MAY 2010
JUST A MOM? ALL ABOARD PALMETTO BLUFF’S GRACE! REPUBLICAN ROUND-UP RICHARD CHALK KATE KEEP ANDY PATRICK
THOSE RUGBY ROGUES OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND WHY AREN’T YOU MORE LIKE ME? DEALING WITH CONFLICT
FEATURES
CONTENTS
MAY 2010
P28 THE CURRY FOUNDATION In May of 2009, Thomas M. Curry, Jr., president and CEO of Hardeeville-based Lowcountry Paver, learned that his friend Ben Kennedy had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma…for the second time in a year. The Curry Foundation’s genesis was quite simple: a friend helping a friend.
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P36 JUST A MOM? (HARDLY!) MOMS offering Moms support.
P40 THE 32ND ANNUAL BLUFFTON VILLAGE FESTIVAL Change of the Celebratory Guard: Bluffton Rotary adopts the Bluffton Village Festival
P44 2010 RELAY FOR LIFE If it’s been a while since you pulled an all-nighter, start getting some extra zzz’s and prepare to party from dusk to dawn at the 2010 Relay for Life. The theme of this year’s family-friendly sleepover is “Rock Around the Clock.”
P48 THOSE RUGBY ROGUES It’s the second most popular team sport in the world (it’s played in 110 countries). Founded in 1974, the club that represents the sport on the island is purported to be the oldest continuous sports organization on Hilton Head.
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ALL ABOARD THE GRACE! She celebrated her 97th birthday this April, and she’s still sleek, strong and distinguished. Grace doesn’t work every day, but on the days she does, she holds her own to gals half her age.
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KATE KEEP The Tea Party Candidate
P68 ANDY PATRICK Comprehensive Tax Reform
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REPUBLICAN ROUND-UP In November of this year, Seat 123 is up for grabs in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Meet the three candidates vying for this important position in local government and find out what they intend to do should they make it to Columbia.
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CHAMPAGNE LIVING ON A BEER BUDGET Consignment Shopping: A Bonanza for Bargain Shoppers.
P113 BARGAINS AND BENEFITS Area thrift stores come to the aid of local charities.
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RICHARD CHALK Keeping It Local
FROM CHAOS TO CALM Spring cleaning for the home and the heart.
>>> ON OUR COVER pg.48
pg. 36 pg. 54
pg. 70
pg. 63
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Photography by Anne
MAY 2010
CONTENTS
EVERYTHING ELSE
May MAY 2010
>> BUSINESS PROFILES
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P84 AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE Is there a Nurse Practitioner in the House?
>> EVERYTHING ELSE
P88 E.A.C. HEATING AND AIR As summer and the heat cranks up, these guys do all they can to keep your home cool.
P14 EDITOR’S NOTE. Be there.
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HILTON HEAD EXTERMINATORS Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
HE SAYS, SHE SAYS This month’s topic: Parenting Advice.
P95 KPM FLOORING A beautiful floor does more than make a statement about you. Floors enhance and complete a room. Flooring is about both style and value, and the right choice can add considerable value to your home.
P100 TANGER OUTLETS Extreme Makeover: Upscale Transformation of Tanger Outlet Center 1 Now Underway.
P104 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... ESTATE AND ASSET PROTECTION PLANNING. By guest writer, Mark Wynn. (Lew Wessel is taking a month off to prepare for a comprehensive look at the new health care bill – coming in July!)
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CELEBRATE MAY A few things you may want to put on your calendar this month...
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HEALTH NOTE Swelling and summer in the South
C2 AFTER DARK Who’s playing where and when, along with trivia nights, and other reasons to stay up past 10 p.m.!
P122 DISCOUNT CARD AND DISCOUNTS! Why in the world would you NOT show your CH2 card to get these fabulous discounts? If your issue doesn’t have one, e-mail us your mailing address and we’ll send you one! Card requests to m.washo@celebratehiltonhead.com.
P30 GOLF 101 Target Putting vs. Spot Putting
APRIL 2010 $3.95
>>> IN THE DOG HOUSE
APRIL 2010
>>> ON OUR COVER
Mistake #351 Last month’s cover model featured a tartan mask painstakingly painted on by local hair and make-up artist ROMAN HILL. Thanks Roman! You did such a great job, most of our readers thought is had been added digitally. Not so. Not so.
Mistake #832 There is NO Indian University. At least, not one that Dr. Michael Campbell attended. He was actually a graduate of Indiana University. We forgot the first letter in the alphabet. Oops!
pg. 48
pg.54
pg. 36 pg. 63 pg. 70 Photography by Mark Staff
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MAY 2010
05.2010 05.2010
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FROM THE EDITOR
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief: MAGGIE WASHO Art Director: KELLY STROUD Art & Production CATHERINE DAVIES Director of Sales: MORGAN HODSDON Advertising Sales: ASHTON KELLEY HELENE STEPHENS STAN WADE
Contributing Writers: DR. MADELINE CHATLAIN PAUL DEVERE FRANK DUNNE JR. ROSLYN FARHI TERESA FITZGIBBONS COURTNEY HAMPSON LINDA S. HOPKINS KEITH KELSON ERIK OLSON PETE POPOVICH MARY FRANCES STOCKS JEAN WHARTON MARK WINN Contributing Photographers / Artist: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE BILL LITTEL MARK STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN BRACKETT PHOTOGRAPHY ROB KAUFMAN
PhotograPhy PHOTOGRAPHY byBY anne ANNE
Be Present!
D
o you find yourself ignoring the person in front of you as you e-mail, text, tweet and Facebook your thousands of “friends,” “fans” and such? Of course you do. Upon quick observation at a local eatery for lunch last week, I noticed about 75 percent of the room “interacting” with people that were not actually at the table with them. With the invention of smart phones like the iPhone or Blackberry, you don’t have to bring along a book or newspaper in order to ignore the person in front of you anymore. Just bask in the
glow of that fabulous phone which updates you (by the second) on who stubbed their toe, became a fan of some place they’ve never been or hates Mondays. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and all of the information it enables us to find within minutes. I can’t imagine putting this magazine out every month without it. However, it just seems to me that maybe we need to put the technology away when we are spending time with people. I’ve caught myself doing it lately, and I don’t like my own behavior. The person sitting in front of you should have priority over the “thousands” of other friends you have, right? My goal for the month is to start building stronger relationships with people than the one I have with my phone. People usually stay in your life for more than a few years—your phone does not. In fact, the newest version of my phone was probably invented in the 10 minutes it took me to check my email this morning.
Art Direction: TOM STAEBLER
P.O.Box 22949 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.689.2658
M. Washo Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief
m.washo@celebratehiltonhead.com
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MAY 2010
2
He SayS, SHe SayS
Parenting advice
>>> ONE SUBJECT
Two Opinions
article by Keith Kelson
a man’s point of view
PhOTOgraPhy By aNNE
S
hould folks without children give advice to those who have them? I say yes. People without kids absolutely have the right to share their opinions on child-rearing. They had parents, too you know. But there are some people with kids who feel if you’re not a parent, you have no idea what it’s like to rear a child. It wouldn’t be so bad if they said something along the lines of, “Thank you. You’ve given me something to think about.” But more often than not, they just drop the hammer on the person like they’re some alien life form that has no experience dealing with humans. Now, I’m not saying that people without children are the absolute authority in the field of parenting. But you can’t ignore the fact that they have life experiences that do give them insight on parenting. Everyone has had experience with parenting, whether they were the parent or the kid being parented. Why, I remember being spanked by my mom after having way too much fun in church one Sunday. I have to mention that my late mother was a spanking artiste. The belt moved so fast it literally became invisible to the naked eye. It was like she was spanking you with air. Anyway, I had managed to sneak my GI Joe action figure out of the house with me that day. He had authentic “Kung Fu grip” which was one of the most coveted features an action figure could have back in the 1970s. While no one knew what this Kung Fu grip actually did, the action figures flew off shelves of department stores. My mom sang in the choir, and unlike some other moms, she wouldn’t give you three strikes. You got one strike if you were
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lucky, and if you decided to tempt fate and seek a second strike…well, you were gonna get a world-class spanking. Like the one I got that afternoon. People still talk about it to this day; it was the Haley’s Comet of spankings. My advice to parents? Make sure that your son leaves his GI Joe action figure with realistic Kung Fu grip at home. Stop by and use one of those x-ray machines at an airport if you have to, ensuring that the kid is clean. He will find an action figure more interesting than the sermon—trust me when I say that. Fewer distractions for a small, rambunctious boy in church will mean fewer spankings for him. My mom pointed out after my sister and I were adults that she hated to spank us, but she was raised by my grandparents not to spare the rod. Given the number of spankings I got as kid, it does comfort me to know that my mom really was doing it because she loved us. My sister and I turned out okay, so I guess all those times my bottom got tanned made it worth it. Still, I can’t help but wonder what my life would have been like had I been allowed to master my action figure’s Kung Fu grip that Sunday, but I digress… Having kids doesn’t automatically mean you are making good parenting decisions. A nurturing personality, patience and understanding are traits a whole lot of people without children possess. You’re a parent? Hey that’s wonderful, but don’t act like you’re a genius because you’ve changed a diaper or two. We all need to listen to helpful, constructive criticisms from time to time. In many scenarios throughout life, the person observing from the outside has a clearer, unbiased view of what’s going on
than the person embroiled in the situation. What’s always irked me is how elitist some parents are. They’re more than willing to take the parenting advice of some childless yahoo on Oprah with a Ph.D from an Ivy League school, completely ignoring that said expert also hasn’t reproduced or raised any children. But I guess if they made it on Oprah, they must know what they’re talking about, right? Hey, Oprah doesn’t have any kids, now does she? But she sure does have loads and loads of experts on her show giving parenting advice. You don’t see any topics on Internet message boards complaining about how Oprah being childless means she should mind her own beeswax when it comes to giving parents advice. I really don’t see the harm in listening to someone’s advice. As long as the person giving it isn’t peppering you with a daily “Here’s what I would do” parenting tip, take their advice with a grain of salt and keep on trucking. Know that, in the long run, you’ll be able to point out that it was taking their parenting tips that caused Junior to wind up on America’s Most Wanted. If you have a friend who’s always giving you handy parenting tips, introduce her to someone so she can get married and start a family of her own. Do it today. The sooner your friend has kids of her own, the sooner you can repay her by sharing your parenting experiences and giving her friendly advice. Also, remember never to be available to babysit. Nothing beats giving good, sound parenting advice than never being available to watch the kids of a friend. (I’m kidding, of course.) Happy Mother’s Day to all the CH2 readers out there. MAY 2010
Article by Jean Wharton
Parenting advice
a woman’s point of view
PhotogrAPhy By ANNE
A
s any follower of this column will tell you, I have little trouble stating my opinion, analyzing an issue or debating a point of view. On this topic of parenting advice, especially if you don’t have children of your own, I have a few thoughts to share, but it is important to point out some facts: I am a woman, obviously. I am a teacher, proudly. I am not a mother, yet. P r o f e s s i o n a l l y s p e a k i n g , I h a ve dispensed parenting advice based on my knowledge as a teacher, my observations of the child and my relationship with the parent. I have answered questions for moms and dads about eating habits, bedtime rituals and sibling rivalry. Many of the questions parents ask me are far out of the realm of the classroom, but I have absolutely zero hesitation advising parents when they seek my counsel. My role as a Montessori teacher is an essential pillar of my identity. I can help a parent by sharing insights or stories of how their child behaves at school that may translate to their home life. My role as a teacher puts me in a sticky situation with parents who aren’t part of my school—friends, acquaintances, friendsof-friends. Knowing that I’m a teacher, sometimes parents test the waters with me. They ask with bated breath, “Can I run something by you about my son/daughter?” just to see what my professional opinion might be. When they don’t like what I have to say, they can discredit it because a) I am not 18
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a parent and b) I am not their child’s teacher. This often leads me to ask (to myself or out loud), “WHY did you ask?!” When advice is solicited, the seeker should digest it and either save it in their mental files, put it to use or discard it altogether. The giver of wellmeaning counsel is only doing what has been asked of him/her. That being said, I refer back to the previously stated fact that I am a woman. Women do not like unsolicited advice— even when it comes from other women, but especially when it comes from men. We don’t like people to impose their views or ideas on us without explicit request. We like to talk things out, argue both sides and gather information; but until we need to solve a declared problem, we aren’t asking for help. Now add to that the fact that mothers are a unique breed of women, evolutionally enabled with protective instincts for their young. You mess with Momma’s way of doing things for her cubs, and you’ll be sorry. Because we (and by “we” I mean we humans) had the shared experience of being a child, we translate into sharing certain universal truths about childrearing. While numerous commonalities do exist in the vast varieties of human lives, no one is the same and no one of us has all the answers. Just because you were a child doesn’t mean you know how to raise one (especially someone else’s). A dear friend of mine is doing an excellent job as a first-time parent (in my unbiased opinion) and has the best rebuttal
to those offering unsolicited advice about her baby, now nearly 18 months old. She politely thanks them for their well-meant counsel on breast feeding, diaper cream or Mommy & Me music. Then she says, “I know how to take care of just this one person; I’d be a lousy mom to anyone else.” Again and again, it’s the unsure and under-confident women who rear their weak heads by asking for advice against all better logic and from all the wrong people–women who seek approval and acceptance from outside sources, rather than from within. Those out there playing into the stereotypes of helpless, damsel in distress. When this sub-culture of women have babies, they approach motherhood with much the same tentativeness as anything else in their lives. An unsteady mother seeking advice is going to keep seeking and seeking and seeking without resolve about the parenting decisions she must make. The best parenting advice I can offer is to be logical. Apply common sense. Trust your instincts. Doctors, psychologists and therapists can and do help, but they can and do offer fear, conditioning parents, especially moms, to second guess their gut. Get to know your children. That sounds silly, but if you’re making decisions for your children based on what worked for another child in another family, you most likely will be disappointed. Raise a strong, brave and confident daughter and she, in return, will do the same for her daughters and sons. Happy Mother’s Day! MAY 2010
May
2010 Sunday
Monday
TueSday
WedneSday
ThurSday
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Local musicians will join together on Sunday, May 2 at 3:00 pm at Bluffton United Methodist Church
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to perform a concert to benefit Women Build, 2010, the fifth house built and funded by Lowcountry women. Donation to Habitat is $20.
please call 757-5864 or visit our website, habitathhi.org.
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Cinco de Mayo
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Mothers Day!
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First Baptist Church Hilton Head Island is reaching out to area children to share a day of fishing and faith at Jarvis Park. The anglers will also be treated to music and a free picnic. The first 100 kids will receive a free t-shirt. All tackle is provided. The event is for children ages 5 - 15 but adults must accompany children under 12. The event will be held rain or shine. For more information, please contact Fuzzy Davis, 912-547-1464 or visit the church’s website: fbchhi.org.
2010 Relay for Life Friday, May 7 at 6 p.m. through Saturday, May 8 at 7 a.m. (Yep, it’s an “All Nighter!”) Honey Horn For more information call (843) 422-9793 or visit cancer.org.
All Saints Garden Tour May 15, 10am-4pm Mobile All Saints Episcopal Church will present its 23rd Annual Garden Tour at six of the finest gardens in the area. For more information, please call 843-681-8333
all Month
SaTurday
Cast 4 Christ Fishing Day Jarvis Park Saturday, May 1 from 8 am-12pm
AAUW Meeting May 1, 9am - 3:45pm Quality Inn, Beaufort, SC The American Association of University Women of Hilton Head Island/Southern Beaufort County Branch will meet at the Spring Convention for AAUW of South Carolina. Please call 843-341-6638 for further information. New members are always welcome.
Friday
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8 The 32nd Annual Bluffton village festival 10:00 4:00 Downtown Bluffton For more information call (843) 815-8277.
Sweet Sounds of Hope May 15th, 6:30pm – 10:00 pm Hampton Hall Community Clubhouse Cost: $35 per person
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(Tax Deductible Donation) The inaugural fundraiser for the South Carolina chapter of Casting for Recovery. For additional information www. castingforrecovery.org
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“Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida” Arts Center of Coastal Carolina Through May 30 Tickets: Kids: $37; adults: $54. www.artshhi.com; 843-842-ARTS.
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Ninth Annual Childrens Cup Cresent Point Golf Club
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4 person Scramble Registration : 8 AM Shotgun Start: 9 AM $150 per person or $600 per Team Includes: Box lunch, logo shirt and Prize Bag. For more information call 843.342.1602.
30 2nd Annual Art Festival Shelter Cove Harbour &May 30, 10am-5pm (see May 29th)
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2nd Annual Art Festival Shelter Cove Harbour May 29, 10am-6pm & May 30, 10am-5pm
The artistic media represented include paintings, life size sculptures, photography, glass, wood, jewelry, collage and ceramics. Admission is free and open to the public. For more info www.artfestival.com.
The 1st Annual Curry Cup Charity Golf Event Saturday, June 5 Hampton Hall Golf Club Presented by: the Curry Foundation, Adventure Radio, and CH2. Register online at www. CurryFoundation.org
Summer Camps with Style Tucker Agency Model & Talent June and July, Call for dates Girls ages 4 to 18 will experience an exciting and empowering time of fashion, fun, and style. Camps are one week. More info: Jennifer Tucker at 843-836-2540, www. tuckeragency.net/summer-camps
June
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ďƒ APRIL MAY 2010
AFTER DARK
MONDAY
Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 Four Piece & A Biscuit Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Mellow Mushroom Pizza 843.686.2474 Beer Club - Free Membership Join Anytime Big Bamboo 843.686.3443 Hebrew Brother 10pm Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Buzztime Trivia - LATE NIGHT FOOD San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Chris Jones
TUESDAY
Wild Wing Café 843.785.9464 or 843.837.9453 Trivia Night (Hilton Head) Casey’s Sports Bar & Grille 843.785.2255 Ladies Night, Karaoke Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Free Pool - LATE NIGHT FOOD Jock’s Bluffton Sports Bar & Grill 843.815.7474 Ladies NIght & Live Entertainment Kingfisher Seafood, Pasta, & Steakhouse 843.785.4442, Joseph the Magician Tableside Magic San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Mike Korbar Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 The Incrediable Bar Tabs
WEDNESDAY
Jock’s Bluffton’s Sports Bar & Grill 843.815.7474 Tommy Sims Live 9pm Boathouse II / Marker 13 843.681.3663 Thomas Claxton 6pm - 10pm Big Bamboo 843.686.3443 Reggae Night with Patwa 10pm Prana International 843.785.7762 Cheese Factory–Classics-70’s, 80’s & 90’s Wild Wing Café 843.785.9464 or 843.837.9453 F&B Night with Big B! (Hilton Head) XO Lounge 843.341.8080 LIVE Entertainment Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Electric Piano 843.785.5397 Motown & R&B with Sterlin & Shuvette Kingfisher Seafood, Pasta, & Steakhouse 843.785.4442, Target the Band Beach Music, Shagging, & Pop Mellow Mushroom 843.686.2474 Trivia - Starts AROUND 9pm Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Free Pool - LATE NIGHT FOOD Kanaley’s Pub 843.686.5123 Live Music San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Davis Marshall Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 The Storks
THURSDAY
Kingfisher Seafood, Pasta & Steakhouse 843.785.4442 Classic Rock with David Wingo XO Lounge 843.341.8080 LIVE Entertainment Jock’s Bluffton’s Sports Bar & Grill 843.815.7474, Ladies Night & Live Entertainment Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Electric Piano 843.785.5397 Ladies Night - Live Music with Johnny Breeze & Bruce Crichton Big Bamboo 843.686.3443 Jack Jones playing Jimmy Buffet Classics - 6:30pm
MAY 2010
Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Buzztime Trivia - LATE NIGHT FOOD Kanaley’s Pub 843.686.5123 Live Music San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Eric Daubert Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 The Martin Lesch Trio
FRIDAY
The Electric Piano 843.785.5397 5/7 Eddie Wilson Trio 5/14 Disco Fever 5/21 Sterlin & Shuvette 4/23 Sterlin & Shuvette 5/28 Disco Fever Casey’s Sports Bar & Grille 843.785.2255 Karaoke Jock’s Bluffton’s Sports Bar & Grill 843.815.7474 Karaoke with Melissa Big Bamboo 843.686.3443 The Beagles play the Beatles Kingfisher Seafood, Pasta & Steakhouse 843.785.4442 Jazz & Blues with Earl Williams XO Lounge 843.341.8080 LIVE Entertainment Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Kanaley’s Pub 843.686.5123 LIVE Entertainment - 9:30pm-until Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Buzztime Trivia - LATE NIGHT FOOD San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Bruce Crichton Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 Spare Parts 5/21 Marty Fuller
SATURDAY
The Electric Piano 843.785.5397 Chris & Christian Jock’s Bluffton’s Sports Bar & Grill 843.815.7474 All Request Night with DJ Tanz XO Lounge 843.341.8080 LIVE Entertainment Big Bamboo 843.686.3443 Kids Eat Free - ALL DAY Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Kanaley’s Pub 843.686.5123 Karaoke with Big B - 9pm-until San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Tommy Sims Remy’s Bar & Grill 843.842.3800 Ninja Boot 5/15 Silicone Sister
SUNDAY
Street Meet 843.842.2570 Late Night Food until 1am Mellow Mushroom Pizza 843.686.2474 Corn Hole Tournament Callahan’s 843.686.7665 Complete menu served until 2am San Miguel’s 843.842.4555 Live Entertainment - Kirk O’Leary Electric Piano 843.785.5397 Sundays are BACK! Kingfisher Seafood, Pasta, & Steakhouse 843.785.4442, Joseph the Magician Tableside Magic
What Are YOU Doing
TONIGHT?!? email info to:
c.davies@celebratehiltonhead.com
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Vying for Tying The KnoT on hhi
Get HitcHed on Hilton Head introduces tHree semi-Finalist couples
a
Get HitcHed on Hilton Head introduces tHree semi-Finalist couples Photos by rob kaufman
p anel of six celebrity judges struggled to narrow down dozens of contestants to just three semi-finalists for the last round of competition in the wedding giveaway, Get Hitched on Hilton Head. The judges wrote “so many compelling stories to choose from,” and “these all seem to be deserving couples.” But in the end, three couples were ranked slightly higher than the other contestants. The Get Hitched Steering Committee had the opportunity to spend some up-close-and-personal time with the semi-finalist candidates during the last weekend in March. Committee members concur the competition will be down to the wire in the online voting event next month!
