Connect Savannah Best Of Savaannah 2018-05-23-2018

MAY 23-29, 2018 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

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Come watch or play!

Savannah Quarters® is proud to once again host our annual tennis tournament.

Join us to experience exciting game play and hospitality from Savannah’s Friendliest Community. Plus we’ll be featuring a reception and exhibition match with champion tennis player Melanie Oudin.

Thursday, June 7 — Sunday, June 10 The Club at Savannah Quarters® Register online at sqtennis.com or call Zsofi Golopencza at 912-450-1704

CALL US AT 877.728.4636 | SAVANNAHQUARTERS.COM I-16 Exit 155 | 200 Blue Moon Crossing, Pooler, Georgia 31322

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This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy where prohibited by law. Information is subject to change without notice.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

OUTSTANDING AMENITIES | TODAY’S CLUB LIFESTYLE | HOMES FROM THE $200S TO $1 MILLION+

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COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA TO HAVE AN EVENT LISTED IN WEEK AT A GLANCE EMAIL WAG@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. INCLUDE DATES, TIME, LOCATIONS WITH ADDRESSES, COST AND A CONTACT NUMBER. DEADLINE FOR INCLUSION IS 5PM FRIDAY, TO APPEAR IN NEXT WEDNESDAY’S EDITION.

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WEDNESDAY 5.23

Film: The Toughest Man in the World

Theatre: Beauty and the Beast

This forgotten 1984 made for TV movie is the first film to ever star Mr. T in a lead role. Presented by the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah.

8 p.m.

The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave. $8

FRI 5.25-SUN 5.27

The Savannah Children’s Theatre presents this tale as old as time.

Savannah Children’s Theatre, 2160 East Victory Dr. $20

Jess Hilarious and Friends

Jess is a stand-up comedian who has appeared on VH1, BET, and more.

8 p.m.

The Stage on Bay, 1200 West Bay St. $37 savconcerts.com

Renaming the Talmadge Bridge: A Study in Civic Engagement

Mr. Ronald Christopher with Savannah Matters will discuss how the process played out at the Capital, whether the voices of the community were heard and possible strategies for going forward.

6 p.m.

Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris St. Free

THURSDAY 5.24 Apres Sugar Fashion Show

Apres Sugar, Southern Sugaring’s second annual fashion show, will showcase Savannah’s most luxurious selection of swimwear. This year’s event benefits the Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center.

7 p.m.

Grand Lake Club at Southbridge, 815 Southbridge Blvd. $30-$100 912-495-7091. southernsugaring.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

The Open Road Opening Lecture and Reception

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Oyster Happy Hour FRI 5.25

Bring your dog to happy hour and get a free drink while enjoying roasted oysters in the courtyard.

4 p.m.

The Grey, 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Fire Brand Fridays Poetry Slam

FRI 5.25

This event features a poetry slam after the open mic that costs $20 to register for the slam and winner takes all. Hosted by Spitfire Poetry.

Last Friday of every month, 7 p.m.

Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St.

Telfair presents an opening lecture

by David Campany, co-curator of The Open Road and the author of the accompanying catalog. Reception to follow.

6 p.m.

Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. Free for members, $8 non-members

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She. Hustles.

SHE. HUSTLES. is a conversation on women’s entrepreneurship emerging in Savannah that features local entrepreneurs, movers, shakers, small business owners, and the women getting it done. d6 p.m.

Bull Street Labs, 2222 Bull St. $5 for Bull Street Labs members, $10 general public

Tea in the Garden

Learn about tea traditions and experience an early 19th century tea in Davenport House’s beautiful courtyard garden. On inclement weather dates, tea will be taken inside the house museum Thurs. & Fri. 5 p.m.

Davenport House, 324 East State St. $18

FRIDAY 5.25 Fire Brand Fridays Poetry Slam

This event features a poetry slam after the open mic that costs $20 to register for the slam and winner takes all. Hosted

by Spitfire Poetry.

Last Friday of every month, 7 p.m.

Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St.

Oyster Happy Hour

Bring your dog to happy hour and get a free drink while enjoying roasted oysters in the courtyard.

4 p.m.

The Grey, 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Smart Cookies: How Women Have Changed the World with Food

Participants will hear the powerful story of Juliette Gordon Low and how she came to found Girl Scouts while they taste foods that bring her world to life.

4:15 p.m.

Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, 10 East Oglethorpe Ave. $40

Theatre: August: Osage County

When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. The Collective Face Theatre Ensemble presents this classic.

Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.

Kennedy Fine Arts Building, Savannah State University, 3219 College St. $25 collectiveface.org

Theatre: Beauty and the Beast

The Savannah Children’s Theatre presents this tale as old as time.

Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 3 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.

Savannah Children’s Theatre, 2160 East Victory Dr. $20

Theatre: The Great American Trailer Park Musical There’s a new tenant at Armadillo Acres and she’s wreaking havoc all over Florida’s most exclusive trailer park.

Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m.

Tybee Post Theater, 10 Van Horne $20 dinner theater, $45 for dinner and the show tybeeposttheater.showare.com/

SATURDAY 5.26 Bug Fest 2018

A Complete History of Savannah for Morons A Complete History of Savannah for Morons roasts nearly 300 years of Savannah’s history in 62 minutes.

6 p.m.

Bull Street Labs, 2222 Bull St. $12 frontporchimprov.com/ history-of-savannah-for-morons

The Crawl of the South

The South’s largest and most popular bar crawl takes downtown Savannah.

4 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club, 411 W. Congress St. $18 barcrawlsavannah.com

Forsyth Farmers Market

Discover the importance of bees, learn about hissing cockroaches, and touch reptiles.

10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Savannah Children’s Museum, 655 Louisville Road. $7.50

Local and regional produce, honey, meat, dairy, pasta, baked goods.

9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Forsyth Park forsythfarmersmarket.com

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Signatuu Event

An Averii Center

OF SAN FRANCISCO

“MEET ME IN PARIS”

Tickets: $20 912.212.2787

www.averiicenterforthearts.org

June 2 | 7:30 p.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

THE

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WEEK AT A GLANCE

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Odd Lot Improv: Saturday Shenanigans

An improv comedy show in the style of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Followed by long form comedy.

8 p.m.

Savannah Coffee Roasters, 215 West Liberty Street. $10

Savannah Mile

The 13th Annual Savannah Mile presented by the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire honors our fallen first responders, their families, and our military heroes. The one-mile course has heats for every fitness level and age group. To register for this event, please visit www. runsignup.com/Race/GA/Savannah/ TheSavannahMile. For more information about this event or the Two Hundred Club, please visit www.twohundredclub.org, call 912-721-4418 or email info@twohundredclub.org.

8 a.m.-noon Drayton and Park St. $20 912-721-4418. www.twohundredclub.org

Sound Energy Healing Week 4: Shamanic Trance & Ecstatic Dance

In week 4 of the series, explore healing trance postures with rattle and drum from Native traditions and discover the joy of ecstatic dance in shifting states of consciousness.

1:30 p.m.

Fit912 Savannah, 428 Bull Street. $25

Wilmington Island Farmers’ Market

The Wilmington Island Farmers Market (WIFM) is a non-profit organization that provides Wilmington Island and adjacent islands’ residents with locally grown produce, baked goods, natural skincare solutions and a variety of artisan creations.

9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Islands High School, 170 Whitemarsh Island Road.

Free wifarmersmarket@aol.com. wifarmersmarket.org

SUNDAY 5.27 Film: Loveless

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

In Andrei Zvyagintsev’s Loveless, Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Presented by CinemaSavannah.

3:30 p.m.

Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. $10, cash only

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MONDAY 5.28 Odd Lot Improv: Monday Night Madness

Built around a series of improv games, the show relies on audience suggestions to put the players into hilarious characters and scenes to drive the show forward.

7:30 p.m.

The Loft on Liberty, 215 W. Liberty St. $5

Savannah Bananas Fan Fest

Spend Memorial Day with the Savannah Bananas at Fan Fest 2018. Meet the players and prepare for another amazing season.

5-7 p.m.

Grayson Stadium, 1401 East Victory Dr. thesavannahbananas.com

WEDNESDAY 5.30 Film: The Failed Pilot Society

This ongoing series allows the Psychotronic Film Society to screen rare and unreleased TV pilot episodes that were either rejected and unseen or which served as the launch of a quickly cancelled TV series from decades past. The exact titles of these lost gems remain a secret until showtime, but they are always memorable and often unintentionally hilarious due to their flawed concepts or execution.

8 p.m.

The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave. $7

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NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE

Still the Best of the Best

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

WE FIND OURSELVES ONCE AGAIN at the culmination of our year with the annual, super-ginormous Best of Savannah Readers Poll special issue.

This year’s Magnum Opus is no less ambitious or expansive than in years past. and is by some measures the most widereaching one we’ve done since we began publishing in 2001.

I’ve been involved in every single Best of Savannah issue we’ve done here — and if you count the ones I was part of at Creative Loafing Savannah before that, I guess you’d say I’ve been doing a Best of Savannah issue in some way or another for the past two decades.

A lot has changed over the years, both with our city and with this publication.

But one thing has stayed the same: Our Best of Savannah results are what our readers voted for, pure and simple.

Sometimes people come up to me and ask, “So how do we get to be one of the winners in your Best of Savannah?”

And I say, “Our readers have to give you the most votes. You have to win.”

And they say, “Haha, yeah, but really — how do we get to be a winner?”

And I say, “Haha, yeah really — you have to get the most votes to win.”

Over the years there has been, shall we say, a crowding of the marketplace when it comes to various best-of competitions and issues seeking to emulate our success and reader interest, sometimes quite brazenly.

Some of the criteria for inclusion in other special issues around town can often be, well, a bit eyebrow-raising.

Here, we like to keep it simple: We just count your votes. It ain’t rocket science.

Of course, the collation, collection, and production of this special issue is a Herculean task each and every year.

It’s already something of a minor miracle that our paper gets put together each week, given the David vs. Goliath position we are always in.

But an effort this large requires even extra miraculous effort, and once again we’ve been able to pull it off.

This year, we had lots of great help.

Joining us in writing extended profiles of certain new and noteworthy winners — was a truly excellent crew: Orlando Montoya, who has contributed many striking and insightful pieces for us over the years; Patrick Longstreth, a contributor and longtime friend of the paper who has moved back to town, much to our delight; And Asha Gilbert, a former intern with us from Savannah State University.

As always, our incredible staff have all gone above and beyond the call of duty to put together this special issue.

In my department, Anna Chandler and Rachael Flora both did heroic work contacting winners and writing about them, and shooting photographs.

Our production department, comprising Art Director/Production Manager Brandon Blatcher and Graphic Designer Loretta Calhoun, turned this issue into the work of art that it is.

Our fearless leader, General Manager Chris Griffin, was joined by our newest hire, Sales Representative Bucky Bryant, in holding up the business side, and Nicole Moore.

Longtime contributing photographer and Connect bud Jon Waits (who you also voted Best Local Singer/Songwriter) did his usual excellent work for us, which you will enjoy throughout this issue.

And distributing it all will be the great Wayne Franklin.

As is our tradition, the reader’s pick for Best Local Photographer got to shoot our cover this year. Megan Jones turned her expert eye to photographing three noteworthy winners this year: Kim Gusby, Eric Culberson, and Jen Jenkins.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go celebrate. CS

Proud Sponsor

Connect Savannah is published every Wednesday by Morris Multimedia, Inc 1464 East Victory Drive Savannah, GA, 31404 Phone: (912) 238-2040 Fax: (912) 238-2041 www.connectsavannah.com twitter: @ConnectSavannah Facebook.com/connectsav ADMINISTRATIVE Chris Griffin, General Manager chris@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378 EDITORIAL Jim Morekis, Editor-in-Chief jim@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4360 Anna Chandler, Arts & Entertainment Editor anna@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4356 Rachael Flora, Events Editor rachael@connectsavannah.com CONTRIBUTORS John Bennett, Matt Brunson, Jason Combs, Raymond Gaddy, Geoff L. Johnson, Lindy Moody, Orlando Montoya, Jon Waits, Maria Whiteway ADVERTISING Information: (912) 721-4378 sales@connectsavannah.com Bucky Bryant, Senior Account Executive bucky@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4381 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Brandon Blatcher, Art Director artdirector@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4379

DISTRIBUTION Wayne Franklin, Distribution Manager (912) 721-4376 CLASSIFIEDS Call (912) 231-0250

Jen Jenkins (Fox & Fig, Foxy Loxy), Eric Culberson (Best All-Around Musician) and Kim Gusby (Best Local TV News Anchor) cutting up during our Best of Savannah cover shoot by Megan Jones (Best Local Photographer, Best Wedding Photographer, Best Photography Studio).

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Loretta Calhoun, Graphic Designer ads@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4380

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WED., MAY 23 | 8 PM | $8 PSYCHOTRONIC FILM SOCIETY

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REED WILLY WED., MAY 30 | 8 PM | $7 PSYCHOTRONIC FILM SOCIETY

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

THE FAILED PILOT SOCIETY

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TUE., JUNE 12 | 8 PM

TONGUE: OPEN MIC MUSIC THUR., JUNE 14 | 8 PM

OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT

NEWS & OPINION FEEDBACK Savannah’s new Fire Fee: Burden, boondoggle or both?

Editor, I want to bring to the attention of Savannah citizens some clear and simple facts concerning the impact of the fire fee on residents and further question its necessity based on an analysis of the 2018 Budget as adopted by City Council. (Available at https://www. savannahga.gov/DocumentCenter/ View/14317/2018-Adopted-Budgetrevised) Impact: Whether it is defined as a fee or tax, the increase will be a burden for residents and businesses alike.

The fee dramatically and disproportionately will impact lower wealth residents and, of course, the non-profit and religious sector who presently are not taxed.

To illustrate this point: if a homeowner’s house at 2017 tax rate was worth $100,000 their city tax bill, per city report on page 47 of the budget book, was 459.20.

The fire fee is a fixed dollar amount per residential single-family dwelling unit of $256. (pg 47) This is a 56% increase in the citizen’s tax burden from the city. For a home valued at $250,000, the fee would be a 21% increase and on a $500,000 property the fee is an 11% increase.

Rental and commercial property tax increases will be significantly higher as the fee doubles in 1700 square foot increments.

That means a 3400 square foot rental or commercial property will receive a $512 tax increase. For spaces of public worship, churches, or entertainment venues this square foot approach will result in literally thousands of dollars of new tax.

Necessity: If the 2018 budget has not significantly increased, and the 2017 year total loss across all funds resulted in only a $1.8 million decrease, where is the need?

The projected increased revenue from this fee is $20 million. (Pg.43) The fire services operating budget is projected to rise only $3 million from just over $30 million to $33.3 million. (Pg.56) The fee is obviously not to fill a gap in the fire services operations which were previously fully funded from general revenue.

The projected total cost of the operating budget of the city, excluding funds transfers, increases only 3.8% If citizen and business tax burdens are to increase from 10% to over 50%, with non-profits, churches and lower wealth citizens bearing disproportionate impact, then where is the $17 million not needed for fire services going?

It is interesting to note that the budget also recognizes a $9 million cost reduction for police services, presumably the anticipated savings from returning county police operations to them.

Were elected officials paying attention?

As noted, the reduction in the 2017 funds balance, which represents the final impact of all dollars received, expended or

accrued, was $1,783,525 (pg. 54) For 2018 it appears the net positive result from general fund will be applied to $20 million debt service and $7 million capital projects. (pg54) While laudable in terms of fiscal stability, a one-time expenditure to debt reduction and capital projects does not justify a permanent, dramatic increase in the tax burden.

What will the additional millions be used for next year? Will taxes go down by $20million? Will the fee be repealed? Will we continue as a city to retain a disproportionate burden on those with least wealth?

Would the Mayor and Council, many of whom believe themselves to be fiscally responsible, care to address these questions?

Mary Willoughby

African Americans have a different view of Flannery O’Connor

Editor, I recently read Rachael Flora’s article in the May 16 edition of Connect Savannah. It begins, “Savannah loves it some Flannery O’Connor”.

Might I remind you that Savannah is 55% African American. Might I also remind you that O’Connor, though a gifted writer, very much celebrated in the annals of American Literature, especially here in the South, even more so in here in her birthplace, Savannah, was one of the most pious of writers.

In fact, I’ve heard it said that she was more Catholic and pious than the Pope.

With all of her celebrity, writing abilities, piousness, I cannot think of any writer or person for that matter, more racist than Ms. O’Connor.

It’s not just how she depicts her black subjects in her stories because one might say that Mark Twain and William Faulkner did similar depictions in their stories. I certainly would not consider either of those writers racist, especially the former.

To understand how deeply negative the feelings Ms. O’Connor had for African Americans, one must read her despicable letters, something I have done on many occasions. I always wonder if she ever asked herself, “what would Jesus think?”

If ONE African American in Savannah (or anywhere else on this planet for that matter) loves Flannery O’Connor, the person, I would like to first refer that one person to read her letters.

If he or she still loves Ms. O’Connor, I have a couple of colleagues that I’d love for him or her to visit.

Walter O Evans, M.D. (A Savannahian who detests people like Ms. O’Connor)

Boyd killing must be taken out of Grand Jury’s hands

Editor, The case of Ricky Boyd shed light on how police handle cases where Black males are concerned. The main objective for many policemen are to shoot to kill and fill in the blanks later. This case is identical to so many Black men in America where white police officers kill Black unarmed men and use the old familiar line that they where in fear for their lives.

In Charleston, S.C Dylan Roof, a white man, massacred nine Black members of an A.M.E Black church. Dylan was armed and extremely dangerous; however, the police apprehended him and treated him as if he was the victim!

This is an example of how white killers are treated and allowed to have their day in court.

District Attorney Heap is going to turn Boyd’s case over to the Grand Jury.

According to Heap, this would give all individuals a level of transparency.

Actually, the Grand Jury would allow the police officer to show his emotion and tell his side of the story while Boyd’s Attorney is not allowed to cross examine him.

In addition, the deck is stackesd in favor of any white policemen whose case goes to the Grand Jury for killing a Black man.

Most of the time, there is no Judge present!

The proceedings are led by the Prosecutor who is Meg Heap. Since the police department is an agency of the Prosecutor’s office there is an inherent conflict of interest.

The police who killed Boyd would have a team of of lawyers coaching them. Most of them are often prosecutors.

The Grand Jury members are almost always white and does not represent the Black community. They are not screened for bias or have any concept of the due process law but most important, they come with a level of prejudice against Black men.

In order for Ricky Boyd’s family to receives a fair trial, it would take an act of Congress to take away the absolute power from the DA and abolish Grand Juries.

In 2014, high profile cases such as Michael Brown,Tamir Rice, Eric Gardner, and in Savannah, Charles Smith’s case went before the Grand Jury and the white police officers were all acquitted.

To many Black people, the name Grand Jury reminds them of the Grand Wizards of the KKK. Marilyn Jackson

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BOS 2018 MUSIC & CULTURE

MUSIC & CULTURE Best Local Theatre Director and Savannah Stage Company co-founder Jayme Tinti. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @JWAITSPHOTO

Best Local Actor and Savannah Stage Company co-founder Wesley Pridgen. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @ JWAITSPHOTO

Best Local Theatre Production

The Call of the Wild

Best Local Theatre Director

Jayme Tinti

Best Local Actor

Wesley Pridgen

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Local Actress

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Ashley Cooke

Since its founding, Savannah Stage Company has prioritized imagination and bravery, made theatre accessible with their pay-what-you-can policy, and engaged audiences of all ages with action-driven storytelling. With minimal props and a lot of heart, the exciting troupe continues to captivate new fans.

After winning big last year (Best Local Theatre Production, Best Local Theatre Director, Best Local Actor, Best Local Actress), the team celebrated and immediately got back to work. That meant taking on new challenges and learning new skills to help SSC be the best of the best.

“Wesley getting Best Actor of 2017, that comes with a lot of weight,” says Best Local Theatre Director Jayme Tinti. “We don’t take it lightly. Especially for Wesley…it became, ‘What are you not good at? How can you get better at that?” Since the win, he’s directed an entire play by himself [It’s A Wonderful Life], which was huge to be on the other side of the table, and he was choreographer for Working, and he had never choreographed anything. We’re really trying to push in those areas.”

Best Actress Ashley Cooke found new ways to challenge herself, working as the company’s Administrator and in the education department.

“She’s the one who booked all those shows, reaching out to schools, nursing homes, and scheduling,” says Tinti.

SSC has gained a reputation for delivering a stellar show in any environment, and Best Theatre Production The Call of the Wild, performed in Forsyth Park, is a perfect example.

“We weren’t sure what was going to happen,” Tinti remembers. “We’ve done Shakespeare in the Park, but everyone knows Shakespeare. We got going, and you could just see hoardes of people coming from every direction with dogs and kids. It was so nice to be able to bring that experience to people, especially the kids, but even adults too. For a show to win that was seen by so many people in a nontraditional way feels really nice, and it makes me feel like we’re doing what we set out to do: make theater as accessible as possible.”

In July, SSC takes on Cabaret, featuring Best Local Vocalist Lexi Balaoing in the lead role.

In the fall, audiences can look forward to Tuck Everlasting, SSC’s first production starring Savannah Arts students Neely Detwiler and Carson Schlem.

“Casting actual, real-life children is really new for us,” says Tinti. “They have been coming to our company workshops since February…they are the two most invested, mature and thoughtful kids I’ve ever met, and I’m so proud of them. Every month when they come in, they’re there with grownups, in our world—this isn’t children’s theatre. Seeing them in our grownup world is mind-blowing. I’m so excited to do a play with them.”

The company also plans to extend its education and outreach, continuing to grow and touch the lives of countless Savannahians through imagination and bravery.

“Thanks everyone who voted for us,” Tinti says. “We worked very hard to live up to it last year, and hold your horses: we’re coming for you this year!’ — Anna Chandler Runner-up Theatre Production: Jesus Christ Superstar (Collective Face Theatre Ensemble) Best Local Theatre Director: David Poole Best Local Actor: Jeremiah Kizer Best Local Actress: Maggie Lee Hart

Best Cultural Event Best Music Festival

Savannah Music Festival

In a town of diverse cultural offerings, the Savannah Music Festival continues to reign as the Hostess City’s favorite fête.

Savannahians and visitors expect to find top-quality SMF programming in downtown venues like The Lucas Theatre for the Arts, the Morris Center, and Trustees Theatre, but the festival took a brave and exciting risk in 2018 with the introduction of a day-long fest-within-a-fest. The Festival Finale at Trustees Garden brought families and fans together on the bluff overlooking Savannah River, and acts like Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch, and Tedeschi Trucks Band rocked into the night as cargo ships passed. We can’t wait to see what the SMF team has in store for next year’s festivities (March 28-April 13).

Runner-Up: St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Best Film Festival

SCAD Savannah Film Festival

SCAD brought in the hottest films on the festival circuit to its 2018 event, treating attendees to first looks at then-Oscar hopefuls The Shape of Water, Molly’s Game, Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and many more.

If seeing 2018’s Best Picture before the rest of the world wasn’t cool enough, how fun was it spotting the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart, Salma Hayek, John Boyega, Holly Hunter, Robert Pattinson, Richard Gere, and William H. Macy on the red carpet?

Runner-Up: 48 Hour Film Project

Best Indie Film Venue

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

From family favorites to cinematic classics to filmed productions of Shakespearan masterpieces, the Lucas keeps the hits coming. Plus, the theatre teams up with local groups to bring in special community events, like Psychotronic Film Society’s screening of the restored Suspiria.

This summer brings several new series to the screen: Will Ferrell Wednesdays (Anchorman screens on June 20), Disney Summer Classics (Tangled, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and more await), and Hitchcock or Hepburn, which alternates between thrilling classics like Rear Window and timeless tales like Sabrina.

Runner-Up: The Sentient Bean

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Best Performance Troupe

The Savannah Sweet Tease Burlesque Revue

The Teases keep twirling and tantalizing by celebrating all kinds of bodies and performance styles, creating artful and playful productions, and touring all over the region. With spinoffs like 1, 2, 3, Tease!, the burlesque game show, and special team-ups with The House of Gunt, the burly fam keeps making Savannah proud.

Runner-Up: Odd Lot Comedy Troupe

Best Museum

Jepson Center for the Arts

The Jepson continues to bring in works that reflecs the Savannah community, traveling exhibitions that offer a portal to the past, and adventurous art that engages and invites conversation long after attendees descend that white marble staircase.

Runner-Up: American Prohibition Museum

Best Art Gallery

gone from Habersham, but you don’t have to travel far before seeing some inspiring Slim art in this town.

Runner-Up: Jose Ray

Best Local Comedian/ Comedy Team

Odd Lot

Odd Lot Improv is in its seventh year of existence and thriving. With a rotating cast of 20+ performers, comedians and musicians, Odd Lot brings the laughs from Monday through Saturday. Find them at The Loft on Liberty for events like Wacky Wednesday, Monday Night Madness, Tag Team Tuesday, Saturday Shenanigans, or the Odd Lot Radio Hour.

Runner-Up: Front Porch Improv

Best All-Around Musician

Eric Culberson

Most nights of the week, you can wander into a Savannah bar and find Eric Culberson and his band dishing out raucous blues.

With that signature cackle and incredible chops, Culberson impresses music fans from far and wide.

Runner-Up: Brett Barnard

Sulfur Studios

Best Singer-Songwriter

Pieced Together at Sulfur Studios

The camera-slinging creative force behind Americana ensemble Waits & Co. returns to the Best Singer-Songwriter category. The Southern songwriter has been on “a hiatus of sorts” over the last year, taking care of some health issues and resting from the gigging musician’s grind.

Look for new endeavors from Waits & Co., his project with Markus Kuhlmann and Jon Pizzichemi, new material, a solo EP, and live performances.

Runner-Up: Isaac Smith

Best Art Show of 2017

As Starland continues to grow and change, Sulfur has run its roots into Bull Street. A pivotal element of the neighborhood, Sulfur fosters creativity in its rentable studio spaces, showcases memorable gallery shows from the annual “Out of the Fire” ceramics show to deeply resonating works like those seen in “Something We Should Know – True Stories from Veterans with P.T.S.D.” This year’s winner of Best Art Show of 2017, “Pieced Together,” was up over the summer. The juried show focused on expanding the scope and concept of collage.

Runner-Up: Jepson Center for the Arts

Best Visual Artist

Panhandle Slim

“Art for folk” artist Panhandle Slim’s work can be spotted all around town on fences, buildings, and light posts with its distinctive bright colors and quoteaccompanied portraiture. Though Slim’s work unabashedly delves into social issues, race, and politics (he regularly sets up artwork that challenges gun ownership and violence at Civic Center gun shows), he got caught up in the government process last year when Code Enforcement came for a big, beautiful painting of Nina Simone commissioned by a homeowner. Nina is

Jon Waits

Best Local Country Band/Artist

Damon & The Shitkickers

Catch Savannah’s favorite country band every Saturday at their resident happy hour gig and you’ll find two-steppers, enthused audience members from across generations, and a contagious spirit of oldschool mischief in the air. Whether they’re performing originals or country classics, the Shitkickers turn any venue they play into the best little honky-tonk in town.

Runner-Up: The Train Wrecks

CONTINUES ON P. 14

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

MUSIC & CULTURE

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Best Local Author

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Kevin Grogan

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Best Local Book

Black Sheep White Cop: Savannah EXPOsed

Many years, the Best Local Author in our Readers Poll is a writer of children’s fiction, romance, or fantasy.

This year, the Best Local Author, Kevin Grogan, won for a gritty, hardboiled work of non-fiction about crime, ripped from local headlines.

Black Sheep White Cop: Savannah EXPOsed is the tale of Grogan’s time on a Savannah-Chatham Police rapid response team (EXPO) – a highly effective unit which, Grogan says, was actually too effective and was disbanded for embarrassing politicians.

(Fittingly, the book was released on May 22, 2017 – a year to the day that Grogan will be celebrated along with the other reader’s picks at this year’s Best of Savannah Winner’s Party.)

Grogan writes like the beat cop and homicide detective that he was, in a simple, straightforward, conversational, and occasionally profane style.

The success of the book since its publication has surprised even him.

“Honestly, after spending a year and a half writing it, when I was finished I figured I’d end up giving 100 books away and that would be it,” Grogan recalls.

The genesis of the book came when Grogan was hanging out with some buddies “bitching about this and bitching about that,” he remembers.

“That inspired to me to think about a lot of guys I had worked with, and eventually I just said, ‘I’m going to write all this stuff down.’”

Grogan says ironically that it took being busted for a DUI and being let go from the police force for him to be taken seriously.

“When I was out there working homicides and arresting bad guys, nobody, and I mean nobody, gave a shit what I had to say about anything.

But after I got arrested, and then came out fightin’, now I’m a credible source,” he laughs. “I truly appreciate it.”

One of his main goals in Black Sheep White Cop was to tell the story of “a guy who was my sergeant then, but is now one of my best friends. But his career didn’t end the way it should have.”

Grogan is referring to Greg Capers, terminated from Savannah-Chatham Police in 2012 for a battery charge.

“Greg has a grandson now, and one day he’s going to Google his grandaddy’s name and some things are going to come up that aren’t so good,” Grogan says. “I wanted to write some of the things that were good.”

Grogan says Capers was an extremely effective crimefigher who was made a scapegoat for a deep form of police corruption – so deep, that Grogan considers the conviction and imprisonment of former SavannahChatham Police Chief Willie Lovett as a diversion.

“It’s funny – everyone said that there was some kind of organized crime ring in Savannah police. But Willie Lovett’s been in prison almost four years now, and the whole so-called organized crime ring still hasn’t been identified. That’s kind of crazy. So how valid was that?”

Grogan says public response to the book has been very gratifying, but in a sense, so has the news that has come out since the book’s release.

“All the things I said about Meg Heap, the little shots at people I took here and there, all turned out to be true,” he says. “I definitely zinged the powers that be – Al Scott, Edna Jackson, Stephanie Cutter – mostly for their apathy. I knew I was going to catch hell.”

When I point out that crime rates do seem to be significantly lower in Savannah now, Grogan admits, “The homicides are down, for sure, so they’re obviously doing something right. But if you notice, the aggravated assault number is up.”

Grogan has a simple answer as to why there’s such a big difference between the number of people shot here and the number who die.

“I honestly attribute that to the Trauma Center at Memorial Medical Center,” he says flatly.

“I can’t tell you how many people I saw as a cop at a crime scene, thinking that’s it, we’ve got a murder here. Usually that call comes within half an hour. You’re told they’re dead, it’s a murder, get on it,” he says.

“But more and more often that call doesn’t come, because their lives are saved at Memorial.”

Grogan says he is turning this first book into a screenplay. “And I’m about halfway through my second book,” he says.

“It’s a pain in the ass finding time to do a second book while I’m trying to sell the first one,” he laughs. “But it’s a good problem to have.” — Jim Morekis Runner-up, Author: Jose Ray Runner-up, Book: Free Rain, Jose Lucio CONTINUES ON P. 16

INDIAN STREET | DOWNTOWN

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US SAVANNAH’S BEST LOCAL DISTILLERY! june 8

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SAVE THE DATE, MATEYS!

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!

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Best Local Drag Queen

Best Local Rock Band Best Local Concert

Cusses at Savannah Stopover

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

When Cusses first took the Savannah stage in 2009, a friend of mine told me I should drop whatever I was doing and go check out the “hottest rock band in town.”

So I stumbled over to the Jinx late one night to see Bryan Harder stoically blasting his guitar, feet firmly planted at shoulder width, long black hair waving side to side like a bell. I saw Brian Lackey in a flurry on the drums, mouth open, sweat shooting in every direction. And there was Angel Bond, in spandex and facepaint, belting out, bouncing barefoot on a fur rug.

Cusses have been a dominant force on the local rock scene over the years, playing dozens of packed shows, helping venues grow by inviting out-of-town bands, and constantly going out of their way to cultivate lasting friendships with each of their fans.

As Connect readers once again bestow them with this award, I regret to inform you, my fellow fans—Cusses have left the building.

Angel and Brian left town a month ago and they’re planning to settle down in Nashville soon. Harder remains here with his family and his other career as an architect.

Savannah will continue to be their priority for recording sessions and touring shows.

“Savannah has been such a great place for me to grow as an artist,” says Angel. “I’m so grateful for the community and the camaraderie we have here.”

The Cusses community came out in solidarity for their Stopover show at Club One last March, which was voted Best Local Concert of 2018. It was an honor for them to perform again at the festival they personally worked to get off the ground, by volunteering and cheerleading with all their resources.

Stopover Founder/CEO Kayne Lanahan says, “Savannah seems to draw people back over the years, so there’s a part of me that knows they’ll be back and will always be a huge part of the fabric of Savannah’s music scene.”

Fans will be left with an apropos parting gift—the music video for “Critical” goes live this Friday, May 25th. They first played the song at the Jinx as a tribute via web stream to their beloved friend Robyn Reeder, battling cancer and unable to attend.

In the video, two young sisters (played by Angel’s cousins) blindly wander into the world as we watch over them. Angel’s long arms and big hands reach out toward the camera for a loving embrace, and then gently slip away.

“We decided to film family that were dear to us and carried the message of love that inspired the song,” Angel reveals. She lost two of those loving inspirations, her grandmothers, this past year and was able to pay tribute to them in the video.

Angel is ready to settle into a new life, with a fresh focus on her music and more time for her family. She left home right after high school and hasn’t lived near her them since.

“The loss of a lot of family and close ones has made me feel a good push to move closer to family for a while,” Angel says. She’ll be seeing more of her Dad, two sisters, and their children in Tennessee.

The full album of Golden Rat—their long-awaited Kickstarter project—will be released August 30, followed by a fall tour. They’re currently working on a third album, with about half the songs already recorded.

This particular Savannah era of Cusses has come to a close, but they plan to be back for frequent visits, supplying our hearts with love and our ears with fierce rebellion. — Patrick Longstreth Runner-up, Band: COEDS Runner-up, Concert: Homegrown Holiday Hoedown 16

Edna Allan Hoe

Edna Allan Hoe sets her handmade crown on Club One’s bar and orders a Bacardi and Sprite with a splash of sour mix, pineapple and grenadine from Savannah’s Best Bartender 2018, Dawn Dupree.

It’s an appropriate headpiece for her photo shoot as Savannah’s Best Local Drag Queen: a resin-encased halo of real cigarette butts with a base resembling volcanic ash, all sparkling with glitter.

After all, if Edna were to describe her aesthetic in three words, it would be Trash, Glitter, and Hoe. Edna Allan Hoe shows off her traffic-stop“Those are my three favorite things,” ping looks in front of Club One. PHOTO BY she laughs. “Bein’ a hoe, being trashy, and JON WAITS | @JWAITSPHOTO lots of glitter.”

The young drag queen, a SCAD Fashion Design alum, got her start with The House of Gunt four years ago after attending the collective’s “Blessed” show at The Jinx.

Having finally turned 21, the Kentucky native donned full drag and headed to the club to get her first taste of C-Port drag.

“After seeing that, I started hounding [House of Gunt co-founder] Influenza [Mueller], saying, ‘I want to perform with you all!’” she remembers.

Edna had some prior drag experience, having attended and performed at SCAD’s Queers & Allies’ annual Gender Blender Ball.

“I just absolutely loved it, everything about it,” she recalls of her early performances.

“Being a really beautiful, powerful creature is super-fun.”

Queers and Allies faculty sponsor Krista Harberson, a known punster, came up with the Edna Allan Hoe name.

“I have an Edgar Allan Poe tattoo,” Edna explains. “She suggested ‘Edna Allan Hoe’…I didn’t even consider any other options, I said, ‘Stop everything, that’s it.’”

Initially, Enda planned on being a creepy queen and finding inspiration in her namesake—at her first House of Gunt show at Hang Fire, she spat blood to the tune of Diplo’s “Freaky”—but her aesthetic has evolved since those early days.

“I still do that on occasion—and I love me some Halloween—but I also just like making people laugh,” she says. “Besides, I can spit blood much better now!”

These days, she’s inspired by fine artists like Yayoi Kusama and Keith Haring, designers like Alexander McQueen, performance-driven femme musicians like Sia, and, of course, Frida Kahlo.

“She’s a strong woman with a unibrow,” Enda says with a smile, raising the heavy brow that’s become her signature.

House of Gunt’s raw, artistic, and often high-concept style suits Edna’s aesthetic.

When it’s time to create a new act, she’ll pick her poison, put on some music, and see where her thoughts take her.

“It comes to me in different ways,” she says. “Sometimes, I think of a costume first; sometimes, I really want to do an act to a certain song. Some moments, like House of Gunt’s Mario-themed show, I had an idea, then on Tuesday we had a rehearsal and I hated everything I was doing. The show was Thursday, and I changed it by Wednesday!”

Folks can catch Edna the second Thursday of every month at The House of Gunt’s Club One residency. That venue and its 18-and-up policy is particularly important to the performer.

“I wish it was like that when I was in school,” she shares. “I wish that before I was 21 I got to go to a drag show! It’s a really great opportunity, and we’ve been seeing a lot more SCAD students coming. I’ve heard a couple students who aren’t 21 say, ‘We go there for every show, it’s our only time to go to Club One.’ That’s really good to hear.”

As the very first winner of Best Local Drag Queen, Edna plans to wear her ashen glitter crown proudly for the town she loves.

“I hope to represent Savannah well!” she says. — Anna Chandler Runner-Up: Lazanya Ontre CONTINUES ON P. 18

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MUSIC & CULTURE

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Best Local Electronic Artist

Tommy Techno crafts analog sounds with a synth, two samplers, and no computers. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @ JWAITSPHOTO

Tommy McCoy is surprised to have dominated Best of Savannah’s Best Electronic Artist category—with only two recordings available online and a small internet presence, he considers himself an under-the-radar artist on the local scene. But what started as a hobbyist’s venture into electronic music-making has turned McCoy into a key component in Savannah’s DIY circuit.

McCoy moved to Savannah as a child and, though he’s left town for a spell here and there, calls Savannah home. Most days, you can catch him riding his bike around town, helping his wife Lauren at her shop, The Future on Forsyth, or running his painting company. At night, he sets up his gear and transforms into Tommy Techno.

He got into electronic music in high school and immersed himself in the late 1990s-early 2000s rave scene, DJing for fun around town.

“It was crazy,” he recalls. “We had warehouse parties…there was The Zoo, that was really popular, River Rocks was pretty popular, down on River Street. It was a different time. I guess the police got involved, but that was a nationwide epidemic, and now it’s been rebranded as ‘EDM music.’”

The process and culture surrounding electronic music has completely evolved in the last thirty years, but despite technological advancements, McCoy likes to keep it analog.

When he began the project Tommy Techno two years ago, he focused on creating a live

experience using a sampler.

“I’m a little bit experimental, but not too crazy,” he says. “I started off with one small sampler, and now I have a synth and two samplers. I don’t use a computer at all—I do everything with hardware I make, and all my samples are on the hardware.”

When he plugs in, audiences sync to a four-on-the-floor rhythm and a steady build of sounds and textures.

McCoy admits to not being great with computers—“kind of ironic, doing electronic music nowadays,” he laughs—but that’s part of what makes Tommy Techno stand out.

“I feel like most anybody can open up a Mac and make anything in GarageBand,” he notes. “It’s not as special as it was years ago, or as hard to do. I guess it’s a little nostalgic and self-indulgent, but I’m learning as I go with everything.”

Currently, McCoy is booking shows around town on the house show scene and beyond and potentially gathering material for an album. His priority is keeping the Tommy Techno project an enjoyable outlet for creative expression.

“I’m not trying to make a career,” he says. “I’m just trying to make something I’m proud of.” — Anna Chandler Runner-Up: Bero Bero

Best Local Americana/ Folk/Roots Band/Artist

Best Local Hip-Hop/Rap Artist Best Local Music Video

The Train Wrecks

The alt-country outfit celebrated a decade as a band in 2017 and released a new record, Once Again. Through lineup and life changes, The Train Wrecks continue to gig hard, play unforgettable shows, and release music with rugged edges and captivating storytelling.

Runner-Up: City Hotel

Best Local Punk Band CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Tommy Techno

Greta O. and the Toxic Shock

Greta Odrezin leads her masked band with passionate yelps and a command of the stage. Though drummer Daniel Lynch moved away from Savannah this year, he, his fellow Lipschitz member Rachael Boswell and former Trophy Wives bassist Emma Ledgerwood have created a new label, events, and creative platform. Luv Child will release a Greta O. and the Toxic Shock record within the year.

18 Runner-Up: Cusses

Best Local Metal Band

Black Tusk

Savannah’s swamp metal trio has transformed into a foursome, and Andrew Fidler, James May, Corey Barhorst, and Scary Adams are making some of Black Tusk’s best music yet. Expect a new album out this summer, available on Season of Mist records, and tour dates coming soon.

Runner-Up: Baroness

Best Local Jazz Band/Artist

Velvet Caravan

Savannah’s kings of gypsy swing continue to entertain and capture audiences with dynamic musicianship and showstopping camaraderie. The group made its Savannah Music Festival debut this year with vocalist Jessica Best, toured throughout the country, and earned new fans all the way.

Runner-Up: Bill Smith

Dope KNife Dope KNife, “Make It Dope”

Whether he’s performing at SXSW, touring the country, or freestyling at The Wormhole Open Jam, Dope KNife is an emcee to be reckoned with. This is his third Best Local Hip/Hop Rap Artist win and his second Best Music Video win, this time for the single “Make it Dope.”

Directed by Dope KNife himself, the song was produced and written by KNife and mixed and mastered by DJ Zone.

KNife is currently on the road, bringing his unique stylings to New Orleans, Birmingham, Iowa City, and beyond.

Runner-Up: Best Local Hip-hop/Rap Artist: Clay Hodges Best Local Music Video: Twisty Cats, You’ll Sleep When I Die

Best Local Recording Studio

Dollhouse Productions

A top pick for local musicians, out-oftowners, and all manner of clientele.

Runner-Up: Savannah Film Company

Best Local Record Label

Graveface Records

Ryan Graveface and his stellar team create album releases that function as beautiful works of art.

Most recently, Graveface announced that its horror film soundtrack imprint, Terror Vision, will release the soundtrack to the classic TV show Unsolved Mysteries on vinyl for the first time. So far, it’s Terror Vision’s best-selling album yet.

With fun bonuses for Record Club members and fascinating additions to the Graveface catalog, it’s no wonder the indie curator has developed a cult following of fans from around the world; we’re just glad he chose Savannah for his headquarters.

Runner-Up: House of Strut

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Best Local Club DJ

Whether he’s in the sound booth at a House of Gunt show, welcoming out-of-town DJs at monthly MIX parties, or creating mixes on Soundcloud, C Powers has had a deep impact on Savannah music culture since arriving in Chatham County eight years ago.

The first-time Best Local DJ winner has become the analog fuel for some of Savannah’s best parties and drag shows, pulling tracks from a massive collection he’s been developing since middle school.

Powers was introduced to electronic music at a very early age while growing up in Atlanta.

“In the ‘90s there was an explosion of dance music commercially,” he recalls. “I was at the age most kids get a guitar, and I was seeing all this stuff on MTV with DJs and connecting that to electronic music.”

Powers scraped together weeks of allowance money to purchase his first set of turntables. His Deadhead parents supported the endeavor, taking the 11-year-old to Little Five Points record shops for digging.

“I got into what older people around the shops played and learned early how to source music,” he says. “Which is important…especially coming out of an underground music discipline, it’s hard to find this stuff. Coming into it that way, it’s engrained.”

Over the years, Powers lived in the record-hunting goldmines of Chicago and London.

“Geography dictates a lot,” he says. “Music always travels locally and quickly…in the South, we’re not geographically connected to the Midwest where a lot of hard acid and techno stuff associated with the deep LSD era of dance music happened. We have a good mix of stuff from the UK and stuff that was influenced by bass music, which came out of hip-hop. I think there is a connection to factory work in the Midwest—cold temperatures, repetitive beats. I think in the South, being hot, people don’t move as fast, and there’s literally more space in the dance rhythmic structures.”

Powers arrived in Savannah in 2010 site unseen when his wife, Michelle Quick, accepted a position at SCAD. “I tried to [start DJing] as soon as I could,” Powers remembers. “I would bike around and pass out CDs to people at bars.”

He began collaborating with Safe//Sound, the events and promotion entity created

by Gus Muller and Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher. Together, the trio stared booking

electronic and post-punk shows, and Powers began DJing at DIY events.

“Back then, we’d do house parties and play really nerdy DJ stuff I wouldn’t expect people to get,” he says. “But SCAD kids would pour in and start fucking on the walls like we’re playing lounge music. You would think this would be a really boring place for electronic music—no one’s connected to the underground network of American dance music—but that way, I don’t have to conform to the inevitably restricting expectations of that underground dance culture. I can choose to interact with it when I leave and online.”

Those house parties paved the way for Cape Fear, a recurring event at Hang Fire where DJs spun in a room with blacked-out windows. Around that time, Powers was approached by House of Gunt co-founder Monster C*nt, who was searching for a new DJ. Soon, Powers was helping the collective with audio and working with them for hours in the studio, creating new tracks.

“We made a whole Halloween opera that was pre-recorded,” he says. “I am the DJ, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s a lot of background work as well.”

Drag and dance music culture are inherently entwined, but Powers finds that the work resonates even louder in a smaller Southern town like Savannah.

