Hilton Head Monthly February 2016

C O N N E C T I N G

T H E

G IN D E ED S U W IS

CE L E BR AT IN G T HE L O W C O UN T R Y ' S BL A CK HI S T O R Y

L O W C O U N T R Y

FEBRUARY 2016 HILTONHEADMONTHLY.COM

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2013, 2014 & 2015

2013, 2014 & 2015

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BRIDAL

BLACK HISTORY

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CELEBRATING HILTON HEAD’S BLACK HISTORY

WELCOME TO YOUR WEDDING

Hilton Head’s social and cultural history dates back to the early 1700s, and from the beginning, the Gullah people were central to the story.

We’re going to dazzle you with trends and tips on how to pull off the perfect Lowcountry wedding in 2016.

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FINDING FREEDOM’S HOME Mitchelville was the first place in the U.S. where Africans in America, just out of slavery and not yet citizens, governed themselves.

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THE SLAVE WALL

SECRET SERVICE

Researching African-American ancestral roots has its own particular set of challenges, since African-Americans cannot always discover the African country that they came from.

Harriet Tubman began her work on Hilton Head Island as a spy, an organizer and a leader of scouts.

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KENDRA & J.D.

HAYLEY & JAKE

Golfers find love off the course

The perfect destination

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THE LITTLE BLUE HOUSE

KELLY & DAN

Driving down Gumtree Road, it is easy to miss the tiny bright blue house that sits to the side on Georgiana Drive. It’s a little blue house with an important past — and a big story to tell about the courage, strength and resilience of one family and what this family can teach us about the history of the Gullah people.

Threat of rain unable to spoil

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RETHINKING BLACK HISTORY MONTH This year, as we prepare to engage in the ritualized celebration of Black History Month, we must also acknowledge that history-making is a process, and that there are present realities standing in opposition to a mood of pure celebration.

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TRENDS FOR 2016 If you’ve already chosen to tie the knot on Hilton Head or in Bluffton, we thought we’d help you plan by highlighting some of 2016’s early wedding trends.

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FEATURES 68

18 n HOLA! BIENVENIDA! Bluffton’s growing Latino community brings with it the perfect customer

22 n JASPER PORT UPDATE Tom Davis hopes landmark project will be “finished within the next 10 years”

26 n SECRET TO MARRIAGE It’s about the basics and bringing your best self to the relationship

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FEB. CONTENTS 114

28 n GIFT GUIDE Find the perfect Valentine’s Day present right here at home

68 n BUSINESS ADVICE Entrepreneur Cheryl Klipple shares secrets to her success

104 n STICKING TOGETHER Love keeps Lutz family together following tragedy

108 n MEDITATION 101 Improve your overall health for free with meditation

110 n A DAY OF HEALTH

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Behind the mystique of Hilton Head Health

114 n THE ULTIMATE HOBBY Disc golf popularity continues to grow across the Lowcountry

122 n RIVERBEND RETREAT

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 n AT THE HELM 12 n NEWS 16 n OPINION 18 n VIBE 30 n WHERE IN THE WORLD? 33 n BRIDAL 68 n ENTREPRENEURS 71 n BUSINESS 72 n ON THE MOVE 104 n HEALTH 112 n GOLF 114 n SPORTS 122 n HOME 139 n REAL ESTATE 160 n CALENDAR 174 n SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT 178 n WHAT’S COOKING 182 n DINING 192 n LAST CALL

Okatie home makes most of natural surroundings

139 n REAL ESTATE RISING

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More people are finding the Lowcountry to be the ideal place to live

178 n THE BEET GENERATION All we are saying is to give beets a chance

179 n RESTAURANT HONORS Travel + Leisure ranked Hilton Head on its “World’s Best Islands for Food”

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30 Years of Homebuilding Monthly’s yearlong 30th anniversary celebration continues with a spotlight on the homebuilding industry.

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AT THE HELM

PHOTO BY ARNO DIMMLING

Kindness opens door to friendship

Publisher Lori Goodridge-Cribb (left) with artist Sonja Griffin Evans.

If

you do good things and treat people well, good things will come back to you. This is how I’ve always lived my life. I firmly believe that compassion, kindness and patience for others are especially important in a small community such as this one. You never know when your paths will cross again.

Before an event last year at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, another woman and myself eyed an open parking spot in the busy lot. I smiled and waved for her to take it. She quickly returned the gesture. After a few friendly, “Take it!” “No, you take it!” exchanges, I broke the gracious stalemate by pulling into the spot.

She quickly found another place and we got out of our vehicles at the same time.

We struck up a conversation as we walked toward the entrance. Turns out, she was one of the artists featured in the art competition I was headed to. I have an art background and have always been fascinated with the people behind beautiful paintings.

We bonded immediately. Happily, she won the competition later that night and I developed a new friendship.

Her name is Sonja Griffin Evans. When thinking of ways to illustrate Hilton Head Island and Bluffton’s black history for this issue, her beautiful paintings came to mind.

Not only did she agree to let us use her art, she created a new painting just for us.

In addition to celebrating black history, February is also our big bridal issue. Sonja tied the two subjects together by painting a Gullah bride “Jumping the Broom,” an African American custom for marriage.

I think it’s perfect, just like Sonja. And to think, I would have probably missed out on getting to know her if I had been a big jerk last year and raced into that open parking spot at The Westin.

Speaking of The Westin, have you purchased tickets for the 2016 Hilton Head Bridal Show? Now in its ninth year, the annual event has grown into the biggest bridal event in the region with more than 50 bridal industry professionals under one roof.

This year’s show takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, at The Westin. If that date sounds familiar, you’re obviously a football fan. It’s Super Bowl Sunday! No need to worry, though. We’ve arranged to have a TV room showing the Super Bowl pregame festivities and we’re even giving away free beer. That’s right … free beer!

The show ends 3 ½ hours before kickoff so you will have plenty of time to get home and change before your big Super Bowl party starts.

Tickets are $5 at hiltonheadmonthly. com and $10 at the door. I hope to see you there! M

address PO Box 5926, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 offices 843-842-6988 fax 843-842-5743 web hiltonheadmonthly.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

One-year (12-issue) subscriptions are $12.

For mailing inquiries or to make address changes to your existing subscription, call 843-785-1889 or email subscriptions@hiltonheadmonthly.com CEO

Marc Frey marc@hiltonheadmonthly.com PRESIDENT Anuska Frey afrey@freymedia.com PUBLISHER Lori Goodridge-Cribb lori@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-842-6988, ext. 238 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lance Hanlin lance@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-842-6988, ext. 230 ART DIRECTOR Jeremy Swartz jeremy@hiltonheadmonthly.com DESIGN Charles Grace charles@hiltonheadmonthly.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Arno Dimmling, Faith Seiders, Butch Hirsch, Lloyd Wainscott, Rob Kaufman, Scott Hopkins, Kellie McCann, Dayle Thomas, Anni Miller, Ron Denny, Jessica Maples, Vitor Lindo Photography, Willie J. Rice CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lisa Allen, David Gignilliat, Charlie Clark, Robyn Passante, Elihu Spencer, Luana M. Graves Sellars, Dr. Gloria Graves Holmes, Sally Mahan, Rebecca Edwards, Barry Kaufman, John Hudzinski, Amy Coyne Bredeson, Dean Rowland, Jean Beck, Barbara K. Clark, Carolyn Males, Carmen Hawkins DeCecco, Carrie Hirsch ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Rebecca V. Kerns rebecca@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-842-6988, ext. 239 Cathy Flory cathy@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-842-6988, ext. 228 Majka Yarbrough majka@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-842-6988, ext. 231 Mary Ann Kent maryann@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-384-9390

ABOUT THE COVER: Both Hilton Head Island and Bluffton covers feature paintings by artist Sonja Griffin Evans. Through her more than 800 pieces of artwork, the Beaufort native has consistently called on her Lowcountry roots to become a prolific master of the traditional Gullah style, using vibrant and telling colors. Both can be purchased at sonjagriffinevans.com.

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• M o l l y

• T i f f a n y

• B e t h

• D e a n n e

• E l i z a b e t h

• S u s a n

• C a r r i e

WINTER IS ONLY TEMPORARY. PLAN YOUR SPRING WITH US.

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NEWS

HILTON HEAD BOAT COMPETING IN CONCH REPUBLIC CUP Several members of the Yacht Club of Hilton Head Island are competing in the Conch Republic Cup, a 511-nautical mile international race that covers three different bodies of water and ends in Cuba. Members are

traveling in three different legs. The first group left Hilton Head’s Skull Creek Marina on Jan. 16 for Key West, Florida.

That group included John Singleton, Norm Shotz, Henry Shultz and Hap Todd. The second group left Key West

on Jan. 27 and is sailing to Havana, Cuba. That group is made up of Mike Roe, Todd, Singleton, Aubrey Vaughan, Ed Lyons, Marek Belka and Shultz. The third leg of the trip will be Feb. 7, when a group returns to Hilton Head. Joining

BLUFFTON TEEN ADVANCES TO HOLLYWOOD ROUND OF ‘AMERICAN IDOL’

BLUFFTON POLICE INTRODUCE ANTI-THEFT DOTS A new technology to help identify stolen property was recently introduced by the Bluffton Police Department.

The new technology is called Anti-Theft Dots, a special adhesive that can be applied to all types of property.

Suspended in the adhesive are thousands of tiny microdots, smaller than the size of a grain of sand. Each microdot contains a unique PIN, which is registered and stored in a secure database. All the microdots in each kit have the same PIN, but no kits are alike, providing the reference to “DNA for Property.” Users will apply the Anti-Theft Dots applications to their valuables and register their PINs in a national law enforcement database. The Bluffton Police Department is the first agency in South Carolina to use the newest application, “DNA Protected.” Police have a room full of recovered stolen items, with no idea to whom those items belong to.

the team will be Jeff Westfall, Morris Young, Jim Landis, Al Pepe, Smitty Haller and Ivan Puglisi.

It is the first time in race history the United States has allowed the boats to travel to Cuba.

ALLEGIANT ADDS 4 NEW DIRECT FLIGHTS TO SAVANNAH AIRPORT Allegiant recently announced four new nonstop flights to the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

Flights from Indianapolis and Pittsburgh begin April 8.

Baltimore flights start April 29, followed by flights from Lexington, Kentucky, on June

2. One-way rates for all four flights will dip as low as $39.

The airline also added three direct flights to Jacksonville International Airport from New Orleans, Memphis and Richmond, Virginia. Find more information at www. allegiantair.com.

FRONTAGE ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION A frontage road connecting Berkeley Hall, St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church and the Bluffton Township Fire District headquarters is now under construction.

The long-debated project is expected to be completed by

Sixteen-year-old Bluffton resident Lee Jean was featured in the premiere episode of the popular Fox TV reality series “American Idol.” Jean impressed judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., receiving votes from all three for his performance of “I See Fire” and earning a golden ticket to the Hollywood round of the show.

On the episode, Jean shared the story of losing his brother and said it was the reason he tried out for the show. He stands as one of only 11 men left among the show’s 24 semifinalists.

August. A new traffic signal and deceleration lane will be added to U.S. 278 in front of the fire headquarters. The median cut in front of the church will be closed after the frontage road project is completed.

WALMART, SAM’S CLUB COMING TO NEW BLUFFTON GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTER The new Bluffton Gateway shopping center, scheduled to open at the intersection of U.S. 278 and S.C. 46 in early 2017, will be anchored by a Walmart Supercenter and a

Sam’s Club. The two anchor tenants were recently released

by Atlanta-based developer Jaz Development. The 66-acre site was home to a former printing plant that closed in the

1980s. The shopping center project was once delayed over concerns that stormwater runoff from rooftops and parking lots could threaten the nearby Colleton River. The project

was eventually given final approval in April 2014. Hilton Head Island currently has both a Walmart Supercenter and a Sam’s Club. Hardeeville also has a supercenter.

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NEWS

NO NEW BEACH CANOPIES RULES IN PLACE FOR 2016 Hilton Head Island will not limit umbrellas, pop-up tents or canopies on public beaches in 2016. The big pop-up canopies became an issue last year after many beachgoers and lifeguards

complained about broken and abandoned tents and canopies left behind by visitors in 2015.

Hilton Head town leaders considered regulations but ultimately decided against it. In 2014,

HERITAGE LANDS NEW OFFICIAL RADIO STATIONS Apex Broadcasting recently signed a three-year agreement to become the new official radio stations of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. Apex’s sponsorship will include original radio content aimed at informing listeners about the RBC Heritage throughout the year.

Weekly Heritage segments and a golf-themed show named “Lowcountry Links” are already planned for Apex’s three stations: 104.9 The Surf/WLHH, SC 103/WVSC 103.1 and Easy FM 106.5. The 48th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is set for April 11-17 at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island. For tickets, call 843-6712448 or go to www.rbcheritage. com.

NEW SECURITY MEASURES FOR BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS

PHOTO BY ARNO DIMMLING

TRAVEL GUIDE RANKS HHI AMONG TOP FAMILY DESTINATIONS Think Hilton Head Island is a great family travel destination? ABC Travel Guides for Kids certainly does. The guide recently ranked the island No. 7 on its list of “Top U.S. Family Travel Destinations for 2016.”

According to the guide: “Beaches, bike trails, kayaking and water sports, horseback riding and we're just get-

ting warmed up. Families will think they are in the Caribbean at Omni's Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.”

Philadelphia was ranked No. 1, followed by Chicago, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Detroit and Miami. Find more information on ABC Travel Guides for Kids online at www.kidstravelguides.com

CORRECTIONS In the January 2016 issue, we incorrectly printed: • The identity of the owner of The Bluffton Room restaurant in Old Town Bluffton. The true owner is Margie Backaus.

• The square footage of FACES Day Spa. The correct square footage is 3,000 square feet. We also incorrectly stated the business has hair-cutting stations. It does not.

• The names of Natalie Hefter and Jennifer Stupica in the article about the Coastal Discovery Museum.

Horry County, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach addressed a similar problem by banning tents, canopies and limiting the size of umbrellas allowed on public beaches.

LOCAL BOW-AND-ARROW TOOTH REMOVAL VIDEO GOES VIRAL A video recently posted on YouTube features 7-yearold Bluffton resident Cayden Sullard using a bow-andarrow and a piece of string to remove a loose tooth.

The 30-second video, titled “Kid pulls out his first tooth in the most epic way possible,” was recorded on his father’s cellphone in the family’s backyard. The video has been viewed more than

30,000 times in the past several weeks. All the attention has the River Ridge Academy first-grader thinking of ways to top the feat with his next loose tooth.

The Bluffton Police Department has implemented new security measures for all Bluffton Town Council meetings as part of an update to town policies and procedures. “We have an obligation to provide a safe and secure place for the public. We aren’t here to impose on anyone’s privacy; we just want to protect them,” said Bluffton Police Chief Joey Reynolds.

As part of the new safety measures, an officer will use a security wand, a type of hand-held metal detector, to look for weapons in attendees’ pockets, purses and bags before all Town Council meetings.

NEW LIBRARY STREAMING SERVICE GAINING POPULARITY More than 1,000 Beaufort County Library System patrons have signed up for the new Hoopla streaming service since its fall launch, with an average of 150 users registering each month. More than 400,000 titles are available through the Hoopla Digital service, including movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks and comic books.

Hoopla recently announced support for Google Chromecast in the latest update for iOS and Android users, and the service is compatible with Apple TV.

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OPINION

SPEAK UP!

Send letters or any comments to editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com

THE WORD ON THE STREET, ONLINE & IN PRINT

STORY RAISES AWARENESS "I want to thank you for the article about my husband (“Everyone Has a Story,” January 2016), and the cover picture! We were so surprised to see him on the cover. It is very exciting to get the information out to other people with Parkinson's who may not have heard of this program. My next project is to get Medicare to pay for it. They pay for physical therapy, speech PHOTO BY LLOYD WAINSCOTT therapy and the BIG program for Parkinson's patients. I am hoping they will consider this when they read the research that has been done regarding stopping or slowing the progress of Parkinson's with boxing. Not to mention the self-esteem I see with my husband. He actually wants to play chess with me now and reads the paper and magazines instead of just glancing at the pages."

— Karen Dembiec

STAY CONNECTED

SANFORD REACHES OUT After we printed “The Art of Christmas” in our December issue, local artist Betty Luntey received this letter in the mail:

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WEBSITE FEEDBACK

CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT

On the article, “Pit bull ordinance has responsible owners barking foul”: “Attempting to make pit bulls extinct by allowing ACOs to put a de-sexing order on a dog based upon an unscientific subjective opinion is not the answer. Identifying your dog fighters and puppy millers (of all breeds) and putting them out of business is.”

— Karen Batchelor

A native-born New Yorker, Luana Graves Sellars moved to Florida and discovered that she was really a misplaced Floridian, and knew that snow and nor’easters were not meant for her. At Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, she earned a degree in journalism and minored in business and black history. This was the beginning of what she calls her "potpourri career" that included working in advertising as a national media buyer, a sought-after conference speaker on urban radio advertising, as well as a promoter and artist manager in the music industry. She has travelled the world extensively, yet from childhood she has been drawn to Hilton Head, a place she considers her spiritual home.

“Good ordinance. Backyard breeders supply the dog-fighting ring with cheap dogs. Pit bulls are bred to kill other dogs. Look at Detroit and the recent deaths caused by dangerous pit bulls. The owners did not kill the child; the pit bull did. The school teacher who raised two loving pit bulls was killed by her two dogs.”

— Max Laughlin

“Life’s too short not to pursue your dreams” is what Faith Seiders said to herself when she left corporate America after 26 years in the wireless industry. Now, she focuses on cultivating the creative side of her life with photography and painting. Her education includes a psychology degree from Penn State and an MBA from Jacksonville University. Improving her photography skills is a constant endeavor and she relies on mentors, on-line classes, and simply shooting a lot, including for this magazine. See her work at www.faithographyphoto.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the original authors and do not necessarily represent those of Monthly

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HOLA! BIENVENIDA! BLUFFTON’S GROWING LATINO COMMUNITY BRINGS WITH IT THE PERFECT CUSTOMER: YOUNG, HARD-WORKING AND LOYAL

BY LISA ALLEN | PHOTOS BY ARNO DIMMLING

Just a couple of decades ago, Bluffton was a tiny town, a 1-mile-square speck of fewer than 1,000 people on the Beaufort County map.

T

hrough annexation, the town bulked up to its current size, 50 times larger than its former self. Now its land mass dominates southern Beaufort County.

A building boom turned woods into lawns fronting thousands of homes, 86 percent of which have been built since 2000, according to the U.S. Census.

Bluffton’s population surged too, climbing 14 percent from 2010 to 2014 alone.

More than 15,000 people now call Bluffton home.

As its population grows, so does its texture, from a nearly all-white community in the 1990s to one in which nearly one in 5 residents is Latino today. Latinos are the town’s largest minority group and growing fast. From 2010 to 2014, 300 Latino residents moved in, while 100 African-Americans moved out, shifting the town’s composition.

Similar to the siren call to Ohioans that bolstered Hilton Head Island in the 1960s, Bluffton’s relatively affordable housing and job opportunities started a robust referral system for Latinos.

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" These are the customers you want.

They’re loyal, they’re young, and they live by word of mouth.”

They encourage their extended families to join them, vouching for them at work and introducing them to their real estate agents.

“This is nothing new, this has been going on for 15 years,” said Eric Esquivel, publisher of La Isla magazine.

“It’s an attractive area to raise a family and if you see the average age of the people moving in, these are young people. These are the customers you want.

They’re loyal, they’re young, and they live by word of mouth.”

If you earn a Latino customer, you’ll likely gain three generations of their family, he said.

“For example, if a local business wants to run a job ad in our magazine, I tell them to print it in English and Spanish.

‘No,’ they say, ‘I only want Englishspeaking employees.’ I tell them that when an abuela sees the ad, she’ll tell her grandson or granddaughter about the job and they’ll apply. That’s how you reach the Hispanic community.”

Images from the annual Fiesta de Mayo Festival. Latinos are now Bluffton’s largest minority group and growing fast. From 2010 to 2014, 300 Latino residents moved in.

Esquivel also advises large corporations how to attract Latino customers and employees.

“There is no race, color or creed in business and Latinos aren’t going away.

Do you want a consumer who is 62 years old or a consumer who is 26 and is a loyal customer? Latinos are very conservative, faith-based, family-oriented people.

Everything is relationship-based. Once you build a relationship with them, they are customers for life,” he said.

The town of Bluffton is helping these new residents acclimate, said Mayor Lisa Sulka.

Materials are printed in English and Spanish, including informational pamphlets and applications for programs such as Neighborhood Assistance and the Community Development Block Grant. Bilingual staff members act as interpreters when needed and during public meetings, she said.

The Bluffton Police Department launched the special hotline so Spanishspeaking callers can use the non-emergency line to leave anonymous tips or request assistance.

“Being able to observe and exchange cultural traditions helps a community grow in ways it otherwise could not if it were homogeneous,” Sulka said in a statement. “Indisputably, the town of Bluffton is growing at a phenomenal rate.

Embracing cultural diversity as it grows is critical to long-term success.”

Another resource is the brand-new Hispanic Forum Findings Report for Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties.

The information for businesses, organizations and local governments was collected as part of the 2015 Hispanic Forum, which included Hispanic community leaders, grassroots organizations, business leaders, faith-based organizations and local and state government representatives. It’s available at www.cma.sc.gov.

An easy way to make new immigrants feel welcome is to greet them in their language, Esquivel said. It could be the first step in a long, positive business relationship. M

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the VIBE

STEADY PROGRESS CONTINUES FOR FUTURE JASPER OCEAN TERMINAL PLANS

BY DAVID GIGNILLIAT

SEN. DAVIS HOPES LANDMARK PROJECT WILL BE ‘FINISHED WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS’

The future is now.

O

nce just an improbable idea in the minds of a few forward-thinking visionaries, the Jasper Ocean Terminal is inching closer to an area-changing reality as plans for the port continue to steadily move forward in 2016.

“A bi-state effort was necessary because the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers said no one state could do it alone,” said state Sen. Tom Davis, who has been involved with the project

since 2007, when he was chief of staff for then-Gov. Mark Sanford. "After years of studies regarding economic viability, environmental constraints, necessary infrastructure (both road and rail), the Jasper port application has finally been filed, and the conceptual is becoming a reality, and that's a great thing.”

In mid-November, the Georgia and South Carolina port authorities inked a new joint venture agreement, pro-

viding for permits, financing, infrastructure and operational decisions for the proposed $4.5 billion port project. The two agencies, operating through a board of directors as part of the Joint Project Office, will together own and operate the terminal, which will be located in southern Jasper County near the Tybee National Wildlife Refuge, on a 1500-acre site on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.

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“As South Carolina and Georgia renew this commitment to make the Jasper Ocean Terminal a reality, we have an incredible opportunity to strengthen our ports system — and that’s a great thing, not only for the people of Jasper County but for the entire state,” South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said in a statement.

Plans for fiscal year 2016 will include geotechnical studies and terminal design, with global coastal infrastructure advisory firm Moffatt & Nichol helming the project.

Federal permitting for a project of this scope will be lengthy, and it might take up to eight years before construction can begin. Moffat & Nichol is expected to submit permit applications for terminal and channel modification to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this year.

On Jan. 25, Davis led a public forum at Coligny Theatre on Hilton Head Island as part of the “Changemaker Series,” sponsored by the Heritage Library and the Coastal Discovery Museum.

During his presentation, Davis shared with local citizens the project’s history and challenges, as well as the future impact it could have on the

local economy and citizens of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

“In terms of economic impact, people should be thinking in terms of what BMW has done for the Upstate and what Boeing has done for the greater Charleston area,” said Davis, who has represented S.C. District 46 — which includes Beaufort and Jasper counties —since 2009. “The Jasper port will diversify our area's economy and generate wealth for the entire region.”

Rather than take port traffic away from Savannah and Charleston, Davis said a Jasper port will make the area’s three ports more competitive. Both Charleston and Savannah are currently exploring dredging and deepening projects to accommodate larger ships at their own ports, and they could reach capacity in the ensuing years.

“The Jasper port will be the only ocean terminal in the Southeast that can handle the new megaships, carrying up to 24,000 TEUs, that are increasingly being used by shipping lines. Because of height restrictions imposed by bridges, neither the ports in Savannah nor Charleston can handle anything more than 14,000 TEU ships,” Davis said. “The Jasper port won't ‘steal’ business from Charleston or Savannah — it will accommodate commercial traffic those ports cannot.”

This photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority shows Davis expects the location where the bi-state Jasper Ocean Terminal will be that momentum located along the Back River in Jasper County.

Sen. Tom Davis recently led a public forum at Coligny Theatre. During his presentation, Davis shared with local citizens the Jasper Ocean Terminal project’s history and challenges, as well as the future impact it could have on the local economy and citizens of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

for the project will allow it to be completed sooner rather than later.

“I think it will be finished within the next 10 years.

Demand generated by the new mega-ships will accelerate the timetable, in my opinion,” said Davis, a former member of the board of directors for the South Carolina Port Authority.

“Again, neither Savannah nor Charleston has the ability to handle that business.”

Recent projections suggest that a Jasper port could handle as many as 7 million containers a year, almost twice the output of Savannah’s Garden City terminal, which handled 3.7 million units in 2014. Another study estimates that the project will create hundreds of Lowcountry jobs and more than $200 million in annual wages. Plans for RiverPort

Business Park, an expansive warehousing and distribution center in Hardeeville, are already underway in anticipation of the Jasper port’s completion.

“The economic impact on our region will be tremendous. Right now, our area's economy is essentially tourism, military and retirement,” said Davis, who lives in Beaufort. “The Jasper port will lead to manufacturing and other port-related enterprises being located in Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties, and that economic activity will in turn bolster the economy in Beaufort County. People need a place to live, eat, shop and obtain services, and Beaufort County will meet those needs. The Jasper port economic tide will lift boats in all the surrounding counties.” M

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IT'S WHAT MAKES THE WORLD

GO ROUND LOVE, RESPECT AND THE ART OF MARRIAGE

BY CHARLIE CLARK | PHOTOS BY LLOYD WAINSCOTT

They met their first week as undergrads at Duke University.

He was an engineering major and she was pursuing a career in nursing, and both were smitten from the start.

T

hey met their first week as undergrads at Duke University. He was an engineering major and she was pursuing a career in nursing, and both were smitten from the start.

That was 46 years ago, but both Shirley and Joe Newton can tell you what they were wearing the day they met.

They’ve learned a thing or two about what makes for a successful relationship and they’re not shy about sharing what they’ve gleaned along the way.

In some ways, relationships are the family business. Shirley Newtown is related to famed psychologist Dr. Phil, and both she and her husband have worked closely with Dr. Phil as trainers and facilitators for his personal growth seminar series.

The Lowcountry couple has a passion for helping others make their marriages the best that they can be. The pair lead small groups dedicated to maximizing relationships through their church, Hilton Head Island Community Church.

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the VIBE

So what’s the secret to a long-lasting, healthy marriage? Both say it’s about the basics and bringing your best self to the relationship.

“It sounds cliché, but it’s true that you have to love and accept yourself so you can love and accept others,” Joe Newton. “You’ve got to recognize and identify your own baggage that you bring into the relationship.”

The Newtons credit their intense training with Dr. Phil for helping them see their own issues early in their relationship, which they say has helped them tremendously along the way.

Shirley Newton says that as the daughter of a successful surgeon, perfectionism was something she learned at an early age. It’s something she identified in her training and a trait that no longer holds sway in her life.

“You have to look at your past and how it’s shaped you,” she says. “It helps you understand why you do what you do. It also helps your spouse understand those things about you as well.”

Her husband says the important thing he learned from working with Dr. Phil is truly what matters. “Until then, achievement was what I was all about,” he says.

“Getting my degree from Duke, my graduate degree from Wharton; it was all about the next accomplishment.

I learned that what matters more than anything else is relationships, and that was a game-changer for me.”

Both point to their faith as their source of strength and guidance, which is why they’ve chosen to share what makes for a strong marriage.

“We have a passion for marriages, and we’ve learned so much that we wanted to pass it along,” Shirley Newton says.

They’re quick to point out when it comes to a strong marriage, it’s not complicated, but it’s not easy, either. Great relationships take work, and you can always fine-tune your marriage and make it better.

Just how simple is it? It boils down to two words: love and respect. The Newtons base their weekly small groups for couples on the book “Love & Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerich, and feel it’s the key to what works.

Joe Newton says one of the most common misperceptions about marriage is that your role is to be emotionally responsible for the other. “It’s not your job to make your spouse happy; it’s your job to love them,” he says.

Not surprisingly, both note that the No. 1 issue in any relationship comes down to communication. “We’re wired differently as men and women, and we can’t expect our spouses to always see things our way,” Shirley Newton says.

In their small groups for couples, the Newtons do a very powerful exercise. Couples face each other with their hands behind their backs. On the count of three, they each rate their relationships, on a scale of one to 10. “It’s a pivotal moment,”

Shirley Newton says; couples are often surprised at their results. One may think the marriage is a 10, and the other may rank it much lower. Weeks later, the couples are asked to do it again, and the results are invariably higher. The Newtons say that intentionally working on the relationship and communicating their needs and desires makes the difference.

Love isn’t as complicated as you might think, they astutely note. To love and be loved is not only a faithbased proposition, but a basic human need and one worth nurturing.

“When your spouse feels appreciated, valued and affirmed,” Joe Newton says, “it builds a reserve that gets you through the tough times.” M

Shirley and Joe Newton have a passion for helping others make the most of their marriages.

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monthly

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the VIBE

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS Submit photos from your trip by emailing editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com.

Please make sure photo size is at least 500KB.

Where in the world is Monthly? u Elsie Calvert snapped this photo of husband Mike with Monthly in Las Vegas.  Janet Peduzzi and her daughter Abigail took Monthly to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York for the 2015 US Open.

pJudith Russell with Monthly at Robert Renzoni Vineyards & Winery in Temecula, California.

p Lisa Cleaver and Laura Wood took Monthly to the infamous Blue Hole dive site on east Sinai, just north of Dahab, Egypt, on the coast of the Red Sea. The site is notorious for the number of diving fatalities that have occurred in the past, earning it the reputation of the "World's Most Dangerous Dive Site" and the nickname "Diver's Cemetery.” Cleaver and Wood made it back OK, but Monthly was soaked.

p Peggy Edwards, left, with friends Joe and Holly Durr in Cuenca, Ecuador.

p Dr. Richard Porcelli and his wife, Alina, with Monthly in the ski town of Kitzbühel, Austria.

 Mark and Katie Maxwell took Monthly to a U2 concert in Turin, Italy. xRoger and Pam Freedman with Monthly in Seoul, South Korea.  Keith Miller with Monthly on Maui.

p Franny Gerthoffer at The Conch House, a bed-and-breakfast in Key West, Florida, with manager Hillary Lee.

p Judy and Tony D'Amico took Monthly to Positano, Italy.

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The perfect way to create your perfect day.

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February 7th, 2016 12pm until 3pm at The Westin Resort & Spa The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa is the home of the 2016 Hilton Head Bridal Show presented by Monthly Media We invite you to stay with us for the complete weekend of bridal fun and to rejuvenate at our oasis by the sea!

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WEDDINGS HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON & BEYOND

INSIDE

brides GORGEOUS venues LOCAL professionals FABULOUS trends BEAUTIFUL

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Wedding WELCOME TO YOUR

On the following pages, we’re going to dazzle you with trends and tips on how to pull off the perfect Lowcountry wedding in 2016.

BY ROBYN PASSANTE | PHOTOS BY VITOR LINDO PHOTOGRAPHY

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e’ll tell you what colors are hot, and how to use technology to take your nuptials from now to wow! We’ll share real wedding stories from brides and grooms who tied the knot last year using many of the amazing vendors we have right here on Hilton Head.

After you’ve thumbed through the section, you’ll be inspired by the dresses, the wedding décor, and the

plethora of beautiful backdrops we are lucky enough to have in our collective backyard. And then you’ll go out and plan the wedding that only you were meant to have.

That’s the one timeless trend we wanted to disclose first, to remind you that no matter what color schemes and cake flavors are on fleek right now, the perfect choice for you is whatever you’ve been dreaming of all along. It’s easy for brides and

grooms to get overwhelmed by the barrage of messages in magazines and websites and even in their real lives, people telling them what’s hot and what’s not, what’s overdone or never done or can’t be done.

Are you envisioning a modern, striped theme even though it doesn’t exactly scream “Lowcountry”? Go for it; it’ll be gorgeous. Do you still love the burlap and lace look, but are worried too many weddings have done it? Don’t worry; yours will be different — because it’s yours.

When it comes right down to it, trends don’t matter.

They can serve as inspiration, but your wedding isn’t a trend, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that kicks off the start

of something truly beautiful — your marriage.

With that in mind, here are the top tips every bride can use to pull off the perfect party: Remember that there are two of you. Admittedly, a lot of wedding magazines and websites are geared toward the bride, the one traditionally in charge of picking colors and creating favors, the one who historically has cared more about which size chalkboard will tell people where to sit and which flowers will go in the bridesmaids’ bouquets. But the big day will be just as much of a milestone for that dashing gentleman by your side, so give him a chance to weigh in on the big and little stuff. He’s already proven he has great taste by the bride he chose.

Be a good host. Just as your marriage will not be lived in a bubble, your wedding day is a celebration with other people. Granted, these are (hopefully) the people who know and love you best, but they are no doubt spending a good deal of their money and time to be part of your big day. So make their needs a priority when planning the party. Adequate childcare, transportation services and small touches to ensure their comfort and safety are important.

Manners matter. When etiquette issues crop up, ask your wedding planner for advice. These are people who have been around the wedding block at least 100 times and have seen it all.

They are a great resource for navigating the sometimestricky waters of balancing two families, multiple dreams and

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WEDDINGS | intro

one very sensitive budget.

(And don’t delay with your thank you notes!)

The vows are the “wow.”

It’s easy to get swept up in the small details — selecting the perfect flavor layering for the cake and just the right font for your invitations. But the most important moment of the day is the one in which you two say “I do,” so spend as much time on that as you need to make the ceremony a perfect expression of your love and devotion for each other. There won’t be a dry eye in the house (or on the beach).

Make the memories for you. When all is said and done, people will remember little bits from your wedding — a favorite late-night snack

that was offered, or the way the bride looked walking down the aisle, or a funny toast at the reception — while you two will remember all of it — all your hard work unfolding right there before your eyes. But those hours go by so fast you could very well nearly miss it. Don’t get so wrapped up in planning and pulling off the party that you aren’t able to make the memories. It is the first day of the rest of your life together, and it should be savored.

You will be the ones rehashing the moments and thumbing through the photos together, year after year. So let these pages inspire, rather than dictate, the ways to make your wedding dreams come true. BG

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real wedding KENDRA COLLINS & J.D. ALLISON

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Golfers find love off the course

BY ROBYN PASSANTE | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

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endra Collins was on Bluffton High School’s golf team when she met J.D. Allison, a native of Houston who was attending the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island.

“He said he saw me and fell in love with me,” says Kendra, who married her high school sweetheart at Windows on the Waterway in Hilton Head Plantation.

The vendors the Allisons hired to help them pull off their perfect wedding day say one of the best decisions they made was selecting the right place to tie the knot.

“Windows on the Waterway actually is one of my favorite places for a wedding, because the venue itself is really pretty, and it’s right on a pier, so there are good sunsets,” said wedding photographer Rob Kaufman, who was hired to document the Allisons’ big day.

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Tracey Mancini, senior wedding and events specialist for Celebrations Catering & Events, knew Kendra from her days as a University of South Carolina Beaufort student taking classes from the chef in the Windows’ kitchen.

“Kendra and I got to know each other, and when she was getting married, she came to us,” Mancini said. “Originally, the wedding was going to be in The Gallery, our other venue, but the count grew a little higher so we suggested moving it to Windows. She ended up so thankful we did that.”

The autumn air was brisk but perfectly lovely for an outdoor wedding, Mancini says.

“The lawn wasn’t as green and lush, so we did dark mahogany ceremony chairs, and the most beautiful arbor covered in flowers and greenery,” she said. Clear glass jars filled with fresh flowers hung from iron hooks along the center aisle as the crowd of about 60 guests watched Kendra make her entrance.

