A glimpse inside Smoking Bird Studios, home of artist Wally Palmer
featuring
WALLS WITH PANACHE
Transforming Spaces, One Roll at a Time
FALL FASHION AT MAY RIVER MANOR FROM MALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY: A riverfront haven years in the making plus THE DUAL PASSIONS OF D. PIERCE GILTNER
Transforming Spaces, One Roll at a Time
with Vision
Madrac Farms Pumpkin Patch Ricon, Georgia Circa, October 2024
GENIUSES AT WORK
Ambassador of Buzz
Maggie Marie Washo
Master of Coin
Marion Elizabeth Bowser
Chief Chatter
Kim Conrad Crouch
Sales Rockstar “Just Kandace” Cunningham
Head of Schmoozing
Morgan Ambler
Director of Social Media Jevon Daly
Mascot in Training
Buoy Conrad Crouch Pritchard
The Gatekeepers
Greta Von Bowser
Vincent Von Bowser
Comic Sans Annihilator
Catherine Davies
Error Eradicator
Lynne Cope Hummell
Aspiring Novelists
Jesse Blanco
Alicia Daly
Becca Edwards
Courtney Hampson
Charlotte Hardwick
Lynne Cope Hummell
Barry Kaufman
Brooke Peck
Alan Perry
Cheryl Ricer
Larry Toomer
Sheila Tucker
Debi West
Lighting Experts
Photography by Maude Cote
Photography by Keylan Hanna
Christian Giannelli
Photography by Brooke Peck
Photography by Maggie Washo
Find Us Here
PO Box 22949
Hilton Head Island, SC 29925
843.816.6247
maggie@ch2cb2magazine.com
EDITOR'S NOTE OCTOBER 2025
Last October, Jevon Daly and I trekked to Madrac Farms in Georgia to do all the farm activities one does at this time of year for a video on our social media channels. Daly shot corn out of a cannon at a target, I slid down a makeshift slide on a burlap bag, and we got lost in a corn maze –which was quite a feat because the corn was not over our heads.
It got me thinking about the funny traditions we carry on – way past the time when they mean anything in this day and age. Why do we carve scary faces into pumpkins? I guess I should google it.
Be that as it may, October on Hilton Head Island carries a tradition of festivals, and we cover many of them in this issue. Our part-time residents have returned from their mountain summers and, although the vibe is decidedly less frenetic, it's anything but slow.
The month kicks off with two festivals on Saturday, October 4. To immerse yourself in Gullah Geechee culture, head on over to Celebration Park for the Lowcountry Fish and Grits Music Festival, now in its third year. If you are a beer connoisseur and you enjoy getting dressed up in traditional German apparel like lederhosen, Oktoberfest at Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina is the place for you.
The following weekend the party continues at the Island Rec Center’s Jeep Island event, also at Lowcountry Celebration Park. On Saturday, October 11, enjoy the day with fellow Jeep enthusiasts while sampling the area’s best chili. The event will feature a Show and Shine, live music, chili tastings, food vendors, Pluck a Duck, kids’ zone, and more.
The 21st Annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival takes place in Old Town October 10-19, with multiple events culminating in a large outdoor festival on Calhoun Street October 18 and 19. Check out blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.org for more details on the week’s activities.
On October 18, the Italian Heritage Festival returns to Honey Horn, and Jevon and I will be there to capture all of the fun and food – and argue with Johnny DeCecco about which of us is more Italian. Maybe stomp a grape or two. We’ll see where the day takes us.
Last but not least, don’t miss the Rock ’n’ Ribs Music Festival at Coligny on October 25. Attendees will enjoy music by Cranford Hollow, Algorhythm, and Nick Poulin, along with some delicious BBQ by pitmasters like One Hot Mama’s Orchid Paulmeier and Slowcountry BBQ’s Lee Lucier.
Y’all know it’s my favorite month. I hope you enjoy it as much as I plan to!
The July ribbon cutting for Origin Coffee Bar attracted strong community support.
Maude Cote, Photographer
Article by Brooke Peck
J. BANKS DESIGN GROUP + ORIGIN COFFEE BAR: A DESIGN MATRIMONY
Tucked into the north end of Hilton Head Island is a national interior design powerhouse. J. Banks Design Group ranks among Interior Design Magazine’s 2025 top 100 Giants, with more than 50 employees and projects in almost two dozen states. Owner Joni Burden has been working to build this successful business since 1986 and is proud of its island roots.
The business provides residential and commercial design services with an overall goal of delivering luxury without pretense. Inspired to create spaces where families gather and linger, the firm works to keep everyday living in mind. Sarah Cunningham, J. Banks director of marketing, describes their residential philosophy as “home is resort and resort is home.”
With national and international clients, J. Banks also has solid footing in the commercial niche of hospitality design with many clubhouses, restaurants, resorts, and hotels in its portfolio. In 2013, the firm garnered international accolades when it won the Gold Key Award for Best Resort at Hotel Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy. In addition to hospitality, the group has designed commercially for luxury spas, modern medical facilities, Southern sorority houses, and opulent apartment buildings.
Headquartered at 35 North Main Street, J. Banks houses its design offices and a retail space that includes home decor items, furniture, and custom linens. Camellia Art Gallery is part of this location with a stunning studio.
Photography by Brooke Peck
Sippers and shoppers are welcome to enjoy the outdoor courtyard at 35 North Main Street on the north end of Hilton Head Island.
Origin Coffee Bar’s interior is warm, relaxing and full of natural light.
In July, the design firm expanded its portfolio offerings by opening J. Banks in Residence, an immersive design experience featuring several living spaces, each crafted by a different J. Banks designer. The carefully curated areas include a cozy speakeasy, an airy bedroom, comfortable family area, and colorful dining room designed to showcase, inspire, and shop.
J. Banks and Origin Coffee Bar’s Partnership Cunningham had heard great things about Origin Coffee Bar in Savannah through a church event. She emailed Origin’s owners, Matt and Elise Higgins, to ask if they’d be interested in touring J. Banks’ neighboring space (formerly inhabited by TJ’s Take and Bake Pizza)
Tall ceilings, clean lines and freshly made drinks welcome customers to Origin Coffee Bar.
as a second location. After touring the space, they expressed interest in potentially leasing the building but really wanted to employ the same interior designer from their original location. It just so happened that the designer, Sarah Kowalski, had recently been hired at J. Banks so it was a design match made in heaven.
Matt Higgins is a huge coffee lover and proudly states “coffee is my vice and my virtue.” Experiencing and sharing coffee helps him fuel a deep connection to others. He loves traveling for coffee and maintains lists of cafes from each country he’s visited.
When Matt met his future wife Elise, she was working as a barista. As they got engaged and started planning their
Maude Cote, Photographer
wedding, it was apparent their shared love of coffee must also be shared with guests on their special day. When researching potential mobile coffee caterers, they realized that none existed – and filed away that business idea for another day.
Several months later, they visited California to explore a career move and were drawn to the quality and beauty of the coffee shops, which inspired them to duplicate this vision in Savannah.
In the summer of 2020, Matt and Elise launched Origin as a mobile coffee cart set up to caffeinate customers at various spots in Savannah. Slowly, their popularity grew into pop-ups at event venues. After only 18 months in business, they made their way into a permanent space at 356 MLK Jr. Blvd. Running a brick-and-mortar location was a huge surprise to Matt and Elise, as they had always planned to stay in the mobile coffee cart with low overhead. Of course, they were excited to see such a strong response for their java offerings.
Since Origin is a fresh, specialty coffee concept, Matt sources the highest quality green coffees from all over the world. This allows Origin to provide a variety of flavor profiles to their customers, including floral/fruity and nutty/chocolatey. Matt has a solid passion for knowing the international communities and farmers where the coffee beans are sourced. He understands the culture created by being equally involved in villages in Ethiopia and Brazil as well as his neighbors just next door.
Origin works with its baristas to craft elevated but approachable menu items. Of course, their menu includes the usual lineup of lattes, espressos, and cappuccinos. But they also have some unique surprises, including Parisian Dream Tonic, Dubai Chocolate Matcha, and Toasted Coast (which includes espresso, chocolate, coconut, amaretto, and milk of choice). Origin strives to be environmentally friendly with biodegradable disposable cups and packaging.
Matt’s hope is that Origin guests “can come and have a moment that makes their day brighter.” He recognizes that grabbing a cup of joe can bring a spark of joy in an otherwise hectic day and feel like a bit of an escape. Origin at Hilton Head
Fully designed by Kowalski, the newly opened cafe is bright, comfortable, and fresh. It strikes the perfect balance of feeling clean and airy; the white oak cabinetry keeps the space warm with green color schemes adding depth. Arched doorways are reminiscent of the original location in downtown Savannah. A local muralist, Lindsey Spears, painted lively ferns in the dining area to complement the natural light and outdoor greenery. Elise describes the newly unveiled space as “equally Hilton Head as it is Origin.”
Shaded seating, green grass, palm trees, and corn hole are found in the welcoming courtyard. Matt’s hope is for the new space to be a gathering place for the community and to be part of people’s daily rhythms. He describes the location as an incredible complex and is grateful for the partnership between the two businesses.
As Origin and J. Banks began to work together, it became clear that the two businesses had more in common than a love for coffee and design. They also realized they are passionate about philanthropy and creating a great product. Cunningham said the partnership has “reinvigorated our vision as a destination on Hilton Head.”
Locals and visitors are invited to visit the new campus to enjoy a sip and stroll through the home design spaces.
The Acharandio residence is a nearly 9,000-square-foot family compound in Palmetto Bluff, designed with intention and executed with artistry, that embodies both modern Lowcountry aesthetics and the warmth of a true multigenerational home.
Article by Cheryl Ricer
A Modern Lowcountry Retreat
LIVING IT UP FAMILY STYLE IN PALMETTO BLUFF
When Oscar and Divina Acharandio first set foot in Palmetto Bluff, they knew it would become part of their family’s story.
The Miami-based couple, who own and operate Pro Transport, a logistics company with multiple terminals across the Southeast, had already celebrated their daughter’s engagement and wedding in this Lowcountry enclave. But when they searched for a property large enough to house their growing clan –two daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, and more on the way – nothing quite fit. So, they decided to build.
The result is a nearly 9,000-square-foot family compound, designed with intention and executed with artistry, that embodies both
Photography provided by Randy Jeffcoat Builders
Inspiration came from heavy timber traditions as well as Japanese and Scandinavian elements, like charred wood exteriors paired with airy, light-filled interiors.
From the beginning, the vision was clear: a family-first retreat that would feel luxurious yet livable, expansive yet intimate.
modern Lowcountry aesthetics and the warmth of a true multigenerational home.
“We wanted something calming,” Divina said. “A place where the whole family could be together, where the grandkids could play, and we wouldn’t worry about anything being too precious. It needed to feel like a home.”
Though the Acharandios’ primary residence remains in Miami, their Palmetto Bluff retreat quickly became the gravitational center for their family. “Because of our terminals in Savannah and Charleston, this home is in the middle. It makes sense for us to be here often, not just for vacation, but as part of our lives,” Oscar said.
From the beginning, their vision was clear: a family-first retreat that would feel luxurious yet livable, expansive yet intimate. With four bedrooms in the main house, three in the guest house, a bunkroom designed for grandchildren, and large play areas inside and out, the home is tailored to multigenerational living.
“Every time we’re here, the little ones are outside,” Divina
said. “That’s what we wanted – not for them to sit in front of the TV, but to be playing baseball, soccer, hockey, or golf. It’s already full of memories.”
Architecture: Modern Lowcountry with a Global Influence
To bring this dream to life, the Acharandios turned to Zach Brown, director of residential architecture at KRA Architecture + Design. Brown immediately saw the potential to balance Palmetto Bluff’s architectural guidelines with the family’s desire for something strikingly modern.
“The Lowcountry vernacular was our starting point,” Brown said. “But we wanted to relax the architecture, to let the wings of the house unbundle and flow. Inspiration came from heavy timber traditions as well as Japanese and Scandinavian elements, like charred wood exteriors paired with airy, light-filled interiors. That juxtaposition became a big piece of the design.”
Ceilings became an especially important storytelling element. In the main living spaces, vaulted heavy-timber designs recall historical craftsmanship. In more modern
home
The dark exterior conveys a moody, modern presence, while the interiors open into a warm, light-filled environment layered with natural textures and wood.
zones, slatted oak ceilings hide lighting within recessed tracks, creating clean lines uninterrupted by fixtures. “The ceilings were critical to giving each room a sense of art and presence,” Divina said.
Brown designed the home as a series of experiences, with transitions between zones. “Moving to the master suite, for example, meant crossing a glass corridor that feels like a hyphen between public and private spaces. It’s about scale and sequence. Every step through the home is intentional,” he said.
Project manager Paola Perez, who oversaw details from first sketch to final finishes, echoed the uniqueness of the design. “What sets this home apart is its striking departure from the traditional white palette common in the Lowcountry. The dark exterior conveys a moody, modern presence, while the interiors open into a warm, light-filled
The
has a modern aesthetic softened by warmth, family comfort, and natural textures.
environment layered with natural textures and wood. That interplay between boldness and warmth creates a truly memorable experience.”
Interiors: Warm, Modern, and Family Friendly
While Brown established the bones of the home, interior designer Shell Neely of Kelly Caron Designs gave it its soul. Her charge was clear: a modern aesthetic softened by warmth, family comfort, and natural textures.
“We didn’t want it to feel like a cold modern box,” Neely said. “So we incorporated white oak ceilings, neutral palettes, and layered textures. Black and gold accents run throughout, balanced by ivory and oak, with pops of green, blue, and
even a touch of terracotta in the guest house. That kept it cohesive but still allowed each room its own personality.”
The master suite is one of Neely’s favorite spaces. “We installed a wood veneer wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries as a full headboard wall. It is such a statement piece. The fireplace, wrapped in linen-textured tile, feels like ivory fabric. Together, it creates a calming, spa-like retreat.”
Neely also relished opportunities to push the design envelope. “In the bar, we used metallic wallpaper on the ceiling and behind shelving – glamorous, but still in harmony with the rest of the home. And the wine room became an art piece itself, with a backlit stone slab that
glows like sculpture.”
Perhaps the most charming touches are in the daughters’ suites. “They wanted equal but different rooms,” Neely said. “So, we used the same tile in two colors – green for one, blue for the other – and matching tubs. It’s playful, personal, and perfectly balanced.”
Building with Detail and Craftsmanship
Randy Jeffcoat Builders, led by Rhett Jeffcoat, vice president of estimating and sales, brought the plans to life. For him, the success of the project lay in both collaboration and craftsmanship.
“This was a team-driven project from Day One,” Jeffcoat
said. “Zach, Shell, and our crew worked hand-in-hand. That gave the homeowners peace of mind, even building from afar, and it made the process seamless.”
Jeffcoat’s pride lies in the details. “From the cabinetry to the fireplace and hood interplay, every decision was about how surfaces connect,” he said. “We used white oak not only in ceilings but in cased openings, where you’d normally expect standard trim. Those details elevate the experience.”
The home also pioneers technology. “We installed a system called ‘Josh,’” Jeffcoat said. “It’s an AI-driven smart home assistant – like saying ‘Hey Google,’ but more powerful. You can tell Josh to turn on the pool, the fireplaces, music,
lighting, even raise the screens. It was our first time using it, and it makes the house feel futuristic while still warm and personal.”
Beyond those automated comforts, the outdoors expands the family-first vision. “The Acharandios wanted it to be about family entertainment,” Jeffcoat said. “So, beyond the main house and guest house, there’s a pickleball court, a basketball court, and even a playground with a shrimp boat. The large grassy front lawn has already become the grandkids’ field for baseball, soccer, hockey, and golf. It’s really a place designed to keep everyone together and outside making memories.”
