Hilton Head Monthly December 2021

YEAR IN REVIEW

GIVING BACK

HOLIDAY DECORATING

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HILTON HEAD EA

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MOnthLY

VOICE of the LOWCOUNTRY

843-842-6988 | hiltonheadmonthly.com MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR

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PRESIDENT

Anuska Frey anuska@hiltonheadmonthly.com

C0-PUBLISHERS

Sasha Sweeney sasha@hiltonheadmonthly.com Meredith DiMuzio meredith@hiltonheadmonthly.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anthony Garzilli anthony@hiltonheadmonthly.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rebecca Cashwell cashwell@hiltonheadmonthly.com

ART DIRECTOR

Madison Elrod madison@hiltonheadmonthly.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Allyson Venrick allyson@hiltonheadmonthly.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Majka Mochnac majka@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-290-9372 Mary Ann Kent maryann@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-384-9390 Markey McInerney markey@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-949-2591 Cathy Flory cathy@hiltonheadmonthly.com 843-384-1538

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Heather Edge heather@yourlocalmarketingteam.com PHOTOGRAPHERS: Madison Elrod, Rob Kaufman, Lloyd Wainscott WRITERS: Amy Bartlett, Amy Bredeson, Becca Edwards, Jessica Farthing, Justin Jarrett, Barry Kaufman, Mark E. Lett, James A. Mallory, Vickie McIntyre, Dean Rowland, Tim Wood

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for Residents of Beaufort and Jasper counties! $1 or less per month for out-of-area mailings hiltonheadmonthly.com/subscriptions Hilton Head Monthly (USPS 024-796) is published monthly by Monthly Media Group LLC with offices at 14 Westbury Park Way, Suite 200, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910. (843) 842-6988; email editor@hiltonheadmonthly.com. Vol. 13, No. 12. Periodical postage paid at Bluffton, South Carolina and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Hilton Head Monthly, 14 Westbury Park Way, Suite 200, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910.

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IIDECEMBER ISSUEII

“must reads” ADER ★★★

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190 Underwater Protector Bluffton’s Stan Rogers leads Gray’s Reef Sanctuary.

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BLUFFTO N YEAR IN REVIE

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GIVING BACK

HOLIDAY DECOR

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // $ 4. 9 5

DECEMBE

ABOUT THE COVERS:

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Celebrate a special Lowcountry holiday season.

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ATING

py idays HapH ol Happy Holidays ★★★

Hilton Head residents honored with Mayor’s Award.

A sleigh full of ideas for the perfect present.

HOLIDAY DECORATING

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44 I sland’s Finest

148 G ift Guide

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Culinary Institute of the South makes public debut.

GIVING BACK

HILTON HEAD ★

32 C hefs in Training

Your top picks for favorites throughout the Lowcountry.

YEAR IN REVIEW

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A look back at the top stories.

64 R eaders’ Choice Awards

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26 Y ear in Review

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44

IIDECEMBER 2021II

contents

40

160

COMMUNITY

40 : Fight of Her Life Hilton Head woman survives alligator attack.

GIVING

50 : Philanthropy at its Finest Wexford Foundation continues to help neighbors.

BUSINESS

54 : Make the Most of Your Money Year-end tax tips.

58 : Light of the Holidays HHI Fire Rescue hosts annual display.

HOME

EVERY ISSUE

16 : At The Helm 18 : Opinion 20 : Contributor 22 : News 25 : Pets to Adopt

14 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

SPORTS

156 : Star of the Show Make the most of your holiday silver.

192 : Future Stars GOAL Indoor Soccer develops skills.

160 : Season of Inspiration Decorating your home for the holidays.

TRAVEL

REAL ESTATE

171 : Rental Rates Rise Market faces stiff competition.

HEALTH

186 : Walk to Stay Fit A regular routine offers many health benefits.

ARTS

188 : Country Music on the Coast Marty Falle sings new bluegrass tunes.

+ IN

219

36 : Photos of the Month 38 : Social Spotlight 52 : Community Connection 56 : On the Move

196 : A Holiday Getaway Asheville is the perfect luxury weekend.

WHERE TO WORSHIP 202 : Changing Lives First Presbyterian Church HHI keeps its mission in sight.

DINING

212 : Festive and Fun Creating a memorable tablescape.

219 : Holiday Recipes Everyone will enjoy these dishes.

170 : Real Estate News 204 : Calendar 215 : Dining briefs 218 : Restaurant Listings 224 : Last Call

IIAT THE HELMII

dear reader...

The holiday season is a time to give, to cherish our loved ones and appreciate those who have enriched our lives. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year, and we are grateful you are spending some of your valuable time with us.

To celebrate the end of the year we are recognizing our local businesses and communities with our annual Readers’ Choice Awards, chosen by 69,956 votes. Thank you for voting and letting us know your favorite businesses and professionals.

The joy of giving is always more gratifying than receiving. So many people volunteer their time and talent, and we value their commitment to the community. We invite you to meet the recipients of the Mayor’s Islander Awards, who are driven by their passion to make a difference.

Looking for ways to make your holiday season Happy Holidays from Meredith, Cooper, Isabella and Aiden. special? Find decorating tips for the home, ways to make your silver shine and ideas for the perfect table setting.

Once you have your table set, be sure to check out our selection of holiday recipes.

If you are looking for a getaway, there is never a bad time to visit the mountains. Winter in Asheville, N.C., is especially nice with the Biltmore’s extensive decorations, a trip to the museum and shops or a winter hike.

We are proud to have continued to serve the community and give us all a sense of place.

The Lowcountry is special, made even more so by the people who live here.

Happy New Year from Sasha and Kevin, Shea and Finn.

We are so grateful for the support of our loyal readers and advertisers. Thank you.

Our entire team sends you the warmest holiday greetings and best wishes.

READERS’

MEREDITH DIMUZIO SASHA SWEENEY Co-Publishers

Choice AWARDS PAGE 64

16 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

IIOPINIONII

“letter ” A GREAT TIME TO ENJOY THE LOWCOUNTRY

BY BILL MILES This year, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler magazine released the results of their World’s Best awards and their readers once again voted Hilton Head Island the No. 1 island in the U.S. It’s a coveted award, voted upon by savvy travelers who know a good thing when they see it. Bluffton has also received its fair share of accolades and “best of” honors as people discover its unique charm and way of life.

I often wish residents could see the Lowcountry through the eyes of our guests. We talk to hundreds of visitors every year at the chamber and they are captivated by the extraordinary beauty of the place we call home. We often become immune to that beauty as residents.

People travel for thousands of miles to spend a single week in a place they find so beautiful and full of character. They can’t wait to get back — and some even do it permanently.

We surveyed our community this year and found that over 80 percent of us were once visitors before we made the island our permanent home. Some residents are ready to roll up the welcome mat after they move to the island. They’ve found their slice of paradise and aren’t happy about sharing it with the world.

It’s easy to complain and even easier to forget that many of the amenities we enjoy are brought to us by visitors.

Has it been an unusual year for Lowcountry tourism? Yes, it has. Pent-up demand for travel was real and that brought more visitors this summer, especially those staying in our homes and villas. Through September, island occupancy was up 28.7 percent this year over the 2020 pandemic year.

That pent-up demand brought more day-trippers this year to Coligny Beach. It’s not surprising that people from Pooler, Bluffton and beyond, looking for a day at the beach, head our way in larger numbers than ever before. Kudos to the town for their effort to

begin charging for beach parking and enforcing illegal parking regulations. It’s just one of the ways we can create manageable crowds at our island’s most popular beach access.

The chamber is tasked with marketing the Lowcountry and we’ve always believed in quality over quantity. Tourism is the number one driver of real estate and property values. Our environment is worth protecting, in fact, woe to us if we don’t continue to make it a priority.

Visitors drive our Lowcountry economy. Small businesses are thriving, and they deserve our support and patronage year-round.

The chamber hosted over 50 ribbon cuttings this year. Even during challenging times, entrepreneurship is alive and well in the Lowcountry.

Bluffton is thriving with new construction and businesses. The Culinary Institute of the South at Technical College of the Lowcountry will be a game changer for workforce development.

Research shows that over 70 percent of their students will remain in the Lowcountry to launch their careers.

Are there challenges? Absolutely. Are we facing issues like workforce shortages, managing growth in Bluffton, and traffic woes during the summer season? Yes. We are not unlike hundreds of communities all over the country that are dealing with the same things. The pent-up demand for travel has communities juggling several challenges, but we’ve never shied away from finding solutions, in many cases, setting the example that other communities follow.

Fall and winter are traditionally the seasons that we all love as residents. The pace of life slows down with the busy summer visitor season behind us.

It’s a great time to enjoy Bluffton and our beautiful island.

Bill Miles is President and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

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IIBEHIND THE SCENESII

Meet Our Featured Writer

DEAN ROWLAND

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE COMES TO LOWCOUNTRY

“For a writer, there’s nothing like writing for Monthly and sharing stories with readers about the Lowcountry.”

Dean Rowland has been a professional writer and editor since graduating from Ohio University with a degree in journalism. He’s worked at newspapers around the country, was on the editorial staff of an international publishing company and a department head at one of the largest newspapers in the country.

The New Jersey native has been writing for Monthly for about 10 years and loves living in the Lowcountry. He’s an accomplished martial artist and enjoys walking any and everywhere near water, marshes and trees.

20 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

The Lowcountry will be home to champions in December.

The Mortgage Network Road Races is set for Dec. 5 at Hardeeville Elementary School off Red Dam Road. The featured race will be the 2021 USATF Half Marathon National Championship presented by Toyota.

The women’s championship race will begin at 8:50 a.m. and the men’s championship race and the Sub Elite section will follow at 9:05 a.m.

There will be a $40,000 prize for the championship event and series money will be given to the circuit’s top 10 female and male runners, a news release said.

The women’s championship race will be the final leg of the USATF Running Circuit and will feature past Olympic medalists and U.S. team members. Kiera D’Amato, who has one of the top five marathon times in U.S. history, is expected to compete.

Heading the men’s field will be Sam Chelanga, a 14-time All American runner while at Liberty University.

Morgan Pearson from Boulder, Co., won the silver medal in the mixed triathlon relay at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

CHECK IT OUT @ HILTONHEADMONTHLY.COM

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 21

IILOCAL NEWSII

“in the know ” Bluffton voters went to the polls for a town election, redistricting information sessions are scheduled, and Lowcountry schools earned state championships. Here’s what made news during the past month:

RODRIGUEZ

INCUMBENTS WIN BLUFFTON ELECTIONS; COUNTY REFERENDUMS VOTED DOWN Fred Hamilton and Larry Toomer were re-elected to Bluffton Town Council on Nov. 2. Toomer received 2,122 votes (43.5%). Hamilton received 1,611 (33%).

Challenger Nathan Ferrell received 1,106 votes (22.7%). Hamilton has been a member of Town Council since 2005.

Toomer has been a council member since 2013. The two Beaufort County referendums on the ballot did not pass.

A Local Option Sales Tax was opposed by 72.5% of voters. And a referendum to change the county’s form of government from council-administrator to council-manager was voted down by 79.7% of voters. The county’s voter turnout was 14.2%.

SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT EARNS HIGH EVALUATION Superintendent Frank Rodriguez was given a “highly effective” rating (3.72/4) from the Beaufort County School District. The school board said Rodriguez’s evaluation improved from last year. “Hard work, effective leadership, flexibility and innovation” 22 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL GOLF TEAM

from Rodriguez during the 2020-21 school year guided the district, board chairman Christina Gwozdz said in a statement. Rodriguez has been superintendent since 2019.

TOWN OF BLUFFTON EARNS GRANT FOR NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PARK PROJECT The town of Bluffton received a $500,000 grant to go toward the New Riverside Barn Park project. The grant, from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, is for the creation and development of New Riverside Barn Park. The first phase of the project will have large open space, perimeter trails, parking, restrooms, and infrastructure to support the park, such as fencing and sewer, water and storm drainage.

HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION SCHOLAR APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Applications for the 2022 Heritage Classic Foundation Scholar Awards are available online for all Beaufort and Jasper County high school seniors. The Heritage Classic Foundation will name new scholars from the 2022 graduating class.

Each scholar can receive a four-year grant totaling up to $16,000 or $20,000.

Since the program was instituted in 1993, 353 graduating seniors have been named Heritage Scholars. Applications can be found at heritageclassicfoundation. com. All applications must be completed

by Jan. 15, 2022. The 2022 scholars will be recognized at the 54th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, April 11-17, 2022.

LOWCOUNTRY TEAMS EARN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS With a final-round team score of 315, May River High School won the SCHSL Class AAAA Girls Golf State championship, the team’s second consecutive state crown. Hilton Head High finished second. Bluffton placed eighth. May River’s Kylie Bowes (147) finished second for the individual title.

Hilton Head’s Alexia Milbrandt (151) was fourth. May River’s Robbin Zetrouer (156) and Claire Green (162) tied for sixth and 10th.

In swimming, Hilton Head Christian Academy’s boys took third in the SCISA state Class AA/A championships. Jack

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 23

IILOCAL NEWSII Ussery (100 breaststroke, 200 freestyle) and Levi Eidson (500 free) were individual state champions. John Paul II’s Aubrey Porada won a girls state crown in the 500 free to lead the school to a fourth-place finish. Hilton Head Prep’s Sterling Burd earned two individual titles (200 and 500 free) in the girls Class AAA meet.

IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT MARINA Safe Harbor Marinas, which manages the city of Beaufort’s downtown marina, plans to invest more than $7.5 million on a marina expansion over the next two years, according to a news release. Safe Harbor’s plan for improvements includes a new floating dock system; resized slips to accommodate larger vessels; a new ADAcompliant gangway; and 2,496 linear feet of flexible side-tie berthing to host transient vehicles. Safe Harbor Marinas manages 125 marinas, including Charleston and Skull Creek on Hilton Head Island.

BEAUFORT COUNTY ANNOUNCES REDISTRICTING SCHEDULE

MANUFACTURER BRINGING 126 JOBS TO LOWCOUNTRY

District lines are redrawn every 10 years following the completion of the U.S. Census. Beaufort County will launch a website with information and, eventually, the maps for public comment, a news release said.

A redistricting video posted to YouTube will provide a virtual option for all citizens unable to attend. Public meetings (6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.): Dec. 1 (public hearing for Districts 8, 10, 11 at Hilton Head Island Recreation Center); Dec. 2-6, staff will take public comments; Dec. 5, final two maps will be presented to the executive committee to decide which map to recommend for approval; Dec. 13, first reading at County Council meeting; Jan. 10, second reading at County Council meeting; Jan. 24, final Reading at County Council meeting. Find your district at gis. beaufortcountysc.gov/voterregistration/.

For more information, contact Dan Morgan at danielm@bcgov.net or 843-255-2535.

Builders FirstSource, which is a supplier of structural building products, plans to bring operations to Jasper County and expects to create 126 new jobs in the next five years. The building will be in the Point South Commerce Park in Yemassee. The location will allow the company to expand its offerings and production capacity, a news release said.

HOCKEY TEAM UNVEILS NICKNAME Savannah’s new professional hockey team officially announced its nickname: the Ghost Pirates. The Savannah Ghost Pirates, who will compete in the ECHL, revealed their name and logo last month.

The team will begin play in October 2022 at the new Enmarket Arena. The team will play 36 regular season home games. The league includes teams from Charleston, S.C., Orlando and Jacksonville, F.L.

“in memoriam” MARY FRASER The Lowcountry has lost the first lady of Hilton Head Island.

Mary Wyman Stone Fraser, wife of the late Sea Pines founder Charles E. Fraser, died in October in North Carolina, her daughter, Laura Lawton Fraser told Monthly magazine. She was 80 years old.

Her impact on the area was profound.

In 1968, Mary started Sea Pines Montessori Academy. She also helped spearhead the first Harbour Town playground.

Mary and Charles met in 1963 when he was in need of a social director.

He hired Mary at the recommendation of her mother, Allene “Linky” Stone, who was visiting the island from Greenville, S.C. After receiving the telegram from Charles offering her the job, she came down to look at “the most beautiful place I have ever seen,” she said. Mary helped Charles entertain visitors and interest them in buying real estate on the island.

Their relationship blossomed. They were engaged after six months and were married in November 1963 in Greenville.

Mary was often lauded for making Sea Pines “family friendly,” and was an integral part of Charles Fraser’s success in developing Hilton Head Island from a quiet sea island to the community we know today.

In 2018, in recognition of her contributions to the Lowcountry the Town of Hilton Head honored Mary with a commendation that read: “The work of Mary Fraser pioneered early childhood education on the island.”

24 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

The commendation also included a proclamation from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster recognizing Sea Pines Montessori as the first Montessori-style school in the Palmetto State.

“pets”

OF THE MONTH

BLONDIE Age: 4 years old Gender: Female Weight: 63 pounds Breed: Labrador Temperament: Goofy girl, loves to play with a ball for hours; great leash walker.

FLOSSIE Age: 5 years old Gender: Female Weight: 86 pounds Breed: Great Pyrenees/Labrador Temperament: Tripod who loves to play ball, loves to cuddle. Very protective. Prefers men over woman.

Adopt them at: Noah’s Arks Rescue Noah’s Arks Rescue specializes in helping animals with special needs.

Meet these pets and their other adoptable animals by appointment only at 231 Hazzard Creek Village, Suite 3 in Ridgeland.

For more information: CALL 843-540-6755 OR GO TO NOAHS-ARKS.NET D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 25

IILOCAL NEWSII

20

E N I L E T I M 21

2021 JANUARY

01

JANUARY: The year began in the shadow of the coronavirus with more than 100

LOOKING BACK AT LOCAL & NATIONAL HEADLINES STORY BY ANTHONY GARZILLI

million confirmed cases worldwide, but newly developed vaccines offered hope.

Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines were proving to be effective, with initial doses administered to older adults. About four million doses were delivered per week in the United States to begin the year.

Locally, Marc Orlando resigned as Bluffton’s town manager and accepted the same position with the town of Hilton Head. He replaced Steve Riley, who retired last year.

The Hilton Head Christian Academy campus in Bluffton made its debut with a ribbon cutting for the 70,000-square-foot, $23 million facility.

Nationally, on Jan. 6, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. As of October almost 700 people were charged in relation to the attack. Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Jan. 20.

02

FEBRUARY: The coronavirus continued to impact local events. Hilton Head Island canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parade (scheduled for March) because of coronavirus concerns.

The festivities weren’t completely shut down, however, as organizers announced plans for a boat parade, which was held March 14.

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TO APRIL The community mourned the death of Scott Liggett, longtime director of public projects and facilities for the town of Hilton Head. He had worked for the town since 1991.

Plans were announced to end toll collection in July on Hilton Head Island’s Cross Island Parkway.

Hilton Head Christian’s girls basketball team won the SCISA Class AA state championship.

The United States surpassed 500,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

03

MARCH: The Lowcountry was celebrated as tennis

icons and Hilton Head residents Dennis Van der

Meer and Kerry Melville Reid were selected to be

inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Bluffton and the Lowcountry was stunned by the

shooting death of Dwon Fields Jr., an 18-year-old

senior at Bluffton High School. A vigil was held at Bobcat Stadium several days after the shooting.

“He was just so sweet,” Bluffton Town Councilwoman

Bridgette Frazier said.

Good fortune shined on a Hilton Head Island resident who bought a Powerball ticket in honor of her late mother and won $1 million, the S.C. Education Lottery said. The winner purchased 10 Powerball quick picks at the Speedway store on William Hilton Parkway on St. Patrick’s Day.

Globally, vaccine distribution continued to proceed as

more than 500 million vaccinations were administered.

There were more than 30 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States.

04 APRIL:

The RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing returned to Harbour Town Golf Links with limited spectators. With a final round 1-under par 70, Stewart Cink cruised to his third Heritage championship.

He finished at 19-under overall to secure a four-shot victory. Bluffton native Bryson Nimmer made his

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 27

IILOCAL NEWSII

2021 MAY TO S

Heritage debut. He finished 6-over overall.

The Martin family was honored by the town of Bluffton with a ribbon cutting for Martin Family Park. Jake and Ida Martin were recognized for being “exemplary” community leaders.

The University of South Carolina Beaufort accepted an invitation to join the Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. USCB plans to begin competing with full conference schedules beginning with the 2022-23 seasons.

Veronica Gutierrez became the first female officer for the Bluffton Township Fire District. She was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, according to the fire district. Lt. Gutierrez started her career as a firefighter with the Bluffton Township Fire District in 2018.

05

MAY: The Town of Bluffton officially approved the contract of town manager Stephen Steese. He began his new post in June. Steese was formerly the Easley city administrator.

High school teams enjoyed success as Hilton Head Christian Academy won SCISA Class AA state boys golf and girls soccer titles and Hilton Head Prep’s boys tennis team won the SCISA Class AAA state crown.

Eric Greenway was named Beaufort County administrator after serving as interim county administrator since November.

28 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

06

JUNE: As the number of vaccinations globally surpassed three billion, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster did not renew the COVID-19 State of Emergency he issued in 2020.

The order was active for 451 days before it expired June 6.

Henderson Park Capital Partners and South Street Partners formed a joint venture to purchase Palmetto Bluff, a 20,000acre property in Bluffton. The community includes Forbes’ Five Star Montage Palmetto Bluff resort.

Julia Herrin of Bluffton was crowned Miss South Carolina on June 26. Herrin, 19, is an Auburn University student. She will participate in this year’s Miss America competition in December.

Randolph Murdaugh III, who served as the 14th Circuit Solicitor from 1986 to 2005, died June 10. He was 81. In 2018 he received the state Order of the Palmetto.

07

JULY: Tropical Storm Elsa brought to the Lowcountry heavy

rain and power outages. Trees and power lines were knocked down the night of July 7 and early July 8 during the storm.

Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue said it responded to more than 66 incidents, including 33 trees in the road. Palmetto Electric reported approximately 19,800 outages on Hilton Head Island at the height of the storm.

Wind gusts of 81 mph were recorded on the Calibogue

SEPTEMBER Sound at 11:13 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Charleston.

The U.S. 278 Corridor Improvements Project took center stage with documents made available to view for the public.

The estimated cost is $289,902,745.

Two-way Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani became the first player to start an MLB All-Star Game as a pitcher and hitter.

08 AUGUST:

The CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry announced his retirement. Chris Protz, who plans to retire Dec. 10, has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs for 46 years, including the past nine years as CEO. Hilton Head Town Council voted to expand its Land Management Ordinance which will primarily benefit properties in the historic Gullah Geechee neighborhoods.

The amendments are expected to help families better preserve land for future generations.

The Lowcountry saw significant growth as the latest U.S. Census data showed the town of Bluffton’s population grew from 12,530 to 27,716 since 2010. Hilton Head Island’s population grew by 562 people. Hardeeville’s population grew from 2,952 to 7,473. Beaufort County’s growth from 2010 to 2020 was 162,233 to 187,117.

More than 70 percent of adults had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

09 SEPTEMBER:

A prominent Lowcountry attorney was

involved in a shooting as Alex Murdaugh, whose wife and

youngest son were shot and killed in Colleton County in June, was himself shot Sept. 4 on a road in Hampton County,

according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

On Sept. 14, SLED arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting of Murdaugh.

A news release said Curtis Smith was charged with

assisted suicide. Murdaugh admitted to giving Smith a

firearm and told him to kill Murdaugh so his life insurance policy would be paid out (valued at $10 million) to his other son, according to SLED. The town of Bluffton renamed its Watershed Management Building the Jennie Kitty Municipal Building. Kitty advocated for health initiatives throughout Bluffton’s African American community and the Lowcountry. Kitty died this March at 90 years old.

New coronavirus cases dropped 20 percent in the U.S.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 29

IILOCAL NEWSII

2021 OCT-NOV.

10

OCTOBER: Hilton Head Island again earned accolades

as Condé Nast Traveler said Hilton Head Island was chosen as the No. 1 island in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year in its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.

“This honor belongs to our residents and businesses who welcome our visitors with hospitality and a great guest experience,” said Bill Miles, President and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport was named the top airport in the U.S. for the second year in a row.

Aimee Whitesell, who teaches biology at Battery Creek High School, was named as the Beaufort County School District’s 2021-2022 District Teacher of the Year.

11

NOVEMBER: Voters in Bluffton chose to stand pat as Town Council incumbents Larry Toomer and Fred Hamilton were reelected.

30 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

Two longtime Lowcountry coaches announced they are leaving their positions.

Dave Adams, who coached for more than 40 years — most recently the last six seasons as head football coach at Hilton Head Prep — said he is retiring. Adams was also a longtime assistant coach at Hilton Head High School and became Bluffton High’s first coach in 2004.

John Houpt stepped down as football coach of Bluffton High after five seasons as head coach. He was with the program for 14 years.

Hilton Head Christian Academy won its second consecutive SCISA Class AA football state crown. The Eagles defeated Willamsburg Academy 34-7 at Charleston Southern University.

More than 400 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine had been administrated as of early November.

About 59 percent of all Americans are fully vaccinated and 1.3 million doses are being administered each day.

Across South Carolina, as of early in the month, cases fell in 30 counties.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 31

IILOCAL NEWSII

TRAINING PROFESSIONAL

Chefs

TCL’S CULINARY INSTITUTE OF THE SOUTH PREPS LOWCOUNTRY WORKFORCE

BY JAMES A. MALLORY | PHOTOS SUPPLIED It’s not unusual to see the Lowcountry on the itinerary of cable channel celebrities searching for culinary culture spots.

Don’t be surprised if one day some of the chefs featured are products of the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Culinary Institute of the South, which opens in January at Buckwalter Place in Bluffton and was unveiled to the public in November. For the last two years, students have been training, a few miles away, in a teaching kitchen at the college’s Angus Cotton Academic Center.

The 29,000 square-foot training facility has space to accommodate more than 300 students in seven academic classrooms, a US Foods Innovation Kitchen, a Sea Pines Teaching Kitchen, a bake lab, and a Montage Palmetto Bluff Auditorium. The school has a teaching restaurant sponsored by the SERG Group, the Liz and Todd Clist Café, and the FOODSeum, an interactive museum open to the public.

The culinary institute is providing quality and affordable academic learning, said Chef Miles Huff, dean of the school since 2018.

32 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

Food preparation and service jobs made up 15.5 percent of employment in Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort in 2020, compared to 8.8, nationally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report. Chefs, head cooks and firstline supervisors were the highest paying jobs.

