January/February 2019 by Golden Isles Magazine

BIG READ COMES in ALL SIZES

FORT FREDERICA UNCOVERS COLONIAL ERA ARTIFACTS

The Generations

Tavia Harrison Goes Back to School

THE EVOLUTION of WHISKEY

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 TIME CAPSULES

From Fort Frederica to the new Wanderer Memory Trail, history is preserved for future generations with the help of all ages.

PUSHING PAST BOUNDARIES Camp Twin Lakes offers lifechanging experiences for a Glynn Academy student — along with thousands of other kids — with the help from golf pro Matt Kuchar.

NEW TWIST ON TRADITIONAL STYLE This updated Sea Island cottage embraces elements of the original 1930s design with contemporary charm, thanks to Lori Harden with Pierce & Parker.

THE EVOLUTION OF WHISKEY

The latest trendy mixes are shaking things up. We asked three bartenders to blend the classics with something fresh, just in time to celebrate Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife this February.

SECOND ACTS A couple dancing. A woman taking photographs. A mother going back to school. Isles residents are embracing new beginnings.

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Publisher Editor Marketing Director Production Director Assistant Editors

Buff Leavy Bethany Leggett Becky Derrick Terry Wilson Lindsey Adkison Lauren McDonald

Contributing Writers

Kelly Galland Bud Hearn Andy Offutt Irwin Ronda Rich Lydia Thompson Susan Busby Thornton

Contributing Photographers

Tamara Gibson Bobby Haven

Contributing Designers

Russ Hutto Hannah Moore Stacey Nichols Donte Nunnally Fran Sherman Terry Wilson

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About the Cover Tavia Harrison stands on the campus of College of Coastal Georgia, where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. The mother and business owner is one of several Isles residents, profiled in our Second Acts feature (page 106), exploring new interests in a nontraditional season of life. We thank photographer extraordinaire Bobby Haven for capturing Taviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effervescent, indomitable spirit.

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Advertising

Securities and Advisory services

Information regarding advertising and rates is available by contacting Becky Derrick by phone at 912.634.8408 or by email at bderrick@goldenislesmagazine.com All content is copyright of Golden Isles Magazine, a publication of Brunswick News Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the publisher. We have sought to ensure accuracy and completeness of the content herein, but neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher assumes responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other inconsistencies, including those related to quotations. We reserve the right to refuse advertising. All advertisements appearing herein are accepted and published on the representation that the advertiser is properly authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. All ads are paid advertisements and/or gifts given as part of a contractual agreement regarding Brunswick News Publishing Company. Neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher is responsible for any statements, claims, or representations made by contributing writers, columnists, or photographers. Golden Isles Magazine and the publisher are also not responsible for anyone’s reliance on the content included in the publication. All projects described in this publication are for private, noncommercial use only. No right for commercial use or exploitation is given or implied.

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Editor’s Note

Legacies of Love

hen I reflect upon this edition’s theme, “The Generations Issue,” I can’t help but think about the generations of women in my family. My mother, or Momma Libby as she is called by anyone who has known her longer than five minutes, is the epitome of a true Southern lady. She cooks better than Paula Deen. She has never left the house with her hair wet. And she has a servant’s heart that is echoed in my twin sister, Stephanie. They care for those around them, and I love them “more than my luggage,” to quote my mother’s favorite film. It’s the perfect movie for her, after all, for she has the strength of Sally Field and the complimentary attitude of Dolly Parton. Personally, I have more of the dry wit and comedic timing of Olympia Dukakis, but that’s what makes our relationship beautiful.

Last year, my father’s side of the family lost our matriarch, Wilma June Gilbert Leggett. To me, she will always be Meemaw, the woman who encouraged my love of Christ — and the Atlanta Braves. She led our family by quiet fortitude, and her words had gravitas. When she said something, you listened. With grace and humility, she imparted a command within each of us: to hold on tight to family and to always ask how we could serve each other and God. There was one holiday that has always embodied Meemaw’s outlook on life: Thanksgiving. As November approached last year, I was afraid the celebrations wouldn’t be the same without her. When I discovered my schedule wouldn’t allow me to travel to Atlanta as usual, I was afraid I was letting her down … but my family came to the rescue. In addition to my parents and my twin sister’s family traveling to St. Simons Island to spend the holiday with me, my Aunt Denise and Uncle Ken also made the trek down on Thanksgiving. They spent lunch with the Atlanta family and then headed to the coast for dinner with us. It meant the 16

GOLDEN I S LES

I wish I could devote more space than reserved here to tell you about my amazing aunts on the farm in North Carolina. After Hurricane Florence ravaged the area last year, I drove up with donated supplies from the Golden Isles and spent a Saturday with my Aunt Joyce. We passed out hot meals, cleaning products, diapers, and more to those in need. I admire how she met everyone with a smile and asked how she could help them — a selfless love for all. And then there’s my Aunt Vikki, who has made quilts for all of her nieces, passing along her talent with memories of our lives to be a comfort on these cold winter nights when we are far from each other.

Meemaw, Bethany, and her sister, Stephanie, during a Thankgiving in the early 2000s.

I am surrounded by women who have taught me, encouraged me, and challenged me to leave the world a better place. This edition is packed with similar stories — of mentorships, encouragement, and ways to enter new chapters. It’s been a thrill to work on, and I hope it gives you ideas on how this next year can incorporate the lessons of the past with the dreams of the future. Here’s to 2019, Bethany Leggett

Bethany’s family — twin sister, Stephanie; Aunt Denise Kruppa; and Momma Libby — helped Bethany pick out her tree the day after Thanksgiving last year.

world to me to have them here, for so many reasons. But it also meant that we were honoring Meemaw and her wish for us to always find a way to each other.

Editor Bethany Leggett

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COASTAL QUEUE

Word On The Street

GIM wins at FOLIO:

FOLIO:

2018 EDDIES Magazine Section > City & Regional > Winner

Chris Robinson entertains diners at Isles restaurants

Drive-By Truckers’ relevancy continues after two decades

Sean Clark & John Pope hit the right notes with Pine Box Dwellers

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“The Music Edition” September/October 2017

The staff at Golden Isles Magazine took home two FOLIO: Awards during this year’s FOLIO: Awards Ceremony in New York City.

Range of Work by a Single Author > City & Regional > Winner

The magazine won an Eddie, or editorial award, for Magazine Section in the City & Regional category for the September/October 2017 “The Music Edition.” The feature section included “For the Long Haul” by Bethany Leggett; “Twist & Shout” by Emily Hines; “Piano Man” and “The Box Set” by Lindsey Adkison; “Taking the Field” by Lauren McDonald; and “Season Tickets” by Debra Pamplin.

DRESSING UP

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CELEBRATE THE BOUNTY OF THE COAST WITH A SOUTHERN SPIN ON THANKSGIVING DRESSING

Editor Bethany Leggett also took home the Eddie for Range of Work By a Single Author, a new award introduced at FOLIO: this year, in the City & Regional category. Her four articles that won included “A Rising Tide” from the July/August 2017 edition; “For the Long Haul” in the September/October 2017 edition; “Dressing Up Oysters” from the November/December 2017 edition; and “Q&A with John Shackelford” from the May/ June 2018 edition.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS HAS BEEN ADDING A COMPLEX SOUND TO SOUTHERN MUSIC FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES AND THEY AREN’T SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON.

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Ett ial

Q&A

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with John Shackelford

Spanish. French. Cape Dutch. John Shackelford Jr. knows how to embrace a period style while incorporating modern approaches to functionality within the home. Formal, segmented designs of yore have opened up into styles where walls no longer differentiate between the kitchen, living room, and dining room. And while some design elements are timeless, he knows tastes change over time. “Usually, the front of the house — whether you are doing a Spanish or French style — you have to keep it a little more traditional to make it look more like a period house. But on the back, you can sort of take liberties, if that is where the view is, and put as much glass as you could get,” says the architect, who ventured into his career under Frank McCall in the 1990s after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology.

A DOZEN ORGANIZATIONS ARE BANDING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES ALONG GEORGIA’S COAST. WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY LEGGETT

Shackelford has spent more than two decades designing new homes and remodeling older ones in the Golden Isles with his company, John P. Shackelford Jr., Architect + Interior Design. Whether it’s updating a bathroom or kitchen or building a new home, the architect likes to follow the project from sketch to finished construction. And with interior designer Nancy Stoddard on staff, the two are able to combine tastes, fabrics, and styles to build a home from the inside out.

n a sunny Monday afternoon in May, dozens of people launch their kayaks and canoes into Ebenezer Creek in Rincon, setting off on the maiden voyage for the Georgia Coast Collaborative.

Magnificent tupelo trees, providing a canopy for wildlife, rise out of the swamp. A blue heron flies overhead as dragonflies alight on nearby stumps. A heavy thud of an alligator sliding into the murky waters makes an impression as guides and guests paddle together — sometimes in smaller, separate groups and other times coming together as a flotilla. They find times to pause and talk about the history and ecology of this waterway that empties into the Savannah River.

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Bethany Leggett, Golden Isles Magazine Instructional/ How-To > Consumer > Honorable Mention

/mēz • än • sen/ Four fun crafts BRING the fragrance and beauty of the outdoors inside ra t ra

The magazine also took home an honorable mention for the Eddie for Instructional/ How-To in a consumer publication for “Mise En Scene” by Kim Daniels in the May/June 2018 edition. “It is thrilling to know that our magazine resonates on a national level. Our stories are complex, compelling tales of life along our beloved Georgia coast, and I am so grateful that the time we put into crafting each edition lives on long after the next one hits the streets,” Leggett says. This is the third consecutive year Golden Isles Magazine has won at the annual FOLIO: Show, the premier conference of magazine professionals. With this year’s accolades, the magazine now has a total of four wins and six honorable mentions, including two for Golden Isles Bride.

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hen it comes to staging a Garden of Eden in your own home, you only need a bit of imagination and some basic craft supplies to pull everything together. Sucker for succulents? Try your hand at a modern terrarium. Hosting an afternoon tea? Bring a bit of green to the table with verdant holders. Love birdwatching? Create a Mad Hatter-esque feeder that would transform your porch into an avian wonderland. Love candles but want a no-flame alternative? Find your perfect scent with your own potpourri mix.

GOLDEN ISLES

MAY/JUNE 2 0 1 8

“Mise En Scene” May/June 2018

“Producing this magazine is a true team effort, from conception to printing. Each of us is committed to outstanding content above anything else and that shines through in our finished product,” says Marketing Director Becky Derrick. “It certainly makes my job easier to be able to say we are the largest per-issue local glossy lifestyle magazine, the No. 1 magazine in the state of Georgia, and the only national-award winning local magazine for three consecutive years.”

Your reactions

GOL D E N ISL E S

NO VEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

“Great article!!!!”

sent to us by

“Cheers!”

— Beth Quigley Lauxen, Facebook

emails, posts,

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COLUMN Muhly Grasses

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“Wow y’all!!!! So awesome!!! This is what happens when you have mad skills!!! ” — @brookerobertsphoto, Instagram

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The ideas abound — and for those with a green thumb and a hot glue gun, you can transform your living spaces into your own oasis in no time. 70

FEATURE Got Goat’s Milk?

TIME TO GET SOCIAL facebook.com/goldenislesmag instagram.com/goldenislesmag

“Way to go ladies! Well deserved!”

twitter.com/goldenislesmag

— Beth Martin Lane, Facebook If you prefer to send us your comments by email, contact Editor Bethany Leggett at bleggett@goldenislesmagazine.com. Anything posted to our social media accounts or emailed directly to the editor will be considered for publication. Comments may be edited for clarity or grammar.

“Congratulations you guys! So awesome!!!” — @emilyburtondesigns, Instagram

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very year, Heather Heath takes on an impossible task. The executive director of Golden Isles Arts & Humanities attempts to choose a book everyone in the community will want to read.

“You’re not ever going to be able to,” Heath jokes. But she tries, for the sake of the community-wide event known as the Big Read, which has become a tradition in the Golden Isles. The month-long event, sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, takes place in February and encourages everyone in the area to pick up and read the same book and participate in events that incorporate the book’s themes and ideas. This will be the 12th year that the Big Read has taken place in the Golden Isles. The NEA only selects about 75 organizations in the United States to receive the grant each year, Heath says. The grant stipulates that certain events and activities be offered in conjunction with the Big Read.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

GOLDEN I S LES

“The Big Read is set up and designed to be where you have a single book you want everybody in the community to be reading and talking about it; but you have to figure out how you’re going to get people to pick that book up to read it, too.” — Heather Heath Heath’s team makes sure those are put on year after year. “The biggest expense that we have is that we’re giving out copies of the novels, and books are expensive,” Heath says, adding that about 1,000 copies are given away each year. This year, the community will be encouraged to read Celeste Ng’s “Everything I Never Told You.” Heath chooses each year’s Big Read novel from a list supplied by the NEA. She has to keep in mind the interests of the community when choosing, she says. After all, the Big Read requirements include offering at least 10 public discussions of the book. “To Kill a Mockingbird” was a big hit, but “Tom Sawyer” was surprisingly less well-received. “The Great Gatsby” was popular but tough to discuss. “We’ve had some that have been a tougher sell,” Heath says. “‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ was, for a lot of people … It’s beautifully written — it’s about ideas, not action — but it was a little tougher. But what that does is provoke awesome discussion.” The first year, Heath chose “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury. “It seemed appropriate, as the point of the Big

Read is to encourage literary reading amongst everyone, particularly our younger generation,” Heath says. “Since that’s a novel about books being banned and burning them, it seemed like a great one to start with.” The Golden Isles Arts & Humanities joins with numerous local partners to bring the Big Read to life. Those partners include the Marshes of Glynn Libraries, Three Rivers Regional Library in Camden County, the College of Coastal Georgia, Glynn Visual Arts, and more. A lot of partnering groups take it upon themselves to plan their own events and activities for the Big Read, Heath says. “We don’t have the resources to make the plans for everybody,” she says. And every event does not have to be literary-based. Last year, when the community read the dystopian novel “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, Heath asked Jay Wiggins, who serves as Glynn County’s emergency management chief, to talk about hurricane preparedness. “You know, disaster’s coming, you’ve got be prepared,” Heath says. “So just having him come and do one of his talks as part of it. It helps expand who’s working with the Big Read and helps them get their information out as well.” JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

The organizers get creative in finding ways to encourage all types of community members to read the same book. “The Big Read is set up and designed to be where you have a single book, you want everybody in the community to be reading and talking about it; but you have to figure out how you’re going to get people to pick that book up to read it, too,” Heath says. The more events and the wider variety of activities, the better. “You have people who are avid readers already, so they’re picking it up and they’re going for it and they’re calling us in September going ‘What’s the Big Read book?’” Heath says. “But what we’re trying to do is reach those ones that aren’t picking up a book or are not thinking about it.” Around the third year of the Big Read, Heath made her job a little bit harder by joining in on the decision that companion books should be chosen and offered, in order to better cater to younger readers. Since then, two Little Read books have been chosen each year, for middle school and elementary school readers. “We went, ‘You know, no kid is going to read this novel,’” Heath says. “And this is about encouraging young people to read, so that’s when we went ahead and selected companion books for middle school-age and for elementary schoolage students.” This year’s Little Read includes “Wonder,” by R.J. Palacio, for middle school students; and “Zen Shorts,” by John J. Muth, for elementary students. Class sets of books are given to all public schools in Glynn, Camden, and McIntosh counties. The community has fully embraced the Big Read at this point, Heath says, and many begin planning their calendars months in advance around the Big Read’s events. The literary experience kicks off every year on First Friday in downtown Brunswick, with some sort of activity that fits into the themes of that year’s novel. One year, there was a scavenger hunt; another year, a dragon-themed parade. Culture tastings and art events always serve as entertaining ways to begin the Big Read, Heath says. “We just try to do different things, not just to get people to kick off the Big Read and pick up books, but to get them into downtown businesses and the library,” she says. 24

GOLDEN I S LES

THE BIG READ RUNDOWN This year, the chosen book is “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng. The novel, published in 2014, tells the story of a Chinese American family that faces tragedy. “It’s more depressing,” Heath warned. “It’s even more depressing than the dystopian world, but she’s such a great writer, and I think the themes and the issues in the book will speak to a lot of people in a lot of ways.” The book, Heath says, covers a range of topics — families, secret keeping, dealing with loss, interracial relationships, and more. “This is a Chinese and American couple, so there’s lots of issues about race, which is certainly something that we’re not ever getting far away from,” Heath says. “There’s a lot of issues about immigration in it, another big topic right now.” The companion books chosen for this year’s Little Read are “Wonder,” by R.J. Palacio, for middle school students; and “Zen Shorts,” by John J. Muth for elementary students. “Wonder” is about a boy born with a severe facial disfiguration that had previously prevented him from attending school with other students. “He’s going into middle school, and it’s told from his point of view, his sister’s point of view, his friends’ points of view, and his parents’,” Heath says. “So you get the ups and downs of dealing with being different, which is part of what’s within the themes of the novel as well.” “Zen Shorts” is a children’s picture book that teaches students important life lessons. “There’s a big panda, and he’s teaching the kids lessons through Zen stories, so it’s an introduction to Chinese culture in that way,” Heath says.

