Tree Trimming in Seabrook Island

Some of the major stores have announced that customers who have been vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask.

How can they check?

ILSE CALCAGNO

Hidden Oak

Seabrook Island

In his May 14 commentary, Will Davis discussed what he views as the problematic nature of schools such as our local Academic Magnet or the Charleston County School of the Arts.

While I can agree with his sentiment that more work is needed to address schools in impoverished areas, I feel he missed the purpose of these more selective educational institutions.

The goal of creating schools like School of the Arts or Academic Magnet is to create environments full of people who are passionate about what they do.

Any educator can tell you that these are the conditions in which learning best occurs, and as a senior at School of the Arts myself, I can confirm that it works here.

The high success rate in students at these schools isn’t just a result of bringing cream-of-the-crop students together. It comes from the fact these students are able to better learn and grow together.

People seeing their peers succeed are often driven to do the same themselves. This is what these schools aim to capitalize on.

It is important that we help those who are struggling in regular schools, but condemning institutions that seek to help our most brilliant students is not the way to do so.

DAVIS BLACK

Winchester Drive

Charleston

The church marquee on Ashley Hall Road stated: “What’s worse than going to hell? Taking your children with you!”

The sign reminded me of my wife’s family.

Last week, she invited her last four siblings to reunite. They were celebrating the 90th birthday of the oldest.

Five sisters are all that remain of a large family. Over dinner they reminisced. They’d grown up on a farm near Conway where they picked cotton and grew tobacco. Their home got electricity and indoor plumbing when my wife was in high school.

Yet they all had gone to college, so I wondered aloud what had motivated them. They answered in rapid succession:

“Momma had eleven children ...”

“The first two were sons, and then came nine girls ...”

“Which means after mom was 17, she was pregnant 99 months of her adult life ...”

“Which is over eight years of being pregnant!” my wife concluded.

“Daddy never went to school,” the oldest added, “and Momma finished only seventh grade.”

“But Momma would absolutely not let Daddy pull us girls out of school to be just farm labor,” the youngest said. “She wanted her daughters to have options.”

“She wanted to break the cycle,” the nurse among them said, “of women being an appendage.”

“So that’s the ticket,” I asked, “that you came from poverty?”

“Well,” the high school teacher said, “coming from so little does make you hungry.”

“But the ticket was education,” said the college professor. “That’s how Momma made sure we escaped her fate.”

WILL FELTS

Marsh Point Drive

Charleston

Summer is a great time to enjoy local waters. Whether you’re a boater, angler or water sports enthusiast in the Charleston area, please remember to be responsible around the water.

National Safe Boating Week, which kicks off Saturday, is a great time to give boaters some tips for staying safe.

1. Wear a life jacket. Accidents on the water can happen too fast to reach and put on a stowed life jacket. Make sure life jackets are properly fitted.

2. Take a boating safety course. Both America’s Boating Club Charleston and the Coast Guard Auxiliary offer free or affordable classes. Check the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for a calendar of local course offerings.

3. Make sure your boat is prepared. Schedule a free vessel safety check with America’s Boating Club Charleston or the Coast Guard Auxiliary before you hit the water.

4. Don’t drink while you boat. Alcohol is a leading factor in boating-related deaths.

By following these tips, you can enjoy our waterways responsibly. Let’s make this a great boating season in Charleston.

BILLY LYNES

Commander

America’s Boating Club Charleston

S.C. Highway 35

St. Stephen

I cannot figure out why our government is suing the pharmaceutical companies over the production of opioids when it’s been part of every tragic step of this addiction crisis.

Now the government is putting the blame on Big Pharma and collecting more money to fix problems.

In the end, the problem does not get fixed, but some bank accounts get fatter.

DENNIS COMPTON

Filly Court

North Charleston

Did you know pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the US? It’s kind of a big dill. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, pickleball shares similarities with tennis, table tennis + badminton (as well as other paddle ball sports).

What’s up with the name? The game was invented in 1965 by three fathers near Seattle, WA. Despite its recent appearance on the scene, there’s some uncertainty about how it got its name. One of the three inventors, Joel Pritchard, had a dog named Pickles who chased the ball and ran away with it when they played – hence the name. Another story posits that it was named after a crew term: “pickle boat,” in which oarsmen are chosen from leftovers of other boats – which fit because the game combined many elements of other sports.

