Bluffton Sun September 7, 2016

Sept. 7, 2016 • Volume 19, Issue 17 • Complimentary • www.blufftonsun.com

INSIDE • Local MLS celebrates 40 years of service 12A • Swim teams foster spirit of sport beyond Olympics 14A • May River High School hosts grand opening 18A • Catfish Fest kicks off Sept. 16 26A • Learn science of benefits of plantbased diet 46A

Emergency agencies connect with citizens via new apps

By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR

It’s pretty much a given that everyone who has a smart phone has at least a half dozen applications – or “apps” – on it, from social media and books to music and restaurant finders and more.

Knowing that citizens are rarely without their phones, local law enforcement agencies have joined the party, but with a serious purpose.

Both the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Bluffton Police Department have initiated apps that provide numerous ways for citizens to prepare for emergencies and have a means of communicating with the departments.

BCSO’s Emergency Management app cost $7,500 and has a $5,000 annual fee.

Funds for the app came from a state emergency management grant that will continue to pay the annual fee.

It went live in October 2015, according to Maj. David J. Zeoli from the BCSO’s Emergency Management Division.

BCSO has been using the Nixle app to provide daily notifications of traffic accidents, criminal activity and reminders from their cold case files. The latest app has practical survival information.

“We wanted to provide another means for the citizens of our county to be better prepared and the ability to receive emergency notifications,” Zeoli said. “In addition, it gives the user important information on hurricanes, family preparedness, emergency preparedness, earthquakes and crime prevention.”

At press time, the app was posting the fifth day of alerts surrounding Hurricane Hermine, which was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached the Lowcountry. Every few hours Sept. 1 and 2, officials posted weather updates, a tornado watch and flash flood advisories, among other notices.

More than 2,000 people have signed on and Zeoli said feedback to the sheriff’s office is positive.

“They like the app and find it user Please see APPS on page 10A

And they’re off!

P H O T O B Y M A R Y B E T H LY O N S

St. Gregory the Great Catholic School students, teachers, staff and parents enjoy their traditional Running the Halls on the first day of school each year. Here, fourth graders Robbin Zetrouer and Gavin Byrne race out of the media center and down the halls Aug. 16, the beginning of the school’s 10th anniversary year. After the run, students settle down to learn and must wait a whole year before being allowed to run in the halls again.

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SUNNY SIDE UP

Screaming at strangers never a good idea in a small town

By Lynne Cope Hummell EDITOR

I don’t often gripe about people, but recently on Facebook, I did.

It was the first day of my vacation, a lovely Saturday morning. I had errands to run before some chores at home and a friend’s wedding in the afternoon.

I was in a great mood, especially after dropping off some unwanted items at a thrift store – part of our household clutter reduction project.

My second stop was at the adorable Reminisce shop in the Promenade. Owner Jerry Glenn was there and I showed him some items I thought he might be interested in. Sure enough, he was. We had a delightful chat and I left with a smile on my face.

I walked over to my car, which was parked in a great shady spot just across the parking lot from the store, got in and

cranked up the AC. It was hot!

Suddenly, I noticed a man in a chef hat, standing on the sidewalk and peering into my passenger-side window. He didn’t look familiar, but I thought perhaps he thought he knew me. He motioned to me so I rolled down the window. “Hi,” I chirped.

Then he proceeded to lambaste me for parking in that particular spot. “You are parked in front of my business and you need to leave,” he said vociferously in his foreign accent. “There are many other spaces around the other stores, so you don’t need to park in front of mine.”

I was quite surprised by his tirade.

“Move your car, do you know what I mean? This is my business and I don’t want you to park here. Don’t you understand? Even a first grader would understand what I am saying! You need to leave!” He got louder as he continued.

I was incredulous! Not that it matters – as parking is public in the whole

Promenade – but I was already leaving, and he still shouted at me.

Though the four-letter words in my head were on the verge of spewing forth, when I opened my mouth, my mother’s calm voice came out: “Why are you being so ugly to me?”

He just got louder and angrier in his ranting. “I want you to leave now. Don’t park here. You can’t park in front of my business!”

When I asked his name, he said, “You don’t need to know that! All you need to know is this is my business and I don’t ever want to see your car here again,” followed by “I call police now!” as he walked toward the entrance of his business, muttering and using a word that rhymes with “witch.”

I calmly said, “Okay, call them.” I thought I might like to chat with our local officers as well.

A customer who was sitting outside

witnessed the whole thing; he grinned and said, “I’m sorry. But he’s really a great guy.”

I don’t think “really great” people treat others like that. He was rude and belligerent. And, based on feedback from my Facebook post, it seems this behavior was not a one-time, having-a-bad-day outburst.

My intention in telling this story is to point out that – especially in our small community – it’s a good idea to always be mindful that you never know who that stranger is that you are smiling at or yelling at. It’s best to always be nice.

How different this story would be if the chef had invited me to come check out his shop while I was right there, maybe point out a specialty or offer a small sample of his baked goods.

Instead of potentially gaining a new customer through a chance meeting, he alienated someone with a big mouth – and a lot of her Facebook friends.

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EDITORIAL Current Circulation Via USPS is 27,494 Finalist: Small Business of the Year, 2014, HHI-Bluffton Chamber.

Winner of the 2011 SAPA General Excellence Award; 1st place, Front Page Design; 2nd place, Most Improved Publication; and 3rd place, Self-Promotion Advertising.

2013 IFPA-SAPA 3rd Place, Business Coverage

PUBLISHER B.J. Frazier, bjf.citysun@hargray.com

EDITOR Lynne Hummell, editor@hargray.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kim Perry Bowen

OFFICE MANAGER Susan Tarbona

CONTRIBUTORS Mary Bieda Abby Bird Amy Coyne Bredeson Amy Campanini Chip Collins Tom Davis Douglas S. Delaney Karen Doughtie E. Ronald Finger Jerry Glenn Jean Harris Jacqueline Huntly Gary Jaster Maria Malcolm Lou Marino Andrea McGilton

Oswald Mikell Debbie Morris Weston Newton Chuck Owens Sam Posthuma Joy Ross Dean Rowland Gwyneth J. Saunders Arthur Segal J Lanning Smith Denise K. Spencer Larry Stoller Brian Treacy Kathie Walsh Mark F. Winn

COPY EDITOR Pam Gallagher

ADVERTISING

Good news on home, statehouse fronts

By Weston Newton CONTRIBUTOR

The Newton clan followed the ordeal and finally the loss of 11-year-old Hannah Collins to a water-borne amoebic infection. We prayed for a miracle cure for the young girl and prayed for the family, as we could very easily have been the family being prayed for.

Our son William had done so well in the whitewater kayaking portion of his summer camp that he was invited to join a group going to the U.S. Whitewater Center near Charlotte, N.C., for advanced training.

It was several days after his return that we learned of an Ohio teen that had died from the same amoebic infection as the Beaufort girl, and it was apparently acquired at the kayaking facility attended

by William and his camp group.

The incubation period of the infection is from one to around 10 days. William had been home for three days. The next week was filled with the most serious parental anxiety either Rose or I had ever endured. William took it all in stride and was off to computer engineering camp.

We seem to be in a state of constant

• B.J. Frazier 843-422-2321 • Tim Anderson 843-540-0882 • Bill Griffin 843-705-9453 • Stan Wade 843-338-1900 • Larry Stoller, real estate, 843-290-5101

VISIT: www.blufftonsun.com For more information, contact: B.J. Frazier PO Box 2056, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-757-9507, 843-757-9506 (fax) 14D Johnston Way Bluffton, SC 29910 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.

gratitude. We have, in the last year or so, experienced this as well as two fires on our Myrtle Island property, with no injuries or displacement.

For us, the lesson is to pray for wisdom and safety for our loved ones.

Sometimes our beautiful world can be a place of confusion and danger. At the end of the day, we fall back on faith and a wisdom that surpasses our human understanding.

In statehouse matters, the news is good. As I have reported, the pension system of our state needs urgent attention. The folks who manage the investment side of our multi-billion-dollar pension fund are not performing up to expectation.

The upshot is, unless changes are made, we will have to either modify our investment model or else find ourselves unable to keep our retirement promises to our state employees.

Fortunately, the Speaker has appointed a study group to address the matter. The urgency is such that the Senate has joined in the mission, so our study group will be a House-Senate affair.

I am optimistic that the outcome will

be prudent and actionable for two reasons: First, there will be two members of the local delegation represented on the study group. Jeff Bradley (R-Hilton Head), my friend and colleague, is appointed to serve and will bring years of success as a financial adviser to the table.

Also, my friend Bill Herbkersman (RBluffton-Hardeeville) will co-chair the committee. Bill is an experienced legislator and longtime member of the House Ways and Means Committee, on which the burden will fall if the solution to the problem is not found.

In addition, the Legislative Oversight Committee, of which this legislator is chairman, has recently undertaken a programmatic analysis of the pension system. We will offer our findings and recommendations to the new study group as a possible starting point to their investigation.

It is plain that the Beaufort-Jasper delegation is hitting on all cylinders for the good of the state, as well as our local constituents.

Weston Newton is the representative for District 120 in the State House of Representatives.

Letters to the Editor To the Editor: Recently, I walked my 4-year-old grandson from our home to his Pre-K classes at the M.C. Riley complex in Bluffton. The crosswalk on Bridge Street, which is marked with bright yellow school zone signs, has faded lines that have been in dire need of repainting for years.

The traffic on Burnt Church was standing still, backed up by a newly prescribed, morning drop-off routine. We were met in the grass by a senior administrator who, without a hello, asked, “Did you park nearby to walk your child?” She was pointing toward the bus parking lot beside the school.

I replied, “No ma’am, we are walking from our home.” She continued, “It is against the law to park over there and walk.”

She then added, “You know, it’s not the ’50s anymore, and I don’t feel that it is safe to walk.”

I asked if there was another route that we should take instead, and her surprising answer was, “I recommend that you get in the car and go through the drop-off line like everyone else.”

I was astounded. My grandson and I continued to the entrance of the Early Childhood Development Center, where he was greeted by name and ushered inside.

Now, as in the ’50s, my requests are simple: I want fresh paint in the crosswalk on Bridge Street, free access to walk my grandchild to school, and I expect polite, respectful discourse with any school administrator whom we may encounter along the way.

Kelly Logan Graham Bluffton To the Editor: I am responding to the letter from Paul Russo, who, for purposes of transparency, is the president of the Sun City Democrat Group.

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EDITORIAL

Flyover just one piece of larger infrastructure puzzle

By Tom Davis CONTRIBUTOR

Last month, I stood onsite with many others to celebrate the opening of the Bluffton Parkway flyover. This flyover will reduce traffic using Hwy. 278 near the Hilton Head Island bridges by about 25 percent and is a key part of a longerrange plan to provide island residents an alternate evacuation route (which, of course, is still dependent upon extending the Bluffton Parkway from Hwy. 170 to Interstate 95).

And thereby hangs a tale: the flyover, though important, is just one piece of a larger Hilton Head Island infrastructure puzzle. The good news, though, is that plans are already under way to ensure the remaining pieces fall into place. And officials at Beaufort County – notably, Gary Kubic (administrator), Robert McFee (engineering and infrastructure director) and Colin Kinton (traffic engineer) – are to be commended for this foresight.

Next up for this area, with construction anticipated to begin in 2021, are widening Hwy. 278 on Jenkins Island, addressing the ingress-egress situation at Windmill Harbor and improving access to amenities on Jenkins Island; widening Hwy. 278 from Jenkins Island to Squire Pope Road; replacing the eastbound twolane span of the Mackay Creek (aka Karl S. Bowers) Bridge with a new three-lane span; and providing safe access to Pinckney Island.

Following that, with a projected start date of 2026, are widening from two lanes to three the westbound span of the Mackay Creek Bridge and widening the Skull Creek (aka J. Wilton Graves) Bridge from two lanes in each direction to three.

(Note: While the plans currently are to widen, rather than replace, these three bridge spans, such could change depending on the outcome of further engineering studies.)

Rather than handling these interrelated projects piecemeal, county officials and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) are wisely treating them as a whole; they intend to seek a single Environmental Assessment encompassing all of the improvements.

This approach will save millions of dollars and accelerate the completion timetable.

The replacement of the eastbound span of the Mackay Creek Bridge ranks second on the SCDOT bridge replacement list and, in terms of public safety, is the highest priority. Constructed in 1956 and having a design-life of 50 years, this is the oldest of four Hilton Head Island bridge spans. The other three bridge spans were built in the 1980s and, as noted above, may be expanded rather than replaced.

Timely addressing these four bridge spans is critical. The average number of vehicles crossing these bridges has jumped from 47,600 in 2009 to 54,700 in 2015, and will doubtless continue to increase as Hilton Head Island maintains and improves its reputation as a premiere resort destination. As the island’s state senator, I consider this a top priority.

Each of these transportation projects, of course, carries a substantial price tag.

The estimated cost of replacing the eastbound span of the Mackay Creek Bridge is $44 million, and a 2002 study commissioned by the county pegs the cost of expanding the remaining three bridge spans at between $80 million to $160 million (though county officials now advise the actual cost may approach $200 million).

In the last legislative session, $200 million was set aside on a recurring basis to amortize approximately $3 billion in bonds to be used for resurfacing interstates and fixing structurally deficient Please see DAVIS on page 20A

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LETTERS from page 4A As an independent voter, I look at both sides and decide on the best person rather than sticking my head in the sand for a party.

Mr. Russo addressed the expertise of the FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch in his letter. Was it not Mr. Comey who confirmed to Congress that Hillary Clinton, on three occasions, under oath, lied to Congress? Is that not what our system calls “perjury”?

Loretta Lynch showed her wisdom by deciding it was appropriate to wait on a tarmac to discuss “grandchildren” with the husband of a presidential candidate under investigation. Really? I was born at night but not last night.

Finally, Benghazi: What type of human being looks into the eyes of parents who lost a son defending our U.S. Embassy and lies about why they were killed? It is the same type of person who goes from “dead broke” (Clinton’s words) to worth over $100 million in a short period while working for the American

taxpayer – greed and dishonesty on display.

The American people must decide if they want a greedy liar for president or a successful businessman who says “meany” things in a sharp way but has his sights set directly on our country’s problems.

I suggest we listen to what candidates say, not how they say it. The choice is clear.

Ken Fischer Bluffton To the Editor: Both Trump and Clinton became their party’s nominee by hostile takeover.

Hopefully, the wisdom of the electorate will not allow that to happen to our presidency. Every four years, voters “hire” the person who will be the president. It is a job too important to be decided by popularity contest or dueling.

In this peculiar election year, common Please see LETTERS on page 10A

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APPS from page 1A friendly,” he said, adding that the most popular options seem to be “Make a Plan” and “EvacMap & Shelters.”

Bluffton Police Department’s app, which came into use in April, cost $865 which includes a $700 annual fee. The funds come out of the department’s Support Services division, which also includes records and evidence, court and council security, school crossing guards and the quartermaster.

Like their counterparts at the county, the BPD app sent out updates on Hurricane, and then Tropical Storm Hermine, and trees down in Bluffton as a result of high winds from the storm.

Transparency was a major reason the BPD signed on with the My Police Department system, a larger application that includes law enforcement agencies around the world.

“We want everyone and anyone to be able to access us at any time,” said Chief Joey Reynolds. “This is also the age of technology. People of all ages have smart phones these days and most of the time they have their smart phone with them wherever they go. Therefore, with this app, they now have the Bluffton PD everywhere they go.”

So far, 694 people have signed up and feedback is positive.

Notifications come as text messages and as alerts if the user has opted to follow the department on Twitter.

“I want to send alerts out to keep people informed, but I don’t want to send out too many and too often where people start to ignore the alerts,” Reynolds said. “The alerts I send have been for flooding streets, weather related storms and road closures and construction.”

The chief said it was hard to tell if the notices have helped with traffic control or other circumstances, but anything that will keep the public alert to a situation is an asset.

“I feel the app has been a huge benefit to the department,” said Reynolds. “We are here to serve and protect the public.

By doing so, we must have contact with the public. This app allows just that – keeping in contact with the public so they know we are here to help.”

Both apps are designed for use on Android and Apple products. Download MyPD and search for Bluffton Police Department. For the county app, search for Beaufort County S.C. Emergency Management.

Gwyneth J. Saunders is a veteran journalist and freelance writer living in Bluffton.

LETTERS from page 8A sense leads us to a third party choice for president. Political divisiveness is threatening the equilibrium of the federal government; we need a competent, committed patriot as president. Gov. Gary Johnson, an experienced neutral-party chief executive, has the know-how to work cooperatively with Congress to end gridlock and restore sanity and integrity to D.C. Voters have a serious obligation to vote for the individual best suited. The job description for Chief Executive is found in the Constitution (Article II, Sections 1-3.). The founders envisioned the president as a problem-solver who will work to keep all three branches of the government operating in a coordi-

nated pattern to provide effective government service to The People.

The balance of power in the federal government is designed to work for us, not the other way around.

No doubt the founders relied on our judgement to choose a president who reverences the Constitutional limitations of the office, yet has the wisdom, experience and maturity to steer the ship of state successfully through turbulent political waters.

Abraham Lincoln is said to have been the most recent successful third-party presidential candidate. Perhaps these troubling times require another one.

Jane Kenny Bluffton

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MLS of Hilton Head celebrates 40 years of growth

By Dean Rowland CONTRIBUTOR

Yvette Acuff of Bluffton is a onewoman think tank. She’s nimble with words, insightful about the origins of her progressive ideas and precise about every technological detail that serves her clients.

For the past 40 years, the Charleston native has helped transform the local real estate industry. She almost single-handedly catapulted a multiple listing service that was rudimentary in 1976 – printed sheets of paper that were distributed by real estate agents – into a high-tech, stateof-the-art database service now.

“We only had 13 real estate firms and 76 agents, and they could not really afford and didn’t want to take the risk at that time dealing with anything technology-wise,” said Acuff, chief executive officer of the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island Inc. (HHIMLS) The company now serves more than

200 brokerages, appraisal offices and affiliates, and 1,600 agents in the greater Hilton Head IslandBluffton area.

In those four decades, Acuff moved at a fast-forward pace, transitioning the industry from mimeographing copies, then publishing and distributing MLS books, to providing online computer services, to amassing internet-based services Yvette Acuff with multiple ancillary products.

Among the 40 or so paperless technology solutions and services provided to clients via www.HiltonHeadMLS.com are virtual home tours, internet forms with electronic signatures, property photos, social media interfacing, advertising, complete villa regime data (floor plans, site plans, fees, etc.), state tax rolls, real-

time statistics, inventory information, trends and an app.

The privately owned company facilitates $3 billion annually in real estate transactions through its listing platform.

Here’s the back story.

Eight years after she moved to the island in 1968, and having earned her real estate broker’s license, Acuff was hired to work at the independent HHIMLS a few months after it was chartered as a corporation in May 1976.

“They knew I had an executive background and asked me if I would take a little part-time job,” said Acuff, who has a business degree. For about a year, she typed up the real estate listings and traveled around the country researching how other resort areas handled their listings.

Before her first year ended, she compiled all of the local listings data, and the company published an MLS book, a charter publication for the industry.

Unfortunately, it was outdated by the time it reached clients’ hands.

“The multiple listings service started out as loose-leaf notebooks where we got our pages each week and we had to take out the (homes) that sold and expired and had to put in the new listings,” said Carl Schroeder, currently an agent with Foundation Realty and who was the sales manager for Bill Jones Realty when it became the corporation’s first real estate firm to join the HHIMLS. “The book was sacred,” said Charles Sampson, who has been a partner/agent in the north office of Charter One Realty for many years.

The more Acuff learned about the real estate business, the more she knew there was a need for a more expeditious and Please see MLS on page 20A

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Local swim teams foster spirit of sport well beyond Olympics

P H O T O B Y M A R Y B E T H LY O N S

16-year-old Kaitlyn Pangilinan is one of the only original Bluffton Fins swimmers still on the team.

Pangilinan started with the team in its first year, 2006. Now, as a high school junior, she specializes in distance freestyle events.