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Sounds of Music

Island Concert Association plans month-long series r s

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this February

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he Island Concert Association offers the community a standing invitation to enjoy a professional musical performance each Tuesday throughout the month of February. Entering its 33rd year, the concert association will be bringing nationally recognized artists — the Formosa Quartet; Davin-Levin Duo; Aimee Toner; and Laetitia Ruccolo with St. Simons Island’s own soprano Rhonda Hambright — for four free concerts each Tuesday starting at 7:30 p.m.

February 5

Formosa Quartet The Formosa Quartet — Jasmine Lin, Wayne Lee, Che-Yen Chen, and Deborah Pae — continues to champion Taiwanese music since the group formed for the original tour in Taiwan in 2002. The string quartet has performed in major venues throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe, and has been awarded prestigious honors in the Paganini, Primrose, Fischoff, Naumburg, and Tertis competitions.

February 12

Davin-Levin Duo Guitarist Colin Davin and harpist Emily Levin have been performing together in some form or another for the past seven years, and they find a way for each instrument to complement the stringed notes of the other in every performance. When they aren’t touring together, Davin serves as a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, and Levin as the principal harpist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. 26

GOLDEN I S LES

The Local Experts S I N C E 1889

February 19

Aimee Toner Aimee Toner’s skill with the flute is quickly becoming known nationwide. She has played principal, piccolo, and assistant parts for the New York Youth Symphony, the Columbia University Orchestra, the American Youth Orchestra, and the Columbia Pops Orchestra. For the 2017-2018 season, she served as the principal flutist for the New York Youth Symphony, which included three performances with the ensemble in Carnegie Hall.

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Laetitia Ruccolo and Rhonda Hambright Pianist Laetitia Ruccolo returns once again to St. Simons Island for this season’s finale performance. She regularly works for opera companies all over the world, including as a Young Artist at the National Opera Studio in London for the 2015-2016 season. She graduated from the Ecole Normale de Musique of Paris, University Mozarteum in Salzburg, and Mannes College of Music in New York. The Island Concert Association’s Artistic Director, Rhonda Hambright, will join Ruccolo as the soprano for this evening’s performance.

1 25 Gary L. M oore C t . St. Si m ons Isl and, G A . 912 . 638 . 8815 @restorati oni m ports . www.restoration imp orts.com JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

IN THE AGE OF PODCASTING

Q&A with Traci DeForge r s

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nal

ong ago, families and friends would sit around their home radios, listening to on-air stories together. Radio proved itself to be a valuable communication tool throughout the years, used for news, sports broadcasting, and emergency alerts. With the visual platforms of television and digital mediums eventually taking predominance, audience interest in the audio medium shifted — but the human love for stories remains unchanged. Podcasting, or the creation of digital recordings available for online streaming, is a hybrid of audio and digital and has emerged as a popular medium

a En

through which to receive news, spread ideas, and, most importantly, share stories. Traci DeForge had been working in radio for more than 20 years when she pivoted her career into podcasting. She saw the popularity of the format emerging, and DeForge predicted correctly that the medium would grow exponentially. The St. Simons resident combined her two passions — broadcast radio and the consulting business she founded — to pursue a career in podcasting. Today, she runs “Produce Your Podcast,” a company she

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

founded, through which DeForge and her team provide full-service podcast production services. She also hosts three of her own podcast shows. “Podcasting, in general, is an opportunity for people to change the conversation in their industry or in their professional or personal lives,” DeForge says. “It gives them the opportunity to tell their story with their voice.” She expects that podcasting, yet another outlet for storytelling, will be the next phase in the long life of radio. “Radio has impacted every single generation,” she says. “And podcasting is impacting this generation.” The following answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: How have you seen podcasts, and especially audiences’ interest in podcasts, grow over the last few years? A: The growth has been enormous … Interestingly, podcasting started becoming really popular within the younger demographics first, let’s say 18 to 30 year olds. They were really getting into podcasting; and what was interesting about that is that they grew up their whole lives, essentially, not listening to radio. So podcasting was, in some cases, their first introduction to the power of what radio can do. How have you seen technology changing people’s careers in this business? The technology has advanced — even in the last 18 months — to really simplify and make podcasting production more accessible to people of all budgets. You can produce a podcast on your cell phone … or you can buy a good quality microphone and headphones with a USB and integrate it into your computer and create good quality audio. With “Produce Your Podcast,” you work with CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors, coaches, and more. How does the medium of podcasting fit for so many different types of clients? Our client is typically the kind of person who really wants to utilize a podcast as an extension of their marketing strategy. We often say it’s their audio brand versus their visual brand. We create everything from the concept to distribution. We do everything from creating the concept of the show and the creativity behind the show and the development of the show to actually recording, 30

GOLDEN I S LES

producing, editing — everything that it takes to create that episode. And then we also do all the administrative work for the client. That includes everything from writing their show notes, which are important for podcasts; uploading it to their website; and distributing it to iTunes. It’s full service. For any company or person who is interested in starting their own podcast, what kind of encouragement would you give them? The first thing I would say is to just start … If you’re working within a budget or you’re trying to identify what your budget is, a good quality microphone is very important. And a lot of times, for whatever reason, people forget to get headphones. They don’t feel like that that’s something they need … if you’re going to have a cohost — so if you’re going to be doing the show with somebody else — make sure that you buy the exact same microphone because that will make your sound much better. What has it been like working in a field dominated by men? And what advice would you give to other women or anyone in a minority group in this industry? I was promoted to my first general manager job when I was 27 years old; so I was very young for the business at that level, and I was female. It was challenging in that, when I would attend trade conferences and other things like that, I would get questions — direct questions, not implications — of whether or not my father owned the radio station, and other implications that weren’t nearly as polite. It could have deterred me or it could have angered me or it could have caused me to leave the room crying. But I just chose to power through it because I loved what I did. Don’t second-guess yourself in any room. I think women have such a tendency to play a game of better than/ less than, and typically we fall short. So when you’re sitting in a room of people that you perceive to be more powerful than you — remember, they’re just people. Where do you see this industry headed and what trends are you seeing? What are you excited about that you expect will happen? I think you’re going to see a lot more hybrid of broadcasting meets podcast … Those larger radio cooperations are investing in a tremendous amount of technology and programming that is podcasting-related. You’re going to see a lot of development for kids and families, which I’m really excited about because of the idea of screen fatigue; so getting kids to use their imagination and creativity. Podcasting is all about the theater of the mind. Accessibility is going to become a lot easier. I think the biggest barrier to the growth of podcasting right now is people finding out how to get a podcast. Pandora just announced that they are going to be curating a playlist for podcasts, which will be a huge growth. And Spotify is now the No. 2 platform, after iTunes. They’re going to be a lot more accessible, which then is going to help them explode.

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A S t oryt e l l e r ’s Inv i tat io n r s

tt ir

et me confess right at the get-go: I am a professional touring storyteller, which is to say, I stand on a stage and talk for a living. I know, what a scam.

I am going to assume that you are a fairly well-read person; and you know, simply from the pleasure you derive from reading, that a good story can hook you. Even a work of fiction is populated with characters you begin to care about. One of the magic benefits of being a reader of fiction is that you become a more empathetic person in real life. That’s a real-life scientific fact. Here’s more science for you. What happens to the brain during a story is similar to what happens in the actual experience. It doesn’t matter if the story is true or fictional. All kinds of brain activity is going on. There are folks who have been put in MRI machines and told a story. The researchers watching the monitors have found that the hormone cortisol releases during the arc of a story. When a subject comes across words like “coffee” or “musty,” that person’s olfactory cortex lights up, too. I could go on about other neurotransmissions and what they have told us — like how our brains produce the pleasurable hormone oxytocin when we read about characters we have come to know and care about (and even fall in love with) — but I lost a few readers back there as soon as they saw the word “cortisol,” so I’ll move on. A good story can make you feel connected with others sharing in the moment. 32

GOLDEN I S LES

My friend and writer, Lint Hatcher, wrote a beautiful essay about when he was a student at Georgia College in Milledgeville. With its old society and intergenerational college faculty, the residents of Milledgeville have been a convivial bunch.

Give her more than flowers this Valentine’s Day!

When Lint was a freshman, he would go on long walks through the town’s neighborhood, passing homes holding dinner parties. He could hear pianos playing, muffled conversations, and laughter. He would see golden light emitting from the windows. From these lonely walks, Lint coined such a place of gathering, “A Lighted House.” He could see the people through the windows, but he really didn’t know what they were saying. They were together and sharing, but he was outside in the dark. This got me to thinking: If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then a story is the soul’s door. A story is the invitation to enter, a way for souls to connect and share with one another.

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Something happens at a storytelling show that doesn’t happen at any other kind of performing arts event. We storytellers like to keep the house lights illuminated, becoming our own Lighted House of sorts. When we are successful, we bring characters and events to life. And when the audience is with us, the audience becomes a community. Those brains are all lighting up together.

: ta e l b a l i ava

It’s so much fun to watch the crowd when the show is over. The people tarry. Folks who have never met begin to share their own stories with each other. I have seen it time and time again — people of different ages, political backgrounds, people of different ethnicities and cultures — all these people find a commonality. Bonds are made and friendships are formed.

D SIRAD EN SA 0L0 S6 I AES 0 0 6

: ta e lavailable b a l: t ia aveal bat: a l i ava

WINTER BLUES?

A TA LSSIPAOEH S STA SPOHS

,N DO NA MLISI.T SS NOMIS .TS That’s my job. I invite you to come

and share in the joy at the 4th Annual St. Simons Island Storytelling Festival at Epworth By the Sea on February 16 to 18. For more information, go to epworthbythesea.org.

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Around Town THE

Cabaret Purchase Purchase Purchase Purchase Purchase online online online atatat online online at at acsvictoryboard.org acsvictoryboard.org acsvictoryboard.org acsvictoryboard.org acsvictoryboard.org

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Starring Nick Palance

February 2 nd, 2019 at The Greenhouse

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For For more more info info email email fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com For For For more more more info info info email email email fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com Get your dancing shoes ready! The Tickets Tickets Tickets are are available are available available for for purchase for purchase purchase at at the at the following the following following locations: locations: locations: For For more more info info email email fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com fatherdaughterdancessi@gmail.com Tickets Tickets are available are available for purchase for purchase atBWK), the following the following locations: locations: Bailey Bailey Bailey Boys, Boys, Boys, JillBoys, Jill Stanford Jill Stanford Stanford Dance Dance Dance Studio Studio Studio (SSI (SSI &(SSI &at BWK), &at BWK), Cutie Cutie Cutie Patooties Patooties Patooties (SSI (SSI &(SSI BWK) & BWK) & BWK) Bailey Bailey Bailey Boys, Boys, Jill Jill Stanford Jill Stanford Stanford Studio, Studio, Studio, Cutie Cutie Cutie Patooties Patooties Patooties and and Whippersnappers and Whippersnappers Whippersnappers Tickets Tickets Tickets are are available are available available for for purchase for purchase purchase at the at the following the following following locations: locations: locations: American Cancer Society Victory Bailey Bailey Boys, Boys, JillBoys, Stanford Jillavailable Stanford Dance Dance Studio Studio (SSI &(SSI BWK), &atBWK), Cutie Cutie Patooties Patooties (SSI &(SSI BWK) & BWK) Bailey Bailey Boys, Jill Stanford Jill Stanford Studio, Studio, Cutie Cutie Patooties Patooties and Whippersnappers and Whippersnappers Tickets Tickets are are available for purchase for purchase at the following the following locations: locations: Bailey Bailey Bailey Boys, Boys, Boys, JillJill Stanford Jill Stanford Stanford Dance Dance Dance Studio Studio Studio (SSI (SSI &(SSI BWK), & BWK), & BWK), Cutie Cutie Cutie Patooties Patooties Patooties (SSI (SSI &(SSI BWK) & BWK) & BWK) Bailey Bailey Boys,Boys, Jill Stanford Jill Stanford Dance Dance Studio Studio (SSI &(SSI BWK), & BWK), CutieCutie Patooties Patooties (SSI &(SSI BWK) Board invites dads and daughters for & BWK) a special Father + Daughter Dance on February 10 at Ziggy’s on St. Simons Island. The fun goes from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at Bailey Boys, Jill Stanford Studio, Cutie Patooties, and Whippersnappers. For more information, go to acsvictoryboard.org.

GOLDEN I S LES

Music of the Night The Coastal Symphony of Georgia has a fun evening of fellowship and frivolity planned for the 2019 Cabaret “Music of the Night” on February 2. Recording artist Nick Palance will entertain the crowd at The Greenhouse. A three-course dinner is also planned along with live and silent auctions. For more information, go to coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org.

The 5th annual Jewish Food and Culture Festival is set for March 24 in downtown Brunswick. The festival, hosted by Temple Beth Tefilloh to help fund the 125-year-old temple, will include traditional Jewish cuisine, customs, and entertainment. The festival will also include a Jewish wedding ceremony and a performance by Klezmer Local 42, an Athens-based band that plays traditional Eastern European music. The cultural celebration will begin at noon in the Jekyll squares off of Newcastle Street. Admission is free. Tickets for food are $1 each, and food costs between four and eight tickets per item. Tickets will be available on site the day of the festival and at the Downtown Brunswick First Friday event in March. For more information, go to bethtefilloh.org/events.

Ladies, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that time of year again! Wine, Women and Shoes will take place on February 9 at The Cloister at Sea Island. Attendees will have the chance to sip fine wines, shop designer fashions, bid on a range of auction items, and more. The event, a fundraiser for Hospice of the Golden Isles, will take place from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Go to winewomenandshoes.com/event/ goldenisles for more information.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

Around Town THE

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GOLDEN I S LES

The 2019 Business EXPO is right around the corner. The annual trade show, hosted by the Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Jekyll Island Convention Center on January 31. The event offers a chance for the local business community to network together and exchange business solutions. For more information, call 912-265-0620.