“Bluffton and Beaufort County are the fastest growing areas in South Carolina,” Huff said. “There are more jobs than students to fill them. We’re already placing students in Savannah and other areas.”

Huff came out of retirement to consult for TCL, helping the school in its quest to build a culinary program. “I was brought in as a consultant during the early planning stages and then was asked to become dean,” he said.

Between 75 and 100 students are enrolled for the current semester, Huff said.

The school has associate degree programs in Hospitality, Culinary, and Baking and Pastry Arts. There are also four certificate programs, including Healthy Cooking and Baking and Restaurant Cook skills.

“We’re building and creating new culinary professionals,” said Chef Jacqueline Orak, department chair and 20-year veteran in the hospitality industry. “A lot (of students) think they are coming to learn to cook. We’re training professional chefs.”

While Lowcountry cooking will be represented, the school’s focus is broader, with students experiencing foods from other cultures as they go through the program, Huff said.

The student body makeup is like the general TCL population.

The average age is the late 20s, according to Huff.

Degree-seeking students must complete a 10-week internship.

Opportunities exist to work at the Biltmore in Asheville, Disney World, and Spain, Huff said.

Students who want a four-year degree can transfer up to 90 credit hours to the University of South Carolina Beaufort, which offers a hospitality management program at its Hilton Head campus.

Chef Orak, who started her career after high school, says she uses her own experience to recruit students and parents on the merits of pursuing an education in the culinary arts.

She has worked as a chef and pastry chef, banquet manager and event planner. She’s been a general manager of multiple restaurants and is a sommelier.

“I take them through how I grew up and how I grew in the profession… getting your feet into the industry and growing through culinary,” she said.

The institute is about more than training opportunities, she said. Students learn to use their talents in not just restaurants but also at hospitals and in private industries.

Once they graduate, Orak said, students can expect average yearly salaries between $40,000 and $50,000.

Locals and tourists can learn about the region’s food history in the FOODSeum in the institute’s main lobby. It will host exhibitions, guest lectures and seminars. Planned displays will highlight the Lowcountry’s agriculture and farming histories, including artifacts, tools, recipes, and cookbooks.

Photographs and videos will feature regional chefs.

Exhibits will spotlight cuisine themes such as Gullah, seafood and farm-to-table.

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IIMY PERSPECTIVEII

PHOTOS MONTH OF THE

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1. Casting for shrimp on the Okatie River as photographed by Steve Tate. 2. An aerial view of the Lowcountry as photographed by Jon Bezy. 3. A sunrise from the Baynard Cove Club as photographed by Jim Synk. 4. Cindy and Jerry Green, Patty Blackmon and Colleen Stauning traveled with Monthly to Enkereri Village in southwest Kenya. 5. Stella, a silver lab puppy, enjoyed October on Hilton Head Island so much she dressed up for Halloween as a tourist. 6. Jeff and Lynn Schultz visited Ludington, Michigan with Monthly and watched the S.S. Badger car ferry come in from Wisconsin.

H AV E A N I N C R E D I B LE P H OTO TO S H A R E? W E’D LOV E TO S E E IT. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO EDITOR @ HILTONHEADMONTHLY.COM

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IIIN THE SPOTLIGHTII

GET SOCIAL!

PHOTO SUPPLIED. PHOTO BY MATIAS CAPIZZANO

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1. The Old Town Oyster Run raced through Bluffton. 2. The Bluffton Police Department hosted its inaugural Safety Spooktacular Oct. 29 at Oscar Frazier Park. 3. Branches of Hilton Head held a holiday kick-off party with proceeds benefitting Pockets Full of Sunshine. 4. Jacob Robinson of Bluffton, a mineman seaman, wipes down a door aboard the combat ship USS Tulsa in Apra Harbor, Guam. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy Specialist 1st Class Devin M. Langer). 5. The Special Olympics Pumpkin Bowl event was held on Oct. 30 at Chaplin Park. Stan Smith dropped by and participated with the athletes.

TO SUBMIT A PHOTO OF YOUR EVENT, EMAI L EDITOR @ HILTONHEADMONTHLY.COM

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IICOMMUNITYII

HILTON HEAD ISLAND WOMAN RECOUNTS ALLIGATOR ATTACK

ELLIE KYLE AND HER DOG LULU. THE HILTON HEAD RESIDENT SURVIVED AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY AN ALLIGATOR.

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putting up a

fight

BY BECCA EDWARDS | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

What began as a typical morning at Hilton Head Plantation on Sept. 2 for 5-foot tall, 80 years young Ellie Kyle ended up in a fight for her life.

Kyle was walking Lulu, her chihuahua-dachshund rescue dog, which she does each morning.

“All of the sudden I look over, and an 8-foot alligator grabbed my legs and pulled me back in the water,” she said.

Kyle, who was walking beside a lagoon near Rookery Way only 50 feet from her back door, said she could hear her legs break.

Mary Montour and her husband Layne Carver have been Kyle’s neighbors for almost two years.

Mary was in her kitchen when she heard Kyle scream. She ran outside thinking Kyle may have fallen down. Instead, she found her neighbor struggling to survive.

“I see her, I thought she fell in, but as I’m pulling

her, she started screaming, ‘An alligator is biting my leg off,’ ” said Montour, who grabbed Kyle’s hand and attempted to pull her to safety. “She was in extreme distress.”

Carver heard his wife’s call for help. He grabbed a shovel that was mounted on a wall in the garage and raced to the scene.

The alligator had Kyle in a death roll.

“It had her pretty good,” Carver said. “I hit the alligator as hard as I could with a shovel.”

Carver hit the alligator three times before Kyle was able to be freed. Due to the shock of the attack, Kyle does not remember much else but the feeling of pure adrenaline and thinking, “I heard you’re supposed to look for something soft, so I stuck my finger in his eye, which I think worked.”

Montour and Carver said their only focus was to save Kyle.

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IICOMMUNITYII

“We just reacted,” Montour said. “We are so grateful we were able to save her.”

Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue and local law enforcement responded to the incident at 8:19 a.m.

S.C. Department of Natural Resources removed and euthanized the alligator. The dog was not harmed.

According to Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal/PIO Joheida Fister, “Most alligator problems occur between March and July, which is the breeding season, and they are most active between dusk and dawn.”

It’s uncertain what provoked the attack, but Fister said it is important not to feed alligators.

“When fed, alligators overcome their natural wariness and learn to associate people with food, and it also alters their natural diet in an unhealthy way,” she said.

In South Carolina, it is illegal to feed alligators or entice them with food. If convicted, you may face a $200 fine and up to 30 days in prison.

Kyle said she “loves” alligators and they deserve to live in the lagoons, but she is concerned about alligators being fed.

“Once an alligator associates humans with food, they can’t tell the difference between your leg and a hot dog,” she said.

In the weeks since the attack, with the help of family members she “doesn’t know what she would do without,” Kyle is recovering from her extensive injuries.

“The orthopedic surgeon thought he might have to remove my legs but said I was an 80-year-old miracle,” she said.

During the time of her interview, Kyle, who has lived on Hilton Head Island for 28 years, was dependent on using a walker and someone needed to be near her to steady her. She is cared for by her daughter, Maria, who assists with everyday needs, including cooking meals.

Kyle said, “Not sure how well I’m ever going to walk again because of the nerve damage to my right foot. I’ll probably never drive a car again if that doesn’t get better.”

The incident is also preventing her from doing the things she enjoys most like world travel, gardening and playing golf.

Not one to let things get her too down, though, at the end of Kyle’s interview she put on an alligator foot necklace and said, “They call me Ellie-gator now.”

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STAYING

safe HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO BE SAFE AROUND ALLIGATORS: • • Don’t feed alligators. Providing food makes them bolder and encourages them to seek out people.

• • Keep your distance. Alligators are powerful and can move with a burst of speed on land over short distances.

• A safe distance from an adult alligator is about 60 feet. If an alligator hisses or lunges at you, you are too close.

• • Never disturb nests or small alligators. Some female alligators protect their young and may become aggressive if provoked.

• • Do not corner alligators. This can make them feel threatened, causing them to react defensively.

Source: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia

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caring FOR THE COMMUNITY

BY MARK E. LETT | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Sun, ocean beaches, golf courses and terrific weather make Hilton Head a much-celebrated island.

But it’s the caring and sharing of civic-minded residents that make it a community.

To recognize that spirit of volunteerism, four Hilton Head residents received the Mayor’s Islander Award.

“One of my favorites things to do is recognize our local citizens for all they do to make our island community great,” said Mayor John McCann. “This is well-deserved recognition for each honoree.”

The recipients for 2021 are the Rev. Louis Johnson, Dean Roberts, Kathleen Harper, and Ronald Farsetti.

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REV. LOUIS JOHNSON: ‘BUILD BRIDGES AND TAKE DOWN WALLS’

The Rev. Louis Johnson commuted to his Hilton Head church from his native Savannah for 15 years before making the move to the Lowcountry.

It turned out to be a win-win decision: His affection for the island was strengthened, and Hilton Head gained a committed, community-minded force.

“I made the move to be closer to the church,” said Johnson, pastor of the historic Central Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church on Mathews Drive.

Under Johnson’s leadership and engagement, the church and the community also grew closer in the past eight years.

In honoring Johnson with an Islander Award, the town of Hilton Head pointed to his work as a co-founder of the One Island, One Community celebration.

Johnson said the annual event held on July 4 was the idea of a member of his church and a member of the Grace Community Church on Spanish Wells.

Separately, the members brought the suggestion for a community coming-together to Johnson and Matthew Palmer, lead pastor at Grace.

The concept, Johnson said, is for “this beloved community to build bridges and take down walls.

Everybody comes together for a celebration and a great day of fellowship.”

After several years of success, One Island, One Community was squelched in 2020 and this year to accommodate pandemic-related health and safety concerns. Johnson said he is hopeful the event will return in 2022.

For Johnson, the pandemic meant developing another way for the church to serve the community. Central Oak Grove volunteers partnered with grocery stores and others to collect and — when necessary — deliver food to more than 60 needy families.

Recipients included single, working mothers, according to Johnson. To better meet their needs, volunteers arranged for dinners and breakfasts so children’s nutritional needs were met at different key times.

In another initiative, Johnson helped organize vaccinations for COVID-19 immunization.

“The church is a refuge that reaches out to make a difference,” Johnson said.

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DEAN ROBERTS: ‘WE CAN GIVE OF OUR TIME’

Around the Roberts household, volunteerism is a way of life.

Flashback to 2018, when Susan Roberts was among recipients of Hilton Head’s Islander Awards, in part for her work in education, literacy, history and as a tireless program coordinator with the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park.

“There is always something that needs attention, and Susan is the one to jump in and help with whatever is needed,” said then-Mayor David Bennett.

Fast forward to 2021. As it turns out, Susan is not the only Roberts family member ready to “jump in and help.”

Among this year’s Islander award honorees is Susan’s husband, Dean, a familiar figure as a volunteer for the Boys & Girls Club and the Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the Mitchelville Preservation Project.

A faithful member of the Hilton Head Rotary Club, his commitment was put to the test when he ascended to the organization’s presidency during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His challenge: To keep the ever-active organization on task despite health restrictions and concerns. Success, Roberts says, meant summoning the flexibility and stick-toitiveness of Rotary’s community-minded members.

Time and again, he said, fellow Rotarians put service above self and came through.

“Change is inevitable,” said Roberts, who deployed Rotarians for bell-ringing and other fund-raising activities to raise money for projects such as college scholarships and shoes for needy schoolchildren.

“Volunteerism is important,” said Roberts. “We don’t all have a lot of money to give, but we can give of our time.”

Roberts retired to Hilton Head from Massachusetts after a career as a quality management consultant. He spent some 15 years as a full-time or part-time office manager at the The Bargain Box, the popular thrift shop that has returned more than $15 million to the community.

An Ohio native, Roberts said he has found it necessary this football season to set aside a few hours of personal time to savor televised games of the University of Cincinnati, whose Bearcats rank among the nation’s best.

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IICOMMUNITYII

KATHLEEN HARPER: ‘THE KIDS INSPIRE ME’

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As a frequent visitor to Hilton Head — as a vacationer — Kathleen Harper focused on the surf, sand and sunshine.

But her focus shifted five years ago when she made the island her year-round home. With that, the native of upstate South Carolina began soaking up the island’s history, art and culture.

“I had been familiar with the island, but not the history,” she said. “It is just fascinating.”

Harper’s curiosity and appreciation for the island’s evolution has fortified her work as coordinator of the Middle Year Program at Hilton Head Island Middle School.

Front and center is her current mission to combine island art and history to produce a visual timeline in the school hallway.

The ambitious effort martialed the efforts of students, island artists and a collection of local historians, leaders and residents.

The result taking shape inside the school is testament to the power of visual learning, featuring paintings and writings that trace the textured background that shapes modern-day Hilton Head. The effort includes training student docents to explain and guide visitors through the exhibit.

The effort is the most recent example of Harper’s communityoriented commitment. Previous initiatives have included an anthology of students’ poems, photography and writings about life in the age of a pandemic. The works were published and are available for sale, with proceeds benefiting Volunteers in Medicine, a charitable organization created almost three decades ago to serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved on Hilton Head and Daufuskie islands.

For Harper it all adds up to pride in her school and her community.

Among the goals, she said, is to inspire “pride and buy-in” among “our amazing” students.

“The kids inspire me,” she said. “They have serious concerns and serious dreams. They are capable of changing the world and we hope they feel that responsibility.”

RONALD FARSETTI: ‘THE NEED IS SO GREAT’

Caring for a loved one can be stressful and wearying.

Ronald Farsetti sees it differently. As the caregiver for his wheelchair-bound wife, Farsetti has been energized and motivated.

“What inspires me has always been my dear wife, Dr. Sharon B. Webster,” said Farsetti, an Army veteran and a retired construction superintendent. “In one way or another, being a caregiver for the past seven years has enhanced my sense of responsibility to help others, when I am able.”

Farsetti’s commitment to community service has included a leadership role with the Rotary Club of Hilton Head, building and designing reading chairs for The Children’s Center and organizing an auction that raised $30,000 for the Deep Well Project and its program to help Hilton Head’s neighbors in need.

In the nerve-wracking, early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Farsetti systematized and organized an initiative to help residents sign up for vaccines at multiple locations.

With Sharon’s encouragement and engagement, he also helped with recovery tasks in the wake of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. This year, Farsetti was at the heart of a convoy that delivered tens of thousands of dollars of supplies — from mini-refrigerators and children’s books to cleaning supplies and Pampers — to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana.

“The need is so great there,” said Farsetti. “You could see and feel the excitement in the air for the people that we would be helping.”

Sharon — who holds three undergraduate degrees and a Ph.D. in international relations — often joins with Farsetti in planning and executing community work. But when they break free for time together, the couple enjoys a night out on the dance floor, with Farsetti navigating the wheelchair.

“Her knowledge, patience, kindness and empathy are infectious,” said Farsetti.

“Her love inspires me to be a better person today than I was yesterday.”

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THE WEXFORD FOUNDATION DONATED FUNDS TO THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION.

WEXFORD FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO HELP NEIGHBORS

powerhouse PHILANTHROPIC EFFORT

BY TIM WOOD

Pay a well-earned good life forward.

That is the simple yet powerful philosophy behind the philanthropy of the Wexford Foundation.

In 2012, board chairman Jim Hicks organized a collective effort to represent so many of the selfless, caring and compassionate acts he had witnessed through the years from Wexford residents.

“I was one of those who supported Jim when we got a Founders Society formed. We started with a $50,000 donation and it’s just amazing to see how the efforts have grown,” said current Foundation trustee John Cunningham. “So many of us had been involved in charities where we lived before coming here or were involved in efforts here. It just made so much sense to pool our efforts and make meaningful impacts for charities here by us all joining forces.”

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer organization run by a group of nine trustees and more than 40 volunteers that help gather donations and organize fundraising events.

The group provides financial and volunteer resources to fellow nonprofits focused on health, housing, hunger and education efforts to serve the underprivileged families of the Lowcountry.

The collective giving history of the trustees alone makes for a

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powerhouse philanthropic effort.

Chairman Stephen Carter has been on the International Board of the Special Olympics — ­ representing well over 200 years of charitable involvement among the trustees, both nationally with organizations like the American Lung Association and in local efforts such as The Bargain Box, the Heritage Foundation and the Van Landingham Rotary Club.

“I’m so proud to be part of this special group of generous contributors. To see how we’ve increased our efforts each year, it is exciting to live in a community so focused on giving back to our neighbors,” Cunningham said.

Those efforts were challenged with the onset of the pandemic, and Cunningham said he and his fellow trustees wondered how much it would impact the Foundation’s community outreach.

His neighbors’ reaction was stunning: the group raised $258,000 in 2020 and another $100,000 in a specific emergency donation drive in April 2020 to help charities struggling to maintain services during the COVID lockdown.

The Foundation was unable to hold its annual gala during the pandemic, a signature fundraising event that typically brings in close to a third of the group’s annual donation goal. However, a generous Wexford member put up challenges to double and

Tissue Donation and the Sandalwood triple match any donations from new Community Food Pantry. members which enabled the Foundation Cunningham said Wexford gives both to reach its 2020 goal. program grants to charities and larger “As devastating as COVID has been for donations known as major impact grants us all, it forced us to rethink how we interact to established charities tackling projects with each other and our charities to make with a wide-reaching effect. Recent this effort work,” Cunningham said. examples include a major security Rather than the annual awards luncheon upgrade at The Children’s Center, a new to hand checks to charity representatives, Bluffton facility for Hopeful Horizons trustees organized efforts to visit each and a new mammography program for awardee at the charity’s home base.

THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF HHI Volunteers in Medicine.

“This gave us a lot more in-person, onIS BENEFICIARY OF A WEXFORD “None of this gets done without the-ground time to see directly how we FOUNDATION DONATION. the giving of our members,” said can make an impact,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham, adding that the group is “When you see with your own eyes the on track to reach its goal of $2 million amazing work these groups are doing to in total funds donated by its 10-year anniversary in 2022. stretch every dollar to help others, it’s powerful. When these The Foundation has a quintet of business partners that also leaders say, ‘If we only we had this, we could achieve that,’ it’s contribute in the fundraising efforts in Island Environments, music to our ears. And now, we understand the tangible benefits Southern State Bank, Year-Round Pool, Arbor Nature and of our contributions even more.”

Howell-Chase Heating and Air. The Foundation’s efforts impact more tham 40 charities, “We can’t thank our members enough for their generosity,” including larger and more known charities like Bluffton Cunningham said. “This Foundation means so much to Wexford Self Help, Deep Well Project, Memory Matters and NAMI and to make the area a better place while we’re enjoying life Lowcountry, to some lesser-known but vital services here, just makes it all worthwhile.” such as the Heather Trew Foundation for Organ, Eye and

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IIIN THE SPOTLIGHTII

“community connection ”

LONG COVE FUND LONG COVE FUND AWARDS MORE THAN $200,000 IN GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS The Long Cove Fund awarded $209,600 in grants to 41 area nonprofit organizations. A grants awards presentation was held at Long Cove Club on Sept.

22 and included special guest speaker and lifelong philanthropist, Doug Hertz, who is the chairman and CEO of United Distributors in Atlanta, and a Long Cove Club member. The Long Cove Fund provides grants to nonprofits in support of current needs in the areas of health, housing, hunger and education in Beaufort and Jasper counties. Since 2003, $1,560,241 in grants has been awarded. For a list of recipients, visit longcoveclub.com.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES COVID-19 FUND GRANT GUIDELINES Community Foundation of the Lowcountry has announced guidelines to distribute funds from the Hilton Head Island ARPA/SLFRF Covid-19 Fund.

Grant distributions will comply with federal guidelines and will address negative economic impacts caused

by Covid-19, including healthcare, housing assistance, childcare and education, rent and utility assistance and food insecurity. The maximum amount per grant is $50,000. Nonprofits eligible to apply for a grant include 501(c)(3) organizations providing services to low- and moderate-income citizens of the town of Hilton Head. Organizations must be able to verify the income level of program recipients. Contact Debbie Cahoon, Vice President for Community Investment, at dcahoon@cf-lowcountry.org or 843-681-9100.

VILLAGE AT WEXFORD RAISES FUNDS FOR NONPROFITS Wine Down Wednesday, hosted by the Village at Wexford, helped raise $750 for both the Boys & Girls Club and Pockets Full of Sunshine. The final Wine Down Wednesday of the year is set for Dec. 8.

FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS GRANT Battery Creek High School teacher Aimee Whitesell was awarded the Dr. Wayne Carbiener “Above and Beyond” Award by The Foundation for Educational Excellence. She received a $1,000 grant in recognition of being named Beaufort County School District’s Teacher of the Year.

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VILLAGE AT WEXFORD HISTORIC MITCHELVILLE DIRECTOR EARNS MUSEUM LEADERSHIP AWARD Ahmad Ward, executive director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, is the recipient of the 2021 Museum Leadership Award presented by the Southeastern Museums Conference. The SEMC Awards Committee honors outstanding colleagues who help shape the world of museums. In 2017, Ward took the helm of Hilton Head Island’s Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, which seeks to preserve, promote and honor Historic Mitchelville, the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States.

FIRE STATION DEBUTS IN BLUFFTON Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services and Bluffton Township Fire District held a grand opening Oct. 26 for Fire Station 31, which is at 31 Red Barn Drive in Bluffton. The station will serve the New Riverside and Pritchardville sections of Bluffton. The Bluffton Township Fire District, Town of Bluffton and Beaufort County EMS worked collaboratively to build and pay for the new 8,000-square-foot station, a news release said.

HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY HEAD OF SCHOOL EARNS TOP LEADERSHIP AWARD Doug Langhals, head of school at Hilton Head Christian Academy, was honored with South Carolina Independent School Association’s top leadership award at its annual headmaster’s conference in Orangeburg. The Dr. Charles S. Aimar Educational Leadership Award is presented annually to a South Carolina head of school that exhibits outstanding leadership and personal dedication to their individual school community. Langhals was named HHCA head of school in 2016.

HILTON HEAD, COASTAL CAROLINA HOSPITALS EARN ‘A’ RATING Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital earned the grade of ‘A’ in the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. According to a news release, the Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses

FIRE STATION 31 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year.

MORRIS CENTER FOR LOWCOUNTRY HERITAGE RECEIVES TECHNOLOGY AWARD The Ridgeland-based Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage received the 2021 Southeastern Museums Conference Silver Award for Applications. The SEMC Technology Competition recognizes excellence in the use of technology within Southeastern museums and celebrates the accomplishments of their work.

Morris Center worked with TimeLooper to create a virtual reality app to highlight the Soul of the South exhibition. TimeLooper worked with Morris Center staff to offer 3D modeling within the application along with audio narration and background music.

CONGAREE FOUNDATION AND COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ESTABLISH SCHOLARSHIP The Congaree Foundation has partnered with Coastal Carolina University to create the Congaree Foundation Scholarship for the university’s PGA Golf Management program. Beginning with the 2022-23 academic year, the Congaree Foundation Scholarship will be awarded annually to one incoming undergraduate student at CCU. Eligible students will enter the university as full-time, first-year students in the PGA Golf Management program, will have participated in Congaree Foundation programming, and must be South Carolina residents. For more information about the Congaree Foundation, visit congareefoundation. org.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB PARTNERS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SATURDAY LEARNING PROGRAM A new Saturday Learning Program has kicked off at the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island, which is designed to assist children in grades 1-4 with supplemental educational support in reading, math and/or science.

The program, a partnership between the Club and the Beaufort County School District, serves about 50 children. For more information, contact daniel. godsun@bgclowcountry.org or caroline.rinehart@ bgclowcountry.org.

IIBUSINESSII

HEALTH $AVINGS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION

IRA401K

MINIMUM DI$TRIBUTION

YEAR-END TAX TIPS TO HELP PLAN FOR 2022

BY ANTHONY GARZILLI

The new year is around the corner, but there’s time to maximize your money before the end of 2021. There are myriad ways you can reduce taxes you owe and plan for the future.

From charitable donations to contributing to your 401K plans, now may be the time to think about taxsaving tips.

Thomas Dowling, head of wealth management with Alliance Global Partners, and Jenn Sokolowski, financial planner and relationship manager at Metis Wealth Management and Planning, offered some advice.

CONTRIBUTE TO A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT PLAN: This is a tax-advantaged account used to pay for current and future medical expenses. You contribute pre-tax money, the funds grow tax deferred, and when used for qualified medical expenses, the money is withdrawn tax free. If you are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan you can contribute up to $3,600 for an individual and $7,200 for a family in 2021 (if you are older than 55, you can contribute an additional $1,000). Contributions can be made up to the federal tax return due date (April 15, 2022).

MAXIMIZE YOUR IRA OR 401K PLAN CONTRIBUTION: You can contribute up to $19,500 for 401K plans and $6,000 for IRAs in 2021 (plus catch-up contributions of $6,500 for 401K plans and $1,000 for IRAs). Dowling, CFA, CFP(r),

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CIMA(r), said not to forget that you can increase the amount you contribute to your 401K plan in 2022 to $20,500 (an increase from 2021). IRA contributions will stay the same as 2021. 401K contributions must be made by Dec 31. IRA contributions can be made by April 15, 2022.

Additionally, Sokolowski said, people ages 70 ½ and older are eligible to take qualified charitable distributions from an IRA. QCDs are distributions from an IRA directly to a charity. They are popular, she said, because the distributions are excluded from the taxpayer’s income and they count toward satisfying required minimum distributions for those over age 72. Distributions can be made to as many charities as you like.

MAKE A CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION: This is a great way to help the charities you care about and reduce the taxes you owe, Sokolowski said. Consider “bunching” donations together: make several years of donations in one year to maximize your tax benefit. The CARES Act provided some temporary tax benefits for charitable contributions. Qualified contributions up to 100% of adjusted gross income can be deducted for 2021 if you itemize. The contribution must be a cash gift and must be made in 2021 to qualify. Typically, only 60% of AGI can be deducted for cash gifts. There is an opportunity for non-itemizers to take a charitable deduction. Cash donations of up to $600 for married couples ($300 for

single filers) made in 2021 can be deducted even if you take the standard deduction.

CONSIDER A ROTH CONTRIBUTION: Roth contributions allow you to make after-tax contributions, but you will not pay taxes on that money again if you take a qualified distribution of those funds. If you have less income this year, a Roth contribution may be the right decision.

