AI for individuals? Sun City resident says “Yes”
BY JOE TURINO Contributor
Ron Snyder, a recently retired Sun City resident with nearly five decades of experience in technology, is on a quiet mission to help others embrace the personal power of artificial intelligence or AI. “We are in the very early stages of this current AI revolution,” Ron says. “It’s only going to become a bigger part of everyday life for everybody.”
AI isn’t just for big corporations or small business owners—it’s proving to be an incredibly useful tool for individuals, too. From managing daily tasks to simplifying personal research, AI can enhance how we cook, travel, write, and learn.
A former Air Force service member, Ron’s tech journey began with military cross-training that introduced him to programming.
“That was sort of the start of my technology career,” he said. He later worked for major defense contractors including McDonnell Douglas, General Electric, and General Dynamics before shifting to nonprofit academic publishing, where he developed research tools and wrote search engines. “I have a very keen interest in it, so I would consider myself an enthusiast rather than an expert,” he said.
Ron joined Sun City’s Computer Club about nine months ago and has taught introductory AI classes for club members, offering practical hands-on demonstrations. “I do some hands-on work to show some everyday use cases for AI and things like meal planning and trip planning and, you know, document summarization—low stakes kinds of use cases,” he explained.
He especially encourages those new to AI to try ChatGPT or Google Gemini. “ChatGPT” is the way to go. Gemini is a close second,” Ron said. Both platforms offer free versions and are user-friendly, even for beginners. “You don’t have to do a paid subscription—and if you do decide to try a paid subscription you can do it for a month, and if it doesn’t pan out, then you can turn it off.” The paid versions provide enhanced features.
Ron emphasizes that these tools are already woven into many digital services.
“People are using it now without knowing it. Whether it’s photo analysis or email sorting, there’s so much invisible AI going on,” he said.
Unlike Google searches, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini allows for back-and-forth dialogue: “You can give it the first question, then it will come back with maybe some follow-up questions or some things to look at. You can have a conversation with it.”
Still, Ron advises caution. “A lot of people are concerned about data privacy when using AI,” he said. “Some tools are more protective of your personal data and identity than others, but it’s not always clear. So, I think a lot of users are concerned about using AI because they’re just not sure what’s going on.” He recommends avoiding questions that involve personal information.
He also warns about potential inaccuracies. “I use cases in two broad categories: high stakes and low stakes… For high stakes, you definitely want to trust and verify.” For everyday needs like recipes, travel ideas, or email drafts, the technology is both reliable and fast.
Ron created a free website filled with “two or three dozen examples of everyday use of AI,” such as planning meals, generating grocery lists, summarizing articles, and writing polite emails. The website is www.schh-commons.org/chatbot-examples/ and it is up for a limited time.
Want to give AI a try? It’s easy—and free. As Ron puts it: “There are so many things that it does well now. It’s got endless uses.”
HERE’S HOW TO TRY IT WITH CHATGPT OR GEMINI: ChatGPT
- Visit chat.openai.com
- Sign up using your email and create a password.
Google Gemini
- Visit gemini.google.com
- You’ll need a Gmail account to sign in and start exploring.
Sun City swimmers are making a
Splash
BY ANDREA HOERNER Contributor
First performed in flooded Roman amphitheaters synchronized swimming, or artistic swimming, has a long history. The event as we know it dates back to the early 1900s, when it was considered a sport. Early vaudeville productions featured silent film stars like Annette Kellerman, who’s often billed as the “mother of synchronized swimming.”
If you’ve ever seen a movie with gorgeous women in flower caps side-diving into a pool, you’re probably familiar with the sport’s other famed parent: Esther Williams. She starred in MGM “aqua musicals,” which were water ballets.
Artistic swimming became an Olympic event in Los Angeles in 1984. It demands a unique blend of strength, flexibility, and endurance. Participants must be able to hold their breath while maintaining grace and precision in complex underwater movements and acrobatic maneuvers. And, their feet must never touch the bottom of the pool.
In case you are wondering, there are male synchronized swimmers in many countries. However, no men competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, though approved by the International Olympic Committee.
Sun City Hilton Head has its own synchronized swimmers, the Synchronettes Club. It started as a chartered club about 25 years ago when members performed using a boombox, in costumes they made themselves. Now, underwater speakers and purchased accessories are used for
more professional shows.
