Elegant Island Living September 2017 by Elegant Island Living Media Group

com

Banker Real Estate invites you to visit our studio to view area paintings by Brandon Newton

BANKER RE R E A L E S T A T E 291 Sea Island Road, St Simons. GA  (located by the Market at Sea Island) 912.638.1808 Mike@BankerRE.com

Brandon has been hailed as one of the best, new up and coming artists of today. His paintings have been featured on HBO, Fox News, and Fox and Friends.

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– September Special Events – Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Series – 10:30 a.m. –

SEPTEMBER 6

For Love & Art A virtual art museum presented by Myra Braswell, BrainWaves

SEPTEMBER 10

Wineducation

SEPTEMBER 12 & 26

Plinko Bingo: 4-6 p.m. Prizes for each game. Food and beverages will be available.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Learn to pair wines with Chef Bethany Fahey and Edson Vizcarra SEPTEMBER 12

Shrimp & Grits Jazz Sunday

C A L L F O R YO U R E V E N T I N V I TAT I O N S 9 1 2 . 2 9 5 . 4 6 9 9

12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Drinking the Kool-Aid idiom:

To blindly follow, or believe something or someone without even questioning the facts. Refusing to acknowledge the real truth. Example: “If they believe that, they must be drinking the Kool-Aid.”

synonyms: misled, stupid, out of the loop, brainwashed, hypnotized

nce again, the Georgia Bulldogs are ranked in the Preseason Top 10 college football rankings. It seems like every year we fans get our hopes up in August, just to have them dashed sometime between September and October. Losing to Tennessee last year on a last second Hail Mary pass hurt. Losing to Vandy at home hurt worse. Losing to Florida felt normal, unfortunately. Losing to Georgia Tech did not. According to Fox Sports, UGA has the most miserable fanbase in NCAA football. A miserable fanbase doesn’t mean the fans themselves are miserable. It means the fans are forced to endure something miserable – a product on the field that makes them constantly question why they even bother caring about something as trivial as sports. According to Fox Sports, we are the Charlie Browns in a world of Lucys. But THIS year is gonna be a different! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 37 years since I watched the Dawgs beat Notre Dame 17-10 for the 1980 National Championship. Fans from other SEC teams always chide Dawg fans for living in the past. But THIS year is gonna be different!

Celebrating �0 Years in Business 28 Market Street, Suite 124 St. Simons Island, GA 912.638.5100 12

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Every year we start out slow and end up stumbling somewhere around game 3 or 4. Last year, we rolled into Oxford, Mississippi with a 3-0 record and got rolled 45-14. But THIS year is gonna be different!

We have been getting a bye week before the Florida game the past few years to prepare for the Gators, but that hasn’t seemed to help. The hated Gators have won the last three games in a row. But THIS year is gonna be different! For the first time in 37 years we are going to play Notre Dame once again. I think it’s a sign! 15-0* from where I’m sitting! Pass the KoolAid!

*15-0 is a prediction heard every August from the Hair of the Dawg Board referring to the upcoming UGA football season. Translation: UGA will win EVERY game this year including the National Championship.

PUBLISHER

David Butler

Elegant Island Living is published monthly. Reproduction of any photographs, artwork, or copy prepared by Elegant Island Living is strictly

ART DIRECTOR

Beth Rowen

prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher. The advertisers and publisher are not responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors. All electronic

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Kathi Williams 912.399.8797 PRODUCTION MANAGER

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Real Estate Manager 912.506.3625 FOR DISTRIBUTION: 912.506.3625 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lawrence Certain

www.elegantislandliving.net

Kelly Galland Tab M. Miller Kelly Smith SPORTSWEAR 2-16 WOMEN’S SIZES 1X-3X ACCESSORIES • GIFTS • SHOES 1616 Frederica Rd • 912- 638-3995 Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30 maggiesssi.com

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Kelly Spaeder Linda Wright CO N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R A P H E R S

The Darkroom Lindsay Stewart Photography

On the Cover: September 10 is National Grandparents Day. In this issue’s feature story, we focus on grandfathers. Each one looks different, speaks in their own way, and has a unique love for us, but they share a common thread of being a paternal foundation in the family. For our cover, we channeled René Magritte’s iconic 1964 painting The Son of Man to represent the many faces of these men who shaped our lives.

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In-Home Services Available to Help You Put it all Together

312 Mallery Street • St. Simons Island • In the Village 9 1 2 . 6 3 4 . 2 7 6 4 • w w w. d u t c h m a n s d e s i g n s . c o m

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contents

40 F E AT U R E

I S L A N D

I MP R ESS I O N S

18 A Grand Collection of Memories

60 Life with the Top Down

EVENTS

I S L A N D

40 A Toast for the Tykes

62 A Flair for Fashion and Fun

42 Cowboy Up!

64 Help a Rising Star

48 Bravo? Brava? It Matters!

67 Styling for Success

51 Five Top Tips for Enjoying the St. Simons Food & Spirits Festival

70 Business Buzz

P R O F I L ES

74 What’s Happening COMMU N I TY

80 Social Scene

54 Passion & Purpose

94 Real Estate

58 Campaign for Community

130 SSI Archives

SEPTEMBER 2017

Winter gr een Lif esaver s . F ish i ng r ods. A f avor ite cha i r . We each have ou r o wn s peci al th i ng s w e associ ate with ou r gr a nd pa r ent s – a sig nat u r e sce nt or oft– told joke that will al ways call to m i nd the de a r me mbe r s of the older gener at ion of ou r f a m ilies. 18

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n 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation naming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. In this month’s feature, in honor of that holiday, we celebrate these precious treasures who walk among us and have forged paths for us, by sharing stories from local residents about the grandfathers in their lives. We would like to give a huge thank you to Lawrence Certain for the many hours he spent doing interviews and putting these stories to paper. We also thank everyone who was willing to tell us their stories. Take some time to cherish your grandparents this month, either by spending some time with them, if you can, or simply by sharing some memories of your own.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Five generations of family

together, as pictured in 1994. (From left) Sean Michael Valentine (two years old), Dr. Robert B. Butler (57 years old), George B. Randels (97 years old), David B. Butler (33 years old), Scott Ross Valentine (five years old), Robert Wesley Valentine (seven years old), J. B. Butler (79 years old).

Remembering a Gentle Roughneck David Butler Looks Back on His Grandfather

y grandfather, James Burnett (J.B.) Butler, well deserves the love and admiration I constantly hold for him in my heart. He was a self-made and profoundly self-reliant man of the Midwest, born in 1916 in Haileyville, Oklahoma, as one of my great grandparent’s six children. And though he lived his life half a (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

sweet potatoes, which they ate solely for a full year. Thereafter, he would not eat another sweet potato during his life nor would he allow one in his home!

Also among the long lineage of charismatic gents in David’s family was his maternal greatgrandfather, George Bennett Randels.

nation away from me and my family, our regular visits to my grandparent’s home–a simple clapboard house in Shawnee, Oklahoma– shrank the distance and enlarged my memories of him. My family would make the two-day drive to Oklahoma every other summer. Despite his early life that was often hard, I remember the gentle, loving nature of my grandfather’s countenance as I sat on his lap during these visits as a young boy, raptly listening to those stories of his life’s journey that he shared with me. He always called me “old’ Dave”, regardless of my age. His stories enthralled me, from his high school stardom as a football player and Golden Glove boxer in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to his Pacific overseas service in the Army. He was a man with an unerring sense of duty to his family and country, adamant that his children, including my father who would graduate from dental school, would progress beyond his own school education He told me about how the Great Depression ruined all of his family’s crops except for the 20

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My grandfather returned home from the war with enough money to start a small restaurant in Ardmore, Oklahoma. When the restaurant closed and he was driven to continue to provide for his family, he spent much of his life on the move throughout the Midwest (demonstrated by the fact that my father attended four different high schools). He was an oil field roughneck with Schlumberger Well Servicing Company in Duncan, Oklahoma, starting as a truck driver. He finished his oil field career 25 years later when Schluberger asked him to go to Alaska and he said it was too cold. He then went to work for the State of Oklahoma Employment Service specializing in veteran affairs. Two stories about J.B. Butler remain the most vivid in my memories of him. As early teens, my grandfather and his brother Marvin (who later died of tuberculosis) were less than avid school students. When their absences from school led the local truancy officer to arrive one day to their parent’s home, they both jumped though their bedroom window, ran across the farm fields and with sheer abandon and faith

leapt aboard a boxcar on a train heading west. The train’s destination was California, where the two boys jumped off and jumped into the sweaty labors of picking fruits and vegetables in the state’s booming agriculture industry. Some 60 years later, I would follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. In February of 1993, I set out for California myself, not in a sweltering boxcar, but in my air-conditioned car. On my long drive westward I visited my grandfather in Oklahoma, heard the story of his youthful escape and was struck by the similarities of our young sojourns. He found farming, I sought fame. We both ultimately returned home, worn by our experiences, yet wiser in our understandings of life. Upon my grandfather’s death in June of 2000, I learned even more about his life. As a postwar young man, he went to work as many did in FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), established to put men and women to work building the nation’s infrastructure. Among the projects on which he labored was a covered bridge spanning a river near Lake Murray State Park in Ardmore, OK. It was in those clear waters beneath the intricate, unseen bridgeworks he helped to build, that

my grandfather’s ashes were gently scattered. He would have liked that. So, do I. ABOVE LEFT: David and his grandfather J.B., 1983. RIGHT: Why David’s grandfather called him “Old” Dave.

Rev. Rainey

Lawrence Certain Remembers his Grandfather

ranville Newton Rainey was and always will be my grandfather. It is an honor, unearned, that I have carried since birth. My memories of him are not as vast as those of a grandchild who grows up blessed with long hours of con-

tact with their grandfather. Mine afford me no richly detailed portrait of him. Such is the province of others – his children to whom he was a father and members of his congregation to whom he was Brother Rainey. (continues)

ABOVE: Lawrence Certain’s grandfather, Granville Rainey, and his signed, first edition (1886) of the Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church

that he received during his ministerial training at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. He carried this small book with him throughout his life.

SEPTEMBER 2017

My memories of my grandfather are more akin to a kind of connect-the-dots outline – small points of vivid memories that rest in my mind, somewhat detached from each other. Yet when set upon the page and linked to one another, these points form for me the unmis-

I watched closely as he showed me how to place a pecan in the metal trough, resting one end of the nut up against a concave stop, and how to pull the handle that would slide against the pecan, cracking the hull. takable shape of the only man I knew as a grandfather and create the vessel in which I hold and decant my remembrances of him. It is a shape that can never fully define the three-dimensionality of his love that touched so many lives during his fifty years at a pastor in the South Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church. During the years I knew him we were separated by the distances that the itinerant nature of his life’s work placed between us, drawn together a handful of times each year by family holidays. 22

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My grandfather was a quiet man. I cannot remember him ever holding the floor to expound at any length, except during his Sunday sermons. And even then, his remarks were not that of a fiery orator from the mountaintop, but rather the assuring, embracing cadence of one who speaks from the well of grace and the rock-solid footing of conviction. My grandfather spoke little. But in him I saw proof enough for me that God speaks through men. In remembering grandfather Rainey today, I think first of large family gatherings in small, neat parsonages in quiet, South Georgia towns. My grandfather was the patriarch of a large family. He and my grandmother, Nell Rainey, had six children who married and gave him eighteen grandchildren, of which I was one. For as long as I can remember, the Rainey clan, as we came to call ourselves, would gather together twice a year, in Spring on Mother’s Day and again in the Fall on Thanksgiving. The army that over the years reached a total twentyeight children and grandchildren (before greatgrandchildren would nearly double that number) would descend upon the town where my grandfather was the pastor at the local Methodist Church. Perry, Macon, and Fort Valley were the Georgia towns I remember most. We all would arrive at my grandparent’s home for these events, filled with great anticipation for these times when we celebrated our common lineage and love. And like the good Methodists we were, each family carried an assigned covered dish: vegetables, breads, pound cakes, cheese straws. These arrived and were assembled in great rows in my grandmother’s kitchen where she scurried and bounced from oven to stove to counter fussing with her green beans, dressing and the turkey. The wonderful aromas filled the house like a thick fog. With my grandmother busy in the kitchen, my grandfather saw to arrivals. From a chair on the porch he would rise and greet us. I remember that I always kissed my grandfather on his

cheek and he, mine. While it was not a gesture he saved for just me, I knew then, even as I would quickly slip from his embrace and race to find my cousins, that it was an act that served to renew our bond and define that small part of him I knew and which was mine alone. As a youngster at these gatherings among so large a crowd, moments alone with my grandfather were rare. Yet, on a few occasions, I enjoyed the special status of being the only grandchild in his company. On one such Thanksgiving afternoon in Fort Valley, he asked me if I would like to help him shell pecans. Delighted, I joined him in the small workshop that adjoined the garage behind the house. Onto his workbench, he hoisted an odd-looking contraption fashioned from black pig-iron and wood. And from a large grocery sack, he scooped up a double handful of big brown pecans collected from the huge tree that dominated the backyard of the parsonage. I watched closely as he showed me how to place a pecan in the metal trough, resting one end of the nut up against a concave stop, and how to pull the handle that would slide against the pecan, cracking the hull. After a few tries to get the amount of pressure just right, I set about my job. My grandfather deftly finished cleaning the pecans with his fingers and his pocket knife, depositing the sweet amber meat into a metal pan. I enjoyed their taste, yet I savor more that time alone in the darkening corner of the garage with my grandfather. I clearly remember several incidents when I discovered something new about my grandfather that surprised me and gave me small glimpses into his personality. It seemed that in all the parsonages in which I visited my grandparents there was always one room that housed the sort of stuff one usually keeps in an attic and I generally found no interest in them. However, once, for some reason, I took to nosing around the storage room near the back of the Macon parsonage and was amazed to find in one corner a set of golf clubs. Delighted at my discovery, I carried the leather bag to the back-

