.

Pvt Vegasolis, L. C.

Pvt Zegarraalban, C. P.

PLATOON 2092

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. M. Jordan

PVT Aguilar, A.

PFC Aguilarrios, R.

PVT Allen, B. D.

PVT Anablethompson, C. A

PVT Astudillo, L. S.

PVT Bajana, A. V.

PVT Barclay, A. A.

PVT Bermudezcolon, K. A.

PVT Biggs, A.

PFC Boudreaux, G. S.

PFC Cortesguevara, S.

PVT Cruz, A.

PVT Cutrera, H. M.

PVT Derhgawen, B. G.

PVT Diaz, S. M.

PVT Douchette Jr., S. X.

PVT Durocher, W. A.

PFC Durr, S. R.

PVT Edwards Jr., C. L.

PVT Emery, D. C.

PVT Fall, T. S.

PVT Foster, S. D.

PVT Frias, J. E.

PVT Friasvillatoro, J. M.

PVT Garciamozo, J. D.

PVT Gardner, A. L. PVT Gonzalez, A.

PVT Gutierrezcardenas, A. A.

PVT Hampton, A. J.

PVT Jackson, N. A.

PFC Lake IV, J. A.

PFC Lauretti, D. T.

PVT Lemarivera, H. F.

PVT Lichtenthal, M. D.

PVT Lombardi, N.

PVT Madho, R. R. PVT Madugno, W. K.

PFC Mai, J.

PVT Mbengue, E. M. PFC Mendez, J. C.

PVT Milord, W. J.

PVT Mizner Jr., E.

PVT Murillo, R. J.

PVT Owens, D. J.

PFC Paucar, J.

PVT Peraltamadera, I.

PVT Perez, K. A.

PVT Pham, D. N.

PFC Restivo, N. J.

PVT Santiago, Y. C.

PVT Scarpulla, C. C.

PVT Suborov, M.

PFC Thomas, A. C.

PVT Thomas, B. W.

PVT Thompson, L. D.

PVT Thornhill, J. I.

PFC Tidwell, H. A.

PVT Titus, M. C.

PVT Turner, J. V.

PVT Villanueva, K. S.

PVT Wallace, D. P.

PVT Williams Jr,, R. A.

PFC Williams, B. C.

PFC Winters, B. J.

PVT Zaruma, M. E.

PLATOON 2093

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt J. M. Mustard

Pvt Avendanovasquez, J. K. PFC Bailey, C. R.

Pvt Ballance, R. S. PFC Barcenas, D. K. PFC Berry, W. L. PFC Broad, B. T.

Pvt Bruecken, J. T. Pvt Carbajal, J. PFC Carruth, D. G. Pvt Castles, D. J. Pvt Chatman, C. I. Pvt Cheyneymorgan, B. J. Pvt Chicaizaamagamarca, J. D. Pvt Cody, J. P. Pvt Courtemanche II, M. R. Pvt Davenport, R. S. Pvt Deloa, J. L. Pvt Dignazio, D. J. Pvt Dory, A. C. Pvt Dubuc, A. PFC Edwards, B. C. Pvt Eudavegomez, F. Pvt Fagbohun, W. A. Pvt Firrincieli, S. M. Pvt Gavira, E. R. PFC Gridiron III, J. M. * PFC Harris, J. D. PFC Henry, A. M. * PFC Hesselbrock, N. K. Pvt Hollander III, G. F. Pvt Houghton, T. Z. Pvt Howard, T. M. PFC Huddleston II, G. D. PFC Johnson, J. L. Pvt Kimple, D. J. Pvt Mackall, J. I. * Pvt Marquezworley, D. J. Pvt Mccomas Jr., J. L. PFC Mcginley, R. E. PFC Mcmahon, A. M. Pvt Muller, N. M. Pvt Nelson, J. A. Pvt Nielson, V. A. Pvt Olmoscarrasco, M. L. Pvt Parker, C. J. PFC Peeler Jr., R. A. PFC Peterson, P. L. Pvt Phan, J. V. Pvt Ramsey Jr., A. C. Pvt Reyes, L. F. Pvt Riveramedina, J. D.

Pvt Rosario, W. A. PFC Seabrook, A. C. *

Pvt Serhus, E.

Pvt Slaten, J. T. Pvt Sotoorozco, J. A. Pvt Spencer, A. J.

