Connect Savannah, December 16, 2020

DEC 16-22, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Drink in the Season 10 signature Savannah cocktails good for getting holly-jolly

ALSO INSIDE:

SENATE HOPEFULS VISIT SAVANNAH

ERIC BRITT

GOES FULL CIRCLE

FINE SANDWICHES FLY AT FINCHES PHOTO BY JOHN ALEXANDER

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

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WEDNESDAY 12.16

A Christmas Tradition

“A Christmas Tradition” brings holiday glitz and glitter to the stage with a twohour performance featuring holiday favorites, a little comedy and Santa and his dancing reindeer. Check savannahtheatre. com for show times and ticket info.

8 p.m. on Wednesdays; see website for additional show times The Historic Savannah Theatre, 222 Bull St. savannahtheatre.com

THURSDAY 12.17

Christmas Movie Trivia

Put your trivia skills to the test at Southbound Brewing’s Trivia Thursday Christmas movie edition benefitting The Humane Society of Greater Savannah.

Dress in some Christmas attire and your first beer is free. $1 of every pint sold goes toward the humane society.

7 p.m.

Southbound Brewing, 107 E Lathrop Ave.

Savannah Christmas Market Plant Riverside District

The Savannah Christmas Market Plant Riverside District market promises European and Southern holiday traditions in the popular entertainment district November 27 through January 3, 2021. A wide range of holiday-themed events, live performances and family-friendly activities. All events are free and open to the public.

Nov. 27-Jan. 3, 12-11 p.m.

Plant Riverside District, 500 W. River St. Free and open to the public. savannahchristmasmarket.com

FRIDAY 12.18

Brilliant Brass for the Holidays

Savannah Philharmonic presents a holiday concert filled with brass arrangements of carols, songs of the season and hidden

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gems from across the world. In-personaudience socially distanced seating is limited to 100 guests.

7:30 p.m.

Trustees’ Garden, Main Stage. savannahphilharmonic.org

Renegade Paws Downtown Holiday Lights Pack Walk

The DeSoto Street Market is back just in time for the holidays. The market will be set up with all the necessary safety procedures in place so everyone can come out to find some last-minute holiday gifts and

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only. $75 per person.

6-10 p.m.

Peregrin, 256 E Perry Lane. $75

The Savannah Book Festival’s virtual season continues with New York Times #1 Bestselling Author Michael Connelly. As the author of such books as Fair Warning, The Night Fire, and Dark Sacred Night, Michael Connelly will sit down with SCAD writing professor Jonathan Rabb to discuss his new book The Law of Innocence, which hit bookshelves on Nov. 17.

7 p.m. savannahbookfestival.org

Tickets to Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist’s annual Christmas concert are sold out but the full performance will be streamed online. Go to savannahcathedral.org or the church’s Facebook page for more info.

5 p.m.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, 222 East Harris Street. savannahcathedral.org

support local and small businesses. Kidand pet-friendly.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Two Tides Brewing Company, 12 West 41st St.

Deck the Paws

Moon River Brewery is hosting a fundraiser for the Humane Society for Greater Leash up your pup for a pack walk and Savannah with adoptable pets on-site donation drive beginning and ending at the 12-4pm. Enjoy special Savannah Distillery fountain in Forsyth Park with hot cocoa craft cocktails featuring their bourbon and and puppuccinos. Dogs, and their humans, vodka, house-made spent grain dog treats are encouraged to wear their favorite ugly for your pup, an ugly sweater contest and sweater to be entered into a holiday raffle. more. $1 from each Moon River beer and Dog owners are encouraged to join with Savannah Distillery drink sold goes to their own pets but the rescue will also HSGS. have adoptable dogs available for volun11 a.m.-11 p.m. teers to walk.

Moon River Brewing Co., 21 West Bay St. 6 p.m.

Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave. Oyster Roast renegadepawsrescue.org Scarf down some tasty oysters at Southbound Brewing Company with oysters cooked on-site by Erica SATURDAY 12.19 Davis Catering. A $40 ticket includes Christmas Revival Holiday Market oysters, barbecue food, and one pint of The Savannah State Farmers Market Southbound beer, with 100% of the profits special holiday market features fresh local from ticket sales going to a local nonproduce, baked goods, handmade gifts, profit. Kids get in free. live music, and free treats!

1 p.m.

9 a.m.

Southbound Brewing Company, 107 East Savannah State Farmers Market, 701 US Hwy. Lathrop Ave. 80. $40

Holiday DeSoto Street Market

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Savannah Book Festival presents Michael Connelly WED 12.16

Bluffton Farmers Market

Take the half-hour or so drive up to Bluffton and find delicious fruits and vegetables at the Bluffton Farmers Market.

The farmer’s market features fresh locallygrown produce and flowers from local vendors, but that’s not all they provide, as the scene is often filled with live entertainment, food, and much more. The market is located at 40 Calhoun Street in Bluffton, South Carolina.

12-5 p.m.

Bluffton Farmers Market, 40 Calhoun Street. farmersmarketbluffton.org

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Reindeer on the Roof

Santa and friends are bringing the holiday party to the Perry Lane Hotel’s rooftop bar for a panoramic night of live music, photos with live reindeer, unlimited rum punch, and plenty of holiday joy. Adults

SUNDAY 12.20

Christmas at the Cathedral

Santa’s Reindeer

Santa’s reindeer friends will be making their way up to the roof for a meet-andgreet with your little ones. Join the festivities for photos with live reindeer and enjoy complimentary hot cocoa and cookies while you wait. Each ticket will admit a family of five.

10 a.m.

Peregrin, 256 E Perry Lane. $40

MONDAY 12.21

Kwanzaa Assemblage Virtual Workshop With The Savannah African Art Museum

Create your own Kwanzaa Assemblage with this Savannah African Art Museum virtual workshop dedicated to celebrating the art, culture, and history of Kwanzaa.

Participants will incorporate items such as corn husk dolls, African masks, fabric, silk, and more in order to properly depict a collage of 3D elements representing the story participants wish to share. A stepby-step process on how to prepare for the workshop is available on their website.

The workshop will be prerecorded and available indefinitely beginning Dec 21. savannahafricanartmuseum.org

Tybee Island Farmers Market

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

WEEK AT A

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

Weekly market featuring a variety of produce, baked goods, honey, eggs, BBQ, sauces and dressings, popsicles, dog treats and natural body products. Artisans are also featured each week. The market is non-smoking and pet friendly. Located at 30 Meddin Drive. We are right behind the Historic Tybee Lighthouse. Visit the website for more info.

4 p.m.

30 Meddin Drive, 30 Meddin Drive. tybeeislandfarmersmarket.com 3

NEWS BRIEFS

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EDITORIAL

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Nick Robertson, Editor-in-Chief nick@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4360 Taylor Clayton, News Editor taylor@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4356 Brandy Simpkins, Community/Events Journalist brandy@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4358 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Margaret Coker, Jessica Farthing, Chris Griffin, Brittany Herren, Lindy Moody, Bunny Ware, Lauren Wolverton

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Savannah mayor urges event moratorium through February safe level, and in order for that to happen, TO PREVENT the further spread of COVID-19, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson everyone in Savannah must abide by coronavirus precautions like wearing face is recommending that the city continue masks and adhering its moratorium on to social-distancing issuing event permits guidelines. through Feb. 28, 2021.

“There is a very The city’s St. Patrick’s deathly cause and Day celebrations effect between our remain up in the air. behaviors and our con“In consultation sequences,” said the with our publicmayor. “We do right, health and epidemiolour numbers look ogy professionals, and right, and we can do looking at the difficult things. We don’t act road ahead, I will be right, our numbers are recommending to the bad, and things are Savannah City Countaken away.” cil and the Savannah According to the City Manager that mayor, the actions of the city will not perSavannah’s citizens mit events through will determine the Feb. 28, 2021,” said Johnson at his weekly city’s ability to host press briefing on Dec. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson speaks public celebrations during a Dec. 8 press conference. PHOTO for St. Patrick’s Day in 8.

