Since May 2007

PRESORT STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
CHARLESTON SC
PERMIT NO 437
POSTAL PATRON

Volume 10 Issue 19

December 23, 2016

FREE

Giddy Up!

PHOTOS BY RALPH SECOY

BY AMY MERCER

The Island Connection Editor

n Nov. 11, the Sand Dollar Show Series featured riders at the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on Johns
Island. The center is tucked within 738 acres and serves as host site for competitive horse shows,
festivals, events, exhibitions, and trail riding. The site is equipped to handle a variety of equestrianrelated activities: shows, trail events, clinics, dressage, jamborees, and camp-outs.

Rustic Cycles

Page 4

Lucy Knell

Page 9

Roadtrips Charleston

Page 11

December 23, 2016

daily

Lynn Pierotti
publisher
lynn@luckydognews.com

Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding

receives challenge match from The
Speedwell Foundation for $50,000

Amy Mercer
amy@luckydognews.com
managing editor

BY AMANDA A. GERALD
For The Island Connection

Jennifer Tuohy
jennifer@luckydognews.com
contributing editor
Alejandro Ferreyros
senior graphic designer
alejandro@luckydognews.com
Swan Richards
graphic designer
swan@luckydognews.com
Lori McGee
sales manager
lori@luckydognews.com
Carla Foxworth
sales executive
carla@luckydognews.com
Staff Writers
Gregg Bragg
Contributors
Amanda A. Gerald
Marilyn Ferrell
Jordan de Jong
Roberta Boatti
Arnold Miniman
Jennifer Meshanko
Carol Antman
Bob Hooper

Published by
Lucky Dog Publishing
of South Carolina, LLC
P.O. Box 837
Sullivans Island, SC 29482
843-886-NEWS
Future deadlines: December 28
for submissions for the
January 6 Issue
Op-Ed articles and letters to the editor do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of
Lucky Dog News or its writers.

The Island
Connection

Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC

Publishers of Island Eye News,
The Island Connection,

n Nov. 28, Charleston Area

Therapeutic
Riding
kicked
off its annual holiday giving
campaign. 2016 marks the organizations
25th Anniversary and the construction
of a new covered arena at their facility.
To top off an already great year, The
Speedwell Foundation has challenged the
organization with a $50,000 matching
gift for their holiday giving campaign!
Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding
(CATR) improves the lives of children
and adults with disabilities at the areas
oldest nationally accredited therapeutic
horseback riding center. For twenty-five
years the CATR staff has been helping

students experience mobility, build

confidence and achieve independence on
the back of a therapy horse.
In 1991 CATR had one instructor, six
volunteers, four horses and two students.
Today ten nationally certified therapeutic
riding instructors work together with 150
volunteers and twelve therapy horses to
serve 150 individuals a year at a 43-acre
farm on Johns Island that now includes
a state-of-the-art covered riding arena.
Over the years, CATRs programs have
expanded to include wounded veterans
and special education students from local
public schools.
CATRs 2016 holiday giving campaign

Civic Calendar
Town of Kiawah
Ways and Means
Committee Meeting
Tue., Dec. 27, 2 p.m.
Kiawah Town Hall

is about the impact the organization,

along with dedicated donors and
committed volunteers, makes on children
and adults with disabilities. Five-year
old Mae Loflin McCoy was born with
a genetic anomaly that affects both her
motor and cognitive development. She
began riding at CATR two years ago and
has made great strides in core strength,
motor planning and communication
skills. Her mother, Jennifer McCoy said,
Mae Loflin has begun to initiate steps
for the first time as she continues to learn
to walk something we feel strongly
the horses have intrinsically taught her
to do. All CATR students benefit from
this unique and challenging therapy that
provides mobility, inspires confidence and
promotes independence.
The holiday giving campaign is vital
to the 150 individuals who depend on
their weekly therapeutic riding lesson at
CATR. The Speedwell Foundation has
gotten the campaign off to a great start
with a $50,000 challenge match! Thanks
to their generous support, all donations to
CATR up to $50,000 during the holiday
season will be matched dollar for dollar,
doubling a donors impact on children and
adults with disabilities. Jenny Messner,
co-founder of The Speedwell Foundation,
said, Growing up around horses, Ive
experienced first-hand the effect these
magnificent animals can have on the
human spirit. I am honored to provide
this special experience to those especially
in need through CATR.
Donations can be made online at http://
catr-program.org/give_now.html or can be
mailed to CATR at P.O. Box 146, Johns
Island, SC 29457.

K iawah Island Town H all

21 Beachwalker Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
Phone: 768-9166
Fax: 768-4764
Seabrook Island Town H all
2001 Seabrook Island Road
Seabrook Island, SC 29455
Phone: 768-9121
Fax: 768-9830
Email: lmanning@townofseabrookisland.org

Town of Seabrook
Town Council
Jan. 24, 2:30 p.m.
Seabrook Town Hall

Johns Island Council

Meetings are held at the Berkeley Electric
Co-op located at 3351 Maybank Hwy, Johns
Island.
Chairman Chris Cannon: 343-5113