The only qualification for becoming a member is being able to swim. Several members participated in synchronized swimming in college, so they are a great
help with planning routines.
“I have been a member of the Synchronettes since I moved here in 2017. Not only do I love swimming, learning new skills and performing in the shows, but
worth even more than all of that. It’s just a wonderful group.” Said Alane Peragallo, club president.
With about fifty members, their annual show consists of ten numbers built around a theme. The music is chosen with variety in mind. Practices are on Wednesday and Saturday, all year. Evening practices are added before a performance. Members serve on various committees, ranging from performance, audio, PR/ tickets, costumes to sunshine and social. Terms such as ballet leg, walk over, KIP, oyster, hand stands, and patterns dot the swimmers’ vocabularies.
When asked how she became interested in the Synchronettes, member Linda Kwiatkowski said: “Some of my tennis friends were Synchronettes, so in February 2018, I saw their show and I was hooked! I went to their first practice after the show and ended up swimming in 3 routines the next year. I’ve always enjoyed swimming, but this was a whole different thing. I love the challenge of learning the different skills and routines. It’s great exercise for the body and the mind but the best part is the friendships I’ve developed over the years.”
Member Bunny Spiegel joined shortly after moving to Sun City in 2004. She feels the friendships that are formed are very important. Members gather socially several times a year and a mystery “mermaid” appears in their yard to celebrate their birthdays.
Their upcoming show is “Jukebox Journey,” at the Sun City Purrysburg pool, February 26, 27, 28, and March 1, 2026. Most past shows have been sellouts so be sure to get your tickets early (available at the Magnolia Hall box office in February).
For more information about the group contact Alane Peragallo, alanegary@comcast.net.
ANDREA HOERNER
ABOVE: Susan Bender Klein is ready to perform; BELOW: Sun City Synchronettes pose by the pool.
The Sun City Hilton Head
The Sun City Hilton Head real estate market continues to shift, offering new opportunities for both buyers and sellers. New l istings are down 30% compared to July 2024, while closed sales have climbed 14% over the same period last year. The median sales price over the past 12 months has dipped 2.3%, signaling a gradual tilt toward a buyer’s market. Inventory held steady last month but remains 74% higher than this tim e last year. For buyers, this market presents an excellent opportunity with more inventory to choose from and increased negotiating power. For sellers, it’s s till a great time to capitalize on the significant equity gains built during the pandemic years. Navigating today’s shifting landscape takes insight a nd preparation, and that’s where having a seasoned real estate professional makes all the difference. If you’re considering selling your home, I invite you to take advantage of a FREE comprehensive market analysis and in-depth market review. Together, we’ll develop a strategy to ensure your home stands out and achieves the best possible value in this evolving market. Contact me today!
Sun City Real Estate July Market Snapshot
Active Homes and Villas
Active-Under Contract
Could changing the capital gains tax exclusion unlock more home sales?
BY GARY SMYTHE Contributor
For many homeowners, especially those at or near retirement age, selling a home isn’t just about moving — it’s about unlocking equity they’ve built over decades. But one of the biggest barriers to selling is the federal capital gains tax on real estate.
Under current law, individuals can exclude up to $250,000 in profit from the sale of their primary home from capital gains tax. Married couples filing jointly can exclude up to $500,000. Anything over those amounts is taxed. To qualify, the seller must have lived in the home for at least two of the past five years. Those numbers haven’t changed since 1997. In the meantime, home values have skyrocketed in many parts of the country — including here in the Lowcountry — and more homeowners are finding themselves over the threshold. The National Association of Realtors estimates that more than a third of homeowners would now be subject to capital gains tax if they sold.
There has been talk in Washington about changing the rules. Former President Donald Trump has said he is open to eliminating the capital gains tax on home sales altogether. Two bills have been introduced in
Congress — one by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to remove the tax entirely, and another by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) to double the exclusion to $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for married couples, adjusting for inflation since 1997.
David Holtzman, staff writer at Homes.com reports that by raising or removing the exclusion limits, more homeowners would be encouraged to sell, helping to free up inventory at a time when high mortgage rates and potential tax penalties are keeping many on the sidelines. Retirees in particular could benefit, giving them an opportunity to downsize and keep more of their hardearned equity tax-free.
