• School District names, honors Senior Scholars 18A
• Life with TSC, rare disease, ‘revolves around struggles’ 19A
• Memorial Day observance, ceremony to be held May 29 21A
• Town to host 8th annual Historic Preservation Symposium May 18 22A
• New assistant chief named for BTFD 28A
By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
On April 15, Bluffton residents Denise DiBiasi-Bowers and her husband Chris were doing their regular Saturday grocery shopping at the market 15 minutes from their apartment in Khartoum, Sudan, when they got a school security alert on their phones.
“If there’s a protest or demonstration, we get an alert from the school. It’s an order to avoid the area, stay at home, seek shelter, or do not leave, but we were already out and there were no details,” said Denise.
Not knowing what the alert was for, the couple “literally raced through the store” and got what they needed.
“All the locals were like ‘No, it’s fine. It’s Sudan. Inshallah. It’s going be fine, nothing bad happens here.’ But we [thought] we’ve got to get home, and on the way home we started getting texts from friends saying that the airport was attacked, and fighting had begun,” she said.
The conflict was between the forces of Sudan’s paramilitary chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the country’s military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a situation
that had been simmering for some time. That was not the kind of educational experience the Bowers anticipated when Denise signed up to teach kindergarten at the Khartoum International Community Schools in Sudan.
“I’ve taught since I was fresh out of college, but always in the Beaufort County area, public and private schools. Then I had a few friends that went international and so I was interested, but it was never the right time for me,” she said. “When our youngest graduated high school and secured a job in the fire department, I said to Chris, let’s do this. Now’s the time. We don’t have any other responsibilities.”
Their Sudan experience wasn’t anything like what they had when living in Bangladesh, where they were able to immerse themselves in the local culture and activities.
“When you’re an international teacher, part of it is the travel experience, so this was the gateway to all of Africa,” she said. “I accepted the contract, and then the coup started. I called back and said I couldn’t take this. I don’t know how safe it is. They assured me it was safe. They talked to the people who used to work there, and current
employees, and they said, ‘No, it’s safe. The coup is relatively quiet. They do demonstrations, but at a given time and location.’ You just don’t go to that area. It’s very peaceful.”
Denise was told the school had a tight evacuation plan.
Please see SUDAN on page 8A
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By Lynne Cope Hummell EDITOR
I love life!” chirped a rain-drenched, tired, hungry contestant on “Survivor” season 31. He and his fellow competitors were suffering all sorts of bad conditions, a barrage of heavy storms, very little food (unless one counts bugs and snails), and had no shelter at the time.
They were competing in the jungles of Cambodia, with no semblance of life as any of them knew it.
It struck me as an odd thing to say in that moment, but just as quickly the thought occurred to me that it was perfect timing. In the midst of chaos, struggle and depletion, this guy found time to affirm his love for life.
At the Life is Good store on Hilton Head, dozens of T-shirts carry the brand slogan, along with stick figure designs showing examples of a fun life – fishing, riding a bi-
cycle, napping in a hammock. What a great reminder to be appreciative of our collective good life in the Lowcountry.
Recently, a 108-year-old American veteran died peacefully, in her sleep. Her daughter’s words, and those of people who knew her, indicate she too loved life to its fullest.
Meta Monteleon of Dublin, Ga., had served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during WWII. After her discharge in 1944, she stayed in nursing for another 50 years. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living WWII nurse.
As recently as three weeks before her passing, she attended the 75th anniversary party for the local VA Medical Center.
“My mother loved serving in the Army, Red Cross, and as a nurse, but she was also a superior Scrabble player and continued driving herself to games until she was 94 years old,” her daughter said. “Her laughter could light up a room and she will be deeply
missed.” Those are words of remembrance for someone who loved life.
I love life, too. Readers might have guessed that by the name of this regular column. “Sunny Side Up” is more than a slogan or catchy title. It’s a way of life, full of positive attitude, forward thinking, appreciation for the little things, and trying to remain gracious in the face of adversity.
As soon as I heard the Survivor competitor say those words, “I love life,” I replied to the screen, “Well, who doesn’t?” And just as quickly, I knew there ARE people who don’t.
I sometimes forget that there are people out there, maybe even among my friends and acquaintances who don’t “love life.” They struggle to find joy, to find a place to fit in, to find peace of any sort.
They might be lonely, or sad, they might have suffered terrible losses. They might have mental health issues.
I think about a friend who lives in another
state, and how she slipped into the abyss of addiction. Then, while in recovery, she suffered the losses of several close pals to drugs. The social media posts were heartbreaking. I hope she finds a way to love life again. What can we do to help those among us who are struggling?
As timing would have it, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We can start by being aware and by learning more. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a terrific website, NAMI.org, and a local chapter. We can get involved, we can be an advocate and an ally, we can donate to the nonprofit, and we can help erase the stigma.
The local NAMI Walk for a Cure isn’t until October, but perhaps we can plan now to participate. In the meantime, staff and volunteers at NAMI are available for support, for listening, for helping.
Life is good, but only if you have a reason to believe that.
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Finalist: Small Business of the Year, HHI-Bluffton Chamber. Winner of the SAPA General Excellence Award; 1st place, Front Page Design; 2nd place, Most Improved Publication; and 3rd place, Self-Promotion Advertising. IFPA-SAPA 3rd Place, Business Coverage
PUBLISHER
Kevin Aylmer, kevina@blufftonsun.com
EDITOR
Lynne Hummell, editor@blufftonsun.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Melanie Dodson
Wendy Price
Kim Perry Bowen
OFFICE MANAGER
Melissa McCullough
CONTRIBUTORS
Pete Berntson
Abby Bird
Amy Coyne Bredeson
Mark Deloach
Collins Doughtie
Jada Gaines
Jean Harris
Even though we are in the first year of a two-year legislative session, the past few weeks before session adjournment typically includes a flurry of activity, primarily of bills that have already passed one of the chambers. This session was no exception. The Judiciary Committee, at its last regular meeting, debated and advanced legislation to crack down on DUI offenders, promote water safety, ban cell phones in prisons and protect law enforcement and judges’ personal identifying information in online public records.
rise steadily. With these concerns in mind, the House passed a Senate bill joining 38 other states that have a boater education requirement. The bill requires anyone born after July 1, 2007, to receive a boater safety certificate to lawfully operate a watercraft in the state.
Similar legislation stalled in the House last year, but with revisions to the legislation both by the Senate and the House including provisions for temporary rental certificates, the bill passed 110-8.
care providers to improve quality and efficiency in order to attract patients, ultimately leading to better access to healthcare, lower costs for patients, and improved outcomes for patients.
The Senate concurred with the House amendments and the bill is now headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
Audrey Klenke
Weston Newton
Joy Ross
Gwyneth J. Saunders
Cinda Seamon
Larry Stoller
Mark F. Winn
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All contents are copyrighted by Lowcountry Local Media Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. All submissions must include name, address and phone number. The Editor reserves the right to edit or reject any material, including advertisements. The Bluffton Sun does not verify for licenses, endorse nor warrant any advertised businesses or services. The opinions and views expressed in the editorials are not necessarily those of the Editor and Publisher. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Old Town Bluffton Merchants Society.
Additionally, the House passed legislation to repeal CON, improve and expand access to telehealth and telemedicine, and the Governor signed in to law the bill that creates the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. The expansion of the requirement of an Ignition Interlock Device for individuals with a documented history of driving drunk to prevent them from driving drunk again might be the most important action we took in the last few weeks of the session to protect the public by keeping more drunk drivers off South Carolina roads and saving many innocent lives.
There are more than 360,000 recreational motorboats and personal watercraft registered in South Carolina and the number of boating accidents and fatalities continues to
To the Editor:
Happiness, certainly a desirable trait, is a product of developing friendships, so say the experts. Yet, as a society, we come up short in recent history in achieving and living this happiness trait.
In 2021, an American Enterprise Institute survey found the number of Americans who said they have no close friends had quadrupled since 1990, with COVID-19 and working from home making significant contributions.
Jody Carrington, psychologist and author, details reasons in her book “Feeling Recon-
Cell phones in prisons have increasingly become a dangerous and even deadly problem. With anticipated action by the FCC to allow cell phone bans in prisons, if supported by state law, the House approved legislation that would specifically not allow inmates to possess a cell phone, and would create a felony for folks smuggling phones to inmates.
Currently, state laws and regulations require most healthcare providers to obtain government approval before expanding or establishing new healthcare facilities or services. This process is timely, costly, and makes it difficult for hospitals and surgery centers to expand in areas that need it the most.
The House amended and passed S 164, which eliminates the Certificate of Need (CON) requirements for healthcare providers. Repealing CON requirements will increase competition and incentivize health
nected in a Disconnected World.” Supporting this study is a Harvard study that concluded that people’s happiness, or lack thereof, extends to others in close proximity to them.
In May, the Reader’s Digest article “Let’s Be Friends” highlights how healthy friendships can help us age better, cope with stress, and live happier lives. The article gives tips from Relationship experts including these:
• Be proactive; “friendships don’t just happen.”
• Be optomistic; a positive attitude helps make friends.
• Reach out to those you would like to be
Finally, the House unanimously passed the South Carolina Telehealth and Telemedicine Modernization Act that improves access to healthcare services for all South Carolinians, especially those in remote or underserved areas. Telemedicine is a critical tool in today’s digital age, increasing access to quality medical care.
College graduation activities have also kept the Newton house busy in the past few weeks. Our oldest graduated from USC with honors and has accepted a job with Sen. Tim Scott’s office in Washington, D.C. It has been an interesting Covid-interrupted college experience for the class of 2023 and, for this Dad, a four-year period that has flown by at warp speed.
While beaming with pride as her name was called with all of her accomplishments and accolades, I could not hold back a few tears that were mixed with both joy and sadness for the end of this era.
Weston Newton is the representative for District 120 in the State House of Representatives. WestonNewton@schouse.gov
closer too.
• Branch out; don’t limit yourself to just a few friends.
• Expect awkwardness; it’s normal.
• Embrace vulnerability; be able to accept criticism.
• Practice developing social skills.
Above all, Lowcountry friends, know that happiness through friendship is a work in progress, something we all need to work on. The personal satisfaction and rewards can be endless.
Earle Everett Moss Creek
With this feature, we seek to capture a glimpse of what you and your neighbors have to say about a variety of topics, issues, events –
and just plain fun questions. You might see us anywhere around town, with notepad and camera, randomly seeking out folks
who are willing to participate. If we find you, we hope you will want to respond.
At Bluffton Library for the annual
8th Grade Juried Art Show, we asked, “Who is the most creative person you know?”
Angie Brown, Bluffton: “Judy Pivirotto, because she’s a whiz at making things like place settings, food – all artistic and beautiful. Like Martha Stewart.”
Kitti McKean, Ridgeland: “My sister, Marti Stanley. She can dream up anything, she’s an actress and a storyteller. She’s a great storyteller.”
Sandy Stead, Bluffton: “My two granddaughters, Madison and Angelina, because of their artwork and just their imaginations!”
Fred Freidenfeld, Bluffton: “I have to say Ava McCone, my granddaughter, who just won 1st place in the People’s Choice awards here. She enjoys all kinds of art and art forms.”
Carlton Dallas, Hilton Head Island: “Jonathan Green. He blends historic perspective in his work, with color and vibrancy. He helps you transport yourself into another time in history.”
“The school uses private planes so if anything happens, we hop on these planes and out you go. The more people I talked to confirmed that it was a safe posting,” she said.
So off they went.
“Now, in hindsight,” Denise said they recognize that “the first thing that they attacked was the airport.”
Within half an hour of returning to their apartment, the couple started hearing explosions and fighting. The apartment faced the airport, and though they weren’t near where all the fighting was, every time they heard an explosion by the airport or the palace they would see smoke columns – and it didn’t stop all day long.
As night descended, some of the conflict outside could be seen from the windows of the apartment building.
“We saw planes flying around, and I actually saw a plane shooting its missiles,” said Chris. “It wasn’t shooting towards us. I could see it was going away from us. At nighttime you could see tracer rounds going through the air.”
Eventually, sleep was hard to come by.
