Category Archives: Beaufort’s Best

DragonBoat Beaufort Announces Open Registration for DRAGONBOAT RACE DAY 2017

Posted on May 19, 2017 by | Leave a comment

DragonBoat Beaufort, the local cancer survivor/supporter racing team, is pleased to announce that Dragons will once again invade Beaufort on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at Henry C. Chambers Park in downtown Beaufort, South Carolina.

Over the last few years, the event has become increasingly popular among locals and out-of-towners alike. The 2016 Dragonboat Race Day drew nearly 500 paddlers, 22 teams and thousands of spectators to the Beaufort seawall. The event raised $20,000 for the organization which helps support those impacted by cancer in Beaufort County, both through the sport of dragonboat racing, and outreach efforts, including one-one-one grants to help with needs that are typically not met through traditional means. This will be the 5th annual event for the non-profit organization.

 

Join us Wednesday, March 15 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the new high tech Digital Corridor building where DragonBoat Beaufort members will be on hand to walk you through the new super easy online team sign up process. Light refreshments will be served. The Beaufort Digital Corridor is located at 500 Carteret Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. You can also register your team at www.dragonboat-raceday.com.

 

Anyone can form a team – businesses, community organizations, civic clubs, churches, schools. All you need is 20-25 paddlers and a drummer to form a team. All teams will be trained how to paddle a dragonboat and all equipment will be supplied including a trained steerer. Teams will race three times during Race Day on June 24 competing for medals.

 

For more information, please visit www.dragonboat-raceday.com.

 

[Dragonboat Beaufort is a non-profit organization located in Beaufort, SC. DragonBoat Beaufort’s mission is to provide cancer survivors the opportunity to heal and regain physical and psychological strength and wellness through the camaraderie and competition of dragonboat paddling and racing and to support those impacted by cancer through outreach and one-and-one grants to local cancer patients to assist with needs they are unable to afford or for which they lack coverage; and through support and counseling for cancer patients in treatment and in remission, including support for their caregivers.]

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Beaufort History Museum Celebrates the History of Women’s Hats

Posted on May 1, 2017 by | Leave a comment

The Beaufort History Museum’s Third Annual Spring Tea is titled “Crowning Glory – Celebrating the Role of Women’s Hats in Southern Culture”.   Patrons are invited to wear their favorite hat and to “Strut their Hattitude” as they savor delicious traditional delicacies, sip tea, learn about the fascinating allure of fashionable hats from celebrity speakers, enjoy a Parade of Hats and bid at a silent auction featuring trips, dinners and other attractive items.

“Hats are really the stars this year,” says BHM Board President Carol Lauvray.
“We’ll take a look back at how meaningful church hats were and are, especially in the African American community, where they held a special significance.  We will also spotlight other occasions where hats play a key role, such as South Carolina’s legendary steeplechase thoroughbred horse races in Elloree, Aiken and Camden.  Southern women just know how to dress for a party! We are encouraging everyone to wear a beautiful hat and join in the festive spirit of the Tea.”

About the Tea

The tea is scheduled for Wednesday, May 10, from 1-4 pm at the Dataw Island Club’s scenic Carolina Room. Reservations can be made at http://tea.beauforthistorymuseum.com.  Individual tickets are $60 and tables of 10 are available for $500 (see the website for restrictions and instructions to reserve a table.) Seating is limited. Proceeds benefit the projects of the Beaufort History Museum.

 

For the first time the museum is hosting a silent auction at the tea to include trips, dinners, cooking classes, tastings, luxury services and other attractive items available for bidding. A preview of the auction items will be posted on the Museum’s website with a “Buy it Now” option. Guests will also be able to view the items, choose the ones they like and then bid with cash or credit cards at the event.

Celebrity Designer

The principal speaker at the Tea is celebrity shoe designer and milliner Etu Evans, who will be coming to Beaufort from New York. His grandmother and mother, both of whom had extensive collections of church hats, jewels and shoes, influenced Evans’ path in the fashion industry.

 

An internationally prominent designer, he studied millinery at New York’s prestigious Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology where he graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Footwear and Accessory Design.
Evans’ hats have been sold in his Harlem boutique and worn across Europe and Japan and have been featured in various national television shows and publications.  For a featured auction item he will offer one lucky bidder a consultation on the most flattering hat styles and correct size for the shape of her face and stature.

 

The famous Goorin Brothers Hat Company, founded in 1895, which has stores across the U.S. and in Canada with local shops in Savannah and Charleston, will also be a part of the program.  Hats and accessories will be on view along with advice on how to choose the perfect hat.