By Sam Posthuma CONTRIBUTOR

Every four years, the Olympics brings together the world’s greatest athletes in a demonstration of skill, spirit and sportsmanship. This year, all eyes were set on swimming as Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, brought home his 28th Olympic medal.

But when the Olympic flame snuffs out and all the athletes go home, the spirit of swimming doesn’t stop. It flourishes locally under the careful cultivation of the Bluffton Fins and Hilton Head Aquatics (H2A) swimming teams.

Both teams are club members of USA Swimming and registered non-profit organizations dedicated to bringing their unique brands of swimmer development and character building to their communities.

The Bluffton Fins was founded in 2006 by head coach Eric Kemeny with the goal of streamlining their comprehensive swimming programs to help better prepare their members for the future. Whether or not members are focused on competitive-level swimming, the Fins’ programs help build solid exercise foundations to keep them happy, healthy and active.

“It’s one thing to learn how to swim laps fast,” said Kemeny. “But to stay healthy, well, that’s priceless.”

Hilton Head’s H2A was founded in 1985, making it one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in Beaufort County.

Head coach Mike Lane works under a three-part philosophy where parents, swimmers and coaches all have a specific role in making the team successful.

The teams work with members of all ages and have multiple skill levels to ensure everyone with an interest in the sport has a place to be.

“If you’re totally new, we have a place for you. Once you start growing, we have a place for you,” said Lane.

This year, both teams have plenty to be proud of. The Bluffton Fins celebrate former members Andrew Faciszewski and Greg Reed, who both competed in the Olympic trials in July.

H2A came in fourth in this year’s state meet, sizing up their 30-odd members against some teams with upwards of 300.

H2A members Lilla Felix and Chloe Corbitt each reached the national qualifier this year. Felix is set on a course to attend Yale University to continue her swimming career.

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Elder cat caregiver retires from volunteer work

Volunteer Mary B. Clover feeding feral cats.

By Amy Campanini CONTRIBUTOR

After more than six decades of caring for unwanted and abandoned cats, 91year-old Mary B. Clover is officially retired.

For 65 years, Mary has been feeding and spaying-neutering homeless cats in feral colonies in every state she has lived in, from Iowa and Minnesota to South Carolina. For the past 25 years, the cats right here in Bluffton and Hilton Head have been lucky enough to have Mary looking out for them.

Mary often had to fight off crows, buzzards and raccoons so her cats could eat.

She also has run into a few humans who felt less than hospitable toward her cats as well.

It all started for Mary when her children were off to school. She took a job with her local animal shelter, feeding, cleaning and caring for the unwanted cats. That is when she began noticing homeless cats everywhere in her community.

She started with food and moved on to providing shelter from rain and cold and medical care when needed. She never turned a cat away.

This role came naturally to Mary, who has been a lover of all animals from the

time she was a small child. “I get my love of animals from my grandparents,” stated Mary at our retirement lunch. “I’ve loved cats, dogs, ducks, and all wildlife. I even had a pet duck that I raised from a tiny little thing.” I could see the sparkle in her eyes as she thought about the many animals she has loved.

Mary was definitely ahead of her time, working at the forefront of the pet population problem. She started Trap-NeuterReturn (TNR) before it was available in our community in an early attempt to curb the overpopulation of cats.

Over the years, as rescue groups and shelters came into existence, she began arranging for the kittens of feral cats to be socialized and adopted.

Realizing that she needed a succession plan upon her retirement, Mary reached out to PAL a few years ago and asked for her cats to be cared for. I drove from cat colony to cat colony with Mary as she “trained” me on how to care for them.

“Put the food here, mix the food like this, pet this one here, this one will eat out of the car,” she would tell me.

She knew each cat intimately. It was amazing to watch her dedication and see the love on her face.

Mary’s last feeding station was turned over in July and she is officially retired.

Now PAL volunteer Harry Cassidy has taken hold of the proverbial feeding spoon and has built a team of caregivers to pick up where Mary left off.

Mary now has the peace of mind she was looking for. She no longer needs to get up every day and care for the colonies because a team of dedicated volunteers is following in her footsteps. They too love the cats and find great joy and satisfaction in knowing they are a part of something worthwhile. They carry on the good works of one woman who, wholeheartedly, demonstrated a lifetime of compassionate care.

Amy Campanini is the president of Palmetto Animal League. www.palmetto animalleague.org

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May River High opening showcases pride, sleek design

Principal Todd Bornscheuer rings an old-fashioned school bell to officially open May River High Aug. 23. At right is Joe Cook, Beaufort County School District director of construction.

By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR

Impressive, immense and architecturally clean. The only external frill on the new May River High School campus is the digital sign beside the main entrance, embossed with the school’s prowling Shark mascot, greeting students, staff and visitors.

Teams of student ambassadors led guests on tours of the school.

From left are Charlie Griswold, Cassandra Ortega, Belen Estremadoiro, Ashley Manzanares and Hannah McGuire. The freshmen are keen that they will be the first class to go the full four years to graduation.

Rows of enthusiastic student ambassadors in the school’s colors of royal blue, black and silver greeted visitors with continuous cheers as they processed into the new auditorium prior to their tour at the facility’s grand opening.

Guests were treated to a close-up view of the school’s many amenities, from the cafeteria with a designated “seniors-only” section to the media center with one of

P H OTO S B Y G W Y N E T H J. S AU N D E R S

In the media center, school district attorney Drew Davis, right, plays chess against Will Shropshire (light shorts) assisted by Charlie Griswold, as Caleb Brown, left, watches.

several in-school coffee stations. Water fountains in the hallways encourage students to carry personal water bottles. A digital monitor at each fountain keeps tabs on when the water bottle option is used, counting up the number of plastic bottles that are kept out of the environment.

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DAVIS from page 6A

MLS from page 12A

bridges. Members of the Beaufort County Legislative Delegation are working with SCDOT officials to ensure an equitable portion of this goes to repairing and-or replacing Hilton Head Island’s bridges, and I am confident we will be successful.

State revenues alone, however, will not be sufficient; such will need to be supplemented with federal and local dollars, and those go hand in hand. Fair or not, the reality is state and federal agencies are more likely to help localities that help themselves. At some point in the future, I think a local-option sales tax referendum that is narrowly targeted to transportation infrastructure should be put to the people for a vote.

Finally, as with anything of this scope and magnitude, it is important that residents be both informed and involved, especially in the design process. The transportation issues now being planned will directly impact their safety and quality of life for decades to come, and I look forward to ensuring they are part of the debate.

Tom Davis is the State Senator for South Carolina District 46, which covers portions of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

efficient manner for agents and agencies to share information about listing updates and comparative marketplace analysis.

“I saw a need,” she said. “We needed a more sophisticated system to communicate and furnish clientele with the tools and technology they needed to move forward in the real estate industry.”

In the late ’70s, Acuff formed her own spin-off company to fill that need as a vendor to the HHIMLS by providing it with hardware and software services for its clients.

She secured a small business loan from the government, purchased an IBM Series/1 computer and Texas Instrument terminals, and installed two telephone lines.

Her new clients paid a membership fee to join and a monthly fee to input and access data.

Sampson, who was the business manager at Hargray at the time, recalls well the circumstances at that time.

“I remember when she came in and got her first phone service and got all the lines for the data,” Sampson said.

“She had a pretty good sized bill. Like any new business in the beginning, it was tough going. But she kept it together.”

“I formed the company for the sole purpose of furnishing a turn-key technology service to the MLS industry,” Acuff said.

The board gave her a five-year contract to serve as its vendor and provide services to the company to expand their mission. It also retained her as executive director.

“MLS had no financial responsibility,” she said. “I bore the burden of the equipment and everything. It was a high risk for me, because I had to borrow about $75,000 from the bank.

I took a big risk, because I was young, of course … I was one of 13 children, and I didn’t have an inheritance when I came down here.”

Hard work, having a smart mind,

Sept. 7, 2016

and being the 11th of 13 children who gave her usable “skill sets” helped her to dream big.

“I never could have dreamt to the extent that it is now,” she said. “I’ve always been forward thinking though, and so I was always looking for the next tool that would help our industry here move forward and not lag behind.”

“Without the working together of all the real estate companies where they share all their information and listings into a central location, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Sampson said.

Now, 40 years later, Acuff is hesitant to take credit for all the success in building the company. “I’ve always kept myself very busy,” she said. “It’s always been about our membership and our industry, not about what I did.”

Dean Rowland is a veteran senior editor and freelance writer.

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SWIM from page 14A

MAY RIVER from page 18A

With both teams working so closely together, H2A and the Bluffton Fins hold their relationship close to heart as an important building tool to strengthen their goals of making swimming better in the community.

“We’ve been pretty supportive of P H O T O B Y M A R Y B E T H LY O N S one another,” said Kemeny. “We share H2A swimmer Chloe Corbitt swims the 200 meter butterfly at a meet advice and informa- this past summer. Corbitt was ranked in the top 20 in the nation for her age group this past year for this event. tion and get along For more information on the teams, really well. It’s nice to have another protheir programs and registration, visit the gram so close to us.”

Bluffton Fins at www.finsswim.com and The proximity of the teams also H2A at www.h2aswim.com. allows for smaller scale meets to better prepare members for the more distant Sam Posthuma of Bluffton is a freelance trips to Columbia and Charleston. writer and production assistant for The “It helps build our community. It’s Bluffton Sun. great to have their support,” said Lane.

The 550,000 bricks in the structures enclose several unique opportunities for the current population of nearly 1,000 students with room for 1,400 – a number that has the potential to grow as high as 1,800 with additional wings already built into the planning.

The new school cost $68 million and covers approximately 240,000 square feet. A The sleek cafeteria at May River High School. future two-story addition two schools offering CATE – career and would add 40,000 square feet. technology education courses – to disBoth the auditorium and the gymnatrict students. May River’s courses sium have separate entrances flanking include health sciences, information the main entrance, eliminating the need technology and cybersecurity, mechafor attendees at performances and tronics – which combines electronics sporting events to come in the front with mechanical engineering, welding, door. and automotive (including design, develThe high-tech auditorium can seat opment, manufacturing, marketing and 615 people; the gym can hold 2,100 fans selling of motor vehicles, as well as mainor – in the event of inclement weather – families and friends gathered for gradua- tenance and repair).

Gwyneth J. Saunders is a veteran jourtions. nalist and freelance writer living in Bluffton.

May River joins Battery Creek as the

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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Inaugural Walk for Water to be held Sept. 24

P H OTO S U B M I T T E D

Workers stand in front of the water station in Miramar that is already under construction.

The Rotary Club of Bluffton will host its inaugural Walk for Water from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 24, beginning at the Bluffton Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf St. The event will raise money for the club’s International Water Project, which will bring clean water to the community of Miramar, Peru, through the Water Mission organization.

In Miramar, the existing water source is contaminated, causing diarrheal illnesses, cholera and malaria. The Rotary Club of Bluffton chose to bring clean water to this town through the construction of a water treatment system, which will be monitored and managed for future sustainability.

Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds and implements safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas.

“It is very exciting to watch the progress being made and to make new friends with our host club partner Rotarians and the people of Miramar,” Deborah Burt, who spearheaded the Water Missions project for the local club.

The club received a $50,000 grant from Rotary International to help fund the project in Miramar and members

hope to raise the remaining $11,700 to complete the project.

Participants in the Walk for Water will begin at the Oyster Factory, walk one mile, fill up a bucket of water from a member of the Bluffton Fire Department, and then return a mile to the Oyster Factory. Walkers are encouraged to bring their own buckets, though carrying a bucket is not required.

The average women and children in third world countries walk 3.5 miles every day, sometimes multiple times, in search of water – water that can make them sick. The road they travel is dangerous and exhausting and the trip usually takes about four hours.

Tragically, almost 10,000 women and children die every single day in these third world countries, because of preventable, water-related diseases.

Some members of the Rotary Club will be traveling to Miramar in October for the Commissioning Ceremony when the new water system will be turned on for the community.

The Walk for Water registration is $10 for adults and $5 for youth 10 and up.

Children under 10 are free. Individuals and teams are welcome.

For more information, contact Mary O’Neill at maryaoneill6@aol.com or 843815-2472.

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Long-running Catfish Festival promises fun, food, music Hardeeville’s 42nd annual Catfish Festival will be held Sept.

16-17 behind City Hall on Main Street, with an assortment of amusement rides, parades, contests, food, crafts and family musical entertainment.

Festivities kick-off at 6 p.m. on Friday with the high-powered, South Carolina bred, HiFi Station band, playing beach, soul and rock ’n’ roll music. Between their two sets (which last until 10 p.m.), there will be a children’s parade.

Games and amusement rides will continue throughout the evening as well as all day and all evening on Saturday.

The Grand Parade, featuring winners from the Miss Hardeeville Beauty Pageant, gets Saturday’s activities underway at 10 a.m.

Opening ceremonies for the festival will be held at noon.

Going to the Dogs, a 100 percent charity band, will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Their music is described as hybrid-bluegrass, playing a wide range from traditional bluegrass songs to contemporary top 40 songs, ’60s and ’70s pop, with a bluegrass twist.

Entertaining from 7 to 10 p.m. is the foot-stomping, energy-packed band called High Velocity. They are a spirited Southern group playing a music genre of Southern rock, new country and classic rock. They perform cover material and original music.

A cook-off featuring catfish stew and a delicious bake-off including cakes, pies and cookies will take place at the Town football field concession stand and conclude with an awards ceremony.

Other activities include the popular corn hole tournament for all

ages and The Marilyn Youmans School of Dance performance.

Plenty of food will be available and a variety of craft vendors will showcase their handmade items.

The one-of-a-kind Catfish Festival T-shirt will be for sale online and during the two-day event. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display at 10 p.m.

Deanne Spikes, event chairperson, said, “I am looking forward to showcasing the City of Hardeeville and the festival on a broader scale than ever before in this fun-filled family atmosphere.”

She said the community always looks forward to this local event because it gives them a reason to catch up with friends and acquaintances and enjoy all the activities.

For more information, call Spikes at 843-368-1706 or visit www.hardeeville catfishfestival.com.

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Noteworthy • Volunteer tutors and mentors are needed for programs at M.C. Riley Early Childhood Center.

Operation Take Flight is a tutoring program for kindergarten students, designed for students who need extra help catching up on the basics.

Volunteers are needed to work 20 or 45 minutes at a time, one day a week, Monday through Friday. Volunteers may tutor anytime between 7:45 am and 2 p.m. For more information, call Kathy Wipper at 843-707-0800.

The Rotary Reader program helps to encourage the love of reading through a caring, mentoring program. Volunteers are needed to read on a weekly basis with individual students.

The Mentoring Program helps children increase their self-esteem and academic achievement through providing a positive influence on the student’s development.

For more information, call counselor Carol Walters at 843-707-0807.

• David Premo has been awarded the Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) designation by Toastmasters International, and Maureen Korzik added the title Advanced Communicator Bronze to her credentials.

Both are members of the FastTrackers Club in Hilton Head.

Advanced Communicator Gold is the highest level of achievement as a speaker in Toastmasters.

FastTrackers Toastmasters meets every Friday from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. in the Community Room (rear entrance) of Palmetto Electric, 111 Matthews Dr. on Hilton Head Island. Visitors are always welcome. For more information, visit www.toastmastershhi.org.

• The Hilton Head Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is sponsoring a Holiday Chorus to spread the joy of the Christmas season throughout the area.

The chorus will be singing Christmas

music and performing at various senior facilities and care homes. The chorus is open to any male singer desiring to spread the joy. No commitment beyond the season is necessary.

The Hilton Head Barbershop Chorus meets at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the Cypress Clubhouse in Hilton Head Plantation. Music and learning media will be provided.

For more information, call Bill “Duke” Andrus at 843-705-6632 or 843 2266262.

• The local chapter of AARP will meet at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 in the community room of the Palmetto Electric Coop building on Hwy. 278 in Hardeeville.

Rep. Bill Herbkersman will be the speaker.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call president Chris Olsen at 843-705-5798.

• The Palmetto Plant Eaters Club, a

PlantPure Nation pod group focused on plant-based eating, will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 110 Malphrus Rd. in Bluffton.

Nate Dixon, a physical therapist, will be the guest speaker.

For more information, visit www.PalmettoPlantEaters.com.

• The Beaufort Sport Fishing and Diving Club will meet Sept. 8 at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island, off Meridian Road. The social begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Well-known local Capt. Geordie Madlinger will discuss shoreline and beach fishing, including setups, rods and reels and baits of choice.

Guests are welcome, with no reservations necessary.

For more information, contact Capt.

Frank Gibson at 843-522-2122 or fgibson@islc.net.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Noteworthy • Sept. 11 will mark the 30th anniversary of the first service of Providence Presbyterian Church.

Founding pastor Rev. Dr. Gerald S. Mills will return to keynote a Saturday evening family dinner on “The Miracle of Providence Presbyterian Church,” and preach at a 10 a.m. Sunday combined worship service.

Providence Presbyterian Church is at 171 Cordillo Pkwy. on Hilton Head Island. Childcare is available on request.

For more information, call 843-8425673.

• The Town of Bluffton will host a 9/11 Memorial ceremony at 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 11 at Bluffton Town Hall to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Members of the Bluffton Police Department and Bluffton Fire Honor Guard will present the colors, and the St. Gregory the Great Catholic School

Children’s Choir will sing.

The guest speaker is a retired NYPD officer who was in New York when the Towers were hit.

Seating will be available. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 30 minutes. The event is free and open to the public.

• The Athletic Club of the Lowcountry will meet for a social time at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 351 Buckwalter Pkwy. in Bluffton. The program will begin at 7 p.m.

Guest speaker will be Dan Driessen, a native and current resident of Hilton Head Island who was an infielder for the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine” in the mid-1970s.

The meeting is open to members and guests, who must register by calling Judy Barry at 843-705-5223 and pay a $5 guest fee.

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Noteworthy Berwick Dr. on Hilton Head.

Speaker Christale Spain, executive director of the Democratic Party of South Carolina, will speak about the coming election and other issues facing the state.

Cost is $20. For more information, call Richard Hammes at 847-921-8188.

• The Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island will host athletic director Joan Cronan as guest speaker at its Sept. 13 luncheon at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head. The event begins with interest group sign up at 10 a.m., with social hour at 11 a.m. and lunch at noon.

Cronan’s 35-year career in women’s athletics at the collegiate level has some impressive statistics, including 10 NCAA titles, 41 top-five finishes, 22 SEC season titles and 33 SEC tournament championships.

Reservation deadline is Sept. 9. Cost is $30 for members, $38 for guests. Mail a check to Susan Beck, 24 Sheldon Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. For more information, email lunch.wahhi@gmail.com or call 843342-5881.

• The Palmetto Quilt Guild will hold its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort, 40 Folly Field Rd., Hilton Head.

The program will be presented by Cheryl Sieboda, a fiber artist who will speak on “Working Weekly, Staying Inspired,” and how small quilts helped her find her artistic voice.

Guests are welcome for a $5 guest fee.

For more information, call 843-6891922 or visit www.palmettoquiltguild.com.

• Liberal Men of the Lowcountry will meet at noon Sept. 14 for lunch at the Golf Club at Indigo Run, 101

• The Big Ten on Hilton Head will hold its 2016 annual conference picnic from 4 to 6:30 p.m. p.m. Sept. 18 at

Honey Horn.The event is open to all Big Ten alumni, supporters, fans and friends; all are invited to wear their school colors.

The meal, catered by Jimmy Fitts Barbecue, is $20 per person, children 12 and under are free.

Sally Mason, Ph.D., president of the University of Iowa from 2007 to 2015 and president of the Big 10 Council of Presidents and Chancellors, 2012-2015, will give a special presentation titled “Inside the Big 10.”

Registration deadline is Sept. 12. For more information and registration form, email BIG10onHH@gmail.com.

• Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity will host its 19th annual golf tournament Sept. 19 at Oldfield Club.

Registration for golfers begins at 8 a.m. with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. For those who don’t golf, tickets can be purchased separately for the buffet and the live and silent auctions to follow play.

Over the years, proceeds from the

tournament have provided funding for nine completed houses. The next house will be built at The Glen, Habitat’s community on Hilton Head Island.