The 2019 Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation Bridge Run is around the corner. The Bridge Run, which benefits the cancer and cardiac care programs at the Health System, includes a half marathon, first responders challenge, 5K Run, 5K Walk, and race-day festivities. The fun begins on February 15 with a pasta party and vendor expo. On Saturday, runners and walkers face the Sidney Lanier Bridge as they attempt to cross over the bridge and return. Half-marathoners will then continue through historic downtown Brunswick. For more information, call 912-466-2786 or go to The-Bridge-Run.org.

Ready to get your stew on? The annual celebration of the piping hot entree, the Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee, is headed to Mary Ross Waterfront Park on January 26. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the park will transform for the outdoor cooking contest with dozens of teams competing to see who has the best Brunswick stew. There’s also the 5k Road Race, the Pet Supplies Plus Pooch Parade, live entertainment, the Kid’s Junior Stewbee Central Fun Zone, an antique car show, and more. Tickets are $4 for kids under six years old and $9 for adults on the day of the event. For more information, check out stewbilee.com.

Whether you like your oysters on the half shell or sitting atop a cracker, there will be plenty to go around during the 19th Annual St. Simons Land Trust Oyster Roast. The benefit will start at 5 p.m. on January 19 at Gascoigne Bluff. In addition to tables of culinary offerings from 100 food and beverage vendors, there will also be live entertainment from Jamie Renee and the Walkers. Tickets are $85 for nonmembers or $60 for land trust members. For more information, go to sslt.org.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

JUST THE FACTS

Baby Boomers vs Millennials Words by Lauren McDonald ecades of lived experience exist between the generations of Baby Boomers and Millennials. One group came of age in the years following World War II. The other achieved adulthood during the new century.

Stereotypes abound for both groups. Those include suggestions that Baby Boomers are terrified of technology while Millennials would rather lose an arm than put down their cell phones. Baby Boomers, some say, are overly critical of younger generations, while Millennials are narcissists. These stereotypes often prove to be false, but below are some facts about the two generations that hold true.

Millennials are not as greedy and self-centered as stereotypes aim to suggest. A survey found that about 84 percent of Millennials make charitable donations ever year, and 70 percent volunteer their time to causes about which they are passionate. 38

GOLDEN I S LES

Baby Boomers were,

at one time, the largest generation in U.S. history. Nearly 79 million people can claim the Baby Boomer title. Baby Boomers make up about 28 percent of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. population. They were born, most estimate, between 1946 and 1964, during a two-decade explosion of births following World War II. The biggest year of the boom was 1957. That year, 4.3 million babies were born.

The number of Millennials in the U.S. eclipsed the number of Baby Boomers in 2014, according to the Census Bureau, with approximately 83.1 million counted.

Baby Boomers were a bit more keen on the institution of marriage. Nearly 90 percent of Baby Boomers are married today and about 49 percent were married between the ages of 18 and 33. In comparison, about 28 percent of Millennials were married as of 2014.

Millennials have had a higher tendency to live with their parents. About 15 percent of Millennials lived at home with their parents at the ages of 25 to 35, as of 2016, according to a Pew study. That rate for Baby Boomers ranged between 8 percent to 11 percent. A 2016 report by Pew found young Millennial men were more likely to live with a parent than with a spouse or domestic partner. This trend is a reversal from 1960, when about 56 percent of young men lived with spouses or partners, while 23 percent lived with their parents.

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The past four U.S. presidents have been Baby Boomers. No Millennial was even eligible to run for U.S. president until 2016, as the minimum age to run is 35.

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JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

AME

AN E S

MENTAL TRAINING offered at Amelia Shotgun Sports targets high performance every day. WORDS BY BETHANY LEGGET T

ou take a deep breath. Your hand steadies as you line up your shot. You adjust for the wind, and get ready to pull the trigger. And then … your stomach growls and you wonder what you are going to have for dinner that night. Distractions — both little and large ones — happen to even the most seasoned athletes. That’s why Dawn Grant spends many of her days helping those in sports achieve a quiet, focused, and positive mindset when it matters most. “There’s a whole bunch of work, mentally, just to make sure your mind is staying clear, positive, and present before you even grab the golf club or shotgun,” she says of her courses that she offers in addition to running Amelia Shotgun Sports, which she bought with her husband, Jimmy Muller, in November 2017. In games like golf and clay shooting, mental training targets a variety of areas from pre- and post-shot routines to finding the balance between following a plan and adapting in the moment. Grant has some “Bandaids,” as she calls them, to help people in the moment get past a challenge, such as someone playing loud music nearby, a jeer from an opponent, or missing the shot on the last hole. 40

GOLDEN I S LES

But it’s the long-term solutions that center around being present; quieting the mind; gaining confidence, trust, and clarity in different situations; and not comparing oneself to a previous performance or to others that Grant hopes athletes use both on and off the course.

our teeth, etc. So, it’s the same part of the mind where a smoking habit is,” she says. “So, I have years of experience helping people access that part of their mind but also changing habits and enforcing new, healthier ones.”

Her path to mental coaching has been a circuitous one. Grant graduated with her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Westfield State University and went on to help children and families through a mental health center before starting a nonprofit for children’s counseling. Then, in 2001, she opened her own hypnosis practice on Amelia Island. “Like everybody else, I had to get over any misconceptions about hypnosis. This was 17 years ago, so there were even fewer conversations about holistic or alternative medicines and practices back then than there are now,” she says.

The tools she was using started to make sense to those in sporting fields, too.

But Grant enjoyed helping people discover how addictions and habits — such as smoking, drinking, overeating, and more — could be tackled through the subconscious. “So the subconscious part of the mind is the part I help people access when we are doing hypnosis. It’s not strange or weird. It’s literally a part of the mind where all of our habits are — walking, brushing

“When you start talking to athletes and you start diving into what their peak performance state is — or what has been referred to as ‘the zone’ state — it’s actually instinctive, intuitive, without thought or actions. That’s the same as you walking without thinking about it. So when somebody is performing at their peak, they are actually performing from their subconscious,” she adds. Some tennis players started reaching out, as did a professional boxer.

Then, she was invited to meet PGA Tour golfers at a tournament. “It was the fact that I was a hypnotist and a therapist that sparked their attention. They wanted that extra edge and advantage that nobody else had,” she says. Over a three-year period, Dawn started becoming more involved with the shotgun community, too, and held some clinics at Amelia Shotgun Sports — then under the management of founding member Clyde Goodbread. She would travel to competitions to support her clients, and that’s where she met her now husband, Jimmy Muller. A NSCA Master competitive shooter, he had invented his own choke-tube system, the Muller Choke, that he was selling at the competitions. The two married in February 2017 and bought the business nine months later. Now Amelia Shotgun Sports offers a blend of services that incorporates both Grant’s mental training techniques and Muller’s talents in shooting, ballistics, and technical instruction. The club also hosts mostly NCSA-registered shoots, offers Ladies’ Night on the first friday of each month, and Bring Your Own Grillin’ every Friday night until 8:30 p.m. Dawn has enjoyed this new phase of her career, combining her love for helping people solve habits both on and off the course.

“I’m telling my clients, take this information I just taught you, and here’s the application of it in your life and here is the application of it in your shooting,” she says. “You go practice your sport at the course, but you are going to practice your mental game in life. With repetition, like anything else, the more familiar you get with it, the better you will get at it, and it becomes the person you are.”

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T E DIS

DELANEY’S FINDS HEARTY WAYS TO ENJOY THIS WINTER W O R D S BY K E L LY G A L L A N D W I T H H 2 0 C R E AT I V E G R O U P

ith the busyness of the holidays scarcely in the distance followed by the pressure to make resolutions and choose the best weight loss program, it’s no wonder that, for many, the need to simplify life and slow down is an idea that’s becoming increasingly important. It’s a conversation that keeps creeping up — whether it’s in a discussion with friends about how to get the kids off the electronics and outside; or the latest book about how to declutter your space and your mind; or a new app that sets limits on use or social media — it’s clearly a topic that is on the mind of many Americans. At Delaney’s Bistro, the notion of simplifying is especially important as the new year begins. Admittedly, for owner and head chef Tom Delaney, the demands of running a five-star restaurant don’t leave much in the way of slowing down, but he has managed to achieve a sense of simplicity through one of his latest culinary creations, a Pan-Seared Antelope Chop with Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding.

He says, “The combination of lean, flavorful meat and comfort food brings me back to a time when fathers and sons hunted, either for sport or necessity, putting food on the table in leaner times. Fall and winter are times when game is in season and plentiful.” Noting that necessity is often the mother of invention, he hearkens back to a time when what was hunted or grown was all there was to eat. Creating tasteful dishes with limited resources provides an exciting culinary challenge and reflects a time when life was a bit simpler. Of course, one doesn’t have to be a hunter or farmer to enjoy this dish. Whenever possible, Tom sources ingredients from local farms and chooses the most flavorful cuts of meat he is able to find. He said, “We use vegetables at the height of the season when the flavors are at their truest and best.” To begin, he slices the chops between the bones, removing any silver skin. Next, they are marinated in a blend of shallots, herbs, and olive oil for at least 30 minutes. Finally, the chops are seasoned with salt and pepper and seared in a hot sauté

TOM DELANEY

pan for two to three minutes per side, depending on size, for medium rare. The complementing Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding begins with a selection of premium wild mushrooms including Cremini, Oyster, Shiitake, and Chanterelle, sautéed with shallots, garlic, and herbs. Three cups of cubed French bread are soaked in milk and combined with eggs and cheese, then added to the mushroom sauté mixture and spooned into muffin tins to bake. When creating any dish, Tom thinks in terms of complementing flavors and focuses on what each ingredient will bring to a dish. The combination of earthy mushrooms and herbs with the lean, gamey flavor of the antelope is a warm and hearty combination that warms up the coldest winter night. So even if the desire to slow down and simplify isn’t quite yet a reality, an evening spent savoring this delicious dish or any of Tom’s seasonal masterpieces at Delaney’s is certainly a good place to start.

GOLDEN I S LES

PAN-SEARED ANTELOPE CHOP WITH WILD MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING Pan-Seared Antelope Chop INGREDIENTS

3 lb. Antelope Rib Rack (can substitute venison) 2 shallots, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage, stemmed and chopped 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Slice chops by cutting between the bones, removing any silver skin. Take the chops, shallots, chopped herbs, and olive oil and place in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from bag and season with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot sauté pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on size, looking for medium-rare.

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding INGREDIENTS

3 cups French Bread, cubed 1 lb. mushrooms (Cremini, Oyster, Shiitake, Chanterelle — use one or any combination available) 2 shallots, peeled and chopped 4 tps. unsalted butter 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped 1/4 cup fresh thyme, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 cups milk 4 eggs 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

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REPEAT

DIRECTIONS

Place bread cubes in a bowl and pour milk over. Allow the bread to soak up the milk. Meanwhile, sauté the shallots until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, sauté for two minutes. Then add garlic and herbs and cook until fragrant. Pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle cheese, pour eggs, and mix well with a spoon. Spoon mixture into buttered muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degress. Remove and let set for 5 minutes. To assemble, use a tablespoon and unmold the pudding. Place on the plate and lean the chops on top.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

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•

PASSING • it • on • W O R D S B Y LY D I A T H O M P S O N

here is a book — a simple greenbound manual with an illustration of an American Redstart on the cover — that had been sitting on my shelf for years. Except for an occasional dusting, it went unmoved for a long time. One day, I noticed the title, and reached for it. “Hmm. ‘Bird-Life’ by Frank M Chapman. I wonder if this is one of the books I have been researching?” I mused.

Carefully opening to the cover page, I see the full title, “Bird-Life, A Guide to the Study of our Common Birds” by Frank M Chapman, New York D. Appleton, and Company, 1907. Yes, this is one of the books I had heard about from my birding friends. I cautiously turned the page, for the book was falling apart. It hadn’t been used by someone in a long time. On the pages, I enjoyed reading some of the old bird names, such as Sparrow Hawk instead of American Kestrel. I stopped for a few minutes to try to figure out what in the world the book was talking about when I saw the words “Snowflakes nest in the Arctic.” Finally, I found the common name of the bird was Common Redpoll. Redpolls made sense because they are birds that are seen in the snowy north. The big surprise came on the last page. The handwriting was neat. It read, “Glen Ridge, Spring, 1910.” With that date, it meant this was a bird list that didn’t belong to my father. It was my Grandmother’s! In fact, my father was not even a glint in her eye in the spring of 1910. The list recorded: White-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, and Baltimore Oriole first seen on May 20, 1910. There were other notes about a Cedar Waxwing that landed in the yard on April 5, 1916. My father was only five years old in 1916. I do remember one of my early visits to my grandparents’ house. Grandmother was a good cook, so I enjoyed sitting in the kitchen with her. I was

very young, so I only remember bits and pieces of my grandmother; but I do remember her being very excited about a bird at her bird bath. “That’s a cardinal,” she said to me and then smiled. I was lucky enough to get to know my father as an adult. We bonded over birds. He started calling while I was in college and telling me not to worry about him. He was going birding. Exotic names like Point Pelee, Magee Marsh, and Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge caught my attention. He soon began taking me on his birding trips. He told me stories of his youth. One of the stories was about him conducting an osprey survey. He would get in his canoe and puddle along the marshes of New Jersey counting hundreds of ospreys. Well, in the late 1970s-early 1980s, ospreys were on the endangered species list; so those stosto ries fascinatfascinat ed me. Since then, I have watched ospreys come back from exex tinction. People helped bring them back.

Bird watching became birding because, like my father, I worked to help the birds I watched. You see, I had my love of birds because of my father, and he had his love for birds because of his mother, my grandmother. There are young people who might be interested in birds and nature but don’t know it yet. It is time to point out our extraordinary marshes, rivers, maritime forests, and beaches all used by some unique birds. I believe if you care about it, you will protect it. We need to pass on our love for our land and our birds to the young people around us. It is our Nature Connection.

I also watched my father fight for the pine forfor ests he loved and the Red-cockadRed-cockad ed Woodpecker, which needed the pine forest to survive. He taught me to care about what I watched.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

D E SO T

The Ones Who Teach Us

WORDS BY RONDA RICH

hen I was a little girl, I loved fancy Sunday dresses with petticoats, rows of lace, and big sashes that tied with a grand bow. My godmother sometimes bought me dresses from a line called Martha’s Miniature, which featured a little tinkling bell sewn into the petticoat lace. Mama, a sewing whiz, could also flawlessly copy a Martha’s Miniature from a shop window, and she always sewed a bell into the petticoat. I loved to swish around to hear the bell faintly ringing. Recently, Tink and I were watching a television show when a woman said to another, “Let me show you how to tie a perfect bow.” A memory floated before me. “That’s right!” I exclaimed. “There’s an art to tying a sash. Mama taught me.” I remember it clearly: I was four years old. I dressed then sashayed into the den to find Mama. “Will you tie my bow?” She took the ends, began to work, then stopped. “Let me show you the trick to tying a perfect bow. Now, watch me close.” From that day on, I’ve been able to tie a pretty bow. Mama mentored me in many ways: sewing, cooking, cleaning house, money management, and life’s lessons. Countless other mentors I’ve had affirmed my philosophy that none of us is self-made. We are made through the efforts of many. I dedicated my newest book — a collection of columns and new stories in “Let Me Tell You Something” — to Norman Baggs, my first newspaper editor, who taught me about deadlines and writing stories. When I think of the Golden Isles, I become almost “swimmy headed” as Mama would say, with all the people who have either taught me, inspired me, or invested in me. Edward Armstrong has tried to teach me a flair for floral arrangement. So far, that’s not working. Buff Leavy is heroic in his efforts to reinvent a business that faces its daily challenges. He was mentored by both his father and grandfather in the years when the newspaper business was dependable. I’ve known Buff for more than 20 years, back when 75 percent of a community held a newspaper in their hands every day. Buff has not shrunk back as an avalanche of problems attacked the industry. He has stepped to the front battle lines and is a national leader in fighting to guide newspapers through a challenging era. Roy Hodnett has one of my favorite life stories, reinventing himself as a savvy real estate mogul after retiring as a cookie salesman. In one of his many generosities, he 46

GOLDEN I S LES

mentors those he believes worthy. Many lives have been made better because of him. Mentors, though, come in all styles, shapes, and purposes. One I rely on terrifically is my college friend, Bess Seiler Thompson. She’s always had an impeccable flair for fashion and the latest trends. She majored in fashion merchandising while I was in the journalism school. Before marrying, she worked in retail fashion — she once almost sold a pair of pajamas to Mary Tyler Moore — and now she hosts seasonal trunk shows for Carlisle. Bess always knows the fashion and what styles are flattering on which shape and height. I recently had on a navy dress for church, one that reminds me of an “I Love Lucy” dress, with a fitted bodice, full skirt with hidden pockets, and a belt.

