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The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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Inspiration From the Founder The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly man’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor, and, when he picked up his glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his noisy eating, spilled milk, and food on the floor.” So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner together. And, since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Occasionally, the family would glance in Grandfather’s direction during a meal and see a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions whenever he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The couple’s four-year-old watched all of this in silence. One evening before supper the father noticed his son sitting on the floor, playing with scraps of wood. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “I’m making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The boy smiled and went back to work. The child’s words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Within moments tears were streaming down their cheeks. Though not a word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening, as the family was about to sit down to dinner, the husband gently took his father’s hand and led him to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And, for some reason, neither the husband nor the wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth was soiled. Happy Father’s Day!
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The
Bluffton Breeze The magazine of Bluffton FOUNDER Donna Huffman PUBLISHER Eric Einhorn ericblufftonbreeze@gmail.com EDITOR Randolph Stewart randolphblufftonbreeze@gmail.com 843 816-4005 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Chierie Smith 843 505-2732 theblufftonbreeze@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michele Roldan-Shaw, Chierie Smith, Bob Fitzsimmons, Amber Hester Kuehn, Michael Mavrogordato, Jevon Daly, Joel Zuckerman, Donna Huffman, Jean Tanner PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS Murray Sease, Amiri Farris, Margaret Palmer, Jean Tanner, Louanne Laroche Jean Lewis, Oscar J. Frazier, Mary Ann Putzier ART DIRECTOR Jane Skager PRINTER Accurate Lithography CORPORATE OFFICE 12 Johnston Way, Suite 300 P.O. Box 472, Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.8877 The Bluffton Breeze Magazine is published by The Bluffton Breeze LLC. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without permission from the Publisher. The Bluffton Breeze Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. The Bluffton Breeze Magazine is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, or changes in information. The opinion of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its Publisher. All published photos and copy provided by writers and artists become the property of the Bluffton Breeze Magazine. Copyright. 2014
June 2014, volume 12, no.6
Breeze Contents
Features 7 Soldier’s Letter of the Burning of Bluffton: An Eyewitness Account 9 The Founding of Fathers Day 12 Young Eyes Wide Open 16 The Unwelcomed Guest 21 Living in a Preserve of History and Nature 24 A Walk to the Creek 30 Transition Time 35 Master of Transformation 38 Going to Market
Departments 7 History
11 Tide Chart
14 Art & Poetry 16 19
Environment Fellowship
26 Over the Bridges 28 Bulletin Board 32 Music Town 42 44
Restaurant Guide
Wine Within Reach
46 Golf Course Guide 48 Golf Report
The Bluffton Breeze
June Cover: Washdown by Murray Sease
June 2014
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Find out how history shaped Bluffton. And how Bluffton shaped history!
A visit to the Heyward House reveals the mystery of Bluffton. You’ll find out why the May River is so much more than a beautiful waterway. Why Bluffton’s breezes were an attraction to the rich and famous. Why decisions made in Bluffton changed the USA forever. Get to know Bluffton through its character. And the characters that built it. To understand Bluffton you need to get a sense of its rich history. easy. The Heyward House makes it fascinating and eas
DID YOU KNOW?
We’re also Bluffton’s Information Center
Get walking tour maps and invitations to fun places Sign up for personal guided tours Our friendly staff knows Bluffton inside out! “Remembering the Burning of Bluffton.” NOVEMBER 7 Event FromThe 10- Society's 12 pm: Jeff lecture Fulghamseries will be at the features Heyward House for a book signing Kim Poovey, a local of The Bluffton Expedition: The Burning of author and storyteller. Her Bluffton, South Carolina, During the Civil lecture will be on clothing and War. From 2-4 pm: Kim Poovey will porduring the Civil Heyward. War. traytextiles Mrs. Pauline DeCaradeuc 11am at the Heyward House Donations are appreciated.
The Bluffton Historical Preservation Society 6
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70 Boundary Street, POBox 742 Bluffton SC 29910 For more information call 1 843 757 6293 Or visit our website at www.heywardhouse.org
Breeze H i s t o r y
Soldier’s Letter of the Burning of Bluffton: An Eye-Witness Account
Letter From a Yankee Rewritten by Randolph Stewart
As an antiques dealer in Savannah for years I had the luck to discover a Confederate eyewitness letter of the Burning of Bluffton from a fellow dealer in Chattanooga, Tenn. circa 1998. This letter is now in Bluffton in the possession of Michael and Corinne Reeves, my sister. Almost a year ago, a client Dr. Ronald Finch, former Director of Historical & Cultural Affairs for Delaware from Delaware and Spring Island found this Yankee eyewitness letter of the burning, and purchased it at auction. The original now rests in care of the University of Delaware library. He presented me with the only archival copy so that I might bring it back home. The text below is written as close as we could decipher from the letter. I apologize to the Bluffton historians if we wrote in error. What we know, through Jeff Fulgham’s book, The Bluffton Expedition: The Burning of Bluffton, that a complement of Federal troops totaling close to 1000 men entered the town to set it ablaze, from steamers that embarked at Pope Plantation on Hilton Head and set them ashore on the western shore of the Cooper River, where they then surrounded and marched into town. In this letter Mr. John Day feels that the entire town was burned. Fortunately, as the Confederate Calvary entered the town and skirmished with the Union troops, they
by Randolph Stewart
returned to the steamers to return to their forts and camps. The Confederate Troops helped to extinguish the fires, preventing total devastation and saving the homes and Church of The Cross that exist today. We are proud to bring it to light for the first time. The Breeze has posted the four page letter for your viewing on our website which can be viewed at www. blufftonbreeze.com. Hilton Head Island,S. C. June 11th 1863 Friend Perkins I received your letter some time ago and answered it, but having a little spare time I will write again. Since I wrote you before we have been on an expedition it was nothing very great, but I will give you little information about it. Our Comp was doing picket duty down to Popes Plantation. The orders came for us to have three days rations cooked for we was going to be relieved by a Comp of the 8th Me we got our rations served out & the Comp was fell in & marched for Seabrook this is the Head Quarters of this picket line. that is Our Major is in command there. here the troops all met. the expedition of troops march up was to (2) Comp of the 7th Conn & to (2) Comp of the 6th Conn and to (2) Comp of the 7th Conn and to (2) Comp of the 15 New York and one comp of Engineers and 6th comp of the 48th New York Vols. also a The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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detachment of the 8th Rhode Island Artillery. we embarked on board of Steamers and away we started where we didn’t know. but it wasn’t long before we found out we landed about two miles from a Village caled Bluffton in the mainland after our troops was all landed we formed companys. Our skirmishes was thrown out. The bugle was sounded and we took up our line of march we marched across the open field in close column until we reached the woods and then the order was given by the right flank we filed around & came in to a road we kept on our march seeing no Reds we got to the village about 9 o’clock in the morning. Our skirmishes halted about a Quarter of a mile the other sides of the Village. Then they wee a few Calvary men exchanged a few shots but I guess there was no one hurt. We had orders to burn the Village and we did it made a hell of a hot fire for it was a large place and it kicked up a hell of a smoke we only left a church standing after we burnt it we had orders to embarke on the boats again. Just as we was about to board few of them mounted devils come down and opened on us. There was so much smoke that we coudn't see far but we poured avoly of musketry in to them & a few charges of grape and canisters & the way they skedaddled wasn't slow & then we moved away from the dock & steamed down the river to Seabrook and landed and marched down to our old fort and we are now doing picket duty again but dont expect to stay here long by what we can learn Gen Hunter is relieved of his command Gen Gilmer is to take command of this Department as soon as he comes & that will be on the next steamer & Admiral Dupont is relieved here Admiral Foote takes command of this Blockading Squadron here I don’t think of anything more to write so I will close write soon my respects to you all. From your friend, John Day
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General Hunter, Hilton Head Island Union Commander
The Founding of Father’s Day in the US By Chierie Smith Father’s Day, inaugurated one year after Mother’s Day was established in the early 20th century in honor of fatherhood and male parenting. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Arkansas, is most credited for making Father’s Day a Holiday. After listening to a sermon on the celebration of Mother’s Day in 1909, Sonora told her preacher that fathers too should be honored equally as mothers on Mother’s Day. Her father the Civil War Veteran William Jackson Smart and being a single parent of six children, was her reason and driving force for making Father’s Day a national holiday. Using her father’s birthday month, Father’s Day was first celebrated in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA on June 19, 1910. It wasn’t until 1957, when Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal stating that over the last 40 years Congress were ignoring fathers while continuing to single out and honor one parent, mothers. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation honoring fathers and designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Finally in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed Father’s Day into law as a permanent national holiday. Is this where the saying comes from, “Daughters always come home to Daddy”? In my opinion it does…
The Soldiers Prayer Our Father who art in Washington
Uncle Abraham be thy name Thy victory won, thy will be done In the South. as at the North Give us this day our daily rations of crackers and pork And forgive us our short comings So we forgive our Quartermasters For thine is the power the soldiers and the negros For the space of these years. Amen The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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For $65 you can give someone special the spirit of Bluffton for a whole year! Call 843 757 8877 randolphblufftonbreeze@gmail.com Or send a check to the Bluffton Breeze at PO Box 472 Bluffton SC 29910.
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The
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Delicious homemade Italian dishes ready to heat and serve.
Enjoy home-made Italian dishes without paying restaurant prices. Bring us your dish (or use ours) and we’ll fill it up with authentic Italian favorites like Lasagne, Chicken Parmesan, Ziti, Eggplant Parmesan and more. We also have Fresh Pasta and many hard to find Italian deli products.
It’s like mom or grandma made it! 10B Johnston Way www.villagepastashoppe.com (opposite the Bluffton Post office) 843.540.2095
Tue - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 4pm
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Breeze C o m m u n i t y
Young Eyes Open Wide By Eric Einhorn If you were to be told that on a Monday morning before school you would find a classroom full of kids immersing themselves in the subtle meanings of a masterpiece created in 1877 you’d probably assume that this was taking place in a big city where pushy parents were forcing reluctant children to begin their university education! Not at all. We’re talking about the M.C. Riley Elementary School in Bluffton. And this is an entirely voluntary program, forming part of the school’s pre-school “club time” and made possible by a group of very entertaining and giving women of Bluffton. At precisely 8:10 the kids begin to drift in. Some have that Monday morning “we’ve been up late playing video games” look on their face. Others treat this as just another thing in their busy day. But all play close attention to Lynn Burt , instructor of the day, when she starts asking questions.