Event Sponsors

The Clark Troutman Group, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is sponsor of the Third Annual Beaufort History Museum Tea along with Live Oak Builders and the Carolina Cup Racing Association. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available and may be arranged by contacting Lauvray by email clauvray@beauforthistorymuseum.com.

About the Museum

Beaufort History Museum, located in the historic Arsenal, has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th Century until modern times.  The Arsenal address is 713 Craven Street. BHM’s hours of operation are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday – Saturday.

Join the Museum

To join the Museum please visit the website at www.beauforthistorymuseum.com. To learn more about becoming a Volunteer Greeter or Docent please contact Lorrie Burleynoles at lburleynoles@beauforthistorymuseum.com.

 

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COLUMBUS SHIPS PINTA and NINA to LAND in BEAUFORT SC

Posted on April 19, 2017 by | Leave a comment

The Pinta and the Nina, replicas of Columbus’ ships, will open in Beaufort, SC Friday, April 21 .  The ships will be docked at the Downtown Marina, 1006 Bay Street until their departure early Wednesday morning, April 26.

The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools.  Archaeology magazine called the ship “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.”  In 2005, the Pinta, also a caravel, was launched in Brazil and was the first ship to sight land in the New World.    Historians consider the caravel the Space Shuttle of the fifteenth century.

Both ships tour together as a new and enhanced sailing museum for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the caravel, a Portuguese ship used by Columbus   and many early explorers to discover the world. Before him, the Old World and the New remained separate and distinct continents and ever since their fates have been bound together for better or for worse.

While in port, the general public is invited to visit the ships for a walk-aboard, self-guided tour.  Admission charges are $8.00 for adults, $ 7.00 for seniors, and $6.00 for students 5 – 16.   Children 4 and under are Free.  The ships are open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.    No reservations necessary.

Teachers or organizations wishing to schedule a 30-minute guided tour with a crew member should call 1 787 672 2152 or email columfnd1492@gmail.com .  Minimum of 15.  $5.00 per person.  No Maximum. Visit our website at www.ninapinta.org.

 

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Beaufort History Museum Announces April History Lecture Series

Posted on April 4, 2017 by | Leave a comment

 Topics Include Harriet Tubman and Gullah Culture

 Beaufort History Museum will present two lectures that are part of the popular historical series co-sponsored with the Beaufort County Library.  Both lectures take place at the Beaufort Branch Library located at 311 Scott Street.  Admission is free but reservations are required and space is limited.   To reserve a seat visit the Museum website at www.beauforthistorymuseum.com

The lectures are:

Tuesday, April 4  – 2 pm – 

Harriet Tubman: A Glimpse into the Life of a Woman of Courage

Hear about Harriet Tubman’s (aka, Araminta Ross) life as a slave, her escape to freedom, and her work with the Underground Railroad. You’ll learn how she helped to liberate hundreds of Lowcountry slaves in the Combahee Raid during the Civil War and about her work after the war as a humanitarian, suffragette and friend to the indigent.

 Lecturer: Andrea Allen, Beaufort History Museum Board Member

Andrea is a member of the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in downtown Beaufort, where she is a musician for the Senior Choir and serves as Sunday School Superintendent. She retired in 2015 from the Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center, as the Assistant Director for a five-county area, after serving 37 years in the SC Department of Mental Health. She joined the Board of Directors of the Beaufort History Museum in January 2016.

Thursday, April 20, 2017 – 2 pm – Gullah History and Culture

The lecture will cover the origin of the Gullah natives primarily located along the coastal areas of South Carolina and tell why they were concentrated in large numbers on various isolated islands such as Dafuskie, Johns Island, Kiawah, Port Royal and Wadmalaw. Saint Helena has the largest number of Gullah natives (6, 500) where a strong culture still exists.  Learn about their arrival as slaves through the Port of Charleston, how they were dispersed throughout the state, how their labor contributed to the wealth of the Planters and what exactly happened to these natives after the “Big Gun Shoot” (The Battle of Port Royal Sound) on November 7, 1861.

Questions will be answered. How did they acquire the lands they now live on? What was the importance of the Praise Houses? How did the language develop? Discussion will include what makes up a culture and how is it expressed among the Gullahs. This is a lively presentation, which explains how their practices evolved into what is referred to as Gullah History and Culture.

