Bluffton Monthly November 2022

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Sasha Sweeney and Meredith DiMuzio

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THE COVERS:

NEWS

BUSINESS

COMMUNITY

CONCOURS

WHERE TO WORSHIP

GIFT GUIDE

DINING

HOME

dear reader,

November is the perfect time to appreciate what is important to us. We appreciate you, our loyal readers.

We are so thankful that we can share with you the area’s most compelling and fascinating stories and we appreciate all of you who are connected to us.

The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival returns this month. We spotlight an honored collector whose cars have traveled from Peking to Paris, and a woman who has raced on seven continents as she raises awareness to combat child trafficking.

SASHA SWEENEY

We have the area’s veterans on our mind. Learn about a filmmaker who has produced 31 World War II documentaries and read about the history of the Mighty Eighth Air Force museum.

We also have the holidays in mind and our annual gift guide will get you prepared.

The Lowcountry is one of the leading retirement destinations. Learn why our beautiful area has become such a treasured playground and landing spot for so many seniors.

There are so many people in the Lowcountry who volunteer their time and talent. We feature those who are committed to the community and make a difference.

Burnt Church Distillery was the fantastic location for our fall fashion shoot. We appreciate all who helped make the shoot a success.

Steve Carb helped change the restaurant scene in the Lowcountry. His SERG Group has become the island’s largest employer and its establishments have won numerous awards. Carb’s death deeply saddened our area. We remember him through insights from the community and his business partners.

We hope we will all have an opportunity this season to spend time with our loved ones and express our gratitude. It’s important to give thanks for what we have and to show appreciation for those we love.

From everybody at the Monthly team, Happy Thanksgiving.

SASHA SWEENEY MEREDITH DIMUZIO Publishers

MEREDITH DIMUZIO

l etter

KEEP YOUR BRAIN ENGAGED

BY JILL HORNER

Did you know someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease every 65 seconds? Did you know in South Carolina there are 106,233 living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia? Here in Beaufort County the cases of Alzheimer’s have grown by 354% since the year 2000.

More and more people are living with dementia, while more and more are becoming their caregiver.

As we look at these staggering numbers, the cases of Alzheimer’s and dementia are only going to grow as adults live longer. That’s why, no matter your age, you need to take the topic of brain health seriously.

What you eat, how often you exercise, when you learn something new, and who you are interacting with on a regular basis. This is all part of ongoing brain health.

How often do you catch yourself multitasking at the office or at home? You think you are getting so much done and are crossing off items on the to-do-list.

However, multitasking is bad for the brain. While you think you are getting more done, you aren’t doing any of those tasks at 100%. If a picture of your brain was taken while multitasking, you would see all oranges and reds, almost like your brain was on fire.

An image of a resting brain is full of blues and purples, colors of calm and relaxation. Plain and simple, multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance. When you try to do two or

more things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully. If you have a lot to do, take one task at a time. While it may take a little longer, the task will be completed correctly and with your full attention.

Two additional brain health tips we want to convey are how important it is to socialize and continue learning new hobbies.

Often, as we age, we tend to self-isolate. This is the worst step you can take.

It is vital for the brain to stay engaged with thinking and speaking. The same goes with learning new hobbies. In order for the brain to keep working, it needs to be exposed to new things.

If you put a toy car in the corner of a room and never play with it, it becomes rusted and the batteries don’t last. It’s the same with the brain.

If you are reading this and you are starting to see a change in your memory, or speaking skills Memory Matters offers classes and services that can help. We have a class called Brain Boosters for those who are aging and want to keep their brain fresh.

We also provide free MoCAs or memory screens. This non-medical test is superior to existing cognitive screening tools to detect Alzheimer’s disease and 20 other disorders such as stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea and kidney disease.

Horner is Executive Director of Memory Matters

Jill

HEATHER QUINN

HEATHER QUINN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Heather Quinn is a freelance content creator and writer. She’s also often mistaken as the household butler by her beautiful, albeit confused children.

Heather, a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, began her career as a marketing coordinator for an Atlantabased consulting firm.

Working with clients such as the Coca-Cola Company, the Georgia Aquarium and UPS fostered her love of copywriting and brand management. Not one for stillness, over the years Heather earned her M.Ed, created a retail brand, and consulted on various local creative projects and events.

The commonality in her past endeavors and current work lies in her love of people and telling the lesser-known stories that need to be heard. Most days you can find Heather racing around town with her three young girls, chasing the elusive date-night with her husband or literally running away from it all with a jog at her favorite island spot, Jarvis Creek Park.

Heather is honored to have the opportunity to write about the most enchanting place in the world, with the most interesting people on the planet — the Lowcountry.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

TROTTING ON THANKSGIVING

A Thanksgiving tradition in the Lowcountry continues with a series of turkey trots. A holiday to celebrate families, Thanksgiving is also a time for the community to get together and enjoy our great fall weather and run throughout our streets. Here are some trots scheduled for November.

Turkey Trot 5K

The 34th Annual Hilton Head Island Recreation Association Turkey Trot 5K starts at Skull Creek Dockside, winds through Hilton Head Plantation, and finishes back at the Skull Creek Dockside. There’s also a Fun Walk. Hilton Head Island Rec has partnered with Deep Well Project to collect nonperishable food items. Consider bringing a nonperishable food item to packet pickup or race day. 8 a.m. Nov. 24. Islandreccenter.org/events/ trot

Palmetto Dunes Turtle Trot 5K

A 5-kilometer run/walk at Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island. The hard, flat beach serves as the racecourse. Kids 12 and under free. 9 a.m. Nov. 24. Results will be emailed to each participant after the event. Registration is online only. Sign-up at runsignup.com/Race/SC/ HiltonHeadIsland/PalmettoDunesTurtleTrot5K

Historic Bluffton 5K Turkey Chase

The 12th annual Bluffton Turkey chase held at Oyster Park (Wharf St). 8:30 a.m. Nov. 24. Runsignup.com/Race/SC/Bluffton/ BTownTurkeyChase5K

LowCountry Habitat Turkey Trot 5K

Join LowCountry Habitat for Humanity for a run through downtown Beaufort. 8 a.m. Nov. 24. Bay and Newcastle Streets. The event is pet- and stroller-friendly. Info at runningintheusa.com/ details/67575.

PHOTO MONTHOF THE

The sky is the star of this month’s photos. 1. Kelli Hueler photographs a rainbow over the marsh. 2. A beautiful sunset over Hudson’s as captured by Gail Sherman. 3. Jeff Esposito photographed this sunset at Plantation Club. HAVE AN INCREDIBLE PHOTO TO SHARE? WE’D LOVE TO SEE IT. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO EDITOR @ HILTONHEADMONTHLY.COM

FILMMAKER TIM GRAY DOCUMENTS PERSONAL STORIES OF WORLD WAR II

Preserving History

BY TONY KUKULICH | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

When Tim Gray, a filmmaker with 31 documentaries to his credit, needs a quiet environment where he can concentrate on writing his next documentary,

A resident of Rhode Island, Gray’s condominium near the Coligny area serves as his refuge the half dozen or so times a year that he and his wife

“Since we started to come down to Hilton Head a lot, I’ve found it the perfect place to write these films,” Gray said. “With the last three films — one that Tom Brokaw narrated, one that actress Jane Lynch narrated and one that Gary Sinise narrated — I spent a lot of time in Hilton Head writing them. I find it a very calming place to write. In a short time, we’ve become very connected to the community there. It’s become a very special place to us.”

After working for 15 years as a TV sportscaster, Gray left television sports behind to follow a passion that he had for World War II history. In 2006, he raised $40,000 and took five D-Day veterans back to Omaha Beach.

The veterans spoke about their experiences on that beach as the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France got underway in June 1944. Gray used the experience as the basis for his first documentary, and it generated enough interest to do a second. As his films garnered more attention, celebrities like Dan Aykroyd, Matthew Broderick and Luke Bryan began to offer their services as narrators.

“We’re working on one right now with South Carolina native Darius Rucker,” Gray added.

Working in cooperation with the nonprofit World War II Foundation, Gray’s films are frequently seen on American Public Television and PBS. Nationally they rank in the top five requested programs on PBS.

In addition to his completed documentaries, Gray has another 10 in production with release dates scheduled through 2026. Though his budgets have expanded up to $350,000, Gray said it’s still only about half of what a commercially produced documentary might spend.

“We operate really, really lean,” Gray said. “We want the money to go back to the foundation.”

Gray’s interest in World War II did not develop suddenly. It’s been a lifelong obsession that started at the age of 6. From the beginning, Gray said his interest has been in the personal stories of those involved in the great conflict. He’s remained true to that perspective, and it is reflected in his extensive library of work.

“They deal with the personal stories of World War II rather than the 30,000-foot view,” Gray said. “It’s about taking veterans back to where they fought, whether that be a small island in the Pacific or in Europe or surviving in concentration camps.”

When Gray developed his approach to documentary making, he didn’t take an easy path. Getting a film crew to Paris or Belgium is expensive, but not necessarily difficult. Getting a crew and aging veterans to a tiny speck of coral in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is another matter altogether. Also, working in Paris rarely requires crossing crocodile-infested rivers, Gray noted.

GRAY LEFT TELEVISION SPORTS BEHIND TO FOLLOW A PASSION THAT HE HAD FOR WORLD WAR II HISTORY.

“It really is interesting to go to these small islands in the Pacific and there’s still tanks and crashed planes, and you go into caves where there are radios and guns,” he said. “It’s like the war just ended. These are places that it’s not easy to get to. The remnants of war are all over the Pacific, more so than in Europe. You’ve got to be careful where you walk.”

Working in remote locations like Guadalcanal or Peleliu requires a lot of planning, and close coordination with local guides. Despite the many logistical challenges, Gray has found the work deeply satisfying.

“Going to these places with veterans has been the most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done in my professional life,” Gray said.

Collecting stories

American involvement in World War II got underway nearly 81 years ago. Over the course of the war, some 16 million men and women served in some capacity. Gray said that about 230,000 veterans of the war are still living, though that number is getting smaller every day. There will be a time in the not-too-distant future when there are no living World War II veterans alive.

Not wanting to lose their stories, Gray began an effort more than 15 years ago to collect every story he could.

“In 2006 we started to collect as many sit-down interviews with these veterans as we could,” he said. “Sometimes we’d interview 50 veterans in one day. We’ve been collecting these interviews since 2006, and I’d say

Filmmaker Tim Gray has produced 31 documentaries on World War II history.

that 80% of them haven’t seen the light of day yet. In the meantime, many of those veterans have passed away.”

Gray founded the World War II Foundation to help educate younger generations about World War II. Through the foundation, his documentaries are donated to PBS and made available to educators and the general public at no cost. They have also found an audience outside of the United States in countries like China, the Philippines, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.

The work of the foundation has attracted support from a wide variety of sources.

“Preserving the history of World War II is important to me personally,” Aykroyd said. “I support the mission of the World War II Foundation and its efforts to chronicle the stories of WWII veterans, who are passing on at the rate of 400 per day.”

Generating interest in the war for high school-aged students means presenting the information in a way that appeals to them. To that end, he added a virtual reality camera crew to his production team.

“What we’ve started to do is bring a separate film crew with us to shoot virtual reality films in Pearl Harbor and in Normandy at Omaha Beach,” Gray explained. “It’s a way to educate the younger generation who are very visual. When you put the goggles on, it gives you the feeling of standing on Omaha Beach, touching the bunkers, touching the sand. While that’s going on, you’re hearing the veterans talk about what it was like to be there. It’s a sensory experience; introducing history to this younger generation through a sensory experience.”

Gray said he’s looking forward to his next stay on Hilton Head Island.

“It’s our sanctuary,” he said. “The people are so nice. We’re enthralled with the area, but the people have been over-the-top nice.”

For more information on the World War II Foundation, visit wwiifoundation.org.

MIGHTY EIGHTH AIR FORCE MUSEUM HONORS HISTORY

LEGACY SALUTING A

AND PHOTOS BY TONY KUKULICH

There was little to hint at the critical role the Eighth Army Air Force would play in the victory over the Nazis and fascism in World War II when the unit was hurriedly established just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

At the start, it was far from mighty. It was, in fact, an air force in name only. In those bleak early days following the onset of war in the European and Pacific

theaters, the Eighth Army Air Force had no planes.

“The Eighth Air Force was commissioned here in an armory in downtown Savannah, Jan. 28, 1942 — seven men and no planes,” said Pete Nichols, communications and marketing manager for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (NMMEAF). “They drew up the plans for strategic

STORY

bombing. It was approved and that’s where it started. It eventually grew into the largest air armada in history. At its height, it had over 350,000 men.”

It was nothing short of a marvel that, from its inauspicious and humble beginnings, the Eighth Army Air Force flew its first combat mission against Nazioccupied Europe barely six months after it was

commissioned in Savannah.

Now, 80 years after the Mighty Eighth was commissioned, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, located in Pooler, tells the stories of the men and machines that struggled to control the skies over Western Europe. It’s been doing that job for 26 years.

The “City of Savannah,” a B-17G bomber at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler. Known as the Flying Fortress, the B-17 was one of two heavy bombers flown by the Eighth Army Air Force in Europe, and was known for its ability to withstand heavy damage and still fly.

“Gen. Lewis Lyle had the idea to create a museum to honor these men,” Nichols said. “In a lot of ways, we’re really lucky that they built it here. I believe it’s a Smithsonian-quality museum. We like to brand ourselves by saying, ‘Those men saved the world. We save their stories.’ We have a fantastic research and archive facility that does a lot of that. Then, of course, the artifacts and displays that we have in the museum present that.”

The primary wartime mission of the Mighty Eighth focused on the strategic, daytime use of heavy bombers, including the Boeing B-17 and the Consolidated B-24, to attack enemy targets. Bomber crews faced a dizzying array of deadly perils as they looked forward to completing 25 missions and earning a trip home. Flak, enemy fighters, bad weather, accidents and working for hours in sub-zero temperatures in unpressurized bombers all contributed to the 26,000 members of the Eighth Army Air Force who were killed in action.

“There was a one-in-four chance that when you went up, you weren’t coming back at all,” Nichols explained. “To do that, and to do that on a regular basis, is quite remarkable.”

The museum’s centerpiece is undoubtedly the City of Savannah, a restored B-17G Flying Fortress, so called because it bristled with 10 .50-caliber machine guns to defend itself against enemy fighters. Visitors can get a close look at the cramped and difficult conditions its 10-man crews faced in combat.

The museum’s B-17 was built a week after the end of the war and never saw combat. It changed hands a number of times in civilian life before it came into the possession of the Smithsonian Museum in 1984. The aircraft was in long-term storage when the staff at the Smithsonian went looking for a museum that could restore it, put it on permanent display and promise never to fly it again. The NMMEAF checked all the boxes and was awarded the plane at the tail end of 2008.

Within days the plane was disassembled, packed onto six trucks and headed from Chantilly, Virginia to Savannah, where it would be reassembled. Then the hard work of the plane’s endlessly complicated restoration started. The effort would ultimately take six years and over $1 million.

“We feel, and I have no problem saying this, that we have the best restoration of a static B-17 in the world,” said Jerry McLaughlin, who served as the project manager for the restoration of the City of Savannah. “It’s the only B-17 in the world with three working power turrets that we show to the public.”

PHOTO COURTESY MIGHTY EIGHTH MUSEUM

Major John “Lucky” Luckadoo, left, a pilot with the 100th Bomb Group and Gordon Fenwick a radio operator/gunner with the 401st Bomb Group.

According to museum volunteer Bill Schwickrath, a production company doing work for the upcoming Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg series entitled “Masters of the Air” spent a full day recording the sounds of those operating turrets for use in the series.

“Where else are you going to get the sounds of these turrets running?” Schwickrath asked. “You may have a dozen of these planes flying today, but they do not have operating turrets.”

