September 29 edition

Grand Opening Event

Hurricane Ian expected to bring rain, storm surge to Beaufort County

By Tony Kukulich

As Hurricane Ian churned over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mex ico Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch for the southeast coast of South Carolina and the northeast coast of Georgia.

Late Tuesday night, the tropical storm watch was upgraded to a trop ical storm warning.

Beaufort County could see 4 to 8 inches of rain between Wednesday and Sunday spurred by the storm. The NWS said that life-threatening rip currents off the coast are likely along with large breaking waves measuring 5 to 8 feet tall.

“Coastal flooding and storm surge will be another significant impact from Ian,” said Frank Strait, severe weather liaison for the South Carolina Department of Natural Re

sources. “The gusty northeast winds from Thursday into Friday from Ian and the strong northerly winds will cause coastal flooding around high tide on Thursday and Friday along our coast.”

According to the National Hurri cane Center (NHC), a storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations

during the next 48 hours. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible with in the watch area.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions – sus tained winds of 39 to 73 mph – are expected within 36 hours.

Ian made landfall in Cuba Tues day morning as a Category 3 hur ricane, and strengthened overnight to a Category 4 storm on the Saf

fir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Maximum sustained winds have been measured at 155 mph.

A bulletin issued by the NHC at 8 a.m. Wednesday said, “Ian is fore cast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida as a catastrophic hurricane. Weakening is expected after landfall.”

As of press time, the path that

In their own words

A 1st look at the 5 City Council candidates

By Mike McCombs and Dylan McCombs

Earlier this month, the five candi dates on the ballot for two Beaufort City Council seats were invited to speak and answer questions at the September meeting of the Old Com mons Neighborhood Association.

The first floor of the Wesley Unit ed Methodist Church's Education Building on Duke Street was packed Sept. 15 with Beaufort citizens who wanted to know what these five peo ple were all about.

With a guarantee that the 6 p.m. meeting would turn to other matters prior to 7 p.m., … a promise that was kept ... these candidates each had a few minutes to speak to who they were in their own words.

Here are some of their thoughts, edited for length. The candidates are listed in the order they spoke to the room.

McFee, 63, was first elected to City Council in November 2008 and was

SEE CITY PAGE A8

‘It just kind of all came together’

Longtime owners sell consignment business to Beaufort couple

By Tony Kukulich

After managing The Front Porch, a high-end furniture consignment shop, for 23 years, Candice and Jim Thomas have decided it’s time for retirement.

Fans of the business located at 206 Sea Island Parkway on Lady’s Island need not be concerned as The Front

Porch will continue to operate much in the way it has for the past two decades.

Longtime Beaufort residents Waynette and Will Payne will take over the business in early October after having purchased it from Candice and Jim. Candice has been the face of The Front Porch for its entire existence up to this point, though she never had any

After 23 years as the owner of The Front Porch, a selfdescribed upscale consignment shop in Tidewatch business park on Lady’s Island, Candice Thomas is calling it quits and selling the store to Will and Waynette Payne of Beaufort.

Bob Sofaly/The Island News

intentions of running a retail business. She and Jim were living in Charlotte where she worked for an international real estate development company, and Jim ran his own printing business.

The couple frequently vacationed at a Beaufort County beach house owned

Mike McFee

Mike McFee, candidate for City Council, speaks at the Sept. 15 meeting of the Old Commons Neighborhood Association. Mike McCombs/The Island News

While deliver ing supplies in Ko rea, he was severe ly injured when an IED (impro vised explosive device) destroyed the vehicle he was in. After recovering, his as

signments took him back to Ja pan, Pendleton, and to Da Nang, Vietnam. Follow-on assignments included Key West, Parris Island and finally MCAS Beaufort where he served as a Career Planner. He retired in 1972 as a Gunnery Ser geant. An accomplished SCUBA diver, he worked servicing wa

tercraft and was self-employed in providing construction ser vices. He built his home here in Beaufort.

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

SCETV, Post and Courier hosting Lt. Governor, Education Superintendent debates

From staff reports South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) is partnering with The Post and Courier to host de bates for candidates in the 2022 Lieutenant Governor and State Superintendent of Education elec tions.

The debate for Lieutenant Gov ernor candidates will be held from 8 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, and the debate for State Superintendent of Education candidates will be held from 7 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2.

Both debates will be broadcast live from SCETV in Columbia and will be aired across SCETV’s statewide network.

In addition, coverage of each debate will be streamed live on the SCETV website, as well as on SCETV’s social media platforms.

Gavin Jackson, host of SCETV’s This Week in South Carolina, will moderate the debates and be joined by The Post and Courier politics editor Schuyler Kropf on October 11 and State House report er Seanna Adcox on November 2.

Candidates participating in the October 11 Lieutenant Governor debate include incumbent Pamela Evette and democratic candidate Tally Parham Casey. Republican candidate Ellen Weaver and demo cratic candidate Lisa Ellis will par

ticipate in the November 2 State Superintendent of Education de bate.

In addition to these two debates, SCETV and The Post and Courier will also host a debate for 2022 gu bernatorial candidates Henry Mc Master and Joe Cunningham from 7 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26.

“These debates show SCETV’s commitment to providing South Carolinians with unmatched gov ernmental transparency by cov ering elections, public policy and government officials,” SCETV President and CEO Anthony Padgett said. “Our partnership with The Post and Courier contin

HOW TO WATCH THE 2022 DEBATES

Watch live on SCETV’s statewide network

Watch the livestream on the SCETV website (https://www. scetv.org/)

Watch live on SCETV’s Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/ SouthCarolinaETV) and YouTube channel (https:// www.youtube.com/user/ SouthCarolinaETV)

ues to help provide citizens of this state with vital information as they head to the polls.”

October 1

October 5

PAL PETS OF THE WEEK

Cat of the Week: Oasis and her beautiful blue eyes are sure to make your heart melt. Oasis loves people of all ages, does not mind other animals, and would enjoy a chill home to call her own. Oasis is 3 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

LLC

PUBLISHERS

Jeff & Margaret Evans

FOUNDING PUBLISHERS

Elizabeth Harding Newberry Kim Harding

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 dearleyphotography@ gmail.com

SALES/BUSINESS Advertising Amanda Hanna amanda@lcweekly.com

Advertising Sales Betty Davis betty.islandnews@ gmail.com 843-252-9076

Accounting April Ackerman april@ aandbbookkeeping.com

Billing questions only.

Dog of the Week: Lolli is as sweet as your favorite lollipop.

Lolli is all smiles when she meets new people, especially if they are on a walk or playing with her favorite toy.

Lolli enjoys working on her commands and spending time with our kennel volunteers. Lolli is 3 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Oasis, Lolli 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.

CONTACT US PO Box 550 Beaufort, SC 29901

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DISCLAIMER

All content of The Island News, in cluding articles, photos, editorial content, letters, art and advertisements, are copy righted by The Island News and Island News Publishing, LLC, 2020 all rights reserved. The Island News encourages reader submissions via email to theisland news@gmail.com All content submitted is considered approved for publication by the owner unless otherwise stated. The Island News is designed to inform and entertain readers and all efforts for accuracy are made. Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Island News, its publisher or editors. Content 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.

Letters to the Editor should consist of fewer than 275 words and be emailed with a name and contact information to TheIslandNews@gmail.com

Phillip Saracin captured this ghost crab at dawn on Coffin Point. 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

Reporter Tony Kukulich Tony.TheIslandNews@ gmail.com

1975: Beaufort’s Joe Frazier lost (retired) in a rematch to Muhammad Ali in a WBA/WBC/The Ring heavyweight title fight in Quezon City, Philippines to fall to (30-2)

2019: California Senator Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for President, held a town hall meeting at USC Beaufort’s Bluffton Campus. The meeting was originally set to take place at USC Beaufort’s Center For The Arts but was moved because of its estimated size.

Beaufort’s Fred Peters, 87, joined the United States Marine Corps in New Britain, Conn., in 1953. After Boot camp at Parris Island, he was assigned at Camp Lejeune in the Food Services field. He later trans ferred to Camp Pendleton, Calif., before duties at MCAS Atsugi, Ja pan and later in Korea.

VETERAN

WEEK FRED PETERS

Fred Peters

School district ousts security company after guard leaves weapon behind

By Tony Kukulich

For the second time this year, a security guard left a firearm unattended in Beau fort County School District (BCSD) school.

In response, the district immediately terminated its contract with the agency pre viously engaged to provide armed security for the dis trict’s elementary schools.

“The board of education authorized the superinten dent to immediately ter minate the armed security guard services contract with Security Solutions of America – formerly Guar dOne,” said Candace Bruder, BCSD director of commu nication, in an email to The Island News

The most recent incident occurred Sept. 20 at Hilton

Head Island School for the Creative Arts (HHISCA).

“It was reported to admin istration that our school’s security guard left their weapon unattended in a staff bathroom this morning,” wrote Nikki Luca, HHISCA principal, in a notification to the parents of children at the school. “At no time did any students come into contact with this weapon.”

According to Bruder, the

district is transitioning to a new security services provid er, Hilton Head Island-based Coastal Security Services Inc. (CCSI), and expects to be ful ly staffed within a few weeks.

The contract will pay CCSI just over $1 million for ser vices through June 30, 2022.

During the transition, lo cal law enforcement agen cies will make routine visits to the schools. City of Beau fort Police Chief Dale Mc Dorman confirmed that his officers will perform school walk-throughs “as often as possible during the course of the day.” The Beaufort Coun ty Sheriff’s Office is follow ing a similar course of action.

“The Sheriff’s Office has a team of community resource officers that will continue to visit the elementary schools

as they have been,” said Maj. Angela Vien, spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sher iff’s Office. “Our operations in the elementary schools did not change when the school district hired private security to service the schools.”

In February, a teacher at Beaufort’s Mossy Oaks Ele mentary School discovered a loaded, 9 mm handgun in a staff bathroom. At the time, Bruder said the weapon was unattended for about three minutes. No students came into contact with the weapon in that incident.

In the wake of that incident, the guard who lost control of his weapon was immediately fired, and the district’s board of education put GuardOne Security, as the firm was known at the time, on notice.

Hargray donates Chromebooks to Beaufort-Jasper YMCA After School Program

From staff reports

Hargray, a member of the Cable One family, recently donated 25 Chromebooks to the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA’s after school program.

Michael Bostwick, Beau fort-Jasper YMCA CEO, said that the Chromebooks do nated by Hargray will assist students at the YMCA with their after-school homework.

“We are so grateful to Hargray for this donation,” Bostwick said. “Many of the kids in our after school program have no access to computers at home. These Chromebooks will give them the opportunity to get their homework done and keep up with their class mates.”

Over the past nine years,

Hargray and the Cable One family of brands have donat ed more than 2,600 Chrome books to Title I schools and community centers in the markets they serve.

Hargray General Man ager Jane Shanley said the donation reflects the com pany’s commitment to com munity centers and schools.

“We recognize the critical

importance that access to technology plays in help ing ensure students achieve academic success,” Shan ley said. “Helping our local YMCA Improve access to technology for students and community members will improve education and ben efit our communities where we live and work for the long term.”

THE MOST ADVANCED JOINT CARE OPTIONS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

In October 2019, the Beau fort County School District Board of Education directed the district to pursue the use of a private firm to provide armed security guards for the district’s elementary schools.

Prior to the execution of the contract with GuardOne, middle schools and high schools in the district had school resource officers (SRO) assigned, but five com munity resource officers were shared among the district’s 22 campuses.

A contract with S&S Man agement Group, LLC – doing business as GuardOne Secu rity – to provide armed secu rity services was authorized by the board in October 2021. GuardOne began operations shortly thereafter. The board further directed that the use

of a private security firm should eventually be phased out in favor of using SROs from local law enforcement agencies.

“The board and district are open to staffing new SROs at all our elementary schools,” Bruder said. “However, the problem is that local law en forcement agencies cannot provide them at this time.”

Attempts to reach Security Services of America for com ment were unsuccessful as of press time.

Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com

We Keep You IN

A t 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

Hargray recently donated 25 Chromebooks to the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA’s after school program. Submitted photo.

Group sues Board of Elections over access to 2020 voting data

By Tony Kukulich

The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections was one of a number of counties named in a recent lawsuit for allegedly violating the Freedom of In formation Act (FOIA).

The action comes after requests submitted by mem bers of South Carolina Safe Elections (SCSE) for voting data related to the 2020 elec tion were denied by state and county election agencies. It seeks a temporary restrain ing order to prevent the de struction of 2020 voting data until the matter can be heard in court.

In a SCSE press release, the organization said, “They are challenging their elec tion commission’s decision to deny any access to the cast vote records (CVRs) for the 2020 election as they want to do a full analysis to ensure that there was no malfea sance.”

A CVR is an electronic re cord of the votes cast in an election.

The suit was filed in Richland County by Bluff ton-based attorney Lauren Martel. It names Michael

Funderburk and SCSE as the plaintiffs in the case. Martel names the South Carolina State Election Commission (SEC) and the board of elec tions in Aiken, Charleston, Dorchester, Greenville, Lex ington, Spartanburg and York counties as defendants in the case, in addition to Beaufort County.

Funderburk, a Charleston County resident who is iden tified in the complaint as an SCSE member, submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act in April 2022 to the Beaufort County Board of Elections. He sought the county’s CVR for the 2020 election. According to the complaint, Funderburk’s re quest was denied, and the data was not supplied. A sim ilar scenario is described for each of the county’s named in the complaint.

Jean Felix, chair of the Beaufort County Beaufort County Board of Voter Reg istration and Elections, said that she was unable to dis cuss pending litigation when reached for comment.

At issue is the state’s po sition on whether voting re cords are a matter of public

record. An opinion issued by the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General (AG) in September 2020 asserted that a court would likely not require the state to produce voted ballots, scanned imag es of voted ballots and vote cast records as the result of a FOIA request. The opinion added that the constitutional right to a secret ballot sup ported the conclusion that voted ballots are not open to the public.

“The Supreme Court con cluded that the secrecy of ballots is violated by the disclosure of information from which voters can be identified, even if the ballots themselves do not identify the voters,” wrote Matthew Houck, assistant attorney general, in the opinion.

Laura Scharr, SCSE found er, contests that opinion, asserting that the AG’s Sep tember 2020 opinion was issued based on flawed in formation that was provided to the AG by the former ex ecutive director of the SEC, Marci Andino.

“They provided an opinion based on her facts,” Scharr said. “She said there was

personally identifiable infor mation and that the ballot could be tied back to the per son. That’s not true. There’s no personally identifiable information on a cast vote record.”

The AG’s September 2020 opinion has been referred to as the Andino Opinion. Since it was issued two years ago, the SEC and county election boards have denied requests for voting records like those submitted by SCSE in order to comply with that opinion.

Several state representa tives penned a joint letter to Attorney General Alan Wil son in August stating that they were aware that the SEC was denying FOIA requests based, at least in part, on the Andino Opinion. They also noted that the several states including California, Colora do, Florida and Georgia had released “nearly identical” CVRs to the public. The rep resentatives asked Wilson to revisit his opinion.

Houck, again writing for the AG’s office, issued the response to that request. For myriad reasons, Houck reaffirmed the AG’s Andino Opinion.

“There appears to be dis agreement regarding how likely the disclosure of infor mation would lead to voter identification, but the resolu tion of that dispute requires findings of fact,” Houck wrote in the opinion dated Sept. 7. “Again, this office’s opinions cannot find facts; fact find ing is more appropriately reserved to our state courts. The issue of law, whether the S.C. FOIA requires disclo sure, is unchanged.”

In response to the SCSE lawsuit, the SEC issued an 87-page answer contesting many of the points presented by Martel, including whether CVRs exist.

“There is no such docu ment known as a CVR that is a ‘standard report’ in the Commission’s possession, nor is it a report the Com mission generates as part of its ordinary business,” the response reads in part. “The phrase is undefined and am biguous.”

It will be up to the Court of Common Pleas to determine if the AG’s position as stated in the Andino Opinion com plies with South Carolina law.

According to the SCSE website, the grassroots group advocates for the elimination of electronic and absentee voting and alleges that wide spread voter fraud occurred in Beaufort County during the 2020 election. The group also promotes the ideology of Seth Keshel.

Keshel was the keynote speaker at an Audit the S.C. 2020 Vote Rally on Lady’s Island in August of last year.

The former U.S. Army cap tain asserted that the 2020 election was manipulated, causing Donald Trump to lose the national election.

A link to a video of Keshel’s speech at that event appears on the South Carolina Safe Elections website. Keshel’s claims have been widely dis credited.

As of press time, Lauren Martel did not respond to a request for comment.

Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com

Beaufort/Port Royal’s Kleiner highlight of State Fire Academy’s September class

From staff reports

The South Carolina De partment of Labor, Licens ing and Regulation’s South Carolina Fire Academy graduated 17 recruits, Friday, Sept. 23, from its eight-week firefighter candidate school in Columbia. Among the firefighters who underwent a 320-hour training program of classroom and hands-on firefighting skills develop ment, Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department recruit Ja son Kleiner stood out.

Kleiner won two of the three awards recruits can claim at the conclusion of their class.

Kleiner won the Order of the Maltese, an award cho sen by the class recruits.

The Maltese Cross is a fire fighter’s badge of honor, sig nifying that he or she works in courage – a ladder rung away from death. The Eight Obligations of The Maltese Cross are Live in Truth, Re pent of Sins, Love Justice, Be Sincere and Whole-Hearted, Have Faith, Give Proof of Humility, Be Merciful, and Endure Persecution.

Storm from page A1

Ian will take after it makes landfall in Florida is still un certain. Once it makes land fall, the storm should weaken quickly. While Ian was ini tially forecast to remain over land, the revised forecasts have Ian moving east, which could put the storm back out

He also won the Chief Robert Frick Award, award ed to the recruit with the

at sea before it comes ashore again.

“This eastward shift in creases the chances for Ian to pass over the Atlantic for a time before making a sec ond landfall along the Geor gia or South Carolina coast,”

Strait said. “As it stands now, a portion of the storm will track over water, allowing Ian to maintain strength longer.

The greater the percentage of the storm spends over the

highest grade point average.

Hardeeville Fire Depart ment’s Thomas Cotton won

Atlantic, and the more time it ends up over the Atlantic, the stronger it might get before affecting South Carolina.”

Strait predicts that Ian will bring gusty winds to South Carolina Thursday and into Thursday night. Gusts could reach 40 mph and could be higher along the coast. As Ian moves north, the potential for heavy rainfall increases.

Weather conditions could also be favorable for the de

the Pride of the Battalion, chosen by the staff who worked with the recruits and

velopment of tornadoes.

“Rain will begin along the coast early Friday and spread northward through the day, and this rain from the front will be heavy at times,” Strait said. “Then, rain directly from Ian will arrive along our coast later Friday night, depend ing on how fast Ian moves.

If bands of storms from Ian train over areas for multiple hours, rainfall would be ex cessive.”

given to the recruit who has demonstrated “Leadership, Integrity, Determination, and Good Value.”

The keynote speaker was Assistant Chief Will Vaigneur of the Lady’s Is land-St. Helena Fire District. Other area recruits among the class included City of Beaufort/Town of Port Roy al Fire Department’s Casey Peters and Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District’s Wyatt Pope.

“This challenging pro gram requires commitment, passion, and dedication,” Fire Academy Superinten dent Dennis Ray said. “These recruits have successfully worked together as a team, performed extensive handson training with live fires, and passed intensive prac tical skills evaluations and written tests to meet the Na tional Fire Protection Asso ciation standards.”

