Chatham Isles Living July August 2015

Whitemarsh, Oatland, Talahi, Wilmington

and Tybee

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1800 E.Victory Dr. Across From Whole Foods 912-349-7560 www.SeasonsOfJapan.com

OTHER LOCATIONS:

Savannah, GA-Abercorn • Savannah, GA-Berwick Pooler • Statesboro, GA • Brunswick, GA North Charleston, SC • Summerville, SC • Jacksonville, FL Irvine, CA • Berkeley, CA • Vernon Hills, IL

NOW OPEN 1800 E. VICTORY DRIVE Seasons Cafe is bringing fast casual Japanese cuisine to downtown Savannah!

Our new concept and style will give you the freedom to choose what you crave.

Thousands of different combinations await with freshly cooked ingredients so you can “make your own plate” and try a new combination each time you visit.

Now you can enjoy Seasons of Japan like never before!

NOW OPEN!

10 BARNARD ST 912-349-6230 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFO

Toshi Hirata Seasons of Japan, CEO

Your LIFE – Your WAY – The DREAM STARTS TODAY! Open House Daily 12-5pm

Upgrade Incentives of $5000 to $10,000 (limited for 60 days)

PHASE THREE

14 Homesites Remaining

PHASE ONE Sold Out!

PHASE TWO Sold Out!

Villa Time

Phase 3 –Final Release! (5 Lots presold)

Location, Design, Amenities, Value and lifestyle draw residents to this Townhome community ! every day. They can enjoy the peaceful sound of a water fountain or the warmth of a fire pit surrounded by lush landscaping and a flowering arbor while entertaining with friends over a glass of wine or beverage. It is a place to live with friends and make new friends. It is a place for lasting times and memories. A place to live well!

A founder of Epcon, Phil Fankhauser, designed the homes to provide natural light and sunshine to These 2 to 3 bedroom Villas, the Classic Courtyard community for Active Adults in Savannah Quarters bathe the interior rooms by placement of abundant Collection, include the newest innovation of private has amenities to satisfy your desire for golf, tennis, windows overlooking the courtyard. Phil suggests, garden courtyards and are being completed on pool, fitness center, Club and Community activities “Light enhances our mood! Light makes us feel hole number 3 of the Greg Norman Signature Golf for you to enjoy a lifestyle with family and friends. better!” Coastal Georgia’s climate provides a perfect course.

The Fairways at Savannah Quarters was recogOur new homeowners are looking for a place to setting for these homes. nized by the Pooler Chamber of Commerce as the The community amenities are completed and call home but without the chores of mowing the 2014 Business of the Year at their annual banquet. lawn, trimming the shrubs and maintaining the include gathering spaces in the Clubhouse, Pool, Additionally, this community was awarded at the exteriors of their home. The Home Owners AssociLanai and Fitness center. The Clubhouse provides Epcon National Conference in February 2015: ation does the work you do the living! the convenience to extend your Great Room for hol• For Best Overall Landscaping After perfecting theand concept of “Single andHouse. other social functions with either family or • For HECM “Peace of Mind”Award Directions to: Take I-16 West to Exit 155 and turn left follow signs Story to Fairways iday Open Enter Community Maintenance-Free Living” in 30to states over neighbors.

• Outstanding Landscaping of a Courtyard, andthe Sales and at roundabout drive past and Information Center Gateand and follow screen prompts for entry to models.

Gary Turnbull, COO and Builder, at the Fairways 100 communities, Frank Curran, a Principal, • Outstanding Model Home Obtain the property report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This does not constitute an offer encourages visit community and find indicated these villas aretoespecially designed This MAINTENANCE-FREE is where prohibited to sell or a solicitation community of any offer to buy by law. Pricing andlatest incentives subject limited time and availability and are subject to the you termsto of any salethe contract. out from our residents why there is no need to for the Southern lifestyle. The master plan for the located in one of only two gated golf communities compromise as the award winning design, carefree community incorporates beautiful and abundant in Savannah, at Savannah Quarters, in Pooler, GA. living, natural beauty and value blend to make the Pooler, Savannah’s west side suburb, is one of the landscaping with tree lined streets, lagoons, lighted community a popular spot in the fastest growing fastest growing regions in the state of Georgia. fountains and golf course views. area of West Savannah.