The restoration was aided by companies like Gulfstream that loaned expertise and equipment to the effort as well as some ridiculously good luck. When the restoration crew couldn’t locate a top-gun turret, a crew member visiting in Ohio noticed one sitting in a garden getting used as a planter. After untold years in a garden and a painstaking restoration, it is once again doing the job it was built to do and adorns the top of the B-17’s fuselage.

It might be easy to assume that a plane sitting protected in a climate-controlled environment would need very little maintenance. But that’s not the case. A crew of dedicated volunteers constantly attends to the aircraft.

“It’s been a struggle, but it’s fun,” Schwickrath said. “I just love doing this work. Four or five years ago on any Saturday, an elderly gentleman might walk up and tell you what it was like to fly a B-17 as a kid in the war. Some of those stories would make you cry. These guys went through pure hell flying these planes.”

Nichols said the museum continues to build upon its success telling the story of the Mighty Eighth.

“We’re going through a big capital campaign right now with a goal of raising $10 million,” he said. “We are just shy of $8 million. We’re going to expand the museum with an extra 30,000 square feet. Once we get that completed, we will be able to fit a complete B-24 inside.”

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is located at 175 Bourne Ave. in Pooler, Georgia. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The museum is open on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and closed on Monday. For more information, visit www.mightyeighth.org.

A bust of famed actor Jimmy Stewart in the entrance to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. He flew 20 combat missions in B-24 heavy bombers.

Autumn is our favorite time of year. Along with cooler weather it brings football games, oyster roasts and holiday parties. Break out your flannel shirts, jackets and festive wear. We’ve partnered with some area stores to highlight some of their favorite fashion trends this season.

A special thanks to Burnt Church Distillery who let us use their gorgeous location for our shoot; Ritterbeck Photography for taking these beautiful photos; Heather Edge, who always knows the perfect shade of lipstick to use; and to our models Isabella DiMuzio, Henry Kolb, Audrey Clayton, David Clayton, Mya Clayton and Calvin Clayton, who were not only stunning, but so much fun to work with.

JOHN BAYLEY CLOTHIER

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THE BOATHOUSE TACKLE & GEAR

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SAVE THE DATE

FOR THESE BLUFFTON EVENTS

Nov. 6. 4th Annual Candy Bounce Back Event hosted by Sea Smiles Pediatric Dentistry: A family-friendly event with face painting, games, bounce houses, crafts, rock wall, dunk tank, food trucks and live music by Kyle Wareham and Jevon Daly. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oscar Frazier Park, 77 Shults Rd., Bluffton. Seakidssmile.com.

1 p.m. Buckwalter Place, Commerce Park, 25 Buckwalter Pl. Blvd. Bluffton. SEE OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR, STARTING ON PAGE 118.

Nov. 5. The 2022 Red Shoes Run at Rose Hill Plantation presented by Optim Orthopedics: Open to all ages and fitness levels and features an all-new course inside the gates of Bluffton’s beautiful plantation. Registration is open and limited to 350 participants. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire. Bearfootsports.com.

Nov. 19. Bluffton Lowcountry Made Market: : Local market every third Saturday of each month featuring local artisans and makers. 9 a.m. to

know

THE LOWCOUNTRY WAS SPARED THE WORST FROM HURRICANE IAN, BLUFFTON MOVES FORWARD WITH AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN, AND THE NEXT STEP IN THE U.S. 278 PROJECT WAS DECIDED. HERE’S WHAT MADE NEWS DURING

townofbluffton.sc.gov. or email tobchristmasparade@townofbluffton.com

BLUFFTON POOL REOPENS AFTER $900K IN REPAIRS

Renovations and a DHEC inspection on the Bluffton Pool on Pritchard Street were completed, which led to its re-opening in mid-October. The repairs cost $900,000, which included replacing the roof panels and structural roof clips that hold the roof to the structural beams. An anti-corrosive paint was added along with replacing the lighting over the pool. The pool had been closed since earlier this year after an initial inspection showed damage that “created a high probability that the roof structure would fail in the event of high winds or heavy rainfall,” a news release said.

ELECTIONS SET FOR NOV. 8

Lowcountry voters will head to the polls on Nov. 8. Hilton Head Island voters will choose a new mayor, and council seats. There are also Beaufort County school board and council races. For a sample ballot specific to your district, visit scvotes.org and click “Get My Sample Ballot.”

BLUFFTON PARTNERS WITH A PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD

A 1.78-acre site at May River Road is the new designated spot for more affordable homes thanks to a new publicprivate partnership between the town of Bluffton and developer Workforce State of Mind LLC. The homes will be affordable and reserved for those who are incomequalified, regardless of market values, for 30 years, a news release said. Bill Herbkersman, managing member of Workforce State of Mind, says while the need is immediate, the project is currently in the design stage.

BLUFFTON PLANS CHRISTMAS PARADE AND TREE LIGHTING

The Town of Bluffton plans to host its 51st annual Bluffton Christmas Parade through Bluffton’s Historic District, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. The tree-lighting ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Martin Family Park, followed by Santa’s Workshop at DuBois Park’s Pavilion. The movie, “The Grinch,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park. The Town asks parade entrants to give a donation to the Bluffton Lutzie 43 Charitable Fund, in lieu of a parade entry fee. The deadline for parade applications is Nov. 11.

For the new parade rules, visit

LOWCOUNTRY FIREFIGHTER HONORED

Brian Mixson, a former fighter in Jasper County, was honored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Mixson, 32, suffered a stroke while on duty on March 5, 2021. He was transported to a local hospital and died 12 days later. Mixson served as a firefighter and EMT in Jasper County for more than 14 years. He was one of 148 firefighters recognized at an event in October.

HURRICANE IAN HAS MINIMAL IMPACT ON LOWCOUNTRY

The effects of Hurricane Ian were felt in the Lowcountry, but it did not directly

THE PAST MONTH:

IN THE

51ST BLUFFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE

hit the area, and there were no major impacts according to officials. The town of Hilton Head said Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue responded to six downed trees with no injuries or significant damage. Sustained winds of 38 miles per hour and gusts of 52 miles per hour were recorded on Hilton Head Island. Beaufort County saw about 1.5 inches of rain. The storm strengthened (Category 1) as it reached the Charleston area, bringing about eight inches of rain.

SCHOOL SHOOTING HOAX

The Lowcountry and parts of the state were unnerved Oct. 5 by a number of fake reports of active shooters at schools. The Beaufort Police Department received a phone call at 9:27 a.m. reporting that there was an active shooter at Beaufort High School. Officials said the call was a hoax, but before that was determined, police officers and sheriff’s deputies swarmed the school to make sure that students and staff were safe. About 40 officers were inside the school at one point, a news release said. The false alarm was one of 22 received by schools in South Carolina that day, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE TEACHER NAMED 2022-23 DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR

LaVerne Stewart, who teaches English Language Arts at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was named Beaufort County’s 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year. Stewart has 22 years of teaching experience. The four other finalists were Kinsey Butler at Bluffton Middle School; Justine Hardy at Battery Creek High School; Karri Kearns at May River High School; and Jennifer Lyles at Coosa Elementary School. Stewart’s mother, Vernell Speaks-Stewart, was also a seventh-grade ELA educator in Beaufort County.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BEAUFORT COUNTY COME TO AGREEMENT ON U.S. 278 CORRIDOR PROJECT

Hilton Head Island Town Council agreed to work with Beaufort County to advance the William Hilton Parkway Corridor Project, including hiring an independent

consultant to conduct end-to-end analysis and simulation of the proposed corridor improvements, a news release said. In a 4-3 vote, Town Council passed a resolution authorizing the town to participate in a revised Memorandum of Agreement with Beaufort County that lays out the path forward for the project. A six-person committee of town and county representatives will select an independent consultant to perform a review. For more information, visit hiltonheadislandsc.gov/ us278corridor.

BEAUFORT, JASPER COUNTIES ESTABLISH REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND

Municipalities in Beaufort and Jasper counties have created a regional housing consortium and have pledged $3.4 million to kick start the initiative. A Housing Trust Fund is established to support the production and preservation of affordable housing for the area’s teachers, law enforcement, first responders, cooks and other service industry jobs. The goals include creating new housing units or rehabilitate or preserve existing housing units; helping households maintain

financial by reducing money they must spend on housing and transportation; and increase awareness of existing and new financial products that serve the BeaufortJasper community.

ORDINANCE KEEPS DOGS LEASH-FREE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND BEACHES

An updated ordinance that Hilton Head Island Town Council passed will allow dogs to be on island beaches without a leash during designated times. The ordinance aligns with an animal control ordinance Beaufort County adopted with an exception to let the dogs run freely along the shore. The times when dogs are allowed on the beach: October through March: Anytime on leash or under voice control; April through Thursday before Memorial Day: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on leash; 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. on leash or under voice control; Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. not allowed on the beach, 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. on leash or under voice control; Tuesday after Labor Day through September 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on leash, 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. on leash or under voice control.

STEWART

PARIS

Age: 4 years old

Gender: Female Weight: 45-50 pounds

Breed: Mixed Large Temperament: She has finished up her mama duties and is ready for her next chapter. She does not meet a stranger, enjoys some dogs and would prefer a home with no small animals.

BADTZ

Age: 6 months old

Gender: Male Weight: 5 pounds

Breed: Domestic Short Hair Temperament: Badtz is a special-needs little kitten. His condition will cause him to be the size of a kitten for most of his life. He enjoys being held and running around with his feline friends!

Biking

BY CLAY BONNYMAN EVANS

RIDING EVENT WILL HELP GIVE BACK TO CHILDREN OF BLUFFTON COMMUNITY

During the COVID-19 pandemic members of the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton thought they noticed a trend toward more “active” fundraising events for non-profit organizations — golf, shooting clays, a bicycle ride.

When they started looking around for what kind of fundraiser might be right for Bluffton, they didn’t have to look far: Their sister club just across the bridge had been holding the phenomenally successful Pedal Hilton Head Island bike ride to benefit local kids for 15 years.

“They have an extremely active group of cyclists involved. It’s a huge event, first-class, very well run. In May they had over 600 riders,” says Mollie Sandman, board president of the Bluffton club and a development officer at South Atlantic Bank.

And if they were going to hold a bicycling event, the Bluffton board saw no reason to reinvent the wheel(s). Sandman called up Russ Whiteford, past president of the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head and a key organizer of the Pedal event.

“We went to him and asked, ‘Can you help us pull off an event like this in Bluffton?’” Sandman says. “And because he is the amazing, awesome person he is, he said, ‘Of course I can.’”

And so, thanks to a big — and ongoing — assist from Whiteford and others from Pedal Hilton Head Island, the first Bike Bluffton event will roll out on Nov. 6.

“Russ came in and we brought in other cyclists who helped us with all the details: routes, supplies, registration and marketing for the event,” Sandman says. “We’re so grateful to have those folks walking beside us. There are things that we never in a million years would have thought of without them.”

“Based on our success on Hilton Head, we’ve been able to bring our knowledge to Bluffton. Now we’ve got Pedal Hilton Head in the spring and Bike Bluffton in the fall, and there’s plenty of room for both,” Whiteford says.

Two-wheeled enthusiasts can choose from four different routes and distances:

• A “metric century” of 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, which winds through Bluffton and takes riders all the way out to Palmetto Bluff and back

• A 30-mile out-and-back ride with several loops

• A 10-mile out-and-back jaunt on bicycle paths

• And a 2-mile loop near the Bluffton Buckwalter Recreation Center “intended for little kids, moms and dads,” Sandman says.

“We have a little bit of something for everybody,” she says.

Riders have the option to register for the three longer rides for $70 ($50 for the 2-mile ride) or sponsor an individual child from the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton on any route for $300.

“If you choose to ride for a kid, a picture of the child goes on the back of your jersey,” Sandman says. “That’s somebody who has chosen to really step up and contribute to the kids in the club.”

More than a month out from its inaugural ride, Bike Bluffton had already registered three-quarters of its initial goal of 250 riders.

“The preliminary indications of success are phenomenal. We are expecting over 300 riders with a net of over $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton,” says Whiteford, an active cyclist. “That all goes toward programs that focus on academic success, healthy lifestyles and making sure kids are good citizens.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton has served more than 4,500 children ages 6-18 since opening its doors in 1998.

The community has enthusiastically embraced the event, Sandman and Whiteford say, from title sponsors Dollenberg Properties, May River Dermatology, Eastman Marine Construction and MBC Pools to a dozen more business sponsors, the Bluffton Police Department and the Town of Bluffton. Sandman says the board sees potential for an even more extensive event down the road, potentially involving all six individual clubs in Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry, including those in Beaufort and Jasper County.

“We’d love to figure out a way to involve them,” she says. “We just live in such an attractive area. We’re hopeful the event has the capacity to continue to expand.”

To register for Bike Bluffton, go to bikebluffton.org.

2 MILE ROUTE

10 MILE ROUTE

30 MILE ROUTE 62 MILE ROUTE

BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTOS BY RUTHE RITTERBECK

Looking for someone who’s got an eye for blending and building upon classic Lowcountry elements? Look no further than interior designer Leah Bailey of Savannah. Her boutique design firm can handle everything from curating the look of a new home to refurbishing an old apartment or updating a worn-out bungalow.

“There’s no one word to describe my style,” she laughs. “It’s timeless, beautiful and coastal—but not kitschy. I’ve honed my taste into having a little European influence with a Southern twist.”

More importantly, it’s livable.

“All of my interiors are very light, bright, and neutral, and most of my fabrics are indoor-outdoor materials. Everything can be cleaned,” she said. “I want my clients to look at their husbands when they come back from a day of hunting in their camouflage and say, ‘Sit down, have a bourbon, and enjoy the day.’ ”

Bailey’s eye for style extends to the Lowcountry. In July 2020, she opened The Shop on May River Road in Old Town Bluffton, a boutique that also houses a small design studio.

Her path to the Lowcountry started in Michigan, where she was born, but Bailey moved to Savannah at an early age and calls herself a “Southern Yankee.” By 4 she was spending a lot of time with her aunt and her aunt’s husband, a man who renovated houses.

“We’d go into these dilapidated houses, furniture auctions, and antique stores. I was exposed to things most kids aren’t at a very young age,” she says. “I understood it and loved it.”

After attending The Women’s College of Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, for 2 ½ years, Bailey transferred to the Savannah College of Art & Design.

“I was able to get this strict interior design education at Brenau and then more of the art history and decorative arts from SCAD. Plus, I was back in Savannah,” she says, “It’s where my roots were.”

Growing up around magnificent old architecture, playing in landscaped parks and even living in an old beach house for a while on Tybee Island, Bailey says she didn’t truly understand how beautiful and charming the area was until she left.

Now she draws upon that inspiration as she guides clients to choose palettes, textures, and accessories to design their homes.

Twenty-two years ago she started Leah Bailey Interiors and quickly became the go-to designer for homes in Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton as well as The Landings on Skidaway Island and neighborhoods in Savannah.

Her creative touches have been featured in magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Country French, Savannah Homes, and The Cottage Journal.

BLUFFTON

TheIssuePet

FREE for all local residents (Beaufort & Jasper Counties).

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“I’m all about mixing finishes,” she notes about her unique style. “Just because you have a polished nickel faucet doesn’t mean the lights or the cabinet handles have to be the same material. If it’s done right, it makes sense.”

Insisting that she never wants to become a massive design firm, Bailey takes pride in her “hands-on” approach to doing business. Always confident about her ability to pull together everything from colors to lighting to the scale of furniture, Bailey understands it can be terrifying for clients.

“You go from that part of promising it’s going to look great,” she says of those first meetings, “to the end of the project, the reveal, when the client walks in and says, ‘Oh my God! You were right – it works.’”

Bailey said her clients had urged her to open her boutique shop in Bluffton.

