36 minute read
Community Connection 34: Where in the World
community connection
LOCALS RECEIVE HONORED ISLANDER AWARDS
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Mary K. Noonan, Dr. Joseph Black, Angie Greenfield, and Don and Terri Brashears received the Hilton Head Island Mayor’s Honored Islander Award for their volunteerism. Noonan helped start the Hilton Head Orchestra League, and Women in Philanthropy and helped raised $1.2 million to build the first permanent home for the Deep Well Project.
Dr. Black has served on a variety of boards, including the Seabrook non-profit board, the Eagle Scout Board of Review, and the Hilton Head Island Boys & Girls Club.
Greenfield had a key role in helping establish the Hilton Head Island Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. She also helped to create the community youth choir program, Adventures in Music. Don and Terri Brashears are members of the Hilton Head Island Rotary Club and have both served as club president. Don also has served as a board member and chairman for the Literacy Center and Terri has been involved with Hopeful Horizons as a board member and board chairperson.
FRASER CONSTRUCTION RAISES $24K FOR KRUEGER HAT TRICK FOUNDATION
Bluffton-based Fraser Construction raised more than $24,000 for non-profit organization the Krueger Hat Trick Foundation at its second annual Krueger Hat Trick Foundation Fundraiser. The Krueger Hat Trick Foundation is a non-profit organization which provides hope and support to families affected by Congenital Heart Defects and Disease.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry has created the Joan and Wade Webster Community Impact Award to recognize an individual in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper counties who has made a recent significant contribution to improving the quality of life in the Lowcountry. The winner will receive a $10,000 grant to bestow to a charitable organization based in the Foundation’s service territory. Nomination forms are available at cf-lowcountry.org/. Complete and email to info@cf-lowcountry.org. For more information, contact Rob Ennamorato at rennamorato@ cf-lowcountry.org or 843-681-9100.
WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND SHARES GIFTS WITH COMMUNITY
More than 200 members of The Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island gathered on Dec. 8 to kick off the holiday season. Under the direction of WAHHI Difference Makers Michele Foote and Linda Heise, WAHHI adopted 81 families from The Children’s Center. Members provided more than 425 gifts which went to mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. WAHHI donated 12 bicycles; 22 balls; crayons and glue sticks to the center.
TCL’S EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM RECEIVES $16,500 DONATION
The Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Early Care and Education program received a $16,500 donation by SC Endeavors, the professional development arm for South Carolina’s Early Childhood Workforce. The money will go toward TCL’s McDonald Early Education Support Fund, which is dedicated to improving and enhancing classes and activities within the department.
MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA-BEAUFORT/JASPER RECEIVES GRANT
The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry awarded a grant up to $90,000 over two years to Mental Health America Beaufort/Jasper to address mental health needs in the Hispanic community. The funds will go toward a bi-lingual counselor who will provides services to Spanish speaking members of the community who have been diagnosed with, or need treatment for, mental health conditions. The award will fund the counselor’s salary and benefits.
MICHAEL ANTHONY’S RAISES FUNDS FOR SAFE HARBOUR
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana sponsored a four-course charity wine dinner, “An Evening in the Veneto,” that benefited Safe Harbour, a non-profit service organization. Proceeds from the dinner totaled $3,500. Safe Harbour is a non-profit service organization founded by and for Hilton Head Islanders who wish to stay in their own homes as they age.
MAY RIVER STUDENT PICKED FOR U.S. SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM
May River High School senior Madison Hahn was selected as a delegate to the 61st annual United States Senate Youth Program, which will be March 4-11. The program brings 104 high school students from throughout the country to Washington, D.C., for a study of the federal government. Hahn was selected with Kshiraj Talati of J. L. Mann High School in Greenville County. Hahn serves as the senior class president. She was selected as a representative for Palmetto Girls State.
TCL HONORS ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING GRADUATES
The Technical College of the Lowcountry recognized 11 associate degree nursing graduates during its Dec. 9 pinning ceremony at the Beaufort Mather Campus. The twoyear ADN program prepares graduates to practice as registered nurses. The graduates are Brooks Baldwin, Kimberly Beamon, Dionne Campbell, Ashley Chandler, Jaleesa McQueen, Ana Erika Mendoza, Bailey Moore, Elliana Ramirez, Rhonda Richey, Chelsea Selner and Amy Smith.