Pvt Thomas, J. R. Pvt Thompson, E. D. PFC Tofte, R. R. Pvt Turner, D. J. Pvt Wanamaker, A. J. PFC Watson, B. C. Pvt Wyatt Jr., K. G. PFC Zovko, T. A.

PLATOON 2094

Senior Drill Instructor

Sgt S. D. Sanchez

Pvt Bonostro, D. M.

Pvt Boresow, H. A.

Pvt Bulls, L. K.

Pvt Byambatsetseg, T. PFC Coulter, L. M.

PFC Diaz, A. D.

Pvt Dickens, Tiffany E.

PFC Evans, T. C.

Pvt Griffith, E. A.

Pvt Gurley, A. A.

Pvt Guzmanmarquina, B. M.

Pvt Lugozamudio, S. P.

Pvt Madl, E. T.

Pvt Marks, H. A.

Pvt Miano, J. C.

PFC Millet, W. A.

Pvt Oppy, R. N.

PFC Paucar, S. V.

PFC Priebe, I. S.

Pvt Robichaud, A. R.

Pvt Roland, Laniya D.

PFC Ruizfigueroa, S. S. Pvt Sanchezzelaya, A. R.

PFC Shirk, M. K.

Pvt Spaugy, L. C. Pvt Teran, K.

Pvt Thomas, B. Y. PFC Upton, J. K. PFC Zetino, G. A.

*Denotes meritorious promotion to current rank

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to acquire sustainable culinary skills and restaurant management.

During

During the spring many of the

began working at Marshview

ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC, On July 31, 2022 . Many families & Friends supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son Chef Bubba, and daughter Chef Oshi Green behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments of the youth and the organization s 11th Annual Gullah Cooking School Graduation/Fundraiser, and Scholarship Award.

Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable practices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded

During the spring many of the students began working at Marshview Community Organic Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable practices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded various traditional and heirloom seeds in the greenhouse. Some of them participated in the Family Backyard Garden Project. This project provided each family with a 6X12 Cedar Garden box with all the necessary seedlings from our greenhouse including mushroom compost, organic fertilizers, and planting tips. Later, these young farmers were introduced to the South Carolina Coastal Community Development Corp. Commercial Kitchen to learn about Gullah cuisine, their culture, and traditions

ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC — On July 31, 2022, many families and friends supported the youth as they prepared mouthwa tering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son, Chef Bubba, and his daughter, Chef Oshi Green, behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments annual Gullah Cook ing School Graduation/Fundraiser and Scholarship Award.

During

During the spring, many of the students began working at Marshview Community Organic Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable prac tices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded various traditional and heirloom seeds in the greenhouse. Some of them participated in the Family Backyard Garden Project — which provides each family with a 6×12 cedar garden box and all of the necessary seedlings from our greenhouse, including mushroom compost, organic fertilizers, and planting tips. Later, these young farmers were introduced to the South Carolina Coastal Community Devel opment Corporation Commercial Kitchen where they learned

During the spring many of the students began working at Marshview Community Organic Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable practices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded various traditional and heirloom seeds in the greenhouse. Some of them participated in the Family Backyard Garden Project. This project provided each family with a 6X12 Cedar Garden box with all the necessary seedlings from our greenhouse including mushroom compost, organic fertilizers, and planting tips. Later, these young farmers were introduced to the South Carolina Coastal Community Development Corp. Commercial Kitchen to learn about Gullah cuisine, their culture, and traditions

to acquire sustainable culinary skills and restaurant management.

These

During the past two months, students were introduced to the SC Coastal

as the

traditions

During the past two months, students were introduced to the SC Coastal Community Development Corporation commercial kitchen as the venue for the tenth annual Gullah Cooking School. The young chefs prepared and enjoyed their creations sharing with their families, recipes, and stories of their ancestor s agricultural expertise and accomplishments. They also were able to practice cooking at home. The class also provided an opportunity for students to prepare, serve, and distribute traditional Gullah dishes, like Grandma used to make at home. Students assist Chef Bill Green, Chef Bubba Green, and Chef Oshi Green in preparing 670 meals bimonthly to the community. These future chefs/entrepreneurs were VERY excited to show off their culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with family and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their “Farm to journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and connections to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing out the evening, with encouraging words from Mrs. Ervena Faulkner, a former beloved teacher of the island schools, and Darhonna Freeman a 2020 Marshview scholarship