“People always want to add things to their house,” she says. “Because I’ve curated the shop the same way I curated their houses, they can come in and buy something knowing it’s going to look great.”

If opening a new business during COVID wasn’t challenging enough, five months later she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

“It was definitely a year of growth and change, but also struggle. If I made it through that, I can survive anything,” she reflects, describing her year-long stint of treatments and working from a distance as her team handled the day-to-day operations.

Now cancer-free, she hopes locals and tourists alike will stop by her Bluffton shop and introduce themselves.

“There’s something for everyone, whether it’s for your dog, your grandmother, a hostess gift or for your own home,” she emphasizes, adding that prices range from $10 to $3,500 for the most expensive artwork.

After hosting several popular pop-ups, she’s also added apparel to her boutique.

“So now it’s not just an interior shop; it’s a lifestyle,” she says. “It’s been fun.”

1. OKATIE RESIDENT NAMED TO COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

Glenn Miller of Okatie has been appointed to serve on Beaufort County’s Planning Commission. He replaces Frank Ducey and will fill the remaining term until February 2023. Miller, originally from Pennsylvania, relocated to Beaufort County after retiring in 2021.

2. CASSANDRA’S KITCHEN OPENS IN OLD TOWN BLUFFTON

Cassandra’s Kitchen has opened in Old Town Bluffton on Promenade Street. Previously the homeware and kitchenware shop was on Red Cedar Street. The new location is a “bigger and brighter space” according to the website.

3. GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER NAMES WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD WINNER

Leslie Rohland received the 2022 inaugural Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Award. She is the founder and owner of many Bluffton businesses, including The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room, The Juice Hive, and May River Coffee Roasters. The award was created to recognize women in business who have demonstrated exceptional growth, change and impact in the Greater Bluffton area. Since 2009 she has employed more than 400 residents.

4. TRAMPOLINE PARK PLANNED FOR BLUFFTON

Altitude Trampoline Park announced plans to be a “go-to spot” for indoor, active adventure in Bluffton with a new park location, a news release said. Local entrepreneurs David and Haleigh Johnston are leading the venture, signing a franchise agreement. “Bluffton has exploded with population growth over the past few years – it’s become an increasingly popular place to raise kids,” said Haleigh Johnston. Altitude Trampoline Park targets parents with children ages 3 to 12 years old.

move on the

5. HILTON HEAD HIRES COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Mack Brown Jr. has joined the town of Hilton Head as a community code enforcement officer. Brown will enforce the town’s municipal code and land management ordinance related to environmental, public safety, health, sanitation and other general regulations. Prior to joining the town, he served as a lieutenant for the South Carolina Department of Corrections in Ridgeland.

6. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

COORDINATOR

JOINS TOWN OF HILTON HEAD

Yazmin Winston Black has joined the town of Hilton Head as community development coordinator. She will be responsible for technical, financial, and administrative duties. She joins the town from the Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority where she worked for nine years as an operations manager and most recently as its chief safety officer.

7. COASTAL STATES BANK NAMED PRESENTING SPONSOR OF LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS

The Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association announced Coastal States Bank as the 2022 Presenting Sponsor of the Annual LightHouse Awards. The awards, established in 1999, recognize quality craftsmanship and design excellence in home construction. Winners will be named at the awards gala Nov 18.

8. HILTON HEAD WELCOMES FIRE CHIEF

Chris Blankenship was recently introduced as fire rescue chief for the Town of Hilton Head. Blankenship came to HH Fire Rescue in 2001. In 2018, he was named Deputy Chief of Operations. “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as chief and continue to work alongside a very dedicated, caring, and experienced team of first responders,” he said.

MILLER

CASSANDRA’S KITCHEN

ROHLAND

ALTITUDE TRAMPOLINE PARK

9. LOWCOUNTRY BUSINESS EXPECTED TO BRING 58 JOBS

A business coming to Hardeeville plans to invest $1.3 million and bring 58 new jobs to the Lowcountry. Hardee Greens, LLC, a startup indoor, vertical farm company will bring operations to Jasper County, according to a Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance news release. The farm is initially expected to produce 10,000 pounds of greens and salads monthly to serve restaurants, schools, and grocery stores in the Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head and Savannah areas.

10. SECOND HELPINGS VOLUNTEER JOINS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Eppinger of Hilton Head Island, a five-year volunteer, was named to the board of directors of Second Helpings. He is a retired business executive with experience in the engineering and construction industries and transportation infrastructure. Eppinger is a truck volunteer and day captain, and a member of Second Helpings’ Events and Marketing Committee. Earlier this year Eppinger was named as Hilton Head Volunteer of the Year.

11. SPINE SURGEON JOINS BOSS ORTHOPAEDICS

Board-certified, fellowship-trained spine specialist B. Andrew Castro, M.D., has joined BOSS Orthopaedics (formerly known as Beaufort Orthopaedic, Sports & Spine), with offices in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort. A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Dr. Castro was most recently in private practice in Denver, Colorado for over 20 years. Dr. Castro is a member of the medical staff and performs surgery at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

12. BLUFFTON PET SALON COMPLETES CPR AND FIRST AID TRAINING

Paw-metto Pooches Pet Salon in Bluffton recently completed an eight-hour pet CPR and first aid training course. Topics covered included emergency and crisis management, pet CPR and rescue breathing techniques, first aid and bleeding protocols. Each staff member received a certificate of completion from PetTech valid for two years.

EPPINGER CASTRO

SHARING A PASSION

BY TIM WOOD | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

PALM TREES AND PISTONS GIVES CAR JUNKIES AN OUTLET TO SHOW OFF THEIR COLLECTIONS

When Eric Riseman moved to Hilton Head Island full-time in 2015 one of the biggest plusses in escaping western Massachusetts winters was the ability to show off his classic cars year-round.

But when he began looking to join car clubs in the area, he didn’t find the fit he was looking for.

“Every club had financial requirements to join, membership and fees,” said the founder of the Palm Trees and Pistons Car Club. “I wanted to do something that gave an outlet for folks who just want to get out and show off their cars in a bit more informal setting.”

He saw a similar mindset with the show that meets the first Saturday of the month at Lucky Rooster Kitchen and Bar but saw a need to fill the rest of the monthly calendar. So, he went to the management at Sea Turtle Marketplace and said he had the perfect way to bring in new faces to fill the parking lot near the now-empty former home of Stein Mart.

“We approached all of the shop owners and just preached the benefits of bringing some new faces in that might not otherwise stop at their stores, and it was a win-win,” Riseman said.

The club started showing on the second Saturday of the month in October 2021. Slowly but surely, the show has built a loyal following.

“I think the owners appreciate just getting together for free, talking cars, showing off their beauties and learning from other collectors,” Riseman said. “I’m a wannabe mechanic but I don’t have the garage for it. So, I’m constantly learning from our group.”

Riseman is a retired tech sales and marketing executive who is working part-time for American Airlines at Hilton Head Island Airport. He isn’t a volume collector like some you might see at the Concours, just a car junkie who worked hard, stowed some dollars away after putting two kids through college and began to invest in his lifelong passion.

“I had the Matchbox cars like every other red-blooded male of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and I wanted to make those dreams a reality,” said Riseman, who has mostly been a Corvette collector before purchasing a 2015 McLaren, his first foray into the world of exotic cars.

Palm Trees and Pistons Car Club has been a go-to spot for car enthusiasts.

“McLaren isn’t as well known; I think I have one of two on the island from what I’ve seen. You see them racing Formula 1, but you don’t see them as much at the shows,” he said. “Everybody has a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. I just like to zig when others zag.”

Riseman recently bought his first Matchbox in 50 years, a McLaren that matches his real-life model. It’s one of the more unique photos on the group’s Facebook page.

The zigging can be costly, especially when it comes to repairs.

“A ’67 Corvette, it was easy to work on. My 2014 Corvette was impossible to work on and this ’15 McLaren is even trickier to find parts for,” he said.

That proves to be a mixed bag for he and his wife Karen, a nurse at Hilton Head Hospital.

“We both love riding around in it; it’s a fun toy that makes us feel good. My kids joke that I’m spending their inheritance, but it’s time to enjoy all the years of providing and working hard,” he said. “Of course, when it’s time for repairs, my wife wants to put a size 8 shoe up my you-know-what.”

In its year of existence, Palm Trees and Pistons has average about 15-20 cars per month, mostly antiques and exotics.

Riseman said he just hopes to continue to spread the word and organically grow Palm Trees and Pistons.

“We just want to be a conduit to show off your vehicle. I’d love to fill every spot in the parking lot,” he said. “More than anything, we just want to be an unobtrusive way for new and veteran collectors to learn and share their knowledge and their passion.”

The club’s next show is Nov. 12 at the Sea Turtle Marketplace. Check out their Facebook page (search Palm Trees & Pistons) for more information.

HOW TO HELP:

We are looking for more volunteers and always donations. You can donate un wrapped toys, clothes, or other gifts to stock our “gift closet.” Things like art materials, sporting equipment, basic clothing / sweatshirts and sweatpants, toys, baby dolls, books for ages 3-13, and board games are always welcome. Note: we do not give electronics or video games. To donate these things, email libby@thecelebrationprojects.org for a pick up or arrange a drop off.

GIVING IS SIMPLE: You can donate your time or donate money to help fund more birthday parties for children in need. Visit: thecelebrationprojects.org/ donate.html to make a tax-deductible donation.

CELEBRATION PROJECTS

OUR MISSION Our mission is to give deserving children in need the gift of a birthday party! It’s a day that they do not share with anyone else – the party is all about celebrating the child and is 100% paid for by our organization. There is no cost to the family and a very special day for the birthday girl or boy!

WHO WE ARE T he Celebration Projects is made up of four board members, Libby O’Regan, Mick Kuehn, Ashley Gluck and Amanda Spencer. We also are start ing to get volunteers to help plan and coordinate the parties.

WHAT WE DO We mostly work with The Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head to connect with children who are deserving of a celebration! We plan their birthday party at a special location on Hilton Head or Bluffton (a ropes course, pottery stu dio, movie theater, for example) and pay for the activities, food, drink, an amazing cake, and of course – lots of birthday presents! We go big and aim to get a variety of things that children need (listed on their preference sheet) and also that the children want. They can invite friends & family and celebrate with loved ones.

WHO WE HELP The children selected are residents of Hilton Head and Bluffton whose family may be experiencing financial hardship, or otherwise wouldn’t be able to throw their children a big birthday party!

Visit thecelebrationprojects.org to learn more about us, volunteer and donate! libby@thecelebrationprojects.org

HOPEFUL HORIZONS

WHO WE ARE Hopeful Horizons is a children’s advocacy, domestic violence and rape crisis center that works to create safer communities by changing the culture of violence and offering a path to healing. The organization provides safety, hope and healing to survivors through therapy/counseling, outreach, prevention and education. Hopeful Horizons serves Beaufort, Allendale, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.

WHAT WE DO We provide safety, hope and healing to survivors of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault through evidence-based practices and aim to end abuse through primary prevention and education.

WHO WE HELP We provide services to victims/survivors of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault, at no cost.

HOW TO HELP: Give | Volunteer | Wish List on Amazon

GIVING IS SIMPLE: Your gift can help make hope happen. To give visit Hopeful Horizons online at www.hopefulhorizons.org/donate

hopefulhorizons.org

24/7 Support Line 843-770-1070 Offices in Beaufort, Bluffton, Okatie and Walterboro Main office: 1212 Charles St., Beaufort, SC 29901

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

OUR MISSION

Strengthening community by connecting people, resources, and needs.

WHO WE ARE

Created in 1994, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry is a committed philanthropic partner, providing leadership, support, and resources to help donors, nonprofit organizations, and other com munity members make a difference in the lives of Lowcountry citizens in need.

WHAT WE DO

We make it easy to channel your philanthropic pas sion into effective and impactful giving. We know the community, we understand its challenges, and we are familiar with the organizations addressing them. We have the tools, knowledge and personal ized service to help you find the most effective way to make an impact in our community.

WHO WE HELP

The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry serves a four-county region – Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper. We awarded over $800,000 in scholarships to deserving local students for the 2022-23 academic year, and over $7.3 million in grants to nonprofits in FY 2022, plus offer work shops and programs for nonprofit leadership.

GIVING IS SIMPLE

Our knowledgeable staff help generous people every day set up and manage charitable giving funds that best fit their philanthropic wishes, including Donor Advised, Scholarship, Designated (or Endowed), and Field of Interest funds. You can currently sup port these funds by visiting our website at cf-low country.org. You can also donate to the Community Foundation’s Touch Tomorrow Endowment Fund For The Lowcountry, which benefits multiple nonprofits in our four-county region. Gifts of any size can have an impact on our region for years to come.

HOW TO HELP

» The Community Foundation cherishes our role as a resource to regional nonprofits and the resi dents they serve. In partnership with United Way of the Lowcoun try, we manage LowcountryVolun teerConnections.org, which links people interested in volunteering with nonprofits who have staffing needs.

HOW TO HELP:

There are many ways to make a difference for Memory Matters. You can do this through time, volunteering your time and effort in our day program, in our office, or at our events. You can donate items to our day program or pens and paper to our administrative office. You can also do this through monetary gifts that can easily be given on our website at www.mymemorymatters.org. Anyone interested in helping Memory Matters can do visit our website, calling 843-842-6688, or emailing at info@mymemorymatters.org

MEMORY MATTERS

OUR MISSION Memory Matters provides compassionate services for those experiencing cognitive decline, offers caregiver respite, supports families, and educates those who want to maintain or improve their brain health.

WHO WE ARE We have a small staff here at Memory Matters, but we all have large hearts and the will to help this community. We are all truly devoted and skilled to serve those whose lives have been affected by memory loss. Each staff member, though assigned to different aspects of the organization, works together to ensure we meet the needs of our community.

WHO WE HELP We serve individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, caregivers, family and friends, and health professionals. While we offer a variety of programs, support, and training opportunities, most importantly, we offer care, kindness, and inspiration to those who need it at a time memory issues have disrupted their life.

WHAT WE DO For 25 years we have educated the community, of all ages, on what can be done to keep the brain healthy, and what can be done to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It’s a balance of brain-health education and memory care services. We are unique in the Lowcountry, and our expertise is unsurpassed.

117 William Hilton Parkway Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 843-842-6688 info@mymemorymatters.org

HOSPICE CARE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

OUR MISSION to give comfort and honor dignity for end-of-life patients and their families through compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual care, regardless of their financial circumstances.

WHO WE ARE Hospice Care of the Lowcountry is a not-for-profit hospice and palliative organization serving Beaufort and Jasper counties for 40 years.

WHAT WE DO We provide a team approach to hospice and palliative care through quality care planning and dynamic programing. Our team is trained to access the patient and the family to create an individualized care plan that fits what the patient and family wants and needs. We offer specific programming to help cater to our patient and family needs such as: Hospice Care, community based Palliative Care, We Honor Veterans, the Jenny Brasington Final Wishes Program, Bereavement services and so much more.

WHO WE HELP Currently our hospice program serves any person with a terminal diagnosis with 6 months or less to live. Our palliative program is designed to serve individuals who suffer from chronic conditions and need chronic symptom management.

GIVING IS SIMPLE You can give three ways. On our website at hospicecarelc.org/donate/, over the phone: 843-706-2296, Mail in your donation to Hospice Care of the Lowcountry PO BOX 3827 Bluffton, SC 29910

Hospice Care of the Lowcountry PO BOX 3827 Bluffton, SC 29910 843-706-2296 hospicecarelc.org/donate/

HOW TO HELP:

The easiest way to help is to spread the word that Hospice Care of the Lowcountry is your local not-for-profit hospice that can serve you and your family in your time of need. Other ways to help is to volunteer with our other 111 volunteers or donate to a program that is dear to your heart such as our Final Wishes program.

