CH2 Magazine: April 2021 by CH2/ CB2 : Celebrate Hilton Head / Celebrate Bluffton

A Q&A WITH RBC HERITAGE’S ANGELA MCSWAIN HOW MAGAZINES ARE MADE A Behind the Scenes Look at CH2’s Production Line

A 7,215-MILE JOURNEY TO RARIFIED AIRTIME WSAV anchor Ben Senger

APRIL 2021

MARCH 2021

C2 MAGAZINE

MARCH 2021

18 MEET THE MEDIA In print, online and in living color, these are the media movers and shakers who keep the Lowcountry informed and entertained. WHAT’S INSIDE

BEN SENGER : A 7,215-MILE JOURNEY TO RARIFIED AIRTIME

HOLLY BOUNDS JACKSON: A FULL-CIRCLE MIC DROP LIFE STORY

HOW MAGAZINES ARE MADE: A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT CH2’S PRODUCTION LINE

ANDY’S GOT A BRAND-NEW SOLO GROOVE: THE ISLAND MUSICIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE IS READY TO SHOW OFF HIS ARBOR-CENTRIC SIDE HUSTLE

CALHOUN STREET STORIES: THERE’S A NEW VIBE IN OLD TOWN BLUFFTON, AND THE ARCHITECTURE IS MAKING A STATEMENT.

PUT THE PRESSURE ON: SPRING CLEAN IS A POWER WASH AWAY

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KEEPING UP TRADITION: CONSERVATION, FUN AND FAMILY SET NATIVE SON ADVENTURES APART

40 THRIFT STORE THROWAWAYS BECOME SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOWSTOPPERS Susan Rafetto transforms closet rejects into newborn pièces de résistance. Photo by Caitlin Ryan of Memory Lane Portraits

52 THE GARDEN PARTY Celebrate the season of renewal and fresh beginnings with these bright fashions from local boutiques.

O N O U R C OV E R S CB2 CELEBRATE I BLUFFTON AND BEYOND!

CH2 CELEBRATE HILTON HEAD!

APRIL 2021

A Q&A WITH RBC HERITAGE’S ANGELA MCSWAIN HOW MAGAZINES ARE MADE

A Behind the Scenes Look at CH2’s Production Line

MARCH 2021

A 7,215-MILE JOURNEY TO RARIFIED AIRTIME WSAV anchor Ben Senger

APRIL 2021

ON THE CH2 COVER RBC Heritage's Angela McSwain in Harbour Town Photography by M.KAT

MEET THE MEDIA More than just talking heads

HOLLY BOUNDS

A Lowcountry storytelling trailblazer on staying local, bucking the industry status quo and a cookie compulsion

ON THE CB2 COVER ETV Lowcountry's Holly Bounds Jackson Photography by M.KAT

PALMETTO DUNES BRINGS VIRTUAL GOLF TO THE DRIVING RANGE The new Toptracer Range offers a high-tech way to improve your game and enjoy a competitive night out with friends.

GENIUSES AT WORK Architect of Ideas Maggie Marie Washo

play

Technology Mastermind Carolyn Hunter Kostylo Financial Warden Marion Elizabeth Bowser Influencer-In-Residence Kim Conrad Crouch Culture Maven “Just Kandace” Wightman The Boomerang Morgan O'Banion In-house Jeweler on Retainer Kaila Jeffcoat Intimacy Mentor Lucille Rosita Gonzalez Washo

EDITOR' S NOTE A

Rhinestone Cowboy Jevon Daly The Gatekeepers Greta Von Bowser Vincent Von Bowser The Cut & Paste Crew Jeff Cline Catherine Colby Writing Specialists Cheryl Alexander Amy Bartlett Jesse Blanco Linda S. Hopkins Jenna Bruno Hull Barry Kaufman John McCann Lisa Sulka Tim Wood Jim Van Dijk Lighting Experts M. Kat Photography Krisztian Lonyai Wayne Moore Caitlin Ryan Find Us Here PO Box 22949 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.689.2658 m.washo@celebratehiltonhead.com

It’s all about the PEOPLE.

s I flipped through this issue, remembering all of the places we traveled in the last three weeks to put this issue together, I was struck by the number of faces in this April edition. C2 has always focused primarily on the people behind the businesses—whether it’s a housekeeping company that services local hotels and rental companies, the lady who teaches your children gymnastics, or the famous faces on the TV station that you invite into your living room to tell you that day’s newsworthy stories. Businesses are propelled forward by people, not things, and we would rather tell you the owner’s history (what inspired them to start the business, where they moved here from, what they are passionate about) than list the 86 brands the store we are writing about carries. There are over 200 different restaurants in our area, but why do you repeatedly patronize the same ones? I bet it’s because you have a connection with your favorite bartender, chef, owner, or server. I don’t care if a restaurant has a remarkable water view, if they have horrendous service or bad food, that table by the water isn’t going to bring me back. But I’ll return to a bar where I get friendly service along with a great drink any day, even if all I have to look at is a bunch of liquor bottles on the wall. Maybe this is hitting me differently today because I have had at least five conversations with different advertisers in the last few days who can’t seem to find enough competent employees to keep their businesses running at optimal level. Where do you find

good people who are motivated to work … and how do you keep them? (I’m really asking. Email me the answer, please, so I can share it.) One of my favorite “people” stories in this issue is about Susan Rafetto and her clothing line, Peace by Piece. We spent the better part of two days photographing Susan and her wares in C2’s studio, and I really enjoyed meeting all the cool women she had come by to model her unique styles. See her story on page 40. In that same vein, for this month’s fashion spread, The Garden Party, our team went on location to several local nurseries to shoot spring looks from our local boutiques. COVID had us all in sweatpants for the better part of 2020, but I’m thinking it might be time to start wearing some real clothes again. Check out the spread on page 52. From page 18-39, we feature the local media: faces you probably already know like Monty Jett, Riley Miller, Ben Senger and Holly Bounds Jackson. They reveal their personal journeys, how much social media they consume in a day, and their favorite interviewees. Linda Hopkins also shares what goes into the production of a magazine every day, but if you are following us on Instagram and Facebook, you’ve probably already gotten a tiny peek. See that story on page 36. Over 55 people were photographed by Hunter Kostylo and me for this issue in over 25 separate photoshoots that happened over the last three weeks. I hope you enjoy seeing their faces and reading their stories as much as we enjoyed meeting and chatting with every single one of them. See you next month!

MAGGIE WASHO Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

Be sure to follow us on Social Media

Instagram - @ch2hhimag Facebook - facebook.com/ch2magazine TikTok - @ch2mag YouTube - youtube.com/celebratehiltonhead

PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

MEET THE MEDIA MORE THAN JUST TALKING HEADS In print, online and in living color, these are the media movers and shakers who keep the Lowcountry informed and entertained. You invite them into your homes every day. You see their names on a byline or on a chyron running across the bottom of your TV screen, or hear them on your radio. But how well do you really know them? After all, by the nature of their job, they tend to take second billing to the story they’re trying to tell. Who they are is, by design, secondary to what they have to say. If only for this month, we’re making the medium the message. These are the journalists and personalities who keep you in the loop on Lowcountry happenings big and small. In an era where the media has gotten a bad rap, it seems the perfect time for you to get to know our local media a little better.

ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

RILEY MILLER Occupation: 5 p.m. anchor for WJCL 22 News

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? October 2019 was definitely my most interesting day on the job. American Idol was in Savannah for auditions, and I got to interview judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as well as host Ryan Seacrest. I never get nervous, but I definitely had butterflies that day. However, they were all so nice and welcoming and gave insightful answers to my questions, too. Certainly a day I will never forget! What drew you to this line of work? I always loved watching the news growing up, even as a little girl. When I was younger, I always said I wanted to tell the positive stories. Of course, when you’re in this industry, you have to report on everything— including hard, breaking news and sad stories.

But to this day, the feel-good stories are my favorite to tell. I love that my work can highlight the good, make people smile, bring people together and make someone’s day. I try to use my position to be a positive light in the community. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. A LOT. To be honest, I turned off the screen time feature on my iPhone because I didn’t want to know! Ha ha. But social media is a huge part of my job. I have posting requirements on Facebook and Twitter. Many people get their news from social media, so I do my best to stay engaged and keep the public informed on breaking news and what’s happening in the community. I also find a good chunk of my story ideas skimming through social media and community groups/pages. Where do you prefer to vacation? Who needs a vacation when you live on Hilton Head? I love that I can get my beach fix every day living here. When I do take time off work, I like to go back home to Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee to see my family and friends—and catch a Nashville Predators hockey game with my dad! Do you primarily come up with story ideas in-house, or do you encourage the community to reach out? Both! I am always looking for unique stories. I love when the community reaches out to me with a story idea. I encourage anyone with a story to message me on social media or send an email to riley.miller@hearst.com. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? My favorite part is the beautiful beaches. I am a runner, and popping in my headphones, grabbing my dog and running on the beach is one of my favorite things to do. The view never gets old. It’s definitely my favorite way to ease stress. Favorite local event/festival to cover? No question, Heritage!

ANGELA Mc SWAI N Occupation: RBC Heritage Marketing and Communications Director

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? In 2009, Rory McIlroy competed in the Heritage. He was 19 and had just arrived the month before from Northern Ireland to play on the PGA TOUR. He was traveling with his girlfriend, and there was a ton of buzz about him being the next big thing. He was so well spoken and so poised for his age. I liked him immediately and I had a feeling he was going to be successful on the PGA TOUR. What drew you to this line of work? I decided I wanted to be a reporter in fifth grade. I loved interviewing interesting people and experiencing news firsthand. Hilton Head was just going to be a stop along my career, but the island sucked me in. I didn’t want to leave this beautiful place. I get the best of both worlds working at the RBC Heritage. I love helping reporters build news stories about the RBC Heritage and the charitable mission of the Heritage Classic Foundation. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. I have a 13-year-old daughter, so I spend a lot of time in car lines waiting to pick her up. Social media keeps me company as I sit and allows me to stay on top of what people in the golf world are saying. Where do you prefer to vacation? I always want to travel to big cities or to the West to enjoy a taste of winter in the mountains. Do you primarily come up with story ideas in-house, or do you encourage the community to reach out? I think a balance is necessary. We have stories we want to share, but we also get many ideas from RBC Heritage fans and our registered charities. Our fans are passionate about #plaidnation, and our registered charities do amazing things in our community. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? I lived in two other South Carolina cities before moving to the Lowcountry. I always felt like an outsider until I came to Hilton Head Island. It felt like home; I found great friends, my husband and community of fantastic people. I think it is the people and the sense of community that makes the Lowcountry special. Favorite local event/festival to cover? Obviously, it’s the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing all the way! Come see me April 12-18 at the Harbour Town Golf Links.

MEET THE MEDIA MANDY MATNEY Occupation: News Director, FITSNews.com

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? Dick Van Dyke. What drew you to this line of work? I started writing for my high school newspaper when I was 17, and I really haven’t stopped being a journalist since. It took a hold on me in a way nothing else has. Local journalists have this awesome opportunity to improve their communities through writing, which is a powerful thing. It’s an insane, addicting and tough profession that I’m proud to do every day. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. Too much. I think social media is important for journalists because it helps build readers’ trust in us, which is so important now. It’s also a great way to get a pulse on what your community cares about and to connect with sources you normally wouldn’t run into. Where do you prefer to vacation? Other countries! I went to nine countries in 2019, and I can’t wait to start exploring the world again. Do you primarily come up with story ideas in-house, or do you encourage the community to reach out? I get calls, emails, texts, and Facebook messages from random people in the community daily. A big portion of my story ideas comes from Facebook and Twitter, which is another reason why I spend too much time on social media. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? Honestly, I moved here for the weather and beach, but I ended up staying because I love the people so much. Hilton Head is really kind and embracing to new people because most of us have been there before. I was lucky to find a group of friends whom I now consider to be my family, and I can’t picture myself anywhere else. Favorite local event/festival to cover? Wingfest! It’s the most underrated event on Hilton Head Island.

SAM OGOZALEK Occupation: Reporter, The Island Packet

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? Nada Odeh. I met her in Syracuse, New York about four years ago. She was an artist and refugee from Syria who fled Damascus in 2012. What drew you to this line of work? I liked writing in high school, so I asked the editor of my hometown’s weekly newspaper if I could intern there (I grew up in a rural part of upstate New York). Within a year, I started working at The Hancock Herald as a part-time reporter and photographer, covering news, sports, etc. It was a blast! How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. A ton. I don’t use Instagram or Facebook much, but I always have Twitter open on my computer during the workday. Where do you prefer to vacation? Southwest Florida! I interned at the Naples Daily News a few years back. I love the beaches there. Do you primarily come up with story ideas inhouse, or do you encourage the community to reach out? It’s a mixture of both. I cover COVID-19, so I get a lot of ideas after reading other newspapers around the country, tracking government data and talking to local health care providers. But a lot of our best stories are based on community members’ tips. For example, our readers have helped me cover the Lowcountry’s vaccine rollout since midJanuary, forwarding me hospital emails, story ideas, photos, etc. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? I love how close everything is to the water. Favorite local event/festival to cover? I haven’t covered any, really! I moved here in May 2020. I wrote a few stories about the Heritage last year, and I got to hang out around Harbour Town for a couple of days, but everyone told me it wasn’t the same. Hopefully I’ll report on it again when life is more normal.

MEET THE MEDIA

DR. DEBI LYNES

Occupation: Counseling Psychology (ED, SUD, Insomnia); Interior Design (Freudian Slipcovers) facilitative and supportive design; Talk show host, WHHI-TV, Lynes on Design, Girl Talk, Healthy Living

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? I have rarely interviewed someone who does not have an interesting story to share. Sometimes the most interesting interviews are off-camera. What drew you to this line of work? Curiosity. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. I am obsessed with Instagram. I stalk Aging in Place, interior designers, fabric, and furniture designers. I love garden design and, of course, the TikTok ball challenge that Maggie and Jevon took! (We’re honored, Debi!) Where do you prefer to vacation? Wherever my 10 grandkids are! Do you primarily come up with story ideas in-house, or do you encourage the community to reach out? We love the community to reach out and be our eyes and ears. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? I am grateful for the natural environment and the diversity of the people! Favorite local event/festival to cover? Hmmm, that is a tough one. I am hungry right now, so I am favoring food or wine ... I like them all. I also love Concours d’Elegance.

LIZ FARRELL

Occupation: Assistant PIO for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office; former journalist/ reporter

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? If I were smart, I’d say Major Bob Bromage, because he’s my supervisor now and I’m still on probation. But it’s Mildred Muhammad, the ex-wife of the D.C. Sniper. As it turned out, she was the sniper’s target all along. I lived in the D.C. area during the attacks, and the sniper was caught not too far from my house. It truly was a scary time, especially coming on the heels of Sept. 11 and the anthrax attacks. So, the interview was somewhat personal to me. Mildred was here to speak at a fundraiser for Hopeful Horizons. Beforehand, she and I sat on the couch in her hotel room for a long time. It was one of the most profound conversations I’ve had with a stranger to this day. What drew you to this line of work? I became a journalist because I despise corruption and believe that our government should operate openly and be held to account. It was important to me that my career post-The Island Packet reflect those values. I’m thrilled to have landed at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office because it’s an agency that operates with integrity and values its relationship with the public. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. About half the hours I’m awake, plus occasional sleep-scrolling. Where do you prefer to vacation? Google Earth. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? Wading the flats right before the tide peaks and watching for tailing reds. What do you miss about being a journalist? The adrenaline high of a breaking news story. What do you enjoy most about your new career? We’re redesigning our website right now. It’s been really fun creating a site that puts public information front and center and that tells the story of the Sheriff’s Office. There’s so much I didn’t know before working here, and I’m excited to share that with the community.

MEET THE MEDIA

MONTY JETT Occupation: Broadcaster

Who is the most interesting person you have ever interviewed? My most interesting interview is difficult to determine as I have interviewed hundreds of fascinating people. From smoking a joint with Wolfman Jack in the back of a limo to Alice Cooper. Fritz Hollings and Strom Thurmond were regulars for me. I really enjoyed a young Joe Riley as he shared his dream of rebuilding a deteriorated downtown Charleston. I remember fondly my interviews with Gian Carlo Menotti and his desire to have an arts festival of two worlds, Spoleto Festival in Spoleto, Italy and Charleston, S.C. And, of course, the many Southern writers including Pat Conroy. But you asked for the most

interesting. I think the hundreds of people who have called in during my hurricane coverage on six combined stations—everyday folks sharing their fear and concerns about the approaching storms, even after the storms, on how they were coping and helping each other. Radio is very important in these times. We even saved one woman during Hurricane Matthew. She was running out of oxygen, and EMS heard her and delivered oxygen just in time. What drew you to this line of work? I got into radio when the owner of the local station in Bamberg asked if I’d be interested in doing the afternoon top 40 show when I was 15 years old. How much social media do you consume in a typical day? Be honest. I called social media a giant time suck, but I consume quite a bit. I’m always looking for something to share with my listeners. Where do you prefer to vacation? We have a week at the Von Trapp lodge in Stowe, Vt. that my wife inherited. We share with her brother, so we go every other year. I do look forward to that. But my favorite is when we vacation with my children, fishing or diving in the Keys. Do you primarily come up with story ideas in-house, or do you encourage the community to reach out? The community sends me things they would like publicized, but I dig through a number of outlets for information. What do you like most about living in the Lowcountry? The weather, the water, and the many waterways to explore. Favorite local event/festival to cover? To cover, The RBC Heritage. To attend, The Wine Festival.

Ben Senger is photographed at the WSAV TV Station in Savannah on a Saturday morning in March.

A 7,215-MILE JOURNEY to Rarified Airtime ARTICLE BY TIM WOOD . PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

WSAV ANCHOR BEN SENGER ON CLIMBING LADDERS, LIFE BEYOND WORK, CALM DURING A PANDEMIC AND LESSONS LEARNED IN THE SEVEN MOVES HE MADE TO GET TO SAVANNAH

he ebbs and flows of freshman homesickness were finally starting to calm. He went from a 15-member graduating class in the remote northwest Minnesota town of East Grand Forks to a business major at the University of St. Thomas, a private college in the heart of St. Paul that’s a five-hour drive to his hometown. Then came the 500-Year Flood in the spring of 1997. The Red River flooded his native farm country, horizonless fields where you normally could watch your dog run away from home for three days. He knew his mom, Patty, and sister, Laura, were already in nearby Minneapolis for a high school speech tournament—his sister chasing his legacy of two state titles and five state medals. But his dad, Tom, where was he? The levees broke; his town of East Grand Forks was evacuated. Did he get out?

