Co-Working Space Near James Island, SC

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The residents of James Island are now seeing and hearing coyotes throughout their community following a rise in coyote interactions on Sullivans Island last month.

“Obviously, they’re here in our neighborhood, and we all need to be vigilant,” Lighthouse Point Neighborhood Association President Brook Lyon says.

Those who live in the Lighthouse Point community on James Island say they have recently seen and heard coyotes sometimes in broad daylight or in their backyards.

“I’ve had several reports over the last few weeks of people actually seeing the coyotes,” Lyon adds. “One last week was seen going across Schooner Road in broad daylight. Another photo was taken in the backyard of someone who has a chicken coop, and there’s live chickens there, which could be a potential food source for coyotes.”

Photos recorded on home security cameras show the coyotes on the island, concerning the community about their personal safety and their pets’ lives.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Department says there is one reported incident with coyotes on James Island back in June.

Sullivans Island also reported five coyote attacks involving dogs in August, making the community on James Island even more worried.

“We are one town, one island, and we don’t want animals to start getting snatched or people getting attacked, like what has happened in other areas,” Lyon says.

Lyon and James Island Town Councilmember Troy Mullinax says they reached out to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and was told there was no program to help them with coyotes in the neighborhood.

“My next step is to contact Governor McMaster because it’s a natural resource issue, and at this time, the town does not have any wildlife management people,” Lyon says.

“DNR does not have anything in place,” Mullinax adds. “This is something we’re going to address at our upcoming meeting this Thursday, and just let people know that there’s something we’re working on.”

To keep the coyotes out of your neighborhood, they recommend not feeding the wildlife or keeping any potential food source outside for them to find.

If you run into a coyote, you’re advised to react loudly, throw small sticks or cans or spray the animal with water.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The James Island Public Service District will begin work to replace septic tanks and connect sewer lines to 199 properties as residents will be moved from septic to sewer lines.

People living in the Clarks Point neighborhood and along Oak Point Road will be moved from septic to sewer lines by December of 2026.

The total projected cost is about $10.3 million.

“So we’ve been at this since 2020. And that’s when the James Island Water Quality Task Force was created. So the James Island Creek was designated as an impaired waterway and the task force needed to start addressing the issues,” District Manager Dave Schaeffer says.

Director of Land Water Wildlife at the Coastal Conservation League, Riley Egger says septic tanks released decomposed matter that can be detrimental if disease causing bacteria makes its way into waterways.

“Septic tanks along the coastal zone especially can be particularly dangerous knowing that they face certain conditions from sea level rise from groundwater intrusion and just the challenges of living on the coastal zone,” Egger says.

Egger says the James Island grant is a good step in fixing one area that faces problems.

“When we set up septic tanks that are particularly dense right on the waterways, right on our wetlands, we’re really setting up the future to fail,” Egger says. “What we really need to do is consider septic tanks and where we place them more within the planning process and more of our regulations. The best way to prevent a septic tank from failing is before it ever it gets in the ground.”

The homes impacted by the district’s project can expect a letter detailing the plan in the coming months.

The federal money for the project had a deadline to be used by December of 2026. Schaeffer says it will take time to get proper and easements and estimates groundwork will begin toward the end of 2024.

“Obviously we have started already with preliminary engineering and surveying and the easements that are required and the permitting that is required. So that is a years long process,” he says.

Schaeffer says there will be public engagement sessions to answer questions for people who live on properties being connected so their questions will be answered over the course of the years long project.

“This is kind of like 199 mini projects. We have to work with each one of the homeowners as far as where the pump is going to go, where’s the power to be able to have the pump, to be able to get each one of those households on to the sanitary sewer system. It’s kind of an individual project,” Schaeffer explains.

The sewer lines will be laid underground, and a pump will replace each home’s connection to a septic tank.

“We’re the last utility going into these neighborhoods. So there’s already power and there’s already cable and water and things for us to hit. And so instead of trenching, open trenching, we have the technology to be able to bore through so that we’re not tearing up the roads and there’s less disturbance for the community,” Schaeffer says.

Schaeffer thanked the state representatives who lobbied for this money and says the district will continue to work to replace aging septic with lines as they are able in the coming years.