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“What is a landscape painting?” A few tentative answers emerge around land, trees, sky, and, surprisingly, animals (no mention of mountains … could that be because we’re in the Lowcountry?) What kinds of animals? Farm animals – like horses and even pigs! Then on the screen pops up Frederic Edwin Church’s classic painting, “The River of Light” (a long way away from the landscape images in the kids’ minds). It’s not a crystal clear reproduction, but good enough to make the children sit forward and look closer. Then Lynn’s questions keep rolling out: What do we see? What time of day? What kind of weather? When do you think the painting took place? The hands go up and the answers are coming from everyone. This is a true group activity and the kids build on each other’s thoughts. The program’s co-founder Mimi Elder helps to bring
out interesting answers and art teacher, Barbara Streiteberger, adds a few comments and smiles of encouragement. To the question “where do you think this picture was painted” the kids eventually land in South America (with a bit of guidance that draws attention to the dense rain forest and almost tropical overtones.) “Now let’s look a little closer”, says Lynn. “Close you eyes slightly and blur your vision – “What shapes do you see?” After a pause she hints that they should look at the patterns of light. Lo and behold, the mystical cross appears -made from pure sunlight beaming down the river. Nobody saw it at first. Everybody sees it now. It is fascinating to the kids. They realize that the artist wanted to convey a religious message, which leaves an indelible impression -- especially to one boy who couldn’t stray from the subject.
It’s 8:50. Time’s up, the kids grab their bags and head off to class. The outcome? A group of informed and inspired kids … and a painting that will never be “just be another old painting.” The art appreciation program was the idea of Janice Norton and Mimi Elder of Colleton River who were charged by Jonathan Green to pass on the legacy of fine art appreciation, using the teaching packets of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Barbara Streitenberger was hugely supportive noting that the program complements her focus on studio work and art production. “First thing in the morning it gets them thinking and using their brains rather than sitting waiting”, she adds. The fact they do it with kids that are not in their regular class makes it extra stimulating and lets them connect, as social time. This art session runs every other week. Sorry parents – only 4th and 5th graders are invited!
Twenty minutes have gone, and many layers of meaning in the painting have been revealed. Now it’s time to push the imagination even further. Lynn brings out an oar and begins “air rowing”. She asks the kids to picture themselves rowing down that River of Light. How does it feel? What do they see? What sounds do they hear? The kids respond enthusiastically, waving their arms and taking the journey. They share their sights and sounds. You could almost feel the oars splashing, fish jumping, and sounds of birds chirping. The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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by Oscar J. Frazier The family is the greatest structure on this earth And it’s just like marriage it’s for better or worst Every family has their own battles
Because everyone isn’t strong willed
You see some of us are stronger than others
Believe it or not, I’m the keeper of my brother
We can say say we love one another that’s saying it But I’m from the old school you have to show it
When a family member hurts, we should feel their pain
The only thing that concerns us is what’s going to be gained Funerals and parties shouldn’t be the thing that brings us together
Turn your back on your family I would say never Poetry from upcoming book heart of the Lowcountry Art & Poetry
What will be is what will be
It was God who created family
by Amiri Geuka Farris
by Amiri Geuka Farris This day I will remember
Walking along the moving marsh
Dancing southern breezes sing by me Great birds of blue and gray frolic
Candy colored clouds paint the sky Sun dipped rays warm
Yes this is a day to remember
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by Louanne Laroche
SOBA’S BEST IN SHOW!
The Tree Nymph - Mary Ann Putzier
Carolina Girl Jim Lewis
Cut Lemon
Murray Sease The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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Breeze E n vMi ruosni cm e n t Breeze
The Unwelcomed Guest By Amber Hester Kuehn
I didn’t grow up hunting and have no experience with shot guns. In my experience, Girls Raised in the South who had brothers typically lack this skill, and those that I know who are proficient with a shot gun had sisters or no siblings at all. I think I could have been good at it and regret not spending more time in the woods. Instead, the creeks and rivers were my stomping grounds -the buffer zone where four legged meets fin, the maritime forest is inhabited with familiar faces from the boating perspective. Deer lick marsh grass for the salt, alligators take a salt water bath from time to time to rid their scales of algae or to migrate to a new freshwater pond, raccoons eat periwinkle snails, crabs, and almost anything that they touch. At night, they all became shiny eyes with vague outlines. But somewhere in the midst of those familiar faces shine eyes of an unwelcomed guest who is breaching my comfort zone... A new foe! The 2013 Hilton Head Island sea turtle nesting season was almost over when it began. At some point in the night on August 24, a new predator had emerged from the 605-acre maritime forest preserve in Sea Pines. Nest #245 (of 339) with
109 incubating sea turtle eggs had been totally destroyed. The area, full of canine prints and thrown sand combined with egg chards, lead the sea turtle patrol staff to assume that it was a wayward pet left unattended while the incident took place. Documented as an unforeseen loss, it was considered an isolated event. Two weeks later, we changed our minds. The attacks began to happen regularly, and despite adding screens supplied by SCDNR (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources), the predator found a way to invade the nest by tunneling under the screen. Their learning curve was surprisingly fast. Each time, most of the contents of the nests within reach were fully consumed. This predator was hungry and most likely did not eat Pedigree from a bowl! Also, the effort put forth to tunnel was a bit more ambitious than most dogs would undertake, so we had to assume that there was at least one coyote in the area! Our suspicion was confirmed by experts who studied the footprints (coyote prints are very similar to that of a dog – just slightly narrower). At the end of the 2013 season, nine sea turtle nests were lost to the coyotes. Four other sea turtle nesting beaches in SC, including Kiawah, have recently reported the coyote issue as well. How did they get here? When I think of coyotes, I picture desert mountain ranges and Wild West instead of plantations and gated communities. Coyotes are not indigenous (native) to the Lowcountry. Historically, they were limited to the Midwest and Mexico. After 1700, they began expanding their range, and are currently found throughout the continental US, Alaska and most of Canada.
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Coyotes first appeared in South Carolina in 1978 in Oconee County, the westernmost county in South Carolina (“Upstate”), seemingly far from sea turtle nesting
territory on the barrier islands. Contrary to popular belief, they were not introduced by state agencies to control the deer population. Sportsmen conducting hound hunting with dogs trained to track and lead hunters to the coyote (the Good ‘Ole boy version of a fox hunt, only a coyote runs much faster than a fox), contributed to the success of the coyote migration. This Eastern migration would have been inevitable due to loss of habitat and coyote population expansion- It has been argued that if the gray wolves (closest ancestor to the domestic dog and coyote predator) had not been eradicated in the lower 48 for killing livestock, the coyotes may not have had this opportunity. Whatever… they are here, and thrive island style. Can you imagine the first coyotes crossing the bridge on HYW 278? They must have been very desperate. (Maybe they swam?)
Coyotes typically move at night in urban areas to avoid human contact, however, they can be spotted during the day. To the trained eye, it is not a dog, but they are similar in many ways. Coyotes range in size from 35 – 50 pounds, have a narrow muzzle, pointed ears and a bushy tail. Their fur is grizzled grey to reddish brown. They produce a litter in late winter with 5 – 7 pups and will raise them in a den. Coyotes in SC are typically nocturnal predators (hunt at night), going after rabbits and other small rodents, fawns, domestic sheep, calves, goats, poultry, and occasionally grown deer and road kill. Fruits and berries are also regularly eaten. They are territorial, and this may be cause for occasional altercations with pets. What are the rules? Relocation is not an option. SCDNR has a shoot The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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on site policy estimating about 30,000 coyotes killed yearly by deer hunters. A hunting license is required with some exceptions. Using poison is against the law. Coyotes spook easy and are extremely cautious. Matt Kraycar at Critter Management says that they are about “as likely to enter a trap as your chances of winning power ball”. His past experience with coyote management in the Upstate incorporated some unique tactics that, on Hilton Head, would only attract and injure tourists. He is familiar with the Sea Pines population of about 15 coyotes and growing. Sea Pines wildlife officer Todd McNeill has had no complaints to report from Sea Pines residents besides a couple of cats that went missing when the coyotes first made an appearance. He has actually seen more rabbits lately than in past years. He is aware of the sea turtle nest invasions and will cooperate with SCDNR if the problem gets progressively worse. What to do? The 2014 sea turtle season is upon us. The first nest was laid on May 20. Obviously, the sea turtle nests (protected by the Endangered Species Act) are vulnerable as they don’t run away, and, in fact, sit in the same spot for 2 months to incubate. The playing field is skewed, with the 100% advantage in the coyote court while the sea turtle struggles to fight extinction. Otherwise, I’d say… “viva el coyote! So what to do? I can’t shoot ‘em, can’t poison ‘em and can’t trap ‘em. What is my strategy for the battle of 2014? Jingle bells! Seriously. We’re attaching bells to our screen and hoping that the sound will scare the coyotes away. I would have considered this kind of strategy slightly ridiculous until recently, like something out of an Acme episode with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. However, it has been successful on other beaches, though temporary. With the addition of a fourth pole to secure the screen, the coyotes now have a new puzzle to solve….”with bells on”. If it gets us through the season, it will be no joke, but I’m sure the coyotes will become accustomed to the jingle eventually, and may even be attracted to it. Sea turtle nesting density is improving, and we will need a different plan for 2015. Let the games begin! If any of you have bright ideas, please send them along (we have an environmental editor’s column online)!