“One night [gunfire] woke us up. It was relatively close. The whole building shook. All the windows were rattling,” Denise said. “You wake up and your heart is racing
because you don’t know where it’s coming from. You don’t know how close they are, and it’s dark.”
Their building was one of four within a two-mile radius that housed teachers and staff for the school. No one was allowed to leave their buildings, so the residents pooled their water and food, played games, spent time visiting other apartments and tried to keep each other calm. After eight days of lockdown, the school told them to pack a “go bag.”
“That’s one of the disappointing things to think about Sudan because I was excited to go there, and I wanted to see and experience their flavor, things like that. But we didn’t get a whole lot of that,” said Chris. “You’d go out and the police would stop you just because they wanted to get some money to eat themselves.”
By the time the Bowerses arrived in Khartoum, the atmosphere had changed from what everybody told them had been a flourishing city that was clean and established to a place that was very depressed and sad.
“With the coup, there’s no government, right? So, there’s no trash pick-up, no true police force. Everything is dirty and filthy and old,” said Chris, “and people are burning
SUDAN from page 8A
garbage everywhere because there’s no trash pick-ups so you have to get rid of it somehow. They just dropped it off on the side of the road until there’s enough gathered and then someone will start burning it.”
Among other amenities, the school had gardens, stables, a boathouse and a golf course. The school property ran down to the waters of the Blue Nile. In addition to handling most of the household chores while his wife taught, Chris spent a lot of time fishing on the bank of the Blue Nile.
“We are about four or five miles south of the confluence of the Blue and White Nile where they come together. When we got there in August, the water was really high and just the last couple of months the water level dropped probably 20 to 25 feet easily,” he said.
He had planned on returning to the States to buy more supplies to catch bigger fish. “I was trying to catch tilapia. I also wanted to catch tiger fish and Nile perch. Those were the three that I was after, and I only caught catfish. I didn’t plan on anything bigger than about 18 inches.”
Any fish he caught, Chris gave to the guards or the staff that worked there.
When they got a break in the schedule, the couple managed to travel and experience some of the continent’s culture.
“We went to Ethiopia. We went to Egypt. We went all the way down from Alexandria to Sudan on the Nile River,” said Chris. “We got see all of it: all the temples and pyramids, and saw all the local tribes in Ethiopia. Egypt was really cool. Ethiopia was a very unique experience. In Ethiopia, we got to eat the local food. It was different.”
It was far different from sharing limited food supplies while fighting raged in the city.
“I don’t remember the exact day, but it was about 12:30 at night and I was with one of my friends upstairs,” Chris said. “I could hear helicopters flying. Our apartment was literally as the crow flies less than a mile away from where the embassy was.”
When he finally pinpointed the direction of the helicopters, he realized the sounds were coming from the embassy, with military jets escorting the copters in and then returning to get them out.
“I knew that they were doing the military exercise to get the embassy people out, so then I went up on the roof. I looked over there and I could see the smoke screen. I couldn’t see anything else as they had all their lights off,” he said. “After that was over, I went downstairs. I was kind of expecting them to say now’s when you can come because they kept telling us to have our bag ready.”
He said the embassy staff knew where the Americans were, and that they all wanted to get out.
“About five minutes after the operation was over, they came back to us and said that they suspended their embassy operations in Khartoum, they evacuated the embassy staff, and pretty much we were on our own,” he said.
Nine days into their lockdown, the staff finally got the word that everyone had one hour to get to a certain location with their bags with no further information. They knew they would be taking a bus to the Egyptian border, but not via Port Sudan. They were all also told not to tell anyone, not
even their families, where they were going.
“We had called our kids and said we didn’t want them to worry because we knew we’d be without WiFi or any sort of connection. We said if you don’t hear from us for up to 48 hours, it’s OK. If we give you a thumbs up emoji, that means we’re getting out somehow and we’ll be in contact as soon as we can,” said Denise. “It took us almost 24 hours to get out of Khartoum because you go this way, and then the police would stop and say ‘No, can’t go down that road. You go another way.’ And locals were ‘No, there was fighting down there.’”
“It took us five hours to get on a 23-hour bus ride to get out of Khartoum,” Chris added.
Denise said it was a scary bus ride because they would be pulled over and soldiers with loaded automatic weapons would get on the bus and scream at them in Arabic. They’d pull certain people off the buses with their passports.
“You don’t know if they’re coming back on
Please see SUDAN on page 12A
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SUDAN from page 10A
the bus. You don’t know what they want. You hear gunshots in the background. They let everybody get back on the bus,” she said. “At one point they asked all the men to get off, and all the women were absolutely terrified. It was really scary. And then we finally we got all the way up to the safe house.”
Almost 100 people ended up housed there, with people sleeping everywhere.
“It was just a normal home, and they opened it up to all of us, and the kids were able to play and run around, and we had a safe place to sit. We even slept outside on the floor with the mosquitoes,” Denise said. “It was the first time in over a week that we didn’t hear any bombs going off. Even though we slept on the ground it was the best night’s sleep we had had in a while.”
On the bus the next morning they got to the Egyptian border, were processed, bussed to the ferry, and spent the night in a makeshift house that had chairs, tables and a couple of beds, as well as snakes and scorpions. The next day the ferry took them to Abu Simbel and on to Aswan.
“Once we got to Aswan, the school had
secured us tickets on the sleeper train to Cairo,” Denise said. “By the time we got to the train station, the railroad had sold our tickets out from under us, and with all the
evacuees, there weren’t any hotel rooms left in Aswan. So now we have no bus, no train tickets, no hotel room. We haven’t showered in days. We haven’t slept in days. We’re all
on the verge of a breakdown. And again, the school worked wonders, and they ended up getting hotel rooms.”
A few hours sleep in a bed, a hot shower, a hot meal and some of the stress was lifted but that wasn’t the end of the journey. At 4:30 the next morning, they boarded a bus for Cairo that took 16 hours. Once there, they boarded a United Airlines flight for Frankfurt. Then it was on to Newark and Savannah, finally arriving home April 28. While Africa is off the list for a while, at least, they’re still planning on another teaching assignment.
“Somewhere in Asia, maybe India – if I find a good fit. I’ll take maybe a one-year posting somewhere in Europe,” Denise said. “I just feel like my soul is craving to go somewhere. You get that wanderlust in your blood. I just love learning about other cultures. It just teaches you to be so open minded. I would absolutely recommend doing this. It’s the best learning experience. Next time, just go to a safe country.”
Gwyneth J. Saunders is a veteran journalist and freelance writer living in Bluffton.
Bluffton Library hosted the annual Bluffton 8th Grade Juried Show during April, and an artists’ reception May 4 to announce winners. Members of the Society of Bluffton Artists judged the works, and visitors to the library voted for People’s Choice over four weeks. Pictured on the front row, from left, are: Ava McCone, 1st Place, People’s Choice; Elizabeth Wainscott, 2nd Place, SOBA Judged; and Summer Smith, 3rd Place, People’s Choice. On the back row are Art Gopalan, coordinator of the event; Mary Cordray, member of the state Board of Education; and Carlton Dallas, member of the Beaufort County School Board. Other art winners are Paisley “PJ” Benson, Ali Murphy and Alivia Church.
The Beaufort County School District honored 108 high school seniors for outstanding academic achievement at its April 18 annual Senior Scholars Banquet.
Senior Scholars are students who have been enrolled in a Beaufort County School District high school for a minimum of three consecutive semesters by the second semester of the senior year, and who have maintained a cumulative 3.5 grade-point average or higher, are ranked in the top 10% of their graduating classes, and earned the equivalent of an 85% grade or higher in college prep courses, an 80% grade or higher in honors courses, and a 75% grade or higher in advanced placement, international baccalaureate, or dual enrollment courses in all quarters of their high school career.
“We’re exceptionally proud of what these outstanding seniors have accomplished during their high school years, and we’re confident their successes will continue into the future,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez.
This year’s banquet speaker was Bluffton High School’s Karina Dorris, a native Bluffton resident and 2021 Senior Scholar, who is an honors nursing and psychology student at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), where she currently serves as president of the USCB Fellowship of Christian Athletes, vice-president of the Public Health Student Organization, and freshman/sophomore president of the Honors Student Association.
Also serving as a math, Spanish, and English tutor at USCB, Dorris believes hard
work is key to achieving one’s goals. She encouraged this year’s Senior Scholars to not be afraid of failure or rejection, but rather to embrace the opportunity to learn and grow from one’s experiences, never giving up.
This year’s Senior Scholar banquet honorees from Bluffton are: Yarely Amador (MRHS); Anya Arroyo (MRHS); Elise Augustyniewicz (MRHS); Ashlyn Babkiewicz (MRHS); Caleb Batten (MRHS); Lyndsay Borja (BLHS); Jessica Buskey (MRHS); Illya Busorgin (MRHS); Kyrylo Busorgin (MRHS); Patrick Carr (MRHS); Avery Chen
(BLHS); Hannah Davis (BLHS); Gracen Denton (MRHS); Jack Dewey (MRHS): Catherine Douthit (MRHS); Trisha Duong (BLHS); Chloe Fry (BLHS); Amya Gossett (BLHS); Shelby Gourley (MRHS); Madison Hahn (MRHS); Madison Hebert (BLHS); Megan Hewes (MRHS); Morgan Hewes (MRHS); Saul Huizar Ornelas (MRHS); Lucy Jackson (BLHS); Julia John (BLHS); Morgan Kronimus (MRHS); Evan Lessard (BLHS); Emily Manzanares Cardenas (MRHS); Thomas Maybank (MRHS); Brendan Michael (MRHS); Estefany Mondragon (MRHS); McKenzie Morgan (BLHS); Abigail Nance (MRHS); Vivian Nguyen (MRHS); Jason Ni (BLHS); Rachel Nix (BLHS); Sarah Nunez (MRHS); Faith Paxton (BLHS); Lucy Peltz (MRHS); Tess Polites (MRHS); Nathanael Rios (BLHS); Kathryn Ryan (BLHS); Kaitlyn Shrewsbury (BLHS); Tyler Thompson (BLHS); Trisha Tran (MRHS); Brooks van Esselstyn (MRHS); Masani Ward (MRHS); and Hannah Wease (MRHS).
The Bluffton Sun is delivered on the first and third Tuesday of every month to nearly 25,000 households safe and dry into mailboxes by the US Postal Service. If you wish to continue to receive your free copy of the Bluffton Sun, or are new to or returning to Bluffton, you need to sign up so we can continue your free delivery. If you have already signed up (via mail, phone, or online) in the past year you do not need to do anything else.
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Kevin Aylmer Lynne Hummell Publisher Editor“YES! FREE “YES! please send - or keep sending - my Bluffton Sun FREE In My Mailbox!” Simply scan the QR Code and complete the form online. Simply scan the QR Code and complete the
Stephany Hurst of Bluffton was diagnosed with a rare condition called tuberous sclerosis complex at age 5, after her mother took her to a dermatologist to ask about what appeared to be a rash on her face.
That appointment was the beginning of a long journey for Hurst, now grown, married and with a family of her own.
It turned out that the red bumps on her face were tumors called “angiofibromas,” one of the many symptoms of the genetic disorder that causes noncancerous tumors to grow throughout the body.
TSC tumors are most often seen in the brain, heart, eyes, skin, lungs and kidneys, according to the TSC Alliance, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of people with TSC.
TSC is the leading genetic cause of autism and epilepsy.
At age 18, Hurst was told she also had sev-
eral kidney tumors called angiomyolipomas, which are seen in more than 80% of TSC patients, per the TSC Alliance.
Aside from the kidney problems, Hurst has been mildly affected by TSC. Her youngest child, Ivy, however, has more significant manifestations of the disease. Now 8 years old, Ivy battles daily seizures, as well as intellectual disability and nonverbal autism.
“Our life revolves around the struggles that come with TSC – the numerous doctor appointments with TSC experts in Alabama and now at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s TSC Center of Excellence, therapy and the management of many prescriptions.” Hurst said. “But the daily struggles that come with autism, intellectual disability and epilepsy are by far the hardest.”
The 42-year-old homeschooling mother of three daughters continues to thank God for all the blessings. She is grateful that Ivy is such a happy child when she’s at home with her family. She’s thankful that Ivy is thriving
TSC from page 19A in her schoolwork.