“I didn’t notice any of the people while I was walking down the aisle,” said Kendra. “All I could see was him.”

After the ceremony, performed by officiant Richard Smreczak of Barefoot Weddings, the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour while Kaufman whisked away the newly married couple and their wedding party for some beachside photos.

“On the way back from the beach there’s a place in Spring Lake Pavilion that has a really cute little bridge over a little pond. We pulled the car over real quick and I had them jump out for three minutes,” Kaufman said. “It’s one of the few places on Hilton Head where you see fall colors, so they have pictures with yellow and orange foliage behind them on this bridge.”

Back at the reception hall, tables were decorated in the couple’s colors or to match the couple’s theme.

“We did ivory linens with natural Chiavari chairs, very rustic but classic, with a little bit of elegance to it,” Mancini said. “Her pop colors were different shades of purple, so we rented beautiful purple damask napkins. And her mother-in-law had made burlap pockets for the silverware, so we placed those on top of the napkins. It was beautiful.”

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Celebrations catered the event, while DJ Andy Pinckney of Hilton Head Entertainment kept the crowd dancing.

The couple chose the popular John Legend song “All of Me” for their first dance.

“We had a deep emotional moment with that song one day,” Kendra said. “I had never seen him cry until we listened to that song together.”

Another touching moment came when Kendra danced with her father to Tim McGraw’s “Daddy’s Little Girl.”

When it was time for a sweet treat, guests had two from which to choose. Signe’s Heaven Bound Bakery & Cafe created the wedding cake, which was a pink lemonadeflavored, three-tiered white cake with purple flowers. J.D.’s mother also made a groom’s cake to celebrate her son’s love of hunting.

That festive confection was camo-colored cake decorated with icing and a hunting scene on top, complete with tiny plastic deer.

Kaufman’s wife, Samantha, took video clips throughout the day, and the Kaufmans created a fusion video album combining still photos and video clips of the day’s magical moments.

“It turned out perfect,” Kendra said of their wedding day. “It was a little chilly, but the sun was out and it was perfect.” BG

VENDOR LIST Venue: Windows on the Water Way Photography: Kaufman Photography Video: Samantha Kaufman DJ: Hilton Head Entertainment Flowers: Lauri Leber Cake: Signe's Bakery Hair/makeup: Haircuteches Salon, Bridget Lopez Reception rentals and catering: Celebrations Catering and Events, Tracy Mancini Officiant: Barefoot Weddings, Richard Smreczak

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real wedding HAYLEY JANELLE & JAKE JACKSON

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Lowcountry the perfect destination for Arkansas couple

BY ROBYN PASSANTE | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

T

racey Mancini has been a wedding coordinator for 25 years. She’s seen countless brides walk down countless aisles. But some weddings — like Hayley and Jake Jackson’s — stay with her long after the “I dos” have been done.

“There are certain ones that absolutely stick out that I fall in love with, and Hayley and Jake’s wedding was one of them,” says Mancini, senior wedding and events specialist for Celebrations Catering & Events. “Hayley is beautiful; she was a stunning bride, but also so organized in the planning that she made it heavenly easy for me.”

Mancini helped the Jacksons pull off their perfect wedding day at Windows on the Waterway. In an area where tons of couples with local ties have destination weddings, Hayley and Jake were a bit unique in that neither of them had ever been to the Lowcountry before deciding to get married here.

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“We live in Arkansas, so it was a complete destination wedding,” Hayley said. “We looked online for a place to get married, and all the ratings said Hilton Head was a great place to get married.

We had never been there.

But it was perfect.”

Hayley and Jake’s wedding weekend began with a round of golf at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Palmetto Dunes. When the big day arrived, Hayley had her hair and makeup done by the professionals at SKINZIN while Mancini and her staff were putting the finishing touches on the wedding and reception venue. The Jacksons chose a beachthemed wedding, with accent colors of coral and sea foam.

Hayley was particularly impressed with the flowers, done by Henry Kretchmer of The Flower Garden.

“We didn’t really give him a whole lot of direction. We basically met with him once and gave him some Pinterestinspired ideas, and he did an amazing job,” she said.

“Our bouquets matched our dresses perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for a better combination.”

The couple decided to do a “first look” meeting, with photos done by Rob Kaufman, before the ceremony.

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“We’re both really private people, so it was tough to think of having that moment of seeing each other in front of so many people,” Hayley said. Instead, Kaufman captured the tender moment just between the two of them.

“Windows on the Waterway has a really small but tropicallooking back deck off the side of the building, so we got this shot of them with his back to her and her walking out, and him as he turns to see her,” Kaufman said. “It really looks tropical, which is what they wanted.”

The ceremony was performed by Jake’s best friend, which gave the nuptials a particularly personal touch.

After the wedding, guests enjoyed the cocktail hour while the wedding party slipped away on their rented trolley to take pictures with the sand and surf at Dolphin Head beach.

“They had gorgeous weather, a cloudless sky. So we had them down at the beach for pictures, and then we did kind of a fun thing with them coming back,” Kaufman said.

“We had the entire wedding party in the trolley waving, and the couple standing on the side of the road looking like they were hitchhiking.”

When it was time to introduce the new mister and missus, Hayley and Jake had something touching up their sleeves as a tribute to their attendants.

“We gave the DJ (Alan Palchak of Hilton Head Entertainment) special information about the wedding party, and he did a whole segment about each person in our bridal party as they came out,” Hayley said. “He did a really amazing job; we hadn’t even met him before that day.”

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The couple took the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife to Bryan Adams’ “I Thought I’d Seen Everything.” Then the crowd of out-of-towners danced the evening away, while Kaufman kept tabs on the setting sun so he could make sure the bride and groom got the gorgeous tropical photos they desired.

“Rob was amazing,” Hayley said. “He did a great job of taking every opportunity to take a great picture. He had all these ideas I never would have even thought of. Not every photographer is going to go that extra mile for you.”

The couple said they got to take three quick trips to Hilton Head while planning the wedding, but the weekend spent there with

loved ones for their big day exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“Everybody absolutely loved it,” Hayley said. “I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

And I cannot wait to go back.” BG

VENDOR LIST Venue Location: Windows on the Waterway Wedding Planner: Tracey Mancini Florist: Henry Kretchmer Caterer: Celebrations Catering & Events Photographer: Rob Kaufman Venue and Catering: Celebrations Windows on the Waterway Music: Hilton Head Entertainment Hair and Makeup: SKINZIN Flowers: Henry's Flower Garden

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Threat of rain unable to spoil the big day

BY ROBYN PASSANTE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOPKINS STUDIOS

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elly (Schuler) Hackman’s biggest wish for her wedding was that it take place outside. She and her groom, Dan Hackman, chose Colleton River Plantation Club — and the Lowcountry in general — for its breathtaking backdrops and gorgeous greens, which the Northern Kentucky natives were familiar with after vacationing here for many years.

But 2015 was a rainy year on Hilton Head, and the couple’s June 29 nuptials were nearly washed out.

“I want each couple’s wedding to be exactly what they pictured in their minds. I work diligently to try and make that happen,” said Beth Baldwin, the couple’s wedding planner, of the stress over the day’s early afternoon precipitation forecast.

“And any time I have to adjust for rain, it’s difficult, especially when the bride has her heart set on an outdoor wedding.”

With an eye on the ominous-looking sky, the staff at Colleton River set up an alternate indoor site for the ceremony, but the clouds held strong until after the 6 p.m. vows were said. Well, mostly.

“According to the guests, I think it sprinkled a bit, but my husband and I didn’t even notice,” Kelly Hackman said of the ceremony, which was presided over by the Rev. Joe Wadas.

“He was great, very comforting,” Dan Hackman said of Wadas, a Savannah-based wedding minister. “He was the guy that could turn a nervous situation into a relaxed time.” Part of Wadas’ job was to lead the Hackmans’ huge wedding party, which included seven bridesmaids, 10 groomsmen, seven flower girls and three ring bearers.

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“Two of the little flower girls didn’t make it all the way down the aisle, but they all did great,” Kelly Hackman said. Photographers Scott and Melissa Hopkins of Hopkins Studios had the challenge of photographing the large wedding party once the nuptials were finished. Meanwhile, their wedding guests were treated to a cocktail hour featuring spanakopita, mini crab cakes, apple crostini with walnuts and goat cheese, and a beautiful display of local and imported hand selected cheeses with artisan breads. The guests then dined on their choice of Vidalia crusted seared beef mignon, roasted chicken breast with shallot thyme jus, or seared swordfish medallion with a carrot-smoked bacon puree in the Nicklaus Clubhouse.

Eventually the threat of rain ceased and the couple snuck back outside for photos in front of a gorgeous Colleton River sunset, giving the bride the lasting images she’d always dreamed of having from her wedding day.

Then it was back inside to party the night away, with the help of The Rivertown Band from East Coast Entertainment.

“The band was amazing. We wanted everyone to dance, everyone to have a great time, and the majority of the 200 guests stayed to the very last minute,” she said. “The dance floor was packed the whole night.”

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There was also some Greek dancing, a nod to Kelly’s Greek Orthodox heritage that really set the night apart in Baldwin’s mind.

“It’s not often that I find a bride who really thinks through what her family heritage is,” she said. “Today’s brides are often inspired

by Pinterest alone. I really encourage my brides to put a personal spin on their wedding. Kelly and Dan's wedding really felt like them.”

The cake, a classic, fivetiered masterpiece beautifully crafted by Minette Rushing, included two lilies on the top, thanks to Julie from Garden on the Square. The lilies were another personal touch that spoke to the couple’s unique relationship.

“We met on a blind date thanks to our two toddler nieces, Lilliana and Lilyann, who had met in their 3-yearold preschool class,” Kelly says. “My brother-in-law and Dan’s twin brother were talking at a preschool open house one night about their single relatives and set us up.” Because of the reference to the name "Lilly", Dan proposed to Kelly with two bouquets of lilies, and their lily cake topper seemed like a perfect way to pay tribute to the start of their love story.

“Everybody brought their ‘A’ game,” Baldwin said of the vendors the Hackmans chose, from the Guardian Angels Sitting Service that babysat the 50 kids who attended the wedding, to Erica Pepper, Executive Chef Robert Wysong, CEC, and the talented staff at Colleton River, M HiltonHeadBridalShow.com

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WEDDINGS | real wedding

VENDOR LIST Wedding Planner: Beth Baldwin Weddings Venue: Colleton River Plantation Officiant: Reverend Joe Wadas Photographer: Hopkins Studios Florist: Garden on the Square Ceremony Music: JL Music Service Reception Music: Rivertown Band, East Coast Entertainment Hair & Make Up: EyeDo Cake: Minette Rushing Custom Cakes Cookies: It’s Greek to Me Sitting Service: Guardian Angels Transportation: Trolleys: Old Savannah Tours Motor Coaches: Rivers Transportation Other Transportation provided by Diamond Transportation

who helped to orchestrate a glorious celebration.

After an evening of dancing, Rivertown ended the night with a rendition of the Garth Brooks classic “Friends in Low Places,” which was a family favorite.

Watching the joy on the faces of those attending gave Baldwin a special sense of satisfaction.

“This couple was really over the moon for each other, and the two families were so happy for the couple to be married,” she said.

While that’s true of most weddings, the veteran wedding planner said there’s a subtle difference in the atmosphere when everyone is relaxed and in love with the idea of the two families becoming joined. “It’s in the air; it’s a tangible emotion,” she said. “Those are the weddings that I enjoy the most, when there’s that much feeling involved.” BG

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trends 2016

WEDDING TRENDS FOR

Getting married in the Lowcountry is a classic decision that never goes out of style.

BY ROBYN PASSANTE

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unsets on the beach, live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, Southern plantation clubhouses overlooking perfectly manicured grounds — couples would be hard-pressed to find more romantic wedding venues than the area we’re lucky enough to call home.

If you’ve already chosen to tie the knot on Hilton Head or in Bluffton, we thought we’d help you plan by highlighting some of 2016’s early wedding trends.

From macaroons to ombre hues, this year’s brides and grooms are having tons of fun making their wedding dreams come true in unique and surprising ways. Here’s the best of what we found.

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WEDDINGS |

trends

WEDDING DRESSES The strapless wedding gown has been a highly popular choice for many years, but our eyes are on the striking bateau neckline, which is popping up more and more on fashion runways and wedding aisles. Gowns that depart from the standard ivory or cream continue to be on trend as well, with blush the most popular, followed by subdued tones of nude, taupe and silver; even subtle floral prints have been making their ways down the aisle.

COLOR COMBOS Rose gold is still trending hard, as are blush and other shades of muted pink. You’ll see these colors not only on bridesmaid gowns but also wedding dresses, cakes, table linens and, of course, flowers. Other hot colors this year are raspberry, midnight blue and the lighter shade of navy, a local favorite among brides. Ombre hues are also popular for gowns, cakes or as a wedding hair “wow.” And if you’re looking for a neutral that goes beyond boring beige, try caramel, gray or café au lait.

When picking colors to highlight and wear, experts advise brides and grooms not to just pick a favorite shade or something that’s on trend, but to choose colors that complement the venue or are inspired by the season.

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WEDDINGS |

trends

THEMES The beach, with its sand, surf and seashells, and the Lowcountry landscape, with its grasses and Spanish moss, will always work their ways into many of our local wedding themes. But there are plenty of other themes couples are using as inspiration. The garden theme is popular, with tons of greenery and loose flower bouquets, or there’s the relaxed vibe of a bohemian wedding. To pull that off you’ll want flower crowns, lots of lace, flowing dresses, layered jewelry and whimsical touches.

The rustic chic look with burlap and chalkboards has been getting a facelift, with more sparkle and a more refined edge than in previous years. (So take those chalkboards and put beautiful frames around them!) Finally, we loved the idea of geodes and crystals serving as inspiration, using muted colors with just a bit of sparkle, jagged-edged invitations, geode and crystal centerpieces and a wedding cocktail with salt or sugarrimmed glasses.

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TECH TALK Technology is now firmly ingrained in our everyday lives, so it makes sense that couples are taking their nuptials to the next level too. A few of our favorite new ideas include having a charging station at the reception, creating a custom wedding hashtag for collecting photos on Instagram, and hiding a GoPro camera in the bridal bouquet. Another fun reception addition is the selfie stick on every table, along with some fun picture-taking props and spots.

A few apps to try include Evernote or OneNote for organizing ideas and appointments, AllSeated to help you come up with the perfect floor plan and build the guest list, WeddingHappy 2.0 for budgeting assistance, and WeddingParty for wedding pic sharing, organization and fun.

ODDS AND ENDS There are tons of creative little touches trending for this year’s weddings, and we’re hoping we see some of them right here on Hilton Head. Late spring and summer brides can cool down guests with frozen cocktail treats, which are all the rage. (Nonalcoholic ones are great, too!) And a separate table (or take-home bags) of treats, in addition to the traditional wedding cake, continues to be popular; regional favorites include donuts, macaroons and ever-popular pralines.

More brides and grooms are opting to have the traditional favor pull double duty as a place card, affixing name tags or flags to the gifts on a table near the entrance that gives everyone a personalized treat and a table number in one fell swoop. Finally, bridal bouquets and centerpiece arrangements are including more varied textural elements, incorporating berries, ribbons, pods and grasses with in-season, local blooms for a more eclectic, interesting look.

Happy planning! BG

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The names Frank, Dean and Sammy drum up fond visions of yesteryear and dancing through the night. It was the passion these gentlemen shared with audiences that allowed generations to fall in love with the big band genre and it lives on today with crooners and musicians who carry on that legacy. The Lowcountry is incredibly fortunate to have similar passion and star power in the talents of Jeremy Davis and Clay Johnson.

will perform Hilton Head Island. The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa is proud to present The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra Cabaret in the Westin Grand Ballroom at 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 28.

Band leaders Davis and Johnson expect this exclusive island performance will sell out quickly — as do their other shows around the country — saying, “this is THE hot ticket on Hilton Head Island!” The evening will feature the full 18-piece big-band orchestra with Davis on the saxophone and Johnson singing favorites from the artists you know and love.

Monty Jett will command the stage as master of ceremonies as Davis and Johnson lead guests through an upbeat program of big-band favorites.

Included in the ticket price is the spectacular show, complimentary valet parking and two (2) drinks from the Cabaret bar. Ticket holders can also receive 15 percent off the exclusive dinner in The Carolina Room to meet the band and take the elevator home with an incredible overnight rate of $99 that evening. Guests are encouraged to make dinner reservations by calling 843-681-1055 soon as seating is limited. Ticket holders can also present their ticket at The Heavenly Spa by Westin for 20 percent off signature services through March 31. This exciting event would not be possible without the amazing support of its sponsors like Custom Audio Video, whose expert team and smart solutions are located conveniently in Sheridan Park Bluffton. BMW of Hilton Head will also have its best BMWs on display at the event. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Junior Jazz Foundation, the philanthropic outreach effort of The Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island.

Visit www.westinHHI.com/westinpresents or call 843-681-1048 to learn more and purchase tickets online, by phone, or at the Westin front desk. Come dance the night away to the big band sounds of The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra!

THE HOT TICKET

Raised in the Louisiana Delta and now calling the Lowcountry home, Davis and Johnson formed The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra to celebrate the big band phenomenon and to entertain audiences across the country and globe.

Their high-energy stage show features a wide array of classic American music ranging from The Rat Pack, Michael Buble and Andy Williams to Ray Charles, Elvis and Johnny Cash. Davis describes the band as a Dean Martin variety show with a touch of ‘A Prairie Home Companion.’ “It’s plain to see that we love what we do, and we love our fans,” Davis said.

After a national tour performing at New York City’s The Cutting Room Floor, the Kravis Center for Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, and filming a PBS Special at the Morris Center in Savannah, The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra

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Transfer up to $100,000 from your individual retirement account to charity annually—tax-free. Renewed legislation allows you to give more to charity and pay less in taxes!

• The Community Foundation can help you to achieve your personal charitable goals as well as your financial goals. These IRA gifts can be added to an existing fund or used to start a new fund (of any type except donor advised) and can also be permanently endowed, providing a lasting legacy. Just imagine: You can fund a scholarship, provide financial stability to several of your favorite nonprofits or support the entire community through the establishment of an unrestricted fund that can support critical needs.

Community Foundation donors recently received great news.

On December 18, 2015, Congress passed the PATH Act, making permanent the opportunity to give individual retirement account (IRA) assets to charity, free from federal tax.

Turn Your IRA into a

GIFT FOR GOOD

This means that our donors can make their charitable dollars go farther!

This provision really can make a significant difference to senior citizens and their communities. Think about it: Americans have saved billions of pre-tax dollars in IRAs. Thanks to their continued savings and investment returns, an estimated $5.3 trillion is currently invested in IRAs.1 Those who don’t need this saved asset can truly make a meaningful difference—no matter what their area of charitable interest might be. Arts, education, environment, poverty, health—consider these and other causes. And if you need suggestions, we can provide those, too.

Community Foundation of the Lowcountry knows the community and its needs, and cares deeply about our local friends and neighbors—our beautiful part of the world.

A few examples of needs you might consider: • Touch Tomorrow for the Lowcountry Fund: provides needed dollars for the Community Foundation to make grants supporting nonprofit organizations in our four-county service area (Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton).

Here is what is important for you to know.

• Individuals 70 ½ years of age and older can transfer up to $100,000 of IRA assets directly to a charity—like Community Foundation of the Lowcountry—without the money being included as income for tax purposes. Each spouse has this option, making a married couple’s opportunity up to $200,000.

This preserves the full amount for charity, and allows donors to do this during their lifetimes, rather than waiting to give through estate plans.

• Project SAFE Fund: provides funding for low-income residents to hook up to sewer on Hilton Head Island. Failed or failing septic systems are causing serious public health issues, environmental pollution, and loss of economic development opportunities. We are in need of $3 million to solve this problem once and for all. Will you help?

• Public Art Fund: The amazing exhibition we bring to the area every other year, and the subsequent purchase, donation (to the Town of Hilton Head Island) and placement of large-scale pieces of art doesn’t happen by accident, and requires financial support. You could help to keep this collection growing.

Community Foundation of the Lowcountry knows the community and its needs, and cares deeply about our local friends and neighbors.

• Strengthening Nonprofits Fund: supports the training and counseling we do with Lowcountry nonprofit executives and their boards, making them more efficient and effective. It also means that our own grant investments in these organizations may have more impact.

• Some donors and their heirs will benefit from reallocating their estates with these gifts. For example, any amounts left in an IRA when an individual dies may be taxed as income to the beneficiary and are also considered assets for the purpose of calculating that person’s estate tax liability. When you give your IRA to charity, your heirs are not burdened by the taxes associated with receiving your IRA upon your death. Instead, you can leave them other assets that have a more favorable tax treatment.

If an IRA gift could be of financial/tax benefit to you, I can assure you that it can be of charitable benefit to others as well. And we can make the process simple. In this case, even Uncle Sam did his part to make it easier for us all to live generously.

Denise K. Spencer President and CEO Community Foundation of the Lowcountry 1 Source:

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CHERYL KLIPPEL:

DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL.

BE AFRAID NOT TO TRY

BY ROBYN PASSANTE | PHOTOS BY LLOYD WAINSCOTT

C

heryl Klippel is not afraid to fail, a fact the local entrepreneur says is the reason she has such a solid record of success.

“So many famous people make reference to jumping off a cliff. In life you can jump off and take that leap of faith that your parachute will eventually open, or you can back off and never take that risk. I’m not afraid to take that risk; I’m not afraid to fail,” says Klippel, who owns three island retail stores and one bustling café. “You’ll scrape across the rocks, but if you don’t take that jump, you’ll never soar.”

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Klippel has done nothing but soar since opening Pelican’s Pouch at South Beach Marina in 2001, when the owner of the marina, a family friend, encouraged her to open a souvenir shop there. She had been working as the executive director of The Children’s Center and didn’t have any retail experience.

“I just learned by trial and error,” she says. “The money we made the first year I invested in more product, and it just kept building from there.”

In 2003, Klippel opened a second venture, Island Girl, inspired by her

young daughter, Emily. Unlike the souvenirs and home décor found at Pelican’s Pouch, Island Girl started out as a children’s boutique before expanding to include women’s clothing and accessories. Eight years ago, the success of that store brought her to open a second location in Coligny Plaza. That location has become with flagship store, having 3,000 square feet retail space and much larger inventory than the store in Sea Pines.

With excellent staff at all three stores, the single mother says she has been able to keep her children, ages 15, 14 and 12, her top priority.

“I have managers in every store that I trust, and they know that my children come first,” says Klippel, who juggles daily drop-offs, pickups and extracurricular activities for her kids.

“It’s all about a team working together.

I’m very much a mom first, followed by being a businesswoman.”

But the businesswoman in her never rests. In tune to the island’s needs and offerings, Klippel noticed a few years ago that the island’s dining scene was lacking in the frozen yogurt and pickyour-toppings arena. So in March 2012 she opened Watusi, a frozen yogurt and coffee café off Pope Avenue. The name, which translates to “What you see,” was created with Klippel’s keen business sense.

“I thought, ‘What can we have that people will buy on a T-shirt or mug or coozie?’ I felt people weren’t going to buy a T-shirt that said ‘Island Yogurt’ or something. But people use sayings like ‘It is what it is’ all the time, so that was such a good catch phrase — ‘Watusi — what you see,’” she says. “It’s unique, and when you’re unique you stand out.”

Klippel’s instincts were right: The restaurant sells a ton of T-shirts, coffee mugs, sippy cups and stickers with the “Watusi” logo. Still, the café itself was slow to catch on, which lit a fire in the entrepreneur’s heart.

“I wasn’t going to allow it to fail. I was always thinking, ‘OK, what are we gonna do?’” she says. “All the retail stores had been very successful from the beginning,

CELEBRATING ENTREPRENEURS Have you ever dreamed of being an entrepreneur, or of having your own successful business? Controlling your own destiny? Being beholden to no one other than yourself in your work?

Many of us have had this dream.

Lots have stepped forth to achieve it and found bitter disappointment for one reason or another. Many others, however, have in fact experienced the satisfying fulfillment of creating a new enterprise, seeing it blossom and experiencing the financial and personal rewards that follow.

This month, Hilton Head Monthly continues a series about entrepreneurs in our area.

Some of these entrepreneurs will be experiencing success right now. Others have successfully retired to Hilton Head Island and Bluffton after achievements elsewhere.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS SERIES IS TWOFOLD: • Highlight the individuals and their accomplishments.

• Provide meaningful insights from successful entrepreneurs to help readers who may be thinking of stepping forth in faith into the challenging waters of entrepreneurship.

If you would like to nominate an entrepreneur from Hilton Head Island or Bluffton, please email editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com.

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I’d been very fortunate. But when I started Watusi, I was out of my element.

They say it takes three years to make a restaurant successful. If I hadn’t had the retail stores to support Watusi, it would have been very difficult.”

Eventually Klippel found the right combination, taking the yogurt off the menu and adding more breakfast and lunch options.

“Now it’s this cute, cozy café with leather chairs and outdoor seating,” she says. Her sister is a managing partner at the restaurant, which has allowed Klipple to return more of her focus to the retail stores and keep up with her kids’ busy schedules. And they are busy: Her youngest, Emily, attends Hilton Head Preparatory School, her oldest, Jack, is at Heritage Academy, and Collin is at Hilton Head Island High School.

“Because all kids are different and need different things,” Klippel says.

Her entrepreneurial ventures haven’t always come easy, but they’ve always been worth it, she says.

FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT CHERYL KLIPPEL • She grew up in Michigan and returns to vacation there every summer.

• She loves to fish, heading out on her boat for trout, flounder, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and black sea bass.

• She’s a gambler, taking regular trips to Fort Lauderdale and Biloxi, Mississippi, to play blackjack.

Cheryl Klippel owns The Pelican's Pouch, both Island Girl locations and Watusi.

“Out of everything I’ve done, Watusi was the biggest struggle,” she says. “But I’m glad I stuck with it, because it is now successful.”

That stick-with-it attitude is something she learned as a child.

“You can blame everything on my parents,” Klippel says, “because they brought me up to believe I could do anything I want.” M

• The Klippels have a small menagerie at home that includes a dog (Charlotte), a cat (Lily), a rabbit (Bun Bun), a bird (Polly) and fish (Rudy 1 and Rudy 2).

• Some of her favorite things to find and offer at her stores are items that have stories and give back to others.

Examples include The Giving Keys, which supports those transitioning out of homelessness, and Banded headbands, which provides three meals for a child in Uganda for every headband sold.

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BUSINESS

DODD-FRANK'S REGULATIONS ARE

DIRECTLY IMPACTING

BY ELIHU SPENCER

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ur federal government’s response to the financial crisis that began in 2008 was to declare, “This will never happen again.” The Democrat-controlled Congress went about the adoption of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on July 21, 2010. The Dodd-Frank Act, as it is commonly known, made changes to the entire American financial regulatory environment which affected every financial regulatory agency and every part of the nation’s financial services industry.

Now, nearly six years later, what has happened? Have consumers and small businesses been helped or hurt in the process? Let’s first take a look at the financial regulatory changes that have been mandated by Dodd-Frank: • The Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Thrift Charter were eliminated • Regulation aimed at increasing transparency of derivatives was introduced • The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau was implemented • The FDIC was given enhanced “resolution” authority

Dodd-Frank has had unusually farreaching effects on our nation’s financial system over the past six years, and many of these changes have had both anticipated and unanticipated impacts on consumers.

As a result of the elimination of the Office of Thrift Supervision and the elimination of “thrift” or “savings and loan” charters, the regulatory landscape of our national banking system has been changed. “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart will never have a sequel, and in my opinion

YOU

Main Street consumers of banking services are the loser. Of course, the demise of the savings and loan institution started years ago as a result of the “thrift crisis,” which extended from 1989 to 1995, but DoddFrank put the final nail in the coffin. Savings and loans institutions long had been a place where average folks went to open savings accounts. Their deposits were in turn lent back out to other folks in the community who wanted to purchase a home. Quite often, the bank president knew not only the saver and the borrower, but also their parents and grandparents. As the financial world has evolved into a global market, the place for small community savings and loans has vanished in favor of standardization and lower interest rates. Let me grade the demise of the savings and loan under DoddFrank as an “F,” because community banking has a significant role to play in small and midsize communities like Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. Unfortunately, in an effort to deal with regulator issues of “too big to fail,” savings and loans, community banks and consumers were losers.

On goal No. 2, I think it is safe to say that the letter grade on improving the transparency of derivatives needs to be an “Incomplete.” In my opinion, and I have said this in prior articles, the financial crisis or Great Recession was the child of greed on Wall Street. I, for one, don’t think it possible to regulate “greed” out of the human experience, let alone out of financial markets.

Trying to regulate greed is a fool’s game, and the regulations have yet to be tested.

The third significant area mandated by Dodd-Frank is the creation of the Consumer

Finance Protection Bureau. Founded in 2011 with a budget of $447.7 million and 947 employees, this independent agency is solely responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector. The bureau has jurisdiction over banks, credit unions, security firms, payday lenders, mortgage bankers and servicers, as well as debt collectors.

The bureau has issued rules governing credit card fees, mortgages and other financial products. As a result of these rules and the reaction of credit providers, it is understood that consumers are no longer subject to what might have been considered abusive practices on the part of lenders. That is a good thing, but the downside is that consumers now actually have more limited access to credit — and that is a bad thing. So at this point, the best I can do is give item No. 3 a “C.” The fourth mandate was to enhance the ability of the FDIC to “resolve” issues arising out of a “big bank’s” failure. In other words, address the “too big to fail” issue and protect the American taxpayer against another need to implement a Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Again, we need to grade this as “Incomplete,” because we will only know for sure if the steps taken can avoid another TARP. We now have “systemically important financial institutions,” or SIFIs, we have “stress tests” and field liquidation plans, but we haven’t had a recession yet. Let’s all hold our breath and hope that we aren’t tested — and do you know that TARP and the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bailouts have produced a profit for the United States Treasury?

The answer is a resounding yes: We are all being impacted by the trailing debris left by the creation of Dodd-Frank. We have new federal bureaucracies, we have more regulators, and we all have less access to credit. Maybe we need to try again?

The Federal Reserve and its FOMC have the difficult responsibility of trying to manage short-term interest rates and inflation. It is important to all of us that they use economic tools that reflect current information and not just rely on old models “because that is the way it has always been done." M Elihu Spencer is a banking expert with a long business history in global finance. His life’s work has been centered on understanding credit cycles and their impact on local economies. The information contained in this article has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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ON THE MOVE NEW HIRES/PROMOTIONS

Hardy

Smith

Galella

Richard

Stingley

Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island welcomes Diane Hardy as the new director of catering.

Hardy joins the resort to lead its catering efforts, and brings with her more than 25 years of hospitality and food and beverage experience.

Kelly Smith has been promoted to director of brand and marketing partnerships for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Visitor and Convention Bureau. She previously served as public relations and social content manager.

Weichert, Realtors - Coastal Properties welcome Danielle Galella to the agency’s sales team. Prior to her real estate career, Galella worked in marketing and business development.

Andrew R. Richard, originally a Bluffton resident, recently returned to the Lowcountry to join CoastalStates Bank as vice president and commercial lender. A graduate of College of Charleston with a bachelor of science degree in accounting, he has more than 10 years of experience in retail banking and commercial lending.

Professional Tennis Registry is pleased to announce that Marc Stingley has joined the staff as diversity and inclusion coordinator. Prior to his move to Hilton Head Island, Stingley spent 12 years at Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bedenbaugh

ENGEL & VÖLKERS BRINGS PREMIUM REAL ESTATE BRAND TO REGION Engel & Völkers, a European-based premium real estate brand, recently announced the opening of its first South Carolina shop, bringing the firm’s global network and exclusive level of service to residents of this rapidly growing area. Rick Turner, who brings over 40 years of experience, is the managing broker of the new shop and has started with a select team of experienced agents, with plans to grow the team with agents who align with the common values of competence, exclusivity and passion. Engel & Völkers Hilton Head Island-Bluffton will provide leading services for buyers and sellers of premier properties in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and the surrounding communities.

BB&T Carswell Insurance Services promoted Stuart Bedenbaugh to vice president.

Bedenbaugh is an agent in the employee benefits department at BB&T Carswell Insurance Services. He has been in the insurance field for almost 20 years and specializes in claims analysis, benefits analysis and carrier negotiations for fully insured and self-funded accounts.

Vacation Homes of Hilton Head is pleased to announce Kate McCullion as chief marketing officer.

South Carolina Golf Association has elected Steve Fuller of Bluffton to serve as president of the association.

Fuller is a development partner with Colleton River Plantation and has served on the SCGA’s executive board since 2004.

Officers elected to join Fuller on the SCGA board include vice president Ron Swinson, secretary Vic Hannon and treasurer Jeff Connell.

Ron Burhans and Associates welcomes Wanda Crutchfield to its sales team. Crutchfield began her real estate career on Hilton Head Island in 1995, serving the vacation industry. After almost two successful decades,

she decided to enter the real estate sales arena, bringing her integrity, energized hard work and creativity to every real estate transaction. She will be representing clients on the island as well as the greater Bluffton area in both selling and buying real estate.

Mark Mayer, a resident of Hilton Head Island since 1997, has joined Lancaster Real Estate Sales as a full-time agent.

Mayer has more than 19 years of real estate experience. He was the top selling agent in the Syracuse, New York, marketplace for many years before selling his company and relocating to Hilton Head. He was a top agent with Sea Pines Real Estate Company for many years before opening Mayer Collins Real Estate team in 2001.

FirstService Residential has selected Sherman Britton as the executive director of the Sun City Hilton Head Community Association. Britton has more than 30 years of experience with long-range planning, analyzing and streamlining operations and workflow processes, and project management. He comes to Sun City Hilton Head from Bufford, Georgia, where he owned and operated C&S Management, a consulting firm

Crutchfield

Mayer

Britton

Marshall

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that focuses on the hospitality and community management industries. As owner, he served as interim general manager and consultant for communities while leading renovation projects at sites in California, Indiana and Kentucky.

Bluffton town manager Marc Orlando hired Scott Marshall as deputy town manager, effective Dec. 21. In this position, Marshall will perform high-level administrative and managerial duties such as strategic planning, budgeting and managing the implementation of town programs, projects and policies. Prior to this position, Marshall had been with Beaufort County since 2009. Most recently, Marshall was Beaufort County’s former director of Parks and Leisure Services, and previously was the executive director of the Beaufort County Board of Election and Registration. Marshall earned a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in human resources from American Public University.

Ronald J. Groteluschen, a certified public accountant, has joined Coastal Carolina Hospital as its new chief financial officer.

As the CFO, Groteluschen will oversee all

ST. FRANCIS THRIFT EXPANDS FURNITURE DEPARTMENT St. Francis Thrift Shop’s recently expanded furniture department features all types of items for the home. Its newly improved showroom has weekly special bargains. New lighting, flooring and décor in 2016 make for a delightful shopping experience. With more than 10,000 square feet of sales space, the shop offers something for every interest.

St. Francis Thrift Shop is a nonprofit organization currently accepting grant applications for 2016.

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POPULAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS CREATE HERMAN & DAVIS PROPERTIES

Herman

Popular real estate professionals Becky Herman and Monica Davis have joined forces to create Herman & Davis Properties . Recognized in the Top 1% of Area wide realtors, Herman has built her reputation on providing the highest standard of integrity and work ethic year after year. Her career has focused on attention to customer care, marketing and building lasting relationships. Monica Davis brings with her over 17 years of successful real estate sales and marketing experience. Monica’s greatest assets are her dedication, dependability, experience, and commitment to her clients. Find listings for the Herman & Davis Properties team online at www.HHIaddress.com.

Davis

financial operations for the hospital. In addition, he will oversee several hospital departments including finance, business, health information management, patient access and materials management.

Groteluschen has 25 years Groteluschen of experience in health care accounting and financial management.

Most recently, he was the CFO of Central Carolina Hospital, a 135-bed facility in Sanford, North Carolina. He has also held several financial management positions, including that as assistant chief financial officer, at Frye Regional Medical Center, a 355-bed hospital in Hickory, North Carolina.

arts festival in Atlanta. The Junior Theater Festival bills itself as the world’s largest celebration of musical theater for young people.

