June 15, 2021 • Volume 24, Issue 12 • Complimentary • BlufftonSun.com
INSIDE • Legacy nonprofits merge to become stronger organization 14A • DRCI kicks off new program for veterans, first responders 19A • Daughter’s final wish for dad takes them to beach 20A • Mobile vet goes to dogs’ house 23A • Entrepreneur makes sense of photos 25A
Combat vets unite to prevent suicide, provide sanctuary By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
On the Saturday before Memorial Day, more than 40 combat veterans, family members and volunteers raised a 60-foot flagpole at the entrance to a private outdoor recreational retreat. It took almost a year to get to that stage, but since July 2020, Operation Patriots: Forward Operating Base (OPFOB) has been fulfilling its mission “to create and foster positive experiences for combat veterans by connecting through outdoor and recreational activities.” The 268-acre facility in Ridgeland – formerly the Malphrus Oaks Plantation – is the vision of Roy “JR” Brown, Jr., a former U.S. Marine Corps K-9 handler. It’s a place where he hopes other combat veterans like himself will feel comfortable coming to relax, enjoy the outdoor opportunities and, more importantly, feel safe in sharing their stories with others who had similar combat experiences. “I spent three years in Iraq, and unfortunately I lost more guys to suicide than I did when I was in combat,” said Brown. “Basically, I dealt with my own demons. When I started working with Labs for Liberty, a nonprofit that provides service dogs to primarily the special operations community,
that just stirred a passion in me to give back to veterans.” Brown was diagnosed with PTSD in 2005. He handled both a dope dog and a bomb dog, and while serving with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines from 2004 through 2005, he handled a bomb dog in Iraq. “I was embarrassed. I didn’t want people to know,” he said. “But when we started this whole process, I started sharing my story – some of the things that I’ve dealt with and my demons. I’ve noticed that when I talk to veterans and I share some of my stories and experiences, they feel more enlightened to open up about their own stories because they think, ‘Wow, this guy knows exactly what I’m talking about’,” Brown said. That realization started Brown thinking about how he could give back. “So, I’m not a trained counselor at all, but I’ve learned that when guys want to talk, just shut the heck up and just let ’em talk,” he said. “They’re not looking for answers. They know I don’t have all the answers for everything. They just want to talk and get it off their chest to somebody they feel comfortable with because they’ve gone through the same things.” A lot of those experiences are shared around the heart of the OPFOB center: a firepit next to the main barn. It’s been in steady use since last July, but in the 21 days
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COURTESY OPFOB
Visitors to the Operation Patriots - Forward Operating Base (OPFOB) facility in Ridgeland watch as the bonfire blazes on Memorial Day.
leading up to Memorial Day, volunteers kept the fire going in honor of those 22 veterans a day who take their own lives. Brown said he knew five guys who took their lives in a 13-month span in 2019. On Memorial Day – the 22nd day – a handful of volunteers carried coals from the firepit to an enormous stack of scrap
lumber and dead trees in a large field on the property, and set it ablaze under the watchful eyes of the Ridgeland Fire Department and OPFOB’s growing family. “The whole concept of OPFOB is try to prevent veteran suicide. One veteran
Please see VETERANS on page 8A
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
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SUNNY SIDE UP
Preserving our personal history through our ephemera By Lynne Cope Hummell EDITOR
While reading Jerry Glenn’s interesting and insightful article (in today’s issue) about ephemera, I realized that I am indeed a collector. I can’t throw away any piece of paper that (in my mind) might someday be important – perhaps as ideas to include in my Great American Novel (which I have yet to write). For years, I have saved piles and stacks and boxes of papers that Jerry might classify as “ephemera” – items, usually of paper or cardboard, that were not intended to be saved forever, as their purpose was temporary. Such items in my possession include every report card I received from first grade to senior year of high school, nearly every piece of art my children created in elementary school, invitations to my college graduation and two weddings, tickets to concerts in the ’80s, and a couple of
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letters my mother wrote to me soon after I somewhere as well. I also have a letter from the White moved to Hilton Head Island. House, thanking me for driving in Vice Among my paper collection are obituPresident George H.W. Bush’s motorcade aries of loved ones, the receipt from Palwhen he visited Hilton Head during his metto Electric for my power hook-up in 1984, and maybe a speeding ticket from a Presidential campaign in 1988. The idea of ephemera popped up again Georgia State Trooper. when my friend Rodney Vaughn, formerly As a newspaper reader since my early of Bluffton, shared photos of some memyears, I saved articles I thought might be fun to read in the future (like the Deorabilia he found in a trunk. He recently moved to a farmhouse in a small town in cember 1970 piece about the True Light North Carolina and found the trunk in a Church from Charlotte, N.C., predicting shed on the property, which used to be the end of the world that month). I also saved my first “real” article, which a dairy farm. He will soon have enough ephemera and objects to start a museum. was published in The State newspaper I am thankful Jerry has identified my when I was still a college student. I wrote “collection,” giving it legitimacy, rather about an unusual coffin that was visible than relegating me to the ranks of “hoardin an abandoned graveyard underneath a church in Columbia. (It had a glass winer of useless material.” Jerry mentioned the Ephemera Society dow over the dead woman’s face.) To get that story, I had to crawl through of America, so I visited its website. The home page gives another name to my the dirt on my belly and use a mirror to collection: Paper Americana. I learned see her decaying face. My classmate took thatSoftnot only is all my paper stuff consida photo to go with the article. It’ s here BelleLuxe | Villa Pointe Maple, Golden
ered ephemera, but so are my dad’s metal Lucky Strike cigarette box and the fabric swatches from when I “had my colors done” in the ’70s. Maurice Rickards, author of “Encyclopedia of Ephemera” and a founder of the Ephemera Society in England, classified such items as “the minor transient documents of everyday life.” These scraps and things – which some people (like me) just can’t toss out – serve as a sort of history; they “reflect the moods and mores of past times in a way that more formal records cannot.” And that, I think, is the primary reason I keep this stuff. Someday, this collection might be seen as our family’s history – our back story – beyond our birth and death dates, with little insights into how we lived our lives and what we held important (family, faith, community, graveyard stories). At the least, it’s great fodder for a fun conversation other paper hoarders. LuxeCraft | Curatedwith Grain, Acorn
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June 15, 2021
EDITORIAL
Current Circulation Via USPS is 24,670 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
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CONTRIBUTORS Joy Ross Gwyneth J. Saunders Cinda Seamon Larry Stoller Lisa Sulka Scott Wierman Mark Winn Tim Wood
Abby Bird Jon Black Collins Doughtie Jerry Glenn Jean Harris Edina Hoyle Laura Kaponer Lou Marino Edward Poenicke
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BlufftonSun.com For more information, contact: Kevin Aylmer PO Box 2056, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-757-9507, 843-757-9506 (fax) Physical address: 14D Johnston Way Bluffton, SC 29910 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. Member: Southeastern Advertising Publishers Assoc., Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Old Town Bluffton Merchants Society.
THE BLUFFTON SUN Issue 12, June 15, 2021 is published twice monthly by Lowcountry Local Media, Inc., 14D Johnston Way, Bluffton, SC 29910. Periodicals Postage Paid at Bluffton, SC and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE BLUFFTON SUN, PO Box 2056, Bluffton, SC 29910-2056.
What a difference a year makes By Lisa Sulka CONTRIBUTOR
Last year at this time, the COVID-19 pandemic hung financial uncertainty like a blanket of gloom throughout the planet – and the Town of Bluffton was no exception. There was no way to predict how the pandemic would shape the Town’s finances. Despite those Lisa Sulka concerns, Bluffton fared well financially and exceeded budgetary expectations. The Town initially cautiously and conservatively estimated revenues for fiscal year 2021. However, due to the work-at-home cultural shift and the moving trend known as “reshuffling,” Bluffton benefited from many new residents moving here. Thus, property tax and building permit revenues did not decline. Additionally, fund transfers and $5 million bond enabled town officials to revise the FY 2021 budget as the year progressed. As the pandemic moves further away in the rear-view mirror, Bluffton is ready
for its next chapter, as Bluffton Town Council approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 consolidated budget at the June 8 council meeting. State law requires all municipalities to adopt a balanced budget ordinance before July 1. The new fiscal year begins July 1. Compared to the FY 2021 revised budget of $43,864,638, the FY 2022 budget reflects an 8.5% decrease. The initial FY 2021 consolidated budget was $34.2 due to projected decline in revenues due to the pandemic. The proposed budget keeps the property tax millage the same at 38.5. For a house appraised at approximately $280,000, the Town tax bill for a fulltime resident is approximately $546, which includes Town of Bluffton op-
erations, debt and stormwater fee. The entire tax bill for the example above is nearly $2,000, including the other components such as Beaufort County, school operations and Bluffton Fire District taxes and fees. The new budget includes nearly $11.6 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for projects such as improved safety and walkability of high-traffic pedestrian areas (i.e., Bridge Street Streetscape), continuation of the installation of sanitary sewer and infrastructure (i.e., sidewalks, lighting and drainage enhancements) in areas outside of planned communities, design and stabilization of the historic Squire Pope Cottage in the Wright Family Park and installation of a security fence and other equipment to protect the Bluffton Police Department’s fleet and equipment. The Town will also add eight full-time positions in numerous departments, including a mental health community advocate for the Bluffton Police Department. Town Council’s goal is to provide the resources and strategy for Town staff to keep moving forward in our mission to enhance the life experiences of our residents. Lisa Sulka is the mayor of the Town of Bluffton. lsulka@townofbluffton.com
Letter to the Editor To the Editor: I grew up in the ’60s – such impressionable years. Music was a big part of our lives. There seemed to be a never-ending pool of talented songwriters, singers and musicians. The “British invasion” brought a whole new dimension to music. I actually convinced my kid sister that the Beatles were bugs that could sing. She never forgot how I tricked her to this day. Funny how the “60s” no longer represents my youth. It is now tied into my age group. And yet the music of
the past still resonates with me today. Unfortunately, it has taken on a whole new meaning. If we haven’t already been driven crazy by the repetitive and ever-annoying commercials on TV, the songs of the ’60s and ’70s are now used to sell anything from home remodeling to car insurance, to appliances, to ketchup and so on. Here is where sentimentality and fond memories get cashed in for commercial profit. Let’s fast forward to the early 2000s. Enya sang a beautiful song called “Only Time.” Besides the profound lyrics, one
could easily become mesmerized by Enya’s mystical and enchanting voice. But what happened to this song after 20 years? It is now part of a macand-cheese commercial. This was a heartbreaker for me – or more like a heart-clogger, considering the product. And I thought “cancel culture” was only a tactic of the far left. Commercial advertisers and the music industry are doing a pretty good job of spreading their own unique brand of it, too.
Gene Ceccarelli Okatie
June 15, 2021
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June 15, 2021
SUN ON THE STREET
It’s summer time! Let’s do something fun! 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
Azzaria Alvarado, Bluffton: “Go on vacation to Orlando, Fla., and ride roller coasters in different parks.”
plain fun questions. You might see us anywhere around town, with notepad and camera, randomly seeking out folks who are
Sophie Stauffer, Bluffton: “Probably go on vacation with family to Pennsylvania. My parents grew up there and there’s a cool amusement park there.”
willing to participate. If we find you, we hope you will want to respond. At Oscar Frazier Park, we asked students from M.C. Riley Elementary
Camila Rodriguez, Bluffton: “I want to go night biking with my friends through the neighborhood.”
School, who were there to paint a mural: “What’s the most fun thing you want to do this summer?”
Guiliana Velez, Bluffton: “Go on vacation to Mexico to see our family who lives there, my cousins and uncles.”
Riley Bishop, Bluffton: “Go to the sandbar and play with other kids.”
