CB2 MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

The medical team at Hilton Head Humane is always there for the animals

Lowcountry Artists Turning Pets into Portraits

The Edisto Island Serpentarium lets you get up close and personal with the wilderness’ many scaly predators.

GENIUSES AT WORK

Vibe Manager

Maggie Marie Washo

Master of Coin

Marion Elizabeth Bowser

Chief Chatter

Kim Conrad Crouch

Head Unicorn Wrangler “Just Kandace” Cunningham

Collector of Business Cards

Morgan Ambler

Employee of the Year Jevon Daly

Mascot in Training

Buoy Conrad Crouch Pritchard

The Gatekeepers

Greta Von Bowser

Vincent Von Bowser

Comic Sans Annihilator

Catherine Davies

Punctuation Prodigy

Lynne Cope Hummell

Innovation Sherpas

Jesse Blanco

Courtney Hampson

Lynne Cope Hummell

Barry Kaufman

Brooke Peck

Alan Perry

Cheryl Ricer

Larry Toomer

Sheila Tucker

Maggie Washo

Lighting Experts

Photography by M.Kat

Photography by Lisa Staff

Photography by Brooke Peck

Beach Photography Hilton Head

Find Us Here PO Box 22949

Hilton Head Island, SC 29925

843.816.6247

maggie@ch2cb2magazine.com

by Ella Patrick Halligan

If there is one thing that will instantly light up my face and bring out a genuine smile, it’s a dog. The joy that these fuzzy creatures bring to our lives is unparalleled. Numerous studies have been done on the benefits of dog ownership. One of the most obvious perks is that owning a pet requires us to move more. Animals are like little alarm clocks, waking us up with the sun and demanding we see to their needs. But perhaps they are really seeing to ours. Pets love us unconditionally, provide purpose for some, and stimulate connection between strangers. If I see you on a bike path with a dog, we ARE going to have a visit and a chat! (Shout-out to Mia the shar-pei who I came upon in Sea Pines as I was writing this. Yes, I’m a multi-tasker – writing my editor’s letter in the notes app while getting my fivemile walk in.)

The pet issue has become a favorite locally, as is evidenced by the number of people who submit their animals’ photos for publication every year. I wish we could fit them all in! Tip for next year if you don’t see your pet: We include them as they come in, so the early bird gets the worm. Generally, submissions open on January 1 and the six

Special thanks to Paul and Veronica Muir for letting us borrow Gronk and Sweet Caroline for our cover shoots. Y’all know I love a baby Berner! 

For a pawsitively hilarious video (with a few special guest stars) about picking up dog poo, be sure to check out our socials this month.

pages are filled within 48 hours!

One of my favorite reoccurring features in this issue is Shop Dogs. This month, we highlighted (almost) all the dogs who are hard at work exclusively in the Village at Wexford – there are so many! Head over to page 52 to read about this fuzzy crew.

February kicks off the spring festival/ event season and we have features on Coligny Plaza’s Souper Bowl of Caring, Jerseys and Dresses, and, the fan favorite, the Hilton Head Seafood Festival. These tickets tend to sell out early so get them now. We’ll see you at the Pig Pickin’ at Honey Horn and the main event on Saturday.

Of course, this issue would not be complete without featuring some adoptable friends, so head over to the story on Hilton Head Humane on page 44 and pick out your next buddy. 

MAGGIE WASHO Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

1

Singing alto in the choir at First Baptist Church Hilton Head is just one of the ways Cheryl gives back to her community. Her volunteer spirit was instilled by her parents as a teen and has become a lifelong commitment to service. Currently, she serves as vice president of the 650-member Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club, where next year she’ll step into the role of president. She also serves on the board of the nonprofit Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC).

5

REASONS TO CELEBRATE CHERYL RICER,

Writer · Photography by Maggie Washo

2Cheryl has been passionate about sharing the healing effects of yoga for more than two decades, with daily practice and teaching. In fact, she’s accumulated enough classroom hours of study and enough certifications to have earned a PhD! You can catch her classes at Jiva Yoga Center.

3Being the mom of three tiny teacup Yorkshire terriers, Violet Valentina (Vivi, 13), Spartina Noel (Tina, 3), and Coco Lili (Coco, 2), keeps a big smile on Cheryl’s face and a warm beat in her heart.

4Born in Louisiana and coming from a long lineage of great Southern cooks, Cheryl loves rooting for the LSU Tigers almost as much as she loves cooking for family, friends, and even her fur girls.

5Along with cooking up some great meals, Cheryl also enjoys growing (and sharing) her own vegetables in her and her husband’s plot at Seabrook Farms.

CH2's Most AdorAble Pets

Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in your pet’s photo this year. Here are a few that we could squeeze into this issue… Check out CH2’s Facebook page for the complete album of submitted furbabies, along with a video on Instagram @ch2hhimag.

Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by Maggie Washo

On Call

The medical team at Hilton Head Humane is always there for

the animals

It was late December of last year, thankfully a few weeks before the real chill of winter would set in. In those early morning hours, the tide was rolling through Broad Creek, coaxing the birds and fish from their slumber. Today, though, an unexpected guest had found himself among the finned and feathered denizens of the water.

A small kitten was being dragged by the tide.

No one knows how he wound up getting pulled down the creek. But we certainly know what happened next.

“It was a staff member at Palmetto Bay Marina named Carson who first heard the kitten,” said Patrick Coughlin, owner of Lowcountry Watersports. “He wasn’t sure what it was at first, but he jumped in a boat and ran out after him.”

Not knowing what to do with it, Carson brought it into the offices at Lowcountry Watersports where the staff immediately began administering what first aid they could, getting water out of his tiny mouth and warming him with blankets. Coughlin got the call from his staff and headed over to do what he could.

“My staff had already called the vet and it was going to

be pretty expensive,” he said. “I got the kitten into my car on the heated seats, and as I was headed out, I decided to make a quick call to Hilton Head Humane.”

Generally, Hilton Head Humane’s medical staff works out of the Okatie branch. As luck would have it, they happened to be on Hilton Head that day. Driving over to the Spanish Wells Road campus “at a rate of speed that would not be appreciated by some,” Coughlin pulled up to find the staff outside waiting for him.

“I had three vet techs and a vet there, and this team just went into crisis mode,” said Franny Gerthoffer, executive director of Hilton Head Humane. “They got the surgery team ready, they had the equipment on hand to warm the cat, and they just ran back to the surgery room and started working.”

As the greatest virtue of leadership is knowing when to get out of the way, Gerthoffer hung back and let the medical professionals do their thing. When she popped her head in to check on progress, she was given an inspiring reminder of the dedication her staff brings to the organization.

(Story continued on page 46.)

Hilton Head Humane Look Book

The CH2 crew popped into Hilton Head Humane's Hilton Head Island and Okatie locations last month to photograph a few of the adorable animals waiting for their furever home.

NEWT WITH BRITTANY BENNINGTON

DR. LAUREL BERRY PERFORMS SURGERY

ON A CAT AT HILTON HEAD HUMANE'S OKATIE LOCATION.

“I told them to save this cat, and all they could tell me was ‘We’re trying.’ Just seeing the compassion and determination on their faces, I knew they were not going to let this kitten die,” she said. “Everybody was on deck for this cat.”

Dr. Lori Campbell, the vet who happened to be there that day, was one of those determined faces.

“His temperature wasn’t even recordable when he came in. It took us an hour and a half before we could get a reading,” Campbell said. “And his poor nails were bloody and scraped down from where he’d been struggling. It took you right to the panic this poor little thing was feeling. But he was a fighter. He wasn’t giving up either.”

Slowly but surely, life returned to the kitten. His body temperature rose. He began to stir out of his semi-conscious state. The worst had passed.

“It survived that day, and then we just had our fingers crossed,” Gerthoffer said. “Now, he’s just a normal cat.”

Renamed Phelps after the famed Olympic swimmer, the kitten that was once moments away from a watery grave has a new lease on life. As proof, Gerthoffer happily shares a video of Phelps, his tiny gray tabby body poised before a reclining dog, leaping playfully to engage the bigger animal.

It’s a moment that was made possible by Hilton Head Humane’s medical team.

“They do so much, and I’m so proud of the medical team because they’re such unsung heroes,” Gerthoffer said.

And that goes beyond the “dare to be great” moments when a kitten is at death’s door. The lion’s share of the work these professionals do is less harrowing and more commonplace. But it is no less important, with the Okatie spay

DIRECTOR OF HILTON HEAD HUMANE, FRANNY GERTHOFFER, CUDDLES WITH JAY, A SIX- WEEKOLD PUPPY.

and neuter clinic servicing more than 6,000 animals a year.

“On a feral cat day, we can see 45 animals a day. But it’s typically around 30-35 a day between dogs and cats,” said Dr. Matt Dixon, lead vet at the Spay/Neuter Clinic.

Hilton Head Humane has branched out, serving animals not just in Beaufort County but also in Jasper County, while our neighbors build their own support system. “Working in two counties now, there’s always something,” Gerthoffer said. “When the surgeries are done, there are still animals here at the adoption center who need maintenance, or an emergency from animal control.”

It’s a heavy workload that Dr. Dixon wouldn’t trade for anything.

“Since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a vet,” he said. “Between the love of animals and just trying to serve a purpose – because what we do here is serve the community – it’s ultimately the animals that keep you going.”

It’s not always a kitten miraculously rescued from Broad Creek. Sometimes it’s a stray dog that found itself injured. Sometimes it’s spaying and neutering dozens of cats in a single day. But it’s always a labor of love for these professionals.

“They’re just such a well-oiled machine. When you think of the legalities and liabilities of running a clinic, staying overnight with animals if needed, ensuring DHEC compliance, and everything that goes along with that, they’re just always ready,” Gerthoffer said. “And they do it with such confidence. It’s a lot of responsibility. I always say we’re just a small but mighty organization doing big things, and they’re the reason why we’re able to.” 

Jennifer Rulli and Martina the Island Therapy Dog pose for a photo at the Shops

Sea

Center. Rulli held a book signing at By Hand, Ink in December of last year.

Article by Cheryl Ricer . Photography by Maggie Washo

A Gentle Giant with a Big Heart

A JOYFUL NEW CHAPTER FOR THERAPY DOG MARTINA

On any given day on Hilton Head Island, you might spot a magnificent white Great Pyrenees padding along the beach, greeting children at community events, or calmly leaning into someone who clearly needs comfort more than words.

That dog is Martina and, for her owner, Jennifer Rulli, Martina is far more than a beloved pet. She is a rescued survivor, a certified therapy dog, a trained crisis-response partner, and now, once again, the heart of a beautifully illustrated children’s book.

Rulli’s second book, Martina the Island Therapy Dog: At Work and At Play, builds on the success of her first release, Martina’s Purpose, which introduced readers to Martina’s dramatic rescue and healing journey. This new installment shifts the focus forward, celebrating who Martina is today and the gentle, joyful ways she serves her island community and beyond.

“The first book told her story from her perspective – how she ended up tangled in barbed wire in the middle of nowhere and survived,” Rulli said. “This second book is different. It’s a fun read. It’s not sad. It’s not heavy. It’s just her life now – what she does, where she goes, who she meets.”

While Martina the Island Therapy Dog feels light and accessible, it rests on a foundation of deep commitment to animal welfare that spans more than a decade. Long before Martina became an island fixture, Rulli was immersed in rescue work in Indiana, volunteering with an organization that was at risk of shutting down.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of the rescue going under,” Rulli said. “So, I bought a 17-acre farm, took months to find the right property, and we built a rescue. It’s still there today.”

That rescue became Martina’s starting point as well, a story you can read about in Rulli’s first book. For 10 years, she owned the property and helped stabilize the organization. It was there that Martina’s life was not only saved but redirected.

“That’s really how all of this began,” Rulli said. “Martina came from that rescue. Everything she’s doing now traces back to that decision.”

The new book reflects Martina’s current role as a certified therapy dog and a trained HOPE AnimalAssisted Crisis Response dog. Through engaging photographs and simple, engaging text, young readers see Martina visiting schools, attending community

events, training alongside first responders, and offering quiet comfort in moments that matter.

“She’s a HOPE dog,” Rulli said. “That means animal-assisted crisis response. We trained nationally and went through evaluations, including a three-hour session in Atlanta and a full certification process.”

While Martina and Rulli have not yet been deployed to a disaster zone, their ongoing training and participation in national conferences have prepared them for high-stress environments. The book includes images of Martina

A Gentle Giant with a Big Heart

with firefighters and in training scenarios, gently introducing children to the idea that animals can help humans heal during difficult times.

Visually, the book is grounded in authenticity. Nearly all of the illustrations are based on photographs Rulli intentionally captured along the way.

“About 90% of the illustrations came from actual photos I had taken, knowing I wanted to do a second book,” she said. “With the first book, some scenes had to be imagined. This one is very real. Very her.”

Alongside the meaningful work, the book also captures Martina at play – on the beach, out and about on the island, and soaking up the affection of those she meets. It’s a balance that mirrors her real life.

She Just Knows

What the book only hints at, but what Rulli witnesses daily, is Martina’s remarkable instinct. While rigorous HOPE training shaped her professionalism, Rulli believes Martina’s greatest strength can’t be taught.

“She just knows,” Rulli said. “Her training helped, but her instinctual ability to understand what’s needed in any given moment – that’s all her.”

In hospital settings, that intuition becomes especially clear. “I’ll tell a patient to put their hand out from the bed, and Martina immediately goes to it – after politely greeting whoever else is in the room first,” Rulli said. “It’s like she reads the situation instantly.”

Even subtle cues don’t escape her. If Martina is resting on the floor and someone approaches from behind, Rulli barely has to speak. “All I have to do is say, ‘Marty, get up,’ snap my fingers, and she gets up, looks at me, and goes straight to the person who wants to greet her.”

Ironically, that intuitive brilliance didn’t always align with traditional obedience training. “She was not the easiest dog to train for basic obedience,” Rulli said. “To the point where a trainer wanted her hips X-rayed because she looked at me like I was nuts when I asked her to lie down.”

Rulli’s second book, Martina the Island Therapy Dog: At Work and At Play, builds on the success of her first release, Martina’s Purpose, which introduced readers to Martina’s dramatic rescue and healing journey. This new installment shifts the focus forward, celebrating who Martina is today and the gentle, joyful ways she serves her island community and beyond.

A costly vet visit confirmed there was nothing physically wrong, just a dog who preferred to think for herself. “She did pass that part of the Canine Good Citizen test because I worked with her using steak beforehand,” Rulli said. “During the test, I only had the smell of it on my hand. No treats allowed.”

