GoldenIsles Jan/Feb 2010 Vol. 4 No. 5
MAGAZINE
2010
A LOOK AHEAD at the NEW YEAR CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY NEW MONEY RULES MURPHY’S: A RETROSPECTIVE
NEW HOPE: Part II by Bob Dart
Jewelers Established 1986 The “Gem” Of The Golden Isles
• No Time Limit Layaway • Free Watch Batteries and Installation • Free Jewelry Inspections and Cleaning On-Site Jewelry Repair • Jewelry Engraving • Private Engagement and Wedding Consultations • Fine Jewelry & Gifts to commemorate special occasions such as Weddings, Graduations, Baptism, Christenings, Anniversaries, Retirement or Just Because • Complimentary Personal Shopper services available
3467 Cypress Mill Road ~ Brunswick
GoldenIsles
January/February 2010
MAGAZINE
FEATURES
GOLDEN ISLES BRIDES
18
27
Good news for 2010
Making a classical entrance
FLASH FORWARD by Lindsey Mason
50
WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME by Bob Dart A Murphy’s retrospective
54
NEW HOPE: BEHIND THE HEADLINES by Bob Dart A profile of the accused
THE SUITE PROCESSIONAL by J.M.Lacey
28
THE MANOR AND HER MAIDENS Bridal style at Brunswick Manor
38
ONE BIG HAPPY FUN WEDDING Lea King and Bud Badyna
COLUMNS
42
8
Kristin Crawford and Ian Kaszans
Of brides and biscuits
46
A DOWNTOWN WEDDING
FLO ON FOOD by Florence Packard Anderson
10
GOLDEN STYLES
A SURPRISE WEDDING Lori Gregory and Ken Lambright
A few of our favorite things
12
PAR FOR THE COURSE by Thomas D. Brinson A day at the beach
DEPARTMENTS 14
HEALTH & BEAUTY Tips for special occasions
16
MONEY Financial planning in a down economy
62
AWAY by Anna Ferguson Touring California’s wine country
72
LAST CALL Pomegranate Martini
OntheCover Erin Griffin models a Casablanca bridal gown in the parlor of Brunswick Manor. Arrangement of native flora by Straton Hall Catering & Special Events. This page, Courtney Campbell wears Casablanca in the entry hall at Brunswick Manor. Both photographs by Brooke Roberts
2 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
;addg 9ZXdg Stone Tile Hardwood Carpet Area Rugs
We Are Our Own Granite Fabricators 20% Off All Countertops Through February
'ARY , -OORE s 3T 3IMONS )SLAND
638-6135 .EXT 4O 3EASIDE (OME
BEDDING RUGS FURNITURE PILLOWS ACCENTS LAMPS
HZVh^YZ
Featuring Sophisticated Linens, Furniture and Home Accents for Coastal Living.
Home
'ARY , -OORE s 3T 3IMONS )SLAND
638-8815 .EXT 4O &LOOR $ECOR
VB-16085 Golden Isles Mag:map panel - 3.75 X 9
6/29/09
1:05 PM
Page 1
more with friends!
Everything’s
fun
GoldenIsles MAGAZINE
Contact us: 247 Edwards Plaza St. Simons Island, GA 31522 (912) 634-8466 PUBLISHER C.H. Leavy IV EDITOR Amy H. Carter DESIGN/ART DIRECTOR Bob Swinehart DESIGN ASSISTANT Stacey Willis CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alexandra Brinson Russell Holloway Joe Loehle Brooke Roberts
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Heath Slapikas RETAIL SALES MANAGER Burt Bray ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Megan Edens CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Frank Lane
Make the good times even better! Now that you’re here enjoying Brunswick & The Golden Isles, call your friends, family and business associates and invite them to Come Coast Awhile!™ They too can enjoy our sun-drenched beaches, 198 holes of golf, tennis, fascinating historical sites, water tours aboard a working shrimp boat, dolphin tour or casino cruise ship, fishing and water sports, a new Family Fun Zone, interesting shops and galleries, and great restaurants. Your guests can choose from a full range of accommodations, from convenient Interstate hotels, historic inns and campgrounds on the mainland to island hotels and inns, rental cottages and a world-class resort. There’s even a ™ 10,000-acre private island retreat. Call 800-933-COAST (2627) and we’ll send them a free Visitors Guide or they can view one immediately and download it from our website.
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
ComeCoastAwhile.com
On the go? Text BGIGA to 95495 or go to ComeCoastAwhile.mobi on your mobile phone
4 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Golden Isles Magazine is published six times per year by The Brunswick News Publishing Co. Postmaster: Send change of address to The Brunswick News Publishing Co., P.O. Box 1557, Brunswick, GA 31521-1557. Periodicals postage paid at Brunswick, Ga. USPS-068180.
Submissions: Golden Isles Magazine is in need of talented contributors. Unsolicited queries and submissions of art and stories are welcome. Please include an email address and telephone number. Submit by email to the Editor, Amy Carter, acarter@goldenislesmagazine.com or by regular mail to Golden Isles Magazine, 247 Edwards Plaza, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Only work accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will be returned. Submissions to the Best of Coastal Illustrated and Calendar departments may be directed to Kathi Williams by regular mail or via email to kwilliams@thebrunswicknews.com. We always appreciate letters from our readers. Advertising: Information regarding advertising and rates is available by contacting Megan Edens by phone at (912) 634-8408 or by sending email to medens@goldenislesmagazine.com.
4 * ! " # $ $ $
% & ' $ '( % $ $ ) % $ * +, ( - * $. * 0(. # -&+ 1 2 '3 %
& $ ! $ / $ ! $ * $
January/February 2010 5
EDITOR’S NOTE Early on in our planning for this year’s run of Golden Isles Magazine, we purposely abandoned the thematic approach and decided to fly blind into every issue, letting the content flow as it will. And as so often happens, a theme springs spontaneously to the fore, shaping the look and feel of every issue through no conscious efforts of our own. (We’re not as hapless as it sounds; best laid plans and all that ... .) The unintended theme of this, our first issue of 2010, has turned out to be passages. It is an issue that hinges around new hope, both literally and figuratively. There is the new hope that comes with a new year and fresh plans, when optimism flows like a wellspring and washes everything with sparkly promise. There is also the new hope that comes with a new marriage, a passage celebrated in our Special Bridal Section, where the experiences of real brides offer a refreshing dose of reality next to our fantasy spread on bridal fashions. As it goes with life, there is also loss in this issue, as Bob Dart continues his investigation behind the scenes of the New Hope Plantation murders that rocked our community last summer. It’s never pleasant to learn that undercurrents of suffering and evil exist in one’s own community, but knowledge of how and why such heinous events occur is a form of
power, and with power comes the hope that one can indeed make changes for the better. There is certainly no ignoring the state of the economy – even in the generally happy medium of magazine publishing – so we’ve collected a bit of expert advice on financial planning in hopes of recouping some of the losses of the past two years. Regardless of whether we are laughing or crying, time marches on. The photo accompanying my letter to you this issue is my own tactile reminder of that fact. Pictured is my lovely cousin Emily Brown, fresh off the first of two performances as Cindy Lou Who in the Southern Dance Co’s. Christmas production of
Come Play With Us. #!,)&/2.)!´3 7).% #/5.429 !PRIL
)N 0ARTNERSHIP 7ITH
#OLLETTE 6ACATIONS #ALL &OR -ORE )NFORMATION !$! %%/# #OMPLIANT
6 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
The Grinch; my son, John Michael; and the fabulous Anna Martin, aka “The Grinch,� and Emily’s best friend from the time they were both about John Michael’s age. Over the past 17 years, I’ve watched Emily and Anna grow from cute little pixy girls into beautiful, smart and talented young women who are poised to set the world on fire, starting with college next fall. And then there’s my own boy there, soon to “graduate� from nursery school to Pre-K and the official start of his own academic career. What promise these young lives hold, and what an honor it is to witness their progress. If love is enough to ensure that goodness and mercy will follow them for all of their days, then they are set for life for they are all three held in great affection by family and friends too numerous to count. Such, I sincerely hope, is the case for you, faithful reader. Happy 2010 to you! May the coming days bring you health, wealth, wisdom and joy.
Amy H. Carter Editor
Life
WINTER
A new kind of insurance that makes it
worth living
Let me show you how you can protect your family for less, build cash value or even get your premiums back if the death benefit has not been paid out at the end of the level premium period. Call me today for more information.
Butch Paxton, Agent 3136 Cypress Mill Road Brunswick, GA 31525 Bus: 912-265-4393 butch@butchpaxton.com
4BMF PO4BMF
BUY ANY SALE ITEM AND GET 10% OFF ANY SECOND ITEM REGULAR PRICE OR SALE ITEM AT
THE UNIQUE BOUTIQUE SINCE 1974
SPORTSWEAR 2-16 PLUS SIZE SPORTSWEAR 1X-3X ACCESSORIES • GIFTS
statefarm.comÂŽ Return of Premium policy series 08025 in all states except A08025 in WI and not available in CA, FL, MD, MN, NH, NY, NC, OR, PA, UT, VT, and WA. P092008 04/09
1616 Frederica Road s St. Simons Island s s -ONDAY 3ATURDAY
State Farm Life Insurance Company , Bloomington, IL (Not licensed in MA, NY and WI) State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in NY and WI) , Bloomington, IL
PARTY! “LadyJane� Aboard
(AVE 9OUR 2EHEARSAL $INNER Aboard The Lady Jane!
Let Captain Larry take you and your friends on a shrimping adventure! The Lady Jane is great for private parties, corporate events, weddings, and much more. Show your appreciation by treating your employees to an afternoon on the water with fresh caught shrimp. For information, call and ask about our Stimulus Package.
Now Boarding at Spanky’s Marshside 1200 Glynn Avenue, Hwy. 17, Brunswick Crew prepares fresh caught shrimp
“It doesn’t get any fresher than this!� 4O BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT ON THE ,ADY *ANE CALL s s WWW SHRIMPCRUISE COM January/February 2010 7
FLO ON FOOD
Of Brides and Biscuits
I
I have been catering wedding receptions since the early 1970s. Plan A, the food, is the easy part. In the catering business it’s all about how well you pull off Plan B and oft times, Plans C, D and even E. I have probably seen more electrical problems, tent problems, sewer problems, musician problems, cake problems and menu problems than you can imagine; and yet when you ask any of the brides or their families we’ve served how everything went, they’ll say: “It was perfect!” One day my partner, Jenny, and I are going to write a book about all the crazy things that have happened behind the scenes while the folks “out front” were never the wiser. One of my favorite stories is what I fondly refer to as the “Wedding from Hell.” It starts when I order papayas and the produce company sends me mangoes. When I call to tell them they sent the wrong fruit they disagree. “The box says papayas,” I calmly reply, “but it is filled with mangoes.” They say I must not know the difference between a mango and a papaya. I won’t share my answer. Suffice it to say that they send a truck down from Savannah to make an exchange. That’s how the day started. It went downhill from there.
8 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Next Jenny calls from the reception site where she’s supposed to be setting the tables. Instead, she’s on her way to the hospital because she has fallen and thinks she has broken something. “Don’t worry” she says. “The crew is there and they will have everything set and I will be back as soon as they patch me up.” Well, I get to the reception site two hours before party time and discover that all the tables have been set up backwards. Quick retraining moment. All is moving well again when I notice there’s no band. They were supposed to be here hours ago. Just as I am about to dial Jenny, they pull up in a Winnebago that was at Woodstock. I saw it there. Anyway, they get out, all nine of them, and proceed to tell me they need 2,700 watts of power. Problem is, the florist has covered every bush and tree with white lights and there is no power left. I call my engineer husband, Mike, who races over and does just what I would have done had I not been trying to cook for the 250 guests who would begin arriving in an hour: He unplugs every other twinkling tree and plugs in the band. I send the band to get dressed and check on my hors d’oeuvres. The next thing I see is a limousine pulling up to the kitchen side of the reception. I go running out to tell them
to go around to the other side when the ancient grandmother who is to be seated before everyone else arrives. Twenty minutes later, here comes an ambulance flying into the kitchen area to pickup grandma who has fallen over the same tree root that took out Jenny four hours earlier. As the ambulance is leaving from the back the bride and groom are arriving at the front and no one’s the wiser. I’m going crazy, Jenny is still AWOL, and where is the band? I race into the house and find them all naked in the hot tub smoking dope. (I told you they were at Woodstock.) Well, they got a taste of the fury that is FLO and were sober and dressed in 15 minutes flat. The party went smooth as silk for the first two hours until the plumbing backed up, half of the remaining lights went out, and the “get-away” car got lost. Thankfully Jenny returned, black and blue but nothing broken, found the car, checked on the grandmother, plugged in the lights and accepted the compliments for one of the best wedding receptions anyone had ever been to. Didn’t I tell you it’s all about the Plan B? Well, that is just one of many stories about the fun we have at wedding receptions, but I know you’re here for the food, so I’ll share this recipe for Sweet
Potato Biscuits that we serve with ham, pork tenderloin and smoked turkey. These are very simple to make and a great change from regular biscuits any day. I hope you enjoy them. Reach me at flosgalley@comcast.net
SWEET POTATO BISCUITS Serves 9
1 small can cut sweet potatoes, in syrup 1 small can evaporated milk 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ginger Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. In a large bowl mix: 2 ¼ cups Bisquick 3/4 cup of the above mixture
fun. seriously.
Mix together with a fork to form a soft dough. Turn out on a board that has been dusted with more Bisquick. Knead together about 10 times and pat into a disk about ½ inch thick. Cut out with a biscuit cutter and bake on a shiny cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until brown. Serve hot.
G Flo Anderson took her first restaurant job at the King and Prince Hotel in 1971. She’s been cooking ever since. Her venues have included the Holiday Inn on Jekyll Island, The Flight Plan Café at the McKinnon-St. Simons Airport, and the Emmeline and Hessie. Her final restaurant, The 4th of May Café, endures in the Village. Flo is mother to three and grandmother to seven, all of whom live on St. Simons Island.