BY BRANDY SIMPKINS “Further, I will be March. recommending that “We will assess our the mask mandate be extended through status at the beginning of the year, and we Feb. 28, 2021,” he said. will make additional decisions at that time Johnson emphasized that mass gatheras it relates to going forward beyond to ings can only resume when local COVIDinclude St. Patrick’s Day,” said Johnson.

19 transmission rates are reduced to a − Brandy Simpkins

Chatham Commissioners to vote on raising their own pay THE CHATHAM County Commission will consider granting each of its own nine members an annual pay raise of $5,000 during their Friday, Dec. 18 meeting.

At the board’s Dec. 4 meeting, Commissioner Pat Farrell proposed the pay hike and successfully added it to the agenda for a first reading. A discussion and vote on the proposal is expected on Friday.

The raise would take effect at the beginning of budget year 2021-2022, applying only to newly elected commissioners and those who were re-elected in the Nov. 3 general election. Farrell has served on the County Commission since 2004, and was the only member of the board to run unopposed this year.

“It came to my attention that the only way to adjust commissioners’ pay, by state law, is for a previous commission to do it for an incoming commission,” Farrell said.

“It has been eight years since the commission pay has been adjusted. If no action is taken this month, which is still up to debate, then it won’t be addressed for 12 years.”

County Commission Chairman Al Scott expressed immediate displeasure with the timing of Farrell’s proposal. Scott and his soon-to-be successor, Commissioner Chester Ellis, were the only two board members to vote against the pay-hike bid’s first reading.

“I’m of the opinion that, if you want to raise your salary, the time to do so is before the election, not after the election,” Scott said.

Currently, the base salary for districtrepresentative commissioners is $27,329 per year, while the commission chair receives $64,428 annually. − Taylor Clayton

NEWS BRIEFS

Former SCAD coach files racial-discrimination lawsuit THE SAVANNAH College of Art and announced the filing of the lawsuit on Dec. Design’s former fishing coach, Isaac Payne, 10 during a press conference attended by filed a federal lawsuit against his alma Payne and former SCAD student Alexis mater on Dec. 10, stating that he was the Joyce, who spoke as a witness supporting subject of racial slurs and discriminaPayne’s claims. tion from student athletes on the team.

“We cannot allow this type of racism to The lawsuit alleges that after numerous flourish, anywhere, especially not in our attempts at addressing the issue with educational institutions,” said Crump.

SCAD administration, he was fired.

“Hopefully it’s a teachable moment at an Payne, an African institution of higher American, founded the learning where these SCAD Fishing Club and matters should never served as its president be condoned but during his time as a stushould be condemned dent there, and became immediately.” the school’s first fishing In response to coach in 2015, accordthe lawsuit, SCAD ing to an article posted released the following on the SCAD website. statement: “The University has Payne’s legal filing not yet received the states that he was let go lawsuit that was refer by the school in 2018.

“As a military vetenced in the attorneys’ Former SCAD fishing coach Isaac eran, freedom is somepress conference today.

Payne is alleging racial discrimination. thing that I have fought PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC PAYNE As a matter of policy, for from all people SCAD would not comthrough service to ment on pending legal this country,” said Payne. “At SCAD I was matters. However, there is no place at this treated less than even because of my race.

University for behavior that discrimiMy freedoms and civil rights were violated, nates based on a person’s race or ethnicity. and it has come with a cost.”

SCAD is fully committed to inclusivity Payne’s legal team includes nationin every aspect of our work. We look forally prominent civil-rights attorney Ben ward to reviewing the litigation and will Crump, who represented the family of address this matter through the legal Trayvon Martin after he was fatally shot process.”

by George Zimmerman in 2012. Crump − Taylor Clayton

SAVANNAH’S EFFORTS to be more equitable for the LGBTQ+ community have resulted in the city’s Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index doubling in less than six months, according to a City of Savannah press announcement.

PROUD Savannah, Mayor Van Johnson’s LGBTQ+ task force, was established on July 15 with a goal of increasing the city’s MEI score. Since then, the score has increased from 40 to 78.

“I am grateful for PROUD Savannah’s hard work to get us to this point, and I’m looking forward to continuing to make Savannah the most welcoming and equitable city it can be,” Johnson said.

PROUD Savannah dedicates itself to ensuring that Savannah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer

communities can work and live in a welcoming society. This initiative has proven beneficial toward the city’s MEI score, which examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are for the LGBTQ+ people who live and work there.

Cities are rated based on their non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city leadership’s public position on equality.

“For LGBTQ Americans, the HRC MEI score is especially important,” said Pastor Candace Hardnett, chair of PROUD Savannah. “It gives us an idea of how accepting a city will be to our existence.

This helps us determine where we will live and visit. Cities with higher scores are inherently safer for us.” − Brandy Simpkins

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

Savannah rapidly boosts LGBTQ+ inclusivity rating

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NEWS COMMUNITY

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Lanier, who represents the area where the shelter is planned to be established, also voiced opposition to the proposal.

BY BRANDY SIMPKINS “Why would you take one of the poorbrandy@connectsavannah.com est neighborhoods in Savannah and put a homeless shelter there?” Lanier asked.

A SAVANNAH City Council discussion Lanier said that West Savannah comon a Salvation Army proposal to establish munity members have long been requesta new transitional-housing shelter led to a ing sustainable investments in the area to sometimes-heated conversation about bal- foster healthy and sustainable outcomes ancing community needs in a traditionally for the neighborhood, with no results. underprivileged neighborhood.

In response to this discussion, Savannah When meeting on Dec. 10, Savannah’s Mayor Van Johnson said that the parcel in City Council discussed the authorization question is not city property, but belongs to of a special-use permit for the placement the Housing Authority of Savannah. of a new Salvation According to EarArmy shelter at line Davis, Execu2305 Augusta Ave. tive Director of the The request was Homeless Authorfor the former Barity of Savannah, tow Elementary several people have School building, a requested the cre12-acre site, to be ation of facilities used as a shelter that do not comply for emergency and with the special-use transitional use by ordinance required men, women, and The Salvation Army shelter on Montgomery St. for the building on children. behalf of the Departin Savannah. PHOTO BY NICK ROBERTSON “Our need is to ment of Housing and build a new Center of Hope that will be a Urban Development. place for us to provide social services and “What the Housing Authority has done sheltering for men, and especially women with respect to the West Savannah redeand children,” said Paul Egan, Corps Offivelopment plan that was commissioned by cer of the Salvation Armies of Savannah. the city, that plan said you needed senior If approved, the Augusta Avenue locahousing, single-family homes, as well as tion will replace the Salvation Army’s cur- transitional housing. While the city could rent Montgomery Street shelter location. not dictate what is done on the Housing “Over the last 40-something years we’ve Authority property, we wanted to be good been revamping it the best we can to be neighbors and support what the city’s plan able to help out with women and children, said was needed,” Davis said. and we could do so much more, especially According to Alderwoman Kesha Gibif we had rooms better designed for what son-Carter, the decision for this space is we want to do,” said Egan. a balancing act between neighborhood With a capacity for 186 individuals, the needs and the city’s overall goals. new location would provide space for fami“The challenge for this council is to ballies to stay together in their own rooms, ance the need for us to foster and maintain replacing the current facility’s multi-famgood relations with our charitable organiily, dorm-style housing structure. zations who reach out to the most vulnerEgan’s request was recommended by able among us but also recognize the need the Metropolitan Planning Commission, to, for once, show the Westside that they neighborhood-association presidents of are a part of Savannah and we care,” GibWest Savannah and Woodville, and the son-Carter said.

Housing Authority of Savannah.

Following the sometimes-heated discusHowever, not everyone agrees that a sion, Johnson said that the request would Salvation Army shelter would be a good fit be postponed until a January City Council for the Westside community. Neighbormeeting. hood residents addressed the City CounEgan said that if the city denies the Salcil meeting to speak out against the new vation Army’s request, they will have to facility. District 1 Alderwoman Bernetta restart their planning from scratch.