Cell phones were still mostly a richer man’s toy, and cell service in small towns was largely a crapshoot. It took 14 hours for Ben Senger to find out that his dad was rescued from their flooded neighborhood on a National Guard helicopter and had fled to drier land at a family cabin in Minnesota’s lake country. “I found this out thanks to the local TV news,” said the 6 and 11 p.m. co-anchor at WSAV. “That’s when it really hit me—the power and importance of reporting, the difference you can make to so many. I switched from business to print journalism the next week.” A gruff local reporter, now-retired Minnesota legend Dave Nimmer, taught his lone broadcast class and told him he had an aptitude for putting together TV pieces. “It’s the first time I’d been told I was good enough to make a career out of this,”

THE 6-FOOT-4 FORMER HIGH SCHOOL POINT GUARD HAD CLASSICAL ANCHOR LOOKS, BUT HE WAS STEPPING INTO A TRICKY SITUATION. BELOVED CO-ANCHOR RUSS RIESENGER’S CONTRACT WASN’T RENEWED AFTER 10 YEARS. SENGER WAS BROUGHT IN TO PAIR WITH VETERAN ANCHOR TINA TYUS-SHAW.

he said. “I loved writing for shorter pieces, but more than that, the immediacy of getting that news out was really appealing.” Since first collecting a TV news paycheck in August 2000, it has taken him seven moves, 15 homes and multiple acts of fate and crisscrossing the country to find his soulmate, start a family and plant roots in Savannah and the Lowcountry. His task was tall coming to WSAV: replace a fan favorite and co-anchor with a legend. Six years later, he counts picking our region as one of the best decisions of his life. “I’ve made so many moves that satisfied the new and next life challenge, but this time, I’m finding new challenges without having to move,” Senger said. “You can fall out of a pool into the ocean here. We love Hilton Head and Bluffton. We have a vibrant life here, and there are so many stories to tell. It’s truly been a godsend.” Senger began his journey at KMSP in Minneapolis as an intern his senior year. As many of his friends aimed for gigs at locally-based Target, he took a couple of months

APRIL 2021

C2 MAGAZINE

A 7,215-MILE JOURNEY to Rarified Airtime

off, slinging pizza in a northern resort town before taking a writing job for the station’s Good Day Minnesota show. “I crashed on the sofa of a high school friend and worked midnight to 8 a.m., but at least I was in the biz,” he said of his start. Five months later, he took his first on-air reporting job in Duluth. Meanwhile, Patty and Laura decided to temporarily trek to Nashville as Laura was determined to be the next LeAnn Rimes. Ben was aiming to get back to Minneapolis as a reporter, but Mom had a different plan. “She called a news director in Nashville out of the blue, planned to tell them she was my agent on a voicemail, but he picked up and she panicked,” Senger said. “She just said, ‘My son is incredible, and you need to hire him’ and hung up.” A move from the 120th-ranked market to the 30th market does not happen, but that crazy interaction sparked a conversation that led to Senger becoming a reporter for WSMV’s morning show. “That jump, my mom … that was just a facepalm moment, but it happened,” he said. He quickly got burned out covering overnight house fires and news off the police scanner. “There was a weekend anchor opening I really wanted; they told me I had potential, but I look way too young,” he said. “You get older in the business, everybody’s trying to look young and stave off aging, but me looking like a kid in my 20s didn’t play.” Instead, he decided to head to Knoxville to anchor a morning show, where he met his wife, Alisha, who was a salesperson at the station but later reconnected with when she got into pharmaceutical sales. “I was so job driven, I wasn’t looking for anyone. She said she had a bunch of female co-workers she wanted to introduce me to,” Senger said. “I went out that night, talked to the friends for a bit but Alisha and I ended up talking for most of the night.”

The couple married in September 2007. Months later, with Alisha being able to do her work from anywhere, Ben got the itch for a move again. After a brief flirtation with Boston, the duo ended up in WinstonSalem, N.C. After two years there, and the birth of their oldest son, Evan, who is now a fifth-grader, he and Alisha decided to make a cross-country jump when Ben got courted by KPTV in Portland, Oregon. “We loved it there, it was such a fun and quirky place. We knew we were locals but coming from where we both came from to this culture, it felt like studying abroad,” he said. (Their youngest son, Colin, a secondgrader, was born there.) By 2015, they realized it was time to be closer to the kids’ grandparents. They needed to move East. Alisha’s Knoxville friends had a house on Tybee Island where the Sengers vacationed from 2006 to 2010. Ben had an offer to anchor a morning show in Minneapolis, an offer from his old station in Knoxville and the evening anchor spot in Savannah. Rather than opting for familial haunts, the couple chose WSAV. “The morning show in Minny was horrible hours. I just said to myself, ‘Who am I doing this for? We chose lifestyle over ladder climbing, and it’s been the best decision personally and professionally,” Senger said. The 6-foot-4 former high school shooting guard had classical anchor looks, but he was stepping into a tricky situation. Beloved coanchor Russ Riesenger’s contract wasn’t renewed after 10 years. Senger was brought in to pair with veteran anchor Tina Tyus-Shaw. “I just focus on reporting and explaining the news. I’m just the vehicle that gets the news to your TV or device. I’m fortunate to have shed that need for everyone to like me long ago. You can’t neglect that in our business. If you’re turning off audience, you won’t have a job,” Senger said. “But there’s a genuine way to earn that trust without puffing out your chest.” Senger loves the variety of stories and the people he gets to meet here. And he has been faced with telling the once-in-alifetime story like the 500-Year Flood that drew him into the business. “This pandemic, it brings you back to the immediacy and the service we’re providing. The hours have been tough, but we keep it in perspective to what’s going on outside the building,” he said. “This pace isn’t sustainable for any of us; we know that. We’ve been operating at a higher frequency here for a year. I know we all want normalcy, need the vibrations around us to slow down.” His workday has adjusted, as he does much of his afternoon meetings from his Wilmington Island home while overseeing the boys’ virtual schooling. “I feel for all the families who don’t have employers or jobs as flexible as mine. So much of what we do was remote for so long. Now, I’m back in studio and it’s slowly getting to be less of a ghost town.” Senger has anchored the news socially

distanced from Tyus-Shaw, standing in front of a monitor away from the anchor desk for months. That arrangement hasn’t partnered well with his junk food addiction. “I’ve always had a fast metabolism. I fluctuate 20 pounds here or there throughout the year, and it’s not super noticeable. Truffle fries, pizza, all the chips, I love them, but doctors recently told me to get off the gluten,” he said. “There’s been plenty of times through the years sitting at the desk where I’ve done the newscast with my pants unbuttoned as I gain weight. Doesn’t work so well when you’re standing up.” He knows many of his college friends are senior management at Target or still climbing the TV ladder, always looking for the higher-ranked market and the golden network gig. That’s just not his jam. “I’m awful at telling people my favorite this or that; I can’t even remember my favorite color,” he said. “But I know what makes my soul happy, what makes my family happy. I don’t have the elongated O’s, but I’m Minnesota nice. Maybe I don’t assert myself enough; maybe if I did, I’d be running a network by now.” He pauses before laughing and changing course. “No, I wouldn’t be. I’m not that Dateline confrontational guy. I love being a champion of community storytelling. The people here, the opportunity to make the product better here, that’s my thing.” Senger is negotiating a contract extension at the station. Seven job moves, 7,215 miles covered since he left East Grand Forks, and he’s finally found a place to plant roots. “I’m here as long as the viewers and the station executives will have me,” he said. And he hopes to spend more time across the Talmadge with his family. “We took mini-vacations to Bluffton and Hilton Head all the time pre-COVID, and we will again for sure. Being closer to the ocean, we all want that. The kids love it, we love the vibe here.” He hopes to take on more responsibilities at the station and looks forward to championing more projects like the recently-launched “Uniquely …” series. “‘Uniquely’ focuses on getting locals to appreciate all the things that our visitors come here to experience. I’m putting out an open call to everyone to share their stories with me,” he said. S e n g e r h a s r i d d e n o u t m a ny a rollercoaster in the business, has found social media useful in spurts—especially during the pandemic—but looks forward to reconnecting with people in his sweatpants at the grocery store. He hopes he and his colleagues are a calming presence in a time of upheaval. “There’s a lot going on. I get it. My industry is changing, the world is changing daily it seems. There’s so much polarizing us, but it’s important to find what unifies us even more,” he said. “That’s what’s fulfilling to me. I hope to be telling positive, unifying stories in your homes for many years to come.”  Watch Ben weeknights from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on WSAV; follow him on Twitter @WSAVBenS, and contact him at bsenger@wsav.com. C2 MAGAZINE

APRIL 2021

S Holly Bounds Jackson reports in front of the Lakeland, Florida Police Department in 2013 while working for Tampa affiliate WFLA.

Photography by M.Kat

ARTICLE BY TIM WOOD

TONIGHT At 11:

A Full-Circle Mic Drop Life Story

A LOWCOUNTRY STORYTELLING TRAILBLAZER ON STAYING LOCAL, BUCKING THE INDUSTRY STATUS QUO AND A COOKIE COMPULSION

fter you read this story, you might be overcome by envy toward Holly Bounds Jackson. And if it weren’t for the fact that she is so genuinely nice, I wouldn’t blame you. As we sat for lunch recently at her beloved Jim ’N’ Nicks in Bluffton, even Holly conceded that, in many ways, she’s led a storybook life. She knew she wanted to be a reporter at age eight and made it so. She married her high school sweetheart from Bishopville. In an industry known for going wherever the job is, she vowed she would never move more than three hours from her hometown and has mostly and improbably executed that promise. And now, after a ton of hustle and hard work during bookend star turns in Savannah, with a brief stop in Tampa in between, she has her dream job at the station where her career began. “It has all been a blessing. I have plenty of industry friends still climbing, still trying to find a home,” said the director of operations for SCETV’s Beaufort affiliate, ETV Lowcountry. “I’ve had incredible mentors, made so many friends and tried hard to truly make a home here.” This flawlessly fulfilled plan must be the doing of some mystical mastermind, right? “I wish,” she said with a laugh between bites of collards. “I’ve had a good run in a choose-yourown-adventure story, but I’m far from the family brains.” Growing up in the town of 3,000 residents 160 miles north of the Lowcountry up I-95, Bounds Jackson was the social butterfly while her sister Heather was the book-smart salutatorian who later became a schoolteacher.

and family in December, 2020. Holly and Brian have four S Holly daughters: Sofie Beth, 8, Gloria, 4, Penny, 3, and Ruby Lee, 16 months. Bounds Jackson poses with former WJWJ News Director S Holly Juan Singleton and Trey Paul in 2005. Paul now anchors at

WPDE and Singleton is Director of Communications at City of Hardeeville. Jackson is the Director of Content and Operations for ETV Lowcountry, formerly known as WJWJ.

TONIGHT At 11: R Holly Bounds Jackson, host of SCETV’s By The River with USCB Professor and producer Dr. Caroline Sawyer and her students who assist in the show’s production.

“I left my bookbag in the car most days when I got home, I was on the phone all night with friends,” Bounds Jackson said. “Or I was dialing into our one radio station so I could hear my voice on the air.” Just one problem. It was an oldies station. “I didn’t know any songs to request, so I asked my mom and she told me to try ‘Duke of Earl,’” she said. “So, I’d call every day, and I became known as the ‘Duke of Earl’ girl. I’d call up if my dog went missing and folks would help me. It was that kind of community—just good folks.” In third grade, a teacher assigned her class to watch the news and come back and talk about it. “I loved the news, got addicted

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to watching it right then and there,” Bounds Jackson said. The same teacher spotlighted her writing about her best friend— put her work on display in the hallway. “She brought people over to look at it, and I loved that feeling that someone said I was a good writer,” Bounds Jackson said. “It was right then that I said, ‘This is what I’m going to be when I grow up.’” That was solidified by the local newspaper editor who taught her seventh grade journalism class. “She hired me to write. I got $10 an article, and that was incredible—got that up to $25 per article before I graduated,” Bounds Jackson said. “I realized that I love being the one in the know. I loved being the one to inform people.”

R Holly and former WSAV photographer Shantez Herrington in October of 2016 when the Hilton Head bridge reopened after Hurricane Matthew.

Soon after, a childhood friendship turned romantic when she went on her first date with Brian Jackson at age 14. The two remained close as they went separate ways for college. It was at USC in Columbia that Bounds Jackson pivoted from print to the camera. “With writing, you have to nail every detail with words,” she said. “In TV news, you have a minute and 10 seconds to give the key points, tell the bigger story without getting into too many specifics, and the visuals tell a lot of the details,” she explained. Most importantly, capturing the humanity in a story was much more direct on screen. “I really treasure that if I’m sitting with someone and they cry or smile or laugh in answering a question; it’s right there for the viewer,” she said. “There is no filter, no middleman relaying that. You see the emotions and hear them; you see immediately how news is impacting people.” Bounds Jackson set up a job search grid, looking to places like Augusta and Albany, Ga., as career starting points. A Gamecock alum came to class shortly before her December 2004 graduation, said he had two gigs to fill at a station in Beaufort. “My best friend and classmate at the time, Trey Paul, we both went for the jobs. I’d never been to Beaufort. The closest I’d ever gotten to the Lowcountry was Walterboro, but it sounded amazing,” she said. Paul, now an anchor in Myrtle Beach, got the WJWJ gig. Bounds Jackson did not … at first.

THE SAME TEACHER SPOTLIGHTED HER WRITING ABOUT HER BEST FRIEND—PUT HER WORK ON DISPLAY IN THE HALLWAY. “SHE BROUGHT PEOPLE OVER TO LOOK AT IT, AND I LOVED THAT FEELING THAT SOMEONE SAID I WAS A GOOD WRITER, IT WAS RIGHT THEN THAT I SAID, ‘THIS IS WHAT I’M GOING TO BE WHEN I GROW UP.’” - HOLLY BOUNDS JACKSON

“They went with someone else, so I called the news director and just asked what I could do better for the next interview, how I could improve,” Bounds Jackson said. Her determination made an impression, and when the other candidate didn’t take the job, she was hired in March 2005. “Trey and I had a blast. It was local news, and we had one 6 p.m. newscast. It was all about community, keeping people in the loop. It was so fulfilling,” she said. But the broadcast was an anomaly among SCETV stations and was cut a year later. Bounds Jackson heard of an opening in Savannah and was hired to be the station’s Lowcountry reporter in 2006. She impressed quickly and became the anchor for an innovative experiment, a 7 p.m. newscast on WSAV’s sister station called “My Lowcountry 3.” The show put the focus on a region that was often a storytelling afterthought on the Savannah stations. “I just remember putting so much work into stories that would be buried, run at 6:27, the last story,” she said. “And I would say, ‘This is big news to these people, ya’ll.’ To have that platform on My Lowcountry 3 gave us the chance to really showcase this community.”

TONIGHT At 11: R Holly and Arnold Palmer on Hilton Head in 2016.

Bounds Jackson endeared herself to Bluffton, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island viewers with equal parts personality and perspiration. Her WSAV-branded car was seemingly rolling nonstop up and down U.S. 278 and out Route 170 in 2007. My Lowcountry 3 only lasted one year, but Bounds Jackson made a lasting impression on locals for championing their news. The feeling was mutual. “I made lifelong friends that year. I took such pride in giving the Lowcountry the spotlight it deserves. The news directors and producers pay more attention to this side of the bridge, and I’m proud to be part of that evolution. This area became part of my heart.” Holly and Brian, the Bishopville kids, whose moms went to elementary school together, married in 2007 and bought a home in Bluffton. The newly-minted Holly Bounds Jackson made the commute to Savannah, anchored a 5 p.m. newscast for a year and stayed with the station until 2013. When her first child, Sofie Beth, was born, she decided to try her hand at PR. “Nope, not for me,” she said of the six-month detour. “I am a news junkie. I realized then and there I needed that in my life—I need to be telling stories, not spinning them.”

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But that misstep drove home what makes practicing journalism so essential to her happiness. “The news is personal for me. Good news or soul-crushing stories, treating every story with energy, empathy and compassion means a lot to me,” she said. “Those connections … it’s not just turnand-burn and on to the next story for me.” Each Christmas Eve, she talks with Nelson Olivera, whose brother Carlos was murdered by Bluffton tow truck driver Preston Oates that night in 2011. It’s just one example of the unorthodox approach that her biggest boosters say made Bounds Jackson stand out in a sea of detached talking heads, more focused on ego, eyeballs and clicks, who have given media an ever-increasing stained reputation. “Giving people a voice to tell their story, to give a platform to those who have not been heard before—it matters,” Bounds Jackson said. So, with the support of Brian, she headed to Tampa to WFLA—a two-year stint that was the closest to ‘ladder climbing’ she has done in her career. “It was endless work, long hours. Part of it was exhilarating; there was always news to be told,” she said. “The stories were wild. But I’d have Sofie Beth in the backseat watching ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ on my iPad while I was talking to sheriffs behind crime scene tape. The paycheck was nice, but that’s not the way I wanted to raise my kids.”

During a rare July 2015 weekend getaway to Fripp Island, Holly and Brian had a collective aha moment. They knew they needed to get back to the Lowcountry. A couple of months later, she was welcomed back on air at WSAV, but after being on the front line of covering two hurricanes, she realized it was time for a larger change. “I remember leaving my girls to cover the hurricanes. It was dangerous. Is that the last time I’d see them? I just couldn’t stomach that feeling ever again,” she said. Just as that sentiment hit a crescendo in 2018, she got an email from a friend. There was a head honcho job open at WJWJ, now known as ETV Lowcountry. “We wanted more kids. I needed a different pace, and this was perfect timing. I interviewed and got it, and it’s been the job of a lifetime—back where this dream started. It doesn’t get much better,” she said. Bounds Jackson is the host of “By the River,” the SCETV showcase of Southern authors. She also produces longer-form interviews and documentaries, like the one-hour look inside the innovative rehabilitation approach of the Allendale Correctional Institution. “I spent a year inside the prison, saw how they focused on character building. I taught writing classes. I started a Scrabble club with the inmates. It was a life-changing and eye-opening experience,” she said. ETV Lowcountry’s offices are on the Beaufort campus of the Technical College

“GIVING PEOPLE A VOICE TO TELL THEIR STORY, TO GIVE A PLATFORM TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD BEFORE— IT MATTERS.” - HOLLY BOUNDS JACKSON of the Lowcountry. USCB partners with ETV and uses the studio for classes. The students help produce By The River by running camera, scrolling teleprompter, and arranging interviews. Occasionally, Bounds Jackson speaks to the class about the profession and answers career-related questions. “It’s a chance for me to pass on my experience, to share a bigger picture that I wish others had talked to me about when I was starting,” she said. “My 22-year-old self, I was all about the next story. I couldn’t see kids, marriage. I had a career plan, period. Family means everything to me, but that all felt so far down the road. It was job, job, job, and it wasn’t fulfilling. Brian, my kids, that’s life.” The thrill of telling stories is as strong as ever for her, but while her industry friends chase the next big market and paycheck, Bounds Jackson finds the same adrenaline rush in selling Girl Scout Cookies with Sofie. “The first year, 400 boxes was the goal. Then it was 800. This year, the prize was a cooking class, and she wanted it,” Bounds Jackson said. “And I was like, ‘Well you’re getting that cooking class!’ And we were out every day, every weekend pushing cookies. I’m hooked. She’s grateful to have the gem job that feeds her career goals while allowing her to be present daily to witness the drive and passion of her daughters, eight-year-old Sofie Beth, four-year-old Gloria, three-year-old Penny and 16-month-old Ruby Lee. “Sofie Beth can cook and bake anything; she cooks salmon for dinner and it’s amazing. And Glo, she literally wants to be fashion; she’s a diva who lives to be photographed,” said the proud mom. Her affinity for ETV has been driven home during the pandemic. “Three of us got the virus at home. It was rough and ETV could not have been more supportive as I’ve been Mom and schoolteacher and quarantine entertainer while still doing my job.” Bounds Jackson knows that both her career path and the manner she gets to practice her craft these days are fortunate aberrations. “I worry for the next generation of journalists—the short attention, the stories getting shorter, the whole definition of what’s news shifting with all the social media news breakers,” she said. “I get to tell stories than can breathe, and that’s a gift. So, I know what I have here, and I’m very thankful.” 

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CH2 CELEBRATE HILTON HEAD!