News Updates
Online at

facebook.com/
islandconnectionnews

Charleston County Council

4045 Bridge View Dr, N. Charleston
958-4700
City of Charleston
75 Calhoun St.
724-3745

December 23, 2016

daily

BackPack Buddies
KIAWAH RESIDENTS KICK
OFF 4TH YEAR
STAFF REPORT

For The Island Connection

aunched in 2013 by the Kiawah

Womens Foundation, the Backpack
Buddies program provides healthy,
shelf-stable meals for children to take
home over the weekend in an effort to
combat hunger in the community. This
fall, the program heads into its fourth
year and now serves 285 students, an
exponential increase from the 25 students
who benefitted from the program in its
inaugural year.
We usually ramp up during the school
year as needs arise, says Terry Weaver,
one of the programs co-founders. Weaver
expects the number of children who
receive meals through Backpack Buddies
to continue growing, making 2016-2017
the programs busiest year yet. We work
closely with the school counselors and
they help us identify students in need.
Schools currently served include Angel
Oak Elementary and Haut Gap Middle
School on Johns Island, and Frierson
Elementary on Wadmalaw Island.
Currently, more than 100 volunteers
in the Kiawah community and beyond
help Weaver pack backpacks on a weekly

basis. In addition to providing regular

meals outside of school for students in the
program, Backpack Buddies also organizes
a teen holiday project to provide gifts and
basic necessities for area middle and high
school students during the holiday season.
We launched the teen holiday project
last year and collected presents for 93
students, Weaver says. This year were
aiming to reach more than 100.
Members of the community who
would like to support the Kiawah
Backpack Buddies program have plenty
of opportunities to do so at events
throughout the year. The programs
largest fundraisers a chili cook-off at
Bohicket Marina and a silent auction at
Freshfields Village will take place in
the spring of 2017.
Backpack Buddies receives support
from a number of local organizations and
businesses including Kiawah Partners,
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the Darby
Foundation, the Town of Kiawah Island,
local business owner Todd Gerhart, the
Kiawah-Seabrook Exchange Club and
Kiawah Cares.

Tid e Char t
Date

High Tide

Low Tide

Dec 23
Dec 24
Dec 25
Dec 26
Dec 27
Dec 28
Dec 29
Dec 30
Dec 31
Jan 01
Jan 02
Jan 03
Jan 04
Jan 05

3:43am/3:46pm
4:34am/4:36pm
5:22am/5:24pm
6:07am/6:10pm
6:50am/6:53pm
7:30am/7:34pm
8:09am/8:12pm
8:45am/8:49pm
9:21am/9:26pm
9:56am/10:05pm
10:35am/10:49pm
11:19am/11:39pm
12:10pm
12:37am/1:07pm

9:46am/9:59pm
10:39am/10:45pm
11:27am/11:29pm
12:12pm
12:11am/12:54pm
12:51am/1:35pm
1:30am/2:14pm
2:08am/2:52pm
2:47am/3:31pm
3:27am/4:12pm
4:10am/4:54pm
4:58am/5:41pm
5:52am/6:32pm
6:53am/7:28pm

Hurricanes, storms, etc., are NOT included in the predictions.

Tidal current direction changes and tide time predictions can be
very different. Tide predictions are PREDICTIONS; they can be
wrong so use common sense.
Source: saltwatertides.com

man stuff

December 23, 2016

Rustic Cycles is off and running

BY GREGG BRAGG

The Island Connection Staff Writer

r. Jason Kovach opened Rustic Cycles, a

shiny new repair shop located at 3527 Kitford
Rd. Johns Island, last November (2015). Dr.
because a PhD is the professional designation conferred
by Harley-Davidson (HD) on Master Technicians with
fifteen years experience maintaining and repairing their
motorcycles. I have every certification, passed every
course [for HD] and Im also certified in Polaris, Victory,
Triumph [though its hard to find parts], Big Dog and
Sucker Punch Sally, said Kovach. You can boil water
with fewer degrees than he has, but the road he took to
collect them has had its share of potholes.
Kovach grew up in Ohio, where his grandfather
played football for the Cleveland News Skippies, part of
the bantam weight league popular in the aftermath of
the Great Depression. There were no helmets, no pads to
speak of and tickets to the bleachers, for example, were
10, but box seats cost upward of a $1.00. According to
Kovach, the Skippies were the forerunners of the Cleveland
Browns, which explains why his father is a diehard fan to
this day. Kovach credits his father for instilling him with
a work ethic which borders on obsessive yet somehow, he
doesnt like to watch football. I could be working on my
truck, he says, thumbing past his shoulder to the high
mileage diesel pickup in the driveway.
Kovach took his I can fix anything mentality on
the road, spending three years in Arizona honing his
skills, and earning another degree from the Motorcycle
Mechanics Institute. He met his wife Tina, a one time
resident of South Carolina, along the way and together
they began a family. However, when they decided to have
their third child, they also decided a return to South

Carolina was in order, and Johns Island held some of

their fondest memories.
Kovach took a job with Lowcountry Harley-Davidson
until an accident complicated things. During a test ride,
Kovach was forced to evade debris flying out of the bed
of a pickup and lost his mount in wet grass. Concrete
barriers in the median broke his pinwheel fall along with
his neck, jaw, clavicle, ankle, shoulder blade, rotator
cuff and all the ribs on his right side. He also lost 30
percent of his hearing. The multitude of surgeries which
followed indirectly cost him his job. He went to work for
American Biker in Ladson, but the majority of his success
resulted from working out of his home and the idea of his
own business was born. Eight years after returning home
to the south, Rustic Cycles opened its doors.
The family owned and operated shop at the end of
Kitford Rd. (off Main) is a study in contrasts. The shop
floor is stained from work on the five bikes, three mopeds
and two ATVs currently in progress, but is somehow
clean and orderly. Kovach invested in Centurions
Techno Research, a diagnostic tool which streamlines
repairs. He is one of only three shops in the state to invest
in the expensive piece of equipment, a move hes certain
will save money for clients. [Many of the big] shops
charge a flat rate. If the book says a tune up takes three
hours, thats what you will be charged [for labor]. If an
experienced technician can beat the clock and start work
on the next task, so much the better, said Kovach.
Rustic Cycles embraces an old proverb which asserts,
You can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin
it once! Owning his own shop means cutting overhead,
says time savings facilitated by 15 years of experience
combined with top shelf diagnostic tools like Techno
Research will be passed on to customers. If I only make
.20 on a quart of oil instead of the $4.00 I could charge,

