CH2 / CB2 February 2015 Issue

FEBRUARY 2015

!

5 VIVA

MÉXICO!

AZUL WINS OUR MOST ADORABLE PET CONTEST

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FEATURING POOCHES FROM THE POUND

SCREENS VS. REALITY

PUPPY FASHION

DANCE FOR YOUR HEALTH!

LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DOG

8 HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

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!

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FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY

2015

FROM THE

GENIUSES AT WORK play

DITOR

Audience Response Analyst Maggie Marie Washo

Head of Covert Operations Catherine Anne Davies

Office Historian George Thomas Staebler

Assistant Director of Strategic Planning Carolyn Hunter Kostylo

Long Range Economic Planner, Thailand Division Marion Elizabeth Bowser

Employee Orientation Specialist Ashton Kelley Fons

Work and Leisure Time Coach Kim Conrad Crouch The Sales Machine Kaity Elizabeth Robinson

Jazz Music Aficionado “Just Kandace” Wightman

New Kid on the Block Bailey Marie Atkinson Public Appearances Coordinator Lucille Rosita Gonzalez Washo

IQ Evaluator Greta Von Bowser

Lighting Experts Photography by Anne Chris Haro Find Us HERE PO Box 22949 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.689.2658 m.washo@celebratehiltonhead.com

decided it might not be a bad idea to have health insurance for Lucy. I looked into a few different policies and decided to go with VPI. I purchased the Major Medical Comprehensive Plan with a Wellness add-on and a $100 deductible for the year. I wanted to write about this last year, but decided I would wait until I had a year under my belt so I could share my personal experience with you.

After one year, this is where I stand in expenses and reimbursements: I pay $43 a month for VPI Pet Insurance.

That comes to a total of $473 spent in the last 11 months.

I have spent $2,349 with Dr. Hennessey and Plantation Animal Hospital since February 11, 2014, or, the last 11 months. Of the $2,349 in vet bills, VPI Health Insurance has reimbursed me $784, making my out-of-pocket expense to the vet only $1, 565. So far, for the year, I am $311 to the good.

In conclusion, I think if you have a “problem breed,” pet insurance is well worth the money. Also, if your dog (or cat) is more like a child than a pet, it is probably worth the money, as you will be running him to the vet every time he gets a sniffle.

Has anyone else had a good or bad experience with pet insurance? Write to me if you have and I’ll share your experience with our readers as well.

Have a great February, and don’t forget to celebrate my favorite holiday this month. Groundhog Day is February 2.

M. WASHO PUBLISHER / EDITOR IN CHIEF

FEB. 2nd

*Source: ilovedogssite.com

Writing Specialists David Bennett, Lou Benfante, Andrew Binamira, Abby Bird, Barbara Clark, Frank Dunne Jr., Rebecca Edwards, Andrea Gannon Courtney Hampson, Courtney Hillis, Linda S. Hopkins, Laura Jacobi, Barry Kaufman, Ally Martin, Marie McAden, Donna Pegano Clayton Rollison, Patrica Shapiro, Lisa Sulka, Kent Thune

I

f you have a pet that is constantly at the vet, you may have asked yourself this question. I was at Heritage Animal Hospital paying for one of these frequent vet visits when the woman checking out next to me started talking about her policy. She said she had VPI pet insurance and it had been one of the best investments she had ever made. She had my attention.

My baby, Miss Lucy, is a Bernese mountain dog, and her breed ranks number five on the list of most expensive dog breeds to own.* I knew this going in. I did the research and made the financial commitment, knowing full well what I was getting in to. So far, at age four, she hasn’t disappointed me. Lucy broke her toe the first week I had her.

She developed an allergic reaction to the first round of shots. She’s had multiple urinary tract infections. I could go on, but this column isn’t big enough.

About the same time Obama was ordering everyone to buy health insurance, I

IS PET INSURANCE WORTH THE MONEY?

A LINE IN THE SAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE

One subject. Two opinions.

BARRY KAUFMAN

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IS CHIVALRY STILL ALIVE?

hen Courtney and I exchanged our usual vitriolic hate mails in coming up with this month’s topic, I was the one who first put forth that we should discuss whether or not chivalry is dead in this age of sexting, Gamergate, and basically half the news coming out of the NFL. Courtney’s response was that she would argue chivalry is dead since, and I quote, “I assume you want to prove your manliness.”

Courtney, you wound me. But being a chivalrous gentleman of uncommon valor and self-evident manliness, I will ignore your slight, but will, as is my lot, prove you wrong in the most gallant way possible.

You see, before we can even discuss whether or not chivalry is dead, we must discuss what chivalry is. You and I know it as a

system of arcane rules developed by darkages men in which you basically treat women like coddled infants who, if left to their own devices, would get lost in the woods eating their own shoes for sustenance without a man around.

How else do you explain asinine habits like opening doors for women, pulling out chairs for women, and laying out jackets over puddles? It’s because the macho idiots who invented this stuff thought women weren’t capable of opening their own doors, sitting down or crossing a street without dying from puddle-related injuries.

(The ninth century view of women was basically that they were a reproductive system attached to a very fragile lemming).

Look at it this way; my son straight up punched my daughter

COURTNEY HAMPSON

A

few months ago, I walked into a meeting late, and the three young men in the room all stood upon my arrival. I laughed out loud. “What are you doing,” I asked incredulously?

“You’re supposed to stand when a lady enters the room,” one mumbled. Still laughing I thought, “Kudos to your moms, but it’s not 1945.”

So based on the above, I guess I have to argue that chivalry is dead. In my mind. Maybe it is because in most meetings I attend, I am the only woman. And frankly, sometimes the glass ceiling theory makes a successful woman act like a man. And sadly, it is because we feel like if we’re not one of the guys, and viewed the same as the guys, then maybe we won’t get the respect that they get. Sometimes when a woman voices her opinion or stands up for what she believes, she is viewed as difficult or a bitch; yet if a man voiced the same opinion, he would be viewed as a good leader.

But, before I go all Gloria Steinem on you, let’s get real. Chivalry is a word with origins in the Medieval Period (the Middle Ages) and referred to the ideal qualifications—rules and customs— of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms. The Middle Ages are the point in history between years 500 and 1500. I’m no mathematician, but that is a long time ago.

BARRY KAUFMAN

in the face last week. I was not cool with this at all and let him know in no uncertain terms (translation: I got shouty) that you do not punch girls.

Repeat. You. Do. Not. Punch. Girls.

Then I got the full story.

Turns out, he only punched his sister in the face because she had him in a pretty horrifying wrestling move known as the “Figure Four Leg Lock” and was one hard squat away from splintering his knee into a thousand fragments, effectively ending his tee-ball career.

And since his repeated pleas that he was in very serious pain reached deaf ears, he popped her one in the eye.

So now I had to chastise my daughter for her unauthorized Ric Flair impression (again), but it seemed odd that I didn’t conclude my lecture with the note, “You don’t hit boys.”

She’s got a good 20 pounds and six inches on him; why the different rules?

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Why do I have to tell him not to hit girls, but it feels weird telling her not to attempt irreversible knee damage to boys?

Because even though it’s silly and outdated, I still hold close to some form of chivalry. But here’s the real kicker.

That’s not even chivalry.

Do you know what chivalry actually is? It’s a series of rules set forth in The Song of Roland nearly a thousand years ago that determined how a knight should act at all times. One of those rules deems that a knight should “respect the honour of a woman.” That’s the one we all focus on. The other 16 are full of howlingly insane entries like “give succour to widows and orphans,” “despise pecuniary reward,” and “persevere to the end in any enterprise begun.”

Folks, I hate pecuniary rewards. Let’s not let the fact that I don’t know what they are cloud the issue. The other two I could probably say I follow through on a

com www.rainbowresource.

Pecuniary: \ pih-KYOO-nee-air-ee \ adj 1. Relating to money, monetary 2. Consisting of money 3. Requiring payment of money

good 60-70 percent of the time. So I got this chivalry thing on lock.

But more to the point, I think the real aspect of chivalry we should all live by is the sixteenth code laid out by The Song of Roland: “Never refuse a challenge from an equal.”

So even though I’ve been tasked with proving that chivalry is alive and well via highly ironic public argument with a woman, I will. Because I won’t refuse the challenge of an equal.

FEBRUARY 2015

COURTNEY HAMPSON

Let’s not confuse manner and respect for chivalry. A lot has changed in the last, oh, 515 years. In the Medieval Times for example, we would mount a horse and go jousting on a Saturday morning instead of for a run. We wouldn’t be hitting the J Crew outlet in search of some new shorts; we’d be shopping for suits of armor and having to oil our clothes so we didn’t squeak when we walked. We’d forego utensils and eat 24-ounce turkey legs with our hands. Instead of fighting this wicked flu that’s been sweeping Beaufort County, we’d be fighting off the bubonic plague.

I think it is okay that chivalry is dead. Most things that are 500 years old are dead. We move on. It’s possible to be gentlemanly and courteous, and maybe downright sweet to a woman, but please don’t do it in a way that makes us feel like less than we are. Do it because you want to, not because you think we need you to. Make us feel empowered, and strong, and worthy of sharing an opinion, not powerless, weak and silly. Smile at us. Tease us. Compliment us. Challenge us.

Be proud of us.

As I wrap up my feminist rant, I realize that Barry probably wanted this to follow a Valentine’s Day theme, primarily to win romance points with his wife Meghan. Sorry my friend, for ruining your mojo. I’ll assume you’re doing all of the housework this month, and showering Meghan with gifts of flowers and chocolate hearts, and you’ve even banned farting in bed. So, I will let you bask in the glory of being chivalrous. Just this once.

FEBRUARY 2015

www.celebratehiltonhead.com 21

Recipe

Article By Clayton Rollison

T H E

T I P P I N G

P O I N T

FOR LOVE!

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ospitality trends come and go. Some leave too soon, and others are welcome changes. The whiskey category finally overtook vodka sales in the U.S.; kale is still delicious, but all things kale—from chips, smoothies, dips, salads, and kale dessert— are coming to an end; Siracha is soon to be replaced by Harissa for spicy condiments; and real butter is back—no more spreadable plastic pretending to be better for you folks. Let us all say it together: BUTTER IS BETTER! Nationally and in many local communities, the government has started the conversation about tipped employees and how they are compensated and taxed. Highly educated people are becoming cooks and are expecting wages that do not fit in the current restaurant business model.

Many municipalities and states have increased the minimum wage for both non-tipped and tipped employees. Some topflight restaurants have gone to a ticketed system where you book a reservation like an airline and prepay for your table. The more desirable the dining time, the higher the cost, with a 20 percent service charge included. We are seeing lawsuits all over the country. Applebee’s servers sued over non-tipped hours worked, time spent folding napkins, polishing silverware, and other auxiliary work that is performed day in and day out to ensure proper service to generate tipped income. Mario Batali’s Batali and Bastianch Restaurant Group, just one of many to lose class action lawsuits in last couple of years, had to pay servers over five million in wages this past year. All of this has led to the discussion: Is tipping obsolete, and are cooks unfairly paid for their skill set?

The gap between what cooks earn compared to servers has always been wide (many times servers wages can double and even triple what the cooks earn). With the cost of goods increasing and food costs going up, which is driving up check averages, the gap is getting even wider. A little secret: the more expensive the restaurant, usually the less the cooks make. As the saying goes for cooks, “If you can afford to eat at the place where you cook, you probably aren’t at that good of a spot.” All cooks know what we are getting into when we walk into the kitchen. It is a career in which you must be passionate, driven, and a bit of a masochist to succeed.

Why am I even discussing this? Why is this important? Because this industry is changing and the hospitality industry is the second largest profession in the United States only behind working for the government. I know we are only serving food. We are not curing cancer, developing renewable resources, fighting pollution, helping the homeless or anything else as virtuous, but we do provide a living for a whole hell of a lot of people out there. Tipping is so ingrained in our culture, it is major part of the business model for restaurants.

Any increase in costs, either by the restaurant or passed along to the customer, could put many places out of business.

Change is coming. When and what those changes will be, I have no idea. The door has been opened; the conversation has started, and it is going to affect Hilton Head Island. Almost everything on the island revolves around tourism and hospitality. The ripple effect of changing tipping and hourly wages is going to be more significant than people in and out of the industry can anticipate.

Clayton Rollison is the chef/owner of Lucky Rooster Restaurant in South Island Square.

1 cup of Romance 1 pinch of Humor 2 spoonfuls of Joy 1 lb. of Compatibility 3 tablespoons of Trust 1 cup of Respect 1/2 lb. of Sharing 1 zest of Tenderness 3/4 cup of Patience Mix well and serve often! Happy Valentine’s everyone!!

L

ocated in the heart of Old Town Bluffton is a circa 1900’s building that was originally a drying barn for deer tongue, a native herb used as filler for tobacco, scents and tea. Today, Pepper’s Old Town is owned by Roberts Vaux, John Cherol and Tyler Goldsmith. The 1.3-acre property includes the main restaurant, a bar and pavilion with outdoor seating and fire pits under a towering live oak. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner.

The restaurant will serve signature, homecooked Lowcountry menu options from small plates to entrees that include Shrimp on a Grit Cake to Lola’s Fried Chicken to Lucinda’s Crab Stew. Guests can enjoy fine dining in a historic, casual atmosphere that offers something for the entire family.

M A Y O R

Hilton Head Island Mayor

A Note from David Bennett

HILTON HEAD NEWS

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ave you discovered, as I have, that Hilton Head Island is a great place for a treasure hunt?

Wherever you explore, you will find something of remarkable value. These discoveries can’t help but generate excitement. Our citizens are among these treasures.

Last December, Town Council identified the Master-Planning and Transportation Study of the Coligny Circle to Sea Pines Circle District as a priority. Incredibly, here on Hilton Head Island, we have three former state transportation directors, all willing to volunteer their time and talents to our town in order to achieve the excellent transportation and planning solutions we need to benefit our “island treasures.”

Setting priorities Your Town Council is comprised of unique individuals representing a diversity of islanders. We came together this past December along with members of staff at a workshop that extended beyond its original schedule because of the magnitude of issues and opportunities faced by our community. The top priorities developed by this hardworking group include the previously mentioned Circle-to-Circle district as well as: 1) Vision/master plan for Hilton Head Island; 2) Arts and culture collaborative study; 3) USCB campus development; 4) The Mitchelville project; 5)Water/sanitary sewer service policies and plans Other high priorities identified: 1) A complete inventory and analysis of town-owned land; 2) Initiating the economic development corporation plans and initiatives; 3) Forging a workforce housing policy; 4) Town and community organization financial/performance oversight and review; 5)

< Bluffton Mayor

A Note from Lisa Sulka

BUSY YEAR AHEAD

W

ith 2015 in its second month, the town is in full swing. In January, we had our first quarterly workshop.

We decided last year to hold workshops aside from council meetings so that the council and most important, the public have more time to devote on important issues that affect the town. If you want to stay updated on council meetings and workshops, you can go to our town website, at townofbluffton.com and, on the calendar, click on each meeting to see the agendas and all pertaining backup material.