For more information, call Brenda Dooley at 843-757-5864. To register online, visit www.habitathhi.org.

• The Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21 at Hampton Hall Clubhouse.

Guest speaker will be Brenda McGraw of Boiling Springs, whose topic will be “Discover Joy Beyond the Clutter of Life.”

The feature will be a fashion show of SteinMart’s latest fashions and accessories.

Cost for lunch is $25, with prepaid reservations due by Sept. 14. Make checks payable to CWC Bluffton and mail to Irene Cusato, c/o CWC Bluffton, 7 Nesting Lane, Bluffton, SC 29909.

For more information, call Carol at 843-705-7604.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Business Briefs • Bryan McIlwee has been named the Town of Bluffton’s new director of engineering.

McIlwee directs and manages the engineering department, which includes the divisions of public works and watershed Bryan McIlwee management.

McIlwee is also responsible for supervising the Town’s capital improvement program.

McIlwee formerly worked for the Town of Hilton Head Island for eight years as the assistant town engineer and stormwater manager. Among his tasks, McIlwee managed the design and construction of numerous road and pathway projects for the island as well as supervising the design of the Rowing and Sailing Center at Squire Pope Community Park.

McIlwee earned a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech in 2001.

McIlwee is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has lived in the Lowcountry for eight years.

For more information, visit www.TownofBluffton.com.

• Century 21 A Low Country Realty is celebrating its 30th anniversary of serving the Hilton Head, Bluffton and Sun City Areas.

Bill and Susan Asnip started the franchise in the spring of 1986 and have been at the same office location – at the Hilton Head Beach & Tennis Resort – since the beginning.

The Asnips have built a tradition of trust and service throughout the real estate community. They and their Century 21 agents have helped thousands of sellers, buyers and investors with their real estate needs.

In January 2014, they passed the ownership baton to Dee Gramoy, one of their long-time agents and an active real estate broker.

Gramoy continues to provide the same work ethic and customer service that was and continues to be the focus of this real estate brokerage’s success and commitment to their clients and the community.

For more information, call 843-3841525, email dkgramoy@aol.com or visit www.c21Lowcountry.com.

• Effective Sept. 15, Classic Travel will be relocating to 110 Traders Cross in Okatie. Joan Flynn is the manager.

The office is located behind the Goodyear Tire and Enmark Station on Hwy. 170. The new phone number will be 843-705-8080.

• Shelly Fulton of Bluffton has joined Community Foundation of the Lowcountry as a donor services associate. In this role, Fulton will process gifts and grants, Shelly Fulton manage donor services for donors and fund representatives, and serve as a donor liaison.

Fulton brings extensive administrative experience, primarily in the healthcare field, to the position.

Her background includes client services, from administrative and financial operations to direct client care services and coordination.

Most recently she worked at Palmetto Anesthesia & Pain. Prior to that, Fulton held positions at Darling Eye Center, The Eye Site of Bluffton and Palmetto Eye Specialists.

Fulton has completed continuing education classes in numerous office administration functions at University of South Carolina Beaufort, as well as prerequisite courses toward an RN degree at Technical College of the Lowcountry.

She has also completed the SC NNAAP (National Nurse Aide Assessment Program).

For more information, call 843-6819100 or visit www.cf-lowcountry.org.

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Business Briefs • Jim McGuffey of Bluffton is a scheduled speaker at the ASIS International 62nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 13. His topic will be “Security Strategies for Hardening Soft Jim McGuffey Targets” with a global focus on houses of worship.

McGuffey will also be speaking Nov. 13 at the International Arts & Antiquities Security Forum (IAASF), which is a leading conference and exhibition covering current topics in the international protection of arts and antiquities. His focus will be on current threats on houses of worship and security strategies to mitigate risk.

McGuffey has conducted several security risk assessments for local churches and recently spoke on two occasions in a joint community program with the

Bluffton Police Department and ASIS International Savannah Low Country Chapter, training approximately 80 worship leaders on the security risk analysis process.

• Enid Anderson has joined Charter One Realty as an agent and Ann Lilly has joined the company as a broker associate.

Anderson will be working out of the south office of the company, at 11 Park Enid Anderson Lane on Hilton Head Island.

Lilly will be based at 81 Main St., also on Hilton Head.

Having been in the real estate industry since 2002, Anderson brings years of valuable real estate experience to Charter One, as well as a strong knowledge of the Lowcountry real estate market.

Prior to her real estate career, Anderson served in the banking industry, where she gained skills in the areas of technology, product development and project management.

Throughout her real estate career, Ann Lilly Anderson has received awards and recognitions for her industry leadership, and has played an active role in the communities in which she has lived.

She has participated in various local and national organizations including the Military Officers Association of America, where she served as the Auxiliary President for the Hilton Head chapter, Habitat for Humanity, and Volunteers in Medicine.

She has frequently served as family host for Operation R & R and Hilton Head Heroes.

Anderson is an active member of her church and is currently on the Board of Deacons.

She can be reached at 843-368-5353 or EnidAnderson@gmail.com.

A part of the Lowcountry real estate industry since 2004, Lilly is an established leader in residential sales. She is skilled in providing in-depth community and market-knowledge, and has effective negotiation skills and the ability to coordinate the details of sophisticated transactions.

Lilly is an active member of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors, and was named Realtor of the Year for 2011.

She has received the Realtor Service Award every year since 2006, has chaired committees and served on the board of directors from 2010 to 2015.

She was board vice president in 2014 and board treasurer in 2015.

Lilly can be reached at 843-816-8298 or aelilly1@gmail.com.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Nelems to lead seminar on Lean Startup at DRCI An educational seminar, “The Lean Startup,” will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation, located at 400 Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton.

David Nelems, executive director of the DRCI, will discuss ways to create and manage successful startups in an age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

The seminar will provide insight for entrepreneurs on a new approach to launching a startup business – changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

The seminar will address the issues surrounding why most startups fail, and how those failures are often preventable.

The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, the Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs – in companies of all sizes – a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late.

Since late 2012, Nelems has led the Don Ryan Center, a Bluffton-based incubator that is chartered by the Town of Bluffton to help grow early stage companies in Bluffton and the surrounding region.

In four years, 28 companies have been through the program.

These companies employ more than 88 people, have an annual payroll of almost $5 million dollars and annual revenues of more than $25 million.

The event is free for DRCI members and $10 for non-members For more information and to register, visit www.donryancenter.com.

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LEGAL

Estate planning is not a do-it-yourself project

By Mark F. Winn CONTRIBUTOR

With the pervasiveness in our society of do-it-yourself everything and the promise of fast, cheap and easy legal documents created at the click of a mouse, the public needs to beware.

Just as WebMD Mark F. Winn .com is no replacement for a doctor, do-it-yourself estate planning is no replacement for an attorney.

When it comes to legal matters, the question is not “Is it legal?” The question is “What are the legal consequences?”

For example, let’s assume a client comes into the office with an internetdriven will. He thinks it accomplishes his

objectives. On the surface it appeared to, but as we begin to talk, I learn that one of his chief objectives is to ensure that there will be peace and harmony among his children after he and his wife pass.

Since he has a will alone, most of his and his wife’s assets will eventually go through probate. Thus, a hefty fee to the Treasurer is likely.

As we talked, I was perusing the will, and I explained to him that “reasonable fees” in South Carolina to the executor could mean 5 percent of the probate estate.

He did not want his children to fight.

This provision could frustrate his objectives of peace and harmony. Why? Well, let’s ask the proper question. So, in the above case, what are the legal consequences of providing an executor who is entitled to reasonable fees?

1. Additional fees to the Treasurer because of will alone planning.

2. Potential tension and conflict among his children with regard to the fees.

3. Would these fees be subject to income tax? Yes, it would be earned income to the executor. Would they be subject to income tax if the attorney were paid to do all the work? No, they would create an income tax deduction for the estate.

4. Is it fair for the executor to be paid a fee other than reimbursement? Not if the executor hires an attorney to do the work and gets paid anyway.

5. Is this what the client would have wanted? Probably not.

6. Will this cause conflict among the children? Maybe.

7. Is this what the client wanted? No. Okay, let’s assume it is $1 million going through probate on second death.

The result is a fee of nearly $2,000 to the probate court, $50,000 to the child executor for pay.

Oh, and this $50,000 is subject to income tax. Also, perhaps, this causes a conflict among the children. If all this happens, the original objective (peace among the children) was not accomplished.

Remember, when it comes to legal documents, the real question should be “What are the legal consequences?” – something do-it-yourself estate planning is unlikely to address.

Mark F. Winn, J.D., Master of Laws (LL.M.) in estate planning, is a local asset protection, estate planning and elder law attorney. www.mwinnesq.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

LEGAL

iPug Trust helpful tool for asset protection

By Brian Treacy CONTRIBUTOR

A valuable tool in the elder law attorney’s toolbox is the asset protection trust. In different states they are given various names; ours is called the iPug Trust. Not to get too technical, but “iPug” stands for Brian Treacy “Irrevocable Pure Grantor Trust.”

It is a legally acceptable, Medicaidcompliant trust that can be used to hold assets and allow eligibility for the Medicaid or veteran’s benefits available to help pay for assisted living costs or longterm care (aka nursing home) costs.

The iPug uses some components of the traditional revocable living trust and traditional irrevocable trust.

Traditional irrevocable trusts have been typically used for federal estate tax planning purposes when federal estate taxes were imposed on much smaller estates then they are imposed today.

Irrevocable trusts are incredibly onerous and complicated, and force the asset owner to surrender control over those assets placed in the trust.

These traditional irrevocable trusts are no longer popular because now federal estate taxes only apply to less than 1 percent of all estates.

A traditional revocable living trust allows you to retain full control over the assets placed in trust and achieves the

primary goal of avoiding probate.

The iPug is designed to protect your assets from the costs of a nursing home and other creditors. It does not have the restrictions and lack of control that the irrevocable trust has.

In contrast to traditional irrevocable trusts, with the iPug you still maintain the ability to: • be the trustee and manage the assets and make all investment decisions; • receive all income generated from the trust assets; • choose and change the asset-investment mix; • continue to live in the home and retain homestead property status; • direct the sale of your home and the purchase of another within the trust; • avoid probate upon death; • determine (and change at any time) your death beneficiaries; • distribute assets to family members during your lifetime (e.g. help with education costs).

As you can see the iPug has great flexibility and can meet a wide range of estate planning goals. Using the iPug in your estate plan means you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor while protecting them from the costs of nursing home care and the loss to potential creditors (e.g. lawsuits).

To learn more about asset protection in general, and how the iPug trust works, plan to attend an upcoming free workshop presented by our office.

Brian T. Treacy is an elder law and estate planning attorney with an office in Bluffton.

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LEGAL

Mortgage protection planning prepares for the unexpected

By Douglas S. Delaney CONTRIBUTOR

According to the Congressional Budget Office, of the roughly $2.7 trillion in 2011 national health expenditures, private insurance covered less than onethird. Federal spending through Medicare and Douglas S. Delaney Medicaid on health expenditures was just under one-third.

The balance of the out-of-pocket healthcare costs, or about $1 trillion, in 2012 was left to the American public. In 2012, the average cost for health care for a family of four exceeded $22,000.

In 2013, the U.S. census indicated that average household income was $51,017. Health care expenditures are

volatile, especially with costs incurred in emergency room care.

It should come as no surprise that, according to a 2009 national study, medical expenses contributed to more than 62 percent of individual bankruptcy filings.

While these statistics and the impact of the Affordable Care Act vary with each family, it drives home the need for families to properly plan for medical contingencies.

This is especially true when considering how much to set aside for the purchase of a residence and its “nesting” costs. It is not just the mortgage, taxes and insurance, but the cost to purchase a new piece of furniture, crown molding in the living room or new high-dollar TV.

Families, old and young, must set aside monthly amounts for health contingencies or death. Don’t be sad, though; these payments can be structured to be returned to you if you stay healthy.

With mortgage payments often exceeding 25 percent of monthly takehome pay, the minimum you can do to

protect your family is to allocate the daily cost of drive-through lunch to a plan that can cover these costs.

How will you explain to your children that, for the cost of that new iPhone, you lost your house due to an unforeseen illness or death? Foreclosure proceedings are impersonal and simply relentless.

A properly structured asset or estate plan, including mortgage and critical period protection, can alleviate the struggles should the most valuable family asset (the ability to earn a living) suffer a loss due to illness.

With each mortgage payment, the family should allocate the “first-next payment” to wealth protection. This is how you preserve household equity and prevent a foreclosure due to unforeseen medical costs or death of a breadwinner.

Douglas S. Delaney, J.D., LL.M is a local tax and estate planning attorney in Bluffton. www.delaneylawfirmplansahead.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

CHARITY

Endowments for area nonprofits: for good, forever

By Denise K. Spencer CONTRIBUTOR

How do you know if a nonprofit organization is making a serious attempt to have stable funding for the long term?

One way is to look at the list of organizations below. These nonprofit organizations have established endowment funds at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to support their mission or a specific piece of their mission.

What is an endowment fund? It is a fund designed to exist in perpetuity, and spending from the fund is controlled by a spending policy.

Our current spending policy is that 4.5 percent of the market value of the fund, based on a five-year rolling average, becomes spendable each year. That amount, if unused, remains spendable into the future.

Endowment funds are designed to be permanent sources of revenue for the organization. The fund is invested for growth and designed to receive additional gifts over time.

If one of your favorite organizations has had the foresight to establish an endowment fund, its board has made a conscious decision to create a permanent financial anchor.

You can reward this wisdom by helping them grow this fund. Your gift to the fund remains invested and continues to support the good work of the organization to meet needs and enrich the community forever.

Because these endowments are at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, we are able to help these nonprofits with many things.

Gifts that can be accepted on behalf of the fund include cash, stock, credit cards, real estate, charitable gift annuities, bequests and other planned gifts. And of course, the fund’s purpose will be protected.

Donate through the Community Foundation’s website, or call 843-6819100 for assistance. If your favorite organization is not listed here and has not yet established an endowment, we’d be happy to help. With your encouragement and support it could be one of the most important things they accomplish this year.

• Arts Center of Coastal Carolina • Child Abuse Prevention Association • The Children's Center • Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse • Colcock-Teel House (Bluffton Historical Preservation Society) • Deep Well-Charlotte Heinrich Memorial Building • Don Ryan Center for Innovation • Friends of the Hilton Head Island Library • Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra • Hospice Care of the Lowcountry • Island School Council for the Arts • The Literacy Center • Palmetto Animal League • Port Royal Sound Foundation • Programs for Exceptional People • Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island • Sea Pines Montessori Academy • Second Helpings • United Way of the Lowcountry • Volunteers in Medicine • The Ella C. White Memorial Scholarship Fund Of course, we practice what we preach. You can also make a gift to the Administrative Endowment at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, which supports a portion of our own operations.

One way to live generously is to support the efforts of nonprofits to support themselves — for good, forever.

Denise K. Spencer is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. www.cf-lowcountry.org

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

Health Briefs • The Lowcountry S.C. Lyme Disease Support Group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Just Be Centre, 159 State St., Bluffton.

The group has been formed for the support of those who are currently fighting Lyme Disease, those who are in remission and for their families and caregivers.

Each meeting features a guest speaker who will focus on alternative methods to treating Lyme Disease.

For more information, email LowcountryLyme@yahoo.com.

• “How dense are you? What you should know about dense breasts” will be presented by Beaufort Memorial Hospital at 5 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Lakehouse in Sun City. A welcome reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Nearly 50 percent of women have dense breasts and one in four is consid-

ered to be at high risk for breast cancer.

In addition, dense breasts make cancer harder to detect.

Beaufort Memorial board-certified radiologist Eric Billig, M.D., board-certified oncologist Majd Chahin, M.D. and breast nurse navigator Amy Hane, R.N., CBCN, will discuss what having dense breasts means and how new technology is helping.

For more information and to register, call 843-522-5585.

• ComForCare Home Care will present a free educational seminar regarding caregiver stress at 10:30 a.m.

Sept. 15 at the Senior Center, 70 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island.

Presented by ComForCare RNs , “Caring for the Caregiver” will provide strategies to offset caregiver stress and burnout and offer a review of funding options available for caregiver respite relief grants.

This event is relevant to anyone who

takes care of a loved one.

Space is limited so RSVP by Sept. 13 to 843-785-6444. Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

• A 10-week Brain Boosters class will be held from 3:15 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday, beginning Sept. 15, at Memory Matters, 117 William Hilton Pkwy.

The class is appropriate for anyone who has concerns about brain function and memory decline. A free memory screening is offered for participants.

For more information and to register, call 843-842-6688 or email cathee@ memory-matters.org. Space is limited.

• “Seasons of Life,” the 12th annual gala of the Pregnancy Center and Clinic of the Lowcountry, will be held at 6 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Sea Pines Country Club.

Guest stars will be Al and Lisa Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame. The evening will begin with a private cocktail reception from 5:30 to 6 p.m. for patrons

to meet the Robertsons, and receive an autographed copy of their book, “A New Season.”

Cost is $75 per person and includes dinner, live auction and entertainment.

Deadline to register is Sept. 22. For more information, call 843-689-2222, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• The Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) is seeking trained mental health specialists to volunteer their time at the Bluffton and Ridgeland clinics.

Dr. Helene Stoller, a 25-year psychologist is the only mental health professional on staff at BJVIM. She spends four hours a week meeting with patient and doctors.

With more than 2,500 patients at BJVIM, having only one mental health provider represents a gap in services.

Mental health specialists who are interested in volunteering their time are encouraged to call Pam Toney at 843706-7090, ext 104.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

HEALTH

Being positive helps improve brain health

By Karen Doughtie CONTRIBUTOR

“You can’t change who you are, but you can change what you have in your head, you can refresh what you’re thinking about, and you can put some fresh air in your brain.”

– Ernesto Bertarelli I know I have written many articles about Brain Boosters. As I was reviewing my past articles, I happened to find the very first article I wrote about this class, and it made me smile.

When we first began this program close to eight years ago, we were just learning about how important classes such as Brain Boosters are for people concerned about their memory. And now, we have perfected teaching these methods for our students.

Hours and hours have gone into designing a program that is not only effective but fun. Our staff has researched similar classes, and Brain Boosters is by far ahead of the game.

So why should you make the commitment to attend the session that starts Sept. 15? This is a sampling of what you will learn: • Can your memory be enhanced?

• The Limbic System and the Emotional Connection • Getting rid of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTS) • Nutrition and your Brain • Sharpening our Senses • Memory Methods • Suggestions for Keeping your Brain Boosted There is so much information available about how to maintain a healthy brain: books, the internet, not to mention hundreds of magazine articles.

Sometimes too much information can be confusing.

In Brain Boosters we present information in a way that is easy to understand

and that you can start applying to everyday life.

One of the most important things I learned about brain health is to try to be happy. I really, really try to think happy thoughts. I try not to worry.

I have a favorite mantra or prayer that I recite many times a day, the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

As soon as I finish writing this, I will be on my way home after a long day. My grandchildren (ages 4 months and 3 years) will be there when I get home with their beautiful mom. They have been stuck in the Washington airport for more than six hours.

Both of my 15-year-old beagles are having stomach issues that my husband has been dealing with most of the day.

But guess what? I have the courage to change this situation into a fun family night.

For more information about this class and all the services Memory Matters provides call 843-842-6688 or visit our website at www.memory-matters.org.

We care about brain health.

Karen Doughtie is assistant director of Memory Matters, serving Bluffton and Hilton Head. karen@memory-matters.org

The 10-week Brain Boosters class will be held from 3:15 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday, beginning Sept.

15, at Memory Matters, 117 William Hilton Pkwy. A free memory screening is offered for participants.

For more information and to register, call 843-842-6688 or email cathee@memory-matters.org.

Space is limited.

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

HEALTH

What are age spots and how can you get rid of them?

By Oswald Lightsey Mikell CONTRIBUTOR

Age spots – also called liver spots and solar lentigines – are flat gray, brown or black spots.

They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms – those areas most exposed to the sun.

Q: What are the symptoms of age spots?