PREGNANCY CENTER & CLINIC OF THE

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to provide pregnancy related healthcare to women in a welcoming, safe, and confidential setting.

WHAT WE DO

PCCLC provides free prenatal medical care through the first sixteen weeks of pregnancy including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins, counseling, STD testing and education, prenatal and parenting classes, nutritional guidance, food, diapers, referral resources, and infant layettes. We are here to listen to our clients’ needs and concerns, answer their questions honestly and completely, and provide care, support, and a listening ear.

WHO WE HELP

We help uninsured, underinsured, and underserved women in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. We are committed to serving all those who turn to us

HILTON HEAD LOCATION

1 Cardinal Road, Suites 1 & 2

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

LOW COUNTRY

for help with warmth and compassion. Since our founding, the PCCLC has assisted over 20,000 women in Beaufort and Jasper Counties.

WHO WE ARE

The Pregnancy Center & Clinic of the Low Country (PCCLC) was established in 1990 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to help women and families struggling with pregnancy related issues get the help and care they need. Our services are completely confidential and non-judgmental.

We are certified by the South Carolina Free Clinic Association and are a member of the South Carolina Association of Pregnancy Care Centers; National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA); and Heartbeat International.

GIVING IS SIMPLE

We rely on the ongoing support of many generous individuals, Churches, foundations, and community organizations to make this possible.

MOSS CREEK LOCATION

19 Moss Creek Village Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

RIDGELAND LOCATION

11332 N. Jacob Smart Blvd Ridgeland, SC 29936

» There are many ways to help us! We look to the community for their time, talent, and treasure. We seek volunteers to help us with our daily operations, we search for individuals and groups to provide their talent such as graphic designers, photographers, DJ’s, interior designers, boat captains, and we welcome anyone to contact us--we will find a place for you at one of our three locations.

» Lastly, we need financial support. You can scan the QR code below to make a gift. We encourage local Churches and organizations to hold a Baby Bottle Blessing Campaign. We will provide you with the empty bottles, design graphics/ flyers, and guidance to help run a successful campaign.

HOW TO HELP:

Lowcountry Legal Volunteers is always looking for new volunteers to join our dynamic team! Many of our volunteers are retired attorneys, paralegals and administrative assistants. We also have local attorneys that take on cases pro bono. Give us a call and we are happy to discuss volunteer opportunities or give the grand tour of our office.

GIVING IS SIMPLE There are many ways to give to Lowcountry Legal Volunteers and we make it easy! Contact us at our Okatie Office by calling 843-815-1570 or go online to lowcountrylegalvolunteers.org to donate or find out more about how you can help.

LOWCOUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS

OUR MISSION Lowcountry Legal Volunteers provides free, vital legal services to low-income residents of Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties.

WHO WE ARE We are a 22 years running, volunteer-based organization with a dedicated staff. We have offices in Okatie as part of the 14th Circuit Victims Services Center and in the City of Hardeeville on 36 Main Street.

WHAT WE DO We help people living in the Lowcountry, who are surviving at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, who are at their darkest hour with their essential legal needs. We represent people in all types of family law matters, provide eviction defense and housing issue counseling, and even draft simple wills and health care powers of attorney for clients.

WHO WE HELP Our clients are amazing, hard-working people, most of whom are raising their young children. They are people who deserve equal access to justice and the chance at a brighter future.

108 Traders Cross,Okatie, SC 29909 843-815-1570 | lowcountrylegalvolunteers.org

DEEP WELL PROJECT

WHO WE ARE For almost 50 years the Deep Well Project has provided a safety net for people in our community experiencing an emergency situation. Our small and committed staff is supported by hundreds of volunteers and a generous net work of donors who provide things like food, hygiene items, furniture, new toys and children’s items for Santa Shop, and financial gifts – all of which power our services and programs.

WHAT WE DO Our programs range from a 5-day a week food pantry, to critical nature home repairs for low income home owners. Deep Well’s Food impact feeds 300-500 people per month. Shelter assistance, rent/mortgage emergency pay ments, home repairs and re-homed furniture, keeps about 2000 people a year safe in their homes. Deep Well has a School Readiness program with new school uni forms and school supplies to help children start off their school year on a high note, as well as Holiday programs – Thanksgiving and Christmas special meals and the amazing Santa Shop.

WHO WE HELP All of Deep Well’s programs are available to Hilton Head Island residents, and some specific services are available across Beaufort and Jasper Coun ties. Deep Well’s clients are almost exclusively the working poor – people who are employed and have income, just not enough income to make ends meet when they hit even a small bump in the road.

80 Capital Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 843-785-2849 // deepwellproject.org

Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

GIVING IS SIMPLE :

Financial, as well as specific item gifts, are welcome! Checks may be mailed to Deep Well Project, PO Box 5543, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938, or credit card gifts can be made online at www.deepwellproject.org/donate. Deep Well’s Food Pantry accepts non-expired, unopened food items as well as hygiene items – drop these off in the red wagon by the front door, or for a large volume of items, ring the bell at the Pantry door. At Christmastime, the Santa Shop accepts new toys, games, clothing and books for children ages 1 – 12.

SECOND HELPINGS

Second Helpings is a nonprofit organization that has been working to eliminate hunger and food waste in the South Carolina Lowcountry since 1992. We rescue and distribute food that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. We also acquire funding to buy healthy food to supplement our food rescue efforts.

Our more than 325 volunteers provide three million pounds of food each year, free of charge, to 54 food pantries, soup kitchens, churches, and family and senior programs who feed the hungry in our community. That’s 50,000 meals per week – every week. And thanks to our volunteer-driven operation, we are able to rescue food at a cost of 18 cents per meal.

According to Feeding America, there are 20,000 per sons in need in our three-county area, including 4,000 who live on Hilton Head Island and many more who com mute to work here. They are children and their families, senior citizens, and workers whose paychecks don’t stretch far enough to cover their expenses. Many of them work in the hospitality industry, making our paradise pos sible for local residents and visitors.

We operates several programs, including:

FOOD RESCUE

Volunteers drive our eight refrigerated trucks about 90,000 miles per year across our service area, “rescuing” food from 42 grocery stores and other outlets that donate food deemed unsellable. Maybe this food is reaching its “sell by” date; perhaps it’s an apple that is bruised, let tuce that is wilting, or a product that just isn’t selling. Whatever the reason, they donate it to us. An array of food is picked up daily by our teams of volunteers.

FILL THE NEED

Fill the Need provides groceries every week to those who commute many miles and hours each day to work on Hilton Head Island in hospitality, foodservice, retail, land scaping, and similar industries.

The program is a true partnership between Second Helpings and Palmetto Breeze Transit.

Each week, Second Helpings delivers rescued food and purchased healthy food to Palmetto Breeze’s Bluff ton bus depot, where Palmetto Breeze staff unload and store it. Every Thursday, a cadre of Second Helpings volunteers arrive, and, with the help of Palmetto Breeze staff, sort and distribute the assortment of food to the transit agency’s regular commuter passengers.

Second Helpings and Palmetto Breeze have been rec ognized by community leaders for this program.

HEALTHY FOOD INITIATIVE

Often, a limited amount of produce is available for rescue. Because produce is essential to a healthy diet, Second Helpings launched this program to solicit grants to pur chase and supply additional fresh produce and protein to our agency partners to feed the hungry.

• Working with Dempsey Farms in the Beaufort area, pro duce is harvested, packaged and delivered on Second Helpings trucks.

• Between growing seasons, and whenever there is a need, Second Helpings purchases produce, protein and other items from a wholesaler. We may also partner with local food donors to buy fruits and vegetables at discount prices.

» Giving to Second Helpings is simple! Details – and a link to donate online –can be found at secondhelpingslc.org

» You can help Second Helpings in other ways as well:

» Volunteer: we have opportunities for truck volunteers, as well as volunteers to help out in committees, with events, and in the office. Please visit second helpingslc.org/get-involved/volunteer to learn more and to sign up.

» Hold a food drive or fund-raising event. Visit secondhelpingslc.org/getinvolved for more information.

community connection

HHI RESIDENT RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

Eleanor Lightsey was recognized by Beaufort County Council for her “commitment and dedication to the community” in making it a better place to live, work and play. She served the Lowcountry on various boards such as South Island Public Service District Board, Programs for Exceptional People, Forest Beach Owners Association, Board of Osprey Village, Community Vision of Hilton Head, Lowcountry Autism Foundation, Hilton Head Heroes and Safe Harbor and Turtle Trackers. In her professional career, she was named executive vice president of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors and became business manager for LowCountry InsideTrack, Ltd.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY AWARDS $500,175 IN GRANTS

In the third and final cycle of the Town of Hilton Head Island’s American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds COVID-19 grant process, Community

Foundation of the Lowcountry awarded $500,175 in grants to 15 nonprofit agencies. The latest grants awarded to local nonprofits were $236,110 for food programs; $92,665 for education and childcare; $89,400 for health and mental health; and $82,000 for emergency housing assistance. For more information, visit cf-lowcountry.org

MOSSY OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S NURSE NAMED SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR

Mossy Oaks Elementary School’s nurse, Jodi Knorr, was named Beaufort County School District’s 2022 “Support Staff of the Year.” Knorr was selected based on a support staff application consisting of essays describing one’s role within the district; how they contribute to student achievement; and how they inspire, motivate, challenge others, and encourage excellence.

THE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY AWARDS GRANT TO TCL NURSING STUDENTS

The Hospital Auxiliary awarded Technical College of the Lowcountry nursing students Chelsea Selner and Dean Smith $2,000 each, funded through Power:Ed. The

Power:Ed grant given to local nonprofits to help South Carolina students succeed is a philanthropy of South Carolina Student Loan Corporation. Selner and Smith attend TCL’s nursing program while working at Hilton Head Hospital.

LONG COVE FUND AWARDS $290,300 IN GRANTS

Long Cove Club said the Long Cove Fund has awarded $290,300 in grants to 46 area nonprofit organizations. The Long Cove Fund provides grants in the areas of health, housing, hunger and education in Beaufort and Jasper counties. Since 2003, $1,850,541 in grants has been awarded to local nonprofits. For more information, visit longcoveclub.com.

MICHAEL ANTHONY’S HOSTS CHARITABLE COOKING CLASS

Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana recently sponsored a hands-on pizza-making class for members of Pockets Full of Sunshine, a charitable organization dedicated to providing vocational training and social opportunities to adults with disabilities and special needs.

STUDENT RECEIVES GIRL SCOUTS GOLD AWARD

Hilton Head High School senior Delcie Swift received the Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of the USA in recognition of her in-depth study of shark species. Her presentation is on display at the Coastal Discovery Lab at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Swift’s project includes charts, diagrams, books and craft activities –including shark teeth – and focuses on issues such as extreme overfishing, poaching of sharks worldwide, and the general lack of understanding about sharks.

TCL’S HEALTH SCIENCES PROGRAMS

ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT PASS RATES

Several of the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s health sciences programs recently achieved a 100 percent pass rate on national licensing exams: radiologic technology, physical therapy assistant, massage therapy, nursing (2nd quarter cohort) and medical assisting programs. Of the 49 students enrolled in the programs, all passed the various

national licensing exams required to work in their fields, said TCL’s Dean of Health Sciences Joey Swearingen.

USCB NAMES FIRST MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

Ron Fudala will be the first men’s basketball coach at University of South Carolina Beaufort. Fudala had been the associate coach at NCAA Division II Indiana University Pennsylvania for the last four seasons. He helped the Crimson Hawks win 91 games during the last three seasons. USCB, which will compete in the Peach Belt Conference, will begin play in the 2023-24 season.

MEMORIAL HEALTH EARNS EMERGENCY CARDIAC CARE CENTER DESIGNATION

Memorial Health University Medical Center has been designated a Level I Emergency Cardiac Care Center by the Georgia Department of Public Health. The hospital is the first in southeast Georgia to earn this distinction, which recognizes the state’s highest level of emergency cardiac care.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

to

RACE RESCUE

BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

REŃEE BRINKERHOFF DRIVES CARS, RAISES AWARENESS TO COMBAT CHILD TRAFFICKING

Reńee Brinkerhoff of Colorado stands in a class all her own. An accomplished extreme-rally racer, she was the sole female driver out of 300 participants in Targa Tasmania. She drove the first classic car to ever compete in Caminos del Inca in Peru. And she’s the first and only driver ever to have raced on all seven continents.

But it’s her commitment to using her success as a means to combat child trafficking that gives her life meaning.

Not bad for someone who never raced a car before turning 57.

Brinkerhoff, along with her daughter Christina, who works with her mother, will bring her car and story to Hilton Head Island this month for the Concours d’ Elegance & Motoring Festival.

The sudden switch from “supermom” of four to

nerves-of-steel race car driver happened after her children left for college.

“My life was consumed seven days a week, and then it was quiet,” she says. Quiet enough that while folding laundry, she heard an inner voice declaring, “One day I’m going to race a car.”

It was a thought she had heard before, but never paid attention to it.

“Now what am I going to do with that?” Brinkerhoff wondered. “For my own self-respect, I didn’t want to be at the end of my life and say that I never did it.”

So, she did a little research.

“Not more than an hour,” she confesses, “and then I reached out to my husband’s cousin who had once raced a Corvette.”

A ride in his recently purchased Porsche 356 set

Renee Brinkerhoff has raced throughout the world, including in East Africa.

everything in motion.

“It sounded and felt like my little souped-up VW Bug I had when I was 17,” she says, deciding then that she wanted to race a classic car in the challenging circuit of road rallies because it sounded “super exciting.”

She bought a 1956 Porsche 356A with hopes of entering the upcoming seven-day, 2,000-mile La Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico, only to discover that the car had numerous mechanical issues.

While talking to the mechanic, she learned that one of his customers was registered to do that very race with the same model car and his co-driver had bailed on him.

The two got in touch and — voila! — Brinkerhoff was headed to Mexico, where she filled in as both navigator (person seated next to the driver) and driver. It proved to be the perfect opportunity to “get her feet wet.”

still laced with trepidation.

“The first day there were two brothers who died, days later four or five cars went off a cliff, and on the seventh day, a guy had a heart attack,” says Christina. “It was this huge baptism by fire, and I distinctly remember seeing my mom before she went out to race in our hotel room, and she was on her knees praying.”

Despite the danger, Brinkerhoff wanted to continue. She spent the entire next year developing her own car, finding a navigator, and figuring out how to get her car to Mexico.

“It’s hard to explain,” she says when asked about why she kept going. “All day long it’s just you, the car and your navigator – what I call ‘the trinity’. You’re pushing the envelope, feeling the thrill of adrenaline, and having to face

Christina, a photographer and talent agent in Los Angeles at the time, came along to photograph her. Her recall of the event is

all kinds of things – your strengths, weaknesses, and fears. It’s an amazing sense of being alive.”

In 2013, Brinkerhoff returned to Mexico, distinguishing herself as the first female to win her class in her debut race. She’d go on to podium three more times.

With each success Brinkerhoff wondered how she could create a platform for a bigger cause.

Not believing in coincidence, she says she was divinely guided to find answers.

In 2013, Brinkerhoff and her son William were home together when he showed his mother a picture of a woman with wings flying on a horse.

“That’s cool,” she said, learning it was the image of a Valkyrie, a Norse woman warrior.

Loving the image of strength, Brinkerhoff christened her team Valkyrie Racing. Only later would she learn that the warriors were known for their ability to rescue the dying and wounded and bring them back to life.

Her “cause” appeared after striking up a conversation with a man on a tour bus. She learned he was an undercover FBI agent in search of child traffickers, and his stories were shocking. Months later, Brinkerhoff caught a man viewing child pornography on his phone and took it as a sign that she had to get involved.

Since 2017, Valkyrie Gives, the charitable arm of Brinkerhoff’s racing organization, has raised nearly $700,000 to combat child trafficking.