Of course, the economic impact is hard to predict. Experts note that while more sellers could increase supply and potentially lower home prices, removing a tax barrier could also encourage more buyers, boosting demand and possibly pushing prices back up.
For now, homeowners looking to reduce potential capital gains taxes should keep detailed records of qualifying home improvements and original purchase costs, including transfer taxes and title insurance.
Score Big with a Seafood Spread
This season, team up with Russo’s Fresh Seafood Bluffton to elevate your tailgate party.
We’ve got an MVP lineup for a winning gameday feast. Enjoy fresh fish for tacos and sliders, peeland-eat shrimp, or house-made crab dip and seafood salads. They’re easy to pack, easy to serve, and impossible to resist.
Gary Smythe is a local Real Estate Agent with William Raveis Real Estate specializing in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. Gary@GarySmythe. com www.WilliamRaveis. com/GarySmythe
At the game or hosting at home, our grab-and-go case is loaded with Lowcountry crowd-pleasers that’ll keep your guests cheering. No cooking required! Fresh. Local. Friendly.
GARY SMYTHE
Graceful movement
BY EMMA JUNE GROSSKOPF Contributor
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That mindset is usually reserved for riding a bike or interviewing for a job.
In Grace Sorrentino’s case, it could apply to her journey with leg and foot pain, which resulted in two lower spine surgeries to get her back to her normal, active life.
Grace, a 72-year-old retired cardiac ICU nurse from a large hospital in Springfield, Ill., is no stranger to the medical profession and the potential for high-quality care to impact the lives of patients.
Steps toward surgery
Following her retirement in 2018, Grace started experiencing leg and foot pain that twisted its way into affecting her daily life. After seeking care in central Illinois, she checked the boxes for all the conservative measures, including physical therapy and shots to reduce her pain, and she was ultimately scheduled for surgery on her lower spine.
Her surgeon in the Midwest performed L4-L5 fusion surgery to stabilize her spine – the fusing of the L4 and L5 vertebrae located in the lower, “lumbar” spine, a procedure that can provide relief for conditions like spinal stenosis, disc degeneration and herniated discs.
Grace’s pain had subsided, and she and her husband Dave prepared to make the nearly 900-mile move from Springfield to the Lowcountry, a region that held lots of fond memories from past vacations on Hilton Head Island.
Second verse, same as the first Not long after their move to Sun City, Grace’s pain started again. Simple activities, such as grocery shopping with her husband, became excruciating as her pain persisted.
Grace followed the same process, exhausting all conservative measures before turning, once again, to surgery.
After her primary care provider recommended Dr. Andrew Castro, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Beaufort Memorial, Grace decided to talk to the surgeon about her options.
“He spent so much time talking to me about it and answering my questions,” Grace said.
She wasn’t excited about the prospect of a second surgery to correct the first procedure – but if she wanted to be able to walk without experiencing debilitating leg and foot pain, Dr. Castro told her, she didn’t have much choice.
Round 2
In October 2023, Grace underwent a revision spine surgery performed by Dr. Castro to not only fix the original L4-L5 lumbar fusion done in her 2018 procedure, but fuse the L3 and L4 vertebrae as well.
Grace said that overall, her experience with Dr. Castro and his nursing staff was “fantastic.”
“I’m a retired nurse, and people in the medical profession, we’re tough on other medical facilities. We have a certain standard of care that we’re looking for,” she said. “I can’t say enough about the care I got at Beaufort Memorial.”
Back on her feet, pronto
With her recovery complete, Grace has been able to get back to enjoying her retirement: she does yoga once a week, a dance exercise class, walks three miles every morning with her husband, golfs to her heart’s content and even picked up a part-time job a few days a week at Beaufort Drug Company’s lunch counter.
A travel opportunity arose in October 2024 – Grace and her husband were a part of a large group of family and friends that got to experience “la dolce vita” on a Mediterranean cruise that took them to destinations in Italy (Rome, Naples, Sicily and Venice), plus Greece and Croatia.
Without her revision spine surgery, Grace said she could never have dreamed of traveling or being on her feet – or doing any of the things she loves that make up her lifestyle here in the Lowcountry.
“Before the surgery, I couldn’t walk 10 feet,” she said. “Now, there’s not much I don’t do…honestly, I gave Dr. Castro a hug. I told him, ‘I know you don’t want to hear this’ – because he’s so humble – ‘but you gave me my life back.’”