Pooler is a mecca for convenience!! Located at Residents experience in these new Villa collections their own private garden courtyards all day I-16 and I-95 there is immediate access to other Epcon, a National leader in single story living for

parts of the Coastal region! Restaurants, Shop-

· “Location and beauty was very appealing,homesites but the sense of spirit and camaraderie among the ping, Groceries, Banking, Entertainment, Medical Active Adults is releasing its remaining residents was definitely a factor in our decision to choose The Fairways.” facilities, Downtown and the Airport are all within at the Fairways at Savannah Quarters.

Now is the minutes of the community.

The Tanger Savannah time to build your carefree new home in thisin GATED · “Enjoying a secure, lifestyle a close“Mainknit community.

Convenient shopping, ameniOutlet Mall, in Pooler, opened in 2015 and is the tenance-Free”community.

MISS OUT ON to my ties and social opportunitiesDO areNOT a positive addition life.” largest in the area with 85 famous retail stores and THIS LAST OPPORTUNITY! · “NewActvsnow Oldfor and Maintenance-Free, Lock N’ Leave Living enhances the Lifestyle I now restaurants. your chance for the opportunity want!”

The Fairways Villas start in the upper $200’s. to live in this Savannah gem! This one of a kind

Visit us and find out why these other Savannahians are finding their paradise in Savannah’s #1 GATED Active Adult Community.

Call Ann or Kendra at 912-450-9876 for Gate Code.

Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 • Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. • Sunday 12 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

101 Kingfisher Circle, Pooler, GA 31322 • www.fairways-sq.com

These former Island residents have found their paradise in Savannah’s #1 Active Adult Community, as they commented: • “Location and beauty was very appealing, but the sense of spirit and camaraderie among the residents was definitely a factor in our decision to choose the Fairways.”

•“Enjoying a secure, carefree lifestyle in a close knit community. Convenient shopping, amenities and social opportunities are a positive addition to my life.”

•“We were doubting our decision to move, but WE LOVE IT! We feel like we are on vacation 24/7! Come join us!”

To reach The Fairways at Savannah Quarters take I-16 west to exit 155 at Pooler Parkway, turn left at Pooler Parkway and then turn right to enter Savannah Quarters. Go past the Sales Center and take Blue Moon Crossing back to the GATE for entrance to the Fairways. Call Ann or Kendra at 912-450-9876 for GATE CODE.Visit us at www.fairways-sq.com 04 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

Will You Outlive Your Money?

(Let us show you how to buy a home, keep your cash and have no mortgage payments)

By Frank Curran: Principal and resident at The Fairways at Savannah Quarters, west Savannah’s finest Active Adult community. We can be reached at 450-9876 or at www.fairways-sq.com

As an Active Adult entering my senior years I can empathize with what some surveys have suggested is this number one fear--- to assure I have the cash to live my golden years at a standard of living that I have earned and desire. Our recent economic times and the bust in housing have not helped any of us in alleviating this concern.

However, would you like to purchase your dream home, for $300,000 with as little as 44% down and NO mortgage payments? Keep your hard earned cash for your golden years to enjoy a peace of mind, to travel, invest or just spoil your grandkids further.

If this sounds too good to be true please read on!

Buy a Home Without Mortgage Payments

In January 2009 the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) created the HECM for Purchase Loan Program.

If at least one of you are 62 years or older, the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for Purchase Loan can enable you to buy your next home without any monthly mortgage payments.

Regardless of how long you live in the home or what happens to your home’s value, you only make one, initial investment (down payment) towards the purchase.

Your benefits include: • Eliminating monthly mortgage payments • Increasing your purchase power • Preserving your cash Why Consider A HECM for Purchase Loan No matter what your needs may be a HECM for Purchase Loan can help increase purchasing power and flexibility when buying a principal residence. Many home buyers use the HECM for Purchase Loan to: • Right-size to a smaller, lower maintenance home • Buy a home closer to family or friends

• Lower their cost of living during retirement • Enjoy carefree living in an Active Adult housing community Best of all, since monthly mortgage payments are not required, a HECM for Purchase Loan may help preserve your hard-earned savings and improve your cash flow. You will continue to own and maintain the title of your home for as long as the property remains your principal residence. Property taxes, insurance and/or condo dues and general upkeep must be maintained by the homeowner.

Eligibility Requirements • At least one titleholders must be 62 years or older • Purchased home must be a principal residence occupied within 60 days of loan closing • Property must be a single family home, 2-4 unit dwelling or an FHA approved condo • The difference between the purchase price of the new home and the HECM loan proceeds must be paid in cash from qualifying sources such as the sale of prior residence, home buyer’s other assets or

savings (the down payment monies cannot be debt; however a gift is permitted) The amount of money you may receive from a HECM for Purchase Loan depends on the age of the youngest titleholder, current interest rates and fees, and the lesser of the appraised value or the purchase price or the FHA lending limit.