37TH ANNUAL

EVENT

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“That is one of the most stunning dresses I have ever seen,” said Tink, who remarked on it several times that day and later.

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“Bess talked me into this dress. I would never have bought it, but she promised it would look great,” I replied.

“Always listen to Bess.” A year or so ago, I ordered a dress from Bess. I miscommunicated, so the package arrived with a cocktail dress rather than a Sunday dress. Never have I made a more beautiful mistake. It’s a gorgeous red satin with full skirt that is glamorous and flattering. I could not stop admiring it. I kept it. Two months later, all of a sudden, I needed a red carpet dress for Hallmark’s celebration of its upcoming Valentine’s movies in Los Angeles. In a room of glittery, expensive designer dresses, Hallmark stars and friends came over to repeatedly compliment the dress I mistakenly ordered from Bess.

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Thanks to Bess, my dress was a star in a room filled with stars. I am grateful to all my mentors, but there is no doubt that Bess brings a special flair to her mentoring — one that has dressed me well.

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DESIGN

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY LEGGET T am and Molly Portis know a thing or two about the importance of function when it comes to renovating a home. The couple behind Poseidon Renovation Consulting have spent more than three decades of their careers working with remodels that blend design, technology, and taste. The couple opened their new business, formerly Portis Buildings and Interiors, when they moved from the Atlanta area to St. Simons Island a year and a half ago, right after completing their own renovations to their Sea Palms home. From seamless flooring transitions and easy-to-clean materials to wide hallways and lots of lighting, the Portis home is the epitome of beautiful design with function in mind. “We did this house knowing we might be here for a long time,” Molly says. Their attention to detail isn’t reserved for their own home. Every client receives a binder detailing every item that will be part of the renovation project — from light fixtures

IN THE KITCHEN 1. Lever handles are more common than knobs for better gripping. 2. Microwave drawers are now being fitted inside islands and waist-high areas. “As you age, it’s easier to lift something up. It’s also easier to remove and have it sitting right on the counter, than if it was stuck over there on the opposite side of the kitchen,” Molly says. A similar approach means keeping the oven at eyelevel near an open counter or island, adds Sam. 3. While the modern look includes open shelves and less cabinets, the Portis duo know this trend may not fit everyone’s needs in the kitchen. “In my house, you couldn’t do it. I have too many different things to keep in my shelves,” Molly adds.

GOLDEN I S LES

4. Open up wider spaces between an island and counters. “You want to have a kitchen that works. Have the ability to open up your dishwasher and walk around,” Molly says. 5. Knobs on the front of the cooktop, instead of on the side or back, make it easier to reach. “And have lights on them so you know when they are still on,” Sam says.

6. A charging station with outlets and USB ports can pop up from the middle of the island. This is perfect for all the smart devices you have. And if you have downsized and no longer have a study, odds are the kitchen island can become a workplace zone, too. “Sometimes you are doing everything in one space,” Molly says.

to marble countertops — along with Sam’s schematics showing the dimensions and layout of the room. “We prefer to have everything picked out well in advance and to have everything signed off on,” Molly says. Sometimes, the project is a simple renovation that Sam takes care of while others, such as a bathroom or kitchen remodel, will include a design contract from Molly. Both Sam and Molly are licensed and keep up with the latest innovations through continuing education courses offered by NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. One such course, Aging in Place, has given the remodelers the ability to enhance the lives of their clients as they get older. Check out the Portis’ list of things to consider when renovating a home that you plan to remain in as you age; or swing by their newly opened showroom — containing curated vignettes and samples of products — at 1700 Frederica Road, Suite 103, this January.

IN THE BATHROOM 1. Roll-in showers, with no doors or steps to cross over, are great options for individuals who anticipate using the services of home health care assistance, Molly says. 2. Grab bars are also a must — “We are putting those in everybody’s bathrooms,” Sam says — along with reinforced blocking in the walls of the vanity area. “When we do a bathroom, we just automatically put in extra wood, so whey they have to put in the heavy duty anchor screws, it’s ready. It’s solid under there,” he says. 3. Removable wands in the shower can be helpful in the long run. “Whether you just do a removable wand or you do [a wand and shower head], if you are going to have a home health care person come into your home, that’s something they are just going to want,” Molly says.

4. Drawers that pull out and make it easy to get to items normally stuck in the back of a drawer or require special containers, such as medication, are also in demand for Poseidon clients. “A lot of people request pull outs because, as you get older, you have a lot more medicines and stuff like that,” Molly adds. She also offers women the chance to include a hairdryer with an outlet in a drawer, too. 5. One of the additional accoutrements that Molly and Sam added to their own bathroom is a heated towel bar. “I was trying to explain to the customer, it’s not so much that the towel is going to be warm and cozy; because 8 mins later, when I get out of the shower, it’s cooled off. But it makes your towels last longer because there is so much humidity here. It takes forever for anything to dry,” Molly says.

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t. Simons is renowned for its beauty, history, and inspired tradition. When Southeastern Bank considered opening a branch on St. Simons, the parallels could not be ignored. As a 130-year-old community bank with deep roots in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida, Southeastern Bank embodies a steadfast character and rich history much like this Spanish moss-draped island. When the site adjoining the old Sea Island Stables location became available for purchase, the bank realized it was a perfect fit for the new branch. As fate would have it, Southeastern Bank staff and family used to ride horses at the stables and have fond memories of their times riding there. Con Holland, president and chief executive officer of Southeastern Bank says, “The stories, shared by many, of time spent at the stables and the generosity and hospitality extended to generations of island residents and guests by the Long family are truly heartwarming and inspiring. We wanted to honor that tradition with our new building.” Alyson Beasley, the bank’s chief operating officer, and her sisters were recipients of that generosity. “Our love of horses and animals endures to this day due to time spent at the stables. Our lives were truly enriched by the stables experience,” she says. Jay Torbert, the bank’s chief financial officer, recalls that even his mother rode at the stables while visiting

the island as a young girl in the 1950s. “Things have really come full circle with our newest branch residing in this location,” he adds. When Holland began the task of envisioning what the branch on the storied island lot should be, his main goal was to pay homage to its history. “I was intent on reflecting the character and charm of the island while also presenting Southeastern Bank as what it continues to be: traditional, personal, and a part of each community in which it resides,” Holland says. Entrusting this vision to architect Karen Schmidt proved to be the right move. The finished product is not only visually impressive but incorporates elements reminiscent of stables of yesteryear. Schmidt did extensive research on the property and was painstaking in making sure that design decisions ensured authenticity and high quality.

The exterior of the bank boasts a wrought-iron horse weathervane and uses traditional materials, colors, and lighting — as well as a glimpse of the timber frame — to enhance the traditional character. Ryan Tyson of Tyson Builders was able to bring the architect’s vision to life by executing the detail within the architectural drawings. And then there’s the interior. “The interior of the building is spectacular,” Schmidt states. “The timber frame allows for a wonderful open space with a second-story ‘hayloft’ that actually houses the bank’s mechanical equipment. Interior finishes of handmade brick pavers, wide-plank scraped oak floors, shiplap siding — as well as barn doors and outstanding lighting — add warmth and charm.” In addition to these features, the design called for oversized chandeliers in each bay to provide the main lighting. When it became apparent that no manufactured fixtures would be appropriate, Steve Schoettle of Sea Island Forge was commissioned to create custom, handmade fixtures that are truly works of art. And the décor by interior decorator Libby Delaney adds the finishing touches, including photos of the old stables and the marshes of Glynn as well as tack, show ribbons, and other items from former riders at the Sea Island Stables.

Southeastern Bank is proud to become part of today’s island community while also honoring its historic past. For more information about Southeastern Bank, please visit southeasternbank.com, call the St. Simons location at 912.357.2265 or visit today at 21 Market Street. JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

RUN A RACE, SAVE A TURTLE JEKYLL ISLAND â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 9, 2019

DIGRESSIONS OF A DILETTANTE

The Timeless Wisdom of Generations WORDS BY BUD HEARN

Generations come, they grow, they go … but not completely. Idiomatic expressions of timeless wisdom make you wonder if things have changed at all. My grandmother had a way with words. No beating around the bush with her. When you heard, Now, that’s that! the discussion was over. She laid down the law with three simple words. They could have been the epilogue to the Ten Commandments because compromise was out of the question. Even Moses would have trembled at the proclamation. Whether by genes or osmosis, her straight talk in terse terms filtered down to my mother. Even Cicero would have applauded the vast applications of her idiomatic expressions. They seemed more like riddles to me as a child, but they continue to follow me through life like her very voice and shadow.

Then, there was our back screen door. It was warped. I was bad about not shutting it. Gnats would slip in and have a grand old time in the kitchen. One day, she said, Son, you’re skating on thin ice and I’m fed up. Wisdom would not have asked, But Mom, where will you get ice in August? Another day, we were playing in the yard with toy trucks. Daddy’s convertible coupe sat there, nice and shiny, looking like what Hollywood and insurance companies call an “attractive nuisance.” The black top resembled a trampoline. What fun, we thought. You know what happened. So did our father when he got home. About all he said was, Boys, I’m going to whip you to within an inch of your life. We understood the whip part; but the inch part was confusing. The full meaning became obvious when he pulled off his belt … size 34. My mother demanded respect for our father. She said, Your father is working his fingers to the bone. I told her I never saw a bony finger on his hand.

As I recall, my father only had three commands for us to follow: Son, listen to your mother and don’t talk back. Pick up sticks. And don’t touch my convertible coupe. Plain talk. No discernment needed. On the other hand, my mother made the rules up as needed. They were general in nature, but harsh in violation. I’m giving you fair warning, she would say. Her idea of fairness didn’t correlate with mine. It was less a warning than a threat. And once she started in on those confusing phrases, we knew we were in for it.

The phrases didn’t come out only when we were in trouble either. Sometimes we’d get up on the wrong side of the bed. I never figured out how she knew the difference, right or wrong. Same was true for her favorite expression: Son, you’re getting too big for your britches. Confusing, since I had the physique of a skeleton. We learned that bad things happen when we bit off more than we could chew, especially when she added, Just wait ‘til your father gets home. Some of her sayings were just plain silly, like Once in a blue moon and several that involved my nose: Don’t get your nose out of joint and cut off your nose to spite your face. My mother’s generation is gone now. But it left behind bits and pieces of itself like loose shards of broken and colored glass scattered wildly in a kaleidoscope. They form intricate patterns of changing words and phrases, an expansion of language arrangements that represent a short space of time in history.

Boys, I’ve told you until I’m blue in the face … leave the lid down. It seemed a dumb rule, and we generally ignored it. But one day she exploded, I’m fit to be tied. That was the day we cut our own switches.

What is our generation leaving of itself? What timeless wisdom will survive? Time will tell. Now, that’s that!, right Grandmother?!

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

Time Capsules of the Golden Isles

GOLDEN I S LES

History comes to the forefront of archaeological & preservation initiatives

he sands of time have layered one historical moment on top of another throughout the centuries here in the Golden Isles. Prehistoric peoples gathered for annual celebrations on the south end of St. Simons Island. The first known audio recording in American history — that of the song, “Kumbaya” — was reportedly recorded not far from Darien. Even the first trans-Atlantic phone call was received by AT&T’s president Theodore Vail at his summer home on Jekyll Island. On the following pages, we highlight three locations in the Isles where history is being unearthed for future generations to connect with the past.

Fort Frederica. File photo by Bobby Haven

On Page 57, Fort Frederica National Monument is opening the ground for the first time in 40 years to discover more about the colonial past along with the plantation era that followed. On Page 63, Across the sound to Jekyll Island, a newly dedicated Wanderer Memory Trail is honoring the survivors of one of the last slave ships to land in the U.S. in the 19th Century. On Page 68, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is placing a landmark in Brunswick on their watchlist in hopes of gaining support for preserving and restoring one of the oldest African-American churches in the state.

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Volunteers Francesca Trinca, left, and Mary Jo Davis sift through dirt in search for artifacts at an archaeological dig last summer at Fort Frederica National Monument. Photo by Bobby Haven.

“The last time we did any work here was in the 1970s with Dr. Nick Honerkamp [who conducted his doctoral research at Fort Frederica]. He’s retiring this year, so we brought him back to bookend it.” — Michael Seibert

Can you dig it? Fort Frederica peers through the veil of time with excavations for all ages r s

Et an lE

Ett

ast summer, Fort Frederica National Monument bustled with activity as people marched across the grassy acres alongside the Frederica River on St. Simons Island.

Echoing the liveliness of centuries before — when the town and fort were constructed as a British military outpost in 1736 — the modern-day inhabitants weren’t soldiers but archaeologists and volunteers, reaching back in time with each shovel of dirt. From seven year olds to 70 year olds, all ages dug trenches, cataloged finds, and discovered shards of history buried deep below the ground as the fort underwent the first major excavation in 40 years. “The last time we did any work here was in the 1970s with Dr. Nick Honerkamp [who conducted his doctoral research at Fort Frederica]. He’s retiring this year, so we brought him back to bookend it,” says Michael Seibert, Fort Frederica’s integrated resource manager. They came from near and far. Honerkamp and his students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were joined by members of the Southeast Archeological Center, the National Park Service’s archaeology unit, during the two-week experience. A student from the University of South Florida came up, and others from Georgia Southern attended. Amateur archaeologists from the Carolinas also came down for three days. In total, there were 20 archaeologists on site, and by the end of the excavation, around 180 volunteers had contributed, too. JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

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Michael Seibert, archaeologist at Fort Frederica National Monument, looks at radar scans during the dig last summer. Photo by Bobby Haven.

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GOLDEN I S LES

“Keeping the artifacts, that’s a lifelong process. You could never get rid of them. The more you dig up, the more money you need to have. So if you take a surgical approach, you can get better answers without spending all of your funds.” — Michael Seibert And get their hands dirty, they did. Screening, taking photographs, drawing maps of findings — after a short informational rundown, anyone visiting the fort during the excavation time had the chance to be their own version of Indiana Jones. “You watch on TV, and you see people moving with brushes and toothpicks; and that’s an aspect of it. There’s a lot of dirt moving. There’s a lot of shovel work. There’s a lot of trowel work. It’s hot. It’s buggy. But it’s rewarding. Hopefully, they saw, too, the importance,” Seibert says.

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“We have a national park in our backyard here on the island. There’s not many places that can say that … and there’s not that many opportunities for you to get your hands in the dirt in a federal archaeological site. Typically, if you do this on your own, you would go to jail for five years,” Seibert says with a laugh.