A: Age spots are: • Flat, oval areas of increased pigmentation • Usually brown, black or gray • Occur on parts of the skin that has had the most sun exposure over the years • Can range from freckle-size to more

than a half inch (1 centimeter) across and can group together Q: What causes age spots?

A: Age spots are caused primarily by years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. Tanning beds can also contribute to the development of age spots.

The pigment in the upper layer of skin (epidermis) that gives your skin its normal color is called “melanin.” UV light accelerates the production of melanin, creating a tan that helps protect deeper layers of skin from UV rays.

On areas of the skin that have years of frequent and prolonged sun exposure, age spots appear when melanin becomes “clumped” or is produced in particularly high concentrations.

In addition to sun exposure, simply becoming older can cause the extra production of melanin.

Q: What treatments are available?

A: Treatments include: • Medications: prescription bleaching creams (hydroquinone) used alone or with retinoids (tretinoin) and a mild steroid • Laser therapy: destroys melanin-producing cells (melanocytes) without damaging the skin's surface • Freezing (cryotherapy): This procedure involves applying liquid nitrogen or

another freezing agent to the age spots to destroy the extra pigment. As the area heals, the skin appears lighter.

• Dermabrasion. This procedure consists of sanding down (planing) the surface layer of your skin with a rapidly rotating brush, removing the skin surface. A new layer of skin grows in its place.

• Chemical peel. A chemical peel involves applying an acid, which burns the outer layer of your skin, to the age spots. As your skin peels, new skin forms to take its place.

True age spots are harmless and don't require treatment, but if you have spots that are dark or have changed in appearance you should consult a dermatologist, because these changes can be signs of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.

Dr. Oswald Lightsey Mikell, certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, is the owner of Dermatology Associates of the Lowcountry.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

WELLNESS

Tips for adjusting focus and living a balanced life

By Mary Bieda CONTRIBUTOR

Does your life ever become out of balance?

Sometimes that might be because your role has changed, such as when a family member becomes ill and you are thrust into the role of careMary Bieda taker.

Life can also get out of balance when taking on new responsibilities at work, or when studying for a difficult exam, or even when you find that you are carrying more than your share of the weight in a relationship.

Sometimes you cannot point to a direct cause but one day realize that you have been living life as if on autopilot and have not stopped to notice the parts of your life and wellbeing that need attention.

Many people tell me about their challenges in giving adequate attention to certain aspects of life without neglecting other needs.

In fact, I find that working out a balance between “being” and “doing” has been a primary task of my adult years.

In Biblical terms, this means working out the differences between the Martha and the Mary within.

In secular terms, it is to balance work, family and friends, leisure activities, and health or exercise or any other aspects of life that are important.

Sometimes facing an ongoing medical challenge can cause adjustments in your lifestyle.

My husband Mike says his life is out of balance as he waits for surgery for a back problem that has limited his ability to enjoy the things he loves to do, such as golf.

Other family members are facing lifethreatening illnesses and must put other priorities to the side while undergoing treatments.

To help determine how much you are attending to the various aspects of your life, it helps to make an awareness wheel.

Draw a circle and divide it into six pie-shaped pieces.

Label those pieces Wants, Emotional, Spiritual, Friends & Family, Physical and Intellectual.

Begin with the Wants section and ask yourself, “What do I really want for myself in the coming months?” Write in your deepest wants.

For the other five pieces, write in what you have already done for yourself in the last six months, in each area.

After assessing your answers, go back to the Wants section and see if there are any additional goals you want to add.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when life gets out of balance: • What is my load, and why is it so heavy?

• Is my situation time-limited?

• Is it in my power to change any aspect of my life right now?

• What really matters to me?

• Do I need to put the past to rest?

• Am I making choices that enhance my life?

• What choices drained my energy today?

• Have I accessed all the resources available to me?

Remember, all of us are human beings, not human doings. Accepting that is the first step toward a more balanced life.

Mary Bieda, MS, LPC is a licensed professional counselor and pastoral counselor in private practice in Old Town Bluffton.

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

WELLNESS

Hanging on to that summer feeling all year long

By Maria Malcolm CONTRIBUTOR

“August is like the Sunday of summer.â€? – Unknown The kids are back in school. For many of us, the beginning of the school year marks the official end of summer. Time to put away the swimsuits and sunscreen and get back to reality. Sigh‌ There is nothing in the world like summer vacation. Many of us spend the whole preceding year planning, researching and crafting our perfect getaway.

Others, particularly lucky residents of the Lowcountry, are able to relax and recharge during a summer staycation.

What is so magical about the long summer days, and how can we keep just a little of that magic around for the rest of the year?

Here are some thoughts about infusing your day-to-day life with a bit of that summer feeling.

Obviously, a primary reason we enjoy vacation is our relative freedom from work or academic responsibilities.

Unfortunately for most, those realities are there waiting for us at summer’s end, unavoidable and indispensable.

However, we can look at some parts of “vacation life� and try to incorporate them into “real life.�

Consider the following: Spend time outdoors: Most vacations involve time outside such as going to the beach or pool, hiking, snorkeling, touring on foot or birdwatching, to name a few.

It is known that time spent outside, exposed to natural light and the natural world, is a reliable mood booster.

Share meals with family and friends: On vacation we take the time to sit down, enjoy our meals and talk to our loved ones. We know that this practice cultivates a sense of connection and community.

Even if it isn’t possible to do this every

night during “real time,� whenever we are able to sit down together for a meal we can enjoy a small taste of that vacation feeling.

Seek novel experience: Often, on vacation we travel to new places, try new activities or foods or view artistic creations in the world’s museums.

You don’t have to go to the Louvre or hike the Grand Canyon to feel you’ve tried something new. Visit a different farmers market, take an art class, or visit a new beach.

Experiencing new things and the learning associated with the experience can foster a sense of vitality and mental vigor.

Here’s to finding your own little bit of endless summer.

Maria Malcolm, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and associate with Psychological & Counseling Associates of the Lowcountry, LLC in Bluffton.

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Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

WELLNESS

Can you turn back the clock with Chinese yoga?

By Gary Jaster CONTRIBUTOR

As the body ages, it begins to stiffen, tighten and shrink, affecting both flexibility and movement. Various exercise systems such as yoga or tai chi purport to address these changes through their specific disciplines.

Yoga typically concentrates on developing flexibility and strength by stretching into static postures, while tai chi emphasizes movement through a series of specific movement routines. stretching in postures, and tai chi through movement.

Taoist yoga is an exercise system that addresses flexibility and movement and is part of a Chinese yoga style known as Yin & Yang yoga.

Yin & Yang yoga consists of exercises and movements that use simple postures that the student gently flows in and out of. The body and muscles remain relaxed during the practice so that the joints and connective tissues can be emphasized.

Muscles, tendons, ligaments, veins and arteries, cartilage, bones, and even the organs are all also targeted by the practice.

Circular and spiral designs and movements found in nature are integral to the practice and are similar to those used in tai chi and other chi kung disciplines.

Yin & Yang yoga was developed by American yoga teacher Paulie Zink and is a style of Taoist yoga originating from the ancient health practices, philosophy and spiritual traditions of China.

Taoist yoga is part of a larger system of physical and breathing exercises known as qigong that is used in Chinese medicine as a prescription for restoring health and as a preventative to disease and premature aging. In this tradition it is

important for all the joints to be open and mobile in order for chi, or the life force, to flow efficiently.

According to the theories of Chinese medicine, Yin & Yang yoga invigorates the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innate healing response by equilibrating its energy flow.

According to Zink, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our blood flow circulates better and our energy moves in a more efficient way so our health can be optimized.â&#x20AC;?

The more static postures are used to grow flexibility, yet the emphasis is not about becoming more flexible in static postures, but learning how to move more fluidly.

The ability to flow fluidly and comfortably in and out of them is equally important to the practice, if not more so.

Standing and balancing postures can also be added as a component of the practice. Yin & Yang yoga is also designed to develop muscular strength, and the weightbearing movements of the postures temper the bones. Since bones are living tissue and generate new cells, they too are capable of growth and adaptation.

Every joint of the body is targeted in this practice, and attention is paid to the fingers, wrists, toes and ankles, back, shoulders and neck. The continuous transitions from tight, contracted postures to open, expanding ones are designed to help the body move through and extend its full range of motion.

Certified Yin & Yang yoga instructors trained in this discipline are available in select geographical areas throughout the country, including the Lowcountry, and can be found through an internet search.

Gary Jaster of Hilton Head Island is a certified yoga instructor with more than nine years of senior yoga and senior fitness experience. www.yinyogahiltonhead.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

WELLNESS

Mindfulness helps manage stress of work, life

By Jacqueline Huntly CONTRIBUTOR

We live in a fast-paced, technologically driven, everchanging world. But the stress from such a harried pace takes its toll on our minds, bodies and emotions.

A very effective strategy for managing the stress is mindfulJacqueline Huntly ness.

Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally bringing our attention into the present moment in a caring, nonjudgmental way. It helps us focus and see things more clearly, instead of fretting over the past or worrying about the future. It gives us the opportunity to turn off automatic pilot and choose how we will face day-to-day challenges.

The concept of mindfulness has gained significant attention in recent years as a way to reduce stress, build positive emotions and bring compassion into our lives.

Mindfulness teaches us to take a deep breath, slow down and feel more balanced, in control and in the moment.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. You can formally set aside a period of time, on a regular basis, to practice breath awareness, sitting meditation, walking meditation and mindful body awareness.

Practices such as yoga, tai chi and qigong can enhance mindfulness and bring greater awareness. Also, we can practice mindfulness as we listen to others and give them our full attention.

Even those with very busy schedules

can find ways to introduce minimoments of mindfulness throughout the day. This helps us feel grounded and centered before we continue with our regular routines and activities.

The practice of mindfulness enables us to be more attentive and effective in accomplishing daily tasks. At the same time, the negative effects of stress are reduced, and we are better able to

manage our emotions and improve our health.

One of the greatest payoffs from practicing mindfulness is more productive communication with family, friends and colleagues. It makes us more compassionate and resilient in a world that is often at odds with those traits.

If the daily demands of work and home leave you feeling stressed, frazzled and exhausted, consider a mindful approach to life. While it is not always possible to immediately change all of our stressors, mindfulness helps us find ways to better meet these challenges. The result is more balance, control and wellbeing in our lives.

Jacqueline Huntly, M.D., MPH, is board certified in preventive medicine and a fellow of the Arizona Center for Integrated Medicine. This article is provided in collaboration with Memorial Health University Hospital in Savannah.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

WELLNESS

Lesser known cosmetic procedures can be helpful

By E. Ronald Finger CONTRIBUTOR

Everyone knows about facelifts, eyelid lifts, nose jobs, mommy makeovers and various breast procedures.

There are also some less well-known surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures that can make a E. Ronald Finger big difference.

Have you ever heard, “You can always tell a person’s age by looking at their hands?”

There are multiple solutions for this depending on the individual: the atrophic skin revealing the veins, bones and tendons can be treated quickly with injections of fat or various fillers, such as Restylane or Juvederm products, and the difference is immediate and dramatic.

For age spots the Fraxel laser or LaserGenesis can be effectively used.

For saggy brows, fillers can be used in the forehead and under the brow itself.

Many brows sag because of loss of the youthful mound under the brow and into the forehead.

This takes just a few minutes, is relatively painless, and the result is immediate. The Fraxel laser, the ThermiSmooth and Laser Genesis are additional procedures that further raise the brow and augment the youthful appearance of the forehead.

Large earlobes seem to occur with age, and this is partly from heavy earrings constantly weighing the earlobes resulting in thin, droopy appendages. If too thin, a filler can suffice with Restylane or Juvederm.

If they are too large, a minor surgical procedure will reduce them. Often a combination might be necessary for optimum results.

Over-plucked eyebrows might result from the fad for pencil-thin eyebrows years ago. The treatment is a hair transplant from the back or side of the scalp.

The brow hair will look very natural and is permanent. Anesthesia is local and down time is minimal.

As we get older, we lose size in our maxillary bone (the bone our upper teeth are attached to). This can result in a droopy nose.

A long term filler, such as Voluma, can be injected over the maxilla just under the center of the nose, and the nose will turn up beautifully. Crooked noses can often be treated effectively with fillers injected into depressions to create symmetry.

As one ages, upper lips get thinner and longer. This increase in length can be reduced with a “buck-horn” lip lift, an excision of about 0.5 to 0.6 millimeters of skin just under the nose to achieve the ideal length of 14 to 15 millimeters.

The name refers to the shape of the excision and is done under local anesthesia in a few minutes. Fillers and-or Fraxel lasers can be used for peri-oral wrinkles.

Non-surgical reduction of fat and skin tightening can be achieved with radio frequency, as in the ThermiSmooth, ThermiTight, or ThermiVA (for vaginal restoration and stress incontinence).

The fat reduction appears to be permanent, and the skin tightening lasts a year or longer. Treatments are typically to the neck, arms, eyelid wrinkles, abdomen, thighs and “love-handles.”

It would be effective for mild to moderate “man boobs” (gynecomastia) as well. Either general or local anesthesia is needed with minimal recovery time.

E. Ronald Finger, MD, FACS is a board certified plastic surgeon with offices in Savannah and Bluffton. www.fingerandassociates.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

WELLNESS

Learning the science behind benefits of a plant-based diet

By J Lanning Smith CONTRIBUTOR

This past summer, Dr. Michael Greger was in town to speak on the subject of nutrition and health. In a two-day whirlwind tour, he spoke in Hilton Head, Sun City and Savannah.

In addition, he met local leaders in the whole foods, plant-based movement for lunch at Pure Natural Market on the island and for a potluck dinner at the home of one of Sun City’s Eat Smart, Live Longer club’s board members.

If you didn’t have the chance to hear him (more than 200 people were turned away in Sun City alone due to seating capacity of its 550-seat theater being completely filled), you can go to YouTube and search on “Dr. Michael Greger in Sun City Hilton Head” for a link to his talk there.

For those who aren’t familiar with Dr.

Greger, he is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “How Not to Die.” I’ve said many times that I believe this is the best book on the market about the whole foods, plant-based way of eating.

I like this book because it is scientifically based, with 150 pages of footnotes to P H OTO B Y J L A N N I N G S M I T H scientific studies and other references. At the Dr. Michael Greger enjoys a vegan meal at Pure Natural Market on Hilton Head Island in July. same time, it is also a lot. Below are just a few quotes from his entertaining and easy to read. In my mind, the book is both a compelling read talks: “The vast majority of premature and a perfect reference book on how to deaths can be prevented through simple eat and what the consequences can be of changes in diet and lifestyle. The simple eating the wrong foods.

During Dr. Greger’s time here, those of truth is that most doctors are good at us who had a chance to hear him learned treating acute illnesses but bad at pre-

venting chronic disease.”

“A single serving of four Brazil nuts has been shown to almost immediately improve cholesterol levels. In a study, the LDL bad cholesterol levels were a staggering 20 points lower just nine hours after eating the Brazil nuts. Even drugs don’t work nearly that fast.”

“For optimum health, you should try to eat both colorful and flavorful foods.”

All in all, Dr. Greger’s visit to our area was both entertaining and informative.

For those who missed it, I strongly recommend watching his presentation on YouTube. It might just be lifesaving.

As Dr. Kim Williams, president of the American College of Cardiology, answered when asked why he ate plantbased, “I don’t mind dying. I just don’t want it to be my fault.”

J Lanning Smith is a local freelance writer focused on the whole foods, plantbased lifestyle.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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BEAUTY

When it comes to makeup, less is more as we age

By Joy Ross CONTRIBUTOR

Recently, I’ve been focusing my articles on the more mature woman. The youngest of the baby boomers are now 52 – where did those years go?

It’s been said that aging isn’t for the weak; I’m finding that out every day.

My job is to do my best to keep us looking young. The right haircut can make us look 10 pounds lighter and 10 years younger than we are. Who doesn’t want that?

We haven’t talked about skin and makeup. I don’t sell makeup, nor do I do makeup in the salon; however, I am a makeup artist and do makeup regularly for brides and events.

Many of my clients have asked me for suggestions and tips on makeup application.

Obviously, everyone is different, but

there are some general do’s and don’ts for maturing women.

As we age, our skin becomes drier and, because of collagen loss, wrinkles form and texture is thinner. Skin care products that have hyaluronic acid help to plump your skin to minimize the appearance of fine lines.

As a rule, less is more as we age. It would be more logical to think that more would be better to camouflage the imperfections; however, the opposite is true.

A liquid foundation that isn’t thick or dense will even skin tone without settling in the creases, making them more obvious instead of less. Powder foundation is less effective.

As we get older, our eyebrows and lashes have a tendency to become sparse.

Again, trying to make them look the way they used to look draws unwanted attention to the problem.

Using light brow powder and minimal mascara to slightly darken the brow area is much better than trying the lash thickening mascara and dark brow pencils.

Lining the eyes in the top and bottom corners only will draw attention to the eyes, making them appear larger. Lining the entire top and-or bottom lids will make eyes look smaller.

A light lid primer is better than wearing any shadow, especially frosted shadow, that will only draw more attention to crepey eyelids.

Our cheekbones actually become more pronounced as we age. A light pink or coral on the cheekbone, not in the hollow of the cheek, is preferred to give that rosy, youthful look.

The lips become thinner when collagen begins to decline. Lip plumper may work temporarily, however a matte lipstick in the hue of the inside of our lips with a gloss over it is the best solution to

making us look done but not overdone.

The most important product to make our face look finished, polished and pretty is a micro-fine face powder brushed on very sparsely.

This will absorb oil, minimize shine and even out skin tone without looking like it’s caked on.

The proper powder will give the face a porcelain appearance.

Concealer should be used minimally so as not to draw attention to whatever you are trying to conceal. Both foundation and concealer should be in the yellow family.

This makes the skin look warmer and tones most imperfections.

I hope these tips will help in the quest for the fountain of youth.

Remember less is best.

Joy Ross is owner of Style It Salon in Old Town Bluffton. www.styleitsalon.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

PARENTS

Kids share what they love about their grandparents

By Amy Bredeson CONTRIBUTOR

Grandparents play an important role in the lives of children. They are there to cheer on their grandchildren at soccer games, pick them up from school and, of course, to spoil them with new toys and sugary snacks.

With National Grandparents Day coming up on Sept. 11, what better way to honor these special family members than by asking children what they love about their own grandparents?

Lachlan Schwaigert of Collierville, Tenn., looks forward to visiting his grandparents, Ed and Becky Schumacher at their home in Bluffton.

“I like to swim in their pool with them,” 5-year-old Lachlan said. “I like to eat with them. That’s a special thing. I like playing with them because they are part of my family. I love them because

Bluffton 10-year-old Madigail Jozic said this about her grandparents Gail and Denis Bonnett of Hilton Head Island: “They are awesome! I love them so much! They are always here for me. They pick me up from school, help with homework, take me to karate and do fun things.”

Eleven-year-old Bennett P H O T O B Y B R I T T A N Y S C H W A I G E R T Mullins of Bluffton said: “I love Ed and Becky Schmacher visit with their grandsons Greyson, them because they do stuff left, and Lachlan. with me, do things for me, and they are sweet to me.” it’s just who they are.”

Several children said they love their Bluffton brothers Hunter and Ian grandparents because they spend quality Jackson, ages 14 and 12 respectively, love time with them. that their grandparents Elbert and “I love Grandma and Pop-Pop Veronica Jackson live so close to them, because they go on vacations with us,” 8- just over the bridge on Hilton Head. year-old Jorja Ulmer of Bluffton said They enjoy sleeping over at their grandabout her grandparents Charles and parents’ house on the weekends and Cathie Ulmer, also of Bluffton. hearing their grandmother’s stories about

growing up in Scotland.

“Our Granddad loves to travel to my karate tournaments to cheer me on,” Hunter said. “He is a big inspiration in my life.”

Hilton Head resident Brody Lewis, 7, said this about his grandparents Ki and Kim Coleman of Bluffton: “I love my grandparents because if they weren’t here, I wouldn't be here. ... I love them a lot.”

Seven-year-old Jackston Jozic of Bluffton appreciates his grandparents’ generosity. “I love my Nannie and PopPop because they are the best in the world,” he said about the Bonnetts.