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VETERANS from page 1A commits suicide every 65 minutes. And also kind of give vets a sanctuary. There is no clinician, no counselor, no doctor,” said Bill Robertson. It doesn’t matter where or when the vet saw combat. “It’s the camaraderie, a brotherhood of like-minded individuals in whether it’s my war 50 years ago or the current conflicts. Experienced guys my age are able to help the younger guys get through what they’re going through. We’ve been there,” Robertson said. He retired in 1989 as a U.S. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant, a career that included a tour in Vietnam. “I was with the air wing, moving between DaNang, Chu Lai and Nam Phong, Thailand. We were bouncing back and forth between those three, not taking live fire, not having mortars, not walking through the jungle, but basically in support of everybody that was out in the jungle,” he said. Andrew Harris, an active duty Marine master gunnery sergeant, moved into the same neighborhood as the Browns, and volunteered after learning about the organization. “We decided to make this place our home,
COURTESY OPFOB
Andrew Harris, JR Brown, Stephanie Brown, and Sean Kaspar chat at the OPFOB property.
one, for the community and everything that’s around here, and two, for the camaraderie – how everybody cares about each other, and I’m not talking about OPFOB yet,” said Harris. When he learned about OPFOB, Harris
knew he would become involved. “When I was wounded in combat, everybody in my vehicle survived, but they didn’t survive coming home. So, to me this is a very important thing because of the more people we can help,” he said. “Because the clinical
side – yes, it works for some people, but it doesn’t work for others. It’s coming around, it’s talking and it’s sharing your stories.” Brown’s plans began to take root while he traveled to and from Utah pairing service dogs with vets. He and his family were living in New York and had just moved back down here. “I was stationed down here 20 years ago. I fell in love with the area, my wife went to school at SCAD, and we got married here. My oldest daughter was baptized here,” Brown said. “Every time I’d go out to Utah, I came back feeling refreshed, and my wife was picking up on that.” When he suggested picking up and moving to Utah, Brown said his wife, Stephanie, had a different idea. “We’d just moved back down here, just built a house in Bluffton, and I said, ‘Why don’t we move out to Utah?’ And Steph said, ‘Well, let’s pump the brakes on that, but maybe we can figure out a way to do something here more locally’.” That’s when Ben Kennedy, owner and operator of Brighton Builders LLC, and a
Please see VETERANS on page 10A
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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YOUR HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE It feels good to know that we can take charge of some things in life. Heart health is one of them. Being proactive about your heart health could add years of making memories. Start with a screening to find out if you may be at risk of a cardiac event like a heart attack. Embrace the ability to do the next right thing.
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June 15, 2021
VETERANS from page 8A
GWYNETH J. SAUNDERS
Veterans who were visiting the OPFOB property just before Memorial Day worked together to carry the new 60-foot flag pole to its new spot on the grounds.
parent at their children’s school, joined the effort. “I knew he was in real estate, and I reached out to Ben almost in tears one day, saying ‘Hey, I want to do something outdoors, maybe 20 acres where I can get guys out to relax’,” said Brown. Kennedy saw the need. “He was telling me about his experience when he was a combat veteran and how it affected him, and talking about a bunch of his buddies who unfortunately made a decision to commit suicide because they didn’t have an outlet,” said Kennedy. “JR’s vision was to have a piece of property, so me being in the real estate world and the construction world, I had some ideas of good places. And he and I started brainstorming.” Once they looked at the Malphrus property, the pair began nearly eight months of negotiations even before starting the nonprofit. “Because we believed in the project that much that we were willing to buy the property even before we had the nonprofit running, because we knew that we wanted to help combat veterans,” said Kennedy. “My whole family has been in law enforcement and the military. I was prepared to go in to fly Apache helicopters, then I met my nowwife and that changed my trajectory a little bit, but that’s OK. So I’m just thankful to play a little part because now since I didn’t serve, I get to serve.” Kennedy’s giving back included arranging for Arbor Nature to donate the crane service that helped the volunteers raise the flag
pole, an evolution that took about an hour of patient manipulation to ensure the final position was straight. “We closed on the place in July 2020,” Brown said, noting the timing was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “But it was good because not only were the civilian population suffering and struggling, but our veteran population was struggling, getting out of their routines, so to have a place where these guys could just come to, cut loose, be around other like-minded individuals that have gone through the some of the same situations in their life, it was a godsend for all of us, including myself.” OPFOB is 100% volunteer. There are no members, although there are seven board members and five advisory board members. Every dollar raised stays with the property. “We primarily want to help our combat veterans, but we don’t say no to anybody. We’re probably half and half combat and regular veterans,” Brown added. “The process right now, you contact us and we get you in touch with one of our guys, get you out here, give you a tour. We like to feel people out because we have a lot of recreational shooting activity. We’re very cognizant with bringing guys out here and putting a gun in their hands, but we’re very safe. We have 12 range safety officers.” Because of the range, the different facilities already in place, and the size of the property, the gate is locked when no one is present,
Please see VETERANS on page 12A
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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June 15, 2021
VETERANS from page 10A and only board members have the code. The range is only one part of the recreational opportunities. The 268 acres include a vineyard; a solar-battery-operated, seven-station skeet range with plans to expand to 13; 20-acre dove field; woods for hunting turkey; a field for training dogs with plans for kennels; four stocked fish ponds; quail woods; 14 deer stands; and a plan for a future lodge where up to eight families can stay for the weekend. “It’s somewhere the combat vets can come, they can reflect, they can decompress, they can share their story with one of us or with each other. When we come back home (from service), all of a sudden we’re not with our battle buddies anymore and it’s a pretty tough reckoning for some of them,” said Robertson. “Some of them were in such intense combat that being away from that guy that always had their back, it’s a pretty strange thing to them. A lot of them just don’t adapt very well and unfortunately, some of them take their lives as a result of all that stress.” Families also feel the effect of a veteran’s combat experiences. When the vet returns from deployment, the high tempo of activity
slows dramatically, and the focus is completely different. It’s a bit of a culture shock to many. “We see a different side of everything that they’re going through,” said Stephanie Brown. “They’ve got their façade that they put on for the rest of the public where everything is supposed to be fine, and then there’s home, where you kind of put part of that barrier down. So it’s having the network of spouses where they can get together and talk about what’s going on, because it’s not something that you can talk with somebody that isn’t married to a combat veteran. … It’s being able to talk to somebody else that understands it, and being able to understand that it’s not as abnormal that as you feel like it is in the moment.” Stephanie hopes to establish a similar support system for families that is currently building for the combat vets in OPFOB. “We want to have that same support on the family end that we’re giving to the veterans, and having that community and people to lean on when you’re going through the rough times, to be a phone call away,” she said. “So we’re trying to come up with a veterans’ spouses group, hold family
The firepit on the OPFOB property was kept burning for 22 days, leading up to Memorial Day, to honor the 22 veterans a day who die by suicide. On Memorial Day, its embers were used to start the bonfire.
days and stuff like that, so bring everyone together and know that it’s a whole unit that we’re working on.” Branch or length of service doesn’t matter. For Brown, it’s about being available. “Almost weekly I have veterans come up to me almost in tears about how much it means to them to be able to come out here. At the end of the day, our therapy happens
around that bonfire, because whether we’re having a beer or a soda or water, sitting around that fire is where we start talking about things, whether we’re talking about the days from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan or we’re just talking about life in general now, family issues, spousal issues, business issues – anything,” said Brown. “We’re building that network to build that camaraderie so we can lean on each other when we need each other. We’d love to get as many veterans out as here as much as possible.” OPFOB is currently listed as a 509(a) (3), a supporting organization which is a charity that carries out exempt purposes by supporting other exempt organizations, in OPFOB’s case – Labs for Liberty, which is a 501(c)(3). It was the fastest way to become a nonprofit while OPFOB was getting established. Paperwork to become a 501(c)(3) in its own right is under way. For more information, email info@OPFOB.org; write to 198 Okatie Village Drive, Suite 103-335, Okatie, SC 29909; visit opfob.org, or find them at facebook.com/ operationpatriotsfob. Gwyneth J. Saunders is a veteran journalist and freelance writer living in Bluffton.
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Legacy nonprofits merge to become stronger organization By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
Bluffton Self Help and The Literacy Center have merged their 80-plus years of community service to provide expanded support to the communities of Bluffton, Hilton Head and Hardeeville. Since 1987, Bluffton Self Help has offered direct support services in the form of financial assistance, clothing, food, and skills training needed to enter the workforce. The Literacy Center, founded in 1973 on Hilton Head Island, has conducted classes for the GED and the English language. “Both organizations have similar core values, similar goals. This will make us a greater, stronger organization,” said Bluffton Self Help Executive Director Kimberly Hall. “The Literacy Center will become a program of Bluffton Self Help. For the most part, the user experience shouldn’t change at all – they should still experience high quality
@HOPKINSSTUDIOS
Board members and staff of Bluffton Self Help and The Literacy Center came together June 3 to officially merge their two organizations into one.
services.” The Literacy Center Executive Direc-
tor Brad Steele said the merge will be a great partnership between two legacy
organizations. “We’re complimentary. There are some synergistic components to our programs,” he said. “We’ve done literacy programs for more than 49 years, and the face of literacy has changed. It’s pivoted from strictly teaching English as a second language and GED, and has migrated to workforce training and workplace skills.” “We are thrilled to be joining Bluffton Self Help,” said Literacy Center board chairman Don Brashears. He sees the move as Bluffton Self Help being the umbrella organization for his and other nonprofits to maximize the number of clients who can be reached and benefit from the expanded services. “The best thing is the synergy of the organizations because they do have a teaching facility into which we will be able to blend our courses,” Brashears said, “and we also have a work-related
Please see MERGER on page 18A
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Visit online for more information LatitudeMargaritaville.com Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THE OFFERINGS. Latitude Margaritaville Kentucky Registration Number R-201. For NY Residents: THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS FOR THE SALE OF LOTS IN LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE AT HILTON HEAD ARE IN THE CPS-12 APPLICATION AVAILABLE FROM SPONSOR, MINTO LATITUDE HH, LLC. FILE NO. CP18-0021. Pennsylvania Registration Number OL001170. Latitude Margaritaville at Hilton Head is registered with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 710, Boston, MA 02118 and with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20552. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required and has not been completed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. ©Minto Communities, LLC 2021. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored, or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. Latitude Margaritaville and the Latitude Margaritaville logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license. Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. CGC 1519880/CGC 120919. 2021
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The Bluffton Sun
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The Bluffton Sun
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The Bluffton Sun
“ABBA-SOLUTELY FABULOUS!”
June 15, 2021
MERGER from page 14A
– DAILY MAIL
DIRECTED BY CASEY COLGAN
JUN 22 – AUG 22 The Magically Musical Story of a Mother, a Daughter, and Three Possible Dads! Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek Island paradise. On the verge of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover her father’s identity brings three very different men from her mother’s past back to the island they had last visited twenty years ago.
@HOPKINSSTUDIOS
Signing documents June 3 to make the merger official are, from left, Allan Schoenberger, The Literacy Center vice-chair; Don Brashears, The Literacy Center chair; Veronica Williams, Bluffton Self Help secretary; and Doug Adamson , Bluffton Self Help chair.
The storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship... and everyone’s having the time of their lives. In order for us to comply with Actors’ Equity Association requirements, audiences must be properly masked while in the theater. Regan White as Sophie in Mamma Mia!, Photography by Gustavo Rattia
Award-Winning Gospel Choir’s Summer Celebration
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FACE COVERINGS
PHYSICAL DISTANCE
REDUCED OCCUPANCY
program for students to reach minimum-and-beyond standards to work in local businesses.” The transition of merging the two organizations is already under way, following a quiet signing ceremony witnessed by staff and boards of both entities, said Hall. The Literacy Center already operates out of Kitties Landing and Hilton Head, and Bluffton Self Help is now operating out of Bluffton and the Hardeeville Library. Brashears said that Beaufort County has a 9% to 12% illiteracy rate, and the merge benefits those individuals as well as people moving to the area from other countries. Stronger language skills help increase standards of living. “There is a really big workforce issue around that,” said Hall. Bluffton Self Help offers skills training, resume writing, job placement, mentorship. The Literacy Center has workplace training agreements with local businesses such as Vaden Automotive and the Marriott, some of which include on-site training programs. “We define personal success for our students and clients we serve if they’re successful in their homes, successful in their workplace, successful in the com-
munity at large, so we give them to tools to be successful,” said Steele. “We believe literacy is the bridge from misery to hope for many of our students. We’ve been working with Bluffton Self Help for years. Even though we do literacy training, many of our students look to us as a lifeline, so we have been connecting them to Bluffton Self Help.” Steele added that serving out of the four locations will ultimately streamline the ability to help the organizations’ clients, making it easier for them to engage in the training opportunities and other support services. “This is part of a plan to create a better experience for our clients, so our folks aren’t shuffled around,” Hall said. “We have an education and resources center so the collaboration will increase among the education people. By combining those we’ll be a greater, stronger organization, and create additional access to serve more people.” For more information on the services provided or to volunteer, call 843-7578000. Gwyneth J. Saunders is a veteran journalist and freelance writer living in Bluffton.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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DRCI kicks off new program for vets, first responders
LYNNE COPE HUMMELL
Matt Gulick shows his product, Pourzilla, to an attendee at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation kick-off for the HEROES initiative, of which Gulick is a member.