NEWS COMMUNITY

Pandemic threatens to crack Savannah’s Crystal Beer Parlor Historic local restaurant launches fundraising effort to keep suds flowing

BY TAYLOR CLAYTON

taylor@connectsavannah.com

The storied bar of the Crystal Beer Palace, which is facing financial difficulties during the pandemic. PHOTO BY TAYLOR CLAYTON

outdoor-seating section, placed a walk-up table near the entrance equipped with a sanitizing station for to-go orders, and developed a new way to order online via their crystalbeerparlor.com website.

As the restaurant’s financial situation grows increasingly dire, Nichols is thinking up ways to generate additional revenue.

“I’m toying around with the idea of making some of our food products available on Goldbelly,” said Nichols. “It’s a website that offers foods from independent restaurants around the country and you have them shipped to your door. One of our customers who lives in Kansas proposed the idea.”

While the future of the Crystal is hazy, one thing is certain: the community does not want to lose one of its favorite local hangouts, a place where people from all walks of life have shared lasting memories.

“You can have a CEO of a major corporation in one booth and the guy who does his plumbing in the next,” said Nichols.

“It appeals to a very broad spectrum of the population. Guys come here with their father for their first beer. People have gotten engaged here. They celebrate major milestones in their lives, birthdays, graduations, babies being born, all that stuff. It’s such a warm and cozy place and people feel comfortable here.”

Visit gofundme.com/f/ajcsp-save-the-crystalbeer-parlor to view the “Save The Crystal Beer Parlor!” GoFundMe page.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

MORE OF A museum than a restaurant.

More of a shrine than a business. The Crystal Beer Parlor at 301 W. Jones St. has been a Savannah staple for generations − since 1933, to be exact – and the interior serves as a community time capsule, its walls covered with old photographs of local and national heroes, some connected to the Crystal’s regular customers.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has hit this iconic Savannah eatery hard, and now it is in danger of closing its doors. In an appeal to the community to keep suds flowing here for generations to come, regular patron Don Teuton recently launched a GoFundMe page titled “Save The Crystal Beer Parlor!” with a goal of raising $150,000. By the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 14, just over $35,000 had been collected in the online fundraising effort.

While many of Savannah’s small businesses are struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, the Crystal’s situation is especially dire due to a major expense the business endured last year.

“The floor that was in the kitchen was old,” said Crystal Beer Parlor owner John Nichols. “Just from settling or whatever, there would be these hairline cracks between the tiles, and water would seep under the tiles. The health department told us that we needed to replace the floor.”

After three weeks of being shut down due to the needed upgrades, which included replacing a grease trap with a crane, the damage was roughly $94,000, according to Teuton’s GoFundMe page.

Then a few months later the pandemic hit, and the Crystal shut down for five months. The restaurant received funds through the federal Paycheck Protection Plan, and used the money for rent, utilities, insurance, and payroll. However, since reopening its doors in August, business hasn’t been quite the same.

“It’s the independent businesses that really need the support from the people around them,” said Nichols. “That’s America’s heartbeat, as far as I’m concerned.”

The Crystal has adapted to COVID19 precautions in an attempt to survive. They’ve added an extended

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NEWS POLITICS

Controversial PAC that helped Chatham DA campaign misses financial-disclosure deadlines

BY MARGARET COKER

The Current

BACK IN September, when election fever was running high in Savannah, angry conversations erupted around town about outside money trying to sway the race for Chatham County district attorney.

Local Facebook groups with conservative leanings, Republican Party stalwarts and self-described patriot organizations were outraged over the Justice & Public Safety PAC, a Washington, D.C.-based political action committee with a track record of supporting progressive politicians. In the Democratic primary, the group had supported Shalena Cook Jones, a former assistant district attorney challenging incumbent Meg Daly Heap.

Then, a new out-of-state political action committee began blanketing mostly affluent white neighborhoods in greater Savannah with campaign literature. Voters from both parties expressed disgust over those ads paid for by Protect Our Police PAC in support of Heap for using messages deemed as racist and anti-Semitic.

A month after the election, the results are clear: Political neophyte Jones defeated Heap. What’s still unknown, however, is how much money the pro-police organization spent in Coastal Georgia trying to prevent that.

State oversight weak for outside campaign money

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

American politics are awash with money and the pro-police PAC represents only a drop in that ocean, especially considering the quarter-billion dollars being spent for Georgia’s Jan. 5 Senate runoff election. Yet the work of the Philadelphia-based group provides a cautionary tale about how organizations with deep pockets or deeply held beliefs are shielded from public scrutiny during election season due to the weakness of Georgia’s laws governing the source of campaign materials and money seeking to influence voters.

While Georgia requires candidates and independent political action committees to file routine expenditure reports through an election cycle, enforcement of those rules lags so far behind events as to be meaningless when it comes to helping voters understand who or what group is trying to shape their views.

Protect Our Police registered with the Georgia Ethics Commission, the agency that oversees election campaign spend8 ing, on Oct. 2. According to state law, it was

A campaign mailer sent to Chatham County voters by a political action committee supporting defeated District Attorney candidate Meg Heap. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CURRENT

required to file campaign expenditure reports to the Georgia Ethics Commission by Oct. 20, two weeks before Election Day. As of Dec. 4, though, that information was still missing.

In contrast, Justice & Public Safety PAC, as well as the Heap and Jones campaigns, filed expenditure reports according to state requirements. As of Oct. 26, Heap had raised $226,960 for her race and had spent close to $192,000. Jones’ campaign filing on Nov. 3 showed she had raised $50,415 and spent just under $40,000. Justice & Public Safety spent $181,259 to support Jones in the primary and fall election, according to disclosures filed Oct. 27.

Protect Our Police PAC did not respond to repeated e-mail or phone requests for comments about the group’s campaign expenditures in the Chatham County race, or an explanation for why it had failed to abide by the state’s October deadline for expense filing.

Campaign finance reform experts say that the fines for violating disclosure laws in Georgia are so paltry as to make them negligible in races where hundreds of thousands of dollars are committed for a candidate or issue.

The Georgia Ethics Commission, which oversees election campaigns, assesses a minimum $125 penalty for late campaign finance disclosure forms, fines that could potentially increase up to

$1,375 depending on the seriousness of the violation.

The nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity gave Georgia a failing grade in campaign-finance oversight, as part of a 50-state investigation in 2015 that assessed government and systems meant to deter corruption. “There’s not enough oversight and accountability built into the operation of Georgia’s state government, which led to some unethical behavior and a high risk of corruption,” the group’s report said.

The Ethics Commission says it “actively investigates” violations of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act when said violations are discovered through internal audits performed

by Commission staff or through verified complaints filed by members of the public.

PAC set up to promote police in turbulent time

POP was founded over the summer by retired Pennsylvania law enforcement officers worried that crime rates were growing and that police around the nation were losing the respect of Americans. The founders, who have no known ties to Georgia, publicly endorsed Heap in a press release dated Sept. 22 in which the group promised to spend this fall upwards of $250,000 for 40 candidates that it was supporting in elections across 15 states.

An investigation by The Current of the group’s campaign expenditure records

in other states show that Georgia is one of only three states where it has not filed any details of its campaign work. Publicly available disclosures reviewed by The Current in the 15 states where POP endorsed candidates show that the PAC spent at least $191,550 on its endorsed candidates in 12 states.

The Current could find no campaign finance filings by the group in Georgia, Nevada and Wyoming. These other two states received a failing grade from the Center for Public Integrity’s report as well.

Protect Our Police sprouted up over the summer as part of a movement to support law and order in response to civil protests that had spread across the county in response to police killings of Black Americans.

“Law-abiding citizens have no reason to be afraid of police. But when criminals are not afraid of the police or not afraid to go to jail, then we have a problem. Wherever you have rogue mayors or DAs who are radicals, you are going to have these issues,” one of its founders Nick Gerace told Fox News in July. “That is why we started Protect Our Police PAC. We are trying to find candidates who are going to back the Blue always.”