The comprehensive train ing, offered quarterly at the Fire Academy, includes emergency responder firstaid training, hazardous ma terials operations training,

The threat of bad weather has already begun to impact events scheduled for this weekend. The St. Peters' Cath olic Church Bazaar, a prom inent yearly event, has been rescheduled for Oct. 8. Also, high school football games scheduled for Friday night have been moved to Wednes day or Thursday night. Check with the schools for the exact time and date.

For more information on

auto extrication, flammable liquids and gas firefighting, rescue training, and Na tional Fire Protection Asso ciation (NFPA) Firefighter I and Firefighter II levels. Additionally, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes were made to class structure and facilities to promote social distancing and recommended precau tions.

“With the successful com pletion and graduation of these new firefighters who will now be dedicating their lives to serving their com munities and the state, our South Carolina fire service is enhanced,” Ray said. “I am proud of their accomplish ments, and I also commend the dedicated Fire Acade my instructors who brought the recruits through these weeks of instruction leading to graduation.”

The Fire Academy and the State Fire Marshal’s Office make up the Division of Fire and Life Safety, which is a division of the S.C. Depart ment of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

preparing for a hurricane, vis it hurricane.sc or the South Carolina Hurricane Guide at https://bit.ly/TIN_SCHurri caneGuide

Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com

The South Carolina Fire Academy graduated 17 recruits Friday, Sept. 23, from its eight-week firefighter candidate school in Columbia. Front row, left to right: Shane McGovern, Bay Springs Voluntary Fire Department; Jeremy Clemmer, Ridgeland Fire Department; Carlos Aponte, Lake City Fire Department; Casey Peters, City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department; and Windsor Anderton, Sullivan’s Island Fire Department. Middle row, left to right: Wyatt Pope, Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District; Nicholas Warchal, Bluffton Township Fire District; Cameron Burnett, Bluffton Township Fire District; Christian Williams, Darlington County Fire District; Isaac Hernandez, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue; and Thomas Cotton, Hardeeville Fire Department. Back row, left to right: Cody Parker, Ridgeland Fire Department; Jake Toller, Bluffton Township Fire District; Matthew Richardson, Jasper County Fire & Rescue; Jason Kleiner, City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department; Skyler Korinek, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue; and Nicolas Fernandez, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.

Beaufort City Manager to retire in January

From staff reports

City Manager Bill Prokop announced his retirement ef fective early January 2023 at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

“This is a very bittersweet time for me, but I know it is time and the City is in great shape to adjust to a change in leadership. I will miss very much being part of Team Beaufort,” Prokop said.

Prokop was named city manager in February of 2015, succeeding Scott Dadson. He began his tenure at the City of Beaufort in March 2014 as director of Human Resourc es. He came to Beaufort from Keene, N.H., where he had been an assistant city manag er and HR director.

"I've worked with few lead ers who demonstrate the compassion, work ethic, and strategic focus that Bill em

bodies,” Beaufort Mayor Ste phen Murray said. “His tenure leaves the City better than he found it, and will have genera

Fish Camp festivities

a new city manager. The po sition will be advertised na tionally, and the application period will go from Wednes day, Sept. 28 through Oct. 21. The Municipal Association of South Carolina will help in the screening of candidates and recommend finalists. The finalists will go through an interview process that will be established by City Council. The City hopes to have a new city manager named by early January 2023.

Prokop began a second career in municipal govern ment in 2002, when he was named the Antrim, N.H., town administrator. For much of his professional career, he was a manager and executive both domestically and in ternationally for Berol Corp. (Eagle Pencil Co.), followed by launching his own office equipment manufacturing

company, Graphic & Office Products, Inc. (Dahle USA). In his tenure at the City of Beaufort, Prokop has led a number of initiatives includ ing: Establishment of a Stra tegic Plan, focusing on goals two to three years out; Instilling customer ser vice goals in all depart ments; Employee development and succession planning; Systematic prioritizing of stormwater drainage projects. The Mossy Oaks Stormwater Project was completed in 2021; work has begun on The Point & Downtown Stormwa ter Project, while many advances have been made in problem areas throughout the City; Economic development

initiatives including es tablishment of the Beau fort Digital Corridor and South Coast Cyber Center; construction and leasing of a spec building in Beaufort Commerce Park; and working with Beaufort Memorial Hos pital, the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and the Technical Col lege of the Lowcountry on workforce issues; and Commitment to a region al Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The city manager is hired by, and reports to, Beaufort City Council. The city manag er is responsible for the dayto-day operations of the City and long-term strategic plan ning. He or she presents an annual budget to City Coun cil. All department heads re port to the City Manager.

from page A1

by Jim’s family. Having fallen in love with the area, they moved to Fripp Island in 1999. After the move, they found themselves with more furniture than they could use.

“One day my husband said, ‘Hey, do you want to start a furniture con signment store?’” Candice explained. “I didn’t know anything about retail. He said, ‘Oh, you can do it,’ He started the company because had already started a couple of printing compa nies of his own. It was easy.

It was great.”

Candice took to running the business like a proverbi al fish to water, finding joy in the daily interaction with her customers. It didn’t matter if the customers came into the shop, which has been in the same location since opening, to buy, sell or just chat.

“It’s so enjoyable,” she said. “You get to know the custom ers, the consignors and the buyers. After 23 years, you get to know people pretty well. It’s a great atmosphere all the time.”

While Candice worked with the customers and made decisions about what items she’d accept on consignment,

Jim provided the muscle for the business for many years. He used a box truck he owned to handle the pickup and delivery of furniture.

“For years he did that,” Candice said. “But then it got to where he didn’t do that any longer. You get older and you don’t want to do that anymore.”

It’s not difficult to see the parallels between Candice’s and Waynette’s start in the business. Like Candice, Waynette had never consid ered owning and running a retail business. She had a long career in banking when Will suggested they pur chase The Front Porch. Will

Southern Carolina Landing Pad ribbon-cutting set for Oct. 5

From staff reports

The City of Beaufort will hold a ribbon-cutting to cel ebrate the opening of the Southern Carolina Landing Pad at 500 Carteret Street at 2 p.m. on Oct. 5.

The Landing Pad, an office for out-of-state and overseas companies to plant them selves while they consider moving operations to Beau fort, already has its first cli ent.

A Japanese company, Sky Drive Inc., a developer of vertical takeoff flying vehi cles – aka flying cars – will be at the Landing Pad through the autumn as it completes its analysis of the South Car olina market. SkyDrive has a testing and R&D facility in Toyota, Japan, and has 150

owns and operates Haulin’ 4 You, and has moved furniture for the Thomases. Having heard they were planning to retire, he made the pitch to Waynette, and she was soon onboard.

After meeting with Can dice and Jim, they sealed the deal.

“It wasn’t anything that any of us really planned,” Waynette said. “It just kind of all came together. It was all the people in the right place at the right time.”

One change customers will notice is that the business is moving across the parking lot. Renovations in the new space are nearing comple

employees worldwide. “It’s very exciting to think that SkyDrive, which is work ing on some truly advanced technology, has chosen Beaufort to take a closer look at market conditions,” Beau fort Mayor Stephen Murray

tion, and Waynette hopes to be open for business within the next few weeks.

“The whole thing is just amazing,” Waynette said. “It’s exactly what we would have done if we had started from the ground up. Jim and Candice are fabulous people. I keep telling Jim that Can dice has to come along as part of a package deal.”

Candice said she’s not sure what the future will hold. She and Jim will spend some time planning their next step, but the couple is looking to buy a home and acreage. They’ll likely be leaving Lady’s Island, but will stay in the state.

said in a release. “This is ex actly why we developed the Landing Pad.”

The Landing Pad compris es 3,300 square feet, and in cludes a large training room, small conference room, 7 in dividual offices, kitchen, and high-speed internet. It is on the second floor of the Cityowned building at 500 Cart eret, where the Downtown Operations Department is located.

The cost of renovations to the space was approximately $400,000. Funding was pro vided by the City of Beau fort, the South Carolina De partment of Commerce, the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, the Southern Carolina Alli ance, and Hargray.

“I definitely will miss it,” Candice said. “There’s never been a day that I can remem ber in 23 years that I said, ‘I wish I didn’t have to go to work today.’ Never. I’ve loved it. It’s been the most enjoy able job I’ve ever had. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be different. It’s because of the people – such nice people come in here all the time.”

Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com

Silent auction

tional impact, for which I am extremely grateful."

The City will immediately begin the process to select

Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop will retire, effective early January 2023. Photo courtesy of City of Beaufort.

Patrons enjoyed a sunny fall day while eating Frogmore Stew during the Fourth Annual Shrimp Boil Parking Lot Party on Saturday at Fish Camp on 11th Street in Port Royal. This year’s beneficiary of the fundraiser was HELP of Beaufort. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

William Fugate, U.S. Business Developer of SkyDrive Inc. Photo courtesy of the City of Beaufort.

The conference room is among 3,300 square feet at the Landing Pad on the second floor of 500 Carteret. Photo courtesy of the City of Beaufort.

Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens celebrates Beaufort style, way of life

From staff reports

Historic Beaufort Founda tion’s annual Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens is among the Lowcountry’s most-antic ipated events and this year’s schedule includes iconic properties as well as a Sun day brunch, tour, and conver sation at Tidalholm with HBF executive director Cynthia Jenkins and Beaufort archi tect Rob Montgomery on the Beaufort Style of architecture and way of life.

Named one of South Car olina’s best fall festivals by “Best Things South Caroli na,” the annual tour, held Oct. 22 and 23 this year, is one of the rare times that owners of historic houses open them for public tours.

“The Fall Festival of Hous es & Gardens is the best time to experience Beau fort's extraordinary setting and architecture as gracious property owners open their private homes and exquisite gardens to public view.” His toric Beaufort Foundation

Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins said. “To visit inside these houses and to walk their gardens is truly a mag ical experience.”

This year’s event rep resents the best of The Beau fort Style while reflecting Beaufort’s distinct architec

tural history.

The Beaufort style reflects the rural setting of the town laid out following the natural bends of the river as it wraps around Beaufort’s famous Point Neighborhood. Some times referred to by architec tural historians as a “plan tation style come to town,” Beaufort’s architectural heri tage reflects both topograph ic and climatic conditions with key design elements that ensured more comfort in the sub-tropical climate of the Lowcountry.

The Saturday walking tour will take visitors through modest cottages to grand residences to historic church es dating circa 1786 through the early 1900s.

Highlights include the Mil ton Maxcy House, ca.1810 and remodeled in the 1850s; the John Joyner Smith House, ca.1850; the William Ritchie

House, ca. 1883; “Petit Point,” ca. 1855; the Talbird-Sams House, ca.1786; the Adam Davis Hare House, ca.1924; and the Parish Church of St. Helena, ca.1817-1842; and its churchyard.

Of special note is the in clusion this year of one of the rare officer’s cottages that was saved and relocated from Parris Island to the Point.

The John Mark Verdier House, which underwent a comprehensive exterior reno vation in 2021 taking it back to its 1804 paint scheme, is also included on the Saturday tour this year. The renovation earned statewide honors.

A highlight of the weekend is Sunday’s brunch and tour of the Edgar Fripp House, ca.1853, also known as “Tid alholm.” Jenkins and local architect Rob Montgomery will be discussing the Beau fort Style of architecture and

way of life.

This year’s properties are in historic downtown Beau fort along the Bluff, on the Point and in the downtown commercial district. The tour will take place rain-or-shine on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sun day, Oct. 23, and all sales are final.

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended as this popular event tends to fill up quickly. Tickets for the Saturday tour are $60 for HBF members and $75 for non-members. Tickets for the Sunday Brunch and Tour of the Edgar Fripp House (Tidalholm) are $130 for HBF members and $150 for non-members. Please note Sunday tickets are limited and will go quickly.

All tickets may be pur chased by calling HBF at 843379-3331 or online at https:// historicbeaufort.org/beau forts-architects-tour/ Online Ticket sales will close Thursday, Oct. 20 at midnight. Tickets will also be available for purchase on Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 2

p.m. at the fall tour station in the Arsenal Courtyard, 713 Craven Street.

HBF has prioritized tour participants’ and safety during the event. Per home owner requests, masks may be required when inside the properties.

Historic Beaufort Founda tion is a 501(c)3 nonprofit ed ucation foundation created to preserve, protect, and present sites and artifacts of histor ic, architectural, and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. For more information on the en tity's mission and history, please visit historicbeaufort. org and follow them on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Frederick & Frederick Architects, Gilbert Law Firm, Modern Jewelers, Montgomery Architecture & Planning, Lowcountry Real Estate, Beaufort Carts, HomeFinder Realty Group and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Bay Street Re alty Group.

Saint Peter’s hosting 62nd Fall Bazaar on Oct. 8

From staff reports

Returning for its 62nd year, the Saint Peter’s Catholic Church Fall Bazaar promises a happy time for the whole family on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Running from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the bazaar will feature family fun, food, fabulous finds, and fellowship.

The bazaar was originally scheduled for Oct. 1, but the threat of Hurricane Ian con vinced organizers to back the event up a week

The 2022 bazaar will have some similarities to previous events but will also feature new activities. Spread out in the center of the Saint Pe ter’s campus at Lady’s Island

Drive near Sea Island Park way, this year’s bazaar will see a return of the popular International Food Court.

The American Grill will fea ture hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats with peppers and onions. Numerous entrees and desserts will fill the large Hispanic tents. Returning from previous years will be the very popular Filipino lumpia, which always sells out early. Curry chicken and grilled chicken dinners will satisfy hungry attendees.

Additional culinary delights will include pizza and Italian meatballs. Pork BBQ, cole slaw, and Caesar Salads will also be available.

Attendees can take-out any of the food available at the bazaar.

Also returning from pre vious years is the Sweet Shoppe featuring delecta ble baked goods and other sweets.

Returning from 2021 is the Craft Beer Garden, which will feature four to six differ ent brews from local brewery, Shellring Ale Works. Soft beverages and water, spon sored by the Habersham Land Company, will be avail able for purchase.

A dedicated area for chil dren and parents will in clude inflatables, games, and friendly animals provided by

Beaufort Barnyard and Pet ting Zoo.

Like previous bazaars, the 2022 event will feature a Si lent Auction. This year, the silent auction will highlight brand new items ranging from dinners to hardware to original artwork donated by local businesses and indi viduals. Auction organizers promise affordable options attractively arranged in bas kets and other bins or tubs.

New to the Saint Peter’s Bazaar this year is the Craft Fair that will showcase nu merous local artisans. Pro viding an opportunity for early Christmas shopping, the Craft Fair will include

jewelry, embroidered and crocheted handicrafts, chil dren’s clothing, metal works, pet nutrition, oyster shell items, coastal and holiday décor, and hand-made cut ting and charcuterie boards. Several coastal artists will also have original works available for purchase.

Also new in 2022 are the exquisite stained-glass win dows in Saint Peter’s Church that illustrate the life of St. Peter. Crafted by Redfern Art Studios of Savannah, the windows may be viewed during the fall bazaar. Guid ed tours of the church will be offered as well. Proceeds from the 62nd

Annual Fall Bazaar will sup port the Lowcountry Out reach Center, a ministry of Saint Peter’s Church. Housed in the former Lowcountry in surance Services building adjacent to the church prop erty, the Lowcountry Out reach Center has the mission of meeting needs that are not currently served in our area. Following a model pioneered by Neighbor-to-Neighbor in Myrtle Beach, the center has begun by focusing on trans portation, offering rides for the homebound. The Center will also focus on commu nity connections helping to link individuals with local resources.

SC shellfish harvest season opens Oct. 1

From staff reports

The 2022-2023 season for recreational harvest of shell fish (clams and oysters) in coastal waters of South Car olina is set to open one-half hour before official sunrise on Saturday, Oct. 1. The rec reational shellfish season will remain open through May 15, 2023, unless conditions war rant extending or shortening the season.

In the event of another hur ricane, major rain event, or pollution spill, shellfish beds may be temporarily closed by the South Carolina De partment of Health & Envi ronmental Control (DHEC). It is important for harvesters to check with DHEC to ver ify whether any closures are in effect. This information is available at 1-800-285-1618 and can be viewed on an in teractive map at the DHEC website. DHEC will use these resources and your local newspaper throughout the

year to announce temporary closures due to unusual rain events or spills.

Recreational harvesting is permitted on all Public Shell fish Grounds and State Shell

fish Grounds within areas of open/approved water quality as noted on shellfish maps.

Twenty Public and seven State Shellfish Grounds are managed exclusively for

recreational gathering. An additional 58 State Shellfish Grounds are managed for both recreational and com mercial harvest.

Recreational harvesters should obtain updated Pub lic or State Shellfish Ground maps at the beginning of each season, as areas open to harvest change from year to year. Maps of designated har vest areas may be download ed from the SCDNR website or accessed online through the Recreational Map Web Application. Printed maps may also be obtained by calling 843- 953-9854 or writing the Shellfish Man agement Section, Attn: Ben Dyar, SCDNR, PO Box 12559, Charleston, S.C. 29422-2559.

When requesting maps, please specify the general area where you wish to har vest. Maps for the 2022-23 season will be available prior to season opening on Oct. 1, 2022.

Recreational harvesters must have a Saltwater Rec reational Fishing License, available from SCDNR, at many fishing supply stores, and online. The recreational limit is two U.S. bushels of oysters and one-half bush el of clams in any one day, limited to two calendar days per seven-day period. One U.S. bushel is equal to eight gallons. There is a maximum possession of three person al limits per boat or vehicle. Clams must be at least 1 inch thick.

Additional rules and re strictions may be found in the SCDNR Rules and Reg ulations, available where licenses are purchased or online.

Commercial harvest of shellfish requires a commer cial saltwater license, manda tory harvester training, and other licenses and permits depending on where the harvest will occur. Call the

Marine Permitting Office at 843-953-0453 for additional information on commercial harvesting requirements.

All harvesters are encour aged to "cull in place," break ing off and leaving dead shell and smaller oysters on the shoreline – and only taking clusters or singles of larger oysters – where they will con tinue to grow and provide habitat for future genera tions of oysters.

If you enjoy eating oys ters, remember to recycle your shells. Check online or call 843-953-9397 to find lo cations near you where shell can be dropped off for recy cling. SCDNR uses saltwater recreational fishing license revenues to construct and enhance renewable oyster re sources in the coastal coun ties by replanting recycled shell. All shell collected by the SCDNR is used to restore shellfish grounds in coastal South Carolina.

A highlight of the weekend is Sunday’s brunch and tour of the Edgar Fripp House, ca.1853, also known as “Tidalholm.” Photos courtesy of the Historic Beaufort Foundation.

The Milton Maxcy House, built in 1810 and remodeled in the 1850s, is one of the highlights of this year’s tour.

SCDNR staff and volunteers “plant” tens of thousands of bushels of oyster shells along the coast each year to replenish our state's oyster population. Help keep our oysters healthy by recycling the shells from your backyard roast at a drop-off site near you. Kaitlyn Hackathorn/SCDNR

The John Mark Verdier House, which underwent a comprehensive exterior renovation in 2021 taking it back to its 1804 paint scheme, is included on the Saturday tour this year.

From staff reports

Beaufort County Council voted unanimously (11-0) on Monday to move forward with the remaining six La dy's Island Corridor Traffic Improvement projects, to taling $30 million, identified in the 2018 Penny Sales Tax Referendum and table the Beaufort High School Access Realignment.

"The County will focus on the six remaining projects and bring long-awaited traf fic improvements to Lady's Island," Assistant County Administrator for Infrastruc ture Jared Fralix said. "We are finishing the designs and should put the projects out for bid and start construction this winter."

The Council decided to table the high school access realignment because the three most viable options

were not economically and/ or environmentally feasible.

Also, the community around the high school was split on what was the best way to pro ceed with the project.