“They buy me sneakers and give me $20.

They come to my assemblies, and we go on trips with them. I love them so much!”

Amy Coyne Bredeson of Bluffton is a freelance writer, a mother of two and a volunteer with the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

SENIORS

For hurricanes or home health care, planning is essential

By Debbie Morris CONTRIBUTOR

Here they come again, the same old hurricane preparedness tips.

This year, sure as fire, the Atlantic hurricane season began its typical heat-up in August.

It was Aug. 24 when The Weather Debbie Morris Channel meteorologists latched onto a prospective tropical storm, an embryo not yet worthy of a human namesake. The experts called it Invest 97.

And along with the tentative forecast of where it might head or when it might turn into a tropical storm or hurricane, came the first todo list.

Sure, you’ve heard it before.

But you likely didn’t mind hearing it again and took a mental note.

The baby storm came with this baby to-do list: Being “hurricane ready” means having enough water, which is one gallon for each person each day. It means having a supply of nonperishable foods ready for evacuation.

It means having a seven-day supply of medications.

And it means reviewing your evacuation route.

It’s okay to rehash the tips because they’re important reminders and advice.

The same applies to caregiving and making decisions when seniors need assistance with daily living and health care.

Until you or a loved one come face to face with situations calling for outside help, or at least advice, to deal with the infirmities of aging or illness, you might not focus on such particulars.

But when the warnings approach, like thunder before a storm, you’ll want to hear from experts in the caregiving and health-care fields.

I say this as I re-establish my monthly column in The Bluffton Sun and The Hilton Head Sun with a focus on elder care and home health care.

It’s a wonderful way to reach out to our community and share knowledge gained through more than 10 years as co-owner and administrator of a local home-care company, along with insights gained with our expansion into the companion field of home health care.

I’ll be writing on such topics as signals that home care or health services might be needed, preventing caregiver burnout, dementia warning signs, Alzheimer’s and the holidays – or tips for seniors to prepare for a hurricane evacuation.

If you have a topic you’d like to know more about, or questions about home care or health care that a column could address, please feel free to contact me by email at debbie@homehelperslowcountry.com.

Until next month, take good care of yourself and your loved ones. That includes planning and precaution steps.

Debbie Morris, MA, EDs, is CEO of Home Helpers Home Care and Home Health and certified by the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. help@homehelperslowcountry.com; www.inhomecarelowcountry.com

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Sept. 7, 2016

SENIORS

It’s never too late to learn and practice ‘neurobics’

By Abby Boyleston CONTRIBUTOR

Have you ever experienced one of those annoying “senior moments” when you find yourself standing in a room looking around for a revelation that would remind you why you walked into the room in the first place?

Do you find yourself giving your phone a concentrated death stare because you can’t remember whom you were going to call, hoping if you stare really hard at your phone the mystery name will magically appear?

Practicing good health habits like staying physically active and eating well helps with the aging process, but what about help with those senior moments, when you say to yourself “I’m really starting to lose it”?

Now that schools are back in session, let’s learn techniques and tactics that will

hold off and possibly stop those senior moments.

Lesson No. 1: New scientific research has proven that keeping an aging mind active is essential to staying cognitively alert and staving off dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

It was believed that an aging brain was not capable of reprogramming old brain cells or regenerating new brain cells.

Now it is understood that, just as your body responds to a physically active fitness routine, your brain also benefits from a fitness program.

Lesson No. 2: Ever heard the term neurobics? Neurobics is aerobics for your brain in the form of mental exercises

is hosting its

such as crossword puzzles and brain teasers. Neurobics can stimulate growth in brain cells and create new neural pathways. Cognitive decline can be seriously halted with daily neurobics exercise.

Lesson No. 3: Starting a brain fitness program is easy. Unlike physical fitness routines, which might require special clothing or equipment and travel time, accomplishing a brain fitness routine only requires sitting in your comfy chair with the daily newspaper. Working on the crossword puzzle, Jumble or Sudoku is a great way to stimulate your brain cells.

If you have internet access, you can find many free brain game websites that offer different levels of difficulty. Check out www.stayingsharp.aarp.org for science-based activities and challenges and www.merriam-webster.com/word-games for word games, quizzes and a weekly challenge.

Lesson No. 4: Harvard Medical School suggests that positive brain benefits can be accomplished by changing everyday tasks such as brushing your teeth or wiping down countertops with your non-dominant hand or trying small (safe) tasks like buttoning your shirt with your eyes closed.

Staying curious and committed to lifelong learning will not only assist your aging brain but will keep you energized and engaged.

Attend plays and lectures. Register for free classes offered at your local library or university. Keep yourself organized by using planners, calendars and address books.

Begin your neurobics training today to stimulate your brain cells and reverse cognitive decline.

Abby Boylston is the community liaison for ComForCare Home Care. aboylston@comforcare.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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PETS

Puppy training basics help dogs and owners to bond

By Abby Bird CONTRIBUTOR

Your child might now be going back to school. If you have a new puppy, it is also time for the dog to begin the learning process.

There are certain things that every puppy needs to know. Sometimes those things do not coincide with what its owner thinks is important.

Training a pup is based upon building a foundation of skills that are age appropriate.

For example, although an owner might want the puppy to learn “Stay,” this is not possible for the pup to do under the age of 5 months. This needs to be put aside until the pup is capable developmentally.

It’s like teaching a child; a 5-year-old is not capable of learning what a 9-year-old can learn, but children can get to a

higher level of learning by building a foundation of other skills over time.

Obedience and behavior skills that are best learned under 5 months include: Potty training: First, decisions need to be made based upon lifestyle, size of dog and daily schedule.

If you write down each day when your puppy actually pees and poops in relation to its food, water intake, walking, and active play with other people or dogs and napping, you will understand the effects on the dog’s schedule.

If your schedule is not routinized it is more difficult, but you might have options other than traditional crate training.

They include having someone come in during the day to take the dog out or using potty patch, potty pads, putting towels down, etc., so the dog has permission to potty in the house.

This means using a confined space

other than a crate. You can’t potty train a dog that has access to the house.

Nipping and biting: Biting at hands, arms, feet and clothing has to be addressed when very young or the behavior imprints.

It is natural for them to want to play with people just like they play with dogs, using their mouth and paws, but it is not appropriate with sharp teeth.

Trading your flesh for an appropriate chew toy, using bad-tasting deterrents along with exhausting the pup are keys to successful eradication. It sometimes involves training kids, too.

Sit: A basic foundation that can be taught at 8 weeks, this skill helps with jumping, greeting, feeding and more.

Don’t overdo it or the dog will be difficult to train to walk on a leash.

Leash walking: Walking on a standard 6-foot leash, not a retractable, your dog learns to walk by your side in public

and be acceptable in the community.

It is critical if your pup is going to be large and strong so the dog doesn’t pull you. Ditto for small dogs, as they are not immune from pulling and need to learn to behave.

Come: This skill is important for safety. Having your dog learn that coming to you is rewarding and fun and involves no punishment is all about your attitude, voice and body language. A treat, toy or play reward is helpful.

Dogs should only be off leash in a safe area such as a dog park or places where there is no traffic. Only well-trained adult dogs should be allowed off leash.

If you use positive methods that involve rewards of exercise, training time, touch, play and treats, the bond you develop now will last a lifetime.

Abby Bird is owner of Alpha Dog Obedience Training. ajbird@hargray.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

SPORTS

For feedback on your swing, the answer is in the grass

By Jean Harris CONTRIBUTOR

The lower divot is in front of the line. This is what you want. The upper divot starts behind the ball. This is a “fat” divot. Try to avoid hitting the ball behind the line.

When using short irons, 6 irons to wedges, you need a descending angle of approach. Therefore, you should position these clubs farther back in your stance toward the center.

If you hit these irons correctly, the club head will strike the ball and then the turf, taking a divot in front of the ball.

Divots made with wedges will be more pronounced and larger than those made with a 6 iron.

Taking a divot prior to the ball causes a “fat” shot that won’t go the required distance.

Unhinging your wrist too early on the forward swing with an outside-in swing path usually causes this.

Your goal should be divots the size of a dollar bill and no more than one inch deep.

There are three factors of a divot that can give you feedback on your golf swing: Direction – where the divots point will show you the path of your swing Depth – how deep or shallow your divots are shows your angle of approach, whether it is shallow or steep Starting point – tells you if you are descending too early or too late Listed below are two drills that I use with my students to help them read their divots: Powder drill: Take some baby powder and draw a straight line on the grass perpendicular to you and hit all your irons off the powder line.

Work on changing your ball position until the divots are in front of the line.

Also look at the direction of the divots and whether they are pointing left or right of your target line.

If they point to the left, you are using an outside-in path that causes a pull or slice. If the divots are pointing to the right your swing is too inside out, and this causes pushes and hooks.

Slanted tee drill: If you top all your irons and don’t take a divot, you need to start focusing on the front of the ball.

Put a short tee about one inch in front of the ball on a slant with the head of the tee facing the ball.

Concentrate on hitting the slanted tee instead of the ball with your shaft leaning forward at impact.

Work on these drills and you will start hitting more solid iron shots and your scores will be lower.

Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at Brown Golf Management courses. jean.golfdoctor.harris @gmail.com; www.golfdoctorjean.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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SPORTS

Kids involved in tennis can have advantage in classroom

By Lou Marino CONTRIBUTOR

Now that school is back in session I thought it would be a good idea to mention how well kids who play tennis (and most sports, for that matter) are doing in school and life in general. One of tennis’ greatest assets is that of gaining self-confidence.

Whether kids are in the classroom or on the court, self-confidence helps them excel, and learning how to play tennis helps youths build self-confidence.

Additionally, parents want to instill the values of pride, respect and responsibility in their children, and for grades K-3, learning how to play tennis will do just that.

Here are some values that children pick up when learning to play tennis: • Practice and get better. They learn the fundamentals, practice, get better and

increase self-esteem.

• Serious fun.

They develop techniques and skills to keep the ball in play and have fun doing something that they are good at.

• Value of hard work. On and off the court, children come to realize the importance of hard work, responsibility and success as well as failure in things they do and how to learn from their mistakes.

• Preparing to succeed. By preparing and practicing they excel at hitting the ball, crunching the numbers and expressing themselves verbally and in writing.

good instructor can inspire most any child.

I still remember today the instructors from my school days that caused me to be inspired to learn, and looked forward to being in their classes.

Unlike many other sports, tennis has some tangible takeaways. Physically, students gain endurance and coordination.

Mentally, they learn about self-discipline and how to succeed on the court and in the classroom as well.

Now that school is underway, it’s a good time to help your child get excited about learning a new sport after school and mastering the challenges of academics during school.

It’s important that the child’s tennis instructor takes tennis seriously. It’s more important that the instructor works with the children to develop their values both on the court and in the classroom. A

Lou Marino is a USPTA Cardio and Youth Tennis Coach who lives and teaches and provides racquet service in the greater Bluffton/Hilton Head Island area. lwmarino@hotmail.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

COLLECTING

Collecting is often about the thrill of the hunt

By Jerry Glenn CONTRIBUTOR

Collecting can begin as a casual hobby and later transform into a family or person’s obsession.

As a dealer in antique collectibles in the 1970s, we experienced a craze for a wide range of items.

Our first sale was a Jerry Glenn Shirley Temple blue glass bowl. We did not know at the time that other pieces were part of the set.

The set was a premium for a wellknown breakfast cereal. Our customer challenged us to find the mug and pitcher.

We quickly learned about the desire to have everything in a category. It becomes an obsession.

Ask yourself, “When was the last time I saw a Log Cabin syrup tin?”

Original, of course, not a reproduction. In 1976, the value of this tin was $40 to $50.

Today an original in good condition is priced in excess of $100. A die-hard collector searches for all variations of these figural tins.

This brings up a caution signal: Beware of reproductions. Lately, the market is flooded with “repros.” Cast-iron toys are a good example. There are some incredible examples of repros, even with chipped paint and all, so buyer beware.

A mentor of ours in the early ’60s told us not to collect as an investment. Collect

because you enjoy the chase. Whatever you have a personal passion for will help you choose that category to collect.

When you collect, strive for pieces in good condition. The value will materialize in the future.

Condition is of paramount impor-

tance except for extreme rarity, in all categories.

Finally, there is a big difference in early collectibles and newly released collector’s items. You will find these in promotions and advertisements highlighting plates, ceramics, coins, etc.

It is rare that a person can recoup the investment made for these offers. A purchase of such items should be made because you will enjoy ownership.

In future columns, we plan to relate information and guidelines on baseball cards, movie stars, teddy bears, toys, autographs, and antique advertising.

In any event, watch “Antiques Roadshow,” “American Pickers” or “Pawn Stars” on television, and ask, “Who will pay these outrageous prices?”

The answer is “avid collectors.”

Jerry Glenn is co-owner of Reminisce in Bluffton, where collectibles are bought and sold.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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BRIDGE

Learn how to be a discerning declarer

By Kathie Walsh CONTRIBUTOR

The first thing one learns when taking bridge lessons is how to bid. Once you learn the rudiments of the bidding, you find that playing the cards requires certain skills, especially playing in a suit contract.

When you play Kathie Walsh with a trump suit, you have a different kind of stopper than can be used when you run out of cards in a suit. What is it? Trump!

If you can trump, you don’t have to lose more cards than you have in the suit. That fact can make counting losers the easiest way to plan your play when you are declaring in a trump contract.

The declarer must count the losers

from his hand as soon as the dummy comes down. The focus is on declarer’s hand because it is usually the hand with the most trump.

However, declarer is allowed to use dummy’s high cards to help decide how many losers he has.

Let’s see how counting losers works. The first step is to look at the declarer’s hand and dummy’s help to count the number of losers in each suit.

For example, if the declarer has K43 in spades and the dummy had A52, you can see that there is one spade loser. If the declarer has A52 in spades and the dummy has 743, you can see there are two spade losers.

If the declarer has A5 in spades and the dummy has 743, he has only one

loser because he can trump the dummy’s 7 in his hand. If the declarer has the A of spades and the dummy has 743, he has no losers because he can trump the dummy’s 7 and 4 in his hand.

In short, when you end up in a trump contract, the declarer must count losers and then make a plan.

You can use the acronym RACE to

help plan your play: Review the bidding, Analyze the lead, Count your losers (winners in NT), then Explore for tricks.

Playing the hands is actually more difficult than bidding the hands. Exploring for more tricks is tricky: dummy points and trumping in the dummy, establishing declarer’s and dummy’s side suits, discarding losers, crossruffing, the ruffing finesse, and the strip and end play.

All of these topics lead to winning declarer play in a suit contract. If this sounds intriguing or foreign to you, it might help to join the Play of Hand clinics held Tuesdays, Sept. 13 through Nov. 1, at Hilton Head Bridge Club in Port Royal Plaza. Email me for more details.

Kathie Walsh is a certified ABTA bridge teacher and teaches intermediate and beginner plus clinics at the Hilton Head Island Bridge Club at Port Royal Plaza. kbwalsh@roadrunner.com

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The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

FAITH

There’s nothing ‘chance’ about chance encounters

By Chuck Owens CONTRIBUTOR

It was over in a moment – a young, sleek Lexus had married itself to my old gray Buick.

The attendants were a police officer and a tow truck operator. The reception was funded by her insurance company and catered by various automotive repair shops.

Vows were exchanged: “I wasn’t expecting you – I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Don’t be concerned, everything will be all right.”

But alas, like many quickie marriages, it didn’t last long.

In less than 60 minutes the unlikely couple had relinquished their embrace, and with the flick of a taillight, the young siren had disappeared in the clutches of a flat-bed trailer, content to treat the sordid

affair like a not so cheap one-hour stand.

Such is life in the fast lane.

Chance encounters. They happen in the twinkling of an eye, and the perceptions of those involved often differ wildly.

Even days after he ignored a stop sign, sped out of a side street and slammed into the left front side of my car, the elderly gentleman driving the new Lexus might well take exception to my tonguein-cheek description of the accident, no doubt interpreting it as making light of a serious matter.

Whereas, while cognizant of the gravity of the incident, I choose to view it in the context of life’s much bigger pic-

ture. A moment sooner and my journey on this earth might well have come to an abrupt halt; a moment later and neither of us might have survived.

But the timing was what it was – God’s perfect timing.

You see, there’s nothing “chance” about chance encounters.

Rather, I believe they’re God’s way of nudging us out of our routine, of using the unexpected to catch our attention, of engendering a greater appreciation for His presence in and sovereignty over our daily comings and goings.

Obviously I must have needed such a stirring.

For all that the collision was and was not, I thank God and rejoice in His grace and mercy.

Father Chuck Owens is the rector at The Church of the Cross Anglican in Bluffton.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

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FAITH

Month of Elul time to search one’s heart, awaken spiritually

By Arthur Segal CONTRIBUTOR

Shalom and greetings.

In our tour through the Jewish calendar this year, we arrive at Sept. 4, the first day of the month of Elul.

This is the third of four Jewish New Years, the tithing of Arthur Segal domesticated animals.

(Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2a). This parallels the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees, which we discussed in January.

The New Year for Animals is a challenge to rediscover our responsibilities to animals that depend on us for their welfare. Are we treating them correctly with the mitzvah of tza’ar ba’alei chayim (not

causing suffering to living creatures)?

Have we understood the depth of chesed (loving-kindness), concerning the welfare of animals in Judaism? This is the day to reflect upon and repair our relationships with animals, and recognize our responsibilities.

Reappraising our interdependent relationship with all life is the first step that ensures our own survival, as individuals and as a people, sharing this planet with all of God’s living creatures and eco-system.

The rest of the month of Elul is devoted daily to our preparing for Yom Kippur. If we have not made amends (teshuvah), vidui (confession), gotten rid of resentments, made peace with all, and

a chesbon ha nefesh (moral inventory) throughout the year, then Elul is the “catch-up” period. The shofar ram’s horn is sounded each day reminding us to “awaken’’ spiritually.

“Elul” means “search” in Aramaic. Elul is a time to search one’s heart and draw close to God and our fellows. Judah Loew of Prague (c.1600) said, “All the

month of Elul, before eating and sleeping, a person should look into his soul and search his deeds, that he may make confession.”

We even begin to wish each other Rosh Hashanah greetings even though this Holy Day is a month away.

Just as the farmers counted and inspected their flocks on Elul 1, the rabbis taught that God counts and inspects us as His flock. “Master of the Universe, I hereby forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me or who sinned against me – whether against my body, my property, my honor or against anything of mine; May no man be punished because of me and may I sin no more.” (Daily Bedtime Shema Prayer).

Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author and teacher. Visit www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org or email RabbiASegal@aol.com.

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Sept. 7, 2016

GROUPS & GATHERINGS Business • Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce: 2nd Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. Coffee Networking, various locations; 3rd Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Professionals Networking, various locations; last Tuesday of quarter, 5:30 p.m. Social at Chamber office, 217 Goethe Rd. www.blufftonchamberof commerce.org. 757-1010.

• Carolina Lowcountry Chapter (SCORE): 785-7107 or www.scorehiltonhead.com • Healthcare Network Group: Third Thursday, 9 a.m., various locations. www.hnglc.org • The Low Country Human Resources Association: 2nd Wednesday, 8 a.m., Holiday Inn Express Bluffton. Carrie Clark, 540-4627. www.low country.shrm.org.

Civic Clubs • American Legion Auxiliary: 2nd Monday, 7 p.m. 4 Clubhouse Dr., Rose Hill Plantation.

• Bluffton Rotary Club: Every Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., Bluffton Community Center at Oscar Frazier Park. 815-2277. www.blufftonrotary.org.

• Bluffton Toastmasters: Every Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Lowcountry Presbyterian, Simmonsville Rd. Dave Robbins 705-9997 or darobbins67@gmail.com • Dennis J. Becker Post 205, American Legion: 1st Monday, 7 p.m. Caddy’s Golf Club, Rose Hill. legion@alpost205.com • Democratic Club of Beaufort County, South of the Broad: John Giles, 689-3006. president@scdemclub.com; www.scdemclub.org.