To help manage the charity as well as the growing list of paperwork, travel arrangements and social media needs, Christina came on board fulltime in 2019. Still photographing, she’s also guiding a documentary

project about her mother and the Valkyrie team.

“All the charitable giving, 100%, goes to organizations that we’ve vetted,” stresses Christina.

In addition to building shelters, providing funds to prosecute traffickers, and even purchasing plane tickets to reunite rescued children with their parents, the motherdaughter duo has also done their share of undercover work.

When the two brainstormed about how to attract more attention to their cause, Brinkerhoff decided on the goal of racing on every continent.

One by one, she checked off the boxes. She raced from Peking to Paris, through the Andes in Peru, along dirt roads in Africa, and most recently across the frozen landscape of Antarctica.

Along the way she dealt with desert dust-clogged engines, bribes in one country to free her car from customs and fabricating car parts when backup supplies didn’t show up on time.

Still smiling, both mother and daughter agree: “It’s been an amazing journey.”

Visit www.valkyrieracing.com to learn more.

Brinkerhoff at the frozen landscape of Antarctica.

DRIVEN by Stories

BY BARRY KAUFMAN | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

HONORED COLLECTOR DIRK DE GROEN SHOWCASES TREASURED AUTOMOBILES

There are collectors who will see a historic automobile as something that must be carefully preserved, hermetically sealed, lest the dust and contamination of the modern world ruin its elegantly timeless design.

And there are collectors like Dirk and Alexandra de Groen, who will treat their treasures like the irreplaceable objects of a bygone era that they are, while at the same time taking them

on a rip-roaring road trip across the world.

“I’m not the kind of guy who has garage queens,” said Dirk. “That’s perfectly fine, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s not my favorite aspect of the hobby. I’m a driver. I build them up and run them down and the cycle continues.”

As he talked to Monthly about his plans for the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Island Motoring Festival, where he is

the honored collector, Dirk had just returned from a two-day race between Athens and Rome. That might seem like a long way to take a vintage car, but it’s nothing compared to the 33 days the couple spent racing between Peking and Paris in 2013.

“We’ve done the road to Mandalay, we did Africa. Just before COVID we raced on the Adriatic and the Balkans into former Yugoslavia… it’s just great fun.”

EACH CAR IN THE COLLECTION SPEAKS TO A DIFFERENT ERA, A DIFFERENT DRIVER AND A DIFFERENT WORLD

A native of the Netherlands, de Groen’s lifelong obsession with cars started young: at just 12 years old he was already driving. It wasn’t long before his need for speed gelled into a fixation for German automobiles.

“For me, a car is not just a piece of metal and some parts. It’s really the story behind it,” he said. “That’s why I’m a lousy seller, because I get attached to these stories. You drive one of these and you can almost feel like you’re that guy in 1934 who first drove this machine.”

And de Groen’s cars have stories. Each one in his collection speaks to a different era, a different driver and a different world. Selecting from among his volume of 25 page-turners was no easy feat, but he was able to pick out five which he will display during this year’s Concours.

First off, there is his personal favorite, a 1937 328 BMW Roadster. “It’s a very special car. It’s not only one of the first 328s ever made, it’s the second oldest one still surviving,” he said.

But don’t think he takes it easy on this vintage masterpiece just because of its rarity. In true Dirk de Groen fashion, he’s sped across California and Germany behind the wheel of this showpiece.

“The car just hugs you. It’s like you as the driver and the car become one.”

Then there’s the endurance race veteran, a 1958 Mercedes Benz 219 that, according to de Groen, “probably still has Mongolian mud in the trunk.” Originally built for heavy-duty fleet use, this car has been modified to withstand the punishment of long-distance rallies.

“It’s maybe not a Concours car, but it’s a very special car. For me, it’s a way to show people that they really have to use the cars to enjoy them.”

And if you want to talk about stories, few can touch the provenance of the 1960 BMW 700 Sport he’ll be displaying. Renowned as the car that saved BMW from bankruptcy in the 1950s, the car spent 55 years in Algeria.

1937 BMW 328

1960 BMW 700 Sport

- 1971 BMW 2002 Alpina A2

On a trip from Paris to Amsterdam in 2019.

“It was owned by a French mechanic, and when the French got kicked out of Algeria, he left and took it with him.”

The story told by the 1971 BMW Alpina A2 he’s bringing is a little more personal, tying back to his youth. “It’s very dear to my heart, and I’m very proud to have it,” he said. “When I was in technical college I did an internship at BMW and Alpina, and this is one of the few that still works.”

And with the 1990 BMW Z1 Alpina RLE, de Groen is telling a story that he hopes will continue into a new generation. “It normally would not qualify because it’s not old enough, but I really think that for the hobby to stay alive, we need to get younger people involved,” he said. “This brings out something new.”

You can see all these fascinating vehicles, and relive their amazing stories, when the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival rolls onto the island Nov. 4-6. For more information, visit hhiconcours.com.

PLAN VISIT

YOUR

ANNUAL CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

SCHEDULE

For six years, the Grand Motoring Film Festival has treated Hilton Head residents to a unique cinematic experience circling around the automotive world. This year the event, running during the island’s Concours d’ Elegance & Motoring Festival, will provide all the sophistication and celebration of automobile culture that ticket holders expect, including a juried awards show.

“There’s so much to celebrate when it comes to the art of the automobile and the culture that revolves around motoring, and there are so many fantastic films that embody that spirit,” said festival founder Guy Smith.

The festival begins with a VIP-cocktail reception, displays of classic and collector cars scattered through the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina while guests enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres. The film selection for the night ranges from short works, premieres and a feature film blending genres to highlight automotive cinema.

Thursday’s (Nov. 3) ticket holders are able to watch more top-rated films free on Friday, Nov. 4, at Coligny Theater. Tickets for the Friday showings and panel discussions are available on the festival’s website.

Judges for the film competition are top notch, including Hilton Head resident Simone Griffeth, whose portfolio of work includes major movies, television shows and the 1975 cult classic, Death Race 2000.

With a selection of entries that reflects all motoring films, judging took place recently, with the announcement of finalists in the categories soon after. Submissions include documentaries, web videos, brand films, TV shows and more. Also named recently were featured films for the Thursday reception and the full screening schedule for the Friday event.

This year marks the first that the Grand Motoring festival is a part of Hilton Head’s month-long Crescendo celebration of art, culture and history.

EVENT: Grand Motoring Film Festival opening

WHEN: Nov. 3, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island

WEBSITE: GrandMotoring.com or Filmfreeway.com/grandmotoringfilmfestival TICKETS: artshhi.com

FRIDAY, NOV. 4

• Flights & Fancy Aeroport Gala at the Hilton Head Island Airport. The event features vintage aircraft that are flown in from across the country and are showcased alongside Concours cars. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 5

• AUSTIN-HEALEY CLUB OF AMERICA’S SOUTHEASTERN CLASSIC. Included with a ticket to the Car Club Showcase. In its 35th year. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• LEGENDS OF THE AUTOBAHN. A celebration of German automotive engineering on the East Coast will be held in conjunction with the Car Club Showcase at the Port Royal Golf Club. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• CAR CLUB SHOWCASE AT PORT ROYAL GOLF CLUB. Invited clubs select the members to showcase their club with nearly 200 cars on display. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• AERO EXPO AT HILTON HEAD AIRPORT. Features vintage aircraft from the past as well as new and advanced aircraft. Classic automobile examples and new and advanced automobiles will be displayed. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• DESIGN AMONG THE STARS. Features some of the world’s most notable automotive designers sketching live to benefit the Driving Young America charitable fund. At Harbour Town Clubhouse at the Sea Pines Resort. 6:30 p.m.

· SATISFY YOUR THIRST AFTER-PARTY PRESENTED BY HAGERTY: Live music at the Port Royal Golf Club following the announcement of the Car Club Showcase’s Best of Show. Tastings will be offered from a selection of South Carolinabased distilleries and breweries from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and access is included with admission to the Car Club Showcase.

SUNDAY, NOV. 6

• SUNDAY CONCOURS will feature more than 200 cars and motorcycles that will enter the first and 18th fairways of Port Royal Golf Club’s Planter’s Row Golf Course. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT HHICONCOURS.COM

The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival is set for its 20th year. The annual event is Nov. 4-6, held at Hilton Head Island Airport and the Port Royal Golf Club. Here are some highlights.

FREE ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS

Concours d’Elegance offers discounts for students. Students (with a valid student I.D.) receive free general admission at the gate to the car club showcase and Concours d’Elegance. One parent per child who receives complimentary admission will receive 50% off general admission at the gate upon request. The discount is available for up to one parent/guardian per student. Active duty military (with active duty I.D.) And immediate family will receive 50% off general ad-mission at the gate.

WAYNE CARINI IS GRAND MARSHAL

Master car restorer Wayne Carini is the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival’s grand marshal. He has done body and paint work on rare car collections owned by the likes of David Letterman, tennis great Ivan Lendl and the DuPont family. He has been featured in the New York Times as well as numerous automobile magazines. Carini owns and operates three companies in Portland, Connecticut.

YOUTH JUDGING PROGRAM

Youngsters have a chance to learn about cool classics cars. On Nov. 5, Hagerty is offering its Youth Judging Program, designed to get kids ages 6-14 more involved by bringing the world of judging to a kid-friendly level. Learn more at hhiconcours.com/youth-judging.

CARINI

LONGTIME EXHIBITOR CONCIERGE COORDINATOR RETIRES

After more than 20 years Meredith Kronz, Exhibitor Concierge Coordinator, announced her retirement. “It is difficult, if not impossible, to sum up her achievements over 20 years of dedicated service,” the Concours d’Elegance said.

JOHN CARLSON NAMED CHIEF JUDGE

John Carlson is the chief judge for the Hilton Island Concours d’Elegance. He is a University of British Columbia graduate who has spent 30 years in secondary education specializing in fine art and antique automobile restoration. He is serving his 21st year as President and CEO of the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada Corporation.

ANNE BROCKINTON LEE NAMED PINNACLE RECIPIENT

The Pinnacle Award debuted in 2013 in conjunction with the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance’s move to the world-class Port Royal Golf Club. Anne Brockinton Lee was named the award’s 2022 winner. She has hand-selected five automobiles from her collection. On Nov. 5-6, a hand-picked selection of her collection will be on display in the Short Game practice area.

MAKE YOUR SPACE STYLISH AND CONDUCIVE TO PRODUCTIVITY

LIGHTING THINGS UP

BY DEAN ROWLAND

Nobody could have predicted before the pandem ic began in 2020 that lighting in the home office and workspace would be thrust into the spotlight and require more attention to detail, function, efficiency and design than ever.

After all, few homeowners spent as much time in their home office before COVID emerged as they did once it took a foothold in our lives. Working remotely meant rethinking how to transform the

everyday home office into a comfortable, well-lit office away from the office.

Refresh and renew became new opportunities to move forward with new lighting styles, materials and designs in the office and other rooms as well.

Unlike your company’s workspace that’s in your rearview mirror. If you haven’t already done so, personalize your new workspace at home. Make it stylish, practical and conducive to productivity.

Infuse the room with as much natural daylight as pos sible through the windows. Direct and indirect lighting should be applied to all areas of the room, whether it be sourced in Art Deco, industrial or vintage styles. Minimize the glare and use energy-efficient bulbs for cooler light (3,000-5,000 Kelvin rating).

Table lamps with LED task lighting illuminate the work ing space, chandeliers brighten the entire room, and floor lamps highlight recreational spaces.

Lighting can be the starting point for the design of every room. Each fixture needs to have a purpose, specific func tion and be attractive.

Table lamps can double as sculptural pieces of art. Larger furniture can be accentuated by a pair of table lamps on either side. Floor lamps next to your armchair can light the pages of your favorite book or lighten a darkened corner of a room.

Bold lighting designs that bedazzle can complement a nearby traditional design.

Transparent bulbs continue their impressive track record as an affordable and trendy light fixture.

Lighting creates ambiance to fit any occasion; soft and low for the bedroom, bright and cheery for the game room, overhead lighting for the kitchen and pendant lighting for the island or breakfast nook.

Single-light pendants or two-light cluster pendants come in a variety of finishes like glass, brass and copper and styles like modern, rustic and traditional.

They also come in a variety of shapes to suit any prefer ence from dome, bowl, lantern, globe and orb, geometric and others.

Pendants are also a smart choice for home bars, home offices, hallways and foyers. For overhead lighting that com bines function with an attractive presence in a room, think chandeliers and pendants.

Keep recessed lighting on your list of considerations for their unobtrusive positioning to focus light on areas 4-6 inches in diameter. They also partner well in sloped ceilings.

Comfort living extends to warm lighting by using natural materials like textured wood, glass and jute. Simple designs, shapes and textures complement functionality.

Always try to incorporate dimming controls throughout the home to give you flexible lighting options and reduce electricity use.

Lighting Tips

• Living rooms: Ambient overhead and accent lighting.

• Kitchens: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting over workspaces, countertops or sinks.

• Bedrooms: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting over nightstands and near dressing areas.

• Bathrooms: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting near vanities.

• Outside: Accent lighting along walkways and landscaping.

Lighting Temperatures

• 2,700 Kelvin: warm and darkest, similar to candlelight.

• 2,900 to 3,200 K: warm and slightly brighter, the most common color temperature for most rooms.

• 3,500 K: neutral and brighter color temperature.

• 4,000 K: cold; this is where the imitation of natural daylight begins, and the light becomes colder depending on the time of day.

• 5,000 K: cold, colder than before, and very bright; serves for rooms where the focus is needed.

The right lighting can make a big difference in ambiance and comfort.

white sandy beach and blue waters. Gently used family beach house with no rentals. This home shows like a model and features lush tropical landscaping, multiple balconies. Inside ceiling to floor windows, great natural light, fabulous kitchen, fireplace, open floorplan, 2 master suites, + 3 more spacious bedrooms, loft, and the list goes on! $1,950,000

DUNES

PALMETTO

PALMETTO DUNES

PALMETTO DUNES

LOVING LIFESTYLE

BY HEATHER QUINN

Although playing a round (or two) of golf will always be an essential retirement pastime, a new generation of active seniors want more than their predecessors.

Pickleball, Mahjong, wine outings, dining clubs, craft groups and daily Lowcountry excursions are just a few of the activities available to active seniors.

The idea of retirement communities began back in the early 1900’s. Basic boarding houses and bleak apartments gave way to more cheerful concepts and by 1960 the mega-popular inaugural Sun City opened in Arizona with huge success. As a result, active living communities began to open throughout the country, according to Jeff Hoyt at seniorliving.org.

With more than 60 years to perfect the art of 55-and-over living, the ideology is that it is not 55+ and older — it is 55+ and better.

Active adult communities such as Sun City Hilton Head (with more than 100 clubs), The Cypress, The Bayshore and Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head have changed the game when it comes to senior living, specifically in a postpandemic world. The silver lining, according to Suzanne Brown, the activities director at The Cypress of Hilton Head, is that “residents were forced to use technology.” As a result, residents became more comfortable with technology— participation increased as it became commonplace for seniors to sign-up online for activities and programs.

THE

THE 55-AND-OLDER CROWD WANTS TO GET OUT AND HAVE FUN WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM HAPPY.

The words active and senior have become as much a mindset as they are an absolute necessity—the 55-and-older crowd wants to get out and have fun with the people who make them happy.

Mona Ward is the lifestyle director at Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head Island and she’s a proud Margaritaville resident as well. According to Ward the top three requested activities are pickleball, bocce ball and anything associated with the visual arts (crafts, photography, pottery etc.).

“The vibe is welcoming-like mindedness; we don’t stifle creativity,” she said.

The desire to stay on property is trending, according to Ward. After many years of hard work and raising families, friendships can finally become a priority.