Twenty-six third-, fourth- and fifth-graders under the direction of teacher Angelo Cerniglia competed in this year’s festival and earned honors from the festival judges for their 15-minute musical theater performance.

Each participating group had two students selected by the judges as “All-Stars,” and the two Creative Arts students worked with other All-Stars on a performance on the festival’s main stage. The two Creative Arts All-Stars were Laurel Watkins and Grant Pagatpatan.

Three additional students — Allison Bracken, Kendal Corella and Jack Gibson — were selected for another performance on the big stage.

Eric Magnin joined Boys, Arnold and Company’s Hilton Head Island office as a wealth counselor. Magnin will be responsible for the development and support of new client relationships in the region, as well as enhancing the team serving existing clients. For the past 18 years, he has worked on Hilton Head Island for a national bank and its nationally chartered trust company subsidiary as the lead relationship adviser for clients in the region, overseeing a team of financial specialists. Magnin is a graduate of West Virginia University. Locally, he serves on the board of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and previously served on the board of The Hilton Head Estate Planning Council. He, his wife, Janice, and their five children reside on the island.

The Bluffton Business Awards were recently announced at Oscar Frazier Park in Bluffton along with the Bluffton Ball. Over 30 businesses were identified as finalists for the award ceremony. More than 200 plan to join organizer Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and presenting sponsor Moonlit Lullaby for the event — a formal celebration of the local community and Bluffton area businesses.

Emmett and Theodora ‘Teddy’ McCracken will received the Lifetime Achievement Award and the families of Jerry Healand Reeves III and Ida Martin received a Memorial Award in the honor of their loved ones.

AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS Students from the Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts afterschool theater program brought home an award for excellence from an international

Weichert, Realtors - Coastal Properties Owners/Brokers-in-Charge Joe and Karen Ryan recognize their company’s outstanding agent achievements each quarter with a Leader Luncheon. To qualify for the quarterly Leader Luncheon, agents must have contracts written totaling a minimum of $1,000,000 during the three-month period. The agents from the company’s four offices in Hilton Head, Bluffton, Okatie/Sun City and Beaufort

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meeting and exceeding this goal are: Gail Bromiley, Wendy Burchfield, Eric and Hillary Dollenberg, Beth Golde, Jane Grant, Robyn Henke, Sherryl Hennessey, Irene Jackiewicz, Tracy Kelly, Ruth Kimball, Jim Livingston, Robert Moul, Evelyn Meeder, Alison Melton, Barbara O’Connor, Kelly Ogden, Bill and Terri Rupp, and Jack Tuney.

BUSINESS NEWS Parker’s, an award-winning convenience store leader headquartered in Savannah, recently opened the company’s 42nd retail location with a store in Bluffton. The company’s sixth Bluffton store, located on Buckwalter Parkway at 8251 Pinellas Drive, sells high-quality Parker’s gas, the company’s signature Chewy Ice, fountain drinks, fresh-brewed tea and lemonade, gourmet coffee, locally grown fresh-cut fruit, salads, 28-degree beer, vape products, cellphone accessories and more. Bluffton customers can choose the Parker’s Cash Card or PumpPal Card, both of which offer savings of up to 10 cents a gallon at the pump. Area residents can pick up a Cash Card or a PumpPal card at any Parker’s location to start saving.

The Compassionate Friends of Beaufort County, a national self-help organization for families that have lost a child, has moved to a new meeting location in Bluffton. The group now meets from 1-3 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at the Hampton Inn & Suites located right outside the gates to Sun City at 29 William Pope Drive along U.S. 278, next to the Okatie Ale House. Bereaved families who have experienced the death of a child now have an opportunity to meet on a regular basis with others who have endured similar tragedies. The Compassionate Friends provide grief

BIZ BEE OPENS IN BLUFFTON Jessie Renew is proud to announce the launch of Biz Bee, a design and marketing agency based in Bluffton. As principal designer and marketing consultant, Jessie offers fresh approaches to branding and promotions that excel on digital and physical platforms. Renew is a graduate of The S.C. Governors School for the Arts and the College of Charleston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art and art history. She has over 10 ten years of experience in marketing local small businesses, most recently in her position as director of marketing for Outside Hilton Head.

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BUSINESS

NEW COMPANY FOCUSED ON MAKING ENTREPRENEURS e2advisors, an exciting new business, recently launched. e2advisors works with colleges and universities to establish entrepreneurial curriculum and centers of excellence. Wes Bray and Mickey Goodman are the partners in charge of the business. Bray was one of the leaders who built the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute at Yale University and Goodman is professor of business and entrepreneurship at SCAD.

support after the death of a child.

TCF welcomes immediate family members, grandparents, siblings 18 years or older, and close relatives and friends who have experienced the death of a child of any age and from any cause.

Colleton River has recently undertaken an extensive, ongoing benchmarking and amenity assessment analysis. It is the club’s intent to stay on the leading edge of golf course community trends and to continue to offer an amenity package to its membership that maintains the club’s position as one on the top tier of nationally ranked private golf course communities.

The Beaufort County School District is gearing up to accept school choice applications for the 2016-17 academic year, the second year of the district’s expanded choice initiative.

Applications approved for the current academic year allowed more than 2,900 students — 13 percent of the district’s total enrollment — to attend schools outside their zoned attendance areas. Two regional information fairs will give students and their parents opportunities to learn about the district’s choice programs and how to apply for them. The fair featuring choice programs for northern Beaufort County is from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1 at Robert Smalls International Academy.

Curriculum options approved by the Board of Education include such instructional choices as Montessori, International Baccalaureate, arts infused, classical studies, dual language immersion, early college, leadership programs and advanced math and science. School choice applications will be posted to the district’s website on Monday,

New River Auto Mall congratulates fellow shareholder Ken Griffey Jr. on being elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

From left; Coastal States Automotive Group Director of Facilities, Planning & Design Mary Kaye Peacock, Coastal States Automotive Group President & CEO Warner Peacock, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, and Coastal States Automotive Group shareholder Ken Griffey, Jr. 76 hiltonheadmonthly.com

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BUSINESS Feb. 1, and must be turned in by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.

Paper copies of the application will be available.

The Heritage Classic Foundation and Apex Broadcasting announced recently that Apex Broadcasting has signed a three-year agreement to become the new official radio stations of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

Apex’s sponsorship will include original radio content aimed at informing listeners about the RBC Heritage throughout the year. Weekly Heritage segments and a golf-themed show titled “Lowcountry Links” are already planned for Apex’s three stations: 104.9 The Surf/WLHH, SC 103/WVSC 103.1 and Easy FM 106.5. Apex will also receive hospitality and promotion during the tournament week.

The Delcher & Delcher real estate team has moved offices.

The office is now located at 1 Promenade Street, Suite 101 in Old Town Bluffton, across from The Corner Perk. Linda and Duke Delcher are a husbandand-wife real estate team with a combined 40 years of real estate experience.

State Rep. Bill Herbkersman joined the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism and other tourism officials from the Lowcountry recently to break ground for a new official state welcome center off Interstate 95 northbound near Hardeeville. Plans call for replacing the existing 38-yearold facility at this location with an 8,400-square-foot, more modern building with significant customer service upgrades. The $4 million center is expected to open next fall. It was designed

OLIVER NAMED COMPANY’S TOP AGENT Ken Oliver earned Dunes Real Estate’s distinction as “Top Listing Agent,” “Top Selling Agent” and “Top Producing Agent” for 2015.

Additionally, Oliver has achieved “Top Listing and/or Selling Agent” for the company in 30 of the past 37 years. Find more on Oliver online at www.ken-oliver.com or by calling 843-842-0816.

by Charleston-based Liollio Architecture and will be built by Brunson Construction Company of Hampton. It is one of two welcome center “total rebuilds” scheduled in South Carolina for 2016. The other is located on I-77 southbound at Fort Mill.

The 31st Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival welcomes Publix as its presenting sponsor for 2016. The new partnership represents a perfect pairing as Publix, one of the region’s premier food retailers, partners with one of the most notable wine events on the East Coast. The Hilton Head Island Wine & Food

Festival will be held March 7-13 at The Sea Pines Resort.

Charter One Realty and Bluffton-based Gateway Realty are merging, bringing the total number of Charter One Realty office locations to 11 between Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Okatie.

The Town of Hilton Head Island received StormReady designation form the National Weather Service. StormReady is the National Weather Service’s national community preparedness program that helps communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather.

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BLACK HISTORY

Celebrating Hilton Head’s Black History Hilton Head Island evokes thoughts of paradise, a relaxing, leisurely place to vacation or reside; a spot where beautiful flat sandy beaches and lush landscapes sprinkled with live oak trees dripping with graceful Spanish moss are taken for granted. BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS | ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

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ilton Head promises tourists and homeowners a special quality of life, and it does not disappoint. However, Hilton Head is important and unique for reasons that go beyond its surface beauty. To understand this, we must take a careful look at Hilton Head’s past, but we should also be mindful that the past and the present are coequal influences as we look to the future.

The path that has given Hilton Head an economic foundation and a worldwide reputation is based on resort-oriented tourism. However, there is another underdeveloped path that has the potential to be just as strong because of Hilton Head’s historic value as the home of the Gullah people.

This is a path based on cultural tourism. For a number of reasons, cultural tourism is now seen as an important component of Hilton Head’s economic future.

In order to get a clear understanding of the island’s historic strengths, we have to go back to the early origins of the island’s history. What is increasingly apparent is that Hilton Head played an important part in the history of the region, and in the history of the country. It has a story to tell that is rich and complex about its original people, and a culture that is still being revealed in surprising and inspiring ways. The Hilton Head story is about war and peace; slavery and freedom. And it is a story about the survival of a people against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Hilton Head’s social and cultural history dates back to the early 1700s. From the beginning, the Gullah people were central to the story. Enslaved, and then abandoned

by plantation owners fleeing the Union army, they not only endured their circumstances, they displayed the intelligence, fortitude and survival instincts to maintain and develop a culture and a community that is vibrant, and rich in traditions that are alive today.

Their lives involve pain and suffering, but also courage and a fierce determination to survive and prosper as free, educated, self-governing people. Long suppressed and undervalued, the history of the Gullah people in Hilton Head is being more fully explored. Their inspiring story is an important part of what makes Hilton Head unique and beautiful.

Nationally, February is called Black History Month. Here on Hilton Head, February is also Gullah Celebration Month. It is a time when the island commemorates and celebrates the importance of the Gullah people, their

culture and the enduring significance of Mitchelville, one of the first examples of self-governance by self-emancipated former slaves. Here on Hilton Head, the Gullah spirit is alive and vibrant, and adds texture and depth to the beauty of the island.

Journey with me into a perspective of Hilton Head Island’s past that is rich in untold stories. These stories weren’t considered valuable or worthy of being repeated or retold in our textbooks. These stories are about important people — some are community leaders, and some are ordinary people who are heroic because they survived and prospered in spite of enormous odds. Their lives make our community what it is today.

Their stories are woven into the threads of the past, which also means that these stories are a necessary part of the foundation of Hilton Head’s future. M February 2016 79

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BLACK HISTORY

Mitchelville Preservation Project keeping history alive, moving it into the future HISTORY OF MITCHELVILLE

ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

“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.”

With these words, Union Gen. Ormsby Mitchel proclaimed that the land the people of Mitchelville, South Carolina, had once toiled under the chains of slavery was now their own.

— Excerpt from the Mitchelville Preservation Project History

BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS

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ometimes in life, big things begin with the simplest of words or the slightest gesture. The story of Mitchelville is just that, a radical idea during a time in our nation’s history when the Union forces were trying to win the Civil War as well as figure out how to deal with a large population of newly freed blacks who were dispersed throughout the South. The Mitchelville blacks on Hilton Head Island lived in a way that was far from common. They created a safe space in the midst of a hostile, lifethreatening environment. They became free while being surrounded on all sides by states that were not ready to give up on slavery, and they managed to develop a rela-

tively comfortable, profitable and traditional way of life.

The town of Mitchelville began in 1862 when Gen. Ormsby Mitchel, a former attorney and professor of mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy, assumed command of the X Corps and the Department of the South at Hilton Head Island, the central location for the Union Army in the South and the launching point for many military operations.

In 1861, the Union Army liberated the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and their main harbor, Port Royal. At the sound of the gunboats, white Confederate soldiers, plantation owners and residents

fled Hilton Head during the invasion, leaving behind everything — including 10,000 black slaves.

Once the Union Army occupied the island, the Port Royal Experiment began. This was a massive humanitarian effort to address the needs of 10,000 newly freed men, women and children. Although the military was in charge, it sought help from Northern charity organizations, which came to the South to help the former slaves become selfsufficient. The Port Royal Experiment was a program in which former slaves lived and successfully farmed the land abandoned by their former plantation owners. Their success is impressive because they represented a fusion of various African languages and cultures that were collectively known Gullah, or Geechee.

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Mitchelville houses were often simply built. Blacks provided the labor while military saw mills provided free lumber.

Mitchel issued a military order freeing the slaves on Hilton Head and nearby islands, and providing them with land large enough for a town. In addition, each family was given a plot to grow crops and encouraged to organize their own town. They were able to buy land, vote and farm for wages.

The fully functioning town created an organizational structure with its own elected officials, taxes, retail stores and compulsory education for children aged six to 15 — something that had been denied to them as slaves.

The people of Mitchelville were hungry to learn. Having been denied education for so long, being free to learn to read and write was something they highly valued. Both adults and children wanted to be educated.

This thirst for knowledge led to Mitchelville establishing the first compulsory education law in South Carolina.

Religion played a very important part in Mitchelville because the church was the meeting place for all events and issues important to the community. The residents founded two churches: the First African Baptist Church in 1862 and the Queen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865; both churches still exist today.

By 1862, the town had more than 1,500 residents, some of whom joined the Union Army. Because of its military importance, access to the town was restricted. Even white people were required to have military passes to enter town limits. Mitchelville was so successful that Harriet Tubman was sent to Hilton Head to observe the Port Royal Project as a model of future freedman projects in the U.S. February 2016 81

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BLACK HISTORY

Hilton Head Island: An Important Stop On The Underground Railroad HARRIET TUBMAN

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The following is an account courtesy of the official U.S. Army website, www.army.mil:

assachusetts Gov. John A. Andrew, a staunch abolitionist, was well-acquainted with Harriet's clandestine efforts and her passion to help.

He had a problem: when federal troops occupied regions of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the white plantation owners fled, leaving behind 10,000 slaves who became "contraband of war." They barely had clothes on their backs, much less jobs, money or education. They flocked to the Union camps, destitute and desperate. Gov.

Andrew called on Harriet Tubman in the fall of 1861 and asked for her help to go south and help these former slaves adjust to their new way of life and to keep them from overrunning the camps. She agreed, telling a neighbor that he had advised her to act as a "spy, scout or nurse, as the circumstances required." The governor arranged for her transportation and assigned her to Gen. Hunter, who gratefully accepted her help.

Once on Hilton Head, Tubman began her work as a spy and an organizer and leader of scouts. She selected and paid (out of "Secret Service money") nine reliable black scouts, riverboat pilots who knew every inch of the local waterways, and trained them in methods of

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

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he National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 was passed to enable the U.S. National Park Service to create a national Underground Railroad program called the Network of Freedom, which coordinates the preservation of local historical places, artifacts, museums and programs associated with the Underground Railroad into a cohesive collection of accessible national stories and locations. Hilton Head Island has been recognized as the only place in South Carolina for its historical importance in the Underground Railroad with three areas of membership: The Heritage Library, Mitchelville and Fort Howell, which is located within Mitchelville. The following are excerpts from the Network of Freedom explaining the rationale of the project and the importance of Mitchelville’s inclusion in the network.

gathering intelligence. Using Tubman’s knowledge of covert travel and subterfuge and their familiarity with the terrain, these scouts mapped the shorelines and islands of South Carolina. Tubman and her scouts provided valuable intelligence to the newly formed black regiments, providing, for example, vulnerabilities and locations of Confederate sentinels.

Historian H. Donald Winkler, in his book “Stealing Secrets,” writes: "Harriet and her nine-man spy team evolved into a kind of special-forces operation for the black regiments. Her team sneaked up and down rivers and into swamps and marshes to determine enemy positions, movements, and fortifications on the shoreline beyond the Union pickets."

She was smart and strategic, devising clever disguises and playing to her strengths. She operated in winter, when nights were long and people stayed indoors, and made her return trips with the escaped slaves on Saturdays because the papers did not print runaway notices until Mondays.

An activist in the Freedman's Aid Society wrote of her in 1865: "She has needed disguises so often, that she seems to have command over her face, and can banish all expression from her features, and look so stupid that nobody would suspect her of knowing enough to be dangerous; but her eye flashes with intelligence and power when she is roused." These experiences not only

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made Harriet Tubman famous, they made her a valuable asset to the military.

Tubman stayed in the South for the next year, helping in any way she could.

Sometimes this meant assisting military regiments, participating in guerrilla activities, or baking and selling pies to help the newly liberated slaves. Through it all, she communicated with her black neighbors, obtaining more intelligence from them than anyone else could, and passing that intelligence on to the commanders for action.

The military gave Tubman unlimited access to rations and supplies and access to the soldiers so that she could earn money selling root beer and her pies.

After all of Tubman’s contributions to the military and Civil War, she was never paid for her service.

MITCHELVILLE PRESERVATION PROJECT

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he Mitchelville Preservation Project was formed 10 years ago by a group of local residents who saw the historical value of the community that they grew up in, and the importance of keeping the legacy of Mitchelville alive for current and future generations. The project was developed to “help create an understanding of who the people were and what they were able to achieve,” says Joyce Wright, the organization’s project manager. What’s interesting about the project is that it is evolving from merely telling the story of America’s past, into using the story to shape the future of the island as well. They have had many successes, including establishing Mitchelville as a significant part in the Underground Railroad. Mitchelville has recently been added as a member of the U.S. National Parks’ annual Network to Freedom Underground Railroad Conference.

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BLACK HISTORY

MITCHELVILLE

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FORT HOWELL PHOTO BY ARNO DIMMLING

he Mitchelville Freedom Park commemorates the nearly forgotten, historic town of Mitchelville, South Carolina.

Two distinct phases qualified Mitchelville as an important Underground Railroad site. First, it was the site of mass escapes from Hilton Head Island plantations when Union troops entered Port Royal Sound in November 1861. With the first shots fired, the enslaved island population seized their opportunity for freedom. Despite threats and deception by local plantation owners, freedom-seekers bolted to the woods until Union troops occupied the area.

Second, Mitchelville became the destination for waves of freedom-seekers fleeing bondage in nearby Confederate territories of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. It was the place where the newly emancipated would first experience freedom and emerge from enslaved victims into responsible citizens.

Mitchelville was the heart of The Port Royal Experiment, which was launched by the U.S. government and proved to a skeptical American public that African-Americans would fight for freedom and country, work for wages within a free-enterprise labor system, and live responsibly as independent citizens. Mitchelville was constructed, inhabited and governed exclusively by previously enslaved freedom-seekers. Activities in this settlement were reported nationwide, ultimately influencing national reconstruction policies.

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ort Howell was constructed in 1864 on Hilton Head Island to defend the nearby freedmen's village of Mitchelville from possible Confederate raids. Mitchelville was established in 1862 to provide a community where freedomseekers could live and self-govern under their newfound freedom with the protection of the Union Army.

Mitchelville was the clearest example of the Port Royal Experiment, whereby formerly enslaved people demonstrated their willingness to fight for freedom and their capacity to live independently.

By 1864, Union military units were being drawn from the Department of the South for operations further north. Military operations transitioned from offensive to defensive in the area.

Three major new earthworks were

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constructed on Hilton Head, including Fort Howell, which was located to provide protection for Mitchelville. Fort Howell was constructed in part by the 32nd USCT Infantry unit. This unit, raised in Pennsylvania from volunteers coming from Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, was comprised mostly of free blacks, rather than formerly enslaved men.

Fort Howell is nominated as a military site. It also complements the commemoration of Mitchelville, a destination site for freedom-seekers. For visitors, this site builds upon the history of the origin and activities of Mitchelville residents — i.e., service in the U.S. Navy and the formation of the first U.S. Colored Army, whose troops were instrumental in the Union’s overall victory. Fort Howell is an ideal site to serve as a future commemoration of the thousands of freedom-seekers who served valiantly in the US military.

HILTON HEAD’S ANCESTRAL IMPACT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY

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n 2006, the United States government took the extraordinary step of recognizing with an act of Congress the contributions made by the Gullah people to America.

This act acknowledged the 400-year history of the Gullah/Geechee people who lived in Mitchelville and along 79 coastal Sea Islands from North Carolina to Florida. The national recognition of the Gullah/Geechee Corridor as ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS well as Mitchelville’s inclusion as a member of the National Network of Freedom takes on another significant level of importance as people nationwide are doing research on their ancestral histories. It is even more important to preserve the history of Mitchelville and the story of the Gullah people who made it a success because of the renewed interest in ancestry. Being a part of the National Network of Freedom is an incredible opportunity for Hilton Head for a variety of reasons. One important reason is that it makes Hilton Head’s historical value an even greater part of the American story. Tourists would be drawn to the island both because of its historic significance and its value as a resort destination.

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The “slave wall” is sometimes the end of most family tree searches, because most slave owners often did not record their slaves’ names or information because of their status as property prior to the abolishment of slavery in 1865

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BLACK HISTORY

THE ‘1870S SLAVE WALL’

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esearching African-American ancestral roots has its own particular set of challenges, since African-Americans cannot always discover the African country that they came from through traditional research methods or through DNA testing. Ancestral research for many black people is complicated by the impact of the slave experience on record-keeping and document retrieval.

Most black people doing research get frustrated when they hit what is referred to as the “1870s slave wall.” The “slave wall” is sometimes the end of most family tree searches, because most slave owners often did not record their slaves’ names or information because of their status as property prior to the abolishment of slavery in 1865. As a result of the rich traditions and determination to preserve the Gullah culture and community, blacks who trace their ancestry back to a location within the Gullah / Geechee Corridor now have something tangible that they can connect to.

For example, although it may be impossible to identify which specific village in Africa a family line comes from, an analysis of slave records from the port of Charleston shows that 32 percent of Lowcountry slaves came from Angola, while 27 percent came from Senegambia (Senegal and Gambia), 32 percent from the Winward Coast — which includes Liberia, the Ivory Coast and Ghana, 6 percent from Sierra Leone and 3 percent from Madagascar and Mozambique.

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BLACK HISTORY These percentages include both enslaved people transported to the Lowcountry directly from Africa, as well as Africans enslaved in the Caribbean and transported to the Lowcountry. In fact, most of the slaves brought to South Carolina had previously spent time in the Caribbean, particularly the island of Barbados, to be “seasoned” to the climate and work.

Ultimately, the Lowcountry became one of the last places in the U.S. to stop importing slaves; based on ship cargo manifests, the last documented cargo of slaves to America arrived on Jekyll Island, Georgia, in 1858 — 50 years after slavery had been outlawed. These different African cultures and traditions eventually formed the basis of what we now call Gullah/ Geechee culture.

Not only is the National Network of Freedman an important part of Mitchelville’s future, but “it is the only project that can unite all types of people on Hilton Head Island because it is part of America’s story, not just the story about the black residents who live on Hilton Head. We are very passionate about making sure that the Mitchelville story is told on a local and national level,” says Shirley Peterson, chairman of the Mitchelville Preservation Project board of directors. “We know that the Mitchelville Preservation Project can become of interest to the cultural tourist, who is just as important as a leisure tourist. We need to increase our investment in the economic value that Mitchelville can bring to the island. I believe that when a story is well told, people nationally will become as passionate as we are about Mitchelville. Cultural tourism is becoming a growing economic factor in America and Mitchelville is a strong piece of America’s history that needs to be shared.”

To help share that history, the Mitchelville Preservation Project has several initiatives, events and fundraising opportunities planned throughout the year that will aid in telling their story as well as making the park more viable.

Preservation of all of America’s heritage is an important step in not only understanding our past but also having a point of reference to learn from our mistakes so we can make a better future.

Mitchelville has the potential to offer a fabulous education for us all.

Historic sites are being carefully preserved, and children and adults will benefit from all of the artifacts and information that has been gathered over the years to tell this very important story.

Mitchelville is much more than an old plot of land. It’s the birthplace of blacks who became free from a life of bondage. A place where slaves were given a chance to self-govern and establish roots of their own in a land that they had adopted as their own, 88 hiltonheadmonthly.com

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ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

as well as maintain culture and traditions that continue today.

The Mitchelville Preservation Project has been and continues to collect stories and artifacts that demonstrate the richness of the story of Mitchelville. The project has done well with establishing Mitchellville’s exhibit and park; however, their work is far from over.

The project continues to search for stories and artifacts from past and present native islanders. Part of its growth means that it also needs permanent structures for a welcome center and museum to be built within Mitchelville so that the collection can be housed in one place, and displayed in a way that captures the imagination and maximizes its historical value.

The Mitchelville Preservation Project has also been recognized as a potential co-host for the upcoming Underground Railroad Conference in 2016. If you haven’t already experienced Mitchelville, the Historic Mitchellville Freedom Park is located on Beach City Road at Fish Creek Park, where you can step back in time while on a self-guided tour that lays out the way in which Mitchelville was set up long ago. In addition to the park, you explore the Mitchelville Exhibit, created by the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina. The exhibit is on display at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. If you are unable to get to the park or the exhibit, tune into NBC this month for a documentary on Mitchelville and its historical significance. M For more information on the Mitchelville Preservation Project, go to www.mitchelvillepreservationproject.com.

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BLACK HISTORY

Preserving Gullah culture through a little blue house Driving down Gumtree Road, it is easy to miss the tiny bright blue house that sits to the side on Georgiana Drive.

BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

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t’s a little blue house with an important past, and a big story to tell about the courage, strength and resilience of one family and what this family can teach us about the history of the Gullah people. This 85-year-old house consists of two small rooms, and it shows its age.

However, when you go inside The Little Blue House, you learn that it is the birthplace of the Gullah Museum, which preserves the memory of what life on Hilton Head Island was like for native islanders before the bridge brought outside influences to the island.

This tiny Gullah Museum is carefully preserving cultural artifacts and stories about Gullah traditions, and has big plans for future development. When you walk into the Little Blue House, you are greeted by Louise Cohen, a historian, storyteller and curator of the Gullah Museum. Her voice is like warm maple syrup that envelopes you as it takes you on a journey back in time to when Africans on Hilton Head began to adapt to living free in America. She offers an important perspective about the history of Hilton Head before the bridge, and points out the three stops on your journey through history: “Honey Horn,

a former plantation, represents slavery; Mitchelville, the site of the first self-governing town of former slaves, represents freedom; and the Gullah Museum represents independence.

Cohen will begin your visit to the museum with a story of the courage and determination of her great-greatgrandparents. The story outlines how her family originally came to Hilton Head Island. Her family was enslaved and brought through Sullivans Island and eventually to Rose Hill Plantation, where even today, the names of her ancestors, Cesar Kirk Jones and Moriah Jones, are listed in a frame on the wall of the plantation. The story she has been told is that Cesar and Moriah heard about the freedom that existed in Mitchelville on Hilton Head, and decided to seek freedom at the risk of their own lives and the lives of their young children. One evening, they escaped from Rose Hill and made their way along the water’s edge, where they found a bateau. As they were getting into the boat, the youngest child started crying inconsolably. Fearing that her screams would draw attention to them, Cesar made a heart-wrenching decision.

He told Moriah to throw the screaming

"Nobody gave the blacks on the island anything. Families worked hard for what they had, and all of the land that we inherited was purchased. There are records of my family buying property for as little as $1 an acre.”

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child overboard, so that they could continue to make their way across the water undetected. Moriah was faced with the impossible choice of freedom for her family, the consequences of getting caught, or the life of her child. Before she was forced to make such a difficult decision, she found a piece of mattress lying by the water’s edge and rolled the child up into the material, cradling her in her arms while patting the bundle to calm the child until they were able to make it across the water. The child was Amy Jones Miller, Louise Cohen’s greatgrandmother.

It is personal stories like this one that give substance, life and meaning to the Gullah Museum. This rich and compelling history is the driving force behind how hard Cohen works to preserve her culture for future generations.

The story of the Gullah people’s survival only strengthens the level of respect that the community deserves.

As children, growing up knowing and understanding the language and culture as they did, it was difficult when interacting with outsiders to be proud of how they spoke, because in school, the Gullah language was considered broken English and backwards talking. Teachers would discipline Gullah children for talking so fast and in a way that was not always understood by everyone. The Gullah language is a blending of African and English words so that slaves could talk in front of slave owners without being understood. Growing up, however, “people laughed at us for how we sounded, and as a result of that some people have become ashamed of the Gullah culture,” says Cohen. “We need to stand up as a people and tell our story for who we are. No one else can tell our story better than ourselves. We have to accept who we are, we have to love who God made us into.”

For hundreds of years, the Gullah culture has been able to survive regardless of the obstacles such as slave owners trying to destroy their traditions, and other outside influences that eventually came into play as well. “The museum is here to tell the story of the Gullah. If our

children don’t have something tangible to see or hold onto, then they don’t see our culture as real,” Cohen says.

Passing down family legacies amongst the Gullah remains a challenge, even today. The Gullah worked very hard using the resources that the island provided. Growing crops to feed the family and make a living from was common, as well as harvesting oysters and fish from the surrounding waters. The inheritance of houses and land on Hilton Head has been passed down for generations.

“Nobody gave the blacks on the island anything. Families worked hard for what they had, and all of the land that we inherited was purchased,” Cohen says. “There are records of my family buying property for as little as $1 an acre.”

Stories and artifacts that demonstrate determination and perseverance are an important piece of making the culture something to be proud of. For instance, looking back to her childhood, Cohen didn’t realize how hard that her mother worked shucking oysters until she found the oyster knife that she used so much that her mother’s fingerprints are imbedded in the handle as a reminder.

The struggle that she has had, however, in addition to gathering artifacts and information, is trying to raise money to keep the project alive. An annual gala and other events throughout the year will help the museum grow

into the campus that she envisions. The Little Blue House is the first of several buildings to be renovated as part of the project; other buildings Cohen owns will also be renovated. She has plans for a replica of the house in which she was raised.

The preservation of a culture is important because not only does it represent someone’s life, but it also represents a piece of American history. The Little Blue House is an amazing walk back in time and a journey that everyone should take. M For more information about the Gullah Museum, go to www.gullahmuseumhhi.org.

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Hoeing rice. African American farm workers in a South Carolina rice field. 1904. Copyright: Everett Historical

The Price of Rice The surprising history of rice in the United States and the Gullah people who made it possible

BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS

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he history of rice in America is tied to the history of the Gullah community. The Gullah helped make rice one of the most important cash crops in the South, but the crop also owes some of its success to good luck.

Rice’s origins date as far back as 2,800 B.C. in China, and it ultimately spread through Asia and Europe.

However, its arrival in the U.S. was an accident. According to legend, in 1685 a massive storm struck far out in the Atlantic Ocean. After the storm, the ocean current sent a wind-battered and

beaten ship sailing from Madagascar into Charleston Harbor. The ship’s captain received not only generous hospitality, but repairs to his ship from the colonists. In return for their kindness, the captain repaid the colonists with a gift of “Golden Seed Rice,” which gets its name from its rich golden color. This became one of the state’s most reliable crops and valued source of revenue in the 1700s.

The gift of rice to South Carolina was pivotal in several different ways. Slavery brought African people to Hilton Head

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BLACK HISTORY rice than the ships exporting it could carry, and setting the standard for highquality rice worldwide. Today, the U.S. is one of the world’s largest exporters of rice.

Gullah food is one of the oldest African and American culinary traditions found in the U.S. today. Their meals were created from the land and sea, and of the necessity to make do with what was available from their weekly slave rations. For example, they were provided 10 quarts of rice or peas, one bushel of sweet potatoes, two or three mullets or mackerels, one pint of molasses, one peck of meal, one peck of grits and, depending on the slave master, two pounds of pork, bacon or beef.

What’s interesting to note is that many of the one-pot meals that are considered staples in the American diet can trace their beginnings back to Gullah and slave traditions. The next time you eat red rice (white rice mixed with tomatoes and bacon), chicken and rice, shrimp and grits, fried crab rice or peas and rice, know that the meal has been served for hundreds of years thanks to the Gullah traditions. M Source: Ultimate Gullah Cookbook & American Rice Inc.; USA Rice Federation

ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

from several West African countries.

Their descendants were known as Gullah. The Gullah brought a variety of skills with them; they were skilled at farming a variety of crops, especially rice. Their skill in cultivating rice helped make rice an important part of South Carolina’s economy. The Gullah people played an important role in making rice one of the state’s prime crops and revenue sources in the 1700s, as well as one of the most important agricultural and economic crops in American history.

It also helped that the Lowountry coastline’s average temperature, coupled with the fresh tidal waters, marshland and nutrient rich and soft soil, were perfect for growing rice. The environment. along with the Gullah expertise in rice farming, helped to make the colonists’ rice crops successful. And the colonists needed all the help that they could get, as rice farming is an extremely labor-intensive process that requires 100 to 300 laborers per 100 acres to prepare the soil and harvest the land by hand. This hard work not only started the plantation era, but it also fueled the necessity for slaves and large plantations. Carolina Golden Rice became one of South Carolina’s premium crops, creating more tons of

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Hilton Head: The Heart of Gullah/Geechee Corridor S.C. Congressman James Clyburn worked tirelessly to gain official recognition of the importance of Gullah culture to the region and to the nation. His leadership led to the establishment of the Gullah/Geechee Corridor. This was an attempt to expand our understanding of American history, but for the congressman, it was also a personal journey because of his own Gullah ancestry. BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS “The Gullah/Geechee culture is the last vestige of fusion of African and European languages and traditions brought to these coastal areas,” S.C. Congressman James Clyburn said. “I cannot sit idly by and watch an entire culture disappear that represents my heritage and the heritage of those who look like me. The sights, sounds and tastes of Gullah/Geechee culture have been slowly vanishing along the coasts of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The Gullah/Geechee way of life is an integral part of the Southern heritage, and I am committed to ensuring we protect and preserve it for future generations.”

For 400 years, Gullah/Geechee people lived along 79 coastal Sea Islands, from North Carolina to Florida and roughly 35 miles inland. The Gullah culture survives today because the Gullah people are actively resisting cultural extinction, and insisting that their culture and history be acknowledged and valued as an important part of American history. That’s where the Gullah/Geechee Corridor comes in.

“The corridor hasn’t begun to explore the depths and the richness of the culture that we have. It’s a jewel that we are working to uncover,” said Dr. Herman Blake, executive director of the Gullah/Geechee Corridor.

It took Clyburn seven years of dedication and hard work to establish the value of the corridor and prove the need for recognition of the Gullah/Geechee culture. Finally, on Oct. 12, 2006, by an act of Congress, the Gullah/Geechee Corridor came into existence. It was authorized as part of the National Heritage Areas Act of 2006. A 15-member commission comprised of experts in folklore, historical preservation and anthropology was created to manage what is now known as the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

As a national heritage area, the Gullah/ Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor is not considered a part of the national park system; however, the congressional act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance for the continued development and implementation of the management plan.

Hilton Head Island is quickly becoming the heart of the Gullah/Geechee Corridor because of its physical location at the “center” of the corridor, the important historical artifacts that remain on the island and the concentration of Gullah people who continue to maintain and live on their land. They continue to fiercely protect their culture and the traditions that have always

been a part of the lifeblood that sustains Hilton Head.

The Corridor Commission is actively working to retrieve, preserve and protect the Gullah/Geechee culture, and provide the well-deserved historical respect and credit that the community should have for its contributions to American culture. The commission has provided evidence that shows how Gullah language and traditions have been woven into American culture.

For example, the traditional Gullah spiritual "Kumbaya" (“Come by Here”) has been embraced by all cultural groups, and is as much a favorite in churches as it is in Girl Scout troops. Similarly, the Gullah influence is evident in American language. The words “tote,” “banjo” and “gumbo” are examples of this.

