The Bluffton Sun • September 4, 2024

The Bluffton Sun

USCB biologists’ partner in first terrapin survey in Beaufort County

BY CAROL WEIR Contributor

A small turtle that lives in the salt marsh recently drove scientists from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, the Port Royal Sound Foundation and other institutions above their waists in pluff mud.

On August 2, 20 volunteers conducted the first terrapin survey in Beaufort County, using seine nets to catch seven terrapins (four males and three females, all adults) in about two hours. The group photographed the animals, weighed them, measured them and notched the shell of each before returning it to the creek where it was caught. For future studies, notched shells will identify individuals that have been caught before.

The turtle trackers included USCB marine biologist Tye Pet-

COURTNEY KIMMEL, PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION

survey.

Tto Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists

o further meet the high demand among local residents for surgical services, Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists has added general surgeon Taylor Turnbull, M.D. to the practice. She will see patients in both Beaufort and Okatie.

A Burnettown, S.C., native who has spent her entire life in South Carolina, Dr. Turnbull comes to Beaufort Memorial after completing her residency in general surgery. She gained significant experience completing complex procedures in a tertiary care center with multiple surgical subspecialities during her residency, but says that she most enjoyed the months she spent at smaller community hospitals throughout the state.

Residency – General Surgery

Prisma Health Upstate Greenville, SC

Doctor of Medicine

Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC

Skilled in robotic and laparoscopic surgical techniques, Dr. Turnbull brings experience in the treatment of a broad range of acute and chronic diseases and disorders to the practice. Among her professional interests are complex hernia repair, colorectal surgery (including anorectal surgery), skin lesion repair, biliary surgery, and abdominal surgery.

Bachelor of Science – Biology (magna cum laude)

University of South Carolina Honors College Columbia, SC

At the practice Dr. Turnbull joins board-certified general surgeons Drs. Deanna

Mansker, Aubrey Place and Stephen Sisco.

TERRAPIN

FROM PAGE 1A

tay and several of his students, a graduate student from Clemson University and staff from the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Lowcountry Ecological LLC, Coastal Expeditions and Fripp Island. Their survey site was Wards Creek, near Coastal Expeditions’ headquarters on St. Helena Island.

This day was a test run that may lead

to a long-term Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) monitoring project.

“The Marine Biology Program is planning for this monitoring to be a biannual event; terrapins are long-lived animals, so we should see the same terrapins year after year.  They also give clues to the health of our local waterways,” Pettay

Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are smaller than sea turtles and live year round in the Lowcountry’s salt marshes.

said.

Additional terrapin surveys could include pristine Pritchard’s Island, which is owned by USCB.

“We are hoping to replicate this out at Pritchard’s Island and potential other sites in the Port Royal Sound ecosystem,” said Chris Keher, Science Program Manager at the Port Royal Sound Foundation

and a graduate of USCB.  “It’s an understudied animal and an animal that is susceptible to changes in their environment. It’s an indicator species.”

The survey volunteers set up two seine nets to span the length of a creek near Gay Seafood Shrimp Dock, and several people swam toward terrapins to encourage them to move toward the seine nets.

Terrapins are smaller than sea turtles and are the only turtles that live yearround in the Lowcountry’s salt marsh. Like sea turtles, terrapins have special glands allow them to secrete salt through their tear ducts.

Terrapins nest from May to late July. Hatchlings emerge from August through about October.  Late nests will hibernate in the marsh; hatchlings will emerge in the spring.

All animals were handled under required permit - Permit #SC-170-2024.

Carol Weir is the Senior Director of Communications for the University of South Carolina Beaufort in Bluffton, weirc@uscb.edu

presented by Patty & Dave Ekedahl

October 12th @ 8 AM

Beach - Alder Lane Beach

Jake Zadik, John Alexander, Ty Tobias, and Katalaya Brandenburg search for terrapins during the survey.

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Contributors

Carol Weir

Mayor Larry Toomer

Luke Gawronski

Justin Jarrett

Dr. Audrey Klenke

Chip Collins

Rosemary Staples

Mark Winn

Dr. Kenneth Horup

Lisa Hostetler Brown

Dr. Oswald Mikell

Dan Prud’homme

Ryan Chowansky

Dr. Mathew T. Epps

Matthew Mastrorocco, DMD

Joe Turino

Glenda Harris

Dr. Ronald Finger

Channing Heiss

Contact us

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Abby Bird

Kat Rice

Wendy Kushel

Rob Pearson

Michael Reynolds

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Edwina Hoyle

Kevin Fitzpatrick

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Melissa McCullough PO Box 2056, Bluffton, SC 29910 843-757-9507

Physical address: 181 Bluffton Rd., Ste F103-2, Bluffton, SC 29910 BlufftonSun.com

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THE BLUFFTON SUN Issue 17, September 4, 2024, is published twice monthly by Beaufort Media Group, LLC, 181 Bluffton Rd Suite F103-2 Bluffton, SC 29910. Periodicals Postage paid at Bluffton, SC and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE BLUFFTON SUN, PO Box 2056, Bluffton, SC 29910-2056.

EDITORIAL

The power of partnerships

BY MAYOR LARRY TOOMER Contributor

Stormwater, pollution, economic development, and affordable housing transcend the boundaries of Bluffton. These issues impact not only our town but also our neighboring cities, towns, state, and country. This is why regional partnerships are crucial; they act as “force multipliers,” enabling us to address these challenges comprehensively. I want our residents to know how our neighboring cities, towns, Beaufort County, and various agencies are collaborating with the Town of Bluffton to tackle these issues that affect us all.

STONEY CREEK SEWER PROJECT:

The Stoney Creek Sewer Project is designed to enhance water quality in our region by reducing pollution in the May River. The “Stoney Creek” area is in unincorporated Beaufort County on May River Road and including the Stoney Crest Plantation Campground. This area currently lacks public sewer service, leading to runoff contaminants affecting the May River. In collaboration with Beaufort County and the Beaufort Jasper Water Sewer Authority, we are working to fund, construct, and connect sanitary sewer systems for the residents in this area. This project, which benefits both the residents and the May River, is funded by a $6 million grant from the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program and contributions from each agency.

BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BCEDC):

BCEDC serves as the economic development arm of Beaufort County Govern-

ment, offering incentives for companies to expand, locate, or relocate to our area. The Town of Bluffton partners with BCEDC to enhance our own economic development incentives, attracting businesses to Bluffton.

BUCKWALTER PLACE COMMERCE PARK:

The Town has designated approximately five acres of land near the Bluffton Police Department in Buckwalter Place for economic development. We are collaborating with a private developer to build 50,000 square feet of commercial space, with 14,000 square feet donated to the Town’s economic development department, The Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI). This space will be used to offer reduced commercial rates for start-up and growth businesses in the region. The SC Power Team, a coalition of 19 electric cooperatives, awarded the Town a $1 million grant for this project, and the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation contributed an additional $130,000. This initiative aims to attract

knowledge-based, clean businesses to Bluffton.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP/ AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

In late May, the Town of Bluffton and Workforce State of Mind, LLC broke ground on a 12-home affordable housing community at 1095 May River Road, a parcel purchased by the Town in 2018. We are also working with Beaufort County and Beaufort Memorial Hospital to provide more affordable housing on a parcel across from Buckwalter Place, where Beaufort Memorial will develop medical facilities alongside the housing. Additionally, the Town has a 10-acre parcel at 115 Bluffton Road, across from The Burnt Church Distillery, earmarked for another affordable housing project.

Town leaders and staff are grateful for these partnerships as we continue to work together, across agencies, to implement solutions in our region to continually improve and protect our quality of life.

Larry Toomer is the mayor of the Town of Bluffton. ltoomer@townofbluffton.com

Larry Toomer

BJWSA board approves infrastructure expenditure

BY CHANNING HEISS Contributor

The Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority board has approved more than $110 million in infrastructure investments as part of an effort to improve water quality and distribution in its 750 square mile service area.

According to an August news release, $107 million of the expenditure will go toward the expansion of the Cherry Point wastewater reclamation facility and is their largest-ever investment in a single project.

The BJWSA explains they are accelerating infrastructure investments to meet regulatory requirements, meet demands driven by growth, and replace aging infrastructure.

“BJWSA is committed to the provision of water and wastewater services to our current and future customers in the Lowcountry,” said BJWSA General Manager Verna Arnette. “That mission requires us to replace aging equipment, grow with our population, and adapt to new regulations.”

BJWSA Chief Communications Officer Jeff LaRue explains there are many often-intertwined challenges involved in building and maintaining the infrastructure to provide long term quality service. Among those are increased project costs due to increased demand from area growth, rising material costs, and ongoing supply chain issues. As an example of the issues facing these projects,

LaRue said they ended up on an 18month waiting list to obtain a generator when that process once typically took just four to six months.

According to the current BJWSA timeline, the Cherry Point project is expected to break ground in January of 2025 and be completed in April of 2027. Planned projects in addition to the expansion of the Cherry Point facility are: Replacing dilapidated undersized sewer lines along various streets in the City of Beaufort, budgeted at $1,055,640.

Hiring a consultant to design a flow equalization plan between the Cherry Point Water Reclamation Facility and the Hardeeville Water Reclamation Facility. This project will improve efficiency at the treatment plants and several pump stations, projected to cost $2,153,457.

Hiring a consultant to evaluate feasibility, design and conduct a pilot test for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other compounds collectively known as forever chemicals. This is an early step to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates announced this Spring. Investment for this stage of the project is $1,150,00 and is partially funded by grants.

The BJWSA engineering department has identified more than $590 million in needed projects.

Channing Heiss is a freelance writer and a member of the Beaufort County disAbilities Coalition.

The expansion of the Cherry Point facility is planned for completion in 2027

Career-building experiences cultivating leadership

LEGAL The holy grail of estate planning

BY MARK WINN Contributor

What is the Holy Grail of Estate Planning? I have been helping people with estate and asset protection planning in the Hilton Head and Bluffton area for over 20 years. In most cases, we use trusts (private agreements) to help our clients achieve their goal of avoiding probate (unnecessary court involvement, unnecessary fees to the County Treasurer, unnecessary excessive legal fees).

When assets are owned by you, as Trustee of your trust (private agreement), then if you become incapable of managing your affairs or when you pass on, you get to articulate who will be carrying out your directions, what they should do, whether or not they get paid, whether or not they have a duty to report to other family members. With a trust, the court does not need to actively supervise the trustee, and the assets do not go through probate. There is still accountability, and the court can become involved if a beneficiary feels as of the trustee is not acting properly. Avoiding probate is important, and most of my clients want to avoid probate, but the Holy Grail of Estate Planning is leaving assets to loved ones “in trust.”

When you and your spouse have passed on, you will likely want your

children to inherit in equal shares (which is typical). You should take advantage of the opportunity to leave your assets to your children in a trust that they control for their own benefit. So, you use a trust to make it so the assets do not go through probate. Then, you leave assets to loved ones pursuant to the terms of a trust that they control for their own benefit. They can be the trustee (legal owner) and initial beneficiary (beneficial owner), and they can have full use and access to the funds.

The benefits of doing this follow:

(1) Your child can be the trustee, and they can be the sole administrator of their trust. They can be entitled to all of the income and as much of the principal as they consider necessary or advisable for their accustomed manner of living.

(2) The assets will be protected from loss in divorce and will be protected from most lawsuits.

(3) The assets which remain when your child passes will go to your grandchildren (not the in-law).

(4) The assets will not be subject to exposure to federal estate tax in their estate.

A little bit of planning can accomplish many good things that will protect your property, keep it private, avoid family conflict and make sure it stays in your family.

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

Mark Winn

Encompass Health and American Heart Association to host stroke awareness event

The American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives, will host a stroke awareness event at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, alongside Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bluffton and of Savannah. The dropin style event will take place on Sunday, September 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Parish Life Center. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn all about stroke, including the F.A.S.T. signs (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, it’s Time to call 911), prevention education, and treatment options for those who have suffered a stroke.

STROKE AWARENESS EVENT

WHERE: Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church- Parish Life Center, 31 Saint Gregory Drive Bluffton, SC 29909

WHEN: Sept. 15 | 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Drop-in)

Bluffton community,” said Wayne Boutwell, CEO of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bluffton. He continued, “Our goal is to meet people where they are to educate them on prevention and awareness of stroke. We appreciate St. Gregory for their willingness to host the event.”

INFO: For more information about the event, contact Crsascga@heart.org . To learn more about the signs of stroke, visit www. stroke.org.

“We are excited to host this event for the

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S., despite stroke being largely preventable, treatable, and beatable. Even though some people are at a higher risk for stroke, anyone can have a stroke at any time. Recognizing the stroke warning signs and calling 911 immediately may make the difference between a strong recovery or longterm disability, survival or death.

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Life insurance with long-term care benefits

BY LUKE GAWRONSKI Contributor

If you are concerned about the high costs of longterm care but don’t want to purchase traditional longterm care (LTC) insurance, you might consider two strategies that combine permanent life insurance coverage with long-term care benefits.

Keep in mind that any payouts for covered LTC expenses reduce, and are usually limited to, the life insurance death benefit that would go to your heirs, and benefits can be much less than those of a traditional long-term care policy.

ACCELERATED DEATH BENEFITS (ADB) RIDER

An ADB rider attached to a permanent life insurance policy allows the insured to begin receiving benefits while he or she is still living, under specific circumstances.

In the past, ADB riders only paid when a policyholder was diagnosed with a terminal illness. However, more insurers now offer riders that start paying when a policyholder is diagnosed with a chronic illness, is permanently disabled or needs to enter a nursing home.

Although some policies may include an ADB rider at little or no cost, ADB riders are generally optional and will increase the premium.

HYBRID LIFE—LTC POLICY

This type of policy combines permanent life insurance and long-term care coverage. Many such policies require a substantial up-front premium, but buyers don’t have to worry about future rate increases or the issuer canceling the policy. For the same premium, a hybrid policy typically has a smaller death benefit than

a life policy with an ADB rider. However, the LTC coverage is more generous than an ADB rider.

Benefits under a hybrid policy typically begin when the policyholder needs help with two or more activities of daily living such as eating, bathing and dressing.

With an optional continuation-of-benefits rider, payouts for covered LTC expenses could continue for a specified period or your lifetime, even if they exceed the death benefit.

FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY

Another advantage of these strategies is that policyholders can tap into the cash value of the permanent life policy during retirement if money is needed for income or emergencies. Loans and withdrawals will reduce the policy’s cash value and death benefit.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

It would be wise to explore your LTC options while you are healthy. If you consider a life insurance policy with an ADB rider or a hybrid life-LTC policy, you should have a need for life insurance and evaluate the policy on its merits as life insurance.

The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health and the type and amount of insurance purchased. In addition to the life insurance premiums, other costs include mortality and expense charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may be surrender charges and income tax implications.

Any guarantees are contingent on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Riders are subject to the contractual terms, conditions and limitations outlined in the policy, and may not benefit all individuals.

Luke Gawronski is a wealth management advisor for Barnum Financial. CRN202701-6768047

Luke Gawronski

Friday night football returns to the Lowcountry

BY JUSTIN JARRETT Contributor

The glow of the Friday night lights once again emanates from stadiums around the Lowcountry, and if the start to the 2024 season is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride filled with competitive rivalries and star-studded performances.

The Bluffton Bobcats, May River Sharks and Hilton Head Seahawks all scored big wins in their season-openers, thickening the plot in what should be a highly-entertaining Region 6-4A race, while Hilton Head Christian Academy knocked off a Class 3A public-school foe on the road, the Hardeeville Hurricanes stormed back on the scene, and they celebrated after a football game in Sea Pines for the first time in 1,080 days.

And that was just Week 1.

Bluffton’s offense didn’t miss a beat in Aedan McCarthy’s debut as starting quarterback, as McCar-

thy completed 14 of 20 passes for 281 yards and six touchdowns and added 29 yards on five carries in a 57-0 rout of Whale Branch. Electric junior receiver Carnell Warren hauled in seven passes for 94 yards and took four of them to the end zone, while Nate Ulmer had four catches for 130 yards and a TD, and Roman Benjamin caught a TD pass.

Not to be outdone, May River put on a show across town, grinding it out on the ground and locking down on defense in a 34-13 win over Airport. Tanner Macy rushed for 76 yards and three TDs on 12 carries to lead a balanced May River rushing attack, with Asa Haskins adding 67 yards and a TD on nine carries, Andrew Johnson tacked on 57 yards and a TD on 12 totes, and Sean Mitchell collected 58 yards on 13 attempts.

The Seahawks pitched a 65-0 shutout at Stall to

FOOTBALL CONT. ON PAGE 16A

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open their season, as Thaddeus Czarnecki rushed for 88 yards and two TDs on just seven carries and Derrick Raniszewski was 11-of-14 for 87 yards with two TDs and an interception and added 54 yards and a TD on two rushes in his debut under center. Tyrone Hill and Jeremiah Walters added TD runs, and Carson Haines had five catches for 55 yards and two TDs, while Andrew Massey and Caleb Spangler led a shutout on defense and the Sea-

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hawks blocked two punts.

