<b>YMCA accepting preschool applications<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b>

The YMCA of Beaufort County, located at 1801 Richmond Avenue in Port Royal is now accepting<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>applications for its 2018-2019 Discovery Kids Preschool.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Discovery Kids Preschool accepts 3-and 4-year old children and is a certified preschool teaching the creative curriculum (the same as BCSD). Financial assistance is available. For more information check out the Y website: beaufort-jasperymca.org or stop at the Y front desk.

<b>YMCA adult soccer registration open <span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b>

Adult Soccer Registration for adults age 18+ is open now thru August 20 at the Wardle Family YMCA located at 1801 Richmond Avenue in Port Royal.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Games/practice will start Sept. 9 and run through Nov. 5, 2018. Cost: $45 Y member and $ 55 non-member. Register at the Y or online: beaufort-jasperymca.org. Questions? Contact Mike Woods, Y Sports Director 843-522-9622.

<b>Give blood this<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>summer at OneBlood</b>

The summer months put a severe hardship on the blood product supply nationally. The demand goes up and the collections go down because people are traveling more frequently and participating in outdoor activities.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

OneBlood’s Big Red Bus has teamed up with the business in the Grayco Shopping Center on Lady’s Island and the Beaufort Classic Car &amp; Truck Club for a special drive for Community Give Back Day from 1-7 p.m. on Aug. 3. All donors will receive a OneBlood beach towel and a special goody bag full of coupons for discounts and free items from every business in the shopping center.

All donors will also receive a wellness checkup, including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screening, and Allstate Insurance will provide Chick-fil-A snacks, lemonade, and iced tea for all donors. Make an appointment online at www.oneblooddonor.org and use sponsor code #37837.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

<b>YMCA adds additional CPR training dates<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b>

The Wardle Family YMCA in Port Royal will offer four more CPR classes for community members this year. The courses will be held on four Saturdays — July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 8, and Oct. 13 — from 8 a.m. to noon.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Cost is $30 for this YMCA-certified course, and those interested need to register at the Y as space is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact aquatics director Lou Bergen at 843-522-9622 to register or visit beaufort-jasperymca.org.

<b>Friends of Hunting Island upcoming events</b>

On Saturday, Aug. 4, and Sunday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., members of the Beaufort Radio Amateur Group (BRAG) will have their equipment at the Hunting Island Lighthouse to set up a radio station to coincide with National Lighthouse Day. Operators will be on-site to interact with visitors as BRAG “activates” the Hunting Island Lighthouse to “speak” to other lighthouses in coordination with celebrations at hundreds of lighthouses across the country.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

For a behind-the-scenes look at the lighthouse, Ted Panayotoff, Lighthouse Director of Friends of Hunting Island, will conduct his popular Interpretive Lighthouse Tour at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9. Attendees meet at the lighthouse. Reservations are necessary. Call 843-838-7437. The Hunting Island Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in SC open to the public. There is a $2 fee to climb it and you must be over 44 inches tall.

On Friday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m., a ceremony will be held to honor the last keeper at Hunting Island Lighthouse, Theodore Gaillard, and his wife, Estelle Ellen Gaillard. It will be at the Parish Church of St. Helena Cemetery at St. Luke’s Gate on Newcastle St. between King and Prince streets in downtown Beaufort. Keeper Gaillard retired in 1942 after serving at a lighthouse in Savannah Harbor to which he was transferred when the Hunting Island Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1933.

A U.S. Lighthouse Service grave marker will be placed on their graves with a benediction by Rev. Todd Simonis, and “Taps” will be played by a bugler from the Coast Guard.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>A poster with a photo of the Gaillards will be on display, and Panayotoff will give a summary of keeper Gaillard’s lighthouse service and Coast Guard career. <span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

On Saturday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Hunting Island Lighthouse, the Beaufort Harbormasters will present a concert to honor and celebrate the history of this historic lighthouse.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Bring lawn chairs for better enjoyment.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

All are invited to attend these free events, though there is an entry fee to Hunting Island State Park.

<b>Hurricane Preparedness Seminar to be held</b>

Get ready for the upcoming hurricane season. Join Beaufort County Emergency Management at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 at the Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott St., to learn about severe weather preparedness, Smart 911 services, and essential planning. For more information, call 843-255-6458.

<b>CERT releases class schedule for August</b>

Beaufort County residents interested in learning more about self-sufficiency during a disaster are invited to participate in the Community Emergency Response Team Program. Participants will learn to provide emergency assistance to their families and neighbors. CERT classes are free of charge. The next series will start Aug. 7. Classes will be held at the Technical College of the Lowcountry campus in Bluffton at 100 Community College Drive in room 125.