LOW COUNTRY KAPPA DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER DONATES TO BLUFFTON SELF HELP
The Low Country Kappa Delta Alumnae Chapter donated 100 Stocking Stuffers to Bluffton Self Help’s Holiday Toy Shop. The project was coordinated by Kappa Delta Philanthropy Chair, Linda Fletcher. Eighteen Low Country KD’s gathered at the home of Bobbie Elder to work on the holiday philanthropy project. During the holidays, Bluffton Self Help collects toys from community partners and local organizations.
HARDEEVILLE’S BATTLE OF THE BADGES RAISES $13K
The City of Hardeeville’s Battle of the Badges slow-pitch softball game raised more than $13,000 for the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire, a non-profit that provides support and funding for the families of firefighters and law enforcement officers who lose their lives in the line of duty. The game between the Hardeeville Fire Department and Hardeeville Police Department was won by the police department.
WHERE WORLD IN THE
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1. From left, John and Cheryl Bivona, and Bonnie and James DiLorenzo at the Monument to the Discoveries in Belem, Portugal. 2. George and Beverly Banino and Ellie and Dave Pierce at Normandy, France. 3. Bob and Karen Jarrett at the Dolomites in Italy with Monthly magazine. 4. Nancy and Chip Miller, Kitty and Don Krahnke and Holly and Paul Moeri are with Monthly in Marakesh, Morocco. 5. Monthly publisher Meredith DiMuzio brought the magazine along on a recent trip to Las Vegas.
THE Business Woman
CULINARY BUSINESSES BOOM FOR ENTREPRENEUR LESLIE ROHLAND
BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
Leslie Rohland, the recipient of this year’s inaugural Women in Business Award by the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, knows a thing or two about running a business, especially if it involves food.
The owner of several Bluffton businesses, including The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room; The Juice Hive; SideCar Catering; May River Coffee Roasters, and most recently, The Village Pasta Shoppe, Rohland embraces her businesses with the creativity and heart of an artist, rather than a corporate strategist.
Reflecting on her award, Rohland says, “It’s extremely validating, and it gave me a nice sense of inspiration.”
Her interest in food began in childhood.
“My dad is Pennsylvania Dutch, and my mom comes from a long line of Italians,” she says.
Never formally trained as a chef, Rohland names her mother and both her grandmothers as her teachers. From them, she learned the basics of baking everything from Italian pastries to shoefly pie as well as how to whip up pasta dishes and staples like chicken and dumplings.
“My Dad was in the military, so I was raised as a military brat,” she adds, describing how her parents encouraged her to immerse herself in various cultures, languages, and food. “I used that when I created my first menu, adding things from every continent — like Thai lettuce wraps.”
Running a restaurant wasn’t Rohland’s first choice for a career, but as she pursued other dreams in New York City, she worked in several family-owned Italian eateries to pay the rent.
While visiting her parents in Savannah one Christmas, Rohland’s parents mentioned that they had talked to Bob Masteller, who was about to launch The Jazz Club on Hilton Head Island with Charles Swift.
Rohland interviewed and accepted an offer to manage the club in 1999, trading city life for the Lowcountry. For eight years, under the tutelage of Masteller and Swift, she learned every facet of the restaurant business.
When the economy crashed in 2008, Rohland lost her job, but found the courage to strike out on her own.
With a meager amount of savings, she decided to start a bakeshop in Bluffton.
“It was a big trend in NYC at the time and I figured how hard could it be?” Laughing at her naivety, she adds, “It’s really hard!”
She created the Bluffton Muffin Company and sold her products at the Farmers Market, where someone suggested she check out artist Amos Hummell’s studio that was on Calhoun Street.
“When I walked in, my super-creative brain went wild,” recalls Rohland. “I started plotting and planning, and basically within four weeks, I had a lease. It was like a vision and all the information came to me: Cook what you love. Bake what you love. Make it as charming as possible.”
She placed tables on the porch, bought a 1960’s bakery case from Savannah, and spruced up every room with a new coat of paint.
On Oct. 15, 2009, a Farmers Market day, The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room opened to a crowd of patrons eager to see the first restaurant in Old Town succeed.
“It’s been joyous ever since,” bubbles Rohland. “I absolutely love my job, love my staff, love what we do and who we are.”
In 2019, the mayor of Bluffton even declared Oct. 15th as “Cottage Day” in recognition of Rohland and her team’s efforts to bring the first viable business to Calhoun Street.
Pairing needs with solutions, Rohland’s business ventures grew.
“I got tired of buying bad coffee,” she laughs, “so I put myself through roasting school in Vermont and created May River Coffee Roasters.”