I remember it as the day a seven year-old stood on the banks of a river in his grandfather’s arms and experienced the joy of unconditional love and forgiveness. yard, placed a yellowed golf ball atop a tee and selected a club. But as I prepared to strike the ball, I was utterly perplexed to find the clubface pointing in the wrong direction. Undaunted, I walked to the other side of the ball only to find the same unnatural situation. It was then I realized that the club I was holding, like all the clubs in the bag, was left-handed. My surprise at finding my grandfather had actually once played golf, was exceeded only by the surprise in learning that when he had played, he had done so as a southpaw. On another occasion, in the parsonage in Fort Valley, I encountered my grandfather seated at the desk in his small study. As I approached, he stopped working at his ancient Underwood typewriter and extended an arm around my waist. When I asked what he was doing he replied that he was preparing his sermon for that Sunday. I was surprised. For in all the sermons I had heard him deliver over the years, I always believed he was speaking extemporaneously and without the need for study and preparation, as one can when knowledge, conviction, and intuition blend and the subject at hand flows wonderfully free. But his answer, and the papers and scribbled notes scattered about his desktop along with his open Bible, told me that his sermons seemed effortless on Sundays only because of his labors over them in the preceding days. I remember best, though, the time my grandfather surprised me with his sense of humor. He and my grandmother had come to St. Simons for a visit. A fishing trip had been planned and I, at the age of seven, was looking forward to my very first attempt at catch-

ing fish. With poles, bait and a picnic lunch we set out for a spot just off the St. Simons causeway along the banks of the McKay River. I could not wait to try fishing firsthand. We arrived at the river and with great anticipation, I watched as my grandfather selected a rod and reel for me, placed a live shrimp on the hook, adjusted the bobber depth, and then motioned for me to follow him to the edge of the river. He eyed the water briefly and with perhaps too much confidence that I could take it from there, handed me the pole. “OK, Lawrence,” he said, pointing to a patch of water about ten yards from my feet, “this looks like a good spot, toss it in right over there.” Seven-year olds don’t question their grandfathers about such important matters as how to fish. And although his instructions seemed odd, I took them on faith. With the entire family watching, I grasped the rod firmly with both hands and dutifully tossed it– rod and all – squarely into the spot he had chosen where it landed with a thin splash. Even with my pitiful knowledge of fishing, the shocked silence from those behind me told me that I had erred terribly. With my hands over my mouth in horror, I turned to my grandfather and braced for the anger that I was sure my foolishness had earned. He stood there peering at the widening ripples, a look of complete surprise on his face. I began to cry. My grandfather began to laugh. And as he laughed he reached down and gathered me to him and hugged me. I felt silly, ashamed, relieved. It took a while that afternoon for me to regain my enthusiasm for the sport of fishing. But when I did, my grandfather handed me his pole and with a wink and a smile said, “This time, grip it just a wee bit tighter.” Today, this

story is fairly legend in my family. Mostly I’m sure, it’s remembered as the day I threw a fishing pole in the river and learned the do’s and don’ts of casting. I remember it as the day a seven year-old stood on the banks of a river in his grandfather’s arms and experienced the joy of unconditional love and forgiveness. My grandfather Rainey passed away in December of 1979, just days short of his ninetieth birthday. Earlier that year, his health had required that he and my grandmother sell their beloved home in Fort Valley to come live with my parents on St. Simons Island. It was several days after his funeral when I found myself in the room in my parent’s home where my grandparents had briefly lived together when I noticed a long row of identical looking books on a shelf. I reached for one and opening it was startled to find my grandfather’s graceful handwriting on each and every page. They were daily diaries with their title, Daily-Aids, embossed on the cover. I counted forty-one volumes, one for each year from 1938 to 1979, containing a page for each day. Here in these remarkable books, beginning in the early years of his ministry and continuing well into the last year of his life, he reported and reflected on the activities and appointments that filled his days. Though not profound in their content, the entries struck me as enormously powerful in the simple notes and jotted fragments that revealed the day-to-day toil and thoughts of a man who was about his Father’s work. I skipped among the years enjoying his notations on church events, funerals, weddings, family doings and the countless other activities which consumed his time. I blushed at the closeness to him that rose from each page realizing that here were the final treasured gifts from my grandfather. These are my memories of my grandfather, Reverend Granville Newton Rainey, with whom I shared too scant a time. They are like precious stones whose value rises with little more than the labor of keeping. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

A Devotion to His Family and Community. Merry Tipton Remembers Her “Grannypop” y grandfather, Augustus Myddelton Harrris, Sr., was known simply as “Myd” by the countless number of those who knew him, loved him, and are today in so many ways the collective beneficiaries of his vision and actions. As all his grandchildren did, I called him “Grannypop.” He was born in April of 1899 in his parents’ Brunswick home on Albany Street after my great grandfather moved to the coast from Hancock County, Georgia, to be in the timber business following the Civil War. Over the years, my grandfather and grandmother (Mary Edna Walker Harris) and their children relocated about the streets of what is now Old Town Brunswick – first to Oak Place, then Carpenter (where we briefly lived when I was born) and then to a home he built at 402 Union Street. This was still my grandparents’ home when my grandfather died in September of 1971. The early 1900s story of my grandfather’s love affair with my grandmother is one of arduous distance and ardent devotion. He lived in Glynn County, she in McIntosh County. Undaunted and thoroughly smitten, he would walk along the miles of railroad tracks northward to Darien to briefly see and woo her. His loving treks had his desired effect and they married in 1918. My mother, Anne Elizabeth Harris, one of my grandparent’s three children,

later married Clell Tyler, my stepfather, who I always called “Poppa.” When I was twelve, we moved from Brunswick to a home on East Beach, St. Simons Island. Those versed in the story of Brunswick’s earlier days know Myd Harris and the impact he had as our community gained its economic footing. His life in the business world began as a young boy in 1916 as a “runner” for First National Bank on Newcastle Street. His innate skills and a blossoming financial acumen ultimately led to an admirable lifelong career of leadership with the bank that spanned being named a bank director in 1927, bank president in 1948, and chairman of its board of directors in 1964. Throughout his distinguished financial life, whether he was loaning hundreds to families in need or millions to businesses in building our community, my grandfather acted with a profound sense of kinship in serving his fellow citizens. The betterment of people and our community was never far from his mind. To merely say he was active in our community understates his place in its past and present. He served on the Glynn County Board of Education for 15 years, was the first president of the Brunswick Community Foundation, was a founder and lifelong member of the Brunswick Kiwanis Club, was a deacon and elder of First Presbyterian Church in Brunswick (and instrumental in establishing St. Simons Presbyterian Church); and was twice president of the Glynn County Chamber of Commerce.

Merry Tipton, age four, with her grandfather at his home on Union Street, Brunswick.

Perhaps my grandfather is most remembered today for his enduring passion and diligent work to ensure a future-minded vision for the vitality of the ports of Brunswick and their places in our nation’s eastern seaboard economy. He was the first president of the Brunswick Port Authority, later vice chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority, and lobbied hard for the successful creation of the railroad connecting the commodities arriving to the port at Colonel’s Island for transportation by trucks to the world, arguably among the earliest visions for what would later become our nation’s vast intermodal commerce and interstate supply system. Little known to most is the fact that the Colonel’s Island port terminal complex is sizeable enough today in its acreage and prominence to have its own name: Myd Harris, Georgia. It has no mayor nor population beyond the countless commodities that pass through it every day. Like our community, I treasure my grandfather’s indelible thumbprint left by the life he lived. He will always have my love and admiration. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

The original document reflecting Emmanuel Paraskevas’ acceptance as a U.S. citizen, executed in the District Court of Rhode Island, on February 5, 1902.

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My Papou Recollections of Emmanuel Paraskevas by John S. Dalis, United States Bankruptcy Judge (Ret.)

hat I know of my Papou (the Greek word for grandfather), Emmanuel Paraskevas (Manuel Parrish) I learned from his three daughters Anastasia (Tessie), Mary, my mother and Aristea (Esther). My Papou died at the age of 81 in the eleventh month of my life. To him I owe a debt of gratitude for not only who I am, but more so what and where I am – a grateful and loyal American by birth and proud Hellene by heritage. Manuel was born in 1871 in a remote mountain village in Peloponnese Lakonia, Greece, near the port of Monovasia. His formal education ended after the third grade when his father decided Manuel would enter the family business, herding sheep and goats. His mother had other plans. So, at the age of 14 he traveled to America to join his older brother in a new family business: a candy store and soda fountain on Lexington Avenue in New York City. The men led bachelors’ lives over the store and shared the dream of every young Greek man coming to America: to work hard, save all you could and retire to Greece to marry a woman half your age, breeding a house full of children, living out your life like an Ottoman Pasha. In no way discounting his dream, Manuel so loved his adopted land that in 1902 he became an American citizen. As is still customary today, newly

minted citizens were given the opportunity to change their names. A new name to match a new start in life, Emmanuel Paraskevas became Manuel Parrish. Yet fate has a way of distorting dreams. My grandfather’s brother contracted tuberculosis and died and Manuel got sick. He was told he needed a dryer climate to extend his life. Taking all of his and his brother’s savings and giving a power of attorney to his lawyer to sell the business and building, he returned to Greece in 1919 to die. There he received a welcome reserved for a Frankenstein-like monster, without the pitchforks and torches. Driven from the village, he returned to his roots. Fevered and shivering, he found refuge in a shepherd’s hovel carved out of the side of a mountain. The irony of his condition drove him to laughter. The villagers believed him insane.

He was confident that the bulk of his assets– the sale proceeds from the business and building–had been safely secured and invested by his lawyer in America. With that belief, Manuel’s plan was for Aristea to take all the money remaining, travel to New York, collect his fortune, have the operation and return home to her two sisters left behind in Greece. The reality he would learn was painfully different: the business was gone. The building was sold. The lawyer was dead. The money was gone. With no money, in the face of the Great Depression, my grandfather remained determined to reunite his family. At age 59, he launched a new family business selling fruits and vegetables during the milder seasons, and roasted chestnuts in winter, from a pushcart on the streets of Passaic, New Jersey. Seven years would pass before he could save the money needed to bring his daughters over from Greece to America.

Katherine, the village “old maid,” who was 22 years of age and the youngest of seven, with no dowry and obviously no hope of marrying, took pity on him, fed him, nursed him, healed him and married him. He was 48. The marriage produced three daughters: my mother and my two aunts.

My Papou Manuel taught me faith and love. Faith and love of God. Faith and love for family. Faith in oneself. Every night before bed, he prayed to God for the health of his family, for strength to go on, and for a special place in the bowels of hell for all lawyers.

In 1930, the fates intervened again. Aristea needed surgery available only in the major capitals of Europe and New York City. For years Manuel had written to his lawyer with no reply.