Photos by Rob Kauffman
and tHe Winners are…
a special tHanks to all our our sponsors For tHe Get HitcHed couples Weekend! DaviD Battiste anD Julie Klein
James (Jason) sturdivant and Lauren mcGookey
William (Creighton) stuCKart anD emily nelson
david’s 1st class
Limousine
Get hitched
on hilton head Special to ch2
as We enter tHe Final round oF completion For Get HitcHed, vieW our Weekend pHoto Gallery and meet tHe couples WHo Have tHe opportunity to continue tHeir campaiGns to earn support in tHe June votinG. stay tuned to see WHicH couples endure tHe many layers oF qualiFyinG For tHe ultimate Hilton Head WeddinG Weekend!
The Curry FoundaTion The Curry FoundaTion arTiCle By Frank dunne, Jr.
T
he Curry Foundation’s genesis was quite simple: a friend helping a friend. In May of 2009 Thomas M. Curry, Jr., president and CEO of Hardeeville-based Lowcountry Paver, learned that his friend Ben Kennedy had been diagnosed with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma…for the second time in a year. Ben and his wife Brittany again braced for the fight of their young lives, but the financial burdens brought on by the cancer quickly became an insurmountable obstacle. Ben needed to go to Emory University in Atlanta to receive treatment that could last for months. Obviously, he wanted his wife by his side, and they were fortunate that Brittany’s family lives in Atlanta. So they had a place to stay together, but that meant months away from work for both of them while the medical bills piled up on top of the rent on their home, car payments, and other obligations. Ben and Brittany Kennedy
“I’d been through this ten months prior. This was my second diagnosis within ten months. One, I was devastated. Two, the financial burden that we were about to undergo was immense. Knowing that I was not going to go to work during this time was overwhelming to me,” said Ben. Ben and Brittany are a hard working, self-sufficient couple with a bright future. Both are college educated and both have good careers. They are by no means poor, but when life dealt them a financially crippling blow last year, they needed help. “Tom realized that I was about to undergo some very expensive processes while not having any income, and Brittany was also going to be out of work to stay with me while I was in the hospital,” said Ben. “The bills were not going to stop just because I was diagnosed.” “And, because of the economy, our company had stopped paying a high percentage of the insurance, so the total insurance was on us,” added Brittany.
Fortunately, Ben’s insurance coverage was sufficient to cover the medical expenses after paying a deductible of about $2,000, but they still had to keep up with the premiums and ordinary living expenses and pay for travel to and from Atlanta. Without steady income, it would have been impossible without some help. Wanting to provide that help, Tom established the Curry Foundation to raise the funds necessary to let Ben and Brittany concentrate their time and energy on beating Ben’s cancer. “I was blown away at how fast he progressed in getting it done,” said Ben. “People from all over just started contributing. We were able to stabilize, thanks to the Curry Foundation.” “It wasn’t just money either,” said Brittany. “One member of the Foundation would stop by our house and pick up the bills that would come in the mail while we were away and pull out the medical and insurance bills, go through them, and even argue some of them for us if she thought something didn’t look right.” “We also noticed that our grass was being cut every two weeks,” added Ben. They never found out who was doing it. And that’s what the Curry Foundation is all about. Friends helping friends; neighbors helping neighbors; communities banding together to help their members. The Curry Foundation is a 401(c) 3 non-profit organization with a mission to provide emotional and financial support to individuals or families suffering financial hardship due to a life-altering tragedy such as a serious or terminal illness or a death in the family. The Foundation’s aim is to help these people get back on their feet by providing financial help to pay living expenses and medical bills, and assist with lost wages.
Today, although his battle is not completely over, Ben is back home in Bluffton and doing well. In fact, he now volunteers his time for the Curry Foundation so that he can help others as the Foundation has helped him. Soon, the Curry Foundation will begin a campaign to identify its next beneficiaries. On June 5, 2010, the Curry Foundation will hold its first major fundraising event: the First Annual Curry Cup Charity Golf Event. It will be held at the Hampton Hall Golf Club, and with the help of sponsors like The Adventure Radio Group and Celebrate Hilton Head, it is sure to be a great success and a good time for all who participate. To learn more about the Curry Foundation and the First Annual Curry Cup Charity Golf Event, visit CurryFoundation.org.
Golf Tips From a Pro
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Pete Popovich,
a TargeT PuTTer sees The enTIre PaTh from The ball all The way InTo The hole.
Golf Performance Academy
TargeT PuTTIng
vs. sPoT PuTTIng
I
n life, we often say there are two kinds of people: leaders vs. followers, Democrats vs. Republicans, Type a vs. Type B, etc. The game of golf is no exception, especially when it comes to putting. Golfers fall into one of two categories: target putter or a spot putter. What is the difference? Target putters tend to be more creative and artistic in their thinking (Phil mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, and Brad Faxon). They see things in abstract or curves and arcs. a modern description of this type of putter would be what most teachers refer to today as non-linear. a target putter sees the entire path from the ball all the way into the hole. This type of putter can, after deciphering the general break of the putt, look at the hole and tell you where the ball will enter the hole. For those of you looking to attempt this, imagine the hole as the face of a clock, 12 being the furthest point away from you and six being closest to you and so forth. Once you have your general direction of right to left break, or left to right break, you can look at the hole and decipher what “time” the ball would roll into the hole, e.g. four o’clock on a right to left breaking putt. Once this is determined, you would take your set up over the ball for general direction. When you have the general direction look at the “time” the ball will go in the hole to fine tune your aim. When you feel comfortable, make your stoke. Target putters can never say they were not ready to make their stroke, because they do not start the stroke until they feel comfortable over the ball and with their read of the balls path. Spot putters putt to specific points on the ground: ball marks, right edge, left edge, etc, and tend to be more analytical in their thinking (Jack Nicklaus, Loren Roberts, Greg Norman). They see things in straight lines and points. a modern description of this type of putter would be what most teachers refer to today as linear. a spot putter finds the apex or highest point of the break and putts to that point. He looks at this spot and envisions 30
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PHOTOGRaPHy By aNNe
a straight line from the ball to a point and aims for that point. Spot putters’ brains automatically calculate, without them consciously thinking about how hard they need to hit the ball to go over the point yet have enough speed to reach the hole. This is how most people are taught to putt, and it works great if you are a spot putter. However, if you are a target putter, it does you no good. The way your brain is wired is what determines if you are a target putter or a spot putter. One way is not better than the other, and there have been many successful putters of each type throughout the years, as evidenced by our examples above. It is important to understand that you are either one or the other and cannot be both! It is innate to each of us much like our finger print. you are what you are. If you are a target putter and try to putt to points, you will do a tremendous disservice to your putting and actually make your game worse. If you are a target putter and have a playing partner who is a spot putter, reading each other’s putts will leave each of you scratching your heads wondering why neither of you are making putts. Continuously trying to putt a way that is contrary to the way your brain is wired will eventually lead to poor mechanics, more missed putts and growing frustration. Once it is determined which type of putter you are, you will be on your way to lower scores and a greater enjoyment of the game. If you are having trouble determining what type of putter you are, target putter or spot putter, and would like to make more putts and enjoy the game more, or if you are tired of golf lessons that do not get you results, contact The Golf Performance Academy of the Low Country at (843) 338-6737. For more information, visit golfacademyhiltonhead.com. We guarantee results! may 2010
May 2010
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B
y the time you read this article, you will be enjoying one of the most beautiful seasons of the year (sans pollen). Cool nights and warm days may have you turning on your air conditioning at some point, but that long, cold (soggy!) winter we had this year, will be a thing of the past. Well, summer is coming, along with the inevitable humidity we all dread, and so is swelling of our various body parts. I have been dealing with my patients’ lymphedemas and edemas for over two decades in the Lowcountry, and I am happy to have this opportunity to share with you some practical tips for reducing those symptoms and enjoying your summer. In brief, the lymphatic systems (LS: think lymph nodes or filtration system) and cardiovascular (CVS: circulatory system, think heart) both work together to maintain and regulate your body’s fluid balance. When they are dysfunctional, they produce swelling, seen by the patient as a swollen foot, ankle, leg or arm, that won’t go away and usually only improves (temporarily) if they elevate the limb. Walking, driving, exercising all become more difficult (and sometimes painful) as the swelling worsens. Over time, these patients become more disheartened as they cannot participate in many of their favorite activities, and when they do, their only reward is to see their swelling worsen. Treatments for both lymphedema and edema overlap, and for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the similarities and common practices for treating both types of edemas. Regardless of your diagnosis, we all know that we swell up more in summer due to the heat and humidity. But there are many things you can do to protect your swollen limb. First, let’s deal with the elephant in the room: diet and exercise. Americans are getting fatter every year (sorry, that isn’t edema! It’s fat!), consuming far more calories than they burn off and exercising far less with each passing year. Let’s look at six basic strategies to help control your swelling this summer.
5
a SWEllInG DIET
1) Cut down on salt. Did you know that the average American eats 20 times as much sodium as the body needs? In fact, your body needs only one quarter of a teaspoon of salt every day. In the April 2010 issue of Nutrition Action Health Letter, the cover story focused on salt, “Shaving Salt, Saving Lives.”* If we are looking for a way to lower our staggering health care costs (by $10 to $24 billion), reduce deaths, strokes
ArTIclE By Dr. mADElInE chATlAIn
& SummEr In ThE SouTh
Table 1
Shaving Salt, Saving Lives
Less salt means lower blood Table 2 pressure and less disease. (High BP and heart disease, take a look at Table 1 that industry tells us, location is key to success, Don’t’ Eat This: Do Eat This: is responsible for 1:6 deaths in the gives you the highlights from this article. I and in this instance, in decreasing the chance High Sodium Foods U.S.) have provided a link to a Web page which of your limb swelling. Try tolamb, exercise Smoked, cured, canned meat -Fresh beef, pork, fish in a Nearly everyone gets high blood air-conditioned Frozen dinners, burritos, pizza - Eggs,while eggs substitutes lists many common foods and their sodium well place indoors, and pressure Canned entrees (ravioli, sodium canned content which you can download and print when outdoors, trychili) and- Low stay out offishthe sun Risk rises before your blood presout for your perusal. So, what to eat? UCSF as much as possible. The location of your sure is ‘high’ (between ‘normal’ and Dairy Products medical center has some great ideas on foods edema also will cheeses determine howice long you Buttermilk,processed - Milk, yogurt, cream ‘hypertension’ you have a huge exercise, Cottage Cheesehow much and -Low sodium cheeses with low sodium alternatives (Table 2). But in can where you add number of heart ds. & stroke Breads, Grains, Cereals general, use the guideline of “moderation.” compression to your the intensity of Hypertension harms the heart, Bread & Rolls w/salted tops limb,- and Whole breads w/o salt brain and kidneys also, stay away from anything in a package; your workout. those Pizza, croutons (Hint: Lowering - Rice, pasta (fresh) window Prepackaged rice Drugs haven’t solved the problem fresher is better. It really is that simple. (Hint: shades whilepotatoes, working out can not only keep Pasta and stuffing Assume you are sensitive to salt Take time to read the ingredients on those you cooler but keep you from overheating Vegetables & Fruits Other factors are no excuse to Regular vegetables/juices -Fresh/frozen vegetable salad dressings!) when you canned get your electric bill this summer!) Olives, pickles, sauerkraut - Fresh potatoes ignore salt. (DASH diet) 2) Drink plenty of water. Water makes up 4) Timing is everything. Limit the time you Frozen hash browns, tater tots - Fresh, frozen, canned Salt’s harm goes beyond BP (stiff 60 percent of an adult’s body weight; and as we spend outside during the fruit hotter parts of the arteries, osteoporosis, kidney dis between Commercially prepared tomato sauce own! age, we are more susceptible to dehydration, day, 11 a.m. and 3–Make p.m.yourCompression ease) regardless of the weather. It is important to garments may be needed in the afternoon when keep in mind that our brain controls our thirst the heat is more intense and may be removed in mechanism, and older adults are less efficient in the evening. Remember, we live in a very humid this stopgap measure. This makes them more susceptible to urinary climate, and it is easy to trick our body into thinking it is hydrated, tract infections, pressure ulcers, confusion and disorientation. Many when, in fact, it requires more fluids when it is “liquid air” outside. patients who suffer from edemas think that if they drink more water Just because your hair is frizzing and your car windows are foggy it will worsen their symptoms. This is simply untrue, and the opposite doesn’t mean you can skimp on water, keep that water bottle handy effect actually occurs. The majority (70 percent) of the delicate the minute you start your day. and what is in that water bottle? pathways that transport fluid from your skin are located in the top Caffeinated beverages (teas, coffees) are very dehydrating or superficial tissues, and dehydration causes them to become and can worsen your symptoms (headache, mid-morning constricted, closing off those pathways and worsening the swelling. anyone?) making you reach for more of the same; and if you add a soda to the mix (soda aka “sodium” pop, hint! hint!) even EXERCISE: if you don’t have a headache or edema, your abdomen will be Many people with edemas find that their affected limb(s) bloated by mid-afternoon. Stick to simple water in that water swell more in the summer because of the heat. It is important to bottle. (Hint: We are in the “rock belt” of the south (kidney stone stay cool. Try some of these strategies this summer: belt), instead of fancy water from Fiji, keep distilled water in your 3) Location, location, location. Just like the real estate bottle: you’ll save money and prevent a painful condition!)
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Shaving Salt, Saving Lives
Less salt means lower blood pressure and less disease. (High BP is responsible for 1:6 deaths in the U.S.) Nearly everyone5) getsClothing. high blood Wear pressure light, loose, nonRisk rises before your blood presconstricting clothing. sure is ‘high’ (between ‘normal’ and Cottons are great. ‘hypertension’ you have a huge number ofUpside: heart ds. &Not strokeonly will it be cooler, it is also Hypertension harms the heart, brain and kidneys better for the free flow Drugs haven’t solved the problem and of your lymphatic Assume you are sensitive topathways. salt vascular Other factors are no excuse to Downside: I apologize ignore salt. (DASH diet) those of BP us (stiff who hate Salt’s harmfor goes beyond to iron. kidney (Hint:dis-There arteries, osteoporosis, are plenty of high tech ease)
Table 2
Don’t’ Eat This: High Sodium Foods
Do Eat This:
Smoked, cured, canned meat -Fresh beef, lamb, pork, fish Frozen dinners, burritos, pizza - Eggs, eggs substitutes Canned entrees (ravioli, chili)
Dairy Products Buttermilk,processed cheeses
Cottage Cheese Breads, Grains, Cereals
- Low sodium canned fish
- Milk, yogurt, ice cream -Low sodium cheeses
Bread & Rolls w/salted tops
- Whole breads w/o salt
Pizza, croutons
- Rice, pasta (fresh)
Olives, pickles, sauerkraut
Commercially prepared tomato sauce –Make your own!
Prepackaged potatoes, rice Pasta and stuffing Vegetables & Fruits Regular canned vegetables/juices -Fresh/frozen vegetable Frozen hash browns, tater tots
- Fresh potatoes - Fresh, frozen, canned fruit
fabrics out there...check out the Activewear departments at Ross, TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, and I guarantee you will find a comfortable fabric that you don’t have to iron. Also, get that workout shirt a size or so larger than normal. Remember, you are working out, not getting ready to guest star on Housewives of New York!)
COMpREssION gARMENTs LIkE THEsE (ON HER ARM - ON HIs LEg) WILL ALLOW YOU TO ExERCIsE OUTsIDE sAfELY AND MORE EffICIENTLY.
Compression Compression garments are the key not only to surviving, but enjoying your summer if you have edema. They are readily available, but patients don’t know what compression, material or style to purchase. Obtaining a prescription from your doctor is mandatory to success in this regard. Not everyone can or should be wearing compression, and it is up to your health care provider to advise you accordingly. That said, a good compression garment (leg, arm) will allow you to exercise outside safely and more efficiently, controlling your symptoms and actually strengthening both your cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. 6) Garment Care. Be especially conscientious about washing your garments, because sweat, body oils and various lotions can cause fabric to deteriorate more rapidly. (Hint: Avoid putting insect repellent on your skin and then wearing a compression garment over it. It may cause skin reactions and can also damage the fabric of your garment. Also, the ingredient DEET may actually cause your garment to melt!) This is the take-home message: the precautions recommended when you have lymphedema and/or edema or are at risk for it are not meant to keep you from living your life by hemming you in with “don’ts” and “can’ts.” Instead, these precautions and resources are intended to give you a better chance at keeping your swelling under control so that you are free to get on with your life and enjoy your summer in the Lowcountry. Dr. Madeline Chatlain, CDT-LANA, OTR/L, is the owner, operator of Hilton Head Occupational Therapy, Myofascial Rehabilitation and Lymphedema Services, the only nationally board certified lymphedema clinic in the Lowcountry. For more information or questions regarding this article, visit lymphedematreatment.com or e-mail madchatlain@ cs.com. MAY 2010
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M o Ms offering MoMs support
M Article by Mary frances Lowrey
otherhood can be very confusing, frustrating and tiring. It can become lonely when a mom lives in a neighborhood where she doesn’t know anyone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The MOMS Club of Bluffton and Hilton Head is currently 70 members strong and very active. This group of outgoing, charming stay-at- home mothers meets monthly for fellowship, encouragement, friendship and educational enlightenment. Every month, they get together to learn from a guest speaker or work on a project or an event together, and that is in addition to various playgroups and activities they participate in with their children. All of the activities are available to members.