The Corridor Commission has significant challenges to overcome. Traditionally, Gullah culture and information has been preserved orally and passed from family to family Entrusting outsiders with very personal family information or artifacts can be a challenge, especially for older generations. Currently, Blake is working on a video collection of Gullah elder’s recounting family histories to preserve their oral stories for future generations. This kind of information is being

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GULLAH/GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

GULLAH/GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR PROPOSED BOUNDARY EXPANSION

For 400 years, Gullah/Geechee people lived along 79 coastal Sea Islands, from North Carolina to Florida and roughly 35 miles inland.

acres, and because of population shifts, an island that was almost 100 percent Gullah is now one in which Gullah people make up only 8 percent of the population.

Daufuskie Island is another example of these changing trends. At its peak in the 1940s, Daufuskie had more than 1,000 Gullah residents. Now, it is estimated that only 9 native island families remain.

Emory Campbell, one of the best-known Gullah historians and owner of the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island, points out that “land and use of the land is important to the Gullah culture.

Unfortunately, there has been a clash between tradition and development.”

Other projects that the Corridor has taken on have been for communities such as Sapelo Island and the Harris Neck Land Trust, both in Georgia, where local issues of land loss to development has been an increasingly critical issue. M

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MAP

captured at Gullah family reunions or other informal gatherings. The process involves recording family stories of survival. However, this is not an easy process because of logistics. Often, older people distrust technology and are uncomfortable with communicating by email or even by phone. As Blake points out, “Gullah culture is a face-to-face culture.”

In addition to documenting the oral stories and preserving the culture, the Corridor Commission is committed to being a resource for all of the community development organizations and leaders within the Gullah/Geechee Corridor. This is a broader effort to provide a variety of resources, information and cultural support for issues that affect the Gullah communities, such as changing demographics, the impact of future land development, and the erosion of land that has been in families for hundreds of years.

Development trends on Hilton Head show how complex these issues can be. For example, it is estimated that before 1956, the original Gullah families owned close to 2,000 acres of land on Hilton Head Island.

Today that number is down to about 700

If you are interested in documenting your Gullah stories or for more information about the corridor, go to www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org.

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NIBCAA bridging the past, preparing for the future If you have attended any of the Gullah cultural events going on around Hilton Head Island in the past, you might already know about some of the work that the Native Island Business and Community Affairs Association does.

BY LUANA M. GRAVES SELLARS | PHOTOS BY FAITHOGRAPHYPHOTO.COM

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his year will be especially important as it marks the 20th annual Gullah Celebration. Each February, there is a monthlong calendar of events celebrating Gullah culture. It includes a variety of activities and events such as expos, food tastings, health screenings and gospel concerts, which will entertain and engage people of all ages. However, the association’s main objective is to expand the number of opportunities for both Hilton Head residents and tourists to experience the richness of Gullah culture every month of the year.

“February is the biggest month that we have for events, but we are working on having events every month,” says Charles Young, the association’s operations manager. Events and celebrations are important to keep the Gullah culture alive — though the community-based organization has a much broader scope than just events.

Gullah Arts & Crafts Festival

The association was created 10 years ago by a group of like-minded business owners and community leaders who felt that the island needed a unifying presence for native islanders to be able to improve their quality of life through education and support. The group became a community resource for Hilton Head’s black-owned businesses in need of educational, entrepreneurial or financial support.

Additionally, the association sought to address native islanders’ other needs and issues, such as homeownership education, financial literacy and academic support.

The organization’s goal is to improve the overall quality of life for the Gullah people on the island.

But the group doesn’t work in isolation; it has a partnership with the Mitchellville Preservation Project. They provide mutual support and together they work to preserve Gullah history and culture and make it accessible to future generations.

The organization also works with black churches on the island — long considered the backbone of the black community, as well as the most effective method of disseminating information throughout the community.

While the association strives to assist the community at large, it has a special focus on education. Hilton Head is one of the a few areas in the country that has maintained its strong ties to its Gullah traditions. However, children in South Carolina are at a huge disadvantage because they

Gullah Exhibit Opening Reception

are not being taught about their own history and the cultural contributions of the Gullah people, or about Mitchellville, the first self-governing town of freed slaves that is right here in their midst. Young is committed to making sure that a full and inclusive history is taught to children, rather than just one perspective of the past. “This year, our goal is to bring the organization back to its original plans and priorities,” he says.

Those plans include working on establishing a Gullah curriculum that would be taught in local schools. Another initiative is to have adult education classes on obtaining homeownership and financial literacy so that everyone can achieve financial stability and have a more prosperous economic future. M

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BLACK HISTORY

First families are still here, and their story is not over Literally and spiritually, the story of Mitchelville rests in the heart of Hilton Head Island as well as in the heart of American history.

BY DR. GLORIA HOLMES, PHD. ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

In

every way, the Mitchelville story embodies American values and American goals, and reflects the ongoing dream of what America is and can be. Mitchelville tells the story of the self-realization, the selfemancipation and the self-governance of a people who survived and overcame racism, involuntary servitude, abandonment, physical isolation and hardship.

It is the story of a people who resisted physical and cultural extinction, and instead insisted on their humanity and their rootedness in the land they love.

Those people are still here. Their spirit survives, and their story is not over. The Mitchelville story is vibrant and alive and evolving, and it is as important to the future of Hilton Head as it is the island’s past.

In every way, the Mitchelville story is pure Americana. It is a complex story about race and power and privilege and class. It is about greed and conquest, war and peace, life and death, and the triumph of morality over smallmindedness. It is about cultural clashes and cultural accommodations. It is 100 hiltonheadmonthly.com

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about Ormsby Mitchell, a white Army officer who arrived from the North on a remote Southern island to find a community of black people governing themselves and living off of the land.

It is a story about the people he found inhabiting the island and using their skills as farmers and artisans to sustain themselves. It is the story of the morality of a man who was able to transcend the prevailing racist attitudes of the day, and relate to the humanity of the Gullah people.

When, in 1861, Mitchel proclaimed, “Good colored people, you have a great work to do, and you are in a position of responsibility,” he was empowering them, and establishing a course that would change Hilton Head forever.

He was supporting their autonomy and their right to exist as free, land-owning people.

The descendants of those people are still here.

The elder statesmen and women who have worked and are working tirelessly to keep the Gullah story vibrant and relevant are still here. They are heroes because they continue to fight, to struggle against the isolation of their people and the silencing of their voices. It is a struggle against outside interests and impulses to detach and segregate Mitchelville and Gullah history from the history of the island rather than embrace them as integral parts of the past, present and future of Hilton Head, the region and the country.

The first families are still here. They are and will always be the first families.

They are living lives of quiet heroism and humility because they continue to resist being sucked into obscurity.

They continue to tell their stories with pride, and they continue to validate the meaning of their lives and the lives of their ancestors for their children and for history. They refuse to allow Mitchelville or the Gullah culture to slip into obscurity or be diminished or devalued and remembered only as “quaint” marketable artifacts — baskets, jewelry, “exotic” cuisine or patterned textiles.

Hilton Head Today: Competing Realities, Conflicting Values Brochures correctly depict Hilton Head Island as a seductive paradise — lush, willowy palm trees, wide sun-kissed beaches, and acres and acres of meticulously manicured golf courses. Hilton Head personifies leisure and a lifestyle of relaxation and self-indulgence, and every year, an estimated 2 million people flock to the island from around the world.

There is, however, another competing reality that has its own beauty and is rooted in a different set of values.

It is the reality of those first families who make up the infrastructure of the island.

Often, they are part of the

substratum; descendants of the people whose bones, blood, sweat and tears fertilized the soil that underlies the manicured lawns and beautiful fairways. They have a different perspective of Hilton Head that adds depth and complexity to the reality of everyday life on Hilton Head.

These different perspectives co-exist and need to be acknowledged. One perspective is neither better nor worse than the other.

They are simply different.

One represents a focus on leisure; the other represents a focus on the survival of a people who have lived here for more than 400 years.

The Gullah are still demanding that their autonomy and identity be respected, protected and supported, and not be buried in “paradise” under landing strips, golf courses and tennis courts.

Hilton Head cannot divorce itself from Mitchelville and the Gullah

people, and Mitchelville and the Gullah people cannot divorce themselves from Hilton Head and a leisure-driven mindset. It is all part of one reality.

Seeing the world from different ends of the social, economic or historical spectrum is not a bad thing unless we choose to wear blinders. People can recalibrate and open themselves to another perspective — they can try to see how the pieces of reality come together differently for different people and learn to respect and appreciate each other’s reality.

The story of Mitchelville and the Gullah people who own that part of Hilton Head’s history will be a continuing focus because they represent a proud history that is still unfolding.

Theirs is an American story whose meaning and value is embedded in the spirit of the people who refuse to die or be forgotten. M February 2016 101

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Rethinking Black History Month This year as we prepare to engage in the ritualized celebration of Black History Month, we must also acknowledge that history-making is a process, and that there are present realities that stand in opposition to a mood of pure celebration.

BY DR. GLORIA HOLMES, PHD. PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN ARTWORK BY SONJA GRIFFIN EVANS

A Dr. Gloria Holmes was a professor at the School of Education at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where she served as both chair and director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. In 2008, Holmes was awarded a Community Leadership Fellowship by the William C. Graustein Memorial Fund. She has received many other awards, including the Legendary Women award from Perfect Blend, the Multicultural Leadership Award from Quinnipiac University, the James Marshall Service Award from the Quinnipiac University Faculty Senate, and the Multicultural Teacher of the Year Award in Higher Education from the National Association of Multicultural Education. She served on the boards of the New Haven Family Alliance and the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology and was a diversity trainer for ADL's A World of Difference Institute. She recently relocated to Hilton Head Island.

merica, and the entire world have been horrified by images of Black people being slaughtered on their knees while they prayed, or unarmed men being shot, or thousands of children being poisoned by state-supplied drinking water. These images remind us that a focus on ‘celebration’ should be tempered by these abhorrent history-making realities that are also a part of Black History. This is a time of crisis when almost daily horror stories gave rise to strident cries of ‘Black Lives Matter,’ which on the surface seems counter-intuitive. Of course Black Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. And yet, the sad irony remains that in 2016, Black people still need to affirm their personhood; their humanness;

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their right to be considered part of the human family. The Black Lives Matter movement invokes poignant images from the 1960’s of Black men carrying signs proclaiming in bold print: ‘I Am a Man,’ and reminds us of the 3/5ths measure of black humanity from America’s past.

But there are less dramatic indicators of crisis as well. For example, I was recently told a story about a little Black girl who dressed up like a princess for Halloween, complete with tiara and beautiful flowing dress. However, her outfit was not perfect until she painted her face white. This little Black girl went from door to door collecting candy and treats in white-face because she had apparently internalized the idea that black skin exempted her from being a real princess. She didn’t carry a sign that said, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ but on many levels, she personified that message. Present realities demand that we reconsider the meaning and purpose of the ritualized celebrations of Black history that are focused on one month: February. This reconsideration can help us avoid trivializing or ignoring both past and present realities that are difficult to confront, and importantly, hinder our progress toward a better future.

Martin Luther King visits the Penn Center on Saint Helena Island in the 1960s. King made several visits to the historic center. He even penned the early words to his famous "I Have A Dream" speech there.

THE HISTORY OF BLACK HISTORY Since 1926 Black History has been celebrated during the month of February, first as Negro History Week and presently as Black History Month. The idea that Black history should be formally celebrated is attributed to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, social scientist and educator well known for his important book, The Mis-Education of the Negro. Over the years, Dr. Woodson’s idea was universally embraced, and now February and Black History are forever linked in the American mind. Schools, churches, community groups, and government bodies, have all accepted the idea that Black History should have a dedicated month, and that black people, black events and black achievements should be highlighted, publicized and celebrated with gusto.

February is always festive. We can depend on a great deal of singing and dancing, tasty food, speeches, posters and TV coverage. All of this acknowledges that: 1. Black people have always played a role in shaping the American experience on every level, and 2.

February is the time to celebrate their contributions.

But what happens on March 1st? The posters come down, the coverage goes away, and the interest in black people fades or reverts to a more common focus on violence and antisocial acts. Instead of a focus on positive contributions, TV and newspapers treat us all to a steady diet of crime statistics and ‘wanted’ posters with faces of scary black men.

Black History Month as it is presently conceived plays a very important role in challenging discrimination and cultural isolation. And yet, dedicating a week or a month to Black History is also counter-productive because it allows the country to segregate Black history from the larger body of American history. It allows us to think of Black history as an appendage, or sidebar rather than as an integral part of the larger American experience that is unfolding every day.

Black history, like the American histories of other groups such as Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians is American history. America has a complex multicultural and multiethnic history that should be acknowledged not for one month of the year. There are equal amounts of courage and cowardice; of joy and pain; of things to be celebrated, and things that rightfully cause shame, and we need to embrace it, all of it. This is not what some call revisionist history. Rather, it acknowledges that every group has a ‘story’, and every story should be validated as part of the whole. It is an opportunity to give voice to those who have been silenced and left out of the history books.

No group because of power or privilege should be allowed to kidnap or appropriate American history; to be the storytellers; to make their version of the American story the only version that matters, while other perspectives are devalued or silenced or ignored.

Black History is American history, and it belongs to all of us equally. It is beautiful and ugly; parts of it make us proud, and other parts offend and shame us, but it belongs to all of us because it is our story, and we should embrace it fully, or we ignore it to our peril. M February 2016 103

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LOVE

KEEPS LUTZ FAMILY TOGETHER

BY SALLY MAHAN | PHOTO BY LLOYD WAINSCOTT

After his father committed suicide three years ago, now 12-year-old Blake Lutz wrote, “He always loved me and I always loved him... I’ll never understand why he did what he did, and I never will...

“When you’re dead, you never can tell the people that you love that you miss them. … Make sure that you tell people who are close to you that you love them because you never know if you might see them again.”

“Love” is the key word here. Because despite the tragic death of his dad,

Shane Lutz — a troubled man with substance abuse issues — Blake found a way to keep that love alive in his heart.

That is largely due to his mother, Jill Lutz, a woman with a smile that lights up a room. She has kept her family together and has somehow found a way to rise above the horror of Shane’s suicide and

find good in the worst of situations.

And it’s not only his death that she has had to deal with. Her other child, adorable Brea, 7, a student at Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts, has achondroplasia, a bone-growth disorder that causes dwarfism.

“Brea’s condition was caused by a spontaneous genetic mutation (one in about 30,000), just one more reason she is extra special,” Lutz said. “But there is nothing small about her personality.”

As she snuggles up in her mom’s lap in their cozy Hilton Head home, Brea

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HEALTH

giggles as Lutz explains that they call her “monkey” because “she likes to climb on Mommy.”

Despite her condition, spunky Brea is everything you would expect from a little girl. She loves soccer and dance — “Jazz is my favorite,” she said. Her favorite food is chicken “nuggies.” Her best friends are Quinn, Emma, Ella and Gabby (she had her first sleepover recently), and she loves princesses. She

also likes to say, “In your face, sucka!” followed by a huge belly laugh.

While Brea is otherwise healthy, she recognizes that she will always be a “little person.”

“We were at a game in Boston and she looked at me and asked me if Blake was going to be a little person too,” Lutz said.

“When I told her that he wouldn’t be, she started crying. But I explained to her that some people can’t see or hear and God makes everyone different. And I wouldn’t change a thing about her.”

Lutz, who is originally from Virginia, moved to Hilton Head Island in 1999 after graduating from East Tennessee State University. She earned a master’s degree in education at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and taught

middle school English for the Beaufort County School District for 13 years before resigning at the end of the last school year. She is now a health care recruiter at Coastal Medical Staffing and a registered yoga teacher.

And her schedule is made extra-busy with Blake’s many activities. In addition to playing football with his friends and his love of video games, Blake is a local celebrity.

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He has performed in three shows at Main Street Youth Theatre: “Guys and Dolls,” “Holidays on Main Street” and as Pugsly in “The Addams Family,” and he recently wrapped up the role of Michael Banks in the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina’s production of “Mary Poppins.”

A seventh-grade honor student at Hilton Head Christian Academy, he is also a musician. He began playing the alto saxophone in fifth grade and has performed with the Hilton Head

Island High School band and has participated in the Saxophone Summer Camp at Columbia College and the Bob Masteller Junior Jazz Foundation Camp.

Blake’s first love, however, is acting.

He gets particularly animated when talking about the theater, sitting up on his knees and leaning forward with a twinkle in his eye.

Lutz also finds time to be active in Little People of America. “We even hosted an event here on the island last summer and will be hosting another in September,” she said.

She also serves on the planning committee for the South Carolina chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Community Walk. The 2015 walk, which was held in October, raised $33,000 for suicide prevention and counseling services.

So, while her husband’s suicide was devastating for her children, particularly Blake, Lutz said she “has so much to be thankful for.”

“Because of this tragedy, I am even more proud of the strength of my family,” she said. “Honestly, life throws us curveballs. I’m a very faithful woman and I know that everything happens for a reason. I have faith that we are in God’s hands.” M For more information on suicide prevention, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at www.afsp.org.

DA TH R E DA KE YS ST

HEALTH

BY BLAKE LUTZ

No one can ever prepare for what I had to go through that dark day.

MY DAD

may not have been there for me all the time, but that did not mean that I didn’t love him. If I could bring him back, I would. He had always thought that he could handle things on his own, even when he could not. He just wanted to be independent, even though that was not the best thing for him. He always loved me and I always loved him. Even if I was not good at something, he always found a way to make me better at it. I don’t care what anyone says about him or the way he acted or anything, he was a dad to me and only me. When my dad passed, he was such a big impact on everyone, and I feel like no one knew that until he was actually gone. I’ll never understand why he did what he did, and I never will. No one will.

Some days he would take me down to his work, whether that was Game World (when it was still here) or the golf course. At Game World, we always played arcade games with

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HEALTH

each other and talked trash about how we played. Whether it was shooting robbers or playing air hockey, we constantly had fun with each other. I had so much fun at the golf course. He would always let me drive the golf cart even though I was not allowed to because of my age at the time. Even though he had to work really hard some days, he always found ways to keep me entertained.

When you lose a friend, you feel heartbroken, but this was more than just a friend. This was my dad, the person I always looked up to, the guy I could have a man-to-man talk with.

A lot of people have tried to step up for me after my dad was gone, and they have helped me so much. I don’t know what I would do without them, but it’s not enough and it never will be enough.

Loss is not just being sad, it’s nowhere near that emotion. Words can never describe the feeling. I can’t describe it on paper — no one is that good at writing — but here is what I feel. I feel as if

Blake Lutz wrote this essay on his on father’s suicide.

this is all a bad dream that I am never going to wake up from, and I will have to deal with this bad dream for the rest of my life. Some days I just want to cry and nothing will ever make the tears stop. I feel that everything I do is for

nothing, knowing that he will never be there to see it. The one question I ask myself is, why? Why did my dad have to do this? Did he just want to hurt me? Because some days I feel like that’s what he intended to do.

Someone may be sad and never show how bad it really is. I will never know what his last words were or why he did what he did. He never seemed like he was hurting; he always seemed so strong, but that’s why life can suck. You have it and then it’s gone in a flash, whether you like it or not. When you’re dead, you can never tell the people you love that you miss them and you will never know what they feel now that you’re gone. Make sure that you tell people who are close to you that you love them, because you never know if you might see them again. Even if people don’t want help, help them anyway because that could be the decision between life and death. M

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101

MEDITATION M

editation can be so simple, it can seem complicated. Busy minds often hear the word “meditation” and immediately think, “I could never just sit there and do nothing.” And yet, meditation is one of the most beneficial and inexpensive things you can do to improve your health.

The key is knowing which method works best for you.

BY BECCA EDWARDS

Becca Edwards is a wellness professional, freelance writer and owner of b.e.WELL+b.e.CREATIVE (bewellbecreative.com).

Breathing Every night before falling asleep, rather than scrolling through my mental to-do list, I practice a form of meditative breathing called “five-count breathing.” I inhale to a count of five, hold for a count of five, exhale to a count of five, and repeat five or more times. You may also want to try “counting breathing,” in which you inhale and count to one, exhale and count to two, and so on until you reach the number 10 and start again. If you Google “meditative breathing techniques” you will discover several other options and know the trick here is breathing fully (from the belly to the nostrils) and intentionally.

Moving Moving meditation includes a long list of easy exercise modalities. Try walking along Hilton Head’s 12 miles of pristine beaches, taking tai chi classes with John Kozak of Hilton Head Tai Chi, joining a mellow yoga flow class at Jiva Yoga Center or exploring the ancient art of Qigong. If it’s not too much stress on your body, go for a meditative run through a nature preserve like Pinckney Island or do laps at the Island Rec pool.

Seated The true secret to seated meditation is finding a quiet place free of distractions and a comfortable position. Not only do you want to shut off all phones and electronics that buzz, beep or blink, but also put your inquisitive cat outside — and now’s not the time to run your thumping washing machine. Rid yourself of anything that could sabotage your tranquility. As for comfort, don’t feel like you have to sit in the lotus or crossedlegged position — most people experience numbness or tingling after a minute or two in either. Try using a chair or sitting against a wall on a bolster or pillow with your legs extended.

Close your eyes and try to focus solely on a single point, like the space between your eyebrows. Let thoughts come in and out like the tide, allowing the mind to wander if need be.

Verbal or Visual To enhance your seated meditation, you can internally think a word or phrase, called a mantra, or focus on a fixed object or image. I often lead my clients through what I call the “be” meditation by asking them to inhale and think the word “be” and exhale while thinking of one word they want to become.

For example, inhale the word “be” and exhale the word “happy.” Visual aids can be anything from a photograph to a burning candle. M

10

BENEFITS OF

MEDITATION

REDUCES STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RELIEVES CHRONIC PAIN IMPROVES MENTAL FOCUS AND CLARITY PREVENTS EMOTIONAL EATING, DRINKING AND SMOKING

IMPROVES MEMORY RETENTION AND RECALL LESSENS HEART AND BRAIN PROBLEMS HELPS WITH ADD AND ADHD MANAGEMENT INCREASES ENERGY HELPS PREVENT PREMENSTRUAL AND MENOPAUSAL SYNDROME, ARTHRITIS AND FIBROMYALGIA

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A DAY OF HEALTH BEHIND THE MYSTIQUE OF HILTON HEAD HEALTH

For years, decades even, Hilton Head Health seemed to exist behind a veil of secrecy for locals. BY BARRY KAUFMAN

It

endured on the fringes of our community conscience, the setting for the latest celebrity sighting rumor mill. This starlet was here to dry out after a bender. That movie star was here to shed a few pounds.

To set the record straight, Hilton Head Health is not a rehab facility. And to call it a “fat camp” would be to woefully undersell the amazing transformations that happen within its walls.

So what is Hilton Head Health? It’s one of the premier destinations in the Southeast for wellness, a huge and growing segment of the travel industry. Visitors come from all over the world to spend a week learning healthy habits, sweating off the pounds and effecting lifelong change.

A fat camp? Hardly, especially not after a multi-million dollar expansion that saw the addition of a world-class spa and a renewed focus on healthy cuisine.

And as far as being solely the domain of wealthy vacationers and movie stars, that’s hardly accurate anymore either.

In fact, locals now have a chance to see exactly what’s going on behind the veil of secrecy that has long surrounded this amazing destination.

A day pass, now being offered to locals, gets you in to spend a day picking up a few healthy habits or maybe indulging in a little mental health day with the luxurious pampering at Indigo Spa. “We have two venues that are open to the public — the healthy kitchen and the Indigo spa, which offers a full-service spa and salon,” said Adam Martin, vice president of marketing for Hilton Head Health.

Fire up the range in the state-of-the-art test kitchen with one of the resort’s chefs and try your hand at healthy recipes while learning about the little changes you can make in the kitchen that can make a big

change in your waistline.

“We also do small group events,” Martin said. “So if you had a group of six to 12 people and wanted to do a cooking class, we do private events in there as well.”

And while health is obviously the focus, it’s not all kale and microbiotics.

Upcoming classes at press time included a wine dinner featuring vintages from around the world, live chef demonstrations and classes in preparing an entire soup-to-nuts feast for your winter party.

A day in Hilton Head Health’s kitchen not only lets you sample some succulent cuisine crafted with health in mind, it also gives you the tools you need to start creating healthy meals at home.

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HEALTH

And it’s not just the foodies among us who should be excited to finally see what’s happening at Hilton Head Health.

Beaufort County residents now enjoy a 20 percent discount at the serene Indigo Spa. “It’s a really nice perk for locals,” said Martin.

As with calling Hilton Head Health a “fat camp,” to call access to this blissful spa a “really nice perk” is to undersell it.

We can attest to the magic in the fingers of Indigo Spa’s masseuses. A litany of massage techniques, from deep tissue to aromatherapy and hot rocks, dot a sublime menu of services, and that’s just part of the appeal. As a full-service salon, Indigo Spa offers facials, beauty consultations and a full range of hair care treatments from root to tip.

You could easily spend an entire day in the salon, unwinding in the majestic relaxation room where lagoon views meet overstuffed chairs in a marriage of bucolic zen.

“If you just want to spend a day in the spa, you’re more than welcome to. You can even order food in the relaxation room if you wanted to,” added Martin.

Hilton Head Health may no longer be the domain of the glitterati and the health-conscious jet set, but for locals it’s a great way to live like one for a day.

And if that one day leads to a healthier outlook on life, all the better. (By the way, if it doesn’t, you can always extend your day and spend a week finding out what all the hype is about). M A day pass runs $350 for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. pampering. For a complete rundown of services, visit www.hhhealth.com.

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CLUB

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

T

BY JOHN HUDZINSKI | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

he Heritage Classic Foundation has unveiled a new fundraiser to benefit its scholarship program. The Tartan Club was first introduced in 1999, but was reinvented in 2013 when the foundation created the Champions Club.

Membership in the Tartan Club is open to individuals who share a desire to help others by giving to charity and who have a fondness for the game of golf.

The Tartan Club is back because prominent community leaders wanted a way to help fund the Heritage Scholar Program, according to Heritage Classic Foundation trustee and Tartan Club chairman Scott Richardson.

The Scholar Program funds college scholarships for outstanding Beaufort County high school seniors.

Seven Beaufort County seniors were named when the Scholar Program was created in 1993. They each received a four-year scholarship for their continuing education.

The foundation also awards annual scholarships to seven University of South Carolina Beaufort and Technical College of the Lowcountry students.

In 2016, seven new scholars will be named, increasing the total number of award recipients since 1993 to 274. The foundation’s goal is to increase the number of full scholarships awarded.

Throughout the years, the four-year award opportunity has increased to a range of $18,000 to $22,000 for each student. More than $3.6 million in scholarships has been awarded to Beaufort County students since the program’s inception.

All members of the Tartan Club make a yearly contribution to the Heritage Classic Foundation Scholar Program.

Members who wish to enjoy exclusive hospitality at the RBC Heritage Presented

By Boeing may purchase a tournament credential package. The credential package includes a unique Tartan Clubhouse badge

with special access to the all-new Tartan Club skybox on the 17th green, which includes upscale food and beverage options and access to the Heritage House venue on the course.

Members also receive a parking pass and an invitation to the Tartan Club Reception, along with other event invitations throughout the year.

For more information about the Tartan Club, contact Angie Taylor at the Heritage Classic Foundation office at 843-671-2448, ext. 243 or email angie@heritageclassicfoundation.com.

The RBC Heritage has also renewed its Patriot Partners program, which raises money to support military families in the Lowcountry and throughout the state.

Donations will be distributed among the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and Operation R&R. The tournament again will offer free tickets to active-duty military and their families. M

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GOLF

GET TICKETS The 2016 RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is scheduled for April 11-17 at Harbour Town Golf Links. Tickets are on sale now and are available at www.rbcheritage.com or by calling 843-671-2448. Advance tickets are currently available at a discount, with prices rising in April. The various packages include:

 CLUBHOUSE BADGE

Advance Price: $225 April Price: $245 The Clubhouse Badge gives fans weeklong grounds admittance plus entry into the Clubhouse, including access to the Links Restaurant and Pro Shop. The Clubhouse Badge also allows access to the Heritage Pavilion featuring a cash bar and two oncourse hospitality venues presented by Hargray on holes 7 and 15, boasting great golf views and food and beverage for purchase. A limited number will be sold.

 GROUNDS BADGE

Advance Price: $150 April Price: $170 The Grounds Badge provides weeklong access to the tournament grounds, The Heritage Lawn, Michelob Ultra 19th Hole and Grey Goose Lounge, open to spectators age 21 and older.

 CLUBHOUSE PRACTICE ROUND BADGE

Advance Price: $40 April Price: $60 The Clubhouse Practice Round Ticket offers Clubhouse access, good for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Enjoy Opening Ceremonies on Monday, the Pro-Ams on Monday and Wednesday, and Coca-Cola Youth Day on Tuesday. Autographs and cameras are welcome.

 DAILY GROUNDS TICKETS

Advance Price: $65 per day April Price: $85 per day The Daily Grounds Ticket provides daily access to the tournament grounds, The Heritage Lawn, Michelob Ultra 19th Hole and Grey Goose Lounge, open to spectators age 21 and older. Tickets are available for Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

 DOC’S BBQ CLUB 15

Advance Price: $375 April Price: $395 Doc’s BBQ Club 15 is a Clubhouse access ticket booklet that grants access to a private entertainment venue on the 15th green from Thursday to Sunday. Ticket holders get exceptional golf views, along with a climate-controlled dining section. The booklet includes one Clubhouse Practice Round ticket (Monday-Wednesday) and one Clubhouse ticket for each competition round (Thursday-Sunday). A daily buffet lunch is provided by Doc’s BBQ and Southern Buffet. Also included is AnheuserBusch draft beer, Clos du Bois wine and Coca-Cola beverages. Spirits are available for purchase.

 CLUBHOUSE TICKET PACK

Advance Price: $250 April Price: $270 The Clubhouse Ticket Pack is perfect for businesses looking to entertain different clients each day. The pack includes one Clubhouse Practice Round ticket (MondayWednesday) and one ticket for each competition round (Thursday-Sunday). Each ticket gives fans grounds admittance plus entry into the Clubhouse, including access to the Links Restaurant and Pro Shop. The Clubhouse Tickets also allow access to the Heritage Pavilion featuring a cash bar and two on-course hospitality venues presented

by Hargray on holes 7 and 15, boasting great golf views and food and beverage for purchase. A limited number will be sold.

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Disc golf pro Jeff Urell (yellow) gives instruction to Trevon Frazier, Eddie Gonzalez, Na'Quan Washington, Tristan Nicotra and other members of the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island at the Island Rec Center.

THE

Ultimate HOBBY

DISC GOLF POPULARITY CONTINUES TO GROW ACROSS THE LOWCOUNTRY

BY AMY COYNE BREDESON | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

If

you’re looking for a new hobby that involves the outdoors, some friendly competition and a little exercise, disc golf might be right for you. It might not be as popular or as well-known as traditional golf, but there are opportunities to play disc golf in the Lowcountry.

Disc golf is played just like traditional golf, but instead of balls, players use discs. There is no need for clubs, and there are metal baskets instead of holes. The discs look like Frisbees but have a little more weight to them.

“In ball golf, you hit your ball from the tee, get it in the hole in the least shots as possible,” disc golf pro Jeff Urell said. “And in

disc golf, you throw from the tee and you get it in the basket in the least shots as possible.”

There is even a Professional Disc Golf Association — the PDGA. People come from all over to play the game at the Sarge Disc Golf Course at Sergeant Jasper Park in Hardeeville, park administrative assistant Wendy Beard said.

Reservations are not needed.

Discs are available for sale or rent in the park office. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Make sure to sign in at the activities center before playing.

About a dozen members of the Savannah Disc Golf Club gather at 10 a.m. Sundays to

play at the park.

Club president Jon Horey said it takes about two hours to play the 18-basket Hardeeville course.

“There are three different tee pads,” Horey said. “There’s one for novice, there’s one for advanced and there’s a prolevel tee pad. So just like with

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to gton, Girls er.

SPORT

traditional golf, there’s different sets of tee depending on your skill level.”

Horey said disc golf is much less expensive than traditional golf. You can buy a $10 disc and play as much as you want.

He said the people who play disc golf are usually more laidback than traditional golfers.

Horey also said a lot of former traditional golfers end up playing disc golf because

it’s cheaper and a little easier on the body. He said people between the ages of 6 and 80 have joined them for disc golf on a Sunday morning.

“In Hardeeville, it’s cut through the woods, as are most disc golf courses,” he said. “So instead of sand traps and those kind of obstacles in traditional golf, there are trees and fairways that are cut out of the woods.”

“I first got into it for nature, to get out in the woods,” Horey said. “It’s like taking a hike through the woods but with a competitive side, and you get to throw stuff.”

While there is another disc golf course at the First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head Island, pros like Urell say it’s not a great place to play. Urell said the course is terrific for practicing but not for playing an actual round because there is a lot of cross-traffic.

But in the early spring, a new disc golf course will be open for play on Hilton Head.

First Tee of the Lowcountry executive director Mike Davis said Urell was instrumental in getting the course started and the baskets donated.

An organization that teaches golf and its inherent values to the youth of Hilton Head, Bluffton and surrounding areas, First Tee developed a junior golf course with a 300-plus-yard driving range, a six-hole short par-3 course, and a chipping and putting area adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island.

The group will add nine holes of disc golf there and about 2,700 feet, Davis said. The course will be open to the public but will be blocked off for youth at certain times of the day.

“When you’re done with the beach and done with tennis and golf, what else are you going to do besides eat and shop?”

Urell said. “It’s a neat thing to do here, and I think it will be pretty popular.” M

Y

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of

A LOOK BACK AT WHAT TURNED THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND/ BLUFFTON BUILDING INDUSTRY INTO ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING MARKETS IN THE SOUTHEAST EDITOR’S NOTE: As part of Monthly’s yearlong 30th anniversary celebration, we are highlighting 30 years of different industries in each issue. This month, we feature the homebuilding industry and how it helped shape Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and the surrounding Lowcountry.

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IN

1955, there were about 300 single-family homes on Hilton Head Island, many of them little more than shacks. A scant 60 years later, there are more than 33,000, according to the U.S. Census, with a median price of about $450,000.

So why did so many people come to what was a remote, mosquito-laden barrier island to live? And how did the homebuilding industry develop over the years to create this amazing place we call home?

The story actually goes back to 1949, when a group of lumber barons bought about 20,000 acres on the south end of the island for $60 an acre to harvest timber. One of those people was Gen. Joseph B. Fraser, father of Charles Fraser.

Charles Fraser saw the amazing opportunities on Hilton Head and came up with a concept to develop the area while protecting the island’s natural beauty. In 1956, he bought his dad’s interest in the land — about 5,000 acres — and Sea Pines was born.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

ABOVE: A July 1968 copy of The Islander wonders what the Lowcountry will look like in 1984.

RIGHT: A September 1986 issue tracks the growth explosion of North and South Forest Beach.

Fraser believed that his concept of marrying the environment with development could only work if the developer controlled every aspect of planning, from street locations to the design of individual houses, according to exploreseapines.com. In order to make sure there were very strong rules — such as a master plan and strict covenants related to construction of homes — Fraser founded the Sea Pines Company in 1956.

The goal was all about housing blending into nature.

“The colors (of homes) were to add their contribution by being like the soft tones of the faded silver from the trunks of the old palmettos and the hues of tan from the pine needle floor and bark of the forest trees surrounding them. Earth tones were added, and the palette was established and has since been maintained,” according to exploreseapines.com.

In 1958, the first deed to a lot in Sea Pines was signed.

Beachfront lots initially sold for $5,350, but success bred higher prices. A half-acre oceanfront lot in Sea Pines rose from about $5,000 in the early 1960s to $200,000 by 1973 and to more than $1 million today.

Other developments followed in the ’60s, and had — and have — strict covenants related to the design of houses to make them blend in with the natural surroundings. For instance, in 1961, the McIntosh family subdivided 360 acres of The Hilton Head Company to start Spanish Wells, according to www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov. In 1962, Port Royal Plantation was developed by The Hilton Head Company, led by Fred Hack. The Palmetto Dunes area was acquired from the Hilton Head Agricultural Company by Palmetto Dunes Corporation in 1967 for $1,000 an acre.