I’m certain that on the day I graduated from the University of Georgia Law School and took the oath as a member of the State Bar of Georgia, he rolled over in his grave. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

He Shaped an Industry. He Shaped Me. Micajah Sturdivant Shares His Remembrances of His Papa, Mike P. Sturdivant, Sr. he hospitality industry, from across the Southeast to here on the Georgia coast, was very much a part of the personal and professional passions of my grandfather. Although owning and operating hotels was not his primary occupation, he believed the professional hospitality industry to be an open landscape when he founded our business in the 1950s. Farming had been in the family for generations before him. After leaving the family farm to graduate from Mississippi State University and enroll at Harvard Business School, he recognized the responsibility that came with such gifts. After returning to Mississippi, Papa married my grandmother, Ygondine, in 1948, joined the Army and was shipped off to Korea the day after my father, Mike Sturdivant Jr. (the oldest of 5 siblings) was born in 1950. Yet as the farm prospered and the cotton and other crops grew, so did my grandfather’s yearnings to expand his horizons. In 1956, President Eisenhower had established the Interstate and Defense Highway Act, creating super highways and a nation on wheels, traveling on good roads and looking for comfortable places to stay. For my grandfather and his graduate school roommate, Earle Jones, this was an opportunity for the entrepreneurial-minded. The visionary duo began opening Holiday Inns across Mississippi, and by the mid-1970s their company, Mississippi Management Inc., was operating more than 2,000 hotel rooms. Renamed the MMI Hotel Group, the company’s portfolio of owned and managed properties grew over the years, includ-

ing the 1980 purchase of the King and Prince Hotel here on St. Simons and the transformation of the property into The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort and its recognition in the world of hospitality today. Former Mississippi Governor William Winter called my grandfather “one of Mississippi’s most valuable and effective citizen leaders, who was totally dedicated to improving life for everyone in Mississippi. He had a compassion for the less fortunate and did everything he could to improve their lives.” As a young boy, I was keenly aware of my Papa’s values of hard work, self-reliance and a servant’s heart that shaped his decisions in business and his love and devotion to our family. Our family gatherings for meals were memorable times brimming with an essential Mississippi sense of warmth and love. The entire family was always in attendance at the encouragement of my grandparents and that time spent together built the foundation for lasting bonds. There is not a holiday that I can remember where all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles weren’t together to share, debate, and encourage. Papa constantly stressed that family business opportunities awaited us when earned. This is the MMI and Sturdivant DNA that has drawn succeeding family members to follow in Papa’s footsteps in carrying on the company mission and values, including my uncle Gaines P. Sturdivant, now chairman of the MMI Hospitality Group. After graduating from Harvard Business School in 2006, I joined MMI. Today, as President of

Micajah Sturdivant, age three, with his Papa, Mike Sturdivant Sr.

the MMI Hotel Group overseeing management of the company’s hotel assets, I travel often to ensure the quality of the experiences of those who visit MMI properties, guided always by what my Papa faithfully believed and practiced: “The guest is our one true boss.” I believe it was his abiding farmer’s faith that always guided him in planting seeds for a harvest that he might not ever see. When I meet new MMI team members, I oftentimes share the reality that we may not know how our investment in the experience of our guests shaped their stay. I am fortunate to know, though, that my grandfather took great pride in the people that make up the company I am charged with leading today. It is a wonderful honor to carry on his legacy of service and I am encouraged about MMI’s future because of the company culture my grandfather began to instill over sixty years ago. Hospitality is a gift that traditionally comes without corresponding thanks. We will forever remain grounded in our Mississippi roots recognizing that Southern hospitality resonates throughout time and place. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

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A Good Man Who Believed in the Goodness of Others. Trey Brunson Recalls His Grandfather, Roy Smith. After faithfully honoring the agreement, the matter was closed and the employee’s eyes were opened to the rare character of Roy Smith.

Trey Brunson, age 5, crabbing with his grandfather at his home in 1976.

or me, one simple story reveals the essence of my grandfather, Roy Smith. Early in his long business career here in Glynn County, he learned that an employee had stolen money from his company. Confronting the man, my grandfather chose human compassion over legal prosecution telling him that if he agreed to come to my grandfather’s church the next Sunday and sit in the front row, the man could keep his job and charges would not be pressed.

My grandfather was born in McIntyre, Georgia and aspired to attend the University of Georgia. Coming from a poor family, he was unable to afford the tuition so instead discovered Perry Business School in Brunswick. In his early twenties, he took a train to Brunswick and studied business principles. He went to work as a bookkeeper for H&H, at the time a gas station named after its two owners, Misters Hood and Harrington. There he met fellow employee Ernest Nutt, and the two of them eventually bought the business, which they quickly enlarged to include tires, appliances, and TVs. When the war began, my grandfather entered the Navy and served in the South Pacific as a medic. After his return, he married my grandmother, who was from Brunswick, and the two of them settled at the Willetta Hotel which he and Ernest Nutt had bought. My grandparents lived there until my mother was five years old and, after they sold it, it was eventually demolished. Mr. Nutt, who had no children, deeded his ownership of all H&H company assets to my grandfather so that it could continue as a family business. The family foundations of H&H deepened over the years. My father, who was from Albany, Georgia, married my mother in 1969 and after

five years as an Air Force pilot moved to Brunswick. In 1989, my grandfather retired and my father assumed command, moving H&H from Gloucester Street to Altama Avenue. My sister Laurie (now retired) and I later took over leadership of the company. Today I am president of H&H Lifestyles which relocated to St. Simons Island in 2011. I believe “community steward” best describes my grandfather. These two words fail to fully reflect the volumes of good works he authored during his 91 years, many done in Christian anonymity. He built and rented out hundreds of houses, often on little more than the faith he had in a handshake. When his church needed new hymnals they appeared. He established the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in our local schools. He helped develop new local communities, including Riverside, where he built his home with brick rescued from the demolition of the Oglethorpe Hotel. He gave generously to community needs with no desire for recognition, was a friend to all, and a guiding mentor to many. My grandfather died in August, 2006. But a permanent imprint of the gentle thumbprint of Roy Smith, in how he operated his businesses and lived his life, remains. Not unlike that man so many years ago who erred, yet received the gifts of redemption and forgiveness from my grandfather, I live each day in thankfulness for his place in my life. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

J.C. Strother, Sr.: The Heart and Hands of a Builder. Memories From His Grandson, Bill Strother t. Simons Island is a place of landmark structures. I am understandably most proud of the two-story, white brick building bearing my family’s name, J.C. Strother Company that has stood overlooking Mallory Street in the island’s pier village for over half a century. My grandfather, John Carl Strother, was born in Stillmore, Georgia and came to the Island as a World War I veteran in 1928 soon after the causeway first opened. He arrived as a builder, yet building materials were scarce. Undaunted by the depression years that would follow (during which his wealthy family would lose virtually everything), he believed that better times lay ahead here on the Georgia coast and established the J.C. Strother Company in 1930. The young company’s first location was also on Mallory Street, accompanied by a small lumber yard located a short distance away near today’s baseball fields. His brother-in-law and partner Ike Roundtree handled the storefront hardware operations while he set out to build houses. And build he did, constructing over 300 affordable homes on St. Simons, in Brunswick and in St. Marys. Among his earliest projects was building homes just off Frederica Road, shaping the historic subdivision that would become Oglethorpe Park. Many of these homes would later be occupied by workers at the J.A. Jones Shipyard in Brunswick, who were building Liberty Ships for our nation’s World War II homefront effort. My grandfather’s attraction to this parcel of land continued. In 1950, he extended its high

Bill Strother and his sister Carla as infants being held by their grandparents outside the home J.C. Strother built in Oglethorpe Park.

ground acreage eastward to create a peninsula welcoming more new homes – one of which my parents occupied and where I proudly live today as the third generation of the Strother family. My grandfather died in 1966, when my father was 14 years old. My grandfather’s eldest son and my uncle, Felix Strother (who I am named after) died in service to our nation on the beaches of Normandy in 1944. Yet my grandfather’s footprints would lead the way for the next generation. My father, William Felix (Billy) Strother, married my mother, Clarise Sutton in 1947, learned the building supply and allied businesses and became a second generation owner of J.C. Strother Company. He eagerly adopted his father’s strong belief that decisions and actions that benefit the community were the foundations good business.

My grandfather’s life and community spirit remains today in so much of our island’s history. He was the building contractor in constructing St. Simons Baptist Church and was the church’s first treasurer in 1938. He and other Village merchants founded St. Simons State Bank (he once said he had cashed so many checks for local residents that we might as well just start a bank). The institution would later become the Coastal Bank of Georgia. And he was also elected a Glynn County Commissioner (which we jokingly said was his worst business decision). Following the death of our father in 2005, my brother Gordon and I now own J.C. Strother Company which has grown, like the island and coastal region we serve, beyond anything my grandfather could have ever imagined. We are proud to continue his legacy. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Pine Sap in His Veins. Love in His Heart. Felicia Harris Recalls the Man She Knew as Grandfather. emembrances of my grandfather, Lester Morris, awaken so many of my senses, from the sweet aroma of pine wood to the sweeter-still way he touched so many during his life. Born in Kingsland, Georgia in 1918, my grandfather became a successful pulp woodsman by trade, owning a business that harvested pine trees for sale to companies locally and across the southeast. My father, Malachi Morris, was born in Camden County and later moved to be with my mother in Brunswick before I was born. Though my grandfather toiled in sweat-stained work clothes by day, when he stepped out, he stepped out in style. Tailor-made suits and Stetson hats were his trademark, with the light scent of pines as his cologne. Family dinners and gatherings were essential bonding time that I so looked forward to. No family meal began without him being seated first to offer prayerful thanks. And no meal at any time of day or night was ever served in his home without including his beloved rice and gravy, a dish faithfully prepared for him my grandmother, Ruth Waye-Morris.

Those who knew my grandfather always called him “Head,” a term of endearment that suggested his wisdom and intelligence. He was a natural mechanic and problem solver who could fix anything. Yet I have always believed the nickname “Heart” would have been just as appropriate and descriptive, given the kindness and love he showed for his family, friends and fellow citizens throughout his life. In those early days in Kingsland most roads were unpaved and as the first person in town to have a vehicle – his large pulpwood trucks – my grandfather grew to be relied upon by fellow citizens for a tow out of the mud. In fact, he became a sort of a taxicab service (provided without charge) for those in need of transportation. And as a prosperous businessman, he also became something of an unofficial finance company, loaning small amounts of money to others when banks would not do so. These giving, Christian-minded traits of my grandfather left a lasting impression on me. As a Brunswick City Commissioner, I find myself guided in my actions by remembrances of him always doing the right thing, his desire to help all in need, his commitment to giving back to the community, and his belief in the joys that come with service to others. (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

Memories and a Mustang: A Sweet Ride of Recollections with Anna Martin

ith our family gathered in a circle, hands held ready to bless the meal, my Grandpa always says, “If it weren’t for me, none of y’all would be here.” Then the entire family – two grandparents, five children, twelve grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren, plus spouses, friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends present – would look around the room and realize

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he’s right. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here to tell the story of Carroll Harris Martin, Jr., my hero and my grandfather. My memories of Grandpa and my family began during my early childhood at our annual gathering for July Fourth at his house on Bartow Street. After a big meal and family photo, in which we’d all be wearing the same Old Navy American flag t-shirts, the entire crew would pile the kids in wagons and head to the pier for fireworks. One of my favorite memories about Sandcastle, the neighborhood where I grew up, was a small, secret passageway through which my dad, sister and I could ride our bikes to a street near Bartow that granted us easy access to Grandpa’s home. While I had a happy childhood brimming with wonderful memories, I’ll always cherish one in particular. I can recall each detail as if it were yesterday. I was finally old enough to ride in Grandpa’s beloved Ford Mustang: a classic 1966 brick-red convertible with no seatbelts. This was a huge deal for me and my younger sister, since at the ages of seven and nine, despite our incessant begging, we were not allowed to ride in the Mustang for safety reasons. But happily, the big day came and we could scarcely contain our excitement as we arrived at Grandpa’s by bike and gleefully took our places in the backseat of the Mustang, with the top down to excite us, and entirely lacking seat belts to restrain us. I can still recall the rich smell of the stiff, well-maintained leather seats and run-

ning my fingers over the tight stitching as we patiently waited on my dad and Grandpa to climb in and whisk us away. I remember studying the beautiful and bygone era styling of the front seat compartment with its vintage steering wheel, floor gearshift, period radio knobs and assorted dashboard array. These were surely simpler times, yet the ride was never sweeter nor more memorable. Grandpa noticed we were exploring every crevice of the mustang and quickly warned us, “Don’t mess with my quarters!” We discovered these coins in the vehicle’s center console, stacked to the brim and readied for the use for the toll once required to cross the causeway. With three generations of the Martin family in their seats, we took off for a joyful, seatbeltfree parade through St. Simons Island. Other than the fact that I’m on God’s green Earth, of which I’m reminded at each family prayer, I owe so much to my Grandpa. I’ve always had a great love for the University of Georgia, which led me to follow a family legacy of UGA graduates. My Grandpa instilled in me a strong work ethic and the conviction that I can do and be anything by following my dreams and working hard. He has taught me to get my back up off the wall and dance. (The two of us have perfected “The Grandpa Dance.”) And I’ll never

The stories featured in A Grand Collection of Memories, from “Remembering a Gentle Roughneck” through “Memories and a Mustang” were written by Lawrence Certain. Lawrence is co-owner of Faulkenberry Certain Advertising, a full-service advertising

forget the many songs he sings out at random: “The Martin Family Anthem,” “Paddy Murphy,” his own version of “Humoresque,” and the one that starts, “Oh she shimmied and she shimmied…” which would land us in trouble if we sang any more of the racy lyrics back in the day. There are many things about Grandpa that we can count on. He has shot his age or better over 200 times on the golf course. The walls of his home are covered with family photos because, he says, “You never see them if you stick them in an album.” (There happens to be an “Anna and Lizzie” wall, but of course there are no favorites in our family.) At 6:30 p.m. sharp, you can expect to see a Beefeater Gin and Schweppes Tonic in his hand. Grandpa never missed one of my dance recitals, even though he hypothesized that they got longer each year. He practices faith in everyday life. He has love for his fellow man. He lives simply. If truth is to be told, to know him is to love him. And if it weren’t for him, “none of y’all would be here” reading this story. (continues)