In a separate interview to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gerace described the group’s motivation as “a counter-punch to George Soros,” the billionaire investor who is the main donor for Justice & Safety PAC. Soros, an outspoken proponent of progressive causes such as revoking the death penalty and judicial reform, is often a target of conspiracy theorists who paint him as part of an alleged Jewish cabal of financiers secretly influencing world events. The allegation is a key tenet in anti-Semetic propaganda that underpins Nazi and extremist propaganda.

PACs bring uncontrollable messages, money

It’s unclear the exact reason why the police PAC selected Heap as among the 80 politicians it had considered endorsing from around the country.

Heap’s campaign told The Current that she did not seek the PAC’s endorsement and said that the group had been made aware of her race against Jones by another Georgia district attorney.

When Jones won the June Democratic Party primary to challenge Heap, she had no prior political experience. But she did have support from Justice & Public Safety.

Campaign expenditure reports filed on CONTINUES ON P. 21

NEWS POLITICS

U.S. Senate hopeful Raphael Warnock visits Savannah for campaign rally

BY NICK ROBERTSON

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nick@connectsavannah.com

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One of Georgia’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, Raphael Warnock (center), visits his childhood residence at Savannah’s Kayton Homes on Dec. 12. PHOTO BY NICK ROBERTSON

leaders, including Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Chatham County Commissioner James “Jay” Jones, Warnock asked the gathered supporters to form a socially

distanced prayer circle on the lawn where he played as an underprivileged child. Following an invocation, the group sang “We

‘WARNOCK’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Kelly Loeffler and three GOP Senate colleagues stop by Tubby’s in Thunderbolt

BY NICK ROBERTSON

nick@connectsavannah.com

THE TYPICALLY laid-back patio vibe at Tubby’s Tank House turned into a buzzing political scene on the afternoon of Dec. 12, when Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler made a campaign stop at the popular Thunderbolt seafood restaurant along with three fellow Republican senators.

Senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Roy Blunt of Missouri, and Tim Scott of South Carolina joined Loeffler on the Tubby’s deck at around 2 p.m. on Saturday in support of her candidacy against Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock, who was also campaigning in the Savannah area on the same day. Loeffler and Warnock are vying for victory in one of Georgia’s two nationally prominent Jan. 5, 2021 senate-runoff races that will determine the balance of power in Washington, D.C. for the next two years.

During the senators’ meet-and-greet

they had no idea that any members of Congress would be joining them for lunch, let alone four members of the upper house.

All four of the GOP senators wore face masks as a COVID-19 precaution while conversing with the customers at their tables, aside from times when they removed their masks to assist Tubby’s patrons in recognizing them.

However, Blunt was only seen wearing his mask around his neck throughRepublican U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (center, left) and GOP out the visit.

Senate colleagues on Dec. 12. PHOTO BY NICK ROBERTSON Earlier in the day, Loeffler met fellow Republivisit, Tubby’s open-air dining area was can Georgia Senator David Perdue − who abnormally abuzz with the mingling of is defending his seat against Democratic campaign aides, reporters, bodyguards, challenger Jon Ossoff in the state’s other and restaurant patrons feasting on fried Jan. 5 senate-runoff race – at a private fish and hush puppies. Several diners said ‘LOEFFLER’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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REV. RAPHAEL WARNOCK made a pilgrimage to the place where he grew up − Savannah’s Kayton Homes housing project – before carrying on his U.S. Senate campaign with a high-spirited rally at the city’s longshoreman’s union hall on the morning of Dec. 12.

Warnock began his day on the campaign trail at around 10:30 a.m. by gathering with local leaders and old friends on the grassy lawn in front of the public-housing project on Gwinnett Street, where he was raised with 11 siblings. Now the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, Warnock is the Democratic challenger to Georgia’s Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in one of the Peach State’s two nationally prominent Jan. 5, 2021 senate-runoff races, which will determine the balance of power in Washington, D.C. for the next two years.

After greeting his friends and local

SINCE 2001 – BREWING COFFEE & COMMUNITY

9

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

Drink

in the

10 creative signature cocktails to enjoy in Savannah during the holidays

BY JESSICA FARTHING The holidays are here, signaling an end to a challenging 2020 and providing some much-needed hope and optimism. Savannah’s bars and restaurants are reflecting the flavors of the season in their menus, ready to welcome customers for coronavirus-safe dining and drinking. Local mixologists use ample creativity to provide a feeling of festivity with every sip of their signature cocktails − here are some of their most inspired concoctions to make your season bright.

Forsyth Park at Dark

Anyone looking for a speakeasy vibe will be happy to find Artillery reopening their doors to present cocktail magic. This drink combines fresh blackberries and mint mixed with lemon juice, demerara sugar, Teeling Irish Whiskey, and High Wire Amaro made in Charleston. General Manager Jeffrey Lyle describes the flavor as slightly tart with a touch of cinnamon and clove from the amaro, and a refreshing finish from the mint. Artillery, 307 Bull St.; artillerybar.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

Blue Blazer Hot Toddy

Paul Rabe enjoys mixing up cocktails for visitors at the Congress Street Up bar within the American Prohibition Museum.

He loves that the basic building blocks of a hot toddy − whiskey, brandy or rum with hot water, lemon and honey − can yield a wide variety of versions. When it comes to festive flavor, the Blue Blazer is a glass of flaming fun. Congress Street Up, 220 W. Congress St.; americanprohibitionmuseum. com/savannah-speakeasy

Peter’s Thymely Punch

Cotton & Rye is a welcoming site for delighting in Chef Caleb’s gourmet comfort foods, including happy-hour snacks like 10 fried green beans and shrimp remoulade.

Season Feet Don’t Fail Me -The Grey

Salted Caramel Apple Coupe

-Lili’s Restaurant & Bar

Meanwhile, bartender Greg Thornton does his part with concoctions like this pleasing punch, blending heirloom gin with carrot, fresh thyme, apple cider vinegar and sparkling water for a refreshing herbaceous cup. Cotton & Rye, 1801 Habersham St.; cottonandrye. com

Feet Don’t Fail Me

Bartender Addison Mason presents this pine-infused scotch drink that reflects all that is celebratory about the holidays at The Grey.

“We infuse scotch with lemongrass sourced from our garden next to our restaurant and add citrus, honey and stonepine liqueur,” Mason says. The result is a bright and uplifting flavor, different for those who might not necessary order a scotch drink.

The Grey, 109 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.; thegreyrestaurant.com

Smoked Ginger Limoncello

The grand Mansion on Forsyth Park is now festooned with festive decorations to bring the seasonal spirit to another level. In line with that attention to detail, the Mansion’s bartending crew creates a house-made smoked-ginger lemon liqueur and combines it with a splash of soda and a large cranberry ice cube. The drink is tastefully garnished with a lemon peel and a sprig of fresh thyme. Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton St.; kesslercollection. com/mansion

Salted Caramel Apple Coupe

Lili’s Beverage Director Kelly Worley creates this sweet liquid treat by coating a rimmed coupe glass with caramel sauce, kosher salt, and sugar before adding Jack Daniel’s Apple Jack Whiskey, ginger liqueur, dry hard cider, and a healthy splash of pineapple juice. The drink reflects the flavors of fall county fairs inspired by her Indiana upbringing. Lili’s Restaurant & Bar, 326 Johnny Mercer Blvd.; lilisrestaurantandbar.com

Forsyth Park at Dark

-Artillery

Is It Fall Yet?