Explaining how she discovered the MOMS Club, Ellie Sutherland, current president of the local chapter said, “I had just had my first baby and moved from Charleston to Bluffton for my husband’s job. Literally, I had a baby, left the hospital and moved here! I knew no one and I was a new mom.” Quickly, Sutherland found herself searching the Internet for other new moms in the area and she found out about this organization. “The MOMS Club was welcoming, and it provided opportunities to get out the house, meet other mothers and have our children play together,” she said. “What is great about the group is the fact that there is something that fits everyone’s schedule,” she said, explaining that playgroups are scheduled several times a week at parks or in someone’s home and are organized according to children’s ages. (It would not be a good match if you had a four year old and your playgroup consisted of six month olds.) “The needs of the mom and the child are considered, which is very helpful,” she said. Moms enjoy opportunities to get together and watch their children play and learn. Monthly events from Easter egg hunts to fire station visits and beach outings are scheduled.
The first MOMS Club was formed in1983 in California. There are now over 2,100 chapters in the U.S. alone and over 110,000 members. There are also seven international chapters. The MOMS Club of Bluffton and Hilton Head is a nonprofit organization, open to all stay-at-home moms for an annual fee of $25. The fee covers administrative costs and supplies for the year; however, the MOMS Club is required to support a charity each year. according to Sutherland, leftover money is donated to a local mom in need. If you are a stay-at-home mom or a mom working part time, there are other moms in your area who are fun, energetic and open to meeting new people. Why not reach out? Contact MOMS Club of Bluffton and Hilton Head and get started making new friends for your children and yourself! For membership forms, playgroup schedules, a calendar of events and more information, visit momsclubofbhh.com or e-mail momsclubofbhh@gmail.com. 38
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The Fun Mom’s List: Great things to do with your kids this month
Go fish Pack a picnic along with rods, reels and a tub of worms or lures and head to one of the many local lagoons. Throw down an old blanket and enjoy this beautiful weather and each other. Casting a rod with your children is by far one of the most fun ways to catch up with each other. Friendly reminder: Bring the bug spray and your camera!
Spend an afternoon at the Farmers Market of Bluffton Teach your kids about eating healthy and supporting the community in a family fun way. Shop for vegetables and fruit, and encourage your kids to pick out something to cook that you have never eaten before. Be adventurous! Enjoy this family atmosphere and stroll the market while listening to live entertainment and snacking on some delicious foods. Open Thursdays, 2-6 p.m. (rain or shine), 40 Calhoun Street in Historic Old Town Bluffton. Friendly reminder: No pets, no smoking, and no drinking.
May 2010
Take a bike excursion Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge (open daily dawn to dusk) is the perfect place to meet a group of friends with kids and go for a great bike ride. There are no streets to cross or stop signs—just lots of sandy roads to peddle down and many sights to see along the way. (Play “I spy” with your kids.) Pinckney, the largest of the refuge islands, is 3.8 miles long and 1.75 miles across at its greatest width. No cars are permitted past the parking lot. Unload the bikes, strap on your helmets and put on your backpack filled with water bottles and lunch. Friendly reminder: No littering this gorgeous local treasure! and be sure to bring your camera and bug spray!
Set up camp Do you have camping equipment? When was the last time you used it? One Friday evening, surprise your kids with a backyard campout! ask a friend to join you in the neighborhood tent campground. Why
Friday? Because it is instant entertainment for the entire weekend! They will play in it all day Saturday and have a blast. No camping equipment? No problem! Make a mess of your family room and make tents out of blankets from your linen closet. Menu: hotdogs, s’mores, and smiles!
Be a tourist Make a day to enjoy the things a tourist enjoys! Go to the Harbour Town Lighthouse. ask your kids to count how many steps there are to the top. I know the answer. Do you? Ride your bikes or drive down to South Beach. Eat outside and buy a T-shirt. Take a nature tour on one of the many boats. Play miniature golf. Get an ice cream cone. Take a short fishing charter. Go out to eat and actually order alaskan Crab Legs and ask if they are local (then they will really believe you are a tourist)! Take your kids on a tour of your beautiful community and show them how lucky we are to call this area home.
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CHANGE OF THE CELEBRATORY GUARD
BLUFFTON ROTARY ADOPTS THE BLUFFTON VILLAGE FESTIVAL
“I
t was all very innocent in the beginning” said Babbie The first year planning revolved around getting the town and Guscio, owner of The Store on Calhoun Street, who authorities to buy into the enterprise. “I had to convince the founded the Bluffton Village Festival in 1978. She’s ladies at the Church of the Cross to make the sandwiches. They right; it seems the best celebrations always start out didn’t think anybody would eat them,” said Guscio. This year, that way. “We needed a social event,” she said, and they’ll sell out as they have every year (including the first). so she chartered the Bluffton Village Festival, sometimes known Beyond sandwiches, in her 30 years of stewardship, Guscio as Mayfest, with 25 vendors and a prayer. Guscio estimates 500 has witnessed everything. A gentleman tried to sell homemade patrons showed up. “Every person was a godsend that first knives one year. To kids. No. Another year an individual decided year,” she said, and the celebration hasn’t looked back since. to sell fireworks, against Guscio’s will, which yielded Roman But as the Town of Bluffton has evolved and changed, so candle battles on Calhoun Street. Bad. Kids set fire to a boat at has the festival. Lead continuously by Guscio for the first 30 the town dock one year. Whoa. years—a remarkable feat—the festival was adopted by Bluffton With her from the beginning as a vendor and friend has Rotary last year as Guscio’s handpicked successor, appropriate been Jacob Preston, of Preston Studio on Calhoun Street. as the foundation and principles of the festival jibe with those “When the festival originated,” said Preston, “I was the third of Bluffton Rotary. highest grossing business in town behind the speed trap and According to Guscio, when the Houlihan Bridge was built Scott’s.” Renowned for his pottery and ceramic work; Preston to cross the Savannah River in 1922, it was the second blow to threw pots under an old oak in front of the Church of the Cross commerce in Bluffton following the 1863 torching of the town for the first six years. The tree fell. So he moved his location to by Union forces. However, the town was (and is) resilient, and the sidewalk in front of his studio and has been there since. that first bridge to Savannah, long before the development of According to Preston, the timing was right for passing Hilton Head, became instrumental in shaping Bluffton’s identity. the torch from Guscio to Bluffton Rotary. “Babbie is so sweet; The decline of large commerce allowed the town to become a people would say they were selling wooden toys and show up haven for artists, musicians, craftsman and the distinct culture with car alarms” said Preston. “With the size of the festival now, found in town. Rotary brings new blood and changes— the changes it needs. Missing when Guscio arrived in 1972 was a celebration of that They take care of the carnies and scammers.” culture. “We needed an event for the community,” Preston’s participation in the festival has she said. As for the name, Guscio explained that in never been a venture focused on personal gain. ARTICLE BY 1978, the town still felt more like a village. Like any Among other things, each year he is tasked ERIK OLSON worthwhile endeavor, it wasn’t without challenges. with creating the trophy for the Ugly Dog
Saturday, May 8
Contest. “It never gets old,” said Preston. “I remember a dog that I swear was an oversized squirrel.” The Ugly Dog Contest will celebrate its 22nd anniversary this year; older than the “big one” in California, according to Richard Coffield, Ugly Dog mastermind and owner of May River Realty. “Cheap notoriety” is the justification for the event: “We tried to do it just once. It didn’t work,” he said, citing popular demand. “Embracing nonconformity— classic Bluffton.” Contest results show that a Chinese Crested is the prototypical winner. However, Coffield’s original recipe for success: “Ha ha! Stake out a dumpster at the Nickelpumper.” Event chairman, Karen Lavery of Bluffton Rotary, has made certain that the Bluffton Village Festival continues to embrace the traditions that patrons have come to love. After all, Rotarians are members of the community. Known for their ability to facilitate events and raise funds (which will be given to chosen charitable and community organizations), Rotarians also pride themselves on being able to enjoy each endeavor along with the community. As it pertains to the festival, the sentiment held by Guscio has never changed: “I love the thrill and the excitement the event brings for the town,” she said. Rotarians will be working with the local police department and other agencies to ensure that all 150+ vendors and 10,000+ patrons can celebrate Bluffton and the festival with the same success as in years past. Every merchant and art gallery will be open; children and dogs are welcome; and as Coffield says, “Hell, we always have a good time.”
favorite, the Ugly Dog Contest. (The Ugly Dog Contest will be held in front of Sprouts this year at 1 p.m., corner of Calhoun and Lawrence.) New this year will be a Kids’ Luau Carnival, presented by the May River Montessori School from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Face painting, a limbo contest, fishing tent, and more await kids of all ages. Another special area will be the Carson Cottages, featuring music and entertainment throughout the day and
tables where festival goers can relax. The festival will continue at the Promenade with the music event, The Village Party after Hours, from 6-10 p.m. Admission to the party is $5 per person. VIP table seating is also available by reservation at $250 for a table of eight. Live entertainment slated to perform includes The Chilly Willy Band, The Chris Stevers Band, The Trainwrecks, and JoJo Squirrel. Food and beverages will also be for sale.
If you go This year’s event will be held Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. The festival will feature many unique and quality art vendors, food, music, a Civil War reenactment and a Mayfest
MAY 2010
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Party WItH a PurPOSE FaMILy-FrIENdLy SLEEPOVEr tO BENEFIt tHE aMErICaN CaNCEr SOCIEty artICLE By LINda S. HOPKINS
I
f it’s been a while since you pulled an all-nighter, start getting some extra zzz’s and prepare to party from dusk to dawn at the 2010 Relay for Life. The theme of this year’s family-friendly sleepover is “Rock Around the Clock,” and organizers are busy making sure that’s exactly what happens at the annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society to be held at Honey Horn, starting Friday, May 7 at 6 p.m. and ending Saturday, May 8 at 7 a.m. “We’re going back to the old tradition of having something going on the entire time, from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.,” said Mike Sanz, local educator and co-chair of the event. “Over the past few years, until around 11 o’clock, things went really well, and then it just petered out. We’re trying to get back to a familyfocused event where families come and spend the night,” he explained. If your eyes get heavy or the little ones get fussy, naps are encouraged; but according to Sanz, there will be plenty of entertainment worth staying awake for, including incredible music. “In the past, we’ve had one entertainment group. This year, we’ve appealed to the community of entertainers, and we have a number of them,” he said. As of press time, the lineup includes Target, The Headliners, The Beagles, Chris Stevers, and Lavon Stevens. Also performing will be the Out of the Blue Choir from Hilton Head Island High School and the Hilton Head Choral Society’s youth choir, among others. In addition to the music, there will be a variety of booths serving food and offering activities, including inflatables, a Wii station and more. Contests and games include the annual Miss Relay “beauty” contest in which men dress up as women and vie for the title via their donation buckets; the ridiculous tourist contest (think black socks and sandals); trivial pursuit; and the peanut butter sandwich relay, to name a few.
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REMEMBERING PIERCE LOWREY 2010 Relay for Life honors Hilton Head Island hospitality icon
Hilton Head Island’s 2010 Relay for Life has been named in memory of longtime Hilton Head Island restaurateur, Pierce Lowrey, who lost his battle with cancer October 20, 2009. Lowrey, who along with his wife, Bonnie, founded The Lowrey Group, a catering company and group of popular island restaurants, is considered an icon of the hospitality business and one of the business leaders who helped Hilton Head emerge as a successful world-class destination. According to Bonnie, what first appeared as a small spot on his nose was an aggressive skin cancer that eventually took the life of her beloved husband. “No one ever thought it would be anything like this. Nobody thinks of skin cancer as a killer. There was no real reason for it,” she said. “I think the doctors did everything they possibly could. But even at the end, we were surprised.” Although the intention is not to name the relay for an individual each year, Cindy Wood, co-chair, suggested honoring Lowrey. Remembering his kindness and generosity, she said, “He was such a wonderful man and such an inspiration. He set the standard for the service community.” “People really need to know about cancer—it doesn’t care who you are. It’s just a minefield,” said Nancy Wellard of the American Cancer Society. “We can’t let it continue. When you have someone who has been so important to the community, this is a way to raise awareness.” “I’m thrilled that there are so many people who recognize what a terrific guy he was,” said Bonnie, emphasizing that what’s most important is spreading the word about cancer. “Cancer knows no boundaries. It’s nondiscriminatory. In medical science, we know some things, but we don’t know it all,” she said. Citing the importance of potentially lifesaving research, she added, “That’s what makes events like this relay so important.” Bonnie says she will be at the relay all night and that friends, family and restaurant staff members will be coming and going. “The organizers have done an incredible job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an event so well-planned,” she said. “It’s going to be a great, fun evening.” MAY 2010
Friday, May 7 at 6 p.M.
Starting at midnight, there will be a special walk every half hour—a pajama walk, crazy hat walk, backwards walk, military walk—14 different themes, according to Sanz. “We do it all night, because cancer never sleeps. and for anyone who is sick, nighttime is the worst time,” he said. “There are things to entertain people all night, no matter how old or young or sophisticated,” said Nancy Wellard, community income manager for the american Cancer Society. “Like they say about our weather, ‘If you don’t like it, wait a minute.’”
No ruNNiNg required/No charge to atteNd When you think of a relay, chances are you remember hopping across a field in a burlap sack or having your leg tied to someone else’s for an awkward three-legged jaunt. The good news is Relay for Life does not require any special equipment, coordination or athletic skill. all you have to do is show up. Cindy Wood, event co-chair, volunteered to help with the relay last year after she learned that it wasn’t a run. “I’m an exercise-crazy person, but I run nowhere!” she said. “There’s nobody who can’t do relay,” Wellard reiterated. “you don’t have to play golf or tennis or run or walk. If you want to sit in a rocking chair all night, you can do that. We want everybody there.” It doesn’t cost anything to attend, said Sanz, explaining that most of the fundraising is accomplished prior to the event. There is a small charge for food and certain activities, but entry to the event is free.
celebrate, remember, fight back Relay for Life is more than just a fundraiser. It’s a lifechanging experience. at the relay, every person in the community has a chance to celebrate, remember, and fight back—to be a part of this worldwide movement to end cancer. Relay starts with a survivors lap, an inspirational time when survivors are invited to circle the track together and help everyone celebrate the victories we’ve achieved over cancer. according to the american Cancer Society Web site, 11 million cancer survivors 46
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ending Saturday, May 8 at 7 a.M.
will celebrate birthdays this year. That’s a sign of progress and proof that a world with more birthdays is possible. After dark, the night is brightened by the glow of illuminated bags, each bearing the name of someone who has battled cancer. Luminaria can be purchased for $10 and are decorated by the purchaser or by middle school kids, explained Sanz. “Last year we had 6,000 luminaria, and the goal is to sell 20 percent more this year,” he said. “The luminaria are spectacular. Every candle represents a life of someone who is living it or surviving it or someone whose life was lost. It’s quite impactful,” said Wellard. “But in the meantime, it’s hopeful. And when the service is over, it’s party time again.” In addition to the luminaria, “feet” are sold for $1 apiece and are symbolic of “walking the walk” with those who are fighting. “We’re engaged in unapologetic fundraising. Too many lives are dependent on our work,” said Wellard. “Just about everything is donated, so all the money goes for the cause. The money we raise makes possible the programs we do locally as well as the research that will impact the future,” she continued. “We are the absolute dedicated stewards of the donated dollar. It goes to fight cancer. That’s it.”
Be there or else… Each of the organizers shares a personal passion for the cause, but the truth is, it’s everybody’s story. “Everybody has been affected [by cancer] in some way,” said Wood, who lost her husband to cancer four years ago. Sanz, who lost his father to Hodgkin’s disease (a cancer of the lymphatic system) when he was five and his dad was 27 years old, is dedicated to raising cancer awareness as well as teaching young people an important lesson. “I’ve been an educator for 21 years—teacher, principal, coach. I always focused on teaching kids about giving back to the community,” he said. “It’s important to teach them to give back and not look for rewards other than what’s in their heart and in their mind. It’s simply the right thing to do.” According to Wellard, who lost both her dad and her husband to cancer and is currently engaged in a personal battle against lymphoma, passion trumps everything, including the economy. “We’re trying to impact cancer in the most impressive way,” she said. “If you don’t have to be at a wedding or a funeral in Oil Trough Arkansas, you better be at our relay—because it makes a difference.” For more information regarding the relay or to make a contribution, visit events.cancer.org/hhi or contact Mike Sanz at (843) 422-9793. For information on the American Cancer Society, visit cancer.org. For immediate cancer support or to connect with a professional, call (800)-ACS-2345. MAY 2010
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real gut check when you have a 280-pound guy running at you, wanting to run you over. The first few times that happens, you really realize what kind of man you are. When I was in college, I was scared for my life. Now I get kind of a weird grin on my face and get excited about it.” The “weird grin” is the scary part. Let’s just say that there are many rugby players who play golf, but few (if any) golfers who play rugby. “Rugby was the reason I moved here,” said Rick Clanton. That was in 1978, the year he graduated from Clemson. “The firm I worked with closed their doors a month after I’d been here. But Lynn [his wife] had a teaching job, so we kind of extended our honeymoon.” At his Darlington, South Carolina high school, Clanton played all the sports he could; but when he got to Clemson, his only real choice was rugby. It was love at the first tear of his jersey. “You knew who had played before by how torn up their jersey was,” he said. “At one time it [rugby] was really counter culture. We were kind of the ultimate Frisbee guys of that era. When I played, nobody played until they came to Clemson. Most of those guys on the first 15 when I became a starter were football players who had graduated and just wanted to hang around. There were a couple of professors,” said Clanton. Including himself, there were only five undergraduate students. The Clemson team came down to Hilton Head to play in a rugby tournament in 1975, organized by the newly formed island rugby team. Clanton remembered the whole team staying in one room at the Adventure Inn. “That’s
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It’s the second most popular team sport in the world (it’s played in 110 countries). Founded in 1974, the club that represents the sport on the island is purported to be the oldest continuous sports organization on Hilton Head. It’s the reason architect Rick Clanton came to Hilton Head in 1978. Along with his outstanding attorney’s skills, it got current club president, Mitch Thoreson, his job. It is a game where blood can be spilled, and after the game the “spiller” and “spillie” toast each other at Murphy’s Irish Pub. Plus, according to club president, Thoreson, you have to be one of three things. “You obviously have to be big, strong or fast. One of those three. Or any combination. It’s kind of like survival out there,” Thoreson said. The game he loves? The game Rick Clanton still plays, even after seeing his fiftieth birthday come and go? Rugby. And if you want to say something cute, like, “Isn’t that the game where 30 guys spend a total of 80 minutes on a field trying to mug each other,” keep it to yourself. The person you say it to could be your attorney, your builder, your bartender, the guy who takes care of your pool, or your personal trainer. One of them might not have your sense of humor. All of the above belong to the Hilton Head Gators, our island’s rugby team. To understand why you should tread lightly around rugby players, Thoreson described one of his first encounters in college rugby. “It’s a
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when Hilton Head was sort of like a continual spring break,” he laughed. When he was offered a job on Hilton Head, he jumped at the chance. When Clanton talks about rugby, past and present, it’s like listening to a kid describing his first trip to Disney World. It is a thoroughly refreshing experience and his excitement is catching. Clanton is now one of the “old boys,” guys who are 35 and beyond. At 53 years old and at 170 pounds stretched over a five-foot-ten frame, he’s the oldest player in the club, but he is no longer a regular. “I still play old-boy and big games. But a couple years ago, Lynn asked me to ... well, it was time. I feel much better. Given the recovery time. We play every few weeks. Practicing just once a week, I’m not sore. Gordie Howe played hockey until he was in his 50s. In an interview he said, ‘It was like I had the flu all the time. You’re just always sore,’” said Clanton. He still plays for other old-boy teams, many from other states who come to the area for a game (called a “fixture”) or tournament. The camaraderie that the teams develop over the years is one of the reasons rugby first attracted Clanton and continues to attract. He has made lifelong friendships, both locally and internationally. “We met a guy on a rugby tour from England. Just by letters, we know what happens to them all the time. He’s 86; he was
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an RAF pilot. I’ve been in touch with him since 1980 when they first came here with a rugby team from England,” Clanton said. While the rugby club might be Hilton Head’s oldest, it remains a secret to most. Yet looking at a list of past members, some of whom gather at Murphy’s Irish Pub, the rugby club’s main sponsor, every Wednesday night, reads something like an island who’s who: landscape architect and land planner, Perry Wood; photographer, Paul Keyserling; former mayor of Bluffton, George Hayward; former Bluffton Town Councilman and the tallest potter in Bluffton, Jacob Preston; and attorney for the town of Hilton Head, Greg Alford. It was the rugby network, via attorney, Alford, that got Hilton Head rugby club’s current president, Mitch Thoreson, to the island. Thoreson played rugby. Thoreson was looking for a job. Thoreson now works for Alford. On rugby, Thoreson said, “It’s gotten me down here; it’s gotten me my job. You can go anywhere in the country, you’re 30 minutes from 30-50 guys who will be your friend, people you can associate with. It’s amazing. If I got a call from anyone who played rugby and wanted a place to stay down here, he’d have a place. I wouldn’t even question it.” Thoreson, who was to play golf at Emory University, didn’t like the program, and started
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Top Row (from left to right) Bryan Coker, Outside Center. John Barlow, Hooker. Matt Metrinko, Flanker & Prop. Brian Ouellette, Hooker. Beau Bader, Second Row. Garrett Hamilton, Lock & Captain. Second Row (from left to right) Jason Workens, Flanker. Mike Holmes, Fullback. Matt DiMuzio, Inside Center. Stephen Slykerman, Flanker. Ryan Dehlinger, Wing. Adam Haworth, Hooker. Third Row (from left to right) Zach Mullinax, Center. Billy Davis, Hooker. Chris Kiesel, Prop. Chris Abbott, Prop. Craig Fenstermaker, Eight Man. Fourth Row (from left to right) Mike Vaughn, Winger & Hooker. Christian Ocampo, Flanker #1. Mitch Thoreson, President & Lock. Grant Goodrich, Scrum-half. Brian Oyugi Ochiens, Prop & “the man”. Kyle Selman, Scrum-half. Bottom Row (from left to right) Scott Wild, Flanker & Second Row. Neil Turner, Wing. Josh Kirby, Scrum - ha lf. C hr ist ia n Silve r, Wi n g . Th o mas Tkac h , Ce n te r. M au r i c i o Pac z, Wi n g .