Open 7 Days A Week 10am-6pm Yes, Sundays Too! January/February 2010 9
goldenstyles the newest products and trends happening in the golden isles After the wedding, use this guide to decorate! Learn how to make your new house a home. ($24.95) G.J. Ford Bookshop (912) 634-6168
Toast in style at your wedding reception! These Bride and Groom champagne flutes by Asta Glass ($32) will pair perfectly with this Francois Montand Blanc de Blancs. ($17.99) True Vine Wine and Gourmet (912) 280-0380
Have long beautiful eyelashes for your wedding! Novalash Extensions will lengthen and thicken your lashes and last several weeks. (Starting at $150) Beauty and Skin (912) 554-1616
Something Blue! Add a touch of sparkle to your wedding with this sapphire and diamond bracelet. ($3,999) JGreen and Co. (912) 261-9527 10 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
For the perfect gift, monogram this acrylic tray with the bride’s new last name! Register at Accents Marketplace and receive a complimentary monogrammed acrylic tray. ($55) Accents Marketplace (912) 634-2030
Don’t forget to hang your beautiful wedding portrait! This baroque gold frame is the perfect accompaniment and will look gorgeous on your wall. (Call for pricing.) Main Street Frame Shop (912) 262-0050
The little black dress with pockets! This rosette strapless dress in black is perfect for your rehearsal dinner or to wear to your best friend’s wedding. ($148) Tamary’s (912) 638-1212
Put a twist on your traditional thank you note! Add a color-rich border to this card along with your new initials. ($34.95 for a set of 50) Mimi’s (912) 638-5366
Give your groom a gift that will last a lifetime. This Carrera twin-time automatic by TAG Heuer is to him what diamonds are to you! (Call for pricing.) Joseph Jewelers (912) 634-9060
January/February 2010 11
R PFOA R THE E S R COU
A Day At The Beach
by Thomas D. Brinson, PGA Head Golf Professional, Brunswick Country Club We are halfway through the winter season in the Golden Isles, which means we are only a few short months away from the spring golf season. The next 90 days would be a great time to get in some short game practice in order to have your game in top shape when the spring rolls around. I stress the short game for two reasons: One, it is the most important aspect of your game to improve upon if lowering your scores is a New Year’s resolution. Two, it is better to work on your short game than your full swing when you have on two sweaters, a parka and mittens. Many players I work with dread any type of bunker shot, which is a sharp contrast to a tour player. If a tour player has a slim chance of hitting a green, he or she may aim for a sand bunker rather than the flag stick. Not only is the bunker a bigger target than the flag, but they are pretty certain of what they will be looking at for their next shot. The lie of one’s golf ball in the rough will always vary from shot to shot, but bunker shots remain more constant. As you become more familiar with the bunker shot, you will come to count on it as a consistent shot in your bag. In order to have a great bunker shot, you must have the proper setup. First, open the clubface to allow the flange of the club (the fat sole of the club) to dig though the sand. Second, set up with an open stance to allow room for your arms to work properly and keep the clubface open and pointing at the target. Your ball position should be slightly forward. When making a successful bunker shot, I tell golfers that “short and sweet” is typically a good rule of
12 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
thumb. You should hinge your wrist quickly, and at a steep angle in your back swing. The club head will end up fairly high in the air while your hands and wrist will not travel too far from their original position. From this abbreviated backswing, you will want to swing sharply down and sharply up. Your club head will travel a path that more resembles a “V” than the “U” path it would travel with a fairway wood. Lastly, try to swing your hands along your toe line. If you drew a line in the sand across your toes, it should point well left of your target (for a right-handed player). By having your hands travel along this line, your club head will remain open and cut through the sand. This bunker shot will work for greenside bunker shots of varying lengths. If you have a shorter shot, shorten your backswing. If the shot is longer, have a longer back swing. I would recommend that you do not swing harder at the ball as your weight may shift and your ball strike will become inconsistent. A constant, smooth tempo is important. Be sure to practice all elements of your short game this winter to get your game in shape for the spring. G Email questions or suggestions for future columns to thomasbrinson@brunswickcountryclub.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Taylor Made Training on St. Simons Island. “As far as when to begin training, I would give myself a minimum of 8 to 12 weeks of training four times a week depending on individual goals and objectives.” If you’re hoping to get fit for the big day, start eating better – no junk food or bad sugars – and work your entire body. If you need help, Taylor offers a monthlong comprehensive fitness program for brides and bridesmaids that he calls “Iron Bride.” For more information, visit Taylor’s Web site at: www.taylormadetrainingcenter.com. Smile, Smile, Smile Speaking of good nutrition, carrots will not only put some twinkle in those eyes, they’ll also whiten your smile naturally. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry says foods such as apples, pears, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers and carrots produce saliva that combines with natural fibers in the food to naturally clean teeth and remove bacteria. Brushing with baking soda once or twice a month will remove tea and coffee stains. If you’re looking for a quick fix for a dingy smile, St. Simons Island dentist Dr. Suzanne Bishop offers in-office and home whitening options that work in as little as an hour-anda-half, or an hour a day for two or three days. Custom trays and a home bleaching solution can be delivered the same day they’re ordered for last-minute brightening.
Looking Your Best for The Big Day By Amy Carter
A
A million details large and small demand one’s attention between engagement and wedding – and indeed, for most every special occasion in life, from dinner parties to holidays. Self is often last on the list when life gets hectic, and yet most important. Never let yourself be the least important task on your to-do list. Whether it’s a quick manicure or pedicure, or a deep tissue massage to alleviate stress, treat yourself often and early, if you happen to be a bride mere weeks from her wedding day. Here is some expert advice for looking and feeling your best, no matter what the occasion, but pegged specially to brides. Get Fit Millionaire bride Ivanka Trump bucked a universal trend by wearing a modestly styled
14 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Vera Wang gown – with sleeves! – for her Oct. 25, 2009 nuptials, a decision sure to trigger a wave of sleeve lust among future brides. For now, though, the bridal boutiques are filled with a multitude of variations on the sleeveless look. If the thought of baring your arms on the one day when all eyes are sure to be on you gives you a crippling case of stage fright, get thee on a total fitness regimen, Miss Bride. Personal fitness trainer Eric Taylor says there is no magic workout that targets upper arms or thighs or other trouble spots; a healthy diet and a total-body workout plan are the tickets to looking and feeling great. “Nutrition is 80 percent of the battle in fitness. If that doesn’t change all the training in the world isn’t going to make any difference as far as looking different,” says Taylor, owner of
Dance the Night Away So far, our bridal beauty tips have focused on behaviors and routines that will not only make you look good, but also are good for you. Our next tip follows along that same vein, or, er, veins. More than just an aesthetic issue, spider and varicose veins are a medical condition. Caused when valves in the veins of the legs stop working properly, allowing blood to pool, spider and varicose veins can cause painful burning and numbness in the legs, and increase one’s risk for developing potentially fatal blood clots in the legs. Minimizing the toll is easy, says Dr. Greg Martin, who treats spider and varicose veins at the Coastal Georgia Vein Center in Brunswick. “Take frequent walking breaks,” he suggests. “Walking activates the calf muscle pump … that keeps the blood moving.” Dancing is certainly a good way to prevent varicose and spider veins, but if they’ve already developed, Martin offers minimally invasive techniques for eliminating the pain and the risk: Sclerosing medications that are injected into spider veins to close them off, and laser ablation that cauterizes varicose veins, causing blood flow to divert to healthy veins. “It’s a virtually scarless technique,” Martin says. Patients are back to 90 percent activity within two or three days of the procedure, he says, but sometimes it takes multiple treatments to get the results you desire, so plan to get this procedure out of the way well in advance of your big day.
Hair Today, Hair Tomorrow Once you’ve got your dress, veil and accessories chosen, it’s time to schedule a dry-run on hair and make-up with a stylist. “I’ve done trial runs six months in advance,� says James Grella, owner of Image Artisans Salon on St. Simons Island. He advises brides to wait no later than three weeks before the wedding, though. If color and highlights are on your mind, it’s safest to get those done two weeks before the wedding to allow time for touch-ups and repairs, should something go wrong. Take your accessories along for the dry-run, and bring a picture of your dress. The style of the gown dictates the style of the hair. “If the dress is tightly tailored, fitted, not flowing, you want sleek hair,� Grella says. “Big full hair doesn’t go with a tight little dress.� There is one pesky little piece of advice about wedding hair that gives many a bride-to-be pause, the one that suggests you go without washing your hair for days since “dirty� hair holds its style better. Grella will settle for having his brides wash their hair the night before. “It does a little better if it’s not freshly clean that day,� he says. Face Time All brides are beautiful, lit from within by the glow of love and happiness. That glow shines brightest through healthy and happy skin. The stress of planning, lack of sleep and inattention to a regular and rigorous routine of care can dull skin and make it more prone to breakouts. Emily Thompson, aesthetician at Beauty & Skin in downtown Brunswick, offers a series of facial treatments for brides using SkinCeuticals products to rejuvenate and brighten the skin of the face. Planned six to eight weeks before the wedding or special event, this series of glycolic or salicylic acid peels will freshen the skin so make-up goes on smoother and wears longer. The boutique also offers eyebrow waxing and eyebrow and eyelash tinting, which are best done two weeks in advance since some staining of the skin does occur. Thompson says individual eyelash extensions are popular with brides and bridal parties nowadays, offering a waterproof alternative to mascara. “Cry all you want,� Thompson says, and never worry about under-eye smudges. The extensions last for about two months. For the do-it-yourself bride, Beauty & Skins also offers lessons on make-up application and skin care that are good for every day. Muscle Relaxants At some point, wedding planning gets so stressful even deep breathing won’t calm you; it’s time for some professional help. Dana Northington, manager of The Island Day Spa on St. Simons Island, says a Swedish massage is designed for relaxation. A deep tissue massage, which is more therapeutic, will release tension and stress build-up in muscles. The spa also offers body waxing and spray tanning, nail care and a host of other services for the bride and bridal party. Waxing is best done a week-and-a-half in advance so that the irritation it causes to skin can fade and also to give time for touch-ups if needed, Northington says. A spray tan is best applied late in the afternoon two days before the wedding to give time for exfoliation. A spray tan, which is applied manually at The Island Day Spa, will last 5 to 7 days. G
ERY FOR EV RTHUR S N O I T VITA M ! DING IN ANG 7ILLIA IONS FOR D E 7 s A 7 ITAT #RANE 6ER RIFlN s )NV CHEONS x N ' BUDGET AFT !NNA ERS BRIDAL LU ES H R W "IRCHC E DATEv SHO APKINS MATC CH MORE H U . T hSAVE L DINNERS s S PENS M A K S REHEAR DS GUESTBOO OTES N U R O A Y C ANK PLACE WEDDING ERY TH N R O U I O T Y A T FOR ED S ONALIZ IFTS s 0ERS IDESMAIDS G R GREAT B
&REDERICA 2D 3T 3IMONS )SLAND -ON &RI PM 3AT PM
casual...
featured in Southern Living, Business Week & Woman’s Day Magazines
...yet charming (one of Jekyll Island’s best kept secrets)
Home of Coastal Georgia’s Legendary
“LOW COUNTRY BOIL� Buffet
Rehearsal Dinners • Receptions Tented Parties Overlooking the Jekyll River & Our Marina or Your Choice of Locations Fine Foods, Fun & Spirits (912) 635-3200 www.seajays.com seajays@bellsouth.net
January/February 2010 15
MONEY
A New Financial Landscape By Amy H. Carter
E
Every major moment in life – graduation, a new job, marriage, a baby’s birth – prompts a bout of reflection and reevaluation. Goals, desires, needs and strategies are revisited and revised, reworked and refocused. Doing all that at a historic moment in time, when America has just begun to recover from its biggest financial reversal since the Great Depression, is an intimidating prospect. Money is the key to success in life. Without sufficient amounts – which vary from person to person – we cannot live in the house we hope to, drive the car we’d like to, wear the clothes we consider fashionable or move through the world in a way that makes us feel comfortable and secure. Even the professionals we turn to for advice on keeping and growing the money we earn are a bit timid in the face of a wobbly economy. The recession has taken a fairly predictable course so far, but ongoing turmoil in the housing market and the current political climate are throwing even seasoned professionals a curve ball. “I am right now far less confident about telling my clients, ‘This is what I feel is going to happen next’ than I’ve been since I started” 30 years ago, says Beverly Addington-McBride, founder of AddingtonMcBride Financial Advisors of Atlanta, Savannah and St. Simons Island. That’s not to say that they don’t have a plan to help us through. “This has kind of rearranged the deck chairs a bit,” says Elizabeth Sorrells, financial adviser with MST Wealth Management in Brunswick. “It’s back to basics. We can all take a lesson from this and we can all manage risk in a better way than we’ve done before,” Sorrells says.
16 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
And that means: UÊ >Ì }Ê`iLÌ UÊ /> }Ê>Ê Ê>ÌÊ v À ÃÊ vÊ ÃÕÀ> ViÊÞ ÕÊ might have previously ignored, including disability and term life insurance UÊ Õ`}iÌ }]Ê> `Ê«>Þ }ÊV>Ã UÊ->Û }Êv ÀÊÌ iÊvÕÌÕÀi]Êv ÀÊÀ> ÞÊ`>ÞÃÊ> `Ê the next downturn.
“I am right now far less confident about telling my clients, ‘This is what I feel is going to happen next’ than I’ve been since I started” 30 years ago. Beverly Addington-McBride founder of Addington-McBride Financial Advisors
While the Baby Boomer generation defined the recently passed era of fabulous excess – great gains won at high risk – and thus will suffer the most immediate losses of a more recent reversal, they aren’t the only ones who could benefit from some expert financial advice. Young professionals right out of college and young newlyweds who typically resist long-range financial planning must in fact lay the groundwork now. Addington-McBride says the biggest obstacle to getting young people to plan ahead is the attitude that, “I don’t have anything or all I have is debt.”
She once worked with a young married couple. He was a doctor and she was a lawyer, so both had considerable student debt to pay off. Still, because they were both making good money and committed to working within their chosen fields, they felt no need to invest in life insurance. So Addington-McBride asked the woman: “What if your husband dies? Are you willing to put his $100,000 worth of debt on top of yours and pay it all?” She recalls: “That was just total panic for both of them.” Risk management is an important component of financial security at any age. Addington-McBride starts the 20- to 30-year-old demographic off with a fiveyear plan. “With young people, things can change drastically in that time,” she says. There’s no better time, though, to begin saving. Start putting $2,000 a year away while in your 20s and you’ll have well over $500,000 by the time you retire, Addington-McBride says. If you wait until your 30s or 40s to begin doing that, you’ll have less than half that amount when you retire. That may sound like a lot of money for a 21-year-old, but it’s a good lesson in restraint. Spending that money elsewhere, say on a designer purse, has long-range ramifications. “That purse didn’t cost you $2,000. It cost you $30,000. Do you plan to carry it until you’re 65?” Addington-McBride says. Money has a time value, and the best way to maximize it is to start managing it as early as possible. If nothing else, look to your parents, who reached their peak earning capacity during a time of great prosperity. The Baby
Boomers redefined the game so dramatically that just 10 years ago, they were looking forward to retiring at 50 and living the life of leisure their own parents never dared to think possible. Now they’re back to living with their own parents’ advice: save, pay cash, live modestly, work as long as possible. From here on out, anyone who wishes to save enough for a true retirement must take a more realistic approach through diversified investing and careful living. “You need to circle around and be a bit more conservative in your financial life,” Sorrells concludes. G
Where shopping is an experience... The best gifts for every budget. Bridal Registry Available 1624 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island 912-638-2030 AccentsMarketplace.com
128 Venture Drive Brunswick, GA 31525 www.brunswicksuites.hamptoninn.com
912-261-0939 - hotel direct
Hampton Inn & Suites can accommodate your wedding needs for up to 150 people.