A big thank you to our parents, funders, auction donors, and volunteers. We are so grateful for your resources, time, hard work, and dedication shown throughout the years. None of this would be possible without you!

the

Gullah

The young chefs prepared and enjoyed their creations sharing with their families, recipes, and stories of their ancestor s agricultural expertise and accomplishments. They also were able to practice cooking at home. The class also provided an opportunity for students to prepare, serve, and distribute traditional Gullah dishes, like Grandma used to make at home. Students assist Chef Bill Green, Chef Bubba Green, and Chef Oshi Green in preparing 670 meals bimonthly to the community. These future chefs/entrepreneurs were VERY excited to show off their culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with family and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and

During the past two months, students were introduced to the SC Coastal Community Development Corporation commercial kitchen as the venue for the tenth annual Gullah Cooking School. The young chefs prepared and enjoyed their creations sharing with their families, recipes, and stories of their ancestor s agricultural expertise and accomplishments. They also were able to practice cooking at home. The class also provided an opportunity for students to prepare, serve, and distribute traditional Gullah dishes, like Grandma used to make at home. Students assist Chef Bill Green, Chef Bubba Green, and Chef Oshi Green in preparing 670 meals bimonthly to the community. These future chefs/entrepreneurs were VERY excited to show off their culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with family and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and connections to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing out the evening, with encouraging words from Mrs. Ervena Faulkner, a former beloved teacher of the island schools, and Darhonna Freeman a 2020 Marshview scholarship

Gullah Cooking School. The young chefs prepared and en joyed their creations, sharing with their families the recipes and stories of their ancestor’s agricultural expertise and ac complishments. They also were able to practice cooking at home. The class also provided an opportunity for students to prepare, serve, and distribute traditional Gullah dishes, like Grandma used to make at home. Students assisted Chef Bill Green, Chef Bubba Green, and Chef Oshi Green in preparing 670 meals bimonthly to the community. These future chefs/ entrepreneurs were VERY excited to show off their culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with fami ly and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their “Farm to Fork” journey in a powerful PowerPoint presenta tion demonstrating their communication skills and connec tions to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing

a former beloved teacher of the island schools, and Darhonna Freeman a 2020 Marshview scholarship

recipient, now a junior at Allen University, studying Criminal Justice. Finally, we were graced with the presence of two Beaufort High School Scholars Jerni Joyner & Ki’Ayisa Moultrie, who were the recipients of the Marshview Community Organic Farm, Inc Cindy Collins Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 dollars each to support their personal and educational ventures.

We believe in teaching our youth the ways of the old saying, Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. By exposing more students to home gardens, locally and sustainably produced foods as we preserve our culture, and to lead with lovingkindness one bite at a time.

a lifetime.’ By exposing more students to home gardens, locally and sustainably produced foods as we preserve our culture, and to lead with lovingkindness one bite at a time.

Farm, Inc. Cindy Collins Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 dollars each to support their personal and educa tional ventures.

A big thank you to our parents, funders, auction donors, and volunteers. We are so grateful for your resources, time, hard work, and dedication shown throughout the years. None of this would be possible without you!

Please SAVE THE DATE and join us on December 11th at 5:30PM for our annual performance The Road of Remembrance A Praise House Experience. This will be a fundraiser for Penn Center, held at Frissell House on the historic Penn Center campus during Heritage Festival Days. Please rsvp at marshview35@gmail.com to receive more information or to volunteer.

Please SAVE THE DATE and join us on December 11th at 5:30PM for our annual performance The Road of Remembrance A Praise House Experience.” This will be a fundraiser for Penn Center, held at Frissell House on the historic Penn Center campus during Heritage Festival Days. Please rsvp at marshview35@gmail.com to receive more information or to volunteer.

A big thank you to our parents, funders, auction donors, and volunteers. We are so grateful for your resources, time, hard work, and dedication shown throughout the years. None of this would be possible without you!

We believe in teaching our youth the ways of the old saying, Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for By exposing more students to home gardens, locally and sustainably produced foods as we preserve our culture, and to lead with lovingkindness one bite at a time.