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looking around for alternatives. Someone suggest he try rugby. “I’d heard of rugby but never had any experience with it. It was still sort of emerging then. It’s a lot bigger now. Had no idea what I was doing,” Thoreson said. That was 10 years ago. After a few practices, he was hooked. He played for Emory, then Mercer when he was at law school, then played with an Atlanta team for a year. “You have to be very fit. In a football game, the player plays 15 minutes. In rugby, everyone’s an offensive player, everyone’s a defense player. They say you run an average of four miles every rugby game. It’s very fitness oriented. Most of our practices revolve around fitness— running. A lot of people don’t realize that until they come out there.” He explained that the Hilton Head club, a
Division 3 team, is part of the U.S.A. Rugby South, and further bracketed down as members of the Georgia Rugby Union. As of this writing, there is a good possibility the team could advance to at least the national semifinals. “Yes, we could be competing nationally,” Thoreson said. One of the traditions of rugby around the world is when the game is over, to leave it on the field and head for the rugby bar. On Hilton Head, that’s Murphy’s. Thoreson said, “The whole rugby mantra is ‘leave everything on the field.’ In the grand scheme, you’re all playing the same game; you all love the game. I can’t explain it. We’re all best friends. Instant family.” To watch a rugby “fixture” (game), check out the schedule on the Web site, pitchero. com/clubs/hiltonheadrugbyclub. Or go over to Murphy’s Irish Pub on Wednesday or Thursday nights and get an earful about this grand sport.
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Since most people know little about rugby, here’s a very, very abbreviated explanation of the game. There are 15 players on a side—eight forwards and seven backs. The only person that can be tackled is the player with the ball. Players pass the ball to each other and run with it until a point can be scored or penalty called. There are no “first downs” and no forward passing, but the ball can be thrown or kicked in all other directions. Points in rugby are scored by kicking the ball through goal posts, with kicks awarded different points according to the placement of the player or the distance of the kick. Points are also be scored by a touchdown or a penalty kick through the goal posts. It’s a full contact sport with no padding. The field is called a “pitch.” While you can only tackle the player with the ball, it gets a bit messy, like when the forwards line up for a “scrum,” but that’s too much information already. Check out our team at www.Pitchero.Com/clubs/hiltonheadrugbyclub.
ARTICLE BY
ROSLYN FARHI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
MARK STAFF
aMaZInG
GRaCe at PalMetto BluFF
heR naMe IS GRaCe anD She CeleBRateD heR 97th BIRthDay thIS aPRIl; She’S StIll SleeK, StRonG anD DIStInGuISheD. She DoeSn’t WoRK eVeRy Day, But on the DayS She DoeS, She holDS heR oWn to GalS halF heR aGe. She’S Been KnoWn aS the DaRlInG oF a MIllIonaIRe, But She’ll neVeR SCoRn the aDMIRatIon oF oRDInaRy FolKS. She’S GRaCe, the eleGant yaCht, CaPtaIneD By GeoRGe yoRK, MooReD at the Inn at PalMetto BluFF’S WIlSon lanDInG, FReShly RenoVateD anD ReaDy to PRoVIDe PleaSuRe to 25 PaSSenGeRS, FoR SeVeRal houRS eaCh WeeK, on the May RIVeR.
The helm: modern telemetry in a classic setting. original steering wheel and compass.
Yacht Hop Step aboard the Grace as she docks in harbour town for the much anticipated yacht hop on May 2. Cocktails and hors d’oeurvres will be served by Palmetto Bluff’s Chef Robert Briody. For tickets call 843.706.2296.
Grace comes from the world of 1913, when our flag had 48 stars, the 16th Amendment was ratified allowing the Federal government to tax our incomes, and Woodrow Wilson stepped up to the presidential podium, succeeding William Howard Taft. Henry Ford had perfected his assembly line production and Americans were traveling the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States. Although the storm clouds of World War I were gathering over Europe, the United States was at peace, and millionaires such as Mr. Joseph B. Cousins of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club had their “touring cars” for long distance land journeys and their yachts for family outings on Long Island Sound and the Hudson and East Rivers. Grace sailed those rivers until the late 1970s, but later was abandoned in a backwoods boatyard; it wasn’t until 2004 that Palmetto Bluff acquired Grace and put her through extensive renovations to produce the beautiful yacht she is today. As you step aboard Grace, knowing her remarkable restoration and history, you feel transported to a world where life, for the privileged at least, was a bit more leisurely and luxurious. (The original Grace, for whom the yacht Grace was named, was indeed, one of the privileged few: married to Cornelius Vanderbilt III, society hostess in New York and Newport, sister of R.T. Wilson, the wealthy New Yorker who purchased the 18,000 acres of Palmetto Bluff in 1902.)
“I’ve been sailing since I was nine years old, something kids who grew up off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, normally do. I pretty much lived and worked in new england all of my working life,” says captain, George york.
ALL ABOARD!
The ruddy-complected, barrel-chested, very fit looking captain, George York, welcomes us aboard Grace on this sunny, breezy, Saturday afternoon. York tells us about his background. “I’ve been sailing since I was nine years old, something kids who grew up off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, normally do. I pretty much lived and worked in New England all of my working life,” he said. “My first real job was with NCR Corporation where I rose to the position of district manager—a position I held in three cities in New England. I owned a Hallmark gift store in New Hampshire for 20 years, and then I moved to Bluffton in 2003 where I started a Hunter Douglas window covering business. All this time, I continued boating from Cape Cod to the Caribbean, but I never had a captain’s license. In the fall of 2007, I decided I wanted to work for Palmetto Bluff and captain Grace, but I didn’t have a captain’s license. I went to Sea School to secure a
BeST oF The BLuFF SCeniC riVer CruiSe & doLPhin WaTCh GRaCe will wander up the May River past Buck Point, the estates of Kirk Bluff to old Bluffton by Church of the Cross and the Bluffton oyster Factory, the last operating oyster company in the Southeast. then it’s down past Potato, Bull and Barataria Islands, all the while looking for the atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin.
six pack license which would allow me to carry six paying passengers. Next, came five Coast Guard exams and then a long stint of studying for the masters course. I now have a hundred ton license which allows me to pilot Grace.” York goes on to tell us that the Coast Guard also required him to have 900 documented days on the water before they would issue him a license. Rightfully so, he is very proud of his navigational skills and doubly proud to be working for Palmetto Bluff, a five-star resort. A good-sized group is waiting to board Grace at Wilson’s Landing this Saturday afternoon. Some of the passengers are local residents, but two couples are visiting from out of town. Erik Olson, York’s mate, explains our route by opening a big map of the area on the upper deck of Grace. “Here’s where we are now at Wilson’s Landing, and next you’ll see Myrtle’s Island. There are about 77 homes on the island, many of them built 60-70 years ago, way before Hilton Head Island was developed. A bit further on, we’ll be passing downtown Bluffton; look for the Church of the Cross and then the Oyster Factory.” York becomes highly animated when the Oyster Factory is mentioned. “We have the best local oysters. They’re smaller and sweeter than
MAY RIVER EVENING WINE CRUISE Join Captain George York on the Main Deck for light refreshments and a scenic dolphin cruise along the May River. Grace departs every Thursday and Saturday evening at 5pm.
ones you find elsewhere and 95 percent of them are consumed locally,” he said. “It’s quiet today on the May River,” York continues, “but sometimes I see as many as 200 boats out there. And the May River is not truly a river—it’s more of an inlet from the Atlantic Ocean; the water is salty because it’s coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.” “How far are we from the Atlantic?” the visitor from Alabama asks. “Probably no more than six or seven miles, as the crow flies,” responds Olson. “Not as the crow flies,” quips one of the passengers. “Better to say as the loon flies, or maybe the pelican.” Everyone aboard gets into a discussion about the variety of birds they can see and identify, but we learn it is the dolphins that have captured York’s heart. “Those dolphins love to escort Grace everywhere,” he says with a grin. “They let us do all the work and they just sail along with us.” The local ladies, Martha McCarthy, Cheryl McCarthy and Gerry McDonagh say the Bluffton area looks so different from their perspective on the May River. “It’s so peaceful, so relaxing, to be out here for an hour and a half. We’ve lived in the area for over five years, yet it’s only recently that we learned the Inn at Palmetto Bluff had an excursion boat traveling on the May River,” said Martha. “Go below, ladies and gentlemen, to see how Grace is outfitted,”
Special thanks to Ross Taylor for his assistance in getting these beautiful photos of Grace.
the captain calls out. “The area below reflects 1913, but Grace was rebuilt in 1996 and her current restoration started in 2004.” We descend the narrow steps to see two comfortable beds, an elegant library, and a restroom. The cabinets contain books, charts and wine glasses—a relaxing place for reading, resting and eating below deck, a place reminiscent of luxury yachting a century ago. We learn that the upper deck is new to the ship, specifically designed for day outings, sunset cruises and charter sailings. “Did you enjoy the afternoon?” York asks the group as Grace smoothly maneuvers into her berth at Wilson’s Landing. “Very much,” we say. “Well then, come back for a sunset cruise. We serve hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine for that outing. The cost for the sunset cruise is $60 per person, double the price of what you just paid for this cruise at 2:30 p.m., but well worth it; and we can also handle charter parties if you give us some advance notice.” We thank York and Olson for a lovely afternoon on the May River. Relaxed and refreshed from the serene views we’ve enjoyed, we move on to our evening plans in Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island. Grace is available for tours and private charter throughout the year. For reservations, call (843) 706-2757. For more information, visit
Republican Round-up
in novembeR of this yeaR, seat 123 is up foR gRabs in the south caRolina house of RepResentatives. meet the thRee candidates vying foR this impoRtant position in local goveRnment, and what they intend to do should they make it to columbia.
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p64 RichaRd chalk keeping it local
p66 kate keep the tea paRty candidate
p68 andy patRick compRehensive tax RefoRm
RichaRd chalk keeping it local. B y Pa u l d e V e r e
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ven though Democrat Tip O’Neill said it, Republican State Representative Richard Chalk couldn’t agree more: “All politics is local.” Chalk is seeking a fourth term for the South Carolina House District 123 seat and he is trying to keep it local. Of the political climate on both national and local fronts, he described it as “sound bite” politics. “I think what’s happened, with the advent of instant communications, there’s been a real ramp up in what I call the sound bite politics. I think people have less and less appreciation for our form of government. They are more influenced by sound bites and surface comments without understanding the deeper principals behind them,” said Chalk. “Because people don’t invest a lot of time in understanding the principles, they are very easily swayed by things that sound good. [Sound bite politics] rings a bell that touches their emotions,” Chalk explained.
As an example, Chalk said that one of the most common cries is for cutting taxes. “Well, we’ve been cutting taxes ever since I’ve been in Columbia, and that’s a great thing because I think we’re over-taxed. But at the same time, you’ve got to balance that with certain expected services we want from our government, and those services have to be paid for,” Chalk stated. Chalk believes it is the sound bite that has caused what he describes as “super partisanship” that has developed now. “People get on opposite sides of the fence, and it’s more of an attitude [for politicians] to ask, ‘What can we do to keep people happy to stay in office?’ than to truly get down to the meat of solving real issues that need to be addressed,” he said. Chalk, a native of Lexington County, has been around politics most of his life. He remembered, as a boy of 12, talking over the 1964 presidential conventions of both parties with his father. But it was a chance meeting with his high school science
teacher that put him on a political road. He was wondering what he should major in at college. “I was sitting at the dentist office and my high school science teacher was also there. She and I were talking, and I said I’m not good in science and math. She said have you thought about political science or history, something like that. So I investigated, and when I enrolled at the Citadel, I enrolled in political science as my major,” Chalk said. He also started the student Republican Club at the Citadel, mainly because a friend of his was starting the Democrat Club and suggested to Chalk he start one for the other party. While at the Citadel, Chalk hung out with one of his best friends, Douglas West, son of South Carolina’s Democratic governor, John West. Douglas was in Boy Scouts with Chalk, an Eagle Scout. While he didn’t get to know Douglas’ father well at that time, he definitely did later. “I lived in Columbia weekends, so Doug and I would go to a movie and then go back to the governor’s mansion, get snacks and watch TV, that kind of stuff. I got acquainted with the governor then,” Chalk said. It was Governor West who first suggested Chalk should think about entering politics. “He said, ‘Richard, we need you to be a politician.’ He was always very supportive,” Chalk said. “Mrs. West still is.” Chalk said that when he first decided to run for his current House seat, Governor West was there for him, even though Chalk was running as a Republican on Hilton Head. “When he encouraged me to get involved, he said, ‘I’ll come out for you or against you, whatever you think will help you the most,’” Chalk recalled. When Chalk graduated from the Citadel, because of his work with the college Republican Club, he got a job with the Jim Edwards’ campaign as “gofer.” Edwards, a Republican, was elected South Carolina’s 110th governor, the first Republican to hold that office in the state since Reconstruction. After graduation, Chalk put his interest in politics on hold and went to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a master’s degree in church music. With degree in hand, he landed a job in North Carolina, where politics again entered into his life. He served in both the North Carolina House and Senate. Timing and a job offer brought the Chalk family to Hilton Head Island.
But this time the job was for Chalk’s wife, Maelda (“Mae”), who took a position at Hilton Head Prep where she is now foreign language department chair. Chalk was first elected to the House in 2005 and has been actively involved in many issues close to home. One of the problems he has been helping to overcome is how the rest of the legislature views Hilton Head Island. “I think being from the Columbia area, I’ve helped change some minds. [The island] is still generally perceived as a bunch of wealthy people who have come here from somewhere else—that it’s sort of different from the rest of South Carolina,” Chalk said. Chalk gave an example of an attempt to help change that perception. “Last year we did a universal invitation to all legislators to come to Heritage. Saturday is Legislative Day. We’re trying to get legislators to come here to see more about who we are as a community. A lot of them will come here because they’ll be invited to many conferences and conventions here. They’ll get invited to come and speak. They drive in, they go to the hotels, and then they drive back
off. They don’t really see a lot of Hilton Head as a community itself,” he said. “Particularly what they don’t see are our Native Islander communities. We’ve got poverty right here on Hilton Head Island. Alot of people don’t understand that,” explained Chalk. That perception influences state funding for schools—Beaufort County gets none—and how people are taxed. Chalk has been addressing both those issues: to make school funding more equitable across the state and to reduce the school operating taxes paid by commercial property and second home owners. Of that kind of balancing act, Chalk said, “You have to find the ways to make that happen. I think we’re making real progress in getting that done. I think Hilton Head is still responsible for a little over 50 percent of the entire tax base for the county. Because of the wealth here, we’re supplementing the rest of Beaufort County and the rest of the state. Getting some of that funding back does have a direct impact on Hilton Head,” Chalk said. He intends to continue to keep it local.