Bridal showers, Rehearsal Dinners, And More Comfort Suites can accommodate your intimate events and all of your out of town guests. 5 Ashton Drive Brunswick, GA 31523 www.choicehotels.com/hotel/ga641
912-267-4440 – hotel direct
January/February 2010 17
By Lindsey Mason
I
If you were offered the chance to see the future, to look at the state of your life and affairs six months from now, would you take it? If the opportunity came upon you without warning and what you saw in this forced vision alarmed you, would you let fate take its course or wrest control of your own destiny? “FlashForward,” an ABC series built around the effects of a global “flash forward” event, has many pondering this – so far – hypothetical conundrum. Without a doubt, there will be unforeseen events that alter our courses within the coming year and without a flash forward, specifics are hard to predict, but residents of the Golden Isles can rest assured that 2010 will bring blessings and good fortune to our area. On the heels of
18 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
a tumultuous 2009 where good news was hard to come by, we offer a sneak peak at what 2010 has in store for Brunswick and the Golden Isles. A Cultural Dust-Up In 2010 we will see two historical landmarks restored to first rate condition. The Ritz Theatre will undergo a restorative face lift this year starting with the windows, thanks to a matching grant from the Fox Theatre Institute. While the exterior is being redone, the magic will continue inside as the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association presents world-class cultural events with something new happening every month. A wide range of music (jazz, country, world), comedy (first local appearance
by the nationally acclaimed Chicago City Limits troupe) and award-winning documentary and independent films will be presented. As the renovations begin in Brunswick, the repairs to the lighthouse on St. Simons Island will come to completion. Begun in September, these much needed repairs focus on the leaking copper roof and electrical grounding work and the aging the lantern curtain wall system, lantern deck and hand-rail system. The gallery deck will receive rust repair, stabilization, leak repair, and coating protection. Exterior and interior masonry will have excess coating removal, stain and mold removal. After the restoration is complete, residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the beacon of history as before.
Downtown Brunswick’s landmark Ritz Theatre will get a facelift this year. January/February 2010 19
In November, Glynn County voters agreed to continue paying an extra penny sales tax on purchases to help fund new school construction.
Intellectual Development The new year also will bring a construction crew to the College of Coastal Georgia campus as it moves forward with its 2020 vision. The transformation of the campus will begin with the construction of a new student activities center, dormitories, and health and science educational facilities. The campus experience will get a lift also as cultural affairs opportunities present themselves to students and members of the community. The Glynn County School System’s first priority for ESPLOST II, which was approved by Glynn County voters in November 2009, will be construction of the new Risley Middle School on South Port Parkway in the southwest portion of the county. The school site will be cleared early in 2010 and construction is expected to begin in October or November. As a new generation “green school,” the facility’s one-story, prototype design will maximize natural light and
20 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
utilize energy efficient building materials and infrastructure such as air conditioning, heating and plumbing systems. With a 900-student capacity, the new school is designed to be consistent with Glynn County’s three existing middle schools in terms of square footage and instructional capabilities. Leading Economic Indicators Despite the devastating economic news that dominated much of 2009, the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce welcomed 140 new members last year and saw Business After Hours attendance reach 150 to 200 people per event. As our area continues to grow, the chamber staff has enlisted the help of 28 junior ambassadors to help with the Chamber Trade Fair scheduled for Feb. 18, 2010; Chamber Experience scheduled for May 13, 2010; and a myriad of other events to facilitate economic growth in the
-AINLAND 0HOTOGRAPHY 3TUDIO the art of Gary C. Gay
25601/2 Tara Lane Brunswick, GA 31520
265-1205
Celebrate with your friends at The Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island. When you stay with us, you’re with friends. Our place is yours for all of your wedding guests. At Hampton Inn & Suites, we love having you here. And we prove it to you every day. For reservations, visit us at www.jekyllislandhamptoninn.com 200 South Beachview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527
912.635.3733 800.426.7866 Hilton HHonors® membership, earning of Points & Miles®, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions. ©2009 Hilton Worldwide
garycgay@darientel.net
mainlandphotography.com
Let’s talk about whether Essure is right for you. Call our office today 912-673-1771.
Camden OB/GYN 202 Lakeshore Drive, Suite A St. Marys, GA 31558
January/February 2010 21
Dr. Carlton Hicks
• Comprehensive eye health and vision exams. • Diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. • LASIK and Cataract evaluation and referral service. • Complete selection of glasses and contact lenses. Our optical features designer frames from:
Dr. Sara Phelps
• Gucci • Fendi • Christian Dior
• Armani • Calvin Klein • Vera Bradley
• Prada • Costa Del Mar • Lilly Pulitzer
Most Insurance Plans Accepted 312 Redfern Village • St. Simons Island, GA 31522 912.638.8652
St. Simons’ Complete Eye Care Center
Brunswick Dermatology Edward DiPreta, MD and J. Eric Seymour, PA Wish You A Happy And Healthy New Year.
Please Let Us Know If We Can Be Of Service In The Future To Meet All Of Your Skin Care Needs From Skin Cancer To Acne
3008 East Park Avenue Brunswick, Georgia 31520
(912) 265-2142 Toll-free 866-403-3376
Camden Office: 912-510-7546
Call today to schedule your appointment for your annual skin check!
New Patients Welcome 22 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Golden Isles. One particular area of the Golden Isles has gained tremendous popularity over the past year: Historic Downtown Brunswick. The restored downtown area has become a Friday night hot spot as the Downtown Development Authority hosts First Friday once a month, with the help of 35 downtown merchants who keep their doors open late and offer promotional specials, entertainment and refreshments to stimulate business. The community is invited to roam Newcastle Street enjoying live music, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails provided by several of the business owners. As the area continues to grow we can expect the resurgence of commerce and a new entertainment hub to emerge downtown.
Tour Our Showroom For Designer Pieces At Consignment Prices
Habitat for Humanity of Glynn is building four new homes this year.
From The Finest Estates & Homes To Yours Fine Furnishings Furniture Antiques Estate Sales
TAKE TOO “The Designer Consignor”
All items currently in stock.
1700 GLOUCESTER STREET • HOURS: T-F 10-5 • SAT 10-4 • 912-279-2478
Giving Thanks We live in a giving community; as we are blessed we tend to look for opportunities to bless others. This year promises to be a year full of miraculous kindness as Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County looks forward to building four homes which will allow four families to move out of substandard and overcrowded housing and into simple, safe, decent affordable homes. Taking care of a fellow neighbor’s physical needs is an excellent way to give back to our community; however, there are philanthropic organizations in our community that focus on spiritual needs as well. One such group, The Gathering Place, is expanding its ministry with the creation of the Band of Brothers to January/February 2010 23
minister to young men. John Williams, director of urban ministry, will be reaching out to 40 male students at Glynn Academy and Brunswick High School during a weekly breakfast. Business leaders and members of the community will be invited to share their testimonies.
got teeth? Business After Hours, hosted monthly by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, is a great way to make new social and business contacts.
Suzanne Mericle Bishop, D.M.D.,P.C. Family and Cosmetic Dentistry *BIOLASE LASER DENTISTRY No drill, no kidding!! No heat, pressure or vibration means little or no pain! • Tooth, bone & gum procedures • Decay Removal • Root Canals • Cavity Preparation • Smile Design • General dentistry for enamel and dentin • No anesthesia needed in many procedures
*CONSCIOUS SEDATION Sedation dentistry for a relaxing, non-stressful way to experience dental treatment. • • • • • •
Cosmetic and General Dentistry Implant Restoration Dentures and Partials Crowns and Bridges Non-surgical periodontal treatment ProSystem GT Root Canals Member Of
24 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
*ZOOM Advanced Power Plus In-Office Bleaching A whiter and brighter smile in 1 hour!! • Fast and convenient • Long lasting • Low Sensitivity • Proven to be safe and effective • Performed by a Dental Professional
New Patients Welcome!!
123 Main Street, Plantation Village St. Simons Island, GA 31522
(912) 638-3559
Call to Action This concludes your sneak peak at what the future holds in 2010. Given this insight, will you assume that since you have never been to First Friday or climbed the stairs of the lighthouse that you would not enjoy it? Will you remain in your home-work-home rut or join the hundreds who network and socialize each month at Business After Hours? Will you go about your days as if you had never received information about the amazing events that are occurring in your very own backyard and remain an observer of the growth and improvement of your community? Daily struggles will come and go as they always have, but the outlook for the future is bright. Getting involved and taking part in all the promise ahead for Brunswick and the Golden Isles is the best way to fuel optimism about the future. G
Lindsey Mason is a St. Simons Island native and Bulldawg enthusiast who enjoys reading, writing and shopping with friends and family.
GoldenIsles Brides
A Special
Wedding Section
Erin Griffin models Casablanca bridal at Brunswick Manor. January/February 2010 25
BZbdg^Zh CREATE
Gandy Photographers
Benjamin Galland Photography
Benjamin Galland Photography
Gandy Photographers
Robert Loparo Photography
Robert Loparo Photography
Island Sound provides the very best in professional and elegant performances for your special occasion. Whether it’s a Wedding, Corporate Party, Birthday Party, or just a small gathering of friends, our DJs are dedicated to helping you create wonderful memories for you and your guests. Based on St. Simons Island in the heart of Coastal Georgia, Island Sound serves all surrounding areas to include North Florida and South Carolina. Our areas of operation include St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Sapelo Island, Amelia Island, Tybee Island, Savannah, Jacksonville and more. Visit our website to learn more. Also ask to see our references. Island Sound, St. Simons Island, Georgia Toll Free: 1 (877) 634-7725 | www.islandsoundlive.com
The Suite Processional By J.M. Lacey
It’s the grandest entrance a women is ever likely to make into a room, the one moment in her life when all eyes are on her and her alone. The bride’s walk down the aisle and into the arms of her beloved is an event deserving of a bit of fanfare, the pomp and circumstance of a classical score. Granted, most classical composers didn’t write their most popular pieces of music to serve as wedding processionals. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed Exsultate Jubilate, K165 when he was barely 17, a rush job following the opening of his opera Lucio Silla on Dec. 26, 1772. He wrote Exsultate for Venanzio Rauzzini (17461810), a castrato (male soprano) who sang the piece on Jan. 17, 1773. The familiar final movement, Alleluia, is sung during weddings today by female sopranos. Though some may think of today’s bridal processionals performed to such classical standards as Wagner’s Bridal Chorus from his opera, Lohengrin, or Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, other popular classical pieces have set the stage for the wedding and its marches. Local musicians name the top five favorites of Golden Isles brides: Trumpet Voluntary, Jeremiah Clarke (ca. 16731707), Baroque Willie Hammett, principal trumpet player for the Coastal Symphony of Georgia and private music teacher in Brunswick, says the Trumpet Voluntary is his favorite piece to play. “It’s dignified and a processional kind of music,” he says. Willie, who’s performed professionally for over 20 years, says the piece “lends itself to large and small churches.” Trumpet Voluntary, written for organ and known also as Prince of Denmark’s March, was erroneously attributed to Henry Purcell, another organist at the Chapel Royal with Clarke. Generally performed during Anglican mass, it is a piece that is rich in spirit and popular for today’s bridal processional. Don Thompson
Music Resources for Brides Recordings: Weddingmusic101.com Myweddingmusic.com Amazon.com Naxos.com
Canon and Gigue in D, Johann Palchelbel (16531706), Baroque “Walking in is almost always Palchelbel’s Canon,” says Ann Merwin, principal flute player for the Coastal Symphony of Georgia and private music teacher for 35 years in St. Marys. Palchelbel, who wrote chamber, choral and organ music, is best known for his Canon in D. The work has become one of the best-loved pieces of Baroque music. Canon is based on the structure of a canon where one melody begins, followed by a specific interval of time by the same melody note for note. Think: Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The Lord’s Prayer, Albert Hay Malotte (18951964), Modern Soprano Rhonda Hambright of St. Simons Island and director of music at the St. Simons Island Presbyterian Church, says The Lord’s Prayer is the most requested piece of music she’s asked to perform.
“It’s appropriate at weddings due to the fact that some of the guests may not know the Lord’s Prayer well enough to recite it during the ceremony.” Rhonda, who’s been performing for the last 36 years, says she loves to sing the piece. “It feels good in my voice and is inspirational to those who hear me sing it, I’m told.” American Composer Malotte wrote the piece in 1935 and it appeared in several movies, including Stage Door Canteen (1943), for which the composer went uncredited. Air on the G String, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Baroque Ann Merwin, who’s been performing for the last 20 years and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2008 with the University of North Florida Wind Ensemble, admits her favorite is Bach’s Air. Part of Bach’s Suite no. 3 in D Major for orchestra, Air is written in cantabile (singing). The piece gained immense popularity when Violinist August Wilhelm created an arrangement played solely on the fourth (G) string of the violin. Ode to Joy, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Classical Beethoven’s Ode to Joy from his Symphony no. 9 in D minor is another unique variation for wedding music. For decades, Beethoven wanted to write a piece of music based on Poet Frederich Schiller’s poem An die Freude (Ode to Joy), a glorified drinking song with a strong humanistic message. In the end, Beethoven used only half of Schiller’s poem and deleted drinking song references. A softer version of this final movement in his symphony is performed at weddings. G Other popular pieces recommended by the experts: Ann: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, J.S. Bach Water Music Suite: Air, George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Baroque Willie: Trumpet Tune, Henry Purcell (1659-1695), Baroque Allegro from Trumpet Suite in D, Handel Rondeau, Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738), Baroque Rhonda: Let the Bright Seraphim, Handel Ave Maria, Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Early Romantic Alleluia, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (17561791), Classical J.M. Lacey is a professional freelance writer. Her articles focus on business, social development, the arts, health, fashion and Victorian homes. Visit her Web site at jmlacey.com. January/February 2010 27
The
Maidens
Manor
and Her
Sleek is the buzzword in bridal fashions this year, a trend highly suggestive of the glamour days of old-time Hollywood. The old-world elegance of Brunswick Manor is the perfect accessory for this year’s stylish bride.