Many handlers pride themselves on perfect sits and stays. “Martina? Not so much,” Rulli said. “But when she’s working, she is – in my opinion – superior in every way.”

That distinction becomes especially clear around other certified dogs. “Some therapy dogs can be a little too frisky,” Rulli said. “They want to sniff other dogs, which is a no-no because there’s a two-foot rule. Martina doesn’t do that at all. I believe that comes from her HOPE training, which is very stringent.”

At home, Martina may be selectively obedient. “She rarely listens to me,” Rulli said. “But that’s OK, because she more than makes up for it when she’s working.”

A Story That Gives Back

As with the first book, proceeds from Martina the Island Therapy Dog: At Work and At Play will benefit local charities, an intentional choice that reflects Rulli’s belief that Martina’s story should continue to serve others.

“The books are on Amazon and locally at Le Spa, Coligny Hardware, By Hand, Ink, Novant Health gift shop, and through the Pockets Full of Sunshine and Mirasol Health websites,” she said. “But what matters most to me is that the proceeds go to local charities.”

Ultimately, this book is less about transformation and more about presence. Readers, young and old, meet Martina not as a rescued dog defined by her past, but as a confident, purposeful companion who brings calm wherever she goes.

“This book is about who she is right now,” Rulli said. “It’s about joy, connection, and what a dog can do simply by showing up.”

That message resonates just as strongly with adults as it does with children, especially in a world that often feels hurried and heavy. Martina’s story demonstrates that sometimes healing and happiness unexpectedly arrive on four furry paws.

To learn more, visit JenniferAndMartina.com. 

Article + Photography by Maggie Washo

THE SHOP DOGS AT THE VILLAGE AT WEXFORD

The Lowcountry is by and large an extremely dog-friendly community, but you will be hard pressed to find one shopping center with so many canines hard at work. Meet a few of the furry faces welcoming guests to the shops and offices at the Village at Wexford.

Bella is a new hire at Northpoint Mortgage, hailing from Greenville, SC – just a few weeks ago, in fact! We caught her on her very first day at work, mostly sleeping on the job. She’s very much looking forward to living her best life with her two human brothers, Sammy and Jackson, on Hilton Head Island. Thankfully, she has an elder lab in the home who is ready to show her the ropes.

Teddy and Olivia Mayhem are very busy at Charlestowne Fine Cabinetry, holding multiple “cabinet meetings” weekly. They excel at Southern hospitality, greeting customers with enthusiasm, and wagging tails. When not at work, Olivia has a one-track mind and it is solely focused on her ball. Teddy is a family man and enjoys herding his human children and stealing morsels from the kitchen counter.

Billie is a 4-yearold Boykin Spaniel who spends his days swimming, playing fetch, and chasing birds. His favorite part about coming to work is "treats," according to his dad, Dr. Victor Erenberg. Billie’s duties at Island Holistic Veterinary Clinic include making sure the office smells like it should and making the other dogs feel comfortable when they come in for services.

Oscar is the over-exuberant chief ambassador at Pilates Hilton Head. There’s not a creature on this planet he’s not excited to meet. A true native, Oscar hails from Estill and comes from a large family. When not greeting people in Wexford, he catches up on golf by staring out the back window of his home in Sea Pines. Always up for a car ride, his favorite destinations are the beach and the grocery store, but he actually loves going anywhere – even to see Dr. Victor at Island Holistic Veterinary Clinic.

Bau , the sweet canine-in-residence at Collage, easily wins the title as the oldest and wisest at almost 16 years old. He started his life’s journey in New York, where he was raised as a guide dog for the Long Island Guide Dog Foundation. His career shifted at the age of 2, when it became apparent his talents lay elsewhere. He’s so popular that oftentimes regular customers to Collage pop in specifically to visit Bau – and may or may not shop.

Phoebe Buffay and Joey Tribbiani are always ready to roll out the red carpet for guests to the Pink Pineapple. Joey was a Craigslist puppy and Phoebe knew Joey needed a friend so she moved right in. Their duties at the store include window watching, inspecting new merchandise, and strategically placing their toys in customers' bags so they have to make a return visit. Joey loves other canine companions and Phoebe – well, she allows them to exist.

Gigi hails from Weston, Connecticut, and her Grandfather Jackson has ties to the Westminster Dog Show. Her main job at Le Cookery is making the customers feel welcome. You could consider her an emotional support dog, reassuring you that you do indeed need everything in the store. She is a huge fan of petite Milk Bones and can often be found visiting neighbors and foraging for snacks. Gigi is 9, but she doesn’t look a day over 4.

Olive had a real rags-to-riches story. She started her journey through life on the streets of Bluffton, until Beaufort County Animal Control picked her up. Thankfully, she landed with Hilton Head Humane and after a quick heartworm treatment, found her forever home with Suzanne. Now she spends her days advising customers on olive oil and balsamic choices at Hilton Head Oilerie. When not hard at work, Olive loves short and leisurely beach walks with her mom.

Matty (formerly Matrix) came to the Dollenbergs via a Hilton Head Humane meet and greet at Captain Woody’s when he was 8 to 10 weeks old. He loves guarding the office (Dollenberg Properties) and strolling around the Village at Wexford to say hello to all his canine friends. When not at work he has a very active social life, hanging out at Southpaw or Evergreen on the regular. He continues to be very optimistic about the Lowcountry real estate market and thinks it’s a great time to buy.

Daisy Mae is the Southern Belle Cavachon who holds court at Island Child. You can often find her perched in the Queen chair behind the counter in order to have a bird’s eye view of her subjects. A northern transplant from Pennsylvania, she flew into Savannah to start her residency in the Village at Wexford. Some of Daisy’s favorite things include chasing golf balls, beach walks, and watching Hudson and Rex with Senny and Steve. She’s quite smitten with Rex, a majestic German Shepherd.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Meredith Taylor's dogs might not actually come to work at Gifted, but there is hardly a bigger dog lover amongst us. An avid supporter of all things benefitting animals, we had to give a shout out to her and her Vizlas, Bogue and Elsie.

PUP APPROVED PATIOS

Mandi and Michael Fink recently moved to Hilton Head Island with their two Vizsla pups, Winston and Walter. They enjoy exploring the Lowcountry and trying out new places with their dogs in tow. “We wanted a dog that fit into our lifestyle,” Mandi said. “We don’t believe in having a dog and not being around it. We take them for the ease of it but also we enjoy it.”

The Finks strive to be good guests whenever they are dining out. “We try to be cognizant of people who aren’t dog friendly,” Mandi said. The couple tries to space Winston and Walter away from others and keep them calm by sitting or lying down next to the table. They also travel with their own leashes, bowls, and toys to help ensure a happy experience for everyone. “We love having them with us; they are two very good boys,” Mandi said. “Socializing our dogs is very important to us.”

As a result, the couple have become wellversed on the places and patios that welcome their family of four in the Hilton Head area. Mandi did a lot of research through websites, the BringFido app, and calling restaurants to come up with a list of spots. “Most places that are dog friendly do a great job of accommodating where, even if there are other dogs out there, they try to situate you all so that you have your

own space,” she said.

Mandi and Michael love going for a run on the beach with Winston and Walter then heading to brunch. “Nectar is probably my absolute favorite, and both Hilton Head and Bluffton locations are great,” she said. Nectar Farm Kitchen loves the pups and has a special menu for them.

Of course, the humans pick the restaurant but the dogs are always happy to oblige. “They eat anything,” Mandi said. “It’s a treat for them too.”

The family of four has a list of happy hour waterfront locations, including the downstairs area at Quarterdeck in Harbour Town, beachside at Coast in the Sea Pines Beach Club, and marshside at Skull Creek Boathouse. They also enjoy dining at Jane Bistro and Poseidon in Shelter Cove Towne Centre. Before moving to the island, they were unaware about how dog friendly so many restaurants were. “It’s been one of the absolute perks of living on Hilton Head,” Mandi said.

Where to Take Your Pup

Skillets Cafe & Grill at Coligny Plaza loves welcoming fur babies for al fresco dining. “They’re part of the family,” said owner Amie Baima. With an impressive 27 patio tables wrapped around three-quarters of the restaurant, Skillets easily hosts dog families. “I have so much seating, so why put dogs next to each other?” she said. Even

Images captioned left to right: Not only is Skillets Cafe & Grill super dog-friendly, they actually have their own canine menu; Cooper is part of the welcoming committee at Locals Only Taproom; The “pupperazzi” snapped this patio pic of Michael, Winston and Walter Fink at Poseidon near Shelter Cove Community Park.

though Coligny is a busy area, the majority of the patio is fenced, which leads to more relaxation from diners.

Skillets offers Lucky Dog Cuisine, a high-quality meal option for pups that is served in doggie bowls. It’s crafted from human-grade, whole food ingredients without preservatives.

“The beef and rice and the beef and barley are the two best sellers,” Baima said.

Doggie customers are big fans of their special menu. “I have this one customer that said every time he got close (while walking) on the beach, his dog knew what beach path to come up to come here and eat,” Baima said. “It was hysterical.”

Locals Only Taproom on Hilton Head welcomes fourlegged friends both inside and outside at their location on Arrow Road. “We love having all the pups in,” said owner Shona Goldstein. “For a lot of my customers, those are their babies, those are their children. I want them to be able to come and hang out.”

Goldstein recognizes that not a lot of island establishments

welcome pups indoors. “Since I don’t serve food, it was not a problem for me,” she said. “We do have a lot of fur coming out of there every day. But it’s so worth it.”

Cooper, Goldstein’s golden retriever, is the unofficial marketing director for the business. “He’s definitely become an integral part of the Taproom,” Goldstein said. Doggie visitors are offered treats while their owners enjoy a cold pint. Locals Only serves a rotating offering of beers on tap. Since its opening just over two years ago, the Taproom has poured about 335 different South Carolina brews.

Goldstein’s goal at Locals Only is to support the community. “We are a touristy town, but I wanted somewhere, really, for the locals,” she said. “Not to say that tourists can’t come – we do get quite a few. I really wanted to focus on the locals.” Besides selling beer that’s local to South Carolina, the taproom’s walls feature artwork from local customers that is available for purchase.

Other Pup Approved Patios

We surveyed our followers on the CH2 Facebook page to get recommendations on their favorite spots to hang out with their fur babies. Here’s the list they helped us compile: Hilton Head

When asked about their pup patio policy, Origin Coffee Bar said that dogs are “not only approved but encouraged.” Tin and Tallow welcomes pups on their outside patio and offers a “pup patty” snack option. Local Legend Brewing Company allows leashed dogs in their outdoor beer garden.

Lots of doggie regulars can be seen at Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe each weekend. Leashed canines can dine on the deck at Hudson’s Seafood. Named after a beloved pooch, Nala’s Beach loves greeting them too. Lincoln and South Brewing Company provides furry friends with water bowls, treats and playtime in their grass field.

Benny’s Coastal Kitchen welcomes doggies on their lawn and patio (but not on their roof top bar, 41 Up). In need of a sweet treat or ice cream? The Purple Cow bakes goodies for humans and doggie donuts for four-legged friends.

Bluffton

Burnt Church Distillery welcomes pups in their outdoor area and occasionally hosts “Yappy Hour” in partnership with the Hilton Head Humane Association. Lot 9 Brewing Company offers treats and water for their furry friends, both indoors and outdoors at their taproom. Doggy donuts are available at Alljoy Donut Company, plus lots of other treats for two-legged family members. Truffles Cafe also welcomes fur babies on their shady patio.

Cheers to many more meals, happy hours, and golden sunsets with man’s – and woman’s – best friends in the Lowcountry! 

Article by Cheryl Ricer . Photography by Maggie Washo

Fur, Family & Fine Art

FIVE LOWCOUNTRY ARTISTS

TURNING

PETS INTO PORTRAITS

In the Lowcountry, pets aren’t accessories. They’re family. They ride in golf carts, nap under café tables, greet neighbors like a mayor would, and appear in holiday cards with alarming regularity. It’s no surprise, then, that commissioning pet portraits has become a deeply personal form of celebration and remembrance across the region.

Here, five Lowcountry artists approach pet portraiture through strikingly different lenses – from minimalist whimsy to classical realism – each translating fur and feeling into something timeless.

While each of these artists approaches pet portraiture differently – through whimsy, realism, emotion, structure, or tradition – all arrive at the same destination: connection. In the Lowcountry, where pets are woven into daily life, these portraits become more than décor. They are love letters, memorials, and moments made permanent.

Long after the leash is hung and the bowl is empty, the gaze remains – painted, preserved, and deeply felt.

Knarly Gav (Gavan Daly)

Minimalist Whimsy with a Tattooed Soul

If a cat eating watermelon has ever made you smile, you’ve likely encountered the work of Knarly Gav. Known off-canvas as Gavan Daly, the Lowcountry artist has built an international following by distilling animals down to their essence, then adding just enough humor to make them unforgettable.

Raised between the Virgin Islands and Hilton Head Island, Daly grew up immersed in nature, a connection that still fuels his work. A lifelong animal lover and committed vegan, he views pet portraiture as a form of honoring rather than owning. “I love animals,” he said simply. “I like celebrating them.”

His now-iconic cat-with-watermelon image emerged during a sweltering Brooklyn summer while working in

his longtime New York studio. “It was 100 degrees. I wanted something refreshing,” he recalled. The image spread rapidly on Instagram, spawning a series of animals – dragons, panthers, dogs – all mid-snack, all unmistakably his.

Daly’s visual language borrows from tattoo flash: bold shapes, soft gradients, and watercolor shading that echoes ink on skin. Though self-taught as a visual artist, his background in music — including work with the New York Philharmonic and across genres — informs his approach. “All art has the same fundamentals – tension, release, rhythm,” he said.

During COVID, when his tattooing work slowed, Daly turned to pet portraits full-time. The response was immediate. His simplified, figurative style resonated with clients seeking something expressive rather than photographic. “People tell me I capture their animal’s essence,” he said. “That’s everything.”

Humor is central to his work. “If you can make someone smile, that matters,” Daly said, especially in a world that sometimes forgets art can be joyful. Whether commemorating a pet who’s passed or celebrating one still curled up at home, his portraits freeze a moment in time with lightness and heart.

Instagram & Facebook: @Knarlygav

Email: knarlygav@knarlygav.com

Olivia Lynch

Realism Embedded in the Eyes

For Olivia Lynch, the soul of a pet lives in the eyes, and everything else follows from there. A born-and-raised Hilton Head Island artist, Lynch has quietly built a reputation for deeply realistic pet portraits that stop viewers mid-sentence and, more often than not, bring them to tears.