“In New York, DJs are working with drag queens a lot, and since it’s normalized, it’s got more protection,” he says. “Here in the deep South, people are still going to possibly react violently to your counterculture. I think the work is more necessary.”

In the last year, Powers teamed up with friends Raine Raine and Greg Hornak to create MIX, a monthly party in the basement of Club One. The event, bathed in Hornak’s projected visuals, is an opportunity to bring in touring DJs and electronic music talent and add in performance and drag. It’s a free show, and no MIX is exactly alike.

You can read all about this week’s MIX in this issue, and mark your calendar for June 2 for “Brood,” a new House of Gunt show with an insect theme, DJ’d by Powers. Powers may be taking some weekends to perform out of town, but he enjoys coming home to Savannah.

“People are very open here,” he says. “If you give them something they haven’t seen, people are really willing to try new things here.” — Anna Chandler CONTINUES ON P. 20 19 Runner-Up: Jose Ray

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

C Powers

C Powers at home in the studio. Makeup by The House of Gunt’s Raine Raine. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @JWAITSPHOTO

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Best Local Vocalist

From the honky-tonk to the theatre stage, Best Local Vocalist Lexi Balaoing knows how to capture an audience. A child of small-town Florida, Balaoing grew up singing at her great-uncle’s country music revue.

“I was the quintessential girl in the puffy skirt singing Patsy Cline when I was little,” she shares over tea at Foxy Loxy. “I have a very musical family… my mom has a beautiful voice and she’s always encouraged me and taught me to love the arts.”

As a kid, Balaoing was known as “The Human Jukebox,” always ready to sing along to every word of practically any song. Throughout childhood and young adulthood, she wanted to be a professional singer, and was particularly moved by the breakout of LeAnn Rimes. “‘Blue’ came out when she was 13 or 14 years old,” Balaoing marvels. “I remember being like, ‘Whoa!’ That was a special time for country music…I really think LeAnn Rimes started the whole young girl popular music superstar thing…that hadn’t been a thing for a very long time.”

Witnessing Rimes’s deep dedication made Balaoing rethink music as a career, and she set her sights on theatre, attending Florida State and rooming with musical theatre majors.

“I got a taste of what it takes,” she says. “I sang here and there on the side and always got opportunities to do it in theatre, but it wasn’t until I moved to Savannah that I started doing it a lot and playing live shows.”

Balaoing’s first Savannah job at The Andaz introduced her to Corey Hines, the singer-songwriter behind the project Black Water Choir. Hines overheard Balaoing as she buzzed about the hotel lobby, singing all the way, and invited her to sing with him.

“I was super-nervous the first time I went over,” she recalls of their initial practice.

Hines and Balaoing have a natural vocal mix—her winsome timbre weaves beautifully through Hines’s weathered melodies. Balaoing even took the lead and played piano on the achingly beautiful Black Water Choir track “Fog Cast,” released on Furious Hooves’ Stay Rad Vol. 3: Furhoof Yr 5.

“I never took to a musical instrument so strongly, and I think that’s why I didn’t spend a lot of time on my own music,” she says. “Working with Corey totally lit a fire under me, and we started writing music together. Writing songs…that sort of just blossomed into a new opportunity for me.”

Singing with Hines led to singing with songwriter Isaac Smith, which has been a transformative experience for Balaoing.

“Corey lit the romantic side of my feelings about singing and opened up my emotions toward it,” she explains. “Isaac taught me to be a better singer. He’s an amazing musician with an incredible voice.”

Outside of her collaborations with Smith, Balaoing is busy with Savannah Stage Company, where she serves as Director of Education and acts, choreographs, directs, and more. She also can be found singing solo at weddings and special events, and recently teamed up with bluegrass band City Hotel.

Additionally, Balaoing is taking piano lessons from Veronica Garcia-Melendez of Bero Bero and Street Clothes.

“My goal is to be able to write my own music, be able to sing and play and do that on my own,” she says. “With piano, I’ve always felt more comfortable. I want to be able to sit down, hear my own voice and the music I want to sing.”

Balaoing is drawn to soulful grooves and blues, and listeners will soon hear those elements in her own music.

“I’ve developed a little more of a sultry quality,” she explains. “That’s what I like in music and how I sing myself.”

Next, audiences can catch Balaoing in the lead role of Cabaret as Sally Bowles. It’s a big challenge taking on the role that Liza Minelli made famous, but it’s a challenge that the vocalist is ready for, especially since it’s her first lead role in some time.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but that’s a big highlight,” she says. “I’m still learning my way, but I think it’s awesome to be a part of [Best of Savannah].” — Anna Chandler Runner-Up: Angel Bond

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Lexi Balaoing can be found singing out on theatre stages, backing up singer-songwriters, and more. PHOTO BY JON WAITS

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Lexi Balaoing

The future’s bright for City Hotel. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @JWAITSPHOTO

Best Local Album of 2017

Don’t Go to the Porch

City Hotel

For seven years, City Hotel has brought young energy to an old-school genre.

Bandmates Aaron Zimmer, Cory Chambers, Jay Rudd, and Anthony Teixeira have used acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, and upright bass to spin stories and harmonies on stages throughout Savannah.

In 2017, the bluegrass band released its most ambitious project to date. Don’t Go to the Porch, a 14-song LP recorded locally with Kevin Rose at Elevated Basement Studios, features the band’s best songwriting, with fictional Southern Gothic stylings, humorous spins on old family idioms (see the title track), and arrangements that show off the group’s incomparable chemistry.

Chambers described the title track to Connect in 2017: “My grandma’s neighbor was fixing his porch and it collapsed. He said to his wife, ‘Don’t go to the porch.’ She said, ‘Why not?’ and he said, ‘Because there ain’t one.’ That’s become a mantra in my head for a while now, for when maybe your brain is going somewhere you don’t want it to.”

It’s an album of personal mantras that have now touched the group’s fan base.

“There’s been way more people requesting songs off Don’t Go to the Porch, and that’s just been incredible,” Chambers says over fresh pours at their Friday night Service Brewing residency. “We feel like it’s been well-received, and this award only adds to that feeling.”

The band celebrated their album release on Service’s stage in August 2017; that performance was one of their first without their signature old-school condenser microphone. In the year since the acoustic band plugged in, audiences have seen their musicianship evolve in a whole new way.

“We’re finally used to it now,” banjo player Jay Rudd says of the change.

“It’s just a bigger sound,” vocalist/guitarist Zimmer says. “It’s a little more rock ‘n’ roll.”

With Don’t Go to the Porch still in demand (available on Spotify, iTunes, and CDBaby), the band plans on booking some out-of-town gigs soon—they recently hired a promotional manager to help—and will start working on new material.

“We’re ready to learn some new stuff,” Rudd says. “We’re in the thick of the wedding season right now...but I think we’re ready to start writing again.”

“We’ve been a band for seven years now,” notes Zimmer. “Lately, we’re experimenting with our regular covers and old tunes, bringing new life and feels to it.”

Fans can see it all live every Friday at Service Brewing for Bluegrass & Brews, a new series that the band is hosting. Get off work and head down to Indian Street and enjoy local beer and a long City Hotel set from 5:30-8 p.m.

Zimmer, Chambers, Rudd, and Tiexeira certainly aren’t strangers to the Best of Savannah Awards, but their first Best Local Album win is uniquely special for the group.

“We just have so much gratitude for when people ask for those songs,” Chambers says. “It’s the best feeling.” — Anna Chandler Runner-Up: Honey, Danielle Hicks & The Resistance

MUSIC & CULTURE

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Brett Barnard, the Hitman himself, strikes a pose before hitting the stage at the Bayou Cafe. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @ JWAITSPHOTO

Best Local Funk/ R&B/Soul Group

Brett Barnard & The Hitman Blues Band

Wander down Bay Street on a Thursday night, and you’ll encounter a uniquely Savannah experience. As you pass the towering Corinthian columns of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection building, the sounds of a searing electric guitar punctuate the balmy evening. Behind the neon hiss of Bay Street Blues’s window, you’ll find the guitar-slinging, endlessly entertaining Brett Barnard, a.k.a. Hitman, and his band.

Inspired by the stylings of the blues greats like Freddie King and Buddy Guy and bathed in the fire of guitar gods like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughn, Brett Barnard and the Hitman Blues Band offer the thrilling sounds of American music tradition in their arrangements. With bass, drums, and even a little harmonica, the group may rotate players from time to time, but the song remains the same: if you’re ready to party Savannah-style, you better find out where the Hitman’s gigging.

Brett Barnard and The Hitman Blues Band’s regular gigs include Bay Street Blues on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and a weekly Tuesday night show at The Warehouse on River Street (go ahead, brave the tourists for cold, cheap beers and great music).

You can also find the band at the Bayou Café, Molly MacPherson’s, and beyond. Keep an eye on Connect Savannah’s Soundboard to find their next show.

Raise a shot to the Best Local Funk/R&B/Soul Group—and order the band a round of Jäger while you’re at it. — Anna Chandler Runner-Up: Ambrose

ART+HISTORY +ARCHITECTURE

Thanks for your Support Savannah!

BEST HISTORIC BUILDING Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House

BEST MUSEUM

Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

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BOS2018 CITY LIFE

CITY LIFE Best City Employee

Assistant Police Chief

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Robert Gavin

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Assistant Savannah Police Chief Robert Gavin says in some ways his job will actually be made easier by the recent breakup of the City-County police merger.

“We had been charged with patrolling 101 square miles, including waterways,” Gavin says. “Now we can really focus on reducing crime in the City itself.”

And so far the crime stats are indeed looking a lot better than last year.

“Yes, the numbers are going down, but we want them to continue to go down. We are pushing forward with crime reduction strategies to address violent crime,” he says.

Most of these strategies focus on the relatively small group of criminals — many of them repeat offenders and many in what police call “groups and gangs” — responsible for initiating the bulk of the violence.

“We are going after the specific individuals we know are responsible, and also focusing on their successful prosecution,” he says.

“In years past, when a shooting happened we might immediately rush a lot of officers to flood the area. But that can cause its own problems in the community. So we’re moving to a more specific approach.”

Gavin says a great example of the department’s new approach is the combined federal/state/local operation in Cuyler-Brownsville late last year, which resulted in 30 arrests by narrowing its focus to specific violators.

Partnerships with federal agencies, Gavin says, make it easier to get prosecutions for gun crimes to stick.

Gavin says it’s not just about the shootings. Reducing violent crime will result in other crimes going down, too.

“Sometimes they’ll steal a car to go commit a robbery, so they can get money for drugs. There are all kinds of other crimes that sort of spin off.”

However, he also says that these strategies have to include ways to divert juvenile offenders from a life of crime and incarceration.

“If a kid is being raised by his grandmother in a low-income home, and there’s literally nothing in the house to eat, he might easily decide he needs to steal food, or money to buy food. A lot of people might consider doing the same thing if they were in the same position,” Gavin says.

“Unfortunately, police officers often find themselves being asked to solve these kinds of larger social problems, too, in addition to fighting crime.”

Savannah Police efforts to interdict those “groups and gangs” also involve a strategy of de-escalation, i.e., discouraging revenge attacks.

“When something happens, and we know the players, we’ll go to people who might be tempted to try and get revenge. We’ll tell them point blank, we know what happened, we’re going after the people responsible, but if you decide to take matters into your own hands, we’re coming after you, too,” Gavin says. “We really want to keep that back-and-forth from happening.”

Gavin says Savannah Police aren’t necessarily as concerned with the exact technical definition of what constitutes a gang as the general public sometimes is.

“A lot of times a group calling themselves a posse or a gang is really just a few guys who live on the same block,” he says. “The common thread of these groups is criminal activity, and that’s what we focus on.”

Gavin says one crime that is on the major increase locally is entering autos — specifically to steal firearms left in the vehicles.

Gavin says he’s sympathetic to recent efforts to keep non-violent juvenile offenders out of the prison system, where they frequently just learn to become better criminals.

However, because the penalties for first-time juvenile offenders are sometimes virtually nonexistent, Gavin says one side effect is that hardened criminals are recruiting juveniles to do the “tugging” — i.e. the tactic of walking down the street pulling car door handles to see who didn’t lock their vehicle.

“It’s only May and there have already been 144 guns stolen out of cars in Savannah,” Gavin says in amazement.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people leave their guns in their vehicles.” — Jim Morekis Runner-up: Bret Bell

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Best Nonprofit Organization

Coastal Pet Rescue

Coastal Pet Rescue director Lisa Scarbrough with a new friend.

Now celebrating their 15th year of rescuing and finding homes for animals, Coastal Pet Rescue has always worked miracles with much fewer resources than many other, more high-profile charities.

But, as founder and director Lisa Scarbrough says, “I’m beyond thrilled that Coastal Pet Rescue is no longer run just out of my car and house. Having a small physical facility has allowed us to dramatically increase our life-changing efforts since starting 15 years ago.”

Scarbrough also credits “an incredible group of volunteers who give so much of themselves - their time, their efforts, their hearts, sometimes their own funds - to make these rescues possible.”

Scarbrough says at no time were volunteers more valuable than the one-two punch of Hurricanes Matthew and Irma in consecutive years. “ We suffered damage at the Camp Pawsawhile (our shelter) from Matthew and Irma, and we had to evacuate 78 animals to Sandersville, GA last year where nine of us lived for five days in a cement agriculture building, sleeping on air mattresses downwind of pooping puppies and snoring dogs, while kittens with upper respiratory infections were set up in isolation wards in the bathrooms. It was quite the adventure,” she laughs.

Coastal Pet Rescue’s newest program is Operation Street Paws, where we go and visit with homeless individuals across 12 sites around Savannah to provide care for animals living with their homeless people.

“We started out as strangers, being met with hard stares and crossed arms,” Scarbrough says of the program. “A little over two months later, we’re greeted by welcoming shouts from owners, sometimes even song and prayer, and tail wags from their pets. We are still making an impact, just not in a way I had ever imagined. – Jim Morekis Runner-up: Art Rise Savannah

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Best Savannahian Best Local Facebook Page

Stone Stairs of Death

Savannah’s favorite guilty pleasure, Stone Stairs of Death, is celebrating its fifth year this year. It began as a sardonic homage to drunken tourists near River Street. Under the curation of its anonymous proprietor, over the years it has morphed into a combination political column, local news aggregator, meme creator, social media influencer, and last but not least, fundraiser for various local causes.

“It’s really all about my fans, aka ‘the Army of Awesomeness,’” says SSOD from a secure, undisclosed location “They keep me motivated and allow me to go to the badass Connect party every year.”

Runner up, Savannahian: Travis Coles Runner-up, Facebook: Savannah Sweet Tease

Savannahian You Love to Hate Biggest Local Scandal

Tony Thomas

Savannah’s Sixth District Alderman is no stranger to these awards, his various hijinks over the years garnering him runaway vote wins from our readers in these categories consistently.

Candidly, however, it’s been a slow year

by Tony’s standards. His last major brouhaha came almost a year ago, when he was censured by City Council in a contentious hearing in which Thomas went down the line of fellow Council members threatening to spill their various secrets.

This spring, Thomas has mostly concerned himself with continuing to cement an alliance with Alderman Van Johnson, widely rumored to be running for mayor of Savannah next year. Thomas, Johnson, and Alderwoman Estella Shabazz frequently vote as a bloc on major local issues.

Runner up, Hate: Van Johnson Runner-up, Scandal: Scuffle at Buddy Carter Town Hall

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best New City Initiative

Decriminalization of Marijuana

If one of the City of Savannah’s least popular initiatives last year dealt with fire – the onerous and regressive fire fee aimed at shoring up municipal finances – then one of its most popular initiatives dealt with smoke – making it a little easier to possess marijuana.

“This is an issue that crosses political, ethnic, age and other boundaries,” says Alderman Van Johnson, the City Council 24 member who shepherded the pot proposal

Best New Building

Kehoe Iron Works

One of the most significant additions to both the city’s ensemble of performance venues as well as to its available greenspace, the expansive renovation and redevelopment of the historic Kehoe Iron Works site serves as a useful reminder that not every project in town has to involve hotels bending the rules.

Owned and renovated by Connect Savannah and Morris Multimedia owner Charles H. Morris, the Kehoe site underwent over four years of comprehensive, and innovative, repurposing into multi-use event space on 7 acres of prime real estate at Trustees’ Garden, on the highest bluff in Chatham County.

While technically not literally brand-new buildings – the most recent dates from the turn of the 20th Century -- the office tower, foundry, and adjacent all-metal machine shop have indeed been extensively redeveloped, with state-of-the-art fiber/ data/audio technology and connectivity throughout.

The space made its public debut last month hosting the final day of the Savannah Music Festival, an all-day celebration which saw the entire campus in use with multiple stages and an expansive VIP area. This week it hosts our own Best of Savannah party for the winners. — Jim Morekis Runner-up: Husk Savannah from smoker’s dream to reality. “It’s pretty clear that now is the time to look at this differently.”

And just to be clear, this is only a pot smoker’s dream in the sense that we’re living in Savannah bleeping Georgia and anything mildly less retrograde and embarrassing than “round ‘em up in my pickup truck” (another issue, I digress) seems like progress.

The City of Savannah is not decriminalizing marijuana possession, contrary to headlines using that word. It’s still illegal to possess marijuana in the City of Savannah. Only now, police officers can – instead of arresting you – fine you $150 for having an ounce or less.

“It’s a criminal justice issue because our police officers spend an inordinate amount of time right now arresting someone,” Johnson says. “It takes hours to take someone off the street for a simple possession when clearly there are other things that

they can be doing.”

And when we say police officers in this story, we’re referring only to City of Savannah police officers, not Chatham County Police or Georgia State Patrol.

Even in the City of Savannah, officers from other jurisdictions still can arrest you for simple possession.

Nevertheless, seen from the darkness of a cold planet spinning light years away from distant stars abbreviated AK CA CO MA ME NV OR VT WA, Savannah’s initiative to treat marijuana more like a traffic offense than a dirty crime shines like a bright sun.

“If someone’s not arrested and they’re able to get their lives together, find a job, find housing and perhaps go to college, then we’ve created opportunities for people to be successful.” Johnson says. “I think that’s what government is supposed to be about.”

Given the 600 arrests that Savannah

made for simple possession in recent years, this could change the lives of thousands of people. For Johnson, it was a rare high point in a year that often found him outside of a council majority on big issues like the fire fee.

“Understanding the current tenor of council, to get an 8-1 vote was significant,” he says. – Orlando Montoya Runner-up: DOT Free Shuttle

Best Historic Building

Owens-Thomas House

The crown jewel of the Telfair Museums, the Owens-Thomas House is not only a mainstay of the local tourism industry, it is arguably the most historically significant element of it.

Considered one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in the United States,

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Best Philanthropist

Howard Morrison

Merriam-Webster defines philanthropist as “one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare.” But true philanthropy comes with higher standards, like altruism.

Altruism means that you give your time and money without expecting recognition. And I know for a fact that Howard Morrison doesn’t want recognition.

“Don’t write this story,” he tells me flatly. “The things we’ve done are simple and really don’t amount to anything. Money is not important. It’s how you live your life.”

Morrison, a Savannah native and Yale graduate, spent nearly 30 years in the banking profession, much of his career in Atlanta. He returned home in 1996 to start a second career, philanthropy, in which he routinely asks this community tough questions.

“How do we empower people to live up to their maximum potential?” is what he likes to ask the most. “That encompasses everything that I’m interested in,” he says.

And asking questions like that – challenging the received social order – is another higher standard of true philanthropy. Or as Savannah Children’s Choir Co-Founder Roger Moss says of Morrison, a choir supporter, “He’s not one of those Savannah residents who say ‘Well, we’ve never done it like that.’ He’s all about ‘Well, what can we do?”

This is revealed even in a partial list of organizations that have received generous funding either from the Mary Lane Morrison Foundation, the family foundation that Morrison inherited indirectly from his grandfather, or from he and his wife, Mary, personally.

Georgia Tech, Savannah County Day School, Savannah Children’s Hospital, United Way, Georgia Conservancy. He was instrumental in the establishment of Ocean Exchange and what’s now called The Creative Coast, among other great things. “A better future” might be a theme.

Perhaps that’s why he calls Planned Parenthood his “primary focus.” “I want to make sure that every little baby that comes into the world has a loving, caring mother and daddy,” he says. He calls Parent University one of our city’s most important non-profits.

The Morrisons or their foundation also support the arts and humanities, including Telfair Museums and Georgia Historical Society. They were very kind to a dear artist friend of mine. And Howard’s latest interest involves saving the Old Cotton Exchange, a historic building troubled by time and gravity. And that’s a highly incomplete telling of his story.

“A mistake,” he calls this poll’s result. At the risk of contradicting him, a higher standard demands that I write otherwise. Howard Morrison goes beyond anyone’s definition. — Orlando Montoya

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the O-T House is also in the forefront of a nationwide effort to expand the interpretation of the lives of enslaved people involved in the upkeep and maintenance of antebellum properties.

Runner-up: Davenport House

Best Place of Worship

Compassionate Christian Church

Though under a new name, the former Savannah Christian Church – the facility re-branded in 2016 – remains the area’s prime mega-church type congregation, with an extensive array of outreach and missionary efforts.

With seven – count ‘em, seven – physical locations, from the Historic Savannah Theatre downtown to the main campus on Al Henderson Blvd. to a Statesboro sanctuary – not to mention a dedicated app, Compassionate Christian Church and pastor Cam Huxford have everything you need for your spiritual journey.

Runner-up: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Best Pastor/Priest/Rabbi

Rabbi Robert Haas The spiritual leader of Congregation Mickve Israel upholds the tradition of America’s third-oldest Jewish congregation.

Runner-up: Cam Huxford

Best Private School

Savannah Country Day

Savannah’s premier private school has molded the minds of movers and shakers in Savannah since its founding in 1955.

Runner-up: St. Andrew’s

Best Principal

Gif Lockley

Best Public School

Savannah Arts Academy CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Fashion Event

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Junk 2 Funk

Widely regarded as the district’s most successful high school, under the leadership of longtime principal Gif Lockley, SAA has made a name for itself as not only a place of academic success, but as a font of artistic and cultural contribution.

The centerpiece of the school’s calendar each year is the unique Junk 2 Funk fashion show, in which student designers and their models make amazing clothing lines all from repurposed/recycled materials.

Much like entry into SAA itself, Junk 2 Funk is one of the hottest tickets in town, and that’s due in large part to Lockley’s capable but always accessible leadership style.

Runner-up, Principal: Benjamin Payne Runner-up, Public School: Savannah High Runner-up, Fashion Event: SCAD Fashion Show

Best Community Activist

Coco Papy

Best County Commissioner Best Judge

Dean Kicklighter

The longtime 7th District representative, in office since 2000, continues to be a stalwart defender of taxpayer interests.

Runner-up: Helen Stone

Best School Board Member

Jolene Byrne

Since she isn’t running for reelection, this will be the last year outgoing School Board President is eligible for this award, which she’s won every year since being elected in 2014.

That’s quite a testament, given the massive array of local forces who have fought her every step of the way, from current and former superintendents to fellow board members to the local daily paper, which seemed to have committed to total jihad against her from when before she was even elected. Maybe there’s a lesson in her continued popularity despite all that?

Runner-up: Julie Wade

This marks Coco Papy’s second consecutive win in this category, one dominated by the great Tom Kohler for many years. Kohler has recently retired after 30 years with Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy, the seminal area organization he founded.

The thoughtful, erudite, and innovative Papy would seem to be an able successor to Kohler’s calm, capable, inclusive style.

When she won last year she was director of Emergent Savannah, but has since moved on to work with The Creative Coast, Best Liberal another seminal local organization dedicated to incubating community change and innovation.

Passionate yet measured, logical yet Runner-up: Clinton Edminster inspiring, Coles – who also manages Club One – is a beacon of hope for many.

Runner-up: Mark Lebos Best Charity Event

Travis Harold Coles

Wine, Women, and Shoes

This scintillating fashion event at the Hyatt Regency raised funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire.

Runner-up: Soup It Up for Loop It Up

Best City Council Member

Mayor Eddie DeLoach

Best Progressive

Clinton Edminster

What’s the difference between a progressive and a liberal? Is it tom-a-to, tomah-to, or what? We’re not sure ourselves either, but Clinton Edminster seems to fit the progressive bill. The new president of the Thomas Square Neighborhood Association wasted no time in changing course to embrace change.

Runner-up: Tom Kohler

Best County Employee Yup, the Mayor is a member of City Council, in case you didn’t know. And while the Mayor of Savannah has relatively Sgt. Smith is now with the new Chatham little power compared to, say, the Mayor of Charleston, the power of the gavel and the County Police Department after a great career at the merged Metro Department. bully pulpit is pretty huge.

Mayor DeLoach faces increasing blowback for his support of the deeply unpopu- Best Firefighter lar Fire Fee, but no one can accuse him of being two-faced. DeLoach runs City CounThis firefighter serves with the 165th Air cil meetings with a mixture of efficiency, National Guard “Fire Dawgs.” speech, and more often than not a willingRunner-up: Chad King ness to defend his positions in a straightforward manner.

Best Cop Runner-up: Van Johnson

Roshi Smith

Jack Borders

Rufus Brown

This corporal with Savannah Police garners great loyalty from his fellow law enforcement officers.

Runner-up: Michael Arango

Louisa Abbot

Chatham County Superior Court Judge Louisa Abbot is one of four new appointees by the Georgia Supreme Court to the reconstituted Judicial Qualifications Commission, a body which was reformed last year.

Runner-up: Claire Williams

Best Local Celebrity Sighting

Will Smith

How powerful and vital is Georgia’s film industry? In back-to-back years, Savannah has hosted arguably not just one, but two of the world’s most beloved movie stars, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who won in this category last year, and Will Smith, who wins this year.

It’s probably not a coincidence that both Johnson and Smith are among the most adept users of social media in the entertainment business.

In town to shoot the Ang Lee-directed Gemini Man, Smith garnered a very popular local following not only for his accessible friendliness but for his engaging social media presence. Indeed, Smith’s frequent Facebook videos offer some of the best selfhelp, self-actualization advice available pretty much anywhere.

Runner-up: Adam Sandler

RIP: Person You’ll Miss Most

Tim Moore aka Tricksie Turner

Tim Moore – stage name Tricksie Turner – was a beloved drag queen, congregant in the Coastal Cathedral Church of God friend to many in the local LGBTQ community.

Moore passed away early this year.

Tricksie garnered the Miss Savannah Pride and Bar Fly Comedy Queen crowns in 2013, followed by the Miss South Carolina Pride crown the following year.

Runner-up: Scott Waldrup

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Chelsea Beckworth

This year’s Most Crushworthy winner is a worthy victor in this key category.

“I’m a spooky little glitter covered weirdo that drinks way too much coffee and smokes way too many cigarettes,” laughs Chelsea in describing herself.

“I’ve lived in Savannah for my whole 23 years of life and I love my city even if she gets a little sloppy on the weekends.”

Chelsea says you can catch her “behind the bar shaking up chocolate confections at Lulu’s Chocolate Bar or marching down Congress in search of a place where I can hang up my ‘service’ face.”

“Come holla at ya girl, let’s chat about ghosts and stuff,” she laughs.

Runner-up: McKenna Lyons

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Most Crushworthy

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BOS 2018 MEDIA

MEDIA Best Local TV News Anchor

WSAV’s

Kim Gusby

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

WSAV’s Kim Gusby is a new winner of this important category, but she’s not a new face on your TV screen.

The Savannah native and Savannah State University alumna has been working in broadcast journalism in this market for three decades, and she is as much a part of the local scene and cultural fabric as azaleas or wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. “Savannah has changed so much since I started, and this business has too,” Gusby recalls.

“When I started were using the old teleprompters with the foot pedal. We even had a typewriter in the newsroom when I started.”

But as much as things have changed here, Gusby says, some things about the city never have.

“That’s the beauty of Savannah. It’s this old fashioned, modern city,” she laughs.

Gusby is co-anchor of News 3 Today at 11 a.m., but her main claim to fame is hosting ‘Coastal Sunrise’ on WSAV for a quarter century, from 5-7 a.m. (until recently the show started at 4:30 a.m.)

While it’s “sunrise” to you, to be ready for the show every day she has to be up well prior to that — before the bars even close downtown.

“I get up at 2:30 a.m. every work day. Even when I don’t work, the latest I’ll stay in bed is maybe 4 a.m.,” she says. “I do stay up to watch the 11 p.m. newscast to see what’s going on, and to see what I might have to deal with in the morning.”

Waking up so early for so many years rewires a person, she says.

“I’ve been doing this so long, I don’t think I’d be able to do another shift,” says Gusby.

The biggest challenge in broadcasting, she says, is “being able to juggle so many things.

You have to be able to multi task. And the integration of social media makes things even more challenging, and frankly sometimes almost overwhelming.”

Gusby says social media has brought a new level of intimacy to working in the media.

“I think because of the relative anonymity, people tell you things and ask you things that they probably wouldn’t say in person. You should see my inbox -- oh my goodness it’s crazy,” she laughs.

Of course, working in TV brings a level of celebrity, and even after so long in the business it’s difficult for Gusby to get used to.

“One reason people feel comfortable with me is because I am from here. I speak to everybody, whether it’s in the grocery store, at church, wherever,” she says.

“But it’s weird when people see you as a celebrity when you grew up here and went to school here. Someone will see me in the store, and say something like, “I didn’t know you go shopping,” she laughs.

“I’m grateful at the same time, though -- if you didn’t have those people who are loyal and get others to watch and say nice things about you, you’d be in trouble.” - Jim Morekis Runner-up: Dawn Baker, WTOC 28

Best Local Meteorologist

we’d kind of like to see what happens.

Runner-up: Andrew Davis, WSAV

A couple years in a row of high-intensity hurricane coverage never hurts a local meteorologist’s public profile. But WSAV weather person Kris has captured your attention, and your hearts, yet again.

Runner-up: Dave Turley, WTOC

Best Local Columnist

Kris Allred, WSAV

Best Local TV Sports Anchor

Frank “The Big Guy” Sulkowski, WJCL

One of our perennial all-time winners, the Big Guy has won this category every time it’s been up for a vote. He is truly The Big Guy. Runner-up: Ken Griner, WTOC

Best Local Investigative Reporter

David Klugh, WTOC

Since coming to town as a man with a mission, Klugh has turned his laser eye on subjects ranging from the local DA to the antics of Tony Thomas. We’d like to tell you that if you hear Klugh wants to talk to you, run the other way. But then again,

Jessica Leigh Lebos

We might have to retire Jessica’s jersey since she recently moved onto a gig with Smoke Cartel (winner of Best Smoke Shop), but she certainly captured your hearts and minds again over the past year for her “Civil Society Column” in Connect, as well as her high volume of community-oriented coverage. She has recently published a very well-received book of observations, Savannah Sideways.

Runner-up: Jim Morekis

Best Local Website

Connectsavannah. com Hey, you voted for us.

Runner-up: Savannah Sweet Tease

Best Radio Personality

Kotter

Kotter and Rock 106.1’s Work Release Program continues to be a Savannah FM favorite, having been voted Best in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.

Most Important Local News Story of 2017

Hurricane Irma

The “winner” of this category last year was Hurricane Matthew, and while Irma wasn’t as damaging for most people locally, a stretch of houses on Tybee Island was indeed utterly devastated by flooding.

In something of a reverse from the 2016 experience with Matthew, this time local government reacted altogether efficiently and competently – though that didn’t keep malcontents from criticizing them for urging an evacuation.

By Sept. 7, Gov. Deal had issued a mandatory evacuation order for our area. Ironically, as the storm began to threaten inland areas, Atlanta was put under its first-ever tropical storm warning.

Runner-up: ‘Truth on Trial,’ WTOC investigation

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Best Local Instagram Feed Best Local Twitter Feed

Savannah Sweet Tease Savannah’s favorite burlesque troupe posts frequent and very entertaining updates at @savannahsweettease on Insta and @savsweettease on Twitter. Their frequent fundraising performances for local charities make them more than just a guilty pleasure – they’re a must-follow.

Runner-up, Insta: Savannah Stage Company Runner-up, Twitter: The Book Lady

Best Local Radio Station

GPB Savannah

Savannah’s Georgia Public Broadcasting affiliate is 91.1 on your dial and number one in your hearts, From your NPR faves such as All Things Considered, to regular interviews with local newsmakers and Savannah media figures, GPB Savannah combines a broad, inclusive approach with a solid journalistic foundation.

Runner-up: WRUU

Best Local TV Commercial

Mike Hostilo Law Firm

This perennial winner takes the prize again.

Runner-up: Jamie Casino

Best Local App

ParkSavannah

Uncomfortable Truth Incoming: As much as we bash various City of SavanBest Conservative nah programs here, the truth is that the Best Morning Radio Show Park Savannah app is one of the best things Best Talk Radio: WTKS they’ve done in a long time. You may not support the move to double parking rates and expand paid parking hours to Mon-Sat The standardbearer of local political until 8 p.m., but the new app does make it talk, Edwards is a key part of the success a lot easier to navigate. There’s something of WTKS, again voted this year Best Local strangely comforting to be able to look at Talk Radio. A fixture in local broadcast your phone and see your current parking media for decades, Bill’s show is on from literally counting down by the second, and 6-9 a.m. weekdays. have the opportunity to feed the meter Runner-up, Conservative: Ben Crystal without actually feeding a meter.

Runner-up, Morning Radio: Kidd Runner-up: WTOC Kraddick Runner-up, Talk: GPB Savannah

Bill Edwards

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BOS2018 FOOD & RESTAURANTS

FOOD & RESTAURANTS Best New Restaurant

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Husk

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PHOTOS BY ANDREW CEBULKA

It’s no surprise here that this year’s Best New Restaurant is Husk, Sean Brock’s fourth iteration of the Southern restaurant with an eye towards local ingredients.

While it’s easy to claim that Husk’s restaurant style is changing the culinary scene in Savannah, the team behind it doesn’t jump to that conclusion.

“I would not even begin to think that we have changed the dining scene in Savannah,” says David Howard, president of the Neighborhood Dining Group that owns Husk. “I believe we are providing a true taste of the Savannah region with a hyper-focus on sourcing local ingredients, all in an amazing historic home and offering our guests an alternative dining option.”

Husk’s menu changes daily to reflect the region’s current provisions. Past menus are archived and include inspired local dishes like Bear Creek Farm beef, Jerusalem artichoke, and shiitake mushrooms.

Featured suppliers include farms in the region, like Swampy Appleseed, Hunter Cattle, and Handlebar Farm.

With Husks already existing in Charleston, Nashville, and Greenville, the Savannah restaurant sets themselves apart from the others with a different layout. ”Husk Savannah has the largest bar of all the Husk restaurants, and that combined with the raw bar has made that room a highenergy and fun place to enjoy a cocktail and dine,” Howard says.

“Alternatively, we offer multiple other dining rooms for a more subdued experience.”

After parting ways with their original chef de cuisine, Tyler Williams, in April due to differing visions, Husk brought in their Nashville sous chef Andrew McLeod to run the kitchen in the interim.

“In Savannah, we have been very challenged with the recruitment of culinary help, but that’s a nationwide crisis and is evolving into a significant issue for our industry,” Howard admits.

Just last week, Husk began offering lunch service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“All Husks serve lunch, and that’s always been part of our business plan,” says Howard. “We are confident that lunch will be popular.”

Of special note is the Husk Burger, which Chef Sean Brock says might be the best burger he’s ever made.

For now, Howard and the rest of the Husk team are enjoying the win.

“This is confirmation that all our ideas and efforts are worth it and appreciated by those that live and dine in Savannah,” Howard says. “Our fine staff deserves the credit—the investment of time and passion on their part has been unwavering and we are sincerely appreciative to everybody with the recognition.” – Rachael Flora Runner-Up: Fox & Fig CONTINUES ON P. 32

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THE BEST

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Best Vegetarian Restaurant

TOP PHOTO BY JOSH LYONS, BOTTOM PHOTO BY RACHAEL FLORA

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Fox & Fig

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Chiriya thanks all her loyal customers and friends for their support!

3017 E Victory Dr, Thunderbolt | 912.691.2080 | www.chiriyasthaicuisine.com

Eating plant-based food is easier, and more delicious, at Fox & Fig. The new venture from Foxy Loxy opened last November and has been knocking it out of the park ever since.

“We’ve been well-received by vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike, as well as SCAD students, tourists, and locals of all ages, from children to elderly,” enthuses Clay Ehmke, Fox & Fig’s general manager and co-owner.

“It goes to show that plant-based eating is for everyone and is not exclusive to a specific type of person or group.”

Fox & Fig is technically a vegan cafe, but a major benefit is its appeal to all audiences. The menu is approachable enough for someone who typically doesn’t eat plant-based food, yet nuanced enough for diehard vegans and vegetarians to appreciate the ingredients.

Some of the dishes resemble meat so closely that it’s hard to believe you’re not actually eating meat. Take, for example, the Fox Burger. The patty is by Beyond Burger, a plant-based patty that looks and tastes just like beef. The Chorizo Tacos are made with walnut meat chorizo and plant-based white cheese that tastes just like the real thing.

“We’ve set out to change the minds of those that haven’t been exposed to this style of plant-based eating, and I think we have been successful at that so far,” Ehmke muses. “I think we have seen a cultural change in awareness of what it is that we consume and the larger story. Conscious consumption seems to be the trend.” – Rachael Flora Runner-Up: Kayak Kafe CONTINUES ON P. 34

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Best Brunch

Collins Quarter If you thought brunch was big in the States, it’s even bigger down under.

“Brunch is the most important meal back home in Australia,” says Arthur Sertorio, director of operations of the Collins Quarter. “Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch with a twist of fun cocktails. If we fail with this concept, we are failing the brunch philosophy.”

Sertorio is spot-on: a good brunch is simple with a twist of fun, and that’s why it’s such a beloved meal. The Collins Quarter’s brunch is simply good food.

“It’s important for us to obtain the highest quality ingredients to present the best meals for our brunch program,” Sertorio says. “We want to offer something fresh, generous and full of flavor, and I think we did just that. It is essential for us to create meals that will entice guests to come back. This is the case with locals that dine two to three times a week and receive their favorite dish.”

The brunch menu has food served only before or after 11 a.m. and all day long, creating a sense of urgency to try certain dishes.

“The reason we decided to go with brunch all week and not just breakfast or lunch is for us to focus all our efforts on one unique menu and make it perfect,” Sertorio says. “Brunch food is always fun to work with because you can get away from traditional morning and afternoon meals and create a unique, exciting menu.”

The Upstream Supreme Toast is a favorite, a cheesy toast with salmon and capers piled high. Another bestseller is the Swine Time Beni, a twist on French toast adding pulled pork and a poached egg. Even the cocktails come with a twist—the Bondi Beach Mimosa uses passionfruit and strawberry juice instead of the classic OJ. But as the Collins Quarter knows, the best brunches aren’t just about the food, they’re about the experience.

“I think the overall experience is what sets us apart from others in town,” says Sertorio. “We’re not only focused on the food and the service. We want people to remember their experience at Collins and to enjoy something unique. Families enjoy their intimate time around generous dishes and fun drinks. Anthony has brought the perfect Australian brunch to the U.S.” – Rachael Flora Runner-Up: J. Christopher’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLINS QUARTER

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Voted Best Cupcakes!

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Thanks Savannah!

Over 100 Flavor Varieties!

5521 Abercorn St

912.349.2778

HIRANO’S

on Habersham

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT SUSHI BAR AND TEPPANYAKI

4426 Habersham St • 912.353.8337 • hiranoshabersham.com

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Best Wings

520 Wings Alfredia Gordon doesn’t even eat chicken wings anymore.

“Now, sometimes, I look at wings and I’m like, ‘No, I’m gonna have an anxiety attack,’” she laughs.

Back in 2010, Alfredia and her then-husband, Gary Gordon, went to a restaurant on the Southside to order wings.

“We went to a restaurant to get wings and they wouldn’t let us in because Gary had on a white T-shirt,” Alfredia recalls. “Gary dresses really conservatively. It threw us off because it was summertime in Savannah, and anything other than a T-shirt would be crazy. We saw other patrons in there with white T-shirts on. So Gary was like, ‘You know what? I want to open my own wing spot.’”

Gary and Alfredia went to Sam’s Club to get wings, and they worked on crafting the perfect wings for over a year.

“The consistency, how he wanted them to taste, dry or wet, it was every single day,” Alfredia shares.

Less than a year later, Gary opened 520 Wings on his birthday, May 20, 2011.

“It was like the perfect storm—everything just aligned,” Alfredia says. “He had looked at several locations and then the Victory and Bull spot became available. Someone was supposed to move in, a Jamaican spot, and the guy came in for a week and then never came back.”

Gary, no stranger to the restaurant business, knew to jump on the property.

“He’s always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He’s always worked for himself—that has always been his thing,” Alfredia says. 520 is not his first restaurant, he had a breakfast place as well. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna do a restaurant,’ but it was the perfect storm. Everything fell into place.”

Though Alfredia and Gary’s marriage is over, their friendship isn’t. Alfredia lives in Atlanta now and still supports Gary through everything.

“Gary knows, it took us a while to get here, but outside of anything, he knows he can always trust me and he knows I’m going to have his back, right, wrong, or indifferent,” Alfredia says. “He’s such a humble person. He does a lot for the community. He’s always loved cooking and serving—that’s always been his thing. That’s the story of 520.” – Rachael Flora Runner-Up: Wild Wing Café

Gary Jr. (above) is the new face of 520 Wings, the restaurant owned by his dad, Gary Sr. (right) PHOTO COURTESY OF 520 WINGS

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Gyros, Kabobs, Falafel, Hummus, Curry & So Much More

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Serving Savannah for 11 years

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Best Overall Restaurant Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant Best Pub Food Best Gourmet Burger Best Veggie Burger Best Fries

Atlantic’s servers hit all the marks and contribute to the Restivos’ vision of the perfect neighborhood eatery.

Runner-Up: Green Truck Pub

Best Takeout Restaurant Best Caterer Best Sandwich

Green Truck Pub

This is not Green Truck’s first win for Best Overall Restaurant, both an impressive feat and a testament to their quality.

Green Truck elevates the burger to an art form, using locally-sourced ingredients and paying attention to the smallest details.

Runner-up, Overall: Atlantic Runner-up, Farm: Cha Bella Runner-up, Pub Food: Crystal Beer Parlor Runner-up, Gourmet: B&D Burgers Runner-up, Veggie: Fox & Fig

Best Chef (Mashama Bailey) Best Downtown Restaurant

The Grey

It’s been three years since the Grey took Savannah’s culinary scene by storm, and they show no sign of stopping. John O. Morisano and Mashama Bailey are

Zunzi’s

The line consistently winds out the door at this York St. joint, where South African flavor rules. Load it up with the Shit Yeah sauce, trust us.

Runner-up, Takeout: Fire Street Grill Runner-up, Caterer: Joe’s Homemade Runner-up, Sandwich: The Diplomat Luncheonette

Best Outdoor Dining

The Wyld Dock Bar

The Grey PHOTO BY GEOFF L. JOHNSON

perennial James Beard darlings—Bailey was the first female African-American chef to be nominated in the JBFA’s Best Chef category this year, an amazing feat.

Runner-up, Chef: Kyle Jacovino Runner-up, Downtown: Husk

Best Wait Staff

Atlantic

A cohesive front-of-house program is crucial to any restaurant’s success. Good service is more than just being polite—it’s knowing the menu inside and out, anticipating the needs of your guests, and giving a damn about the restaurant you work at.

The Wyld’s view of the Herb River is the best spot to watch a sunset, hands down.

While you wait for a table—because there will definitely be a wait—play cornhole or darts, walk down the boat dock, or just Instagram that sky.

Runner-Up: Blowin’ Smoke

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

THANK YOU

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CHEF'S DINNER May 24 6:30 PM

Join Hell's Kitchen Chef Michael Demarco 5 Course Wine & Food Pairing SPACE L I M I T ED

Reservations 912.721.4800 PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEQUILA’S TOWN

111 West Bay St. | WWW.RUTHS-CHRIS.COM

Best Mexican Restaurant Best Burrito Tequila’s Town’s adherence to Mexican tradition is what makes it so great. The husband-wife team of Melody and Temo Rodriguez pay close attention to their roots.

“We are really sticking to our true identity and cultural culinary roots,” says Melody. “We want to cook traditional food and that’s been the goal of the menu. We make traditional food including street tacos that are real tacos, not Taco Bell.”

One of Tequila’s Town’s bestsellers is the Piggy Burrito, a traditional burrito with carnitas, queso and pico de gallo.

“Carnitas is basically a Mexican recipe of shredded pork that’s beer marinated and roasted,” Melody explains. “There’s a lot of seasonings that go into it, sour oranges and other things. Carnitas is our signature dish, and that’s what really makes us different from other Mexican restaurants in town.”

Authenticity is the goal at Tequila’s Town, not just for food but for drinks.

“We know about tequila,” says Temo. “We always tell people, if you shoot tequila, don’t let oxygen into it. Tequila is like a well-done cognac; you have to let it rest.”

“The distillery we use isn’t like a Jose Cuervo distillery pumping it out. This one is small batches. They don’t do 40,000 liters of tequila—it’s like a small business.

We’ve had offers from big companies, but the things we’re looking at, the quality of it maybe isn’t there.”

Temo notes that the best-sellers at Tequila’s Town are the premium margaritas.