Safeguards for Borrowers • Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) ensures the amount owed on the loan can never be more than the value of the home at time of sale.

• Independent HUD counseling is required prior to loan application • Lender may only look to the value of the home for repayment; no other assets may be attached if the loan balance grows beyond the mortgaged home value – you are never responsible for any balance due on the mortgage!

Purchasing A Home With A HECM For Purchase Loan Example Don and Shirley, both 68 years old, want to buy a lower maintenance home. They work with a real estate agent to sell their current residence

and also look for a new home that fits their needs.

The new home’s purchase price is $300,000. The real estate agent introduces Don and Shirley to a HECM for Purchase Specialist.

The advisor shows the buyers how the HECM for Purchase Loan, as an alternative financing vehicle, may provide the funds they need for their new home. Don and Shirley could obtain HECM for Purchase Loan proceeds of approximately $153,331 and then use cash from the sale of their previous home of approximately $146,686 to purchase a new $300,000 home with no future monthly mortgage payments. However, the down payment can come from any other assets such as investments or CD’s.

Don and Shirley’s future obligations are only to pay property costs such as homeowner’s insurance, real estate taxes and maintenance of the home for the term of the loan.

Many Active Adults are now becoming aware and considering this NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

05

C O N T R I BU TO R S

S TA F F

Katrice Williams

is a married mother of two: Nio,14, and Mya,12.

She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She moved to the Atlanta Metropolitan Area to pursue business career endeavors. A few years later, her husband, Tony, received a job offer in our local area, and the family eventually moved here. After spending a fulfilling amount of time as an at-home mom, she decided to pursue an area of personal attraction—writing. In her spare time, Katrice enjoys the 3F’s: family, food, and fun!! She’s also fond of occasionally writing a bit of good poetry.

Jeff Whitten

Shannon Robinson is a free-spirited freelancer that collects hobbies and has a story for every conversation. She joins our publication in an effort to further develop her ninja writing techniques.

Casie Wilson

Casie Wilson is an Effingham County native and aspiring journalist. She’s a team player, and her passion for people and their stories is a driving force in her writing and studies. An honors student at the University of Georgia, Casie is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, a minor in Sociology and a certificate in Global Health. She has contributed to UGA’s independent student newspaper, The Red & Black, as a Variety writer and specialized in community events and lifestyle features. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her young nieces and drinking lots of coffee.

Lea Allen

Cindy Burbage

Cindy Burbage is a native to Richmond Hill. She began writing in college and took a hiatus to raise her four beautiful children. Cindy enjoys traveling and is always ready for a road trip. She believes that faith is greater than fear.

Lane Leopard

DiAnna Jenkins

photograph by: Diane Butler of Wilmington Island 06 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

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07

CONTENTS July/August 2015

10

features

10 Captain Judy Helmey

Fifty Years On The Water

16 Tammy Smith: Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project 20 Living Marie Milburn Life To The Fullest 26 Art Doug and Barbara Duch Of The Dive 32 Sailing Mike Pranschke The World

16

20

departments

09

Publisher’s Letter

37

Let’s Do Business

45

Publisher’s Pic

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PUBLISHER’S Thoughts

Julie Hales owner/publisher julie@idpmagazines.com Jeff Whitten editor jeff@idpmagazines.com Lane Leopard graphic designer lane@idpmagazines.com Lea Allen administrative assistant/circulation lea@idpmagazines.com DiAnna Jenkins account executive dianna@idpmagazines.com

Chatham Isles Living is proudly produced by:

108 International Drive P.O. Box 1742 Rincon, GA 3126 (912) 826-2760

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER Write to us and tell us what you think. Chatham Isles Living welcomes all letters to the publisher.

Please send all letters via email to Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com, or mail letters to P.O. Box 1742, Rincon, GA 31326. Letters to the publisher must have a phone number and name of contact.

Phone numbers will not be published.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Chatham Isles Living welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea, or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things on Whitemarsh, Oatland, Talahi, Wilmington and Tybee Islandswill be considered.

Meet our new addition....

We have some exciting news to share. Independence Day Publishing, Inc has added an editor to our team.

Jeff Whitten has joined our family at Independence Day Publishing, assuming the responsibility of Editor for all publications, Effingham Magazine, Pooler Magazine, Beaufort Lifestyle and Chatham Isles Living.

