Connect Savannah April 1, 2020

APR 1-7, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Captain Corona:

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE

Day Parade — he passed that test with aplomb.

While Johnson came under criticism for

BY JIM MOREKIS being slow to act on closing restaurants, jim@connectsavannah.com he was still miles ahead of any other local leader on that front.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO, on March 4, Johnson is, of course, not alone in govMichael Bloomberg dropped out of the erning the City of Savannah, and he can presidential race. share some of the credit.

Seems like it’s been a year, doesn’t it?

While most of the business of the City Savannah Stopover was March 5-7. That has slowed to a crawl — literally, in the last full-on Savannah party weekend, free case of the local service industry — Savanof any restrictions whatsoever, seems like nah City Council seems united in proit was in a different decade. viding for the safety and welfare of their Even the St. Patrick’s Day without a constituents. parade — only a couple of weeks ago — The contrast with some other local govseems like a distant dream. ernments is clear.

And our social distancing, quarantining, After a frankly embarrassing series of and isolation has really only just begun. initial missteps, Tybee Island seems to Nobody knows how long this will last, have finally found religion on the panexactly, and no one truly knows what our demic relief front, closing the beaches at city, or the world, will look and feel like last and shutting down all non-essential when we finally see the other side of this. businesses.

— still haven’t been implemented as of this writing.

Savannah has had a shelter-in-place order, with no restaurant dining, for a solid week now.

While the City of Savannah is the big dog on the block and can, and often does, go its own way, other municipalities in Chatham County tend to look at the county government’s lead more often.

And in this case, they didn’t have much to go on.

At the state level, Gov. Brian Kemp continues to confound with mixed messages.

On one hand, at least he has shown that he will take some action when prodded or shamed enough.

On the other hand, when someone on his staff does things like blaming media in the state for encouraging “hysteria” (yes, that actually happened) it undermines all the good work anyone else on the governor’s staff might be trying to do.

Tybee’s rogue St. Patrick’s parade — done in open defiance of an order canceling it— is certain to be mentioned the next time Orange Crush comes to Tybee, when locals try once again to shut down or limit that celebration.

One thing we are able to get a handle on, especially with many of us having a lot more time on our hands, is the relative effectiveness of our various elected leaders, during the most trying possible time for an elected leader.

The contrast has been striking. I hope people are taking notes to refer back to in the future.

At the national level…. where to start?

Let’s just say that President Trump’s daily press conferences probably don’t remind anybody of one of FDR’s calming, reassuring fireside chats during the Depression and World War II. However, Savannah has an equivalent in the person of Mayor Van Johnson, who has taken to a modern-day version of the fireside chat with his frequent Facebook Live sessions.

The Mayor’s combination of pragmatism, firm determination, and compassionate and often very humorous communication skills are tailor-made for this moment.

If there has ever been a situation in Savannah where a leader has walked onto the stage seemingly at precisely the perfect time, this would be it.

While Johnson was originally on the hottest of hot seats — having to decide whether or not to cancel the St. Patrick’s

That was after their St. Patrick’s Parade not only went on, but went on despite an order canceling it.

That rogue St. Patrick’s parade — done in open defiance of the cancelation order — is certain to be mentioned the next time Orange Crush comes to Tybee, when locals try again to shut down that celebration.

(Tybee has a new Mayor too, in the person of Shirley Sessions, who, to be clear, did her best to keep that canceled parade from happening.)

In the wake of evidence that New Orleans’ decision to hold Mardi Gras is probably why Louisiana has the second worst infection rate behind only New York, Tybee’s error in judgement is no mere example of island residents’ legendary stubbornness — it has the potential of being a possibly fatal one.

The Chatham County Commission, by contrast, is notable not so much for its actions but rather for its comparative inaction.

Though legally a much more powerful official than the Mayor of Savannah, Commission Chairman Al Scott is increasingly regarded as a no-show by much of the public.

What steps the County has taken were all taken days behind Savannah’s, and in some cases — such as sheltering in place

Other than closing down bars in the state, a much-ballyooed announcement from the governor on March 23 simply turned out to be another toothless request for social distancing.

A week later, we see that these polite requests simply aren’t working.

Whether it’s sports team gatherings in Forsyth or Daffin Parks, or large groups of boaters holding parties on beaches, or house parties spilling out onto the street, it’s clear that many, many of your fellow citizens either don’t know or don’t care enough about the importance of distancing to practice it.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of viral outbreaks, we are only as strong as our most irresponsible or ignorant citizen.

We are looking at several more weeks of this.

We can get through this.

But you have to hunker down for awhile longer.

It ain’t easy, but the alternative is worse, and will just make the quarantine that much longer, and that much more damaging in the long run.

In a time of unprecendented partisan disagreement, we simply have to agree on this. CS

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

Tests of leadership: Passing and failing

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NEWS & OPINION CITY NOTEBOOK

Savannah’s J-1 visa holders face uncertain future after pandemic precautions

BY RACHAEL FLORA

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

rachael@connectsavannah.com

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CORONAVIRUS IS affecting people across our city in a multitude of ways.

When the Department of State issued a Do Not Travel advisory on Mar. 19, it left a direct impact on people in the United States who hold a J-1 visa.

A J-1 visa allows people to participate in work- and study-based exchange programs in the United States. Participants pay a fee to obtain the visa and have a program sponsor to help them while they’re here.

Two common programs in Savannah are for hospitality jobs and for Au Pair in America.

An au pair is a young international visitor who comes to the U.S. to live with an American family and take care of their children while also experiencing a new culture and often learning English.

The uncertainty with the J-1 visas has disrupted daily life for Liza Neiderwagner, an Au Pair host mom whose family has used the program for childcare since 2012.

Neiderwagner currently has an au pair from Peru and was waiting on the arrival of another au pair from Brazil.

“We had matched with her and she was going to come at the end of April,” she recalls. “Maybe a couple weeks ago they said, ‘Oh, her arrival date has been postponed to May 11.’”

Neiderwagner had a Skype call with their au pair to let her know they were still interested in having her come, but a few days later, those plans changed.

“She let us know that she was notified that the visa appointments were being canceled indefinitely,” says Neiderwagner.

“That’s the thing—it wasn’t a time frame, it was just indefinitely.”

Neiderwagner reasons that one factor for postponing arrivals is because the au pairs gather in New York City before flying to their new host families’ homes, and New York was one of the first states to be affected by coronavirus.

Molly Hayden serves as the local community counselor for Au Pair in America and reports that they received communication from the Department of State on Mar. 13 that advised suspension of arrivals for 60 days.

“Au Pair in America, as a program designated by the Department of State, made the decision to follow this guidance to

ensure the health and safety of all participants,” says Hayden, “as well as the fact that we see this global concern as something that goes beyond business.”

Hayden shares that Au Pair in America is providing resources, as well as advice, to both their host families and the au pairs.

“We’re currently focused on supporting all participants, meaning staying in contact with host families and au pairs, and providing clear and frequent communication regarding the impact of current travel warnings and the recent pause by the Department of State,” says Hayden.

already stopped travel without Trump’s travel ban to Europe, so some of these kids cannot go home.”

Per the Department of State’s website, each country has different levels of travel restrictions subject to frequent change in such a fluid environment.

I spoke with one J-1 visa holder whose country’s borders were still open, but if they returned, they’d be subject to a twoweek quarantine period.

Other people in the program were being advised to return to a country whose borders had since closed.

That J-1 visa holder says of their sponsor, “They didn’t say anything.

‘We recommend you to go home. If you don’t go home, be ready financially.’ That’s all they said.”

“There’s no cash inflow, they were not bought out at all, they were not given the opportunity to transfer to any other property or state like would normally be the case, and there is no communication on next steps,” says the employee.

At this hotel, the J-1 visa holders work enough hours to be considered full-time employees, are given Social Security numbers, and have health insurance, yet they’re not eligible “We’re doing our best to provide confor unemployment, according to their HR venient and effective solutions while condepartment. tinuing to adhere to the Department of Throw in the fact that many are not all State Exchange Visitor Program’s au pair fluent in English, and it’s clear to see why regulations.”

Au Pair in America is setting an example this situation is hard for them to navigate.

“There’s just a serious failing in the for clear communication during an unclear time, but the same can’t always be said for security net,” says the employee.

“What we’re learning is you shouldn’t other organizations.

Some hotels in downtown Savannah use be able to do this stuff to begin with. We should have stricter rules in place for why hospitality agencies to staff their properpeople aren’t full-time salary.” ties with J-1 visa holders. I spoke to an Each J-1 employee at this hotel are havemployee of one such hotel on condition ing to figure out their own plans with very of anonymity because they have extenlittle help from their program sponsor. sive knowledge of the situation regarding What’s so frustrating about this situaemployees with J-1 visas and feared reprition is its uncertainty. We’re in the middle sal for speaking out. of a global pandemic, the likes of which At this hotel, the J-1 visa employees were contacted by the HR department and nobody living has ever experienced, and offered the opportunity to terminate their that fact is not lost on any of the four peoprogram on Mar. 16. None of them took the ple I interviewed.

But even amid fear and confusion, there offer, but they were contacted the next day by their program sponsor, informing them can be clear steps taken by any organization, particularly those dealing with visas, that their program had been canceled. to make its members feel safer.

“These kids are paying $5,000 after the Per the Department of State’s website, conversion rate to participate in this proprogram sponsors “should have a plan in gram. If they’re to return home, they cannot come back for several months and have place in the event of a natural disaster or natural emergency,” which includes proto refile,” says the employee. viding information and assistance to the “They have leases in their names, program’s participants. CS they’ve been here for some time. It’s my understanding that some countries have

NEWS & OPINION POLITICS

20/20 vision for the 2020 election rachael@connectsavannah.com

2020 IS A major election year, but what will that look like in the face of a public health emergency? There have been several changes to this year’s voting process in Georgia that will affect the way we vote in the presidential election.