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Breeze F e l l o w s h i p AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL Cambell Chapel A.M.E. 25 Boundary Street, 757-3652 Sunday School 8:45am Worship:10am ASSEMBLY OF GOD New River Worship Center Hwy 170 & Argent Blvd. (next to ESPY) 379-1815 Sunday: 10:30am Wednesday 7pm BAPTIST First Baptist Church of Bluffton Boundary at Church Street, 757-3472 Sunday School: 9am Worship: 10:30am & 6pm First Zion Baptist Wharf Street 757-3128 Sunday School: 9am Sunday worship: 10am May River Baptist Church SC-170, North of US 46, 757-2518 Sunday School: 9:45am Sunday Worship: 10am & 7pm St. John’s Baptist Church 103 Pritchard Street, 757-4350 Sunday Worship: 11am St. Matthew’s Baptist Church SC Highway 170, 757-3255 Sunday Worship: 11am Indian Hill Baptist Church Hwy 278 next to Eagle’s Point, 757-2603 Sunday School: 9:45am Sunday Worship: 11am JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES Kingdom Hall, SC 46, 815-4455 Sunday Public Talk: 9:30am & 3:30pm Spanish Public Talk: 12:30pm
Bible Missionary Baptist Church Goethe Road Community Cntr, 815-5523 Sunday Worship: 11am Bible Study: 6pm CATHOLIC
METHODIST Bluffton United Methodist Church 101 Calhoun Street, 757-3351 Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Worship: 8:45am & 11am
St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church Church of the Palms United Methodist 333 Fording Island Road, 815-3100 1425 Okatie Highway, 379-1888 Sat. 4pm, 6pm Sun. 7:15am, 9am, 11am, 5pm, Sunday Worship: 10:30am Espagnol 1pm Mon-Fri 6:45am Chapel, 8:30am Church St. Luke’s United Methodist Church SC Highway 170 near Sun CIty, 705-3022 Sunday Worship: 8:30am and 10am ANGLICAN The Church of the Cross 110 Calhoun St, 757-2661 Sat. Worship: 5:28pm, Sun. 8am & 10am 495 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-2662 Sunday Worship: 9am & 10:30am
St. Andrew By-The-Sea UMC Bluffton Campus One University Blvd. (USCB’s HHI Gateway Campus, Hargray Building) 843-785-4711 Sunday worship: 10:30 a.m.
EPISCOPAL The Episcopal Church of Okatie At St. Luke’s Baptist Church Hwy 170 and Snake Road, Worship: 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday, 8:30am GREEK ORTHODOX Holy Resurrection Church at St. Andrews Catholic Church 220 Pickney Colony Road, 837-4659 Orthros: 9:30am, Liturgy 10am JEWISH
PRESBYTERIAN Lowcountry Presbyterian Church US 278 and Simmonsville Road, 815-6570 Sunday School: Adult 9:40am, Child 10:30 Sunday Worship: 8:30am & 10:30am Grace Coastal Church (PCA) 1425 Okatie 15 Williams Drive (off SC170), 379-5521 Sunday School: 11am Sunday Worship: 9:30am NON-DENOMINATIONAL
Live Oak Christian Church Temple Osah Shalom Bluffton High School Auditorium 757-5670 at Lowcountry Presbyterian Kidstreet: 9:15am, Worship 10:15am 278 Simmonsville Road, 705-2532 Shabbat Worship 3rd Friday of month, 8pm Lowcountry Community Church Bluffton Campus: 801 Buckwalter Parkway LUTHERAN 836-1101 Lord of Life Lutheran Church Sunday Worship: 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am 351 Buckwalter Parkway, 757-4774 Sunday School: 10am Sunday Worship: 8am, 9am, 11am
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Living in a Preserve of History and Nature
by Randolph Stewart
When riding a few miles West out of town on May River Road you get a sense of years past. Live oaks reaching across the road, creating a canopy with their limbs that appear to be alive as the Spanish Moss sways in the gentle summer breeze. There is a sense of calmness from the dappled light that reaches through their boughs and provides the shadows all around you. Before it was paved this was a dirt road called the Bluffton-Hardeeville Highway. You begin to think of what has gone down this road before. Listen closely, hear the sounds of shod horses clopping along pulling a load of produce in a wooden wagon, to be sold in town to the Ulmer Brother’s or People’s Stores or to be loaded onto boats at the wharf on the May River to be sold in Savannah at the City market. Surely an all day affair from the farm and back. You can hear the sounds of a company of cavalry riding at full gallop in a two column formation from Camp Pritchard, with swords clanging, the shouts of the riders urging their horses on, anxious of the danger that was ahead, creating a cloud of dust as they race urgently to the aid of Bluffton as
word was received of the enemy burning the town. Listen for the putter of early model cars bumping along at the breakneck speed of thirty miles an hour, trying to stay in the ruts to have a smoother ride. My destination was May River Preserve, a new residential development and caretaker of 347 acres of land. What was it all about? Why it is so special? What came before here? As you turn at the wonderful sign embraced my majestic live oaks, marking its entrance you catch a glimpse of an early twentieth century home, shaded from the hot summer sun as it was purposely nestled under majestic loaks that have to be several hundred years old, once the home of Maude Huggins and her husband John. What tales can this old tree tell?
Two things are most important for Blufftonians, old and new, They have come here to live and raise a family, enjoying her beautiful natural resources, and learning about and preserving her history.
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Let’s continue our story by learning what and who had come before. Maude had acquired a 37 acre tract of woodlands from Ira Beach in 1923. She later purchased an additional 349 acres in 1939 from Lenora Beach Wall. At that time it was surrounded on the north by E. B. Buckwalter, formally T. A. Patricks’ land, on the east by lands of W.W. Niver, on the west by lands of Morgan Johnson and the south by May River Road.. All of these landholders were long time Blufftonian’s and their names and families are still known to this day. Maude and John, who although passed, are still remembered by locals and nearby neighbors, like Jean and Harry Tanner, the parents of Beaufort County Sheriff P. J. Tanner. The Huggins planted the fields and farmed Daffodils and Coreopsis. Imagine the beauty of riding along May River Road, past acres and acres of fields with their glorious profusion of these bright yellow flowers. Even today, years later one will see wild daffodils pop up in the Preserve. But let’s not digress and continue the history of what came before. Maude sold the land as one lot in 1957 to Fred Frazier, having been the caretaker of the land for over 34 years.
captured while cutting Confederate telegraph wires and held prisoner for a year. "Our belligerent Chaplain is armed with a revolver on each side and a Ballard rifle on his back. He keeps so persistently on the advanced picket line that I could scarcely persuade him to conduct the funeral service of a poor fellow who was shot the other day. Today he got on the track of some cavalry and infantry, and was certain of surrounding and capturing them, if he could only get permission from the Colonel. His hatred of slavery is so intense that his prayers are of a nature to keep his powder dry." (War Time Letters from Seth Rogers, MD)
Prior to the Huggins, the land passed through a succession of the Beach Family members, Geneva, then Lenora, then Ira and then Archie, who purchased The Preserve from Emily Fowler in1905. This is where the real story begins and ends. In 1861 and 1863 President Lincoln wrote an order and Congress approved a law that provided the legal grounds for the Federal Government to Tax all Confederate Property after the war as back taxes due during the war years. As owners of many lands were either killed during the war, or destitute, thousands of properties in the South were levied for back taxes and sold at the Court House steps by Federal order. Capt. James H. Fowler, Chaplain 33rd U.S. Colored Troops and his wife Emily acquired the land in 1866 as high bidder at the courthouse for $575. For his service the Federal Government financed his purchase for $75 down and a note for $500, which was paid in installments from money he earned with his own sweat on this wonderful piece of land. Rev. James H. Fowler was born in 1841. He died in 1925. He was a student of Divinity and Zoology at Harvard in 1862. He became a civilian nurse in Judiciary Square Hospital in Washington, D.C. Later the same year he became Chaplain of the First South Carolinia, 33rd Regiment. He was
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His commander Col Higginson 33rd USCT wrote on his Chaplain…. ”an eccentric genius with a good deal of brilliancy and perfectly unexpected in word and deed.” While Fowler was in prison Higginson remarks “No news of the Chaplain except sometimes through fugitive slaves, who report that the rebels pronounce him “a d-----d saucy Yankee as they ever met,” which I can easily credit. Under the new agreement about chaplains he would be released if he did not belong to a colored regiment---and may be as it is. Somehow it is impossible for any of us to speak seriously of the Chaplain’s being a prisoner; we always laugh because we all have a feeling that the rebels must have the worst of it.”
We are fortunate to have Reverend Fowler’s thoughts and observations through his writing while a prisoner. These writings are most insightful of prison life in Charleston and will certainly make up another story in The Breeze at another time. Although there had been great loss and sorrow from the war, out of the ashes the Fowler family, and those who come in the future to May River Preserve will live their dream and raise their families on this special and historic land. There are still so many unanswered questions: how or why did he choose Bluffton, did he preach in any of the local churches, what influence did
“Connecting with nature and neighbors and history creates authentic relationships, which is the heart of every true neighborhood," said Mr. Reed. There will be only 109 home sites with over twothirds of the land kept in tranquill preserve, parks, meandering lakes and open space. The tall pines will continue swaying in the breeze. The inspired low country architecture will become a part of the land, the birds nesting and flying overhead, and the wildlife habitat will be sustained and enjoyed for others that will call it home thru the years that come. While embracing Old Town Bluffton and her heritage and natural resources, this place will now certainly be protected and loved by the families that have the privilege of sharing this wonderful, storied place, just as Maude, the Beaches, and Fowlers were caretakers and protectors of The Preserve for over 150 years. Now the new stories of these families begin. I smiled driving back to Old Town and felt that Reverand James Fowler would be proud and was also smiling. Editors Note:This information was researched from the Deed of Records at Beaufort County Court House and The Beaufort Collection at the Beaufort County Library. The Breeze would like to thank Rosa Webb , Mary Lamie, Linwood Parker, Jan Dimmick, and Charmaine Conception, without their willing help this story could not have been written. If any of our readers have something to add to this story please email The Breeze.
