kitchen countertopsIn Awendaw, SC

The Holy City might be known for some good old shrimp ‘n grits + she crab soup, and pizza may not be the first thing that comes to mind. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some really good options.

We did some digging to find a few of the best local pizza spots around town and we’re sharing the knead-to-knows.

Charleston

Pizzeria di Giovanni, 40 N. Market St. | Check out Neapolitan-style pizza paired with a Greek salad.

Sabatino’s Pizza, 151 Calhoun St. | Consistency is key and Sabatino’s passes the test.

Baker & Brewer, 94 Stuart St. | Come for the ‘za, stay for the relaxed atmosphere + outdoor space.

Mt. Pleasant

Orlando’s Pizza, 230 Mathis Ferry Rd. + 295 Seven Farms Dr., Daniel Island | You can’t beat the two-slice lunch special — $8 for cheese and $9 for a topping.

Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, 664 Long Point Rd. | Pro tip: Try the Sicilian-style pizza.

Toni’s Pizza, 1795 N. Hwy. 17 | Order an authentic Detroit-style pizza plus a Vernors Float for the perfect balance of sweet + salty.

North Charleston

Park Pizza, 1028 E. Montague Ave. | Mix up your usual order with the pizza of the month.

EVO Pizzeria, 1075 E. Montague Ave. | Pair your snack plate dinner special with a local draft beer from Indigo Reef or Revelry.

Other loc’s

Slice Co., 1662 Savannah Hwy. | Enjoy fresh mozzarella or vegan cheese, both made in-house.

PizzaVola Express James Island, 1041 Folly Rd. | Choose a slice, a pie, or an Italian dish at this one-stop shop.

Hollywood Pizza, 6231 Hwy. 162, Hollywood | Enjoy a keto pizza bowl or pie at an outdoor table — it’s worth the drive.

Heads up, this is not a comprehensive list. Didn’t catch your favorite local spot this time around? Share it with us.

MOUNT PLEASANT — Failing septic systems foul waterways and harm quality of life, but for decades East Cooper residents have been required to annex into the town if they want to connect to the sewer system.

Some have been unwilling to do that, particularly in historic African American settlement communities such as Snowden, Six Mile, Ten Mile and Phillips.

Others have been unable to annex because their properties don’t touch the town boundaries.

Now, in a move that could help residents outside the town limits and improve water quality, Mount Pleasant is moving to change the rules.

An ordinance that received initial unanimous Town Council approval May 10 would allow existing homes with septic systems to connect to Mount Pleasant Waterworks’ sewer lines anywhere they are available, regardless of whether the property is within the town.

“This will get us clean water for our citizens and clean water for Shem Creek, and I think this will be an olive branch to those who would resent the town for withholding sewer if they did not annex,” Mayor Will Haynie said.

Like most towns and cities in South Carolina, Mount Pleasant’s town boundaries encircle many unincorporated areas. Some are individual homes and businesses, while others are entire communities.

The utility’s sewer lines run as far up the coast as the Bull’s Bay Golf Club and Paradise Island on the Wando River, so there are lots of homes that could connect to the sewer system but for the annexation rule.

John Wright, president of the African American Settlement Community Historic Commission, praised the pending rule change.

“We know that this is really significant,” he said. “Annexation has been really divisive.”

Wright said some community residents have not wanted to join the town because they believe doing so would lead to new regulations or unwanted development.

“This is going to be a great quality of life (improvement) for individuals who need service,” said Freddie Jenkins, chairman of the Commission’s Waterworks Committee.

Jenkins lives in Snowden, a settlement community off Long Point Road, and annexed his own property into the town years ago. He was able to connect his home to the sewer system last year, allowing him to get rid of a failing septic system that sometimes backed up into his house.

“Man, I’m enjoying it,” he said.

Charleston County and the the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control require property owners with failing septic systems to connect to public sewer lines if they are available but at their own expense. One flaw is that agencies do not regularly inspect septic systems to see if they are failing.

The costs of switching from septic to sewer are considerable, averaging about $10,000, Mount Pleasant Waterworks estimates.

The utility hopes to secure federal funding to assist people in making the switch, as has been done in the past.

“It’s about environmental protection and water quality,” said Allan Clum, Mount Pleasant Waterworks’ general manager. “There are several areas where we know we have failing septic systems.”

For years, water sampling by Charleston Waterkeeper has found high levels of fecal bacteria in area creeks, including Shem Creek, particularly after periods of rain. In 2021 the town of James Island earmarked $1.8 million in federal American Recovery Plan funds toward an effort to replace the failing septic systems blamed for the pollution.

Haynie, who as mayor sits on the Mount Pleasant Waterworks Commission, said the utility is “getting ready to get tens of millions of dollars in grants, we think.”