Additionally, Council voted to table any improve ments to US 21 Business be tween the Woods Memorial Bridge to the SC 802 inter section. The County staff will continue to explore the best way to move forward with improvements that not only address traffic congestion but enhance the character of the island.

All the proposed projects were in response to growing concerns about the island's transportation constraints, and in 2016 the City of Beau fort and Beaufort County launched The Lady's Island Corridor Study, prepared by Stantec and adopted in 2017;

it was updated in 2021.

The original nine transpor tation improvements were aimed at providing a com prehensive system of par allel roads and intersection improvements in the Lady's Island crossroads. These pro posed projects provide better connections between busi nesses, schools, parks, and residential areas. In addition to the Beaufort High School Realignment, Mayfair Court was previously removed from the sales tax program.

The six remaining projects to be completed are:

Airport Frontage Road US 21 Airport Area and Front age Road include improve ments that will reduce travel delays and improve access management. They would also provide Little Creek Road and Lost Island Road access to the traffic signal.

Hazel Farm Road and Gay Drive – The Hazel Farm Road and S-7-497 Gay Drive proj ect would include paving of Hazel Farm Road, improve ments to Gay Drive, con struction of the roundabout, pedestrian accommodations along Inlet Road, installation of new traffic signals at each end, and signal interconnec tion with the US 21 / SC 802 signal.

Lady's Island Middle School Access Road – The new Lady's Island Middle School Access project in cludes realigning the main entrance road to the middle school with Gay Drive and tie-ins to the middle school driveways, existing Cougar Drive, and Robin Drive. Pe destrian accommodations will be along both sides of the new alignment and one side of Robin Drive.

Meadowbrook Drive Ex tension – Meadowbrook Drive to Dow Road extension involves roadway work on existing right of way. The ex tension would increase road way connectivity with access to the proposed signal at Gay Drive.

Sunset Boulevard and Miller Drive West – Sunset Boulevard and Miller Drive West include improvements to both streets and the instal lation of a new traffic signal at the Miller Drive West in tersection with SC 802 with signal interconnection with the US 21 / SC 802 signal. This would increase pedes trian safety on Sunset Bou levard and Miller Drive West and provide congestion re lief for the main US 21 / SC 801 intersection.

The final project, US 21 Business, US 21, and SC 802

County Council unanimously moves ahead with Lady’s Island projects Beaufort High access realignment tabled for now OKTOPRFEST!

Mainline improvements, is still in the design phase and may need additional funding due to raising labor costs and inflation. The upgrades include medians for access management, grass buffers and multi-use paths, light ing, and landscaping. These improvements would create a complete-streets feel to the corridor, and benefits in clude enhancing bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, safety, and improved vehicu lar progression.

APAC Atlantic complet ed the Sam's Point Turning Lane project for $761,000, adding a right turn lane at SC 802 (Sam's Point Road) and US 21 Business to improve movement capacity during the morning rush hour.

For more information, visit https://beaufortcountypen ny.com/

Beaufort Republican Midterm HQ open

The Beaufort Republican Women’s Club along with the Beaufort Federation of Repub lican Men and the Beaufort County Republi cans have opened the 2022 Beaufort Repub lican Midterm Election Headquarters at 80 Lady’s Island Drive, across from Publix on Lady’s Island.

The Headquarters will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Stop in to pick up lawn signs, campaign literature or register to vote.

Sen. Tim Scott coming to Bluffton

The Beaufort County Republican Party is hosting a Lowcountry Campaign Rally on Monday, Oct. 3 at Oyster Factory Park in Bluff ton with special guest U.S. Senator Tim Scott.

Local republican candidates are invite to attend and speak at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome at no charge but must register at https://www.eventbrite. com/e/tim-scott-beaufort-county-rally-tick ets-418196114837 The access code is victory 2022.

Knitters, crocheters wanted to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The public is invited to two events in Beau fort to honor Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. Both events will take place at Coastal Knitting on Republic Street in down town Beaufort. One from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sun day, Oct. 2, and the other from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23.

Organizers are reaching out to any knit ters, crocheters or anyone who would like to

learn how to make Knitted Knockers. Knitted Knockers are soft breast prosthetics made by volunteers and given to Breast Cancer pa tients and survivors at no cost. They are an alternative preferred by many women to the heavier silicone breast prosthetics.

Knitted Knockers Support Foundation is a 501(c)(3) based in Bellingham, Wash. Jo Pan ayotoff, a local and S.C. state provider, will be present to answer questions. Free patterns and instruction will be available. For more information, email handyhooters.jp@gmail. com

St. Helena Library to celebrate 10th anniversary

The St. Helena Branch Library will cele brate its 10th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15. Families of all ages are welcome. Attendees will get to enjoy a sweet treat, fun activities and more.

The library is located at 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior road, St. Helena Island, S.C., 29920.

Nash seeking volunteers

Barb Nash, the Democratic candidate for State House District 121, is asking for volun teers.

Nash’s team has canvas training from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday at a place to be deter mined. To volunteer for canvassing, call Cath erine at 704-641-7357.

Phone bank training is Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m., and Satur days 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m. After training, calls can be made home. To volunteer for phone banking, call Charlie at 843-505-5378.

Healthcare In Action PAC endorses Andrews

Healthcare for Action announced the PAC’s endorsement of Dr. Annie Andrews for Con gress in South Carolina’s 1st District.

“We are proud to endorse Dr. Andrews for Congress. Her experience is exactly what we need in Washington right now,” Healthcare in Action Chairwoman Dr. Anahita Dua said in a release. “As a pediatrician she has practical experience treating patients; as a professor, a research and policy background; as a com munity activist the understanding of the chal lenges we face and the experience to make change.”

SCEA endorses Cunningham for Governor

On Tuesday, at The South Carolina Educa tion Association (The SCEA) Headquarters, The SCEA President Sherry East announced that The SCEA Political Action Committee (PAC) has voted to recommend Joe Cunning ham for the 2022 South Carolina State Gover nor’s race.

“From Oconee to Horry, Chesterfield to Charleston, South Carolina families want the

best education possible for their children, and educators and school staff want to pro vide it,” said The SCEA President Sherry East.

“The South Carolina Education Association is proud to recommend Joe Cunningham as South Carolina’s next governor. To give every child an opportunity for a bright future, we need statewide leaders who will boldly and ur gently address the five-alarm teacher and staff shortage crisis.”

1004 11th St. In Port Royal

Join us on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Feb. 7 16, 2023. For details email stmarksc@gmail.com The trip is open to all.

County Council Representative Alice Howard, left, and State Representative Shannon Erickson pose in front of the 2022 Beaufort Republican Midterm Election Headquarters. Submitted photo.

Several food trucks were available during the annual OktoPRfest in Port Royal. Weather co-operated for hundreds of people to get out for a while and enjoy good food, good music and a chance to interact with each other. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Kayla Spurlock seems to be enjoying her giant soft pretzel during the annual OktoPRfest on Saturday in Port Royal.

from page A1

re-elected in 2012, 2016 and in a special election in 2021. He has been the Mayor Pro-Tem since 2014.

A Beaufort native, McFee graduated from Beaufort High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in biolo gy and business from the Uni versity of South Carolina. He has been a real estate broker with HomeTown Realty for 30 years.

“I’m Mike McFee, and I’m running for reelection for city council. It’s been my privi lege and honor to serve on the council for more than a decade. Over the time that I’ve been on council we’ve seen a lot of changes – we’ve made strides with reference to transparency and issues with in the city, both from our fi nance department, our police department, fire department, ... with references to business licenses, and the improve ment of communications and customer service where the city is concerned. I would like to continue to do that work for you.

…

“I think we all can agree that we have growth issues, and traffic issues, in the city and into the connectors com ing into our neighboring com munities, and the islands of course, so I think cooperative ly one of the most important things intergovernmentally, I think, is for the governments that work together, the sister city and town of Port Royal, City of Beaufort and the coun ty, regionally on the northern side of the islands, really have to be in lockstep and be work ing together to make the most of what we have. … We use a lot of leverage from the stand point of what we can do to be able to afford large projects, and very progressive projects in the city of Beaufort and in order not to raise your taxes and be able to affect the high est and best services for our residents, in addition to try ing to improve the physical structure, fiscal responsibili ty of the physical structures and properties that we own, including our parks, the wa terfront park, all of the parks within the city including the expanding Washington Street Park, which we’ve just done a grant application for $250,000 for the new pavilion, which we’re hoping to start very quickly if that is approved. We’ve done resolutions in council for that and for South Side park expansions, so we are excited about all of those opportunities as far as the city and the improvements of that part of our capital and infra structure in the city.”

Michael Andersen Andersen, 29, is from Fair fax, Va. He was born into a military family. He graduat ed from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy for two years be fore returning to Virginia to earn a bach elor’s in eco nomics from American University. Andersen and his fiancé relocated to Beaufort in 2020 to start a family and to be closer to relatives in the area. He is pursuing an MBA with the goal of becoming a certified public accountant.

“Fairfax, Va., is kind of an example that kind of paral lels what Beaufort is going

through right now. Fairfax went through what Beaufort is facing today when I was grow ing up twenty, twenty-five, thirty years ago, and I've seen, you know, certain policies that were pursued in Fairfax Coun ty which I have a lot of con cern about here in Beaufort being pursued as well, and I don't want us to get to that kind of point where Fairfax has become unaffordable for, you know, your average work ing families.

“The number one thing that has really also given me a lot of consternation, which is why I put my name forward, is in regard to Public Safety. I've met with the chief of fire, I've met with the chief of police. As of right now our biggest issue with the police department is retention and recruitment.

Right now the police depart ment is down eight officers, I have it on good authority that there are gonna to be another four officers that are going to be shortly departing in the coming months, which in the grand total brings our force down to 20% of what it should be.

There's a lot of discussion about, “Okay, what can the police department do to in crease that Recruitment and Retention?” One of the big gest things that I asked Chief McDorman was I asked him, I said, “Do you even have youth program in town currently outside of, you know, the few community engagements you had like in Southside Park?” and he said, ‘To be honest, we really don't – we’ve kind of gotten away from those types of community engagements.’”

“… Second thing is afford able living – you know afford able housing is a big part of it, about what I'm running on. I don't see affordable housing as the end-all-be-all. It's not just the only thing that is go ing to help keep the cost of living here in Beaufort lower.

You're talking about proper ty taxes, you're talking about infrastructure, you know that kind of expansion also in creases your cost of living as well. There are ways that- you know, I've gone through and I've read all 300, I believe it's like 384, 394 pages of the Beaufort City Code, and there's a lot of issues that I have with it that restrict the kind of structures that could be built here in the city and also in other parts of the city as well to accommodate our workforce housing.

“In addition the third thing is the economic opportunity so you know, ... Stephen Mur ray here has done a really ex cellent job, in my opinion, of trying to attract a lot of the businesses that aren't here in the city to diversify our structure out of just tourism and the military. If we’ve seen anything in the last two years, it’s that if we rely too heavily on one of those, specifically tourism, when we do have an example of a covid shutdown, it puts a lot of people out of work. It puts a lot of people out of work, a lot of people have struck hard time paying for rent, they had a hard time putting food on the table and clothes on their backs, and by bringing these other primary Industries into the city, it will allow our future children to basically have an ability to not just stay here.”

Josh Gibson Gibson, 52, was born in An derson and raised in Beaufort beginning in 1972 when his parents moved here. He grad uated from Beaufort Acad emy in 1988 and went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. He began his career as a staff photographer in Bir

mingham, Ala., at Southern Living Magazine before he started his freelance career and returned to Beaufort in 1999.

Gibson was appointed to Beaufort’s Zoning Board of Appeals in 2015 and served as the chairman until June of this year. He has also recently served as president of the Old Commons Neighborhood As sociation.

“The reason that I’m run ning comes down to three simple words: I love Beau fort. That’s why I’m running. It just means so much to me, and I want it to … maintain its integrity and maintain every thing it is that brings people who want to be here. I know that the thing that I think about Beaufort, where we are right now, is that we have what everybody wants, … we keep winning these awards:

Greatest Small Town In The South, Greatest Whatever, Greatest, Greatest, Greatest – from Southern Living and other magazines, and stuff like that keep saying this is the greatest place, and so I think that we – that the focus that we should have… The word is out about Beaufort. …

“We’ve got the good prob lem here. You know, you’re not in stasis, you’re either expanding or you’re shrink ing, and it’s good that we’re – it’s good that we’re growing, it’s a good problem to have, so we’re good on that side. So then when we have this growth, we need to manage it, because otherwise, if we just leave it up to … no regu lation, or no sense of a vision for the collective or what it’s going to be like at the end of it, then we’ll get steamrolled by somebody coming in with a big pile of money that says they want to do something.

“The things that I think about … that are big issues for me right now, one is safety. … One thing that I’m really big on is that I think we need to invest heavily in cameras around the city. … We keep having these shootings, over and over and over again, in these same places, and it’s the same story every time: Somebody calls 911, there was a shooting. Round up the witnesses, what did you see, nobody saw anything. If we had cameras in these intersections, if we put the cameras where the crimes are happening … if we do that, then we would at least have a starting point for these in vestigations when nobody’s saying anything. …

“The other thing is in terms of government service. I think that the city is largely trying really hard and large ly doing a really good job. … There is an immense amount of stuff that the city does that is amazing, and none of us know about it because we don’t have a real paper any more, and it never gets re ported, … we never hear about it. If you go to any of these city meetings, you will be as tonished as to what they’re up to, and how many people are working really, really hard to make our city better, and

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it's unfortunate that it doesn’t get the publicity that it de serves ...

“And finally in terms of responsible development, something that I feel really strongly about is the direc tion of what’s been proposed for the marina right now. I think it is inappropriate and way out of scale, what’s been proposed. [He passes out scale comparisons of the new marina proposition and the USS Yorktown] It is way, way, way bigger than the marina that we have now. I mean I’m not pretending the channel is deep enough for the York town, but the scale of it is far different than what it is, and I think that the marina was designed as part of the Wa terfront Park, and that there is a niche that was created for the marina, in the design of it. ...The Waterfront Park is more important to Beaufort than Central Park is to Manhattan. It is the thing that defines this city, and part of it is the view that you look out there, all the way to Port Royal, all the way to Lady’s Island, all the way to Spanish Point, and if we put something out there that in terrupts that then you are in terrupting the park itself, and you are degrading the disci pline that was created, for the space that was, for the reason that it was put there, and the way it was designed. ...

“I don’t know if y’all’ve seen any of my signs around? But they’ve got a light blue stripe at the top, dark green, light green, and dark blue. The reason that those are there is that is the vista of Beaufort County. You got the water, the marsh, the oak tree, and the sky, that’s what we see. And we live, in this tiny little sliver, under the oaks and beneath those oak trees. That’s where we create our homes, our businesses, our churches, our schools, in that tiny little sliver. And that’s what we need to protect. It’s not permanent, and so we need to make sure that we do the work to protect that little dark green sliver that we all live on, that's it.”

Wilma Holman Holman, 75, was born in Durham, N.C., and moved to Beaufort with her family in 1996. She attended North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., from 1965-1970 and earned an as sociate’s de gree in busi ness from the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Holman retired from IBM as a customer support repre sentative. She worked in the Winston-Salem, N.C., school system and the Beaufort County School District as an administrative secretary. Holman owned H & H Com protax Beaufort, a tax prepa ration company, from 2006 to 2021. She has also worked with the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce for 19 years, focusing on housing issues and financial

literacy. Holman is a notary public.

“I am married for 51 years to Larry Holman, and we’ve been here in Beaufort for 26 years. We love it, and that's one of the reasons that I want to get involved. I'm not afraid of work … I'm nervous, I’ll tell you that I’m not a politician.”

“Financial literacy, we work with that. I had a ball, I mean I've learned a lot and I like learning curves, I like movin’ forward, you know, and I like people. … I want to carry your voices forward. That's … one of my main reasons for run ning because I think today we’re losing a lot of that. Pol iticians tend to get in there and seem to, now to me, (to) use their own opinions and their own everything and then they forget about you, and that's what I don't like and I don't want that to hap pen, I want to make sure that we carry you forward, and what you want, and … that's one of the reasons I want to run.

“But I also think affordable housing – which has already been mentioned – but I do think that's very very import ant in this area – and yes, Beaufort is growing, but I think that things are getting out of hand for a lot of peo ple to even be able to afford to live here. The rent is pretty high, so is buying, … all of it is very high and we need to do something I think, to look at that, to try to bring that back into (being) more manage able for the average person here.”

“… like I said I'm willing to learn, and I know there is a learning curve and I like learning new things. ...Once I put my mind to something, I want to get it done, and I’m a details kind of person, so I would very much like your vote, and I'd like to repre sent you, on the city council. Thank you.”

Josh Scallate

Scallate, 31, is a native of Beaufort and a 2009 gradu ate of Beaufort High School. He graduat ed from the South Caroli na Fire Acad emy in 2012, and complet ed the EMT program at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in 2013.

Scallate is a lieutenant with the Lady’s Island St. Helena Fire District, where he has worked since 2013. In 2018, he was named Firefighter of the Year. He has completed 1,200 hours of continuing ed ucation during his tenure at the Fire District. Scallate is a member of the 1% Committee for the Fire District, which determines expenditures from the 1% tax the district receives.

“I was born and raised here and I've lived in Beau fort for my entire life, in fact I've lived inside city limits for most of my life. I went to Beaufort High School and I graduated in 2009 when I got out of high school I real ly didn't have much direction for my life and that changed when I was 22 years old, I lost my twin brother to a heroin overdose and so I decided that I was going to commit to being a public servant and I started seeking opportuni ties to work with the fire de partment. ...

“So it’s a bit of a learning curve, when you're working with a lot of type A personal ities and it's not like a regular job where you work for a lit

tle bit and go home – you're there for 48 hours, so you're not only working with these people, who, often times you don't see eye-to-eye with, but you're living with them, and that's a big difference, so t took a lot of getting used to, but you know I learned that you don't always have to agree with people in order to be able to work with them in a very cohesive manner, so I had to mature into that. …

“In leadership what I saw with the fire department was you have to be able to look at your personnel, the people that you're working with on your team, and know where the strengths and weakness es are, so that together you can effectively accomplish a goal in the most essential way for the community that you're serving. I think that if that would carry over to city council, because you're work ing with, you know, four other members and you all have strengths and weaknesses and different backgrounds, so to be able to bring that to gether and utilize that for the service of the community is paramount. …

“I mean your job is to rep resent the individuals that live inside the city, so you need to be in tune with them, you need to engage them, you need to be communicat ing with them on a regular basis, and even though I feel like the city does a really good job, and, especially in the last couple of years in be ing transparent. …

“I know what Beaufort’s al ways been for me, and I know what I wanted to be for my kids and for my family and for their children as well, so I want to be a part in shaping the future of what Beaufort will become. Three things that are important to me are us growing in a very respon sible way, affordable housing, (and public safety) … I can (look) back to the first study that was done in 2002 to de termine that Beaufort needed to build 715 affordable units every year from 2006 to 2009 in order to have enough to keep up with the growth, and we didn't do that, and now we have we have a big problem on our hands and we need to … continue to focus.