he have in Bluffton, what did the previous owners farm and where are their descendants today? This story ends here as all records were burned during the Civil War. Now a new story begins. What we do know and can surmise is that they protected and preserved the land. They loved the Low Country, they fished, crabbed and shrimped out of the May River and surrounding tributaries, just as the new owners will be able to do. What we also know is that now, under a development by John Reed, the May River Preserve will be more than a neighborhood… it is a sense of place. John Reed has been the developer of over 5200 acres surrounding Bluffton, including Colleton River, Berkeley Hall, Hampton Hall and Hampton Lake. The Bluffton Breeze
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by Jean Tanner
My step out the back door most mornings takes me in the direction of a walk to the creek, with there and back surmounting one mile down a solitude dirt road. Great surroundings to get your thoughts together and observe the beauty around you with each walk on any given day being different. On one such foggy morning walk a pair of doe deer feeding on new green growth cast a surprised look when their breakfast is disturbed. Farther down the lane an owl making a landing Step out your back door and the “world is your oyster” as nature envelopes you with all its beauty. Take time to drink it in. That’s the key word; ‘time’. Grab your camera, slide on your walking shoes and take off, even if it’s just around the block in your neighborhood you’ll be surprised by keeping a keen, observant eye on your surroundings that there will be multiple things of nature that catches your eye, a small insect, a fluttering butterfly or flowers in a neighbor’s yard in bloom.
on a tree limb creates a beautiful scene with his out spread wings catching the morning’s sun rays. Slow walking, not off to the races walking, glancing all around you are more fruitful if you’re out to get some good shots of nature with your camera. Looking skyward and quietly arriving at the creek a Yellow Crowned Night Heron with sharp yellow eyes is spotted in the lofty bare
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branches of a tree. Straight ahead a mass of marsh grass in full bloom guards the view of the creek until you’re right on top of it. Looking to the East the sun greets the eye, just rising, through branches of a leaning cedar tree. Looking to the West, the sky is still dark enough to show the moon setting casting its reflection in a tributary of the creek. Scenes like this can usually be caught once a month, weather permitting, about a week after full moon. A small aluminum boat can be seen moored to a dock near a large piece of cedar driftwood on the bank. Ambling slowly along with great patience you can get a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ shot of a pelican on the sandy sand bar showing off what looks like laughter but probably just stretching his neck.
winter hibernation and listlessly hang out at his observation point checking things out. Some mornings will yield colorful sunrises where you can view the silhouette of an Egret against the orange sky line as he walks along a docks rail. Evenings are just as pretty too when you time it just right to watch the sun setting casting its orange and pink colors reflecting on the water. Time, patience and being observant of nature, is all it takes to make a walk to the creek very special.
Another morning you can be greeted by a group of Wood Stork feeding in the shallows on low tide before deciding to take flight when your presence is made known to them. Then, certain times of the summer the Roseate Spoonbills will pay a visit with their striking pink feathers and flat bills used to swish around in the water for fish. Exciting moments can be enjoyed when groups of Black Skimmers visit the creek zooming around and diving down for fish at low tide. Then, as the summer days get warmer and the water temperature gets warmer, ‘Ol’ Stoney, an eight foot alligator will come out of his The Bluffton Breeze
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Breeze O V E R T H E B R I D G E S *Wheelchair accessible event.
BEAUFORT June 6 & 7 3RD ANNUAL HIGH ON THE HOG BBQ FESTIVAL, WHITEHALL PLANTATION Join us for LowCountry Habitat for Humanity’s signature event- High on the Hog BBQ Festival! Dozens of competitive cooking teams arrive in Beaufort to compete in this SC BBQ Association sanctioned event. Friday night, people’s choice night, shrimp and chicken take center stage for our Everything Lowcountry competition. Enjoy unlimited samples of many South Carolina favorites! Saturday is all about BBQ! For more information, please visit www.highonthehogbeaufort.com or call (843) 522-3500. June 14 & 15 BOTTLES & BARRELS - A SOUTHERN LIVING INSPIRED EVENT Come out and enjoy a tasting of boutique wines and craft beers and a “Cast Iron Chef” culinary competition on Saturday and a traditional Southern Sunday Jazz Brunch 11am-2pm hosted by Southern Living Magazine’s test kitchen chef, Robby Melvin. A tasting ticket can be purchased for $40 per person for unlimited beer and wine tastings.VIP tasting tickets will be $100 and include unlimited beer and wine tastings and all six chefs’ baconinspired tastings. www.bottlesandbarrelssc.com HILTON HEAD ISLAND June 2 - Aug 28 TURTLE TALKS Presented by the Coastal Discovery Museum, these Turtle Talks include a one hour indoor presentation led by an experienced staff member. After the indoor presentation, the group will continue to the beach (weather permitting) to view a nesting site
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June 9 - August 18 CAMP PROVIDENCE Camp Providence, co-sponsored by Providence Presbyterian Church and Bethelwoods Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center, offers 10 weeks of one-week day camps June 9 - August 15, 2014. Children K-5 will be actively involved in a variety of activities including arts and crafts, games, team treasure hunts, ocean swimming, meeting new friends, and supervised Christian activities 8 a.m. -5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Camp grounds are the east campus of Providence Presbyterian Church at 171 Cordillo Parkway, Hilton Head Island. Registration forms are available on www. CauseGodJoy.com and at the Providence Church office. Questions to CampProvidenceHHI@gmail. com or 843-842-5673. June 17 & 24 SUMMER JAMS Presented by Island Recreation Center, 7-10 p.m. Shelter Cove Park, 39 Shelter Cove Ln. Free admission. Family friendly music and games, kid zone, pizza, BBQ, cotton candy and more! Bring your chairs and enjoy the night. All proceeds benefit the Hilton Head Island Recreation Association Children’s Scholarship Fund. (843) 681-7273 or islandreccenter.org. June 17-July 27, 2014 PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES A musical tribute to life by the roadside filled with high octane, toe-tappin tunes. It’s part musical, part comedy and 100% amazing! On Highway 57 somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina, there’s a gas station next to a roadside eatery called the Double Cupp Diner. The four guys at the station have been known to do some auto repairs, but only when aided by quantities of beer and singing. The Cupp sisters, Prudie and Rhetta, celebrate their pie with the same zeal they bring to being neighborly with the boys.
SAVANNAH JUN 01, 2014 SAVANNAH LIVE! 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - A two-hour, high-energy variety show, featuring Pop, Rock, Broadway and Jazz, performed by award-winning singers and a rockin’ live band on stage! Savannah’s No. 1 downtown live entertainment in the historic 1818 Savannah Theatre. Admission: $35 + tax adults $17 + tax children (17 and under). Phone: 912233-7764. www.savannahtheatre.com June 3 JUKEBOX Everyone’s favorite jukebox hits presented in a colorful, energetic production by an awardwinning cast of singer-dancers and a rockin’ live band on stage! Savannah’s No. 1 downtown live entertainment in the historic 1818 Savannah Theatre. 8 pm. The Savannah Theatre 222 Bull St. Savannah, GA 31401. Admission: $35 + tax adult $17 + tax children (17 and under) Phone: 912-2337764 www.savannahtheatre.com June 6 FIRST FRIDAY FIREWORKS Celebrate the end of the week and the beginning of a new month with First Friday Fireworks and River Street Fun! First Friday Fireworks Presented by Wet Willie’s will kick off at 9:30 p.m. *First Friday Fireworks occur the first weekend of each month March-December. January and July fireworks always take place on New Year’s Eve and the 4th of July. June 7 FREE FAMILY DAY AT JEPSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS. Explore the art of print making in May and commemorate the end of slavery in June. Telfair Museums (Special Events), 912-790-8802, 207 W. York St., Sav. 1-4 pm Free Jun 10 - Jun 11, 2014 SESAME STREET LIVE Johnny Mercer Theatre - When Elmo casts a spell with Abby Cadabby’s magic wand, there’s something in the air - and Sesame Street becomes
a nonstop, all-singing, all-dancing musical montage! What will children learn about the power of musical magic? Join the conga line of fun to find out! BLUFFTON June 4 BOOK SIGNING AT THE HEYWARD HOUSE REMEMBERING THE BURNING OF BLUFFTON Remembering the Burning of Bluffton! Please join the Heyward House Historic Center as we remember the burning of Bluffton. There will be an open house and events throughout the day. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Jeff Fulgham will be at the Heyward House Historic Center signing copies of his book, “The Bluffton Expedition” 2-4 p.m. Kim Poovey will portray Mrs. Pauline DeCaradeuc Heyward. Mrs. Pauline DeCaradeuc’s journal was made into the book, “A Confederate Lady Comes of Age.” Donations are appreciated. 70 Boundary St. oldtownbluffton.com. June 7 - 4th ANNUAL SHAG & DRAG! Bluffton Village, Opposite Post Office in Old Town Bluffton. It will be an afternoon and evening of fun and excitement in Old Town Bluffton. Come see dozens of classic cars followed by live music performed by “City Lights” dance to the best of rhythm & blues, rock & roll and beach music! Food and beverages will be available. Classic car Show, 4-6 p.m. “City Lights” band, 6-9 p.m. (843) 8152472 or oldtownbluffton.com. June 13 BLUFFTON SUNSET PARTY BLUES & BREWS ON THE BLUFF In its third year, the Bluffton Sunset Party Series presents Blues & Brews on the Bluff, 5-9 p.m. Beer, Music & BBQ Festival with live rock & blues. Food Court. Tickets available at the door for $5 while children 12 & under get in for FREE. Lawn Chairs and leashed pets are permitted but no outside food or drinks will be allowed. Bear Foot Sports (843) 757-8520 or blufftonsunsetparty.com.
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Breeze B l u f f t o n B u l l e t i n B o a r d
Farmers Market was voted the most celebrated Market in SC and 11th in the USA! Every Thursday from 2pm to 7pm. SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2014-2015 SEASON CALL 843-842-2055
Public Education Sessions Learn how to grow your business Third Thursday of every month 6:00-7:30 Check website for topics and details Www.ryan-innovation-center.com
Dog of the Week Claire is an unbelievably sweet and docile companion. She is well behaved and lowmaintenance; she rarely requires your attention but she sure does adore it! Claire loves everything about spending time with you; she’s also very good with other animal companions and has been successful and happy with every friend she has made. Come become her friend and family today 12pm-7pm Monday-Saturday. Claire is spayed, microchipped, and current on her vaccines. Call 843-645-1725 or email info@ palmettoanimalleague.org for more info.