“This can work well if you think your income is temporarily down this year, possibly due to the pandemic, but will increase again to normal levels in future years,” Dowling said.

Roth contributions must be made by April 15, 2022.

CONTRIBUTE TO A 529 PLAN: A 529 Plan is used for school expenses.

You can receive a state tax deduction for any South Carolina contribution. Not only are the distributions tax free if you use them for expenses at a qualified educational institution, but you can also receive a state tax deduction on your contributions.

School expenses also include K-12 private and parochial school expenses up to $10,000 per student. Contributions can be made by April 15, 2022.

TAKE REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS (RMD) FROM RETIREMENT PL ANS: Because of the CARES Act, RMD’s were waived in 2020.

Dowling recommends reaching out to your financial institution to let them know you want to take your RMD’s. If you do not take your RMD, generally the IRS penalty is 50% of the amount you were supposed to take. In 2020 the age to start taking RMD’s increased from 70 ½ to 72. The deadline is Dec 31, 2021.

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“on the move ” 1. SECOND HELPINGS APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marcus Tanner has been appointed as new executive director at Second Helpings.

A native of northwest Tennessee, Tanner had a 27-year career in the Marine Corps. He has been stationed throughout the U.S. and has been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in Africa and the Mediterranean. He retired from the military in October. Tanner succeeds Lili Coleman, who is retiring after leading the organization for four years. About 300 volunteers deliver approximately three million pounds of food annually to 50 agencies in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties.

2. ISLAND REC PARKS AND RECREATION NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Hilton Head Island Recreation Association approved several title changes. Frank Soule is the new Parks and Recreation Executive Director; Leah Arnold has been promoted to the Deputy Parks and Recreation Executive Director; and Fred Lowery and Bob Rozek will serve as the Recreation and Operations Superintendents.

“Having the chance to be a part of the Town’s master planning of the Mid-Island, Chaplin, and Crossings Park creates multiple opportunities in our community for unique recreation programs,” Soule said.

3. TOWN OF BLUFFTON APPOINTS TWO ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGERS Bluffton Town Manager Stephen Steese appointed Chris Forster and Heather Colin as assistant town managers. Forster, the former director of finance and administration, will continue to lead the finance and administration department and oversee the Don Ryan Center for Innovation. Prior to joining the Town of Bluffton in November 2019, he worked on government consolidation and shared services efforts for the state of Oklahoma.

Colin, who was formerly the director of growth management, will focus on the town’s planning and projects. She will continue to oversee the engineering department. Prior to joining the Town in 2016, she was the development review administrator for the Town of Hilton Head Island.

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1. TANNER

4. ART CENTER OF COASTAL CAROLINA NAMES SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Janet “Jan” Smith has been named senior director of development at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Smith has had a career in non-profit management and development. She’s been executive director of The Children’s Center and she worked with the international organization Save the Children, facilitating children’s humanitarian projects for the border immigration crisis.

Most recently, Smith was development director at Memory Matters.

5. BLUFFTON RESIDENT STARTS TRAVEL AGENCY Kate Riotto Noe has started a Blufftonbased travel agency through Dream Vacations. Noe graduated from the University of South Carolina Beaufort with a degree in hospitality management.

She completed the CTA (Certified Travel Associate) certification from The Travel Institute. Noe has more than 10 years of experience in the travel industry.

3. FORSTER

3. COLIN

6. O’KEEFE

6. THE SEA PINES RESORT NAMES TENNIS DIRECTOR Patrick O’Keefe has been named the new director of tennis at The Sea Pines resort.

He is replacing Job de Boer who retired in June after 30 years. O’Keefe previously served as director of tennis at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salem, Va., and as a coach at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy. He holds a degree in business and marketing from Radford University (Virginia). In his new role, O’Keefe will be responsible for overseeing all tennis operations, including lessons, clinics, tournaments, and camps.

7. STONEWORKS EXPANDS SALES TEAM StoneWorks recently welcomed two new members to its design sales team at the new Bluffton showroom.

Cindi Armacost is a professional interior designer with a degree in interior design.

She has more than 30 years of experience. In her new role at StoneWorks, she will work with builders, designers, architects and their customers on new construction projects and remodels.

Sydney Egnor joins the team as a sales consultant and will work with new retail clients. Previously, Egnor worked for five years as a new car-ordering specialist for BMW.

8. ROC DENTAL OPENS BLUFFTON OFFICE After more than 20 years on Hilton Head Island, ROC Dental Group has opened a Bluffton office in The Plaza at Belfair, adjacent to Belfair Towne Village.

Expanding to Bluffton allows the private practice to fulfill its mission to serve more of its neighbors while supporting local nonprofits that promote wellness.

9. SUSTAIN SC

9. SOUTH CAROLINA ORGANIZATIONS HONORED WITH INAUGURAL AWARD Sustain SC recognized Boeing, the S.C. Ports Authority and Volvo Cars with the inaugural Excellence in Mitigation award, which honors their efforts to bring economic development to the state while maintaining a positive conservation impact, a news release said. The three honorees developed innovative projects with successful mitigation components.

10. PR FIRMS ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS RobMark Web • Advertising • PR promoted Kelsey Smith to website project manager and Mary Henderson to social media specialist. Smith has nearly a decade of experience in digital marketing and creating content. Henderson works with clients on content creation, content scheduling, community engagement, and social media advertising.

11. MEMORY MATTERS NAMES DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Stacy Floyd has joined Memory Matters as its new development director. She will lead efforts in donor cultivation, grant management, and fundraising. Recently, she was the executive director at Palmettos Assisted Living. Previously, Floyd was the memory care coordinator at NHC Healthcare and the Development Director for the Alzheimer’s Association.

11. FLOYD

LOCAL READS

D A E H N O T HIL SPRING FASHIO

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RBC HERITAGE

LEADING

Ladies

GIVE THE BEST OF THE LOWCOUNTRY!

ER a g p pro

BRYSON NIMM

GIVE THE GIFT OF

Monthly

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The holiday season is here, which means it's time to think about gift giving. And what better gift to share with loved ones and friends than Monthly - the magazine that embodies the spirit of the Lowcountry.

Visit www.hiltonheadmonthly.com/subscriptions to give the gift of Monthly!

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NO.

FIRE STATION

Magical 03

HHI FIRE RESCUE HOSTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAY, TOY DRIVE

BY AMY BARTLETT | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

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Nearly 15 years ago it became a holiday tradition for local organizations to adopt a station to decorate for an annual Christmas lights tour. As the story goes, the crew at Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue Station 3 “started taking it to the next level,” and destiny took it from there.

While local businesses and individuals provide donations, crews pool their own funds to purchase most of what’s needed — inflatables, trees, cords, and of course lights — so many lights that, strung together, they’d circle Station 3 five times. Close to a mile of lights.

In 2007, Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue centered

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all its efforts behind the station at 534 William Hilton Parkway, and every year since, it’s shined brighter, drawn more crowds and grown to impact kids’ lives in increasing measure.

It’s not easy (they start in October) but according to Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Joheida Fister, “When we see that first car drive through and all the smiles, it is all worth it. It’s magical for the kids and rewarding for us. Families love tradition, and so does the fire service.”

Approximately 12,000-15,000 vehicles visit each

PHOTO BY MINDI JO PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY MINDI JO PHOTOGRAPHY

year, and to keep count, this year the town of Hilton Head has installed a car counter. Among other new features, the station is crossing fingers for an ambulance display to match the LED fire engine added in 2020 and Christmas music vehicles can tune into on their radios to carol along.

Sitting underneath Santa and the reindeer on the roof of the apparatus bay, the toy drop and Santa’s Mailbox are two of the biggest draws.

“One mother whose child attends First Presbyterian Preschool said they drove through two times a day every

day until the lights were taken down,” Fister said. “We also had a parent stop by and put her own letter to Santa in the Santa mailbox. Her husband had passed away, she was working two jobs, but it was still not enough to have toys for the kids. We were able to take care of that one, and they loved driving through to see the lights almost daily. It was the one thing she could do for them.”

Almost brighter than the lights shine the giving hearts of neighbor providing for neighbor during the toy drive for Deep Well (the non-profit providing clean, safe water for the HHI community for nearly 50 years).

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IIBUSINESSII “During the drop-off of toys,” Fister says, “we see so many kids bringing gifts for other kids who don’t have anything. They love to get out of the car, drop their gift and talk to firefighters about making sure their gifts get to kids who need them.”

The Deep Well Santa Shop is open for the families from Dec. 10 through Dec. 17. Toys — new, unwrapped, age range from 1 to 12 — need to arrive by Dec. 15. Station 3 is home base for the Fire Engine that Santa rides during his HHI visit, and visitors of all ages can keep tabs on him online with the “Santa Tracker.” Follow the GPS on his fire engine. Funded annually by Fire Rescue Headquarters, the display, which began lighting up on Thanksgiving Day (lights go on at dusk), starts at the station entrance and continues around the parking lot, rain or shine.

After a decade and a half, Station 3 is more than just a regular on the area’s must-see holiday toy drive and lights lists. It’s a beacon on the north side of the island and a tradition by which locals mark the start of the season.

For more information, call 843-682-5141.

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H 69,956 READERS MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD. THANK YOU,

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MEET THE WINNERS ACCOUNTANTS H JUNE & ASSOCIATES, CPA

They’re keeping your books straight and orderly, and now they can add a Readers’ Choice Award to their books. Congrats!

ART GALLERY H ART LEAGUE OF HILTON HEAD GALLERY

Inspiring local artists and helping them grow has been the mission for decades, and we get to reap the benefits by enjoying world-class works right here on the island.

BANK H WELLS FARGO

Hitch up the wagon! Wells Fargo has earned a spot in our Readers’ Choice Awards winners’ circle.

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GATED COMMUNITY H HILTON HEAD PLANTATION

It’s the feeling of community and camaraderie that sets Hilton Head Plantation apart. OK, the golf and restaurants probably help.

HEATING AND AIR COMPANY H GOCHNAUER AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING Here in the Lowcountry, air conditioning is more than a luxury.

It’s a lifestyle. And we only trust the best, giving the win to Gochnauer.

INTERIOR DESIGN COMPANY H J. BANKS DESIGN GROUP

CAR DEALERSHIP H O. C. WELCH FORD

Beyond simply transforming commercial and residential spaces, J. Banks Design Group has created the visual language of the Lowcountry — chic, sophisticated, elegant and yet endlessly comfortable and approachable.

FAMILY PLANNING LAWYER H KENNEDY & BLACKSHIRE

INSURANCE COMPANY H C.J. TASSONE, CFP®, CHFC® PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP

The man with the goat proves once again why he is the car-dealing G.O.A.T. More than 40 years’ experience goes into every case, helping clients through their most troubling times. Our readers responded with a decisive victory.

It stands to reason that if you trust him with your money, you trust him with everything else, earning C.J. Tassone dual wins.

FINANCIAL ADVISOR H C.J. TASSONE, CFP®, CHFC®

LAWYER GENERAL PRACTICE H BAUER & METRO, P.C.

Our readers trust C.J. with their financial future and with their vote for favorite financial advisor.

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At Bauer & Metro, their slogan is Justice Must Be Won. Apparently, so must Readers’ Choice Awards!

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MORTGAGE COMPANY H MORTGAGE NETWORK, INC.

A local approach with global resources has combined to make Mortgage Network the island’s choice for years. As such, we’ve been delighted to name them our favorite year in and year out.

NONPROFIT GROUP H VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE CLINIC

Hilton Head Island’s homegrown clinic has touched the world, providing care for countless patients from coast to coast.

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER H BAUER & METRO, P.C.

The team at Bauer & Metro prove themselves as your clear favorite.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY H BEACH PROPERTIES OF HILTON HEAD

When locals want that second home to earn them worry-free passive income, they know to turn to this year’s winners, Beach Properties.

REAL ESTATE LAWYER (TIE) H JEFF REILLEY, REILLEY LAW FIRM, LLC H LAUREN WILLIAMS - PATTERSON LAW FIRM

Lauren Williams and Jeff Reilley share our readers’ respect. They each earned a well-deserved win.

REAL ESTATE AGENT H JAMES WEDGEWORTH

The man who has come to embody Hilton Head Island real estate picks up another Readers’ Choice Award!

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REAL ESTATE COMPANY H CHARTER ONE REALTY

In a year that saw thousands of new residents flocking to our island, Charter One was there to welcome our new neighbors.

RETIREMENT FACILITY H THE CYPRESS OF HILTON HEAD

There’s a real shine to the golden years at The Cypress, polished to a brilliance by their excellent facilities and topnotch care.

WEDDING VENUE H HONEY HORN PLANTATION

What better place to say “I do” than surrounded by the sheer beauty of the Lowcountry at its finest?

LOCAL BAND H YOUNG N RESTLESS

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All Rick and Zane need is two guitars to have you dancing the night away. They’ll have your toes tapping and hands clapping.

FAMILY

RESOURCES

DAYCARE AND PRE-K H THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL

For generations islanders have trusted their young ones to take their first steps into the world of education under the care and guidance of First Presbyterian.

HIGHER EDUCATION H TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

Expanding on their world-class culinary program has helped put TCL on the map in a big way, making them the smart choice for Readers’ Choice Awards glory.

KIDS ACTIVITIES/CLASSES H HILTON HEAD ISLAND RECREATION CENTER

A beautiful renovation has propelled the island’s go-to spot for fun, fitness and friendly competition into a new era of serving the island.

SCHOOLS K-12 H HILTON HEAD PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Prep has been molding young men and women into some of the finest adults we know for generations, earning them another win.

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FABULOUS

FOODS

APPETIZER H WISEGUYS

What, you think you’re just gonna start with an entrée?

Fugedaboudit. The rest of the menu amazes, but don’t sleep on the creative fare coming out on small plates.

ASIAN H OKKO JAPANESE SUSHI & HIBACHI RESTAURANT

Fantastic food in a chic, contemporary atmosphere has made OKKO the clear favorite for islanders.

BARBECUE H ONE HOT MAMA’S

Slow-smoked and perfectly fork tender, Orchid and crew know their Q.

BURGER H CHARBAR CO.

What more can you say about a burger place that took the top burger award in their very first year and never looked back? How about “I’ll take mine medium”?

BURRITO H JAVA BURRITO COMPANY

The island’s favorite spot for mouth-watering Mexicaninspired creations wraps up another win for favorite burrito. But then, wrapping it up is kind of their thing.

CRAB LEGS H HUDSON’S SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS

Andrew Carmines and company are downright evangelical when it comes to offering the freshest seafood. Appropriately, their crab legs are simply divine.

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EUROPEAN (NON-ITALIAN) H CHARLIE’S L’ETOILE VERTE

The green star has been a shining beacon for the island’s culinary scene since before the island had a culinary scene. Their laid-back refinement pairs beautifully with their delectable French fare.

FRENCH FRIES H CHARBAR CO.

You know what goes best with the island’s best burger? The island’s best fries. You know what goes even better with the island’s best burger? More of the island’s best fries.

FRIED CHICKEN H PUBLIX SUPER MARKET

We’re glad that these guys also sell paper towels, because we start drooling just thinking about their delectably golden crispy fried chicken.

HEALTHY MENU H HEALTHY HABIT

Pioneering the concept that healthy food can be, get this, delicious, Healthy Habit isn’t just changing habits. They’re changing lives, one smart decision at a time.

ITALIAN H OMBRA CUCINA ITALIANA

The truly authentic Old World appeal of Ombra has been their calling card since day one, making them a perennial favorite in this C H A R L I E ’ S L’ E T O I L E V E R T E

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category.

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MARGARITA H HOLY TEQUILA!

Assuming you can count an exclamation point as a word, tequila is literally their middle name. Of course they’re going to have a mind-blowing margarita.

MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN H SANTA FE CAFÉ

There’s always something new and exciting on the menu at Santa Fe Café, blending the finest ingredients and techniques from across the southwest into a culinary fiesta for the senses.

MILKSHAKE H COOK OUT

This thick and creamy masterpiece is an absolute delight.

OYSTERS H HUDSON’S SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS

A place that was quite literally built on oysters is naturally going to have the best in town. Sit right on the dock and you can watch them come in, then enjoy them fresh out of the water.

PIZZA H GIUSEPPI’S PIZZA & PASTA

When the United States Pizza Team (it’s a thing, look it up) hankers for a slice, they choose Giuseppi’s. And so does Hilton Head.

SALAD H HEALTHY HABIT

S A N TA F E C A F É

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It’s a rare thing to attach a word like “craveable” to a salad, but if you’ve tried the inspired creations at Healthy Habit you’ll understand. If everything healthy tasted this good, we’d all be supermodels.

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H E A LT H Y H A B I T

SANDWICH H GRUBY’S NEW YORK DELI

Piled high with mouth-watering authentic ingredients, every sandwich at Gruby’s is a new adventure in Gotham’s finest flavors.

SEAFOOD H HUDSON’S SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS

You can watch it come in off the boat, and have it on your plate minutes later. If you want fresher seafood, you’ll need to grow gills.

SOUTHERN H LOWCOUNTRY BACKYARD

Dave Peck and his crew have created a true icon of the island’s culinary scene at Lowcountry Backyard, with mouth-watering food served in.

STEAK H CRANE’S TAVERN & STEAKHOUSE

This New Orleans Road standout has been everyone’s go-to, visitors and locals alike, for decades. Choice cuts, expertly seasoned and grilled to perfection. This is steak done right.

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SUSHI H HINOKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Chef Chi-Chi puts on dinner and a show behind the sushi counter at Hinoki, rolling up fresh ingredients that will put a smile on your face.

TACO H FIESTA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

For years, we’ve been finding out what secret blend of ingredients and spices makes Fiesta Fresh so good. Until we figure it out, rigorous testing will just have to do.

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN H DELISHEEYO

The most voracious carnivore on earth would be tempted to go plant-based after sampling the delectable vegan fare on offer at delisheeyo.

WINGS H ONE HOT MAMA’S

Try every flavor on the menu. Then try them all again. We promise, you’ll never get bored. You may find a new favorite every time, though.

C R A N E ’ S TAV E R N & S T E A K H O U S E

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BARBER SHOP H CROWN & ANCHOR BARBER CO.

The classic hometown barbershop returns, with styles that will have you looking dapper and an atmosphere that will make you want to stick around for a while.

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FITNESS CENTER H LAVA 24 FITNESS

Helpful coaches, a clean environment and top-of-the-line equipment are all part of the enduring appeal at LAVA 24 Fitness. That’s how they keep getting reps in at our Readers’ Choice Awards.

HAIR SALON H ENLITEN SALON

When Hilton Head Island needs to look fierce, we head to this jewel of New Orleans Road. We always walk out looking fabulous.

MASSAGE THERAPY H FACES DAYSPA

The iconic island institution scores another win based on their signature stress-busting treatments and techniques.

MEDICAL SPA H LUX ~ A MEDICAL SPA

Feeling good means feeling good inside and out, and the dedicated experts at LUX ~ A Medical Spa are just the people to leave you feeling amazing.

NAIL SALON H FACES DAYSPA

It’s not just about melting away stress, it’s about looking fierce when you’re done. For decades, this is where islanders have gone to make it happen.

Can Faces pull off the trifecta?

SPA H FACES DAYSPA

They can! Hitting the hat trick for massage, nails and spa, Faces proves once again why it’s been our readers’ favorite spot to escape.

YOGA/PILATES H THE ART OF MASSAGE AND YOGA WELLNESS SPA

It’s a win for The Art of Massage and Yoga Wellness Spa! For getting centered or getting toned, this is where our readers turn, and they have voted accordingly.

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APPLIANCE STORE H BILLY WOOD APPLIANCE

The big boxes have nothing on the deep expertise, personal attention, and high-end brand names on display at Billy Wood.

ARCHITECT H ZENOS MORRIS - COURT ATKINS

Giving back to the community while bestowing on us buildings that define Lowcountry class, Zenos Morris designs a win in our Readers’ Choice Awards.

BLINDS/WINDOW COVERING COMPANY H LIBERTY WALLCOVERINGS AND WINDOW BLINDS

Blinds, shades, drapes… At Liberty Wallcoverings and Window Blinds, they put the treat in window treatments.

CABINET COMPANY H N HANCE WOOD REFINISHING

For complete overhauls or just a light refinishing, your kitchen is not complete until you’ve given N Hance a call.

CARPET/FLOORING COMPANY H FLOORS TO GO BY HIGH TIDE

The little local shop with the great big selection and worldclass service proves that Hilton Head Island loves quality and craftsmanship.

ELECTRICIAN H OCEANSIDE ELECTRIC

Seeing as they’ve been wiring the Lowcountry in projects big and small for more than 30 years, this win shouldn’t come as a shock.

GRANITE/STONE/MARBLE COMPANY H STONEWORKS

What are the well-dressed kitchens and baths of the Lowcountry wearing this season? You’ll find out with a visit to Stoneworks, where gorgeous counters are just the start.

HOME BUILDER H THE TWELVE OAKS GROUP

Wake up! Your dream house awaits. And the award-winning crew at The Twelve Oaks Group is the perfect team to make that dream a reality.

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J BANKS DESIGN GROUP

HOME FURNISHINGS STORE H J. BANKS DESIGN GROUP

Beyond simply transforming commercial and residential spaces, J. Banks Design Group has created the visual language of the Lowcountry — chic, sophisticated, elegant and yet endlessly comfortable and approachable.

LANDSCAPING COMPANY H THE GREENERY INC.

Our own homegrown success story takes home another win, proving that they can grow beautiful plants and a legacy of winning.

MOVING COMPANY H A PERFECT MOVE, INC.

To say these guys have been busy lately is an understatement. But even with so many new residents to help welcome, they found time to score a win.

OUTDOOR STORE H OUTSIDE HILTON HEAD FLAGSHIP STORE

It’s hard to imagine a Hilton Head without Outside Hilton Head, and even after all these years, they’re still our first stop on every new adventure.

NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER H THE GREENERY INC.

It only stands to reason that a company grown from seeds of quality and service would produce the kind of blooms to earn them this win.

PEST CONTROL H HILTON HEAD EXTERMINATORS

We don’t run a “Roaches Choice Awards,” but if we did, we’d imagine these guys would lose. Thank goodness Hilton Head Exterminators is on our side.

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JONES BROTHERS TREE SURGEONS

PLUMBER H BUTLER’S PLUMBING

Having been stopping leaks and busting clogs since 1981, Butler’s Plumbing has racked up a slew of awards over the decades. Turns out doing things the right way pays off.

POOL COMPANY H CLEARWATER POOL SERVICES

When your water needs to be absolutely sparkling (which is always), trust the folks who have taken home a win in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

RENOVATIONS H TOTAL DESIGNS CONCEPTS INC.

Fine British craftsmanship meets good old Yankee knowhow at TDC, and the result is some of the most gorgeous homes in the area.

ROOFING/FABRICATION H ALLIANCE ROOFING

Raise the roof for this year’s Readers’ Choice Award winners, Alliance Roofing.

TREE REMOVAL/ARBORIST H JONES BROTHERS TREE SURGEONS

Knowing what to cut and what to keep makes all the difference in keeping your trees beautiful. With this win, Jones Brothers proves they know how to do it right.

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PHOTO: JONES BROTHERS TREE SURGEONS FACEBOOK

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ACUPUNCTURE H BETH SCHOON/INTEGRATIVE PAIN RELIEF

The ancient art of acupuncture meets a comprehensive approach to pain relief, meaning that the aaahhhs have it.

ALLERGIST H DR. THOMAS C. BELLER, MD — ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CENTER OF BEAUFORT COUNTY

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MEDICAL SERVICES & PROFESSIONALS

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DENTIST (COSMETIC) H DR. MATTHEW MASTROROCCO, DMD

Dr. Matt takes home a well-deserved win for pioneering the radical concept that dentistry should be… enjoyable. Radical concept, right?

DENTIST (FAMILY) H ROC DENTAL GROUP

You can’t be too careful with a runny nose; fortunately, Dr. Thomas C. Beller has the expertise and experience to have you breathing easy.

We know it’s their job and everything, but even so, the friendly staff at ROC Dental Group always has us smiling.

CHIROPRACTOR H (TIE) FRAUM CENTER FOR RESTORATIVE HEALTH H DISCOVER SPECIFIC CHIROPRACTIC

Racking up a Readers’ Choice Award win, May River Dermatology proves that their appeal is more than just skin-deep.

They’re cracking backs and cracking open the champagne over their victories in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

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DERMATOLOGIST H MAY RIVER DERMATOLOGY LLC

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DOULA/MIDWIFERY SERVICES H THE ART OF MASSAGE AND YOGA WELLNESS SPA

The beauty of natural childbirth takes a steady hand and a big heart.

You’ll find both at The Art of Massage and Yoga Wellness Spa.

ENT DOCTOR (EAR, NOSE, THROAT) H DR. DAVID MAURER, MD

These days, you can’t be too careful with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Thankfully, Dr. Maurer is there with years of experience and expertise.

FAMILY MEDICAL PROVIDER H STEPHEN LUTHER, MD

Young and old alike have come to trust Dr. Luther with their health and the health of their family, and they’ve trusted him with their vote!

IN-HOME CARE H RIGHT AT HOME

Compassionate care makes all the difference at Right at Home, making them this year’s Readers’ Choice Award winners.

OB/GYN H ADVANCED WOMEN’S CARE

Putting the care in women’s care, Advanced Women’s Care earns raves for their bedside manner and a Readers’ Choice Award, to boot.

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OPTOMETRIST (VISION CARE) H BISHOP EYE CENTER

See things clearly and trust your eyes to the very best.

ORTHODONTIST H MAGINNIS ORTHODONTICS

Brace yourself for another win for Maginnis Orthodontics!

ORTHOPEDIC H DR. MARK DEAN - BEAUFORT ORTHO

Whether you’re looking to put that spring back into your step or get your golf game back up to par, Dr. Dean is the man to see.

PEDIATRIC DENTIST H KIDZ PLANET- THOMAS H. MORSE

Getting kids to go to the dentist can be… well, like pulling teeth.

At Kidz Planet, though, they make it an appointment your kids will look forward to.

PEDIATRIC PRACTICE H PALMETTO PEDIATRICS OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

It’s not just the stickers and lollipops —these folks prove themselves with every visit as extremely capable and caring when it comes to your kids.