Lecturer: Mary Rivers LeGree is a native of Saint Helena Island. Her early years were spent on the Rivers’ family compound among her parents and other relatives. She was educated in NYC and University of Detroit (BA). After retirement in 2004, Ms. LeGree returned to Saint Helena Island and lives on the property that had been purchased by her ancestors shortly after the Civil War. She is eager to share their untold history and their practices from a genuine perspective, having been brought up in the culture. She is a past Planning Commissioner for Saint Helena District, and serves as a member of the Saint Helena Community Preservation Committee.

Beaufort History Museum, located in the historic Arsenal, has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th Century until modern times.  The Arsenal address is 713 Craven Street. BHM’s hours of operation are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday –Saturday.

 

The Beaufort County Library System is a free and accessible marketplace of ideas, information, and culture that fosters learning, community, and information literacy. The Library provides open and guided access to a wide variety of media and programs to inform, inspire, and empower all its patrons in their pursuit of lifelong learning, personal enrichment, and cultural understanding. The library system operates five branch libraries throughout Beaufort County and library cards are available free of charge to all county residents and property owners. It offers free access to millions of items through a combined online catalog and digital library.

 

The Beaufort District Collection (BDC) is the Library’s special local history and archives unit. BDC staff and docents are stewards who collect, protect and share a research collection of permanent value about local history, Gullah culture, the natural southeastern coastal environment, family history and archaeology. For the BDC’s hours of operation, please visit its website at beaufortcountylibrary.org

 

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DragonBoat Beaufort Announces Open Registration for DRAGONBOAT RACE DAY 2017

Posted on March 26, 2017 by | Leave a comment

DragonBoat Beaufort, the local cancer survivor/supporter racing team, is pleased to announce that Dragons will once again invade Beaufort on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at Henry C. Chambers Park in downtown Beaufort, South Carolina. Over the last few years, the event has become increasingly popular among locals and out-of-towners alike. The 2016 Dragonboat Race Day drew nearly 500 paddlers, 22 teams and thousands of spectators to the Beaufort seawall. The event raised $20,000 for the organization which helps support those impacted by cancer in Beaufort County both through the sport of dragonboat racing, and outreach efforts, including one-one-one grants to help with needs that are typically not met through traditional means. This will be the 5th annual event for the non-profit organization.

Anyone can form a team – businesses, community organizations, civic clubs, churches, schools. All you need is 20-25 paddlers and a drummer to form a team. All teams will be trained how to paddle a dragonboat and all equipment will be supplied including a trained steerer. Teams will race three times during Race Day on June 24 competing for medals.

For more information, please visit www.dragonboat-raceday.com.

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Julie Dash to be Presented Inaugural Robert Smalls Merit & Achievement Award

Posted on November 14, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Beaufort Film Society Award Honors that filmmaker whose body of work has served as a “catalyst for groundbreaking discoveries and societal change”julie-dash

Twenty-five years ago, filmmaker Julie Dash broke through racial and gender boundaries with her Sundance award-winning film (Best Cinematography) Daughters of the Dust, and she became the first African American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her feature film. In 2004, The Library of Congress placed Daughters of the Dust in the National Film Registry where it joins a select group of American films preserved and protected as national treasures; Dash is the only African American woman with a feature film that has been inducted into the National Film Registry. The film was shot in and around Beaufort, SC.

 

On Sunday, February 19, 2017, the Beaufort Film Society will present Julie Dash with the inaugural Robert Smalls Merit & Achievement Award at the 11th annual Beaufort International Film Festival. “This award has been created to be presented to that filmmaker whose body of work has served as a catalyst for groundbreaking discoveries and societal change. Julie Dash’s accomplishments during the last quarter century certainly meets these criteria,” stated Ron Tucker, president of the Beaufort Film Society.  The award has been named after Beaufort native and Civil War hero Robert Smalls, who rose from a slave to a United States Congressman.

 

The Cohen Media Group recently announced the 25th anniversary restoration of director Julie Dash’s landmark film “Daughters of the Dust.”  Casting a long legacy, “Daughters of the Dust” still resonates today, most recently as a major influence on Beyonce’s video album “Lemonade.” Restored (in conjunction with UCLA) for the first time with proper color grading overseen by cinematographer AJ Jafa, audiences will finally see the film exactly as Julie Dash intended. The restored film with be screened at the Beaufort International Film Festival on Saturday, February 18th. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Julie Dash and others.