For future announcements on the Bulletin Board call the Breeze at 843 757 8877
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Amiri Farris will open his next exhibition at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on June 21. The exhibition entitled “Heart of the Lowcountry” illustrates and exemplifies the historic lifestyles and experiences of the Sea Islands and the Gullah/ Geechee American experience in the Lowcountry. Farris will transform the Discovery House of the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn into a fabulous artistic vision of color and design, blurring boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation. Vibrant layers of paint and installations transform the Gallery. The bold use of color, along with designs, patterns and Adinkra symbols, let you know the painting is an original work by Amiri Farris. Please join us at the opening reception on June 26 from 5-7 pm and paint party with Amiri on July 2 from 10 am – 12 and July 19 from 10 am until 12.
Bluffton Breeze DISTRIBUTION LIST
The
* THE BLUFFTON BREEZE OFFICE , 12 JOHNSTON WAY *BLUFFTON BAR B QUE *BLUFFTON LIBRARY *BLUFFTON PHARMACY *CAHILL’S MARKET & RESTAURANT CANDLEWOOD SUITES SUN CITY CAPTAIN WOODY’S PROMENADE CARSON REALTY HAMPTON HALL CACOON SHERATON PARK CHARTER 1 REALTY BELFAIR COASTAL STATES BANK BLUFFTON COASTAL STATES BANK SUN CITY CORNER PERK DOCTOR’S CARE BLUFFTON ROAD *EGGS-N’ TRICITIES FAIRFIELD INN OKATIE FIRST FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK SUN CITY FOUR CORNERS FRAMING GARDEN GATE PROMENADE GIGI’S CALHOUN STREET GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAMPTON INN SUN CITY *HEYWARD HOUSE VISITORS CENTER *HILTON HEAD ISLAND VISITORS CENTER HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS BLUFFTON KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY SUN CITY *MOON MI PIZZA PROMENADE MORRIS GARAGE *NICKELPUMPERS BLUFFTON PALMETTO STATE BANK PEACEFUL HENRY’S BLUFFTON ROAD REED GROUP HILTON HEAD ISLAND *SCOTT’S MARKET BLUFFTON *SIMONEAUX ABC BLUFFTON SOCIETY OF BLUFFTON ARTISTS – SOBA SPORTS ZONE *SQUAT & GOBBLE *STOCKFARM ANTIQUES *CYPRESS GOLF COURSE SUN CITY KIOSK SUBURBAN LODGE HOTEL *TOWN SQUARE KIOSK SUN CITY THE STORE THE VILLAGE PASTA SHOP BLUFFTON VILLAGE TOOMER’S BLUFFTON SEAFOOD HOUSE VINEYARD 55 CALHOUN STREET WEICHERT REALTY SUN CITY *MAJOR DISTRIBUTION LOCATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A DISTRIBUTER JUST CALL 843 757-8877 The Bluffton Breeze
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Transition Time (goodbye to yous guys, howdy y’all!)
By “Brooklyn” Bob Fitzsimmons I was born in Brooklyn. (I think 95% of the world’s population was born there). I lived on Long Island all of my life. Never knew anything worse, or better. Well, my worldly knowledge exploded upon getting married, and moving to Sun City, South Carolina! My period of adjustment has been slow, and painful ast here was so much I needed to learn about real Southern life. First, let me say there are some similarities between NY and South Carolina. Um, well, let’s see... they are both on the same continent, and in the same nation and time zone! Well, this is where the proverbial road splits. Now, I’m not ‘dissing’ NY, I still love that town. I miss seeing the air I breathe. Yet, there are so many advantages to living here. For example, shoveling rain out of the driveway takes much less time than removing 18 inches of snow. Oh, also in NY golf spikes are worn to keep from sliding on ice and here they are worn to keep you from slipping on immaculately cut grass. My learning curve has been very interesting. I never knew people were allowed to TALK to each other! When one approaches a stranger in NY, they are usually hit with a restraining order. In the supermarkets, ‘express lanes’ are exactly
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what it says! In NY, it is an oxymoron. Traffic here is, well, incredible. I’m used to traffic jams beginning in my driveway,.. and traffic lights actually turn GREEN here! I think there is a law in NY that requires red lights to show for at least 135 seconds... at four second intervals. I
am used to property tax bill totals that resembled phone numbers. When I received my first bill here, I immediately called Town Hall and said, “Are you sure yous guys don’t need more money?” What really amazes me is when I hear about a tax decrease! (Is that legal?)
What I really like is seeing palm trees and myrtles sprinkled around shopping centers. It certainly beats staring at 18 w h e e l e r s , taxicabs, and people fighting for parking spots, not to mention shopping carts. Ah, nature! The water here is scintillating! In NY, I always had to chew it, and then try to swallow the castigated material. Yuck! South Carolina has about 2 million people in the state. NY City has squeezed in 8.3 million.Yet, in NY, you can live next to Charlie Manson or David Letterman and never know it. Nobody takes the time to get to know their neighbors. Everybody
museums, theaters, etc. NOW, I realize that ‘culture’ is yogurt, on sale. Population at the schools makes it very manageable. The graduating class here is just about the same size of one of my school bus stops. One more thing that really amazes me down here is, well,., you STOP for pedestrians! I have been accustomed to turning them into targets.
here is on a first name basis. Dating is much easier for the single person here. In NY, there are many on-line dating services where one has to register, pay a fee, blah blah blah. Here, heck, one just goes to a family re-union! Of course, there are some minor drawbacks in the Lowcountry, like alligators. I never saw a real one until I played my first round of golf here. Incredibly pre-historic, un-evolved, and ready to take an arm and leg from any unsuspecting golfer (now called ‘Lefty’) looking for his errant shot. No one told me about the gator relief rule. In New York, we just have sewer rats, although some looked almost as large as your racoons.
Residents know there way around the Low Country. However, tourists think that Hwy 278 is the ONLY road down here. You can see them, either doing 20 miles an hour while they are looking around, or cruising at 90 to get to their time share! And what’s this State of Mind 30 mph all about? All in all, I feel like torn between two worlds. Yes, for some masochistic reason, I miss New York (that is until my wife kicked me). However, that does not defray from my love for my new found home, Bluffton, South Carolina.
Hobbies, and festivals here are interesting. I never heard of ‘Ugly dog’ or ‘Kiss a pig’ contests! I thought they were bad dates. Hunting is very popular here. It also is in New York, but it is called gang wars. Of course, New York has the bragging rights to all sorts of professional sports. I am amazed that no pro ball is played in a state with weather like ours! What’s up with that? Let’s start a petition! One more little nuance intrigues me about the South. It seems South Carolina did NOT lose the Civil War,.. they are just waiting for replacements. It is rich in history. I like all of the old buildings being preserved. In New York, they have all been ‘renovated into shopping malls and condominium complexes. Souvenir stands still linger around to honor what was razed. Can you feel the nostalgia? I have always equated the word culture to The Bluffton Breeze
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Breeze M u sMi cu sTi oc w n Breeze
One great guitarist By Jevon Daly I just figured out why everyone that knows John O’Gorman loves him. I went in to interview him at the liquor store he owns with his brother and after he got me some coffee from the Okatie Ale House {which the O’Gorman brothers run together I think} he was showing me pictures of his daughter on the cover of the sports page in the Packet and asking me if i wanted to borrow a bright yellow guitar with M&M stickers all over it. We had a lot of laughs during the course of the “interview” which was really more like a good chance for two busy guys to talk shop . By the way, he’s way busier than me and made time to say hello to every single person that came in. Everyone loves John. John O’Gorman moved down to the area in 2000 after visiting a few times. Immediately John started makin friends and playing locally with almost everyone. He spoke to local stalwart Michael Kavanaugh about taking a solo guitar gig at the Tiki Hut on HHI. The conversation speaks volumes about both men. Kavanaugh asked “ What kind of drum machine do you use?” John replied, “i don’t use one.” ‘You’re
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hired were the next words John heard on the phone and soon afterwards moved down to the Bluffton area. Many of you probably remember the Bluffon Ale House during the reign of the B Town Playaz from 2001 to 2008. Most see John when he’s playing music but don’t realize that he had probably worked all day in the bar or liquor store since 9 that morning and it’s usually John with the biggest smile on his face. “Those years playing with the B Town Playaz were my favorite times ever playing music in my life.” And the place was always packed. Time passed and conversation drifted to the famous open mic at Pepper’s Porch where John continued to make people smile. John can play everything. He knows a million songs and he plays them all with real feeling, yet he usually is in a supporting music role. Maybe the newbies in town don’t know his name, but for most, he’s kind of like the “hometown hero” in guitar – maybe because he just has a better time playing than anyone else – and the audience
Def Leppard if you take the vocals out” and began laughing out loud. “Country music and the direction it’s going is just sad today.” But John let me know how great he thinks Zac Brown’s songs are. We were laughing really hard in there...I’m surprised bottles of vodka didn’t bust as we cackled like two punks in high school about guitars. John is a workin’ man, at the liquor store and onstage. He plays regularly on Tuesday nights at Corks with backing band the Portajohns and is lead guitar for Deaz Guys, the biggest private event band in the area. He plays every friday night at Okatie Ale House for all his friends in Bluffton who support him and is loved by EVERYONE. Have i said that enough?? Ask John about his Nascar Fender Strat collection or about his kids and the guy just lights up and starts tellin’ stories. .
feels it. (Editor’s note – as a relative newcomer I was one who didn’t know John but went to see Deas Guyz last Sunday and one of the first things after being blown away by Reggie Deas was asking – who the hell is that on guitar – he’s amazing! And yes, he seemed to smile the whole way). John also has some very strong opinions about good music. As a child he cited ‘John Denver Live’ as maybe his first big influence before he saw Kiss on the Paul Lynde show. When he first heard “Detroit Rock City” he felt something inside him change. “It was like hearing Chuck Berry through a stack of Marshalls with a Les Paul!” John also spoke briefly about how important it is for him to learn the lyrics to a song and how surprised he was when he moved down here from Charlotte and saw a local musician reading the lyrics off of a music stand. “You either know the song or you don’t!” After Kiss it was Clapton, then Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix and John soaked it all in. I asked him about modern country . “It all sounds like The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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You’d have to leave Beaufort county to find beef as good as this! The only butcher in Beaufort county to bring you USDA prime beef. And fresh sausages made to order. We’re proud to bring you the best meat that you can get!