December 23, 2016

arts & events

Renowned musicians perform at Kiawah

BY MARILYN FERRELL
For The Island Connection

youll come back, concluded Kovach, describing a long

view of success.
Rustic Cycles is off and running alright and really is a
family affair. Tina Kovach handles billing, bookkeeping,
their three boys; Dylan age 18, Brendan age 12, Corbin
age 7 and two dogs, Karsyn and Dax. Tina, a certified
instructor also finds time to teach yoga at local schools
and volunteer at Carolina Coonhound Rescue. The Dr.
is in and taking calls. They can be reached by phoning
the shop at (843) 637-3951.

he Town of Kiawah Arts and Cultural

Events Council works to enhance
community
appreciation
and
involvement in the visual and performing
arts within the Town of Kiawah Island
and its environs by providing a diversity of
planned programs. This winter an exciting
array of events are on the schedule. In
January we welcome eleven-time Grammy
nominee, Fred Hersch. A select member of
jazzs piano pantheon, he is a pervasively
influential creative force who has shaped the
musics course over more than three decades
as an improviser, composer, educator,
bandleader, collaborator and recording
artist. In addition to the eight Grammy
nominations he has received, Hersch
continues to earn jazzs most prestigious
awards, including recent distinctions as
a 2016 Doris Duke Artist and 2016 Jazz
Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists
Association.
Proclaimed by Vanity Fair as, the most
arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over
the last decade or so, Hersch balances his
internationally recognized instrumental
skills with significant achievements as a
composer, band leader, collaborator and
theatrical conceptualist. Hersch has long
defined jazzs creative edge in a wide variety
of settings, from his breathtaking solo
recitals and extraordinary trios with bassist

John Hbert and drummer Eric McPherson.

The Wall Street Journal recently described
The Fred Hersch Trio as one of the major
ensembles of our time. Herschs 2014 trio
release Floating lived up to the praise and
received two Grammy nominations and
topped the charts. Floating (Palmetto) was
described as an extravagantly beautiful
new album by Nate Chinen of the New
York Times and earned 2014 Grammy
nominations for Best Jazz Album and Best
Jazz Solo. Also, the Fred Hersch Trios
two-CD Palmetto set Alive at the Vanguard
was awarded the 2012 Grand Prix du Disque
in France and named one of the years best
CDs by Downbeat magazine.
Renowned musician and composer,
trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, brings to life
some of the most popular Louis Armstrong
songs in this tribute to Pops. Backed
with a variety of instruments, the Wycliffe
Gordon Quintet pays tribute to the
legendary Louis Armstrong while bringing
their own artistic vibes and original songs
as well. Wycliffe Gordons artistry has been
recognized and acknowledged throughout
his career. He was featured at the 2000
Grammy Awards show and appeared on
the soundtrack for the 2016 film, Race.
Gordon was named Best Trombone
in 2016 by Downbeat Magazines Critic
Poll- the fourth time Gordon received this

acknowledgement. He was also recognized

as the Trombonist of Year 2016 awarded by
the Jazz Journalists Association. In 1915,
Wycliffe Gordon received the ASCAP Plus
Award given to recognize applicants for
their musical endeavors and writing skills.
Gordon has played the worlds most
famous jazz festivals, including Vail Jazz,
the Savannah Jazz Festival and others and
has appeared at the worlds greatest jazz
venues such as the Blue Note, Dizzys Club
Coca Cola, the Jazz Standard, Londons
Ronnie Scotts and more. Wycliffe was
featured on the cover of the October, 2014
issue of the legendary Downbeat magazine
and in a five-page article inside. Gordon
was a member of the original Wynton
Marsalis Septet and the group has reunited
for several memorable performances.
The Kings Counterpoint, a unique
professional vocal ensemble, arrives Jan. 19.
Based out of Charleston, South Carolina,
The Kings Counterpoint main mission is the
variety and beauty found in a capella music.
The group specializes in the performance of
sacred and secular music from the Middle
Ages through the modern era, combining
polyphony, literature, art and dialogue
to create exceptional music all within a
historical context.
From chant to 20th-century, medieval
carols to the avant-garde, The King's

Counterpoint is committed to the creation

of delightful programs designed to entertain,
educate, and above all stir the soul.
Step into the pews and join The King's
Counterpoint to celebrate the holy season of
Epiphany with some of the most breathtaking
choral music of the season! Epiphany - also
known as Three Kings' Day - commemorates
not only the journey of the Magi to the
Christ child, but also His manifestation on
earth. The Kings Counterpoint is not the
first to pay tribute to this sacred time because
throughout the ages composers have created
some truly magical music in celebration of
this blessed time! From hymns you know
well to songs you'll hear for the first time,
The King's Counterpoint will take you on a
musical journey of joy and discovery!
Fred Hersch Trio
Saturday, January 14, 2017
7:30 p.m. Turtle Point Clubhouse
Hello Pops: A Tribute to Louis
Armstrong feat. Wycliffe Gordon Quintet
Thursday, January 19, 2017
7:30 p.m. - East Beach Conf. Center
The Kings Counterpoint
Sunday, January 22, 2017
4:00 p.m. - Church of our Saviour
All events are sponsored by the Town
of Kiawah Arts and Cultural Events.