“Now our residents are making friends for life and enjoying friendships they always wanted to have,” she said.

As a result, the on-site activities are extensive, and there are new activities added frequently.

Bluffton-based K. Hovnanian Four Seasons at Carolina Oaks offers a bustling daily schedule of activities. According to its website, the community’s activities include pickleball, billiards, ballroom dancing lessons, and painting classes. There’s also tennis and an aerobics studio.

The Bayshore on Hilton Head Island has an arts and crafts center, outdoor bocce ball court, and an outdoor heated swimming pool.

The website’s calendar of events last month included a creative writing class, painting, an afternoon boat cruise and line dancing.

An active mindset is not just for those opting for a resort-style active living community. Those that are opting to “age in place” are just as active as their communal counterparts. In other words, “rather than seeing retirement as a time of limited opportunity or even boredom, Americans have begun to see the possibility of it being an active, productive period in life,” an NPR report notes.

On Hilton Head Island, The Island Rec Center has a robust list of offerings for the senior set. From Mahjong and cribbage to day trips and a monthly Diners Club—the senior center has become a bustling place.

“Many of the events we do are the suggestions from our members and I believe this is what makes this center unique and fun,” said Cherie Bronsky, Senior Center Director, Island Recreation Association.

In addition, local businesses such as Needlepoint Junction in the Village at Wexford have seen a huge uptick in “crafters” who are 55 and older.

“We have a regular group of knitters/crocheters and needlepointers. Some have been strangers to each other that have become long lasting friendships. They grow to deeply care for one another. The talent is crazy,” noted Michelle Greene, owner of Needlepoint Junction.

Multicultural worship

PROVIDENCE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH PROMOTES DIVERSE FAMILY OF FAITH

BY AMY COYNE BREDESON

The Rev. Dr. William Ward of Providence Presbyterian Church wants his church to be a multigenerational, multicultural family of faith. He has already accomplished that through his diversified staff.

While some denominations don’t allow women to be ministers, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) does. At Ward’s right hand are three women who keep the church running.

Associate Pastor for Family Ministries and Missions, the Rev. Dr. Cibele Santos, was born and raised in Brazil and is the mother of three young children. The church’s music director and organist, Dr. JooSoo Son, hails from Seoul, South Korea, and is the mother of six children.

Administrative assistant Mary Daly, originally from Virginia, brings another level of diversity – she has

cerebral palsy. Annie, Mary’s service dog, accompanies her to work each day where she has become known as the Administrator of Love and Joy.

“So often we’re just all the same,” Ward said. “This is just another way that we’ve tried to have our church staff reflect real life. I always thought that was something very special about Providence that you don’t see many places. We also try to reflect our community in our ministries.”

Located at 171 Cordillo Pkwy., on Hilton Head Island, Providence is just down the road from Woodhaven Villas and Cordillo Courts, where many Spanish-speaking immigrants live. To minister to their neighbors, the church offers a weekly English as a Second Language class. A church bus picks up participants from both neighborhoods and takes them home afterward.

Every Wednesday night from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., a group gathers at the church to learn English, while another group meets for adult Bible study. Ward is currently teaching a class based on the video series, “The Chosen.”

Free childcare with Christian education is offered for participants of both programs, and everyone gets together for dinner from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The ESL class continues to grow – there were 26 new participants during the current semester of classes. Eight South American countries were represented at a recent ESL session. The group studies English in class, then they practice speaking English during dinner.

As part of the church’s mission to “cause God Joy,” Providence allows two startup churches to use their facilities at no cost. Those churches add even more diversity to the campus.

“We’re very blessed with the campus here,” Ward said. “We have about 26 acres. We wanted to figure out how we could use our campus to give back to the kingdom in a way that promotes this idea of a multicultural, multigenerational family of faith.”

The nondenominational Oxygen Church, led by Pastor William Johnson, holds services at Providence’s Chapel in the Woods at noon Sundays. Bethel Church, led by Pastor Jose Francisco Majano is an Assembly of God church that caters mostly to Spanish speakers. Bethel Church meets at Providence’s Mills Chapel at 6 p.m. Fridays for a Bible study and at 6 p.m. Sundays for worship. Majano also leads a church in Hardeeville.

“It’s been amazing having all different people worshiping here, whether it’s Providence or Oxygen or Bethel Church,” Santos said. “We have different styles of worshiping God, but we have a common belief – one God in three persons (God the Father; the Son, Jesus Christ; and The Holy Spirit.)”

Providence offers two services on Sundays – an 8:30 a.m. outdoor worship service and a 10:30 a.m. sanctuary worship service, which is also streamed live for those who cannot attend in person. The church also offers Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.

For more information on Providence Presbyterian Church, call 843-842-5673 or go to providencehhi.org.

WHERE TO

5

1. Cinque Rouge by Lydia Chojnacki. Art League of Hilton Head | 843-681-5060 | ArtLeagueHHI.org

2. Diamond stud earrings are always a welcomed choice that she will cherish for years to come. Heritage Fine Jewelry | 843-689-2900 | heritagejewelershhi.com.

3. New Norfolk Quilted Bomber from Peter Millar. John Bayley Clothiers | 843-715-0713

4. Wine tasting from Partout, A Wandering Wine Experience. Partout Wine | partout.wine

5. Luxe acrylic games such as Rummy Tile Game and Dominos. J Banks | 843-681-5122 | jbanksdesign.com

6. Gorgeous soft leather and signature hardware – Hammitt bags and wallets make the perfect gift! Gifted Hilton Head | 843-842-8787 | GiftedHiltonHead.com.

7. Red poinsettia. Bruno’s Landscape & Nursery | BrunoLandscapeAndNursery.com | 843-682-2624.

STEVE CARB REMEMBERED AS HUMBLE TITAN OF RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

ISLAND INNOVATOR

BY TIM WOOD | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

BY TIM WOOD | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

It was his 50th birthday. Tony Arcuri and Jim Loniero convinced the glue behind the SERG Restaurant Group’s “Three Amigos,” Steve Carb, to take a rare couple of days off from making the rounds to his restaurants for an extended weekend trip to Costa Rica to celebrate.

Arcuri made the headline memory of the getaway with a near-death plunge over a narrow, steep roadway during the group’s motorcycle sightseeing caravan (saved only by a rock ledge, a miraculous tree limb that caught his hog and a backhoe procured by Robert “Moose” Rini).

But for Loniero, it was another adventure on the trip that always stuck with him.

“We were setting out in a van for Jaco Beach and we’re winding through roads with more goats and chickens than cars. All of a sudden, Steve yells at the driver, ‘Stop!’ We’re all thinking he was trying to save some livestock. No, Steve saw this garage with no roof and this woman surrounded by cows and horses roasting chickens on a spit made of cinder blocks.

“He looked at us all and said, ‘I bet that is the most amazing chicken we’ll ever eat,’,” Loniero said. “Steve goes over, introduces himself and waves us to get out of the van. We end up having the feast of a lifetime while we’re learning all about Costa Rican culture from this woman. That right there was quintessential Steve. He loved people, loved food and was always doing research.”

Carb passed away on Oct. 8 at the age of 63, three years into an early on-set dementia diagnosis and after six months of valiantly battling cancer. The SERG Restaurant Group visionary had just marked 40 years since arriving on Hilton Head Island, and to close friends and long-time patrons alike, he was the food and beverage equivalent of Charles Fraser.

“Charles put us on the map as a resort community, and Steve made it his life’s passion to serve and entertain all those visitors,” Rini said.

Culinary visionary

“Dream Big. Work Hard. Stay Humble.” It’s not just one of Carb’s favorite Facebook posts but how he led his life. Many in his inner circle said Steve wouldn’t be a fan of the flood of posthumous stories on social media recounting what one commenter deemed his “legendary personal and professional greatness.”

“He wasn’t much for accumulating praise, was much more comfortable giving a compliment than taking it,” Loniero said of Carb. “He was proud of what he did, but he was much more excited about the next thing, the next project. So no, he’s likely looking down on us saying, ‘Enough already.’”

Carb was Pittsburgh through and through, a diehard Steelers and Penguins fan and the epitome of the city’s bluecollar toughness and ingenuity.

“We were schleps, always hustling, always thinking of a new business idea,” said Arcuri, his teenage running mate in the Steel City.

Carb’s older brother, Barry, owned a liquidation company in town and schooled Steve on the art of the deal. As a teen, he found his first dream slinging pizza dough.

“I knew right then and there I wanted to own a pizza place,” Carb once said. “And I knew I wanted to be done with snow, (and live in) a sunny place I could plant a flag and share my idea of the perfect pizza.”

Hilton Head Island was that place. He came to the island in 1982 and became a fast learner and near-instant fixture in the real estate scene. Yes, he had the mind for flipping properties, but more than that, he knew it was the quickest

means to earn money to support his endgame.

He convinced Arcuri to join him in the Lowcountry and soon after opened Giuseppi’s in 1984. Thus began a fourdecade run of culinary innovation and a company that evolved into the largest employer on the island, with more than 1,300 employees in 19 locations.

Pillars of success

A pattern emerged in his admirers' sharing their favorite Carb stories, four pillars to his unparalleled success. The first was a never-ending pursuit of menus. Long before they were available digitally online, Carb traveled the country looking for creative dishes to add to his own menu.

“We went to so many places, ‘borrowed’ so many menus,” said Rini, a fellow Pittsburgh native who first met Carb working as a busboy at Giuseppi’s. The two went on to become decades-long best friends — Rini was Carb’s fun whisperer, the guy able to pry him away from the restaurants for a Steelers or Penguins game or a quick four-wheeling trip in the north Georgia mountains. Rini estimates he must have brought 500 menus back from their journeys.

“I think I could match that number,” Arcuri said. “He just thirsted for knowledge, for what he could bring from other places. He was a menu addict.”

Steve Carb, right, with friends Jim Loniero, left, and Tony Arcuri.

“Anytime I went out of town, I’d always get a text from Steve asking to bring home menus,” said business partner Todd Offen. Arcuri and Carb started a new venture in 1992, Express Restaurant Delivery. Offen started as a driver for Carb before buying the business in 1995.

That brings us to the second pillar: Sharing the wealth. Carb was a master at identifying talent, a selfless business mentor who believed the key to long-term success of his company was giving a stake in the business to those who worked hardest. The bartender-to-business exec pipeline is a signature of SERG, from Chris Spargur at Skull Creek Boathouse, Tony Chism at WiseGuys and Paul Norris at Marley’s to Alan Wolf, Carb’s successor as SERG Group president.

“We believed in it from Day One, that’s just in our blood. We thrive when you give others a hand up,” Arcuri said of their partnership approach. The edict gave countless dreamers the ability to plant Lowcountry roots and thrive long-term in an industry that often creates a transient workforce.

The third pillar was humility before greatness, a mantra Arcuri, Carb and Loniero all learned in the same college fraternity.

For every story you’ll hear of Carb’s giving nature — the $400 he loaned Rini to get his real-estate license, paying for Arcuri’s honeymoon or countless donations to charities like Hilton Head Humane in honor of his beloved pups, Frankie and Sheldon — his closest friends say there are 50 acts of kindness never publicized and plenty of unpaid debts across the Lowcountry.

He rarely dined out on the island, preferring Arby’s takeout to stealing a seat or table that might rob diners of the best meal of their lives.

So many people have shared meaningful encounters with Carb, many saying Steve told them to slow down because life is too short.

“He didn’t get married or have kids, but he lived a very full life his way. He saw every employee, every loyal patron as family,” Loniero said.

He was as averse to collecting possessions as he was to collecting debt. He had but one epic horde in his life, the fourth pillar: a mountain of yellow legal pads. Everywhere he went, Carb was always taking notes. Even as smartphones replaced pen and paper, Steve likely kept many Staples open with his pad purchases.

“He’d come over to watch Steeler games with the pad, jotting down a cool concept from a commercial. At a wedding on the beach he’d always have a pad at the ready,” said Loniero, who read his eulogy from a yellow pad at Carb’s memorial.

While many titans of industry believe in making trophies out of the corpses of competitors, Carb valued competition, respected the battle and knew he was better off from the fight.

Carb wasn’t just an innovator, he was an inventor. In his pursuit of presenting flawless pizza to his patrons, he invented a synthetic pizza dough in 1991, Throw Dough, designed to give budding pizzaiolos a way to practice pizza tossing. To this day, worldchampion dough throwers credit Carb for inspiring their wizardry.

He was funny, genuine, quick-witted and, did we mention, loyal.

DoorDash and Uber Eats were exploding as he was forced to step aside to focus on his health. While the innovator in him loved a winning business model, one of his final mandates was a firm reminder to fellow execs of the roots behind their success.

“He simply said, ‘We already have a delivery service,’ ” said Offen in a beautiful online tribune, just one of the thousands of friends Carb stood behind in his time on Earth. “I am glad you are no longer in pain and in a better place now. Whomever you are surrounded by today is in a better place because of you.”

The family asks that donations be made to Hilton Head Humane or to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (aftd.org).

RESTAURANT NEWS

PARIS BAGUETTE DEBUTS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND

The food scene on Hilton Head Island welcomed Paris Baguette this summer. The menu includes freshly baked baguettes and loaves, pastries and doughnuts and cakes. Also offered are salads, sandwiches and coffees and seasonal beverages. Located in Port Royal Plaza, Paris Baguette also provides catering options. It has 99 locations in the United States. The Hilton Head spot is the first in South Carolina.

DINING-MUSIC VENUE LAUNCHES

Kind of Blue, a restaurant and music venue, recently opened on the island. Located at Dunnagan’s Alley, the goal is to combine food and drinks with high-end entertainment. Established by partners Sterlin Colvin, Graeme Tosh, and Stephen Connolly, Kind of Blue offers a variety of dishes including jambalaya pasta and salmon and shrimp. An eclectic mix of jazz and blues music is featured daily.

JAPANESE RESTAURANT OPENS

JINYA Ramen Bar has opened at Mathews Drive on Hilton Head Island. The restaurant includes ramen dishes featuring a balance of noodles with thick, rich broth. Toppings include tender pork chashu, perfectly cooked and seasoned poached eggs and shrimp wanton. The Hilton Head location marks JINYA Ramen Bar’s debut in South Carolina.

NEW FOOD ON THE NORTH END

Celeste Coastal Cuisine has opened on Hilton Head Island. Located at Hatton Place, the eatery is named in honor of the French Cajun matriarch chef of the Nightingale family. The menu includes jambalaya, crawfish, New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, steamed lobster, prime rib and scallops and a collection of wines. Dessert includes Crème Brule. There’s a stage for live music.

CORNER PERK ADDING HILTON HEAD LOCATION

A Bluffton mainstay has expanded to the island. Corner Perk plans to open on Hilton Head Island in early 2023. Owner Josh Cooke said on the coffeehouse’s Facebook page that it has leased the corner of the Publix complex near Indigo Run next to New York City Pizza. “We’re looking forward to offering Islanders a place to meet up with friends or business partners, read the paper, grab a quick drink while you shop, draw, write a book, journal, plan their next business move or investment, take the kids, have a first date or get engaged (and of course excellent drinks and food),” the post said. Corner Perk also has spots in Bluffton and Port Royal.

EATERY SET TO OPEN IN BLUFFTON

Jake Higgins, owner of Highway 21 Drive-In, said he’s acquired Stir Crazy of Bluffton. The eatery is located next to Best Buy off Fording Island Road. “Stir Crazy is a gem if you like authentic Asian-inspired foods that gives you the choice of culture in a chill but classy environment,” Higgins said.

Benefits of Brining

The holidays are a wonderful time to gather as a family and enjoy your favorite dishes. Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple, but there are different ways to cook a turkey.

TIPS TO COOKING A DELICIOUS TURKEY

One delicious idea is brining.

