Sun City Sun • January 21, 2026

The SUN CITY

Creative Vision celebrates the creativity of Sun City Residents

BY JOE TURINO Contributor

When a single photograph sparks imagination across paint, glass, and wood, the result is Creative Vision—Sun City’s signature celebration of art and photography—returning for its 13th year. The Creative Vision 2026 Show will take place over three days, from Friday, January 30 through Sunday, February 1, in Pinckney Hall, inviting residents to experience one of the community’s most popular cultural events.

Widely anticipated each year, Creative Vision is a joint effort of four Sun City clubs—the Photography Club, All About Art, Glasscrafters Club, and, making its debut in the show this year, Woodworker Artists—working together to present a unified exhibition. Co-chaired by Sue Grilli and Barbara Moschella, the 2026 show features 146 participants, including 73 photographers, 61 artists, 8 glasscrafters, and 4 woodworkers.

“The artists start with a photo from the photographer and then create their interpretation in their own medium,” said Grilli.

The result is a collection of paired works that reflect both individual creativity and the collaborative spirit of the par-

ticipating clubs. The format has proven highly popular, drawing approximately 3,000 residents last year to view the artwork and take part in voting.

A favorite feature of the show—the Favorite Choice voting—returns this year with a new schedule. Voting will take place during the first two days of the exhibition, Friday and Saturday, allowing volunteers time to tabulate the results. Visitors are encouraged to come early in the show to vote for their favorites in five categories: Favorite Pair, Favorite Art, Favorite Photo, Favorite Glass, and Favorite Wood. While voting will close at the end of the day on Saturday, the show itself will continue on Sunday, giving residents another opportunity to enjoy the artwork on display.

Behind the scenes, much of the show’s random matching of participants and continuity is guided by longtime Photography Club member John Burrack, who has been involved with the pairing process since 2014 in advance of the 2015 exhibition and has served as Pairing and Participant Communications Chair since 2016.

Burrack joined the Photography Club in 2008 and is a former club president, and through the years has served in many

roles including an instructor of photography classes, and a regular presence during weekly studio hours, where he assists members in producing prints—including many featured in the Creative Vision exhibition. He also leads the Canon-R Mirrorless user group.

Burrack first worked on the event when it was known as Double Vision. In those early years, photographers and artists were paired through a lottery-style drawing. from separate pools of registrants.

For the most recent shows, the process has evolved into a digital random pairing system, now capable of creating more than 70 photographer-artist pairings.

Following the COVID-related closure that canceled the 2021 show, Double Vision was renamed Creative Vision to better reflect its intent. As Burrack explained, the exhibition is designed to present “two independent interpretations of a common scene or moment,” reinforcing the collaborative relationship between photographer and artist rather than a traditional arts-and-crafts format.

The show has also expanded steadily in scope. Originally limited to traditional artists, Creative Vision later added glass artists—first four, then ten—and in 2026 welcomes Woodworker Artists for the first

time. Traditional artist categories now also include digital and graphic artists.

Burrack has personally participated as a photographer in every Creative Vision and Double Vision show. The 2026 exhibition marks his 13th pairing, though only his 12th different photograph, as one image selected by an artist in the first show was later chosen again by a different artist.

Over time, Creative Vision has become one of Sun City Hilton Head’s most recognized and well-attended annual events. Burrack credits its success to leadership that has consistently positioned the exhibition as a creative, artist-centered show rather than a craft fair—an approach that has helped it remain one of the community’s few multi-day art events. He also noted that Lifestyle Services has recognized the show’s strong community involvement and its continued role as a shared signature event among multiple chartered clubs.

Awards will be announced on Sunday, February 1, at 1 p.m. Show hours are Friday, January 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, January 31, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 1, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Grainger joins Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists

BY EMMA JUNE GROSSKOPF Contributor

Dr. Terry Grainger, board-certified in cardiovascular disease and fellowship-trained in cardiology, has joined Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists, seeing patients in both Okatie and Beaufort. With more than 30 years of experience, he brings a knowledgeable, compassionate approach to diagnosing and treating acute and chronic heart conditions, including congestive heart failure, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

“Dr. Grainger is a valuable addition to our exceptional Heart Specialists team,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “His expertise and commitment to compassionate cardiac care will be an asset to patients across the Lowcountry.”