Hurst and her husband, Michael, are also thankful for the support and guidance of the TSC Alliance, which has connected them with some of the world’s best doctors and cutting-edge treatments.
“Knowing of TSC all my life, I felt I had a good understanding of its effects,” Stephany said. “But Ivy has had seizures since very early on, which I never had. So I pored over all the information on the TSC Alliance website to learn all I could. For me, knowledge and understanding give comfort. So thankful for all the great education provided by the Alliance.”
The Hursts are now considering enrolling Ivy into a drug trial for a new seizure medication.
“God has always directed our steps,” Stephany wrote in a message to The Bluffton Sun. “And I know He has only His best for her. God will always give her what she needs because He loves her like no one else! That gives me more peace than any research or new treatment option can!”
The Hursts just returned from a quick
trip to Rock Hill, where they participated in an annual Step Forward to Cure TSC walk organized by the TSC Alliance of the Carolinas. They hope the money raised through the walk and other fundraisers will one day bring about a cure.
According to the TSC Alliance, the disease affects about 50,000 individuals in the U.S. and 1 million worldwide. One in 6,000 people are born with TSC. Though it is considered a rare disease, TSC is just as common as Lou Gehrig’s disease and cystic fibrosis. Still, many people have never heard of TSC.
In an effort to raise awareness of the oftentimes devastating diagnosis, the TSC Alliance of the Carolinas has received proclamations declaring May 15 as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Awareness Day from the Town of Bluffton, the Town of Hilton Head Island, and the State of South Carolina. For more information about TSC or the TSC Alliance, visit tscalliance.org.
Amy Coyne Bredeson of Bluffton is a freelance writer, a mother of two and a volunteer with the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.
The Bluffton Township Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. May 29 at the Bluffton Veteran’s Memorial in Buckwalter Place, presented by the Dennis J. Becker American Legion Post 205.
The event is a joint venture with Town of Bluffton and Post 205.
Memorial Day is designated as a day of remembrance for those in the military who died in service to the United States of America.
Post Commander Steve Robillard will be Master of Ceremonies for the event, which will feature the Bluffton Township Fire District Honor Guard and Amazing Grace Bagpipers.
Starting the program will be Katie McAllister singing the National Anthem, followed by an invocation from Chaplain Andrew Arruza.
After a welcome from Cmdr. Robillard and comments from past Commander David Robbins and Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, Robbins will place a memorial wreath with
the assistance of Kay Ranta, chaplain of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Featured speaker is Major General Roger
Sandler, who culminated his 36-year career as an Army Reserve Officer as Chief of the Army Reserve and Commander of the U.S.
Army Reserve in 1991.
Concurrent with the program, members of the Bluffton American Legion Auxiliary will be distributing symbolic red poppies to support active duty military, veterans and military families.
The poppy has become a nationally recognized symbol of all the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans while protecting our freedoms. The poppy has been worn as such a symbol since WWI. It is worn to honor those who served and died protecting our inalienable rights in all wars.
Poppies are not sold, but donations are appreciated, as 100% of the donations collected directly support the needs of veterans, active military and their families.
Veterans handcraft the poppies with assistance from volunteers. The veteran not only earns a small wage but also feels more self-sufficient; as well, the physical and mental activity provides many therapeutic benefits.
The event is free and open to the public.
*Total purchase value must exceed $500 or more on select furniture for o er to be valid. For one time use only and can’t be used with any other o er or discount. This o er must be presented to sales associate prior to time of sale.
Sponsored By
The Town of Bluffton will host its eighth annual Historic Preservation Symposium May 18, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers at Town Hall, 20 Bridge St.
This year’s theme, “Preserving the Legacy of Bluffton’s Historic African American Churches,” will feature stories of Bluffton’s historic congregations through the eyes of its congregants and church leaders.
“The role of African American churches within American and local history has been underrepresented in our textbooks, historic preservation projects, and stories which we tell each other,” Mayor Lisa Sulka said. “This year’s symposium gives a spotlight to how African American churches, its leaders and congregational members have shaped our personal and
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collective histories.”
The panel of speakers will include representatives from Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church, Bible Missionary Baptist Church, First Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and St. John’s Baptist Church.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a Meet and Greet reception with representatives of local historic preservation organizations, followed by the speakers’ presentations from 6 to 7 p.m.
A reception will be held at The Heyward House, 70 Boundary St., following the symposium.
All phases of this event are free and open to the public.
Note: The past seven symposiums have been standing room only. Please arrive early if you require seating. Town staff is coordinating extra seating beyond the Council Chambers as well.
Nothing is more satisfying than being able to tell the story. This year Cross Upper School students take the driving seat and steer a new course in journalism studies and design. The recently launched elective teaches students to plan, source, report, and write stories themselves. The course introduces the group to state of the art software, Adobe inDesign, used for print editions of Cross Talk and a quarterly web publication, The Slipstream.
Documenting the important stories of Cross Schools focuses this seven person reporting team (pictured on page 2). Their work now forms a digital footprint and pub-
lic record of student body interactions within the school and with the greater Bluffton community. The opportunity for a legitimate audience outside of the school motivates student reporters to seek news beyond the immediate school hallways, and creates a window through which the community can get a glimpse of Cross Schools’ student body activities.
Authentic writing assignments brainstormed by the students in their role as editorial board members include news stories, profiles, and investigations; all written and submitted on deadline. These journalists write and edit collaboratively and fact check and
proofread their stories as part of the writing process. By spending time with an exchange student (page 3), Max “learned more about a friend from a different background who shared similar values” while Brynn “slayed complex design challenges” as the page layout took shape. Jada advises on planning and proofreading, “it’s better to sometimes step back and allow for time to think than to rush to finish a task.”
Collaborative activities like publishing Cross Talk with the Bluffton Sun, compliments existing digital art and design courses and sets standards of excellence for students.
A Cross lifer, Alex, enjoys life as a junior and an NHS member. Former Student Advisory Council president, certified peer docent for Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibit and participant in the Hilton Head Island Junior Leadership program, she enjoys photography and babysits.
Max Homann, lifer, and is now a freshman at Cross Schools. He is a member of ten clubs and runs cross country and track. Outside of school, he enjoys opportunities to learn about other cultures, sometimes through travel, and spending time with his friends and family. Max writes features.
Ashlyn Elrod, is a lifer and now a freshman at Cross Upper School. She holds two officer positions in clubs, is a part of the football/ competitive cheer team, and is a certified peer docent for Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibit. Baking delicacies for neighbors and friends keeps her busy. Ashlyn covers news.
Jada is a junior at Cross Schools, and is a member of the Student Advisory Council and sits on the 2023 Prom Planning Committee. When not on the softball field, reading is her passion outside of school. Jada covers news.
Ethan is a junior at Cross Schools and plays right guard and defensive end on the varsity football team. He is vice president of the Cross Student Advisory Council and is actively involved in the drama department. On Sundays, Ethan helps with tech for church services and, on other days, is a busy Boy Scout.
Brynn is a sophomore at Cross Schools. In school, she participates in many clubs and plays for Cross School’s varsity volleyball team. When not working at her part-time catering job, or designing jewelry, the beach is where Brynn will be. Brynn manages design.
Bluffton born and raised, Xavier, a junior, is an NHS member and plays on the varsity football and basketball teams. Xavier is a junior staff member at the Boys and Girls Club and coaches Cross’ K-5 flag football program.
Upper School Journalism elective advisor, Mrs B-C is a former reporter and editor. She shares her skill set to guide Cross journalism students in creating, planning, writing, editing and publishing their newspaper. She is an avid reader and captains a local ladies pickleball team.
With an eye on the future, Cross held its First Annual Middle School Career Day on campus. Students complete a Career Interest Inventory to identify a career path based on their interests and this data informs guest selections for the event. Eleven guest speakers from the parent body and Bluffton community exhibited in the 2023 fair.
Mr. Harrison Spitler, Pastor, Hilton Head Presbyterian Church
Mr. Andy Nix and Ms. Lauren Weaver, Counselors, Cross Christian Counseling Center
Ms. Kristy Gonzalez, Realtor, ERA Evergreen Real Estate Company
Dr. Carmen Traywick, Dermatologist, May River Dermatology
Mr. Jeffery Land, Barber, The Barber Shop
Ms. Sommer Shultz, Medical Recruiter, LoveLace Search Group
Mr. Joseph Green, Banker, TD Bank
Ms. Paula Dukes, Entrepreneur, The Rizzo Dukes Group
Mr. Dan Dukes, Federal Lobbyist, iHeartMedia
Mr. Justin Harvey, Construction, Premier
About The Cover Luis Barrero shot stunning photos of the journalism team in front of The Bluffton Sun Office.
By Max Homann
Cross Upper School’s Addy Lepper is the perfect fangirl when it comes to her grandmother’s cheer career. When the Philadelphia Eagles established a cheer team in 1966, grandmother Marianne Carmody was encouraged to try out by her high school ballet teacher and joined the squad of 50 female volunteers. Almost 60 years later, Addy follows this family connection by cheering on the Cross School’s basketball cheer team.
NFL cheer was just beginning, the only other cheer team Mrs. Carmody recalls is the famed Cowboy cheerleaders. Cheerleading was nothing like it is today, and she fondly remembers drill formations and marches in unison, led by the band, on the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field.
Traveling to local competitions in the New York and D.C. areas was a highlight as were the friendships developed at socials and dances.
Addy’s decision to join the Cross basketball cheer team is inspired by her grandmother’s story and an excitement to continue the legacy. She explains, “My grandmother inspired me by showing me that if I try my hardest I will succeed.” Looking back at old photographs of Mrs. Carmody, resplendent in her cheer uniform, Addy observes what a trailblazer her grandmother became for the family. While Mrs. Carmody may have taken cheerleading in her stride, she is the perfect role model for her granddaughter, Addy. This unspoken connection serves as a touching example of a granddaughter’s intergenerational compliment to her grandmother.
2023 is a year of many firsts for Cross Schools and one of the most exciting is the inclusion of exchange student, Malin Weitze, in our student community. Malin, 16, is from Mücheln, Germany, a small town two hours away from Berlin. In Germany, Malin, a humanities scholar, is a weekly boarder at Landesschule Pforta, which boasts Friedrich Nietzsche as an alumnus. It is a boarding school around 30 minutes away from her hometown. Malin spends weekends at home with her parents and sister, Liana. When Malin was sure she wanted to participate in an exchange year she was just as sure she
wanted to come to America. She recalls family vacations where she experienced traditional American kindness, hospitality, and love. These factors greatly influenced her decision to come to America with the program AYA, Academic Year in America, sponsored by the American Institute for Foreign Study. Her final destination wasn’t in her hands but was determined by which host family would accept her application and ultimately a host family in Bluffton decided to invite Malin into their home for a year and she subsequently enrolled at Cross.
To Malin, Cross feels like a family as students and teachers have welcomed her into the community with kindness and friendship. She has enjoyed the benefits of low student-to-teacher ratios, unlike those of her school in Germany. Malin says, “My experience here in Bluffton and Cross Schools is really enjoyable, everyone is extremely kind and helpful. I was welcomed with open arms.”
Although Malin’s time here is one to remember all good things must come to an end. Malin returns to Germany in June where she is looking forward to seeing her family and friends and enjoying the food she knows best. She is considering returning for her future university career. No matter what her future holds it is certain that America has not seen the last of Malin Weitze.
Cross has a good track record for winning accolades in sporting competitions but shines just as often in non-sporting events too. To date, Cross teams have competed in SCISA Spelling Bee, SCISA Quiz Bowl, SCISA Battle of the Books, DAR Essay Writing Competition, SCISA Literary Meet, SCISA Chess Championship, SCISA Art Competition, SCISA Math Meet, Sea Island Regional Science Fair, South Carolina Science Olympiad, and various local and national writing competitions.
Students honored for their work in the local and state level DAR competitions include Peyton Dukes, first place, sixth-grade category, local and state and Jillian Newcaster, first in the seventh-grade local category; Max Homann who placed as a finalist in the Chapman University Holocaust Art and Writing Competition and third in the essay writing section of the SCISA Literary Meet. Lower School placed first in SCISA chess state-level championship and individual participant Fielding Riddle, placed second with Maddox Folscroft in third place overall.