• Kiwanis Club of Bluffton: 1st and 3rd Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Golden Corral. Jim Jensen, 317-289-6203 • Lions Club of Bluffton: 2nd Tuesday. Brenda Linblad, 757-3747.

• Military Officers Association of America, Lowcountry: 2nd Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. Lady’s Island Airport. lcmoaa@gmail.com or www.lcmoaa.org.

• Republican Women of Southern Beaufort County, 3rd Monday. 912-401-2628, vano9144@bell south.net • Rotary Club of Okatie: Every Tuesday, noon. Sigler’s Rotisserie. Bill Beltz, 843-706-3760 or www.rotaryclubofokatie.com • Unanimity Masonic Lodge #418. 2nd Monday, 6:30 p.m. St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church, 20 Pope Ave. Hilton Head. Jim Kilgore, 785-4766.

• VFW: Call Joe Viens, 757-2757.

• Zonta Club of Bluffton: 3rd Wednesday, 5 p.m. info@zontaclubofbluffton.com.

General • Adult Talk: 1st Monday, various topics relating to the geriatric population, led by Tidewater Hospice. Benton House, 8 Hampton Lake Dr. Brandy Gray, 843-757-3111.

• Bluffton Book Club: 3rd Wed. 1:15-3 p.m.

Bluffton Library, except June, July, Dec.. 255-6503 • Bluffton Public Library: 10-7 p.m. Mon.Thurs..; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 843-255-6490.

• Bluffton-Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine: 706-7090.

• Christian Fishing Association 247-0241 or www.christianfishingassociation.org, or stuartg@christianfishingassociation.org.

• Dos Lupes Gun Club: Every Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at club’s gun range, exit 18 in Ridgeland.

Russ Keep, 683-4407 or hhlaw@hargray.com • Drinking Liberally: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., various locations. www.hiltonhead@drinkingliberally.org.

• Genealogy Group: Thursdays, 2 p.m.

Bluffton Library. 255-6503.

• Green Drinks Bluffton: Last Thursday. 6:30 p.m. Chris, 816-0317, or Mark 301-2327.

• Heritage Library History & Genealogy Center, 852 Wm. Hilton Pkwy. Mon.-Tues., Thurs.Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Linda Piekut, 686-6560. www.heritagelib.org • Hilton Head Island Ski Club. Monthly TGIF, trips, socials, skiers and non-skiers. www.hiltonheadskiclub.com • Island Singles, social activities for mature singles. Mark Brown, 248-568-6021. www.hiltonheadislandsingles.com • Island Writers’ Network, first Monday, Heritage Library, 852 Wm. Hilton Pkwy. www.iwnhhi.org or call Sansing McPherson, 682-8250.

• Italian-American Club of HH, 12:15 p.m.

Thursdays, Flora’s Cafe, South Island Square, 841 Wm. Hilton Pkwy. John De Cecco, president, 401524-1416.

• La Dolce Vita, Italian American Club Sun City, quarterly. 7 p.m., Pinckney Hall, Sun City Hilton Head. Jim Cacciola, 705-2771.

• Lowcountry Chapter American Guild of Organists: 2nd Friday. W. Raymond Ackerman, 888840-0152. www.lowcountryago.org • Lowcountry Chapter of Embroidery Guild of America, 2nd Tuesday, 10 a.m. Palmetto Electric bldg, 1 Cooperative Dr., Hardeeville. lowcountryega@gmail.com • Lowcountry Civil War Round Table: 2nd Wednesday, Sept. to May (no Dec. mtg.) 6:45 p.m. at Bluffton H.S. auditorium. Joe Roney 838-4972.

• Lowcountry Professional Women’s Networking Group, 3rd Tuesday, noon, luncheon, Oldfield Club. Danielle Jeffcoat, 815-4054.

• Lowcountry Property Management Association, third Tuesday, noon, Country Club of Hilton Head. 785-3447. lcpmahhi@aol.com • National Active & Retired Federal Employees (NARFE)-Hilton Head-Bluffton Chapter 2258: First Tuesday (Sept-June) 11:30 a.m., Golden Corral, 1196 Fording Island Rd., Bluffton. Bob Chase, 705-6125.

• Opera Lovers of Hilton Head, 2nd Wednesday, 1 p.m. Oct.-May. Prisca Bagnell, 843715-2610.

• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Uniformed, volunteer component of USCG. Hal Blaisdell, 705-5424.

• Widows and Widowers (WOW), 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m., All Saints Episcopal, 3001 Meeting St., Hilton Head. Marilyn Brian, 689-5378

Health and Fitness • Bluffton Health Center: Immunizations, family planning, STD control. Appt only. 757-2251.

• Bluffton Fins Swim Team & Bluffton Redfish Summer Swim Team: Swim programs for all ages. Practice groups at Bluffton Pool. 2984491 or www.blufftonfins.com.

• Diabetes Classes: Free to Medicare participants. 1-800-922-3089, ext. 7585 for time, location.

• Lowcountry Vegan Community Outreach. Various events. www.meetup.com/ Lowcountry-Vegan • Med-I-Assist: Free assistance for low-income patients. Tues., Thurs. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 757-4818.

• Palmetto Plant Eaters: 1st Wednesday, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 110 Malphrus Rd. Bluffton.

• Sea Island Sea Kayakers: 684-3296.

• Senior Tennis: Thursdays, 9 a.m. edchen@aol.com • Team in Training: Local training for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraisers. Jade, 843-8818176.

Support Groups • Aging Gracefully: 11 a.m. 3rd Wednesday, various locations. Leah Kidwell, 843-422-2612.

• Alcoholics Anonymous: Meeting daily at YANA Club, 107 Mathews Dr., Hilton Head. For schedule, www.YANAClub.com.

• Alcoholics Anonymous: For meeting information and locations call 785-2921 or (888) 5340192 or en Espanol 247-2713. www.area62.org.

• Al-Anon: Bluffton UMC, Calhoun St., 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; St. Luke’s UMC, 3080 Okatie Hwy. 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, newcomers, 9:45-10:15 a.m.

• Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group: 2nd Wednesday, 2 p.m. NHC, 3039 Okatie Hwy. Stacy Floyd or Heather Miller, 705-8220.

• As It Began Group, Alcoholics Anonymous: Tuesday 1:30 p.m.; Thursday 7:30 p.m. YANA Club, 107 Mathews Dr. 290-2292.

• Bereavement Support: Thursday 3 p.m., First Presbyterian, Hwy. 278, Hilton Head; Tuesday, 5 p.m., Lowcountry Presbyterian, Simmonsville Rd. Bluffton. Info: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, 843706-2296.

• Bereavement Support: Thursdays, 5 p.m.

Tidewater Hospice, 10 Buckingham Plantation Dr. Corrie VanDyke or Marie James, 843-757-9388.

• Breast Cancer Support: First Thursday at 10 a.m. Bluffton-Okatie Outpatient Ctr. Pat Southworth, 705-5607 • Breastfeeding Support Group: Thursdays, 2:30 p.m. Hilton Head Hospital. 689-8110.

• Cancer Support: 3rd Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., Bluffton-Okatie Outpatient Center. 815-4090.

• Caregiver Support: 3rd Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. Palm Meadows Court, 48 Main St., 342-7122 • Caregiver Support:Tidwater Hospice offers group meetings at various times and locations. For information, call 843-757-9388.

• Compassionate Friends: For bereaved parents and other adult relatives. 3rd Saturday, 1 p.m.

Hampton Inn, 29 William Pope Dr., Bluffton, near Sun City gate. Christine Mauro, 843-422-2083.

• Diabetes Support: JDRF Adult Type 1 support, adultt1dgroup@gmail.com • DivorceCare Group: Lowcountry Community Church, 816-7722. divorcecarelcc@hargray.com. Church of the Cross, Calhoun St. 757-2661.

• Emotions Anonymous. Mondays, 6:30 p.m.

Call 252-917-7082 or 252-2479.

• Experiences in Aging Support Group: Twice monthly, alternating between Bloom Hilton Head, 35 Beach City Rd. and Bloom Bluffton, 800 Fording Island Rd. Carly Wallace, 342-5599 • Hearing Loss Association of America Lowcountry: Quarterly. Laurette Del Pozzo 7053088.

• Helping Parents Heal, for parents who have lost a child, 2nd Sunday, 1-3 p.m., Seaquins Ballroom, 1300 Fording Island Rd., Bluffton. 201233-6015 • HIV/AIDS Support: Free, confidential HIV testing, counseling. Call 379-5600.

• Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry: Free adult literacy tutoring and English instruction.

686-6655.

• Many Faces of Dementia: 2nd Monday, 10 a.m. Bloom at Belfair, 60 Oak Forest Rd., Bluffton.

815-5350.

• Memory Matters: Dementia care support groups, various focus, times. 117 Wm. Hilton Pkwy.

842-6688. www.memory-matters.org • Mental Health Association of BeaufortJasper Counties Rendezvous Club: 1st and 3rd Wednesday, 6 p.m. Social club for adults recovering from mental disorders. 682-2900.

• MS Lowcountry Support: Betty, 7574402.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Caregiver groups, 4th Tuesday, 10 a.m.

Lowcountry Presbyterian, general; NAMI Connection: Monday, 5:30 p.m. NAMI office, 117 Wm. Hilton Pkwy.; Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., USCB Gateway Library.

681-2200.

• NAR-ANON: Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Central Church, 975 Wm. Hilton Pkwy., Hilton Head. Kevin, 717-314-9704.

• Narcotics Anonymous: Wednesday, 6:15 p.m. Bluffton Library.

• Pain Support Group: Mondays, 2 p.m.

Church of the Palms, Okatie. DeeAnn, 298-2900, 681-7830.

• Parkinson’s Disease Support: 3rd Thursday, 2:30-4 p.m. Memory Matters, 117 Wm. Hilton Pkwy.

Adrienne O’Neill, 836-2727. 4th Thursday, 12:452:30 p.m., Bluffton Medical Campus. Muriel Coleman, 987-3505.

• Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Group: 6 p.m. 2nd and 4th Wednesday, Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, 7 Plantation Park Dr., unit 4. 706-2296.

• SC Chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation. Joanna, 785-9109.

• Survivors of Suicide (SOS) support: 6 p.m.

1st Monday, First Presbyterian, 540 Wm. Hilton Pkwy. Vanessa Riley, 384-2901. vrileyhhi@gmail.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Page 59A

HOME

New technology creates more variety in stone finishes

By Andrea Antunes McGilton CONTRIBUTOR

In the past, pretty much all granite countertops had a polished shine. Today, due to new technology, that is no longer the case.

Along with a huge selection of stone materials, patterns and colors, a variety of finish options are available to create dramatically different looks on the same stone.

Here are a few: Polished stone has a glossy, mirror-like surface that draws attention by reflecting light. Showcasing the flecks of the specific stone, polished granite has long been the most popular choice for kitchen designs. It still is. Polished granite is also used effectively as flooring, lending a high gloss in more formal rooms.

A honed finish presents a buffed or matte appearance. While the surface is

smooth, it often lacks the high degree of reflection of a polished finish.

Matte finishes create a softer feel without disturbing the colors and patterns of the stone.

Honed surfaces are used effectively for counters and backsplashes where a more muted surface is preferred.

Honed granite is just as smooth as polished.

Bathroom applications Using a variety of stone finishes can be subtle and visually dramatic. soften the look when Leathered finishes are used effectively combined with other metallic or highly in kitchens and bathrooms to lend a reflective surfaces. rustic patina.

Rough finishes, such as leathered or Leathering has become particularly brushed, bring out the natural characterpopular in the Lowcountry since a major istics of the stone. Different levels of stone fabricator acquired state-of-the-art sheen and relief appear depending on equipment from Italy. This finish is each unique slab.

achieved through a technique that brushes the stone to bring out the natural texture.

The intensity of the color is preserved and enhanced. For granite or marble that has interesting veining, a leather finish enables you to actually feel the movement in the stone as well as see it.

With all of these finishing choices, homeowners are now using the same granite or stone in a kitchen or bath and applying different finishes. For example, polished stone can be placed on the perimeter counters and leathered stone used on the island where it creates a unique visual and textural surface.

Now, along with color, pattern and texture, finishes allow you to customize your stone even more.

Andrea Antunes McGilton is project manager at Distinctive Granite and Marble, with showrooms in Okatie; Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island; Pooler, Ga., and on Hilton Head Island.

Page 60A

The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

REAL ESTATE

How can home sellers avoid buyer ‘horribilization’?

By Chip Collins CONTRIBUTOR

Maybe “horribilization” isn’t a real word, but it definitely is a real thing.

Prospective homebuyers have a tendency to “horribilize” the cost of house projects – and perhaps rightfully so. After all, it’s better to budget Chip Collins high and come in under budget than to under-budget and come up short on cash – or just superfrustrated that something ended up costing more than you had wanted or planned.

So, how can home sellers avoid buyer horribilization?

The first step is to take a walk through your property with a set of buyer’s eyes.

This means looking up, down and all around at every surface, wall, ceiling, floor and corner – inside and outside the home.

If you were looking to buy the house, what do you see now (as opposed to all the things you’ve come to accept or not even notice any more)?

Is the roof stained?

Are the floors worn?

Is there mildew?

How about cracked tiles or missing grout in the shower or tub?

Unless the home is relatively new, the likelihood is that there are some items that could use some attention.

And, here’s why you need to consider taking action before putting your property on the market: There is a high proba-

bility that the actual cost of addressing and correcting those items will be substantially lower than what a buyer might think they will cost.

Said differently, a buyer is almost always going to overestimate the potential cost of a house project (i.e., “horribilize”), which can have a direct impact on

the amount of money he or she is willing to offer or pay for your house.

Take, for instance, a stained roof. A seller thinks: It’s fine, doesn’t leak, and works great.

A buyer thinks: This house needs a new roof (and they estimate it at $15,000 to $20,000).

Reality says for $500 the roof stains can be cleaned away, making the goodcondition roof look great (and, by the way, the real cost of a new roof is only $8,000 to $10,000).

So, it’s a good idea to avoid real estate “horribilization” by taking a proactive step to address and correct areas of concern BEFORE you put your house on the market. It will save you time, money, and stress in the long run – making the nearterm investment well worth it.

Chip Collins is the Broker/Owner of Collins Group Realty chip@collinsgroup realty.com or www.collinsgrouprealty.com

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Page 61A

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SEEKING DEMENTIA CARE SPECIALIST for position in adult center. Send resume with references to E. Hoyle, PO Box 22330, Hilton Head, SC 29925-2330.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Earn extra income selling Avon.

Ony $15 to get started. Free website. Call 843-681-9641.

EXPERIENCED STYLIST WANTED for a busy and best salon in Bluffton. Parking available. Low rent. Many extras. Call 843-338-1530 for more information.

SHRECK HANDYMAN SERVICES. Dependable and reliable, small jobs specialist, carpentry, painting, electrical and more. Licensed and insured. Call for estmates, Rick 843540-2944.

ZAPPED BY DIANE. Safe, effective and permanent hair removal. Please call Diane DiFato, licensed electrologist, at her new office, now located in Sheridan Park. 203-2410553. Centrally located in Bluffton. Convenient from Hilton

Head, Okatie and Beaufort.

GALE FORCE CLEANING. DEPENDABLE, HONEST house cleaning, caregiver. References available. Call 843-816-5657.

NEED A RIDE TO THE AIRPORT, doctor, etc.? Bonded and insured. Call Hal, Sun City resident, at 330-612-5239.

FOR SALE: 2014 SPECIALIZED LANGSTER STREET 10TH ANNIVERSARY edition bicycle, fixed gear at its finest, without those pesky brakes. Frame is aluminum alloy, fork is carbon fiber. New inner tubes, Cinelli tape, headset. If you've never ridden brakeless, I recommend you try. It's kind of scary at first, but then you realize that you have all the control in your legs. You will build a ridiculous amount of muscle if you keep at it. $650. 347-746-8611.

YOUR AD HERE CAN REACH 27,500 households and businesses from Moss Creek to Sun City to Callawassie Island. Promote services, sell goods, announce yard sale,

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buy a house, sell a house, find renters, find a job, find employees! Ads starting at $28 for 40 words. Call now, 843-757-9507.

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CLASSIFIED ADS WORK! CALL 843-757-9507.

Page 62A

The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

Club hosts Italian Festival Back for a seventh year, the Italian Heritage Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 outdoors at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.

The festival is presented by the ItalianAmerican Club of Hilton Head (IACHH). Modeled after the Feast of San Gennaro, the event celebrates the rich, colorful, Italian culture. Organizers expect a crowd of about 4,000.

Food booths will line the Honey Horn pathways, with local restaurants serving up portions of their signature dishes.

The festival will also feature cooking demonstrations, as well as volunteers preparing traditional Italian dessert favorites and crowd-pleasers like cannoli and zeppoli.

Because all good Italians know that there is more to Italy then just their fabulous food, the festival will offer educational booths, an ancestry expert, a kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; zone with an inflatable water slide,

Italian arts and crafts, art tents, and other Italian merchandise.

Entertainment for the day will include music and good sport. A bocce court will be set up and there will be a dunk tank as well as a pizza wheel where patrons can win gift certificates to local pizzerias.

Competitions will include grape stomping and pizza eating.

A silent auction will feature an array of items including rounds of golf, jewelry, gift baskets, and trips.

Musical entertainment will come from vocalists Larry and Claudette Tannelli of Myrtle Beach.

Tickets are $6 at the gate and in advance and parking is free; handicapped parking is available.

For more information about the event, contact Paul Caimano at paccomkt@aol.com or 412-897-1148.

For more information about the Italian-American Club visit www.iachh.org.

Sept. 7, 2016

The Bluffton Sun

Page 63A

REAL ESTATE

Home prices in the U.S. and Bluffton going up, up, up

By Larry Stoller CONTRIBUTOR

Current reports from the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) and other real estate reporting services summarize the story of the housing boom, bust, and recovery: • House prices experienced spectacular rises from 1996-2006 (Los Angeles the highest at 265 percent, Hilton Head area 127 percent) • House prices started to fall in the middle of 2006 and kept falling through the beginning of 2012 • House prices started rising in the middle of 2012 and continued to rise every year thereafter • Current year demand for real estate is strengthening, and residential construction is rising Standard & Poor’s notes that in 2016, all 20 major U.S. cities experienced

increases in house prices, with Portland posting the highest increase of 12.32 percent. FHFA statistics state that the Pacific region had the highest price increases (8.6 percent) for the first half of 2016, followed by the Mountain region (7.7 percent) and the South Atlantic region (7.2 percent).

New home sales rose by 14.6 percent in 2015 (Source: U.S. Census Bureau), and in the first quarter of 2016, there were 132,000 new homes sold, up by 17.9 percent year over year. The South accounted for 61 percent of these new home sales.

In the Hilton Head area, halfway through 2016, sales and prices have gone up, and many sellers are getting a higher percentage of their asking price. The

median sales price was up 4.3 percent to $302,336 (Source: Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors).

Additionally, from year-to-date (YTD) 2015 to 2016, new listings are up 10.5 percent, pending sales are up 8.2 percent, closed sales are up 6.7 percent, and the median sales price is up 8.8 percent.

For the past 12 months, the price

range with the strongest sales was $225,000-$375,000 (up 27.2 percent), and the property type with the strongest sales was single family (up 15.1 percent).

In Bluffton, YTD (2015 to 2016), new listings were up 22 percent, closed sales were up 17.8 percent, and the median sales price was $268,250, up 7.7 percent.

Would you like to know: 1. How much home prices have gone up in your neighborhood; 2. The asking price of homes currently for sale; 3. The sold price of homes similar to yours; and 4.

The current market value of your home?

If you would like answers to the above questions, or want additional real estate information, contact your local market expert and your favorite Realtor.

Larry Stoller is a real estate consultant and advertising executive who loves living in Bluffton and helping real estate agents and sellers get homes sold.