The course will be taught in four class sessions from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and one Saturday exercise class from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Tuesday, Aug. 7 — Personal Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Thursday, Aug. 9 — Disaster Medical I</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Tuesday, Aug.14 — Disaster Psychology/Terrorism Response</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Thursday, Aug. 16 — Disaster Medical II / CERT Organization</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Saturday, Aug. 18 — Fire Suppression /Disaster Search Techniques Exercise</p>
For more information or to register send an email to cert@bcgov.net or contact Major David Zeoli, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, at 843-812-8035.

<b>Don't miss HBF's summer camp<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b>

Beaufort’s historic architecture will become a laboratory in a one-day camp Aug. 8 at the Verdier House, 801 Bay Street. The camp is open to children ages 8-14. Campers can opt for a full session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or half-day sessions from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>Enrollment is limited to 15 per session.

Through classroom demonstrations, field trips and hands-on projects, participants will be introduced to the history and architecture of downtown Beaufort through the commercial architecture on Bay Street and select architectural styles within Beaufort’s National Landmark Historic District. Participants will join in an architectural scavenger hunt, a walking tour, and design and construct 2D and 3D models.

At the end of each session, students will have the opportunity to present their individual projects to parents and family members. This hands-on program will enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and foster their creative expression through a multifaceted program. Lunch, architectural scavenger hunt, field trip, and materials are included.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Tuition is $30 per child per session. To ask questions or to request an admissions packet, call or email Jacque Wedler at the Verdier House at 843-379-6335 or jwedler@historicbeaufort.org. The event is sponsored by Historic Beaufort Foundation.

<b>Join the YA Everlasting Book Club</b>

If you are an adult but still enjoy reading young adult literature, this book club is for you. The Young Adult Everlasting Book Club meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott St. The next title will be “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds (Aug. 8), followed by “The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano” by Sonia Manzano (Sept. 12). For more information, call 843-255-6458 or visit beaufortcountylibrary.org.

<b>Sportfishing and Diving </b><b>Club sets August meeting</b>

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s August meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Well-known local Captain Adam Sauerborn of Tide Ryder Charters from Port Royal Landing Marina will discuss the flounder species. Flounders are often overlooked in the Lowcountry, but Capt. Sauerborn will discuss how and where to find this great table fare fish.

Guests are welcome and you do not need a reservation. For additional information, please contact Captain Frank Gibson at 843-522-2122 or email fgibson@islc.net.

<b>Beaufort Branch Library hosts adult game night</b>

Celebrate the end of summer by coming by the Beaufort Branch Library at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 to play the board game that started it all – Bookopoly – plus a few other favorites. Punch and light snacks will be served. Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott St. Free. For more information, call 843-255-6458 or visit<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>beaufortcountylibrary.org/subscribe.

<b>August events at Hunting Island State Park</b>

There are fun, interesting and educational activities every day hosted by Park Ranger and Lowcountry Master Naturalist Megan Stegmeir.
<ul>
 	<li>Monday: Tie Dye at 2 p.m.; Boardwalk Tours and Secrets of the Salt Marsh at 4 p.m.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></li>
 	<li>Tuesday: Sea Turtle Tracks at 10:30 a.m.; Beach Walks at 3 p.m.</li>
 	<li>Wednesday: Alligator Talks at 1 p.m.</li>
 	<li>Thursday: A Sunrise at the Lighthouse at 6:30 a.m. (Aug. 16); Lighthouse Tours at 10 a.m. (Aug. 9, Aug. 23); Feeding Frenzy every Thursday at 3 p.m.</li>
 	<li>Friday: Stepping Stones at 1 p.m.</li>
 	<li>Saturday: Fish Printing at noon; Creatures of the Night (Aug. 11, Aug. 18)</li>
 	<li>Sunday: Reptile Talks at 11 a.m.; Sand/Candy Art at 1 p.m. (Aug. 12, Aug. 19); Full Moon Lighthouse Climb at 8 p.m. (Aug. 26)</li>
</ul>
<b>Beaufort Digital Corridor partners to present event</b>

A partnership between Beaufort Digital Corridor members Allen Technology Advising (Allen IT) and Enterprise Technologies, Inc. (ETI) offers a four-part series addressing everyday technology, tailored exclusively for the local businesses of Beaufort.

Sip and learn socials take place on the second Tuesday of the month after work hours. This complimentary event is co-hosted by the Beaufort Digital Corridor at its BASEcamp facility. The second session on Aug. 14 is designed as a deeper dive with these local experts to address specific business technology needs.

Ryan Curtis of Allen IT and Sam Kolner of ETI are local tech experts that are passionate about seeing Lowcountry businesses thrive. They will show you how to formulate a technology plan for your business that looks forward five years to maximize your finances. They will go over common things that business owners don’t consider when planning an IT budget, if they have an IT budget at all. Technology should optimize your business and bring you peace of mind, so bring an open mind, tech related questions, and business card for the opportunity to set up a private appointment after the presentation.