Even the kids got in on the archaeological action. Two camps — one offered for fourth- through sixth-graders and another for eighth-graders

— took place, too. The camp for the 9- to 12-year-olds was similar to those which Glynn County Schools instructor Ellen Provenzano taught from 1994 to 2012 at the fort. She returned last year for the camp, where the children learned how to handle real artifacts under the watchful gaze of volunteers and staff. “So they are digging up real artifacts, but in a controlled setting, to learn all the correct things,” Seibert says. The older kids in the second camp got to work side-byside Seibert and the staff; and they “actually got to do something that is probably pretty rare, in the park service at least. I took them into the park, and I said, ‘You are going to dig a hole here, and you are going to do all the work,’” he says. “They laid out the unit, they excavated. They took all the notes and all the photographs, strained it, and bagged it.” The odds of finding something underneath the ground were in the eighth-graders favor. The same anomaly had popped up on data sets from ground penetrating radar, conductivity, and magnetometer readings. But what could it be? A trove of discoveries — from a large cooking pot to buckle fragments, food waste, bits of bone, and even a well-preserved peach pit — were discovered as the dirt was carefully moved away. “We have some post-colonial stuff, which we should; but a lot of this stuff that they were finding at the right level was colonial period,” Seibert says. “It’s in this town lot, which we know belonged to at least one individual who leased it out to some soldiers at some point in time. So this is probably related Students gather around an excavated site at Fort Frederica this summer. Photo provided by Fort Frederica National Monument.

to soldiers living in huts or temporary housing in that area because it is so close to the barracks,” he says. The excavations were a special experience for Seibert to expose the younger generation to the field of archaeology. For instance, there was one young girl from Atlanta who had visited the fort while on vacation with her mother in April. She had a passion for archaeology and wanted to know more about the fort. Seibert happened to meet her at the visitors center and told her about the camps planned that summer. While she couldn’t attend a week-long camp, the girl did get her first exposure to archaeology when she returned to St. Simons for her birthday, which occurred during the dig. “She came out and spent the entire day excavating with me … and she actually came back on Sunday afternoon to dig some more. So, I thought this was cool. She helped dig and map all kinds of stuff,” Seibert says before pausing to reflect on passing along the passion for discovering ancient cultures. “Hopefully, you get one, you know.” Seibert, who became the first archaeologist on Fort Frederica’s staff since the late 1940s, has been busy since his arrival at the St. Simons national park in October 2016, and the two-week excavation was the culmination of more than a year of work. In 2017, the park had ground-penetrating radar completed around the town site, with the help of funding awarded through Seibert’s proposals. “We surveyed a lot of the town using geophysical techniques, which helped us see what was potentially under the ground and guide future research,” Seibert says. This led to a “surgical approach,” where small units could be opened above anomalies discovered in the data sets rather than digging long trenches and hoping for the best, as had been done more than a half a century ago, he explains. This targeted approach of using radar not only saves time but money, too. “Keeping the artifacts, that’s a lifelong process. You could never get rid of them. The more you dig up, the more money you need to have. So if you take a surgical approach, you can get better answers without spending all of your funds,” he says. Interested by what the data sets were showing, Seibert first did a smaller excavation unit with the help of his family on weekends. “What we are looking for are things not in alignment in the town site … maybe they are in the middle of an alley, or they are tilted sideways or something like that. They don’t jive with the current overall understanding; we want to look at those to see what they are,” Seibert says. While the family worked under the tent at the fort, people kept stopping by to ask what was going on. “During that JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

Friends of Fort Frederica Board Members Bill Jones, left, Amy Dry, Clint Purser, Lucy Thomas, and park archaeologist Michael Seibert, gather before the fort in November.

“I have fond childhood memories of going to the fort with my parents: when the old orange trees lined Broad Street; when there were boxes by each ruin that had a recording of the people reenacting who lived in those ruins, including one scary guy at the moat who screamed ‘Halt, who goes there?!’” — Lucy Thomas

one-week dig, we talked to about 500 people and we found a bunch of stuff. So, clearly there’s really cool things happening here, and there is clearly interest,” he says. With more to discover, Seibert decided to get the ball rolling on a larger excavation that would incorporate the community’s involvement. Many locals and visitors got involved by just visiting the fort during the excavation time in June. An informational tent was set up where participants were trained on the basics of preservation standards. “We estimate that we talked to more than 2,000 people in 11 days. It’s a peak season, right around the beginning of summer. All of these people here are just visitors that happened to come for the day. We had extra gloves and stuff, if you wanted to come out and spend a couple of hours,” Seibert explains of the 180 people who ended up lending a hand. “When you dig something up, I like to tell them, ‘You are probably the first person to touch that since it was lost, which could be 200 to 2,000 years old if you go back to prehistoric times.’ That’s a really cool concept … to be the first person to touch this since the last person did,” he says. The colonial period is a well-documented period of time on the island. In fact, the staff are waiting on a report to see if they can conclude the location of General Oglethorpe’s house site. That being said, evidence of human habitation before and after the 18th Century isn’t as well-known. “I feel like we don’t know everything about 1736 to 1758, but we probably know a lot more about those 22 years than we do about the 150 years after or any other times before that. So that’s why we are trying to focus on things outside the norm,” he explains. Further excavation findings from the summer included items from a plantation-era warehouse, and a shell pit more than six feet deep that has been radio carbon dated between 500 and 900 AD. “That’s a pretty long range, but you can say, this is prehistoric. And the interesting thing is that this was under a historic road, which is pretty cool,” Seibert says. “I think the prehistoric stuff … helps to show that once a good place to live, always a good place to live. You know, we aren’t the first people here. We won’t be the last.” 60

GOLDEN I S LES

Artifacts and documents from the summer’s dig are now on display at the visitor center at the park, providing an updated exhibit inside the center that could be rotated to include future findings, too. And there are plans to bring back the summer camp this year, too, with a little help from some friends — the Friends of Fort Frederica, that is. The nonprofit group, formed in November 2017, branched out from the Fort Frederica Association that got its start from Howard Coffin in 1941. Back then, the association was instrumental in obtaining the additional 80 acres around the site that was required by the National Park Service to designate Fort Frederica as a national monument. While the historic association continues to support the fort through revenue-producing concessions, such as the bookstore and drink machines, the newly formed Friends group is interested on expanding their assistance. As such, fundraising, community engagement, capital campaigns, monthly events, and more are planned, says Lucy Thomas, one of the founding members of the Friends of Fort Frederica. Other founding members include Bill Jones, Valerie Hepburn, Albert Fendig, Millie Wilcox, and Dewey Benefield. For Thomas, getting the community involved in the first major excavation in recent history was critical. “The amount of valuable research uncovered was significant. However, the staff’s idea to open the unearthing of history to the public was ingenious,” she says. “The outpouring of volunteers from far and wide speaks for itself. The public clearly understands the significance and fascination of the history here at the fort, and they are interested in being a part the research, preservation, and promotion of Fort Frederica.” Working with the National Park Service staff — Seibert along with Superintendent Gary Ingram; Manager Steve Theus; and Supervisory Facility Operations Specialist Chad Thomas — has been a thrill, Thomas says. “They are enthusiastic about making the fort a popular destination for visitors to our community as well as for the locals,” she says. When the Friends turned to the staff and asked what they would like to have funded first, it was the educational camps for the kids that topped the list. “It is a testament to the staff

at Fort Frederica that their first request was for educational programs for the kids. The camps were a huge success, and we have already received their request to sponsor the camps again this year,” Thomas says. Thomas knows how captivating the national monument can be for children. After all, she grew up exploring the island’s historic treasure herself. “I have fond childhood memories of going to the fort with my parents: when the old orange trees lined Broad Street; when there were boxes by each ruin that had a recording of the people reenacting who lived in those ruins, including one scary guy at the moat who screamed ‘Halt, who goes there?!’,” she recalls. When she had kids of her own, the fort was an oft-visited location for picnics. “Somewhere along the way, our visits were spaced further and further apart. I think a lot of locals have done the same. That is about to change. There are live programs every month at the fort, free to the public. There will be members-only events at the fort, and there will be community-sponsored events at the fort,” Thomas says. Allied in their future efforts with the staff’s vision, the Friends hope to support further archaeological research on the grounds and exhibits to display the findings; fund benches and educational wayside markers on the 1.5-mile trail, in collaboration with the Colonial Dames, Brunswick Town Committee; and assist in the renovation of the Visitor’s Center. There are plans to build a pavilion to be used as an event venue and outdoor classroom by the Frederica River. There is also talk about building a floating dock for kayakers and canoers. Things may even get futuristic with virtual reality and 3D tours, where visitors could use an app on their phones to see where items had been discovered in the park as they walk underneath the oaks. “Together with the National Park Service team, we have big dreams for our fort,” Thomas says.

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Seibert is onboard for future ways to incorporate all ages at Fort Frederica National Monument. Fort Frederica is unique for its history — and how little has actually been explored leaves more to do, he says. “It’s a pristine 18th Century site that’s been protected for most of its history. It was owned by one or two families, and there’s not been a lot of digging here,” Seibert says. “You don’t come across the opportunity to dig these things very often. I’m here, and now there is finally an opportunity to partner with these people. We don’t want to go excessive and dig everything up. But if there are questions we can answer, then we should answer them.”

Dig Deeper Keep up with the latest happenings at Fort Frederica National Monument through the group’s Facebook page. If you are interested in learning more about the Friends of Fort Frederica, go to fortfredericafriends.org.

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Visitors experience the new Wanderer Memory Trail and its interactive exhibits during the trail’s opening event in November on Jekyll Island. The trail tells the moving story of the enslaved Africans who, in 1858, survived a harrowing transatlantic voyage on the Wanderer, one of the last known slave ships to arrive in America. Photo courtesy Jekyll Island Authority.

“This trail is an important and poignant reminder of the conditions these enslaved people suffered through during their journey to the United States, and the unthinkable hardships they faced after they got here.” — Dr. Deborah L. Mack

Never to forget

New memorial enshrines legacy of the slaves aboard The Wanderer r s

Et an lE

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ne hundred and sixty years ago, the typically serene banks of the Jekyll River on the southern side of the barrier island were disturbingly tumultuous, as hundreds men and women were smuggled ashore after having been captured and transported to America aboard the converted slave vessel, The Wanderer. The Wanderer — which had been outfitted for the nefarious and illegal purpose despite the U.S. having outlawed the international slave trade half a century earlier — dropped anchor off Jekyll on November 28, 1858, with 400 enslaved aboard. Close to 100 had already perished, their bodies thrown overboard, during the horrendous Middle Passage from West Africa. Once the enslaved were ferried over to the mainland, they were sent to Savannah, Augusta, and ports in Florida and South Carolina to be sold. Scattered across the South, the Africans formed a new hybrid culture known today as the Gullah Geechee, and their story — one of capture and survival — is detailed extensively in the newly dedicated Wanderer Memory Trail. And it was along that trail, on a sunny Saturday this past November, where a crowd of all ages gathered together, holding candles as they explored the exhibit that sheds light on the JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

History Lesson:

The Wanderer In 1808, Congress abolished the slave trade and even made it a crime punishable by death in 1820. That didn’t stop Charles Lamar, a member of a prominent Savannah family, from approaching New York Yacht Club member William Corrie to purchase a luxury racing yacht, The Wanderer, and begin to repurpose the vessel for a run across the Atlantic.

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The Wanderer departed Charleston on July 4, 1858, with plans to make it to the Congo River near present-day Angola. There, the crew continued to make rudimentary modifications in order to fit the 500 purchased slaves, who had been bought for the rate of $50 per person, aboard. Conditions were horrendous for the enslaved onboard and close to 100 died before the ship landed off the shores of Jekyll, which was owned by Henry DuBignon Jr., who had conspired with Corrie to unload the illegal cargo of slaves. Despite the attempt at secrecy, news of The Wanderer’s brazen journey began to spread. The conspirators, including Lamar and Corrie, were charged with slave trading and piracy in a federal court in Savannah, only to have the jury acquit the men on all charges. The Wanderer and the lack of punishment for those involved strained tensions between the South and the North further, when then-president James Buchanan proposed the federal government be more aggressive against the slave trade. The following year, the Civil War broke out. The Wanderer was captured in 1861 in Key West by Union troops and used by the North for a variety of wartime purposes. After the war, the boat returned to private ownership before it sunk off the coast of Cuba in 1870.

Raheem Isom, far left, Ocea Lee Barnes, and Patricia Bishop — all descendants of Ward Lee, a survivor of The Wanderer — examine the updated list of known Wanderer survivors with Dr. Deborah L. Mack, far right, an associate director in the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The list, stationed at the entrance to Jekyll Island’s new Wanderer Memory Trail, so far includes 67 ship survivors who have been identified by name. Photo courtesy Jekyll Island Authority.

legacy of those captured and their contributions to the communities in which they lived, as well as the lasting impact the survivors had on coastal Georgia and across the United States. Designed by Curt Bowman of Artaventure, in Richmond, Virginia, a series of interactive exhibits along the path tell the true story of Umwalla, a young African boy brought to America aboard The Wanderer. Visitors will discover the pieces of Umwalla’s journey — from capture to freedom — as they are unveiled along the memory trail, which was produced and installed by Bowman and Jekyll Island Authority staff and volunteers. By framing the story from a child’s perspective, the new memorial strikes a chord with many in attendance during the dedication, including Griffin Lotson, a seventh-generation Geechee. “What they are doing at the [Jekyll Island] Authority, they are bringing it from a child’s perspective, a young fella’s perspective. I think everyone loves family, everyone loves children,” he says of being able to connect with the story that unfolds throughout the trail. Staff members from the Jekyll Island History Department and Jekyll Island Museum were able to enlighten attendees about the new exhibit during the November 17 dedication ceremony. Also present were the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, a troupe of performing artists who themselves are descendants of African slaves. “This trail is an important and poignant reminder of the conditions these enslaved people suffered through during their journey to the United States, and the unthinkable hardships they faced after they got here,” says Dr. Deborah L. Mack, associate director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, National Museum of African American History & Culture. “It also references their path to freedom and it vividly reminds us that despite the circumstances

of their arrival, the dynamic culture these brave people brought to America continues to influence Coastal Georgia and countless places beyond.” The reimagined exhibit replaces a previous statue that had honored the survivors of The Wanderer. In 2008, the Jekyll Island Authority dedicated the first Wanderer Memorial, a large, metal sculpture honoring the ship’s survivors. When the sculpture began to deteriorate from exposure to the salt air and had to be removed, the opportunity to design a new type of memorial emerged. This led to the creation of the Wanderer Memory Trail, situated in the same general location as the original memorial, in the St. Andrews Picnic Area on Jekyll Island. “This updated, larger exhibit tells the story much-more comprehensively than before. In adding to that legacy, the Wanderer Memory Trail and the lessons it provides also enhance the educational experience that comes with a visit to Jekyll Island,” says Cheltsey Vann, Jekyll Island Museum Educator. “We are very proud of this new island landmark and anticipate that families and various groups most of all will want to add this trail — and the journey of Umwalla — to their Jekyll itineraries.” The Wanderer Memory Trail has been a collaborative project by Jekyll Island Authority along with The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture; the State of Georgia Historic Preservation Division; the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission; the Old Slave Mart Museum in Charleston, South Carolina; and various descendants of known Wanderer survivors. The trail is designed to be easily toured by all ages and group sizes. Though visits normally are self-guided, tours also can be included as part of special programming. For more information, visit jekyllisland.com. JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

The Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters perform during the opening ceremony of the new Wanderer Memory Trail on Jekyll Island in November. Photo courtesy Jekyll Island Authority.