Unlike many artists who discover pets later in their careers, Lynch’s path feels almost inevitable. She spent much of her childhood creating art alongside her grandmother, who encouraged creativity as both pastime and practice. “She always had me doing arts and crafts to keep me busy,” Lynch said.

Formal classes followed – after-school camps, local studio work, and years of instruction at Idea Studio, where she credits teacher Ginny Taylor with helping her master the fundamentals. Even before that, though, Lynch says that her art teacher at Hilton Head Island High School, Monique Dobbelaere, was impactful and supportive in moving her forward.

Pet portraits entered the picture just over a year ago,

beginning with a Christmas gift for her sister: a painting of her dog. Friends took notice. Requests followed. Word spread. “It became something I really enjoyed doing,” Lynch said. She has now completed roughly 20 paintings, each one entirely unique.

Working exclusively from photographs, Lynch paints in acrylics, favoring black-and-white compositions that heighten emotion and detail. Her process is methodical and patient – a sketched outline, blocked shadows, gradual layering, and hours spent refining texture and fur. “I do a lot of layers,” she said. “I keep adding until it’s as realistic as I can make it.”

Each portrait takes about eight hours, often spread across several days, allowing for breaks – and perspective.

What matters most, she says, is getting the eyes right. “They really bring the whole painting together and bring the personality out,” Lynch said. It’s a philosophy that shows. Clients consistently tell her she’s captured not just the likeness, but the presence of their pet.

The reactions are powerful. Lynch has received videos of gift recipients opening portraits and crying happy tears. For those who’ve lost a beloved animal, the paintings offer something deeper. “They say it’s almost like they still have them there,” she said.

Now a full-time artist, Lynch works primarily in intimate sizes, 8-by-8 inches or 8-by-10 inches, perfect for framing, gifting, and everyday remembrance. Her work doesn’t shout. It doesn’t need to. It simply looks back at you, eyes first, and lets memory do the rest.

Instagram: @livn_lowcountry

Email: olivialynch7313@gmail.com

Ashley Hahn

Structure, Sensitivity, and Precision

Ashley Hahn approaches pet portraiture with the trained eye of an architect and the heart of a devoted pet lover. Though her formal degree is in architecture, art has always been part of her life, something she’s done, as she puts it, “since I was little.” Drawing and painting were second nature long before she ever drafted a blueprint. Her transition from architecture to full-time portraiture

came after becoming a mother. When her youngest child was about a year and a half old, Hahn decided to draw her children’s portraits – just for herself. The work resonated with others. Requests followed. Soon she was creating portraits of people, children, and eventually pets, a practice she began in earnest around 2009.

The first animal portrait was deeply personal – a graphite drawing of her family’s Labrador, Whiskey, created for her husband after the dog passed away. “That was the beginning,” Hahn said. Since then, she has completed countless pet portraits, split almost evenly between memorial pieces and celebratory commissions for pets still very much alive.

Hahn works across multiple media – graphite and charcoal for drawings, oils and watercolors for paintings –allowing clients to choose the look and feel that speaks to them most. “There’s a timelessness to the graphite portraits,” she notes, while oil paintings offer drama, texture, and depth. Regardless of medium, one thing remains constant: her focus on the eyes. “That’s where you see their personality,” she explains. “It’s the same with people.”

Each project begins with several photographs. Hahn works closely with clients to select the image that best captures the pet’s spirit, paying attention to lighting, expression, and clarity. Sizes range from 11-by-14-inch drawings to expansive oil paintings, including a striking 36-by48-inch horse portrait. Drawings are delivered protected and ready for framing; paintings are typically left unframed, allowing owners to personalize the final presentation.

Turnaround time is surprisingly efficient. Most drawings are completed within one to two weeks, while oil paintings take longer due to layering and drying time. Still, the response is almost immediate. “You can tell in the reaction,” Hahn said. “My goal is always to bring people joy.”

Measured, thoughtful, and emotionally grounded, Hahn’s portraits don’t just resemble the animals they depict – they honor them, with care and precision.

Instagram: @ashleyrhahnartist

Website: ahahnartist.com

Email: ashleyrhahn@icloud.com

Tetiana Sporna Emotion in Motion

For Tetiana Sporna, painting pets is about capturing energy – the spark that makes an animal unmistakably theirs. She brings an intuitive, emotionally driven approach to pet portraiture that feels alive with motion, color, and feeling.

A native of Ukraine, Sporna studied architecture there, and though she always enjoyed drawing as a child, painting was never her primary focus, until about a year ago. “Art helped me reset my brain,” she said. “It helped me express myself.” What began as an occasional creative outlet quickly became something deeper, especially after she relocated to Hilton Head Island, where open spaces, dogs on leashes, and everyday encounters sparked new inspiration.

Sporna works primarily in acrylics, painting not only pets but also expressive portraits of women. Still, animals – especially dogs – hold a special place in her heart. “One day I’ll have a dog,” she said with a smile. For now, she paints other people’s beloved companions, and finds she is often drawn to pets with strong personalities or expressive eyes.

Her first pet commission came unexpectedly, when a friend asked her to paint a dog who had passed away. Nervous but willing, Sporna accepted the challenge and discovered something important. “It worked,” she said. “And I realized I could do this.” From there, word spread organically: friends, Instagram followers, restaurant patrons who saw her painting during slow shifts, even strangers in parks who later commissioned pieces shipped as far as Florida and Texas.

Sporna’s style sits somewhere between realism and expressionism. Her pets are a perfect likeness, down to a speck of white on a nose, and emotionally true, but often enhanced with bold color choices, floral accents, and subtle details that convey mood. “I go with feeling,” she said. “I like eyes. I like energy.” When a photo feels too flat, she digs deeper, scrolling through videos, social media, or additional images until she finds the spark that tells the animal’s story.

Sporna paints pets still and in motion, always striving to capture a moment rather than a pose. Sizes range from 10-by-8-inch works to popular 11-by-14-inch portraits, with most commissions completed within one to two weeks. Occasionally, deadlines push her into marathon painting sessions – exhausting, but worth it.

The reactions make it all meaningful. Clients cry. They send videos. One woman called her pet portrait “the best gift of my life.” For Sporna, that response confirms the purpose behind her work. “It means I do this for a reason,” she said. “It means what I feel can be shared, and that makes people happy.”

Instagram: @art_by_tetiana

Measured, thoughtful, and emotionally grounded, Hahn’s portraits don’t just resemble the animals they depict – they honor them, with care and precision.

Colin Noonan

Classical Calm and Quiet Dignity

Colin Noonan approaches pet portraiture with the sensibility of a classically trained painter and the gentle reverence of someone who understands just how deeply animals are woven into our lives. A graduate of Pratt Institute in New York with a bachelor’s degree in fine art, Noonan has been painting professionally since shortly after college, building a career entrenched in traditional technique, careful observation, and respect for form.

While he currently paints both people and animals, Noonan noticed a natural shift over time. “People love commissioning portraits of their pets,” he said. Pets, after all, carry deep emotional weight without the self-consciousness that sometimes accompanies human portraiture. “People love their pets. They live with them. They want them remembered.”

Working primarily in oil and watercolor, Noonan favors a representational style that emphasizes strong likeness and subtle lighting. His portraits often echo classical European

painting traditions – pets depicted in moments of stillness rather than action, their presence calm and dignified. “I think of it like classical portraiture,” he said. “There’s a distinction to them.”

Most commissions begin with photographs, often several. While Noonan enjoys painting from life when possible, he acknowledges that pets – unlike people – rarely sit still long enough to cooperate. Social media has also expanded his reach, allowing clients from outside the Lowcountry to commission work without ever meeting him in person.

What he looks for in reference images isn’t just clarity, but data and visual potential. “I want something compelling,” he said. Open mouths, subtle expressions, the way light falls across fur – these details help guide his decisions. He often begins with the eyes or muzzle, letting the painting build outward organically. “Sometimes they almost paint themselves,” he said.

Noonan typically works in modest sizes, preferring to keep pets slightly smaller than life-size. Larger-than-life portraits, he believes, can push the work into pop-art territory, something he deliberately avoids. Instead, he aims for intimacy, as though the animal exists within the painting rather than looming over it.

For Noonan, the most rewarding part of the process comes at the end, upon delivering the painting, he said. Watching owners connect with the finished piece – seeing recognition, emotion, and gratitude all at once – reinforces why he continues to paint animals at all.

Quiet, thoughtful, and fixed in tradition, Noonan’s pet portraits offer something enduring: a sense of presence that lingers long after the paint has dried. Instagram: @colinnoonan 

TARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY M.KAT

At Your Service

Paws on Learning is Changing Lives Affected by PTSD

here is no “one size fits all” when it comes to PTSD. It’s a near-demonic affliction, one that doesn’t care how strong a person is, but wants to simply pull them apart. It’s a fire that can be lit in myriad ways – military veterans whose service put them in impossible situations, victims of unspeakable crimes whose effects echo on, the abused whose torment endures long after their abusers are gone.

It wears many faces, which is part of what makes PTSD such a formidable enemy. But even its vaunted evil is no match for the simple gentle touch of a trained service dog.

“It’s about behavioral interruption,” said Ashley Douglas, owner of Paws on Learning. “Someone with PTSD is having an episode, whether that’s a panic attack or anxiety, and the dog is there to recognize that and interrupt their handler so the handler can see it’s happening and utilize the strategies they’ve worked with their psychologist to develop … in hopes that they can

heal, so eventually a service dog won’t be needed.”

Douglas has long helped Lowcountry dog owners refine their relationships with their pooches, leading Paws on Learning classes that drive home obedience and communication. When she began hearing more and more from clients who were hoping to train their dogs as service animals, she sought out This Able Veteran. This Illinois-based organization was formed to give trainers like Douglas the tools to shape dogs into PTSD service dogs.

“I had a great experience with This Able Veteran. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Douglas said. “They primarily focus on PTSD for military veterans, but PTSD doesn’t just affect those in the military. And while there are emotional support animals and therapy dogs, a service dog provides tasks. They work with their handler to help them through their disability.”

By teaching dogs how to recognize signs that their handler’s PTSD triggers, and to then either interrupt the behavior or use deep pressure to guide their handler

Ella (a rescue from Lovable Paws) Hunter, and Ashley pose for a photo after one of their first “meet and greets”.

through it, Douglas is now helping her clients who deal with this cruel affliction. Two of them are pictured here, Pippin and Finn.

“They’re both about five years old,” Douglas said. “These dogs are considered service dogs in training, or SDIT. … It takes a lot of time, practice and consistency.”

Finn started with Paws on Learning four years ago, making his way through the pre-K program all the way up through the college level. Once Douglas was certified, she was able to take Finn through grad school, teaching him the finer points of being a service dog.

“Finn has been with Ashley since he was a puppy. The training he receives as well as the support we get from

Ashley has made Finn the dog we always wanted,” said Finn’s owner, Ruth. “It has also built a solid foundation for his service dog training. We could not be happier.”

While he’s a little newer to the program, Pippin has already made great strides.

“Since I began working with Ashley at Paws on Learning, Pippin has shown great progress,” said Pippin’s owner, Maggie. “He may always have a naughty side, but to know his personality and how to handle him has given me great hope. Since my anxiety has grown and kept me from going out more, I now have hope that with Pippin, my confidence will grow. I am hopeful that I can go out without the disabling anxiety that has kept me inside for so long.”

Finn has his eyes firmly on Ashley, awaiting his next command.

And that is, ultimately, what all this training is for. The training Douglas received allows her to shape these dogs into service animals, augmenting the obedience training of Paws on Learning. The training she provides these dogs helps them not just be better companions, but to be a vital part of their owners’ healing process.

“There are so many things you can train service dogs for – diabetic alert, seizures, etc.– but I chose to focus on PTSD service dogs because I have a lot of experience with people in my life and loved ones who have suffered from PTSD, so I’d really like to work with people who have that trauma,” Douglas said. “Of course, the other key component is actively working with a therapist. A person has to be diagnosed and actively working with a therapist, because

a service dog is only one piece of the healing process. A service dog can help their handler through an incident so they can then work on themselves.”

To those suffering from PTSD, it’s no small thing. In that moment, when the anxiety and terror are caving in on all sides and it seems there’s no way out, that reassuring nudge or gentle set of paws can make a world of difference.

“It’s exciting to see these people be so excited about this opportunity for their dogs,” Douglas said. “My other staff members have been rock stars working with obedience training and running the day care so I can take on these sorts of special projects.”

To learn more, visit pawsonlearning.com.

Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by Maggie Washo

The Edisto Island Serpentarium lets you get up close and personal with the wilderness’ many scaly predators.

Here There DragonsBe

It’s one of the first things that most transplants to the Lowcountry have to learn: The wildlife here isn’t the same as you had up north. Up there, you can jump into pretty much any body of water you find, safe in the knowledge that you are the biggest predator in the pond. Down here, if a lagoon, lake, or pond is big enough to hold a gator you can be certain it does, and he will not appreciate you dropping by to visit. Up there, you can walk through the underbrush safe in the knowledge that you won’t disturb a snake as long as your leg. And even if you do come across a snake up there, its bite isn’t going to put you in the hospital. A copperhead, on the other hand, will strike you down if you step wrong around here.

These scaly monsters are, to the uninitiated, natural hazards that one must endure to live in paradise. But to Ted Clamp, they are maybe the most intriguing parts of the scenery. His fascination with reptiles goes back to his childhood in rural Orangeburg County, catching snakes with his brother Heyward, but accelerated during a trip to Silver Springs, Florida, where Ross Allen at the Silver Springs Serpentarium would lead demonstrations and extract venom.

“When you’re a young kid, you get ideas about what you would like to do. Some people outgrow them and grow up, but I never did,” Clamp said.

Founding the Edisto Island Serpentarium in 1999, Clamp drew heavily from his experiences with Allen to create a place that balances education

with pure spectacle. Inside, enclosures and pits hold an entire planet’s worth of snakes, turtles, and lizards. Painstakingly crafted to replicate their natural habitats, these enclosures let visitors peer inside the world of not just native species, but creatures from around the globe. Just outside the doors, trails wind through alligator, crocodile, and turtle ponds; tortoise enclosures; and dual pits for venomous and nonvenomous snakes.

But it’s not simply a matter of seeing these animals. The goal here is to enhance your relationship with these creatures, so that in learning about how they live in the wild, you will understand them. These lessons get particularly exciting in the spring, when the weather warms up and visitors can learn about alligators while watching them feed.