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GOOD TIMES By 1969, there were 868 houses and 421 apartments/condominiums constructed on Hilton Head. The headline on a September 1969 story in The Islander about the development on Hilton Head was understated when it said, “Folks, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

They were right.

In the 1970s, Shipyard Plantation and Hilton Head Plantation were being developed, and in the ’80s, Long Cove and Wexford were underway, all with covenants to blend into the environment.

Charles Fraser, along with many local architects, developed a style of architecture called "The Hilton Head Style" or the "Sea Pines Style.” It features large overhangs, screened porches, low roof slopes, earth tones and landscapes with native plants.

“The concept of developing an area with nature, as opposed to injecting development on nature, on the natural environment, I think that is the premier benefit that Charles brought not only to Hilton Head, but also to the country,” former Mayor Tom Peeples said in documents provided by the Heritage Library on Hilton Head.

Sales of homes were booming and builders were busy on the island. Then the bottom fell out of the homebuilding industry on Hilton Head.

For example, in 1987 a consent order was signed turning over the common areas and covenant control to the landowners in Port Royal. In Sea Pines, the court ordered the creation of two organizations to run Sea Pines: Sea Pines Associates, which owns resort properties, and the Community Services Associates, which owns, maintains and secures common property and roads within Sea Pines.

And thankfully, the town’s land management ordinance was strictly enforced.

“The town held fast to the principles Charles Fraser envisioned ‘to create something beautiful’ by requiring that new development exhibit a harmonious relationship with the natural environment,” according to “A Short History of Hilton Head Island.”

Hilton Head Monthly's September 1997 issue covered the Bluffton housing boom, which continued until 2007.

CHALLENGING TIMES The local homebuilding industry took a hit in the early ’70s. First came the recession of 1972-74, when construction on the island came to a screeching halt and various gated communities were losing money. Fortunately, the dark clouds didn’t last forever.

The newly incorporated Town of Hilton Head adopted a land management ordinance in the mid-’80s that governed almost every aspect of building on the island.

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HOW OLD ARE YOU?

To help celebrate our 30th anniversary, we asked notable companies to tell us how long they've been serving the Lowcountry.

N-Hance Revolutionary Wood Renewal, 3 years N-Hance is an innovative, affordable cabinet and floor renewal service that renews your wood cabinets and floors without the dust, inconvenience and noxious fumes associated with traditional refinishing methods.

Randy Jeffcoat Builders, 43 years Randy Jeffcoat Builders has been building custom homes in the Lowcountry since 1980. In the beginning, Randy and Brenda handled all phases of the company, but it has now grown to 13 employees. The company has “built our business on honesty, integrity and trust. Each client is important to us and we make every effort to build each home as if it were our own.”

Distinctive Granite & Marble, 35 years Distinctive Granite & Marble is the largest supplier, fabricator and installer of granite, marble and stone in the Lowcountry, serving both residential and commercial customers from offices on Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, Hardeeville and Savannah (Pooler).

American Wood Reface, 16 years American Wood Reface specializes in a premium solid wood refacing system — a great alternative to the mess, high cost, and prolonged disruption of tearing out and replacing cabinets.

4M Metals, 9 years 4M Metals is a supplier and fabricator of metal roofing components for the Lowcountry, Beaufort, Savannah and surrounding areas.

Using the metal industry's most up-to-date technology, its technicians can provide the highest level of service and complete a flawless execution of products for clients.

Lyle Construction , 19 years Lyle Construction prides itself on making the journey as enjoyable as the destination.

It offers personal attention, professional demeanor and results that speak for themselves. With 26 LightHouse Awards to its

credit, Lyle Construction was honored to keep the streak alive when the company received the 2015 LightHouse Award for Best Overall and 2015 LightHouse Award for Best Kitchen.

Southern Coastal Homes, 40 years Southern Coastal Homes is a quality, custom homebuilder with more than 40 years of combined homebuilding experience. It specializes in creating homes as unique and inviting as the Lowcountry itself.

Wright Home Services, 28 years Wright Home Services is a homeimprovement company dedicated to the highest quality workmanship at reasonable price. You deal directly with the owners, who personally manage the company’s staff of expert in-house craftsmen from start to finish.

“What sets us apart from the competition is our commitment to personalized and professional customer service.”

KPM Flooring, 8 years Healthy Environments, 25 years EAC, 34 years H2 Builders, 20 years Low Country Shelving Glass, 24 years Cameron & Cameron, 6 years Hahn’s Air Specalists, 6 years Audio Video Outfitters, 25 years

THE BEST OF TIMES The Lowcountry was at its zenith in the late ’90s and the early part of the new century and new construction was booming, particularly in the Bluffton area with the development of Sun City and multiple annexations.

Todd Hawk of H2 Builders, a longtime homebuilder in the Lowcountry (his company was one of the early builders in Indigo Run), originally intended to go to medical school, but after doing flooring work on a variety of houses he saw an opportunity to become a builder.

“When I was installing flooring, I saw a need for detail in homes like interior detailing and finishing,” he said. “I was all about quality because I saw what was being built and there was a need for true quality. We set ourselves apart and it took off from there.”

Other custom homebuilders jumped into the game, too.

THE RECESSION HITS Things got rocky in 2008 when the Great Recession hit. Home prices dropped dramatically and new construction was halted.

However, some builders saw the recession as an opportunity.

“We were always prepared for a rainy day, but no one knew the economy was going to fall off the cliff,” said Hawk.

He, like a few other builders, stuck to highend custom homes.

“We called it a phase of Wall Street mad money,” he said. “Homes had lost so much net worth and we played on that. We managed to hang on by keeping our subcontractors paid and being innovative. We tailored our homes to client expectations.”

Nathan Cameron, of Cameron and Cameron Custom Homes, echoed that sentiment.

“It was not good what we went through during the recession, but we never once slowed down. I stayed very busy because my goal is about relationships, my overhead was low and we stayed with the high-end, custom home building.”

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FULL CIRCLE As homebuilding picks up, particularly on Spring and Callawassie islands and in Palmetto Bluff, among other spots in Bluffton, there is some construction happening on Hilton Head Island.

For instance, Hilton Head Plantation still has lots available.

Also, “buyers are getting houses in Sea Pines, then tearing them down and rebuilding. They’re buying homes for the land,” Cameron said.

“We’re almost coming full circle.”

Other things that have changed are the architectural styles and the notion of membership fees.

According to Cameron, he’s seeing many people who want to build traditional or farmhouse-style homes rather than the Lowcountry style of most homes in the area.

“What excites me are build-

LOOKING AHEAD ing trends,” said Cameron. “The Lowcountry has been very repetitive with Lowcountry design. There’s been very little stepping out of the box. But now there are Northern and Western trends and modern influences, unlike back in the day when there was not too much stepping out of the box.

“There’s so much potential here for growth in the future,” he said. “For me, it’s the perfect place to pick on a map.”

Ken Crast, owner of Crast Custom Homes, also appreciates the new building trends in the Lowcountry.

Some of it reminds the 58-year-old upstate New York native of his work back home.

“I like doing custom houses, stuff that is different,” Crast said. “Basically, this is all I’ve ever done … I enjoy what I’m doing.”

Building homes on Hilton Head Island has always been a challenge because of stringent codes due to hurricane threats.

“I have seen the base flood elevations for a home on Hilton Head go from 12 feet above sea level to 13 feet, then 14 feet and now FEMA is considering 15 feet,” said homebuilder Randy Jeffcoat.

One way to beat the rising elevations is to build a home on the mainland, and many continue to do so.

Bluffton has one of the fastest-growing home markets in the southeast.

“Bluffton has really taken off since 2013,” Jeffcoat said.

“There are many communities to choose from here. The have the starter homes all the way up to the very highend homes in beautiful gated communities. There is a market for every buyer and a market for every builder here. I remember back in the late ’80s a lot of us builders thought the Hilton Head Island building boom might last for 15 to 20 years and then be built out. But now with the booming Bluffton area and the upcoming Jasper Port Expansion, the Hilton Head/Bluffton market will remain one of the fastest-growing areas in the South.” M

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Retreat

RIVERBEND

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AT HOME

D OKATIE HOME MAKES MOST OF NATURAL SURROUNDINGS

F

BY DEAN ROWL AND | PHOTOS BY ROB K AUFMAN

rom her screened porch, outdoor patio, manicured backyard, upstairs balcony, kitchen and most rooms at her Mediterranean-style home, Ann Bitner can see the marsh and Okatie River bend here and there.

The view is what she wanted. The view is what she got, thanks to H2 Builders in Bluffton.

After seeing a home makeover show on television featuring H2 Builders, she was impressed. She called and connected with Rush Lowther, the company’s vice president of marketing and sales, who showed her a handful of available waterfront sites.

Even though Bitner already had a home in Riverbend, she wanted the water to be part of her life — and the lives of her two dogs. With Lowther’s help, she settled on a half-acre site on Wisteria Lane with a full water vista.

“I was looking for something that was open, light and airy to showcase the view,” said Bitner, whose main residence is in Pennsylvania. “We felt that this property had the best view of the river. Once we selected the lot, we wanted to situate the house to take advantage of the view. I’m pretty much an outdoor person, so I wanted to have an outside living area.”

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AT HOME

■ Owner Ann Bitner loves to entertain, and enjoys the open floor plan and unobstructed river views from the kitchen, breakfast area, great room and Carolina room.

Lowther understood her desire to make the most of her surroundings.

“Since she’s on the marsh overlooking the Okatie River across to Berkeley Hall, we really wanted to make sure we took advantage of the outdoor area and entertainment, so we have a very nice large screened porch, an outdoor fireplace, outdoor kitchen,” Lowther said. “There are many things that make this home special. … Ann and I studied the orientation of the home to make it special with the views.”

Bitner’s kitchen is the cornerstone of the 4,100-square-foot, four bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home. She loves to entertain, and enjoys the open floor plan and unobstructed river views from the kitchen, breakfast area, great room and Carolina room.

Distinctive Granite & Marble was enlisted to secure and install the countertops once the custom-designed cabinetry by the Cabinet Gallery was in place.

Distinctive Granite provided the template design and Bitner made her selections.

The perimeter and butler’s pantry feature a dark-brown honed travertine by St. Pierre, with the two kitchen islands topped with a Marinace Gold black granite, a “quite interesting material for sure,” said Courtney Jansen of the Hilton Head office sales team.

“It’s gorgeous,” said Bitner, noting that her interior designer from Pennsylvania showed her a sample she found up north, which Distinctive Granite then matched.

Francois & Co. provided the striking range hood in the kitchen and the “very special” fireplace hearth and mantel in the great room, Bitner said.

Elsewhere, Distinctive Granite also installed a Breccia Oniciata marble vanity top and back-

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splash in the master bathroom. Guests will find oyster blue limestone vanity tops in one bathroom and Baccarat quartzite in two other bathrooms. In the utility/laundry room, 38 square feet of Taj Mahal quartzite sparkles on the counters, and Virginia Mist honed granite adorns the outdoor kitchen countertop.

“It’s all custom-made based on the homeowner’s vision of the entire house,” Jansen said.

Low Country Shelving & Glass in Bluffton supplied frameless shower doors and custom-made vanity mirrors in the bathrooms.

When Bitner isn’t using her expansive kitchen as home base for entertaining friends or sitting in the formal dining room hosting a dinner party, she’ll be comfortably sipping tea in the afternoon in the Carolina room. Her two dogs will be lounging nearby in

their beds, with nature’s wonder as the visual backdrop through floor-toceiling windows.

Open the sliding doors into the adjacent great room and original artwork abounds on the spacious walls below the 13-foot-high coffered ceiling.

“There are many things that make this home special, starting with the lot itself,” Lowther said, “and especially the features she chose as far as the finishes.” There are the low-maintenance imported travertine flooring from Turkey throughout the downstairs, tray ceilings in the master bedroom and dining room, built-out tray lighting, a freefloating bathtub, and double sinks and double vanities in the upstairs junior master suite with a walk-out balcony.

“No details were spared,” Lowther said. “She really

made it well-appointed throughout the entire house.”

And outside too.

Upon arrival, guests and friends are greeted by two stone-based lampposts with gas-lit lanterns and a vase with holly spilling over center stage in the Lowcountry Mediterranean-style courtyard. A hip-style asphalt shingled roof embraces the stucco and cultured flagstone accented exterior.

Bitner, who lives in her Riverbend home about half the year, is quick to praise H2.

“I wanted somebody to do quality work, and I knew they were a quality builder,” she said. Indeed, the residence

won LightHouse industry awards last year in its category for Best Overall Custom Home, Best Custom Home Exterior and Best Custom Home Bath. She can’t wait to return to Riverbend in May. M

VENDOR LIST

Architect: Shore Line Design Inc. Grayco Armor Building Solutions EAC Casual Living Staircrafters, Inc. Distinctive Granite H2 Builders Cabinet Gallery R & S Hardwood Floors & Tile Billy Woods Appliance Low Country Shelving & Glass Floor Fashion, Inc.

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181 BLUFFTON ROAD, SUITE C103  BLUFFTON, SC 29910 8 4 3 . 8 1 5 . 0 1 0 0  SOUTHERNCOASTALHOMES.COM

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WELCOME HOME

At Southern Coastal Homes, we strive to balance the aesthetic form and spatial function of a home, your home.

We specialize in crafting living spaces as unique, and inviting, as the Lowcountry itself.

 L I G H T H O U S E AWA R D WINNERS 2014 • 2015

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DO NOT BE CONFUSED! There is only ONE local heating and air conditioning company owned by the EPPERSON FAMILY and that is…

LOCAL OWNERS: Pat Epperson Martin Jones Patrick Epperson, Jr.

At EAC Heating & Air, our goal is to provide peace of mind along with top-quality air conditioning repair and service.

Making a wise, informed choice is more important than ever in today’s tough economy.

We want to make your decision easier with competitive pricing and exceptional service – after all, you are our friends and neighbors!

EAC Heating & Air is NOT in any way affiliated with any Service Experts companies. If you want to do business with our family-owned business, remember to look for the E.A.C. logo in our advertisements.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF SUPPORT!

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Call EAC for Details. Expires 2/29/2016

For New Customers Only. Expires 2/29/2016

Call EAC for Details. Expires 2/29/2016

www.eacair.com

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843-681-3999

EAC Heating & Air is not associated with Epperson Heating & Air.

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Randy Jeffcoat started his career in the building industry in 1973 as an expert framer in the Columbia, SC area. His father was a builder, so he had been around the industry his entire life. Randy fell in love with Hilton Head Island and decided to stay and build his business as a custom home builder. He was recognized by Hilton Head Monthly for numerous houses he built. In 1989, his first house built in Wexford was featured on Hilton Head Monthly’s cover.

Celebrating 30 years of building beautiful custom homes in

Hilton Head & Bluffton.

1980’s Award Winning

“Design – Build Program”

A Part of the Lowcountry for over 43 Years

1990’s The Experience you expect…

The Quality you deserve…

A Family you can trust…

2000’s

843-837-5133

www.RandyJeffcoatBuilders.com

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40 Persimmon St. Suite 103 • Bluffton, SC 29910 843.837.5133 • RandyJeffcoatBuilders.com

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Bringing Your Vision Home For 15 years, the certiďŹ ed professionals at Audio Video OutďŹ tters have been designing, installing, and servicing audio, video, security, and control systems throughout the Lowcountry. We invite you to visit our Experience Center on Hilton Head Island and have a simple, affordable design created for your new home.

27 Hunter Road, Suite B | Hilton Head Island, SC | 843.842.9473

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Where quality, innovation and value meet.

Lyle Construction prides itself on making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. We vow personal attention, professional demeanor and results that speak for themselves.

With 26 LightHouse Awards to its credit, Lyle Construction was honored to keep the streak alive when the company received the 2015 LightHouse Award for Best Overall and 2015 LightHouse Award for Best Kitchen.

TM

MattLyle@lyleconstruction.com

843.247.7407

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Q&A

with David Hahn of Hahn’s Air Specialists

■ When it comes to the business, what are you most proud of?

The people we employ and the success of Hahn’s as a team. We wouldn’t have the growth and success we do today without my crew or the continued support from clients and their referrals.

■ Why are you so proud to offer 24-hour emergency service?

We’ve hired an answering service that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At the end of the day, our office staff forward the phones to this answering service. When a customer calls in, it’s the answering service's responsibility to take down all the information. They then dispatch that to our on-call technician, who has 15 minutes to reply back acknowledging the call has been received. Just to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, we even get an emailed transcript of every call that came in the following morning.

We work for a lot of management/vacation companies that depend on us, so we can’t let them down. Our service technicians know on a typical check-in day, Saturdays mostly, we can expect a handful of calls. If there are more calls than anticipated, we also have a backup technician who can come to help out. It’s about customer service — and that’s what has helped grow Hahn’s.

■ How long have you been in business?

After learning the business and working for some of the largest companies in the area, I became a licensed contractor in December 2009, so we have been in business about six years.

■ What made you want to open this particular kind of business and how did it all get started?

Golf played a large part of my childhood. My grandfather and I played together weekly. At his suggestion, I attended and graduated college from a small agricultural college in Tifton, Georgia, called Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, which is world-renowned for its turf school and the grass it’s produced that we all play on today. After graduation, I started in the golf course business where I was fortunate to work at some of the area’s finest courses, but somewhere along the line it became work and I lost my passion for it. One day I looked at the classified ads and saw an ad looking for HVAC service technicians. I applied with the company and was hired for more than I was making with a college education working on the golf courses. I spent about seven years in the business before opening Hahn’s.

Here we are now, not even six years into, it with 16 employees and nine trucks on the road daily, and I haven’t looked back with the future looking brighter than ever.

■ What kinds of advantages does being family-owned and operated give your business?

There are advantages to owning the company. I can run it to my standards of high integrity, providing service excellence, quality workmanship and exceeding customer expectations. There are disadvantages, too. I have canceled several vacations and even came back early from my honeymoon. I find myself in the office most weekends getting caught up on quoting and paperwork. I am responsible for so many people and work hard earning and keeping the reputation. Most of our business comes from referrals. People have to be satisfied with our work to refer us to friends.

Whether you’re a homeowner or builder, the mechanical components of your home represent one of the largest investments, and if you use the wrong contractor for installation or repairs, it could end up costing you much more than the original price of the equipment. Improperly installed systems can cause higher utility bills and can even become a safety hazard. Don’t gamble on your investment.

Any business owner knows there is never enough time in the day, so in 10 years, I hope to relax a little more and take the family to Disney World for an uninterrupted vacation… That will help make up for the short honeymoon!

■ What sets Hahn’s Air Specialists apart from its competition?

At Hahn’s we don’t employ commissioned sales people, so there is no pressure to sell our clients equipment and/or parts that are unnecessary.

Our technicians recommend a solution tailored to each situation. We believe in the integrity of our company and stand by that value, which is why we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Our technicians and installers are EPA/NATE certified, and provide the quality of work only a few others can duplicate.

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REAL ESTATE

With inventory down, home prices going

UP

BY JEAN BECK

South Carolina Realtors release DECEMBER STATS The South Carolina Realtors Association recently released its December 2015 real estate market reports. The data show that the South Carolina housing market wrapped up the year on a positive note, with increases in both closed sales and median sales price.

New listings were up 3 percent to 5,776; pending sales decreased slightly by 1 percent to 4,156.

Inventory shrank 8 percent to 33,800.

Prices moved higher as median sales price was up more than 7 percent to $175,000. The number of days properties spent on market decreased 5 percent to 107 days, and months supply of inventory was down 19 percent to 5.5 percent — indicating that demand increased relative to supply.

“Our state faced a lot of challenges toward the end of 2015,” said Nick Kremydas, CEO of the state Realtors association, “but December turned out to be a good month for real estate.”

It is clear by the year-end real estate numbers that more people are finding the Lowcountry to be the ideal place to live, work and play.

I

nventory is at a six-month supply, down 23.1 percent from the end of 2014. Closed sales are up 13.2 percent from 2014, and the median price point is up 7.3 percent to $276,900. If the number of pending sales is any indication, 2016 is off to a great start for the housing market.

Time will tell if the recent Federal Reserve rate increase will adversely affect the housing market. Since the increase was widely anticipated in a much-improved economy, overly negative reactions are not anticipated in 2016. One word to the wise on lending: use a local lender. With today’s stringent underwriting and new closing proce-

dures, a local lender has the knowledge of the market to answer underwriters’ questions, as well as relationships with local attorneys to assist with required closing documents.

Realtors will continue to be advocates for homeownership and property rights, and will do our best to help homebuyers experience the “American dream.”

If you are buying or selling, be sure to ask if your agent is a Realtor and a member of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors. M Jean Beck is the executive vice president of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors.

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Charles Sampson (843) 681-3000 Mobile - (843) 384 -7300

Give Charles, Frances, Angela or Debbie a Call! www.CharlesSampson.com www.CSampson.com www.BridgeToHiltonHeadHomes.com

HiltonHeadIslandSouthCarolina

Frances Sampson (843) 681-3307 x 236 Mobile - (843) 384-1002

Charles@CharlesSampson.com

Frances@FrancesSampson.com

Angela Mullis (843) 681-3307 x 223 Mobile - (843) 384-7301

Debbie Cort (843) 681-3307 Mobile - (843) 384-8491

Angela@AngelaMullis.com

DebbieCort@CharterOneRealty.com

Island Resident Since 1972

81 Main Street, Suite 202, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 (843) 384-7300 or (800) 267-3285 ext. 215

231 GRANDVIEW COURT

9 IVORY GULL PLACE

15 FOX DEN COURT

OUTSTANDING VIEWS of the Intracoastal Waterway, Skull Creek Marina, Pinckney Island Refuge and magnificent sunsets in this third floor luxury condominium. Grandview is a one of a kind residential complex located in private Hilton Head Plantation. Features 3 BR, 3.5 BA, inviting foyer, open great room, an eat-in kitchen, granite counter tops, marble floors, smooth ceilings, laundry room, assigned covered parking and large storage lockers. Quality construction insures total privacy. $1,195,000

WATCH THE SUN RISE out of the Atlantic. Located in HHP’s prestigious Hickory Forest neighborhood. One owner home with great curb appeal. This 3 BR, 3 BA 2-story home is on a very private pie shaped wooded homesite and features formal Living Room and Dining Room plus a kitchen/family room combo. Large utility room, fireplace, newer roof and 2-car garage. Large screened porch with a 2nd floor deck above just off the Master Suite.

PRIVACY and lagoon view and has open space on three sides. Covered back deck. Deceiving from the outside. This home features 3 bedrooms and a den. The den could be converted to a 4th bedroom. There is a formal living room with a Savannah grey brick fireplace, a formal dining room as well as an eat-in kitchen. The second floor boasts a very large bedroom and a bath with 2 walk in attics, one of which could easily be converted to another room. $425,000

21 HIGHBUSH DRIVE

29 DEERFIELD

671 COLONIAL DRIVE

UP TO DATE floorplan with cathedral and tray ceilings, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, kitchen/family room, formal dining room and living room with fireplace and built-ins. Features 3 Bedrooms and 2.5 Baths, a 2-Car Garage, eat in kitchen and a family room that opens to the rear patio with its gas grill connection.The kitchen was redone in 2015 and master bath updated in 2011, the roof was replaced in 2006 and a new Lenox® HVAC system was installed in 2011. $408,000

ENJOY sitting on your private back deck viewing the tranquil lagoon with its fountain. 21 Highbush is a conveniently located to Spring Lake Recreation area with its tennis complex, new pavilion, the Plantation House and soon to be the new Spring Lake swimming pool. This home has 3 BR | 3 BA, a formal living and dining room, eat-in kitchen which is open to the family room. There is a side entry two-car garage and expansive wrap around deck. $418,900

NESTLED UNDER MOSS DRAPED OAKS and palmettos, just off the bend of a salt water marsh and tidal creek, 29 Deerfield offers great views and some of the best fishing in all of Hilton Head Plantation just off your back deck. The marsh is a habitat for the egret, heron and osprey. 3 bedroom or 2 and a den, 2 1/2 bath. One owner home with a two car garage, full size lot, formal LR, expansive rear deck and only a short distance to the Dolphin Head Beach park. $340,000

LOCATED in the exclusive Golf Club Community of Indigo Run. Outdoor living area with fire pit and large stone and tile hot tub. High coffered ceiling with skylights and ceiling fan. Slate counter and an island with a Lynx grill and stainless steelVent-A-Hood. 3500 sq. ft. 4 BR or 3 plus a bonus room, 4 full baths and an office home. Built in 2002 and features include hard coat stucco, high smooth ceilings, formal living room and dining room, wood and tile floors, granite tops and stainless steel appliances. $675,000

9 MCINTOSH ROAD SPANISH WELLS

107 THE BREAKERS VILLA

903 HARBOUR MASTER

108 SAW TIMBER DRIVE

OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD your dream home in exclusive Spanish Wells. This homesite is 1.25 acres and is on the second fairway of the Spanish Wells Golf Club. Shown is a 3350+ sq.ft. home with a first floor master, future bonus room, easy to be a 3-car garage, generous allowances, office, kitchen/family room, walk in pantry and more.

Outstanding view of the golf course and easy walking distance to the community pool, tennis and clubhouse. Other floor plans available. $995,000

A GREAT WAY TO OWN a get-a-way at the Hilton Head Island Beach. Just steps from the ocean and in Coligny Plaza with its dining, shopping, night life and music. The oceanfront pool complex is outstanding. There is covered parking. This 1st floor one bedroom villas which can sleep 6 is turnkey ready. All you need to do is bring your toothbrush, bathing suit and some suntan lotion. $148,500

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AN OCEAN FRONT community in the heart of Hilton Head Island, home of Van Der Meer Tennis Center, Sonesta Resort Hotel and the Shipyard Golf Club. Owners have use of the Shipyard Beach Club a bike ride away. 903 is an oversized 2 BR, 2.5 BA with two extra flex rooms, kitchen and baths have been updated. Kitchen has granite. Harbour Master pool is great and overlooks a lagoon and golf fairway. Harbour Master is a small quiet community. $215,000

LOWCOUNTRY MASTERPIECE that is nestled under moss draped oaks. Enjoy the cool breezes off the marshes of Mackay Creek and view the 11th fairway of Moss Creeks North Course. 4 BR or 3 BR and Den / 3.5 BA with a formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen and family room. Antique Heart Pine floors and crown molding, French doors to beautiful back deck. Moss Creek is just minutes from world class Hilton Head Island but is a world away. $634,000

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www.CharlesSampson.com www.CSampson.com www.BridgeToHiltonHeadHomes.com

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Frances Sampson (843) 681-3307 x 236 Mobile - (843) 384-1002

Charles@CharlesSampson.com

Frances@FrancesSampson.com

Angela Mullis (843) 681-3307 x 223 Mobile - (843) 384-7301

Debbie Cort (843) 681-3307 Mobile - (843) 384-8491

Angela@AngelaMullis.com

DebbieCort@CharterOneRealty.com

Island Resident Since 1972

81 Main Street, Suite 202, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 (843) 384-7300 or (800) 267-3285 ext. 215

HiltonHeadIslandSouthCarolina 4 HARTFORD

18 COQUINA ROAD

FANTASTIC private oversized cul-de-sac Port Royal Plantation homesite nestled under the canopy of stately moss-draped live oaks and enhanced by the mature landscaping. Incredible marsh, Fish Haul Creek & Port Royal Sound views. The panoramic view is all the way across the Sound to Lands End on St. Helena Island. Features of this home include a raised tabby foundation, formal Living Room, formal Dining Room, an oversized Master Suite, 2 guest suites, 3 full baths, 3 half baths, 3 car garage, large utility room and very special wet bar with built-in wine racks for over 100 of your best bottles of wine. The Kitchen, Family Room and Carolina Room are totally open to each other.

Every room in the house has been remodeled with new pine or stone flooring, smooth ceilings, appliances, bathroom fixtures, cabinetry and more! $1,200,000

18 COQUINA ROAD is second row ocean in Port Royal Plantation and just off the open space walkway to the beach and is nestled under stately moss draped hardwoods. Quality built in 1965 by one of Hilton Head Island’s original craftsmen. It is a home with a floor plan ahead of its time. The living space, living room, dining room and kitchen are all open and the ceiling is high. The masonry fireplace separates the living space. $590,000

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Charles Sampson (843) 681-3000 Mobile - (843) 384 -7300

Give Charles, Frances, Angela or Debbie a Call!

20 PARKSIDE DRIVE

17 SAPELO ISLAND LANE

5 POND VIEW COURT

47 ISLE OF PALMS E.

LOCATED on the desirable Park in Woodbridge, view of the gazebo. Four bedroom, three and a half bath with a salt water swimming pool.

This home features a first floor master suite, eat-in kitchen, formal living, formal dining and family room with a fireplace. Custom features are seen throughout this home including your very own outdoor kitchen. $389,000

WONDERFUL 4 BR / 2.5 BA home in Island West. This 2-story home features tile and wood flooring, smooth ceilings with ceiling fans, fireplace in the Living Room and tray ceiling in the Master Bedroom. Amenities include a junior sized Olympic swimming pool, two tennis courts, basketball court, children’s playground and a community clubhouse with meeting room, kitchen, lending library and fitness center. Location is close to Savannah, Beaufort and Hilton Head. $329,000

CONVENIENT COUNTRY LIVING, midway between Hilton Head Island, Savannah and Beaufort on approximately an acre in a non-gated community. Looking for an at-home workshop, 5 Pond View Court in Grande Oaks has an oversized garage with wrap around work benches and shelving. Elevated foundation, 3 bedroom 2 bath, fireplace, front porch and large rear deck. Very private location great for small at-home business. $240,000

WARM AND INVITING this 4BR, 2.5BA home in Palmetto Pointe offers thoughtful design and flow.

Large open floorplan with Great Room wired for surround sound, Kitchen and Dining Area make for a perfect gathering place downstairs. Smooth ceilings, 2-car garage, oversized kitchen pantry. Patio off of the dining area with a wooded view. Super location with easy access to Hilton Head, Savannah or Beaufort.

Community pool to open Spring 2016! $228,500

48 W. MORNINGSIDE DRIVE

230 WEST SQUARE

2008 HILTON HEAD CLUB VILLA

LOWCOUNTRY HOMESITES HILTON HEAD PLANTATION 7 ANGLERS POND CT. LAGOON VIEW $177,555 18 CHINA COCKLE LANE 2ND ROW SOUND $197,500 HAMPTON HALL 280 FARNSLEIGH AVE $179,000 11 HAMPSTEAD AVE $99,000

CHARMING 3 bedroom home located in new River Ridge school district. Features tile flooring and cathedral ceilings with ceiling fans.

There is an open eat-in kitchen off the great room and a garage. Sandy Pointe is located off of Buckwalter Parkway and features a community pool, playground and basketball goal. It is located near Publix shopping center and the Station 300 entertainment center. $169,900

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THE TOWNES are zoned for the new River Ridge Academy and is close to dining and shopping. Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath townhome has a great layout.This townhome features a screened porch with storage unit and lovely wooded view off the eat-in kitchen. It even has a front porch! The Townes has a community pool and sidewalks and is centrally located on Buckwalter Parkway. $142,900

RARELY ON THE MARKET, this Hilton Head Club Villa has and has great golf view and short distance to the Port Royal Sound. Just off the Dolphin Head Golf Club’s 10th green and steps from the Hilton Head Plantation leisure trail that leads to the Dolphin Head Beach Park and to Spring Lake Recreation area. Easy living, large outside storage, fireplace, open floor plan, large bedrooms and private patio space. 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths.

15 HAMPSTEAD AVE $99,000 BLUFFTON 16 BARTONS RUN DR $189,000 38 BARTONS RUN DR $185,000

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Betty Hemphill (c) 843-384-2919 www.bettyhemphill.com betty@bettyhemphill.com

Selling Island-wide for Over 25 Years with Over $250 Million Sold!

Ingrid Low

(o) 843-686-6460 (c) 843-384-7095 www.ingridlow.com ingrid@ingridlow.com

Selling Island-wide for Over 29 Years with Over $245 Million Sold!

Ann Webster

(o) 843-686-2523 (c) 843-384-5338 www.annwebster.com ann@annwebster.com

Selling Island-wide for Over 29 Years with Over $225 Million Sold!

29 HEARTHWOOD – LAWTON OAKS - Expansive wraparound marsh and water views from this 4 br/3 1/2 ba newer contemporary home in top condition with popular great room plan. High smooth ceilings, vaulted and beamed. The home is unusually light due to a generous use of windows. Two car garage and loads of under building storage. Gas frpl, heart pine floor. $995,000.

4 LAVINGTON ROAD – LONG COVE – Classic Williamsburg-style home. 4 BR/4.5 BA. First floor master. Custom built, exceptional quality. Reclaimed antique heart-pine and cherry flooring. Extensive moldings. Formal living & dining rooms. Grand foyer. Impressive array of mature plantings. MUST SEE. $899,000

32 RUDDY TURNSTONE — Beautiful ocean views from this 2nd row home. Located directly on the beach walkway, it offers 4 bedrooms, a family room, 2 screened porches, elevator, spacious gourmet kitchen and heated pool. $2,695,000

66 DUNE LANE – FOREST BEACH – Southern styles newer 5 BR/5 BA home with wide verandas taking advantage of ocean views and breezes.

Enclosed pool, billard room tiki bar area. Fun vacation home or rental property with over $100,000 in rental income. $1,595,000 fully furn.

22 DUCK HAWK — SEA PINES — Outstanding ocean front home w/ private walkway to ocean & charming sitting area steps from the ocean.

5 BR, 4.5BA, plus den/office w/brick FP. Spectacular views. Gourmet kitchen, heated pool, bamboo floors, screen porch, oversized 2-car garage w huge finished basement and so much more. MUST SEE. $5,900,000.

7 SEASIDE SPARROW — A bright 3rd row beach house with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, private heated pool, screened porch and views of Sprunt Pond. Excellent rental history and fully furnished for $1,195,000.

34 STONEY CREEK ROAD — SEA PINES — Charming Cape Cod style 3 BR/3

102 CLUB COURSE DRIVE – SEA PINES – Curb appeal, location, view, lg. size of all rooms and excellent condition makes this gracious home extra special. 3BR/3BA, approx.

3888 sq.ft. in a beautiful golf course setting. $749,900

4 PINTAIL — Charming 3 BR English cottage only steps to the beach with screened porch, private HEATED POOL, exquisite furnishings and proven rental history. $725,000 furnished.

SEA PINES – Charming all one level 2 plus den/2 bath home in Greenwood Forest midway between the beach and Harbour Town. Vaulted ceilings, fireplace, eat in kitchen, dining room.

Community pool, tennis, playground and park. $385,000

942 CUTTER COURT – SEA PINES — Premier rated 2BR, 2 BA harbour front villa in Sea Pines. Watch the sunset behind the Lighthouse from the balcony. Walk to tennis, golf, shops, boating and more! Second floor location gives you a bird’s eye view! $449,000 (f)

5 BOLEN HALL – LONG COVE CLUB – Beautiful views of the 16th hole of the Pete Dye golf course, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, cozy family room with fireplace, sun room and private pool. NEW ROOF! $549,000

1/2 BA plus den home with terrific views of sparking lagoon and down 11th fairway of Heron Point course. Easy walk to Harbor Town. Wood Floors, remodeled kitchen and baths. Screen porch and patio plus front courtyard and 2nd level balconies. $635,000 Furn

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SEA PINES REAL ESTATE AT THE BEACH CLUB 15 MIZZENMAST LANE ˜ SEA PINES

101 SHOREWOOD VILLA ˜ SOUTH FOREST BEACH

153A HARBOURWOOD VILLA ˜ SEA PINES

An elegant house with distinctive architectural detail. Lofted LR ceiling/antique wooden beams, ÿ replace, multiple views of the 10th, 16th, 17th, 18th Harbour Town Golf Links/Glistening lagoons, Calibogue Sound, Sunsets. A Show-House for the discriminating buyer. A ÿ ne value. Must see.

MLS #340619 $3,475,000 UF

Very upscale, ocean front villa on ground level. Walk out patio door to beach or pool. No stairs! Three bedrooms, three full baths. Great bedroom separation. Open ° oor plan with beautiful furniture and appliances. Gently used as second home and would be a great rental villa.