“I obviously have a very close relationship with the firefighters, and the nurses, and the police officers, and what I find, and I think this is just consistent across the board is leadership forgets how important it is that their staff and their personnel have a purpose in that orga nization. You can only throw money at it for so long …

“Lastly I'll just say that if you know last time I ran, I filed in March to run for County Council, and I didn't win that race, but that's OK because I learned a lot from that and I was able to get a lot of support in that race, and it's one of the reasons why I decided to run for City Council is because I feel like I I owe the people who com mitted to voting for me in that race, to continue to fight. I mean, I can't just give up and sit down, you know, my goal was to really be and put myself in a position to help shape the future of Beaufort, so I wanted to continue to work for the individuals that committed themselves to vote for me, so that's why I’m running for City Council and I would appreciate your sup port just the same, so thank you very much.”

issuu.com/theislandnews

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Michael Andersen

Wilma Holman

Josh Scallate

Josh Gibson, candidate for City Council, speaks at the Sept. 15 meeting of the Old Commons Neighborhood Association. Mike McCombs/The Island News

Beaufort Symphony Orchestra to feature violinist Lilyanne Thoroughman Oct. 9

From staff reports

When violinist Lilyanne Thoroughman was 9, she made a six-city concert tour of China with the Cincinnati Starling Chamber Orchestra. During that tour she played two pieces as soloist.

Quite impressive, given that the 25 members of the string ensemble were the top players from the prestigious Cincinnati Starling Project, a pre-college program for young string players at the University of Cincinnati's Col lege – Conservatory of Music.

Thoroughman has been studying under the found er and director of CSP, Kurt Sassmannshaus, since she was 5 years old. At 16 she now has quite a list of accomplish ments She won first prize in the concert competition for the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra and played the Sibelius concerto with them last year.

Instead of focusing on com petitions she has made it her goal to learn as many concerti in the violin repertoire as pos sible before college. The Bee thoven concerto she will play with the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra makes 29, so far.

“Every time I am asked to play with an orchestra it's like winning an award, and play ing with the Beaufort Sym phony Orchestra is like First Prize for me,” she said.

“I was introduced to Lily anne by a trusted colleague who recommended her high ly,” Music Director and Con ductor for Beaufort Symphony

Orchestra Maestro Frederick Devyatkin said. “He sent a video of one of her recent per formances and I was immedi ately struck by her formidable command and poise.”

After reviewing sever al more performances, he spoke with her and she asked him if he would consider do ing Beethoven's Violin Con certo in D Major.

“A fifteen-year-old play ing this Beethoven?” he re marked. “Then again, Joa chim made it his signature concerto premiering at the age of twelve. Our audience is in for a real treat.”

Thoroughman is from Wil liamstown, Ky., just an hour's drive from the Ohio border and Cincinnati. The young est of seven children, she and her siblings have been homeschooled, and her mom, Gwen, and dad, Doug, often took the entire family to attend Cin

cinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts, instilling in her a love of classical music.

At age 4, after a concert, she asked her mother if she could play the violin. At age 5 she had her first lesson.

“Without my parents' in fluence I would have never found the violin and would certainly not be where I am today,” she said. “They both cheer me on at all of my con certs, and my mom has come to every violin lesson as far back as I can remember.”

More than anything else Thoroughman believes that music has the power to show

love and bring people to gether.

“One of my favorite things about playing music is mak ing people feel happy.” She thinks this is best done when the music is live, “because I get to see the reaction on the people's faces, and when I am playing solo with an or chestra I get to interact with all the other musicians.”

In addition to the Blue Ash Montgomery Orchestra, she has also soloed with the Ken tucky Symphony Orchestra, the Starling Chamber Orches tra and the Starling Showcase Orchestra, and was associate

concertmaster at age 12 of the Blue Lake International Youth Orchestra. She has also performed in concerts in six cities in France and Germany.

Thoroughman plans to pur sue a degree in violin perfor mance in college. Right now she is uncertain of where she wants to go with her career as a violinist but she knows that it will not end once she has graduated high school.

“I've always had a deep love of chamber music so I would like that to be a part of my fu ture in some way.”

As young as she was when she took up the violin, she was only 3 when she started ballet lessons. She currently studies at the Prep Department at the College Conservatory of Mu sic, dancing en pointe.

“Ballet has been extremely helpful to me as a violinist,” she shared. “Learning how to move my body with the music I am playing helps me build stage presence and mu sicality.”

Thoroughman will play Beethoven's concerto on an Italian violin by Stefano Scar ampella (1843-1925), on loan to her from Cincinnati Col lege – Conservatory of Music.

“I love this concerto be cause it focuses on the pu rity, clarity and serenity of Beethoven's beautiful melo dies rather than showing off the soloist's technique with fiery, flamboyant passages throughout. It is an incredi ble work that many violinists dream of playing one day,” she said.

Tickets for new season of National Theatre Performances are on sale

From staff reports

The USC Beaufort Center for the Arts proudly unveils its exciting 2022-23 season line-up of performances from the National Theatre Live with tickets available for pur chase right now.

Center for the Arts invites you to “Be at the center of it all” with a fantastic line-up of performances from London’s National Theatre for the up coming season.

The season opens Sunday, Oct. 8 with Jack Absolute Flies Again, a rollicking new comedy by Richard Bean (One

Man, Two Guvnors) and Oli ver Chris (Twelfth Night). Af ter an aerial dog fight, Pilot Of ficer Jack Absolute flies home in July of 1940 to win the heart of his old flame, Lydia Lan guish. Back on British soil, Jack’s advances soon turn to anarchy when the young heir ess demands to be loved on her own, very particular, terms.

The season continues with Shakesepeare’s much-loved comedy of new beginnings

Much Ado About Nothing on Nov. 19. Since the 1930s, the legendary family-run Hotel Messina has been visited by

artists, celebrities and royal ty. When the current owner’s daughter falls for a dashing young soldier, the hallways are ringing with the sound of wedding bells. However, not all the guests are in the mood for love, and a string of decep tions soon surround not only the young couple, but also the steadfastly single Beatrice and Benedick.

Next up is Anton Chek hov’s The Seagull on April 22, 2023, starring Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke in her West End debut. In this 21st century retelling of Anton

Chekhov’s tale of love and loneliness, a young woman is desperate for fame and a way out. A successful writer longs for a sense of achievement. In an isolated home in the coun tryside, dreams lie in tatters, hopes are dashed, and hearts broken. With nowhere left to turn, the only option is to turn on each other.

Finishing out the season on May 13, 2023 is Tony-Award winner Ralph Fiennes in Da vid Hare’s Straight Line Crazy, a blazing account of the most powerful man in New York, a master manipulator whose

USCB Lunch with Author series begins with novelist Katherine Reay

From staff reports

The USC Beaufort Lunch with Author series for 2022-2023 begins at noon, Wednesday, Oct. 5 at The Belfair Clubhouse, where author Katherine Rea will be discussing her historical fiction novel The London House. Rea is a national bestselling and award-win ning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop.

In “The London House,” uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Brit ain’s World War II spy net work and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work un til she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old col lege friend and historian.

But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept bur ied for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find an swers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.”

Popular and witty, they came of age during the in terwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with danc es, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glitter ing fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a com ing world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth bur ied in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful eve ning in 1941 that changed everything.

Reay holds a BA and MS from Northwestern Univer

sity, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. She now happily resides outside Chicago.

Books will be available for purchase and the author will be signing books. Tickets are $50. The Lunch With Au thor series will continue on Nov. 22, with Karen Grassle and her new book Bright Lights, Prairie Dust. For ad ditional information go to USCBCenterForTheArts. com or call 843-521-4145.

WANT TO GO?

What: The Beaufort Symphony Orchestra featuring violinist Lilyanne Thoroughman

What: Performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major When: 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9

Where: Beaufort High School Performing Arts Center, 84 Sea Island Parkway, Beaufort, SC. 29907

Tickets: Tickets may be purchased on the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra's website at: www. beaufortorchestra.org or call (800)595-4TIX(4849) $40 adults, $15 students. Remaining tickets at the door if available.

“Maestro Devyatkin and my teacher, Kurt Sassmann shaus share a wonderful quality,” observed Thorough man. “They both feel that age should not be a limiting factor in the music you select. “The Maestro was very encourag ing that I play the Beethoven even though I just turned 16. He's helping me to fulfill one of my dreams.”

The Sunday afternoon con cert will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at Beaufort High School Performing Arts Center, 84 Sea Island Parkway, Beaufort, S.C. 29907. Tickets may be purchased on the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra's web site at www.beaufortorches tra.org or call 1-800-5954TIX(4849). They cost $40 for adults and $15 students. Re maining tickets will be sold at the door if available.

WANT TO GO?

What: National Theatre Live presents Jack Absolute Flies Again

When: 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8

Where: USCB Center For The Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, S.C. 29902

Tickets: Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students at USCBCenterForTheArts. com or 843-521-4145.

legacy changed the city forev er. For 40 uninterrupted years, Robert Moses (Fiennes) ex ploited those in office through

a mix of charm and intimida tion. Motivated at first by a determination to improve the lives of New York City’s work ers, he created parks, bridges and 627 miles of expressway to connect the people to the great outdoors. Faced with re sistance by protest groups will the weakness of democracy be exposed in the face of his char ismatic conviction?

Ticket prices Adults $15 and Students $8. Tickets and details are available online at www.uscbcenterforthearts. com or by calling 843-5214145.

USCB Center for the Arts to host Meltdown in Dixie

From staff reports A screening and discus sion of the documentary film Meltdown in Dixie will be hosted at 6 p.m., Monday Oct. 3, at USCB Center for the Arts. The film, directed by Emily Howard, follows the personal, community and, le gal, challenges that erupt in Orangeburg, S.C., between the Sons of Confederate Vet erans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Con federate flag in his parking lot.

The event, which is this season’s first in the Center’s Engage series of programs, is being hosted in partner ship with The Center for Cre ative Partnerships and S.C. Humanities.

The audience discussion will be moderated by Chris topher Thompson. He will be joined by John McCar dell and Michael Allen, who

WANT TO GO?

What: Documentary film Meltdown In Dixie followed by discussion

When: 6 p.m., Monday Oct. 3

Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, S.C. 29902

Cost: Free and open to the public

will offer insight and context about the larger role that flags, monuments, and other symbols have in shaping the complexities and nuances of our history and present day.

This program is free and open to everyone, as are all programs in the Engage se ries.

For more information please visit: https://www. uscbcenterforthearts.com/ Engage

The Beaufort Symphony Orchestra rehearses a part of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 on Monday at Beaufort High School’s band room. Beethoven’s Third was written between 1802 and 1804 and originally called “Eroica” and was to be dedicated to Napolean. However, Beethoven became disenchanted with Napolean after he crowned himself Emperor. Beethoven’s Eroica was the beginning of his romantic/heroic period and a major turning point in contemporary 19th century music. The Beaufort Symphony Orchestra will perform Eroica at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Beaufort High School Performing Arts Center. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Lilyanne Thoroughman, 16, will play Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major on Sunday, Oct. 9 with the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra. Submitted photo.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Options & References for a Healthier Life

How hearing affects your brain health

If you find yourself having difficulty following conversa tions or issues with memory and thinking skills, you may want to get your hearing checked. Age-related hear ing loss may be linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline. Several large stud ies have shown that people who have a degree of hearing loss, even in midlife, have an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.

Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says the exact reason why there's an increased risk is not known.

"It could be that there are actually effects on the brain. Some studies have been

shown that if people have a hearing loss over many years, certain parts of the brain, in particular the temporal lobe involved in hearing, but also involved in language and memory, may actually be smaller," says Dr. Petersen.

It also could be that hear ing loss leads to social iso lation, which can lead to an increased risk in dementia.

Dr. Petersen recommends getting your hearing as sessed every two to three years, especially if you're no ticing signs that your hear ing may be deteriorating.

Signs that hearing loss may be evolving include difficulty hearing conversations, espe cially in crowded rooms, and asking others to repeat them selves frequently.

The fix could be as simple as needing to get earwax re moved.

"If in fact a hearing loss is detected that is more than what we would expect for aging, you could get a hear ing device—a hearing aid or cochlear implant. There are treatable entities, such that hearing loss need not be nor mal, and hearing loss need not be a normal event in ag ing," says Dr. Petersen.

"We think that if a person improves one's ability to hear that their cognitive loss—if it's related to that—might in fact slow over time," says Dr. Petersen.

Source: https://newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayoclinic-minute-how-hearing-affectsyour-brain-health

In the news . . .

PATH nursing program celebrates its first graduates

The pilot nursing program, aimed at bolstering Beau fort County’s healthcare sys tem, is known as the PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) program. The ini tiative includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education, and even non-tra ditional financial assistance to encourage and incentivize individuals to advance their careers and support a better healthcare network.

The new PATH Program through Beaufort Memorial hospital graduated its first 14 students and 14 new partici pants signed to accept their scholarships to the program during a special ceremony held recently at the Port Roy al Medical Pavilion.

“We are so proud to cele brate our first class of PATH graduates and to welcome our second class,” said Beau fort Memorial President and

CEO Russell Baxley, MHA. “Everyone deserves the op portunity to advance their careers, and this program allows us to support our em

Four tips for enjoying your empty nest

By Jessica Sosso, M.D.

Sending children off to college or into the real world usually is a proud time for parents. But there also can be sadness, especially when the last child leaves home. Empty nest syndrome isn't a clinical diagnosis. Instead, it's a phe nomenon where parents ex perience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home.

It's common for parents to find letting go to be a pain ful experience—even though they encourage their children to be independent. Parents might find it difficult to sud denly have no children at home who need their care. They might miss being a part of their children's dai ly lives and their constant companionship. Parents with only one child or those who strongly identify with their role as a parent might have a particularly difficult time adjusting.

Benefits to empty nesters

As hard as the change may be, having an empty nest can bring benefits to parents.

Recent studies suggest that an empty nest might reduce work and family conflicts.

Having an empty nest also gives parents a new oppor tunity to reconnect with each other, improve the quality of their marriage and rekindle interests with newfound time.

Advice for the transition

Accept the timing.

Avoid comparing your child's timetable to your own experience or ex pectations. Instead, fo cus on what you can do to help your children succeed when they leave home.

Keep in touch.

You can continue to be close with your children after they leave home, thanks to phone calls, emails, texts, video chats and personal visits.

• Seek support.

Everywhere That People Care

Lean on loved ones for support. Share your feelings. If you feel de pressed, consult your health care team. Stay positive. Think of the extra time and energy you will have to devote to your mar riage or personal inter ests.

If your last child will soon leave home, plan ahead to keep empty nest syndrome at bay. Look for new opportuni ties in your personal and pro fessional life. Keeping busy or taking on new challenges at work or home can ease the sense of loss.

Jessica Sosso, M.D., is a Family Medicine physician; https:// newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/ discussion/4-tips-for-enjoying-yourempty-nest/

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.

ployees in their growth.”

Vickey Heyward is among the first graduates. A dietary aide who has worked in the hospital’s Food and Nutrition

Services department, Hey ward entered the program with an eye toward phlebot omy and later realized she would like to become a Pa tient Care Tech.

Upon graduation Heyward will begin working on one of the hospital’s two medical/ surgical units.

The PATH program is a joint venture funded by Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Beaufort County. Beau fort County has contributed $700,000 in federal money from the American Rescue Act along with the support from University of South Carolina Beaufort, the Tech nical College of the Low country and Beaufort Coun ty School District.

Open to Beaufort Memori al employees, USC Beaufort, TCL, and Beaufort County High School students who aspire to grow into careers that require a certification or degree, the program will ultimately offer several ave nues for career development to include Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Electrocar diograms (EKG) Technician, Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Pharmacy Techni cian, and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). From these specialties graduates will be able to use other programs to become Registered Nurs es (RN) and higher-level technicians.

Visit BeaufortMemorial.org for additional information.

What do you know about Raynaud’s disease?

In Raynaud's disease smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin become narrow, limiting blood flow to affected areas. This caus es some areas of your body, such as your fingers and toes, to feel numb and cold in response to cold tempera tures or stress. You may ex perience numb, prickly feel ings or stinging pain upon warming or stress relief. And you may notice color chang es in your skin in response to cold or stress.

Women are more likely than men to have Raynaud's disease. While the condition can develop at any age, it of ten begins between 15 and 30. Also, the disorder is more common in people who live in colder climates.

There are two main types of Raynaud's disease:

Primary Raynaud's – Pri mary Raynaud's, also called Raynaud's disease, is the most common form. It isn't the result of an associated medical condition. It can be so mild that many people don't seek treatment. And it can resolve on its own.

Approximately 10% of people in the U.S. have pri mary Raynaud’s, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

Secondary Raynaud's –Secondary Raynaud's, also called Raynaud's phenome

non, is caused by an under lying problem. Although this type is less common, it tends to be more serious. Signs and symptoms of sec ondary Raynaud's usually appear around age 40. Caus es of secondary Raynaud's include connective tissue diseases, such as scleroder ma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis; diseases of the arteries; carpal tunnel syn drome; and smoking.

Treatment goals

The goals of treatment are to reduce the number and severity of attacks and prevent tissue damage, and for secondary Raynaud's, to treat the underlying disease or condition. Dressing for the cold in layers and wear ing gloves or heavy socks usually are effective in deal ing with mild symptoms of Raynaud's.

Medications are available to treat more severe forms of the condition. If you have se vere Raynaud's, your health

care professional also may recommend surgery or in jections to block the sym pathetic nerves in affected hands or feet.

Lifestyle and home remedies

These strategies can de crease Raynaud's attacks and help you feel better:

• Avoid smoke.

Smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke causes skin temperature to drop by tightening blood vessels. This can lead to an attack. Exercise.

Exercise can increase circulation, among other health benefits.

If you have secondary Raynaud's, talk to your health care team before exercising outdoors in the cold.

Control stress.

Learning to recognize and avoid stressful situ ations might control the number of attacks.

• Avoid rapidly chang ing temperatures. Try not to move from a hot environment to an air-conditioned room. If possible, avoid the frozen food sections of grocery stores.

Source: https://newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/consumerhealth-what-do-you-know-aboutraynauds-disease/

Russell Baxley, CEO of Beaufort Memorial with new PATH participants.

PATH graduate Vickey Heyward on her clinic rotation.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Options & References for a Healthier Life

What is ultra-processed food?

Ultra-processed food can become the go-to diet for peo ple on the run, as they sacri fice nutrition for convenience.

A recent study found that a diet high in ultra-processed food raises the risk of col orectal cancer in men. And in another study, researchers determined that adults with the lowest-quality diet who eat the highest amount of ultra-processed food have an increased risk for cardiovas cular disease and death.

But what is ultra-processed food? Take a walk down any grocery aisle, and you'll likely see plenty of ultra-processed foods.

"We might think of it as

a novelty-type food—some thing that doesn't resemble how a food might look in na ture," says Kate Zeratsky, a Mayo Clinic registered dieti tian nutritionist.

Think of food as three sim ple categories. Unprocessed, whole foods are things like fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, meat, and eggs. Pro cessed food covers a wide gamut and includes cheeses, canned vegetables with add ed salt, canned fruit with add ed sugar and meat preserved with salt. And ultra-processed foods can have added colors, sugars, salts, and preserva tives that add no nutritional value.

"These foods probably don't represent whole types of foods," says Zeratsky. "They probably have a different ap pearance, and an example might be a cheese curl."

Others? Snack cakes, chick en nuggets, soda, chips, fro zen dinners, the list goes on. Convenient and palatable? Yes. Nutritious? Not so much.

"So, in our busy lifestyle, in stead of turning to ultra-pro cessed foods, think of more wholesome canned or frozen foods," says Zeratsky.

Source: https://newsnetwork. mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinicminute-what-are-ultraprocessedfoods-2/

‘Night owls’ may have greater type 2 diabetes and heart disease risk than ‘early birds’

Chronotype describes what time of day people tend to be more active.

• ‘Early birds’ get up promptly and are active in the morning, while ‘night owls’ take longer to get going in the day but like to stay up late.

Recently, research has suggested that chrono type may have an impact on health.

Now, a study has found that ‘night owls’ may have a greater risk of type 2 di abetes and heart disease than early birds.

Some of us leap out of bed eager to get on with the day; for others, emerging from un der the covers is left until the last possible minute—often because we have been awake until the small hours.