Dr. Grainger knew early on that medicine was his calling. While in high school, he had the opportunity to shadow a surgeon at a local hospital and developed a

strong interest in the field of cardiology. He earned his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, then completed an internal medicine residency at Pitt County Memorial Hospital and a cardiology fellowship at East Carolina University of Medicine, both in Greenville, N.C.

Specializing in preventive cardiology, Dr. Grainger partners closely with his patients to support healthy lifestyle habits and reduce the risk of heart disease.

“I treat patients the way I want my own family to be treated,” he said, noting that building strong relationships with patients is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.

In addition to coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure, Dr. Grainger’s clinical experience includes sleep and obesity medicine. He joins Beaufort Memorial from Prisma Health in Columbia, S.C., where he treated patients with a wide range of heart conditions and sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.

Dr. Grainger enjoys staying active and spending time with his wife Mary Ann,

boating and fishing – both inshore and offshore.

Providers at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists focus on cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology, offering a broad range of services, including angioplasty and pacemaker placement. These providers also help patients manage heart disease risk factors such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and high cholesterol.

At the practice, Dr. Grainger joins board-certified interventional cardiologists Drs. Stuart Smalheiser and Francis O’Neill, as well as physician assistant Tara Kay, MMS, PA-C and nurse practitioner Nicole Gray, MSN, FNP-C, AGACNP-BC.

Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists is located in Beaufort at 300 Midtown Drive and in Okatie at the Okatie Medical Pavilion, 122 Okatie Center Blvd. North, Suite 300. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Grainger or any of Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists team, call 843-770-4550.

Staying Connected names new executive director

The board of directors of Staying Connected has announced the appointment of Barbara Wheat as the organization’s new executive director.

Wheat brings more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, including business development, fundraising and financial oversight. Board members said her appointment represents a key addition to the organization’s leadership team as it continues to expand its services.

Staying Connected works to help Sun City residents remain engaged in the active adult community by offering information, support and services designed to as-

sist individuals in addressing life’s challenges.

Board leaders said Wheat is committed to advancing the organization’s mission and supporting residents through increased access to resources and community connections.

Staying Connected is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) charitable organization and is not affiliated with the Sun City Community Association or the Pulte Group.

More information is available at stayingconnectedschh.org. Questions may be directed to Community Relations Director Lucia Crosby at luciacrosby@stayingconnectedschh.org

Mortgage rates dip below 6%

What it means for 2026

BY GARY SMYTHE Contributor

Recent rate news

Mortgage interest rates have finally dipped below the 6 percent threshold for the first time in nearly three years, with the average 30year fixed rate reaching around 5.99 percent. This move followed a presidential directive aimed at lowering rates through significant purchases of mortgage-backed securities by government-sponsored entities.

Most economists still expect rates to spend much of 2026 in the low-6 percent range (roughly 6.0–6.4 percent), with occasional dips below 6 percent depending on economic conditions, inflation, and Federal Reserve actions.

Lower rates improve affordability by reducing monthly payments, which can encourage more buyers to enter the market and make homeownership slightly more attainable after several years of elevated borrowing costs.

Talk of housing policy changes

There’s also increased political discussion about limiting the ability of large corporations and institutional investors to buy single-family homes. The idea behind such proposals is to preserve more homes for traditional owner-occupants and reduce competition from large investment firms in certain markets. Financial Times

While the exact impact of any potential restriction remains uncertain, the broader goal is to boost housing availability and affordability for everyday buyers—especially first-time buyers. Experts note, however, that institutional investors represent a relatively small slice of total resi-

dential ownership nationally, and real affordability challenges are shaped by broader supply and demand dynamics. What this means for the market in 2026

Putting it all together:

• Affordability may inch forward as mortgage rates trend lower than they were over the past couple of years, making monthly payments more manageable for qualified buyers.