Georgia’s presidential primary election was moved to May 19, the same day as the general primary, in light of the public health emergency declared by Governor Brian Kemp.

“Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the Presidential Preference Primary, and the local elections associated with them, and resume inperson voting for those elections as part of the already scheduled May 19 General Primary,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a statement.

Georgia was one of several states to postpone their primary, which would have been Mar. 24 here in the Peach State.

All votes already cast in person and by absentee ballot will still count, even if the voter doesn’t cast a vote in the May 19 primary.

Georgia will also be mailing every active voter an absentee ballot request form in an effort to keep voters safe away from the polls.

However, the form is just a request for an absentee ballot. Voters will still need to send back the request form to receive an absentee ballot, which is due by 7 p.m. on May 19.

The absentee ballot request form will be sent to the address at which you’re registered to vote, so make sure your information is up to date at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

The early voting period will now be April 27 through May 15. That, of course, is dependent on how the virus plays out in our state, but as of now those are the dates.

Another interesting factor for this spring’s elections are the new voting machines in Georgia, which replaced outdated machines that had been in use since 2002. The machines produce a paper ballot that’s printed out and scanned.

Before the primary date was moved, Sheala Bacon went to vote early and found a bit of a snag in the process that she hopes will be resolved by the time early voting starts the second time around.

Much of the voting process is the same as in years past. Bacon entered the precinct, filled out her paperwork, got her card, and went to the machine to cast her vote.

“From getting to the machine to printing and waiting for the printer to finish is maybe 60 seconds,” recalls Bacon. “As I’m leaving, the guy is next to the new scan machine and says, ‘Hey, ma’am, you need to scan.’”

When she took her card over to scan, Bacon saw the potential for a major backup in the process.

“The thing that I noticed was they had ten voting machines, which is about standard if you go early voting,” says Bacon, “but they only had one of the scan machines. The first thing I thought as I was leaving is, ‘This is going to create a bottleneck if they don’t have more of these scan machines, particularly for people that have a hard time with electronics.’”

In the 2018 presidential election, polling precincts across the state of Georgia reported long lines throughout the day. It seems, then, counterintuitive for the state to implement new, more time-consuming voting machines on such a key election year.

There have also been complaints by voting integrity activists that the large-screen format of the machines will allow other people to see the voter’s selections, and some counties have voted to ditch the new machines altogether.

But with the absentee ballot push by the state, the voting machines might not come into play. It’ll be an interesting issue to follow as the year goes on. CS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

BY RACHAEL FLORA

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NEWS & OPINIONS COMMUNITY

For the disabled community, COVID-19 presents unique challenges United Cerebral Palsy faces obstacles but soldiers on

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

EVERYONE IS FEELING the weight of COVID-19 and its impacts on their everyday life. The measures that have been taken federally and on the state level to stop the spread of the coronavirus are necessary, but have no doubt caused significant economic damage and major disruption on almost every level of functionality for people.

When we’re presented with situations like this, certain issues become clearer than they might have been under normal circumstances. Take, for example, the new protocol for digital and remote schooling.

This is something that can be rather easily implemented for the most part in terms of students being able to make the transition.

But what about those who have special

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A local resident at one of United Cerebral Palsy’s homes works on a gardening project.

needs due to disability? As someone with Cerebral Palsy, I’ve been invested in the needs of the disabled community; which is

why it’s troubling to see several recent stories about students with disabilities being left behind in regard to accessibility of

materials and websites, etc.

On the same token, organizations like United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia (of which I’m a board member) are facing their own unique challenges as they navigate these uncharted and unprecedented waters.

UCP has 10 homes in Savannah with residents who have many different types of disabilities, and they have a full-time staff of Direct Support Professionals, who work closely with the residents every single day.

Since the ban on gathers and the social distancing measures have been taken, UCP has faced some hurdles—including having to close its day program.

“The day program is a higher-density program. It’s a building with people doing all kinds of activities every day, plus transporting people to and from—obviously you can’t do social distancing in a minivan full of people,” UCP of Georgia President and CEO Diane Wilush tells Connect.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“We’re hopeful that we’ll get reimbursed for all the services we provide at the day program which has been closed, but we don’t know that yet. And in the 10 houses, we’ve got four people living in each home and they’re staffed 24/7. Normally they go out during the day and do things, but because of this circumstance they’re home all day. Well, we normally don’t have staff there all day. So now we have to staff all day; yet another expense.”

Nakaieta Spencer, a Senior Home Manager in Savannah, says that the day-to-day challenges presented by COVID-19 have to do mainly with the lack of social interaction that is instrumental to the lives of the people who live in the homes.

“The biggest challenge we’re having is the lack of social interaction. It’s taking away a key part of the folks’ daily living, because they’re used to getting out and integrated into the community at least six days a week—going to church, bowling, going to the movies. That’s the biggest challenge we’re facing in all the homes,” Spencer says.

Wilush says that what she hopes to stress about UCP during the current crisis is that their DSPs are as essential as anyone else who would be typically deemed essential in times like this.

“The DSPs don’t get the recognition they deserve, because they wear a multitude of hats and there’s really no professional classification [for their work],” she explains.

“We’re really trying to educate people that they are direct support. It is a profession. They have to be a chauffeur, they have to be a medication technician, a cook, a housekeeper, a friend, a personal care attendant, a teacher—all of the roles they play in peoples’ lives. I could go on and on.”

Laura Cook, who manages two Savannah homes for UCP, underscores the point of how essential these workers are—it’s a job, she says, that requires real passion.

“Working in an environment like this, you have to have passion, time management, and you have to be willing to be able to deal with change,” she says.

Despite how crucial DSPs are to the people they serve, they’re often overlooked and undervalued, Wilush says. This is something that is being highlighted by the current crisis.

“I would speculate that the reason they’re undervalued is because the citizens that they support are undervalued,” she says.

“In this particular moment in time, all of the healthcare professionals are getting access to supplies. You’ve heard a lot, maybe, about personal protective equipment (PPE)? Since there’s not been any broad based recognition of our direct support professionals being healthcare professionals also, they haven’t had access to PPE. That’s a big advocacy effort that we’re working on now to express to the

Stay safe.

Gardening is one of the many activities residents partake in on a regular basis that have been sidelined as a result of COVID-19.

Department of Public Health and state officials.”

The goal, Wilush says, is to be part of the priority listings for receiving supplies and equipment as they run short.

When speaking of the direct support professionals that work full-time for UCP in Savannah and in other cities, Wilush makes it a point to note that they are among the most selfless people you’ll ever come across.

“Our staff is leaving their families; leaving where they, in theory, could be hunkered down. They’re doing it because of their commitment to the individuals. It’s really quite remarkable, and particularly in Savannah,” she says.

“We’ve had three hurricane evacuations in four years. We had to move everybody out of Savannah, and the DSPs left their families in a storm or brought them with them, and gave up days and days of not being home just to take care of people and do what their hearts have guided them to do.” CS For more information on United Cerebral Palsy, and for info on how you can help or donate during this time, please visit ucpga.org.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

COMMUNITY

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NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY PAGE Chatham County to institute quarantine requirements for anyone entering by air, bus, train, or ship

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

canceling the St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Chairman Scott said.

The March 22 declaration already A State of Emergency has existed in Cha- required social distancing measures in tham County since March 22, but today county restaurants outside the City of Chatham County Commission ChairSavannah, which has restricted restauman Al Scott announced new measures rants within City limits to takeout only. intended to keep the COVID-19 virus from Bars are now closed throughout Chaentering the county and spreading. tham County and all municipalities within “This amendment goes a step further — it. it’s a step that the mayors couldn’t take on Dr. Lawton Davis of the Coastal Georgia their own,” he said.

Health Department said Chatham County Specifically, anyone entering the County has seen a 300 percent increase in conby airplane, bus, train, or at the port will be firmed cases in just the last week. given a “preliminary test on the way in. We “Some who focus on the numbers seem will be checking their temperatures and to believe we’ve been relatively lucky so they will fill out a questionnaire,” Scott far,” Davis said. “Maybe we have, but we said. must not be complacent.”

This will include all those coming in Davis said COVID-19 typically takes 3-6 on commercial airline flights. It will not weeks to show an “explosion” in cases after include travel restrictions for those drivinitially confirmed in an area. ing vehicles.

“Our first cases were confirmed about “All persons entering Chatham County a week and a half ago. I fully expect our who have been on a cruise ship, airplane, numbers to increase very rapidly over the bus or train are required to self-isolate next several weeks,” he said. “And that for the next 14 days,” said CEMA Director only represents positive tests, where testDennis Jones. ing has been very limited.”

“Any person showing fever or other Davis concluded with a cautionary note. symptoms of COVID-19 is required to seek “To those of you who seem to think immediate medical attention,” Jones said. you’re invincible, or that this is just a joke, “This may go as far as anything we’ve please wake up.” done locally, with the exception of

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Georgia Southern Economic Monitor: 2019 ends strong, substantial decline expected

Georgia Southern University’s latest Economic Monitor, analyzing data from the fourth quarter of 2019, reports that the Savannah metro economy ended strong in 2019, “however substantial decline is expected in the coming months” due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The regional economy will likely be, at best, flat in the first quarter of 2020, followed by a sharp contraction in the second quarter,” says Michael Toma, Ph.D., Fuller E. Callaway professor of economics.