“One of the things I love teaching people about alligators is that they were actually here about a million years before the dinosaurs arrived,” Clamp said. “He’s a real survivor. He’s been around a long time. Alligators are really interesting

Check the schedule for daily times.

animals, and they’re almost cleaners of the wild. They take out a lot of sick and injured animals.”

In the classic roadside attraction mold, the Edisto Island Serpentarium draws you in with the exciting promise of encountering the world’s most lethal animals. But once you’re inside, you see that there are more than just fangs and claws. There is an incredible amount of knowledge you didn’t even realize you didn’t have about the predators who share our Lowcountry home.

“The cool thing about our facility is that it’s not staterun at all. It is a private family business that was built out of a passion for teaching other people about these animals,” said Jessica Clamp, Ted’s daughter and general manager of the Serpentarium. “Everybody that comes to visit basically is helping support us to be able to care and educate people about all these creatures, and we need more support.”

But the mission of the Serpentarium goes beyond spectacle and education. Just as Ross Allen did before

him, the elder Clamp regularly extracts the venom from his snakes and sends it off to push the frontiers of medicine.

“We send the venom to a lab that processes it to make snake bite serum, but they also use it in a great deal of research,” he said. “Venom is in demand; in fact, I just read an article in National Geographic saying that snake venom has

100 different ingredients that could be used in medicine.” He lists medications like the hypertension drug Captopril and the contortrostatin in copperhead venom that kills cancer cells. “The research goes on and on.”

Naturally, having made his living as a snake handler and gator wrangler, Clamp has seen firsthand that those fangs aren’t just for medicine. So, how many times has he been bitten?

“How about ‘too many’?” he said with a laugh. “To answer your question, I’ve been bitten four times.”

If that seems light, it’s only because Clamp counts only bites from venomous snakes. If you add in their nonvenomous cousins, that number is in the hundreds. He has similar scruples about alligators. Those bites don’t count unless you give it a souvenir.

“If you still have all your digits, you’re good,” daughter Jessica said.

As their subjects are famously cold blooded, the Edisto Island Serpentarium’s offerings change by season. Currently it’s too cold for alligators to feed, but in the coming months as the mercury rises, these creatures will wake from their dens, hungry and ready to greet new guests.

“We usually tell people to check the website to see when we’re open,” Jessica said. “Generally, from spring to early fall we have the whole facility open and are running programs, and feedings begin at the end of April or sometimes into May. We generally open a few weeks prior to Easter weekend.”

As the denizens of the Edisto Island Serpentarium ready for spring, you can plan your visit by visiting edistoserpentarium.com. 

Article and Photography by

Brooke Peck

Love for the Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival

It’s very fitting that the Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival kicks off in February, the month of love, because wow, do I love that festival! For a phenomenal week each year, the festival brings together talented chefs, beautiful venues, and quality ingredients, all while raising money for local nonprofit organizations. It’s a culmination of things that I love: Hilton Head, fresh seafood, live music, and sunsets by the ocean with a little BravoTV sprinkled in the mix.

Back in 2022, my first Seafood Festival experience was with May River Excursions for an interactive tour to learn about locally harvested seafood. Together, our group explored local waterways to learn how to cast a net to pursue live shrimp, how wild oysters are grown, and all about catching blue crabs.

After we collected the feisty crabs from submerged traps, we headed back to Hudson’s where we all enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch (including our freshly caught crabs!) on the dock together. There is something very special about dining al fresco on a warm and sunny February day. Even though I grew up picking oysters for my dad, I never actually enjoyed eating an oyster until this lunch. They were so fresh, so cold, so briny and so delicious. I am grateful for that Seafood Festival experience because it's the reason I became an oyster lover.

While volunteering at my second Seafood Festival, I got to meet Chef Brother Luck, a James Beard Award nominee featured on Top Chef: Colorado and Top Chef: Kentucky on BravoTV. During his outdoor demonstration at the South Carolina Yacht Club, he made gumbo for the guests while sharing stories of starting a restaurant, writing his book, and his experience with being on television. His gumbo was so rich, velvety, and delicious. As an avid BravoTV fan, I have watched every season of Top Chef. It made my heart happy to have a Top Chef contestant at Hilton Head, next to a beautiful marina, teaching people how to make gumbo on a sunny winter day.

This was also the year I got to experience – and fall in love with – the Pig Pickin’ and Oyster Roast. Held on Friday night each year, this all-inclusive event is full of tasty pork bites, freshly roasted oysters, an abundance of adult beverages, and live music to set the vibe for a Lowcountry evening. Pitmaster Marvin Ross’s whole roasted pig was the star of the show. As a fifth-generation farmer at Peculiar Pig Farm in Dorchester, Ross brought his farming and chef talents to Hilton Head that night with a perfectly smoked hog.

Another star dish of the night, a pork belly corn dog, was

quite delicious. Created by Chef Tim Nelson, the lollipops were made from tender pork belly, battered up, and fried to crispy perfection, then served with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce. Every time I see Chef Tim, I tell him how much I loved those pork pops.

For my next Seafood Festival, in 2024, I volunteered at the Omni Hotel for Zero Forks Given. Held outdoors at sunset, this event featured delicious seafood-focused small plates that require no forks to consume. Here, I met Nini Nguyen from Top Chef: Kentucky and Top Chef: All-Stars L.A., who was serving hot, fire roasted oysters on the half shell. We talked about our shared love of Vietnamese spring rolls that are featured in her latest cookbook. I might have fangirled a bit.

Last year’s festival events took culinary experiences to a new level for me. At Zero Forks Given, Chef Molly Cook from Marble

& Steel Craft Chocolates stunned guests with her talents. Her chocolate treats looked like shiny gemstones you’d wear on a ring finger, not something you’d eat. Shell Ring Oyster Company also wowed us all with spicy oysters on the half shell, topped with jalapeno horseradish sauce and crunchy pork rinds topped with pickled jalapeno. Even though the temps were chilly, eating just a few of those spicy oysters warmed me right up!

The next day, during the Master Chef demonstrations, the Seafood Fest impressed us all by offering a knife skills class, a caviar and champagne tasting, and a soy sauce educational class. I had no idea that soy sauces could have flavor besides saltiness!

Thanks to a presentation from Bourbon Barrel Foods, we sampled four soy sauces, all aged in bourbon barrels, and paired them with a bento box of delicious proteins and produce. It was

inspiring to hear about the company’s humble start to now having almost 100 specialty food products, all created adjacent to the bourbon industry of Kentucky.

That evening, at the Pig Pickin’ and Oyster Roast, guests were blown away seeing a huge cow leg being fire roasted for everyone to sample. We got to hear from the beef farmer at Black Hawk Farms and understand the passion the company has for raising American Wagyu beef in Kentucky. My BravoTV fandom was excited to meet another BravoTV celebrity, Shep Rose, a Hilton Head native who has starred on 11 seasons of Southern Charm, based in Charleston.

The number of food vendors at last year’s main event festival was quite impressive. Seafood lovers were especially excited to enjoy lobster rolls, Lowcountry jambalaya, raw oysters and clams, tuna poke bowls, deviled crabs, clam chowder, freshly steamed oysters, and shrimp burgers. Lots of non-seafood options were available too, including barbecue options, huevos rancheros, smash burgers, chicken and sausage gumbo, and banana cornmeal pancakes. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans headlined the event, bringing Mardi Gras energy to Hilton Head to keep us all moving and grooving, which I loved!

The tasting tent was also a big hit. Featuring more than 20 spirits brands, the tent allows festival goers to sample a wide variety of mixed drinks with various alcohol brands. Some of my favorites included the Drunken Pirate, made with Extra Special Dark Rum from Hilton Head Distillery, and the refreshing Bulrush Blood Orange Collins from Bulrush Gin.

This year’s festival kicks off February 23 and continues through March 1. It promises to be another wonderful year. From water excursions, a brewery talk, family fishing, and intimate dinners to a big festival, the weeklong event offers something for everyone and every budget.

The 2026 lineup features a new event, Uncommon Cuts, held at Chez Georges with a curated menu packed with rare cuts of protein to delight and surprise carnivore diners. Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has appeared on Top Chef Masters, Chopped, and Iron Chef America, is a featured chef at this year’s master classes, along with Emmy Award winner Chef Kardea Brown of Food Network fame.

The main event, the Saturday Seafood Festival, takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. February 28 at Honey Horn. Entry tickets include celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, the Gullah Celebration’s 30th Anniversary Village Experience, and live music from Yacht Club. Food, drinks, kids’ activities, and vendors wares are all available at an additional cost.

Visit hiltonheadseafoodfestival.com to learn more and purchase tickets. All proceeds raised from the festival go to support the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation, which contributes to a wide range of Lowcountry nonprofits each year. 

Photography by Thomas Love

To think, it all started with a bag.

When French designer Jean-Pierre Klifa dropped his first design, it took the fashion world by force, making his iconic bucket bag the highest-selling handbag in the United States for three years straight. It was obvious there was something in his continental style that resonated on this side of the pond, so it wasn’t long before he made his way stateside.

That first boutique in Key West helped establish the Jean-Pierre Klifa brand – elegant, colorful, and evocative of a more sophisticated take on resort wear. It was an immediate hit, and soon Klifa found his footing at a host of high-end resort towns from Charleston to Naples, Florida. It was only a matter of time before this wave crested on our own sophisticated paradise.

“I came to Hilton Head after opening a store in Charleston because I wanted to expand in South Carolina,” he told CH2 when his shop first opened. “I always felt that the South Carolina woman was a great representation of my customer – affluent, educated, and stylishly elegant with a strong sense of confidence.”

The local ladies you see here know a little bit about that.

“The beautiful thing about his clothes is that everything in his store lets you look like you just walked off the catwalk, like he’s designed it just for you,” said Leslie Richardson, owner of Coligny Plaza along with husband JR. “And he has all this really glamorous athletic wear you can wear on the golf course or around town. And just like Hilton Head is all about color, so are his designs.”

Gathering up her friends for a day of shopping at Jean-Pierre Klifa’s Coligny boutique, there was one guest that Richardson knew she had to bring along. Mindie DeVeer is not only a dear friend, but she was one of the first to buy Jean-Pierre Klifa’s famous bucket bag when it came out.

“I love the colors in his line. I’m a very pastel person. In fact, my husband, who loves clothes as well and has great taste, gifted me one of his dresses, then took me back and bought me two new tops and a dress,” DeVeer said.

She’s not only a fan of the fashion, she’s a fan of the designer.

“I worked in the fashion industry on the corporate level and I’ve known a few designers who are all attitude, and Jean-Pierre is anything but,” she said.

That’s just par for the course in Coligny.

“It’s just a whole different aura in Coligny. When you walk in, the shopkeeper wants to know about you. They want to know what they can do to help you,” Richardson said. “I went in a couple months ago and knew right away that all my friends really need to know about this shop.”

Article by Cheryl Ricer

STAYING POWER:

Heritage Fine Jewelry

A family legacy forged in trust

On Hilton Head Island, staying power isn’t something a business claims. It’s something the community subtly bestows through decades of trust, word of mouth, and memories tied to the business.

In a market shaped by seasonal shifts and constant turnover, few businesses become fixtures in people’s lives. However, for 35 years on Hilton Head Island, Heritage Fine Jewelry has done exactly that. Owned and operated by siblings Jennifer Lance, Doug Safe, and Patrick Safe, the bespoke jeweler has become a trusted destination for jewelry sales, service, and design. It’s an island staple where people return not just for what’s in the showcase, but for how they feel when they walk through the door.

“Customer service is a huge, huge part of our business,” Jennifer said. “When people walk in the door, they definitely want to be treated a certain way. … We form a relationship with the customer because they’re trusting us with their jewelry and trusting us to know the best thing to do.”

Heritage Fine Jewelry’s story begins long before Hilton Head was a consideration for this family. In 1975, the siblings’ mother, Patricia Catalano, opened her first jewelry store in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, because something about gemstones and craftsmanship captured her imagination.

“She found an interest in jewelry when she was fresh out of college, even though that’s not what she went to school for,” Jennifer said. “The next thing she knew, she was in jeweler school and apprenticing, and that’s how she decided what she wanted to do.”

With determination and a willingness to learn, she opened a store with minimal inventory, then built it gradually, piece by piece, customer by customer.

“She actually opened her first store without very much jewelry and eventually, with patience and persistence built it up more and more, year after year,” Jennifer said.

In 1990, the family relocated to Hilton Head Island, opening their first island location at Pineland Station, where they would remain for 24 years before moving to their current location at Shelter Cove Towne Centre some 11 years ago. Through each iteration, the store maintained the same foundational values: Service above all, fair pricing, and honest relationships.

Images captioned top to bottom: Patricia Catalano opened her first jewelry store in New Smyrna Beach in 1975, starting a 51 year family business. Patti at Heritage Fine Jewelry's current location at Shelter Cove Towne Centre; Patti and her daughter Jennifer.

A Family Affair

The Heritage Fine Jewelry famiy is photographed at their old location in Pineland Station., circa 2008.

Growing up behind the counter

For Jennifer, Doug, and Patrick, the jewelry store wasn’t something they discovered later in life. It was where they grew up.

“The business started before I was born,” Jennifer said, noting the timeline aligns with her brothers’ early years.

Doug echoes that sentiment. “She raised us through the business,” he said. “We really spent a lot of time there as kids. That was just normal life.”

Jennifer remembers being dropped off by the school bus after elementary school and spending afternoons in the store. She watched customers come and go, listened to conversations about life events, and internalized something all three siblings would carry into adulthood: the understanding that jewelry is rarely just jewelry.

It holds emotion, memory, and meaning. And when someone places that piece into your hands, they’re placing something deeply personal in your care.

As the business grew, each sibling naturally found the role that best matched his or her strengths, turning family synergy into professional harmony.

Patrick, the eldest, works predominantly behind the scenes at the bench, where precision and artistry converge.

“For the most part, I’m in the back,” he said. “I’m the jeweler. I do the repairs. I set the diamonds for the special pieces.”

His work ranges from resizing rings and replacing worn prongs to rebuilding treasured heirlooms customers thought were beyond repair. What he enjoys most, he said, is the transformation and the joy it brings to the people who will wear these pieces again.

“Making things that people cherish forever or repairing a piece of jewelry that they thought they might never be able to wear again, is something I really enjoy,” Patrick said.

Whether it’s a costume piece with sentimental value

or a diamond heirloom passed through generations, he treats every job with the same respect.

Doug, the middle sibling, thrives in the showroom. “I’ve always been a people person,” he said. “When you’re dealing with things that mean the world to people, trust is everything.”