Kate Keep
A r t i c l e B y PA u l d e V e r e OriginAl PhOtOgrAPh By Bill littell
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hen she crewed on a tanker that picked up oil in Valdez, Alaska and dropped it off at Cherry Point, Washington, Long Beach and, on occasion, to the Panama Canal pipeline, the midnight to 4 a.m. watch was Kate Keep’s favorite. “There’s nothing like being out on the very, very bow when you’re on watch. Being out there all alone in the middle of the ocean, it’s pretty wonderful,” Keep said. A few decades later, she’s been keeping watch on the national political scene and the State House in Columbia. What she has seen isn’t wonderful. “I started the tea party last year in Beaufort County. I’ve been really concerned about the government on the national level, overstepping its constitutional bounds, in my opinion—getting too involved in private enterprise, the banks, the bailouts, deficit
spending,” Keep said. “After I started the tea party, after I had been so involved in the national view of it, just naturally I started reading about what was going on in the state of South Carolina,” she added. “Much of the same stuff we do on the state level we do on the federal level, the government trying to pick winners and losers and businesses, tax policies that are not friendly or on a level playing field for businesses. I think there’s lack of strong representation for Hilton Head Island in Columbia. It’s obvious that Columbia views Hilton Head as a cash cow. Seems all they have to do is milk the cow and never feed it. There’s that farm thing,” laughed Keep, who is a farm girl from Indiana. “At the same time, I’m a firm believer is personal responsibility. I get worried about a growing group of people who are dependent on the government for their survival. Human
nature tends to go the easiest way. So if you are on unemployment for years and years, instead of being motivated to go out and create something for yourself, it’s sometimes easier to look for a check. I don’t relate to that.” That evaluation and soul searching, along with the encouragement of likeminded people, helped her decide to throw her hat in the ring and challenge State Rep. Richard Chalk in the Republican primary in June. Keep’s interest in politics is not new. On Hilton Head, she served on the island’s Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee in the early 1990s. She also was a member of the town council, representing Sea Pines, from 1993 to 1995. In 1995 she ran for mayor but lost to Tom Peeples. Well before that, however, the San Diego State accounting graduate had been politically active. “I dabbled in politics in California. I did economic research and speech writing for Tom Bradley (longtime mayor of Los Angeles) when he ran for governor. And I did political fund raising there,” Keep explained. All this while working as a CPA for the Big Six accounting firm, Coopers & Lybrand. Keep has always been interested in politics. “I had a good education in American history. I’ve read the Federalist Papers. I’ve always been a biography reader. That included a lot of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Government and the government’s relationship with people have always been important to me,” she said. “I’ve actually read the Constitution several times and come to understand it pretty well... When I do my meet and greet, I hand out copies of the Constitution. When you read the Constitution and Bill of Rights you can’t believe it’s describing this country,” said keep, who also mentioned she is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Quality of life on the island is also an important issue for Keep. She has been involved in the travel industry since her days in California. She came to Hilton Head, via a year in Savannah, to open a travel agency for another company. A year later, she was operating her own company, Berkeley Travel. When the travel business all but dried up after 9/11, she started a bike rental company. Today she is an associate of Valerie Wilson Travel and an Elder at Providence Presbyterian Church. “When I came here (late 1985), Hilton Head Island was truly a world class destination resort. Not that there’s anything wrong with Marriott, but we’ve gone from Hyatt Regency to Marriott. The Westin here is one of the lowest ranked in the whole Westin chain. The amount that tourists spend has decreased. It seems to those of us living here you can’t jam many more visitors on this island. What we need to start doing is figuring out how to draw
tourists who spend more per day. “It’s looking tired here. I’m not surprised that business owners aren’t investing more to upgrade and keep everything tip top, because it’s hard to see where the future of Hilton Head is going. We need a vision. We’ve got everything here to lift ourselves back up. If we, as a community, could agree to be that world class destination and we put the airport discussion in that context, then it only makes sense that we have to keep commercial air service; we have to expand the runway, and we have to do that in a way the causes as little hardship to those affected as possible,” Keep said. “If we have no vision and we just drift, quite frankly, there is no reason to expand the airport and inconvenience people.” Keep very easily describes herself as a fiscal conservative, which is an important part of the tea party. “You know what the ‘tea’ stands for?” she asks. “‘Taxed Enough Already.’” On the question of increasing the sales tax from 7 to 8 percent, Keep is very clear. “It’s a crazy time to do it. I find it highly suspect when they [backers of the tax] say we shouldn’t worry about it here because the bulk of it is going to be paid by tourists. Sales tax affects the lower and middle income the most. By going up 1 percent, it’s really a 14 percent increase in our current sales tax. The carrot is that
we can have up to a 30 percent returned in the form of property tax relief. Lower income people, who often don’t own their own home, the group most affected by sales tax, are not going to get any of that back,” said Keep. Twelve months ago, Keep did not even consider running for office again. Then she discussed it with her husband, prominent attorney, Russell Keep. “A year ago, neither of us thought we’d be here. When I started the tea party, it was never in my mind I would ever run for office again. I had promised Russ I would spend all my time on my number one constituent. He’d see me reading things and I’d be carrying on about this or that, about what the government was doing and he’d say, ‘Yes, dear.’ “Then we got involved with the tea party and he began absorbing some of the same stuff that I was absorbing. When I told him that several people had talked to me about running for this office, he said, ‘Before you did all this tea party stuff, I’d never have gone along with it. But what you’re doing is good. I know why you want to do this and I completely support you.’ And he has. I’ve had a couple dozen meet and greets. He’s been to every one of them.” It’s nice to know your number one constituent has your back.
andy patriCk
Candidate for South Carolina houSe of repreSentativeS diStriCt 123 Article by FrAnk Dunne, Jr. OriginAl phOtOgrAph - phOtOgrAphy by Anne
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nseating an entrenched incumbent is difficult at any level of government, especially for a challenger seeking public office for the first time. That is exactly the position in which local businessman, Andy Patrick, finds himself. You may recall meeting Patrick on these pages last August when he gave us a glimpse into life with the United States Secret Service, where he served as a Special Agent from 1997 until 2006. This year, Patrick, who is president and CEO of Hilton Head based security consultants, Advance Point Global, has decided to run for the South Carolina House of Representatives District 123, representing Hilton Head Island. To do that, he will have to
unseat longtime Hilton Head representative, Richard Chalk, who is running for his fourth term in office. Patrick, and fellow challenger, Kate Keep, will compete in the June Republican primary for a place on November’s ballot. Without the benefit of an incumbent’s war chest and visibility, a relatively unknown challenger needs to take his message to the streets early and often. Patrick has been hitting the bricks, mainly with informal candidate “meet & greets” at supporters’ homes, since announcing his candidacy late last year. After hearing him speak in a public forum at February’s “First Monday Republican Lunch Group,” Long Cove residents Ray and Bonnie Canova were so impressed that they offered to host a meet & greet at their home.
“We’ve done lots of these,” said Bonnie, “and we do it for people who we are really committed to. Our big thing is fiscal responsibility. Andy is fiscally conservative, which is why Ray and I support people.” “I think, especially for the short period of time that he’s been here, he’s pretty knowledgeable about local politics and what’s going on here in South Carolina. He’s very impressive and I think he’ll make a good congressman,” added Ray. In early March, Patrick sat down with CH2 for a one-on-one “meet & greet” over a cup of coffee. Here’s what he had to say: CH2: What are your top three priorities when you get to Columbia? Andy PAtriCk: Reforming state government, and as part of that, reducing the size of government, cutting spending, capping spending, and consolidating agencies that have overlapping jurisdictions. Comprehensive tax reform. Our tax policy is very complex and has created more problems than it has fixed along the way. We have an inefficient corporate income tax, which I’d like to see eliminated altogether, and I’d like to reduce the overall income tax so that we’re more competitive with our neighbors to the north and south. Education. Not only the education of our children in primary schools, but also; what are we doing to make sure that we have a qualified workforce? There are a lot of good things that we’re doing through the Technical College system, but I don’t know that we’re doing a great job of marketing that to be competitive in drawing businesses to South Carolina and Beaufort County. CH2: As a freshman representative, how do you plan to give your ideas enough attention to make a difference? AP: There are like-minded legislators [in the House], and I believe that we can further capitalize on their efforts to reform government. I think that most people recognize that it [South Carolina’s government structure] is outdated, and that it does not provide the equity and fairness that we see on the national level in terms of representation and checks and balances. This has really hamstrung our ability to move forward and be more competitive in a number of different areas. CH2: Have you reached out to any of these like-minded members of the House? AP: Yes. I’ve spoken to all of the members of the Beaufort County legislative delegation, and I have reached out to other members of the House from other parts of the state. CH2: How have they received your
message? AP: Well, they’re like-minded legislators, so of course they’ve responded favorably to what I’m saying! Obviously it’s difficult for them to say it publicly, but according to some colleagues in the House of Representatives, the incumbent is looked at as the least effective member of the Republican caucus. So they think it is time for a change to someone who can work in a team, bringing ideas to the table and helping to develop ideas brought forward by others, and work to move the ball forward. CH2: Are there any other issues high on your priority list that we have not addressed here? AP: Public safety. My background in public safety leads me to want to be friendly to law enforcement and prosecutors, giving them the tools that they need to enforce the law and prosecute those who break the law. There are certain laws on the books that make that a difficult agenda to pursue. In other words, there are felonies and misdemeanors, with which we are all familiar; but in South Carolina there are a couple of other elements that go into sentencing, and some of them just don’t make sense. It could be “serious” or “most serious.” “Violent” or “non-violent.” A
good example is that a drive-by shooting is considered non-violent. It’s ridiculous! What’s non-violent about a drive-by shooting? CH2: Bring it home. if you are able to bring about all of these changes when you get to Columbia, how will it make life better here on Hilton Head island? AP: One of the things I believe a legislator should do is protect, defend, and promote the idea of home rule—the idea that government closest to the people governs best. I’m not necessarily certain that the incumbent has done a good job of that. All of these things are interconnected. When we talk about school funding, for example, we send nearly $170 million per year to Columbia in tax receipts from Beaufort County, and we get zero dollars back for our schools’ operating costs. We’re the only county in the state that receives zero dollars back. So, when I talk about comprehensive tax reform, the only way to fix the problem is to restructure the entire South Carolina tax code to make it more fair. Patrick schedules several meet & greets each month. You can find out when and where by visiting his campaign Web site at www.andypatrick.org
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Book ExCErpt
“W
hy aren’t you more like me?” Whenever I hear someone say this, I respond, “Which me do you want them to be like? Is it the ‘me’ you think you are or wish you were? How accurate is your perception of yourself? Is it the ‘me’ others perceive you to be?” In my experience, a person’s perception of him/herself is seldom, if ever, the same as others’ perception of that person. I might honestly believe that I am very good father, husband, grandfather, friend, coach, adviser and consultant. Having said that, I am not at all sure that I would really want others to be “like me.” If one is truly honest with her/ himself, we know things about ourselves that we really don’t like or we wish were different. If everyone with whom I interacted were just like me, not only would life be terribly boring, we would still be different. PRINCIPLE: Unless you’re only dealing with robots, all human interactions will contain some level of conflict. Given some improvements in artificial intelligence, this axiom may apply to robots as well. Given the fact that conflict is, virtually, inevitable, what choices does one have in dealing with conflict?
ALTERNATIVE 1: Simply ignore the situation or “sweep it under the rug.” While this alternative avoids any unpleasantness at the time, it has the effect of being “stored” in the hard drive of the human psyche and is really not gone. At some point in the future, the emotions surrounding the incident (although hidden, we think), will inevitably come out. In other words, the feelings and emotions surrounding the conflictual event will come out. For example, my wife and I were having dinner at a very elegant restaurant with another couple recently. This couple had been friends of ours for more than 20 years. They had been married for some 25 years—second marriage for both. After we had finished our entrée and were awaiting our dessert, the husband (Bob) abruptly got up from the table and, without saying a word to any of us, left the table and walked across the restaurant to another table to speak to another couple. Upon his return, his wife (Jane) exploded, saying, “Bob, you are the most uncouth and rude
from loCal author, Lee OzLey!
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person I’ve ever known.” Bob responded, “What did I do?” Jane retorted, “You left the table without saying a word to any of us and just walked off. This is the 23rd time you’ve done that since I’ve known you!” Bob’s rejoinder was, “Why the h--didn’t you say something about this the first time it occurred? I was just saying hello to Bill and Susan.” Suggestion: Ignoring a conflict by putting it away without discussion and/ or addressing the cause of the conflict is not a particularly helpful alternative. It does eliminate a discussion at the time the events occurred. It does not, however, truly go away. It is somewhat like a “lost file” in our computer. The “file” really isn’t lost and gone forever. It’s still lurking somewhere on our “hard drive,” just waiting to come out. ALTERNATIVE 2: Deal with the situation immediately, on the spot. While this alternative gets the emotions and feelings out quickly and at the time the triggering events occurred,
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the “discussion” occurs while a least one party to the conflict is very upset and is not, in all likelihood, able to deliver his/ her feelings in a calm and dispassionate manner. ALTERNATIVE 3: Wait until the time is right. Unfortunately, the “right” time may be quite some time after the events that created the conflict. In my own case, for a long time I would experience a conflict situation and delay any discussion with anyone else until I had had time to really think through the circumstances, examine my own role in the situation and then conclude if the problem was with someone else or with me. Usually after this thought process, I would conclude that the other person(s) had done something that caused a problem for me and that it needed to be addressed and discuss it. This alternative does preclude someone from “popping off” when he/she is upset, hurt and/or angry.
On the other hand, there are some “downside” impacts: • By the time the person chooses to discuss the situation, the other(s) involved have completely forgotten about the situation and will be at a loss to understand why it is being brought up for discussion at this time. • The intervening period between the occurrence of the event(s) and their discussion allows the issue to fester and grow, resulting in more “heat” or energy being displayed than the situation actually warrants. • It is very easy, after “stewing” for a period, for the person to revert to Alternative 1. ALTERNATIVE 4: Provide feedback in a calm and caring manner without anger. This alternative is, in my experience, the preferred approach. The balance of this book will focus on suggested tools and techniques to deal with conflict in the most productive manner possible.
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C2 Book ExCErpt
Preferences in Dealing with conflict Research has shown that individuals have preferences in how they deal with conflictual situations. The odds are that two people in a conflictual situation prefer different ways of dealing with conflict. Drs. KennethW. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilman, some 30 years ago, developed the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument which I have found very helpful. The conceptual model that Drs. Thomas and Kilman developed describes two basic dimensions of a person’s behavior in conflict situations—assertiveness and cooperativeness. They go on to define five specific methods people may use in dealing with conflicts. These five methods are competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating. Each one of these methods, of course, results in both positive and negative effects. Competing is a “take charge” assertive and uncooperative mode. It is most effective when: 1. Quick decisions/actions are required; 2. The issue is an unpopular one that no one wants to address; 3. The issue is vital and you know you are right. The negative side of competing is that one will find him/ herself surrounded by “yes” men and women who are afraid to admit their ignorance and/or fears. There will also be no real commitment to the decisions/actions—people just “go along” with the decision/action.
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Accommodating is unassertive and cooperative—the opposite of competing. It is most effective when: 1. Continued competition would only damage the situation; 2. The issue is much more important to others than it is to you; 3. You want to build up some “credits” in the bank. The negative side of accommodating is that people feel that their ideas/input are seldom heard and resentment builds up. Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative and is most effective when: 1. The potential damage is greater than the potential benefit; 2. You really don’t care; 3. Others can resolve the issue better than you can. The negatives associated with avoiding include repressed and/or hard feelings; people feel that they are “walking on egg shells,” that they never win or that they are “put upon.” Compromising is a sort of intermediate step in both assertiveness and cooperativeness. The times when compromising is most effective are when: 1. Expediency is required; 2. Time is not available for collaboration; 3. People have equal power and are committed to mutually exclusive goals. Compromising, unfortunately, can result in “winning the battle but losing the war,” leaving no one fully satisfied and may
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well result in a decision that is not the best solution to the situation. Collaborating is both assertive and cooperative – the opposite of avoiding. Collaborating: 1. Creates commitment; 2. Gathers input and insight from those with different perspectives; 3. Merges insights by incorporating the concerns of others. While collaborating almost always results in the best and most appropriate conclusion, it takes time and good interpersonal skills. Knowing and understanding your preferred mode of dealing with conflict as well as the preferred mode of others with whom you interact can be very helpful in avoiding conflict in many cases and resolving conflict more effectively when it occurs. Imagine two individuals in conflict who are both competitors. Each one must win and only one can! Who will win the battle? On the other hand, when two avoiders face a conflict situation, what happens? NOTHING! yet the conflict situation still exists. I have completed the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument at least a dozen times and my profile has not changed.
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My profile follows.
Reviewing this profile, one can quickly see that I am not a person who avoids dealing with conflict. I prefer addressing the conflict immediately and collaborating to resolve the conflict. I also have trouble (which I have learned to manage, I hope) dealing with individuals who prefer to avoid conflict. I recommend that readers consider completing the ThomasKilman Conflict Mode instrument so that they can better understand themselves. Copies of the instrument can be ordered on the Web at cpp.com. For more on conflict resolution, check out of Lee Ozley’s Web site at leeozley.com. The book WHY AREN’T YOU MORE LIKE ME? Dealing with Conflict may be ordered directly from the publisher at (800) 827-7903 or online at wordassociation.com.
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Champagne Champagne
Living Livingon on aa Consignment shopping a Bonanza for Bargain hunters
Beer Budget Budget Article by Teresa Fitzgibbons / Photography by Anne
a
Louis Vuitton handbag, Prada they hand select which items they’ll take sunglasses, or an Armani and go over them with a fine-tooth comb. LoCaL dress—as your eyes drift down Most consignment shops have a target to the price tag expecting audience—ladies’ wear, children’s items, Consignment sticker shock, you find another or home furnishings. stores are surprise instead: Everything is only half “I look for items that are seasonal the ideaL pLaCe first,” said Mary Lou Haskell, owner of what you would expect to pay. to visit for “This is the best way to shop,” the upscale The Stock Exchange in Main quaLity, highsaid Dave Spahr, owner of Bargains Street Village, which sells ladies’ wear. “I and Treasures on Arrow Road. “It’s not want things that are current and in style. end, gentLy surprising my wife and I got into this I try not to go back more than a year in used items. business. We love it. It’s how we shopped style, and I do look for designer labels.” when we were first married.” At The Stock Exchange, shoppers He’s talking about consignment will find exclusive designers whose labels shopping. Consignment stores are aren’t available locally. Her shelves are stores that obtain their inventory exclusively from stocked with Gucci, Prada, Chetta B, and Trina Turk, individuals who want to sell it. When it sells, the store to name a few. My Sister’s Closet on the south end owner and seller split the profit. While contracts also sells ladies’ wear. They do stock quite a few vary from store to store, sellers can generally expect designer names, but they will accept non-designer a 40-60 percent take on their wares and a contract and other unique items. of four months or so. Most stores require sellers Local consignment stores are the ideal place to to make appointments before bringing items in as visit for quality, high-end, gently used items. You’ll
expreSS ruffLed haLter top $28
CaparroS pink ankLe Strap heeL $52
CheLLa d
the StoCk exChange
fuChSia ruffLe CLutCh $52 the StoCk exChange
guCCi JaCket $250 CheLLa d
LanCeLitaLian Bag with attaChed make-up CLutCh $60 CheLLa d
!it JeanS, BianCa fit $28
peep toe Show from white houSe/ BLaCk market $26
CheLLa d
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Sara CampBeLL Striped froCk $198
the StoCk exChange
osh Kosh B’Gosh Boy’s CarGo pant $7.35 simply Kid’s ConsiGnment
Child’s Giraffe heiGht ruler $12 simply Kid’s ConsiGnment
metal & wiCKer hat tree $59 BarGains & treasures
stride rite Brown BaBy Guppy $10.75 simply Kid’s ConsiGnment
antique trunK $149 BarGains & treasures
find many things that have never been used, and some things still ConsiGnment have their original tags on them. Upscale areas like Hilton Head shops offer offer an exceptional consignment a Boutique shopping experience. style “We get beautiful clothes here because people on the island shoppinG have such great taste,” said Laura experienCe. Bracken, a co-owner of Simply Kids, the area’s only consignment shop that caters to children, located on Palmetto Bay Road. “you can get a great deal on fabulous items that look brand new.” Laura sees a lot of notable brands such as Lily Pulitzer dresses and Pottery Barn toys come through her shop. “We get a lot of things that people got as shower or baby gifts that they couldn’t use,” she said. along with toys and clothes up to size 12, Simply Kids also stocks baby supplies, nursery décor, and furniture. They also sell gift certificates and offer in-store credit. and they rent items for visiting families as well. Consignment shops offer a boutique style shopping experience. Sales people are more like personal shoppers. Merchandise is organized by various categories into departments with end and floor displays to give shoppers fresh ideas. “We always have a Wow! Display,” said Haskell, pointing out a striking ensemble in bold colors. “We like the challenge of putting together a whole look—shoes, dress, jewelry— the total package all from different consigners.” It’s not surprising that tourists have discovered the area’s consignment shops. “Nearly 70 percent of my business is tourists, which is surprising to me,” said Haskell. “There are locals who don’t know I exist but people from miles away that come and see me each year.” Kevin James, owner of My Sister’s Closet agrees. “I don’t think there are too many ladies up and down the East Coast who haven’t been to My Sister’s Closet.” “This is a very personal business,” said Haskell. “We really have two clients, the seller and the buyer. It’s such a pleasure pleasing them both. I also get to see nice things find great new homes.” 80
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While some people are shopping for pleasure, others are shopping for business. This is especially true for local consignment stores that sell home furnishings. “We average a dealer or two each day or a designer or two each day in each of our stores every day,” said Spahr, whose store specializes in home furnishings and other accessories. “Essentially, they’re looking for pieces to take back to their own shops. That’s why you’ll find things here at only half the price you’d pay elsewhere. We’re the only purist in the area.” Spahr explains that both of the Bargains and Treasures stores (there is also a Bluffton store on Hwy 46) are strictly consignment shops. With the average retiree moving up to three times and a plethora of second home owners and investment properties, this area sees an unusually high movement of home furnishings. He also sees a lot of unique items as Hilton Head attracts residents and investors from all over the world. A Whistler print, antique Edwardian chairs, a contemporary shelving unit, and a hand-painted coal scuttle are among their current treasures. Furniture Solutions, on the corner of Arrow Road and Hwy 278, also offers high-end furniture and home décor at vastly discounted prices. They have a slightly different way of doing Red gingham stRasbuRg oveRalls $21.75 simPly kids Consignment
Pink hat with aPPle embellishment $5.25 simPly kids Consignment
PatRiotiC onesie $16.75 simPly kids Consignment
white Pantsuit with ameRiCan flag $22.75 simPly kids Consignment
stRiPed hat with blue heaRt $3.50
simPly kids Consignment
business. While they do consignment, they are also the island’s premiere liquidator and licensed auction house. “We’re slightly different because we consign a lot of new things from High Point and Hickory North Carolina manufacturers and sell them at a fraction of the price,” explained owner Kevin James. Many manufacturers find they need additional warehouse space or have excess inventory that they need to dispose of. Furniture Solutions also liquidates for estates and others and offers in-home design services. “The idea of consigning new things is unheard of to many people,” said James. “We like to call it champagne living on a beer budget.” MAY 2010
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Business Profiles
may 2010
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Is there a Nurse PractItIoNer IN the house?