PHARMACY H BURKE’S PHARMACY

Experience, expertise and good old-fashioned customer service are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to earning another Readers’ Choice Awards win.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST H HORIZON REHABILITATION & SPORTS MEDICINE

When you’re injured or just in need of some rehab, you want someone you can trust at every step of your recovery. Just look to the horizon and you’ll find them.

PLASTIC SURGEON H DR. FREDERICK WENIGER- WENIGER PLASTIC SURGERY

Transforming lives one patient at a time, Dr. Frederick Weniger has earned this year’s award and the trust of countless patients.

PRE-NATAL MASSAGE H THE ART OF MASSAGE AND YOGA WELLNESS SPA

Also winning for midwifery, The Art of Massage shows they have mommies-to-be covered every step of the way.

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DOG TRAINER H PAWS ON LEARNING

Frankly, we know a few people who could benefit from Paws On Learning’s brilliant approach to behavior. For your dog, there’s no better teacher.

PET BOARDING H EVERGREEN PET LODGE

Doesn’t your furry friend deserve a five-star experience? They’ll find it at Evergreen, this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards winner.

PET GROOMING H EVERGREEN PET LODGE

Like any five-star resort, Evergreen offers the full spa experience for your pet. They may not want to come home.

PET SUPPLY STORE H PETSMART

Hilton Head Island loves its furry, four-legged friends. And whether they need food, medicine or a new toy, PetSmart has us covered.

VETERINARIAN H PLANTATION ANIMAL HOSPITAL

The folks at Plantation Animal Hospital have spent years keeping our beloved furry friends happy and healthy, earning them the top spot in this year’s awards.

Thanks to everyone who voted for their Readers’ Choice favorites!

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BAKERY H HILTON HEAD SOCIAL BAKERY

From its Shelter Cove storefront, Hilton Head Social Bakery has quietly launched a revolution in decadent baked masterpieces.

BAR/LATE NIGHT H REILLEY’S GRILL & BAR

It’s common knowledge that every islander should have a story that begins with, “This one time at Reilley’s.” If you don’t, get one.

BARTENDER H RETT COLLERAN - PRESTIGE MIXOLOGY

Craft cocktails wherever you need them, and serious mixology skills have made Prestige Mixology the hottest thing in cold drinks.

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BEER SELECTION H HILTON HEAD BREWING COMPANY

The ever-rotating taps at HHBC provide beer lovers with a kaleidoscope of styles and flavors, making every visit to the taproom a new adventure.

BREAKFAST H PALMETTO BAY SUNRISE CAFÉ

Surprising absolutely no one, Hilton Head Island’s personal breakfast nook has taken home another win on the strength of their mouth-watering menu and smiling service.

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BREWERY H HILTON HEAD BREWING COMPANY

HHBC has been creating brews that the island loves for years, proving with every sip that they are the true masters of the craft.

BRUNCH H PALMETTO BAY SUNRISE CAFÉ

Wrapping up the entire pre-lunch part of the awards, Palmetto Bay keeps its early day dominance rolling with a brunch win.

CATERING COMPANY H SERG TAKEOUT KITCHEN

The folks at SERG knock it out of the park with every concept they introduce. So, of course, their concept for an amazing party is going to be a mouth-watering blast.

CHEF H TREY PLACE - THE COOKING SCHOOL AT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S

Expertise and a passion for culinary excellence have made Trey Place a mentor for the island’s aspiring foodies, and the clear choice for favorite chef.

COFFEE SHOP H JAVA BURRITO COMPANY

Coffee and burritos in one spot shouldn’t work. And yet somehow the rich aromas of freshly roasted beans just seem to pair so perfectly with crave-worthy Mexican.

7 TIME WINNER!

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COUNTER SERVICE H JAVA BURRITO COMPANY

Of course, the staff at Java Burrito is the friendliest on the island. How could you spend your day there and not have a blast?

DELI H GRUBY’S NEW YORK DELI

The most authentic New York City experience you can get without booking a flight to the Big Apple, Gruby’s has this category ordered up.

DESSERT MENU H MICHAEL ANTHONY’S CUCINA ITALIANA

Food fact: Enjoying an entire Dolce Mista della Casa by yourself does not constitute cheating on your diet. It’s actually just a mouth-watering education in Italian dessert mastery.

FINE DINING H MICHAEL ANTHONY’S CUCINA ITALIANA

There are island icons, and then there is Michael Anthony’s. An institution and Italian inspiration, they have earned this win.

FOOD TRUCK H BIG DOG TACOS

Their bright red, graffiti inspired truck demands attention, and then their deliciously authentic tacos keep that attention until the very last bite.

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HAPPY HOUR H THE MARKET CAFE AT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S

Feeling every bit like that classical Italian countryside watering hole, The Market Café has created an indelible continental atmosphere in the heart of the island.

KID-FRIENDLY H SALTY DOG

Be honest, you say you’re going for the kids, but you just want to get your picture taken with Jake, don’t you? It’s OK, we’re all kids once we step into the Salty Dog.

LUNCH H THE MARKET CAFE AT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S

Whether you enjoy it there or take it home and trick your friends into thinking you’re a much better chef than you are, it’s hard to beat the Italian fare at The Market Café.

NEW CHEF H JOSH O’NEILL AT THE GOLF CLUB AT INDIGO RUN

Bursting onto the scene with his upscale approach and fresh ingredients, Chef Josh O’Neill is setting a new standard at Indigo Run.

NEW RESTAURANT H THE MARKET CAFE AT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S

When you take a concept as universally loved as Michael Anthony’s and give it an approachable, metropolitan remix, of course people are going to love it. Your votes prove that.

OUTDOOR DINING H HUDSON’S SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS

There’s something about sitting out on the over-water patio at Hudson’s, watching the boats roll in with today’s catch as you sip a cocktail, that creates pure magic and earns wins from our readers.

PET FRIENDLY H BLACK MARLIN BAYSIDE GRILL

Our furry friends’ favorite spot to see and be seen, the patio at Black Marlin is a true destination for pets and the people who love them.

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PHOTO: HUDSON’S SE A FOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCK ’S FACEBOOK

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RESTAURANT STAFF H MICHAEL ANTHONY’S CUCINA ITALIANA

Ever friendly and trained to share the restaurant’s reverence for ingredients and techniques, everyone at Michael Anthony’s epitomizes hospitality.

SPORTS BAR H REILLEY’S GRILL & BAR

The good-times atmosphere at Reilley’s makes it the ideal neutral territory for even the most die-hard Clemson and Carolina fans to share a drink and enjoy the game together. If we held international summits here there’d be world peace by basketball season.

TAKE OUT/CURBSIDE H FIESTA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

These folks have their curbside game working flawlessly, years before everyone else had to follow suit.

WATER VIEWS H HUDSON’S SEAFOOD HOUSE ON THE DOCKS

Whether it’s a breathtaking sunset through their panoramic windows or right out over the water on their patio, you can’t get any closer to the water unless you’re dining on a boat.

WINE SELECTION H MICHAEL ANTHONY’S CUCINA ITALIANA

The fertile fields of Italy find their ultimate expression on the wine racks at Michael Anthony’s, side by side with an entire world of inspired varietals.

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e! r ou o y s t nk oting eler lry s a Th or v Jew ewe f the te j rsy avori o F rf u WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. yo s a

Forsythe Jewelers Holiday Open House

Join us for merriment in a festive atmosphere during our Holiday Open House at Forsythe Jewelers.

Browse from a large selection of luxury brand designer jewelry, MacKenzie-Childs holiday items and more.

Enjoy complimentary gift wrapping with your purchases.

RSVP to 843.671.7070 | Andrea@ForsytheJewelers.biz

The Shops at Sea Pines Center | 71 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island | 843.671.7070 | ForsytheHHI.com

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RETAILER BRIDAL BOUTIQUE H BIRDIE JAMES

Do you know where to get the most stunning bridal gown for your big day? Our readers said, “I do.”

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING H ISLAND CHILD

Whether it’s a special occasion, a photo shoot, or you just have a young fashionista on your hands, this is the place to keep them looking dapper.

FLORIST H FLOWERS BY SUE

Flowers by Sue has been the runaway favorite in this category for years. Stop in and smell the roses, and you’ll quickly see why.

GIFT/NOVELTY STORE H GIFTED HILTON HEAD

Fun fact: Gifted Hilton Head has won favorite gift store every year it’s been in operation. Filled with items you never knew you needed and boasting something for everyone, they’ve had this award wrapped up.

GROCERY STORE H HARRIS TEETER

We can always count on the huge selection, fair prices and friendly faces at Harris Teeter to brighten our day. They have this win in the bag.

HARDWARE STORE H ACE HARDWARE OF HILTON HEAD

Want to know why this hometown favorite took home the win?

It’s right in the jingle. Ace is the place.

HEALTH FOOD/VITAMIN STORE H WHOLE FOODS MARKET

We’ve all been taking a closer look at our health lately, meaning we’ve been seeking out the kind of wholesome and healthy items you’ll find at Whole Foods.

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JEWELRY STORE H FORSYTHE JEWELERS

A true icon of the island, Forsythe has been blinging out locals and visitors alike for 40 years.

MEN’S STORE H PALMETTOES

THRIFT SHOP H THE CHURCH MOUSE BOUTIQUE THRIFT SHOP

Great prices and a great cause. What’s not to love?

TIRE STORE H ISLAND TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Dressing up or dressing down, the well-heeled island gentleman always knows where to go for the dapper duds that dazzle.

Between all the Readers’ Choice Award wins and various other accolades, do you think these guys are tired of winning? We didn’t think so.

NEW BUSINESS H HAZEL DEAN’S

TOY STORE H HILTON HEAD TOYS - HARBOUR TOWN

Sea Pines has found itself a brand-new spot for fine gourmet cheese, beer and wine. And our readers have found their new favorite place to gear up for their festivities.

The lost art of playtime is born again with every visit to Hilton Head Toys, giving kids of all ages something to cherish.

SHOPPING CENTER

Going above and beyond your typical wine & spirit store offerings puts Rollers into the winner’s circle. Cheers!

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SHELTER COVE TOWNE CENTRE

This open-air cornucopia of shopping, dining and entertainment has been a smash hit ever since it opened, and a clear favorite among our readers.

SPORTING GOODS STORE H PLAYER’S WORLD OF SPORTS

The true champions of this category, Player’s World of Sports has a track record of Readers’ Choice Award Wins.

WINE & SPIRITS STORE H ROLLERS WINE & SPIRITS

WOMEN’S STORE H THE PINK PINEAPPLE

The great Cyndi Lauper once said that girls just want to have fun. For proof, check out the now award-winning fiercely fun apparel at The Pink Pineapple.

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AUTO DETAILING H AUTO SPA

When your ride must be flawless, these are the experts to give it that showroom-quality shine inside and out.

AUTO REPAIR H H & H AUTO SERVICE INC.

Local since before local was a thing, H&H have been clear favorites for auto repair with consistency for years.

CARPET CLEANING H HIGH TIDE RESTORATION & CLEANING

Stains, burns, spills and water damage get swept away when the High Tide truck rolls in. An appreciative island has named them the favorite for their efforts.

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EVENT PLANNING COMPANY H SIGNATURE CATERING & EVENTS BY SERG

The people behind some of your favorite restaurants bring their culinary ‘A’ game to your party, but it’s the atmosphere they create that makes them winners.

HOME CLEANING H HH CLEANING SERVICES, LLC

Your forever home or rental property isn’t truly clean until it’s been given the white-glove treatment by HH Cleaning Services.

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PERFORMING ARTS VENUE H ARTS CENTER OF COASTAL CAROLINA

We’re just so happy to have live theater back that we’d be willing to watch it anywhere. Being able to take in a show amid the elegance and sophistication of the Arts Center, we’re feeling a little spoiled.

PHOTOGRAPHER H BROOKE SIMONS PHOTOGRAPHY

With this win, Brooke Simons makes it two in a row, capturing our readers’ votes with her keen eye for detail and outstanding skills.

TECH SUPPORT COMPANY H CAROLINA IT

Why did Carolina IT win for favorite Tech Support Company?

Because they didn’t want to crash the party! Get it? Crash? We’ll see ourselves out.

TELE COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER H HARGRAY COMMUNICATIONS

The biggest little telecom in town, Hargray has been keeping the Lowcountry wired since day one.

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BIKE STORE & RENTALS H THE BIKE DOCTOR HILTON HEAD

For anyone looking to take advantage of our bike trails, the doctor is in.

BOAT DEALER H THE BOATHOUSE

More people than ever are getting out on the water, and they’re heading to The Boathouse to make all their nautical wishes come true.

HOTEL H THE WESTIN HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESORT & SPA

For a staycation, group outing or welcoming guests, locals know The Westin will give the red-carpet treatment to one and all.

OUTDOOR EXCURSION/TOUR COMPANY H ISLAND EXPLORER

Climb aboard one of their 12-person skiffs and enjoy an intimate day of basking in our area’s aquatic majestic.

PRIVATE GOLF CLUB H LONG COVE CLUB

As challenging as it is drop-dead gorgeous, Long Cove Club’s 7,000 yards of Pete Dye brilliance take home this year’s prize.

PUBLIC GOLF CLUB H HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS

The island’s most famous landmark isn’t just the candy-cane lighthouse. It’s also the 18 holes of pure magic around it.

TENNIS CENTER H PALMETTO DUNES TENNIS & PICKLEBALL CENTER

PD nets another win in our Readers’ Choice Awards, and we have to tell you — we love it.

TRAVEL AGENCY H VALERIE WILSON TRAVEL INC.

All the buying power of a big agency with a boutique approach — when you’re ready to see the world, make this your first stop.

WATERSPORT RENTAL COMPANY H H2O SPORTS

Tourists and locals alike know where to go when they want to get some adrenaline pumping out on the waves.

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MEET THE WINNERS ACCOUNTANTS H JAMES A. PARRISH, CPA, PA Whether it’s filing their taxes or keeping their small business in the black, Bluffton trusts James A. Parrish with their books and their votes.

ART GALLERY H SOCIETY OF BLUFFTON ARTISTS In a town where expression is everything and art is life, SoBA has been elevating our artistic profile for decades, securing their spot as a Bluffton institution.

BANK H BANK OF AMERICA

BOA goes all the way, taking in this year’s award for favorite bank in Bluffton.

CAR DEALERSHIP H STOKES TOYOTA HILTON HEAD

Come for the quality vehicles and stellar service, stay to do a few rounds on the NBA Jam arcade machine. You’ll understand why so many Blufftonians voted them their favorite.

FAMILY PLANNING LAWYER H CATHERINE WEST OLIVETTI

For more than a quarter century, Catherine West Olivetti has been earning her clients’ trust. And now, she earns their vote as favorite family planning lawyer.

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FINANCIAL ADVISOR H EDWARD JONES - FINANCIAL ADVISOR: DANIELLE B. JEFFCOAT, AAMS®

Trusted insight, genuine client care and a deep wealth of experience have combined to earn Danielle Jeffcoat a win for favorite financial advisor.

GATED COMMUNITY H HAMPTON LAKE

Life’s a little better on the lake, as any Hampton Lake resident will attest. They’ve said as much with their votes, giving Hampton Lake the win.

HEATING AND AIR COMPANY H E.A.C. HEATING & AIR

It takes a lot to emerge from the crowded field of heating and air companies as Bluffton’s favorite. E.A.C. has proven with each satisfied customer that they’ve earned this win.

INTERIOR DESIGN COMPANY H KELLY CARON DESIGNS

The firm that established the look of Lowcountry luxury continues to grow forward, beautifying commercial and residential spaces and infusing them with their signature sophistication.

INSURANCE COMPANY H CAROLINA HERITAGE INSURANCE

Home and auto, floor and fire, these are the folks who have you covered with comprehensive plans and absolutely no annoying commercials.

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LAWYER GENERAL PRACTICE H REBECCA HALE - HALE & HALE, P.A.

All hail Bluffton’s choice for favorite Lawyer, Rebecca Hale of Hale & Hale.

MORTGAGE COMPANY H MORTGAGE NETWORK, INC.

Mortgage Network secures yet another win in this category on the strength of their service, expertise and decades of service to the Lowcountry.

NONPROFIT GROUP H BLUFFTON SELF HELP

Those folks with the red aprons have done a lot of good over the years, helping change lives and elevating Bluffton as a community.

For that, they’ve earned this top spot.

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER H OLIVETTI, MCCRAY AND WITHROW LLC

Helping their clients through the toughest times, the top-notch attorneys at Olivetti, McCray and Withrow LLC are your favorite.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY H COASTAL RENTALS

Offering peace of mind that’s never more than a phone call away, Coastal Rentals has been the people’s choice, and now it’s the favorite of our readers.

REAL ESTATE LAWYER H MIKKELSON LAW FIRM

Buying or selling a home is stressful enough as it is. Mikkelson Law Firm helps ease the pain with a streamlined approach that makes closing a breeze.

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REAL ESTATE AGENT H ROBERT MOUL

One of the top-producing real estate brokers in the country, Robert Moul makes it two in a row with this Readers’ Choice Awards win.

REAL ESTATE COMPANY H COLLINS GROUP REALTY Buying or selling, the real estate professionals at Collins Group Realty are always first on Bluffton’s speed dial, making them this year’s clear winners.

RETIREMENT FACILITY H VINEYARD BLUFFTON ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Offering all the comforts of home and then some, like their exquisite dining program, Vineyard has set itself apart from the pack and earned the top spot.

WEDDING VENUE H HEWITT OAKS: WEDDINGS+EVENTS+RETREATS

For that fairy tale Southern wedding, it’s tough to beat 25 acres of majestic live oaks and stunning lakeside views.

LOCAL BAND H DEAS GUYZ

It’s not a party until Deas Guyz show up. Then it’s a toe-tapping, head-bopping bacchanalia with a soundtrack of the best songs you’ve ever heard.

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A dedication to development and a tremendous amount of attention to each child have helped Amazing Creations rake in the Readers’ Choice Awards year in and year out.

HIGHER EDUCATION H TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

Also winners in our Hilton Head voting, TCL continues to shine with its degree programs and upcoming culinary school.

KIDS ACTIVITIES/CLASSES H ALLIANCE DANCE ACADEMY

Miss Rochelle and her team are true Bluffton treasures, helping young people find their movement and launching a new generation of talented stars.

SCHOOLS K-12 H HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

When HHCA crossed the bridge, parents rejoiced. The proven track record of a school built for creating leaders had come to Bluffton, and Bluffton was quick to vote them into the top spot.

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You have to respect a place daring enough to put an item simply called “Egg!” on their starter menu, especially after you taste it and realize it is simply divine. Then you try the rest, and you’ll understand why Bluffton chose them for favorite appetizers.

BARBECUE H ONE HOT MAMA’S BLUFFTON

Bluffton was thrilled when Mama Orchid came back to B-Town, launching her new restaurant back where it all started. Never forget, Hilton Head. We got to enjoy their delectable barbecue first.

BURGER H OLD TOWN DISPENSARY

Really the only argument over which burger is Bluffton’s favorite is whether it’s the house, the caprese or the palmetto burger at Old Town Dispensary.

BURRITO H MI TIERRA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Mi Tierra has been the king of Mexican fare for years. It makes sense our readers would would vote them as winners.

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CRAB LEGS H RUSSO’S FRESH SEAFOOD

Bluffton likes to do it ourselves. As proof, rather than a restaurant we’ve honored one of the area’s best suppliers of delectably fresh crab legs, knowing we can get all our ingredients on the spot and flex our foodie muscles in our own kitchen.

FRENCH FRIES H OLD TOWN DISPENSARY On their own, Dispensary fries are a heavenly masterpiece of golden fried perfection. Make them truffle fries and prepare your taste buds for liftoff.

FRIED CHICKEN H CAHILL’S MARKET & CHICKEN KITCHEN

The absolute pinnacle of what fried chicken can be, Cahill’s is not only the clear choice for Bluffton, but possibly the best in the world.

HEALTHY MENU H THE JUICE HIVE

There’s been a huge amount of buzz around this hive since they opened, and it hasn’t stopped.

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SUSHI H AKOMEYA ASIAN BISTRO

The new kid on the block takes the top prize on the strength of its delicate rolls and bold flavors. Start with the signature Akomeya roll and work your way up.

TACO H TIO’S LATIN AMERICAN KITCHEN

Bursting with authentic flavors that gleefully blend Latin American spices and techniques, each bite of one of Tio’s delectable tacos is an international delight.

TAKE OUT/CURBSIDE H DOWNTOWN DELI

It’s a shame not to enjoy their beautiful dining room, but sometimes you just need a life-changing sandwich, but you have places to be. If so, this is your stop.

CR AF T KITCHEN

MARGARITA H AGAVE

Forget Taco Tuesday. There’s never a bad day to try out the inspired concoctions at Agave, sampling the fruits of their mixologists’ inspiration.

MILKSHAKE H OKATIE NUTRITION

Can you believe an Oreo Peanut Butter Pie milkshake can be healthy? You will, after one visit to this Riverwalk shake house.

OYSTERS H BLUFFTON SEAFOOD HOUSE

The Toomer family is seafood, period. So, when they serve it up in their restaurant you know it’s fresh, local and delicious.

PIZZA H MELLOW MUSHROOM BLUFFTON

Far out, man. That delectable dough and fresh toppings have made Mellow the spot for a slice when dining in Bluffton.

SALAD H THE COTTAGE

Only the epicurean geniuses at The Cottage could elevate a salad the way they have. Bursting with flavor and delicate textures, each bite is a fresh masterpiece.

SANDWICH H CRAFT KITCHEN

Vincent Kull took home the win for favorite new chef, so it only makes sense that the divine sandwich creations he dishes out would take the top prize.

STEAK H FRANKIE BONES-BLUFFTON

Picture that ideal steak —one that sizzles on the outside with a delicately crisp sear, while bursting with flavor in a perfectly marbled pink center. Drooling yet? Head to Frankie Bones and satiate that craving.

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WINGS H ONE HOT MAMA’S

One Hot Mama’s takes home the top prize for their wings both on- and off-island, proving that Bluffton and Hilton Head aren’t so different. At the end of the day, we all love a good wing.

ASIAN H WASABI

This Buckwalter gem has dazzled since day one, with mouthwatering flavors that evoke the far east and take your tastebuds on a global adventure.

EUROPEAN (NON-ITALIAN) H THE COTTAGE CAFE, BAKERY & TEA ROOM

The Cottage goes continental with a win in the European category, propelled by their sophisticated tea and mouth-watering paninis.

ITALIAN H BRICCO RISTORANTE ITALIANO

The absolute most authentic Italian cuisine you’re going to find can be found right here just off the Promenade. Lovely atmosphere-inspired wine selection and tantalizing food all make for a truly continental experience.

MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN H AGAVE For scrumptious tacos in a kaleidoscope of flavors and street corn that bursts with authentic flavors, Bluffton knows where to find the best Mexican cuisine on either side of the border.

SEAFOOD H MAY RIVER GRILL

Chef Charlie Sternburgh’s culinary mastery has earned him a top spot in the pantheon of Bluffton’s foodies, and what he can do with fresh seafood is simply sublime.

SOUTHERN H CAHILL’S MARKET & CHICKEN KITCHEN

The chicken may take center stage, but it has a supporting cast of down-home Southern favorites that have made Cahill’s the darling of not just Bluffton but the whole Lowcountry.

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BARBER SHOP H JOE’S CLASSIC CUTS BARBERSHOP

The classic neighborhood barbershop lives at Joe’s Classic Cuts, where getting a quality haircut is just part of the appeal. Sip a bourbon, join the conversation and before long you’re part of the community.

FITNESS CENTER H GUNNER-JACKSON STRENGTH CLUB

Pairing a foundation of scientific knowhow and a limitless well of motivation, Nick Shappee and his team are transforming lives and earning a win.

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HAIR SALON H SALON KARMA Bold, fresh and fierce, the expert stylists at Salon Karma have been lighting up the world with their signature looks, and Bluffton has reaped the benefits.

MASSAGE THERAPY H PULSEOLOGY HEALTH

More than just relaxation, PULSEology treats massage as a vital building block of total body health. A rejuvenated Bluffton agrees, voting them into the top spot.

MEDICAL SPA H LUX ~ A MEDICAL SPA

Winning in both Hilton Head and Bluffton, LUX has earned their reputation for quality care and true expertise.

NAIL SALON H H’ALLURE NAILS & SPA

H’all yeah Bluffton voted for these folks as their favorite.

SPA H LUX ~ A MEDICAL SPA Looking your best and feeling your best are part of the appeal at this luxurious medical spa, which takes home three wins in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

YOGA/PILATES H MOVE FITNESS

If there is a “celebrate a Readers’ Choice Awards win” pose, these would be the folks to teach it to you.

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APPLIANCE STORE H BILLY WOOD APPLIANCE

Bluffton and Hilton Head both voted in Billy Wood Appliance as their favorite. It’s almost as if people enjoy an amazing selection and friendly staff. Who knew?

ARCHITECT (TIE) H ANSLEY MANUEL - MANUEL STUDIO LLC // KRA ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

Brilliant designs and a deep knowledge of the perfect local look make Ansley Manuel and KRA favorites of our readers. It was too tough to pick, so they chose both.

BLINDS/WINDOW COVERING COMPANY H BUDGET BLINDS OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

With a showroom that feels like an art gallery, Budget Blinds packs a slew of inspiring options in blinds, shades and window treatments. Imagine how they’ll look on your wall.

CABINET COMPANY H PALMETTO CABINET STUDIO

Clean and contemporary or timeless and rustic, these are the cabinets that make Bluffton’s kitchens the envy of the Lowcountry.

CARPET/FLOORING COMPANY H NIX FLOORING & DESIGN Like artwork you can walk on, Nix Flooring & Design has been raising the bar for Lowcountry homes. Wood, tile, stone, you name it. They stand behind everything you stand on.

ELECTRICIAN

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PHILLIPS ELECTRICAL CO.

Bluffton is buzzing for their favorite electrician, Phillips Electrical Co.

GRANITE/STONE/MARBLE COMPANY H PRECISION GRANITE & MARBLE LLC

Chiseling out a victory, Precision Granite & Marble wowed our readers with their stunning selection of dazzling stone.

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HEATING AND AIR COMPANY H E.A.C. HEATING & AIR

It takes a lot to emerge from the crowded field of heating and air companies as Bluffton’s favorite. E.A.C. has proven with each satisfied customer that they’ve earned this win.