daily

December 23, 2016

Charleston Collegiate works on

Civil Rights Movement Bracket
BY JORDAN DE JONG
For The Island Connection

harleston Collegiate Schools

American History class is currently
working on a Civil Rights History
Bracket. The concept is simple: create a
bracket containing the most influential
events and people from the 1960s, study
the topics in great depth, and be able to
argue why their selected elements are the
most influential in debate format with
their classmates.
Execution, however, is less simple. The
bracket elements were not merely written
on paperstudents also hand-built a
bracket made of wood, which stands 8
feet tall! They designed it, painted it,
decorated it, and even made their own
contender blocks.
With the board and blocks nearly
complete, students will finish the bracket
on Friday and hold their debate on
Monday to see which historical people
and/or events will advance up in the
bracket.
Some contenders include Lyndon B.
Johnson, Walter Cronkite, Yippies,
Martin Luther King, Jr., and plenty more.
It will be an experiment in knowledge of
history, debating skills, and the ability
to articulate the two into a persuasive

argument. After a well-researched debate,

the students will place their highest honor
blocks into their Winners Bracket.

December 23, 2016

arts & events

Karin Olah paints for Seabrooks artist guild

BY ROBERTA BOATTI
For The Island Connection

he Seabrook Island Artist Guild will host mixed media artist Karin Olah at
its Jan. 17 monthly meeting at 2:00 p.m. in the Lake House, Seabrook Island.
A beach lover with dreams of being a boat-owner, Olah explores the coastal
landscape, hunting for the perfect spot that is peaceful in setting and alive in color.
Back in her studio on James Island, and working from her photographs, Olah sketches an
underpainting with acrylic and gouache (opaque watercolor). She hand-dyes cotton, linen, silk,
and vintage fabrics to create a one-of-a-kind palette of colors. Then the fabric is carefully cut,
layered, and applied to the painting using an archival rice starch. Each painting is finished with
additional layers of paint, fabric, and drawn lines of watercolor crayons, pastels, and pencils.
Born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Olah combines her interest in

quilt making, a BFA in Fiber Art from Maryland Institute College of Art, a background
in fashion design in NYC, and an ever-growing fabric collection to add layers of texture,
depth, and color to her work. Olah is the 2015 recipient of the Griffith/Reyburn
Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award. Her work has been featured in Elements of Style
Blog, Charleston Magazine, and American Contemporary Art Magazine. Find her
work downtown at Corrigan Gallery and online at http://KarinOlah.com
Paintings of Seabrook Island Wildlife
During the month of January the Seabrook Island Artist Guild will make a slight departure from
their usual showing of an individual artists work. Instead, a group of members will offer paintings
in different media of the wildlife that are living now or have inhabited our island in the past.
The show will run from Jan. 2 through Jan. 31 at the Lake House hall gallery. For more
information on the guilds events, workshop and membership visit seabrookislandartistguild.
com

December 23, 2016

the coin collector

What makes a
coin valuable?
BY ARNOLD MINIMAN
For The Island Connection

pproximately two years ago I was

approached by a man who had
been given a collection of Morgan
silver dollars by a relative and wanted to
know what they were worth. Morgan
dollars were minted from 1878-1904 and
again in 1921. They weighed 26.73 grams
with a composition of 90 percent silver
and 10 percent copper.

morgan dollars
became the
second most
popular
collector
coin, after the
lincoln cent.
The coins were primarily produced at
the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints,
but at times they were also produced by
the mints in New Orleans and Carson
City, Nevada. The mint in Carson City
was built to accommodate the silver that
was being mined out West. The Denver
mint did not produce any Morgan dollars
until 1921.
Morgan dollars became the second
most popular collector coin, after the
Lincoln cent. Carson City dollars are
especially popular for a number of
reasons. First, they were produced in
limited quantities from 1878-1885, and
from 1889-1893. For example, in 1889
the Philadelphia mint produced over 21
million silver dollars, while the Carson
City mint produced only 350 thousand.
Second, in the 1960s, after the
government terminated the redemption
of silver certificates, it was left holding
approximately three million silver dollars,
most of which were uncirculated and
minted in Carson City. The distribution
of these coins was handled by the

Government Services Administration

(GSA). The dollars were sold to the public
in the early 1970s. So-called GSA dollars
became popular with collectors and
continue to be so to this day.
Getting back to the gentleman with
the collection. His relative was from
Nevada and had given him approximately
forty Carson City dollars. All were nice
and shiny and polished! She thought
they would look nicer that way. It was
heartbreaking. What could have been a
valuable collection was, instead, a disaster.
Basically, the value of a coin depends
on two factors, its rarity and its condition.
Perhaps the best example of rarity is the
1913 Liberty nickel. Liberty nickels were
minted from 1883-1912. In 1913 the Mint
adopted a new design for the nickel, with
the head of an Indian facing right on the
obverse, and a bison facing left on the
reverse. However, five Liberty nickels
dated 1913 managed to escape from the
mint.
How valuable is the 1913 Liberty
nickel? In 1996, an example became
the first U.S. coin to sell for more than
one million dollars. In 2007, the highest
graded specimen sold for five million
dollars. More recently the famous
Walton Liberty nickel sold for 3.1
million dollars.
Who was Walton? Well, that story is
for another day.
As far as condition goes, the moral of
this story is no matter what your rare coin
looks like do not attempt to clean it. It most
certainly will do more harm than good.
More on condition in the next column.
Arnold Miniman is a resident of
Seabrook Island. He graduated from
Rutgers University in 1968, and the
Washington College of Law in 1971. He
practiced law in New Jersey for forty years,
and was a Municipal Court Judge for over
twenty-two years. Among the many coin
related organizations hes a member of are
the The American Numismatic Association
and the Seabrook Island coin club. His
website is carolinacollectorcoins.com.