His role isn’t just transactional, it’s relational. Doug works closely with customers, guiding them through decisions, listening to their stories, and reassuring them at every step.

“Every day you’re dealing with new people, making new customers, seeing old customers,” he said. “On a small island like this, relationships really matter.”

Jennifer balances both perspectives – the customer experience and the intrinsic beauty of the craft. Though she pursued gemology training, the rhythms of the store kept her hands at the counter and her mind immersed in people’s plans, hopes, and memories.

“I love dealing with people,” she said. “But I also find certain stones fascinating. When you know enough about them, you really appreciate what it takes to get a piece from point A to point B.”

What she treasures most is being part of life’s memorable moments. “We’re kind of on the back end of people’s big celebrations – engagements, anniversaries, major milestones,” she said. “And then we get to hear how it all went. That never gets old.”

A full-service jeweler with depth and distinction

Heritage Fine Jewelry is far more than a retailer. It is a full-service jeweler offering an extensive inventory of fine jewelry, sterling silver, and gifts – all backed by thoughtful service and expert care.

Their services include:

• Jewelry repair and maintenance (ring sizing, prong re-tipping, stone replacement, clasp repair, and more)

• Custom design and remounting

• Complimentary cleaning and inspection

• Watch battery replacement

• Diamond testing

• Eyeglass repair on metal frames

This range of services means Heritage is often a destination not just for gifts, but for solutions, whether a cherished piece needs restoration, or a new piece needs careful creation.

Doug puts it plainly: “We’re not just a retail business. People really underestimate how much service we do on a daily basis.” That service, he adds, is what keeps customers coming back again and again.

Custom design: Where collaboration meets creativity

One of Heritage’s most meaningful offerings is custom design. Customers arrive with pieces from loved ones, a general vision, or just a feeling they want to express through something beautiful. The design process is collaborative – a blend of customer inspiration and the team’s expertise.

“We all kind of collaborate on our custom designs,” Doug said, citing years of experience and lessons passed down from their mother.

Jennifer described how the process unfolds. “The designing really happens out front, and then Patrick makes it happen in the back.”

Because Patrick executes the work, the team stays in constant communication, checking details, refining designs, and ensuring both vision and craftsmanship align.

“We work very well together,” he said, an understatement that speaks volumes about their dynamic.

At Heritage Fine jewelry, they might also use a CAD company that allows them to see computer-generated drawings of what the piece will look like before it’s been made.

Curated inventory with personality

One notable distinction Heritage emphasizes is the way the team selects inventory: by hand, not by catalog. Instead of carrying mass-produced collections, they work with vendors and manufacturers who produce limited quantities, making many pieces unique in the region.

“That allows us to carry designer-looking pieces without the designers’ name-brand prices,” Jennifer said. This step is especially meaningful in times when material and production costs rise.

Their annual trip to the JCK Las Vegas Jewelry Show, the largest jewelry event of its kind, is an opportunity not only to source inventory but to connect with trusted partners they’ve worked with for decades.

Doug highlights a key difference between their approach and typical brand lines: Scarcity. “Many companies make thousands of the same piece,” he said. “The companies we work with might make only three or four of a piece and then move on to another design.”

On a small island, that uniqueness matters. “You’re not going to see the same piece on someone else at dinner,” Jennifer said with a laugh.

The result? A curated mix of classic styles, contemporary designs, colored stones, diamonds, and even island-inspired pieces – from sterling silver bracelets and unique colored-gem collections to offerings that can exceed $40,000 in fine jewelry.

An island aesthetic with universal appeal

Heritage’s inventory reflects both the coastal character of Hilton Head Island and the diversity of its customer base. Nautical themes are a natural part of the selection, celebrating

the community’s maritime spirit. Over the years, the store has even manufactured its own nautical designs.

Today, production partners help with some of these signature island-inspired styles due to the volume of service and repair work the store manages. Still, the influence remains unmistakable, a nod to place that resonates with both locals and visitors.

Doug describes the inventory range as a “one-stop shop” because it encompasses affordable sterling pieces, timeless gold and diamond classics, colored gemstones, trend-forward designs, and bespoke custom work.

Patti with the family dogs Pokey and Oliver at the Pineland Station location, circa 2007.

Staying power defined: Service first, always If there’s a single word that keeps coming up in conversations about Heritage’s longevity, it’s “service.”

“Customer service. That’s what our mom taught us,” Jennifer said. “That’s what has kept us going.” She acknowledges that trends shift over time and that jewelry styles evolve, but service remains constant. “If people don’t get that service,” she said, “they’ll look for it somewhere else.”

Doug reinforces this notion, emphasizing that Heritage is more service than retail. Customers return not just to buy, but to care for the pieces they already own. Jewelry repair, cleaning, resizing, battery replacement, and custom adjustments become touchpoints that bring clients back through the doors year after year.

“The service part of our business really keeps things going,” Doug said. “Sales make themselves happen.”

This model has built remarkable loyalty. Jennifer said that some families who visited Hilton Head once as vacationers have continued using Heritage as their jeweler, even after moving away.

“We’ve done engagement rings sometimes for two and three generations with the same family,” she said. “They still use us as their jeweler.”

That level of trust speaks to far more than convenience. It reflects confidence, care, and consistency – and it is the backbone of Heritage’s staying power.

Carrying the torch forward

In 2020, the business faced one of its biggest transitions – the passing of their mother, the woman who founded Heritage and taught them everything they know.

“It wasn’t about deciding what to do,” Jennifer said. “It was about figuring out how to do it without her being around.”

Their answer was simple, and rooted in loyalty to her legacy.

“Our mom passed the torch to us,” Jennifer said. “We want to make sure things haven’t changed just because it’s the three of us now.”

Their guiding philosophy? If something worked before, don’t break it.

“If we were successful before, now we just keep doing what we were taught,” Jennifer said.

It’s a philosophy grounded in both humility and determination, one that continues to define how they serve customers, curate inventory, and steward every piece that comes into their care.

Heritage’s presence on Hilton Head Island extends beyond the jewelry case. Doug emphasized that giving back is part of who they are.

“We’re always helping our community and supporting all the different events that happen throughout the year,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to give back … and we don’t really have ‘no’ in our vocabulary when it comes to helping.”

That spirit of generosity echoes the relational approach they bring to customers – supporting local causes, events, and celebrations that strengthen community bonds.

The quiet magic of a trusted jeweler

Spend time in a place like Heritage Fine Jewelry, and you begin to see what staying power really looks like. It’s not buzz or flash, but presence. Attendance. Care. Consistency.

They’ve helped repair broken chains that belonged to grandmothers. They’ve redesigned cluster rings into modern classics. They’ve resized engagement rings, replaced lost stones, and helped customers choose gifts that speak in love languages no words could express.

And though their pieces are beautiful, the beauty of the business lies in the way they do it: thoughtfully, personally, and with care that feels like kinship.

In the humble language of someone who lets the work speak for itself, Patrick said it best: “I’ve got a great job. I’m very blessed – making people’s day.”

On Hilton Head Island, Heritage Fine Jewelry has been making people’s day, one meaningful moment at a time, for 35 years and counting. 

HERITAGE FINE JEWELRY: A Legacy at a Glance

Founded: 1975

Hilton Head Island Location: Since 1990

Current Location: Shelter Cove Towne Centre

Owners: Siblings Jennifer Lance, Doug Safe, Patrick Safe

Years Serving the Island: 35

Price Range: Sterling silver gifts to fine diamond and gemstone pieces exceeding $40,000

Philosophy: “If it matters to you, it matters here.”

Gift Guide

*Prices change and human error

Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

see store listed for final pricing on all items.

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

1. Blue heart jacket - $187, Pink mock neck sweater - $60, Wide leg jeans - $259, Gold heart necklace - $138; available at Monkee's; 2. An assortment of ties - $120 each; available at John Bayley; 3. Taupe Blouse $58, Gold cuffs – $90/each, Gold earrings - $80; available at The Haven; 4. e newton bracelets - available at Gifted Hilton Head; 5. Three stack rings in 14kt white gold and yellow gold with .17ct of diamonds each. Pricing available at Quinn's; 6. 14 karat gold, and 14 karat gold and diamonds to warm your heart - $275 to $2,745; available at Heritage Fine Jewelry; 7. Fuchsia colored bucket handbag - $205; available at Jean-Pierre Klifa. *Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

Please see store listed for final pricing on

*Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

1. Book - $80, Blush colored purse - $60, Cream heart sweater - $46; available at Gigi's; 2. Jellycat friends; available at Gifted Hilton Head; 3. 18K yellow gold Roberto Coin reversible diamond and ruby heart necklace, 16" - 18", D = 0.10 ctw. Ruby = 0.10 ctw.; avaiable at Forsythe; 4. X’s and O’s long sleeve top -$105, Bejeweled LOVE keychain - $18, LOVE beaded min pouch - $28; available at Evelyn and Arthur; 5. Red quilted purse - $66, Bejeweled LOVE keychain - $18, Red heart vest - $222, Black LOVE sweater - $120; available at Evelyn and Arthur; 6. Gold cuffs – $90/each, Gold earrings - $80; available at The Haven; 7. Red vegan leather bag - $98; available at Maggie and Me. *Prices change and human error occurs. Please see store listed for final pricing on all items.

A junior at Hilton Head Preparatory School, Zoe is the founder of Warm Hearts, Full Plates, a student-led initiative that recently delivered 121 Thanksgiving meals and 164 brand new winter coats to children and families served by the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) across all three of its Hilton Head Island learning centers.

Article by Cheryl Ricer  Photography by Maggie Washo

Warm Hearts, Full Plates

A TEEN LEADER FEEDING HOPE ACROSS HILTON HEAD ISLAND

At an age when many teenagers are focused on grades, social calendars, and college applications, Zoe Biles is quietly building something far more enduring: a legacy of service rooted in compassion, dignity, and action.

A junior at Hilton Head Preparatory School, Zoe is the founder of Warm Hearts, Full Plates, a student-led initiative that recently delivered 121 Thanksgiving meals and 164 brand new winter coats to children and families served by the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) across all three of its Hilton Head Island learning centers.

What began as a modest service project has quickly grown into a community-wide effort – one that reflects not only Zoe’s organizational skills and leadership, but also her deep understanding that meaningful service is about more than giving: It’s about honoring the people receiving the service.

“I want people to act when they see a need,” Zoe said. “If you care about something, you should act and try to make a difference in your community.”

Zoe’s relationship with NOC began during her freshman year, when she set a personal goal of completing 150 community service hours. Through her teacher and mentor Bethany Ramseur, Zoe was introduced to NOC’s after-school tutoring and enrichment programs. She began volunteering twice a week, forming relationships with students, and quickly understanding the deeper challenges many families face.

“I got to know the kids and started tutoring more regularly,” Zoe said. “Once you know them, it becomes personal.”

That commitment was reinforced by the culture of service at Hilton Head Prep, where students are encouraged to engage meaningfully with the community through programs such as the Interact Club, the Business Club, and the Student Ambassador Club, which Zoe now leads as co-president. Her dedication ultimately earned her the Mayor’s Call to Service Award in 2024, after logging more than 170 hours of service, the highest tier of the honor.

Warm Hearts, Full Plates officially launched in 2024 on a small scale, serving 10 families and 19 students at NOC’s Cordillo Center location. While the effort was successful, it left Zoe with a lingering feeling.

“Only being able to help a few families was really difficult,” she said. “We knew that if we really put our minds to it, we could reach all three centers.”

In 2025, she did exactly that.

“Through her Warm Hearts, Full Plates Project, Zoe provided coats and Thanksgiving meals for every NOC child and family on Hilton Head,” said Julie Palma, executive director of Neighborhood Outreach Connection. “Her work reflects not only generosity, but a deep belief in caring for the community she calls home.”

For Palma and the NOC team, Zoe’s impact extends far beyond a single initiative.

“For three years, Zoe has mentored and tutored students at NOC Cordillo,” Palma said. “She inspires our children with her kindness, dedication, and the consistency of her presence. That lasting impact matters.”

Dignity in the Details

What sets Warm Hearts, Full Plates apart is not just its scale, but its intentionality. Zoe was adamant that every coat be brand new, name brand, and gift wrapped, offering students choice, pride, and joy.

“She didn’t want kids just handed a coat,” said her mother, Nadine Biles. “She wanted them to feel celebrated.”

Coats from retailers such as Columbia, Eddie Bauer, and Land’s End filled rolling racks, sorted by size and color. Extra inventory ensured that even the last child to choose had options. Volunteers were trained not just to

assist, but to connect – learning names, listening, and making the experience feel special.

“She cared deeply about the details,” Nadine said. “The colors, the brands, the wrapping – everything mattered to her because dignity mattered.”

The meal distributions were equally thoughtful. Each family received a holiday package including a gift card for a turkey or ham and perishable items, pantry staples, and side dishes, allowing families autonomy in completing their meals.

Zoe strategically leveraged Publix buy-one-get-one deals, tracked weekly specials, and coordinated bulk purchases. The effort was funded through a combination of community donations and five corporate sponsors, raising more than $13,000 to support the initiative.

Key support came from Verity Investment Partners and their employees, the Wedgeworth Team, KS McRorie Interior Design, Coastal Home & Villa, and Coastal Oceanside Properties, whose generosity helped underwrite the cost of both meals and winter coats.

“In addition to our sponsors, we had so many family members and friends, both local and non-local, step up to support the project,” Zoe said. “It really showed me how much people care when they understand the need.”

Her father, Jim Biles, credits Zoe’s vision and followthrough.

“The ideas come from her,” he said. “She has this ability to see something through – from concept to completion –and that sense of ownership is what makes her exceptional.”

A Mission Aligned with NOC

Founded to support underserved children and families through education, enrichment, and essential resources, Neighborhood Outreach Connection is dedicated to advancing

Warm Hearts, Full Plates

Individuals, local businesses, and corporate sponsors are invited to support future projects in Bluffton and Beaufort through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer involvement.

Email WarmHeartsFullPlatesProject@gmail. com for more information.

To learn more about the Neighborhood Outreach Connection, visit NOC-SC.org.

human dignity, social justice, and opportunity throughout the Lowcountry. Warm Hearts, Full Plates fits squarely within that mission.

“Zoe truly embodies the values we strive to instill: Respect for others, compassion, and a commitment to human rights and social justice,” said Dr. Narendra Sharma, founder and chairman of the board of NOC. “Her actions show that caring for the well-being of others is not an abstract idea, but something lived out through dedication and hard work.”

