Connect Savannah March 25, 2020

MAR 25-31, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

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NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

DURING this extremely trying time, mental and emotional health are as important as physical health, and will likely become more so.

As “social distancing” and mass shutdowns persist and increase, depression, loneliness, and feelings of profound despair will spawn and spread like a virus themselves.

People can’t even seek solace in houses of worship anymore.

Not even the basic comfort of human touch is encouraged — a handshake, a hug among friends, a gentle hand on the shoulder of an elderly relative.

they entered various phases of lockdown — a noble goal, to be sure, and one I enthusiastically participated in myself.

Soon, however, that option could be mostly gone for the indefinite future, as many, if not most, places might simply not be open anymore, at any level of service.

Then there was the phase of pleasantly remarking on how many people are out walking their dogs, riding their bikes, and enjoying the weather, with much less to do and no after-school activities to take away from family time.

That welcome bliss, unfortunately, could wear off as it hits home that this “leisure time” we all have now is not a vacation — though sometimes it might feel like one — but rather a dire economic shutdown in progress.

Really, it’s not the socialization that should be distant.

I’m not the first person to say this — I heard it mentioned first on NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute,” a great show by the way — but a much more accurate thing to encourage would be distant socializing.

Because literally the last thing we need right now is to be socially distant.

Physically, yes. But it’s more important now than ever to be socially conscious, socially vibrant, socially connected.

We will continue to do that at Connect Savannah as long as we are able. We don’t have the answers any more than anyone else does, and we find ourselves in many of the same predicaments you do.

In this issue you’ll find more of our continuing focus on encouraging solidarity and positivity in the community we love

As the medical situation slowly improves — which it inevitably will — we will be left with the psychological, spiritual, and economic scars for some time to come.

As workers are laid off, owners lose their small businesses, and families see loved ones get sick and savings deplete, some people will have thoughts of suicide.

Many will act on those thoughts.

Some people will cry out.

Some will act out.

Others will feel the pain just as intensely, but will shut down, turn within, and refuse to communicate.

Either way, the pain of loneliness and despair is the same.

As the medical situation slowly improves — which it inevitably will — we will be left with the psychological, spiritual, and economic scars for some time to come.

A recent estimate is that the unemployment rate from this crisis might hit 30 percent. At the height of the Great Depression nearly 100 years ago, the unemployment rate peaked at 24.9 percent.

We have yet to truly feel these effects.

The breaking news keeps breaking, and it’s hard to keep up.

We go through phases very quickly these days. One of the first phases was pledging earnestly to support local businesses as

I think we’re still in a phase of feeling blessed at the way many people are indeed coming together to make the most of these strange and restrictive circumstances — for example the Quarantine Concerts that Sean writes about in this issue, or the livestreamed church services and talks by the Rev. Ben Gosden and other local clergy.

One can’t help but be moved at the videos from Italy and Spain of quarantined people singing together from their balconies, or coming out at the same time each evening to applaud healthcare workers for another day’s work.

But that wonderment — such a crucial act of social bonding right now — could give way to frustration and panic as the rent or mortgage comes due April 1, and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel and little relief from Washington or Atlanta.

The term “social distancing” caught on quite quickly — perhaps too quickly.

Meme and hashtag-ready, the phrase has already entered pop culture canon as both a source of comfort and of humor.

However, I don’t think it’s necessarily a healthy term.

and hope to serve as best as possible.

But despite the lighting-fast development and spread of the COVID-19 virus, and the literally hour-by-hour response of local governments and agencies, we will all soon enter a phase that is more akin to brutal, grinding trench warfare.

We must resist cynicism and complacency.

We must resist the urge to give up on each other.

We must be able to not only summon the justified outrage and will necessary to change our dysfunctional and inequitable system to make it serve more of us, more effectively and compassionately — we must summon deep reserves of empathy.

If your motto has been “only the strong survive,” perhaps you should consider changing it to “the strong help the weak survive.”

We must resist the attempt to be literally “socially distant,” and socialize distantly instead — and be able to understand the difference.

Our world depends on it. CS

Connect Savannah is published every Wednesday by Morris Multimedia, Inc 611 East Bay Street Savannah, GA, 31401 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 Sean Kelly, A&E Editor sean@connectsavannah.com Rachael Flora, Community/Events Editor rachael@connectsavannah.com Josephine Beisel, Editorial Intern CONTRIBUTORS John Bennett, Matt Brunson, Kristy Edenfield, Geoff L. Johnson, Lindy Moody, Orlando Montoya, Jim Reed ADVERTISING Information: (912) 721-4378 sales@connectsavannah.com Bucky Bryant, Senior Account Executive bucky@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4381 Dean Moesch, Account Executive dean@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Brandon Blatcher, Art Director artdirector@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4379 Loretta Calhoun, Graphic Designer ads@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4380 DISTRIBUTION Wayne Franklin, Distribution Manager (912) 721-4376 CLASSIFIEDS Call (912) 231-0250

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NEWS & OPINION FREE SPEECH

The very best of humanity is already present

BY BEN GOSDEN

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

FRED ROGERS used to tell the story, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

(By the way, I can’t be the only American who wishes we could bring Fred Rogers back to do a special episode on how to be neighbors during such a time as this).

Who knew that 2020 would be the year when the terms “quarantine” and “social distancing” would become part of our everyday vernacular? 2019 ended with the market shaky, but climbing, and the typical anxiety about the presidential primary season mounting.

These are familiar anxieties, though.

We know how to prepare for those. We had no idea how to prepare for the anxiety that would consume us with the crisis of a global pandemic.

Even writing the words, “global

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Who knew that 2020 would be the year when the terms “quarantine” and “social distancing” would become part of our everyday vernacular? pandemic,” makes me think I’m writing a review of the latest dystopian novel, not our actual reality. And yet, here we are — locked inside our homes or, if we dare get out and about, mindful of keeping a minimum of six feet of distance between human connection.

Fear is very pervasive these days. It’s the natural human condition that both keeps us safe and also drives us into despair when we are overloaded with it.

So how do we combat fear when it’s so pervasive? Put quite simply, we drive out fear with hope.

Psychologically, hope is understood as an emotion characterized by positive

feelings about the immediate or long-term future. And in these days when fear seems to be pervasive, maybe we need to fix our eyes on the hope that is quietly all around us — to look for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers would tell us.

Healthcare workers across the country are on the front lines caring and fighting this disease with the two things that have always revolutionized the world of medicine: science and compassion.

Healthcare workers all over Savannah are working long, stressful hours. If you know a healthcare worker, tell them thank you. They are a sign of hope and what the human spirit is capable of.

I have seen countless offers from teachers, who now have an extended time out of the classroom, offering to tutor, teach, and help students and parents alike online.

They know how hard it is to help our kids learn — heck, they live that difficulty daily.

Our educational system in Savannah has its struggles, but the dedication of our teachers is NOT one of them. Give thanks for a teacher today.

Local businesses are showing the beauty of the entrepreneurial spirit in full force.

Many are putting on creative promotions and incorporating those promotions with care for the new state of social distancing we live in.

Give thanks for a local business today.

And give them some of your money, too — they are an important part of the social fabric in Savannah.

I saw numerous social media pictures of past St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. While the holiday was not what we look forward to every year, these posts spoke to a fundamental truth of times of crisis — namely, hope postponed is not hope deferred.

There will be celebrations to come. And for now we can give thanks and live in

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

that active waiting together through the beauty of social media.

Speaking of social media, have you seen the abundance of articles, memes, and stories pointing to the hope all around us?

Yes, even the really funny memes about how crazy this quarantine is making us.

We need to laugh and cry over the beauty all around us. And maybe the redemption of social media comes when it’s the vehicle to get this beauty to us while we’re being socially distanced.

Here’s the thing: when we wake up every day we have a choice to make.

We can choose to give into the fear and despair and make that our sole focus of the day. That would be an understandable choice because there sure is a lot to worry about these days. But know that such a choice will eventually eat away at your soul and slowly crush your spirit.

Or we can make a different choice. We can consciously choose to seek out the beauty still around us. We can actively choose to be moved by the kindness and goodness and creativity that is being birthed amid the chaos and confusion.

And we can choose to be a part of the good — to help our neighbors, even if at a distance, to support our community, knowing what binds is always strong than what divides us, and to lean into the joy

and gratitude that is stronger than the fear and despair, even if it doesn’t always seem so.

It’s Day 3 of this quarantine and I’m ready for something different. I’m ready to look for the helpers and maybe even be one myself. How about you? CS Rev. Ben Gosden is Senior Pastor at Trinity Church on Telfair Square. Online worship happens Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Live stream at their Facebook page or at trinity1848.org

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NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY

A minute of mindful self-compassion Vira Salzburn walks us through the act of showing up for yourself

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

WE’RE LIVING through a very difficult, uncertain time right now. The collective fear and anxiety we feel can be paralyzing, and we don’t need to look far to find someone who’s been affected by the pandemic, either by contracting the virus or by losing their jobs.

Keeping ourselves informed can also lead us down a spiral of bad news, as anyone with an active Facebook or Twitter account can attest.

Vira Salzburn, program director of Prevent Suicide Today at Chatham County Safety Net, knows the importance of mindful self-compassion in times like these.