The cost breakdown is as follows:

Upcoming James Island Public Service District Wastewater meetings:

Meetings are located at Fire Station 1 on 1108 Folly Rd.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND — All 10 barstools were taken when I stopped by The James on a recent Monday in August. According to an employee, that has been a nightly occurrence at the new James Island restaurant, now open at 1939-A Maybank Highway in the former Zia Taqueria space.

With cushioned bar chairs, the globe-lit bar is a nice place to grab a drink or a full meal, though there is plenty of seating inside the large restaurant, part of the Neighborhood Dining Group (Husk, Delaney Oyster House and Minero).

The bar area — which also features four high-top tables and a handful of booths with checkered upholstery — is separated from the dining room by a small partition. In the late afternoon, that portion of the 4,600-square-foot space is brightened by the sunlight that seeps in through a few long windows.

Between the farmhouse-inspired space that has come to define Husk and the classic oyster house aesthetic at Delaney, Neighborhood Dining Group President David Howard has shown he has a knack for conjuring up successful dining venues.

When he first told me about The James, Howard described it as an American grill that patrons might visit for a quality hamburger on a Tuesday before coming back for the prime rib over the weekend. The James’ clean, sharp look tells diners exactly what to expect — a restaurant where quality matters, but the chefs aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. A restaurant where shorts are just as acceptable as a suit.

The food is equally as approachable, with salads, Parker House rolls, tuna tartare and fried shrimp with a trio of dipping sauces among the appetizer options. Judging by my surrounding diners, the salads — far too big for one person — have proven to be a hit, though they might require an extra side of dressing.

There was a moment when Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey realized their worlds of history, culture and family were connected by food.

The self-described foodies were both on the board of Historic Columbia, engaged in preserving the city’s rich history. That led them down a path of looking at the city’s Jewish history.

And what they found was fascinating, they said. That history is the story of immigrants, merchants and business owners who helped lay a foundation for growth, and it is a story of people with distinctive food traditions that are steeped in family memories.

Harvey and Barnett knew it was history that needed to be recorded.

The result of that effort that began four years ago is a new book, “Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina.” The book unites family stories with family recipes for a collection that is as interesting a read as it is a book from which to cook.

The authors didn’t set out to write a cookbook, or any book for that matter, but what emerged from their efforts to record and preserve the Jewish history of South Carolina, was food.

Kreplach dumplings, challah, blintzes squash casserole are the supporting characters, an ever-present tie that binds people together, but it was also the piece that explains the interwoven and unique space occupied by Southern Jews.

Greenville

“I kind of think of it as an anthology in a way,” Barnett said. “And the recipes support the stories or maybe the stories support the recipes. Each recipe there is a deep story that goes with it, and I think the stories behind it is what makes it so fascinating.”

In reading through Barnett and Harvey’s book, you can hear the conversations around holiday tables, imagine the smells of Mimi’s brisket and taste the sweetness of Gloria Sloan’s Rugelach.

In taking the route of documenting history through food, the writers are bringing understanding through a shared human experience — eating.

South Carolina has a robust Jewish history. Jewish people began settling in Charleston in the 1600s, and by the 1700s, South Carolina had a larger Jewish population than New York. The number has dwindled, but the impact remains.

South Carolina Jewish culture is unique unto itself, Harvey and Barnett say, for its shared narrative of Southern food culture. On a holiday table you might find brisket alongside okra and tomatoes, grits, collard greens and biscuits alongside challah bread.

That narrative includes the stories of those who also influenced Southern Jewish food — namely non-Jewish neighbors but also the many African American women who were employed as cooks in households throughout the state.

In Harvey’s family, Annie Gailliard, a neighbor of Harvey’s grandparents, was also employed by them. Though Harvey’s grandmother kept a kosher kitchen with no cross contamination of meat and dairy, using only kosher meat and forbidding shellfish, the two women shared recipes.

“We found this often enough that we knew that the southern Jewish table probably doesn’t exist unless we have that influence from either neighbors or the African American women that cooked,” Barnett said. “We wanted to bring those women to the forefront and tell that story because they were the ones doing the cooking, and they were not the ones getting accolades a lot of times.”

