Hilton Head People

LOCAL REALTOR ENTERTAINS A HUNDRED OF HER CLOSEST FRIENDS

On Hilton Head Island, there are parties and there are parties. That second type is the kind that people look forward to all year long. They mark their calendars well in advance, arrange for babysitters, and watch the days roll by as their excitement builds.

Paula Traver’s annual Christmas do is just such a party. 

LOCAL WOODWORKER CRAFTS A MENAGERIE FOR KIDS

 Thirty-eight years ago John Whidden handcrafted a wooden rocking giraffe for his niece’s first birthday. 

Since then, the Hilton Head Island resident has made several more rocking giraffes, as well as rocking cows, goats, horses, pigs, a camel, a bull and a burro. He also made a couple of motorcycles, specially ordered for friends. 

LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN WORSHIPS JOYFULLY

Founded in 1996 by a group of Sun City Hilton Head residents, Lord of Life Lutheran Church works to share God’s love, welcome all, help one another grow in faith and care for others.

The Rev. Dr. Angela Jennings became pastor of Lord of Life a little more than a year ago. Originally from Virginia, she has been an ordained pastor for 21 years, and said one of her goals has been to bring laughter back into church. She tries to make her sermons fun, telling jokes and playing games. At a recent service, she asked the congregation to guess the products that different slogans represented. 

BLUFFTON’S UNOFFICIAL HISTORIANWILL MAKE YOU SMILE

What qualities make life fun? For Annelore Harrell, the ability to laugh at fate’s twists and turns — and at herself — are high on the list. Taking the long view also helps, which is fairly easy for her because she’s 87. A sought-after columnist, humorous speaker and storyteller, Harrell’s unique perspective on Bluffton’s history began in the 1940s, when her family bought an overgrown lot on Myrtle Island as a summer retreat. She, her parents and brother came every weekend from Savannah to clear the underbrush and build a simple cottage, where Harrell’s love for Bluffton flourished. 

HHSO’S MARY BRIGGS TO RETIRE 

Mary Briggs will retire as president and CEO of The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra at the end of the year. The orchestra’s board of directors has announced Alan Jordan as her successor. Jordan is currently the executive director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Briggs led the orchestra for 12 remarkable years. 

LOWCOUNTRY MEDIUMS USE PSYCHIC ABILITIES TO HELP OTHERS

National and local interest in the paranormal spiked recently after the release of video footage showing U.S. Navy pilots reacting to fast-moving, oblong objects — allegedly UFOs — hurtling through the air. The Navy acknowledged that the footage is real, and have admitted that they don’t know what, exactly, the objects are. 

But for mediums in the Lowcountry, UFO sightings, spirits and communication that can’t be explained by traditional science are part of everyday life. They say that their access to the supernatural world allows many opportunities to help others. 

BROTHERS’ OYSTER FARM MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO MAY RIVER

Every day, starting at first light, brothers Andrew and Austin Harter head out from the Alljoy public dock in their SeaArk, aiming for a little slice of the May River where their 200 oyster cages float.

It’s their first trip of the day, but usually not their last. They’ll go out two or three more times to check on their oysters and haul in the ones that are ready for market.

PAPER LANTERNS TO LIGHT UP LOWCOUNTRY SKIES IN CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY

Twilight is a beautiful time in the Lowcountry: The setting sun sinks below the horizon, turning the sky shades of pink, purple and blue as its rays reflect off the sparkling water.

Add hundreds of twinkling lights — glowing paper lanterns of all shapes and sizes — and you’ve got paradise on earth.

BISHOP EYE CENTER ADDS OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND RETINA SPECIALIST

Dr. Carl W. Baker has joined the team at Bishop Eye Center’s New River location as an ophthalmologist and retina specialist. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Previously, Baker served as chief resident in ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is engaged in clinical research for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and retinal vein occlusions.