A Conversation with Griffin Lotson, a seventh-generation Geechee The Gullah Geechee culture formed when Central and West Africans, many of different ethnic backgrounds, were enslaved together on isolated barrier and sea islands of the Southeast. Now designated as the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the area where Gullah Geechee lived extends from Pender County, North Carolina, to St. John’s County, Florida, and for 30 miles inland. Griffin Lotson can trace his Geechee ancestry back seven generations. Lotson, who lives in Darien, serves as the national vice-chairman and former treasurer of the federal Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. In addition, Lotson is the chief executive officer of the nonprofit Sams Memorial Community Economic Development. He is also manager of the nationally acclaimed Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters. He has spent decades researching Gullah Geechee culture and raising funds to archive its history within the public sphere, from working on the movie “Roots” to a book about the earliest American recording — the spiritual song “Kumbaya,” which was recorded in 1926 by Robert Winslow Gordon and sung by H. Wylie, a Gullah Geechee. This January, he will travel with Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters to Sierra Leone, where they will participate in a cross-cultural experience revolving around the original of the Ring Shout. Before he left for his trip, he spoke with Editor Bethany Leggett about the new Wanderer Memory Trail, the history of the ring shout, and why his Geechee heritage was once something he sought to ignore rather than celebrate. The following answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. 66

GOLDEN I S LES

On the new Wanderer Memory Trail on Jekyll Island “This Wanderer exhibit will live forever now and more people will learn about it. Busloads of kids from schools, vacationers can enjoy walking the beach and learn history all at the same time. And I think they will be like you and I, ‘Wow, I never knew that’ … It was exhilarating to be part of history that will outlive me for generations. That was very important to me.” On the legacy of the Gullah Geechee “We are the only culture in the America that has its birth out of something called slavery. Most people don’t know, there was no Gullah Geechee before. It got started in America from these two dominant groups of people that surfaced to the top … most of those people came in on those ships in Carolina and Georgia because of rice, indigo, and cotton. So we were able to retain most of our ancestral ways, and that’s how Geechee Gullah was birthed. We were isolated, so we began to build a network and what surfaced? Gullah Geechee.” On the survival of the Gullah Geechee on plantations It was terrible … You don’t want to be here, every moment of your life, you are hoping and wishing to go home or escape or to get away. And then you move into the next phase, which is there is no hope. Then, it’s survival. And you hope for your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. That’s just terrible. And you and I can’t imagine. I am Gullah Geechee African-American descendant, and I can’t imagine. I can try, but it’s impossible.” On the connection Gullah Geechee feel towards water “Standing just about any beach here, Sapelo and even St. Simons Island, and you look to the east, the only thing separates you from Mother Africa for someone like me

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is water … And then you go to Africa, a person like me, and you go to other side, you have to take a moment of silence. Most people don’t realize that, for people like myself, that’s a seventh-generation from Africa, and all that it took to get us where we are today. It’s so real. So that perspective is very, very touching … Most of the time, when we are buried, our cemeteries are near the water … Your head is always facing, as they say, the sunrise. That’s tradition that you cannot break.” On lessening his Geechee accent as a young man “As a kid, they would say, ‘Boy, you too Geechee.’ Because the way we talk, we from the islands, man … but when I talk with people like you, I try to put on a New York type accent. I sing my words to let people think I am speaking proper English, but with my accent, I often laugh. People ask, ‘Where are you from?’ And I am thinking I am speaking real, proper English, but my Geechee Gullah comes out.” “When they said, ‘Boy, you too Geechee’ … we were ashamed of our culture. If we were Gullah Geechee, you were thought of being uneducated, unlearned, unsophisticated. So we did all we could to deny our culture. Who would want to be know that they were on one of the last slaves ships in America? I can only imagine my ancestor. They want to be normal, they want to be like everybody else. So ‘Shh, don’t tell nobody. We don’t want people to know.’ So a lot of our history has been

lost on the outside and on the inside because we were trying to survive.” On his drive to cement Gullah Geechee history in the public record “As long as I am able, I want to keep promoting what we do as far as we can so more people will learn about The Wanderer and these generations that have been absent and not talked about. I didn’t talk about this almost … I think it was up ’til I was in my 40s. So you are talking 25 years ago, maybe 30 years ago. Very little discussion, next to none. And now it’s escalated to where I talk about it every day with somebody.” “Tourism, now, is supporting the work that we are doing. And it’s bigger than me. In a few more years, I’ll be dead and gone. But the history is that, oh my God, it’s all right here.” On the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters influence in keeping tradition alive “We experience that all over America … people want this knowledge. Boy Scouts. Girl Scouts. We have done riverboat cruises. And they would tell us, they have to get their merits. So we have to teach them about the culture.” “The main focus of the trip [to Sierra Leone] will be the motherland for the ring shout. We talk about it all the time with the beat that we do for the shouts. We keep that alive. We don’t change it. We do that ring shout because it is historical.

Places in Peril Glynn Landmark r

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he Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has released its 2019 list of 10 Places in Peril, and Needwood Baptist Church and School in Brunswick has been included in this year’s selections. “This is the Trust’s 14th annual Places in Peril list,” says Mark C. McDonald, president of the trust. “We hope the list will continue to bring preservation solutions to Georgia’s imperiled historic resources by highlighting 10 representative sites.”

Needwood Baptist Church.

GOLDEN I S LES

The list is designed to raise awareness about Georgia’s history. Selections include buildings, structures, districts, archaeological sites, and cultural landscapes that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy.

Founded in 1866 by freed people raised in the Gullah Geechee tradition, Needwood Baptist Church is one of the oldest African-American churches in the state. The church building dates to the 1870s and likely sits on land that was once part of Needwood Plantation. The adjacent school, built in 1907, remained in use for the children of the congregation until the 1950s, when Georgia created equalization schools. The Needwood Baptist Church and School are threatened by their current state of disrepair, including failing roofs and increased water damage after recent storms, despite many families, descendants, and church members working to save them. Other sites on the 2019 Places in Peril include: Huston House at Butler Plantation in Darien; Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Garden in Savannah; Colquitt County Arts

Sketch of The Wanderer. Photo taken from the public domain.

We don’t try to add to it. We just do it. And now we are going to show that connection in Sierra Leone. We have been talking about it for decades, but this will be the first that you got U.S. citizens, descendants of Africa, that will go back and share the ring shout that was birthed on the plantation and they share that ring shout that originally came from Africa. The beat that we do came from Africa and the dance we do came from Africa. The songs we sing in America came from the plantation … in Africa, they didn’t sing the same songs, but we kept that tradition and we added our new found religion, which is the Christian religion … we have national dancers that we are going to train them, like we trained the dancers in ‘Roots’ … and they are going to educate us about where it got started and how they originally did it in Africa.”

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“We hope the list will continue to bring preservation solutions to Georgia’s imperiled historic resources by highlighting 10 representative sites.” — Mark C. McDonald

Center in Moultrie; Glennwanis Hotel in Glennville; Madison Theatre and Rhodes Center South, both in Atlanta; Springfield Log Cabin School in Union Point; Stark Mill Community Building in Hogansville; and The Cedars in Washington. Through the list, the trust will encourage owners, individuals, organizations, and communities to employ proven preservation tools, financial resources, and partnerships in order to reuse, reinvest, and revitalize historic properties that are in peril. Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is now one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children; provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities; advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts; and manages two house museums in Atlanta and Macon.

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Pushing Past

BOUNDARIES Camp Twin Lakes offers life-changing experiences for A Glynn Academy student and thousands of other Georgians

Words by Bethany Leggett | Photos provided by Camp Twin Lakes

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

adie Easlic had been to summer camp before. Surrounded by friends she knew from church, she had participated in activities, slept in cabins, and eaten meals like the rest — except she would need to check her blood sugar levels around three to four times throughout the day. Sadie has Type 1 diabetes, which means her body produces little to no insulin. Diagnosed when she was 11 years old, Sadie and her family have spent the past four years adjusting to what life looks like with Type 1 diabetes. Manageable with the right medications, Sadie can give herself shots during the school day at Glynn Academy and at home — and even at camp.

Sadie Easlic, second on the right in the back row, stands with her cabin mates from Camp Kudzu. All children who attended the camp, held at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, have Type 1 diabetes. Photo by Camp Kudzu.

But when her aunt discovered there was a camp for kids just like Sadie — kids with Type 1 diabetes — Sadie wanted to go. As her mother, Rebecca, drove her to Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge this past June, Sadie was excited and a little overwhelmed, as kids and staff lined the path to welcome her and the other campers coming to the diabetes-specific Camp Kudzu that week.

Sadie didn’t know anyone else at the camp. After all, kids from all 159 counties in Georgia can attend different camps held at Camp Twin Lakes that are set up for children living with illness, disability, and other life challenges. “The first day, when I walked in, everyone was talking and laughing. I was just sitting on the bed, looking around, and somebody came up to me and said, ‘I know you’re shy, but I am really outgoing, so we are going to be friends.’ And that’s how I started talking to everybody,” she says. The girls in her cabin bonded quickly, she says. “I didn’t feel different than everybody else. There were people like me. We would go to the cabins and walk to different activities.”

GOLDEN I S LES

“Camp made me

more confident. I’m not the only person with [diabetes], so it’s not such a big thing or something to be ashamed.

”

“We would all talk about how we felt about everything,” Sadie says. Medications were taken at the same time and under supervision by the medical staff at Camp Twin Lakes. “After we woke up and before we would eat, we all go into one group. You have a certain nurse, and she writes everything down. She checks your carbs. Then, you give yourself the shot and they watch you.” A nurse would even check levels during the night, and campers could opt to be awoken or not, Sadie explains. One of her counselors in her cabin also had diabetes and connected with the girls over their shared condition.

And when they weren’t checking their levels, the girls were enjoying camp life like everyone else. There were outdoor activities like zip lining, hiking, and a zero-entry pool adapted for kids with other physical conditions. There was the garden, where vegetables were grown and served later for lunches and dinners, and Sadie learned she actually liked the taste of kale — at least in smoothies. At the end of the weeklong camp, the kids were in their cabin, getting ready for the dance that night, and the other campers turned to Sadie for some help. “Everybody wanted me to do their makeup. I even did the counselors’ makeup,” says Sadie, who wants to be a cosmetologist one day.

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come from all over Georgia since Camp Twin Lakes opened 25 years ago. Held across three fully accessible campsites — in Rutledge, Winder, and Warm Springs — the individual weeklong camps hosted through Camp Twin Lakes focus on helping youth enjoy a camp setting no matter their circumstance. Camps occur year-round and, as Sadie experienced, help children with a particular diagnosis or condition share bonds with others who face similar challenges.

And even though she tried her hardest not to cry, Sadie couldn’t stop the tears from falling when it was time to leave the following day. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, and then my friends were crying. I saw my parents and then I started crying,” she says. For Sadie’s mom, Rebecca, sending her to Camp Twin Lakes for Camp Kudzu was an emotional experience, too. “I was super scared. She had been to church camp with our pastor and people I knew. But I had never just sent her off with no communication and all that. I was nervous, nervous for her that she wouldn’t have fun or be able to call me and tell me to come get her,” Rebecca says. But Sadie’s doctors had assured her that the camp would be a good thing for Sadie to do; and once she started getting specifics from the Camp Twin Lakes team, Rebecca says she was astounded about how much the organization already had set up. “They supplied everything — all the medicine, all the test strips. We didn’t have to pack anything related to diabetes. And that was so strange. I was like, ‘Are you sure we don’t need to bring anything?’ That was awesome to not have that worry: What if your tester breaks or what if you drop your insulin? We always have to have double of everything, but we didn’t this time,” Rebecca says. For her, it was important how the camp focused on living with diabetes and not letting it inhibit her daughter’s life. “There are tons of other kids going through the same thing. It doesn’t have to hold you back. It’s a disease; you have it, you can’t get rid of it. Maybe one day there will be a cure, but right now we just have to control it and be responsible,” Rebecca says. Camp Kudzu is one of 60 camps that partner with the Camp Twin Lakes network. Close to 10,000 campers have

Kids with medical conditions can attend a camp specifically designed to meet their medical needs. There’s Camp Krazy Legs for kids with Spina Bifida; Trach Me Away for children who have a tracheotomy or require a ventilator to breathe; Camp Sunshine for children who have cancer; and Camp Braveheart for kids with heart defects or transplant recipients. There’s also Camp SOS for families who have lost a loved one to suicide; Camp Horizon for kids who have been abused or neglected; and Camp To Belong, where brothers and sisters who have been placed in separate foster care homes can be reunited for the week. Children in military families who are facing the loss of a loved one, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety have their own camps, too. Last summer, more than 175 kids attended a camp for active or fallen service members. And while the majority of campers are children under 18, adults with disabilities can take part, too, with 11 different partner organizations. Also, this year, Camp Twin Lakes welcomed two adult residents to stay at the Eric M. Robbins Group Home, where they can live as independently as possible in a yearround camp community. In addition to the camps for kids, the organization also hosted seven family weekend retreats.

JA N UA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

Some little hearts need BIG expertise. Five-year-old Derrick doesn’t miss a beat, whether he’s playing at the park or building sandcastles at the beach. Diagnosed with four major heart defects before he was even born, Derrick needed big expertise. He got it with the pediatric cardiovascular team at Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville, which serves North Florida and South Georgia. They were ready to get right to the heart of his problems using high-tech diagnostics, medical technology and multiple surgeries. Mom Christina is grateful to Derrick’s medical team for giving her son a second chance at life. “He’s full of energy and his doctors are amazed! Some kids his age don’t do half the things he does.” That means more adventures at the park and the beach, going to school and playing kickball with his cousins. Each year, thousands of kids like Derrick receive life-saving heart care at Wolfson Children’s. If your child has been diagnosed with a heart condition, we have the big expertise needed to help little ones live life to the fullest. Learn more at wolfsonchildrens.com/heart.

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A benefit of attending one of the 60 camps sponsored by Camp Twin Lakes is the financial assistance provided to families. Many of the campers are able to attend at little to no cost, organizers say, with attendance subsidized through fundraising events held throughout the year. “With help from our donors, Camp Twin Lakes is able to subsidize 70 percent of the cost of each camper, and most of our campers attend camp at no cost to their families,” says Camp Twin Lakes Chief Operating Officer Dan Matthews. In fact, from 2017 to 2018, Camp Twin Lakes received more than $1.2 million from fundraisers, which contributed 19 percent of total revenue in the 2017 to 2018 fiscal year. One of those events, the Camp Twin Lakes Golf Tournament, was hosted by Matt and Sybi Kuchar. Held at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club, the charity golf tournament included 24 teams and raised $220,268, sending 400 kids to camp last year. Kuchar — who recently won his eighth PGA TOUR victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic — has hosted the annual golf event for six years now and money raised from the tournaments has totaled $1.7 million thus far. Following Kuchar’s example, other PGA TOUR professionals who have participated in the annual golf tournament have included Ollie Schneiderjans, Stewart Cink, Jason Dufner, Chris Kirk, Roberto Castro, Kevin Sutherland, Paul Goydos, Lee Janzen, Billy Andrade, David Frost, Olin Browne, Michael Allen, Joe Durant, and Scott Dunlap. Several of the campers also attend the tournament, where they get to meet the golf pros and share stories about their camp experiences. Hosting the golf tournament isn’t the only way Kuchar, who has a home on St. Simons Island, has supported Camp Twin Lakes. He donated a portion of his 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National winnings to Camp Twin Lakes, too. “In 2018 alone, Matt’s support has enabled us to provide weeklong therapeutic camping experiences for 90 children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges,” Matthews says.