Turkeys are a lean meat, which means it is easier for turkey to become dry and a little tough. Brining helps the turkey retain moisture and combats dryness. Brining can be a long process — estimates of 6 to 24 hours — but the benefits include a juicier bird and the opportunity to season the turkey more so than if just applying salt.

Essentially, brining is just soaking the bird in water and salt. Some ideas include herbs and garlic, but the basics of water and salt do the trick best. When brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy and the salt breaks down some of the turkey’s proteins, making it more tender, thekitchn.com said.

Brining has its disadvantages; it can leave the cooking juices a bit too salty. Make sure your turkey is not pre-salted.

And it requires some decent space in the fridge. You’ll need a large pot where the turkey can sit for many hours. There are few containers made specifically for brining. The best are plastic, glass, or stainless steel containers, those that are “nonreactive” containers that the salt won’t react with.

You can also put the turkey and brine in a turkey-sized oven bag and then place the “tightly sealed” bag in a cooler or large Styrofoam box with ice, cooksillustrated.com said. Some guidelines for brining turkey, according to cooksillustrated.com:

• 1 turkey (12 to 17 pounds): 6 to 12 hours (2 gallons cold water, 1 cup table salt)

• 1 turkey (18 to 24 pounds): 6 to 12 hours (3 gallons cold water, 1 1/2 cups table salt)

• 1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 8 pounds): 3 to 6 hours, 1 gallon cold water, 1/2 cup table salt

TURKEY Brine

A Thanksgiving recipe for a juicy and tender turkey.

SERVES 10-12

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-2 ½ gallons of water

• 2-2 ¼ cups kosher salt

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 3 large bay leaves

• 2 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

• 3 thyme sprigs

• 1 12- to 14-pound turkey

METHOD:

• In a pot or non-reactive container large enough to hold the turkey, combine ingredients with water.

• Stir well until salt and sugar dissolve. Put turkey in brine and refrigerate for 15-20 hours. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Roast 25-30 min. Reduce to 350 degrees and roast for 2.5-3 hours until thermometer reads 165 degrees.

NOV 23

FUN

EVENTS FOR EVERYONE!

CALENDAR

THROUGH NOV. 11

PETER CRAM: Admire this local artist’s work. He has had many exhibitions locally and in New York. He has also spent many years of his life in Bluffton as an experienced fisherman, captain, crabber and family man.. Four Corners Fine Art & Framing, 1263-B May River Rd., Old Town Bluffton.843-757-8185 or fourcornersgallerybluffton.com.

THROUGH NOV. 12

CRAFT HILTON HEAD 2022: 8TH

REGIONAL JURIED FINE ART CRAFT

GUILD EXHIBITION: Exclusive presentation of a wide variety of imaginative crafts on display for sale. Free and open to the public. The Art League Gallery features local artwork in all media created by more than 170 member artists. Art League Gallery is open every day, Mon-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m./ Sunday, 12- 4 p.m. and 90 minutes before every Arts Center performance. Art League Gallery, located inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, next to the box office, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-5060. Artleaguehhi.org.

THROUGH NOV. 18

ARTIST’S RECEPTION: BALANCE: ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY RICHARD GRANT: The artists’ reception will be free and open to the public from 5-7 p.m. Art League Academy, 106 Cordillo Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-5738 or Academy@ artleaguehhi.org or artleaguehhi.org.

THROUGH DEC. 9

FOODSEUM AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF THE SOUTH PRESENTS AMIRI FARRIS: An exhibit featuring bold works of art inspired by Lowcountry cuisine and Gullah culture. 10 am. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Culinary Institute of the South Buckwalter Place, 1 Venture Dr, Bluffton, SC www.tcl.edu/ exhibit.

NOV. 1

FEAST FOR FREEDOM: Special fundraiser with food, music and education on human trafficking. Survivors share stories and hurdles they overcame and show you how to support the fight against trafficking in our area. Northend Pour House, 95 Mathews Dr., Hilton Head Island. Questions- 843-338-8896. RSVP by Oct. 30. 843-681-4153. www. thenorthendpourhouse.com.

NOV. 1

AVANT GARDENER: Lisa D. Watson merges her love of art, gardens and environmental activism to raise awareness of the plight facing the natural world. Reception: Nov. 3, 5-7 p.m. Through Feb. 12, 2023. Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head.

NOV. 3

DISCOVERY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: An educational, artistic and fun after-hours program that varies on topics and unique activities. Designed for ages 7 and up. Must pre-register and pay online in advance. Times and fees vary. Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island. 843-6896767 or coastaldiscovery.org.

NOV. 3

LAGOS GOLDEN HOUR AT FORSYTHE JEWELERS: There is something special about golden hour. The world is afire and anything is possible, especially for the LAGOS woman. Join us for an all-day LAGOS Trunk Show featuring Signature Caviar 18K Gold Styles. 10:30 a.m.6:45 p.m. Forsythe Jewelers, The Shops at Sea Pines Center, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite 311, Hilton Head Island. 843-671-7070. Forsythejewelers.biz.

SALTY DOG’S ANNUAL HOMECOMING

NOV. 3

BLUFFTON NIGHT BAZAAR- A LOWCOUNTRY MADE MARKET: Enjoy fall evenings in the Lowcountry while sipping a seasonal cocktail and listening to live music under the twinkling lights while browsing local artisans and makers including seasonal treats. Free. 5-8 p.m. Burnt Church Distillery (courtyard), 120 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. Lcmade.com

NOV. 4

RETURN OF THE RUSSIAN LEVIATHAN: Join Russian professor Sergei Medvedev of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and awardwinning author to discuss recent events under Putin’s leadership, including the war in Eastern Ukraine, chemical weapons used on the streets of the UK and possible deployment of nuclear weapons. Register online. Cost is $20. 10 a.m. First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-384-6758. wachh.org/event-4791201

NOV 4

TEDXHILTONHEAD 2022: Signature event of the Town of Hilton Head Fall Crescendo Festival. Cost is $25. 6:30 p.m.- 9:45 p.m. Seahawk Theatre, 70 Wilborn Rd., Hilton Head Island. Purchase tickets online at eventbrite.com. http://tedxhiltonhead.com

NOV 4, 5, 9, 10, 15

FOUR CORNERS FINE ART & FRAMING ARTIST DEMONSTRATION: Featuring demostrations of various mediums including watercolors, pottery, acrylic painting, colorist, and silk screening on pottery. For a full schedule of events visit their website. 843-757-8185. 1263-B May River Road, Bluffton. fourcornersgallerybluffton.com.

NOV. 4

LOWCOUNTRY LADIES LUNCHEON: Founded by Laurie Brown of Aunt Laurie’s, the event is to help support local women-owned businesses and to help women network in an effort to grow personally and professionally. Tickets are $35 with lunch included and can be purchased online at Eventbrite. Interested vendors should email for preapproval. Vendor tickets are $55 and include lunch. 12 p.m. The Golf Club at Indigo Run, 101 Berwick Dr., Hilton Head Island. laurie@auntlauries.com.

NOV. 4

UNDER THE LEGACY OAKS- DINNER ON THE WILD SIDE: A benefit for Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine and Sponsored by Parker Law Firm. All proceeds will go to the expansion of the BJVIM Ridgeland clinic. The cost is $150- $1,000. 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Legacy Oaks Park, 328 Lakeview Drive, Ridgeland. Tickets may be purchased online at bjvim.org/ events.

NOV. 4-5

THE CHRISTIAN TAMBURR QUARTET FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST DOMINICK FARINACCI AT THE JAZZ CORNER: Two concerts nightly: 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Reservations highly recommended. The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-8620 or thejazzcorner.com.

NOV. 4-6

20TH HILTON HEAD ISLAND CONCOURS D’ ELEGANCE & MOTORING FESTIVAL: A weekend of exciting events including the Aeroport Gala on Friday, Nov. 4, from 7-10 p.m., the Car Club Showcase on Sat., Nov. 5, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and the main event on Sun., Nov. 6 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Best in Show on Sunday. Sunday’s event tickets can be purchased online. Sunday event pricing: Adult admission is $75. Students are free and discounts available for active-duty military. VIP packages and multi-day tickets are available online. hhiconcours.com.

NOV. 5

A WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! Presented by Hilton Head Shore Notes, a women’s a capella chorus: Tickets are $20 and are available

for purchase at Burkes’ Pharmacy in Hilton Head, Pretty Papers in the Wexford Village and Markel’s at Kitties Crossing in Bluffton. 7 p.m. Seahawk Cultural Center, 70 Wilborn Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-7056852 or purchase tickets online at hiltonheadshorenotes.com.

NOV. 5

GENDER AND THE DECORATIVE

ARTS IN

JANE

AUSTEN’S NOVELS:

Join Kristen Miller Zohn for a visual feast through the gendered aspects of the architecture, decorative arts, interiors and fashion of the Regency Period as we explore how Austen presented these in her novels. Free. 2-4 p.m. Bluffton Library, 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton. Contact- Debbie Henderson- 843-255-6512. janeausteninvermonth.blog/

NOV. 5

THE 2022 RED SHOES RUN AT ROSE HILL PLANTATION

PRESENTED

BY

OPTIM ORTHOPEDICS: Open to all ages and fitness levels and features an all-new course inside the gates of Bluffton’s beautiful plantation. Registration is open and limited to 350 participants. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire. The entry fee is $38 per person. Entries after Nov. 2 are $45. 8 a.m. The Mansion at Rose Hill Plantation, 843-757-8520. Bearfootsports.com.

NOV. 6

BIKE BLUFFTON: The Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton will host a premier cycling fundraising event in November to raise money for the Club. The ride will feature four routes for everyone from avid cyclists to families looking for a fun morning out. After the event, participants can enjoy food, music and activities. Registration costs start at $50. 8 a.m., The Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton, 100 H.E. McCracken Circle, Bluffton. 843-757-2845 or bgcbluffton.org.

NOV. 6

4TH ANNUAL CANDY BOUNCE-BACK EVENT HOSTED BY SEA SMILES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY: A family-friendly event with face painting, games, bounce houses, crafts, rock wall, dunk tank, food trucks and live music by Kyle Wareham and Jevon Daly. Free. 11a.m.-5p.m. Oscar Frazier Park, 77 Shults Rd., Bluffton. Seakidssmile.com.

NOV. 11

2022 VETERANS DAY REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY: The American Legion Alexander Wattay Post 185 and the Military Veterans Coalition of Hilton Head Island host this year’s ceremony. The keynote speaker is Joe McNamara, who is on the Board of Directors of Operation Patriots FOB in Ridgeland. Free and open to the public. 10:30 a.m. Shelter Cove Veterans Memorial Park, 59 Shelter Cove Ln, Hilton Head Island. 843-342-6322 or warrenagraves@hotmail.com.

NOV. 11-12

HILTON HEAD OYSTER FESTIVAL: On Friday evening, Nov. 11, 5 p.m. -8 p.m.: All You Can Eat Event at Shelter Cove Park. All You Can Eat steamed local oysters, Lowcountry boil, seafood chowder, pulled pork and chili. Live music. Nov 11- $55 Adults/$45 Children, 5-8pm. On Saturday, Nov. 12: Main Event at Lowcountry Celebration Park. Restaurants will compete for the best seafood dish. Nov 12- $8 before Oct. 1, $10 after Oct 1/ Children 10 and under are free. Tickets and all purchases inside the festival through the Crowdblink App. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. 843-681-7273 islandreccenter.org.

NOV. 11-13-NOV. 18-20

HILTON HEAD DANCE THEATRE PRESENTS THE NUTCRACKER: Enjoy our community’s annual beloved performance of The Nutcracker. Tickets begin at $15 and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com. Seahawk Cultural Center, 70 Wilborn Rd.,Hilton Head Island. 843-8423262. Hiltonheaddance.com.

NOV. 11-13, NOV. 18-20

MAIN STAGE COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS FOOTLOOSE, THE MUSICAL: Full of high-energy dancing and singing, Footloose, The Musical is packed with top-ten hits from the past. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and $5 for under 8. 3000 Main Street, Hilton Head Island, SC 843-689-6246. mainstagecommunitytheatre.org

NOV. 12

AUTHOR TALK: GULLAH SPIRITUALS WITH DR. ERIC CRAWFORD/ FRIENDS OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY ANNUAL MEETING: Come for the FOBL Annual Meeting at 9 a.m. Join Dr. Crawford’s talk about the Gullah Geechee’s history of song with music from 10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Special activities for children. At 11:45 a.m. celebrate the Bluffton Library’s 20th birthday celebration in the lobby. Free and open to the public. Bluffton Library, 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton. Friendsoftheblufftonlibrary@gmail.com. https:// friendsoftheblufftonlibrary.com/

NOV. 12

2022 HOLIDAY CRAFT AND BAKE SALE SPONSORED BY THE HILTON HEAD PLANTATION CRAFTERS: Enjoy shopping from hundreds of unique handmade items and home-baked goods for sale. All proceeds benefit Hospice Care of the Lowcountry. Admission is free. 9am- 2pm. Christ Lutheran Church, 829 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. Sfenkohl@aol.com

NOV. 12

HILTON HEAD ISLAND LANTERN PARADE: Come celebrate the people, history and ecology of Hilton Head Island at this special event created by featured artist Chantelle Rytter. Bring a festive lantern and line up for the parade near Coligny Beach Park. Free and open to the public.

The parade steps off at sunset or around 5:45p.m. at Alder Lane Beach Access near Coligny Beach Park.

NOV. 13

HILTON HEAD HUMANE FOUR-LEGGED FROLIC: A spectacular social event to help ensure a brighter future for the dogs and cats of the Lowcountry. Tickets begin at $175. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $250. 5:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort. Hhhumane.org

NOV. 14

“TO CECELIA” CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE MARY GREEN CHORALE: Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music, inspired this program with works by Handel, Britten, Faure, Finney and Thompson. Tickets can be purchased for $25 online or at Hilton Head Oils & Balsamics, Markel’s Cards or at the door. 7:30p.m. All Saints Episcopal Church, 3001 Meeting Street, Hilton Head. Marygreenchorale.org.

NOV. 15

MARCO BICEGO TRUNK SHOW AT FORSYTHE JEWELERS: Marco Bicego blends Old World Italian hand craftsmanship with tradition, passion and imagination. Enjoy a complimentary gift with your Marco Bicego purchase. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Forsythe Jewelers, The Shops at Sea Pines Center, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite 311, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. 843-671-7070. Forsythejewelers.biz.

NOV. 17

SWING INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON: Benefit Dinner and Dance supporting music education. Tickets are $10. Dinner is $20. 5p.m.8:30p.m. Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort. 508-320-6440. www. hhbigband.com.

NOV. 18

FAMILY FISHING NIGHTS HOSTED BY THE ISLAND RECREATION CENTER: A night of fishing and education and learn pro tips from some of the Lowcountry’s most sought-after fishing captains. Tips include knot tying, target casting, artificial and live bait setups, fishing strategies, cast net throwing and more. Kids enjoy a complimentary treat from Kona Ice and a fishing-related gift bag. $25 for up to 4 people and an additional $15 per family member. 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. Rowing and Sailing Center, 137 Squire Pope Rd, Hilton Head Island. Islandreccenter.org/outdoor

NOV. 18- 20

33RD ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MADE IN THE SOUTH : An event featuring over 300 unique makers, outstanding artists, gourmet food, handmade designs, fabric bags, fine arts & crafts, florals, glass jewelry, holiday items, vintage designs and more. Adults- $9. Children 12 and under are free. One admission good for all three days with a hand stamp. Free parking. Savannah Convention Center, Savannah. Christmasmadeinthesouth.com.

NOV. 11-12

ANYTHING MOSE! THE MOSE ALLISON PROJECT- JOHN CHIN QUARTET FEATURING RICHARD JULIAN: Two concerts nightly: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Reservations highly recommended. The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-8620 or thejazzcorner. com.