It has official rules, regulations, and even its own organization – the USA Pickleball Association. Here’s the lowdown on the game so you don’t find yourself in a pickle:

We could also explain all the rules to you — instead we’ll let this helpful video do it for us.

Ready to grab a paddle and see what makes pickleball such a big dill? Here’s where to begin.

Charleston

James Island Recreation Center | 1088 Quail Dr. | Free to members of the Lowcountry Senior Center, and $1 fee for non-members — call (843) 795-5678 to reserve a spot

MUSC Health Wellness Center | 45 Courtenay Dr. | Courts open for singles and doubles + paddles and balls are available — call (843) 792-5944 for additional details

Salvation Army Center | 2135 Ashley River Rd. | $1 per visit | Call (843) 345-9146 for details

St. Andrews Park Recreation Center | 1095 Playground Rd. | $1 per visit | send an email or call (843) 345-9146 for reservations

Waring Senior Center | 2001 Henry Tecklenburg Dr., | $5 daily pass/members free — call (843) 402-1990 for updates

Arthur W. Christopher Community Center (Fishburne Gym) | 265 Fishburne St. | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., $1 per visit

*closed due to COVID-19 pandemic until further notice — call (843) 345-9146 for updates

Bees Landing Recreation Center | 1580 Ashley Garden Blvd. | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Free

*no games during the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice — call (843) 402-4571 or email directly for updates

North Charleston

Collins Park | 4155 Fellowship Rd., North Charleston | Free, play during park hours — 8 a.m.-8 p.m. — call (843) 552-9446 for more information

Danny Jones Recreation Center | 1455 Monitor St., North Charleston | Call (843)345-9146 for updates

North Charleston Athletic Center | 5794 Casper Padgett Way, North Charleston | Free — call (843) 345-9146 for updates

Folly Beach

Pirate Cove Courts | 510 E Erie Ave., Folly Beach | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2-4 p.m.

Mount Pleasant

Miriam Brown Community Center | 118 Royall Ave., Mount Pleasant | Drop-in play is free on a first come, first served basis + bring your own paddles and balls — times vary

Park West Gym | 1251 Park West Blvd., Mount Pleasant | Drop-in play is free, bring your own balls and paddles — call (843) 856-2162 for updates

Town Hall Gym | 100 Ann Edwards Ln., Mount Pleasant | Drop-in play is free, bring your own balls and paddles — call (843) 856-2162 for updates

Park West Tennis Courts | 1251 Park West Blvd., Mount Pleasant | Drop-in play is free, bring your own balls and paddles — call (843) 856-2162 for updates

Summerville

Cane Bay Family YMCA | 1655 Cane Bay Blvd., Summerville | $4 per person | call (843) 719-9622 for updates

Del Webb at Cane Bay | 325 Palmetto Point Dr., Summerville | Must be a resident or guest of a resident to play

Rollins Edwards Community Center | 301 North Hickory St., Summerville | $3 non-members, $1 members — call (843) 510-6012 for updates

Summerville Family YMCA at the Ponds | 101 Pottery Cir., Summerville | Call (843) 771-2934 for more information

Goose Creek

Goose Creek Community Center | 519a North Goose Creek Blvd., Goose Creek | Free for members, $2 per day for non-members — call (843) 345-9146 for updates

Stratford High school | 951 Crowfield Blvd., Goose Creek | Offered through curriculum — call (843) 769-7798 for updatesSeabrook Island Racquet Club | 1701 Longbend Dr., Seabrook Island | Call (843) 768-7543 for updates

Poll

Please note that times, days, and availability are subject to change. Call or email the facility to confirm pickleball schedules.

Biologists and researchers have discovered that half of a declining shorebird species on the Atlantic is being supported by a nighttime roost off the coast of South Carolina.

About 20,000 whimbrel were confirmed roosting at night at the Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary, off Seabrook Island 20 miles south of Charleston, during their annual journey north.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources said it is rare that someone discovers a new-to-science bird migration spectacle, but it is even more rare that an encounter would be so close to a metropolitan area such as Charleston.