Salzburn originally came across the idea of mindful self-compassion, pioneered by Drs. Chris Germer and Kristin Neff, as she was seeking to support herself emotionally.

“It started with a personal need, honestly,” says Salzburn, “to cope with difficult emotions and stress and burnout. Once I took training and became familiar with it, I was like, ‘Wow, we can bring this to our community and program.’”

As the title implies, mindful self-compassion asks you to show compassion to yourself, just as you would a friend.

“You can start thinking about self-compassion by thinking, what is compassion?” explains Salzburn. “It’s noticing someone else’s suffering and having the desire to alleviate that suffering, and taking some practical action steps to alleviate that suffering. Self-compassion, then, would be compassion turned inwards—noticing when I am suffering.”

The first part of mindful self-compassion is mindfulness. It’s important to be attuned to your body, both emotionally and physically, to notice when you’re struggling.

“I think it’s so easy to get entangled into a story that we have in our head or that we hear on the news,” says Salzburn. “It turns into this ruminative type of thinking—basically you’re stuck thinking over and over and over about things that are probably negative, which can impact your physical and emotional health. Mindfulness helps us unstick from really negative thoughts or emotion. Mindfulness helps us create a little more spacious awareness of what’s really happening.”

Salzburn recommends body scan meditation, which is the practice of noticing tension in your body from head to toe.

Begin with your head: are you clenching

your jaw or furrowing your brow? Are your shoulders hunched? Move down your body, paying attention to each part of your body and releasing the tension you may feel.

“The mindful awareness of your body sensations is one of the first steps of getting in touch with yourself,” says Salzburn.

“Mindfulness also involves curiosity, so maybe ask yourself really what is it I’m feeling right now? Label that emotion a little more specifically. You might label it as stress or sad or upset, but is it fear? Is it confusion?”

Once you name the emotion you feel, you can validate your feelings and begin to process them better.

Vira Salzburn

The next component is the idea of common humanity, or the fact that we’re all in it together.

“It’s reminding yourself that, just like me, other people are suffering right now as well,” says Salzburn. “Right now, we must be physically isolated from each other because of the health guidelines, and that’s very difficult, but can we perceive that as actually not being emotionally isolated from each other? Are we interconnected by collaborating and cooperating with each other? It’s easy to start going into that mindset of, ‘Oh, poor me, my life sucks.’ Remember that other people are struggling, but also include yourself in that circle of empathy and compassion.”

The feeling of community can help us feel not alone, particularly during these times of quarantine and social distancing, which can make us feel lonely.

The third part is self-kindness, and Salzburn says it begins with recognizing your needs.

“What do I need right now to be kind to myself and take care of myself?” she asks.

“The answer can come in different ways because self-compassion is about being with yourself in a tender way, but it’s also about being active and supportive and strong.”

By paying attention to your emotional and physical body, you’ll have a good sense of what you need to do for yourself, whether it’s giving yourself a soothing touch or calling a friend.

Self-compassion also means protecting yourself, particularly in stressful times like these.

“We have to protect ourselves from negative emotions and negative sources of information, because our brain has the tendency to stick to negative emotions more easily,” explains Salzburn. “We can be intentional about cultivating positive emotions and encouraging ourselves. One way you can cultivate positive emotion is by practicing gratitude, for big things in life but also for small things. Can you be thankful for your tea kettle in the kitchen?

Can you be thankful for this convenient tea bag?”

However, Salzburn notes that cultivating positive emotion does not mean being naive or oblivious to what’s going on around you.

“What it means is actually doing something for your own resilience and wellbeing. Self-compassion is a resiliency resource,” she explains. “Take a self-compassion break. Sometimes that starts with the negative, noticing, ‘Wow, this is really hard for me.’ Mindfulness: ‘Wow, other people struggle this way too, I’m not alone.’

And finally, self-kindness. ‘What do I need to be kind to myself?’”

For a simple method, Salzburn recommends the PARK model: Pause your brain, Ask yourself what you need, Read your physical and emotional body, and Kindly respond to yourself and others.

Before the pandemic came to our community, Salzburn had plans in place to teach mindful self-compassion at schools and to first responders. As soon as it’s safe to do so, she’ll resurrect those plans, but in the meantime, she’s in the process of creating online sessions to help as many people as she can.

For those sessions, and to learn more about mindful self-compassion, visit their website at chathamsafetynet.org, their Facebook at Prevent Suicide Today, or email Salzburn at virasalzburn@chslink. org. CS

NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY PAGE

The Lutheran Church of the Ascension on Wright Square will ring its church bells to honor healthcare workers in the city, nation, and globally. Pastor Sara Cutter says, “Several of our members are in the healthcare industry and on the front lines of this battle. We join in prayer and support of them and all healthcare workers.”

The time is set each day at 8 p.m., which has become the prevalent hour in many places throughout the world.

“This is a simple way to show our support for medical workers everywhere, but especially in Savannah,” says Cantor Tom White, the chief musician of Ascension Lutheran.

Other local churches have been invited to join in.

Savannah Police debut live stream video reporting

The Savannah Police Department is announcing the implementation of a live stream video reporting service that will help social distancing efforts amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Lifesize is a platform which gives officers the ability to communicate with citizens through video conferencing. As calls come through the Chatham County E911 Center, they are sorted by priority depending on the type of call and whether it is a life-threatening or in progress call.

Officers will monitor the system to see which calls match the criteria for this service such as there not being an injured person, a suspect on scene or any evidence to process. Once officers come across those calls, and as resources are available, they will contact the caller to see if they would like to participate in this service.

Mobile users will need to download the free app that is available on any smartphone device. Desktop computers or laptops can access the Lifesize site without downloading an app. This service is only available to those within the Savannah Police jurisdiction.

Chatham County Animal Shelter open for adoption

By appointment only, you can come meet your future furry companion.

“To minimize the risks in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and Chatham County Health Department, we are limiting the number of citizens in our facility at any one time,” they say.

They can be reached at (912) 652-6575 or through their website, animalservices. chathamcountyga.gov/, following the “contact us” link at the top of the screen.

“Once arriving at the shelter, visitors can call the front desk at the above number to be checked in. After checking in, we ask that you wait in your vehicle or outside the

as needed,” they say.

They have posted the animals available for adoption on their Facebook page. In many cases, they can conduct VIRTUAL ADOPTIONS. “If you see an adoptable animal on our Facebook page that interests you but are hesitant to come into the facility, we can send you a detailed video of the dog or cat, as well as, meet you outside the facility to avoid crowds to complete the adoption process,” they say.

Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah online viewing parties

They usually screen films at the Sentient Bean, but PFS is now holding online viewing parties. Simply join the open Facebook group, “The Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah” at facebook.com/ groups/2519522234807695 It’s free to join and get the “secret link” to watch, but voluntary donations are gladly accepted.

Coming up: Bizarre, Forgotten 1965 Sci-Fi Horror Dud “Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster”: When a half-man/half-robot U.S. Astronaut’s space capsule is shot down by a sultry Martian Princess in her flying saucer, he crash lands on the island of Puerto Rico. However, his electronic brain is damaged in the crash and he begins terrorizing random citizens with his superhuman strength. 8 p.m. March 25 Recent, Acclaimed Documentary will we stream?: Packed with candid interviews, rare archival clips and insight from a broad cast of movie-industry insiders and hardcore fans, it’s a real treat that won awards at film fests before enjoying a brief theatrical run. Take a chance and be pleasantly surprised. 8 p.m. March 29 What Asian-made Action-Drama will we show?: Considered one of the finest examples of this particular style of cinema ever made, this critically adored and beautifully made crime thriller is exhilarating and mesmerizing. It was directed by one of the most influential Asian filmmakers of all-time and stars a leading man of Asian cinema. 8 p.m. April 1

Creative Coast virtual coffee break

Come together via Zoom for a midmorning coffee meetup. They want to hear how things are going for you amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and self-quarantine. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, but remember you’ll be on camera. As Kevin Lawver stated in his Working and Managing in a Remote World presentation, “if you don’t wear pants, don’t stand up.”

March 26, 10-11 a.m.MAR26 Register at Zoom link to attend: thecreativecoast.org/event/virtual-

coffee-and-zoom?fbclid=IwAR3uvNr5aORfn5Bib7MYUAeq7KcUrBe0y7Z3hvjnsjLM8v19RdoLLGDcE

Gratitude Circles on Zoom

Gratitude Circle with Joanne Morton.

Call starts at 1 p.m., Share gratitude at 1:11 Over by 1:30. All are welcome.

Join Zoom Meeting at us04web.zoom.us/j/525447405?pwd=NF QxaEJ0bG1LdjVDWmZqZlRVS0ZzQT09

Pete the Cat

Readings readings every day at noon: https://bit.ly/3bhuzu7

Front Porch Improv

They are streaming improv shows: www.facebook.com/frontporchimprov/

Local Savannah Makers Pop Up

A pop up shopping page for our local Savannah makers, from Abode. “As COVID-19 makes an impact on our society, many makers and artists rely on markets that are being cancelled. Our goal with this webpage is to replace some of that lost income, with your help. Plus, you’ll enjoy the lasting benefit of locally handmade goods,” they say. abodesavannah.com/pages/ savannahmakersonline?mc_ cid=c1060e2157&mc_eid=91f319eadb

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Urban Hope provides grab & go lunches

Urban Hope, a non-profit dedicated to the children of Savannah, will provide grab & go lunches to individuals 18 years and younger.