We are very excited about the addition of Jeff to our IDP family. With the recent growth of our business, it makes perfect sense to have someone in this position. Jeff’s background and work expertise will bring many new ideas and a unique facet to the company. With our plans for additional expansion, the timing is perfect to bring Jeff on board. I couldn’t be more pleased with this decision.

After working two decades in newspapers as a sportswriter, reporter and editor, Jeff is excited to Julie Hales, PUBLISHER be working with our team to continue to create the best community magazines in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry.

Jeff’s career began in Effingham County at the Effingham Herald after his graduation with a journalism degree from Georgia Southern in 1995. His career continued at newspapers in Moultrie, Hinesville and Richmond Hill. He has won nearly two dozen Georgia Press Association awards, along with many other industry awards.

Jeff is an Army veteran and a South Carolina native whose roots in the Upstate date back to the 1780s. Jeff and his wife Beverly, a Georgia native, are longtime residents of Effingham County. His hobbies include reading, working in his yard and running distance races.

I am very excited about our future, and feel certain that Jeff will be a valuable asset to our company and in helping us achieve the goals we have set before us. So, join me in welcoming him to our staff. If you see him on the streets or on the beach, shake his hand and share a story idea with him.

Whitemarsh, Oatland, Talahi, Wilmington

and Tybee

ABOUT THE COVER

CIRCULATION: Chatham Isles Living is publlished bi-monthly (six issues a year), printing 10,000 copies and distributed to over 180 locations.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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What a great story to have on the cover of our first annual “Life On The Water” issue. If you know anything about fishing in our area, you have heard of Captain Judy. Read her story as she shares with us about her 50 years on the water.

Cover Photo Taken By Natalie McAllister

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

09

CAPTAIN Judy Helmey

Fifty Years On The Water story by jeff whitten photos by natalie mccalister

10 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

I

f there is are such a thing as institutions on the Georgia coast, then surely Captain Judy Helmey is one.

Her father, the legendary Captain Sherman I. Helmey, started one of the first charter boat companies in Savannah in 1948, and in November his daughter will celebrate 50 years as a charter fisherman whose company, Miss Judy Charters, is among the most recognizable and respected in the industry.

To those fortunate enough to know her, Helmey is an ebullient and articulate spokesperson for the coast and the sport of fishing. To those few who may be hearing the name for the first time, well, read on.

Beginnings Helmey’s life changed when she was quite young when her mother was killed in an automobile accident, “leaving my father playing both roles,” she said. “This is where my life became more than interesting. When Daddy went fishing, I went with him, whether it was a fishing party or just plain old going fishing.”

He treated her like an adult, especially when it came to boats. Early childhood lessons included deceptively simple teachings that Helmey called “Boat Driving 101.” Among those lessons: “While heading east to the fishing grounds it was explained to me that South Carolina was on my left, also known as the port side of the boat, and I also learned the port light was red like wine,” Helmey said. “And Florida, which is where we vacationed sometimes, was to my right, also known as the starboard side of the boat. Then I was told the starboard light was green.”

There was another lesson in there, as well, “As far as my father’s ship’s wheel, he tied a string on the spoke that showed that he was steering it straight, that the rudder was straight,” Helmey said. “At 6-years-old, I didn’t know what a rudder was, much less what it had to do with steering the boat. All I knew was when the wheel’s spoke with the cord tied to it was straight up I was going straight. I also knew that when heading out fishing Florida was to the right and South Carolina to the left, and when we headed home he explained the backward version of what just happened. And he always told me, ‘Now I am going to take a nap. Wake me when you see the big black and white lighthouse.’’

If Helmey wasn’t hooked on boats before that, she was then.

Idyllic times, stories to tell It must’ve been quite a sight, the little girl piloting her father’s boat back to shore while her daddy napped. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, “Miss Jerry,” her father’s 40-foot-wooden boat, was painted yellow.

“The paint was from the highway department, it was the same paint as well as color that was used to paint no passing lanes on the highway,” Helmey recalled. “Daddy got a 50-gallon barrel of this paint, and a no passing yellow painting he did go.”

By 14, Helmey was unofficially running her own charters, and the United States Coast Guard basically let her do her thing without much interference. “Legal or not they still let me run,” she recalls. “I love the good old days.” At 18, Helmey

was old enough to take the captain’s test, which she initially had trouble passing but learned she was color blind. “After getting this straightened out I passed the test, was sworn in and the rest is fishing-catching history.”