After being torched in a 63-33 loss to Porter-Gaud to open its SCISA 3A title defense, HHCA’s defense bounced back in a big way in a 17-7 win at Battery Creek. Reid McCollum rushed for 122 yards and 2 TDs to go along with 156 passing yards, and Ethan Foster and Colin Hetzel both made leaping interceptions near the goal

line to help preserve the lead.

The first varsity game for the Hardeeville Hurricanes since 2012 was a rousing success, as Louis Gadson scored three rushing touchdowns, Camari Brown scored on a run and a punt return, and Jamonte Roberts and Emiliano Santiago each added a TD run to lead the Hurricanes to a 48-6 win at Bethune-Bowman — their first in 12 years.

It wasn’t quite that long of a wait for Hilton Head Prep, but the relief was even greater in Sea Pines after Wyatt Butler took an interception back for a touchdown and the Dolphins’ defense held on for a 19-13 win over St. Andrew’s. Wyatt Harmer threw touchdown passes to Finnian Rooney and Brody Hausher to rally Hilton Head Prep from a 13-0 deficit and lead the Dolphins to their first win since 2021, snapping a 25-game skid in coach Doug McFadden’s second game at the helm.

It was a tough week for John Paul II and Cross Schools, as the Golden Warriors fell to 0-2 with a 54-25 loss to SCISA 4A power Laurence Manning, and the Stingrays were blanked 54-0 by defending SCISA 8-man champion Jefferson Davis Academy in their opener. But it was only Week 1.

Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and is the founder of Lowco Sports. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.

LOWCO HS FOOTBALL

FRIDAY, AUG. 16

Porter-Gaud 63, HHCA 33 Colleton Prep 16, John Paul II 6 Beaufort Academy 36, Hilton Head Prep 7

THURSDAY, AUG. 22

Hilton Head 65, Stall 0

Laurence Manning 54, John Paul II 25

FRIDAY, AUG. 23

May River 34, Airport 13 Bluffton 57, Whale Branch 0 HHCA 17, Battery Creek 7

Hardeeville 48, Bethune-Bowman 6

Hilton Head Prep 19, St. Andrew’s 13

Jefferson Davis 54, Cross Schools 0

FRIDAY, AUG. 30

James Island at Hilton Head, 7:30pm

May River at West Ashley, 7:30pm

Bluffton at Andrew Jackson, 7:30pm

John Paul II at Battery Creek, 7:30pm

Whale Branch at Hardeeville, 7:30pm

Bethesda Academy at HHCA, 7:30pm

The King’s Academy at Cross Schools, 7pm

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

Aiken at Hilton Head, 7:30pm

Lake City at May River, 7:30pm

Bluffton at Savannah Country Day, 7:30pm

Hardeeville at East Clarendon, 7:30pm

John Paul II at Bethesda Academy, 7pm

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Top cosmetic surgery procedures to consider this fall

BY DR. AUDREY KLENKE Contributor

As the seasons change, fall offers the perfect timing to undergo cosmetic surgery procedures with optimal recovery and results. Here are the top procedures to consider this season.

FACELIFTS AND NECK LIFTS

Reversing Summer Sun Damage:

The summer sun can accelerate aging, leading to fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. A facelift or neck lift can help restore a more youthful appearance by tightening the skin and reducing these signs of aging.

Comfortable Recovery: The cooler

weather in fall makes it easier to stay comfortable during recovery, as patients can avoid the heat and sun that might aggravate post-surgery swelling or irritation.

LIPOSUCTION

Refining Your Shape: After a summer of indulgence, many people consider liposuction to refine their body contours and eliminate stubborn fat deposits that didn’t respond to diet and exercise. Preparing for Holiday Events: Getting liposuction in the fall allows for full

recovery before the holiday season, ensuring you look your best at gatherings and parties.

BREAST AUGMENTATION OR REDUCTION

Perfect Timing for Recovery: The fall season provides ample time to recover from breast surgery, whether you’re considering augmentation or reduction, before the more active holiday season begins.

Enhanced Comfort: Post-surgery, patients often appreciate the cooler temperatures and the ability to wear loose, comfortable clothing during the healing process.

LASER SKIN TREATMENTS

Repairing Sun Damage: Treatments like laser resurfacing or chemical peels can address issues such as sunspots, un-

even skin tone, and fine lines caused by summer sun exposure. These procedures help rejuvenate the skin, providing a fresh start for the new season.

Less Sun, Better Results: The reduced sun exposure in fall lowers the risk of pigmentation changes after laser treatments, making it an optimal time for these procedures.

Fall’s milder conditions and lower UV exposure create the perfect window for these popular cosmetic enhancements, allowing you to step into the holiday season looking refreshed and confident.

Dr. Audrey A. Klenke, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon at Pinnacle Plastic Surgery and PURE Medical Spa in Bluffton, SC. For more information on cosmetic injectables and personalized treatment options, visit www.pinnacleplasticsurgery.com or contact info@PinnacleMD.com.

Dr. Audrey Klenke

REAL ESTATE Navigating new real estate laws and practices

BY CHIP COLLINS Contributor

On August 17, significant changes were introduced by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), impacting how real estate transactions are conducted. These new rules are designed to enhance transparency and fairness but require buyers, sellers and licensed real estate agents to adapt to new processes.

One of the updates affecting buyers is the requirement for a signed written agreement before a buyer can view a listed property with an agent. South Carolina has always required an upfront discussion regarding agency and compensation; however, the new rule creates a requirement for a written understanding to be established much further up in the buyer’s search process. This change ensures that buyers are fully informed about how their agent will be compensated and what sort of representation they will receive before they start viewing properties in person (or virtually via FaceTime, etc.). It also protects agents by establishing clear terms with their buyer customer/client from the outset.

Another significant shift involves how agent compensation is handled within the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Previously, the compensation that a seller offered to a buyer’s agent was visibly displayed and promoted within the MLS listings. This allowed all parties to see how much the buyer’s brokerage would earn from a transaction.

Under the new rules, this information will no longer be published online or

provided to the MLS.  This change is intended to promote more direct and transparent negotiations between agents and their clients.

Compensation discussions will now take place outside of the MLS, ensuring that buyers are fully aware of any compensation agreements and can make informed decisions. It also encourages more direct communication between buyer agents and listing agents, fostering stronger professional relationships and more dynamic negotiations. These new practices mean you’ll need to have more strategic conversations with your listing agent.  Determining what, if any, level of compensation to offer a buyer’s agent will require careful consideration and may involve more personalized negotiation strategies. These discussions and decisions will help establish the overall financial scenario of your transaction, allowing buyers and their agents to formulate their approach when it comes to considering interest and offers on your property. While new processes and rules such as this may take a little time to settle into the “new normal,” these particular changes are going to create opportunities to enhance the overall client experience.  The resulting “decoupling” of seller-side and buyer-side compensation structures is widening the array of agent-compensation options for both buyers and sellers.  With the proper guidance and preparation, buyers, sellers and agents can confidently navigate these changes, ensuring successful “win-win” transactions for everyone involved.

Chip Collins is the Broker-Owner of Collins Group Realty founded in 2002. Find Chip at chip@collinsgrouprealty. com or collinsgrouprealty.com

Chip Collins

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NATURE

Ornitherapy is a shortcut to health and happiness

BY ROSEMARY STAPLES Contributor

America’s night skies will soon be pluming with billions of birds leaving Canada to the Caribbean for fall migration. According to birdcast. info, 30 million birds have already crossed into South Carolina since August 1, a healthy start for this fall spectacle.

Guided by instinct, stars and the earth’s magnetic pull, huge flocks will stopover on Pinckney Island, Palmetto Bluff, Fish Haul Beach and other habitats, often landing on the same patch of dirt as the year before. These migrants will rest and refuel, and provide us with months of birding delight, straight through springtime. “Citizen scientists” will

be out with their well-trained binoculars, scopes and cameras, ready to identify and photograph the 200 or so additional species that migrate through the Lowcountry each year. If hauling high-tech gear around isn’t your style, there is a gentler, therapeutic form of birdwatching called “ornitherapy” that has captured attention. Also known as “Mindful Birding,” it is free, easy and accessible to all ages and abilities. The therapeutic technique uses birdwatching as a portal to nature to improve mental and physical well-being. Research shows that watching birds reduces stress and anxiety, and it boosts our immune system. Almost 2500 years ago, Hippocrates prescribed “nature as the best physician,” and now, modern science offers evidence to back the claim.

American oystercatcher. Note green tag on leg. This pair migrates between Wilmington NC and Cedar Key FL, every year, stopping over in Beaufort County. Monitored by American Oystercatcher Working Group

Rosemary Staples

ORNITHERAPY

FROM PAGE 22A

Author, birder and educator, Holly Merker wrote about the therapeutic values in Ornitherapy: for Mind, Body and Soul, released just as Covid-19 was ravaging the world. People who were isolated from family and colleagues began turning to birds for companionship, and they discovered birdwatching as a path to better health and a joyful pastime. Holly’s book is packed with meditations, writing exercises, birding tips and stunning photography. This month, Holly will visit Hilton Head to conduct a workshop, sponsored by HH Audubon.

The word “ornitherapy” was first coined in 1979 by Dr. A.F. Cox, who discovered that prescribing birdwatching for patients with depression was as effective as treatment with tranquilizers. A Scientific Reports study said watching birds also lowers blood pressure and improves cardiac health. Since birding requires concentration and focus, it sparks memory and cognitive skills, while listening to bird songsand our favorite tunes - raises dopamine

levels and our mood. Singer Carly Simon knew this intuitively, when she mused, “the sound of birds stops the noise in my mind.”

Mindful Birding can be practiced anywhere and anytime, indoors or out. Rather than counting species, participants simply observe birds’ behavior, relax and commune with nature. To notice birds rather than knowing their names is the goal - the naming skill will come with time. As for seasoned birdwatchers, giving the brain a break from intense field work can make for happier birders.

Regardless of the level, observing our avian friends migrating through the Lowcountry this fall will offer ample opportunities to practice Mindful Birding techniques. See you at the class September 30. Rosemary Staples is a board member of Hilton Head Audubon, long time Lowcountry resident, writer, speaker, storyteller and Master Naturalist.

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Unexpected tap water colors startling but harmless

BY CHANNING HEISS Contributor

While a strange array of colors occasionally coming out of our water faucets can be alarming and unpleasant, experts say there is no need to worry for our health.

According to information from the Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, there are many substances that account for the unappealing rainbow of colors, but treatment methods complying with scientific research and government standards keep the water safe for consumers under normal conditions.

When it comes to understanding what the color of our water means, there is one major misconception that tends to come up often. Jeff LaRue, Chief Communications Officer at the Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, says one of the most common concerns they hear is about what has come to be called “pink water” or “pink slime.” He explains that, while small amounts of iron can cause water to take on a reddish hue, that is completely separate from the so-called “pink water,” which does not originate in the water itself. The slimy pink substance is serratia marcescens, a common bacterium that thrives in the moisture of places such as bathrooms and particularly showers. While multiple sources reassure consumers that the bacteria are usually harmless to most

people, it has been reported to cause illness in some. LaRue says the best way to reduce the bacteria is to keep surfaces dry and treat them with common antibacterial cleansers.

When it comes to unexpected and unwelcome colors in the water supply, he explains it is a common issue all across the country, but that the colors and the substances responsible for them can vary from region to region.

Among the most common substances causing color changes in our local water are iron causing a reddish color, calcium and phosphate resulting in a beige hue, and particularly manganese, a substance that settles in pipes during low usage and can cause a brown or black discoloration. LaRue says efforts in recent weeks have reduced the discoloration significantly. While their capability is about 90 percent removal of discoloring substances, that level usually results in elimination of noticeable discoloration. Discoloration is measured on a scale from 0 to 500, with noticeable discoloration beginning at about 10. LaRue said water from their plant is usually below 5.

According to the BJWSA website, the planned infrastructure improvements include projects that will have a mitigating effect on incidents of discoloration. Channing Heiss is a freelance writer and a member of the Beaufort County disAbilities Coalition.

Lauren Remegi, MS, PA-C

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Sole focus: debunking neuropathy myths

BY DR. KENNETH HORUP Contributor

People believe false statements about neuropathy. Having treated hundreds of neuropathy patients, I have personally heard certain myths repeatedly. In this article, I will address the five most common myths I hear, as I feel it is important that our community knows the truth about neuropathy. My hope is this will help you feel more prepared about how to manage your health.

The first myth I will address is that neuropathy is caused by diabetes. Neuropathy can result from a wide range of causes, anywhere from cancer treatments and physical traumas to basic medications and genetics. There are hundreds of causes for neuropathy, and not

everyone gets it from diabetes. Roughly one in three patients with neuropathy have diabetes. There is a correlation between diabetes and neuropathy, but that does not always mean causation.

Secondly, I hear that neuropathy is only in old people. While neuropathy is more common in older adults, it can affect people of all ages. Conditions such as infections, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, various medications and even some genetic factors can lead to neuropathy in younger individuals.

Another myth that results in confusion is that neuropathy only causes pain, therefore, if I don’t have pain, I don’t have neuropathy. Neuropathy can cause a wide range of symptoms, not just pain. Possible symptoms include numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, muscle cramps and loss of coordination. As it progresses, a patient’s balance becomes significantly impaired, and a walker is needed to be mobile. In severe cases, people can no longer feel infections, leaving

them untreated and may need to get amputations. Pain or unusual sensations do not arise in every patient. Some patients feel no pain at all.

Myth three leads me right into myth four, that all symptoms are the same. There are approximately 45 miles of nerves in the average adult body. A person’s neuropathy symptoms can vary dramatically depending on which nerves are affected and to what degree. Some people experience only mild symptoms, while others may have severe and disabling pain. The pattern and intensity of symptoms can differ from person to person. Just as the above paragraph addresses, some people may not even have pain, simply a lack of balance. Everybody is unique, as is every set of symptoms.

The last myth, and the most disturbing, is that you can’t do anything about neuropathy. There are physicians that specialize in neuropathy relief and have had success with their treatments. Con-

sulting with one of these doctors sooner than later is crucial for results. Delay in treatment can lead to missed opportunities for effective management. If the disease is caught too late, the probability of reversal decreases significantly. Many neuropathy-specialized physicians have new, non-invasive technologies to help suffering patients. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed, consult with one of these doctors as they may be able to help you.

I know that the diagnosis of neuropathy can be intimidating, and there are many myths surrounding it. I thought the same things myself when my father was diagnosed 30 years ago. I hope that this gives you more insight and peace that you are not alone. Remember to consult a physician you trust if you are experiencing any symptoms and listen to your body, not the myths.

Dr. Kenneth Horup, DC is a Chiropractic Physician at Discover Specific Chiropractic.

Dr. Ken Horup

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LEGAL

the expert: My mom got her will on the internet. Is she really protected?

BY LISA HOSTETLER BROWN Contributor

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Expert advice:

There is a long list of things that can go wrong with online wills. Most of the time, you simply don’t know what you don’t know. You only know for sure whether your estate planning is any good after you die.

When Mom dies and her online will is submitted to the probate court, the first thing that the court and would-be beneficiaries will consider is whether the will is valid. A will that was created online will likely be scrutinized, especially by people who would prefer that the will be declared invalid. Even to the court, these online wills tend to look suspicious.

Mom’s online will might not have been executed correctly. If the will wasn’t signed by the right number of witnesses and a notary, then the will probably isn’t valid in the first place. The only way to know for sure whether an online will is valid is to litigate the issue before the probate court.

Once there are questions about the validity of the will, all the things that people can possibly fight about in a will contest situation are in play: duress, undue influence, lack of capacity and potentially the unauthorized practice of law.

Choosing the right witness is a big deal. The witnesses to the will are the persons who will be called on to testify

about whether Mom was somehow forced to sign the will or whether Mom had legal capacity to sign the will. Most people don’t consider having to track down these witnesses to testify about the validity of a will 20 years later. Mom’s online will might not actually dispose of all her property. If the will is missing a residuary clause, then the will probably doesn’t actually leave all of her property to anyone. The only way to get an answer on who should get the remaining property, without an agreement among all the people listed in the will and the people who would get Mom’s stuff if she died without a will, is to litigate the question in probate court. Working with the right attorney makes a big difference. A man with several life insurance policies totaling around $1 million brought me his will, which had been prepared by a general practice attorney. The will left the $1 million life insurance payouts to ten people, each of whom would get $100,000. I dug a little deeper and discovered that each life insurance policy had a beneficiary—and the beneficiaries named on the life insurance policies were not the people named in the will. This man’s bequests were doomed to fail.

My advice? Don’t get your will on the internet. Get it from an elder law attorney. Your family will thank you after you’re gone.