Beginning March 23, Urban Hope will utilize their Kids Cafe program through Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia to administer lunches at St. Paul’s C.M.E. located at 1601 Barnard Street in Savannah, GA. “The Urban Hope staff will safely distribute the lunches from noon-1 p.m, Monday - Friday while SCCPSS schools are closed. Additionally, thanks to our generous donors and volunteers, the children will be provided with some fun take home activities to help ease the transition of being home. Our friends at Loop-It-Up Savannah gave us the idea to provide children with art materials or engaging activities during this time off from school,” they say.

Executive Director, Covardis Broadie, “Because we are an open site, we will also be serving the children of the neighborhood. We will be doing this until SCCPSS schools open back up.” CS

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NEWS & OPINON INKYBRITTANY

Graphic Recording: New journalism for a new time

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

INKYBRITTANY, AKA BRITTANY CURRY, has made a name for herself in our area with her unique brand of journalism.

Called Graphic Recording, her work combines an artist’s hand with a journalist’s critical thinking and storytelling skills, along with a sharp listening ear, since the whole thing is done in real-time.

She has reported on various local and regional news stories for years, but perhaps no time is better suited for her skills than the present situation.

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As you can see, Brittany’s work is more than just recording. She is synthesizing and distilling information to its essence, and communicating it clearly — often in more clear ways than the original communication.

In other words, she’s a journalist.

We introduce her work in our pages this week. This is a layout of her recent graphic recording of Mayor Van Johnson’s order last week in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. CS Find more of Brittany’s work at inkybrittany.com or at her Facebook page.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

INKYBRITTANY

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NEWS & OPINION THE NEWS CYCLE

Thoughts on cycling’s place in a social-distancing, lower-traffic world

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

BY JOHN BENNETT

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I SPENT the early part of this year developing a new interactive calendar for the Georgia Bikes website. Not to brag, but I’m pretty sure I created the most comprehensive listing of bicycling events in the state.

Bike rodeos for kids, volunteer orientations at bicycle co-ops, public input sessions on transportation projects, mountain bike trail clean-up days, advocacy organization meetings, safe cycling classes, and charity rides that attract thousands of participants and boost local economies — they were all over Georgia, in communities big and small.

It was shaping up to be a huge season for cycling in our state.

On March 16 I began removing events, one by one. Some of the registration pages and Facebook events are still up, but they lag behind a reality that seems to change by the moment.

As I write this on March 21, I’m preparing to cull even more. I just don’t know how many months into the future the calendar should be preemptively emptied.

Yet as cycling events are canceled — or in the case of more optimistic organizers, postponed — bicycling by individuals continues and is even increasing.

On March 20 the Bicycling Coalition of Greater Philadelphia noted that automated counters on the city’s Kelly Drive Trail had recorded a 471 percent increase in bicycle traffic and that the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission reported, “on average, bicycling is up 151 percent, compared to the same period in 2019.”

Riding a bike and social distancing are not mutually exclusive, at least for now.

Still, it’s critically important for people to stay at least 6 feet away from others when exercising.

Troubling images of people, who should know better, doing something healthy (exercising) in a very unhealthy way (grouped tightly together) could trigger the closure of public spaces. You may have seen such photos from Savannah posted on Facebook.

Wherever we are, we would do well — as Alderman Nick Palumbo has suggested — to follow Gen. James Oglethorpe’s motto:

Non sibi sed aliis.

“Not for self, but for others.”

This is especially important guidance for those of us who drive. As motor vehicle traffic declines, we may be tempted to speed, creating additional risk for people who walk, bike, and roll.

The commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation tweeted on March 17, “I fear many drivers are using these reduced traffic volumes as a reason to speed. At a time when our healthcare system is strained, please SLOW DOWN.” The Twitter account of the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway safety began pushing social media messages reminding drivers of the three-foot-passing law.

If you’re not aware, the law stipulates that “the operator of a motor vehicle, when overtaking and passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, shall leave a safe distance between such vehicle and the bicycle and shall maintain such clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.”

The term “safe distance” means not less than three feet. Even better, unless you absolutely have to, don’t drive. Staying home (if your circumstances permit) and spending time outside in a socially responsible fashion is the way to be for now.

In my own neighborhood, I’ve seen plenty of people out on bikes. And running, walking, and gardening. It’s encouraging to see, but I also realize that I, along with

most of the folks out enjoying the neighborhood, are people of privilege.

While the medical impacts of our situation are still, for most of us, just numbers on a chart in the twice-daily updates from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the economic and other miseries are well underway for many Savannahians.

For now, I’m seeking solace in the small ways that we are trying to cope with something so terrifying.

I’ve seen lawn chairs set up in opposite corners of front yards so neighbors can come over and visit, but still keep spatially distant.

And I’ve pondered the protocols we initiate when we see a neighbor coming our way on the sidewalk. What will become our custom for deciding who crosses over to the other side of the street?

Do younger folks yield to their elders?

People pushing strollers will have the right of way, I presume.

These are silly things to think about at such a serious time, obviously. But they have provided a welcome distraction for me. As has spending time outside, walking and biking, while at least six feet away from others at all times.

I’ve written this column for nearly nine years and I’ve rarely had to worry how much of it will be still be relevant by the time it’s published.

Now, however, everything has changed.

Thank you for reading. Stay safe! CS

NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER 2020 Sav/Chatham County Crime Stats through Monday March 23

HOMICIDES

9

Savannah Police arrest one in E. Henry Lane Homicide

Savannah Police Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at 539 E. Henry Lane this morning.

“When officers arrived on scene they found a person suffering from gunshot wounds, unresponsive in the lane. The subject was immediately transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries,” police report.

The preliminary investigation resulted in Kahiri Heyward, the resident of 539 E. Henry Lane, being arrested and charged with Murder.

Heyward has been transported to the Chatham County Detention Center.

There are no other suspects outstanding from this case and it appears to be an isolated incident.

The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020 or contact detectives at (912) 525-3124.

Tipsters will remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward of up to $2,500.

SPD investigates Hagood Street Homicide

Savannah Police Violent Crimes detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a 30-year-old man on Hagood Street this morning.

At around 2:15 a.m., officers responded to the 2000 block of Hagood Street in reference to a shots fired call. Upon arrival, officers located Cortez Aiken with a lifethreatening gunshot wound.

Aiken was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Detectives are continuing to investigate this homicide.

Anyone with information can contact detectives at (912) 525-3124 or CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020.

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Chatham County PD seeks two with possible info on Sunday homicide

The Chatham County Police Department is trying to locate two people who may have information about a homicide that occurred Sunday, March 22.

Police were called to a home on the 300 block of Weeping Willow Sunday after 33-year-old Andre Cooper was found deceased inside the residence. Detectives have determined that Cooper was a victim of a homicide, and they do not believe the incident was random.

Detectives now want to find 30-yearold Kevin Smalls and 25-year-old Gabriel Pierce, who may have information about the crime.

Anyone who has information about their whereabouts, or this case, is asked to call Chatham County Police at 912-652-6920 or Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020. Tipsters are anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. CS

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

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NEWS & OPINION NEWS OF THE WEIRD Wishful Thinking

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Police in Las Cruces, New Mexico, who approached a woman driving a stolen car on March 7 were surprised when she identified herself as pop singer Beyonce Knowles, according to police documents.

The Las Cruces Sun News reported officers had to use a fingerprint scanner to properly identify Surena Henry, 48. Henry at first ignored police when they tried to pull her over, according to court documents, but they followed her to her home, where she got out of the car but refused to give them her name. She was charged with stealing the vehicle, concealing her identity and resisting arrest.

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News of the Weird reported in July 2017 about Jeff Reitz of Huntington Beach, California, who at that time had just achieved his 2,000th visit to Disneyland in Anaheim. Since then, Reitz, 47, has continued his daily visits -- until March 13, when Disney closed its theme parks in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Reitz was just short of 3,000 visits, the Orange County Register reported, at 2,995. “The streak’s been ended,” Reitz said. He does not plan to continue his consecutive streak when the park reopens. “On the negative side, I didn’t get to choose the end,” he said. “But on the positive side, I didn’t have to choose the end.” While he’s practicing social isolation, Reitz plans to watch some movies on ... you guessed it, Disney Plus.

People Are Good

Just a few hours after Harris County, Texas, declared that all bars and nightclubs would have to close on March 16, an anonymous diner at Irma’s Southwest restaurant in downtown Houston did their best to help out. The customer, who left a

$9,400 tip, wrote on the receipt: “Hold tip to pay your guys over the next few weeks.”

United Press International said Irma’s will split the tip among the employees, giving them each about $300.

I Hate When That Happens

Sage Aaron Cummins, 24, of Gallup, New Mexico, woke up one recent morning and found he had two TVs in his room that had not been there the day before.

Two days later, he found out an acquaintance was missing two TVs and put two and two together. According to Gallup police, Cummins returned to the victim’s apartment with the goods and approached an officer who was there investigating the burglary report. He told the officer he had been “very intoxicated” when he knocked on a door that evening and, when no one answered, he entered the home, but he didn’t remember what happened after that. Cummins told police he “wanted to make things right and return the stolen items,” according to the Associated Press.