For the Acharandios, the house is more than its architecture, interiors, or square footage. It is the stage on which their family’s life unfolds. Already it has hosted milestone celebrations, daily gatherings, and the laughter of grandchildren at play.
“This is probably our favorite home,” Divina said. “Because it’s where we’re all together. Every time we come, it feels like a vacation.”
From its striking exterior to its welcoming interiors, from its architectural precision to its playful outdoor spaces, the Palmetto Bluff compound is at once a design masterpiece and a heartfelt family home.
For Brown, that balance defines its success. “This home maximizes every day the family spends here. It honors the traditions of the Lowcountry, but it pushes the boundaries too. And at the end of the day, it reflects how the Acharandios live – together.”
As neighbors catch glimpses of its dark silhouette across the golf course, or as grandchildren race across the front lawn, the home tells a story of legacy, innovation, and love. A story rooted in Palmetto Bluff but belonging wholly to the Acharandio clan.
Beyond the main house and guest house, there’s a pickleball court, a basketball court, and even a playground with a shrimp boat.
Rachael Olson, owner of Panache Dezigns
Article by Cheryl Ricer . Photography by Maggie Washo
Walls with Panache
TRANSFORMING SPACES, ONE ROLL AT A TIME
When it comes to making a statement in a home, few design choices rival the power of wallpaper. Bold patterns, rich textures, and unexpected placements can turn a room from ordinary to unforgettable.
At the forefront of this creative transformation in the Lowcountry is Rachael Olson, owner of Panache Dezigns, a premier wallpaper installation company that has built a reputation for precision, artistry, and trendsavvy expertise.
Olson is more than just a tradesperson. She is an artisan with a deep-rooted connection to the world of design. “I’ve always been a creative, use-my-hands type of person,” she said. “My mother has been in the textiles and interior design business her whole career, so I grew up surrounded by patterns, fabrics, and an appreciation for beautiful spaces.”
Her journey into wallpaper installation wasn’t linear. Olson spent years in real estate and the new home construction industry, working closely with builders and clients to select finishes and design elements. When she had the opportunity to learn the trade of wallpaper
installation, she jumped at the opportunity. “I thought, I love wallpaper and I like using my hands – why not give it a whirl?” she said.
She trained extensively in Charleston, then began working on projects for friends, family, and personal spaces while also working through licensing, insurance, and bonding. “It took work for it all to come together, but then it just took off,” Olson said. “I’ve been doing it for a few years now, and I still love the process and the reward of seeing spaces transformed.”
While many people associate wallpaper with the floral patterns of decades past, today’s wall coverings are as varied and sophisticated as any element in interior design. Olson’s portfolio spans sleek, modern textures to bold, intricate murals. She works with interior designers, builders, contractors, and individual homeowners, always with the goal of delivering a flawless finish.
“It’s very satisfying, matching up a pattern and completing a job that completely changes the feel of a space,” Olson said. “Wallpaper is both decorative and architectural. It can define a room, soften it, or make it dynamic.”
Olson poses in the entryway of a completed project designed by Southern Grace Interiors in Wexford.
Olson’s projects range from single accent walls to entire rooms and even ceilings. Powder rooms are among her most requested spaces for full-wall coverage. “They’re small, high-impact areas where you can be really bold,” she said. Dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms are also popular, especially for homeowners seeking a whole-room transformation. TRENDS THAT TURN HEADS
In the current design landscape, Olson sees a blend of classic elegance and daring creativity. “Right now, I’m seeing a lot of whole-room spaces being wallpapered, but accent walls are still hugely popular,” she said. “Sometimes
Olson’s projects range from single accent walls to entire rooms and even ceilings.
it’s about adding texture, sometimes a pop of color or a subtle pattern that makes a room more interesting.”
The ceiling – often called the “fifth wall” in design – has emerged as a surprising canvas. Olson has installed coverings from grass cloth with metallic accents to bold florals overhead. “Depending on the wall treatment, you can either carry the pattern to the ceiling or use a solid texture up top to complement patterned walls, the sky’s the limit!” she said.
A particularly striking trend is the “color-dripping” approach, in which trim, walls, and wallpaper are unified in a single-color palette. “It’s bold, but it can also be subtle depending on the shades you choose,” she said. “It creates this enveloping, cohesive look.”
When it comes to patterns in wallpaper, florals and birds are enjoying a strong comeback, especially in the Lowcountry, where natural motifs feel right at home. Grass cloth remains a timeless choice, offering warmth and texture, sometimes enhanced with patterns.
Texture is another key player in today’s wallpaper designs. Olson has seen a surge in requests for vinyl wallpapers, prized for their durability and easy maintenance. “Vinyl
Captions clockwise from top right: A bedroom suite in Wexford designed by Southern Grace Interiors, a multi-purpose room in Sea Pines designed by Amanda Clement Design is adorned in green and white tones, Amanda Clement Design features a bonus room in Berkeley Hall, Bird and Thistle paper in a breakfast nook located in Colleton River designed by Leslie Trenta Designs, and Rachael and Mandy style a room for this shoot.
has really made a comeback because it’s water-resistant. You can wipe it down,” she said. “That makes it great for high-traffic or high-moisture areas.”
She has also installed cork, wood veneer, metallicinfused woven fibers, and even one product made with tiny, embedded shells. “That one was so coastal and intricate,” she said. “It was challenging to install, but the result was stunning.”
SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY BUDGET
“The truth is, there’s something for everybody,” Olson said. Prices vary widely, whether it’s per roll for basic paper or per yard for hand-painted luxury wall coverings. When clients work without a designer, she takes care to respect her relationships with designers but on occasion, when needed, she enjoys helping clients make selections. “Wallpaper can be overwhelming,” she said. “There’s so much out there. I
A variety of completed wallpaper projects by Panache Dezigns. Olson and interior designer, Leslie Trenta, pose for a quick shot in a client's breakfast nook. A stunning dining room in Moss Creek, Foyer designed by southern Grace Interiors in Wexford, Built-in’s styled by Amanda Clement Design.
can help people navigate brands, patterns, and materials to find the right match for their space.”
Olson’s go-to list of wallpaper manufacturers reads like a Who’s Who of the industry. “I love Thibaut, Schumacher, Scalamandré, Cole & Son, and Phillip Jeffries,” she said. “But I’m also drawn to smaller, boutique brands and even individual artists who create custom designs. There’s a whole world of wallpaper out there.”
These high-quality options are complemented by advancements in printing and materials, making wallpaper more versatile than ever. From traditional screen printing to digital murals, the possibilities are endless.
Whether you’re planning to paper a powder room or wrap your bedroom ceiling in a botanical print, Olson offers three key pieces of advice:
• Collect Inspiration: “If you see something you like, save pictures. You’ll start to see patterns in what you’re drawn to, whether it’s bold color, texture, or a certain motif.”
• Think Impact: “Choose spaces where you spend a lot of time or where you entertain, places where you want to make an impression or maybe spaces that make you feel happy.”
• Decide on Role: “Consider whether your wallpaper is going to be an accent or a stand-alone piece of art. Some wallpapers are so striking, they don’t need any additional décor on the wall.”
WHY WALLPAPER WORKS
“Wallpaper is for everyone. There’s a pattern, a texture, and a price point for every style and budget,” Olson said. “And when it’s done right, it can completely change the way you feel in your home.”
Consider that wallpaper isn’t just about decoration – it’s about transformation. “It’s one of the most effective ways to change the feel of a space,” she said. “It can make a small room feel more intimate, a large room feel cozier, or a plain room feel exciting.”
The process itself is meticulous, requiring both technical skill and a keen eye for detail. “Matching patterns perfectly, working around corners and trim, ensuring a seamless finish – it’s precision work,” Olson said. “But the payoff is worth it when I see the client’s reaction.”
Her business name, Panache Dezigns, reflects not only her personal style but her approach to every project: a blend of flair, creativity, and meticulous execution. Whether it’s a powder room wrapped in metallic grass cloth, or a living room adorned with hand-painted chinoiserie, her work adds character and sophistication to any space.
Olson’s enthusiasm for her craft is infectious. “I absolutely love what I do,” she said. “I feel fortunate to work with incredible people and help them transform their spaces, one wall at a time. Seeing their joy when a project is finished is the best part of the job.”
Homeowners, designers, and builders looking to elevate their spaces can connect with Olson through her website, PanacheDezigns.com, or follow her stunning transformations on Instagram @Panachedezigns.
Styled by Kandace Cunningham
Photography by M.KAT
Models: Bryson Nimmer, Riley Miller and Baby Zsa Zsa
Special thanks to the May River Manor Team for hosting our shoot.
WELCOME TO MAY RIVER MANOR
THE NIMMERS CHECK IN
Concealed down a long driveway, not too far from the entrance to Palmetto Bluff, is one of Bluffton’s prettiest secret hideaways. May River Manor opened in January 2024, and has played host to weddings, bachelorette party weekends and hundreds of families and couples looking to have a relaxing weekend in the Lowcountry. This Bed & Breakfast’s exterior is elegantly appointed with stately Southern architecture — the immense white columns and brick are reminiscent of days past. Once inside, you’ll find six exquisitely appointed suites and an elegant main gathering area featuring a modern kitchen and dining room. The fireplace beckons you to enjoy a glass of wine and chat about the day's adventures.
We asked Bryson and Riley Nimmer, along with baby Zsa Zsa, to help us show off the latest in autumn styles with May River Manor as the backdrop.
Find Riley's ensemble at Evelyn & Arthur
Find Zsa Zsa's ensemble at Island Child
Find Bryson's ensemble at Southern Tide
Find Bryson's ensemble at John Bayley. Find Riley's ensemble at Gigi's
Photo by Christian Giannelli Photography
Find Riley's ensemble at The Haven
Find Riley's ensemble at Maggie and Me
Find Zsa Zsa's ensemble at Maggie and Me
Find Bryson's ensemble at John Bayley. Find Riley's ensemble at Collage. Find Zsa Zsa's ensemble at Island Child.
Find Riley's ensemble at Pink Pineapple
Find Riley's ensemble at Jean-Pierre Klifa
Find Bryson's ensemble at Outside Hilton Head
Photo by Christian Giannelli Photography
Find Riley's ensemble at Coastal Bliss
Find Bryson and Riley's ensemble at Palmettoes
Find Zsa Zsa's ensemble at Lennie + Remi
Photo by Christian Giannelli Photography
ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT
The Power of the Open House
MOUL, REALTORS USES OLD SCHOOL ROOTS TO MARKET THEIR PROPERTIES
You only need to know the slightest bit about Robert Moul to know that, as a Realtor, he does things slightly differently. For one, there are very few Realtors who have both the willingness and the ability to rock a beard like his. Sure, it might be an unorthodox look for a Realtor, but it’s a look that represents the integrity of the man behind it.
He’s a Realtor who gets hung up on the things that matter. Does the beard make him look like your usual Realtor? No, and that’s the point. You notice him, whether it’s on a billboard or his stand at the airport, and if you’re looking to buy, you remember him. And that is what really matters: Delivering for clients.
In the years since creating his own brokerage, Moul has pursued that singular goal with gusto. But more important than gusto, he’s pursued that goal with a unique perspective on the intelligence behind real estate, honed from his college studies of intel gathering in preparation for a career in government.
The government missed out on his talents, but they have proven a perfect fit for the real estate world, where his brokerage has focused on creating solutions, both old school and new, that deliver. He can look at historical data for a neighborhood and extrapolate the best strategy for his clients, landing them average selling prices as high as 98.67% of the original asking price. He and his team have created an online portal to give agents in his brokerage a
full 360-degree view of their transactions and clients upto-the-minute updates on milestones toward the sale.
In the midst of all this high-tech advancement, it’s interesting that one of the things most exciting to Robert Moul is also one of the most old-school tools in the real estate shed – the open house.
“There are certain agents that tell people open houses don’t work, so they don’t have to do the work of setting one up,” he said. “We’re one of the brokerages out there that do them.”
For Moul, it’s an extra step that is well worth the effort. He understands that an open house isn’t necessarily the
The Moul, REALTORS® Team (from left to right): Jordan Knight, Taylor Cox, Yuri Kennedy, Robert Moul, Claudia Chapman, Jen Thomas, Melissa Epstein and Regi Johnson. (Not pictured: Matt Wyrick)
place where a sale would be made. But to simply not do one is to ignore all the ancillary benefits that come from every person who walks in the door.
“I’ve been in this business 11 years, selling $250 million in real estate, and I’ve only sold three houses at an open house,” Moul said. “But it’s important, because if someone favorites the property online with one of the major real estate websites or our local MLS, they receive an email that there’s an upcoming open house and it keeps that listing at the top of mind. Because it’s a great way to meet potential buyers. Because it gets the listing back in front of real estate agents with our weekly property newsletter.”
“If you don’t do an open house, you’re simply not getting all these bonuses,” he said. As such, his team has become famous for the orange balloons that mark each open house. And they’ve also discovered that each open house seems to draw out the same “usual suspects.”
“We do a lot of these open houses, and we put a lot of time into them,” Moul said. “Some people will come in just to say ‘hi.’”
And some will come in for more. The “Muncher” for example, is that open house visitor who comes in just to see what snacks are available. “They usually know us. They come in, chitchat, grab a bite, and leave.”
The “Sleuth” is that sneaky type who slips in unnoticed, doesn’t sign in, then waits for a distraction to make a silent exit, leaving behind no evidence they were there – like a ninja.
The “Dreamer” is there just living out live-action HGTV fantasies. “Usually they come in knowing it’s way over their budget,” Moul said. “They’re just there to dream, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Of course, any open house since the dawn of time has drawn nosy neighbors, and Moul still finds them coming out on Sundays to see how the rest of the neighborhood lives. “We love to meet the neighbors,” he said.
And then there are the nit pickers, the ones who come in with gripes ready to go. “They’re usually pretty mean,” he said with a laugh.
But not everyone comes to kick tires, grab cookies, and level criticism. The “Tease” will fall in love with the house, start getting in touch with their agent, then disappear completely. The “Value Vulture” is just waiting for the price to come down.
But every once in a while, you get what Moul calls the “Golden Unicorn.”
“That’s the buyer who comes in and really asks the serious questions that really matter,” Moul said.
They’re all welcome at a Moul, REALTORS® open house, even if it’s just to stop by and say hello. “Some traditional brokerages will say that open houses don’t work, that the odds are slim and there are too many what ifs,” Moul said. “But the potential is always there. And with the new rules in real estate in regards to compensation, we’re finding more buyers attending open houses simply because they don’t have to sign a buyers agency agreement.”
It’s a smart decision, one that shows Robert Moul as a Realtor who doesn’t see old school or new school. He simply sees pathways between the client and getting their home sold, and pursues the best one with intelligence, hard work, and famous facial hair you simply can’t ignore.
Article by Cheryl Ricer
Interior Photography by Maggie Washo
Drone Photography by Keylan Hanna
Architecture by Tom Parker, PDG|Architects
Construction by Dan Anderson, D. Anderson Construction Company Inc.
Interiors by Renee Picotte, Renee and Associates Interior Design
Cabinets by Arlene Williams
Landscape by Andy Barger, AB Landscaping
FROM MALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY:
RIVERFRONT HAVEN IS BUILT ON FAMILY, CRAFTSMANSHIP, VISION
Some love stories begin in unexpected places. For Dr. Victor Erenberg, a veterinarian born and raised in Los Angeles, and Erin Erenberg, an attorney originally from Ohio, theirs started in a Malibu exam room – with a golden retriever named Abe.