“We sell a lot of premium margaritas because it’s the quality. Once you try it out, you get used to it,” he shares. “We don’t believe in sweet and sour mix. We have our own agave syrup, we make our own margarita mix. We have this product that has a little bit of passion fruit, lime juice and almond juice. Premium margarita is lime juice, tequila, and a little margarita mix, and that’s it. Shake it, pour, ready to go.

Simple things are the best. When you get too complicated, you start making up stuff that doesn’t work well.”

Despite all the margarita lovin’, Melody and Temo say there’s a drink they like much better: the Paloma, a mix of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda.

“Oh my gosh, that’s my favorite one,” Temo gushes.

“That’s a pretty traditional cocktail,” Melody says. “If you want to make a tequila cocktail In Mexico, that’s what they offer you.”

“The margarita was created here in the States,” Temo adds. “In Mexico, wherever you go, they won’t even offer you a margarita, they’ll offer you a Paloma.” – Rachael Flora Runner-up, Mexican: Bull Street Taco Runner-up, Burrito: Carlito’s CONTINUES ON P. 38

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Tequila’s Town

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OF SAVANNAH • 2014 •

THANKS FOR VOTING US

Best

DESSERTS

11 YEARS IN A ROW!

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

AND

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Best

MARTINI 2 YEARS IN A ROW!

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Best Taco

PHOTOS BY RACHAEL FLORA

Bull Street Taco What’s the secret to the best taco in town?

“It’s the tortilla,” shares Jonathon Massey, chef and owner of Bull Street Taco.

“We use handmade tortillas made with fresh masa. We heat them to order in a skillet that’s actually made for tortillas.”

Of course, Massey hits the mark with the filling of the tacos as well. The tacos range from the traditional, like chicken with cotija or michelada shrimp with chipotle crema, to the funky, like red chile tempura cauliflower or the tuna poke tostada.

“We are more authentic to a West Coast Baja-style taqueria,” Massey says. “I don’t throw the word ‘authentic’ around—we put pistachios in the guacamole, we have fun with the food, but everything is thoughtfully prepared.”

Thoughtful is definitely the way to describe Bull Street Taco’s product. From hand-squeezed lime juice to the carnitas being slow-cooked overnight, everything is inspired by thoughtfulness.

Massey has been cooking his entire life, working in a plethora of different restaurants and even taking a stint as a food and beverage director.

“I was just ready to get back into the kitchen,” Massey confides. “We’d been thinking about it for a couple of years. My wife and I had been to Baja and loved the vibe and the feeling. We felt like Savannah needed a place like that.”

As if you needed another reason to do Taco Tuesday, Bull Street Taco takes it a step further with their Tacos for a Cause.

“We partner with a local charity and a portion of the proceeds for an entire month of Tuesdays go to a specific charity,” Massey says. “It’s been huge for us and huge for the charities we partner with. We didn’t want our tacos to be dollar-off tacos and half-price drafts. We wanted it to be something more community oriented.” – Rachael Flora Runner-Up: Flaco’s Tacos

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

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THANK YOU SAVANNAH FOR VOTING US The Olde Pink House

The Olde Pink House

Trying to impress that special someone with a swanky dinner? The Olde Pink House is your trusted spot. And if the conversation starts to wane, you can always liven it back up with talk of the ghosts on the property.

Runner-up, Both: Elizabeth on 37th

Best Late Night Restaurant

Betty Bombers

It’s after midnight and you’re hungry.

Whatever’s in your pantry just isn’t cutting it, and you don’t want the heartburn that will ensue from a fast-food place. Fortunately for you, Betty Bombers is open through until the wee hours of the morning with quality grub.

Runner-Up: Sweet Melissa’s

Best Tapas

Jazz’d Tapas Bar

For those uninitiated, tapas dining is a Spanish tradition of small, shareable plates. Jazz’d has a diverse menu with something to appeal to each person sharing the menu, from mussels fra diovolo to escargot-stuffed tomato to brisket tacos.

Runner-Up: Atlantic

Best Place for Steak

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

From a traditional New York Strip to a Tomahawk Ribeye, Ruth’s Chris knows their steak. Add shrimp, lobster or a bleu cheese crust to kick it up a notch.

Runner-Up:Vic’s On The River

FRESH & LOCAL FOR OVER 20 YEARS 5 E. RIVER ST • 233.3131 • LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Best Pancakes

The Original Pancake House

The Original Pancake House’s motto is “Pancakes as you like them,” and it’s pretty easy to see why. From buttermilk to buckwheat, topped with bananas or bacon or pecan, this place clearly knows their pancakes.

Runner-Up: J. Christopher’s

Best Breakfast

J. Christopher’s

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the most difficult to get right.

Eat too much food and you’re too full; eat too little and you have no energy. J. Christopher’s is here for you and all your breakfast needs.

Runner-Up: The Breakfast Club

Best Burger for $6 or Less

B&D Burgers

To be clear, none of the burgers offered at B&D Burgers are $6, let alone less, but they are pretty damn good. Named for Savannah sites, they all offer their own unique take on the cheeseburger. You can

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Thank you to Connect Savannah & the readers who voted us

BEST BAGEL & BEST DELI

7805 Abercorn St #18 Savannah 912-355-8717

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Most Romantic Restaurant Best Fine Dining

THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT

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even choose from an angus, turkey, veggie, elk, chicken, or bison patty.

Runner-Up: Betty Bombers

Best Fried Chicken, Best Southern Food Restaurant

Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room

You’ll see the line for Mrs. Wilkes before you see the house. Sema Wilkes’ old boarding house on Jones Street is always crammed for lunch, which is only served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy traditional Southern fare like okra and tomatoes, potato salad, and, of course, the fried chicken.

Runner-up, Chicken: Sisters of the New South Runner-up, Southern: Sweet Potatoes

Best Barbecue Best Ribs

Sandfly BBQ

Best Sub Shop

of chorizo, sweet peas, and tomatoes.

Runner-Up:Vic’s On The River

For a true Jersey sub, Baldino’s is your best bet. Try the Italian Battalion or the Sicilian to get your fix of an Italian, or build your own from fresh ingredients.

Runner-Up: Jersey Mike’s

Best Seafood Restaurant

Baldino’s

Best Deli Best Bagels

Midtown Deli

Midtown Deli has the most impressive roster of bagels anywhere in town, maybe anywhere ever. Sure, they’ve got your Everything and your Multigrain, but they also have Tomato Basil, Cinnamon Raisin, Salt, Egg, Cinnamon Crunch…the bagel case has to be seen to be believed.

Runner-up, Deli: Al Salaam Deli Runner-up, Bagels: Baker’s Pride

Best Shrimp and Grits

Sandfly BBQ’s barbecue is Memphisinspired down to the bone while sticking to its Lowcountry roots. They offer three sauces—Memphis sweet, Savannah zesty, Western North Carolina spicy—to meet all your BBQ needs.

Runner-up, Both: Wiley’s BBQ

The Public Kitchen

Shrimp and grits is a tricky dish. On its face, it seems simple enough—how could anyone mess it up? But ask anyone who’s had bad shrimp and grits and they’ll tell you otherwise. The trick is not to overthink it. The Savannah Shrimp and Grits at the Public hits the mark with the addition

The Crab Shack

After a long day on Tybee, kick your shoes off at the Crab Shack before returning to the mainland. Their specialty, Captain Crab’s Sampler Platter, piles up snow and Jonah crab, shrimp, crawfish and mussels.

Runner-Up: AJ’sDockside

Best Salad

Kayak Kafe

Discard every notion you’ve ever had about a boring salad, because Kayak’s salads are anything but boring. From the gigantic Vegetarian, complete with hummus and pita, to the crisp fresh Olympic Greek, the salads are guaranteed to satisfy.

Runner-Up: Green Truck Pub

Best Pizzeria, Best Delivery Pizza

Vinnie’s

Get your slice served with a side of sass at this City Market staple. The Neapolitan crust, made nightly, is the secret to this insanely good pizza. Don’t forget to bring cash.

Runner-up, Pizzeria: Screamin’ Mimi’s Runner-up, Delivery: Stoner’s

Best Bakery

Back in the Day

Cheryl and Griff Day are killing the bakery game in Savannah. The fresh-baked breads, the dreamy cupcakes, the luscious pies—everything hits the mark here.

Runner-Up: Baker’s Pride

Best Chocolatier

Chocolat by Adam Turoni

Adam Turoni and Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor founded Chocolat by Adam Turoni in 2011. In the seven years since, it’s turned into the premier spot for luxury chocolates with two locations. The Broughton store is a chocolate dining room and the Bull Street store is a chocolate library, turning the art of making (and eating!) chocolate into a can’t-miss experience.

Runner-Up: Lulu’s Chocolate Bar

Best Cupcakes

Gigi’s Cupcakes

Gigi does her cupcakes right. The small cakes with a generous portion of not-toosweet frosting are sure to satisfy. Try Scarlett’s Red Velvet or the Wedding Cake, also available in a gluten-friendly version.

Runner-Up: Back in the Day

Best Desserts

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar

At Lulu’s, you can either eat or drink your dessert. The list of dessert martinis is endless, but the Lulutini is the best by far, with four different chocolates. Bonus: Savannah’s Most Crushworthy, Chelsea Beckworth, works at Lulu’s, so you can make eyes at her while sipping your martini.

Runner-Up: Back in the Day

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Voted Best Taco!

40

Thank You Savannah!

Thanks for voting us

BEST SOUL FOOD FOR 9 YEARS! 2605 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA

912.335.2761 • thesistersofthenewsouth.com

1608 Bull St. | 912-349-6931 | www.bullstreettaco.com

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Dear Savannah, Thanks For Voting Us

Best Breakfast!

J. Christopher’s Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch

122 E. Liberty St • 236.7494

Best Food Event

Food Truck Festival

fusion + sushi bar

THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST SOUTHSIDE RESTAURANT!

11215 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31419 912.920.5504 | Order @ waitrapp.com Download the WAITR app today!

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Savannah’s food truck scene is finally expanding enough to warrant a festival, and that’s where Skyler Rodrigeuz and Ryan Giannoni come in.

“Ryan has had a variety of business endeavors, and the prompt for the food truck journey started from learning how challenging street vending is on our area,” recalls Rodriguez. “So he took a trip to Austin, Texas, and saw food trucks in action, and he was certain there was a way to get the same enthusiasm for the industry in Savannah.”

She and Giannoni decided to host a trial event to test community interest. When over five thousand people showed up and every truck sold out of food, they knew a food truck festival was what the community needed.

The first food truck festival was on June 2, 2016, nearly two years ago, right when food truck legislation was beginning to be passed in Savannah.

“Community response in the beginning was challenging. There was a demand, but there were few opportunities,” says Rodriguez. “There was also challenge in finding people who were willing to invest in the industry and educating those that were interested but didn’t know it was possible in our area.”

After so many successful events, the importance of a community of food trucks is clear.

“A food truck festival in Savannah is important because it not only brings people together in one beautiful venue, but it brings people out to enjoy great food,” Rodriguez says. “It also brings these chefs out of their brick and mortars for a great time, to meet new people, and to establish a new customer base they may not have had before these events.”

Rodriguez says this year is all about expansion. They’re set to host a second Food Truck Festival at St. Simon’s Island and hope to expand food truck access to Tybee Island, but they also have a charitable project in the works.

“A major endeavor this year is that we’ve teamed up with CEMA and DPH for the Food Truck Disaster Relief Team,” shares Rodriguez. “This team ensures that during times of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, that city officials and those that stay behind are taken care of and fed.

“We’re hopeful that this will be a successful branch of the Food Truck Association, and we’re also hopeful in the expansion of this branch to Glynn County and other surrounding counties as well.” – Rachael Flora Runner-up: Shalom Y’all Jewish Food Fest

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Best Ice Cream

Best Farmers’ Market/ Food Co-Op

Leopold’s

Forsyth Farmers’ Market

Leopold’s is nearing its hundredth anniversary, which is a testament to its lasting power. Stratton’s ice cream shop is a must-see for tourists, but it also routinely attracts locals, making it the perfect Savannah joint.

Runner-Up: Below Zero

New executive director Jeb Bush has done a standup job since taking over for Teri Schell. The Farm Truck 912 supplies to eight neighborhoods in town, and the market rocks Forsyth Park every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Runner-Up: Davis Produce

Best Frozen Yogurt

Lovin’ Spoons

Not only does Lovin’ Spoons have great froyo, they have a super fun store that throws it back to the 70s. Get down to Donna Summer and the Bee Gees while eating your yogurt in the funky yellow VW Beetle.

Runner-Up: Below Zero

Best Coffeehouse

Foxy Loxy

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Foxy remains the best spot to drink coffee and get some work done. There’s also always something going on, from Fire and Wine Friday to Acoustic Tuesdays, vinyl nights to stand-up comedy events.

Runner-Up: Savannah Coffee Roasters

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Best Grocery Store

Publix PERC Coffee Roasters

Best Local Coffee Roaster

Best Seafood Market

You can’t deny PERC’s quality when you see it all around town. Local businesses love supporting PERC because it’s good quality coffee made with care and love.

Runner-Up: Savannah Coffee Roasters

Since 1946, the Russo family has been providing the area with the freshest and best seafood. Charles J. Russo started the business years ago, and now his grandchildren, Charlie Russo III and Kathleen Russo Coppage, continue the family tradition.

Runner-Up: Jackie’s Seafood

PERC Coffee Roasters

Russo’s Seafood

BEST OF SAVANNAH • 2014 •

It’s easy to see why shopping is a pleasure at Publix. With reasonable prices, great food, clean bright stores and friendly staff, every Publix in town is on point.

Runner-Up: Lucky’s

Best Gourmet Food Store

Fresh Market

The Fresh Market was started in 1982 as a way to resurrect the old market-style experience. Since then, it’s provided shoppers with high-quality, local produce at fair prices.

Runner-Up: Brighter Day

THANK YOU! Best Pizzeria Best Delivery Pizza

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

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Chazito’s FILE PHOTO BY MELISSA DELYNN

Best Health Food Store

Best Soul Food Restaurant

Janie and Peter Brodhead’s store has been open for nearly forty years, and there’s no sign of slowing down any time soon. Their store was opened with the intention of promoting healthy living and sustainability for the planet, and they’ve stuck true to their mission.

Runner-Up: Savannah Food Co-op

Sisters of the New South knows their Southern food well, and their menu is sure to have your mouth watering. Oxtails, hamburger steak, liver and onions and smothered shrimp round out the dinner menu. The restaurant also just opened an Alpharetta location.

Runner-Up: Sweet Potatoes

Brighter Day Natural Foods

Sisters of the New South

Best Cheese Shop

Best French Restaurant

Life is too short to eat bad cheese, and Whole Foods knows that well. Their cheeses come from the world over, and the team visits the farms to choose what cheeses they carry. Cathy Strange, Whole Foods’ global cheese buyer, is putting in the legwork so you don’t have to.

Runner-Up: Smith Bros.

Circa 1875’s authentic French cuisine is the truth. Foies de poulet, pate de campagne, galette bretonne—bon appetit.

Runner-Up: 39 Rue de Jean

Whole Foods

Best Spice Shop

Circa 1875 Gastropub

Best Japanese Restaurant

Hirano’s

At Hirano’s, you can enjoy either the hibachi grill or their fresh sushi menu.

The Salt Table is far more than just salt— The hibachi menu is expansive, includthey carry seasoning blends, oils, vinegars ing yakiniku steak and scallops as well as the traditional chicken and vegetables. and much more.

Try the Lollipop roll, arranged to look like Runner-Up: The Spice & Tea Shop lollipops.

Runner-Up: Miyabi

Salt Table

Chazito’s

Chaz Ortiz’s food truck offers authentic and innovative Puerto Rican fare. Try the Empanadas, the Pinchos de Pollo, or the Macho Yuka, either at the truck or at Chazito’s physical location in Pooler.

Runner-Up: Big Bon Pizza

Best Sushi Restaurant

Sushi Zen

The Sushi Zen on MLK stays open until 2 a.m.—perfect for the late-night sushiseeking crowd. They also just began operating Yoshi’s Kitchen, a food truck serving fresh Japanese food.

Runner-Up: Ta Ca

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Food Truck

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FOOD & RESTAURANTS

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all-a merican mess hall

Inside Bella Napoli PHOTO BY RACHAEL FLORA

Best Sushi Specialty Roll

Ta Ca

INSIDE AMERICAN LEGION

Ta Ca has an impressive lineup of specialty rolls, including nigiri and sashimi.

The Ta Ca Roll has scallops and dried seaweed.

Runner-Up: Sushi Zen

1108 BULL ST • 912.272.9326

Best Indian Restaurant

Taste of India

HOME OF THE $

3.99

DAILY SPECIAL

THANK YOU COASTAL EMPIRE FOR YOUR VOTE 5 YEARS IN A ROW!

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

BEST SUB SHOP!

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1800A East Victory Dr. Savannah, GA 912.233.6506 1022 East Hwy. 80 Pooler, GA 912.748.7827

5815 Waters Ave. Savannah, GA 912.354.8459

6600 White Bluff Rd Savannah, GA 912.352.7827

1204 Brampton Dr. Statesboro, GA 912.681.7637

4620 Augusta Rd. Garden City, GA 912.964.0133

456 Gen Screven Way Hinesville, GA 31313 912.368.8093

2285 Hwy. 17 & 144 Richmond Hill, GA 912.756.2262

It’s a pretty popular refrain around town that Taste of India is the most authentic place for Indian dining. Specializing in north Indian cooking, the menu goes far beyond tikka masala. Be sure to try the bhel poori or the lamb seekh kabab.

Runner-Up: Naan on Broughton

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

Al Salaam Deli

From falafel to gyros to fatoush, Al Salaam has the best Mediterranean cuisine in town.

Runner-Up: Persepolis Lounge

Best Chinese Restaurant

Wang’s II

Located on Waters, Wang’s II has every Chinese food option you could dream of, from Chinese Dragon Wings to Fried Wontons.

Runner-Up: Green Tea

Best Asian Fusion Restaurant

The Vault

www.baldinosofsavannah.com

Ele and Sean Tran are Asian fusion masters, and the Vault is the best place to see that in action. The Chicken Claypot is a

must-try, as is the Spicy Tuna Tartare and the Lao Sausage.

Runner-Up: Flying Monk

Best Noodle Bowl Restaurant Best Ramen Best Pho Best Vietnamese Restaurant

Flying Monk Noodle Bar

Flying Monk’s ramen is loaded up with sprouts, shallots, bok choy and a boiled egg—just the way ramen should be. They hit the mark with all their noodle dishes, making it the perfect place for a warm bowl.

Runner-up, Noodle and Ramen: The Noodle Bowl Runner-up, Pho and Vietnamese: Saigon Bistro

Best Italian Restaurant

Bella Napoli

Tucked on State Street is the most authentic spot in town for Italian food.

Bella Napoli Italian Bistro offers traditional dishes like Pappardelle Bolognese, pasta with meat sauce, and Veal Saltimbocca, a veal cutlet in white wine buttersage sauce with prosciutto and mozzarella.

Of course, the cannoli or tiramisu are necessary to finish off the meal.

Runner-Up: Bella’s

Best Mediterranean Restaurant

Olympia Café

Overlooking River Street, Olympia Cafe offers authentic, delicious Mediterranean

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Metro Diner’s Chicken and Waffles PHOTO COURTESY OF METRO DINER

food with a great view. Their menu goes beyond the typical gyro and kabob offerings, including dolmades, spanakotiropita and pastitsio.

Runner-Up: Troy

Best Caribbean Restaurant

Sweet Spice

Sweet Spice is as authentic Jamaican food as it gets. Owner Donavon Smith was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, and learned how to cook from the age of 12. In addition to locations in Pooler and Savannah, Sweet Spice also offers catering.

Runner-Up: Rancho Alegre

Best Thai Restaurant

Chiriya’s Thai

Owner Chiriya Keawcharoen-Moore was born in Thailand and lived in Hawaii, inspiring a menu that marries both flavors. Try the Chicken Panang Curry or the Hawaiian Steak.

Runner-Up: The King & I

Best Family Restaurant

Carey Hilliard’s

Carey Hilliard opened the Skidaway location in 1960. Nearly 60 years and seven locations later, the restaurant remains the best place to take the entire family for its modest prices and quality food.

Runner-Up: Rachael’s 1190

Best Southside Restaurant

Tangerine Fusion

From the tom kah to the sea scallops in basil sauce to the extensive sushi menu, Tangerine’s Pan-Asian food is certainly worth the drive to the Southside.

Runner-Up: Spanky’s Southside

Best Islands Restaurant

Lili’s Restaurant and Bar Chef Mir Ali’s combination of flavors has to be tasted to be believed. Items like Tandoori-Spiced Chicken and Waffles and the Crispy Okra and Asparagus Pakoras inspire curiosity and are super, super good.

Runner-Up: Basil’s

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BEST SEAFOOD

Connect Savannah readers!

Best Tybee Restaurant

North Beach Grill

After a long day on the beach, head to North Beach Grill to unwind with some great beachy grub. The beachfront location ensures you’ll still see and hear the ocean while you get down on some Beer-Battered Fish Bites or the Crab Cake Sandwich.

Runner-Up: Sundae Café

Best Richmond Hill Restaurant

Molly MacPherson’s Molly’s does Scottish food right. Try the Scottish Combo, with a scotch egg, meat pie and Guinness onion rings, for an authentic taste of Scotland.

Runner-Up: Local on 17

Best Pooler Restaurant

Metro Diner

Metro Diner bills itself as where the locals eat, and they’re right. The diner offers all your favorite fixins, like a meatloaf plate or a chicken pot pie, as well as dishes like Cajun Chicken Pasta or an Avocado Veggie Wrap. Located in the Tanger Outlets in Pooler, it’s a can’t-miss.

Runner-Up: Flaco’s Tacos

BEST

SEAFOOD since 1998!

912.786.9857 www.thecrabshack.com 40 Estill Hammock Rd • Tybee Island, GA

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

FOOD & RESTAURANTS

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BOS 2018 NIGHTLIFE & DRINK

NIGHTLIFE AND DRINK Best Local Spirits Distiller

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Ghost Coast Distillery

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A visit to Ghost Coast’s headquarters is sure to lift your spirits.

PHOTO BY JON WAITS @JWAITSPHOTO

Ghost Coast Distillery is not only the best distillery in Savannah, they’re also the first legal one in over a hundred years. With Georgia’s history of whisky distillation that dates back to the 1700s, founders Chris Sywassink and Rob Ingersoll saw an opportunity to bring homegrown spirits back to our city of revelry.

On September 1st, 2017, Georgia Senate Bill 85 went into place, allowing breweries and distilleries to serve more than just a small taste of whisky, vodka, or liqueur at the end of each tour. Until that point, alcohol laws in Georgia hadn’t changed since the end of the Volstead Act in 1934.

“For our business model to grow, we needed some tweaks to the alcohol law,” says Sywassink.

Fortunately for distillers and brewers like Ghost Coast, the bill lifted even more restrictions than expected, which, as Sywassink says, “allowed so much more than we had anticipated.”

After years of dreaming and planning, Sywassink and Ingersoll found a building near the Talmadge Bridge and gutted it down to just four walls. It was a major undertaking to create new plumbing and electric for a 17,000 square foot manufacturing facility that also serves drinks to the general public.

Production began in 2016 and now visitors can take a tour of the distilling process, barrel room, bottling line and the 500-gallon copper still — custom built in Louisville, Kentucky.

Soft lighting in the tasting room provides a relaxing environment to sample products like the Vodka 261 Orange or the Broughton & Whitaker Honey Whiskey, infused with honey from the Savannah Bee Company.

There’s also a colorful array of signature cocktails like Oglethorpe’s Mule and the Fuzzy Savannah.

Head mixologist Sidney Lance keeps an open line of communication with the distillers, who work to perfect the flavor.

“We get responses back from customers and use that to adjust cereal grain, length of fermentation, and type of yeast,” Sywassink says.

Whisky fans are still waiting for their first taste of craft bourbon, which typically takes three years to mature.

Sywassink describes each barrel as a living organism.

They’re stored outdoors, where variation in temperature, humidity, and barometer creates an expansion and contraction of the barrel that pulls sugars from the wood and changes the whisky on a molecular level.

“Savannah’s climate accelerates the aging process,” Sywassink says. “We say it will be ready in 2020, but it might be 12 months. It’ll tell us when it’s ready.”

But you don’t have to wait for that first batch of bourbon to become a Ghost Coaster. The party on the Westside is already in full swing, where Tuesday through Sunday you’ll find customers raising their glasses for a toast to the ghost with the most. – Pat Longstreth Runner-up: Savannah Spirits

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

NIGHTLIFE & DRINK

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Best Retail Beer Selection

Habersham Beverage’s wine selection is extensive and wellinformed.

Best Local Wine Shop

PHOTOS BY RACHAEL FLORA

Habersham Beverage Best Overall Bar Best Bar Staff Best Live Music Bar Best Downtown Bar Best Bar to Spot a Celebrity

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

The Jinx

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There’s a reason the Jinx is the best bar in town and why our readers regularly give them clean sweeps in major bar categories. From killer live music every weekend to the prompt service to the camaraderie amongst the regulars, it’s hard not to love going to the Jinx.

Runner-up, Best Overall Bar: Alleycat Lounge Runner-up, Best Bar Staff: Club One Runner-up, Best Live Music Bar: Barrelhouse Runner-up, Best Downtown Bar: Alleycat Lounge Runner-up, Best Bar to Spot a Celebrity: McDonough’s

Best New Bar Best Upscale Bar Best Craft Cocktail Bar

Alleycat Lounge

The underground bar is swanky with its dim lights and sleek design, but the truly impressive part of Alleycat is the cocktail list that fills up an entire newspaper. The bartenders are all seasoned pros who know how to mix a great drink.

Runner-up, New: Congress Street Up Runner-up, Cocktail Bar: Artillery

Best Bar Event of 2017

Pup Crawl

Is there a better combination than dogs and beer? The Humane Society doesn’t think so, and neither do all of you. The Pup Crawl, held last November, raised money for the rescue organization and allowed crawlers to walk their dogs through the city. Added bonus: it was the week after Halloween, so the dogs were dressed up.

Could it get any better than that?

Bubba Rosenthal loves his job.

“I love this industry, I love talking to my customers, and I have a lot of fun,” he shares.

Rosenthal started tending bar when he was 18 at O’Leary’s on River Street, which is now Spanky’s. After bartending several other spots and going into distributorship, Rosenthal opened up Habersham Beverage 21 years ago.

“One thing we offer more than anywhere else is customer service,” says Rosenthal. “All my stores are clean, there’s friendly people in here, and we have a lot of fun.”

Why is it so fun to work at Habersham Beverage? One reason might be the tasting panel that Rosenthal and the employees are part of.

“What we’re doing when we’re buying stuff is our purveyors provide us these wines and they have to give us a rating. If a wine doesn’t have a point rating, then we’ll rate it ourselves,” Rosenthal explains. “Unless it gets good points or is of value, we won’t put it in stock. We refuse probably 80 percent of the wines we look at it. It’s not because they’re not good—it’s because they don’t fit in the niche they should. You can have too many 99-point cabernets. A lot of the wines come from the restaurants, where a lot of our wonderful customers go in and come say, ‘Bubba, you gotta try this.’”

The key to being the best wine shop, Rosenthal says, is giving people a choice.

“When you go to the grocery store, how many apples do you get to choose from? We’re the wine store of a grocery store,” he explains.

“We have to be different from everyone else. I have several employees who are very experienced—they’ve worked in restaurants and for wholesalers, I have sommeliers and people who are certified to sell wines. We pay more than the average liquor store to have this experience. They know what they’re talking about.”

Recently, the Habersham Village store received an upgrade that took it to the next level.

“We almost doubled the size, and we added 100% new equipment, new everything. We went first class with it,” Rosenthal says. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done over there and everyone who put hard work into it.” — Rachael Flora Runner-up, Local Wine Shop: Savannah Wine Cellar Runner-up, Retail Beer Selection: White Whale Craft Ales

Best Bartender (Dawn Dupree) Best Dance Club Best Gay Bar/Club Best Adult Entertainment

Club One

Looking for an allout good time? Club One is your spot. The drag and burlesque shows are can’t-miss events. When there’s not a show, there’s great music to dance to.

Dawn Dupree’s Dawn Dupree. been bartending for over twenty years, but she says she was still stunned by her win.

“I’m like the Betty White of this category!” she laughs. “I’m almost sixty years old!”

Dawn started out bartending at Faces and at Blaine’s before settling at Club One seven years ago.

So, what makes her the best bartender?

“My reasoning behind everything I do is that we are the backbone of the city,” Dawn says. “We’re the people who make the tourists feel better about themselves.”

Bartending goes way beyond making the drinks and paying attention to the guests, as Dawn knows.

“I’ve always tried to treat people like I want to be treated,” she says. “I try to be funny, which makes them laugh and have a good time. It makes our city look stronger and it better goes to show what a great diversity and making people feel welcome.”

You can catch Dawn every Monday night when she hosts bingo, Tuesday through Thursday for happy hour, and Friday night during the rush. — Rachael Flora Runner-up, Bartender: Jane Fishel Runner-up, Dance: SEED Eco Lounge Runner-up, Gay Club: Chuck’s Bar Runner-up, Adult: Savannah Sweet Tease Burlesque Revue CONTINUES ON P. 51

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

NIGHTLIFE & DRINK

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117 WHITAKER STREET

$2 OFF YOUR FIRST DRINK (MUST BRING AD)

THANK YOU SAVANNAH FOR VOTING US

BEST COLLEGE BAR

UPCOMING EVENTS Every Tuesday NATHAN RODRIGUEZ

Wed. May 23 LOST IN SOCIETY

Fri. May 25 OFFSIDES

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Sat. May 26

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BREATHERS AND SUPERBODY

HAPPY HOUR 5-8 MON-FRI

$2 PBR // $3 JAMESON $6 BARREL AGED COCKTAILS

117 WHITAKER ST. | 912.495.5808

Best Place for Craft Beer

White Whale Craft Ale

White Whale is becoming the new watering hole as well as the spot to buy craft beer. PHOTOS BY RACHAEL FLORA

Jason Piccolo is not a salesman.

“The biggest difference between us and other places is we don’t sell you on anything,” he asserts. “I know that when I go into a place like this, I’m not going to be sold on something. I’m either looking for something or open to anything. If I’m in the mood to get something, I will, and if I’m not, I won’t. I give that same respect to everyone who walks in.”

That attitude is what makes White Whale Craft Ales so successful. With his wife Jocelyn, Piccolo decided to open White Whale after leaving a toxic job in Atlanta.

“My wife and I were talking about our next steps, and we were like, ‘What could we do in Savannah?’’ Piccolo remembers.

“Savannah is a unique little special place that’s kind of in a time warp and goes to its own drum. There’s some beauty to that, some frustration to that, but right in the middle, there’s opportunity.”

At White Whale, craft beers abound from all regions. Piccolo picks the beers based on what their dedicated customers want.

They also have drafts so you can drink in the store.

“People can come in and enjoy a beer list that’s unique,” says Piccolo. “You can count on one hand the places in town that have a tap list as diverse as ours. There’s people doing great stuff here, but sometimes you just don’t want to go to a bar. Our crowd is young parents, people walking their dogs, older people … we get groups of women who come in here and play games because they don’t want to be picked up at the bar. We have a really eclectic group of folks.”

Directly south of Forsyth Park, White Whale is out of the to-go cup jurisdiction, a problem for some.

“We’ve pissed a lot of people off by telling them the law,” Piccolo laughs. “People get so upset with us, from Cincinnati, Iowa, Chicago. They’re like, ‘So I want a roadie of this,’ and I’m like, I can’t. It’s a $200 ticket. Would you rather fly home or pay the city $200?”

Closing in on two years open, White Whale has become exactly what Piccolo wanted it to be.

“The biggest thing we wanted here was to be a clubhouse for beer,” he says. “This is a passion project until it stars to kick over.”

— Rachael Flora Runner-up:World of Beer

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Best River Street Bar Best Local Open Mic

Chuck’s Bar

Brave the Stone Stairs of Death to get to the Chuck’s open mic comedy night. The crowd is supportive, the jokes are funny, and the drinks are good—what else can you ask for?

Runner-up, River: Kevin Barry’s Runner-up, Open Mic: The Wormhole

Best City Market Bar

Wild Wing Café

Wild Wing offers live music on the patio every night, creating that friendly, downto-earth vibe for which City Market is known and loved.

Runner-up: The Bar Bar

Best Southside Bar

Rachael’s 1190

A lively bar that promises a great time.

Runner-up: Tailgate Sports Bar & Grill

Best Islands Bar Best Tybee Bar

Huc-A-Poo’s

No trip to Tybee is complete without a stop at Huc-a-Poo’s. If you’re hungry, the

pizza there is the perfect accompaniment to beer.

Runner-up, Islands: Britannia Pub Runner-up, Tybee: Doc’s Bar

Best Pooler Bar Best Bar/Restaurant Beer Selection

World of Beer

Whether you’re a beer aficionado or a newbie, World of Beer definitely has the brew for you. Their coolers are stocked full with an impressive selection of both domestic and imports, so you’re sure to find something that satisfies.

Runner-up, Pooler: Molly MacPherson’s Runner-up, Beer: Crystal Beer Parlor

Best College Bar

El-Rocko Lounge

Always good music playing, which is key for dancing, and the cool ‘70s vibe is perfect for Instagram.

Runner-up:Abe’s on Lincoln

Best Neighborhood Bar

bar.food

Sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name, and when

that urge calls, head to bar.food.

Runner-up: The Wormhole

Best Rooftop Bar

Rocks on the Roof

Nothing beats the views from the Bohemian Hotel’s rooftop bar. Take in the ships sailing in and the gorgeous sunsets from way up high.

Runner-up: Top Deck

Best Hotel Bar

Hotel Indigo

Their Five Oaks Taproom has some of the coolest drinks in town. Try the Savannah 76, made with the local Ghost Coast Vodka, lemon, sugar and prosecco.

Runner-up: Top Deck

Best Happy Hour

Mellow Mushroom

Watermelon Lemon Drop to the Klondike Bar to the Diet Cherry Coke. There’s more than enough for you to choose your own signature drink.

Runner-up: Alleycat Lounge

Best Margarita

Tequila’s Town

Temo Rodriguez notes that the bestsellers at Tequila’s Town are the premium margaritas. “Simple things are the best.

When you get too complicated, you start making up stuff that doesn’t work well.”

Runner-up: Carlito’s

Best Martini

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar

The martinis at Lulu’s are as decadent as they get. Have your cake and drink it too.

Runner-up:Jen’s and Friends

Celebrate the end of the workday with Mellow’s $2 drafts. With an extensive tap list, the deal is better than it seems.

Runner-up: The Jinx

Best Sommelier Best Wine Selection

Best Signature Drink

Jason Restivo knows the perfect wines to complement the food at Atlantic. From

Jen’s and Friends

A list of martinis a mile long, from the

Atlantic

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

NIGHTLIFE & DRINK

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PHOTO BY RACHAEL FLORA

Best Trivia Night

Chromatic Dragon

Clegg Ivey knows a little somethin’ about trivia.

“In high school and college, and then in law school, I was trivia champion at like every level,” the Guild Hall’s owner recalls. “I was always on a trivia team. I was always the trivia hound.”

So when the Chromatic Dragon’s original trivia host got a job offer from Nintendo, Ivey jumped the trivia ranks and became host.

Two and a half years in, the Dragon’s trivia night is successful thanks to Ivey’s unconventional approach to hosting.

“I’m a trivia omnivore, so I love stuff like, ‘Which Supreme Court justice ruled on this case and in what year?’ I’m also perfectly happy with nothing but pop culture stuff,” Ivey shares. “The thing that makes our trivia fun is you can have a good time, even if you don’t know a lot of stuff. I tell them, ‘If you don’t know the answer, put something funny.’ If it makes me laugh, I give it partial credit.”

Ivey remembers a night where he asked players to name a character, a lion from The Lion King, but one team didn’t know the lion, so they put Lionel Richie.

“That’s really funny!” Ivey laughs. “So I had time while I was scoring to call up the ‘Hello’ video. That team, they got their asses kicked in terms of points, but they came up after and were like, ‘That was the best that you turned it into a funny thing.’ There are more ways to have fun at our trivia night than just to get the right answer. I think that’s the secret, honestly.”

Ivey caters to the serious trivia folk as well.

“Some people at trivia are competitive, right? One of my rules is, if you have a quibble with one of my answers, bring it on,” says Ivey. “I love when people argue. I’m not afraid to say, ‘You know what, my question was ambiguous.’

“Honestly, since I know lots of stuff, I’ll write a question from my own knowledge bank, and I can be out-of-date. There was one recently where I asked how many smells the human nose can detect. Up until three or four years ago, the conventional wisdom suggested ten thousand. Now, there’s scientific studies that are like, ‘Hey, it’s actually in the billions.’

“Competitive people know it’s nice to have a host that was also a competitive trivia guy.” — Rachael Flora Runner-up:The Wormhole

Thanks Savannah!

Voted best

Karaoke!

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

bEER PONG SUNDAYS

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12:30 - 6PM W/ DRINK SPECIALS

mCdonough’s

tRIVIA tHURSDAY

Savannah’s Favorite Restaurant & Bar

STARTING AT 7

in historic downtown savannah

kARAOKE EVERY NIGHT!

happy hour mon-fri 8am-7pm

21 e. mcdonough st. • 912.233.6136 • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner anytime mcdonoughssavannah.com • billysplacesavannah.com

NIGHTLIFE & DRINK

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rotating a Rosé of the Day to incorporating a wide selection, he’s got the neighborhood imbibery on lock.

Runner-up, : Christian Depkin, Le Chai Runner-up; Wine: In Vino Veritas

Best British Pub

Churchill’s Pub

Named after the iconic British Prime Minister, this pub offers bar, dining room, or rooftop eating and drinking like a Brit.

Runner-up:Britannia Pub

Best Irish Pub

Kevin Barry’s

Local Irish musicians play every night to kick the authenticity up a notch.

Runner-up:O’Connell’s

Best Scottish Pub

and his partner Meredith Sutton, the brewery puts out year-round beers as well as seasonal. Two particular local favorites are the Compass Rose IPA and the Rally Point Bohemian-style pilsner. They also host live music and other events regularly.

Runner-up:Southbound Brewing Co.

Best Pool Hall Best Outdoor Bar

Congress St Social

There’s nothing better than having a drink on Social’s patio on a nice day under the canopy of trees. When you’re done basking, head inside to play pool, either upstairs or downstairs.

Runner-up, Pool: The Wormhole Runner-up, Outdoor: B&D Burgers

Best Sports Bar

THANK YOU SAVANNAH! Voted BEST MESSAGE THERAPIST Romonda Elliot Voted BEST LOCAL NAIL TECH NEW LOCATION OPENING SOON 311 W Broughton St. 2nd floor sweetwater-spa.com

Corner Molly MacPherson’s Coach’s Coach’s shows every game, race, match, Join the clan at three locations: Savannah, Pooler, and Richmond Hill.

Runnner-up: Molly McGuire’s

Best Local Brewery

Service Brewing

Service is dedicated to those who have served. Owned by Kevin, an Army veteran,

and tournament you could imagine.

Runner-up:Savannah Taphouse

Best Karaoke

McDonough’s

Crowd is supportive, they have every song, and it’s a Savannah rite of passage.

Runner-up:Chuck’s Bar

Thank you Savannah for voting us:

And for voting Dawn Dupree Best Bartender!

SHOWS Thursday & Sunday 11pm Friday & Saturday 10:30pm/12:30am 1 Jefferson St, | 912-232-0200 | clubone-online.com

We’re Honored To Be Voted

BEST RIVER STREET BAR 301 West River St

232.1005

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Dance Club Best Gay Bar/Club Best Adult Entertainment

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BOS2018 RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

Best Local Athlete

Goldiknocks in action. PHOTO BY CASEY JONES

Suzanne “Goldiknocks” Nelson

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Suzanne Nelson admits that she doesn’t bring quite the push that some heftier players bring to one of Savannah’s more rough and tumble sports.

But when the Derby Devil, a.k.a. Goldiknocks, fills her role as the team’s lead skater and point-scorer —the jammer —she brings a flitting and bouncy style that helps her team win bouts.

“I don’t weigh a whole lot,” she says, comparing herself to her opponents. “But I can sure skittle around them.” A Houdini on skates.

Part of this sport’s appeal is watching players push each other, leading to all types of falls: Front falls, back falls, lingering falls, falls that hurt just thinking about them.

So what’s roller derby’s appeal for Goldiknocks, the one taking the falls? “It’s being a girl and playing with other girls that you can hit with every ounce of your strength and they tell you ‘Good job,’” she says. “It’s aggressive but it’s not malicious.”

It’s also a family. I remember when roller derby started in Savannah 12 years ago. Back then, players had names like Demon Child, Evilyn Twisted, Fear Abbey and Sue Legit.

Today, they include Eenie Meanie, Catatonic Crush and Skates of Wrath. The last Derby Devil to win Best Athlete was Felony Melony in 2013.

In between, so many have passed through this sisterhood – and its clans-in-pain, 54

the Hostess City Hellions (“B Team”) and Savannah Derbytaunts (youth team) – that I dare say there’s now a dynasty of determined Devils supporting each other through thick and thin.

“If anything goes wrong in your life, you have at least ten people who are looking after you,” Goldiknocks says. “I love the sport too much to stop.”

Even after a crushed bone in her foot! She says the injury doesn’t make her much more than just a little bit sore. She’s playing on it now, incredibly.

“It’s not a really long-lasting sport for jammers because your body can’t take it for that long,” she says. “It’s definitely taxing on the body.”

This is her fifth season with the Devils. She got interested in the sport after watching the inspirational 2009 movie “Whip It,” starring Ellen Page as a Texas teen who joins the roller derby.

So the next time you Devil – and their exciting season runs through October – look for our winner in her signature gold color, sporting a triangle on her helmet.

Her jams will knock you out! – Orlando Montoya Runner-up: Adam Byck

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Thank You Savannah!

Best Local College Sports Team

gseagles.com #HailSouthern

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES

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THANK YOU

Connect Savannah Readers Dr. Carmela Pettigrew Voted Best OB/GYN

VOTED BEST NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Thanks Savannah!

VOTED BEST FARMER’S MARKET/FOOD CO-OP

Thank you for your support!

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Coastal Pet Rescue is an all-volunteer, non-profit animal rescue organization. Founded in February 2003, our mission is to save the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in the Coastal Empire Savannah and surrounding areas.

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• Rescue, foster care, veterinary care, and sterilization for animals in county animal shelters that would otherwise be euthanized.

• Foster care for animals surrendered by their owners who either can no longer provide for the pets or no longer wish to have them in their homes.

• Adoption of rescued pets to qualified homes that have been properly screened and counseled by our adoption coordinators and foster parents to maintain the pet in the home for a lifetime.

• Training of leadership team members and volunteers in the areas of humane education, animal welfare, animal behavior and care, and disaster response.

• Education to the public in the form of adoption counseling, pet behavior consultation and training, hurricane evacuation planning, media interviews, and classroom presentations.

Shop every Saturday, 9am-1pm south end of Forsyth Park

Learn how you can help at COASTALPETRESCUE.COM Special thanks to Carmela Pettigrew, MD for donating this paid advertisement.

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Everybody’s bananas for the Savannah Bananas!

Best Local Club Sports Team

Savannah Bananas

Best Local Sports Event

Savannah Bananas Opening Day

Just two short weeks from the publication of this issue, Savannah baseball fans – and fans of kitschy cool entertainment – will congregate at the temple of Historic Grayson Stadium to usher in the third season of Savannah’s great new success story, the Savannah Bananas.

The Coastal Plain League team – a college amateur summer league outside the NCAA umbrella – won the championship their inaugural year, and made it to the playoffs last year. Along the way they have become one of Savannah’s hottest entertainment tickets.

And team owner Jesse Cole is frank that it’s all about entertainment – the name of his company is Fans First.

“We’re in the entertainment business. Before doing anything we always ask, is this entertaining, fun and different?

We realized you need to create attention. And attention beats marketing 1000 percent of the time,” Cole says.

Cole’s success with the Bananas is accompanied by the publication of his well-received new motivational book, “Find Your Yellow Tux,” a reference to his distinctive game-day garb.

It’s also a very special season for Cole as he and wife Emily welcome Maverick, a new son, to the baseball family.

Opening day will feature the Bananas facing the Macon Bacon, a brand-new team in the CPL. Despite the fact that the two teams have never faced each other, that didn’t stop Cole and his team from brilliantly marketing an intense “rivalry” between the two teams to generate…. Wait for it….. sizzle. – Jim Morekis Runner-up: Savannah United

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Thank you for voting us

Best Hair Salon!

3307 Waters Ave. | 912.352.0077 | 40volume.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Best Orthopedist

Evan M. Siegall, MD

Pediatric specialist Evan M. Siegall offers care and comfort to families.

We would like to thank our patients for voting us the

BEST ORTHODONTIC OFFICE IN SAVANNAH

Most folks think of orthopedic surgeons as mostly concerned with broken legs and sports injuries, but this year’s winner, Dr. Evan Siegall of Chatham Orthopaedics, has a specialty beyond the stereotype.

The pediatric specialist says he sees different things in treating kids than many in his field might otherwise see.