This month, along with our town council meeting on February

M AY O R

10, we will also hold our annual strategic planning retreat in the Rotary Center at Oscar Frazier Park. The dates are Feb. 24 and 25. I would invite anyone who has an interest in our upcoming goals to please attend some or all of the sessions we have planned. Even though there is some carryover from 2014, i.e.: streetscape, parking in Old Town, May River initiatives, etc., there will be lively discussion on goals for this coming year, and your input is vital to the success of our town.

You will see several items discussed in more depth this year as they were brought up in a workshop format in 2014, as well as update/completion of some of our capital infrastructure projects, including: the last portion of the Bluffton Parkway and efforts to work with Jasper County on the phases that go through their county; Calhoun Street and adjacent area planning and funding sources; the last phase of the May River Road streetscape, which will begin work this year; education and next steps on the town’s official MS4 designation from SC DHEC; May River Watershed Action Plan projects; Next phases of sewer connectivity throughout the town; and continued cooperation with the town and county on multiple projects.

Several parcels have recently been sold to commercial developers, and as soon as plans come forward to the town, the public will be notified of development review, planning commission meetings and the like, via our website and the local newspapers. This, along with residential activity we are already seeing, assures that the town will be very busy this year. Along the way we will ensure transparency to the public so you will be kept up to date on everything. Ways to do this on your end are to participate in our social media outlets: Facebook and Twitter are both used by the town.

Please friend and/or follow us. I also write a monthly blog, which is available on our website and also e-mailed to our distribution list. Along with my blog, we e-mail monthly meeting agendas to all who want to receive them. To get on the list, please contact Kim Chapman at kchapman@ townofbluffton.com.

A comprehensive town dredging policy; 6) A schools and education strategy You can participate How is it that these priorities will become attainable action items? Your mayor, Town Council and staff are committed to these endeavors. But your participation is the treasure that I’d like to discover. Look for upcoming workshops, taskforces and public-private collaborations as your opportunity to be a treasure to your community. Communicate your thoughts and input to me at DavidB@hiltonheadislandsc.gov or speak to your Town Council representative.

This administration has already established two new Town Council committees; the Finance and Administrative and Community Services committees and council members, John McCann and Kim Likins have been appointed to chair them. The first committee will be responsible for detailed financial oversight and establishing goals for and reviewing the performance of the town manager. The Community Services committee will work to develop the full potential of Hilton Head’s arts and cultural organizations. It will also identify affordable and workforce housing opportunities.

Citizen of Month search We are always searching for the treasures in our community.

Please bring to our attention island residents for consideration for the 2015 Citizen of the Month Award. Many precious jewels are out there; please let us know who they are.

AZUL PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

Azul won CH2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5th Annual Facebook Pet contest with an impressive 1,527 LIKES on his photo. His human pet, Bettiana Munafo, brought him in to be photographed on a Sunday morning in January.

Being true to his part Australian Shepherd heritage, it was very difficult to keep Azul still for more than a few seconds. We went through a whole bag of Snausages and finally managed to get this shot of the Beautiful Blue. Congrats to him and Bettiana!

LOOK AT THOSE BABY BLUES!

BLUE

ABBY

ACE

ADDY & COOPER

AMELIA BEDELIA

ANGEL

ARCHIBALD

AUSTEN

BAILEY

BAILEY

BANDIT

BAY

BEAN KNEIVEL

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR 2ND PLACE WINNERS! THEY MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN AS MANY “LIKES” AS AZUL (1,500) BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE THEM ANY LESS SPECIAL!

BEAU

BEN

BENNY & HAMILTON

BENTLY

BERTA

BIG REDD

BILLY & LUTHER

BLITZ

BLUE

BODHI

BOGEY

BOOTSIE THE BRAVE

BOWTIE PUP

BRICE

BROGAN

BRUNO

BRUNO

BUDDY

BUDDY

BUGSY

CACAO

CALLIE & MICHAEL

CAM

CAMPBELL

CAROLINA

CHARLIE DICKMAN

CHESTER

CHEWY

CHICO

CHIQUILLA

CHOLE GREEN

CHOPES PRESCOTT

CHOPS BACON

COCO ROBINSON

COLBY

COLE

COOPER

COUNTRY

CUCA

CUPCAKE

DAISY

DERBY

DEUCE

DEXTER

DEXTER MORGAN

DIANN’S PUP

DIEGO

DINO

DIXIE

DRAKE

DRILL & SERGEANT

DUCHESS

DUKE

DIXIE

EASTON

EDDY

ELLIE

ELSIE

EMA

EMERY

ENZO

FERGIE FERG

FORREST

FORREST

FOXY LADY

FRANKIE

FREYJA

GABBY & CALLIE

GEORGIA

GEORGIA GIRL

GIADA BILLS

GIZMO

GRIT

HANK

HANNAH

GRIFFIN

HONEY

HONOR & GRACE

GIDGET

HUNTER

ISABELLA

JACK

JACKIE

JAMES

JAZZ

JEB & BULLET

JESUP

JINX BACON

JJ MCNEIGH

JOHN’S BABY

KAREN’S PUP

KAYA

KISSES

KNISH & LIL’ DEE

KONA

LADY YOUNG

LAIRA

LIL’ DEE

LILLY BELLE

LOKI

LOLA

LUCAS

LUKE

LUNA

MAGGIE

MAGIC

MANGO

MANNI

MARCUS

MARIO HAMILTON

MARLEY

MARTIN

MARVIN

MAUI MAE BURNS

MAVERICK

MAXIMILIAN

MEA

MELONY’S BABY

MIEKA

MILES

MILO

MILTON

MISSY REINDEER

MOE

MOGLEE

MOLLY

MOLLY & GEORGIA

MOM PEDRO & TICK

MOOSE

MOSES & SHAINEH

MR. WILSON

MUD

NIMBUS

OLIVE

OLIVER OSBORNE

OLIVIA COCOA BEAN

ORION

OSCAR

PEANUT

PEANUT

PEANUT

PEBBLES

PENELOPE

PENN & DAISY

PENNY & SANDY

RAMBO & GIDGET

PHOEBE

PINCH

PIPER PENNY

PIPER

PIPPA

PITA WHITE

PRETTY GIRL

QUIAN

RALPH

REMY

REX

RICHELLE’S BABY

RILEY

ROCKY

ROSE

ROSE MCSWAN

ROXY

RUGER

SADIE

SAKE SAN

PETEY

MONICA & MIA

NATALIE’S BDAY

MOON PIE & APPLE PIE

NILA WAFER

SAMMY

SAM SMITH

SANDY

SAPP

SAWYER

SCARLETT

SCOTCH & LUNA

SCOUT DUBOSE

SCOUT

SEAMUS & DAISY

SEBASTIAN

SHANDI

SHATZ BABY

SHELBY

SHELBY

SHELDON

SHELTIE

SHENZI

SILAS

SOPHIE

SOPHIE

SPAZ

STALEY

STANLEY

STERLIN

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

SWEETEST GIRL

SWEET PEA

TAZ

THUMPER

TICK TURD

TIM’S PUPPY

TOBI

TOBY

TUCKER JAX

TULA BELLE

TYBEE

MARGO’S PUP

MARGO’S BABY

MS. FLETCHER’S PUP

VEGAS HARRIS

VOODOO

WILL & JAKE

WILLOW

WINNIE

WINSTON

YADI

YODA

ZETA

ZOE

ZUKA

TIGER SMITH

Brooklyn is a white Bulldog mix who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to love you. She loves so hard that her tail could do some damage to items on a low-lying coffee table. She enjoys dressing up for special occasions, and pink is her favorite color.

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M . K AT

Furry fashion

F E AT U R I N G T H E A D O P TA B L E A N I M A L S O F T H E H I LTO N H E A D H U M A N E A S S O C I AT I O N A L L C L OT H I N G A N D AC C E S S O R I E S P R OV I D E D B Y TA I L - W I G G L E S I N T H E V I L L AG E AT W E X F O R D

Frost is a 64-pound hound with soulful eyes that will steal your heart. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only two years old but seemed all grown up when it came to strutting his stuff for the camera.

Posey is a voluptuous calico whose owner was too sick to care for her any longer. She just wants to sit on your lap and binge-watch Downton Abbey with you.

Cinnamon is a stunning brindle Greyhound mix with the biggest ears we’ve ever seen. She could be an Ohio fan…but that’s for her future owner to decide. At only eight months, she’s an energetic baby at 47 pounds.

Ella is a Beagle mix with a nose for anything delicious. She especially loves blueberry muffins, as we discovered at our photo shoot. She’s 38 pounds and almost three years old.

Rocky is a four-year-old Husky/Corgi mix, weighing in at a manageable 56 pounds. He is quite dapper in this fresh polka dot bowtie with detachable matching leash. He comes to the shelter by way of the Beaufort County Animal Shelter. Who could give away that sweet smiling face?

Caprice is an energetic Shepherd mix at just over two years old. The yellow rain jacket really matches her sunny disposition. She never stops smiling.

Shamu is a special needs Siamese kitty who is about 10 years old. She had surgery on her lower jaw to remove a cancerous tumor, which is why she looks as if she’s sticking her tongue out at you. Shamu may be a messy eater, but that doesn’t make her any less lovable.

Article by Ben Parker, DVM

RED

I

thought I would share a story I love to tell that maybe led me to my love of all creatures wild: my story of “Big Red,” whom I named after Secretariat, the greatest race horse to ever live. Big Red was a red tailed hawk brought to Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine way back in the 1980s. Auburn had a Raptor Center, which received injured birds of prey from the Southeastern United States. Seems Red was loved too much by a kind soul and was imprinted at a young age and determined to be unreleasable.

I was assigned to take care of Red as a student. He was very tame, and I enjoyed his eagerness for a dead white mouse like I would for a cheeseburger after a long day. We became close friends.

I was told that he was un-releasable because of his human bond and inability to hunt and survive on his own. I looked at this perfectly healthy animal and thought this decision was nonsense. Maybe I was wrong, as I was an inexperienced vet student with no real knowledge, but maybe I possessed just a bit of Kentucky common sense and intuition.

As I was on dairy rotation that took me out to some back pastures to gather the rambling and not particularly interested cows to milk at 4 a.m., I had this great idea to bring Red out for some fresh air. I had these big tan leather gloves on to allow him

to perch without puncturing my forearms as we called the cows in to milk.

Red was fine with the fresh air, but eventually he decided to fly around as darkness turned to dawn. His short flights at first concerned me, as I was responsible for his care and thought I would be in great danger for punishment if he flew off. I was told repeatedly by my wiser elders that he was totally dependent, so I thought nothing of his short forays.

One morning he came back so excitedly with this huge white rat between his talons. He could hunt! He could survive independently! He had no need to be cared for by me or stay enclosed within a protective cage!

I told no one at school as I was afraid I would get into trouble for allowing this bird to escape and die without my help and the help of other students. But I knew Red did not want our help or depend on our food, and I was actually depressed that he had been forced to depend upon us. He wanted his freedom, and he proved to me he could earn it and deserved it. Imprinting was not a lifelong sentence. People should listen and keep an open mind.

Apparently, years before, several large white lab rats either escaped or were released by a sympathetic vet student.

They populated and must have filled the fields of those dairy farms behind the vet school. They must have been an easy target against the background of that red Alabama clay as Red had no problems learning or relearning his trade. I always looked at it as shooting ducks out of a pond. Nonetheless, Red built confidence.

I told no one of my or Red’s exploits.

In 1989, I graduated and it was wonderful

and sad. I was not sure how to say goodbye to Red after two short years of friendship and training. I was unsure of who trained whom.

I decided two weeks prior to my graduation to “accidentally” leave his cage door unlocked. I was fairly confident that he would survive, and with all those white rats running around in the dairy pasture, surely he would. I left Auburn to start my own life—fend for myself and survive—whatever my future held for me, much like Red. In 1999, I went back to Auburn for my 10-year reunion. I had a successful practice and young family of my own.

I decided to walk back to that old dairy field just for old times’ sake. My wife and kids were back at the hotel eating brunch.

Out of habit more than anything, and the fact that no one was around, I whistled for big Red just because I could. Believe it or not, 10 years later, he came flying out of a tree line and circled around me. He did not come to me, and I could not be sure, but I looked around and there was not a white rat to be found around. He was free, and he made a good life. I think I made a difference, even way back then.

Ben Parker, DVM practices veterinary medicine at Coastal Veterinary Clinic in Bluffton, SC.

FAREWELL FRIEND to a

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o love and be loved by an animal is quite possibly one of life’s greatest joys. For many people, the bond they share with their pets is as powerful as any relationship they have known.

If you are a pet owner who thinks of and refers to your fur baby as your child or best friend, you are not alone.

One of the most difficult questions you will face someday is how and when to say goodbye to your beloved pet. We all wish for our animal companions the same peaceful passing we hope for ourselves: to simply go to sleep and wake up in heaven.

Unfortunately, for people and pets, the reality of aging, illness and death often paints a starkly different picture. So how do you know when it’s time to intervene?

Sometimes it’s clear that it’s time to let your friend go. You just know. He doesn’t eat or he can’t control his bodily functions.

Maybe all he can do is lie there. And due to his illness or age, you know that none of this will get any better. It’s a heartbreaking situation, but it can make the decision easier or at least more straightforward.

But sometimes the signals are mixed. An animal that has severe arthritis can seem happy, even if his joints have given out and he can no longer walk. This is a gray area for a pet parent and must be pondered from a place of truth, love and compassion for the animal. It may also depend on how much time and energy you are willing to devote to making the pet comfortable and helping him get around.

According to Stacey Levin DVM, local veterinarian and owner of Mobile Pet Vet, the decision to end a pet’s life often comes down to a judgment call that only you can make. “It’s a quality of life issue, and it is subjective to each person,” she said. “The pet owner knows what the pet’s quality of life is. If there is an underlying disease that can be treated, we can get them feeling better, and there are many medications that can make the pet comfortable.

But there comes a point when you don’t want them to suffer.”

Curtis Hennessy, DVM, owner of Plantation Animal Hospital on Hilton Head Island, says that it boils down to living vs. existing.

Three considerations can help you determine where your pet’s quality of life stands. The first is the ability to do things that have always brought the animal pleasure and happiness, such as play ball, run in the yard, jump up on the bed… “That’s the first thing we sort of lose in our older pets,” he said. The second is the general enjoyment of nutrition—when the pet loses interest in food and treats or refuses to eat. Last is the enjoyment of affection—when the animal stops responding to being petted or being loved on.

“Once you’ve lost all three of those things, your pet is merely existing and not getting the benefit of being around,” Hennessey said, emphasizing the importance of routine healthcare and preventive measures.

“As important as knowing when [to euthanize] is knowing what to do to hold that off as long as possible and to make their life comfortable, which means uncovering the disease before it’s obvious,” Hennessey said. “Nobody escapes the grim reaper, but we can hold him at bay for a while.”

Eventually, however, you may reach a point when treatments are no longer effective and there are simply no other remedies to try. At this stage, the stress of continued medical intervention

ARTICLE BY LINDA S. HOPKINS

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may actually be more damaging to your pet’s quality of life than no treatment at all. This is when you, as a loving, responsible pet owner, must make a gut-wrenching decision.