Nevertheless, he was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property.

Awesome!

When Alexandria Miller, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, won a two-inch goldfish at a carnival in July 2018, she assumed he would stay the same size. But since then, Gerald the goldfish has grown to be 12 inches long, and Miller has spent $1,300 upgrading his tanks to accommodate him (she’s already looking for a bigger one). And, the Mirror reported, Gerald is not shy about getting his needs met. “He does lay around a lot, but it seems when he’s bored or hungry, he jumps out of the water and likes to grab the thermometer inside his tank,” Miller said.

“He’ll click it against the glass till he’s got our attention.” But, she went on, “If I put a smaller fish in there with him, he will eat them.”

Signs of the Times

• During the COVID-19 crisis, some people in Japan have resorted to pilfering toilet paper from public restrooms when the rolls became unavailable in stores. One convenience store worker put the power of the supernatural to work against such thefts. Mink Itachibe, who works at a store in the Niigata prefecture, hung signs with images of eyes and kanji characters in front of the toilet paper to curse the tempting rolls. “I did it as a joke, but it seems to have worked,” she told CNN. The symbols imply that if someone nips TP from the store, a hungry monster will hunt them down and gobble them up. “People can be quite superstitious in Japan,” Itachibe said.

• Add to the list of things not to leave in plain sight in your car: toilet paper. Police in Eugene, Oregon, stated that on March 15, a thief shattered the entire back window of an SUV in order to get his mitts on two 30-roll cases of toilet paper, along with other valuables, the Blaze reported.

“Anytime vehicles are left unattended for extended periods of time, local thieves view it as a favorable opportunity,” police reminded Oregonians.

Compelling Explanation

Slidell, Louisiana, police pulled over a driver on Feb. 27 for an undisclosed reason, but the car’s license plate really got their attention. The tag had expired in September 1997 -- more than 20 years ago -- the Miami Herald reported. “Sorry, officer,” police said the man told them. “I’ve been busy lately and totally forgot to renew my vehicle registration. I will take care of it as soon as I get home!” Slidell police posted the incident to their Facebook page, commenting: “For those of you who like to ‘switch tags,’ at least give us a good challenge.”CS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

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MUSIC THE VINYL SAY

The Vinyl Say: Songwriter, singer, and band leader Jason Bible

Each edition of The Vinyl Say features a different local musician, with the interviews taking place at Graveface Records & Curiosities. All we have is a store full of albums to draw from; no gig or album to promote, and no pre-planned talking points. The idea is simple - walk around a record store and talk about albums, influences, and all things music.

Jason Bible is no doubt known best for his long stint as singer, songwriter, and band leader for The Train Wrecks—perhaps the hardest working and longest running Americana act in Savannah. They’re put out album after album, done gig after gig, and show no signs of stopping. He’s also a prolific solo artist and studio owner.

Today, Jason Bible has The Vinyl Say. Where do you start when you come in here?

Today I started in the back and worked my way in the front.

All of the classic country stuff sounds so good on vinyl.

Let’s do it!

Yeah, it’s like Waylon’s guitar was designed for vinyl. His voice, too. And my son had a friend over and I put on Robert Johnson to see what their reactions would be. They were digging it.

My father-in-law passed away a few years back, and we got his record collection passed on to us. My wife went through it, and he had a fantastic collection. The Stones, The Who—plus he had some really great comedy albums. Richard Pryor, and stuff that they probably made 5,000 of and that’s it. That comedy stuff is pretty fun to listen to, because you’re so used to watching that in front of you.

We walk along towards the back of Graceface, next to the left wall of records.

What are you into right now?

You know, in the car most of the time satellite radio stays on. Tom Petty Radio, or Lithium, or comedy shows. After shows, I put on a lot of comedy because I don’t really want to crank music. But at home, I think the last record I actually sat and listened to is one from Phosphorescent. It’s a live record and it sounded great, man.

Nice! Do you have a lot of vinyl?

Yeah, I’ve got quite a bit. My grandmother, when she passed away, I inherited a bunch of Waylon, Willie, Hank Williams, Roger Miller, that sort of thing.

Yeah, I think that’s why comedy podcasts are doing so well. It’s the same idea of a different medium for humor. I feel like I always go to that stuff when I need to not listen to music for a while [laughs]. Are you the same way?

Oh, yeah. After my show last night I watched John Wick III. I think 300 people were killed [laughs]. It was like, are you kidding me? How many people are going to get shot in the head? Yeah, sometimes I’ll watch a ridiculous movie just to turn my brain off.

Growing up, did you listen to a lot of records and go to record stores?

Yeah, there was a place in Dallas/ Irving called Forever Young Records. It was a place where they had the Bob Dylan movie Renaldo and Clara on VHS, and they wouldn’t let me and my buddy dub a copy of it. It was one of the only places I can remember in that area that had vinyl, actually.

At one point I had a crate of almost every Dylan record I could find, and a bunch of Guthrie stuff, and some Nick Drake stuff.

And then a relationship went bad and she kept the crate [laughs]. There was some Cat Stevens, and Richie Havens—all kinds

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

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THE VINYL SAY

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The first 45 I listened to, which my mom told me I was obsessed with, was Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira.” That was my first memory of vinyl. But vinyl is a commitment—it’s a piece of art, and it takes up space. It’s not as passive as just having files. Like, if you want to listen to track 3 you have to actually get up. of good stuff in there. I think her dad kept it more so than she did. I took kind of a hit, until my grandmother’s stuff.

Yeah, my buddy sent me the She’s The One soundtrack on vinyl actually. That’s got a lot of good songs on it.

So there was a lot of Dylan growing up?

“Angel Dream” is one of my favorites.

Yeah. And I remember the first time I heard Springsteen’s Born In The USA was with my grandmother in her living room.

I also remember hearing Neil Diamond’s Coming To America, and that was really exuberant. My grandmother had this old turntable with an 8-track and cassette adapter, and it had three disco balls on the top. You’d turn the switch on, and it’d make the whole living room a dance party.

The first 45 I listened to, which my mom told me I was obsessed with, was Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira.” That was my first memory of vinyl. But vinyl is a commitment—it’s a piece of art, and it takes up space. It’s not as passive as just having files.

Like, if you want to listen to track 3 you have to actually get up.

Have you ever gone to a record store and bought something just based on the cover? I feel like a lot more people do that than you’d even realize.

Yeah, absolutely. I think the first record I bought like that wasn’t until Ben Harper’s Fight For Your Mind. I saw the fire on that cover and thought, “Who is this guy?” I went to see him, it was 300 people.

I bought a ticket and subsequently the album.

My wife bought a Ween record because of the artwork. Speaking of Ween, let’s look for that one.

We walk towards the middle of the store where the Ween records are located.

We listened to that a while back—it’s one of her bands, and she turned me on to them. We also bought the Houndmouth record recently. Dave Cobb produced that one. As far as first records go, that’s a pretty great step out.

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You mentioned Tom Petty earlier. Are you a big Petty guy?

Yep, yep.

Do you want to go look at some Petty records?

We walk towards the Tom Petty section, but we never make it there and instead land at Portishead.

This is a band that a friend of mine turned me on to. She’d just paint and listen to Portishead. Or hardcore punk if she wanted to get crazy [laughs].

Now we’re taking a detour to Nirvana.

Stuff like Nirvana, I’ve never heard on vinyl so I’m not sure how it translates.

I think I’ve maybe heard In Utero on vinyl and I thought it sounded really, really good. That’s more of my wheelhouse when it comes to the Nirvana stuff.

The making of that record was intense.

They went through some shit, man. I remember [Steve] Albini talking in an interview about using a strobe light for Grohl as a click track. He’s just got a strobe light by the drum kit keeping time [laughs].

Let’s talk about Tom Petty! What’s your favorite record of his?

Well, firstly—look at how much he fought the industry, man.

Oh, man. Harder than anyone, maybe.

Absolutely.

Jason pulls out Petty’s ‘The Last DJ’.

I think a lot of people in the radio industry weren’t very happy with that record [laughs].

Oh, yeah! He lays it out pretty bluntly. CS

MUSIC FEATURE Rev Bro Diddley and the Hips

Quarantine Concerts: music’s new normal

Organizer Michael Gaster talks about new venture for local musicians sean@connectsavannah.com

AH, YES—the live stream concert. What was once something that musicians did on a rare occasion has now become the absolute norm for artists at almost every level.

With entire cities on lockdown and events cancelled worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there really is no live music happening anywhere.

Artists are having to connect with their fans via Facebook, Stageit, Instagram, or other platforms rather than setting up on a stage and performing in front of an audience.

Many artists still want a full on-stage experience, with lights and professional sound, during this time of uncertainty.

That’s where Michael Gaster comes in.

The veteran FOH engineer and mixer saw the need for Savannah artists and event professionals to make up for lost wages and opportunities, and decided he needed to step in.

Without hesitation, Gaster launched Quarantine Concerts and immediately began to put the pieces together to offer artists a chance to do live concerts with full sound, lighting, and video capabilities.

The first show happened last week

courtesy of Jason Bible, and Gaster has two more slated—Lyn Avenue on Fri., March 27 and Rev Bro Diddley and the Hips on Sat., March 28.