SCOTTS MARKET
1230 May River Road 843 757 3103
34 www.blufftonbreeze.com
by Jim Lewis 1263-B May River Road • Old Town Bluffton 843.757.8185 • fourcornersframing@hargray.com www.FOURCORNERSGALLERY.com
Master of Transformation By Eric Einhorn It’s no secret that movies demand make-up. NOBODY gets shot in the raw. Makeup brings out natural beauty, and accentuates character. It can make aging stars look young. It can turn a young man into a grandfather. And makeup can change a person’s identity completely. On every shoot, makeup artists abound. Stars have their favorites and every makeup artist wants to have a super-star on the résumé. Transforming actors back in time to become mythical villains, or forward in time to represent
a new species, needs more than a coloring kit. “Prosthetics” – or facial sculpture has become part of the arsenal of the makeup artist. We’re not talking about a botox injection (although that also happens) but what the movie trade calls an “appliance” – a sculpted object that is glued to the face to change features, expressions and personas. Dave Dupuis is nothing short of a master of transformation. He is the son of Blufftonians Ed and Jody Dupuis -- the founders of the May River theater. Dave loves to escape the roller coaster The Bluffton Breeze
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ride of Hollywood for an infustion of Lowcountry relaxation. Randolph and I sat down at the Okatie Brewpub to listen to his story. Dave studied graphic design and was an amateur painter. His started out as an advertising Art Director in Atlanta, but soon came to the realization that a change was needed: “I was just was OK, but just not happy to be adequate for the rest of my life. I wanted to be the best at something.”
himself, “if didn’t get a job in LA I’d go back to advertising and be adequate the rest of my life.” Fortunately for Dave (and the movie industry) he landed a job in the first week! Since then he’s risen to the big leagues. He’s worked on blockbusters like Star Trek, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Hobbit, and Mad Men. He’s transformed super-stars. And he’s won quite a few awards – including an Emmy.
That’s when the idea of changing his art form took hold. As a six year old Dave had his eyes opened by a highly imaginative mother who turned him into
Dave does very little “straight” makeup. “I still do “avant-garde beauty”, he explained. “Pick up an issue of Vogue and look at models whose make-
a werewolf for Halloween using a wig and makeup. He was amazed at the transformation: “That probably sparked it in me. She was the catalyst.”
up looks ridiculous, way over the top”. For those kind of shoots you can pretty much do whatever you want”.
In his spare time in Atlanta Dave started making appliances, and was fortunate to find a mentor to teach him all the tricks of the trade. He built a portfolio to land a job at an Atlanta TV station creating Pumpkins and Monsters -- little figures for programs and ads. Then he set his sights on Hollywood and reached out to establish contacts. The advice he got? "You won’t land a job unless you move here.” So he packed his bags and gave himself two weeks to give it a go. "It was make or break." He told
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But most of his work is as a “Prosthetic Make Up Artist” and he shared the basic principles: “Let’s say you want to change a guy’s nose. You take a plaster positive of the person’s face then sculpt what you want out of clay to build on top, make a mold and create the appliance. You fill it with gelatin or latex or now silicone. Then glue it on and apply the makeup make up to bring it all together.” He has worked in movies with superstars, but his
favorites are the people he says are “real actors, not celebrities”. He sites Gary Oldman as one of the best actors he has ever worked with. But he has transformed Jim Carey – whose face is already capable of contortion to the extreme, so it’s hard to imagine it going even further. But his pictures prove how far prosthetics can go -- you’d never know this is Jim Carey! While he never personally worked on Johnny Depp’s face he made the point that this is one of the greatest people alive – kind and considerate to everyone on the set, never arrogant.
be on set, on the spot for makeup – and there are frequent touch-ups needed. You need to do makeup in actual light because “different lights reveals different things”. This is no quiet art form where you can work in the comfort of your home in your own time to suit your moods. When he filmed Transformers in the Alamogordo White Sands Desert there were no tents, no air conditioning and everybody was hovering behind trucks getting shade in 120 degrees. And you’re away from home too much. His longest was 6 months in the shooting of the “Green Lantern” -- way longer than an extended business trip! But at least he’s not alone. He surprised us with the sheer number of makeup artists on set. For Pirates of the Caribbean the number was over 50! Same for the Hobbit. This makes sense when you think about the multitude of characters that needed massive transformations from their “day faces”. What’s his real beef with the industry? The big trend towards fantasy movies that increasingly draw on computer animation instead of prosthetics. He says movies like Jurassic Park were riveting because there was a mix of the physical and digital transformation. “That’s why it seemed real.” Today’s methods are driven by costs. “Faster, cheaper rules” to protect the viability of studios. Case in point: The Life of Pi was filing for bankruptcy when it was getting an Oscar! He also touched on the difficulty of doing makeup for high definition TV. “It’s so highly polarized you can see every pore”. They are now producing special HD makeup for the light. But he acknowledges that audiences now take it for granted that heavy makeup is usually visible.
When asked about the challenges, he shared a few horror stories of the tantrums and impossible demands of a notable star (off the record, of course – after all Dave’s career is still flourishing). The other challenge is the lifestyle. You need to
But one thing is for sure. You don’t need high definition makeup for Halloween. And when Dave’ two little girls reach the age to venture out they are likely to be unrecognizable – and probably the scariest kids on the street!
The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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GOING TO MARKET
Hardest thing: “Competing with producers who have massive scale and automation.”
Rachel Jozwiak of Adams Farm (Bloomingdale, GA)
Most rewarding: “When someone falls in love with your product and comes back every week with a smile on their face.”
Been farming: going on 3 years; no other farmers in family
Farmer’s wisdom: “Patience. Plants are slow.” Advice to consumers: “When you ask somebody if they grew this—and you should ask them—look ’em in the eye when they answer to make sure you’re dealing with an actual farmer.” A.B. Tyler of Tyler’s Garden Fresh Produce (Ridgeland, SC) Been farming: all his life (he’s 83); family has farmed for generations back
Why she started farming: “Because I like to grow plants.” Coming to Bluffton market: 2 years, although Adams Farm has been coming for 4 Favorite produce to grow: gourds Favorite produce to eat: kale (in a salad with avocado) How to get rid of deer: 5,000 volts On sustainable agriculture: “I think it’s important because fertile land won’t be so common in the future. But I don’t have anything against conventional farmers—it’s another way to make a living. I feel like a real farmer is someone with a thousand acres of corn; I’m just a produce grower.”
Coming to Bluffton Market: 3 years Favorite produce to grow: snap beans and garden peas Favorite same
to
eat:
What he does for deer: a hot wire around the field Hardest part of farming: getting up in the morning More rewarding part: “Comin’ here to the market, rappin’, seein’ people, then they come back and tell me how good it was.” Dream come true: an early crop Worst nightmare: “After you’ve just gotten your crops up there comes a freeze and wipes everything out. Like this year: I planted early and every afternoon I looked out and saw the stuff comin’ up and it looked good. I said ‘Lord help me, don’t let there be a frost!’ and there was. It killed some of it but not all of it.” Farmer’s life wisdom: “There are good days and there are bad days.” What farming means to him: “It’s a lot of hard work but you got to stay at it. There’s been some things I could afford that without the farm I wouldn’t have been able to. And I enjoy it.”
Hardest thing about farming: day-to-day; having a positive mindset; the winter is really hard Most rewarding thing: “Making the most money I’ve ever made in a week—that feels so good. I’ve earned a tidy sum in one week with radishes, and I hate radishes! Surprises like that are awesome.” Why support local farmers: “Because if you don’t I’ll be broke for the rest of my life.” Worst nightmare: “Which one? Where do I begin? Hard late freezes, hard early freezes, too much rain, too much sun, aphids, thrips, grasshoppers, stinkbugs, leaf-footed bugs….” [list could go on] Dream come true: to build a successful business doing something you love Farmer’s life wisdom: “The thing that comes to mind is a quote from Adam: ‘Growing plants puts The Bluffton Breeze
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time in perspective.’ [Someone buys a bunch of her carrots.] That bunch of carrots he’s buying I planted in November. It’s now May and I’m selling them for $3.” Joe King of Clark & Sons Organic (Portal, GA) Been farming: since age 5 Coming to Bluffton market: 5 years Favorite produce to grow: strawberries and pecans Favorite to eat: white acre peas (boiled with a piece of smoked meat and served with a pot of rice and some cornbread)
world is useless.” The next generation: “Every chance I get I try to educate little children about the value of growing their own crops, because what you teach them at an early age might mean the difference between a healthy environment and starvation.” Stacey Berry of Berry Farms (Vidalia, GA) Been farming: since 2006; organic since 2007; husband Jason’s family on both sides goes back in farming for generations; son Chase helps out a lot Been coming to Bluffton Market: steadily for the last year; “We think it’s a great market and we travel a good ways to be here.”
What he does for the deer: smear peanut butter on a strand of electric wire On sustainable agriculture: “I am all for it, I just don’t see much difference from how we used to do it the old-fashioned way. But I can see why people are concerned about all kind of chemicals and hormones; I really don’t go along with these enhancements that make the food more like imitation than anything.” Hardest part of farming: “Seeing a very promising crop go down the drain right before your eyes in a matter of hours, due either to real hot/dry weather, or too much water. And knowing there’s not really anything you can do about it.” Most rewarding: “To see a satisfied repeat customer; and being satisfied myself with the product I put on the table.” Why support local farmers: “The local farmer is someone you can put your confidence in because they have your best interest in mind, they work hard and it comes straight from the heart. It’s not just a money-making scheme. Like right now I’m shelling peas because I don’t want to leave it for someone else; I want it to come directly from my hands and my heart.” Farmer’s wisdom: “Farming is about life, period. No matter how smart a man is or how much money he makes, he has to have something to eat to sustain his body. Without that all the gold in the
40 www.blufftonbreeze.com
Favorite produce to grow: dinosaur kale, heirloom tomatoes, rainbow carrots and green beans Favorite to eat: green beans (sautéed with garlic) On deer: “We haven’t had too many problems. But we do have permits to take them down.” On sustainable agriculture: “We are all for it. We do everything we can to keep the microbiology of our soil in good health so that our land will take care of itself, support us and provide for our local community.” Hardest part circumstances
of
farming:
the
uncontrollable
Most rewarding: “Growing whole foods in a good organic way with no poisons. Knowing my children can walk through the field and get something to eat with no problem, and bringing that to our small community. There are a lot of people in Vidalia who drive all the way to Savannah to shop at Whole Foods, so we try to make them aware that they can get fresh food right at home.” Farmer’s life wisdom: “Try to slow down, and just enjoy each season and what it brings.”