Page 64A

The Bluffton Sun

Sept. 7, 2016

PHOTO BY JEAN-MARIE COTE

ut n llo tio Pu ec S

Sept. 7, 2016 • SECTION B Volume 19, Issue 9

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra New season begins See page 3B

SCCT presents annual Follies show - 5B

Hilton Head Choral offers Summer Pops - 6B

Let’s Eat! Alvin Ord’s Bluffton - 9B

Trumpeter-photographer show at Art League - 10B

Page 2B

PERFORMING ARTS Sept. 8-9 3rd annual Bob Masteller’s Jazz for All Ages, jazz festival to benefit the Junior Jazz Foundation. 7 p.m. at Sonesta Resort. Features rising jazz stars plus vocalist Rene Marie, vocalist Maria Howell, pianist Noel Friedline and trumpeter Joe Gransden with their septet. Tickets $25 each. www.jazzforallages.com or 843-842-8620 Sept. 9-11, 16-18 “9 to 5 The Musical,” Beaufort Theatre Company, at USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St., Beaufort. Curtain 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 16, 17; 3 p.m. Sept. 11, 18. Adults $40, seniors and military $25, students $15. www.uscbcenterforthearts.com or 843-521-4145 Sept. 9-11 “Steel Magnolias,” by Coastal Stage Productions at The Shed, 809 Paris Ave., Port Royal.

“Shelby’s Reception” dinner theatre, 6 p.m. Sept.

9-10. tickets $48 in advance, include dinner.

Performance only 8 p.m.

Sept. 9-10; 2 p.m. Sept.

11, tickets $18 advance, $20 door. www.brownpapertickets.com or 912-656-1598 Sept. 9 “This Land I Love,” summer pops concert, Hilton Head Choral Society, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy.

Directed by Tim Reynolds. Tickets $10-$40, available at www.hiltonheadchoralsociety.org or 843-341-3818.

Sept. 10 Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus season opener, 7:30 pm. Lucas Theatre for the Arts. Featuring Rossini, Sortomme and Beethoven. Tickets $16 to $100, season tickets available. www.savannahboxoffice.com or 912-525-5050 Sept. 12-14 Karina Smirnoff of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” group workshop and private coaching sessions, Fred Astaire Dance Studio. 843-8376161 Sept. 15-18 “Follies 2016 – It’s Show Biz,” annual show, 7:30 Sept. 1517, 2:30 Sept. 18, Magnolia Hall at Sun City Hilton Head.

Tickets $23 non-members, $20 Sun City Community Theatre members. www.suncitytheatre .org or 843-645-2700

Sept. 7, 2016 Sept. 17 “Steel Magnolias,” by Coastal Stage Productions, 7 p.m. at Ehrhardt Auditorium, 420 Madison St., Ehrhardt. Tickets $18 advance, $20 the door. www.brownpapertickets.com or 912-656-1598 Monthlong At the Jazz Corner: Sept. 9-10, Kevin Bales Trio, featuring Adiran Cunningham; Sept. 16-17, The Randy Napoleon Trio; Sept. 23-24, Lynn Roberts with Bob Alberti’s Trio, featuring Bill Prince; Sept. 30Oct. 1, The Bria Skonberg Quartet. Music nightly at 8 p.m. C-1 Village at Wexford, Hilton Head. 843-842-8620 or www.thejazz corner.com

VISUAL ARTS Sept. 6-Oct. 2 “Past Presidents Show,” Society of Bluffton Artists, featuring work by each of nine past artist presidents.

Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Sept.

9. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-3 pm. Sunday. Corner of Church and Calhoun streets, Old Town Bluffton. 843-757-6586 or www.sobagallery.com Sept. 10, 17 34th An Evening of the Arts, preview 6-8 p.m. Sept. 10 at Karis Gallery, Village at Wexford; gala 6:30-10:30 p.m. at the Westin Hilton Head Resort & Spa. Preview art by contributing artists to be auctioned, pre-bids accepted. Preview is free; gala is $135, tickets available at www.isca-online.org.

Sept. 13-Oct. 29 “Fabulous Fiber,” exhibit by Art Quilters of the Lowcountry, Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Dr., Hilton Head. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Sept. 13. Gallery talks 10 a.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 11, Oct. 25.

Gallery hours 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 843-6896767 or www.coastaldiscovery.org Through Sept. 23 Paintings by Bluffton self-taught artist Kristy Noel Gillinder on display at Bluffton Library., 120 Palmetto Way in Bluffton Village.

Gallery hours 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 am.-5 p.m.

Friday-Saturday. FunkyTownMayor@gmail.com Through Sept. 24 “Backstage: Fotos & Filters,” iPhone photography exhibit by professional trumpet player Billy Howe, Art League of Hilton Head, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Sept. 8.

www.artleaguehhi.org or 843681-5060 Through Sept. 30 “Anonymous Ancestors,” art installation by Susan Lenz, at the Sea Islands Center Gallery on the USCB Historic Beaufort campus, 1106 Carteret St. Artist lecture 4:30 p.m. Sept.

30, followed by artist’s reception at 5:30 p.m. 843-521-4126 or kkeats@uscb.edu

MISCELLANEOUS Sept. 18 West Side Block party and Dramatic Reading by Deep Center, 3-7 p.m., Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, Savannah.

Celebrating stories, history and culture of Savannah’s West Side and work of young writers. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Block party on Wayne Street follows readings, with music, food trucks, public art. www.deepkids.com Sept. 19 Auditions for “White Christmas,” noon-8 p.m., Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. All roles available, including female age 9 to 12. Directed by Mark Martino, performances run Dec. 7-31. Auditions by appointment only; call Gail Ragland at 843-686-3945, ext. 202 or email GRagland@artshhi .com. Character descriptions, more at www.artshhi.com/auditions.

Sept. 19 Shore Notes Open House and Membership Drive, 7 p.m. Island Lutheran Church, 4400 Main St., Hilton Head. Seeking new members for women’s a cappella harmony group, no experience necessary. 843-705-6852 or www.hiltonheadshorenotes.com Sept. 25 “Kitchens of Note” tour to benefit Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

Noon to 4 p.m., featuring six chefs in six homes in Berkeley Hall. $40, www.hhso.org or 843-842-2199.

Proceeds benefit HHSO and its youth programs.

COMING UP Oct. 1 “Got Art?” fundraising art show, 4 p.m. Art League of Hilton Head, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. Each $100 ticket guaranteed a piece of art from ALHH members. Each ticket admits two to event.

Free preview Sept. 27-30, 10 am.-4 p.m. and Oct. 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

843-681-5060 or www.artleaguehhi.org

Sept. 7, 2016

Page 3B

HHSO League presents Kitchens of Note tour

P H OTO B Y J E A N - M A R I E C OT E

The League of the Symphony Orchestra is hosting its fourth annual tour of homes, featuring six notable kitchens and six local chefs in beautiful architect-designed homes, from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 25 at Berkeley Hall Club.

Proceeds from the tour benefits the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and its Youth Programs.

The fourth annual tour is a selfdriving tour through the Berkeley Hall community. Each of the six kitchens will host a chef from a local restaurant, and each will offer a sample of their best recipes. Participating are: Chef Jeff Cong, The Bluffton Room, Bluffton; Chef Clayton Rollison, Lucky Rooster Kitchen & Bar, Hilton Head; Chef Keith Josefiak, Old Fort Pub Waterfront Restaurant, Hilton Head; Chef Michael Cirafesi, Ombra Cucina Rustica, Hilton Head;

Chef Matt Valentino, The Pearl Kitchen & Bar, Bluffton; and Chef Tom Boland, R & D Wine Boutique, Bluffton.

Guests will enjoy a great afternoon visiting beautiful kitchens and enjoying delicious food, all in the atmosphere of one of Bluffton’s most prestigious communities.

Tickets are $40 per person and are available at Burke’s Pharmacy on Main Street and Le Cookery in the Village at Wexford on Hilton Head, and at Markel’s Card and Gift Shop in Bluffton. Last year’s tour sold out quickly, so early ticket purchase is suggested.

Tickets may also be purchased by calling Julie Williams at 843-342-2199.

Or, make checks payable to the HHSO and mail to the League of the HHSO, P. O. Box 6095, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938.

Orchestra’s 35th season opens with special gala evening The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra will open its 35th season – Music of Grandeur and Majesty – with a gala event featuring Garrick Ohlsson, one of the world’s most eminent pianists, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy. Maestro John Morris Russell will conduct this special event.

Tickets are now available at www.hhso.org or by calling 843-842-2055.

Page 4B

Sept. 7, 2016

New season at Arts Center chock full of fun

Following a hugely successful 201516 – and also a 20th anniversary celebration – the new theater series at the Arts Center looks to be better than ever.

Get ready, Jane Austen fans, because the season is launched with her most beloved of works: “Pride & Prejudice” (Oct. 4-23). The plot revolves around the lovely, quick-witted Elizabeth and her three sisters finding a husband, though that’s not Elizabeth’s priority. Until Mr. Darcy arrives, that is! This witty, romantic play brings this classic to life.

Based on the 1954 film, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” (Dec. 7-31) is a heartwarming holiday musical the whole family will love. Featuring a beloved

score, this is the story of two buddies who put on a show in a Vermont inn and find their perfect mates in the bargain.

Revived on Broadway in 2009, “White Christmas” was nominated with several Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards.

The winter slot (Feb. 7-26, 2017) is a riotous comedy of misidentity with “Leading Ladies.” The play focuses on two English actors who find their careers in a rut. They are currently performing in Amish country when they hear an old lady in York, Pa., is about to die and leave her fortune to two long-lost nephews. They resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash.

Hilarity ensues when it turns out the relatives are actually nieces. The actors, however, are not above passing themselves off as two women to cash in. This crazy comedy is completely off the chain.

Spring brings a heavenly good time with “Sister Act” (April 26-May 21, 2017), the amazing musical comedy smash that the New York Post calls “ridiculously fun!” “Sister Act” tells the hilarious story of a wannabe Las Vegas diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in a convent.

Nominated for five Tony awards, “Sister Act” is a tribute to the power of friendship, filled with amazing music,

outrageous dancing and a moving story.

Summertime sizzles with “Mamma Mia” (June 14-Aug. 6, 2017). Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny 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 visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.

For more information or subscriptions to the entire season, call 843-842-2787 or visit www.artshhi.com. Single tickets for “Pride & Prejudice” and “White Christmas” are already on sale.

Sept. 7, 2016

Page 5B

SCCT presents ‘Follies 2016 – It’s Show Biz’ Sept. 15-18

P H OTO B Y G W Y N E T H J. S AU N D E R S

Cast members of “Follies 2016 – It’s Show Biz” rehearse their choreographed chaos “backstage.”

From left are Debra Shutz, Lynd Bialko, Nancy Austin, Dan Kam, July Colwell and Joanne Murray.

If you have ever wondered what goes on backstage in a community theater, then the upcoming “Follies 2016 – It’s Show Biz” is your chance.

The annual production will be held at Magnolia Hall at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15-17, with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 18.

The Sun City Community Theatre’s latest production is a show-within-ashow that will take the audience through the process of selecting, staging and performing a theatrical production, from auditions to the chaos of opening night.

“A small community theater in Massachusetts is putting on a musical revue,” said Nancy Laws, who co-directs the show with Gwyneth Saunders.

“Auditions, rehearsals, run-throughs, tech. Ultimately, the show goes on ... and a few things go wrong.”

The revue is being staged by “people who aren’t used to theatre and don’t even know stage right from stage left,” Laws said.

The cast of 36 (most of them “Follies” veterans) performs two dozen numbers, including ’50’s rock medleys, jazz stan-

dards such as “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” Benny Goodman’s “Sing Sing Sing,” and show songs from various musicals.

There are girl-group numbers from the ’60‘s, choreographed by Pat Beers, including the Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love” and the Marvelettes’ “Please, Mr. Postman.” In the finale, Judy Colwell and Laws perform “Now They’re 64,” a parody of the Beatles classic “When I’m Sixty-Four.”

The Sun City Concert Band, led by Art Hansen, will provide the music.

The first show in the history of the Sun City Follies not completely written by its performers, “Follies 2016 – It’s Show Biz” is based on Don Oliver’s comedy “Break A Leg!” “All the dialogue and scenarios are really true to life,” said Colwell. “People who are involved in theater are going to really identify with it.”

Tickets are $23 ($20 for SCCT members) and are available at the Magnolia Hall Box Office, by phone at 843-6452700, or at www.suncitytheatre.org.

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Sept. 7, 2016

Patriotic Pops Concert opens Choral Society season The Hilton Head Choral Society extends a call to everyone who loves America to attend their season opener Pops Concert, “This Land I Love” at 8 p.m. Sept. 9 at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy., Hilton Head Island.

The concert will celebrate America with songs that remind us of all that we hold so dear. “It will be a musical tribute about what our country stands for and the beautiful land we call home,” said Glenn Neff, co-president of the Choral Society. “It will be a fun concert. In fact, we are going to be singing about every state in the union and even take you out to the ballgame!”

The evening will include performances of “American Anthem” from Ken Burns’ documentary “The War” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”

In its 41st season, the longest running performing arts group on the Island

promises a night of memorable entertainment suitable for family and friends. The 100-voice ensemble will also perform songs that resonate with all Americans – classics such as “What a Wonderful World” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Tim Reynolds, in his 17th season as the artistic director of the chorus, feels that this emotional and inspirational catalogue of Americana is exactly what audiences crave to hear these days.

“It’s very important to remind ourselves of the greatness of our country and

her people,” said Reynolds. “The music is reminiscent of our past and born from our common struggles and triumphs.

From folk songs to standard pops classics – these songs remind us of the strengths created by diverse cultures and traditions, which help make America the greatest nation.”

All seating is reserved. Tickets are $10 to $40 and are available at www.hilton headchoralsociety.org or by phone at 843-341-3818.

The Hilton Head Choral Society was founded in 1975, to perform Handel’s “Messiah.” The repertoire and membership have been expanded to include major classical and contemporary works and seasonal favorites, performed with professional musicians and soloists.

The Choral Society is a non-profit organization. The primary source of financial support comes from concert ticket sales, donors, program advertisers, concert sponsors, and grants.

Sept. 7, 2016

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‘9 to 5’ gals rock Beaufort

The Beaufort Theatre Company will present “9 to 5 The Musical,” a theatrical experience with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, who starred in the classic 1980 film on which the musical is based.

Like the movie, “9 to 5 The Musical” focuses on the struggle of three women in the workplace. Violet is strong, independent and constantly overlooked. Judy, the new hire, just wants to pick up the pieces and fend for herself after the end of her marriage. Finally, there’s Doralee, the straightforward Texan determined to prove she is more than meets the eye.

Standing in their way is Mr. Hart, the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.” Together, these women overcome the odds and learn what ingenuity, persistence and friendship, can do.

The Beaufort Theatre Company’s cast includes Penney Smith, known locally as one-third of the music group the Sweetgrass Angels, brings a witty breath of life to the role of Violet Newstead.

Her bandmate and Beaufort Theatre Company alum Elaine Lake struts through a standout performance as Doralee Rhodes, the role originated by Parton. Newcomer Lauren Cleland brings energy to the role of Judy. Brad Ballington, last seen on the BTC stage as

the teen angel in “Grease The Musical,” is the despicable Mr. Hart.

Rounding out the cast are Alison Salters, Daniel Bittick, James Duffy, Maggie Cunningham, Noah Krepps, Steyn Maree, Susan Stott-Smith and Velma Polk.

Director Libby Ricardo returns to the BTC after two Broadway World South Carolina Award-winning shows, “Grease,” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” and her recent production of “Godspell.”

Ricardo is a lifelong Dolly Parton fan and jumped at the opportunity to direct the show. “I think people will be surprised at the quality of the music and by just how moving and relevant the story is,” said Ricardo.

Anna Wheeler again lends her talents as music director, and Gina Taramasso gets the cast moving on her third outing as choreographer at the Center for the Arts.

Performances will be 7:30 p.m. Sept.

9, 16 and 17, and 3 p.m. on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 at the USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret St. in Beaufort.

Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, and $15 for students, and are available at www.uscb centerforthearts.com or 843-521-4145.

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Sept. 7, 2016

With crazy subjects and colors, Hummell is right at home

By Lynne Cope Hummell Amos Hummell has always had a hard time defining his art styles – plural.

Over the past 25 years, he has created three-dimensional sculptures out of junk, colorful beads out of polymer, metal signs bearing his young sons’ clever remarks, and “normal” paintings on canvas.

Still, his heart is in cartooning – even though as a student, his cartoons of teachers got him into detention.

Long-time Bluffton residents might remember when Hummell brought his art to life on the stage at his former Calhoun Street studio from May 2005 to September 2007. The third Friday of each month, his Living Colors art performances told a new story of Art Boy, his Art Goddess, the wealthy patron (The Baron) and the Art Angel, all trying to save the world through art. “We were going to turn Old Town Bluffton into an art Mecca,” he said recently.

The last of the series now hangs in Studio B Marketplace in Bluffton, awaiting permanent homes.

Recently, he finished a piece on deadline for an art show. But he didn’t like it.

When he showed it to his most P H OTO B Y C H A N D L E R H U M M E L L honest critics, they Amos Hummell at work in his home studio on HIlton Head Island. didn’t like it either.

While more art eventually came to “Then I mapped out a second one in Bluffton, Hummell retreated in late 2007, the vein of the first one,” he said. But when art became a victim of the economy. there was no excitement for him. “It But the self-taught artist never stopped wasn’t fun.’” creating. Over the past few years, So he sat down and did some Hummell has taken his art into a more “random experiments” and came up with classic format – paint on canvas. His fish “some interesting things. It was crazy. series, “Missing Poissons,” featured And it was much better.” hidden fish in textured layers of color.

Now, Hummell said, he is embarking

on a new adventure with his paintings.

As always, it is difficult for him to name, but he can describe it: “Basically, what I do is crazy stuff that makes people laugh – or at least smile,” he said.

The new work might be a bit different from the expected. “I am embracing the abstract,” he said. “I’ve always aspired to be a cartoonist, so this is a coming together of the Living Colors experience, theatre and forays into painting, coming together with the heart of the cartoonist.”

But the fish are still present. Fish give an artist a lot of latitude, he said. And fish can be crazy, he said. And colorful.

“I think people like crazy. I like crazy,” he said. “I think people are fascinated by crazy. I’m fascinated by crazy.”

Hummell’s work can be seen at Studio B Marketplace in Bluffton, and The Karis Gallery and Art League of Hilton Head on the island.

For more information, visit www. hummellstudios.com or find Studio B on Facebook.

Sept. 7, 2016

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Find Salvation in a sandwich at Alvin Ord’s of Bluffton

By Pam Gallagher Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so goes the old saw, and the menu and method of making sandwiches at the Lunde family’s new Alvin Ord’s sandwich shop pay strict homage to Tom Lewis, who has owned and operated the Port Royal shop by the same name for more than 30 years.

“He’s perfected it,” said Eric Lunde of Lewis, who agreed to show partners Lunde, his son Chris and Chris’s girlfriend Corri McKenzie his assembly-line method of making sandwiches. It starts with homemade bread and melted cheese running through a heated conveyor belt before meats are added and the process is repeated. Next come the fresh accompaniments: lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, and condiments of your choice: garlic butter, mayonnaise, spicy mustard, sauerkraut.

The finished product is wrapped in white butcher paper and tucked into a brown Alvin Ord’s lunch bag.

The fresh-baked daily bread, French or whole wheat, is the canvas, if you will, for the shop’s signature sandwiches: The Salvation, The Cheese Salvation and Ham Salvation.

On its run through the conveyor, it toasts just enough for extra-large helpings of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan to melt into the bun, and once the ham, salami, or for other variations roast beef, turkey, bacon, steak or tuna are added, the flavors blend into a warm, hearty meal more filling than most sandwiches. All are priced at $6.95 for a small, $9.10 for medium, $16.25 for large.

Friends and business associates Lunde and Lewis, both Army veterans and classic car collectors, have a licensing agreement. The Bluffton shop uses the same products and purveyors as its Port Royal namesake and offers a similar menu, but it’s not a franchise. “Tom is the

P H OTO B Y PA M G A L L AG H E R

Alvin Ord’s Salvation and Turkey Club

kind of guy who’s very fair,” said Lunde.

“He doesn’t like franchises, and told me ‘You should be working for yourself.’”