By Lynne Cope Hummell EDITOR
Matt Gulick might have been the unexpected star of the show at the kick-off celebration May 20 at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) for its newest program. HEROES is a mentoring program focused on entrepreneurs who are either military veterans or first responders. Gulick, who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2007, is the first veteran signed up for the program. With his mentor, Kevin Ryan, standing next to him at the outdoor podium and speaking about the program, Gulick suddenly ran off toward the DRCI building. He returned shortly with a prototype of his product to show the gathered audience. Pourzilla, he said, is a gadget that screws into a bag of dog food, for instance, stays put while pouring out the kibble, and has a screw top to reseal the bag. As he poured dog food into his
hand, he realized he had nowhere to stash it while he spoke, so he tried to sneak it into his pocket. The crowd chuckled. “The whole premise is to keep your packaged products fresh,” Gulick said to a smaller crowd gathered around him after the ceremony. “It screws right into the package.” Gulick said he began working on the product about six years ago. “I started making a prototype with PVC. Then I did a test with a 3-D printer,” he said. “I quickly realized I needed to learn CAD (computer aided design). And now my functionality is 8 out of 10.” Gulick said he enlisted the help of some SCAD design students to help refine his design. Mike Levine, CEO of the Center for Innovation, said the HEROES initiative came about as an idea to help returning members of the military become entrepreneurs. “We named it HEROES because
Please see HEROES on page 22A
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June 15, 2021
Daughter’s final wish for dad takes them both to the beach By Edwina Hoyle CONTRIBUTOR
MAGGIE CLARK
With the assistance of the staff of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, Jan Eagers brought her dad, Joseph Eagers, to Tower Beach on Hilton Head Island one last time.
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Toward the end of life, some people might reflect upon unfinished business or last wishes. Staff members at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry make it a point to ask their patients and family what their final wishes are. “When death is coming, it’s a last chance for the final hurrah, to do something you’ve always wanted. It’s the grand finale,” said Maggie Clark, social worker and volunteer coordinator at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry (HCL). This spring, Jan Eagers of Colorado was on Hilton Head Island to be with her father, Joseph Eagers, 95, during his last days. “I had this fantasy about pushing him in one of those special handicap wheelchairs with the big wheels on the beach. It was a dream of mine – for him,” she said. “The beach is like therapy … to see the waves, breathe the salt air. One little thing I wanted for him.” The elder Eagers, a veteran of three wars, had retired to the island in 1988 with his
Bluffton Parkway
wife JoAnne, who predeceased him. His only wish was to die in his own home, but he needed too much care. Eagers asked her dad’s hospice nurse if there was any way she could take him one last time to the beach, a place he loved. Melanie Carver, R.N. relayed the request to Clark and together they set out to make the beach visit happen. It took about a week to arrange medical transport and fulfill the wish. Transported by All About Medical, Eagers arrived at the beach on a stretcher, which was pushed close to the water’s edge, with his daughter at his side. Carver and Clark were present as well, and the transport team held an umbrella over him to protect him from the glare of the sun. Jan knelt in the sand next to her father, held his hand, and spoke softly to him. “I think he recognized he was in a different environment as the wind gently blew,” Clark said. “It was very peaceful and very meaningful to his daughter – and to Melanie and
Please see WISH on page 22A
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E M O H R IS YOU
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3M FILMS SAFEGUARD YOUR WINDOWS FROM SHATTERING DUE TO
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June 15, 2021
WISH from page 20A I. Now the family can look back and have a wonderful memory.” Eagers said when they got back in the transport van, she asked the driver if they could take a brief detour to drive past his house in Sea Pines. The RBC Heritage golf tournament had just ended and the crowds were breaking up. Her dad had always loved the Heritage, Eagers said. “Dad, I brought you home just like you wanted,” she told him. Sixteen hours later, on April 20, Eagers died peacefully with his daughter by his side, and a wish fulfilled. “It was so beautiful,” Jan Eagers said. It helped me. It was the only gift I could give him.” Fulfilling this last wish was made possible through HCL’s We Honor Veterans program. “It’s important that we honor our veterans and thank them for their service,” Clark said. “I feel complete peace and no regrets regarding the last days of my father’s life. It was very important to me to share this last adventure with my dad,” Eagers said. “He traveled all over the world and visited 80 or 90 countries. He used to say, ‘I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do, and gone every place I’ve wanted to go, and I’ve had a
fantastic life.’ This was the only gift I could give him. Maggie and Melanie were my heroes, and Dad got his time on the beach.” “Death is often associated to negative scenarios,” Carver said. “At HCL we strive to help our patients live to the fullest during their last days. Standing on that beach, the feeling was beautiful, as if the entire beach was crowded with love.” Over the years HCL has fulfilled other wishes as well. According to Clark, they have arranged weddings and reunions with family, but there is one particular client Clark said she will always remember. He was only 40 years old and had emigrated from Mexico. His only wish was to see his brothers and sisters in Mexico before he passed. Clark found an opportunity to fund the purchase of a laptop for him. He said it was a miracle that he could FaceTime with his siblings. After he transitioned, his young son told Clark how wonderful it was to meet all of his uncles and aunts whom he’d never met. To learn more about Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, visit hospicecarelc.org. Edwina Hoyle is a freelance writer in Bluffton.
HEROES from page 19A
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that’s what they are,” Levine said. “No acronym, just all caps to signify their importance in our community.” The program was funded through a Relentless Challenge grant, offered through the S.C. Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation and awarded in January this year. “When we found out we won, I was like a 10-year-old boy at Christmas,” Levine said. The grant provided for the hiring of a program director. Brad Barnett was hired in March, at which time there were six participants in the program. Barnett said he had worked for the U.S. Department of Defense for 32 years, serving as a career Air Force command pilot. The HEROES program has grown under his watch. “It’s going much quicker than anyone expected,” he said. Each participant in the program
has a mentor. Gulick’s mentor, Ryan, said he signed up because he too is a veteran, having served two tours in Iraq as an infantry officer. As the son of the late Don Ryan, founder of the organization, and currently a board member, he is especially fond of the center’s innovative programming. “It was a no-brainer for me,” he said. “We are always looking for more mentors,” Levine said. “We’re looking for people who want to give back, particularly in the finance and tech areas.” Levine said it’s important to the success of DRCI for the community to know about all of their programs and offerings. “There is no charge to become a member,” he said. “And we’d like people to spread the word about us – to anyone who is even just thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.” For more information, visit donryancenter.com.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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Mobile vet takes the idea of house calls to a whole new level By Tim Wood
“Chris approached me about moving to South Carolina, said he found this town that seemed like a perfect fit for us. I was shocked but ready for the adventure,” said Forster, who was hired by a practice in Pooler, Ga. “I looked around Bluffton, but I had just had our third child and wanted to avoid emergency on-call hours. I needed day hours to be home with the kids at night. We even looked at opening my own practice, but the market seemed saturated with brick and mortar vets and the timing just wasn’t right.” That’s when she first started thinking about opening a mobile practice. She switched gears on a brick and mortar business loan to a mobile vet truck. The only problem: With so many businesses going mobile, the properly fitted vehicle would not be available until late 2021. Forster decided to stay part time with the Pooler practice and begin Fetch-A-Vet on her days off. “So, I’m working out of my car for now.
CONTRIBUTOR
The past year has seen an explosion in mobile small businesses in the Bluffton area, from auto detailers to food trucks to inhome pet groomers. But Dr. Jessica Forster is the town’s first mobile veterinarian after launching Fetch-A-Vet May 13. “I’ve never wanted to do anything else, from the minute I could talk,” said the Connecticut native who moved to Bluffton in late 2019. “I was a kennel worker when I was 17, worked there through my four years in college, worked at a beef barn and farm and as a vet tech when I was trying to get in to veterinarian school.” Forster, the wife of Bluffton director of finance and administration Chris Forster, went to veterinary school at Oklahoma State, one of just 30 schools for vets across the country. After years of training in every discipline, from farm and zoo animals to exotics and small animals, Forster decided she wanted to focus on cats and dogs for her practice.
COURTESY FETCH-A-VET
Please see FETCH on page 24A
Veterinarian Dr. Jessica Forster with her rescue dog companion, Gracie.
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ShelterCoveHarbourfest.com LOCATED MID-ISLAND, MILE MARKER 8, ACROSS THE ENTRANCE TO PALMETTO DUNES. *All events subject to change without notice. Weather permitting.
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FETCH from page 23A We’re waiting out the backlog of trucks, so for now, I’m doing local visits on Thursdays and Saturdays.” Forster said. “For now, I’m doing visits for heartworm tests and vaccines, basic physical and wellness exams, minor wounds and skin allergy issues, as well as end-of-life, in-home euthanasia care.” Forster said that pre-COVID, there was already a need for pet owners who were less able to drive to appointments or who had pets that were skittish and anxious about being in the office around other pets. “But the pandemic truly drove home the convenience factor for pet owners on so many fronts and it made us think as providers of how we could provide a new level of care,” Forster said. Forster saw her first patient in Bluffton on May 13 and has already won raves from patients posting about her on social media platforms. “It was an amazing home visit. My dog was so at ease in the comfort of our home and it was hands down the best vet experience we have had,” said Jason White, one of her first customers.”
Forster said she’s comfortable with any breed, and while she wouldn’t call herself the new Cesar “The Dog Whisperer” Milan, she said seeing cats and dogs on their home turf eliminates a lot of the aggression she might otherwise see. “They can’t talk, but that’s where 90 percent of the hostility comes from with dogs and cats – they are protective of their owners and they are extremely nervous outside of their space,” Forster said. Dr. Jessica credits her husband for helping her to take this next career step. “We have kids that are 1½, 3 and 6 years old, so making big leaps was hard. I moved here very pregnant,” Forster said. “Chris has believed in me throughout this whole journey and he’s made it possible for me to think big.” Forster said she has quickly become a huge fan of the in-home visits. “Occasionally, we may need to sedate a pet or use a muzzle just to calm them down, but by and large, it’s letting me develop more personal relationships with the animals and their owners,” Forster said. “I come equipped with squeeze cheese and Pupperoni, so I become their friend pretty quickly.” Once she gets her fully decked-out rig, Forster will quit her Pooler practice and become a true mobile clinic with full-time hours in Bluffton and the Lowcountry, able to do spays and neuters, dental procedures, and more extensive care. For now, she refers any cases needing hospitalization or surgery to local partners. Clients also have the ability to use her online pharmacy in partnership with Vets First Choice, where Forster can prescribe a full array of medications. Fetch-A-Vet’s base prices are a $60 exam fee and an additional travel fee of $25 to $50. Forster gives multiple pet discounts, and, unlike most offices, welcomes the chance to see multiple pets in the same visit. “This is the beginning of a really exciting journey and I can’t wait to get to know families and their pets all around Bluffton,” she said. “My family and I feel so blessed to have found such a welcoming community here and I can’t wait to give back and pay forward all the hospitality.” To see Dr. Forster’s full array of Fetch-AVet services, visit fetchavetsc.com. Tim Wood is a veteran reporter and editor and dog lover.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Entrepreneur makes sense of photo chaos, preserves memories
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Beaufort Memorial
WELCOMES Kimberly Bean, FNP-C .................................................
.................................................
to Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care has added Kimberly Bean, FNP-C, an experienced board-certified family nurse practitioner, to its team of providers, thus increasing access to primary care for residents south of the Broad River.
Rhoda Gordon of Bluffton sorts through a bin of slides in the process of organizing images for a client.