It can be tempting, at this stage, to postpone the decision and “let nature take its course.” Before choosing that path, remember that you have altered the course of nature since the beginning by ensuring that your pet has food and shelter and is protected from predators. And by providing medical treatment, you have prolonged his life far beyond what could have been expected otherwise. Even if you choose to allow the pet to die on its own in the comfort of your home, nature doesn’t guarantee an easy passing.

According to Levin, she will not dictate the timing or urge a client to put the pet to sleep. “I consult with people, but I leave it up to the owner. If I can see that the pet is really ill and not going to get better, I can agree with them. I will say, ‘I think you’re doing the right thing.’”

Levin provides mobile pet services, so she performs euthanasia in the client’s home. “At home in the pet’s own environment is a calmer, nicer way to do it. They are not afraid. They kind of know that I’m there to help them instead of going into a cold clinic with a table,” she said.

According to Hennessey, he and most area vets will also perform at-home euthanasia. “For most clients, it is the preferred way to go—send him to the other side without any inconvenience on the animal’s part.”

While euthanasia is a common task for veterinarians, they say it’s never easy. “Unfortunately, one thing that we never address in our education is grief. When I went to school, it was just something you were expected to handle,” Hennessey said. “It’s one thing that we are all guaranteed to experience, but we are never taught what to expect. [As a veterinarian] you have to know math and science, but it’s important to know something about grief since you’re going to encounter that.”

“It can be difficult,” Levin agreed. “Sometimes it’s really emotional, especially if I’ve known the pet for a long time or if the owners are extremely upset. But I do so much of it, I feel like I’m helping the animals and the people. I deal with it by writing stories about pets and people on my blog [thelowcountryveterinarian. com]. That helps. And sometimes we have little ceremonies, and it’s kind of nice to participate in that with the client.”

“I try to focus on the positives of that animal’s life and how fortunate that animal was to be loved by somebody,” Hennessey said. “This is actually the last kind act that we can do, and there’s a lot to be said for being with your best friend when he leaves the earth. It’s an unpleasant thing that we have to do, but I want to make it as pleasant as possible. I know that my patients are feeling really, really good on their way out of town.”

FAREWELL FRIEND to a

EUTHANASIA: What to expect

The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek terms “eu,” meaning good and “thanatos,” meaning death. A good death is one that occurs without pain or distress. Making the decision to euthanize your pet is an enormous act of selfless love, and you can rest assured that, while painful for you, the actual process is painless and peaceful for your pet.

Most veterinarians will administer an initial tranquilizer or sedative to relax your pet. You can spend time with your friend, petting, soothing, and saying goodbye as the pet goes into a state of unconsciousness, much like the effects of anesthesia. The second injection stops the heart quickly— usually within 10 seconds. The animal’s eyes remain open and it may urinate or defecate following death. Some gasp or twitch. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these are normal, mechanical responses— reflexes that do not indicate pain or distress.

Whether you euthanize at the veterinarian’s office or at home, you will have the option of cremation or burial. If you bury your pet, make sure that you are within the local law and any land ordinances or neighborhood covenants that may apply.

If cremation is your choice, you can opt for private or mass cremation. In private cremation, the cremation facility only incinerates one pet at a time. Mass cremations, on the other hand, involve the cremation of several animals. In case of mass or communal pet cremation, more often than not, the ashes are not returned to the owner or you may receive mixed cremains of multiple animals.

Area residents who prefer private cremation can arrange to have The Island Funeral Home & Crematory pick up the animal from your home or veterinarian’s office. The cost is $275, which includes a certificate of cremation and an urn which may be used for burial. For more information, call (843) 681-4400 or visit theislandfuneralhome.com.

After the handling of your pet’s remains, you may also wish to have a small funeral or memorial service to honor the life you shared. You may also want to visit rainbowsbridge. com, a virtual memorial home and grief support community.

GRIEVING YOUR LOSS

It is as natural and necessary to grieve for the loss of a pet as it is for any loved one who dies, and it is important to have compassion and support in your time of grief. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) provides numerous resources, including comfort and support at the time of euthanasia, help with grieving the loss, advice on dealing with children, the elderly or disabled individuals who are facing a death of a companion animal, advice for helping the surviving animals in the household to cope, and more. For information, visit aspca. org/pet-care/pet-loss or call the ASPCA Pet Loss Hotline at (877) GRIEF-10.

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his year Santa brought everyone healthy presents—including the dogs. Our black lab named Lefty and pit bull mix named Harlan celebrated Christmas with their very own copy of The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook from the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company, a husband and wife business that focuses on wholesome food for Fido.

Both my girls (my three daughters ages four, six and seven) and my “boys” (the dogs) dedicated an entire rainy day to reading the cookbook, rounding up the ingredients, baking and testing.

Our top three picks were “Energy Barks” (with molasses, rolled oats and granola), “Ohm These Are Good” (with pumpkin puree and cinnamon) and “Dragon Slayers” (with parsley, applesauce and mint to ward off bad breath). All these recipes also called for organic oat flour, brown rice flour, one egg and water. Additional recipes required other equally on-hand ingredients like peanut butter, honey, bananas, tomato paste or a ground protein (preferably organic and antibiotic-free).

When it comes to feeding man’s best friend, some of the top human food allergens—like wheat (gluten), soy and corn—are also problematic for pooches. Yet, eliminating inflammatory ingredients can be tricky for many pet owners, especially since many dog foods contain wheat, soy and corn as primary nutritional components or fillers. Many of the most common brands leave consumers asking, “Where’s the beefed up nutrition?” Purina One® Smart Blend’s first four listed ingredients are “turkey, corn gluten meal, soy flour and animal fat preserved with mixed tocopherols.” Kibbles ’n Bits® Bistro Meal contains (in order) first corn soybean meal, then meat and bone meal and ground wheat. And what about some of the higher-end grocery store brands? Iams® Large Breed Proactive Health’s leading ingredients are chicken, cornmeal, ground whole grain sorghum and “chicken by product.” Even celebnamed brands like Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® and Newman’s Own Organic Premium Dog Food®, which market themselves as being canine health

conscious, include soy and/or corn. (In fact, the only two dog foods in the pet aisle that I could find that did not contain wheat, corn and or soy were EVOLVE and Nutrisca®—two companies I have never heard of, and I’ve had one dog or another since childbirth.)

Of course, not all dogs are allergic to wheat, soy and corn, and Dr. Jennifer Meade of Plantation Animal Hospital says she has nothing against these ingredients unless they are truly problematic for your pup. According to PetEducation.com by Drs. Foster and Smith, food allergies account for about 10 percent of all the allergies seen in dogs and is the third most common cause, after flea bite allergies and atopy (inhalant allergies). Food allergies generally account for 20 percent of the causes of itching and scratching in dogs.

Meade recommends the following steps to determine if your dog has a food allergy: • Look for alerts. Ear problems, especially chronic ear problems, are mostly associated with a food allergy. Vomiting and diarrhea are usually not associated with a food allergy.

• Take note of your dog’s behavior. Chewing and itching are also indicators.

• Evaluate all intake. Not only should you rethink your pet food, but also treats like milk bones and any leftovers you are feeding your dog.

• Consider an elimination diet. Plantation Animal Hospital recommends a 12-week course of either hypoallergenic or limited ingredient food. (They carry both Royal Canin® and Science Diet®.)

• Consult your veterinarian.

More and more consumers—whether they are buying for their pet or themselves—are barking up the gluten-free and or grain-free tree. And as diets like the Elimination Diet and Whole30 Plan gain momentum, many wellnessminded people are thinking twice before they take another bite of soy or corn.

As a previous sufferer of chronic inflammation, my diet is void of wheat, corn and soy, as well as legumes, artificial sweeteners and cow’s milk. Furthermore, as a holistic health coach, one of the first recommendations I make for someone struggling with an inflammatory response (whether it is chronic pain or digestive issues) is a close look at their diet, and I often recommend eating non-processed foods like organic fruits, vegetables and protein.

With the New Year and its resolutions nipping at our heels, I find it interesting that while we might be hyper-focused on what we put on our plates, we sometimes forget to think about what we put into our furry companions’ bowls. I have seen the wonders whole foods do for my wellbeing, and I know that Lefty and Harlan are wagging their tails with their new organic, wholesome treats.

Becca Edwards is a certified birth doula, holistic health coach, yoga and Barre instructor, writer/blogger, and owner of b.e.WELL+b.e.CREATIVE (bewellbecreative.com).

Energy Barks INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cup oat flour 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant) 1/2 cup granola (no raisins) 1 egg 1/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

Roll into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (they can be close together as they do not spread while cooking). Press each one down with your hands to flatten the cookies.

Bake 18-22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature in a loosely covered container. *You can also substitute gluten-free flour mix or almond flour, which is grain-free, for the oat and brown rice flour.

Recipe courtesy of The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook by the Bubba Rose Biscuit Co.

ò HE R IS ITNE E T H C LAUG MEDI BEST

a therapy dog hile many people have dogs that they love, some have been blessed with dogs that have specific temperament, behavior and obedience skills that may make them suitable to volunteer with their owners in the community. What a wonderful benefit—to have both person and dog give back to those who need them.

A therapy dog is a dog that, once trained and certified, can be taken to assisted living facilities, hospitals, rehab centers, residential communities, after school centers, schools and the like. There are differentiations as to where the dog and owner may visit based upon the level of training and testing of the dog.

I am told all the time, “My dog loves people.” Unfortunately that is not the only qualification for a therapy dog. While it is essential that your dog seek the attention and affection from strangers, it is just not that easy. So what are we looking for in evaluating a dog and its owner for this rewarding and demanding community volunteerism?

Owners must have good communication skills, empathy, patience and enjoy being around other people who need both their attention as well as their dog’s attention.

Therapy dogs can visit the lonely, elderly, injured, infirm, dying, disabled, stressed, children and more. A dog or owner who stresses easily and is nervous or anxious is not a suitable candidate.

There must be an exceptional bond between owner and dog, as they are a team in the enjoyment of pleasing others. Often the dog is a link between the one being visited and the owner, opening up communication, sometimes verbal, other times just by a touch or a look.

The dog must be trained to loose-leash walk by the owner’s side, under control, on a six-foot leash. Regular collar and non-moveable harnesses are acceptable—no clothing or retractable leashes or choke chains. The dog must also know basic commands such as sit, stay, lie down, leave it, focus and come. The dog cannot be an incessant jumper.

If a dog knows most of these things but is not perfect, that is where training comes in. The first level of training is usually a Canine Good Citizen class, which is offered by many local dog trainers. It is an AKC program leading to a 10-part test at the end of the course. If your dog can already do everything on the test, then the test may be administered without classes. Free evaluations are generally offered to determine this as well as if you and your dog are candidates. Courses and testing range in price from $120-$150, with a $10 fee for the test.

Behaviors and temperament around strangers evaluated when trained and tested: • Is the dog willing to come and say hello without jumping?

• Can the dog sit quietly while being petted?

• Can the dog ignore people if no attention is in the offing?

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• How does the dog react to people using equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and the like?

• Can the dog walk up a hallway with many people and equipment and remain under an owner’s control while commands are given?

• Will the dog wait with a stranger without showing anxiety, barking, pulling etc. while the owner disappears for a short period of time?

• Is the dog desensitized to its natural reaction to sudden loud noises such as a metal bowl or can being dropped behind it?

• Can the dog execute commands such as sit, lie down, stay, and come in a new environment?

• Will the dog allow a stranger to handle its paws and brush and touch its body as if being examined and also for affection?

• Under an owner’s control on a leash, can the dog ignore other dogs as they pass by with other people and even stop as the other owner greets its owner? (This is the toughest)!

If you and your dog pass this rigorous testing and become CGC certified, you may, if you wish, join Hos-Pets, a division of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry (visiting Hospice is not a requirement but the not-for-profit group is an umbrella organization allowing locals to visit 17 area residential assisted living and rehab centers). You may also join the PAWS to Read program offered at the Bluffton and Hilton Head Boys and Girls Club and volunteer with kids that need help reading or just enjoy books and want to share their pleasure.

The next level after CGC is a therapy dog organization training and certification, which allows you to go to hospitals and also to tutor reading in public schools. There are a few groups including Therapy Dogs International (TDI), TD Inc., Pet Partners and Therapy Pets Unlimited that have similar testing. Not all are available locally.

Some of the additional requirements, depending on the group are: being tested in a group format rather than individually; appropriate reactions around active and noisy children; leaving human food and other tempting items alone that are on the ground or on a person’s lap.

At all levels, your dog must be brushed, clean and smelling fresh, and have its nails filed or dremeled, not just cut. *A therapy dog is not a service dog and does not have the right to accompany you to restaurants, hotels, trains etc.

Service dogs perform a medical support service for their owners, not for others, and are subject to different regulations.

For more information, please contact: Abby Bird at alphadogtrainingacademy@ gmail.com or call (843) 304-4327. www.celebratehiltonhead.com 49

LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY

d o g ARTICLE BY KENT THUNE

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hy can’t people be more like dogs? I ask myself this question often. The scientific answer is that we humans have a developed frontal lobe on our brains and dogs do not. And because of our frontal lobes, we can, among other things, plan for the future and feel a wide range of emotions. While our bigger-brain attributes can be advantageous abilities, at times they can also become defeating disabilities, especially when they present themselves in the form of anxiety about the future, or when we make emotional mountains out of life’s proverbial molehills.

Too often we humans find ourselves irritated with the present moment, as if it were a stumbling block to wherever we are heading. We live for the end of the day, the end of the week, the vacation, and the retirement. And if we have nothing to look forward to, we wish for the past. Therefore, we are either living for the future or dwelling in the past. But life can only take place in the present moment. And so we are never really living; we are only surviving.

But there is hope for us; people can be more like dogs. And all that is required to begin learning from them is to simply observe and apply the lessons to our own lives, to be the people that our dogs see in us. You can begin your canine correction by reading five of many lessons I’ve learned from my dog:

1) The destination is the path: Live for today.

Go with the flow. Life is the journey itself. These are more than timeless pieces of wisdom; they are my dog’s perpetual state of being. He lives firmly in the present moment and is always engaged fully with life. He eats each meal as if it were his last; he plays as if he’d never played before; he sleeps often and deeply; he smells everything as if he just received his nose today; and his affection is consistently more intense than that of a young couple in love. Living in the present moment comes naturally for dogs.

Fortunately our bigger brains provide the capacity to be more like them by remaining conscious of our self-defeating behaviors, and to manage them, if we are simply willing to put our brains, or rather our minds, to the task. Therefore, short of having a frontal lobotomy, we humans must maintain an awareness of our flawed tendencies to keep them from removing us from the present moment, where life is happening. Life really is about the journey.

Like my dog, we can care less about where we are going and soak in every square inch of life’s path as we walk it.