For educational purposes only. This is not legal advice. Lisa Hostetler Brown is a Certified Elder Law Attorney certified by the National Elder Law Foundation. 2 Hampton Hall, Bluffton, SC 29910 | 843757-5294 | HiltonHeadElderLaw.com

Lisa Hostetler Brown

And the heat goes on

BY OSWALD LIGHTSEY MIKELL, MD Contributor

The heat of summer is still going strong here in the Lowcountry, and with that comes the increased risk of sunburn. Those unplanned, extended outings when you didn’t use adequate protection, or the false confidence of a cloudy day can leave you unsuspectingly susceptible to a dangerous sunburn. And while many people may consider a suntan to be attractive, an actual sunburn and the peeling that follows is certainly not. In addition to which, sunburn contributes to long-term skin damage.

Q. I know the signs of a sun burn, redness and a burning feeling, but what are the more severe symptoms?

A. You may experience pain, swelling and occasional blistering. Because exposure often affects a large area of your skin, sunburn can also cause headache, fever and fatigue.

Q. What can I do to relieve the symptoms?

A. Take a cool bath or shower. Adding 1/2 cup of cornstarch, oatmeal or baking soda to your bath water can soothe the burn. Also, applying aloe vera lotion several times a day will help provide some relief. If needed, take an over-thecounter pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol. Do not give children or teenagers aspirin. It may cause Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

Q. How do I know if need to see a doctor?

layer of damaged skin. Depending on the severity, it may take several days or more for the sunburn to heal.

Q. What should I do if I begin to blister?

A. First of all, leave blisters intact to speed healing and avoid infection. If they burst on their own, apply an antibacterial ointment on the open areas. If the blisters are severe, not healing properly, or if you experience immediate complications, such as rash, itching or fever, see a doctor.

Q. How do I know if I have an infection?

A. You may experience increasing pain, tenderness, and swelling, yellow drainage (pus) from an open blister, or red streaks, leading away from the open blister, which may extend in a line upward along the arm or leg.

A. If blistering and covers a large portion of your body, if you’re running a high fever, have extreme pain, confusion, nausea, chills, or if you don’t respond to home care within a few days, call a physician.

Q. How long does sunburn last?

A. Within a few days, your body will start to heal itself by “peeling” the top

You can help to prevent sunburn and consequently skin damage by always protecting your skin before you go outdoors, even if you don’t plan to be in the direct sunlight. Always apply sunscreen and make sure you apply correctly and frequently. If you already have sun damage, there are options for repair and restoration. Call Dermatology Associates of the Lowcountry and schedule a consult appointment. 843) 689-5259 on Hilton Head or 843-705-0840 in Bluffton/ Okatie.

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

Oswald Mikell

Bluffton Real Estate Market Update: September 2024

BY DAN PRUD’HOMME Contributor

The Bluffton real estate market continues to demonstrate remarkable stability as we move into early September 2024. While the region’s charm and desirability are wellknown, it’s the numbers that tell the true story of the market’s current condition.

Over the past month, Bluffton has remained a strong seller’s market. The inventory of available homes, though increasing, is still historically low when compared to pre-pandemic levels. As of this month, there are 815 homes for sale in Bluffton, reflecting a 25% increase from

the 651 homes available at this time last year. However, this number is down from the annual peak of 899 homes in April and remains 23% lower than where inventory stood five years ago. This illustrates that while there’s been some growth in the number of homes available, the market remains tight.

The time it takes to sell a home has also seen a slight increase. Currently, homes are averaging 54 days on the market, compared to 46 days this time last year and 43 days just last month. This uptick in days on the market may indicate a slight cooling in the speed of transactions, but the market remains competitive for sellers. Bluffton has witnessed 1,319 closed sales so far this year, marking a 15.7% increase from the 1,140 closed sales recorded by this time last year. This uptick in sales volume has contributed to maintaining just over four months of inventory, a

clear signal that the market is still favoring sellers.

The median sales price in Bluffton has risen to $589,000, up 5.8% from $556,400 at this time last year. This steady increase in home values reflects ongoing demand in the area, even as the broader economic landscape faces uncertainties.

In recent months, despite political, economic, and international turmoil, the Bluffton real estate market has shown re-

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silience. The slight easing of 10-year treasury rates and a narrowing spread have contributed to more favorable interest rates, further bolstering the market’s stability. While the market fundamentals look strong, it’s important to stay vigilant, as conditions can shift rapidly.

In summary, Bluffton’s real estate market remains robust, with low inventory, strong demand, and rising prices, continuing to offer excellent opportunities for sellers. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to monitor the market’s progress.

Talk soon, Bluffton!

Dan Prud’homme is the Visionary & Success Coach of The Prudhomme Team at William Raveis Real Estate. dan@danprudhomme.com, www. theprudhommeteam.com

Dan Prud’homme

Remodel your vacation home this fall

BY RYAN CHOWANSKY Contributor

Labor Day is here, and that means the busy summer season on Hilton Head Island is coming to an end. With fewer visitors around, this is the perfect time for homeowners to think about making some changes or improvements to their homes. Whether you live here year-round, own a vacation home or rent out your property, now is a great time to focus on remodeling projects that you might have put off during the busy months.

1. Check for Wear and Tear

After a long summer of guests and visitors, your home might show some signs of wear and tear. High-traffic areas like the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor spaces may have taken a beating. Now is a good time to check for any damage or worn areas things that need fixing or replacement. For example, look for chipped paint, beat up cabinets, worn-out floors or old fixtures that could use an update.

2. Outstanding Outdoor Spaces

With summer winding down, it’s easier to focus on outdoor projects. The cooler weather in the fall and winter makes it a great time to work on your yard without the rush of the rental season or losing money from renters due to down time. Think about adding a new deck or repairing your old one, building an outdoor kitchen or sprucing up your landscaping. If you have a pool, now is a good time to do any needed maintenance or even consider adding something new like a hot tub or pool heater for the cool months ahead. Improving your outdoor spaces not only makes your home more enjoyable but also makes it more attractive in a competitive market like ours to future renters or guests.

3. Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

Now that the rental season is over, you might want to think about making your home more energy-efficient. Hilton Head’s hot humid climate means air conditioning can be expensive, so it’s smart to look for ways to save energy. You could upgrade to energy-efficient windows and doors, add better insulation or install a smart thermostat.  These changes can lower your energy bills and make your home more appealing to renters who care about the environment.

4. Offseason Advantages

Doing remodeling work during the offseason has its perks. Contractors usually have less remodel work due to the holiday season, which means your projects could get more attention, getting it done faster. Plus, by finishing projects now, your vacation home will be in top shape when the next rental season starts. This way, you won’t have to worry about losing rental income because of ongoing construction.

5. Getting Ready for Next Season

As you work on your home, think about what will make it more appealing next year and more competitive in the market. Modern kitchens, updated bathrooms and comfy outdoor spaces are always popular with renters. Think with your listing photos in mind. What will be your “Wow!” selling point photos? By improving your home now, you’ll be ready to attract more guests and possibly charge higher rental rates when the season picks up again.

So, while we finally cool off in our post Labor Day weather and all of its glory, remember it’s also the start of a great season to focus on your vacation home. With the busy season behind you, you can take care of any needed repairs, make upgrades and get your home ready for next season.

Ryan Chowansky is the owner of Bluffton Builders, LLC

Ryan Chowansky

Bromelain: a natural alternative antiinflammatory for enhanced post-operative recovery

BY MATHEW T. EPPS, MD Contributor

Bromelain, an enzyme extract derived from pineapples, has gained attention for its potential benefits in reducing post-operative edema and enhancing wound healing. This natural compound offers a promising alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are commonly used to manage post-surgical inflammation but carry risks such as increased bleeding and gastrointestinal issues.

Bromelain has been shown to effectively reduce swelling, bruising and pain following surgery. It works by enhancing the absorption of edema into the bloodstream and possesses anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and fibrinolytic properties. These effects are primarily mediated through the reduction of plasma fibrinogen levels and bradykinin, a peptide that contributes to pain and swelling.

Studies have demonstrated its efficacy in various surgical contexts, including dental and facial surgeries, where it

has been associated with improved recovery outcomes and patient satisfaction.

NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are widely used for their ability to inhibit the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, thereby reducing the production of prostaglandins that cause inflammation and pain. However, their use is often limited by side effects, including gastrointestinal irritation and an increased risk of bleeding, particularly in surgical patients.

Bromelain does not inhibit COX enzymes and thus does not carry the same bleeding risks. This makes it a safer option for patients who are at risk of bleeding complications. Moreover, bromelain’s ability to reduce the need for additional pain medication highlights its potential as a complementary therapy in post-operative care.

Bromelain is available in various forms, including tablets and capsules, and can be purchased from several brands. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen as Bromelain can interfere with other medications.

Mathew T. Epps MD, MS, DABS is a triple-fellowship trained aesthetic plastic surgeon specializing in facial, eyelid and breast surgery. Visit mathewepps.com or contact info@dreppsmd.com

Dr. Mathew T. Epps

How to manage tooth pain at home until you can see the dentist

BY MATTHEW MASTROROCCO, DMD Contributor

Even mild tooth pain can be difficult to handle, but severe pain can be debilitating, making it nearly impossible to go about your daily life. My patients know that my team and I are just a phone call away, but if we can’t see them right away, we can often reassure them over the phone, guiding them toward relief until they can get into our office to see us. Here are some common causes and symptoms of toothache and what we usually recommend to our patients during those phone calls.

CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS

Tooth pain can take many forms. For some people, it is a dull, constant ache. For others, it may appear in short, stabbing bursts that come and go. Identifying the cause, to the best of your ability, will make it much easier to treat effectively. Some of the most common include:

• a cavity or tooth decay

• gum disease

• a broken or chipped tooth

• an abscess

• material stuck between teeth

• trauma to the tooth

• impacted wisdom teeth

• and, though less common, oral cancer can cause significant tooth and jaw pain, along with swelling, sores, difficulty chewing, bleeding and numbness. The first thing you should do when you’re experiencing tooth pain is to make

an appointment with your dentist. While there are many measures you can take at home to manage the pain, these are all temporary. They’re intended to get you through until you can visit your dentist, who can diagnose the cause of the issue and offer a more permanent solution.  While you’re waiting for your appointment, here are a few steps you can take to help soothe the pain.

CLEAN YOUR TEETH

In many cases, maintaining a consistent teeth cleaning routine can provide some relief from tooth pain. If the pain is caused by tooth decay, cavities or worn tooth enamel, cleaning is also important because it can slow down decay and prevent pain from getting worse. If your teeth are extremely sensitive, or if brushing and flossing make the pain worse, do your best to clean the rest of

your teeth while being extra gentle on the affected area. Gentle flossing can help relieve tooth pain caused by plaque or other matter stuck between teeth.

WARM SALTWATER RINSE

Rinsing your mouth with saltwater is one of the oldest home remedies for a toothache, but also one of the most effective. A daily saltwater rinse can kill bacteria, reduce swelling, loosen debris between teeth and speed up the healing process.

Mix one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out. Warm water is best because it helps loosen debris better, and the warm temperature is usually more soothing and comfortable on sensitive teeth than cold water.

Matthew Mostrorocco

PAIN

FROM PAGE 31A

AVOID AFFECTING FOODS

Certain foods or beverages may exacerbate tooth pain and are best avoided. Chewy, gummy and sticky foods often cause additional pain by pulling on your teeth while you chew. Sugary or acidic drinks and foods are often irritating, so it’s best to avoid soda, orange juice and coffee. Temperature sensitivity is also common, so avoid piping hot drinks or frozen treats.

APPLY A COLD (OR HOT) COMPRESS

Either a cold or hot compress can help relieve toothache symptoms. The best one depends on what type of tooth pain you are experiencing and its cause, but cold is more effective in most cases.

An ice pack can reduce inflammation and help numb the area and offers better relief for sharp, intense pain caused by an injury or a severe cavity. The cold constricts blood vessels and reduces nerve activity, temporarily lessening the pain’s

severity.

A hot compress may help if you are experiencing dull pain or a continuous ache. The warming effect increases blood flow, which reduces jaw and muscle tension; however, it can make inflammation worse, so talk to your dentist before applying it. In some cases, it can worsen a toothache.

TRY NATURAL REMEDIES

A variety of herbs, oils and other remedies can have a soothing effect on a toothache. Clove oil, peppermint, turmeric and apple cider vinegar all have inflammation-reducing properties, although they are unlikely to provide complete relief.

OVER-THE-COUNTER OPTIONS

A wide variety of over-the-counter medications can be helpful. Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are effective, widely available, and safe when you take in accordance with their directions. Stronger pain relievers may be an option but talk to your dentist

first.

Over-the-counter oral anesthetics may also help manage tooth pain, but talk to your dentist because products containing the numbing agent Benzocaine are not as widely recommended due to links to a blood disorder called methemoglobin emia.

If you are at your wit’s end and can’t get a hold of your dentist, you can go to the emergency room, where they can provide antibiotics if there is an infection. In many cases, tooth decay and cavities don’t become painful until they are already serious. So, seek treat ment as soon as you start to feel tooth pain. No matter the level of pain you’re experiencing, the best thing you can do is make an appointment with your den tist. Only your dentist can di agnose the underlying issue causing your tooth pain, and they will work with you to find the best

treatment.

Matthew Mastrorocco, DMD is the owner and founder of

Bluffton Sun/Hilton Head

Sun City Resident Chris Scott pictured outside his garage where his recycling efforts take place and where all the tennis balls and other recyclables collected are sorted and sent off for recycling.

Sun City resident

Chris Scott champions recycling

BY JOE TURINO Contributor

Ever consider how long it takes for recyclable materials to decompose if not recycled? Well, it takes up to 450 years for a plastic soda or water bottle to decompose in a landfill, tennis balls 400 years, aluminum cans up to 250 years, and glass bottles can take up to a million years. Think about this: all of them can be recycled, saving them from the landfill and putting the materials to beneficial use in new products.

There is one resident in Sun City Hilton Head who has put serious thought into recycling for years, and

his name is Chris Scott. He and his wife, Linda, and son, Rodney, share a strong passion that has become a mission to recycle not only tennis balls, but also plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass bottles and even pickleballs. All of these materials are recyclable.

It all started about 4 years ago when Scott, who moved to Sun City 12 years ago and has previously served as president and vice president of the Sun City Tennis Association, felt it was time to bring his commitment of recy-

Mathew Epps MD, MS, DABS Jane Epps RN, BSN

JOE TURINO

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RECYCLING

FROM PAGE 33A

cling to his home community, starting with tennis balls. But later, other things wound up in the tennis ball recycle bins at the courts, so he added recycling aluminum cans, plastic soda or water bottles, and even tennis canisters and their plastic tops. On the tennis ball plastic canisters, he puts in extra effort, separating the aluminum at the opening and the colored lids for recycling, in addition to the clear plastic.

Scott and his son collect tennis balls 7 days a week at Sun City’s courtside recycle containers that are brought back and sorted in his garage where most are packaged and sent off for recycling in West Virginia. He repressurizes a small percentage of those tennis balls collected when the fuzzy texture or nap appears near new and the balls are still intact with his self-purchased equipment in his garage. Scott says those balls are put into the South Side practice ball machine every Tuesday morning for players to use and the previous week’s balls are sent out for recycling. Tennis balls alone that are trashed in US landfills amount to 125 million, or 20,000 tons, of non-decomposable waste. When recycled, tennis balls, often referred to as “green gold,” provide 100% natural rubber to create new products.

Scott’s initiative is not a business or company but rather a concentrated recycling effort he and his family have made part of a life mission. It is important to note all his efforts are without personal financial gain. He said, “All costs associated with recycling are funded by my wife and myself, no outside funds or grants.”

Scott feels, “It is a moral responsibility that we as citizens of this community owe it not only to ourselves but to future generations. And any money we receive from doing this are donated to the No-Kill Animal Charity in Jasper County, known as the Jasper Animal Rescue Mission (JARM).” JARM is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing shelter, care, and medical treatment for lost, abused, neglected and abandoned animals in Jasper County.

His commitment to recycling did not only begin four years ago in Sun City. Scott and his wife are from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he served on the Board of Supervisors, and both were instrumental in setting up a recycling program in West Hanover Township. They would attend recycling initiative events, including fundraisers for recycling. He added, “We would walk along the major highways, including Route 39 which goes over to Hershey Park, and pick up plastic bottles and aluminum cans just to show people that we were willing to make the effort to promote recycling. It would help not only our community but help future generations.”

Scott loves all who are committed to recycling, and he was eager to recognize the staff at Al’s Pub, the casual outdoor dining venue in Sun City near the Lakehouse on Sgt. William Jasper Boulevard, saying the staff there is totally dedicated to recycling. Scott says Al’s Pub is “99% Eco friendly,” collecting plastic bottles, aluminum cans and even glass, adding he collects seven large recycle containers there every two weeks. Scott’s efforts extend beyond Sun City. Scott travels and collects tennis balls from communities including Rose Hill, Hampton Hall, Hampton Lakes, Callawassie, the Haven, Palmetto Dunes and Palmetto Bluff.

Scott keeps statistics on his progress. For example, so far, he has collected more than 85,000 tennis balls. Tennis balls are packed twenty-four plastic canisters of three balls each per case. Scott says, “If those boxes were stacked on top of one another, they would be as tall as the Empire State Building.”