“On the other side, pent-up consumer demand is expected to fuel a fairly rapid national and regional recovery that is expected to take root in the third quarter and blossom during the final quarter of 2020.”

Growth in the Savannah metro economy accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2019, extending the gains of the previous quarter. Growth was stronger in port activity, electricity sales and tourism. “ In 2020, economic dislocation caused by virus containment and mitigation efforts will be substantial and layered on top of (and dominate) the already cautionary signal sent by the forecasting index,” the report says.

Employment in Savannah’s threecounty metro area in the fourth quarter of 2019 was 186,300, reflecting a gain of 600 jobs from the previous quarter and 0.5% higher than year-ago data.

“Jobs in business and professional services continued to erode, shedding another 500 jobs and contributing to the loss of 2,200 jobs in the sector since the first-quarter peak of 22,600 workers,” the report says.

Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector was 27,700 at the close of the year.

Hourly wages in the private sector bumped up to $22.90, a gain of 1% during the year.

Homeless Authority collects donations for homeless

Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless Director Cindy Kelley renewed the Authority’s plea for help from the public in attempts to protect “one of the most vulnerable segments of the population from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Authority members have placed containers at each Savannah fire station and all Savannah and Chatham County police precincts for paper towels, toilet paper, masks, gowns and gloves.

“These items are in short supply and our homeless population, especially the more elderly members, have no way to access them,” Kelley said. “Hundreds of these people live in makeshift camps throughout the county where personal hygiene is challenged in normal times.”

Kelley says that “If members of the public could offer only one roll of towels or tissue, collectively we can make a huge difference.”

Public hand-washing stations are being set up in various areas of the city. A downtown hotel has also contributed 1,000 bars of soap to allow people to wash their hands.

“But it does little good when those clean hands are dried against clothing that may already be contaminated because we have nothing else to provide them,” Kelley said.

Chatham County is the second most homeless-populated region in Georgia. CS

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NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER

HOMICIDES

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Arrest in Pennsylvania Avenue shooting

“Due to efforts by Savannah Police’s Eastside Precinct patrol officers and Aggravated Assault Unit detectives, a quick arrest was made in a shooting on Pennsylvania Avenue,” police reported.

At around 9 p.m. March 26, officers responded to the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue due to a ShotSpotter notification and located Samuel Barnard, 34, with a gunshot wound. Barnard was transported to the hospital in serious condition.

“Shortly after, officers received information on a potential suspect and due to quick action, located Kenneth White, 37, who was found to be responsible for the shooting of Barnard. White was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” police say.

SPD warns of COVID-19 scams

Savannah Police’s Financial Crimes Unit says it is “raising awareness about

potential COVID-19 scams targeting the community.”

“Amid the economic strain stemming from the impacts of COVID-19, phone scams have surfaced that are targeting consumers.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), there have been reports of scam and hoax text message campaigns and scam robocalls offering free home testing kits, promoting bogus cures, selling health insurance and preying on virus-related fears,” police say.

The Financial Crimes Unit offers the following guidance in response to these scams: Phishing, Texting and Email Scams • Do not click on links from sources you do not know. They may allow scammers to download a virus to your computer, which may allow them to access personal information.

• Do not respond to claims of receiving stimulus checks from the government as a stimulus package has not been approved yet.

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Currently, none have been approved by the FDA. • Be aware of who you are purchasing things from such as medical and cleaning supplies. Research the company to try and verify if it is a legitimate company.

Charity Fraud • Before you donate, research and verify the charity. Look to charities that are local in your community with an established history.

• If you donate, try to avoid using gift cards or wire transfers as this could be a warning sign of a poten• Ignore emails claiming to be from tial scam. the Centers for Disease Control and If you have been a victim of an online the World Health Organization. You should visit the official websites for scam, please go to ftc.gov to file a report. You can also file a report by using these organizations to obtain upthe SPD Online Police Reporting System to-date information on COVID-19. at http://savannahpd.org/online-reportRobocalls ing/. CS • Hang up on robocalls!

• Do not press any numbers as this ALL CASES FROM RECENT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEonly opens you up to potentially MENT INCIDENT REPORTS. GIVE ANONYMOUS CRIME more robocalls and scammers.

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2020 Sav/Chatham County Crime Stats through Sunday March 29

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Police in Pinellas County, Florida, responded to the Clearwater Mall late on March 22, where witnesses had reported a woman screaming in a parked car. According to an arrest affidavit, the officers discovered the woman and Robert Janisch, 21, “wrestling with each other” in their birthday suits. The couple told police that after they had intercourse, the woman went to urinate outside the car, using a napkin to wipe herself, which she then accidentally threw on Janisch, prompting an argument. The affidavit stated the argument escalated to the point that Janisch choked his girlfriend, but he contended the marks on her neck occurred earlier at the beach. WFLA reported Janisch was arrested for domestic battery.

Signs of the Apocalypse (As If We Needed More)

Steward Gatt, also known as Stewy the Snake Catcher, was summoned to a yard in Ardeer, Victoria, Australia, in mid-March, where he bagged up a female tiger snake in order to relocate it in the wild. But when Gatt opened the bag a short time later, he discovered the snake had given birth to several offspring -- one of which had two heads. According to United Press International, Gatt took the snakes to Direct Vet Services and had them checked over. The usual one-headed babies were fine, but the two-headed specimen had to be euthanized; “... these animals are not generally viable so it was euthanized on humane grounds,” the clinic posted on its Facebook page. Mom and babies were returned to the wild according to plan.

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Crafting During the Coronavirus

Steve Walton of Shotley Bridge, England, took a bad spill in 2018 and, after a series of surgeries, had to have the lower part of his leg amputated in January. He was scheduled to be fitted with a prosthetic leg in mid-March, but his appointment was delayed because of the coronavirus crisis. That was when his wife, Atchari, went to work, making a leg for him using a bucket, fiberglass resin and wood. The first attempt kept falling off (“It was more akin to something Long John Silver would wear,” Walton said), but Ms. Walton refined her project using a moon boot, and it worked. “My wife is very practical. She can turn her hand to anything,” Walton told the BBC. “I am not going to use this regularly, but it will be good for getting around the house for the next three to six months. There are people far worse off than me at the minute.”

Least Competent Criminal

Kenneth Braden, 65, filled his shopping cart at a Nashville-area Kroger store with essentials -- five cases of beer and two packages of toilet paper -- on March 11, then bypassed the checkout lanes, according to court documents. As he attempted to leave the store, he tripped the alarm sensors at the door and the wheels on his cart locked up. After several unsuccessful attempts to move the cart, he fled the store.

WZTV reported Metro Police later picked him up and charged him with theft of merchandise and driving on a suspended license.

Lesson Learned

Taiwan has strictly cracked down on its citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, using GPS on phones to monitor the movement of those in quarantine. One man got a particularly costly lesson when he violated the quarantine to go clubbing, AFP reported. The unnamed man, who was required to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning from Southeast Asia, was charged $1 million Taiwanese (about $33,000 US) after he was found at a Taipei nightclub on March 22. Authorities deemed his night out “malicious,” and the New Taipei mayor, Hou Yu-ih, warned, “I will not be soft-handed.”

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

In Richfield, Wisconsin, neighbors Eric Trzcinski and Trevor Reinke have missed sharing a beer while they are socially isolating. So Trzcinski came up with a novel idea: He’s a car guy, and happened to have a spare exhaust tip that was the perfect size to hold a bottle of beer. Using zip ties, he strapped the tip to a remote control car, then dropped a bottle of Corona (yes, on purpose) into the pipe. He called Reinke, told him to start videotaping, and Reinke caught the little delivery as it zoomed across a busy street and up his driveway, delivering the cold brew into his hands.

Trzcinski’s Facebook post featuring the video racked up more than 5 million views, he told FOX6 News on March 24.

Not Funny

Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarket in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, had “a very challenging day” on March 25. A woman who claimed she had the coronavirus, later identified by police as Margaret Chirko, “came into the store and proceeded to purposely cough on our fresh produce, and a small section of our bakery, meat case and grocery,” he wrote on Facebook. While the staff “did the best they could to get the woman out of the store as fast as possible,” he said, the health department had to help disinfect the store, and the “twisted prank” resulted in the loss of $35,000 worth of food. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office has charged Chirko with threatening to use weapons of mass destruction and making terroristic threats. It is not known whether the woman has COVID-19. CS

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just caught fire.” Beach had leaned a bit too close to one of several nearby candles and ignited his sleeve. “I just felt my arm getting a bit hot,” he told Metro News. The flame damaged his sweater and shirt, but did not burn his skin. Beach was teased a bit by fellow vicars, who razzed him for being “on fire for Jesus.” “People have laughed and laughed, really,” Beach said.

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MUSIC INTERVIEW

As a songwriter, who were some of your prominent influences when you started?

When I was in Athens, it was the heyday of REM and the B52’s. They defined pop music then. Bands like XTC, the Pixies, and Radiohead were everything to me. However, what we were putting out sounded more like Nirvana, simple and visceral.

Let’s talk about the album title, and the concept of “full circle” in general.

How does it pertain to the collection of songs? Is there a thematic thread on this record that employs this concept?

Kelli Price Photography

Eric Britt gets personal on new album Local music veteran unleashes album in these uncertain times

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

ERIC BRITT HAS come a long way since his days in Hazel Virtue. The guitarist and songwriter of the alt-rock outfit is making vastly different music nowadays—it’s

a world away stylistically, but the emotion and energy remains. He’s a different man, to be sure; parenthood will do that. But his passion for music is intact and has come full circle.

Britt’s new album, Full Circle, is indeed the theme that encompasses the songs.