“In pediatrics we don’t just do sports medicine or back stuff. We do a bit of everything,” says Dr. Siegall. “We tend to see more things such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, scoliosis, things of that nature. Scoliosis in particular is something I’m addressing a lot of lately.”

Being an orthopedic surgeon is demanding enough, with four years of medical school followed by a multi-year residency. But you have to take on an extra year for pediatrics.

Often, when adults go through orthopedic treatment and move into therapy, they may not go back to their specialist. Dr. Siegall says he tries to make a point to see younger patients more often “The parents and families really want that,” he says. “They want that extra level of care and comfort, and we give it to them.”

That said, Dr. Siegall does see his share of more standard orthopedic issues, such as the ever-prevalent ACL tear.

“We treat ACLs, whether without surgery or with surgery,” he says. “As a matter of fact, I just performed an ACL surgery this morning.” — Jim Morekis Runner-up: Jon Prather, MD

Thank you for voting

Dr. Cara Ann Hammons Best Veterinarian in Savannah

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

912.234.4772 • 2417 Bull St CAH.VET

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It has been our privilege to serve the Savannah community for over 50 years!

500 Eisenhower Dr. Savannah, GA

912.355.7022

www.savannahorthodontics.com

Wilmington Island • Pooler • Swainsboro • Bluffton

If you like us, throw your thumb in the air

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

Best Running/Walk Event

Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

This November event, first brought to town specifically to help expand the tourism season here, accomplished its goal. The 2017 edition -- the 8th annual in Savannah and the 20th anniversary of the R n’ R Marathon itself -- brought about 15,000 runners to Savannah, most from out of town.

Runner-up: Enmark Savannah Bridge Run

Best Local High School Team

Benedictine Cadets

It’s easy to assume this win refers to the Cadets football team, which won the 2016 state football championship under Coach Britt. But BC won the state soccer championship the same year.

Runner-up: Islands High Sharks

Best Local College Sports Team

Georgia Southern Eagles

Ordinarily we’d get to make a joke here

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about Georgia Southern not being local since they’re in Statesboro. But with the recent consolidation of Armstrong and Georgia Southern, completed this year, we can’t really make that joke anymore.

Runner-up: Savannah State Tigers

Best Local Sports Coach

Robert Zoller

The Island High football coach joined the program in 2015.

Runner-up: Gary Wright, Savannah United

Best Yoga Instructor

Kelley Boyd

The director of Savannah Yoga Center founded the beloved local institution in 2003.

Runner-up: Jenny Hawkes

Best Zumba Instructor

Sheena Allen

Sheena is a repeat winner in this category and gains votes for her tireless energy and friendly approach.

Runner-up: JoJo Ward

Best Barre Studio

Pure Barre Savannah

Caroline Brennan runs the show at this year’s winner, where high-intensity and low-impact are the hallmarks.

Best Personal Trainer

Mark Lebos

Best Fitness Club and Best Exercise Studio

Strong Gym

This isn’t the first year Mark has won your vote for Best Personal Trainer, but this year is a major step up for his business, Strong Gym. At the corner of Bull and Anderson, Strong Gym is not only a place for strengthening and conditioning under the individual guidance of Lebos and his trained staff. You can access a whole suite of wellness enhancements, such as massage. In an increasingly corporatized world — one might even say planet — of fitness (see what we did there), the locally owned Strong Gym stands out, muscular head and shoulders above the rest.

Runner-up, Club: Fitness on Broughton Runner-up, Studio: YMCA CONTINUES ON P. 60

Thank you for voting us

BEST BARBER SHOP 1610 Bull St. bellbarberco.com By online appointment only

Congratulations to DR. Mark Murphy for being voted BEST Gastroenterologist!

1139 LEXINGTON AVE., SUITE A, SAVANNAH, GA 31404 • 912.303.4200 • WWW.SAVANNAHGI.COM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

THANK YOU FOR VOTING SAVANNAH

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THANK YOU SAVANNAH! EDUARD DOCU, MD

VOTED BEST PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN

Our patients are the heart of our practice. We are dedicated to providing you and your family with expert care through the most up-to-date medical treatment in addition to providing compassionate and informative patient education and counseling.

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

Best Physical Therapist

preventive mindset.

Runner-up: Kristen Udengraff, MD

At the rapidly growing Ledesma Sports Medicine clinic, there’s something for everyone, from those with a physical ailment or just those looking to expand their already-healthy capabilities. A full range of expert services includes back therapy, weight loss, K-laser treatment, and specialities such as auto accident recovery and training for triathlons (count us out of that last one, Ernie). Check out their new home on Hodgson Memorial Runner-up: Chatham Orthopaedics

Best OB/GYN

Best Physical Therapy Center

Sherry Hartenbower, BSN, MSN

Ernie Ledesma

Optim Health

This regional powerhouse provided orthopedics services, therapy, surgery, imaging, and more.

Runner-up: BenchMark

Best Psychiatrist

Arnold Negrin, MD

Dr. Negrin has an extensive private practice in Savannah and has a wide range of experience in consultation and management throughout the region.

Runner-up: Chad Brock, MD

Best Local Pharmacy

Walmart on Whitemarsh

The retail giant has become a leader in best practices Runner-up: LoCost Pharmacy

Best Hospital

Memorial Health

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

“Please give us the opportunity to help you and your family feel and live better.” - Dr. Eduard Docu

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Docu Family Medicine Center

4849 Paulsen St. • Suite 314 Savannah • 912.354.3363 DOCUFAMILYMEDICINE.COM

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The region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center is now privately owned by HCA, which finalized the $456 million purchase earlier this year.

Runner-up: Candler Hospital

Best Urgent Care

Southern Urgent Care

Carmela Pettigrew, MD

This perennial reader’s choice, with Savannah OB/GYN Specialists, completed her residency here at Memorial, and is known for a friendly, attentive, and professional manner.

Runner-up: Karen Baker, MD

Best Midwife

One of the stalwarts at The Midwife Group and Birth Center, Sherry’s win in the Readers Poll this year marks a big breakthrough.

Runner-up: Rita Chesney

Best Nurse

Heidi Longenberger, LPN Heidi is a perennial reader choice in this category, and continues to serve as a vital part of the great team at The Midwife Group and Birth Center.

Runner-up: Jason Cook

Best Pediatrician

Ramon Ramos MD, PC

One of Savannah’s most beloved physicians is back on top in the readers’ vote this year.

Runner-up: Ben Spitalnick, MD

Best Dermatologist

Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic

This rare group win in the Readers Poll is a testament to the skill and range of service at this suite of regional clinics.

Runner-up: Low Country Dermatology

Southern Urgent Care has built up a great client reputation from its location on Whitemarsh Island.

Runner-up: Berwick Urgent Care

Best Allergist

Best Primary Care Physician

Having a great allergist in a place like Savannah, GA, is like having a gas station, or food: A must-have. Dr. Goodman is the readers’ choice this year.

Runner-up: Bruce Finkel

Eduard Docu, MD

Docu Family Medicine Center on Paulsen is your choice for where to go for quality, attentive care. The family medicine concept adopts an inclusive and

Brad Goodman, DMD

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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THANK YOU SAVANNAH! Nikki Friedhoffer

Voted Best Hair Colorist 319 West Congress St., Savannah 120 Towne Center Dr., Pooler COLORBOXX.COM •

Best Veterinary Clinic Savannah Veterinary Medical Center The Savannah Veterinary Medical Center has been caring for Savannah area pets over the last seven years. Their location near Victory Square is convenient for cats and dogs who enjoy a smooth ride down Truman Parkway or Victory Drive.

Dr. Brian Mulvey leads the hospital staff of five veterinary technicians, as well as his wife, Lauren, who handles some of the managerial and billing duties.

“We’re more like a small family rather than a group of coworkers,” says Mrs. Mulvey, “and that shows in our teamwork, providing all our clients with the greatest experience possible.”

Dr. Mulvey grew up in Maryland among horses and dogs (specifically Newfoundlands). His passion for animals started at an early age and he began volunteering at local veterinary clinics as a teenager.

After graduating in 2007 from Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, he was attracted to Savannah for the warm weather and coastal access.

In 2011, Dr. Mulvey got married and opened his own practice. The Mulveys have two sons, Tripp (5 years), and Eli (3 years), as well as two dogs; a 9 year old Shih Tzu named Murphy and a four-year-old Golden Retriever named Buoy. – Pat Longstreth CONTINUES ON P. 62 Runner-up: Central Animal Hospital

Thank you for voting us Best Urgent Care 4717 US Hwy 80 E. Suite H-1 Savannah, Ga. 31410 www.southernuc.com | 912.898.2227 “Providing High Quality Compassionate Medical Care When You Need It Urgently”

CONGRATULATIONS to

DR. EVAN SIEGALL ON BEING VOTED

BEST ORTHOPEDIST IN SAVANNAH BY READERS!

Evan M. Siegall, M.D.

ChathamOrtho.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Savannah Veterinary’s team. PHOTO BY JON WAITS

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RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

Best Gastroenterologist

Mark E. Murphy, MD

At the Center for Liver & Digestive Health, Dr. Murphy is a true Renaissance Man. He is not only one of the area’s favorite and most skilled physicians. The Savannah native is also a prolific and wellregarded author and columnist.

Runner-up: Mark Nyce, MD

Best Cardiologist

Claude T. Su, MD

Dr. Su is the readers’ choice again, practicing at Cardiology Associates of Savannah – the region’s oldest such practice.

Runner-up: Dale Daley, MD

Best Chiropractor

Whelan Chiropractic

This category is very competitive with our readers every year, and Dr. Christopher Whelan and staff come out on top again this time around.

Runner-up: Phil Barone, DC

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

‘

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Best Cosmetic Surgery Center

Savannah Plastic Surgery

This is an increasingly competitive category, and this year the six-surgeon practice at Savannah Plastic Surgery came out on top with our readers.

Runner-up: Georgia Institute for Plastic Surgery

Best Dentist Best Cosmetic Dentist Best Pediatratic Dentist

Howard Family Dental

A big trifecta win with our readers for Howard Family Dental, they have 11, count ‘em, 11 locations from Beaufort down to Brunswick.

Runner-up, Dentist: Habersham Dental Runner-up, Cosmetic: Brad Durham Runner-up, Pediatric: Cara DeLeon

Best Orthodontist

Best Sleep Specialist

This three-doctor practice serves orthodontic needs from Savannah to Pooler to Swainsboro.

Runner-up: Vaught Orthodontics

You are getting sleepy. Very, very sleepy.

But not too sleepy to vote Dr. Costrini, at Costrini Sleep Center, as your favorite Sleep Specialist again.

Runner-up: James Anthony Daly III, MD

Best Optometrist

Best Veterinarian

Brodreck, Dusek & De Leon Orthodontics

Robin Ray, MD

Don’t take your eyes off this visionary.

He peers deep into your visual health with 20/20 accuracy at Georgia Eye Institute.

Runner-up: James Beisel

Best Opthalmologist Best Vision Center

America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses

This outpost at Savannah Center is a fast and expert way to get your lenses.

Runner-up, Opthalmologist: Elizabeth Miller Runner-up, Vision: Georgia Eye Institute

Anthony M. Costrini, MD

Cara Hammons, DVM

This superstar serves a happy clientele and their tail-wagging pets at Central Animal Hospital.

Runner-up: Brian Mulvey, DVM

Best Barber Shop

Bell Barber Company

Fellas, you wanna get “manpered?”

Head straight to this new reader fave in Starland.

Runner-up: Salt Water Spa

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Shelly Lowther reaches for success.

Best Yoga Studio Best Pilates Studio I can’t remember how many times I’ve joined a gym or an aerobics program only to quit an embarrassingly short time after joining. I blame it on my own will power, of course.

But listening to Shelley Lowther, a former real estate professional with an evangelistic zeal for yoga, I see how many body movement programs aren’t designed for me.

“It’s not just checking into a gym with a key fob,” she says of Dancing Dogs Yoga, her very successful eight-year-old calling. “Somebody knows your name and what you do. We focus on building relationships. We want yoga to be a lifelong practice.”

Maybe I need people, not buildings, machines or even instructors. A caring community. That’s what Lowther says sets Dancing Dogs Yoga apart and leads to this poll’s result.

“If you get someone physically in their body, then you can talk to their hearts,” she says. “If you try to talk to someone’s heart without putting them in their body, it’s just noise.”

Dancing Dogs Yoga uses a practice called Baptiste Yoga, founded in the 1940’s and described as a tool for personal transformation. It involves heat and sweat. It involves more physical challenge and the need for an open mind and a commitment to growth.

“We meet you where you are,” Lowther says. “You can come in from a gymnastics background and you’re doing handstands as you walk in the door. Or you can come in not able to touch your toes and we can work with you.” They have softer classes!

Other aspects of Baptiste Yoga include focus, breath and flow. But Lowther comes back time and again to non-physical ideas like empowerment and possibility. “We try to teach every single posture from that perspective,” she says.

Her own personal transformation with this yoga concept led her to open her first yoga studio in 2010. “It’s something that helped me in my stressful life,” she says.

And she wanted to share it. Dancing Dogs Yoga is now in five cities.

In addition to the Broughton Street studio, with about 20 instructors, there are Tybee Island, Atlanta, Bluffton and Greensboro locations. And they’re expanding again. Soon, the downtown space will add Reiki, massage, sound and acupuncture healers.

Maybe it’s time for me to quit quitting. Even if I can’t promise yoga, I can try to build a caring community around me. And that’s a Dancing Dogs Yoga lesson for everyone. – Orlando Montoya Runner-up, Yoga: Savannah Yoga Center Runner-up, Pilates: The Hub CONTINUES ON P. 64

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Dancing Dogs Yoga

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RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

Runner-up: Sweet Water Spa

Best Hair Stylist Savannah’s

Thank you for voting for us!

Best Pet Store and Best Pet Boutique Healthy Pet Food • Salon Style Grooming • Gourmet Baked Treats • Boutique Housewares • Plush & Tough Toys • Collars & Leashes • and Much More!

Renata Duran

Best Waxing Salon

Best Hair Colorist

A rising star in the Starland District, Wax and Wane offers a full range of services for woman and man alike Runner-up: Sweet Water Spa

The “Hair Princess” and perennial popular winner in this category now plies her stylish trade at Salon Aqua.

Runner-up: Nikki Friedhoffer

Nikki Friedhoffer

Another very popular longtime winner racks up another win; she colors at her iconic Colorboxx salon.

Runner-up: Renata Duran

Best Nail Salon

La Bella Salon

La Bella offers a full range of mani-pedi services at their hoppin’ downtown spot.

Runner-up: Spa Bleu

Best Local Nail Technician

Romonda Elliott

Romonda dishes out beauty in person at Sweet Water Spa. Runner-up: Cora Bannon

City Market • River Street • Bull Street • Starland District

Thank you for voting

Best Medical Spa

Glow Medical Spa

This will be Glow’s third win in a row in this category, with an impressive six wins overall.

Runner-up: Spa Bleu

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

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Best Tanning Salon

Salt Water Spa

This Wilmington Island hotspot not only offers tanning – they offer massage, waxing, hair and nails, and other spa services.

Runner-up: Spa Bleu

Best Piercing Studio

Planet 3

A perennial winner in this popular category, Planet 3 remains at the top of its game.

Runner-up: Coven Piercing

Best Piercing Artist

Rheannon Frette

Rheannon has built a formidable client list and portfolio over the years, and now practices her art with Victor VanOrden at Coven Piercing.

Runner-up: Mason Smith, Planet 3

The Butcher

Spa Bleu

Best Pediatric Dentist, Best Dentist, and Best Cosmetic Dentist in Savannah!

Wax and Wane Salon

Best Tattoo Shop

Best Day Spa

www.HowardFamilyDental.com

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One of downtown Savannah’s most beloved local businesses, over the years Spa Bleu has racked up a huge number of wins courtesy of our readers.

Not only our readers’ favorite tattoo shop, they are one of Savannah’s coolest art galleries as well.

Runner-up: Black Orchid

SEVEN YEARS IN A ROW! Thank You For Choosing Glow!

Voted Best Medical Spa

Visit one of our 11 area locations!

(912) 629-9000 •    HFD206

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 BEST OF SAVANNAH • 2014 •

www.glowsavannah.com

• 912.303.9611

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Best Hair Salon

40 Volume Salon

Life Strength LifeTakes TakesStrength Strength Life Takes Life Takes Strength

strongWOMEN strong MEN strongSENIORS SENIORS strong BACK strong MUSCLES strongWOMEN WOMEN strong MEN strong SENIORS strong BACK strong MUSCLES strong strong MEN strong strong BACK strong MUSCLES strong strongWOMEN WOMEN strong strongMEN MEN strong strongSENIORS SENIORS strong strongBACK BACK strong strongMUSCLES MUSCLES Specializing in Specializing in Specializing in Specializing in Specializing in Personal &Group Group Training Personal & Group Training Personal && Training Personal Group Training Personal &Performance Group Training Sports Sports Performance Sports Performance Sports Performance Injury Rehabilition Sports Performance Rehabilition InjuryInjury Rehabilition Injury Rehabilition Senior Fitness InjurySenior Rehabilition Fitness Senior Fitness Senior Fitness MassageTherapy Therapy Massage Massage Therapy Massage Therapy Senior Fitness 1321 Bull Street Savannah, GA (912) 443-4006 1321 Bull Street Savannah, GA (912) 443-4006 Massage Therapy 1321 Bull Street Savannah, GA (912) 443-4006 1321 Bull Street Savannah, GA (912) 443-4006

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

40 Volume is a cut above the rest.

40 Volume Salon is a first-time Best of Savannah winner. Coming up on their 10th anniversary, co-owner/co-founder Michelle said, “We are extremely honored and grateful to have been awarded this recognition. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that voted for us!”

40 Volume Salon opened in July 2008. The salon name came from a developer that you use with hair lightener to create the blondest blonde in the quickest amount of time.

“If you haven’t noticed, [stylist] Courtney and myself are a little bit partial to our blonde hair,” Michelle said.

Michelle, who is also a “Sexy Hair Master Artist,” has been teaching advance hair cutting to stylists both domestically and internationally.

“My job is to inspire and teach stylists how to elevate their level of hair cutting and become more confident in their craft. I absolutely love being able to meet people all over the world and feel like I am making even a small impact on their career,” said Michelle.

Michelle said what sets the 40 Volume Salon apart from other local salons is, “We pride ourselves in our customer service. This is the utmost important thing to us. We want a place that everyone feels like they are home when they come to visit us. We try really hard to give back and be as involved as possible in the community. We love it when we can collaborate with other Savannah businesses and bring that family feel to our community.” — Asha Gilbert CONTINUES ON P. 66 Runner-up: Salt Water Spa

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RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Best Golf Course

Best Marina

This great old course is experiencing a new and well-deserved resurgence in popularity lately.

Runner-up: The Club at Savannah Harbor

This perennial winner on Wilmington Island continues to boast a high-level of service.

Runner-up: Thunderbolt Marina

Wilmington Island Golf Club Best Bowling Alley

Hogan’s Marina

Best Massage Therapist

Frames-n-Games

This Pooler hotspot is where you go for bowling, laser tag, fun events, and more.

Runner-up: AMF Savannah

THANK YOU SAVANNAH!

Sweet Water Spa

The massage therapists at Sweet Water Spa offer a variety of different massages, from deep tissue to Swedish to hot stone. They also offer a customized massage if you have a particular area in need of attention. Whatever your massage needs, they’re sure to satisfy.

Runner-up: Crystal at Spa Bleu

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

SAVANNAH PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER BEST PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER

for voting our office

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

BEST CHIROPRACTOR!

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WHELAN CHIROPRACTIC We’ve got your back!

602 Abercorn St Savannah

912.232.1900

Scott W. Vann, M.D. Barbara L. Davies, M.D. Carl B. Pearl, M.D. E.D. Deloach, M.D. Lawrence E. Ruf, M.D. Luke J. Curtsinger, M.D.

7208 Hodgson Memorial Drive, Savannah savannahplasticsurgery.com 912.351.5050 | 1.800.424.8478 Permit#025-062

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Dean Denney at work. PHOTO BY JON WAITS | @JWAITSPHOTO

Best Tattoo Artist

Dean Denney

Dean Denney sits with vibrating pen in hand over a belly-button surrounded by spiky black lines. He’s carefully filling in red and orange flames that crawl up the surface of his coworker’s stomach. The canvas is illuminated from 20 feet above by an enormous skylight, which was installed in the 1930’s for meticulous weevil-hunting cotton workers.

Anonymous Tattoo, an airy loft space perched atop Bay Street, has been Denney’s home for the last seven years and in that time he’s left many lasting impressions on people.

“There’s no city quite like Savannah,” Denney says, “It’s a good tattoo town, with really amazing clients and even more amazing co-workers.”

Each artist at the shop approaches ideas in their own way, which provides a wide range of expressive styles that include animal chimeras, surrealist collage, pointillist dots, Blackwork patterns, celebrity portraiture, and Japanese dragons.

Denney’s style can be classified as American Traditional — brightly shaded iconography outlined by thick black lines. He shows an affinity for anthropomorphic animals such as a dog dressed as a clown, a frog holding a lily, and a grim reaper penguin.

Asked about his influences, he warns there are “too many to name. We could go down a rabbit hole.”

Denny got started as an apprentice at a biker shop in Raleigh, NC, where he would sometimes advise against requests for “wild stuff”. Now he finds himself planning bigger jobs with clients that are scheduled months in advance and require several sessions to complete.

He prefers to meet in person to “make sure the artwork jibes with who they are and what they do.” The consultation process includes the visual content, as well as career and lifestyle considerations. “I work with a shrimp boat Captain who gets exposed to salt water and sea gulls, so he can only get tattooed in the off season,” he explains.

Scheduling an appointment with Denney will soon require a 5-hour commute for Savannahians, as he and his wife are moving to Asheville, NC, where he’ll be working at Spiderweb Tattoo. “My wife is from there and we have a lot of friends up there,” Denny says. Professionally, Denney is seizing the opportunity to work with some old colleagues and gain joint-ownership of a new business. “I’m ready to be my own boss,” he declares.

As Denney leaves us for Northern pastures, his mark remains on our city, pressed into the semi-covered flesh of military folks, art students, and nonconformists who wear his art on their sleeves. – Pat Longstreth Runner-up: Kelly Borders

Thank you for voting Wax and Wane Best Waxing Salon Connect Savannah’s Best of Savannah 3 years in a row! We’re over the moon from your support!

1917 BULL ST • 912.233.7002 • WAXANDWANEWAXING.COM SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

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BOS 2018 SHOPPING & SERVICES

SHOPPING & SERVICES

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Photographer Best Wedding Photographer Best Photography Studio

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Megan Jones, Savannah Glamour

Megan Jones is on fire right now. From winning the trifecta of photography awards, signing the lease on a new studio and needing to hire an assistant, she’s experiencing a career surge that means a lot more because she’s solo.

“I’m a nerdy amount of stoked,” she admits. “Any sort of recognition … it’s not like I have a boss to approve or coworkers to tell. It’s just me running around like a nut.”

Her elopement photography company, It’s Megan Jones, is the seminal business for Jones, which yielded 120 elopement shoots last year.

“Last January I launched Savannah Glamour, focusing on women’s glam portraiture,” she says. “It’s been amazing— that’s what I really wanted to do. I decided to take a risk and it went so well.”

At Jones’ new studio, she keeps a closet full of gowns and boudoir pieces. For every shoot, she brings in a hair and makeup team to give the women their best look.

“It’s my heart’s passion, Savannah Glamour,” she says. “I love this so much.

They look at the portraits and go, ‘I could never look like that.’ I take before [makeup] photos and my clients go, ‘I booked you because of these.’ They see only the after pictures and they’re like, no.

When you’re in the right hands, you can do it.”

Jones’ glamour portraits do more than just make women look great; she makes them feel great as well.

“I edit the photos a lot, I love on these photo,s and then I bring the client back to me to see them,” she says. “When you’re alone looking at your photos, you love them, and then you nitpick them for a year. When you’re with me, I don’t let you nitpick. I don’t let you talk bad about yourself. Only love here. It’s an empowering experience. When you’re alone, it’s so easy to say, ‘I hate my double chin, I hate my eyebrows.’ When you’re with somebody else, you have to be a little nicer to yourself. That may even change how you think about yourself.”

Jones’ positivity is what makes her the ideal glamour photographer. She seeks to empower her subjects in a way that others don’t.

“Everybody needs somebody positive like that,” she says. “If that’s me for them, then my life is complete.” -- Rachael Flora Runner-up, Photog: Adriana Iris Boatwright Runner-up, Wedding: Katie McGee Runner-up, Studio: Megan Myrick Photography

SHOPPING & SERVICES

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Best New Store

Rise Biscuits Donuts

This big new hit on Broughton has quietly but quickly become one of the shopping thoroughfare’s most beloved spots.

From their opening last summer they have developed a big following dishing up madefrom-scratch biscuit sandwiches and house-made doughnuts. The fast-casual atmosphere makes it easy to grab a donut from the walk-up case or hang out to get your biscuit sandwich.

Runner-up:Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

Best Green Business Best Arts/Crafts Store

Starlandia Creative Supply

Not only a business success story on the Bull Street corridor, Clinton Edminster’s labor of love is a bright hub of community for the whole Starland District.

Runner-up, Green: Northwest Exterminating Runner-up, Crafts: Michael’s

Best Window Display

Paris Market & Brocante

One of the best things to do on Broughton is check out the latest art installation in the Paris Market windows. Don’t forget to go inside and shop and enjoy a coffee!

Runner-up: 24e

Best Independent Bookstore

E. Shaver Booksellers

A hub of Savannah’s literary community, where enlightenment and friendship go hand in hand for local and visitor alike.

Runner-up: The Book Lady

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Savannah: 1085 W. Lathrop • 200 Stephenson Ave., Suite 100 | Pooler: 102 Park Ave. COMING SOON to Rincon at 5745 Hwy 21 South! | 912-236-4400 | www.gaheritagefcu.org

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Thank You For Voting Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union The Best In Savannah!

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Darby Cox and Sean Geng with their product. PHOTO BY RACHAEL FLORA

Best Smoke Shop

Smoke Cartel

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Smoke Cartel is way more than just a head shop, and not just because they closed all their retail locations.

“It’s turning into the headquarters of a global empire, which it is,” asserts Jessica Leigh Lebos, the former Connect columnist who is now communications strategist at Smoke Cartel.

“The head shops were really just for fun,” says co-owner Sean Geng. “We started as an e-commerce online business. Savannah is a small market for us, but we’re here, so we’re like, why not? But it was too much work. We grew to four stores and it was too much and it was too much to manage.”

“There’s not much team cohesion,” adds co-owner Darby Cox. “Nobody was ever able to work back and forth feel like you’re part of the same team.”

This past year, Smoke Cartel also went public, a huge step.

“There were a lot of bro banker accountant types in here, and I was like, ‘Who are those guys?’” laughs Lebos. “Turns out they were doing this massive audit for the SEC.” “We’ll be doing some fundraising this term investing that money into growing our product lines, growing our staff, growing this facility—it’s really exciting,” says Geng.

“I think the biggest thing for us this past year was learning how to better target our wholesale customers,” says Cox. “We learned what the business owners really wanted 70

and how to present purchasing things to them. Some big challenges are that they don’t have store displays, so we have models, but they may want a point of purchase display, so we do donut handpipes and sell them in a little box as a baker’s dozen. Little things like that stand out. As store owners, that really helps sell products.”

The cannabis industry is stuck between the goofy stoner stereotype and the serious business that could even bring an end to the opioid crisis.

“People are starting to get it,” says Lebos. “I have people in their 60s laughing at it but also going, ‘Okay, where do we invest?’”

“Ask the school districts in Colorado how they feel about it,” says Geng.

“There’s a 25% reduction in opioid overdoses in Colorado, and right there is the reason,” asserts Lebos. “The revenue it’s generated for public schools, infrastructure, education…”

Even though Smoke Cartel is turning into a huge global empire—their last evaluation was at $80 billion—Cox and Geng aren’t letting it go to their heads.

“I don’t think it feels very crazy to us—it’s just life,” Cox muses. “We live in our little bubble here; we just come in and work and do our thing.”

“I don’t think I’m that successful,” chimes in Geng. – Rachael Flora Runner-up: Planet 3

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Best Comic Book Store

Best Furniture Store

Best Motorcycle Dealer

Hey, comics nerds rule the world now.

Pay this perennial winner a visit and join the club.

Runner-up: Planet Fun

One of Savannah’s great locally owned business success stories is always evolving.

No longer just a furniture store, there’s a whole lifestyle available in its spacious display space.

Runner-up: Two Women and a Warehouse

Get your American iron at their hot dealership at Hwy 204 and I-95.

Runner-up: Low Country Customs

Comics & More

Best Musical Instrument Store

Portman’s Music Superstore

All aspects of music, from amps to marching band instruments, are available at this longtime local institution and regular reader choice.

Runner-up: Rody’s

Best Record Shop

Graveface Records & Curiosities

More than just a record shop, Graveface is the center of a local cultural movement, with a record label and hosting regular events which not only celebrate music, but community.

Runner-up: Rody’s Records

24e

Best Cigar/Tobacco Shop

Savannah Cigars

A cozy, friendly place in bustling City Market to stop in and shop for stogies.

Runner-up: Ye Ole Tobacco Shop

Vapors Smoke Shop

On point with the latest vape trends and products, and at the top of our readers’ list.

Runner-up: Southeast Vapes

Best Lawn & Garden Store A perennial readers’ choice in this category, and locally owned!

Runner-up: The Home Depot

Hawg Scooters

“Get Squeeelin’” on scooters and ATVs at this Skidaway Road location.

Runner-up: Honda-Yamaha of Savannah

Sekka Bikes

A new name at the top in this category this year. Sekka Bikes has a showroom on Broughton Street downtown and on Bull Street near Ardsley Park.

Runner-up: The Bicycle Link

Best Place to Buy a New Car Best Place to Buy a Used Car

Grainger Honda

Best Automotive Repair Best Place for Tires

Savannah Tire

Best Scooter Dealer

Best Bicycle Shop

Best Vape Shop

Hester & Zipperer

Savannah Harley-Davidson

Parkway to see these friendly folks and longtime readers’ choice in these categories.

Runner-up, Used: Subaru of Hilton Head

New or used, head out to Chatham

A longtime readers’ pick comes through again.

Runner-up: SOS Tires

Best Car Wash

Savannah Car Wash You can wash your car on Abercorn Extension, and drive to Pooler and wash it there.

Runner-up:Auto Shine

Best Rental Car Company

Enterprise

A longtime reader’s pick has seven neighborhood locations and one at the airport.

Runner-up:Avis

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THREE YEARS IN A ROW...

THANK YOU SAVANNAH!

Voted Best Local Attorney Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

SHOPPING & SERVICES

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Denver and Ashley with their pups DeSoto and Cruiser.

Best Pet Daycare

Club Fido & Friends

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

This is a first-time win for Club Fido & Friends, who celebrate their fifth year in town later on this fall.

Unlike most doggie daycare facilities, Club Fido is an all-open play environment – your pup will never see the inside of a kennel there.

“It’s a unique situation,” says Ashley Lowden, co-owner of Club Fido with her husband, Denver Dietrich.

“We want to offer that open-play environment. Most other places are at least halfand-half open play vs. kennel. When clients go to those places, they may have one thing

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in their mind for their dog, which might be very different from what the facility has planned. It’s vastly different here because we don’t use the kennel option,” Ashley explains.

Every dog that stays at Club Fido’s facility off Ogeechee Road has to pass an “audition” where the staff watches to see if the new pup interacts well with the other dogs.

If your pooch passes, you’re part of the extended, and very happy, Club Fido family.

“Your dog has to do excellently in the group here with other dogs, 100 percent of the time, or we can’t keep your dog. That’s the biggest difference for us,” says Ashley. “But I love it — because I don’t like to see dogs in kennels.”

Ashley says the main source of gratification in this demanding line of work is “Definitely the dogs! There is stress with dealing with dogs. The ‘what-ifs’ are indefinite.

Anything can happen when you’re dealing with animals,” she says.

“But we love seeing dogs thrive. We love building relationships with the dogs, and seeing dogs build relationships with each other is also phenomenal. And we have an incredible client base.”

Ashley grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and she says there are similarities between that and what she does now. “Just like on a farm, you have to get up early in the morning and feed the animals,” she laughs.

The couple’s own pups, DeSoto and Cruiser, hold court at Club Fido on the regular.

(Cruiser would like you to know that he is the reigning champion of the Weiner Dog race at River Street’s Oktoberfest.)

Of course, it’s a 24-hour business, with dogs staying over each night, sleeping out in the open just as they play out in the open. Who usually has the night watch?

“You’re looking at him,” laughs Denver, also an Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

While for many months Club Fido has been full-up and not able to accept any more clients, they’re now happy to announce that their business is growing and after Memorial Day they will be accepting new canine customers.

“The pet friendliness of this area is helpful. The tourist thing is also huge because we get a ton of traveling folks. Initially when we opened that’s how we were able to flourish from the get-go. Now, we have an established clientele,” says Ashley.

“I miss Minnesota sometimes, but I don’t think I could walk away from this whole family here,” Ashley says. – Jim Morekis

SHOPPING & SERVICES

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Best Place to Buy a Boat Best Sporting Goods Store

Best Women’s Clothing Store

this boutique offers unique, hip clothing for kids of all ages.

Runner-up:Children’s Place

Best Realtor

This Savannah Mall anchor has an extensive fleet to choose from Runner-up, Boats: Custom Marine Runner-up, Sporting: Hibbett Sports

With over forty locations nationwide, Fab’rik is a powerhouse, but the pieces feel so Savannah for how easy-breezy they are to wear, especially the rompers and A-line dresses. The store’s motto is “high style with heart,” and that’s just what Fab’rik delivers.

Runner-up: Go Fish Clothing and Jewelry

Best Clothing Boutique

Keller Williams Realty

Best Men’s Clothing Store

Mamie Ruth

Bass Pro Shops

Best Daycare

Angel’s Child Care & Enrichment Center A new winner in this category, Angel’s has two locations in town for your little tykes.

Runner-up: Maggie’s Morning School

Best Art Supply Store Best Frame Shop

Blick Art Supplies

While it’s a corporate chain, the Savannah location worked closely with the former Primary Art Supply and has a great bond with the local market. Their frame shop is excellently staffed and equipped.

Runner-up, Supply: Starlandia Creative Supply Runner-up, Frames: Malorodor’s

Fab’rik

J. Parker Limited

J. Parker is stylish and luxurious without being pretentious. The clothing store carries classic brands like Barbour and Alan Paine along with more contemporary lines like Southern Tide and Southern Proper.

Runner-up:Half Moon Outfitters

Best Children’s Clothing Store

Sara Jane Children’s Boutique Owned and operated by Sara Jane Strickland Stroupe, a Savannah native,

Kathi Rich

Kathi Rich is the place to go for chic, timeless pieces, offering lines like Sita Murt, Johnny Was and Ripley Rader.

Runner-up:Mamie Ruth

Chelsea Phillips

Best Realty Company

Through booms and downturns alike, this local realty company, and especially Chelsea Phillips, can make those deals happen. They are a perennial readers’ combo choice year after year.

Runner-up, Company: Judge Realty Runner-up, Realtor: Don Callahan

Best Local Clothing Designer Emily Bargeron, working under the name Mamie Ruth, creates vintageinspired clothing with the environment in mind. Her materials are reclaimed or sustainable, resulting in a line that’s unique and eco-conscious. She just opened a second store, East + Up, that focuses on vintage clothing.

Runner-up:Brooke Atwood

Best Thrift/Vintage Clothing Store Best Consignment Store

Civvies

Civvies’ inventory is generated and maintained mainly by its customers, who can trade clothing for cash or store credit.

More importantly, Civvies makes the comfort of all shoppers a priority and doesn’t divide their clothing by gender, opting instead to sorting apparel by type.

Runner-up, Thrift/Vintage: The Future on Forsyth Runner-up, Consignment: Cherry Picked Consignments CONTINUES ON P. 74

Thank Y ’ All!

Chelsea Phillips Savannah’s

best real estate agent

When it is your biggest asset, you deserve the BEST (us, obviously :) ).

Let us know how we can help TODAY!

Chelsea Phillips

SavannahPropertyFinder.com ChelseaSold@gmail.com

912.509.0522

BEST OF SAVANNAH • 2014 •

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

for Voting

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Best Fashion Accessory Store

Voted Best

BEAD STORE

Thanks Savannah!

912.677.3983 104 E. 40th St. Savannah, GA 31401

The Future on Forsyth

The Future on Forsyth has a team of buyers who travel the country, and the world, to find inventory for the store, resulting in the unique pieces they carry.

Most of the inventory is vintage from the 1920s through the 1990s, and the rest is from retro-inspired brands.

Runner-up:Charming Charlie’s

Best Shoe Store

Copper Penny

While Copper Penny isn’t solely a shoe store, its footwear line makes enough of a mark. Brands like Jack Rogers, Klub Nico and Gentle Souls attract attention.

Runner-up: Globe Shoe Company

Best Bead Store

Epiphany Bead and Jewelry Studio

Looking for unique beads? Want to start creating your own jewelry? Look no further than Epiphany Bead and Jewelry Studio. With a selection ranging from miyuki

seed beads to Swarovski crystals, they’ll help you get started in your creative endeavors.

Runner-up: Michael’s

Best Local Jewelry Designer

Kristen Baird

Using ethically sourced gems, highquality materials and traditional metalsmithing skills, Kristen Baird’s pieces use color and geometric shapes in a unique way.

Runner-up: Danielle Hughes Rose

Best Costume Store

Acme Costumes

Not just a Halloween stop by any means – in fact this is a great source for any party or event.

Runner-up: Comics & More

Best Adult Toy Store

Sunset Novelties

A local institution from way back, Sunset Novelties has shops from here to Jacksonville.

Runner-up: The Comedy Store

THANK YOU SAVANNAH FOR VOTING U S

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

BEST PLACE TO BUY A NEW CAR & BEST PLACE TO BUY A USED CAR

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1596 Chatham Pkwy 912.790.5444 GraingerHonda.com JOIN OUR TEAM! NOW HIRING SALES PROFESSIONALS

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OF SAVANNAH • 2014 •

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Best Lingerie Store

Best Lighting Store

No surprise that this would be a regular readers’ choice in this department Runner-up: Sunset Novelties

A very consistent reader pick in this category, Circa is an anchor institution in the Downtown Design District.

Runner-up: Pace Lighting

Victoria’s Secret

Best Local Bath Products Store

nourish

Handmade, artisanal products in a delightful storefront on Broughton Street.

Runner-up: Dragonfly’s Hair and Nail Boutique

Best Gift Store

Savannah Bee Company

From homegrown, responsibly harvested local honey to lip balm to body wash, bee kind to others and bee yourself with the goods at Savannah Bee Company.

Runner-up: 13 Secrets

Best Antique Shop

Habersham Antiques

This sprawling, historic location has it all, from retro to clothing to furniture to kitsch.

Runner-up: Picker Joe’s

Circa Lighting

Best Flooring Store

Floor & Décor

A mega-warehouse of all your flooring needs.

Runner-up: Advanced Flooring

E. Shaver, bookseller

Best Maid Service

Local & Independent since 1975

Merry Maids

This repeat readers’ choice offers a wide range of cleaning services.

Runner-up: econoMaid

Best Mall/Shopping Center

Tanger Outlets in Pooler

Best Florist

Ideal Pest Control

John Wolf Florist

A rare win for an all-local company fighting the big guys on the block – and your insect enemies – since 1974.

Runner-up: Yates-Astro

This longtime local institution, with roots back to the 1800s, boasts a beautiful retail store on Waters Avenue.

Runner-up: John Davis Florist

Best Outdoor Outfitters

Best Bridal Shop

Not only one of Broughton Street’s most successful, longstanding local businesses, Half-Moon is a vital center of the extended outdoor community here.

Runner-up: Bass Pro Shops

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU TONS FOR CHOOSING US FOR YOUR LITTLE ONES!

No, it’s not a typo – that’s so they’ll come up first in phone listings. This local company is a proud Bryant product dealer.

Runner-up: Canady’s

Best Pest Control

Half-Moon Outfitters

8 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!

AAction Air

A Waters Avenue institution in its fourth decade, Savannah Dry Cleaners is a member of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute.

Runner-up: David’s Dry Cleaners

Savannah Dry Cleaners

202 EAST 37TH ST. SAVANNAH 912-234-5266 • SARAJANEKIDS.COM

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING STORE

Best Heating & Air Service

This first-time win marks a breakthrough for Tanger and for Pooler, an increasing focus of the Savannah-area business and retail world. This project was initially greeted with a bit of skepticism since it was developed by the controversial Ben Carter. But since opening in 2015, its nearly 100 stores have continued to draw more and more customers, from locals to tourists.

Runner-up: Oglethorpe Mall

Best Dry Cleaner

Savannah’s Best

BleuBelle

This longtime readers’ pick in this category has enjoyed Savannah’s wedding boom.

Runner-up: Ivory and Beau

Thank you for voting us best Independent Bookstore!

326 Bull St, Savannah 912.234.7257 www.eshaverbooks.com

BEST Real Estate Company

Thank You Savannah!

CONTINUES ON P. 76

Southside: 329 Commercial Drive | Downtown: 124 Habersham Street Richmond Hill: 1107 Gandy Dancer | Pooler: 110 Pipemakers Circle

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

SHOPPING & SERVICES

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SHOPPING & SERVICES

We simplify moving.

Thank

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you for voting us

Best Movingwww.twomen.com Company 9 years in a row!

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE!!!

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82 Years

7650 Abercorn St. (Just north of Oglethorpe Mall) 912.354.1500 | portmansmusic.com

Best New Hotel

B Historic Savannah The B Historic had me hooked at one of its lobby’s most stunning artworks, a purplehued backlit cloth, soaring almost floor to ceiling and blowing gently in manufactured wind, featuring the words of Savannah poet Conrad Aiken. It’s a poem called “The Window.” I happen to be a missionary for the underappreciated Aiken.

“It’s my favorite thing at the hotel,” says hotel manager Frank Dolley, who met me under the words “She looks out in the blue morning and sees a whole wonderful world.”

And what a whole wonderful world that poem’s character would enjoy if she were staying at this Savannah-inspired oasis of calm, where coastal touches caress every corner.

“I also love the bar, the woodwork,” says Dolley, referring to Kitchen 320, the hotel’s locally-sourcing restaurant and bar that’s getting accolades of its own, creative and Southern-inspired as it is with delicious delights like Low Country paella.

The restaurant and bar’s central visual focus is a set of wood stumps, cut out and stacked, almost floor to ceiling, a nod, perhaps, to the state’s $681 million timber industry or, perhaps, to Savannah’s maritime history. All these local touches, art and personality definitely mark B Historic as a boutique hotel, of which there are several in Savannah.

“One of the things that helps us is our location,” Dolley says of the stiff competition for hotel nights. “We’re not right in the middle of River Street or right in the middle of the Historic District. We’re in a neighborhood.” And walking past those historic homes definitely adds to a calmness, even if you’re still very much in the “tourist zone.”

And if your Savannah stay packs in too much walking and not enough relaxation, take a flight up from the lobby. There, in a warm and cozy room on the second floor, an indoor pool looks out through a big window onto the green tops of palm trees. Float for a while.

To complete the idea, fall asleep on the B Hotels and Resorts’ signature “Blissful Bed.” Of course, as with any branded enterprise, the hotel’s corporate structure determines a lot of its feel. There are actually four other B Hotels and Resorts: Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans and Marathon Key. They pride themselves on their “DNA,” which stands for Destination (localism), N’Vogue (art) and Approachability (great staff personality).

Whatever hooks you at B Historic Savannah, B poetic about it, with love to Conrad. – Orlando Montoya Runner-up: The Bohemian

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Welsh Pawn Shop

Celebrating their 105th year, Welsh Pawn Shop has several locations for you to find just about anything you want.

Runner-up: GoldMine

Best Pet Store Best Pet Boutique

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming

Bring Rover on over to Woof Gang for an artisanal treat and many other services.

This growing company has six, count ‘em, six area locations. Their Boca Raton, FL location even offers a veterinary clinic.

Runner-up, Store: Bentley’s Runner-up, Boutique: The Hipster Hound

Best Pet Grooming

Top Dog Grooming Spa

You can either take Fluff y to their Berwick location, or their mobile service will come to Fluff y!

Runner-up: Barkie Bow Wow

Best Bed & Breakfast

Azalea Inn and Gardens

This sweet Huntingdon Street spot is a first time winner in this prestigious category. Close to Forsyth Park, they even have a cozy little pool area.

Runner-up: Ballastone Inn

Best Boutique Hotel

Forsyth Park House Forsyth Park House has four beautiful guest rooms in an 1893 Victorian on Whitaker Street, right on the eponymous greenspace.

Runner-up: Forsyth Park Inn

Best Hotel

The DeSoto Savannah

A sumptuous renovation of one of Savannah’s great old names in lodging has brought the DeSoto back into the limelight. Two outstanding dining/drinking establishments on the ground floor, The 1540 Room and Edgar’s Proof and Provisions, round out the offerings.

Runner-up: B Historic

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SERVING SAVANNAH

Best Local Attorney

Joel Gerber

This is Joel’s third win in a row in this category, so he must be doing something right. The affable real estate lawyer will help you finalize that all-important deal, with a smile.