“My point from the very get go was, we’re getting people out of the living room and into a place,” Gaster tells Connect. “The original idea was to bounce around venues, but as the whole COVID-19 response was changing we decided to lock down to one venue.”

The idea for the series came about after Gaster ran sound for a live stream with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and afterwards he saw a Facebook post from Connect’s own Jim Morekis about alternatives to event-related content amid the current crisis.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I got this. This train is leaving the station,’” he says.

Gaster recognized that it’s not only artists that need their creative outlet, but he knew that people need music right now more than ever.

“I already had this in the back of my mind. When Jason Bible and I first spoke, he said, ‘This will be great, because I’ll be able to play my own stuff and not worry about chattering while I’m playing.’ I was like, ‘Wow, he’s right.’ Everyone who’s watching is there to watch you perform,” he says.

Lyn Avenue

“Musicians don’t have to worry about playing the hits here. Get creative.”

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Quarantine Concerts is the fact that Gaster assembled his team and put the concept into motion in almost no time at all. Especially considering that with ventures like this you need a formal business structure, it often takes weeks or longer to really get the pieces into place.

“One thing I learned from 2007/2008 is that the faster you react and adjust to a potentially catastrophic event, that’s the key to survival,” he says. “With this, it’s survival but also long term success. For this to work, it’s got to happen right from the get go.”

The future of live music is quite uncertain at the moment, meaning that Gaster hopes to be in this for the long haul in terms of continuing production. A big motivator for that goal is the impact that he’s seen live streaming have on people in the past.

“People would watch, and there was one person who would comment every time I’d live stream a concert and thank me for doing it,” he says of past instances where he’d live stream shows from his phone on Facebook.

“For a while I thought, ‘How can I do something where we can deliver live event streams for at-home audiences?’ I wanted there to be an accessibility component that was specific to handicapped people. But there wasn’t quite enough of that to really push it, so here we’re developing for that specific cause. So in the long term, I think it has sustainability beyond a pandemic.”

Quarantine Concerts / Streamed from the Tybee Arts Association Black Box Theatre

LYN AVENUE UNPLUGGED - FRI., MARCH 27, 7:30 P.M.

Rev Bro Diddley & the Hips - Sat., March 28, 7:30 P.M. For tix and info, visit quarantineconcerts.org

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

BY SEAN KELLY

15

CULTURE BLAST FROM THE PAST

Moments from the 2008 Savannah Shakespeare Festival. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS SOUCY

included Abeni Cultural Arts; All Walks of Life (AWOL); City Lights Theatre Company; Ensemble Con Spirito, Little Theatre of Savannah; Cardinal Rep; Savannah Children’s Theatre; and Spitfire Poetry Group.

What made this one particularly special?

Remember When: 2008 Savannah Shakespeare Festival Local theater veteran Chris Soucy remembers the Shakespeare celebration

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

WELCOME TO OUR newest feature, ‘Remember When.’ This is a chance for Savannah art veterans to reminisce on some of their favorite events in the city’s history. Whether it’s a concert, theater production, festival, visual art show, dance production, or comedy show, Savannah has a long history of memorable art and now is as good a time as any to look back on some of the best.

Today, we’re catching up with local legend Chris Soucy—actor, filmmaker, theater director, improv performer, and all-around artist. Soucy is maybe best known these days for his work with Savannah Shakes 16 and Odd Lot Improv.

Let’s go way back to 2008, and the final Savannah Shakespeare Festival.

What was the Savannah Shakespeare Festival?

It ultimately wasn’t actually a festival as much as a single production that was mounted annually that brought scores of Savannahians to Forsyth Park, and actually other squares prior to that. I was involved in quite a few of them over the course of 12 years, but the one that I will focus on was the last one in 2008.

Instead of being a single show, it was scenes and interpretations from Shakespeare’s works revolving around the word love. The call went out to all the arts groups in the area and so many companies came out to play. They

It was truly a community theater extravaganza. I think it was a night of love. Love of Shakespeare, love of Savannah, and love of each other. And personally, it was the first time I met and worked with Justin Kent who became the other co-founder of the Odd Lot Improv with me At that time in Savannah, what do you remember most about the arts scene in general?

It was a time of unprecedented growth for Savannah. We were in this boom of international focus for tourism. And it was a tumultuous time for local theater, Savannah Children’s Theater was well on the path to being the reliable and dynamic company it is today, but City Lights and the Little Theater of Savannah were shrinking away from producing regularly.

Cardinal Rep was still a strong presence but only had another year of producing ahead of them at the time.

The Muse Arts Warehouse, which would furnish a home to established and burgeoning arts organizations was still two years from becoming a reality. It was the wild west for performing arts.

The entire thing was a marvel to behold.

It was so much fun to watch and participate. If I had to pick one thing that truly stood out in my mind it would be the narrator, Alan Landers, whom I have had the pleasure of working with on numerous occasions. He was always so wonderful to watch. His presence was always stellar. CS

Do you remember where you were at in your career by this point?

For more info on Odd Lot Improv, visit oddlotproductions.com

I had been a produced playwright and working screenwriter for some time at this point. Savannah is a near-perfect backdrop for a writer.

Is there one moment from the 2008 festival that sticks out in your mind?

Why?

Through Colored Lens by Carmen Aguirre.

Batucada by Kim Corcoran.

Emerging by Leslie Lovell.

Roots Up’s resiliency ‘Still Standing’ opens Mar. 25 with a virtual reception

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

LIKE SO MANY artists around town, Leslie Lovell of Roots Up Gallery was forced to cancel the opening reception of her latest group exhibition, “Still Standing.”

The exhibition would feature work by three Savannah artists who created work specifically for the show.

But due to the global pandemic, Lovell had to figure out a different plan. A traditional reception couldn’t go on.

“It was going to have to be canceled, no ifs, ands or buts about it,” says Lovell. “It was just breaking my heart because we have three people in it, they put in a lot of time and thought and effort, and your heart’s in it. We all made pieces for the show, and it was just going to be lost.”

While mulling over her options, Lovell realized that there was one more idea: a video reception.

On Wednesday, the originally scheduled

date for the opening reception, Lovell will launch a series of videos that feature each artist, as well as an introductory video about the exhibition.

It’s a new way to think about hosting receptions, especially as more and more events get canceled or postponed.

“I think it’s going to give people even more dynamics about it, because when you have a traditional opening, there’s so much going on, so many people in there, and you don’t really get to talk about the work as much as you’d like,” says Lovell. “I think this may become a norm, or at least having the work up like that in a video so people can look at it in a different way.”

Of course, the serendipity in this story is not lost on Lovell. The full title of the exhibition is “Still Standing: The Resiliency of Humans and Nature,” which Lovell came up with after the last hurricane.

“It came to me when Dorian was going through, and they were going to evacuate,” remembers Lovell. “I got up at like 3:30 just to see what had happened, because it wasn’t what they thought it was. It was like you were looking at the sky and you see it

above, just hovering over you. I stood there for 45 minutes just mesmerized by it. Still Standing came to me through that.”

Lovell was so inspired by the resilience—of people, of nature, of the architecture—that she ran back inside and wrote twelve titles to paintings. “Now, if I can paint them all, that’s a different story,” she laughs.

When developing the idea for the show, Lovell thought of her friend, artist Carmen Aguirre, who had recently showed her a recent piece.

“The piece I showed her was to go to a gallery up in Montreal, but I missed the deadline to send it,” recalls Aguirre. “It worked out really great, and I told Leslie, ‘Maybe in the end it’s a blessing in disguise.’ I was out on my deck commiserating having a glass of wine, and I sent it to her, and she was like, ‘Oh, this is different.’ It all really begins with being outside, nature, sky, the elements, the whole thing.”

Lovell also called on her friend Kim Corcoran, a relative newcomer to the Savannah art world.

“I’m a designer with California Closets, and Leslie came to my house and said something about the paintings and I said, ‘Oh, yeah, those are mine!’” recalls Corcoran. “She said, ‘Oh, you paint?’ And that’s how it started.”

All three artists have a very distinct style of painting that will certainly make for a great show. Aguirre’s best known in Savannah for her bright paintings of mangroves, but she notes that you’ll see something totally different in this body of work.

“The color will be different because I’m a Savannahian now and painting here now, so the color is going to be different,” says Aguirre, who moved here from Miami five years ago. “There’s a lot of dark colors, but

to me, darkness is not sad or oppressive.”

Aguirre is also typically a brush painter, but for this body of work she moved into using a palette knife, a big step for her.

“I started to work on panel, but brush doesn’t always relate the same way,” shares Aguirre, “and I was getting really frustrated because the part I like the least about painting is your first coat of paint. So I was like, to heck with this and took the palette knife and started filling it up right away. That’s where it started.”

Corcoran began painting again just for the show.

“I haven’t been painting since I’ve been here, because I’m busy, so Leslie lit the match under me and got me going,” she shares. “I work in layers, I love color. Mine are figurative. People and music are what inspire me.”

These artists are inspirational for their own resilience, even more so now.

“I think generally, one thing we all have in common is our resilience to continue with our work,” says Corcoran. “No matter what’s going on in your life or what’s happening, that’s how I feel. I am resilient, I can get back up and work and paint. I can do it, and same with both of you—we’re all working women.”

“And the hours we’re doing it at,” adds Aguirre. “I know you get up to work before you go to work. Isn’t that funny?”