2) Spend more time off of the leash: My dog walks the metaphorical path of the present moment, but he also loves his favorite physical destination: the park. This is because, when we arrive, he knows he will be off the leash. As we come closer to any one of Hilton Head Island’s many parks, I can’t help but smile when my dog starts to yelp gleefully as he recognizes familiar smells and surroundings. His excitement builds until it explodes into what I believe to be a dog’s form of uncontrollable laughter. When the leash comes off, he does a kind of freedom dance and jumps around like a happy lunatic. After he runs and plays himself out, he’ll complete his experience by finding a spot in the sun, preferably in the dirt, to soak in more rays of happiness and breathe in more precious earth. On these park visits, I believe I am observing in my dog’s behavior the physical manifestation of the same thing the human spirit does when it is free and acting authentically. It is the same range of feelings we humans experience when we go on vacation. The heart sings and the mind harmonizes. We engage in some combination of play, laughter and relaxation; we can be ourselves when we remove the proverbial leash of the external world. But there is no need to travel or to go on an elaborate vacation to return to maintain a healthy contentment with life. Make more time to step away from the desk, the computer, the TV, and the hand-held devices and go to your favorite getaway. Spend more time off of life’s leashes.

3) Simplicity and moderation are the greatest of virtues: The life of a dog is naturally simple, the life of a human, unnecessarily complex. At any given point in the day, while I’m busy making life more complex than necessary, I might look at my dog and sarcastically say, “Boy, you have a tough life.” He looks at me curiously, as if to reply with the question, “Why do you make yours so difficult?” It’s too common and too easy for us to get caught up

in the fast pace and the challenging complexities of what we call the real world. And ironically, our remedies for these sources of stress are not to slow down and make things more simple, but nearly the opposite. We think that life can be made more enjoyable if we have more stuff— more money, more clothes, and more square footage. And if we are not able to obtain more material things, we create lists of things to accomplish later. However, improvement is not a matter of addition but one of subtraction. Stress comes from the clutter of life and the remedy is to remove the clutter. The first item on the bucket list should be to empty the bucket. And an integral aspect of simplicity is moderation. Just observe the dog: Eat and exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, take naps, and try to play as hard as you work. Simplicity and moderation are at the core of every enduring health regimen.

4) The smile is the source of joy: From my desk I have a clear view of the front door and I often enjoy observing my dog greet my wife and kids when they come home from various outings during the day. No matter the time

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of separation, whether it is two minutes or two hours, he welcomes them as if it had been two years. After observing how my family’s faces lit up as a result of my dog’s warm salutations, and fully knowing how it feels to receive his greetings, it occurred to me that I should join him and form a welcoming committee of sorts. The effects have been immeasurably positive. This lesson reminds me of something the Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, once said: “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Greeting others with a smile has an infectious and reciprocal effect. Therefore don’t just smile because you are happy; make yourself and others happy by smiling. Try it and experience the joy for yourself.

5) Nothing is more important than the pack: What makes dogs such wonderful friends? After giving this question a few moments of thought (or after reading this story), it is not difficult, even for the non-dog owner, to understand why the common qualities in dogs are worthy of more than just our admiration, but also of our imitation. Dogs are perpetually in our corner—the highest of attributes we look for in the best of friends and the closest of family members. Like their wolf ancestors, dogs are pack animals. In human terms, this translates to putting the most important people (and animals) in our lives first. This pack mentality is essentially how dogs so quickly became our friends, and how they often become much more than that. My dog is my family. He lives for us and I know he would die for us as well. This intense and unwavering love and loyalty is at the core of the human admiration of dogs and it is the underlying reason they have earned the status of “man’s best friend.”

Kent Thune lives with his family and his dog, Kenai, on Hilton Head Island.

When he’s not spending time with them, he runs an independent money management firm. You can find Kent’s musings on mind, money and mastery of life online at TheFinancialPhilosopher.com or you can follow him on Twitter @ThinkersQuill.

FEBRUARY 2015

MEET THE

DOCTORS A PEEK AT THE PERSON BEHIND THE MEDICAL DEGREE

NAME: Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS AFFILIATION: Bluffton Center for Dentistry and Beaufort Family Dentistry

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERTISE?

FIELD

OF

Periodontist, Licensed and Certified in LANAP protocol, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner WHERE DID YOU STUDY MEDICINE? Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and the University of Maryland School of Graduate Dentistry AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A PHYSICIAN, AND WHY? When I was a freshman in college I had a part-time job working with various dentists in the Washington DC area. What they did for their patients inspired me, and I pursued a career in dentistry.

TELL US ABOUT THE BEST DAY YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR; THE DAY THAT MADE YOU KNOW YOU HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. Once I learned about the healing benefits of the LANAP protocol and the overall health benefits of an ancestral/primal diet, I knew that I was able to share cuttingedge concepts with my patients to assist them in their overall health and well-being. This has changed the lives of many of my patients, and it has significantly improved my personal health.

IF YOU HAD SOME “HEALTHFUL” ADVICE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Make healthy food choices and healthy lifestyle choices to improve your overall health and the health of your mouth.

IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN? I probably would have been an educator in the healthcare field.

NAME: Richard F. Porcelli, DDS AFFILIATION: Bluffton Center for Dentistry and Beaufort Family Dentistry WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE? Cosmetic General Dentist WHERE DID YOU STUDY MEDICINE? NYU College of Dentistry, NY Methodist Hospital Advanced Dental Residency and Dawson Academy.

IF YOU HAD SOME “HEALTHFUL” ADVICE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Choose to be healthy! Educate yourself about nutrition and the foods you eat, be active, get adequate sleep, and practice prevention through good home care.

IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN? Fashion Designer or Chef BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE: Marrying my beautiful wife and starting a family with her.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Positano, Italy –Amalfi Coast BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN: Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life. Don’t let negative people steal your energy just because they’ve lost theirs. Instead, surround yourself with positive people who can inspire and bring out the best in you.

FAVORITE BOOK AND MOVIE: Book: The Great Gatsby Movie: La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful)

NAME: Oswald Lightsey Mikell, MD AFFILIATION: Dermatology Associates of the Lowcountry WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE? Dermatology and Mohs Micrographic Surgery WHERE DID YOU STUDY MEDICINE? Dr. Mikell holds an AB degree in International Relations from Brown University and is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, serving his internship and residency in dermatology at Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego, CA. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A PHYSICIAN AND WHY?

When I was getting ready to get out of the Navy. I changed from International Banking to Medicine. I asked myself a series of questions about my future …. goals, aptitudes and the future of business vs. law vs. medicine and the types of clients/patient relationships that I could experience in my career.

TELL US ABOUT THE BEST DAY YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR; THE DAY THAT MADE YOU KNOW YOU HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. The day that I finished my rotation on Dermatology as a medical student.

IF YOU HAD SOME “HEALTHFUL” ADVICE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Protect yourself from unnecessary sun exposure.

IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN? International Banking.

Dr. Mikell is double board certified by the American Board of Dermatology and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. He has been practicing dermatology in Beaufort, Jasper and Colleton counties since 1982, and is a leader in the field of Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Dr. Mikell holds an AB degree in International Relations from Brown University and is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, serving his internship and residency in dermatology at Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego, CA. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for Mohs Surgery and the American College of Phlebology. He is past president of the South Carolina Dermatology Association and has been a trustee, secretary and treasurer of the South Carolina Medical Association. In May of 2008, he was awarded “Dermatologist Of The Year”, by the South Carolina Dermatologic Association.

NAME: Andrew Sainz Binamira, MD AFFILIATION: OneCare Clinic, LLC WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE? “Doctors for Adults”. I consider an Internist the “gatekeeper” for the patients.

Prevention is always a main concern for the Internist as well.

WHERE DID YOU STUDY MEDICINE? I obtained both my undergraduate degree and my Doctorate in Medicine at the Top Universities in the Philippines. I went to do my residency training in Internal Medicine at Atlantic City Medical Center in New Jersey, an affiliate of UMDNJ and Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia. During my final year of training, I was chosen to be Chief Resident.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A PHYSICIAN AND WHY? Since High School, I wanted to become a plastic surgeon, but when I got more interaction with patients, I decided that a career in Internal Medicine was written for me.

I love taking care of the geriatric population and taking care of chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and all sorts of cancers.

TELL US ABOUT THE BEST DAY YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR; THE DAY THAT MADE YOU KNOW YOU HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. This would have to be when a patient practically died in front of me here in Hilton Head. He was dead for two minutes 16 seconds. That was how long he was in Ventricular Fibrillation, the number one cause of death when someone has a heart attack. I did CPR, shocked him and he was revived! He ended up having by-pass surgery that very same day. Today he is still very much alive and kicking!

IF YOU HAD SOME “HEALTHFUL” ADVICE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? STOP SMOKING! It is the number one reversible cause of heart disease, strokes and ALL kinds of cancers. If you’re not a smoker, I am sure you know someone.

Help them stop. If you have a relative who smokes, make them stop. Give them no excuses.

IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN? That’s easy. I would be a Chef. “Chef Doc” would be my moniker. As they say, “You are what you eat”. And that is as true as it gets. Our OneCare Clinic website will have healthy tips on healthy eating. We live in Hilton Head where there are a ton of restaurants, it’s a matter of picking which food is the healthier choice. It’s all a matter of choice.

NAME: Audrey Klenke, M.D. AFFILIATION: Pinnacle Plastic Surgery, Bluffton

WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE? I am a plastic surgeon, dedicated to helping both children and adults. I perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries, caring for trauma patients as well as helping people turn back the hands of time. I love using my hands to sculpt the body. Seeing a part of the body morph before my eyes never ceases to amaze me. It’s a dynamic career, and I value every moment.

WHERE DID YOU STUDY MEDICINE? The University of Cincinnati - Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE A PHYSICIAN, AND WHY? I worked at a psychiatric hospital in college and found myself intrigued by the role of the physicians. I was also inspired by my grandmother, who worked as a nurse for over 50 years. My grandfather further instilled in me the importance of contributing to the advancement of medicine by his selfless decision to donate his body to the medical school I attended.

TELL US ABOUT THE BEST DAY YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR; THE DAY THAT MADE YOU KNOW YOU HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. Honestly, almost every day reaffirms my choice to become a plastic surgeon. Seeing patients feel better, whether the cancer is gone or they have been restored to a former youth, brightens up my day. Every surgeon has patients they will never forget, and I will cherish these relationships always. So, I suppose it wasn’t a moment in time when I knew. It’s the patients who remind me over and over that this is what I was meant to do.

IF YOU HAD SOME “HEALTHFUL” ADVICE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? It’s important to be comfortable with your doctor. It should be a relationship built on trust and understanding. I also encourage patients to embrace cosmetic surgery as vitality, not vanity. Research shows that individuals who feel confident about how they look have higher levels of circulating endorphins (our “feelgood” hormones). It’s important to recognize the balance between looking good and feeling good.

IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER CAREER, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN? I have always been drawn to animals and photography, so the career of a wildlife photographer is very appealing to me. I’m constantly taking photos of my two dogs and other Lowcountry critters.

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‘acus,’ meaning “needle,” and ‘punctura,’ meaning “to puncture.” Local acupuncturist, Cheryl McCarthy, LAC of Ageless Acupuncture in Okatie, describes acupuncture as “the insertion of needles through the skin at acupuncture points on the body in an attempt to treat the bodily dysfunction or diseases, to modify or prevent pain perception, and to normalize the body’s physiological functions.”

According to McCarthy most of her patients seek acupuncture therapy for pain management. However, acupuncture has countless benefits, including reducing inflammation, balancing the body’s energy, inducing relaxation, stress reduction and assisting with the recovery of stoke victims, to name a few. Furthermore, the World Health Organization has recognized acupuncture as an effective treatment for mild depression.

Traditional acupuncture can involve a variety of treatments including heat therapy or moxibustion,

“There must be something to acupuncture—you never see any sick porcupines.”

—Bob Goddard

I L L I S

ou do not have to be well-versed on qi (lifeenergy) and meridians (the path through which qi flows) to enjoy and reap the benefits of acupuncture. Stepping into the unknown can sometimes be daunting, but acupuncture has an amazing way of helping you relax, even in the face of the unknown. From pain management and migraine relief to reduced stress and improved sleep, acupuncture aims at the domino effect that occurs in the body when even one thing is out of whack; it works to put the whole body back in harmony with itself.

Consider the river analogy: Rivers naturally clean the environment, but what happens if the rivers get clogged?

It is the same thing with our bodies. It is amazing how, if we really look at our ailments, most are connected or related in some way. Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses this whole body connectedness.

The word acupuncture comes from the Latin words

ARTICLE BY DONNA PEGANO

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adies, when “it” is painful, or you’re experiencing uncomfortable pressure or leaking “down there,” don’t ignore it. “It” has a name: the pelvic floor—the muscles that attach your abdomen to the pelvis. The pelvic floor provides support for the bladder, intestines and uterus, and is vital for continence of urine and fecal material as well as a healthy sex life. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a disorder of the muscles and nerves in this area, and just as a bad knee, painful shoulder or a severe headache would cause you to seek medical attention, pelvic floor dysfunction requires the same.

Unfortunately, an alarming number of women struggle silently with pelvic floor dysfunction, largely out of embarrassment. If only these women knew how common it is, and how easy and successful most treatment is for these symptoms, more of them would seek medical help. In many cases, pelvic floor dysfunction may be completely resolved with physical therapy, avoiding medications and surgical procedures altogether.

Therapy may include stretches, strengthening, manual tissue release, massage or biofeedback. Biofeedback is a research-based strengthening treatment that involves a sensor being attached to the body, which allows it to receive information about the ability to use the targeted muscles. It’s a way to “coach” your pelvic floor into working properly and is a highly effective form of treatment for many pelvic floor dysfunctions.

So ladies, don’t wait for your healthcare provider to ask about your pelvic floor, and please don’t be afraid to address any issues you’re experiencing with him or her. The more informed your provider, the faster you will be on the road to recovery! Remember, “it” has a name, and it is NOT taboo!

Donna Pagano is a licensed physical therapist at Horizon Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine.

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ttention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known for its hallmark symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, but the impact of ADHD reaches much further. It affects a person’s ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and manage time. ADHD also affects a person’s ability to get started on a task and sustain attention long enough to complete the task. This is especially true when a task or project is tedious, mundane, or boring.

Parents of ADHD kids often complain about how their children fail to complete chores and homework.

Similarly, ADHD adults struggle to complete these types of tasks. They may start a task, but switch to another task before the first task is done. This is because the ADHD brain seeks out novelty. When faced with a boring task, the brain literally seeks out distractions. This often leads to untouched or unfinished tasks.

It is, however, possible to get things done with ADHD. When ADHDers understand how their brains work, they can create strategies and systems that help them tackle their to-do list. Here are some strategies to help you get things done: Don’t be a perfectionist. Perfectionism can create problems for both children and adults. It

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Imagine yourself as a rubberband ball, constantly bouncing in different directions. That’s how it feels to have ADHD.

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creates stress, which literally shuts down the brain. When it has to be perfect, it is unlikely to be done at all. Instead, focus on what’s good enough.

Focus on the positive. Acknowledge what you (or your child) did accomplish and what was done well. ADHDers get a lot of negative feedback throughout the day, so it is especially important to focus on the positive. This type of positive thinking provides motivation to do more.

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Create a checklist. ADHDers have a difficult time holding multiple tasks or steps in their working memory.

Make a checklist to ensure that all tasks or steps are accounted for. Then, focus on one thing at a time. Keep master checklists for recurring tasks and projects to save time and energy in the future.

Make it fun. ADHDers have a difficult time maintaining focus on mundane or boring tasks. When the task at hand does not provide enough stimulation, their brains will seek out stimulation from other sources, which leads to wandering attention and incomplete tasks.