BRunswick Manor Photography by Brooke Roberts Hair and make-up by Image Artisans Bridal gowns from The Lady in White 28 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Victoria Holloway models a one-shoulder Maggie Sottero; Holly Wright models an embellished Maggie Sottero with deep-V neckline; Jennifer Warren models Jolie Bridal paired with a birdcage veil. Flowers by Straton Hall. January/February 2010 29
B
runswick Manor is the bricks-andmortar equivalent of tall, dark and handsome, a towering symbol of power and wealth built by and for a master showman. A woman might serve as mistress to – but never of – this house. Maid to the manor might be a more apt descriptor, for any woman intrepid enough to live here without a battalion of domestics in residence would spend her every waking moment dusting, sweeping, mopping and polishing 6,500 square feet of ornate Victoriana. He who takes up residence in this grandiose example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style must possess more than his fair share of brio. A centenarian already 23 years into its second century, Brunswick Manor is listed on Glynn County’s tax rolls as a mansion. The house dominates its corner of the Old Town Historic District with haughty grandeur, its aristocratic chin perched atop a stalwart row of Corinthian columns. There is no fence or screening hedge to hide behind. This is elegance and skill in tangible form, and it was built to be seen and enjoyed. It is not at all ironic, then, that such a grand edifice is now home to Straton Hall, the business of a man with a passion for parties – the showier the better. Few besides Stacy Bass possess the prerequisites to assume lordship of this manor – a personality brazen enough to conquer the long shadows cast by high
Holly Wright wears a Casablanca ballgown. Bouquet by The Flower Basket. 30 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
The Downing Suite
The Sea Island Chamber
The Library January/February 2010 31
Victoria Holloway wears Casablanca; Jennifer Warren wears mother-of-the-bride from Evelyne Talman.
ceilings and dark wood, yet courtly enough to bow to the manor’s guests with a degree of chivalry uncommon to this day and time. Bass is a Southern gentleman of the old school, one whose tastes and talents swing effortlessly from top-shelf luxury to casual chic, from proper to playful. Bass founded Straton Hall catering and special events in another grand Victorian in Baxley, a small farm town 80 miles northwest of here. “When I first started the company, I couldn’t think of a name,” Bass says. “I was told, ‘Anyone who would stay with you for 10 years deserves a bridge,
32 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
The Cumberland Chamber
Jennifer Warren models a dramatic Sarah Danielle sheath with tulle cape.
The Grand Staircase
two interstates and a company named after them.’ My poodle’s name was Straton, so that was who received the honor. Straton Hall was the first home of the company.” Bass fits Brunswick Manor as only its creator could have. The mansion was built in 1886 by Columbia Downing, one of Brunswick’s most prominent 19th century businessmen. It is said that no one put more men to work than Downing, whose naval stores factorage is credited with pushing the Port of Brunswick ahead of Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C., in trading volume in the 1890s.
January/February 2010 33
Katie Blackwell models Watters for the junior bridesmaid.
The Grand Parlor
34 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Straton Hall stages more than 300 events per year, and has now added the operation of Brunswick Manor as a bed-and-breakfast to its holdings. By relocating the hub of his party-making empire here, Bass is ushering in another golden age of elegance that promises to make historic downtown Brunswick a favored haunt of the beau monde once again. Aside from the size and history of the house, its opulence – reflected in such amenities as an orchid conservatory and lush koi pond – was a perfect fit for the company. There are places in Old Town where the canopy of live oaks is so thick not even the sun can break through. What spirits and secrets must be trapped in that gossamer net of Spanish moss hanging from their branches? While no salacious history has
come out about Brunswick Manor’s past (yet), the air of romance and mystery that hangs about it is seductive, and the imagination is the most potent aphrodisiac. Bass is reserved with his own story, and even weaves a thoroughly entertaining yarn about a full-length oil portrait of an acquired ancestor that hangs above the fireplace in Brunswick Manor’s dining room. Perhaps the details of his own life story are told in his work, where truth and illusion are so tightly interwoven you can barely see the stitches that bind them. Through his work, Bass tells us that love and commitment and friendship and joy are always worth celebrating in grand and glorious ways. Brunswick Manor is just another gorgeous interpretation of the world according to Stacy Bass. G
Katie Pickering models Watters for girls. The live orchid arrangements that adorn her hair and flower basket are from The Flower Basket in Brunswick.
January/February 2010 35
Special Advertising Feature
INTRODUCING ISIPS BUILT A Better Way to Live by Cameron Wicker
COASTAL MARKET RECOVERY
Coastal Georgia has some of the most beautiful undeveloped waterfront scenery on the east coast. Market research shows that this area is poised for a strong market recovery due to the lower price and availability of developed land. The key to a strong real estate recovery is developing residences that work in the reality of today’s market. During the economic and real estate downturn, Steve and Tina Bostic, founders of Island Design & Architectural Center (IDAC) have been developing and investing in an improved home building process that appeals to both homebuyers’ and developers’ requirements. Tina Bostic, President, said, “at our new company, we offer great architectural design, higher quality, energy efficient, right-sized homes that are built at a significantly improved quality and cost...all in a convenient, hassle-free, one-stop shop.” Building on expertise in construction, interior architecture and design, the Bostics have developed “iSips BUILT” and are now launching the Home Innovation Store located at 2304 Glynn Avenue in Brunswick.
available for guided tours and home building presentations Monday through Saturday. Visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright used the panel methodology in homes in the 1930s and 1940s. The structural insulated panels arrive at a job site ready to be assembled with window and door openings pre-cut, and the electrical and plumbing chases and outlets fabricated into the panels. A 2,500 square foot home can be framed in two to three days, and completed and ready for occupancy in as few as three months.
A PROVEN METHOD
iSips BUILT constructed a “Bunkie,” or guest house, in a single day using an Integrated Structural Insulated Panel System (iSips). The Bunkie is located at the iSips BUILT Home Innovation Store and will be 36 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
To see a time-lapse video of the single day construction process, visit www.isipsbuilt.com. To make an appointment with an iSips BUILT representative, call 912-634-3300.
Special Advertising Feature
iSipsBUILT panels are precision cut at the factory.
HOME INNOVATION STORE
Within the Home Innovation Store, iSips BUILT will manufacture the structural insulated panels using precision-designed fabricating equipment designed by Hundegger in Munich, Germany. Each panel is a structural unit manufactured to a precise engineering standard utilizing CNC technology. The panels consist of an outer and inner skin of a high density Oriented Strand Board (OSB) bonded to an Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam core ranging from 4″ to 12″ in thickness. The resulting product is a solid core laminated panel that is structurally strong and can withstand winds up to 200 mph and offers an inherently high insulation value, up to R45, reducing energy costs 50%-70%. In addition, iSips BUILT construction utilizes state of the art heating and air conditioning systems to provide a superior air quality that is healthier and reduces the presence of mold, mildew and other airborne allergens. The iSips BUILT system is a design and construction method that uses engineered panels to build exterior walls and roof systems in lieu of conventional stick-frame and truss construction. Each iSips BUILT system is individually designed for residential or commercial buildings and meets local and national building codes. With the factory and precision equipment, customers will be able to watch the panels for their home being fabricated–a 2,500 sq ft house can be produced in less than a day. Then the fabricated panels are shipped from the store to the building site for assembly and integrated into the entire building process.
iSipsBUILT panels arrive at the job site ready for assembly.
Interior products and systems are placed in containers and delivered to the job site to complete the home.
to the elements. iSips BUILT also provides designs for all the interior building systems including heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry and millwork. All systems are designed, ordered and shipped to the site in containers saving a substantial amount of labor time and cost.
SPEED OF CONSTRUCTION
The use of iSips BUILT panels reduces time and improves labor efficiency while minimizing exposure
Continued on page 65 January/February 2010 37
0OF #JH )BQQZ 'VO 8FEEJOH Lea King & Bud Badyna; Married Aug. 15, 2009
38 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
T
hey had been together 10 years, 8 months and 20 days when Bud Badyna proposed to Lea King. “We are a little out of the norm for folks getting hitched I think – both ‘40-something’ getting hitched for the first time – and after spending 11 years together, it had been a long time coming,� Lea says. They were a little out of the norm in the way they formalized their union, too, because in fact, there was little formal about it. “We got married in front of the big cedar tree in Neptune Park. We love that tree because a long time ago late one Tuesday night we crawled up in it with a couple of friends and spent hours sitting in it talking and laughing. Then I fell out of it and landed on a root. So we laugh about that each time we pass it by,� Lea says. Ordained deacon Willetta McGowen performed the ceremony. Willetta is a friend from Lea’s days working for the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Friends from the Golden Isles Track Club helped arrange flowers, set up for the ceremony and reception and clean up afterwards. “It was truly an effort of friends helping us,� Lea says. A cousin made the wedding cake and the groom’s cake. Lea’s mother hand-painted the invitation envelopes, programs, thank-you note envelopes and burlap runners for the reception tables. Friend Leo Dean performed music for the ceremony – “Here Comes the Sun� after the mothers were seated; a steel drum version of John Lennon’s “Imagine� for the bride’s processional; and a recording of Michael Franti & Spearhead performing “Say Hey (I Love You)� for the recessional. As a nod to the groom’s Guiness Book of World Records mention for backwards running, the couple walked arm and arm down the aisle with her facing forward and him backward. The reception was held in the Casino Atrium. “Bud waited so long to propose and so many people just had to witness the never-thought-it-would-happen event that we did not want to exclude any friends and we ended up with about 400 folks there,� Lea says. “It was a great hot and sweaty gathering with young and old alike dancing the night away. We really wanted the time to be about joy and happiness and the importance of our circle of friends and family. So many people have told us how they could just feel the joy in the air and were glad to be a part of it all. I think our goal was reached.� G
Gown: David’s Bridal Ceremony site: Under the big cedar tree in Neptune Park, SSI Reception: The Old Casino Palette: Tropical hues Caterer: Creative Catering and Design Flowers: The Flower Basket, friends and family Carriage: The bride’s Ford Taurus Photographers: The brides cousins, Mary Parrott and Terry Keefe
(=O;9KLD= -LJ==L c "AKLGJA; GOFLGOF JMFKOA;C
OOO D9<QAFO@AL=:JA<9D ;GE
$BTBCMBODB 5SVOL 4IPX t 'FCSVBSZ 1MFBTF DBMM UP TDIFEVMF ZPVS BQQPJOUNFOU
January/February 2010 39
Beauty For Your Bridal Party
&ACIALS s 7AXING s -AKEUP %YELASH %XTENSIONS s 'IFT #ERTIlCATES 3KIN#EUTICALS s BLISS s #LARISONIC BATH BY BETTIJO s BLINC Beauty & Skin
1616 Newcastle, Brunswick, GA 912.554.1616
Have Us Cater Your Wedding And Reception, Or Host Your Rehearsal Dinner And Reception With Us At The Millionaire’s Village On The Historic Jekyll Wharf Location.
>Ì ÌÕ`iΣJ} > °V ÊUÊÜÜÜ° >Ì ÌÕ`iΣ> `À> L>À°V 40 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Come enjoy the radiant sunsets while sipping on your favorite beverage and eating oysters, shrimp, crab legs or our famous Low Country Boil at the “Rah” Bar.
the island day spa and Medical Aesthetic Center
full spa services available ...for your special day 4RINITI &ACIALS 3KIN 2EJUVENATION Skin Tightening 7RINKLE 2EDUCTION "OTOX s *UVEDERM s 2ESTYLANE #ALL &OR !PPOINTMENTS s (912) 638-7799 s 'IFTS AND #ERTIlCATES !VAILABLE
WWW THEISLANDDAYSPA COM
#INEMA ,ANE 3UITE 3T 3IMONS )SLAND s (Next to Island Cinema)
January/February 2010 41
A Downt own Wedding
Kristin Crawford & Ian Kaszans; Married Nov. 7, 2009
42 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
I
t started with a twirl around the dance floor at Old City Hall during the Oglethorpe Ball on Dec. 2, 2006. That first dance of courtship led to the first dance of marriage nearly three years later, another celebrated spin around the ballroom-née-courtroom on the second floor of Brunswick’s historic Old City Hall, where the bride’s father, David Crawford, toasted the memory of the collective sigh that accompanied that first dance, the moment when all watching saw destiny fulfilled. It was not a question of if but when Ian Kaszans and Kristin Crawford would marry, and the event was eagerly anticipated by all who witnessed it. Kristin and her mother, Diane Crawford, are the ladies behind The Lady in White, a bridal boutique in downtown Brunswick. It is a place where dreams are fulfilled, where brides planning the most anticipated day of their lives find the dress that magically transforms fiancée into wife, princess into queen. How exactly would these fairy godmothers to countless brides make their own special day magical and memorable? With Chantilly lace and lavender satin and that magical point where three flagstone paths converge before God and family and friends on the lawn of Lovely Lane Chapel at Epworth by the Sea. Kristin and her father arrived in a 1940 Cadillac formal sedan chauffeured by D.A. Martin of Martin’s Vintage Rides. Martin proposed a scenic ride around the island to precede their walk down the aisle, and talked of the car – one of just three of its kind remaining in the United States – to calm the nerves of father and daughter before their historic entrance. “We didn’t talk much,” David says, recalling the ride. “I just held her hand.” Though the Crawfords themselves are considered experts by many Golden Isles brides – they gowned 13 for ceremonies scheduled in the month preceding Kristin’s wedding – they knew when to surrender to others when their turn came. “Let them do their job,” Kristin advises bridesto-be. Of course, the gown came from their own best-selling line, Casablanca, an elegant slip of Chantilly lace with a custom-made jacket of lace and beads. The bride and groom’s first dance as man and wife also came from the shop, in a way. It was a jazzy number choreographed in trade with Jennifer Daniels, a fitness instructor who found herself in need of an evening gown at the same time Kristin was planning her reception dance. She proposed a trade of fitness services, but Diane saw the chance to swap for dance lessons instead. The couple made their debut to the sassy strains of “Lucky” sung by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat: “I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend Lucky to have been where I have been Lucky to be coming home again.” The reception catered by Purple Sage featured buffet bars of mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers and sushi – homage to the couple’s first official date at Pearl downtown. The highlight was a long table of candies and fudge made by Kristin’s grandmother, who spent the two months before the wedding making sweets for the sweetest of all occasions. G
For a Lifetime of Beautiful Memories
Photo By Benjamin Galland
134 Follins Lane St. Simons Island, GA 31522 912-634-9777
(Island Cottage Business Center, off Arnold Road)
imageartisansstudio.com
January/February 2010 43
D\\k`e^ k_\ e\\[j f] k_\ 9i`[\ kf Y\ Creative Solutions for your Magical Day. t 6OJRVF 4BWF UIF %BUF .BUFSJBMT t $VTUPN *OWJUBUJPO 1BDLBHFT t 8FFLFOE (VJEFT t $IVSDI 1SPHSBNT t (JGU #BHT BOE 5BHT t 1FSTPOBMJ[FE (JGUT t
$PP[JFT 8JOF -BCFMT $BOWBT #BHT 4UFNXBSF .POPHSBNFE /BQLJOT BOE TP NVDI NPSF
! 2EDFERN 6ILLAGE s 3T 3IMONS )SLAND '! VOICE s FAX
Gown: The Lady in White Ceremony site: The Lawn of Lovely Lane Chapel, Epworth By the Sea
For All Of Your Formal Wear Needs
Watermarks Printing - 1/4 page ad - full color - Meagan Edens Sales Rep. Reception: Old City Hall, Brunswick Palette: Wisteria, lavender & chocolate brown
Caterer: Purple Sage Catering & Mrs. Clyde Godwin, the brideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother Flowers: Rob Owens Carriage: 1940 Cadillac formal sedan from Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vintage Rides Photographer: Brooke Roberts Photography
Gentlemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outfitters Glynn Place Mall Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;°Â&#x2021;->Ã&#x152;°Ã&#x160;£äÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2122;«Â&#x201C;Ã&#x160;UÃ&#x160;-Ã&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;°Ã&#x160;£Ã&#x201C;\Ã&#x17D;äÂ&#x2021;x\Ã&#x17D;ä«Â&#x201C;Ã&#x160;UÃ&#x160;Ã&#x201C;Ã&#x2C6;{Â&#x2021;£äÃ&#x201C;Ã&#x17D; Shops at Sea Island Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;°Â&#x2021;->Ã&#x152;°Ã&#x160;£äÂ&#x2021;Ã&#x2C6;«Â&#x201C;Ã&#x160;Ã&#x160;UÃ&#x160;Ã&#x2C6;Ã&#x17D;{Â&#x2021;£xÃ&#x201C;£ 44 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
The Coastal Wedding of
your Dreams... We delight in making your special day perfect the rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception.