While beer is their specialty, Moon River serves up more than suds. This deluxe Old Fashioned is crafted with Cask & Crew Walnut Toffee Whiskey, locally made Ghost Coast Master Bourbon, some lemon-lime soda, and just a splash of the establishment’s own Belgian wheat ale and Wild Wacky Wit. According to bartender Stokes Holmes, “The orange and cherry ties it all together.” Moon River Brewing Company, 21 W. Bay St.; moonriverbrewing.com

FEATURE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Smoked Ginger Limoncello

The Shacket

-Mansion on Forsyth Park

The Gambler

Using good-quality bourbon as the base to this fall-flavored beverage is a must. The bartenders at Plant Riverside then carefully blend the bourbon with a slow-simmered cinnamon-demerara syrup – imparting heartwarming tastes of toffee and caramel – along with lemon juice and some spiced apple cider. It’s served on the rocks, because in Savannah a cold cocktail can hit the spot even

-Yard Bar

during winter. Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River St.; plantriverside.com

Chai to Catch Up

The Rocks on the Roof mixologists warm up the view with this flaming tipple. Knob Creek, Giffard Banane du Brésil, Vermouth di Torino infused with chai tea, and Angostura Bitters are stirred together over ice. Finally, a coin-sized orange-peel slice is squeezed to provide the oil lit by a torch for a complex and delicious showy drink. Rocks on the Roof at the Bohemian, 102 W. Bay St.; kesslercollection.com/bohemian-savannah

Is It Fall Yet -Moon River

To complement their food trucks, Starland Yard’s Yard Bar offers this concoction of winter-friendly ingredients: blended scotch, apple cider, cinnamon, allspice, and amaro to add herbal notes. Spices and a little citrus oil finishes the drink, and as Cocktail Program Consultant James Nowicki describes, “makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in your favorite cozy flannel shirt.”

Starland Yard Yard Bar, 2411 Desoto Ave.; starlandyard.com

Chai to Catch Up

-Rocks on the Roof

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

The Shacket

11

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A Carefully Curated Collection of Clever and Unique Gift Ideas from Coastal Empire Shops and Businesses.

Check back each week for more!

Giving the perfect holiday gift to a loved one can add unnecessary stress and pressure, but you don’t have to drive far and wide to find presents your friends and family members will love. Some of the best gifts are right here under our noses at locally-run, small businesses.

Each week of the Holiday Season, Connect Savannah will be featuring gift ideas from local shops and merchants in our MERRY WISHLIST! We think we’ve found the most interesting local gifts that showcase Savannah and the Coastal Empire in the best way.

Whether you are looking for Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, the kids or anyone else, this guide will surely give you a gift idea (or three or four)!

GHOST COAST DISTILLERY L O C A L LY M A D E S P I R I T S Get the bourbon lover on your list a bottle (or two) of Savannah’s first ever, award-winning Ghost Coast Master Straight Bourbon Whiskey, made right here in the Hostess City.

Gift cards and specialty gift baskets are also available. And if bourbon isn’t your thing, there are over 21 different spirits to bring lots of holiday cheer(s)!

Ghost Coast Distillery 641 Indian Street (912) 298-0071

ghostcoastdistillery.com

wonderful gift for anyone who loves Savannah and our historic squares. It features more than 300 full color photographs of each of Savannah’s beautiful, historic downtown squares. Author Michael Jordan, a noted local filmmaker and historian, reveals the fascinating history of each of the existing squares, as well as the two lost squares and Savannah’s “other squares”. Available from The Davenport House Museum and other local gift shops and bookstores.

Savannah Square by Square 912.236.8097

SavannahSquarebySquare.com

WOOF GANG BAKERY & GROOMING SAVANNAH GIFTS FOR PETS AND PET LOVRS

Want to feature your Local Business or Gift ItemHere on Our MERRYWISHLIST? CONTACT US AT:

912.721.4378 OR SALES@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

The HOWLIDAYS are finally here!

Perfect gifts for pet lovers and for your furry family members this holiday season.

Grooming available at Berwick, Bull Street and Starland locations.

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Five Savannah Locations

woofgangsavannahga.com

Savannah’s Neighborhood Pet Store

FOOD & DRINK EPICUROPEDIA

The Egg Salad Sandwich with chips and potato salad.

Finches serves specialty sandwiches on the fly Thunderbolt’s newest hotspot combines quality food and a fun-loving spirit

BY LINDY MOODY

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

“BUILD BACK BETTER”, “Keep America Great”, “Make Trump Furious”, “The Original Outsider”, and “Fighting for a Better Georgia” are some of the slogans invading televisions, phones, and mailboxes as of late. No matter your political alignment, there is one thing that will always connect us all − breaking bread.

“Good Food on the Fly” is the mantra of Thunderbolt’s newest hotspot: Finches Sandwiches and Sundries. It is a slogan anybody can get behind. Because the brand-new restaurant has voted in favor of speedy specialty sandwiches, they have 14 managed to sway locals’ hearts.

Since opening their doors two weeks ago, Chatham County’s most popular new sandwich spot has regularly sold out of stock by midday. Get there early to avoid the standard lunch-hour line around the block.

Partners Rebecca Matthews, Miles Matthews, and Jamie Pleta took a swan dive into opening Thunderbolt’s first sandwichforward eatery despite a wavering restaurant industry. Making lemonade from a layoff, the trio found themselves in search of a way to make it through the other end of the pandemic, like so many others.

The Matthews had been eyeing the vacant building next to the well-known old Thunderbolt gas station that now operates as a rentable bed-and-breakfast. The twosome biked by the space when they moved into the neighborhood, and the opportunity to rent it was seized once the duo found more time on their hands.

The Skinny Italian With An Attitude. PHOTOS BY LINDY MOODY

Since Rebecca previously worked with Pleta, persuading her to join came next (a logical step with Pleta’s experience in managing both front- and back-of-house in restaurants). The food is Miles’ specialty, and the sundries are Rebecca’s, with her background in antiques and merchandising.

It tooks months of planning to make their dream a reality. Rebecca told me their story: “The sandwich shop idea came from mine and Miles’ experience working in food trucks. We are used to limited space.

We are used to takeaway, and we are used to putting out really good food without the formal atmosphere.”

The selection rotates constantly without wavering in quality. Repeat customers will

see changes in seasons and availability of products reflected with each menu. The best place to find the daily menu is on the Finches Instagram page (@finches.sandwhiches) or to stop by and see it in person.

“We are a lighthearted place. We are trying to have fun here, so the food is going to reflect that. Trying to do fun food but take it seriously. My background is somewhat fine dining, so we are trying to take grilled cheese and do the best grilled cheese you can do,” explained Chef Miles.

The doors open early to ensure patrons can grab a meal or coffee before heading to the office. I also think it is to allow early birds to beat the normal rush hour and lunch crowds that circle the quaint

EPICUROPEDIA

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

building. For those who need a little extra shut-eye, breakfast is served all day.

The Millennials Toast became an instant hit and is one of the most popular menu items. No matter the hour, this take on avocado toast is a day-maker. Tender bread from Auspicious Bakery serves as the base and is layered with earthy smashed avocado, a whipped creamcheese spread, everything-spiced nuts, and greens.

For a more traditional (and less Millennial) breakfast, go for The Works. It is a sandwich that is worth the resulting sticky fingers. Soft sweet Hawaiian-bread toast holds together fluffy eggs, hearty pork breakfast sausage, and fresh green onion, with melted cheese, Sriracha mayonnaise, and smoked tomato ketchup that marry together to make a gooey morning melody.

Without hesitation I went for the Egg Salad Sandwich, with crisp extra-salty chips on the side. Traditional southern egg salad is peppered with diced pickles. For Finches’ upscale version, Chef Miles layers bright thinly sliced pickles in between the bread and egg salad. This allows for the pickle to sing instead of being lost in a sea of salad.

The Skinny Italian With An Attitude is anything but skinny. Expect a hearty

Finches is a tasteful addition to Thunderbolt’s dining scene. PHOTO BY LINDY MOODY

succulent sandwich layered on buttery focaccia with glistening full-bodied porchetta-style pork belly, creamy aioli, and peppery greens to cut through the fat. The part that takes this sandwich over the edge is the steaming smoky broth served

on the side. You will want to drink it after you take the last dip of your sandwich.

As for Chef Miles’ creative process: “Try a porchetta sandwich that is reflective of the famous porchetta sandwich in San Francisco.”

Current side-item options range from chips with homemade dip to vegan soup to a creamy potato salad that is anything but heavy. The shop side of Finches features varied baked goods from Auspicious and other handcrafted sweets from a selection of makers.

