Hilton Head

The Beaufort County public facilities committee voted to narrow the scope of the U.S. 278 Corridor project down to Moss Creek through Windmill Harbor. At a County Council meeting in mid-September, County Council Chairman Joe Passiment said a memorandum of understanding has been sent from Beaufort County to the town of Hilton Head Island, with the hope of reaching an agreement on the project.

 

A 63-year-old Missouri man died Sept. 9 after an early morning fire in Palmetto Dunes. Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue said three occupants of the home at 1 Dinghy Lane evacuated before Fire Rescue arrived, one was rescued from the second floor and another occupant was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.

Residents of the Chimney Cove Village were not expected to be evicted in September, as originally planned. Eviction notices to residents of the low-income apartment complex on Hilton Head Island were rescinded according to a letter they received from management. News of the pending evictions spurred the community to action, including non-profits, religious organizations and businesses.

The Beaufort County School District said results of the South Carolina Palmet to Assessment of State Standards in Science and the South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments examinations in English Language Arts and Mathematics show “a period of academic recovery from the pandemic,” noting that in all grades but one, ELA scores are the highest in the school district’s history since the inception of SC Ready in 2016. ELA and mathematics and science scores are equal to or greater than the state’s in all grade levels.

Tickets are on sale for the 55th RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The event is set for April 10-16, 2023 over the famed Harbour Town Golf Links. The tickets will be 100% digital. Make a purchase by Oct. 15 to be entered into the Ultimate RBC Heritage Experience Sweepstakes, which includes a chance to win accommodations for two at the Inn and Club at Harbour Town and Calibogue Club ticket upgrades. Purchase tickets by visiting www.rbcheritage.com.

The H. E. Trask Boat Landing is open to the public. The cost of the project was expected to cost $288,609. Part of the cost is funded by a Hospitality Tax Grant ($52,309) with the balance of $236,299 covered by the Public Works Department. Beaufort County is conducting a survey of boat ramp users.

BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTO BY GUIDO FLUECK

LUCY SCANDRETT’S MUSICAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS A LIFETIME FULL OF ACHIEVEMENT

Even before greeting Hilton Head Island resident and professional harpist, Lucy Scandrett, I know she’s a master musician by the ethereal glissando I hear as I approach her front door.

JOE DISTELHEIM AWARD RECOGNIZES LITERACY STUDENTS

BY AMY COYNE BREDESON

Throughout his 38 years in journalism, Joe Distelheim was a mentor to many. After retiring from his position as editor of The Huntsville (Ala.) Times, he and his wife, Dottie, moved to Hilton Head Island, where Joe continued to impact lives.

BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NAMES TEACHER OF YEAR FINALISTS

Karri Kearns, a May River High School math teacher, Laverne Stewart, a language arts teacher at Hilton Head Island Middle School, Kinsey Butler, a Bluffton Middle School band teacher, Justine Hardy, a health science teacher at Battery Creek High School, and Jennifer Lyles, a Coosa Elementary School third-grade teacher were named Beaufort County School District finalists for its 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year. The final announcement is set for this fall.

STORY AND PHOTO BY TONY KUKULICH

RETIRED EDUCATORS GETTING KIDS EXCITED ABOUT THE OUTDOORS

A few years ago, with retirement looming in the not-too-distant future, longtime educators Bebe Cifaldi and Karen Penale each took a class that built upon their love of the outdoors without so much as an inkling that it would completely reshape their individual and collective futures.

BEAUFORT COUNTY LOOKING AHEAD WITH 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

By HILTON HEAD MONTHLY

Beaufort County, with input from the community, is planning for the future.

Within the past year the Beaufort County Planning Commission finalized “Envision Beaufort County — 2040 County Comprehensive Plan” after 17 months of work. The plan was approved last November and remains a document for the future.

SALES TAX REFERENDUM AIMS TO MANAGE DEVELOPMENT

BY MARK E. LETT

A penny doesn’t get you much. But put enough pennies together — and maybe, just maybe — you can amass a pile to protect and preserve precious swatches of Lowcountry land.

Such is the thinking of Beaufort County Council members asking voters to approve a proposed “Greenspace” sales tax to purchase land, establish conservation easements and limit density and development.

Bluffton’s Anne Fernandez shot a 4-under par 206 to win the Jimmy Self Invitational hosted by the Palmetto Dunes George Fazio Course. Fernandez won the girls 13-18 division. Fernandez won by 28 shots.

Susan Zellman, Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority board member and former chairperson, died Aug 13. Zellman, a Sun City resident, represented Beaufort County on the LRTA Board since 2016. Under her leadership, LRTA and Palmetto Breeze Transit achieved many milestones, including launching two new transportation services (the seasonal Breeze Trolley service on Hilton Head Island and the Bluffton Breeze service in Bluffton), a Palmetto Breeze news release said.

The Moss Creek Charitable Fund is requesting grants for 2022. The deadline is Sept. 15. An application can be downloaded at: https://mosscreek-hiltonhead.com/mosscreek- charitable-fund. Last year the fund gave 15 grants to local charities.

Page 3 of 57