We believe in teaching our youth the ways of the old say ing, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” by exposing more students to home gardens and locally and sustainably produced foods as we preserve our culture and... loving-kindness one bite at a time

Please SAVE THE DATE and join us on December 11th at 5:30PM for our annual performance The Road of Remembrance A Praise House Experience.” This will be a fundraiser for Penn Center, held at Frissell House on the historic Penn Center campus during Heritage Festival Days. Please rsvp at marshview35@gmail.com to receive more information or to volunteer.

ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC, On July 31, 2022 supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son Chef Bubba, and daughter Chef Oshi Green behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments of the youth and the organization Cooking School Graduation/Fundraiser, and Scholarship Award.

During the spring many of the students began working at Marshview Community Organic Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable practices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded various traditional and heirloom seeds in the greenhouse. Some of them participated in the Family Backyard Garden Project. This project provided each family with a 6X12 Cedar Garden box with all the necessary seedlings from our greenhouse including mushroom compost, organic fertilizers, and planting tips. Later, these young farmers were introduced to the South Carolina Coastal Community Development Corp. Commercial Kitchen to learn about Gullah cuisine, their culture, and traditions

Community Development Corporation commercial kitchen

venue for

tenth annual

Cooking School.

Memorial Scholar-

Faulkner, a former beloved teacher of the island schools, and Darhonna Freeman a 2020 Marshview scholarship

supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son Chef Bubba, and daughter Chef Oshi Green behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments of the youth and the organization Cooking School Graduation/Fundraiser, and Scholarship Award.

Fork” journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and connections to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing out the evening, with encouraging words from Mrs. Ervena

supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes renowned Chef Bill Green,

supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son Chef Bubba, and daughter Chef Oshi Green behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments of the youth and the organization Cooking School Graduation/Fundraiser, and Scholarship Award.

the spring many of the students began working at Marshview Community Organic Farm where they were introduced to environmentally sound and sustainable practices such as fertilizing, planting, weeding, and harvesting. They also seeded various traditional and heirloom seeds in the greenhouse. Some of them participated in the Family Backyard Garden Project. This project provided each family with a 6X12 Cedar Garden box with all the necessary seedlings from our greenhouse including mushroom compost, organic fertilizers, and planting tips. Later, these young farmers were introduced to the South Carolina Coastal Community Development Corp. Commercial Kitchen to learn about Gullah cuisine, their culture, and traditions

culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with family and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their Farm to Fork” journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and connections to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing out the evening, with encouraging words from Mrs. Ervena Faulkner,

ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC, On July 31, 2022 supported the youth as they prepared mouthwatering Gullah dishes with renowned Chef Bill Green, his son Chef Bubba, and daughter Chef Oshi Green behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant at 10 De Gullah Way on St. Helena Island. It was a joyous time celebrating the accomplishments of the youth and the organization’s 11th Annual Gullah Cooking School Graduation/Fundraiser, and Scholarship Award.

recipient, now a junior at Allen University, studying Criminal Justice.

Finally, we were graced with the presence of two Beaufort High School Scholars Jerni Joyner & Ki Ayisa Moultrie, who were the recipients of the Marshview Community Organic Farm, Inc Cindy Collins Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 dollars each to support their personal and educational ventures.

to acquire sustainable culinary skills and restaurant management.

the past two months, students were introduced to the SC Coastal Community Development Corporation commercial kitchen as the venue for the tenth annual Gullah Cooking School. The young chefs prepared and enjoyed their creations sharing with their families, recipes, and stories of their ancestor’s agricultural expertise and accomplishments. They also were able to practice cooking at home. The class also provided an opportunity for students to prepare, serve, and distribute traditional Gullah dishes, like Grandma used to make at home. Students assist Chef Bill Green, Chef Bubba Green, and Chef Oshi Green in preparing 670 meals bimonthly to the community.

future chefs/entrepreneurs were VERY excited to show off their culinary talents as they served traditional Gullah meals with family and friends. Our youth unveiled documentation of their Farm to journey, in a powerful powerpoint presentation demonstrating their communication skills and connections to their historical cultural influencers. We began closing out the evening, with encouraging words from Mrs. Ervena Faulkner, a former beloved teacher of the island schools, and Darhonna Freeman a 2020 Marshview scholarship

Finally, we were graced with the presence of two Beaufort High School Scholars Jerni