December 23, 2016

whats hot

volunteer spotlight

Safety tips for holiday

decorating & entertaining

Lucy Knell

SEVEN TIPS FROM THE RED CROSS

S TAY T O S A F E T H I S H O L I D AY S E A S O N

STAFF REPORT

For The Island Connection

olidays are a time for joy and

celebration in the Lowcountry. A
time when families come together,
candles are light, homes are decorated,
and feasts are prepared. Unfortunately it
is also a time when there is an increased
risk for home fires.
Holidays are a time for family and
friends to celebrate, said Louise Welch
Williams, CEO for the Palmetto SC
Region of the Red Cross. By taking a few
precautions when you deck the halls, you
can keep your family safe throughout the
holiday season.
During the holiday season, an average
of 40 home fires per day in the country are
caused by children playing. Its also been
shown that Christmas tree fires are much
more likely to be deadly than most other
fires and candle fires are four times as
likely to occur. Thats why these seven fire
safety tips from the American Red Cross
are so important to remember as people
string up lights and gather with family
and friends.
1. Keep children, pets & decorations
away from lit candles and consider
using flameless candles instead.
Always extinguish candles before
leaving the room or going to bed.
2. Choose decorations and artificial
trees that are flame resistant or
flame retardant. If you purchase
a real tree, make sure that it has
fresh, green needles that arent
easily broken. Keep live trees as
moist as possible by giving them
plenty of water.
3. Never leave portable heaters or
fireplaces unattended. Turn space
heaters off when leaving the room
or going to bed.
4. Place Christmas trees, candles,
and other holiday decorations at
least three feet away from heat
sources like fireplaces, portable
heaters, radiators, heat vents and
candles. If hanging stockings on

the fireplace, do not use fireplace

for fires.
5. Make sure that light strings and
other holiday decorations are
in good condition. Do not use
anything with frayed electrical
cords or loose bulb connections and
always follow the manufacturers
instructions.
6. Check food regularly while
cooking and remain in the home
while cooking. Use a timer as
a reminder that the over is on.
Keep anything that can catch on
firepot holders, oven mitts,
wooden utensils, paper or plastic
bags, food packaging, and towels
or curtainsaway from the stove
top.
7. Smoke alarms save lives. Install a
smoke alarm near your kitchen,
on each level of your home, near
sleeping areas, and inside and
outside bedrooms if you sleep with
doors closed. Use the test button
to check it each month. Replace all
batteries at least once a year.
The Red Cross is working to protect
families from the most common disaster
in the United States, home fires. The Red
Cross Home Fire Campaign is an initiative
that aims to reduce deaths and injuries
caused by home fires by 25 percent in five
years. To date, the campaign has saved
more than 110 lives across the country, 11
of these were in South Carolina. For more
information about how you can keep your
family safe from home fires, visit redcross.
org/homefires or download the free Red
Cross Emergency App.

A Lucky Dog Favorite

BY JENNIFER MESHANKO
For The Island Connection

ucy Knell is able to apply her interest

in education while connecting with
students from other cultures by
volunteering with Our Lady of Mercy
Community. Lucy was born in China and
raised in Taiwan. After finishing high school,
she immigrated to the United States and
settled in California. Lucy started college
with an interest in the field of education,
but ultimately decided to pursue a degree in
nursing. She started as a licensed practical
nurse and went back to school to become a
registered nurse while working full time and
raising her two sons.
In 1997, she moved to Charleston, and
worked at both the Medical University of
South Carolina and East Cooper Hospitals.
She was a practicing nurse for 38 years,
mostly in the areas of medical surgery and
oncology. After trying to retire three different
times, Lucy retired for good four years ago.
She enjoys reading, gardening and traveling
and has visited 34 countries. Her favorite
country she has traveled to so far is Bhutan.
She was so impressed with the level of respect
they have for each other and their outlook on
life and says the people of Bhutan measure
their wealth not by how much money they
have, but how happy they are.
Throughout the years, Lucy has
volunteered as an elementary school nurse
at her sons school, a hospice respite nurse

and a reading partner. After fully retiring,

she researched online potential volunteer
opportunities in the area and found Our
Lady of Mercy Community Outreach. Lucy
is a versatile volunteer who has dedicated her
time to several programs such as monthly
cooking demonstrations, the annual
Christmas toy distribution, GED classes and
the Yes, I Can! After School program.
Lucy says, I enjoy working with the
children. I get support from Wendy Geuss,
Youth Coordinator and Maria Gurovich,
Director of Education. I feel comfortable
asking them for help when I need it. Lucy
also enjoys working with the adult GED
students. They are so motivated to learn.
She feels she can relate to the GED students
who have immigrated from other countries,
and can tell when she has made a positive
impact in a students education by their
excitement after getting a difficult math
problem correct.
Lucy encourages people to get involved,
because she believes volunteers share their
positivity and let the people we serve know
there are people in this world that care about
them.
Volunteer Spotlight is a column in The
Island Connection highlighting members of
the community who give their time to help
others. If you know of a volunteer who deserves
the spotlight email amy@luckydognews.com.
If youd like to get involved with Our Lady of
Mercy Community Outreach email jennifer.
meshanko@olmoutreach.org.