Almost every day you can find $5 glasses of champagne. Tuesdays are for $2 Tecates, and Thursdays you can buy the chef a beer or get a PBR & a pickle for $5.

Any day of the week you can stop in for a quick refreshment such as canned wine, hard cider, beer, and even full bottles of wine to grab if you need a last-minute hostess gift.

While waiting for the grub, do not forget to browse the side of sundries. Rebecca takes the time to hand-pick everything available for sale in the store. Cheeky items such as witticism-emblazoned hand towels sit next to handmade gifts that locals will love. Rebecca’s purveying process is geared toward boutique items that are not available in just any small shop around town.

This month marks the beginning for Finches and the continued cultivation of Thunderbolt’s culinary scene. According to Rebecca, “The best thing so far is that our customers keep coming back for more.” I myself have already planned my next quick casual meal at Finches.

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15

MUSIC THE BAND PAGE

MARY KENYON @THE FITZROY

Savannah-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Mary Kenyon performs regularly at local venues with good reason. Inspired by artists such as Gregory Alan Isakov, Leif Vollebekk, Lauren Daigle, and Maggie Rogers, Kenyon recreates songs in her own style by using ethereal and haunting undertones.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 | 6:00 PM

JACOB EVANS @GHOST COAST DISTILLERY

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

Local fave Jacob Evans brings a mix of originals, soulful covers, and probably a few holiday classics to the Cocktail Room at Ghost Coast Distillery.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM

16

NICK MURPHY @THE WORMHOLE

Atlanta comedian Nick Murphy brings the laughs with his one-man show to The Wormhole, providing a change of pace for the Starland music venue before its usual Saturday-night soundscape unfurls. A regular performer at the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta and on the Best of Atlanta showcases at the Laughing Skull Lounge, Nick has shared the stage with other acts such as Joe Zimmerman, Chris Porter, and the Lucas Brothers.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 | 9:00 PM

KENNY GEORGE BAND @BARRELHOUSE SOUTH

The five members of the Kenny George Band have been crafting their blend of country, folk and southern rock since 2007, impressing fans throughout the Southeast and Midwest.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 | 9:00 PM

MUSIC FEATURE

Local musician Eric Britt goes full circle with his second solo album SPORTS ACTION THIS WEEK

BY BRITTANY HERREN

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

12 NOON VS

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 12 NOON VS GA VS VANDERBILT 12 NOON VS ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 4PM VS Eric Britt (above) and his new album cover.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BRITT

hopefully we will still be pumped about the record when it does.”

While the album listens with the famil“My favorite song on this new album is iar ease of a ’90s throwback on one side and called ‘Let’s Go to the Woods Jimmy.’ The an Iron & Wine vinyl on the other, it does tune is a tribute to Hazel’s co-founder, Jim take on more modern aspects in terms of Hughes,” said Britt. “He passed a couple its promotion, in part due to the pandemic. of years back, and it brought us all back “We did manage to capture people who together again.” were sitting at home in quarantine. StartAccording to Britt, in addition to what ing last April, we released one single at a this song means in terms of “full circle,” time and put on Facebook Live events and the sonic achievement of the song is Instagram interviews,” explained Britt. exactly what he hoped for. It’s where listen- “We also had enough time to do some ers will be able to hear atmospheric qualilo-fi videos for many of the songs. I really ties of an unplugged Beck of Sigur Rós. It’s enjoyed it and it kept me from going nuts.” a true devastation that it will be quite some For now, you can listen to Full Circle time before Britt goes unplugged with the wherever music is streamed, including full album due to COVID-19.

EricBrittRocks.com. You can also catch “So, we really missed out on touring him with his band Eric and the Hologram behind Full Circle, and everyone in the monthly at Plant Riverside and solo around old band was excited about that part,” Savannah (keep an eye on Connect ’s said Britt. “Touring will have to wait, and online calendar).

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IF YOU NEED a new song on repeat, hit play on Eric Britt’s “Atonement” now. It’s the first single on Britt’s seventh studio album and second solo album, Full Circle, released this past summer. It’s also the top-played song on his Spotify profile, with nearly 8,500 listens (modest, but noteworthy).

“Atonement” opens the album with a beautiful, sonically bluegrass swathe of acoustic sounds that you may mistake for Mumford & Sons or The Avett Brothers.

However, when his baritone-ishly dark voice rolls into the timbres of folk and blues, you hear the alt-rock influence that is thread through all of Britt’s music, all 28 years of it.

“Full Circle has two sides to it,” explains Britt. “Side A is mostly indie/folk and beautiful acoustic soundscapes. Side B is returning to my Alterna-rock roots.”

Britt really means roots, because this album has some deep ones. It resurrects the disbanded Hazel Virtue that he assembled in Athens and toured extensively with throughout the South in the mid- to late-’90s.

“Fortunately, they still had their chops,” Britt jokes.

The song and album’s namesake, “Full Circle,” reminisces the familiar Hazel Virtue sound. At its onset, you almost expect a Hendrix-like whaling on a Stratocaster through a Marshall Super Lead double stack, but the song takes a drastically different turn. Instead, you get a steady bassline and placid strum, accompanied by a rock libretto comparative to influences of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.

In addition to the stroll down memory lane, Full Circle plays like a devotional to the Hostess City’s vast music scene, and postures Britt as the demagogue of local rock. It includes collaborations with Jason Bible, Stan Ray, Michael Ray, Eric Daubert, Kevin Rose, and Britt Scott.

Despite the collabs and obvious influences, this album is Britt’s most personal.

“In the last decade, everything I’m creating has been more personal,” explained Britt. “The songs I’m truly connected with are from meaningful experiences, some dark and others beautiful.”

One of those experiences is grieving the loss of old friend and musical companion.

17

Soundboard MUSIC

SOUNDBOARD IS A FREE SERVICE - TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE SEND YOUR LIVE MUSIC INFORMATION WEEKLY TO SOUNDBOARD@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. DEADLINE IS NOON MONDAY, TO APPEAR IN WEDNESDAY’S EDITION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

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WEDNESDAY 12.16 LIVE MUSIC

Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay, 6 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Josh

Johansson, 7-9 p.m.

Starland Yard Clair Vandiver, 6-9 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Jam, 9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Eckstine, 6-9 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

Trustees’ Garden Brilliant Brass for the Holidays, 7:30 p.m.

The Warehouse Xulu Prophet, 8 p.m.-midnight Wild Wing Cafe Tyler Rowe, 7 p.m.

Voodoo Soup, 10 p.m., Voodoo Soup, 10 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club

The Perch at Local 11 ten Markus Kuhlman, 5:30 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Kenny

KARAOKE

Munshaw, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Howard Paul Group, 1-4 p.m., Fabulous Equinox Krewe, 12-3 p.m.

Starland Yard Lafaye and the Fellas, 6-9 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

3 a.m.

Cathedral, 5 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

PS Tavern Beer Pong Tournament, 10 p.m.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist Christmas at the

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Karaoke Night,

Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt) Bucky & Barry,

COMEDY

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke,

Night with Daniel, 6:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Totally Awesome Bar Savannah Comedy Underground, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY 12.17 LIVE MUSIC

Cohen’s Retreat Munchies & Music, 5-9 p.m.

Mansion on Forsyth Park Voodoo Soup, 8 p.m.

Kenyon, 5:30 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Holiday Brass Quartet, 6-8 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Wild Wing Cafe Eric Britt, 1-4 p.m.

10 p.m.

Moon River Brewing Co. Trivia,

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ Fer, DJ Emalo, DJ Lil G, DJ BRad, 9 p.m.

VICE Lounge + Mojito Bar DJ Primal, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY 12.19 LIVE MUSIC

The 5 Spot Eric Culberson, 6-9 p.m.

Barrelhouse South Kenny George Band, 9 p.m.

Churchill’s Pub Tyler Rowe,

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Karaoke Night The Wormhole Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Voodoo Soup, 8 p.m.

Comedy, 8:30 p.m.

1-4 p.m., Tell Scarlet, 7-10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Totally Awesome Bar Open Mic

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ B-Rad, 9 p.m.