OCTOBER 2019

articLe By Linda s. HOPkins

Title

byline

HOW magazines are made: design element

a BeHind tHe scenes LOOk at C2’s PrOductiOn Line negative space

paragraph style

OCTOBER 2019

FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ABODE

GETTING REAL WITH

SPECIAL SECTION

MICHELLE TAYLOR

FALL HOME & GARDEN

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ave you ever wondered how the publication you are reading gets put together? Probably not. I think most of us take for granted the processes behind another person’s work, and we rarely understand or even care to know the ins and outs. But for those of you who might be curious or who may have an interest in joining the publishing world as a writer, editor, sales representative, or graphic designer, here’s a peek at what happens every month here at CH2/CB2 magazine. THE TEAM Making a magazine begins with a meeting of the minds. Although we hash out an editorial calendar at the beginning of the year with planned themes and special sections for each issue, details remain somewhat fluid and are fleshed out as we go. Our small but mighty team comes together at least once a month to brainstorm ideas and to ask the age-old question: How can we provide content that readers enjoy and, at the same time, serve our advertisers? We aim for a balance of entertainment and information that we believe will be of interest and constantly strive to present it in new and creative ways. (We’re also open to leads and suggestions from our readers, writers, and advertisers.) Once themes are established and the upcoming issue is mapped out, assignments are offered to writers who immediately go to work researching, setting up interviews, and crafting the articles with their blood, sweat and tears. While it may seem glamorous to see your name in print, bylines are the byproduct of many solitary hours staring at a screen, where we dabble with words until they somehow fit together, make sense, and sound good in our ears. The best writers I know are never satisfied with the first words that pop into their heads. They often start with embarrassing first drafts that go through multiple rounds of revision: honing sentences, deleting sentences, replacing words with better words, rearranging paragraphs, etc. The finished work, as it appears in the magazine, has often been hours or even days in

overleaf pages

MAGGIE WASHO

MAME BOWSER

HUNTER KOSTYLO

JEVON DALY

meet the team

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the making. If you are an aspiring writer, gnashing of teeth is a job requirement. While writers are writing, sales associates are serving—calling on existing advertisers, delivering current magazines, addressing any problems or concerns, presenting opportunities to new business owners, and doing their best to keep everyone happy. Job description: Please all of the people all of the time. More than pretty faces, our salesladies are our superheroes. Without them, we would be nothing. In the same vein, we encourage you to patronize the businesses who invest in us. We refer to them as our business partners, because without them, we would not be here for you. We print 35,000 copies and distribute them free of charge each month (30,000 mailed to area property owners and 5,000 available on newsstands and at local businesses) in addition to our digital version, which is accessible at no cost to anyone with an internet connection. If you love us, then please show some love to our advertisers. Please also enjoy the special section profiles of local business owners. From healthcare providers to restauranteurs, retailers, Realtors, builders, hairdressers, entertainers, attorneys,

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Don’t forget to add page numbers

and all manner of other service industry workers, these are the people who keep our local economy humming and make the Lowcountry an attractive place to live, work, and play. They are also the heart of our community, giving back through financial generosity and tireless acts of service. We live among some of the finest people you will meet anywhere, and here at C2, we love shining a spotlight on them. THE LEADERSHIP An organization or team is only as strong as its leader. At C2 magazine, that would be our editor-in-chief Maggie Washo, who spends countless hours buzzing about town with a camera on her shoulder, capturing the majority of the images you see on these pages. But that’s just one of the tiaras she wears. A cross between Wonder Woman and the Energizer Bunny, she keeps going and going. Whether she’s attending events, going on Lowcountry adventures and making videos with local entertainer Jevon Daly, directing and producing TikToks, adding stories or posting public service announcements on our social media pages, editing photos, calling on customers, entertaining customers, responding to thousands of emails that pour into her inbox every month, orchestrating a fashion shoot, writing her editor’s note, reading through the magazine, approving pages for print, or putting out assorted fires, she’s all in, all the time—like a boss! She’s the brains and the brawn, the hub and the heart of C2 magazine. Her right-hand woman Hunter Kostylo is Robin to Batman, Watson to Holmes. Quiet and unassuming, she is a walking, talking Day-Timer, keeping everyone organized while holding a rather impressive number of balls in the air all at once. You may find her assisting with photos, participating in video shoots, and even tidying up the office. But that’s in addition to her graphic design duties, which include creating all in-house ads, assembling and designing special advertising sections, the TOC, the calendar, our This and That section, and more. Perhaps more than anyone else, she sits in the people-pleasing hot seat, juggling the wants and needs of advertisers, sales reps, editors, and the general public. She does it with such calm and grace, you might never guess that she’s on the ledge. She often drowns out distractions by singing. And if you see her wearing earbuds, she may be enjoying one of her favorite murderous podcasts—a fitting outlet for pent-up frustrations inherent to her job. We love our “Hunty” and could not do this without her. Behind the scenes but critical to our success is our chief number cruncher, accountant Mame Bowser. Because, let’s face it, while we love our jobs, we are not in this for our health. Money may be the root of all evil, but it is certainly the foundation upon which businesses live or die. Bowser is the one chasing down accounts receivable, following up with sales reps, organizing invoices, cranking out tax documents, and keeping us in the black. If

glaring typo or the misplaced comma and see instead all the things we got right. Is working for a magazine fun? Yes! It can be. We meet fascinating people, attend festive events, and get the inside scoop on many area happenings, all while stretching our brains and flexing our creative muscles. But it’s also hard—sometimes sleepless-night, beat-yourhead-against-the-wall hard. There is no room for procrastination in publishing and no time to waste. Nobody is getting rich or famous here. Paychecks are nice, but the real reward is in the final result. Thanks to you, our loyal readers, the work is satisfying, and we are inspired to do it all over again. THE FUTURE Some people believe that print publications are on the way out. We beg to differ and enjoy providing a tangible product to those who love getting lost in our pages. However, print is no longer enough. Staying relevant and fresh means keeping up with the latest social trends and constantly feeding content on multiple platforms. Don’t miss the merriment! Follow C2 on You Tube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to stay entertained and informed all month long.  Linda S. Hopkins is a contributing writer and copyeditor for C2 magazine with over 30 years’ experience in publishing.

sales Team

Kim Crouch

Kandace Wightman

Kaila Jeffcoat

Morgan O’Banion

Designers

Jeff Cline

Catherine Colby

wriTers

Barry Kaufman

Amy Bartlett

Cheryl Alexander

CH2 CELEBRATE HILTON HEAD!

SPECIAL SECTION! BOOMERS & BEYOND BUYER’S OR SELLER’S MARKET?

WE EXPLAIN HOW TO TELL MARCH 2020

Linda S. Hopkins

Tim Wood

The assembly line

MARCH 2020

you work for C2, you love this woman, because you never wait for a paycheck. Bowser is so fast and efficient, you might get whiplash on the way to the mailbox. THE ASSEMBLY LINE Once all the pieces and parts are set in motion each month, articles that come in from our writers and materials submitted or solicited (think Q&As and bios, press releases, etc.) are all directed to the copyeditor, whose job is to dot the i’s and cross the t’s— abbreviate or slice and dice as necessary and comb over them for typos, spelling, grammar or punctuation errors, and formatting or style inconsistencies. At C2, with a few exceptions, we primarily follow the Chicago Manual of Style, a style guide popular with many magazines, as opposed to AP style, which is typical of most newspapers. CMS, which was first published in 1906, goes beyond English 101, with specific guidelines for publishing that include special rules for capitalization, punctuation, typography, and much more. The manual’s content has grown from 200 pages in the first edition to 1146 pages in the seventeenth edition and is constantly updated to reflect new vocabulary and modern usages. Want to be a magazine editor? Start familiarizing yourself with CMS and be prepared to look things up on a regular basis. You will be surprised by how much you don’t know and humbled in the end by the things you still missed. Once formatted and edited, all raw copy goes into the hands of our talented graphic designers, whose job is to make words on a page look exciting with pictures, pretty fonts, and other creative details—the frosting and sprinkles to the plain vanilla cake. Much like writers, they are known to spend an inordinate amount of time alone with a screen and a mouse, often working overtime to meet deadlines and satisfy their own standards of artistry. Finally, pages are organized, printed, and put into a binder we refer to as “the book,” often exchanged like contraband at odd hours or on weekends. This gives us a last chance to proofread and correct errors that have happened during production— typically more than a few. That’s because many fingers have touched it along the way, and we are all human, of course. Meanwhile, Washo and Kostylo attend to finishing details such as adding photo captions, rearranging pages, improving layouts, squeezing in last-minute ads or critical announcements, filling in gaps, etc. Pages are then uploaded to a commercial printing company, and from there, our fate is sealed. This is when we wake up in a sweat at 3 a.m. with sudden epiphanies regarding what we forgot to check or do, what we could have improved, or mistakes we imagine we might have made, knowing it is too late to fix them. Seven business days later, magazines hit mailboxes and newsstands, and the digital version is posted for online viewing. At that point, it’s open season for your reading pleasure and/or critique. Our hope is that you will be so kind as to forgive the

AT HOME WITH HGTV’S INTERIOR DESIGNER BRIAN PATRICK FLYNN

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Article By Tim Wood Photography By M.Kat Design By Jeff Cline

Bec

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e Sustainabnl Fashio ers Showstopp

Susan Rafetto transforms closet rejects into newborn pieces de resistance.

ranquility, peace, harmony. They are the feelings that dominate her brain space. But mention a certain sevenletter word and get ready to see Susan Rafetto morph into a momentary rage: Uniform. “I despise every form of that word,” said the fabric-mixing mad scientist fashionista behind Peace by Piece Boutique. “I grew up a twin; uniformity was part of the gig, but I’m the wacky one. I hate uniforms. It means the same, and I’m just not the same. Expression is central to what I am.” Rafetto has always been creative. It runs in the family from the Philadelphia suburbs. Her mom is a painter, singer, piano player, and a reupholstering knitter. Her grandmother, who died in 1976, was a photographer and a weaving expert. Both were wizzes around a sewing machine and took her regularly to Philly’s iconic Fabric Row for inspiration. “Every picture I have from my childhood that makes me smile, it’s Mom and Mom-Mom and me, all of us making clothes,” Rafetto said. Rafetto had intermittently dabbled in art, but running a property management company in Philly left little time to scratch that itch. A corporate management change

left her jobless as the COVID pandemic began, so she turned to her sewing machine to reconnect with her creative energy. At first, that led to her crafting and donating hundreds of face masks. But then… “I had a jacket that had made it through every move, but I hadn’t worn in 20 years. So, I started taking it apart and sewing my favorite pieces of fabric together with other old outfits,” she said. The efforts re-minded her of a mantra born of her divorce: “It’s easy to think you’ve lost your identity, but it just gives you a chance to find a new one. That’s what I’m doing with these clothes.” Rafetto’s first efforts sparked a buzz among her inner circle of friends, which led her to showing them to her bigger circle and, alas, her first sale. What began as therapeutic sewing quickly became an avenue to translate her earthy bohemian life’s worth of passions and inspirations on to a new canvas. “Being a property manager, I would see endless bags of old clothes tossed. Those clothes take 200 years to break down in our landfills, all the while emit-ting very bad toxins into the earth,” Rafetto said. “So why not give them a new purpose? I’m a vegan, I love animals and

“It’s easy to think yo u’v lost your identity, b e ut it just give s you a chance to find That’s wh a new one. at I’m do ing with these clothes.” — Susan R afetto

Sustainable Fashion rs Showstoppe want to protect our environment. That’s where the Peace by Piece comes from. I can help foster peace through every piece of fabric.” The 55-year-old also knew her life in Philly was at a crossroads. She had become close friends with former Pennsylvania governor and national Democratic Party leader Ed Rendell, accompanied him to fundraisers where she schmoozed with Barbra Streisand and got compliments on her tattoos from former President Barack Obama. But romance was not in the cards there. She had suddenly found a potential new career that was mobile. Her daughter, Dominique, had moved to Hilton Head Island to start a life with her new hubby, musician Kyle Wareham. Rafetto had never been to the Lowcountry. What better way to match her vagabond pangs with a chance to be closer to family? So, she packed up her budding collection of orphaned fabric in the summer of 2020, moved into a onebedroom apartment in Bluffton, sight unseen, and began working at Fish Camp at Broad Creek to fund both her rent and her startup fabric supply. “You know, I found my greatest joy is sitting at a sewing machine for 8 to 10 hours a day and just creating,” Rafetto said. “On one hand, COVID made it harder to figure out if I could make a business of this. But it also gave me time to create and focus on how to make this a business. I applied for an LLC and an EIN (business

tax ID) and decide to give it a go.” Each piece Rafetto creates is a oneof-a-kind blending of styles and fabric patterns. Her early pieces were full of denim, whether it was jeans or jackets. The many shades of her personality emerged in the designs, from John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix tribute jackets to urban and biker chic stylings, animal-adorned tops, and a denim blouse with ’60s psychedelic pattern inlays and “TROUBLEMAKER” in big, bold letters on the back above a broken heart.

onate eople, to d es p p l e h to hariti “I want oceeds to c d just r p e th f o t par in an s I believe and cause is road takes me. th a see where have found to g in z a m my It’s a o many of y s y r r a m arr way to cially to m ism. e p s e , s n io pass activ d my Earth ally.” n a n io h s fa ch me, re I mean, pin “Clothes are personal. They are a peek into our soul,” Rafetto said. “When I take different pieces of fabric from many outfits, now you get this unique piece that’s suddenly nostalgic and relatable to a whole crowd of people. That’s a pretty cool vibe to put out there.” No look or fabric combo is off limits for Rafetto, as witnessed in a duster she crafted with a timeless black and white flower pattern bottom stitched together with a puffy shirt top reminiscent of a classic Seinfeld episode. “Sequins, flowers, puppies, plaid flannels … it’s truly magical how every– thing just seems to work,” she said. “I bleach it, cut it, shred it a bit, whatever it takes. This fabric gets repurposed, finds a whole new life. Everything is sustainable, reusable—so much of this was never ready for the landfill. It just needed a champion to give it a new path.” Rafetto found a captive audience in Wareham’s musical crowd. She set up a couple racks outside an early-fall 2020 show at Coligny and sold $1,200 worth of jackets—proceeds she sent to aid her little sister, the youngest of four siblings, who

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was fighting bladder cancer. She began selling her clothes on consignment at the Pink Pineapple island boutique. More recently, she’s been a featured artist at The Studio restaurant and earned a big supporter in owner Lunonia Colella. She soon branched out to making men’s clothes as well and is working on pieces for musicians like Zach Stevens and Coligny Theater co-managers Matt Stock and John Cranford. Every piece has her homemade logo sewn in, as well as a piece of fabric with a hidden positive message like “You are Beautiful.” “It’s so fun to hear when they discover the messages. It’s just another layer to make sure the clothing they buy inspires happiness,” Rafetto said. Her new Lowcountry fans pushed her to post her works on social media, so

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she created an Instagram account, @ susanpeacebypiece, and a website, peacebypieceboutique.com. Both show off wearable works of art, complete with a unique name that showcases Rafetto’s inspiration for making it. “My work has definitely evolved just since I got down here,” Rafetto said. “There’s still the Philly chic there but plenty now inspired by the sunshine and outdoors beauty of this incredible slice of heaven.” Her apartment now looks equal parts Hoarders and the backstage of a fashion show. She feels for her Peloton being smothered by racks and racks of old clothes on deck for a reimagining. “I probably need some more space; my sewing machine probably needs a new motor; but I just can’t stop creating,” she said. “I always wanted to be a mom, a wife, liked doing some art and bartending on the side. Being a property manager was a means to an end, far from a dream. Now this right here, it’s a dream.” Rafetto said she never was much of an organizer, but she’s embracing that challenge to feed the dream. She’s talked to Stock about a fashion show at Coligny this spring and has even talked to a Philly transplant interior designer

Now, Rafetto is reunited with family and gets to be ‘Gamma’ to Kyle and Dominique’s firstborn, River. She hopes to be as much a model of ingenuity and individuality for her grandkids as her Mom and Mom-Mom were for her.

friend about opening a boutique in Savannah near SCAD in the future. And she’s found a sustainable fashion mentor in West Philly designer Kimberly McGlonn, the founder of the Grant Boulevard line that has caught the attention and financial backing of Beyonce. “I read her story and I saw a path to this dream,” Rafetto said. “She’s doing exactly what I want to do in being a creative and philanthropic guardian of the Earth.” Rafetto is putting friend requests for new designs into action, launching a line of handbags adorned with custom pet portraits. Her latest entrepreneurial brainstorm is the “Take Five Fashion Show.” “I’m challenging fans to do exactly what I did when I started this,” she said. “Give me five items of clothing and trust me to recreate and give you your own personal fashion show with your new clothes.” She never imagined she’d feel as at home as she does after the first time getting off of Exit 8. Now, Rafetto is reunited with family and gets to be ‘Gamma’ to Kyle and Dominique’s firstborn, River. She hopes to be as much a model of ingenuity and individuality for her grandkids as her Mom and Mom-Mom were for her. “I want to help people, to donate part of the proceeds to charities and causes I believe in and just see where this road takes me,” she said. “It’s amazing to have found a way to marry so many of my passions, especially to marry fashion and my Earth activism. I mean, pinch me, really. I feel bad that COVID has caused so many so much pain. It’s given me a chance at a reawakening. I know that 2021 is going to be my year.” Check out Susan Rafetto’s wearable art online on Facebook, Instagram and at peacebypieceboutique.com.

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S ANDY

Got A Brand-New Solo Groove

A PINE COFFEE TABLE MADE ENTIRELY FROM ONE SLAB OF WOOD.

The island musician extraordinaire is ready to show off his arbor-centric side hustle.

A Art i cl e By T i m Wood P hot ograp hy by M. Kat D esi gn by Jef f Cl i ne

ndy Pitts loves music. He adores wood. And he treasures friends and family. In each grouping, he is like that character actor on that show you love — you know, an in-demand nomad, beloved by castmates wherever he goes, a consistent scene stealer but never the lead and rarely in the spotlight. “I use the skills I have to work with. I’m never the best at anything, but I try to maximize my strong points,” said the 43-year-old founder of Lowcountry Handcrafted. “I come with an honest approach, I dig kind of deep, I give what I have in me. I’m simple that way. And I guess with the ‘never the best’ comment, it’s pretty clear I’m not the best at promoting myself.” Whether it’s as a valued member of an array of local bands or a trusted member of the Lynes Construction team, Pitts’ work ethic and results speak as loudly as the myriad supporters who sing his praises. Friends and family members have all seen his passion for woodworking and encouraged him to make a business out of his stunning creations. Now, it seems Pitts is finally ready to inch toward center stage.

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Pitts is revered across multiple island social circles and, pre-COVID, was always around new crowds of people playing music. He has had plenty of custom requests from construction clients or from friends. But it’s only recently that he’s begun posting photos of his tables, cabinets, chairs, mantles and floating shelves on social media, on Instagram @lowcountry_handcrafted.

“I’m not much for praise, much more comfortable with critiques, but I will say I’m very proud of my work, and I would love for it to pay enough bills to become a primary focus,” he said. “I’m like a raccoon around these trees; I have this heightened sense of touch. Seeing a project through from cutting the tree to crafting the furniture piece, it’s incredibly rewarding, and that thrill is addictive.” Pitts’ grandmother grew up in Ridgeland, his greatgrandfather was a caretaker for Bee’s Creek Plantation. His parents, Joe and Trudie, are both Bluffton High School grads. Both his uncles and his grandfather were in the construction business, so the Pitts kids were always around the shop. “I was always tinkering, always absorbing knowledge,” Andy said of being a shop rat. He was equally into music, a passion he got from listening to his musician mom, Trudie. She died after a years-long cancer battle in 1991 when Andy was 13. When not in school, he spent most of the next couple of years shadowing his father Joe, a general manager for the Hilton Head Public Service District. “I was digging ditches, painting fire hydrants, whatever was needed. I was a grunt,” Pitts said of his teen years. After graduating from Camden Academy, he went to work for Trudy’s brother and his uncle, Mike Lynes. “I remember framing a house at Sea Pines and thinking, ‘Man, I’m not very good at this.’ But I kept getting better,” Pitts said. “Construction is a weird business; you get hired when you can and then the work runs out and you move on. But I’ve had some great teachers, guys that have been willing to teach me.” He specifically points to his time with Noonan Contracting and the generosity of Greg White and Donny Glutsch, now two long-time friends. “Guys like Greg and Donny, they showed me how it’s done, let me learn,” Pitts said. “They showed me that how you treat clients matters, taking the time to make it perfect, that matters.” Pitts said that he feels the same way about his music, which he immersed himself in as a teen to stay connected to his mom. “She was everything to me, and when she died, it hit me hard. It took a long time to think of myself standing on stage and playing music,” he said. “I lost a light there. I have two older sisters who are very studious. I was not. I’m not much of a self-starter. I think once that light was out, I just lost that intangible something that sets you up for that part of adult life.” Slowly, as he let more people hear his music, his skills were undeniable. Pitts became known for his guitar riffs and his collaborative reliability, which has landed him spots in the island’s most iconic bands like Lowcountry Boil, Silicone Sister, Shakey Bones and JoJo Squirrel. “Jevon [Daly] and I grew up together, so I’m in just about every band he wants to concoct,” Pitts said. “He’s the promoter though. I’m the worker bee. I play bass, guitar, some vocals, some banjo.” Pitts’ musical and carpentry careers evolved parallel to each other. He went on to work with Joe Wood Construction in 2004, where he upped his craftsmanship game.