The Bluffton shop, on May River Road in Old Town in the space that formerly housed The Sippin Cow, is more than twice the size of the Port Royal location.

With a big, pet-friendly screened porch and beer and wine available, the remodeled space is comfortable and casual.

Alexis Summer Wonser’s colorful artwork painted on distressed wood lines the walls, and a Lowcountry-themed mural painted by Lunde’s grandson’s girlfriend, Shelbie Middlebrook, depicts local scenery.

Since its mid-summer opening, Lunde said the reception has been fantastic, with folks lined up at the counter at lunchtime and a steady trickle through midafternoon on weekdays.

Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Alvin Ord’s caters and makes local deliveries of 10 sandwiches or more. Call 843-757-1300.

Freelance writer Pam Gallagher was a copy editor at USA Today and a staff writer and fashion editor for the Asbury Park Press.

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Sept. 7, 2016

Art by trumpeter Billy Howe now playing at Art League

“Cheerleader” by Billy Howe

“Backstage: Fotos & Filters” by Billy Howe opens at the Art League of Hilton Head gallery Aug. 30 and runs through Sept. 24. An artist’s reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 8. The event is free and open to the public.

As a professional trumpet player since 1980, Howe is best known locally as a long-time member of the popular group “The Headliners.”

The majority of Howe’s photographs are taken backstage before or after the band performs.

Howe describes “Backstage” as “a collection of images taken on my iPhone while performing here locally and throughout the southeast. After capturing my ideas, they’re transformed with many different software filters and infused with color.”

Howe, a graduate of Morehead State University, credits his photography professor, Gene Pyle, for kick-starting this lifelong hobby.

Howe’s photography inspirations include Henri Cartier Bresson, Julius Shulman and Annie Leibovitz.

Combining his love for music and

photography is a natural fit for Howe’s exhibition. Those who view his works might decide to pick up their own phones and start capturing their everyday surroundings.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday, and 90 minutes before all Arts Center performances.

The Art League gallery is located inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane on Hilton Head Island. For more information, call 843-681-5060 or visit www.artleague hhi.org.

“Help” by Billy Howe

Sept. 7, 2016

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Get art at ‘Got Art?’ Got Art?, the Art League of Hilton Head’s annual fundraising benefit, will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 1 in the Art League gallery at 14 Shelter Cove Lane, inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina.

The event promises to make collectors out of art enthusiasts. Each $100 ticket admits two guests into the event and participation in a live drawing that guarantees the ticket holder one original piece of art.

Only 100 tickets will be sold. This fun and popular event is typically a sell out.

What makes the event special is that every ticket holder goes home with an original piece of local art created and donated by Art League member artists.

Artwork might include paintings, drawings, photography, collage, jewelry, ceramics and sculpture.

Each piece is valued at $200 or more.

Not knowing when your name will be called adds a certain element of fun and suspense. You never know which pieces

will still be available when it’s your turn to choose. It always proves to be a lively night.

Member artist Amos Hummell will again serve as emcee for the evening and the drawing.

The evening preview and reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres is followed by the main event drawing.

When each ticket is drawn, the holder gets to choose an original piece of art.

Every ticket is a winner.

More than 100 works of art for the show will be on view from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27-30 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oct. 1 in the gallery. Those buying tickets are encouraged to preview the show and make note of their preferences.

To purchase a $100 ticket, call 843681-5060 or visit www.artleaguehhi.org.

Tickets are also available at the gallery and the Art League Academy, 106 Cordillo Pkwy.

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Sept. 7, 2016

Past SOBA presidents come together for show

“Somewhere on HIlton Head Circa 1858” by former SOBA president Chris Clayton

The Society of Bluffton Artists welcomes its past living presidents as the featured artists in September at the SOBA Gallery. These nine talented people will have a wonderful and varied collection of their recent work to share from Sept. 6 through Oct. 2.

The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) began in 1994 with a handful of artists meeting monthly and displaying their artwork at Bluffton’s Town Hall once a year.

Lynda Potter was the first president of that initial tiny group. By 2001, Helen Evans had a goal to create a new gallery for the growing membership. With the help of Bluffton’s Town Council and several SOBA members, that goal became a reality in 2002 when the former Bluffton Library was converted into an exhibiting space for their 35 members.

The Society thanked the community by offering free after school art classes for fourth- and fifth-grade students, and by implementing a scholarship program for high school seniors.

The Society gained nonprofit status in 2002. In 2003 SOBA initiated the firstever Old Town Art Walk. This highly

successful event is still a Bluffton favorite, happening three times each year.

In 2012 SOBA moved into its current gallery at the corner of Church and Calhoun streets, and two years later opened the Center for Creative Arts classroom facility, where classes and workshops are offered for beginner to experienced artists.

There are now 185 SOBA members, with more than 100 of them exhibiting art at the gallery regularly.

The nine presidents whose work will be on exhibit are: Lynda Potter, Dee Johnson, Helen Evans, Emily Wilson, Terry Brennan, Dave Dickson, Chris Clayton, Sandra Wenig and Marian Sanders, who each in their own way helped make SOBA the great organization it is today.

Enjoy their work as well as that of the other member artists at the opening wine reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 9.

The SOBA gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

For more information visit www.sobagallery.com or call 843-757-6586.

Sept. 7, 2016

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Sept. 7, 2016

‘Anonymous Ancestors’ at USCB

“Anonymous Ancestors,” an art installation by Columbia artist Susan Lenz, wll be on exhibit through Sept. 30 at the USCB Sea Islands Center Gallery in Beaufort.

A public lecture will be given by Lenz at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30, followed by an artist’s reception at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.

For this installation, thousands of

anonymous, vintage photographs have been altered to create a nostalgic interior that allows viewers to become immersed in the myriad of family stories handed down through generations. The exhibit suggests the narratives of distant aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, siblings and in-laws. “Anonymous Ancestors” is society’s family tree, a collective wall of ancestors.

For more information, email Kim Keats at kkeats@uscb.edu.

Sept. 7, 2016

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May River Theatre marks 15th season with reunion

May River Theatre reunion attendees gather for a group photo.

By Beth Woods Fifteen years ago, the late Ed and Jodie Dupuis had a vision to bring a community theatre to Bluffton.

Today, that vision is a thriving community of actors, musicians, technicians, volunteers and theatre enthusiasts the founders would be proud of.

Sadly, the Dupuises are not here to commemorate the 15th season, but in celebration of May River Theatre, scores of people who help make the theatre great gathered at Oscar Frazier Park recently.

Beth Corry, the first musical director, said, “The number of people attending the MRT Reunion is a tribute to the

vitality of this organization. May River Theatre is an important part of the fabric of Bluffton.”

Actors and musicians from all shows and levels of involvement gathered to reminisce about what May River Theatre has meant to them. The Dupuises always treated the theatre as a family, and their legacy clearly lives on, as reunion attendees came from as far away as Virginia.

More than 80 fun-loving thespians laughed, ate and shared memories of past shows and looked forward to the many curtain calls to come.

Connie Reeves, one of the inaugural cast members from “Thank You Mr. Loesser,” said, “Fifteen years have gone by quickly. I remember Jodie and Ed welcoming the first cast and explaining how we were making history. Time flies when you are having fun, and we’ve certainly had fun.”

The past 15 seasons have produced musicals, musical reviews, dramatic plays

Lauren Cleland and Ron Ruckle

and comedies, as well as friendships to last lifetimes.

Don’t miss May River Theatre’s next production of “Curtains,” a Broadway musical comedy that opens on Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 20. Tickets go on sale Oct. 24 and can be purchased by contacting the box office at 843-8155581 or online at www.mayrivertheatre .com.

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Sept. 7, 2016

Island’s original art auction and gala set for Sept. 17 The Island School Council for the Arts (ISCA) celebrates its 34th An Evening of the Arts to be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. A preview reception of artwork to be included in the live auction will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10 at Karis Art Gallery in the Village at Wexford.

Contributing artists will be in attendance to meet and greet guests.

The work will be available for pre-bidding and will remain on display through Sept. 16.

The island’s original art auction and fundraising gala features a live juried art auction, including significant works of art, delicious food and entertainment by bright new stars from the Carolinas to Broadway.

Spectacular original pieces of artwork donated by acclaimed professional artists,

jewelry, literary works of art, and arts packages designed to promote the Lowcountry’s diverse talent will be offered in the live and silent auctions.

The proceeds of this event represent the majority of the funds that support ISCA’s arts programs: Artist-in-Education Residency Program, Teacher Grants Program, Promising Picassos Student Art Exhibitions, ISCA Student Scholarships and the Rising Stars talent competition and scholarship program.

Since 1971, the Island School Council for the Arts has funded more than $2 million in these programs supporting the visual, performing, and literary arts, supporting academic achievement and scholarship through arts education in all southern Beaufort County schools, both public and private.

“ISCA is so excited to bring the bright new stars of Broadway to the island to work with the students in our schools and to entertain our lucky guests at this

“Proud Flower” by Peter Karis

year’s An Evening of the Arts, said ISCA President, Veronica Tigges. “We look forward to presenting a star-filled night of exquisite and fabulous entertainment.”

Tickets are $135 per person. For more information, visit www.isca-online.org.

Sept. 7, 2016

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Quilters group brings ‘Fabulous Fiber’ to museum

“This One’s for You, Diane” by Jody Wigton

The Coastal Discovery Museum will host “Fabulous Fiber,” an exhibition by the Art Quilters of the Low Country Sept. 13 through Oct 29.

The public is invited to meet the quilters during their opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 16.

Additionally, the quilters will demonstrate and discuss their art and techniques from 10 a.m. to noon on the following Tuesdays: Sept. 27, Oct. 11 and Oct. 25.

The Art Quilters are a cooperative of award-winning fabric artists who design, quilt, exhibit and have a passion to teach their craft. Their work ranges from the large and abstract to intimate renderings of natural scenes and flora and fauna.

The Quilters are four women and a man: Donna Stankiewicz, Shaaron Thomas, Peg Weschke, Jody Wigton and Ron Hodge.

Stankiewicz paints her fabric with various paint media and then embellishes with applique and thread painting.

Thomas is an artist who paints on silk and then quilts and embellishes with beads and thread painting.

Weschke creates realistic scenes of the beauty of the Lowcountry with fabric collages or embroidery.

Wigton uses color and improvisational piecing to create beautiful abstract art.

Hodge creates his art with various fabrics including linen, velvet, organza and many others but there is always one constant – his beautiful beading.

Each artist has a unique approach to his and her art that, when brought together, creates a wonderful and fabulous fiber exhibit.

The Coastal Discovery Museum is located at 70 Honey Horn Dr. on Hilton Head Island.

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 843-689-6767 or visit www.coastaldiscovery.org.

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Sept. 7, 2016

Cha-cha a Cuban import that continues to gain fans

By Sandro Virag Though Argentine tango may be my passion, the cha-cha is the dance I consider the most fun of all the Latin American dances. It is flirtatious, with the idea of a chase between a man and a woman playing through the dance.

Known also as the cha-chacha, the dance originated in Cuba in the 1940s. The name is derived from the sound of the dancersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shoes as they shuffle around the floor during the dance.

The cha-cha arrived in America around 1954 and caught on quickly.

Cha-cha has become one of the five dances in international competitions of the Latin American program governed by

the World Dance Council, and America took advantage of this by pulling the cha-cha into the competitive rhythm section of their ballroom dance competitions.

The cha-cha is one of the most popular social Latin American dances. The dance consists of small steps and lots of hip action, with a staccato rhythm that makes it full of energy and produces a party-like atmosphere.

The cha-cha is adaptable to almost any music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even our top 40 music today.

Cha-cha is not only a fun partner dance but can also be danced as a line dance.

Even if you are dancing the cha-cha with a partner, you might find yourself side-by-side in many of the moves and not

always holding on to each other facing each other.

There are so many variations of cha-cha and so many steps that it never becomes routine.

The rhythm cannot only be manipulated, but you can do a very slow cha-cha or a very fast cha-cha. It is very easy to lead and very easy to follow.

The cha-cha has continued to gain popularity because it is fastpaced, easy to learn and, for the health conscious, provides an excellent cardio workout.

People of all ages and nationalities enjoy dancing the cha-cha more than ever before.

Have you joined in the fun?

Sandro Virag is a partner and instructor at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Hilton Head, located in Bluffton at Seaquins Ballroom.

P H OTO B Y C I N D A S E A M O N

Michele Curry and Sandro Virag practice their cha-cha.

Sept. 7, 2016

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Live ‘mUUsic’ series in Bluffton begins third year

Uncommon Collective from Savannah will perform Dec. 9 in the Bluffton “mUUsic series”

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry is excited to announce its third annual “mUUsic series” for the Bluffton-Hilton Head community and beyond.

The mUUsic series is an affordable, intimate, family-friendly, and smoke-free environment to enjoy excellent music.

The season opened Sept. 2 with the popular Velvet Caravan of Savannah.

Performances for the upcoming series include: Claude Bourbon (Oct. 21), known throughout Europe and America for amazing guitar performances that take blues, Spanish, Middle Eastern, and Russian stylings into uncharted territories.

Megan Jean and the KFB (Nov. 18), a demented blend of Americana, punk, dance, and the avant-garde that they’ve taken to describing as, “a metal band, if it was 1927.”

Uncommon Collective (Dec. 9), six Savannah-based musicians who perform Americana favorites and old-time jazz standards. Special ticket price for this event: $20.

Porto Seguro Band (Jan. 20, 2017) melds European and African influences into a distinctively Brazilian combination of up-beat melodies backed up with a

syncopated vibe that is joyful and soulful.

Kyle Shiver (Feb. 17, 2017) pays homage to Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Muddy Waters and the Allman Brothers intermingled with his own compositions.

Angela Easterling (March 24, 2017) of South Carolina is a three-time Kerrville New Folk Finalist, a Telluride Troubadour Finalist, and a two-time Wildflower Performing Songwriter Finalist.

Little Country Giants (April 28, 2017) delivers pure, simple, and timeless rustic songs touching on country, bluegrass, and rural blues.

Neptune’s Car (May 19, 2017) is an acoustic duo from Massachusetts and New Hampshire who play original, contemporary folk music.

Performances are held at the UU Congregation of the Lowcountry, 110 Malphrus Rd. in Bluffton. Tickets are available at the door. Cost is $15 for adults and $10 for students and children 12 and under, unless otherwise noted.

Seating is general admission.

All performances take place on Friday evenings. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Performances begin at 7 p.m. Wine, beer, and water are available for purchase prior to show and during intermission.

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Sept. 7, 2016

‘Steel Magnolias’ director infuses show with nods to daughter

By Lynne Cope Hummell The Coastal Stage Productions offering of “Steel Magnolias” brings more to Lowcountry stages than the story of Shelby, a young woman with a potentially life-threatening illness.

Terri Hsu, director of the local production, has infused a lot of her own heart and a very personal story into the show.

In the play (spoiler alert), Shelby dies from complications of her diabetes.

Similarly, Hsu lost a daughter to a disease. “My daughter Lauren’s disease was very different from Shelby’s, but still, losing a child is losing a child,” she said.

In 2007, Lauren Renee Parker died of complications of Batten Disease, a rare degenerative neurological disease. “It is sort of like Alzheimer’s in young people, but with blindness and seizures,” Hsu said.

Lauren was just 20, about the age of Shelby in the play. Hsu also has two living children.

the head.”

After considerable research and many doctor visits, including specialists at Johns Hopkins, finally a pediatric ophthalmologist diagnosed it when Lauren was 11. The life span is typically about age 17 to 24, Hsu said.

As for the play, “What drew me to P H OTO S U B M I T T E D the show was Shelby’s Lauren Renee Parker at age 13. This is her mom’s favorite photo of her. mother, M’Lynn, and the way she handled Batten is a genetic disease. “She was her grief in the last scene, the anger,” Hsu born with it,” Hsu said, “but we didn’t said. know about it.” No one in either Hsu’s “It’s a bucket list role for me, if I family or Lauren’s father’s family had had thought I could handle it emotionally, the disease.

Lauren started losing her vision at age but I don’t think I could,” she said. So, 3, Hsu said. “She had her first seizure at 7 directing someone in that role is the next best thing. or 8, but it was attributed to a bump on

“In casting this show, I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to find someone to handle that role, and touch that emotion,” Hsu said, “but our actress does it beautifully.”

Playing the role of M’Lynn in the local production is Coby Turner, who recently moved to the Lowcountry from Los Angeles. “She does a great job of reaching deep down and bringing out the emotion,” Hsu said. “I mean, she rants and screams.

Hsu said directing Turner was easy.

“That kind of raw emotion you can’t direct out of a person, so it came from within her,” she said. “She is a very talented actress.”

Hsu said because of her personal connections to the theme, she told the cast early on about Lauren, “and that she was my muse for the show.” She shared a video that was played during Lauren’s memorial service and photos of her life.

Hsu said she also added a few touches to the show as a nod to Lauren and her story. One addition is a purple Christmas tree that Lauren’s sister Brittany bought because Lauren’s favorie color was purple. Every year, Brittany and her daughter Rosie decorate it in Lauren’s memory.

“Little nuances have driven it home,” Hsu said.

Coastal Stage Productions will host a special “Shelby’s Reception” Dinner Theatre Sept. 9-10 at 6 p.m., at The Shed in Port Royal, tickets are $48 in advance only. Performance only tickets for Sept.

9-10 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

The Shed is located at 809 Paris Ave. in Port Royal.

Another show will be at 7 p.m. Sept.

17 at Ehrhardt Auditorium, 420 Madison St., Ehrhardt. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Online tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com. For willcall tickets or more information, call 912656-1598.

To learn more about Batten Disease, visit www.bdsra.org.

Sept. 7, 2016

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Debut memoir relates generational struggle with depression

By Glenda Harris “The Buried War” is a debut memoir

by Bluffton resident Bill Beltz. It is the story of his large family of 10 who lived in the small town of Alliance, Ohio, in the 1950s and ’60s and how he began to make sense of the world around him.

His father, Arthur Beltz, had returned home after three years in Guadalcanal and the Solomons, the first land battle of World War II and one of the bloodiest ever fought.

A member of the Greatest Generation, Beltz’s father was one of many who would spend the rest of his life battling personal demons.

“The Buried War” is the name Beltz gives to what we now call PTSD. His father suffered terribly from the ravages of war with no attempts at remedy. Sadly, this was well before the disorder was recognized as a psychiatric condition capable of debilitating a man as surely as

if he had lost a limb.

PTSD was called “shell shock” in WWI and “battle fatigue” in WWII and was not treated or even recognized as a disorder. Tragically for most, this private war had to be fought every day, alone, long after the real war had ended.

Beltz’s family endured years of constant abuse and chaos in the home. The brave and strong father who went away to war never really came back to them.

The author relates his own lifelong struggle with recurring bouts of depression and foundering in his youth as he searched for direction and purpose in his life.

Borne of remnants of the fear and anxiety of living with a man he described as “violent, abusive and unstable” as well as separation from his family as a young teen, his depression, he learned, was not a temporary illness but a disorder that would be his constant companion.

His search begins as a young teen

Bill Beltz, left, with his editor, Bernie Schein

when he leaves home to attend seminary high school in Milwaukee and later to a monastery to begin training for the priesthood. His lifestyle, with the wearing of plain brown clothing, the mandatory shaved head and the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, was a drastic change from his home life.

After attending Francisco College for a time, Beltz believed he could be a “religious” person without being a monk and decides to “take a detour and figure things out for himself.”

Back home in Ohio, after working and saving to buy a car, he attends the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and later transfers to Cardinal Stritch College, where he meets Karen, who later becomes his wife. They move to Asheville, N.C., and later to Hilton Head Island, where Beltz eventually starts a business.

In his 30-plus years living in the Lowcountry, Beltz has immersed himself in programs teaching self-management and attitude awareness and always has a book ready to read in the morning. For him, these are effective tools that often help him keep the darkness at bay.

Written in a candid and easy-to-read style, this debut memoir is moving and courageous. The author hopes there is comfort and healing for others in the telling of his story.

Glenda Harris of Bluffton is a freelance writer and editor, nature lover and aspiring novelist.

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Sept. 7, 2016