It’s been a romance between woman and sea and Savannah’s saltwater fishing community ever since, one that’s never gotten old nor lost its shine. “I have customers ask me all the time if I ever get tired of fishing,” Helmey says. “The answer is always the same. I do get tired, but not tired of fishing.

It’s been documented many tmes over the years that I get as excited as the customers do when it comes to fishing. When you fish in saltwater you never really know what might bite your hook.”

Or what story you might find.

“I have to say my father sort of allegedly worked for Big Al Capone in the 1930s, buildng cars/trucks to carry heavy loads of whiskey,” Helmey says. “He basically was in charge of getting the whiskey from offshore to designated areas of Wilmington Island, where it was hauled off in cars and trucks that Daddy designed and called shoe salesmen cars.”

In short, if you think Helmey makes for a great story, her father was something else entirely. They should make a movie out of this guy’s life.

“Not only did he allegedly work for Al Capone he was friends with him. Daddy was married eight times and never stopped dating. We paid alimony to his first wife for more than 50 years,” Helmey said.

Sherman Helmey’s second wife was Captain Judy’s mom.

The auto accident took her life at 32, but life went on. He and one of his subsequent wives honeymooned in New York and had dinner with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and “I only wished I could have heard the conversation that they had,” Helmey recalls. “My father thought that Elizabeth Taylor was the ‘Cats!’ I am so sure that he tried to, well, you know.”

One of Sherman Helmey’s wives “could jump from a moving car making 30 mph plus and still land on her feet,” Helmey recalled. That wife was murdered in the 1960s, she said.

If Helmey’s father left her with a love of living large, family history and a great story, he also gave her the strength and ability to make it in what some might consider a male-dominated industry.

“I used to get asked about this all the time, and my standard answer was this: My father never raised me to think that what I did was in a male-dominated career field,” Helmey said. “According to his thoughts, a fisherman was neither a female or a male. They were just fishermen. Not fishers, just fisherman, fishermen.”

And local anglers have always taken her seriously, given her lineage. “You have to remember I was raised with the best fisherman in the whole wide world, Capt. Sherman Helmey.

I was always taken seriously by just about everybody, being a woman or not.”

Modern times These days, Miss Judys Charters runs just about year round. That’s due to the weather, which is warming up, and Helmey’s company offers both inshore light tackle and offshore bottom fishing and trolling. “Where there is a fish, we www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

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have the means as well as the knowledge to catch it,” she says.

But things inevitably change. Most seem to be for the better, including government efforts to regulate the fisheries. “Being from an era with no fishing regulations, I know for a fact had they not come up with some constraints we all would have been in serious ‘no-fishing’ business,’” Helmey said. “Knowledge has made all the difference in saving the resource for many years to come.”

Years of experience have given Helmey a sense of where to be, as well. “In most cases I know where the fish are going before they get there,” she said. “I have years and years of records to aid me in catching a fish.”

Helmey also believes Georgia’s still got room for more anglers -- “There are more boat owners trying to fish inshore, but still nothing like down in Florida. We are not overpopulated when it comes to fishermen and their boats,” she said.

Helmey also believes she could write a bestseller, “at least in the fishing world,” if someone would pay her to write the story of her experiences on the water since the 1950s. It doesn’t hurt that she’s paid to do what some folks consider recreation.

“My favorite line of all times is “I get paid to go fishing,” she said. But these days she has wound down some. “I love to sit on my deck/dock and watch the creekwater go by,” Helmey said.

“Sometimes the water falls and sometimes it rises. I also like to watch those that swim in it, such as the dolphins, turtles, alligators and fish. And I also like the birds that find this area not only their home, but their feeding arena.”

And there’s this, too. “Here’s something else I do know,” Helmey said. “If anyone had told me years ago that I would be wearing a hat, long sleeve shirts and bluffs I would have told them that they were crazy for sure. Next thing, I will be wearing long pants.”

In the meantime, know these few things about the one and only Captain Judy Helmey, one of those people you’ll never forget no matter how long you live.

First, she prefers to eat cold pizza for breakfast and “I like to pour Georgia Cane syrup over all of my fried fish.”

Second, her favorite TV show is really comedian Jeff Dunham, and she loves those puppet characters of his Achmed, Bubba Joe, Jalepeno-on-a-Stick, Walter and Peanut.