Another statistic he shared is that approximately one million plastic water bottles alone are used every minute around the world, translating to around 1.44 billion plastic water bottles each day. Scott’s recycling commitment efforts are truly inspiring and a motivation for making recycling a priority for everyone who cares about future generations.

Small town support when bad luck strikes

BY GLENDA HARRIS Contributor

It’s not likely you would find a generous response like this in a big city. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Bluffton and Hilton Head Island attract a lot of folks from some of those cities. Whatever the case, the Lowcountry is a special place to live and work. This story is a perfect case in point.

Melesio Reyes Lucas lives with his family on Hilton Head Island and works at Fiesta Fresh at the Port Royal Shopping Plaza. On July 18, , a fair and calm day in the Lowcountry, a large tree fell onto Lucas’ vehicle, causing extensive damage. The car was totaled, and two other cars nearby were slightly damaged.

Lucas did not carry full auto insurance, as the car was an older model. Seriously, who would ever even imagine a huge tree

falling onto your car and totaling it? Bad luck can be totally random, and it doesn’t care.

The folks at the Bridge Club, located next door to Fiesta Fresh, however, did care. Upon hearing about the unfortunate event, club members came together quickly and raised $2800 to help Lucas. In a gesture of generosity, the owner of Fiesta Fresh committed to matching any funds raised.

Just a few short weeks later, a check for $5650 was presented by the Bridge Club’s manager, Sandy Ritchey, to Lucas, who accepted with humble gratitude to all who contributed.

It’s like a breath of fresh air to hear stories like this, knowing that we live in a place where people care about each other and step up to help when they can. If only this level of compassion and generosity was highly contagious. Maybe it is.

A former Bluffton resident, Glenda finds stories everywhere and writes about nature, travel, healthy living and books.

Glenda Harris

Nick & Janet Fontano, Leah Melton, Barbara Carter — Mary Margaret Verdon, Robyn Deery, Kathy Corey, Nicol Rupolo, Susan Dolittle, Eloise Mason, Marajeane Zodtner, Cathy Thompson — Mary Ann Bromley, Barry Beitman, Vinnie Ferullo, Yvonne Patton, Paulette Kirkwood.

The story of liposuction

BY DR. RONALD FINGER Contributor

WHEN AND WHERE WAS IT BEGUN?

Although there were efforts toward removing fat in the early 1900s, the modern liposuction techniques that we base our liposuction upon was started by Dr. Illouz from France in the early ‘80s. I read my first article on liposuction in 1982 and purchased my first cannulas from a company in Germany. For the suction device, we used standard “wall suction.” My first case was liposuction of the outer thighs, often called “riding breeches.” The case was very successful. Prior to liposuction, the fat had to be excised with overlying skin, leaving a long scar. Liposuction was a monumental advancement in fat removal with minimal scarring.

HOW HAS IT IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS?

One of the biggest advancements has been in the anesthesia, called tumescent anesthesia. This allows removal of much more fat and with minimal blood loss and discomfort. Improvement has also been in the size and design of the cannulas, which are much smaller in diameter and with multiple designs in the holes. These are energy-based liposuction cannulas, such as lasers and ultrasound, which in my opinion have added more complication risks without benefit. The Tickle liposuction or Micro-Aire cannulas enable the plastic surgeon to perform the procedure with less effort and fatigue and appear to make refinement of the results easier to achieve. Post-operative dressings have been improved as well, leading to better results.

WHAT AREAS CAN BE LIPOSUCTIONED?

Neck, arms, breasts, back, waist,

“love-handles,” “muffin-tops,” abdomen, thighs, ankles, and anywhere there is excess fat.

IS LIPOSUCTION SAFE?

Like every procedure, technique, experience and skill are at the top of the list for safety and a smooth, shapely result. In the hands of a true professional, it is among the safest of all procedures.

LIMITATIONS OF LIPSUCTION?

It is important to understand that liposuction removes only fat. Liposuction can tighten skin only slightly, providing the patient has skin without stretch marks or excess sun damage. For more skin tightening, technology such as Renuvion, VirtueRF, etc. can be used. These instruments tighten the skin with radiofrequency heat, creating renewed collagen and elastin, which tightens the skin. One treatment is required to be performed simultaneously with liposuction. The alternative procedure for loose skin is surgical excision, as in a mini or full tummy tuck.

CAN FAT THAT IS REMOVED GROW BACK?

When a person gains weight, fat cells increase in size rather than growing more fat cells. So, if one does not watch their diet by eating healthily and controlling portions and doing some form of exercise, they can enlarge in all areas, including those that have been liposuctioned. However, there seems to be less tendency to gain weight in the liposuctioned areas.

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

Dr. Ronald Finger

Spillin’ the Tea... Tales from the Lowcountry

This story is from a collection of interviews from long time locals who have generously shared their lowcountry memories with me to be saved for historical purposes and future generations

Folly Field shenanigans

BY PAUL TOLLEFSON Contributor

If you can picture Hilton Head Island is the early 70s, you can imagine what a drastic change it is from the island of today. If you can imagine the Folly Field beach neighborhood in the 70s, we are talking about an idyllic, magical place with old Jim Walter homes built on stilts, and the parties seemed to run nonstop. It was a friendly place where you could knock on anyone’s door for a coke and a cookie kind of place.

Folly Field Road was still a mix of dirt and oyster shell at that time. This was before the days of plantations and neighborhoods at every turn. Folly Field was a mixture of young families and college kids in the summer. A place where six or seven of your friends could still rent a beach house for a couple hundred bucks. Working the night shifts at restaurants kept a steady supply of cash in your pockets.

Wally Palmer was about five years old when this story takes place. But as most of us that grew up in beach towns, we seemed to know everyone, and summers were spent on the beach, up and down that sandy path multiple times a day. A path that you knew every step of, where if you ventured a foot or two too far to the left or right, your screams of sand spurs in your feet could be heard into the next county. Although not old enough to go into the ocean unattended, Wally and friends still had a great time frolicking in

the tidal pools of the outgoing tide.

One night, young Wally was in bed, tucked in by his parents, dozing off soon after. Although he wasn’t quite sure of the time, Wally awakes to the need of something. Maybe hunger, maybe a bathroom break. He ventures out of his room looking for his parents, but they are nowhere to be found. As he checks each room, he realizes he’s alone in the house.

As young Wally goes outside to see if his parents are perhaps hanging out with the neighbors, he hears what appears to be ‘hootin and ‘hollerin coming from the beach. He even believes that he can hear the faint shrieks from his mother as if they are playing games down on the beach.

Guided by the faint light of the moon, Wally heads down to the beach, careful not to step in the pure evil sand spur nests. As he gets to the soft warm sand of the spring beach, he can begin to make out faces and voices. He hears the Gray brothers, Glen Gray, architect, and the brains of the family along with the brawn of the family, Bobby and Cliff, also known as “Mountain” Gray. He can also hear the distinct voice of Howard Farmer, long time weatherman who also happened to live across the street.

As a young Wally creeps closer to the ruckus, he stops dead in his tracks. There in front of his five-year-old eyes was what seemed like the entire Folly Field neighborhood, wearing nothing but what the

good lord had graced them with.

“Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm” was all that Wally could muster out of his young lips. As if the party goers had seen a ghost, silence fell over the group. Silence quickly turned to hysterical laughing from everyone, except, of course, Wallys’ mom! She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and scurried him back to bed.

“That night was never talked about again until many years later,” Wally says to me. He can remember finally asking his dad as a teenager what was going on down there that night.

“You see son, every Spring the ‘hood would get together to ‘officially’ open the beach for the season, sort of like a blessing of the beach,” his dad said.

Trying desperately to get the visual out of his mind, Wally simply “ok’d” his father’s answer. He remembers the awkward silence after as he tried to think of something else to talk about.

Minutes seemed to go by as Wally tried to push the sight of nakedness in the moonlight out of his teenage mind. But, in true dad fashion, Wally Sr., had to get the final say.

“And son, of course, we had to ‘close the beach’ at the end of the season,” he said.

Paul Tollefson is the Director of Tennis at Hampton Hall Club. He is a 20+ year resident of Hilton Head and Bluffton and enjoys researching and writing about the people, places, and things that have made the area what it is today. Paul is the co-creator of the Facebook page Bluffton Then and Now. He enjoys giving Bluffton history presentations to communities and in local schools and is on the board of the Historic Bluffton Foundation.

Paul Tollefson

BY LINDSAY PERRY Contributor

When we first met Phantom, the mere sight of him was enough to make you cringe. With a gaping wound spanning his entire left eye and much of his forehead, we knew we needed to act fast. The Palmetto Animal League veterinary team was hosting a free vaccine clinic at the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office when Phantom’s caretakers brought him in with a severe eye infection.

“Phantom had wandered up into their yard as a friendly stray,” says PAL President Amy Campanini. “They had the resources to feed him and give him shelter, but they could not afford vet care.”

Our staff asked Phantom’s caretakers to bring him to PAL immediately for urgent veterinary attention.

“He had been suffering for a very long time with a wound that had turned into an

Live. Sleep. Be Well. PETS

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

infection,” explains Campanini. “We did not know if the eye could be saved. We highly doubted it.”

Phantom’s caretakers wanted the best for him, so they let PAL take over custody and care of the ailing cat. PAL veterinarians got straight to work treating his eye, and the outcome has been better than we ever imagined.

“His wound has been healing very nicely, and as healing continues, we think he may be able to keep his eye,” says Campanini.

Phantom was no stranger to hard times, and he wasn’t about to let this wound get the better of him.

“Phantom’s 2 ½ year old body has seen a lot of hardship so early in life,” says Campanini. “He has used his time at PAL wisely, sleeping, eating, healing, and just hanging out.”

Phantom enjoys free reign of the PAL Adoption Center and gets along with the

“If anyone is interested in adopting this handsome guy, PAL will provide full support for the medical care of Phantom’s eye,” said Campanini.

Phantom caught us by surprise when he showed up at our free vaccine clinic in desperate need of urgent veterinary care, and we hope he will surprise us once again with a full recovery.

“At PAL, we see access to high quality, affordable veterinary care as a vital part of our lifesaving mission,” says Campanini. “We’re glad we were in the right place at the right time to save Phantom from his suffering, so he can go on to live a full and happy life.”

Once you look past his marred exterior, you will find that Phantom is a very happy, affectionate cat. He is living proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Based on a SleepScore™ lab study, analyzing over 700 nights of sleep, the study revealed that Flexsteel® Zecliner™ signi cantly improved an individual’s perception of their sleep, enhancing their comfort during the night, and helping them feel more well-rested in the morning.

other cats. As for Phantom’s eye, only time will tell. One thing we do know is that pets heal better in the comfort of a real home.

Lindsay Perry is the Marketing Coordinator for Palmetto Animal League. www.PalmettoAnimalLeague.org

PALMETTO ANIMAL LEAGUE

Phantom enjoying free reign of the PAL Adoption Center as he heals and waits for a home

Top mistakes you are making with your photos

BY RHODA GORDON Contributor

Did you know September is Save Your Photos Month? Save Your Photos Month (SYPM) began after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Northeast, wildfires swept across the Northwest, and California faced mudslides, not to mention the usual hurricane season here in the South. Many families who suffered these disasters were heartbroken about losing their precious photos and memorabilia. The goal of Save Your Photos Month is to encourage families to organize, preserve, share and celebrate their photo and video memories.

In honor of Save Your Photos Month, I am dedicating this article and next month’s to protecting your photos by describing the top ten mistakes you are making with your collection, and how to rem edy them. We all make mistakes. It’s part of life and learning. But, in my line of work as a photo manager, I have come across a set of

very common mistakes we are all making which are harming our precious images. Many of my new clients call me in an emergency situation because they can’t find their photos or fear they have been destroyed. There are things you can do now to protect your memories. This month will be mistakes 10-6 and be sure to read next month’s article that will focus on mistakes 5-1.

Mistake #10: Not preserving the story behind the photo. Documenting the story behind a photograph adds depth and meaning to the image, transforming it from just a picture into a narrative to save for generations. Of course, not every picture fits in this category, but each family has a number of them, and it is important to document. This not only enhances the value of the photograph but also helps to keep family histories, traditions and memories alive, allowing them to be passed down and cherished by future generations.

Monday, October 2, 2023 10:00 a.m.

Buckwalter Recreation Center 905 Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton

Delinquent Taxpayers

To avoid the auction of your property, all delinquent taxes must be paid before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023

7, 2024 Friday, October 4, 2024

Delinquent tax payments will not be accepted the day of the tax sale.

Interested Bi dd ers

Al l bidders must pre-register online at BeaufortCountyTreasurer.com before 12:00 p.m., Friday, September 29, 2023. A complete list of delinquent properties is available online at BeaufortCountyTreasurer.com

$50.00 12:00 p.m., Friday, October 4, 2024.

The $30.00 registration fee includes a listing of all properties to be sold, distributed the morning of the sale.

Bidder sign-in begins at 8:00 a.m. the day of the sale and all bidders must be signed in no later than 9:30 a.m.

For spectators and community members, the Delinquent Tax Sale will be broadcast virtually via YouTube.

Rhoda Gordon

PHOTOS CONT. ON PAGE 40A

PHOTOS

FROM PAGE 39A

Mistake #9: Storing your photos incorrectly. Your photos should live where you live, in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. If not, your photos are at risk for mold, decay and disintegration, and at the least curling and fading. Get those photos out of the garage, attic, crawl space and storage facility and store them in the house where they will be safe, preferably on a high shelf.

Mistake #8: Not having a digital hub. If you think about it, our digital photo life did not start with the phone camera. It started somewhere around 2004 with the digital camera, where photos were stored on a memory card. You most likely have memories strewn about your house on memory cards, flash drives, CDs, old phones and old computers to name a few. Transfer all of these onto one designated hub, perhaps an external hard drive or your computer. That way they are all in one place so you can protect them.

Mistake #7: No clear backup strategy. Once you have all your digital memories in one place, they need to be backed up. Your digital data is more at risk than your physical media. Not only is it at risk for a natural disaster, but also viruses, computer failures, power surges and the like. Create a backup plan that employs the 3-2-1 strategy. Three copies of your data, on two different mediums and one stored on site.

Mistake #6: Not transferring to your hub consistent-

ly. Once you have set up your hub, it is important to consistently add your latest photos to it, whether it is from your camera or your phone. In order for the hub and back up strategy to be effective, the hub has to be up to date. Pick a day each month that you will do photo maintenance and include photo transfer to your hub as one of your tasks.

All of the above are important steps you can take to protect your story and leave a legacy. Even employing one of the steps above will bring you closer to an organized collection so that you can find the photos you are looking for. If you would like help with any of these or have questions, please reach out. I am passionate about helping people save and share their memory collections.

Rhoda Gordon is a local certified photo manager, owner of Sunflower Photo Solutions and creator of DIG YOUR PHOTOS!, the only complete photo organizing kit on the market. Rhoda has been helping families and businesses organize and back up their print and digital collection for almost a decade. See more tips, tricks and how-tos on her YouTube channel: youtube.com/@digyourphotos and check out sunflower

photosolutions.com and digyourphotos.com for guidance and support with your media collection.

SHOP T O SAV E HO MELE S S P ET S!

Trust and oneness with God

BY REV. THERESE DONLAN LEE Contributor

As a questioning, seeking teenager back in the ‘70s, the words of my patron saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, inspired me, and they continue to motivate me today as an Ordained Unity Minister. St. Therese shared, “The knowledge that it is impossible to do anything by myself greatly simplifies my task, confident that the rest will be given me. The one aim of my interior life is to unite myself more and more closely with God. “

I am not sure as a teenager I could have identified why these words had such a big impact on me, and today, I know they continue to inspire me because I use them as a daily affirmation to recognize my Oneness, to deepen my trust and to have a closer walk with God. In Unity we say, “God Is. I Am. We Are.” Knowing that God Is, always and in all ways, where I am and where each of you is, is to realize there is no separateness.

Great comfort can be found in this knowing as it allows for us to trust that we are, you and I, all of us, one with God. In Unity we see Jesus as our way shower and the great example rather than the great exception. We study and follow how Jesus lived his life and the words he spoke. The writers of the Bible tell us in John 10:30, that Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” And, in Matthew 19:26, he said, “With God all things are possi-

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ble.”

Great comfort can also be found in these two scripture verses. They both are reassuring and empowering, each facilitating from within us a wholeness in Spirit, soul and body as we choose to embrace our Oneness. Trust is a huge part of this knowing, and a bigger part of our Oneness. For those of us with ‘control gifts,’ trust is an everyday practice as we become aware that the rest will be given us with no conditions – just because we make the choice to unite ourselves with God.

Unity author, Mary Kupferle, in her book, God will See You Through, tells us, “Trust frees us from burdens and releases us from feelings of excessive responsibility; that even when we feel it is impossible for us to trust, we needed to trust anyway.” My favorite definition of trust is, truly rely upon Spirit’s timing. We each, every single one of us, have a life partner and a partner for life in God. Paraphrasing Matthew, “Without God, not much is possible.” Stay prayed up. Many Blessings. Namaste.