The album will be released this spring but won’t be accompanied by any release

The concept of “Full Circle” started last summer for me. After years upon years of acoustic music, I got a real itch for loud guitars and had a few qualifying rock songs I wanted to finally do justice by. When I got started with Hazel Virtue in the 90’s, the sound was loud power pop but they called it “alternative rock.” So, the title is really just about going completely back to where I started.

At first I was scratching my head to think about who could help me with the rock songs, and then it occurred to me that my own late 90’s band could get the sound if they were willing. Our original guitarist passed away about 4 years ago, and that brought us back together as people. My old bandmates came into town so we could get back in the studio together. The album features original Hazel drummer Kevin Gray and Steve Pless on bass and vocals. Hazel recorded at Kevin Rose’s excellent Elevated Basement. Kevin Rose is also playing lead guitar on this half.

Hazel’s original producer, Ken Sluiter, caught wind of the project and reached out to me about mixing. I was excited at the possibility. I sent him all the “demos” and he helped me arrange, change keys, add/ cut parts, or whatever was needed before we even went into the studio. So most of the recording was mixed out in L.A. Ken putting that much consideration into the album on the front end surely made it come out nice!

I also had a handful of acoustic songs I’ve written over the last couple years, so I decided to do an album with acoustic songs on side A and rock songs on side B. Yeah,

it’s definitely been done before, but I’ve always enjoyed it with bands I admire! I recorded the acoustic songs with a bunch of great local SAV musicians, Eric Daubert on the mandolin, Stan Ray on drums, Michael Ray on keys, Mason Pitts on bass, and Jason Bible on pedal steel and baritone guitars. We recorded with Jason at Silver Buffalo Sound. The acoustic songs all got sent out to Ken in L.A. for the mix as well.

A song like “Atonement” feels very lyrically vulnerable and open. Do you always tend to write lyrics that are as intensely personal? What draws you to the subject matter you choose to write about?

“Atonement” is deeply personal and most of the acoustic material is, that’s just how it’s been coming out for a long while now.

Back when we were making a real “go at it” and touring everywhere, writers I admired always told me to write from the heart or nobody would ever relate to it. Some irreversible switch got turned on there.

When I started putting songs together in Athens, I was terrified to make anything personal so I drew from short stories I had written. Hazel’s record Hip is entirely based on short stories. On the rock side of Full Circle, there are a few Hazel songs that didn’t make the cut the first time around, they will finally be exhumed. If it sounds like 90’s Athens, that is where the sound came from. We decided to keep it that way instead of modernizing it.

What are your thoughts on being an artist in the age of COVID-19? How have you been navigating this strange climate?

Being an artist or anybody else in the COVID-19 climate is beyond weird; everything is right now.

Focusing on the positive, I’ve never seen so many musicians come together at once.

I’ve finally had a chance to listen to some of my favorite songwriters, locally and everywhere else.

A couple weeks in and I’m already trying to collaborate with several other artists. That part is awesome. This would be a great time for anyone with a home studio to collaborate with others anywhere.

With no monetary incentive, I’m hoping this is a great time for artists of all varieties to be at their very best creatively. I’ve definitely seen the community come together, and we are gonna have to stay together for a long time to come.

For me, I’m also able to do the things I wouldn’t have otherwise had time to do correctly if I was still playing gigs every day. So, when I’m not chasing my girls around, working on this album is what I’m doing to stay busy. CS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

concerts, at least for the foreseeable future. He’s releasing several singles in the interim, working on building some buzz digitally during a time when music and art is literally all we have to hang on to. In that way, there’s probably no better time for songs like “Atonement,” the first single being released on April 1.

We caught up with Britt ahead of the release to learn more about the new project.

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Song After Song: Joseph Kapcin of Heavy Books How long did it take to write?

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

HEAVY BOOKS IS the latest project from Savannah music veteran Joseph Kapcin, and they’re a unique part of a music scene that has been growing and growing in recent years. Formed in 2017, the band combines new wave, grunge, and even some country influences to create something pretty singular sounding.

For our latest feature, Song After Song, we asked Kapcin to pick one song of his own and one song that he loves and break down both. Without further ado, we present the first installment of Song After Song.

Original Song: “New Balance” What stands out about the writing process?

This song took me a very long time to write, but I finished writing it when my best friend took his own life.

What’s the song about?

The song is about suicide. Whether you believe in god or not how heartbreaking something like that is. How I wish I could have saved them. It isn’t specifically about my friend persay, but about anyone who I’ve lost to suicide or who deals with the thoughts of taking their own life.

It took me a number of years. The chord progressions are intricate and singing over it was what took the most time. Maybe 5 years to write. Sometimes when I write I put things on the back burner, because they can be too painful to write about.

What about this song makes it an important one for you personally?

Favorite Song: “Waitin’ Around To Die” - Townes Van Zandt When did you first discover this song, and how?

I was living in Pennsylvania around 2003 and my roommate who was really into Townes introduced me, because at the time I was starting to get into folk and country for the first time as opposed to the punk and hardcore I grew up listening to.

Well the fact that I myself have dealt with the struggle of depression. There have What stands out to you about it? been a few times I’ve even tried to take my It’s real. It makes you feel something. I feel own life in the past. the pain and sadness behind the words.

Generally speaking, who are some of What’s most interesting to you in the artists you look to for inspiration terms of production, writing, instruas a writer? mentation, etc?

I really like the way Sharon Van Etten Lyrically it paints a picture of the darkwrites and Kurt Vile, but I also really love Townes Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen ness of people who feel alone or angry and how they suppress pain and bad luck with as well. booze, bad choices, etc. I feel like the world As a songwriter, do you tend to have can harden us and this song depicts that. a goal in mind musically that you sit If you could make one connection down and work at? Or do you let songs between this song and yours? happen organically?

Usually the goal is to tell the truth and bare my soul and write about what I know.

I tend to sing in the shower or while riding my bike or driving and I come up with a melody and if I feel inspired enough I grab my guitar and start writing.

Just like Townes, I write a lot of love songs.

But sometimes you need a heavy one to make people feel something. A lot of my songs tend to be upbeat or dancy and this one is deep, dark and real. Talking about suicide is never easy, but my goal is to let people know they aren’t alone. CS For more visit heavybooks.bandcamp.com

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it work,” he says of the process of writing and producing the songs.

With his musical taste being varied, ranging from Americana to heavier rock and punk, Collett says he was able to find an overarching thread that would ultimately pull the songs together.

“The music that I find myself listening to and wanting to play the most is music that has emotional content as well as an aesthetic or sound that’s representative of that. Epic, full, pretty, ambient but still heavy,” he says.

“When I write an acoustic song, I don’t often picture myself playing it in a quiet room. I picture myself playing it loud as shit at The Jinx, drunk on a Saturday night.”

“Flood,” the title track, is a song that Collett says is the most recently-written one on the album.

“There has been a lot of loss in the community over the last few years, and there’s a shared feeling of loss. And in this time, too, everything is uncertain. We’re in a

situation now where we’re being forced to think about that,” he says. “‘Flood’ is about being present and holding on to the people that you’ve got while you have them. There’s a friend of mine who was in every band I’d been in—we toured all over together. He had a 10-year battle with drugs, and was in and out of jail. He was an amazing person, and me saying that he passed away is a loss isn’t something I own. Everyone that knew him feels that. I wrote that song after he passed away.”

Collett is prepping the album—which was recorded at both The Garage and Low Watt Recording—at a time when people need music more than ever, and it’s appropriate for him as an artist who used these songs to help him get through his own struggles.

“These are the songs that I wrote to get through all the shit that has gone on in my life and the community,” he says. “If I can share them, that’s the goal.” CS

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MATT COLLETT IS best known for his work with The Garage, the studio he coowned in Savannah until recently. He’s also hopped around in tons of bands over the years, primarily as a drummer but on other instruments as well. He’s a veteran musician, but in all of the time he’s been working he’s never properly released anything under his own name.

“I’ve always been filling in for other people, producing, and doing all that stuff, but during that time I never really found a project that I felt fully represented what I wanted to do,” Collett tells Connect.

“These songs on the album are all the ones that I played on acoustic when I’d get home from working on other people’s music.”

Some of the music on Flood, Collett’s solo debut, was written a decade ago. Some of it was written very recently. But it’s all music that Collett feels best represents where he is musically.

“I grew up here in Savannah, and I played in church first but at soon as I found the DIY heavy scene, I was stuck,” he says.

“That was where I found a home and a community that I loved. It really was the home base for everything, not necessarily just musically. As I got older, I started taking gigs that were fun and an opportunity to learn. I wound up getting exposed to a lot of music that I wouldn’t necessarily have listened to, but because I played it I learned to appreciate things that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Collett, who notably spent several years as guitarist and singer for the band Bear Fight, said it took a while to figure out what musical direction to take the project— especially in an age where music can be molded and diverted in almost any direction from a production standpoint.

“I had to learn to just let it be whatever it was, and be able to appreciate that and let

13

CULTURE PERFORMANCE

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

SEQUINED AND Sequestered calls itself the first, only and hopefully last digital burlesque fest.

Six burlesque performers from across the globe are partnering to bring some glittery fun to your quarantine time and to flex their creativity muscle.

“The question is really just, how do we take some really sour lemons and turn them into lemonade?” asks organizer Mx. Pucks A’Plenty from Seattle, Washington.

Savannah Sweet Tease Burleque Revue’s own Rita D’LaVane is one of the organizers, as well as Vixen Valentine from Seattle; Perlita Picante and Solangerie, both from Olympia, Washington; and Freaky Candy from Rimini, Italy.

Between them, they have lots of festival experience, both performing and producing.