“Joe was a respected framer who became a general constractor and took me on. He earned high-paying clients. It’s the nicest work I’ve ever done,” Pitts said. “The work with Joe taught me about high-end work, that there’s a right way to do things. It was great financially but very demanding. It was cool to see big tough dudes that cared about design, cared about how it looked.” He went back to work for Lynes Construction 10 years ago when Mike put in a call for his help. Ever since, he’s done all aspects of carpentry, but creating furniture has slowly but steadily become his signature. “I do armoires, tables, bunk beds, cabinets, whatever is needed. We’ve had a lot of repeat clients through the years. Relationships matter, and they know they’re going to get my absolute best effort,” Pitts said. “Trying to make a piece perfect matters. I love that right or wrong, when you’re woodworking, that piece, it still stands there in someone’s house. To see it after, know you did right by folks, it doesn’t get any better.” Pitts said he’s always been drawn to trees. From climbing them as a kid to working with reclaimed wood as a carpenter, he’s been drawn to lumber. The more carpentry he did, the more he discovered a passion for cutting wood and wielding chainsaws. “Around the time of Hurricane Matthew is when I first started getting serious about milling wood myself,” he said. “Saved some money and bought some equipment to give it a go.” He credits the follow-through there to supporters like his aunt, interior designer Debi Lynes, and her design firm partner, Pat Jackson. “Debi is a big supporter. I help her with her installations, hang artwork, serve as handyman on site when needed. She and Pat invested. They believed in me; they sell my tables. It’s awesome to have folks like them in your corner,” he said.

AN OAK COFFEE TABLE MADE FROM A FALLEN TREE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND

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— “Handcrafted by J. Anderson Pitts” — “Debi and I, we’re both Virgos. She gets me.” He knows his operation is minuscule compared to other local outfits but prefers it that way. “I have an Alaskan mill. It’s not the most efficient, not particularly fast, but it’s mobile,” he said. “I can show up with my tools wherever a tree is down, mill the lumber right there. So, I scrounge logs wherever I can find them. During Matthew, they were everywhere.” One thing that the sawmills have that Pitts doesn’t is a kiln to dry out the wood to prepare it for milling. “I’ve got big piles of wood everywhere, all kinds of logs in various stage of dryness,” he said. “There’s wood at the house, wood at the shop. People think I’m a log hoarder or something, but I know I’ll use every last one of them. A neighbor two doors down, he cut down four or five trees and gave them to me. That was four years ago, and I’m just now running out of that milled batch of cherry and oak.” A fire at a neighbor’s house next door destroyed some of his stack but gave what was salvaged a unique burnt char. “Bluffton Fire was amazing; everyone was okay, and they kept my house intact. And the tables I made from that stack have a very unique story and markings on one side.” Pitts is revered across multiple island social circles and, pre-COVID, was always around new crowds of people playing music. He has had plenty of custom requests from construction clients or from friends. But it’s only recently that he’s begun posting photos of his tables, cabinets, chairs, mantles and floating shelves on social media, on Instagram @lowcountry_ handcrafted. There are plenty of selfies with his favorite cuts of wood, as well as the stamp of his woodworking alter ego he brands into each of his creations, “Handcrafted by J. Anderson Pitts.”

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A SIDE TABLE MADE OF A WALNUT LOG GIVEN TO ANDY BY A FRIEND.

Pitts said he’s always been drawn to trees. From climbing them as a kid to working with reclaimed wood as a carpenter, he’s been drawn to lumber. the more carpentry he did, the more he discovered a passion for cutting wood and wielding chainsaws. “I know it’s part of growing the business. I have to get better at telling my story. I’m infatuated and engrossed in the trees and being able to tell their full story,” Pitts said. “I love the aspect of the hard work on the front end. Some of the work can be tedious later, but man, when you hit it with that finish, an oil or a poly, seeing that wood come to life is so very cool. “It’s like opening up a prize, it’s always a surprise. Picking out just the right logs is a blast. You can’t foresee all the neat quirks in the grain, so opening up the log is the same thrill. These babies, they go from so raw to oh so sweet.” His rescue dogs and his logs are his babies. His workday with Lynes is far from traditional, so he finds time to tackle projects before and after both his Lynes jobs and his music gigs. “I’m a late-blooming adult, I guess. Sure, I’d love for the business to take off. Who doesn’t want more money? And I certainly need more of my own shop space. I’m awful at pricing my own work and time. I still forget to factor in the milling, but I’ll get there. But most of all, I just want to keep growing, always backing up my promises in the end results.” Check out Andy’s work on Instagram @lowcountry_ handcrafted or call him at (843) 683-0922. Just don’t Google “Andy Pitts Woodworker.” He’s a retired Navy officer turned woodworker, a whole other story. C2 MAGAZINE

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The Garden Party

ES B IR D IE JA M 88

ns dress $1 L JC Desig ets, ing bracel K na le Se 00 gold set $7 gs $245 in rr ea g in Selena K oes $98 Soludos sh

PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT>>STYLED BY KAILA JEFFCOAT>>DESIGN BY JEFF CLINE HAIR BY SAMANTHA OLIVEIRA >>MAKEUP BY AMY RAMIREZ OF SALON KARMA

Special thanks to

Lily McDaniel, Caroline Molloy and Jevon Daly Featuring styles from Forsythe Jewelers, Palmettoes, Coastal Bliss, Birdie James, Maggie & Me, Egan + Ella, eggs ‘n’ tricities, Copper Penny, Fresh Produce, and Southern Tide Shot on-location at The Garden Gate Nursery, The Green Thumb Bluffton, Sunshine Nursery, The Greenery, and Bruno Landscaping *Prices change and human error occurs. Please confirm all pricing with boutiques listed.

PALMETTOES

BAR dress $95

PALMETTOES

BAR dress $155

FRESH PRODUCE

HIHO shorts $69 HIHO top $98 little fish BOATEAK earrings $48

MAGGIE AND ME

France romper $75 Vintage Eclectic earrings $34

FORSYTHE JEWELERS, ACCOMPANIED BY PALMETTOES

Lagos Solid Blue Caviar bracelet $675 NECKLACES:

Blue Caviar 16-inch strand $750 Blue Caviar 7 mm 16-inch strand $800 Blue Ceramic SS 18-inch $580 Lagos Glacier Blue topaz ring $800

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please confirm all pricing with boutiques listed.

The Garden Party COPPER PENNY

Farm dress $165 Clutch $64 Earrings $70 Bangles $28

FORSYTHE

Lagos Glacier SS Citrine ring $700

EGGS ’N’ TRICITIES

Uncle Frank dress $128

The Garden Party

EGAN + ELLA

(Left) Woven Pink dress $50 Hat: $34 Necklace $18 (Right) Risen LA pants $50 Fiesta top $38 Mi.iM shoes $44 Necklace $18

EYELAND OPTIQUE Thierry Lasry Sunglasses $500

The Garden Party

COASTAL BLISS

Show me your Mumu dress $198 Kooringal hat $42 Earrings $25

MAGGIE AND ME

Free People dress $148 Necklace $54

The Garden Party

SOUTHERN TIDE

Southern Tide dress $148 Southern Tide clutch $99.50

PALMETTOES

(Above) Alexander Julian shirt $185 Michaels shorts $95

EYELAND OPTIQUE

Vaurnet Sunglasses $340 (Below) Alexander Julian shirt $185 Michaels shorts $95

B Y

R Y

X A

Spruce Up your spaces

eing largely confined to our homes for the last year has given many of us inspiration to find new ways to love our dwellings. Getting new furniture is always exciting, and now more than ever, we’re appreciating even the simplest purchases that both spruce up our spaces and lift our moods. This year, there’s been no better place to invest our design style and our dollars than our own outdoor living areas—whether they are tiny little balconies or big beachside backyards. These days, our patios, gardens, decks, and backyards are doing double duty as office spaces, happy hour gathering spots, workout rooms, and inspiration destinations. We don’t expect that to end anytime soon either, so delegating our creative energy and budget towards some outdoor furniture updates is great idea. Outfitting outdoor living spaces for year-round use Invest in products that make your outdoor spaces more livable during cold weather, like heavy-duty blankets, outdoor fireplaces, and even unique conveniences, like pizza ovens, that will allow you to entertain outdoors in winter and beyond. Heat lamps and fire pits are a great option to snuggle up beside, and with so many styles available, you can easily find

one that works. Retractable shade fixtures (think umbrellas and shade sails) will fend off the afternoon sun. Drop-down screens that enclose patio spaces will help with mosquitos. Fans are also a huge benefit. More seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors Blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living with a gorgeous outdoor space that flows effortlessly from your interior. Lush up your space with sofas, rugs, cushions and, of course, more plants. As ever, the key to a successful outdoor area is to think about how you want the space to work for you and let that guide your décor decisions. As most of us—and our family members—have been doing essentially everything at home for nearly a year, creating a natural flow between indoors and out will not only maximize your home’s space, but it will also give you a much-needed mental boost. One idea for a seamless transition between outdoor and indoor is to arrange the furniture as if the outside and indoor areas were the same room. By treating both spaces as one room, you take the outside in and make the entire space more usable. Another way is to use the same flooring and fabrics in both locations. These days, outdoor fabrics are phenomenal for comfortable indoor living, plus, they protect from pets, messy kids, and even messy adults.

FA B U LO U S F U R N I T U R E A N D M O R E I D E A S TO L I V E N U P YO U R H O M E F O R S P R I N G

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Make it monochromatic It’s true that Instagram has had a hand in the rise of the exceptionally photogenic monochromatic outdoor spaces. Or it could be that they embody style and Zen. Either way, using say … all white furniture, décor and flowering plants is a key trend for the coming year. The idea behind this look is a focus on a single monochromatic color. So, if an outdoor room in hues of pink or yellow is more your flair, then go for it. You’ll still be on trend. Top trending materials for outdoor furniture • Plastic. Not only can you find it in a variety of colors and shades, but it also follows current trends—in imitation of rattan, stone, natural wood, metal, and antiques. This is a good budget choice, and such practical and comfortable furniture will uplift any outdoor landscape. • Tree. This choice is eco-friendly, beautiful, and durable but may be vulnerable to moisture, so make sure you buy furniture that has been processed for outdoor use. Wooden garden furniture can be found in many shades and styles, however, the price point might make you want to keep shopping. • Wicker furniture (bamboo, cane, rattan). Wicker is a classic and is currently gaining popularity both outdoors and indoors. These products are elegant, attractive, and weightless—perfect for any space. Be aware, though, that this furniture is relatively shortlived and easily deteriorates. Unless they are specially treated, rattan, bamboo, and reeds lose color and deform with prolonged exposure to sunlight and moisture. As well, you shouldn’t wash this style of furniture frequently, and during the rainy season, you should store the items in a warm room. • Forged metal. Sophisticated and gorgeous, this style of outdoor furniture looks expensive and stylish, especially in combination with water features. The disadvantages are its weight and its susceptibility to corrosion without proper care and reliable coating. • Stone. Durability is the draw to this outdoor style. Stone products are original, significant, and always on trend. The look is expensive and chic, and additionally, the stone is completely

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insensitive to sunlight and humidity, not susceptible to corrosion and drying out. The only drawback may be the price. Indoor updates Interior design trends are always going in and out of style, so once you update your outdoor spaces, you might want to keep it going indoors as well. Here are some things to consider inside your home: • Pocket doors and classic French doors are replacing barn doors. Pocket doors slide directly into the adjacent wall, and French doors normally open outward and feature large panes of glass. • Look for “grandmillennial” or “granny chic” style to gain popularity. Described as a modern revival of nostalgic design elements that you might find in your grandparents’ home, it’s a style meant to evoke comfort, nostalgia, and tradition. Think floral wallpaper, antiques, delicate china, crocheted items, and Tiffany lamps. • Comfort, practicality, sustainability and making your home your sanctuary on every level is becoming paramount. This style includes plushy, sink-into furniture; chestnut woods; warm colors; bookshelves overflowing with tattered covers of novels you’ve read and loved; less mass-produced furniture and more heirloom family pieces; fluffy towels, luxurious candles, and objects d’art from local artisans. Resale and consignment stores Resale shopping is trending. According to America’s Research Group, up to 18 percent of all shoppers buy from resale or consignment shops—almost as many who shop at department stores or outlets. Here’s why: • Quality offerings. Consignment furniture stores offer a variety of unique and designer-inspired furnishings, many of which cannot be found in stores. • Great prices. Because you’re buying second-hand, you can score some great deals on quality items for your home such as beds, couches, tables, chairs, and more. • Supporting a local business. Rather than buying new furniture from big box retailers, buying from consignment stores is a way to save money as well to support a local business. 

The Shoemaker Buildings are situated at the intersection of Calhoun and Bridge in Old Town Bluffton.

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ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN PHOTO BY WAYNE MOORE, BACK RIVER PHOTOGRAPHY

CALHOUN Street Stories

THERE’S A NEW VIBE IN OLD TOWN BLUFFTON. PERHAPS NOWHERE IS THIS MORE EVIDENT THAN IN TWO BUILDINGS BURSTING WITH SOUTHERN CHARM.

f the corner of Bridge and Calhoun could talk, you can bet it would have stories to tell. As the confluence of two streets that stretch through more than a century of Bluffton history, this intersection has seen Bluffton evolve from a sleepy river town to an active war zone to a quirky artists’ enclave to an upscale Southern destination in its time. The buildings that occupy this corner, however, have just started collecting stories, even if they look like they’ve been a part of the street since Bluffton’s days as a sleepy river town. On the corner, a two-story building houses Moonlit Lullaby amid sweeping porches that frame a building that wouldn’t look out of place in Bluffton’s distant past. Further from the intersection, a low-slung barn-style building houses May River Excursions and evokes the fishing cottages around Alljoy. In essence, they look like they belong. And that’s very much by design. “It just fits in so well with all the other stuff that’s down there,” said Chris Shoemaker, who owns both buildings on the lot, running his business May River Excursions out of the smaller one. “The size of it, the look of it… They look brand new, but people think they’ve been around forever.” Strict adherence to the Old Town sense of style wasn’t just a requirement of the town’s Unified Development Ordinance, although that certainly played a part in it. More so, it was a self-imposed mandate by architect Pearce Scott and project manager Amanda Denmark.

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CALHOUN Street Stories

PHOTOGRAPY BY M.KAT

S On the second floor, above Moonlit Lullaby, are two short-term rental units enjoyed by visitors to the Lowcountry. S May River Excursions houses the bottom floor of the smaller building. Day-trippers to Daufuskie Island and fishing enthusiasts ready for a day on the water check-in here before their day of fun begins.

“That corner is significant in Old Town Bluffton, so it was really important to get that look and feel right,” Scott said. “I’ve been very involved with the town and the community, so I just listen and watch and keep the context of how the historic district is, in general, in mind, knowing the guidelines and the scale of that building and what they wanted to do with it,” said Denmark, who earned the nickname “Old Town” from former town manager Marc Orlando. “I was the president of the Historic Bluffton Foundation and chair of the planning commission, so it’s very important to me that we keep everything correct. ‘Keep it Bluffton,’ we say.” In Keeping it Bluffton, they turned to a builder who has played a huge role in defining what Bluffton looks like. David Abney, principal of DH Abney Company, builds with an eye toward historic preservation, with commercial projects like Calhoun Street Tavern and FARM setting the stage for Old Town’s recent rebirth. “Bluffton is my home,” Abney said. “Seeing the community 68

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have that renaissance, we’re honored to be a part of it.” The first building to go up was the smaller outbuilding. With its board and batten siding and low, sloping roof lines, it borrows heavily from the cottage aesthetic found throughout Old Town. “It’s about scale and proportion,” Scott said. “That building is supposed to look like a barn … like it could have been a river cottage for a family.” Of course, it’s one thing to build a commercial structure. It’s another to build a commercial structure in the middle of a growing town’s busiest district. “It’s always a challenge working in a tight spot like that,” Abney said. “And then every Thursday we’d have the farmers market, so we’re trying to navigate through the crowd with a forklift. Challenges abounded.” Abney became involved in this project six years ago on the recommendation of Josh Cooke at Corner Perk. Having grown up in the construction industry, Abney splits his time between custom homes and iconic commercial projects. When the time

Space above May River Excursions, which is currently for rent. Contact Shoemaker at 843.304.2878 if you are looking for a charming office space overlooking Old Town Bluffton.

came to put in the second building, he had a chance to do both. Now home to Moonlit Lullaby, the second building’s wide porch echoes classic Southern architecture, while its second story houses a pair of apartments. Originally intended for Shoemaker ’s personal residence, they were wisely adapted for use on the vacation rental market. “We wanted to make sure the upstairs was appealing to someone coming in for a long week,” Abney said. The materials found in the two apartments present a motif of new Lowcountry elegance, with circle-sawn oak flooring running throughout, Moroccan tile in the bathrooms, and soaring beams in the great room, reclaimed from a mill in Georgia and aged outdoors. Like its neighbor, the larger building evokes a sense of timelessness, of having long been a part of Bluffton’s fabric. “You could almost imagine this having been an old-time grocery store where the owner lived upstairs,” Denmark said. “It’s such a quintessential Southern building. It really stands the test of time.” Of course, only time can tell if that is true. But as an example of Bluffton’s renaissance in recent years, these two buildings present a vision of the town’s next step: respectful of its history, but fearless in pushing forward. “The whole street has come so far in such a short time. My little building was the first project on that side of Bridge Street, but since then, The Heyward House was redone, then they did the park. Across the street, the Fripp Lowden House was redone. Now across from me they’re about to redo the bridge,” Shoemaker said. “Just from 2016 to 2021 the amount of people walking by has quadrupled. You can just tell how much it’s grown in the short period of time we’ve been there.” Thankfully, that growth is tempered by a sense that each building will eventually tell its own stories as part of Old Town Bluffton’s history. Everyone approaching this project did so with the utmost reverence for Bluffton and with a mission to create something that would add to its future. “I think with this one we achieved it,” Denmark said. “We’re all proud of it.” 

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Article by Amy Bartlett Hull also describes products they source like the Espoma line of organic fertilizers, pesticides, and potting soils carried by the nursery. “We love finding these things that help in more than just a gardening sense, but in the life-living sense,” she said. “We love pets, we love nature and don’t want to see it harmed. We love providing solutions that cover all of that.”