Rev. Therese Donlan Lee is the senior minister of Unity Spiritual Center on Hilton Head Island. revthereseunityhiltonhead@gmail.com

& 8th

Reverend Shannon Bullion

Marie Kuether Director of Music & Worship Arts

Therese Donlan Lee

There are a number of different ways to buy your next home

BY LARRY STOLLER Contributor

When getting ready to buy your next home, you might think that there are just two ways of doing that, working with a buyer’s agent or with the listing agent. However, there are some other options.

In my last article, I stated that “I am willing to bet that in late 2024 and 2025 there will be an increase in home sellers selling on their own.” I am willing to bet that there will be an increase in many home buyers who will be buying on their own as well.

As of August 17, home buyers will have to enter into a written Buyer’s Represen-

tation Agreement before their agent shows them any homes. In this agreement, both buyer and agent will negotiate what that buyer will pay to that agent when viewing homes and/or buying a home.

This agreement formalizes the process of hiring an agent to assist you in purchasing real estate. While it has been around for many years, it was not used much because the seller was always paying the buyer’s agent commission. But now, sellers may not offer compensation to buyer’s agents.

If a seller decides not to pay any commission to a buyer’s agent, how will that agent get paid?

For example, what if I am a buyer and I see a home online that I love. I call a buyer’s agent to view that home. Before viewing that home, I have to enter into an agreement that states how much I will

Say Goodbye to Summer & Hello to Beautiful Skin

pay that agent to see that home and/or make an offer on that home.

Suppose that payment is 2% or 3% of the sale price. What if I don’t want to pay that much? Well, I can negotiate.

Here are some other ways to buy that home:

• Work with the listing agent. Since the listing agent is already getting paid by the seller, maybe his or her fee would be less

than the buyer’s agent fee.

• Buy that home on my own. Call the listing agent just to see the home. If I decide to buy the home, I write up an offer, send it to the listing agent, and negotiate the deal entirely on my own. Maybe I could hire an agent to help me write up the offer.

• Contact that homeowner directly. But since that home is listed, I will probably have to call the listing agent. But you never know what arrangement that seller has with the listing agent, so it might be worth a shot.

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please feel free to email me.

Larry Stoller is a local broker and Realtor with Real Estate Five of the Lowcountry. He sells homes throughout the Bluffton and Hilton Head area. Larry@RealEstateFive.com, www.RealEstateFive.com.

Kroupa,

Larry Stoller

Nature’s Way

Support these guardians of our local waters

BY COLLINS DOUGHTIE Contributor

As you may know from previous columns, I really try to stay involved in anything that has to do with protecting our waters, enhancing fish stocks and catch and release angling. One of my babies that I have supported for years now is the Waddell Mariculture Center here in Bluffton. Even though it is state owned and state funded, the work they do there is, in my opinion, one of the most important gifts to our community. For years Waddell was under funded, which prompted me to do whatever I could to solicit private donations that were given to the Waddell Fund which is managed by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. These donations are all tax deductible, and to date, I have been able to contribute nearly $500,000 to further Waddell’s research and fish restocking efforts.

Surprisingly, so many people I meet have never even heard of this facility which is located about three quarters of the way down Sawmill Creek Road. A bio secure facility, tours must be arranged through the director, Erin Levesque, and because so much of their work is done with an emphasis on sterile free guidelines, much of the incredible work done there goes unnoticed by the general public. One project in particular is worth

noting and that is years of research on cobia, and in particular, the crash of cobia stocks in Port Royal Sound. Caused mainly by overfishing in the late 80s and early 90s, their research determined that these cobia were a specific genetic group that used Port Royal Sound as their breeding ground. Through tagging and genetic fin clips, Waddell was able to close the sound to cobia fishing during May, the prime breeding period for these Port Royal cobia. At the same time, they captured male and female cobia with specific Port Royal Sound genetics, using huge tanks that mimicked perfect light and water temperature conditions that induce breeding. They have raised and released hundreds of thousands of cobia back into Port Royal Sound waters, and over time, will hopefully bring their stocks back to pre-crash numbers. This is one of two local institutions that I encourage any of you that love our waters and need a worthy tax write off to contribute to, a place that directly benefits us locally whether you fish or not.

Another institution that I whole-heartedly recommend is the Port Royal Foundation’s Maritime Center. Where is it, you ask? Any time you head to Beaufort, you pass right by it. On the left as you near the boat landing on Lemon Island, this is one place you should check out. Free to the public and privately funded,

their aim is to educate the public about the uniqueness of Port Royal Sound. Inside are incredible displays that tell the history of this unique body of water, classrooms used for educating hundreds of school and social groups about preserving Port Royal Sound, and high on the list, aquariums of all sizes that showcase the diverse species plucked from its waters. Their largest aquarium takes up one whole end of the building, and it’s easy to get mesmerized watching all the different species interact. There are touch tanks, fossil displays, live reptile displays, art exhibits and more. Volunteering my angling skills, I try to catch and transport as many different fish species as I can catch to add to their collec-

tion of fish that call Port Royal Sound home. Just recently, I was able to contribute mangrove snapper, generally found in Florida waters, as well as juvenile grouper. The sound and its estuaries are truly a nursery for a staggering diversity of life.

From September 27 to October 6, the Maritime Center is hosting its first annual Port Royal Sound Inshore Slam fishing tournament. Now, this is so cool because it is a Catch-Photo-Release tournament. To enter, download the phone app “MyCatch” where fish species and lengths are photo recorded. I guess I should mention that $10,000 cash and prizes are up for grabs! Enter early enough and get everything from five-gallon buckets to awesome long sleeve shirts. All of catch data will be shared with SC DNR researchers to better understand and manage our fisheries. What a perfect tournament for fishing clubs as well as both serious and casual anglers. To me, the water is what brought most of you here, so get involved to help protect this incredible resource for generations to come. For further information, call the Maritime Center at (843) 645-7774.

Collins Doughtie is a 60-year resident of the Lowcountry, is a sportsman, graphic artist, and lover of nature. collinsdoughtie@icloud.com

Adaptive golf program is inspirational

BY DR. JEAN HARRIS Contributor

I have been teaching golf for over 50 years, and the most inspirational and satisfying experience I’ve had was watching and participating in the Adaptive Golf Experience. Nine years ago, I went out to the Legends Golf Course on Paris Island and watched this unique clinic. It was designed for veterans and civilians in our area who have physical disabilities and challenges. There was adaptive equipment and golf carts that enabled the participants to hit a golf ball. There was so much joy in the atmosphere. Fast forward to this month at Pinecrest Golf Club. The Adaptive Golf Experience was set up with participants and volunteers. The Adaptive Golf Experience meets every third Saturday of the month at local golf courses with a base at the Legends Course at Parris Island. You need no prior experience to be a volunteer. Training about the equipment and adaptive teaching techniques are provided.

The adaptive golf clinic was designed to encourage individuals with stroke, spinal injuries, amputations, knee and hip replacements and more to get out and enjoy the

great game of golf. Many of the participants are veterans. I interviewed a very interesting gentleman, Fred Gutierrez, USN retired veteran. I asked Fred how he got involved with the Adaptive Experience. “I tried to commit suicide with a shotgun to my head. Fortunately, I lived but I’m paralyzed on my whole left side,” he said. “I decided to push forward and help other veterans with

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PSTD in Charleston. I have been traveling to the Lowcountry since 2015 and help with the Adaptive Golf Experience.”

I also spoke with Steve Giammona, PT, and director of the program. Steve has been a Physical Therapist for over 25 years and is instrumental in Adaptive Sports for veterans. He has been the director of the Adaptive Golf Clinics for nine years. Steve stated, “I am not sure who gets more out of the Adaptive Golf Experience, the volunteers or the participants. Helping people with physical limitations overcome their disabilities is motivational and impactful for everyone involved.”

The Adaptive Experience is offered with no expense to the participants. However, there are many expenses, and the program counts on contributions from corporate sponsors and individuals. You can make checks payable to Adaptive Golf Experience. If you want to get involved in the Adaptive Golf Experience, either as a participant or volunteer, contact director Steve Giammona at (843)612-0046 or AdaptiveGolfExperience@gmail.com.

Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional at Pinecrest Golf Club. Jean.golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com

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9/30/24

BY CINDA SEAMON Contributor

Carbon Monoxide poisoning can happen within a matter of minutes and is responsible for more deaths than any other single poison. Becoming educated about carbon monoxide poisoning can significantly reduce the health risk as well as save lives.

WHAT EXACTLY IS CARBON MONOXIDE?

It is an invisible, odorless gas. Because you cannot see it, taste it or smell it, carbon monoxide can hurt you before you know it’s there.

WHERE DOES CARBON MONOXIDE COME FROM?

It is produced by appliances that burn gas or oil. Examples are clothes dryers, stoves, ovens, furnaces, water heaters or space heaters. An appliance malfunction,

Carbon monoxide safety

clogged vents and vehicle exhaust can all produce unsafe levels of carbon monox ide.

HOW DOES CARBON MONOXIDE AFFECT ME?

Even small amounts of carbon monoxide can rob you of oxy gen. It produces flu-like symptoms. This might in clude headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells, confusion and irrita bility. Continued ex posure can lead to vomiting, loss of consciousness and eventually brain damage or death. It is especially danger ous for children, pregnant women, people with heart disease and the elderly.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT

Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide alarm installed near the sleeping area. For added protection, have one on each floor. The height of the alarm doesn’t matterjust make sure it is out of reach of children. Make sure it is accessible for testing, cleaning and maintenance. Never run your car or other gas-powered vehicles in the garage – even if the garage door is open. Do not use a charcoal grill or gas-powered generator inside a house, tent or other enclosed space.

HOW DOES A CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM WORK?

A carbon monoxide alarm is not like a smoke alarm. Its’ alarm is based on a timed exposure. It’s the concentration of carbon monoxide over time that poses a threat. The alarm triggers before a healthy person would notice any symptoms.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM IS ACTIVATED?

Call 9-1-1. Don’t panic - move everyone to fresh air. Do not re-enter the home until emergency crews have checked out the problem and given you the ok to go back inside. Correct the problem as soon as possible.

Cinda Seamon is the Fire and Life Safety Educator for Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.

BY DANIE CONNOLLY Contributor

I have quite a few bird feeders and bird houses in my backyard.  It’s mesmerizing watching them swoop into the feeders and the fluttering of wings makes me smile. Admittedly, I am every salesman’s dream. It’s amazing how many varieties of bird houses you can buy at a craft show. I don’t want to say I’m not that bright, but it took a while before I understood the difference between bird houses and bird feeders.  In my haste to install the latest bird houses, I failed to prepare the ground properly, and the following

Cement city perches

morning it looked like an inebriated group of mini houses had passed out and over. I set them straight again, but the next morning it still looked like Tipsytown. No birds were nesting there. It looked like the bird condos hadn’t gotten their occupancy permits. It was time to throw myself on my husband BBB (Big Beautiful Bob’s) mercy. “I think they’re afraid to commit to building nests in precarious conditions,” I explained.

“Oh, did they tell you that?” He always laughs when I interpret for my dogs, but after witnessing the mini Towers of Pisa, he conceded. “Ok, Mrs. Turtledove, I’ll fix this.” I had to stop and consider the offer because there were more horror than success stories when it came to the Connolly Carpentry Company (CCC). But beggars can’t be choosers. Then, he added “On one condition - no helpful comments. Do you

agree?”  It’s a painful rule for some one who witnessed her husband pull into the driveway with 30foot lengths of trim board duct taped to the sides of his car only to discover he could have measured the windows and had it cut. But I was desperate. I agreed.

BBB returned a couple of hours later with the back seat of his car full of cement bags. I tried valiantly not to look curious because he immediately goes into his Kung Fu mode – the TV show, not the martial

LARGE SELECTION OF PICKLEBALL PADDLES

Danie Connolly

arts. “When the student is ready, the master will appear” (usually recited right before a disaster of epic proportions). After removing all the tipsy poles with birdhouses on them, he dug a kidney shaped shallow hole.

After that, he proceeded to raid the garage, shed, under the porches and kitchen cabinets for empty containers. It was quite a haul. Gallon containers of ice cream got transferred to Ziplock bags, leftover paint cans were combined to create new colors even Crayola couldn’t imagine. Nails and screws found new homes that ancient coffee cans had once housed and my large Tupperware bowls bid farewell to their lids on this new quest.

He mixed more cement than they used pire State Building. Finally, the magic began placed the iron poles into the poured cement containers. Then, he

strategically stabilized them with strapping so they wouldn’t fall over. It was a crazy miniature highway that if stretched out, would have circled the sun.  Fascinating as that was, it was time for the next step. While they were curing, he began pouring the remaining cement all around, dropping a rebar here and there until it was a pool of cement. It took three days to harden. Worms gave up and returned to the other side of the earth and moles cancelled their family reunions in our yard. I was impressed.

He brought me out to admire his handy work in his newly christened Birdland Cement City. “If we get a hurricane with 150 mile an hour winds, all we need to do is grab onto these poles. You ain’t going nowhere thanks to my expertise.”  He’d been watching reruns of Twister, and his visons of grandeur were grand. “I think I’ll called this Larry Bird Lane. Maybe I should call the people who did Boston’s Big Dig and tell them to get started on Big Dig 2 now that I’m putting Birdland Cement City on my resume.”

A week went by, then two. The birds flew over, near and around, but no feath-

ered friends stopped by to peek inside and check out the new digs.   The squirrels thought I rolled out the red carpet for them. It was a bushy tail food fest. All spring, April, May and June, I waited on my back porch for the sound of baby wings fluttering. Nada. Zip. The big goose egg (zero). Oh, they were here but nesting in the rhododendrons and hydrangea bushes and magnolia trees. It was a ghost town in Cement City. “Hmmm, looks like your birdies flew the coop before they even got a look-see,” he said, putting his arm around me. “They’re afraid,” I surmised glumly. “Only a Kamikaze Bird would build a nest here.” “I never heard of a Kamikaze bird,” he answered. My sarcasm eluded him, but I tried to explain.  “If the momma birds laid their eggs here, they’d worry the babies would fall out of their nests and

break their little necks on the hard cement. It’s like putting a crib on the highway.” I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. He quietly left the porch. About two hours later, I looked out the back yard to see him kneeling down spreading bags of loam over Birdland and laying turf grass.  I skipped over to where he was working so intensely. “Wow, hon…this is so sweet of you,” I chirped happily.  He looked up and smiled. “Looks like I’ll have to add landscaping to my resume, too! Who knew I was this talented?”

Certainly not the birds…

BY ABBY BIRD AKA ALPHADOG  Contributor

Each season I write about activities that might appeal to owners and their dogs. While not every activity is appropriate for every dog or person, some should be considered.

In the Fall you might try agility with your dog. Agility is a team sport where you participate with your dog. It is not just fun and challenging. It is also very bonding.  Most owners don’t consider it because they think it is only for large dogs and for people that can be very physically active. In fact, all size dogs can participate in agility. And depending on the training course you select, there are differing levels of physicality for the human.

For those that enjoy competition and are fairly athletic, Windi Weaver at K9Agility@outlook.com and www. MorningstarsCleverK9s.com is the con-

PETS Fall agility for dogs

tact for beginner thru advanced classes. Not only are there classes but also seminars and competitive events in Ridgeland.

For those that are looking for mental stimulation and physical activity for their dog but not interested in competition, there is another option, training for fun, focus and exercise. The course is shortened and designed for those that may have some limitations on doing things quickly. Classes are offered by me. Contact alphadogtrainingacademy@gmail.

com in Bluffton for more information. These classes are open to teens and adults.

Does your dog like to jump, walk on high things, burrow and climb? Using those skills is what agility can provide. On the opposite side, agility is marvelous for dogs that lack confidence but need to be more self-assured. This is a fun way to get them to learn to be self-confident while working with you. Working thru their fears with agility is amazing.

What does your dog learn?

• Jumping single, double and triple bar jumps.

• Dog walk, sort of a balance beam that is well off the ground.

• A- frame, climbing going up and control on the way down.

• Teeter totter, which requires confidence in the face of noise and movement.

• Tire jump enclosed and movement.

• Tunnels (most dogs favorite) running thru an enclosed space where they can’t see you.

All dogs need to be dog friendly or neutral and know a recall or come command, stay or wait, sit or down. Your dog does have to be physically fit to do agility. Is it appropriate for puppies? Yes, but with limitations. You cannot have pups do repetitive high impact running and jumping due to bone and joint development, but they can do very low jumps, tunnels and similar activities.  It is a great introduction to the sport and piques their interest for later training.

If you want something mentally and physically challenging for your dogs this Fall, then consider trying agility at any level.

Abby Bird is the owner of Alphadog Training Academy. AlphadogTrainingAcademy@gmail.com

The Boys and Girls Club doesn’t want to be a secret

BY KAT RICE Contributor

During the school year, local students are dropped off every day at the Hilton Head Boys and Girls Club where they have a fun and safe place to stay from 2:45 to 6 o’clock. While some students are there because their parents are still working, many students just want to spend time with their friends or get experiences they wouldn’t have elsewhere.