Pictured above, top to bottom:
In support of this mission, in March, 10th and 11th graders participated in the DUI and Lutzie 43 (Distracted Driving) experience with the Beaufort County Substance Abuse Prevention Team. Eleventh graders Xavier Toles and Alex Marinov commented that driving, “even at such slow speed, was challenging” as “depth perception and balance was messed up”, putting the driver in places they did not want to be.
Students at Cross are talented artists and this year William Stansfield won the Lions Club Peace Poster Competition. SCISA Art Competition was successful for middle schooler Ali Murphy, who took first place, open media category. Also congratulations to Malin Weitze for placing 1st in the 2023 Promising Picasso contest for her mixed media entry titled “Dalesman!”
Upper school students participated in the Youth In Government Conference (YIG) 2022 where Emma McCollum, Ethan Land, and Alana Stokes were recognized. Ethan and Alana both won Outstanding Statesman Awards and Emma won the Philip Bradley Leadership Award, presented to only one of 1,600 student delegates.
Ella Land, Ethan Land, and Brynn Madden put the finishing touches to an auction item for the 17th Annual Pearls to Pluff Mud Dinner and Auction Event. Upper School student, Ethan Land, volunteered to build the beach playhouse as a student contribution to the school’s annual fundraiser. Bethany Carlson crocheted a Stingray, the school’s mascot, as a donation for the auction. Keeping healthy is a high priority for many of today’s teenagers. This is what motivated fifteen upper school Cross students to start a Teens for Healthy Youth (THY) club on the school campus three years ago. The program was created for schools in 2014 by Lowcountry Alliance for Healthy Youth (LCAHY), to engage teens in healthy choices. Cross Schools nurse and club sponsor, Wendy Cummings, shares that “THY students are helping to improve and promote healthy choices around our school. My hope for THY is to bring more awareness and publicity to the club. I want these students to encourage everyone in the school to make good, healthy choices.”
Freshman Max Homann embraced this year’s writing challenge set by Chapman University, themed The Strength of Love and the Will to Survive, and his efforts paid off. Homann placed as a finalist (students whose works were chosen to move forward with the possibility of winning a top prize) among 115 entries in the poetry and prose division of the competition. This year 7,000 students from 241 schools internationally entered the competition. Homann chose to study the testimony of Bluma Goldberg, who settled with her husband Felix, in Columbia, South Carolina after WW2, as inspiration for his essay. His essay is also entered into the local writing competition hosted by the SC Council on the Holocaust.
Photo Credit: Ms. Brougham-Cook
Pictured right: Max Homann and Ms. B-C discuss Max’s The Strength of Love and the Will to Survive essay.
Attendees can learn how to help the turtles who come to the island annually. The session is a launch for sea turtle season.
For more information, visit seaturtlepatrolhhi.org.
• Sabor Latino Spring Festival will be held from noon to 9 p.m. May 21 at Shelter Cove Community Park on Hilton Head Island.
The event features Latin music and dancing by various groups.
Cost is $10 per person. For more information, visit laislamagazine.com.
• The Bluffton Library will offer a
number of events during June and July to celebrate Summer Reading. The first will be Trivia by the Book, presented by Good Company Readers Theatre on June 3. All ages are welcome to play a game that mingles trivia with short passages from well-known books, poems, and stories related to this year’s Summer Reading theme, “All Together Now!”
The children’s session is 1 to 1:45 p.m.; adult session is 2-2:45 p.m. Cookies and punch will be served, and prizes will be awarded.
In addition, Chloee McGuigan, Beaufort County Recycling Coordinator, will discuss “Trash Less, Recycle More: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!” at the library from 10 to 11 a.m. June 7. She will talk about the importance of waste reduction and the vital role recycling plays in accomplishing waste reduction goals.
McGuigan will also discuss how to
promote proper waste disposal that diverts waste from the landfill, improving our waterways and helping to keep Beaufort County beautiful! Register at 843-255-6503.
The Bluffton Library is located at 120 Palmetto Way in Bluffton Village. For more information, visit beaufortcountylibrary.org.
• The monthly Palm Trees & Pistons car show will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. June 10 at Sea Turtle Marketplace on Hilton Head Island, in the parking lot of the former SteinMart store.
The show will feature vintage, antique, exotic, muscle and unique cars owned by area locals.
Any car owner who would like to display their vehicle(s) are welcome to bring them for show and tell, and to meet others of like mind.
Not a car owner? Come by and see some cool cars. It’s all free!
The show is held the second Saturday of each month and is free and open to the public. The event is weather dependent.
• Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day 2023 will be held from noon to 4 p.m. July 29 at the Frissel Community House at Penn Center, 16 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, St. Helena. Activities will include authentic Gullah/Geechee food, arts and crafts, presentations, music and dancing. The event is presented by the Gullah/Geechee Nation and is free and open to the public.
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2364 MILES INTO AN EPIC RUN FROM THE OREGON COAST TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS, GRADY LAMBERT WAS TRAGICALLY KILLED. THE CHARITABLE RUN WAS TO FINISH ON THE BEACH ON HILTON HEAD WITH LOCAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
CELEBRATE GRADY’S LIFE AND SUPPORT HIS MISSION BY PARTICIPATING IN A 5K RUN OR 1 MILE BEACH WALK AND JOINING US AT GRADYFEST.
St. Gregory the Great Catholic
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In mid-April, Adam Corn, a 17-year veteran of the Bluffton Township Fire District (BTFD), was promoted from Captain to Assistant Chief of Operations.
He will step into the position vacated by Derek Church, who was previously promoted to Deputy Chief of Administration.
Chief Corn began his public service career with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Austin, Texas, in 2000. He next worked for the City of Austin Police Department before transitioning from law enforcement to fire services in March 2006.
During his tenure with the Bluffton fire district, Corn has worked his way up through the ranks, beginning as a firefighter, advancing to lieutenant, captain, station captain, and now assistant chief.
“The experience Chief Corn brings to the assistant chief’s position, including both law enforcement and firefighting, is definitely an asset to our
organization,” said District Chief Paul Boulware.
“Adam is well-respected by the BTFD family, and I look forward to seeing the contributions he makes and working with him as we continue to build a top-notch organization,” Boulware said. “Our leadership team represents the best of the best, and we continue to attract and develop some of the most exceptional firefighters in the state. Chief Corn’s addition to the team will assist us in that pursuit.”
Chief Corn has also been a paramedic, registered through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, since 2010, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado. He was officially recognized by the Fire District Board at their regular monthly meeting April 18.
For more information about the department, call 843-757-2800, visit blufftonfd.com or email info@blufftonfd.com.
• The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Small Business Week through May 19 with several events.
A panel discussion, “Road to Entrepreneurship,” will be held at 10 a.m. May 17 at Culinary Institute of the South in Buckwalter Place in Bluffton.
Keynote speaker is Zachery Green, owner of consulting firm Warrior Performance Framework.
Panelists include Laurie Brown, owner of Aunt Laurie’s; Jennifer Megliore, owner of ArtWare, who was recently named S.C. Small Business Person of the Year; Patricia Cameron, business consultant; and David Nelems, CEO of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation.
A Bluffton Block Party will be held at 5:30 p.m. May 18 at Lowcountry Fresh Market and Cafe.
Food Truck Friday will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. May 19 at Shelter Cove Community Park.
For more information and tickets, visit hiltonheadchamber.org.
• Miguel Lopez Jr. has been named the new Director of Soccer Program at Cross Schools.
A native of Hilton Head Island, Lopez is a highly successful high school soccer player who captained the Hilton Head High School team as a senior. He has been coaching with Storm/ Tormenta since 2010, when he was a freshman at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
Lopez brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Cross Schools, having earned the United States Soccer Federation “C” license and United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma. His ability
to build positive personal relationships with parents and families, and his commitment to a growth mindset, allow him to find success on a daily basis.
As the Director of Soccer Program, Lopez will oversee all Cross soccer programs, including all school teams, Lower School after-school soccer, and all soccer camps.
Additionally, he will be introducing a new “morning soccer training” program before school during the 2023-24 school year. More information about the program will be released over the summer.
For general information about Cross Schools, visit CrossSchools.org.
• Kimberly Ingram has joined Savannah Surfaces as administrative assistant at the company’s headquarters in Hardeeville.
Ingram brings 20 years’ experience as an administrative assistant and custom-
er service representative. She was most recently the administrative assistant for Ohio Gratings at their Ridgeland manufacturing facility.
At Savannah Surfaces, her duties at the reception desk include greeting customers, overseeing administrative projects, and assisting interior and exterior sales teams.
Savannah Surfaces is a provider of quality surfacing across the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire. Borne out of 30 years of experience, the company sources materials domestically and internationally, identifying unique products and importing them at competitive prices.
For more information, visit savannahsurfaces.com or call 843-784-6060.
PALLIATIVE, HOSPICE AND GRIEF FOR OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1977 CAREMiguel Lopez Jr. Kimberly Ingram
AutoNation Subaru Hilton Head presented the Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine with a check for $15,557, raised during the dealership’s Share the Love event. Pictured from left are Paul Hunt and Colin Mondero of Eastern Region Subaru of America; Ken Kirby, general manager of Subaru Hilton Head; Dennis Toney, director of development for BJVIM; and William Harper, customer relations manager for Subaru Hilton Head. Toney said the recent gift brings the dealership’s total donations to more than $100,000.
• Chris Katon has been named Director of Dining Services at The Seabrook of Hilton Head.
A graduate of Worcester State University, Katon’s culinary experience includes serving as Director of Food & Beverage at The Cypress of Hilton Head, Director of Restaurants at The Sea Pines Resort, and owner of Aqua Grille & Lounge.
In his spare time, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Jeff Katon Scholarship Foundation in honor of his late brother.
Katon previously served on the Hilton Head Hospitality Association’s Executive Committee.
The Seabrook is known for its top-notch dining services.
A nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization, The Seabrook is the only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the area that offers three housing options: condominium purchase, entry fee contract, and studio rentals.
For more information about The Seabrook of Hilton Head, visit theseabrook. com.
• Shayne Milligan has been hired as the head football coach at John Paul II Catholic School.
Milligan brings 10 years of football coaching experience as well as six years
of track and field coaching experience to JPII. He has spent the past four seasons at Concord (N.C.) High School as the varsity offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and recruiting coordinator, as well as the outdoor and indoor track and field head coach.
Milligan, who is currently the department chair for special education at Concord High School, will serve as a full-time special education teacher at JPII.
Milligan was a three-year letterman quarterback at Wakefield (N.C.) High School where he earned first team all-conference honors twice, as well as a Wendy’s High School Heisman Award Nominee. He earned a full scholarship to Elon University for football after being accepted as a preferred walk-on and played four years of professional arena football.
“I think of football as an analogy for life,” said Milligan. “Learning how to overcome obstacles, learning how to win with class and good character. Football and good coaches teach players hard work ethic, moral integrity, discipline, and accountability. When my players graduate, I hope they leave prepared to be great men….”
The Milligan family, who will be relocating to the Beaufort area, includes his wife, Lauren, and their three children, Nathan, James, and Ryann.
A native South Carolinian, Lynne hails from the capital city of Columbia, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of South Carolina. She moved to Hilton Head Island in 1984 for a typography job, not even realizing there was a beach. The next year, she met Amos, the man who would become her husband and soul mate. They married in 1990 on one of the beaches they discovered. A frequent crosser of the bridges to Bluffton, Lynne worked at the local daily for nine years and has been with the Sun since 2009. While her job is editing, she also enjoys writing, and is confident there is a novel in her head somewhere.
ENJOYS: Waterfalls, good coffee, hanging out with the fam.
Creating an estate plan is an opportunity to make sure you will avoid some big problems for you and your loved ones. The four main problems to avoid are 1. Unnecessary court involvement, related costs, and lack of privacy; 2. Family conflict; 3. Taxes; and 4. Loss to in-laws and other creditors.