Holiday Shopping Guide

December 23, 2016

11

roadtrips charleston

Finding fruitcakes and Santa Claus

BY CAROL ANTMAN

For The Island Connection

y friend Sharon couldnt restrain herself as we

approached Claxton, Georgia on a road trip
last December. I bought some fruitcake once,
Sharon quipped. I sent it overseas to guys in the army.
How nice of you, I said.
They dropped them instead of bombs, she giggled.
Theyre also good to use to balance a wobbly table leg, or as
sand bags during hurricanes, or as speed bumps. Fruitcakes
are the most maligned of treats. But our preconceived
notions of what some call the worst gift ever was dispelled
when we got to the Claxton Bakery where employees were
bustling to ship 90,000 pounds of cakes a day to places all
over the world. Obviously, there are plenty of people who
crave them. Claxton Bakery is also the biggest industry in
this central Georgia agricultural town.
It began in 1910 when Savino Tos, an Italian immigrant
and pastry chef, visited the town and was struck by the friendly
people and lack of a bakery. He opened a small storefront where
the aroma of fresh baked goods and his excellent ice cream
earned him a loyal clientele. During the holidays he made
his familys fruitcake. One day an 11 year old boy wandered
in looking for work and Savino gave him some chores to do.
Albert Parker hustled to the bakery before school to light the
ovens and prepare the dough and returned to work until dark.
He did it for years. So when Savino wanted to retire in 1945,
he sold the business to Albert who ran for 50 years. Today,
his four children run the business which has prospered due to
the companys innovative strategies. Civic Clubs throughout
North America use the cakes for fundraisers. They are
featured in elaborate floats in televised parades.
I feel obliged to buy some, I whispered to Sharon. At
least for journalistic research. So I bought a few and we

carried on to our next stop.

Side trips are essential to long road trips, I believe. Our final
destination was the outsider art sight Pasaquan near Columbus
but Id checked my favorite website www.roadsideamerica.com
and came up with a few ideas en route. The Vidalia Onion
Museum was intriguing. See a hand-painted 3-D mural of
the onion in culinary action, marvel at the Worlds Smallest
Onion FieldBest of all, youll get to see the Vidalia Yumion,
one of the more terrifying mascots ever created, it touted. A
terrifying mascot?! Im in! I goaded. But somehow it didnt
make the cut. Neither did the U.S. National Tick Collection
in Statesboro which hosts the worlds largest collection of ticks
and a machine that freeze dries them and coats them with gold,
a suggestion to which Sharon simply responded EEW!
But up the road was a must-see destination for Christmastime:
Santa Claus, Georgia. I was surprised to learn that there are many
towns in the U.S. named for Christmas. There are North Poles
in New York, Colorado and Alaska; a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
and another Santa Claus in Indiana. This one is tiny, only a fifth
of a square mile. It looks more like the gussied-up entrance to
a fancy subdivision then a town. The tinseled-bedecked visitors
center was locked but Sue Grisham walked across the courtyard
from Town Hall when she saw us and unlocked the door. She
said that they call themselves The Town that Loves Children.
Decorations are up all year and the 200 residents live on streets
like Candy Cane Lane and Reindeer Way. When the town was
incorporated from a pecan grove in 1941, State representative
Tom Fuller declared it to have Ten people, 40 dogs and no
reindeer. Back then tons of north-south traffic passed nearby
and it seemed like a good way to lure tourists. That all changed
when I-95 was built. Today, the town attracts thousands of postal
customers instead who want their Christmas cards stamped in
Santa Claus. As we chatted with Sue, she was busy stamping 200
envelopes shed received from Austria.
Back in the car I wondered what to do with the fruitcakes

Fruit Cake

Id bought. One appealing possibility was to take it to

Manitou Springs Great Fruitcake Toss in Colorado Springs
where we could join enthusiasts from around the world in
contests that launch the hapless dessert into space with a
variety of mechanical and pneumatic devises. That sounded
like the makings of another great road trip to us. But in the
end, I slipped them under trees at holiday parties, put one
in the mailbox for the postman and gave them as hostess
presents. Im worried though. I might receive the same cakes
back in gifts to me this year. I guess I could just wrap them up
again and wait for next Christmas.
Roadtrips Charleston highlights interesting destinations
within a few hours drive of Charleston, S.C. as well as more far
flung locales. Carol Antmans wanderlust is driven by a passion
for outdoor adventure, artistic experiences, cultural insights
and challenging travel. For hot links, photographs and previous
columns or to make comments please see peaksandpotholes.
blogspot.com.

December 24

Mondays

Intermediate Oil Classes

At the Todd & Huff Art Center located
at Bohicket Marina, Wednesdays, 1 - 4
p.m. Topics include value work, applying
composition elements to your paintings,
edge work, brush and palette knife use,
and painting from still life and photos.
Email toddhuffcenter@gmail.com for
information.
Monday Bridge Group
9 a.m. at the Lake House. The Monday
Bridge Group needs new players. For more
information, please contact Ilse Calcagno
at 843.768.0317.

Tuesdays

Mah Jongg Practice

1 - 4 p.m. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday
of the month. Located at The Lake
HouseOsprey 2. Open to all new
players, those returning to the game, and
anyone else who wants a chance to practice
with others who are learning the game.
If you have any questions, please contact
Helen Thompson at hmtsbsc@gmail.com.
Bookmobile
Freshfields Village on the first Tuesday
of every month from 10 - 11:30 a.m. The
Charleston County Bookmobile will be
parked in the lot behind Heges and Java
Java.

Wednesdays
Lake House Yoga

January 19

Island Connection Calendar

8:30 a.m. Rise and Shine Yoga with Patti
Romano, formerly known at Gentle Flow
Yoga. Rise and Shine Yoga is an all-levels
practice focused around finding your days
intention, set up yourself for success and be
ready to shine.