Kugels & Collards began as a blog that documented oral histories and recipes. There are stories included from across South Carolina, including in Spartanburg, where Temple B’nai Israel Sisterhood held an annual bake sale, that always included Dot Frank’s sweet rolls, or “Butterflies.”

In Sumter, the Moses family grew up with artichoke pickles and pecan nut cake. In Eutawville, the Marcus family grew up with watermelon preserves, rice and gravy, fried chicken and fig preserves.

In Columbia, Harold “Groucho” Miller started Groucho’s Deli and made a name for himself with his potato salad, coleslaw and deli sandwiches, but his grandson also remembers his Russian-style blintzes.

It was a request Baileigh Wilson was hearing more and more from patrons of Juniper enjoying a cocktail — less boozy.

Now, Wilson has answered that request with a dedicated menu of “cocktails that have a lower level of the standard measurement “alcohol by volume.”

The list includes curated sips designed for balance of flavor and with a touch of the spirit but with a much lower alcohol content.

All are under 8 percent, versus a standard cocktail that might reach 14 percent or higher. The low-ABV concepts wasn’t new to Wilson, but creating them was.

Low-ABV cocktails have gained traction as a new sober-curious movement has emerged. The trend has been fueled by new drinkers who want to have a fun night out and a foodie experience while maintaining their health goals.

Globally, the low and no-alcohol market has grown. The market value of no/low alcohol products surpassed $11 billion in 2022, according to data from the beverage market analysis company, IWSR.

“During the pandemic, we were all locked in and people were drinking more,” Wilson said. “And so after that ...what research shows is alcohol consumption is decreasing in a way where people are trying to make healthier choices.”

While Juniper has always boasted a “mocktail” menu, the low-ABV options offer something just a bit different.

“There are a lot of non-alcoholic spirits and beers and wines being released,” Wilson said. “I wanted to play around with those but still keep the flavor profile, the true cocktail but spike it just a little bit.”

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (Lowcountry Weekend) - Charleston County Parks is excited to take part in an international birding experience on Oct. 7! Held at James Island County Park, the event, called “A Big Sit,” challenges birders to identify as many birds as possible while staying in a designated location.

Created with accessibility in mind, this inclusive birding program is open to birders of all levels, including beginners. Participants will stay within a 17-foot diameter circle to spot as many birds as possible in the area. Some of the species that organizers hope to see include birds like Pileated Woodpeckers, Wood Storks, Anhingas and a variety of songbirds. Charleston County Parks’ naturalists and members of the Coastal Master Naturalists Association will be on hand to help with birding questions and identification.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own seat, whether it be a camp chair, wheelchair or otherwise. Some binoculars and chairs will be available to share. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but birders can drop in and participate for however long they wish during that timeframe.

“Seeing and/or hearing birds is good for our well-being. Research has consistently shown that more interaction with our natural world is associated with better body and brain health. This inaugural event hopes to attract a wide range of people and introduce them to the potential health benefits of birding,” said CCPRC Natural History Interpretation Specialist Kristina Wheeler. “Whether you are a seasoned birder or brand new, come give it a try. This is a great opportunity for people with limited mobility, so they too can experience the joys of birding. We plan to learn some new things and most importantly - have FUN!”

The Big Sit is an annual international birding event. It was founded in 1992 by the New Haven (CT) Bird Club, and birders throughout the world will participate in this bird-a-thon the same weekend.

There are no fees to participate in A Big Sit; the program is free with regular admission to James Island County Park ($2 per person or free for Gold Pass holders). The activity is open to ages 12 and up and will meet near the park’s primitive campground. Accessible parking, accessible restrooms, accessible water fountains, and accessible picnic tables are near the event location’s “count circle.”

For more information on the program or other Charleston County Parks birding programs, visit CharlestonCountyParks.com (direct link: https://ccprc.com/1222/Birding)

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

South Carolina’s first-ever cannabis dry bar has landed on James Island. High Rise Dry Bar from Charleston Hemp Collective opened Aug. 11 and is changing the world of hemp-derived products and the non-alcoholic beverage space by offering mocktails made with legal cannabis seltzers.