Listen to music while you clean, watch a movie while you fold laundry, or try to make a game out of whatever task you are trying to tackle.

Complete an enjoyable task first. This may seem counterintuitive, because we are often told to do the boring tasks first and reward ourselves with the fun stuff later. However, engaging in something you are interested in first energizes the brain. This mental energy carries over to allow you to work on less interesting tasks. Just make sure you don’t get so wrapped up in the fun stuff that you neglect less interesting tasks.

Take Breaks. Honor your limits and take frequent breaks. When you start to feel mentally drained or you notice your attention starts to wander, take a quick walk or do some other physical activity. This gives your brain a rest and reenergizes you so you can get back to the task at hand. Another option is to take a few minutes and switch to a less tedious task. Whatever you do, make sure you return to the original task.

Schedule sprints. You can live through 15 minutes of a dreaded task, right? Get any necessary supplies together and set a timer. You’d be amazed what you can accomplish. You may even find that once you get started, you are motivated to continue. If not, that’s okay!

Schedule multiple sprints for large projects and chip away at them 15 minutes at a time.

Use a body double. A body double is another person who sits with you while you work on a project. The body double does not help or offer advice. He or she simply sits there and provides accountability to keep you on task.

The most important thing is to understand your own unique brain wiring. ADHD affects each person differently, and different strategies will work for different people. If you are struggling to figure out what strategies work for you, you may want to consider hiring an ADHD coach who can help you determine what will work best.

Ally Martin is an ADHD Life Coach and the founder of Attention Solutions. She uses a strengths-based approach to help adolescents and adults identify their goals, overcome obstacles, and create strategies to minimize ADHD symptoms. For more information, visit attention-solutions.com.

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ARTICLE BY DR. ANDREW BINAMIRA

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am an Internal Medicine physician practicing here on Hilton Head Island.

I moved here in 2010 from South Dakota. I can still remember the 24hour drive from De Smet, South Dakota to Iowa to Kansas to Atlanta and finally crossing the Intracoastal bridge that evening in December. I have enjoyed this beautiful island as a place to live and a place to build my medical practice.

In September of 2014, I decided to start my own practice: OneCare Clinic.

This was not an easy task. Let me tell you my journey.

I’ve always been an employed physician since after my training. As an employed physician, you have all the work done for you. You sign the contract, move in and everything else is in place.

All you do is start seeing patients. If it’s your own clinic/business, you have do everything, and I mean everything.

I have been trained in the top schools and residency training facilities, where they teach us the medical aspects of being a doctor, i.e. taking care of patients in the ER, the hospital, the clinic and the nursing home. This part of medicine, is second nature to me.

This is what I breath and live. However, doing the “business” side of medicine is a totally different ballgame. This, I was not prepared for, nor was it taught in medical school or residency training.

From naming the clinic, to applying for licenses, to finding the perfect building, to getting the phone system, fax numbers, PO boxes, to choosing the right bank to work with, the perfect accountant who is well-versed in the

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business side of medicine, to hiring the lawyer who will make sure all the I’s are dotted and all the T’s are crossed, to getting credentialed with insurance companies, to finding the right plumber, painter, contractor to renovate the clinic space, and finally to assembling the perfect team to work with.

It’s has been quite a stressful time considering that I was doing all this while I continued to see my patients at my previous practice. I had less than two months to get this done. This was not easy, yet, I knew that there was a light at the end of that tunnel and all this would be over and I could start doing what I do best, which is taking care of patients and giving them the best care possible.

When I embarked on this journey in September last year, a start-up firm gave me a 65-point checklist of “things you need to do to start your own clinic.”

When I first went through this list, I was about to give up and call it quits. But quitting is not in my nature, so I went through them one by one and the next thing I knew, I was more than halfway through. Perseverance, patience and a lot of prayers have helped me achieve this endeavor—and most importantly, all the support I got from friends and colleagues and from my dear patients.

They all joined me, and we reached the end of the tunnel together.

November 10, 2014 came, and we opened OneCare Clinic, LLC. A good number of people came--friends, family, loved ones and most importantly, my loyal patients. It was a day I would not forget. We opened OneCare in less than

two months, and we could not have done it without all of you. This would not have been possible if not for my great staff: Qualisa, Hope and Joe. Thank you.

We are going into our third month and OneCare is doing very well.

Word-of-mouth from my patients and friends is the main way of getting our name out there and, of course, CH2 and CB2. The Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has also been very supportive. There are still a few kinks that we need to iron out, but like growing pains, we expect these. We learn from our mistakes and from our patients’ advice and recommendations.

We want OneCare to be your one-stop shop for your healthcare needs. We want to be your partners in healthcare, your advocates.

Our patients are the drivers and OneCare is the navigator. At OneCare, you can access your health records through the portal (internet), where you can make appointments, update your histories, see your records, refill meds, and communicate with our staff and, of course, with your healthcare provider, so that we can give you the top notch care that a stand-alone clinic usually cannot deliver.

We will continue to serve Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and the Beaufort community and be part of your healthcare needs. And remember always: “You’ll get the best care from OneCare because we care.”

Dr. Andrew Binamira is a Board Certified Internal Medicine physician with over 20 years of experience.

ADVANCEMENTS IN TREATMENT OF

GUM DISEASE

Eke, P.I.; Dye, B.A.; Wei, L.; Thornton-Evans, G.O.; Genco, R.J. Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010. JDR. 2012:10, 914-920. http://lanap.com/research.php

ARTICLE BY ALVIN H. DANENBERG, DDS

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y patient called me a day after her LANAP® procedure to let me know that she felt guilty, having taken a day off from work following her gum surgery. When I asked why, she replied, “Because, I had no pain or discomfort, and really could have gone back to work the next day—no problem!”

That is the type of comment I often hear from my patients following LANAP procedures.

LANAP stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. This is a cutting-edge laser protocol to treat advanced gum disease called periodontitis. This treatment does not require cutting the patient’s gums with a scalpel, nor does it require any stitches. As my patient stated, most go back to their normal routine the very next day.

Periodontitis is a chronic infection of the gum tissue surrounding the teeth as well as a destructive infection of the bone that supports the teeth in the jawbone. A recent study sponsored by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed stunning results: The prevalence of periodontitis in the U.S. adult population was 47 percent, and the prevalence of this destructive disease jumped to 70 percent for those age 65 and older.

Not only is periodontitis an infection of the gum tissue and bone surrounding the teeth, it is an infection that can spread to many other areas of the body. Some of the signs and

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symptoms of gum disease might be bleeding, swollen, red or receding gums, as well as bad breath and loose or sensitive teeth. Unfortunately, a person may have this infection but might not encounter any symptoms. The infection could be so deep that symptoms, which may have been a problem many years ago, are no longer an obvious problem. The disease may have gotten so deep that all the typical symptoms have subsided. Yet the infection is still there, only much deeper. The ultimate result could be abscesses, pain, loss of teeth, and spread of infection throughout the body.

There are various ways to treat this infection, but diagnosis is the first and most important step. Without a thorough examination by a trained dental professional, a person may never know if he or she has this disease until it is too late and the teeth cannot be saved. Once an infection was properly diagnosed, treatment could have begun.

Usually, patient-friendly treatment consists of removing the causes of the disease and then assisting the body to repair the gum and bone structures. Critically important is teaching the patient to make nutrient-dense food choices over the unhealthy ones. Changing to a healthier lifestyle can be a determining factor for disease returning in the future or not.

For the first 35 of my 41 years as a periodontist, I performed traditional periodontal surgery. Results were good, but for my patients, the healing process was uncomfortable. For the last five-plus years, I have been providing my patients, who require treatment for gum disease, the better option of LANAP. The LANAP protocol kills the offending infectious bacteria without harming the healthy gum, bone, or tooth and assists the patient’s ability to grow new bone where there was diseased bone from the infection. In combination with healthy changes in food choices, the body now has the increased ability to heal itself. I’m incredibly pleased with the results. Most important, my patients are pleased because their gum disease has been treated more comfortably, and they have much better results than conventional gum surgery.

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS is a periodontist and certified functional medicine practitioner at the Bluffton Center for Dentistry. www.celebratehiltonhead.com 75

lung cancer am nine years old and, for the third time this week, Mom is taking me and my three brothers to our cousins’ home all the way in town. I adore my cousins; we share everything with them. Thanksgiving is at their home; Christmas is at ours.

We take swim lessons together in the summer, and vacation together in the cabins at Goldhead Branch State Park—but three trips to town in one week? My Uncle Frank is Mom’s only brother. He loves to read, which is a good thing, because my aunt and my mother are librarians! I know he has been sick. We visited him in the hospital when he had surgery, and he has to wear a patch over one eye because he has double vision. When we arrive at their home, I run in to give him a hug. He is in bed. It is summer, and a white sheet is draped loosely over his legs. I can see one leg, all the way up to his hip, and it is very, very thin. An IV pole is in the room, and my aunt in putting medicine in the line. I stop, and suddenly I know that Uncle Frank is going to die. My six-, four- and one-year old-cousins will not have a father.

He is only 42 years old. I am in high school.

Juniors and seniors on honor roll have the privilege of leaving campus for the lunch hour. It is cool to smoke, and the lunch hour is frequently not just eating a sandwich but walking along the river bank with friends, bonding over cigarettes, plans for the weekend, and sports teams. I am not in this “in crowd” and, years later, reflect that I am grateful that my father threatened torture if he ever caught us smoking.

I finish reading a CT scan of the chest and go to share the results with the patient. He is 38 years old, looks young for his age, trim and obviously works out.

His wife is with him, beautiful with long auburn hair. They are a striking couple. I review the findings of the scan and my fear that he has lung cancer. They return many times over the next two years, often bringing their young daughter. They are so hopeful—so kind and so appreciative of all our efforts. But we cannot save him.

A 55-year old-woman is referred for a screening chest CT. She has no symptoms. I find a small tumor in the left lung and a tiny dot in the right lung.

The left lung mass is removed and is a stage 1 lung cancer. Six months later, the dot in the other lung has doubled in size, is removed and is also a stage 1 lung cancer. I see her annually, and after seven years, she is disease free and we joyfully hug. I am as thrilled as she!

All of these patients had lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women, more than prostate or breast cancer.

Eighty-five percent of smokers begin

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Article by Patricia Shapiro

Early detection and a Chance to Survive

lung cancer

b Late Stage, Unresectable Lung Cancer

b Early Stage 1 Lung Cancer, Potentially Curable

smoking before their sixteenth birthday. They are addicted before they know it is happening, and as adults, they are scared. They want to quit, but it is so hard. Even if they quit, they are still scared of the consequences of smoking, especially lung cancer. They fight the stigma of society viewing lung cancer as their fault for smoking. They should have known better; they should never have smoked. There is finally hope.

The difference between dying and the possibility of surviving lung cancer is early detection. Since Uncle Frank died in 1965, there was little hope for early detection until now. A large multicenter study has shown a 20 percent reduction in mortality from lung cancer for patients having an annual low dose screening chest CT. This means that four out of five patients diagnosed with a Low Dose Screening Chest CT will be alive in five years. It is the only way currently that stage 1 disease can be routinely detected. Prior studies with chest X-ray and sputum samples every six months did not detect lung cancer early enough to make a difference. The CT scan takes less than a minute, there is no injection, and private insurance plans as of January 1, 2015 must provide the scan as part of preventative services for patients ages 50-80 years with a 30-plus pack per year history of smoking. Medicare is expected to begin coverage within months, and every chest society in the United States has encouraged Medicare to do so. Even for patients not covered by insurance, the price has decreased and, in most centers, is less than $200. Low Dose Screening Chest CT—early detection—a chance to survive lung cancer.

Patricia Shapiro is a practicing diagnostic radiology doctor at Southcoast Imaging Center in Savannah, Georgia.

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he Bee Gees had it right. You should be dancing, doctors say. Polyester pants aside, it turns out all that hip shaking, finger pointing and hand spinning everyone was doing on the dance floor in the 1970s was actually good for your health.

Dancing strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body’s ability to use oxygen. Over time, it can help lower your blood pressure and improve your breathing.

“Anytime you move, you’re engaging your cardiovascular system and putting into motion a process that is both physically and mentally beneficial,” said Beaufort Memorial cardiologist Dr. David Harshman. “Dancing is the perfect cardiovascular exercise, because it doesn’t feel like exercise, so people are more likely to stick with it over time.”

Research suggests that 50 percent of those who begin an exercise program will drop out within six months. Dancing fares better since it’s as much a social activity as physical training.

“You don’t realize you’re exercising because you’re having so much fun,” said Armando Aseneta, co-owner of Hilton Head Island Fred Astaire Dance Studio. “But you sweat and burn calories just like you do at the gym.”

Not ready to dance like John Travolta? Try the foxtrot, chacha, swing, salsa or shag. Even slow dances like the waltz offer cardiac benefits.

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In one study, people with mild to moderate heart failure who took up waltzing improved their heart health, breathing and quality of life significantly compared to those who biked or walked on a treadmill for exercise. Specifically, dancers showed an 18 percent improvement in oxygen use compared to 16 percent for the traditional exercise group.

“The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week,” said Beaufort Memorial cardiologist Dr. Stuart Smalheiser, a regular at the Dance for Your Health events. “Dancing can certainly fit into that. It improves your cardiovascular fitness and helps reduce stress.”

Dancing also burns body fat, improves coordination and helps keep muscles toned. Because dance movements are multidirectional, they enhance joint mobility and build bone density, too.

“To maintain healthy bones and joints, I encourage people to participate in activities where you have a fluid range of motion with low impact,” said Dr. Edward Blocker, an orthopedic surgeon at Beaufort Memorial.

Dancing offers that kind of fluid motion. Add to that the aerobic exercise you get moving your body around to fast-paced music, and you have one all-around fitness phenomenon.

To persuade Lowcountry residents to give dancing a try,

ARTICLE BY MARIE MCADEN

five years ago, Beaufort Memorial Hospital launched “Dance for Your Health,” a free community wellness event focusing on the health benefits of shaking your bootie. This year’s program, titled “Follow the Disco Ball to Good Health,” will be presented Saturday, February 21, from 8-11 a.m. at Sun City’s Pinckney Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by visiting beaufortmemorial.com or calling (843) 522-5585.

Several experts in cardiovascular, orthopedics, women’s health and primary care will be on hand to answer questions, and instructors from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio will be offering mini-dance lessons every half hour, covering a variety of styles including salsa and shag.

“Anyone can dance,” Aseneta said. “We make it easy by breaking down the steps.

You just need to get rid of your inhibitions and get up and do it.”

When Phyllis Doyle took up dancing 12 years ago, she did it for the entertainment factor as much as the exercise. “For me, if it’s not fun, I don’t want to do it,” she said.

“Dancing is a great way to get your heart rate up while having fun.”

The Sun City resident and Mary Kay sales director is one of a growing number of men and women forsaking the gym for the dance studio. Rather than walk on a treadmill or peddle a stationary bicycle, they are shaking and shimmying their way to good health. And their doctors couldn’t be happier.

“The more active you stay, the better,” said Beaufort Memorial vascular surgeon Dr. Chad Tober. “Stronger muscles mean fewer problems with your veins and less circulatory issues.”