“I met Erin as a client,” Victor said. “She came in with Abe, and we just got along right away.” At the time, he was fulfilling his dream of practicing veterinary medicine in Malibu, a place tied deeply to his family.
After about a year, Erin invited Victor to join her family on Hilton Head Island for Easter. “I’d never even heard of Hilton Head,” Victor admitted. But instead of declining, he booked a red-eye flight, rented a full Easter Bunny costume, and showed up unannounced in the backyard of Erin’s family condo.
“We were in our bathing suits, and this Easter Bunny got way too close,” Erin said. “Then he took the head off, and it was Victor on one knee. It was hilarious – and of course, I said yes.”
That was Easter Sunday 2011.
They married the same year on Hilton Head and rented a house in North Forest
FROM MALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY
The open concept kitchen invites family members to gather and tell stories of the day's adventures. The unique style of Marie Carson, of M. Elle Design, served as inspiration for the Erenberg’s interior architecture and design.
Beach. “It was so special to have family together on the island,” Erin said. Inspired by the place, they soon bought a tired ’80s beach house nearby, pouring time and money into renovations. It became both a rental and a family escape.
“It let us come back once or twice a year,” Victor said. Meanwhile, in California, they raised three kids in a 100-yearold bungalow in Pacific Palisades. By 2018, space was tight.
“It was a great neighborhood, but we were running out of room,” Victor said. “I thought Hilton Head would be great for the kids – more land, closer to Erin’s family, and a safe, natural environment.”
The move turned out to be timely: Soon after selling their California house, wildfires destroyed thousands of homes, including their former one.
A Community Beyond the Beach
Upon their arrival in Hilton Head, Dr. Victor soon opened Island Holistic Veterinary Clinic and Erin now focuses on her passion of empowering mothers as CEO of the Chamber of Mothers. The family initially lived in their beach house, but something felt missing.
“It’s wonderful living on the beach, but our neighbors were there only a week or two at a time,” Erin said. “We wanted our kids to have a real community, like when I grew up in Ohio and you’d just bike over to find a friend.”
Friends spoke highly of Spanish Wells, known for its winding roads, moss-draped oaks, and welcoming neighbors. When a rare lot opened up, Erin and Victor knew it was right.
“We never wanted to sell the beach house,” Erin says. “But this lot was perfect for what we envisioned.”
For years, Erin had curated a folder of inspiration: serene California coastal style, textured natural materials,
The office is a peaceful retreat, bathed in natural light throughout the day.
FROM MALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY
The main bedroom is warm and inviting, with large wooden beams and minimal decor.
The ensuite bath is a showstopper, with the large shower, wrapped in gold accents and subway tile, as the main attraction.
and timeless details, much of which was a direct result of her friendship with Marie Carson of M. Elle Design in Pacific Palisades. Carson’s unique style served as the core inspiration for the Erenberg’s interior architecture and design.
Enter architect W. Thomas Parker Jr., AIA of PDG|architects. His vision aligned perfectly.
“The Erenberg home was conceived as a series of layered spaces that would act as the backdrop for the life of their busy young family,” Parker said. “We wanted this home to have a different kind of ‘wow’ – more of a soft-spoken whisper than a shout – defined by intrigue, authentic materials, comfort, privacy, detail, and craftsmanship.”
Parker designed the home as interconnected “pavilions,” arranged to create cloistered outdoor rooms and offer privacy on the riverfront lot. The entry features a striking study in contrast: dark, rough re-sawn cedar shingles beside painted white brick, connected by a steel and glass foyer.
“The exterior cladding materials uniquely flow through to the interior and back out to the riverside at this connector,” Parker said. The heavy timber bridge in the foyer was built from pine trees milled directly from the site.
“After 40 years of practice on the island, people often ask which house is my favorite design,” Parker said. “It’s like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. This project stands out because of the extraordinary collaborative effort.”
One of the most integral collaborators on that effort was Dan Anderson of D. Anderson Construction Company Inc., the builder who brought the design to life.
“It was really an honor to work with the Erenbergs,” Anderson said. “They’re local now, and they’re both doing great work – Victor is well known in the community, and Erin does wonderful nonprofit work. They have excellent taste, and working with Tom Parker again on this home was something special.”
Anderson points to several unique features: the painted brick exterior, the steel doors, and the warmth of the oak throughout. “The interior oak work and the reclaimed white oak, solid wood floors – with planks up to 15 inches wide – really set the tone,” he said, crediting Tom Banuch of TimberStone for the high-quality materials. “It all flows together with the environment in a natural way.”
The custom fireplace and minimalist hardscaping around the pool also brought a modern, distinctly Californian touch. “The way the house sits on the Calibogue Sound, the sunsets, the views, and how it’s laid out – it’s incredibly peaceful,” Anderson said. “And it was truly a team effort. My crew, our project manager Luke – the whole team made it possible.”
Bringing the Vision to Life
To round out the vision, Erin worked with interior designer Renée Picotte of Renée and Associates Interior Design. Their shared California roots were key.
“Because they are from California and I was born and raised in California, I completely understood what they meant when they said they wanted a ‘California home,’” Picotte
Victor and Erin Erenberg connect with each other and their dog, Billy, after a long day.
said. “Erin and I clicked right away, and I was able to bring those West Coast elements, like the white oak floors and the painted brick.”
She also helped source hard-to-find details. “Because I’ve been in this business for so long, I was able to find the amazing French tile that Victor wanted in the laundry room and select wonderful furniture and textures that enhance
The home is situated on a picturesque waterfront lot in Spanish Well, offering nightly sunset views.
The kitchen, like the rest of the home, is filled with custom, personal, and tactile elements.
the California aesthetic,” Picotte said. “From the incredible French range to the lighting and layout choices, the Erenbergs had already made great decisions. I was simply able to flesh out their vision so the home became a reflection of them, not me … and that’s what I do.”
The home is filled with custom, personal, and tactile elements. Arabella, the Erenbergs’ daughter, drew her dream room ideas, resulting in a built-in nook accessed by a ladder. Son Beau chose fish wallpaper and filled his space with greenery (and the family fish). George, another son, went modern with a pop of personality: his humorous wallpaper depicts Benjamin Franklin blowing bubble gum.
Victor added must-haves like double washers, dryers, and dishwashers. Erin, who cooks daily, splurged on the 78-inch French range. “People said it would just be pretty to look at,” she said. “But we use it every single day – and often for our kids plus half the neighborhood.”
Nature Flows In and Out
Landscaping became another artistic and emotional layer. Victor teamed with renowned designer Mary Palmer Dargan and local landscaper Andy Barger of AB Landscaping. Together, they created an allée of loquat trees and planted lemon trees across the front.
“The views from inside are just green, white, and light,” Erin said. “Out back, it’s deep water, boats, oak trees, and of course, our daughter’s giant soccer net.”
They retained usable timber from removed pines, milling it for features like the entry bridge and office. A massive live oak, trucked in from Florida, anchors the circular driveway as a generational centerpiece.
“The way the home fits into its surroundings is really what makes it impressive,” said builder Anderson. “They made an effort to protect and replant trees, and it shows.”
Erin loves the living room. “You see the marble, oak, brick, brass, and the backyard,” she said. “It’s all connected and alive.”
She also absolutely loves the plaster walls, hand-worked by Kim Smith and her all-female team. “She nailed the texture and color, and I love that the plaster runs the entire length
of the wall,” Erin said. “There are no baseboards, which a really unique feature.”
Victor favors the dining room for its nightly sunset views. “Every night is different,” he said. He also cherishes a corner seat in the pool where he can take in the landscape in quiet peace.
The home also features artwork by Victor’s grandmother (who recently turned 100), family friends, and coastal paintings now even more meaningful after losing family art in the California fires.
“There’s a lot of history here,” Erin says. “And we feel lucky to have preserved it.”
FROM MALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY
The home took years to dream, two years to build, and a lifetime to imagine.
The home took years to dream, two years to build, and a lifetime to imagine. Asked to describe it, Victor replied: “Open, peaceful, dramatic, textured, and warm. It’s dramatic because of the views and weather, peaceful because of the location, textured in every detail, and warm because it’s filled with love.”
From an Easter Bunny proposal to a riverfront home rooted in family and intention, the Erenbergs didn’t just build a house; they built a home that tells their story.
“It’s even better than we imagined,” Erin said. “It’s alive with imperfections, laughter, and life. And that’s what makes it home.”
Mandy Matney refers to the Hulu show as the bookend – a final chapter to the Murdaugh Murders Podcast saga.
Article by Courtney Hampson . Photography by Maggie Washo
THE MURDAUGH MURDERS PODCAST , A FINAL CHAPTER
Iwas at the spa at the Four Seasons St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2024 and the therapist asked me where I was visiting from. “Hilton Head, South Carolina,” I replied. To which she said, “Do you know Mandy Matney?”
To say that Matney has become a household name would be an understatement. A small-market newspaper reporter who spoke up when everyone else was afraid to, followed up when her editors told her not to, and went on to wreak havoc on the good ol’ boys of South Carolina. How’s that for a headline?
The Baby Boomer generation remembers where they were when JFK was shot. I’ll never forget looking up into the bright blue cloudless sky after hearing the news that a plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11. And because of Matney’s reporting and her No. 1 in the world ranked Murdaugh Murders Podcast, everyone will remember where they were when Alex Murdaugh was “carjacked and shot,” when the guilty verdict came in, and when Judge Newman read the sentencing (I was sitting in my office, with my team crowded around me and my monitor).
The first time I heard the podcast, I was walking my dog. We had just made the curve onto Rose Hill Drive when I stopped in my tracks. I thought Matney sounded a little nervous but determined. I sensed there was something there and Matney knew it. Week after week, I – and thousands upon thousands of others – tuned in to hear what Matney and her co-host, Liz Farrell, had uncovered. And week after week there was something new. The sheer determination and level of research was unprecedented for our little corner of the world. No fear. No apologies. Just the facts. Pure balls.
This month, Hulu will release the eight-part series, Murdaugh: A Death in the Family, based on the Murdaugh Murders Podcast and Matney’s relentless pursuit of the truth. I had the opportunity to sit down with Matney and her husband David Moses to hear more about their journey.
This show isn’t just about Matney telling the story; indeed, she became a part of the story. She lived it. Breathed it. Battled it.
Patricia Arquette, who plays Maggie Murdaugh in the
Hulu series described the story as, “A sad, rotten American tale.” Matney agrees with that assessment, sharing that personally, she had been very bitter about the Murdaugh experience. “I just had a chip on my shoulder about it. I was angry about how people were treated,” she said. “I was angry about what I found out about the justice system throughout the whole thing, and that the system wasn't really fixed at the end of it. It was just like they put a Band-Aid on it at the end. That all made me mad.”
On the flip side, being on set in Atlanta (Matney is a producer on the show) let her see the entire experience through a different lens. “The good part of it is that we get to tell that story to the world now in a fun and exciting way,” she said. “And we couldn’t ask for better people to work with.”
Matney shared that some of the actors had listened to the podcast. Johnny Burch, who plays Paul Murdaugh, ran up to her on the first day on set and said, “I was listening to your podcast religiously.” Burch, a brunette, was in full-on “Paul” make-up. “His arm hair, his facial hair, he was fully Paul,” Matney said. Some of Matney’s comfort in the process came from knowing that the cast was, as she said, “invested before they were invested, they were there
Mandy Matney and her husband, David Moses, at home with their dog, Luna.
for the story.”
Matney has always been a dreamer, but at the same time, very rooted in reality – and at the start of this, her reality was as a small-town journalist. Did she ever daydream about her life being made into a TV show and consider who might play her? No. Matney watched Brittany Snow, who plays her in the series, on TV when she was a kid and a teenager. Snow starred in the TV drama American Dreams in the early 2000s, the Pitch Perfect franchise, and most recently as the star of The Hunting Wives. “I told Brittany, the confidence boost that I got from her just being interested in the show has changed my life in a lot of ways,” Matney said.
A dreamer yes, but Matney also is a curious writer, driven by her mother’s strong moral compass and advice to always do what is right. “My mom is the queen of pesky. She is very good at getting answers,” Matney said.
Matney never gave up on the story that her gut told her was much more than it appeared on the surface. Her idea for the podcast started when she was still writing for The Island Packet, when the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach first happened, and she dug into everything she could find on Paul Murdaugh and his family.
While her editors and seasoned writers at the Packet told her not to pursue the story, she knew there was something there. Matney heard over and over again, “Nothing is going to change. This is how it’s always been here. These people have run everything for a really long time. Stay away from it.” Matney was also very attuned to how the national media was telling the story when Paul and Maggie were murdered. “They were trying to say that the boat crash kids were likely the suspects, and they were trying to blame all the wrong people.”
It was pretty clear to Matney that bigger forces were trying to make the Murdaughs out to be the victims. “I just remember thinking ‘people have to know the truth,’” she said. “It felt like there was a lump in my throat until I got it out. I’m writing, I’m writing, I’m tweeting. But I knew the story needed a podcast for people to fully understand all of the background.”
So, Matney said, as she turned and smiled at Moses, “Sweet David just kind of bucked up and figured out how to teach himself audio. He was like, ‘This podcast has to be done, and you have to tell it, and you have to tell it in a way that you are telling it to me right now.’”
Thus, she followed her gut and her decade of journalism experience in newsrooms across the country and went for it, confident in her ability to tell the story in the way that she wanted to – without getting sued – because she knew what the truth was. But having
Moses and Farrell on her team made a profound difference.
From the start, in the Packet newsroom, when everyone was saying “no,” Farrell and Matney would look at one another and say, “But what can we do? What can we get at this point? Every single week, we were told that something can’t happen in one way or another, and we figured out a way into it,” Matney said.
Moses provided a solid glimpse into the show when he spoke about the synergy that the actors who play Farrell (Alicia Kelly) and Matney (Snow) had in telling the story. “You can see it on the screen,” Moses said. “This special talent and skill that Mandy and Liz have – you can see the visible emotion come across the screen. The visceral, emotional truth is there.”
For Matney, she is thrilled that the show is portraying the strength of her relationship with Farrell. Everybody needs a partner. “Co-workers are a huge, huge, huge part of success – Liz and I believed each other, and we believed in each other. Without Liz, I may have just gone back to my desk and said, ‘there’s nothing that can be done.’ But when you have a colleague that shares that peskiness ....”
That peskiness is why Matney gets messages every day from people across the country who are begging for people to look into their family members’ murder. While the Murdaugh Murders Podcast concluded at 93 episodes, it evolved into the True Sunlight podcast, with 114 (and counting) episodes of its own. Matney and Farrell continue to seek the truth, covering stories where crime and corruption meet, amplifying the voices of victims in a system that is broken.
The drama and the trauma that catapulted Matney into a household name is over. Matney refers to the Hulu show as the bookend – a final chapter to the Murdaugh Murders Podcast saga, that turned her bitterness into appreciation.
Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by M.Kat
Once completed, the 2.8 million, 4000 square foot facilty will become the center of further archeological exploration of the historic site of Mtchelville, where enslaved people of the South first experienced freedom.
BREAKING GROUND, MAKING HISTORY
Last month, our cameras captured the moment when the powerful story of Mitchelville entered a new chapter, with the groundbreaking on the new Archaeological Research Facility and Auditorium. Following music from Marlena Smalls and a blessing from Rev. Dr. Barbara Ling Terry, a slew of speakers took to the podium.