 

Julie Dash is the Distinguished Professor of Cinema, Television and Emerging Media (CTEMS) at Morehouse College. From 2013-2015 she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston, in the department of African American Studies, and with the Avery Research Center for African American Studies; in 2013 she held the Bob Allison Chair in Media at Wayne State University. Dash has written and directed for CBS, BET, ENCORE STARZ, SHOWTIME, MTV Movies and HBO, directing, the NAACP Image Award winning, Emmy and DGA nominated, The Rosa Parks Story, Incognito, Funny Valentines, Love Song, and Subway Stories: Tales From the Underground. Her work as a film director includes theme park, Disney’s Imagineering, and museum design Brothers of the Borderland for The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum. Her work includes music videos, documentary, PSA’s, industrial documentary films, and commercial spots for fortune 500 brands, i.e., Coca Cola and GMC.

 

In 2015, Dash was a part of the Trailblazing Women franchise on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and co-hosted one evening with Illeana Douglas.

 

Julie Dash is currently in production on a feature length documentary about Vertamae Smart Grosvenor, a world-renowned author, performer, and chef from rural South Carolina who led a remarkably unique and complex life. The film is based upon Grosvenor’s bestselling work, Vibration Cooking: or the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl.

 

Dash earned her MFA in Film & Television production at UCLA; received her BA in Film Production from CCNY, and she was a Producing and Writing Conservatory Fellow at the American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies. When not working on her projects Ms. Dash is a frequent lecturer at many of the leading Universities in the United States.

 

Presenting the award  will be Michael Boulware Moore, the great, great grandson of Robert Smalls and the president and CEO of the International African-American Museum which is planned to be opened in Charleston, SC in 2018.

 

For more information about the 11th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com. The festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society.

 

The Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.

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Beaufort named Tree City USA

Posted on April 19, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Arbor Day Foundation named Beaufort a 2015 Tree City USA in honor of the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management.

As part of the city’s work to keep its trees healthy, dozens of trees in the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park were fertilized in March. The week of April 18, 14 unhealthy and hazardous trees will be removed from the park. These trees are primarily in the west parking lot, but there are also two large Willow oaks in the park that require removal.

Beaufort met the Tree City USA program’s four requirements: A tree board or department; a tree-care ordinance; an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Started in 1976, the Tree City USA program is celebrating its 40 th anniversary. The program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Beaufort has been a Tree City for 25 years according to Trees SC, formerly the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

As part of its work to protect and enhance the “urban forest,” in 2004 Beaufort leaders commissioned a study of all trees in public areas, including the Open Land Trust property within the city and city parks. “We learned that 61 percent of our urban forest is oaks, and within that, 40 percent is Laurel oak,” said Eliza Hill, the landscape architect in the City of Beaufort’s planning and development services department.

“There is a general guideline for tree diversity that proposes to reduce the risk of catastrophic tree loss due to insects and disease. The urban tree population should include no more than 10 percent of any one species, 20 percent of any one genus, or 30 percent of any family — so our focus has been to decrease the Laurel oak population and increase tree diversity.”

To do that, when trees are removed, the city has tried to replant — as funds are available — with a greater diversity of trees including Elms, Bald Cypress, Maples, Black Tupelo, Magnolia and Southern Red Cedar, Hill said.

One area of common complaint is when overhead utility companies trim trees. South Carolina Electric & Gas prunes different sections of city trees every five years. Hill hosts a seminar on proper pruning techniques for all members of the contracted company before start of work and supervises as work is ongoing. When the pruning is done, she rides the entire circuit with a private consulting certified arborist to check the work.

The city also works to help keep struggling trees healthy. For instance, the Drake elms in front of the hospital administration building on Ribaut will receive an application of a growth regulator to prevent the necessity of utility pruning in the future.

Last year, the city added 20 Bald Cypress trees to the city’s “tree farm” in Southside Park, and plans are in the works to plant another 20 Trident Maples there this spring. Additionally, a number of Sabal and Butia palms were rescued from construction work on Boundary Street and were replanted in the new dog park area at Southside Park.

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Call for Entries: 2017 Beaufort International Film Festival

Posted on March 24, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The Beaufort Film Society  is accepting entries for the 11th annual Beaufort International  International Film Festival (BIFF) held in Beaufort, SC.  Categories for competition are: Features , Documentaries, Short Films, Student Films, Animation, and Screenplays.  The festival will be February 15 – 19, 2017. The Early Bird deadline for submissions is June 30, 2016 with the final deadline being October 31, 2016.
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Considered one of the fastest growing film festivals in the country, BIFF has seen an increase in attendance each year since its inception in 2007, when it’s estimated that 500 people were in attendance.  BIFF 2016 was record breaking with over 12,000 people from 37 states and 5 countries enjoying some part of the five day festival.  Named one of the Top 25 Coolest General Film Festivals in the World, 2013, by MovieMaker Magazine, the festival continues to grow in popularity and attendance.