• Buyer demand could improve modestly if rates stay in the low-6 percent range and housing costs become slightly less onerous.

• Home price growth is expected to be moderate, not dramatic. Most forecasts project small increases—or stabilization—rather than rapid gains, as inventory increases and affordability constraints persist. ABC17NEWS

• More sellers may come off the sidelines, especially if financing becomes more predictable and move-up buyers feel more comfortable selling and rebuying in the same rate environment.

• Inventory is likely to grow, offering buyers more choice after years of tight supply.

Overall, 2026 looks to be a more balanced market compared to the recent era of high rates and low inventory. Buyers may find better opportunities than they have in a while, and sellers with wellpriced, well-presented homes should still attract interest.

Gary Smythe is a local Real Estate Agent with William Raveis Real Estate specializing in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.

Gary@GarySmythe.com. www.WilliamRaveis.com/GarySmythe

With a little help from my friends

BY KEVIN FITZPATRICK Contributor

I’ll open this with huge apologies to Lennon & McCartney.

“What would you think if I (wrote) out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your (eyes) and I’ll (tell you a story),

And I’ll try not to sing out of key.”

I have been chubby all of my life. With the exception of two years toward the end of high school, weight has been a constant up-and-down battle. Atkins, Weight Watchers, nutritionist visits, running, swimming, strength training, rowing machines, elliptical machines — you name it, I’ve tried it. Usually it was successful … until it wasn’t. There are a lot of reasons — metabolism, focus and many others — but this is not a piece about that. It’s about what has happened because of it.

We will skip many of the decades of the ups and downs and land firmly in late 2015. I had become so heavy that, years earlier, I had developed a serious case of obstructive sleep apnea and had, for years, used a CPAP machine. I had high blood pressure and, even with my hips being replaced in 2009 and 2010, I was, due to the weight, almost completely inactive. I decided, after seeing how successful a friend was, to investigate bariatric sleeve surgery. I had just turned 63 and was looking at a very short timeline if things remained the same.

It was a long process, just trying to check all the necessary boxes for my medical insurance, but I got it done and, in July of 2016, had a very successful surgery. Within a year, I no longer had sleep apnea, my hypertension was gone and I completed the SoNo Half Marathon.

We both fully retired in June of ’21 and checked off one more box on my wish list and moved to Bluffton to escape the winters I hated so much. The “new life” had one downside: the weight started to creep back up — slowly, but noticeably — and lo and behold, my sleep apnea and hypertension returned. While the original surgery resulted in a loss of over 190 lbs., and that did not come back, enough did — about 50 — that all the medical conditions started to rear their very ugly heads and, along with continued aging, became more troublesome. I had some friends who had very successfully used the new GLP-1 shots to help their weight loss, so I investigated that as well. What I found immediately was that, while I have excellent medical coverage, because it is part of a Medicare plan, those drugs are currently not covered and are far too expensive to pay for out of pocket (I will avoid a discussion of the idiocy of that here). However, under the coverage I had back in 2025, a diagnosis of

sleep apnea was one of the conditions that did allow it to be covered. So, with the required sleep test and confirmation of what my wife already knew, after jumping through some paperwork hoops, it was covered and, while there was still a large annual deductible, it was manageable.

Six months later, I am happy to say that, without a single side effect, it has been a very positive experience and things were moving along very well … until it wasn’t. When they tell you it’s not about the money, it’s always about the money. The retirement coverage that I have was changed from one company to another as of Jan. 1, 2026, and the very first attempt to refill my Zepbound was immediately denied, with the new company simply saying, “It’s not covered.” My medical team submitted the same paperwork and preauthorization with the same sleep apnea diagnosis, only to be turned down twice more. The insurance company, of course, simply assumed that multiple denials would end the request … until it didn’t.