JORDAN BRUNO AND BETH NIZOLEK

FAMILY-GROWN 30 Years of growing good things at Bruno Landscape & Nursery

t the Bruno Nursery on Hilton Head Island, it’s almost more about people than it is about plants or pottery, but they have a passion for all of the above and that’s how it’s been since the beginning. First sprouted as Bruno Landscape & Irrigation in 1989 by Gary and Mary Ann Bruno, the business has grown tremendously, pun intended, adding four acres in 2000 to become Bruno Landscape and Nursery. If you haven’t met the nursery side of the business, you’ll want to introduce yourself—not only to one of the most browsable, beautiful, full-service nurseries on the island, but also introduce yourself personally. “We love being a place where people can get to know one another,” daughter Jenna (Bruno) Hull said, “and we pride ourselves on being kid- and pet-friendly. We have regulars who sometimes come in just to introduce us to a new pet, and we love building those relationships. It’s more than a nursery; it’s a community.” According to Hull, no matter when you come in, you will meet a member of the family, whether that’s herself, “Aunt Beth,” Steven, Jordan, Nikki, Rafael, or one of the five family labs who report to the office daily: Rocky,

Rambo, Bella, Zoey, and Nala. Of your Bruno options, Jordan is your go-to for container gardening lessons that walk you stem to stern through all you need to know, whether you’re growing vegetables and herbs for farm-to-table value from home or looking to add spring color to your entryway or building front. Plus, you have the one-stop-shopping of picking up all you need. “We have lines of pots and pottery that are wonderful specifically for the Lowcountry because they can stand the wind, not get beat up in storms and rain, or are lightweight that you can carry in and out,” Hull added.

WHAT TO KNOW No idea where to start? The Brunos have you covered there, too, with this advice for your visit. You’ll want to consider: • Sun exposure. Where are you planting and how much does it get? • Deer. Do you have a deer issue? If you’re reading this in any local zip code, your answer to this question is yes. • Maintenance. What equipment do you have or need, and how much upkeep are you willing to invest? You can even get Bruno-approved recommendations from their website, which lists seasonal favorites, or find photos and tips on their Facebook page at brunolandscapeandnursery. For a few conversation starters on what thrives in a Lowcountry spring, ask about their Sunshine Ligustrum, or Encore Azaleas, which Hull explained are a repeat bloomer. “You can get three seasons out of them and have a ton of different color choices,” she said. She also recommends the Brazilian Orchid, a shade plant that’s mostly greenery, “but every now and then you get a beautiful bloom.” You’re encouraged to bring your questions, your issues, your kiddos and fidos. It’s a family-grown business where you can nurture neighborhood relationships as well as whatever you take home. The Brunos extend this personal invitation: “Grab a coffee and walk the aisles. We’d love to say hello.” Bruno Landscape and Nursery is located at 109 Dillon Road, Hilton Head Island. For more information, visit brunolandscapeandnursery.com or call (843) 681-7022.

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APRIL 2021

THE DOCTOR IS I N CRABGRASS? BARE SPOTS? PERVASIVE WEEDS? GOT A BAD CASE OF THE BROWN THUMB? LET THE LAWN DOCTOR CURE WHAT AILS YOU ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

f all the things you can do for your home—fresh paint, updated cabinetry—there is nothing more important than curb appeal. And the key to curb appeal is a healthy, verdant lawn of grass and eye-catching landscaping. If you don’t have that under control, you can kiss that curb appeal goodbye. The problem is that while you do everything in your power to create a welcoming front yard, you are fighting an uphill battle against nature. Too much rain or too little rain, and the whole thing falls apart. The wrong pest decides to make its home in your lawn, and suddenly you’re battling bare patches. And then, of course, there are the microscopic seeds carried on the wind, depositing weeds all over your masterpiece of a lawn. “With the warm weather we have and the amount of rainfall we see, it contributes tremendously to weed growth,” said Marc “Lawn Doctor” Deloach. “Weeds are probably the number one reason we get calls.” They are not, however, the only reason. Thousands of homeowners from Hilton Head Island to Savannah trust Deloach’s expertise to keep their lawns healthy and to keep shrubbery and trees healthy and vigorous. Deloach has been a master gardener since 1997. It’s a customer base that has grown steadily since Deloach started in the business 30 years ago, purchasing the Lawn Doctor franchise in Savannah and then expanding his territory across the state line into South Carolina. “It was a long, slow process,” he said. “We grow a little bit every year.” Fortunately, he knows a thing or two about keeping things growing. It’s not just lawns. Deloach credits the steady expansion of his business from a single truck working out of his dad’s garage to a state-spanning empire with three simple words: Good customer service.

That means going above and beyond, like educating freshly transplanted Southerners unaccustomed to the climate of their adopted home. “We have warm-season grasses here, and up North they have cool-season grasses. So, you can’t really seed. It’s not an option,” Deloach said. “Up North, people will throw down some fescue in the fall. Down here, most people will lay down sod.” Right now, Deloach recommends homeowners start their core aeration sometime in April after the grass greens up. “It really helps get oxygen down to the roots—relieves compaction and aids in water absorption,” he said. But hold off on fertilizing. “A lot of people start fertilizing now, which is too early. You have to wait for the temperature of the soil to get up there,” Deloach said. “A lot of people who get a few warm days think it’s time to fertilize.” These are just a few tips based on the decades of expertise Deloach brings to thousands of lawns across the Lowcountry. So, if your curb appeal needs a checkup, the doctor is in. in.  For more information, call (912) 966-1123 or visit lawndoctor.com.

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APRIL 2021

ARTICLE BY CHERYL ALEXANDER

PUT THE

PRESSURE

fter the spring we’ve had, it’s likely the exterior of your home casts a yellow-greenish hue from the plethora of pollen that’s been coating the Lowcountry. Although your home is doing its job to protect you and yours from the elements—not just pollen, but dirt, insects, birds, acid rain, smoke, pollutants, and car exhaust—these intruders are constantly coating your home with grime and soil that discolor and damage your property if you don’t take charge. Simply hosing down the outside walls won’t do the trick, and cleaning techniques that involve tiresome scrubbing by hand and use of chemicals aren’t always the best option either. Here are a few reasons why pressure (or power) washing by a professional at least once or twice a year is the best alternative and should be a part of every homeowner’s routine:

Prevent damage. Winter grime, mold, mildew, moss, algae, and stains can cause serious damage to your property if left unchecked. Mold damages painted surfaces and concrete coatings and feeds on the paint and finishes, thereby removing them. Crevices are especially susceptible to the accumulation of dirt, algae, and grime. Power washing removes dirt and grime and prevents it from turning into permanent damage. Save money and preserve value. Your home is an investment you should protect. Preventative maintenance can go a long way towards keeping your property’s value and avoiding costly repairs. By making pressure washing a part of your consistent maintenance routine, you can take years off an older home and keep it looking new for years to come. It’s also the most cost-efficient way to wash your entire exterior. Pressure washing will brighten your home’s appearance, even making it easier to sell and at higher value.

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PUT THE

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NO MATTER THE SURFACE, POWER WASHING YOUR HOME IS THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF MOLD, MILDEW AND STAINS ON YOUR HOME’S SIDING, DRIVEWAY, DECK, AND FENCING. Prime surfaces. If you are planning to refinish, resurface, or paint the exterior of your home, a professional power wash should be step number one. It will prepare the existing surface to ensure that you have a clean, smooth surface on which to paint. The same goes for re-staining your deck or refinishing your pool: pressure washing first ensures that surfaces will hold on to their new finishes. Pressure washing reaches areas within crevices and cracks much better than other cleaning solutions. Any coating you apply on a surface won’t adhere properly or last as long if the old paint, dust, grime, and mildew aren’t removed first. Prime your surfaces before any renovations by getting them professionally pressure cleaned. Protect your family’s health. Dust, grime, and mildew not only affect your home’s appearance, but also your family’s health. Removing them yearly with a pressure washing helps keep you and your pets from getting sick. More than 20 million adults and 6 million children in the U.S. suffer from seasonal allergies that are triggered by pollen, mold spores and dust mites, all of which are eliminated by power washing.

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Protect the environment. Choose a professional team that uses eco-friendly solutions to pressure wash your home’s surfaces. These non-toxic washes are safe for pets and children. The solutions should also be safe for your grass, plants, and other landscape around your home. Many companies are even EPA-certified, which means their detergents are biodegradable but still tough enough to remove all mold, mildew, dirt, and debris. Save time. Pressure washing is simply the most efficient way to clean your home’s exterior. Your time is valuable, so efficiency is key when it comes to cleaning. Letting professionals power wash your home means you won’t have to deal with mixing cleaning solutions, climbing ladders, and scrubbing strenuously at stubborn stains. A professional power wash can accomplish in minutes what would take hours by hand. Restore curb appeal. Pressure washing is a restorative process. Your house gets a makeover without you having to spend a lot of money on renovations. By removing years of stains and bakedon dirt, a good power wash will refresh your home’s exterior and turn years back on the clock. Spending money on landscaping and other renovations doesn’t

ATTEMPTING TO PRESSURE WASH YOUR HOME YOURSELF SUBJECTS YOU TO THE RISK OF POSSIBLE INJURY. THE JOB REQUIRES USING WATER AND STANDING ON A LADDER, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A DEBILITATING FALL AND POSSIBLY BIG MEDICAL BILLS. LEAVE THE JOB TO AN INSURED PROFESSIONAL

COMPANY.

make good sense if your home’s exterior is not part of the effort. No matter the surface, power washing your home is the best way to get rid of mold, mildew and stains on your home’s siding, driveway, deck, and fencing. A fresh look is a great way to feel pride in your home and is a way to contribute to the overall beauty of your neighborhood. Increase property value. If you’re looking to sell your home, power washing could be the difference between making a sale or not. Exteriors degrade, discolor, and oxidize as time passes. Because of this, your property can lose value. Power washing will help seal a new paint job, keeping it free from peeling and chipping. According to a recent survey published by Consumer Reports, a good pressure washing along with any needed paint touch-ups and exterior enhancements will increase the value of your home by as much as 5 percent. Obviously, a good-looking house is much easier to rent or sell. Avoid injury. Attempting to pressure wash your home yourself subjects you to the risk of possible injury. The job requires using water and standing on a ladder, which can lead to a debilitating fall and possibly big medical bills. Leave the job to an insured professional company. Pressure washing protects the value of your home and allows it to look it’s best. It keeps harmful pollutants from building up on the exterior of your home, which can lead to expensive repairs down the road. It increases your home’s value, and it also protects the health of your family. Power washing is the most effective and efficient way to clean your home’s exterior and safeguard your investment, your time, and your family’s health. 

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APRIL 2021

L A N D S C A P E R S

april 2021

featuring... greenscape services the green thumb the greenery, inc Circle of Life Plant Interiors & Gardenias Event Floral

S E R V I C E S G R E E N S C A P E

T H E

G R E E N

he Green Thumb was founded with one simple principle in mind: provide unparalleled customer support and outstanding quality services. Since our founding, we have built up a staff of professionals to serve your every

reenscape Services has had the pleasure to serve the Bluffton and Hilton Head Island areas since the early 1980s. Originally owned by Kevin and Diane Dunn, the family business is now headed by their son, Jeremiah Dunn. Jeremiah has been a long-time resident of Hilton Head and Bluffton—a standout wrestler, winning a state championship for Hilton Head Island High in 1998, and still holds current records. Jeremiah attended The Citadel as a cadet in the class of 2003. He served overseas as a veteran in the U.S. Air Force. Jeremiah holds certifications in commercial and residential irrigation, commercial and residential chemical applicator and specializes in ponds and water features. He and his wife and rock, Pam Dunn, have three beautiful daughters together, Hayden, Riley and Emma. Greenscape won Landscape Company of the Year for Hilton Head in 2018, working on some of the premier properties of Hilton Head and Bluffton, aided by Pat Dunn, who is one of the area’s leading

T H U M B

landscaping need. We employ experts in gardening, lawn care, landscaping, patios, decks, driveways, and pergola to give you a personalized and custom approach to your outdoor design needs.

landscape designers, responsible for many of the original area landscapes over the last 40 years. Pat also attended The Citadel as did his wife Jeanie Dunn. Jeanie specializes in seasonal flower bed design and bird feeders. Pat’s son Mike Dunn has picked up his father’s mantle to become a partner this year, leading the Chemical Lawn and Shrub Care Division and installation crews. He is an excellent emerging landscaper with a firm grasp on all aspects of landscapes in the Lowcountry. Greenscape also welcomes Charlie Ward as head of maintenance, joining us from overseeing Moss Creek Plantation Community Services. One of the stalwarts of Greenscape has been in the building of relationships and trust in over 30 plus years of service. We are truly blessed to work in and call the Lowcountry home. There are worse places to be for sure, but we might be a little partial to our piece of paradise. 22 Cape Jasmine St, Bluffton, SC 29910 (843) 304-4397 greenscapeservicesllc.business.site

The mission of The Green Thumb is to become the top provider of landscaping, gardening and lawn care services on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton. Our recent expansion has enabled us to expand our client base and revamp our landscape service offering. Our experienced and dedicated staff members work one-on-one with each individual client to ensure that they receive exactly the services they expect and enable them to build productive and longlasting relationships with our company. We are more than just a landscaper; we are a one-stop shop for outdoor living spaces. For more information about the Green Thumb, please contact us by phone on Hilton Head Island at (843) 715-2908 or in Bluffton at (843) 837-3111.

he Greenery, Inc. started as a family-owned business that has flourished over the last five decades into a powerhouse regional landscape company with deep roots in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Greenery story began when Ruthie and Berry Edwards fell in love with Hilton Head Island and decided to call it home in 1973. They purchased a small landscape nursery with a staff of six employees, a couple of old pick-up trucks and the desire to do something different. Together with their employees, they grew from a hometown local landscape and nursery business into one of the premier landscape companies in the Southeast. The original garden center and offices (now a gift shop) remain on Hilton Head Island on William Hilton Parkway, while The Greenery has grown with branches offering residential services on Hilton Head Island and commercial landscape services throughout Beaufort County. They’ve transformed and maintained properties and yards across the Lowcountry, from the red geraniums of

the RBC Heritage to Palmetto Bluff, the Beaufort Waterfront and more. When the Edwards decided to retire, they sought an exit strategy that would also reward the dedicated employees who helped The Greenery become the success it is today. That outlook led management to a corporate model of EmployeeOwnership, a forward-thinking endeavor that provides all employees the opportunity to earn ownership in the company. Since becoming employee-owned, The Greenery has prospered from 200 employees to over 800—and that legacy continues to grow. They are respected as a thriving industry leader, with locations in Daytona, Greenville, Savannah, Charleston and beyond. The leadership team at The Greenery has pivoted this once family-owned landscape business into a full-scale commercial operation, all while remembering their roots on Hilton Head Island. As The Greenery expands from the upstate of South Carolina to the beaches of Florida, one thing remains

the same: growth goes beyond new location branches. Just as The Greenery nurtures a landscape, they also encourage their employees to grow with them long term. As valued owners in the company, employees are trained and invested in creating an unforgettable customer experience. This team genuinely cares about the end results of the work they do, whether it’s a home landscape in Sea Pines, a property owners association, or a resort. Thriving as an EmployeeOwnership company with decades rooted in experience sets The Greenery apart with a focus on their purpose: Enhancing People’s Lives Through Beautiful Landscaping. (843) 785-3848 thegreeneryinc.com

CIRCLE OF LIFE PLANT INTERIORS & GARDENIAS EVENT FLORAL

andscaping can be more than just mow and blow with bedding plants! Beautiful containers filled with both thriving green plant material and seasonal flowers add a welcoming and peaceful ambiance to both inside and outside areas. Angela Mandigo and her husband David started Circle Of Life Plant Interiors and Rentals in May of 1998 to provide these types of “landscaping” plant container services for residential and corporate clientele in the Lowcountry along with short-term foliage rental using beautiful palm or ficus trees with lighting, various lush ferns along with a variety of plant and bright colored flowering material to dress up any event area. Events we have designed and dressed up include the RBC Heritage Golf Tournament, The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival, and countless others. There have been many styles changes through the years, and our goal is to incorporate these new trends for our clients to enjoy. One of these current styles is the use of a “living wall” that

contains a variety of plants and flowers to make a statement with different textures and shapes that coordinate with the outdoor/indoor light and water requirements. Other styles we love to use right now are clean line containers in white or blue tones. Depending on the clientele and their needs, our plant technicians custom design and service these planters weekly or bi-weekly, depending on time of year. To add to Circle Of Life, a new sister company, Gardenias Event Floral was started in 2012 providing fresh-cut custom floral design and rental décor for all types of events, from weddings on our beautiful beaches to corporate retreats on the May River. Some of the events include designing for Hilton Head’s HGTV’s Dream Home in Windmill Harbour and their corporate clients in Palmetto Bluff. 14 Vine St, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 (843) 837-6602 www.gardeniashhi.com

GOOD FOR THE SOUL ARTICLE BY JENNA BRUNO HULL

iving in the Lowcountry, we are already surrounded by so much natural beauty, the ongoing trend that will never fade is to enhance, enjoy and nurture our environments. COVID-19 has given us all a reason to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. It has been amazing to see what people have done to make their homes a personal sanctuary. Gardening has a different meaning to many people. To some, it is a way of life; to others it is a personal oasis. Whatever your reason may be, gardening can be therapeutic and good for the soul. Gardening gives you a place to create family memories, get the kids outside and doing more with their hands. Gardening has many benefits for kids: they develop new skills, learn a sense of responsibility by caring for plants, and the best part is enjoying what they grow. Keep them interested by starting small. Let them decorate a pot and fill it with flowers or plants that interest them. Do-it-yourself projects have blown up over the past year, and the options are endless. Build, buy or recycle planters for statement pieces in your yard; there is a happiness about spring flowers that can brighten your mood instantly. Have fun by incorporating fountains, or other yard art. Water features, or the sound of chimes in the wind can all create an instant relaxing and peaceful environment. Bring your home outdoors, whether it is an outdoor kitchen, outdoor office space, or a fun place to relax for family night. Some other fun DIY projects are bird baths, garden swings, fairy gardens, succulent bowls, and garden pathways.

The best thing about gardening is it is for everyone whether you have a large yard, small yard or a patio yard. Tiny gardens or container gardening have become a huge trend. Tiny gardens can be DIY wood boxes, galvanized tubs, multiple pots—the options are truly endless. Fill them with bright flowers for a pop of color or plant herbs and vegetables and enjoy the farm-to-table experience. Tiny gardens are great if you want designated growing places for certain things—herbs and vegetables in one area, and fruits and citrus in another. There is something incredibly satisfying about adding a homegrown lemon or lime to your beverage. Some things to think about before going into a garden center to select plants are your exposure to sun (or shade). Do you need deerresistant plants? Also consider how much maintenance you would like to do—watering, trimming etc. These are all important things to know and understand before beginning your gardening. Keep a look out for new and old favorites. A personal favorite for our area is Encore Azaleas; they are repeat bloomers and give you three seasons of color, with new varieties of colors coming out often. If you in the search of deer-resistant plants, take a look at Pentas, Bush Daisies, Vinca and Allamanda (which is also drought tolerant). Bring in pictures if you need help with ideas! More than anything, have fun with your garden, create happy memories, get outside and breathe in some fresh air!

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SDavid Myers, owner of Housekeeping Services of Hilton Head, stands in front of their commercial tunnel washer which can process 35,000 pounds of laundry per day for area hotels, resorts, restaurants, and vacation rental businesses in the Lowcountry.

ARTICLE BY CHERYL ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

FOR A DIRTY WORLD HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES OF HILTON HEAD DELIVERS CONSISTENCY, RELIABILITY, AND ETHICS

y 1985, David Myers was living the hard-working American dream. A native Midwesterner, Myers had completed college, joined the Navy where he did three tours in Vietnam, and moved to Massachusetts, where he established a family and enjoyed a successful career in real estate as an investor, a developer, and an owner of both commercial and residential real estate firms. He and his wife had even built a home on Hilton Head Island, where he was retired and playing golf, all by the ripe old age of 40. In 1986, his American dream was shattered when the bottom fell out of the real estate market. Myers knew that he had to return to work, so he and a business partner opened a dry cleaning business on Hilton Head Island. Two of Myers’ most regular customers were owners of large property management companies on the island, and during conversation one day, they were discussing the woes of their business—the biggest of which was housekeeping. “One of the guys looked at me in all seriousness and said, ‘If we could find a competent housekeeping service, we would definitely outsource,’” Myers recalled. A bulb immediately lit up in Myers’ thinking cap, so he set a meeting with his business partner. Within a few weeks, they had formed a company, written a plan and mission statement, hired employees, and signed contracts with both of those big property management companies, and Housekeeping Services of Hilton Head (HKS) was off and running.

