Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
HOST A LOWCOUNTRY TRADITION AT HOME
Nothing says fall in the Lowcountry like a wood fire and a table full of freshly steamed oysters.
Guests take advantage of our brief cold weather to enjoy shucking local clusters with good conversations and maybe a little bit of football. This year is different than any other, but an oyster roast might be the best way to dine outdoors with a few select people, taking measures to protect guests from infection.
Funds provide needed upgrades at Waddell Mariculture Center
Both the human researchers at Bluffton’s Waddell Mariculture Research and Development Center and their charges — important fish species native to Port Royal Sound — are now safer and more comfortable, thanks to a series of renovations and upgrades nearing completion.
The changes include everything from shoring up a crumbling concrete second-story office floor, to the installment of new climate-control and filtration systems that allows the facility to more safely and efficiently raise fish at its indoor hatchery.
SPREAD SOME CHEER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Make each one on your list happy.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE LOWCOUNTRY YOUR RETIREMENT HOME
More than 10,000 people reach retirement age each day in the U.S. and that number is only expected to grow over the next two decades. But not all retirements are created equal.
The South Carolina Lowcountry has become one of the leading retirement destinations not just for its beauty, but because the region fosters an evolved view of senior life – a next chapter filled with new adventures and opportunity that makes many of the “junior” residents envious of the lifestyle.
ISLAND GIRL • QUIET STORM • COCOON • J. COSTELLO GALLERY
PHOTOS BY GUIDO FLUECK | MAKEUP BY HEATHER EDGE
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS ALWAYS A PRIORITY AS SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY GROWS
Newcomers often sense the difference when they visit southern Beaufort County for the first time. The development ambience of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton has a different feel from other places. Most can’t put their finger on the difference, but they know it’s real.
The land itself is similar to other locations along the Carolinas and Georgia coast, but there is something special here.
USCB STUDENT FROM HILTON HEAD JOINS SHARK RESEARCH TEAM
Could bacteria on the skin of sharks be a source of new antibiotics for humans? The answer to this and many other questions may come from research conducted by scientists affiliated with OCEARCH, including the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Dr. Kim Ritchie and her student assistant, Lincoln Fuller of Hilton Head Island.
VILJAC SPEARHEADS BLUFFTON’S FARMERS MARKET
Kim Viljac’s love of community and talent for connection lends perfectly to her position as executive director of the Farmers Market of Bluffton.
Viljac lived for a time in the south of France which helped foster her lifelong affinity for great food and outdoor activities.
“I spent a lot of time at open air markets with all the beautiful colors, fragrant aromas, and friendly people,” she said. “I guess that’s where it all started.”
CLASSIC CAR OWNERS ARE AMBASSADORS FOR BELOVED HOBBY
Automobiles are the backbone of life in the United States. Outside of a few large cities, they are needed for our everyday lives. For some they are a utility, just transportation. But others become attached in an emotional way, they become enthusiasts.
Their cars are a part of their lives. They treat them like family. They join clubs of like-minded people. But some further evolve.
There are car guys, then there are car guys.
And then there is O.C. Welch.
Welch, who turns 65 in October, is moving full-speed into a fifth decade of dealing with cars, from teenage years in his father’s auto detailing shop to decades as a true-blue Ford dealer.