Earlier this year, Zoe was honored with NOC’s Distinguished Community Service Award, presented annually to individuals or groups who demonstrate exceptional commitment to serving underserved children, families, and the broader community.

“She is an inspiring young leader,” Sharma added. “A positive role model for our students who leads with compassion and a genuine desire to help others. Her passion for making a difference inspires everyone around her.”

Presented in December 2025, the Distinguished Community Service Award marked a historic moment for NOC. Zoe became the youngest – and first individual –recipient of an honor traditionally awarded to organizations.

“It was a big surprise,” Zoe said. “I’m just really grateful for the organization and all their support.”

For NOC leadership, the decision was clear.

“Zoe truly cares about the well-being of others,” Palma said. “Her commitment goes beyond service hours. It’s about relationships, responsibility, and heart.”

Zoe’s passion for giving back was nurtured early. Growing up, her parents consistently modeled service, from food-packing programs and holiday meal deliveries to gift drives and classroom supply donations.

“From a young age, she understood that not everyone has what she has, and that even small contributions can be meaningful,” Nadine said.

Birthdays often became opportunities to collect books or gifts for others, and family holidays were regularly centered around service. Those experiences laid the groundwork for Zoe’s leadership today.

Looking Ahead

Zoe plans to expand Warm Hearts, Full Plates this year, with hopes of eventually reaching NOC families in Bluffton and Beaufort, which will add approximately 120 more coats and 80 more meals, bringing the total contribution of the initiative to about 300 coats and 200 families. She is also considering a future in nonprofit management, blending her academic interests with her passion for service.

For now, her message to peers is simple and powerful: “Don’t wait,” she said. “If you see a need and you care, act.”

In a world that often underestimates young people, Zoe Biles stands as a reminder that leadership is not defined by age, but by heart, vision, and the courage to serve. 

Article by Sheila Tucker . Photography by M.Kat

Don’t Talk to My Friend Like That!

Ibet you didn’t wake up this morning thinking, “How can I be harder on myself today?” I know I didn’t. And yet, somewhere between the unanswered email, the skipped workout, the thing we said (or didn’t say), and the ever-growing mental to-do list, here you are. A flood of self-critical thoughts knocks you off your feet and sends your day into a tailspin.

This pesky inner critic, clearly devoid of compassion, bullies its way onto the scene, shoving self-kindness to the floor. To anyone else, with eyes wide, you’d probably say, “Hey, don’t talk to my friend like that!” But since it’s you, you take the hit and keep going.

Sharon Salzberg, a world-renowned mindfulness, meditation, and loving-kindness teacher and New York

Times best-selling author, detailed a conversation with the Dalai Lama in her blog, On Being. He expressed unfamiliarity with the concepts of self-hatred or an intense inner critic. He was sincerely confused and repeatedly asked her to explain her question and the concept of the inner critic.

I can’t even imagine what that would be like. No inner critic? What would I even think about? How would I boss myself around or punish myself? OK, that last question is tongue-in-cheek. And also, how?

Self-punishment is so commonplace that the idea of self-kindness or self-compassion seems foreign. In case you’re wondering, self-compassion isn’t about letting yourself off the hook or lowering your standards. It’s about changing the tone of the conversation you’re already having with yourself. You all know how tone can influence a simple sentence with your partner. Think of how it could shift an entire conversation in your head.

When I discuss self-compassion, I’m often met with a deer-in-the-headlights stare, as if I just started speaking a different language. It makes sense. The idea is foreign to most, and the concept can seem vague.

Self-compassion is an active, steady practice of responding to yourself with the same care you’d offer someone you like when they’re struggling. At its core, self-compassion includes three simple but powerful elements (according to research by Kristin Neff):

• Mindfulness: Noticing your pain without exaggerating it or pushing it away.

• Common humanity: Remembering you’re not alone. Struggle is part of being human.

• Kindness: Offering yourself warmth instead of judgment.

Let’s face it. If self-compassion came easily, more of us would be doing it. You likely learned early on, explicitly or implicitly, that being hard on yourself was how you stayed safe, successful, or loved. The inner critic developed to manage and protect you, pushing you to do better, try harder, avoid mistakes, or keep the peace.

Self-compassion isn’t only about how you talk to yourself. It’s also about how you treat yourself. It could look like taking a nap or resting, setting a boundary, or trying again tomorrow instead of pushing through today.

The problem is that, over time, chronic self-criticism doesn’t lead to growth. Nope. It leads to burnout, shame, anxiety, and a persistent sense of “never quite enough.”

That’s where infusing selfcompassion comes into play. Weaving it into your day moment by moment, choice by choice.

Here are a few suggestions to begin.

1. Notice your inner tone, not just your thoughts

My suggestion might sound counterintuitive, but stay with me. Don’t try to “think positively.” Instead, start by listening and noticing.

Side note: Unlike me, you might not hear the voices in your head. You might have a feeling, bodily sense, or see images. Lean into noticing when you’re being self-critical.

Ask yourself: If someone else spoke to me this way, how would it feel?

Remember, tone matters. A lot.

Disclaimer: Critical thoughts will show up. You can’t stop them. You can soften your response to them. Even a simple internal shift from “What’s wrong with me?” to “This is really uncomfortable” creates more space.

2. Practice the pause

Self-compassion often begins with a pause. In moments of stress, try placing a hand on your chest or taking one slow breath and silently saying:

“This is hard. I’m doing the best I can right now. I don’t have to solve everything right now (or ever).”

When you pause, you interrupt old patterns and send your nervous system the message that you’re OK – even if it doesn’t feel that way.

3. Replace self-judgment with curiosity

Judgment shuts conversations down. Curiosity opens them up. When you notice yourself spiraling into selfcriticism, gently ask: “What’s really going on for me right now? What do I need in this moment?”

Think of curiosity as research and a chance to learn more about yourself.

4. Offer yourself the compassion you give others

I’m going to guess you’re incredibly compassionate to friends, partners, clients, children, and even strangers. The work is learning to turn that same energy inward.

It sounds cliché, and the next time you’re struggling, imagine what you’d say to someone you love in the same situation. Then – this is the important part: Say it to yourself without qualifiers or caveats (no “but”s allowed).

Self-compassion isn’t only about how you talk to yourself. It’s also about how you treat yourself. It could look like taking a nap or resting, setting a boundary, or trying again tomorrow instead of pushing through today.

In any case, a helpful question to determine what you need is: What would be the most supportive choice I could make right now?

If the idea of self-compassion feels unfamiliar or even uncomfortable, that’s OK. Start right where you are with small acts of imperfect self-kindness.

You’re not trying to get to self-compassion as if it’s some sort of destination where you’ll be liberated. It’s a relationship that deepens every time you choose to meet yourself with a little more kindness than yesterday. 

Article by Cheryl Ricer

Hilton Head Island Computer Club

Where Technology Meets Community, Patience, and Purpose

In a world increasingly shaped by screens, software updates, passwords, and platforms that seem to change overnight, the Hilton Head Island Computer Club (HHICC) has become one of the island’s quiet constants – steady, trusted, and profoundly human. Entirely volunteer-driven and grounded in service, the club exists to do something both simple and increasingly rare: help people understand and confidently use the technology that now permeates everyday life.

Founded in 1989 by 11 friends who were early computer enthusiasts, HHICC began as a modest gathering of curious minds meeting a few hours a week. Nearly four decades later, it has grown into one of the largest not-for-profit organizations on Hilton Head Island, serving more than 1,300 members and operating a full-scale Resource Center that provides hands-on technology support, education, and reassurance.

“Our mission has always been about helping people,” said Bob Gregory, volunteer and publicity chair for HHICC. “Technology can be incredibly empowering, but it can also be overwhelming. We’re here to make it approachable.”

A Collective Approach to an Ever-Changing World

What sets HHICC apart is not just its longevity, but the depth and diversity of expertise behind it. The club operates with approximately 30 active volunteers, most of whom are retired professionals who spent their careers in technology companies or in technology-focused roles within other industries. Others developed deep technical knowledge through years of personal study and curiosity.

“No one volunteer knows everything,” Gregory said. “But collectively, we have people who can help Windows users, Apple users, Android users – hardware, software, phones, tablets, watches, laptops. If you put us all together, we cover a lot of ground.”

A Class in the Resource Center

That collective knowledge is essential in a landscape that never stops shifting. According to Gregory, recent surveys of HHICC members reveal clear trends in where help is most needed. One of the biggest current issues is the transition to Windows 11, which has forced many users to upgrade not only software but hardware as well. “That’s a very hot topic right now,” he said. “People come in with questions about whether their machines can even handle the new operating system.”

On the Apple side, demand is equally strong. From iPads and iPhones to Apple watches and Mac computers, members regularly seek assistance navigating the interconnected Apple ecosystem.

Beyond operating systems and devices, two additional areas stand out: artificial intelligence and digital security.

“AI is high profile and high interest,” Gregory said. “It can be incredibly helpful, but it can also be misleading if people don’t understand what they’re looking at. We’ve been doing presentations to help members make sense of it.”

Security, however, may be the most urgent concern of all. With scams, hacks, and fraud attempts becoming increasingly sophisticated, HHICC volunteers spend significant time educating members on online safety, privacy, and best practices.

“Sadly, it’s more needed than ever,” Gregory said. Personalized Help, One Question at a Time

The heart of HHICC’s work happens at its Resource Center, located in the Senior Center building on Shelter Cove Lane, adjacent to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department office. Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center offers both in-person and phone-based assistance to members.

Some issues require hands-on, one-on-one help for tasks such as setting up a new device, troubleshooting software conflicts, or recovering lost files. Others can be resolved over the phone, making support accessible even to those who can’t easily visit in person.

“We really try to meet people where they are,” Gregory said. “Accessibility matters.”

Within the Resource Center, there are two distinct spaces: a larger room for group presentations and workshops, and a smaller room dedicated to individual consultations. Overseeing this operation is Resource Center manager Jolyn Bowler, a near-legendary figure within the club.

“She goes all the way back to 1991,” Gregory said with a laugh. “She’s a lovely lady, but honestly, the depth of her knowledge is almost scary. This is her life – she loves it. She manages the entire Resource Center and the one-on-one counseling that happens there.”

While operating systems and security issues are common, many members come to HHICC for help with more personal, day-to-day technology challenges. These include file management, Cloud storage, photo editing and organization, streaming television, and cord-cutting solutions.

“Photo management is a big one,” Gregory said. “People want to know how to store photos, edit them, share them, and use them in different ways to communicate with family and friends.”

Personalization is another growing area of interest. Each user has unique preferences and comfort levels, and HHICC volunteers help tailor device settings to fit individual needs – whether that means adjusting accessibility features, simplifying interfaces, or organizing apps in a more intuitive way.

Teachers at Heart

While many volunteers are self-described “tech geeks,” Gregory believes there is a deeper motivation at play. “They volunteer for two main reasons,” he said. “One is that they genuinely enjoy technology. The other is that they enjoy teaching. This is an educational service, and there’s something very rewarding about helping someone finally ‘get it.’”

Because technology evolves so quickly, volunteers often specialize in different areas, sharing knowledge with one another as much as with members. That internal collaboration keeps the club nimble and current.

In addition to one-on-one help, HHICC places a strong emphasis on education through workshops and presentations. These sessions are offered both in person and via Zoom, and many are recorded and uploaded to the club’s website for later viewing.

“If someone can’t attend live, they can still benefit,” Gregory said. “Most recordings are available within a week. We put a premium on convenience.”

This hybrid approach allows members to learn on their own schedules and revisit topics as needed, an invaluable resource in a world where information overload is common.

Hilton Head Island

Computer

Club: Tech Help You Can Trust

Founded: 1989

Members: 1,300-plus

Volunteers: 30 experienced technology professionals

Mission: Hands-on technology support and education, by neighbors, for neighbors

We Help With:

Windows, Apple, Android devices

Computers, tablets, phones, smartwatches

Windows 11 transitions, system upgrades

Cybersecurity, scams, online safety

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Benefits and risks

Cloud storage, file management, photo organization

Streaming TV, cord-cutting, device setup

Personalized device settings for ease of use

Resource Center Location: 70 Shelter Cove Lane, Suite L (inside HHI Senior Center)

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday

Membership (annual): $30 individual, $40 family

A Self-Sustaining Model of Service

HHICC is financed almost entirely through membership dues, which Gregory describes as “among the best values on the island.” Annual membership is $30 for individuals and $40 for families, allowing multiple household members to access services.

“With about 1,300 members renewing every 12 months, that revenue allows us to cover rent, maintain equipment, and invest in new technology when needed,” Gregory said. “And there’s no paid staff. We’re all volunteers.”

While HHICC’s primary focus is local, its impact has reached far beyond Hilton Head. One of the club’s proudest moments came in the form of a letter from the late Dr. Jack McConnell, founder of Volunteers in Medicine, thanking HHICC for transforming complex information into a professional presentation that could be used nationwide to help other communities establish free medical clinics.

“That really stayed with us,” Gregory said. “It showed how helping people with technology can have a much broader impact.”

As HHICC enters its 37th year, leadership is evolving as well. Longtime president Norman Galloway, who has served for the past decade, will pass the baton to incoming president Steve Tunnicliffe in January. Galloway will remain active as a volunteer, ensuring continuity and fresh momentum.

“That transition is another sign of vitality,” Gregory said. “We’re always looking forward.”

In an increasingly digital world, the Hilton Head Island Computer Club stands as a reminder that technology works best when paired with patience, generosity, and community. One question at a time, HHICC continues to prove that while devices may change, the power of people helping people never does. 

ARTICLE BY BARRY KAUFMAN

From the Ladies Tees

The sport of golf is often referred to as “a gentleman’s game.” This moniker stems from the fact that the game requires a certain amount of fair play, integrity, and honesty. Those who would take the “ungentlemanly” route, say, by kicking a dropped ball to a more favorable lie or fudging their scores, are derided for thumbing their nose at the unspoken rules of conduct that dictate each game’s play.

It seems like a badge of honor that any sport would wear, until you take a closer look at the term “gentleman.” Just by virtue of its gendered language, this moniker excludes roughly 50% of people who might pick up a club. As the LPGA has proven over the decades, golf is far more than just a gentleman’s sport. Some of the most exciting players around today aren’t gentlemen. But they still honor the fairness and discipline of the sport.

To better serve local female superstars in the making, First Tee – The Lowcountry has partnered with LPGA*USGA Girls Golf for a special class just for girls.

“It’s a very welcoming atmosphere in these classes,” said Aaron Immel, First Tee – The Lowcountry program director and lead coach. “There are a bunch of female coaches, and it’s a place for girls to establish their role in a sport that’s often male-dominated.”