SEach load of commercial laundry is washed Housekeeping S Services residential cleaning crews work in to the exact specifications of the individual client.

teams, providing cleaning services in homes throughout the Lowcountry.

HKS is the Lowcountry’s largest and most diverse cleaning company, providing resort housekeeping, residential maid service, business janitorial services, and carpet and window cleaning services. They also offer a large-scale commercial laundry and food and beverage linen program for the area’s hotels, resorts, restaurants, and property management companies. All these services are provided year-round, seven days a week. In 1989 when HKS began, Hilton Head property management companies and their employees were mainly seasonal—late March through mid-October being the busiest times—and homes and villas were rented on a weekly basis, with Saturday “turns” (one guest leaving and another arriving). “That pattern wreaked havoc with all the support services,” Myers said, “not just housekeeping. We were faced with telling prospective hires, ‘We can keep you working two or three days a

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The COVID-19 Outbreak Prevention Electrostatic Sprayer [COPES] system is used in local businesses, hotels, resorts and vacation rentals companies to kill deadly viruses on contact.

week for seven months a year,’ which is a hard sell for recruitment and retention of a motivated labor base.” Offering a quality product was equally difficult. On those busy seasonal Saturdays, HKS might be challenged to turn 300400 homes and villas in a single day. Even when HKS attempted to change the system—for example, turning on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, or offering mid-week cleaning—they were met with reluctance from the management companies they worked with. So inevitably, at the end of the season, the reliable and hardworking labor force that HKS had recruited and trained would leave for their “winter” jobs. It became clear that if Myers and his team wanted to deliver a stable, superior professional product, that meant developing a full-time, year-round, well paid workforce offering full-time, yearround work.

So HKS went to work. They targeted resorts whose clients were less seasonal and less weekend intensive, including those few off-island resorts whose typical season counterbalanced usual patterns; they targeted residential housekeeping, post-construction cleaning, and apartment move-out cleaning; and they targeted offices, clubhouses, and facilities cleaning operations. The success is evident. All HKS team members who want full-time work now have it, and because of great pay and benefits, the labor base is strong. To strengthen their base (who typically arrive unskilled), HKS develops and trains their employees into a highly skilled work force. “To understand cleaning methods, the right products to use for different situations, and the right methods of applying products requires intensive training and commitment to learn,” Myers said. “We give our employees 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, and we pay substantially more than minimum wage. The result is good energy going into people’s homes, and we are all proud of that.” From that strong base, building and growing a professional and recognized brand has been easier. HKS has six divisions, each with its own division manager. Every trained employee is in a uniform with a name tag and appropriate insurance coverages. A fleet of 53 clean and logoed vehicles is outfitted with industry elite cleaning chemicals and equipment, and all of this is professionally managed. Overall, they employ 200 team members, divided among housekeepers, supervisors, inspectors, laundry workers, technicians, trainers, assistant managers, and managers. “Our assistant managers and managers have almost exclusively come through the ranks,” Myers said. “Our team members are terrific people who work hard, and we reward them with employee recognition programs. This is not a fun job; it’s hard work, and our people take it seriously.” As HKS has evolved, a process called electrostatic spraying has become important. If someone in a residence or hotel has tested positive for COVID-19, HKS will spray the entire facility using this process to kill 100 percent of the virus. Effects are residual and last beyond the application. It is effective for boats, airplanes, private residences, private homes, and businesses. Some customers utilize this service every time a guest departs their property. HKS is also proud of its commitment to community. They donate post-construction cleaning for every home built by LowCountry Habitat for Humanity. They support Cleaning for a Cause to provide residential housekeeping at no cost for women fighting breast cancer, and they donate a substantial amount of the proceeds of their residential housekeeping division during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to worthy charities promoting research and care for breast cancer. “Unlike some of our franchised competitors, every cent of what we generate stays in the Lowcountry, through our employees to our vendors and our suppliers,” Myers said. “We’re local, and that’s the way we’re going to stay.” The mission statement that guides all the services and interactions of HKS is completely appropriate and not surprising: “While adhering to the highest ethical standards, we will deliver consistent, reliable cleaning solutions to a dirty world.” And it is the “highest ethical standards” part that is most important to Myers. “A customer once sent me a letter that said, ‘Everybody and every business makes mistakes. The best part about HKS is that you guys own it, you fix it, and then you get on with life. You have no idea how that separates you from the pack,’” Myers shared. “I get lots of great letters from satisfied customers. This one was by far the most meaningful and most professional business compliment I have ever received.”  For more information, visit housekeepingserviceshhi.com or call (843) 815-7377. C2 MAGAZINE

APRIL 2021

ARTICLE BY JIM VAN DIJK

TURF TROUBLES? HERE’S WHAT MAKES YOUR LOWCOUNTRY YARD UNIQUE

here are countless reasons to love living in the Lowcountry. There’s salt in the air, a temperate climate, and more opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature. Most of the reasons we love to live here, though, can pose a challenge when nurturing a landscape. Whether you’ve just moved to the area, or maybe you’ve always called the Lowcountry home, it may be time to get acquainted with your unique Lowcountry landscape. Without getting too technical, our native soil tends to be high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen, which are two tricky elements when it comes to growing turf. Our proximity to the beach means there are more calcium elements in the soil, like oyster shells and sand. This means our yards are missing that rich and organic soil matter you see in other places around the country. When homeowners start to enhance their landscape, they must be aware of how unique our native soil is before starting. “Most people tend to use the ‘kitchen sink’ method when they try to build out their yard,” said Carol Guedalia, retail horticulturist at The Greenery, Inc. “That means they are throwing a little bit of everything into their landscape without really understanding which elements will help it grow.” Salinity is another big issue in our area. “Salinity makes the turf weak and sets it into a decline,” said Darren Davis, residential operations manager at The Greenery. “This salt intrusion can be particularly prevalent after a hurricane.” Trees are another factor that makes our area unique. The Lowcountry is predominantly filled with massive live oak trees that have significant root systems. This can cause root intrusion in your landscape plus backyards with lots of shade areas. Then there’s the heat; we all know how hot and humid this area can get in the summertime. 90

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Finally, we can’t leave out the Lowcountry’s prolific deer population. You’ve probably seen them forage and feast on your landscape before. “Deer, like people, are willing to try whatever,” Guedalia said. “You have to protect your landscape and plant appropriately to avoid them eating through your yard.” So how does a homeowner combat these elements: lownutrient and sandy soil, salinity, large oak trees, heat, humidity, and deer? “You always want to consult a professional first, before investing in your landscape,” Davis said. “Your yard can go wrong in a hurry because there are so many dynamics. Storms bring bugs, hurricanes bring salt. You want to rely on a professional who can continue to evaluate the health of your yard, because it’s ever-changing.” One of the first steps you can take is to have your soil tested. Planting the wrong turf can damage your yard in the long run, especially if you accidentally introduce a potential bug or fungal infestation to the landscape. Not to mention, sodding/seeding your landscape is a big investment! You want to be sure you are laying the right type of grass based on the soil in your yard. Another crucial and proactive measure to take is installing an irrigation system. “Irrigation systems are critical here,” said Tim Drake, horticulturalist/residential business developer at The Greenery. “It is just too hot in the summer, and coupled with erratic rainfall, you could lose your investment of a lawn or extensive plantings.” There are many new techniques out there to irrigate your lawn, like drip irrigation for plantings, spray for turf, and even systems that can be controlled with an app on your smartphone. “With shallow rooted-plants like your turf, you will need an irrigation system to have a nice and plush yard,” Davis said. “Turf, especially, needs irrigation throughout the year, but there’s a

right way to go about it. You don’t want to over-water the turf, because you want the grass to find its water and not become self-sufficient on your watering schedule.” You will also want to consult a professional about selecting the right plants for your landscape. “Landscape is all about contrast,” Davis said. “You don’t want all green plants, but you do want enough to create a background to show off other plants. Just a little pop of color can go a long way.” Luckily, many native plants in the Lowcountry require little maintenance, like Yaupon American Hollies. You can also incorporate deer-resistant plants to keep those furry friends at bay. And don’t forget to evaluate the existing trees in your backyard. Most live oaks in this area are large and provide a ton of shade, which is great for your family on hot summer days but not so great for your plants. “When designing your landscape, there are ways to incorporate shade-tolerant and shallowrooted plants that will not be as affected by large trees with deep roots,” Davis said. Once you’ve consulted a professional and selected the right plants for your landscape, then there are several other considerations to enhance your outdoor spaces. “There are so many options when it comes to outdoor lighting,” Davis said. “Up-lighting at the base of a palm tree can show off the fronds, while down-lighting in an oak tree can light up a large area. It also adds an element of softness and security to the yard.” Fragrant plantings like Confederate Jasmine and Tea Olive plants will enhance the sensory experience of your landscape. These bloom seasonally and provide incredible smells that are quintessential to a Lowcountry yard. “Consider adding birdbaths and fountains to your landscape,” Guedalia suggested. “This will attract and feed wildlife like birds and other pollinators. Plus, fountains can create a peaceful and tranquil sound.” With all the challenges a Lowcountry landscape can bring to a homeowner, there are just as many reasons to enjoy it. As we approach warmer weather, we can enjoy our outdoor spaces for longer than most. Just remember to consult a professional before you invest in your landscape! The Greenery Inc. provides residential services on Hilton Head Island and in Palmetto Bluff. Stop by their Garden Center and Gift Shop at 960 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island to learn more about their services or visit online at thegreeneryinc.com or call at 843.785.3848. C2 MAGAZINE

APRIL 2021

PALMETTO DUNES Brings Virtual golf to the DriVing range The new Toptracer Range offers a hightech way to improve your game and enjoy a competitive night out with friends.

he golf resort that has long been the epicenter for innovation in the Lowcountry and the South is once again bringing a next-level interactive experience to island golfers. The driving range at Palmetto Dunes’ Robert Trent Jones course opened March 29 after a high-tech makeover that will now allow both scratch handicaps and weekend warriors to feel like they’re in the middle of a network TV telecast. The range now features Toptracer technology, which allows players to receive instant feedback after each swing, play virtual courses, and compete against friends. It’s the same tech you see on CBS and NBC after each golfer’s tee shot. Serious and casual golfers yearning for a datadriven range experience will now get their fix. Toptracer, owned by TopGolf, brings the tech-focused golf craze sweeping the nation to the Jones course driving range. “It’s exciting to bring this enhanced experience both to our locals and out-of-town resort visitors and to give the Lowcountry a first-of-its-kind entertainment offering,” said Brad Marra, Palmetto Dunes Resort’s chief operating officer. Palmetto Dunes is the first on Hilton Head Island and in the entire Southeast to introduce the Toptracer technology, which uses high-speed cameras and computer algorithms to give instantaneous ball-tracking information to guests using the range.

ARTICLE BY TIM WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB TIPTON

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“Toptracer picks up the ball flight, ball speed and a number of data points and displays the information on TV monitors in each bay,” said Jones course general manager Stephen Arnold. “So now, you’re not just hitting practice balls at the range. You’re getting real-time information to sharpen your game.” The Toptracer Range system has been installed at more than 350 ranges in 31 countries. Toptracer includes a My Practice mode that helps players learn the nuances of each club in their bag and stores their stats on the system’s smartphone app to allow you to track your progress with each visit. The renovated range features 15 covered outdoor bays—the first covered range in the Lowcountry—that give both locals and visitors a new competitive entertainment experience. Toptracer offers a number of different skills challenges including a closest to the pin game, an approach challenge to fine-tune iron play as you’re tested with nine different approach shots played on a choice of legendary courses. Or, try the Points Game to battle for points based on distance and accuracy hitting in-air targets. Families will enjoy the Go Fish option, which challenges players individually or as a team to catch 24 different

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sea creatures and as many stars as they can as they’re hitting range balls. Finally, there is the Virtual Golf mode, where you’ll be able to play some of the world’s most legendary courses like St. Andrews, Harbour Town, Pebble Beach, and Spyglass Hill right from your bay. Players will also be able to compete against golfers worldwide in virtual tournaments and special events hosted by Toptracer. The app tracks weekly, monthly and all-time leaders worldwide in each of the Toptracer challenges. “So not only are you able to continually track your stats, your new personal bests and your improvement at our range, but you’re competing against players around the world,” Arnold said. Marra and Arnold said the Palmetto Dunes crew saw the Toptracer tech at a PGA trade show 18 months ago and immediately knew they needed to bring this to the Lowcountry. “Our jaws just dropped. It just gives everyone from beginners

TOPTRACER OFFERS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SKILLS CHALLENGES INCLUDING A CLOSEST TO THE PIN GAME, AN APPROACH CHALLENGE TO FINE-TUNE IRON PLAY AS YOU’RE TESTED WITH NINE DIFFERENT APPROACH SHOTS PLAYED ON A CHOICE OF LEGENDARY COURSES. to experts a whole new way to experience and evolve their game,” Arnold said. “Now, as we’re battling this pandemic, this gives folks a safe outdoor option to get out and have a whole lot of fun.” “We’ve prided ourselves in being a hub for innovation through the years, so this is just a logical next step for us,” Marra said. That attention to detail combined with the course’s demanding layout and panoramic ocean views has consistently made Palmetto Dunes one of the most lauded golf resorts in the country. The range will continue to primarily serve the more than 200 golfers per day that play the Jones course, giving increased amenities to their core base of locals and resort visitors. A couple of the bays will be available to rent during the day to the general public. The full range will be available to the public each day from 4 to 9 p.m. Each of the 14 main bays accommodates up to four players. There is an additional VIP bay, a separate enclosed bay that gives up to 10 people a private party space. The range can also be rented for private parties and corporate outings. Bays can be rented for $34 per hour until 4 p.m. and $44 per hour after 4 p.m. That includes a bucket of 100 balls, with additional balls available for purchase ($10 for 70 balls, $14 for 100). Players can also rent the latest and greatest in Callaway clubs for $10. Both Marra and Arnold are excited to bring an anxiety-free way to give a heightened entertainment experience to both the everyday golfer and the player who hasn’t picked up a club in 10 years. “There is an intimidation factor to getting out on the course that this eliminates,” Marra said. “It gives players an entryway into the fun of golf and will give them the feedback and the confidence to come out and try our courses. To make a reservation or learn more about the Toptracer Range, visit palmettodunestoptracerrange.com or call the Palmetto Dunes reservation center at (844) 546-8943. C2 MAGAZINE

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Beth Prince and Ashley Best

ARTICLE BY TIM WOOD * PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

TAKIN G THE P OSI T I V E F R OM T HE

PANDEMIC FAMILY AND DIVORCE LAWYER BETH PRINCE SAID THAT FORCED CHANGE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC WILL BE A LONG-TERM WIN FOR PRACTICING LAW.

ike many of her lawyer colleagues, Beth Prince was apprehensive about how her profession would continue, let alone adapt, when the country shut down to battle COVID-19 in March 2020. A year later, the answer for Prince’s divorce and family law firm has been much more positive than she and her peers expected. “This is a seismic shift in how we do business, but it’s really been a blessing in a lot of ways,” Prince said. “Our clients and the courts adapted to technology, and I think there is a lot of learning that will continue long after we’re more back to normal in the law profession.” The U.S. legal system has operated for a century as an inperson process. Local, state and federal courts were among the first to close their buildings and postpone in-person proceedings. “If you give folks a choice between broccoli and ice cream, the outcome is predictable,” she said. “There was no choice here. It was, ‘If you want to talk or proceed legally, this is the way.’”

Virtual meetings allow both Prince and her client to do other things while waiting for the mediator. “That’s another cost savings. I’m not billing for all of that down time with virtual,” she said. “Clients start to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to lawyers so often. Any time I can show them I’m cognizant of their time and money, that’s a huge plus in establishing trust.”

I want them to see my empathy and compassion in hearing their stories, and the masks just take that away.” When it came to a virtual court, she saw an immediate resistance by some judges, but once again, the conveniences became quickly apparent. “Justice Beatty, our South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice, put out immediate guidance and administrative orders. I’m not sure that without those orders we would have been as quick to adjust,” Prince said. “Each judge has a secure tech setup, and the entire system was so responsive. It truly was a welcome advancement.” Overall, Prince found that, especially in cases with minimal evidence Prince said the movement to video conferencing platforms was and testimony, it was an excellent and cost-effective alternative. “When a scary proposition to start. The lack of face-to-face meetings at I have to drive two hours roundtrip up to Beaufort, I have to bill my her 200 Central Avenue office on the island was a huge adjustment. client for that. So, the first thing clients saw was the savings,” she said. “Once we told them we’re not meeting in person, I thought “It’s also intimidating to be in a court, whereas testifying from home, especially older folks would not be able to figure out Zoom,” she you’re in a more comforting space.” said. “I know my dad is up there in age, and I couldn’t imagine him Another added virtual court bonus is scheduling flexibility. Lawyers doing it. But we really haven’t had anyone balk or cancel a meeting.” can work anywhere with a strong internet connection and a quiet Once everyone accepted the new reality and saw that the space. Clients can Zoom in from their cars during a work lunch break lockdown and quarantine was going to last months, she saw or when the baby is down for a nap. her clients embrace the advantages of the situation. “First thing Mediation is required in South Carolina before a full-on they noticed was they didn’t have to drive or get super dressed contested hearing. If two sides cannot settle the matter on their up. So, the process of carving out two hours was gone. It was own, they must meet with a mediator before trial. The number of easy on, easy off and back to your day,” she said. For others, the mediators in the immediate area is limited, so Prince will often turn potential intimidation of meeting with an attorney is eliminated to upstate favorites. Clients would have to pay travel costs for those when clients are allowed to “meet” online from the comfort of mediators to travel here, which was often cost-prohibitive—an issue their home or a familiar environment. that went away with virtual meetings. Prince said that while meeting in person with masks worn Then there’s the laborious process of mediation itself. “There is a may have been an option, there was a simple reason why it just lot of down time with mediation. The two sides are in separate rooms, does not work with family law. “I’m hearing the most intimate and the mediator would go between rooms. So, I’m sitting with my details of their lives. Gauging their credibility through reading client for large periods of time just waiting for the mediator to return facial expressions is so important,” said the 20-year family law to the room,” she said. “I set out to represent reasonable people, so veteran. “Often there are components of physical, emotional and the mediator is usually in the other room more of the time.” financial abuse we deal with, and especially in that first meeting, Virtual meetings allow both Prince and her client to do other sometimes there is a lot of shame to work through with clients. things while waiting for the mediator. “That’s another cost savings.