Article By Paul deVere
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Photography by Anne
Pictured from left to right: Anna Wells-Sharp, Suri Garcia, Jenny Green-Bazzle, Tiffany Bentz-Weaver and Isabele Longo.
>anna Wells-Sharp, and Jenny Green-Bazzle
T
he figures are staggering. Various studies have concluded that over the next decade, there will be a shortage of 40,000 primary care physicians in the U.S. The shortage is nothing new. For years, even decades, medical schools have been churning out physician specialists in greater and greater numbers. Today, about 90 percent of future physicians opt for specialized medicine rather than primary care. according to a recent CBS television report, primary care is “a field losing out to the better pay, better hours and higher profile of many other specialties.” Enter the nurse practitioner. More specifically, enter Jennifer Green-Bazzle, MSN-aPBC, at affordable Health Care in Bluffton, an urgent and primary care facility in Sheridan Park. The only thing missing at this medical office is a person with an M.D. after his or her name. “Nurse practitioners work under their own license, independently,” Bazzle
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explained. When comparing services offered by a primary care practice run by a medical doctor, Bazzle said, “about the only thing we can’t do is write prescriptions for Schedule 2 drugs. But that’s about it.” (Schedule 2 drugs include such medication as morphine and OxyContin.) “We can admit to the hospital. We can order MRIs. We can do x-rays, blood work, write prescriptions for blood pressure, diabetes. We get referrals from physicians, specialists. We have our own full-service lab here,” Bazzle said. Bazzle is certified as an adult nurse practitioner. Her associate, anna Sharp, is certified as a family nurse practitioner. “anna gets to see all the kids,” said Bazzle. Though she doesn’t make the claim, Bazzle may have seen the writing on the wall. according to an article in Time magazine last year (august 3, 2009), “In addition to providing many of the same services [as primary care physicians] less expensively, nurse practitioners offer something else that makes them darlings to health reformers: a focus on patientcentered care and preventive medicine.”
Of the latter part of that quote, Bazzle couldn’t agree more. “Ninety percent of primary care is to prevent things from happening, she said. “We do just good old teaching. you teach people about the medicines, why they went on them, what they’re going to do for them. If you do that, they’re more likely to take them. Instead of just saying, ‘Here’s your prescription,’ we try to engage the patient to be more active in their care. If you know why you’re doing something, you’re more likely to be compliant. Patient education is key.” as to costs, Medicare reimburses nurse practitioners 80 to 85 percent of what is paid to doctors for the same services. With a small but knowing laugh, Bazzle said, “With each Medicare visit, we’re saving taxpayers money.” While there were several reasons why a nurse practitioner program began in 1965, the passage of Medicare and Medicaid during that time, combined with the very real fear of inadequate health care for those enrolled due to the shortage of primary care physicians, prompted its creation. Parallels can easily be drawn
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from today’s news headlines about health care reform and those of 45 years ago. The reason Bazzle went into nursing in the first place? “I went to nursing school because, well why does every young girl go to nursing school? They want to help people; they have these dreams of having this great profession of helping others. It grew from there,” she explained. Bazzle grew up on Hilton Head Island in South Forest Beach. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina and her masters of nursing at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah. She worked at Hilton Head Hospital in virtually every department. “I ended up in ICU. That’s sort of considered the top job,” she said. But she wasn’t satisfied and, while working, went back to school. “Nurse practitioner was one of the options, and I chose that route. I’m glad I did. I love it,” she said. According Dr. Helen Taggart, interim head of the Department of Nursing at Armstrong Atlantic State University, while other parts of the country have many private medical offices operated by nurse
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practitioners, there are not many in the area. Affordable Health Care is the only one in Beaufort County. Just like other primary care practices in the area, the standard health issues Bazzle sees are obesity, hypertension and cholesterol. “This is the fried chicken belt. What we need is less fried chicken,” she said. Both Bazzle and Sharp said they are also seeing a new medical problem in the area, suffered by both the retired population and young alike. “It’s ‘Wiiitis’ We’re seeing more injuries caused by people overdoing it with the Nintendo Wii,” Sharp said, smiling. Bazzle said she tries to differentiate her medical facility in several ways. “We don’t overbook. We usually book two patients in an hour so we can take walkins. We try to allow the schedule to be a little lighter so we can accommodate those people. We try hard not to make people wait. I’m a good listener, good communicator. We’re very thorough and take a lot of pride in education. We explain things in simple terms so patient isn’t overwhelmed, or doesn’t understand,” she said.
She explained there is another quality Affordable Health Care focuses on: the treatment of the patient as a person. “We treat everybody, from the CEO to a janitor, with the same respect and kindness. It’s just as important up front (waiting room) as it is in the back front office. I treat everybody like they were my brother or sister or mother or father. I ask myself, ‘What would I do if the patient was a family member? That’s how I decide how I’ll treat my patient.” Of the future of nurse practitioners, Bazzle said the field is growing. “I just returned from a CME (continuing medical education) conference for primary care physicians. Seventy-five percent were nurse practitioners.” From the time Bazzle opened her office in 2008, business has steadily grown. “We’re busy,” she said. “When it comes to health care, we’re giving people a choice.” Affordable health care is located at 48 Pennington Drive, Suite C., or call them at 843.757.5559
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> patrick Epperson with mike manesiotis, a satisfied E.A.C. costumer.
“WHAt mAkEs us diffErEnt is tHAt WE CArE And WE don’t WAnt to tAkE AdVAntAgE of AnyonE. WE ArE A profEssionAl, loCAl
Keep Your Cool This Summer Call E.A.C. for the best in HVAC installation and service
A
s mild spring mornings meld into those hot, sticky days that beckon us to the beach, you may be assuming that your air conditioning system is as ready as you are for all the summer fun. Don’t be so sure… “Most people only think about air conditioning when it’s broken down; but it’s really the most complex system anybody has in their home,” said Patrick Epperson, Jr. who owns/operates E.A.C. Heating and Air along with his dad, Pat Epperson, Sr. and partner, Martin Jones. That’s why it’s important to get established with a reputable company such as E.A.C.—because all heating and air services are not created equal.
“
Article by Linda S. Hopkins Photography by John Brackett
“WE ArE in it for tHE Long-tErm rELAtionSHiP And WAnt A cuStomEr for LifE By EArning tHEir truSt And tHEir BuSinESS EAcH timE WE viSit tHEir HomE.”
“There are too many heating and air conditioning companies in our area to even count,” said Patrick. “What makes us different is that we care and we don’t want to take advantage of anyone. We are a professional, local company that takes added steps to ensure that our customers have a positive experience. We are in it for the long-term relationship and want a customer for life by earning their trust and their business each time we visit their home.” That commitment to customer service is a product of strong ethics, family values and years of experience in the business. “We want to demonstrate that we are professional— that we have all the certifications and the employees to be there in their time of need,” said Patrick. “And to back up the warranties,” added Pat, who started the business in 1981. “A lot of times a company will sell something and just kind of leave the customer hanging,” he said. “That’s not going to happen with E.A.C.” “I want to make sure that if I recognize a customer in the grocery store, I can feel assured that they are happy with our work and greet them with a smile because our company has taken care of them,” said Patrick.
Service you can depend on / Experience you can trust
According to the Eppersons, just like our bodies, a healthy HVAC system requires regular maintenance. A twice yearly checkup is recommended. “Many times our technicians can catch a small problem before it turns into something much greater. Also, systems can work under marginal performance with the homeowner unaware, which costs them on their utility bills. Our maintenance
out what kind of issues the customer may have—whether it’s a room that’s too hot or too cold or whatever the situation may be, Patrick explained. “A lot of companies will go into a person’s home and see a three-ton system and automatically replace it with the same. We take the time to evaluate the system and any existing problems. We measure the different surfaces of the walls, floors, windows. Basically, it’s a big calculation to determine what the proper tonnage and size of the system should be so you’re not repeating someone’s past error.” “Back in the day, people tried to throw in the largest size system available, and that’s not the best thing in our area, said Pat. “Say you need a three-ton and you have a five-ton system installed. That will cool your home quickly and satisfy it at the thermostat. But because your system is not running very long, it’s not having the opportunity to remove any moisture from the air. It has to stay on for a decent amount of time for dehumidification to occur. That’s why in this area it’s so important to have the system sized properly.” According to Patrick, E.A.C. takes pride in hiring only the most qualified and trustworthy service technicians. All are required to earn certification through NATE (North American Technician Excellence), the leading non-profit certification program for technicians in heating, ventilation, airconditioning, and refrigeration. In addition, E.A.C. employees undergo a rigorous background check, including drug testing.
Products you can believe in / Savings you can take to the bank
E.A.C.’s main product line is Trane, with Bryant (same family as Carrier) as a secondary line. But they can get most any name CompAny comPAny tHAt tAkEs tAkES AddEd stEps StEPS to EnsurE EnSurE tHAt our CustomErs cuStomErS HAVE HAvE A positiVE PoSitivE ExpEriEnCE. ExPEriEncE. ” brand you want, Patrick explained. What’s most important is providing an efficient system that ultimately saves you money. program provides a 15 percent discount on any service repair “The industry has definitely changed. Just by upgrading items if something does happen without any overtime fees no to the lowest thing you can buy now will save you about 23 matter what time of day,” said Patrick. percent on that portion of utilities,” said Patrick. “There are If you do have an emergency and call in a panic, you can some that will save you 50 percent.” expect efficient and courteous service. “We don’t outsource Beyond efficiency is the functionality. Variable speed air our phone calls to a national call center,” said Patrick. “Our staff handlers come on at 50 percent power and work up to 100 percent members live in the community, and we know what a plantation only if necessary. It’s more energy efficient, but it also removes is. Callers can expect prompt service—usually in less than 24 four times the humidity, he explained. “It’s more comfortable, and hours—by a trained and certified technician. If a system needs usually a drier living condition means you’re not going to have to replacement, we make sure that the new system matches both worry about things growing, like mold and mildew.” the requirements of the home and the homeowner’s needs As an added incentive to replace older, less energy efficient through our home survey process.” units, through the end of this year, the federal government is Surveys conducted by trained specialists are used to find
giving a tax credit on higher efficiency systems, Pat added.
The E.A.C. difference
after an installation, a follow-up visit is scheduled to make sure that everything was done correctly. “We’re all about quality control and making sure it’s done right,” said Patrick. If something does happen that’s not correct, we’re going to take care of it.” Mike Manesiotis, broker in charge of Hilton Head Long Term Rentals attests to E.a.C.’s service standards: “It is a pleasure working with E.a.C and their knowledgeable staff; they respond promptly to our service calls, and when there is a question, they have the answer,” he said. “We interact with many service providers in all aspects of property management. E.a.C has gained our trust and confidence over the years; more importantly, they have taken care of our owners and delivered exceptional service.” Local attorney, Jim Berl, concurs. “Everybody in their company, from the top to the bottom, is very customer service oriented,” he said. “They show up on time when they’re scheduled for a repair, and they stay until the repair is completed. Their work has always been exceptional; and Patrick himself goes the extra mile to make sure the customer is satisfied and also that you get the best deal available. They’re top notch.” In today’s tough economy, it’s important to make wise, informed choices,” said Patrick. “Our company’s goal is to minimize your worry and to provide the highest possible value to each and every customer.” E.A.C. is located at 76 Beach City Rd. on Hilton Head Island. Their service area includes Hilton Head, Bluffton, Okatie, Beaufort, Ridgeland and Hardeeville. For service or more information, call (843) 681-3999.
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e h t t e L t ’ n o D
! e t i B s g u B d Be
“H
ave you ever ridden the tilta-whirl?” That is how John Harris, two years into his role as general manager of Hilton Head Exterminators, describes an “average” day on the job. That gem was quickly followed by, “I don’t want to gross you out too much…” Both statements offer some interesting insight into what Harris’ life is like on a day-to-day basis. He
is down and dirty and into all things that creep, crawl, and lurk—in the night, in your attic, in your walls, in your ductwork, in your backyard. Since 1968, Hilton Head Exterminators (HHE) has been making sure that pests live where they are supposed to. However, when the pests invade your world, HHE’s goal is to drive them out. Serving Hilton Head, Bluffton, Okatie, Sun City, and Jasper County, HHE is the Lowcountry’s largest independent pest control company. Part of the key
Article by courtney HAmpson • pHotogrApHy by Anne
(pictured from left to right)
John harris handles the off-island accounts. and Bill roBertson is the general manager on hilton head.
to their continued growth and success is the recognition that their reputation is being built every day. So, every customer interaction is crucial. HHE’s continued focus on building relationships is part of what makes them stand out. add a favorable dose of community involvement to mix, and HHE’s formula yields a very impressive result. While Harris handles the off-island accounts, Bill Robertson is the general manager on the island. Robertson has been with the company for 16 years, and has watched it grow. Today, HHE’s customer base is quickly surpassing 12,000 residential and commercial accounts.
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Robertson attributes HHE’s growth to the position they have created in the community. “We have created an excellent niche between the very small operators who lack the resources to stand behind their work should something go wrong and the large national companies whose service levels are hindered by corporate bureaucracy that prevents the all-important personal touch, he explained. “as a result, we act larger, although locally owned, than many of the national firms that have offices in this area.” The mission of HHE is “to be recognized by their customers and peers as being the best at what they do.” and, “what they do” is deal with all of the things that the rest of us don’t want to: bugs, pests, rodents, even flying squirrels! Most people tend to look at pest control as a reactive process: I have bugs, please kill them. But we actually need to re-program our brains. In reality we should be pro-active. This is why:
If you see a roach on the side of the refrigerator, you spray him with Raid. The Raid is effective for 15-60 minutes. So, now you have a dead roach on the side of refrigerator, who you hopefully scoop up and toss in the garbage. That roach’s buddies were hanging out behind the refrigerator, and the Raid got them too. But, you can’t see them so you don’t know that you have actually made the problem exponentially worse because you have created a food source for other bugs. and, bugs don’t lay eggs until they find an active food source. So now all the bugs up the food chain are moving in behind the fridge because you’ve put out a little buffet for them. It’s party time. aha! One treatment may kill the pests in the area, but it doesn’t prevent others from moving in. So, putting a plan in place for repeated applications trains the environment, and eventually the pests, to realize that your home or business isn’t a fun place for them to live. HHE creates customized plans for your property. Based on your building
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footprint, the type of lot it is placed on, the types of trees in the area, the proximity to the water, you name it… all of these elements impact the potential pest problem. HHE’s trained and certified technicians are able to predict your pest problems and put a preventative plan in place. To further your comfort level, all of HHE’s technicians are registered with the state and required to participate in continuing education programs provided by the state and product manufacturers. As the world goes “green,” everyone is put in a position to keep up. The pest control industry and HHE have followed the move toward this trend. Harris says that about 20 percent of customers ask for green and/or organic options. The assumption is that pest control is chemical-based and harmful. The reality is that the vast majority of products are petfriendly, odor free, and safe. The added bonus of botanical and organic pest control options (many flowers actually mimic the properties of certain pesticides) makes the industry and HHE cutting edge.
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putting a plan in place for repeated applications trains the environment, and eventually the pests, to realize that your home or business isn’t a fun place for them to live.
The food chain progression of pests: insect-to-spider-to-palmetto bug–to rodent–to-snake – acts as a barometer for HHE. According to Harris, “If you have a spider problem, then we know that you’ve also had an insect problem and will get to work on preventing the inevitable palmetto bug invasion.”
However, before the problem exists it is wise to have a service plan in place. Harris and Robertson both believe that every homeowner and/or business owner should have an exterior service plan, at the very least. “It is important that somebody inspects your house,” Robertson says, “and, once that relationship is established now you have a ‘go to’ in case any pests pop-up.” It is fair to say that we have a number of pests in the Lowcountry that can cause a problem, including ticks, fleas, fire ants, German roaches (the leading cause of childhood asthma), palmetto bugs, armadillos, and … even the elusive bed bug. (Side note: bed bugs became a nonissue in the 1960s but have made a recent resurgence. Bed bugs travel with people. Lots of people travel to the Lowcountry. And, we have lots of beds. You do the math.) A sure cure for your heebie-jeebies is to call Hilton Head Exterminators now, and prevent those creepy-crawlies from invading your space. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.
KPM Flooring
Article by Teresa Fitzgibbons
// Photography by John Brackett
The crisp and cool beauty of stone and tile, the warmth and character of hard woods, the eye-catching statement of an area rug, or the plush luxury of a rich carpet. Whatever flooring choice you make for your home—or any other property you may have—makes a statement about who you are and how you live. Today, the possibilities seem endless. A beautiful floor does more than make a statement about you. Floors enhance and complete a room. Flooring is about both style and value, and the right choice can add considerable value to your home. “I think floors are really the basis for everything,” said Kathleen Mayers, president of KPM Flooring. “From stone to wood to carpet to unique specialty products, the floor makes the biggest statement in your home.” While fabrics, furniture, and paints have far more diversity than flooring products, they encounter more style limitations; thankfully they can be changed easier. The right floor choice can continue to complement a room regardless of other changes that are made. “Floors are moody. You can give a room a whole new look and still leave the floor the same if you’ve made a thoughtful decision,” Mayers said. KPM Flooring is a full service residential and commercial flooring company serving the finest homes and commercial projects in the Lowcountry. Whether you are an interior designer or homeowner, KPM’s dedicated staff provides personalized attention and the services needed to bring your project in on time and within budget. Since opening in September of 2007, the company has managed to build up a pretty impressive client
A beautiful floor does more than make a statement about you. Floors enhance and complete a room. Flooring is about both style and value, and the right choice can add considerable value to your home.
KPM
Flooring
list that includes work throughout the United States, a celebrity name or two, and even international projects in Mexico and Italy. KPM prides itself on its colorful, cutting-edge, and everchanging inventory. a first glance at KPM’s impressive and expansive 4,900 square foot showrooms invariably brings an audible gasp. For many, that gasp is followed by a sigh of relief. While the store’s reputation for high-end products is well known, many patrons are pleased to discover that the store actually carries a wide variety of products at various price points.