NOV. 17- DEC. 1

FESTIVAL OF TREES PRESENTED BY COASTAL STATES BANK: Hilton Head Preparatory School’s Festival of Trees is one of Hilton Head’s longest holiday-themed festivals. Attendees can purchase the trees with all proceeds benefitting the school’s tuition assistance program for local students. Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa, One Hotel Circle, Hilton Head Island. Hhpfestivaloftrees.com.

NOV. 18

THE MARK RAPP QUARTET: Two concerts nightly: 6:30 p.m. and 9pm. Reservations highly recommended. The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-8620 or thejazzcorner.com.

NOV. 19

BLUFFTON LOWCOUNTRY MADE MARKET: Local market every third Saturday of each month featuring local artisans and makers. 9 a.m. -1 p.m. Buckwalter Place, Commerce Park, 25 Buckwalter Pl. Blvd. Bluffton. NOV 22-26

THANKSGIVING WAGON RIDES: Enjoy a festive fall wagon ride through the beautiful Sea Pines Preserve observing the abundant plant and wildlife. $15/child, $20/adult. Nov 22, 23, 25 at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Nov 24 and 26 at 10a.m. and 11a.m. Book online or call 843-8421979. Seapines.com.

NOV. 23

SALTY DOG’S ANNUAL HOMECOMING: A Thanksgiving tradition in South Beach. Supporting The Deep Well Project. $10 Lowcountry Boil, live music and happy hour. 100% goes to Deep Well. 843-671-2233. Saltydog.com.

NOV. 24

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER: Sponsored by St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church and Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks: Free, community Thanksgiving Dinner, with turkey, dressing and all the trimmings, served family style. Everyone is welcome. Donations will benefit Deep Well and Bluffton Self Help. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks, 1 Hudson Rd, Hilton Head Island. 843-505-1370 communitythanksgiving.com.

NOV. 24-26

THANKSGIVING WITH STAN SMITH: Enjoy this Thanksgiving with Stan Smith, former U.S. Olympic Men’s Tennis coach and U.S. Open and Wimbledon Champion. This event is a unique opportunity to learn from Stan Smith and get to know him. 9a.m.- 12p.m. Sea Pines Racquet Club, 5 Lighthouse Lane, Hilton Head Island. Reserve your space by calling 843-363-4495. Seapines.com.

NOV. 25

THE OFFICIAL GIANT TREE LIGHTING: Kick off the holidays in South Beach. The lights go on at dark. Santa visits on his floating sleigh (3-3:30p.m.), s’mores and hot cocoa bar, multiple fire pits and a special holiday hour featuring fun festive drinks.

NOV.25-JAN. 1

SOUTH BEACH CHRISTMAS VILLAGE: Every evening at dusk thousands of lights illuminate South Beach into a festive wonderland. Don’t forget to check out the Christmas trains. 843-671-2233. Saltydog.com.

NOV. 25

GREGG RUSSELL THANKSGIVING CONCERT: Under the Liberty Oak Tree in Harbour Town for a special concert and the official lighting of the Harbour Town Christmas Tree. Complimentary concert. 7:30p.m.9:30p.m. Harbour Town, 149 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843842-1979. Seapines.com.

NOV. 25-26

PIANO 2 PIANO: SALUTE TO JAZZ PIANO GREATS FEATURING AWARD-WINNING PIANIST NOEL FREIDLINE Two concerts nightly: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Reservations highly recommended. The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-8620 or thejazzcorner.com.

NOV. 26

CARAMEL APPLE FESTIVAL: A family-friendly event with fall activities including games, crafts, a bounce house and more! Activities are priced separately. 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Sea Pines Heritage Farm, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979. Seapines.com.

NOV. 30

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE AT FORSYTHE JEWELERS: Browse a large selection of top brand jewelry designers including Roberto Coin, Marco Bicego, David Yurman, Lagos, Gabriel & Co, Sethe Couture, Jude Frances, Gurhan and more. And shop Mackenzie-Childs holiday décor and housewares in a fun and festive atmosphere. Enjoy complimentary gift wrapping with your purchase. 10a.m.- 6p.m. Forsythe Jewelers, 71 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-671-7070. Forsythejewelers. biz.

NOV. 25- JAN. 1

HARBOUR TOWN LIGHTS: Enjoy strolling along the harbour, enjoying live entertainment and activities while taking in the festive, illuminated views of the lights of Harbour Town. Deep Well will be accepting donations of canned goods and unwrapped children’s toys at th e well by the Liberty Oak Stage. 843-842-1979. Seapines.com.

DEC. 3

DECK THE HULLS: America’s Boating Club of Hilton Head will hold its inaugural Christmas Boat Parade along Skull Creek. The evening event will feature a fleet of local watercraft in dramatic light displays, costumed crews, special effects and holiday decorations. Free and open to the public. 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. abchh.org/deckthehulls

DEC. 3

THE BAY POINT ISLAND FOUNDATION ANNUAL ART AUCTION: This event supports foundation projects, resources and research that protect and conserve the flora and fauna of Bay Point Island. Artists are invited to submit their work, including paintings, sculptures, weavings and jewelry by Nov. 23. Tickets are $25 and include drink, hors d’oeuvres and music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Auction begins at 7p.m. Thebaypointfoundation.org.

DEC. 3

51ST ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING AND CHRISTMAS PARADE: The Town of Bluffton’s Tree Lighting ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at Martin Family Park followed by Santa’s Workshop at DuBois Park’s Pavilion. Bring blankets or chairs for the movie, “The Grinch” that will begin at 6:30 p.m. Christmas Parade will be at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3 in Bluffton’s Historic District. obc

DEC.9

HILTON HEAD CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: MANY MOODS OF THE SEASON: Join the full chorus and orchestra as they perform seasonal favorites including the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah, and Robert Shaw’s The Many Moods of Christmas. 7:00 pm Prices start at $15. First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Pkwy, HHI. HiltonHeadChoralSociety.org.

DEC. 10

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: Santa Claus is coming to town. Enjoy story time, hot breakfast, photo time and craft making. $10 per person. 9 a.m.10:30 a.m. Morris Center for the Lowcountry, 10782 S. Jacob Smart Blvd., Ridgeland, SC 29936. 843-284-9227. Morrisheritagecenter.org.

DEC. 23

GREGG RUSSELL CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Relish the spirit of the holidays with an evening in Harbour Town as Gregg Russell plays guitar and singing holiday songs. Enjoy a special visit from Santa Claus following the show. Free. 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m. Harbour Town, 149 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

DEC. 31

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AT HARBOUR TOWN: Enjoy a festive New Year’s Celebration with food, fun, entertainment and live music throughout Harbour Town. Countdown to watch the ball drop from the top of the lighthouse as we welcome in the New Year! 843-842-1979. Seapines.com.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS

MEMORY-ENHANCING CLASSES: A memory-enhancing program providing curriculum-based, mind-enhancing content to encourage socialization, stimulation and support for individuals newly diagnosed with early memory loss. Costs: 1 day per week is $200; 2 days per week is $350. In-person on Mondays & Wednesdays. Virtual classes are offered on Thursdays between 10:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Memory Matters, 117 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-6688 or mymemorymatters.org.

MONDAYS-SATURDAY

REST, RELAXATION AND REJUVENATION: Relax with private yoga in a Himalayan salt room (Halotherapy), heal your body in the Infrared sauna or book an appointment for a private massage or sound bath session. Call to book an appointment. Shelter Cove Lane and Marina, 9 Harbourside Lane, Suite B, Hilton Head Island. 843-715-2825 or puresaltstudios.com.

TUESDAYS

HILTON HEAD ISLAND FARMERS MARKET: Support our local farmers and producers and take home fresh produce, pasture-raised chicken, free-range rabbit, pork, seafood, salsa, sausage, cookies, bread, she-crab soup and more. Entrance and parking are free. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Coastal Discovery Museum. 70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island. 843-473-5231 or hhifarmersmarket.com.

TUESDAYS

THE FARMERS & MAKERS MARKET: Celebrate fresh, celebrate local. Now in its 9th year, the Market will present more fresh, local produce, more seafood, more breads and baked goods, and more crafts, artisans and “makers” than ever before. Free admission. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., The Shops at Sea Pines Center, 71 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-363-5699 or theshopsatseapinescenter.com.

THURSDAYS

CIVIL WAR ERA: Hilton Head Island was home to thousands of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Join this presentation featuring maps and historic photos of this time on Hilton Head from 1861-1865. Reservations required. The cost is $12 for adults, $7 for children. 3 p.m., Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-689-6767, ext. 223. or coastaldiscovery.org.

THURSDAYS

DUELING PIANOS SHOW: The only Dueling Pianos Show on Hilton Head Island takes place each Thursday night at the Rooftop Bar. 8-11 p.m., Rooftop Bar at Poseidon, 38 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843341-3838 or therooftophhi.com.

THURSDAYS

FARMERS MARKET OF BLUFFTON: Meet local farmers, chefs and artisans every Thursday on Boundary Street. Buy a fresh assortment of strawberries, produce, beets, potatoes and more. Also hear local, live entertainment and educational lectures. Noon-5 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. 843-415-2447 or farmersmarketbluffton.org.

THURSDAYS

THIRSTY THURSDAYS WINE TASTING: Hazel Dean’s Wine Tasting features four fabulous wines on the patio. 4-6pm. The cost is $20 and includes complimentary charcuteries. Must be at least 21. 843-802-2001 or info@hazeldeans.com. Theshopsatseapinescenter.com.

FRIDAYS

SIT AND STITCH: Practice needlepoint every Friday during this casual sit-and-stitch event. All levels welcome. Free. 10 a.m., Needlepoint Junction, 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Suite 6134, Hilton Head Island. 843-8428488 or shopneedlepointjunction.com.

FRIDAYS

BEGINNER SHAG LESSONS AND SOCIAL DANCING: The Hilton Head Island Carolina Shag Club will host Friday night beginner shag lessons, followed by social dances. Lessons are open to couples, singles, and anyone who loves to dance. Dances are open to the public and all styles of dancers: shag, ballroom, swing, country, or line. Fee is $5. 5:30 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, 829 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-363-6008 or hiltonheadshagclub.com.

SATURDAYS

HILTON HEAD COMMUNITY MARKET: Each Saturday morning beginning Oct. 1. Food-focused market that also features a limited number of local artisans and makers each week. The Hilton Head Community Market is volunteer organized and run in partnership with Island Recreation. 50% of all vendor fees received will be donated to a different local nonprofit organization each month. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Shelter Cover Community

Park, 39 Shelter Cove Ln, Hilton Head Island. @hhicommunitymarket on Facebook and Instagram. For inquiries, contact Colleen Laux at colleen@ cottonwoodsoap.com.

PALM TREE & PISTONS: Local car show every second Saturday of each month. Next event Nov. 12. Showcases local vintage/antique, exotic, muscle and unique cars owned by locals. 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Sea Turtle Marketplace (in front of the former Steinmart), 430 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island. Visit Facebook page Palm Trees & Pistons for more information.

BLUFFTON LOWCOUNTRY MADE MARKET: Local market every 3rd Saturday of each month featuring local artisans and makers. Nov. 19. 9a.m. -1p.m. Buckwalter Place, Commerce Park, 25 Buckwalter Pl. Blvd. Bluffton.

WEEKLY, MONTHLY AND HOLIDAY CAMPS

SMITH STEARNS TENNIS ACADEMY: Programs are available for all junior tennis players of all levels and the length of your stay at the academy is up to you, whether it be daily, weekly or monthly- spring, fall and winter. Private tennis lessons are also available to ensure your student gets one-on-one instruction and develops a relationship with one of our top-notch tennis coaches. Smith Stearns Tennis Academy, 1 Lighthouse Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-363-4789 or smithstearns.com.

DAILY EVENTS

SOUPER NOVEMBER: Each day of November every cup or bowl of soup equals a can of soup for our neighbors in need at The Deep Well Project. 843-671-2233. Saltydog.com.

ALLIGATOR AND WILDLIFE BOAT TOUR: Alligator and Wildlife Boat Tour with H2O Sports in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Get an up-close view of indigenous plant and animal life, including the American alligator, on a one-hour guided boat tour. Reservations are required, 843-6714386 or h2osports.com.

CURBSIDE CRAFTS TO GO: Children and adults can order a variety of craft activities pre-assembled and ready to enjoy at your home or villa. Book online. Cost is $12-$20. Sea Pines Resort Fitness and Recreation Department, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite 122, Hilton Head Island. 843842-1979 or seapines.com.

TRAIL RIDES THROUGH THE SEA PINES FOREST PRESERVE WITH LAWTON STABLES: Meander through the preserve on horseback for the true feel of the untouched Lowcountry. Trail riders must be at least 8 years old. Reservations are required. 843-671-2586 lawtonstables.com.

PICKLEBALL AT PALMETTO DUNES: Learn how to play Pickleball with daily clinics and round robins at the Palmetto Dunes Pickleball Center in Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. Courts and equipment are available to rent. Reservations recommended. palmettodunes.com.

THE HARBOUR TOWN LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM: Explore Hilton Head Island’s rich history and learn the story behind its famous lighthouse in a unique, museum-like setting. Admission is $5.75/ person, complimentary for children ages 5 and younger. Open every day 10 a.m.-sundown. 149 Lighthouse Rd. 843-671-2810 or harbourtownlighthouse.com.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Traditions

I love the holidays.

I love the music. I love the decorations. I even love the cheesy television movies. But most of all I love the traditions.

Someone I know makes it a tradition to walk on the beach each Thanksgiving morning. Later on, she calls her family to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and then spends the day alone, reading and watching movies. It’s her perfect holiday — peaceful and quiet.

We have friends who spend the day over at Hudson’s at the Community Thanksgiving. They volunteer with old friends and new and couldn’t imagine a better way to spend their holiday. They swear they receive more than they give.

One of my friends comes from a big family, and they have an opendoor policy; they may have 30 or more people over for the holiday. They roast some turkeys and deep fry others. There are desserts for days, and football is played on the television and in the backyard.

It is loud and raucous and fun.

I think that’s the great thing about the holidays — everyone has a different tradition.

If you are ever invited to my house for Thanksgiving, don’t be surprised if there isn’t a turkey in sight. Instead, we all sit down to pizza. (Some years I’ll make a turkey dinner, with a side of pepperoni pizza, but pizza is always there). It’s not because we love pizza, which we do, but because eating pizza reminds of us what we are most thankful for.

Fifteen years ago, we had a 1-year-old and a 16-week-old; the baby had been in and out of the hospital since he was born. My husband and I had

SASHA SWEENEY : co-publisher sasha@hiltonheadmonthly.com

been invited to Thanksgiving with friends and were looking forward to it, until my older son came down with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Suddenly Thanksgiving week was filled with doctor and ER visits, breathing treatments every couple of hours and no sleep. We canceled our plans and Thanksgiving saw me leaving the hospital with my son, thankfully on the mend.

Since we had not planned to be home and we were exhausted, the only thing we had to eat was the remaining half of a pizza my husband had ordered the night before.

So, that’s what we ate. We sat with our two boys and ate reheated pizza off paper plates. And we were thankful.

Thankful for the fact that we were together. Thankful that both boys were going to be OK.

Thankful for the friends and family we weren’t able to be with. I was especially thankful for the people at the hospital: the doctors and nurses, the orderlies and the front desk staff who spent their Thanksgiving away from their families so I could bring my son home to mine.

Since then we’ve made it a tradition at have pizza at Thanksgiving. Is it weird? Probably.

But it works for us.

There’s another good thing about traditions —you can always make a new one. This year I’m taking a bit from some of my friend’s traditions. I’m going to walk on the beach, and I’m going to give back to the community that gives us so much.

I am not going to play football, but I’ll gladly watch my husband and the boys throw one in the backyard.

I THINK THAT’S THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS — EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT TRADITION.