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I’m not billing for all of that down time with virtual,” she said. “Clients start to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to lawyers so often. Any time I can show them I’m cognizant of their time and money, that’s a huge plus in establishing trust.” Now, as the country starts to come out of lockdown mode, Prince knows that an already steady business will amp up in the coming months. “The No. 1 reason why people stay together when they probably should divorce is finances. They can’t afford to break up,” she said. “The stimulus checks will likely create a flurry of divorce activity, sadly.” She knows that courts will soon go back to a hybrid model, with more and more in-person hearings, likely with masks required in court. “There are a lot of challenges there. Judges can’t hear testimony as well with masks on. I can’t read facial expressions as easy with masks on. So, while in many ways we’re looking forward to being back together in one room, when masks are in play, we are actually better continuing to do this virtually,” she said. It will take time to see how the industry embraces virtual meetings on an ongoing basis moving forward. “Talk to me in a year. I know for myself, I will continue offering virtual meetings as an option,” Prince said. “For stay-at-home parents, for example, this will likely always be more convenient. Other folks may want to return to the comfort of meeting in person, but we’re going to see how it plays out.” She said she especially hopes mediation continues to offer a virtual option but concedes that the courts, being creatures of habit, will likely go back to all in-person. While so many people have had glass-half-empty attitudes about pandemic adaptations, Prince has seen so many more positives than downsides. “Everyone is learning a lot about themselves that they didn’t know because of the stress,” she said. “It’s just fascinating how people have adapted. We were worried about COVID being used as an excuse in the exchange of kids for visitation, but I just haven’t seen it, and I’m very thankful for that. Prince knows that her profession is better off for having had the pandemic experience. “These are options I would have never thought of before, but now, I have this tool to offer in building my client base and servicing my clients,” she said. “A lawyer is an expensive exercise no matter the circumstance. Often, the cost of travel is more expensive to clients than the cost of the actual hearing itself. So, this virtual option, it is a game changer for me personally, and the client is the winner there.”  Schedule a virtual session with the Prince Law Firm online at bethprincelawfirm. com or by calling (843) 681-9000.

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Keeping Up Tradition

Byron Sewell, owner of Native Son Adventures, sits on the beach .

b Vintage photos of Sewell when he was a youngster growing up on Hilton Head Island.

Conservation, fun, and family set Native Son Adventures apart

n adventure with Byron Sewell includes searching for shark’s teeth, surfing, fishing, crabbing, a boat ride, and above all … having FUN! “Growing up on Hilton Head in the ’70s was a much different experience than what people see today,” said Sewell, owner and founder of Native Son Adventures, an eco-adventure business that specializes in giving visitors an opportunity to see what it feels like to be a native, born on the island.

d Sewell’s perspective is unique in that his passion to share his love for nature is driven by his love and respect for his parents and the legacy they created and passed on to him. Born in Savannah, because there was no hospital on Hilton Head Island at that time, Sewell grew up barefoot and covered in sand and salt. “I was baptized by the ocean when I was only three weeks old,” he said. His dad, “Hurricane” Hampton Sewell, was East Coast famous for being a true waterman and pioneer surfer from the ’60s. Every year, Hamp would disappear at the first forecast of big waves to Cape Hatteras, Florida, or the Caribbean— wherever there were tropical storms or hurricanes—with a van full to the brim with fly rods, beach rods, surfboards, and sailboards. Hamp

Article by Cheryl Alexander

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Keeping Up Tradition

At age 18, Sewell began spending four to eight months a year surfing, diving, and fishing the waters of Central America, New Zealand, Australia, and the French Polynesian outer islands. Learning new and different techniques, embracing different cultures and getting priceless “time in the field,” he was then—and still is today—on the search for perfect waves, undiscovered fishing spots, and adventure.

was a champion surfer, die-hard saltwater fly-caster, sailor, artist, teacher, and a loving father. “If you ask my dad what his greatest achievement was, he’d say, ‘Teaching thousands of the island’s next generation to love and respect the ocean, nature, and fellow human beings,’” Sewell said. Those same values were instilled in Sewell by his mom, too. Alyce “Sissy” Sewell is known by many as the “mother” of Hilton Head Island. Together Sissy and Hamp created the legendary Montessori-based “Kindred Spirits” children’s enrichment program, a nurturing place for after-school and summer break programs dedicated to education, promoting creativity, surfing, physical activity, music, social skills, and more. Sewell’s first real job was at his parent’s school, and his formative years were spent fishing, surfing, exploring the island, and sharing that with others. At age 18, Sewell began spending four to eight months a year surfing, diving, and fishing the waters of Central America, New Zealand, Australia, and the French Polynesian outer islands. Learning new and different techniques, embracing different cultures and getting priceless “time in the field,” he was then— and still is today—on the search for perfect waves, undiscovered fishing spots, and adventure. From his parents, Sewell learned not only to love and respect nature; he learned the value of community and roots, and as that seed grew, he was inspired to return home and do something impactful in the place where his parents’ legacy was already so powerful. Sewell realized the work of his family and the community

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influence they had already built was a strong, powerful avenue for the work he wanted to do in the world. Sewell also credits the influence of other island personalities for his success and inspiration, including Todd Ballentine, a famous naturalist who was a mentor and teacher; Nancy and Jerre Weckhorst, conservationists who began the first turtle programs on Hilton Head; Fuzzy Davis, a local, legendary fisherman who helped Sewell get his first international jobs working with celebrities like Tom Brokaw and Keith Richards; and Frank Gaston of the Palmetto Dunes General Store, who was like an uncle and helped Sewell grow his business to include the longest running surf school on the island (the Native Son Surfing School at The Palmetto Dunes Resort), where kids now learn about the ocean, conservation, yoga, health, breathing techniques, safety, and the joy of surfing. Giving back to his community has been a cornerstone of Sewell’s business as well. During Hurricane Matthew, he stayed on the island and following the devastation. While others were still unable to return to their homes, Sewell kept in touch with friends and neighbors, checking on their properties and keeping everyone aware of what was happening. When it was finally safe for evacuees to return, people were lined up in cars for days trying to get over the bridge. Sewell made a smiley face sign with “Welcome Home!” written on it and put it at the base of the bridge, so that it would be the first thing people saw when they returned. The sign and the people’s response to it made the news, though

no one even knew who made the sign. When folks found out it was Sewell’s sign, he decided to make T-shirts and sell them, donating the proceeds—about $40,000—to the Deep Well Project and raising awareness about the importance of island conservation and ecology. For his efforts, Sewell received a community service award. “Some tourists and transplants don’t understand what it means to rely on the ocean for everything,” Sewell explained. “Most of them have never even walked in the marsh. They don’t understand that many locals can’t even afford to take their families to South Beach to watch the sunset. They don’t understand that our fish population has been cut in half from our waterways being over-fished. I just wanted to use the platform I had been given to shine the light on this harsh truth and to speak my truth.” Sewell became the voice of the locals and the environment with his moment in the spotlight, and through his contagious passion, his platform has grown. Native Son Adventures is now a business that advocates for the local community and proudly espouses the history of Hilton Head Island. Sewell’s spark for conservation—ignited by his parents, teachers, and mentors—resulted in his purpose and mission for Native Son Adventures. When people spend time with Sewell, they leave realizing how special the natural environment is and the eyeopening effect it can have. It’s an opportunity to be transformed in one afternoon. “At Native Son, you’ll definitely enjoy things that you wouldn’t otherwise see because our experiences are cultivated by people who spend more time in the water than on land,” Sewell said. Sewell has spent this kind of time. His carefully curated adventures will open your eyes to how special and magical everything in nature is. Perhaps you’ll go on an eco-tour, where you’ll find fossils like shark teeth and mammoth teeth and go to places only some natives know about. For example, places where pelicans are hatching babies and where dolphins are strand feeding—a phenomenon that occurs in only two places in the world: the Lowcountry and Australia. The practice involves a group of dolphins at low tide herding a school of fish or shrimp onto a sandbar or beach. Next, the

watch our day with byron sewell and native s0n adventures on ch2’s facebook channel. dolphins literally launch their bodies, which could weigh up to 500 pounds, out of the water and onto the sandbar or shore to feed. Your adventure might also involve crabbing, shrimping, hunting for Native American pottery, or huge flocks of birds flying at sunset; your adventure might be a day at surf school where Sewell carries on his dad’s legacy. Between the two of them, they’ve taught almost every kid on Hilton Head Island how to surf. One popular adventure is the surfing birthday party, which is kind of like a luau that includes music, watermelon eating, and even a big, oversized surfboard that fits 15 kids. At end of the surf lesson, the kids crack the ice-cold watermelon over the end of the surfboard and have watermelon eating contest. You might want to experience what Sewell has dubbed the “Fried Combo Platter.” You’ll surf in morning, then get on the boat in the afternoon where you’ll learn all about the beach and the Lowcountry waterways. And you get a discount for booking both. All Native Son employees are seasoned watermen and women. Each is as equally in love with nature as Sewell, and lots of them, like him, are local kids who grew up here—even sons and daughters of the kids that went to Sewell’s mom’s school. Changing and impacting lives is part of his family’s tradition, and Sewell says it is the greatest blessing of his life.  To learn more or to book your adventure with Native Son Adventures, visit nativesonadventures.com.

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Dr. Michael Campbell with son, Dr Michael Campbell, Jr.

A VISION OF HEALTH THEY SAY THE EYES ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL. AT OPTICAL SOLUTIONS, THEY ARE THE WINDOWS TO A HEALTHIER LIFE. ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

t was supposed to be just a routine eye exam for David Wilson. The long-time local charter fishing captain had been experiencing some issues with his right eye, and as he was due for new glasses anyway, he scheduled his appointment with Dr. Michael Campbell Jr. at Optical Solutions and prepared for an uneventful visit. It would prove far from uneventful. “I went in, did the whole checkup, but then when they tried to check my blood pressure, the machine couldn’t get an accurate reading. Then the doctor starts looking in my eyes,” Wilson said. “In the back of his eyes, I could see that the optic nerves were edematous with hemorrhages around the edges of the optic nerve,” Dr. Campbell said. “He could have had a heart attack right there.” Indeed, a manual check of Wilson’s blood pressure revealed it was greater than 240/140. He was rushed to the hospital immediately, where doctors were eventually able to get his blood pressure back down to normal levels. “I spent three days in the hospital,” Wilson said. “And in that time, Dr. Campbell called me four times to check on me. It meant the world to me that he did that.” By catching the problem early, it’s safe to say Dr. Campbell saved Wilson’s life. But then, that extra-mile checkup has long been a part of Optical Solutions since the senior Dr. Michael Campbell opened his first location 33 years ago. “My father’s dedication and passion for his patients has shown me the proper care to all patients and a standard that all patients deserve. I love working with my dad. He has set a great example,” Dr. Campbell Jr. said.

“There is more to an eye exam than most people realize,” he explained. “In a lot of commercial optometry offices, a quick refraction is performed, and you are in and out in 15 minutes. They don’t diagnose systemic issues that could help a patient’s life in the future. But that is what our job should be. In some cases, we are the only doctor someone will see for years on end. We need to be able to diagnose systemic issues.” Accomplishing that level of vigilance requires a two-pronged strategy. The first is the right technology. At all three Optical Solutions locations—Hospital Center Commons, Shelter Cove and Bluffton— you’ll find cutting-edge equipment that not only assesses your vision, but can help diagnose everything from glaucoma and macular degeneration to diabetes and even certain brain tumors. “If I can show a patient a visual picture of how their eyes are being affected by their overall health, it really hits them. We can show them the evidence with the Optomap and OCT technology,” Dr. Campbell, Jr. said. The second prong has been part of Optical Solutions since the beginning; it is a legacy established by the senior Dr. Campbell to offer nothing less than the best care. That family legacy continues with Dr. Campbell Jr. and will soon expand when younger brother Kevin graduates from optometry school and joins the family business. “I cannot wait for what Kevin is going to bring to the business, I’m excited to learn from him and work with him. As we continue to grow the practice, we will be able to give more patients the proper eye care they deserve,” Dr. Campbell Jr. said. And as this family business moves into the future, they can definitely count on David Wilson as a regular patient. “Oh, I’ll always go back to Dr. Campbell,” Wilson said. “He took care of me.”  For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit drmichaelcampbell.com.

Michael Campbell Jr. with dad circa 2003

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The Coastal Gymnastics location in Bluffton offers 7000-square-feet of training space.

ARTICLE BY CHERYL ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

FLIPPI NG OUT COASTAL GYMNASTICS FOSTERS STRONG MINDS, BODIES, SPIRITS, AND LOTS OF FUN

hen you walk into the gymnasium at Coastal Gymnastics, Bluffton’s newest gymnastics center (4371 Bluffton Parkway), you’ll hear lots of laughter and lots of encouragement, and you’ll see kids everywhere … on trampolines, slides, spring floors, pummel horses, bars, and balance beams. Parents bring their kids to Coastal Gymnastics for lots of reasons, but mostly their goals are the same. “Most parents who enroll their kids in gymnastics do so because they want their kids to gain strength, confidence and a healthy spirit of competition, all while having fun,” said Carrie Conway, owner, and head coach at Coastal Gymnastics.” Conway, originally from New York, began practicing gymnastics as a little girl because she wanted to be like her older sister. Once that spark ignited, her competitive edge only sharpened. Conway began competing with other kids on the local, regional, and state levels until she got to high school. Her favorite event then—and to coach now—is balance beam. She advanced in the sport into her teens where she was a Level 8 competitor. The balance beam taught Conway focus and confidence. “If you get up there and think ‘I’m going to fall,’ then you will fall,” she said. “On the beam, I learned the power of my thoughts. The sport set me up for a focused and disciplined

FLIPPING OUT

Carrie Conway, owner of Coastal Gymnastics

outlook. I learned to work hard and stick with my goals, which is the gift I offer to every child who walks through the doors at Coastal Gymnastics.” Conway started coaching while she was attending college at State University of New York (SUNY)—where she earned a communications and business management degree—and continued through graduate school—where she earned a

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master’s in hospitality management—and beyond to the present. She has coached multiple state champions and regional qualifiers. Though her educational background doesn’t reflect it, Conway confessed that she didn’t really love school, yet she knew that it was a means to an end. She knew that if she put in the time and effort to get her education, that alone would open a lot of doors for her future. She also learned the importance of self-motivation. “A teacher or coach can only make you work so hard,” Conway shared. “Whether it’s school, music, football, or gymnastics, any level of success you achieve comes from inside of you.” Conway’s first students were recreation and preschool classes, and she believes that if someone can coach preschoolers, they can coach any level of gymnast. Her most influential mentors are Olga and Vassa Mokhov, a couple with whom she worked in Savannah where she was a co-head coach. The Mokhovs have a 40+ year coaching career, and their students include Olympians. “I watched them teach cartwheels and more up to highest level of gymnastics,” Conway said. “They were great examples to model myself after—strict yet kind. And always learning. Even in their 60s, they continue to educate themselves and stay abreast of all the newest training methods and techniques.” Conway’s mission in centered around caring for and growing strong-minded kids who are happy and healthy gymnasts at all levels of the sport. Whether they are starting their first recreational class or competing at Level 10 nationals, she wants them to feel confident and excited about being in the gym every day. “I care more about them as a person than an athlete,” she explained. “If they are working their hardest and doing their best, that is more than enough for anything else they will do in life.” In fact, Conway and her team are so committed to the “Whole Child” approach of coaching that she believes her business is strongest due to the implementation of her overall program. Coastal Gymnastics

Conway’s favorite event to coach is the balance beam.

utilizes a cut-and-dried method of advancement to ensure their students are learning at an appropriate pace—one that is infused with both compassion and challenge. The students understand when it is time to get down to work, and they know when they can cut loose and have fun. Conway’s gym offers levels for any interest, from a purely recreational objective to the highest level of competitor, and classes are divided for each level. From a competition standpoint, there are several skill levels to work through. Levels two through five are the compulsory levels, where students learn the skill sets that are necessary to incorporate into any routine—the very basics. Levels four through six commence with more difficult tricks, such as back handsprings, vaulting over the vault table, back walkovers and back handsprings on the beam, giant swings on the bars, and more. In these first levels, the kids are learning fundamental skills that build their confidence, going to three or four meets a year, performing in front of judges and memorizing routines. All this work prepares them for the higher optional levels—up to level 10. Here, the kids will begin to make their own routines, pick and choose their own skills tailored to their own individual strengths. They now are competing at regional and national levels. Currently at Coastal Gymnastics, there are two competitors at level six, and by next year, there will be five at level seven— which is a big leap from their modest beginnings. Open only four years, Conway brought three students with her from the Savannah gym when she opened her first location in Bluffton at The Villages in Sheridan Park. Since then, her enrollment has grown to 400 students, with a wait list that grows longer by the day. They’ve already outgrown their original space. The new Bluffton Parkway location offers 7,000-square feet of training space with even more equipment, including an in-ground foam pit for soft landings and higher-level training equipment. The staff has also grown. “We have a great staff,” Conway said. “Alli has been with us since before our first location even opened. She has grown into her role as team coach and my right hand. Leah is our recreational director, and she is so good with younger kids keeping them engaged, learning, and coming up with fun things for them to do. The team is also expanding to included Coach Tiffany, a college level gymnast from a Hilton Head gym, who brings years of coaching experience with her. Plus, they are working on a second location on Hilton Head Island at the former home of Southern Elite Gymnastics Academy on Beach City Road, which they expect to be open by the end of summer. “We are building a little army of gymnasts,” Conway said, “and it feels so great. Our team program gets better every year. I’ve qualified kids for regionals, and last year, we had an all-around state champion, so now our Level 4 team can feasibly win a state championship.” What makes a kid a gymnast? Conway believes it is their mental strength and all that is required to get up and perform on a four-inch-wide beam. Strength, flexibility, and coordination are important, but mental power is the key. And how does she use this in her coaching? “For me, it is pushing kids beyond their comfort zone and seeing their smiles upon completion.”  For more information, visit coastalgymnasticscenter.com. C2 MAGAZINE

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The LiTTLe ResTauRanT ThaT CouLd Tio’s Latin American Kitchen thrives on determination, perseverance, loyalty

Article By Cheryl Alexander

usinesses everywhere and of every kind have struggled to survive the pandemic that swept the globe in 2020, but few have experienced and overcome the challenges faced by owners and founders of Tio’s Latin American Kitchen, Eliaha Bitton, Chef Lyndon Zuniga and his wife, Sally. Chef Lynden grew up in Honduras, Central America, where making people happy with food became his lifelong passion. After moving to the U.S. and marrying Sally, together they began working on a joint dream of opening a restaurant. Their first attempt at Tio’s didn’t pan out the way they expected; however, it gave them an opportunity to strengthen their resolve and refine their vision. THREE PARTNERS Enter Eliaha (Ellie) Bitton. The Zunigas and Bitton became friends when Sally was a manager at the bank where Bitton did business. Bitton had also eaten at the original Tio’s and was familiar with their food and ideas. Though the original restaurant was closed, the Zunigas had not given up on their dream. They began working with Bitton—who owns several other successful businesses in the Lowcountry—for advice and help finding a more central location with better exposure as he had some experience in the industry. (Bitton, along with a group of investors, had previously owned Savannah Spirit, a fine-dining restaurant in Savannah.) When Bitton and the Zunigas visited the spot in Shelter Cove where Tio’s of Hilton Head now operates, they asked him to become their partner. “It was never my goal to open restaurants, but I am an entrepreneur,” Bitton said. “What I saw was great food and a great concept and a couple who, with the right support, could make a great business—even a franchise—happen.”