HOME BUILDER H SOUTHERN COASTAL HOMES

The sophistication and elegance of Lowcountry homes is their calling card, leading to not only some of the most dazzling buildings in the region but also a well-deserved win.

HOME FURNISHINGS STORE

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COASTAL HOME

Indoors and out, these folks have been helping Bluffton transform their homes since 1995. Bluffton has returned the favor by voting Coastal Home their favorite.

LANDSCAPING COMPANY H HILTON HEAD LANDSCAPES Residential and commercial projects in Bluffton look their finest thanks to the bevy of green thumbs at Hilton Head Landscapes.

MOVING COMPANY H HILTON HEAD MOVING & STORAGE

Ask any of our new neighbors and they’ll tell you Hilton Head Moving & Storage made it easy for them to bring it all with them as they embark on the good life.

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PEST CONTROL H HILTON HEAD EXTERMINATORS BLUFFTON

Another cross-bridge winner, Hilton Head Exterminator’s Bluffton operation takes the top prize on the mainland for their merciless dispatching of bugs and critters.

PLUMBER H LOW TIDE PLUMBING

It’s high times at Low Tide Plumbing, as their service and expertise help them tighten up a Readers’ Choice Awards win.

RENOVATIONS H SOUTHERN COASTAL HOMES

ALLIANCE ROOFING

OUTDOOR STORE H COASTAL HOME

When your garden party needs to be the talk of the season, start here with outdoor furniture that blends style and function for al fresco amazement.

NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER & NURSERY

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TAYLOR’S LANDSCAPE SUPPLY

Buds and bulbs and everything in between, with a knowledgeable and helpful staff to make sure you’re planting the right greens for your garden. No wonder they’ve earned the top spot.

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Winning for home builder alone would be a huge feather in any firm’s cap, given the embarrassment of riches we have here.

Winning for favorite builder and favorite renovation? That takes something special.

ROOFING/FABRICATION H ALLIANCE ROOFING

With wins on Hilton Head and Bluffton, Alliance Roofing proves they are at the top of their game.

TREE REMOVAL/ARBORIST H TREE WISE MEN LLC

In Bluffton, we tend to take our trees very seriously. We don’t trust them to just anybody. Truly the wise choice is our favorite this year.

ALLERGIST H DR. THOMAS C. BELLER, MD - ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CENTER OF BEAUFORT COUNTY

Garnering rave reviews from our readers and the top prize at this year’s awards, the expertise of Dr. Beller is nothing to sneeze at.

CHIROPRACTOR H DR. JUSTIN ZELLWEGER - ZELLWEGER FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

Deftly skilled at helping patients feel their best, the stars aligned for Dr. Zellweger, giving him a win.

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With wins in Hilton Head and Bluffton, no matter what side of the bridge you’re on, Beth is your go-to for pain-free living.

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ACUPUNCTURE H BETH SCHOON/ INTEGRATIVE PAIN RELIEF

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ENT DOCTOR (EAR, NOSE, THROAT) H DR. DAVID MAURER, MD

These days, you can’t be too careful with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Thankfully, Dr. Maurer is there with years of experience and expertise.

DENTIST (COSMETIC) AND DENTIST (FAMILY): DR. JESSICA M. GOWER, DMD

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There are overlaps between cosmetic and family dentistry, but they are in fact two very different skillsets. Being Bluffton’s favorite in both is a testament to Dr. Gower’s skill and expertise.

DERMATOLOGIST

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MAY RIVER DERMATOLOGY, LLC

Living in a sunny paradise makes the Bluffton lifestyle unique, but it can take its toll on your skin. Fortunately, May River Dermatology is there to keep Blufftonians healthy and beautiful.

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FAMILY MEDICAL PROVIDER H ERICA ROPER, PA-C - PALMETTO MEDICAL GROUP

This Hilton Head native has earned the trust of families across Bluffton, earning her the top spot in this year’s awards.

IN-HOME CARE

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The brightest smiles in Bluffton start here, with a dedicated staff of professionals and a commitment to patient care that shines.

PEDIATRIC DENTIST H ADVENTURE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

RIGHT AT HOME

Aging at home is a wonderful thing, and the dedicated experts at Right at Home have made it their passion to provide quality care.

They’re right at home in the winner’s circle.

OB/GYN H RIVERSIDE WOMEN’S CARE – BLUFFTON

Bluffton’s women trust their experienced healthcare professionals, showing that trust with their votes and giving Riverside Women’s Care the win.

OPHTHALMOLOGIST (EYE DOCTOR) (TIE) DR. MARK T. GOULAS, MD -GOULAS EYE H DR. TREY BISHOP, MD - BISHOP EYE H

It’s a testament to the many qualified eye care professionals in our area that voting was so tight on this one, resulting in a rare Readers’ Choice Awards draw.

OPTOMETRIST (VISION CARE) H DR. CATHERINE DARLING DARLING EYE CENTER

The eyes have it, giving Dr. Catherine Darling a clear win in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

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ORTHODONTIST H BLUFFTON ORTHODONTICS

With a kid-friendly atmosphere and highly qualified professionals, a trip to Adventure is like vacation but with a brighter smile.

PEDIATRIC PRACTICE H PALMETTO PEDIATRICS OF THE LOWCOUNTRY

As with their neighbors on the island, Bluffton voted Palmetto Pediatrics of the Lowcountry their favorite. And we have to believe their kids would agree.

PHARMACY H ULMER FAMILY PHARMACY & WELLNESS CENTER

The Ulmers compound a win, blending personal service and extensive knowledge into a potent tonic.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST H PULSEOLOGY HEALTH

Less pain and better range of movement starts here, with skilled therapists that will see you along every step of the way.

PLASTIC SURGEON H WENIGER PLASTIC SURGERY

Taking the win in both Hilton Head and Bluffton, Weniger Plastic Surgery tucks away double wins in this year.

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DOG TRAINER H ALISON ARMAO

Our own resident dog whisperer has been the leader of the pack for nearly 30 years, building better dogs for Bluffton.

PET BOARDING H BROOKE’S BED & BISCUIT

Your furry friend’s favorite home away from home, Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit is a relaxing getaway from the everyday for your pet.

PET GROOMING H GROOMINGDALES

If they could talk, the most fashionable pets in Bluffton would be raving about their go-to for looking fresh and fierce. Since they can’t, their owners said it by voting Groomingdales their favorite.

PET SUPPLY STORE H WOOF GANG BAKERY & GROOMING OLD TOWN BLUFFTON

Also winners for favorite new business, Woof Gang offers everything you need for that four-legged furry friend.

VETERINARIAN H BUCKWALTER VETERINARY CLINIC

Keeping your pets happy and healthy is just part of the job. Building bonds of trust with pet parents is how Buckwalter Veterinary Clinic has earned the top spot.

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RESTAURANTS

BAKERY H THE COTTAGE CAFE, BAKERY & TEA ROOM

The scones are to die for, and they are just one of a smorgasbord of delectable delights behind the glass at The Cottage.

BAR/LATE NIGHT H CAPTAIN WOODY’S SEAFOOD BAR

Whether it’s jamming along to some tunes or getting a mental workout at trivia, the upstairs outdoor bar at Captain Woody’s is where Bluffton goes for a good time.

BARTENDER H CORY HUGHES - BLUFFTON ROOM

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BEER SELECTION H CRAFT KITCHEN

Beer newbies, it’s time to step out of your IPA bubble and discover the whole world of inspired ales, stouts, lagers and sours that the southeast’s brewing community has created.

You’ll find the best here.

BREAKFAST H CAHILL’S MARKET & CHICKEN KITCHEN

There’s a farmhouse breakfast, and then there’s a farmhouse breakfast right on the farm. We know which one we want to wake up to.

A master mixologist with a penchant for craft cocktails, Cory keeps the drinks flowing and the conversation jumping at Bluffton Room.

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BREWERY: H SOUTHERN BARREL BREWING CO.

Southern Barrel didn’t rest on their laurels, plunging ahead with a dazzling array of inspired craft beers that have hop heads hopping.

BRUNCH H FARM BLUFFTON

Since opening, FARM has been at the vanguard of Bluffton’s culinary renaissance. In return, Bluffton toasts them every Sunday at brunch and voted FARM their favorite too.

CATERING COMPANY H DOWNTOWN DELI

Is it even a party in Bluffton if Downtown Deli isn’t there to keep the festivities delicious?

CHEF H POUR RICHARD’S

If they were to build a Mount Rushmore of great Lowcountry chefs, you’d see Richard Canestrari right up there front and center. He’s that good.

COFFEE SHOP H CORNER PERK BRUNCH CAFE & COFFEE ROASTERS

This is coffee as it should be — fresh roasted, prepared with care and a friendly smile, and heavenly to taste. It’s sheer caffeinated bliss, and Bluffton’s pick for favorite coffee shop.

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COUNTER SERVICE H SIPPIN’ COW CAFE & GRILL

There has to be some wizardry going on in the kitchen at Sippin’ Cow. It boggles the mind that something so good and fresh can be ready to go so quickly. Don’t question it – just enjoy it.

DELI H ALVIN ORD’S SANDWICH SHOP

Salvation is at hand! Not only does Alvin Ord’s bless Bluffton with deli sandwiches piled high on their signature bread, they build flavor profiles that always leave you hungry for more.

DESSERT MENU H THE COTTAGE CAFE, BAKERY & TEA ROOM

The atmosphere is amazing, but don’t let that distract you from the decadent creations on offer here at The Cottage.

FINE DINING H THE BLUFFTON ROOM

There was a time when fine dining and Bluffton were rarely mentioned in the same sentence. Then The Bluffton Room came along and proved you can enjoy the finer things in a town built around the simpler things.

FOOD TRUCK H THE SOUTHERN PEEL

Rolling into Bluffton with their signature flatbread flavorbombs, The Southern Peel has proven that the future of food is mobile.

SOUTHERN PEEL FOOD TRUCK

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HAPPY HOUR H CAPTAIN WOODY’S SEAFOOD BAR

Go see Jeff, Patrick, Frank and Gunner when you need that after-work pick-me-up. That’s what Bluffton does — and we know our happy hours.

KID-FRIENDLY H CRAFT KITCHEN

Being a parent doesn’t mean missing out on delicious craft beer.

At Craft Kitchen, you can still make it family time and everyone wins!

LUNCH H THE COTTAGE CAFE, BAKERY & TEA ROOM

Park yourself by the side of Calhoun Street and find out why Bluffton’s favorite mid-day feasts happen here at The Cottage.

NEW CHEF H VINCENT KULL - CRAFT KITCHEN

The same care that went into cultivating a brilliant beer list goes into every dish on Vincent Kull’s menu. It’s a tight selection of starters and sandwiches, but every morsel absolutely shines.

NEW RESTAURANT H LOWCOUNTRY FRESH MARKET & CAFÉ

LOWCOUNTRY FRESH MARKE T & CAFÉ

It doesn’t get more farm-to-table than this. Watch the farmer roll in bursting with fresh produce from just up the road, then enjoy it mere moments later. It’s the genuine article, with every bite as fresh as fresh gets.

FAVORITE SERVICES & PROFESSIONALS

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OUTDOOR DINING H OLD TOWN DISPENSARY

With some of the best live music in town and an enchanting location under the stars, the front courtyard at Old Town Dispensary is Bluffton’s favorite spot for al fresco amazement.

PET FRIENDLY H OLD TOWN DISPENSARY

We can’t let dogs vote in our Readers’ Choice Awards (for one, they can’t read), but if we did, they’d declare the courtyard at the Dispensary their favorite place to sniff and be sniffed.

RESTAURANT STAFF H JILL AT CAHILL’S MARKET BLUFFTON

Always ready with another glass of sweet tea or a second helping of that mouth-watering chicken, Jill is Bluffton’s clear favorite.

SPORTS BAR H SOUTHERN BARREL

What goes together better than sports and beer? How about sports and award-winning craft beer? It’s a one-two punch that has put Southern Barrel on top for sports fans.

WATER VIEWS H FISHCAMP ON 11TH STREET

It’s a bit of a drive up to Port Royal, but when you’re enjoying mouth-watering cuisine amid a panoramic view of the river, you’ll realize it was worth every mile.

WINE SELECTION H CORKS WINE CO.

Red or white, imported or domestic, if it’s intriguing and delicious you’ll find it here.

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BRIDAL BOUTIQUE H BLUSH BRIDAL & FORMAL WEAR

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Bridal wear, formal wear, tuxedos…. It’s one-stop shopping for the whole bridal party, and a big winner in this year’s awards.

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CHILDREN’S CLOTHING H MOONLIT LULLABY

Opening their Calhoun Street store gave a whole new group of parents- and grandparents-to-be a chance to check out the adorable threads on display at Moonlit Lullaby.

CONSIGNMENT SHOP H BARGAINS & TREASURES

When Bluffton goes hunting for great deals, they head to the target-rich environment of Bargains & Treasures. They have something for everyone, and everyone else.

FLORIST H OLD BLUFFTON FLOWERS & GIFTS

For special occasions, weddings, anniversaries or just because, Bluffton knows that when you need to say it right, you need to say it with something from Old Bluffton Flowers & Gifts.

GIFT/NOVELTY STORE H MARKEL’S CARD & GIFT SHOP

A Bluffton institution of the highest order, Markel’s has been part of millions of celebrations across the Lowcountry since they started.

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GROCERY STORE H PUBLIX SUPER MARKET AT BUCKWALTER PLACE

Spacious, clean, well-stocked and easy to get around. What more could you ask for in a grocery store? Oh right, the bakery. And the chicken. It’s easy to see why Publix took the top spot.

HARDWARE STORE H HEUSER HARDWARE AT BUCKWALTER PLACE

The big boxes have nothing on this Buckwalter Place gem, where a friendly and knowledgeable staff guides you through everything you need to complete projects big and small.

HEALTH FOOD/VITAMIN STORE H LIGHTHOUSE CBD & WELLNESS

As more people discover the wellness-boosting properties of CBD, Lighthouse has been there to guide them to a healthier lifestyle.

JEWELRY STORE H GOLIS FAMILY JEWELERS

One of the first in town is still the best, earning generations of loyalty and a win for favorite jewelry store.

NEW BUSINESS H WOOF GANG BAKERY & GROOMING OLD TOWN BLUFFTON

Since they first set out their shingle, Woof Gang has had tails wagging and proud pet parents grinning from ear to ear.

MOONLIT LULL ABY

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SPORTING GOODS STORE H SOUTHERN DRAWL OUTFITTERS

When you’re getting ready to head out in the field or on the water, this needs to be your first stop. It’s Bluffton’s favorite.

THRIFT SHOP H PALMETTO ANIMAL LEAGUE

Finding great bargains on gently used goods AND helping support animals in need? That’s the very definition of a win-win.

TIRE STORE H NTB-NATIONAL TIRE & BATTERY

Racking up a win for favorite tire store, NTB is on a roll.

TOY STORE H MOONLIT LULLABY

If you think it’s all about the adorable clothing, think again.

Moonlit Lullaby is also the best spot for stuffed animals, developmental toys and playthings for all ages.

WINE & SPIRITS STORE H BILL’S

A huge selection of old standbys and intriguing items worth a shot put Bill’s into the top spot. We’ll drink to that!

WOMEN’S STORE H COCOON

Clothing, shoes, accessories, gifts and décor greet you in a kaleidoscope of sophistication and style at Cocoon, ensuring that one visit will never be enough to truly take it all in.

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AUTO DETAILING H TOP TINT OF BLUFFTON

Ask anyone in Bluffton, and they’ll tell you your ride isn’t fresh until it’s been through Top Tint.

AUTO REPAIR H BEACHSIDE TIRE & AUTO

Fair pricing, an expert staff and a welcoming atmosphere have propelled Beachside to the heights of Readers’ Choice Awards stardom.

CARPET CLEANING H HIGH TIDE RESTORATION & CLEANING

They’re keeping carpets spotless and racking up Readers’ Choice Award wins on both sides of the bridge.

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HOME CLEANING H IN & OUT CLEANING & STEAMING

If you have kids, pets or even rowdy houseguests, you know how important keeping your home clean is. These folks do it all, ensuring everything is spotless after they get in and out.

PERFORMING ARTS VENUE H ARTS CENTER OF COASTAL CAROLINA

It takes a lot for Blufftonians to cross the bridge, but this world-class arts venue is well worth the trip.

PHOTOGRAPHER H CASSIE CLAYSHULTE

Making her mark with her infant, baby and toddler photos, Cassie Clayshulte’s lens has captured moments that will last a lifetime.

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TECH SUPPORT COMPANY H SNS TECHNOLOGIES

Pairing leading-edge technology with personal service has proven to be a winning combination for SNS Technologies, much to the chagrin of hackers and scammers everywhere.

TELE COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER H HARGRAY COMMUNICATIONS

On or off island, the biggest little telecom in town takes home the top prize once again in our Readers’ Choice Awards.

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BIKE STORE & RENTALS H OLD TOWN BIKE BARN & ADVENTURES

Ideally located for a peddle-powered trek around Old Town, this is where Bluffton goes to fix up their cruisers or take out a new ride for the day.

BOAT DEALER H MATTHEWS MARINE

Stocked with the hottest models and staffed by the friendliest, most knowledgeable folks on land or on sea, Matthews Marine sails to victory.

HOTEL H OLD TOWN BLUFFTON INN

Set right in the heart of Old Town, this gorgeous property evokes the finest in Southern hospitality. Vince and Danielle Harrison are true ambassadors for Bluffton, welcoming scores of visitors and locals alike.

OUTDOOR EXCURSION/TOUR COMPANY H DAUFUSKIE ISLAND FERRY

Leave your worries behind and climb aboard for a peaceful trip around our quiet island neighbor, like so many of our readers have.

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PRIVATE GOLF CLUB H BERKELEY HALL GOLF CLUB

As sophisticated as the community it calls home and as challenging as any course in the Lowcountry, Berkeley Hall Golf Club is the par-fect choice for this category.

PUBLIC GOLF CLUB H OLD SOUTH GOLF LINKS

Bluffton loves sneaking in 18 holes at Old South Golf Links, and it’s easy to see why. Challenging fairways, fair pricing and an atmosphere that’s pure enjoyment.

TRAVEL AGENCY H EMILY PRANGE WITH THE VACATION WIZARDS

A proud graduate of Disney’s College of Knowledge, Emily handles every aspect of your dream vacation, letting you get down to the serious work of enjoying yourself.

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HOLIDAY GIFT

Guide

1 1. CUSTOM DESIGNED ORNAMENT BY COASTAL HOME Coastal Home 843-837-4100 Coastalhomehhi.com

GIFTS FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS

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2. BIG GREEN EGG, THE ULTIMATE COOKING EXPERIENCE! Ace Hardware 843-681-5777 acehardwareofhiltonhead.com 3. TEAL SHAPELY BOWL LaSource Living 843-785-5261 lasourceliving.com

4. RED POINSETTIA Bruno’s Landscape & Nursery 843-682-2624 brunolandscapeandnursery.com

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GRILLING MADE FUN! 4

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HOLIDAY GIFT

Guide GIFTS FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS

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20. SCULPTURE

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HOLIDAY GIFT

Guide GIFTS FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS

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HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HOLIDAY SILVER

LET IT SHINE

BY AMY BARTLETT In any environment, silver is a classic leading character, especially when hosting meets Southern hospitality. When you add the glowing grandeur of the holiday season, silver steps forward, finds its light and becomes the star of the show.

Though “made for the moment” of seasonal celebrations, silver can also be underused and overlooked due to the misnomer that it’s hard to care for. But sparkling, spotless silver is simpler than you’d think, if you know what it needs.

RULE NO. 1: USE YOUR SILVER Howard White, president of Corbell Silver Company says, “Silver improves with age.” Hilary Allinson, one of the family of founders of Hôtel Silver agrees, “We leave most of our silver out on open shelving to use daily. It’s an ‘everyday luxury’ ” she says, speaking of the Hôtel Silver inventory at Cassandra’s Kitchen — an Ina Garten fan-favorite shop in Bluffton.

If you do store, be sure items are in untreated, soft cloths or acid-free tissue, but Allinson’s advice is unanimous among experts, “Don’t put it away.”

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NO. 2: FOLLOW THE RULES • DON’T use rubber gloves when polishing or put silver in the dishwasher. Rubber gloves can cause silver to tarnish. Dishwashers may leave spots and hot water or harsh detergents can damage silver.

• DO use a mild dish soap and soft cloth for gentle cleaning. For heavier tarnish, try baking soda and water or any one of the recommended polishes like Wrights or Twinkle.

• AVOID open flame (5 feet or more), acidic foods, air drying (hand dry immediately), or too long in humidity.

• DON’T polish too harshly, or with any abrasive materials.

• DO polish regularly is one of the simplest ways to keep your silver’s shine. Polish with clean, soft cloths or cotton balls.

• DO separate pieces when putting away the silver.

Contact may lead to scratches. Use cotton. Store in a well-ventilated spot to avoid moisture.

• DON’T store with items that can cause spots, such as newspapers.

• DO wrap silver in cloth wraps or with acid-free tissue paper.

You can’t cut corners with silver, but if you speak its language it will not only last your lifetime, it may become a generational tradition.

RULE NO. 3: BE CREATIVE If you’re new to the silver scene, you might be thinking of a tarnished water pitcher or your grandmother’s heavy wood box silverware set, and the daunting concept of polishing the pieces, tine-by-tine by dinnertime. Perish the thought.

Silver elements are some of the most versatile and impressive ways to dress up any setting.

Browse the Beatriz Ball collection at Le Cookery on Hilton Head, and you’ll see silver design that puts form far over function, from simple bowls that become centerpieces, to asymmetrical works of art that can serve as an atypical champagne bucket.

Allinson suggests wine coolers as “elegant vessels for poinsettias, orchids and seasonal greens.” Pedestal cake stands “make instant holiday centerpieces piled with pomegranates or deep red apples with sprigs of boxwood of holly leaves tucked in between the fruit.”

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RULE NO. 4: GIFT IT AWAY Perhaps Allinson’s most creative share: “A vintage spreader tied onto a jar of jam or a small round of camembert with a pretty ribbon makes a beautiful gift.”

Divided dishes can be donned with lemons and limes on a wet bar. Footed sorbet bowls and bottle coasters can be repurposed for spiced nuts, wrapped candies, or teeming with truffles.

Vintage platters and trays can be adorned with votives and flower vases and holiday decorations.

When it comes to the adaptability and longevity of silver, anything makes a memorable and meaningful gift and doubles as décor.

From ornaments to menorahs, table settings to perfect gifts, cutlery, jewelry, picture frames, engraved keepsakes, silver is one of the surest ways to make your moments “merry and bright.”

The easiest way to keep it company-ready and to work up a lush patina over time is to use it.

Keep it out. Show it off. Give it a seat at the table.

Let it shine.

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Season OF IMAGINATION Decorate your home for the holidays

BY DEAN ROWLAND

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The season for decorating is here.

“Decorating is the time for imagination,” said Janet Fanning, nursery manager at The Greenery. “It’s also a time for memories and traditions.”

Sweetgrass baskets, long a staple for centuries that traces its roots in Africa and the Gullah communities here and along the Sea Islands, are ever present during the holiday season.

Heirloom pieces also are displayed. The indispensable cash crop indigo, often mixed with plaid, has a long history here.

As always, there are tried and true holiday decorating classics that never go out of style and trendy touches that may push the boundaries of color, shape and placement always put their stamp on a new year.

Whatever your display preference is, keep it simple. Too many decorations can overwhelm the senses and complicate a good idea into a cluttered mess that loses its intended impact.

Center stage belongs to the holiday tree, almost always a Fraser fir. If Fraser trees aren’t available, standbys are firs such as balsam, Douglas, Sapphire, white, blue, grand, Nordman and noble.

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PRO TIP: Incorporate nature into your decor

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Red and green are the traditional colors this time of year for hanging ornaments, wrapping presents, draping ribbons and bows, adorning branches with holly berries, hugging a garland in and around branches and stringing lights. Consider replacing tree skirts with tree collars and putting aside drab tree stands with an eye-catching bucket or basket. Add a personal touch with handcrafted or family keepsakes.

Add some old and new silver ornaments in varying shapes and sizes to make the classic Christmas tree dazzle.

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PRO TIP: Decorate in style with monochromatic colors

Other attractive decoration options are driftwood, starfish, oyster shells, red berries, sprigs, wood picks, Christmas cactus, and cyclamen and croton plants.

Also, mag nolia leaves, bent heads of agapanthus plants, grasses, crepe myrtles, bay leaves, plus rosemary and thyme for fragrance.

Consider varying these shades of color, from soft to bold, to enhance the visual appeal.

Red and green will never go out of style. But this year’s living room or tabletop will be seeing some rose golds, blues, white, silver and metallic throughout to add some glitter.

Local poinsettias are a must for any home; just make sure they’re the right size, said Jordan Bruno, nursery manager of Bruno Landscaping and Nursery on Hilton Head. This year’s crop includes red, white, orange, rainbow, pink, gold and variegated. Credit the Aztecs for introducing

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the poinsettia to the world. If tended to, they will last long after the holiday ends.

The ever-popular wreath has its origins with the Romans, and they’re now a mainstay in the Catholic church.

Place the wreath on the front door with or without candles burning below and also match evergreens in each window. Add some English holly or wide red ribbons for a touch of red color.

“There’s a lot of things in nature you can use, whether spray painted or not,” Fanning said: pine cones, seed pods from crape myrtles, ratchet straps for pre-blooms and pre-cut agapanthus. Tie up branches with wire and place and affix an attractive bow.

Lighting a menorah also brightens the season.

K nown as the “celebration of lights,” Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of the

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Maccabees over their oppressors.

After reclaiming their temple, they found only enough oil to create light for one day, but that oil lasted for eight days.

The lighting of the Hanukkah candles symbolizes that miracle — which is why the nine candles of the menorah offer great significance to this religious holiday.

Other decorative ideas include hanging swag over a mailbox.

“Outdoor decorating is a personal thing,” Fanning said. “Figure out what works with your indoor and outdoor décor.”

No matter how you decorate, be sure to embrace the season.

“Get into the holiday spirit,” Bruno said. “Getting into the spirit is step No. 1 to get ready to decorate.”