Dancing also may boost your brain.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, aerobic exercise can reverse volume loss in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory.

Feeling blue? Grab a friend and go dancing. Research shows that dancing really does lift your spirits.

“Dancing has so much to offer,” Aseneta said. “Just listening to the music makes you feel happy.”

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ould you feel lost if you lost your iPhone?

Do you feel disconnected when the cable goes down? What would children play with if there were no such thing as an Xbox? How did the world communicate before televisions and personal computers?

Most importantly, are these digital devices advancing our overall well-being, or could they be detracting from it? This question is not easily answered, but there is no doubt that we are spending increasingly more time looking at our screens.

According to a 2014 US digital consumer report from Nielson, Americans now own an average of four digital devices and the average U.S. consumer spends 60 hours a week consuming content on their various screens. And using social media on a daily basis is now standard practice, with almost half (47 percent) of smartphone owners visiting social networks every day.

Recent Pew research found that cell owners are extremely attached to their phones, although most don’t see that as too big of a problem. Sixty-seven percent of cell owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls, even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.

This research also found that 44 percent of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night. Twenty-nine percent of cell owners describe their cell phone as “something they can’t imagine living without.”

All of this screen viewing and information consumption is a not-so-surprising byproduct of the Information Age, which started with the advent of personal computers in the late 1970s and expanded with the Internet in the 1990s.

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REALITY Today, we increasingly obtain our knowledge and see our world through various screens: We send and receive personal and professional messages by e-mail; world events are captured in almost real time and transmitted in a 24-hour news cycle; life events, both momentous and trivial, are captured on hand-held devices and shared through other screens.

Like many forms of technology, screens can be either a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to our health. At our fingertips, and with almost instantaneous results, we can search for and read the works of history’s greatest thinkers, such as Plato, Shakespeare, and Thoreau. But that’s only if we can make it past the more accessible stories of what celebrities are doing and wearing (or not) and the images of what our online friends are having for lunch today.

Furthermore, the depictions of real things and events are gathered and consumed, delivered and received, through non-real sources, and thus the experiences, the connections to reality, become veiled by screens. Therefore it is highly possible, and all too common, that life today is seldom fully experienced.

Even when in the actual presence of something real, or when in

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the midst of an otherwise wonderful experience, it is often viewed through a screen, with the intention to capture the experience for later viewing on yet another screen (or perhaps hundreds, thousands or even millions of screens shared with others through the means of social media).

Now consider the irony of having and viewing more screens, which in this context is a term that collectively describes anything requiring a screen for viewing, such as a television, a personal computer, a video game monitor, or any variety of handheld devices, such as the oxymoronically named smartphones.

But the word screen has another meaning (and not just in context of keeping mosquitos off of your Hilton Head Island porch): Screens are things that are generally intended to conceal or filter out something else. And, if we are not mindful, that “something else” is reality.

Therefore, with regard to our digital devices, to receive images and words, and to connect with the external world, we will often need to look at screens. But we are

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REALITY wise to remain aware of the unintended consequence of screening out reality, of disconnecting ourselves from what is important and necessary for a happy and meaningful existence.

And this is not to mention other known health hazards, such as vision problems or sleeplessness, or the potentially negative psychological and cultural impacts of video games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality, all of which can arise as a result of spending large amounts of time looking at screens.

In summary, as with all matters of health, there is a balance to be struck. Spend more time in the presence of others; put down the phone, turn off the TV, and go for a walk. Engage in happy events more often by seeing them through your own eyes rather than through the screen of your iPhone or iPad. Yes, by recording the event on your digital device, you can see it and share it later on some other screen. But remember: to do this, you remove yourself from the experience, from life. And yes, you may exchange e-mails with family, or “like” a friend’s Facebook image, or respond to their Twitter “tweets,” but these are not healthy replacements for the physical reality of your personal presence or even that of hand-written letters and phone calls.

In the game of life, you must be present to win. The personal experience cannot be replicated on a screen. Use your screens as tools to enhance reality, but be mindful not to disconnect from it.

Kent Thune stays connected to reality by spending time with his family and taking frequent walks on the beaches and trails of Hilton Head Island. On “screens,” you can find Kent’s musings on mind, money and mastery of life at TheFinancialPhilosopher. com or on Twitter @ThinkersQuill.

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www.celebratehiltonhead.com

FEBRUARY 2015

You're a Good Man

Charlie Brown ARTICLE BY ANDREA GANNON

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY 33 PARK . ILLUSTRATIONS INSPIRED BY CHARLES SCHULZ

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ith the effervescent You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Hilton Head Prep takes a fresh approach to the beloved all-time 1967 classic production based on the Comic Strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz. The gang’s all here: Charlie Brown (John Horner, Jack Dextraze), his sister Sally (Allie Santorum, Shannon Hegarty), Linus (Shannon Hegarty, Zach June), Lucy (Alyssa Calamari, Allie Santorum), Schroeder (Zach June, Whitaker Gannon) and Snoopy (Ava Nixon, Kate Herman), with a few added friends to the Peanuts posse.

In fact, there’s a fine-feathered addition to the

cast: Playing Woodstock (the little yellow bird and Snoopy’s constant companion) is Waddy Brooks, flying onstage for his theatrical debut.

The show represents a day in the life of Charlie Brown. And it’s just that: an amalgam of a day made up of moments from all the days of Charlie Brown, from Valentine’s Day to the baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed in with the lives of his friends (both human and non-human) and strung together on the string of a single day, from one bright uncertain morning, concluding with a hopeful starlit evening.

Explaining the universal appeal of Charlie Brown, performing arts director Peggy Trecker White said, “I believe we all have a soft spot for Charlie Brown. He strives to be good, to do the right thing; he pushes himself to take risks and continuously goes out on a limb, thinking that maybe just this time, things will work out in his favor. And in the end, they do. Charlie Brown embodies so many of our own fears, strengths and weaknesses. We feel for him as he moves through anxiety and hope. We know that we too worry about the same seemingly small things. We all stress about something, and we all desire love. The appeal of Charlie Brown and his friends is that they mirror our own complicated human foibles and successes but in such a lovely, comical way. They make us smile with our hearts in the ways that only children can.”

Another deciding factor in choosing this show is that it fit the strengths of her students, White said. “The whole cast is doing a fabulous job! I decided what was best was to double cast the six main roles. Each student has something special to offer, and I did not want to limit their experience. It really is worth everyone’s while to attend more than one performance in order to witness the versatility of our actors.” The cast includes 19 Hilton Head Prep students.

“One student who really deserves her time in the sun is Allie Santorum. I originally thought she would be great for the role of Sally, and she is; but as it turned out, she was also a perfect match for Lucy, and so she is playing both roles in alternate performances,” White explained. Santorum is a senior and Prep lifer who is especially proud to be part of the very first class involved in the Performing Arts Program at Prep. She started dancing at the Hilton Head Dance School at age three. Since then, she has gone on to dance in many productions of the

Zach June and Shannon Hegarty both play the part of the BLANKET-LOVING LINUS

Allie Santorum as Sally Brown

The cast, from left to right (BACKGROUND) : WHITAKER GANNON, Shannon Hagarty, Allie Santorum, John Horner, Jack Dextraze, Zach June and Alyssa Calamari In the foreground: Ava Nixon and Kate Herman

and has taken part in productions at Main Street Youth Theatre and Savannah’s Summer Theatre Institute as well as productions all through middle school and upper school at Prep.

When asked what drew her to theatre, Santorum said, “It was partly the opportunity I found to express myself both comically and seriously.

But even more so, it was the experience of meeting so many wonderful people from all over the community and making new friends.”

Two equally talented seniors, Alyssa Calamari and Whitaker Gannon are also highlighted. “We are so thrilled to have these fine young ladies in our production,” White said. “Alyssa is playing Lucy, and I could not be more proud. She has grown so much as an actor and singer in just the past year.

It’s really exciting to watch! Whitaker is performing the role of Schroeder and taking on some serious vocal acrobatics.

She is a strong leader and continues to grow in her abilities, displaying a professionalism and maturity beyond her years.

“Of course, there are many more fantastic performances, and I wish I could gush about them all. We are lucky crew. We love what we do and love each other. And that is happiness!”

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is on stage February 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and February 22 at 2 p.m. at the Hilton Head High School Seahawk Cultural Center. Tickets can be purchased online at hhprep.org and will also be available at the door—cash or check only.

Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for seniors (60 and older); and $10 for students. For additional information and group rates (15 or more people), call (843) 715-8510.

IF YOU GO, YOU SHOULD KNOW: Director: Peggy Trecker White Music Director: Lauren Stuligross Choreographer: Kathleen Watkins Student Director/Dance Captain: Whitaker Gannon 90

www.celebratehiltonhead.com

FEBRUARY 2015

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ing of Fire is a remarkable journey into the heart of America, courtesy of one of our most beloved musical legends, Johnny Cash. Ring of Fire pays homage to his music with the strength, humor and honesty that made Cash one of the greatest songwriters and most revered storytellers in American music.

Stories of faith, family, passion, redemption, and humor set the stage ablaze in this musical production. Touching on the life and times of the “The Man in Black,” Ring of Fire is considered one of the best jukebox musicals of our time. Although Cash himself is never impersonated, Ring of Fire takes audiences on a heartfelt musical excursion through his storied life and celebrated music, from the modest cotton fields of Arkansas to the illustrious Grand Old Opry.

Singer/musician J.R. “Johnny” Cash was born in Arkansas in 1932 and died in

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Nashville in 2003. His humble childhood was grounded by a hard-working, Godfearing family, with values that shaped his own philosophy and, of course, his songwriting. His love-life was, in turn tumultuous: married twice, divorced once and briefly widowed after the death of his second wife, June Carter Cash, his spouse and performing partner for 35 years. In fact, June was one of the songwriters of the title tune “Ring of Fire.”

Director Russell Treyz, who has been at the helm of over 20 shows for the Arts Center and hails from New York City, says the show will thrill audiences who are Cash fans and dazzle those who didn’t think they were. “Even those who haven’t followed the legendary career of Cash and his music will thoroughly enjoy this musical,” Treyz said. “I am thrilled to be directing this show and bringing Cash’s music to life on stage.”

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Some of Cash’s hits in Ring of Fire include “Country Boy,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Five Feet High and Rising,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “I Walk the Line” and “I’ve Been Everywhere.” Featuring over 35 songs performed by an incredible cast of seven multi-talented performers, Ring of Fire will keep your feet tapping and your hearts singing, long after the lights come up. The songs themselves tell the story in this tribute to a singer who broke barriers and left an unmatched legacy with roots in folk, gospel, rock and country, evidenced by Cash’s presence in the Rock and Roll, Gospel Music and Country Music Halls of Fame, in addition to countless other awards ranging from the Grammys to the Kennedy Center Honors.

With a three-week run, Ring of Fire blazes on stage at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina February 10-March 1. Get tickets online at artshhi.com or call (843) 842-ARTS (2787).

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he Bluffton Room might seem like an understated name for a high-quality, fine-dining restaurant in Old Town Bluffton. But partners Margie Backaus and Jimmy Soules wouldn’t have it any other way.

According to Backaus, the two created every aspect of the restaurant to reflect a lively, but intimate dinner party—from the simple and delicious American cuisine to the coziness of the dining room’s 14 tables. The restaurant seats 48 guests in the dining room and up to 18 at the bar.

And Soules was quick to point out the name is The Bluffton “Room” not The Bluffton Restaurant. It

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opened in late August of 2014 and has been very well-received in its first few months.

Soules has worked in the restaurant business for 36 years, specializing in higher-end steakhouses.

His most recent position was beverage and food manager at the W Retreat & Spa in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Backaus has lived in Bluffton for the past six years, but spent her career all around the world, working in marketing as well as operational and organizational support for various industries.

Together, they believed they could create a dining experience where the client was always top priority.

Going to The Bluffton Room is about having a

ARTICLE BY L AURA JACOBI / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE

total dining experience, not merely eating dinner. Guests come in and can sit at the bar, pick a table or choose one of the curved, retro-style booths, which tends to bring them closer together as everyone slides in and over.

“We wanted it to feel like a dinner party at someone’s home, where guests are welcomed in, offered a glass of wine or cocktail and served with great respect and attention to detail,” Backaus said. The two envisioned this to be a place for people to catch up with old friends or make new ones as they get lost in conversation.

“When you walk in, you don’t see people on their cell phones simply waiting on the next course to finish their meals,” Soules said. “Our guests are eating, talking and fully engaged with one another.”

Soules said lunch is the time to schedule a business meeting or get a quick bite to eat. “But dinner is for dining, which is why we’re only open for dinner.”

According to Backaus, the regulars come in two to

three times a week, because the atmosphere is so inviting and comfortable, the service is top notch and the food is like nowhere else in the Lowcountry.

The Bluffton Room’s chef, Avery Early, has been around the (butcher) block a time or two and is proud to admit he knows his stuff when it comes to the kitchen. Early began his career with the Marriott on Hilton Head Island in the early 1980s. During his 12-plus years with the Marriott Corporation., he learned everything about the restaurant business. He also assisted Marriott with the opening of 15 or 16 other kitchens around the world.

“They [(Marriott] created me,” Early said.

Because of this diverse background, Early says it’s hard to pinpoint his cooking style, so he just calls it “versatile.” He says he can cook just about anything, but thoroughly enjoys creating the American steakhouse-style menu items for The Bluffton Room. He enjoys crafting the great steaks, but he also loves the Roasted Lemon Chicken and the White on White chicken dish

that features a French-cut organic chicken breast with an ivory sauce, artisan greens and a seasonal vegetable. Other tasty menu options include Lobster Macaroni & Cheese and The Trilogy, which is their best prime cuts, served for three or more and handcarved tableside.

Soules describes the food at The Bluffton Room as “approachable, but highend in flavor.”

“I don’t beat the competition,” Early said. “I create it (for other restaurants).”

According to Early, their customers are well-traveled, so he must offer them the freshest, most authentic and most flavorful menu options possible, because they’ve tried it all in nearly every corner of the world. From a culinary point of view, he believes in using

fresh, simple ingredients to create delicious and flavorful foods that keep guests coming back again and again.

“It’s about taste and consistency,” Soules said. “That steak must taste just as mouthwatering the second, third or fourth visit as it did the very first time the guest tried it.”

According to Backaus, it is Early’s high expectations that make the food so enjoyable.

He expects the best from the suppliers, the ingredients and flavor combinations and the staff, because he has such pride in the food and service they provide.

The kitchen staff aren’t the only ones who must give their best each night. The servers at The Bluffton Room may appear to be more formal than other Lowcountry restaurants in their dress and their

Partners in the Bluffton Room, James Soules Margie Backaus

mannerisms. That’s because the service has to support the vision for the restaurant, the owners said. Soules and Backaus have very high expectations when it comes to the level of customer service they provide in their dining room, because it’s all about the dining experience—enjoying the food and the company.

“Live Well, Be Grateful” is the line engraved on a plaque on the outside of the restaurant. “That’s the cornerstone of how we treat our staff and our community,” Backaus said. “No matter how successful we were the night before, we have to earn it every night.”

