Meet Sun City’s resident wildlife rehabilitator
BY ANDREA HOERNER Contributor
Ann O’Brien Morgan was born in Texas and grew up living throughout Southeast Asia where her father served as an Air Force officer, and later worked for the CIA. She feels her love for animals stems from her childhood when she turned to befriending animals for lack of friends to play with.
Eight years ago, Ann started with rescuing two baby bluebirds, named Stars and Stripes, from a lower mailbox. There are no songbird sanctuaries in South Carolina, so Ann reached out to friends Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
She has rescued four batches of baby squirrels, who were released and still come scampering from their tree when she brings occasional snacks out for them.
Ann’s latest endeavor was two baby possums, whose mother was hit by a car on Sun City Blvd. Possum babies, called Joeys, live in their mother’s pouch where they feed 24/7. Their eyes open around two months, and they emerge soon thereafter to be carried on her back. After caring for them for a short while, Ann realized the babies needed more help and contacted Savannah Wildlife Refuge, where the surviving baby is thriving.
The time and effort to care for these babies is mind-boggling: night feedings every few hours, proper formula, weighing them for weight gain, providing the right environment for them and then, finally, the success of gradually acclimating to the outdoors and letting them go.
Ann said: “I always struggle with this passion of rescuing wildlife &/or domestics, and it is heartbreaking when they don’t all survive. Am I doing the right thing by rescuing? Or should I leave it to Mother Nature? I’ve lost far more than I care to admit but still I rarely say “no”. The “successes” keep me going, the successes and the great support &and positive comments from caring individuals here in my own community. “
For several years while traveling in
their RV, Ann and her husband Rich, have spent summers volunteering at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Zion, Utah. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the healing home for up to 1,600 dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, pigs and other animals. The largest sanctuary of its kind in the U.S., The facility has become the heart of a collaborative no-kill movement, and a model for the future of animal welfare.
About eight years ago, she and Rich adopted a Great Pyrenees, Bad Boy Murphy, whose story appeared in The Bluffton Sun. Murphy’s face was riddled with buckshot when they got him, and he required numerous surgeries and medical care. He was trained as a therapy dog for Tail Waggin’ Tutors and visited students at McCracken Middle School, where the children loved to read to him. Guinness is another Great Pyrenees rescue who shares their home.
Ann is a Registered Nurse and works as a Senior Care Manager, managing care plans for seniors needing assistance so they can stay in their homes.
She founded Solo Travelers SIG, part of the Travel Club of Sun City. The group has grown quickly, with more than 100 attending their meetings. Her co-chair is Karen Ovesney. Members get to know each other and can then plan trips together. Their next meeting is September 24, 7:00 pm at the Lakehouse ballroom.
Ann enjoys weekly tennis matches with friends and quilting in her “spare time.” She has two sons, and she and Rich have been married for thirty years.
Top Photo: Ann Morgan with rescued baby squirrel
Bottom Photo: Ann Morgan with her Great Pyrenees: Murphy and Guinness
Why now could be a great time to buy real estate
BY GARY SMYTHE Contributor
As the real estate market continues to evolve, current conditions present a unique opportunity for prospective buyers. With inventory levels steadily increasing, and the potential for interest rates to decrease, now may be an ideal time to consider purchasing property.
Rising Inventory and Buyer Leverage
Over the past several months, the real estate market has seen a significant uptick in the number of homes available for sale. This increase in inventory is providing buyers with more options to choose from, as well as greater negotiating power. The competition among sellers to attract buyers is leading to softer home
prices and more favorable terms for those looking to purchase. This environment is particularly advantageous for buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines, as they now have the chance to secure a property with better terms before market dynamics shift again.
Interest Rate Outlook
Since the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near-zero levels in March 2020 to mitigate the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, its primary focus
has shifted to controlling inflation. Between March 2022 and July 2023, the Fed raised interest rates 11 times. However, with inflation starting to ease and signs of economic turbulence emerging, there is growing speculation that the Fed might cut rates by 0.25% or even 0.5% at the September meeting, potentially marking the first-rate reduction in over four years. A potential rate cut could further boost the real estate market by making borrowing cheaper, leading to lower mortgage
rates. This would enhance home affordability, enabling buyers to qualify for larger loans and consider more expensive homes. Additionally, a rate cut would likely increase buyer activity, driving competition in the market and potentially pushing prices higher.