Sharing the dais were Board Chair Lola Campbell, Executive Director Ahmad Ward, Councilwoman Melinda Tunner, Mayor Alan Perry, Mayor Pro-Tem Alex Brown, SC Parks Recreation & Tourism's Director Duane Parrish, Sen. Tom Davis and community leader and board member Shirley "Peaches" Peterson.
Their words helped lend context to the historic moment. Campbell, who can trace her story back through eight generations of native islanders, spoke to the crowd of how this new facility will give her and her son “connection and space to feel and stretch our roots here on the island.”
And that connection is exactly what the new space at Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park will offer —a chance for stories to be told of the families that built Hilton Head Island.
But just as much as it honors the history of Mitchelville and the families that called it home, this new facility will serve future generations of native islanders by keeping their stories moving forward and giving them greater connection to land they’ve lived on long before the cumyahs arrived. “If (Gullah families) cannot remain, then our culture risks becoming a museum piece instead of a living, breathing inheritance,” said Brown. “It risks going from culture to artifact.”
Once completed, the $2.8 million, 4,000-square-foot facility will become the center of further archeological exploration of the historic site of Mitchelville, where enslaved people of the South first experienced freedom and our neighboring communities. Plans are also in the works for historical reconstruction of freedman's homes and an 18,000-square-foot interpretive center.
A generous grant by the Mellon Foundation was acknowledged at the groundbreaking ceremony.
From left: Sen. Tom Davis, Board Chair Lola Campbell, Mayor Alan Perry and Councilman Alex Brown were in attendance.
Ahmad Ward, Executive Director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
James Berry, founder of Hilton Head Jazz Camp
Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by M.Kat
Hilton Head Jazz Camp celebrates 15 years
When he first launched the Hilton Head Jazz Camp 15 years ago, founder James Berry didn’t know exactly what the camp would look like. He just knew he wanted to heighten his students’ appreciation of jazz. As director of fine arts for Hilton Head Christian Academy, he was blessed with a student body of highly talented musicians, and he’d been given the resources to create something special.
What the camp became over the ensuing decade-plus has exceeded Berry’s expectations of what it could become. With the support of the Masteller family and the musical community as a whole, the camp began attracting top-tier faculty like Grammy winner Charlton Singleton of Ranky Tanky, Les Paul Trio vocalist/bassist Nicki Parrott, and South Carolina Ambassador of Jazz Mark Rapp. It started drawing students from all over the country.
And now, 15 years in, it has given rise to a whole generation of former campers who are taking the music world by storm.
“I think there was one week when I was looking at who was playing on the south end (of Hilton Head Island) and it was Zach Stevens, Davis and Grayson Lentz and the Nice Guys, and Ben Hughey DJ’ing,” Berry said. “They’re all jazz camp kids, and seeing them around town becoming this new music scene is really cool.”
And those are just the alumni who stayed locally. Thanks to the camp’s huge draw beyond the Lowcountry, Berry has been pleasantly surprised to find former campers at all levels of the industry, from a New York City-based jazz radio DJ, to one of the lead
trumpets for the University of Georgia’s Redcoats Marching Band, to an LA producer.
“They put in so much work,” Berry said. “Just having that one week where it sort of turbo charges what they’re doing is great.”
Those who have been fortunate enough to pass through the Hilton Head Jazz Camp on their way to music careers can tell you how valuable that one week is.
“I have a friend I play with who’s a great drummer and went to Berkeley, and we were sharing our high school experiences. I was talking to him and I realized how fortunate I am to have gotten that instruction,” said Davis Lentz. A fulltime professional musician, playing his saxophone live and in the studio for a slew of different acts, he has seen how the camp helped prepare him for the real world.
“The staff is top notch. They’re all people who practice what they preach and live by what they do,” Lentz said. “You learn a lot of music theory and how songs work, but you also learn a lot of stuff they wouldn’t focus on in school band.”
Some graduates enjoy their time so much that they come back and teach. Mabel Safe began her jazz camp journey in elementary school and continued all through high school. She now works with Berry, running the residential staff program for students who travel to camp.
“She hangs out with the kids, takes them to all the activities and manages everything,” Berry said. “Plus, she manages our social media. She’s awesome.”
Safe is now a senior at the University of Miami, studying music therapy with a minor in psychology, but she always jumps at the chance to come back to camp. “That was always the highlight of my summer, and my sister is in her last year of high school so she loves it,” she said. “Because I grew up here and was never one of the overnight kids, it’s given me an entirely new perspective on the camp and the impact it makes. Plus, I feel like I was just learning all this stuff, so I bring that into it when I’m teaching theory.”
Berry has been able not only to help young musicians pursue their dreams, he’s been able to scout some of the students for talent. Drew Lewis was one of his earliest campers and is now a highly sought-after musician in a litany of bands, including one where he shares billing with his former camp leader. As members of Folderol, Berry and Lewis have kept the music going.
“Drew is just incredibly reliable, always has been,” Berry said. “He’s doing a million different things right now, playing
Davis Lentz
Drew Lewis
in like 11 different bands, and he’s playing with us. He’s 30 now, so it is kind of funny to think of him as a former student, but he’s a heck of a player.”
“The camp was huge for building confidence for me,” Lewis said. “I’d always felt like I was late to the game because I didn’t start playing drums until I was a freshman, but James was so encouraging. It’s definitely a really important part of what made me the musician I am today, supplying me with fundamental skills in my early years that really helped shape me.”
It’s a common refrain from camp alumni. They realize not everyone gets a chance to spend one week a summer with actual working musicians, learning not just their instrument but also absorbing how the greater world of jazz operates.
“Jazz Camp was the single most informative and transformative week I've ever been a part of in my life,” wrote Zach Stevens, camp graduate and inescapable presence in the local music scene. “It's unreal how much you learn about music and yourself in such a short time. The staff is world-class, and they pour into you with everything they have. ... I walked away with friends that I now consider family and lessons in musical theory that I use full time as a gigging musician today. I wouldn’t want to know a version of myself that didn’t go to the Hilton Head Jazz Camp.”
Zach Stevens
Mabel Safe
ARTICLE BY DEBI WEST . PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT
Art League of Hilton Head:
A CREATIVE LEGACY IN TWO PARTS
Art League of Hilton Head isn’t just a gallery or a classroom, it’s a vibrant creative force with a legacy that spans more than five decades. As the Lowcountry’s premier visual arts organization, Art League continues to be a dynamic cultural cornerstone, inspiring artists, residents, and visitors alike through two powerful platforms: a renowned gallery and a thriving academy.
Located at the heart of the island, inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Art League Gallery is a feast for the senses. With monthly rotating exhibits, it offers an everchanging showcase of the Lowcountry’s finest artistic
talent, from emerging voices to celebrated professionals. Every visit is an invitation to discover something new and thought-provoking, while also supporting regional artists and enriching the local cultural landscape.
The gallery is more than a well-lighted space to display art; it creates experiences. Artist receptions, live demonstrations, and gallery walks foster engagement and community connection, bringing art lovers and artists together in an inclusive, welcoming space.
“Whether you appreciate art or create art, Art League is the place for you,” said gallery manager Lyndsi Caulder. “We have a huge, eclectic community of artists in the Lowcountry.
Teacher Debi West poses with her students and their turtle artwork following a collage class at the Art League Academy.
Art League is here to assist your passion in the arts, whether it be building your collection, or building on your craft. We can’t wait to see you soon!”
Just a few miles away, Art League Academy on Cordillo Parkway is where creativity truly blossoms. Housed in a charming, stand-alone building, the academy offers year-round art classes and workshops for all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re picking up a paintbrush for the first time or refining your technique, there’s a class waiting for you.
Instruction is led by an array of beloved local artists and nationally recognized visiting professionals. From watercolor to oil, drawing to mixed media, the academy is where inspiration meets instruction, and lifelong learning is celebrated.
“Providing the community with a place for people to be creative and learn new skills and techniques to add to that creativity is extremely important,” said academy manager Amy Wehrman-Jones. “Art League Academy strives to be inclusive of the entire art community, and I believe that’s what makes it such a special place.”
A STORIED PAST: FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO ISLAND ICON
Art League’s journey began in 1971 when visionary artist and island resident Walter Greer gathered a group of nine passionate creatives to discuss forming a local art league. By March 1972, their dream began to take shape with an exhibit of Greer’s work at the Hilton Head Inn, drawing a crowd of 30 and sparking the official birth of Art League of Hilton Head.
What followed was a remarkable story of growth. The first official Members Show was held in Harbour Town in 1973, and by 1976 membership grew to more than 300. Art League’s first workshop, a three-day watercolor course, was held in 1979, laying the foundation for what would become the academy.
In 2003, the Art League Academy opened on Cordillo Parkway with 23 classes in its inaugural semester. Seven years later, the gallery relocated to its current home at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, uniting both branches of the organization under one artistic mission.
“For decades, Art League of Hilton Head has stood as a cornerstone of our island’s cultural identity, woven into the very fabric of the community,” said executive director Kristen McIntosh. “Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing our organization not just grow, but flourish into an essential force for the arts. While we continue to evolve, we remain deeply rooted in the visionary work of our founders.”
Honoring that legacy, McIntosh said, the organization will revive beloved events from the 1970s and ’80s, bridging past and present, and celebrating the traditions that shaped it. “Art has always been more than expression,
Art League of Hilton Head gallery, located inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
it’s a lifeblood for this island, a unifying language, and a source of inspiration,” she said.
Today, Art League of Hilton Head is as active and vital as ever, with nearly 500 members and a reputation that reaches far beyond the island. In addition to its main gallery and academy, the organization hosts satellite exhibitions throughout the community and offers scholarships, artist talks, and special events that draw thousands each year.
Current board president Judy Blahut has experienced Art League membership as both an artist and a volunteer. “Art League has offered me the opportunity to volunteer in leadership for a topnotch organization, which I consider a privilege,” she said. “In addition, Art League has given me the experience of being a featured artist. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this organization. It is a gift to our community.”
Blahut’s home studio will be one of several member studios in Art League’s upcoming Studio Tour fundraiser on November 8. This is a great opportunity for a peak into the life of an artist while raising much-needed funds for the Art League Academy.
Art League of Hilton Head isn’t just a place, it’s a movement. It’s a celebration of the power of art to connect, transform, and inspire. It’s where passion becomes purpose, and creativity is always in season. Whether you're a budding artist, a lifelong art lover, or simply curious, Art League of Hilton Head invites you to become part of its ever-growing creative family.
“Our commitment endures,” McIntosh said, “to foster creativity, support artists, and ensure that art remains a powerful, accessible, and lasting presence in Hilton Head for generations to come.”
Learn more about Art League exhibits, classes at the academy, and special events at artleaguehhi.org.
Mama Loggerhead (Jevon Daly) and Miles show off the turtle collages they created in Debi West's art class at the Art League of Hilton Head.
Pierce Giltner is photographed in his studio in Old Town Bluffton.
Article by Cheryl Ricer . Photography by Maggie Washo
The Dual Passions of
D. Pierce Giltner
Building with History, Painting with Vision
In Bluffton, artistry takes many forms. For some, it is expressed on canvas; for others, it’s etched into the very walls of the Lowcountry. For Pierce Giltner, it’s both.
A self-taught artist with an eye for detail and a craftsman preserving centuries-old building traditions, Giltner embodies a rare fusion of creative worlds: painting vibrant coastal scenes while also constructing monumental architectural features out of tabby concrete, a historic material made from lime, water, and oyster shells.
“Tabby is my passion, but art is my love,” Giltner said. “Art is something I can keep doing forever.”
Giltner’s earliest memories of art are as unconventional as his life’s path. Long before he was wielding brushes and hammers, he was experimenting with shampoo as paint. “I got in trouble for drawing with shampoo on my bedroom wall,” he said. “After that, my mom just gave me a marker and let me go at it.”
Born and raised in Chester, South Carolina, Giltner doodled through childhood but didn’t take art seriously until the early 2000s. At that time, he was in his early 20s, working with what he could afford. “I couldn’t buy canvas
or expensive paints, so I used house paint and painted on wood and tin salvaged from old tenant houses in Chester County,” he said. “That’s where it started – folk art, using what was around me.”
By 2003, Giltner had moved to Bluffton and opened Gallery Without Walls, a modest space on Calhoun Street, near The Store. “This was before Bluffton’s big boom,” he said. “Locals would come by, we’d drink beer, hang out, and look at art. It was more about community than commerce back then.”
During those years, Giltner’s subject of choice and body of artwork was “Drack: Oysterman of the Lowcountry,” a third-generation local oysterman. “I painted him for years,” he said. Still, the practice honed his skill and sharpened his focus.
Eventually, he expanded his subjects, leaning into broader coastal imagery and venturing beyond the Lowcountry. From the shrimp boats of Bluffton to the balconies of Cusco, Peru, Giltner began documenting the essence of place.
“It’s called Coastal Sketcher” he said, referencing his evolving series of watercolors. “When I travel, whether it’s Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, or Florida, I’ll sketch and paint
whatever catches my eye. A horse on a beach. A rustic balcony. A shrimp boat. It’s all about capturing the lifestyle of the coast.”
Although Giltner has explored oils and acrylics, he admits that watercolors captivate him most. “They’re so challenging. With oils, you’re in control. With watercolors, you have to let the water do the work, and I’m not naturally good at letting go,” he said. “It forces me to surrender. The water finds its way on the paper.”
The spontaneity of watercolor dovetails perfectly with his travel-based sketching practice. “When I’m painting
on location – plein air style – I have to move quickly. It keeps things fresh and alive,” Giltner said.
On his fine art website, dpiercegiltner.com, his works reveal this balance: some pieces highly detailed, others loose and gestural.
RUSTIC INSTALLATIONS: REVIVING TABBY
As much as painting defines him, Giltner’s parallel career as founder of Rustic Installations is equally remarkable. The company, based in Bluffton, specializes in designing and installing fireplaces, walls, planters, and architectural features made from tabby concrete – a material dating back to Spanish settlers and later popularized in the coastal South.
Tabby is often confused with stucco, but Giltner is quick to clarify the difference. “Stucco just embeds shells on the surface. Real tabby is a cast mixture of lime, water, and oyster shells and compacted – exactly as it was done centuries ago. It’s labor-intensive and rare,” he said.
Through Rustic Installations, Giltner has created installations across the country and beyond. From massive columns in South Florida to a wine cabinet on Kiawah Island, his work is in demand worldwide. Yet he insists that the process remains deeply artisanal. “Clients don’t just want the product, they want the artist,” he said. "It’s an art form in itself.”
The results speak for themselves. On rusticinstallations. com, his portfolio includes towering fireplaces, intricate planters, and even lamps – each piece a modern echo of a building practice that once defined the Lowcountry landscape.
Much of Giltner’s ability to handle the grueling demands of tabby work comes from his 33-year background in
What: The Artwork of D. Pierce Giltner
When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, December 12
Where: Gallery in the Alley, Bluffton Contact: DPGiltner@gmail.com (843) 338-7267
Giltner works on a painting of Daddy's Girls, a well known shrimp boat owned by Mayor Larry Toomer.
Whether through tabby installations or watercolor sketches, Giltner’s work reflects a reverence for place, particularly the Lowcountry.
construction, which he credits for instilling the work ethic that drives both his building projects and his art.
“I started working in construction at age 15, doing manual labor,” he said. “Later I moved into carpentry and more advanced trades. Without those years, I wouldn’t have the work ethic or discipline to perform tabby at the level I do today.”
This blend of blue-collar grit and creative sensibility is evident in both his art and his installations. “Construction taught me patience, perseverance, and attention to detail,” Giltner said. “All of those things come through when I’m painting or when I’m creating the tabby.”