Whimbrels are large shorebirds known for their long, curved bills. They migrate yearly across the Western Hemisphere while facing threats of habitat loss and overhunting.

These birds spend winters on South American coasts and then fly thousands of miles north to nest and raise their young across the subarctic regions of Canada and Alaska.

They usually make one stop along the way to rest and feed in places like South Carolina to fuel their breeding season, DNR said.

In the past 25 years, the whimbrel species has declined by two-thirds across the Atlantic Flyway, so the discovery of such a largest roost — the largest known for this species — is important for protecting this rare shorebird.

DNR Biologist Felicia Sanders and a team of researchers confirmed that about 20,000 whimbrel were roosting at night on the island during their spring migration. In 2020, the team documented similar numbers.

Findings were published in Wader Study, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. And a team from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology documented the discovery.

“A lot of people were skeptical, but after tallying results from coordinated surveys by fellow ornithologists and video documentation we are certain of the magnitude of the flock,” Sanders said.

She said finding so many whimbrels on Deveaux Bank gives her hope that the tide can be turned for the species and other declining shorebirds.

Sustaining shorebird species involves protecting seabird sanctuaries such as Deveaux Bank. Seabirds seek large, isolated offshore refuges where there are minimal disturbances from people and predators. Few remain on the Atlantic Coast.

Deveaux Bank is closed year-round above the high-water line, apart from areas designated for limited recreation use. Some of the island’s beaches are also closed for seasonal nesting of coastal birds from March 15 to Oct. 15.

Sanders said it takes a village to protect places as important as Deveaux.

“The discovery at Deveaux Bank really shows the need for conservation efforts to deal with the pressures of growth along our coast and a changing climate,” said Laura Cantral, executive director of the Coastal Conservation League. “South Carolina is lucky to have the experts at DNR so that conservation decisions stem from good science.”

Dr. J. Drew Lanham, a professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University, said when people think of the shifting nature of the barrier islands, they realize that nothing is ever permanent.

“And so it’s important for us to realize, to understand this discovery on Deveaux and to protect beyond Deveaux, to have these other landing spots,” Lanham said.

A roost so large stands as a testament to the state’s commitment to coastal habitat conservation, DNR said.

Feeling released after a terrible year, this summer many families are hitting the road or taking to the skies with three or more generations, together.

How can family vacations live up to the name, providing time to feel close but also time off the clock? Parents who had children at home for remote school for much of the last year may ache for a chance to catch their breath. Grandparents yearn to be with their families at last, without feeling as if they’re operating a day care center.

Here’s how experts in family dynamics, and some grandparents and parents, suggest to best pull that off.

Talk through expectations in advance.

Elise Tarbi, 35, a nurse practitioner in Boston, took planning seriously. Before she, her husband and their 3-year-old shared a cabin in Maine with her parents for a week, she asked each adult to name a vacation goal.

“All I really wanted was some quiet time with coffee and a book, because that’s gone when you have a child,” she said. She achieved her goal, and so did her husband (who wanted a hike), her father (kayaking) and her mother (a nature preserve visit). Sometimes that meant doing things separately.

Find ways to share chores, particularly child care.

Every other summer, Emily Morgan, 61, the host of the podcast The Grand Life (on which this reporter has been a guest), and her husband, Mike, leave their Indiana home to spend five nights with their four grown children, spouses and grandchildren. They’ve visited Savannah, Ga.; Gatlinburg, Tenn., and coastal Maine.

“We told them, ‘One evening, we will watch the kids and you go out,’” Ms. Morgan said. “Which is a positive way of saying, ‘We’re not watching the kids every night.’”

At first, the older Morgans handled meals, but as their family expanded — to 20 people on their latest vacation — they began to wilt. Now, each adult couple takes full responsibility for one dinner during their stay, including menu, shopping, cooking and cleanup.

Discuss who pays for what.

On family trips, “there is very little money flowing uphill” to the older generation, Madonna Harrington Meyer, a Syracuse University sociologist and author of “Grandmothers at Work,” has found in her research.