Leading the charge on this new class is Krista Dunton, a board member at First Tee – The Lowcountry and instructor at Berkeley Hall. She had been running Girls Golf courses in partnership with the LPGA for some time when she

floated the idea of bringing those classes under the First Tee umbrella.

“Krista is one of the top 50 teachers in the nation, and No. 1 in South Carolina, so with her being on our board and the passion she has for teaching these girls and bringing them together made this a perfect fit,” Immel said. “We have a lot of girls in our programs, and this is something parents have been asking for. Partnering with them is a great way to help these girls learn the game of golf.”

Spring sessions for these LPGA Girls Golf courses run from February 7 to March 22, held at venues from First Tee’s Gumtree Road campus to Berkeley Hall and Bluffton’s The Zone. It all culminates with an April 15 field trip to the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing. Like most First Tee – The Lowcountry classes, these courses will balance instruction in the game’s fundamentals with thought-provoking discussions centered on self-improvement.

“It’s similar to First Tee, but a little different,” Immel said. “But they have the same dedication to life skills. They have the Five Es (Empower, Enrich, Engage, Exercise, and Energize) while we have the nine core values (Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Confidence, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courtesy, and Judgment).”

Essentially, these classes show girls that they don’t need to be a gentleman to show the boys how it’s done. All sessions are $180. To register, email Krista Dunton at girlsgolflowcountry@gmail.com or download the LPGA Girls Golf app. 

Photography by M.Kat

A LINE IN THE SAND

COURTNEY’S THOUGHTS

Barry and I have been having this hot debate for a decade. We’ve tackled pizza (twice), superheroes, music, sports, vacation spots, parents, beach parking, regrets, and dozens of other random topics. When the well is running dry, one of us will lob out an idea so far-fetched that we could turn it into comedy.

That is what this month’s topic feels like. Expect it isn’t far-fetched. It actually happened. In America. And I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.

Sure, I can play the game and contemplate how funny it would be to randomly take over another country. I would likely use food as my filter.

Mexico would be an obvious choice, given my love of tacos and margaritas, which would no longer be limited to just Tuesdays.

Topic: What country would you randomly take over?

Maybe Scotland, where you can enjoy steamed mussels while overlooking the loch from which they were just harvested.

Or France, where champagne is automatically served with a side of fries.

The allure of siestas being built right into the day makes Spain sounds sleepily spectacular.

And Italy, where you can eat pizza and pasta every single day and never gain a pound.

But I also know that as a leader, clarity of boundaries is your superpower.

And you don’t need to be the leader of any country to know that you are not “randomly” allowed to take over other countries. Under modern international law (and specifically the United Nations Charter, circa 1945), the use of force to acquire territory is illegal. By the by, “force” is considered “legal” only in specific, non-random circumstances like self-defense or authorization from the United Nations Security Council meant to restore international peace and security.

So, despite my love for champs and frites, and the fact that we get paid by the word, that’s all I have to say about that. 

BARRY'S THOUGHTS

My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to say that our long, national Dry January is over and we are back on the imperialism wagon! As I write this, we have just taken over Venezuela, but I’m fairly confident by the time you read this that Greenland and possibly even Canada may have also been merrily brought into the fold as new semi-independent-but-not-really U.S. interests.

I hear some of you out there hemming and hawing about sovereignty. But it’s like the president said, does it give someone the right to own a country just because they landed a boat there 500 years ago? It needs to be at least (checks notes, does math) 534 years to count.

Plus, we’ve earned this, OK? Over the past 70 years or so, we have been really good, limiting ourselves to a regime change here and there or creating the odd puppet government during the Cold War. We deserve a treat, and for a proud nation such as ours, that means getting manifest destiny all over the place and adding a few new stars to Old Glory.

First stop? England. If we’re making the heel turn, might as well start with our bestie, right?

In case you’re unfamiliar with this island paradise, Tuvalu is a beautiful South Pacific country that is currently being evacuated due to heightened hysteria over the global warming hoax.

The thing is, we’ve already kind of loosened the lid on this one. England already hosts a few NFL games a year. While they are on the devil’s metric system, they measure speed in miles per hour as God intended. They seem to speak some form of American. And they already elected Boris Johnson, who is pretty much just our president with the steering wheel on the other side.

At this point, the rest of Europe will be on high alert, which means it’s the perfect time to zig. You thought we were done with you, Vietnam? Not America 2.0. We’re the generation of pigeon hawks who were raised on the absolute glut of movies we made about our last war with you, and we missed the point of all of them entirely. So we’re coming back for vengeance. This one’s for you, Bubba from Forrest Gump

If the current models being put out by the government are correct, we should have five new countries under our control by mid-May. With summer just around the corner, it’ll be time to add somewhere tropical to the portfolio. Yeah, we already have one Hawaii, but you can never have too many, right?

And here’s where my doctrine reveals its brilliance. The summer stop on our world tour brings us to Tuvalu, a nation as fun to say as it would be easy to invade. In case you’re unfamiliar with this island paradise, Tuvalu is a beautiful South Pacific country that is currently being evacuated due to heightened hysteria over the global warming hoax. I mean, just because the islands are measurably shrinking and their drinking water has been completely overtaken by ocean water doesn’t mean it’s the CO2 boogie man, right? But if they’re going to overreact and flee to higher ground, it makes it that much easier for the good old U.S. of A to swoop in. Surf’s up!

If all goes according to plan, and it always does when we get into the business of nation building, we’ll have a good chunk of the globe on the books by Christmas. That should give Elon all the time he needs to get us rocket ready to liberate the moon, ensuring that the sun literally never sets on the American empire. 

Article by Lynne Cope Hummell .

M.Kat

Love is a Many-Splintered Thing

in Musical Revue at Sea Glass Stage

Ilove you.”

“You’re perfect.”

Sounds like the beginning of a lovely relationship, doesn’t it? Picture a nice couple – any age – just starting out on a meaningful connection, perhaps after a few dates, still getting to know one another. Everything is sunshine and lollipops. Until …

“Now change.”

The imperfections inherent in humans begin to show through. With the comfort of being familiar with

another person comes the letting down of one’s guard, perhaps behaving as if we have no filter, no sense or sensibilities, certainly not being our best self 24/7/365. Or is that truly the issue? Is it just that the other person is highly critical, too picky, and generally hard to please?

Anyone who recognizes the foibles of adult relationships is sure to be amused and entertained by the musical comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the next production at Sea Glass Stage Company on Hilton Head Island. Directed by Dan

Franke, the show runs the weekends of February 20 to March 8 at the theatre in Coligny Plaza.

“This show is almost indescribable – there’s nothing to compare it to,” Franke said, when asked what the musical is all about. “Each scene is a snapshot of love, in or out of it, with people who are old, young, gay, straight.”

The many stories celebrate numerous facets of relationships from first meet-ups to marriage, successful pairings to comical mistakes, from moving

in to moving on, with a healthy dose of kids and in-laws, family vacations, and pick-up techniques of the elders.

Interestingly, there are more than 40 characters in the production, showcasing a variety of scenes that explore many of the iterations of romantic life. Four local actors will play all those roles: Jessica Walck, who recently directed and appeared in Christmas Belles at Sea Glass; Kyle Price, who appeared in the company’s 2025 production of The 39 Steps, also directed by Walck; Mark Erickson, most recently seen in Christmas Belles as the beloved Raynerd Chisum; and Isabella Schmitz, a SCAD student who has played Elle in Legally Blonde in Savannah and is appearing in her first Sea Glass production.

The stories are told in ever-changing scenes and quick vignettes, “almost like a Saturday Night Live sketch crossed with a musical revue,” Franke said. “It is delightful, because the audience isn’t sure what the next scene is going to be.”

Franke, who has performed in four productions at Sea Glass (most recently in Christmas Belles ), is directing his first show for the company. “This is my first time directing anywhere in South Carolina,” he quipped. Hailing from the Chicago area, and spending some time in Tampa, Florida, Franke is a long-time actor and a former high school theatre teacher who has also directed community theatre and a few professional productions since 1999.

“As a high school director, you’re sort of a one-man show – doing costumes, building the set, making the programs, and overseeing concessions,” Franke said. “In community theatre, you get to focus only on directing. You like to have your fingers in all of it, but you enjoy the freedom that comes with having a larger team of collaborators involved in the prism of your vision.”

Demonstrating an uncomfortable first date are Jessica Walck and Kyle Price.

Of special note to Franke, his 25-year-old daughter will appear in a professional theatre production of this show this summer at Stageworks in Tampa.

Franke is joined on the production team by Bob Adams as musical director, Alex Clark as stage manager, Ashley Gonzalez as choreographer, and Craig Walck as lighting designer. Marcia Peterson returns as costume designer and procurer.

Performances of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, February 20-March 8, at the home of Sea Glass Stage Company, 1 N. Forest Beach Drive in Coligny Plaza. Tickets are available now at sgstage.org.

Sea Glass Stage Company is a nonprofit community theatre whose mission is “Connecting our community through the power and love of theatre.” 

Article by Barry Kaufman

Filling Hearts and Bellies at Coligny

The title “Hilton Head’s Downtown” isn’t something that Coligny Plaza takes lightly. It’s a reputation earned, and not just by giving the community a place where they can meet friends, enjoy a meal or a happy hour, and browse shops run by their neighbors. Through the years, Coligny has earned that name by giving back, by making itself a vital part of the community and an engine for positive change.

Two events in February underscore how much Coligny gives back, while showing that no one knows how to throw a party like Hilton Head’s Downtown.

First on the agenda on February 7 is the annual Souper Bowl of Caring. Held on the eve of The Big Game, this alwayspopular walkable event lets guests sample some of the many delectable dishes from Coligny Plaza’s celebrated restaurants. That slight chill in the air makes for the perfect complement to a rich hearty bowl of Slowcountry BBQ’s Brisket Chili or Skillet’s legendary creamy Clam Chowder, urging you to try them all.

And it’s not just about filling up your belly. Serving as a fundraiser for Second Helpings, the Souper Bowl of Caring supports their mission to collect surplus food from restaurants and grocery stores to deliver to those in need.

“I’m looking forward to our eighth Souper Bowl! This event and our partnership with the amazing restaurants and stores of Coligny Plaza are a perfect example of what community looks like in action,” said Amy Colin, Second Helpings executive director. “It’s more than just delicious soup, it’s local businesses, volunteers, and neighbors coming together to fight hunger right here in the Lowcountry. Every bowl served helps us rescue more food and feed more people.”

Tickets to the Souper Bowl of Caring are $25 and can be purchased at colignyplaza.com.

Don’t fill up just yet, however, and don’t put that jersey away after this season’s champion has been decided. You might need it for the second annual Jerseys and Dresses gala, set for February 21. Founded by local Philadelphia Eagles fan Steph Cauller, this unique event encourages either dressing to the nines or dressing for the gridiron, supporting your team or looking fabulous.

Held at The Vehicle Vault at 145 Island Road, the event will feature dishes from Coligny’s restaurants that celebrate different teams’ culinary culture. Think cheesesteaks for the Eagles fans, crab cakes for Raven supporters, or Primantistyle sandwiches for Steeler Nation.

“I like to say it’s the classiest tailgate on America’s favorite island,” Cauller said. “It was a natural fit to partner with the local restaurants in Coligny, as these owners are our neighbors and this event is built for our community.”

Caleb, Victoria and Addie are regulars to Coligny Plaza.

This year's Jerseys & Dresses event will be held on February 21 at the Vehicle Vault. Coligny is a presenting sponsor.

Jerseys & Dresses founder Stephanie Cauller and George Buckland.

Along with the food, live music from Nashville’s Paul Juneau, and TVs showing highlights from the past season and beyond will keep the tailgate atmosphere humming. And of course, the entire evening serves as a massive fundraiser for a host of worthy organizations, including the Sandalwood Community Food Pantry, Visitation Home of Hilton Head, the Island Rec Center’s All American Football Camp, and the Eagles Autism Foundation.

Tickets for Jerseys and Dresses sponsored by Coligny are $150 and can be purchased at jerseysanddresses.org, where tickets for pre-gala kick-off events are available as well. 

Article by Jesse Blanco . Photography by M.Kat

RestauRant Reality

CheCk: Food, laboR, supply Costs aRe soaRing

It seems the price of everything has been out of control for a while now. Please stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Given the fact that we’ve been talking food from Savannah to Beaufort for a lot longer than anyone else in the area, I’ve come to feel like I have a responsibility, if not an obligation, to be the bearer of news that doesn’t always sit well with the dining public.

Quite some time ago we co-branded Eat It and Like It as “The Voice of Food” around here. As such, when I have felt like a particular message needed to be delivered to the masses on behalf of the restaurants we enjoy so much, I’ve taken a shot at playing messenger in that regard. I’ve done it in print, I’ve done it on television – more than once. I think it’s time to do it again.

The cost of everything you enjoy eating is out of control. Of course, that applies to your grocery bill and mine. But for the purpose of our gathering here, it is important to underscore how much it applies to the grocery bills being juggled by your favorite restaurants.

I fired off about a dozen text messages recently to chefs and restaurant owners across the area, from Hilton Head Island to St. Simons Island and a flurry of others in between. It was the same question to all of them, a copy and paste for the sake of efficiency: “Tell me something you buy regularly that is now ridiculously expensive.”

I wish I could tell you the variety in responses surprised me, but it didn’t. The reality is everything has gone up, from paper goods to labor costs.

I’m not going to share any names about who said what. Ultimately what these folks said is what is important. At the same time, there isn’t a reputable restaurant owner or chef out there who would want to be caught dead complaining to their patrons. They all know you have your own issues with affordability these days and are ever appreciative of any support they can get, particularly during the winter. That’s why I am choosing to share this now.

“Beef and labor,” one owner said.

Beef was a constant, with one owner telling me he was paying $3.75 a pound for brisket last year and it is now up to $6.50. “And we lose 50% of it when we cook it.”

“Mahi was about $9 a pound in June,” another said. “It’s currently $22 a pound.” Still another admitted that frozen cod has been more expensive than fresh.

I don’t know about you, but if I regularly purchase something for $9 a pound and it jumped to $22 in just a few months, I’d stop buying it. But how do you do that when you are a reputable seafood restaurant?

You don’t stop buying it. You figure it out.

That owner wasn’t done, either. “Really, everything is up 15-35%. Boxes of gloves have doubled. Anything in packets has doubled or tripled. Pork, chicken – everything is up and gas prices are down.”