Third, her favorite movie was once the blockbuster “Jaws” because of the line “I think we’re going to need a bigger boat.” But then Helmey was introduced to Terror of Tiny Town, “a singing western love story. It’s cast is filled by numerous midget actors left over from the still ever popular ‘Wizard of Oz. It is one hoot of a show,” Judy said.

Fourth, she likes to read and ranks Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” highly, in fact thinks Verne might’ve been a time traveler. There’s also “Mutiny on the Bounty,” and “In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy and the Sinking of the Whale Ship Essex,” by Nathaniel Philbrick.

“I loved this story and repeat its contents all the time,” Helmey said.”How a single tapping noise made from someone trying to replace a peg in a wooden plank can turn what would be a genial whale into a natural-born boat ramper.”

Fifth, not surprisingly, she likes “SharkNado” and “Shark Week.” And finally, but don’t tell anyone, Helmey likes the old songs. “I love the sixties and now I am even listening to the fifties.

I also love the old country songs because just about every one of them tells some sort of a story.”

Someday, maybe Helmey will write her own story telling country song. It can have South Carolina on the left, Florida on the right, a boat full of fish and those red port lights shining like wine.

The mission of the Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah

is to provide our guests with memorable experiences to help them make stronger connections to the natural world.

We achieve this mission by...

• Providing a quality learning experience with a dedicated and knowledgeable staff.

• Following the highest standards in animal care.

• Modeling good conservation-minded behaviors and practices.

• Maintaining a safe, fun and engaging environment for our guests.

Toddler Tuesday

Bring your little ones to Oatland Island and discover nature together.

Toddler Tuesday is a program designed to introduce young children to their natural world.

Toddlers and adults will experience nature through themed activities including live animal encounters, wildlife nature walks, storytelling, fun songs, inter-active finger plays and creative crafts.

Programs are offered every Tuesday at 10:00 and 11:00. Registration is required and closes at 4:00 the Monday before each program.

Some programs will include walking

part of the nature trails. Please come prepared with comfortable walking shoes, your stroller or wagon, bug spray, nacks and whatever else you and your little ones may require.

Participants are welcome to walk the trails and visit all the animals after the program.

Oatland Island will share the latest news about their programs, craft ideas, outdoor activities, and fun facts about their amazing natural world on their blog. www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | May/June 2015

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888.818.2133

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

15

Tammy Smith:

Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project story by shannon robinson photos by natalie mcalister

A

s Tybee Island greets and welcomes its seasonal tourists with open arms and southern hospitality, it also readily receives its original island loving devotees, sea turtles. These ancient seafarers, once gravely endangered, now populate in substantial numbers. In fact, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle inhabits Georgia’s coastal waters all year and regularly nests on barrier island shores. One third of those barrier island beaches have human inhabitants, which makes sea turtle conservation projects an essential part of island life. Contributing to the recovery of this impressive chelonian family is Tybee Island resident, Tammy Smith, manager of the Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project.

Originally from North Georgia, Tammy and her husband of 20 years, Todd Smith, moved to Tybee in an effort to escape the fast paced lifestyle of Metro Atlanta.

“My husband and I moved to Tybee in 2000. We were tired of Atlanta traffic and wanted to be close to the beach, but we didn’t want to leave Georgia – I’m a Georgia girl,” Tammy explained.

Though they’d eventually like to move further south, the Florida Keys perhaps where there is better diving, she’d always be content on Tybee Island. “If worst case scenario, we’re here, it’s great. We live on an island... we bike everywhere,” Tammy said with a shrug and a grin.

The fifth grade school teacher and Georgia State University alumnae will soon celebrate 21 years as an educator, and said she never imagined she’d be managing sea turtle conservation efforts.

“I blame my husband,” Tammy teased as she recalled how her involvement with sea turtles began, “‘She’s out for the summer because she teaches, she’ll help you,’” she recalled of Todd volunteering her. “Fifteen years later, I manage the project.”

When the Smiths relocated to the island, Tybee Island Marine Science Center was just starting its Sea Turtle Project. The project is comprised of two full time employees, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologist Mark Dodd, and DNR sea turtle technician Ashley Raybould. All others involved are from other state agencies or are among the more than 70 volunteers, trained and permitted by DNR, who devote their time and energy to the project.

Smith is among those volunteers and has come to manage the project by way of countless hours learning through hands-on experience and reading.

“I kind of fell into it and really enjoyed learning about it,” Tammy began, “Back in early 2000, Tybee did not have a lot of sea turtle nests. For a few years we averaged six to seven nests a season. In 2006, it started increasing and two years ago we had our highest year on record of 23 sea turtle nests.”