Then she trained herself to make wedding cakes. After a favorite customer became ill, she opened The Juice Hive. The Emporium, an extension of The Juice Hive, opened as the first vitamin shop in the area but now is a health and food boutique, while The Pasta Shoppe fell into her lap thanks to a conversation with the former owner as both women took trash to the garbage bin.
All of it was done with intention.
“Sitting still and meditating guides me, gives me ideas,” explains Rohland, “but I need to wait for the right timing.”
Taking her commitments seriously, she rotates time between all her businesses, even cooking in the kitchen on Sundays at the café.
As for future endeavors, she shrugs, “I’m sure there’s something – we’ll just have to wait and see.”
THE Protector
JAMES HAMILTON PREACHES THE ART OF PERSONAL SECURITY
BY TIM WOOD | PHOTO BY RITTERBECK PHOTOGRAPHY
James Hamilton is paid to be a master surveyor of his surroundings.
The Bluffton resident coordinates a coast-to-coast team of more than 500 elite bodyguards as a senior vice president for Gavin de Becker and Associates, the nation’s premier executive protection firm.
He and his team are charged with protecting the richest and most visible private sector leaders in the U.S., largely by hiding in plain sight.
“It comes down to the ability to stand where a lot of people won’t stand,” Hamilton said. “We will take that bullet, but the goal is not to take a bullet for your client, and that is all about situational awareness and tactical planning. There’s an art to it that has come from decades of training.”
Hamilton began that tutelage with a five-year stint as a deputy sheriff in Columbia before making the dream leap to the FBI.
“It always seemed like the top for me,” he said of his more than 17 years with the bureau. “They bring in such a diverse group of people from doctors to scholars to police. We worked 231 different federal offenses, so there were always interesting cases to investigate. I thrived and thirsted for training in everything from tactics to SWAT team to firearms. That array of experience truly led me down the path to close protection.”
He first became a trusted CP agent for government officials before leaving for the private sector and Gavin de Becker.
“Gavin wrote a best-selling book called ‘The Gift of Fear.’ He preaches trusting your instincts and taking ownership of your own security,” Hamilton said. “It sounds like a simple concept, but he truly mastered the art of instinct. I knew when I was searching for the best private sector fit that all roads led to working with Gavin.”
Hamilton said that although Hollywood tends to portray bodyguards as gun-toting beefcakes, the job is far more cerebral to avoid the action scenes.
“There has never been a documented case of a bodyguard using a gun pre-emptively to stop an assassination on U.S. soil,” he said. “It’s about having a thought-out plan and constantly reacting to your surroundings. Having a gun adds a peace-of-mind later for the client, but a gun is only as useful as the mind of its operator. If we’re doing our job, there are no chase scenes or shootouts. A gun is the last resort. Being tops in this field means not using it.”
That doesn’t mean he hates all depictions of his profession. Hamilton said the Kevin Costner classic “The Bodyguard” is the truest on-screen portrayal of a life in executive protection, but of course, “Hollywood took artistic liberties to make it a marketable film.”
Hamilton shares his learnings on the local level as well as the head of the security team at Church of the Cross. He is also an in-demand public speaker, whittling down the tenets of security to the basics for each audience.
“Having an activated home security system, motion light, a guard dog, these are all great steps, but there are many no-cost means of being prepared,” he said. “Your body has a radar system to spot anomalies in the environment, to tell you when there is danger coming. The key is to listen and trust that intuition. Careful calmness leads to common sense and prepares you for any scenario.”
It’s why de Becker and Hamilton preach that fear is a gift, because that fear ultimately leads to self-awareness.
“It comes back to being an active participant in your own survival, to allow and encourage curiosity and suspicion of your surroundings,” he said.
Hamilton has taken that message to the airwaves, from local TV affiliates to “Good Morning America.”
“I get paid to not be seen, to see a threat before it happens, but it’s important to spread this knowledge as wide as we can,” he said. “We face scenarios every day in our lives. Each decision from the car you buy to the school you choose for your kids, you are unwittingly honing your instincts. You take control of your safety the more you trust your gut.”
Islander THE
LOLA CAMPBELL CREATIVELY KEEPS SPOTLIGHT ON GULLAH CULTURE
BY JESSICA FARTHING | PHOTO BY RITTERBECK PHOTOGRAPHY
Binya is a Gullah word that translates into “been here,” a perfect way to describe Omalola ‘Lola’ Campbell.