In addition to the virtual opening on Wednesday, Lovell notes that Roots Up will open by appointment to just a few visitors.

“We’ll be in there for the show, and people can set up an appointment that they’re going to be in there with us and them in the gallery,” says Lovell. “It’s not going to be but six people in there. They’ll get to spend time with the artists; it’ll be a spacious opening.”

When it’s safe to do so again, regular openings will resume at Roots Up, but for now, Lovell’s resilient solution is a nice way for the art community to connect with each other again and see some good art.

“This is going to bring the camaraderie and everything. It’s going to be interesting to see what the response is,” says Lovell.

“Hopefully everybody tunes in.” CS “Still Standing” opens virtually on Wed., Mar. 25 at rootsupgallery.com. To make a gallery appointment, call or text Leslie Lovell at 704777-1868.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

17

CULTURE VISUAL ARTS

Permeation Series.

QUESTIONS

WITH

Jennifer Moss

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

JENNIFER MOSS PULLS double duty in Savannah’s art scene: she’s a talented fibers artist and the gallery director of Sulfur Studios.

Before moving to Savannah almost ten years ago, Moss went to Western Michigan University and discovered her love of fiber art on a study abroad trip She’s one of three founding members of Sulfur, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Moss most recently had a solo exhibition of work, “Marked,” which was on display at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center before it closed to the public.

We caught up with Moss last week.

1.

Tell me about your latest body of work.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

It’s a body of work that uses steel wire and natural fibers. I really like to, in all my work, try to explore material properties and look at what is inherent about a material and try to highlight that through the pieces I make. With the steel wire, what I’m looking at is its ability to rust. By using different types of weave structures and combinations so I’m ending up with different amounts of wire and linen on the surface, I can get different colors of rust.

I weave these different compositions, and once they’re off the loom and ready to present, they get sprayed with salt water, and that just activates the rusting process.

They take on the color from the inside out.

I’m embedding the wire into the fabric as I’m creating it, so I’m setting a blueprint for how it’s going to rust from the inside 18 out.

Undulations.

I have the whole rusted series, which is made on the loom and created with cloth, and another body of work that is using a lot How did you get started with this of textile patterns but in different forms. type of work?

Instead of creating them on the loom, I’m using some of the patterns, but lookI started working with steel wire a long ing at them in a different way and then time ago, when I was in undergrad. At that using them to do embroidery and different time I was doing some different kinds of mark-making. sculptural metal work and just learning to The other body of work is carbon, which weave. I really just wanted a color contrast, is usually based in graphite and other so I chose black oxide steel; it’s very lowmaterials. That led to the experimentation carbon so it’s very dark and black. I chose it at the Green Truck box, where I was using then just for the color because I was using a the same patterns, but translated into cut bright silver. vinyl. Instead of being the threads moving At that time, as a younger artist, I wasn’t through the fabric surface, what would’ve necessarily thinking about my materials been the threads I use as the positive of the and their properties and what would hapvinyl, with the background being the negapen. I had some pieces unintentionally tive of the vinyl. rust when I did not want them to. At the There’s times when they converge. I time, it was the worst thing ever because think they’re converging now a little more, they were these things I had spent a lot of and I’m thinking of ways going forward time and money on. It was like, this is not where they might be more intertwined. the right material, why am I using this?

How did you first start weaving?

It was several years after that, when I came to Savannah and was starting my I was studying sculpture and metalgraduate work at SCAD, that I was thinksmithing in undergrad, and I had the ing again about these material properties and the rusting and I started to ask myself, opportunity to study abroad. I went to Florence, Italy, and I had a free elective “How can I use this and highlight it? How while I was there. Looking down the list can I make the pieces about the fact that of electives, there was weaving, and I was this material is going to rust?” like, “Oh, there’s something I can’t do Does this body of work vary from at home.” My school didn’t have a fiber what you typically do? department; it wasn’t even on my radar. I just took it on a whim and I really loved it.

I have two main, ongoing bodies of work.

I was there taking weaving and a metThey stem from the same kind of interest alsmithing jewelry class. When I got to do in materials and traditional textile strucmy own project at the end of the weaving tures and inspiration from nature, and class, I started trying to weave with the how those things have a really interesting wire I was using in another project and got relationship. Nature’s full of all these little really excited about those sculptural qualiparts, and so are textiles—there’s this rela- ties of the wire. When I was coming back to tionship of structure and chaos in both. the States to finish my undergrad degree, I They look very different; they diverge knew from my capstone project I wanted to in the material and the way I’m working. continue to weave with wire.

2.

4.

3.

5.

How do you balance your personal artistic practice with the work you do for Sulfur?

A big part of why Sulfur exists is because I wanted studio and workspace and I couldn’t find it. So it was a way to make the space for myself and also for others.

Part of the design from the very beginning—with the gallery and the open hours and me as the gallery director—was that we were going to be open three days a week and I was going to be here those three days.

Being in a public space and having the First Fridays, having those monthly events, has been a great way to keep me working more.

[Sulfur] is a proof of concept. We were able to do it and we had a lot of fortunate circumstances of a very friendly and supportive landlord, the right time for the neighborhood and coming in when we did.

But it proved to people that it was a need and something that could succeed. Anywhere else I’ve ever lived, they all have a building full of artist studios. And when I came to Savannah and it didn’t exist, I was like, “Well, why not?”

I think there have been a few times where something else like [Sulfur] has happened, and it just didn’t last. That was the thing for so long, but what I think is getting better is that the student population was so transient—people would come and maybe something cool would happen for year or two while people were here for school. But then they were heading to LA, heading to New York, feeling like they didn’t want to or couldn’t stay in Savannah and do what they wanted to do.

People are finding that if they’re happy here, they can stay here and work here. CS Follow Jennifer Moss on Instagram at @jenniferemoss.

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

‘Our team is our family’

BEST

SEAFOOD

Local food and beverage community finds common ground during pandemic

SAVANNAH-AREA restaurants — many already experiencing the disastrous economic effects of necessary COVID-19 measures — came together last week to petition Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to initiate state-level relief for their industry.

“In Savannah and across the state, service industry workers are some of the most vulnerable. And few businesses are more vulnerable than ours. Many of our workers rely on tips and none of us have the option to work from home. Savannah is home to many acclaimed bars and restaurants which are crucial to the ongoing success of the city,” the petition says.

“Within days, we may all be required to close. We will not survive without decisive action from your administration,” says the petition, signed by a virtual who’s-who of key local names in the food/bev industry.

Among other things, they ask for: • Support immediate unemployment benefits for all hourly and salaried workers furloughed during this crisis • Eliminate state payroll tax for the period of impact.

• Suspend sales tax payments for bars and restaurants until crisis has passed.

• Call for rent and loan abatement for workers impacted by restaurant and bar closures.

At least one measure, declaring an economic injury loan disaster so restaurateurs can apply for U.S. Small Business Association disaster loan assistance, has been accomplished.

Off the record, many local restaurant owners are resigned to huge layoffs even as they almost desperately attempt to keep as many employees on payroll as possible.

Some, such as Lone Wolf Lounge owner Thomas Worley, are trying to be proactive by using the downtime to do buildout and maintenance, with current staff.

“A safe bet is there will be at least one place that doesn’t make it out alive unless action is taken locally and at the state level,” Worley told us last week. “We are doing what we can from our surplus to help our most valuable asset, the people that work with us.”

As a bar that doesn’t serve food, Lone Wolf is required to be closed, but actually closed down proactively days prior to the mandate from Mayor Van Johnson.

“As a neighborhood bar we had to

2019

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

WE CAN HELP. As a trusted source of local information, we can help keep you connected with your customers.

Are you still open for business?

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Ask one of our multimedia account managers how we can use the power of our print and digital audiences to help you.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

consider the impact [of staying open]. We don’t want to exacerbate the issue,” Worley says.

Of the overall relief effort, Worley says state-level relief is most important now.

“The state must absolutely act first because the effect is felt faster,” he says.

One of the signers of the petition, Green Truck Pub owner Joshua Yates, tells Connect, “I can’t speak for everyone’s businesses. We’ve been established for almost a decade and have a better chance than a lot of them, but we will definitely see some not be able to pull through.”

As this is written Green Truck has moved to takeout/curbside only. Yates has pushed Gov. Kemp to follow a similar measure to one enacted in Atlanta, enabling takeout alcohol orders as well.

“In the wake of the Coronavirus, Savannah restaurants are laying off staff at a rate never-before-seen. We have already seen many restaurants suspend their operations entirely,” Yates writes.

“Some, like mine, are doing everything they can to adapt to the new realities of social distancing in order to keep going and to provide as much as work as possible.

Our team is our family. They deserve the opportunity to earn a living. And we will need your help,” he writes.

“We are asking you to temporarily allow restaurants with alcohol licenses to sell beer and wine as part of a to-go or delivery.

It may not be the magic bullet to solve our problems, but it is a small step that could help a great number of hard-working people to keep their jobs,” says Yates.

Husk Savannah’s ownership, The Neighborhood Dining Group, closed proactively early on – March 17 – and guaranteed that “staff and management will receive compensation through March 29. Additionally, NDG will continue health insurance benefits through April 30.”