By Tim Wood CONTRIBUTOR
It’s easier than ever to take a high-quality photo these days. Just point and tap your phone and you’ve typically got the level of imagery that’s better than most $5,000 cameras could capture 20 years ago. But how do you organize all those photos? Where do you store them? How do you pull them off the phone or all the different storage options these days? It’s almost too easy to take a picture, because we can quickly end up with 40 photos of a gorgeous sunset. Rhoda Gordon saw this growing societal conundrum as a business opportunity. The Bluffton resident is now part of one of the fastest growing professions today, media organization. “I grew up around photography; my Dad and Grandpa had a whole film developing setup in the basement. And I inherited so much of our family’s slides and film rolls and 8-millimeter film,” Gordon said. “So it started as a personal journey for me, but I quickly realized this could be a second career for me.” The New Jersey transplant had a long tenure as an engineer with Bell Labs, but with
the last of her three kids about to graduate college, she was looking for a change. A friend suggested the photo organization as a business. “She knows how organized I am, how I thrive in making sense out of what others see as chaos,” she said. “I thought of what I did alone for our own family collection and realized there are a lot of families in the same bind nowadays.” Media organizers do much the same thing that a professional organizer might do for closets or garages. They take all the different ways you store memories and make it in to an organized, easily accessible collection. “I joined a professional association, got certified, kept taking classes and deeper levels of instruction, and five years ago, I opened my own business,” Gordon said. She started Sunflower Photo Solutions, aiming to help take the combination of bins of developed photos along with all the different digital storage options and give families peace of mind. “I have the ability to centralize any kind of storage, from floppy disks, undeveloped film rolls, slides, flash drives, old computers and phones, external hard drives and cloud
Please see PHOTOS on page 26A
Bean holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the Clemson University School of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. Since relocating to the Lowcountry in 2017, she has served as a nurse practitioner in a family medicine practice and with hospice and long-term care agencies. A New Jersey native, Bean was previously affiliated with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, where she managed patient treatment in the facility’s wound care center and on its inpatient orthopaedic unit, and in the internal medicine department of Medical Group of the Carolinas, also in Spartanburg.
CALL 843-706-8690 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. Kimberly Bean joins board-certified primary care physicians Drs. Johnna Stevens, Roger Ulrich, Robert Webb and Rhonda Wallace at Bluffton Primary Care.
MOST MAJOR INSURANCE PLANS ARE ACCEPTED .
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June 15, 2021
PHOTOS from page 25A storage, and we combine all this into one centralized spot for archiving,” Gordon said. “It can really be a puzzle, and feel like this never-ending mountain of tangled cords. But I’m blessed with the engineer’s brain, the ability to see that mess and get excited because I can see the end of the tunnel where others can’t. I tell my clients, ‘No matter the mess, it can be done. You just need a process.’” Gordon has grown Sunflower exponentially over the past five years, as she has quickly earned a reputation for producing exciting results. “Folks thought these memories were gone forever,” Gordon said, but she has the tools and capability to transfer images from older technology onto newer platforms. Gordon recently completed her biggest job ever, taking a family’s 1.7 million photos and consolidating down to 250,000 organized photos. “This woman, she’s in the entertainment field, she had all these precious memories but she had 23 copies of one photo on different computers or phones because she just kept copying the same photo because she didn’t want to lose that memory when she switched hardware,” Gordon said. To get started, Gordon sets up an initial consultation with clients in person or via Zoom and gets a full idea of inventory, storage sources for all the photos and the goals of the client in organizing all the photos. “I have so many different packages, whether it be scanning old prints and slides or making physical or digital photo books,” she said. “I can create signs and posters for celebrations from the photo once we organize them, or some premium services like creating searchable archives and ongoing collection maintenance. But it all starts with setting goals.” Gordon used the word ‘process’ many times during our discussion, and that truly is at the heart of what she provides her clients. “I get so many millennials that just took infinite photos, have so many on their cloud and now they’re pregnant with their second or third child and all these memories are getting away from them,” she said. “This is an issue for all ages. I love methodically creating these solutions. It can be very personal. Sometimes, folks have photos of lost ones they haven’t looked at in years, so helping them unlock that trauma and remembering good times, it can be a lot. But I love what I
do so much.” Gordon’s services start with a free 25-minute consultation to get a grasp of the scope of the project and the goals to achieve. She then creates a digital roadmap for her clients, a literal manual of how to achieve organization and the processes needed to get to an end goal. “They can take that roadmap and do it themselves, or they can hire me to achieve the goals,” Gordon said. In addition to saving memories, Gordon sometimes gets involved in a family’s genealogy. “It’s amazing the overlap that can happen in the goals. There is a lot of genealogy that comes into older collections, a lot of fact finding, and I enjoy that as well,” she said, so sometimes she consults with genealogists if a family tree is desired. It’s not always easy to truly quantify the time needed in tackling a project, thanks to the ever-evolving technology behind photos. “With ZIP files, I can think I’m dealing with hundreds of photos that can quickly multiply into thousands of photos. So as long as clients are ready for those time commitments and knowing my time estimates can evolve because of it, I’m up to the challenge,” she said. The top piece of advice she has for doit-yourself organizers is to always have a backup. “Folks think they’re covered with iCloud, but iCloud has no responsibility for your photos,” she said. “Have one digital backup source, but you always want to have an offsite backup of your photos out of the house in case the worst happens. We don’t like to think of it, but if it happens, losing those memories can be the worst trauma beyond the fire.” Whether it’s creating a handful of photo books or creating searchable databases and labeled hardcopy archives, Gordon said she’s always excited for the next challenge. “Every job is different, every collection is different and every client has a very personal goal in bringing me in,” Gordon said. “I take that very seriously, but I have a lot of fun solving issues others might see as impossible messes.” Check out Gordon’s work and services online at sunflowerphotosolutions.com. Tim Wood is a veteran journalist based in Bluffton. Contact him at timwood@blufftonsun. com.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Page 27A
Oh, the horror! Bluffton couple revel in ‘Conjuring’ connection By Tim Wood CONTRIBUTOR
The trailer likely gave you nightmares for the past month. “The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It” is the seventh installment in one of the creepiest horror franchises of all time, and was seen by Hollywood pundits to be one of the key movies in ushering in a post-pandemic era of moviegoing. There was a heavy Bluffton connection to the movie starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Fermiga. Bluffton residents Nick and Audrey Buglione are the in-laws of the movie’s director, Michael Chaves. They rented a theater at Cinemark Bluffton Friday for a special screening with 15 of their closest friends. “It was absolutely thrilling to see Michael’s creation come to life up on the big screen,” said Audrey, the stepmom of Chaves’ wife of 12 years, Dina. “We were just as scared as the rest of you watching those trailers. Horror is definitely not Nicky’s and my cup of tea, but we loved
COURTESY BUGLIONE FAMILY
Nick Buglione, father-in-law of “Conjuring 3” director Michael Chaves, stands in front of the movie poster prior to a private screening party June 4 at Cinemark Bluffton.
seeing what he created.” The Fermigas are recent transplants from Long Island, where Audrey served as district sales manager for Chevrolet for many years. Nick was a service manager
for a Chevy dealership, where the couple met. “I found my first real love at 48 and we married in 2003,” Audrey said. “We’ve watched Michael and Dina build a life out
in Hollywood, scrape from nothing to get noticed, and when Michael got his shot, he absolutely made the most of it.” Dina was an East Coast actress before Nick drove his daughter cross-country to California to try to make it in Tinseltown. She did some theater acting but truly found her niche in casting. She started DB Casting agency and met Chaves during a commercial shoot. Chaves made his mark with web series, short films and a Nickelodeon series before a breakout year in 2019. He directed a Billie Eilish video short, “Bury a Friend,” and made his major motion picture directorial debut with “The Curse of La Llorona,” a Conjuring Universe film which earned him praise in the horror community – as well a $26 million opening weekend and $123 million worldwide gross. “That was a huge moment for them both. They have worked their butts off out there, have managed to have two kids
Please see MOVIE on page 29A
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Moving into Assisted Living during a global pandemic could be perceived as a challenging decision, but it may be the smartest time to move to the Palmettos of Bluffton.
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
10 HOT SPOTS
Make dad’s weekend with these top Father’s Day experiences
COURTESY MAY RIVER EXCURSIONS
Consider gifting your dad with a fishing trip through May River Excursions.
By Tim Wood CONTRIBUTOR
I’m a dad. I’m not the guy who needs a gift. It sounds sappy, but my boys, they truly are my gift. But almost 20 years into this fatherhood thing and seeing Mother’s Day always be such a “thing,” I’m tired of Dads getting the short end of the parent love straw. My wife feels the same way as I do; it’s why it makes it even more fun to do things for her out of the blue on days not labeled “Mother’s Day.” If you really must go this route, let’s ditch the sleeve of golf balls, Billy the Bass, and the ties. We’re doing our part in this space, giving you some suggestions for giving the dad in your life some experiences that are thoughtful and get him out of his recliner and out of his comfort zone. Golf that doesn’t take four hours: Not all of us have four hours to play, it’s just a fact. A lot of young dads especially – they want to take up the sport but just don’t have the time to invest. Luckily, there are a pair of new businesses addressing this need. Give your dad a gift card to Palmetto Dunes’ TopTracer Golf Range (palmet-
todunestoptracerrange.com). The resort re-did their driving range with the technology behind TopGolf and that you see on every golf broadcast. See stats on every drive you hit, play contests against others using TopTracer across the country, play courses as you learn the game at the range. If he really would rather play with air conditioning, give him a gift card to Chronic Golf, the new simulator hotspot opening on New Orleans Road on the island (mychronicgolf.com). Play full rounds at courses across the country, or go with the family and use the simulators to play 13 different sports. Golf Among Friends: Rendezvous Bluffton hosts events every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with their indoor golf simulators on Pennington Drive and bring in food from R Bar & Grill. (rendezvousblufftonsc.com) May River Excursions: Let your dad become a tourist for a day with a dolphin-watching cruise, a sunset cruise, or a water taxi out to Daufuskie to explore a spot he’s never seen. Or charter with skipper Chris Shoemaker and his crew for a fishing trip with friends or a private journey with
Please see HOT SPOTS on page 29A
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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MOVIE from page 27A
HOT SPOTS from page 28A Shoemaker to learn how to fish so we can finally show off the skill to our kids. There are great options all over for charters, including plenty at Shelter Cove and Palmetto Bay marinas, but for Bluffton-based fun, Chris is the man with the plan (mayriverexcursions.com). The gift of flight: If your dad is anything like me or my dad, there has always been a fascination with the sky. A helicopter view of the Lowcountry is a fantastic stress reliever. Hilton Head Helicopter (flyhhi.com) has charters available daily. Or, if he wants to go a step further, give him flight lessons. True story: Being a pilot is far cheaper and less hoity-toity than you thought. You can buy a plane for less than a crew-cab Ram 1500 these days, but it starts with lessons. Hilton Head Flight School is a great starting point (hiltonheadflightschool.com). Pro tip: If you see Bluffton Flying Service, thinking it’s closer to home, it’s actually in Ohio. Boats without mortgages: Everyone tells me the two best days for boat owners are the day you buy it and the day you
sell it. So get that experience of boating by renting a vessel from Carefree or Freedom Boat Club and let them take care of all the maintenance. They both operate out of Shelter Cove Marina on the island and membership gives you chances to rent unlimited boats at marinas all up and down the East Coast. Plus, Carefree lets you go halfsies with another friend in splitting the membership. (carefreeboatclub.com, freedomboatclub.com) The gift of culinary knowledge: H3 Healthy Kitchen (hhhealth.com/resort/ h3-healthy-kitchen), part of Hilton Head Health, offers a full array of cooking lessons and nutrition classes. For something a little more personal, check out the ongoing discussions on the Hilton Head/Bluffton Ask and Answer and What’s Happening in Bluffton Facebook groups, where private chefs are consistently advertising private lessons. Happy Father’s Day! Tim Wood is a father of two, and a veteran journalist based in Bluffton. Contact him at timwood@blufftonsun.com.
and be focused on family while living their dream,” Nick said proudly of his daughter and son-in-law. The film led Chaves to the “Conjuring 3” gig, which outperformed box office predictions to dethrone “A Quiet Place 2” as the No. 1 movie in America for June 4-6. “We have friends who were just too creeped out to come to the screening. They wanted to support us, but they just couldn’t stand all the creepiness,” Audrey said. “I literally screamed out loud at one point and I really didn’t think I was going to be that freaked out.” “I keep asking him if he could just do a nice, calm romantic comedy but there’s no money in rom coms these days,” Nick said. The Bugliones are hoping to host their Hollywood crew, including grandkids Scarlett, 6, and Jack, 4, sometime in the coming year. Until then, Chaves is capitalizing on the “Conjuring” success. “You got to strike while the iron’s hot, and he’s red hot right about now,” Nick said.