And most of us know that we either function better in the morning or the afternoon and adapt our working sched ules to suit our ‘early bird’ or ‘night owl’ tendencies. But can our chronotype affect not only our functioning, but also our health?

Research studies have sug gested that chronotype, and particularly chrononutrition— what times of day we eat—may indeed affect health, but the findings are not yet conclu sive.

Now, a study published in Experimental Physiology has found that our sleep/wake cy cles are associated with our body’s metabolism, with night owls having a reduced ability

to use fat for energy. This may increase their risk of type 2 di abetes and heart disease.

A team of researchers from Rutgers University, NJ, and the University of Virginia, VA, divided a group of 51 adults into early or late chronotypes based on their answers to a questionnaire. All participants were non-smokers, free of car diovascular disease, cancers, and metabolic diseases, and were sedentary, exercising less than 60 minutes a week.

The researchers noted no significant differences in age, body mass, or metabolic syn drome between the groups.

However, they did find differ ences in how energy sources were used by those with early and late chronotypes.

Early birds used more fat for energy than night owls. They were also more insulin sensitive — their cells used glucose more effectively, re ducing blood sugar.

Night owls tended to be more insulin resistant, mean ing they required more in

sulin to lower blood glucose levels, and they tended to use carbohydrates as an energy source rather than fat. Insulin resistance indicates a great er risk of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found no significant difference in muscle mass between the two chronotypes, although muscle mass was slightly higher in those with late chronotypes.

They suggest that their finding of greater fat oxida tion in early chronotype may be due to differences in skele tal muscle quality rather than quantity.

Family studies have indi cated that chronotype is a heritable trait, and some of the genes involved have been identified. Chronotype also varies with age, Dr. Malin con tinues:

“Some evidence suggests we have genetic links to our chronotype, albeit our chro notype can change as we age. For instance, adolescents tend to stay up later than in

middle-age when we start shifting towards earlier chro notypes to the point of older age where we are generally early chronotype compared to when we were young.”

So, if it is healthier to be an early bird, is it possible for night owls to change their chronotype?

Dr. Malin reiterates: “Given so many life factors can influ ence what our routine entails, it’s hard to know if we truly change our chronotype or if rather we learn to manage. Ei ther case, there is some work to suggest people can adopt earlier bedtimes and wake

times through practical rec ommendations.”

Is eating earlier healthi er? It may be hard to change our chronotype, but we can change our eating habits. Re search has shown that those with late chronotype are more likely to have unhealthy di etary habits, with lower intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and higher intake of alcohol. They were also more likely to consume more calories at din ner and as bedtime snacks.

Chrononutrition has been suggested as a way of man aging diabetes—eating earli er in the day has been shown

to have beneficial effects on blood glucose levels after eat ing. This is thought to be due to circadian variation in insu lin levels. Insulin sensitivity is highest at noon and decreases in the evening and at night. Perhaps there is some sci entific support to the age-old advice: “Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a peasant at dinner.”

Sources: https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nightowls-may-have-greater-type-2diabetes-and-heart-disease-risk-thanearly-birds; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/27256623/

Beaufort Memorial Hospital is proud that one of our very own was selected to receive the state’s highest honor for nurses: THE 2022 PALMETTO GOLD AWARD.

Beaufort Memorial congratulates Annemarie Gault, NP-C, for being among the select group of South Carolina nurses to receive the 2022 Palmetto Gold Award from the South Carolina Nurses Foundation. Now in its 20th year, the Palmetto Gold Award recognizes nurses for the valuable contribution they make to patient care and the commitment they have shown to our community.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY.

Annemarie exemplifies the best of the nursing profession, improving the quality of life for patients by reducing emergency department visits and inpatient admissions for sickle cell disease related issues, and the kind of compassion and caring that has made nursing the heart of healthcare.

Beauty

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.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR CHRONOTYPE

“One approach is to use 15-minute windows to adjust. So, go to bed 15 minutes earlier, then wake up 15 minutes earlier. In time and depending on how things are going, this can expand another 15-minute window.”

- Dr. Steven K. Malin, lead author, associate professor of kinesiology and health at Rutgers University, NJ

Elementary nurse named district’s

2022 ‘Support Staff of the Year’

From staff reports

Mossy Oaks Elementary School’s nurse, Jodi Knorr, was named Tuesday, Sept. 26, as the Beaufort County School District’s 2022 “Sup port Staff of the Year.” Knorr’s selection was announced at a surprise visit to the school.

“I was very surprised,” Knorr said after the an nouncement. “I do my job like all of the other nurses and staff members in the district, so I feel very surprised and blessed. It makes me feel re ally good and like my hard work pays off because I really do like my job and I love these kids… I do my best every day to make sure everyone’s taken care of and safe and protect ed.”

Knorr was selected based on a support staff applica tion consisting of essays de scribing one’s role within the district; how they contribute to student achievement; and how they inspire, motivate, challenge others, and encour age excellence.

Support staff constitutes various types of positions such as social workers, school nurses, bookkeepers, bus drivers, office managers, teacher assistants, school sec retaries, and technology and data specialists.

Mossy Oaks’ Assistant Principal Whitney Harris said in a news release that Knorr is

indispensable at their school.

“Nurse Knorr is an essen tial part of Mossy Oaks; she’s here for students, she’s here for staff. She’s here to help our kids when there’s a boo-boo,” Harris said. “She’s an essen tial part and we wouldn’t be what we are without her.”

Knorr shared that profes sional school nurses are pres ent for more than handing out ice packs and band aids

VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=QZa7F3DBNuc

to students – they also teach staff and students about what to do in emergency situa tions, as well as provide stu dents with a listening ear and undivided attention when needed.

School Support Staff of the Year

Battery Creek High School Quintin Moultrie, Media Assistant

Beaufort Elementary Shannon Switzer, Parent Liaison

Beaufort High School Christina Allen, School Nurse

Beaufort Middle School John Uhlman, Special Education Assistant Beaufort-Jasper ACE Steve Bove, System Support Specialist

Bluffton Elementary Sharonne Allen, Social Worker

Bluffton High School Kathy Olson, Social Worker

Bluffton Middle School Debbie Cepollina, Administrative Assistant

Broad River Elementary Alicia Shaw, Kindergarten Assistant

Coosa Elementary Kimberly Fickes, School Nurse

H.E. McCracken Middle School Lisa Paquin-Groth, Office Manager

Hilton Head ECC Chris Ponsini, Kindergarten Assistant

Hilton Head Elementary Gayle Oslund, School Nurse

Hilton Head Island Creative Arts Judith Clouse, Office Manager

Hilton Head Island High DaisyDianne Morgan, Office Manager

Hilton Head Island Middle Stephanie Vanderpool, Office Manager

Joseph Shanklin Elementary Luann Jayne, Special Education Assistant

Lady’s Island Elementary Julie Riddle, Administrative Assistant

Lady’s Island Middle Tammy Smith, Bookkeeper

May River High School Melissa Halsey, Administrative Assistant

M.C. Riley Elementary Kevin Fulton, Behavior Management Specialist

Mossy Oaks Elementary Jodi Knorr, School Nurse

Okatie Elementary Kate Leighton, Behavior Management Specialist

Port Royal Elementary Holly Mehrer, School Nurse

Pritchardville Elementary Julie Houchin, Administrative Associate

Red Cedar Elementary Melody Wright, Kindergarten Assistant

Right Choices Onika Jaquese Wright, Behavior Management Specialist

River Ridge Academy Lindsay Catanzaro, Office Manager

Robert Smalls International Academy Raquel Hernandez Cardenas, Parent Liaison

St. Helena Elementary, ELC Rebekkah Mickel, School Nurse

Whale Branch Early College High School Sharika Green, Office Manager

Whale Branch Elementary, Davis ECC Shonda Royals, Office Manager

Whale Branch Middle Angela White, Social Worker

Adult Education Nykerria Aiken, Data/Laces Clerk

Transportation Kimiko Miller, Bus Driver

District Office Melissa Hibbs, Operations Specialist, Finance Department

Early Childhood Education Mayra Toro Baez, Parent Educator

Youth in Aviation program expanded to Beaufort, Battery Creek high schools

From staff reports

With a second grant from the Lockheed Martin Cor poration, the Beaufort Youth in Aviation Program, which provides free flights at Beaufort Executive Airport, is now open to students at Battery Creek and Beaufort High Schools.

“Since Beaufort Aviation Association created the pro gram in Nov. 2021, the ini tial Lockheed Martin grant of $10,000 has funded free flights to 46 St. Helena Is land youth enrolled in The Altitude Academy,” Presi dent Jean Sulc said. “The founding plan was to expand to other Beaufort schools when subsequent monies were obtained.”

Lockheed Martin’s Ma rine Corps Air Station F-35 site manager Nicholas Mes enberg recommended the 2021 grant and its $5,000 fol low-on.

“The leaders of the Youth in Aviation Program first worked with The Altitude Academy,” he said, “to intro duce aviation and its many

opportunities to elementary and secondary youth who might never have considered it as a rewarding profession.”

JPII’s Shaw achieves Eagle Scout status

From staff reports

John Paul II Catholic School junior David Shaw completed his Eagle Scout project and recently partic ipated in the Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony when his rank became official.

Shaw, who has been a part of scouting since he was 5, is a member of Troop 200, char tered by St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Beaufort. His Eagle Scout project was creating a walkway from the back of the parking lot at JPII to the cir cle around the pond.

“Scouting has been a ma jor part of my life since be fore I can remember,” Shaw

said. “Both my mom and my brother were involved in scouting before I was born. I was always brought to my brother's weekly meetings and did the activities with him, so why not join the pack that met at the same time. I joined scouting as a bobcat.”

Shaw decided to do his project at the school because he wanted to see the payout of his hard work.

“The specifics of my proj ect just fell into place,” he said. “After Hayden Jen nings ’21 and Jack Brock ’23 finished their projects, there was an evident problem. There was no convenient

way to get to their finished projects. That's where my project came into play.”

Shaw pitched the idea of a pathway to JPII Principal John McCarthy, who gave the green light to the proj ect, befitting all visitors, stu dents, and teachers.

Due to the bulk of his project being done during Christmas break, most of the help David got was from family, as well as many scouts, parents, and other JPII students.

“The funds used in the project were obtained by earlier Eagle Scouts who left their extra funds with

the school and I used those funds in my project,” Shaw explained.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank in the Boy Scout pro gram. Requirements include the achievement of many merit badges, an attitude that reflects the Boy Scout oath, service, and leader ship. Eagle Scouts must also complete a service project that benefits a community, school or religious organi zation.

Post-secondary education plans for Shaw include at tending Clemson University for either civil or mechanical engineering.

which has a large Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Train ing Corps, is likely to produce immediate success, explained the Aviation Association’s founder, James Atkins.

“The school’s leaders al ready appreciate aerospace and its many opportunities,” he said, “so they will support the free flights we offer. We will provide them to any of the schools’ students who wish to experience the Magic of Flight.”

Twelve youth a month will be flown beginning Oct. 29 and additional grants will be sought to increase that num ber.

“There is no cost to the schools, the parents, or the youth.” Atkins said, “The par ents must only agree to a li ability waiver for the schools, the program, and the pilots.”

Scheduling of the flights is with BHS’s JROTC leader, Eric Thompson, and Battery Creek’s Aviation Vocation leader, Richard Vaughn. For more information contact James Atkins at 843-8129909.

2022-23 BCSD Support Staff of the Year

Support Staff of the Year were recognized at a breakfast held at the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Culinary Institute of the South. Photo courtesy of Beaufort County School District.

The expansion to Battery Creek High School, which has an aviation vocation pro gram, and Beaufort High,

Noelle Smalls, left, and her older sister Natalie are all smiles as they exit the Cessna 172 piloted by Robert James on Saturday during the Youth in Aviation Day at Beaufort Executive Airport on Lady’s Island. The program, in conjunction with the Aviation Academy, gives children the opportunity to go on flights around Beaufort in hopes of sparking an interest in the aviation industry. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

John Paul II junior David Shaw, pictured with Andi Shaw, recently completed his Eagle Scout Project. Submitted photo.

District continues toward academic recovery post-pandemic

From staff reports

The South Carolina Depart ment of Education released statewide public school re sults for the End-of-Course Examination Program (EO CEP) and Career Readiness assessments taken for high school courses in school year 2021-22. Although there is still work to be done, Beau fort County School District (BCSD) continues on trajecto ry toward academic recovery.

The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP)

EOCEP provides tests in high school core courses and for courses taken in middle school for high school credit. The EOCEP tests the follow ing subject areas: Algebra 1;

English 2; U.S. History and the Constitution; and Biology 1.

The EOCEP encourages instruction in the specific academic standards for the courses, encourages student achievement, and documents the level of students’ mastery of the academic standards.

Additionally, EOCEP exam ination scores count 20% in the calculation of the stu dent’s final grade in gateway courses.

BCSD scores in two of three subject areas improved over 2021 (Algebra 1 and English 2), both of which were above the state passing percentage.

Biology remained the same as 2021 and United States Histo ry was rescaled in 2022 due to adoption of new standards.

The impact of the pandem

ic interruption in this most recent data mirrors BCSD’s results on SC READY and SCPASS in Math and Science that have not yet reached the pre-pandemic levels of pro ficiency of 2019, but have in creased per each grade level over 2021.

“The foundation of math has been greatly impacted by the pandemic,” Superinten dent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “Even as we work to accelerate the ‘catchup’ process, this ramification will likely be felt for several years.”

Career Readiness Assessments

Ready to Work (R2W), which is administered through WIN learning, is a

career-readiness assessment that was administered to all 11th-grade students for the first time in the spring of 2018 to determine student achievement in three key subjects: Applied Mathemat ics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. R2W provides a custom ized credential that shows a student’s ability to perform complex tasks and their qualifications for a broad range of jobs. There are four certificate levels: Bronze, Sil ver, Gold, and Platinum.

ACT WorkKeys is an as sessment that tests students' job skills in applied reading, writing, mathematics, and essential skills. Scores are based on job profiles that help employers select, hire,

Holy Trinity’s Sam Moore named National Merit Scholarship Commended Student

From staff reports Holy Trinity Classical Christian School Headmaster Joe Lawrence announced that Holy Trinity’s Sam Moore has been named a Commended Student in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.

A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corpora tion (NMSC), which conducts the program, was presented

by the headmaster to this scholastically talented senior during morning Chapel on Monday, Sept. 26.

About 34,000 Commend ed Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional aca demic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Stu

dents placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar ship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT).

"Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic suc cess," read a statement from NMSC. ''These students rep

resent a valuable national re source; recognizing their ac complishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportuni ties and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success."

train, develop and retain a high-performance workforce.

The BCSD percentage of students earning Silver, Gold, and Platinum R2W certificates and the ACT WorkKeys percentage of students earning certificates both the exceeded state per centages.

“We will build on the prog ress and look forward to ex ploring and pursuing mean ingful actions that will make an impact on student achieve ment,” State Superintendent Molly Spearman said.

One such solution at BCSD is that of targeted tutoring.

“As we embark on the up coming instructional quar ter, our secondary schools are establishing refined tu toring models to build on

students’ specific academic needs,” BCSD Chief Instruc tional Services Officer Dr. Mary Stratos said.

“We have always said that academic recovery from the pandemic will be a multiyear process,” said Rodri guez. “Although we still have progress to be made, our students are headed on the right trajectory many thanks to the dedication of our staff, community partners, and parents.”

School District, and School Level Data for End of Course and Career Read iness assessments can be accessed by visiting Work Keys assessment data, End-of-Course assessment data, and Ready to Work assessment data.

Holy Trinity Headmaster Joe Lawrence presents senior Sam Moore a Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation on Monday, Sept. 26.

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Walk With Jesus Exploring the Gospels

The disciples got to know Jesus as they spent time with him.

Just as we don’t usually share everything about ourselves as we begin to know someone, Jesus did not reveal everything about himself right away to his close followers. They could not have grasped the truth of his identity all at once. As they walk with Jesus and share in his daily ministry, they slowly begin to see that there is more to their teacher and friend than meets the eye.

Jesus was unlike anyone they had ever met.

In his friendship and his interactions with others, they glimpsed a soul unbroken by sin or selfishness. As he taught and worked miracles, they witnessed much about Jesus that could not be explained on a merely human level. Little by little, the disciples began to believe that Jesus is somehow God himself, present in their midst as a human being.

We can walk along with Jesus and encounter him, too.

We can learn a lot of facts about a person, but the only way to actually get to know someone on a personal level is to spend time with him or her. If we want to know Jesus as a person, the best way is to walk with him like the disciples, experiencing Jesus through their eyes.

Reading the Gospels, we experience Jesus firsthand.

The Gospels are the four biographies of Jesus, told through the eyes of those who walked with him. As we read the Gospels, we begin to discover Jesus in all of his beauty and mystery. We can see for ourselves how Jesus was like us in every way except sin. At every turn, he surprises us and acts in unexpected ways.

Why not discover Jesus in one of the Gospels? Whether one is a lifelong Christian or new to Christianity, reading the Gospels helps us to encounter Jesus in a new way. A good starting place is the Gospel of Mark, the shortest of the four Gospels. It is action-packed and jumps right into the ministry of Jesus. One can read the entire Gospel in an afternoon, or a little bit each day.

Who is this mysterious man, Jesus of Nazareth?

As you walk along with the disciples, try to see Jesus from their eyes, uncovering the mystery of his identity. If you are already familiar with a particular story, imagine that you are reading it for the first time. Picture yourself in the scene. What would it be like to be in the crowd, hearing his words and witnessing his miracles? What moves your heart and your imagination as you walk with Jesus?

Week Exploring the Identity of Jesus

Discover Jesus

Fabulous Fields

Beaufort RB churns out 341 yards, 5 TDs as Eagles blow by Bobcats

By Wes Kerr LowcoSports.com

Bryce Lybrand has continu ally called Kacy Fields one of the most underrated players in the state. There’s no doubt ing his skill anymore.

Fields went off for a whop ping 341 rushing yards and five touchdowns on Friday, powering Beaufort High to a 55-23 win at home over Bluffton.

“He’s been awesome,” Ly brand said. “And he’ll be the first one to tell you that the of fensive line did a great job to night. He’s hard to tackle, and he’s just going to get better as the season goes on. He lets us kick it in another gear.”

Hayden Gregory’s Bobcats put up a strong fight on the road and established a strong opening drive with success in both the rushing and passing game with Roderick Buxton and Camauri Simmons, but a stout Eagle defense locked in to get the stop and hold the Bobcats off the board with a failed 37-yard field-goal at tempt.

Lybrand loved what he saw from Fields in the backfield at May River and decided to give his hard-working senior another heaping helping of carries. His speed was a fac tor from the start, picking

PREP ROUNDUP

Beaufort earns 1st win

From staff reports

The Beaufort boys volleyball team earned its first win in pro gram history Sept. 21 at Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts. Beau fort won 2-0 in straight sets, 25–18 and 25–16).

Davis Martin gave the Eagles a lead in both matches as he had 11 aces, seven in a row. Sullivan Gay continued to shut the door on any rallies with 10 kills, and Jack Miller had 10 digs along with Ni gel Bell’s seven saving digs. Ben Christian with eight assists and Carson Geier with seven assist helped seal the first win.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Beaufort keeps winning

PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

up chunks of yardage early behind a terrific offensive line. Although the first drive stalled, Fields turned it up on the next series, darting into the red zone on a 42-yard gain before capping it off from the 4-yard-line.

The Bobcats respond ed with a 30-yard field goal thanks to a hookup with ex plosive senior wideout Jaylin Linder, but Beaufort’s Samari Bonds was ready to make a play of his own. The sopho more quarterback showed off his improved arm with a daz zling throw downfield, finding Colton Phares down the side line for a 46-yard touchdown and a 14-3 Eagle lead.