MLS #338313 $948,000

Highly updated and located on 9th tee of Harbour Town Links.

Open kitchen, dining, living space. Large tile throughout. Beautiful granite and appliances in remodeled kitchen. This is a very bright and sunny location in the complex. New roof Jan. 2016 MLS #342211 $455,000

Diann Wilkinson 843.671.2587

Mary Pracht 843.298.1715

16 ST. ANDREWS PLACE ˜ SEA PINES

10 SPINNAKER COURT ˜ SEA PINES

111 WINDSOR PLACE ˜ PALMETTO DUNES

Open ° oor plan, house was remodeled in 2007. House has 14’ elevation, many features, heart pine ° oors, granite throughout, marble, new appliances, carpet and spray foam insulation. Located on 8th fairway of Harbour Town Golf Links. Very open ° oor plan.

Sea Pines ARB has granted conceptual approval for pool.

MLS #332853 $1,495,000

Overlooking 18th fairway of Harbour Town Golf Course, Calibogue Sound and Daufuskie Island. Completely renovated 2014 with two master bedrooms, two separate living rooms and kitchens. 5th ° oor is an outdoor patio with hot tub, TV, refrigerator, and half bath with amazing views. 4 bedrooms have golf water views.

MLS #340618 $3,275,000

1st ° oor Oceanfront Villa, 1 Br 2 Ba with views overlooking ocean and pool courtyard area. Nice large balcony, end unit with over 1000 sq ft. New kitchen appliances as of 2013. This is one of the bigger one bedrooms o˛ ered.

MLS #341253 $459,000

Zach Patterson 843.338.8621

Je° Hall 843.384.7941

10 BALLYBUNION WAY ˜ COLLETON RIVER

11 BEACHSIDE DRIVE ˜ SEA PINES

22 RUDDY TURNSTONE ˜ SEA PINES

Located on private cul-de-sac street overlooking 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th holes of the award winning Pete Dye Signature Course. Granite throughout, hardwood ° oors, crown molding, cathedral ceilings, gourmet kitchen and bar, many closets, bonus room.

Purchaser to pay $15,000 Colleton River initiation fee.

MLS #337772 $799,000

Updated 4 bedroom, 4 bath high ceilings Beach home with views to the ocean and easy walk to the beach. Granite kitchen with stainless appliances. Large screen porch plus 2 car carport with much storage and community pool. Walk to South Beach o˛ ers plus South Beach Racquet Club. Projected gross rentals of $50,000.

MLS #339813 $1,039,000

Beautifully furnished high ceiling 4 Bedroom, 4.5 Bath 4th row ocean home with big pool and sundeck. Perfect ° oor plan with living room, big eat-in kitchen with Family room and separate laundry. Large 2 car garage, mature landscaping and ideal 2nd home or grate rental. Easy to show!

MLS #339967 $1,599,000

Je° Hall 843.384.7941

Tommy Austin 843.384.7033

Bill Buryk 843.422.4431

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T R U S T E D

Mary Pracht 843.298.1715

Je° Hall 843.384.7941

R E A L T O R S

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LIVEATHILTONHEAD .COM

376 MT. PELIA ROAD ˜ PALMETTO BLUFF

548 OCEAN COURSE VILLAS ˜ SEA PINES

1405 SEA CREST ˜ NORTH FOREST BEACH

Southern Charm in a casual-elegant package! 4 Br, 4 ½ Bath custom-built (over 4000 s.f.) three stories, spacious elevator. Round, covered porches, 2 ÿ replaces, 2 car garage, brick-walled back patio with private pool & so much more! Palmetto Blu° at its ÿ nest!

MLS #341819 $2,450,000

You can walk to the beach, the award winning Plantation Golf Club AND the gorgeous Sea Pines Beach Club. Updated inside, this villa & location make for the perfect seaside getaway. A popular short term rental spot due to the easy access to top shelf amenities, this villa is also great for a private hideaway or permanent residence.

Rarely on the market, Ocean Course Villas are hard to duplicate.

MLS #339178 $499,000

Absolutely the best 2 bedroom, 2 bath Sea Crest ever o° ered with upgrades galore. New bathrooms, HVAC, furnishings, appliances, water heater, kitchen cabinets and granite counters. Smooth ceilings. Rental potential up to $60,000 VRBO with proven return clientele. Amazing, big, ocean views!

MLS #338178 $759,000

Barbra Finer 843.384.7314

Lorri Lewis 843.422.6448

Rob Reichel 843.384.6789

22 N. LIVE OAK ˜ SEA PINES

86 S. SEA PINES DRIVE ˜ SEA PINES

28 WATERVIEW COURT ˜ HAMPTON LAKE

GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - This home has sweeping lagoon and golf vistas, private pool, and a great ˛ oor plan with high ceilings - all within walking distance to the beach and the beautiful new Sea Pines Beach Club and Plantation Golf Club. Great primary or second home, but we have a rental projection of $75,000!

MLS #339321 $1,499,000

JUST STEPS TO THE BEACH, This 3 BR, 2.5 BA home with 2 car garage has been enjoyed as a primary home, but the possibilities are great for this 7th row home.

MLS #342339 $619,000

Custom features include 6 ft extended master suite with bay window, all electrical outlets in baseboards for unobtrusive look. Surround sound inside and outside including electronics. PA flagstone patio with fire pit and seating area at lake front ,outdoor lighting installed. Custom cherry kitchen with granite counter tops, gas range and upgraded appliances.

Custom window treatments. Absolute move in condition.

MLS #341693 $474,900

Wendy Corbitt 843.816.2672

Wendy Corbitt 843.816.2672

Sandy Roberts 843.422.1987

2003 TURTLE LANE ˜ SEA PINES ˜ OCEANFRONT

24 OLD MILITARY ROAD ˜ SEA PINES

50 BAYNARD COVE ROAD ˜ SEA PINES

Beautifully updated 3 BR, 3 BA Oceanfront “end unit”. The largest 3br ˛ oor plan in private Turtle Lane. Fresh Beach decor invites you in. Tile ˛ oors, custom wall treatments, fabulous Mbath and guest baths, Light and bright white and stainless kitchen. Total privacy with Oceanfront Views. 2 Pools on premises, underground parking. Short walk to new Beach Club, Plantation Club and other new amenities and restaurants.

Classic Sea Pines one-level home: 3 BR, 2 BA, ÿ replace, 2 car garage on JUMBO lot, backing up to 7 Acre forest preserve. Prestigious Baynard Park with boat dock, playground. Walk to BEACH! MLS #342216 $610,000

MLS #341311 $1,749,500 f

Sweeping views of the 4th and 5th fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links. Single level home totally and lovingly renovated with alder wood ˛ oors, custom trim and exceptional built-ins throughout.

Living room with reclaimed wood-beamed ceiling and ÿ replace, centered-island kitchen 3 BRs, 2.5 B, o˝ ce and hobby room.

MLS #342152 $964,000

Pete Rebish 843.290.0998

Nancy Love 843.290.3069

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Nancy Cunningham 843.683.4580

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INDIGO RUN

INDIGO RUN

INDIGO RUN

INDIGO RUN

PANORAMIC Lagoon|Golf view.

Courtyard Pool. 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Guest house + Kitchenette. 3 Car Garage, temperature controlled area (additional 6 cars or living space). $899,000

STATELY AND ELEGANT Home overlooking a beautiful salt water Pool | Spa + the 13th Fairway in the private Golf Club. 5 Bedrooms, 5 Baths + 2 Half Baths. Carolina Room. $899,000

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL NEW “Homes by Marshside” Covered Porch overlooking 16th Fairway in The Golf Club. $799,000

FORMER MCNAIR BUILDERS home overlooking 16th Fairway of the Golf Club. 4 Bedroom, 4.5 Bath home.

Separate Cabana overlooks courtyard Pool. $769,000

INDIGO RUN

INDIGO RUN

INDIGO RUN

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

PROBABLY THE BEST Lagoon|Golf location in The Golf Club. Views from almost every room. 4 Bedrooms or 3 plus a Study + 4 Full Baths. Chef’s Kitchen. $729,000

BRAND NEW HOME built by “Homes by Marshside”. Sought after Great Room floorplan. 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths plus Study. Double fairway view. $719,000

PERFECT ISLAND Lifestyle Home. Built around a screened Lanai Courtyard with a free form Pool|Spa. Step into your own private enclave with 4 BR’s or 3 BR’s + a Cabana + 4 full BA’s. Lagoon View. $649,000

ELEGANT Traditional Home. Short walk to the waterfront. Quality abounds in this home from the moment you enter the grand Foyer with a winding staircase. 4 BR’s or 3 BR’s + a Study; 4.5 Baths. Perfect Condition. $599,000

INDIGO RUN

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

INDIGO RUN

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

SPACIOUS 4 BR, 4 BA Villa overlooking the 18th Fairway of The Golf Course. Over 3000 Sq. Ft. of pure luxury. Oversized 2 Car Garage. Private elevator. ONLY Berwick Green Villa on the Market! $575,000

SPACIOUS family home with 5 BR’s + Bonus Room over the garage, 4 Full BA’s.

Great Room, updated Kitchen with SS appliances. Backs up to Conservancy and on a quiet street. Covered Back Porch. $550,000

BEAUTIFUL Home overlooking Swimming Pool and 5th Fairway of Golden Bear. 3 BR’s and 3.5 BA’s + an Office. Living Room with coffered ceilings. Kitchen/Breakfast/Family Room. Retractable awning. $539,000

IMMACULATE HOME overlooking the 14th green in the rear and the lagoon and 11th green of Oyster Reef in the front. 3 Bedrooms and 2.5 Baths. $489,000

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

HOMESITES

HILTON HEAD PLANTATION 62 Bear Creek Drive. . . . $275,000 INDIGO RUN 72 River Club Drive . . . . $199,000

DESIGNER DECORATED! Desirable 1st floor 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath beautifully furnished villa. Overlooking the sunsets on the Intracoastal Waterway and Skull Creek. $425,000

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VIEWS across golf course to Dolphin Head Beach. Remodeled with beautiful upgrades! 2nd home. 3 Bedrooms and 2 Baths. $399,000

GREAT HOUSE overlooking the 15th Fairway of Oyster Reef Golf Course. 3 Bedrooms and 3 Full Baths. Updated Kitchen and much more! $349,000

HAMPTON HALL 11 Sherbrooke Avenue . . . .$99,000 6 Normandy Circle . . . . .$75,000

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PALMETTO HALL

26 Lenox Lane – Beautiful panoramic lagoon & golf views await you! Custom built 3BR, 3.5BA plus office w/spacious open floor plan, soaring ceilings & walls of windows and extra-large patio to maximize the best views in Palmetto Hall. Open kitchen w/new granite & tile backsplash, G.E. profile SS appliances & gas range. 2-car garage w/ oversized golf cart garage. $534,500

PALMETTO DUNES

32 Off Shore – Beach Goers and Golfer’s Delight!!

Well maintained and decorated in a beach motif.

Open floor plan with walls of windows & glass to take advantage of the beautiful outdoor setting.

Huge back deck for viewing, grilling & chilling after a day at the beach or golf. Strong rentals with lots of personal use. $519,000

PALMETTO DUNES

219 Turnberry – Spectacular panoramic water and golf views from the only 2BR, 2BA loft end unit on the market. Beautifully furnished, super bright & open floorplan, soaring ceilings, all new kitchen with new cabinetry, granite countertops, Updated bathrooms, new appliances, new water heater, & roof. Closed cell insulation under flooring & attic and the list goes on! $399,500

PALMETTO DUNES

625 Queens Grant – Super spacious 2 BR/2 BA villa with great golf views! Just steps to the beach, Robert Trent Jones Golf Club House, practice facility, tennis center, general store, restaurants & more. Totally renovated kitchen & baths w/granite & top of the line cabinetry, all smooth ceilings throughout. Never rented and in pristine move in condition. $339,000

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Life is Short!

Hilton Head Plantation: 8 Elmwood Court

What a gorgeous home the minute you pull up, it screams curb appeal! As you enter the court yard area and enter this one level home w/vaulted ceilings and plenty of natural light. It gets better, large Carolina room that leads to an amazing outdoor living area! You will not believe the back patio, yard and view! This is a custom home w/only two owners, the details are endless w/crown moldings, plenty of closet space, completely renovated master bathroom and more! Even better, this home has a craft room/office/ music room! All for $489,000.

Moss Creek Plantation: 8 Wax Myrtle Court S E M O H S A L L I

A very rare “Spinnaker model”, the larger 3 bedroom floor plan with unbelievable deep-water views of the Intracoastal water way. This top floor, end unit has a spectacular screened in porch and views from nearly every room. Governors Harbor Villas are in demand and once you see a sunset here you will know why! Great open floor plan layout, great bedroom separation and even a fireplace. This will not last long at $395,000.

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Hilton Head Plantation: 18 Village of Skull Creek W

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One of the prime views on the south end of the Island! This is a 4th floor 2 bedroom town home with DEEP WATER VIEWS! Where can you find this location, this view and for under $200K. Great primary residence, second home or long term rental. Palmetto Bay Marina Villas are located close to restaurants, shopping, water sports and parks.

Brand new carpet, freshly painted and just waiting for you to unpack! Great price at $189,000.

Great value on this fully furnished townhome in Shipyard Plantation w/all new windows, doors, stucco, back deck, HVAC (2015) and even a new master bathroom! Well cared for by the owners for more than 20 years, this home has been loved and it shows! Waterford’s are a hidden gem w/fitness, pool, tennis courts, meeting area and bike storage! Don’t miss Shipyard Plantation Beach Lockers and Private beach access too...Offered for sale for $234,000.

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Off Plantation: 412C Palmetto Bay Marina Village

Shipyard Plantation: 2E Waterford Villas

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CURB APPEAL to the 10th degree! When you pull up to this home you will be wowed from the start. One of the largest lots in Shipyard with gorgeous golf views, this really is a special home. The owners have put so much love in this home, it’s absolutely spectacular! The Low Country porch, the huge back deck with outdoor living space, even an elevator! Wood beam ceilings, gorgeous wood flooring, custom built-ins, granite counters, the list goes on and on, even a $60K paver driveway! Offered for sale for $799,000.

Sometimes you come across a special property that you see once and then use the AWESOME word to describe it! Well, here it is, OCEAN VIEWS from this 1st floor completely renovated villa. Upgrades include: All new flooring, all new bathroom w/granite counter top, new vanity, new fixtures, totally new kitchen with custom cabinets, granite counter top w/eat in bar area, all new custom paint, smooth ceilings and more! This is being offered fully furnished for $229,000.

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Shipyard Plantation: 1 Narragansett Lane

South Forest Beach: 120 Ocean Dunes Villas

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If you are looking for the quintessential Low Country lifestyle home, you have found it! Curb appeal the minute you pull up to the driveway. The open floor plan living area w/Gorgeous wood flooring throughout and high ceilings, plenty of windows allowing for great natural light.

Custom kitchen w/granite counters, gas range and plenty of cabinet space. Great bedroom separation offers privacy for your guests or kids. Fireplace, deck, screened in porch and AWESOME lagoon views. Even a new HVAC in 2013.

Offered for sale for $499,000.

Live where you want to live!

Sea Pines Plantation: 382 Briarwood Villas

Fantastic one level 2 bedroom + Den / Office and even a Carolina Room! Plenty of natural light throughout with vaulted ceilings and even your very own private courtyard. 1st floor master bedroom/ large master bathroom and plenty of closet/ storage space. Great condition and lightly used as a second home, this villa will not last. Gorgeous tile flooring in the main living area with wood flooring in the beautiful eat in kitchen. Golf views on the currently renovated and improved Heron golf course. Offered for $419,000.

Rick is awesome! My husband and I have had the pleasure to work with Rick on the purchases of our last two homes. He sold both homes in record breaking time so we could purchase our new homes without delays. We could not have asked for anything better. — The Baxter’s Hilton Head Island 2015

VACANT LAND: Hilton Head Plantation: 5 Oyster Rake Lane - $125,000 Shipyard Plantation: 6 Port Au Spain Road - $229,000

Rick Saba

Carolina Realty Group (843) 683-4701 • Rick@TheBestAddressinTown.com www.RickSaba.com 2009 Realtor® of the Year Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors® 2005 President Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors®

Follow me on the web and on Facebook & Twitter.

Would you like to get AUTO ALERTS on ANY COMMUNITY OR VILLA COMPLEX? Please call (843) 683-4701 or email me today: Rick@TheBestAddressinTown.com

Happy Searching! www.SearchRealEstateHiltonHead.com

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WHAT TO DO

FEB. 1-28: HILTON HEAD ISLAND GULLAH CELEBRATION ... FEB. 1: INT

FEB. 1-28 FEATURED EVENTS

The 20th annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration: Experience 15 events during the month of February. Back by popular demand are the Arts Ob We People: Art Exhibition and Sale, Arts, Crafts and Food Expo, Sweetheart Ball featuring Deas Guyz and Gullah Music Series. Additional highlights of the 20th annual Gullah Celebration include the introduction of the Community Wellness Initiative that kicks off at the Fish Haul Creek 5K Run/Walk and the national observation of Freedom Day. Details about all events are available at gullahcelebration.com or by calling 843-255-7303.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR FEB. 1

Internet Safety Seminar “Parenting in the Digital Age”: 6:30- 8:30 p.m., Cross Schools, Bluffton. Joe Ryan, education coordinator for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Office of the Attorney General, will present “Parenting in the Digital Age, Social Media and Internet Safety.” The event is free and open to the public. For additional information, please call 843-706-2000, go to www.crossschools. org or find Cross Schools on Facebook.

Spiritual Songs: A History of the Negro Spiritual: 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1, Hilton Head Library. Join Dr. Naima Johnston-Bush for this engaging interactive multimedia performance that explores the spiritual as a historical American musical art form. Tracing the history of this powerful expression of faith, Johnston-Bush leads the audience from the 1600s to the present illustrating the impact and influence of African-American spiritual music in all musical genres today. Free. For more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Priscilla Pomazal at 843-2556524 or priscillap@bcgov.net.

FEB. 2

The Elucidative Book Club “From the Good Mountain: How Guttenberg Changed the World”: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, Bluffton Library. What was made of rags and bones, soot and seeds? What took

a mountain to make? For the answer, travel back to the 15th century — to a time when books were made by hand and a man named Johannes Gutenberg invented a way to print books with movable type.

Free. For more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Armistead Reasoner at 843-2556512 or areasoner@bcgov.net.

FEB. 3

The Uniqueness of Port Royal Sound: 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, Coastal Discovery Museum.

Kristen Marshall Mattson, an environmental educator with the LowCountry Institute and Spring Island Trust, explains how the Port Royal Sound stands apart from other estuaries on the East Coast. It is a submerged coastline created by rising sea level, exceptionally high tides, and unique geology. The result is a vast expanse of salt marsh, and a critical marine habitat.

The program is $7 per person and reservations are required by calling 843-689-6767, ext. 223.

Palmetto Plant Eaters Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry, 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton. Join the local and free Palmetto Plant Eaters (a PlantPure Nation Pod group) meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. This community group is for learning why and how to adopt a plantbased diet based on information presented in the film PlantPure Nation. It’s a free way to learn how

to improve your health, help the environment, and practice compassion. Please contact Carla Golden with any questions at carla@carlagoldenwellness. com. Sign up at PlantPurePods.com.

FEB. 5

“Lit From Within”: A One Person Show by Mel Rea: Opening reception is from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at Muse Gallery Hilton Head, 65 Arrow Road. “Lit From Within” is an ensemble of work including encaustics, paper, and canvas that highlights the sensuous impact of working with “light” from within each piece. The show will be available to view from 9 a.m.4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and by appointment on Saturdays through the month of February. For more information, call 843-715-4330, or visit www. amusegallery.com.

FEB. 6

Humane Society Fundraiser: 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, Captain Woody’s (south end). Support the Hilton Head Humane Association while enjoying fresh oysters and live music. For more information or to make a donation, call 843-681-8686.

FEB. 7

Auditions for “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina.

The arts center’s spring musical production, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” will be directed by Casey Colgan,

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. FEB. 1: INTERNET SAFETY SEMINAR ... FEB. well known to the arts center for directing “Mary Poppins” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” among many others. Rehearsals begin on April 12, and performances run from May 4-29. Actors must be available for all rehearsals and performances.

Auditions are by appointment only. For instructions and additional information, visit www.artshhi.com/auditions. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact Gail Ragland at 843-686-3945 ext. 202 or GRagland@ artshhi.com.

stranded in a boarding house discover a murderer in their midst. The curious suspects include newlyweds, a spinster, an architect, a retired Army major, a jurist, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift and a policeman, who no sooner arrives when someone is killed. Tickets are $47 adults, $33 for children; save $10 Feb. 9-11.

To purchase tickets, call the box office at 843-842-ARTS or go to https://tickets. artshhi.com. Visit www.artshhi.com for more information

FEB. 8-14

FEB. 10

UltimateBridge Event: Monday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 14, Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa. The Hilton Head Island Bridge Club will host the Low Country Classic Mid-Atlantic Bridge Conference Regional Tournament, the second largest regional bridge tournament in the United States. Attracting some of the highest-caliber players in the country, the tournament is a popular draw for snowbirds and locals. The tournament is $11 for each session, but no pre-registration is required. For more information about the event, call Ann at 843-384-0786. To see the Hilton Head Island Bridge Club’s daily game schedule and winter class schedule, go to www.bridgewebs.com/hiltonheadisland.

FEB. 8

Auditions for “Million Dollar Quartet”: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. “Million Dollar Quartet,” the arts center’s summer musical production, will be directed by Russ Treyz, well known to the arts center for directing “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Buddy Holly,” “Ring of Fire” and many more. Rehearsals begin June 1, and performances run from June 21-July 30.

Actors must be available for all rehearsals and performances. Auditions are by appointment only. For instructions and additional information visit www.artshhi. com/auditions. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact Gail Ragland at 843-686-3945 ext. 202 or GRagland@artshhi.com.

FEB. 9-28

Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 9-28, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Skeletons rattle in Agatha Christie’s masterful whodunit when a group of strangers

Hilton Head Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America: Wed. Feb. 10, venue to be announced. The MOAA Spouses meet on the second Wednesday of the month.

For more information, contact Jayne Danoff at 843-681-7090 or jayne.danoff@gmail.com.

Responsible Oystering in the Lowcountry: 3 p.m. Wednesday, Coastal Discovery Museum. Andrew Carmines, a native of the Lowcountry and developer of the environmentally positive Shell Ring Oyster Company, will discuss in detail the process of producing single oysters from the brood stock, to the hatchery, to the upweller, and ultimately to the consumer. Cost is $7 per person for ages 12 and older, and reservations are required by calling 843-689-6767 ext. 223. There is limited seating available for this program.

Star Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, Coastal Discovery Museum. The program will start inside the Discovery House with a brief introduction on stars and objects of interest in the night sky before heading outside. The second half of the program is held outdoors observing the constellations. Attendance is limited and reservations are required. Cost is $12 for adult and $7 for children ages 6-12. Please call the Coastal Discovery Museum to register at 843-689-6767, ext. 223 or go to coastaldiscovery.org.

FEB. 12

Debby Graves Organ Concert: noon, Friday, Feb. 12, St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church. Enjoy Debby Graves’ performance of pieces by J. S. Bach, Gabriel Faure, Maria-Theresia V. Paradis and two contemporary composers; David Lasky and Michael Burkhardt.

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WHAT TO DO

FEB. 12: ARTISTS WORKSHOP WITH AMIRI FARRIS ... FEB. 12: COLOR

Artist goes ‘Upwardly Wall-Bile’

BY CAROLYN MALES

It

is often 3 a.m. when metal sculptor Mark Larkin’s creativity first kicks into gear.

Images — sights, sounds, swirls of color, fragments of information — whirl around his head until they re-assemble into an idea that will begin taking shape in his Malarkey Art Studio a few hours later. Indeed, the creations that spin out from Larkin’s “blender brain,” as he calls it, range from 8-foot-tall twin egrets with pipe wings to impossibly twisted curves of bright metal in a circadian slipknot to pop art clouds with an egg yolk splat atop it.

But the latest creations to spring from his fevered brow are a twist on his hero Alexander Calder’s mobiles and stabiles —colorful shapes of metal that dangle from wires, floating, twirling and dipping in the air.

Mobiles, the Hilton Head artist explains, hang down from ceilings while stabiles’ moving parts are anchored from a base in the floor.

What if, Larkin asked in the wee hours one morning, the

mobiles and stabiles were suspended from a vertical instead of a horizontal surface? Soon he was out in his big Bluffton studio, tinkering, cutting, welding and balancing pieces of powdercoated steel from wall-mounted sculptures in an homage to Calder. On a whim, he tossed in a dash of Joan Miró’s surrealistic shapes and Roy Lichtenstein’s Ben-Day dots. And voila, WallBiles were born.

Despite the lofty, fine-art pedigree of the idea, Larkin’s designs all have their roots in his own observant eye and his whimsical take on the everyday.

A palm tree in his backyard inspired a piece called “Best Fronds Forever,” a play on the slang term “BFF” — “best friends forever.” Larkin took a photo of a frond, welded it onto steel and added an articulating green branch from which he suspended yellow mobiles and purple and red balls. For “Zap!,” Larkin drew inspiration from the cloudstudded sky he observed from the deck of a Caribbean cruise ship. He punctuated his cloud centerpiece with a lightning

bolt that comes “right out of the blue,” scattering puffs of swaying clouds in its wake.

A lawnmower kicked up a rock, splintering his front window. He snapped a photo and that pattern of cracked glass became the basis for “Shatter,” with its trail of white metal shards. And then there’s “Bullwinkle,” a riff on the old cartoon character, its colorful discs twirling around an antler, and the mysteriously named “Djibouti Donuts” with its concentric circles, peephole arm plus both a mobile and stabile of primarycolored shapes.

All this kinesthetic whimsy springs from the imagination of a former funeral director from Nebraska.

A man who, by his own account, spent 35 years in art exile, embalming bodies, comforting the grieving, and arranging the logistics of burial. He hadn’t planned the move into the family mortuary business.

He’d earned a fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and he’d followed his mentor, sculptor Buz Buchanan, to the Manchester College of Art and Design in England for a post-graduate program.

But back in the states, practicality grabbed hold, yanking him away from his dreams. He married, had children and later divorced while partnering in a photography processing business. When his father, reeling from the death of Larkin’s uncle, a co-owner in the Larkin Funeral

Home, asked his son to step in as partner, he agreed. Larkin’s sculpting skills were soon put to work using wax to restore features ravaged by disease or damaged in accidents.

Fast-forward to 2007. Now retired and free to indulge his creative passion, Larkin and his wife, Audrey, moved to Hilton Head Island, where he resurrected his art career. His 13-foot-tall “Sandy Roads,” inspired by trails leading to the beach, its long arms moving independently in the breeze, was selected for the 2013 Public Art Exhibition at the Coastal Discovery Museum and may soon find a permanent home near Coligny Beach.

Meanwhile, there’s that intriguing sinuous pipe-winged double egret, “Egret-gious,” taking shape amid the scraps of steel in his Malarkey Art studio. Who knows, given Larkin’s improv inclinations, how this odd bird will “fly?”

“Upwardly Wall-Bile” is on display Feb. 1 through March 5 at the Society of Bluffton Artists Gallery, 6 Church St., Bluffton.

A wine-and-cheese reception will be 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7.

For the inside scoop on these playful creations, join Mark Larkin for his Art Talk at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m.

For more information, call 843757-6586 or go to www.sobagallery.com. M

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12: COLOR AND SIP WITH CANDAC

Graves will also be playing an Italian harpsichord in the Neapolitan style. Gloria LaCoe and Christie Leininger will be playing hand bells with organ accompaniment.

The concert is free and will be approximately 45 minutes long. For more information, please call the church at 843.785.4711 or visit www.hhiumc.com.

FEB. 12

Artist Workshop with Amiri Farris: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12, Coastal Discovery Museum. The workshop accompanies the art exhibit “Stories from the Lowcountry – Gullah-Geechee Life” with Judy Mooney and Amiri Farris, who bring the rich colorful heritage of the Gullah and Geechee people to life through their sculptures and paintings. $25 per person. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 843-6896767 ext. 223.

Color and Sip with Candace Lovely: 3-5 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12, The French Bakery, Shelter Cove. Sip Strawberry Mimosas and nibble Valentine Pastries while coloring your own valentine with Candace Lovely. $35 per person. Seating is limited, please call 843342-5420 to RSVP.

FEB. 13

2016 Publix Hilton Head Island Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K: 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb.13, Jarvis Creek Park. Join us at the 2016 Hilton Head Island Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K. A Boston Marathon qualifier, the race features a scenic certified course that takes participants through two parks and over the Broad Creek.

A percentage of proceeds will benefit several Hilton Head Island-area charities and organizations, including Hilton Head Rotary Club, the Hilton Head Island High School Athletic Department, Hilton Head High ROTC, Hilton Head Christian Academy and others. To register or for more information, call Bear Foot Sports at 843-757-8520 or visit http://www.bearfootsports. com/heels.htm.

Couples Fusing Glass: Sushi Plates with Greg Rawls: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, Beaufort Arts Council, 2127 Boundary Street, Beaufort. This is an introductory class on the basics of glass fusing, taught by awardwinning glass artist Greg Rawls. Create a beautiful and functional 8-inch square sushi dish to be enjoyed for years. All students must wear closed toe shoes. Safety equipment and glass-cutting tools will be supplied.

Cost is $125. For more information, visit www.beaufortartscouncil.org or call 843-379-2787.

A Taste of Gullah: noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Enjoy an afternoon of storytelling, Lowcountry food, basket weaving, gospel music and crafts, all Gullah-style at this free community festival. Native island heritage and culture get the star treatment at this celebration of all things Gullah. The event features lip-smacking Lowcountry specialties. Fun for all ages. Free. For information, visit www.artshhi.com.

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WHAT TO DO

FEB. 14: VALENTINE’S DAY BENEF

Humane Society Valentine’s Day Fundraiser at Shelter Cove: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, Shelter Cove Community Park. Bring the entire family (2-legged and 4-legged!) for a silent auction, bake sale, cake walk, dog and cat adoptions, Valentine’s Day photos with your pet, music, food and entertainment! For more information or to make a donation, call 843-681-8686.

FEB. 14

Valentine’s Day: Sunday, Feb. 14, Sea Pines Resort. Enjoy a romantic evening with that special someone at Links, an American Grill, located in the Harbour Town Clubhouse; Live Oak, located in the Plantation Golf Club; or Coast, located in the Sea Pines Beach Club. Reservations recommended at Links, 843-363-8380; Live Oak, 843-842-1441; and Coast, 843-842-1888.

Valentine’s Day Benefit for The Junior Jazz Foundation: 1-3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 14, The Jazz Corner.

Enjoy an intimate Valentine’s Day afternoon featuring Reggie Deas & The Martin Lesch Band Honoring the Music of Nat King Cole. Tickets include Chef Wade’s 3-Course Valentine’s Day tasting menu with wine pairings. $100 per person. All proceeds to benefit The Junior Jazz Foundation. For reservations, call The Jazz Corner at 843-842-8620.

visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Priscilla Pomazal at 843-2556524 or priscillap@bcgov.net.

Retina Specialist to Speak at Bloom at Belfair: 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, Bloom at Belfair, 60 Oak Forest Road, Bluffton. Dr. Peter Liggett, a Hilton Head retina specialist, will conduct an educational seminar on macular degeneration.

Light refreshments will be served.

The public is invited to attend the seminar. To register for the seminar, please visit www.hhmr.org/bloomseminar. ”Caregiving and Brain Health”: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Seabrook on Hilton Head Island.

The AAUW of HHI/BA will be hosting a meeting featuring guest speaker Karen Doughtie, assistant director of Memory Matters, who will be joined by publisher Lydia Inglett and Lynne Cope HummelI, editor of “Meet Me Where I Am,” an uplifting collection of creative expression by local residents caring for loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Autographed books will be on sale. Refreshments will be served.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Come join and bring a friend.

For more information contact, Sandy Stern at 843-342-4834.

FEB. 17

FEB. 15

The Bluffton Book Club – “Invention of Wings”: 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17, Bluffton Library. Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world. Free, for more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Armistead Reasoner at 843255-6512 or areasoner@bcgov.net.

FEB. 16

The Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, Hampton Hall Clubhouse. Enjoy author and playwright Wanda Lane’s humorous, insightful perspective on life, and inspirational guest speaker Sherisse Forrest on the topic: “How to Have an Extreme Makeover: Life Edition.”

Romance Novel Drawing: Monday, Feb. 15, Beaufort Library. Will Cupid’s arrow strike you with love and luck this Valentine’s Day? Enter our drawing to find out! Guess the number of candies in the jar, and the person with the closest guess will win a huge stack of romance novels.

Enter at the Reference Desk. Free. For more information, contact Ann Cox at 843-255-6458.

Senior Center Book Club: 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 16, Hilton Head Library. Coordinated with Island Rec Center’s senior programs, the Senior Book Club is led by a librarian. This month, the discussion will be about “Did You Ever Have a Family” by Bill Clegg. Free, for more information, 164 hiltonheadmonthly.com

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DAY BENEFIT FOR THE JUNIOR JAZZ FOUND

May River Theatre presents

‘Smoke on the Mountain’

BY BARBARA CLARK of the show have earned rave reviews. “Totally beguiling ... foot stomping soul food,” says The New York Times. “Wildly funny.... So wellwritten that I found myself laughing, rooting for the family, and singing along and clapping with the rest of the audience,” says The Trentonian. The May River Theatre Co. performance is sure to live up to the hype.

The local production of “Smoke” is directed by May River Theatre veteran Scott Grooms. Beth Corry, another May River Theatre vet, is the music director, and her husband, Jeff, playing bass, will be on stage throughout the show.

Playing the patriarch of the Sanders family is newcomer Dennis Congrove, joined by another newcomer, Cyndi Shedd, plays his wife. Rounding out the Sanders clan are newcomers Matt Davey as Dennis and David Southern as Burl Sanders, as well as theater vets Rebecca Donaldson as June and Christa Fortney as Denise. Mark Erickson, last seen in “No Time for Sergeants” is Pastor Oglethorpe.

Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Reservations may be made by calling the box office at 843-815-3581 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, starting Feb. 8. M

PHOTO BY KELLIE MCCANN

T

he May River Theatre Co. has had a successful 201516 season. Almost every performance of its fall show, “You Haven’t Changed a Bit (and Other Lies!),” sold out, and the group hopes it final show of the season will draw even bigger crowds. “Smoke on the Mountain” will close the group’s 14th season and, based on the material and the talented cast, it promises to be another box office hit.

“Smoke” opens Feb. 19 and runs through March 6 at Ulmer Auditorium in Bluffton’s Town Hall. The play was conceived

by Alan Bailey and written by Connie Ray. Musical arrangements are by Mike Craver and Mark Hardwick. The musical is being presented with permission from Samuel French and is reported to be one of the most produced shows worldwide.

Set in North Carolina in 1938, “Smoke on the Mountain” follows the Sanders Family Singers as they perform at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church’s “Saturday Night Gospel Sing.”

Meet a talented family — quirky, flawed and uniquely entertaining. Become the congregation and enjoy more than 30 classic gospel tunes that bring us all back to a much simpler time.

Laugh at their crazy antics. Sing along and witness a heartwarming conclusion that reminds us all what it means to be a family Previous national performances

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FEB. 18: Public Forum ... Feb. 18: Har

Cost for the lunch is $25, with prepaid reservations due by Feb. 10. For additional information, call Carol at 843705-7604.

“Swift Currents” with author David Grim: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, Beaufort Library. Local author David Grim will discuss his novel about the end of slavery in Beaufort during the Civil War. Free. For more information, contact Ann Cox at 843-255-6458 or visit beaufortcountylibrary.org.

Town Hall Meeting: 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17, Hilton Head Island High School. The second of six spring town hall meetings for parents and community members to meet with Superintendent Jeff Moss will be held at Hilton Head Island High School’s auditorium. Moss holds informal town hall meetings twice each year with parents and citizens in each of the district’s “clusters” of schools. For more information, contact the Beaufort County School District at 843-322-2306.