“He’s told us he’d really feel like he’d arrived if he could direct a Marvel movie, and I wouldn’t bet against him,” Audrey said of her son-in-law. Chaves is reportedly in talks to take the reins of the next installment of another well-known franchise involving building blocks. “He needs a break from the horror, so he’s looking to do something a little bit more family friendly,” Audrey said. The Bugliones rented a red carpet and stanchions for a “La Llorona” home viewing party. They hope they’ll be able to host a bigger Cinemark event with a bit of glitz and glamour for Chaves’ next film. “It’s made us feel a bit like celebrities, but mostly, we’re just beaming with pride,” Audrey said. “All the Hollywood stuff and his incredible creativity is amazing, but it’s equally rewarding to see the family they’re building,” Nick said. See “Conjuring 3” at Cinemark Bluffton and at home on HBO Max. Tim Wood is a veteran journalist based in Bluffton. Contact him at timwood@blufftonsun.com.
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
Chilly Willy headlines Blues & Brews Blues & Brews on the Bluff … Taste of Summer Beer Festival will be held at the Bluffton Oyster Factory Park June 18 from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m., featuring live rock and blues from The Chilly Willy Band and The Eric Colberson Band. The event is the third in the Bluffton Sunset Party series, and will offer more than 50 different beers from around the world. “We will feature some fantastic IPA’s, wheats, blondes, sours, radlers and many more great summer beer styles,” said Mark Weisner, event coordinator. A portion of proceeds from Blues & Brews will benefit Bluffton Self Help. Bluffton Sunset Parties are held once a month on Friday nights during the summer, overlooking the May River at Oyster Factory Park. Each sundown celebration features a different theme with a variety of activities. Relax and enjoy the party under the live oaks at the Oyster Factory. Come by boat, bike or golf cart and feel free to party with your pooch. Sunset Parties are kid and pet friendly, lawn chairs and leashed pets are permitted, but no outside food or drinks
Noteworthy • The Savannah/Hilton Head/Bluffton chapter of Silverliners International will meet at 11 a.m. June 16 for lunch at Sweet Potatoes Kitchen, 531 Stephenson Ave., Savannah. Silverliners International is a social and charitable organization of former and current flight attendants. A new chapter has been formed for this area. For more information, text Sue Smith at 973-670-5832 or email at camhill2@hargray.com.
• Palmetto Quilt Guild will meet June 17 via Zoom, with social hour at noon and the meeting at 1 p.m. The program, led by Stephanie Hackney, “What Is and How to Use Hobbs Batting.” Hackney is the direcwill be allowed. Tickets are available online at blufftonsun- tor of sales and marketing at Hobbs and will discuss batting. setparty.com at two for $18, or $10 per A guild sew-a-long, using a fun person cash at the door, while children 12 summer pattern, will be held from 10 and under get in free. am. to 2 p.m. June 18. For more information visit the website or For more information and a link call Bear Foot Sports at 843-757-8520.
to the Zoom meeting, email palmettoquiltguild@gmail.com. • The Culinary Institute of the South at Technical College of the Lowcountry will host an Enrollment Expo for prospective students from 4 to 6 p.m. June 17 at its New River Campus in Bluffton. Those interested in attending the institute can learn more about its three program areas: Baking & Pastry, Culinary and Hospitality. In addition, information on scholarships and financial aid as well as application assistance will be provided. Faculty and staff will be on hand to answer any questions prospective students may have. The New River Campus is located at 100 Community Drive in Bluffton. For more information and to RSVP visit tcl.edu/exporsvp.
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June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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‘Seussical’ brings favorite Seuss characters to Main Stage The Main Stage Community Theatre (formerly Main Street Youth Theatre) celebrates its return this summer with “Seussical the Musical”! A musical-comedy perfect for the whole family, Seussical takes us into the world of Dr. Seuss, where we revisit beloved characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and JoJo. One of the most widely produced musicals in the country, Seussical weaves a story of friendship, loyalty and love. This charming show teaches audiences of all ages the power of being unique and the importance of fighting for your beliefs. The MSCT production features a cast of 25 and features Connor Gutierrez as Cat in the Hat, Josiah Williams as Horton the Elephant, Sarah Elizabeth Phillips as JoJo, Meagan Berger as Gertrude McFizz, Ella Taylor as Mayzie La Bird, Kourtnie Dwornikoski as Sour Kangaroo, Coulson Geltz as General Schmitz, and Emerald Lofton as Yertle the Turtle – along with many others.
Some of the many cast members appearing in “Seussical the Musical,” presented by Main Stage Community Theatre.
MSCT Board President Cinda Seamon notes, “We had an unprecedented 62 auditions, which made the casting process extremely difficult,” said Cinda Seamon,
president of the board of MSCT. “The level of energy, excitement and anticipation is beyond measure ... we have all missed this so much.”
The show’s production team includes Hilton Head Island High School’s chorus teacher Joshua Wall as director, Melinda Bray as music director, Dawn Rosa Miller as choreographer and Paddy Myers as stage manager). “We couldn’t be more excited to have this production team together again,” Seamon said. “Their professionalism and collective creative vision ensure this will be nothing short of spectacular.” There will be seven performances total June 24 through July 3, with evening performances at 7 p.m. June 24-26 and July 1-2, and 2 p.m. matinees June 27 and July 3. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and $5 for children under 8 with easy online booking at MainStageCommunityTheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 843-689-6246. Main Stage Community Theatre is a nonprofit organization established in 1997. For more information, email info@msctheatre. org, visit MainStageCommunityTheatre. org, or Facebook.com/MSCTTheatre.
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
Business Briefs
On the Front Burner
LYNNE COPE HUMMELL
During a hard hat tour June 3 of the TCL Culinary Institute of the South building underway at Buckwalter Place in Bluffton, Chef Miles Huff, dean of the school (center, red hat) describes for visitors the cafe at the front. The culinary school is expected to open in November with 300 students, offering associate degrees and college certificates in culinary arts, baking and pastry, and hospitality/tourism management. The campus will also feature the Foodseum, an interactive museum showcasing Southern cuisine.
• The Holistic Wellness and Detox Center, 167A Bluffton Road, will host its Grand Re-Opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. officiated by the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. Food and demonstrations will be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The Holistic Wellness & Detox Center offers a variety of natural approaches to health and wellness, with such wellness modalities as functional nutrition and gut health support, integrative health coaching, thermal imaging, and ozone sauna detox. For more information, visit holisticwellnessanddetox.com, email holisticwellnessanddetox@gmail.com or call 843-7077033. • The Juice Hive, the Bluffton healthy eatery and juice bar known for its coldpressed juices, smoothies, and variety of all-natural, predominantly raw foods, has been awarded a 2021 Recommendation Badge from Restaurant Guru.
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Bring Lamps for Shading
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The badge, based on visitors’ reviews, recognized The Juice Hive as Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Bluffton. Restaurant Guru (RG) provides users with complete information on restaurants, including visitor reviews, menus and photos. RG praised Juice Hive as “well known for its great service and friendly staff that is always ready to help you.” It also noted that “on Facebook, this place has a lot of user reviews and a 4.9-star rating, which means the place is highly popular and worth visiting.” For more information, visit thejuicehive. com. • Matt Mell has been promoted to quality control manager at Lawn Doctor. As such, he will perform quality assessments on properties, pull soil samples, and note items needed for healthy lawns. Mell brings several years of experience with lawn, landscapes and golf maintenance. For more information, call 843-8375296.
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June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
LEGAL
Beyond the ‘I Love You’ will, and not leaving it all to spouse By Mark F. Winn CONTRIBUTOR
Assets do not always go 100% to the spouse free of trust. How do you plan if you want to (1) leave assets to someone other than your spouse even if they survive you, and (2) leave assets to your spouse “in trust” if they survive you? The first scenario is usually a situation Mark F. Winn where the husband and wife are wealthy enough to know that the survivor will not need all the assets, and they want to help the kids sooner rather than later. Let’s assume Johnny and Moira have two children, David and Alexis. They want to help David and Alexis sooner rather than later, and they know they will not need to have all their assets when one passes. So, what can and should they do? First make sure assets are not all owned jointly with right of survivorship. Second, create a trust and direct that on the first death, some assets (retirement or non-retirement assets) go to the children or to a trust for their benefit. Third, make sure an attorney is advising you as to titling on assets, and designation on retirement accounts and life insurance. Care needs to be taken to ensure all works as intended. Sound advice from a lawyer will ensure the proper care is taken. Johnny and Moira could structure their affairs so that, on first death, some or all goes into a trust for David and Alexis, and then, when David and Alexis pass, on to their children. These are often called “bloodline” trusts because the assets stay in the bloodline, free from the claims of most creditors, and not exposed to estate tax. Let’s say David has a child, Luke, who is autistic. We would want to ensure that if assets flow down to Luke, his share
will be in a special needs trust so it will not defeat his eligibility for government benefits. The second scenario is a situation where one spouse believes the other spouse might have problems handling and managing the finances. Let’s assume Mike and Carol have two children, Greg and Marcia. Mike is concerned that Carol will not be able to effectively manage the property and financial affairs if he passes first. What should Mike do? He should create a revocable trust and direct on his passing that assets will go into a trust for the benefit of Carol if he predeceases. He could name Greg or Marcia as the trustee for Carol. When she later passes, the trust could direct assets to go into trust for the kids. Again, care needs to be taken to ensure all works as intended. Sound advice from a lawyer will ensure the proper care is taken. Re-titling of assets and updating beneficiary designations might be needed. There are many iterations and possibilities. In every case, it is advisable to seek the counsel of a lawyer who can work through your options with you so you can structure the best plan for your family and your 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. mwinnesq.com
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June 15, 2021
HEALTH
Expanded mental health services needed for LGBTQ+ community By Laura Kaponer CONTRIBUTOR
In June 2019, the first Lowcountry Pride Celebration was held in Bluffton. Pride is about creating awareness and celebration in the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning plus others) community. Stories of triumph, challenges and heart- Laura Kaponer ache were shared openly in an effort to expand a safe space for those who identify LGBTQ+, as well as their allies. Historically this community has been ostracized while continuing to have to fight for the same basic rights and privileges as their counterparts. Pride, in its essence, is about making room at
the table for everyone. Resources to provide adequate mental health services are scarce. Resources to provide these services to the LGBTQ+ community are even more so. According to Mental Health America (MHA), discrimination against this community has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse and suicide. Additionally MHA explains that mental health professionals’ stigma, lack of cultural sensitivity and unconscious or conscious reluctance to address sexuality might hamper the effectiveness of care. David Myrick II identifies within the community as a black gay male. Myrick serves as the LGBTQ+ subgroup leader for the national advocacy organization Rethinkstigma. In his role, he wants to support those in his community to live the most flourishing life possible. Myrick believes the best way to support this population is to provide
Hei Hei
Orange Beard
education to the community at large about the humanity of the LGBTQ+ population. There are those who may believe LGBTQ+ is a mental illness and/or a choice. Myrick said, “I do not believe this is a choice. I truly believe we are born to be exactly who we are. However, I do believe it’s a choice to accept who you are and live your truth unapologetically.” In regards to living one’s truth, the decision of “coming out” can be especially challenging. “Coming out” is a term used within the LGBTQ+ community as a way to publicly take ownership of your truth and be proud of who you are. This can be done on several levels, from a few trusted individuals to the public. When, where and how are completely an individual’s choice. “My experience with ‘coming out’ was hard. Growing up in a small town,
being part of the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t accepted,” Myrick said. “It was a challenge that could potentially make you or break you. I had individuals come into my life and show me that it’s OK to be gay. I learned that I had to accept myself first before anyone else. I decided to live my truth because there’s freedom in living your truth. I’m happy with who I am and I wouldn’t change being part of an amazing community.” The acronym evolved from “LGB” to include transgenders, those questioning their identity, plus all others to create a rainbow of inclusivity. We as a larger community can support our peers through opening ourselves up to hear their voices and serve as allies to fight their double stigma. Laura Kaponer is a mental health advocate, blogger and Certified Peer Support Specialist. Find her on social media by searching #Laurakaponeris1in5
DOUBLE the LOVE this DONATE IN HONOR OF A SPECIAL DAD AND EVERY DOLLAR WILL BE DOUBLED! A PAL supporter is matching all donations in memory of her father. Your gift saves pets like Orange Beard, rescued by PAL before his time ran out at an overcrowded shelter. At PAL, he became a doting dad to a kitten and their bond charmed a visitor who adopted both!