The Bluffton Room is located at 15 Promenade St., on Old Town Bluffton’s Calhoun Street Promenade and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. Reservations are required for parties of six or more, and calling ahead is suggested regardless of the size of your party. For more information, visit theblufftonroom. com or call (843) 757-3525 for reservations.

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Master Brewer John Rybicki looks to the future in the new tank room.

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hen it comes to beer, there are some stout dates you should know. According to craftbeer.com, in 580, Saint Arnold of Metz helped end the plague by telling people to drink beer, not impure water. In 1716, the tavern Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would later immortalize in Tales of a Wayside Inn opened in Sudbury, Massachusetts. (Nearly 300 years later, it’s the oldest continuously operating inn in the United States.) In 1933, the U.S. government finally said farewell to Prohibition with the 21st Amendment. And in June of 2014, Governor Niki Haley signed H.3512, also known as the “Stone Bill,” which lifted restrictions on alcohol consumption and allowed production breweries to serve food, among other toast-worthy wins for small beer companies like Hilton Head Brewing Company.

The Brewing co.

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“Brew masters were leaving us notes saying how great our product was,” said John Rybicki, brewer and co-owner of Hilton Head Brewing Company. “We knew we wanted to take our company to the next level, and with the law changes and our new space, we can now offer patrons a fully functioning tap room with food service. Whereas before, you could only try four 4-ounce samples, now you can drink

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as many full beers as you wish, and we will be pairing our signature beers with high quality food.”

“Barmuda Triangle” goers, fear not!

Your favorite seat and bar food bite at Hilton Head Brewing Company’s restaurant will still be waiting for you at its south end location, but—and you will want to add this to your beer timeline, too—as of March this year, you will be able to also buy a six-pack,

Ü Brew partners John Rybicki and Juan Brantley stand by the custom painted brewery mural.

Ü Juan serving it up at the handcrafted stone and concrete bar in the Tasting Room.

Þ The stainless steel tanks will produce 10001200 cases a month.

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heck make it a case, of your favorite fermented flavor from any area grocery store, or better yet, directly from their brand-new production brewery at 1 Cardinal Road, Suite 13.

There, you can also consume more than just beer. The expansion includes a retail section complete with Hilton Head Brewing Company merchandise including shirts, hats, cups and gift baskets. And you can soak up knowledge. “We will also provide beer tours,” said Rybicki, who is truly excited about serving you a healthy pour of craft beer-making education. “I want people who don’t drink beer to go on the tour and stand back and say, ‘Wow that was cool.’”

Rybicki is equally keen on giving Hilton Head its own beer to drink and be proud of. “Typically, when you go somewhere, you ask, ‘What do you have

locally on tap?’” Rybicki explained. “Now people can drink a quality product that is made, distributed and sold here and is reflective of the area.”

According to Rybicki and his partner Juan Brantley, Hilton Head Brewing Company’s two core beers give you a palate pleasing taste of the island. “We live by the beach,” Rybicki said. “You wouldn’t want to serve a 10 percent alcohol imperial style to someone going to the beach. Our core beers are just under five percent, and both have tropical, citrus-flavored aspects and are light and hop forward.” Using mouth-watering words like papaya and tropical stone fruit to describe their tropical lager in more detail, Rybicki and Brantley transport me to a warm sunny day with sandy feet and a cool, beer-wielding hand.

I am also taken with their teamwork and entrepreneurship. Rybicki is a self-described “hop head” who admits, “When I got into brewing I was amazed you could make a craft beer taste so much better than a regular beer, and I thought, ‘If someone else can make it, so can I.’” Brantley, who is a Hilton Head Island native “born and raised,” has been working in the food and beverage industry for nearly 20 years. His business motivation is to bring something new and dynamic to the area.

“When John came into the business, I shifted my focus from the food to making the beer. It was

Ý With tours and tastings starting in March, Rybicki is busy doing what he does best - making beer.

really eye-opening,” Brantley said. Since then, Hilton Head Brewing Company has made several changes: switching from extract brewing to grain brewing (three years ago), adding new equipment, and experimenting with new flavor profiles and styles. “This year, we hope to produce 2500 barrels and 1000-1200 cases a month,” Brantley said.

Both Brantley and Rybicki say they don’t just want to sell beer; they want to create a craft beer experience. When asked what a craft beer experience meant to them, they pointed out that beer making really is a creative process. “I mean, we turn water into beer,” Rybicki joked.

To facilitate your experience and make drinking their brew both knowledge and thirst quenching, Hilton Head Brewing Company has hired a well-trained staff and looks forward to offering its signature and seasonal beers, not only onsite but at many of Hilton Head’s yearly special events. “We are excited about what we are doing here,” Rybicki said. “Over the next three years, we have an aggressive business plan and hope to go multi-state.”

Rybicki and Brantley’s success, as well as the continued success of other craft brewers in Charleston, Savannah and Ridgeland, gives us one more celebratory moment to put on our beer timeline—the beginning of the Lowcountry making its mark on the micro brewing scene. Cheers to that.

ARTICLE BY LINDA S. HOPKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE

FOOD·FUL gatherings

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almetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the Top 25 “World’s Best Family Resorts,” is, not surprisingly, one of Hilton Head Island’s most sought-after wedding venues as well as a hub for corporate events and group gatherings of every sort. For Dunes Catering & Events, this translates into many mouths to feed and people to please.

FOOD·FUL gatherings

Dunes Catering & Events is well-known for meeting and exceeding the expectations of resort guests and brides, but what you may not know or perhaps haven’t considered is that they are a valuable resource for area residents as well. Whether you are hosting a business meeting, wedding, family reunion, church banquet, awards ceremony, club function, holiday event, or birthday party, they are prepared to provide a unique experience along with over-the-top customer service. It doesn’t matter if it’s a continental breakfast, box lunch, corporate catering delivery, buffet or plated dinner.

Location, location, location…

If you haven’t found that perfect location for your special event, Dunes Catering & Events can help. Within Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, the Dunes House is a popular beachfront venue with indoor and outdoor accommodations. It can be dressed to the nines for a formal affair or dressed down for a more relaxed gathering, depending upon the client’s desires and the tone of the event.

Cecilia Hanna, director of education and events for the Hawkins Society, plans an annual weeklong event for an elite group of orthopedic surgeons from all over the country who convene on Hilton Head Island in May. For the past eight years, they have hosted a seafood dinner and Lowcountry boil at the Dunes House and, according to Hanna, they wouldn’t dream of going anyplace else. Attendance at the dinner in 2014 included 130 adults and 20 children.

“The Dunes House is a great place for our group to gather and include their families,” Hanna said, singing the praises of the catering staff. “They are super accommodating, serving menus that are fun for everybody. They are easy to work with and more than willing to accommodate special requests.”

An often overlooked venue is the Centre Court Pavilion in Palmetto Dunes, which Fleury describes as a miniature ballroom. “We have a group of over 100 businessmen who come here every year for a week and use it as their meeting place. We serve them breakfast and lunch every day—different menus each day. We also provide bag lunches if they are going to play golf or tennis so they can eat lunch on the go,” he said.

According to sales manager Lindsay Thompson, Centre Court is a beautiful place to do any kind of corporate event or team training, especially if you want to conduct breakout or networking sessions, because the room can be divided. “Our Centre Court facility is great because it’s so easily customized for casual family gatherings to lavish lowcountry weddings and professional business mettings,” she said.

Many private homes are also available for rent and make perfect settings for events of all kinds, from elaborate wedding ceremonies and receptions to casual cookouts and everything in between.

But Dunes Catering & Events’ services are not limited to Palmetto Dunes properties. They have the capability and means to serve in private homes, on yachts, in area parks or venues inside other plantations—private

Top Photo: Lowcountry Boil Bottom Photo: The Dunes House set for a private corporate event featuring a rustic southern decor, fire pits and live entertainment

Pictured left to right: Executive Chef Don Reinhardt, sales manager Lindsay Thompson, Director of Food & Beverage Chris Fleury and sales manager Lou Anne Takach.

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backyards and at other clubs that don’t offer catering or have limited catering capacity. “We can take it anywhere,” Fleury said.

Food, glorious food!

While Dunes Catering & Events has a full, separate catering menu, they have the culinary expertise and resources to customize their offerings. With access to multiple menus and kitchens within the resort, including Big Jim’s Barbecue, which specializes in barbecue, burgers and pizza, they have the capacity to provide a full spectrum of food and service, from the most elegant seated dinner to the most informal beach barbecue.

“By doing the full catering with our own menus as well as Big Jim’s barbecue, we’ve been able to segue into some smaller, more casual events,” Fleury said. The week after Christmas, somebody wanted to do takeout for 20 people. They were able to just pick it up and go.”

According to Jay Roppelt, vice president of the Palmetto Dunes board of directors, Dunes Catering & Events was able to pick up the ball and run with it when the PD Club recently eliminated their private culinary services. During the months of November and December, the club hosted four separate events (a golf tournament, turkey dinner, neighborhood meet and greet, and New Year’s Eve gala), with different menus and serving styles, ranging from a drop-off buffet to a full-service plated dinner. Attendance of these events ranged from 40 guests to 150, and all came off without a hitch, thanks to meticulous planning, clear communication and attention to every detail.

At your service Catering, of course, is about more than the food, and Dunes Catering & Events prides itself on top-notch service. “Our culinary staff is well in place to basically put on anything,” Fleury

said. “When it comes to weddings, we are a one-stop shop, providing tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces and more. If they want something that we don’t have, we take care of it for them.”

“We take what we offer and incorporate it into what they envision their day to be, making sure that everything that we planned out is put on by our operating staff,” Thompson said.

“What sets us apart is that we take it from the beginning and follow it all the way through to make sure that our customer service is what we tell them it is going to be.”

“Our job is to make sure that we have great communication between our departments so that the team understands the client’s needs and we can exceed their expectations” added sales manager Louanne Takach. “Most people have been just amazed by what we’ve done.”

According to Fleury, many of the weddings they book are destination weddings, and the staff at Dunes Catering & Events is intimately involved in creating an idea of how they can best please their guests, including regional menus and plenty of Southern hospitality.

Tastings are personal for executive chef Don Reinhardt.

“With most caterers, the food is just brought out from the kitchen and served by a waiter. Don is actually serving our brides and grooms. He brings it out. He explains the food, talks about the sauces. He wants them to be 100 percent sure,” Takach said.

“From start to finish, it’s just really impressive to have him standing there and willing to spend the time with them,” Thompson added.

“Our name is on every single plate that goes on the table.

We want to make sure it’s delicious and it’s hot, and presented well,” Takach said. “I think we’ve hit the mark every time.”

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he Mitchelville Preservation Project (MPP) is a non-profit, community-based organization which is dedicated to preserving, protecting, and promoting the heritage of Mitchelville. One of the goals of the MPP is to educate the public about the compelling story of Mitchelville’s inhabitants and their quest for education, self-reliance, and inclusion as members of a free society. Ultimately, the MPP would like to enhance the Mitchelville Freedom Park, which is located in Fish Haul Park on Beach City Road. Plans include erecting replicas of original Mitchelville buildings and an educational learning pavilion. Exhibits, lectures, tours, and cultural programs would be held on the site.

Mitchelville was the first self-governing town of former slaves to be established in this country in 1862. It was located along Beach City Road on Hilton Head Island in close proximity to the U.S. army base at Fort Welles (formerly Fort Walker), which was operating in present day Port Royal Plantation. The community was named for General Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel, who set aside some land in what was previously Confederate General Thomas Fenwick Drayton’s Fish Haul Plantation.

Mitchel was concerned about the living conditions of these

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former slaves, known at the time as “contrabands of war.”

After the Union Army’s occupation of Hilton Head Island and the departure of the plantation owners the slaves that were left behind, both on the island and on the mainland, began flocking to the fort seeking protection and freedom. Many of them worked at various jobs in the Union fort. The men were employed as carpenters, field hands, blacksmiths, boatmen and laborers. The women contributed their talents as laundresses and cooks. When General Mitchel arrived on Hilton Head Island in September of 1862 the contrabands were living in barracks buildings with communal facilities and no family privacy. The General also felt that the contrabands were being cheated and taken advantage of by the soldiers. When he established Mitchelville, Mitchel proclaimed that the land the people of Mitchelville, South Carolina, had once toiled on under the chains of slavery was now their own. These are his words: “Good colored people, you have a great work to do, and you are in a position of responsibility. This experiment is to give you freedom, position, homes, your families, property, your own soil. It seems to me a better time is coming … a better day is dawning.”

The community of Mitchelville was laid out with streets and divided into quarter-acre plots. Lumber was provided to the future residents so that they could construct their homes.

They elected their own officials, passed their own laws and had

Forty Acres and a Mule, by artist Sonja Griffin-Evans, is hung in the Mitchelville Room at the Hilton Head Island Westin Resort & Spa

the first compulsory education law in the state of South Carolina, which required all children between the ages of six and fifteen to attend school. By 1865, the population of Mitchelville was about 1,500, and there are approximately 250 homes shown on an 1864 U.S. Government map of the area. The first mayor of Mitchelville was the Reverend Abraham Murchinson, who also served as pastor of the First African Baptist Church.

The church was founded in 1862, and its first chapel was erected in Mitchelville.

If you would like to learn more about Mitchelville, several opportunities are available. An exhibit about Mitchelville entitled the Dawn of Freedom: The Freedmen’s Town of Mitchelville was prepared by The McKissick Museum, part of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina. The exhibit consists of storyboards, artifacts, photographs and videos, which explain the reasons for the development of this freedmen’s town and what living conditions were like in the town during the 1860s. The exhibit is on permanent display on the second floor of the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa and is open to the public seven days a week.

The MPP also sponsors a forum and art exhibit each year in October. The art exhibit and contest were sponsored by and held at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa on the evening prior to this year’s forum. The theme of the artwork was Mitchelville. Seven artists submitted paintings. Noteworthy among the entrants was a Hilton Head Island High School student who took third place.

A painting entitled Forty Acres and a Mule earned first place and $1,000 for artist Sonja Griffin-Evans. Her painting is now on display in the Mitchelville Room at the Westin.

This year’s forum was entitled “Life before Mitchelville.” It featured lectures by five renowned South Carolina history professors on what living conditions were like for the slaves prior to the Civil War. Topics included the task system of slavery, the crops that were grown, how the slaves maintained their culture and the religious practices that they brought with them from West Africa.

Next year’s forum will continue the history. It will focus on life on Hilton Head Island during the Civil War, the founding of Mitchelville, and the Reconstruction period.

Article by Barbara K. Clark

CHoattTin Roof on a

Û Mae (Jackie Scott) confronts her sister-in-law Maggie (Christine Grefe) about Big Daddy’s decision to leave his plantation to her husband.

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ennessee Williams’ name is almost synonymous with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, May River Theatre’s final play of their thirteenth season. The original stage production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened on Broadway on March 24, 1955. It was produced by the Playwrights’ Company. It is one of William’s bestknown works and his personal favorite.

The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955.

Set in the plantation home in the Mississippi Delta of Big Daddy Pollitt, a wealthy cotton tycoon, the play examines the relationships among members of Big Daddy’s family, primarily between his son Brick and Maggie the “Cat,” Brick’s wife.