“One thing, for sure, is that none of us want to close. We’re in the hospitality business... let’s all work together and shut this down so we can get past this and get back open and get back to business. If we don’t, if we delay, literally this could go on for the rest of the year, and that would be catastrophic,” said David Howard, NDG President.

“Servers will come to work knowing that it’s a life-threatening situation, but they’re desperate because they know rent is coming and they’ve got to get money, so they put themselves in a life-threatening decision. I don’t think they should have to make that decision.” CS

since 1998!

19

FOOD & DRINK WHO’S OPEN: DINING, CURBSIDE, AND TAKEOUT NOTE: This partial list of food establishments that are open is a work in progress. Expect information to change VERY rapidly. City of Savannah has restricted dine-in options to half of restaurant seating capacity to observe safe distancing. We strongly encourage you to call or check ahead.

Brighter Day Natural Foods Market Pickup at 1102 Bull St. Email order and cellphone number to brighterdaytogo@ gmail.com. You’ll get a text with info.

Fox & Fig Cafe No dine-in service, call ahead curbside takeout pickup as well as @ubereats. 912297-6759 to call ahead orders for curbside pickup. Curbside hours 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Phone payment to avoid contact.

Delivery available Coffee Fox daily 9 a.m.-3 p.m., takeout, limited seating Auspicious Baking Co. Sandfly location - 7360 Skidaway Rd. open Friday, Sunday, Tuesday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

The 5 Spot/ Habersham Village In addition to Curbside To-Go and no-contact home deliveries, they offer Family To-Go Meals. Visit http://bit. ly/5spotmidtown or call 912-777-3021.

Hours 11 a.m.-8 p.m. M-F, Sat-Sun 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Broughton Street location is closed.

Sentient Bean Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. call ahead at 912/2324447 for front door pick up. $5 minimum.

Green Truck Pub Takeout only Vinnie Van Go-Go’s Outdoor dining and takeout 4-10:30 p.m., Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri-Sat Noon-10:30 p.m. Sun

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

Fork & Dagger 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Dining and takeout Congress Street Social Club Grill still open Pizzeria Vittoria Napoletana Takeout only, seating in Starland Yard Salt Island Fish and Beer Regular hours dine-in/takeout, call ahead to request curbside

Bowtie Barbecue Dine-in, curbside pick up and online ordering, daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Designated pickup spots, call (912) 354 20 7810 to let them know you’re there.

Bull Street Taco Open for grab & go from noon-8 p.m. Dogfriendly patio dining available. Order online and they bring it curbside. www.bullstreettaco.com

Cafe M Dine-in, takeout, and curbside

B&D Burgers All locations of B&D Burgers are currently offering online ordering at https://bdburgers.net/pickup-locations/ with curbside delivery. Upon arrival, they can give the restaurant a call and a member of the team will bring the order to the customer’s car.

Tequila’s Town Downtown, Sandfly locations dine-in, takeout, curb service

Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill All locations normal hours.

Zunzi’s Online ordering for takeout at https:// www.zunzis.com/online-ordering/ Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Olde Pink House La Scala Dine-in and takeout Lunch Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Nightly 4-8 p.m. courtyard dining Dinner: Daily, 5-10:30 p.m.

Foxy Loxy Cafe Takeout only, patio seating, Mon.-Sat. 8 Garibaldi a.m.-6 p.m. cafe, 11 a.m.-6 kitchen, Sunday Dine-in and takeout cafe 8 a.m.-4 p.m., kitchen 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m. no brunch menu. Takeout/delivery Friday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

Coco and Moss Full service, normal hours Current Kitchen and Cocktails Full service, normal hours Chive Sea Bar and Lounge Full service, normal hours Little Duck Diner Full service, normal hours Fire Street Food Full service, normal hours Flying Monk Noodle Bar Full service, normal hours The Vault Full service, normal hours Flock to the Wok Full service, normal hours Peacock Lounge Full service, normal hours Kayak Kafe Midtown location only Daily 11 a.m.- 7 p.m., eatkayak.com Curbside and takeout, free delivery Carey Hilliard’s Normal hours, 11 a.m.-midnight, until 1 a.m. Fri-Sat.Dining and curbside Island Daiquiri on Wilmington Island Normal hours for dine-in and carryout.

Rocky’s of Savannah NY Deli & Italian Catering Full service, normal hours Mellow Mushroom, Savannah and Pooler Normal hours for dine-in and carryout

787 By Chazito’s Dine-in, curbside pick up , in-house delivery to Starland and Ardsley Park area Cup to Cup Cafe 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. takeout, on SAVtakeOut app for delivery J Thomas Dining room is open, full menu for takeout Leopold’s Ice Cream Noon-9 p.m. Dining room closed, only six allowed in to order. Curbside encouraged.

Parker’s Kitchen All locations open, most 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Takeout, delivery available Wild Wing Cafe Dining areas open 11 a.m.-midnight Treylor Park Normal hours and service Hitch Normal hours and service Spudnik Normal hours and service Bella Napoli Mondays and Wed.-Fri. 4:30-9:30 p.m.

Sat.-Sun. noon-9:30 p.m.

Coach’s Corner Dine-in, takeout, curbside, normal hours.

The Grey Market noon-7 p.m.

Grab & go, takeout Cotton & Rye 5-10 p.m., normal service, takeout

The Ordinary Pub Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Henny Penny Art Space and Cafe 8 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, takeout, some patio seating, delivery soon Circa 1875 daily noon-8 p.m., dine-in and curbside Moon River Brewing Company Business as usual Broughton Common Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Molly Mcpherson’s All locations regular hours, dine-in and takeout Wet Willie’s River Street, City Market, and Tybee locations normal hours, take-out and curbside Ben & Jerry’s Normal hours and service Rolly Polly dine-in, takeout Mon. – Sat. 11a.m. – 4p.m.

Troy Mediterranean Cuisine Normal hours and service Molly McGuires daily 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Glo’s Coffee Corner Daily 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tubby’s Tank House Thunderbolt daily 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Dining, takeout, curb service Spanky’s Pizza Galley and Saloon River Street Location Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dining, takeout, curb service Tubby’s Seafood Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dining, takeout, curb service Fiddler’s Crab House and Oyster Bar Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dining, takeout, curb service Dub’s Pub Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dining, takeout, curb service Barnes Restaurant Daily, dine-in and takeout The District Cafe & Eatery Regular hours, dine-in or takeout, curbside and delivery

MOVIES THE FILM SCENE

its success since. He has preserved a state treasure.”

They key to making such an old and beloved slice of roadside Americana viable in the modern age was the incredibly expensive upgrade required to shift away from traditional 35mm film equipment toward digital projection.

That pricey, forced overhaul of the cinema industry proved a daunting task for virtually every independently owned theater in the USA, and wound up shutting down hundreds of smaller or struggling theaters which simply could not afford the cost or quickly raise the funds required to keep current with evolving technology.

That shift kicked into high gear not long after the Hickox family assumed ownership of the landmark, with their situation being even more vexing due to the unusual nature of screening films both outdoors trajectory would take a quite unexpected (instead of in the controlled environment and decidedly unorthodox turn. One that of a darkened auditorium, where ambient she credits to her husband’s adventurous light and rain or fog are never concerns) nature and entrepreneurial spirit. and on truly giant screens as far as 200 feet “Ralph is one of the most amazing away from the projectors. visionaries I have ever met,” she avows.

“If it wasn’t for our family’s many layers “He sees the big picture every day, where of unrelated businesses which absorbed I see the organizational details. I do not the cost of the changeover, I don’t know know how to take the broken and repurpose it into something amazing. Ralph sees the Jesup Drive-In would have survived,” Jamie admits, adding that Ralph’s dedica(something) amazing through the rust.” tion to the challenge never wavered. “He She’s speaking of the historic Jesup ordered the equipment, I hyper-ventilated Drive-In movie theater, which originally and we moved on.” known as the “Family Drive-In” when it In the eight years she and Ralph have opened in 1948. It’s the oldest Drive-In in operated the Drive-In, it has become a centhe state, and it’s been her family’s busitral part of the lives of their entire family – ness since 2012. all of whom have been involved in one way “Ralph came home one day and said, or another with its operations.

‘Guess what we bought,’ and I said, ‘A new “Our youngest child, Wyatt, was threecar?’ He said, ‘No, the Drive-In!’ A memyears-old when we first purchased the theber of the family who’d owned it since the 1970s called him and said, ‘You’re the only ater and doesn’t remember life without it,” says Jamie. “He once asked one of his little one I know who can see what I see here.’

Ralph told me I would love it and that when playmates what they did at their Drive-In, assuming everyone must have one!” the lights come on at night it’s just magic.

“Our middle son Trey was the box office That was my first exposure to the real guy from 2012 to the end of summer in Ralph. He was right. Our family bought the 10.5 acres and have been dedicated to 2015 when he went to college, and our

Drive-In Renaissance During the crisis, the Jesup Drive-In gets renewed attention

BY JIM REED JAMIE HICKOX first met her husband Ralph online in 2006. She was a former military spouse living in Hinesville, Ga., and he had resided in Jesup, Ga. since the mid-1980s.

Jamie says she fell in love with that small city of around 10,000 residents in December of that year when Ralph took her to its annual downtown Christmas Parade.

“I had never seen so many people who enjoyed being with each other as much as they enjoyed the parade in front of them,” she recalls. “It was my first exposure to Wayne County’s true ‘superpower’ — their sense of community.”