Then it was Kacy time again. After another Bonds connection to Phares for 25 yards, Fields did the rest and scored from 2 yards out.

Bluffton’s run game was efficient on Friday night, and the Bobcats pulled off their best drive yet to end the first half. Buxton attacked some running lanes and used his power to move the chains before Eitan Golfphin made the most of his second carry of the day for an impressive 27-yard touchdown run, cut ting Beaufort’s halftime lead to 21-10.

The Eagles went right back

to their main man to start the second half, as Fields led a 10play drive and found the end zone again for his third rush ing score of the night. Bluff ton’s gritty offense continued to help the Bobcats hang around, dialing up Linder on a strong throw from Max Von hohenstraten for 60 yards and cutting the lead to two scores.

But the Eagle offense couldn’t be stopped, as a red-hot Bonds threw a fade into the arms of Phares for the duo’s second connec tion of the night in the end zone. Beaufort knew it had the chance to land the final punch, and everyone on the Eagles sideline knew who to turn to.

It was time for Kacy Fields’ encore.

In a span of just five min utes, the lightning-quick Fields struck twice more, scoring on two runs of lon ger than 50 yards to bring the house down and put the game away.

It was the cap on a historic night for Fields, who domi nated a strong Bobcats de fense with 341 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 30 carries while also adding a 14-yard reception. Bonds put together his best game yet under center, completing 10

of 15 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns and rush ing for 26 yards on three at tempts. Phares led the way in the receiving game, catching five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Vonhohenstraeten went 16-for-30 for 161 yards with a touchdown and intercep tion, and Linder reeled in five catches for 102 yards and a score. Buxton impressed for the Bobcats rushing attack, recording 89 rushing yards on 20 carries while Golfphin had nine carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Backup quarterback Trey Hilaman connected with Jahiem Dobson for a 70-yard touchdown to cap the Bob cats’ scoring.

Beaufort High (4-1) be gins Region 8-3A play with a home matchup against Phil ip Simmons, while Bluffton (2-3) travels to Hilton Head High for the Bridge Bowl in its first Region 7-4A clash. Both games are expected to be moved to Wednesday due to the impending threat of inclement weather from Trop ical Storm Ian.

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

Beaufort Academy’s Jaxen Porter, center, takes the hand off from Braydon Dineen as Hilton Head Christian Academy’s Keene Reese moves in for the tackle during the second half of their region game Friday at BA’s Merrit Field. Hilton Head Christian outscored the host Eagles, 43-34, for the win. The Eagles are now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Region I-2A. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

HHCA outlasts Beaufort Academy

LowcoSports.com Dylan Clark could not be stopped down the stretch, as the junior passed for 278 yards and three TDs and rushed for 129 yards and two late scores to seal a thrilling 43-34 win for HHCA and hand BA its first defeat.

Gage Zatalokin caught five pass es for 145 yards and a touchdown and Morgan Bedenbaugh and Harri son Arnholt also reeled in TD pass es for HHCA, which trailed 20-14 at halftime before Chaz Brigstock’s 91yard kick return touchdown set off a big second half.

Braydon Dineen threw TD passes to Jaxen Porter and Te’Shaun Hey ward, and Devonte Green had two rushing TDs and Porter added one for BA.

Week 6: HHCA (3-2) at First Baptist, 7:30 p.m. Thursday; BA (31) vs. Palmetto Christian, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Florence Christian 35, John Paul II 16

Christian Tilton rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and threw a TD pass to Jackson Og den, but the visiting Eagles picked off Tilton twice and Juels and Juwel Huntley powered Florence Chris tian’s wishbone attack to control the clock and close it out.

Tilton also had a touchdown called back, led the defense with nine tackles (four for loss) and blocked an extra point, while Sebas tian Slusne had 11 tackles and Sam Rembold added nine.

Week 6: JPII (2-3) vs. Cardinal Newman, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

PREP FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Wednesday North Charleston at Battery Creek, 7:30 p.m.

Phillip Simmons at Beaufort, 7 p.m.

Palmetto Christian at Beaufort Academy, 6:30 p.m.

Cohen

over North Charleston on Thurs day, Sept. 22, followed by a 3-0 win over Ridgeland-Hardeeville (25-11, 25-6, 25-8) on Monday night.

Against North Charleston, Ash ley Miley and Aly Dennison each had 11 aces. Chloe Sampson led with five kills, followed by Kyle Rast and Payton Mullen with four apiece.

The Lady Eagles are now 2-1 in the region, good for third.

GIRLS TENNIS Phillip Simmons 6, Beaufort 0 Thursday, Sept. 22 at Beaufort

Singles

The Beaufort girls volleyball team continue its winning ways with a 3-0 (25-3, 25-5, 25-3) win

1. Ansley Cohen d. Madelyn Con fare 6-0, 6-0; 2. Amelia Whirrett d. Julia Pollitzer 2-6, 0-6; 3. Molly Paige Steinfort d. Tallie Pendarvis 0-6, 0-6; 4. Olivia Park d. Molly

Turbeville

Emma Etheridge and Crisleni Martinez d. Izzy Petretta and Jas mine Rivers 4-6,

Beaufort 5, Hannahan 1 Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Beaufort

Singles

1. Madelyn Confare d. Olivia Boone 6-1, 6-1;

Tallie Pendarvis

Lorelai Rumple 6-0, 6-0;

Julia Pollitzer d. Josie Fletcher 6-3, 6-3;

Molly Cook d. McKalynn Brabham 3-6, 6-3, 12-10;

Natalie Turbeville

Maggie Priddy 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles

1. Izzy Petretta and Jasmine Rivers d. Olivia Boone and Josie Fletcher (exhibition); 2. Marjan Nathani and Mali Hinton (H) d. Liz Livesay and Anna Lyles 6-7, 1-6.

James Island at Colleton County, 7 p.m.

Bluffton at Hilton Head Island, 7 p.m.

Cardinal Newman at John Paul II, 6:30 p.m.

Lucy Beckham at May River, 7 p.m.

Thursday Hilton Head Christian at First Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

Patrick Henry at The Kings Academy, 6:30 p.m.

Bethune-Bowman at Whale Branch, 7:30 p.m.

Friday Hilton Head Prep at Florence Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Colleton Prep at Greenwood Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Dillon Christian at Thomas Heyward, 7:30 p.m.

Ridgeland-Hardeeville at Wade Hampton (H), 7:30 p.m.

Note: Game dates and times are as of our deadline Tuesday.

Beaufort High School running back Kacy Fields, right, looks to the inside and gets a good block from Justin Weinberg for extra yards during the first half of the Eagles’ home game against the Bluffton Bobcats on Friday, Sept. 23. The Eagles went on to win, 55-23. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Ridgeland-Hardeville’s Johnitya Busby, left, can’t stop the power from Beaufort’s Chloe Sampson during the second game of their non-region match Monday at Beaufort. The Lady’s Eagles went on to sweep the Lady Cougars, 3-0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-8). Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Dolphins open new digs with wild win over Whale Branch

By Justin Jarrett LowcoSports.com

The new digs were stun ning, the stands were packed, and the band was on point. But the question hanging over a festive renovated sta dium at Battery Creek High School on Friday was wheth er the football team was ready to meet the moment.

The Dolphins answered more resoundingly than their renowned band celebrated after Jeremiah Mceachin and Damien Freeman led the ground game and Bat tery Creek’s defense gave a workmanlike effort in a hardfought 19-13 win over cross town rival Whale Branch.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks here,” Battery Creek coach Terrance Ashe said. “We just talked to our team and told them to persevere. We’ve been faced with a lot of adversity playing on the road. It’s been a lot.”

The home crowd was hop ing for a reason to party but had reasonable doubts about whether the Dolphins could deliver after three straight defeats, including a 38-0 drub bing at Bluffton a week earlier, especially with a red-hot War riors team coming around the bend from Seabrook.

Freshman Nick Underwood allowed the Creek faithful to exhale when he nearly took the opening kick to the house, setting up Freeman for a touchdown run and a quick 6-0 lead, but the defenses set the tone for the rest of the night.

After workhorse back Ma son Griffin went down with an apparent left knee injury in the first quarter, the War riors found tough sledding on

the ground against a strong defensive front led by Leroy Tyus and an active Battery Creek linebacking corps. It wasn’t much easier for Creek, but a veteran offensive line was able to create enough space for Mceachin and Free man to keep the chains mov ing, and Donyae Brown pro vided some key carries down the stretch when Freeman went down temporarily with cramping calves.

Mceachin broke through into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter to make it 12-0 and give the home crowd an extra shot of confidence, but the doubt began to creep back in when the Warriors came up with a goal-line stand to keep it a two-touchdown game at half time then struck quickly to start the second half.

Jakhi Pusha hit Keith Chisholm on a slant, and the

junior bolted past the defense and into the end zone to give the Warriors life. After anoth er fourth-down stop from the defense, Chisholm turned another short pass from Pu sha into a big gain, but Tyus stopped the momentum with a sack and another key stop to halt the drive.

Whale Branch’s defense held serve once more after a holding penalty negated a Freeman touchdown, but

Creek got it right back when Ty Mitchell jumped a route on third and long and set up the Dolphins at the 17-yard line.

Mceachin swept around the left end a few plays later and soccer star Taelyr Daugherty booted the PAT to make it 19-6 with less than six min utes to play.

The Creek band had the crowd in full celebration mode when the Warriors threw one last scare into

them, as Davon Evans caught a jump ball from Pusha at the 10 and spun out of a tackle to pull Whale Branch back within a touchdown with 1:22 remaining. The panic was short-lived, though, be cause Freeman pounced on the Warriors’ onside kick and cranked the celebration to 11.

Mceachin rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and Freeman added 84 yards and a TD on 15 carries and two receptions for 40 yards, while Hunter Smith completed 5 of 7 pass es for 56 yards. Tyus had four tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries, with seemingly every one of them coming when the Dolphins needed a stop the most, and Juju Gordon and Mitchell led Creek’s defense in stops.

It was a remarkable turn around from last week’s effort at Bluffton in every phase of the game.

“This week these guys real ly came together,” Ashe said. “I told them at the end of the day, we all we got, we all we need, and they played for each other.”

The Dolphins (2-4) are back on the new home turf to open Region 8-3A play against North Charleston at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Warriors (3-2) open Region 7-1A play at home against Bethune-Bowman at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com

He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

Thomas wins shortened invite at Innisbrook

From staff reports Jacob Thomas impressed in the shortened Invite at Innisbrook on Monday, tak ing home first-place honors at the famous Copperhead Course inside the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.

Thomas was hands-down the biggest highlight for USCB in the 36-hole, short ened outing, shooting a 3-un der 139 score. He was stellar in the first round by going 4-under 67, and he followed that with a 1-over 72 perfor mance.

In his sub-par round, Thomas posted not one, but two eagles in the round –Nos. 1 and 18. The first was the 560-yard par-5, while the later was on the 445-yard par-

4. Overall, he went 4-under on par-5s and 3s to go along with 21 pars and seven birdies. The senior edged Nicolas Lla nos of Keiser by one stroke, as the Seahawk went 3-under in the final round.

Not to be overlooked though, Sam Olsson Kjellin also had a respectable day, as he slotted in a five-way tie for 14th at 5-over 147. Fabian Fallenius finished tied for 56th at 12-over 154. Rounding out the starting five was Jo nas Demant and Christofer Hammar, who both tied for 60th at 13-over 155. Demant

led the trio with three birdies on Monday.

As a team, USCB tied for fourth with Wayland Baptist at 24-over 592. Keiser won the team title at 8-over 576, while Southeastern finished runner-up at 15-over 583.

USC Beaufort will travel Oct. 3-4 to Allendale, Mich., to participate in the presti gious Folds of Honor Chal lenge.

Worrell honored for 6th time

For the sixth time in the 2022 season, sophomore Em ily Worrell claimed another weekly conference award, as this week the Keedys ville, Md., native claimed the

Continental Athletic Con ference De fensive Player of the Week honor.

Worrell started in two games in the three-game week, and she added two more shutouts to bring her season total to six on the year. The six shutouts make her tied for fourth in NCAA Division II rankings as well as tied for third in the NAIA.

She also now totes a re markable 0.26 goals against average, which ranks sixth in NCAA DII and seventh in the NAIA. In the two-game, two-win

week for the goalkeeper, Worrell played all 180 min utes between the pipes and combined for five saves. She increased her save percent age to .923 while accumulat ing more than 700 minutes in goal.

USC Beaufort blanks Albany State

Behind four goals in the second half, the women's soccer team raced past Al bany State, 5-0, on Saturday to move above .500 in Peach Belt Conference action.

USCB's offense was re lentless in the opening pe riod, taking 10 shots on the

Rams' goalkeeper. Ine Aas finally broke through in the 45th minute putting the Sand Sharks (8-1, 2-1 PBC) up 1-0 at halftime.

It only took seven minutes for USCB's all-time leading goal scorer to find the back of the net, as Mari Kalvatn made it 2-0 on her 40th career goal.

The senior midfielder im pacted the next scoring play as well, assisting on Kristin Beltestad's first goal of the season.

Savanna Page continued her dominance of late, adding two more goals, her fourth and fifth of the season, mak ing it a 5-0 Sand Shark lead.

The freshman from Houston has now scored in three con secutive contests.

Senior running back Jeremiah Mceachin rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries Friday night against Whale Branch. Justin Jarrett/LowcoSports.com

Jacob Thomas

Emily Worrell

CALENDAR Shorts at High Noon back at TCL

Noon to 1 p.m., every Wednesday, TCL’s Beaufort campus. Free and open to the public. Check-in is at 11:30 a.m. This week’s films are His & Hers (a 4-minute Short film), Lavender (a 12-minute Student) and In The Event Of My Death (a 21-minute Short film). All films were featured at the 2022 Beaufort International Film Festival.

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.

Port Royal Farmers Market

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

Lowcountry Made Markets

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

League of Women Voters Beaufort meetings

6:30 to 8 p.m., 2nd Thursday of each month (Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 8), Meeting Room of Sea Island Presbyterian Church, Lady’s Island Drive. This is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. All are invited to attend. Please join us to promote voter participation in matters of interest to all of us : locally, statewide and nationally.

Port Royal Cypress Wetlands tours

9 to 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 8; 9 to 10:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 28; 4 to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13; 4 to 5:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25. You don't want to miss the Free guided tours of the Port Royal Cypress Wetlands. Master Naturalist Jill Moore is full of information about the alligators, turtles, trees, plants, and the variety of birds that call the wetlands home. This is a great opportunity to learn about this magical place. Tours are limited in size so sign up now – Kat Bray, Tour Coordinator, info@ foprcw.org. Sponsored by Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church’s 62nd annual Fall Bazaar

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, St.

Peter’s Catholic Church, Lady’s Island. The bazaar committee seeks Lowcountry artists and crafts people to sell their creations at the bazaar. Booths may be set up inside or outside. Fee is $100. The bazaar will also feature International Foods, a Silent Auction, Sweet Shoppe, a Craft Beer Garden, a Kids Zone with games and inflatables, a Plant Sale, and Church Tours (see the new stained-glass windows). Proceeds benefit the Lowcountry Outreach Center. For an application contact parishlife@stpetersbeaufort.org.

Blues, Bourbon & BBQ

6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, Crystal Lake Barn at Hampton Lake, Bluffton. Limited to guests 21 and older. Event benefits Family Promise of Beaufort County. Music by Scott Ainslie, a renowned artist, songwriter and musician (www.cattailmusic.com).

Barbecue by talented local Chef, Danny Hieronymus (www.hieronymusprovisions.com). Live and silent auctions.

For a limited number of guests, there will

WHAT’S HAPPENING

have an exclusive Pre-Event VIP Bourbon tasting from 5:15 to 6 p.m. The bourbon has been donated by Burnt Church Distillery. Tickets are $100-$150 and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3KzS18D.

Beaufort Shrimp Festival

Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday Oct. 8, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. Arts and Crafts Market runs from Noon to 6 p.m., Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Friday’s music –

Lauren Hall, 5:30 p.m.; Still Standing: A Tribute to Elton John by the Elton John Tribute Band, 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s music – Broke Locals, 11:15 a.m.; Parris Island Rock Band, 12:30 p.m.; Walker Dean, 2 p.m.; Katie Lynn Godowns, 3 p.m. Savor the best fresh-caught shrimp in the world during the 28th Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival, featuring unique shrimp dishes from the region’s foremost restaurants and chefs. Admission is free.

Our Cultures, Our Stories: A Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, Bluffton Library (120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton Village. Celebrate with a tour of Hispanic cultures, cuisines, music, snacks, and more. All ages are invited to join in the fun of this free event.

Sidewalk Sale

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, Collectors Antique Mall, 102C Sea Island Parkway, Beaufort. Giant sale in our parking lot and inside the store. Vendors are clearing out store inventory and bringing items from home. The Lunch Lady Food Truck will be in our parking lot with breakfast and lunch. We will also have Fall and Halloween in our store. All sales subject to SC sales tax.

Rock n’ Ribs 2022 featuring Blues Traveler

Saturday, Oct. 15, Coligny Plaza, Hilton Head Island. Tickets start at $149. To purchase, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ rock-n-ribs-2022-featuring-blues-travelertickets-103845021254.

St. Helena Branch Library 10th anniversary

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island, S.C., 29920. Families of all ages are welcome. Attendees will get to enjoy a sweet treat, fun activities and more.

Christian Women’s Connection Honor

Our Hometown Heroes

11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19, Hampton Hall Club House. Join the Christian Women’s Connection and welcome gentlemen guests, military, veterans and first responders, who will enjoy an elegant meal and be entertained with music by Alec Poulin. Hear from Roy and Stephanie Brown about Operation Patriots' experiences for Veterans and First Responders, and be inspired as Lt. Lee Levesque speaks about "Real Footprints in A Servant’s Life." Prepaid reservations are $28 payable to "CWC Bluffton" care of Carol Mock, 607 Argent Way, Bluffton S.C. 29909. For details, Julie at 602750-5465 or email Julie.ott.az@gmail.com.

YMCA Puppy Plunge

9 to 11 a.m., Saturdays, Oct. 22, Nov. 19, 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 upto-date on all vaccinations. Event is weather dependent so check the YMCA social media or call the Y front desk at 843-522-9622 the morning of the Puppy Plunge to check any status update.

Poe: A Meditation for an Autumn Afternoon

1 to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, Bluffton Library (120 Palmetto Way, in Bluffton Village). All ages are invited to attend this free event. First come, first seated. Doors will open at 12:45 p.m.

HBF Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens

Oct. 22 and 23. Explore Beaufort from a rare vantage point as gracious homeowners open their homes and gardens to public view during HBF’s annual Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens. This year’s homes represent the best of The Beaufort Style and celebrate the charm and character of our 18th century town.

Tickets are available at www.historicbeaufort. org or by phone at 843.379.3331.

Veterans Day Parade

10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 11. Parade lineup begins at Beaufort National Cemetery at 8:30 p.m.. Parade route runs through downtown Beaufort. Parade is sponsored by Beaufort County Veterans Affairs and will be broadcast on The County Channel. Entry application can be found at BeaufortCountySC.com/ veteransaffairs. Registration deadline is Oct. 27.

Beaufort Oyster Festival

Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 21-22, 2023, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Beaufort. www. BftOysterFestival.com.

MCAS Beaufort Airshow

Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23, 2023, MCAS

Beaufort. Visit BeaufortAirShow.com. General admission is free.

GOLF

Inaugural Stingray Scramble

Saturday, Nov. 12, Ocean Creek Course, Fripp Island. Tournament benefits Riverview Charter School. Event features golf, food, awards and an after party. Details to come.