22 Fresh craft beers on tap A huge choice of wines By the glass or by the bottle Gourmet pizza and great dishes Bring your friends and relax Sink back in our couches Or sit on our famous porch.
Get the great taste of Old Bluffton! 55 Calhoun Street, Bluffton 843 757 9463. 7 Days a week from 11:30am. Music most nights.
Discover the Happiest Hour in Bluffton
we cate partie r large a s n small! d
House Made Duck Pate $5 SautÊed PEI mussels $6 Flash fried local shrimp cocktail $6 Truffle fries $4 Mini crab cakes $6 Porcini rubbed Lamb lollipops $7 All wines by the glass half off Well drinks $4 You’re invited to come to enjoy it all! 163 Bluffton Road, Unit F | 843.815.6900 | www.veritasbluffton.com
Behind the Bluffton Pharmacy. The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
41
Breeze RRestaurant Breeze e s t a u r a n t GGuide uide AMIGO’S, MEXICAN BELFAIR TOWN VILLAGE 815-8226 MON-SAT 11-9
CORNER PERK, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, COFFEE, TEA BRUIN & BURNT CHURCH 816-5674 M-F 7AM-4PM SAT 8AM-3PM, SUN 9AM-2PM
BLUFFTON BBQ**, BARBEQUE PORK & RIBS PROMENADE 757-RIBS WED THU FRI SAT 11-Whenever
DOWNTOWN DELI, BURGERS& SANDWICHES DR MELLINCAMP 815-5005 MON-SAT 8-3
BLUFFTON FAMILY SEAFOOD HOUSE** 27 DR. MELLICHAMP DR. 757-0380 LUNCH/DINNER MON-SAT 11-9
FUJIYAMA, SUSHI/ASIAN CUISINE BI-LO CENTER 706-9907 MON-TH 11AM-10PM, F/S 11AM-10:30PM, SUN 12-10PM
BRITISH OPEN PUB, PUB, SEAFOOD, STEAKS SUN CITY & SHERIDAN PARK 705-4005 MON-SUN 8-9 SUN BRUNCH 8-1
GUISEPPI’S, ITALIAN KITTIES CROSSING 842-8333 MON-SAT 11AM-10PM SUN 11 AM-9PM
BUFFALO’S, CONTEMPORARY PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6630 LUNCH MON-SAT 11-4
HOGSHEAD KITCHEN 1555 Fording Island Rd 837-4647 MON-SAT11:30AM – 11:00PM SUNDAY CLOSED
CAHILL’S CHICKEN KITCHEN**, SOUTHERN HIGHWAY 46, 757-2921 LUNCH MON-SAT 11-3 SUPPER THU-FRI-SAT 5-9 SAT BREAKFAST 7-12 SUN BRUNCH 9-3
INN AT PALMETTO BLUFF, CONTINENTAL PALMETTO BLUFF VILLAGE 706-6500 DAILY 7AM -10PM
CAPTAIN WOODY’S**, SEAFOOD, SANDWICH, SALADS PROMENADE 757-6222 MON-SUN 11 - 10
JOE LOVES LOBSTER, SEAFOOD & SANDWICHES 2915 N. OKATIE HWY. RIDGELAND, SC Mon-Sat: 11:30 am-2:30 pm Thu-Sat: 5:00 pm-08:00 pm KATIE O’DONALD’S, IRISH AMERICAN KITTIES CROSSING 815-5555 MON-SUN 11AM-2PM
CLAUDE & ULI’S BISTRO**, FRENCH MOSS CREEK VILLAGE 837-3336 MON-SAT LUNCH & DINNER CORKS WINE CO.,CONTEMPORY, TAPAS THE PROMENADE, 815 5169 MON 5-10 TUES -SAT 5 -MIDNIGHT
**For more information see ad in the magazine
42 www.blufftonbreeze.com
LATITUDE WINE BAR, WINE & TAPAS 6 Promenade St. 706-9463 MAY RIVER GRILL**, SEAFOOD/CONTEMPORARY MAY RIVER RD., OLD TOWN 757-5755 MON-SAT 5-9 DINNER TUE-FRI 11:30-2 LUNCH
MOON MI PIZZA 15 State of Mind Street 757-7007 Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM MI TIERRA, MEXICAN DR. MELLINCHAMP 757-7200 MON-THU 11-9 FRI-SAT 11-10 MULBERRY STREET TRATTORIA, ITALIAN HWY 278 837-2426 TUE-SAT 11-3 & 5-10 SUN 10:30-9 NEO 1533 Fording Island Road 837-5111 MON-SAT11:30AM – 11:00PM SUNDAY CLOSED NAPOLI 68 BLUFFTON DRIVE 706-9999 MON-FRI 11:30AM - 10:00PM
OKATIE ALE HOUSE, AMERICAN SUN CITY 706-2537 LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK
SAKE HOUSE, BEST BUY PLAZA ASIAN FUSION/SUSHI 706-9222 11:30AM-10PM, SUN FROM 12PM SIGLER’S ROTISSERIE & SEAFOOD CONTEMPORARY 12 Sheraton Park Circle 815-5030 MON-SAT 4:30-9:30 SIPPIN COW CAFÉ, DELI SANDWICHES/SWEETS MAY RIVER ROAD 757-5051 TUES – SAT 7AM – 3PM, SUN 9AM – 2PM TAVERN 46, AMERICAN Off HWY 46-KITTIES LANDING RD. 815-2327 MON 4-10PM, TUES-SAT 11AM-11PM SUN 11AM-9:30PM WEEKLY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT THE COTTAGE, BREAKFAST & LUNCH CALHOUN STREET 757.0508 BR. 8-11AM, LUNCH 11:30 - 3PM, SUN 8-2PM
THE VILLAGE PASTA SHOPPE, ITALIAN DELI 10 B JOHNSTON WAY (across from Post Office), 540-2095 TUES-FRI 10AM-6PM, SAT 10AM-4PM
OLD TOWN DISPENSARY, CALHOUN STREET 837-1893 MON-SAT 11AM-2AM SUNDAY BRUNCH
TRUFFLE’S, CONTEMPORARY BELFAIR VILLAGE 815-5551 DAILY 11AM-10PM LUNCH & DINNER
PEACEFUL HENRY’S CIGAR & WINE BAR 161 BLUFFTON ROAD 757-0557
VERITAS RESTAURANT, CONTEMPORARY 163 BLUFFTON RD UNIT F. 815-6900 Behind Bluffton Pharmacy MON-SAT 5-10PM
POUR RICHARD’S**, CONTEMPORARY BLUFFTON PARKWAY 757-1999 MON-SAT 5:30 - 10 R&D WINE BOUTIQUE, WINE & FOOD BEST BUY PLAZA 837-3747 THURS TO SAT, 11:30AM TO 9PM
VINEYARD 55, 757-9463 CALHOUN STREET CONTEMPORARY MON-TUES 4-CLOSE WED-SAT 11-CLOSE WILD WING CAFÉ, PLATTERS, SANDWICHES HWY. 278 837-WILD DAILY 11-1:30 AM
The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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Sideways and Upwards! By Michael Mavrogordato Traditionally, wine columnists assume the role of the consumer by pretending to know more than others (including myself!) and wax eloquently about the virtues of wine a versus wine b to sway the reader. But what about the role of the retailers? Do they steer the consumer, and how influential are they? In my last column I covered the critical (and fun) role which wine bars play in educating the consumer about the world of wine, but because the majority of the wine sold in Bluffton is through liquor stores and supermarkets, surely they must play a role in consumer preferences. To find out, I sat down with Al Rattacasa, the owner of Big Jim’s on the Bluffton Parkway. Al has a bustling business, and he is about to expand his store. His success is largely attributable to stratifying his customers into two camps and satisfying both. First, are those who clearly know what they want, no matter how expensive or rare; and second, are those who just walk in the door to stock up. The latter represent the majority of sales, and by extension, are a proxy for the Bluffton consumer. By order of preference, Blufftonians drink: Plain vodka, bourbon (including rye), scotch (blend and single malt), gin, rum and tequila. Not surprisingly, there is little brand loyalty with vodkas, but near fanatical loyalty for bourbons and Scotch whiskey. As for wines, consumers invariably seek a varietal (rarely a brand) and by order of preference, ask for Cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and pinot grigio. In a sense, Bluffton is no different from small town
44 www.blufftonbreeze.com
America, but there are signs that Blufftonians are looking for more choices in both spirits and wines. Al is on the front lines of selling wines, and one of his biggest hurdles is to overcome the “perception” problem. To explain what he means, I must digress. In 2004, the movie “ Sideways” hit the screen. In one memorable scene the protagonists (Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church) were having an argument outside a restaurant about the advisability of joining their dates who were already seated. Paul grudgingly agreed to join his date, but only after spurting out that he would not drink any f……merlot! This one line, coming
Breeze W i n e W i t h i n R e a c h
from a fictional and depressed wine critic, had a devastating impact on the public’s perception of merlot, and since 2005, merlot production in California has dropped an astonishing 40%. Ironically, the movie closes with Paul drinking his most coveted wine, a 1962 Cheval Blanc, from a paper cup. Cheval Blanc, a right bank Bordeaux (pictured here) is indeed one of the world’s great wines and just happens to be 40% merlot, 55% cabernet franc and a smattering of malbec and cab. sauvignon! The damage, however, was done and the perception that merlot was an inferior red varietal has stuck ever since. This is just one of many examples of how perception drives demand, and Al faces this every day. To combat these perceptions, Al offers alternatives to the cab, the chard, and the pinot grigio using wines which are frankly of better value and that are more interesting. For instance he carries several Italian wines which a true gems, and among them are: Sunnae (100% montepulciano varietal, not to be confused with the sangiovese wines from Montepulciano); Tenuta Tenaglio, a slightly oaked chard (from of all places, Tuscany!) which is better than the average Macon Villages you can find in supermarkets, and much better than most inexpensive California chards. Another alternative to the cab is Les Verrieres, a wonderful syrah, grenache blend which has more body and structure than most equivalently priced cabs.