Despite his success, Giltner admits the physical demands of tabby work are immense. “I’ve been in construction for 33 years, and I’m burned out on that part of it,” he said. “Tabby is beautiful but extremely labor-intensive. That’s why I’m shifting my focus more toward painting.”
Still, he isn’t ready to abandon tabby entirely. With projects booked years in advance, Rustic Installations continues to thrive. But Giltner sees a time when his easel might take precedence over hammers and molds. “Art is sustainable for life,” he said. “Tabby isn’t.”
TOWARD DECEMBER: A SOLO SHOW
This year marks an important turning point. In December, Giltner will open his Bluffton gallery to showcase a body of work he has been quietly building for more than three years. “It’s going to be everything – watercolors, older works I’ve held onto, and a new body of work which will be released at the show,” he said. “I want people to see the full scope.”
The opening night promises to be a community affair, with hors d’oeuvres, live music, and an intimate chance to engage with the artist himself. Afterward, the gallery will be open either by appointment or limited hours. “It’s tough to staff a gallery five days a week, but I love engaging with people,” he said.
The show, Giltner hopes, will be the launchpad for the next phase of his career: applying to juried exhibitions, courting galleries, and even aiming for Art Basel. “That’s the goal,” he said. “To bring Bluffton art into an international conversation.”
Whether through tabby installations or watercolor sketches, Giltner’s work reflects a reverence for place, particularly the Lowcountry. The tabby whispers the region’s history, while his shrimp boats and coastal scenes celebrate its living culture.
“I’ve always been creating,” he said. “But now I want to focus on sharing more widely.”
As Bluffton continues to grow and evolve, Giltner stands as both preservationist and innovator, an artist whose shampoo-on-the-wall beginnings have blossomed into a career bridging centuries of tradition with the immediacy of watercolor brushstrokes. His December show is poised not just as a local event, but as a declaration: This is an artist ready for the world stage.
To learn more, visit dpiercegiltner.com.
Article by Barry Kaufman
by M.Kat
Smoke on the Water
A GLIMPSE INSIDE SMOKING BIRD STUDIOS, HOME OF ARTIST WALLY PALMER
For many creatives, the most personal expression of who they are as an artist is the space in which they live and work. Perhaps even more so than the art they make within, a studio defines who they are, meticulously built to coax the muses into sharing their divine inspiration.
From the rustic Spanish mission style beams and endless New Mexico views of Georgia O’Keeffe’s studio to the paint-spattered barn where Jackson Pollock dripped his masterpieces, the space itself is as much a canvas as anything else the artist creates.
Bluffton artist Wally Palmer’s Smoking Bird studio, tucked among the serpentine waters of Okatie, is so much more than just an art studio. From its broad back porches framed by Spanish Moss-draped oaks, a visitor can gaze upon a breathtaking panorama of the Okatie River the length of the horizon. Around its grounds, from the tidal creek running alongside it to the dirt road that brings you in, you’ll find a hodgepodge of found items and artistic castoffs – carousel horses, old rocking chairs, dock floats, crab nets, signs, carvings, and more – each carefully arrayed for elegantly balanced chaos.
“It’s been an evolution,” said Palmer of his studio’s Winchester Mansion-like outward growth. “My workshop started off as a screen porch, and then a tree fell through it. About 12 or 13 years ago I started adding the deck. I have friends in the dock building business, so all the wood came from old docks they’d replaced.”
Photography
Bluffton artist Wally Palmer’s Smoking Bird Studios, tucked among the serpentine waters of Okatie.
The decks spill out in multiple levels down the embankment to the water, each tier offering a different way for the artist to approach the sculptures, mosaics, and reliefs he’s famous for. One level bears multiple spatters from the resin he uses to craft his art. On the level below that, large 3D art pieces in the form of an L, a V, and an E, along with a pearl, await placement on a large fiberglass oyster he’s yet to make.
“We face east, so the sun comes up right out there,” he said, pointing. “I like to be out there working early so I can see that. Plus, if I start early, I can have a beer at 2 or 3.”
SCULPTING A LEGACY
Too often, you can sense when an artist is approaching their craft from a certain mindset of putting on airs. They don’t just want to make art, they want to give off the impression of “being an artist,” one unburdened by the usual restraints under which the rest of us labor. Palmer approaches his art without any of that pretext. His is a salt of the earth approach to art that he comes by honestly. Not only is he singularly gifted in his own right, he is also part of a broader tapestry of art that covers his entire family.
His father, Walter, is the most famous example, especially around here. Walter Palmer’s sculptures, which he once described as “people cleverly disguised as birds,” are just as much a visual shorthand for the Lowcountry as a palmetto tree or a golf tee. In private collections and public spaces, his flock spread its wings across the Southeast as he sculpted for more than 45 years.
Walter’s brother Jim, Wally’s uncle, is a celebrated painter whose works can be found in the private collections of former presidents. Wally’s Aunt Lynne used to run the Red Piano Gallery. His brother Kevin is an artist too – in fact, a few of his sculpted eyes can be found peeking out from ivy leaves all over Smoking Bird. And that’s just a handful of the family members who share in the incredible creative streak that runs throughout the family.
“My dad and uncle were a part of the Hilton Head artist roundtable back in the ’70s with the big artists of the day, Joe Bowler and Coby Whitmore. I would get dragged there by dad, and I remember playing out behind the gallery and climbing trees where they were all hanging out,” he said.
Wally Palmer with one of his dad's famous bird sculptures.
It was a congregation of legendary artists, and Palmer was there whether he liked it or not. It’s only natural that he would absorb some of the artistic atmosphere. In the coming months, he’s looking to bring the roundtable back, helping local artists discover the same kind of kinship that his family enjoyed with the arts community back in the early days.
“I started a group on Facebook as a continuation of what they were doing,” he said. “They’re doing a show in November of all the old artists from the roundtable and it got me thinking. So, I got talking with Babbie Guscio about bringing it back and doing it in Bluffton. … It’s just a couple of hours where artists can hang out, share ideas, or just talk about basketball or whatever. We’ll have some musicians and Will Guscio is going to cook for us, so it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Even as he continues his father’s legacy as a member of the arts community, Palmer is also helping to rebuild that legacy, one broken bird at a time.
THE BIRD DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW
One of the most fascinating rooms of Smoking Bird Studio is the oldest part of the building, where a fish camp once stood on the banks of the river. Stretching across a broad table, Palmer’s Bird Hospital has become the only place where his dad’s signature sculptures can be restored to their original glory.
“During the summer, I try to work on his pieces all at the same time. Some of them are really old and were never meant to be outside,” he said. “But then the parents would die, the kids would inherit them, and they wouldn’t know that.”
The repairs require Wally’s unique insight into Walter’s process, simply because of the unorthodox methods Walter used. “Anything he could use to get a shape with, he would,” he said. “I used to take old beer boxes and flip flops and [stuff] out of them. There were bed springs in one of them. He’d paint everything with resin then stick some Bondo on it when they’d harden up. He’d use a lot of cardboard and shower curtains and things.”
Among his patients are a few of his father’s most famous works. One piece is from 1968 by Wally’s reckoning, passed down through the Mingledorf family and currently rehabbing a broken leg. Another has served as the trophy for a Kiawah Island Golf Club tournament for years and is being treated for a triple fracture. And on the back deck, the famed bird that stood on Coligny Circle for 20 years before it was stolen is being patched with fresh fiberglass.
“A couple of years after it was stolen, a lady was walking her dog in Shipyard and saw an emu looking at her through a (villa) window,” said Palmer. “She called security, and this crazy-looking dude opens the door, chickens fly out, and they find all these live birds in his villa. He was really into birds. And there, in the corner of the living room, were the three birds that had been stolen from Lighthouse Realty.”
Palmer’s good friend Bill Sease purchased the lot for $500. Palmer was gifted one of them when Sease passed last year. Its restoration will allow the Lowcountry to appreciate once again an iconic lost masterpiece from one of its most treasured artists.
In the meantime, it makes a great conversation piece in the middle of a studio crammed with them. Each piece tells a story, and at the center of it all you’ll find Wally Palmer, continuing to express his art both on gallery walls and in the artistic retreat he’s created.
Article by Cheryl Ricer . Photography by M.Kat
tyler Adair
Wild at Heart, Steady in Song
When you first meet Tyler Adair, you might not immediately guess that this soft-spoken musician has spent evenings wrestling 12-foot alligators out of lagoons in Sea Pines. Yet that unlikely pairing – wildlife control officer by day, soulful singersongwriter by night – is exactly what makes Adair’s story worth telling.
“It’s kind of a double life,” he said with a laugh. “One minute I’m handling an alligator, and the next I’m at the Quarterdeck playing a John Mayer cover. It’s been a lot of fun, though. It keeps life interesting.”
Adair’s path to the Lowcountry has been anything but straight. Raised outside Philadelphia, he earned a degree in audio engineering from Full Sail University and landed what he calls his “dream job” at a legendary recording studio back home. It was a place where music history lived – The Jackson 5’s “ABC” and the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” were recorded there.
“I was on top of the world,” Adair said. “I had the keys to the building, I was climbing the ladder, and it felt like everything was falling into place.”
But the industry shifted. With home recording technology making major studios less essential, even a historic powerhouse couldn’t stay afloat. “They called me one night and said, ‘Don’t bother coming in tomorrow. We’re selling to the bank,’” Adair said.
Suddenly, he was back at square one. From guitar center jobs, brief stints in Nashville, and gigs that didn’t pay the bills, it was a string of near misses and restarts. Life took another sharp turn when he became a father, and stability became his priority. That pursuit of purpose
Tyler Adair is photographed in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve
eventually led him to Hilton Head Island, where his parents – who still work hard every day – made a home.
“A big part of my motivation is to help them retire,” Adair said. “I know they would if they could, and I’d love to be able to give that back to them.”
What began as a job in Sea Pines Security quickly grew into something more. Adair was asked to fill in on wildlife duty, and before long, he was offered the position permanently. He didn’t hesitate.
“I grew up coming to Sea Pines on vacation, so the place was already special to me,” he said. “When I started working with wildlife, it just clicked. It wasn’t about money. I don’t even get paid extra for it. I just enjoy doing it.”
His first alligator was a whopping 12 feet. “I learned on the go,” he said. “It was definitely a strange way to break into the job.”
The role, surprisingly, has given him a sense of fulfillment similar to what he hoped to find in the military before an accident sidelined that dream. “It makes me feel like I’m helping people, like I’m doing something that matters,” he said.
Oddly enough, Adair sees a similarity between wrangling wildlife and performing music. “You never know what you’re going to get into,” he said. “With an alligator, you know what you need to do, but you can’t control what the animal will do. Same thing with a show. You know your music, but you don’t know how the crowd will respond, or whether a string will break in the middle of the song.”
tyler Adair
While Adair’s career in wildlife control might have been unexpected, music has always been central to his identity. For years, though, it simmered quietly in the background as he raised his daughter.
“It wasn’t that I was afraid of music,” he said. “I went to school for audio engineering, worked in recording studios, and that was always the plan – working in music was the goal. What worried me was playing music for a living. I knew how competitive it was, and stepping into the spotlight felt less stable than being behind the scenes. But nothing in life is guaranteed, and I think the universe just pushed me where I was supposed to go. Now I’m here, and honestly, I’m having a blast.”
In 2023, he started gigging regularly at Hilton Head hotspots like the Quarterdeck, and his confidence grew quickly. “At first, I was out of practice. I had to get my reps in and figure out how to fit the vibe here,” Adair said. “Up north, you might have five bands in one night and people are there specifically for the music. Here, you’re part of the dining experience. People aren’t necessarily there to see you, but you can make their evening better.”
That mindset shift paid off. Within a year, he had not only found his rhythm but also signed with an entertainment agency to help him expand.
A SOUND OF HIS OWN
Adair’s style is as layered as his life experiences. Though he grew up in punk and metal bands – and can still unleash a death-metal growl – his live shows on Hilton Head are shaped by acoustic covers and singer-songwriter energy.
“I can’t play punk rock at the Quarterdeck,” he said. “But I’ve found a middle ground. I lean into the ’90s and early 2000s songs that people forgot they loved – Third Eye Blind, Green Day, Semisonic. Those are my bread and butter. But I also take modern pop and hip-hop songs, strip them down, and rebuild them with a guitar and a looper pedal.”
His looping style, which layers percussion, guitar, and vocals live onstage, gives his performances a unique edge. “I’ll bang on my guitar for a beat, loop it, then play chords over it and sing. It keeps things fresh, for me and for the crowd.”
When pressed about influences, Adair points to artists like Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Justin Bieber – but always with a personal twist. “I love taking something unexpected and making it my own,” he said. “That’s where I have the most fun.”
Balancing two careers isn’t easy, but Adair has found that each feeds the other. The discipline, unpredictability, and presence required in wildlife control sharpen his instincts onstage. Likewise, the creativity and emotional expression of music give him resilience in his day job.
And through it all, his daughter remains his anchor. “At the end of the day, it’s all for her,” Adair said. “If I can take care of her by doing the two things I love – helping people and making music – that’s success for me.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The past year has brought more momentum than the previous 15, Adair said, and he is determined to ride that wave. With new representation, growing demand for his shows, and
Balancing two careers isn’t easy, but Adair has found that each feeds the other. The discipline, unpredictability, and presence required in wildlife control sharpen his instincts onstage.
a summer packed with performances, he’s proving that persistence pays off.
“I was waiting for a light at the end of the tunnel, and for years it just wasn’t there,” he said. “But when I finally went all in on music, things started happening fast. It’s scary, sure, but it’s a good kind of scary.”
For Adair, the goal is simple: “I just want people to enjoy listening to my music,” he said. “If they have a good time, then I’ve done my job. And if I can keep doing that while showing my daughter that it’s possible to chase what you love – then that’s everything.”
From wrangling gators in the marshes to strumming nostalgic anthems on a summer night, Tyler Adair embodies resilience, passion, and heart. His story reminds us that sometimes the path to purpose isn’t straight – it’s winding, unpredictable, and, if you’re lucky, set to music.
This month, find Adair live at Quarterdeck from 4 to 7 p.m. October 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, and 18. He’s also at Agave on October 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. To connect on social media and to get the most up-to-date live schedule, find him on Instagram and TikTok @TylerAdair.Music.
Feel Good Inc.
(from left to right): Tim Waggoner, Randy Sparks, Chip Larkby, David Ray and Trevor Harden.
Article by Brooke Peck
LOCAL LISTENERS ARE LOVING FEEL GOOD, INC
Anew local band, Feel Good, Inc is making waves on the island’s live music scene by performing modern alternative cover hits from bands across the world.
Randy Sparks, the band’s soulful singer, is an avid listener and devoted fan of Alt Nation on Sirius XM Radio. He’s responsible for bringing the unusual genre to Lowcountry stages that are traditionally known for hosting classic and pop hits.
Some of Sparks’ favorite bands include The Killers, Kings of Leon, Group Love, and Modest Mouse. Synthesizer and electronic drums draw him deep into the genre and he loves the hunt to find new-to-him music. His love of 1990’s hip hop runs deep with Naz, Busta Rhymes, and A Tribe Called Quest. Experiencing dozens of concerts all over the country has allowed his inner music lover to soak up a variety of bands and performance styles.
Photography by M.Kat
For the first half of his life, Sparks sang only in the privacy and comfort of his car. But at 25 years old, he finally began singing in front of others at karaoke bars. Friends and other bar-goers helped him realize that he was a very talented vocalist, which gave him the confidence to perform more frequently on larger stages.