The partners opened the doors at Tio’s Shelter Cove in May of 2019, with a solid business plan, high hopes, and a renewed vision for huge success. So high were their hopes and the numbers they were turning the first few months in business that in September of that same year (2019), they signed a lease on a second property in Bluffton, where the new Tio’s just opened. In January of 2020, they received the keys to the Bluffton location and had six months to build out. They were on it, going full steam ahead. Then COVID-19 hit. THE REAL TEST Now they were faced with not one, but two huge mountains to climb: how to keep a brandnew restaurant open during quarantine and subsequent social distancing, and even bigger yet, what to do with the new space. (Oh, and four days before lockdown, the Zunigas found out they were expecting baby number three.) “We went through every scenario,” Bitton said, “and emotions ran high. There was screaming, fussing, crying, you name it.” In the end, however, because they knew they wanted to remain a part of the community, because they knew people were depending on them for employment, and because they were reluctant to give up on their dream or walk away from their investment, they persevered. After two months of lockdown, the train was back on track and forging those mountains with full-on energy behind boosting the first restaurant and building out the second one. Failure was not an option, and if they weren’t going to make it, they were determined to go down fighting. RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Success took a strategic effort from controlling costs to controlling stress. “Not only

were we dealing with the doom and gloom of the pandemic like every other business,” Sally said, “but we had a new lease to consider. We were doubly worried about getting the new restaurant open on time. Also, we weren’t publicizing or marketing at all because we didn’t even know if it would happen, yet we had this lease and had invested all this money into this new place.” Chef Lyndon began wearing even more hats at Shelter Cove—from prep cook to dishwasher to packing to-go orders—and he worked more hours. They offered a limited menu and amped up the to-go and online menus, offering familystyle meals and more. Sally upped the social media hustle, while Bitton kept his steam rolling at Bluffton, making sure the sub-contractors were on point and nothing was falling any further behind schedule. It was all hustle and grit, connecting with people. And any time someone needed food or was hungry, Tio’s stepped up to lend a hand. “Our community involvement really put Tio’s HH on the map,” Bitton said. “Our friends and family saw and appreciated our work ethic, our commitment to the Lowcountry spirit and our problem-solving skills. We stayed committed to our partnership and to seeing it through. Loyalty pays off.” The soft opening of the Bluffton location was February 25, and the trio is so grateful to all their friends from the Hilton Head and Bluffton communities who’ve been so welcoming and pulled them through the pandemic. AUTHENTIC FLAVOR At Tio’s you’ll find both traditional and new fusions of Latin food. “Just like our marriage, our friends, and our beloved island, Tio’s is a fusion—of Latin food,” Sally said. “When Latinos get together to celebrate, there are people from Mexico, Central and South America and Spain. Our menu emulates that of our extended family and friends.” “We’ve brought our favorite dishes from several different Latino countries onto one menu, making it all from scratch and fresh daily, including our handmade corn tortillas,” Chef Lyndon said. “And because we know it’s not a Latino party without the best drinks around, we offer a fun and sophisticated bar with an extensive tequila and rum selection.” I THINK I CAN… I THINK I CAN… Expansion is the goal of the future of Tio’s. The trio consider the trials they’ve endured in keeping a restaurant not only alive, but thriving, and the fact that they managed to open a second location in record time during a global pandemic tests of their fortitude and commitment. Together they have passed the test. Where will they go next? “The south end of the island,” Sally said. “Broughton Street in Savannah,” Ellie said. “King Street in Charleston,” Chef Lyndon said. Tio’s: the little restaurant that could! And likely will. For more information, visit tioshhi.com.

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Hilton Head Island Mayor Photography by M.Kat

A Note from John McCann

RBC HERITAGE PRESENTED BY BOEING A REWARDING EVENT FOR OUR ISLAND AND STATE

his month, from April 12-18, we welcome our residents and visitors to the fifty-third annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. This is a premier PGA TOUR event for Hilton Head Island. Like other events locally and across the state, it has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In spite of the challenges we have experienced with COVID-19 over the last 12 months, the tournament remains central to our state and to the island. We have emerged as strong as ever and are thrilled to present this beloved sporting event in a manner that protects your health and safety. Last year, organizers shifted how and when they presented this event. And, again this year, they have restructured the presentation of this great event that will allow a limited number of spectators to attend. To be able to host this event is important for both Hilton Head Island and our state. South Carolina is a preeminent destination for golf, yet there is only one PGA TOUR event in our state: the RBC Heritage! The RBC Heritage pumps $102 million into the

< Bluffton Mayor

state’s economy and is broadcast in 23 languages to 226 other countries. It is a time when the world has its eyes on Hilton Head Island. We are excited about the benevolence of the Heritage Classic Foundation, the non-profit entity that supports educational and charitable initiatives to enhance quality of life and economic vitality. It has established its unique tradition by contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually toward four-year college scholarships to high school seniors and significant contributions to dozens of charities

A Note from Lisa Sulka

M AY O R

KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER

e have had a couple of heart-wrenching weeks in our town. Children and adults, alike, are walking around in disbelief, asking questions about how a young life could be lost so senselessly. This is tough to write, because I too have been one of those questioning how this could happen in a town that we all love and call home. I take great comfort in our law enforcement, knowing that the questions will be answered and those responsible will be brought to justice, but it still doesn’t help fill the loss.

I sat on the Bluffton High School football field Sunday and had a sad realization that we have truly let our children down. We should be celebrating their accomplishments, and on Sunday, instead, we were holding up a family who was saying goodbye to their child. Accomplishments are not always wins over losses; they are building character in our men and women and teaching them to be the next generation of leaders. I truly believe that through pain, we must also find purpose. The purpose we all must have is making a change in our town and not thinking that someone else or some other group will do it. We all need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Can we do more?” or “What can we do?”

Photography by Krisztian Lonyai

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and organizations, benefitting citizens across the region. Since 1987, the foundation has donated $45.8 million to charities in South Carolina and Georgia and $4.63 million to 352 high school seniors. Many organizations depend on funding support from the Foundation. When the fifty-second RBC Heritage, scheduled for April 13-19, 2020, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial impact forced the Foundation to suspend the matching gifts associated with the Birdies for Charity and Champions Fore Charity programs. This year, the Foundation is restarting these programs that will be used by more than 85 non-profits. These nonprofits, such as Second Helpings, Deep Well and others, provided a critical safety net for many families and individuals who found themselves struggling with job changes, food, rent and other challenges as a result of the pandemic. But to provide services and help, the non-profits need help too. So, it’s rewarding to know that our local nonprofits will have a chance, once again, to participate in charitable giving programs that will help them carry out their missions.

A Note from Lisa Sulka continued

How can we take an extra 15 minutes of our day and help someone who may or may not have it as good as we do? We all can find an extra dollar or more to help our young people. Are you a business owner who can hire our students? We also can go cheer on our students in all of our schools— academically and athletically. These are just a few thoughts and suggestions that take little time out of our lives but do so much for our students. I realized this past week that I can do more. I pledge to practice what I preach and spend more time with our youth in this town. If you are reading this and agreeing with me but are at a loss as to what to do, reach out to me. I want to put together a list of groups, schools, teachers, volunteer opportunities and more so that we all have a place to go and see how we can help. And for those of you who are already involved in groups and need more volunteers, help me build this list. I will leave you with this: Mayor Pro Tem Fred Hamilton has coined the phrase “know better, do better.” I think it holds true. We can do better, and I know we will be “Bluffton Stronger” when working together.

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This & That

C2 Magazine • April 2021 Edition A Series of Fortunate Events, interesting news and a hodge-podge of other items. You know…this and that! If you would like to submit something for this special section, please email hunter@celebratehiltonhead.com. If we have room and it’s appropriate for public consumption, we’ll be happy to oblige.

HILTON HEAD PREPARATORY SCHOOL PRESENTS CLUE Hilton Head Preparatory School presents Clue, a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie, which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game. Performing Arts Director Patti Maurer cast 10 talented student actors, who skillfully bring each of these iconic board game characters to life in this 90-minute play. Once again, Maurer teamed up with Hilton Head Prep alums John Dowbiggin for lighting and Keylan Hanna for the incredible videography. Emerson Keisler donated his skilled artistry, styling the fabulous wigs inspired by the movie. Due to COVID-19, Maurer went into this production with the understanding that there would not be a live audience at Hilton Head Preparatory School’s Main Street Theatre. So, the incredible Boddy Manor set was designed by guest technical director Alex Roberts and constructed by the students as a film set. The tale begins at Boddy Manor, a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host Leo Nedkov (Mr. Boddy) turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Trey Middleton (Wadsworth—the butler), Hayes Wilkinson (Miss Scarlett), Jack Gigante (Professor Plum), Cassie Cohen (Mrs. White), Jared Reuben (Mr. Green), Elly Robinson (Mrs. Peacock), Anthony Zayneh (Colonel Mustard), Jackie Sullivan (Yvette, the maid), and Bruyere Lucier (Ze Chef) race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT! Following the successful virtual production of The Fall Spectacular last October, Maurer was confident she could again safely produce a stage production. Clue will follow a more movie-type production style as opposed to a stage production, bringing yet another creative wrinkle to the pandemic-imposed limits of theatre. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy Clue, opening April 1 and running through April 4. Link to online access at hhprep.org for a small donation to support Hilton Head Prep performing arts.

C OMM ON THREA D SAVA NNA H ARTICLE BY JESSE BLANCO

ow many of us spent the first quarter of 2021 peeking outside through our blinds? We all did. Some of us dared to step outside. Still others jumped head-first into the social swimming pool and got back to life. That would include Eating and Liking. Just because so many of us were at home, uncomfortable stepping out, doesn’t mean that new places to eat haven’t been popping up across the culinary landscape. The big headline on the island has been Nectar, the farm fresh concept developed by the SERG Group near Sea Pines Circle. Odd Birds Café and Market in Bluffton is a tiny bakery and sandwich shop that deserves your attention as well. More on them another time. But the other big story in 2021, if you follow the food scene in our area, has been the unveiling of a jewel in Savannah that you probably know a little about, even if you’ve never heard of it. We first told you about them back in September as they were still months away from opening. However, Common Thread is brand new to Savannah’s food scene and now open. It is okay to say brand new because they just opened the last week of January. Three months still qualifies as brand new. But I can tell you, not only based on my personal experience but early returns from my foodie circles, that it is already one of the best restaurants in town. The reason why you may know a little about it is because Common Thread is brought to you by the same forwardthinking group behind the popular and delicious FARM Bluffton. Executive Chef John Benhase is

running the show in Savannah. Chef John’s talents are a perfect complement to what Chef Brandon Carter created for Bluffton. Though the approaches are similar, the goal wasn’t to duplicate FARM in Savannah. It was to expand and enhance what they do in Bluffton. For starters, the space is massive. A beautifully restored 5,000-squarefoot home near the popular Starland District is the scene. If you know the area, Common Thread sits about a block and a half away from Savannah’s legendary Elizabeth’s on 37th. Yes, it is off of Savannah’s beaten path, but this path is becoming increasingly beaten as we move along. The menus—as at FARM—change frequently. Chef John is drawing inspiration from whatever is available regionally, but his vision is to offer flavors from around the world. They are dry aging steaks in house and basically having a blast tinkering with Coastal Georgia and South Carolina’s bounty to include produce and seafood, obviously. The best part is these guys are just getting started. Any chef will tell you that what comes out of the ground during the winter is nowhere near what you will see as we roll into spring and summer. Common Thread is just getting started, but there’s no reason to delay your visit. It is absolutely fantastic. There is a patio for outdoor seating and a small bar upstairs with their full menu available in the adjacent lounge. Have a bite. Have a few. Enjoy a beautiful spring evening in Savannah at Common Thread, one of our brand-new spots where you will Eat It and Like It.

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Heritage Academy is excited to launch its new Athletic Program with the appointment of Liz Nash as athletic director. Nash takes on the position with more than 20 years of coaching experience, including more than 20 years serving in the administration at Hilton Head Preparatory School and as associate athletic director and director of facilities and operations for the Hilton Head Preparatory School as well as its Main Street Theatre.

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ROC Dental Group is thrilled to welcome dental hygienist Amber Linaburg to its private practice. Linaburg, who recently moved to Hilton Head from Franklin, West Virginia, loves getting to know her patients on a personal level while helping them improve their oral and overall health.

Chef-owner Scott Hastings, an awardwinning chef from the Hamptons on Long Island, and his wife Jennifer are excited to announce the opening of LULU Kitchen, located at 890 William Hilton Parkway (in The Fresh Market Shops) on Hilton Head Island. The restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

This & That

Charter One Realty is pleased to announce that Michelle Elliott has joined the company as an agent, partnering with Becky Herman and Monica Davis of Herman and Davis Properties. Elliott and her team bring over 20+ years of experience in sales, marketing, and real estate in the coastal Lowcountry.

The Zonta Club of Hilton Head goes virtual this year for their annual fundraiser, Sip & Shop for a Cause, April 4-11. Pop open a favorite libation and bid online for fantastic items to support the missions of Zonta, including scholarships for deserving local young women, support for local partners like Hopeful Horizons & Island Rec, and programming for women and girls locally and internationally. Visit zontahhi.org for more info

LUX – A Medical Spa is pleased to announce the addition of Joseph W. McGowan IV. Dr. McGowan is a board-certified dermatologist and ACMS fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon.

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I S C IANS MU in bathrooms BAND: AMAZING & GOOD TOO MUSICIANS: JAY MORELOCK, LALIE MOLE, JADA MOLE What’s your sign? Jay Morelock: Gemini Lalie Mole: I pick hippie flower child because I have a huge heart. According to astrology, it’s Cancer ... but girl, why my sign gotta be a disease someone hates? So, I don’t really follow it among other reasons. LOL. Jada Mole: Taurus Most underrated song that, in your opinion, should be a classic? JM: “Parked Out By The Lake” by Dean Summerwind, https://youtu.be/D_zS_uiPWxs LM: I would have to say I’m not sure all the classics are running through my brain right now. JM: “Return of the Mack” Biggest compliment you’ve ever gotten from a fan? JM: Last week, a lady walked up to me during a set break and told me that I’m cute. I really don’t get compliments. LM: Definitely the chemistry the band and I have with each other—especially with my daughter Jada. JM: “You’re gonna be like your mother.” What do you sing in the shower? JM: Usually I use my shower time coming up with terrible jokes or imagining myself in fictional scenarios where I’m

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P H O T O G R A P H Y

B Y

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A Q&A Series with Local Artists totally awesome. LM: Old ’90s R&B songs like “Baby can you stop the rain from falling? Won’t you chase my clouds awaaaaaayyyyy? I’d give anything to see the sun again...” And I sing it loudly! JM: “Piece of my Love” by Guy Favorite cereal? JM: Coffee. LM: Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I can handle the sweetness and I’m feeling childish, but when I get on my health kick, definitely Basic 4. JM: Cinnamon Toast Crunch What is your favorite piece to perform? JM: Playing music all of the time, I cycle through favorites. I recently discovered Larkin Poe’s cover of “Staying Alive,” so I’ve been digging on that lately. LM: My favorite piece to perform would have to be “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree,” because they don’t expect the chick to rock out like that. My military background has me in love with our very eclectic song list that is full of everyone’s favorites. JM: “Isn’t She Lovely?” by Stevie Wonder At what venue do you most like to perform? JM: The one that pays the most. LM: I would have to say all of them, because I love people and I love spreading joy and making them laugh. Sometimes even the shiest person taps their feet and smiles. But if I had to choose one, it would be Fat Patties, because it’s always full with kids, and they make my heart smile! My husband Brad and I have four of our own, so yeah. JM: Southern Barrel because of all the babies and dogs that show up, and it stays packed from first song to the last. Most requested song at shows? JM: With A&G2, we don’t really get many requests. Playing solo shows, there’s always a redneck in every crowd that yells out “Free Bird” as a

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cliché. Ironically, that’s the only Lynyrd Skynyrd song I enjoy playing. LM: “Give Me One Reason to Stay Here,” cuz I def have a smoky, raspy, rich, soulful voice like Tracy Chapman/Lauryn Hill. JM: “Give Me One Reason to Stay Here” by Tracy Chapman First concert you attended? JM: I saw Vince Gill in 1992 when I was 16. That dude shreds a guitar and sings like an angel. LM: The Hopeville Tour with Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Donnie Mcclurkin in 2003. I was pregnant with Jada. But the biggest was the Essence Festival when I turned 40 and I heard H.E.R., And Mary J., Pharrell, Missy Elliot ... to name a few JM: Never been to a concert actually, but hopefully I can go to a ... who’s still alive that I like? New Edition maybe? Lol. Favorite artist? JM: Stephen Kasun—extraordinarily talented painter in Savannah. LM: India Arie, hands down JM: Tevin Campbell Place you go to get away from it all? JM: I can’t afford to actually go places, so my bedroom is my retreat. It’s got a bed and my Xbox to watch Netflix. LM: The May River and just sit and watch nature and meditate. JM: My room. We just decorated it, too. Who would star as you in the epic retelling of your life on film? JM: I’ve never really considered it. Probably David Spade. He’s an asshole, but somehow still loveable. Just get him a box to stand on for his scenes. LM: The younger me, Keke Palmer; the older me, Viola Davis. JM: Quvenzhané Wallis First instrument you learned to play? JM: Technically the recorder in elementary school. Early on, I had dreams of being a legendary recorder virtuoso, but sadly, my dumb parents bought me a guitar. On a side note, I really hope sarcasm

comes through in print. LM: Piano, with my Great Aunt Egan. JM: Trombone, in middle school. Song you were thrilled to finally master? JM: A classical Spanish piece called “Mallorca.” Absolutely beautiful, and quite a bit to memorize. https://youtu.be/wN9w3wK3w4o LM: “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. JM: I never mastered anything on the trombone ... in singing, “Isn’t She Lovely?” What do you wish you knew more about? JM: Everything. Literally everything. LM: I wish I knew more about the future—just a little bit. What animal do you most identify with? JM: My dog’s got a pretty good handle on life, I feel. She sleeps a whole lot, eats whenever she can, and pees on the things she likes. LM: Unicorn, cuz I’m super rare and the most fun! JM: Panda If you got super-famous and had to change your name, what would your new name be? JM: Can you change your name to just a long, exhausted sigh? “Hi, my name is Uuuuuggggghhhhhhhh.” LM: Lalie JM: Jai What famous musician would you love to sing a duet with? JM: I’ve been in love with Sara Bareilles for a long time. She is gorgeous and fantastic. I would definitely love to sing off-key harmonies with her. LM: Eddie Murphy, because my Donkey impression is fire! He did music back in the ’80s when I was a kid! He actually did a song with MJ if I’m not mistaken. JM: YEBBA

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FIRST THURSDAYS ART MARKET

EASTER EGG EGGSTRAVAGANZA

The Salty Dog Hunt begins promptly at 10am. Visit by the Easter Bunny!

Shops at Sea Pines Center 4-6:30pm Meet the Artists of Sea Pines

THRU - APRIL 10

SUNRISE SERVICE AT COLIGNY BEACH St. Andrew ByThe-Sea United Methodist Church 7AM .hhiumc.com/ connect-online.

SPRING SAVINGS Maggie & Me in Bluffton Pick an Egg event! 10%/15%/20% savings!

12-18 RBC HERITAGE PRESENTED BY BOEING Harbour Town Sea Pines

SUNDAYS

EVERY TUESDAY! SEA PINES FARMERS MARKET

FARMERS MARKET AT HONEY HORN

Sea Pines Shopping Center 10am-2pm

Coastal Discovery 9am-1pm

MON- SAT

17 14 22

The Art Cafe 5:45- 7:15pm $38/child reservations required

NATIONAL BULLDOGS ARE BEAUTIFUL DAY!

PICKLEBALL AT PALMETTO DUNES Palmetto Dunes Pickleball Center 9am-6pm

SATURDAYS OUTDOOR YOGA ON THE MARINA Pure Salt Studios Hilton Head Island

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina $35 for Single Adult tickets; $16 for Single Student tickets www.artshhi.com

THURSDAYS OLD TOWN BLUFFTON FARMERS MARKET Green Street at Martin Family Park Old Town Bluffton 12-5pm (843) 415-2447

KIDS NIGHT OUT

8-11 RED

puresaltstudios.com

16 SOUND HEALING AND MEDITATION SESSIONS Pure Salt Studios Hilton Head Island 3:00-7:15pm puresaltstudios.com

24 BURGER BASH Salty Dog Starts at 4pm Waterfront views + live music

palmettodunes.com.

27 ROBERTO COIN TRUNK SHOW April 27 & 28 Forsythe Jewelers 10am - 6pm 843-671-7070

SAVE THE DATE! Hilton Head Humane Association’s Dog Walk on the Beach Saturday, May 1st at 8:15 AM on Coligny Beach. hhhumane.org

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