Hilton Head Boys and Girls Club (BGC) director, Ryan Wise, says the club’s goal is to be a reliable and stimulating place for kids in the community.

“I’ve always heard the Boys and Girls Club is the best kept secret on the island,” he explains. “That’s great to hear, but I don’t want us to be a secret. I want us to be an opportunity for every kid.”

The BGC structures their program around three principles– academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. On a daily basis, the club makes time for students to encounter these ideals. When they come in, they have a meal and are given

time to work on their homework. From there, the kids can choose an activity based on their interests.

The drama room creates opportunities to work on expression and public speaking. There’s also a pond where students go fishing and a field where a soccer match happens nearly every day. With dedicated spaces for STEM education, arts enrichment, sports and recreation, reading, and technology skills and games, there are opportunities for every kid to explore their interests.

But it’s not just the daily activities that promote safe and happy kids; the BGC is also committed to seeing long term growth and personal development. There are specialized programs to choose from, like Passport to Manhood where boys ages 8-12 hear from and meet community leaders with messages about becoming responsible young men. Girls also have the option to be part of Smart Girls, a program that recognizes the difficulties they face and provides tools and guidance about how to explore their own health, wellness, and values.

Wise says there’s sometimes a stigma attached to the BGC that it’s for families who can’t afford other options, but he believes their reach is greater than that. “We’re a resource for the community regardless of income or opportunity,” he says. “We do things here that can benefit all kids and we’re a safe place where parents can trust their kids are learning and growing.”

A current push for the club is to keep their kids involved in the community so they can learn to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Last month, they hosted a backto-school drive and gave supplies to not only their own families, but to families in the com-

munity who aren’t members. They also support local programs like Kiwani’s Chili Cookoff where, each fall, their kids plan and prepare a dish together, then go out and share it with others– and sometimes take a prize home.

Another focus for the club is ensuring older kids and teens have an engaging place to spend their time and develop. Over the summer, the older kids went to see Chicago at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and last spring, they got to volunteer at RBC Heritage where they experienced a PGA event firsthand.

All the planning and programming is ultimately meant to mold young people into productive citizens who will create that same kind of safe place for their kids. Wise sums up their mission with, “we do it all for the kids.”

The Hilton Head BGC is still accepting members for the 2024-25 school year. Anyone is welcome to tour the campus and check out the opportunities they provide. Call to schedule a tour or find out more at bgchiltonhead. org.

South Carolinians with disabilities are able to save through Palmetto ABLE®

BY CURTIS LOFTIS Contributor

Imagine the challenge of navigating life without savings or investments. Not long ago, this was a reality for millions of Americans living with disabilities. If they saved more than $2,000, their eligibility for critical benefits such as Supplemental Security Income, healthcare, food and housing assistance could be in jeopardy. Maintaining eligibility for public benefits, such as Medicaid, could mean living with serious financial constraints that only added to their financial burden.

And the financial burden of living with

a disability can be substantial. On average, it costs 28 percent more to live with a disability than without. Expensive medical care, specialized equipment, assistive technology, transportation services, adaptive housing and more can easily limit savings options and restrict the ability of our citizens living with disabilities to fulfill their American dream.

Fortunately, the one in six Americans living with a disability today may have the opportunity to save and invest money without jeopardizing their ability to receive important public benefits. In 2014, Congress passed The Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act), allowing individuals with disabilities to save significantly more than $2,000 without fear of losing their federal and state needsbased benefits. Many consider ABLE legislation to be the most impactful public poli-

THE TRUSTED CHOICE

At Encompass Health, we create rehabilitation programs that are specifically designed for each patient’s needs, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. It’s why so many people and their caregivers choose us. And why we are the trusted choice of a growing number of medical professionals.

cy for the benefit of the disability community since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

South Carolina launched its own Palmetto ABLE Savings Program in 2017, giving our citizens living with disabilities the opportunity to work and save their income without giving up benefits. Through Palmetto ABLE®, over 3,000 individuals with disabilities now have the power to enhance their financial well-being through tax-advantaged savings accounts. They can use their saved funds not only to address their immediate needs, but also to work toward their longer-range goals.

As administrator of Palmetto ABLE, I take pride in the work that we, along with our partners in the disability community, are doing to share information with our citizens and their families about the benefits and flexibility of these accounts. I have

heard many heart-warming stories about how ABLE accounts have been true game-changers for their owners. From gaining the ability to purchase an adaptive van to making a down payment on a house, Palmetto ABLE accounts are instilling a sense of financial freedom that many never thought would be possible. If you have a disability or have a family member living with a disability, I hope you will take some time to learn more about the Palmetto ABLE Savings Program. To find out how these accounts may be a valuable resource for you or your loved one, visit our website at PalmettoABLE.com.

Curtis Loftis is the State Treasurer of South Carolina. He also serves as the administrator of the Palmetto ABLE Savings Program. Visit treasurer.sc.gov or PalmettoABLE.com for more information on ways to save for the future with a 529-A plan.

Curtis Loftis

Pucker up: why your lips deserve the sweet treatment of a sugar scrub

BY WENDY KUSHEL Contributor

Sugar scrubs are a wonderful way to help your skin look smooth and feel soft. The sugars exfoliate and the bums’ oils and butters moisturize. Well, guess what? Lips are skin too! And they love a good scrub.

Lip scrubs are a thing. They’ve been trending for a few years now. Started with the young’uns, but lately, women of a certain age are jumping on the lip scrub train.

Lip scrubs that have quality raw ingredients are super good for the lips. They generally consist of some type of oil (coconut, jojoba, avocado, etc.) and an exfoliant, usually some type of sugar. Some brands also incor-

porate some variation of vitamin rich butter (Shea, Coconut, Cocoa) for an added moisturizing component.

Lip scrubs come in different forms. Some can be applied directly from a squeeze tube and others are packaged in small containers and are applied using your finger by dabbing a bit onto the lips. Either way, the lips should be mushed together to get the sugars to melt and the oils and butters to soften.

Interestingly enough, it may be even more important to use a sugar scrub on your lips than anywhere else.

Lips only have three to four layers of skin whereas the skin in other areas has 15 to 16 layers. That’s a lot less water content, meaning less moisture. Think of the lips as the Arizona of the body.

Lips have only a thin upper layer of the epidermis called the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum, or SC for short (not to be confused with SC like Bluffton or Hilton

Head), is the barrier that prevents unwanted icky stuff from entering the skin and excessive loss of water from exiting.

In addition, the lips do not have the hard-working sebaceous glands found in the skin in most of your body.  Sebaceous glands are microscopic glands that secrete the sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that protects the skin from drying out.

Moral of the story, wet your whistle. Keep those kissers happy and mush up some lip

Wendy Kushel is the owner of Wendala’s LowCountry Sugar Scrub, LLC based in Bluffton, SC. Drawn to the Beauty & Personal Care Industry Wendy founded her company in 2020. Her background includes standup comedy, film, TV and a lot of sales and marketing. For more information about Wendala’s® LowCountry Sugar Scrub visit www. lowcountrysugarscrub.com or call/text 843949-8933.

scrub.

Wendy Kushel

2024 state of mental health in America report: SC ranked 49th in access

BY ROB PEARSON Contributor

Mental Health America (MHA) recently released its annual State of Mental Health in America report, which ranks all 50 states, and the District of Columbia based on 15 mental health access and prevalence measures from data available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education.

As reported, the U.S. is indeed in a mental health crisis with nearly 60 million adults (23.08%) experiencing a mental illness in the past year. Among other worrisome findings, nearly 13 million adults (5.04%) reported serious thoughts of sui-

cide. The number of individuals who died by suicide in 2022, latest data available, was the highest number ever recorded in the U.S., up after slight decreases in 2019 and 2020.

The nation’s youth continue to present cause for concern. One in five young people from ages 12-17 experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year, yet more than half of them (56.1%) did not receive any mental health treatment. More than 3.4 million youth (13.16%) had serious thoughts of suicide.

More than 45 million adults (17.82%) and 2.3 million youth (8.95%) are experiencing a substance use disorder.

One in four (24.58%) adults who experienced 14 or more mentally unhealthy days each month were unable to see a doctor due to costs. Nationally there are 340 peo-

ple, in SC 490 people, for everyone mental health provider. More than 122 million people live in a mental health workforce shortage area, with only 27% of the mental health care needs in shortage areas being met.

SC Ranks 49th in Access to Mental Health Care, yet in the lowcountry, there are adult group counseling openings in

Bluffton and Beaufort.

MHA of the Lowcountry has openings in its adult (18+) group counseling programs for people with diagnoses such as: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTDS disorders among others. After an initial assessment, clients can join the daily sessions that may be covered by insurance including Medicaid, which provides transportation if eligible.

Rob Pearson, M.S., is a former Hilton Head Hospital CFO and has 25+ years in healthcare administration. He first moved to HHI in 1988 and is now residing in Bluffton. He was appointed Executive Director of the nonprofit Mental Health America of the Lowcountry (Island House-Bluffton; Canal House-Beaufort) in 2024. He can be contacted at: robp@mhalowcountry.org or 843-757-3900 ext. 4.

TangerKids Grants: empowering local schools and students for 30 years

BY MELISSA MCCULLOUGH Contributor

For nearly three decades, the TangerKids Grants Program has been a cornerstone of Tanger Outlets’ commitment to giving back to the communities it serves. What began as a small initiative to support local education has evolved into a robust program that has made a tangible impact on schools and students across the country. This growth has been fueled by the loyalty and engagement of Tanger shoppers, who play a crucial role in helping the program expand and reach more schools each year.

The program’s evolution reflects Tanger’s dedication to addressing the specific needs of local communities. Over the years, the scope of the grants has broadened to include not just basic educational resources, but also projects that enhance inclusion, foster interactive learning environments, support hygiene and clothing needs, and promote STEM education.

In essence, the program has grown to meet the diverse and changing needs of students, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

Tanger Outlets Hilton Head and Tanger Outlets Savannah are excited to continue this tradition with the 2024 program, encouraging local educators to apply for grants that will directly benefit their students. The hope is to fund projects that will create more creative, productive, and inclusive learning environments. The application process is straightforward: educators can log in to grants.tanger. com and submit their project proposals, whether for a classroom initiative or a schoolwide program. These submissions are then reviewed by an internal committee at Tanger, which selects the projects to be funded based on their potential impact.

A significant focus of the TangerKids Grants is on underserved schools, accessibili-

ty programs, and addressing student needs. Tanger has earmarked 70% of the total grants for these areas, recognizing the importance of directing resources to where they are needed most. This focus is aimed at tackling specific challenges such as outdated equipment, the lack of inclusive educational spaces, and the need for basic necessities like hygiene products and clothing. By prioritizing these areas, Tanger is working to level the playing field for all students, ensuring that every child has access to the tools and resources they need to succeed.

In 2023, Tanger awarded $168,000 in grants, funding over 140 projects across the country. Examples from the Hilton Head area include grants to Beaufort Middle School for garden beautification and to Hardeeville Elementary School for the school nurse’s clinic supplies. In Savannah, Coastal Middle School received funding for after-school club equipment, and Marshpoint Elementary School’s “From Barn-

yard to Farmyard” program was supported.

The involvement of Tanger shoppers is another unique aspect of the program. During the Member’s Choice voting process, shoppers can vote for their favorite grant recipients, with the top five projects receiving additional funding. This not only engages the local community in the selection process but also amplifies the impact of the grants, helping to ensure that the projects with the most support receive the resources they need.

For educators looking to apply, the key to a compelling grant application is specificity. Clearly outline the impact of the program, the resources required, and the number of students who will benefit. Supporting documentation can also strengthen the application, providing a clearer picture of the project’s potential impact. With thoughtful and well-prepared proposals, educators can secure the funding needed to make a significant difference in their schools and communities.

BY GLENDA HARRIS Contributor

The official state dog of South Carolina has many special skills and personality traits. Perhaps most valued is how loyal and bonded they become with their human family. We learned fairly early on with our Buddy Boy, who was almost 4 years old when this “crisis turned comedy” took place.

We were upstairs working on a spread sheet of our financials one summer evening and when we finished and went back downstairs, Dave says, “Where’s Buddy”? Hmmm, well he had to be inside. He was following us around before going upstairs and everything was closed up for the night. We do a quick check of every room in the house, including closets, but no Buddy. We head out back, calling his name, nope. Where IS he? Our attention had been fo-

cused on our work upstairs. Uh-oh! We look at each other and simultaneously utter the same 4-letter word. I’ll spare you the details.

Outside, we call his name, blow the training whistle and check nearby yards for any movement. All we see is darkness…and our Buddy is literally the color of darkness! I feel the first fingers of panic closing over me.

As I’m jogging up the road yelling for Buddy, Dave goes into the garage to get his big flashlight to use driving around the neighborhood. I jog back to the house and post a BOLO on our neighborhood FB page. Our neighbors are great and the more eyes looking the better, right?

As I finish up my short post, I hear Dave in the kitchen talking to someone! What?? I rush in and there’s Buddy looking around with wide-eyed innocence, probably wondering what all the excitement is about. I had to sit down, happy tears pouring down my face. Our Buddy was never lost, just trapped in the garage!

Here’s what happened: just before we

went upstairs to work, Dave had stepped into the garage to set something down, quickly coming back inside. Unbeknownst to either of us, Buddy had followed him out there (this loyal pup was always at his heels). When Dave quickly re-entered the house, Buddy was trapped in the garage.

Being a super chill dog who rarely ever barks or whines, Buddy’s reaction would be to sit patiently and wait, while staring at the door. You know…using that Boykin telepathic superpower. When Dave opened the door to get the flashlight to look for Buddy, there he was, sitting on the door mat, staring at the door! Would love to know what was going on his mind as he heard us yelling, blowing the whistle, doors opening and closing, all that excitement!

Oh yes, happy tears flowed as I covered him with hugs. This loyal pup has such a tight-fisted hold on our hearts! We had a good laugh and capped off the evening with a bourbon, for medicinal purposes.

A former Bluffton resident, Glenda finds stories everywhere and writes about nature, travel, healthy living and books.

Glenda Harris

BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS Contributor

The rich history behind the church bells of Bluffton, part 4

We conclude our series of articles about Bluffton area churches and the historic church bells in them with a discussion of the Bluffton Methodist Church, the Pinckney Colony Catholic Church and the monastery on Good Shepherd Island (Potato Island). Both churches have historic church bells, and there’s a mystery about the monastery bell when the monks moved from the area around 1950.

BLUFFTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The Bluffton Methodist Society was or-

ganized around 1852, shortly after the town was initially incorporated. A church building was built in 1853 that served the church until the Civil War started when most of the town’s white population fled during what was called the great skedaddle. For a number of years thereafter, the church was without its primary congregation, although many of its enslaved attendees probably continued to use the church building to worship and possibly as an early school. Its bell was likely collected by the confederate army and melted down to make canons and ammunitions during the war. In 1874 the church sold the former church building to what would become the Cambell Chapel AME Church, an African American congregation. In the 1870s and later years, Bluffton Methodists attended the St. Luke’s Methodist Church near modern day Sun City, but there are records

that members who had returned to Bluffton had also used the former Masonic lodge building, which sat vacant at the southeast corner of Bridge and Calhoun Streets in Old Town.

By 1890 Bluffton Methodist Church members were eager to have another church of their own in old town so land was secured, and a church was built on Calhoun Street near the town dock (its current site). It was a fine church building with a tall belfry containing a bell. According to the writings of Andrew Peeples in the early 1900s, W. J. Fripp rang the bell to draw Bluffton Methodists to worship. Unfortunately, a 1940 hurricane caused significant damage when a large tree fell through the church, completely destroying it. After this occurred the church bell was moved to the Ulmer’s property where it remained for many years since a new church building that

was completed in 1945 did not have a belfry. Church records reveal that services were held at the Episcopal Church until the new church was built, which was slowed due to World War II. A subsequent church building, built in 1974, that is still used by the church today, was built with a belfry and the bell was installed there.

So, what do we know about the bell? Unfortunately, years ago a heavy spray insulation was applied in the attic that covers the access panel, making it impossible to view the bell. The church intends to open the belfry from the exterior later this year, and at that time, I should be able to examine the bell and determine where and when it was manufactured. Stay tuned for that potentially in a later

CHURCH BELLS CONT. ON PAGE 56A

Michael Reynolds

CHURCH BELLS

PINCKNEY COLONY CATHOLIC CHURCH, ST. ANDREW CHAPEL

Catholicism in South Carolina was banned in 1716 by the South Carolina Assembly to prevent SC Catholics from interacting with the Spanish Catholics in Florida. However, according to SC historian Walter Edgar, by the late 1700s, a Catholic station priest had been established in Charleston, and the Catholic diocese was established by 1820. Catholicism in the Bluffton area predated the organization of an actual church, as early Catholics attended the Bull Hill Episcopal Church until a church was built, according to Mary Pinckney Powell in her book Back Over Home, the heritage of the Pinckneys of Pinckney Colony.