Runner-up: Michael Hostilo

Best Law Firm

HunterMaclean

This powerhouse of legal eagles has been a focal point of local power and influence for generations, and is in fact the largest firm in Georgia outside Atlanta. Current City Attorney Brooks Stillwell is just one of many noted alumni.

Runner-up: Michael Hostilo, Attorney at Law

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST CIGAR & TOBACCO SHOP 912.233.2643 www.savannahcigarsinc.com 308 W. Congress St. Savannah City Market

Best Local Insurance Agency

Peters Enterprises

Now in their fourth decade of service, this local institution was the readers’ pick this year.

Runner-up: Abercorn Insurance

Best Home Security Company

ADT

You put your family in their hands, so CONTINUES ON P. 79

Thank you Connect Savannah readers for voting us

Best Women's Clothing Store

And thank you for shopping local! @fabriksavannah | 318 West Broughton St. | 912.234.8470

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Best Pawn Shop

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SHOPPING & SERVICES

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Becca Cook, at left, with the crew.

PHOTO BY JON WAITS

Best Escape Room

Escape Savannah CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

One block East of Forsyth Park sits a 4-bedroom black box of mystery and madness.

Those who dare to rap the iron skull knocker are greeted by a cast of clever characters who spin yarns that tangle even the most seasoned strategists.

The “escape room” concept blossomed in Japan and it has since swept the globe in various forms over the last 10 years. Escape Savannah is unique in the way it allows potential escapees to interact with scripted actors.

In 2011, manager Becca Cook was approached by friends to run an escape room here in Savannah. She hired fellow cabaret performer Dame Darcy to get it started. “We came in and ran it with palm readings, costumes and over the top acting,” Cook says.

“People kept telling me this is the most immersive escape room ever.” Finally she visited another escape room that consisted of a simple video and puzzle game and thought, “well this could have been a lot easier!”

Seven years after that precocious decision to include real people, Cook finds herself managing 12 employees who carry out three separate scenarios, sometimes simultaneously, 6 days a week (closed on Mondays).

“I started this as a side project,” Cook recalls, “but now it’s a full time job where I get to play with dolls, pirates and zombies.”

Each carefully constructed room begins with game designer Catherine Bartlett. Her 78

interconnected web of clues, locks, and secrets all fit within a storyline that is equal parts creepy and fun.

The plans are then passed onto the artists and actors who beta test the system and flesh out the decor, costumes and surprises that make visitors scream, laugh and beg for more.

“We just want to make sure everyone has a good time,” says Cook.

The one-hour fast-paced team-building exercise has seen corporate groups, the Red Hat Society, and hear-impaired kids. A group of aerospace engineers from Gulfstream currently holds the record at 24 minutes.

“One of the most fun things about the rooms,” says hazmat-suited actor Jaryl Draper, “is when people who don’t know each other come out being really close afterward.”

But take warning, the puzzle pressure can expose rifts in an existing relationship.

“The only people I’ve seen not get along are couples and families,” Cook says. When congeniality has dissolved, conflicting ideas can get personal.

“It doesn’t help to fight and segment,” says Victorian ghost actor Jared Claxon, “you really have to come together.”

Cook has also proven herself as a facilitator of collaboration for her employees when they want to escape from work. Each scallywag, zombie and ghost is also an actor, painter, novelist or paranormal psychologist (yes, Claxon is a real life ghostbuster). The space has been used for art projects, jam sessions, and movie making. Cook says, “We have very creative minds here and we support each other in our own personal projects.”

Cook and her team of escapists have successfully built the dream of every child — a clubhouse that turns work into play and provides a therapeutic departure from real life for each welcome adventurer. – Pat Longstreth Runner-up:Encryption Escape

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

they must be good.

Runner-up: Simply Safe

Best Local Moving Company

Two Men and a Truck

Wow, those guys stay busy, don’t they?

Runner-up: American Moving Company

Best Self Storage

Savannah Self Storage

This Bull Street location is the clear winner this year.

Runner-up: Secure Climate Storage

Best Apartment Community

Mariner Grove

These units are on President Street Extension, and the same company is behind the upgraded development at Savannah River Landing (now rebranded as Eastern Wharf).

Runner-up: Addison Place

Best Local Homebuilder

Mungo Homes

A developer of several subdivision in the area, Mungo Homes is enjoying the boom in the local market.

Runner-up: Bouy Brothers

Best New Home Community

Savannah Quarters

Everything’s cooler in Pooler, they say, and your pick this year is no exception.

Runner-up: Autumn Lake

Best Landscaping Company

Barrett Landscaping

This longtime local favorite – and frequent readers’ choice – makes a clean sweep once again. Get it?

Runner-up: Herb Creek Landscape Supply

Best Computer Repair

Computer Advantage

Everyone needs a good go-to computer repair place, and this is your pick this year.

Runner-up: Tweaks by Geeks

Best Cell Phone Repair

iRepair

A cracked iPhone screen is a status symbol with some folks. But not so much for most folks. Take yours here.

Runner-up: One Stop Wireless

Best Bank

Wells Fargo

A longtime repeat readers’ choice in this category.

Runner-up: Suntrust Bank

Best Credit Union

Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union

THANK YOU

Connect Savannah readers for voting us the

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Runner-up: Chatham Federal Credit Union CONTINUES ON P. 80

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

SHOPPING & SERVICES

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SHOPPING & SERVICES

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Best Local Tour Company

Old Town Trolley Tours

This mainstay of the local tourism industry even has its own museum now, the American Prohibition Museum in City Market.

Runner-up: Old Savannah Tours

Best Taxi Service

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This longtime local favorite was making downtown cool even before all the tourists came.

Runner-up: Royal Bike Taxi

Best Limo Service

Store or Business You’re Most Sorry to See Close

Toys ‘r Us

Bankruptcy is them.

Runner-up: The Florence

Best Jeweler

Levy Jewelers

Since 1900, Levy Jewelers has provided the highest quality jewelry, staffing certified gemologists, watchmakers, and other specialists in the jewelry industry. Notably, they’re Savannah’s only fourth-generation jewelry business.

Runner-up: Atelier Galerie

Best Category We Forgot

Savannah Executive Esthetician Limo Service Who’s your favorite skin treatment proThat name sort of says it all, doesn’t it?

Runner-up: Coastal Limousine

Best Place to Work

fessional? We’ll make sure we find out next year.

Runner-up: Things for Kids to Do

Savannah Yacht Club

With roots going back to 1876, the Savannah Yacht Club is like an awesome little world unto itself, in a beautiful setting on the Wilmington River.

Runner-up: Michael Hostilo, Attorney at Law

Thank you Savannah for voting Habersham Antiques & Collectibles Market

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

BEST ANTIQUE SHOP!

80

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Week at a Glance

Get the lowdown on all the great events occurring in this week and next In Print & Online.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

NEWS & OPINION STRAIGHT DOPE

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

SLUG SIGNORINO

risqué handbook to seamy urban life.

The story of bananas is a lot shorter and more mysterious. Here the OED can reliably get us back only to 1968, when a University of South Dakota publication called Current Slang reported that Kentucky college students (of “both sexes”) were using bananas to mean “excited and upset; ‘wild.’” Dan Koeppel, author of the 2008 book Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World, suggests that “going bananas” might have arisen from the contemporaneous myth that a hallucinogenic effect could be obtained by smoking banana peels (which has been debunked in Oh master, how did the terms nuts and this column and elsewhere). bananas come to refer to something or someBanana’s entry in the OED does include one crazy? —Shane Adams two other citations that might be pertinent: In the 1920s “banana oil” was a slang HOW DID any word ever come by a new term meaning “nonsense,” which at least meaning? It’s not like Noah Webster just looks to be in the ballpark. And in a 1935 announced it in the newsletter one week. glossary of criminals’ patois called The No, someone tried using an existing word Underworld Speaks, “He’s bananas” is said in some novel way, and it stuck. That’s how to mean “He’s sexually perverted; a degenlanguage evolves, much as it may bug those erate.” Here the connection to “crazy” is all weirdos who insist that decimate can only too plausible, considering that at the time mean “kill a tenth of.” In the long centuries homosexuality was still widely understood of the pre-text-message era, of course, new to be a mental disorder. slang typically made its debut in speech To students of historical slang, or many rather than writing, so some developothers of a certain age, the use of bananas ments surely took some time to turn up as a homophobic slur may recall a similar in the historical record. But from what we but broader 20th-century term that’s now can tell, people have been using nuts to vanished: fruit. The OED says fruit for mean “crazy” since the mid-19th century; “male homosexual” first turned up in the bananas seems to have shown up maybe U.S. in the 1930s, possibly as prison slang, 100 years later. but it seems to have then been appropriThe word nut has been in circulation ated by the British gay community via the since the very dawn of the English lanlinguistic phenomenon called Polari—an guage—the Oxford English Dictionary’s elaborate and obscure coded language earliest sighting of it dates back to around used among gay men in the UK during the year 875. And it’s been acquiring the decades before homosexuality was meanings other than “shell-encased fruit” finally decriminalized there in 1967. Polari all along: the thing a bolt screws into (first vocabulary was heavy on food references, spotted in 1611), a question that’s difficult from seafood (meaning “attractive sailto answer (1545), the part of a musical ors”) to meat and two veg (hardly needs instrument’s neck that the strings rest on spelling out), so fruit fit right in. Certainly (1698). One can’t know exactly how such fruit has over time been both flung as an shifts went down, but in the case of nuts a insult and embraced as an in-group badge relevant stop on the road may have been of honor. On one hand, you may recall that a bit of late-1700s British slang wherein last November Canadian prime minister a person who was enthusiastically fond Justin Trudeau issued a formal apology for of something (or someone) was said to be a government effort over some 40 years to “nuts upon” it, just like we’d say “crazy root out homosexuals from the country’s about.” And in fact at the time Britons were civil service, law enforcement, and miliusing “crazy for” and (still earlier) “mad tary; a ersatz lie-detector-style test known for” in roughly this same way, the evident as the “fruit machine” was used as a prenotion being that the subject was so fastext to fire thousands. On the other, see the cinated, infatuated, distracted, etc., that 1970s gay-rights slogan “Squeeze a fruit for they were effectively insane. Meanwhile, in Anita,” a dig at the onetime Florida orange what may have been an unrelated trend, by juice spokesperson and high-profile antithe 1850s or so another slang meaning for gay campaigner Anita Bryant. Bryant’s nut was “a person’s head” (no real stretch career was scuttled at least in part by her there), and “off one’s nut” meant “crazy.” hard-line stance against homosexualWith these locutions kicking around the ity, but as of a 2011 newspaper profile she zeitgeist, then, it’s entirely unsurprising remained unrepentant, insisting she’d that the OED shows its first citation for done the right thing. What can you say? nuts meaning “out of one’s mind” in 1846, Some nuts never crack. CS from a volume titled The Swell’s Night Guide Through the Metropolis, a kind of

BY CECIL ADAMS

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NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER

JOSEPH J STEFFEN JR

2018 Sav/Chatham County Crime Stats through Sunday May 20

Non-fatal Shootings

9

(4 SOLVED)

TWICE VOTED SAVANNAH’S BEST ATTORNEY

8

Meth bust on East Victory

One person is in custody following a search warrant conducted by the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT).

Early Saturday morning, May 12, “CNT executed a search warrant at a residence located in the 00 block of East Victory Drive. There, agents encountered the target of the investigation, 40-year-old Ashley Dugger of Savannah, who was taken into custody without incident,” CNT reports.

“The search warrant resulted in the seizure of multiple ounces of crystal methamphetamine and items commonly associated with the distribution of controlled substances. An undisclosed amount of U.S. currency was also seized. Dugger was charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine and remains in the Chatham County Detention Center. The seized narcotics have an estimated street value of up to $9,300,” CNT says.

CNT’s investigation into Dugger began earlier this month after receiving multiple complaints of suspicious activity occurring at the residence.

“CNT conducted its investigation, which revealed a high volume of vehicle and foot traffic at the residence. The investigation identified Dugger as the suspect and investigative findings suggested large quantities of meth were being sold from the residence. Through the use of various investigative techniques, CNT obtained a search warrant resulting in Dugger’s arrest,” CNT says.

Drug trafficker sought

The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team is currently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 38-yearold Omar “Fresh” Jujuan Griffin. Griffin is known to frequent Chatham County, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Houston, Texas.

Griffin is described as a black male, 5’8”, 165lbs, short black hair, brown eyes, and clean cut. Griffin is also known to regularly cover his face with hooded clothing and is known to grow his hair out in addition to growing facial hair.

“Griffin has a history of fleeing law enforcement and should be considered armed and dangerous,” a CNT spokesperson says.

Griffin is wanted in connection with a joint investigation involving CNT, the

Ashley Dugger

Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspectors.

“Griffin was deemed as one of the leaders of the organization which led to the total approximate seizures of 25 kilograms of cocaine, 40 pounds of marijuana, and five ounces of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA/Ecstasy), 17 bottles (260fl ounces) of codeine, 21 firearms (11 long guns, 10 handguns) with two of the firearms returning stolen. The seized cocaine has an estimated street value of up to 4 million dollars,” CNT says.

Additionally, multiple vehicles were seized in the operation to include a Chevrolet Corvette. An approximate total of $430,000 in U.S. currency was also seized during the operation.

“CNT does not believe Griffin to be in the Chatham County area but does believe people here know his whereabouts. CNT believes Griffin is likely residing in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia, area or the Houston, Texas, area,” CNT reports.

Anyone with information regarding Griffin’s whereabouts is urged to contact CNT at 912-652-3900 or CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 where callers remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

ATTORNEY AT LAW

SERIOUS INJURIES, CYCLING INJURY, HIGHER EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

912.604.4147 STEFFJJ@AOL.COM

Arrest for entering autos

The Chatham County Police Department responded to a call in the area of River Bluff Drive for a suspect entering into vehicles. The suspect fled on foot before police arrived on scene.

“After receiving a clear description of the suspect, Chatham County Police were able to quickly locate and detain Lloyd Lynch. Lynch was found lying in the back of a truck that he had been captured on camera entering. Lynch’s Chevy truck was towed and processed, and numerous items matching descriptions from other cases were also found,” police report.

Lloyd Lynch has been charged with three counts of Entering Auto and one count of Burglary in the 2nd degree.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Homicide Total

83

NEWS & OPINION NEWS OF THE WEIRD Irony

At Pennsylvania State University, the Outing Club, founded in 1920, provided students with outdoor recreation opportunities such as hiking and camping. But no more. Penn State has announced that after this semester, the university will no longer allow the club to organize studentled trips because it is too dangerous out in the wilderness, according to the offices of Student Affairs and Risk Management.

Two other outdoorsy clubs, the Nittany Grotto Caving Club and the Nittany Divers Scuba Club, have also been restricted from club activities outdoors. Michael Lacey, president of the Caving Club, told the Centre Daily Times: “Penn State’s just been clamping down really hard on the nature of activities” since the Jerry Sandusky scandal. University spokesperson Lisa Powers said Penn State will offer schoolsponsored outdoors trips, but students noted the cost will be much higher.

Unclear on the Concept

244 Bull Street • Savannah, GA OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 912.236.4053 Shop Online at shopredclover.com

In a perhaps unintentional bid for the worst criminal disguise of 2018, Kerry Hammond Jr., 22, broke into a GameStop store in St. Marys, Georgia, at 1:19 a.m. on April 13, where he was captured on camera wearing a clear plastic wrapper (of the sort that holds bundles of bottled water) over his head. Even with the plastic “mask,” WJXT reported, Hammond’s face is clearly visible in surveillance video, and St. Marys police quickly identified him and captured him on April 17. Hammond already had two active felony warrants for his arrest for burglary and second-degree criminal damage to property.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Techno-Weird

84

refrain from running naked and having sex on bridges and roundabouts, because such behavior gives drivers “too much of a surprise.” Terje Moe Gustavsen, head of the administration, said: “Everyone understands that being in and around roundabouts is a traffic hazard. It may not be so dangerous for someone to be without clothes on the bridge, but drivers can ... completely forget that they are driving.”

Bright Ideas

• Resorting to a low-tech, but possibly offensive strategy, Largo, Florida, detectives visited a dead man at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home in Clearwater and attempted to use his finger to unlock his smartphone. Linus F. Phillip, 30, was shot and killed by Largo police March 23 after he tried to drive away from an officer wanting to search him. As part of their investigation, police said they needed to access and preserve data on Phillip’s phone. Legal experts generally agreed the detectives had not broken any laws, but Phillip’s girlfriend, Victoria Armstrong, 28, was less forgiving: “Nobody even calling us ... to let us know detectives were coming there at all is very disturbing,” she told the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m very skeptical of all funeral homes now.”

• United Press International reports that in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the mayor has employed a clever way to keep his finger on the pulse of the city. When he goes out, he wears a fake beard so he’ll blend in and not be recognized as the capital city’s leader.

Mayor Albek Ibraimov told Fergana, a Russian news agency: “I dress in old clothes ... take off my tie and I go and look, and see how things actually are.”

In Tokyo, women who have qualms about living alone may soon have a new security option. “Man on the Curtain” is a prototype smartphone app that connects to a projector and throws a moving shadow of a man onto a closed window curtain. The shadow man can be doing any of several different activities, such as boxing, karate, vacuuming, playing guitar or getting dressed. Keiichi Nakamura, advertising manager of Leopalace21 Corp., an apartment management company where the idea originated, told Reuters that eventually his company would like to “commercialize it once we add variety, such as releasing a new video every day.”

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Fun-suckers

Oops

In Oslo, according to Reuters, tradition calls for recent high school graduates to participate in “Russ,” a several-weeks-long party that includes drinking, nudity and public sex, sometimes resulting in fatal car crashes. So this year, the Public Roads Administration issued a statement on April 18 headlined “No to sex on roundabouts,” warning that students should

Over the last two years, Cameron County employee Gilberto Escamilla, 53, of Brownsville, Texas, has been accepting shipments of fajitas worth a total of $1.2 million at the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center in Brownsville. The only trouble is, the inmates there aren’t served fajitas. Escamilla had been ordering the meat from Labatt Food Service in Harlingen and intercepting it to resell. “It started small and got bigger and out of control,” Escamilla told the court, according to The Brownsville Herald. On April 20, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to theft by a public servant.

The Washington State Department of Transportation had to issue a mea culpa on the afternoon of April 17 after an electronic highway sign displayed the message “U SUCK” above Interstate 5 near Jovita.

WSDOT called the sign “an inappropriate message” that appeared due to a training error and was “clearly a mistake,” according to KCPQ TV.

Bad Attitude

Timothy Hill, 67, of Grassington, North Yorkshire, England, having installed a laser jammer in his Range Rover, thought he was outsmarting law enforcement speed cameras. In fact, he was so sure of his scheme that he repeatedly raised his middle finger to the cameras -- sometimes casually, sometimes aggressively -- as he passed. What he didn’t realize was that the laser jammer, rather than hiding his identity, was only blocking police from determining his speed, so when they tracked him down, he was charged not with speeding, but with perverting the course of justice. “If you want to attract our attention, repeatedly gesturing at police camera vans with your middle finger while you’re driving a distinctive car fitted with a laser jammer is an excellent way to do it,” Traffic Constable Andrew Forth told Metro News.

Hill pleaded guilty on April 23, and was sentenced to eight months in jail and prohibited from driving for a year.

Least Competent Criminal

Kiana Wallace, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Belmont County, Ohio, on April 23 following her guilty plea for tampering with evidence. On probation after a drug possession sentence in 2017, Wallace failed a drug urine test when the “borrowed” sample she used tested positive for drugs. “Let me get this straight,” Judge Frank Fregiato said in court, according to WTOV-TV. “To avoid the positive test with your own urine, you used someone else’s urine, which turned out to be positive also. That’s bizarre.”

Inexplicable

• On April 23, police officers in Warren, Michigan, responded to a home for a welfare check on 68-year-old George Curtis, whose relatives had become concerned because they hadn’t heard from him. Curtis was, indeed, dead -- in fact, WJBK-TV reported, he had been deceased for months, maybe even a year. Also in the home: his girlfriend, who had continued living there with his decaying body, which was laid out in a bed. Police transported the unnamed woman to a hospital for a mental evaluation and are awaiting a report on cause of death from the medical examiner.

• Meanwhile, on the South Side of Chicago, police responded to reports of an elderly woman pushing a dead body around the Chatham neighborhood in a shopping cart on April 21, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Officers took the woman to a hospital for a mental evaluation and launched an investigation into the female body, whose age and identity had not been determined at press time. CS

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

TIME TRAVEL BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PROM Costumes and live music make the tradition a Savannah favorite

OVER THE years, Rock ‘n’ Roll Prom at The Jinx has become a tradition for Savannahians with a penchant for fun, costuming, and dancing all night.

If you were prom royalty in high school, found the whole affair overrated, or skipped the rite of passage entirely, Rock ‘n’ Roll Prom offers all the pomp and circumstance of a ball—just with less “Electric Slide” and more booze.

Look forward to live performances from Savannah surf band The Wave Slaves, rock ‘n’ roll from COEDS, and the vintage stylings of The Hypnotics, playing all the songs your folks kicked it to at after-prom.

Prom royalty will be crowned by audience vote, with winners earning a special prize package. This year’s theme is Time Travel—whether you’re feeling like 1.21 gigawatts of cinematic style or prefer to don the attire of your favorite historical period, all costumes are welcome.

The photo booth, manned by local musician/photographer Peterson Worrell, is a must-do. Find some inspiration for this year’s costume in shots of Rock ‘n’ Roll proms of yore. CS

ROCK & ROLL PROM: TIME TRAVEL EDITION

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Saturday, May 26, 9:30 p.m.

The Jinx 21+

85

MUSIC INTERVIEW

BY ANNA CHANDLER

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

anna@connectsavannah.com

86

GET IN THE MIX WITH SWEAT EQUITY NYC label brings artists to Savannah’s underground dance party

MIX is truly living up to its name.

The monthly party linking dance music, drag/performance art, and visuals in the basement of Club One welcomes a diverse roster of acts to its next installment.

Created by Best Local DJ C Powers, House of Gunt member/QuoLab facilitator Raine Raine, and QuoLab facilitator/ video artist Greg Hornak, the party’s ninth installment features three acts from New York-based label Sweat Equity. The label recently released music by C Powers and even teamed up with Hornak, the talent behind Greg’s Famous hot sauces, for a one-of-a-kind concoction. “[Sweat Equity] always expressed interest in getting out of New York,” Powers says. “Their crew is cool, because they’re very active in New York, but that’s not the end goal for them…they are certainly interested in playing the Southeast, and if people express interest, we try to do whatever we can, with our limited funds.”

Thursday’s roster features sets from Deli Girls, Church, RGB Dealers, Alien D, and more.

Deli Girls broke out on the underground with the debut record Evidence. Recently named one of “10 artists to fall in love with this spring” by The Fader, Danny Orlowski and Tommi Kelly’s noise duo is earning a fan base far and wide, fusing pop, noise, industrial, and hardcore into a sound that’s entirely their own.

Savannahians have seen traces of Church before: its creator has performed in Savannah and at Savannah Stopover Music Festival as Fine Peduncle in the past. Church offers experimental techno sounds that snap like bubblegum, best heard on their latest EP, ‘Edging,’ available via Sweat Equity on Bandcamp.

“Church is from Knoxville and has a real appreciation for the South and being able to go back,” Raine says. “Speaking for Deli Girls and Church, since both of them are comprised of people in the queer and trans community, being in New York is important to their survival. And being able to make the work they do, that is, in a particular way, underground club music, is not something you can necessarily get away with in the South.”

Sweat Equity label head Dan Creahan will perform as Alien D, taking a breaks—heavy, atmospheric approach to production.

RGB Dealers offers dark, hypnotic sounds with a wicked underbelly and techno backbone.

“This isn’t going to be like other MIXes,” Powers says.

“There’s going to be a big variety in the music that’s happening,” Raine adds.

“You’ve got dancey, screamo music to more R&B, bouncy, pop music.”

As they approach the ninth MIX, Powers, Hornak, and Raine are learning how to best use the venue and offer something that can’t be found elsewhere in Savannah.

“Club One has cool lighting, but in a certain way it’s dated, and being able to do something that isn’t happening there any other day of the week is nice for people, especially people who go there a lot,” says Raine. “The basement is a nice place to hang out in, but I think in a certain way to be able to reinvigorate it is important, because there aren’t really any other spaces like that socio-politically in Savannah.”

“Lately, Greg’s been moving the visual installations ot the front so things will spill out into the bar,” Powers says. “It is kind of like a multiuse space, so I try to encourage people to come out. Even if you don’t know how to dance, that’s okay! You can be at the bar, hear the music, enjoy yourself, and talk to friends.”

Savannah isn’t starved for clubs with a dance floor and pumping music, but MIX’s intention shifts the focus to the music itself and making a comfortable, safe place.

“We bring dance and visuals to the venue, and that is the main offering,” Powers explains. “It’s definitely set up for people who are more focused on music or really understand the pleasure in releasing yourself through dance…which is not a thing that has been an element in Savannah’s landscape prominently. In Detroit, Chicago, New York, we’d look pretty basic, but hey! We’re not there. So we get extraspecial credit.”

House of Gunt’s presence has been intrinsic to MIX since the beginning; uniquely, a drag number doesn’t start when the musician stops. Rather, Vegina George, Raine, and other performers meld into the fluidity of the night without alternating sets between musical artists and performing artists.

If you have yet to check out a MIX event, Powers and Raine think this week’s event is a perfect introduction.

“I feel like me, Greg and Raine are like, ‘This is the best lineup I’ve ever seen in Savannah!’” laughs Powers. “I hope other people will come and discover that for themselves too. Three out of three underground house music weird noise doctors would recommend this show!” CS

MIX 9: DELI GIRLS, CHURCH, RGB DEALERS, ALIEN D

Club One Friday, May 25, 10 p.m.

Free

MUSIC THE BAND PAGE

BY ANNA CHANDLER anna@connectsavannah.com

THE CASTROS @ABE’S ON LINCOLN

Before Monday open mic kicks off, enjoy a special set from Columbus, Ohiobased folk duo The Castros. A husband and wife team, Ohioan Sara Castro sings and plays acoustic guitar while Costa Rica native Marco Castro plays piano, glockenspiel, and acoustic guitar.

The two met in Savannah and have a track dedicated to the city that they released in February. Lush harmonies tell a story of falling in love beneath The Hostess City’s unforgettable Spanish moss and by our lovely river.

Throughout their catalog, the band captures the same heartfelt, gentle nature.

MONDAY, MAY 28, 9 P.M., FREE, 21+

LATIN JAZZ FROM CUBA TO PROHIBITION @PROHIBITION SAVANNAH

Prohibition, the upscale eatery and bar on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is quickly becoming a downtown music destination. On Friday, guests can enjoy an evening dedicated to the art of Cuban jazz.

The Castillo Quartet, led by celebrated trumpeter Julito Padron, features Savannah’s own Ricardo Ochoa, Jake Holwegner on bass, and Abdiel Iriarte on piano and musical direction. Padron has been making waves in his home of Cuba and beyond, performing with Chucho Valdes Oficial Irakere around the world. He has worked with masters like Ignacio Piñeiro and Adalberto Alvarez and finds inspiration in American jazz and Brazilian music. Noteworthy performances include a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York with Chucho Caldes and with Count Basie with the late timbales maestro Tito Puente.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 10 P.M.

DAVID RODRIGUEZ AND THE LATIN CARAVAN @GOOD TIMES JAZZ BAR AND RESTAURANT Catch a blend of old school salsa, jazz, merengue, and even some R&B stylings with South Carolina’s hottest Latin band.

With David Rodriguez on saxophone, the Latin Caravan features Juan Lanzot on vocals and percussion and Willie Olenick on trumpet. Attendees may hear the music of Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santa, Bill Withers, Miles Davis, and even John Coltrane. Dancing encouraged.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 8 P.M.

Garden State punks Lost in Society share a sound inspired by The Clash, Green Day, the Bouncing Souls, and the Replacements at El-Rocko Lounge. The Asbury Park-based band is dedicated to the road, touring fervently and playing good and rowdy shows along the way.

Lost in Society brings a new EP to Savannah. Rweleased via Wiretap Records, the ‘Eager Heart’ EP features a new track, “Creature,” which is currently available to stream. The band had a full 2017, appearing at favorite fests like Punk Rock Bowling Las Vegas, touring with Unwritten Law, and more. Punk fans heading to Gainesville in October can catch them at Fest.

Lost in Society is joined by Savannah’s own Jeff-Two Names and the Born Agains, who just released a new EP, ‘Attack of the Dad Band.’

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 7 P.M., FREE, 21+

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

LOST IN SOCIETY, JEFF TWO-NAMES AND THE BORN AGAINS @EL-ROCKO LOUNGE

87

TOTALLY

AWESOME BAR An 80’s & 90’s

Themed Bar!

EVERY WEDNESDAY BINGO! 9 -11pm (Free to play!!)

Savannah Comedy Underground 11PM - til

EVERY THURSDAY KARAOKE hosted by Wrath Nasty

10PM - til (no cover) FRIDAY 5/25 DJ Basik Lee 10-til (no cover)

DAILY HAPPY HOUR

Wed-Thur 7-9PM Fri-Sat 4-8PM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

50 cents off ALL BE ER $1 off top shelf $3 wine $4 wells 7 pool tables 4 pinball machine s 9 arcade games

88

MUSIC WEDNESDAY 5.23 LIVE MUSIC

Barrelhouse South Ben Lewis, 9:30 p.m.

Bay Street Blues Hitman Blues Band, 9 p.m.

Bayou Cafe Ray Tomasino, 9 p.m.

Boomy’s Eric Culberson Band, 10 p.m.

Bootleggers Karaoke w/ DJ Miracle, 7 p.m. coffee deli Acoustic Jam, 7 p.m.

El-Rocko Lounge Jeff Two-Names and the Born Agains, Lost in Society, 9 p.m.

Five Oaks Taproom Eric Britt, 8 p.m.

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant The Eric Jones Trio ft. Laiken Williams, 8 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Georgia Kyle, 7 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Rachael’s 1190 Open Mic Night, 8 p.m.

The Sandbar Open Mic, 9 p.m.

Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, 7 p.m.

SEED Eco Lounge Latin Music Night, 9 p.m.

Tree House Wobble Wednesday Vic’s on The River Jimmy Frushon The Warehouse Jubal Kane, 8 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe Jason Courtenay, 6 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Mic, 9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

The Chromatic Dragon Geeky Trivia Night, 8 p.m.

Dub’s Pub Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

The Jinx Rock n Roll Bingo, 10 p.m.

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Richmond Hill) Trivia Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill Trivia, 9:30 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Bingo, 9 p.m.

Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt) Bingo, 7 p.m.

World of Beer Trivia, 7 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.

Hercules Bar & Grill Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Karaoke McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

The Loft on Liberty Odd Lot Improv: Wacky Wednesday Stafford’s Public House Weird Wednesdays Open Mic Comedy, 9 p.m.

The Stage on Bay Jess Hilarious and Friends, 8 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Late Night Comedy, 11 p.m.

DJ

Little Lucky’s Live DJ SEED Eco Lounge DJ Cesar, 10 p.m.

$1 OFF ANY DRINK W/ COUPON

107 B Whitaker St

In the basement

DOwntown • 912.349.1707

Soundboard

SOUNDBOARD IS A FREE SERVICE - TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE SEND YOUR LIVE MUSIC INFORMATION WEEKLY TO SOUNDBOARD@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. DEADLINE IS NOON MONDAY, TO APPEAR IN WEDNESDAY’S EDITION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

THURSDAY 5.24 LIVE MUSIC

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Jason Bible, 6:30 p.m.

Bay Street Blues Hitman Blues Band, 9 p.m.

Bayou Cafe Eric Culberson Band, 9 p.m.

Billy’s Place at McDonough’s Nancy Witt (piano and vocals), 6 p.m.

Castaways Bar & Grill Live Music, 6:30 p.m.

Cohen’s Retreat Munchies and Music, 5:30 p.m.

Garden Giant Farewell Show @THE JINX

Savannah indie power trio Garden Giant will be disbanding as their drummer makes the move to New Orleans. The band plans to release one last album this summer, but for now, it’s their last show. Rude Dude & The Creek Freaks and Nancy Druid join.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 9:30 P.M., $5, 21+ Congress Street Social Club DJ Basik Lee, 10:30 p.m.

Fannie’s on the Beach Christy and Butch, 8 p.m.

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant The Allan Harris Quartet, 8 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Cory Chambers Duo, 7 p.m.

The Jinx Garden Giant Farewell Show w/ Rude Dude and the Creek Freaks, Nancy Druid, 9:30 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Pooler) Trivia North Beach Grill The Girlfriends PS Tavern Susanna Kennedy, Live Music Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant Gypsy Jazz, 7 p.m.

River House Ricky Standard Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, 7 p.m.

The Shrimp Factory Levi Moore Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill Open Mic, 9 p.m.

Vic’s on The River Jimmy Frushon The Warehouse Jon Lee’s Apparitions, 8 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe Bucky & Barry, 5 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe (Pooler) Lauren LaPointe, 7:30 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Mic, 6 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

The Britannia British Pub Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

McDonough’s Trivia, 7 p.m.

Melody’s Coastal Cafe and Sandbar Cantina Trivia Pour Larry’s Explicit Trivia, 10 p.m.

Southbound Brewing Company Geeks Who Drink Pub Trivia, 8 p.m.

Tybee Island Social Club Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Blueberry Hill Trivia and Karaoke, 7 p.m.

The Chromatic Dragon Karaoke Night, 9 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.

Doodles Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Flashback Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Jukebox Bar & Grill Karaoke &

Throwback Jams, 8 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Karaoke McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Rusty Rudders Tap House Karaoke Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

World of Beer Karaoke, 9 p.m.

DJ

The Jinx Live DJ, 10 p.m.

Liquid Night Club Live DJ, 9 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Live DJ Rusty Rudders Tap House DJ Tap SEED Eco Lounge DJ Cesar, 10 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Carnival Bar Theatre The Downtown Delilahs Dance Cabaret w/ Underneath the Boardwalk, 9:30 p.m.

Club One Tied and Tasseled Fetish Cabaret’s Masquerade Party, 9 p.m., Drag Show, 10:30 p.m.

SEED Eco Lounge Daas Unterground Thursdays, 10 p.m.

Stafford’s Public House Open Mic, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY 5.25 LIVE MUSIC

Barrelhouse South Colby Deitz Band, 10 p.m.

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Tell Scarlett, 7 p.m.

Bayou Cafe Thomas Claxton, Magic Rocks, 8 p.m.

Billy’s Place at McDonough’s Nancy Witt (piano and vocals), 6 p.m.

Bootleggers Dance Music w/ DJ Lishis, 8 p.m.

Club Elan Zaytoven, 9 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club Trae Pierce and the T-Stones, 10:30 p.m.

Dockside Seafood Bluegrass Happy Hour, 4 p.m.

El-Rocko Lounge Offsides, 9 p.m.

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant David Rodriquez and the Latin Caravan, 8:30 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Bottles & Cans, 9 p.m.

The Jinx The Unholy Four, The Ramages, 10 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Lizzy’s Tequila Bar and Grill Matt Eckstine Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub General Patton and the Heads of State, 10 p.m.

Molly McGuire’s Keith & Ross, 6 p.m.

North Beach Grill Spec Hosti Band Pour Larry’s DJ & Live Music Prohibition Velvet Caravan PS Tavern Everchange Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant Jody Jazz Trio, 6:30 p.m.

River House Georgia Kyle Rusty Rudders Tap House Live Acoustic Music, 6 p.m.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House David Duckworth, 8 p.m.

Saddle Bags Walker McGuire, 8 p.m.

Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, 7 p.m.

The Sentient Bean Reed Willy, 8 p.m.

Service Brewing Company Qwister, 5:30 p.m.

Shrimp Factory Andrew Williams The Stage on Bay Soul Asylum, 8 p.m.

Taste of India Don Read, 6:30 p.m.

Tijuana Flats Gary Strickland Vic’s on The River Diana Rogers, Claire Frazier and Norm Gagne, 7 p.m.

The Warehouse Johnny Octane, Ford Natirboff Wild Wing Cafe Kenny Szupello, Bill Hodgson, Individually Twisted, 5 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe (Pooler) Nickel Bag of Funk, 9:30 p.m.

The Wormhole Basshole VI, 10:30 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Coach’s Corner Trivia, Movies & Music Trivia, 8 p.m.

PS Tavern Beer Pong Tournament, 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 7 p.m.

The Islander Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Karaoke McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Sunny’s Lounge Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill Karaoke/ DJ, 10:30 p.m.

COMEDY

The Loft on Liberty Odd Lot Improv: Friday Funnies, 8 p.m.

The Wormhole Comedy Planet presents A.K. Bjorn, 8 p.m.

DJ

Club 309 West CoolJay the DJ Doubles Nightclub DJ Sam Diamond, 8 p.m.

Hercules Bar & Grill DJ Liquid Night Club Live DJ, 9 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Live DJ Rusty Rudders Tap House DJ Tap SEED Eco Lounge DJ C-Rok, 10 p.m.

Tree House DJ Phive Star

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Abe’s on Lincoln DJ Doc Ock, 9 p.m.

Carnival Bar Theatre The Downtown Delilahs Dance Cabaret w/ Underneath the Boardwalk, 9:30 p.m.

Club One Drag Show Foxy Loxy Cafe Fire Brand Fridays Poetry Slam, 7 p.m.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

SATURDAY 5.26 LIVE MUSIC

Barrelhouse South CBDB, Lady Love and the Losing Streak, 9:30 p.m.

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Ben Keiser, 7:30 p.m.

Bayou Cafe Thomas Claxton, Jon Lee and the Hextones, 8 p.m.

Billy’s Place at McDonough’s Nancy Witt (piano and vocals), 6 p.m.

Bootleggers Bad Justice, 9 p.m.

Club Elan LIT Glow Party, 9 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club The Freeway Revival, 10:30 p.m.

El-Rocko Lounge Breathers, Superbody, 9 p.m.

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant The Leon Anderson Quartet, 8:30 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar The Mercers, 9 p.m.

The Jinx Rock n’ Roll Prom: Time Travel Edition w/ The Hypnotics, COEDS, The Wave Slaves, 10 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Lizzy’s Tequila Bar and Grill Levi Moore Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub Hitman, 10 p.m.

Molly McGuire’s Calibogue Sound, 6 p.m.

North Beach Grill The Sound Experiment The Olde Pink House David Duckworth & Alisha Duckworth Pour Larry’s DJ & Live Music Prohibition Velvet Caravan Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant Jody Jazz Trio, 6:30 p.m.

River House Ricky Standard Rusty Rudders Tap House Live Acoustic Music, 6 p.m.

Saddle Bags Josh Phillips, 8 p.m.

Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, 7 p.m.

The Shrimp Factory Justin Morris Stafford’s Public House DJ Rudy Lui, 9:30 p.m.

Vic’s on The River Diana Rogers, Claire Frazier and Norm Gagne, 7 p.m.

The Warehouse Jubal Kane, Josephine Johnson Wild Wing Cafe Jason Courtenay Band, Ben Torres, Bill Hodgson, DJ Race, 1 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe (Pooler) Dakota Duo, 9:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Doodles Karaoke, 9 p.m.

The Islander Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Jukebox Bar & Grill Karaoke & Throwback Jams, 8 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Karaoke McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Melody’s Coastal Cafe and Sandbar Cantina Karaoke, 8 p.m.

PS Tavern Karaoke

COMEDY

Bull Street Labs A Complete History of Savannah for Morons, 6 p.m.

The Loft on Liberty Odd Lot Improv: Saturday Shenanigans

DJ

Doubles Nightclub DJ Sam Diamond, 8 p.m.

Liquid Night Club Live DJ, 9 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Live DJ Rusty Rudders Tap House DJ Tap SEED Eco Lounge DJ Pieces, 10 p.m.

Tree House DJ Phive Star

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Carnival Bar Theatre The Downtown Delilahs Dance Cabaret w/ Underneath the Boardwalk, 10 p.m.

Club One Drag Show, 10:30 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club The Crawl of the South, 4 p.m.

SUNDAY 5.27 LIVE MUSIC

Bayou Cafe Don Coyer, 9 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club Voodoo Soup, 10:30 p.m.

The Fitzroy Live Music, 3 p.m.

Flashback Open Jam, 5 p.m.

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant The Eric Jones Trio ft. Cynthia Utterbach, 8 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Eric Britt, 7 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music North Beach Grill City Hotel The Olde Pink House Eddie Wilson

River House Josephine Johnson Shrimp Factory Justin Morris Tybee Island Social Club Sunday Bluegrass Brunch, noon Vic’s on The River Jimmy Frushon The Warehouse Thomas Claxton, 8 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe Bucky & Barry, Fig Neutrons, 1 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES SPONSORED BY

DOORS @ 6PM, SHOWTIME @7PM

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub Trivia, 8 p.m.

Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill Trivia, 9:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill Karaoke/DJ, 10:30 p.m.

JUNE 2

BOB ROCKS BENEFIT JUNE 9

DJ

Boomy’s DJ Basik Lee, 10 p.m.

THOMAS CLAXTON

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Exclusives Bar & Grille Open Mic Poetry Night, 7 p.m.

Saddle Bags Bar Olympics

MONDAY 5.28 LIVE MUSIC

Abe’s on Lincoln Open Mic, 10 p.m.

Bayou Cafe David Harbuck, 9 p.m.

Bootleggers Karaoke w/ DJ Nick, Pool Tournament and River Street Poker League Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Vic’s on The River Jimmy Frushon The Warehouse Rachael Shaner, 8 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe Matt Hill, 6 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Mic, 8 p.m., Open Mic, 6 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

JUNE 16

GREENER DAZE

GREEN DAY TRIBUTE BAND JUNE 23

Blowin’ Smoke Southern Cantina Team Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

The Britannia British Pub Bingo, 8 p.m.

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Pooler) Bingo

THE CHARLIE FOGG BAND

KARAOKE

Boomy’s Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Karaoke McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub Molly Mondays, 10:30 p.m.

DJ

The Jinx DJ Lucky Bastard, 10 p.m.

Little Lucky’s Live DJ SEED Eco Lounge DJ Pieces, 10 p.m.

JULY 7

84-A

VAN HALEN TRIBUTE BAND

TUESDAY 5.29 LIVE MUSIC

Bay Street Blues Ben Keiser Band, 9 p.m.

Bayou Cafe Jam Night with Eric Culberson, 9 p.m.

El-Rocko Lounge Nathan Rodriguez Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant The Claire Frazier Quartet, 8 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Josephine Johnson, 7 p.m.

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Live Music Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub Open Mic, 9 p.m.

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Pooler) Open Mic Nickie’s 1971 Open Mic hosted by Willie Jackson, 8 p.m.

Vic’s on The River Jimmy Frushon The Warehouse Hitman Blues Band, 8 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe Matt Hill, 6 p.m.

FOR EVENT INFO & TO PURCHASE TIX, DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP IN GOOGLE PLAY OR APPLE STORE.

THANKS FOR VOTING US

BEST SPORTS BAR

TRIVIA & GAMES

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Trivia, 7 p.m.

Coach’s Corner Trivia, 8 p.m.

CoCo’s Sunset Grille Trivia, 7 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club Trivia, 10 p.m.

Fia Rua Irish Pub Trivia, 7:30-10 p.m.

McDonough’s Bingo, 7 p.m.

Mellow Mushroom Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

PS Tavern Poker Rachael’s 1190 Adults Only Trivia, 9 p.m.

Savannah Taphouse Trivia, 7 p.m.

Wild Wing Cafe (Pooler) Trivia, 9 p.m.

The Wormhole Trivia, 10:30 p.m.

CONTINUES ON P. 90

3016 EAST VICTORY DRIVE 912.352.2933 • COACHS.NET

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

SOUNDBOARD

89

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BAR (2 18) OVERALL (2010-20 R A B N W 18) DOWNTO (2010-20 F F A T Y S R BA CELEBRIT A T O P S BAR TO 18) (2010-20

sents: PBR Pre

LL O R N K C O R O G N I B

avel Edition r T e m i T Prom 2018 ll o R N EDS k c o R TICS CO

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

UCKY BAS L . .J D / W

90

T E G , 1 Y U B $1 R O F D N 2 (IF YO

Cohen’s Retreat 5715 Skidaway Rd.

Barrelhouse South 125 W. Congress St.

Congress Street Social Club 411 W. Congress St.

912-349-0525 abesonlincoln.com

912-662-5576 barrelhousesouth.com

Basil’s Pizza and Deli 216 Johnny Mercer Blvd.

912-897-6400 basilsonline.com

Bay Street Blues 17 E. Bay St. 912-236-6655

Bayou Cafe 14 N. Abercorn St. 912-233-6411 bayousavannah.com

Billy’s Place at McDonough’s 20 E. Perry St.

912-231-9049 billysplacesavannah.com

Blowin’ Smoke Southern Cantina 1611 Habersham St.

964-8401

SH ON & THE

A BAR U WORK IN

Abe’s on Lincoln 17 Lincoln St.

Blueberry Hill 546 Dean Forest Rd.