The idea came about while all the performers were brainstorming at home.

“Vixen Valentine wanted to work on a project with Perlita Picante, and Mx. Pucks A’Plenty messaged Perlita with a piece of an idea,” shares Rita. “Basically they had the same idea, simultaneously.

During this time they agreed to add more folks to the production team, and Pucks reached out and asked if I’d like to be part of the production team.”

The idea for Sequined and Sequestered is to encourage burlesque performers to be as creative as they can during a time that’s very uncertain for entertainers.

That means performers can’t submit video of an old routine; they have to create a new routine just for submission. Props and costumes have to be something that was already in their house, and the music must be royalty-free.

“You can also use music done by artists from your area that is royalty-free,” says Rita. “I think this is also a good opportunity to seize the moment of creating 14 that synergy with people musically and

Clockwise from top left; Perlita Picante, Vixen Valentine, Mx. Pucks A’Plenty, Solangerie, Freaky Candy, and Rita D’LaVane, and Freaky Candy.

working with your friends that inspire you that make music as well.”

“Or people could try to make their own music using what they have at home, so maybe this is an option for you to go over your limits and try something new,” adds Perlita. “I really hope someone would create their own music using the things they have at home.”

Burlesque performers put a lot of time, effort and creativity into their routines, so to see what they can come up with using limited resources should be exciting.

Any performer looking to enter should create, conceive, film and submit their routine by this Sunday, April 5 at midnight. There are no fees to apply, and more

information is available on their website.

Any burlesque performer can apply to the festival, which should showcase a wide variety of performances from all over.

While there’s a deadline in place for entries, there’s no set date for the festival as of yet. That’s because the organizers don’t know how many submissions they’ll receive and that there are just six of them working remotely to put the show together.

However, they’ll give an update on April 19 with more information regarding the festival’s progress.

The organizers are performers first and foremost, and this festival is a way for them to come together and find community in a difficult time.

“I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work with these amazing humans, not only because they have such extraordinary minds but also the group is a system of emotional support while we’re all trying to get through the pandemic,” says Rita. “We’re getting through this together—that’s what the festival is all about. We met through burlesque, burlesque brought us together, and burlesque is what will get us through this difficult time.” CS For more information, visit seattleactor.wixsite. com/sequinedsequestered.

CULTURE MAGIC MAKERS

Captain Corona: A children’s book for our time

BY BRITTANY CURRY

A FEW weeks ago, I was at the Connect Savannah office having a conversation about the possibility of having my work featured in the newspaper.

Some of you may recognize my work as a Graphic Recorder — I take conversations and ideas from live meetings and events and turn them into engaging, visual, hand-drawn graphics that summarize the key points and takeaways.

It had been on my mind for a while how cool it would be to have a column or some kind of platform on a consistent basis to highlight local stories and people in Savannah who are doing innovative civic and public work in my graphic style.

I’d call it “Magic Makers” since I’d be featuring stories using my magic markers.

Jim agreed that Connect would be a good fit for InkyBrittany graphics, and I left that day knowing it would be awhile before we’d really be able to roll this thing out because Connect was entering what is usually their peak busy time of the year in terms of festivals and events going on.

On Thursday, March 12, I began hearing from several clients that meetings and events were being cancelled all the way through May due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

When I decided to go full-time with my business as a meeting recorder and facilitator, I hadn’t considered what would happen if all live meetings and public gatherings were to be indefinitely put on hold or prohibited altogether.

The same thing was happening for everyone, including at Connect Savannah, whose content is largely based on events and gatherings and live performances.

On that same day, right as I was tiptoeing into despair about the loss of work and upcoming contracts, I received an email from Melissa Gratias (Ph.D and productivity specialist who I met in 2017 at a community meeting at Bull Street Labs) asking, “Have you ever illustrated a children’s book?”

I smiled because people ask me that a lot. I told her that I usually don’t go into the “illustration lane.” My work synthesizes complex layers of information into a simple visual way to help people understand – and is not about drawing pretty pictures.

But, because of my schedule being all-of-a-sudden very

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clear, I was very open to the idea.

She had a vision for creating a children’s e-book called Captain Corona & the 19 COVID Warriors that would help children understand what’s going on with the global pandemic in plain language, and most importantly, zero in on thanking and honoring all the brave people in our country who are working so hard to help us get through this.

From start to finish, with the help of editors and layout designers in her network, we put the book out in TEN DAYS. Books can take 6 months or even years to develop and produce, but she was committed to getting it out fast (keeping in line with the name of her business, Progress Not Perfection.)

The book is easy to download in PDF form at www. melissagratias.com/ captaincorona.

Even though Melissa has made the book available for free, she’s encouraging people who can to donate to the United Way of the Coastal Empire’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund.

It might be thought of as a “kid’s book,” but it’s really everyone, and is a tribute to every healthcare worker, teacher, custodian, delivery person, food service and travel industry employee, first responder, and so many more.

For people who are selfemployed or in creative fields, there are no instructions being passed down from our companies and bosses telling us how protocols are going to go from here on out, how to continue to work, and how our paychecks and benefits are going to be affected. There is a good bit of anxiety in that uncertainty.

But if I look at the situation through a different frame, I see that now more than ever, the power of image and the ability to communicate through visuals can bring people together in highly personalized way, as people are working remotely and having to remain distant.

While there are still so many unknown variables, I am offsetting the temptation to worry and be scared by continuing putting out work around the current events and unfolding stories without being asked or hired; collaborating with people who are also trying to create new opportunities out of roadblocks; and going ahead with plans I made months ago as much as possible (as long as they don’t involve meeting in person!).

I’m sure I’m not alone. As Captain Corona says, “We’re all in this together!”CS

CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

were getting discouraged really quickly because markets were getting canceled really fast,” remembers Rippetoe. “We wanted to do something that not only lifted spirits but also involved everyone socially.”

The social aspect is integral to markets.

Not only is it a way for people to just get out of the house and hang out with other people (ah, remember those days?), but talking with potential buyers is the easiest way to sell your work.

“It’s a lot easier to sell an item in person because people can handle the items, you can talk to them, they get a feel for who you are, they can see your entire collection in one glance,” explains Nea Hanna, an artist and maker with Abode.

Over the weekend, Hanna was one of about 20 makers who participated in a Facebook Live event that allowed shoppers to hear from their favorite makers in a 30-minute live video.

“It’s hilarious and full of awkward moments that are okay because we all understand that we’re doing the best we can and this is new to a lot of us,” says appear on one page to sell their work that Hanna. ranges from jewelry to illustrations to canHanna is also part of an Instagram dles and everything in between. The artgroup that acts as a conduit for social ists are familiar faces and names at most media interaction and visibility. of the makers’ markets you’ll see around “Each person does a post every single town. morning, and then we just go through the Abode’s Chrissy Rippetoe shares that whole list of each others’ posts and share they had a big spring market in the works the love, comment and like,” says Hanna, before things began to change quickly. “so we make sure that we’re driving vis“We felt uncomfortable announcing ibility for everybody. There’s been people it and not knowing for sure how it would that have been reaching out to do collaboaffect the community’s health,” says Riprations that otherwise you would never petoe. “We didn’t want to put any of our think of.” artists’ health in hazard, either, so we just One such collaboration happened with didn’t want to bring that into our space not Rippetoe and one of her makers, Melissa knowing what the dangers were.”

Montford Beauchamp of MMB by hand.

Rippetoe and her co-founder of Abode, Beauchamp is a seamstress who usually Alex Forby, kept an eye out for alternatives. makes wallets and purses, but she recently In Rippetoe’s hometown of Orlando, she redirected her focus. saw an online market that seemed to be “She had some medical friends and getting good interaction. That inspired her friends in hospitals and doctor’s offices to begin one here in Savannah to salvage asking, ‘Hey, can you do masks for us everyone’s springtime plans. please?’” shares Rippetoe. “Then I was “We were getting the feeling that people sharing about the market and community

Abode Studios comes up with creative solutions to spring markets

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

THE ARRIVAL of spring is a boon for Savannah’s artists and makers.

Warmer weather means the return of outdoor activities, which importantly includes art markets. Fresh off the Christmas surge and the subsequent winter chill, local artists await the arrival of spring to get outside and sell their stuff.

This year, of course, is a little different.

Held back by social distancing per the CDC’s guidelines, some of Savannah’s makers have come up with creative alternatives to getting their art out there.

A clear answer to this problem is an online market.

Abode Studios has compiled Savannah Makers Online, a group of 30 makers that

members were asking, ‘Do you have masks?’ So I started sharing her information and it steamrolled from there.”

Currently, Abode has 11 seamstresses creating masks and isolation gowns to distribute to any medical facilities that may need them. Rippetoe shares that medical professionals in need of supplies can email hello@abodesavannah.com with their requests, and people willing to help monetarily can make a donation to their GoFundMe, which can be found on their Facebook page.

It’s inspiring to watch artists come together and do good things, even in the face of a global pandemic that seems neverending. It’s equally inspiring to see the creativity flowing out of our already-creative community.

For Rippetoe, the idea of bringing everyone together in one digital space fosters that creative community even more.

“We wanted to do something that crossconnected everyone’s audiences,” says Rippetoe. “We’re all sharing it, so my audience is going to see everyone else’s things and then shop something they’ve never seen before. Some people are running sales, a lot of people are doing free shipping or local pickups—a lot of people are taking a really creative way at trying to make their small business work and rolling with the punches in a very strange time.”

Hanna thinks that there’s room for these new ways of connecting to carry over to our daily lives.