Grandparents often default to picking up the tab, especially when children are visiting, but grandparents may be near or in retirement. Hosting costs can increase with each in-law and grandchild.

The senior Morgans used to shoulder vacation rentals, until their growing family meant bigger houses at higher prices. Now, they ask each family to pay one-fifth.

However, for the past few years, Donna and David Bolls, who live in Charlotte, N.C., have accepted a daughter’s invitation to join her family in a cottage on Seabrook Island, S.C. She declined their offer to pay part of the week’s rent.

“We try to grab the check if we go out to eat,” Ms. Bolls, 65, said. “Sometimes we split the groceries. We don’t want them footing the whole bill, even if they can afford it.” Caring for their grandchildren, 5-year-old twins, helps balance the ledger.

Beware of old patterns.

“People tend to fall back into their usual roles without thinking,” said Sally Tannen, an early childhood educator who for years has led the parenting and grandparenting workshops at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

Adult children can regress, expecting their parents to take care of them and their children. “But you’re an adult now,” Ms. Tannen noted. Similarly, grandparents may anticipate being in charge, a recipe for conflict in close quarters. “We’ve always been the caregivers, and it’s hard to let go of,” she said. “We like to hold on to control.”

Like other experts, she cautioned that the middle generation sets the rules for their children, and that grandparents should defer and avoid criticizing those decisions.

When her toddler grandson wanted some of her maple ice cream — having recently moved to Vermont, Ms. Tannen and her husband are hosting children and grandchildren all summer — she asked his mother. “I was told to only give him two teaspoons,” she said. “I respected that.”

At the same time, grandparents may have lost some stamina or mobility.

Mary Scott-Boria, 70, and her husband live in Chicago, but own a small camper they park in a rural recreation facility 90 minutes away.

Lately, when they invite their children for a few days, “my daughters tend to take charge,” Ms. Scott-Boria said. “They manage the cooking and the cleaning and the activities. I don’t have to be the responsible one.” It’s meant change for the once undisputed matriarch, but “I’ve learned to be OK with it.”

Allow for down time.

When Rosie Cantu vacationed with three of her grandchildren on Bolivar Peninsula on the Texas Gulf Coast a few years back, everyone knew the rule: Afternoons, the children amused themselves with board games and puzzles while Lita (from “abuelita,” Spanish for grandmother) relaxed.

“That was my alone time and it re-energized me for the rest of the day,” said Ms. Cantu, 76, a semiretired teacher from San Antonio.

“It’s OK not to fill every minute,” said Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, a psychologist at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

She and her husband, planning an excursion with their two grandchildren, expect to hear “I’m bored!” and won’t be fazed. “I will say, ‘it’s up to you to figure out how to fill this time.’”

Flexibility helps all parties enjoy themselves.

Ms. Tarbi and her husband packed their toddler son’s ‘OK to Wake’ clock, which turns green when he is allowed to get out of bed just after 7 a.m. They had been working for months to curtail his early rising.

But on their first day in Maine, her father — excited to be with his grandson — heard him chirping and forgot the clock. Shortly after 6 a.m., a no-longer-asleep Ms. Tarbi could hear them playing. She later reminded her father, who apologized, and “I had to get over it,” Ms. Tarbi said. “Some routines are not as important on vacation.”

What counts, experts and family members agree, is having time together, especially this year. It’s lovely to have unscheduled days when nobody has to rush to work or school, when there’s time for an impromptu ice cream cone or conversation or Scrabble game.

“Family vacations really matter,” Dr. Hirsh-Pasek said. “Building in-person relationships is invaluable.” To show grandchildren that other adults besides their parents love and care for them, to remind parents that someone else has their back, to build memories and traditions — that may be worth some compromises.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here. You can also subscribe to Subtext here or text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial.

Hey, Hoynsie: Has the new enforcement of the foreign substance rule been a big part of the Indians’ pitching woes, particularly in the bullpen as of late? It’s no secret that James Karinchak has been a completely different pitcher with the rule enforcement. Should the Indians consider moving on from him if there is an opportunity? -- Jared Lange, Wabash, Ind.