The first Bluffton area Catholic Church was built in early 1915 and was called St. Mary’s in the Woods. It was located near where the current Pinckney Colony Church sits today. The deed for the

church property was filed in the Beaufort County Courthouse in March 1922. The original church served the community for over 15 years until a larger church was built in early 1932, which still exists today. That church was formally dedicated in 1939 when the name was changed to the Saint Andrew Catholic Church. A brick-veneer wall was added about 1960. A nearby family cemetery was started in 1899 for the growing Catholic community who resided in what today is known as Pinckney Colony.

With the significant inflow of population to the Bluffton area, the Catholic Church saw relocation and the building of a much larger church building. Today, the Catholic Church in Bluffton is called the Saint Gregory the Great Parrish, and the church membership numbers nearly 14,200, and it also includes a sizable school, according to Parish Manager Chris Tropp. The church has grown so much that it offers two services on Saturdays and five services on Sundays. The

original 1932 Saint Andrew Chapel is still used for a morning service (Monday-Friday) at 6:30 a.m. and also used for weddings and baptism services. It is located in Pinckney Colony.

The church bell is not accessible from the inside and can only be viewed by climbing up a steep roof and peeking through louvers. To get a clear view would have required some demolition of the belfry and subsequent repair, which was not something we wished to do. I did make a good attempt to access the belfry, but the roof was too steep to do so I have not physically seen the bell. Although there was once a rope to ring the bell, the bell operation was changed from a rope pull to being rung by electronically-controlled equipment in July 2013. The church says the bell is supposed to ring hourly, but no one remembers hearing it ring lately, so it may not be operational now.

THE MONASTERY ON GOOD SHEPHERD ISLAND

CHURCH BELLS CONT. ON PAGE 57A

CHURCH BELLS

Many may not know that Bluffton was home to a religious monastery in the 1940s that was located on Potato Island. Potato Island is a small privately-owned island along the May River that is visible looking southwest from the Alljoy boat landing near the sandbar. Beaufort County property deeds show that David N. (Nathaniel) Peeples, as a trustee for The Community of the Good Shepherd, purchased Potato Island in July 1943. The Community of the Good Shepherd may have been part of an Episcopal Diocese group, but that is not clear. Peeples had previously been a rector at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Savannah. It appears that a two-building monastery was built on the island shortly thereafter, which included a belfry and church bell. The name of the island was changed to Good Shepherd Island during the years the monastery operated there. Andrew Peeples, a Bluffton writer and Nathaniel Peeple’s brother, wrote in 1959 that the monks would ring the bell 33 times each

FROM PAGE 56A

morning at 5:30 a.m. to start the day and to celebrate the number of years that Christ was on Earth. The bell also would ring at other times during the day for different reasons and would ring at 8:30 p.m. for the time to give daily prayers for the dead. Ninety-three-year-old Topsy Evans Woodson, who grew up across the river at Crystal Beach in Bluffton during the 1930s and 40s, recently told me she remembers hearing the bell ring across the river while the monastery was active. “It was a pleasant and fun sound to hear during the day,” said Ms. Woodson.

The Good Shepherd monastery was sold on March 24, 1949, and the order moved to Florida and reportedly later disbanded. Not much more is known about the monastery on the island. The old monastery buildings still exist today. I visited the island in early June of this year, and the belfry appears to be as it was when the monastery operated except that electrical lights had been added at some point. There is no bell in the belfry

now. The primary monastery building has a great room with a large fireplace that was where the monks would have services and spent most of their awake time. There is also a small kitchen and two small bunk rooms. It’s not known how many monks lived on the island, but the bunk rooms could not have housed many, so it’s likely there were no more than 12 monks there at any time. There is some suggestion the monastery in Bluffton was not fully recognized by the Episcopal Diocese. I made a telephone call to both the South Carolina diocese and the Archives of the Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. Neither had records to show either way, but David Hales at the Archives office did not find the monastery listed as a mission in either 1945 or 1948. He did say that it could have been an unofficial mission that could still have been sponsored by the church. Someone had to pay the cost to purchase the island and build the monastery, so that seems to be the most plausible situation.

The island was sold to the Whitman family (of the Whitman Sampler chocolate company) and then later purchased

by Bluffton icon Harry Cram. He built a house there around 1974 and renamed the island Devil’s Elbow Island. Harry’s son Peter was then a teenager and says that when they moved to the island “the old monastery was in bad shape and was just a shell.” Peter says there was no bell there then, so he assumes the monks simply took their bell with them when they moved away. Aside from a single photo of an unknown monk ringing the monastery bell, I am unaware of any other photos of the bell, and its origin and eventual fate remains a mystery.

This brings to a close our four-part review of the historical church bells in the Bluffton area and the churches that they are in or were in. This research had never been done before, and it was interesting to learn all the history the church bells have revealed.

Michael Reynolds has called Bluffton home for nearly 60 years. He is the founder of the “BLUFFTON HISTORY” Facebook page and can be contacted via email with history story suggestions or comments at blufftonsc@yahoo.com.

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Heavy countertops deserve high-quality cabinetry

TIPS FROM THE TRADES

It’s always exciting to select and invest in beautiful granite or quartz countertops for your kitchen and bathrooms. Often overlooked is the long-term impact of high-quality cabinetry for crucial support structures beneath the countertops. It is one of the most important decisions you can make to achieve a safe and sound reliable finished product.

There are several important elements for proper support structures.

Choose well-constructed cabinets made from strong materials. Most importantly –don’t select cabinets made of particleboard. Even a small leak within cabinets over time will compromise the integrity of the structure. Particleboard only remains in reasonable condition if kept completely dry. Although more expensive, solid wood cabinets will prove to be more durable and a better investment in the end.

Another key factor is the installation of the cabinet boxes. They should be tied together firmly and correctly with screws -

not pneumatic nails. Consider the weight of the countertops when constructing the cabinet boxes. The weight of island counters is increasingly large with some exceeding 1,000 lbs. Simply shifting that amount of weight can overstress some structures to failure.

Don’t let your support system be an afterthought, an experienced carpenter will know that overhangs exceeding twelve inches require additional support spaced approximately every three feet. Overhangs can be supported by corbels or an assortment of steel brackets or posts. The support system should be designed and discussed during the cabinet drawing stage. To have brackets installed, the cabinet design will have specific placement for the brackets to install without hindering doors, drawers, or the integrity of the cabinet boxes.

The cabinetry for center islands should also be secured firmly to the floor. This is especially important for supporting cantilevered overhangs. Posts for seated overhangs should never be free-standing. They should

open dialogue with our

We will also be posting events, calls to action, and opportunities to get involved in the newspaper. Don’t miss the chance to get involved and/or get published! We look forward to your feedback, ideas, and ongoing communication.

be attached with cross ribbing tied together as one piece, like a true table base. You want to build the support system first, then allow the countertop to sit on top.

When shopping for cabinets, it is vital to seek out well-designed and quality-constructed cabinets, and that you choose an installer who adheres to proper installation

guidelines. Good craftsmanship in your cabinets will allow you and your family to enjoy your beautiful countertops safely. 40 years in business ---StoneWorks fabricates and installs countertops made of Quartz Surfacing, Porcelain, and Natural Stones like Quartzites, Marbles and Granites.

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Arts & Entertainment Calendar

SEPTEMBER 5 THROUGH DECEMBER 5

Bluffton Night Bazaar at Burnt Church Distillery - Lowcountry Made is proud to present the Fall 2024 Bluffton Night Bazaar at Burnt Church Distillery! We are exceedingly thankful for their unwavering support for small businesses for the third year in a row.  The Fall markets will be held on first Thursdays, with dates including: September 5, October 3, November 7, and December 5. This fun night market is held from 5-8 p.m. Sip a cocktail while you browse stalls of local artisans and makers! Don’t miss the first market of the season on Thursday, September 5. This market will be a great way to get a head start on your favorite Fall decor & treats before the new season officially begins! Applications for the October-December dates are open now at https://lcmade.com/bluffton-night-bazaar-vendor-application/

SEPTEMBER 7

Bluffton Reggae Pon De River Music Festi-

val - Get ready to groove to some sweet reggae tunes by the river at Bluffton Oyster Park. Join us on Saturday, September 7, from 2PM – 9PM, and dance the day away to the rhythm of the Caribbean. Come enjoy live music, delicious food, and good vibes with friends and family. Don’t miss out on this epic event! Tickets may be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reggae-pon-de-river-music-festival-tickets-948677087707?aff=oddtdtcreator.

SEPTEMBER

8

Pledge the Pink - Second annual Bluffton fundraiser raffle in support of Pledge Pink Breast Cancer Awareness will be held Sunday, September 8, at 3PM! Our first year we raised over $2,000 on our raffle alone! Come join us in fun, food, meeting new friends, and some seriously incredible raffle baskets! Over 40 small Bluffton businesses have pitched in for the cause! Come join us for an amazing day! We’ll be in the amenities center of Cypress Ridge! Please be sure to RSVP!

SEPTEMBER

13

2024 Taste of Bluffton: Food Truck Edition - The event will be held on Friday, September 13, from 4 - 8 PM at Buckwalter Place Park (located at 20 Care Core Drive). admission is free  - there will be plenty of food options to choose from that showcase the Food Truck cuisine in our community, music to enjoy, bouncers, & more!

SEPTEMBER 19

The Palmetto Quilt Guild’s next membership meeting is Thursday, September 19.  Meeting location is Island Lutheran Church on Main Street, Hilton Head Island; doors open at 11:15, meeting starts at 11:30. Nationally known speaker and teacher Cheri Leffler will talk about needle turn applique and her quilting journey.  She will show some of her fun and whimsical patterns.  Then on Friday, September 20, Cheri will lead participants in a workshop where she will teach her own unique needle turn applique method.  Please see the Palmetto Quilt Guild website at pal-

mettoquiltguild.org for more details and to register for the workshop.

SEPTEMBER 28

BlufftemberFest - The Bluffton Sunset Party Series is thrilled to announce the grand finale event, BlufftemberFest, taking place Saturday, September 28th, at The Bluffton Oyster Factory Park. A local tradition since 2012, it promises to be an unforgettable Bluffton-style Music Festival and Octoberfest Celebration on the picturesque May River. From 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, BlufftemberFest will captivate attendees with an incredible lineup of activities and entertainment. The event will feature an authentic Octoberfest Beer Garden, a delectable Food Court offering a wide variety of culinary delights, and an Arts & Crafts section showcasing local talent. Tickets for BlufftemberFest - Bluffton’s Octoberfest Celebration - are available now.  Please visit www.blufftonsunsetparty. com or contact Bear Foot Sports at 843-7578520 for more details.

Paint splattered fun

BY MURRAY SEASE Contributor

The next studio visit in this series takes me meandering through the north side of Sun City community, just outside of the town of Bluffton. Mixed media artist Sue Grilli lives and works here in the home she shares with her husband, Mike. In this tidy neighborhood, they are in a pretty house on a cul-de-sac with a cute aqua-colored bicycle at the entryway and a spacious back yard.  Sue welcomes me in wearing her own artwork: hand painted dangly earrings and a silver starfish hanging on a delicate chain around her neck. She is a living model for her creativity. Compact and endlessly energetic, Sue shows me around. Charming and bright, the floorplan is an open concept living and kitchen area with art on every wall and nook.

It already seems an artist’s haven. There is her own art, which she rotates through the home on its way to one of the local galleries, and the art of friends who inspire her. One especially intriguing piece by a friend looks like a precise painting of a water scene, complete with a wading bird and dragonfly. Upon closer inspection, it is a collage with intricate cut out pieces of paper, layer upon layer. This artist is one of Sue’s inspirations for her own multi-media pieces. Moving through the home, we reach a big, beautiful lanai with floor to ceiling windows looking out to a grassy expanse and tree line. Wonderful sunlight pours in, herb and pepper plants abound. The area serves as a lovely place to paint, the

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HERITAGE LIBRARY FALL EVENTS

TheHeritage

Library

Presents

:

of Ghosts & Myths Hilton Head Island

at the Zion Cemetery and Baynard Mausoleum Outdoor Learning Center

October 18, 19, 25, 26

7:00 - 8:30 pm

$15 per person

Purchase tickets at HeritageLib.org Corner of 278 & Mathews Drive

ZION CEMETERY & BAYNARD MAUSOLEUM COSTUMED CEMETERY TOUR

TUESDAYS AT 10:30AM

Visit the gravesites of four Revolutionary War heroes and find out about the bloody skirmish that was fought just steps away. Site on the SC Liberty Trail.

Corner of Hwy. 278 & Mathews Dr. $10/ADULT • $8/CHILD

Registration required. HeritageLib.org/Tours

Scan here to register for TOURS

PAINT FROM PAGE 3B

feeling of being outdoors but sheltered from the weather.

Not recommended for children under 12. Tickets are limitedpurchase in advance.

HISTORIC FORT MITCHEL

TOUR

THURSDAYS AT 10:30AM

Fort Mitchel contains the remains of a coastal defense battery erected in 1862 to protect the Port Royal Sound by way of Skull Creek from incursions by Confederate gunboats. 65 Skull Creek Dr., Hilton Head Plantation $10/ADULT • $8/CHILD

Registration required. HeritageLib.org/Tours

Scan here to register for Ghosts & Myths of Hilton Head

Finally, we make it to Sue’s actual studio, designated for and filled to the brim with art supplies. Oh my, it is an artist’s dream! Tiny but very organized with peg boards that line two of the walls. These hold all sorts of tools, including palette knives, spray bottles, shears and a blow dryer. There are open shelves holding every type of acrylic paint and medium. Jars and cans of dozens of brushes are in easy reach on a large desk type worktable. Canvases and boards and boxes of paper are stacked along every square inch of space.

Looking at this cluttered but organized chaos, I quickly realize Sue has a passion for learning techniques and is always experimenting with mediums and new types of art. Even so, she has a distinct style that is instantly recognizable as hers. Very cheerful florals and landscapes, whether painted or collage or a combination, are obviously coming from Sue’s happy place in her head. She shows me how she started a piece with a bright base of complimentary colored leaf shapes that look quite abstract. Over that she will layer paint and papers, in this case creating negative space, leaving the bright base as a centerpiece of flowers. No matter what technique she uses, she ends up with cheerful paintings that never fail to make the viewer smile.

Some of Sue’s art has a quite romantic feel. Using bits of lace as well as cut and torn paper, words torn from text, paint

and charcoal, a collage painting titled Lady in Waiting is simply gorgeous. In it, and other art, Sue will sometimes begin with a scribbled note on the canvas, perhaps a note to herself of the inspiration for the piece. Occasionally, these cursive scribbles will peek out from behind the layers to tantalize the curious viewer.

Never missing the chance to try a new art form, Sue has a box of beautiful blue yarn that she will be trying her skill at knitting with. She also is experimenting with silver-clay, which is microscopic particles of silver (or copper or gold) suspended in an organic binder to create a pliable material with a consistency like modeling clay. The jewelry she has created with this is quite impressive.

Tearing ourselves away from the studio, we peek into Mike Grilli’s garage workshop. He is the master craftsman behind Sue’s frames, panels and shelving for the studio. In fact, he has had a hand in much of their home – remodeling the kitchen cabinets and built-ins –all helpful surrounding the artist with a space that supports her craft and sparks her creativity.

I really enjoyed visiting this talented Bluffton artist and her creative workplace. Sue Gilli is one of six artist/owners of the cooperative La Petite Gallerie in Old Town Bluffton. She generally works there on Thursdays where she is happy to greet you and talk art. Please visit soon to see her work in person!

Murray Sease is a fellow artist at LaPetite Gallerie, 56 Calhoun Street, Bluffton, SC. lapetitegallerie.com

Sept. 14, 2-8 pm

Start Tuesday, Sept. 10th 9:30am - 10:30am This program meets for three ten-week sessions

on our website by clicking “Book Now” and then “Programs” or email Deb Eason @deason@thesandbox.org

Music on Malphrus celebrates its 10th season

BY EDWINA HOYLE Contributor

Music on Malphrus is billed as an acoustic listening room, an intimate venue where music lovers discover singer/songwriters whose music reflects real life and storytelling at its best. Joanne Melosh has served as the Curator of Music for Music on Malphrus in Bluffton since 2017, shortly after she moved to Sun City from Garden City, N.Y. where she created the Garden City Music Series in 2004.

conferences, and the performers have an opportunity to showcase their music.

Late in the evening, starting at 11:30 p.m., there are private showcases called “gorilla showcases” in various rooms. She said you can set your schedule to go to various rooms and listen to the artists you are interested in.

“I’ve always sang,” Melosh said. “I sang occasionally at church and did a few performances as a kid. When I turned 50, I gave myself the gift of music. I began my search for singer/ songwriters and over 20 years, I’ve got to know a lot of people. On the whole, I like to have performers whom I’ve seen. I vet them before sharing the music I love. All are singer/songwriters which makes them unique.” Melosh has even written some songs herself. “Our series features folk music, blues, bluegrass, Irish ballads, a little jazz – a variety of music, all original, current music, not commercial music. I’ve brought people who have toured with Judy Collins and the Indigo Girls. It’s about the lyrics. The audience wants to hear a story.”