Your Father’s Day gift will save twice the lives at PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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Brain Boosters series helps Beaufort Memorial Express Care in Okatie adds physician maximize brain power Following up on June’s Brain Health Awareness Month, Memory Matters will host its Brain Boosters series live via Zoom on Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. July 15, 22, and 29. Myth or fact: We lose brain cells as we age and cannot grow new ones. Good news! It’s a myth. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize neural pathways from experience. Recent brain imaging technologies show that as you receive input through your senses with frequency, intensity and duration, the brain physically changes structure. How? Brains physically react and adapt in response to challenge. Once structure changes, function can change. Put simply, “neuroplasticity” is the brain’s ability to change when it’s learning something new that is challenging, like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. For more than 24 years, Memory Matters has been providing a break (respite)
to family caregivers. Memory loss has an impact on the entire family. That’s why Memory Matters developed a brain-training curriculum for everyone. Since 2006, Brain Boosters has been offered multiple times a year to help people maximize their brain power. “How to” steps are part of the classes and include ways to sharpen focus, creating a brain-health lifestyle, relaxing the brain, becoming a flexible thinker, memory-enhancing techniques, and how worry affects the brain. The cost is $99 for the three classes. Register by calling Maureen Gleason at 843-842-2305 or email her at maureen@ mymemorymatters.org.
In a continuing effort to meet community demand for walk-in care for minor injuries and illnesses, Beaufort Memorial has added an additional physician to its Express Care & Occupational Health practice in Okatie. Dr. Robyn Odzark began seeing patients at the clinic earlier this Robyn Odzark month. Board certified in family medicine, she joined the Beaufort Memorial medical staff in 2019 and has been part of at the hospital’s Bluffton Primary Care practice for the past two years. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree, Dr. Odzark received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing. She
completed her residency at Metro Health Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Michigan Health System, where she was chief resident. Prior to relocating to the Lowcountry, she practiced for three years at Metro Health in Caledonia, Mich. Dr. Odzark joins board-certified family medicine specialist Dr. Joseph McShea and certified physician assistants Sarah Blau and Natalie Miller at the Express Care practice. Located in Beaufort Memorial’s Okatie Medical Pavilion at 122 Okatie Center Blvd. North, the clinic offers on-the-spot treatment for non-life-threatening medical issues, along with immunizations, lab services, X-ray and school, sports and camp physicals. The practice is open seven days a week and can be reached at 843-706-8840. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit BeaufortMemorial.org/ ExpressCare.
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
BEAUTY
Don’t stop blow drying just because your hair feels dry By Joy Ross CONTRIBUTOR
Clients are complaining about their hair either being flat, no matter how much they use mousse and blow dry away from their head, or that no matter what they do it just gets bigger and fuzzier. Welcome to Southern humidity. The No. 1 reason your hair will get flatter or bigger, depending on the hair type, is that it isn’t completely dry. A good majority of women begin styling their hair too soon after washing, thinking that it will “stay” better, and they quit styling when it feels dry. This is the main reason I hear people say “I spend so much time on my hair and 15 minutes after I’m done it looks like I didn’t do anything.” Styling your hair when it’s wet will not make it stay better. Stopping your styling when your hair feels dry is the biggest mistake.
The hair holds moisture you can’t feel, and our salty air adds to this swelling of the cuticle of the hair. This happens especially after drying with the blow dryer, because our head is also perspiring a little. Therefore, that last bit of moisture you don’t feel makes all of your styling efforts useless. Here’s the remedy: Do not use a brush or try to style your hair when it’s damp or wet. If you want volume, put mousse on your
roots only. Not all over your hair – only on your roots, especially on the top and sides parallel to your cheeks and eyes. This is where you want fullness. Then blow and blow. No brush. Just blow your hair in all directions, opposite the way it wants to go. Blow away from the head. Lift and push your hair in all directions with your hand. This will set your roots up and away, giving you more fullness and volume.
Keep doing this until it feels dry (this is key). It is still not totally dry – you just can’t feel that hidden moisture that will make or break your hair style. At this point, when you take your brush – bristle is best – and again blow, while styling your hair. This last step will set the style and get the hidden moisture out of the hair. Your style will stay a hundred percent better and will take less time to do. Now remember, it will stay longer and better, but nothing is going to stay if you’re golfing or on the beach. The final step should be an oil- or laminate-based product, used very sparingly, to put a barrier on the hair to prevent the salty, moist air from penetrating the strands and wreaking havoc on the style. A little teasing to make it stay longer or dry shampoo will also help with the longevity. This last step is not necessary, but adds a bit more security. Joy Ross is owner of Style It Salon in Old Town Bluffton. styleitsalon.com
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From personal care assistance, to repositioning bed-bound patients, and even providing walking support, our Certified Nursing Assistants truly are indispensable to our organization. We are so thankful to each of our CNAs who provide essential care to our patients and peace of mind to their families. HCL’s CNA Team
To support us, call 843-706-2296 HospiceCareLC.org
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
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FAITH
Rethink life’s priorities by spending time with a child By Jon R. Black CONTRIBUTOR
“Every night, all of the children in my country dream of becoming me. Each night, I dream of becoming a child.” (A preacher attributed this quote to a famous soccer player. In my research, I could not verify the source.) As I write this article, I am in San Diego Jon R. Black visiting my only grandchild, Elijah. In a few days, he will celebrate his third birthday. He lives in a wonderful world – a world that is filled with new adventures and intrigue. A world exemplified by discovery and awe. A world where most of his day is spent in laughter, dancing, singing and mimicking sound
effects he hears in action movies. Elijah has never met a stranger. The neighbor’s dog is a major character in his world. His world is free from political and racial strife. He has no economic concerns. He does not worry about his future or lament over missed opportunities. Jesus once preached, “Unless you (adults) become as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.” Jesus was encouraging adults to revert to their innocent stage of life. Not only do children live in wonderful worlds, most are incredible people. Most children easily love others, forgive wrongs, are non-judgmental and are not influenced by status. Children are not sinless. They can be selfish and insensitive, but they do this with a pure heart. They have no desire to hurt others. When I was ordained, the bishop prayed that I would return to the state
of innocence. For the record, I am still waiting on that prayer to be answered. However, the pandemic and spending time with my grandson have offered me an opportunity to reevaluate and reprioritize life. There is another verse in the Bible that speaks about children. Isaiah 11:6 states, “And a little child shall lead them.”
Connecting to God, Connecting to One Another
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES at 8:30AM & 10:30AM
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Lord of Life is an ELCA Congregation 351 Buckwalter Parkway Bluffton, SC 29910 (across from Publix) Email: lordoflifeassistant@gmail.com
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VIRTUAL WORSHIP SERVICE on YouTube at 12 noon Lord of Life Lutheran Church
VIRTUAL WORSHIP on Facebook – Lord of Life, Bluffton
Sheltering in place for a year has awakened the child inside many of us. After exhausting all of the pandemic “must watch” movies, we feel the call to be creative, adventurous and inquisitive. We are placing a higher value on relating with others and the human touch. We have devalued work purely for the sake of work. Some of us are learning how to play again. Many of us have a new sense of time. Others are making time for hobbies, writing and laughter. Children can serve as our leaders in the arena of enjoying and experiencing life at its fullest. They can help us release our inhibitions. They can open us up to the joy of living. They can remind us of the importance of learning, discovery and play. The Rev. Dr. Jon R. Black is senior pastor at Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church in Bluffton.
Pastor Pete Berntson
www.palmsumc.org
Anna Marie Kuether Director of Music and Worship Arts
We are now in-person at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m on Sundays Live-Streaming the 5:30 and 11 services.
Saturday, June 19 / Sunday, June 20 Courage In The Storms ~ Mark 4:35-41 Pete Berntson, Proclaimer
Saturday, June 26 / Sunday, June 27 Courage To Seek Healing ~ Mark 5:21-43 Pete Berntson, Proclaimer
A Stephen Ministry Congregation
1425 Okatie Hwy. (170) Hwy 170 between River’s End & Oldfield.
843-379-1888 • www.palmsumc.org
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
GIVING
Challenges – and accomplishments – don’t go unnoticed By Scott Wierman CONTRIBUTOR
Most of us can remember a time when we confronted a particularly tough personal challenge and emerged triumphant. In the end, though we might have felt battle worn, our sense of accomplishment far outweighed the fatigue. This past year has been sort of like that. Scott Wierman As we begin to rise from the ashes of the COVID pandemic, we may feel depleted, but we can also feel pride in the way our community came together. We are especially proud of our nonprofit community. These courageous organizations worked tirelessly to assist individuals and families facing uncertain-
ty – families who didn’t know where their next meal might come from, who worried that they’d lose the roof over their heads, or who were forced to juggle work and their children’s remote learning. The agility, problem solving and resilience these nonprofits organizations showed was impressive. Our role throughout the pandemic has been to support frontline nonprofits through grantmaking, from our COVID 19 response fund. In total, we distributed almost $720,000 in grants to nonprofits in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties. We recently surveyed these grant recipients, and here are some of my observations after reading their responses. • Nonprofits are excellent collaborators. We heard story after story about partnerships created to tackle pressing issues. Organizations addressing food insecurity, in particular, found ways to
work together. Food pantries partnered with other food pantries, suppliers and even farmers. A respondent wrote, “The pandemic has brought more attention to partnering, which is a great thing.” • Nonprofits understand the importance of volunteers, especially during a crisis. Because of safety issues, many volunteers had to take a break, which put nonprofits in a bind. However, organizations found workarounds. “We were able to develop a coalition of 24 helping agencies and faith communities, which allowed us to deploy volunteers where they were most needed,” one respondent told us. • Nonprofits know how to pivot. Crisis fuels innovation. “We had to re-engineer our meal delivery program to help vulnerable individuals affected by COVID-19,” one group told us. “We expanded meal delivery from five to six days, and adopted new safety practices.” Other agencies revamped childcare
programs to provide remote learning opportunities, which was critically important for parents unable to work from home. • Nonprofits are creative problem-solvers. One organization that relies heavily on older volunteers, who, for safety reasons, could no longer volunteer, used their grant dollars to hire and pay local out-of-work food and beverage employees to do the work instead. What a smart idea! • Nonprofits are scrappy. They know how to accomplish a lot with a little. They’re creative, frugal and innovative. And they do all of it with heart. During the pandemic they were called upon to do more than ever before. We should all be proud of the immeasurable contributions they make to our local communities. Scott Wierman is the president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Page 39A
PETS
Train your dog for quick recall to prepare for off-leash fun By Abby Bird CONTRIBUTOR
Some dogs, as they mature, become dependable enough that when you are in a safe area, they can begin training for off-leash work. Most places in Beaufort County do not permit off-leash dogs except if they are under strict owner control. Since most of us can’t guarantee that, our dogs miss out on lots of fun things to do. An option is a remote training collar used strictly for those areas of fun, freedom and safety or, to prepare for that, to do long-line work with the eventual hope that your dog can someday be off leash. Caveat: Most dogs will never be well-behaved enough to be off leash. Squirrels, cars, other dogs, cats, birds, bicycles, etc. will interfere with that! “When will my dog be old enough to
go off leash at the beach or out hiking?” I get that question a lot. “Old enough” does not imply maturity. Each dog, like each child, matures at a different pace. Some can be off leash at 2 years old, some at 4 years old, and some never! The “never” group generally includes dogs with undependable recall, or breed hunting issues such as many terriers, hounds and sporting breeds. Fortunately, owners already know if these are theirs. Working toward this goal is still worthwhile. Long-line training allows your dog some distance and gives you control. It also gives you a great way to practice a safe Recall in circumstances that are highly distracting. A beach or park setting is perfect with open areas and lots of distractions. Get yourself a long training leash – for beach or park work, this would be 40 to 50 feet long; for your neighborhood in safe areas only 20 to 30 feet long.