FEB. 18

Public Forum: “Corridor of ShameHighway to Hope.”: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at Congregation Beth Yam, 4501 Meeting St. The public is invited to meet with a panel of informed experts with various roles impacting the future of education in our state.

With the goal of informing, educating, and sharing ideas regarding the educational system in rural South Carolina with the emphasis on Jasper County.

Co-sponsored by the Social Action Committee of Congregation Beth Yam and the Lowcountry Hunger Coalition.

Attendees are invited to donate school supplies. For more information, contact Congregation Beth Yam at 843 689 2178.

Palmetto Quilt Guild Meeting “Every Quilt tells a Story”: 1 p.m. Hilton Head Beach & Tennis Resort, 40 Folly Field Road. Guest speaker Michele Scott, prolific writer, fabric designer and quilter extraordinaire, will discuss “Every Quilt tells a Story.” Guests are welcome for a $5 visitor fee. Come early and socialize. For more information, visit www. palmettoquiltguild.org.

FEB. 21

Harmonies for Habitat (An afternoon

at The Jazz Corner): 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, The Jazz Corner in The Village of Wexford on Hilton Head Island.

Support Habitat for Humanity at this event featuring Jazz Corner headliner Martin Lesch and his band. Tickets are $150 per person and include three tapas, unlimited wine and live jazz.

Sponsored by All Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island. For more information, call 843-689-9495 or email gallisings@gmail.com.

FEB. 22

Henry Cho: 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. “I’m an Asian with a Southern accent … that’s funny right there,” says the Knoxville comedian, whose screen credits include NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” CBS’s “The Late Show,” “Arsenio Hall Show” and more. Charmingly hilarious. Clean comedy, fun for the whole family. Tickets are $45. For tickets, call the box office at 843-842-ARTS or go https://tickets. artshhi.com. Visit www.artshhi.com for more information.

FEB. 23

Camera Club of Hilton Head Island Monthly Meeting: 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 2 Matthews Court. Brian Khoury, a Charleston-based photographer, captures mood and reflection through images that allow viewers to reinterpret their relationship with the natural world. His work celebrates nature from his own backyard; the wildlife, sand and seascapes on the shores and marshes of Sullivans and Little Oak islands. Free; newcomers and guests welcome! Visit www.cchhi.net.

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head Evening Speakers Series: 5:15-7:15 p.m., Country Club of Hilton Head, Hilton Head Plantation. The WACHH 2016 Evening Speakers Series will focus on domestic and international security issues. Hilton Head residents retired Vice Admiral John Shkor, retired Vice Admiral Albert Calland III, retired Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy and Dr. Doyle Evans will provide their unique perspective on historical and current challenges. The $80 subscription fee includes hors d’oeuvres, coffee, soft drinks and a cash wine bar. To subscribe, call 843384-6758, email wachhi@gmail.com or visit www.wachh.org.

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Feb. 18: Harmonies for Habitat ... FEB. 22: Hen

PTR hosting international

Tennis Symposium

It

is Professional Tennis Registry’s 40th anniversary, and the group is going to celebrate all year, but especially at its premier event on Hilton Head Island in February.

The PTR International Tennis Symposium will be held at Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island, with the PTR Championships, where tennis coaches display their competitive playing skills, at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center.

Registered attendees will enjoy the Parade of Nations Flag Ceremony (more than 50 countries were represented in 2015), tennis trade show, awards banquet, general membership meeting, HEAD Dinner Casino Night and Retro Dance Party, and more!

While plenty of fun will be had, education is the main focus at the symposium. Hundreds of coaches travel from around the globe to participate and learn from more than 40 speakers who make up the prestigious faculty.

Among them are Grand Slam Champion Mary Pierce; Carl Maes, Kim Clijsters’ former coach; Tennis Australia High Performance Coach Emma Doyle; leading tennis strategist Craig O’Shannessey; and the co-founders of the Human

Performance Institute, Dr. Jack Groppel and Dr. Jim Loehr. In addition to symposium presentations, there are more than a dozen professional development courses covering a wide range of topics. Tennis teaching professionals return to their home courts armed with new skills that will enhance their students’ learning experience and, hopefully, make them better players.

Billie Jean King will be inaugurated to the PTR Hall of Fame, joining fellow inductees Arthur Ashe, Loehr, Jim Verdieck and Dennis Van der Meer. Additional awards will be presented during the week, including Touring Coach of the Year to Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and the PTR/TIA Commitment to the Industry Award to Tennis Congress founder P.J. Simmons.

The international flavor of the symposium is represented in the awards with recipients from Argentina, Australia, China, France, Italy and Nepal.

PTR was founded 40 years ago

by Van der Meer. Today, there are more than 15,000 members in 125 countries. The organization, headquartered on Hilton Head Island, has satellite offices around the world. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and serving tennis teachers and coaches in order to grow the game.

The cost to register for the event is $497 for PTR members and $547 for non-members.

Official badges are required for entry. To register, call PTR at 843785-7244. M February 2016 167

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WHAT TO DO

FEB. 25: STONO RIVER REBELLION ... FEB. 25: SEA TURTLES, BY LA

International Piano Competition bringing top musicians to Hilton Head

T

he Hilton Head International Piano Competition, one of the leading international piano competitions held in the United States, will present its 21st annual competition on Hilton Head, March 7-14.

Only a few locations in the United States host piano competitions at this level of excellence and international renown.

Because of the quality of this event, the HHIPC attracts national and international visitors, artists and judges. This year, 20 competitors ages 18 to 30 were selected from a record number of 180 applicants from 36 countries.

Competitors hail from Australia, Canada, China, the Republic of Georgia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Ukraine and the United States.

The Competition Jury is being led this year by Douglas Humpherys, chairman of the Piano Department of the Eastman School of Music and artistic director of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition. The remainder of the jury is made up of six other internationally renowned judges from top conservatories from the United States, Russia, Germany, Korea and China.

The greater Hilton Head community has always embraced this event. For 20 years, members of the Hilton Head community have volunteered to be host families to competitors and provide them a comfortable home, a practice piano, home-cooked meals, sightseeing tours, and transportation to all the numerous events the competitors participate in, and are thrilled to do it. Many of the host families have followed

IF YOU GO

ROUND I Monday, March 7 & Tuesday, March 8 2-4:35 p.m. & 7-9:35 p.m.

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina ROUND II Wednesday, March 9 & Thursday, March 10 2-5 p.m. & 7-10 p.m.

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina ROUND III (Semifinals) Saturday, March 12 2-5 p.m. & 7-10 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church MASTER CLASSES & LECTURE/RECITAL Monday, March 14 Classes will be held from 9-11:25 a.m. and 1:45-4:10 p.m.; the lecture and recital will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

All Saints Episcopal Church ROUND IV (Finals and Awards Ceremony) Monday, March 14 Doors open at 6 p.m., performances begin at 7 p.m.

Three finalists perform with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, with a reception hosted by The League of the HHSO following the concert.

First Presbyterian Church

the lives of their competitors and keep in touch, not to mention visit, with them for years afterwards.

The pianists will perform two preliminary rounds at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on March 7-10 and a semi-final round at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, March 12.

The finals will feature three finalists performing with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Morris Russell at 7 p.m. Monday, March 14 at First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Head.

Jury members will provide Master Classes for the competitors throughout the day on Monday, March 14 at All Saints Episcopal Church. Humpherys will provide a lecture and recital

The Hilton Head International Piano Competition’s 2014 winner, Shen Lu.

2015 winner Elliott Wu.

that day as well.

The competitors will vie for $34,000 in cash prizes, a recording on the Steinway & Sons label, concert performances including a performance at Carnegie Hall, and a return engagement as soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

This six-day event is open to the public. Join audience members from around the world and hear for yourself the amazing talent of these extraordinary pianists. The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra is the proud sponsor

of this event.

New this year, for those who cannot make the trip to Hilton Head, the first three Rounds of the competition will be livestreamed on the competition website at www.hhipc.org.

Tickets will be available at the door as well on the website, www.hhipc.org.

Times vary between Rounds I and II, with afternoon and evening performances, and can be found on the website or by calling the box office at 843-8422055. M

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LES, BY LAND, BY SEA ... FEB. 28: THE WEST Town Hall Meeting: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, Whale Branch Early College High School. The third of six spring town hall meetings for parents and community members to meet with Superintendent Jeff Moss will be held at Whale Branch Early College High School’s auditorium. Moss holds informal town hall meetings twice each year with parents and citizens in each of the district’s clusters of schools. For more information, contact the Beaufort County School District at 843-322-2306.

FEB. 25

Stono River Rebellion: South Carolina’s Largest Slave Uprising: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, Bluffton Library.

This presentation describes the events which sparked the revolt, the brutal struggle that ensued, and the aftermath of the rebellion and its impact on the future of slavery in South Carolina. Free, for more information visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Armistead Reasoner at 843-255-6512 or areasoner@bcgov.net.

Sea Turtles, By Land and By Sea: 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, Coastal Discovery Museum. Dr. Al Segars, a veterinarian with the S.C. Department of Natural Resource with a long career studying the endangered and threatened species on our coast, will present “Sea Turtles, By Land and By Sea” — a close look at the offshore sea turtle research conducted by the SCDNR. An update on sea turtle monitoring in South Carolina and the south Atlantic, looking at both beach nesting efforts as well as offshore research efforts by SCDNR will be presented. Cost is $7 per person and reservations are required by calling 843-689-6767, ext. 223.

FEB. 25-27

The Kenya Mission Network Annual Gathering: Thursday- Saturday, Feb 25-27, First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island. This year’s theme is “Building Cross-Cultural Mission Skills.”

The public is invited to attend the worship service at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway.

Registration is required for participation in the full three-day conference at a cost of $100 per person. www.kenyanetwork.org/Kenya_Network/Events.html.

FEB. 26

Spring Gardening and Sustainable Lawn Care with Laura Rose: 3 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 26, Bluffton Library. Laura will discuss the importance of soil testing, timing, plant choices and responsible irrigation practices. Free. For more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary. org or contact Armistead Reasoner at 843-255-6512 or areasoner@bcgov.net.

FEB. 27

Essential Oil Basics: 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, Hilton Head Library. Join certified aromatherapist Lin Drechsler for a class that introduces the basics of essential oils. Learn background, common oils and their properties, safe application with carriers, diffusing and the answers to your questions. Free. For more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary.org or contact Lauren Read at 843-255-6531 or lread@bcgov.net.

FEB. 27

National Big Read Wrap-Up: Saturday, Feb. 27, at Ruby Lee’s, 46 Old Wild Horse Road. Tickets are $45 per person, taxes not included, and include dinner and a book by Zora Neale Hurtson.

Reservations are required by phone 843-681-7829, use code MPP.

FEB. 28

Humane Society Adoption Event at Petco: 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, Petco, 1015 Fording Island Road, Bluffton.

Meet your new best friend at the Humane Society’s adoption event. For more information or to make a donation, call 843-681-8686.

The Westin Presents The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra Cabaret: 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, the Grand Ballroom at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Enjoy an evening of music and dancing to the Great American Songbook from The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra 18 Piece Big Band, hosted by 1130 The Island’s Monty Jett.

Tickets purchased before Feb. 15 are $40 per person; after Feb. 15, tickets are $50. Tickets include two drink tickets for beer, wine or cocktails and valet parking. A portion of proceeds from each ticket is donated to the Junior Jazz Foundation. Visit www.WestinHHI.com for tickets and additional information, or call the front desk at 843-681-4000.

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WHAT TO DO

Feb. 29-March 5: Hilton Head Isla

Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest announces events

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he ninth annual Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest is gearing up for another fun-filled event.

This year’s festival begins Monday, Feb. 29, with events running through Saturday, March 5. In addition to the festival’s signature events, festivalgoers will enjoy several new experiences at a variety of locations around the island.

Locals and visitors of all ages are invited to participate in a number of culinary events throughout the week, each featuring live music.

From boat rides to a quintessential Lowcountry oyster roast, the events are designed to showcase the bounty of local waters and give guests an opportunity to enjoy several picturesque island settings.

The festival is hosted by the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation, which was established by the Carmines family, owners of Hudson’s Seafood House On the Docks, in memory of their son, David.

The festival is the foundation’s main fundraiser. The festival, presented by Hilton Head Monthly and ForkAndFun.com, benefits the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center, the Island Recreation Scholarship Fund and the American Cancer Society. In 2015, the festival raised more than $80,000 for its charitable partners, and this year, organizers hope to raise even more.

“Every year, we’re overwhelmed by the community’s support,” says foundation leader Andrew Carmines. “Not only is

the fest a great way to bring family and friends together to enjoy incredible local food, drinks, and live music, but 100 percent of our proceeds go directly to our nonprofit partners, a feat we’re extremely proud of.”

Go to hiltonheadseafoodfest. com for more information. Here is the full schedule of festival events: Lowcountry Seafood Experience on the Water When: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily, Monday, Feb. 29-Saturday, March 5 Where: Hudson’s Seafood House On the Docks, 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Tickets: $50, 843-304-2878 Chef Collaboration Dinner with Lucky Rooster + Hudson’s When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 Where: Hudson’s Seafood House On the Docks, 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Tickets: $75 (does not include tax and gratuity), 843-681-2772 Beefsteak All You Can Eat When: 5 p.m. Thursday, March 3 Where: Sunset Landing at Skull Creek Boathouse, 397 Squire Pope Road Tickets: $125 (does not include tax and gratuity), 843-681-3663 Sunset Lowcountry Boil Cruise on the Tammy Jane When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3 Where: Hudson’s Seafood House On the Docks, 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Tickets: $50, 843-384-7833 Oyster Roast + Pig Picking When: 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 4 Where: Honey Horn Plantation, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Tickets: $35 in advance, $45 at the door; 843-681-2772 Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 5 Where: Shelter Cove Community Park, 39 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Tickets: $6, free for kids younger than 10. M

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n Head Island Seafood Fest ... Feb. 13: Children

Children’s Relief Fund plans

Valentine’s Dance

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or 25 years, the Children’s Relief Fund, founded by Rose and Frank Fotia, has been helping the Lowcountry’s specialneeds children and their families through programs and financial support.

“It’s all about filling gaps,” said Rose Fotia of the nonprofit’s philosophy. “We try to identify needs and then find solutions.”

The Fotias, along with son Frank, have been doing just that since they realized there were limited local resources for their special-needs son, Gregory.

Today, these solutions have been increasingly found in the form of collaborations with local businesses and organizations.

“This is an incredible community with many big-hearted people,” Rose Fotia said. “We ask, and they say ‘yes’.”

Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bluffton is one such organization.

At the start of the school year, a group of volunteers and Hilton Head Island High School principal Amanda O’Nan wanted to make dance a part of the special education program at Hilton Head High.

Sandro Virag, owner of Fred Astaire, quickly agreed to donate his time, his dance studio and financial support to offer 20 to 25 students a monthly dance session.

Children’s Relief Fund underwrote the cost of the transportation.

The students have dubbed themselves the “Dancing Seahawks.”

Another recent collaboration with the Island Rec Center has led to a new after-school program for a group of special-needs students.

The challenge of creating opportunities for special-needs young adults who are aging out

of existing programs has been taken on by two area educators and a group of dedicated volunteers. “Pockets Full of Sunshine” is now offering an opportunity to create gift items from recycled materials that will ultimately lead to vocational and employment opportunities.

All of these initiatives bring additional fundraising challenges to the Children’s Relief Fund.

But Rose Fotia has never backed away from a challenge that would benefit area students, and she’s not about to start now.

“We have wonderful support that grows as our community grows. Unfortunately, our needs are greater than ever, with a higher incidence of autism and children who are aging out of existing programs,” she said.

The annual Valentine’s Dinner Dance has brought a spotlight to the Children’s Relief Fund for 20 years.

This year’s event will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island. The evening will include roses, chocolates, hors d’oeuvres, wine, a sit-down dinner, professional New York dinner show entertainment, music, dancing, and live and silent auctions.

Tickets are $125 per person.

The Children’s Relief Fund helps area families purchase much-needed equipment such as wheelchairs, prosthetics and medical supplies. It also offers financial support for physical, occupational, behavioral and speech therapies, as well as life-enriching programs.

For information, tickets or personal or corporate donations/ sponsorships, call Rose Fotia at 843-681-7668 or 843-342-5267, or email rfotia333@yahoo.com. M February 2016 171

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WHAT TO DO

FEB. 20: HILTON HEAD PREPARATORY SCHOOL’S 50TH ANNIVERSAR

Fifty years of community, academic excellence celebrated at Hilton Head Prep

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ince 1965, Hilton Head Preparatory School has educated the minds and sharpened the skills of island children. During real estate boom years and development, and in times of local stagnation, while the market righted itself, Prep always maintained admission, and attendance from junior kindergarten through 12th grade, with aplomb and successful graduation rates.

For a private school in a growing, evolving, retirement and resort community, survival under such circumstances is no small feat. Especially, when one considers all the cultural and demographic changes that have occurred across the country during the ensuing years, spanning decades of political and civic unrest, and technological leaps and bounds that change the way children learn; from writing essays longhand, with No. 2 pencils (doggedly editing each page with a red pen, Strunk & White manual at the ready), and then transposing them to an electric typewriter, with accompanying White-Out next to the ribbon replacement cartridge, to currentday, touchscreen-one-draft-autocorrected-and-done dissertations on anything you can look up, by using a new verb added to the English/American lexicon, Google.

To survive such advances, a private school must have not just strong, steadily flowing capital, but also loyal alumni to buoy it.

Many of Prep’s students returned home after college and opened businesses, or started their own careers and families, right back here in the Lowcountry.

BY CARMEN HAWKINS DECECCO

DETAILS

What: Hilton Head Preparatory School’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee When: 6 p.m., Saturday, February 20, Where: Joseph B. Fraser, Jr. Field House More information: Call Nadine Mooers at 843-715-8536 or email nmooers@hhprep.org.

Back in the early days, while families from as far away as, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Alabama and Colorado, were re-settling in the Lowcountry, children from such far-flung states, were getting to know each other, learning about one another’s holiday traditions, and making fun of strange American accents, regional oral histories, and establishing their own, new Hilton Head lingo, an eclectic melting pot of vernacular idioms. Graduates from both May River and Sea Pines Academies, during the late 1960s, ’70s and ’80s continued their educational trajectories to such academic institutions around the country as Duke University, Mount Holyoke College, Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Davidson College, to name a few flakes off the tip of the academic iceberg that became, in 1965, Hilton Head Prep.

There were times, in those early years, when Hilton Head teenagers likened themselves to the Island of Misfit Toys, a quaint oasis in the classic “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” movie cartoon, where broken or unfinished toys were sent during Christmas while Santa was delivering all

Hilton Head Prep students spell out the number 50 on the school’s football field.

Hilton Head Prep students in the courtyard.

The varsity cheerleading team.

the new, completed gifts down the chimneys. Looking back, we were an odd lot, thrown together by our parents, who for many and different reasons wanted to settle and build a community on Hilton Head of their own; also trusting one another’s judgment blindly, and from all points of the country.

What a wonderful experiment is Hilton Head Prep. A thriving, growing school that adapts itself and its students to whatever climate the wind brings from east, west, north and points south.

Maybe I’m partial.

I attended Sea Pines Academy, and have had the good fortune to return to live here on Hilton Head and see how the school has grown, evolved, and embraced the new world order by adding programs like the

sports academies, and a boarding school facility.

For those of you new to the island, or if you are an alumni of Hilton Head Prep, please mark your calendars for the school’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Celebration on Feb. 20 in the Joseph B Fraser Field House on Prep’s campus. Details can be found at www.hhprep.org, or by calling 843-671-2286. This will surely be worth your while.

Otherwise, we’ll have to wonder about what happened to you after graduation, and, after a few glasses of wine, come up with a creative conclusion about your whereabouts, based on what you said the last time we saw you, which could be anyone’s estimation. I wouldn’t chance it. I plan to be there, and I hope to see all of you there, too. M

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843.681.2772

HHISEAFOODFEST.COM

2016 Hilton Head Island

PRESENTED BY Fork & Fun and Hilton Head Monthly SUPPORTING SPONSORS The Island Packet Beacon Insurance Group Michael Hrizuk Photos

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Hudson’s TD Bank Hilton Head Exterminators

SERG Group Service Brewing Menage et Trois

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SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT

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residential candidate Donald Trump gave a campaign speech at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Many stood in line for hours to attend the event.

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he Berkeley Hall Charitable Foundation recognized representatives from 16 local non-profit organizations. The BHCF board is back row, from left: Don Ryder, Bill Reddersen, Ernest Bush, Randy Wright. Front row: Pat Valentino and Paulette Maehara Henderson.

PHOTOS BY RON DENNY

PHOTOS BY JESSICA MAPLES

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historical collection of vintage, rare, and one-ofa-kind Gretsch guitars is now on display at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Local residents Fred Gretsch and wife Dinah were joined by family, friends, and legendary musicians at a special preview and reception hosted by the museum.

Spartina 449 presented a $5,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Pictured (from left) Kay Stanley, founder/owner; Riley O’Connell, national sales manager; Megan Hurtig, jewelry design director; and Curt Seymour, owner.

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GET IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTO BY ARNO DIMMLING

To submit photos from your event or party, email editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com or you can share them directly from your Facebook page by liking us on Facebook. All photos courtesy those pictured unless otherwise noted.

PHOTO BY WILLIE J RICE

Bluffton photographer Lloyd Wainscott (back row, tuxedo) was selected as a Diamond Photographer at the recent Grand Imaging Awards in Nashville, Tenn. The annual event is hosted each year by the Professional Photographers of America.

During the holiday season the Sea Island Friends celebrated their 20th anniversary at their annual black tie dinner dance held at the Sonesta Hotel on Hilton Head Island.

Keep the Wreath green is a community awareness project that began Thanksgiving Day and ended January 1. An 8 foot wreath stood at Station 3 with all green lights and whenever there was a preventable fire during the above time frame, a bulb turned red.

Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) is pleased to announce that the USTA Southern Section presented PTR $18,000 Wheelchair Championships with its Wheelchair Tennis Excellence Award.

Pet of the Month: Ryder is a laid back fellow who knows to shake hands. He greets folks with a smile and a wagging tail. Ryder is 3 years old and weighs 51 pounds. Ryder came to us when his owner could no longer care for him. Ryder is neutered, microchipped, up to date on his vaccines, and his adoption comes with 6 months of heartworm prevention medication. Ryder would make a great companion for any household!

Charter One Realty donated $15,000 to Osprey Village.

The donation helps to support the building of the “Neighborhood with a Purpose” development to help individuals with disabilities and their families.

Parker’s opened a new convenience store featuring a hot deli at U.S. 278 and 165 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Pictured from left; Heather Habersham, Priscilla Martinez, Serina Collins, Jordan Meeks and Rhonda Smith.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island hosted the 2016 Hope & Opportunity luncheon at the Westin on Hilton Head Island. This year’s event honored long-time club supporters and champions of children Margie and Stan Smith and Bluffton Police Chief Joseph Reynolds. From left to right; Bluffton Boys & Girls Club Teen Director Keisha Glover, Hilton Head Island Club Director Kim Likins, Bluffton Board President Connie Bird, Margie and Stan Smith, Bluffton Police Chief Joey Reynolds and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry Board President Marv Lich.

Lynn Robertson made it to the 73rd Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The ceremony honored the best in film and American television of 2015 and was produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Signe Gardo, owner of Hilton Head Island’s Signe’s Bakery, posted this wedding cake on her Facebook page. The image went viral and was viewed by 17,808 people within 10 days of being posted.

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HHSO 2015-16 | HHSO.ORG MARY M. BRIGGS President & CEO

ORCHESTRA PLAYING WITH LOVE & PASSION February and March offer opportunities for you to enjoy the wonderful music that John Morris Russell and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra bring to our community.

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tarting with Valentine's Day . . . music of love and passion is in the air with our Valentine Romance concert. Orchestral favorites from Tchaikovsky’s "Romeo and Juliet," as well as "Clair de Lune," "West Side Story" and "Carousel" create a program that will be familiar and fun. Violin soloist and Youth Concerto Competition winner Melody Sim makes her professional debut in a perfect concert for family and friends.

March brings the International Piano Competition from March 7 to 14.

Twenty international competitors from 10 countries will compete before seven international judges in two preliminary rounds held at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina; then the field of six semifinalists will compete in the third round at First Presbyterian Church. On Monday, March 14, three finalists will each perform a concerto with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Morris Russell.

New this year is PianoPalooza! As a kickoff event for the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, four local artists and two high school art classes have volunteered to paint pianos in any style they design for outdoor display during the month of February.

Look for six pianos painted by local artists on display through Hilton Head and Bluffton starting February 13 and continuing until March 1 when they join the Art League for its “Music as Art” show at its gallery at the Arts Center from March 1 through March 26. Come visit all the artists who provided the beautiful artwork for our symphony program book.

See you at the Symphony!

Mary M. Briggs President & CEO

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PIANOPALOOZA ALEXANDRA SHARMA AND MARK MAUTE

COMES TO HILTON HEAD

They did it in Tel Aviv, they did it in New York and China, then in Santa Monica and Toronto and Omaha... and now in our own backyard!

PianoPalooza!

Painted pianos are popping up throughout the community! Five local artists and two high school art classes have volunteered to paint pianos in a design of their choice for outdoor display during the month of February. This fun event is a prelude to the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (HHIPC) scheduled for March 7 through 14.

The pianos were donated to the HHIPC and delivered to the artists who are now busy working on their designs. The volunteer artists are Amiri Farris, David Noyes, Vickie Jourdan, Alexandra Sharma and Mark Maute, and the Bluffton High School and Hilton Head Island High School art departments.

These whimsically painted pianos will be on display outdoors beginning February 13 with a kickoff from noon to 3 p.m. at six different locations in Hilton Head and Bluffton. Everyone is welcome to come out and “play” the pianos at Coligny Plaza, The Village at Wexford, Shelter Cove Towne Centre, Main Street, Tanger Outlet 1 and Corner Perk in downtown Bluffton at Calhoun Street Promenade.

“They’re works of art;" said Mona Huff, director of the HHIPC, “they’re fun and playful, a great way to merge art and music in the community."

They will remain on display until March 1, when they will DAVID NOYES be moved to The Art League of Hilton Head to celebrate “Music as Art” for the month of March.

They will be available for auction – a celebration of music and visual art.

For further information or tickets to the competition, call 843-842-2055. The HHIPC is sponsored by the Hilton Head VICKIE JOURDAN Symphony Orchestra.

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Welcomes You To...

PianoPalooza!

COME SEE AND “PLAY” THESE ARTIST DESIGNED PIANOS FROM FEB. 13 - MAR. 1 AT: Coligny Plaza Shelter Cove Towne Centre Village At Wexford Tanger Outlet #1 (Hilton Head) Corner Perk (Bluffton Promenade) Pink House Gallery (Main Street)

HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION MARCH 7–14, 2016 For more information on the competition, please visit our website at www.hhipc.org or call 843-842-5880.

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DINING

WHAT’S

COOKIN’

A HEAPING HELPING OF LOCAL RESTAURANT NEWS

The Beet Generation This is the beet generation. No, not the Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg generation of celebrating everything bohemian and rejecting conformity, but the tasty and healthy veggie that, once it wins you over, will become a staple in your kitchen.

Beets have made their way back into fashion and are appearing on menus in their raw form — shaved paper-thin, carpaccio-style, and grated, as in tartar, although roasting, steaming, and pickling beets offer off-the-chart, earthy flavors. Looking for color and crunch in a salad? Beets will fit the bill, but also trending are beet butter, beet pancakes, beet burgers, beet chips, beet pasta and, yes, beet sorbet, beet cheesecake and dark chocolate beet brownies. Chase it all down with beet lemonade or a beet martini. Beet oil, a combination of extra-virgin olive oil and pureed cooked beets, livens up grain salads and roasted veggies, and beet powder is available to naturally color everything from pasta to frosting.

All we are saying is to give beets a chance. M

Beet Salad

with Mimosa Vinaigrette Recipe by Carrie Hirsch | Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

JUST BEET IT CHEF TIP ON BEETS KERRI REICK | WATUSI One of our favorite special additions at Watusi is our seared steak salad with fresh roasted beets. The sirloin is seared medium rare and served over baby arugula with roasted red beets, shaved red onion, crumbled blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and a light vinaigrette dressing. Roasting transforms beets from something crunchy into something silky and tender, and brings out the beet’s sweeter side. Once roasted, they will keep refrigerated for up to a week.

4 slices thick-cut bacon 3 red, golden or striped beets with beet greens ½ onion, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste (1) 16-ounce package spring mix or favorite salad greens 4 ounces Gorgonzola crumbles Mimosa Vinaigrette: 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 1 orange, juiced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper In a medium skillet, fry bacon until crispy and then transfer to paper towels, reserving the hot bacon drippings in the skillet.

Rinse, pat dry and finely chop beet greens, then sauté with diced onion over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Chop bacon and stir into greens. Trim off ends of beets. Using a vegetable peeler, peel beets, and then make paper-thin slices.

Arrange salad greens in a shallow salad bowl, then arrange the beet slices in a circular tower in the center. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola crumbles. To make the Mimosa Vinaigrette, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, Champagne vinegar, mustard, orange juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss just before serving. Optional: Garnish with orange peel stars. To make stars, peel orange and use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out stars.

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DINING

Hilton Head Island business partners James Groetzinger, Jon Rinaldi and Joey Rinaldi are opening Calhoun’s, which they describe as a “Southern tavern,” in Old Town Bluffton. The high-end bar will be located at 9 Promenade St. and could open as early as March. Jon Rinaldi was behind the popular Vineyard 55 that recently closed. Groetzinger and Joey Rinaldi operate the Warehouse and Parlor Deluxe in Charleston. Calhoun’s will focus on Southern cocktails such as mint juleps and whiskey sours, and also will have a selection of beer and wine.

Outside, the restaurant will offer an outdoor bar and patio with TVs.

THE PEARL KITCHEN AND BAR OPENING SOON The team behind Hilton Head Island’s popular ELA’s Blu Water Grille at Shelter Cove Harbour is testing the waters of Old Town Bluffton with a new restaurant opening soon. The Pearl Kitchen and Bar will be located at 55 Calhoun St., the former home of Vineyard 55.

Owners say it will be a boutique-style restaurant with a refined level of service and product.

Charlie Golson is shown with longtime associates Dorothea Jenkins and Margaret Singleton.

TRAVEL + LEISURE CELEBRATES HHI RESTAURANTS Travel + Leisure recently ranked Hilton Head Island No. 9 on its list of the “World’s Best Islands for Food.” According to the article, “When the first resort opened on the island almost half a century ago, it created a destination inherently designed to coax visitors into a satiated state. Robert Sustar, a Travel + Leisure subscriber, noted the abundance of restaurants. ‘There are so many awesome restaurants on the island, you cannot get to them all in one week.’

Start off at Charlie’s L’etoile Verte — arguably the best restaurant on Hilton Head, according to locals — and order blackened redfish, local cobia, and pan-roasted Bluffton oyster stew.”

TIME TO PLANT

‘SOUTHERN TAVERN’ OPENING IN OLD TOWN

Vegetables to plant now in Beaufort County, according to the Clemson Cooperative Extension planting chart:

ASPARAGUS Early January through late February

BROCCOLI Feb. 15 through March 1

COLLARDS Feb. 20 through March 15

MUSTARD Jan. 1 through Feb. 25

ONION Feb. 1 through March 1

SWEET POTATOES Feb. 1 through 15

RADISH Jan. 1 through March 1

SPINACH Jan. 1 through Feb. 25

TURNIPS Jan. 1 through March 1

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DINING

WHAT’S

COOKIN’ CONTINUED

SKULL CREEK BOATHOUSE RANKED NO. 9 ON STATE SEAFOOD LIST The website OnlyInYourState.com recently released its list of the top 10 seafood restaurants in South Carolina. Hilton Head Island’s Skull Creek Boathouse came in at No. 9 on its list. According to the site, “You’re sure to enjoy the waterfront dining at Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head Island. In fact, you can admire the view from any of the three seating choices at Skull Creek: inside dining, deck seating or outside at Marker 13 Raw Bar. Regardless of where you sit, the list of seafood choices is as long as your arm. If you can’t find a way to order them all on your first visit, then you’ll just have to plan to go back another time for more!” The No. 1 spot went to Charleston’s Circa 1886 Restaurant.

2016 HEALTHY RECIPIE Winter Farro Salad with Apples & Chicken Provided by Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6)

2 cups farro ½ cup Gorgonzola, crumbled 1 cup toasted sliced almonds ½ cup dried cranberries 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced 1 small package baby arugula 2 Granny Smith apples, cored & cut into small dice ½ to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar Salt and pepper To prepare the farro, wash it well, picking out impurities such as bits of pebbles or bad grains. Cook the farro in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain well and lay out on baking sheet to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled farro, almonds, cranberries, chicken, arugula and apples and toss to combine. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss well and adjust seasonings. Just before serving, add the Gorgonzola and toss thoroughly. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

ART EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY AT FRENCH BAKERY Artist Candace Whittemore Lovely’s latest exhibit can be taken in along with hot coffee and a warm croissant.

The exhibit, “Clubs and Bars,” depicts Hilton Head Island’s nightlife.

“My new exhibit at the French Bakery, ‘Clubs and Bars,’ parallels to French masters Manet and Toulouse-Lautrec,” Lovely said. “Édouard Manet’s painting, ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,’ inspired me to reveal society today when I saw a barmaid in a tuxedo. My debt to Toulouse-Lautrec freed me from my usual draftsmanship. Using paint markers, I capture explosive use of color, lines, and contour by drawing from life. Both artists give me the freedom to venture into clubs and draw what I see today.”

NEW SIPPIN COW BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION Fans of the Sippin Cow Café can look forward to the restaurant reopening this spring in Old Town Bluffton. The café will move into a new building being constructed at 36 Promenade St. The popular café, considered by many to be a Bluffton institution, moved out of its longtime May River Road location and into the Pepper’s Porch building in 2015. It moved out of that location seven weeks later. Owner Christy Pinski purchased the restaurant from Fran Ciavolino in 2010. Pinski plans on keeping the same rustic décor for which the restaurant became known.

NEW OWNERS TAKE OVER JUMP & PHIL’S

John “Jump” Griffin will no longer be behind the bar, but his name and the name of his late partner, Phil Henry, will remain at the popular Hilton Head Island restaurant. Bartender Lawrence Powell and his wife, Lauren, recently purchased the restaurant but are keeping the Jump & Phil’s name. The restaurant is located at the Triangle on Greenwood Drive, directly across from the Sea Pines Welcome Center.

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FEATURED RESTAURANT

PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

OMBRA Cucina Rustica Popular executive chef Michael Cirafesi uses fresh fish and seafood from local markets and other local ingredents to create Italian classics.

1000 William Hilton Parkway, The Village at Wexford Hilton Head Island, ombrahhi.com, 843-842-5505

dininglistings HILTON HEAD NORTH END Atlanta Bread Company: 45 Pembroke Drive 843-342-2253. BLD Bella Italia Bistro and Pizza: 95 Mathews Drive in Port Royal Plaza.

843-689-5560. LD The Carolina Room: The Westin Resort, Port Royal Plantation. 843-6814000, ext. 7045. BLD Chart House: 2 Hudson Road. 843342-9066. LD Crazy Crab (north): 104 William Hilton Parkway, 843-681-5021, www. thecrazycrab.com. LD Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill (north): 95 Mathews Drive. 843-342-8808.

BLD Frankie Bones: 1301 Main Street.

843-682-4455. LDS

Hudson’s Seafood House On the Docks: Hudson’s employs the largest and one of only two remaining fishing fleets on the island, which brings fresh local seafood straight from the docks to your table.

TRY THIS: Fish N’ Chips; Fat Tire beer batter, malt vinegar, tartar sauce. $18.

1 Hudson Road. 843-681-2772. www. hudsonsonthedocks.com. LD Il Carpaccio: If you’re hankering for some authentic Italian cuisine, this island institution is worth finding. Pizza is cooked in a hardwood-burning oven and everything is made from scratch.

TRY THIS: Vitella Piemonteste; veal scaloppine sauteed with mushrooms and Italian mild sausage in a light cream sauce, $16.95. 200A Museum St. 843-3429949. ilcarpaccioofhiltonhead.com. LD LagerHead Tavern: 155 High Bluff Road, Hilton Head Plantation. 843-6842184, www.lagerheadtavern.comLD

WANT TO BE LISTED?