I called the medical arm of the coverage and a very pleasant representative confirmed what I already knew from reading the materials myself: It was covered under the same conditions as in the prior plan (and also, the new plan was promoted as “equal or better” than the old one — that’s how it was “sold” to us, not that the grunts

in the trenches were given a choice). Then the Rx arm still maintained that it was not, again with the supposition that would end discussion and filing … but it didn’t. There is nothing more powerful than tenacity coupled with competence. I was lucky enough to have had a direct contact with someone who oversaw the plan, who immediately contacted the administrative team of the new plan to ask for an explanation as to (a) the denial and (b) the inconsistent information that was being given. Within 48 hours, she received the proper response based upon the actual written documentation: Yes, it was covered and it would be filled immediately. I also received multiple calls from the company’s administrative team to explain their take on what had happened and, ultimately, to apologize for the denials and the inconsistent information. None of that would have happened without everyone pulling from the same end of the wagon in what is frequently a broken system.

Let’s close with the only appropriate outro: “Yes, I get by with a little help from my friends, With a little help from my friends.”

Kevin Fitzpatrick is a retired teacher who, along with his wife Sue (also a retired teacher) is enjoying exploring life in the lowcountry and all it has to offer.

BY ANDREA HOERNER Contributor

Happiness is handmade

I feel like I should clean the house so I’m just going to sew until the feeling passes.

There are many benefits to needlework, stress relief is one. Sewing has been shown to have a calming effect on the mind and body, reducing stress and anxiety levels. Then, there is the satisfaction that comes with creating something. Social connection and community are also beneficial.

Sew What Stitches & Craft is a Sun City club is dedicated to encouraging member’s interests in sewing and crafts. In addition to monthly meetings, over a dozen Special Interest Groups (SIGs) feature beading, knitting, spinning/weaving, crocheting, and quilting (Stashbusters, Material Girls). Other groups focus on hand stitching, machine embroidery (Happy Hoopers), greeting cards, scrapbooking, diamond dots and the newest Cricut Crafters. Members canalso take classes such as basic sewing and beginner quilting.

To say this club has something for everyone is no exaggeration, With approximately 750 members, the club’s two dedicated rooms in the Craft Center are buzzing with a full calendar.

Maria Biancheri is a charter member of the club, having moved here from New York in 1995. At that time, there was not much for the handful of residents to do, so Del Webb created the club to fill the need.and many lasting friendships were formed. Maria is still an active member, teaching classes and doing alterations.

An exciting new group is Imagine That, whose members enjoy the creative side of sewing. One Hit Wonder has members teach a simple craft in one session. Sunday Open Studio has become popular. Members work on their projects in the Sewing Room, where there is plenty of support and sharing.

Shari Taylor, the current president, is enthusiastic about her involvement. Shari remarked: “What I love most about our group is that we don’t just work together; we’ve built genuine, lasting friendships. That connection is exactly what makes this group so unique.”

Not to be overlooked are the charity groups. Coordinated by Sharon Tate and Marion Welsh, members create crib pads, hats and small blankets for babies born at Coastal Carolina Medical Center. Their quilts are donated to local women’s shelters. Folks going through chemo or dialysis receive caring bags with items to make them more comfortable.

Another member, Dave Sorgen, moved to Sun City with his wife in 2015. He finds needlework challenging and relaxing. Having tried rug hooking, embroidery and needlepoint over the years, Dave now focuses on counted cross stitch. He says “I find when I’m stitching, I’m not eating!”

The club’s first Saturday of the month Boutique offers a way for members to sell their creations. The only rules are that everything sold has to be handmade and no food can be sold.

Rounding out the year’s calendar, a Holiday party, Spring Fling and Volunteer Appreciation provide opportunities for members to socialize. The club’s dues are $15 year, and members can join as many groups as they would like. Monthly meetings are the first Wednesday of the month, 12:302:00. For more information, contact Shari Taylor, staylor111@yahoo.com.