Unnecessary court involvement, related costs, and lack of privacy can easily be avoided by using powers of attorney (health and financial) and private trust agreements. With these legal instruments, you can spare your family and loved ones from having to endure unnecessary court
involvement.
Your privacy can be protected and costs of administration can be substantially reduced. One of the best ways to transfer property is by using private trust agreements so the assets do not have to go through court supervised administration, e.g., probate.
Family conflict can easily be avoided if care is taken to determine who serves as a fiduciary, to what extent they must report their activity, and to what extent they are to be paid, if anything. Among family, we usually suggest they do not get paid. If they get paid, it is income for income tax purposes and it can create resentment from siblings.
Many taxes can easily be avoided. Here, we are mostly concerned with maximum deferral of income taxes on retirement accounts. Also, we seek to avoid estate taxes. With a little care, we can easily structure affairs to avoid, and/or defer, these taxes.
Loss to in-laws and other creditors can be
easily avoided for your children by leaving their share to them in a trust. If you leave assets to a loved one “in trust” they can be the trustee and the assets can be protected from lawsuits, protected from estate taxes in child’s estate and protected form loss if your child gets sued or divorced.
Let us assume, for example, Jack and Jill just moved here from Michigan and they have two children: Amy and Matt.
Amy is married to Joe and they have two children, Liz and Frank.
Matt is married to Liz and hey have one child, Kelly, who is disabled and receiving government benefits.
Jack and Jill have a timeshare in Arizona. They want to avoid all of the above problems and have concerns about Kelly inheriting because it could jeopardize her government benefits.
Also, they want to make sure Joe never gets a penny of what they might leave to Amy,
and that Liz never gets a penny of what they might leave to Matt. What should they do?
They should create an estate plan that uses private family agreements (revocable trusts) and powers of attorney, and one that leaves assets to their children “in trusts” with remainder to their children.
Their trust should direct that, if a beneficiary who inherits is receiving government benefits, their share shall be held in a special needs trust for their benefit, to supplement benefits they get. Also, their trust will be protected from most lawsuits. Because of the trusts, no unnecessary probate court costs and fees will accrue.
Good planning avoids problems. Avoiding problems and protecting what’s yours in advance gives you peace of mind.
Mark F. Winn, J.D., Master of Laws (LL.M.) in estate planning, is a local asset protection, estate and elder law planning attorney. mwin-
At our hospital, we create rehabilitation programs that are specifically designed for each patient’s needs, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. It’s why so many people and their caregivers choose us. And why we are the trusted choice of a growing number of medical professionals.
HALO Primary Care is a new primary care office in Bluffton, SC. Here at HALO, we believe you should be in charge of your health. We understand that each patient is different; therefore, we strive to work with you to develop a plan of care that is obtainable and reasonable.
• House calls are offered to homebound patients living in the 29909 and 29910 zip codes.
• Telehealth visits are also offered for established patients.
By Jada Gaines CONTRIBUTOR
Some of the most common mistakes made in estate planning can be easily avoided. The reason why many make these mistakes is because they didn’t know what to look for.
In estate planning, the old saying holds true that “When you know better, you do better.” Knowing what common mistakes to avoid when creating (or updating) is just as important as the estate plan itself. Here are a few things to look out for:
Failure to plan. It’s no surprise that the most common mistake one can make in estate planning is not taking the time to craft one. Estate planning is one of the most procrastinated topics. Not dedicating a small percentage of your time to prioritize creating a comprehensive and complete estate plan puts your estate, your legacy, and loved ones at a viable risk.
Contingent beneficiary. Death beneficiary designations come with both pros and cons. Many use beneficiary designations as a means to avoid a specific asset being subject to the probate process, but fail to plan for the possibility of their primary beneficiaries predeceasing them. Have you accounted for a contingent beneficiary?
Lifetime planning. Some of the most underappreciated documents are powers of attorney. Ideally, a durable financial power of attorney and a health care power of attorney should be part of any well-crafted estate plan. Many fail to appreciate the value of these documents, leaving their loved ones with the troubles of having to seek guardianship or conservatorship over them.
Digital assets. In the wonderful new
world of technology that we live in, how can we forget to plan for our digital assets? Digital assets are not just things such as “cryptocurrency” or online banking. What about email accounts, social media pages, business websites, etc.? If your estate plan doesn’t lay the foundation for how your digital assets are to be handled and managed, then your plan will be in for a bumpy ride.
Failing to update. Your estate plan should remain current and be a reflection of your life changes. Whenever a major life event occurs (death, divorce, birth, relationship change, etc.), your estate plan may require an update or two. Likewise, even if you have not encountered any life-changing event, you should still review your estate plan oncer every three to five years to make sure your plan still suits your wishes.
Empty trust. Having a trust as part of your estate plan can be a beautiful thing – unless its unfunded. In order to have certain assets properly become part of a trust, those assets need to be retitled. This is part of what we call the “trust funding process.” An unfunded trust is a useless trust – and a waste of money!
Final arrangements. Have you ever watched a movie where there was a drama scene surrounding funeral arrangements and/or who was to be in control of the disposition of someone’s body? Well, it’s not only in the movies – it happens in real life. When you pass away, your family will already be grieving your death. One of the last gifts you can leave your family is information or instructions on how you’d like to be celebrated.
Speak with an estate planning attorney to avoid having your estate plan fall victim to some of these most common pitfalls.
Board-certified orthopedic surgeon H. Kevin Jones, M.D., and his surgical team celebrated a milestone recently. They completed their 500th robot-assisted joint replacement surgery last week at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
“This is an exciting milestone,” said Jones, who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists in Okatie and Beaufort. “The Mako SmartRobotics technology has been a game changer for total joint replacement, and we are seeing great outcomes.”
Jones and several other Beaufort Memorial surgeons began using the Mako surgical system for knee replacements in February 2020 and added robot-assisted hip replacement the next year, with Jones performing the hospital’s first hip replacement using the technology.
Jones, who serves as medical director of the Hip and Knee Replacement Program at BMH, is an expert in the assessment, preser-
vation and restoration of joint function, specializing in total hip and knee replacement. With the Mako SmartRobotics system, a CT scan is taken of the joint prior to surgery
in order to create a 3D virtual model of the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon uses the model to evaluate bone structure, disease severity, joint alignment and the surrounding
bone and tissue to determine the optimal size, placement and alignment of the implant components.
Clinical studies have shown the state-ofthe-art surgical system improves outcomes by allowing the surgeon to customize the placement and alignment of the implant components to each patients’ unique anatomy, providing more natural movement of the joint and increasing its longevity.
Due to the added precision, most patients also experience less post-operative pain and a faster return to normal activities, with some going home the day of their surgery.
“This is a testament to the Beaufort Memorial total joint program, which includes a really talented office staff, dedicated professionals in the Joint Replacement Center and hospital leadership keeping our program on the cutting edge,” said Jones.
For more information, visit bmhsc.org/ mako.
Vaginal rejuvenation is a topic that’s rarely discussed in public forums. Consequently, there are many misconceptions and queries surrounding this non-surgical procedure. We will answer some of the most frequently asked questions to help you decide if non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation is for you.
• Ladies who have noticed that sexual intercourse has become less pleasurable and sometimes downright painful due to dryness, decreased sensation and other changes, making it difficult or impossible to achieve orgasm.
• Ladies who have noticed what seems to be laxity or a widening of the vaginal opening and/or the vaginal canal.
• Ladies who see an elongated, sagging labia minora, which can also sometimes get
in the way of sex.
• And ladies who experience stress urinary incontinence (that pesky urine leak with activities like jumping, sneezing or coughing).
What is the procedure like? The most effective non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation will utilize a device that harnesses the power of radiofrequency and ultrasound introduced both into the vaginal canal as well as applied externally. This small and comfortable device is gently inserted while the patient relaxes in a semi-reclined position. The treatment is painless and only takes 8 minutes for the vaginal portion.
The energy from the device stimulates blood flow and the body then generates new and stronger collagen fibers. A series of four treatments once weekly is recommended with two annual maintenance treatments.
Can vaginal rejuvenation help with menopause symptoms? Yes! Menopause
symptoms are related to changes in hormone levels and include vaginal dryness, decreased sensitivity and libido, incontinence issues and painful sex. Vaginal rejuvenation can help many of these symptoms and often is considered a facelift for the vagina and vulva.
Is vaginal rejuvenation safe? Absolutely! Vaginal rejuvenation has been cleared as a safe treatment and presents minimal side effects for women. The procedure is non-surgical, so no incisions are made. The majority of women are candidates for the procedure but there are a few individuals who might not be eligible, including women who may be pregnant, or those with an IUD, vaginal or urinary tract infections, undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding, a history of abnormal pap smears, or endometriosis. Is there any downtime after the procedure? Zero! You can resume all activities, even intimacy, as you wish. Some women
feel warmth in the vaginal area and some tingling sensations for a short time. Empowerment through understanding. It can be intimidating to think about any kind of procedure in the single most sensitive area of the female body. But vaginal rejuvenation offers so much more than you might think.
Vaginal rejuvenation recharges the feminine libido, makes sex more pleasurable, reduces stress urinary incontinence, improves the external appearance, and can alleviate some of the most common symptoms of menopause.
Start the conversation with a qualified provider today and make every moment more enjoyable!
Dr. Audrey A. Klenke, MD, FACS, is a co-owner and medical director of Pinnacle Plastic Surgery, Pinnacle Dermatology and Pure Medical Spa with offices in Bluffton and Beaufort.
There’s been a spike in demand for backyard pools since the pandemic as families have stayed close to home for summer fun. Unfortunately, this surge in backyard pool sales has also meant an increase in accidents and potential safety issues.
As the weather warms up, here are some water safety tips to keep in mind for your backyard pool.
Safety measures: In addition to state and Town-required safety measures for inground and above-ground swimming pools, you should implement additional safety measures to keep your backyard pool safe.
You can control access to your pool by:
• Installing and maintaining barriers that surround all sides of the pool, such as fencing.
• Using a self-closing and self-latching
gate. Ensure the latch is high enough that a young child can’t reach it.
• Using locks and alarms to alert you when someone enters the backyard pool area.
• Removing above-ground pool ladders when they aren’t being used.
You can also remove all toys and floats from the pool when they aren’t being used. These objects can lure a child into the water.
Pool rules: It’s important to review pool rules with your family periodically and ensure you’re practicing backyard pool safety
regularly. Here are some rules that are important:
• Never swim alone, even if you’re an adult. More than one person should always be present in case of an emergency.
• Adults should be actively watching anytime a child is using or playing near the backyard pool. During backyard get-togethers, designate an adult to be the pool monitor and rotate responsibilities frequently.
• Teach your children to stay away from danger zones, such as pool drains and other openings in the pool. Clothing and hair can get stuck in these openings and trap swimmers. Make sure everyone knows how to quickly shut off filters when necessary.
Every backyard pool owner should also create a pool emergency kit that is within easy reach during an emergency. Include a standard first aid kit and a floatation device to throw to struggling swimmers.
Learn to swim, take CPR class: One of the best ways to prevent backyard pool accidents is to enroll children in swim lesson classes. They’ll learn how to swim, but they’ll also learn to respect the water and to recognize water safety concerns on their own.
Because of the bounty of water in our Lowcountry, this is a concern that extends beyond your own backyard.
You can also take a CPR, AED and First Aid class as a family. You’ll learn important lifesaving skills for a variety of emergencies. Classes are available in person, remotely and in a hybrid format.
Cinda Seamon is the fire and life safety educator for Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.
A specific client of mine insists on letting her hair go gray. We had a very detailed conversation about the pros and cons, so I thought I would share them with you.
Of course, I am totally pro “dye ’til you die.” There are a number of valid reasons to continue coloring or highlighting your white hair.
The No. 1 positive is that it the getting rid of the emerging white hair makes anyone look younger. All salt-colored – and even salt-and-pepper – hair is void of all warmth. The lack of warm tones washes out the skin, which results in more visible age spots and wrinkles.
Gray hair also has a different coarseness and texture, which makes the hair more difficult to style. Its wiry cuticle also causes hair to frizz or look frizzy.
You need to treat yourself and pay attention to your appearance. It would definitely make you feel better to look in the mirror if your hair is warmer and more youthful, wouldn’t it? When you look better, you feel better.