“As fuel prices dropped, food prices continued climbing. Restaurants are taking the brunt of the heavy lifting there and we have the smallest margins. It sucks for the restaurant industry.”

Another chimed in: “A roll of aluminum foil is $60 and a lot of the disposables are outrageous. A 24 pack of 20-ounce bottles of Coke is over $30. A case of Dasani water is over $25 when you can buy a case at Sam’s for $7.”

And then there is labor. No employees, no restaurant.

“I pay someone $22 an hour to make a salad,” one chef said. “I’m actually glad to do it, because I very much believe in paying our people a living wage. We want them to be happy. But my wife makes $29 an hour as a critical care nurse. Put that in perspective for me. I’m not sure you can.”

One restaurant owner summed it up this way: “You know, we went from COVID to this tariff stuff and I’m not sure the prices have ever really regulated in the last six years.”

Are we getting the picture yet? Margins that were, in most cases, already razor thin are getting squeezed. There is only one way to make it work sometimes and that is to pass these costs along to you, the consumer – which, obviously, most have done.

I was out to dinner last fall, by myself (I do that quite a bit). I had one reasonably priced entree, one glass of wine. Add in gratuity and I think my total approached $70. Did I wince? Of course, I winced, but it is what it is.

And that’s just it. That’s my reason for sharing this time with you here today. Very few of us are going to stop visiting our regular eateries. Less frequently, perhaps? You already have. Trust me, they’ve been feeling that pinch since last summer.

But just as I feel I have a responsibility to share what these restaurants are going through with you, I think it is more than fair to say you need to do the same and remember that your burger isn’t north of $25 because someone in the back is getting rich. Or that your beautifully prepared seafood dinner is higher-priced than it used to be because someone is trying to gouge the public. Not at all.

It may seem cliche, but when you support local restaurants, you are helping parents get braces for their child. Maybe new clothing for back to school, or maybe spending a few bucks to fix a leaky roof at home or in the kitchen. It all matters.

Just something to keep in mind as we roar into another year, another spring break, and another high season ahead.

TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND UPDATES

On January 27, our town council held a day-long public meeting to hear an update from Town Manger Marc Orlando on progress made to date on the Fiscal Year 2026-28 Strategic Action Plan that we adopted this past June. As a reminder, our planning and budget cycles align with the state of South Carolina’s fiscal year, which is defined as July 1-June 30. We also had a robust discussion on what to prioritize in the capital improvement program budget for fiscal year 2027, which will be here before we know it.

If you missed it, I encourage you to watch a recording of the discussion on the town’s YouTube channel.

One of the highlights of the meeting was a report on the town’s new website launch that took a digital tour through some of the upgrades. The team has worked hard to make things easier on website users, to incorporate new tools, and importantly, provide enhanced transparency for the community as we continue to implement the strategic action plan. How? I’m so glad you asked.

Making things easier involved improvements to customer service delivery, our online forms, and the completeness of answers available through the website now vs. in the past. The new site meets standards as set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes Spanish translation so that we continue to ensure that everyone has equal access to town information and services.

Not to be left behind at this stage of the 21st century, the site now includes an AI-powered chat bot feature for 24/7 assistance. This new tool helps our users get answers to common questions quickly, reduces the need for phone calls when appropriate, and will improve customer service without having to add more staff.

Finally, Orlando and the web team are going to great lengths to enhance transparency and improve public trust through easy access to performance data, meetings, documents, and services, including the launch of performance dashboards. The goal of these dashboards is to demonstrate real-time progress regarding the town’s strategies, capital projects, our budget, and the services we provide.

Ask just about any elected official or staff member in any municipality, anywhere, at any time, what’s one thing they wish for and I bet you’d hear a similar refrain: “I wish people in the community understood all that we’re doing, and

MAYOR

CLEARING UP CONFUSION ABOUT GOLF CARTS, SPECIALIZED VEHICLES, AND E-BIKES

Since my recent column on Bluffton’s new golf cart and specialized vehicle safety ordinance, many residents have reached out with thoughtful questions. Most focus on what South Carolina law requires, what Bluffton added locally and what this ordinance does – and does not – cover.

Let’s start with the baseline.

South Carolina law establishes minimum statewide requirements for operating golf carts and other specialized vehicles on public roads. These vehicles must be registered with the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles and display a permit decal. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license, and proof of liability insurance is required. State law limits operation to roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less.

State law also authorizes cities and towns to adopt additional regulations tailored to local conditions and to decide if nighttime driving is allowed. This authority is common across South Carolina and allows communities to address safety needs specific to roads within town limits.

Bluffton’s ordinance builds on that state framework.

After months of public input, town council adopted additional safety measures specific to Bluffton. These include roadway restrictions, equipment requirements, and passenger safety provisions.

Under Bluffton’s ordinance, specialized vehicles are permitted only on two-lane roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less, consistent with state law, and are prohibited from operating in roundabouts. Vehicles may cross higher-speed roads only at intersections.

The ordinance allows nighttime operation only if vehicles are properly equipped. Required equipment includes headlights, taillights, and turn signals. Some existing vehicles may need to be retrofitted to meet these standards.

just how much is really being accomplished.” Ask a similar question of our families, friends, neighbors, and business colleagues and you’d probably hear something like, “I just wish it was easier to understand what’s going on and where I can find more information.”

Combined with our social media, e-subscription service, our work with the local news media and our MyHHI app, this new website and its enhanced functionality intend to grant that wish for the Hilton Head Island community and those who serve it. 

Passenger safety is a central focus. Seat belts are required for all passengers. Age-appropriate restraints are required for infants and small children, and drivers may not hold infants while operating a vehicle. Occupancy is limited to the manufacturer’s stated capacity.

These local requirements are intended to reduce injuries, as national data shows most golf cart injuries occur when passengers are ejected. Locally, Bluffton police have responded to multiple golf cart crashes in recent years, including incidents involving children.

It is also important to clarify where the ordinance applies.

Bluffton’s ordinance applies only to public roads within town limits. Golf courses are not roads, and traffic laws do not govern how golf carts are used on golf course property.

One area where the rule is very clear: Golf carts and specialized vehicles are not permitted on multi-use pathways or sidewalks. These paths are reserved for pedestrians and bicyclists and are not designed for motorized vehicles. Allowing carts on these pathways creates unnecessary safety risks.

Another frequent question involves electric bicycles. Electric bikes are not included in this ordinance. E-bikes are in the same category as non-motorized bicycles – the bicyclist must comply with all rules of the road, such as stopping at stop signs, following traffic patterns and so forth. Town staff and leaders are actively researching South Carolina law and best practices related to e-bikes to determine whether local guidance or future action may be appropriate. As use increases, our goal is safe coexistence for everyone using our roads and pathways.

Finally, remember that Bluffton’s ordinance applies whenever you are within town limits. Even if you live in unincorporated Beaufort County, your route might pass through Bluffton. The town’s “Am I in Bluffton?” map, available in the map gallery on the town’s website, can help clarify boundaries.

The town’s goal is not to limit mobility or change the character of our community. It is to ensure that as transportation options grow, safety grows with them. Education remains our first priority, enforcement second, and safety always. 

Article by Barry Kaufman

RESCUE GOURMET

Second Helpings serves up an evening of epicurean delight

Alot of us are fortunate enough to not have to think of food as sustenance. It’s a treat, something that ignites the senses in a symphony of flavors. It’s an experience, plated to perfection and ready to be preserved forever on Instagram. It’s an artform, requiring both inspiration and studied practice in the kitchen.

It’s easy to forget what food truly means to so many people. If you want to understand, try going without it for a few days.

Because the fact of the matter is, in the state of South Carolina, one in eight adults and one in six children face food insecurity. Narrowing the scope to the Lowcountry, that’s 31,460 people facing hunger. Forget something that has been expertly prepared and perfectly plated –these people, our neighbors, can’t even get something that supplies the basic nutrition they need to survive. Adding insult to injury, its estimated that 40% of food produced will only be consumed by the landfills.

Bridging this gap was the reason that Second Helpings was formed in 1992, starting with a small group of volunteers who used their own cars to take surplus food from grocery stores and restaurants and deliver them where they were needed. As you can imagine, that need has only grown over the intervening 34 years.

“People have an idea that we do food rescue, but they often don't understand the scope of what we do,” said Executive Director Amy Colin. “We are to a place now where we have 57 agencies, from food pantries to soup kitchens (that we deliver to). We had an increase last year of 7%, we distributed 3.6 million pounds of food, and we’re feeding about 14,000 people a week.”

Rather than being delivered in volunteers’ cars, these days Second Helpings relies on its own fleet of trucks, but that comes with its own issues.

“When people ask me what our biggest expense is, it is our trucks,” Colin said. “It costs us $1,000 a month per truck to keep them on the road. They drove over 91,000 miles last year, and that requires money.”

To help keep those trucks rolling, Second Helpings will launch its inaugural Rescue Gourmet fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. February 26 at USCB Hilton Head. During the event, local chefs will each prepare a meal from rescued ingredients for attendees and a panel of judges. At press time, those chefs include Sea Pines Country Club’s Brian Coseo, Wexford Country Club’s Robert Wysong, and Chef Lynn Michelle, known as the East Coast Chef.

Keeping the evening going will be emcee extraordinaire Andrew Davis, while CH2’s own Maggie Washo and Jevon Daly will join Orchid Paulmeier and Betsy McDaniel on the judges’ stand. Along with the chefs’ creations, guests will also enjoy curated tastings, cocktails, and an impact auction, all while helping keep Second Helpings’ trucks running.

“It's such a great opportunity to reach people who are not familiar with Second Helpings, but also to just highlight the importance of both food rescue and reducing food insecurity,” Colin said. “I think that this event is the perfect blend of what we do and the impact that we have on our community.”

Tickets to Second Helpings’ Rescue Gourmet dinner are $125 and can be purchased at secondhelpingslc.org/ rescuegourmet. 

Following a comprehensive nationwide search, Aaron Falk has been named president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry (CFL). Falk assumed the role in January.

Falk most recently served for four years as CEO and president of Kern Community Foundation in Bakersfield, California.

Falk has a political science degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, completed the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College as a civilian, and attained an MBA from California State University, Bakersfield. After earning his degree, Falk worked for more than a decade in the U.S. Congress. He started at the House Armed Services Committee, was a military legislative assistant for Rep. Martha McSally, and then worked in the district office for his hometown congressman, Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Falk will be joined in the Lowcountry by his wife Lauren and young daughter, Mia.

Falk succeeds Scott Wierman, who has served as CFL president and CEO since January 2021 and retired at the end of 2025.

Art League of Hilton Head will present From Their Spirit, By Their Hands – Gullah Geechee Traditions in Art, a powerful exhibition honoring the rich artistic traditions of the

Geechee people, on view February 3-27.

The exhibition is held each February to recognize and preserve the history, culture, and contributions of the Gullah Geechee community. Featuring work by 38 artists, the exhibit showcases a wide range of artistic expressions rooted in heritage, storytelling, craftsmanship, and spiritual connection.

Through painting, mixed media, and traditional forms, the exhibit invites viewers to experience the visual language of Gullah Geechee culture and its enduring influence on the Lowcountry. The exhibition celebrates both individual artistic voices and a collective cultural legacy that continues to thrive today.

An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 4, at the gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane. The reception is free and open to the public.

The Sea Pines Resort opened its newest boutique, Lighthouse Kids Co., in January in the Shops at Harbour Town. The new store will feature a curated selection of apparel and gifts for infants, children, and teens, as well as special items for parents.

Shoppers will find The Sea Pines Resort-inspired logo apparel, unique gifts, accessories, and gear for young adventurers. Top national and regional brands, including Peter Millar, Rhoback, The Beaufort Bonnet Company, Little Fish Boateak, Little Sundays, TRVL Design, U.S. Kids Golf, Holderness & Bourne, Bella Tunno, Blue 84, and others, will be available. In addition, special collections such as Mommy & Me and Dads & Lads will make it easy to coordinate outfits for golf outings, beach days, or exploring the resort’s many amenities. Meghan Mitchell is general manager for the store. The boutique’s location is in proximity to the Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground, a popular draw for families and kids with a tree house and play structures.

Lighthouse Kids Co. will be open daily at 10 a.m. with seasonal closing hours between 5 and 9 p.m.

Feb. 2026 Calendar

TUESDAYS

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Farmers & Makers Market The Shops at Sea Pines Center

TUESDAYS

9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Hilton Head Farmers Market

Coastal Discovery Museum 70 Honey Horn Drive

WEDNESDAYS

Wick It Wednesday Sea Love Candle Bar SeaLoveHiltonHead.com

THURSDAYS

BLUFFTON FARMERS MARKET 12 - 4 p.m. 68 Boundary Street, Bluffton

FIRST

THURSDAY

ARTISAN ALLEY 4-7 p.m. Shops at Sea Pines Center

MONTH

LONG

SAVOR SEA PINES Epicurean Festival savorseapines.com

FEB. 1-22

“THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG” Arts Center artshhi.com

3-4

Tuesday - Wednesday “PAINTING WITH PALETTE KNIFE” Workshop Art League Academy 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. academy@artleague.org

Following the Path Oil by Trish Weeks

FEB. 3-27

GULLAH GEECHEE EXHIBIT Opening Reception, Feb. 4 5-7 p.m. Art League of HH

3-4

Tuesday - Wednesday SWEETGRASS BASKET-MAKING CLASS 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Palmetto Bluff info@pbconservancy.org

7 Saturday

FREEDOM DAY

Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 40 Harriett Tubman Way exploremitchelville.org

7 Saturday

VALENTINE’S EVENT

HILTON HEAD HUMANE 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Shelter Cove Community Park

11 Wednesday

COASTAL BLISS 6-8:30 p.m.

Runway & Rosé: A Girls’ Night Out at Lowcountry Stone Boutique $25 per ticket + fees eventbrite.com/e/runway-rose-girlsnight-out-tickets-1980563764535

14

Saturday

PALM TREES & PISTONS 9-11 a.m.

Nala’s Beach Bar & Grill

14 Folly Field Road Free Car Show

19-21

Thursday - Saturday MARY BENSON Artist in Residence Palmetto Bluff palmettobluff.com/experience

21

Saturday

HILTON HEAD HUMANE Creekside Canines Adoption Event Noon-2 p.m. Skull Creek Boathouse

FEB. 20MARCH 8

“I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE” Sea Glass Stage at Coligny sgstage.org

FEB. 23-24

Monday and Tuesday

VIENNA BOYS CHOIR IN BLUFFTON! hiltonheadchoralsociety.org