OPPOSITE PAGE: Anna Martin and her grandfather with his

beloved Mustang. THIS PAGE: An illustration of Anna drawn by her grandpa that

appears in various forms on every birthday, graduation, or note he’s written me through the years.

agency that has been an island mainstay for the past 26 years. FCA has created award-winning campaigns for local, regional, and national companies and organizations. They are located at 1331 Ocean Boulevard, and can be reached by phone at 912.638.7770.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Boys’ Life and the Blue Jay by Kelly Galland

hat young boy doesn’t dream of freedom and adventure, especially sailing the open seas in pursuit of pirates, treasure, and uncharted lands? For the Galland brothers, that dream came true during a magical summer in the 60s when 12-year-old Bob Galland convinced his father, Bob Galland, Sr., to build a “sailing surfboard” with purchased plans from Boy’s Life magazine. For over a year, Bob and his father enjoyed the sailing surfboard, but quickly realized their 38

ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

dreams of adventure would not be quenched with anything but a full-sized boat. The obvious answer was the Blue Jay, a racing class boat that was popular in the Northeast, and which continues to be one of the leading one-design, sloop-rigged sailboats in existence today. They purchased a kit from a nearby boat yard and spent six months lovingly building and crafting their vessel, while Bob’s younger brothers, Steve, John (Ben’s father), and Bud watched in eager anticipation of what was to come that summer when they could take the Blue Jay to

Point O’Woods, Connecticut, where they vacationed every year. After the initial test sail on a friend’s lake in Highland Lakes, New Jersey, the 1957 Plymouth family cruiser trailered the Blue Jay to Point O’Woods, where it spent the next ten years fulfilling the Galland brothers’ greatest dreams of adventure. Bob would spend hours and hours every day sailing, honing his skills and testing his limits. Finally, he set out for his longest sail thus far – beginning at Point O’Woods and sailing across the Long Island

total disrepair. The Blue Jay spent the next 25 years in the basement of Bud Galland’s home in Cumming, Georgia,

Sound to the tip of Long Island. He began in the morning and returned that evening, averaging roughly 26 miles round trip. The younger Galland brothers enjoyed sailing with their father, and they would climb into the bow of the boat below deck and nap as the waves and ocean breeze lulled them to sleep. The 14-foot sailboat seemed like a yacht to the young boys. In addition to the adventures in Point O’Woods, the Blue Jay made its way to Great Moose Pond in Hartland and Harmony, Maine, and even spent one summer at Wild Goose Camp for Boys, where it was used in their sailing program. As the years passed and Bob grew up, he married a Georgia girl, taking the Blue Jay south with him, eventually sailing it on Lake Lanier and Lake Burton. However, thousands of miles of travel on I-95 eventually took their toll and the boat bottom was in

until Bud and his son, Davis, replaced the bottom of the boat and all the sails. The Blue Jay made her 21st century debut in the 2015 Sea Palms Fourth of July parade, where she proudly won second place with the third generation of Galland children riding in her hull as she was pulled on a trailer. Her maiden voyage on St. Simons Island waters came two years later, also on a Fourth of July weekend, when most of Galland family was visiting. The Galland brothers launched her from the McKay River ramp and prayed their repairs would hold tight as Bob and Bud sailed through the St. Andrews Sound to Jekyll

Island. The childhood days of adventure may have been long gone, but Bob couldn’t help but to be filled with tremendous joy as he now sailed with his son, Max, and granddaughter, Sara; three generations in his beloved boat. All four Galland brothers attribute their love of the water and sailing to their father’s passion for it and those fine summer days chasing boyhood dreams on the water in the Blue Jay. While most of their sailing nowadays is done in the Virgin Islands among large catamarans, those precious memories in the boat that seemed larger than life will always be a part of each of them. And who knows, perhaps the third generation of Galland children, Sara, Anson, Will and Brogen, will have new and wonderful adventures discovering pirates, treasure, and uncharted land upon the Blue Jay in the Golden Isles. Happy Grandparents Day to all the Golden Isles grandparents! OPPOSITE PAGE: Anson (4th generation on boat), Bob, Jr., Sara

and Bud Galland THIS PAGE: Bob Galland, Sr., building the Blue Jay, and

enjoying the ride

SEPTEMBER 2017

A Toast for the Tykes

here’s a wonderful way that you can celebrate grandparents in September too. Attend Taste of the Vine benefitting Coastal Coalition for Children. Maybe invite your own grandparents! This annual event featuring wine and whimsy

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will take place at Georgia Sea Grill on Sunday, September 24 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. It includes small bites with big flavor paired with various varietals, a silent auction showcase and sale. Funds raised at this event support the programs of Coastal Coalition for Children, which includes Grandparent Connection.

In Fiscal Year 2016, Coastal Coalition for Children worked with 47 “grandfamilies” through Grandparent Connection. It is estimated that there are approximately 1000 Glynn County families in which grandparents are the primary caregivers for the children. Because raising children for the second time can be very challenging

for grandparents as well as an adjustment for the children, Grandparent Connection provides assistance to make the situation easier for all involved. With parenting classes and active peer support groups, they guide grandparents by helping to bridge generational gaps, meet the child’s physical and emotional needs, and locate financial and healthcare assistance. They also act as advocates for these families in the school system and help grandparents find resources they might not be aware of that can be beneficial to their family. Parenting classes provided by the Grandparent Connection, in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, take place at local Boys and Girls Club facilities. The cur-

riculum, “Parenting the Second Time Around” is designed specifically for “grandfamilies.” Designed to help grandparents understand the issues facing children today and help them identify the emotional and physical needs of their grandchildren, class curriculum is divided into 8 modules addressing family dynamics, current methods to effectively discipline children, the legal concerns of relatives rising children, advocacy and connection with community programs. There are supervised programs for the grandchildren while the grandparents are in class, as well. Upon completion of the classes, grandparents are encouraged to continue to support one another in the monthly peer support group meetings throughout the year. The Grandparent Connection works closely with the Health Department, police, legal

and financial advisors, the school systems, the County Extension Office, the YWCA, and the Glynn Co. Recreation Department to provide grandparents with vital information they need to raise their grandchildren. These groups give presentations and answer questions regarding areas such as obtaining help for the children through their school, qualifying for health care benefits, immunizations, custody and adoption issues. Benefits of the support groups have been invaluable to participating grandparents and children. An accepting environment and opportunity to connect with people experiencing the same things helps them know they’re not alone. Members also are often able to help and support each other with childcare, transportation, and advice. The families get together periodically for picnics, holiday parties, trips to local water parks and Family Days at the YWCA. Through donations, Grandparent Connection is also able to host a Giving Tree and a Back to School party for the children. Last year’s Taste of the Vine event raised more than $32,000 dollars for Coastal Coalition for Children’s Healthy Families, First Steps, and Grandparent Connection programs supporting families in our community. Their mission is “Working together with community and families to create safe, nurturing homes for our children” and your support is essential to the success of that mission. You can help provide that support by purchasing your tickets to Taste of the Vine today. Tickets are $65 per person or 2/$120 and can be purchased via Eventbrite. com, through the event’s Facebook page, or by calling Coastal Coalition for Children at 912.338.0736. Enjoy delicious wine and food, fine fellowship, and assist a program that helps these special caregivers in our community who continue to raise and nurture our next generations. They are a precious treasure indeed.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

THE

HUMANE SOCIETY

2017

COWBOY UP! O F SOU

TH COASTAL GEORGIA

Photos by Lindsay Stewart Photography

ime to cowboy (or girl!) up for the critters! Grab your favorite jeans and polish your boots for a good time supporting a great cause. The Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia’s annual Blue Jean Ball returns on Friday, October 20, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. This evening of boot-scooting under the stars will take place at the beautiful home of Robin and Davis Love III. The Love (continues) 42

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THIS PAGE: 2017 Blue Jean Ball’s Committee Chairs: Deidra Smith, Virginia Schlegel, Leigh Veal, Elizabeth Powell, Lou Bailey OPPOSITE PAGE:

Elizabeth Collins, Missy Weaver, Caroline Dorminy, Audra Gegg

SEPTEMBER 2017

From left, front row: Marie Feldman, Helen Peppiatt,, back row: Lucy Richardson, Brenda Kilgore

family’s Aledru wines will be showcased and served with other liberal libations to accompany delicious barbeque prepared by Bob Thompson and his crew. Southern Baked Pie Company will be supplying the desserts – can you say “Yum”?! Guests will park at Oglethorpe Point Elementary and be shuttled to the beautiful outdoor setting under the lights, provided by Malone Electric. Upon arrival, you’ll walk the “blue carpet” and strike a pose for photos by The Darkroom. Crowd-pleasers Suzy and the Bird Dogs will start the night off playing country and rock tunes, then, after the live auction action, DJ Weav (Dr. John Weaver) will take over and spin your favorite party songs to let you dance the night away. The live auction offers some truly incredible experiences for you to bid on, like finale tickets to the Project Runway final showing (continues)

John Weaver, Akil Jackson, Bob Thompson, Tye Pipkin

SEPTEMBER 2017

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during Fashion Week in NYC and a meet-andgreet with Heidi Klum. The silent auction has a wide array of unique items as well. The emcee for the evening will be the always charismatic Akil Jackson. HSSCG volunteers in red shirts will be there working hard too, so feel free to stop them and give them a pat on the back for the services they provide for the animals. HSSCG chairs and committee members are working hard to make this a night to remember Fundraisers like this are critical to HSSCG because they are 100% donor funded and last year alone performed close to 2,000 spay and neuter surgeries and adopted close to 1,000 animals. For more information about HSSCG or to purchase tickets to the Blue Jean Ball, visit hsscg.org. For more information on corporate sponsorships please call 264-6246 ext, 109 or email virginia@hsscg.org. Hurry and get your tickets today because last year’s inaugural event sold out and we know word has spread about what fun it was. Don’t get left in the dust!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Brenda

Kilgore making a new feline friend; Lara Robinson, Judy Saalfield, Sher Pollard; All smiles with Lou Bailey; Elizabeth Collins with her precious pooch

SEPTEMBER 2017

THE DARKROOM

Bravo? Brava? It Matters! by Linda Wright

reetings from the land of all things noteworthy (in the truest sense of the word)! The Coastal Symphony of Georgia, under the direction of Maestro Luis Haza, is proud to offer the Golden Isles community the 2017-2018 season of orchestral masterpieces. This newest set of concert programs is especially compelling because it comes as the pièce de resistance of Maestro Haza’s valedictory season. The incomparable Musical Director and Conductor will retire after the April 2018 performance. You may recall when we launched the previous season’s repertoire in these Elegant Island Living pages, a modest lesson in historical musical eras was included free of charge: specifically Baroque, Classical, and Romantic. So, is it time for a review quiz? Have you inserted those elegant terms in your everyday discourse for the past year? Hmm … not feeling a resounding affirmative, dear readers. Well, no worries. Let’s move on to other finer points of musical appreciation.

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The October 2nd concert, “Love Stories,” features Guest Soprano Maria Valdes, an Atlanta native who finished her tenure as an Adler fellow with the San Francisco Opera in 2016. She will perform a selection from Puccini’s La Boheme, “Si, mi chiamano Mimi,” considered to be the most beautiful and beloved of the character Mimi’s arias. And how will the audience predictably respond when that glorious voice has concluded? “Brava, bravissima!” And why “brava” rather than “bravo?” Because the performer is feminine! And Italian is a highly inflected language when it comes to adjectives and other words of related ilk. The offerings in the November 20th program, Women, Women, Women, provide us an opportunity to review Italian descriptors for musical style. For example, when we listen to the closing waltz in Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite, we are experiencing an “adagio” (at ease, moving slowly) and “amabile” (amiable, pleasant) kind of note movement. On the other hand, when Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 delights our senses, the familiar “Toreador Song” is rendered “marcatissimo” (with much note accentuation) and “alla marcia” (in the manner of a march). And “Can Can” from Offenbach’s La Gaite Pariesienne? A “gustoso” style (happy emphasis and forcefulness) reigns supreme. Audience toe tapping and clapping will be impossible to repress. “Experience Masterful Moments” is the theme of the February 19th program. The first interval of the evening is comprised completely of concerto passages from German, Russian, Austrian, and Venetian composers. So, what exactly is a concerto? Well, consider this. The lineup includes selections from the following: a Strauss French horn concerto, a Rimsky-Korsakov trombone concerto, a Hummel trumpet concerto, a von Weber clarinet concerto, and a Marcello oboe concerto. I’m guessing by now you’ve nailed the definition: A concerto is an orchestral piece that features a solo musician performing on a specific instrument. Sometimes the soloist opens the musical score, but

more often the symphony commences the piece, and the solo instrument joins in after the orchestra has established the motif. However, do not be alarmed. The concert will not last the several hours it would require to perform all of these magnificent concertos. The audience would need to camp out with overnight provisions! Instead, solo musicians will be featured in isolated instrumental movements that showcase their expertise and interpretation.