A wide array of options awaits any customer. The showroom includes a remarkable selection of tile and stone, hardwoods, laminate, and specialty flooring such as leather, cork, and glass. Hundred of rugs hang from the ceiling, and the entire second floor consists of a commercial carpet library. “We certainly carry a lot of medium- to high-end products, but it’s not all we have,” said Mayers. “We can do anything from a basic apartment right up to a luxury services and products.” She stresses that no job is too small; she wants to meet that apartment owner and hopes to see them back again whenever they buy a home. “It’s all about building relationships,” she said. a wide array of options awaits any customer. The showroom includes a remarkable selection of tile and stone, hardwoods, laminate, and specialty flooring such as leather, cork, and glass. Hundred of rugs hang from the ceiling, and the entire second floor consists of a commercial carpet library. Kathleen and her staff ensure that their inventory includes a plethora of traditional looks as well as an incredible selection of new styles that aren’t necessarily found in the Lowcountry. She logs thousands of miles each year attending markets and trade shows and is constantly researching what is up and coming, not just in flooring, but in home décor as a whole. She’s built a strong reputation in a 98
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relatively short time—one that now has designers seeking her out and flooring vendors asking her to carry their lines. “Some clients have even been referred to us by vendors,” Mayers said. “I never dreamed we’d be in this position.” The company’s growth has afforded it more buying power which allows for even better pricing and selection for customers. One of KPM’s keys to success has obviously been its dedication to customer service. Like Mayers, each of the employees is focused upon building relationships with those who come in the door. The staff professionally questions potential buyers to make certain they guide them in the right direction. They want to know about a buyer’s lifestyle, their personal taste, and the purpose of the property as well as budget. “We’re not out to sell you a floor today,” said Mayers. “We want to have a relationship with you and have you come back the next time you move or need new flooring. That’s why I’ve been successful in this business for 18 years. People know they can walk in the door and be assured they are getting great products, prices, and service.” KPM Flooring is located at 35 Main Street, Ste 110. For more information, call (843) 342-4955 or visit kpmflooring.com. Business hours are 8-5 Monday-Friday and Saturdays by appointment. MAY 2010
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Extreme Makeover
Upscale Transformation of Tanger Outlet Center 1
Now Underway Article by lindA S. HopkinS
I
f you’ve ever watched the popular television series, Extreme Makeover, you know that transformation isn’t a pretty process. Currently in its ugly duckling phase, like a lucky makeover candidate, Tanger Outlet Center 1 is undergoing a series of radical procedures with the promise to re-emerge as a swan next spring. Building demolition, which began in early April, 2010, is the first phase of the $50 million redevelopment project which will feature 176,000 square feet of retail space plus four outparcels featuring national retailers. According to LaDonna Shamlou, general manager, the plan, which calls for a total demolition of the existing buildings and the subsequent construction of new buildings, will make way for over 20 new brand name and designer outlet stores in addition to the current lineup. “It’s going to be such an asset here. I wish I could talk more about the [new] stores, because it would get people excited,” she said, indicating that lease negotiations are underway with a number of high-end stores. “We are creating an upscale outlet shopping environment that will appeal to our sophisticated Hilton Head customers,” said Steven B. Tanger, president and chief executive officer of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. “When our shoppers tell us what they want, we listen. By combining this important feedback with our company’s creativity and vision, we are able to create major outlet
shopping attractions that are unique and capture the imagination and passion of our shoppers,” he added. Reiterating the value of customer input, Shamlou urges all shoppers to fill out comment cards available throughout both Tanger Outlet centers. (During the renovation, pick one up at Tanger Outlet 2 and let your voice be heard.) Tanger Outlet Center 1 is now closed, and some stores, including J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, the Children’s Place, Oops! Outlet, Lane Bryant and Kitchen Collection have temporarily relocated to the Mall at Shelter Cove for the duration of the construction period. Those stores are expected to return to Tanger Outlet 1 when the center reopens next spring. Other stores, including Gold Toe and Jockey, have relocated to separate locations in Bluffton and have indicated that they also intend to return to Tanger.
An improved shopping experience While the building plans naturally call for a new and improved appearance, according to Shamlou, the renovations are not only cosmetic, but practical. “The new design is more of U-shape where shoppers can start at one end and work their way down to the other. We’ve added in crosswalks for a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, making it easy for shoppers. They don’t get
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Extreme Makeover
confused about what they’ve missed. And it’s great for the stores because everybody’s front and forward,” she said. While Shamlou is not at liberty to divulge the names of restaurants currently vying for space at Tanger 1, Beaufort County documents indicate that Long Horn, Olive Garden and Panera Bread are currently in the permitting process. “The addition of the restaurants will be a wonderful thing,” said Shamlou. “It gives the ability to shop, stop and eat and enjoy a day here at Tanger.”
GoinG Green In addition to the new stores, restaurants and more customer-friendly layout, the redevelopment is being designed as a “Go Green” project. “We are proud that the Tanger center will be the only LEED Certified “green” shopping center in Beaufort County,” said Shamlou. The LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance “green” buildings. According to Shamlou, shoppers may or may not see the difference. “It’s more in how it’s built and the materials used. It may not be noticeable to the eye,” she said. So why should you care? According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USBC), buildings are responsible for 40 percent of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and more than 70 percent of the nation’s electricity use. Constructing new buildings to LEED standards is an integral part of reducing our nation’s overall energy use, meaning less dependence on imported petroleum products. Building green is also important to the protection of ecosystems, to maintain safe air and water quality, and to conserve renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
A community stAr The Tanger Outlet Center, located in Bluffton, is an asset to Hilton Head Island and the surrounding community, providing a significant boost to the area’s local economy. Purchased by Tanger in MAY 2010
December 2003, the Tanger Outlet Center 1 (built in 1987) and Tanger Outlet Center 2 attract nearly 6 million brand name outlet bargain hunters each year, generating more than $6 million in annual state sales tax revenue and another $434,000 each year in local property tax revenue. With South Carolina’s unemployment rate hovering at more than 10 percent in 2010, the 800 full- and part-time retail sales and management positions at Tanger Outlets are also very important to area residents. Tanger is proud of its community involvement as well. Tanger has been a leader in the fight against breast cancer in the Lowcountry by raising and donating nearly $80,000 to Keyserling Cancer Center over the past five years. Tanger has also helped area children and schools to succeed by donating thousands of dollars to purchase books, school supplies and equipment. In addition, Tanger was a sponsor of the 2010 Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament, an important economic stimulus for the Hilton Head region. According to Shamlou, the renovation of Tanger Outlet Center 1 has been planned since 2005, but the approval process has been complex and lengthy. “We’ve invested a lot of time and effort in this,” she said. Now that the bulldozers are rolling, expect to see fast progress. “We plan to reopen in spring of 2011; that’s quite a quick turnaround,” said Shamlou. “We want to do it quickly to get jobs filled and to offer this gorgeous, exciting center to our shoppers.” Tanger Outlet Centers 1 and 2 are located at 1414 Fording Island Rd. in Bluffton. Hours of operation are MondaySaturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. For special offers, coupons and a printable store directory and map, visit tangeroutlet.com/hiltonhead. For more information, call (843) 837-4339. www.celebratehiltonhead.com 103
Five FiVeReasons reASonSYou yoUneed needto toPlan plAn otheR otHerthan tHAnto toavoid AVoidPRobate probAte
y
Article by MArk F. Winn, J.d. ll.M. in eStAte plAnninG
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our family and your property are at the heart of estate/asset protection planning. A good estate/asset protection plan is all about protecting what you have and leaving assets in a “protected manner” for your loved ones. Putting together a good estate/asset protection plan is one of the most important things you will ever do. There is so much hype about wills and trusts and how trusts can be used to avoid unnecessary probate. This hype is true. Good planning can avoid unnecessary probate. However, we are not going to expound on why avoiding probate with a trust will be good for your family and your financial privacy. By now, you know that less court involvement is better for your family in terms of costs and delay. Instead, we will expound on the other reasons you need to create a good estate/asset protection plan.
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A good estAte/Asset protection plAn is All About protecting whAt you hAve And leAving Assets in A the five mAin reAsons to get A good estAte/Asset protection plAn other thAn to Avoid unnecessAry probAte Are: 1. to keep your assets in your family blood line; 2. to avoid unnecessary loss of assets to your in-laws if your child or children be come divorced; 3. to leave assets to spouse and children protected from lawsuits; 4. to avoid unnecessary income tax acceleration on retirement plans; 5. to avoid unnecessary estate taxes.
Keeping your Assets in your fAmily bloodline This is important to most of our clients. So, how is it done? The short answer is you leave assets in trust for your loved ones and dictate that the remainder interest (the amount left over that they did not use) will go to their children, who are your lineal blood descendants. For
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“protected mAnner” for your loved ones. putting together A good estAte/Asset protection plAn is one of the most importAnt things you will ever do.
instance, Jack leaves all assets to Susie, in trust for her benefit, with the remainder to Jack’s children. If Jack wants his kids to enjoy the remainder interest so the assets are protected from lawsuits, he will leave those assets in trust for his children. Can they be the trustee of their own trust? yes. With a properly drawn trust, you can make sure that your assets will stay in your blood family. you can make sure that a spouse or loved one in a second marriage situation will be able to live in the house
for their life, and the remainder will go to your children. The possibilities, in terms of what can be accomplished, are limitless. Every case depends on the unique family situation and the unique objectives to be accomplished.
Avoiding unnecessAry loss of Assets to your in-lAws if your child or children become divorced This too, is quite important to our
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clients. Since approximately 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, leaving your assets to your loved ones protected from loss in divorce can be quite beneficial. So, how is it done? Well, the same way you keep assets in the bloodline, see above. you need, however, to make sure the standard for distributions in the trust are drawn properly to accomplish the loved one having full use of the property but at the same time excluding the funds from the claims of creditors and claims of alimony and support. The right standard in the trust can accomplish this, coupled with a properly drawn spendthrift clause.
Leaving assets to spouse and chiLdren protected from Lawsuits This too, is quite important to our clients. So, how is it done? Well, the same way you keep assets in the bloodline and avoid unnecessary loss to in-laws, see above. It all comes down to leaving assets “in trust� for a loved one. The trustee of the trust can be the beneficiary and you can still manage to incorporate all the benefits of asset protection alluded to above. Some may call this a beneficiary controlled spendthrift trust (BCST). a BCST is perhaps the single most beneficial manner in which to leave assets to a loved one. Of course, if the loved one is a spendthrift or has drug problems, then you may want to consider having someone else serve as the trustee and perhaps making the standard for distributions a little less open.
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For some who wish to beneFit grandchildren, it may be wise to consider leaving an ira to the grandchild in trust. iF done properly, the money will have a long time to grow in a tax deFerred environment. the results when the grandchild turns 30 can be truly amazing.
Avoiding unnecessAry income tAx AccelerAtion on retirement plAns Regarding IRa’s, if you are to designate a trust as the beneficiary for estate tax reasons or asset protection reasons, then special care must be taken to ensure the beneficiary designation is proper and that the trust has the necessary language to comply with the regulations dictating that the oldest beneficiary will be the measuring life for purposes of computing required minimum distributions. For some who wish to benefit grandchildren, it may be wise to consider leaving an IRa to the grandchild in trust. If done properly, the money will have a long time to grow in a tax deferred environment. The results when the grandchild turns 30 can be truly amazing.
Avoiding unnecessAry estAte tAxes This is easily accomplished with a properly drawn trust. The trick here is to make sure the assets are titled properly so they will be able to go where we want them to go. a trust designed to avoid estate tax is often called a credit shelter trust, or bypass trust, or family trust. The gist is that the standard for distributing
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ďƒ° principal must be ascertainable. If the standard is ascertainable, then the assets will NOT be included in the beneficiary’s estate for purposes of the federal estate tax. Currently there is no federal estate tax, but this could change. Given that we are in an environment of uncertainty, we are more inclined to provide all assets to the survivor of a married couple with the survivor having the ability to disclaim assets. If and to the extent assets are disclaimed, then they go into the credit shelter trust. When this is the mechanism to shelter the credit, the client must fully understand how to disclaim, and also the general power of attorney should include language that authorizes the agent to disclaim. For all of the above reasons, putting together a good estate/asset protection plan is one of the most important things you will ever do. So, when you do decide to get it done, make sure that the attorney or law firm has an approach that is designed to serve you well. The approach maRK F. WINN, PLLC has developed over the years is to provide the clients with an in-person review of the papers. This brings the client into the process and encourages their participation. If you understand how the plan works, then you can understand what changes you want made, etc. So, we usually represent a couple over the course of four meetings. The first meeting is complimentary and involves getting a sense of the family and the assets. Then I propose the outline of a plan and we proceed. In the second
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So, when you do decide to get it done, make Sure that the attorney or law firm haS an approach that iS deSigned to Serve you well. the approach mark f. winn, pllc haS developed over the yearS iS to provide the clientS with an in-perSon review of the paperS.
meeting, we are reviewing the papers in-person. The papers usually include Last Will, Revocable Trust, Health Care Power of attorney and General Power of attorney. The client goes home with a full draft which permits them to read the papers closely at home and call to ask questions or make changes. It is a collaborative process. To think that a client is properly represented when they have not had the chance to ask questions or absorb what their papers are doing and how they work is farfetched in my opinion. There is simply too much we want the client to understand to properly accomplish a representation in two meetings. So, the third meeting is usually to sign the papers and then we usually meet once more for a fourth time to make sure the beneficiary designation on IRa’s etc. is proper and that assets are titled properly to avoid probate and so as to shelter � the maximum amount from estate taxes.
may 2010
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Bargains and Benefits
White Wooden chair $5
area thrift stores come to the aid of local charities
Wooden hangers With BoW (set of 5) $10 off island thrift
the Bargain Box
article By teresa fitzgiBBons • photography By anne
Vintage yelloW phone $3
yelloW plant & floWer mister $1 the litter Box
the litter Box
gumBy shirt $2 the litter Box
Women’s leather Belt $2 the litter Box
men’s green tie $1 the Bargain Box
Vintage herB alpert alBum $4.50 the Bargain Box
W
hen Karen Matthews’ father died, she faced a number of important decisions. Among them, what to do with the significant inheritance he left her. Should she travel? Indulge in shopping and spa sprees? Fortunately, for thousands of cancer patients and their families here in the Lowcountry, she made a different decision. She decided to open a thrift store and donate all profits to those suffering from the deadly disease.
children’s Book do animals take Baths? $3 the litter Box
“I saw what cancer does to someone,” said the owner of Off Island Thrift-Cancer Awareness Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization with two locations in Bluffton. “They become so frail; they can’t work. Things like keeping the lights on can become a priority.” In tough economic times like these, charities are often the hardest hit. Organizations that rely on people’s generosity and expendable income see a frightening drop in their bottom lines. This is
local thrift shops are aligned With dozens of local charities to Which they make gifts in kind.
Set of Golf Clubs with bag (only one shown) - $75
Off Island Thrift
Train Conductor Cap $1
Blue & White Striped Towel $3
The Litter Box
The Litter Box
Director’s Chair $10 Off Island Thrift
Pictionary $1 The Litter Box
Picnic basket with paper plates, napkins and plastic silverware $9 Off Island Thrift
Blue Napkins 2 for $.50
Reader’s Digest Books $1 each
Off Island Thrift
Off Island Thrift
Flag plate $1 The Litter Box
Red dog bowl $2
Off Island Thrift
Reading Glasses $2 The Litter Box
Espresso cups with saucers Off Island Thrift
Patriotic Mug $1 The Litter Box
especially true of smaller, local charities—the ones most likely to send aid directly to those in need. It’s a terrible Catch 22, because this happens as they see the number of people in need of their assistance rise accordingly. Even if you’ve had to pull your purse strings tighter, there’s still a lot you can do locally to help these organizations and the people they serve by donating to and patronizing local thrift stores. “This area is getting to be known for its thrift stores. People stop here while on vacation. Others come just for the thrifting,” said Bobbi Helton, manager of The Litter Box. “They’ll comment upon what high quality shops we have compared to what they have in their communities.” People are always getting rid of things, and in wealthier communities like Hilton Head Island, some people are getting rid of some pretty nice things. area thrift stores regularly see designer label clothes and accessories, antique furnishings, and even a 24-foot luxury Coach bus come in as donations. Gently used often means rarely or never used items, especially things that come in from second homes or investment properties. “We’re more like a department store of thrift,” said Matthews. Unlike many areas, local thrift stores tend to be well-organized, with items sorted by categories, and plenty of volunteers that work hard to keep it that way. Volunteers from St. Francis Thrift Store and Church Mouse at St. Luke’s have been known to take home clothing to lightly mend, polish silver, and even recondition computers. Many people have the misconception that when they donate items to a thrift shop they are only helping the shopper who is looking to, or needs to, buy things at rock-bottom prices. Local thrift shops are aligned with dozens of local charities to which they make gifts in kind. By helping a thrift store, more often than not you are also donating indirectly to a charity. “My passion is cancer patients,” said Matthews. Her shops routinely help over a dozen people undergoing chemotherapy each month. But she also aids the Guardian angels’ Christmas Wish program. If area schools contact her about children living in poverty, she will supply them with basic needs. 114
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May 2010
Set of Golf Clubs with bag (only one shown) - $75
Off Island Thrift
Train Conductor Cap $1
Blue & White Striped Towel $3
The Litter Box
The Litter Box
Director’s Chair $10 Off Island Thrift
Pictionary $1 The Litter Box
Picnic basket with paper plates, napkins and plastic silverware $9 Off Island Thrift
Blue Napkins 2 for $.50
Reader’s Digest Books $1 each
Off Island Thrift
Off Island Thrift
Flag plate $1 The Litter Box
Red dog bowl $2
Off Island Thrift
Reading Glasses $2 The Litter Box
Espresso cups with saucers Off Island Thrift
Patriotic Mug $1 The Litter Box
especially true of smaller, local charities—the ones most likely to send aid directly to those in need. It’s a terrible Catch 22, because this happens as they see the number of people in need of their assistance rise accordingly. Even if you’ve had to pull your purse strings tighter, there’s still a lot you can do locally to help these organizations and the people they serve by donating to and patronizing local thrift stores. “This area is getting to be known for its thrift stores. People stop here while on vacation. Others come just for the thrifting,” said Bobbi Helton, manager of The Litter Box. “They’ll comment upon what high quality shops we have compared to what they have in their communities.” People are always getting rid of things, and in wealthier communities like Hilton Head Island, some people are getting rid of some pretty nice things. area thrift stores regularly see designer label clothes and accessories, antique furnishings, and even a 24-foot luxury Coach bus come in as donations. Gently used often means rarely or never used items, especially things that come in from second homes or investment properties. “We’re more like a department store of thrift,” said Matthews. Unlike many areas, local thrift stores tend to be well-organized, with items sorted by categories, and plenty of volunteers that work hard to keep it that way. Volunteers from St. Francis Thrift Store and Church Mouse at St. Luke’s have been known to take home clothing to lightly mend, polish silver, and even recondition computers. Many people have the misconception that when they donate items to a thrift shop they are only helping the shopper who is looking to, or needs to, buy things at rock-bottom prices. Local thrift shops are aligned with dozens of local charities to which they make gifts in kind. By helping a thrift store, more often than not you are also donating indirectly to a charity. “My passion is cancer patients,” said Matthews. Her shops routinely help over a dozen people undergoing chemotherapy each month. But she also aids the Guardian angels’ Christmas Wish program. If area schools contact her about children living in poverty, she will supply them with basic needs. 114
www.celebratehiltonhead.com
May 2010
Article by LindA ArticLe lindA s. S. Hopkins HopkinS
Love it or Lose it
From Chaos
to Calm spring Cleaning For the home and the heart
Q
uick! Shove that stack of magazines under the bed. Plow a path through the toys on the living room floor, and swipe your sleeve across the coffee table. Is your mother-in-law ringing your doorbell? Or are you just sick and tired of the mess? If your house resembles the set of an Addams Family rerun, the arrival of spring is reason enough to clear a few cobwebs. The goal is not to make your house so perfect that it looks like no one lives there, but to clear your space of clutter that is sucking the life out of you. Yes, spring cleaning will take some effort, but the energy spent now will pay off in more leisure time later. You may also find that getting your house in order gives you a sense of control that spills over into every area of your life.