“I think it’s really opened our eyes to how much more we can be doing online and digitally, and with people that maybe have travel restrictions or are homebound in general,” says Hanna. “It really opens it up and makes it available to everybody, and I hope that we don’t forget that when things get back to some sort of physical normalcy. I hope that we don’t forget the value in driving online community.” CS To visit the Savannah Makers Online market and to learn more about Abode Studios, visit abodesavannah.com.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

Left: Chrissy Rippetoe, co-founder of Abode Studios, is spearheading a mask-making effort with MMB by hand. Above: Nea Hanna appeared on this weekend’s Facebook Live marketplace to sell and talk about her work.

17

CULTURE VISUAL ARTS

Village.

4. What’s your artistic background like?

If I Tell You.

QUESTIONS

WITH

Joanna Angell

BY RACHAEL FLORA

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

rachael@connectsavannah.com

18

JOANNA ANGELL IS an artist of many media, and her love of experimentation is clear through her work.

Angell teaches at University of South Carolina Beaufort, is a member of the Savannah Clay Community, and recently had a solo exhibition of work up at Savannah State University.

“Touched” was a retrospective of Angell’s career, starting from her grad school days up through today. The work shows how talented and versatile an artist Angell really is: etchings and printmaking were on display with ceramic pieces and a new conceptual venture.

Angell is based in Savannah and plans on exhibiting again as soon it’s safe to do so.

We caught up with Angell last week.

1. Tell me about “Touched.”

It was a little retrospective of a lot of work.

I work in physical art, not digital art.

“Touched” was a piece I made in response to a fellow who thought that the future of art would be all digital. My response was that I like things that are touched, I enjoy the physical, so that’s what that was about.

I still feel like it’s an important concept.

It’s also a word that can be interpreted several different ways, so if for you it’s about the Me Too movement, that’s fine with me.

I was an undergrad English major, and there is some writing you’ll find [in the pieces]. It could be pretty much indirectly tied to Me Too, to women who need to tell the stories.

2. Do you find ties between your earlier and more current work?

It’s all tied together. For me, having a show, I used to think it was all about, “Look at

me, look at me,” when it’s really a chance for me to do some assessment, looking for connections. That’s a language I developed in grad school: I place myself in here and tell my story about where I am.

The reception [of “Touched”] was awesome. There were a lot of Savannah State students who had amazing questions for me, and they helped me think about my work a little bit more.

3. What inspires you in your work?

At the Columbus Museum of Art, I saw some of Anselm Kiefer’s work—he in the 80s was a really big influence. But he piles on paint, and it’s totally different. What I’m doing is I’m taking a roof from a dream I had, and taking my prayer cloth, and a gate from a photography of my grandmother when she was a child.

I’m inspired by dreams, things I see, the figures. I did a lot of empty dresses for a while. They prayer cloth took the place of the dress, and then the bodies started happening. Recently I’ve added the figure.

I keep a journal, one in my room by my bed because that’s when dreams are the most likely to be remembered. I also keep one in my studio that’s kind of an artist journal, so I write little things on slips of paper when people are talking to me and I bring them home and put them into one journal or the other. I take good notes.

My mother was an artist, and I was basically raised in her studio. From the time I could probably speak or walk, I made art.

My mom was a painter, but she dabbled in so many things. She never found a material she didn’t like. She made jewelry; her ceramic kiln was the first kiln I had when I left graduate school and didn’t have that many supplies. She was a printmaker, a ceramicist, generally an artist, but she made her living as a commercial artist. I remember walking alongside her down on Broughton Street when she’d deliver artwork by hand to the stores before the age of computers.

Just growing up, being given the opportunity to explore any material I was interested in, that’s a freedom that I wish any child could have.

I grew up in Savannah and I never thought I’d be back. I got into Drew University in New Jersey; it was my undergraduate college. I grew up going to New York every summer to visit my grandfather, and I really wanted to be close to the pulse of the world, Manhattan. I went to school in New Jersey to be close to Manhattan for a while, then ended up back at the University of Georgia for grad school, and I found my way back to Savannah.

5.

How do you balance your personal practice with your work teaching?

I’m inspired by young artists, I’ll just say, and teaching has been really beneficial in that regard. Also having a community of other people who teach is fabulous. Sometimes, when I’m doing demonstrations, I’ll try something new just for fun and of course that can inform my work or practice. I do a lot of demoing, so a lot of the experimentation happens then.

It’s hard to balance, but I think it’s necessary. I think my students respect that I’m a practicing artist. I had my own studio practice before I started teaching, and I made my living that way. My understanding that that’s a possibility, I think is also really good for young artists to know. CS For more, visit joannaangell.com.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS!

FOOD & DRINK CUISINE FEATURE Erik Lyons and Steve Howard, owners

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

LOCAL FARMBAG has been a successful business delivering fresh, locally-sourced produce, meat, and dairy to area homes for a decade.

But they’ve never experienced demand anything like this before.

“Our demand for eggs has quintupled.

We have straight doubled the amount of our deliveries. We’re trying to catch up,” co-owner Erik Lyons tells us during a brief moment of downtime.

While Lyons of course acknowledges the serious and tragic nature of the pandemic that led to this increased demand for nocontact home delivery, he says it’s not like they were waiting around for something bad to happen.

“We’ve been doing this for ten years — we’re not exactly new to this,” he says.

Local Farmbag works like this: You go to their website, fill out a form to join, see what is on offer that week — maybe making a few add-ons such as bacon or coffee — pay for your order, and they bring it to you on the set delivery day for the week.

One of their vans comes to your home, and the driver leaves the Farmbag order on your porch.

That’s it. No contact, nothing changes hands.

Farmbags range from the $19 “Mini Bag” — four items, farmer’s choice — up to the $52 Large Bag, with a whopping 25 pounds of produce.

That’s a lot of produce, folks.

But these days, what people want most are eggs — which means Local Farmbag has had to dig extra deep into its list of area providers to meet demand.

“Meat is in high demand, but we’ve got plenty of meat. Eggs are harder to find,” Lyons says.

The fresh meat supply is generally from local farms Hunter Cattle and Savannah River Farms, which Local Farmbag has a

long relationship with.

A particularly interesting partner is Green Spork.

“They bake that special gluten-free bread,” Lyons says. “She can’t make it fast enough.”

Other key partners include Thrive Cafe, PERC Coffee, Greenbridge Farms, and Southern Swiss Dairy, among many other regional farms.

Lyons says a recent initiative to offer half-off Farmbags to local healthcare workers has been a massive success.

“We’re offering 50 percent off all healthcare workers through April and that’s been huge. We’ve gotten so many nurses and doctors who signed up almost right away,” Lyons says.

There’s a plan in the works to perhaps offer something similar to service workers.

All new customers who sign up through April will get 15 percent off, he says.

Local Farmbag began in December 2009, when the farmer’s market at Trustees’ Garden went on hiatus, and “we felt the need to continue connecting customers with our local farmers, but in a year round, more convenient way,” their website says.

As you’d expect, Local Farmbag has indeed needed to hire more staff to keep up with all the new demand. They were able to pick up some laid-off local service workers “right away,” Lyons says, “so I think we’re OK on staff right now.”

At this point, Lyons is unsure if they will need another delivery vehicle to meet increased demand, or will just add an extra delivery day to the weekly schedule.

While Local Farmbag’s business model didn’t need much tweaking to conform to social distance protocol, they did change a couple of things.

“We aren’t delivering to businesses anymore, and we don’t accept cash or checks anymore,” Lyons says. “We moved everything to cards.” CS Sign up at localfarmbag.com

o f f e r i ng e x p e r t h e a lth a dv i c e si nc e 1978 Proudng outlet of BetterFresh, Heritage Farms, o fferi ex p ert h ea lt h advic e sinc e 1978 MON–SAT Vertu Farm and more local source producers Locally Owned & Operated 1102 BULL ST. MON–SAT

9AM–7PM 9AM–7PM SUN 12–5:30PM

SUN 12–5:30PM

Locally Owned & Operated

by Peter & Janie Brodhead

by Peter & Janie Brodhead

1102 BULL ST. SAVANNAH, GA SAVANNAH, GA

CURBSIDE DELIVERY AVAILABLE! CALL BRIGHTERDAYFOODS.COM CALLUS USAT AT(912) (912)236-4703 236-4703 •• BRIGHTERDAYFOODS.COM Email orders to brighterdaytogo@gmail.com

Organic Vitamins Supplements o fferiFresh ng ex Produce pProduce ert h ea••lt h advic&& eSupplements sinc e 1978 Organic Fresh Vitamins Walk-up window back open Also available & Juice Bar • Outdoor Café MON–SAT Deli Deli & Juice Bar • Outdoor Café Locally Owned & Operated

Saturdays 10 - 5. Look for more for delivery via ST. 1102 BULL 9AM–7PM hours COMING SOON! SAVTAKEOUT.COM SAVANNAH, GA

by Peter & Janie Brodhead SUN 12–5:30PM

1102CALL BullUS St.AT • (912) BRIGHTERDAYFOODS.COM (912)236-4703 236-4703 • BRIGHTERDAYFOODS.COM Organic Fresh Produce • Vitamins & Supplements Deli & Juice Bar • Outdoor Café

bar• food

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thinking of friends, patrons, and loved ones. We are committed to community and looking forward to a time when we can all break bread together again.

savannahbarfood.com

4523 Habersham St. • 912.355.5956

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

Local Farmbag: Fresh produce, direct to you

19

FOOD & DRINK WHO’S OPEN: CURBSIDE AND TAKEOUT

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

Downtown

20

Fox & Fig Café Takeout/delivery/curbside. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

Coffee Fox daily 9 a.m.-3 p.m. takeout Diplomat Luncheonette Takeout/delivery Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Rancho Alegre Takeout only Fire Street Food Takeout only, 11am-3pm & 4:30pm-9pm Vinnie Van Go-Go’s Takeout 4-10:30 p.m., Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri-Sat Noon-10:30 p.m. Sun Wild Wing Tue-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Stoner’s Pizza (Boundary St.) 11 a.m.-10 p.m. takeout and delivery Green Fire Pizza Zero-contact takeout and delivery Cup to Cup Cafe Takeout, Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

Screamin’ Mimi’s Daily 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

PS Tavern Takeout, delivery 1-11 p.m.