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The fourth concert on April 9th, “Experience Hope and Triumph,” gives us the opportunity to review a lesson from this very article. Maestro Luis Haza will open the program with the “Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso,” a memorable part of the musical score from the film that won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Haza will play this sweet, haunting solo on a 1707 Pietro Guarnerius di Mantua violin with a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume picture bow from the Napoleon collection. Grammy award-winning Haza (and globally recognized conductor) will bring his signature love and passion to this farewell performance. At its conclusion, there can be no doubt; the audience will cheer: “Bravo, bravissimo!” His virtuoso performance and years of dedicated service to The Coastal Symphony of Georgia personify “Hope and Triumph.” In 2017-18, the Coastal Symphony of Georgia performs at Brunswick High Auditorium on Monday evenings, 8:00 p.m., October 2, November 20, February 19, and April 9. A few season tickets are still available: Adult $120 and Child $20. To be placed on a ticket waiting list for a single performance, contact the Symphony office at 912.634.2006. The mission of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia is to engage, enrich, and inspire our community through artistically vibrant musical performances. “Experience the excitement!” Visit coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org for more information and continuing opportunities to connect with professional orchestral music at its finest.

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ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

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to Experience the St. Simons Food & Spirits Festival

An Insider’s Guide to Celebrating Food, Music, and Drink

ickets are now on sale for the 6th annual St. Simons Island Food + Spirits Festival, a fiveday homage to the finest in coastal cuisine, wine, beer, spirits, and entertainment, presented by The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. Festival events will take place in some of the most iconic St. Simons Island locations from October 4-8. The

by Ke l l y S m i t h , A s s i st a nt Fe st i va l D i re cto r & C o m m u n i ca t i o n s

Festival is a non-profit organization that gives back to the community in one of the most important ways, by raising funds and awareness for its charity of choice, Hospice of the Golden Isles. With more than 50 award-winning Southeastern chefs participating alongside beverage experts and popular culinary personalities, this year’s scheduled events will make it a milestone occurrence. Since you may not be

able to do it all, we’re offering up our top five tips on how to best enjoy the festival. First, learn something new! You can’t beat the chance to be educated on culinary techniques from the experts! Thursday’s PITMASTER 101 brings you the secrets of world-class pitmasters from around the South during this exciting new class. Enjoy seasoning, sauces, (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

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and special tips from the best in the barbecue business. Attendees will also get to sample fare from the Pitmasters and beverage partners. Shrimp Five Ways, presented by The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on Friday offers the seafood perspective when it comes to cooking. Full of ideas for fresh and innovative dishes you can create at home, Executive Chef de Cuisine James Flack and celebrity Chef Jernard Wells will be creating a midday meal of the coast’s most beloved catches. There will also be spirited offerings and ideas from the experts from Richland Rum. Of course, there’s an excellent celebrity chef photo opportunity here too! Second, get your tickets for Southern Soul Barbeque’s FIREBOX BBQ on the Bluff Invitational. This NEW event taking place Thursday evening is one you won’t want to miss, with some of the best Southern chefs and pitmasters: Southern Soul Barbeque, Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Peg Leg Porker, Home Team BBQ, Barbeque Hall of Fame member Mike Mills and more. Music by The Futurebirds, an indie rock band formed up the road in Athens, finger-licking good barbeque, and exceptional bourbon, beer and spirits tastings will have everyone talking! Third, take your taste buds for a trip they won’t forget! Friday evening’s Flights & Bites experience will feature coastal food offerings from some of the finest restaurants and many exceptional chefs in the Golden Isles. At the finals of the Coastal Stir compe-

ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

tition, guests will be able to vote for their favorite bartenders as they face off in this annual festival competition favorite, as the 2017 is crowned. Insider Cocktail Tip: during the event, guests get to vote for their favorite libation within each spirits category. Local bartenders will create oneof-a-kind cocktails and you will be the judge on who wins. Fourth, locals and visitors alike will be amazed at the return of Tasting Under the Oaks. After an absence in 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew, Festival organizers and Board Members reimagined the possibilities of the Festival’s most iconic day. On Saturday, guests will be welcomed with the culinary diversity for which the Georgia Coast is known and enjoy tasting cuisine from local restaurants, gourmet grocers and artisan bakers and tastemakers. Enjoy live music from Cranford Hollow while you savor the best cocktails in the Southeast. You can purchase an admissions ticket now through September 30 for as low as $39, which will give you access to unlimited beverage tastings for the day. Cheer on your favorite chef during the Chef Showdown and Celebrity Chef Demonstrations. There will again be a Kids Zone available for “junior” patrons. Tasting Tip: Menu items from area restaurants will be sold to guests so you won’t go hungry. You’ll be able to snack on familiar favorites or try out new dishes with the new marketplace style format. Appetizersized portions will be priced at $5 or less and provide the perfect opportunity to try cuisine from

every restaurant. Purchase your tasting tickets (One ticket equals $1) at the admissions tent when you arrive. Tip number five: nothing says Southern indulgence like an over-the-top Sunday brunch. The SPIRITual Sunday Brunch will offer an array of appetizers, breakfast favorites, desserts and chef ’s cook-to-order favorites. In addition, there will be a showcase of unlimited tastings of signature cocktails, a variety of wine, spirits, and beer, as well as a Bloody Mary bar, Champagne and Mimosas. It will definitely be a brunch to remember. Scheduling Tip: Dine oceanside in the historic setting of the The King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort with live entertainment, libations and more by getting your ticket to select seating times. One last bonus “tip” applies to 2016 Ticket Holders. Remember to redeem your ticket(s) through the compensation plan that the Festival has created for those who purchased a ticket for last year’s festival that was canceled due to Hurricane Matthew! 2016 Ticket holders will be able to redeem their ticket(s) online for events held in 2017, but tickets must be exchanged under the exchange program by September 15th. All details regarding exchanges and redemption of the 2016 tickets are available on the website at ssifoodandspirits.com. Be sure to visit the website for more detailed information about all of this year’s events and participants and to purchase tickets.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Go Fish founder Curt Coleman with his wife Barbara and their daughter Natalie Coleman Miller.

ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

P A S S I O N P U R P O S E b y Ta b M . M i l l e r

eople’s passions in life are often rooted in a deep sense of purpose. This is certainly true for the Founder of Go Fish Clothing & Jewelry Company, Curt Coleman. He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and at the age of thirty, Curt would come up with a profound idea for a new business rooted in a newly found passion for others. Curt and his wife Barbara created a retail business that would not only sell the wares of artisans from developing nations, but also give these artisans the opportunity of earning a living wage that their work and talent merited. It all began with a trip to Peru, but this was not a buying trip for that company. In fact, neither Go Fish nor any retail venture, for that matter, was even a consideration until the last day that Curt was in Peru. At that time in his life, Curt had found himself more and more drawn to his faith, and with this new passion came the desire (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

to help others where possible. At the same time, a friend was urging Curt to go on a mission trip to serve the poorest of the poor in Peru. The mission was an eye-opening experience for Curt, and he knew he would be coming back again to serve the first chance he was afforded. But it was at the end of the trip, when Curt

United States if they just had the opportunity to work here. But for the artists, all they could ever imagine or hope for was to sell enough each day to feed their families. It was walking through that market that gave Curt the idea for Go Fish. He envisioned a business where he could purchase artisans’ goods from all over the world at the prices these artisans were

Curt and his wife Barbara created a retail business that would not only sell the wares of artisans from developing nations, but also give these artisans the opportunity of earning a living wage that their work and talent merited. was walking through a market that he believes he was given a vision for a new business, as well as a new way to do business. As he explored the market, Curt had not expected to see that it was the people who had so very little who were making the most beautiful and unique items. Materials that many in our country would just throw away and call garbage were being used to make some of the most beautiful and creative items he had ever seen. The talents and creativity of the artisans amazed Curt, and he knew that many of them would be able to make a good living in the

asking, not at prices reached by arguing them down. So that’s what he did. Thirty years later, Go Fish Clothing & Jewelry Company, with several locations around the Southeast Coastal region, is still purchasing goods from these very same people. These people aren’t looking for handouts, but rather the opportunity to meet the needs of their families and the communities where they live. And since founding Go Fish, Curt and his wife, Barbara, have expanded their community of artists beyond Peru as well, travelling the globe and partnering with tal-

ented yet underrepresented artisans in other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and India to name a handful. Daughter Natalie Miller works as a Designer and Buyer for the company. Over the years, Go Fish has developed its business into six lifestyle stores (two in Georgia and four in Florida) with unique and often one-of-a-kind home furnishings, in addition to their own line of clothing and t-shirts, jewelry, accessories, and much more. Go Fish also carries items made in the USA, which complements their ever-growing line of products from around the globe. The Coleman family is so thankful to have its home base in St. Simons Island and wants everyone in the community to know how much their support is appreciated. Through your patronage, Go Fish is able to continue to offer opportunities to over 300 families worldwide. Go Fish Clothing & Jewelry is located at 203 Mallery Street and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. You can also shop online at shopgofish.com. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see new merchandise and learn about sales and store events.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

Campaign for the Community by Kelly Spaeder

nited Way of Coastal Georgia fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. The Board of Directors of United Way of Coastal Georgia recently announced the 2017-18 Campaign goal of $1 million and has named Paul McKenzie as the Campaign Chair. Paul has been a volunteer with United Way’s Community Investment Committee and a longtime supporter due to his personal experience with Hospice of the Golden Isles (an agency supported by United Way). Paul is the Assistant Director of Human Resources of Glynn County Schools and pastor of Bethel Evangel Community Church. “Paul brings a commitment to service to the position, having dedicated his career to public education opportunities for all children in our region. The depth of his experience in the local faith-based community and dedication to positive community change provides excellent leadership for United Way’s campaign,” said Virginia Brown, United Way of Coastal Georgia CEO and President. Almost a quarter of Glynn County’s residents between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither employed nor in school. This shocking condition has led to local generational poverty, crime, and teen pregnancy rates significantly higher than both state and national averages. United Way believes in a “Cradle to Career” solution that starts by providing affordable access to pre-kindergarten education and continues until our youth have the necessary tools to gain meaningful employment or continued education. United Way works with local nonprofit agencies and governmental, business, 58

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and religious leaders to facilitate the collaboration needed to solve this crisis. United Way funding is significant to these local agencies. Last year, United Way supported 23 agencies and 35 programs. Sixteen programs addressed educational needs, with more than 8,000 children and adults benefiting from services that ranged from affordable day care to GED preparation for adults. The YMCA and Boys and Girls Club provided after-school programming that increased the number of students transitioning to the next grade. Thirteen programs assisted over 3,000 Glynn and McIntosh County residents with health care services such as early intervention support for newborns and end of life care. Programs at Safe Harbor addressed mental health needs through their Adventure Based Counseling program, with residents reporting significantly improved self-concepts and problem-solving skills. Six programs focused on income stability by providing shelter, job training programs for low income adults, and distributing food to residents in need. The Salvation Army provided over 8,000 nights of shelter to homeless men and women. More than one million pounds of food were distributed to area residents by America’s Second Harvest.

“When you choose to give to United Way, you are making an investment in our community by supporting building blocks of better lives through education, health, and income stability,” says Brown. “Your donation does not just support someone in need, it creates opportunities that have a positive impact on our community.” United Way helps the community every day with a 2-1-1 program that connects Glynn and McIntosh residents to the health and human resources they need. 2-1-1 is a non-emergency, confidential information and referral service available by simply dialing 2-1-1. They also serve the community through the annual June 21 Day of Action. This year, volunteers packaged and distributed 200 bags of food to those in need and helped install 19 Little Book Houses in parks and community locations. United Way relies on generous donors who believe in creating opportunities. They stress that those who invest in the campaign and United Way programs are the community’s strongest advocates. The United Way campaign is now enlisting the community to help fundraise through their home, workplace, leadership events and corporate giving. For more information, call 912.265.1850 or visit uwcga.org.

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ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

Life with the Top Down

recently purchased a convertible. But before you imagine a fast roadster speeding along winding coastal roads with palm trees and beaches in the background, keep in mind it’s a Toyota Camry without a roof. I sold my eleven-yearold four door Camry for a Solara of the same age and mileage (just rolled 100,000 miles!). I actually gave up some horsepower and speed in the process, but it seems like a fair tradeoff; I don’t really need the power now that I don’t regularly drive the beltway around Washington DC, but I do live in a place with an abundance of sunshine and warm weather. In my mind, it wasn’t nearly the big deal some others thought it was. For example, when I noted the change in rides on social media I had some people accusing me of having a mid-life crisis. Apparently the only reason for a man to drive a convertible is because he’s keenly aware of his own mortality and wants to have some fun before a heart attack or prostate cancer

gets him. In truth, the car was my wife’s idea. I’ve always been the one to keep an eye of what new cars are going for and what interesting used cars are being offered. She’s normally the one reminding me how utterly practical my Camry was, although the powerful upgraded engine had been a nod to my desire for something just a bit more fun. Since moving to the Golden Isles, we had talked about how it might be nice to have a convertible or a jeep one day. Originally, we had thought that in a few more years (four), when our oldest is getting ready to drive, we might buy a car that is fun for tooling around locally and going to the beach. But it’s always been a “down the road” (pun intended) idea. Until she texted me that a friend of hers was moving to take a new job, couldn’t take her Solara convertible, and needed to sell it fast. My wife wanted to know if “I” was interested. I’ve been married for seventeen years now, and I know my wife pretty well. Most days, anyway. I know, for example, that if she wasn’t interested in the car I would never have been the wiser about it. But she’s been married for seventeen years too. She knows me. I am quite certain that she knew that I would be interested. And because she’s smarter than me, she probably knew that I would know that she knew, and would therefore understand that she herself was serious about the car despite an “innocent” text. She didn’t have to explicitly say she liked the idea of picking up a convertible. Message received.