As a native islander, she traces her Gullah heritage back six generations to educators, entrepreneurs and storekeepers. Trained as a lawyer, she’s found her life’s work in her store stocked with Lowcountryinspired goods
“I feel like I’ve arrived at my purpose,” she said. “This is not just a commercial venture. This is my way to creatively keep our culture going.”
The store — Binya — sits on land that’s been in Campbell’s family for generations.
“It’s important that it started here. It’s only 412 square feet of space, which is pretty modest but it has so much more meaning than if I’d used another location on the island,” she said.
It’s a big change from working in finance law, though Campbell doesn’t regret the training from her degree or the skills she amassed while working in New York. She considered the experience part of the process to equip her for life as her own boss.
However, she doesn’t miss the stress of her former life.
“I don’t think there was anyone that I worked with that didn’t say that they couldn’t work like this forever,” she said.
During her time in the city, Campbell wrote poetry for an outlet and eventually compiled those works into “Writings on the Wall: Poetic Words from My Soul.” The desire to be closer to home and to find an easier life for herself and her son, Jalen, moved them to Charlotte, but the idea of having a more creative career was blossoming.
The pandemic was the motivation to move back to Hilton Head.
“I was working online, and Jalen was doing school remotely, so we went to Hilton Head to be with our family. My mom is a retired teacher and I thought she could be his learning liaison,” Campbell said.
With so much turmoil erupting across the country, Campbell felt happy to be at home. It proved to be a precious time together as she lost her father to COVID.
She’d discussed a Gullah lifestyle brand with him before, but it never came to fruition. With more time on her hands, she moved forward as a tribute to her father.
“He had a very entrepreneurial spirit,” she explained. “He passed that down to me.”
The clothing brand Gone Gullah is the result of that idea, a collection of on-trend clothing and accessories made to reflect Campbell’s heritage. Images like anchors, waves and water reflect the Lowcountry Gullah community and a cross worked into the logo shows a focus on faith.
Campbell sells items to visitors, Gullah and residents alike: “This is for everyone to represent the culture and understand it. It’s a lifestyle brand.”
Her store carries a whole host of Lowcountry goods —sweetgrass baskets, woven purses, books, candles and art. Campbell believes in highlighting local artisans to expose buyers to their products.
“When you’re shopping with me, you are shopping local with almost every item in the store,” she said.
These products serve Campbell’s higher purpose.
“It’s important to educate those who don’t know about Gullah culture in a way that doesn’t look like or seem like education,” Campbell said. “Whenever someone walks into the store, I’m usually having a full conversation about what Gullah is and what it means to me. I’m creatively keeping our culture going in a way that is approachable and inspires a back-and-forth discussion.”
She knows that she’ll eventually run out of room in the store, so future plans include expanding to more locations.
Right now, Campbell is taking the process one day at a time.
“Every day I’m confirmed that I’m doing the right thing because of the feedback from the community,” she said. “I’m really proud of my business and happy that I’ve found peace in this purpose.”
Musicians THE
DALY FAMILY HAS FORGED A MAGNETIC MUSICAL LEGACY
BY BARRY KAUFMAN | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
On the surface, it would seem like a classic Partridge Family situation. In the Daly family, you start with a pair of extraordinarily gifted parents. Marilyn, who passed away in 1999, was a mainstay of the island’s musical scene during the 80s and 90s, pairing a magnetic stage presence with an angelic voice.
Mike, still going strong as banjo player for Lowcountry Boil, approaches his music with a workmanlike craftsmanship, the classic multi-talented instrumentalist.
Together, they built a family. But perhaps without knowing it, in the process they created a musical legacy through their children Jevon, Gavin, Kelsey and Kieran.
“When we were little, it was like, there was instruments everywhere. But we really couldn’t play them,” said Jevon.
Eventually, the kids learned, joining their parents on stage, and becoming a part of the act.
“They taught us to be professional,” said Gavin, adding with a laugh, “although (Jevon) never learned.”
It’s one of many good-natured digs you’ll hear if you’re around two or more Dalys for any length of time. Not only does Jevon still play with his dad in Lowcountry Boil, but he’s also in about a billion other bands that would take up entirely too much space to list. That’s to say nothing of his solo shows, regular kids’ performances, and steady output online.
“I’m playing ‘Sweet Home, Alabama,’ and ‘Hotel California’ on Saturday, so on Sunday, I want to do ‘World’s Tiniest Pianist’ and ‘Cow Pie,’ ” said Jevon. “I’m pretty proud of my output and I’m proud of my family.”