Strategic Timing for Buyers
Given these factors, this fall could be an opportune time for buyers to enter the market. With a healthy selection of homes, increased negotiating power, and the possibility of more favorable mortgage rates on the horizon, purchasing property before the market heats up again could prove to be a wise decision. For those waiting for the right moment, the current market conditions may offer the perfect balance of choice, affordability, and potential for future gains.
Gary Smythe is a local real agent with William Raveis Real Estate focusing on the Hilton Head and Bluffton areas. Gary@ GarySmythe.com , www.WilliamRaveis. com/GarySmythe
Gary Smythe
BY CHRIS ROOSA Contributor
The altered mind of aging
As I grow older, in this unending process of aging, I find I have to laugh at some of the idiotic things I manage to do.
I shop quarterly for cards. I will purchase several Get Well wishes along with Birthday and Sympathy cards. So, when that appropriate day arrives I am prepared with the proper acknowledgment.
Last week my oldest daughter was celebrating yet another birthday. I wanted to send her that special greeting along with a handwritten note expressing what a wonderful child she has been. The printed verse stated how extremely loved she was while genuinely expressing gratitude for her kindness and thoughtfulness throughout the years. Emphasizing how she’s always been there for me.
But when I got down to the last sentence, I was shocked to read Happy MOTHERS Day! My first thought was one of horror, as I didn’t have time to replace it. Secondly, a sadness occurred as my own mother had been gone for decades. And finally? I couldn’t stop gig-
gling over my foolish purchase. So, I crossed out the word MOTHERS and printed in BIRTH…. Happy Birthday. Everything else was so perfect. Even she had a good laugh.
Most every day I think of President Bush. I remember when this elderly gentleman decided to celebrate his 90th birthday skydiving. I can still visualize the news
media zooming in on Bush descending from the aircraft, heading towards earth at a phenomenal speed and then achieving a safe landing.
How does the above relate to me? Each morning, I place my right foot into my underwear and then repeatedly try to get my left foot into the second opening. My angle is usually wrong so my toes get caught. I retract and generally repeat this challenge several times over before I succeed. And while repeating this nonsense I’m thinking of the 90-year-old President effortlessly jumping out of that plane. That mental picture of his accomplishment, in his older years, cheers me on. Yet here I am blundering away, in my bedroom, laughing at myself at my under-achievement while struggling with my underwear!
Am I the only one that finds it difficult to change sheets on a bed? I’ll maneuver to get that fitted sheet onto that top corner of the mattress. However, while stretching it down, towards the bottom, I come to realize I just went through all these twisting gymnastics for naught. I have just placed the head of the sheet on the long side of the
Crafty delights at Sew What Boutique
BY JOE TURINO Contributor
Sun City’s Sew What Stitches and Crafts Club is the heart of artistic diversity and craftsmanship. On First Saturday Sales, the club’s boutique transforms into a vibrant marketplace showcasing an array of hand-crafted treasures. From intricate sewn pieces to knitted and crocheted items and handmade cards, the boutique is a haven for unique, high-quality creations.
Lil Dembek, co-chair of the boutique alongside Arlene Hickey, reveals that the club operates under a broad umbrella encompassing numerous Special Interest Groups (SIGs). “We have forty SIGs, each focusing on a specific craft, providing our members with the platform to create a variety of uniquely crafted items,” Dembek explains. She added that seasonal themes dominate the displays, with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas items making a festive appearance in the fall.
Participation in First Saturday Sales has surged, with more members setting up tables to display their handiwork. Dembek and Hickey work tirelessly to organize the monthly event, ensuring each member has
the opportunity to display their crafts. “We make a good team that works together,” Dembek adds.
Before the boutique’s inception, members would create items for personal use or as gifts for friends and family. “Eventually, they ran out of people to give them to,” Dembek recalls. Thus, 22 years ago, a group of dedicated members initiated the boutique to share their creations with a wider audience.
Dembek herself discovered the boutique by chance after joining the club, initially participating in quilting groups before finding her niche in table toppers. Encouraged by fellow members to sell her creations, she learned about the boutique and embraced the opportunity. Today, up to forty members display their products at the boutique, with the overflow extending outside the club’s premises during First Saturday Sales with the next on Saturday, September 7th, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. “We do it because we enjoy it,” she states, emphasizing the passion-driven spirit of the club.
Sun City has attracted a diverse pool of talent from various regions, each member bringing unique skills and enthusiasm to
the club. Many join classes to explore crafts they have always been interested in but never had the chance to pursue, Dembek said.