In 2002, his first band, Razed, was formed and began playing grunge hits, including Nirvana, STP, and Sound Garden, around the Lowcountry. At the time, Sparks was an air traffic controller in the Marine Corps and started the band with his supervisor as the drummer. Razed built a huge following around the Beaufort area for a couple of years until the death of Sparks’ mom caused him
Feel Good Inc. performs at the Beach House's Tiki Hut on Labor Day weekend. The next two Tiki Hut shows will be on October 5 and November 2 from 1-5 p.m.
Overall, the band’s sound is upbeat, well-practiced, and full of happy energy. Each musician is invested during their set with tapping toes and bopping heads.
to take a break from performing. After a few years’ hiatus, Sparks started singing at his church. He assumed his band years were over.
Fast forward to 2025, Chip Larkby, drummer of Feel Good, Inc, was such a fan of Sparks’ voice at church that he had pestered Sparks for years to start a band together. Larkby is a familiar face at Hilton Head Island venues, as he plays drums for such bands as JoJo Squirrel and the Home Pickles, Soul Remedy, and RetroRoxx. He finally convinced Sparks to say “yes” to jamming together by agreeing to two conditions: The band can play only alternative rock, and they will play only two to three shows per month to prevent burnout.
Sparks wanted to play lesser-known covers by bands like Young the Giant, The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand, and Milky Chance, which are rarely heard in the island music scene. Larkby was thrilled to finally get a “yes” from Sparks and reluctantly agreed to trying out an unusual genre on Lowcountry stages.
Sparks’ remaining bandmates were also unfamiliar with his favorite vibes. Tim Waggoner, the group’s bassist, has been involved with leading praise and worship music for more than 25 years. When he was first introduced to Sparks’ favorite genre, he said, “I’ve never heard this stuff, ever,” and described rehearsing the music as a huge learning curve.
Waggoner hails from a family of talented musicians, with vocally gifted parents and an identical twin brother who is an excellent drummer. His accomplished genes and past band experience deemed him very capable of
taking on a different musical challenge with Feel Good, Inc.
Trevor Harden, the band’s keyboardist and acoustic guitarist, owns a video production company on Hilton Head. He has been playing cover songs for 20 years and was burnt out on playing Van Morrison and the Eagles at each show. He described Feel Good, Inc’s rare song catalog as a “breath of fresh air" for him. When he’s not playing an instrument or working, he’s an anime/manga enthusiast and is learning to speak Japanese.
Rounding out the new group is guitarist David Ray. Sparks, Larkby, and Ray all knew one another from attending Church of the Cross together. Ray is a former worship leader who brings experience and youthfulness to the group. He’s also a local high school teacher and a self-proclaimed science fiction/fantasy nerd.
The guys bonded quickly with mutual respect for one another as musicians and friends. Ray says he decided to join the group because it’s an “opportunity to make music with just some awesome guys.” Their camaraderie is evident during shows when some dad jokes are tossed into the mix – as a sign they are all having a great time performing together. Sparks said, “I love these guys like brothers,” with Larkby adding, “Every one of these dudes kicks ass!”
Choosing a name was the next obstacle to conquer after the band formed. Numerous options were brainstormed and none really clicked until Sparks suggested Feel Good, Inc. The selection is a nod to a song produced by Gorillaz, a popular UK virtual band that effortlessly blends alternative rock, electronica, and hip hop. Feel Good, Inc has plans to perform another Gorillaz hit, “Clint Eastwood,” in the future after
they secure a rapper needed to complete the arrangement. Sparks is a huge fan of the Gorillaz and hopes to see them on tour at some point.
As the leader of the pack, Sparks is in charge of song selection and the set list for each show, which Larkby calls “his labor of love.” He frequently adds new tunes to the list to keep things fresh and prevent boredom from bandmates and crowds. The group started rehearsals in January with their first show at Black Marlin at the end of February. After just a few run-throughs, Sparks exclaimed, “Holy crap, this sounds really, really good!”
Since the music is new to many of their listeners, Sparks shares a bit about each song or band before performing it. Listening ears can still expect some dancing during Feel Good, Inc’s set list. Songs like “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk The Moon and “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon bring high energy for listeners to enjoy swaying, shagging, and spinning.
Overall, the band’s sound is upbeat, well-practiced, and full of happy energy. Each musician is invested during their set with tapping toes and bopping heads. Sparks’ deep vocals bring a smooth richness and depth to their tunes. The lesser-known music is being received well and the band is developing a following on the island. At a recent Tiki Hut show, Dorothy Baker from Augusta, Georgia, said, “They are adding a twist and freshness to the beach scene and I love it!”
To learn more, follow Feel Good, Inc on Instagram at @ feelgoodinc100 or on Facebook. Upcoming shows: October 5 and November 2, 1-5 p.m. at Tiki Hut; October 17, 6-10 p.m. at Black Marlin; October 24, 6-10 p.m. at Local Legend Brewing Company.
Jeff Gilmer turns it on for the camera in Old Town Bluffton.
ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT
MAMA TRIED
FOR JEFF GILMER, THE PARTY IS NEVER OVER
There’s a distinct difference between a lead singer and a front man. A lead singer is someone who matches their bandmates’ instrumentation with a sound all their own, a finely tuned harmony of their creation, honed through careful training of the lungs, diaphragm, and vocal tract.
Yes, they get most of the attention. But that’s by design. They don’t have a drum set or a guitar to hide behind, just the thin cover of a mic stand. On stage, they’re exposed.
A front man, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to be exposed. They want to be the central focus of the performance, and an instrument would only get in the way of that. The rest of the band plays instruments. A front man plays the audience.
“It’s all about getting attention,” said Jeff Gilmer, the rambunctious front man for MuddyCreek. “And I’m a total attention whore.”
That need for attention, which perhaps serves as the greatest distinction between lead singer and front man, has come to define Gilmer’s career.
“I love playing guitar, but I’m just a chord player. I’m not going to impress anybody, and I’m definitely not going to impress (MuddyCreek bandmate) Bryan Baker. They make it easier for me to not play and just be the front guy. That’s all I ever wanted to be,” Gilmer said. “I’m not the greatest singer in the world. I can’t sing beautiful notes. I’m more of an entertainer.”
THE OPENING ACT
Growing up in a huge musical family, Gilmer was raised with the itch to get out front and center. During massive house parties, musicians – from uncles and cousins to his dad’s bandmates – would bring their instruments over for jam sessions. After buying his first guitar, a Gibson Dove, and immediately selling it to his brother for $8, young Jeff Gilmer soon realized that his playing alone was not going to capture the spotlight.
“I remember as a kid just wanting to sing, and thinking that if I could ever learn to sing, I’d want to be in a band,” he said. “I never learned to sing, so I just learned to dance instead. I’m still a bad dancer, but at least it’s funny.”
But there’s more to a good front man than just singing or dancing. The job of a front man is to make whatever venue they’re playing the biggest party in town, and Gilmer came into his own during the Golden Age. His formative years saw icons like David Lee Roth, Axl Rose, and Vince Neil crafting stage shows that remain legendary.
“Right around when Van Halen’s ‘1984’ came out was when I started to think, ‘I’m a rock ‘n’ roll guy,” Gilmer said. “And David Lee Roth was the man to me. I wanted to do that.”
While the ’80s were a time when front men became rock gods, there will always be only one King of Rock and Roll. As the wide-rimmed glasses and “TCB” ring Gilmer wears might tell you, Elvis had made an outsized impression on the young entertainer.
“The main reason I wanted to sing and play music was because of Elvis. Everyone in my family was huge into Elvis. I’d be singing, wetting my hair, and lip synching to his music when I was 7 or 8,” Gilmer said. “Also a few times last week. And once on the way over here.”
On stage, this melting pot of influential front men swirls
together to make Gilmer one of the most exciting performers to watch in the Lowcountry music scene. Despite his selfdeprecating sense of humor, he can hold a tune with the best of them, but his voice is just one part of the orchestra of his stage presence. During songs, he’ll pop out into the crowd, challenging them to sing the next set of lyrics (and giving them a hard time when they can’t). Ask him his favorite songs to perform, and he’ll point out the ones that give him a chance to be his own chaotic self.
“I love doing the song ‘Polk Salad Annie’ because I can get up, dance, and do some karate kicks,” he said.
To hear him talk about being on stage is to see the Jekyll and Hyde nature of who he is as a performer. Sitting down to an interview, nursing a beer on a warm afternoon, he’s Jeff Gilmer. Put a mic in his hand and he becomes something else entirely.
“There are people who play music and there are people who have a character. I kind of grew into the character of Jeffree Shots,” he said. The name, as you may have guessed, derived from his old band the Free Shots, which he formed with Todd Toho, Randy Rockalotta, and C.W. Jameson. “It made sense in the Free Shots to become Jeffree Shots, and all of the sudden I became this character instead of a person. The character is amazing, but it got to where I’m known for drinking a lot of shots.”
He’ll be the first to admit that Jeffree has gotten him into trouble on a few occasions, like a performance a few months back where people began handing him Rumple Minze shots as soon as he walked in. “A lot of people don’t understand that sugar messes your brain up,” he said. “Yeah, I can’t really remember that gig.”
He’s been slowing down on the shots lately, but it’s a reputation he earned through years as an enduring presence on the local music scene. After hosting open mic nights at Moneypenny’s for years, he started a band called Spank with Jesse Watkins, John Sturm, and Terry Smith. Those players eventually introduced him to his eventual bandmates in Free Shots, who tore up the music venues around the island during the party-heavy days of the mid-aughts.
And while the Free Shots never really broke up (“We kind of faded away,” he said), there are plans for a reunion show in February. And in the meantime, he’s found a way to fuel his need for attention, with or without shots, with MuddyCreek.
“The thing about this community is that we’re all good friends. We like every band we know pretty much,” Gilmer said. “I’ve been very lucky to play with the people I have. I’ve shared a stage with some of the best musicians on Hilton Head and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
TOPIC: TATTOOS
by
COURTNEY’S THOUGHTS
Back when tattoos weren’t the art they are today, I walked into Tattoo City in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, and picked a peace sign off a wall of poorly drawn icons. Like my first perm, my first tattoo was completed by a hack and faded fast. A couple of years later when I decided to cover it up, the Soundgarden song “Black Hole Sun” was all the rage, so, for reasons inexplicable to me, I have had a black-holed-sun on my left ankle for 28 years.
I blame my high school boyfriend, Brian Mancino, for both instances. I wonder how his pirate on a surfboard has held up.
This all happened in my late teens, early 20s. (Like my tattoo, my memory is also fading.) And while I do not remember the details of the tattoo experiences, I do remember my parent’s reaction. And it was not positive.
My parents were out of town, and my sister landed herself in the hospital. I had to call my parents to come
back home. When they arrived at the hospital, I had my feet up and my father walked into my sister’s hospital room, ignored her completely, noticed my ankle and said, “What the hell is that?” (There is a pretty good chance he didn’t say “hell.”) All efforts to deflect attention back to my sister – did I mention she was in a hospital bed, and they had to return early from their Poconos vacation? – failed miserably.
Weeks later my parents visited me at my summer job where I was waiting tables. When paying their bill, instead of adding a tip they wrote, “Here’s a tip, lose the tattoo.” Humor runs in our family.
A year-ish later, when I graduated college and landed my first grown-up job, my mom went to Costco and bought an enormous box of four-by-four-inch Band-Aids and insisted on covering my tattoo each morning before I left for work –sometimes slapping it on herself as I walked out the door. She was certain that if my new employer saw my tattoo – I was working in the development office of a hoity-toity private school – I would be fired on the spot for being a bad influence. Honestly, a little rebellion never hurt anyone. Look how great I turned out.
Fast forward nearly three decades, and I have been playing repeatedly in my head a verse of a poem my father wrote. Ironically, that verse was how I ended last month’s column. Last month was also when I decided to tattoo that
Photography
verse on my wrist. Somewhere I could see it – each time I wrote, typed, strung my own words together.
An incredibly talented and hilarious tattoo artist made my dad’s words permanent whilst regaling me with stories of people who didn’t proofread their words before the ink was applied; and that one time he messed up when transcribing a newlywed couples’ vows onto their bodies. “I love gou,” was an honest mistake.
Later that day, Barry posted on social media about his new tattoo. More irony. The two of us in tattoo parlors, on the same day, inking something meaningful. When we chatted later, we learned that both of our fathers were vehemently anti-ink.
So, it only seemed right that I put my father’s own words on my body, and Barry got his first tattoo on his late father’s birthday. I am sure if they are reading this, they are getting a laugh. Maybe they are even laughing together.
When I woke up the following morning, I looked at my wrist and said aloud, to myself, “This is part of me now.” No regrets. (Or regerts. If you know, you know.) No industrial size boxes of Band-Aids. No concerns about how my workplace would react. No panic about the artform being taboo.
Being a grown-up has its perks.
BARRY'S THOUGHTS
As Courtney probably mentioned in her half of this column, we both recently got tattoos on the same day by sheer coincidence. (I don’t really read her half of this column, so I’ll have to assume). Obviously, this was not something we had planned, but now I kind of wish we had. Because then Courtney, having already gotten inked up once before, could have warned this newbie about a few things.
First of all, I wish she’d told me how much they hurt, because OUCH, you guys!
I knew on an intellectual level going in that it would sting; by definition, the entire process revolves around someone using a needle to poke thousands and thousands of holes in your skin. And the skin, as all you biology majors will remember, is one of the main organs that doctors tell you not to poke a bunch of holes in.
At first it wasn’t bad, just a light tickling almost. Then he started “shading in” which entailed grabbing a different, far more medieval-style needle, and forcefully shearing away bits of me. That part hurt, to the point where I don’t understand how people can get tattoos on some of their more sensitive bits. My hats off to you, you magnificently paintolerant perverts.
And while Courtney might have had her own arbitrary reasons for picking that particular day, my choice was far more intentional. It was my daughter’s birthday, and the idea was for us to get semi-matching tattoos. I got the Triforce from the Legend of Zelda games, because I didn’t date much in high school. In one of the three triangles, I had the artist put half of an inside joke between the two of us, the other half of which is now on her ankle.
It's a nice reminder of our father/ daughter bond, and the design of it leaves spots in the other two triangles for my remaining kids to put a design on me. When she found out how much shading hurt, my youngest began pitching a black cat. My son, being a teenager, thinks the whole thing is dumb, and I can’t really argue that.
The thing is, though, it wasn’t just my daughter’s birthday, and here’s where I’m maybe a better dad than a son. Because
Courtney's ink
it was also my dad’s birthday. According to my mom, he once claimed he’d disown one of us if we got a tattoo, and while my brothers and I couldn’t confirm he’d ever said that, we all agreed he would’ve thought about it. He just wasn’t the kind of guy who liked tattoos. So, getting one on his birthday was kind of a jerk move on my part.
Except that I managed to give him a little bit of a shoutout as well. The design of the Triforce leaves three triangles for my kids to fill in, with a fourth triangle in the middle holding it all together. That’s for my dad. He’s been gone almost 17 years, but he’s at the center of who I am as a father. And that middle part will remain uninked, unpoked, and unblemished in his honor.
I like to think he would have bought that excuse. Now I just need to come up with another one for when Courtney and I finally get our matching neck tattoos. Same time next year, Court?
Barry's tattoo
Article by Charlotte Hardwick
Photography by M.Kat
WELCOME FALL WITH PUMPKIN AND SQUASH WARMTH
As I walk this morning, there is a slight chill in the air and fall is here. The green of the summer marsh will fade and soon beautiful shades of amber and gold will be scattered throughout this Lowcountry landscape.
There is a shift from the cooling and hydrating summer produce to the grounding and warming foods of fall. I am always inspired and excited to see all the varieties of squash and root vegetables. There is an abundance of beautiful roots, tubers, and bulbs that soak up nutrients from the soil and nourish us. They are packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. The mineral-rich vegetables inspire me to get busy in the kitchen after the freedom of summer.