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.

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, 843-255-6540. All ages welcome.

Time for Tea (English Tea Party)

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

Recipe Club

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

Knitting/Crochet Class

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

Teen Art Club

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

Teen Anime Club

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

Coffee & Conversation

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

Teen Video Game Club

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

Hoopla Class

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

S.C. Works Job Coaching

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

Line Dance Class

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

Chess Club

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

Chess Meet Up

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

Chess Meet Up

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

Law Talk

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

Law Talk

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

Beaufort Downtown Branch Library Special Programs

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

MEETINGS

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

10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, Church of the Palms, 1425 Okatie Highway. The wearing of masks is encouraged. 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 Musicin-the-Schools program. The basic FIFOM membership, $100, has not changed. To become a member, text or call Vanessa Peñaherrera at 704-807-0255 or email vandy116@gmail. com. Go to frippfriendsofmusic.com for more information. Schedule: Oct. 16, Natalia Khoma Duo (cellist, pianist); Nov. 13, TAKE3 (highenergy mix of classical, pop and jazz); Jan. 8, Andrew Armstrong (piano); Feb. 26, The Tony Lee Group (jazz); March 26, Kim Richey (singer-songwriter).

RUNNING Beaufort Triple Crown, 3-race 5K Sprint Series

Saturday, Oct. 8 – Run Forrest Run 5K: Beaufort Digital Corridor kicks off the series, and all proceeds support the mission of bridging the tech career gap between school and work.

Saturday, Oct. 15 – Swing Bridge Run: The run supports Holy Trinity Classical Christian School’s mission to provide rigorous classical education to children regardless of financial means.

Saturday, Oct. 22 – Flying Frog 5K: This unique course is on the runway at beautiful Beaufort Executive Airport. This race supports the Altitude Academy, a Lowcountry program dedicated to educating youth on aviation.

Registration for the Beaufort Triple Crown series is only available until Wednesday, Oct. 5. To qualify, entrants must register for each of the individual races above and select "Yes" on the participation question above. Beaufort Triple Crown participants will receive different colored race bibs from other participants and will be timed for the singular races as well as the overall series and compete to win both series finisher and overall placer medals. The top first-, second- and third-place overall male and female winners will take home the prize.

Registration Beaufort Triple Crown: https://www. facebook.com/BeaufortTripleCrown/ Swing Bridge Run: https://bit.ly/ SwingBridgeRun Flying Frog 5k: bit.ly/FlyingFrog5k Run Forrest Run 5k: https://bit.ly/ RunForrestRunBeaufort

For more information, contact Celeste Pruit, Director of Advancement, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School, at 843-379-9670 or email her at cpruit@htccs.org.

VOICES

The long-delayed burial of the Empire

It is Sunday and we read that Queen Elizabeth will be buried tomorrow.

The Royal Family is good at ceremony — weddings, cor onations, funerals. But there won’t be a shift in political philosophy; or transfer of the tote bag containing the missile launch codes. There’s only the transfer of those entitled to sleep at the palace; those entitled to review the Coldstream Guards; those entitled to bestow knighthoods.

Most of us will watch the funeral because there will be a new (if irrelevant) King, majestic music, inspirational interiors and celebrities who somehow got (soon-to-be framed) invitations.

But what we got (in Eliz abeth) was the person who witnessed the prolonged, painful disintegration of a huge empire that stretched around the world. She was a young woman — not yet Queen — when Brit ain governed from Hong Kong to Cape Town to Cairo and still had enough Glasgow-built battleships and Highlander Battalions to back-up their world-wide governance.

But in the years before

Elizabeth’s birth, Ireland had made it clear it want ed out; India was restive; Kenya was heading toward rebellion and Afghanistan continued to be the predict able trouble-maker it has been since Alexander. But these small insubordina tions were totally eclipsed by the Battle of the Somme where — on the first day — 20,000 British soldiers were killed. We are not talking 20,000 casualties — we’re talking 20,000 dead.

When one considers that in August 1914 the British Empire was 450 million strong with access to every fighting-aged man in Aus tralia, Canada, South Africa, India, Egypt, Singapore and the West Indies, 20,000 dead would seem to be a drop in the empirical buck et. But the Battle at Galli poli would cost the British another 50,000 men killed

and in the end the Brits would lose almost 900,000 men, women and children in World War I.

“After so many miser ies in its name, glory was discredited in the hearts of the people, and war, which had given the British such vicarious satisfaction in the past, was recognized now in its true obscenity,” writes James Morris in “Farewell the Trumpets.”

Yes, The Empire survived World War I — actually it acquired a little more terri tory — but there was a sense of tragedy that descended on the UK. This sadness and sense of vulnerability was made manifest by the lame and sightless veterans who wandered the streets of London, York and Bristol.

When Elizabeth came of age she saw these disfig ured men, and the resulting resentment of the British High Command. She must have known the Australians would never forgive British for the slaughter of their teenagers at Gallipoli. She must have known that now Canada wanted complete control of its own army. She must have realized that Gandhi would eventually prevail and lead India —

with its immensely profit able cotton, rubber, tea and indigo industries — out of the Empire.

Then came World War II

ed States and its fast-twitch industrial muscle came into play saving Britain and its restless Empire.

In the aftermath of that

After so many miseries in its name, glory was discredited in the hearts of the people, and war, which had given the British such vicarious satisfaction in the past, was recognized now in its true obscenity,” writes James Morris in “Farewell the Trumpets.”

and another bloody, worldwide conflagration that saw a succession of disasters in Singapore, Burma, Norway and in the China Sea with the sinking of the battle ship, Prince of Wales, and the battlecruiser, Repulse. But this time around the enemy, led by Hitler and Hirohito, was easy to hate and in due course the Unit

kill-off, the United States decided the imperialism and empire were bad.

“They were astonishingly ignorant about the British Empire — it was commonly supposed even in Detroit and Chicago that Canada was ruled from London, but they were generally convinced that whatever its nature was, it was repre

hensible,” so saith James Morris.

All so our pale Elizabeth was trying to hold the Em pire together while India, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya and the rest of her former colonies made haste to the illuminated signs marked “EXIT.” We in the United States were happy to watch these departures — notwith standing our Special Rela tionship with the UK — as long as these folks stayed clear of Communism.

Elizabeth and her father, George VI, were close, and he prepared her (if we believe “The Crown”) for queenship. What is remark able is that Elizabeth knew most of the actors in this drama. It is one thing to die at 96; it is another to have a front row seat—and a speak ing role—with the likes of Churchill, Gandhi, Eisenhow er, McMillan, Montgomery, Nasser, Kenyatta, Weizmann, Waugh and the Beatles.

This will not be Eliza beth’s funeral. It will be the long-delayed burial of the Empire.

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

The faucet has to be turned off and the sooner the better

NBC News, not a conservative source, in an article dated March 16, 2021, reported that the surge has created a backlog in Border Patrol sta tions, with more than 4,200 children in custody and 2,943 of those children being held over the 72-hour legal limit.

The new figures are a record high, topping last week, when there were roughly 3,000 children in Border Patrol custody, 1,400 of whom were being held over the 72-hour limit.

FEMA the federal emergen cy management agency is quickly building “decom pression centers” in Dallas and Midland, Texas to allow Health and Human Services, the agency equipped to care for children before they are placed with sponsors, to take more children out of border patrol custody.

In April 2022, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas when testifying before congress did not out right lie but avoided saying that all an immigrant has to say is when encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent is “I’m seeking asylum!” They do not petition for asylum.

ANTHONY R. SCOTT

Instead, they are subse quently provided a court date in the distant future and released into the interior of the United States. It should be noted that less than 1% of these immigrants appear for their scheduled hearing.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are mak ing life very difficult across the nation by their policy of releasing thousands of immigrants a day into the United States. They are placing a strain on the econ omy of all border states by straining their hospitals and related medical resources, educational resources, social service resources, housing resources, policing resourc es, and food bank resources.

During his first year in office, President Biden has caused more destruction to the America economy than any other President in the

history of this country. He’s increased economic infla tion, fuel prices across the board, cost of living, cost of groceries, cost of health care and unemployment. Further, President Biden has nega tively impacted the nation by decreased the prestige of the United States around the world, given billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment to our enemies, abandoned Americans in Afghanistan, releasing thou sands of immigrants into the country daily on our south ern border, increased the security risk with the number of immigrants entering the U.S. through our southern border.

Irish, Indian and African doctors, German engineers and many others are among those seeking legal entry into this country, who want to immigrate to the U.S., must go through a rigorous vetting process, but any illiterate gang-bangers who jump the southern border are welcomed by the socialist liberal Democratic of the Biden/Harris Administra tion.

Additionally, $5 billion for border security is too expen

sive, but $1.5 trillion for “free” health and welfare care for immigrants is not, where are our priorities.

The immigration restric tionist think tank uncovered several other eye-popping numbers in the latest Cur rent Population Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Two million: The number by which the U.S foreign born population grew in the first 16 months of Biden’s presidency, a rate twice that of the native population.

66%: The percentage of the new immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally, numbering 1.35 million.

11.6 million: The total number of illegal immi grants living in America in April, per CIS’ estimate.

14.3%: The ratio of the U.S. population born abroad, unseen in 112 years.

The Biden Factor

After rolling back some of former President Trump’s hardline immigration policies, Biden has overseen an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration. The number of reported migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexi co border reached 234,088 in

April, the most in the history of the Department of Home land Security.

Weeks ago, a federal judge blocked the Biden admin istration from rescinding Title 42, a policy that allows most migrants to be turned away at the border on public health grounds. But the Biden administration, under pressure from progressive activists, has pledged to appeal the ruling.

In the meantime, the Border Patrol has been pre paring for as many as 8,000 daily migrant encounters at the southern border, more than double the daily num ber of the 2019 surge under Trump.

Our government can not sustain the spending presently occurring to house, feed, educate and provide medical services to these il legal immigrants. The faucet has to be turned off and the sooner the better.

In order for this situation at our southern border to be addressed, there must be a red wave in November to take back the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This is necessary in order to bring a modicum of

sanity to our federal govern ment and fiscal irresponsi bility.

Should the conservatives accomplish this, then the House and Senate can imme diately take measures to turn off the flow of funds to the Biden/Harris Administration thereby effectively putting the brakes on the situation at the southern border. The House and Senate can rein state the construction of the border wall thereby signifi cantly reducing immigrants entering the U.S.

Further, the House and Senate can force the Biden/ Harris Administration to renegotiate the “Wait In Mexico” agreement and turn off the flow of funds to those countries who will not assist in controlling the flow of their residents illegally into the United States.

Anthony R. Scott is a retired police chief and Navy veteran who spent 45 years in law enforcement before retiring to Beaufort County.

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

SCOTT GRABER

IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Are we dedicating or hesitating?

Iattempt to keep my eyes and ears open to learn about the Holy Spirit and human behavior. In my spir itual journey, the situations I've encountered through counseling and teaching have graciously allowed me to see the importance of walking in humility through the awareness of God’s presence.

I’m not implying that I’ve arrived at a spiritual plateau where God and I float through the clouds together, but I do believe we can be as close to Him as we desire to be. To be honest, the more I discover about His written and specific will, the more I realize I have hardly scratched the surface of pleasing Him.

I've learned that our re bellious human nature loves being independent while God is constantly trying to reveal to us how the mean

BILLY HOLLAND

ing of life is doing His will. He desires that we snap out of our defiant trance and allow Him to transform our thinking so that He can use us to accomplish His desires.

I’m sure that some of you comprehend what I mean when I declare how diffi cult it is to keep our carnal will under subjection to God’s still small voice. Even though many do not have a clear understanding, there is a huge difference between religiously knowing about God and knowing Him personally.

We realize that it’s possi ble to drift away from God and fall into a backslidden state, but it’s also a reality that we can be deceived about what it means to be born-again. Most everyone has a knowledge of Bible stories but many do not have the burden or disci pline to pray, have never studied the Bible, nor have they witnessed or shared their testimony with anyone.

These individuals appear to have everything under con trol until they are facing a serious crisis and their world is turned upside down.

When someone contacts me for prayer and counsel ing, the first question I ask is if they can remember a specific time when they surrendered their life to Jesus. Most responses are related to being baptized or attending church as a child. It seems that some individ

uals are ashamed and avoid talking about how they have never lived for Him and now feel guilty to call upon Him because they need His help.

Yes, there are times when even the strongest followers of Christ are shaken to their core, but generally speaking the reason why people do not have spiritual security and discernment in times of tragedy is because they have drifted away from Him. If we communicate with Him in the good times, we will also be more likely to know what He is saying when facing a battle.

If we do not have an intimate relationship with Christ in our daily prayers and worship, how can we expect to know what to do when the bottom drops out?

When we are constantly talking with Him, praying, and worshiping Him every day, when adversity comes

we will not need to search for Him. We are already with Him.

There are levels of ad vancement with God and He desires that we keep moving closer to Him through out our earthly existence.

Following Jesus includes the responsibility of being a soldier who fights a spiritual war against the kingdom of darkness. If we are not brokenhearted about the world's blatant disregard for the Bible and the lack of a reverential fear of God, then we have already fallen into a state of lukewarmness.

Yes, it’s hard to be differ ent from the culture and to separate ourselves from sin, but learning how to develop a passion to obey Christ is the only way to be filled with His hope and joy.

If we refuse to nurture our holy covenant vow with God while we are living on the

mountaintop, we will not have enough time to build an intimate relationship with Him when we find our selves in a dark valley.

This is the danger of not taking advantage of making Him our highest priority today because when we are knocked down to our knees tomorrow it’s too late to start building a foundation of faith. The majority of those who are in shock from a crisis become so over whelmed with confusion and fear they cannot con centrate on anything except their agony.

Today is the day to know God personally so that when troubles come (and they will) we can trust Him and hear His voice within the peace and confidence of the Holy Spirit.

Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

Settlement reached by Episcopal, Anglican dioceses of SC

From staff reports

According to a news re lease, the Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina (EDOSC) and the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) an nounced their respective dio ceses have reached a final set tlement agreement resolving numerous outstanding legal issues between their respec tive dioceses.

This settlement is the re sult of self-guided mediation in which the two bishops and their chancellors have engaged over the past four months. It has the unani

mous support of their dioce san leadership as well as the full support of The Episcopal Church.

Both bishops agree that, though the settlement re quired each diocese to sacri fice things they hold dear, fi nalizing these issues enables them to move forward with ministry free from ongoing lawsuits over these issues.

“Getting to this point re quired compromise from both sides; compromise al ways includes wins and loss es,” said Bishop Chip Edgar of the ADOSC. “This settle ment agreement allows us to

invest our diocesan energy, time, focus and resources in gospel ministry rather than litigation. While the losses we have experienced, including those of St. Christopher and several of our parish buildings are painful, I am grateful that the work we have done has brought an end to litigation between our dioceses. I am grateful, too, for the willing ness to work to avoid further litigation that Bishop Wood liff-Stanley showed through out this process. These hard past few months were made easier by her kind and gen erous willingness to compro

mise to reach this settlement."

Bishop Woodliff-Stanley said, “Following Jesus entails a willingness — an eagerness, even — to engage those who have been our opponents with the goal of repairing the breach between us. From the very beginning of this pro cess, I have been grateful for the gracious spirit of Bishop Edgar in doing just this work with us. I am grateful for his leadership and his generosity. While each diocese has had to leave things on the table to get to this moment, and while we experience pain over losses of some of the historic

churches our members hold dear, even still, we have seen the Spirit at work in drawing us toward God’s redemptive way of love at every juncture. I remain hopeful that we can bring remaining parish issues to full resolution and move into a new season of ministry as two distinct dioceses work ing alongside each other in the same communities for the sake of the gospel.”

While the settlement does not affect the remaining is sues regarding the proper ty rights of three parishes currently pending before the South Carolina Supreme

Court or the betterments lawsuit by several parishes pending in state trial court, it does resolve all remaining issues regarding diocesan properties.

As part of the settlement agreement, the operations of St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center will transition from the ADOSC to the EDOSC on Oct. 1. St. Christopher will continue to operate without interruption.

The full details of the settle ment have not been released.

According to the release, both dioceses will share additional information later this week.

Cub Scouts from Webelos Den 1 help distribute straw on the grounds of Carteret Street United Methodist Church on Sunday afternoon. The scouts and another three dozen volunteers helped spread straw and unloaded 44,000 pounds of pumpkins in preparation for the church’s 27th annual Pumpkin Patch, proceeds of which go to help support the church’s youth ministry. Photos by Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Three dozen volunteers converged onto the grounds of Carteret Street United Methodist Church on Sunday, Sept. 25, to help unload a tractor trailer full of 44,000 pounds of pumpkins grown in Farmington, N.M., through an agreement with the Navajo Nation, that will be used in the church’s 27th annual Pumpkin Patch. The patch will be open from Sunday through Friday noon until 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

LOCAL MILITARY

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, 30 September 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 N. A. Hartmann • Parade Adjutant, First Lieutenant V. N. Gamino Company “E”, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion • Commanding Officer, Captain N. A. Hartmann

PLATOON 2064

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt M. J. Webb Jr.

PFC Albritton, W. D.*

Pvt Alonzo, E. G.

Pvt Barrett, T. A.

PFC Bell, T. H.

PFC Brooks, Z. A.

Pvt Brown, M. A.

Pvt Campbell, J. D.

PFC Cerrato, J. D.*

PFC Cini, R. M.

PFC Davis, J. L.

Pvt Delancey, C. V.

Pvt Dewitt, J. E.

Pvt Emch, L. D.

Pvt Fox, R. A.

PFC Garner, D. X.

Pvt George, J. T.

PFC Gibbs, D. T.*

Pvt Gibson, G. R.

Pvt Goodwin Jr., D. T.

Pvt Grant, K. M.

Pvt Groves, M.

Pvt Guest, L. J.

Pvt Hinds, B. J.

Pvt Hulett, C. J.

PFC Huynh, S. N.

Pvt Impello, A. R.

Pvt InterialRomo, J. M.

Pvt Jacks, J. R.

PFC Jackson Jr., F. J.

Pvt Jackson, T. E.

Pvt Jimenez, N. J.

Pvt Kaplinski, W. B.

Pvt Kargbo, I. S.

Pvt Kellison, A. J.

Pvt Keshishian II, M. S.

Pvt Kis, A. J.

PFC Krebs, I. M.

PFC Lail, D. L.

Pvt Litton, N. R.

PFC MakenseroMoleroux, A. J.

PFC Mayall, T. M.

PFC Mills, A. R.

Pvt Montolio, S.

PFC Nagle, J. S.*

PFC Nugent, I. J.

Pvt Oates, E. W.

PFC Olbrych, M. N.

PFC Page, C. J.

Pvt Parker, J. J.

Pvt Paul, C. M.

Pvt Pfeiffer, C. J.

Pvt Porter Jr., D. Z.

Pvt RamirezMendez, E.

PFC Reed Jr., K. L.

PFC Reeves, T. K.

PFC Resendiz, J. J.

Pvt Rodweller, R. L.

Pvt Rolader, W. G.

Pvt Salinas, C. Y.

Pvt SilvaMonteiro, E.

Pvt Simmons, C. M.

Pvt Sims, A. D.

Pvt Snyder Jr., C. W.

PFC Talamantes Jr., R.

PFC Val, W.

Drill Masters • Gunnery Sergeant T. M. Moore, Staff Sergeant E. T. Holt

PLATOON 2065

Senior Drill Instructor Sgt I. H. Estopare

Pvt Ahmed, Z. A.

PFC Alexander, J. I.*

PFC AlvarezReyes, A.

PFC Anacletus, L. C.*

Pvt Anderson, K. K.