Island. For more information, visit

johnsislandfarmersmarket.com.
2017 Sea Island Cars and Coffee
9 - 11 a.m. The third Saturday each month
at Freshfields Village.

with admission. For hours and fees, call (843)

795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.
com. Holiday Festival of Lights December
Events Schedule: Dec. 31: Stiltwalker, 6-9
p.m. and Fireworks at the Holiday Festival of
Lights, 9 p.m.

Lake House Exercise Class

Join Kelly Gricunas as she returns to
Total Body Toning on Mondays and
Wednesdays at its new start time of 10:45
a.m. A new Zumba class starts at 9:30
a.m. on Wednesdays taught by Meagan
Bergeron.

Sundays

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25

Kids Art Classes

10-11 a.m. Acrylic on Canvas, ages 3-12,
$15, 3280 Loft at Bohicket Marina,
1897 Andell Bluff Way, Seabrook Island,
843.494.8784, 3280loft.com

Freshfields Sip & Stroll

3rd Thursday of the month in December
4-7 p.m. Freshfields Village. Visit
participating stores for light snacks
and sips while enjoying special events,
sales, and promotions inside the shops.
Visit freshfieldsvillage.com for more
information.

Holiday Dining at Kiawah

Jasmine Porch and The Ocean Room
The Ocean Room, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Jasmine Porch, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
On Christmas Eve, both The Ocean
Room and Jasmine Porch will serve
menus enhanced by seasonal specials.
Celebrate this special evening by savoring
the seasonal cuisine offered at The Ocean
Room or by sampling Lowcountry and
regional favorites at Jasmine Porch. Call
Dining Reservations at 843.768.6253 to
secure a reservation for what are already
very popular dining events.
The Atlantic Room
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
On Christmas Eve, joins us for an
enchanting holiday dinner in The Atlantic
Room at The Ocean Course. Celebrate this
special evening by savoring the seasonal
cuisine prepared by Chef Jonathan Banta.

Tomasso, a la carte
Dinner, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Celebrate the holiday in our Italian
Gathering place. Allow Chef Brandon
Lapp to prepare your Christmas dinner
while you relax and enjoy a glass of wine.
Please call 843. 266.4070 for reservations.

Feast of the Seven Fishes at Tomasso

When: 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei
sette pesci), also known as The Vigil (La
Vigilia) and celebrated on Christmas Eve,

Christmas Experience at The Ocean

Room
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The Sanctuarys signature restaurant is proud to
present a true Christmas experience. The Ocean

Fridays

Adult art classes

10 a.m. - noon, multimedia, $40, 3280
Loft at Bohicket Marina, 1897 Andell
Bluff Way, Seabrook Island, 843.494.8784,
3280loft.com.
Friday Indoor Pickleball
12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at St. Christophers
Camp. For further information, please
contact Mary Torello at 843.768.0056.

Saturdays

Homegrown
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Every Saturday at
3546 Maybank Highway Johns

Sunday Afternoon Matinees

The Lake House hosts Sunday Matinees
at 1 p.m. in the Live Oak Hall. You are
welcome to bring your favorite snacks or
refreshments. Water and popcorn will be
provided.

The 27 Annual Holiday Festival of

Lights
Ongoing Nightly, through Jan. 1
James Island County Park.
Oh, what fun lies in store at the awardwinning Holiday Festival of Lights! James
Island County Park hosts one of the
Lowcountrys most beloved holiday events.
Journey a three-mile driving tour packed with
light displays, then stretch your legs and enjoy
attractions within Winter Wonderland and
Santas Village. Special event nights take place
on select nights (see below) and are included

is believed to have originated in Southern

Italy. The long tradition of eating seafood
on Christmas Eve dates from medieval
Italian times, where meat markets were
closed on specific holy days. We at
Tomasso are carrying on the tradition with
our own feast! 5 courses for $65, or $90
with wine pairings.

Christmas Day Dining

Jasmine Porch
Breakfast from 6:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Grand Buffet from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Kiawahs Grand Christmas Day Buffet is
held at Jasmine Porch. Celebrate this special
day with The Sanctuary and allow our chefs
to overwhelm your palate with holiday
specialties. Call Dining Reservations at
843.768.6253 to secure a reservation for
what is already a very popular dining event.
$72++/adult, $25++/child (ages 4-12).

Room will be featuring their seasonal steakhouse

menu in addition to holiday favorites. Childrens
menu available. For a more non-traditional
option, our Sushi Lounge will be available for
small plates and libations. Call Leisure Services
for reservations at 843.768.6253.

Holiday Worship
Schedule

Church of Our Savior

Christmas Eve
Special Music begins 3:45 p.m.
4:00 p.m. Contemporary Christmas for
Families. Special Music begins 5:45 p.m.
6:00 p.m. Traditional Candlelit Service
Christmas Day. One Service 10:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist.
Johns Island Presbyterian Church
Christmas Eve
Family Worship, 5 p.m., Traditional
Candlelight Worship, 7 p.m.
Christmas Day
Sunday School Assembly, 9 a.m.
Worship, 10 a.m.
Seacoast Church: Johns Island Campus
Christmas Eve 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Johns Island Campus
Charleston Collegiate
2024 Academy Road
Johns Island, SC 29455

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28

Early Morning Bird Walks at Caw Caw

8:30 -11:30 a.m.
Our trek through many distinct habitats
will allow us to view and discuss a
variety of birds, butterflies, and other
organisms. A paid chaperone is required
for participants ages 15 and under.
Registration is not required. At the Caw
Caw Interpretive Center. Tickets are $10.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29

Fred Hersch Trio

Clubhouse. 7:30 p.m. Turtle point.
Sponsored by the Town of Kiawah Arts and
Cultural Events. An eleven-time Grammy
nominee, Fred Hersch is a select member of
jazzs piano pantheon. He is a pervasively
influential creative force who has shaped
the musics course over more than three
decades as an improviser, composer, educator,
bandleader, collaborator and recording artist.