S ITKICKER

URANT)

OR RESTA

T H G I N HIP HOP

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

SOUNDBOARD DIRECTORY

912-231-2385 blowinsmokesavannah.com

T N A I G N DE D U DE U R GAELRLDSE / W HO W W E R A F ID U R D Y C N NA R U O F Y L THE U NHAOMAGES THE R r with DAM Happy Hou

SOUNDBOARD

Boomy’s 409 W. Congress St. 912-436-6660 boomysbar.com

Bootleggers 1017 U.S. 80 #8 The Britannia British Pub 140 Johnny Mercer Blvd.

912-898-4257

Bull Street Labs 2222 Bull St.

912-447-8457 www.bullstreetlabs.com

Carnival Bar Theatre 306 West Factors Walk Castaways Bar & Grill 7360 Skidaway Rd 912.354.8288 www.sandflysportsbar.com/

The Chromatic Dragon 514 MLK Jr. Blvd.

912-289-0350 chromaticdragon.com

Chuck’s Bar 305 W. River St. 912-232-1005

Club 309 West 309 W. River St. 912-236-1901 club309west.com

Club Elan 301 Williamson St. Club One 1 Jefferson St. 912-232-0200 clubone-online.com

Coach’s Corner 3016 E. Victory Dr. 912-352-2933 coachs.net

CoCo’s Sunset Grille 1 Old U.S. Hwy. 80 912-786-7810 cocostybee.com

coffee deli 4517 Habersham St.

912-352-7818 savannahcoffeedeli.com

912-355-3336

912-238-1985 congressstreetsocialclub.com

Dockside Seafood 201 West River St. 912-233-3810

Doodles 586 S. Columbia Ave. 912-295-2536

Doubles Nightclub 7100 Abercorn St. 912-352-7100

Dub’s Pub 225 W. River St.

(912) 200-3652 dubspubriverstreet.com

El-Rocko Lounge 117 Whitaker St. 912-495-5808

Exclusives Bar & Grille 2003 Greenwood Street 912-695-2116

Fannie’s on the Beach 1613 Strand Ave. 912-786-6109 fanniesonthebeach.com

Fia Rua Irish Pub 10132 Ford Ave. 912-459-4160 fiaruairishpub.com

The Fitzroy 9 Drayton St. Five Oaks Taproom 201 W. Bay St. 912-236-4440 fiveoakstaproom.com

Flashback 10010-B Ford Ave. 912-428-1643

Foxy Loxy Cafe 1919 Bull St. 912-401-0543 foxyloxycafe.com

Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant 107 W. Broughton St. Hercules Bar & Grill 2500 Dean Forest Rd. 912-966-5790

The Islander 301 Johnny Mercer Blvd.

912-897-6137

Jazz’d Tapas Bar 52 Barnard St.

912-236-7777 www.jazzdsavannah.com

The Jinx 127 W. Congress St. 912-236-2281

Jukebox Bar & Grill 3741 US Hwy 17 Ste 500 912-756-6997

Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub 117 West River St. 912-233-9626 www.kevinbarrys.com

Liquid Night Club 307 W. River St. Little Lucky’s 6 Gateway Blvd. E. 912-925-1119

Lizzy’s Tequila Bar and Grill 417 East River St. 912-341-8897

The Loft on Liberty 215 W. Liberty St. McDonough’s 21 E. McDonough St.

912-233-6136 mcdonoughssavannah.com

Saddle Bags 317 West River St.

912-349-5275 saddlebagssavannah.com/

The Sandbar 1512 Butler Ave.

Mellow Mushroom 11 W. Liberty St.

912-786-8304

912-495-0705 mellowmushroom.com

Savannah Coffee Roasters 215 West Liberty Street

Melody’s Coastal Cafe and Sandbar Cantina 2518 Hwy 17

(912) 238-2426

Savannah Smiles 314 Williamson St.

912-459-6357 melscoastalcafe.com

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub 311 W. Congress St. 912-239-9600 macphersonspub.com

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Pooler) 110 Towne Center Dr. 912-348-3200 macphersonspub.com

Molly MacPherson’s Scottish Pub (Richmond Hill) 3742 US-17 Molly McGuire’s 216 Johnny Mercer Boulevard

912-898-0852 liveoakstore.com/mollymcguires

Nickie’s 1971 1513 Butler Ave. 912-786-4444

North Beach Grill 33 Meddin Dr.

912-786-4442 www.northbeachbarandgrill.net/

The Olde Pink House 23 Abercorn St.

912-232-4286 www.plantersinnsavannah.com

Pour Larry’s 206 W. St. Julian St. 912-232-5778

Prohibition 125 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

912-200-9255

PS Tavern 11 W. Bay St. 912-495-5145

Rachael’s 1190 1190 King George Blvd.

912-920-7772 rachaels1190.com

The Rail Pub 405 W. Congress St. 912-238-1311 therailpub.com/

Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant 402 MLK Jr. Blvd.

912-292-1656 ranchoalegrecuban.com

River House 125 W. River St.

912-234-1900 liveoakstore.com/riverhouse

Rusty Rudders Tap House 303 W. River St. 912-944-6302

Ruth’s Chris Steak House 111 W. Bay St. 912-721-4800 ruthschris.com

912-527-6453 www.facebook.com/pages/ Savannah-Smiles-DuelingPianos/118909441502557

Savannah Taphouse 125 E. Broughton St. 912-201-8277 savannahtaphouse.com

SEED Eco Lounge 39 Montgomery St. 912-349-5100

The Sentient Bean 13 E. Park Ave. 912-232-4447 sentientbean.com

Service Brewing Company 574 Indian Street The Shrimp Factory 313 East River Street

912-236-4229 www.theshrimpfactory.com

Southbound Brewing Company 107 East Lathrop Ave. Stafford’s Public House 306 W. Upper Factor’s Walk The Stage on Bay 1200 West Bay St. savconcerts.com

Sunny’s Lounge 5630 Ogeechee Rd. 912-234-6628

Tailgate Sports Bar and Grill 11215 Abercorn St. 912-921-2269

Taste of India 401 Mall Blvd.

912-356-1020

Tijuana Flats 1800 E. Victory Dr. 912-344-9111 tijuanaflats.com

Totally Awesome Bar 107 B Whitaker St. 912-349-1707

Tree House 309 W. St. Julian St.

912-239-0095 treehousesavannah.com

Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt) 2909 River Dr. 912-354-9040 www.liveoakstore.com/ tubbysthunderbolt

Tybee Island Social Club 1311 Butler Ave. 912-472-4044 tybeeislandsocialclub.com

Vic’s on The River 26 E. Bay St. 912-721-1000 vicsontheriver.com

The Warehouse 18 E. River St.

912-234-6003 thewarehousebarandgrille.com

CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

Weekend forecast:

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

THE art gods have spoken and blessed us this weekend.

With SCAD’s quarter wrapping up and graduation right around the corner, almost every gallery in town is booked for this weekend. How will you ever see it all?

Luckily for you, we’ve put all the art openings and talks together for you to help you plan your gallery hopping.

The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip @ the Jepson Center, 207 W. York St.

Carmesi: Memoria y Olvido @ Anomalous Art Gallery, 302 W. Victory Dr., unit A

In Ana Guraieb Chahin’s MFA Fibers thesis exhibition, she explores the feelings of longing for romance. Specifically, her work uses textual fabrications as a narrative to signify the folding and unfolding of time.

May 25, 6-9 p.m.

FIX: A Group Show @ Welmont, 1930 Montgomery St.

Rachael Tarravechia, Kalli Padgett, and Heather Norman present their work on a wide breadth of subject matter, from the relationship between pop culture and the media to the journey of humanity’s collective unconscious.

May 25, 6-9 p.m.

Nick Dvorak.

Forward: A Senior Show @ Sulfur Studios, 2301 Bull St.

Kyra Crounse.

On the cusp of graduation, SCAD painting seniors Kyra Crounse, Nick Dvorak, Anja Honisett, and Emily Tillman reflect on their time in school and celebrate their wildly different painting styles. All their work deals with response, whether to figure or to society or to anything in between.

May 25, 6-9 p.m.

Growing Pains @ Savannah Repertory Theater, 980 Industry Dr.

This event packs in fine art, a fashion show, a poetry reading, and live painting by artist who are exploring the uniqueness of being 20-somethings.

May 25, 8 p.m.-midnight

Living In-Between: Cultural Identity through the Lens of Pattern @ Oglethorpe Gallery, 406 E. Oglethorpe Ave.

Splendid Failures @ Non-Fiction Gallery, 1522 Bull St.

Julia Kier Wilson’s MFA photography thesis exhibition explores the complexity of communication in the age of information.

May 25, 6-10 p.m.

Kristen Gjesdahl, adopted from China but raised by white Americans, examines how to own your identity when two separate cultures collide. She uses pattern to create a unique world that is the space she inhabits in the world.

May 26, 5-8 p.m.

Bricolage and Minimalism @ Bryson Hall, 5 E. Perry St. Fei Liu’s MFA thesis exhibition demonstrates the connection between minimalism and bricolage, a French word meaning “do it yourself.” The exhibition features 16 garments that rethink deconstructionism in minimalist fashion.

May 25, 6-9 p.m.

Sight of Touch @ Location Gallery, 417 Whitaker St.

Sugandha Gupta’s MFA Fibers thesis exhibition involves art that can be experienced through touch and other senses.

May 25, 5-8 p.m.

Anja Honisett.

Elation @ 204 W. Victory, Unit B

Kirsten Groff’s relief prints of woodcuts are portraits that attempt to manifest genuine feeling.

May 25, 6-9 p.m.

Artist Talk with Todd Schroeder @ Laney Contemporary, 1810 Mills B. Lane Blvd.

Todd Schroeder will discuss his current exhibition, TRANCE, up now at Laney Contemporary. The exhibition presents the desires to simultaneously exit and mend our political climate. Schroeder paints a layered grid pattern over the Sunday New York Times.

May 26, 11 a.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Remember summer road trips when you were a kid? It’s a major part of American culture, routinely depicted in pop culture, and the Jepson presents a collection of photography celebrating it. There are over a hundred photographs by nineteen artists, including Robert Frank, William Eggleston and Justine Kurland. The photographs date from 1955 to 2014, presenting a unique chronological journey across the American landscape.

Exhibition opens May 25. David Campany, co-curator of the exhibition, will give a lecture on May 24 at 6 p.m.

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ART

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\OPENINGS & RECEPTIONS

I DID IT AGAIN — SCAD Museum of Art presents “I Did It Again,” an exhibition of four re-configured installations by Italian multimedia artist Paola Pivi. The artist works in many international contexts and uses various media, including photography, video, sculpture and installation, often employing a playfulness in her practice to explore darker themes. Through Aug. 19. scadmoa.org/.

SCAD Museum of Art, 601 Turner Blvd.

BRICOLAGE AND MINIMALISM FASHION COLLECTION — This exhibition includes 16 garments which explore Bricolage and Minimalism as metaphors for juxtaposition and changeability based on fashion design.

Fei Liu brings about the idea of “what you can see is not what you truly see” and rethinks deconstructionism in minimalist fashion inspired by the Avant-Garde art and fashion.

Fri., May 25, 6 p.m. Bryson Hall, 5 E. Perry St. FIX: A GROUP SHOW — We all have a fix, want a fix, or search to be fixed. Fix is a group show by Rachael Tarravechia, Kalli Padgett and Heather Norman that explores the relationship between pop culture and media, luxury goods and the attached expectations, the stigma of mental illness, and the journey of humanities unconscious collective soul.

Fri., May 25. WELMONT, 1930 Montgomery Street.

FORWARD — Forward is a collaborative exhibition of works by Kyra Crounse, Nick Dvorak, Anja Honisett and Emily Tillman. As a farewell to their time as painting majors at SCAD with the precarious futures of their professional lives in the forefront of their minds, they have chosen to exhibit a collection of works indicative of their unique individual styles. May 24-26. sulfurstudios.org. Sulfur Studios, 2301 Bull St.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

GROWING PAINS ART SHOW — Growing Pains is an art show that features a collection of small-platform artists whose work reflects their personal growth in the awkward ages of the 20 something’s. The show features a wide range of artists; with a traditional exhibition, a poetry reading, a fashion show and live paintings. Free Fri., May 25, 8 p.m.-midnight.

720-289-1191. Growingpainsartcollective@ gmail.com. Savannah Rep’s PLAYShop, 980 Industry Drive.

THE OPEN ROAD: PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE AMERICAN ROAD TRIP — The Open Road presents the story of the American road as inspiration for photographers who were able to capture iconic elements such as roadside motels, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway, and theme parks, as well as the everyday America. Completed between 1955 and 2014, the images provide offbeat and personal reflections of the photographers’ journeys, including the people they encounter, car culture, roadside attractions, and more. May 25-Sep. 3. telfair.org/jepson/.

Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St.

SPLENDID FAILURES — This body of work

by Julia Kier Wilson explores the complexities of communication and the fluidity of lingual interpretation within the age of information.

92 May 25-30. Non-Fiction Gallery, 1522 Bull St.

Last week to see the amazing work of Lauren Hewitt in ‘Reify’ at Gallery Espresso, up through the end of May.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS BONAVENTURE: A HISTORIC CEMETERY IN ART — Steeped in art and history, Bonaventure Cemetery is one of Savannah’s most scenic locales, attracting visitors since the early 19th century. Drawn from Telfair’s and others’ collections, this exhibition includes paintings, prints, photographs, and sculpture inspired by or connected to the cemetery. Through Sep. 23. telfair.org/jepson/. Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. CAPTURING THE SOUL: PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE W.W. LAW COLLECTION — The display features thirty portraits from the W. W. Law Photograph Collection which highlight the evolving nature of photography, portraiture as an art form, as well as material culture through time. The images date from the 1870s through the 1990s, and document the lives of individuals both prominent and anonymous. Through Jan. 31, 2019. Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris St. DRIPPING LYRICS OF QUEENS — This exhibition is the second in a series by Xavier Hutchins that pays homage to contemporary hip hop musicians using lyrics alongside a portrait of the performer. Inspired by the #MeToo movement, this grouping highlights female artists who use their music platform to promote positivity. free and open to the public Through June 26. 912-232-4447. info@sulfurstudios.org. facebook.com/ events/184872972140334/. sentientbean. com. The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave. EAST MEETS WEST: THREE WEAVERS IN THE SAORI WAY — Explore the work of Suzanne Hokanson, Treesa Germany, and Deborah Brooks. Each weaver independently encountered free-style weaving or Saori

where self-expression, experimentation and serendipitous discovery are valued. While in traditional weaving regularity and uniformity are important, in Saori weaving there are no mistakes- only beauty without intention.

Through June 30. hospicesavannah.org/.

Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Dr. EXPLORATIONS IN PRINTMAKING: THE SOUTHERN FLOWERS SERIES — In this series, flowers take the form of portraits and reference place and time. Each image is a linoleum print, produced on acid free paper, some are reduction prints, others multi plate prints. All are limited edition originals, hand pulled and signed by the artist. Through June 5. starlanddining.com/index2.php#/home/.

Starland Cafe, 11 East 41st St. FADE INTO BLACK — Pia Camil lives and works in Mexico City. “Fade into Black” is curated by Humberto Moro, SCAD curator of exhibitions. Through July 15. May Poetter Gallery (SCAD), 342 Bull St. GROUNDED — Telfair Museums will feature a commissioned work titled Grounded by Adolfo Alvarado, a Savannah-based artist whose work incorporates cal­ligraphic text, expansive swirls, and multiple layers of paint to create complex compositions that reference both medieval illuminated texts and graffiti culture. Grounded will explore a resident alien’s journey through past and present experiences, influenced by Alvarado’s upbring­ing in Mexico’s Ciudad Juaréz, a city whose vibrant culture and notorious violence continue to impact his work. Through Aug. 19. telfair.org/jepson/. Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. HUSH — Toni-Lyn Keller’s series portrays the silencing of strong women. Through May 23.

In Vino Veritas, 102 E. Liberty St.

LIVESTRONG SAVANNAH — SCAD Museum of Art presents “LIVESTRONG Savannah,” an installation by New York-based artist Christopher Chiappa. The artist transforms the museum lobby into an all-consuming invasion of eggs; thousands of illusionistic, hand-made sculptures of sunny-side-up, fried eggs are suspended on the walls, dripping to the corner and floor, and even found in unexpected places like the museum’s front desk and staircase. Through July 1. scadmoa.org/.

SCAD Museum of Art, 601 Turner Blvd.

MAKING WAVES: A COLLECTIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE POLLUTION OF OUR WATERWAYS — Ships of the Sea Museum announces a multi-faceted series of events and resource presentations in an attempt to address and help others to address the consequences of water pollution. Events include an exhibition, a community conversation and film screening, a website launch, a speaker from Gray’s Reef, and two clean-up days. Through Aug. 26. shipsofthesea.org.

Ships of The Sea Museum, 41 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

PSYCHIC KNIFE — Stephen Napoles utilizes vintage magazines from all over the world to create surreal, kaleidoscopic and sometimes comical collages. Through May 27. foxyloxycafe.com. Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St. REIFY — Lauren Hewitt is a Savannah based Neurophysiologist. The inspiration for REIFY arises from the idea that considers something abstract as a material thing found in nature. Through May 30. galleryespresso. com/. Gallery Espresso, 234 Bull St. SMOKE AND MIRRORS — A time-based multimedia installation by Kevin Cooley, Smoke & Mirrors physically manifests a frequent, and recurring, political dialogue taking place on Twitter. Each time a tweet containing the term ‘smoke and mirrors’ is posted online, billowing clouds of fog immediately stream through the gallery’s darkened and mirrored environment, obscuring one’s ability to see across the room. Through June 9. Laney Contemporary, 1810 Mills B. Lane Blvd.

CULTURE THEATRE

Thanks for Votin g Us Best Outdoor B a & Best r Pool Hal l!

Sandra Nix, Maia Collins, and Hope Strickland are the ‘Trailer Park Trio.’

THURSDAY 5-24

DJ BASIK LEE

FRIDAY 5-25

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

THIS weekend, Tybee Post Theater transforms into a familiar Southern scene with the rowdy and hilarious Great American Trailer Park Musical.

Several trailers stay on stage the whole time, part of “Armadillo Acres,” with quirky characters going back and forth between them in the old theatrical style of the “door-slammer” comedy.

“It’s like an English farce in a trailer park,” laughs director Tom Coleman, who helms this production by Savannah Community Theatre.

However, the humor is not very prim or proper, perhaps best described as a cross between South Park and Desperate Housewives.

Local theatre veteran Jeffery Hall is Norbert, unfaithful husband of Jeannie (Jenny Lobel), whose agoraphobia confines her to the porch.

Pippi, a “stripper on the run,” enters the scene, along with her druggie ex-boyfriend Duke, things get weird.

“This is a really funny show and I enjoy being back in a musical comedy again,” says Hall.

Coleman says the mostly veteran cast is throwing themselves into the silliness

with abandon.

“You read the script and at first you think, this is really juvenile stuff,” he laughs. “But when you see it play out onstage it just gets funnier and funnier and you can’t help yourself.”

Sandra Nix, Maia Collins, and Hope Strickland are the gossipy “Trailer Park Trio” who comprise the equivalent of a classic Greek Chorus.

In the role of Duke, Coleman welcomes a friend and former student Chris Williams to the cast, down from New York just for this show.

Local music legend Chris Chandler serves as musical director. CS

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL

May 25, 26 and June 2 at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday Matinees on May 27 and June 3 at 3 p.m.

Tybee Post Theatre, 10 Van Horne Ave.

Tickets $20 with special Dinner and a Show combination tickets $55.

The dinner package is only available pre-show on June 2 and post-show on June 3 at the Sundae Café.

Tybeeposttheater.org or (912) 472-4790.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Great American Trailer Park Musical brings belly laughs to Tybee

TRAE PIERCE & THE T-STONES

93

FOOD & DRINK EPICUROPEDIA

The Corner Grill: Indulgence meets mastery

BY LINDAY MOODY

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

NEXT to the Publix, as it seems most everything on Whitemarsh Island is, sits a quaint little spot that I am positive many people have passed without even realizing.

The Corner Grill, truly a hidden gem, is one that I was lucky enough to notice while heading through the parking lot one day.

As the story goes, co-owner and Chef, Paige Harris, worked as a landscape architecture for over a decade before deciding to take the leap to follow his dream. His wife and co-owner, Terry Harris, has supported him every step of the way and works on the business side of the restaurant, allowing Paige to do what he does best— cook.

Originally Paige did not set out to create a “burger joint,” but the menu “organically came to be,” Terry told me.

This is the dripping, gut warming, youare-going-to-need-a-hundred-napkins kind of food that everyone loves. It is good for brunch, lunch, dinner, to eat while watching sports, late night, to cure a hangover, or when you just feel like being naughty.

You better go on the verge of death due to starvation, because Paige is not playing around with the portions he serves up.

Crowd favorites change from week to week, which is understandable when your menu is overflowing with decadent and unique creations — most of the time it has been the Gyro or a burger.

Paige told me that this week her “favorite is the Caesar Chicken Sandwich,” partially because she loved the burgers so much she was eating too many.

As for Raine Morrison, the young student working the counter, she suggested I try her current favorites: the Melt and the Gyro.

The most unique sandwich I have ever put in my mouth is called the Brunch. Two thick, chewy Belgian waffles are used as the vessel to carry a juicy piece of fried chicken.

That is right! A chicken and waffles sandwich, and it is one that would be named best in show. You do not become best in show by simply being made of two waffles stacked together with some fried chicken and a little syrup.

Something more has to happen—the je ne sais quoi. Paige was kind enough to tell me exactly what the little something was that he adds to make the sandwich magical: dried onions.

Mopped onto the canyons of the golden 94 brown waffle top is a chipotle sweet and

From a Chicken & Waffles sandwich to Potato Skin Fries, The Corner Grill can lay out quite a spread for you . PHOTOS BY LINDY MOODY

sour sauce and ranch. Before wolfing down the sandwich, rather quickly I may add, I would have never imagined ranch and sweet and sour could work so harmoniously together. A punch to the palate is the best way to describe the flavor of the sandwich and is followed by the sweet flavor of sugar and the cooling effect of creamy ranch.

I would compare the Wade, another outof-this-world sandwich, to a Southern version of a Hawaiian spam sandwich. This time us Southerners out did our Pacific surrounded distant cousins to the west, which is not surprising when you top a sandwich with pimento cheese.

I believe this sandwich would make Paige’s father proud, and not because it is named after him. With bologna cut that thick, the taste brings a nostalgia that makes anyone smile.

First the bologna is seared on the flattop, giving it a nice crunchy crust. It is then layered between two slices of buttered toast along with a mountain of pimento cheese, pickles, and mustard.

Each ingredients has its own role, working together like an army of ants to devour your taste buds as their next prey.

For the side, the options are as vast the number of bachelorette parties that can be

EPICUROPEDIA

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

dunk every single bite into a different sauce and create different flavor combinations.

Wilmington Island and all of Savannah may be lucky enough to see what the Harris’ come up with next. Terry elaborated that they “would like to be able to expand into multiple locations or even try to open some other style restaurant.” CS Corner Grill is at 111 Jazie Dr.

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of course ranch that has oozed into every pore of this cavernous dish.

The mountain of fries is nothing short of sinful, but who can resist a revamp of a classic American dish.

A man after my own heart, “Paige has always been a fan of sauces…[he] couldn’t even stand plain chips growing up as a kid without some sort of sauce to dip them in,” Terry told me.

I am not going to list every sauce available, mainly because it may take up the rest of this article, but I will tell you the list includes the classics like ranch and honey mustard and more unique artworks like feta dressing and something called boss sauce.

What I will suggest is getting almost every sauce possible, stopping short of looking like a crazy sauce lady, so you can

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found in City Market on any given weekend. And I can assure you, eating any one of the Corner Grill’s mouthwatering side items is much more fun waking up after a long night downtown.

If it is your very first time eating at the Corner Grill, I would suggest the Feta Fries, which you could think of as their signature side item. Crunchy hand-cut fries are heaped among chunks of feta and fresh green onions. The feta brings the right amount of salt and tang to the party, and the green onions brighten the soulfilled hearty taste of the dish.

Just as indulgent are the Potato Skin Style Fries, not to be confused with actual potato skins. Those same hand-cut french fries are paired with all the ingredients that you know and love in a potato skin: melted cheese, bacon, green onions, and

WED. 5/23 Jubal Kane 8pm-12mid THURS. 5/24 Jon Lee’s Apparitions 8pm-12mid FRI. 5/25 Ford Natirboff 2-6pm Johnny Octane 8pm-12mid SAT. 5/26 Josephine Johnson 2-6pm Jubal kane 8pm-12mid SUN. 5/27 Thomas Claxton 8pm-12mid MON. 5/28 Rachel Shaner 8pm-12mid TUE. 5/29 Brett Barnard 8pm-12mid

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

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DEADPOOL 2

OOO The best part of Deadpool 2 is what occurs during the closing credits. Additional moments inserted during (and after) the final text scroll are par for the course in superhero movies, yet the gag here is especially ingenious and absolutely hilarious.

The worst part of Deadpool 2 is what occurs before the opening credits. The snarky introductory text treats this development as something shocking and unexpected, but really, it’s similarly par for the course – and utterly predictable – when it comes not only to superhero tales but any action flicks focusing on heroic loners.

As for that vast middle ground between the opening and closing credits? It’s mostly a kick, adopting the same levels of arrogance, attitude and faux insouciance as exhibited in 2016’s Deadpool.

If it doesn’t quite reach the plateau of its predecessor, that says less about the freshness of the film’s irreverent approach and more about the comparative stagnation in the character’s development.

The main thrust of Deadpool 2 finds Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) trying to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison) from the imposing Cable (Josh Brolin), who has journeyed back from the future Terminator-style to eliminate the boy and thus prevent future heartbreak.

To combat Cable, Wade assembles a ragtag outfit of mutants, and the sequences centering on their recruitment and subsequent deployment into the field are among the film’s best (look for a brief appearance by an A+-list star as Vanisher).

As expected, several supporting characters from the original Deadpool have returned alongside our sarcastic superhero. Morena Baccarin is back as Vanessa, Wade’s significant other — their relationship was a high point of the first picture, and it retains its sweetness in this outing.

T.J. Miller is also on hand to add more of his customary (and overdone) schtick as Wade’s sidekick Weasel; Karan Soni again amuses as cabbie Dopinder; Leslie Uggams is largely wasted as Blind Al; Brianna Hildebrand makes a welcome return

as Negasonic Teenage Warhead (and, aww, she has a girlfriend!); and a little of Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) goes a long way.

Speaking of Colossus, he’s again on hand to remind Wade of the necessity of belonging to something larger than the individual. Indeed, there’s a lot of yammering in this picture about the importance of family, but for the most part, it feels about as insincere as in those gross-out comedies that make fun of various players for 90 minutes and then suddenly ask viewers to open their hearts to them.

But aside from Wade’s moments with Vanessa, such sentimentality feels forced in a quip factory such as this one. The film works best when it takes nothing seriously, and Deadpool is never more endearing than when he’s directing his wisecracks at DC movies, the Avengers, the X-Men, and Thanos. Oh, and Logan. Always Logan..

BOOK CLUB

OO Diane Keaton will forever remain one of my favorite actresses, thanks primarily to her superb performances in Annie Hall (for which she won an Oscar) and Reds (for which she should have won a second Oscar). Jane Fonda is another screen legend, mesmerizing in such works as Klute and The China Syndrome.

Candice Bergen was a slow starter, enduring critical razzies for her early film work before scoring with Starting Over and, of course, TV’s Murphy Brown. And who doesn’t love Mary Steenburgen, who’s been charming audiences for decades in such efforts as Melvin and Howard and Back to the Future Part III? As has become the norm these days (see also Last Vegas, Going in Style, etc.), all these screen legends have been brought together not for an instant classic that deserves all the awards but for a frothy comedy that, frankly, is far beneath their collective talents. Yet bless them all for signing those contracts.

Without such a high-caliber cast, there would be very little reason to see Book Club. But because these actresses are

involved, the picture marginally works as a showcase for their respective screen personas.

Diane (Keaton) is recently widowed and has to contend with two misguided if wellmeaning daughters (Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton) who treat her as if she’s already got one foot in the grave. Vivian (Fonda) is a hotel owner whose endless string of one-night stands allows her to keep her guard up and never get emotionally close to anybody.

Sharon (Bergen) is a divorced federal judge who hasn’t had sex in 18 years (a discussion of Werner Herzog films leads someone to crack that her vagina is a “cave of forgotten dreams”). And Carol (Steenburgen) has long been married to Bruce (Craig T. Nelson), but these days, he’s more interested in fondling his newly restored motorcycle than his wife’s body.

These four women meet monthly for their book club, and since the latest novel (selected by Vivian) to be digested is Fifty Shades of Grey, they all find themselves heavily thinking about sex and refusing to let their aged libidos go to waste.

Diane hooks up with a dashing pilot (Andy Garcia). Vivian runs into Arthur (Don Johnson), the one she let get away decades earlier. Sharon joins the Bumble dating site and meets the charming George (Richard Dreyfuss). And Carol tries to figure out how to seduce her inattentive husband.

One sure sign of a desperate comedy is the inclusion of a Viagra joke, and writerdirector Bill Holderman (scripting with Erin Simms) lamentably makes sure that such a gag receives the spotlight in a painfully protracted scene. Indeed, much of the humor is smarmy and self-satisfied, and most of the rom-com relationships are strictly boilerplate.

Nevertheless, the film makes some salient points about society’s irrational insistence on negating the continued aspirations of its senior members (particularly in regards to sex and love), and it’s a pleasure watching all these pros in action.

Bergen is especially a delight, as her character is gifted the lion’s share of the best wisecracks.

Male members like Dreyfuss and Garcia hold up their end, although it’s the scenes in which the women interact with each other that provide the largest charges.

Clearly, these tailor-made parts don’t require these actresses to stretch even one finger, but they enjoy an ingratiating and easy-going camaraderie, particularly in the precious few scenes in which they actually discuss literature.

Fifty Shades of Grey, Wild and MobyDick are the books showcased here; perhaps the sequel will allow us to hear their opinions on Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, Nabokov’s Lolita, and the entire Twilight oeuvre. CS

Smart Cookies: How Women Have Changed the World with Food

During this leisurely, after hours tour of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, a National Historic Landmark, participants will hear the powerful story of Juliette Gordon Low and how she came to found Girl Scouts—while they taste foods that bring her world to life. These offerings include a dish inspired by her family’s experiences among the indigenous peoples of the Upper Midwest, a World War I–era Girl Scout recipe, and a Southern staple that was served at Girl Scout fundraising dinners in the 1950s. $40 FRI., MAY 25, 4:15 P.M. JULIETTEGORDONLOWBIRTHPLACE.ORG/.

JULIETTE GORDON LOW BIRTHPLACE, 10 EAST OGLETHORPE AVE.

ACTIVISM & POLITICS

GREEN PARTY OF CHATHAM COUNTY People, Planet and Peace over Profit!

Meets Saturdays and the first Tuesday of every month. Join the Facebook group, @ChathamGreens, to find out about upcoming local events. ongoing. No physical address given, none.

SATURDAYS WITH ALDERWOMAN SHABAZZ Residents in Savannah’s 5th District are invited to meet with their Alderwoman every 4th Saturday of the month. Residents may come with specific issues and concerns, or just to meet their representative on Savannah City Council. District 5 runs roughly west of Bull Street and north of 36th Street, and also includes newly developing areas of the City in the

southwest quadrant of Chatham County.

Free and open to the public. fourth Saturday of every month, 2-4 p.m. 912-6516410. Shabazz Seafood Restaurant, 502 W. Victory Dr. SAVANNAH AREA YOUNG REPUBLICANS Get involved. Contact is Michael Johnson, via email or telephone, or see website for info. 912-604-0797. chairman@sayr. org. sayr.org. Call or see website for information. Free ongoing. 912-308-3020. savannahyoungrepublicans.com.

SAVANNAH LIBERTARIANS Join the Facebook group to find out about upcoming local events. Mondays.

Facebook.com/groups/SAVlibertarians.

YOUNG DEMOCRATS Mondays at 7pm on the second level of Foxy Loxy, Bull Street. Call or visit the

Young Democrats Facebook page for more information. Free ongoing. 423-619-7712. foxyloxycafe.com. Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St.

AUDITIONS AND CALLS FOR ENTRIES

AUDITIONS FOR ARMSTRONG YOUTH ORCHESTRA Open to students enrolled in primary grades through high school and including Armstrong students (available for course credit). Auditions, by appointment, are in Armstrong Fine Arts Hall. To schedule an audition, e-mail: savaayo@yahoo. com. Info is also available at www. savaayo.org. AYO is sponsored in part by the Savannah Friends of Music, www. savannahfriendsofmusic.com ongoing.

Armstrong Campus, Georgia Southern University, 11935 Abercorn St. CALL FOR ARTISTS FOR TEACHING SUMMER WORKSHOPS The Studio School seeks working artists interested in teaching summer classes or workshops to teens and/or adults.

Submit work experience, your art website/ Instagram, a class description of what you’d like to teach (more than one idea is okay), the age group you prefer and your general availability in June and July. Send to info@thestudioschoolsavannah.com ongoing. Studio School, 1319 Bull St. CALL FOR ARTISTS FOR THE SQUARE ART FAIR The first annual Square Art Fair is seeking independent artists in Savannah and the Surrounding Coastal Empire working in a variety of visual art disciplines. The fair will be held in Calhoun Square on Saturday, July 28th and Sunday, July 29th from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 20 applicants will be selected to sell affordable works of art priced at $500 and below. Registration is free for all applicants. Those selected to participate will be required to show both days and pay a one-time participation fee of $125 per artist. Square Art Fair is a community event that will be open to the public and free to attend. Applications are being accepted online at www.SquareArtFair.com and the submission deadline is June 10th. Contact Jess Berghorn @ info@squareartfair.com or 912-809-7233. Through June 10. Calhoun Square, on Abercorn, between E. Taylor and E. Gordon Streets.

CALL FOR DEEP WRITING FELLOWS Deep Center is on the hunt for Savannah writers to apply for fellowships for Deep’s upcoming semester of programming (September through December). Deep Center is a nonprofit creative-writing literacy organization working with Savannah’s public middle schools. Writing Fellows work in teams of two to lead 11 weeks of after-school writing workshops at assigned middle schools. Interested?

Learn more and apply at deepkids.com/join.

Through Sep. 15. liveoakpl.org. Bull Street Library, 2002 Bull St. CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR “NEIGHBORHOODS” Sulfur Studios invites its Artist Members to participate in the summer group exhibition “Neighborhoods.” What makes your neighborhood great? What are its challenges? How is it changing? For the better, for worse and for whom? Artists offer a unique perspective on their environments and can highlight issues and recognize benefits that may be missing from our current dialogue. Work in any medium will be accepted, and all Artist Members that wish to participate will have at least one work included. Work must be under 8 feet tall and fit through a standard doorway. If you wish to submit work that is time based, over four feet in any direction or requires other special installation please contact us

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Happenings

COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA happenings@connectsavannah.com HAPPENINGS IS CONNECT SAVANNAH’S LISTING OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, CLASSES AND GROUPS. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM TO SUBMIT A LISTING. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

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as soon as possible to make arrangements.

Through June 1. exhibitions@sulfurstudios. org. sulfurstudios.org. Sulfur Studios, 2301 Bull St. CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR VIGNETTE SAVANNAH Vignette Savannah is looking for contributors in writing and photography! vSav’s tagline is “Indulging in Savannah’s most coveted decor, design, & awe-inspiring spaces.” Contribute to the blog and social media channels with your writing and/ or photography (credit will be given) featuring restaurants, coffee shops, or any other creative spaces and design you find inspiring! Preference will be given to students/professionals that can be consistent contributors-- build a portfolio with the vSav blog and on its social media channels and gain a reference in the process! Visit vignettesavannah.com and email Anita at vignettesavannah@gmail. com to express your interest! ongoing.

Downtown Savannah, downtown.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: FAAA SMALL WORKS EXHIBITION Artist members of Telfair’s Friends of African American Arts are invited to submit work for an exhibition of small works in the Jepson Center’s Morrison Community Gallery, opening September 20. Works must not exceed 24 inches in any dimension.

This exhibition is open only to current FAAA members. Registration opens May 1, and the submission deadline is August 10.

Guidelines and registration will be available online starting May 1 at telfair.org/faaa.

Through Aug. 10. 912-790-8800. telfair.org/ faaa. telfair.org/jepson/. Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. CALL FOR JESUS-YESHUA PRODUCTION CLUB AND VIDEO CREW Contact Brenda Lee at 912-236-3156 or at revbrendalee@yahoo.com for more information. ongoing. Online only, none.

CALL FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS AND RETAILERS FOR COHEN’S RETREAT ONSITE BOUTIQUE SHOP Cohen’s Retreat, a historic destination for art, food and community located in Savannah’s famed Moon River District, is seeking specialty retailers interested in placing their locally or regionally-made products in its onsite boutique shop, Brown Dog Market. Cohen’s Retreat is refreshing its product lines at Brown Dog Market to feature more of a mix of mainstream local products to include with their current artisan products. Retailers who would like access to some of Savannah’s largest neighborhoods located in and near the Moon River District are encouraged to apply for shelf space. Interested retailers should reach out to Colleen Smith at colleen.smith@cohensretreat.com or by calling 912.355.3336, ext. 4. Please include product name(s), description, price point, availability, contact information and any other essential details. ongoing. Cohen’s Retreat, 5715 Skidaway Rd. CALL FOR MUSICIANS FOR EFFINGHAM COUNTY ORCHESTRA Effingham Community Orchestra is now accepting additional musicians.

Instruments included are winds, orchestral 98 strings and orchestral percussion. For

information contact the Director at www. effinghamcommunityorchestra.org or call 912-826-5300 ext. 110. ongoing. No physical address given, none.

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS IN PTSD STUDY Are you a recent combat veteran experiencing psychological or emotional stress related to your combat? You may be eligible to receive first-line medication and talk therapy interventions with proven effectiveness. PROGrESS is a study looking to learn more about how to effectively treat recent combat veterans with PTSD. The therapies are not experimental. You will be randomly assigned to receive either psychotherapy, medication, or both. For more information about the PROGrESS study, please call 912-920-0214 ext. 2169. ongoing. Online only, none.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR WEAVE-ADREAM PROGRAM The City of Savannah Department of Arts, Culture & Historical Resources is now accepting proposals for the 2018 Weave-A-Dream (WAD) program which seeks to engage youth in art projects that reestablish and preserve vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods. Applications must be submitted at least seven weeks prior to the start date of the project.

Applications will be accepted March through November 13th of 2018 (while funds are available). Selected projects must be completed prior to December 31, 2018.

The guidelines and application are available for download at www.savannahga.gov/ arts. Technical assistance is available to applying organizations and individuals.

Through Nov. 13.

CALL FOR WORLD WAR I ITEMS FOR CITY EXHIBIT The City of Savannah Research Library & Municipal Archives is currently planning a World War I Centennial exhibit for 2018 to honor Savannahians’ role in the war.

The City would like to include items from local residents and families to further personalize the exhibit. Residents are asked to share World War I related artifacts or documents with the City to help create the exhibit. To lend an item to the exhibit or to learn more about the exhibit, please contact Luciana Spracher, City of Savannah Library & Archives Director, at Lspracher@ savannahga.gov or (912) 651-6411. ongoing. Savannah City Hall, 2 East Bay Street.

RELIGIOUS ETHNIC ARTISTS NEEDED Religious ethnic (JESUS-YESHUA) artists and musicals needed for upcoming season.

A classical accompanist and conductor for sacred music and gospel singers needed.

Contact Reverend Brenda Lee (912) 2363154; email: revbrendalee@yahoo.com ongoing. No physical address given, none.

TELL US YOUR GHOST STORY? Organization seeks to document your first hand experiences with psychical phenomenon for analysis and potential investigation. Our investigators have reputable credentials and long time investigation training and connections with the top minds and researchers in parapsychology field research and other areas. We are especially interested in Chatham and neighboring counties with

special emphasis on Savannah itself and the Historic District. Interviewees should be comfortable with video documentation of themselves and events w/privacy level negotiated beforehand. ongoing. amchclub@yahoo.com. Downtown Savannah, downtown.

BENEFITS

APRES SUGAR FASHION SHOW Apres Sugar, Southern Sugaring’s second annual fashion show, will showcase Savannah’s most luxurious selection of swimwear. This year’s event benefits the Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center. $30-$100 Thu., May 24, 7 p.m. 912-4957091. southernsugaring@gmail.com. southernsugaring.com/pages/apres-sugar.

Grand Lake Club at Southbridge, 815 Southbridge Blvd.

CLASSES, CAMPS & WORKSHOPS

2018 SUMMER BONANZA The program will expose young people to local government, cultural diversity, and positive role models. Strengthening academic development while providing safe, structured, and fun activities for youth is essential. Summer Bonanza meets once per week on Saturday mornings from 10 am – 1 pm at the Moses Jackson Center.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. (912) 663-4528. Moses Jackson Advancement Center, 1410B Richards Street.

APICS CERTIFIED SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONAL (CSCP) CERTIFICATION WORKSHOP Earn the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and prove your knowledge of end-to-end supply chain management, and demonstrate value to colleagues and employers looking for a competitive edge in today’s global economy. By earning the CSCP designation, join the more than 21,000 professionals in 100 countries who have mastered the essential technology, concepts, and strategies related to end-to-end supply chain operations. Prepare for the CSCP credential certification with the Savannah APICS Chapter’s CSCP Certification Workshop. The APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) program is the first and only supply chain certification that encompasses the end-to-end global supply chain. $1595-$1995 Sat., May 26, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 912-443-3012. education@ apicssavannah.org. savannahtech.edu/ pce-cscp. Savannah Technical College, Crossroads Campus Auditorium, 190 Crossroads Parkway.

ART, MUSIC, PIANO, VOICE COACHING Coaching for all ages, beginners through advanced. Classic, modern, jazz improvization and theory. Serious inquiries only. 912-961-7021 or 912-667-1056.

BASIC SELF DEFENSE Essential self-defense for adults. $30/ month Tuesdays, Thursdays, 6 p.m. fit912savannah.com. fit912savannah.com.

Fit912 Savannah, 428 Bull Street.

BEADING CLASSSES AT EPIPHANY BEAD & JEWELRY STUDIO Learn jewelry-making techniques from beginner to advanced. Call for class times.

912-677-3983. epiphany.indiemade.com.

Epiphany Bead & Jewelry Studio, 101 N. Fahm St. BEGINNING BELLY DANCE CLASSES Taught by Happenstance Bellydance.

All skill levels and styles. Private instruction available. $15 912-704-2940. happenstancebellydance@gmail.com. happenstancebellydance.wordpress.com.

BRIDGE LESSONS Competitive Bidding (BB2), Saturday, February 4 at 10AM. Defensive Signals (BB5), Monday February 6. They are 4 week classes. Intermediate and advanced workshops continue on Fridays at 10AM. Savannah Duplicate Bridge Center, 8511 Ferguson Ave, Sandfly. Also, games are held in the afternoon and/or evening almost every day. There is something for players at all levels. Check our website for fees and schedules of games and other classes. ongoing. 912-228-4838. bridgewebs.com/ savannahclubs. Savannah Duplicate Bridge Center, 8511 Ferguson Ave. CAREGIVING 101 The free one-hour class is designed to raise awareness of the importance of selfcare by exploring the physical, emotional, psychological and social components of caregiving. Learn tips to deal with the many challenges and gain useful information on community resources. Led by an experienced clinical professor and seasoned caregiver, any person finding themselves in the role of family caregiver would greatly benefit from this free class.

Free fourth Monday of every month, noon.

912-629-1331. edelcaregiverinstitute.org.

Edel Caregiver Institute, 6000 Business Center Drive.

CHAMPIONS TRAINING CENTER Offering a variety of classes and training in mixed martial arts, jui-jitsu, judo and other disciplines for children and adults. All skill levels. 525 Windsor Rd. 912-349-4582. ctcsavannah.com.

CHINESE LANGUAGE CLASSES The Confucius Institute at Savannah State University offers free Chinese language classes starting January 17. To register, please call 912-358-3160. ongoing.

912-358-3160. confuciusinstitute@ savannahstate.edu. savannahstate.edu. savstate.edu/. Savannah State University, 3219 College St. CLAY CLASSES Savannah Clay Studio at Beaulieu offers handbuilding, sculpture, and handmade tiles, basic glazing and firing. 912-351-4578. sav..claystudio@gmail.com.

BOATING CLASSES Classes on boat handling, boating safety and navigation offered by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. See website or call to register.

912-897-7656. savannahaux.com.

COUNTRY TWO STEP GROUP CLASS Country Two Step: no partner needed or experience required. 4 weeks for $40 or drop in for $15. $40 for 4 weeks Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. 612-470-6683. salondebaile.dance@gmail.com. salondebailedancestudio.com. Salon de Baile Dance & Fitness Studio, 301 US Hwy 80 SE. CREATIVITY COACHING Do you have a creative idea but don’t know

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where to start? Is it time to move forward with your project? Work with your very own creativity coach and learn how to blast through blocks, plan your time, and enjoy the richness of a creative life. See website for more info at www.laurenl.com/ creativity_coaching/ or contact Creativity@ LaurenL.com ongoing. Online, ---.

DIVAS & PUMPS: ADULT HEELS DANCE CLASS Divas & Pumps is a dance class teaching walks, struts, freestyles, and choreography to hits by our favorite Divas. Come get your life every Wednesday at 7:30. $15 Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. 323-539-1760.