Pvt ArandaCabezas, E. Y.

Pvt Bailey, M. G.

PFC Balderas Jr., L. G.

Pvt Bapst A. M.

PFC Barry, W. S.

PFC Brown, C. C.

PFC Chen, W.

Pvt Clark, D. E.

PFC Cohen, B. I.

PFC Dyson, J. M.

PFC Figueroa, J. C.*

Pvt Fiorentino III, M. A.

Pvt Fowler, J. B.

PFC Frazier, A. J. *

PFC Garcia Jr., L. G.

Pvt Guzman, B. L.

Pvt Hilton, K. S.

PFC HodgeFernandez, Y.*

PFC HolquistMerica, C. J.

Pvt Kennedy, R. J.

Pvt Koo, Y.

Pvt Lancaster, A. J.

Pvt Leger, M.

PFC LisboaDejesus, E. G.

Pvt LopezEscobar, C.

Pvt Lowe, C. R.

Pvt Mann A. K.

Pvt Martinez, S. J.

Pvt Mendoza, R. M.

Pvt Milacek, E. S.

Pvt Miller, P. E.

Pvt MoyaRosario, C.

PFC Newsom, J. M.

PFC Padilla, A. G.

Pvt Parker, O. M.

Pvt PerezRobledo, D.

Pvt Phillips, J. M.

Pvt Poles Jr., K. L.

Pvt Rai, P.

PFC Rodriguez, K. E.

Pvt RodriguezParker, T. J.

PFC Roggiero, G. G.

Pvt Russell, G. C.

PFC SalvadorGonzalez, B.

Pvt Santos, S. M.

Pvt Saucedo Jr., V. M.

Pvt Sharpe, S. O.

Pvt Shi, Z.

Pvt Spindler, R. C.

Pvt Thornton, T. D.

PFC Tzu, S.

Pvt Urrutia, A. A.

PFC Valdez, I. J.

Pvt Venezia, D. M.

Pvt Wargo, P. E.

PFC Winton, S. M.

PFC Witte, H. J.

Pvt Worsham, K. M.

PFC Yglesias, C. C.

PLATOON 2066

Senior Drill Instructor Sgt A. T. Sanchez

PFC AndradesSanchez, D. J.

PFC AvilaOrven, C. G.

PFC Beall, M. D.

PFC Black, T. M.

PFC BonillaRios, C.*

Pvt Browne, J. A.

Pvt Browne, M. Q.

PFC Castro, M.*

Pvt Ceballos, M. K.

Pvt Celata, P. K.

PFC Ciego, J. E.

PFC Clauvis, J. A.

PFC Cox, S. C.

PFC Cupps, M. E.

Pvt Cysewski, A. M.

Pvt Dabire, T. S.

PFC Dates, E. C.

Pvt Davidson, E. F.

Pvt DonisLima, N. A.

PFC Dudley, S. M.

Pvt Durocher, D. M.

Pvt Escobar, A. J.

Pvt EscobarEscobar, M.

PFC Fickling, H. S.

Pvt Figueroa, E. A.

Pvt Finder, S. M.

PFC FloresMorales, K. E. Pvt Freeman, G. A. Pvt Garcia, A. C.

PFC Garcia, K. C. PFC GildelVillar, A.* Pvt Glacken, A. F.

Pvt GomezCastrejon, A. J. PFC Gonzalez, A. R. Pvt GonzalezSantiago, M. I. Pvt Green, J. D.

PFC Harris, K. R.

Pvt Henderson, H. L. Pvt Hernandez, J. A. Pvt HernandezRodriguez, N. PFC Hicks, J. D.

PFC Hinton, M. E. Pvt Jimenez, R. N. Pvt Kay, A. L.

Pvt LagardAsaenz, B. I.

Pvt Larson, M. R. Pvt LazaroMoran, D.

Pvt LinWu, V.

Pvt LopezNava, A. Pvt Marcum, T. L. Pvt MendozaMedina, A. J. Pvt Miranda, M. A.

Pvt Moreau, K. L.

Pvt Morris, B. R.

Pvt Navarro, B.

PFC Nesbitt, R. B.

Pvt Parisaca, F. S.

Pvt Peina, J. R. Pvt Powell, Z. B.

PFC Rahlan, B.

PFC Riley, N. M.

Pvt Rodriguez, A.

Pvt Rosales, H. A.

Pvt SantizGomez, N. B.

Pvt Simpson, T. D.

Pvt Smalls, S. C.

PFC Smith, K. E.

PFC Spakowski, J. A.

PFC Spencer, R. M.

Pvt Springstead, L. L.

Pvt TapiaSantiago, A.

PFC Uy, S. G.

Pvt ValenciaTamayo, A.

Pvt VasquezMontes, A.

PFC Vega, B. M.*

PFC Yant, D. T.

Pvt Zapata, M. M.

Pvt Zarosly, J. E.

PLATOON 2068

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt C. J. RiveraNieves

Pvt Angelotti, J. B.

PFC Bruna, J. C.

Pvt Burdette, J. S.

Pvt Burgess, C. H.

PFC Calhoun, C. D.

Pvt CaloViras, J. S.

Pvt Caraballo, K. D.

Pvt Carter, D. A.

PFC Chartier, D. D.

Pvt Chavez, D.

Pvt Clark, I. L.

PFC Colon, M. A.*

Pvt Cook, W. L.

PFC Duffy, Z. M.*

PFC Dugan, A. M.

PFC Florio, C. J.

Pvt Gaynor, Z. C.

Pvt Geary, C. T.

PFC GomezLopez, J. O.

PFC Graves, B. D.

PFC Gregory, B. I.

Pvt Griffith, J. T.

PFC Guimaraes, W. J.

Pvt Hammond, E. B.

PFC Hardin, W. H.

Pvt Hartwick, C. J.

Pvt Helena, D. S.

Pvt Howard, J. W.

Pvt Jacques, N. C.

PFC Jean, M.

Pvt Jimenez, N. N.

Pvt Johnson, R. L.

Pvt Kays, K. J.

Pvt Martinez, D.

Pvt McBride, C. D.

Pvt McCabe, J. T.

Pvt McKnight, M. N.

Pvt Meese, T.

Pvt Mendez, C.

Pvt Mitchell, C. A.

PFC Moua, C. R.

PFC MuleroRosado, J.

PFC Neff, N. C.*

PFC Netterville III, F. H.

Pvt Nowell, D. A.

Pvt Oshei II, K. B.

Pvt Powers, N. K.

Pvt Robinson Jr., P. S.

Pvt Rose, T. S.

Pvt Rubio, H. J.

Pvt Schmitt, A. J.

Pvt Silvers, I. K.

Pvt Simpson, E. R.

Pvt Thompson, D. A.

Pvt Thousand, P. D.

PFC Thurman, J. A.*

Pvt Valdes, J. G.

Pvt Valencia, A.

Pvt Velazquez, B.

PFC Washington, J. T.

Pvt Weaver, Z. D.

Pvt Wells, M. K.

Pvt Woolcock, D. M.

Pvt Wyatt, D. S.

PLATOON 2069

Senior Drill Instructor SSgt Y. Alvarez

Pvt AguilarVazquez, J. J.

Pvt Alvarado, M.

PFC Austin, B. J.

Pvt Bone Jr, D. L.

PFC Brisson, R. O.*

Pvt Brown, C. J.

Pvt Carney, Z. M.

Pvt Coulter, D. A.

PFC Critides III, S. D.

Pvt Ditata, E. F.

Pvt Dombrowski, J. A

PFC Dulworth, G. L.

PFC Faircloth, B. A.

Pvt Friedman, M. L.

Pvt Johnson, J. J.

PFC Jones, S. A.

PFC Khonouta, S. S.

Pvt Kujawski, N.

Pvt Lawrence, J. J.

PFC Leboeuf, Z. T.

PFC Lewis, E. J.*

PFC Lott, A. E.*

Pvt Loyola, V. R.

PFC MacConnachie, D. C.

Pvt Marroquin, J. A.

Pvt Martinez, L. Pvt Meadows, J. M.

Pvt Medina, M. O. PFC Nicholas, C. A. PFC Okam, N. S.

PFC Pagnotto, J. R. PFC Parsons, T. A.

Pvt Perez, I. J.

Pvt Poisson, L. J.

Pvt Richards, W. A. Pvt Riley, A. P. Pvt Rosario Jr., D.

Pvt RuizBarbosa, I. A.

Pvt Santiago, J. Pvt Santos Jr., A. PFC Smallwood, B. J.*

PFC Spofford, T. K. Pvt Temple, C. M. Pvt Thomas, A. T.

Pvt Thompson, S. E.

Pvt Thornton, M. R.

PFC Thornton, T. C.

Pvt Tizzard, C. M.

Pvt ToledoFlores, J. A.

Pvt Tompkins, B. W.

PFC Vance, M. J.*

PFC Vantine, G. S.

Pvt VasquezGuerra, L. S.

Pvt VelazquezMorales, J. N. Pvt Velez, I. A.

Pvt Ventura, K. N.

Pvt Walters, J. D.

Pvt Wespi, G. A.

Pvt Williams, C. M.

PFC Williams, J. L.

Pvt Withrow, J. L.

Pvt Wroten, J. L.

Pvt Zeigler, K. A.

PLATOON 2070

Senior Drill Instructor

SSgt K. M. Moreno

Pvt AliceaPadilla, C. M. PFC Allen, E. R.

Pvt Alvarado, Y. M. Pvt Angeli, L. B. Pvt Archie, I. E. PFC Billiot, A. M. PFC Blanding, D. J. Pvt Bravo, J.

Pvt Calhoun, C. M. PFC Cambambia, S. N. Pvt Carreon, H. N. PFC Castaneda, K. PFC CastroParra, S. G.*

Pvt ChavezJuanez, M. Pvt Christopher, K. F. PFC Cooper, V. L. PFC Decena, A. D. Pvt DellaMaggiora, E. P. PFC DelosSantos, K. A. PFC Diamond, M. E.* Pvt Diaz, J. Pvt Farias, J. Pvt Farmer, K. T. PFC Frazier, M. A. PFC Fullam, E. N. Pvt Garcia, R. Pvt Green, R. E. Pvt Guzman, J. A. Pvt Hainaut, B. A. Pvt Hernandez, S. A. Pvt Holt, A. C. Pvt Hoppe, E. R. Pvt Jackson, T. A. PFC Law, L. J. Pvt Lemus, F. A. PFC Lopez, A. Pvt Mata, C. D. Pvt Montano, E. A. PFC MonteroEcheandia, S. M. PFC NajarroBriones, E. J. PFC OrtizRivera, J. N. PFC Paden, F. N. Pvt Palacios, N. A. PFC Pleasant, J. N. Pvt RamirezMata, A. PFC Ramos, A. S. Pvt RattanaGallegos, A. PFC Rials, C. M. Pvt Rice, A. K.

Pvt Rifenburg, A. E.

Pvt RiveraSanchez, J. A.

Pvt Robin, A. N. Pvt Robles, K. M.

Pvt RodriguezColon, Y. E.

PFC Romero, C.

PFC Ross, R. M.*

PFC Schadt, F. B.

Pvt Shepherd, A. N.

Pvt Snyder, S. E. Pvt Southwood, K. E.

PFC Sullivan, M. L.

Pvt TerriquezCastillo, R. Pvt Vanderlaan, T. H.

Pvt VargasZamora, S.

Pvt Vaughn, J. L.

PFC Whitcher, E. M.

PFC Williams, K. A.

PFC Williams, T. M.

Pvt Yanu, P. T.

SCNG Army Aviation branch turns 75

ASouth

Carolina National Guard’s CH-47F Chinook, heavy-lift, helicopter assigned to Detachment 1, Company B, 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, lands Oct. 9, 2016 at the Whale Branch

Early College High School and delivers water and food supplies to the community of Seabrook in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in Beaufort County. More than 2,000 South Carolina National Guard

Soldiers and Airmen have been activated since Oct. 4, 2016. Their primary mission is supporting state and county emergency management agencies and local first responders with coastal evacuations and any services or resources needed to assist the citizens of South Carolina in a State of Emergency. Hurricane Matthew peaked as a Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean and hit the S.C. coast on Oct. 7, 2016. Staff Sgt. Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard

More that Veterans should know about the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act

The first article in this series on the PACT Act introduced readers to the PACT Act and explained what positive changes this new law brings to veterans and their family members. It also gave online resources (Uniform Resource Locators) where veterans and their family members can read about and file for PACT Act benefits.

The second article answered the following questions: 1. What does it mean to have a presumptive condition for toxic exposure?

2. What are the Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veteran eligi bility requirements? 3. How can veterans file a claim for presumptive conditions?

The third article covered Vietnam-era veteran eligibil ity, the new Agent Orange presumptive conditions and locations the VA has added, the new radiation presump tive locations the VA has added, and information on getting VA benefits.

This fourth and final article on the PACT Act covers infor mation for the survivors of veterans.

Can veterans’ survivors get compensation payments under the PACT Act?

In accordance with the VA website titled THE PACT AND YOUR BENEFITS, at https://bit.ly/3ARbVrn, the answer is Yes. If you are a surviving family member of a veteran, you may be eligible for these benefits:

• A monthly VA Depen dency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment. If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service mem ber who died in the line of duty or the survivor of

a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Depen dency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).

Learn more about VA DIC at https://bit.ly/3rcIrzS

A one-time accrued ben efits payment. You may qualify if you are the sur viving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent of a veteran whom the VA owed unpaid benefits at the time of their death.

Learn about eligibility and the evidence needed to support VA pension, DIC, or accrued benefits claims at https://bit.ly/3SAC1pH

• A Survivors Pension.

A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits. You may qualify if you are the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran with wartime service. Learn about Sur vivors Pension at https:// bit.ly/3RixtDp

What if the VA denied a survivor’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation claim and the survivor believes he or she is now eligible?

If the VA denied a survi

vor’s claim in the past and believes the survivor may be eligible now, the VA will try to contact the survivor. How ever, survivors should not wait for VA to contact them before they reapply. Survi vors can submit a new ap plication for VA DIC. Learn about the eligibility and how to apply for DIC for spouses, dependents, and parents, at https://bit.ly/3rcIrzS

What other VA benefits are survivors eligible for?

In accordance with the VA’s website Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, Sur vivors and Family Members at https://bit.ly/3THXKgW, you may be eligible for these VA benefits as the surviving family member of a veteran: Burial benefits and memorial items such as a gravesite in a VA national cemetery or a free headstone, marker, or medallion. Read more at https://www.va.gov/buri als-memorials/ A burial allowance to help with the veteran’s burial and funeral costs.

You may qualify if you’re the veteran’s surviving spouse, partner, child, or parent. See https://bit. ly/3dKZkyx for details. Education and train ing. You may qualify if you’re the survivor of a veteran who died in the line of duty or as a result of service-connected disabilities. Learn more at https://www.va.gov/ education/

Health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). You may qualify if you’re the survivor or dependent of

a veteran with a ser vice-connected disability.

Learn more at https://bit. ly/3UKQNfu A VA-backed home loan.

You may qualify if you’re the surviving spouse of a veteran. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3fcQqKm

Find out more about fami ly member benefits at the VA website entitled VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, Survivors and Family Care givers at https://www.va.gov/ family-member-benefits/

As the spouse or dependent child of a veteran or service member, you may qualify for certain benefits, like health care, life insurance, or money to help pay for school or training. As the survivor of a veteran or service mem ber, you may qualify for added benefits, including help with burial costs and survivor compensation. If you’re caring for a veteran, you may also be eligible for support to help you better care for the veteran — and for yourself.

Filing for benefits can be complicated and confusing so veterans and their fami lies, caregivers, and survi vors should use a Veterans Service Officer (VSO), whose services are free, or a VA Ac credited Attorney or Claims Agent to help understand VA and State benefits and file for those benefits.

VA’s Office of General Counsel maintains a list of VA-recognized organizations and persons that are autho rized to assist in the prepara tion, presentation, and prose cution of VA benefits claims at https://www.va.gov/ogc/ apps/accreditation/index. asp

Below are the phone num bers and email addresses of

other S.C. and Ga. county VSOs in The Island News’ footprint.

Beaufort County

The Beaufort County Veterans Service Office,100 Clear Water Way, Beau fort, S.C. 29906. Additional appointment venues are the Blufton Library, Burton Wells County Park, Lobec co Library, and St. Helena Library. The phone no. is 843-255-6880, and the fax no. is 843-255-9445. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, by appoint ment only.

Other counties

Colleton County: Janet D. Smith, Walterboro, S.C., 843-549-1412, cvao@colleton county.org

Charleston County: David J. LeBlanc, Sr., N. Charleston, S.C., 843-9746360, vaoffice@charleston county.org

Hampton Coiunty: Sharon Johnson, 803-9142085/2087, sjohnson@hamp toncountysc.org

Dorchester County: Johnny K. Brown, 843-8320050, JKBrown@dorchester countysc.gov

Jasper County: Alton Jenkins, 843-726-7727, ajen kins@jaspercountysc.gov

Berkeley County: Jan Helton, Moncks Corner, S.C., 843-719-4023, jan.helton@ berkeleycountysc.gov

Other SC

Lowcountry VSOs Beaufort Disabled Amer ican Veterans (DAV) Chapter VSO, Michael Vergantino, at 843-3012543 and mlv1030@ gmail.com

State of S.C. (American Legion Trained) VSO in

EDITOR’S NOTE This is the fourth and final article in a series of four.

the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Elizabeth Singleton, at 843-7897456.

VSO (American Legion Trained) Paula Maloney in the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center at 803-647-2434 and va@ admin.sc.gov Chatham County, Ga.: Reggie Louis, 912-9200214, Ext. 2194, reggie. lewis2@va.gov, 1170 Shawnee Street, Savan nah, Ga. 31419.

Liberty County & Hines ville, Ga.: Charles Isaac, 912-408-2948, charles. isaac@vs.state.ga.us, 500 East Oglethorpe High way, Hinesville, Ga. 31313. Find a listing of all SC

County Veterans Service Offices at https://scdva. sc.gov/county-veterans-af fairs-offices

You can read the previous three articles in this series and the more than 70 other articles on veterans’ benefits that have been published in The Island News at www. yourislandnews.com

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 free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.

MCAS Beaufort, Parris Island included in DoD’s push to help Service members, families

From staff reports

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, in a Department of Defense media release, re cently announced immediate and long-term actions to help strengthen the economic se curity and stability of service members and their families. Recognizing the extraordi nary pressures that military families are dealing with se cure affordable housing, the Secretary has directed the Department to review the pro

of more than 20 percent spike in rental housing costs this year above this year’s BAH rates. These automatic in creases will go into effect in October 2022.

Two of those Military Housing Areas are Beaufort County's Marine Corps Re cruit Depot Parris Island and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

“Supporting our Military and their Families is a top priority for Beaufort County,"

Beaufort County Public Infor mation Officer Chris Ophardt said in a release. "Inflation has hit the lower ranks hard and pinched all military fam ilies. Many local businesses offer military discounts, and Service Members should re member to ask retailers and businesses."

Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Department assists the County's veterans and their dependents in obtain ing their fullest Department

of Veterans Affairs and state of South Carolina benefits including VA Compensation and Pension, DIC/Widow Pension, Home Loan Certif icate of Eligibility, Depen dent Educational assistance as well as resource/referral to other divisions within the Veterans Administration.

Visit Beaufort County Vet erans Affairs at https://bit. ly/3CgzP1z for more informa tion and to make an appoint ment.

LARRY DANDRIDGE

spective 2023 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) tables to ensure calculations reflect the unusually dynamic fluctua tions in the housing market:

including automatic increases in BAH for active duty Service members in the 28 Military Housing Areas (MHAs) that have experienced an average

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