It’s no surprise based on my opening admission that I bought the convertible and sold my sedan. I also promptly found that my new-to me car was regularly missing from the garage. I’ve usually had the hand me down cars when my wife gets a new one, so this has been an adjustment. But, it confirms that my suspicions were right. I can never be totally blamed for the presence of a convertible in the garage, and I have that much more defense against charges of a mid-life crisis. Besides, it’s not a two-seater. It can haul the family just as well as my four-door car ever did, and it has a large trunk. See? It’s practical! I’ve come to learn that a lot of local people support responsible convertible ownership. They don’t see it as a mid-life crisis vehicle; it’s part of life on the coast. Beach life is meant to be lived without a roof, apparently. Come to think of it, most of the mid-life crisis accusations were lobbed from friends and family up north where convertibles are considerably less practical, and indeed smack of suspicious motivations. Snow and ice don’t mix well with rag tops. For locals, convertibles are as sensible as nice beach chairs, fishing rods, and broad brimmed hats. Now, if you ever see me towing a boat with my convertible, or shopping for a motorcycle, perhaps you can recommend a counselor to help me get my life sorted out. For now, I’m going to put the top down and let the sound of the wind drown out the naysayers. There’s still plenty of convertible weather to enjoy.

SEPTEMBER 2017

ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

�or Fashion & Fu�

ince opening in 2014, Mixed Nuts Boutique & Consignment has grown up! Now with a staff of 10 employees, expanded inventory, and store hours daily, Owner Charlene Stahl marvels at the incredible success of the business. “Who would have thought?! I remember wondering how long we’d be able to do this because I thought it would only be a matter of time before the ladies here cleaned out their closets and we’d be out of inventory.” Surprisingly, that hasn’t happened at all. Today, Mixed Nuts moves more than 2,500 articles of consigned clothing per month and has an exclusive “Designer Boutique” stocked with Valentino, Chanel, Prada, Badgley Mischka, Joseph Ribkoff, Jimmy Choo, Escada, and so much more! The deep discounts are phenomenal! Of course there’s always Tibi, Lily Pulitzer, Tory Burch and other island favorites to be found in the shop as well. To be fair, not all of Mixed Nuts comes from local closets. There are women who live in Atlanta or out of state with second homes here who bring clothes to consign here. There are others who ship items to the store to sell. Retail stores are also providing Mixed Nuts with their surplus inventory to put on the racks. Of course, your clothing does not need to be designer to bring it in for consignment, most brand name clothing in good condition will be accepted. Charlene shared some helpful information with us for those

interested in consigning. When you bring in an item to be consigned, if it sells in the first 30 days, there is a 50-50 split of the sales price, after that, it’s a 60-40 split. The money for items sold is logged directly into your account as your in-store “bank” to be paid to you or used as store credit. You can also designate that sales proceeds go to Hospice of the Golden Isles, or to any other local charity, and Mixed Nuts will take care of that for you. Consign based on season. That insures that the clothing will move when there is demand for it. Charlene says she won’t accept fall clothing for consignment until after Labor Day. This is to help make sure her customers have a better chance of the clothing selling within the first 30 days, maximizing the return on the item for both the customer and the store. Any clothing to be consigned should be presented in the way that you would want to buy it. Make sure there are no stains, rips, missing buttons or belts, or broken fastenings. If new items, tags should be kept on. Finally, all Mixed Nuts consignors get a 10% discount on clothing purchased in the store, up to the accrued value in their “bank.” What a bonus! Charlene makes no bones about sharing that she wants Mixed Nuts to be known as the friendliest and most fun shop in town! She and her staff want to make sure that both your shopping and consignment experience are pleasant. The items in the boutique are clearly marked by size and colorcoded to help you find exactly what you’re looking for on the

racks. The store is open until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays for convenient shopping hours. And you’d be hard-pressed to find friendlier sales staff! Charlene and her girls know their consignors and their shoppers. They keep an eye out for items that customers have requested and are happy to call you if they see something you’d want. They’ll also let you know if you’re about to make a party faux pas by buying shoes that were just happened to be consigned by your friend the party hostess! If that type of situation is a concern, Charlene can easily point you in the direction of items for sale that did not come from local consignors. During the month of September, Mixed Nuts will be running a Handbags for Hospice campaign and invites you to look in your closets, attics and storage for designer bags that you don’t use. Bring those handbags in for consignment and designate that the sale proceeds will go to Hospice of the Golden Isles. It’s a fantastic way to help an organization that does so much in our community! So if you’ve got some Chanel, Louis Vuitton, or Gucci gathering dust, trade them in for the reward of benefiting a worthy cause. There’s a waiting list for designer bags right now, so they’re almost certainly sure to sell. Mixed Nuts is located at 3415 Frederica Rd. (across from Sal’s) and can be reached by phone at 912.434.9600. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see new items and sales.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

Help a Rising Star

ce dancer Raegan Toomey found herself in the Golden Isles under less than perfect circumstances. A dancer since the age of 3 and skater since the age of 7, Raegan first started competing in ice dance competitions when she was 8 years old. Due to the success she was having locally, her coach entered her at National level, and she first qualified for the National Ice Dance Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At age 12, Raegan was competing in ice dance and winning all over the United States and her coach recommended that she train and compete at an even higher level. Raegan then enrolled in the prestigious Emma Willard boarding school in Upstate New York so that she could train during the day. Two years later, Raegan left Emma Willard to follow her partner to Delaware where he was training and attending college. She attended a boarding/ sports academy there that could accommodate her rigorous training schedule. Then Raegan got devastating news: her partner decided to leave competitive skating. She had left home, her friends, and the school she loved to pursue a dream that now looked shattered.

Raegan made the difficult decision to homeschool for her senior year, forgo competition in the 20152016 season, and move to Montreal, Canada to be coached by world-renowned coach, Igor Tchiniaev. She would continue to follow her dream. Raegan began skating with an Australian partner and was on track to make the Australian National Team, when she was involved in a life-altering car accident in February of this year. When she was on her way to her coaching job, her car hit black ice and flipped three times. She credits an equal number of blessings that night for her rescue and survival, but the reality was that she was injured, and also lost her car, her jobs, and her partner who did not want to wait for her to heal. And so, Raegan ended up recouperating here on St. Simons Island, with her family. She calls this a blessing in disguise. “The St. Simons Island community has rallied around me and my family and has been an integral part of my recovery. They have not only helped me heal physically but they

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Raegan Toomey with coach, Igor Tchiniaev

have given me the love and encouragement to keep on this path!” Raegan, continues, “This encouragement has only fueled my desire to get back to Canada. I now have the opportunity to start training with a Canadian National champion with hopes of making the 2018 Olympic Ice Dance Team.” Raegan is now actively seeking sponsors and donations to meet training costs and help her fulfill her lifelong dream. To learn more, you can visit Raegan’s website at toomeyrae98.wixsite.com/ raegantoomey or donate via her Youcaring page at youcaring.com/raegantoomey-811208.

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ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING

alking through the racks stocked with brightly colored palazzo pants, bold tunics, and breezy dresses, Christine Proffitt says, “Basically, I’ve learned to stick with what works!” When asked to share her thoughts on her 18 years as owner of Wild & Personal Boutique, she says that is probably the biggest take-away from nearly two decades in the business. While Christine (continues)

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Beautiful New Lamps & More 100 Sylvan Drive Suite 150 St. Simons Island

(912) 638-8344 Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Home Accessories and Lamp Repair

lampandshadecollection.com 68

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says she does go to market occasionally to check out new trends and new vendors, she finds that it’s easy to get most of that information on websites and in catalogs these days, and it pays off more just to update and restock inventory in her main lines. Her store space is maximized and she’d rather offer what she knows her customers want and come in to buy instead of trying out new brands that may or may not be a hit here. Her longevity is a testament to the fact that she does this well. Christine is proud of the fact that about 90% of what she carries in the store is made in the United States. With a few exceptions, like a line of wonderful t-shirts from Nepal or remarkably soft leggings from China, she finds the best quality comes from goods produced in the US. One of her most popular brands is Clara Sun Woo, a motherdaughter design team who manufactures in NY and makes comfortable, long-lasting, easy to care for, wonderfully flattering clothes. Christine says her customers often compliment her on the store’s international flavor and appeal, but that’s due to the way things are styled and the types of patterns and designs she chooses. She believes in-store presentation is very important. While Christine leans heavily towards prints and bright colors, she knows to always supplement with a strong selection of solids and more subdued color choices in deference to the wide variety of customer preferences. Those prints and bright colors she displays may lend a dif-

ferent feel to her boutique than other shops who are offering similar brands. She says, “We all shop at the same market. So it’s really just a matter of styling and perception.” Christine knows that styling and perception are also key when it comes to personal wardrobe selections. Something she is truly passion-

ate about is helping her customers to look and feel their best in clothing they find at Wild & Personal. She looks for product lines that are comfortable and easy to care for, as well as styles that are designed and cut to be flattering to most body types. She has a strong grasp of all of her manufacturer’s product lines and how they are sized and cut, so she is an invaluable resource when someone comes in or calls to tell her what kind of look and fit they prefer

or type of style they’re looking for when shopping either in-store or online. She loves showing customers how stepping outside of their comfort zone and choosing prints they might not normally select or a blouse or dress that drapes differently can flattering options. She says there’s nothing she likes more than getting thank you notes and cards from customers saying things like “When I wear your clothes, I feel beautiful.” or being told by returning island visitors that they make it a priority to shop at Wild & Personal whenever they are here. And while Christine has always provided her expertise in guiding customers to the right clothes and colors that are right for their body type and creating a personal style and image, she is also considering branching out and doing some coaching to provide that service outside the store – if and when that happens, EIL will make sure to share that information. In the meantime, you can stop in and see Christine in the store located at 214 Redfern Village. See for yourself the wide variety of women’s apparel with something for every size and shape, contemporary jewelry, shoes, accessories, and great gift ideas too. Wild & Personal is open 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:30 to 6:00 p.m Sunday. You can also shop online at wildandpersonal.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram to see new inventory or learn about sales.

SEPTEMBER 2017

BUSINESS BUZZ

FACE TO FACE OPENS HOME STORE After 10+ years in the wholesale industry, shipping coast to coast daily with clients like Joanna Gaines and Southern Living, Face to Face Designs, a small local family-run business and maker of thoughtful home goods and gifts, is now opening a retail door: Face to Face Home. Continuously expanding design lines include reclaimed wood and textiles and represent a mix of coastal climates, sometimes with a Scandinavian touch. Visitors to the showroom in Atlanta say that space feels so happy and peaceful that they just want

to sit and take it all in. This is the atmosphere they hope they’ve recreated in the new lifestyle store – a place you can come in, browse, and let the designs speak to you. While the store contents are 90% locallycreated Face to Face products,

there are also some smaller product lines they love. From gifts for weddings to housewarmings, and babies to birthdays, you can always find something unique. Stop in the new store at 1806B Frederica Road or visit facetofacedesigns.com.

ROTARY ANNOUNCES NEW DISTRICT GOVERNOR Rotary District 6920 is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Hamsa Thota of the St. Simons Island Rotary Club as its 2017-18 District Governor. Dr. Thota will oversee 63 clubs in the central, south-central, southeast and coastal Georgia areas. A member of the St. Simons Island Rotary Club since 1978, Dr. Thota served as the club’s president in 1983-1984. In 1985, Dr. Thota

received the Rotary International District 6920 Governor’s New Club Builder Award for starting the Rotary Clubs of Jekyll Island and Camden County. As District Governor, Dr. Thota will voluntarily strive to engage and inspire 3200 Rotary members, promote Rotary values in local communities throughout District 6920,

and encourage others with the year’s theme of “Making a Difference.” Dr. Thota currently serves as the president of Innovation Business Development, Inc. (IBD), an innovation management training and consulting company. For more information about Dr. Thota and Rotary District 6920, please visit rotarydistrict6920.net.

TIO TACO TURNS ONE Tio Taco Mexican Restaurant & Bar is celebrating its 1st Anniversary. Jorge and Efrain Franco are so happy

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their new location is Brunswick has been a success. The Franco brothers pride themselves on serving delicious authentic Mexican food, prepared and cooked up Mexico City-style, at their family-friendly restaurant. As they like to say, “they are keeping it REAL!” The full bar at Tio Taco has an extensive selection of tequila and Mexican beers, and they’re famous for their delicious margaritas, served frozen or straight-up using premium tequila. Tio Taco is located at 4441 Altama Avenue in Brunswick and is open 7 days a week. Come by to wish them a Happy 1st Anniversary. You can find them on Facebook at Tio Taco Brunswick. They also offer catering service, for more information, call 912.275.7754.

