By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
The curtain has closed on the 19th annual Beaufort International Film Festival, which according to those who attended, was another success.
While “Where Were You,” a California-based feature film love story may have been selected as the audience favorite for the four-day showing, the local crowd-pleaser was bound to be “Breakfast in Beaufort: Journeys Through Life,” a 29-minute documentary featuring 11 Beaufortonians who shared their observations and wisdom with the camera.
The film, which features the group of men who gather weekly for breakfast at Blackstone’s restaurant, packed the USCB Center for the Arts theatre Saturday morning and left those who attended with the instructions: love your family, do good.
The men featured in the film represent a combined age of 980 years, but who’s counting. The movie is being featured in Southern Living magazine and there’s talk the S.C. Educational Television (SC ETV) system may rebroadcast it.
The weekly gathering at Blackstone may bring memories to long-time residents who might remember a similar gathering once held at what was Harry’s restaurant on Bay Street. Local men gathered daily there, in the round table in the corner window, to discuss the comings and goings of the town.
And for those who might like a little more information on Harry’s restaurant, check out “Chambers Chatter: Episode 3” on YouTube. Harry Chikades himself talks about the Beaufort that used to be.
Freedman Arts District Office makes its debut
BEAUFORT – Editor Mike McCombs’ story last week about a gathering at the Freedman Arts District headquarters on Duke Street highlighted the nonprofit entity’s efforts to bring economic investment into the formerly African American neighborhood of the Northwest Quadrant and Old Commons.
Local developer Dick Stewart, former CEO of 303 Associates, invited city Community Development Director Kurt Freese to join him at the speakers’ table to discuss efforts to find financial support, such as tax credits and grants, especially for heirs’ property owners hoping to hold onto their property in a neighborhood facing rapid gentrification.
But an important part of the meeting was the location itself – an early 1900’s era neighborhood grocery store which had been razed and rebuilt in the past year, mirroring the former structure with a much newer finish.
One of the District’s missions provides a revolving fund program for qualifying property owners to hold onto, and preserve through renovation, within the neighborhood.
Two most notable projects are 1607 and 1609 Duke Street, which the city’s Historic Review Board approved for demolition last year when the owner argued it made economic sense to tear down the circa-1900’s cottages and rebuild.
The demolition was opposed by the Historic Beaufort Foundation but after extensive discussion was allowed. Construction on the replacement cottages has yet to be begin.
Few of the interested citizens who filled the building last week probably had relatives who once shopped in that space. But the majority who were there, again probably, came because they care about the future of a diverse Beaufort.
One less gas station on Ribaut, but what next?
BEAUFORT – Not much has been said recently about the Ribaut Road Improvement Plan, formerly known as “Reimagine Ribaut Road,” while county officials and a whole bunch of others from South of the Broad, have been focused on finding a solution to the funding problem for replacement of the U.S. 278 bridges onto Hilton Head Island.
But while it appears the county and island folks may have come to some agreement on funding the S.O.B. project, local folks have been watching the demolition of a former gas station at the western foot of the McTeer Bridge and wondering why it’s not part of the proposed $140 million plan to improve traffic on that 5.5 mile stretch of Ribaut.
Reported by The Beaufort Gazette, there are no plans for the now demolished gas station property owned by the Savannah-based service station magnate Parker’s. But wouldn’t it make sense to have a traffic round-about at the busy intersection, a lot of folks are asking.
Actually, the latest plans for the intersection did NOT include a round-about, only an additional turning lane for vehicles heading to the islands.
But, as everyone knows, the funding mechanism for this and a slew of other projects, was rejected by the voters in November who didn’t support an additional transportation sales tax.
In the meantime, maybe another storage unit can be constructed on the site. Or another auto parts store … we never seem to have enough of them.
Time … as always … will tell.
Grocery store updates
BEAUFORT – Seems like locals like little else better than news, or rumors of a new grocery stores. Remember how long we wondered when the Harris Teeter store on Lady’s Island open? And before that, it was the community’s second Publix on Robert Smalls Parkway that fueled speculation.
Now the community’s first Aldi is a topic of conversation, with construction getting started out of R.S. Parkway in the new Beaufort Station.
City officials announced the new shopping opportunity three years ago, in 2022. When Beaufort Station opened its first businesses in May 2024, the Aldi project was “still coming.”
Word is now, opening is expected later this year. Remember to bring your own grocery bag.
One more thing …
PORT ROYAL – Congratulations to the Old Village Association for a LOVELY Mardi Gras celebration Saturday afternoon.
Despite the competition offered by the Beaufort International Film Festival, hundreds showed up, decked out and ready to have some fun for the second annual celebration.
Yes, we realize the ACTUAL Mardi Gras officially begins March 4, but folks in Port Royal, they like to get ahead of the curve!
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. Her goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