Top Deck Sunset Deck Party, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY 12.18 LIVE MUSIC

Churchill’s Pub Mary Kenyon,

6-9 p.m., Hitman, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.

The Fitzroy Mary Kenyon, 4-6 p.m.

Flashback Stee & The Ear Candy Band, 8 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Josephine Johnson, 7:30 p.m.

Mansion on Forsyth Park

Danielle Hicks, 8 p.m.

Molly McGuire’s Island Boys Christmas Special, 6 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Laiken Love & Fellowship of Love, 7-10 p.m., Kenny Munshaw, 5-9 p.m.

Mansion on Forsyth Park

Plant Riverside District Eric Britt, Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:309:30 p.m.

River House Jason Bible, 6-9 p.m.

The Shrimp Factory Chip Staley, 6-9 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

The Warehouse Ben Kaiser Trio, 8 p.m.-midnight

6 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

MONDAY 12.21 LIVE MUSIC

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Chuck Courtenay, 6-9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Club One Super Gay Bingo, 5:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Fia Rua Irish Pub Family Movie Night, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY 12.22 LIVE MUSIC

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

Plant Riverside District Josh Johansson, 7-9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Trivia,

KARAOKE

Fia Rua Irish Pub Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

McDonough’s Trivia Tuesday,

1-4 p.m., Bill Hodgson, 7-10 p.m.

Bay Street Blues Karaoke Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

COMEDY

The Wormhole One Night Only: Nick Murphy, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY 12.20

River House Erik Clark, 6-9 p.m.

Service Brewing Company

Collins Quarter at Forsyth

Bluegrass By The Pint w/

TRIVIA & GAMES

Wild Wing Cafe Free Spirits,

Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:309:30 p.m.

1-4 p.m.

9 p.m.

6-9 p.m., evenpete, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.

Flashback Thomas Claxton & The Myth, 8 p.m.

Ghost Coast Distillery Jacob Evans, 4-6 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Mary Kenyon, 7:30 p.m.

McDonough’s Family Fued, 7 p.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

3 p.m.

The Shrimp Factory Matt

Bay Street Blues Karaoke Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-

Service Brewing Company Trivia

The Perch at Local 11 ten Mary

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Swamptooth, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC

Laiken Love, 2 p.m., Live Music,

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen Trivia Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Savannah Taphouse Trivia, 7 p.m.

KARAOKE

Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.3 a.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

CULTURE FASHION

Wood sign workshops to guide your inner DIY! Colorful designs by Savannah College of Art and Design students fill the new ‘Fashion in Frame’ film. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCAD

(912) 675 - 4170

boardandbrush.com/savannah

‘Fashion in Frame’

BY LAUREN WOLVERTON

lauren@connectsavannah.com

AS THE COVID-19 pandemic forced our entire world to go digital, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) fashion students feared their final collections would only be seen by their professors and their apartment walls.

When the annual senior-showcase fashion show was cancelled, SCAD got to work on creating a never-before-done virtual experience to take its place. Sure, students’ magical designs of neon, fringe gowns and dresses covered in rainbow buttons would speak volumes in photos alone, but SCAD wanted to push the limits.

The college dreamed up Fashion in Frame, and with the help of students and alumni, the feature film became a reality.

Fashion in Frame is an immersive documentary that combines the intimate feeling of social media with a full-blown cinematic experience. It is much more than a virtual fashion show.

Content varies from models walking the streets of New York City like a runway to social-media influencers eating cereal in SCAD designs. The combination of box-office-worthy shots with personal cell-phone videos lets the audience feel connected to each designer, while allowing them to appreciate what a work of art each piece is.

The film awakens the senses, bringing a high-fashion runway show straight to the audience’s living rooms. It highlights the truly endless possibilities of fashion in the digital world.

“I think all the digital and media platforms that have come out of the pandemic are really great because they offer a broader audience, and it leads to a more intimate experience between the brand and the viewer,” said Max Condon, a 2020 SCAD Fashion graduate featured in the film.

Condon says brands have an opportunity like never before to speak directly to their customers and share their values with them. He says this concept creates a more dedicated consumer and allows for a personal experience when in-person

shopping can’t be done.

Condon says that while he thinks the fashion industry won’t be returning to “normal” anytime soon, he believes the future is bright.

“I’m hopeful that in the current situation, people will have to become more creative,” Condon said. “In the end, that will make everyone stronger.”

Fashion in Frame had its official online premiere on Friday, Dec. 11, and was followed by workshops and a Q&A session.

Acclaimed photographer and SCAD graduate Alexandra Arnold held a workshop to share her creative process and to discuss how she kept on creating during COVID-19 lockdowns. She is featured in the film creating socially distanced portraits through Facetime.

Fashion historian Carmela Spinelli also held a workshop to review how major brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier stay connected to their audience as the fashion industry navigates uncertain times.

Visit fashion-in-frame.scad.edu to watch Fashion in Frame.

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Limited seating from 11-4 each day.

Hours will expand as demand increases.

Call or order online for take out

912.354.8745

5320 Water's Ave.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

showcases SCAD designs with virtual flair

19

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

BY MATT JONES ©2020

“YOU’RE GETTING SLEEPY” --SOME WAYS TO GET THERE.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

ACROSS

20

1 Raccoon relative 6 BTS or Blackpink genre 10 Lawn mower’s spot 14 “It’s just ___ those things” 15 Edison’s middle name 16 Jekyll’s alter ego 17 Make yourself sleepy, in a way 19 “1917,” for one 20 Writer Vonnegut 21 Thicke of “Growing Pains” 22 ___ Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic) 23 Seed for flavoring soft drinks 25 Gp. with a Brussels HQ 26 “Whose ___ was this?”

27 “Well done” 30 Got angry 33 Concave cooker 34 Title said by Zazu in “The Lion King” 35 Tall prez, for short 36 Clothing item that I suppose could make you sleepy (if it’s really comfy) 40 Poseidon’s realm 41 Soften up 43 Acne medication brand 44 Tank covering 46 Synthpop duo that released an album of ABBA covers 48 Transport 50 Senatorial stretch 51 Snarky, but less fun 54 Lagoon locale 56 “Star Trek: TNG” counselor Deanna 57 Egyptian fertility goddess with a cow’s head

59 Rice-A-___ 60 Chemical in turkey that makes many people sleepy 62 ZZ Top, e.g.

63 Pueblo dwellers 64 “Once Upon a Time in the West” director Sergio 65 Email app folder 66 “Let’s Roll” blues singer James 67 “Melrose Place” actor Rob

DOWN

1 Scar 2 Actress Aimee of “La Dolce Vita” 3 Brain surgeon’s prefix 4 “Be honest” 5 Back, on a boat 6 Liqueur used in a Black Russian 7 Feature of some khakis 8 Major kitchen appliance 9 Soft food for babies 10 Sword holders 11 Demonstration where you might hear the line “You’re getting sleepy ...”

12 Fix 13 Style from about 100 years ago 18 “Aladdin ___” (David Bowie album) 22 Give in to gravity 24 Tacks on to a friends list 25 “Swoosh” company 27 Go off in the kitchen?

28 Cookie with a jokey November tweet showing itself in mashed potatoes 29 Warm, in a way 30 Prominence 31 Service with an “Eats”

offshoot 32 Supplement that can help make you sleepy 33 Method 37 Early bird’s prize 38 Application file suffix 39 George’s sitar teacher 42 “The Hollow Men” poet 45 “Follow me for more ___” (snarky meme of late) 47 Website necessity 48 Nearsightedness 49 “Get Down ___” (Kool & the Gang song) 51 Burial vault 52 “It’s worth ___!”

53 “Big Little Lies” author Moriarty 54 Sunday newspaper section 55 Ripped (off) 56 Relaxed pace 58 1990s game console, initially 60 Chance ___ Rapper 61 Cheer for Cristiano Ronaldo

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

POLITICS ‘WARNOCK’ - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

in Savannah.

“I was born here at the Telfair Hospital.