Being proud of both makes sense — through varying bands and lineups, the Daly family has been in and out of local bands since the oldest boys were kids.
“By the time I was 13 we had a steady gig at Nick’s, every weekend,” said Gavin. “That’s what we were doing. We were playing the bars and watching people fight.”
While Gavin’s path took him to New York City where he became an acclaimed tattoo artist to the stars, music stayed along for the ride. While forging his path he has made side trips to sing for the Russian consulate, play trombone with the New York Philharmonic and pen the song “Shaina Tibel” in honor of his mother-in-law.
And when Marilyn passed in 1999, it was youngest son Kieran who played her off, picking up his mandolin and plucking a tune whose name has been lost to the years. A full-time musician at age 11 now continuing his craft in Chicago, the youngest Daly is a wonder even to the rest of his talented family.
“The kid just went into the music,” said Jevon. “I would go over there to visit, and he would have learned a whole album of John Coltrain saxophone solos on the mandolin. He was 12 or 13 and he was just devouring all this music.”
The love of the music was something that Marilyn and Mike Daly passed on to their children. That came naturally, organically. As Jevon will point out, very few parents were buying their kids Fender Mustangs for their first guitar. But the craft surrounding the music was something they taught their children, one show at a time.
“They knew how to do their thing, and they passed it along,” said Gavin. “It’s like real estate or anything else around here. That was our family business.”
For the boys, learning the family business meant watching the way their dad practiced his sound to perfection and maintained a work ethic among the chaos of the musician life. And it meant watching the way their mom could light up a stage.
“My mom had a good sense of humor, and she was always smiling on stage. I frowned on that for a long time but now I get it. People need to smile,” said Jevon. “My mom, I guess, was responsible for the outer shell and my dad was responsible for like the innards.”
Advocate THE
LA ISLA PUBLISHER ERIC ESQUIVEL HELPS BRINGS LATINO COMMUNITY TOGETHER
BY BARRY KAUFMAN | PHOTO BY RITTERBECK PHOTOGRAPHY
The Latinx community is one of tremendous vibrancy, encompassing a wealth of different nationalities, backgrounds and people. As such, it can be difficult for any one voice to speak to a community so defined by its varied expressions and influences.
Difficult, but as Eric Esquivel has proven, not impossible.
“Our motto at La Isla is that we are the Latin community’s organization. We have never closed the door on someone who needs something,” he said.
As founder and publisher of La Isla Magazine, Esquivel is ostensibly in the media business. But for the massive community of immigrants in the Lowcountry, what he does is so much more than just ink and paper. In addition to the print publications and its ancillary multimedia, social media and other products, La Isla was designed from day one to give the community something to rally around.
“It’s a flag in the ground; a way to be able to say that the Latino community is here, they’re a force to be reckoned
with and it’s a strong driver of our economy,” he said. “It’s more than just a magazine.”
Esquivel took over operations of La Isla from his brother and sister after leaving the corporate world 20 years ago. As a sales executive with Dell, he had been specifically tasked with making inroads among the Latino market. His work taught him the tremendous market power of this community, but it also underscored the work he could be doing closer to the Lowcountry where he’d grown up.
“In the corporate world, my business was acknowledging this powerful market,” he said. “For me it really became a mission and a calling card to not just do business within the community but also stand on my morals and do what’s right. It could have been easy for us to sit back and say we just do ads and stories, but being raised by a Colombian immigrant father and a mom of German descent, I know this country has always been a nation of immigrants. We were always taught to do what’s right.”
Standing on his morals meant helping advise policy during the massive immigration debate during the early 2000s, pointing out discrimination wherever it reared its head, and at times taking the community to task for areas where it was falling behind.
“In the media we carry a big stick, but we use it very delicately,” he said. “I realized that power early on and we were able to utilize our media prowess to highlight things that weren’t right.”
That love of his culture, and unyielding determination to do what’s right for it, comes in no small part from his parents.
“My dad was the immigrant from Colombia and my mom was the New Jersey German who fell in love with the culture as much as he did. They were both equally influential in exposing all three of us to Latino culture, cuisine, language and history,” he said.
Informed by this upbringing and raised in a typical American fashion, Esquivel grew up with a foot in both worlds, something that has helped him tremendously as he has become a constant advocate for his community.
“In many senses, I’ve been able to be a chameleon,” he said. “Growing up in the Lowcountry, I can be a good old boy, but I also know my culture and my heritage. At times I’ve found myself stuck in the middle.”