Hey, Jared: The Indians warned their pitchers in spring training that this crackdown was coming. They were warned again in early June to part ways with the sticky stuff if they were using it. I think they’ve had time to adjust.

I’m not saying a drop in spin rate hasn’t played a part in Karinchak and the bullpen’s recent troubles, but the fact that they’re having to cover four innings almost every night, while facing elite teams such as the Rays, A’s and Astros, can’t be overlooked.

If the Indians trade Karinchak, at least from the outside looking in, I think that would be a mistake. He’s averaging 14.33 strikeouts per nine innings and the opposition is hitting .146 against him. He’s 25 and started the season with just over one year in the big leagues. You build bullpens with pitchers like that.

Hey, Hoynsie: Are the Cleveland Guardians guarding the exits at Progressive Field so the fans don’t leave early? -- Rick, Toledo.

Hey, Rick: I see what you did there. A word of caution, there’s room for only one wise guy around here.

Hey, Hoynsie: Out of curiosity, how long ago did Joe Noga and you know what the name was? -- Darron, Denver.

Hey, Darron: Believe me, if we knew that the Indians new name would be the Guardians before it was announced, we would have written it. The Indians, as they usually do, played this close to the vest.

On Thursday I found out that they’d settled on a name, but couldn’t find out what the name was so I wrote what I knew. Friday morning the team announced its new name.

Hey, Hoynsie: There’s not much to say other than the whole Indians’ organization from ownership down to general manager has lost any semblance of respect for history and lacks intestinal fortitude. They are a laughing stock and as a lifelong Indians fan, I am ashamed. The reason they gave for coming up with the name defied any logic. -- Hank, Seabrook Island, S.C.

Hey, Hank: I understand your disappointment, but I think changing the name of the franchise showed intestinal fortitude. They knew they’d be upsetting lifelong fans, they’ve been dealing with the backlash since announcing their intentions to change the name in December of 2020, but they felt it was the right thing to do.

Hey, Hoynsie: What’s happening with Brad Peacock and the other big-league veteran pitchers that the Indians signed to possibly help the rotation? -- Bill, Franklin, Tenn.

Hey, Bill: Veteran right-handers Peacock (0-1, 10.80) and Zack Godley (0-2, 9.20) have had their problems since signing minor-league deals and reported to Class AAA Columbus. Peacock, injured most of last year with Houston, has allowed 10 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. Godley, who appeared in two games with the Brewers this year, has allowed 15 earned runs over 10 innings in four starts.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do the Indians still have a realistic chance at a wild card spot this year? Or is it time to get ready for the debut of the Guardians in 2022? -- .Jose, Downingtown, Pa.

Hey, Jose: If they keep losing games in the late innings as they’ve done Thursday and Friday, you can start looking for your Guardians’ gear. As of Saturday morning the Indians were six games out of the second wild card spot with Seattle, the Yankees and Toronto in front of them.

In the AL Central, they trailed the White Sox by nine games. Nine games back in late July is a steep hill to climb.

Hey, Hoynsie: What do you think the timetable is for Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale’s return? This season is slipping away one week at a time and it’s going to take more than one minor trade to save it. -- Mike Fumic, Avon.

Hey, Mike: Civale (right middle finger) is currently on a faster path than Bieber (right shoulder). Civale threw a bullpen session Friday. If all goes well, he could throw another one in a couple of days. A simulated game and a couple of rehab starts could follow if there are no setbacks. Perhaps he’s back by mid-August.

Bieber is playing catch, but hasn’t thrown off the mound yet.

Hey, Hoynsie: Amed Rosario is not a shortstop solution. He plays poor defense with little or any range and has settled into being a mediocre hitter. Does he have any trade value before the deadline? -- Doc, Warren.

Hey, Doc: Rosario is an interesting player to say the least. I think he’s got great range going to his right, but he’s limited trying to make the diving play at or behind second base. He’ll make a wildly athletic play and then come up empty on a ball hit through the middle.

I think he’s been one of the Indians’ most consistent hitters, especially since he was moved to shortstop full time in May.

As for trade value, I wonder if the Mets miss him with Francisco Lindor on the injured list?

More on the Guardians

More Indians coverage