300 Main Street, Suite 201 • St. Simons Island, Georgia (912) 264-4211 / www.choateandcompany.com

Diesel Invicta Freestyle Infrared Oakley Maui Jim Cobian Rayban Prada Cotton Natural Bamboo Cay Costa del Mar Bimini Bay Body Glove Hook & Tackle Panama Jack Guy Harvey Sun & Soul Yellow Box Girli Girl Sprint Lifeguard Weekender G-Shock Croakies Peter Grimm Von Zipper Ty

201 Mallery Street St. Simons Island, GA 912.434.9689

SEPTEMBER 2017

BUSINESS BUZZ

REALTOR® OFFERS UNIQUE PROPERTY SELECTION TOOL Cynthia (Cindy) Brockwell, Realtor® Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners (CBPP) SSI, holds the Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) certification and is part of the Cartus National Affinity Specialist Team (CNAS). Cindy handles relocations and referrals for USAA, Navy

Federal, and other financial institutions. Her background in federal government consulting combined with a history in real estate investing and management provides expertise to assist clients in selecting their dream home or investment using her “Best Value Property Selection Tool”™ template. Clients love the ability to eas-

ily capture the salient points of each property as it relates to their pre-determined priorities. As a member of a fourth-generation military family, Cindy possesses a keen understanding of active duty and veteran requirements and can be reached at 912.577.7022, CBPP office 912.634.0404, or by email at Cynthia.brockwell@ coldwellbanker.com

MANY PATHS TO RECOVERY Seth Eisenberg, MD believes that recovery from mental health and addiction disorders is possible for everyone. His practice mantra is “All Recovery, All the Time.” Dr. Eisenberg believes that there are many paths to recovery and endorses the importance of mind, body, and spirit to achieve personal realization. What’s required is to work to overcome barriers to recovery and to create a life that supports health and wellness. Everyone wants to feel happy, fulfilled, and proud of how they live their life, and to have meaningful connection to others. Not easy in the modern world, but more and more attainable every day. Recovery from life’s challenges can be there for everyone with motivation and commitment to do what’s needed. Dr. E. will provide medication treatment, counseling, recovery support, and referrals for additional needs. His office is located in a private and picturesque location across from the lighthouse. 613 Beachview Drive, 912.634.9311. sethmd@recoveryrebooted.com SERVICEMASTER RESTORE CUTS THE RIBBON Recently ServiceMaster Restore by A1 held a Ribbon Cutting celebration as they cut the ribbon symbolizing their membership in the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. They are not a new business however, A1 has been providing the same superior service since they started the company from the ground up in 1985. It’s upon that solid reputation that they continue to offer more services each year, in addition to the cleaning and res-

toration services for which they are known, they also offer cleaning services for carpet and rugs, tile and grout, hardwood floors, upholstery, air ducts and dryer vents for commercial and residential. Restoration services include 24/7/365 Emergency Service, water, fire, smoke damage mitigation, mold remediation, odor removal, pack-out/ content cleaning, trauma and biohazard clean-up. They also work with your insurance companies and have exceptional local staff to assist you. Free estimates for all services. For more information, visit servicemasterbya1.com.

Award-Winning, Southern Cooking That will Bring You Back Because Barbara Jean’s and her family know how to get it done, just ask Coastal Living, Southern Living, Georgia Trend …

Best of 2017 Bread & Rolls, Crab Cakes, Southern Cooking, Soup, Vegetable Plate Selection

Crab Cakes, She Crab Soup, Cornbreads And More Can Be Shipped From Our Online Store. Makes a Great Gift! barbarajeans.com

Barbara Jean’s Restaurants St. Simons Island 214 Mallory St. 912.634.6500

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Porte Vedra Beach 15 S Roscoe Blvd. 904.280.7522

Amelia Island 960030 Gateway Blvd. 904.277.3700

Open Daily at 11:00 am

HA R D TO F I N D, IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET!

ENGLISH MAHOGANY & COUNTRY FRENCH FURNITURE • DIRECT IMPORTERS • ACCESSORIES • GIFTS

WINNER

- Best Antiques -

One of a Kind “Treasures.”

Elegant Island Living Readers Choice Award 2015, 2016, 2017

Located Between Redfern Village and St. Simons Drugs.

S O P H I S T I C AT E D & T R E N D Y S T Y L E S

26 Market St., Suite 112 • St. Simons Island • Mon.-Sat. 10-6 LOCATED BEHIND ZAXBY’S

Owned & Operated by Felicia Braden and Nicole Dowling

(912) 638-1216

IT’S HOT OUTSIDE, ESPECIALLY WEARING A FUR COAT. BRING THEM TO COOL INDOOR DOGGIE DAYCARE! First Day Always Free for Locals!

SERVICES: Daycare Overnight Boarding Obedience and Behavior Training Spa/Grooming Boutique

912.268.4361 201 Longview Plaza islandtailwaggers.com

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9TH ANNUAL GOLDEN ELEPHANT The Golden Elephant – The Upscale Resale Marketplace, sponsored by The Symphony Society for the benefit of The Coastal Symphony of Georgia, is back by popular demand for its 9th treasure filled engagement, on September 22-23 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale is being held at the Golden Isles Presbyterian Church, 48 Hampton Point Drive, St. Simons Island again this year. The Golden Elephant will be accepting donations of antiques, rugs, furniture, art, silver, crystal, home accessories, toys, holiday items and more from 10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m., September 8-9, and September 15-16 at the Golden Isles Presbyterian Church or by appointment. Contact Jeanne Anderson at 912.634.3852 for pick-up of large items only. The Preview Sale and Party will be held Thursday evening September 21, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy refreshments while getting an exclusive chance to shop early. Tickets can be purchased online at coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org.

GET READY FOR GATSBY IN THE GARDEN Save the date for the 48th annual Victory Board Gala benefiting the Glynn County unit of the American Cancer Society. Gatsby in the Garden will be a magical night that transports you back to the roaring 20s. This year’s event will be held Saturday, November 11th at The Greenhouse, The Vine’s fabulous new event venue on St. Simons Island. It will begin with a cock-

tail hour and strolling silent auction prior to a dinner featuring local fare created by Chef Dave Snyder and the catering team from St. Simons Island’s highly acclaimed restaurant, Halyards. After dinner, guests will enjoy a live auction before the evening concludes with dancing to live music by the always entertaining Mason Waters and the Groove Allstars. Gala Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased at acsvictoryboard.org.

ISLAND NEWCOMERS KICK OFF SEASON The Island Newcomers Club will kick off the 2017/2018 season with a gathering at Bennie’s Red Barn on Tuesday, September 19 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Members will learn about everything the Club has to offer and have the opportunity to sign up for various future activities and field trips while enjoying a delicious dinner. The cost for the dinner is $27. You must be a member of the club to attend and preregistration for the dinner by September 12 is required. A free gift will be given to all attendees who register

before September 1. To become a member of the club and to register for the dinner, please go to islandnewcomers.org. The Island Newcomers Club is a terrific way to meet new friends and experience new adventures. It is open to all men and women,

singles or couples, who have moved to St. Simons Island within the past two years.

Complete Dental Care for Infants, Children and Teens. – NO REFERRAL NECESSARY – We take the time to attend to each child’s individual needs. Certified, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry 2487 Demere Rd., Suite 300 St. Simons Island, GA 912-638-9302

Happily Providing Children’s Dental Care for Glynn and Surrounding Counties for 25 Years! 74

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WhatleyPediatricDentistry.com

FALL IN LOVE WITH FALL FASHION APPAREL JEWELRY SHOES ACCESSORIES GIFTS LINGERIE

214 REDFERN V I L L AG E (912) 634-4563 wildandpersonal.com Fab Fashions from XS – 1X

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A l o h a

205 Mallery Street / St. Simons Island 912.634.5047

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I n d i a

BEACHWEAR CLOTHING FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

Box • Sun Bum • Lucky 7 • Heat • Exist • Sanok

• Fresko • Rainbow • Havaianas • Magic T-Shirt • American Gift

O u t f i t t e r s

Boutique • Guy Harvey • US Apparel • US Vintage • Yellow

N a t i v e

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SAVE THE DATE Sea Island and the Golden Isles College and Career Academy will partner for a special dinner at The Retreat at Sea Island on Wednesday, November 8. The Career Academy’s advance culinary students will work with the Sea Island Chefs to prepare excellent cuisine to accompany an exciting program and a silent auction to support the Career Academy Foundation and its students. Individual tickets, reserved tables and sponsorships will be available. Proceeds will support initiatives such as student scholarships, service learning projects, and academic competitions. The Career Academy Foundation has awarded over $30,000 in scholarships the last five years while maintaining a graduation rate over 90%. The Career Academy is building a 21st century workforce for Glynn County in areas such as healthcare, hospitality, construction, welding, engineering, and graphic design. Contact Rick Townsend at rick. townsend@gica.us or 912.506.5347 for additional details and sponsorship information. Visit gica.us to buy tickets, table sponsorships, and donate silent auction items.

Jeff Jones Financial Advisor 1430 Newcastle Street Brunswick, GA (912) 264-8865 76

Ginny Johnson Financial Advisor 219 Edwards Plaza St. Simons Island, GA (912) 634-0200

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JOIN THE FUN! Come out to Jekyll Island’s Morgan Center on September 22 for the 17th Annual International Night Out to benefit the International Seafarer’s Center. Enjoy a fantastic evening of international cuisines paired with wines and beers from around the world, and accompanied by music by Michael Hulett along with Stan Walker and the Coastal Empire Orchestra. Win unique gifts from our incredible Silent Auction and new to the event this year is the excitement of a live auction as well! Limited tickets are available at $100 per person. The International Seafarers’ Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit

serving the Seafaring community since 1982. “Live Local, Reach Nations” is the thrust behind its ministry. The Seafarers’ Center does this by meeting the spiritual, physical, and material needs of every seafarer that comes through our ports. Call 912.267.0631 to reserve your ticket and support this ministry today.

IT’S A BARN DANCE! Come on out to Bennie’s Red Barn on September 28th for an old-fashioned Barn Dance to benefit the Farm at Oatland North. There will be square dancing, live entertainment, and dinner. The fun will take place from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Kick up your heels and have some fun while raising funds for more HAY! The Farm at Oatland North is a non-profit

retirement community for animals, currently housing horses, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, geese, dogs, and cats. The Farm’s primary goal is the prevention of cruelty to animals by providing proper housing, feed, cleaning, veterinary care, and all other necessary care to assure them safety and proper living conditions. For more information, visit thefarmssi.org.

Will McKenzie Financial Advisor 559 Ocean Blvd. St. Simons Island, GA (912) 634-6557

Dale McNabb Financial Advisor 29 Coral Park Way, Ste. 102 Brunswick, GA (912) 267-9374

James Sexton Financial Advisor 3409 Frederica Road St. Simons Island, GA (912) 634-9796

Logan Jones Financial Advisor 1430 Newcastle Street Brunswick, GA (912) 264-8865

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

MAREX HOSTING OPEN HOUSE Join the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant for their inaugural Open House at the Brunswick Station located on the banks of the Brunswick River at 715 Bay Street, on Thursday, September 28, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Enjoy local seafood and beverages while learning about Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s research, education, and outreach efforts on the coast. Explore the native plant garden. Tour the 72-foot research vessel, the Georgia Bulldog. Interact with live animals, like horseshoe crabs, whelks and more. Learn about turtle excluder devices and

sea turtle research. The Brunswick Station’s multidisciplinary staff has been serving the Golden Isles community for over 40 years, conducting important water quality research, ensuring safe seafood, preparing communities for hurricanes

and educating residents about native plants and pollinators. Visitors are invited to tour the station, meet our experts and enjoy hands-on, interactive activities for people of all ages. For more information, visit gacoast.uga.edu.

TENNIS ANYONE? The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia will hold an inaugural Tennis Tournament on Wednesday, September 27 at the Jekyll Island Tennis Courts. The tournament is a doubles round-robin open to adult players of all skill-levels. Single players are encouraged to play and will be matched for doubles play. Registration will take place from 12:00-1:00 p.m. $75 for a single player or $140

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS Join Coastal Georgia Community Action for their second annual Voices of Success Fundraising Gala celebrating 50 years of “Helping People, Changing Lives and Building Families,” on Saturday, September 16 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. Cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person or $450 for a table of eight. Sponsorship opportunities also available. All proceeds benefit CGCA educational programs. CGCA is the largest comprehensive human service agency in Southeast Georgia. Since 1967, the agency has serviced more than 1.5 million families with a $250 million economic impact. Serving nine counties and administering the Federal Head Start program, the agency also partners with other community organizations. Focused community initiatives also include Weatherization, Georgia Pre-K Program, Energy Assistance, Income Tax Filing Assistance, Workforce Development, Affordable Housing Assistance and youth development programs. Please make reservations by September 4 by calling 912.264.3281 or visiting coastalgacaa.org. 78

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for two players. Court sponsorships available for $100. Light lunch and drinks are included. There will be a silent auction, drinks, and heavy appetizers following the tournament. All proceeds from the Tennis Tournament will help support a wide variety of programming for more than 6,500 children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia for a safe, fun, and educational environment after school and during the summer. For more information, contact Brooke Eldridge Parmelee at developmentbgcglynn@gmail.com or 404.904.1611.