Old City Hall Restored 1889 Landmark Adds a Touch of Refinement to Your Wedding, Reception, Party or Meeting
912.265.4032 1229 Newcastle Street, Historic Brunswick, GA
5445 Frederica Road St. Simons Island, GA 31522 www.seapalms.com 800-841-6268 â&#x20AC;¢ 912-638-3351
PURPLE SAGE CATERING Exceptional Cuisine. Professional, Courteous Service.
David Ouimet, Chef/Owner DAVID CATERINGPURPLESAGE COM s WWW CATERINGPURPLESAGE COM
Wedding Receptions, Rehearsal Dinners, Personal Chef, Corporate Events, Plated Banquets, Drop off Menus 3527-D Community Road / 912-267-9940 January/February 2010 45
Surprise 8FEEJOH
"
LORI GREGORY & KEN LAMBRIGHT; MARRIED NOV. 15, 2008
46 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
L
ori Gregory got the reaction every bride dreams of the moment she emerged ready to walk down the aisle. She was a vision of loveliness, of course, but the exclamations that followed her first appearance on a magical November evening beside the marvelous Marshes of Glynn were equal parts shock and joy. The 350 guests gathered in Greer and Laura Brown’s backyard overlooking the marshes off St. Simons Island’s north end thought they were attending a party celebrating the couple’s engagement. “We said, ‘Oh, we’re going to have a big engagement party then a small wedding on the beach in May.’ That’s what we were telling everybody, but I told Ken, ‘People will have more fun if they think they’re going to a big party. People like to go more for the reception anyway,’” Lori says. Very few outside of Lori and Ken’s families knew what was happening. They asked their wedding party to arrive an hour early, presumably for a group photo. Lori asked the ladies to dress in solid colors; Ken asked the men to wear blazers. “When they all got there, I was in the master bathroom hiding because I had on my wedding dress. All the bridesmaids were in the master bedroom. They called me out and when I came out I asked them, ‘Are y’all ready to do this?’ Everyone was crying and screaming and having a great time,” she recalls. “Ken told the groomsmen downstairs, ‘Y’all know how to line up for a wedding don’t you?’ and they’re like, ‘What?’ And he said, ‘Here, pin these (boutonnieres) on, we’re getting married in 30 minutes,’ and they’re like, ‘What?’” Lori’s brother let their guests in on the secret when he took the stage to welcome everyone, and the crowd hurried to the marsh. Lori processional with her father weaved through the excited crowd. “There was no aisle,” she laughs. Obviously, Lori’s wedding style isn’t for everyone, but it suited her to a “T”; a self-described tom-boy with a no-frills style. She made an initial gown shopping trip but couldn’t commit. “It was terrible. They all weighed 4,000 pounds; none were what I had in my mind that I wanted. You couldn’t dance in them,” she says. She was online one day surfing Target.com for a baby gift for a friend. On a whim, she searched for wedding dresses and found four on clearance. She ordered three, and chose the one that fit perfectly, no alterations needed. Total cost: $48. “My Dad says, ‘This shows a lot of character, ordering a $50 dress online,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, but don’t think I won’t make up for it in other ways.” It was a no-fuss good time for all (except the ones who weren’t there). Fittingly enough, the couple left the party in their own unique style: chauffeured by Gnat’s Landing owner Robert “Boz” Bostock in his orange VW bus. G
Gown: Target.com Ceremony/reception site: The marshfront home of Greer and Laura Brown, St. Simons Island Palette: Mixed neutrals Caterer: Dave Snyder, Halyards Flowers: Mary Laborde & Mary Pat Reynolds Carriage: Vintage VW Bus Photographer: The Darkroom
Where the Occasion Begins...
Mother of the Bride | Special Occasions Sportswear | Evening Separates 3301 Frederica Road • St. Simons Island • (912) 638-3470 • evelynetalman.com
ON - SITE ALTERATIONS AVAILABLE January/February 2010 47
Get In Shape For Your Big Day!
(Next to the Island Cinemas) By Appointment: 638-0101
48 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Brunswick Country Club A Great Place For:
3OCIAL !CTIVITY s 'ATHERING 7ITH &RIENDS s %NJOYING 'REAT 'OLF
4HE BEAUTIFUL NEW CLUBHOUSE OFFERS DINING AND banquet space. 'REAT FOR WEDDING RECEPTIONS HOLIDAY PARTIES AND OTHER GROUP GATHERINGS
"OOK YOUR EVENT TODAY Visit our website:
www.brunswickcountryclub.com or contact Dan Hogan for more information: 912-222-5910
£È£xÊ ÀÜ V Ê-ÌÀiiÌÊUÊ ÀÕ ÃÜ V ]Ê
912.262.1039
ÜÊÜÊÜÊ°Ê ÊÃÊ Ê>Ê Ê`ÊÀÊiÊ ÊÕÊÛÊiÊ Ê>ÊÌÊ Ê Ê Ê°ÊVÊ Ê
2bYTQ\ @QS[QWUc* The Basic: > ÀÊ> `Ê > iÕ«ÊÌÀ > Ê > `ÊÜi`` }Ê`>ÞÊÃiÀÛ ViÃÊ Ê V>Ì ÊfÓxä°ää Pampering Package: V Õ`iÃÊ,i ÕÛi >ÌiÊà } >ÌÕÀiÊv>V > Ê Ì iÊÜii Ê«À ÀÊÌ ÊÜi`` }]ÊÈäÊ ÕÌiÊÀi >Ý>Ì Ê >ÃÃ>}iÊÌ iÊÜii Ê v]Ê > ÀÊ> `Ê > iÕ«ÊÌÀ > Ê> `ÊÜi`` }Ê `>ÞÊÃiÀÛ ViÃÊ Ê V>Ì Êf{ää°ää
Total Luxury: ,i ÕÛi >ÌiÊ- } >ÌÕÀiÊ >V > ÊÌ iÊ Üii Ê«À À]Ê `ÞÊÌÀi>Ì i ÌÊ vÊÞ ÕÀÊ V ViÊÌ iÊÜii Ê«À ÀÊ V Õ` }ÊÌ> }ÊÃiÃà ]Ê äÊ ÕÌiÃÊÀi >Ý>Ì Ê >ÃÃ>}iÊÌ iÊÜii Ê vÊÞ ÕÀÊÜi`` }]Ê > ÀÊ> `Ê > iÊÕ«ÊÌÀ > Ê> `ÊÜi`` }Ê `>ÞÊÃiÀÛ ViÃÊ Ê V>Ì Êfxää°ää À `> Ê«>V >}iÃÊV> ÊLiÊVÕÃÌ âi`ÊÌ Ê Ì iÊLÀ `i½ÃÊ«iÀà > Ê ii`Ã°Ê Ê > ÀÊ> `Ê > iÕ«ÊV> ÊLiÊ` iÊ Ê V>Ì °
C`Q DbUQd]U^dc 6_b DXU 2bYTU
UÊ >V > ÃÊEÊ- Ê/Ài>Ì i ÌÃ UÊ `ÞÊ/Ài>Ì i ÌÃ
UÊ `ÞÊ-VÀÕLÃÊEÊ/> } UÊ >ÃÃ>}iÃ
=U^e _V CUbfYSUc*
UÊ >ÃiÀÊ > ÀÊ,i Û> UÊ VÀ `iÀ >LÀ>à UÊ i V> Ê*ii à UÊ,iÃÌ> Þ i UÊ,>` iÃÃi
UÊ ÕÛi`iÀ UÊ Ì Ý UÊ iÃ Ì iÀ>«Þ UÊ > ÀÊ,iÃÌ À>Ì UÊ `Ê Ài
6_b =_bU 9^V_b]QdY_^ 912.262.1039 January/February 2010 49
Written by Bob Dart Photographed by Russell Holloway 50 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
OMG, Murphy’s Tavern closed?
The late James Allen Lafferty Sr. – known as Pops to a generation of Murphy’s regulars – would be spinning in his grave. That is, of course, if he were in a grave. Pop’s ashes are located in an engraved brass box behind the bar at the venerable pub in the St. Simons Village. Amid the familiar surroundings and kindred spirits of Murphy’s is where Pops wanted his earthly remains to, well, remain for eternity. “We’ve had weddings and funerals in front of the fireplace and some divorces that started here,” recalls Randy Powell, a Murphy’s bartender since 1981. “But this is the first time we’ve been closed in 35 years” except on Sundays and a few holidays. Sparked by an ownership rift and a snit over a liquor license, the temporary shutdown began only days before the November Saturday when Murphy’s was set to celebrate its 35th anniversary with a trademark party and entertainment by Vic Waters, the McIntosh County troubadour who performed when the doors first opened in 1974. However short-lived, the closing created consternation of historic proportion. “After this (unwanted) hiatus, I won’t take Murphy’s for granted again,” says Nancy Thomason, owner of the used book store in the Village and a patron who measures her Murphy’s devotion in decades. “I can’t wait for it to reopen.” Thomason, Bill Diehl, the late novelist, and Virginia Gunn, Diehl’s wife and an Atlanta TV personality before moving to St. Simons, gathered with other Murphy’s activist patrons in the bar’s
library some years ago to plot the political strategy that stopped the proposed beach renewal project. “We had many meetings in Murphy’s,” Thomason says. “And we saved the county millions and millions of dollars.” Oh yes, Murphy’s Tavern has a library. The musty hardcover books have titles ranging from “Modern College Physics” to “Writer’s Market 1991.” The bookshelves are in a front corner, across from a pool table. Sometimes folks do come in, plop down in a rocking chair or maybe the barber chair, and read awhile while imbibing, says Powell. Again oh yes, Murphy’s also has a barber’s chair and even a striped barber’s pole. And at least one haircut was administered there – the 2008 scissoring of a “mullet” that extended down to the middle of a bartender’s back. The seed of the ceremonial shearing
was sown one afternoon when regulars were giving him a hard time about the mullet, says Powell. He figured he would shut them up by offering to cut it off if they would raise $1,000 for charity. The coiffure critics began immediately tossing in bucks that would eventually total more than $2,000 for the Hospice of Glynn. The bartender even contributed the lost mullet to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for chemotherapy patients. Many of the books in the library were donated by Ness Jarvis, one of a half dozen or so owners who have operated the tavern under its original name since it was opened by Mike Murphy. Mikey Owens, a former Murphy’s bartender, says Jarvis and his wife were sailing on the Intracoastal Waterway when they docked in Glynn County and dropped into Murphy’s for a few drinks. They liked the place so much that they ended up buying it. The nautical themes in Murphy’s are credited to Jarvis. There is a figurehead from an old sailing ship in the entranceway, near where the bouncer checks IDs, and another wearing strings of beads behind the bar. There are paintings of ships. But there is also a boomerang on one wall, an African-looking mask, a tomahawk signed by former Atlanta Brave Sid Bream, stained glass panes and a schoolchild’s crayon depiction of Old Glory. So it’s probably most accurate to describe the decor of Murphy’s as “eclectic.” However, “functional” might also be an apt adjective since the furnishings include pool tables and a dart board that are not just decorations. “Keith Jennings was a good pool player,” recalls Nancy Thomason. He was also a pretty fair sculptor whose works include the whale in Neptune Park and the “tree spirits” on several Island oaks. Jennings, who has since moved to North Carolina, was known to sketch his ideas in Murphy’s during his frequent visits. “Murphy’s is the Island’s ‘Cheers’ bar,” says Thomason. “It’s where everyone knows you and takes care of you and worries with you.” There have been countless fundraisers over the decades. When a regular’s mother was killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11, a collection was quickly taken up to pay her way to New York City to handle arrangements, Powell says. “There was a beautiful bash” to honor A.J. Keller, a fireman who frequented Murphy’s, says Thomason. “The place Aaron Reise presides over an eclectic collection of esoterica, and a wellstocked bar. January/February 2010 51
was packed and the fire trucks drove by and honked.” An early and considerably less solemn fundraiser was held to send George Oddo, an entertainer who performed at Murphy’s, to appear on “The Gong Show” on TV. He lost but avoided being gonged. Oldtimers remember when Murphy’s had live bands and a dance floor. There was also a live rattlesnake in a glass case behind the bar, says Harry Aiken, now the bartender at Palm Coast Coffee and Pub in the Village. George Oddo would host dance contests. Aiken says his mother would enter. “It was embarrassing,” he says with a laugh. “I didn’t want my mother up there dancing the Watusi or whatever.” The regulars agree that Murphy’s has always been a multi-generation watering hole.
Vida McMinn in the library of Murphy’s. She and husband Kimbo are regulars.