The town’s annexation rules have been in place for about three decades and exist because requiring properties to join the town in order to get sewer lines gives Mount Pleasant more control over development.

That wouldn’t change under the pending rules. The only properties that could remain outside the town limits and get sewer service are those with existing residences, and they would be limited to getting sewer service for homes existing when the ordinance is passed — likely in June.

MEXICO CITY — A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Mexico’s central Pacific coast on Monday, setting off a seismic alarm in the rattled capital on the anniversary of two earlier devastating quakes.

There were no immediate reports of significant damage from the quake that hit at 1:05 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey, which had initially put the magnitude at 7.5.

It said the quake was centered 23 miles southeast of Aquila near the boundary of Colima and Michoacan states and at a depth of 9.4 miles.

Michoacan’s Public Security Department said there were no immediate reports of significant damage in that state beyond some cracks in buildings in the town of Coalcoman.

Mexico’s National Civil Defense agency said that the navy’s tsunami center had not issued an alert because due to the epicenter’s location, no variation in sea levels was expected. However, that contradicted an alert from the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center. It said that hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts within 186 miles of the epicenter.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum also tweeted that there were no reports of damage in the capital

Alarms for the new quake came less than an hour after a quake alarms warbled in a nationwide earthquake simulation marking major, deadly quakes that struck on the same date in 1985 and 2017.

Humberto Garza stood outside a restaurant in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood holding his 3-year son. Like many milling about outside after the earthquake, Garza said that the earthquake alarm sounded so soon after the annual simulation that he was not sure it was real.

“I heard the alarm, but it sounded really far away,” he said.

Outside the city’s environmental ombudsman’s office, dozens of employees waited. Some appeared visibly shaken.

Power was out in parts of the city, including stoplights, snarling the capital’s already notorious traffic.

AWENDAW, SC (WCIV) — A local Awendaw man is making national headlines for working his way to the quarterfinals of the DIY Hero contest which looks to promote the “next big name” in Do-it-Yourself craftsmanship.

Some would even say Michael Bronco is the definition of “Do-it-Yourself." When you think DIY, your mind may go to little projects such as shelves and small art pieces, but what about an entire house?

What started out as working on cars with his dad, turned into building a full two-story home for his family in Awendaw. Building is something Bronco says he can remember doing from a young age.

Now, as a quarterfinalist in the national competition, he hopes to use this exposure to inspire kids across the Lowcountry to use their hands to do the same.

“For me those lessons that you learned to get through things when they're really tough, you can teach that in a workshop. You can teach confidence you can teach discipline you could teach, you know, pride in your work. It's just one of those things where I don't know how else we teach kids,” Bronco said.

With those same hands, he hopes to create opportunity for residents in the Lowcountry through construction.

“It's been a game changer having skills like this. there's no question about it. I couldn't buy the house that I built here with my son,” Bronco said.

“I spent a lot of time with him. and more time than I would spend if I was in school,” Bronco’s son Michael Jr. said.

Bronco pulled his son, who was then thirteen-years-old, out of school for a year to teach him the ropes. As well as teaching him life lessons along the way.

“The other kids were running around school, he had work boots on at 6 a.m. getting in the truck and coming out and building with me. So I hope one day, he's gonna appreciate that,” Bronco said.

Michael Jr, now 17 years old, shows that the appreciation.

“Now I’m pretty happy,” Michael Jr. said, “I have that kind of base now where I can, you know, extend like, if I want to go to a trade school.”

Bronco continued to teach others along the way.

“I'm just enjoying learning from my dad, learning these skills, learning how to use my hands,” Bronco’s daughter Jessy said.

“He taught me a lot. He got me interested in the field and working in the field and now I’m starting my own crawlspace company,” University of South Carolina senior Richard Hurteau said.

Bronco entered the national DIY Hero competition and is currently in first place in the quarterfinals of the contest.

The prize: $25,000 and a spot in Make Magazine. But he says he wants more than money.

“The idea is to build workshops, and areas where they're needed most and have a place for kids to go,” Bronco said.

He wants to use his exposure to start a nonprofit to teach youth in underserved communities lessons in construction, and to help Lowcountry kids learn the same life lessons he did.

“What we teach is a game changer for everybody,” Bronco said, “Life is hard. We don't hide that. But if you're going to succeed at anything in life, you better accept the fact that it's going to be hard.”

A game changer himself, Bronco also holds a summer program called the Huck Finn School where he teaches kids woodworking and blacksmithing skills.

You can vote for Bronco in the DIY Hero contest by donating to the American Lung Association.

The last day for voting in the quarterfinals of the DIY Hero contest is today. The field will then get cut down to 15 participants nationwide.

AWENDAW — Some seafood lovers in Awendaw gathered 25 years ago for a blue crab boil in their own neighborhood for the sake of enjoying some good food and good company.

Little did they know, it would turn into an annual event that now draws thousands.