LOCAL, PERSONAL, QUALITY, CUSTOM WORK WHERE FRAMING IS AN ART

HUGE SELECTION OF IN-STOCK MOLDING TO CHOOSE FROM! NO WAITING, NO HASSLE.

Main Street Frame Shop Beautiful, Quality Custom Framing Done Right! 1403 Newcastle Street • Downtown • 262-0050

SEPTEMBER 2017

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ONCE EVERY YEAR WE HONOR THE MEMORY AND LEGACY of kindness and generosity of a treasured member of the Golden Isles community. For Robert “Boz” Bostock’s birthday, local businesses hold a food and donation drive to benefit Faithworks and fill the Sparrow’s Nest food pantry to help those in need. Many of this year’s participants braved the rain to celebrate Boz at a Happy Hour Birthday Bash at Bubba’s Up as well. 1. Addison and Jordan Bond, Maggie Dutton. 2. Janine Armstrong, Kathryn Armstrong. 3. Ron and Sabra Slade. 4. Meike Bock, Celia Eisentraeger. 5. Jack and Susan McShenny, Mel Rozier. 6. Christine Pierce, Carmen Lyon, Wendi O’Connor, Dana Gardner. 7. Jennifer MacMillan, Nancy Stoddard, Mary Bostock, Dale Stoddard. 8. Simeone and Josef Wagner. 9. Pat Galloway, Janice Applegate. 10. Taylor Kasik, Hayes Stoddard. 11. Randy Frost, David Frost. 12. Mel Rozier, Nancy Krabill, Celia Eisentraeger. 13. Keith Laborde, Brandon Mericle, Jeremy Myricks. 14. Wendi O’Connor, David Pierce, David and Dana Gardner. 80

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LOCAL ROCKERS ISLAND GARAGE BAND HAD THE CROWD ON THE ST. SIMONS LIGHTHOUSE LAWN TAPPING THEIR FEET AND SINGING ALONG AT AUGUST’S A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE COASTAL GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. APPROACHING STORMS STAYED AWAY UNTIL THE CONCERT FINISHED, SO IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT WITH A LOVELY BREEZE! THE SEASON WILL COME TO A CLOSE ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 WITH PERENNIAL FAVORITES, THE SENSATIONAL SOUNDS OF MOTOWN. 82

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Dr. Charles T. Hopkins III, D.M.D., Dr. Jack H. Melton, D.M.D. and the staff of Plantation Dental Associates.

Your smile is our business.

At Plantation Dental Associates, we know the value of a healthy, happy smile. That’s why we keep abreast of the latest restorative, cosmetic, and oral surgical techniques — to provide you with the level of care you have come to know for the dental health you deserve.

P L A N TAT ION DE N TA L AS S O C IAT E S General, Cosmetic, and Restorative Dentistry

300 Main Street, Suite 101 | St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522 | 912-638-9001 www. plantationdentalssi .com

SEPTEMBER 2017

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DAVE RACZYNSKI AND FRIENDS WERE HOTTER THAN GEORGIA ASPHALT IN SUMMER AS THEY PLAYED AUGUST’S RHYTHM ON THE RIVER CONCERT AT MARY ROSS WATERFRONT PARK. THERE WAS A GREAT CROWD FOR THE FREE COMMUNITY EVENT UNDER THE PAVILION. The remaining concerts of the season presented by Main Street Brunswick, the City of Brunswick and Brunswick Downtown Development Authority will be the

Matt Walsh Trio on September 3, Complicated Pants on October 1, and Island Garage Band on November 5. Come out an join the fun! 84

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DURING THE BRITISH OPEN, SEA ISLAND HOSTED A BREAKFAST AT THE BRITISH FUNDRAISER for The First Tee of the Golden Isles. Guests enjoyed a delicious breakfast while they watched coverage of the tournament which, in the final round of play, turned into an exciting showdown between St. Simons Island’s own Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth. Following breakfast, golfers hit the links for a chance to claim a mini Claret Jug of their own. 1. Larry and Lynn Kennedy, Tucker Anderson. 2. Price Embry, John Wright, Cooper Embry. 3. Brent Bailey, Kevin Crotty, Nick Toth. 4. John Wright, Brannen Veal. 5. The mini Claret Jug awaiting the winners. 6. First Tee Executive Director Derek Norberg, Brunswick Mayor Cornell Harvey. 7. Jeff Ward, John McKeown. 8. James Poe, Chad Bauer, Bill Poe. 9. Cole Ackerman, John Ackerman, John McKeown, Mark Love. 10. Bill Podres, Pat Shea, Ryan Ferrell, Jason Webster. 11. Jason Webster, Jacob Kitchen. 12. Tammy Palmer, Julianna Collett. 13. Joel Arline, Steve Holt. 14. Tommy Cason, Jim Ruger. 86

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Don’t Know What To Do Next?

Entertain in style with hand-painted ceramic platters made in Italy

We Do. Water Damage Fire Remediation Mold Remediation Rug • Upholstery • Carpet Tile • Wood Cleaning Air Duct Cleaning 143 Sky Spaces Center www.a1emergency.com office@a1emergency.com 638.1498 You have known A-1 Cleaning & Restoration since 1985, They have joined partnership with Service Master and are now Service Master Restore.

SHOPS AT SEA ISLAND | 600 SEA ISLAND RD | ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA 912-634-8884 | INDIGOSSI.COM

Voted Best Kitchen & Bath Designer Elegant Island Living Readers Choice Award

COOKING CLASSES AND PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE

PREMIER KITCHEN AND BATH DESIGN AND SPECIALTY STORE FEATURING UNIQUE TILES, PLUMBING, CABINETRY, HARDWARE & KITCHEN AND BATH ACCESSORIES M-F 10-5 or by Appointment / 8 Market Street, St. Simons Island / 912.268.4210 / www.simmerandsoak.com

SEPTEMBER 2017

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JAMIE RENEE AND THE WALKERS BROUGHT THE HEAT TO JULY’S SOUNDS BY THE SEA concert at Neptune Park. The summer outdoor concert series presented by Golden Isles Arts and Humanities has been a favorite of residents and island visitors alike. The last concert of the season will be on Sunday, September 17 and will feature singer and sax man Michael Hulett. 1. Kathy Hawkins, Debbie Arnold, Marilyn Stamps. 2. Tamela and Rick Register. 3. Anne B. Jones, Vernon Hurley. 4. Brandon and Lydia Clayborn. 5. Diana and Don Heinecke. 6. Tammy Dunn, Amanda Yatzek. 7. James and Jennifer Lindsay with Penny. 8. Bruce and Karen Cameron. 9. Merl, Carol, and Leslie Jones. 10. Neal and Loya Levine, Will and Robert Kampschmidt. 11. Rachel Berg, David Palko. 12. Lisa, Mary, and David Hitt. 13. Beth Cheetham, Leslie Irwin. 14. Robb and Kathy Wade. 88

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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OH, WHAT A NIGHT! FRIENDS OF CHARLOTTE RAYMOND TURNED OUT IN DROVES AT SEA PALMS GOLF RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER FOR “COCKTAILS WITH CHARLOTTE,” a fun event held in her honor and benefiting her beloved Hospice of the Golden Isles. She’s been volunteering at HGI for 35 years and is still going strong. With over 100 guests in attendance, it was a memorable evening in honor of an unforgettable lady! 1. Sea Palms Golf Pro Rick Irwin and Lucy Thomas. 2. Susan Ricci, Judy Burch. 3. Just look at this crowd! 4. Miriam Cristobal, Hailey Rojas. 5. Mike and Sharon Craw, Ann Granger. 6. Maryalice Kimel, Debbie Holland. 7. Mike Craw with Hostess/Honoree Charlotte Raymond. 8. Joanna Eberly, Dr. Mike and Kandyss Cordle. 9. Charlotte in the seat of honor. 10. Mark and Susan Conway, Karen Brubaker, Mark Miller. 90

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TOMMY BAHAMA • CLAUDIO MILANO • LOLA SABBIA PRADA • HENSCHEL • TOM FORD HOOK & TACKLE • DOLCE & GABANA • LA NATURELLE ERIC MICHAEL • TORI RICHARD • KAHALA JAMS WORLD • ELAN USA • BOHIO GIOCAM 2 0 4 M A L L E R Y S T R E E T / S T. S I M O N S I S L A N D / 9 1 2 . 2 6 8 . 2 4 6 7

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Tummy Tuck Breast Augmentation/ Reduction/ Reconstruction Facelift Brow Lift Blepharoplasty Botox Filler Skin Care Laser Hair Removal PRP Facial Rejuvenation Microblading Eyebrows

1015 Arthur J Moore Drive / St. Simons Island, GA www.drdianebowen.com / 912-634-1993

SEPTEMBER 2017

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LIVE OAK FITNESS RECENTLY HELD A FITNESS OPEN HOUSE AND TOY DRIVE to benefit Children’s Health Care of Atlanta and Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital. The event celebrated Miss Charlie Young’s 5-year anniversary of a successful atrial septal defect open heart surgery and Mr. Chase Busby’s continued fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In addition to the toy drive, a variety of free training and fitness sessions were held at the new Live Oak Fitness that morning. 1. Charlie Young, Chris Busby. 2. Bre Young, Celia Harris, Rachel Woods. 3. Miss Charlie Young and Mr. Chase Busby and their friends with toys collected for Wolfson’s. 4. Jennifer and Kaden Meyers, Kenneth Searles, Walker and Dan Meyers. 5. Kinslee Bradley, Scott Bradley, Carlos Poysky. 6. Katy and Steven Ginn, Todd and Anne Thompson. 7. Bobby Papson, Alexandra Helgesen, Gary Young. 8. Ann Poysky, Hamilton Brodnax, Jackie Brogdon. 9. Mary Ellen and Johnathan Aiken. 10. Cassie and Chris Busby. 11. Bre Young, Katie Ginn, Kenneth Searles, John Linburg. 12. Marge Young, Seth Collins. 92

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SEPTEMBER 2017

SSI ARCHIVES

The Fiercest Wildcats on St. Simons Island

lthough nineteenth century St. Simons was known to be home to a panther or two, the most famous wildcats in Island history were planes not panthers. In the beginning of World War II, the U.S. Navy began purchasing and taking over airports and airfields all over the nation for training purposes. One such airport was McKinnon Field on St. Simons Island, which the U.S. Navy bought in July 1942. The newly-coined Naval Air Station (NAS) St. Simons was tasked with training pilots to fly Grumman F4F Wildcats. The Wildcat was the Navy’s leading fighter aircraft at the beginning of World War II. These planes were known for their durability and firepower. Later models also featured a unique folding wing design, known as the STO-Wing, which limited the space each plane would occupy on an aircraft carrier and thus nearly doubled the fighter complement. The Pacific was where the Wildcat had the greatest impact. All of its characteristics, as well as tactics of mutual defense, served the plane well against its faster and more nimble adversary, the Japanese Zero. Wildcats flew valiantly in air battles at Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal in 1942, where eight pilots received the Medal of Honor.

As the development of naval aviation technology progressed throughout the war, the isolated coastal location of NAS St. Simons made it a candidate to become another type of naval training facility, one more secret and perhaps even more vitally important. Eventually, most of the Wildcats flew away except for a few that were left at the Station to act as target planes to be detected by trainees on that new technology: RADAR. This month’s images show Grumman Wildcats in flight, as well as the second issue of The Wildcat, the base newsletter for NAS St. Simons while it was a fighter pilot training facility. The main article introduces the new commanding officer, Commander William D. Thomas. After graduating from Annapolis, Thomas had served on three Navy vessels during World War I, before transferring to naval aviation. He had retired in 1938, but returned to active duty a year later as aide to Rear Admiral John H. Towers, the Aeronautics Bureau Chief, until 1942. Known locally for his outgoing personality, Thomas remained at NAS St. Simons until October 1945.

Our monthly images on this page are from the vast archives of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. The Society’s mission includes the “administration, restoration and maintenance of historic facilities and resources … preserved as a living part of the historical and cultural foundations of our coastal community.” Society facilities include the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum, the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, and the Historic Coast Guard Station. To learn more about the Society, its diverse programs, and the benefits of Society membership, please call 912.634.7090 or visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org. 130 E L E G A N T I S L A N D L I V I N G

Elegant Island Living September 2017

Articles inside

SSI Archives

Business Buzz

Styling for Success

Help a Rising Star

What’s Happening

Life with the Top Down

Bravo? Brava? It Matters

A Flair for Fashion and Fun

A Grand Collection of Memories

A Toast for the Tykes

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Campaign for Community

Passion & Purpose