Walk and Restorative Yoga at McLeod

Plantation
9:30 -10:30 a.m.
Participants will be led by yoga professionals
along short walking loops through the
sweeping oak alle of the McLeod Plantation.
Afterwards you will practice gentle and
restorative yoga techniques at the riverside
outdoor pavilion. At McLeod Plantation
Historic Site. Age: 16 & up. Tickets are
$10/$8 CCR. Register for six or more classes
and receive a discount.
Walk and Restorative Yoga at Caw Caw
Interpretive Center
9:30 -10:30 a.m.
Yoga professionals lead participants along
short walking loops through the breathtaking
natural habitat of Caw Caw. Practice gentle
and restorative yoga techniques to build
strength, flexibility, and balance. At the
Caw Caw Interpretive Center. Age: 16 &
up Tickets are $10/$8 CCR Discount/Free
Move IT Pass Holder. Register for six or
more classes and receive a discount.

Curt Butler painting in the Wells

Gallery
1-6 p.m. on Friday and 12-4 p.m. on Saturday.
1 Sanctuary Beach Drive, Johns Island SC.
843-576-1290, www.wellsgallery.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19
Hello Pops: A Tribute to Louis
Armstrong feat. Wycliffe Gordon
Quintet
7:30 p.m. at the East Beach Conf. Center.
$10 Ticket Release: 1/5
Sponsored by the Town of Kiawah Arts and
Cultural Events. Renowned musician and
composer, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon,
brings to life some of the most popular Louis
Armstrong songs in this tribute to Pops.
Backed with a variety of instruments, the
Wycliffe Gordon Quintet pays tribute to the
legendary Louis Armstrong while bringing
their own artistic vibes and original songs.

14

December 23, 2016

financial focus

computer corner

Consider some New Years

(financial) resolutions

Struggling to update?

BY DIMI MATOUCHEV
For The Island Connection

ere just about ready to open

the door to 2017, so you might
be thinking about some New
Years resolutions. Whats on your list this
year? More visits to the gym? Learning a
new language? Mastering the perfect beef
bourguignon? All worthy ambitions, of
course, but why not also include some
financial resolutions?
By reviewing your needs and goals,
you can identify some resolutions that
are particularly relevant to your own
situation. But here are a few suggestions:
Build an emergency fund. If you needed
a major car repair or a new furnace, or faced
some other large, unanticipated expense,
could you cope with it? If you didnt have
the money readily available, you might have
to dip into those investments intended for
long-term goals, such as retirement. Instead,
build an emergency fund containing three
to six months worth of living expenses, kept
in a liquid, low-risk account.
Cut down on debts. Many debts are
not useful that is, they dont carry any
tax advantages so every dollar you spend
to pay down those debts is a dollar you
could use to invest for your future.
Boost contributions to your retirement
plan. If your employer offers a 401(k)

or similar retirement plan, take full

advantage of it. Your earnings have the
potential to grow tax deferred and your
contributions may lower your taxable
income. Plus, most plans offer a selection
of investment options, so you can
choose the investment mix that fits your
objectives and risk tolerance.
Review your portfolio. Is your
investment portfolio still on track toward
helping you meet your long-term goals? If
not, you may need to make some changes.
Youll also want to study your investment
mix to make sure it still accurately reflects
your risk tolerance.
Avoid mistakes. None of us can avoid
all mistakes, in life and in our investment
activities. But as an investor, youll clearly
benefit from minimizing your errors.
Think long term. Keep this in mind: Youre
not investing for today or tomorrow, but for
many years from now. By doing so, you can
avoid overreacting to short-term developments,
such as a sudden drop in the market or a
momentous political event that actually
decreases in importance as time goes by.
Try to follow these financial resolutions
as best as you can. You could make 2017 a
year to remember.
This article was written by Edward Jones
for use by your local Edward Jones Financial
Advisor.

BY BOB HOOPER

For The Island Connection

he year has wound down and 2017

is upon us. Here's wishing you the
best in this season of giving and
reflection.
In that vein let's talk a bit about the
latest Windows 10 "update" and what it
has done to some computers. It seems that
the "update" disabled both wireless and
wired connections to the internet, lovely
isn't it? Yep you go to bed, your laptop
updates at 3 a.m. and you get up, decide
to check your emails and find you cannot
connect to the internet. What's up with
that?

With this season

the scammers are
out in full force,
remember that
if it feels funny,
its a scam!

Well Microsoft never really admitted

there was a problem but did send out a

small "update" to fix the problem. You

have to be connected to the internet to get
the update. Huh? If you are having this
problem you can either get a friend to let
you download a standalone update to fix
the problem, copy it and install on your
computer, or do a rollback of the latest
update and then connect and let the fixed
"update" re-install. Or you can call your
favorite IT guy and let him/her fix it for
you.
With this season the scammers are out
in full force, remember that if it feels funny,
sounds too good to be true, and is "free, it
a scam! No bank is going to request your
bank info by way of an email, no Nigerian
prince is giving you millions and Microsoft
did not just check your computer remotely
and call you. Please, please talk to friends
and family that might be a bit older and
see if someone is "fixing" their computer
remotely and requiring payment from a
cash card or by money wired to them. It's
a scam and they love to cheat out older
folks. I hate that, so let's make sure it's
not happening during the holidays. Again
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
see you next year!
As with all of my columns if you want
help or have questions don't hesitate to call
Rent A Bob at 843.822.7794 or email at
rentabob@live.com.

Miss Lulu