Tybee and St. Simons are the most developed islands in the state of Georgia, and due to development they tend to run into

16 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

more issues protecting sea turtles and their nests. Smith, along with DNR and many volunteers, work tirelessly to combat the issues that humans cause marine life. The Tybee Sea Turtle Project has started quite a few campaigns to encourage involvement by both locals and tourists alike.

“It just goes back to education and getting the word out on what our turtles need,” Tammy said.

Take Tybee Island’s “lights out” campaign, for starters. Tammy explained, “The Science Center did a really good job of promoting the ‘lights out’ campaign. We started it probably in the mid-2000s and it has helped with getting our beaches dark.”

Limiting white light seen from the beach helps marine life to behave naturally. The simple change has been very effective.

Smith believes that ongoing educational undertakings, like “lights out” and reminding locals and tourists to leave the beach in its natural state, are very important keys to sea turtle survival. She added, “The City of Tybee is cooperative in maintaining their part as well.”

Innovation, like educating, has also made a significant difference in sea turtle perpetuity. Smith disclosed that the implementation of the Turtle Excluder Device (TED) by commercial shrimp trawlers has made sea turtle survival during trawling season more likely. It is a device attached to their nets that allow sea turtles and other marine life, which accidently but frequently get caught in them, to escape. She likewise mentioned that DNR’s enforcing of regulations on shrimping season and watercraft speed limits also helps tremendously. In her fifteen years with the Sea Turtle Project, Smith has continually worked toward developing and maintaining a relationship with DNR. It’s obvious that their joint efforts have made a much larger impact than law enforcement or volunteers going it alone.

As she sipped her iced tea from a sea turtle tumbler, Smith excitedly spoke of a genetics study that Tybee Sea Turtle Project participates in. Brian Shamblin, a former graduate student at the University of Georgia (UGA), started the study as his graduate project in 2008.

Shamblin, now an assistant research scientist, uses eggshells collected from each sea turtles nest during “nest validation,” which is completed by Smith once a volunteer reports apparent nesting tracks. A single egg is removed and sacrificed, providing that a broken one isn’t readily available from being dropped into the nest cavity from its mom, then sent to UGA for DNA extraction. Using his genetic fingerprinting technology, Shamblin and his team are able to genetically tag sea turtles and create a database that is far more extensive, not to mention exceedingly more simple, than conventional tagging.

“Using the DNA they have found that a female that nests on Tybee also nests on Hilton Head, and that there is a mother and a

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

17

“Using the DNA they have found that a female that nests on Tybee also nests on Hilton Head, and that there is a mother and a pair of daughters that nests on Tybee,” pair of daughters that nests on Tybee,” Tammy marveled.

In May, Smith discovered a Leatherback Sea Turtle’s nest, which hasn’t been documented on Tybee since 2004. “Leatherbacks are pretty rare. They’re the largest. They can get upwards of 16 to 18 thousand pounds. They’re enormous. Their span from their flippers across can be six to eight feet,” she explained.

Though there are five species of sea turtles that could potentially nest on Georgia’s beaches, a vast majority, and the most common type found on Tybee Island, are Loggerhead Sea Turtle nests.

“Female sea turtles will lay eggs about every 13 days, and they do so within a five-mile radius of where they were born. One female, they’ve found, will nest five to seven times during the season, which is between May 1 and October 31 each year,” Tammy informed.

After hatching and making their impossible trip from nest to ocean, these fascinating, tiny two-inch-long sea turtle babies swim out 80 miles to the gulfstream. Though it seems like a huge accomplishment, it is only the beginning of their epic journey to adulthood. Hatchlings that arrive to the warm waters will ride the gulfstream to the Sargasso Sea. There, with some luck, they can hang out for around 10 years in the Sargasso grass at the surface of the water.

Because sea turtles are faced with such a tumultuous pilgrim-

18 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

age, it’s no wonder that the current sea turtle statistics, according to DNR, is that only one in 4,000 will actually make it to reproductive age, which is speculated to be 30 to 35 years old.

With interest in the Tybee Sea Turtle Project increasing, and volunteers who continually show their dedication through long hours and hard work, the once endangered creatures finally have a fighting chance.

“I couldn’t do it without the volunteers. There’s no way I could do this on my own,” an appreciative Smith confided. “Most of our volunteers are local folks. We have a good many people that have come from off the Island. We have one girl, God bless her, she drives from Guyton. She’s very dedicated.”