“We’ve been getting in children of some long-time customers for quite awhile,” says Powell. “Now we’re starting to get grandchildren of people we served back in the day.” The crowd changes as the day progresses. The early afternoon retirees give way to the folks who stop by on their way home from work. Then the early evening group changes to the youngest patrons who drift in at midnight or so – many after working at island restaurants and bars that close earlier. The TVs feature football and baseball games in the evenings, of course, but the afternoon viewers have been known to watch cooking shows from their barstools and to argue about recipes. Although some of the same songs of the 1960s and ‘70s have been played ever since Murphy’s opened, the sound system has evolved. Now the music comes from iPods and satellite radio, Powell says. Before that, the bar had a collection 52 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
of about 2,500 CDs and before that a similarly sized collection of cassettes. And at the start, there were vinyl records. Way back then, the cash register couldn’t be completely closed when a sale was made because slamming the drawer would make the needle skip on the record on the turntable. “Cash register” has always been the correct term because Murphy’s has never taken credit cards nor allowed patrons to run up tabs. In a nod to the 21st Century, however, there is an ATM machine on the premises now. There have been many nights to remember and even more to forget at Murphy’s. The Indigo Girls were unexpected guests at a previous anniversary gathering, brought in by their friend, folksinger and Glynn County native Caroline Aiken. On winter evenings, the smell of burning oak and hickory logs from Murphy’s fireplace wafts over the Village. But even Murphy’s most devoted fans aren’t anxious to have their names on a plaque on the fireplace. Those spots are for patrons who have passed away. However, hundreds of patrons have paid to have their names or messages inscribed on metal plates affixed to the bar and on nearby paneling. “It took 31 years to find you. It will take a lifetime to let you go,” one romantic wrote. “He nailed her but she screwed him in the end,” husband and wife carpenters put on their metal plate. “SuSu and Big Driver” wrote “Engaged 2-night. 12-2-00.” And some apparently well-endowed siblings from the South left this greeting: “The Boob Sisters Say ‘Hey Y’all’.” For a quarter century, the last Saturday in September has been “Big Chill” night a Murphy’s – the theme of a reunion inspired by the movie of the same name. “It’s the night we give back to locals,” explains Powell. Murphy’s customers from over the decades all come back to celebrate the past and begin the future with a rollicking good time.
The barber’s chair at Murphy’s, scene of at least one actual haircut. Below, the bar of fame.
Those are nights to cherish what is best about Murphy’s. People go away for 20 years and come back in and look around and sit down at the bar and pay cash for a beer. They sip and they marvel. “They say, ‘This place is the same’,” says the bartender. “They say, ‘Everything else on the Island has changed but Murphy’s is the same’.” G
-+$ +-/1&!&$ -.1(-,0 4-2 1/201 %/-+ 1'$ .$-.*$ 4-2 1/201 1 (+-, 0 0*!,# (,!,"(!* $,1$/ /$#$/("! -!# 1 (+-, 0 0*!,#
BRIDAL PORTRAIT FRAMING
Main Street Frame Shop Gift Certificates Available
/2,03(") (,!,"(!* $,1$/ *4,, 0*$ /2,03(")
$**
1403 Newcastle Street â&#x20AC;¢ Downtown
262-0050
"& &$ #
â&#x20AC;¢Dance Floors â&#x20AC;¢Staging â&#x20AC;¢Furniture â&#x20AC;¢Restrooms â&#x20AC;¢Lighting/Decor â&#x20AC;¢Catering Supplies
SEA ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHY
â&#x20AC;¢Tents â&#x20AC;¢Tables â&#x20AC;¢Chairs â&#x20AC;¢Linens â&#x20AC;¢China â&#x20AC;¢Flatware
#% !# & %$ # # % # & # #&$% ! ( #
$ $& % % # % !!# ' )
www.BeachviewTentRentals.com
912.280.9020 Brunswick & Jacksonville January/February 2010 53
Story by Bob
Dart Photos by Joe Loehle
Part II: Family and Blood
I
n the week leading up to that bloody Saturday in August, there was new hope in the crowded single-wide on Lot 147 of the New Hope Plantation Mobile Home Park. Guy Heinze Sr. believed that he had come into a $25,000 windfall. Of course, he intended to share it with the eight friends that he considered family and who lived with him in the three-bedroom mobile home where the $450-a-month rent was several payments in arrears. They planned to start anew and earn livings on a resurrected shrimp boat. “They had never had nothing before so they had high hopes,” says Randy Dick, a family friend. “Those were the happiest people in the world that died that night.” Their brutal demise spawned newspaper headlines and TV bulletins around the world. Eight residents were beaten to death in a peaceful mobile home park beneath moss-draped live oaks and beside saltwater marshes on the Georgia coast, along U.S. Highway 17 between Brunswick and Darien. The only survivor was the three-year-old son of one of the victims and he was gravely injured himself. The deaths were reported by a sometimes tenth resident of the faded blue single-wide with a wooden front porch. Guy Heinze Jr. had been kicked out for using his earnings from a construction job to buy drugs rather than contributing to the combined expenses in their ramshackle home, according to family and friends. But around 8:18 a.m. on that Saturday, the junior Heinze – dubbed “Little Guy” by his family – came running to a neighbor’s house trailer screaming that he had just returned home and found the battered bodies. The neighbor phoned 911 and put him on the line. Several minutes into the call, the dispatcher supervisor asks him, “When you came in ... what did the house look like?” “It looks like a (expletive) murder scene,” he replies. “... My whole family’s dead.” The tears were not yet dry when this family tragedy took a nearly unthinkable twist. Police say Guy Heinze Jr. told them that he had consumed crack cocaine, marijuana and hydrocodone – a prescription painkiller marketed under brand names such as Vicodin and Dicodid – only hours before discovering the bodies. Within days of the massacre, the 22-year-old construction worker was arrested and accused of savagely beating his father and lifelong friends to death. He has denied involvement and is now in jail awaiting trial. His lawyers turned down requests for an interview.
54 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those were the happiest people in the world that died that night.â&#x20AC;? Randy Dick, a family friend
Randy Dick on the front porch of his Darien home with Precious, the one constant in his life. The dog has been with him through three divorces, he says.
New Hope
The Story Behind the Headlines January/February 2010 55
Randy Dick says this older son of Guy Heinze Sr. knew that his daddy was expecting a $25,000 settlement from a legal dispute. The anticipated payment had been delayed by a last-minute appeal of a magistrate’s ruling, the family friend says. “Little Guy didn’t know about the appeal,” says Randy, who worked with both Heinzes and Russell Toler Sr. at the Aquafine Aero-Instant Drying Services plant before they were all laid off, and who often visited at their home.
~
This is a complicated story of friendship so close that it became kinship, and of kindness that may have been repaid with unspeakable cruelty. Although the New Hope Plantation Mobile Home Park is located in Glynn County, the roots of the family saga that ended there are planted in the sandy soil of northwestern McIntosh County. The Heinze and Toler families lived in this hardscrabble region of piney woods and Pentecostal churches. The Tolers were natives. The Heinzes moved down from Illinois around four decades ago. The eldest Rusty Toler worked on a dredge boat. Bill Heinze was a cook in Brunswick. Their sons, the younger Rusty Toler and Guy Heinze Sr. were fast friends since elementary school. “My brother and Guy were inseparable,” says Alva Toler Cross. “That’s why they died together.” When the boys were about 12, Guy had some problems with his father and moved
56 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
in with the Tolers. He stayed from then on. Rusty, Alva and the other Toler siblings considered him a member of the family. Both would become hard-working adults and loving parents and see their marriages break up, but Rusty and Guy would live together, off and on, for the rest of their lives. They are bound by spirit if not biology, explains Alva, who now lives in Peoria, Arizona. She says she lost two brothers in the massacre – Rusty Toler, 45, and Guy Heinze Sr., 44. She also lost a sister, Brenda Gail Toler Falagan, 49; two nephews, Russell Toler Jr., 20, and Michael Toler, 19; two nieces, Chrissy Toler, 22, and Michelle Toler, 15. Another victim, 30-year-old Joe West, was Chrissy’s boyfriend. The only survivor was Alva’s greatnephew, Byron Jimmerson, the three-year-old son of Chrissy. The toddler survived being attacked with a blunt instrument and was placed in a foster home after being released from a hospital in Savannah. The families are from the community in McIntosh County known as Townsend. It is different geographically and culturally from coastal Darien, the historic, scenic county seat, which has long relied upon shrimping as its major industry and became a tourist stop when U.S. 17 was a major artery for Yankee tourists headed to Florida. Townsend is inland and west of I-95, which bypasses Darien and now speeds the northern tourists and their dollars to the Sunshine State. Nearly one in five of McIntosh County’s 11,500 or so residents has an income below the federal poverty level.
“My two girls I love so much to the day I die,” says an inscription Diane Davis Isenhour, far right, wrote on the back of a photograph of her daughters Chrissy Toler, above with son Byron Jimmerson Jr., and Michelle Toler, near right.
JL c FLAIM=K c $=O=DJQ
Townsend is one of the poorer patches of a poor county. It was not always so. Sawmills once flourished in the area and a railroad passed through Townsend with trains loading lumber, pulpwood and turpentine and unloading passengers and mail. But Townsendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heyday is more than half a century past and trains no longer go there. Alva Toler left, too, for school at Vidalia. She studied hard and became a registered nurse. After graduation, she got a job at the Medical Arts Nursing Home near the hospital in Brunswick and a mobile home in McIntosh County where she lived with her young son. Working the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift at the nursing home, she met and befriended Linda Gail Youmans, a nursing assistant from Brantley County who was studying to become a registered nurse herself. Linda moved in with Alva. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were best friends,â&#x20AC;? recalls Alva. She introduced Linda to Guy Heinze Sr., whom she considered a brother. Linda and Guy began dating, married and moved into their own place around 1986. Not long afterward, they had a son â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Guy Heinze Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was there when she had him â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the delivery room at the Brunswick hospital,â&#x20AC;? says Alva. About this time, Guy Heinze Sr. was working at a service station and a truck tire exploded by his head. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It broke every bone in his face,â&#x20AC;? says Alva. Linda helped nurse him back to health. Afterward, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Guyâ&#x20AC;? went to truck driving school and began steering big rigs across the country. Meanwhile, Alva married an Army man and moved to Germany when he was stationed there. For awhile, Alva kept in close touch with Linda and they would get together and take their children to the beaches on St. Simons or Jekyll when she made visits home.
Sam Tate Antiques Thursday - Saturday â&#x20AC;˘ 10-5PM 1811 Frederica Rd. 638-1811
(OUSES s #OMMERCIAL "UILDINGS s $RIVEWAYS s 3IDEWALKS -ORE
Squeaky Kleen
Pressure Washing & Window Cleaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not clean until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Squeaky Kleenâ&#x20AC;? &REE %STIMATES s 7ORK 'UARANTEED s January/February 2010 57
Rusty Toler Sr. and his sister, Brenda Gail Falagan, are shown outside their home in this undated photo. Toler’s door was always open to family and friends.
UÊ/À>VÌ Ê> `Ê« ÜiÀÊ Ìià UÊ ÌiÊLÕ}} ià UÊ ÌiL >À` }Ê}i>À Join us on the beach for a free demo
}ÕÃÊ > «Li
ÜÜÜ°V >ÃÌ> Ü `ë ÀÌðV
912-265-1149
But Linda “fell in with a bad crowd” and began drinking excessively and taking drugs, Alva says. On one trip home, Alva picked up Linda from a rehab center. Linda and Guy had a second son – Tyler – but their marriage was strained and they separated. “He told her that he was leaving unless she got rid of the drugs and alcohol,” Alva says. But as a long distance driver, Guy Heinze Sr. was often an absent father. Linda Gail Youmans Heinze died in November of 2004 in Brunswick. She was only 37 years old. Guy Jr. and Tyler went to live with their maternal grandmother, Jean Usher, in Snow Camp, N.C., an unincorporated rural community in southern Alamance County, about 30 miles west of Chapel Hill. Local lore has it that the town’s name came from Lord Cornwallis, the British commanding general, who camped there during a snowfall in the American Revolution. The settlement historically had a sizable Quaker population. Family members and friends say the grandmother couldn’t handle her temperamental, hard-living grandson, Little Guy, and eventually sent the boys back to Georgia. An Alamance County deputy says the only record he could find of Guy Heinze Jr. was that he once reported a car had been stolen but it actually had been repossessed. “It wasn’t even his car,” the deputy says. Both Little Guy and Tyler, now 16 and a student at Glynn Academy in Brunswick, would stay sometimes in the single wide on Lot 147 in the New Hope Plantation Mobile Home Park, friends say.
~ The mobile home was rented by Rusty Toler Sr., who had worked for 20 years at the nearby Aquafine plant. Although barely able to read or write, he had risen to become a foreman through his dedication and effort. Joe Iannicelli, who owns both the plant and the mobile home park, recalls that “he would do any job that you gave him.” Toler was also a generous man who took in friends and family when they needed a place to live. So, at the time of his death, his 58 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
single-wide housed his lifelong friend, Guy Heinze Sr., his four children, his daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boyfriend and son, and his sister â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as well as often Heinzeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older son, Little Guy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was always food in a pot on the stove and whoever came in was always invited to eat,â&#x20AC;? says Randy Dick, who worked at the Aquafine plant, too. A kitchen and living room divided the mobile home which had a master bedroom at one end and two smaller ones at the other. There were two bathrooms. It was a homey, if crowded place, with school pictures of the children on the walls and a Jurassic Park comforter on the bed in one of the smaller bedrooms. There was a set of weights used by Michael Toler, who had Down Syndrome but was proud of his strength. Byronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toys were there and Michelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school books and spiral notebooks and plastic laundry baskets and Disney and Nascar T-shirts and a gold plastic cup commemorating â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Best Fair Yet.â&#x20AC;? They were simple, nice, hard-working folks, says Randy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have good memories of all of them.â&#x20AC;? But Little Guy could disrupt the harmony. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had a bad temper around my youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;uns,â&#x20AC;? says Diane Davis Isenhour, the former wife of Rusty Toler and mother of four of the murder victims. She calls Guy Heinze Jr. a â&#x20AC;&#x153;monsterâ&#x20AC;? and recalls pleading with her ex-husband not to let him live with them. The Aquafine work crew was close-knit but Little Guy, who occasionally worked at the plant, was moody and kept to himself. Everyone knew about his drug use. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He would say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going out to score some stuffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? recalls Randy Dick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shy about it.â&#x20AC;? A maintenance worker and mechanic, Randy Dick had been close to the Toler and Heinze families for years. Guy Heinze Sr. owned a two-bedroom, 14-feet by 70-feet, single-wide mobile home that he kept in a private park behind a woodshed on U.S. Highway 99 in McIntosh County. When he fell behind in the lot rent and property taxes, Randy paid the money and moved into the house trailer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all stuck together,â&#x20AC;? he says. After awhile, he moved out and the rent went unpaid again. The property owner sold the mobile home parked on his lot without legally owning it, Randy says. The buyer â&#x20AC;&#x153;tore up the insideâ&#x20AC;? with
AIRCRAFT CHARTER These airplanes are now available for charter at the St. Simons McKinnon airport.