Club President Diane Jolliffe proudly shares that the club currently boasts 748
members, with 158 joining in 2024 alone. The club’s makes charitable contributions that extend beyond the walls of Sun City. Jolliffe said the club has four charity groups within
JOE TURINO
Sun City Sew What Stitches and Crafts Boutique Co-Chairs Arelene Hickey, left, and Lil Dembek
The Sun City Hilton Head
The Sun City real estate market has seen significant changes over the past year. New listings have surged by 40% from July 20 23 to July 2024, and closed sales have also increased by 6.25% during this same period. However, the median year -to-date sales price has dipped slightly, down 1.3% compared to last July. The number of available listings has risen dramatically, up 79% from last year and an astonishing 713% compared to July 2022. Despite this substantial increase, the number of listings has stabilized around 130 for the past several months, indicating that both prices and inventory levels have leveled off. For buyers, this market presents a unique opportunity with a wider selection of homes and better negotiating power compared to a year ago. For sellers, it's an opportune time to capitalize on their prop erties while prices remain near historic highs. How Can I Assist You? If you're considering selling your property in the near future, I invite you to reach out for a comprehensive Market Analysis and an in-depth market review. By understanding the current market dynamics, we can develop a stra tegy to ensure your home stands out and achieves the best possible value in this evolving landscape.
16 Pinckney Drive | 2 Beds | 2 Baths w/Den | 1665 Sq ft Hamilton/Jefferson with a gorgeous lagoon view, wood floors and screened porch. Contact me for details. $469,000
AGING FROM PAGE 6SCS
bed. Unfortunately, I have to begin the whole frustrating ordeal all over again. Each time I embark on this maddening task I wonder why manufacturers never thought to put an UP arrow at the header of the sheet. By the time I change the linens I’m in a major need of a nap. So, to remedy the problem I began purchasing striped sheets.
A friend of mine said because she too finds it difficult to change her bedding, she devised a plan. The first week she
sleeps on the right side of the bed. The second week you can find her to the left. And the third week she utilizes the center. This way she only has to change the sheets every fourth week. Why didn’t I think of that?
As we age, we need to come up with easier ways to accomplish these simple tasks that use to be so much easier in our youth.
Chris Roosa is a resident of Sun City Hilton Head.
BOUTIQUE
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Sew What Stitches and Crafts. She said ‘Caring Quilts’ makes quilts for Hopeful Horizons and the Pregnancy Center of the Low Country. ‘Community Projects’ provides hats and blankets knitted or crocheted for newborns in local hospitals.
‘Capes for Kids’ makes capes for children undergoing treatment at local hospitals. Jolliffe said the club also supports Bluffton and Hardeeville Police Departments with blankets and stuffed animals for children and also provides school nurses with blankets for school children. ‘Caring Creations’ makes bags and hats for local oncology treatment centers
resident may be looking for is probably under the Sew What umbrella.” Struk elaborates, “It’s not all sewing and quilting. It’s knitting and weaving. It’s hand stitching like counted cross stitch and applique. It’s beading and metal clay, making beautiful jewelry. It’s machine embroidery, paper crafts, and greeting cards.”
The Perfect Pairing
JOE TURINO
Sew What Stitches and Crafts Member Margaret Berberich at her table along with her husband Michael Berberich inside the Boutique at a recent First Saturday Sale
And for Sun City residents undergoing chemotherapy treatments or dialysis, Jolliffe said there is the ‘UR Special’ group that provides a bag with fingerless gloves, a scarf, a hat, and socks.
Vice President Brenda Struk underscores the club’s multifaceted nature.
“The Sew What Stitches and Crafts Club is more than sewing. The craft a Sun City
Struk said a recent new addition to the club’s SIGs is the Cricut Group, a “computer-controlled cutting machine to make cards and applique designs for T-shirts, towels, cups, signs, and almost anything else.” Struk highlights the club’s inclusive nature, “We all learn from experience, and there are all levels of knowledge and experience in this club,” she concludes, “The Sew What Stitches and Crafts Club is the place for you to learn, to grow, and make so many new friends.” Residents interested in joining the club can sign in to the Sun City Resident Website, navigate to Clubs and Groups, then Hobbies to register for membership.
FILL THE BUS EVENT
TOM MILLS
Hampton Village (Sun City) members enthusiastically and generously participated in the annual project “Fill the Bus” with school supplies for Jasper County students. Kate and Stu Mace chaired the project and served refreshments for the neighbors who arrived to help load the notebooks, crayons, backpacks and pencils and pens. Kate said it was a huge success and there were even more supplies donated this year than the impressive number collected last year. Well done, Hampton Village.