JA N UA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

“We are so grateful to Matt for helping create this opportunity for our campers to build confidence, independence, community, and healing through his support of Camp Twin Lakes,” Matthews added. Money isn’t the only way Camp Twin Lakes is supported by communities throughout Georgia. More than 3,500 volunteers have lent a hand around the campsites for building projects; repair work; and helping plant, weed, mulch, and harvest. For more information about Camp Twin Lakes and the 60 camps offered through its partnerships, go to camptwinlakes.org.

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ori Harden always sees potential. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a trait that comes in pretty handy as an interior designer.

Her position with Pierce and Parker on St. Simons Island tasks her with being able to foresee the fabulous looks hiding in plain sight, whether for a full home renovation, a smaller room project, or a new construction build. All thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s required is to uncover it via a little imagination, creativity, and maybe a touch of magic.

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

“Paint colors, fabrics, finishes, and furniture are the things I spend most of my time selecting. I love working side by side with my clients and helping them to design a home that they will enjoy for years to come.” — Lori Harden

GOLDEN I S LES

“Paint colors, fabrics, finishes, and furniture are the things I spend most of my time selecting,” Harden says. “I love working side by side with my clients and helping them to design a home that they will enjoy for years to come. There is a lot of opportunity for us to come in and assist them in keeping their property looking fresh and up-to-date, thus increasing the desirability to renters.” Many of Harden’s designs are found inside stately homes situated on St. Simons and Sea islands. There, properties can come with a fair bit of history. Her clients are often seeking inspiration, hoping to breathe new life into their home’s decor. One such project: Cottage 77 on Sea Island. The oceanside residence on the private island is filled with coastal charm and boasts an impressive past. Constructed in 1936 by Francis Abreu, the primary residential architect on Sea Island during the 1930s, the home features many timeless touches; but a few elements were in need of upgrades when Harden took on the project. “This client purchased the home furnished, which was very much from the 1970s. But there were a lot of other things ... like the hardware and the original shutters that still worked. They were very unique, you just don’t see things like that anymore,” she says. Her approach was to modernize the home, which doubles as a rental property, by playing up the classic coastal appeal and adding new elements to freshen the design. “Not only does [remodeling] make it so much nicer for the homeowners, it increases the value that you can rent it for,” she says. Redesigning a location is a stepby-step process. It requires time, patience, and, of course, planning. Harden decided to take each room in phases with some still yet to be completed.

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The first change at the 14th Street location: the walls. The original design featured wood paneling throughout the six-bedroom, fivebath home. That proved to be a bit oppressive and dark. Not to mention, a little dated.

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Harden decided a coat of vibrant, white paint would completely change the home’s vibe. “It was so dark. We wanted something clean and fresh. We wanted something classic,” Harden says.

Harden also painted and recovered the dining room chairs, opting for white wood with fresh blue fabric for the backrest and seats. She also repainted a large hutch in white and added blue wallpaper backing to echo the pops of color. “I like character and I think that if you have things that are functional and work, you can keep them and do little things to update them. I would rather they spend money somewhere that makes more of an impact,” she says. Another example of that is found in what Harden calls the Sea Room. The fireplace in the two-story tabby space was originally dark, blending into the the walls rather than allowing the eclectic piece to stand out. “The central point is the fireplace with the seahorses. It was in a clay finish ... like a terra cotta.”

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Harden also wanted to incorporate the furniture already in the home while updating it with new upholstery or paint. “We reused some things. We reupholstered several things. We had our artisan, Josie, who can do just about anything, add a driftwood finish to this,” Harden says, gesturing to an accent table. “So we kept a lot of the pieces and just recovered them.”

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To that end, Harden also suggested refinishing the flooring and sprucing up some of the other original features. The refreshed heart pine provided a natural anchor for the space as the lighter walls added a sense of airiness.

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“It was just really dark and not a bright space. I said, ‘Why don’t we paint the walls and leave the ceiling?’ It gave some character to the room,” she says. “I said ‘Why don’t we whitewash the fireplace?’” The result is a truly unique focal point of the room. “I just love it. I have another client who really wants to do the same thing in her home,” Harden says with a laugh. “But we could never find anything like that.” The color palette also offers a subtle nod to the seaside theme. Instead of bringing in multiple seaside patterns and prints, Harden uses navy, cream, and natural sand shades to communicate an ocean feel. “You really don’t want to overdo it. The client had this print he really liked; it has a lot of navy. So I worked off that and brought in prints that have the same color family and also show what you see when you go outside,” she says. “We also kept the coffee table because the shape is a little like a boat.” Moving through the residence, blending old with the new becomes a common theme. Harden feels that is something that can be done in any home. Fabric, she notes, is an inexpensive way to do that, as is paint and accessories like lamps. “It is amazing how a few fresh, fun pillows and new lighting can help bring a tired room to life,” Harden lists. JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

“I like character and I think that if you have things that are functional and work, you can keep them and do little things to update them. I would rather they spend money somewhere that makes more of an impact.” — Lori Harden

GOLDEN I S LES

Exchanging light fixtures and mirrors have the same impact. The simple shift can transform a room, taking it from one design generation to the next. In one of the guest bathrooms, for instance, light changes made the room look more modern prior to a full renovation. “We haven’t redone this room yet, but we did add in new light fixtures and mirrors. That made a big difference,” Harden says. Additions can certainly change the look, but Harden notes that it is equally important to know when to remove items that no longer work, too. In the 14th Street Cottage, one of those was a double railing leading up to the second floor. “It went down both sides of the stairs, and it just didn’t work. So we took that out and replaced it with one instead of two,” she says. “There’s more room now.” Upstairs in the master bedroom, as well as throughout the smaller guest rooms, the walls have also been painted white in keeping with the white, blue, and sand color palette. Rugs with natural fibers add yet another touch of the sea. In the master bedroom, for instance, Harden removed clunky dark furniture and artwork, replacing it with crisp whites and minimizing the clutter.

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Taken together, the home has been teleported from a dark and dated 1970s home into a bright, modern coastal cottage. Watching it come together is certainly one of the greatest joys of Harden’s job. “I have always loved the construction side of design, so getting to do a project that involves renovations is such a treat. To see the ‘old and tired’ get ‘new life’ is great fun. I enjoy the challenge of taking existing pieces and incorporating them into the new design thus preserving the things that have special meaning and value to my clients,” Harden says.

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THE EVOLUTION OF

WH IS K E Y

Recipes Collected and Photos by Bethany Leggett

Three bartenders blend the best of classic recipes with new methods, just in time to celebrate Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife this February.

lex Burroughs has the perfect cocktail to sip over a long conversation this winter. The bar manager at Georgia Sea Grill has put his own spin on things, or as he says, “I took the classic mint julep and added a Georgia finesse.” While his version still features the aroma of mint — in this case, it’s mint taken from Potlikker Farms, run by the folks behind Georgia Sea Grill — the peach puree adds another layer of sweetness to balance the bourbon. Also, Burroughs skips the crushed ice to use whole cubes for the Georgia Julep. “It’s a great pre-dinner cocktail. It’s smooth, but it’s a heavier drink, so you want to have some time to sip it and enjoy it,” he says. He suggests making the syrup beforehand; the mixture lasts about three days. “You can have a batch nearby so when you are hosting, you have the mix ready,” he adds.

GOLDEN I S LES

Ingredients 2 oz. Savannah 88 Bourbon 1/2 oz. Cane Sugar 1/2 oz. Peach Puree Mint, to taste Club soda

The Georgia Julep

Fashioned after the Mint Julep

JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

Fashioned after the Manhattan

Ingredients 1 1/2 oz. High West Whiskey Double Rye 1/2 oz. Foro vermouth 1/2 oz. 18.21 Bitters rosemary sage simple syrup Luxardo maraschino cherries, garnish to taste Fresh rosemary, garnish to taste

The Driftwood B

ryan McIntosh enjoys the strong flavors of rye whiskey. So when it comes to putting a southern take on the classic Manhattan, he doesn’t stray far from the original mixture of two parts whiskey to one part vermouth with some dashes of bitters. The Driftwood, featured at The Reserve at The Westin, blends the fire from the rye whiskey with a rosemary-andsage-infused simple syrup. The classic maraschinos, Luxardos, sit atop the cubes of ice. A sprig of rosemary brings out the aromas of the cocktail that’s best sipped alongside a roaring fire. For McIntosh, who has been a bartender at The Westin for almost 4 years, you don’t want to mess with a good thing, he says. “I’m kind of like an old-school bartender, I guess. I like the new cocktails, but I really like the older cocktails. Manhattan. Old Fashioned. Whiskey Sour. Things like that.” He continues to see people show their love for the classics. “I think they are really making a comeback,” he says.

GOLDEN I S LES

"I think people know the names and the flavors. They can relate to the old style cocktails. It’s cocktails their parents drank. It’s kind of relating something from the past.” Another benefit: classic mixes are pretty simple to make. “As long as you have recipe down, it’s pretty straightforward,” McIntosh says. Even the rosemary-sage simple syrup can be bought rather than made, if you want something fast. And with the Driftwood recipe, there’s no straining needed. Just pour, stir, and sip. And no matter how many times you have poured yourself a drink — or in McIntosh’s case, poured a patron a drink — there is still room to learn about the evolution of whiskey flavors. "Some people really do know a lot of whiskey. And sometimes it is hard because we carry so many different whiskeys and scotches that sometimes, as fast as they come in, we aren’t able to learn all about those bourbons and scotches. So a lot of people will come in and they will know more about those than we do. They will provide us with a lot of information,” he says.

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Fashioned after the Whiskey Sour

The Woodford B3: Blueberry Basil Bourbon

ellow bartender Richard Bragg has embraced the latest trend in the world of mixology. “Cocktails aren’t just the classics. They can be reinvented. They can bring the older generation in and I can put my own personal spin on it,” he says. In particular, Bragg and many others are including shrubs — or a fruit syrup — in their concoctions. While incorporating shrubs into mixed drinks is relatively new, the actual usage of shrubs is rather old. Dating back to colonial times, shrubs were originally used as a way to preserve fruit into the winter. “At its most basic point, it’s sugar; whatever berry or fruit you are trying to preserve; and vinegar. So the vinegar and the sugar help preserve it,” Bragg says. He will debut the Woodford B3 during this year’s Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife festival in February. The bourbon-based recipe includes simple syrup, lime juice, and a blueberry-basil shrub that Bragg makes. As the name suggests, the shrub includes blueberries and basil with a toasted tricolored peppercorn ganache. Bragg joined The Westin’s staff as a bartender during last year’s Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife festival. “My first shift was during the after party for Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife. It was trial by fire, definitely,” he says with a laugh. He enjoyed the back-and-forth with the festival attendees, similar to his time spent in Florida working at resorts in Orlando. And when he wasn’t familiar with a cocktail requested, he was happy to ask about the recipe to add to his growing repository of drinks. That’s how he is introducing people to shrubs — by talking while mixing behind the bar.

Ingredients 1 1/2 oz. Blueberry Basil Shrub 1 1/2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon 1/2 oz. Simple syrup 1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice 94

GOLDEN I S LES

There’s a couple of different ways of making shrubs. “There’s a cold method and a hot method. I prefer the cold method because it preserves the crispness and brightness of what you are wanting to preserve. You aren’t beating it up under heat,” Bragg says. However, the skill level and patience needed to make the shrub — it can take anywhere from three to five days for the cold method — may be restrictive for some making the cocktails at home. However, anyone with a good gas range and selection of spices can

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try their hand at making a shrub. And an added benefit, the shrubs can be used for non-alcoholic options, too. “That’s what I like about shrubs. It’s very universal. Not only can I make a blueberry basil cocktail for the mom and dad, I can make something very similar in taste profile for their kids. Instead of them ordering a Shirley Temple or chocolate milk. I have something else to offer my guests. It’s all ages,” he says. Most fruit can be made into shrubs — blackberries, strawberries, and even blood oranges. Being inventive is part of the job for bartenders like Bragg, and he spends time at home, coming up with new recipes. “It’s the best kind of homework,” he says.

COLD SHRUB METHOD Place berries in bowl, cover with sugar, and stir. Cover in air-tight container or use plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Strain syrup from fruit and pour into another jar, adding additional spices to taste and adding in vinegar. Shake well and store in refrigerator until use. Note: Shake well and strain before pouring into cocktail glass.

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Save the Date

Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife Schedule of Events Thursday W3 Wine Dinner and Launch Party 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $120 per person Event Type: Indoor - Banquet Attire & Info: Cocktail attire, 21 years and over The festivities kick off at The Reserve at The Westin with a multi-course, wine-paired dinner.

Friday W3 Wine Cruise with Captain Phillip 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets: $50 per person Event Type: Outdoor - on the water, rain or shine Attire & Info: Warm casual, 21 years and over Enjoy a wine tasting with some light bites to eat while catching some breathtaking sights around Jekyll Island. W3 Master Class Pours 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets: $50 per person, per class, or $140 per person for the Master Class Pours Pass, includes one ticket to each class Event Type: Indoor - Classroom Attire & Info: Casual attire, 21 years and over Ready to step up your whiskey knowledge? The festival offers four educational seminars led by participating vendors. These classes sell out quickly and have limited ticket availability.

Love whiskey? Then mark February 7 to 10 on your calendar when Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife takes over Jekyll Island. From rye to bourbon, there will be many chances to enjoy whiskey you favorite way. And the best part: funds raised from the weekend events will assist the Jekyll Island Foundation’s programs.

Saturday Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife — W3 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets: $75 per person Event Type: Outdoor, all-inclusive, rain or shine Attire & Info: Casual attire, 21 years and over The main event will combine the three Ws and more. The full day of activities include numerous distributors as well as restaurants and food vendors. There will also be cooking demonstrations and product tastings; a Georgia Grown Village featuring vendors from across the state; live entertainment; a silent auction; and more. The VIP Lounge, presented by Golden Isles Magazine, will offer a fully catered experience with private bars and a relaxing patio space to take a break from the crowds at the Westin’s Rooftop & The Reserve Restaurant. The Cocktail Challenge will give attendees the chance to vote for their favorite drink as bartenders present their specialty cocktail creations. BBQ Alley will include the chance to chow down on pork from some of the South’s most revered pitmasters, grill masters, and chefs.

Sunday

Whiskey Inspired 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets: $90 per person Event Type: Indoor/Outdoor, all-inclusive, rain or shine Attire & Info: Business casual attire, 21 years and over

W3 Sunday Brunch Starts at 12:15 p.m. with staged seating times Tickets: $75 per person. Brunch seating tickets will be on a first come, first served basis. Groups of 6+ should make advance reservations to ensure same table seating. Event Type: Indoors/Outdoor patio, all-inclusive, rain or shine Attire & Info: Casual attire, 6 years and under free

Whiskey takes the spotlight for the evening takeover at The Westin. Enjoy tastings — from sweet to savory — around the fire on the back patio or around the lobby of the hotel.

The festival ends with a massive spread of food and drinks during the Sunday Brunch. There will be champagne, whiskey cocktails, Bloody Mary Bar, culinary delights, and more.

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d n o Sec s t c A Learning a new skill or picking up an old hobby can be the perfect way to engage in life experiences, no matter what age you are. Take it from these folks — life is what you make of it.