These are just a few of the wines that Al has selected as alternatives to the conventional wisdom of what is good, and the best news is that he is gaining traction (and customers) with his strategy. Another way to think about what Al and other enlightened retailers are trying to do is to provide the diversity and variety of wines you can find in our better restaurants, but without the mark-up. Wine bars already do this, and now a new generation of retailers see a path of growth and profit by investing more time in counseling the customer who has just picked a bottle of vodka, and who out of habit, was looking for which cab. to take home. After talking with Al, maybe, just mavbe, he or she will take home a blasphemous yet luscious merlot! By the way, if you want to test the power of suggestion do a blind tasting the next time you have friends over. Buy your favorite cab and one of the two reds identified earlier, or ask Al for a good merlot. Decant them into old (washed) bottles to disguise the wines, and while serving them, ask your friends two questions: Which wine do you prefer? And, which wine is the cab? The next step is completely voluntary, but send your results to my blog on Blufftonbreeze.com and if I get enough tastings to be statistically valid (a pretty low threshold, considering the topic is wine!), I will publish the results. The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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Breeze G o l f C o u r s e G u i d e Golf Course
Designer, Course
Yds*
Rating*
Belfair Golf Club 200 Belfair Oaks Blvd, (843) 757 0715
Tom Fazio: East West
6,936 7,129
74.4 75.3
Berkeley Hall Golf Club 366 Good Hope Road, (843) 815 8444
Tom Fazio: North Tom Fazio: South
6,936 7,129
75.1 74.6
Callawassie Club 176 Callawassie Island Dr., (843) 987-2161
Tom Fazio
n/a
n/a
Chechessee Creek Club 18 Chechessee Creek Dr, (843) 987 7000
Coore & Crenshaw
6.606
71.8
Colleton River Plantation Club 60 Colleton River Drive (843) 837 3131
Jack Nicklaus Pete Dye
6,936 7,129
76.1 74.7
Crescent Pointe Golf Club 1 Crescent Pointe Dr, (843) 292 7778
Arnold Palmer
6,733
n/a
Eagle’s Pointe Golf Club 1 Eagle Pointe Dr, (843) 757 5900
Davis Love III
6,738
73.1
Hampton Hall Golf Club 89 Old Carolina Road, (843) 837 3131
Pete Dye
7,503
76.9
Hilton Head National Golf Club 60 Hilton Head National Dr, (843) 842 5900
Gary Player Bobby Weed
6,731
72.7
May River Golf Club, Palmetto Bluff 350 Mount Pelia, (843) 706 6579
Jack Nicklaus
7,171
75.4
Moss Creek Golf Club 1523 Fording Island Road, (843) 837 2231
George Fazio: South Tom Fazio: North
6,885 6,555
73.4 72.5
Island West Golf Club 40 Island West Drive, (843) 689 6660
Clyde B. Johnston Fuzzy Zoeller
6,803
73.2
Oldfield Golf Club 9 Oldfield Way Okatie, (843) 379 5052
Greg Norman
7,142
75.4
Old South Golf Club 50 Buckingham Plantation Dr, (843) 837 7375
Clyde B. Johnston
6,772
72.4
Pinecrest Golf Course 1 Pinecrest Way, (843) 757 8960
Rocky Rocquemore
7,489
n/a
Rose Hill Golf Club 4 Clubhouse Drive, (843) 757 9030
Gene Hamm
6,961
74.1
Sun City Golf Club 672 Cypress Hills Dr, (843) 705 4057
Mark McCumber: Hidden Cyprus Mark McCumber: Okatie Creek
6,946 6,724
73.2 71.9
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*Ratings for the longest tees
Breeze G o l f R e p o r t
JACK NICKLAUS SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
by Joel Zuckerman This famous handshake between Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin illustrates what is widely considered to be one of the greatest moments of sportsmanship in the athletic world has ever witnessed. But it is so much more than that. It is also an amazing example of seeing the bigger picture.
have likely been subjected to venomous derision from his compatriots. He would forever have been labeled a choker, faced unprecedented humiliation from the sporting public in his homeland and beyond, and likely been emotionally scarred for life. But Nicklaus didn’t allow it to happen. Nicklaus graciously walked over, picked up his opponent’s golf ball, handed it to him, saying, “that’s good. No need to putt.” Afterwards, Nicklaus remarked to the media, “I’m sure Tony would have made that putt. But under the circumstances I was not prepared to see him miss.” This gracious and surprising gesture in the white hot heat of the competition was immediately christened “The Concession,” and takes its place in the annals of exceptional sportsmanship. Not everyone involved was enamored of this unexpected largess offered by Nicklaus. Particularly incensed was American captain Sam Snead, the irascible Virginia hillbilly, noted for aphorisms like “Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt.” ‘Slammin’ Sammy’ wasn’t interested in a tie, he wanted to win-win-win, but he, unlike Nicklaus, couldn’t quite see the big picture.
To set the stage: This is the final moment of the final day of the 1969 Ryder Cup, the biennial team competition between the US and Great Britain. (The US had mostly dominated the event since it began in 1927, winning 14 of 17 iterations to this point, so in 1979 the whole of Europe was added to the British side to foster more spirited competition.) In this, the final match, on the final green, with the entire event’s outcome hanging in the balance, Nicklaus holed a nerve-wracking five-foot putt to insure the US would forge at least a tie. Jacklin was readying to attempt his two-foot putt to match his rival and garner the tie. A professional golfer will tap in a putt of such trifling distance 98% of the time, but these stakes were sky high, as was the pressure. 8,000 British partisans surrounding the green, silent in their expectation, Jacklin prepared to putt. Had the stroke failed, not only would Great Britain lose the match outright, but Jacklin would
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Nicklaus realized that at its essence, the Ryder Cup is, despite the escalating hype and scrutiny of the last 30-odd years, an international exhibition of goodwill, waged between friendly allies. By holing his putt a moment earlier, the American insured a tie for his squad. Since the US had won two years
earlier in ‘67, and the team that is in possession of the Cup retains it in the event of a tie, he knew it would be coming home regardless. So he spared his friendly rival the angst of the moment, and the potential dishonor that would have resulted with a short-range miss. Whether he thought this all out in linear fashion or it occurred to him organically in these few moments is irrelevant. But it is a sterling example of seeing the big picture. Lending further credence to this ingrained philosophy, it should be noted that despite his worldwide fame, success, moneymaking opportunities around the globe and demands on his time, during his heyday Jack Nicklaus never left home for more than two weeks at a time. He had five active and engaged kids in the house, and seeing their games, plays, recitals and tournaments, not to mention sitting around the dinner table with wife Barbara and their brood, was his ultimate priority. Once again, seeing the big picture. It is so easy for many of us to get caught up in the moment; feel some anger or annoyance by silly or perhaps thoughtless actions by those surrounding us. It’s not easy to take the macro view, ignore the micro view, and see the whole forest through the trees. The bottom line is that so many of us love our kids, enjoy our friends, have a deep bond with our spouse, and have the same success goals as our coworkers or fellow committee members. The day-to-day (or sometimes minute-to-minute) conflicts and miscommunications shouldn’t undermine the fact that, despite life’s daily foibles and glitches, we care greatly for those around us. However for many of us, seeing the big picture doesn’t come easily; it’s a muscle that needs to be developed. So many reasons to admire Jack Nicklaus. It’s more than his18 Majors, his international acclaim, his position at the apex of his profession. Those otherworldly attributes are beyond our reach. But his clear-eyed perspective on what truly matters? With practice, we can get there yet.
The Bluffton Breeze
June 2014
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Palmetto Dunes
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Hampton Hall
33 Rose Dhu Creek Drive • $485,000
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81 Wicklow Drive • $669,000
Unbelievable opportunity to own a brand new home built by one of the area's premier builders on one of the nicest lots in one of the area's nicest communities! Call Matt
Indigo Run
Hampton Hall
10 Hampstead Avenue • $625,000
First floor has a large private master suite with 2 large guest bedrooms, powder room, oversized eat in kitchen and flex space that could serve as a study/den/formal dining built by Tom Peeples. Upstairs has a large bonus room, private bath and golfers porch overlooking the lagoon to green view. Call Matt
Windmill Harbour - 8 Yacht Club Drive - $249,000 - Harbour View Indigo Run - 633 Colonial - $149,000 - Wooded View Hampton Hall - 20 Hampton Hall Blvd - $149,000 - Golf/Wooded View Hampton Hall - 6 Torrington Ln - $129,000 - Lake View Hampton Hall - 8 Southington Cir - $70,000 - Lagoon View Shell Hall - 50 Chalmers St - $29,000 - Wooded View
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15 Sussex Lane $439,000
Wonderful Indigo Run home with lagoon view. 3 bedrooms, 3 baths plus added sun room, granite counter tops in kitchen. Perfect opportunity for someone looking for an affordable home in Indigo Run. Call Barbara or Tara
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June 2014
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Come enjoy summer at Cahill’s! Farm fresh produce of all kinds. Delicious food, every day. Flowers that will lift your spirits!
... and I’ve cancelled my summer vacation just so I can be here to serve you!
LUNCH Mon to Sat, 11am - 3pm SUPPER Thurs, Fri, Sat, 5 - 9pm BRUNCH Sunday 9am - 3pm SATURDAY BREAKFAST 7am - 12pm 1055 May River Road, Bluffton, SC 1 mile west of the Old Town 843 757-2921 www.cahillsmarket.com
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