“I think it’s really cool pioneering stuff like this,” said Matt Skinner, owner of Charleston Hemp Collective. “You always kind of worry about whether it’s going to go over and how many people are going to relate to it, but I feel like the reception we’ve gotten just so far is insane, so I’m super-excited about it.”

In recent years, the popularity of legal hemp-derived products has exploded in the Charleston area as these products are said to offer purported medicinal benefits and increase relaxation. Hemp Collective offers a range of products from vapes and gummies to tinctures and even Bloody Mary mix. But since launching its cannabis seltzer High Rise in May 2022, Skinner has noticed a fast-shifting acceptance.

“Charleston has really embraced this whole [cannabis] movement,” he said. “So much has changed, and so much of it is becoming more and more accepted.”

Currently, High Rise’s seltzers are in about 200 bars and restaurants, including Halls Chophouse and Husk, and 350 shops and grocery stores in the Charleston area. But the product also is distributed throughout the Southeast in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.

“Some of the most elevated restaurants in Charleston are really trying to create mocktails now and jumping on board with High Rise to help craft that, and I think that’s special,” Skinner said.

He said he believes now is an exciting time — not only for the cannabis space but also the non-alcoholic market. He points to a renewed interest in non-alcoholic options particularly amongst Gen Z, who are noticeably drinking less alcohol than previous generations.

A 2022 consumer trends report from Drizly found 38% of Gen Z respondents said they opted for more alcohol-free drinks than the previous year compared to 25% of Millennials, 15% Gen X and 8% Baby Boomers.

“There’s this interest not only in the ‘canna-curious’ space right now, but also people are looking for NA (non-alcoholic) options. The NA world and the beverage space right now is insane,” Skinner said.

The company’s original plan was to create a second shop with a small bar, but now the bar is really the star, he said. Skinner and his business partner, Chris Long, wanted a space for a high-end mocktail bar, so they used a portion of the space for the shop and a larger portion for a bar, lounge area and multiple tables for guests to sit and mingle.

During the store’s recent soft opening, DJ Jerry Feels Good set the vibe with upbeat tunes. Skinner said the bar plans to bring DJ Jerry Feels Good back as a regular in-house DJ in addition to rotating other DJs on various nights.

Currently, the bar’s open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. But Skinner said they may expand the weekend hours in the future.

The first iteration of the drink menu includes seven unique mocktails with names like Connection, Tranquility, Invigorate and Zen.

Drinks include fruity ingredients like salted watermelon and pomegranate and well as savory elements like ginger, turmeric and matcha. The menu offers suggestions under each drink to add CBD, Delta-8 or Delta-9 seltzer to elevate the experience.

For those who are canna-curious but not familiar with these different derivatives of the hemp plant, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp that can induce feelings of relaxation. Delta-8 and Delta-9 are both psychoactive compounds in the plant that can induce feelings of “being high.”

Roughly one-third of a can of High Rise seltzer is used in each drink — equal to two milligrams of CBD, Delta-8 or Delta 9.

“The point is not just one and done,” Skinner said of the mocktails. “We want you to be able to try two or three drinks. And by the time you get to your third drink, you’re gonna be feeling really good. It creates more of a social experience.”

Jules Schneider, beverage director for Herd Provisions, helped develop the current menu.“[This was] easily the most challenging menu I’ve done so far,” Schneider said. “Coaxing out flavor without the use of alcohol is another beast on its own. Alcohol is such a great solvent that making well-flavored ingredients is a cinch. I ended up making my own bitters with vegetable glycerin in a pressure cooker and really relied on great produce and proper technique to make fantastically flavored syrups.”

Skinner added, “I’ve got to give a lot of props to Jules. Not only did he take time to look at so many different [flavor] profiles, [but] he was also very careful when he named them. They all really represent the ingredients of those drinks and what they stand for.”

The menu will change quarterly to introduce new drinks and operate as a space for experimentation. Skinner wants to use the bar to test out new mocktails in addition to featuring rotating specialty High Rise drinks other restaurants and bars have developed for their location including Herd Provisions, The Longboard and others.

“Charleston is a community that supports brands that they feel like are really making a movement, and Charleston has really gotten behind High Rise,” Skinner said. “I don’t think there’s another city in the Southeast that has so much respect for this cannabis drink space.”

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