The play features several recurring motifs, such as social mores, greed, superficiality, mendacity, decay, sexual desire, repression and death. Therefore parental guidance is suggested for this production and is age appropriate for 18 years and older.

The original production starred Barbara Bel Geddes, Burl Ives, Ben Gazzara and Madeleine Sherwood. Ives and Sherwood were the only two actors who played in the film, which was made in 1958 and starred Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.

Williams made substantial excisions and alterations to the play for a revival in 1974, and this version has been used for most subsequent revivals, which have been numerous. Produced by Ed DuPuis and directed by Jim Kadra, May River Theatre’s version features Christine Grefe (Maggie); Ron Ruckle FEBRUARY 2015

Þ Standing: Gooper (Pat Morgan) and Mae (Jackie Scott) Reverend Tooker (Bert Cayer) and Doctor Baugh (Chad Hsu) console Big Mama (Sheila Kadra) when she learns that Big Daddy has cancer.

(Brick); Tony Falgiani (Big Daddy); Sheila Kadra (Big Mama); Pat Morgan (Gooper); Jacqueline Scott (Mae); Bert Cayer (Reverend Tooker) and Chad Hsu (Doctor Baugh).

“I am pleased and proud to be directing May River Theatre’s first production of a play by Tennessee Williams. The cast is top notch and is up to William’s standards,” Kadra said.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will play February 13 through March 1 on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. at the Ulmer Auditorium at Bluffton Town Hall; it is presented with permission from Dramatists Play Service, New York, New York. Tickets are $25 and are available by calling the box office at (843) 8155581. Box office hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Monday-Friday. www.celebratehiltonhead.com 115

E C2 A SERIES OF

FORTUNATE EVENTS

Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) is pleased to announce an addition to its advisory staff. World renowned dermatologist, Dr. Ashfaq A. Marghoob joins Drs. Mark Kovacs, Jeff Chandler, Ben Kibler and Jim Loehr, and nutritionist Page Love Bombac, on the organization’s Sport Science Committee.

May River Dermatology has partnered with Cross Schools to help increase awareness of the need for sun protection; especially for young children. May River Dermatology generously assisted in writing a grant request and then donated the necessary funds to purchase a sun shade for a newly installed playground that both children and adults can enjoy during their time outside.

Shawn McNeely joined the Covert Aire team in December as vice president of sales & business Development. McNeely will be responsible for promoting of the company’s brand in the community and will oversee communication with clients and potential clients through recruiting, retaining and training a professional sales organization for Covert Aire.

Nicki Charles has joined Community Foundation of the Lowcountry as vice president of finance and administration. In this role, Charles will manage the Community Foundation’s financial, investment, personnel, employee benefits and technology functions, as well as oversee the building, equipment and real estate responsibilities.

Allen Butts was recently promoted to vice president of operations for Covert Aire. He will run the day-to-day operations of the company including estimating and bidding on certain jobs and managing the technicians, installers and managers.

Casey Porter, a licensed real estate agent, has joined Collins Group Realty as a Bluffton specialist. A former professional athlete and local business owner with over a decade of sales experience, Porter will focus on assisting home buyers and sellers in Bluffton and on the mainland achieve their real estate goals.

Coastal Plains Insurance congratulates Kassie Bryant, 2014 Employee of the Year.

Palatial Homes Design LLC is proud to announce that David Abney has been hired as vice president of construction. Abney is a second generation building contractor with over 20 years of experience in the building trades and carries a South Carolina commercial building contractor’s license.

The designation of Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) has been conferred upon Ron King, account manager and Kevin Clegg, high net worth account manager/producer at Coastal Plains Insurance, LLC.

Hilton Head Exterminators is pleased to welcome Beth Mitchell as sales coordinator.

Beth graduated from USCB with a B.A. in management and was previously employed at Culligan of the Low Country as a sales representative and office manager.

Amy Lee Hamilton, previous owner of The Salon at Indigo Pines, has relocated to Tara’s at Moss Creek. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, she is excited for this new opportunity to serve new and existing clients.

Weichert, Realtors® - Coastal Properties welcomes Michael Stothard to the agency’s sales team. Stothard began selling real estate after a 24-year career in art and talent management; he holds both Georgia and South Carolina real estate licenses.

 FEBRUARY 2015

Send your submissions to hunter@celebratehiltonhead.com

www.celebratehiltonhead.com 117

FOODARTICA FOR PROJECT CONNECT

A R T,

M USIC,

FOOD

&

CHAMPAGNE

IN

SUPPORT

OF

OUR

TEACHER S

Photography by Chris Haro

ARTICLE BY FRANK DUNNE, JR.

I

t’s really a sad state of affairs that teachers should have to shell out of their own pockets to supply their classrooms, but it does happen. It happens right here in Beaufort County where some teachers are known to spend hundreds of their own dollars per year for classroom supplies. Fortunately there is help, though, thanks to the “power of community.”

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s Business Education Partnership Committee operates Project Connect, a program designed to help lessen that financial burden on teachers at public and private schools throughout southern Beaufort County. Hannah Horne, the Chamber’s director of public policy and small business explains: “Teachers send us their wish lists for their classrooms. It could be for a specialized project, or it could simply be pencils and paper or crayons.

The wish lists are published weekly in the Island Packet, and I keep them on record at the Chamber. Either somebody from the business community contacts me or I ‘dial for dollars’ with local businesses

and say, ‘Hey there’s a teacher with this specific need.’” The local businesses then either donate the requested items or contribute funds to purchase them. “There are so many great things happening in our classrooms that teachers just need a little extra help with,” Horne said about Project Connect’s mission.

Teachers and students alike are very appreciative. “When somebody comes in and grants their wish, it’s just like Santa’s come to town,” added Anne Feldman, Chamber communications manager, and your chance to play Santa is coming up at a Thursday, February 26 fundraising event, “Foodartica,” in support of Project Connect.

The fundraiser, a collaboration between HogsHead Kitchen & Wine Bar proprietors Alexis Dunham and John Pashak, Rob Benson of the DTM Agency, and Bluffton-based artist Amiri Farris will be an evening of fine art, fine food, music and a little champagne. “We’ve had a really nice time using our outdoor space for private events,” Dunham said, “and we think this will be a great setting for Amiri to showcase his art.”

Although Farris’s work explores a wide variety of subjects, he is best known for his joyously uplifting portrayals of South Carolina and Georgia Sea Island Gullah culture. Using bold, vibrant color and huge canvasses, his paintings seem to come to life before your eyes. If that’s not enough, the multi-faceted artist also plans to entertain with some of his original musical compositions—a blend of electronica and hip-hop—for this special occasion. “I try to create music with a positive message,” he said.

In addition to creating his paintings and music, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)-educated Farris shares his artistic gift teaching studio art at University of South Carolina Beaufort and foundation art courses at SCAD. His role as an educator inspired the selection of Project Connect as the beneficiary for Foodartica. “This program was chosen because of Amiri’s commitment to education and the teaching that he does,” Horne said.

What you can expect if you attend is a champagne tasting, buffet style dining created by Pashak who is HogsHead Kitchen’s executive chef as well as coowner, and an exhibit of Farris’s latest work with pieces available for purchase through a silent auction. “We considered having a wine dinner at first,” Pashak said, “but we thought it would be much more fun if people were up, walking around, looking at the paintings and generally mixing and mingling.”

“I want to make it a fun event where people might even get up and dance,” Farris added—“make it a multi-media type of event.” Again, Foodartica is Thursday, February 26 at HogsHead Kitchen & Wine Bar, and proceeds raised will benefit Project Connect in support of southern Beaufort County teachers.

HogsHead Kitchen & Wine Bar is located in Moss Creek Village at 1555 Fording Island Road, Suite D, Hilton Head Island. Call (843) 837-HOGS (4647) or e-mail info@HogsHeadKitchen.com for reservations to this special event in support of Project Connect. If you cannot attend but would like to lend your support to Project Connect, please reach out to Hannah Horne, (843) 341-8373, or Anne Feldman, (843) 341-8367, at the Hilton Head IslandBluffton Chamber of Commerce.

It’s

5

O’CLOCK

SOMEWHERE!

M

S

Chow Daddy’sHappy Hour (4-6PM) Charbar Co.- Join us for happy hour from 4-7PM.

Chow Daddy’sHappy Hour Daily!

(4-6PM) Charbar Co.- Game day snacks and drink specials! (4-7PM) ELA’s Blu Water Grille- SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH ON THE WATER from 11-2PM Holy Tequila- Closed Sundays until March



Holy Tequila- Happy Hour! $2.50 select liquors, beers, tacos & bar snacks! & MORE! (Daily 4-7PM)

T Charbar Co.Join us for happy hour from 4-7PM & Live Music!

Hudson’s- Happy Hour! Beer, cocktails & bites (Daily 3-6PM) Street Meet- Kitchen is Open til 1AM- Full Menu! (All Week) Lucky Rooster- Will Snyder (7-10PM Tuesdays) Marley’s- Happy Hour 4-7PM, Live Entertainment

Mellow MushroomTrivia Night (9PM, Hilton Head) Charbar Co.- Join us for Happy Hour 4-7PM AND Live Music!

Street Meet- Kitchen is Open til 1AM- Full Menu!

(7 Days A Week) Hudson’s- Happy Hour!

Beer, cocktails & bites (Daily 3-6PM)

Truffles-Happy Hour $3 wells, $5 absolut cocktails, $2 premium cocktails, wine, beer and appetizers at bar.

(4-6:30PM) The Crazy CrabHappy Hour Daily at Jarvis Creek Bar (4-6pm)

W

The Crazy CrabHappy Hour Daily at Jarvis Creek Bar (4-6pm)

Send your event/entertainment listing to hunter@celebratehiltonhead.com

Rooftop Bar- Coastal Country Night & Happy Hour (4-7PM) Marley’s- Happy Hour 4-7PM, Live Entertainment

T

F

S

Electric PianoFeb. 6: Eddie Wilson & Laiken Love- All Request Show!

Feb. 13, 20 & 27: Dueling Pianos with Eddie and Sterlin!

Happy Hour Starts at 8PM!

Rooftop Bar- Happy Hour (4-7PM) Live Music Thursday and Fridays!

Hudson’s- Happy Hour!

Beer, cocktails & bites (Daily 3-6PM) Rooftop Bar-Live Music!

Street Meet- Kitchen is Open til 1AM- Full Menu! (7 Days A Week) Hudson’s- Happy Hour! Beer, cocktails & bites (Daily 3-6PM) ELA’s Blu Water Grille- Reid Richmond ( Thursdays, 7-10PM) Truffles-Happy Hour: $3 wells, $5 absolute cocktails, $2 premium cocktails, wine, beer and appetizers at bar.

(4-6:30PM) Marley’s- Happy Hour 4-7PM, Live Entertainment

ELA’s Blu Water GrilleFeb 13: VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND ELA’S Chef Alpaugh will feature special “lovebird” offerings in addition to our regular menu items John Wasem (7-10)

Captain Woody’s- Feb.7: Oyster Roast! Oysters, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Happy Hour Specials. LIVE MUSIC

by The Lowcountry Boil Bluegrass Band (4-7PM) The Electric PianoFeb. 7: & 14: The Simpson Brothers Classic Rock Dance Party.

Feb. 21st & 28th: Dueling Pianos with Dallas and Charlie.

Happy Hour Starts at 8PM! ELA’s Blu Water GrilleFeb. 7: John Wasem (7-10PM) Rooftop Bar- DJ Scoobie’s Dance Party (Sat. Nights) & Dress to Impress

FEBRUARY

2015 SUNDAY

MONDAY

23

1

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

TUESDAY

HAPPY BDAY ASHTON!

8-9 SCHUMANN AND BRAHMS: GERMAN ROMANTIC MASTERS First Presbyterian Church Sunday:4PM - 6PM Monday: 8 PM - 10PM 843.842.2055 or hhso.org

15

TUESDAYS 2 5 HISTORY CLASSES The Heritage Library 10:00 am; $5 Class size limited, Call 843.686.6560 for registration.

FEB. 10 MARCH 1

16

122

LIFELONG LEARNING OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND WINTER TERM BEGINS Sign up early.

Classes fill quickly! lifelonglearning hhi.org

4 WAHHI ANNUAL VALENTINE’S LUNCHEON Starts at 11:00AM Marriott Resort RSVP by January 20, 2015 WAHHI.com

11

RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH 8-10PM; 2PM Sunday Mantinee Arts Center of Coastal Carolina artshhi.com

17

GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES PRESENTS JEANNE ROBERTSON 8-10PM; $51 Arts Center of Coastal Carolina artshhi.com

22

WEDNESDAY

ALL MONTH LONG

Enjoy a sunset cruise on the freshwater lakes of the Sea Pines Forest Preserve Adults only. $45/person.

843.686.5323

DOLPHIN WATCHING & ENVIRO TOURS Explore Calibogue Sound and surrounding waterways by boat during an Enviro Tour 843.671.4386

5 FURNITURE PAINTING CLASS 2-4PM Revival Design & Decor RevivalDesignsHHI. com/schedule or 785.5557

12

HHCA OPEN HOUSE

Hilton Head Christian Academy Share the Love, Lunch & Learn 11:00AM RSVP Jen Denton 843.681.2878

ALLIGATOR WINE & CHEESE

ALL MONTH LONG

THURSDAY

25

19 AMERICAN REVOLUTION ROUND TABLE LUNCHEON WITH RANDELL JONES Berkeley Hall, 11:30AM Anne Hamilton 843.705.7575 EVERY THURSDAY

FARMERS MARKET IN OLD TOWN BLUFFTON NOON-4PM Calhoun Street farmersmarket bluffton.org

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

6-8 15TH SAV. HOME & GARDEN SHOW Sav. Intn’l Trade & Convention Center Fri: 2-7PM, Sat:10-7PM, Sun: 11-5PM savannahhomeand gardenshow.com

AN EVENING OF LOVE Sonesta 6:30PM Hors d’oeuvres, dinner and live & silent auction! $125/person 843.681.7668

7 PUBLIX HILTON HEAD MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K 8:00AM; Jarvis Creek Park bearfoodsports.com

14

Happy

Valentine’s

Day

21

ALL MONTH LONG ALLIGATOR & WILDLIFE BOAT TOUR Daily. Please call for schedule.

One-hour guided boat tour through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve 843.686.5323

27

FURNITURE PAINTING CLASS 12-2PM Revival Design & Decor RevivalDesignsHHI. com/schedule or 785.5557

5TH ANNUAL 2015 A-TOWN GET DOWN MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL Charles H. Morris Center, Savannah Noon-Midnight www.A-Town GetDown.com

STARTING FEB 13TH!

SAVE THE DATE!

MAY RIVER THEATRE PRESENTS: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF Fri & Sat: Feb 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28 @ 8PM Sunday Matinee: Feb. 15, 22 and March 1st @ 3PM Ulmer Auditorium in Bluffton Tickets are $25 www.mayrivertheatre.com

8TH ANNUAL HILTON HEAD ISLAND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL March 1- March 7, 2015 hosted by the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation, features a week full of celebrating the island’s seafood heritage, culinary revival and the bounty of it’s local waters.

For more information about these events and how to purchase tickets, go to davidmcarmines.org/seafoodfest.

www.celebratehiltonhead.com

FEBRUARY 2015