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IIREAL ESTATE NEWSII

CHARTER ONE REALTY HOSTS ANNUAL TOY DRIVE Charter One Realty has started its sixth annual Holiday Toy Drive in partnership with Deep Well, Bluffton Self Help, and the United Way. Members of the community are invited to drop off new, unwrapped toys at its sales offices through Tuesday, Dec. 7. Charter One Realty is also collecting toys during the Bluffton Christmas Parade on Dec. 4. Parade attendees who wish to donate a toy to a child in need can drop a toy in a collection box at 1 Promenade St. in Bluffton.

WEICHERT REALTORS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN REAL ESTATE Weichert Realtors-Coastal Properties was recognized at the 2021 Weichert Sellebration in Las Vegas. The national conference welcomed Weichert affiliated brokers, owners, managers and agents from Weichert franchised offices across 42 states.

Agents Kelly Ruhlin and Sherryl Hennessey earned top producer awards for reaching specified thresholds in gross commission income from the previous year. Kim McElman was named the National Rookie of the Year. The company and co-broker/owners Karen and Joe Ryan were recognized as members of the prestigious Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Premier Client Group. The company’s marketing team, led by marketing director Kelly Ryan, was presented with the inaugural Buzzy Award, which recognizes excellence in public relations, social media and involvement with the local community.

HUYNH

CARBONARO

REDD

CENTURY 21 DIAMOND REALTY HIRES AGENT Ashley Guarnotta Huynh has joined the Century 21 Diamond Realty team. Huynh moved to Hilton Head Island in 2020 after years of family vacations. She has a passion for real estate and a genuine interest in guiding clients throughout the home buying and selling process.

NAR: RETAIL VACANCY AT LOWEST LEVELS SINCE 2020 Retail leasing activity returned to prepandemic levels in the second quarter of 2021, according to the National Association of Realtors. Leasing activity through the first three quarters of 2021 of 151 million square feet was better than across the same period last year (137 million square feet).

Four markets, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (5 million square feet); New York, N.Y. (4.7 million square feet); Houston, Texas, (4.4 million square feet); Los Angeles, Ca., (4.2 million square feet); and Atlanta, Ga., (3.9 million square feet), led the nation in retail leasing activity as of October, according to CoStar data.

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HARDY

PRYOR TEAM

WEICHERT REALTORS WELCOMES FIVE TO ITS TEAM Melissa Redd, Kim Carbonaro, Vickie and Joe Pryor, and Terence Hardy have joined the Weichert Realtors real estate team.

Redd, who will work out of the Hilton Head Island office, brings more than 16 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the wellness coaching space combined with her passion for service and helping. Redd is a member of the Hilton Head MLS as well as the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors. She is on the board of directors for the Moss Creek Golf Cottages and is a Lead for the Moss Creek Ambassador Program welcoming new owners to the community.

After spending 10 years vacationing on Hilton Head Island, Carbonaro and her husband, Joe, moved their family to the Lowcountry full time.

She spent 20 years as a stay-at-home mom raising her two sons and two daughters, volunteering in many school functions.

Carbonaro will work out of the Hilton Head Island office.

The Pryor Team has joined the real estate firm and will work out of the Sun City/Okatie office.

Vickie Pryor recently returned to the real estate market after moving across the country with Joe, her husband of 35 years. She graduated from college with a degree in psychology. She won “Rookie of the Year” her first year in real estate and did most of her real estate career in Texas for eight years but also had licenses in Virginia and Tennessee.

Born in Charleston, Joe Pryor returns to South Carolina. His interest in real estate began when he was a Realtor in Texas. He has been in ministry for most of his adult life and served as a prison chaplain for 21 years.

Hardy, who will work out of the Hilton Head Island office, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany.

He graduated from Long County High School in Ludowici, Georgia, in May 2000 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2003 he was deployed to Kuwait, to Fallujah, Iraq in 2005 and in 2008 to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

After retiring, Hardy completed real estate school.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ADDS AGENTS Gabrielle Horry and Angela Thomas-Jackson have joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Bay Street Realty Group as agents. Horry is beginning her career in real estate as an assistant to Denise Horry, with a focus on home sales for Forino Homes. Prior to real estate, she served as a fourth-grade teacher in Charleston.

Thomas-Jackson will assist her clients in purchasing and selling properties. She joins Bay Street Realty Group with more than six years of experience as a Realtor in Tennessee.

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FEWER AVAILABLE HOUSES MEAN STIFFER COMPETITION, HIGHER PRICES

Real estate broker Michael Manesiotis started the second week in October with one house in his rental home inventory. He knew it would be gone by the end of the week.

“It is amazing the climate we have,” said Manesiotis, broker in charge at Hilton Head Long-Term Rentals. “We can list a property on Thursday and have four or five hits or interested inquiries by Monday.”

The long-term rental house shortage is a result of the scarcity of houses for sale in the Hilton Head-Bluffton market. Homes are selling so fast that sellers are seeking rental homes until they find somewhere new to live. Buyers are renting until they can find a home or while the home they bought is undergoing renovation. As a result, rental rates are rising.

In October, single-family home inventory in the Hilton Head/Bluffton region was 659, down 48.4 percent from October a year ago, according to the Hilton Head Area Realtors and the Hilton Head MLS. “The buyers are still there,” said Jean Beck, CEO of Hilton Head Area Realtors. “It is the inventory that is low. That is where people are challenged.”

The average sales price was $680,933, up 19.7 percent from the same time last year.

“Our level of inventory is just sort of bouncing along the bottom,” said Tom Reed, president and broker in charge at Charter One Realty. “If you go back in time, end to end, the best year of sales our market ever experienced pre-Covid was 2019. We had the most sales in southern Beaufort County that we had ever seen.”

In 2020, sales declined at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of transactions falling below the depressed levels seen during the 2008 real estate recession, Reed said. But once the Covid shutdown eased, sales transactions increased to numbers never seen here.

“In the history of our market prior to the pandemic, we only crossed weekly sales counts of 150 market-wide three times,” he said. “Fast forward to coming out of the shutdown, we went on a tear, averaging over 180 sales per week. It dipped for the holidays and this year took off again.”

Buyers have little leverage, especially when there are multibids, in a sellers’ market, Reed said. Before making an offer in this kind of market, buyers should determine what Reed calls their “walk away number.”

“This number needs to be one where they can put their head on their pillow at night and sleep comfortably,” he said, “knowing that they offered the best they were willing to pay and can accept the fact that they did not get the property.”

Delaying a purchase may also cost buyers because prices are rising in a short period, he said.

Sellers thinking about putting their house on the market may want to move up their timeline because no one knows how long this sellers’ market will last, Reed said.

Meanwhile, those in the rental market will continue to find few homes available and pay higher rent.

“We’ve seen a 20-to-30 percent increase in prices on new inventory,” Manesiotis said about the rental market. “Something I would have priced last year at $2,000 (a month), I’m pricing now at $2,400 to $2,500. Existing tenants on renewals have seen increases, but it is a lot less.”

Nationally, single-family rents increased 3.8 percent year over year in September, roughly unchanged from 3.9 percent in August, according to Burns Single-Family Rent Index, which tracks new leases across the 63 largest single-family rental markets in the U.S. There is nothing to indicate that things will change soon, though it is only natural that the market will slow at some point, Manesiotis said.

“If people maintain their properties, there will always be a rental market,” he said.

“Prices may come back a little bit. Sixty-five percent of people own their houses and 35 percent rent. That is the national average. So, there will always be a fundamental need and demand for that (rental homes).”

RENTAL RATE$

RISING

BY JAMES A. MALLORY

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GET MOVING TO STAY FIT THIS WINTER

WALK THIS WAY

BY NINA GREENPLATE | PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN

Lowcountry living boasts sunshine and mild, sub-tropical weather year-round. With December temperatures averaging 52 degrees, your outdoor walking routine need not be interrupted.

Often described as the “perfect exercise,” walking keeps your blood pumping with compelling health benefits.

Exercise doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective.

American Cancer Society epidemiologist Alpa Patel says,

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“Walking is simple, free, convenient, doesn’t require any special equipment or training, and can be done at any age.”

Cherie Bronsky is director at Hilton Head Island’s Senior Center and organizer of their Jarvis Creek Park Walking Group.

She believes in the communal aspect of the exercise and that socializing is fundamental.

“It’s good to be out and to be together,” she says. “We do live in

a beautiful area, and walking is the easiest and best exercise routine you can do, especially when you retire.”

A former Sun City Health and Wellness Director and previous fitness facility owner, Bronsky knows the mental and physical value of getting outside and being in the company of friends.

Margo Lidster is a faithful Jarvis Creek Walking Group member at the Senior Center, and rarely misses the Thursday 9 a.m. routine.

“Being outside in the fresh air and meeting new people is a great way to improve your overall health,” says Lidster. “We see and talk about local wildlife and discuss common health issues.”

She jokes that the only requirement to join them is any ability to walk, and talking is optional if you choose not to do so.

Regular, brisk walking reveals notable body advantages according to mayoclinic.org: better managed high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke.

So, lacing up those Ryka shoes can indeed improve muscle strength, increase cardiovascular fitness, raise energy levels, boost the immune system, improve balance and reduce stress.

Stepping out for physical body benefits has relevant merit, but don’t discount the psychological. Yes, blood flow to the brain elicits a positive response from your central nervous system, which in turn can improve negative moods, ward off depression and improve selfesteem. Try to walk three days a week for 10 to 30 minutes at a time, per webmd.com.

According to Harvard Health, after age 30, 3-5 percent of your muscle mass is lost per decade.

Less muscle means greater weakness and less mobility. More reason to keep moving. Of course, it’s good to check with your physician before starting any new exercise program.

“Walking is usually underrated,” says Bronsky. “In fact, it is one of the best ways to stay fit. It uses every single muscle in the body and most everyone can easily do it.”

Research from mayoclinic.org showed how creating new muscle and bone cells can occur by tweaking your current walking routine.

This includes picking up the pace with a brisker cadence, taking hills and steeper inclines, and adding squats or other body weight exercises when pausing during your trek. The statistics as noted in webmd.com conclude that those who walk about two hours per week had a lower risk of death from any cause, compared to those who did no physical activity at all.

The Mayo Clinic suggests warming up (walk slowly for five to 10 minutes) and cooling down (help muscles cool down with a slow walk of five to 10 minutes). Gently stretch your muscles after you cool down.

FITNESS TIPS

35 percent lower risk of death from respiratory diseases for those who walk more than six hours a week.

30 minutes a day of walking recommended.

10 minutes cool-down time to relax muscles.

Sources: webmd.com, mayoclinic.org

THE JARVIS CREEK PARK WALKING GROUP PROVIDES COMMUNAL SUPPORT FOR GOOD HEALTH.

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Beachside BLUEGRASS

BY VICKIE MCINTYRE | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

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MARTY FALLE TELLS STORIES THROUGH HIS MUSIC American Country/Bluegrass singer-songwriter Marty Falle isn’t your typical country artist, though he does love his pickup truck.

There’s no manager, no touring. He’s strictly a Nashville recording artist who has owned a home on Hilton Head Island since 2003, a beautiful place to create his original music.

Nevertheless, he boasts an international audience, all while maintaining a fulltime job with a Fortune 50 company.

His wife, Amber, and their 9-year-old son, Macklin, keep him grounded.

“Together is our favorite place to be,” said Falle, describing a plaque inside his home.

Falle’s soul, though, is firmly rooted in the “hollers” of Appalachia, evident in his latest album release, “Virgin on the Bluegrass.”

But that endeavor was an evolution.

Growing up in Cleveland, Falle’s parents listened to artists like Burt Bacharach and Frank Sinatra. They also expected him to play an instrument. In second grade, he chose the viola. By fourth grade he added tenor saxophone.

Bass, guitar and piano came next.

“That viola’s still in my closet,” he says. “I can’t seem to part with it because it started everything.”

While serving detention in high school, Falle discovered his vocal talents after jumping to his feet when the music teacher announced amnesty to any male who wanted to join the choir.

“He was a really influential man in my life,” Falle says of his teacher. “Not only did I get an ‘A’ for showing up, but he taught us how to sing and harmonize.”

It opened a portal to a world Falle didn’t know existed.

“I became addicted to 3- and 4-part harmony,” he exclaims.

For years Falle’s focus was other people’s music. At Ohio University he sang in the a cappella choir and fronted a rock band that did covers — until a bandmate switched gears.

“We were headlining this outdoor festival when my bandmate suddenly asked the crowd of thousands, ‘Want to hear something Marty and I wrote together?’ I was petrified, but I sat at the end of the stage and started to play — and it had a pretty cool reaction,” he says.

Blue Eagle Music store in Athens, Ohio, where a group of guys hung out playing fiddle, banjo, and dobro, introduced him to bluegrass.

“It was something deeper,” he marvels. “It made my heart dance in a different way.”

The full force of Appalachian music hit him “like a lightning bolt” when he moved to Eastern Kentucky coal country for his first sales job. Traveling through “wild towns” like Harlin and Hazard, he remembers melodies that sprang from people affected by their surroundings.

It inspired Falle to write and record his first country album, “Ohio,” which created sparks of its own.

While making a video for the track, ‘Hoochie Coochie Gal from the Buckeye State,’ Falle met his future wife, who filled in last minute for the lead line dancer who’d quit. Then the video went viral with over three million views and CMT reached out about playing his song in prime time.

“Nashville changed everything,” says Falle.

That’s where he met Jonathan Yudkin, a studio musician and producer for A-listers like Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift.

“When I first met Marty,” says Yudkin, who once played with greats like John Hartford and The Dillards, “he was doing his own production and I was sending him things like fiddle and banjo tracks.

I was instantly impressed and thought he was a full-time artist out there touring with a band.”

Yudkin pushed Falle to start recording in Nashville, eventually becoming his producer.

“Marty loves to tell stories. He’s a history buff and doesn’t write the usual kinds of songs. I think that’s what resonates with people — it’s fresh, exciting, and they don’t know where it’s going to go,” he adds.

When Falle suggested going “all in” on a bluegrass album, Yudkin was happy to collaborate, as was George Strait’s backup singer, Marty Slayton.

From the title song Grandma Needs Her Whiskey (inspired

by Falle’s mother’s penchant for Canadian Club) to the moving lyrics of Bloody Coal (a tribute to coal miners) to the lively Superman Jimmie (about NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson), “Virgin on the Bluegrass” is a vivid snapshot of Appalachian music and life.

It’s also a reflection of a man who never stops fine-tuning his own creativity.

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IIENVIRONMENTII

BLUFFTON’S STAN ROGERS LEADS GRAY’S REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

PROTECTOR OF THE

‘UNDERWATER’

Park

BY CLAY BONNYMAN EVANS | PHOTO SUPPLIED

Growing up in the small Lowcountry town of Estill, Stan Rogers lived an hour inland from the broad, flat Atlantic beaches along South Carolina’s coast. But Hilton Head Island always felt like part of the neighborhood.

“We were always going to the beach, down to Coligny when I was growing up,” he says. “I wasn’t born on Hilton

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Head, but my backyard was the beach.”

Following in the footsteps of his father, a longtime manager for the South Carolina Department of Resources’ Webb Wildlife Center, Rogers earned a degree in aquaculture, fisheries and wildlife biology from Clemson University. He then embarked on a career as a public-lands manager for the

U.S. Depar tment of Defense and reg ulator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, D.C. After a quarter of a century, Rogers has returned to his boyhood “backyard” to serve as superintendent of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, which lies about 50 miles due south of Hilton Head and 20 miles off the Georgia coast.

The 50-year-old Bluffton resident took the reins in July 2019 after two years of interim leadership at the sanctuary.

The staff was thrilled to have someone with such deep local roots, says M ich el le R i le y, spokesperson for Gray’s Reef.

“With his childhood experiences — he was actually in the ocean in our part of the country all the time — and going to Clemson, Stan really understands the unique characteristics of our part of the mighty Atlantic Ocean,” she said.

Gray’s Reef is one of 15 “underwater national parks” designated since Congress created the National Marine Sanctuaries System in 1972. The sanctuaries protect nat u ral and cult ural resources in some 600,000 square miles of U.S. waters, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the Great Lakes to American Samoa.

Established in 1981, Gray’s Reef is the only such sanctuary between Cape Hatteras, N.C., and the Florida Keys. It protects some 22 square miles of “live bottom” habitat — rocky outcroppings, crevices and ledges that are home to some 900 species of crab, lobster, coral, sea star and other invertebrates, and 200 species of fish, including sea bass, mackerel, grouper and shark, as well as threatened loggerhead turtles. The 70-foot-deep reef also lies within the winter-calving grounds for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

As superintendent, Rogers oversees every aspect of Gray’s Reef, including education and outreach, research, policy and management.

“At Yosemite (National Park) there are rangers, biologists, interpreters. It’s the same at Gray’s Reef, and I’m the manager in charge of our staff of professionals,” he says.

One of the sanctuary’s key purposes is to monitor longterm conditions of the reef, its resident and transient species and the surrounding ocean environment.

“It’s a climate-change sentinel site for things like ocean acidification, which negatively impacts corals and other species that require calcium,” Rogers says.

To collect dat a the sanctuary deploys two research vessels, three acoustic hydrophones to monitor human and natural sounds and a seaf loormounted telemetry receiver array to study movements of resident fish as well as migrating species.

Gray’s Reef is also a recreation destination.

Two-thirds of the sanctuary is open to fishing, and despite variable visibility c o n d i t i o n s , i t ’s a n increasingly popular spot for scuba diving.

“Some days you’ve got clear blue water with 30 to 40 feet visibility. On other days, you can only see as far as the end of your arm,” Rogers says.

Rogers was just getting his feet wet as superintendent when the COV I D -19 pa ndem ic st r uck in early 2020, resulting in the suspension of almost all field activities.

The relative lull provided an opportunity to think about the future, he says.

“Had COVID not come around, the sanctuary would have continued on very much the same trajectory, without much down time or pause to think about what we aspired to be,” he says. “In having those conversations, things came about that may not have come about otherwise.”

Among those things are the anticipated launch of a new, larger research vessel in 2023 and the 2022 opening of a new visitor center in Savannah, which will host the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries System’s 50th-anniversary celebration next summer.

“It’s going to be a great party,” Rogers says.

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IISPORTSII

DEVELOPING

SOCCER

SKILLS

BY JUSTIN JARRETT | PHOTOS BY LLOYD WAINSCOTT

In retrospect, the post on GOAL Indoor Soccer’s Facebook page from Jan. 13, 2020, seems almost ominous. Photos of construction taking place on the massive facility off S.C. 170 are accompanied by a message that seems doomed in hindsight.

“Moving fast!!! Are you ready for March?”

None of us were ready for what would come two months later, when the world shut down as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the globe.

Organized sports came to a standstill. We were advised to avoid crowded indoor spaces. Not exactly the prime environment to open an indoor soccer training facility.

But Mauricio Llambias marched on, and GOAL opened its doors in July 2020, giving players of all ages around the Lowcountry a place to train yearround, even on rainy days. Now, Llambias has a bigger vision for providing opportunities for future soccer stars in the area, launching the GOAL-Levante UD Academy through a partnership with the La Liga club in Valencia, Spain.

“It was hard at the beginning, very hard, but we kept it open; we survived,” says Llambias, who grew up playing the game in Uruguay before coming to the United States in his early 20s to play professionally.

“Just to keep it open was a big thing.”

Llambias himself played at a high level, joining a first division club in Uruguay at age 16 and playing in his home country and Argentina before earning a tryout with the Charleston Battery.

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GOAL INDOOR SOCCER GIVES KIDS OPPORTUNITY TO EXCEL

MAURICIO LLAMBIAS STARTED GOAL INDOOR SOCCER TO GIVE PLAYERS A PLACE TO TRAIN YEAR-ROUND.

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IISPORTSII After trying out with the Battery and the Wilmington Hammerheads, he was offered a contract with the Houston Dynamo before a knee injury ended his professional career.

Fortunately for Llambias, former Pearlstine Distributors (Anheuser Busch) had been a Battery sponsor during his time with the club and offered him a job in the Lowcountry. He continued to play amateur soccer and stay connected to the game, always dreaming of finding his way back to a career that incorporated the sport, but never finding the opportunity as he and his wife, Veronica, began building their own family.

“My plan was always there to create something like this,” Llambias says. “I wanted to do it in Uruguay, but another friend did the same thing, and I didn’t want to compete with him. Here it is more expensive, but I put in enough effort, I put 100 percent motivation on it. I had some savings from my playing days, and I put everything together and contacted the right people and made sure we could make it. It was a dream come true.”

The new business venture flourished through private training for players from local clubs, as well as birthday parties, tournaments for youth and adult teams, pickup games (drop-in for two-hour games Wednesday and Fridays), and weekly training for “Little Kickers” ages 5 and up, which includes a variety of drills.

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“Youth soccer players focus more on perfecting the skills, so they perform them correctly in game situations,” GOAL’s website notes.

The facility has two lighted fields (75-feet-by-45 feet) that feature FieldTurf.

As the number of club players training at GOAL continued to increase, Llambias and the coaching staff at the facility began to wonder if they could form their own club.

“We’re always trying to do the best for the kids and for soccer,” Llambias said. “I started wondering what the best way was to give the kids more opportunities.”

Through some of his long-standing contacts in the soccer world, Llambias was put in touch with Levante Union Deportiva and the two parties struck up a partnership that will allow GOAL’s new academy players opportunities to learn from their big brother club in Spain.

MY PLAN WAS ALWAYS THERE TO CREATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. MAURICIO LLAMBIAS

Four players from the club’s 2007 boys team traveled to Valencia in September to train with Levante UD, and Llambias received a good report and says the big club has taken a particular interest in one player’s development.

Levante’s international training director plans to visit the Lowcountry in December to meet with the new academy’s players, parents and coaches and begin incorporating Levante’s training program at GOAL. “It will bring a lot of opportunities for coaches and for kids to have professional training right here,” Llambias said. “That’s my plan: To offer professional training sessions for our kids and see their progress.”

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IITRAVELII

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A GETAWAY FOR THE AGES ENJOY A LUXURY WEEKEND IN ASHEVILLE

BY TIM WOOD

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IITRAVELII

In recent years Asheville, N.C., has become a local blueprint for many Lowcountry entrepreneurs on how to grow a thriving and passionate craft brewery scene. It’s just the latest creative and artistic revival to occur in this gem of the western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains.

While the majestic natural vistas, the arts and architecture draw millions each year, the city has some of the more luxurious weekend getaway spots for explorers looking for a quick weekend escape.

BILTMORE The family home of George and Edith Vanderbilt, this master class in elegance is evident in every inch of the 8,000-acre estate. The Inn on Biltmore Estate was first planned by the Vanderbilts in 1900 and finally opened to the public just over a century later in 2001.

The gardens and grounds feature more than 20 miles of nature trails that sprawl across the various formal and informal gardens designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The estate’s winery features more than 20 handcrafted vintages and multi-award-winning reds, whites and roses.

And make sure to take in two of the newer editions to the estate.

Antler Hill Village, built in 2010, offers six different dining experiences, unique shopping adventures, historical exhibits, a barn that highlights life working the Biltmore farm in the 1890s and a farmyard and playground for the kids to interact with farm animals.

The Village Hotel was built in 2015 to provide a more affordable taste of Vanderbilt hospitality for overnight guests.

The Biltmore runs several holiday and winter specials to experience the estate, with inn suites starting at $1,200 per night and hotel rooms starting at $400 per night. For more information, go online to biltmore.com.

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GROVE PARK INN While not quite as old as the Biltmore, this Omni Hotels property has been serving guests for over a century. The Inn has become known during the holidays for the National Gingerbread House Competition.

The 29th annual competition will unveil a finalist per day beginning Dec. 1 during the 12 Days of Gingerbread, with the winner announced on Dec. 12. Hands-on gingerbreadmaking classes will be offered throughout the holiday season.

Grove Park’s 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa was voted one of the top resort spas in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler. And the 50,000-square-foot sports complex features Pelotons, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a fitness club and racquetball and squash courts.

There is also an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed mountain golf course on the property, indoor and outdoor pools and a myriad of casual and formal restaurants – each offering breathtaking panoramic mountain views.

One of the more unique offerings at Grove Park is the wild food foraging tours, where visitors will learn to safely identify, gather, serve and preserve mushrooms, plants and other extreme cuisine during an entertaining walk through the woods.

Go online to omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park for more information.

WINTER LIGHTS Part of the magic of a wintertime Asheville getaway is that you can experience a true winter wonderland scene (with temps often dropping into a below-freezing snowfall possibility zone) and still be a day’s drive from the ocean.

The Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum are one of the newer experiences, with a cascade of LED lights illuminating the sprawling gardens. Enjoy live music, hot cocoa, fire pits and s’mores as you make your way through

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IITRAVELII the Arboretum, which has returned to a walk-through experience after going drive-thru only for 2020.

The lights are on from 5:30 to 10 p.m. every night and tickets begin at $30 per vehicle.

This is just one of a series of light events throughout the city. The Local Lights displays downtown at Pack Square and Pritchard Park are more of an urban outing with shops and dining nearby.

Biltmore Village, just outside the estate, offers a Dickens in the Village Festival in early December that transforms the shops to the Victorian era. The village is a lighting marvel throughout the holiday, as is the 55-foot Norway spruce tree adorned with 55,000 lights on the Biltmore grounds.

If Christmas trees are more your passion, the Monte Vista Hotel offers a Deck the Trees event, filled with art, live music and locals competing for the most elaborately decorated tree.

Go to exploreasheville.com for a full selection of winter lights tours.

WINTER HIKES The hiking trails around Asheville offer leafless trees and endless deep blue skies with the briskness of a mountainside workout.

The Bearwallow Mountain Trail, less than 20 miles from

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downtown Asheville, is one of the shorter hikes with the reward being 360-degree summit views on the western rim of the Hickory Nut Gorge. The one-mile trail also offers a perfect picnic setting near the historic lookout tower.

Moore Cove Falls near John Rock offers a .7-mile familyfriendly hike full of wooden bridges, steps and boardwalks that end in a 50-foot waterfall over an awe-inspiring rock ledge.

Walk under the ledge and hide behind the waterfall for some of the most jaw-dropping, memory-making moments of your getaway.

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, the 1.5-mile roundtrip hike on the Lover’s Leap Loop Trail in Hot Springs offers a unique experience – a trail that runs along Main Street but will take you to several rock outcrops atop ridges and allow you to soak your feet in a hot mineral spring.

Inside the Pisgah National Forest you will find a 5-mile loop of the John Rock Trail, which leads you to a 3,320-foot rock summit and Instagram-worthy views of Looking Glass Rock and Blue Ridge Parkway. All this just over 35 miles from downtown Asheville.