Melosh selects all performers and seeks out talent by attending performances and conferences, including the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conference and the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference. “We just came back from the SERFA conference in Black Mountain near Asheville,” she said.

Melosh said she has opportunities to talk to DJs, performers and agents at the

“Then, at about 5 a.m., all of the performers end up in the lobby just jamming,” she said.

The 2024/2025 Music on Malphrus Singer Songwriter Series begins on Friday, October 4 at 7 p.m. with Jon Shain and F.J. Ventre, whose style combines Piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing and ragtime. Their songs are stories with a message, rooted in life experiences, where artistry meets inspiration. Melosh serves as the MC at each concert.

Tickets are $25 at the door or visit uulowcountry.org.

Upcoming Season Schedule – Shows at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. 110 Malphrus Road, Bluffton, SC at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry

Friday, November 8:  Tret Sure

Saturday, December 7:  Lara Herscovitch

Saturday, January 11:  Brian Ashley Jones and Melanie Jean

Saturday January 25:  Friction Farm

Saturday, February 8:  Pat Wictor

Saturday, February 21:  Matt Nakoa

Saturday, March 1:  Miles and Mafale

Friday, March 21:  The Kennedys Friday, April 11:  Scott Ainslie Saturday, April 26:  Karyn Oliver

Edwina Hoyle is a freelance writer in Bluffton.

BY KEVIN FITZPATRICK

Contributor

Rock me on the water

I was born in the Bronx, N.Y. in August of 1952. My dad was, at the time, a NYC bus driver (later to “move up” to dispatcher). My mom was, until 1964, a “stay at home” mom. She went back to work as a secretary in a local hospital when my sister, born in 1957, started school. We lived in a second-floor walkup two-bedroom, one bath apartment in a nice section of the Bronx. There was no extra money for camps or vacations other than going to visit family in upstate N.Y. In fact, it was hard for my dad to get any time off in the summer since it was a seniority issue, and he only had started his “career” there after he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, so he was pretty low on the “pole.” So, when my Uncle Dom and Aunt Irene bought a home in West Babylon, N.Y. and offered my folks the opportunity to send me there for as long as I wanted to stay in the summer, they (and I) jumped at it starting around the time I was 8. My uncle was, at the time, a middle school social studies teacher (later to become principal of that same school), and

coached a lot of sports. Also, he worked summers (as almost all of us who chose education have to/had to do to make ends meet and put a little away). He worked in various summer camps starting as a lifeguard and eventually moving up to camp director. I went with him every day, from the beginning of my summers with them, and it was there that I learned to swim and developed a love for all things water related. The first summer, after he was confident that I had taken his swim lessons seriously, he would seed the pool with some loose change (I didn’t find that out until decades later), give me a mask and snorkel and tell me whatever I brought up from the bottom I could keep. Well, in 1960 and on, $2 on a good day was a lot of money for an 8 or 9-year-old, so I was very diligent in diving down and getting the change. As the years went on and I became more adept at swimming (and got stronger), he allowed me to participate in the morning lifeguard water polo games (I got killed over and over but never let them see my frustration).

Sue grew up in Old Greenwich, Conn. and was a member of The Rocky Point Club. It was a summer-only local, small club where the focus was on swimming and simply being at the shore. She had the great luxury of being

Flounder

Kevin Fitzpatrick

Snorkel, goggles, bone conduction earphones, ear plugs, webbed gloves

ROCK ME FROM PAGE 8B

coached by Terry Lowe (Google him: Coach Terry Lowe and look for the NBC news piece by a past Olympic medal winner and current 2024 team member swimmer who speaks about what he meant to her), who is almost 50 years later still coaching the swim team at Rocky (and who I had the honor to work alongside in the math department at Greenwich High for many years). For a very long time, Sue had her name up on the record wall for multiple accomplishments as a member of the swim team. When I was in high school, I joined the swim team, and while it was fun, I didn’t meet with the successes Sue did, and when both the coach and I realized that someone stronger would help the team, I gave up my slot. That never took away my love of the water or swimming both as an exercise and as a joyful experience. Having spent many summers in Far Rockaway, I learned to surf and would sometimes go body surfing backward at around 1 a.m. just to see the stars while on the waves (yes, in retrospect, it was really, really dumb, but the good news is I’m still here to write about it).

When Sue and I started to get “serious” in the late 90s, one of the immediate attractions was our love for the water and also of swimming laps. When we moved to Bluffton, we were very excited that our community pool would have 25-yard lap lanes, and while it took over two years to get the pool finished and open (we moved in August ‘21 and it finally opened in August ‘24), we continue to enjoy almost daily lap swims ranging in my case from 40-80, with Sue doing a steady 72. Both of us are very competitive. Back in Conn. there were some epic racquetball games, (well, epic within our talents) and now that we are here, I have been reluctant to swim alongside her since she regularly whips my tail end. However, while I have zero shot at beating her time or even outswimming her for a single lap (I’ve tried), the meditative act of simply getting in the water for close to an hour (under 40 minutes for Sue), is every-

thing. We are both sad that the pool is not heated and will close again in the late fall. Last year, the town pool was the “go to” for her (I didn’t do that much), but now, it’s being worked on again and won’t open until February ‘25 (if all goes according to schedule), so it will be a big hole in our days.

Once upon a time, I would plunge in and just swim. Now getting close to being Methuselah (he says hopefully), I have a whole set of accouterments: a front facing snorkel to make breathing easier, webbed gloves to help the upper body, of course goggles, and a set of bone conduction earphones so I can be “distracted” by music as I swim. That does not take away from the joy of being able to swim outside (even in the rain, after all, you’re wet anyway) here in Bluffton for most of the year, and, when the town pool reopens, all throughout the year, another small but frequently overlooked bonus of our little town.

In closing I would like to present the results of today’s Fitzpatrick Swim Race Results:

Gold Medal: Susan Fitzpatrick

Silver Medal: Kevin Fitzpatrick

Bronze Medal: (ok there were only two of us swimming)

However, in breaking news: Gold Medal in the 70+ Age group: Kevin Fitzpatrick!

Thanks to Jackson Browne for basically sparking this idea as the last song that came round on the playlist was Brewer and Shipley’s version of Rock Me on the Water. Here’s just a flavor of it.

“Rock me on the water

The wind is with me now So, rock me on the water

I’ll get down to the sea somehow…”

Another special thing about Bluffton is we are never that far from getting to the sea!

Kevin Fitzpatrick is a retired teacher who, along with his wife Sue (also a retired teacher) is enjoying exploring life in the lowcountry and all it has to offer.

Pets of the week

SAMS SPLOTCH

Sams is a gentle boy who really enjoys snuggles, pets, and attention. He’s a little shy at first but warms up quickly. At 2 years old, Sams is ready to experience a lifetime of the very best this world has to offer. If you can give him that, please meet him today at Palmetto Animal League. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped. For more info, call PAL at 843645-1725 or email Info@PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.

Grab and Go! Delicious offerings made daily

Specialty cheeses, olives, peppers, meats & more for the finest charcuterie

Homemade pasta and sauces

Speciality Italian foods not found anywhere else

Huge selection of Italian wines.

Splotch is a real doll! She’s calm, gentle, respectful, and incredibly sweet. This 3-year-old girl is going to make a wonderful companion. She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped. For more info, call PAL at 843-645-1725 or email Info@PalmettoAnimalLeague.org.

From theme to curtain call: the extensive journey of preparing a dance showcase

BY SANDRO VIRAG Contributor

A few months ago, I wrote about what it takes to put on Dancing with the Local Stars. The same goes for the difficult task of putting on a yearly showcase, except for the time frame.

It literally takes months of preparation to pull off a production of this size. Start with a theme. This will determine the direction the show will go. Once the theme is determined, it’s time to line up the song selections. This is where learning begins. Instructors will start to build the dance according to the song being used. This will take months of rehearsals.

The flow of the show is the next task, creating the line up, cutting the music, making it into a real production. Once this is complete, we begin the technical side. This includes lighting, sound, staging and the on-stage set. It will take many people to run a smooth production of this size.

Now comes the fun part, picking out the costumes and props. This can be a challenge and take some time to get it just right.

A showcase allows for working together and bonding because everyone has

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the same goal, which is to produce the best show possible. This is a time when everyone really pulls together. People end up sometimes staying after rehearsals to brainstorm with others about hair, make-up, costumes and dance steps. They end up forming close friendships with people they maybe only knew in passing at the studio.

This kind of teamwork is important because it promotes a positive atmosphere. Students can overcome obstacles by learning from more experienced dancers who may have different backgrounds and dance history. Some of the more experienced dancers can offer valuable insight to newer students.

The day of showcase you will see the dressing room buzzing with everyone helping each other, lending and borrowing curling irons, bobby pins, hair spray, make up, you name it. Even during the show, if someone has a tight costume change, others jump to the call to make sure that person is ready to go. We hope to see you at our next showcase in May of 2025!

Sandro Virag is a partner and instructor at Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio of Hilton Head, hiltonheadballroom. com

FRIED PERCH $14

Fried perch, lettuce, tomato, and spicy aioli on a toasted brioche bun

SMOKED SALMON $16

Smoked salmon cream cheese, capers and toasted bread

MEDITERRANEAN FLATBREAD $17

Fresh garlic, evoo, hot peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese and tomatoes

CHEF’S DINNER SPOTLIGHTS

LOBSTER EGG ROLLS $16

Tender lamb chops char-dusted and grilled, served with homemade horseradish sauce (GF)

SAUTEED MUSSELS $15

Sauteed mussels with fresh garlic touched with homemade marinara (GF)

GROUPER FRANCAISE $25

Lightly egg battered grouper, lemon and white wine sauce over spaghetti

TUSCAN SALMON $28

Baked wild caught salmon, garlic, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, white wine reduction served with seasonal vegetable

TUNA CRAB RICE BOWL $23

Pan seared yellow fin tuna tossed in siracha aioli, seasoned crab meat, avocado, jasmine rice 15% OFF TOTAL BILL DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER Valid through 9/30/24

The Art Posse Wants You!

BY DANIE CONNOLLY Contributor

Can’t draw a straight line? Couldn’t color inside the lines if you tried for hours? Don’t know the difference between crayons and pastels? Perfect - we want you!

The Art Posse television show is looking for a few very, very bad artists for their next season of The Art Posse, filmed in the Low Country. The artists are selected based on their lack of talent in the world of art and they’re willingness to leave behind all preconceived ideas of what makes a person a real art-

ist. If you know of anyone that might fill those criteria, please have them contact us asap at 843422-6940.

Last season, all art rules were thrown out the window and the group learned to have fun discovering the many different styles of art such as Pointillism, Fauvism, Use of Pastels, Acrylics, Watercolors and Paint Pouring. In an atmosphere of crazy props, goofy models and outrageous samples, TV show host, Danie Connolly and cohost Tamela Maxim will be guiding artists through each episode.

Engagement Builds Cohesive Communities

and follow our socials, as

will be more active on our social media channels moving forward to keep an open dialogue with our community members. We will also be posting events, calls to action, and opportunities to get involved in the newspaper. Don’t miss the chance to get involved and/or get published! We look forward to your feedback, ideas, and ongoing communication.

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Necessary Lies

REVIEW BY GLENDA HARRIS Contributor

This is a fiction novel and an incredible read from start to finish. Although fiction, at the heart of this story is the very real history of the eugenics program in North Carolina. This program sterilized thousands of citizens from 1929 to 1975. The number is actually 7,600 with most being women.

It was not just North Carolina. Thirty-three states adopted eugenics programs in the early 1900s out of a belief that “…humanity could evolve, and society be improved by breeding out undesirable characteristics.” Roughly 85 percent were women or girls, some as young as 10. North Carolina was the only state that allowed doctors and social workers to refer or recommend people to the state Eugenics Board for possible sterilization. Other states had a more complex referral process.

This compelling story will pull readers in from the very start as they get to know

the two main characters, Jane and Ivy. Jane is a newly-hired social worker for the State of North Carolina. Her clients include a poor family with two daughters and a young child, being raised by their grandmother who has health issues. Ivy is one of the daughters and as she gets to know Jane, she begins to like and trust her.

When Jane is instructed by her superior to recommend and complete a petition form to have Ivy sterilized, she rejects this and takes a stand against the petitioning, which of course, results in the loss of her job.

Be sure to read the “Author’s Notes” at the end of this historical fiction novel, which includes incredible details about these programs and what has been done since their cessation in an effort to compensate family members of the euthanized and make amends for these reprehensible deeds (as if that would even be possible).

“Necessary Lies” was written by Diane Chamberlain and was published in 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin. It is 372 pages long and is available at most booksellers nationwide including your local independent bookseller.

MUSIC around the Neptune Statue plus light appetizers & drink specials available for purchase from two Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina restaurants.

Glenda Harris

“Whispers and Waves” art exhibit features paintings and glass-like sculptures from two artists

The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) Gallery is thrilled to announce the upcoming exhibit “Whispers and Waves,” featuring the extraordinary works of Karen Serafini, known for resin art and glass-like sculptures, and Theresa King, known for paintings that inspire healing. The exhibit will run from September 1-28, with an opening reception on September 4 from 5-7 p.m. at the SOBA Gallery, located in Old Town Bluffton.

ABOUT THERESA KING

Theresa King, a self-taught artist, creates stunning and inspiring images infused with healing energy. Her artistic journey began after a battle with cancer in 2008, during which she discovered the therapeutic power of positive energy and art. Despite facing numerous challenges, including caregiving for her family, Theresa developed a unique style that reflects her deep connection to nature and spirituality. Her vibrant pieces res-

onate with viewers, offering a sense of healing and tranquility.

Theresa’s remarkable story of resilience and creativity began when doctors predicted a lengthy recovery period after her first surgery. Defying expectations, she returned to work part-time within three months and full-time within five months. Throughout her recovery and caregiving responsibilities, Theresa balanced her emotions by channeling positive energy into her art. This transformative process led her to South Carolina, where she met a Naturopath and a Spiritual Teacher who recognized her natural healing abilities. Today, her celebrated works continue to touch the hearts and souls of art enthusiasts worldwide.

“My way of dealing with this horrible disease was to allow myself to have my fear, anger, and pity party, but I didn’t like how I felt,” she said. “So, for every minute I spent on those real emotions, I forced myself to spend equal time on something that made

me happy.  Some days the energy level only allowed for looking at pictures or listening to uplifting music.  After a short time, I was spending more happy time and less sad, angry time because it resonated with my heart and soul.  Little did I know that I was channeling Healing Energy.”

ABOUT KAREN SERAFINI

Karen Serafini’s art is inspired by the colors and shapes of the ocean and sky. After moving to Bluffton, SC in 2021, she continued to explore her passion for resin art, creating hand-formed, glass-like sculptures that captivate with their fluidity and brilliance. Karen’s scientific background in healthcare and pharmaceutical research uniquely equips her to master the complexities of working with resin, resulting in award-winning creations showcased in prestigious juried shows.

Karen’s artistic journey includes owning the eclectic Inyo Gallery in Leiper’s Fork,

TN, where she celebrated local and international artists. Her handcrafted jewelry has been featured in Nashville Arts Magazine and the Atelier Gallery in Nashville, TN, and can currently be found at the Art League Hilton Head Gallery. Karen’s resin sculptures have been accepted into several juried fine art shows, including CRAFTHilton Head 2022 and Biennale 2023, and she won first place in her category in the 2024 SOBA Juried Show. Her work is displayed in local galleries, including Art League Hilton Head, SOBA, and the Beaufort Arts Association.

“Through my artwork, I try to celebrate the life and colors of our world, especially the ocean and sky,” she said. “Although I’ve worked in several different mediums, I love working with resin because it gives me the opportunity to create unique works of art –no piece is ever the same- while also indulging my lifelong fascination with sciencewhere I’ve spent most of my career.”

Do you live in Hilton Head Island or Bluffton and have a gorgeous garden you would like to share with others? We are currently in search of Gardens to be on the 2025 All Saints Garden Tour to be held Friday and Saturday, May 16 & 17, 2025. The size of your garden does not matter if you have a variety of interesting and beautifully manicured plantings. Larger properties or smaller cottages with lush, gorgeous plantings are welcome to apply. The Garden Tour is expanding to two days in 2025 and is tentatively set for 9:00am – 3pm both days. If you are interested in submitting your garden for consideration to be on the tour, please send an email

Calling All Garden Owners!

with your location (Hilton Head or Bluffton), along with a brief description of your garden and why it is special, to 2025gardentour@ gmail.com. You may include pictures of your garden in your email.

Once we receive your email, someone from the All Saints Garden Tour Garden Selection Committee will be in touch with you to schedule a meeting. At that time, the committee will review the process and details with you, to include a review of parking at your location. If you would like to have your garden considered for the 2025 tour, please email the selection committee at 2025gardentour@gmail.com no later than September 30, 2025.

Grilli

Grilli