Let your dog be distracted at the end of the line for a bit, then call him back with your best, happy, high-pitched voice, and “play” body language. Include any pre-training done with a whistle, treats, affection and play with specific toys as a reward or other reward systems specific to your dog.
If he comes back immediately, lavish affection and give suitable reward. If not, then pull him in on the long line still calling and lavish affection but no other rewards. Practice this three or four times in a row initially, then as much as 10 times, to make sure it is effective. If he does come back immediately, let him go out again to the end of the line. If not, have him walk by your side for about 3 minutes then try again. Soon, he will realize there is no bad consequence to returning immediately, but if they don’t return, they lose their freedom for a bit. A reliable recall is a wonderful thing for fun and safety. Train this in a positive manner and your dog will earn appropriate freedom in safe places. Abby Bird is owner of Alphadog Training Academy. AlphadogTrainingAcademy@ gmail.com
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
COLLECTING
‘Golden Age’ of collectibles: Part 2 – the ‘E’ word By Jerry Glenn CONTRIBUTOR
Last month we discussed the Golden Age of Collecting, 1975-1989, and teased readers about how one word affected our personal collecting habits and those of many others. In 1982, the high point of this era, a well-dressed man came into our booth in New York City and, after looking around, said, “You have a lot of great ephemera.” We looked at one another and didn’t know what he meant. Was it a skin blemish or what? We admitted we were not aware of the term. He said, “Your posters, handbills, pamphlets, tickets are all ephemera.” He then said, “You should join the Ephemera Society of America,” and handed us a card that indicated he was the president of such a group. As soon as we got home, we went to Webster’s for a full definition. Wow! We
were interested and joined this “upscale” organization. Our first newsletter changed our whole world of collecting. At the bottom of one page in a small notice, we read, “Important auction to be held by the United States Library of Congress, collection of all paper labels, boxes and wrappers approved by the Food and Drug Act and entered to Congress. Call for details.” We called and set an appointment to view said ephemera. Upon arrival at these intimidating, hallowed halls, we were ushered down to a basement and saw aisle after aisle of thousands of file boxes. The official brought a cart with one box of sample material for us to view. After our viewing of this never-before-seen material, we decided that we wanted it. We entered our bid, not knowing how many boxes were involved. A month later we received a call that we won and had to wire $200 for ship-
Clipper ship card circa 1846-49, hand-painted and valued $300 to $1,000 each.
ping. A few days later, a truck pulled up to our home and delivered 32 boxes! It took a week to sort out the wonderful, graphically beautiful “ephemera” – the new word in our life. When the Society held a fair for members, we exhibited a handful of our newfound treasures. We became the new kids on the block and drew a crowd to our booth. Our collecting world changed with a whole new understanding of exactly what the word meant. Webster’s brief definition of “ephemera” is “Collectibles, as in posters, tickets, letterheads not intended to have lasting value.” So, there you have it ... when something in quantity is quickly destroyed, surviving pieces become very collectible. The list includes trading cards, playing cards, manuscripts, sheet music, Valentine cards, invitations, labels, political handouts, postcards and almost anything paper and cardboard. The most interesting aspect of this ephemera world is the historic value of each category, along with the artistic graphics
of the period. Right on the heels of this new interest, an ad in the Newark Star Ledger Daily announced, “An auction of an estate will be held at the Mayflower Storage Warehouse, featuring period furniture and quantities of collectible ephemera. Viewing will be held three days prior to the sale.” I took a two-hour lunch break from my job to see what was offered. Fast forward to results: We purchased several posters, broadsides, and two boxes of old paper because it was our newfound collectible interest. Only about 25 other people attended the event, so our purchases were bargains! At the bottom of a box, we found 119 clipper ship cards. After researching exactly what their purpose was, we realized this was truly a treasure. It became the biggest find in our collecting lives. Clipper ship cards were postcard size on heavy board and hand painted. Sea captains at South Seaport, N.Y., would seek prospective travelers in 1849 to go to the California Gold Rush. The cards would tell how many days to reach the West Coast and promote the anticipation of wealth. Come to find out, these cards are one of the rarest forms of ephemera known. The South Seaport Bank had 12 in a glass case as rarities – we had 119! Had we not known what “ephemera” meant we would not have realized these great finds. Recently, we conducted a “mother-inlaw” research and asked nine people if they knew what ephemera was. Seven of the nine had no idea. So, whether you are a philatelist (stamp collector), numismatist (coin collector) or ephemerist (paper collector), you know specialized collecting is rewarding and can also be a good investment. We might not have another Golden Age of Collecting, but there certainly are a lot of things that can be collected for historic value. So, Mom, don’t throw out the kid’s baseball cards! Jerry Glenn, former owner of Reminisce gift shop, currently is an appraiser of certain collectibles.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Page 41A
SPORTS
At the First Tee, golf is available for everyone to enjoy By Jean Harris CONTRIBUTOR
Many people think of the First Tee of the Lowcountry as a program for youth. Yes, it is – and it’s an awesome one for the young people in our community. It is also a great facility for adults of all ages to practice their golf game. I recently taught a golf clinic for Women’s Golf Day and we had 35 ladies have an enjoyable time learning the great game of golf. The local First Tee facility opened in 2015 on Hilton Head Island, adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club, at 151 Gumtree Road. The course was designed by noted architect Clyde Johnston. It is an excellent place to practice one’s golf game. The facility includes a six-hole Par 3 course, two USGA greens for chipping and putting, and a two-sided 325 yard driving range. The holes on the Par 3 course range from 54 yards to 114 yards. You can hit all the balls you want on the range for a dona-
Participants take practice shots during the Women’s Golf Day clinic, taught by Dr. Jean Harris at First Tee of the Lowcountry on Hilton Head Island.
tion of $10 for adults and $5 for youth. The First Tee program for youth is a nationwide curriculum that teaches not only golf but the nine core values that can be carried into their lives at school and home. The values are: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment.
501C3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS Medical • Dental • Office Call for Information (843) 706-7090 Ext. 104
Orientation sessions held the 3rd Thursday each month • 3:00PM-4:00PM Bluffton Location: 29 Plantation Park Dr., Building 600 • Bluffton SC 29910
Pat Zuk, executive director of the First Tee and a veteran of 25 years in the program, believes that “the nine core values are what we want our young people to be as grownups. They learn a lot more than how to swing a golf club.” There are five levels to the First Tee program.
The program runs year round and has special programing during the summer months. Most classes meet once a week for six weeks. They also have summer camps that meet four days a week at the Hilton Head location. They also have programming this summer at Eagles Pointe Golf Club, Crescent Golf Club, Olde Beaufort Golf Club and Dataw Island Golf Club. Prices and locations of the programs can be found on their website. Any child who wants to learn golf can attend. There are scholarships available, as well as use of clubs. Hours at the facility are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If you want to volunteer to help with the youth program, call Zuk at 843-686-2680. For more information, visit thefirstteelowcountry.org. Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local courses. jean.golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean.com
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
SPORTS
Hydrate often to maintain health, keep cool in summer heat By Lou Marino CONTRIBUTOR
It’s June already. The tourist season has started, and the heat seems to be on full force with recent heat indexes of 100-plus degrees. Since it’s going to get progressively hotter as summer moves along, this would be a good time to remind everyone here in the Lowcountry (especially tennis players) about hydration, i.e., taking in fluids. No matter what the activity, athletic or otherwise, staying hydrated is crucial for the best performance and comfort. Tennis can be especially taxing just by the nature of how it’s played, and many people are dehydrated before they even hit their first ball, causing their physical and mental performance to be compromised. If you experience low energy and lack motivation to work out, it could simply be due to a lack of enough fluids in your body. Results from different studies show
that a 2% loss of body water can equal a 20% loss in performance, meaning your power, strength and speed. And, as if that isn’t enough, dehydration can have a huge impact on cognitive skills, too. It’s pretty easy to become mildly (1% to 2%) or moderately (2% to 5%) dehydrated, and it can happen during normal daily activities. Because we usually don’t start to feel thirsty until we’ve lost 1% to 2% of our body water, lots of people are mildly dehydrated all day.
Studies on cognitive skills have also shown dehydration of 1% to 2% has little effect. But when it got over 2%, the “pay attention” skill set rapidly declines. There was also a significant, negative impact on motor skills, especially skills employed by tennis players. Still more studies show that a loss of about 2% body water produces headaches, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. Along with all this, performing while dehydrated makes the brain work harder to achieve the same levels as when properly hydrated. Here are a few tips to help maintain good hydration on the court: • Drink a glass of water upon waking up every morning and before going to bed at
night. • Drink regularly during the day. Waiting until you’re thirsty means you’re already dehydrated. • Drink about 4 cups of water per hour of intense exercise. • Regarding caffeinated drinks, add 1 to 2 extra cups of water for each cup of the drink consumed. So, how much water should you drink? Since there isn’t a “one size fits all” answer, the best way to know is to observe the color of your urine. It should be almost transparent. If not, simply drink more. Even though it’s possible to drink too much water, it’s not nearly as common as dehydration. Drinking water regularly helps make you feel great, stay focused, and be motivated to play your best tennis while the heat is on. Lou Marino is a USPTA Cardio and youth tennis coach who lives, teaches and provides custom-hybrid racquet service in the Bluff-tonHilton Head Island area. lwmarino@hotmail. com
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Page 43A
NATURE’S WAY
Love for Lowcountry should include care for its future By Collins Doughtie CONTRIBUTOR
Ask any person who knows me at all and, for the most part, they will say I am tad strange but overall upbeat. With that said, this time around I am going to veer off course from fishing or the good old days because of observations I have made about my Lowcountry that concern me greatly. Before I dive in, I want you all to know that I am not an anti-development hot head. Having lived here for just about all my life, many years ago I accepted the fact that growth was inevitable. If you reread that last sentence the key word is “inevitable.” If I had to add anything to that word it would be “inevitable if, and only if it is done right.” Since most of you were not around in those early days when Charles Fraser envisioned Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, I will tell you that nature took precedence over every aspect of his radically new (at the time) concept of development. Homes were built around the existing flora and fauna in any given location. Wooden signs were required, no billboards were allowed (and still aren’t), and everything down to the color of mailboxes and homes had to be approved so that all might blend into nature and not overshadow it. Sea Pines was the first of its kind; Fraser’s developmental concept was adopted all over the country and for that matter, in countries worldwide.
This sign on Hwy. 46 past Cahill’s Market marks one of many large parcels of land available for purchase.