It turns out, however, that right in the middle has been where Eric Esquivel has been able to accomplish the most. His connections in the business community, forged through years in the Lowcountry, have created new opportunities for Latinos. His deep ties to the Latino community have helped him create something that serves them all, despite their disparate backgrounds. “Life is what you make of it. My dad knew from a young age he wanted to be a doctor. I didn’t have a clue. I was premed early on, but when I decided to change my major my dad said, ‘What are you going to do?’ I told him I didn’t know,” said Eric. “But I know I’m passionate about my culture and my people. And he taught me that as long as I pursue what I’m passionate about, I’ll figure out the rest.”
Students THE
Ukrainian students, Tykhon (left) and Petro (right)
LED BY HERITAGE ACADEMY, HILTON HEAD ISLAND’S COMMUNITY WELCOMES UKRAINIAN STUDENTS
BY AMY BARTLETT | PHOTO BY RITTERBECK PHOTOGRAPHY
Half a world away, the people of Ukraine are facing a humanitarian crisis. Here at home on Hilton Head Island, the students, leadership, and community surrounding Heritage Academy have responded in a powerfully human way.
From visa, to education, to being housed by caring families, the community has moved heaven and earth for two special students, Tykhon and Petro.
What started out as helping others, has become a mutual blessing in all directions.
The idea began when Amanda O’Nan, owner and head of school at Heritage Academy on the island, realized how tough it is for today’s youth to grasp the reality of what was happening on the world stage, what the humanitarian needs are, and how we can contribute.
As an educator she began to look within the education system for creative solutions and found them in the form of the Rotary Club’s international exchange program. Before long, two Ukranian teens — Tykhon and Petro, whose families were displaced or positioned in the center of the chaos of Kiev — where on their way to the states.
“When we met them at the airport,” O’Nan recalls, “we asked them how many bags they had and were surprised to learn they’d left home with only one. It dawned on us they weren’t referring to leaving their home before the flight — they meant that’s all they took with them when they had to leave their home forever.”
Asked about the biggest impact, O’Nan said: “We recently had the pleasure of having them share a presentation with the whole student body that impacted all of us and reminded me where this whole thing started —broadening our students’ understanding of a world of others.”
This impact is happening in homes too, as one of the students’ hosts, Mikaelah Seifrit, noted that having Petro live with the family, and getting to know his family and the challenges that are woven into their daily reality in Ukraine, has been “very eye-opening and humbling for our family.”
“Every day, we guide and help him as he navigates this new life in a new country, in a new school, but parallel to that is Petro teaching us about Ukraine,” Seifrit said. “Some things are universal, as we’ve learned his favorite card game and come to really like soccer watching the World Cup together, and he’s found connection points with our youngest through chess, movies, and video games.”
The family also looked forward to sharing Petro’s first American Christmas with him, and Tykhon, who lives with a diffferent family, and Petro will celebrate Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7, a time Seifrit describes as “a season of new beginnings, hellos and goodbyes” as Petro’s stay in their home overlaps with her and husband Brian’s son leaving for college in January.
Between hoping to give the boys a generous experience and continuing to provide for their basic teenage needs (including housing, as current arrangements are temporary and end shortly), Heritage Academy is calling for donations or participation that will help the boys thrive during their stay in the United States.
While others seek to lend a helping hand, Tykhon and Petro continue to offer perspective and inspiration.
“It’s a nice play to study and live. There are many interesting things here. I am just really thankful for this opportunity,” Tykhon told WSAV last summer.
Petro says with unwavering straightforwardness, “Enjoy your life, no matter how hard it is.”
He adds with a simplicity that resonates with citizens across our country, “I love Ukraine.”
Designer THE
LEAH BAILEY OFFERS INSPIRING CREATIVE STYLES
BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
Leah Bailey certainly has an eye for style.
As an interior designer, she blends and builds upon classic Lowcountry elements.
Bailey is from Savannah, but her reach extends to the Lowcountry.
In July 2020, she opened The Shop on May River Road in Old Town Bluffton, a boutique that also houses a small design studio.
Her path to the Lowcountry started in Michigan, where she was born, but Bailey moved to Savannah at an early age and calls herself a “Southern Yankee.” By 4, she was spending a lot of time with her aunt and her aunt’s husband, a man who renovated houses.
“We’d go into these dilapidated houses, furniture auctions,
and antique stores. I was exposed to things most kids aren’t at a very young age,” she says. “I understood it and loved it.”
Growing up around magnificent old architecture, playing in landscaped parks and even living in an old beach house for a while on Tybee Island, Bailey says she didn’t truly understand how beautiful and charming the area was until she left.