DANCEHOWIWANTTO@GMAIL.COM. DANCEHOWIWANTTO.COM. DUI PREVENTION GROUP Offers victim impact panels for intoxicated drivers, DUI, offenders, and anyone seeking knowledge about the dangers of driving while impaired. A must see for teen drivers.

Meets monthly. $40/session 912-443-0410.

ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS CLASS Enjoy non-intimidating, fun and interactive sessions taught in a casual setting by an ESL expert with over 15 years of experience. $75 Fri., May 25, 10-11:30 a.m. 912-478-5555. georgiasouthern.edu/ conted/ecs. academics.georgiasouthern. edu/ce/programs/ecs/. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro.

FAMILY LAW WORKSHOP The Mediation Center has three workshops per month for people who do not have legal representation in a family matter: divorce, legitimation, modifications of child support, visitation, contempt. Schedule: 1st Tues, 2nd Mon, 4th Thursday. Call for times. $30 912-354-6686. mediationsavannah.com.

FANY’S SPANISH/ENGLISH INSTITUTE Spanish is fun. Classes for adults and children held at 15 E. Montgomery Crossroad. Register by phone. ongoing.

912-921-4646.

HOUSING AUTHORITY NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE CENTER Housing Authority of Savannah hosts classes at the Neighborhood Resource Center. Adult literacy/GED prep: MonThurs, 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm. Financial education: 4th Fri each month, 9am-11am.

Basic computer training: Tues & Thurs, 1pm-3pm. Community computer lab: MonFri, 3pm-4:30pm. ongoing. 912-232-4232 x115. savannahpha.com. savannahpha. com/NRC.html. Neighborhood Resource Center, 1407 Wheaton St. JEWELER’S GUIDED OPEN STUDIO Join us for time to practice your skills and knock out some projects you’ve been dreaming up. Tuition includes access to the studio with support from Christina or one of her assistants. Students are responsible for their own materials. Prerequisite of Jewelry I or similar instruction from another studio. $30 Thursdays, 1-4 p.m.

912-289-8337. christina@dreamcatstudio. com. dreamcatstudio.com. Use our space to practice your skills and knock out your personal pieces. Tuition includes access to the studio with support from Christina or one of her assistants. Students are responsible for their own materials.

Prerequisite of Jewelry I or similar instruction from another studio. $30

PHOTO BY SEAN DAVIS

Press Play Boombox Brunch

Brunch is served from 11 am – 3 pm. Jason B. James Live vinyl DJ spinning classic soul, R&B, indie, rock, pop, and everything in between begins at noon.

FOXY LOXY CAFE, 1919 BULL ST.

Fridays, 6 p.m. 912-289-8337. christina@ dreamcatstudio.com. dreamcatstudio.com. dreamcat studio, Hover Creek RD. KNITTING & CROCHET CLASSES Offered at The Frayed Knot, 6 W. State St. See the calendar of events on website.

Mondays. 912-233-1240. thefrayedknotsav. com.

LIFE CHALLENGE COACHING In an environment of patience, nonjudgement and compassion, we will explore the source of your challenge, the beliefs that hold your challenge in place, and discover & enact healthy and healing life changes. For appointment, contact Cindy Un Shin Beach at revfugon@gmail.com, or Text (only) to 912-429-7265. ongoing.

Online only, none.

MICROSOFT WORD 2016 COMPUTER COURSE This 3-day Microsoft® Word 2016 Computer Course teaches you how to work with business documents such as letters, forms, and newsletters. Attendees will acquire fundamental concepts and skills and build on this foundation as they progress throughout the course. $99 Sat., May 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 912-4433012. continuinged@savannahtech. edu. savannahtech.edu/pce-computer. savannahtech.edu/. Savannah Technical College, 5717 White Bluff Rd.

MUSIC LESSONS AND CLASSES: ALL INSTRUMENTS, ALL AGES Portman’s Music Academy offers private lessons on piano, guitar (electric, acoustic, classical), mandolin, ukulele, banjo, bass guitar, drums, percussion, voice, clarinet, saxophone (alto and tenor), oboe, flute, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, DJ, Pro Logic, Composition, Ear Training, violin, viola, and cello. Group classes for beginner piano and guitar.

Music Adventures for ages 5 to 7. ongoing. 912-354-1500. portmansmusic. com. Portman’s Music Superstore, 7650 Abercorn St. MUSIC LESSONS--MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS AND STYLES Savannah Musicians’ Institute offers private instruction for all ages and experience levels for Guitar (electric, acoustic, bass, classical, jazz), Piano, Flute, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Clarinet, Saxophone, and Voice as well as Music Theory/ Composition/ Ear Training. We teach public, private and home school students as well as adults at all experience levels. Located at 15 East Montgomery Crossroads in Office #205 near White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA. ongoing. 912388-1806. smisavannah@gmail.com. savmusiciansinstitute.com.

NEW HORIZONS ADULT BAND PROGRAM

Music program for adults who played a band instrument in high school/college and would like to play again. Tuesdays at 6:30pm at Portman’s. $30 per month.

All ages and ability levels welcome.

Call for info. ongoing. 912-354-1500. portmansmusic.com. Portman’s Music Superstore, 7650 Abercorn St. NOVEL WRITING Write a novel, finish the one you’ve started, revise it or pursue publication. Awardwinning Savannah author offers one-onone or small group classes, mentoring, manuscript critique, ebook formatting.

Email for pricing and scheduling info. ongoing. pmasoninsavannah@gmail.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES Photography Workshops: Beginner to Advanced level. 4-hour sessions. $250 per student. See website for complete list. 410251-4421. chris@chrismorrisphotography. com. chrismorrisphotography.com/learn.

PIANO VOICE-COACHING Pianist with M/degree,classical modern jazz improvisation, no age limit. Call 912-961-7021 or 912-667-1056. Serious inquiries only. ongoing.

POWER SELF DEFENSE Get fit and develop powerful selfdefense skills. For active adults. $30/ month Tuesdays, Thursdays, 7 p.m.

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Clay Classes

Savannah Clay Studio at Beaulieu offers handbuilding, sculpture, and handmade tiles, basic glazing and firing.

912-351-4578. SAV..CLAYSTUDIO@GMAIL.COM.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

fit912savannah.com. fit912savannah.com.

Fit912 Savannah, 428 Bull Street.

R&B SOUL ADULT LINE DANCING The R&B Soul line dance group Savannah Show Stoppers are conducting line dance classes every Monday night at the West Broad St. YMCA and every Tuesday nights at the John Delaware Center. Both classes starts at 6:30. Lamont Hunter, the founder of the Savannah Show Stoppers, is the Instructor. Donations Mondays, 6:30-8 p.m. and Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m.

912-220-7712. hlamont70@yahoo.com. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. REIKI TREATMENT Reiki relaxes & rejuvenates; promotes emotional & physical healing; reduces neuromuscular & arthritic pain. E-mail request for appointment/ Fee base at revfugon@gmail.com, or Text (only) 912429-7265 ongoing. Online only, none.

A. ROPER STUDIO - VOICE TECHNIQUE AND COACHING Experienced and successful voice instructor is accepting students. Nurturing and collaborative studio. Services offered include strengthening the voice, range extension, relaxation techniques, and coaching through various styles of music.

Audition and competition preparation.

Located 15 minutes from downtown. Varies 100 Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. 912-484-

0628. Downtown Savannah, downtown.

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES Learn to speak Russian. All experience levels welcome, beginner to expert. Call for info. ongoing. 912-713-2718.

SAMBA SAVANNAH DRUMMING WORKSHOP Learn Afro-Brazilian rhythms with drumming instructor Andrew Hartzell.

All ages. $10 Sundays, 2:30 p.m. starlandiasupply.com. Starlandia Creative Supply, 2438 Bull Street.

SASS & SWAG ADULT HIP HOP Sass & Swag is a high energy, adult hip hop dance class. Learn hip hop grooves you can take to any party or club, and learn a choreographed routine to today’s hottest hits. Mondays at 7:30 pm. $15 Mondays, 7:30 p.m. 323-539-1760.

DANCEHOWIWANTTO@GMAIL.COM. DANCEHOWIWANTTO.COM. SOUND ENERGY HEALING WEEK 4: SHAMANIC TRANCE & ECSTATIC DANCE In week 4 of the series, explore healing trance postures with rattle and drum from Native traditions and discover the joy of ecstatic dance in shifting states of consciousness. $25 Sat., May 26, 1:30 p.m. audiosoulhealing.com. fit912savannah. com. Fit912 Savannah, 428 Bull Street.

SURFING AND UKULELE LESSONS Surfing & Ukulele Lessons and surf camps. Tybee Surf Lessons, Tybee Island/

Savannah. Email or call Turner for more info 808-385-5364. TybeeSurfLessons.com. ongoing. Tybee Island, Tybee Island.

TAI CHI The tai chi classes are open to the first 25 participants 60 years of age or older.

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. 912-877-0056. Senior Citizens, Inc. Liberty County Neighborhood Center, 800 Tupelo Trail.

YOUTH AND TEEN AERIAL SILK CLASSES Youth Class ages 8+. Teen Class ages 11+. Learn to dance and work with Aerial Silks and Hoop while suspended in the air. Weekly classes held on Fridays through the month of September only.

Very limited space available, reserve your spot and register online today. $20/ class $75/September package ongoing.

954.682.5694. elyse.thestudio@yahoo.com. thestudiosav.net. thestudiosav.net/. The STUDIO, 2805-B Lacy Ave. ZONA ROSA WRITING WORKSHOP Become the writer you were meant to be: Join Zona Rosa, the internationally acclaimed, monthly Savannah-based writing workshops founded and led by awardwinning author Rosemary Daniell. Over 180 Zona Rosans have become published authors. For information, contact Rosemary at info@myzonarosa.com. Also ask about the week-long, intensive Sixteenth Annual Zona Rosa Writing and Living Retreat,Tybee Island, July 22-29, 2017. ongoing. No

physical address given, none.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

13TH COLONY SOUND (BARBERSHOP SINGING) “If you can carry a tune, come sing with us!” Mondays, 7pm. ongoing. 912-3449768. savannahbarbershoppers.org.

Thunderbolt Lodge #693, 3111 Rowland Ave. ABENI CULTURAL ARTS DANCE CLASSES Classses for multiple ages in performance dance and adult fitness dance. African, modern, ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, gospel. Held at Abeni Cultural Arts studio, 8400-B Abercorn St. Call Muriel, 912-6313452, or Darowe, 912-272-2797. ongoing. abeniculturalarts@gmail.com.

AVEGOST LARP Live action role playing group that exists in a medieval fantasy realm. generallly meets the second weekend of the month.

Free for your first event or if you’re a non-player character. $35 fee for returning characters. ongoing. godzillaunknown@ gmail.com. avegost.com.

BUCCANEER REGION SCCA Local chapter of the Sports Car Club of America, hosting monthly solo/autocross driving events in the Savannah area.

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valid driver’s license is eligible to participate.

See website. ongoing. buccaneerregion.org.

BUSINESS NETWORKING ON THE ISLANDS Small Business Professionals Islands Networking Group meets first Thursday each month, 9:30am-10:30am. Tradewinds Ice Cream & Coffee, 107 Charlotte Rd. Call for info. ongoing. 912-308-6768.

CHATHAM SAILING CLUB Friday evening social event at the clubhouse. Meet Members and their families who all enjoy water based activities but whose prime interest is sailing. This BYOB event is free and all are welcome, but Membership is encouraged after several visits once interest is gauged!! We look forward to meeting you. Fridays, 7-10 p.m. pranschkec3@gmail.com. Young’s Marina, 218 Wilmington Island Rd. COASTAL BEAD SOCIETY Coastal Bead Society monthly meetings, 12 noon on the third Friday of the Month at the Coastal Georgia Center, 303 Fahm Street, near SCAD. All beaders are welcome. ongoing. wyrnut18@gmail.com. cgc. georgiasouthern.edu/. Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street.

FIBER GUILD OF THE SAVANNAHS A club focusing on weaving, spinning, basket making, knitting, crocheting, quilting, beading, rug hooking, and other fiber arts.

Meets at Oatland Island Wildlife Center, first Saturday of the month (Sept.-June) 10:15am. ongoing. fiberguildsavannah. homestead.com/. Fiber Guild of the Savannahs, 711 Sandtown Road GA. HISTORIC FLIGHT SAVANNAH A non-profit organization dedicated to sending area Korean War and WWII veterans to Washington, DC, to visit the WWII Memorial. All expenses paid by Honor Flight Savannah. Honor Flight seeks contributions, and any veterans interested in a trip to Washington.

Call for info. ongoing. 912-596-1962. honorflightsavannah.org.

HISTORIC SAVANNAH CHAPTER: ABWA Meets the second Thursday of every month from 6pm-7:30pm. Tubby’s Tank House, 2909 River Drive, Thunderbolt. Attendees pay for their own meals. RSVP by phone. ongoing. 912-660-8257.

HOSTESS CITY TOASTMASTERS CLUB Toastmasters International is an organization which gives its members the opportunity to develop and improve their public speaking abilities through local club meetings, seminars, and contests.

Regardless of your level of comfort with public speaking, you will find a club that is interested in helping you improve your speaking abilities. Free Tuesdays, 6:15-7:15 p.m. hostesscity.toastmastersclubs.org. bullstreetlabs.com. Bull Street Labs, 2222 Bull St. KNITTERS, NEEDLEPOINT AND CROCHET Meets every Wednesday. Different locations downtown. Call for info. No fees. Want to learn? Join us. ongoing. 912-308-6768.

LOW COUNTRY TURNERS A club for wood-turning enthusiasts. Call Steve Cook for info at number below. ongoing. 912-313-2230.

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART LADIES AUXILIARY 102 Meets the first Saturday of the month at

1:00pm. Call for info. ongoing. 912-7864508. American Legion Post 184, 3003 Rowland Ave. PHILO CAFE Discussion group that meets every Monday, 7:30pm - 9:00pm at various locations.

Anyone craving good conversation is invited. Free to attend. Email for info, or see Facebook.com/SavannahPhiloCafe.

Mondays. athenapluto@yahoo.com.

PROOFREADER’S WHISKEY CLUB Membership includes the first whiskey drink free, free monthly private whiskey tastings from various brands, 15% off the member’s bill for the year, and a personalized book card including a list of 75 whiskeys in each chapter in the DeSoto library. Library series meetings will be the last Thursday of every month and include one free guest pass per member for the year. They will pick a book from the Edgar’s P&P library to hold their personalized book card which will be used to keep track of their progress on the whiskey list. $50 ongoing. eventbrite. com/e/proofreaders-whiskey-clubtickets-42943991635. proofsavannah.com.

Edgar’s Proof and Provision, 15 E. Liberty St. R.U.F.F. - RETIREES UNITED FOR THE FUTURE RUFF meets the last Friday of each month at 10am to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and related senior issues. Parking in the rear. Free to all Seniors ongoing. 912-344-5127. Savannah Tree Foundation, 3025 Bull Street.

SAFE KIDS SAVANNAH A coalition dedicated to preventing childhood injuries. Meets 2nd Tuesday each month, 11:30am-1:00pm. See website or call for info. ongoing. 912-353-3148. safekidssavannah.org.

SAVANNAH BREWERS’ LEAGUE Meets 1st Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm at Moon River Brewing Co. Call or see website for info. ongoing. 912-4470943. hdb.org. moonriverbrewing.com/.

Moon River Brewing Co., 21 West Bay St. THE SAVANNAH CHINESE CORNER The Savannah Chinese Corner welcomes anyone interested in Mandarin language or Chinese culture. Meets every Saturday morning from 10 am to noon. Check the Facebook group to see meeting location. ongoing. facebook.com/groups/ SavannahChineseCorner. Downtown Savannah, downtown.

SAVANNAH COUNCIL, NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES A dinner meeting every 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm at local restaurants. 3rd Tuesday in November; none in December.

For dinner reservations, please call Sybil Cannon at 912-964-5366. ongoing. 912-7487020. savannahnavyleague.us.

SAVANNAH GO CLUB This is a new club for the board game “go” (igo, weiqi, baduk). For places and times, please call John at 734-355-2005. ongoing.

Downtown Savannah, downtown.

SAVANNAH GO GREEN Meets most Saturdays. Green events and places. Share ways to Go Green each day.

Call for info. ongoing. 912-308-6768.

SAVANNAH KENNEL CLUB Monthly meetings open to the public the

4th Monday each month, Sept. through June. ongoing, 7 p.m. savannahkennelclub. org. careyhilliards.com. Carey Hilliard’s (Southside), 11111 Abercorn St. SAVANNAH NEWCOMERS CLUB Open to women who have lived in the Savannah area for less than two years.

Membership includes monthly luncheon and program. Activities, tours and events help you learn about Savannah and make new friends. Ongoing sign-up. savannahnewcomers.com. ongoing.

SAVANNAH PARROT HEAD CLUB Beach, Buffet and no dress code. Check website for events calendar or send an email for Parrot Head gatherings. ongoing. savannahphc@yahoo.com. savannahphc. com.

SAVANNAH SACRED HARP SINGERS Savannah Sacred Harp Singers welcome you to join our monthly community singing on the second Saturday of the month from 2-4pm at Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church.

Sacred Harp is an American tradition of singing hymns in four part harmony. No particular religious affiliation is required or endorsed. All are welcome. No experience necessary. ongoing. Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church, 10050 Ferguson Ave. SAVANNAH TOASTMASTERS Helps improve speaking and leadership skills in a friendly, supportive environment.

Mondays, 6:15pm, Memorial Health University Medical Center, in the Conference Room C. ongoing. 912-484-6710. memorialhealth.com/. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Ave. SAVANNAH VEGGIES AND VEGANS Join the Facebook group to find out more about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, and to hear about upcoming local events.

Mondays.

SCAD DAILY TOURS SCAD offers tours in Savannah, Atlanta and Hong Kong for prospective students and their families. Tours are available daily, excluding Sundays, in Savannah, Atlanta, and Hong Kong. Tours allow prospective students an opportunity to view classrooms and administrative buildings, galleries, residence halls and dining facilities and see where our students live, learn and prepare for professional careers. Free MondaysSaturdays. scad.edu/admission/visit-scad/ daily-tours. scad.edu/. Savannah College of Art and Design, PO Box 2072.

VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA CHAPTER 671 Meets second Monday of each month, 7pm, at the American Legion Post 135, 1108 Bull St. ongoing. 912-656-6818. jsphmtler@ gmail.com. vvasav.com.

WAVING GIRLS SMOCKING GUILD The Waving Girls Chapter of the Smocking Arts Guild of America the fourth Monday of the month at the Coastal Center for Developmental Services, Eisenhower and Seawright Drs. in Savannah, at 6:30 pm.

Visitors are welcome. Refreshments will be served. Each month the chapter presents a program related to smocking or fine sewing. along with a “show and share” opportunity to see members creations. More information contact l.elkin@comcast.net.

Free fourth Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m. 912-658-4271. l.elkin@comcast.net.

Coastal Center for Developmental Services, 1249 Eisenhower Drive.

WAVING GIRLS--SMOCKING ARTS GUILD OF AMERICA The Waving Girls welcomes smockers and all those who create fine heirloom items.

At each meeting there is an opportunity to learn and share our work. The group makes over 100 “wee care” gowns for memorial hospital each year. fourth Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m. 912 536 1447. debcreation@hotmail.com. smocking.org.

Coastal Center for Developmental Services, 1249 Eisenhower Drive.

WOODVILLE-TOMPKINS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION Meets second Tuesday each month (except October) 6:00pm, WoodvilleTompkins, 151 Coach Joe Turner St. Call or email for info. ongoing. 912-232-3549. chesteraellis@comcast.net.

CONCERTS

I CANTORI SINGS I Cantori’s Memorial Day concert, An American Songbook, features Patriotic songs, such as America the Beautiful and This is My Country, also Broadway medleys from Wicked, Sound of Music, Music Man and Aquarius. $20/Adult $10/ Student Fri., May 25, 7:30-9 p.m. 912925-7866. icantorigeorgia@bellsouth.net. icantorisavannah.com. stpeterssavannah. org. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 3 West Ridge Road.

CONFERENCES

SHE. HUSTLES. SHE. HUSTLES. is a conversation on women’s entrepreneurship emerging in Savannah that features local entrepreneurs, movers, shakers, small business owners, and the women getting it done. $5 for Bull Street Labs members, $10 general public Thu., May 24, 6 p.m. bullstreetlabs.com.

Bull Street Labs, 2222 Bull St.

EVENTS

13TH COLONY SPOTLIGHT: PRESERVING STARLAND DAIRY On the heels of the 13th Colony’s popular “Preservation in Progress” tour earlier this year, HSF’s young professionals group is showcasing another phenomenal rehabilitation project, this time highlighting the historic Starland Dairy. For tickets or information, please contact Chassidy Malloy at 912-233-7787. For more information about Historic Savannah Foundation, please visit www.myHSF.org. $5 Thu., May 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 912-2337787. myHSF.org. Starland Dairy, 2425 Bull Street.

CRITICAL MASS SAVANNAH Join Savannah’s bicycle community for a free ride to raise awareness for bike rights.

Last Friday of every month, 6 p.m. Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave. A DIAMOND AND PEARL AFFAIR - 75TH ANNIVERSARY Join the Gamma Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated as they celebrate 75 years of service to Chatham County at their “A Diamond and Pearl Affair” featuring the Versatile Band. The reception will begin at 6:30

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Derby Devils Roller Derby Classes

p.m. followed by Dinner and Dancing.

This Formal Attire gala will be held in the Student Union Ball Room. $50.00 Sat., May 26, 6:30-9:30 p.m. akagso1943@gmail.com. facebook.com/events/893277827519037/. savstate.edu/. Savannah State University, 3219 College St. DRINKS AFTER WORK This group is for people that enjoy getting out mid-week, being social after work, and want to discover new places in the downtown Savannah area. Come have a cocktail, make new friends, and get over the hump. The group will meet on Wednesdays at various establishments throughout Downtown Savannah and nearby area. http://www.meetup.com/Drinks-afterwork/ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/960991837322187/ Wednesdays, 7 p.m. drinksafterworksavannah@gmail. com. meetup.com/Drinks-after-work/ events/227656080/. distillerysavannah. com. The Distillery, 416 W. Liberty St. THE EXCHANGE CLUB OF SAVANNAH In a rut? The Exchange Club of Savannah welcomes men and women like you to support, serve and encourage the best

teachers, students, firefighters, crime fighters, leaders and organizations in our community. Check us out at savannahexchange.org or find us on Facebook. Mondays, noon. 912441-6559. ddewitt30@yahoo.com.

Savannahexchange.org. Exchange Club of Savannah, 4801 Meding Street.

GUIDED TOURS OF THE LUCAS THEATRE FOR THE ARTS Learn the history of the historic Lucas Theatre on a 20-30 minute tour. Restoration, architecture, history of the theatre and of early cinema. $4. Group rates for ten or more. School trips available. Tours are Monday-Friday 10am-5pm and must be scheduled. To schedule a tour, contact Megan Chandler at 912-525-5029 or mchandle@lucastheatre.com. ongoing.

912-525-5023. lucastheatre.com. Lucas Theatre for the Arts, 32 Abercorn St. NEW YOGA NOW AT SHIPS OF THE SEA MUSEUM Join Kendall Beene and Erin Lambright of New Yoga Now to experience the NYN Signature Sequence. A fantastic flow in a fabulous space you don’t want to miss. $15

per class Tickets available at newyoganow. com $15 Wed., May 23, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

912-414-9186. friends@newyoganow.com. newyoganow.com/nyn-shipsofthesea. shipsofthesea.org. Ships of The Sea Museum, 41 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

NONSTOP FITNESS GLOW RUN This family friendly event is like no other. We will have inflatable obstacle courses along the route, LED and glow people, games, clothes, and even build an LED tunnel for your pleasure. $25 Fri., May 25, 9:30-11 p.m. 912-3494902. thenonstopfitness@gmail.com.

NonstopGlowRun.com. Lake Mayer, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads.

THE OPEN ROAD OPENING LECTURE AND RECEPTION Telfair presents an opening lecture by David Campany, co-curator of The Open Road and the author of the accompanying catalog. Campany is a writer, curator, and artist whose work is focused primarily on photography. He is a winner of an Infinity Award from the International Center for Photography. Reception to follow. Free for members, $8 non-members Thu., May 24, 6

p.m. telfair.org/jepson/. Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. THE ORIGINAL MIDNIGHT TOUR One of the spookiest tours in town. Learn about the untold stories of some of the most haunted locations here in Savannah Georgia. Guaranteed to give you a few goose bumps and an unexplained need for a night light. 33.00 ongoing. 1-866666-3323. 6thsenseworld.com. 6th Sense Savannah Tours, 404 Abercorn Street.

PBJ PANTRY A free food pantry held every Thursday, 10-11am and 6-7pm. Contact Jessica Sutton for questions. 912-897-1192 ongoing. ymcaofcoastalga.org/. YMCA (Wilmington Island), 66 Johnny Mercer Blvd.

RENAMING THE TALMADGE BRIDGE: A STUDY IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Renewed efforts by local activists to rename the bridge led to City Council’s unanimous vote to urge state legislators to change the name to The Savannah Bridge. Mr. Ronald Christopher with Savannah Matters will discuss how

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Roller derby league offers 12-week courses for beginners, recreational scrimmaging for experienced players and two annual bootcamp programs.

SEE WEBSITE FOR INFO. SAVANNAHDERBY.COM.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

the process played out at the Capital, whether the voices of the community were heard and possible strategies for going forward. Free Wed., May 23, 6 p.m. 912335-8868. engage@BeachInstitute.org. beachinstitute.org. Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris St. SAVANNAH STORYTELLERS Tall tales and fun times with the classic art of storytelling. Every Wednesday at 6pm.

Reservations encouraged by calling 912349-4059. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. liveoakstore. com/tubbysthunderbolt. Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt), 2909 River Dr. SCAD DAILY TOURS SCAD offers tours in Savannah, Atlanta and Hong Kong for prospective students and their families. Tours are available daily, excluding Sundays, and allow prospective students an opportunity to view classrooms and administrative buildings, galleries, residence halls and dining facilities and see where our students live, learn and prepare for professional careers. For more information please visit, https://www. scad.edu/admission/visit-scad/dailytours. ongoing. SCAD Student Center, 120 Montgomery St. SHIRE OF FORTH CASTLE FIGHTER PRACTICE Local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism meets Saturdays at Forsyth Park (south end) for fighter practice and general hanging out. For those interested in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. ongoing. savannahsca.org.

SMART COOKIES: HOW WOMEN HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD WITH FOOD During this leisurely, after hours tour of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, a National Historic Landmark, participants will hear the powerful story of Juliette Gordon Low and how she came to found Girl Scouts—while they taste foods that bring her world to life. These offerings include a dish inspired by her family’s experiences among the indigenous peoples of the Upper Midwest, a World War I–era Girl Scout recipe, and a Southern staple that was served at Girl Scout fundraising dinners in the 1950s. $40 Fri., May 25, 4:15 p.m. juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/. Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, 10 East Oglethorpe Ave. SOUTH ISLANDS FARMERS’ AND ARTISANS’ MARKET The South Islands Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market offers a variety of vendors, from vegetables to fine art. Thursdays, 3 p.m.

Higher Ground Baptist Church, 9120 Whitefield Ave. SOUTHBOUND BREWERY SATURDAY TOURS AND TASTES Savannah’s first microbrewery is open for public tours and tastings Wednesday - Fridays from 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 2-4. Hang out, have a few cold ones, and learn a little more about Savannah’s first craft brewery. Free Saturdays, 2-4 p.m.

912-335-7716. info@southboundbrewingco. com. southboundbrewingco.com.

Southbound Brewing Company, 107 East Lathrop Ave. SUMMER NIGHTS PLANNING PARTY Hospice Savannah encourages community 104 supporters to plan a Summer Nights

party on their behalf. If they have made a difference in your family’s life, this is a simple way to support our life-enriching programs while honoring and remembering loved ones. Come learn how very easy and fun it can be at a wine and cheese get together for possible hosts. Wed., May 23, 5:45 p.m. hospicesavannah.org/ summernights. hospicesavannah.org/.

Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Dr. TEA IN THE GARDEN Learn about tea traditions and experience an early 19th century tea in Davenport House’s beautiful courtyard garden. On inclement weather dates, tea will be taken inside the house museum $18 Thursdays, Fridays, 5 p.m. davenporthousemuseum. org. Davenport House, 324 East State St. WILMINGTON ISLAND FARMERS’ MARKET The Wilmington Island Farmers’ Market (WIFM) is a non-profit organization that provides Wilmington Island and adjacent islands’ residents with locally grown produce, baked goods, natural skincare solutions and a variety of artisan creations. Free Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. wifarmersmarket@aol.com. wifarmersmarket.org. Islands High School, 170 Whitemarsh Island Road.

FESTIVALS

BUG FEST 2018 Discover the importance of bees and other natural pollinators with the Savannah Bee Company and their mobile beehive observatory, learn about bug communication with hissing cockroaches from Savannah Termite and Pest Control, enter an Insectarium with Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus Entomology club and meet some friendly reptiles from Georgia Reptile Society while learning about their healthy diet of bugs. $7.50 Sat., May 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Savannah Children’s Museum, 655 Louisville Road.

FITNESS

$8 COMMUNITY MEDITATION CLASSES Join us for breath work, guided meditation, and yoga nidra, a deep relaxation technique to relieve stress, quiet the mind, and find the calm within. All proceeds support local organizations. $8 Sundays, 6-7 p.m. 912349-2756.

ADULT DANCE FITNESS Come out to the Lake Mayer Community Center and participate in “Twist & Shout.”

Work out while you dance to the oldies in this fun and varied fitness class. This program is free and open to the public.

Bring a yoga mat, bottled water, and a friend. FREE Tuesdays, Thursdays, 1 p.m.

912-652-6863. sedavis@chathamcounty. org. Lake Mayer, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads.

AERIAL YOGA CLASSES Increase flexibility and strength using aerial yoga, a relatively new approach to a traditional yoga practice. We use a silk fabric called a ‘hammock’ to support the weight of our bodies, helping us achieve various postures with more depth, ease and excitement. Every Saturday. Class size limited. Required to register online ahead of time. $25 Saturdays, 12:30-1:45 p.m.

954.682.5694. elyse.thestudio@yahoo. com. thestudiosav.net/schedule.html. thestudiosav.net/. The STUDIO, 2805-B Lacy Ave. AFRO-CARIBBEAN DANCE Let the excitement begin as Mahogany takes you to the best staycation each and every Tuesday night to the Islands through movement and rhythm. This class will focus on the cultural movement of Afro-Caribbean dance. Get ready for hip winding and arms in the air as we explore our bodies’ rhythm through Caribbean and reggae music. $10 Tuesdays, 6:45-7:45 p.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. AIKIDO CLASSES Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba, ‘O Sensei’ or (‘Great Teacher’). On a purely physical level it is an art involving throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and Kenjutsu (open hand and weapon based techniques).

Beyond the self defense aspects of the art its true goal is to challenge its practitioners to discover their best selves. $50/month for JEA Members, $70/month for NonMembers, or $80/8-class punch card Tuesdays, Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. 912-6040958, 912-346-2650. AikiNorm@aol.com, AikidoBilly@hotmail.com. CoastalAikido. com. savannahjea.org. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. BALLET BODY TONING Ballet Body Toning is a ballet inspired workout designed to improve balance, flexibility, and use body resistance to strengthen core, legs & booty. This workout is low impact and scorches major calories and teaches you basic ballet! Call to make a reservation before class. This is a semi-private class so space is limited! $10.00 Wednesdays, Sundays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. 732.232.3349. FitnessFoodWine@ gmail.com. thestudiosav.net/. The STUDIO, 2805-B Lacy Ave. BALLROOM FIT Always wanted to learn how to ballroom dance? Don’t have a partner? Want to get in shape and have fun in the process? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this program is for you! Learn how to ballroom dance and get a great workout in the process. We use all styles of music that are modern or traditional. Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Jive, Samba, Paso Doble, Foxtrot, Waltz, Hustle, and more! Check out our schedule for more details. 4 classes for $40, 10 classes for $80, UNLIMITED for $120 Sundays, 5-6 p.m., Mondays, 6-7 p.m., Tuesdays, 12:30-1 p.m., Wednesdays, 12:30-1 & 6-7 p.m. and Thursdays, 12:30-1 p.m. 612.470.6683. salondebaile.dance@ gmail.com. salondebailedancestudio.com.

Salon de Baile Dance & Fitness Studio, 301 US Hwy 80 SE. BEACH BODY WORKOUTS WITH LAURA MONDAYS at 6:15 PM at the Lake Mayer Community Center $5.00 per session Mondays, 6:15 p.m. (912) 652-6784. Lake Mayer, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads.

BEASTMODE FITNESS GROUP TRAINING Train with this elite team. A total body program that trims, tones and gets results.

Personal training options available.

See website for info. Meets at West Broad YMCA. 5am-6am and 8pm-9pm. ongoing. beastmodefitnessga.com. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. BEGINNING POLE FITNESS Pole fitness is a fun and flirty way to get in shape! Taught by Pole Dance America National Professional Champion Sabrina Madsen, you’ll learn the basics of pole dance in a safe and welcoming environment. Gain strength, balance and confidence. Beginner Classes are open to all shapes and sizes and are for ladies only (men welcome at our Intermediate Class). $25 for drop-in or $100 for a package of 5 classes Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. 801.673.6737. info@firstcityfitness.com. firstcityfitness. com/pole-fitnessparties.html. First City Fitness, 2127 1/2 Victory Dr. BLUE WATER YOGA Community donation-based classes, Tues. and Thurs., 5:45pm - 7:00pm.

Fri., 9:30am-10:30am. Email for info or find Blue Water Yoga on Facebook. ongoing. egs5719@aol.com. Talahi Island Community Club, 532 Quarterman Dr. CANDLE(LIT) COMMUNITY FLOW Catherine Mulligan teaches this vinyasa flow yoga class in efforts to raise money for local charities in the Savannah community.

The class is heated, candlelit, and set to upbeat music. Charities are rotating and chosen based on feedback from the students who show up. $8 Thursdays. The HUB Savannah, 4505 Habersham St. COMMUNITY TAI CHI Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art tradition that is now practiced as a graceful form of exercise, performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing. All of the exercises are performed from a standing position, so please wear shoes which are comfortable for standing, and clothing which allows freedom of movement. Weather depending, the class may be held indoors or outdoors. $5 fourth Sunday of every month, 8:30 a.m. customfitcenter.com. CustomFit Center, 101-A West Park Ave. DANCE DYNAMIX Dance DynaMix is a choreographed dance fitness class inspired by funky hip hop and sleek jazz moves! No dance experience required. Call 732.232.3349 to reserve your spot ahead of time, as class space is limited. Stay after class for a 30 minute stretch to wind down for the weekend with! $10.00 Wednesdays, Fridays, 10-11 a.m. 732.232.3349. FitnessFoodWine@ gmail.com. thestudiosav.net/. The STUDIO, 2805-B Lacy Ave. FIT4MOM SAVANNAH STROLLER STRIDES A group of moms that meet with strollers and workout at Savannah Mall, Daffin Park and on occasion Hull Park. Also offer HIIT Classes to other Moms who have any age children. The HIIT program is a kid free program. 1 hour long stroller based workout with kiddos. Moms- Pre and Post Natal, and kids of stroller age. Savannah Mall (M,W,F). Daffin Park (T,Th), Hull Park (Sat) ongoing. ashleyyoungblood@fit4mom.com. savannah.fit4mom.com. Daffin Park, 1198 Washington Ave. FITNESS CLASSES AT THE JEA

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Sin, firm it up, yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, Aquasize, senior fitness, and Zumba. Prices vary. Call for schedule. ongoing. 912-3558811. savj.org. savannahjea.org. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. FREE CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP For anyone caring for senior citizens with any affliction or illness. Second Saturday of the month, 10am-11am. Savannah Commons, 1 Peachtree Dr. Refreshments.

Free to attend. Open to anyone in need of support for the caregiving they provide. ongoing. savannahcommons.com.

FREE YOGA FOR CANCER PATIENTS St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Center for WellBeing offers Free Yoga for Cancer Patients every Monday from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. in Candler’s Heart & Lung Building, Suite 100. The very gentle movements and breath work in this class will give you much needed energy, it will make your body feel better, and it will give you a mental release. This class is free to cancer patients. Mondays, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

912-819-8800. sjchs.org/. Candler Hospital, 5353 Reynolds St. FUNCTIONAL TRAINING CLASS Celebrate fall with a Saturday morning workout class. All levels welcome. A smooth mix of cardio and strengthening exercises. Call Kara 912-667-0487 if interested. ongoing. Downtown Savannah, downtown.

GET EXCITED AND MOVE This program is designed to combat the effects of Parkinson disease for Savannah/ Chatham-area people and their caregiver.

The activities are designed to enhance and

improve muscular strength, and endurance, coordination, agility, flexibility, speed work, and voice command. $10 a month MondaysWednesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. & 6-7 p.m. and Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. 912-376-9833. psgsav@gmail.com.

Anderson-Cohen Weightlifting Center, 7230 Varnedoe Drive.

GLUTE CAMP WITH KAYLA All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Fridays, 12:30 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. DUDE’S DAY AT SAVANNAH CLIMBING COOP Thursdays, 2 til 10 p.m. Savannah Climbing Coop 302 W Victory Dr, Savannah Every Thursday men climb for half price, $5. See website for info. Thursdays, 2 & 10 p.m.

912-495-8010. savannahclimbingcoop.com.

Savannah Climbing CoOp, 302 W Victory Dr. HIKING & BIKING AT SKIDAWAY ISLAND STATE PARK Year round fitness opportunities. Walk or run the 1-mile Sandpiper Nature Trail (accessible) the additional 1-mile Avian Loop Trail, or 3-mile Big Ferry Trail. Bicycle and street strider rentals. Guided hikes scheduled. $5 parking. Open daily 7am10pm. Call or see website. ongoing.

912-598-2300. gastateparks.org/ SkidawayIsland. gastateparks.org/info/ skidaway/. Skidaway Island State Park, 52 Diamond Cswy.

INSANITY LIVE WITH SHAWN

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

BY MATT JONES

©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) Answers on page 109

“THE CURLY SHUFFLE” IT’S STYLIN’ IN EACH THEME ANSWER.

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ACROSS

1 Collaborative website 5 Not as many 10 Sign-___ (farewells) 14 Like fine whiskeys 15 Up and about 16 Sci-fi royal 17 Naomi Campbell or Cindy Crawford, e.g.

19 It might be hammered out 20 Chips go-with 21 Tooth material 23 Article from France 24 Channel with “Wheel of Fortune” repeats 27 “Respect for Acting” author Hagen 28 Primus frontman Claypool 31 Chute opening?

33 It’s a real grind at dinner?

36 Finnish Olympic runner Nurmi 38 Wireless company named after a Finnish city 39 Top of the corporate ladder 44 Practiced 45 Swashbuckler who left his initial as a mark 46 Place to extract some chalcopyrite 49 Business reps.

53 Start of many Quebec place names 54 Opposite of old, in

German 55 Pasture mom 57 British isle that sounds like a number 58 Ending of many nonprofit URLs 61 Old voting machine part 63 Box office event 65 2001 Nintendo video game with a really thin premise?

68 Dot on a state map 69 Mushroom in miso soup 70 Holed, as a putt 71 Lion lairs 72 Star-___ mole 73 “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto)

DOWN

1 “Hey, how’s it going?”

2 Pet lizard 3 Astronomer Johannes 4 March middle 5 Direct relatives, slangily 6 “Mr. Blue Sky” band 7 Expansive 8 Balance 9 Be sympathetic 10 “Ye ___ Shoppe” 11 Prefer 12 Ominous sight in shark movies 13 Took to the couch 18 Dusting item 22 “Silas ___” (George Eliot novel)

25 Email that gets filtered 26 Cal ___ Resort & Casino (Lake Tahoe property once co-owned by Frank Sinatra) 29 Tiger Woods’s ex Nordegren 30 Bed frame piece 32 “Not ___ out of you!”

34 Guy with an eponymous scheme 35 Jason who plays Aquaman 37 Impassioned 39 Lines at the checkout?

40 Scheme 41 “Quiet!”

42 Top quality 43 Sprung up 47 Come back after renovation 48 Nissan SUV named for a suburb of Venice 50 “Z” director Costa-___ 51 Advertising promos of sorts 52 Minigolf motion 56 State tree of North Dakota 59 Possesses 60 Mailing centers, for short 62 Facilitate 63 Pt. of PST 64 Long-handled farm tool 66 Make do, with “out” 67 Relieve

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. KUNG FU SCHOOL: VING TSUN Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) is the world’s fastest growing martial arts style. Uses angles and leverage to turn an attacker’s strength against him. Call for info on free trial classes. Drop ins welcome. 11202 White Bluff Rd. ongoing. 912-429-5150.

LINE DANCE Line dance class teaches basic instructions, coordination, and dance combinations, to the rhythm of different styles of music. Line Dancing is exercise for the body & mind, and is a fun way to dance socially without a partner.

Dancing styles covered in this class include Country Western, Swing, Salsa, Tango, Cha Cha, Waltz & more. $10 Wednesdays, 6-7:45 p.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. LIVING SMART FITNESS CLUB St. Joseph’s/Candler African-American Health Information and Resource Center offer the Living Smart Fitness Club, which is an exercise program to encourage healthy lifestyle changes. On Mondays and Wednesdays the classes are held at the John S. Delaware Center. On Tuesdays, the classes are held at the center, at 1910 Abercorn Street. Classes include Zumba (Tuesdays) and Hip-Hop low impact aerobics with cardio and strengthening exercises (Mondays/Wednesdays).

Mondays, Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. and Tuesdays, 5:30-7 p.m. 912-447-6605.

Delaware Recreation Center, 1815 Lincoln St. PILATES CLASSES Daily classes for all skill levels including beginners. Private and semi-private classes by appointment. Carol Daly-Wilder, certified instructor. Call or see website for info. ongoing. 912-238-0018. savannahpilates. com. pilatessavannah.com/. Momentum Pilates Studio, 8413 Rerguson Ave. POWER YOGA This is an hour of stretching your mind and body to become one, and a reset in the middle of the work week. Come experience the endless possibilities as you take yourself to the next level with Mahogany. $10 Wednesdays, 8-9 a.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. PRANA YOGA Prana Yoga is a practice that integrates breathing techniques and chakra sounds into the yoga. Come experience a deep sense of grounding, learn to be present, and develop your center, passion, strength, compassion, creativity, intuition, and light. $10 Mondays, 6:45-8 p.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. RENAGADE WORKOUT Free fitness workout, every Saturday, 9:00 am at Lake Mayer Park. For women only.

Offered by The Fit Lab. Information: 912106 376-0219 ongoing. Lake Mayer, 1850 E.

Montgomery Crossroads.

RICHMOND HILL ROADIES RUNNING CLUB A chartered running club of the Road Runners Association of America. Monthly training sessions and seminars. Weekly runs. Kathy Ackerman, 912-756-5865, or Billy Tomlinson, 912-596-5965. ongoing.

LADIES DAY AT SAVANNAH CLIMBING COOP Wednesdays, 2 til 10 p.m. Savannah Climbing Coop 302 W Victory Dr, Savannah Every Wednesday women climb for half price, $5. See website for info. ongoing.

912-495-8010. savannahclimbingcoop.com.

SAVANNAH DISC GOLF Weekly events (entry $5) Friday Night Flights: Fridays, 5pm. Luck of the Draw Doubles: Saturdays, 10am.

Handicapped League: Saturdays, 1pm.

Singles at the Sarge: Sundays, 10am.

All skill levels welcome. Instruction available. See website or email for info. ongoing. savannahdiscgolf@gmail.com. savannahdiscgolf.com.

SAVANNAH STRIDERS RUNNING AND WALKING CLUB With a one-year, $35 membership,free training programs for beginners (walkers and runners) and experienced athletes.

Fun runs. Advice from mentors. Monthly meetings with quality speakers. Frequent social events. Sign up online or look for the Savannah Striders Facebook page. ongoing. savystrider.com.

SHIMMY CHIC Shimmy Chic Fitness is an energetic, fun dance workout based on the ancient art of belly dance- with a modern twist.

The class provides calorie-burning and muscle-toning moves, along with increased flexibility, grace, and sense of self. No dance experience necessary. Shimmy Chic provides fun & repetitive routines suitable for all fitness levels. Please wear comfortable workout clothes and sneakers (you do not have to show your stomach).

Open to all ages and fitness levels. $10 Thursdays, 5:45-6:45 p.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. SLIDERS WITH KAYLA All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m.

Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. TIMED INTERVAL TRAINING WITH KAYLA All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Mondays, 12:30 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. TRX CIRCUIT TRAINING WITH SHAWN All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. TRX FUNCTIONAL TRAINING WITH SHAWN All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. VINYASA YOGA In this vinyasa yoga class you will experience dynamic movements while linking breath, building heat, and endurance.