When we eat seasonally, we are eating produce at its peak and we are also eating food to bring our bodies into balance. Now, we are shifting away from the bright and vibrant colors of summer (peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, corn, and peaches) to a more earthy, muted palette of root vegetables to ground and nourish us from the inside out. Cooking and eating to stay warm and nourished is something I wholeheartedly believe in. It is what I practice and what I teach.
We usher in fall with apples, pears, and figs that are the perfect antidote to clear accumulated heat from the body. This is a way to prevent end of summer colds that are so common. Once again, nature provides the perfect way to bring balance and help us go in strong to the season. Next comes all the root vegetables and varieties of pumpkin and squash. Fall is a wonderful time to focus on using these vegetables for stews and soups. They are all delicious, but there seems to be nothing that excites everyone more than pumpkin – pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soups, pumpkin everything!
I am sharing here a butternut squash soup that both looks and tastes like pumpkin and is delicious, healthy, and a wonderful way to use butternut squash as an easy alternative to finding and cooking with pumpkin if they are hard to find.
Both are nutrient dense and high in vitamins A, C, and E as well as beta carotene, potassium, antioxidants, and fiber.
CREAMY CASHEW BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Serves 6-8
Roasting the squash makes the soup more delicious and different from when I sauté and begin a soup like I often do. Both pumpkin and squash are wonderful here, but butternut squash is sometimes easier to find.
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 cups roasted butternut squash or a baking pumpkin (different from a carving pumpkin)
1 red onion, diced
3 tablespoons grated ginger
3 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup crushed unsalted roasted cashews
2 cups water
1 16-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1-2 limes
Roast butternut squash or pumpkin at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. The easiest way to do this is to cut the top of the squash (or pumpkin) off, then cut in half and scoop the seeds out, lightly coat with coconut or olive oil, and bake. While this is cooking, sauté the red onion in a bit of coconut oil until tender.
Add curry powder, grated ginger, and roasted cashews. Turn off heat.
When squash or pumpkin is cooked and cooled enough to scoop out the flesh, add to the onion and spices on the stove. Sauté all together and add salt and pepper. Once everything is well mixed, add water and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Then add lime juice and coconut milk. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender and garnish with cilantro, chives, or parsley if you like.
WELCOME FALL WITH PUMPKIN AND SQUASH WARMTH
BLENDER PUMPKIN MUFFINS
2 cups oats
1 cup pumpkin
6 ounces Greek yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons of your favorite spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon)
Blend together, then pour in lined muffin tin and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Option: You can also stir in 1 cup of nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins after blending.
GRAIN FREE PUMPKIN MUFFINS
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup coconut or brown sugar
2 1/4 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Mix together wet ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients.
Pour dry over wet. Stir until well combined. Pour into greased or lined muffin cups and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden.
We Love these muffins with a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte
PUMPKIN COOKIES
Makes 18 small cookies or 12 larger ones
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar
1 1/2 cups almond flour
4 tablespoons oat flour (blended oats)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Mix together wet ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients.
Pour dry over wet. Stir until well combined.
Roll into balls. (I use a small scoop that is 2 tablespoons.)
Press down gently onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.
Let cool before eating.
Article by Sheila Tucker
Photography by M.Kat
When a Melody Feels Like Magic
It doesn’t happen every time. However, it has happened so many times that I’ve lost count. I’m listening to a song. And there’s no other way I can convey it, other than to say the music or the lyrics, or both, deeply touch my soul. It’s a visceral, full-body experience that can even leave the top of my head tingling. In an instant, chills race up my arms and the back of my neck.
Sometimes I smile, and other times I’m totally mesmerized, my gaze transfixed. Like when a chorus drops and suddenly you’re weightless, floating in a lavender haze. Goosebumps immediately take over where the chills left off, and then I’m left with this flooding sense of awe.
This spine-tingling phenomenon has a name. It’s called “frisson,” or in this case, “musical frisson.”
I naively thought everyone experienced it. A conversation with a friend proved that’s not true. When she hears music, she doesn’t have the same reaction. The music still moves her; and sometimes she’ll tear up, smile, or sing with passion when
the lyrics are especially meaningful. But still, no chills or goosebumps. Turns out, only about 50% to 55% of people experience frisson – which, of course, made me immediately want to know why.
A small study in 2016, led by Matthew Sachs, then a PhD student at the University of Southern California, looked at 20 participants. He found that 10 participants consistently reported chills from music, and 10 didn’t. Brain scans revealed differences between the two groups.
Individuals in the frisson group had stronger fiber connections between the auditory cortex (which processes sound) and areas of the brain associated with emotion. They also showed higher activity in the prefrontal cortex, which helps us interpret meaning, such as the story within a song’s lyrics.
Musical frisson isn’t just in your head. It affects your entire nervous system.
According to Dr. Haley Nelson, a neuroscientist, frisson is characterized by a rush of dopamine, the neurotransmitter linked with pleasure and reward. There’s another theory that suggests a connection to your nervous system response. Musical chills might be the result of the shifts between your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). Those spine-tingling thrills happen when your nervous system toggles between calm and aroused states.
Sachs explained: “People who get the chills have an enhanced ability to experience intense emotions.”
While his study focused on music, these findings can be easily extended to other experiences as well. In my personal experience, I agree. I’ve had the same goosebump experience while watching a sunset in the mountains, listening to an empowering speech, on a hike, at a theatre performance, and at an art exhibit.
Never fear. For those of you who don’t experience frisson, there are still so many mental health benefits to engaging in music (and the arts).
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, listening to music can:
• Reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain
• Improve sleep quality
• Boost mood, alertness, and memory
For those wondering, the amount of time required varies depending on your desired outcome. Combined, it’s about five minutes to one hour a day, consistently, to reap those health benefits. And here’s more good news: It doesn’t matter what you listen to.
Consider this your unofficial permission slip. Listen to your favorite local artist, go to that concert or musical, and buy that vinyl. Or, better yet, pick up that guitar you’ve been saying you’re going to start playing. I mean, it’s for your health.
Even though you reap all the health benefits from listening to the music you love, I also suggest exposing yourself to music outside your comfort zone. Try different decades, cultures, or styles. Why? Additional research suggests that listening to unfamiliar genres may have a similar effect on the brain as weightlifting, helping to build new neural pathways. And who doesn’t want those?
So, in addition to pressing repeat on your go-to playlist, try a little musical cross-training. Explore jazz if you usually
love pop. Give classical, hip-hop, folk, or indie a chance. Notice how your body reacts. Do you lean in? Do you resist? Do you get goosebumps while listening to some genres but not others? Stay curious and keep experimenting.
Frisson aside, there’s one thing I know for sure. Music is all about relationships. There’s a relationship between the notes, between the musicians creating the music, the producers, mixers, and the listeners. You don’t have to experience frisson to enjoy connection and mental well-being.
When you listen to music, you’re not just hearing sound. You’re participating in a connection. A favorite song can take you back to a moment in time, linking you to people you love or places you’ve been. Music’s rhythms, lyrics, or chords can tether us to each other in ways words alone sometimes can’t. You know, those nights when the music insists that we are family, even if you’ve never met.
And, yes, there’s research to back this up. The research consistently shows that strong social bonds or connections reduce anxiety, buffer stress, and even lower risks of depression and chronic illness.
Music amplifies this effect by giving you shared experiences – like when the lights brighten, and the entire crowd belts out “Don’t Stop Believin’” in unison, or swaying shoulder to shoulder at a concert, or experiencing a connection with the artist when you feel understood through a song’s story. That sense of being seen, heard, and joined by others reminds our nervous system that we’re safe, supported, and not alone.
Go ahead! Sing along to your favorite band, explore something new, and see what kind of goosebumps (or connections) follow.
ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN
We Could Be Heroes
No one needs to be told that our veterans are suffering. Every day, the news tells us about further cuts to the Veteran’s Administration, and less funding for programs designed to help these heroes adjust to life after service. But when you look beyond those headlines, to the actual human cost of these decisions, the numbers are terrifying.
According to the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report, an average
of 18 veterans commit suicide every day. Today, while you read these words, it is happening to someone who once stood the line for your freedom.
Although they make up only 7% of the entire population, they represent 14% of all suicides. Their light is not being snuffed out by an enemy combatant or a mortar round, but by our own failure to act.
“The biggest problem is that our federal government, writ large, and our Department of Defense are not equipped to deal with the difficult issues that our service members suffer from when they’re on active duty,” said Admiral John “Boomer” Stufflebeem. He speaks from experience, having seen the military apparatus at every level, from ground combat and fighter aircraft operations to having served as a military aide to the Bush administration during the War on Terror’s earliest days.
In fact, in those darkest days at the start of the war, before embedded
reporters could bring us images of operations in Afghanistan, our only source of news was daily briefings held by Stufflebeem at the Pentagon.
“Secretary Rumsfeld designated me to be the one to talk about all these operations we were executing,” he said. “I was only supposed to do it one time. It was seven months before I got off to go take command of a task force.”
During his celebrated career Stufflebeem racked up honors including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medal, among others. And he gained crucial insight into the shortcomings of the safety net we’ve built for veterans.
“The two largest departments of the executive branch are the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs,” he said. “That’s number one and number two by size and by budget … and by any stretch of any imagination, those two combined have failed most of our military.”
Fortunately, Stufflebeem sees a way forward in helping these veterans. Along with his own medical consulting work, which is breaking new barriers in treatments for PTSD using cutting-edge
quantum technology, he has pushed his efforts toward the private sector, working with organizations like OPFOB to help not only veterans but also first responders.
“Nobody takes care of veterans and first responders better than veterans and first responders,” he said. “And there’s an old saying I’m stealing from a brave Marine, but ‘If not me, then who?’”
As a keynote speaker at OPFOB’s upcoming Dinner for Heroes, he will share some of those experiences with a crowd gathered to help the organization in their mission to support veterans and first responders and help them cope with the aftermath of their calling.
“The service is very rewarding until you can’t do it anymore. Being a first responder is very rewarding until you can’t do it anymore. Especially for the first responder community, there aren’t organizations like the VA that are there for them,” Stufflebeem said. “So, it falls to the private sector.”
The heart of what OPFOB does can be found on its sprawling rustic campus in Ridgeland. Among the peaceful serenity of its grounds, veterans and first responders have found a place to come together to find camaraderie and purpose. It’s a place for healing, in a country that has by and large provided these heroes with far too little opportunity. OPFOB gives these heroes that renewed sense of purpose and a new-found camaraderie, without which too many veterans succumb to their grief. These opportunities are offered at no cost to them.
The fourth annual Dinner for the Heroes will be held November 8 at Hilton Beachfront Resort and Spa. Joining Stufflebeem as a keynote speaker will be combat veteran, Super Bowl champion, and American hero Rocky Bleier.
A four-time champ with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played running back, Bleier was drafted out of Notre Dame where he helped win a national championship. After just one year in the league, his football career seemed like it would be cut short when he was drafted into the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War. After being severely injured in an ambush, it seemed like it would take a miracle for Bleier to ever play again. The lessons he learned during his triumph over his injuries and his return to gridiron glory form the basis of his second life as a public speaker.
Proceeds from the event go toward maintaining OPFOB’s 268 acres and to all the programs for the thousands of veterans it serves each year.
To learn more about attending or sponsoring Dinner for the Heroes, email Craig Ostergard at craigostergard@ yahoo.com.
A Spoonful of Stage Magic at Hilton Head Preparatory School
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” and this fall, it’s helping the magic rise right here on Hilton Head Island. At Hilton Head Preparatory School, students are bringing the timeless tale of Mary Poppins to life onstage, complete with all the charm, whimsy, and unforgettable music that has made it a beloved favorite for generations. From chimney sweeps to flying umbrellas,
audiences will be swept away into the world where anything can happen if you let it.
Mary Poppins is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers, and the astonishing stagecraft designed by Hilton Head Prep alum Trey Middleton (Class of ’23) and built by an incredible team of Prep Arts Guild volunteers. This production
ARTICLE BY LEAH DAVIS . PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALICIA DALY
Calvin Middleton plays Bert, the jackof-all-trades, and Lola Chambers plays the part of everyone's favorite nanny, Mary Poppins.
will feature the iconic costumes and specifically designed magic props from New York.
The story follows jack-of-all trades Bert (Calvin Middleton, ’26) as he introduces the audience to the troubled Banks family in England in 1910. Young Jane (Ashlyn Sotolongo, ’31) and Michael (Renzo Lossada, ’32) have sent many a nanny running for the hills before Mary Poppins (Lola Chambers, ’26) arrives at their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, Mary teaches the Banks family how to value one another.
While Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical adventures, they aren’t the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “anything can happen if you let it.”
Hilton Head Prep’s performing arts directo Patti Maurer performed in the musical at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina in 2015, and wanted to bring that same Disney magic to the Prep stage. To prepare for this magical adventure, Maurer brought in Nic Thompson (from the first National Tour of Mary Poppins) for a Broadway Boot Camp this summer, preparing students for choreography to “Supercalifragilistic” and “Step in Time.” They worked on scenes using British dialects and ended the week with a tumbling class.
Maurer is thrilled to have Cynthia Cullen as the music director for this cast of sixth- to twelfth-grade students. The production is led by stage manager Emerson Doyle (’26), who also plays dual roles on stage as Mrs. Brill and Mrs. Corry.
Mary Poppins will be onstage at Hilton Head Preparatory School's Main Street Theatre, 3000 Main Street, October 15-16 at 7 p.m., October 17-18 at 8 p.m., and matinee performances October 18-19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at hhprep.org under the “Arts” tab.
Join us for one of the most popular Disney movies of all time that will capture your hearts in a whole new way, as a practically perfect musical.
Audiences can get a firsthand look at musical numbers of this amazing show at the Crescendo Kick-off Party from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. October 14 at Shelter Cove Community Park. This event is presented by the Office of Cultural Affairs of the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Article by Cheryl Ricer
Shining a Light
Local Advocate and National Foundation Team Up to Bring Vision Support to the Lowcountry
On Hilton Head Island, where sunrises glitter over the Atlantic and the beauty of the Lowcountry is a feast for the senses, the threat of losing one’s sight is especially poignant. For Carolyn Strauss, a longtime island resident, that threat is deeply personal. Her daughter Abby, now 50, has lived her life with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that combines profound hearing loss with progressive vision loss caused by retinitis pigmentosa.
That experience has not only shaped Strauss’ life but has inspired her to take action. With the support of Chelsea Warr, community manager for the Atlantic Coast region of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Strauss is working to establish a local chapter of the national nonprofit organization here in the Lowcountry, an effort designed to bring much-needed education, resources, and community to those facing retinal degenerative diseases.
“Vision loss, like hearing loss, creates a sense of isolation,” Strauss said. “And yet so many in our community who are struggling with visual impairments don’t even know these resources exist.”
Strauss’ advocacy began decades ago, driven by Abby’s diagnosis. At just 13 months old, Abby was declared profoundly deaf. At the time, Strauss and her husband, Howard, were living in Naples, Italy, where Howard was stationed with the Navy. Strauss recalls falling ill during pregnancy and receiving injections of Compazine, a medication later believed to have caused Abby’s deafness.
Soon after the diagnosis, the family returned to the United States and settled in Danville, Kentucky, home to the Kentucky School for the Deaf. Determined not to send Abby to a residential program far from home at such a young age, Strauss enrolled her as a day student. The early years were filled with dedication, determination, and the beginnings of a journey that would grow even more complex.