Telling my age – the Millennials won’t even know what that is,” Warnock said of Savannah’s erstwhile healthcare facility. “The kid who grew up in public housing is now well positioned to be the next U.S. Senator from the great state of Georgia.”

Warnock dismissed his opponent’s campaign ads attacking his character as borne out of Republican desperation amid a deeply polarized nation.

“We’ve gotta push hard against the forces of bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism, and xenophobia in our country,” Warnock said, citing President-elect Joe Biden’s general-election victory in Georgia as a harbinger of a new momentum toward inclusive governance. “I’m ready for this moment and I’m ready for this movement, and I believe that Georgia is ready. I believe that America is ready.”

Following his speech, Warnock responded to a reporter’s inquiry about how it felt to be back in Savannah amid the national focus on his campaign.

“Today is a homecoming,” Warnock replied, adding that returning to Savannah made him thankful for his roots. “When you grow up in a city, you don’t always appreciate how beautiful it is. … This was a wonderful place to grow up.”

A Warnock campaign aide said that the candidate would likely return to his hometown for another campaign visit before the Jan. 5 election.

‘LOEFFLER’ - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Blackburn also said that keeping the Senate in Republican hands was crucial for maintaining “checks and balances” in the government, adding that she’s open to discourse with people of differing opinions.

“I’m always willing to have a great conversation with anybody that wants to make the lives of Tennesseeans better,” Blackburn said.

Scott replied that achievements can be realized by Republicans and Democrats working together.

“If you look at the legislative accomplishments of the last few years, it’s been done in a bipartisan fashion,” Scott said.

“We’ve had champions on the right that have been willing to work with anyone from anywhere at any time as it relates to moving the country forward.”

Finally, Blunt said that the Democrats’ mixed results in the Nov. 3 general election show that American voters are not supportive of one-party rule.

“I think if Democrats control the Senate and the House, you’re going to see legislation driven by an extreme left side of their party that is not the right legislation for the country,” Blunt said.

Shall Overcome” before posing for group pictures.

“Thank you so much. I appreciate this so much,” Warnock said to the intimate crowd.

After Warnock’s campaign bus nearly backed into a car belonging to a supporter (“Testing your faith,” Warnock quipped to laughter from the car’s owner), the candidate and his entourage proceeded to the International Longshoreman’s Local 1414 union hall, where some 200 diverse supporters were gathered for a drive-up rally.

Mayor Johnson introduced Warnock to the energetic crowd, encouraging them to help boost turnout and vote early in the Jan. 5 election.

“We need you to be out and be disciples.

We need you to be out and encourage people to vote. Vote early, don’t wait until January the 5th, get it done now,” Johnson said, adding that this is a rare opportunity to help send a Savannah native to the U.S. Senate. “I want somebody who knows me. I want somebody who knows Savannah.”

Approaching the podium with a spring in his step, Warnock arrived at the mic to the upbeat cacophony of cheering supporters and honking car horns as Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” was blasting on the speaker system. Along with sharing a few lines from his stump speech and characterizing his opponent as out of touch with the struggles of everyday Georgians, Warnock spoke nostalgically of his childhood

fundraising event at Chatham County’s Forest City Gun Club, according to a Loeffler campaign aide.

After affably greeting supporters and random Tubby’s diners alike, Loeffler took a few questions from the press, echoing her campaign ads portraying Warnock as an extremist.

“The future of our country is at stake here. Really, the American dream is on the ballot. We can go down the path of socialism, my opponent is supporting Marxism and socialism. I’m fighting for the American dream,” Loeffler said, before characterizing some COVID-19 closures as oppressive. “Our freedoms are under attack. We need to be able to have kids back in school and let folks get back to church. That’s what I’ve been fighting for.”

In response to a reporter’s question directed to each senator asking how they can improve the divisive situation in Washington, D.C. and foster a more collaborative and positive system of governance, Loeffler said that “holding the Senate majority for Republicans is the number-one thing we can do to make sure that we have that check and balance on what Nancy Pelosi has done,” referring to

POLITICS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

June 23 showed that the group had committed $101,950 to her primary victory.

Few people in Coastal Georgia were aware of the Soros-backed organization before this fall. In Philadelphia, however, his PAC has greater name recognition since a bitterly contested 2017 race for district attorney there.

Justice & Safety poured more than $1 million into the campaign supporting civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner. Krasner, a former prosecutor who opposes the death penalty, was dubbed soft on crime by several conservative commentators such as Gerace.

In Savannah, Heap’s campaign messaging took on a strident law-and-order tone as her campaign against Jones grew tighter, more closely matching talking points of the PAC and national Republican organizations.

At an October campaign event, Heap said she was “concerned” about a Jones victory. Heap emphasized a quote from her challenger in which Jones allegedly encouraged Black Lives Matters protesters to “riot and burn.” “I know that if she gets in, my good prosecutors are not going to stay, and you’re not going to have people who can prosecute murders,” Heap told a room of mainly white supporters.

Then, direct mailers from Protect Our Police started landing in residential mailboxes in affluent neighborhoods like Isle of Hope and Coffee Bluff. A billboard off of Route 17 near Richmond Hill went up depicting Jones in a pose that resembled those popularized by so-called gangster rappers. Jones, a Black University of Georgia law school graduate married to a military veteran, was horrified by the ad. “The image was intended to be racist,” she said.

At least one such piece of PAC campaign literature showed a shadow figure that appeared to be a likeness of Soros next to a picture of Jones who was posing with her arms crossed and fingers in a “V” sign. The image, as well as a separate YouTube ad created by the Heap campaign

“There’s not enough oversight and accountability built into the operation of Georgia’s state government, which led to some unethical behavior and a high risk of corruption.” also featuring Soros as a bogeyman figure, sparked a strong backlash across Savannah’s Jewish community, leading to at least one meeting between leaders of Congregation Mickve Israel and Heap.

Heap’s campaign issued a public apology.

But she also explained that she was not responsible for the PAC’s campaign tactics, citing the law which forbids interaction between independent political action committees and political candidates.

When asked to comment about the PAC’s failure to report its campaign finance expenditures in Georgia, Heap’s campaign spokesman cited the same law.

The 40 candidates endorsed by Protect Our Police this fall competed for varied positions: state legislators, state attorney general, city council or county commission. A review by The Current shows that among that group, 23 candidates lost races on Nov. 3, while 18 won.

In Georgia, political action committees and candidates face a Dec. 31 deadline to file final campaign expenditure reports.

savannahbarfood.com 4523 Habersham St. | 912.355.5956

Reporter Laura Corley contributed to this report. This story was used by permission as part of a news partnership with The Current, a nonprofit, nonpartisan in-depth news site serving Coastal Georgia. Visit thecurrentga.org to learn more.

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COMMUNITY PHOTOS

PHOTOS BY BUNNY WARE

Merry times at McDonough’s annual Christmas Party

T

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

was two weeks before Christmas, and all through the night, McDonough’s patrons were partying with cocktails and Bud Light. Not letting any pandemic interrupt their longtime “holidaze” tradition, McDonough’s welcomed Savannah sippers to their annual Christmas Party on Friday, Dec. 11, complete with ugly sweaters, reindeer hats, and the bar’s customary carols of karaoke caterwauling. Regrettably, it appears that many patrons chose not to wear a face mask or remain socially distant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the indoor festivities... but perhaps a Christmas miracle will help the partygoers from bringing any unwanted particle-sized presents home to their families. Nonetheless, a merry time was had by all, even those who may not have remembered every detail of the party on the following morning.

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COMMUNITY PHOTOS

PHOTOS BY BUNNY WARE

Downtown Design District Annual Holiday Walk

S

CONNECT SAVANNAH | DEC 16-22, 2020

ome of Savannah’s most fashionable shops welcomed patrons to peruse locally made attire and other unique gift items during the Savannah Downtown Design District Annual Holiday Walk, held on Thursday, Dec. 10 with COVID-19 protocols in place. Participating stores included Custard Boutique, The Printed Peach, Asher + Rye, StoneLords, and other hip design hotspots.

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