Now she draws upon that inspiration as she guides clients to choose palettes, textures, and accessories to design their homes.
Twenty-two years ago she started Leah Bailey Interiors and quickly became the go-to designer for homes in Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton as well as The Landings on Skidaway Island and neighborhoods in Savannah.
Her creative touches have been featured in magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Country French, Savannah Homes, and The Cottage Journal.
Her boutique design firm can handle everything from curating the look of a new home to refurbishing an old apartment or updating a worn-out bungalow.
Insisting that she never wants to become a massive design firm, Bailey takes pride in her “hands-on” approach to doing business. Always confident about her ability to pull together everything from colors to lighting to the scale of furniture.
Bailey said her clients had urged her to open her boutique shop in Bluffton.
If opening a new business during COVID wasn’t challenging enough, five months later she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
“It was definitely a year of growth and change, but also struggle. If I made it through that, I can survive anything,” she reflects, describing her year-long stint of treatments and working from a distance as her team handled the day-to-day operations.
Now cancer-free, she hopes locals and tourists alike will stop by her Bluffton shop and introduce themselves.
“There’s something for everyone, whether it’s for your dog, your grandmother, a hostess gift or for your own home,” she said.
After hosting several popular pop-ups, she’s also added apparel to her boutique.
Sports writer THE
CURRY KIRKPATRICK REFLECTS ON HALL OF FAME CAREER
BY WES KERR | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
It was about one year ago when Curry Kirkpatrick finally got the call he deserved.
After an illustrious sportswriting career, he was invited to Winston-Salem, N.C., in June for his induction into the National Sports Media Hall of Fame.
With a brilliant and well-deserved tribute by colleague Charles Barkley, Kirkpatrick saw the culmination of a memorable journey with a signature Lowcountry flair.
“It was a big surprise to me,” Kirkpatrick said. “It was a great event, and the best part was that my family was all there.”
When you think of classic Sports Illustrated, you think of Curry Kirkpatrick. He was synonymous with the college basketball and international tennis beats, covering the likes of Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, and the great rivalry between John McEnroe and Björn Borg.
He began his time with the magazine as a student reporter at the University of North Carolina. It wasn’t long until he earned a full-time offer to write for the world-renowned magazine. And four years after he took that offer to his dream job, his work led him down to the Lowcountry.
The year was 1969. Harbour Town Golf Links was ready to open its doors to the golfing world for the inaugural Heritage Classic. And Kirkpatrick was coming too.
Alongside storied golf writer Dan Jenkins, Kirkpatrick shared the spectacle of the first-ever tournament with readers across the country. It took place not in April, but in the last week of November, and was won by Arnold Palmer.
And it was a golden chance for Kirkpatrick to witness the beauty and splendor of Hilton Head Island.
A year later, Kirkpatrick was sent back to Harbour Town to cover Bob Goalby’s victory. It was the last edition that Sports Illustrated highlighted with a fullfledged story, but it left a lasting impression on a budding national star.
Kirkpatrick was never one for harsh winters. Growing up in St. Louis and Niagara Falls, Curry chose to go to college in North Carolina in part to escape the cold climate.
When he accepted the Sports Illustrated job, it meant a return to the chilly weather. He commuted from Connecticut to be close to his company’s New York City offices. But in 1977, Kirkpatrick got his wish — and escaped back to his favorite island paradise.
His journalistic journey took him to a wide array of destinations, from the All-England Club at Wimbledon to Final Fours, Super Bowls, the Olympic Winter Games in France and Norway, and even the Ringling Brothers circus. He spent a day with former U.S. President George H. W. Bush up in Kennebunkport, Maine.
But Hilton Head was — and always will be — his home base. The Family Circle Cups he covered on the island may not have been the most prestigious events, but they always had the most special place in his heart.
If you’re walking down the beach near Port Royal, you might find Kirkpatrick enjoying himself along the sand (“I always wanted to live on the beach,” he said) or even taking a swim in the ocean.
When he’s not relaxing near the water, he’ll take to the many tennis courts across the island. He’s played as many as four days a week and was enthralled by the challenge and excitement of the sport.
And he’s made a golfing memory that will envy anyone that’s stepped out on the course. In a media day event before the 1971 U.S Open, Kirkpatrick nailed a hole-inone at the iconic Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. A nice feather in the cap of a standout resume.