When Abby was about 12 years old, she began reporting trouble with her vision. A visit to an ophthalmologist led to a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. After further evaluation at the Lions Eye Bank in Louisville, Abby was confirmed to have Usher syndrome.
“Usher’s is a combination of deafness and retinitis pigmentosa,” Strauss said. “It means that over time, she’s lost her vision as well as her hearing. Today, she has about a 10-degree radius of vision left – and that’s only in bright light.”
Through it all, the family persevered. Strauss learned firsthand how critical early intervention and support were, not just from doctors, but from organizations capable of making practical adaptations. She recalls how Abby’s home was outfitted with special systems, such as doorbells that trigger flashing lights instead of sounds.
“That kind of help makes a world of difference,” Strauss said. “But unless you’re connected to the right people, you may never know it’s available.”
That’s where the Foundation Fighting Blindness
(FFB) comes in. Established more than 50 years ago, the Foundation has raised more than $954 million to support research for treatments and cures for retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome. With more than 45 chapters nationwide, FFB’s mission extends beyond the lab, striving to connect people to resources and to one another.
“The Foundation is the world’s leading organization committed to finding treatments and cures for the entire spectrum of blinding retinal diseases,” Warr said. As the Atlantic Coast community manager, Warr oversees outreach and support across several states, including South Carolina.
Currently, the only active FFB chapter in the state is the state chapter. For people in Hilton Head, Bluffton, or Beaufort, that means traveling several hours to attend a
VisionWalk fundraiser or a local seminar. “If a person is visually impaired, how are they supposed to get to Myrtle Beach?” Strauss said. “That kind of travel isn’t realistic for most people.”
Warr agrees. “The South Carolina Chapter covers the entire state, but we’re looking to gauge interest and establish a community right here on Hilton Head,” she said. “Our hope is that with enough local involvement, we can build a fully functioning community over time.”
A Community Pillar
The Foundation’s chapter model focuses on three key areas: Education, resources, and revenue.
Education involves sharing the latest developments in vision research, including clinical trials, breakthroughs in gene therapy, and new treatment options.
Resources help people access occupational therapists, vision specialists, adaptive technology, and home modifications to enhance independence.
Revenue supports ongoing research through events like VisionWalks, DIY fundraisers, and individual donor support. These chapters also serve as emotional lifelines, offering community support to those navigating the challenges of vision loss.
Strauss sees an urgent need for this support in the Lowcountry.
“I have several friends here who have macular degeneration and other visual impairments,” she said. “Almost none of them were aware of the Foundation. That means they weren’t aware of the research, the seminars, or the help they could be getting.”
The chapter Strauss and Warr are working to build would serve as a hub for those resources. Strauss has volunteered to serve as the new chapter’s Resource Chair, should it come to fruition. In that role, she would help identify and connect individuals to local specialists and service providers, including occupational therapists like Stacy Gormley, who recently spoke at the group’s kickoff event. Gormley helps visually impaired individuals adapt their homes and technology, such as modifying font sizes on computers or installing signal lights in place of auditory alerts.
Building a chapter isn’t a small task. It requires volunteers, leadership, and – perhaps most critically – a sense of community.
Community Meeting for the visually impaired
Join us to discuss transportation options, building friendships and a sense of belonging to end the feelings of isolation. LET'S GET GOING!
WHEN: Tuesday, October 21 at 10AM
WHERE: The Campus at 10 Park Lane, HHI
The Strauss Family
Sarah Fanjul, Carolyn Strauss, Karen Elrod and Ellen Johnston (not pictured), meet about the upcoming event on October 22.
Strauss and Warr are planning initial events to spread the word and assess interest. The upcoming gatherings will feature speakers, community outreach, and information on how to get involved.
“Our vision is to recruit and retain a high-performing, well-structured, community-based grassroots chapter leadership and membership,” Warr said. “And that starts with people like Carolyn, people who understand what’s at stake and are passionate about making a difference.”
For Strauss, this effort is not only about Abby. It’s about every person in the Lowcountry who has been made to feel invisible because of a condition that affects how they experience the world.
“Abby has mentioned that being deaf blind can be isolating because, while the deaf community is a minority, deaf blindness is a sub-minority, and people don’t often know what to do with this group. That is heartbreaking,” Strauss said. “But if we can build a community here – one that’s informed, compassionate, and connected – we can help people like Abby be seen.”
How to Get Involved
Anyone interested in learning more or supporting the effort to build a Hilton Head chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness can visit the organization’s website at fightingblindness.org. There, you can find information about upcoming events, local initiatives, and how to volunteer or donate.
“With more than 50 years of experience, the Foundation has shown what’s possible when people come together,” Strauss said. “It’s time for Hilton Head to join that mission.”
In a region where natural beauty is celebrated every day, the fight to preserve sight takes on added meaning. Thanks to advocates like Strauss and supporters like Warr, the future for the visually impaired in the Lowcountry is starting to look a little brighter.
Abby Strauss
Article by Barry Kaufman
A Blank Check for First Tee
The First Tee – The Lowcountry has never operated in a vacuum. From the earliest days of our local chapter, the organization has worked alongside leaders and community members to help build their programs. The people of the Lowcountry have never hesitated to share their support, funding programs that change young people’s lives and helping build a magnificent facility on Gumtree Road.
One part-time local, however, has truly gone above and beyond. Billionaire Arthur Blank has, through his Arthur M. Blank Foundation, not only raised tens of thousands of dollars for First Tee – The Lowcountry, he has helped spread that love to chapters across the country.
Working in partnership with PGA Tour Superstore, the foundation has pledged a five-year, $10 million grant to First Tee in 2025, ensuring that thousands of kids nationwide would gain access to programs that blend golf instruction with life lessons in character, confidence, and leadership.
For the Lowcountry, this national investment translates into consistent, meaningful local impact. Each year, the Arthur M. Blank Foundation directs $15,000 to First Tee –The Lowcountry, a vital boost that allows the chapter to expand programming and reach more kids in Beaufort and Jasper counties.
“They have been tremendous supporters of not just our chapter, but every chapter that has a PGA Tour Superstore in their area,” said Pat Zuk, executive director of First Tee – The Lowcountry. “They recognized the fact that we’re changing young people’s lives and pledged their support. But they help in other ways too, beyond the financial assistance.”
One of the most visible ways they’ve given beyond the check is the Blank Foundation-supported leadership program, hosted by PGA Tour Superstore general managers
across the country. Teenagers ages 13 to 17 from First Tee –The Lowcountry have joined the five-week series, where they learn skills that extend beyond the fairways. Participants are challenged to take initiative, practice public speaking, and apply the values of perseverance, respect, and integrity in real-world scenarios.
“If the kids do well, they do a presentation and go through the leadership class either at Arthur Blank’s ranch in Montana or in Atlanta,” Zuk said.
Behind the scenes, local champions have been instrumental in ensuring the success of First Tee – The Lowcountry. Among them is PGA Tour Superstore former general manager and former board member Bill Fuentes, who has long shared Arthur Blank’s passion for youth development. Fuentes helped establish the Annual Building Futures Fund, an initiative that provides long-term financial stability for First Tee programs while supporting scholarships for participants. He has also played a key role in organizing the First Tee – The Lowcountry Champions Golf Tournament, the chapter’s largest annual fundraiser, which unites the community in supporting the next generation of leaders.
“We’re very grateful for this because it makes accomplishing our mission of character education and youth development so much easier to have this kind of support,” Zuk said.
Through the leadership of the Arthur M. Blank Foundation, the engagement of PGA Tour Superstore, and the dedication of local advocates like Fuentes, First Tee – The Lowcountry continues to thrive. Each swing, each lesson, and each moment of mentorship is shaping young people into the game changers of tomorrow, with a little help from the game changers of today.
Article by Barry Kaufman
‘Where Them Fans At?‘
COLIGNY PLAZA TURNS UP THE TEMPO WITH CAN’T-MISS MUSICAL EVENTS
Music has always been an integral part of the Coligny Plaza experience. One of the earliest venues to embrace the local music culture our island has fostered, there has always been a welcoming stage here for artists from around the Lowcountry and beyond.
Between the famed lineups at The Big Bamboo Café to the center stage’s rotating lineup of musicians to the live music on offer at restaurants around Coligny, it has always been a place that gives shopping and dining a soundtrack all its own.
“Think of all the people who have played in Coligny and all the guys playing there now,” said Lee Lucier. “Everyone has played here at some point.”
A pair of outstanding events this month will put Coligny’s musical soul front and center, using rhythm and harmony to unite the community.
The first big event might require a bit of a warmup lesson in the art of line dancing, and Coligny has you covered with free lessons from local expert Heather Bartolotto. Whether you’re a beginner or an old (ten gallon) hat at line dancing, she’ll be helping you nail down those steps from 5 to 6 p.m. October 6, 7, 13 and 14 at Slowcountry BBQ. Once you’ve perfected your Texas Two-Step, it’s time to show off your moves when the artist behind the song of the summer comes to Coligny.
Columbia-based artist 803 Fresh probably didn’t realize when he released his song “Boots on the Ground” last year how far the influence of his song would spread. Named for the refrain of the song, the “Where Them Fans At” challenge saw TikTokers dancing along to his song, from the online famous to icons like Shaquille O’Neal to pop superstar Ciara. When Beyonce performed it on stage as part of her Cowboy Carter Tour, its status as the song of the summer was cemented.
Algorhythm, an electrifying new group featuring Kevin Offitzer, Kyle Wareham, and Trevor Young, will be performing at Rock 'n' Ribs on October 25.
Orchid Paulmeier of One Hot Mama’s will be serving up her delicious BBQ.
You’ll get your chance to hop on the viral trend from 4 to 8 p.m. October 18 when 803 Fresh performs at Lowcountry Celebration Park as part of the 843 Lowcountry Southern Boil and Line Dance Festival.
And just when you thought the music couldn’t get any sweeter at Coligny, they’re bringing back one of their most popular events, Rock ’n’ Ribs. Hitting Coligny Plaza October 25, this fan-favorite event pairs two great tastes that taste great together – expertly prepared barbecue from some of the area’s finest pitmasters and toe-tapping tunes from the biggest names in local rock.
First, the food. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., you can challenge yourself to an all-you-can eat culinary tour of the Lowcountry, with pitmasters including Orchid Paulmeier of One Hot Mama’s, as well as Mothersmokin’ Good BBQ, Slowcountry BBQ, Local Pie, and more. In addition, there’s a heaping helping of live rock music scheduled, including Cranford Hollow, Algorhythm, and a solo set by Nick Poulin.
Organized by Coligny Cares, all proceeds from the event benefit Second Helpings.
“This event is a great showcase for local food, a stage for local musicians, and a benefit for our local food bank,” said Lucier, organizer of the event. “With that trio of purpose and options, how can you miss?”
ALL INVOLVED IN MARINE HAZARD REMOVAL EFFORT DESERVE THANKS
Igrew up on the waterways of Hilton Head Island, and you can still find me there often, enjoying the unique, natural blessings that hallmark our Lowcountry life. Like many of you, I’m passionate about protecting this local lifeblood of our community.
Native Americans, Gullah Geechee native islanders, and European immigrants all believed a universal truth that remains today for our residents, visitors, and businesses – what we have here is quite special, and it sustains our ways of life, then and now. It’s our sacred duty and privilege to make certain that this unique bounty is preserved.
In early September, I was honored to assist personally in the removal of several abandoned, dangerous boats in our community’s waters. The experience was humbling for many reasons, not the least of which was seeing firsthand the dedication and expertise that people offered to clear the creeks of these hazards. These boats were a blight on the community for years. It is hard to express fully my gratitude to the team of people at all levels of government and the efforts of numerous private citizens who got us to this moment. From the South Carolina Legislature’s approval of new laws and funding that enable local municipalities and county governments, alongside the S.C. Department of Natural Resources officers and dive teams, to remove abandoned and derelict boats from the water faster and easier, to the talented, hard-working Beaufort County Public Works teams who handle the safe disposal of them, I thank you for the honor of working alongside you on this effort.
MAYOR
SCOOP THE POOP, SAVE THE RIVER
As mayor and as someone who grew up working on the May River, I can tell you this: Every choice we make on land affects the water we love. That includes scooping our pet’s poop – every time.
Bluffton is a dog-loving town. We see our neighbors walking their dogs through Old Town, along the trails, and in our neighborhoods every day. But here’s the problem: When people don’t pick up after their dogs, that waste doesn’t just vanish. Rain washes it into storm drains, ditches, and creeks. And all those creeks lead to the May River.
The town’s Water Quality Program has tested bacteria levels more than 75 times this year. Dog waste is a big part of the problem. It isn’t just unsightly –it’s loaded with bacteria that can make people sick. It also contains nutrients that fuel algae growth, which harms fish, shellfish, and the delicate balance of the river’s ecosystem.
Let me put it in perspective. South Carolina is home to about 1.42 million dogs. Each one produces nearly a pound of waste a day. That’s more than a million pounds of waste across our state – every single day. And just one gram of it can contain up to 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. That’s not something we can ignore.
So, what can you do? First, always carry a bag when you walk your dog. Pick it up every single time – on the trail, in the park, even in your own backyard. Then toss it in the trash or flush it without the bag. Second, remind your neighbors why it matters. Sometimes people just don’t connect the dots between their dog and the river.
To make it easier, the town provides and maintains pet waste stations in our parks. Right now, we’re giving away free leash-mounted bag holders at the town’s Welcome Center, 111 Calhoun Street, while supplies last. Stop by and pick one up.
Bluffton is also part of a regional partnership called Lowcountry Stormwater Partners, led by Beaufort County
A Note from Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry
A Note from Bluffton Mayor Larry Toomer
Lisa Staff Photography
I also want to offer a special thank you to our Town Manager Marc Orlando and Public Safety Director Bob Bromage and his team for their leadership in getting this project underway, coordinating everything so well, and prioritizing this important initiative.
The collaboration across agencies was, quite simply, awesome to experience. And I’d like to ask for your collaboration in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead: If you see something in the water that you think might need our attention, please report it through the MyHHI app, which is available for free in Apple and Google Play stores.
I’m relieved that these 11 boats have been removed and that three more will be gone soon – not just for our local mariners, but also because it brings us closer to ensuring that our waterways remain the invaluable and cherished places they have been for millennia.
and Clemson Extension. Together, we’re working to educate people across the Lowcountry about how simple changes –like scooping poop – protect our waterways.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. If you love your dog and you love the river, do both a favor. Scoop the poop, every time, no matter where it lands.
The May River has been the heart of this town for generations. Let’s do our part to keep it clean and healthy. What we do now determines the future health of our community.
A Note from Larry Toomer continued
A Note from Alan Perry continued
Oct. 2025 Calendar
MONDAYS
Free Golf Clinic
4 p.m.
Robert Trent Jones Course Palmettodunes.com/golf
TUESDAYS
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Farmers & Makers Market
The Shops at Sea Pines Center
TUESDAYS
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hilton Head Farmers Market
Coastal Discovery Museum
70 Honey Horn Drive
WEDNESDAYS
Wick It Wednesday
Sea Love Candle Bar
SeaLoveHiltonHead.com
SATURDAYS
Hilton Head Community Market
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Shelter Cove Community Park
Local artists, makers, farmers
JEVON DALY KIDS’ SHOW
5-7 p.m. p.m. Sun, Fri
Coligny Center Stage
3-5
Friday-Sunday
“THE GREAT GATSBY”
Sea Glass Stage at Coligny sgstage.org
4 Saturday
HOUNDS ON THE HARBOUR 10 a.m.-noon Dog, DJ, HH Humane Free