B&D Burgers Congress Street noon-8 p.m.

Online ordering at https://bdburgers.net/ pickup-locations/ with curbside delivery 912-339-8187 Mellow Mushroom Normal hours for carryout Cafe M Takeout and curbside Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill (downtown) All locations normal hours, but only taking to-go and delivery orders. Order online at their website, https://www.jalapenosinc. com/ Clary’s Cafe Takeout/curbside Zunzi’s Online ordering for takeout at https:// www.zunzis.com/online-ordering/ Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Patio has been closed.

Foxy Loxy Cafe Takeout/delivery Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday cafe 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Savannah Taphouse Takeout, Uber Eats 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bella Napoli Mondays and Wed.-Fri. 4:30-9:30 p.m.

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

Flock to the Wok Takeout/delivery Flying Monk Noodle Bar 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 4:30-9 p.m., takeout only Parker’s Kitchen All locations open, most open 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Takeout, delivery available The Ordinary Pub Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. limited menu, curbside pick-up available Molly McPherson’s (Downtown) All locations open regular hours for takeout Roly Poly takeout Monday – Saturday, 11a.m. – 4p.m.

J. Christopher’s Takeout, UberEats daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Maple Street Biscuit Company Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Takeout, UberEats Jimmy John’s Takeout, bike delivery Daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

The District Cafe & Eatery Takeout, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wicked Cakes Storefront closed, available for pick-up orders, email wickedcakesofsavannah@ gmail.com to order McDonough’s Lounge Normal hours for takeout Pie Society Free delivery Ashford Tea Company 406 E. Oglethorpe Ave Savannah www.ashfordtea.co Email your order and cell phone to cs@ ashfordtea.co Tue- Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Blue Door Service at take-out window only Cup to Cup Cafe 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. takeout, on SAVtakeOut app for delivery South of Forsyth Cotton & Rye 5-10 p.m., takeout Betty Bomber’s Takeout/delivery Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Bull Street Taco Open for grab & go from noon-8 p.m. They say every Taco Box order gets a free roll of toilet paper.

Order online and they will bring it to you curbside when you call. www.bullstreettaco.com Brighter Day Natural Foods Market Pickup at 1102 Bull St. Email your order and cellphone number to brighterdaytogo@gmail.com. You’ll get a text with further info.

9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Henny Penny Art Space and Cafe 8 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, takeout/delivery Betty Bomber’s Curbside pickup and delivery, close at 9 p.m.

Sentient Bean Open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. call ahead at 912/2324447 for front door pick up. $5 minimum.

Starland/Thomas Square

Squirrel’s Pizza Takeout/Delivery Noon-9 p.m. Tue.-Sun., 5-9 p.m. Monday The Vault Takeout only, 5-9 p.m.

Green Truck Pub 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Takeout only Fork & Dagger Takeout/delivery 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Pizzeria Vittoria Napoletana Takeout only Big Bon Bodega Takeout, delivery 787 By Chazito’s Curbside pick up and in-house delivery to Starland and Ardsley Park area Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Midtown

Whole Foods Market Savannah General public hours: 8 am – 8 pm Seniors invited to shop one hour before the store opens to general public Ben’s Neighborhood Grill & Tap Takeout/delivery 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. The 5 Spot Habersham Village In addition to Curbside To-Go and no-contact home deliveries through GrubHub and DoorDash, 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.

Latin Chicks 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., Takeout, drivethru window Kayak Kafe Midtown location only Daily 11 a.m.- 7 p.m., eatkayak.com Curbside and takeout, free delivery Pitcher’s Takeout/delivery daily 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Barnes Restaurant Pick-up available Savannah Pizza Company Takeout and delivery only Southside Tailgate Sports Bar & Grill Takeout/delivery 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Stoner’s Pizza (Georgetown and Eisenhower) 11 a.m.-10 p.m. takeout and delivery Houlihan’s noon-8 p.m. daily Bowtie Barbecue Curbside pick up and online ordering, daily noon-7 p.m.

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

The Draft Room at Berwick 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Takeout and Drive-thru B&D Burgers noon-8 p.m.

Online ordering at https://bdburgers.net/ pickup-locations/ with curbside delivery.

Southside – 11108 Abercorn St. (912-785-3064) Carey Hilliard’s Normal hours, 11 a.m.-midnight, until 1 a.m. Fri-Sat. Curbside service Dine-In your Car: They hang a tray on your window, and bring the food out on plates. careyhilliards.com.

Olive Garden (Southside) Takeout, delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Longhorn Steakhouse (Southside) Takeout, delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill (Southside) All locations normal hours, but only taking to-go and delivery orders. Order online at their website, https://www.jalapenosinc. com/ Hirano’s Southside Normal hours, call-in and pick-up service only, sushi bar temporarily closed Coach’s Corner Takeout and curb service 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Troy Mediterranean Cuisine Curbside takeout, daily 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Glo’s Coffee Corner 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Meet at front door to pick up Southside Shellfish 12-7pm Tuesday - Thursday 12-8pm Friday - Saturday

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Call in orders to 912-927-2733 for takeout & curbside

Pooler

B&D Burgers noon-8 p.m.

Online ordering at https://bdburgers.net/ pickup-locations/ with curbside delivery.

Pooler Parkway – 238-G Pooler Parkway (912-785-3067) Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (Pooler) Takeout, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Olive Garden (Pooler) Takeout, delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Longhorn Steakhouse (Pooler)

Takeout, delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Terra Mia Takeout Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Mellow Mushroom Normal hours for carryout Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill (Pooler)

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19)

“If all the world’s a stage, where the hell is the teleprompter,” asks aphorist Sami Feiring. In my astrological opinion, you Aries are the least likely of all the signs to identify with that perspective. While everyone else might wish they could be better prepared for the nonstop improvisational tests of everyday life, most of you tend to prefer what I call the “naked spontaneity” approach. If you were indeed given the chance to use a teleprompter, you’d probably ignore it. Everything I just said is especially and intensely true for you right now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

When Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun was 25 years old, a doctor told him that the tuberculosis he had contracted would kill him within three months. But in fact, Hamsun lived 67 more years, till the age of 92. I suspect there’s an equally erroneous prophecy or unwarranted expectation impacting your life right now. A certain process or phenomenon that seems to be nearing an end may in fact reinvent or resurrect itself, going on to last for quite some time. I suggest you clear away any misapprehensions you or others might have about it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

I invite you to remember what you were thinking and feeling around your birthday in 2019. Were there specific goals you hoped to accomplish between then and your birthday in 2020? Were there bad old habits you aimed to dissolve and good new habits you proposed to instigate? Was there a lingering wound you aspired to heal or a debilitating memory you longed to conquer? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your progress in projects like those. And if you find that you have achieved less than you had hoped, I trust you will dedicate yourself to playing catch-up in the weeks between now and your birthday. You may be amazed at how much ground you can cover.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

I can’t swim. Why? There was a good rea-

son when I was a kid: I’m allergic to chlorine, and my mom wouldn’t let me take swimming lessons at the local chlorinetreated pool. Since then, the failure to learn is inexcusable, and I’m embarrassed about it. Is there an equivalent phenomenon in your life, my fellow Cancerian?

The coming weeks might be an excellent time to meditate on how to correct the problem. Now excuse me while I head out to my solo self-administered swim lesson at Bass Lake, buoyed by the instructions I got from a Youtube video.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Is William Shakespeare the greatest author who ever lived? French philosopher Voltaire didn’t think so, calling him “an amiable barbarian.” Russian superstar author Leo Tolstoy claimed The Bard had “a complete absence of aesthetic feeling.” England’s first Poet Laureate John Dryden called Shakespeare’s language “scarcely intelligible.” T. E. Lawrence, a.k.a Lawrence of Arabia, declared The Bard had a second-rate mind. Lord Byron said, “Shakespeare’s name stands too absurdly high and will go down.” His contemporary, the poet and playwright Ben Johnson, asserted that he “never had six lines together without a fault.” I offer these cheeky views to encourage you Leos to enjoy your own idol-toppling and authority-questioning activities in the coming weeks. You have license to be an irrepressible iconoclast.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Virgo-born Jack Ma is China’s richest person and one of the world’s most powerful businessmen. He co-founded Alibaba, the Chinese version of Amazon.com. He likes his employees to work hard, but also thinks they should cultivate a healthy balance between work and life. In his opinion, they should have sex six times a week, or 312 times a year. Some observers have suggested that’s too much—especially if you labor 12 hours a day, six days a week, as Jack Ma prefers—but it may not be excessive for you Virgos. The coming months could be a very erotic time.

But please practice safe sex in every way imaginable.