This class is open to all levels. We will

explore each pose with special attention to alignment. This class will be the perfect way to start your week and stay energized. $10 Mondays, 8-9 a.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. WEIGHTED WORKOUT A 45 minute, total body workout that includes a 5 minute warm-up and a 5 minute cool-down/stretch. We will use dumbbells and steps to perform compound functional movements to maximize workout time. $10 Tuesdays, 8-9 a.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. YOGA FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS Free for cancer patients and survivors. The classes help with flexibility and balance while also providing relaxation. Located at FitnessOne, on the third floor of the Memorial Outpatient and Wellness Center.

Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. and Thursdays, 12:45 p.m. 912-350-9031. memorialhealth.com/.

Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Ave. YOGA WITH BIANCA All classes are included in membership and day passes. Please contact gym for more information. Mondays, 6 p.m. Fitness on Broughton, 1 E. Broughton St. ZUMBA Zumba Fitness is a dance fitness class for everybody and every body! With easy to follow moves, Zumba focuses on a wide variety of Latin and International rhythms.

This hour long class is guaranteed to make you sweat. It’s not a workout, it’s a party. $10 Tuesdays, 5:45-6:45 p.m. 912-233-1951. wbsymcagardener@westbroadstreetymca. org. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. ZUMBA FITNESS Isn’t lifting weights and running on the treadmill boring? Come join Sheena’s Zumba Fitness class and have fun while burning calories! The class regularly has 75+ participants that know that Sheena is the best Zumba instructor in Savannah!

So show up early and see you soon!

Free with YMCA membership Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. 912-354-6223. facebook. com/ZumbaFitnesswithSheena/. YMCA (Habersham Branch), 6400 Habersham St. ZUMBA FITNESS (R) WITH APRIL Mondays at 5:30pm, Thursdays at 6:30pm.

Nonstop Fitness in Sandfly, 8511 Ferguson Ave. $5 for nonmenbers. call for info. ongoing. 912-349-4902.

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

ALL YOU CAN EAT MUSSELS Make your Tuesdays “Ruesdays” at Rue de Jean in Savannah with ALL YOU CAN EAT mussels! Choose from 6 different flavors and enjoy baby greens salad, bottomless pommes frites, and warm bread all for just $24. One order per guest. Reservations suggested.

39ruedejeansav.com/reservations $24 5-9 p.m.. ruedejeansavannah.com. holycityhospitality.com/39-rue-de-jeansavannah/. 39 Rue de Jean, 605 W Oglethorpe Ave.

BETHESDA FARM AND GARDENS STAND Each week, this popular organic farm stand, managed by Bethesda students and staff, sells fresh produce, seasonal vegetables, herbs, free range eggs, a variety of plants, goat milk soap, firewood and more. In addition, 100 percent grass fed ground beef in various quantities are available at the farm stand, which is raised and distributed

by Bethesda Academy’s Cattle & Beef Operation. Specialty cuts are also available. merrin.slocombe@bethesdaacademy.org. bethesdaacademy.org. Bethesda Academy, 9250 Ferguson Ave. FARM TRUCK 912 The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods.

Mercy Housing: Savannah Gardens Courtyard, 515 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods.

Moses Jackson Advancement Center, 1410B Richards Street. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. Sheppard’s Gas and Food Mart, 1302 W. Gwinnett St. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. westbroadstreetymca.org. YMCA-West Broad St, 1110 May St. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. savannahjea. org. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn Street. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. W.W. Law Gym, 909 E. Bolton St. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. 1 p.m.

Skidaway Island, Diamond Causeway. The Farm Truck 912 is a mobile market program of the Forsyth Farmers’ Market that aims to improve healthy food access by bringing locally produced fruits and vegetables into Savannah’s neighborhoods. 3:30 p.m.

Daffin Park, 1198 Washington Ave. FIRE & WINE Half priced bottles of wine, campfires in the courtyard, marshmallows and s’mores kits. 912-401-0543. info@foxyloxycafe.com. foxyloxycafe.com. Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St. FORSYTH FARMERS MARKET Local and regional produce, honey, meat, dairy, pasta, baked goods and

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other delights. Rain or shine. Free to attend. Items for sale. 912-484-0279. forsythfarmersmarket.com. Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave. GHOST COAST DISTILLERY TOURS Tour & Tasting Visit Ghost Coast Distillery, where you will hear about Savannah’s unique history of drinks and revelry, while learning how we create our unique, hand crafted spirits. Hours Tuesday – Wednesday: 12–6 (last tour starts at 6) Thursday – Saturday: 11-8 (last tour starts at 8) Tours begin every hour, on the hour Closed Sunday and Monday Tour with tasting: $12.50 Tour with tasting and Souvenir Bottle of Ghost Coast Vodka 261: $32.00 All guests must be 21+ or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

ID Required $12.50 Saturdays. (912) 2980071. ghostcoastdistillery.com. Ghost Coast Distillery, 641 Indian St. HAPPY HOUR 39 Rue De Jean favorites at happy hour prices! Enjoy $4 house wine, $4 well cocktails, $8 daily cocktail feature, Moules en Six Preparations for $8, $8 1/2 dozen raw oysters, and more. Mondays-Thursdays, Sundays, 5-7 p.m.. 912-721-0595. holycityhospitality.com/39-rue-de-jeansavannah/promotions/. holycityhospitality. com/39-rue-de-jean-savannah/. 39 Rue de Jean, 605 W Oglethorpe Ave. HONEY TASTING AND BODY CARE SAMPLES + STORE TOUR Daily honey tastings and body care demonstrations. Come see honeybees in the observation hive or call 912.629.0908 to schedule a tour of the Bee Garden. Garden tour available March through October. $3 per person. Must call ahead. Free Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.. 912-234-0688. jessie@savannahbee.com. Savannah Bee Company, Wilmington Island, 211 Johnny Mercer Blvd.

OYSTER HAPPY HOUR Bring your dog to happy hour and get a free drink while enjoying roasted oysters in the courtyard. thegreyrestaurant.com. The Grey, 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

PREPARE SUNDAY SUPPERS AT UNION MISSION Local organizations are invited to sign up to prepare Sunday Supper for people who are homeless and live at Union Mission’s shelters for homeless people. Groups must sign up in advance and bring/prepare a meal, beginning at 2pm on Sundays. Call for information. ongoing. 912-236-7423.

PRESS PLAY BOOMBOX BRUNCH Brunch is served from 11 am – 3 pm. Jason B. James Live vinyl DJ spinning classic soul, R&B, indie, rock, pop, and everything in between begins at noon. foxyloxycafe.com.

Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St. WINE SAMPLING Sample the variety of wines Lucky’s Market has to offer. luckysmarket.com/ savannah-ga/. Lucky’s Market, 5501 Abercorn St.

HEALTH

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS St. Joseph’s/Candler’s SmartSenior offers blood pressure screenings on every Monday from 10 AM to Noon in

the SmartSenior office, #8 Medical Arts on 836 E. 65th Street. No appointment is necessary; the screenings are free and open to the public. For more information, call (912) 352-4405. ongoing. St. Joseph’s/ Candler Medical Arts Building, 836 E. 65th St. FREE HEARING AND SPEECH SCREENING Hearing: Thursdays, 9am-11am.

Speech: First Thursdays. Call or see website for times. ongoing. 912-3554601. savannahspeechandhearing. org. savannahspeechandhearing.org/.

Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, 1206 E 66th St. FREE HEARING SCREENINGS The Savannah Speech and Hearing Center offers free hearing screenings every Thursday from 9-11 a.m. Children ages three years old to adults of all ages are screened on a first-come, first-serve basis by a trained audiology assistant. If necessary, a full audiological evaluation will be recommended. Free and open to the public Thursdays, 9-11 a.m.

912-355-4601. speechandhearingsav. org. savannahspeechandhearing.org/.

Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, 1206 E 66th St. FREE HIV TESTING AT CHATHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. Free walk-in HIV testing. 8am-4pm Mon.-Fri. No appointment needed. Test results in 20 minutes. Follow-up visit and counseling will be set up for anyone testing positive. Call for info. ongoing. 912-644-5217. Chatham County Health Dept., 1395 Eisenhower Dr. HEALTH CARE FOR UNINSURED PEOPLE Open for primary care for uninsured residents of Chatham County. Mon.Fri., 8:30am-3:30pm. Call for info or appointment. ongoing. 912-443-9409. St. Joseph’s/Candler--St. Mary’s Health Center, 1302 Drayton St. HYPNOSIS, GUIDED IMAGERY AND RELAXATION THERAPY Helps everyday ordinary people with everyday ordinary problems: smoking, weight loss, phobias, fears, ptsd, life coaching. Caring, qualified professional help. See website or call for info. ongoing.

912-927-3432. savannahypnosis.com.

LA LECHE LEAGUE OF SAVANNAH A breast feeding support group for new/ expectant monthers. Meeting/gathering first Thursdays, 10am. Call or see website for location and other info. ongoing. 912897-9544. lllusa.org/web/savannahga.html.

LIVING SMART FITNESS CLUB An exercise program encouraging healthy lifestyle changes. Mon. & Wed. 6pm-7:15pm Hip Hop low impact aerobics at Delaware Center. Tues. 5:30-7:00 Zumba at St. Joseph’s Candler African American Resource Center. (Program sponsors.) ongoing. 912-447-6605.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD HOTLINE First Line is a statewide hotline for women seeking information on health services.

Open 7pm-11pm nightly. ongoing. 800-2647154.

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH CLASS This course gives an overview of reproductive anatomy and physiology and explains the process of labor and delivery in simple, easy-to-understand terms. The four-

week course includes a tour of the labor and delivery unit. This class is popular, so please register early $75 per couple Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 912-350-2676. memorialhealth.com/. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Ave. THE SAVANNAH 7-DAY DIABETES REPAIR If you are ready to take control of your life and health, call today, enroll in this fun but intensive seven week program to heal your body of diabetes. You will learn how changing can heal. You can reverse diabetes by following a new protocol, even if you have been diabetic for years.

Includes over a year of follow-up support. $450 Thursdays, Saturdays. 912-598-8457. jeff@heartbeatsforlife-ga.org. Southwest Chatham Library, 14097 Abercorn St.

KID’S HAPPENINGS

AFTER SCHOOL DANCE BREAK YOUTH DANCE CLASS Pop in the Lake Mayer Community Center on Tuesdays and join youth dance class “After School Dance Break.” This is a recreational dance class designed to get kids moving. Dance to the latest hits and get fit at the same time. Bring bottled water and a friend. FREE Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.

912-652-6863. sedavis@chathamcounty. org. Lake Mayer, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads.

KIDS CLUB The Kids Club’s mission is to educate and inspire children to take part in their local farmers market while enjoying nutritious foods and empowering their families to make healthy choices at home. Saturdays, 10 a.m. wifarmersmarket@aol.com. Islands High School, 170 Whitemarsh Island Road.

SAVANNAH CHILDREN’S MUSEUM SCHOOL YEAR HOURS SCM hours beginning 8/31/13 will be Sunday 11am-4pm; Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm. Open on holiday Mondays that SCC Public Schools are not in session including Labor Day. For more details go to savannahchildrensmuseum.org ongoing. Savannah Children’s Museum, 655 Louisville Road.

TODDLER TIME Bring your 2-4 year old to enjoy stories, games and learning designed just for them.

Each week there will be a different naturebased theme. $5 parking Thursdays, 10 a.m. gastateparks.org/skidawayisland.

REAL CHAT WITH REAL MEN 1-912-544-0026 ONE HOUR FREE

MORE NUMBERS:1-800-777-8000 GUYSPYVOICE.COM

gastateparks.org/info/skidaway/. Skidaway Island State Park, 52 Diamond Cswy.

TODDLER TUESDAYS AT OATLAND ISLAND WILDLIFE CENTER Toddlers 6 months to 4 years, and their adults. Themed programs--story books, singing songs, finger puppet plays, crafts, guided walks, up close encounters with Oatland animals. Preregister by 4pm Monday. $5 children. Gen. Admission for adults ($5 or $3 for military & seniors) Tuesdays. 912-395-1500. oatlandisland.org. oatlandisland.org/. Oatland Island Wildlife Center, 711 Sandtown Rd.

LGBT

FIRST CITY NETWORK Georgia’s oldest LGBT organization (founded in 1985) is a local non-profit community service organization whose mission is to share resources of health care, counseling, education, advocacy and mutual support in the Coastal Empire.

Members and guests enjoy many special events throughout the year, including First Saturday Socials held the first Saturday of each month at 7pm. Mondays. 912-236CITY. firstcitynetwork.org.

GAY AA MEETING True Colors Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, a gay and lesbian AA meeting that welcomes all alcoholics, meets Thursdays and Sundays, 7:30pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 311 E. Harris, 2nd floor. New location effective 11/2012. ongoing.

SAVANNAH PRIDE, INC. Organizes the annual Savannah Pride Festival and helps promote the well-being of the LGBTQI community in the South.

Mission: unity through diversity and social awareness. Second Tuesday/month. PO Box 6044, Savannah, GA 31414. 501c nonprofit. ongoing. info@savannahpride.com. savannahpride.com.

STAND OUT YOUTH A gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth organization. Meets every Friday at 7pm. Call, email or see website for info. Fridays, 7-9 p.m. 912288-1034. info@standoutyouth.org. standoutyouth.org. Vineyard Church Office, 1020 Abercorn Street.

WHAT MAKES A FAMILY A children’s therapy group for children of

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

HAPPENINGS

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GLBT parents. Ages 10 to 18. Meets twice a month. Call for info. ongoing. 912-352-2611.

LITERARY EVENTS

CIRCLE OF SISTER/BROTHERHOOD BOOK CLUB Meets last Sunday of the month, 4pm.

Call for info. Last Sunday of every month.

912-447-6605. sjchs.org/body.cfm?id=399.

African-American Health Information & Resource Center, 1910 Abercorn St. HISTORICAL WRITERS GUILD The HWG will endeavor to offer a variety of programs for both published and unpublished writers to promote historical

fiction and creative non-fiction. All compatible and cross-genre works to historical writing are welcome. HWG is also open to hobbyist writers to enjoy a relaxed and fun environment. Annual dues $20 fourth Monday of every month, 7-9 p.m. 713-907-8627. hwg.rh@comcast.net.

Richmond Hill Museum, 11460 Ford Ave.

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

COFFEE WITH A RANGER Start your morning right by getting coffee and having a discussion with a park ranger.

Fridays, 8:30 a.m. gastateparks.org/info/

skidaway/. Skidaway Island State Park, 52 Diamond Cswy.

DOLPHIN PROJECT Dolphin Project’s Education Outreach Program is available to speak at schools, clubs, organizations. A powerpoint presentation with sound and video about estuarine dolphins and their environment.

Age/grade appropriate programs and handouts. See website for info. ongoing. thedolphinproject.org.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE A two-mile Native Animal Nature Trail winds through maritime forest, freshwater wetland, salt marsh habitats, featuring live

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The Aries poet Anna Kamieńska described the process of writing as akin to “the backbreaking work of hacking a footpath, as in a coal mine; in total darkness, beneath the earth.” Whether or not you’re a writer, I’m guessing that your life might have felt like that recently. Your progress has been slow and the mood has been dense and the light has been dim. That’s the tough news. The good news is that I suspect you will soon be blessed with flashes of illumination and a semi-divine intervention or two. After that, your work will proceed with more ease. The mood will be softer and brighter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Do you know what you are worth? Have you compiled a realistic assessment of your talents, powers, and capacities? Not what your friends and enemies think you’re worth, nor the authority figures you deal with, nor the bad listeners who act like they’ve figured out the game of life.

When I ask you if you have an objective understanding of your real value, Taurus, I’m not referring to what your illusions or fears or wishes might tell you. I’m talking about an honest, accurate appraisal of the gifts you have to offer the world. If you do indeed possess this insight, hallelujah and congratulations! If you don’t, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to work on getting it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

I highly recommend that you spend the next three weeks hanging out on a beach every day, dividing your time between playing games with friends, sipping cool drinks, reading books you’ve always wanted to read, and floating dreamily in warm water. To indulge in this relaxing extravaganza would be in maximum alignment with the current cosmic rhythms. If you can’t manage such a luxurious break from routine, please at least give yourself the gift of some other form of recreation that will renew and refresh you all the way down to the core of your destiny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Now is a favorable time to worship at the shrine of your own intuition. It’s a ripe moment to boost your faith in your intuition’s wild and holy powers. To an extraordinary degree, you can harness this alternate mode of intelligence to gather insights that are beyond the power of your rational mind to access by itself. So be bold about calling on your gut wisdom, Gemini. Use it to track down the tricky, elusive truths that have previously been unavailable to you.

Contemporaries of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras told colorful stories about the man. Some believed he was the son of a god and that one of his thighs was made of gold. When he crossed the Casas River, numerous witnesses testified that the river called out his name and welcomed him. Once a snake bit him, but he suffered no injury, and killed the snake by biting it in return. On another occasion, Pythagoras supposedly coaxed a dangerous bear to stop committing violent acts. These are the kinds of legends I expect you to spread about yourself in the coming days, Virgo. It’s time to boost your reputation to a higher level.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

paraphrasing poet Paul Valéry. I think the same can be said about many other kinds of work. We may wish we could continue tinkering and refining forever so as to bring a beloved project to a state of absolute perfection. But what’s more likely is that it will always fall at least a bit short of that ideal. It will never be totally polished and complete to our satisfaction.

And we’ve got to accept that. I suggest you meditate on these ideas in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Paradoxically, they may help you be content with how you finish up the current phase of your beloved project.

“A poem is never finished; it is only 108 abandoned,” wrote poet W. H. Auden,

My counsel may seem extreme, but I really think you should avoid mildness and

native animal exhibits. Open daily, 10am4pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. Call or see website for info. ongoing. 912-395-1500. oatlandisland.org. oatlandisland.org/. Oatland Island Wildlife Center, 711 Sandtown Rd. WILDERNESS SOUTHEAST A variety of programs each month including guided trips with naturalists. Canoe trips, hikes. Mission: develop appreciation, understanding, stewardship, and enjoyment of the natural world. Call or see website for info. ongoing. 912-236-8115. wildernesssoutheast.org.

BY ROB BREZSNY

beautyandtruth@freewillastrology.com

meekness and modesty. For the immediate future, you have a mandate to roar and cavort and exult. It’s your sacred duty to be daring and experimental and exploratory. The cosmos and I want to enjoy the show as you act like you have the right to express your soul’s code with brazen confidence and unabashed freedom. The cosmos and I want to squeal with joy as you reveal raw truths in the most emotionally intelligent ways possible.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

French novelist Honoré Balzac periodically endured intense outbreaks of creativity. “Sometimes it seems that my brain is on fire,” he testified after a 26-day spell when he never left his writing room. I’m not predicting anything quite as manic as that for you, Scorpio. But I do suspect you will soon be blessed (and maybe a tiny bit cursed) by a prolonged bout of fervent inspiration. To ensure that you make the best use of this challenging gift, get clear about how you want it to work for you.

Don’t let it boss you. Be its boss.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Ancient civilizations waged war constantly. From Mesopotamia to China to Africa, groups of people rarely went very long without fighting other groups of people.

There was one exception: the Harappan culture that thrived for about 2,000 years in the Indus River Valley, which in the present day stretches through Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Archaeologists have found little evidence of warfare there. Signs of mass destruction and heavy armaments are non-existent. Art from that era and area does not depict military conflict. One conclusion we might be tempted to draw from this data is that human beings are *not* inherently combative and violent. In any case, I want to use the Harappan civilization’s extended time of peace as a metaphor for your life in the next eight weeks. I believe (and hope!) you’re entering into a phase of very low conflict.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Every human being I’ve ever known,

me included, has to wage a continuous struggle between these pairs of opposites: 1. bad habits that waste their vitality and good habits that harness their vitality; 2. demoralizing addictions that keep them enslaved to the past and invigorating addictions that inspire them to create their best possible future. How’s your own struggle going? I suspect you’re in the midst of a turning point. Here’s a tip that could prove useful: Feeding the good habits and invigorating addictions may cause the bad habits and demoralizing addictions to lose some of their power over you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“Some books seem like a key to unfamiliar rooms in one’s own castle,” said author Franz Kafka. I suspect this idea will be especially relevant to you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. And more than that: In addition to books, other influences may also serve as keys to unfamiliar rooms in your inner castle. Certain people, for instance, may do and say things that give you access to secrets you’ve been keeping from yourself. A new song or natural wonderland may open doors to understandings that will transform your relationship with yourself. To prep you for these epiphanies, I’ll ask you to imagine having a dream at night in which you’re wandering through a house you know very well.

But this time, you discover there’s a whole new wing of the place that you never knew existed.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Just for now, let’s say it’s fine to fuel yourself with comfort food and sweet diversions. Let’s proceed on the hypothesis that the guardians of your future want you to treat yourself like a beloved animal who needs extra love and attention. So go right ahead and spend a whole day (or two) in bed reading and ruminating and listening to soul-beguiling music. Take a tour through your favorite memories. Move extra slowly. Do whatever makes you feel most stable and secure. Imagine you’re like a battery in the process of getting recharged.

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PETS & ANIMALS

LOW COST PET CLINIC TailsSpin and Dr. Stanley Lester, DVM, host low-cost pet vaccine clinics for students, military and seniors the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

5pm-6pm. Vaccinations: $12, ($2 is donated to Savannah pet rescue agencies). See website for info. ongoing. tailsspin.com. tailsspin.com. TailsSpin Pet Supplies Store, 4501 Habersham St., Habersham Village.

OPERATION NEW HOPE Operation New Hope allows inmates to train unadoptable dogs from the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. The goals of the program are to decrease the recidivism rate among Chatham County inmates, help inmates learn a new skill, and help previously unadoptable dogs find loving homes. The graduated dogs are available for adoption can be viewed at www.humansocietvsav.org, and www. chathamsheriff.org. Operation New Hope is funded by the Humane Society and community donations. ongoing. chathamsheriff.org. humanesocietysav. org/. Humane Society for Greater Savannah, 7215 Sallie Mood Dr. ST. ALMO’S Savannah True Animal Lovers Meeting Others. Informal dog walks on Sundays, 5pm (weather permitting). Meet at Canine Palace. Call for info. ongoing. 912-2343336. caninepalacesavannah.com. Canine Palace Inc, 618 Abercorn St.

RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL

12-STEP RECOVERY EUCHARIST/HOLY COMMUNION 12-Step Recovery Eucharist/Holy Communion is offered at 8:00AM every fourth Friday of the month at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 34th St & Abercorn, Savannah. Everyone is welcome. fourth Saturday of every month, 8 a.m. 912925-4609. alan.phyllis@att.net. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 34th & Abercorn Sts. BAND OF SISTERS PRAYER GROUP All women are invited. Second Tuesdays, 7:30am-8:30am. Fellowship Assembly, 5224 Augusta Rd. Email or call Jeanne Seaver or see website for info. “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hands of the Lord.” (Prov. 21:1) ongoing. 912-663-8728. jeanneseaver@aol.com. capitolcom.org/ georgia.

BUDDHIST MEDITATION Everyone is welcome. Experience not necessary. Visit our website for location, meditation periods and classes. savannahzencenter.com. Individual instruction upon request. Email Cindy Un Shin Beach at revfugon@gmail.com for more information. ongoing. Online only, none.

CATHOLIC SINGLES A group of Catholic singles age 30-50 meet frequently for fun, fellowship and service. Send email or check website to receive announcements of activities and to suggest activities for the group. ongoing. familylife@diosav.org. diosav.org/familylifesingles.

GRATITUDE CIRCLE IN THE SQUARES Gather with others to share gratitude.

Everyone welcome. Park next to Bull Street Library. Wednesdays, 12-12:30 p.m. 917-676-4280. facebook.com/ savannahgratitude. liveoakpl.org. Bull Street Library, 2002 Bull St. GUIDED SILENT PRAYER Acoustical songs, 30 minutes of guided silent prayer, and minutes to receive prayer or remain in silence. Wednesdays, 6:45-8:00pm at Vineyard Church, 615 Montgomery St. See website for info. ongoing. vineyardsavannah.org.

JESUS YESHUA Holidays and plans for 2017 underway for young adults and college Christians.

Contact Reverend Brenda Lee @yahoo. com or call (912) 236-3156. ongoing. No physical address given, none.

JEWISH EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE’S 106TH ANNUAL MEETING Scott Samuels will be stepping down after having served as President of the organization; Robyn Levy Carroll will be installed for a two year term as President of the JEA. Robyn will be the 51st president and the 5th women to lead the organization in its 106 year history. Wed., May 23, 7 p.m. savannahjea.org. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. MARITIME BETHEL “Sundays on Thursdays” worship at the Fellowship Assembly. Plenty of parking for large trucks. Free Thursdays. 912-220-2976.

The Fellowship Assembly of God Church, 5224 Augusta Road.

A NEW CHURCH IN THE CITY, FOR THE CITY Gather on Sundays at 10:30am. Like the Facebook page “Savannah Church Plant.” ongoing. Bryson Hall, 5 E. Perry St. NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Courses are now being offered at the new Savannah Extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Full course loads for both Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees will be offered. Apply now at www.nobts. edu to start classes this winter. ongoing.

912-232-1033. revwasson@gmail.com.

Savannah Baptist Center, 704 Wheaton Street.

PSYCHIC MEDIUM YOUR PAL, ERIN Ready to reconnect you with your loved ones who’ve passed and your own inner knowing? I’m here to help. Let’s all work together to create the amazing new life you truly desire, releasing old situations that no longer serve you. Readings available in person and by phone. 60 minutes, $65.

Group readings of 5 or more, $30 per person for 20 minutes. Get your personalized, 45 minute prerecorded “Tuesday Tune-Up” emailed to your inbox for just $45. Visit www.yourpalerin.com for more information or contact psychicyourpalerin@gmail.com today. ongoing. Online only, none.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR A Bible book club for those wanting to read the Bible in one year. Open to all. Book club format, not a traditional Bible study. All welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, religion. Thurs. 6:00pm-7:00pm.

Call for info. ongoing. 912-233-5354. Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 622 E. 37th Street.

SAVANNAH FRIENDS MEETING (QUAKERS) Un-programmed worship. 11am Sundays,

Joy Cottage behind Wesley Oak United Methodist Church. Call or email for info.

All are welcome. ongoing. 636-233-1772. savannahquakers@gmail.com. Wesley Oak United Methodist Church, 3124 East Victory Drive.

SAVANNAH REIKI SHARE During shares, participants take turns giving and receiving universal life force energy via Reiki and other healing modalities. Present at the shares are usually no less than 2 Reiki Masters. Come share with us on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at the Sweet Water Spa in downtown Savannah.

Sign up at Savannah Reiki Share or Reiki by Appointment on Facebook. Free ongoing, 7 p.m. 440-371-5209. Sweet Water Spa, 148 Abercorn Street.

SERVICE OF COMPLINE Enter the stillness of another age. Gregorian Chant sung by candlelight at 9:00-9:30 p.m. every Sunday night by the Complne Choir of Christ Church Anglican. Come, say good nigh to God. All are welcome. ongoing.

Christ Church Anglican, 37th and Bull.

SOUTH VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH Weekly Sunday services. Sunday school, 10:00am. Worship, 11:30am. Tuesday Bible Study/Prayer Service, 6:30pm. Pastor Rev. Dr. Barry B. Jackson, 480 Pine Barren Road, Pooler, GA “Saving a nation one soul at a time.” ongoing.

TAPESTRY CHURCH A church for all people! We don’t care what you are wearing, just that you are here.

From the moment you walk in until the moment you leave, Tapestry is committed to delivering a creative, challenging, straight forward, and honest message about the role of biblical principles in your life. Come experience an environment that helps you connect with God and discover his incredible purpose for your life. Join us every Sunday morning 10AM at the Habersham YMCA. Sundays, 10 a.m. tapestrysavannah.com. YMCA (Habersham Branch), 6400 Habersham St. THEOLOGY ON TAP Meets on the third Monday, 8:30pm-10:30pm. Like the Facebook page: Theology on Tap Downtown Savannah. ongoing. distillerysavannah.com. The Distillery, 416 W. Liberty St.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

BROADWAY MUSICALS ON THE BIG SCREEN The film and lecture series is open to adults 60 years of age or older. Free Fri., May 25, 12:30 p.m. Senior Citizens, Inc. Port Wentworth Neighborhood Center, 103 Turnberry St. a the Ed Young Center.

FILM: LOVELESS In Andrei Zvyagintsev’s Loveless, Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Presented by CinemaSavannah. $10, cash only Sun., May 27, 3:30 p.m. savannahjea.org. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. FILM: THE TOUGHEST MAN IN THE WORLD This forgotten 1984 made for TV movie is the first film to ever star Mr. T in a lead role. Campy and fun, he plays a nightclub bouncer with a heart of gold who helps a group of poor inner city kids save their

neighborhood youth center. Presented by the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah. $8 Wed., May 23, 8 p.m. sentientbean.com.

The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave.

SPORTS & GAMES

ADULT AND JUNIOR TENNIS CLINICS On Thursdays. Intended for a class size of 4-8 students. Buy four classes, get the fifth class free. $15 per class ongoing.

912-201-2000. westinsavannah.com. theclubatsavannahharbor.com/index.php.

The Club at Savannah Harbor, #2 Resort Dr. ADULT COED FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE 8x8 Coed Flag League. Play adult sports, meet new people. Sponsored by Savannah Adult Recreation Club. Wed. nights/Sun. mornings, at locations around Savannah. $450. Minimum 8 games. Ages 18+. Coed teams. See website or call for info. ongoing.

912-220-3474. savadultrec.com.

BEARS ELITE FOOTBALL Learn the fundamentals of football. Ages 4-12. Sign up now. Mondays-Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 912-272-6684. Daffin Park, 1198 Washington Ave. BLOOD & BONES TACTICAL, KALI MARTIAL ARTS WEEKLY TRAINING Interested in the combative arts and practical self-defense? Learn Filipino martial arts. Blade, baton/stick, & weapon disarms. Weekly training at Forsyth (Saturdays usually weather permitting).

Free--Just a commitment to train!! Bring your own rattan training sticks, or can purchase for $20. Sat., May 26, 1:30-3 p.m. bloodandbonestactical@yahoo.com.

Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave. DERBY DEVILS ROLLER DERBY CLASSES Roller derby league offers 12-week courses for beginners, recreational scrimmaging for experienced players and two annual bootcamp programs. See website for info. ongoing. savannahderby.com.

GRIEF 101 SUPPORT GROUP Seven-week morning or evening adult support group offers tools to learn to live with loss. Tuesdays, 10am-11am; or Thursdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm. Free of charge.

Offered by Hospice Savannah, Inc. Call for info. ongoing. 912-303-9442. Full Circle Grief and Loss Center, 6000 Business Center Drive.

SATURDAY GROUP RUN OR WALK Join us in our quest for fitness. Beginners are welcome. We can help you exceed

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HAPPENINGS

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your fitness goals. Free Saturdays, 7-8:15 a.m. 912-398-4130. runthecity@live.com. savystrider.com. Lake Mayer, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads.

SAV. STRIDER WEEKLY GROUP RUN OR WALK DOWNTOWN Join us for a run or walk downtown or over the bridge if you’re feeling froggy. The best part is afterwards when we get coffee or whatever else your heart desires from Savannah Coffee Roasters. Free Sundays, 7-8 a.m. 912-398-4130. runthecity@live. com. savystrider.com. Savannah Coffee Roasters, 215 West Liberty Street.

SAVANNAH BANANAS FAN FEST Spend Memorial Day with the Savannah Bananas at Fan Fest 2018. Mon., May 28, 5 p.m. thesavannahbananas.com. thesavannahbananas.com. Grayson Stadium, 1401 East Victory Dr. SAVANNAH BIKE POLO Like regular polo, but with bikes instead of horses. Meets weekly. See facebook for info. ongoing. facebook.com/ savannahbikepolo.

SAVANNAH MILE The 13th Annual Savannah Mile presented by the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire honors our fallen first responders, their families, and our military heroes. The one-mile course has heats for every fitness level and age group. Registration ends May 24, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. To register for this event, please visit www.runsignup.com/ Race/GA/Savannah/TheSavannahMile.

For more information about this event or the Two Hundred Club, please visit www. twohundredclub.org, call 912-721-4418 or email info@twohundredclub.org. $20 Sat., May 26, 8 a.m.-noon. 912-721-4418. www. twohundredclub.org. twohundredclub.org.

Drayton and Park St., Drayton and Park St. ULTIMATE FRISBEE Come play Ultimate! Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30pm until dark. Sundays, 4:30pm until we get tired. The west side of Forsyth Park. Bring a smile, two shirts (one light or white, one dark), water, and cleats (highly recommended). ongoing. savannahultimateproject@gmail.com. savannahultimateproject.wordpress.com/ pick-up/. Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave.

SUPPORT GROUPS

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

HALF HOUR FREE

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1-912-544-0013 More Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Livelinks.com, 18+

Chatham Sailing Club

Friday evening social event at the clubhouse. Meet Members and their families who all enjoy water based activities but whose prime interest is sailing. This BYOB event is free and all are welcome, but Membership is encouraged after several visits once interest is gauged!! We look forward to meeting you.

FRIDAYS, 7-10 P.M. PRANSCHKEC3@GMAIL.COM. YOUNG’S MARINA, 218 WILMINGTON ISLAND RD. Adult children of Alcoholics is a fellowship and support group for those who grew up in alcoholic or dysfunctional homes.

Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. 24 Hour Club, 1501 Eisenhower Drive.

AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS Are you troubled by someone else’s drinking? Please go to alanon.org for daily meeting schedule. ongoing. savannahalanon.com.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS For people who want or need to stop drinking, AA can help. Meetings daily throughout the Savannah area. Free to attend or join. Check website for meeting days/times, or call 24 hours a day. ongoing.

912-356-3688. savannahaa.com.

ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER AND FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP For individuals caring for Alzheimer’s and dementia family members. Second Monday, Wilm. Isl. United Methodist Church, 195 Wilmington Island Rd. Second Thursday, Ruth Byck Adult Care Center, 64 Jasper St. Sponsored by Senior Citizens, Inc. Call for info. ongoing. 912-236-0363 x143.

AMPUTEE SUPPORT GROUP

Open to all who have had limbs amputated and their families or caregivers. Call for info. ongoing. 912-355-7778.

BACK PAIN SUPPORT GROUP Second Monday of every month,7:00pm.

Denny’s Restaurant at Hwy. 204. Everyone is welcome. For more info, contact Debbie at 912-727-2959 ongoing.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP For traumatic brain injury survivors and their caregivers. Third Thursdays, 5pm. In the gym of the Rehabilitation Institute at Memorial. ongoing. memorialhealth.com. memorialhealth.com/. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Ave. BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS GROUP Tuesdays, 5:20pm at First Presbyterian Church. For survivors and caregivers.

Call for info. ongoing. 912-844-4524. fpc. presbychurch.net. First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave. CANCER SUPPORT GROUP For anyone living with, through or beyond a cancer diagnosis. First Wednesdays, at Lewis Cancer Pavilion. Call for info. ongoing. 912-819-5704. Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion, 225

Reynolds Ave. CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP Join other non-paid family caregivers in a welcoming and encouraging environment on the fourth Monday of each month from 5 to 6 pm. For more information, please call 912.629.1331, or visit www.

EdelCaregiverInstitute.org. fourth Monday of every month. Ruth Byck Adult Day Care Center, 3025 Bull St. This drop-in, one-hour support group provides a safe place to connect with other family caregivers who truly understand each others’ feelings, needs and concerns. fourth Monday of every month, 1:15 p.m. 912-629-1331. edelcaregiverinstitute.org. Edel Caregiver Institute, 6000 Business Center Drive.

CHILDREN’S GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP Seven week structured educational support group for children 6-17. Support, coping tools, utilizing play and activity to learn to live with loss. Free of charge. A service of Hospice Savannah, Inc. Call for dates. ongoing. 912-303-9442. Full Circle Grief and Loss Center, 6000 Business Center Drive.

EXCHANGE

For Your Information

Buy. Sell. For Free! www.connectsavannah.com

Real Estate Homes For Sale

HALF HOUR FREE

ADS RECEIVED BY 5PM FRIDAY WILL APPEAR IN THE WEDNESDAY ISSUE OF THE NEXT WEEK.

Amazing Downtown Condo.

GLAMOROUS! 733 E. Henry, Unit “A”. Downstairs $249,900. Tom Whitten, 912-663-0558 (text).

Realty Executives Coastal Empire 912-355-5557

APARTMENT FOR RENT 2 Bedroom/1 Bath Upstairs Apartment. CH/A, all electric. $650/month, $650/deposit. 1204 W. Victory Drive. Call 912-6593550

For Rent

DUPLEX: 1316 East 54th Street.

2BR/1BA $690/month plus $690/deposit. Two blocks off Waters Avenue, close to Daffin Park. Call 912-335-3211 or email adamrealstate@gmail.com. Days/ Nights/Weekends.

*Application fee $25* *$200 Off 1st Full month’s rent for well qualified applicants*

2 Bedrooms, kitchen furnished, carpet, fenced yard. No pets. $575 + deposit. No Section 8. Call 912234-0548

EAST 55TH DUPLEX

Real Singles, Real Fun...

1-912-544-0013

114 BRADFORD CT: Updated 4 bedroom, 2/1/2 bath home near Nottingham Woods. Separate LR and DR, bonus room, master Jobs bedroom suite, new kitchen cabinets, granite counter-tops, Help Wanted new roof and new A/C. Only LOCAL MINISTER OF MUSIC $159,900. Call Alvin at Realty NEEDED for small baptist church Executives Coastal Empire 912in Savannah, GA. Must be 604-5898 or 912-355-5557. familiar w/traditional hymns and contemporary gospel music. The ideal candidate will also have experience in teaching new songs and working with individuals of all ages. For more info, please contact Danielle Gibson, 912-7126919 or email: dlg.firstebenezer@ gmail.com 129 ST. IVES DRIVE: 3/2, fenced. 2 NOW HIRING CHILDCARE car garage. No carpet. No work ATTENDANT: Must be available to work any shift. needed. Comm. Pool! $172,900.

Must have transportation. Call Tom Whitten, 912-663-0558 text.

Realty Executives Coastal Empire, 912-443-4649 912-355-5557 ofc.

More Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Livelinks.com, 18+

GEORGETOWN

Find us on Facebook at: B Net Management, Inc. for available property listings 718 West 38th Street: 3BR/2BA house, LR, DR, kitchen w/appliances, fenced yard, CH&A, hardwood floors & carpet. $825/month.

1535 East 54th Street: 3BR/1BA, off Waters, central heat/air, LR/DR, laundry room, carpet, kitchen w/appliances, fenced-in yard $850/month ($125 utility allowance) 2 Peachtree Place, Apt 59 3BR/1BA, LR, appliances, double door refrigerator, central heat/air, wood floors & carpet, washer/dryer hookup $765/month.

807 Paulsen Street. 2BR/1BA, central heat/air, appliances, newly remodeled $695/per month.

We are currently hiring experienced warehouse workers to unload containers in the Savannah, GA area.

This is an incentive based position with a guaranteed base, but we have many employees earning upwards of $12-$18/hour based upon productivity.

We can work with your schedule.

Please contact Todd Carvell @ 5 Oglethorpe Professional Blvd, Suite 140 Savannah, GA 31406 Phone: 912-433-6555 Email: recruiting@3plworx. com www.my3pljob.com

410 MORGAN ST: Completely renovated 4 bedroom, 3-1/2 baths, two story home in Pooler.

Features separate LR/DR, family room with a fireplace, new kitchen with stainless steel appliances, new cabinets and granite counter-tops, wood and ceramic floors, brick and hardy board exterior. Priced at $289,000.

Alvin at Realty Executives Coastal Empire 912-604-5898 or 912-3555557.

Townhomes/Condos For Sale

Make MoneY!

1527 Chester Street: 3BR/1BA. Single family home.

LR, DR, Laundry room, Kitchen with appliances. $695/mo.

1527-1/2 Chester Street, Upstairs apt: 3BR/1BA. Kitchen with appliances. $675/mo.

1527-1/2 Chester Street, Downstairs apt: 1BR/1BA. Kitchen with appliances, utilities included. $695/ mo. OR $180/wk with 2wk. deposit.

912-228-4630

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm 1 Green Gate Ct. Apt. 56 Savannah, GA 31405 www.bnetmanagement.com WE ACCEPT SECTION 8

Let Us Help You

Call 912-721-4350 To Place Your Classified Ad!

426 E. 38th St. Apt. B. (Habersham & Price) 2BR/1BA Apt. Appliances, central heat/ air, carpet $695/month.

NEW LISTING!

Connect Savannah

SAVANNAH’S HOUSE OF GRACE

SENIOR LIVING AT IT’S BEST FOR AGES 50 & BETTER Shared community living for full functioning seniors ages 50 & above. Nice comfortable living at affordable rates.

Shared kitchen & bathroom.

All bedrooms have central heating/air and cable.

Private bedrooms are fully furnished. Make this community one you will want to call home.

SAVANNAH’S HOUSE OF GRACE also has community housing with its own private bath. Different rates apply.

Income must be verifiable.

We accept gov. vouchers.

Prices starting at $550.

Call 912-844-5995

Furnished Efficiency Apt. includes utilities, electricity, gas, garbage/ water. 1yr. lease & security SECTION 8 ACCEPTED deposit. $700/month. Close to Savannah Mall & Armstrong State *2503 Louisiana Ave. 2BR/1BA $775/month.

University. 912-429-2073 *1 Sidney Dr. 3BR/1BA $900/mo.

GREAT RENTAL *2228 Alaska Ave. 3BR/2BA $1,025/mo. Call 912-257-6181 719 South Street, Tatemville Area: SPECIAL ON DEPOSIT! Nice 3BR/2BA, separate dining, w/d connection, CH/A, all electric. 11515 White Bluff Rd. 1BR/1BA, all electric, equipped kitchen, $950/mo, $950/deposit.

W/D connection.

Convenient Section 8 accepted. to Armstrong College. $695 Call 912-844-2344 month, $300/deposit.

Classifieds Reach Over 45,000 Readers Every Week!

• • • • • • •

Real Estate Vehicles Pets Employment Miscellaneous Garage Sales

Call our Classifieds Department at 912-231-0250

•

ALL Ads Must be PrePaid (Credit Cards Accepted)

•

Basic rate includes up to 25 words.

SHARED LIVING: Fully Furnished Apts. Ages 40 & better. $170 weekly. No deposit. All utilities included.

Call 912-844-5995

SINGLE, Family Home w/ Room for Rent: Furnished, includes utilities, central heat/air, Comcast cable, washer/dryer. Ceramic tile DAVIS RENTALS in kitchen & bath. Shared 310 E. MONTGOMERY X-ROADS, Kitchen & bath. Call 912912-354-4011 OR 656-5372 963-7956, leave message

Room for Rent Off ACL Blvd. & Westlake Ave.

2 & 3BR, 1 Bath Apts. Newly Renovated, hardwood floors, carpet, ceiling fans, appliances, central heat/air, washer/dryer hookups. $645-$815/month for 2bdrs and $735-$895/month for 3bdrs.

912-228-4630 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm www. bnetmanagement.com WE ACCEPT SECTION 8 *For Qualified Applicants with 1+ years on Job.*

Week at a Glance Looking to plan to fill your week with fun stuff? Then read Week At A Glance to find out about the most interesting events occurring in Savannah.

ConnectSavannah.com

ROOMS FOR RENT

East & West Savannah.

Adult Living. Furnished, all utilities including Washer/Dryer on premises, cable TV, WiFi/ Internet. $130-$200/ weekly. Requirements: Pay stubs/ ID. Call 912677-0271 ROOMS FOR RENT Nice, Clean, large, furnished.

Busline, utilities, central heat/air. $100-$130/weekly. Rooms with bath $145. Call 912-289-0410.

• Paycheck stub or Proof of income and ID required.

2nd person/child add $100 per week

ROOMS FOR RENT - Ages 40 & better. $150 weekly. No deposit. Furnished rooms. All utilities included. On Busline.

Call 912-844-5995 SHARED LIVING for Senior citizen/ Retired, Age 40 & older. Furnished room, CH/A, cable. Shared bath, kitchen and common area. $170 & Up (utilities included)/$640 monthly. Safe environment. ID/ Proof of income required. 912308-5455

Roommate Wanted 130 ALPINE DRIVE: Roommate Wanted. All utilities included.

Near Hunter AAF. Available 1/23/18. $650/month $100 deposit, or $150/week. Call 912272-8020 ROOMMATE: $125 & Up. Private bath, Spa, Cable TV, Internet, CH/A, Washer/Dryer, Kitchen, Clean & Safe. 24-Hour surveillance, Busline, Near grocery store. 912-401-1961

Automotive Cars/Trucks/Vans

FENDER BENDER ??

Paint & Body Repairs.

Insurance Claims. We Buy Wrecks. 49 years Exp. Call 912-355-5932.

Service Directory Business Services FOR ALL TYPES OF MASONRY REPAIR

Brick, Block, Concrete, Stucco, Brick Paving, Grading, Clearing, etc., New & Repair Work. Call Michael Mobley, 912-631-0306

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 23-29, 2018

Announcements

BUY. SELL. CONNECT.

CALL 238-2040 BUSINESS RATES |PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE FOR FREE AT CONNECTSAVANNAHEXCHANGE.COM

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This distinction inspires us to work even harder for you and for the good of the community.

We strive to do our best today, in the future, and every day in-between.

We’re proud to be a part of the community.

wellsfargo.com * Readers’ poll, Connect Savannah, May 2018 © 2018 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. IHA-22782