What took me down this path where I simply couldn’t keep my observations to myself? Several days ago I drove over to Hilton Head to take care of a couple of things and then, returning to Bluffton, I headed to Savannah for yet more things on my “to do” list. That drive took my breath away. It took me more than 30 minutes just to get onto the island as traffic was bumper to bumper and moving at a snail’s pace. Nothing unusual there, right? As I sat there in that line of cars I tried to figure out why the traffic has gotten to this point. Tourists have been coming to the island for a long time, but in a relatively short period of time driving on the island has gotten to be at times unbearable. What
changed? Then it hit me. Most of the developments on the island were made up of permanent residents or second home owners that wanted a summer getaway. It wasn’t until these developments allowed an unchecked number of home rentals within their confines that the traffic situation has become almost intolerable. It shocks me that permanent residents have not rallied to protect a lifestyle that they paid dearly for. Heading through Bluffton toward Savannah, the number of “land for sale” signs I saw was staggering. One in particular along Hwy. 46, for a 100-plus acre parcel, zoned commercial, really shook me. Why doesn’t the town start buying up
some of these properties for non-development, much like Hilton Head did when Tom Peeples was mayor? It appears to me that building permits are being handed out almost like the tons of candy thrown out from participants in the annual Bluffton Christmas Parade. It scares me. Even though I don’t live in the Town of Bluffton, but rather in Beaufort County, our infrastructure is not keeping up this unbridled growth. One aspect in particular is inexcusable: Not replacing all the septic tanks along the May River with a sewer system. The way I see it, if a sewer system was put in and made affordable, the utility company would make out like a bandit in the long run. Built in 1945, my property has Lord knows how many old drain fields that are no longer used. If indeed we love the May River so much, then we had better hop to it and get a modern sewer system in place. As I said in the beginning, growth here is inevitable but we only have one shot at doing it right. History is one of best teachers, so I encourage all newcomers to read about Charles Fraser’s vision of responsible development. We need to slow it down and use his vision as a guide. I love the Lowcountry through and through, and for me to question its future should give pause to any that read this. I just had to get it off my chest. Collins Doughtie, a 60-year resident of the Lowcountry, is a sportsman, graphic artist, and lover of nature. collinsdoughtie@icloud.com
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
SAFETY
As weather warms, water safety becomes top concern
By Cinda Seamon CONTRIBUTOR
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Swimming is one of the most popular summer activities in the Lowcountry. The best thing you can do to increase your safety level is make sure everyone in your family learns how to swim. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 3,500 people drown each year in the U.S. That’s an average of about 10 people per day. Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water such as the ocean, lakes, ponds and lagoons. Here a few tips for staying safe around water. Swimmers: Since most drowning victims had no intention of being in the water, and most people drown within 10 to 30 feet of safety, it is important to know how to swim. Never rely on float toys to stay afloat. Don’t take chances overestimating your swimming skills. Swim only in designated areas and never swim alone. No one can anticipate changing ocean currents, riptides, sudden storms or other hidden dangers. Riptides: Actually, a “riptide” is an ocean current that has nothing to do with the tides. A rip current happens as water that’s built up on shore returns to the ocean – all those waves need to go somewhere. Rip currents are often found near fixed objects, like piers and reefs, which is why these are “no swimming” areas. If you swim into a rip current, you’ll feel it pulling you out to sea – but don’t panic. Swim parallel to shore until you feel the pull
stop. You can then swim back to shore. Divers: Be careful about diving. Teens are more likely than any other age group to suffer diving injuries, many of which can result in permanent spinal cord damage or death. Dive only in areas that are known to be safe for diving, such as the deep end of a supervised pool. A “no diving” sign means that the water isn’t safe for a head-first entry. Watch children carefully: Of the approximately 10 drownings per day in the U.S., as reported by the CDC, two are children – that’s more than 700 children per year. In addition, several thousand others are treated in hospitals for submersion accidents, which can leave children with permanent brain damage and respiratory health problems. Remember, it only takes a few seconds for a small child to wander away. Children have a natural curiosity and attraction to water. Make sure at least one adult is watching each child in the group. Don’t drink alcohol and swim: Unfortunately, many people ignore this warning and each year about 3,500 of them are wrong … dead wrong. More than half of all people who drown had consumed alcohol prior to their accident. Just one beer will impair one’s balance, vision, judgment and reaction time, therefore making that person a potential danger to himself and others. Remember these tips so you can have fun this summer and stay water safe! Cinda Seamon is the fire and life safety educator for Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
GARDEN
Prune azaleas, other shrubs now for full bloom next spring By Edward Poenicke CONTRIBUTOR
With the year coming to a mid-point, we need to make the final light pruning on azaleas at this time, as the plants will start setting blooms over the next couple of months. Pruning after this month will mean no flowers next spring. Now is the time also to finish adding new annuals and perennials to the garden to produce color later this summer. Make sure you add plenty of organic matter, lime and a little fertilizer to the beds where the new plants will be planted. Other problems of shrubs can be scale or aphids affecting the leaves or new growth, so consider using a systemic insecticide to treat for these problems so they will not be an issue later. By now you should be pruning new growth on spring flowering shrubs and new growth on plants you might have cut back severely. When that growth gets to about 12 inches, take off an inch or so to cause them to side branch and thicken up later. If you planted new shrubs or trees this past year, make sure you water the root ball regularly as most of these plants take about a year to establish themselves. If we are fortunate and get lots of rain, you won’t need to water your garden or lawn so often. However, when temperatures are hot and the weather dry, watering is very
important and needs to be applied at least twice a week, with an application of onehalf inch per watering. Make sure you apply the water in the early morning hours or the middle of the night. We do not want to tuck plants in wet at night, as this starts disease problems on lawns and flowers. Be careful not to water too much. Over-watering causes disease problems like brown patch (roundish circles the size of a dinner plate or larger), so stay on the drier side and the lawn will do just fine. If you do get brown patch, it will need to be treated with a fungicide to keep it from spreading. Also, St. Augustine grass can get a disease called gray leaf spot, with areas on the leaf blade that are gray in color. This also needs a fungicide to correct it. Both problems start due to late watering or evening rains. Another problem we have at this time is mole crickets hatching and eating the fine root hairs of the grass. This weakens the lawn, and then disease can affect the lawn due to its weakened state, rendering it incapable of taking up water or nutrients. In late June or early July, it will be time to fertilize your lawn again. Edward Poenicke is a retired Chatham County extension agent. This article is provided in collaboration with Lawn Doctor of Beaufort County.
Happy 4th of July!
Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar & Ice Cream Ingredients (serves 6): 3 large halved & pitted South Carolina Peaches 2 tbsp of melted butter mixed with a tsp of vanilla 2 tbsp of brown sugar and cinnamon and a dash of salt
Instructions: Pre-heat your grill to medium-high, oil your grill if you don’t have a grill mat so the peaches don’t stick. Dip the cut side of the peach into the butter mixture and then into the brown sugar mixture, coating well. Place the peaches on the grill, cut side down and grill them for 3 minutes. Flip the peaches over and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the peaches become tender. Mix leftover butter mixture and brown sugar mixture together and microwave (covered) for 30 seconds. Serve the peaches warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with the butter and brown sugar sauce.
Irene Fulop-Jackiewicz
(843) 705-2503 • jackiewicz.irene@gmail.com Recipient of the Weichert Realtor’s 2015 President’s Club Award
Page 45A
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021J
REAL ESTATE
Depending on situation, closing costs may be negotiable By Larry Stoller CONTRIBUTOR
Can sellers and buyers negotiate closing costs? The short answer is “yes,” they may negotiate closing costs. The amount that the seller is allowed to contribute depends on the type of mortgage loan. The seller’s willingness to pay the buyer’s closing costs may also be based upon current real estate market conditions. For example, in a seller’s market (like we are in now, with less inventory and more buyers), buyers might have to increase their purchase price if they expect to receive closing cost assistance. In a buyer’s market (slow real estate sales with more homes available and fewer buyers), buyers might have an advantage in negotiating closing costs. Closing costs are expenses above and beyond the price of the property that sellers and buyers incur that are paid to title companies, attorneys, lenders, insurance
companies, local government, and other vendors when transferring ownership of a property. For buyers paying cash, closing costs might include attorney fees, title search, title insurance, deed recording and applicable taxes and association fees. There are additional buyer fees when using a lender and obtaining a mortgage. They include origination fee, appraisal fee, flood insurance, credit report, interest on
loan until first payment is due, escrow for taxes and insurance, lender’s title insurance and mortgage recording. Other fees might include homeowner’s insurance, interest rate buy-downs, home warranty, home inspection, and repairs that are requested and/or required. Typical seller closing costs (which are deducted from seller’s proceeds) can include attorney’s closing fee, government transfer tax, pro-rated taxes and association fees,
mortgage payoff, liens on property (if any), recording costs and real estate commissions. Note 1: While most, if not all, closing costs are negotiable, restrictions might apply under certain circumstances. Note 2: Money might have to be brought to the table if the amount of the seller’s closing costs is more than the seller’s proceeds. Note 3: Real estate commissions are paid by the seller for compensating both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. Experienced and knowledgeable real estate agents (and real estate attorneys) will be able to explain to their sellers and buyers what closing costs they will be expected to pay when selling and/or buying a resale home or building a new home. Do you have questions about negotiating closing costs? Consult your agent, attorney or email me. Larry Stoller is a broker and Realtor with Real Estate Five of the Lowcountry. Larry@ RealEstateFive.com, RealEstateFive.com, SunCityOpenHouses247.com
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LOOKING BUY OR SELL A HOME? LOOKING TOTO BUY OR SELL A HOME?
I am a Certified Military Specialist with U.S. LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A HOME? I am a Certified Military Specialist with U.S. Military on the Move and can offer you a veteran I am a Certified Military Specialist Military on the Move and can offerwith you aU.S. benefit when buying orbuying sellingor with me.with me. veteran whenand selling Military onbenefit the Move can offer you a Call or email me today for more information. veteran benefit when buying or selling with me. Call or email me today for more information.
RUTH KIMBALL | 843-540-0205 Call or email me today for more information. RUTH KIMBALL | 843-540-0205
Welcome to Summer!
RUTH KIMBALL | 843-540-0205
WE NEED RENTAL PROPERTIES! • Screening Tenants • Collecting Rents • Scheduling Maintenance • Advertising your property • Dealing with the Move-out Process SERVING THE LOWCOUNTRY FOR 22 YEARS
The Property Management Experts
(843) 706-2449 1224 May River Road, Bluffton, SC 29910
IM PR PR IC O E IM PRVED P I
IM PR PR IC O E IMVEPDR P I
RO CE VE D
Sun City | 318 Shearwater Point Dr | $400,000
• Stunning Chestnut • 3City Bedrooms, Bathrooms Point Dr | $400,000 Sun | 318 2Shearwater • Master Chestnut Suite w/Large Soaking Tub • Stunning Den/Office with French Doors • 3• Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms • SS Appliances • Master Suite w/Large Soaking Tub • Extended Garage
RO CE VE D
Sun City | 219 Hampton Circle | $339,000
• Spacious Hatteras • Sun 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms City | 219 Hampton Circle | $339,000 • • Brazilian Pecan Flooring in Great Room Spacious Hatteras • Screened Porch with Ceramic Woodlike Flooring • 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms • Huge Master Suite • Brazilian Pecan Flooring in Great Room • Garage with Finished Floor
• Den/Office with French Doors • Screened Porch with Ceramic Woodlike Flooring Ruth Kimball Kimball || 843-540-0205 843-540-0205 || ruthkimball@msn.com ruthkimball@msn.com • SS AppliancesRuth • Huge Master Suite For More Information or to see any Sun City Homes • Extended Garage • Garage with Finished Floor ®
All information is believed to be accurate. Subject to verification by Buyer/Buyers Agent. ASK ME ABOUT U.S. MILITARY ON THE MOVE!
All information is |believed to be accurate. Subject to by Buyer/Buyers Agent. Ruth Kimball 843-540-0205 | verification ruthkimball@msn.com
June 15, 2021
The Bluffton Sun
Page 47A
CLASSIFIEDS SPORTS CARDS WANTED: Vesci Sports Cards, specializing in pre-1972 baseball, football and basketball cards. Looking for personal collections. Cash paid for cards. Hilton Head resident Jim Vesci 215-266-2975 jd vescisr@gmail.com
YOUR AD HERE CAN REACH 25,000 households and businesses from Moss Creek to Sun City to Callawassie Island. Promote services, sell goods, announce a yard sale, buy a house, sell a house, find a job, find employees, ask for help, offer help! Ads starting at $28 for 40 words. 843-757-9507.
CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507.
CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507.
APPRAISING ALL SPORTS CARDS PRE 1976 AND...POKEMON, BEATLES, 3 STOOGES, INDIAN GUM, TOO
H
Call Jerry
OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE References Call 843-384-0303
Aaron: (843) 227-3038 Office: (843) 684-1717 E: QPTPainting@gmail.com • Residential & Commercial (Interior & Exterior) • Painting • Drywall Repair • Pressure Washing • Carpentry • Trim • 10 Years Experience
Call Today For FREE Estimate
CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507. CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507. CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507. CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507. CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507. CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507.
LEARN PIANO, SAXOPHONE OR FLUTE Experienced Instructor In Bluffton. Jennifer Valiquette, Instructor of Piano, Saxophone, and Flute. Classical or popular music, including music theory.
Offering on-line lessons. Mon-Thurs - Morning to early evening. Please call in Bluffton. 407-818-4346 gatorhater2021@gmail.com
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The Bluffton Sun
June 15, 2021
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