It’s a resume that includes 27 years at Sports Illustrated on top of his work at ESPN, CBS, and CNN while co-authoring a pair of books. He’s made a lifetime of memories doing what he’s loved the most, and it’s been anchored in the heart of Hilton Head Island.
“It was always fun and it didn’t seem like a job,” Kirkpatrick said. “It was an adventure.”
Magician THE
ED ELLIS HAS BEEN SLEIGHT-OF-HAND MASTER FOR FOUR DECADES
BY MARK E. LETT | PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
There’s no trick to spotting the qualities that make Ed Ellis one of America’s most enduring magicians: Fast hands and an “excellent” attitude.
It doesn’t hurt, Ed adds, to have a hero and a mentor for inspiration and guidance.
That combination has produced a career spanning four decades, taking Ellis from his Ohio hometown to performances in dining clubs and storied stages from Hollywood and Las Vegas to Great Britain and South Korea.
Along the way, the Lowcountry resident has become a familiar face and an in-demand performer at local venues from Sea Pines to Hardeeville.
For Ellis, the magic happens much of the time at tables in restaurants, private parties and magic-themed shows. Armed with cards, rings, rubber bands and breezy chatter, the 68-year-old magician leaves his audiences puzzled, dazzled and pleased by his inventive performance.
As a drummer and mind-blowing master of close-up magic, Ellis gained a reputation for his lightning-like hand speed. Fans hung the nickname “Fast Ed” on Ellis — and it stuck – as he graduated from a teen garage band to a career as a pro drummer and touring musician.
Ellis says his “life changed forever” at age 14 and his “soul was overwhelmed” while attending a Buddy Rich performance at an Akron music center. Rich — a drummer and bandleader known for jazz, big band and swing — was so popular that he was known as “Mr. Drums” and “The Drum Wonder.”
At age 22, Ellis met his idol during a Rich concert at the Lakewood Civic Center near Cleveland. As Rich polished off a drum solo, an ebullient Ellis popped up from the audience and challenged the legendary drummer to a drum faceoff.
To the crowd’s amazement, Rich called Ed to the stage to see what the young fan could deliver. Ed did not disappoint and, as recalls, Rich announced: “Well, Fast Eddie, I can say one thing: ‘You got lick.’”
Ellis calls the episode his “brush with greatness.”
Music might have been a lifelong career for Ellis. But then he met John Quine, a master magician teaching the art at the University of Akron.
Curious and open-minded, Ellis soaked up all Quine had to offer and – decades later – the two maintain a powerful student-mentor bond.
Quine says Ellis has succeeded as a magician “because he did everything to learn master the craft.
“Plus, he makes it his own,” said Quine. “His presentation is true to who he is, and he really doesn’t just copy somebody else.”
With the same enthusiasm he had for drumming, Ellis immersed himself in close-up magic, also known as table magic. Such sleight-of-hand performances call for tableside acts, with magicians manipulating cards, dice, rings and other small items.
As it turned out, close-up magic was a perfect outlet for the magician described as having “The World’s Fastest Hands.”
“I was very excited about it,” recalls Ellis. “It just blew me away.”
Before long, Ellis was doing double duty as a drummer and a musician in venues throughout Ohio and the Midwest. As his magic proficiency grew, so did his reputation and demand for his magic act.
Eventually, an old friend from Ohio who had relocated to Hilton Head suggested Ellis try his hand at the Marriott Hotel at Sea Pines.
“At first, I said ‘Hilton Head: What’s that?’ But it was a great move. I had ability and I had opportunity.”
After spending years performing in and around Hilton Head in the 1980s, Ellis hit the road. Before long, he was featured in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, including multiple appearances at the Magic Castle in California and Caesar’s Magical Empire in Vegas.
As with all things Ellis, progress was fast-moving. Among his bookings: • South Korea Army Bases Tour; • Performer and lecturer at Britain’s Blackpool Magic
Convention, and at International Brotherhood of
Magicians in Nashville and England; • Second place in the International Battle of Magicians, 2005.
Along the way, he appeared in commercials, hosted his own television show and produced “How To” videos about magic and his own illusions. He landed a role as a sketchy inmate in “Shawshank Redemption.” In listing his credits and qualities, Ellis included “Excellent Attitude” on his resume as an actor.
By 2005, he had returned to the Lowcountry and steady appearances at resort hotels, area restaurants and private events, including the Crazy Crab and Aunt Chilada’s. Ellis could be found in recent months at the Southern Barrel in Bluffton.
“Hilton Head has always been good to me,” says Ellis. “Hilton head is always a place of years of wonderful memories and people.”
