At the Helm

Dear Reader

With bellies still full from Thanksgiving we enter the last month of the year. December was always a special month growing up. Counting down the days to Christmas, lighting candles at night, and the smell from baking cookies are all part of the memories we cherish most.

As we grew older the joy of giving became more important than receiving and eventually the most important part about the holidays turn out to be spending time with family.

Dear Reader,

In the Lowcountry, we all live surrounded by luxury. It’s everywhere, as ever-present as the tides and the marsh grass. 

It’s in the sleek lines of a multi-million dollar yacht docked at one of our marinas. It’s in the solid metallic clink of a well-aimed tee shot down crisply manicured greens on a world-class golf course. It’s in the throaty purr of a sports car winding down live oak-lined streets in front of elegant Lowcountry homes. Luxury has a seat at the table in our famed restaurants that promise tantalizing culinary adventures within.

Dear Reader,

In September, we bit our fingernails as we stared down yet another hurricane, hoping our collective will would change Irma’s mind. We watched as she decimated the vulnerable Caribbean and then barreled straight up Florida. Then, even as many of us had evacuated, the fierce storm drew further west, to our relief. It was certainly an emotional time that stung more with the fresh memory of Hurricane Matthew.

Pictured from left to right: Mary Ann Kent, Majka Yarbrough, Anuska Frey, Cathy Flory and Rebecca V. Kerns

Dear Reader,
As the cooler winds of fall return to the Lowcountrywe say goodbye to summerand turn our eyes inward as we present our annual City Guide issue. As I’m sure yours is as well, our calendar is full to the brim with autumn social events.

A September tradition here at Monthly, it offers a chance to take stock of who we are as a community –the places we call home and the people we call neighbors. And this year we’ve pulled out all the stops. You’ll hear from Hilton Head Island Mayor David Bennett and Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka in exclusive interviews outlining all that is right with our region. We’re sharing the efforts underway to preserve the cultural heritage of the area’s Gullah people and update you on the Town of Hilton Head Island’s visioning process.

Dear Reader,
As this issue hits the streets, we’re getting settled in our new offices on Westbury Parkway in Bluffton. We’re excited about our new location in the heart of the Lowcountry. But please know that our team members still will be on Hilton Head every day, to serve your needs and keep their fingers on the pulse of the island.

It’s high summer in the Lowcountry, the time of year when happiness smells like sunscreen and locals joke that Hilton Head Island might sink from the weight of all the visitors. So much fun is packed into the long days that end in soft, golden evening light.

July is when the staff at local restaurants, bike rental companies, charter fishing boats and other businesses work long hours to make sure that every customer’s experience is top notch. Here at Monthly, we too worked hard on this issue to bring you the very best of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton people, events and opinions.

Left to right: Audrey Clayton, Allison Venrick, Anuska Frey, Kelly Spinella and Mike Lupi

Dear Reader,
With school out and Father’s Day coming soon, June is a special month full of energy. Some are celebrating their long standing work in the community, like J. Banks Design, celebrating 30 years, Boys, Arnold & Company, and The Cypress for 25 years. Engagements and weddings are bustling with the start of summer, and we are excited to highlight a few gorgeous venues, brides and vendors who continually create amazing events. Father’s Day makes it a truly special month though. Capturing a special moment between father and child on the cover, we took this opportunity to take a special look at the roles fathers can take in this day and age. It’s not always the 9-5 of yesteryear any longer.

Dear reader,
May is generally considered a month of renewal, with nature in full bloom all around the Lowcountry. It seems an appropriate month to announce that Lori Goodrige-Cribb, the long-term publisher of Hilton Head Monthly, has decided to take on a new challenge in her life. We thank her for her many years with the company and root for her to be successful in her new endeavors. My husband, Marc, who grew up with ink in his blood, and I will take a more active leadership role while at the same time making room for a younger generation to carry forward the mission of Monthly: Connecting the Lowcountry by publishing inspiring and informative stories covering all aspects of life in the communities we serve.