As we age, anything that makes you feel better is a plus. The appropriate cut and color for you will make you look 10 years younger and 10 pounds thinner. This is the least expensive way to feel great and spend
little. (The bonding time with me is also a huge plus. Just saying. Fun time away from the house.)
To be fair, here is my client’s viewpoint on the topic. The positive points of not coloring hair are less obvious to me, but are equally valid.
Barbara (not her real name) been with the same man for 40+ years. She is comfortable letting her hair go gray because her husband went gray and is balding. (I can add more pepper to men’s hair without it looking the least bit obvious. So, both men and women fit into my above pros.)
Another point is that Barbara feels that she doesn’t need to or, in her words, feel like
she should spend the time or money on a vanity issue when others have bigger health issues as they age.
I still think you need to treat yourself in your mature years.
Obviously, living on a fixed income could be a deterrent. That I can so identify with; however, the correct highlights and lowlights between the new growth can be a very cost-effective way to not see the line of gray as it comes in, and maintaining it is much less frequent and more graceful.
Just remember, women and men, even if you are thinking of going gray, having some pepper color blended throughout the new gray adds life. It’s the best way to not look like you’re coloring your hair yet not looking your age.
You can’t argue with that.
Tidewatch Emergency Department in Okatie recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Acute Stroke Ready Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to quality patient care.
Tidewatch Emergency Department underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review Jan. 25. During the visit, a team of reviewers
evaluated compliance with Acute Stroke Ready standards spanning several areas including program management; delivering, facilitating and improving high quality clinical care; and involving patients in their plan of care and disease management.
The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“As a heath care accreditor, The Joint Commission works with health care organizations across settings to help improve patient safety and quality of care through our expert resources and tools, innovative solutions and rigorous standards,” said Deborah Ryan, MS, RN, interim executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission.
Joel C. Taylor, market CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, said “We are incredibly
proud of our team at Tidewatch Emergency Department for achieving this accreditation. In addition to this recent recognition, Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital are both Advanced Primary Stroke certified by The Joint Commission, further solidifying our commitment to serve the community with the highest level of care.”
Tidewatch is the area’s first stand-alone emergency facility. For more information, visit hiltonheadregional.com.
LPGA Girls Golf is the only national junior golf program that specializes in providing girl-friendly environments. Our local Lowcountry chapter is celebrating its 14th year.
The LPGA Girls Golf Club has partnered with the First Tee of the Lowcountry which gives more girls the opportunity to learn golf in a fun and supportive environment. Girls are one of the fastest growing populations to take up the great game of golf.
Club members get to practice at the First Tee, Berkeley Hall and the Colleton River Par 3 course. The instructors for the program are some of the best teachers in the Lowcountry.
The major fundraiser for the program is the Women Growing the Game Clinic for local women who want to support the girls’
program. The clinic will be held May 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Hall Learning Center, a state of-the-art facility with four full-size greens with practice bunkers, an undulated practice putting green, and a driving range with target greens for fullswing practice.
Women can show their support by registering for the clinic or by making a donation. The money raised by this clinic helps with scholarships, purchasing of golf equipment, and motor skill development teaching aids.
Funding also goes to the Girls Golf field trip to the RBC Heritage. Each girl is given a shirt or hoodie to wear during the sessions so that they feel like they are on a team. The cost for the two-hour clinic is $85. Checks should be made out to LPGA Girls Golf – First Tee Lowcountry and mailed to 38 Millwright Drive, Hilton Head Island 29926. Please include phone number and
email address so confirmations can be sent. The LPGA professionals teaching the clinic are, in alphabetical order:
• Jordan Britt is an up-and-coming professional golfer. She was a two-time All-American golfer at the University of Tennessee. Played on the LPGA Symetra tour.
• Julie Cole is director of Women’s Golf at Sea Pines Resort Golf Learning Center. Ranked an LPGA Top 50 instructor.
• Krista Dunton is director of instruction at Berkeley Hall and site director for the local Girls golf program. Top 100 teacher for Golf Magazine, Golf Digest Top 50 teacher and 2023 South Carolina PGA Teacher of the Year.
• Stephanie George is head golf professional at Berkeley Hall.
• Dr. Jean Harris has been a teaching professional for 45 years. Master Teaching Professional who has been Section Teach-
er of the Year and a Top 50 Best Women teacher by Golf Digest. Currently teaches at Pinecrest Golf Club.
• Betty Kaufmann was the men’s golf coach at DePaul University for 20 years and has traveled internationally working with junior golfers. She has won numerous Coach of the Year awards.
• Carol Preisinger is the lead teaching professional at the Landings Club in Savannah. Top 100 instructor for Golf Magazine, Golf Digest Top 50 Elite Teacher, a two- time LPGA National Teacher of the Year. Recently inducted in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
• Rita Slavetskas is a local teaching professional who has worked with the LPGA Girls Golf Program. LPGA Top 50 Teaching Professional.
Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local golf courses. jean. golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean. com
8:30am Outdoor Worship
10:30am Traditional Worship in Sanctuary
Both Services live-streamed at ProvidenceHHI.org
843-842-5673
PPC@ProvidenceHHI.org
Located on the south end of the Island on Cordillo Parkway (halfway between Pope Avenue and the Sea Pines Ocean Gate)
171 Cordillo Parkway
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
As the headline asks, can one swim laps and swim better at the same time? Regrettably, you can’t. Swim strokes are a matter of habit. Changing a habit requires big changes a little bit at a time. It is possible to focus and change for a stroke or two at a time, then to go back and start again. Beyond that, habit takes over.
I’ve seen swimmer after swimmer try to take advice and become more efficient … for a stroke or two. But if they continue to complete a lap, by the fourth or fifth stroke they are back to their old habits again. My book, “Swim Better,” mentions only two rules. First, “Do something different,” like a more efficient stroke. Second, though, is “Quality over quantity,” which means to stop as soon as, or even before, the stroke becomes inefficient.
Repeat the small success, again and again, making it a new habit; then gradually add only a stroke at a time. Again, repeat, etc. It will take as many sessions as necessary to ingrain the new habit, but that will be worth it for the rest of your swimming life.
OK, that’s the ideal, but what can I do for a swimmer who wants to get his/her lap goal completed each session? I recommend single-arm swimming. That way the swimmer focuses on efficiency for just one arm at a time for a pool length.
Believe me, there are enough aspects or nuances to make that a challenge. Then the swimmer does the same with the other arm on the return lap, thus facing the same wall each way.
Does it work? It does for me because, for example, I can’t keep up a butterfly stroke for more than a couple of laps, but I can keep going a long way if I swim single-arm. It’s even easier and better to do single-arm
for front or back crawl, which should be swum efficiently side-to-side through (not on) the front or back.
Single-arm swimming makes it easier to stroke closer to the midline of the body and to recover with just the upper arm while the lower arm relaxes between strokes. Note: For breaststroke, alternate upper body (arms and breath) and lower body (kick and glide) instead of single-arm. Doing drills, such as single-arm swimming, is also a way to add variety to the boredom of swimming the same stroke(s) lap after lap. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.
Dr. Bob Colyer of Bluffton is an actively retired college professor, coach and author of “Swim Better: A Guide to Greater Efficiency for Swimmers & Instructors,” directed primarily to non-competitors. bobcolyer@ yahoo.com
By Pete Berntson CONTRIBUTOR
The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes quotes the “teacher” as stating “there is a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens.”
The teacher then lists several examples of beginnings and ends.
My beginning as one of several contributors to this section of the Bluffton Sun started in 2011. Bill Griffin, a passionate ad salesman for this paper, informed me within days of my arrival in the Lowcountry that part of my job as his newly appointed pastor was to submit articles to this paper. I think even he would be surprised that I have continued all this time, even now – four years since his death.
So, with a mixture of profound gratitude and sadness, I now write this final submission after 12 years. I have been appointed to
serve a congregation in another part of the state. So, the end has come for my time in the Lowcountry.
Please know that I am humbled by the countless comments and messages that have encouraged and challenged me over these years. I will ever be grateful to Bill Griffin, B.J. Frazier, Lynne Hummell and Kevin Aylmer for this opportunity – and for their tolerance and patience!
When I first started writing, I never imag-
ined that I would have the opportunity to share my thoughts on faith and discipleship with such a wide and diverse audience. But as the years have passed, I have come to realize the power of the written word to connect us with one another, inspire and challenge us, and draw us closer to the heart of God. Through the pages of this publication, I have shared my joys and struggles, my doubts and fears, and my deepening understanding of what it means to follow Jesus in
a world that often seems to be struggling. I have explored the mysteries of the Christian faith, shared observations of life, and God’s continued presence, grace and mercy.
I have been struck by how writing has helped me connect with you, the readers, in a way I never imagined. Through your comments and feedback, your questions and challenges, you have helped shape and refine my thinking and deepen my understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
I pray that these articles have been a source of encouragement and inspiration to you as they have been to me. And I pray that as we continue to journey together in faith, we will always be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, who alone can guide us into all truth and wisdom.
With gratitude and love … always!
Pete Berntson is the pastor of Church of the Palms United Methodist Church in Okatie.
As dog owners, we tend to focus on puppies and adopted older dogs. As a trainer, I focus on the needs of individual dogs and their owners’ concerns.
The biggest misconceptions when adopting an adult older dog – even as young as a year old – is that they are already potty trained and that they don’t have all the puppy behaviors new owners are trying to avoid, such as biting, chewing and jumping.
Of course, some adopted dogs, if they have come from a household where those things have been taught at an early age, might no longer have those issues. However, many older dogs have not been trained – and that could have contributed as to why they were put up for adoption.
In other cases, these dogs might have been strays and as such have learned no skills what-
soever. Or, as is often the case, they have been backyard dogs and have been taught nothing. None of these are the dogs fault – and kudos to those of you who have opened your hearts and homes and are embarking on teaching them the right path.
When dogs are lacking the age appropriate skills and behaviors and are acting out inappropriately for their age, this is called “delayed puppyhood” or “delayed adolescence.” Teaching them requires patience.
Since they have missed the window of opportunity for the easiest time to learn these behaviors and skills, you might have to consult with a professional, as the techniques for training are somewhat different than if the dog was younger or had come from a different background.
In many such cases, prerequisite skill and behavior training would be necessary before you can deal directly with the issues important to you. For example, teaching a dog to lie
down before they can learn a Stay, or teaching a Sit-Stay by your side before you can work on not jumping, or teaching a dog to “Go To Place” so he does not bother people when they are eating.
It can even mean going back to using a crate or kennel to teach correct housebreaking habits or to stop them from eating your house.
If you prefer group training rather than private one-on-one training, you would need
to assess other skills your dog has, such as: Does she know her name? Does he come when called? Is she highly distractable? Does he walk well on a leash?
If no, and these dogs are adults, they might not be quite ready for group. Sometimes a new owner also needs individual training and needs a trainer to focus on what they need to learn about how to work with their specific dog. All owners and all dogs are different. It can be much more complicated if there are children in the family. Depending on their ages and interest level in the dog, they will need guidance and supervision. Kids and dogs have something in common: short attention spans. This might necessitate private one-on-one work.
So, congratulations on your adopted family member. Be patient and recognize their needs, and you will all cherish their “Gotcha Day”!
Abby Bird is owner of Alpha Dog Obedience Training. ajbird@hargray.com
Every year around this time I am just like a scratched-up, old school vinyl record. Remember when you turned your record player on, walked out of the room and one of those scratches caused the record to skip? Instead of smooth-playing music, one segment plays over and over again until you walk back into the room and give the record player a quick knock until the needle passes by the scratch and the music continues on.
So, what in the heck does that have to do with my fishing column, you may ask? One word says it all: “Cobia.”
I began begging for mercy for this wonderful fish 10 or 12 years ago when cobia stocks in Port Royal Sound were extremely healthy. In particular, the month of May was when large numbers of cobia would enter the Sound, and on any given day it was not unusual to catch a dozen or more cobia.