King Air B200
For Information And Quotes Call
AVIATION SOUTH, INC.
912.634.3890
Cessna Citation Mustang
Banquets, Weddings & Events
Consider Oak Grove Island for a great event experience. We have a Professional staff ready to help you with all the details. We have a range of services and partners to ensure your event is a grand success. Oak Grove Island boasts a 5,000 square foot facility, large enough for any occasion. A Full-Service professional catering staff will pamper you with semi-formal to formal dining packages, and we offer dramatic sunset staging complete with a backdrop of the golf course.
Have your special occasion, corporate meeting, club gathering, or reunion at Oak Grove Island, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ensure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a success! We can help with any banquet or special meeting needs you may have.
6ISIT /UR 7EBSITE !T WWW OAKGROVEISLANDGOLF COM s #LIPPER "AY s "RUNSWICK '! January/February 2010 59
plans to renovate. Guy Heinze Sr. claimed damages and took the case to court in McIntosh County. Randy was the chief witness when they went before a magistrate. The senior Heinze was awarded $25,000, but the property owner appealed, according to the chief witness. With Rusty Toler Sr. laid off from the Aquafine plant, he and the other occupants of the mobile home welcomed this settlement as a Godsend. They had the disputed mobile home in McIntosh County jacked up and ready to move and to live in. And they had plans to rent another mobile home to give everyone more room, says Randy.
They were repairing a shrimp boat owned by the family of Joe West – Chrissy’s boyfriend – and planning to get into the seafood business. They already had a retooled generator for the boat. Rusty Toler Sr. expected to be hired back at the Aquafine plant soon. In the days before their deaths, says Randy, “they were excited” about their future.
~
The future of Guy Heinze Jr. – who faces the death penalty if convicted – depends in large part now on two men united only by
Photo by Decatur Herald & Review Defense Attorney Joseph W. Vigneri, above, and Glynn County Police Officer Bill Daras, right, are working opposite sides of the New Hope murder investigation, but agree on one point: Neither will discuss the case.
Relaxing...Generation by Generation. For generations, gracious hospitality and glorious history have been hand in hand at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel–at the center of Jekyll Island’s fabled Historic District. 157 guest rooms and suites, all complemented by unique beautiful courtyards, gardens and abundant recreation, await you. Dining catered to your tastes. From casual to grand. Alfresco dining at the Courtyard at Crane, the Grand Dining Room in the main hotel offers an eloquent surrounding offering breakfast, lunch & dinner and legendary Sunday brunch, and Café Solterra our bakery/delicatessen.
371 Riverview Drive ~ Jekyll Island, GA 31527 800.535.9547 / 912.635.2600 ~ jekyllclub.com ~ jiclub.mobi 60 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
!"#$%&"'(!%$)*# !"(+,)&"'+ !"#$%!"&'#()*#'+%( ,$*#%($-'.(/*/(0"#$%!
their refusal to discuss his case. Glynn County Police Officer Bill Daras, 39, is the chief investigator. Joseph W. Vigneri, 51, a senior staff attorney for the Georgia Capital Defender Project, is one of the suspect’s two defense lawyers. They will likely face each other in a courtroom when Daras takes the witness stand to testify about the evidence against the accused mass murderer. Daras was born and reared in Miami and was trained in law enforcement as a military policeman or MP during his seven years in the U.S. Army. Stationed in Germany, he watched the Berlin Wall come down. “Being an MP was an easy choice for me,” he says. “I always liked law enforcement and had neighbors and friends of my parents who were in law enforcement so I always had a positive experience with cops. It seemed like a natural transition from military to civilian law enforcement.” After his Army discharge, he worked for the Macon police department. “I came to Glynn County because the pay was better and the community was nicer,” he says. “I like being near the water. Missed it from my days growing up in Miami.” He is single and has no children. During his five years on the Glynn County force, he has often investigated crimes against children and sex crimes. Daras declines to talk about this case. “I would rather not comment on Mr. Heinze Jr.,” he says in an e-mailed response to questions. “All the information you requested will be brought up in the criminal trial and is best kept in the investigation.” Vigneri refuses to answer questions even about himself. A veteran criminal defense lawyer who has long sought capital cases, he moved to Georgia from Decatur, Ill., in 2007. Before moving to Atlanta, he described his new
job to the Decatur Herald & Review in Illinois. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In any case in which the prosecution announces it intends to seek the death penalty, our office goes in and handles the case from start to finish,â&#x20AC;? Vigneri explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Georgia, there are hundreds of death penalty cases.â&#x20AC;? The stakes are perhaps higher here than in his former job. Illinois has had a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 2002 while executions have continued in Georgia. Vigneri told the newspaper that he is philosophically suited to defend the accused. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are some innocent people out there, more than youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d think,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a prosecutor, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have had trouble prosecuting innocent people. As a defense lawyer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not me getting them off, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a jury.â&#x20AC;? He likes his work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day, there is something new. You get presented with a big mess and try to sort it out. You take things that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense and try to make sense of them,â&#x20AC;? he told the newspaper. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trying to convince 12 people on a jury to think your way is tough.â&#x20AC;?
~ From the bars in the Village on St. Simons Island to the Church of God pews in Townsend, the folks of Glynn and McIntosh counties gossip about the crime. They wonder how one man, wielding perhaps a claw hammer, could kill all those others in a trailer without someone escaping or fighting back enough to leave tell-tale marks on the attacker. It will all come out in the trial, they figure. They await the next chapter in this saga of family and blood. G Bob Dart retired as a national correspondent in the Washington Bureau of Cox Newspapers. He has moved home to Glynn County where he grew up. His book, a collection of his stories about the South entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Downhome: Dispatches From Dixie,â&#x20AC;? is available at Hattieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bookstore in Brunswick and Nicoleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Haircuts in the St. Simons Island Village.
'LYNCO 0ARKWAY s "RUNSWICK '! s #AMDEN /FlCE $AN 0ROCTOR $RIVE 3UITE 3AINT -ARYS '! s
WWW HOSPICE ME s
HOPE SUPPORTS THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RELAY FOR LIFE
SHARE THE RELAY FOR LIFE EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU JOIN HOSPICE IN SUPPORTING THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
April 23, 2010
Exchange Club of Brunswick, Brunswick, GA For more information, contact Caroline Talley at Hospice of the Golden Isles, (912) 265-4735, Cell (912) 506-3924 or carolinetalley@hospice.me.
January/February 2010 61
AWAY
T
California: Whirlwind and Wine
There is little hesitation. When my parents say they are heading to California for a week-long vacation, I don’t even ask if I can go. I merely declare that I will be tagging along. When I learn the itinerary, I am all that more thrilled. We will not spend our time in the state’s bustling cities. Instead, we will visit the republic’s true gems, tapping into what makes California so special: its wonders of natural scenery and world of wine. Our seven-day journey takes us through Kings Canyon National Park, the Sequoia National Forest, a quick jaunt through Yosemite and then over for a few days in the lush Napa Valley. The trip starts when we touch down in San Francisco and drive to Los Baños (yes, The Bathroom). It is here, in the tucked away Bathroom, that we uncover a spot that will be a topic of conversation throughout the trip. From the outside, Woolgrowers is nothing much to speak of. Just a hole-inthe wall diner of sorts. Even once inside, I have my reservations about eating here. Then the waitress brings out a jug of water and a jug of wine and starts piling dish
62 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
By Anna Ferguson
after dish onto our table, and I am set that this Basque restaurant, with its family-style service, is all but perfect. The goodness doesn’t end with this first meal. Turns out, this is just the starting point. Full and grinning, we get back in the car, and continue on our whirlwind. I’m warned that the region we’re trekking will be chilly this time of year.
Well, that is a big lie. We enter a rare heat wave, with temperatures reaching 107 degrees many afternoons. It’s a dry heat, sure, but an oven nonetheless. Slowed slightly by this unexpected heat wave, we make our way through day after day of touring. In Kings Canyon and the neighboring Sequoia National Forest, I find panoramic views of outstanding proportion. Thanks to my new friends at Big Meadows Horse Corral in the national forest, we are able to experience the woods by the gentle stride of a horse. It is here that we also meet Judy and Charles Mills, owners of the corral. It is thanks to this couple that I taste a drop of my far away Southern culture, right there in the hills of California: Mrs. Mills’ Famous Sweet Tea. “Most folks here don’t even know how to make sweet tea,” Judy Mills tells me. “But I’m from Texas. We sure do have sweet tea there.” After downing our tea in a flash, the romp through Kings Canyon and Sequoia is over. In a split-second decision, we steer our car toward Yosemite National Park, making a regrettably short but nonetheless breathtaking twilight drive through the
acclaimed park. If you have never seen Yosemite at sunset, do. It is a natural beauty beyond comprehension, as if God and Mother Nature shared a paintbrush and a vision, collaborating to create a living landscape portrait. By this point in the ever-moving vacation, the three of us are feeling a bit tired. Will we ever slow down? A mere three days have passed, and already we have seen two national parks, a national forest, been horseback riding, hiking, driven hundreds of miles, and even discovered a random but delicious epicurean roadside delight: Jerky 4 U. It doesn’t sound all that exciting, but trust me, the buffalo jerky could turn a vegetarian into a pure meat-head. This jerky stand pops into view as a mirage-like miracle. Right when our stomachs are growling to the point of no return, here is this roadside stand, selling gourmet jerky of all variety. This stand not only fills my aching belly, it marks the quick twist of events in our trip. No more will we stomp through the woods, spending hours hiking and driving through scenes of unparalleled beauty. We are on to phase two: rest and relaxation by way of the Napa Valley. I must admit here to you readers that when we drive into Napa, I am initially disappointed. My expectations for this valley are high, and when all I see is cookie-cutter suburban sights, I am upset. I did not come all this way to see Walmart, Home Depot and IHop. Where are my picturesque scenes and sights?
I find them soon enough. Taking an evening stroll through downtown Napa, away from the strip of residential areas, I run into the lovely Bounty Hunter winery and restaurant. This cowboy-like joint offers large varieties of affordable local wines, and we are able to try out three flights for less than $20. Granted, we take advantage of coupons offered at our bedand-breakfast, a tip that any Napa visitor should know. It quickly becomes clear that Napa is highly diverse and far from pretentious, which had been my fear. From people to places, the valley exudes small-town appeal and fervor. That’s a fact I learn first while browsing the Napa Farmer’s Market and later, while aboard the Wine Train. Open early every Tuesday and Saturday, the farmer’s market has everything a shopper dreams of, including my favorite: free samples. I fill up on bites of locally harvested apricots and apples, nectarines and cherries, finally opening my wallet to purchase a beautifully crafted from vintage brocade ring, and a few organic cotton T-shirts for my 2-yearold niece, Kate. Diversity and a great overview of Napa can also be found on The Wine Train. This staple tour provides a slow ride aboard a cushy passenger train, traveling through the valley to show off all the area has to offer in one long overview. It too offers riders a gourmet lunch and tastings of wines both local and not. I sample varieties I have never
January/February 2010 63
The College of Coastal Georgia, in partnership with Collette Vacations, will host a tour of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine Country in April. Stops include the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods National Monument where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see 1,000-year-old redwoods, and the Sonoma and Napa valleys. Vinyard tours will include the Kendall Jackson Wine Center at Santa Rosa and Bodega Bay. For more information, call the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for Professional Development and Life Long Learning at 279-5777.
For a
Once In A Lifetime
Event...
CBORVFUT DBUFSJOH TQFDJBM FWFOUT HJWF VT B DBMM BU /FXDBTUMF 4U t %PXOUPXO #SVOTXJDL 64 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
had or even heard of before, and find a few samplings I would love to try again. Wine educator Cheryl Stotler deserves a medal for her patience with all the non-aficianados on the train. The same sense of expertise can be found at many of the valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abundant assortment of wineries. My favorite is Alpha Omega, a small vineyard with an unexpectedly robust variety of wines. Though known as Wine Country, Napa is also home to several impressive local breweries, such as Calistoga Brewery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The breweries are where the wine makers go in to let loose,â&#x20AC;? jokes Brad Smisloss, brew master of Calistoga Inn and Brewery. Sitting at the airport as I wait to board my flight home, I can only replay in my head the amazing moments and scenes from the amazing past few days. What is the best moment, the true highlight? Is it the hiking and the horses? Or the wining and dining? Is it the marvelous lamb stew from Woolgrowers, or the tantalizing tapas from Zuzu in Napa? Is it the hefeweizen brewed at Napaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Downtown Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burger joint, or the waterfall pouring from the ridges at Yosemite? I honestly cannot decide. I leave California with a head full of unforgettable memories, a heart brimming with joy and a camera loaded with simply breathtaking snapshots. That, and a suitcase full of jerky. G
Anna Ferguson is a former news reporter for The Brunswick News. She spent six years in all reporting on a variety of topics, from hard news to travel and food. She is now enrolled at the University of Georgia in Athens as a journalism graduate student.
Continued from page 37
Special Advertising Feature
ISIPS BUILT ARCHITECTURE
“In today’s cost conscious market, we have to make designing and building higher quality residences a more efficient and lower cost process,” explains Bostic. iSips BUILT has affiliated with Frank Betz Associates, Inc. to develop a library of customizable architectural plans for homes in the $200,000-$500,000 range. For custom home clients, iSips BUILT is also a resource for architecture through affiliations with top local and regional architects such as Thad Truett, AIA in St. Simons and Wissmach Architects in Savannah for homes in the $1 millions and up range.
ISIPS BUILT COMMUNITIES
Through the iSips Communities division, the company represents leading coastal residential developments to match potential buyers with the neighborhood that meets their needs, wants and desires. When prospective buyers enter the iSips BUILT Home Innovation Store, they will be assisted by an experienced project manager that will help them choose a neighborhood, select a house plan and coordinate the design and build process that can have them in the home of their dreams in as few as three months. “We plan to provide local and regional real estate agents and their clients with better quality new residences at favorable costs as an option to the resale market. Our goal is to provide prospective buyers with better, faster and less costly residences,” said Bostic. A key factor in the lower cost of a residence in one of the iSips BUILT Communities is current land values priced from 33-60% less than just a year ago. “Coupled with the availability of a superior house, now is an ideal time for buyers who have been waiting to build a home,” Bostic said.