“It all started back in 1994 with a small group of residents who gathered under an oak tree at Town Hall and got a few buckets of crabs,” shared Gregory Saxton, Awendaw town administrator and member of the Blue Crab Festival board of directors.

“As years went on, a festival began to flourish, and one bushel turned into over 100 bushels of crabs,” he said.

Now, in the Awendaw Blue Crab Festival’s 25th year, organizers are expecting it to be bigger and better than ever with more than 100 vendors, a dozen food trucks and live music.

This year’s event will be held 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 27 at the town of Awendaw Municipal Park, which surrounds a 50-acre free-form lake.

In the past, the festival has taken place at Town Hall, Camp Sewee and Sewee Bay Church. It has once before been held at the Municipal Park.

“They had it (at the Municipal Park) in 2019, as well, but it was still under construction,” said Kelly Russ of local event management group Wholly Ticket. “It was muddy then, but now they have grass. Though they’re still working on the whole park, this space is complete.”

The average annual attendance of 2,000 is expected to increase, with venue capacity at more than 5,000, said Russ. There’s been a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, which gave organizers more planning time.

The Secrets, a Charleston funk, jazz, blues and Motown cover band, will play all day, and a kids’ zone will include jump castles and a petting zoo. More than 100 vendors selling art, clothes, jewelry and other goods will be positioned in a semicircle around the lake.

Misters and cool-off zones will also be set up.

Hay rides and pontoon boat rides will entertain kids and adults alike, in addition to the buckets of blue crabs, which will be available to purchase on top of admission. Other food and alcohol from vendors also will be for sale.

“It’s not quite blue crab season yet,” said Russ. “That starts in August. Seafood is a tough these days, so we’re still working on getting crabs in. Some will be local, but not all.”

Michael Kendrick with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ Crustacean Research and Monitoring Section told The Post and Courier in May that blue crab populations are on the rebound from a couple of years of low levels.

“Exactly why that’s happening is something we’re trying to understand better,” Kendrick said at the time.

One of the festival’s loyal crabbers, Dave Fender, will provide as many buckets’ worth as he can, said Saxton. He also added that the crabs will be offered in three flavors: traditional, garlic or Cajun.

Saxton said that one year travelers from as far away as Korea showed up for the occasion. He hopes more out-of-town and out-of-country guests will make the trip this time around, as well.

The locals are the pinnacle of the festival, though, he added.

“They just love blue crabs here in this community,” said Saxton. “When they got together to do it back in 1994, they didn’t realize it would blow up like it did.”

Tickets to the Awendaw Blue Crab Festival are $10 in advance at townofawendawsc.org or $15 at the door for those 13 and up. Kids 12 and under get in free, with additional costs for some of the amusements.

Blue crab buckets will be priced based on the market rate at the time of the festival.

There are also VIP tickets available for $125 that include a special entrance, bucket of crabs, complimentary food and drinks, private bathrooms and lakefront tented seating in the heart of the festival.

Let’s get crackin’! The 25th Awendaw Blue Crab Festival hosted by the Town of Awendaw is set for Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Over 3,000 guests are expected to attend and feast away as hundreds of bushels of tasty, local Lowcountry blue crabs are served by the bucketful. This will be the first year the family-friendly celebration is held at the new event venue in the Town of Awendaw Municipal Park at 7997 Doar Rd.

In addition to delicious blue crab served in multiple flavors, the event will feature local food trucks with a variety of options for every palette, as well as beer and wine. Shop more than 75 art and retail vendors, enjoy live music by The Secrets and get adventurous on hayrides, pontoon boat rides and a huge kids’ area.

This beloved event dates back to 1994 when a small group of Awendaw residents came together to indulge in a few bushels of crabs under the live oak tree at Town Hall. A much larger event-goer population is expected at this year’s event at the Town of Awendaw Municipal Park. Surrounded by mother nature, this 300-acre plot of land is the perfect spot for families to take in the scenery, eat some crabs and enjoy all the event has to offer.

General admissions tickets are available for $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. Upgrade to the VIP experience for $125 per person. These tickets include one bucket of crab, complimentary food and beverage, private bathrooms, tented seating in the heart of the event and a VIP entrance to avoid the lines. VIP tickets are limited.

All crab buckets, beer and wine, hayrides, and boat rides will require tickets. The ticket and merchandise booth will only accept credit or debit options; no cash, checks, or e-pay applications will be accepted for these items. Individual art, retail, and food vendors may accept cash, and an ATM will be available on-site at the event. Please remember to leave your pets at home.

A portion of all admission proceeds will go to “Build the Park” and other Awendaw Charities.

For more information or to purchase your tickets now, please visit BlueCrabFestivalSC.com.

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Kenna Coe is the editor for the Moultrie News. Send her an email at editor@moultrienews.com