With research on cobia and their migration habits in its infancy, day after day saw boats coming in with outrageous numbers of cobia, many in the 50- to 80-pound range. Because I was connected to the staff at the Waddell Mariculture Center here in Bluffton, I knew that most all of these large cobia were females and almost without exception, every single one of them was loaded with eggs that would be released so they could be fertilized by male cobia.
A male cobia rarely exceeds 35 to 40
pounds and, because May is a prime breeding month, I began begging anglers to release the large females and instead, taking one or two of the smaller males.
To put it mildly, my begging caused quite a stir, with some anglers telling me that I didn’t know what I was talking about and my prediction that stocks would crash if things didn’t change was pure hogwash.
I am by no means a soothsayer but, as cobia fishing became more popular, the crash happened and since then state waters are closed for catching cobia the entire month of May so that, Lord willing, our Port Royal cobia can make a comeback.
Instrumental towards this goal is the work the folks at the Waddell Mariculture Center have been doing year after year. The state-owned center is a hidden gem here in Bluffton, located on Sawmill Creek Road.
The marine biologists there capture live male and female cobia with very specific DNA characteristics and, using huge tanks that mimic perfect light and water temperature conditions, they entice these fish to breed. It is truly a marvel to see.
Just last year Waddell released 36,000 cobia in Port Royal Sound. It is hoped that enough of them will survive to adulthood to migrate back to the Sound, where they will breed as nature intended, so that one day stocks will once again be vibrant.
Erin Levesque, Waddell’s director, informed me that this year they got an early start and, in large aeriated ponds on the
property, they have nearly a million tiny cobia trying to get a start on life. The mortality rate is high with such young fish, but it is hoped they can match the record number released last year.
What concerns me the most is the cobia that migrate into our federal waters. Though I don’t cobia fish much at all, I counted 54 boats fishing for cobia at the Betsy Ross artificial reef last week. Having served on various boards that recommend catch limits, I was shocked when South Carolina set a limit of six cobia per boat. To me that is crazy, because one male cobia has enough meat to feed a small army. Add to that the continuing rise in popularity of catching cobia, they are being hammered from the time they leave Florida waters all the way up
to the Chesapeake Bay.
As for our cobia around the artificial reefs at the Betsy Ross and nearby Tire Reef, I don’t think many anglers realize that a portion of the females caught in these places might be part of the decimated Port Royal stocks that are either on their way to breed in the Sound or have just dropped their eggs in the Sound and are on their migration farther north.
Maybe this column will set off a light in local anglers’ brains, encouraging them to let the big gals go. I can only hope this is the case.
Lastly, to keep a cobia, the fish must be more than 36 inches fork length. Here is where I really get heated up, when I see boats at the Betsy Ross gaff an undersized fish and, realizing it is too short, throw it overboard. I have seen this countless times and it drives me absolutely nuts.
Invest in a large landing net so that once boated, undersized fish can be released unharmed. It’s up to us to protect this wonderful fish.
Mark my words! If anglers’ attitude toward cobia doesn’t change soon, the feds are going to close down this fishery much like red snapper.
Don’t be just a fisherman! Instead, be a responsible fisherman. Spread the word! Collins Doughtie, a 60-year resident of the Lowcountry, is a sportsman, graphic artist, and lover of nature. collinsdoughtie@icloud. com
By Mark Deloach CONTRIBUTOR
As South Carolina enters the warm season, it’s crucial for residents to focus on maintaining the health and beauty of your lawn and ornamental landscape. Here are some valuable suggestions to help you overcome common challenges during this time of year and keep your outdoor spaces vibrant and thriving.
Water wisely: Proper watering is essential for warm season grass and ornamental plants. Water deeply and infrequently, aiming for one inch of water per week. Deep watering promotes strong root growth and resilience to drought. Consider investing in an automatic irrigation system with a rain sensor for efficient watering.
Fertilize appropriately: Use a slow-release fertilizer formulated for warm season grasses to provide essential nutrients. Follow recom-
mended application rates and frequencies to avoid over-fertilization. For ornamental plants, choose a balanced fertilizer based on the N-P-K ratio indicated on the package. Pest and weed control: Monitor your lawn and landscape for pests and weeds, which thrive in warmer temperatures. Apply insecticides or herbicides as needed, following instructions carefully. Seek advice from local experts to find the best solution for
your specific needs. Consistent treatments of problem weeds will reduce the likely hood of spreading.
Mowing and maintenance: Maintain the proper mowing height for your grass type, usually between 1.5 to 3.5 inches, depending on your specific turf type. Sharpen mower blades regularly to ensure clean cuts and prevent diseases. Remove spent flowers and prune damaged branches from ornamental
plants for healthy growth.
Mulching and soil care: Mulch around ornamental plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Maintain a 2- to 3-inch layer, keeping it away from plant stems to prevent rot and provide adequate airflow. Conduct a soil test to determine nutrient levels and pH balance, amending the soil as necessary. Making proper soil amendments such as organic top dressing or liquid soil enhancements are ideal for the lawn this time of year.
Taking care of your warm season lawn and ornamental landscape is essential this season. By following these suggestions, you can ensure the health and beauty of your outdoor spaces. Seek guidance from local gardening professionals for customized advice. Embrace the beauty of the warm season and enjoy your thriving lawn and landscape. Mark Deloach is the owner of Lawn Doctor of Beaufort County.
By Larry Stoller CONTRIBUTOR
The real estate commission is the full fee that sellers pay to sell their homes. It is a percentage of the sale price and it is agreed upon at the time of the listing. Every seller has the right to negotiate the commission, just as every agent may hold fast to his or her fee.
A commission could be 7%, 6%, 5%, more or less, and it gets paid to the real estate company upon successful closing. That means it gets paid to the companies, not the agents. Companies and agents have an agreement in place that states their split. Commissions are independently established and may be based upon quantity and quality of services provided. There are two rates of commissions that one should be aware of:
1. The commission rate (full fee) that the
seller will pay to the listing company, and
2. The rate (coop commission) included in the full fee to be paid to the selling company.
For example: A home with a 6% listing fee is sold for $500,000. The full commission will be $30,000. Of that $30,000, a percent-
age represents the coop commission to be paid to the selling company that brings in the buyer. If that coop commission is 3%, then the listing company and the selling company will each receive $15,000 (the agent will then get paid based upon their agreement with their company).
In the above example, if the listing agent brought in the buyer (which in some geographic areas is called a “hogger”) then the listing company would receive the full $30,000.
One might think that different commission rates are based upon the services that a real estate company provides. It stands to reason that more commission paid equates to more services received.
But that is not always the case, and savvy sellers should always compare the commission that they are paying to the services that they are receiving.
It is the listing agreement between the seller and the real estate company that specifies the commission and respective terms. There are different types of listing agreements (e.g., exclusive, non-exclusive, and others). In addition to spelling out the unique terms on how the home listing will be handled, the real estate commission will always be clearly stated.
Larry Stoller is a broker and Realtor with Real Estate Five of the Lowcountry. Larry@ RealEstateFive.com, RealEstateFive.com
The Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program, a division of the South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy, will offer free online training beginning May 23 to those interested in becoming a volunteer Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in Beaufort County and surrounding areas.
GALs advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children who are involved in
family court legal proceedings through the Department of Social Services (DSS).
Volunteers should be at least 21 years old, have a clean criminal record, no previous DSS case history, and be able to contribute four to five hours a month of your time for a child.
Currently the Beaufort and Jasper County GAL Program is serving 135 children, but
there are only 17 volunteer GALs to assist. While GAL staff fill in the gaps, the need for more volunteers is urgent. “We’re always looking for dedicated individuals who are passionate about advocating for children,” sais Christy Vinson, recruitment and training director.
For more information and to download an application, visit gal.sc.gov. Follow @Cass
Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program on Facebook or contact communications@ childadvocate.sc.gov to be added to the newsletter list.
Contact David McAlhaney, regional recruiter and trainer at 843-277-5849 or David.McAlhaney@chlidadvocate.sc.gov to learn more about this volunteer and training opportunity.
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The largest and most reliable local, family-owned, independent home inspection company in South Carolina LowCountry. Our friendly inspectors provide thorough inspections and detailed explanations along with a same-day report. We also provide lifetime technical advice as long as you own the property.
“Secret Blooms”
Sue Grilli, La Petite Gallerie
May 19-21
Beaufort Children’s Theatre presents “Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr.,” 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. at USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. USCBCenterForTheArts.com
May 20
“The Torching,” by local author Kerry Peresta, book signing, 11 a.m.-3 pm., Barnes & Noble, 20 Hatton Place, Hilton Head Island. kerryperesta.net
Through May 26
Art by Susan Patton, at Island Rec Center gallery, 20 Wilborn Road, Hilton Head Island. Current works on display, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
May 26-28
The Original Gullah Festival at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and other venues in Beaufort. Includes storytellers, singers, dance, drumlines and bands, workshops, food and vendors. originalgullahfestival.org.
Through May 28
Sondheim’s “Company,” Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, tickets 843-842-2787 or artshhi.org.
Through May 28
“May River Magic,” art by John Kenney, featured at Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), 6 Church St., Old Town Bluffton. Gallery
hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. sobagallery.com or 843-757-6586
May 28
“America Sings!,” annual patriotic concert, by Hilton Head choral Society, 7 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway. Features Savannah Brass Quartet and special guest speaker Gen. Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton, USAF (ret.) Tickets at hiltonheadchoralsociety.org or 843-341-3818.
Through June 17
“2023 Biennale” at Art League of Hilton Head, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. National juried art exhibit. Opening reception with awards, 5-7 p.m. May 19. Critic’s Coffee, 10 a.m.-noon May 20, $10. RSVP gallery@ artleaguehhi.org. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, 90 minutes before all Arts Center performances.
June 5-July 2
“Colors of the World,” photography exhibit by Savannah Kemper, featured at Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), 6 Church St., Bluffton. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 7 at the gallery. Free and open to the public. sobagallery.com or 843-7576586
June 10
Rod MacDonald at Music on Malphrus, 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton, at Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Familiar in NYC’s Greenwich Village in the 1980s, and touring artist since 1983. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., performance at 7 p.m. General admission $25 at the door. musiconmalphrus@gmail.com or 843-837-3330
June 19-30
Broadway Bound Summer Camp, with Beaufort Children’s Theatre, at USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret St., Beaufort. For ages 7-11, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. All aspects of musical theatre, building self-confidence, learning acting skills. Deadline to register is June 1. USCBCenterForTheArts. com
June 22-25
“Boeing Boeing,” by Sun City Community Theatre at Magnolia Hall. Performances at 7 p.m. June 22-24, and 2:30 p.m. June 25. Tickets $26 general, $23 for SCCT members. Box office, 843-645-2700 or suncitytheatre.org.
Through July 9
“Binya: Faces ob de Gullah Geechee,” at Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. Features more than 50 portraits and related objects from the 1920s, telling stories of individuals across the Gullah Geechee corridor. Open during operating hours, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 843-689-6767 or coastaldiscovery.org
Representing artists from across the country, including South Carolina, Art League of Hilton Head’s 28th national juried “Biennale” promises to be a showcase of exemplary artwork.
The exhibit will be on display from May 16 to June 17 at the Art League Gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane.
An awards reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 19. It is free and open to the public.
The national call for entries attracted 639 artworks from 35 states. Top pieces were selected based on originality of concept, composition and execution. The exhibition, which is the longest-running national juried art exhibition in the area, will feature multiple media types including oil, acrylic, pastel, watermedia, photography, mixed media, and three-dimensional.
More than $5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the most outstanding works, selected by this year’s “Biennale” judge, Aline Ordman, a pastelist known for her vivid paintings and creative use of color.
Ordman recently won the top prize in the Pastel Journal 100 competition. She is an award-winning Master Pastelist with the
Pastel Society of America, a Signature Member of both the American Impressionistic Society and the Oil Painters of America, and a Master Circle Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies.
Ordman will be on hand to present the awards at the May 19 reception. She also lead a discussion on her selection process during the Critic’s Coffee at the gallery, from 10 a.m. to noon May 20. The cost is $10; RSVP to gallery@artleaguehhi.org.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, and 90 minutes before all Arts Center performances.
For more information, call 843-681-5060 or visit artleaguehhi.org.
Art League of Hilton Head is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit visual arts organization on Hilton Head Island with a synergistic art gallery and teaching Academy.