Sometimes the big picture is overwhelming and paralyzes your ability to begin. Remember, disorder didn’t happen in a day, so don’t set an unrealistic time frame for a clean sweep. If the whole job takes a week, a month or even a year, the key is to start. Think small: one shelf, one drawer, one closet at a time. Create a plan of attack, listing all of the tasks you want to accomplish. Stay focused by assigning yourself one per day. To make real progress, don’t just rearrange. You must get rid of some stuff. If an item in your home is not useful, valuable or a source of joy, it’s time to donate it, sell it, or throw it away. If you are a die-hard packrat and find cleaning out excruciating, enlist the assistance of someone who is objective and can help you distinguish between the trash and the treasures. A young widow spoke of how difficult it was for her to let go of her deceased husband’s belongings. “I soon realized that discarding personal items does not diminish the memory of the person,” she said. “By eliminating useless material things, I was able to focus on the good memories of the person I loved and the life we shared.” On a similar note, do you find it difficult to let go of items you have received as gifts? If the article itself is no longer something you cherish, give it to someone who will, and cherish the giver’s thought instead. The same applies to college mementos, your child’s baby clothes, or any other dust collectors you might be hoarding. If you can’t bring yourself to chuck it all, save one item for memory’s sake or take photographs, then get rid of the rest. If your floor space is cluttered with too much furniture, your home can feel claustrophobic. Think of pieces of furniture that you could possibly eliminate or downsize. Every nook and cranny of a room does not need to be filled. Blank spaces can help create visual and physical balance in your home which can lead to greater emotional and spiritual balance in your life. Throughout this entire process of elimination, you are creating a more organized, peaceful environment as well as gaining insight into your values and priorities. If you have been suffering the burden of too many things, you may be surprised by the inner peace that comes with a simpler, less cluttered life. Once you’ve purged your space of things you don’t need, find a home for everything else, keeping like items together: sweaters with sweaters, tools with tools. Containerize collections and other keepsakes that you couldn’t let go. (For all your storage and organizational needs, check out containerstore. com.) Think of ways to make the most of the space you have.
magiC potions
Walk down the cleaning product aisle in any supermarket, GlAss CleAner: Combine 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 From the pantry and you might think that you need a special product for every cup water and 1 tablespoon clear, non-sudsing ammonia. household chore. Not so. Many commercial cleaning products fAuCet CleAner: For shiny, spot-free faucets, are based on simple ingredients that you most likely have on hand. You sprinkle a few drops of olive oil on a dry rag. Spray faucets with club soda can save money and avoid harsh irritating fumes by making your own and wipe dry with the rag. environmentally friendly cleaning solutions. furniture Polish: Mix 1 cup olive oil and ½ cup lemon juice in a spray All-PurPose sPrAy CleAner: Mix equal parts white vinegar bottle. Shake well, and apply to a cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over wood and water in a spray bottle. surface and polish with a clean, dry cloth. Use this solution to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces. For DustinG oil: Mix three parts light mineral oil with one part corn oil. stubborn soap scum, heat the solution in the microwave before spraying Add a drop of lemon or clove oil for a pleasant scent. Use this on your dust on surfaces. Use undiluted white vinegar for scrubbing toilet bowls and mop or dust rag. cleaning clogged shower heads. Air freshener: Add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to a cup AbrAsive surfACe CleAner: Make a paste of baking soda and of baking soda and put in a decorative container. water. Use to scour grimy surfaces in the kitchen or bathroom. floor CleAner: Mix 2 cups vinegar with 4 cups of hot water. If you have allergies or other problems related to indoor air pollution, Add 2 drops of tea tree oil, which acts as a disinfectant. Add a few drops consider hiring a professional ductwork cleaner. Have rugs and carpets of your favorite essential oil for a pleasant fragrance. professionally cleaned at least twice a year.
ChiCken Soup for the DiSorganizeD Soul
Some people’s brains simply are not wired for organizing. If you think that you are beyond hope, a professional organizer can be just what the doctor ordered. a group of crusaders against chaos have teamed up to form the National association of Professional Organizers (NaPO). The organization, which was founded in California in 1985, now has chapters across the U.S. The NaPO defines a professional organizer as “a person who provides ideas, information, structure, solutions and systems to increase productivity, reduce stress, save time and energy and lead to more control over space and time.” Services include everything from residential makeovers (drawers, closets, kitchens and garages) to business overhauls (desks, filing systems, offices and time management).
For example, build shelves or bookcases on empty walls. add peg boards in the garage. If every item in your home has its own place to live, then you’ll never waste time looking for it again. you’ll know where the scissors are, where to look for the remote control, and if you’re lucky, you’ll even be able to find your glasses and your keys.
Tame The paper monsTer according to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. business executives lose six weeks per year looking for something in their piles of paper. How much time are you wasting?
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Fees vary, depending upon the scope of the job. Expect to pay anywhere from $20-$125 per hour with one- to four-hour minimums. When hiring an organizer, find out if he or she is licensed and insured and ask for references. Most organizers offer a free initial consultation. Conduct the meeting like an interview. Does the person seem professional? Can you communicate easily? are your personalities compatible? Don’t be embarrassed to let the personal organizer see your mess. a good PO is non-judgmental, encouraging, motivating and assisting clients in getting and staying organized. Systems are customized to meet your individual needs. If you live in the Hilton Head Island area, professional organizer, Leila Nelson, of A Better Space is at your service. Visit organizeabetterspace.com or call (843) 298-0433 for a consultation.
Regardless of technological advances and electronic alternatives, paper is not going away. Most likely you have a mountain of mail pouring into your home each day. If you are suffering from information overload, you need a system for handling it consistently and efficiently. Professional organizers and time management specialists agree that ideally, you should handle each piece of paper only once. If the paper requires an action (such as writing a check or making a phone call), do it now. If it requires more information before you can take action, or if it is worthy of saving for record-keeping purposes,
then put it in its place. (Remember when you gave every item in your home a home of its own? The same applies to paper).
here are The bare essenTials for organizing your paperwork: • • • • •
an “In Box” for new arrivals an “Out Box for papers to be sent elsewhere a filing cabinet or drawer for storing important papers Hanging file folders with plastic tabs for categorizing papers File 13 (trash bags and recycling containers) for making the rest go away
May 2010
Although not essential, a paper shredder is a handy add-on that not only helps lighten your paper load, but also helps protect you from identity theft. Purchase one at your local office supply store for as little as $50.
To cuT down on The amounT of paper making iTs way inTo your home: Limit the number of financial accounts and credit cards you use. Ask companies who bill you monthly if you can receive your bills electronically. Pay those bills online, or sign up for automatic withdrawals from your bank. Request that your bank stop sending your cancelled checks in the mail. Most banks allow you to access them online along with recent statements. Cancel subscriptions to newspapers or magazine that you seldom find time to read. Contact the Direct Marketing Association at dmachoice.com. To cancel unwanted catalogs, visit catalogchoice. com and/or call companies that send you junk mail and ask them to take you off of their mailing lists. Halt preapproved credit card offers by calling 888-5-OPT-OUT. Get an unpublished phone number. (Many companies obtain their mailing lists from phone book listings).
MAY 2010
geT down To The real niTTy griTTy Once you’ve de-cluttered, you are ready to tackle the dust bunnies and other monsters that may be lurking under the bed. Arm yourself with the tools you need: rubber gloves, rags, whisk broom, full-size broom, dust mop, wet mop, scrub brush, an old toothbrush, cleaning solutions, paper towels, trash bags, etc. A basket or bucket can help you transport supplies from room to room. An apron with lots of pockets, such as a gardening apron, is also useful. Professional housekeepers recommend cleaning one room at a time, working from top to bottom, because gravity will move the dust down as you go. here’s a basic
plan:
Start with a long handled broom or duster and sweep the dust off the high surfaces that you cannot necessarily see or reach, such as the top of the refrigerator and the blades on your ceiling fans. Shake out curtains. Better yet, take them down and wash them or send them to the cleaners. Dust furniture and knick-knacks. (A clean paint brush makes a handy lampshade duster). Spray non-wooden surfaces such as counters, shelves and glass with appro-
www.celebratehiltonhead.com 119
priate cleaning solutions and wipe clean. Vacuum carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture. When you get to the kitchen, don’t forget stove vents and refrigerator coils. Use a clean vacuum bag, and discard it when you’re finished. • Wipe down baseboards • Mop tile and wood floors. • Change the filters in your heating and air conditioning system. • Clean out your refrigerator/freezer, and put in fresh boxes of • baking soda to absorb odors. • (If all this sounds like too much work, hire a professional cleaning service to give your home a thorough spring overhaul.)
Clean up your aCt Once your home is spic and span, consider some even more essential housekeeping. What’s hiding in your emotional closet? Guilt? Anger? Frustration? All of the above? Are you harboring old attitudes and hanging on to past hurts? The clutter accumulating in your spiritual house can be as toxic to your life and health as the mold and mildew growing in your basement. If you want to make room for more contentment and happiness in your life, you must first dispose of the negative junk that’s contaminating your heart and mind. Rid yourself of anger and hatred; replace it with forgiveness and friendship. Sweep away dirty gossip with kindness and compassion. Spend less time contemplating the evil in the world and more time cultivating goodness. Refuse to air dirty laundry (yours or anyone else’s). We have two ears and one tongue for a reason. Practice doing more listening than talking. Keep your emotional house clean by giving people the benefit of the doubt. If someone snapped your head off, perhaps she didn’t mean it personally. Maybe she’s dealing with disturbing circumstances or a personal dilemma and merely took it out on you. Think of a way in which you might help that person and set about to kill her with kindness. If a co-worker, your spouse or a friend hurt your feelings, don’t bother brooding over it. Get it out in the open and move on. People are far more important than petty disagreements. Lighten up. Let go. Learn to say “I’m sorry.” Then forgive yourself and others.
DisCover a path to peaCe To reduce stress, think of a few places that bring you comfort and pleasure – anything from a walk in the park to a nap on the sofa. Have a clear picture of those places in your mind. When you find yourself in a pressure-cooker situation, put a lid on the negative energy that’s boiling up inside by going (in your mind) to one of the places on your positive list. At first, you might feel silly thinking about bubble baths when your boss is reaming you out. With practice, you will be more readily able to transport yourself to a place of peace. Another technique that can help clear your mind and calm your spirit is a simple matter of breathing more deeply. Shallow breathing leads to increased anxiety and stress, whereas deep breathing slows you down and provides more oxygen to the body. Begin by breathing normally, gradually taking longer inhalations and exhalations. Breathe from your gut, inhaling through your nose, paying attention to the rising of your chest and belly and the expansion of your ribs as you breathe in. As you exhale through your mouth, imagine all tension draining from your body and mind. Notice the feeling of calm and relaxation. To learn more about the benefits of deep breathing, sign up for yoga or Qigong classes or learn to meditate. Is that the doorbell ringing? Relax. With a clean house a clear conscience and a calm spirit, you have nothing to hide. MAY 2010
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THE LOCALS INDEX YOUR TOOL FOR FINDING THE BEST DISCOUNTS IN TOWN
EATS SWEETS SPIRITS HEALTH FITNESS BEAUTY
Amigo's Café Cantina, p. 21 133 Belfair Towne Village, 815-TACO (8226) See Ad For Details
Jump & Phil’s Bar and Grill, p. 31 Hilton Head Plaza, 785-9070 10% Off Food
Antonio’s Fine Dining, p. 41 Village At Wexford, 842-5505 See Ad For Details
Kingfisher, p. 37 Shelter Cove Marina, 785-4442 10% Off Food
Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Cafe, p. 124 (Back Cover) 69 Pope Avenue, 785-7700 See Ad For Details
Market Street Café, p. 112 Coligny Plaza, 686-4976 10% Off Entire Check
Big Bamboo, p. 77 Coligny Plaza, 843-686-3443 25% Off Entire Dinner Check with CH2 Card
Mellow Mushroom Pizza, p. 112 Park Plaza, 686-2474 10% Off
Callahan's, p. 102 New Orleans Rd., 843-686-7665 10% Off Food
Ocean Grille, p. 75 1 Shelter Cove, 843-785-3030 See Ad For Details
Captain Woody’s, p. 106 Palmetto Bay Marina, 785-2400, 10% Off Food
Old Fort Pub, p. 8 Hilton Head Plantation, 681-2386 See Ad For Details
Carolina Cafe in the Westin Resort 2 Grasslawn Ave., Port Royal Plantation, 681-4000, 10% Off
Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe, p. 112 Palmetto Bay Marina, 686-3232 10% Off Monday-Friday
Global Family Medicine, p. 90 14 Oak Forest Road, Belfair Towne Village 815-6468 New Evening Hours, See Ad For Details
Chocolate Canopy, Ltd., p. 21 Palmetto Bay Rd, 842-4567 10% Off Non-Sale Items (with minimum purchase)
Parrot Cove, p. 112 Waterside at Shelter Cove Harbour, 341-3500 All You Can Eat CARB LEGS! 10% Off with Celebrate Card
Heavenly Spa by Westin, p. 42 2 Grasslawn Ave., Port Royal Plantation, 681-1019 See Ad For Details
Paulie's Coal Fired Pizza, p. 15 Berkeley Place, 757-3500 10% Entire Check Including Delivery with Your C2 Card (Excludes Alcohol)
Hilton Head Occupational Therapy, p. 34 32 Office Park Road - 843-785-7727 FREE Brochure, See Ad For Details
Cookies By Design, p. 21 Sea Turtle Cinemas, 706-9505 15% Off Any Purchase with CH2 Card CQ’s Restaurant, p. 72 Harbour Town, 671-2779 See Ad For Details
Reilley’s Grill & Bar, p. 124 (Back Cover) Hilton Head Plaza, 842-4414, Port Royal Plaza, 681-4153 See Ad For Details
The Electric Piano, p. 23 Park Plaza, 785-5397 10% Off Fancy Q: Sushi Bar & Grill, p. 75 435 William Hilton Pkwy, Northridge Plaza, Unit G 843-342-6626 10% Off with your CH2 Card Flamingo's Doughnuts Café, p. 115 Park Plaza Shopping Center, 686-4606 But 1 Doughnut Get 1 Free Island Bagel Company, p. 106 South Island Square (Hilton Head), 843-686-3353 Sheridan Park (Bluffton), 843-815-5300 20% Off Next Bill Jalapenos - Mexican Grille, p. 106 Bridgge Center (Across from Moss Creek) 757-5831 10% Off with Celebrate Card Jazz Corner, p. 31 The Village of Wexford, 843-842-8620 20% Off Food Bill Jocks Blufftons Sports Bar and Grill, p. 21 95 Baylor Dr. (Publix Shopping Center) Bluffton, 815-7474 See Ad For Details
Riptide Liquor & Fine Wines, p. 17 50 Burnt Church Road, 757-6344 95 Baylor Drive, 757-7404 10% Off with Celebrate Card Salty Dog Cafe, p. 45 See Ad For Details Skillets Café, p. 19 Coligny Plaza, 785-3131 10% Off any $6.95 (or more) purchase The Lodge, p. 5 7 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Plaza 842-8996 1 Free Custom Lodge Growler See Ad For Details Wild Wing Cafe, p. 13 Hilton Head - 843.785.9464 or Bluffton - 837.9453 See Ad For Details
Coolidge Plastic Surgery, p. 118 208-2808 See Ad For Details Dr. Shelly, p. 91 Red Cedar St., 837-5553 FREE New Patient Exam Faces Day Spa, p. 117 The Village at Wexford, 785-3075 See Ad For Details
Hilton Head Regional Hospital, p. 24 & 25 877-582-2737 Call and Receive a FREE Physician Directory Island Family Dental, p. 102 Professional Building, Suite 202, 842-3555 Complimentary Cosmetic Consultation Island Rec Center & S.H.A.R.E. Senior Center, p. 21 20 Wilborn Road Island Rec - 681-7273 S.H.A.R.E. Senior Center - 785-6444 See Ad For Details Optical Solutions, p. 42 North-Island, 843-681-6682 or 843-681-8188 Mid-Island, 843-785-8008 See Ad For Details The Sanctuary - A European Day Spa, p. 21 Park Plaza, 843.842.5999 See Ad For Details Stephens Pharmacy, p. 120 2 Marshland Rd. in the HH Health & Wellness Building, 686-3735 See Ad For Details
CH2 PITIES THE FOOL... THAT FORGETS THEIR MAMA ON MOTHER'S DAY. SO REMEMBER MAY 9TH AND DON'T BE THAT KID!
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SHOPS BOUTIQUES GALLERIES & MORE Chella D, p. 81 119 - H Arrow Road, 843-341-3999 10% Off Entire Purchase Doncaster / Tanner Outlet, p. 98 Pineland Station- 689.6494 25% Off Any Single Item Fresh Produce, p. 39 Coligny Plaza, 842-3410 10% Off Non-Sale Items with CH2 Card Hilton Head Boathouse, p. 73 405 Squire Pope Road, 681-2628 $100 OFF a Full Annual Service Isle Of Paws, p. 106 843-341-DOGS FREE Teeth Cleaning (Dogs Only) See Ad For Details
USE THIS CARD TO SAVE ON LOCAL DEALS!
Jamaican Me Crazy, p. 74 Coligny Plaza, 785-9006 10% Off Non-Sale Items with CH2 Card Scarlett, p. 80 890 William Hilton Parkway, Ste. 70, 682-4646 10% Off Entire Purchase Sports Addiction, p. 106 Sheridan Park, 843-815-8281 15% Off Next 1 Item Purchase Taffeta, p. 19 Shelter Cove, 842-6767 10% Off with CH2 Card Tail-Waggers, p. 111 Coligny Plaza, 686-3707 10% Off Purchase, Excluding Cat & Dog Food Tanger Outlets, p. 4 Free Coupon Book The Great Frame Up, p. 120 Belfair Towne Village 815-4661 40% Off Framing, 25% Off First Curse Scan
ACTIVITIES Golden Bear Golf, p. 31 72 Golden Bear Way, 845-689-2200 See Ad For Details Lowcountry Golf Cars, p. 31 649 N. Okatie Highway 987-8272 See Ad For Details Mulligan's Golf Balls & More, p. 31 102 Buckwalter Pkwy, 815-2621 See Ad for Details North Ridge Cinema, p. 21 342-3800 See Ad For Details Quality Golf Cars, p. 30 212 Okatie Village Drive, Bluffton, 705-6655 See Ad For Details
SERVICES American Paving Designs, p. 6 843-706-PAVE (7283), www.americanpavingdesigns.com $250 Off Next Project American Wood Reface, p. 65 40 Pennington Drive, Suite C, Sherridan Park 843-815-6700 15% Off Instant Discount to First 10 Customers Beachside Tire & Auto, p. 17 26 Hunter Rd., 342-7876 $20 Off Any Auto Repair See Ad For Details BioGreen, p. 31 368-3590 Free Tree & Shrub Application Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit, p. 91 25 Buck Island Road, 757-PETS (7387) Receive A Free Toenail Clipping Bruno Landscape & Nursery, p. 111 109 Dillion Rd. 843-682-2624 15% Off Nursery Purchase Celebration Events Catering, p. 33 & p. 119 689-7526 Call For Details Computer Troubleshooters, p. 21 843-706-0881 Special Promotional Priced PC Tune-Up See Ad For Details Covert Aire, p. 99 706-5090 See Ad for Details E.A.C., p. 46 681-3999 See Ad For Details Epperson Heating & Air, p. 95 843-681-9297 See Ad For Details
Fast Teks, p. 106 682-4744, www.fastteks.com 10% Off with Your CH2 Card Foskey Heating & Air, p. 76 1 Promenade Street, Suite 102, 681-HEAT (4328) See Ad For Details Hilton Head Honda, p. 42 161 Fording Island Road, 843-815-2880 See Ad for Details Indigenous Pursuits, p. 117 843-422-5056 See Ad for Details Island Car Wash, p. 121 Hwy. 278, 785-9274, Kitties Crossings, 815-4666 - $5 Off Gold Wash Mark F. Winn, Attorney at Law, Master of Laws (LL.M)in Estate Planning, p. 105 10 Pinckney Colony Road, Suite 306, Bluffton 843-815-8578 See Ad For Details Mattress Firm, p. 11 1172 Fording Island Road, 837-FIRM (3476) See Ad For Details Morningstar Mini Storage, p. 119 55 Matthews Drive, Suite 135, 681-7212 See Ad For Details Reel Screens, p. 110 422-1789, Free In-Home Demonstration Superior Heating & Air Inc, p. 111 39 Persimmon Rd. Unit 202, 682-COOL (2665) See Ad For Details The Green Thumb, p. 98 Hwy. 278 at Burnt Church Road, 757-9550 10% Off All Your Lawn & Plant Needs See Ad For Details
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