All locations normal hours, but only taking to-go and delivery orders. Order online at their website, https://www.jalapenosinc. com/ Molly McPherson’s (Pooler) All locations open regular hours for takeout

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

BY ROB BREZSNY

beautyandtruth@freewillastrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

How hard are you willing to work on your most important relationships? How might your life change for the better if you gave them your most potent resourcefulness and panache? The next eight weeks will be a favorable time for you to attend to these matters, Libra. During this fertile time, you will have unprecedented power to reinvigorate togetherness with imaginative innovations. I propose you undertake the following task: Treat your intimate alliances as creative art projects that warrant your supreme ingenuity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

“I make mistakes,” confessed author Jean Kerr. “I’ll be the second to admit it.” She was making a joke, contrasting her tepid sense of responsibility with the humbler and more common version of the idiom, which is “I make mistakes; I’ll be the first to admit it.” In the coming weeks, I’ll be fine if you merely match her mild level of apology—just as long as you do indeed acknowledge some culpability in what has gone amiss or awry or off-kilter. One way or another, you need to be involved in atonement and correction—for your own sake.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

If you have been thinking of adopting a child or getting pregnant with a new child, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to enter a new phase of rumination about that possibility. If you’ve been dreaming off and on about a big project that could activate your dormant creative powers and captivate your imagination for a long time to come, now would be a perfect moment to get more practical about it. If you have fantasized about finding a new role that would allow you to express even more of your beauty and intelligence, you have arrived at a fertile phase to move to the next stage of that fantasy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I suggest you make room in your life for a time of sacred rejuvenation. Here are activities you might try: Recall your favorite events of the past. Reconnect with your roots. Research your genetic

heritage. Send prayers to your ancestors, and ask them to converse with you in your dreams. Have fun feeling what it must have been like when you were in your mother’s womb. Get a phone consultation with a past life regression therapist who can help you recover scenes from your previous incarnations. Feel reverence and gratitude for traditions that are still meaningful to you. Reaffirm your core values—the principles that serve as your lodestar. And here’s the number one task I recommend: Find a place of refuge in your imagination and memories; use your power of visualization to create an inner sanctuary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Are we just being poetic and fanciful when we say that wonder is a survival skill? Not according to the editors who assembled the collection of essays gathered in a book called *Wonder and Other Survival Skills*.

They propose that a capacity to feel awe and reverence can help us to be vital and vigorous; that an appreciation for marvelous things makes us smart and resilient; that it’s in our selfish interests to develop a humble longing for sublime beauty and an attraction to sacred experiences. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to dive deep into these healing pleasures, dear Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

For decades, the city of Sacramento, California suffered from severe floods when the Sacramento and American Rivers overflowed their banks. Residents authorized a series of measures to prevent these disasters, culminating in the construction of a 59,000-acre floodplain that solved the problem. According to my analysis, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to plan an equally systematic transformation. It could address a big ongoing problem like Sacramento’s floods, or it could be a strategy for reorganizing and recreating your life so as to gloriously serve your long-term dreams.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

WHO’S OPEN

21

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

BY MATT JONES ©2020 Answers on page 23

“INDOOR ACTIVITIES” --WHERE EVERYTHING IS IN DOORS.

WHO’S OPEN

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Pie Society Free delivery Grab and go Take and Bake pies at Pooler location, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Wasabi Fusion (Pooler) Takeout/delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Leopold’s Ice Cream Broughton Street location closed Takeout from Airport location noon-7 p.m.

Tybee Island

Salt Island Fish and Beer Regular hours takeout, call ahead to request curbside Tybee Island Bakery featuring Cafe Miss Korea Takeout Sundae Cafe Takeout only, lunch noon-3 p.m., dinner 4-8 p.m.

The Crab Shack Takeout, curb service, frozen ready-tocook meal kits Lighthouse Pizza has online ordering for delivery and pickup. noon to 10 p.m.

Bernie’s Oyster House, Tybee Online ordering for delivery and pickup.

Noon-10 p.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | APR 1 - 7, 2020

ACROSS

22

1 “Knives Out” sleuth Benoit 6 1/8 of a fluid ounce 10 MTV mainstay Loder who turns 75 soon 14 Jasmine’s pet tiger in “Aladdin” 15 Tabula ___ (blank slate) 16 Abbr. on egg cartons 17 Best effort, slangily 18 Oklahoma town near Vance AFB 19 Benefit of time off 20 Request that’s asking a lot 23 Prefix with laryngologist 24 Fire starter?

25 Bio., chem., or biochem.

28 Overachieving college student’s quest 35 “___ Can Cook” (former cooking show) 36 Bobbing necessities 37 Film segue, perhaps 38 “Neato!”

40 Carrere who sang in “Wayne’s World” 41 New ___, Conn. (home of Yale) 42 ___ O’s (cookie-based cereal) 43 Britton in season 1 of “American Horror Story” 45 “Able was I ___ I saw Elba” 46 Job for a resident assistant 48 It has teeth but no

mouth 49 Do mild exercise 50 Edinburgh cap 52 Something you can’t take up at the mall 59 “Dear ___ Hansen” 61 Military no-show, briefly 62 “CSI” or “NCIS” 63 Seconds, e.g.

64 Jolt, for one 65 Chamillionaire hit parodied by Weird Al 66 Has claim to 67 Bend out of shape 68 “Byzantium” poet

DOWN

1 Garrett of “Everybody Loves Raymond” 2 Loch : Scottish :: ___ : Spanish 3 In ___ (stuck) 4 “... and Bingo was his ___” 5 “Allowed” time to go off a regimen?

6 Number of e’s in Heidelberg?

7 Tried to get hold of 8 “Oh, right!”

9 Butterfly and Bovary, for two 10 “Seven Samurai” director Akira 11 Password typer, maybe 12 Satnav suggestions 13 Inky artwork 21 “I touched your nose!” sound

22 Energetic spirit 25 Assembly of clergy 26 Capital near the Great Sphinx 27 Conclude from evidence 29 “Oil!” author Sinclair 30 Pancakes sometimes served with caviar 31 Inclined 32 Swing dances 33 Nightly streaming offering from the Met 34 Sign up again for an online subscription 39 “It’s Not Unusual” singer 41 Field involving coats-of-arms 43 Courvoisier and Hennessy, e.g.

44 Teeniest bit 47 Do a yard job 51 Callender in the frozen food aisle 52 “Well, heck” 53 “Star Wars” series creature 54 Kind of proprietor 55 Attack, like a kitty while you’re trying to work 56 “Look what I did!”

57 Leave out 58 Also-___ (election conceders) 59 Moody music genre 60 Altar words

Wilmington Island

Lili’s Takeout/delivery Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 5-10 p.m.

Island Daiquiri on Wilmington Island Normal hours for dine-in and carryout.

Current Kitchen & Cocktails Takeout/delivery

Sandfly

Auspicious Baking Co. Sandfly location - 7360 Skidaway Rd. open Friday, Sunday, Tuesday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Rocky’s of Savannah NY Deli & Italian Catering Takeout/delivery Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Norwood Tavern Takeout 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill (Sandfly) All locations normal hours, but only taking to-go and delivery orders. Order online at their website, https://www.jalapenosinc. com/ Tequila’s Town Sandfly location only; open for takeout

Thunderbolt

Chiriya’s Takeout until 9 p.m.

Announcements

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

Real Estate

410 MORGAN STREET POOLER-$269,900 Completely renovated 4-bdrm, 3-1/2 baths, two-story home.

Separate LR/DR, family room w/ fireplace, new kitchen w/stainless appliances, new cabinets/granite counter-tops, wood and ceramic floors, brick/hardy board exterior.

Alvin 912-604-5898 Realty Executives Coastal Empire 912-355-5557

Homes For Sale

For Rent

3 Houses for Sale. 2BR w/den, hardwood floors $95,000. 3BR, hardwood floors + 2BR Apt in rear. $175,000. 2BR needs work $75,000. Contact Nathaniel Tilson 912-507-4852.

WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

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Call 912-721-4350 and Place Your Classified Ad Today!

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SAVANNAH’S HOUSE OF GRACE- SENIOR LIVING AT ITS BEST. Ages 50 and BETTER. Shared community living for full functioning seniors. Nice comfortable living, affordable rates. Shared kitchen and bathroom.

Bedrooms with central heating/air/cable. Private bedrooms, fully furnished. ALSO: Community housing w/private bath. Different rates apply.

Income must be verifiable. Accept government vouchers. Starting at $600. 912-844-5995.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION NEWS, MUSIC, ART & EVENTS… EVENTS CALENDAR MUSIC AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS PHOTO GALLERIES BLOGS VIDEO CURRENT & ARCHIVE STORIES CONTESTS

BEAUTIFULLY REMODELED 3BR/2BA Mobile. Home in Rural Richmond Hill. Includes Water, Pest Control, Lawn Care. $950mo/$950deposit with contract/REFERENCES. NO PETS. NO SMOKING. 912-690-3386.

East 54th $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.

No Bees; No Honey, No Classified Ad; No Money!

Roommate Wanted 219 WEST 39TH STREET. Downtown. Furnished, all utilities.

Clean/quiet/nice room. On bus line. $170 & Up per week. 912247-5404

ROOMMATE WANTED: Very Clean Home. All Utilities, Cable, Wifi, Fitness Gym. On busline. NEWLY FURNISHED w/shared or private bath. $145-$200/week or $550SHARED LIVING. Fully Furnished $650 month. 912-414-4380 Apartments. Ages 40 and better. $170 weekly. No deposit. Utilities included. 912-844-5995

CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

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• Real Estate • Vehicles

3BR/1BA. Freshly painted.

New A/C. Quiet Residential Bloomingdale.

NO PETS. Verifiable Income. Big Yard.

Shown by Appointment.

912-210-0144

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23

PAPPY’S PRESSURE WASHING, LLC COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • SIDING • BRICK CONCRETE • DRIVEWAYS • PATIOS SOFT WASH ROOFING

Purchase a house cleaning, and get the driveway and sidewalks done FREE! Offer ends April 30th

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE! 912.596.6550 • LICENSED & INSURED