ISIPS BUILT COST COMPARISON
If you compare the cost of building two equal structures– one using conventional methods and one using iSips BUILT panels–the difference in the overall cost can be significantly lower with the iSips BUILT improved process. The building envelope typically accounts for approximately 15% of the cost of construction and the degree and quality of finish materials determines the majority of the cost. If conventional methods are used to build a home at the same quality level as an iSips BUILT home, the iSips BUILT home will cost less. In addition, there are other significant cost savings that will be realized using iSips BUILT systems including:
· On an ongoing basis, iSips BUILT construction is highly energy efficient and can lower utility costs by 50-70%
ISIPS BUILT CONSTRUCTION
With the iSips BUILT construction process, homeowners who contract with iSips BUILT will work with the design team to select all the materials for inside the home, including lifestyle products such as cabinetry, flooring, appliances, plumbing fixtures, windows & doors, tile, wall finishes and furnishings. Once the items are selected and received, they are placed in iSips BUILT containers and delivered to the job site in order to improve the speed and efficiency of construction. iSips BUILT works with licensed general contractors, training them in the iSips BUILT assembly process. To ease the burden of cost overruns typical in new construction, iSips BUILT provides a budget reflecting the total cost of the project including all interior products, systems and building materials. This level of up-front planning saves both cost and total time to complete the home. Once a budget is determined, iSips BUILT has relationships with financial organizations to assist in obtaining construction financing and mortgages. Founded on St. Simons Island, iSips BUILT plans to have a presence in 10 southeast resort markets over the next two to three years. “We are planning to build energy-efficient iSips BUILT homes and LEED certified villages in coastal areas in the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Florida,” said Bostic, “As the real estate market has radically changed, we have designed the Home Innovation Store to help the consumer find a great deal in a great community and provide them a better way to build the home of their dreams.”
For more information on iSipsBUILT or to tour the Bunkie, please contact us at 912-634-3300 visit www.isipsbuilt.com
· Cost overruns can be minimized by using the iSips BUILT quality process · Time to complete a home or building can be reduced 50% or more by reducing construction labor, material waste and financing costs
Visit our new showroom at 2304 Glynn Avenue in Brunswick. January/February 2010 65
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January - February EVENTS | OPPORTUNITIES | HAPPENINGS | GATHERINGS Jan. 12: The Canadian Tenors will perform an eclectic range of music in several languages in an 8 p.m. concert at the Glynn Academy Auditorium. Sponsored by the Brunswick Community Concert Association. Details: www.brunswickcommunityconcert.org
Jan. 26: The Island Concert Association presents a free live performance by New York chamber music group ETA3. This classical trio features Tomoko Nakayama on piano, Alexey Gorokholinsky on clarinet and Emily Thomas on flute. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Details: www.islandconcertassociation.org.
Jan. 3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31: Unfinished Dreams, a holiday comedy by Mary Miller, continues weekend performances on Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees at Art Downtown/ Mary Miller Theater in Brunswick through January. Advance tickets required. Details: www.artdowntowngallery209.com Jan. 8-10, 15-17, 22-24: The Island Players present Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution. A young married man spends several evenings with a rich older woman, who is later found dead. Performances at the St. Simons Island Casino Theatre, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m. Details: www.theislandplayers.com
Jan. 14: Mardi Gras and the music, people and food of New Orleans are the subject for Les Blank’s 1978 documentary Always for Pleasure, screening at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Brunswick at 7 p.m as a prelude to a special musical tribute to The Big Easy on Jan. 21. Details: www.goldenislesarts.org Jan. 21: The legendary New Orleans jazz and blues music of Pete Fountain will fill the Ritz Theatre when Chicago clarinet virtuoso Dave Bennett and his ensemble perform Dave Bennett’s New Orleans. Presented by Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association. Details: www.goldenislesarts.org
66 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
Feb. 5: It’s First Friday in Historic Downtown Brunswick. Participating retailers, galleries and restaurants stay open late, host live music and serve light hors d’oeuvres. The Not Brothers play at the Brunswick-Glynn County Library at 8 p.m. as part of this festive evening. Details: www.brunswickgeorgia.net Feb. 6 The 6th annual Cabaret fundraiser for the Coastal Symphony of Georgia takes place at The Cloister Ballroom on Sea Island, featuring fine dining, live entertainment, silent and live auctions of unique items and opportunities in a Jazz Age Cabaret Supper Club-themed evening. Details: www.coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org
Celebrate The Occasion...
THE
ON NEWCASTLE
Feb. 16: The Island Concert Association presents the Linden Duo in concert at St. Simons Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. Flutist Kimberly McCoul Risinger and guitarist Angelo L. Favis have been performing together since 1996. Details: www.islandconcertassociation.org
MARKET
Feb. 12-14: C.A.P.E. Theater presents a dinner theater show of Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy at Old City Hall in Downtown Brunswick. Ticket includes performance, dinner, wine, coffee and dessert. Details: www.capetheater.org
... With Celebration Candles!
Melissa Bagby, Proprietaire • Mons. Murphy, Chien de Maison
1624 Newcastle Street, Brunswick • 912.554.7909 Feb. 20: Chicago City Limits improv troupe brings an evening of comedy about the Internet and modern technology to the Ritz Theatre in Wikiphobia. Part of Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association’s Performing Arts Series. Details: www.goldenislesarts.org Feb. 22: The Coastal Symphony of Georgia presents American Soul. The concert includes Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Hon. Orion L. Douglass, and the Community Chorus lending vocals to the Symphony’s performance of Gospel Mass for Choir and Orchestra. Concert begins at 8 p.m. at Glynn Academy Auditorium. Details: www.coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org. Feb. 28: Nube, an ensemble that fuses contemporary Latin American and world music, performs live at the Glynn Academy Auditorium in a concert presented by the Brunswick Community Concert Association. Details: www.brunswickcommunityconcert.org
January/February 2010 67
BEST OF COASTAL ILLUSTRATED
3.
1.
2.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
13.
68 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
12.
11.
14.
15.
On Nov. 18, the Board of Directors of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) Glynn hosted the Annual Auxiliary Coffee at the Sea Island home of Betty Snellings. Approximately 90 members and guests enjoyed the array of wonderful food, beverages and camaraderie that accompanies this event. The guests also contributed nearly $2,200 in funds, toys and clothing for the Rainbow Room at the CASA Glynn offices in Brunswick. CASA volunteers use the Rainbow Room to supply hygiene items, new toys and clothing to the children they serve. Often children who are removed from their homes by the Juvenile Court come into CASA care without even these basic necessities. 1. From left, Caroline Sebrosky, Ann Marie Dalis and Betty Snellings 2. From left, Sue Cansler and Dana Parker 3. From left, Sally Schiwitz and Kathy Brown 4. From left, Barbara Jean Barta and Sheila Glaeser 5. From left, Judith Summers, Priscilla Miles, Nardis Kellar and Claudia Malone 6. From left, Merilea Creighton and Margie Harris
11. From left, Marjorie Gruber and Dorothy Lord 12. From left, Olivia Pitts and her grandmother, Buena Pitts, displaying her prize bracelet 13. 2009 Fashion Show Planning Committee members 14. Ceara Stalnaker in the show-stopping wedding gown 15. Models Trish Sherman, Onna Lee Willknow and Jackie Mull
A Local Firm With a Global Reach
Kristin Crawford and Ian Kaszans were married on Nov. 7 at Lovely Lane Chapel at Epworth By the Sea on St. Simons Island. A Bridesmaids’ Brunch was hosted by Jane Jacobs and Rosemary Maulden at Mrs. Jacobs’ home on Oak Grove Island. 7. From left, Edna Godwin, grandmother of the bride, Kristin Crawford and Diane Crawford, mother of the bride. 8. From left, Kristin Crawford, Rosemary Kaszans, mother of the groom, and Chloe Kaszans, sister of the groom. 9. From left, Kristin Crawford, Jane Jacobs and Rosemary Maulden 10. From left, young members of the wedding party: Verity, Leila and Fiona Sullivan with their mother, Cuffy. The American Cancer Society held its 10th Annual Breast Cancer Fashion Show and Luncheon on Oct. 23 at Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort on St. Simons Island. Lovely ladies who have survived breast cancer modeled fashions from Tamary’s, Moncrief’s of Frederica and Go Fish, and the event finished with a wedding gown from the Lady in White modeled by Ceara Stalnaker. Attendees who purchased special treasure boxes received wonderful gifts, with Buena Pitts receiving a Vitor Toniola bracelet from Designer’s Boutique.
Moore Stephens Tiller is a leading provider of accounting, business advisory and financial services in Georgia and the Southeast. While we are a regional firm, we can assist our clients’ national and international needs through our association with Moore Stephens North America and Moore Stephens International Limited. Our practice focuses primarily on five areas: s !CCOUNTING AND ASSURANCE s "USINESS ADVISORY PRACTICES services s 0ERSONAL lNANCIAL SERVICES s "USINESS INDIVIDUAL AND ESTATE s 2ETIREMENT PLAN ADMINISTRATION tax services
Brunswick • 1612 Newcastle St., Ste. 200 • 912 265-1750 St. Simons Island • 641 Ocean Blvd. • 912 638-7439 Atlanta • 780 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 325 • 404 256-1606 Gwinnett • 1960 Satellite Boulevard, Suite 3600 • 770 995-8800 January/February 2010 69
4TH OF MAY CAFÉ DOWNTOWN 1618 Newcastle St/Historic Downtown Brunswick (912) 262-5443 Classic Southern cuisine served in a warm and friendly environment in historic downtown Brunswick. Our menu includes a wide variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood, and of course our daily list of at least 8 different veggies. Plus, look forward to our farmer’s market veggie of the day. Stop in on Sunday to enjoy our brunch buffet and don’t forget to inquire about our catering and banquet services. BARBERITOS 250 Golden Isles Plaza/ Brunswick 509 Ocean Blvd / St. Simons Island (912) 261-2840 • (912) 634-2812 Barberitos proudly serves its patrons with Southwestern cuisine that is fresh and healthy! The produce arrives daily, yielding only fresh, homemade menu items to its customers including burritos, tacos, salads and more. Catering any event is our specialty! Two locations serve your area.
70 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
FOX’S PIZZA DEN 1435 Newcastle Street (912) 265-4490 There is only one like us and it’s downtown! Visit our retro atmosphere and enjoy hand-tossed crust topped with a large variety of fresh meats, veggies and cheeses. We also offer “Wedgie” sandwiches, strombolis, salads, wings and homemade lasagna. Great wine and cold beer! JMAC’S 407 Mallery Street/ St. Simons Island (912) 634 - 0403 The Best on the Georgia Coast since 1991! Regional dishes with a worldly flair. Seafood, steaks and chops incorporating the finest ingredients. Hawaiian Butterfish, New Zealand Lamb, Diver Sea Scallops, American Red Snapper, Coastal Georgia Shrimp & All Natural Beef. Creative & innovative nightly specials! Entrees $13-$32. Full Bar & extensive wine list. Casual attire welcomed. Reservations 912-634-0403. Mon Sat. 6-10pm. www.jmacsislandrestaurant.com. Live Music Friday & Saturday.
LATITUDE 31 1 Pier Road/Jekyll Island (912) 635-3800 At Latitude 31 you can enjoy radiant sunsets and experience the Golden Isles’ premier dining destination. We offer the best service and finest food, in a casual atmosphere. Experience the wonders of nature at The “Rah” Bar which features Georgia Wild Shrimp, Dungeness Crab, Oysters, and our Famous Low Country Boil. Additionally we offer seasonal entertainment. OLE TIMES COUNTRY BUFFET 665 Scranton Road/Brunswick (912) 264-1693 Ole’ Times Country Buffet is “Home Cookin’ the Way Mama Does It!” Voted #1 in Southern Cooking and Best Country Buffet in South Georgia and North Florida for the last 8 years running.
GOLDEN ISLES DINING
tee time Pine Lakes Oleander Indian Mound
where golf comes naturally
Great Dune
Tee off on Jekyll Island for the best golf value! Great Dunes All Day! $25
Internet Specials as low as $36
Weekends $49
JekyllIsland.com/golf Pine Lakes, Oleander, Indian Mound â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 912-635-2368. Great Dunes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 912-635-2170 Above rates are per person and include electric cart rental. Sales tax not included. Course availability subject to change, please call or go online for tee times.
Follow us on Twitter for daily deals: jekyllisland_golf@twitter.com
Three Oaks Carriage Co. Our well dressed, prompt drivers, beautiful carriages and majestic white horses await to bring elegance to your life through:
Please visit us at www.three-oaks.net or call 1-912-269-0623 for more information
s 7INTER 3LEIGH 2IDES s 3UNDAY #HURCH 4RANSPORT s 3T 3IMONS )SLAND 6ILLAGE !REA 4OURS s 2OMANTIC $INNER 4RANSPORT s 7EDDING 3ERVICES s %VENT (AY 2IDES s 0ROM !ND (OMECOMING s 0RINCESS "IRTHDAY 0ARTIES
January/February 2010 71
,AST #ALL
For a shot of glamour at your next party, start it with a Pomegranate Martini.
0OMEGRANATE -ARTINI Recipe courtesy of Straton Hall Catering Yield: Serves 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 Ingredients 2 ounces pomegranate juice 3 ounces Absolute Citron vodka OR white tequila 1 ounce Cointreau liquor Squeeze of lemon Instructions Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled martini glass. Put pomegranate seeds into glass as garnish.
72 GOLDENISLESMAGAZINE.COM
#ARING &OR 4HE .EXT Generation Eric C. Stout MD, PC Board Certified Pediatrician
s !STHMA s !LLERGIES !LLERGY 4ESTING s !$$ !$($ s #OUGH #OLDS s 7ELL #HILD #HECKUP s .EWBORN "ABY #ARE s $ERMATOLOGY 2ASHES
Flu Shots (Limited Supply) Preservative & Mercury Free*
Start Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Year Off Right. 0ERSONALIZED 0EDIATRIC #ARE s .EW 0ATIENTS 7ELCOME
Accepting Most Insurances
#OLD &LU 3EASON (AS !RRIVED
'ET #HECKED /UT IN /UR h4HEME 2OOMSv
!CCEPTING NEW PATIENTS #ALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
2500 Starling Street Suite 401, Brunswick
s WWW ERICSTOUTMD COM
!VAILABLE &OR -OST )NSURANCE 0OLICIES
!CCEPTING MOST )NSURANCES
Make breast care a routine for life.
SM
Sensitive and caring attention to breast care for women like you. The New Breast Care Center of Southeast Georgia Health System
Created as a comprehensive Breast Care Center, your comfort and care is our first concern. Our superb physicians, nurses and highly trained medical personnel are genuinely attentive to your well-being and care. From advanced imaging, including digital mammography, to highly sophisticated diagnostics and procedures, the Breast Care Center brings it all together...for you. Visit the new Southeast Georgia Health System Breast Care Center, in person or online at sghs.org. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like more information, please call us at 1-800-537-5142, extension 5202. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the right place, right from the beginning...Close to Home. If you have scheduled an appointment, we invite you to register online to make your visit more convenient.
Helping you make breast care a routine for life.
3TARLING 3TREET s "RUNSWICK '! s WWW SGHS ORG