There are a number of different ways to sell your home
BY LARRY STOLLER Contributor
When getting ready to sell your house you might think that there are just two ways of doing that, selling with a real estate agent or selling by yourself (FSBO). But here is a third way, sell your home on your own but with agent assistance as needed.
According to the National Association of Realtors, in 2023, FSBO transactions accounted for 7% of real estate sales. With the changes on how real estate commissions will be paid in the future, I am willing to bet that in late 2024 & 2025 there will be an increase in home sellers selling on their own.
Selling your home as a FSBO does come with a number of challenging “cons”. They include: > pricing the home right
to sell, > marketing the home to reach all prospective buyers, > finding and utilizing professional photographers, > preparing compelling home descriptions, > negotiating price and terms, > tons of paper work, > dealing with low ball offers, > dealing with inspection issues, > dealing with contingencies, > very time-consuming, > emotional issues, and > increased stress of doing everything on your own. However, on the flip side, there are
COMMUNITY
some “pros” as well.
They include: > not having to pay a commission to a listing agent or a buying agent (however if a buying agent brings in a buyer, he or she will want to receive a commission from the seller), > having complete control over the home selling process, > and providing the best sales features of the home to prospective buyers (after all, who knows more about the home than the home owners / home sellers).
Not having to pay a commission is a big savings!
When I sold my home in West Bloomington, MN is 2005 (before moving here in 2006), I owned and operate a real estate brokerage, so in my mind, the best way to sell my home would be the through my real estate company.
However, my wife felt that since I knew the real estate business, that I could sell our home as a FSBO. So that is what I did, and the savings in commissions amounted to more than $25,000 (a lot of money back then and still a lot of money today).
If I wasn’t a real estate broker back then, I would have listed my home with a real estate company or hired a real estate agent to help me sell it on my own.
Larry Stoller is a local Broker and Realtor with Real Estate FIVE of the Low Country. He sells homes throughout the Bluffton and Hilton Head area. Larry@ RealEstateFive.com, www.RealEstateFive. com.
Larry Stoller
The Kiwanis Club of Bluffton sponsored free eye examinations at the Bluffton Boys and Girls Club for over 60 children. The exams were performed on July 11th by Dr. Kevin Campbell who is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Bluffton.
SPORTS
WTO presents “Tennis in the Pink” fundraiser
BY JOE TURINO Contributor
Excitement is building as the Sun City Women’s Tennis Organization (WTO) gears up for its annual “Tennis in the Pink” Breast Cancer Fundraising event. This highly anticipated event will take place on Saturday, September 28th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sun City South Side Tennis Center.
Angela Bossu Wolfe, chair of the WTO, stated, “It is a day to honor those battling, those who have survived, and those we have lost to breast cancer.” Wolfe emphasized that since 2011, the WTO, a special interest group of the Sun City Tennis Association, has been raising funds for the Pledge the Pink Foundation. This non-profit organization supports local breast cancer groups, and last year’s event raised over $6,000.
Open to all women living in Sun City, those interested in participating have
until September 15th to register at bit.ly/ TennisInThePink24. Residents who are unable to participate in the event but wish to support the cause may make donations by going to: https://donate.pledgethepink. com/?p=43280.
The event promises a range of tennis activities led by Sun City’s Head Pro Gavin Cox and the 2024 Memorial Scholarship winners. Since 2006, WTO has awarded Memorial Scholarships to students on varsity tennis teams at Bluffton High School, May River High School, John Paul II Catholic School, and Hilton Head Christian Academy. This year, ten students received scholarships totaling $3,000.
“The Memorial Scholarship program, our cornerstone, is funded through various other WTO events,” said Wolfe. High school tennis players with a B average or above in grades 7-11 are eligible to apply for scholarships up to $500, which can be used for equipment, training, tourna-
ments, or other tennis-related activities. The event will culminate in a luncheon at the Sun City Pavilion at 12:15 p.m., where cancer survivors will be honored, and Memorial Scholarship winners will be presented with award certificates. Wolfe added non-players and men are welcome to attend the luncheon wearing pink or pink and white attire by simply paying the registering fee with the same link
JOE TURINO
A scene from last year’s Sun City Women’s Tennis Association 2023 “Tennis in the Pink” Fundraiser for Breast Cancer. The 2024 event will be held on Saturday, September 28th.
above. All proceeds raised by the WTO “Tennis in the Pink” go to supporting the Pledge the Pink Foundation. From 2008 to 2010, the WTO also raised funds for the Rally for the Cure Foundation. In total, they have raised over $40,000 for breast cancer organizations. Do not miss this inspiring event that celebrates and supports our community’s fight against breast cancer.