For more information about the festival or Beaufort, SC or to submit a film or screenplay please visit beaufortfilmfestival.com.

The Beaufort Film Society (BFS) is a nonprofit, 501(c) 3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.

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What’s Happening in 2016 at the Port Royal Sound Maritime Center

Posted on March 1, 2016 by | Leave a comment

unnamedTuesday Talks

NEW TIME! 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. 

Speakers  scheduled for TUESDAY TALKS this spring:

3/1 –Al Segars, SCDNR: “Human Impacts on Wildlife”

3/15 – Bruce Lampright, Brays Island Naturalist

4/5 – Amber Kuehn, Spartina Marine Education Charters: “The Port Royal Sound Ecosystem”

4/19 – Joseph Staton, USCB Professor, Biology

5/3 – Thomas Murphy, SCDNR (retired): “Alligators”

Saturdays at the Sound 

Monthly mini-festivals at Maritime Center

March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25, July 30, August 27, September 24, November 12 (2nd Saturday and Maritime Center’s birthday party), and December 10

Eric Horan Book Signing Event 

Beaufort Book Debut

You are invited to a special wine and cheese reception at the Maritime Center, Friday, March 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the Beaufort release of Horan’s latest book, Beholding Nature.  Eric will personalize copies of the exquisite coffee table book purchased during the event.  RSVP to info@portroyalsoundfoundation.org.

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Santa Elena Foundation Announces trip to Washington DC to Promote Local History, Regional Effort

Posted on February 25, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Leaders of the Santa Elena Foundation will travel to Washington DC this week as guests of both the Spanish Embassy and World Bank to share the 16th century story of Spanish colonization. Joining the Santa Elena team are Dr. Michael Francis from University of North Florida in St. Augustine, Florida and Dr. David Moore from the Exploring Joara Foundation in Morganton, NC.

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“What an honor to travel to our nation’s capital and be sponsored by the Spanish Embassy and World Bank. This is a great achievement for our team and helps further the mission to promote and preserve the story of Santa Elena,” says Dr. Andy Beall, Executive Director of the Santa Elena Foundation. “Additionally, sharing this opportunity with colleagues from Florida and North Carolina brightens the spotlight on the significance of this regional story of our heritage.”

 

At the World Bank on Friday, February 26, the group will present an overview of the Santa Elena, Joara, and St. Augustine stories. Then the focus will transition to the “Heritage Tourism” research that brings further community benefit to an educational and cultural gem. For more information about this event, or to register to view the presentation online, visit: https://collaboration.worldbank.org/events/2502.

 

On Saturday, February 27 the group will participate in “Designing America: Spain’s Imprint in the U.S.,” an exhibition organized by the Fundacion Consejo Espana-Estados Unidos in partnership with the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana (National Library of Spain). This will be an opportunity present the facts from research and archaeology that tell the complex story of Spanish colonization in the 16th century. For more information on this event, visit: http://www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/designing-america/.

 

“This is a unique opportunity to merge our local efforts together and present a cohesive story,” says Dr. David Moore, Archaeologist for Exploring Joara Foundation. “There are great benefits educationally, culturally, and economically for the general public to have a better understanding of the historical events at Santa Elena, Joara, and St. Augustine.”

 

All of the organizations are focused on working collaboratively to bring attention to a significant chapter of American History. Many facts continue to emerge through present-day research and archaeology as each organization furthers its mission.

 

To learn more about the Santa Elena History Center, visit http://santa-elena.org, and for the Exploring Joara Foundation, visit www.ExploringJoara.org.

 

The Santa Elena Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Beaufort County, South Carolina.  The mission of the foundation is to expand the story of European colonization of North America through discovery, preservation and promotion of Santa Elena, a 16th Century Spanish settlement and colonial capital in the present-day United States. Representatives for the Washington DC trip include Executive Director Dr. Andy Beall, Director of Development Megan Meyer, and Board Member Stu Rodman.

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The Exploring Joara Foundation is committed to promoting public archaeology in the upper Catawba and Yadkin river valleys of western North Carolina. Its mission is to support research, education, and outreach on preservation of our past. The foundation is dedicated to finding and protecting archaeological resources, while fostering an understanding and appreciation for archaeology in the community. Representing the Explore Joara Foundation in Washington DC is Dr. David Moore, lead Archaeologist.

 

From the University of North Florida, Historian Dr. Michael Francis will represent the historical perspectives and research on St. Augustine, Florida.

 

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