Art League Academy welcomes artists and students in all media at all skill levels, including true beginners. Taught by professional art educators, students can choose from many art classes and workshops that change monthly.
On the night of his 35th birthday, Robert struggles to think of a wish to make as he blows out his birthday candles. The lone New York bachelor, surrounded by his married friends, is uncertain whether he should simply be happy with his lot in life or wish for his own romantic partner. Company, Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking modern musical, is a mature, intelligent, and wildly funny look at relationships, vulnerability, and “being alive.”
FIVE TIME TONY AWARD-WINNER, INCLUDING BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL.
DIRECTED BY RUSSELL GARRETT
On Saturdays at La Petite Gallerie, the intimate Old Town Bluffton gallery featuring local art, artist Lauren Terrett keeps shop and chats with visitors.
Terrett is a painter with a dynamic impressionistic style, glorious palette of color, and free flowing brush strokes. She will often let a painting find its own composition, with the texture of the paint itself contributing to the overall harmony and rhythm of the piece.
Early on, Terrett discovered two passions in her life. While her left brain loved science, her right brain wanted to create. She received her degree in fine arts, but then moved on to a rewarding career as a registered nurse. Now retired, she pursues her love of painting full time.
These days, the Lowcountry is at her door step, begging to be put on canvas. She can be found painting in the sunshine reflecting off the marsh or in her home studio. The people, landscape, architecture and culture of the south are her favorite subjects.
Her paintings have found homes locally in Palmetto Bluff, Colleton River, Berkeley Hall, Rose Hill, Sea Pines, and Hilton Head Plantation, as well as throughout the United States. Her painting “Boy Casting His Net” was recently featured on the 2023 MayFest poster.
Terrett is eager to greet visitors every Saturday at La Petite Gallerie, 56 Calhoun St. She also shows at the SOBA Gallery in Bluffton. She welcomes inquiries for commissions and private or semi private lessons.
Friday, May 19 TH 5:30-9:30
LIVE MUSIC FEATURING LIVE MUSIC FEATURING WITH
FOOD COURT
CRAFT BEER
WINE BAR
TO BENEFIT YOUR SOUND STAGE
The Original Gullah Festival 2023 will be held May 26-28 at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and various other venues in Beaufort.
The event kicks off May 26 with a 10 a.m. “walk-through” titled Lest We Forget at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven St. Workshops, including sweetgrass basket making, drum making and quilting, will begin at 11 a.m. in the workshop areas.
Main Stage events begin at 11:45 a.m. and include a student drumline and bands, with the Royal Drummers and Dancers from Sierra Leone at 6 p.m.
The All White Party starts at 9 p.m., with a DJ providing music. Tickets are available at the gate.
Festivities on May 27 include a 10 a.m. drum call, followed through the day with storytellers, dancers, singers, ring shouters and gospel performers.
At 3 p.m., Aunt Pearlie Sue and the Gullah Kinfolk present “Decoration Day,” a musical performance, at USCB Center for the Arts,
801 Carteret St. For tickets, visit gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org.
Activities for May 28 start with the 9 a.m. Hour of Power Worship service at Lady’s Island Baptist Church, 1010 Bay St. Main Stage performances begin at 2 p.m. with more drums, a male chorus, a Gullah rapper, other singers and dancers, and ends with the Parris Island Marine Corps Band at 6:30 p.m.
For the complete schedule, tickets and more information, visit originalgullahfestival.org.
Phil Lindsey was honored that his poem, “A Little Tipsy,” was chosen for the new Poetry Trail on Hilton Head, and more than amused that it was to be “located” at Roller’s Wine & Spirits on Palmetto Bay Road.
“I suppose it’s only fitting,” Lindsey said.
At the launch party April 19, held at Rollers, Elizabeth Robin, a poet and host for the event, on behalf of Island Writers Network, shared with attendees the list of 24 stations along the island-wide trail and the accompanying poem at each stop.
“Poetry is compressed storytelling, and we are telling stories of our island,” Robin said.
As each stop on the trail was discussed, the poem associated with that stop was read, often by the poet. A number of the stops are where public art sculptures are installed, while others are local business partners.
Submissions from local poets were solicited and those selected were assigned to a stop on the trail. A sign at each stop encourages visitors to “Pause for a moment and enjoy the Poem and meet the poet.”
Locations were paired with poems that seemed to suit the situation, art or business. At the circular “Carocol,” a sculpture in Shelter Cove Community Park, poet Elizabeth Abrams shares her interpretation with “O’Keefe’s Woody Orchid.”
Two QR codes appear on each sign, one for the poem assigned to that stop and the other to information about the trail.
Bill Schmitt, a member of the Island Writers Network, created the signs and connected technology to the readings and maps.
The project is the result of an on-going collaboration between the Island Writer’s Network, and the Town of Hilton Head Island’s Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information and a map of the Poetry Trail, visit islandwritersnetworkhhi. org.
Accurate Lithograph
Ace Roofing Services
American Wood Reface
Barbers of the Low Country
Belfair Fine Wines & Spirits
Benchmark Physical Therapy
Bishop Eye Associates
Boshaw Law Firm
British Open Pub
Captain Woody’s
Cheers Liquors
Club Car of Hilton Head
Edward Jones - Bill Sauter
Elite Physical Therapy
ENT & Allergy Partners
EXACT Flooring Experts
Food Lion
Four Seasons Sunrooms
Georgia Eye Institute
Golis Family Jewelers
Harbor Point Dentistry
Hargray
Hilton Head Lexus
Hilton Head Regional HC
Hughes Dental
Icon Superstore of SC
Jack Frost Vanilla Extract
Jersey Mike’s (Okatie)
Katie O’Donald’s Irish Pub
Kelca Counters, Inc.
Lang 72 Degrees
Lowcountry Presbyterian Church
Low Country Golf Cars
Low Country Periodontics
Mark Winn
McKENZIE Insurance Svs
MedicareQuick
Mi Tierrita
Moss Creek Village Furniture
Off-Island Chiropractic
Okatie Ale House
Optim Orthopedics
Palmetto Electric Coop
Quality Golf Cars
Raymond James
Salty Dog Bluffton
Sauls Funeral Home
State Farm-John Mallet
Stokes Toyota Hilton Head
The Alliance Group Realty
The Bedminster Group
The UPS Store
Vaux Marscher Berglind
We Care Family Dentistry
Wiechert Realtors
Wooster Dental Care
Rod MacDonald will perform June 10 at Music on Malphrus, 110 Malphrus Road in Bluffton, at Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with performance at 7 p.m.
MacDonald rose to prominence in New York City’s Greenwich Village in the 1980s, where he was a big part of the era’s folk revival, and where he headlined Village clubs and co-founded the Greenwich Village Folk Festival.
A recording and touring artist since 1983, he has performed in the Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Florida, Kerrville, South Florida, Port Fairy (Australia), Trowbridge (UK), and Friuli (Italy) folk festivals, and on the radio program Mountain Stage. He is perhaps best known for his songs “American Jerusalem,” about the “contrast between the rich and the poor in Manhattan,” “A Sailor’s Prayer,” “Coming of the Snow,” “Every Living Thing,” and “My Neighbors in Delray” – a description of the
Sept. 11 hijackers’ last days in Delray Beach, Fla., where MacDonald has lived since 1995. With 11 CDs and 100 performances annually throughout North America and Europe, MacDonald continues to dazzle audiences with his passionate singing and thought-provoking writing. His songs have been recorded by Shawn Colvin, Jonathan Edwards, Dave Van Ronk, Happy Traum, David Rowe, Four Bitchin’ Babes, Garnet
Rogers, Joe Jencks, and many other singers. His latest CD, “Later That Night,” reached No. 3 nationally on the Roots Music Folk charts in February 2015, with the song “Raven” at No. 1. On May 1, 2018, MacDonald released his 13th solo recording, “Beginning Again,” on Blue Flute Music.
MacDonald has appeared on stage with fellow artists, including Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Odetta, Tom Paxton, Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, and numerous others. He was reportedly the first American singer to tour the newly independent Czech Republic in 1991, and has made 40 tours in Europe since 1985, nearly all of them with NYC bassist Mark Dann.
MacDonald is also a published author. His first novel, “The Open Mike,” about a young singer-songwriter in the bohemian scene of Greenwich Village, was published in 2014. General admission tickets are $25 at the door. For more information, email musiconmalphrus@gmail.com or call 843-837-3330.
Peppe Gialone, Owner and Executive Chef of Nonna Rosa, is back and looking forward to providing you with the finest Italian food in the Lowcountry.
Stop by and say “hello” to Peppe!
OPEN 6 DAYS PER WEEK – TUESDAY THRU SUNDAYS – OPEN 4:00PM TO 10:PM
CALAMARI NONNA ROSA $14
CALAMARI FRITTI $12
ANTIPASTO $18
BRUSCHETTA $9
EGGPLANT ROLLATINI $11
MOZZARELLA FRITTI $9
GLUTEN FREE FOCACCIA $5
By Sandro ViragAnybody who thinks that ballroom dancing is not for “real men” has either been out of the loop or is just hesitant about facing their fear of dance.
I’ve heard all kinds of excuses for not taking ballroom dancing lessons: “I’ve got two left feet.” “I don’t have time to learn something new.” “I have no rhythm – what’s the point?” “I’ll look stupid.” “I’m no good at it.” “I don’t like it.” “It’s too expensive,” ... and on and on.
But what these people are really saying is, “I lack confidence in myself and I’m scared.”
Several famous sports figures and celebrities dance away night after night on ABC TV’s “Dancing with the Stars.” They are dancing in front of thousands of people even though they might not have any prior dance experience.
These people took a leap of faith, put in the work, and practiced many hours to get to the point of performing.
I’ve watched bully types, geeky types and overweight men move with style and beautiful movements. I’ve seen many men literally dragged into the studio against their will, and have watched as they developed into great dancers – and one even went on to become a phenomenal
dancer.
How much they all would have missed if they had been afraid to try!
There are many things in this world to be afraid of. Ballroom dancing shouldn’t be one of them.
Don’t be afraid to open yourself to new possibilities. Dancing can help build confidence, so take advantage of it. You just might find yourself actually having fun!
Watching from the sidelines is a waste of time when there is an option to get out and do it. You’re missing out if you’re sitting out. Just think – the next wedding reception you attend, you might really have a great time and be a hit on the dance floor.
Dancing always works when meeting people. It’s a great icebreaker and allows you to get to know people in a different way. It can even help develop communication skills.
Remember, everyone in the studio is here for the same reason – dancing.
Take a lesson and learn to have fun with it. Men can enjoy the benefits of dancing, find out what it can do for them, and realize that real men do dance.
Sandro Virag is a partner and instructor at Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio of Hilton Head, located in Bluffton at Seaquins Ballroom. hiltonheadballroom.com
ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI
Our house made soup with white beans, spinach and cherry tomatoes $6
CREAMY POMODORO
Basil Soup $6
SPAGHETTI VONGOLE $23
SPAGHETTI COZZE $21
PASTA POMODORO $15
SPAGHETTI POLPETTE $17
RIGATONI
SAUSAGE & PEPPERS $20
LA PUTTANESCA $20
MATRICIANA $20
GNOCCHI SORRENTINA $20
PAPPARDELLE BOLOGNESE $20
RIGATONI ALA VODKA $20
LASAGNA $20
MANICOTTI $20
All of our entrees come with a side of angel hair pasta, gluten free options available.
GARDEN $5
CAESAR (anchovies available upon request, add $1.50) / $6
CAPRESE $12
PEAR AND GORGONZOLA $14
PROSCIUTTO & MOZZARELLA $14
ADDITIONS
Chicken $7 Shrimp $8
$48
POLLO PARMIGIANA $21
POLLO MARSALA $23
POLLO LIMONE $21
POLLO FIORENTINA $23
VEAL PICATTA $25
VEAL MARSALA $25
VEAL SALTIMBOCCA $25
VEAL PARMIGIANA $24
EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA $21
SIDES
POLLO $7 SHRIMP $8
VEGETABLE OF THE DAY $5
SPINACH $5
SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS $7
POLPETTA $6
ALL