The two were married in February of 2007, and Jamie says there was “never a question of where we would live out our ‘happily ever after.’” Little did she know that within five years, the couple’s

oldest son Alan says he has made more than 5,000 funnel cakes in the concession stand. Ralph’s daughter Maria has spent many nights under the stars with the grandchildren passing on the love of the Drive-In to another generation. Our parents have worked with us, our siblings, our children and our grandchildren. When the Drive-In is in need, it’s not difficult to find someone to answer the call.”

While folks travel from all across the region to experience the old-fashioned, family-oriented fun that our area’s two remaining Drive-Ins (including Beaufort, S.C.’s Highway 21 Drive-In, just an hour away from downtown Savannah) continue to offer, Laurie says their largest number of patrons come from the folks who live and work on or near Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.

She names the communal, neighborhood feel that Drive-Ins tend to engender as perhaps the main attraction, but also rightly notes the fact that they’re incredibly economical by nature. Whereas most any corporate-owned multiplex charges anywhere from $10 to $13 to see a single film at an evening show, “Folks from Savannah can make a short drive of a little more than an hour on a four-lane to see two first-run movies for $5 per person.”

That’s right. The Jesup Drive-in boasts two screens, each of which routinely shows two different mainstream-oriented double-features starting at dusk (around 8 p.m.) every Thursday through Sunday. All the selections are brand-new releases, and whichever pair of movies you choose to see is just $5 per person, both films included.

At that price, some patrons choose to show up and just see either one of the two films, while plenty stick around for both, making a late night of it. One screen is usually reserved for PG and G-Rated titles that are suitable for young children, while the other caters to older teenagers and adults, and may include R-Rated features.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

Theatre owner/operator Jamie Hickox and family.

CONTINUES ON P. 22 21

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

THE FILM SCENE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

BY MATT JONES ©2020 Answers on page 23

“FREEDUCATION” A FREESTYLE PUZZLE FOR NOW.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

ACROSS

22

1 Rotary phone parts 8 Whip holders?

15 Hoppy “New Englandstyle” brew 16 System that includes emoji 17 Invited up 18 Compliment after getting out of bed?

19 ___ Bhabie (rapper first known as the “Cash Me Outside” girl from “Dr. Phil”) 20 Precipice 22 Indian curry dish 23 ___ Dems (U.K. political party, informally) 24 Fictional Marner 26 Achievement 27 Neighbor of British Columbia 30 Like birthday celebrants 32 Letters in some Baptist church names 33 Most sound 35 They may have chains and locks 37 Pic off a monitor?

39 1960s TV spy thriller with a 1997 movie remake 42 Site for ants or bumps?

46 Slick stuff 47 Dreadlocked one, maybe 49 Like some fast-food chicken sandwiches 50 Returning grad

52 Flashlight battery 54 Alternate spelling abbr.

55 Anwar who shared a Nobel Peace Prize 57 Deep-sea killer 58 Sister of Poseidon 59 Secure firmly 61 Dazed 63 Not consistent 64 The “devil’s interval” in music (heard in “The Simpsons” theme) 65 Took once more, like a white elephant gift 66 Pieces of Sanskrit religious literature

DOWN

1 Dry white wine 2 Jones who played Angie Tribeca 3 Keep showing up in a book and film series?

4 Turned from white to pink, maybe 5 Pot top 6 Big pictures?

7 Company behind Hello Kitty 8 “You’re a better man than I am” poem 9 “Allergic to Water” singer DiFranco 10 Travel expert Steves 11 Words before Base or spades 12 Quit messing around

13 Japanese appetizer 14 Advisory councils 21 Healed up 25 Dry, as Italian wine 28 Former New York Jets owner Leon 29 Muppet whose tweets often end with “Scram!”

31 “___ Hope” (1980s ABC soap) 34 Three-note chord 36 Machine that helps with sleep apnea 38 Fix firmly in place 39 “Wide slot” device 40 “Cautionary Tales for Children” author Belloc 41 Evasive sorts 43 Enjoy immensely 44 Instrument in a “Legend of Zelda” title 45 Spins around 48 “Little Women” author 51 Furious with 53 Actress Linney of “Kinsey” 56 “Africa” band 58 “So ___” (Kid Rock song) 60 Wheaton of “The Big Bang Theory” 62 Malleable metal

If you’ve never been to a Drive-In before, it’s a wonderfully unique experience.

When folks are not dealing with a health emergency like the current one, the atmosphere can sometimes seem more like a quiet and respectful block party than a night at the theater. “Most bring lawn chairs, or a baseball and gloves, frisbee, football, etc…, and have an hour of fun time before the sun goes down,” explains Jamie.

“Then they climb in the car, or into a chair or up on the back of pick-up truck or SUV and watch a movie or two.”

Unlike the tinny, squawky low-fi sound that used to blare out of the old-fashioned metal outdoor speakers in earlier eras, for a couple of decades now, most Drive-Ins have broadcast high-fidelity stereo audio to audience members’ car stereos and portable boomboxes over low-wattage FM radio transmitters.

This means that nowadays if you have a kickin’ car audio system, you can sit inside your car (or, just outside of it with the windows open) and enjoy some pretty spectacular –and earth-shaking– bass to go along with the crystal-clear digital visuals onscreen.

Better yet, in the midst of this dispiriting and anxiety-inducing health crisis, Drive-Ins, by virtue of their open-air environment, semi-private layout and inherent social distancing (in that people get to choose exactly who they sit with and how close they are to one another) are the only public theaters which have been allowed to remain open during this time of self-isolation and mandatory quarantines – providing people with a particularly safe and fun way to still get out, see other people (from afar) and enjoy the communal experience of going to the movies without potentially risking their lives.

“Everything old is new again,” Jamie opines.

She and Ralph have even modified their Drive-In’s operating hours and business practices in light of the coronavirus outbreak to make it even easier and more accommodating to customers. The playground is closed, as is the walk-in dining room.

They’re also now staying open seven nights a week instead of just weekends, and allowing folks to order food from their concession stand by phone from their cars and have it delivered right to them, rather than having to come inside.

Don’t care for concession stand food, or feel more comfortable during this health crisis to prepare your own? Just pay an additional $5 fee per car, and they’ll allow you to bring in whatever food or drinks you’d like with you. Think of it as an indoor picnic. How cool is that?

Just make sure your vehicle’s running lights, headlights and tail lights don’t automatically turn on after dark when the engine is running! Most do, and that means they’ll shine on the screen, or shine in the eyes of the folks parked behind you, ruining the show either way.

“New cars have a terrible time getting all their exterior lights off,” Jamie laments.

She recommends bringing a couple of thick black trash bags (or perhaps a couple of opaque tarps) and some tape or bungee cords with you to cover all your vehicle’s lights if you can’t manually disable them.

Finally, she and Ralph are asking folks to remain inside their cars instead of in lawn chairs until the ban on public gatherings is lifted. “At this point everyone seems to be so grateful to have a safe place out of their houses to enjoy entertainment that they are happy to comply with this new normal,” she says.

Hopefully, this uncomfortable situation will wind up causing some folks who have either never gone to a Drive-in –or perhaps have not been to one in ages– to try it out.

If so, Jamie says she knows they’ll return.

“Drive-Ins are uniquely American. We don’t have to do much convincing (to earn loyal customers), curiosity brings them and the experience keeps them coming back.” CS Movie Schedule, Online Tickets and Menu: jesupmovies.com

EXCHANGE

For Your Information IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Action pact formerly CONCERTED SERVICES, INC. is now the service provider for The Weatherization Program that previously was administered by EOA Savannah. Applications are being accepted to weatherize the homes of Low-Income Families living in Chatham County.

For more information, please contact Teresa Lewis @ 912-285-6085

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New A/C. Quiet Residential Bloomingdale.

NO PETS. Verifiable Income. Big Yard.

Shown by Appointment.

912-210-0144

ADS RECEIVED BY 5PM FRIDAY WILL APPEAR IN THE WEDNESDAY ISSUE OF THE NEXT WEEK.

• Pets • Employment

• Miscellaneous • Garage Sales

Basic RatEs Real Estate Employment services announcements Garage sales Miscellaneous

$12 per week $14 per week $12 per week $10 per week $10 per week $10 per week

HOW tO PlacE an ad • call our classifieds department at 912-231-0250 • ads Must Be Placed By 11am On Monday Prior to Publication • all ads Must be PrePaid (credit cards accepted) • Basic rate includes up to 25 words.

Room for Rent EFFICIENCY APARTMENTS. Clean and safe.

Quinta 912-650-9358 Linda 912-690-9097

VARIOUS LOCATIONS! Rooms for rent. Furnished, w/utilities, C/H&A/cable. $170-$220/week.

Income Source/ID required. 912695-9481

Roommate Wanted ROOMMATE WANTED: Very Clean Home. All Utilities, Cable, Wifi, Fitness Gym. On busline. NEWLY FURNISHED w/shared or private bath. $145-$200/week or $550$650 month. 912-414-4380

Automotive Cars/Trucks/Vans 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS - LT1 6.2L V8, 1400 Miles. 10 Speed.

White with Beige Interior. Rear Folding Seat.

912-682-0872 Serious Inquiries Only. No Calls after 9 p.m. please.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAR 25 - 31, 2020

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