Don’t just take our word for it. Plan your hiking escapades with a visit to Asheville.com.

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IIGOOD DEEDSII

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HHI ALWAYS KEEPS SIGHT OF ITS MISSION

Rev. Dr. Will Robinson

Continuing to Change

LIVES

BY AMY COYNE BREDESON | PHOTO BY MADISON ELROD

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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, First Presbyterian Church Hilton Head Island has never lost sight of its mission, “Changing Lives … Making Disciples.”

“Especially in this pandemic, changing lives has mattered so much,” the Rev. Dr. Will Robinson said. “So, I think of our local outreach ministries and our global outreach ministries, and just

“where to worship”

how much more those have been needed because of the pandemic.”

The church continues to live out its mission through its values of ministry, which include joyful worship, prayerful study and sacrificial service.

During the pandemic, the church held just one blended service, but in September it expanded to two services, a 9 a.m. in-person nontraditional “CrossRoads” service in the fellowship hall and an 11 a.m. in-person traditional service held in the sanctuary. The second service is live-streamed, recorded and available on the church’s website and YouTube channel. In between the two services is a 10 a.m. fellowship and Christian education hour.

Robinson said the church is preparing intergenerational Advent services, including some special surprises that children will especially enjoy.

“We know people are really wanting to celebrate Christmas,” Robinson said. “It’s something that people have been excited about having — like wanting a very good home-cooked meal.”

The church will also celebrate the season of Advent with Christmas Music Sundays at the 11 a.m. traditional service on Dec. 5 and at the 9 a.m. “CrossRoads” service on Dec. 12.

On Christmas Eve, the church will host a live nativity at 4 p.m., followed by a 45-minute child-friendly worship service with Christmas carols and candlelight at 5 p.m. Worshippers are invited to enjoy 30 minutes of Christmas music at 7:30 p.m. before a “Carols and Candlelight” worship service at 8 p.m.

The final Christmas Eve service will be a “Carols, Candlelight and Communion” worship service at 10:30 p.m. The late service, of course, is open to all, but it is geared especially for essential workers who work later in the evenings.

The church recently added six small groups and one Sunday morning class. Some of those groups and classes are offered in person and via Zoom.

First Presbyterian continues to live out its value of sacrificial service by extending its local and global outreach. The church’s People In Need ministry, which helps community members with utility bills, rent and food, has expanded its hours to 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The church continues to donate to Backpack Buddies of Hilton Head, Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen, Sandalwood Community Food Pantry, Born to Read, Hilton Head Island Deep Well Project, Neighborhood Outreach Connection and Hopeful Horizons.

“What we’ve emphasized to the community — especially in this pandemic — is that we are here for you,” Robinson said. “And I think of Mr. Rogers’ quote, ‘Look for the helpers.’

We’ve tried to be good helpers in this pandemic whenever possible.”

For more information on First Presbyterian Church, call 843-681-3696 or visit fpchhi.org.

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DEC.10 THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS CONCERT: A fun holiday concert that celebrates the joy, magic and essence of the season. Featuring a menu full of traditional tunes and carols from the Old Country and the New World.

Cost is $25-$40 for adults, $10-$15 for children. 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-341-3818 or hiltonheadchoralsociety.org.

FUN

EVENTS FOR EVERYONE!

CALENDAR

DEC. 1 LINCOLN & SOUTH BREWERY BEER DINNER: Enjoy an evening of delicious food and craft beer, featuring Hilton Head Island-based Lincoln & South Brewery. Guests will experience a five-course dinner, paired with five different Lincoln & South Brewery beers. Cost is $50. 6 p.m., Old Oyster Factory, 101 Marshland Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-6040 or oldoysterfactory.com.

SCORE ZOOM: “Using Marketing and Social Media to Grow Your Business”: Learn the tips and tricks you need to use in today’s marketing universe to separate your business from the competition. Free.

12 p.m. Register for Zoom link. 843-785-7107 or sclowcountry.score.org.

DEC. 3 FIRST THURSDAYS ART MARKET: Meet over two dozen local artists as they present their work on the first Thursday of the month. Stroll the plaza, see the exhibits, talk with artists and enjoy live music, complimentary wine samples and more. Free entry. 4-7 p.m., The Shops at Sea Pines Center, 71 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-3635699 or theshopsatseapinescenter.com.

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MOVIE IN THE PARK: A screening of the holiday favorite “Elf.” Please bring blankets and chairs.

Rain or shine. Free. 6:30 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. 843-706-4500 or townofbluffton.sc.gov.

SIPS AND STOCKING STUFFERS: Join Bluffton Aesthetics and shop with local artisans. Enjoy complimentary drinks from Southern Barrel and gifts for everyone on your list. Free. 4:30-7 p.m., Bluffton Aesthetics, 3 Plantation Park Drive, Bluffton. lcmade.com.

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY: Enjoy the lighting of a Bluffton Christmas tree, followed by a Santa’s Workshop event. Please wear a mask for Santa’s Workshop. Free. 5:30 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. 843-706-4500 or townofbluffton.sc.gov.

WINTER WONDERLAND: A fun holiday event featuring carnival games, a children’s parade, bounce houses, a candy cane hunt and more. Free. 4-7 p.m., Shelter Cove Community Park, 39 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-7273 or islandreccenter.org.

WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL: Join Nury Turkel, the first U.S.-educated Uyghur-American lawyer and human rights advocate, for a presentation on the Future of the Uyghurs. Cost is $20 for guests, free for members. 10 a.m., First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843384-6758 or wachh.org.

DEC. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 SANTA VISITS AT SHELTER COVE: Get in the holiday spirit and visit Santa and Mrs. Claus. Bring your camera to capture the special moment. Free. Times vary. Shelter Cove Towne Centre, 40 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. sheltercovetownecentre.com.

DEC. 3-4 HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: “A Christmas Carol”: Enjoy this classic holiday tale with themes of love, redemption and compassion, presented by Hilton Head Christian Academy. Cost is $10 for seniors and students, $15 for adults. Times vary. Hilton Head Christian Academy, 3088 Bluffton Parkway, Bluffton. 843-681-2878 or hhca.org.

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I I D E C E M B E R 2 0 // 2 1 E V E N T G U I D E I I DEC. 4, 18 SANTA AT COLIGNY: Visit with Santa at Coligny Plaza this holiday season. Free. 1-3 p.m., Coligny Plaza, 1 North Forest Beach Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-6050 or colignyplaza.com.

DEC. 4-5 HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Enjoy complimentary mimosas and hors d’oeuvres while sampling Lowcountry Produce products and other food items.

Plus, take care of your holiday shopping with gift basket assembly and gift shipping. Free entry. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Lowcountry Produce, 71 LighthouseRoad, Suite 510, Hilton Head Island. 843-6863003 or lowcountryproduce.com.

ALEXANDER’S BRUNCH WITH SANTA

DEC. 4 HILTON HEAD HIGH OYSTER ROAST: All you can eat May River oysters, BBQ pulled pork, chili and more. This fundraiser benefits all sports at Hilton Head Island High School.

Adults only. Cost is $55. 3-6 p.m., Hudson’s Seafood, 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-689-4806 or hhihsathletics.org.

HOLIDAY MARKET: Shop with different Gullah vendors from Hilton Head Island and the surrounding areas. Grab gifts for all your favorites while celebrating Gullah culture. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island. 843-2557304 or gullahcelebration.com.

PET VISITS WITH SANTA: Come out and support the Hilton Head Humane Association with a special event just for your pets. Bring your furry family member for a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Monetary or supply donations are appreciated. Adoptable pets will be onsite. Free. 12-2 p.m., Shelter Cove Towne Centre, 40 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. sheltercovetownecentre.com.

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SAVANNAH BRIDGE RUN: Experience what runners call the South’s Toughest Bridge Run. Face the challenge by running one, two or three times over Savannah’s historic bridge to conquer the run. Registration is $45-$50. 8 a.m., Hutchinson Island, Intersection of Montgomery Street and West Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah. savannahbridgerun.com.

TOWN OF BLUFFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE: The 50th Annual Bluffton Christmas Parade will be holiday fun for all. Free. 10 a.m., Historic District, Bluffton. 843-706-4500 or townofbluffton.sc.gov.

THROUGH DEC. 4 HILTON HEAD PREP FESTIVAL OF TREES: Browse a beautiful display of creatively themed Christmas trees in all sizes and colors. Trees are sponsored by local businesses and can be purchased to benefit the Hilton Head Preparatory School Tuition Assistance Program for local students. Sonesta Resort, 130 Shipyard Drive, Hilton Head Island. hhpfestivaloftrees.com.

DEC. 4-6 DRIVE-THROUGH HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAY: A drive through experience of lights in the heart of Historic Mitchelville.

Free. Begins at dusk. Mitchelville Freedom Park, 226 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-686-6560 or heritagelib.org.

DEC. 5 ALEXANDERS COOKING DEMO: Join this live cooking demo with Executive Chef Charles, featuring a glass of sparkling wine and a demonstration of how to make Charles’ herb crusted prime rib. All money collected will be donated to the Deep Well Project. Cost is $25. 2-3 p.m., Alexander’s Restaurant, 76 Queens Folly Road, Hilton Head Island. 866-921-6639 or alexandersrestaurant.com.

MORTGAGE NETWORK ROAD RACES: Featuring the USATF Half Marathon National Championship, this 13.1mile race will welcome many of the country’s Olympians and top distance runners to the area. Registration is $50-$70. 7:45 a.m., Jasper Park, 1458 Red Dam Road, Hardeeville. mortgagenetworkroadraces.com.

LIGHT THE LOWCOUNTRY: This fun family event begins with holiday-flavored snow cones, visits with Santa at his North Pole home, plus you’ll hear a meaningful Christmas message. Afterward, take a stroll down LCC’s Trail of Lights, featuring beautiful light displays and decorations.

Free. 4:30-8:30 p.m., LowCountry Community Church, 801 Buckwalkter Parkway, Bluffton. lightthelowcountry.com.

ROOT AND BLOOM MARKET: A natural farmers market in the Lowcountry that’s bringing grass roots back. Each vendor has been sought for their passion to provide quality food and goods without the use of added chemicals and unnecessary ingredients. Free entry. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. discoverrootandbloommarket.com.

DEC. 7 COLONIAL CHRISTMAS: Tour the cemetery and learn about what Christmas was like during the colonial era on Hilton Head Island. Meet living characters and hear from them what the holidays were like in the past. Cost is $5 for adults, free for children. 4-5:30 p.m., Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery, Intersection of Mathews Drive, Folly Field Road and US 278, Hilton Head Island.

843-686-6560 or heritagelib.org.

LUNCH WITH THE AUTHOR: Enjoy a luncheon with Janet Beard, international bestselling author of The Atomic City Girls. Cost is $47. 12 p.m., Belfair Clubhouse, 200 Belfair Oaks Boulevard, Bluffton. 843-521-4145 or uscbcenterforthearts.com.

VIRTUALLY SPEAKING: THE SOUTHERN INDIAN MOVEMENT: Dr. Denise Bates will present how Native activist and leaders asserted for rights in the mid-20th century. Free.

5 p.m., Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage, 10782 South Jacob Smart Boulevard, Ridgeland. 843-284-9227 or morrisheritagecenter.org.

DEC. 8 CELEBRATE THE SEASON LUNCHEON: Share an elegant meal, holiday fun and an inspiration message from Debbie Fairbanks with the Lowcountry Christian Women’s Connection. Cost is $28.

11:30 a.m., Hampton Hall Clubhouse, 170 Hampton Hall Boulevard, Bluffton. 602750-5465.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE WITH FORSYTHE JEWELERS: It’s time for a little holiday cheer! Join the team at Forsythe Jewelers for their annual Holiday Open House, featuring a large selection of top-brand jewelry designers, plus MacKenzie-Childs holiday decor and housewares. Complimentary gift wrapping with purchase. Free entry. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Forsythe Jewelers, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite, 311, Hilton Head Island. 843-6717070 or forsythehhi.com.

VETERAN BUSINESS OWNERS ROUND TABLE: A discussion by Veteran business owners on their experiences in starting a business in the Lowcountry and the challenges they overcame along the way. Free. 12 p.m.

Register for Zoom link. 843-785-7107 or sclowcountry.score.org.

DEC. 8-JAN. 2 ELF THE MUSICAL: A young orphan named Buddy mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Suitable for all ages. Cost is $61 for adults, $56 for children. Times vary. Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-2787 or artshhi.com.

DEC. 9 A SOLDIER’S HOLIDAY: Tour this Civil War era fort and learn about what the holidays were like for the soldiers serving here during the Civil War. Cost is $5 for adults, free for children. 4-5:30 p.m., Ft. Mitchel, 65 Skull Creek Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-686-6560 or heritagelib.org.

SPARKLES & SPRITS: Experience this fun holiday soiree and silent auction, featuring local gifts for purchase, a flight of spirits from Burnt Church Distillery and food from the SERG Group. Silent auction bidding occurs Dec. 1-13.

Free entry. 6-9 p.m., Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. hiltonheadblufftonchamber.org.

DEC. 10 A MOTOWN HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR AT THE JAZZ CORNER: $10. 7:30-11 p.m., The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-8620 or thejazzcorner.com.

Thursdays 12-5pm

CORNERSTONE CHURCH CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL: Enjoy a delicious meal, plus activities like sledding in the snow, a mechanical reindeer, a Christmas train, kid’s zone and more. Free. 6-9 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. cornerstonebluffton.org.

THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS CONCERT: A fun holiday concert that celebrates the joy, magic and essence of the season. Featuring a menu full of traditional tunes and carols from the Old Country and the New World.

Cost is $25-$40 for adults, $10-$15 for children. 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-341-3818 or hiltonheadchoralsociety.org.

DEC. 11 CRANFORD HOLLOW CHRISTMAS AT THE JAZZ CORNER: $10. 7:30-11 p.m., The Jazz Corner, 1000 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843842-8620 or thejazzcorner.com.

HISTORIC CORRIDOR WALKING TOUR: A 2.5-mile walk that begins and ends at Mitchelville, including sites like Queen Chapel AME Church, Cherry Hill School, Ft. Howell and Mitchelville Freedom Park. Registration is required.

Free. 9:30-11:30 a.m., Mitchelville Freedom Park, 226 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-686-6560 or heritagelib.org HISTORIC SITES OPEN HOUSE: Enjoy historic Hilton Head Island area sites at your leisure. Hear stories of our past, learn about Gullah traditions and more.

Free. 1-4 p.m. Locations vary. 843-6866560 or heritagelib.org.

Fun for the whole family! farm fresh local produce

flowers • meats • dairy • seafood

honey • baked goods • pastas • sweets specialty foods • prepared food to enjoy at the market or take home PLUS Educational lectures,

community outreach, kids activities, yoga & more !

Live music & seating at the Heyward House!

Old Town Bluffton 68 Boundary Street FarmersMarketBluffton.org • 843.415.2447

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TIDE CHART PROVIDED BY

THE SALTY DOG CAFE 232 SOUTH SEA PINES DRIVE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC 29928 843.671.2233 | saltydog.com Keep up with us on social media /saltydog and @thesaltydogcafe D A Y

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5:16 6:11 7:05 7:58 8:50 9:45 10:42 10:56 11:42 12:01 1:02 2:57 3:51 4:42 5:31 6:16 6:59 7:39 8:18 8:55 9:32 10:09 10:49 11:33 12:01 12:54 1:51 2:49 3:49 4:50 5:51

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11:50 12:35 1:30 2:24 3:16 4:08 5:00 5:17 5:53 6:48 8:44 9:38 10:28 11:14 11:58 12:40 1:22 2:01 2:39 3:16 3:52 4:29 5:07 5:49 6:35 7:28 8:26 9:26 10:26 11:25 12:17

TIDE PREDICTIONS FOR CALIBOGUE CAY, SC

This chart is not for navigational purposes. For offical tide and weather information, see NOAA.GOV

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I I D E C E M B E R 2 0 // 2 1 E V E N T G U I D E I I LITTLE ELF WORKSHOP: A fun holiday event where each child will receive elf ears and have a chance to write their own personal letter to Santa Claus. Event includes reindeer games, crafts, and hot chocolate and cookies for all. Cost is $10 for children ages 15 and younger. 1-3 p.m., Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

LOWCOUNTRY PRIDE PARADE: This beloved parade will return this year with a new route. Celebrate with entertainment and vendors after the parade. Free. 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, Bluffton. lowcountrypride.org.

DEC. 11, 18 SANTA SATURDAYS: Santa will visit South Beach from his floating sleigh with complimentary fireside s’mores and adult fireside happy hour specials. Free.

3 p.m., South Beach Marina, 232 South Sea Pines Drive, Hilton Head Island.

843-671-2233 or saltydog.com.

DEC. 12 BLUFFTON ARTISAN MARKET: An open-air market featuring at least 15 local artists, artisans and makers, plus food trucks and live music. Free entry.

1-5 p.m., The Burnt Church Distillery, 120 Bluffton Road, Bluffton. lcmade.com.

BRUNCH WITH SANTA: This annual brunch will feature a delicious meal from Alexander’s Restaurant and complimentary photos with Santa.

They will be accepting new unwrapped toys during the event for The Deep Well Project. Cost is $38 for adults, $20 for children ages 5-12. Reservations recommended. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Alexander’s Restaurant, 76 Queens Folly Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-7854999 or alexandersrestaurant.com/ santabrunch.

PALMETTO BLUFF BUFFALO RUN: A 10K, 30K and 50K relay race through Palmetto Bluff, with a tree-shaded combination of single track, dirt and gravel road trail. Registration is $55 for 10K, $70 for 30K, $90 for 50K, $140 for 30K

teams, $240 for 50K teams. Times vary.

Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton. runsignup.com.

DEC. 16 CAPTURING COVID: Several students from Hilton Head Middle School will discuss a project they’ve completed called Capturing Covid at the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island’s monthly meeting.

11:30 a.m., USCB Hilton Head Campus, 1 Sand Shark Drive, Hilton Head Island. hiltonheadrotary.org.

MARTINIS AT THE MANSION: The Mansion on Forsyth Park’s charity networking series will take place on the third Thursday of every month to benefit a different local nonprofit. Admission is a suggested $5 donation. 5:30-7 p.m., Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton Street, Savannah. 912-238-5158 or kesslercollection.com.

POLAR PINES EXPRESS: Hop aboard the festive wagon and arrive at the Sea Pines “North Pole”. Children will hear the classic story “The Polar Express”, create a paper conductor’s hat, and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. Reservations Required. Cost is $18 for adults, $16 for children. 1-3:30 p.m., Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Hilton Head Island. 843-8421979 or seapines.com.

DEC. 17 SANDRA MCCRACKEN CONCERT: Join this festive Christmas concert event with coffee, cocoa and treats. Sandra McCracken is a prolific songwriter, modern-day hymn writer and record producer. Cost is $15. 6:30 p.m., Hilton Head Presbyterian Church, 233 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843689-6362 or hiltonheadpca.com.

DEC. 19 COASTAL HOME SUPPER CLUB: A monthly dinner and cabaret series pairing food and music. Vocalist Gretchen Kristine Stelzer, pianist Kenny Munshaw, and a special guest will offer a fun holiday performance titled, “Santa Baby.” Cost is $29-$64. 6:30 p.m., Sound Waves, 7 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-2055 or hhso.org.

DEC. 23 GREGG RUSSELL CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Relish the spirit of the holidays with an evening in Harbour Town as Gregg Russell plays his guitar and sings songs of the season. Following the concert, enjoy a special visit from Santa Claus. Free. 7:30-9 p.m., Harbour Town, 149 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

DEC. 24 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES: Enjoy a live nativity, carols, candlelight and communion worship. Free.

Service times vary. First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. 843-6813696 or fpchhi.org.

HILTON HEAD JINGLE JINGLE BRIDGE RUN: A festive 5K and 10K that will take participants over the scenic Broad Creek on the Cross Island Expressway.

An award ceremony featuring refreshments, music, and door prizes will be held following the race.

Registration is $35 for the 5K, $45 for the 10K. 8 a.m., Crossing’s Park, 6 Haig Point Court, Hilton Head Island.

843-757-8250 or bearfootsports.com.

THROUGH DEC. 31 GALLERY OF GIFTS: The Art League Gallery will once again be transformed into a holiday Gallery of Gifts, featuring one-of-a-kind decor and gift items handmade

by Art League members. Shop for gifts, stocking stuffers and holiday decor. Free entry. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., MondaysSaturdays; 12-4 p.m., Sundays. Art League Gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-5060 or artleaguehhi.org.

HOLIDAY BOAT LIGHTS DISPLAY: Take a stroll through a winter wonderland as the Marina transforms into a colorful affair, where boats will be decorated with holiday lights. Free. Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, 1 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 866-661-3822 or sheltercovehiltonhead.com.

DEC. 31 20TH ANNUAL POLAR BEAR SWIM: Show your adventurous side by taking an invigorating dip in the Harbour Town Pool on a chilly winter day. Warm up after your plunge with hot chocolate and refreshments. Free.

10-11 a.m., Harbour Town Pool, 1 Lighthouse Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION: Enjoy a festive New Year’s Eve ball drop from the top of the Harbour Town Lighthouse with food, fun, entertainment and live music. There will be two ball drops. Free. 7 p.m., 12 a.m.

Harbour Town, 149 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island.

843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

JAN. 1 POLAR PLUNGE: A fun polar plunge on New Years Day to benefit Charli’s Critters. Free. 11 a.m., Coligny Beach, 1 Coligny Circle, Hilton Head Island. 843-8426050 or colignyplaza.com.

THROUGH JAN. 1 CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IN SOUTH BEACH: Experience the holidays with lots of lights around South Beach. Free. South Beach Marina, 232 South Sea Pines Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-671-2233 or saltydog.com.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT SHELTER COVE: Enjoy the festive lights throughout the center all season long. Drive through or stroll through for a great walkable experience.

Free. Shelter Cove Towne Centre, 40 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. sheltercovetownecentre.com.

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I I D E C E M B E R 2 0 // 2 1 E V E N T G U I D E I I

WINTER WONDERLAND AT SHELTER COVE

MONDAYS INDIGO TIE DYE: Learn how indigo dye is made from a plant and use it to create a tie dye T-shirt to take home. All supplies are provided. Cost is $12 for adults, $7 for children. 3-4 p.m., Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-6896767, ext. 223 or coastaldiscovery.org.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS MEMORY MATTERS: “VIRTUAL COMPASS CLASSES”: An online program designed for adults experiencing mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Compass provides curriculum-based activities, physical exercise, relaxation techniques, life-long learning, small group discussions and socialization. Cost is $400 per month.

10 a.m., 1 p.m. 843-842-6688 or mymemorymatters.org.

TUESDAYS FARMERS & MAKERS MARKET: The Market will present more fresh, local produce, seafood, breads and cheeses, crafts and artisans than ever before.

Enjoy the colorful displays that grow and change each week throughout the season. Free entry. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., The Shops at Sea Pines Center, 71 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island.

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

TUESDAYS OPEN MIC NIGHT AT CORKS: Show up and show off your talent during this open mic night, every Tuesday night at Corks Bluffton. 7-10 p.m., Corks Wine Bar and Restaurant, 14 Promenade Street, Bluffton. 843-815-5168 or corkswinecobluffton.com.

TUESDAYS PARTY IN THE PARK: Enjoy the beautiful new Lowcountry Celebration Park with a family happy hour, including live music, bounce houses and beverages. Free entry. 5:30-8 p.m., Lowcountry Celebration Park, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-7273 or islandreccenter.org.

TUESDAYS ZION CEMETERY AND BAYNARD MAUSOLEUM COSTUMED CEMETERY TOUR: Enjoy the beautiful new Lowcountry Celebration Park with a family happy hour, including live music, bounce houses and beverages. Free entry. 5:30-8 p.m., Lowcountry Celebration Park, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-7273 or islandreccenter.org.

THURSDAYS CIVIL WAR ERA: Hilton Head Island was home to thousands of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Join this presentation featuring maps and historic photos of this time on Hilton Head from 1861-1865.

Reservations required. Cost is $12 for adults, $7 for children. 3 p.m., Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-689-6767, ext.

223. or coastaldiscovery.org.

THURSDAYS FARMERS MARKET OF BLUFFTON: Meet local farmers, chefs and artisans every Thursday on Boundary Street. Buy a fresh assortment of strawberries, produce, beets, potatoes and more. Also, hear local, live entertainment and educational lectures. Noon-5 p.m., Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton. 843415-2447 or farmersmarketbluffton.org.

THURSDAYS HISTORIC FORT MITCHEL TOURS: Immerse yourself in the fascinating Civil War history of Hilton Head Island with a visit to Fort Mitchel. Costumed characters and an expert tour guide will demonstrate the vital historic importance of this place and the role the fort and its namesake, General Mitchel, played in shaping Hilton Head history, including historic Mitchelville. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children. 10:30-11:30 a.m., Hilton Head Plantation, 65 Skull Creek Drive, Hilton Head Island. 843-686-6560 or heritagelib.org.

is $12-$20. Sea Pines Resort Fitness and Recreation Department, 71 Lighthouse Road, Suite 122, Hilton Head Island. 843-842-1979 or seapines.com.

THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS SIT AND STITCH: Enjoy knitting, crochet, needlepoint, rug hook practice as Needlepoint Junction stays open late. All levels welcome. Outside food and drink permitted. Free. Virtual Thursdays 3 p.m.; In-person Fridays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Needlepoint Junction, Suite J-7-E, Village at Wexford, Hilton Head Island. 843842-8488 or needlepointjunctionhhi.co

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

CURBSIDE CRAFTS TO-GO: Children and adults can order a variety of craft activities pre-assembled and ready to enjoy at your home or villa. Book online. Cost

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

THE HARBOUR TOWN LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM: Explore Hilton Head Island’s rich history and learn the story behind its famous lighthouse in a unique, museum-like setting. Admission is $4.25/ person, complimentary for children ages 5 and younger. 149 Lighthouse Rd. 843-671-2810 or harbourtownlighthouse.com.

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I I S P E C I A L T O M O N T H LY I I

CREATE A MEMORABLE HOLIDAY TABLESCAPE

FUN &

Festive

Gathering around the table to celebrate the season is something to be cherished. A beautiful tablescape is the perfect way to get everybody into the holiday spirit. Whether entertaining a group of friends or enjoying an intimate family gathering, here are tips to creating a memorable holiday tablescape.