All area codes 843. Listings are fluid and heavily dependent on your help; to submit or update, email editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com

BBreakfast LLunch DDinner OOpen Late SSunday Brunch

Main Street Café: 1411 Main Street Village. 843-689-3999. LDS

Ruan Thai Hut: 1107 Main St., 843681-3700. LD

Mangiamo!: 2000 Main St. 843-6822444. LD

Ruby Lee’s: 46 Wild Horse Road.

843-681-7829. LDS

Munchies: 1407 Main St. 843-7853354. LD

Skull Creek Boathouse: 397 Squire Pope Road. 843-681-3663. DO

New York City Pizza: 45 Pembroke Drive. 843-689-2222. LD

Starbucks: 430 William Hilton Pkway in Pineland Station, 843-689-6823.

OKKO: 95 Mathews Drive. 843-3413377. LD

Street Meet: 95 Mathews Drive, Port Royal Plaza. 843-842-2570. LDO

Old Fort Pub: 65 Skull Creek Drive.

843-681-2386. DS

Sunset Grille: 43 Jenkins Island Road. 843-689-6744. LDOS

Outback Steakhouse: 20 Hatton Place. 843-681-4329. LD

TJ’s Take and Bake Pizza: 35 Main St. 843-681-2900. LD

Pan Fresco Ole: 55 Matthews Drive.

843-681-5989. LD

Turtles Beach Bar & Grill: 2 Grasslawn Avenue at The Westin. 843681-4000. LDO

Plantation Café and Deli: 95 Mathews Drive. 843-342-4472. BL Reilley’s North End Pub: 95 Mathews Drive. 843-681-4153.

LDSO

WiseGuys: 1513 Main St. 843-8428866. DO Yummy House: 2 Southwood Park Drive. 843-681-5888. LD

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HILTON HEAD MID-ISLAND 843: 890 William Hilton Parkway, Fresh Market Shoppes. 843-686-8843. LD Alexander’s: 76 Queens Folly Rd. 843-785-4999. LD Alfred’s: European-trained chef Alfred Kettering combines some of the most appealing elements of classic American and Continental cuisine in this tiny Plantation Center hideaway. Grab a seat at the chef’s counter to watch the master at work.

TRY THIS: Roast Rack of Spring Lamb with mashed potatoes and vegetables. $34.95. 807 William Hilton Parkway, #1200, in Plantation Center, 843-341-3117, alfredsofhiltonhead.com D Arthur’s Grille: Arthur Hills course, Palmetto Dunes.

843-785-1191. LD Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers and Pizza: Robert Trent Jones course, Palmetto Dunes. 843-785-1165. LD Bistro 17: Cozy, waterfront French cafe to the right of Neptune’s statue, overlooking picturesque Shelter Cove Marina. Casual bistro dining with a European cafe flair.

Serving lunch and dinner with additional menus for kids and puppies. Nightly specials.

TRY THIS: Wild Salmon. Peppered mustard, mixed greens, pine nuts, dried cranberries, red onions and Gorganzola. $25. 17 Harbourside Lane in Shelter Cove.

785-5517. www.bistro17hhi.com. LD Bonefish Grill: 890 William Hilton Parkway. 843-3413772. LD Bucci’s Italian Cuisine: 13 Harbourside Lane, Shelter Cove. 843-785-3300. LDO Carrabba’s Italian Grill: 14 Folly Field Drive. 843785-5007. LD Café at the Marriott: Oceanside at Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa, Palmetto Dunes. 843-686-8488.

BL Coco’s on the Beach: 663 William Hilton Parkway; also located at beach marker 94A. 843-842-2626. LD CocoNutz Sportz Bar: Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort, 40 Folly Field Road. 843-842-0043 DO Conroy’s: Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa, Palmetto Dunes. 843-686-8499. DS Dye’s Gullah Fixin’s: 840 William Hilton Parkway, Atrium Building. 843-681-8106, www.dyesgullahfixins. com. LD ELA’s Blu Water Grille: Featured in Bon Appetit and the winner of numerous OpenTable awards. Freshcaught seafood and prime-cut steaks of the highest quality complement the extensive boutique wine selection. ELA’s is known for the best water views on the island. Serving lunch Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner nightly starting at 5 p.m., and now offering “Sunday Brunch on the Water” complete with live jazz music every Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

TRY THIS: ELA’s Calamari; lightly battered long strips, February 2016 183

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Grilled Filet Mignon An 8 oz. center-cut filet served with fresh mushrooms, vegetables and potatoes. $35.95. Available at Alfred’s Restaurant. served with wasabi and red pepper remoulade. $10. 1 Shelter Cove Lane in Shelter Cove Harbour. 843-7853030. www.elasgrille.com. LD

Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar: 841 William Hilton Parkway, Unit A, South Island Square. 843-681-3474. www. luckyroosterhhi.com. DO

Flora’s Italian Cafe: 841 William Hilton Parkway in South Island Square.

843-842-8200. D

Maywood Davis: 612 William Hilton Parkway. 843-368-2839, www.maywooddavis.com.

French Bakery: The bakery was established in 1998 by the Leon family, and taken over by the Belka family from Poland in 2012.The Belka family lovingly create baked goods for their local Hilton Head and Bluffton neighbors, as well as for tourists.

TRY THIS: Signature Chicken Salad; white meat chicken salad, lettuce, tomato on cranberry-apricot bread. $7.99. 120 Shelter Cove Lane, Shelter Cove Towne Centre. 843-342-5420.

BL

Mediterranean Harbour: 13 Harbourside Lane, Unit B, Shelter Cove Harbour. 843-842-9991, www.mediterraneanharbour.com. DO

Gator’z Pizza: Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort. 843-842-0004.

D Giuseppi’s Pizza and Pasta: 32 Shelter Cove Lane in Shelter Cove.

843-785-4144. LD Harold’s Diner: 641 William Hilton Parkway. 843-842-9292. BL HH Prime: Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort in Palmetto Dunes.

843-842-8000. BLDS

New York City Pizza: 28 Shelter Cove Lane, Suite 119, Shelter Cove Towne Centre. 843-785-4200. LD Old Oyster Factory: With panoramic views overlooking Broad Creek, this Hilton Head landmark was voted one of the country’s “Top 100 Scenic View Restaurants” by OpenTable. It was also recently recommended in the “Off the Beaten Track” column of The Wall Street Journal. Wine Spectator magazine bestowed its “Award of Excellence” for the restaurant’s wine list and knowledge of wine.

TRY THIS: Potato Crusted Black Grouper served with garlic Parmesan rice and julienned vegetables, finished with a horseradish cream. $24.99. 101 Marshland Road. 843-681-6040. www. oldoysterfactory.com. DO

Island Bagel & Deli: South Island Square. 843-686-3353. BL

Orange Leaf: 38 Shelter Cove Lane, 843-689-5323, www.orange leafyogurt.com.

Jamaica Joe’z Beach Bar: Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort, 40 Folly Field Road. 843-842-0044.

Pazzo: 807 William Hilton Parkway in Plantation Center. 843-842-9463. LD

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DINING Pelican’s Point Seafood & Steakhouse: 70 Marshland Road.

843-342-2880, phoenixbistro.com.

BL Poseidon: 38 Shelter Cove Lane, Shelter Cove Towne Centre. 843-3413838, www.poseidonhhi.com. LDO Ruan Thai Cuisine I: 81 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island.

843-785-8576. LD Scott’s Fish Market Restaurant and Bar: 17 Harbour Side Lane. 843-7857575. D San Miguel’s: 9 Shelter Cove Lane in Shelter Cove Harbour. 843-842-4555. www.sanmiguels.com. LD Santa Fe Café: 807 William Hilton Parkway in Plantation Center. 843-7853838. LD

Wayback Burgers: 32 Shelter Cove Lane, Shelter Cove Towne Centre. 843785-2650, www.waybackburgers.com.

XO Lounge: Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort in Palmetto Dunes.

843-341-8080.

YoAddiction!: 890 William Hilton Parkway. 843-341-3335.

HILTON HEAD SOUTH END Amigos Cafe y Cantina: 70 Pope Avenue. 843-785-8226. LD Angler’s Beach Market Grill: 2 North Forest Beach Dr., 843-785-3474.

LD Annie O’s: 124 Arrow Road. 843-3412664. LD

Sea Grass Grille: 807 William Hilton Parkway. 843-785-9990. LD

Asian Bistro: 51 New Orleans Road.

843-686-9888. LD

Starbucks: 32 Shelter Cove Lane. 843842-4090.

Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Cafe: 69 Pope Avenue. 843-785-7700. LD

Up the Creek Pub & Grill: Broad Creek Marina, 18 Simmons Road. 843681-3625. LDO

Beach Break Grill: 24 Palmetto Bay Road, Suite F. 843-785-2466. LD

Bess’ Delicatessen and Catering: Lunch specials include fresh homemade soups and assorted salads, and freshly oven-roasted turkey breast.

Bess’ features Boar’s Head meats and cheeses.

TRY THIS: Soap’s Delight; freshly baked turkey breast, cranberry mayo, bacon, Swiss and lettuce on wheat. $7.50. 55 New Orleans Road, Fountain Center.

843-785-5504. www.bessdeli.com. BL Big Bamboo Cafe: 1 North Forest Beach Drive, Coligny Plaza. 843-6863443, www.bigbamboocafe.com.

LDO Black Marlin Bayside Grill and Hurricane Bar: 86 Helmsman Way in Palmetto Bay Marina. 843-785-4950.

LDS Bomboras Grille: An award-winning restaurant and bar, located steps away from the beach. Offering fresh and local Lowcountry ingredients paired with craft beers and wine. Bomboras Grille is open for lunch and dinner. A kids menu is available. The locals call them the BOMB. TRY THIS: The “Bomb” Kobe Beef

Sliders: Two Kobe beef burgers on Lowcountry-made brioche buns with American cheese, South Carolina tomato and topped with cornichons. Served with three house dipping sauces. $10.

101 A/B Pope Avenue, Coligny Plaza.

843-689-2662. LDO Bayley’s: 130 Shipyard Drive. Sonesta Resort. 843-842-2400. BD British Open Pub: 1000 William Hilton Parkway D3 in the Village at Wexford. 843-686-6736. LDO Bullies BBQ: 3 Regents Pkwy. 843686-7427. LD Callahan’s Sports Bar & Grill: 49 New Orleans Road. 843-686-7665.

LDO Captain Woody’s: Many restaurants claim to be a favorite of locals.

Speaking as locals, one of our favorites is Captain Woody’s. Owners Shannon and Russell Anderson made a good thing even better with their new location at 6 Target Road. Woody’s now offers more seating, an expanded menu and an attractive outdoor patio with an attached bar.

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Gamberoni Del Poeta

Jumbo shrimp in a reduction of roasted sweet peppers, grape seed oil and fresh aromatic herbs in a bed of soft polenta. $19.50. Available at Il Carpaccio.

TRY THIS: Grouper Melt, fried and topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms and melted cheese. Served open-faced on a kaiser roll with homemade chips, $13.99. 6 Target Road.

843-785-2400. www.captainwoodys. com. LDO Carolina Crab Company: 86 Helmsman Way, Palmetto Bay Marina.

843-842-2016. LD Casey’s Sports Bar and Grille: 37 New Orleans Road. 843-785-2255.

LDO Catch 22: 37 New Orleans Plaza. 843785-6261. D Charbar Co.: Executive chef Charles Pejeau’s burger creations have made this a local favorite, serving awardwinning gourmet burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.

TRY THIS: Champ Burger; signature beef blend on toasted brioche with sharp cheddar cheese, bacon marmalade, Dijon mustard and dill pickles. $10. 33 Office Park Rd., Suite 213.

Park Plaza, 843-85-CHAR (2427).

Charlie’s L’etoile Verte: A great place for a power lunch or a romantic dinner. Owner Charlie Golson and his son Palmer write the entire menu by hand each day, based on the freshest local seafood available. The dinner menu offers an array of 14 fresh fish, rack of lamb, filet mignon and more.

TRY THIS: Local cobia grilled with mango vinaigrette, $29. 8 New

Orleans Road. 843-785-9277. www.charliesgreenstar.com.D Chow Daddy’s: Located in the old Dry Dock building on Executive Park Road, using local, organic ingredients with meals prepared to order.

Featuring salad bowls, sandwiches, tacos, hot bowls, platters and other snacks. The daily happy hour is 4-6 p.m.

TRY THIS: Pork tacos; sriracha aioli, arugula, avocado and peppadew pepper sauce. $8.50. 14B Executive Park Road, Hilton Head Island, 843-842CHOW, www.chowdaddys.com.

Coast: Sea Pines Beach Club. 8421888. LD Coligny Deli & Grill: Coligny Plaza.

843-785-4440. LD Corks Neighborhood Wine Bar: 11 Palmetto Bay Road. 843-671-7783.

LD Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse: 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Unit B6, The Village at Wexford. 843-715-3565, www.cowboybraziliansteakhouse.com.

CQ’s: 140A Lighthouse Lane.

843-671-2779. LD Crane’s Tavern and Steakhouse: 26 New Orleans Road. 843-341-2333.

D Crazy Crab (Harbour Town): 149 Lighthouse Road. 843-363-2722. LD Delishee Yo: This is a hip hangout for healthy locals and travelers of all ages.

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A colorful and refreshing art-filled oasis of fresh and healthy food. Dig into a custom combo froyo sundae, a super food smoothee, a big salad, a great green juice or a happy wrap.

TRY THIS: Buddahh Bowl; organic golden quinoa and crimson lentils steamed in alkaline water with virgin coconut oil and Indian spice blend. $7.95.

32 Palmetto Bay Road in the Village Exchange. 843-785-3633. locu.com Dough Boys Pizza: 1-B New Orleans Road. 843-686-2697. www. doughboyshhi.com. LD DryDock: 840 William Hilton Pkwy., 843-842-9775. LD Earle of Sandwich Pub: 1 North Forest Beach Drive in Coligny Plaza.

843-785-7767. LD Electric Piano: 33 Office Park Road.

843-785-5399. O Fat Baby’s: 1034 William Hilton Parkway. 843-842-4200. LD Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill: 51 New Orleans Road. 843-785-4788. LD FlatBread Grill: 2 North Forest Beach Drive, 843-341-2225, flatbreadgrillhhi. com.

French Kiss Bakery: Coligny Plaza, 1 North Forest Beach Drive. 843-6875471. BL Frozen Moo: Coligny Plaza, 1 North Forest Beach Drive. 843-842-3131.

Frosty Frog Cafe: 1 North Forest Beach in Coligny Plaza. 843-686-3764.

LDO Gringo’s Diner: E-5, Coligny Plaza.

843-785-5400.

Gruby’s New York Deli: 890 William Hilton Parkway in the Fresh Market Shoppes. 843-842-9111. BL Harbourside Burgers and Brews: Harbour Town, Sea Pines Resort, 843842-1444, www.seapines.com. LD Harbour Town Bakery and Cafe: Harbour Town, Sea Pines. 843-3632021. BL Heyward’s: 130 Shipyard Drive.

Sonesta Resort. 843-842-2400. BD Hilton Head Diner: 6 Marina Side Drive. 843-686-2400. BLDO Hilton Head Brewing Company: 7C Greenwood Drive (Reilley’s Plaza),

Hilton Head Plaza. 843-785-3900. www.hhbrewingco.com.LD Hilton Head Ice Cream: 55 New Orleans Road, #114. 843-852-6333.

Hinchey’s Chicago Bar and Grill: Circle Center, Pope Avenue. 843-6865959. LDO Hinoki of Kurama: 37 New Orleans Road. 843-785-9800. LD Holy Tequila: Holy Tequila offers a harmonizing blend of Mexican street food with new American flavors. Its inviting space features an open kitchen, an indoor/outdoor open-air seating area, a large tequila bar and a private tasting room. The menu features a wide variety of gourmet tacos, quesadillas, salads and small plates, all priced under $11; and a fully stocked bar with more than 40 premium tequilas, handcrafted specialty cocktails, Mexican beers and Spanish-inspired wines.

TRY THIS: Asian Shrimp Taco; Crispy shrimp topped with a house soy aioli, cotija cheese, pickled onions and cabbage, cilantro and sriracha on a fresh corn tortilla. $3.95. 33 Office Park Road, Suite 228. 843-681-8226. LD Hugo’s Seafood & Steakhouse: 841 William Hilton Parkway. 843-785HUGO. LD It’s Greek To Me: 11 Lagoon Road in Coligny Plaza. 843-842-4033. LDO Java Burrito Company: 1000 William Hilton Pkwy. 843-842-5282.

BLD Jazz Corner: Village at Wexford. 843842-8620. DO Jersey Mike’s: 11 Palmetto Bay Rd., Island Crossing. 843-341-6800.

Jump and Phil’s Bar and Grill: 7 Greenwood Drive, Suite 3B. 843-7859070. LDO Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe: 70 Pope Avenue in Circle Center. 843785-3315. BLDS Kurama Japanese Steak and Seafood House: 9 Palmetto Bay Road. 843-785-4955. D La Hacienda: 11 Palmetto Bay Road.

843-842-4982. LD Land’s End Tavern: South Beach Marina, Sea Pines. 843-671-5456.

BLD

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DINING Links, An American Grill: Harbour Town Golf Links Clubhouse, Sea Pines.

843-363-8380, www.linksamericangrill.com Live Oak: 100 North Sea Pines Drive, 843-842-1441, www.liveoak lowcountrycuisine.com Local Pie: Only the highest quality, regionally sourced ingredients go into these wood-fired, house-made pies. A local business, with local staff and local suppliers.

TRY THIS: The Gump Pie; shrimp, scallop sausage, calamari, roast tomato, goat cheese and arugula. 843-8427437, info@localpie.com.

A Lowcountry Backyard: 32 Palmetto Bay Road at The Village Exchange. 843-785-9273. BLD Lodge Beer and Growler Bar: 7B Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Plaza.

843-842-8966. DO Mellow Mushroom: 33 Office Park Road in Park Plaza. 843-686-2474. www.mellowmushroom.com. LDO Mi Tierra (Hilton Head): 130 Arrow Road. 843-342-3409. LD

Market Street Cafe: 12 Coligny Plaza. 843-686-4976. LD Marley’s Island Grille: 35 Office Park Road in Park Plaza. 843-6865800. DO Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana: Now celebrating its 12th year in business, Michael Anthony’s has been recognized by OpenTable diners as one of the “Top 50 Italian Restaurants” in the United States.

TRY THIS: Bistecca alla Fiorentina; Tuscan-style herb encrusted bone-in ribeye. $38. 37 New Orleans Road.

843-785-6272, www.michael-anthonys.com.

generation to generation. All desserts, pastas and breads are made daily using natural and fresh ingredients imported from Italy.

TRY THIS: Carpaccio di Manzo; thinly sliced raw “Piemontese” beef, arugula, olive oil and shaved Parmigiano, $14.

Village at Wexford. 843-842-5505. www. ombrahhi.com. D One Hot Mama’s: 7 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Plaza. 843-6826262. LDSO Palmetto Bay Sunrise Café: 86 Helmsman Way in Palmetto Bay Marina. 843-686-3232. BL

New York City Pizza: 81 Pope Avenue. 843-842-2227. LD

Philly’s Café and Deli: 102 Fountain Center, New Orleans Road.

843-785-9966. L

Nick’s Steak & Seafood: 9 Park Lane. 843-686-2920. D

Pino Gelato: 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Village at Wexford. 843-842-2822.

OMBRA Cucina Rustica: Popular local chef Michael Cirafesi and distinguished Philadelphia chef Nunzio Patruno have teamed up to open this upscale Italian restaurant in the Village at Wexford. Many dishes were created hundreds of years ago, passed down from

Plantation Café and Deli (south): 81 Pope Avenue in Heritage Plaza.

843-785-9020. BL Pomodori: 1 New Orleans Road. 843686-3100. D

The Porch: Beach House hotel. 1 South Forest Beach Drive. 843-7855126. BLD Porter & Pig: Quality beer, proprietary cocktails and select wines with accompanying charcuterie, cheeses and shared plates.

TRY THIS: The Gourmet; Gruyere, Boursin and Gouda with roasted tomato aioli, smoked thick bacon and fresh basil. 1000 William Hilton Parkway, The Village at Wexford. 843-715-3224. www.porter-pig.com. D Quarterdeck: 149 Lighthouse Road, Harbour Town, Sea Pines. 843-8421999. LDO Red Fish: Upscale dining at its finest.

Head chef Chaun Bescos takes advantage of his close relationship with local growers and farmers markets, tailoring Red Fish’s menu around the foods that are in season. The result is an eclectic blend of seafood, steaks, fresh fruit and local vegetables.

TRY THIS: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits; served with Keegan Filion Farms chorizo gravy and fried okra over a bed

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DINING of sauteed kale. $24. 8 Archer Road.

843-686-3388. www.redfishof hiltonhead.com. LD

and fresh vegetables, $22.99. South Beach Marina Village, Sea Pines Resort.

843-671-7327. www.saltydog.com. LD

Regency Parkway. 843-341-3347. BLD

Reilley’s Grill & Bar (south): 7D Greenwood Drive. 842-4414. LDO

Sage Room: 81 Pope Ave., Heritage Plaza. 843-785-5352. D

Steamers: 28 Coligny Plaza. 843-7852070. LD

Relish Cafe: 33 Office Park Road, Park Plaza. 843-342-4800.

Sea Shack: 6 Executive Park Drive.

843-785-2464. LD

Stellini:15 Executive Park Road. 843785-7006. D

Rita’s Italian Ice: 1 North Forest Beach Drive, Coligny Plaza. 843-6862596, ritasice.com.

Signals Lounge: 130 Shipyard Drive, Sonesta Resort. 843-842-2400.

Roy’s Place: Special menu items such as kosher, organic, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian menus are available.

33 Office Park Rd., 843-785-4646, www.roysplacehhi.com.

Salty Dog Cafe: One of Hilton Head’s favorite outdoor cafes for more than 20 years. Fresh seafood. Located at South Beach Marina, overlooking Braddock Cove. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available. Live music and children’s entertainment nightly during the season.

TRY THIS: Crab Cake Dinner; two freshly prepared Chesapeake-style lump crab cakes with homemade remoulade sauce.

Served with Captain’s Au Gratin potatoes

Signe’s Bakery & Cafe: 93 Arrow Road. 843-785-9118. BLS Skillets Café: Coligny Plaza. 843785-3131. BLD The Smokehouse: 34 Palmetto Bay Road. 842-4227. BLDO Smooth: 11 Palmetto Bay Road in Island Crossing shopping center. 843842-9808.

Southern Coney & Breakfast: 70 Pope Avenue in Circle Center. 843689-2447. BL Spirit of Harbour Town: 843-843363-9026. www.vagabondcruise.com.

Stack’s Pancakes of Hilton Head: 2

Starbucks (south): 11 Palmetto Bay Road. 843-341-5477.

Stu’s Surfside: 1 North Forest Beach Drive, Coligny Plaza. 843-686-7873. LD

local seafood, Black Angus steaks, baby back ribs, homemade soups and garden salads.

TRY THIS: Chicken Pot Pie; tender breast meat, carrots, mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and white wine cream sauce covered with a puff pastry. $12.95. 71 Lighthouse Road, Sea Pines Center. 843-671-6136, www/trufflescafe.com. LD

The Studio: 20 Executive Park Road.

843-785-6000. D

Urban Vegan: 86 Helmsman Way, Palmetto Bay Marina. 843-671-3474.

LD

Sunset Slush: 81 Pope Avenue, 843785-7851.

Vine: 1 North Forest Beach Drive in Coligny Plaza. 843-686-3900. LD

Sweet Carolina Cupcakes: 1 N. Forest Beach Drive. 843-342-2611.

Watusi: A place for breakfast, lunch and coffee. The cafe’s interior mirros a warm, cozy living room where families and friends can gather and enjoy food in a casual home-style setting. TRY THIS: The Pope Avenue; roasted red peppers, sundried tomato, goat cheese, provolone, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette on a fresh housebaked french baguette. $11.95. 71 Pope Ave. 843-686-5200. www.islandwatusi.com. BL

Tiki Hut: 1 South Forest Beach Drive at the Beach House. 843-785-5126.

OLD Topside Waterfront Restaurant: Harbour Town, Sea Pines. 843-8421999. D Trattoria Divina: 33 Office Park Rd. 843-686-4442. D Truffles Cafe (Sea Pines): Fresh

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DINING Which Wich?: 70 Pope Ave., Suite 13. 843-715-9424, www. whichwich.com

St. in the Calhoun Street Promenade.

843-757-6222. www.captainwoodys. com. LDO

Wild Wing Café: 72 Pope Ave. 843785-9464. LDO

The Carolina Tavern: 5 Godfrey Place. 843-757-9464. thecarolina tavern.com LD

Wine and Cheese If You Please: 24 Palmetto Bay Road, Ste. G. 843842-1200.

Wreck of the Salty Dog: South Beach Marina Village, Sea Pines. 843671-7327. D

BLUFFTON Agave Side Bar: 13 State of Miind St., 843-757-9190. LD Amigos Belfair (Bluffton): 133 Towne Drive. 843-815-8226. LD Backwater Bill’s: 20 Hampton Lake Drive. 843-875-5253. LDO Bluffton BBQ: 11 State of Mind St. 843-757-7427, blufftonbbq.com. LD Bluffton Family Seafood House: 27 Dr. Mellichamp Drive. 843-7574010. LD The Bluffton Room: 15 Promenade St., 843-757-3525, www.theblufftonroom.com. D The Brick Chicken: 1011 Fording Island Road in the Best Buy Shopping Center. 843-836-5040. LDO

Cheap Seats Tavern 2: 142 Burnt Church Rd., 843-837-3287 LD Cheeburger Cheeburger: 108 Buckwalter Parkway. 843-837-2433.

LD Chipotle: Tanger I Outlet Center. 843836-2442, chipotle.com. LD Choo Choo BBQ Xpress: 129 Burnt Church Road. 843-815-7675. LDO Chow Daddy’s: This new restaurant is using local, organic ingredients with meals prepared to order. The menu features salad bowls, sandwiches, tacos, hot bowls, platters and other snacks. The daily happy hour is 4-6 p.m.

TRY THIS: Pork tacos; sriracha aioli, arugula, avocado and peppadew pepper sauce. $8.50. 15 Towne Drive, Belfair Towne Village, 843-842-CHOW, chowdaddys.com.

Claude & Uli’s Bistro: 1533 Fording Island Road. 843-837-3336. LD Coconuts Bar & Grille: 39 Persimmon St. 843-757-0602. DO

The British Open Pub: 1 Sherington Drive, Suite G, 843-815-6736. LDO

Corks Neighborhood Wine Bar: 1297 May River Road. 843-815-5168.

DO

Buffalos Restaurant: 476 Mount Pelia Road inside Palmetto Bluff. 843706-6500. LD

Corner Perk Cafe: 1297 May River Road. 843-816-5674, cornerperk.com.

BL

Burnin’ Down South: 198 Okatie Village Drive, Suite 108. 843-7052453. LD

The Cottage Cafe, Bakery and Tea Room: 38 Calhoun St. 843-757-0508. www.thecottagebluffton.com. BL

Butcher’s Market and Deli: 102 Buckwalter Parkway, Suite 3-G. 843815-6328. BLD

Dolce Vita: 163 Bluffton Road, Unit F. 843-815-6900, dolcevitarustica.com D

Cahill’s Market & Chicken Kitchen: 1055 May River Road. 843757-2921. LD

Downtown Deli: 27 Dr. Mellichamp Drive. 843-815-5005. BL

Captain Woody’s: Many restaurants claim to be a favorite of locals.

Speaking as locals, one of our favorites is Captain Woody’s.

TRY THIS: Grouper Melt, fried and topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms and melted cheese. Served open faced on a kaiser roll with homemade chips, $13.99. 17 State of Mind

El Super Internacional: 33 Sherington Drive. 843-815-8113. LD Fat Patties and Salt Marsh Brewing: 207 Bluffton Road, 843379-1500, fat-patties.com Firehouse Subs: 32 Malphrus Road, #109. 843-815-7827. LD Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill: 876 Fording Island Road (Hwy. 278), Suite

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DINING 1. 843-706-7280. LD Giuseppi’s Pizza and Pasta: 25 Bluffton Road. 843-815-9200.

LD Hana Sushi and Japanese Fusion: 1534 Fording Island Road. 843-837-3388. hanasushifusion.com LD Hinchey’s Chicago Bar & Grill: 104 Buckwalter Place, Suite 1A. 843-836-5909. LD HogsHead Kitchen and Wine Bar: 1555 Fording Island Road.

843-837-4647.

Honeybaked Ham: 1060 Fording Island Road. 843-8157388. BLD Island Bagel & Deli: Sheridan Park. 843-815-5300. BL Jameson’s Charhouse: 671 Cypress Hills Drive, Sun City. 843705-8200. LD Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q: 872 Fording Island Road. 843-7069741. LD Katie O’Donnell’s: 1008 Fording Island Road (Kittie’s Crossing).

843-815-5555. LDO Kelly’s Tavern: 11B Buckingham Plantation Drive. 843-837-3353.

BLDO

Malphrus Road. 843-837-8722.

LD Mulberry Street Trattoria: 1476 Fording Island Road. 843837-2426.LDS Napoli Bistro Pizzeria & Wine Bar: 68 Bluffton Road. 843-7069999. LD NEO: 326 Moss Creek Village.

843-837-5111. LD Old Town Dispensary: 15 Captains Cove. 843-837-1893.

LDO Orobello’s Bistro & Pizzeria: 103 Buckwalter Place, Unit 108.

843-837-5637, www.orobellosbluffton.com. LDO Outback Steakhouse: 100 Buckwalter Place. 843-757-9888.

LD Panda Chinese Restaurant: 25 Bluffton Road. 843-815-6790.

LD The Pearl: A kitchen and bar, just opened recently in Old Town. 55 Calhoun St., 843-757-5511 Plantation Cafe & Deli: 1532 Fording Island Road. 843-8154445.

Pour Richard’s: 4376 Bluffton Parkway. 843-757-1999. DO

Kobe Japanese Restaurant: 30 Plantation Park Drive. 843-7576688. LD

The Pub at Old Carolina: 91 Old Carolina Road. 843-757-6844.

D

Longhorn: Inside Tanger I. 843705-7001. LD

R Bar: 70 Pennington Drive. 843757-7264. LD

Los Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill: The Bridge Center. 843-837-2333.

LD

Red Fish: Upscale dining at its finest. Head chef Chaun Bescos takes advantage of his close relationship with local growers and farmers markets, tailoring Red Fish’s menu around foods in season.

TRY THIS: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits; served with Keegan Filion Farms chorizo gravy and fried okra over a bed of sauteed kale, $24.

32 Bruin Road, 843-837-8888.

LD

Lowcountry Flower Girls: Berkeley Place. 843-837-2253.

May River Grill: 1263 May River Road. 843-757-5755. LD Mellow Mushroom: 872 Fording Island Rd. 843-706-0800. mellowmushroom.com. LDO Midnight Baker: 14 Promenade St. 843-815-5355. LB Mi Tierra: 27 Dr. Mellichamp Drive. 843-757-7200. LD Mi Tierrita: 214 Okatie Village Drive. 843-705-0925. LD Moe’s Southwest Grill: 3

Red Stripes Caribbean Cuisine and Lounge: 8 Pin Oak Street.

843-757-8111. LDO River House Restaurant: 476 Mount Pelia Road in Palmetto Bluff. 843-706-6500. LD

Ruan Thai Cuisine II: 26 Towne Drive, Belfair Town Village. 843757-9479. LD Saigon Cafe: 1304 Fording Island Road. 843-837-1800.

BLD Sake House: G1017 Fording Island Road, Ste 105. 843-7069222. LD Sigler’s Rotisserie: 12 Sheridan Park Circle. 843-815-5030. D Southern Barrel Brewing Co.: 375 Buckwalter Place Blvd., 843837-2337, southernbarrelbrewingco.com Squat N’ Gobble: 1231 May River Road. 843-757-4242.

BLD Stooges Cafe: 25 Sherington Drive. 843-706-6178. BL Truffles Cafe: Fresh local seafood, Black Angus steaks, baby back ribs, homemade soups and garden salads.

TRY THIS: Chicken Pot Pie; tender breast meat, carrots, mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and white wine cream sauce covered with a puff pastry. 91 Towne Drive Belfair Towne Village. 843-815-5551. trufflescafe.com. LD Walnuts Café: 70 Pennington Drive in Sheridan Park. 843-8152877. BLS Wild Wing Café (Bluffton): 1188 Fording Island Road. 843837-9453. LD Zepplin’s Bar & Grill: Inside Station 300. 25 Innovation Drive.

843-815-2695. LDO Zoes Kitchen: Tanger I Outlet Center. 843-837-5410. LD M

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND Eagle’s Nest: 56 Fuskie Lane, Bloody Point, 843-341-5522.

Marshside Mama’s Cafe: 15 Haig Point Road on County Landing. 843-785-4755. LD M

WANT TO BE LISTED?

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LAST CALL U.S. defense budget: $600 BILLION + (39% of global expenditure)

U.S. arms export: $10 BILLION (40% of global exports)

U.S. foreign aid to non-military causes: $32 BILLION (less than 1% of total U.S. government expenditure)

A new world mandate Americans. Imagine for a moment that instead of exporting weapons and video games and movies that celebrate aggression, we exported knowledge, technology and systems that allow nations to build their own sustainable economy. Imagine for a moment that instead of destroying, threatening or occupying foreign countries, we offered real and effective help in building a more verdant and peaceful world.

Is that too much to ask for?

It seems that way looking at the list of “issues” current presidential candidates offer to solve.

Maybe an independent candidate such as Michael Bloomberg can re-shape the debate and start asking the right questions and offer solutions that go beyond the current Washington talk we get from the two parties. Maybe mainstream Americans are longing for an America that leads the free world by example and not by aggression.

It would require a quantum leap in our thinking in order to turn change into progress.

We have done it before and it is time to do it again! M

IF THE U.S. WANTS TO LEAD THE WORLD, WE FIRST NEED TO ELECT A VISIONARY TO LEAD OUR OWN COUNTRY. MARC FREY

mfrey@freymedia.com

...none of the presidential hopefuls are even asking the right questions or giving us a roadmap of how we build a better America for the next generation.

SOUND OFF Please send your comments to mfrey@freymedia.com.

I would like to get your feedback on this idea.

O

ur current global system is in need of a major revision. The focus needs to be on building sustainable economic environments all around the world rather than relying on growth at all cost driven by shortterm greed. The global playing field is not only changing around us, it is changing at an accelerating rate. When Washington only reacts to the problems the media hypes today, it fails to secure our long-term future.

I’m dumbfounded that none of the presidential hopefuls are even asking the right questions or giving us a roadmap of how we build a better America for the next generation. Building a 1,900mile wall, deporting 11 million Hispanics (reminiscent of Hitler), carpet-bombing entire regions of the Middle East or raising the minimum wage and taxing the rich are not real solutions to the long-term challenges we face.

The fundamental problems we face have little to do with standing up to Russia, holding China accountable, or defeating ISIS; little to do with reforming Washington, Wall Street or Healthcare.

A trilogy of technology, capital and communications are bringing about seismic disruptions at a rate the world has never experienced before.

It should therefore come as no great surprise that oil prices have

fallen or that China’s economy has slowed down, to list two examples. As a result, oligarchies and kingdoms can no longer rely on exporting oil and gas as their main way to pay for things.

Nations will no longer be able to bank on exporting cheap labor as their primary way to pay for their own progress.

Let’s take immigration as an example: The vast majority of ordinary people will not voluntarily leave their home countries if they feel safe and have an adequate way to sustain themselves and their families. So if they immigrate, it is because the environmental or political situation is forcing them to do so.

Let’s take ISIS as an example, and let’s look at it not as a movement based on ideology, but view it as a business model because it is the only way they know how to make a living in an unstable region. (It is a paid army).

So imagine if the United States would lead by example, building an economic system right here at home centered on longterm sustainability benefiting all

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