The Dancers Nancy and Jim Benson

Words by Susan Busby Thornton You feel the energy as soon as you enter the bar. A large group of couples on the dance floor are holding hands and bouncing to music that brings back memories of salty air nights, summer breezes, and carefree teenage years. It’s called the Shag, and its attraction to baby boomers is magnetic. Where else can you get such a good workout in six steps, with the ability to hold a beer at the same time? It’s such a fun time, in fact, that people have been doing the Shag here in the Golden Isles for the past 30 years, when the Golden Isles Shag Club was born. It’s grown to 182 members, most of whom are in their 60s, and who enjoy the music, the activity, and the socializing. JANUA RY / F E BRUA RY 2019

“It is like a family,” says Jim Benson, who is no novice to the dance floor. He has been tapping his toes since he was a young’un in California. “My mother started me out in tap dancing, mainly because she thought I was a little on the heavy side,” he says. He’s not heavy today, tall and lean, and while he did become an award-winning tap dancer, he discovered he liked all types of dancing. During the ’70s, he met his ideal partner, Nancy, who captured his heart. Every Friday night, they cut a rug until they were wrung out with sweat and their aching feet begged for rest. From disco to boot scootin’ country line dancing and rock’n roll, the couple danced every day off they had from their jobs as deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. But dancing could not wipe out the pressures facing the two-career couple, trying hard to protect and serve while raising children. It took its toll, and Jim and Nancy slowed their pursuit of dance and divorced after 13 years of marriage. But the shine on those dancing shoes did not totally fade. 100

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’We would dance anywhere, anytime!’

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In 2012, they reconnected. Living on opposite coasts — Nancy on the East and Jim still on the West — they were brought together again through a family connection. They decided to meet in Nashville for a weekend, “and that was it,” Jim says. For Nancy’s part, she could not wait to introduce Jim once again to their favorite hobby — dancing — except this time, it was the dance known up and down the East Coast as the Shag. Starting in the 1940s in North Carolina as the Carolina Shag, the dance eventually made its way down the Georgia coast and the Golden Isles Shag Club soon started after. “Ever since I joined the Golden Isles Shag Club, all I could think about was dancing the Shag with Jim,” she says. As soon as Nancy could persuade Jim to move to Georgia, she got her wish. “It was amazing to get my dance partner back,” Nancy says of Jim. He “fell in love” with the Shag, too — “the dance, as well as the music,” he says.

Now the reunited couple shag at least three times a week, hitting Ziggy Mahoney’s on Thursday nights to dance the night away with the other members of the club. “It’s fun,” Jim says. “Shaggers are like extended family; everyone is there to do one thing: move.” “And each has their own style,” Nancy says. “Jim’s a little bit of a show-off,” she laughs, adding that he dances with a lot of feeling and doesn’t try to mirror anyone else. “He loves to spin me around the floor to the cheers of the crowd.” It’s clear when watching them, that Jim and Nancy share a mutual enjoyment for the famous dance. They glide across the floor with ease and grace, as one.

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Judy Bennett, a charter member of the club and seen here in a silver top, says the dance is “slow and easy” and it is something fun for the “graying” age group. Judy met her husband, Wayne, on the dance floor in North Carolina, and shagging has been a mainstay of their partnership for many years. Wayne is the DJ, who gets to spin the popular music, and they both teach Shag lessons. “It’s a lifestyle we would not want to live without,” Judy says. Both she and Wayne are shag icons, a highly prized designation only given to those who have made outstanding contributions to their community club.

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Octogenarian Erma Woolsey, seen here wearing a floral top, travels from Darien to St. Simons on Thursday nights because she would rather be dancing than watching television while rocking away in her chair. “I love it,” she says. “It’s invigorating.”

Jim and Nancy sealed the deal again in October 2017, marrying and celebrating at the Golden Isles Shag Club’s annual Fall Oyster Roast and Dance. “It seemed appropriate,” Nancy says with a smile. The benefits of being a member of the club are numerous, according to the couple. “It gets you out and about. You develop friendships and interact with people you would never meet in everyday life,” Nancy says. Anyone who is looking for the fountain of youth or to groove to the music can visit goldenisleshagclub.com or the club’s Facebook page. The club’s annual membership drive is going on now and new members, of all ages, are welcome to show up on Thursday nights at Ziggy’s.

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The Photographer Nance Manderson Words by Lindsey Adkison

Like many Coastal Georgia transplants, Nance Manderson was looking for warmer weather and sandy shores. She found just that when she relocated from Naperville, Illinois, to St. Simons Island about five years ago. “I wanted to get out of the cold and snow of the north,” she says. Manderson also brought along a talent that would mesh well with her new home: photography. She had experience, previously working for a photography company and getting an associate’s degree in the medium. “Mostly, I just wanted to figure out the digital camera. One of my classes was using film and processing and developing it. I loved the suspense of the end results. Digital was what was best for me though,” Manderson says. Upon arriving in the Golden Isles, she quickly connected with others who shared that passion through the Coastal Georgia Photographers Guild. The organization fosters the love of photography regardless of someone’s age or background. The group holds monthly meetings at Glynn Visual Arts on St. Simons Island, as well as other gatherings and interactions throughout the year, all of which is neatly outlined at coastalphotographersguild.com. Among the varied group, Manderson has found helpful hearts and kindred spirits. “The Coastal Photographers Guild has all levels of expertise, from beginners to professionals. Everyone is always willing to help, all you have to do is ask,” she says. The guild hosts a speaker who shares on a particular topic, then members and guests are tasked with trying their hand at that skill in the period leading up to the next meeting.

For Manderson, the organization has become an invaluable source of learning while having a ton of fun. “Some of the homework assignments have been pet portraits, night sky shots, nature, wildlife, abstracts, landscapes, travel, and before-and-after processing. The homework gets critiqued by one of guild members with attending members input as well,” she says.

’I am a very positive person and have found that learning something new as I grow older has actually kept me younger at heart.’

In addition to the homework, members are also encouraged to take what they learn and share it via exhibitions. “There are many opportunities to exhibit your work, such as, The Big Photo Show, held every year with a reception. All of the photos are judged in four different categories, with ribbons and prize money awarded,” Manderson adds. In addition, the guild has exhibited at the Horton Gallery, Palmer’s Village Cafe in the village, the Old Jail Art Center in Darien, Goodyear Cottage on Jekyll Island and at the Department of Natural Resources’ CoastFest. Through show participation, meetings and feedback, Manderson feels she has grown as a photographer. The support and encouragement has helped her and countless others to hone their craft. “Many times we are our own worst judge of our work, so it’s very important to expose it so others can enjoy it,” she says. JANUARY / F E BRUA RY 2019

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The Student

Tavia Harrison Words by Lindsey Adkison

Tavia Harrison had a general roadmap for life; but, as most everyone learns, things rarely shake out as planned. She tried to keep it all on track after marrying and starting a family. Fate, however, had other ideas. “I tried to stay in (college) when my daughter was little, but it was very hard and I stopped going,” she says. The timing made sense for her to take a pause in her pursuit of a degree. Harrison and her husband, Joey, own The Brick, a martial arts and fitness studio on St. Simons Island. But now that their children are older and the business established, she felt it was time to refocus on her goals. It led her to the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. The college boasts a pathway for adult learners who have graduated high school or earned a GED, but either have never completed or enrolled for a college degree. Harrison is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in psychology, and she expects to finish the program in May 2020. And after that, she wants to keep going. “I plan on continuing into a graduate program, although I haven’t quite decided what my focus will be,” she says.

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’I work a full-time job, get home, and make dinner; then sit down and do homework. It’s reminded me how strong I really am.’

Even more than classroom instruction, Harrison’s time as a non-traditional college student has taught her a lot about herself. She has had to juggle countless commitments and responsibilities in order to get it all done. “It’s not easy. I’ve had some really late nights, and I’ve even had a marathon seven-hour homework session, which was brutal,” she says. “The best part is that most nights my 13-year-old son and I sit at the kitchen table and do homework together. Anyone with teenage kids knows that finding special time with them is near impossible; so that’s a pretty cool side effect of this new life.” While studying along side her own teenager is fulfilling, entering a classroom full of younger strangers can be a bit intimidating. “I don’t want to say it’s hard, but in our society, we are not celebrated for getting older. So being in class with people half my age sometimes makes me feel like I have one foot in the grave. You have to have selfconfidence, that’s for sure,” she says. But she has found students today, for the most part, to be engaging and supportive. And she hopes she is setting an example for them, showing that one should never shy away from learning due to age. It’s not just coursework for her either. She recently took up ballet with the Golden Isles Ballet Company in downtown Brunswick, even performing in its annual performance of The Nutcracker. It was an enormous leap outside of her comfort zone, and it is yet another testament to Harrison’s commitment as a lifelong learner. “You never stop growing up. I want people to understand that. You continue to learn and grow personally throughout your life, and there are always lessons out there. But you’re still that same person with hopes and dreams of the future, regardless of your age,” she says. “We get stuck in our ruts with work, kids, family, home. And we begin to feel like the person we used to be is gone. It’s never too late to try a new thing or go somewhere you’ve never been. Change is hard, taking chances are scary, but it’s wonderful and teaches you a lot about yourself.”

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N O I S E M A K E R S

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON t has the makings of a perfect country song — boy meets girl; they fall in love; and they ride a pickup down a dirt road to happily ever after.

Of course, it didn’t happen exactly that way for C.C. Witt and Patrick Ellington — but it’s fairly close. Both grew up in and around the Savannah area, each embracing music at an early age. “I have always had a love for

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music, and sitting around the piano at family gatherings while we all sang was always something my family would do. So music has always been a big part of growing up,” Witt says. “When I was 13, I picked up the guitar and never put it down.” Ellington walked a similar line. First learning chords with his father, he was eventually gifted a Willie Nelson songbook that featured a chord chart.

“I learned most of my chords from looking at that chart. To practice, I would listen to all sorts of music and just play along,” he says.

described our music as ‘refreshingly honest,’ and we personally really liked that description. We keep things honest and true to our Southern Georgia upbringing.”

While Ellington’s tastes evolved, he always had a special place in his heart for country music. “As a teenager I was more into classic rock artists such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC,” he says. “As an adult, there was sort of a rediscovery of my country roots. I had gone full circle, starting and ending with that old Willie Nelson songbook.”

As with all relationships, each partner brings their own personality into the mix. That is reflected in songs, as well. “At times, C.C. will delve into deeper topics such as the emotional toll that performing night after night can have. In contrast, my songwriting ideas usually take a lighter, more humorous tone,” Ellington says.

The couple — who sealed their vows on September 24, 2017, during a ceremony at Woodlawn Plantation in Guyton — were introduced by someone who thought that they would, quite literally, make beautiful music together.

TURNS OUT, THEY DID. “We met through a mutual friend who brought us together to play through some songs that C.C. had written. We started dating about a year after that, and the rest is history,” Ellington says. The duo has been playing music together for about 12 years, and their musical collaboration is also a testament to their love. In fact, the band’s name, Lyn Avenue, offers a special nod to their romantic beginnings. “Lyn Avenue is the name of the street near where we first met, and where our band formed and grew,” Witt says. “So when we picked a name, we wanted something that subtly told people where we came from.” Today, Witt and Ellington write songs and perform together throughout the region. They are often accompanied by other musicians to round out Witt’s angelic vocals and create a robust sound. “We have a full band who join us on stage for the majority of our performances throughout the year,” Witt says. “Our bassist, Larry Jones, is our longest standing player and has been with us for almost five years now. We are beyond blessed to play with such an excellent lineup of musicians.” The result is a vibe of a bygone era. Fans of classic country music will recognize the soulful ballads and blends that focuses heavily on the power of story to elevate the lyrics. It’s a far cry from more modern, poppy interpretations of the genre that rely more on kitsch and cliche rather than diving into realistic topics. “We tend to lean towards writing music that is reminiscent of classic country artists, such as Dolly Parton and the like, because we appreciate good storytelling and the charm that those older records have,” Witt says. “Someone once

But their writing process is also a partnership. The two lean heavily on one another, which helps ideas develop and grow. “Over the years, we have learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses; and many times for example, when he starts a song, he needs me to help him finish it. I just wrote a song where I needed him to help me write the chorus,” Witt says. It can be tricky for couples to work together in any career field. One as creative and personal as songwriting certainly presents its own challenges. But rather than driving a wedge between them, music has drawn Witt and Ellington closer together. “We also have learned how to approach each other and be constructive when writing together because songwriting is such an intimate part of us as musicians. And when you show someone a piece of an unfinished song, it’s a big, exposed, soft part of you,” Witt says. “In all honesty, our music is another way we are even more deeply connected. We spend a lot of time together because we not only live together but work together, too. But truthfully, I can’t imagine it any other way. It would be a lot harder to do all of it alone — the late nights and traveling ... we’re best friends and it’s always been that way.” In keeping with their lyrical honesty, however, the two are also comfortable sharing the less idealized side of their collaboration. “Not to say we don’t have little spats once in a while — nobody’s perfect. Right now, in fact, we are working on a funny little song about marriage and some of those quirky teetering-on-theedge-of-annoying things that are laughable moments,” Witt adds. Incorporating both the shine and struggle into songs is their forte. A good example of that can be found on Lyn Avenue’s most recent album — “Never Been to Nashville,” available for sampling on the band’s website, lynavenue.com. The five-song EP includes a bonus track and has been well-received, the duo say. The single “Kentucky Bourbon” has more than 30,000 views for the music video. And while Lyn Avenue can often be found in their hometown of Savannah, they also mosey down to the Golden Isles from time to time. “Our favorite venue to perform in the Golden Isles is Palm Coast. They have an awesome atmosphere for live music and we always have a great turnout of our fans,” Ellington says. JANUARY / F E BRUA RY 2019

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Buffy Jo e, left, shley Wills, and indy Willarson

melia Stam augh, left, Janice Miller, and olleen

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The merican Cancer Society hosted the 2 1 reast Cancer Fashion Show and uncheon on October 2 at Sea Palms esort. The 1 th annual event included 12 local models, all breast cancer survivors a ra e and live auction. Photo assistance by indy T. Cofer.

au ert, left, Betsey lark, Doreen Smith, and li a eth Jordan

erna oung, left,

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Leah Hicko , left, osemary Strickland, y Hicko , Michelle Hall, and Denise Spell

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li a eth LeSueur, left, eorgia Hanna, and D Wanda Lee

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Betty oung, left, and Mary lice McDonald

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Golden sles ive brought My Funny Valentine for the second concert this season. The evening entertainment, which too place on ovember at Glynn cademy uditorium, included performances by trumpet star iall O Sullivan, pianist ustin Carroll, and vocalist Shona enneberry. Photos provided by Golden sles ive.

Lorene eid, left, with My Funny alentine s Justin arroll, Shona Henne erry, and iall Sulli an, and olden sles Li e President irk Loard

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Judi Little, left, Sharon and ick Hindery, and Terry Little

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reer nderson, left, Denise Taylor, and Mary riffiths

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elping ugs for aiti hosted the annual Fete for aiti on ovember at ennie s ed arn. The evening, which included dinner along with live and silent auctions, raised funds for education, clean water, medical missions, and infrastructure pro ects for St. illiam Catholic Church s sister parish, Saint oseph Parish of Cotes de Fer in aiti. Photo assistance by Mary Starr.

ordon and Janet McLeod, left, and osie Mohn

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old latt, left, Bar ara Dieterman, and Penny Hennessy

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The merican Cancer Society Victory oard hosted Cor s and For s, a Chef s inner provided by auren oberts at The ar room Photography.

Jim and Stephanie Jaco s, left, and ikki and ris Maichle

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sland ewcomers hosted their monthly mi er at the Stables at Frederica on ovember 1 . The crowd en oyed a western themed night at the stables, which included a food drive, live music, and dinner catered by Southern Soul.

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Wendy and Jeffrey offin, left, and eith and nn Lott

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Coastal Coalition for Children hosted the annual Taste of the Vine on October 21. The event debuted at a new location at The Clubhouse at Frederica Golf Club. The night included a large silent auction, a champagne cruise, and live entertainment. Photo assistance by Mary Starr.

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