MAKE A BOUNTY We love the mixture of green glassware, festive plates, geometric placemats, and striped dinnerware—the look is fresh, fun, and festive without feeling overdone.

EMBRACE MAXIMALISM For a chic and unique tablescape, pair modern pieces — like the flatware and placemats —with textures such as natural linen, moss, and pine. It's all about the juxtaposition. Don’t be afraid of color and texture. Natural materials like add depth and allow you to turn your attention to the plates, glassware, and other pieces, building layers of color and texture.

CENTER OR SCATTER Place florals and greenery in a variety of pretty vases or bowls or scatter several small vases around the center —both are a simple, but beautiful way to style any table.

MIX OLD WITH NEW Use all the small treasures—the simple and fancy ones. Pull out rarely used vintage pieces and pair with newer items to create a one-of-a-kind table setting.

A good tablescape evokes conversation and represents the personality of the homeowner.

Mix it up to make a unique and memorable dining experience for guests.

Use all the small treasures ­— the simple and fancy ones.

BY J . BANKS DESIGN GROUP

OPT FOR SEASONAL To create a charming centerpiece for the holidays, use seasonal flora to give the table a lush, bountiful feel.

In the centerpiece, we incorporated faux pine branches, moss balls, and Scottish antiques to add interest and holiday plaid. Decorate the table with something that speaks to the season or the locale. Florals, seasonal fruits and vegetables, shells or driftwood from the beach make great additions. Pick some items and build your scheme around them.

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IIDINE OUTII

restaurants OUR FAVORITE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY MONTHLY, FORK & FUN AND VACATION GUIDE

HILTON HEAD // NORTH END:

Crazy Crab Jarvis Creek

Hwy. 278 | 843.681.5021 thecrazycrab.com A Hilton Head tradition for over 30 years, enjoy genuine service and fresh seafood. Featuring crab, local oysters, seafood “your way,” fresh local shrimp.

Il Carpaccio

200A Museum St. 843.342.9949 ilcarpaccioofhiltonhead.com Authentic Italian cuisine, ranging from cuisine of Northern Italy to crispy, thin-crust, Italian-style pizza.

Street Meet: The American Tavern

Port Royal Plaza 843.842.2570 streetmeethhi.com Specializing in homemade versions of regional American bar food. Best Wings, Fish & Chips, Homemade Soups, Salads, Vegetarian Menu, Seafood.

HILTON HEAD // MID-ISLAND:

Alexander’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

76 Queens Folly Rd. 843.785.4999 alexandersrestaurant.com Menu uses seasonal ingredients with a strong emphasis on seafood while paying homage to Alexander’s original favorites.

Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers & Pizza

7 Trent Jones Ln. 855.878.1966 palmettodunes.com/big-jims Big Jim’s offers signature Southern dishes, gourmet burgers, pizzas, soups, salads, seafood, steaks and ribs.

Fishcamp on Broad Creek

11 Simmons Road | 843.842.2267 fishcamphhi.com Fishcamp’s menu consists of seafood and American cuisine, including steak and lobster. They have an outdoor bar and open patio. Family friendly.

The French Bakery & Courtyard Café

28 Shelter Cove Ln. 843.342.5420 frenchbakeryhiltonhead.com Breakfast or lunch inside or out in this bakery/café. Enjoy crepes, breads, baguette & paninis, salads, soups, quiches & pastries.

Giuseppi's Pizza & Pasta

50 Shelter Cove Lane 843.785.4144 giuseppispizza.com Serving excellent, award-winning pizza (since 1984), well-prepared pastas, sandwiches, wings, garden fresh salads and more.

Gruby's New York Deli

890 William Hilton Parkway 843.842.9111 grubysnydeli.com A New York-style deli offering authentic New York sandwichses, soups & offering breakfast & lunch.

Island Bagel & Deli

S. Island Square 843.686.3353 The island's only New York style boiled bagels made daily.

16 flavors of bagels and 12 home-made cream cheeses.

Specialty hoagies, sandwiches & salads.

Jane Bistro & Bar

28 Shelter Cove Lane 843.686.5696 | janehhi.com Bistro fare with Lowcountry influences. Enjoy jumbo lump crab cakes, pecan cranberry chicken salad, crispy flounder and petit filet mignon. Open daily.

Old Oyster Factory

101 Marshland Rd. 843.681.6040 OldOysterFactory.com Marsh & water views. Fresh seafood and steaks. Featured in The Wall Street Journal's “Off the Beaten Track.”

Santa Fe Cafe

807 Wllm Hilton Pkwy 843.785.3838 santafecafeofhiltonhead.com Casually elegant dining in the spirit of New Mexico. Seafood, bone-in ribeye steak, fajitas, & Painted Desert soup.

Sea Grass Grille

807 William Hilton Pkwy 843.785.9990 seagrassgrille.com American, Lowcountry and Continental cuisine. Winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Up the Creek Pub & Grill

18 Simmons Road 843-681-3625 upthecreekpubandgrill.com Casual waterfront dining offering shrimp appetizers, burgers, crab cake sandwiches, seafood baskets and dessert.

SCAN QR CODE WITH YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA TO VISIT EACH RESTAURANT'S WEBSITE. 214 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

IIRESTAURANT NEWSII

RESTAURANT

NEWS

May River Coffee Roasters

Seafood Festival

WATTERSON BRANDS TO ASSIST LOWCOUNTRY RESIDENTS IN NEED

2022 HILTON HEAD ISLAND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL WILL CELEBRATE 15 YEARS

DEMOLITION OF SHELTER COVE MARINA RESTAURANT

South Carolina is represented on Wallethub’s list of the Best Foodie Cities in America. Charleston was ranked 24th and Columbia is No. 91. To determine the best and cheapest local foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 29 key metrics. The data set ranges from affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants to food festivals per capita to craft breweries and wineries per capita, a news release said. Portland, Oregon is at the top of the list.

Watterson Brands is addressing food insecurity and access this holiday season through its portfolio of local businesses: Burnt Church Distillery and Pizza Co., in Bluffton; Side Hustle Beer Company, on Hilton Head; and Benjamin’s Southern Fried Pies mobile food truck.

The program, Watterson Means Good, will provide the community the opportunity to give to those in need through Dec. 31. Non-perishable food will be collected. All proceeds will benefit clients of Our Lady’s Pantry at the Mercy Mission in Hardeeville and are distributed by the Bible Missionary Baptist Church service program, God’s Heart of Bluffton.

Some of the most needed items are rice, boxed mashed potatoes, canned corn, canned green beans, candied yams, dinner rolls, Kraft macaroni and cheese, gravy, stuffing mix, “Jiffy” corn mix, cake mix, icing, cranberry sauce, and aluminum pans.

For more information, visit the Watterson Brands Facebook page.

Demolition of the former Kingfisher Restaurant building at 18 Harborside Lane in the Shelter Cove Marina began last month. The Town of Hilton Head purchased the 1.5-acre tract of property in September 2020 for the purpose of removing the existing structure to enhance open space and provide greater pathway connectivity. Future uses of the property may involve parking improvements or other opportunities that are consistent with the Town’s comprehensive plan. Work was expected to be finished by the end of November.

Tickets for the 15th annual Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival are on sale. The weeklong experience offers a mix of top chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, local seafood, artisans, musicians. The festival is set for Feb. 21-27, which includes a move to Shelter Cove Harbour for the main event.

Since the inception in 2004 of the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation, which hosts the event, more than $850,000 has been donated to local area charities. For more information, visit HiltonHeadSeafoodFestival.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA CITIES AMONG TOP ‘FOODIE’ SPOTS

BLUFFTON-BASED COFFEE ROASTER LAUNCHES LOWCOUNTRY-THEMED ROASTS

May River Coffee Roasters has launched three Lowcountry-themed coffee roasts: Lowcountry Blonde, Pluff Mud and Bluffton State of Mind. They “honor something special about Bluffton and the Lowcountry,” a news release said. For more information, visit mayrivercoffeeroasters.com.

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IIDINE OUTII

HILTON HEAD //SOUTH END:

Amigos Cafe y Cantina

Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte

Delisheeyo

Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Café

Chez Georges

Fish Casual Coastal Seafood

8 New Orleans Road 843.785.9277 charliesgreenstar.com Since 1982, New menu daily.

Dinner offers 14 fresh fish, rack of lamb, filet mignon and more.

Extensive wine list.

70 Pope Ave. 843-785-8226 amigoscafehhi.com Quick, Casual, Healthy. Authentic Mexican Food. Food is prepared fresh daily.

69 Pope Avenue 843.785.7700 auntchiladashhi.com Tex-Mex and American. Enjoy crab legs, sizzling fajitas, & margaritas. Reservations & large parties welcome.

Big Bamboo

1 N. Forest Beach Dr. 843.686.3443 bigbamboocafe.com The South Pacific meets the Carolina Coast in Coligny Plaza.

Serving burgers, seafood and festive libations.

British Open Pub

Village at Wexford 843.686.6736 thebritishopenpub.com Family-friendly pub with authentic English food with American favorites. Try the signature fish & chips!

Captain Woody's

6 Target Rd | 843.785.2400 captainwoodys.com Grab a seat at the outside deck, inside, or just belly up to the bar. Full lunch and dinner menu, happy hour daily, live music seasonally, and Sunday brunch.

Carolina Crab Company

86 Helmsman Way 843.842.2016 carolinacrabco.com Enjoy water views and fresh seafood at an affordable price in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Pet-friendly outside bar & patio.

Catch 22

37 New Orleans Rd. 843.785.6261 | catch22hhi.com Locally owned. Dinner nightly from 5 p.m. Early Dining Menu.

All beef is aged 28 days, U.S.D.A prime, hand selected and cut in house.

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ChowDaddy’s

37 New Orleans Rd 843.785.3200 chezgeorgeshhi.com Serving traditional bistro staples such as steak frites and mussels mariniere, incorporating fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

14b Executive Park Rd. 843.757.CHOW chowdaddys.com Offering a wide variety of menu items focusing on buns, bowls, and tacos and great libations.

Lunch & dinner daily.

32 Palmetto Bay Road 843.785.3633 delisheeeyo.com Vegetarian. Smoothies, Buddha Bowls and more. They provide meals that you can trust, that are real, and healthy.

1 N. Forest Beach Drive 843-342-3474 gofishhhi.com Seafood from local source.

Several different dining, bar and lounge areas. Local oysters offered from a raw bar.

Healthy Habit

33 Office Park Rd. 843-686-5600 healthyhabithhi.com Quick service restaurant serving chopped salads, superfood bowls, fresh bottled juices, smoothies, organic coffee & teas.

Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse

Hinchey’s Chicago Bar & Grill

CQ’s Restaurant

Hinoki Restaurant & Sushi Bar

Crane’s Tavern Steakhouse & Seafood

It’s Greek To Me

1000 Wlm Hilton Pkwy 843.715.3565 cowboybraziliansteakhouse.com All-you-can eat “Churrascaria.”

30 item salad bar, 6 Brazilian hot dishes and a “parade” of meats carved tableside.

140 Lighthouse Rd. 843.671.2779 CQsRestaurant.com Fine dining, an intimate atmosphere. Dishes include fresh seafood, beef & game. “Bistro” menu offers smaller portions.

26 New Orleans Rd. 843.341.2333 cranestavern.com Perfect for steak and seafood lovers, serving cuts of only USDA Prime grade beef. Excellent selection seafood & pasta dishes.

Crazy Crab Harbour Town

Harbour Town 843.363.2722 thecrazycrab.com A Hilton Head tradition for over 30 years! Featuring crab clusters, local oysters, seafood “your way,” and local shrimp.

70 Pope Avenue 843.686.5959 | hincheys.com A sports bar and a casual restaurant famous for their grouper sandwich. Stop by for lunch, or for drinks or dinner. Dine inside or out.

37 New Orleans Rd. 843.785.9800 | hinokihhi.com Traditional Japanese dishes including grilled fish, chicken and steak, sukiyaki, noodle dishes, tempura, sushi & sashimi.

Reservations recommended.

11 Lagoon Rd. | 843.842.4033 itsgreektomehhi.com Genuine Greek cuisine, from gyros to fried calamari to souvlaki to baklava for dessert. Authentic Greek recipes. The Isand's only gyro machines.

Java Burrito

1000 William Hilton Parkway, Suite J-6 | 843-842-5282 javaburrito.com Burrito and coffee bars uses natural ingredients. Locally roasted & organic beans, milk & organic cane sugar syrups.

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IIDINE OUTII

Kenny B’s Cajun/Creole Seafood

Palmetto Bay Sun Rise Café

Slapfish

Local Pie

Phillys Cafe & Deli

Stack’s Pancakes & More

Michael Anthony’s

Red Fish

Stellini

Nick’s Steak & Seafood

Reilley’s Grill & Bar

TôRō

Nunzio Restaurant + Bar

Rockfish Seafood & Steaks at Bomboras

Truffles

70-A Pope Ave. | 843.785.3315 eatatkennybs.com New Orleans fare including jambalaya, red beans & rice, and gumbos. The Island’s best po’ boys & fried seafood. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch.

55 New Orleans Road, No. 106 843.842.7437 | localpie.com Offers true Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza with regionally sourced ingredients. House dough stuffed and oven-baked calzones.

Fresh-baked subs.

37 New Orleans Rd. 843.785.6272 michael-anthonys.com Upscale Italian fine dining featuring innovative preparations.

Open Table Top 50 Italian Restaurants in the country.

9 Park Lane | 843.686.2920 | nickssteakandseafood.com Offering steaks, seafood, BBQ, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, soups, burgers, pasta and a kids’s menu. Reservations accepted.

Large parties welcome.

18 New Orleans Road 843.715.2172 | nunziohhi.com Specializes in fresh seafood and homemade pasta. Beautiful 1,300-sq-ft restaurant with a large bar area and two outdoor seating areas.

Ombra Cucina Italiana

1000 William Hilton Pkwy 843.842.5505 | ombrahhi.com Chef Michael Cirafesi promotes the foods & wines of Italy. He prepares all pastas, homemade gnocchi, desserts and breads daily.

One Hot Mama's

Reilleys Plaza | 843.682.6262 onehotmamas.com Family-friendly. Meat & 3 combo platters, BBQ platters, hand-cut steaks, burgers, char-grilled chicken and “the world’s best” wings.

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Palmetto Bay Marina 843.686.3232 palmettobaysunrisecafe.com Breakfast and lunch items are available continuously. Cafe offers to-go lunches for boats, beach or office. Open 7 days.

55 New Orleans Rd. 843.785.9966 phillyscafe.com Phillys’ motto is “Best sandwiches on the island...

Period!” Custom sandwiches with bread baked fresh daily.

8 Archer Rd. | 843-686-3388 redfishofhiltonhead.com Red Fish specializes in beautifully prepared seafood and steaks.

Choose from a 1,000-plus bottle selection of wines.

7D Greenwood Dr. 843.842.4414 reilleyshiltonhead.com Serving up steaks, seafood, pasta & sandwiches 35+ years.

Lunch & dinner daily, & Sunday brunch. The bar is open late.

5 Lagoon Road 843.689.2662 | rockfishhhi.com A family seafood restaurant & bar near the beach. Fresh and local lowcounty ingredients and craft beers and wines. Kids menu. Lunches to Go.

Salty Dog Cafe

Sea Shack

South Beach Marina Village 843.671.7327 | saltydog.com One of Hilton Head’s favorite outdoor cafes 20+ years. Fresh seafood. Indoor and outdoor seating. Live music & children’s entertainment seasonally.

6 Executive Park Rd. 843.785.2464 | seashackhhi.com One of the island’s most extensive menus of seafood.

Voted one of "South Carolina’s best seafood spots" by Coastal Living and Southern Living.

1024 William Hilton Pwy 843.521.5830 Slapfishrestaurant.com Locally owned & operated by the Lomasney family. Serving honest flippin’ seafood infused with lots of flavor!

2 Regency Pkwy. & Hwy. 278 843.341.3347 | stackshh.com Pancakes, waffles, house-made fruit sauces, crepes, crème brûlée French toast, shrimp & grits, crab benedict, shrimp omelet & lobster cream sauce. Gluten free avail.

BLUFFTON:

15 Executive Park Rd. 843.785.7006 | stellinihhi.com Family owned & operated since 1989! Italian appetizers & entrees from NY & Northern NJ. Delicious pasta, poultry, veal, seafood, beef & lamb expertly prepared.

2 N Forest Beach Drive, Unit 107 843.931.8676 | torohhi.com Latin and Asian inspired fare delivering a blend of culinary creativity and culture to a vibrant, yet casual and innovative atmosphere.

Sea Pines Center 843.671.6136 trufflescafe.com Local seafood, Black Angus steaks, baby back ribs, soups, sandwiches, and salads. .

British Open Pub

Sheridan Park | 843.815.6736 britishopenpub.net Family-friendly pub with authentic English food with American favorites. Try the signature fish & chips, shepherd’s pie and certified Angus beef.

Captain Woody's

17 State Of Mind St 843.757.6222 captainwoodys.com Dine outside, inside, or belly up to the bar. Lunch and dinner menu, happy hour, live music seasonally, and Sunday brunch.

IILOCAL RECIPESII

Cranberry & Almond Croissant Braid

The holidays are the perfect time to enjoy our favorite foods. A delectable breakfast option is a cranberry and almond croissant braid. The filling is almond cream with cranberry cream cheese. Try this recipe supplied by Teresa Brandow of Avocado Bleu for a savory morning treat.

INGREDIENTS: (Everything should be room temperture) 1 package of refrigerated croissant dough (or Danish dough if you can find it).

For the almond cream: 1/4 cup almond paste 1/4 cup almond flour 1/4 cup powdered sugar 2 eggs For the cranberry filling: 1/4 cup cream cheese 1/8 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons of cranberries Egg Wash 1 egg yolk

MAKE THE ALMOND CREAM: Add all ingredients to a bowl of a mixer.

Whip on medium and then high speed until fluffy and thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl often.

Set aside.

MAKE THE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE FILLING: Add all ingredients except cranberries to a bowl.

Mix together with a until well blended. Fold in cranberries.

ASSSEMBLE: • Roll out the dough and cover the center third with the almond cream.

• With a knife, carefully slice diagonal strips on both sides, leaving 1 inch (2 cm) from the top and bottom.

• Add the cranberry cream cheese mixture to the center.

Make the “braid” folds.

•B rush on egg wash and bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees.

• Garnish with powdered sugar, cranberries, and sliced almonds when cool.

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IIDINE OUTII

ChowDaddy’s

15 Towne Dr. 843.757.CHOW(2469) chowdaddys.com Buns, bowls, and tacos and great libations. Enjoy salads, sliders, a house ground rib eye burger, or smoked fried chicken.

Juice Hive

14 Johnston Way 843.757.2899 | thejuicehive.com Cold-pressed juices, smoothies and all-natural, mostly raw food. Salads, zoodles, ancient grains bowls, veggie burgers and wraps.

Cinco Mexican Grill

Local Pie

The Cottage Cafe

Lowcountry Fresh Market & Cafe

102 Buckwalter Pkwy 843.815.2233 cincomexgrill.com Authentic cuisine made from scratch using traditional & modern recipes. Dishes include Piña Fajitas, Carnitas, Flautas & flan.

38 Calhoun Street 843.757.0508 thecottagebluffton.com Scrumptious food with old-world Southern charm.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch. Specialty teas May River Coffee.

Corner Perk Brunch Cafe & Coffee Roasters

1297 May River Road 843.816.5674 | cornerperk.com Locally-owned Brunch Cafe and coffeehouse with house-roasted coffee, homemade syrups, breakfast wraps, sandwiches, lunch wraps, and salads.

Craft Kitchen

7 Johnston Way 843-815-7755 craftkitchen.online Craft beer and wine gastropub Lunch and dinner menu with bar snacks, small plates, sandwiches and sweet treats.

15 State of Mind | 843.837.7437 localpie.com Offers true Neapolitan-style woodfired pizza with regionally sourced ingredients. House dough stuffed and oven-baked calzones. Freshbaked subs.

303 Bleecker Street 843.815.2780 lowcountryfresh.com Scratch bakery, house-smoked meats, cooking classes. Food market, butcher, local seafood, wine, beer. Eat-in, take-out cafe.

Mellow Mushroom

878 Fording Island Rd. 843.706.0800 mellowmushroom.com Stone-baked pizzas, calzone, salad, hoagies & burgers. Draft beers and handcrafted cocktails.

Gluten-free and vegan options

Truffles

Belfair Towne Village 843.815.5551 trufflescafe.com Cafe featuring the “freshest and finest of everything!” Fresh local seafood, Black Angus steaks, baby back ribs, homemade soups.

SAVANNAH:

Giuseppi's Pizza & Pasta

The Mansion on Forsyth Park

Island Bagel & Deli

Plant Riverside District

25 Bluffton Rd | 843.815.9200 giuseppispizza.com Serving excellent, award-winning pizza (since 1984), plus a variety of well-prepared pastas, sandwiches, wings, garden fresh salads and more.

17 Sherington Dr. 843.815.5300 New York style boiled bagels made from scratch daily. 16 flavors of bagels and 12 homemade cream cheeses. Hoagies, sandwiches and salads.

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700 Drayton Street | 912.238.5158 kesslercollection.com/mansion Featuring 700 Drayton, which offers world-class cuisine with locally sourced ingredients.

Breakfast, brunch and dinner.

400 West River Street | 912373-9100 | plantriverside.com A variety of restaurants, bars and lounges. Features an all-day café, a high-end chophouse, a pizza restaurant, a riverside bar and two rooftop bars.

IILOCAL RECIPESII

Peking TurkeyMarinade A hearty holiday meal helps bring the family together. Try this delicious recipe from Eric Golden, executive chef at Toro.

RUB/MARINADE INGREDIENTS 1oz. salt.

1oz Szechuan peppercorns, ground.

1 cup orange juice.

1/2 cup soy sauce.

1/4 cup molasses.

1/4 cup brown sugar.

2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar.

2 tbl Chinese 5 spice 2 cloves garlic, minced.

1/4 cup hoisin sauce.

METHOD: Combine ingredients in blender and pulse.

Take marinade and rub turkey inside and out. Sit for six to 24 hours. Roast turkey at 325 degrees until thermometer reads 155. Rest for 20 minutes before cutting.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 // 221

IIRECIPESII

Prime Rib Perfection

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By David Anthony Serves: 8-10 people.

& STAY CONNECTED IN THE LOWCOUNTRY EVERYWHERE YOU GO!

PERFECT PREP

Refrigerate the prime rib overnight and let it come to room temperature for about two hours before cooking.

Mix pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary (or thyme) in a bowl.

Apply oil to all sides and then season the prime rib about two hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

222 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

ROASTING THE RIB

Put the prime rib in a roasting pan bone side down (fat side up). If you have celery, carrots, or onion, place in the bottom of the pan before the prime rib.

Cook the roast for 12-15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.

Use a meat thermometer to test the prime rib after 30 minutes. A medium prime rib typically reads 130-135 degrees.

Prime rib makes for the quintessential holiday centerpiece.

Delicious and hearty, the perfect prime rib will have everybody at the table happy — and clamoring for second helpings.

Here are some tips for a fantastic holiday meal.

SERVE TO SATISFACTION When it has reached the proper temperature, remove the prime rib from the oven and place it on a platter. Let it rest for 25-30 minutes.

As the roast sits, the temperature will rise about 10 degrees, to 140.

INGREDIENTS: • 4 sprigs of thyme • 2 tablespoons black pepper • 3-4 teaspoon salt • 2-3 large garlic cloves • 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary • 1 8-pound prime rib roast • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the strings that hold the prime rib and remove the ribs.

Carve and enjoy.

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IIMARC’S PERSPECTIVEII

MP

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS Gas-powered leaf blowers are everywhere in our communities. Most of us seem to insist on leaffree driveways and manicured grass areas in our gardens.

I never quite understood the logic behind this handheld obnoxiously loud monster that pollutes the fresh air in our neighborhoods. After all, there is a reason why they are labeled “leaf blowers” and not “leaf pick-up devices.”

We all have witnessed the scene when a landscaping crew blew leaves into the neighboring lot until the neighbor’s crew blew them right back. Or we’ve seen the homeowner “cleaning” his driveway by blowing the leaves into the street until the community cleans the streets and blows them right back into his property with a vengeance.

But there are more important reasons why it is time to say goodbye to these gas-powered inefficient devices.

First and foremost: They are bad for the environment.

According to a 2011 study

by Edmunds, “hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska” in a Ford F-150 Raptor.

A study by the California Air Resource Board estimates that an hour’s use of a gas-powered leaf blower equals as much pollution as a 1,100-mile car ride.

Regardless of what the actual number is, it makes no sense to tolerate the use of outdated two-stroke garden equipment that mixes oil and gas and emits the pollution unfiltered directly into our lungs.

This brings us to reason number two: They are

bad for our health. You don’t need to be a scientist to realize that the emission of carbon monoxide, smog-forming nitrous oxides and carcinogenic hydrocarbons can’t be good for your lungs — and your sense of smell confirms your suspicion.

Reason number three: Leaves are not trash, instead think of them as free mulch that helps the biodiversity. To learn more, visit sustainability. wustl.edu/rethinking-lawn-equipment-2/.

Number four: There are electric alternatives that will not eliminate the noise factor but at least get rid of the health and environmental consequences. And yes, they work fine and yes, it would require professional crews to keep extra batteries at hand.

Reason number five: We like to portray the Lowcountry as a region (including our towns and communities) that is aligned with the environment, which is exactly what the modern founding fathers had in mind.

So, it then would make sense to follow the more than 100 cities that already have passed some regulations of restricting or banning gas-powered leaf blowers. California is “enabling” the transition to electric-powered alternatives of a wider range than gas-powered machinery.

Since our town councils are often slow in making room on their agendas for new regulations, a more efficient alternative would be for private communities to adopt this environmental practice, which would be quite easy to do.

It might, however, have to start with a general manager taking the initiative to seek board approval. I believe most residents would consent to this.

“IT IS TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JUST BECAUSE A CERTAIN PRACTICE IS WIDESPREAD, IT DOESN’T MEAN IT IS ACCEPTABLE.”

MARC FREY : media entrepreneur | mfrey@freymedia.com | 224 // H I LT O N H E A D M O N T H LY. C O M

[PHOTO OF MARC BY MIKE RITTERBECK]