Sun City Chorus & Orchestra want new singers
BY RHONDA HARRIS Contributor
After its summer break, the Sun City Chorus & Orchestra is now recruiting new members for its upcoming season. The group welcomes men and women who enjoy performing in a large, mixed-voice ensemble under professional direction.
Not sure if you’re a soprano, alto, tenor, baritone or bass? No problem. Voice placements will be held Aug. 25th and Aug. 27th at noon in the Green Room at Magnolia Hall. No prior knowledge of voice part is necessary.
The chorus and orchestra will present their holiday concert Dec. 4–7. Rehearsals begin Aug. 25th. Come sing, learn and make new friends!
Sun City residents interested in joining can contact membership chair Judy Barry at 843-384-1301 or golfmates202@gmail.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.
BY CHRIS ROOSA Contributor
Life on the farm was peaceful and serene; you could hear a dog barking from a mile down the dirt road. If I was up at the barn, in the evening, the sky was like a black velvet canvas sprayed with a billion stars. There was no city smog, no highrise buildings and no noise from congested traffic. Just the tranquil stillness of five hundred acres of rolling hills dotted with forests that surrounded our isolated home.
Buddy and Missy came into my life as a gift from a neighbor. Two adult white Pilgrim geese. I never had a problem with them, but then I was totally unfamiliar with the stories of how mean and aggressive geese could be, so I had no fear. A few times, while feeding all the barn animals, the geese would lower their heads, spread those massive wings and come charging at me. But I found a bump from a boot to their chest promptly cured that problem. We understood one another
Feathered troublemakers
and formed a bond.
That same neighbor phoned one day to tell me that “my attack geese” were at her barn charging her while she was mucking stalls. I went over there and quietly called out to them. Both flew two feet off the ground arriving at my feet. I picked one up in each arm, looked at the gal and questioned, “These attack geese?” It was at that moment I realized why she had given them to me. She was afraid of them.
Each and every time the geese saw my daughter’s car pull into our long driveway it would give them pleasure to fly low and viciously pursue her. She would run from her car screaming while they’d chase her into our house. Then they’d proceed to cackle as if laugh ing at their accomplishment of terrifying the young girl.
I came out one morning and found Buddy limping. His webbed
foot was badly injured. I surmised that one of the horses had stepped on him. I got a black trash bag. Placed Buddy, rump first, into the bag and tied the top opening around his neck. Off we drove, to the next town, with Buddy on my lap. What a sight we must have been with just his head sticking out of that trash bag.
The vet examined the foot with a concerned grave look on his face. Finally, he looked up and said, “You know Thanksgiving is next week.” I’m a little dense so I didn’t get the drift of his comment. The second time he said it I realized what he meant. To euthanize my goose. I firmly looked at him and said, “I DON’T EAT MY PETS, do you?”
the house. I held him in my arms while soaking that foot, three times a day, from November until February. I’d sing Christmas carols to him at each soaking. One cold blustery winter morning I went out to feed and found the two of them were gone. Our creek ran through the Ford Proving grounds. My husband went and spoke to them, telling them about our missing geese. They drove him around for nearly two hours to no avail. Some days later Missy came home by herself. You would have thought that I lost my dog I was so upset.
Buddy got an antibiotic shot and I was told to soak his foot three times a day. I laid hay bedding in our garage and moved them up to
As the newness of another spring was in bloom I bought Missy another mate. It was lovely seeing the two of them once again cruising across the large pond on our property. And not too long afterwards they had an addition to their family. Life was good on the farm!
Chris Roosa is a resident of Sun City Hilton Head.
The trusted choice for inpatient rehabilitation
The trusted choice for inpatient rehabilitation
Encompass
Encompass Health is the largest system of rehabilitation hospitals, trusted by patients, caregivers and medical professionals.
Encompass Health is the largest system of rehabilitation hospitals, trusted by patients, caregivers and medical professionals.
Encompass Health is the largest system of rehabilitation hospitals, trusted by patients, caregivers and medical professionals.
Encompass Health is the largest system of rehabilitation hospitals, trusted by patients, caregivers and medical professionals.
We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball.
We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball.
We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball.
We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball.