Many of these volunteers, and especially Tammy, will spend countless hours walking the beaches at dawn to check for sea turtle crawl marks in the sand, or pull the “all night” shift to protect the nests that are expected to hatch, ensuring the sea turtle babies make a safe journey to the ocean. The volunteers aren’t the only ones protective of the Tybee Beach natives, often the dawn patrol volunteers will find hearts drawn in the sand near a nest.

It is apparent that the creatures are well loved and protected, so even though the odds are stacked against them, Tammy Smith, her volunteer crew and Tybee Island goers from everywhere are determined to help these ancient mariners make a full recovery.

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19

Marie Milburn:

Living Life To The Fullest

B

story by cindy burbage photos by natalie mcalister

reezy summer day activities in a small beach island town may consist of swimming, boating and tanning; a little karaoke at the local pubs or enjoying the local, annual Beach Bum Parade. How much energy would it take to do these? Is age really just a number? Why not ask the woman known as Grandma Marie.

To some people, their age defines them. Once reaching retirement age, they do just that…retire, not just from work, but from life as well. Many believe that after a person reaches a certain age, they become old. At the young age of 78, Marie Milburn is just beginning her life.

Marie was born and raised in McDonough, Delaware, a small town nestled in between Wilmington and Dover. It was here she became a mother. Her eldest, Linda, of whom she is proud, is in the administrative department in the medical field and lives in Atlanta. Her second born, Matthew, is a pharmacist in Boca Raton Florida, and also a source of pride.

At the age of 40, Marie’s life changed when she made the decision to start her college career at Berkshire County Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

It was at Berkshire that she earned an associate’s degree, fueling her desire to learn and realize her potential. She enrolled in Goddard College, a historic school in Plainfield, Vermont that was founded in 1863.

There Marie was able to recognize opportunity and, ultimately, take a drastically different direction in her life.

In 1976, while earning her Bachelor’s Degree, Marie says “I found my voice.”

At that point in her life, the two degrees were just the beginning. She was embarking on a mission to better her life and find her main purpose. Back in Worcester, Massachusetts, Marie enrolled in yet another college and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Adult Education.

As she proudly explains her degrees, she takes a moment to walk down memory lane.

“I remember living in the dorms and the kids didn’t like me too much because I was so much older. They would put Vaseline on my door knob and other pranks,” she recalled. The shenanigans her dorm mates harassed her with did not slow the spunky lady from McDonough, Delaware down one bit.

Armed with her degrees and a fighter’s spirit, she was able to support herself teaching at places like Job Corps, prisons, and later, a 32 career with the public school system.

In the late 1980’s, Marie married her husband and soul mate.

Living in Palmer, Virginia, they owned and operated a cleaning business. Pouring her heart and soul into it, Marie recalled working long hours most days to assure her customers were satisfied.

She believed that her word was golden and that every job needed

20 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

to be perfect. Her thriving company also offered errand-running services for her clientele.

Dog-sitting was one of around 15 services she offered and also was a bestselling part of the business. Hard work paid off, as she became friends with most of her clients and had earned a fabulous reputation. In the early nineties, she and her husband relocated to the south. At first they were torn between two locations, Edisto Beach, South Carolina or Tybee Island. Upon visiting both locations, they chose the latter and fell in love with the small beach town. Leaving her business and life as they knew it, they were ready for a new scenery.

Marie and her husband spent many years together in their beautiful beach home on Chimney Creek.

In 2010, her spouse of 22 years passed away, leaving Marie at another crossroad; she could either grieve for the rest of her life or pick up and move forward.

For most of her life, she had always been a caregiver for everyone else including her mother and her sister, putting her hopes and dreams on the back burner. After the death of her beloved husband, Marie asked “Why not now?” Why not now to start living her life for her?

While spending time on her dock, as she admired the salty creek, she watched the kayaks as they would pass. At this point, she realized this was something she wanted to do and with great passion and determination it was something she would do.

She contacted Sea Kayak Georgia to inquire about a group for senior kayakers. Marsha Henson informed her there was no such group, but Marie should start one. With the guidance of Sea Kayak Georgia, she began to form the kayak club.

In March 2015, Marie started the Tybee Senior Paddling Group. On March 19, the organization had its first meeting with 25 people in attendance.

This number was a combination of locals and visitors.

Their trips, as they like to refer to them, are based on weather and tide. Ideally, there are seven boats with kayakers on each excursion.

Trips are scheduled for two days a week, and offering either a morning cruise or sunset. Boaters are asked to arrive at least thirty minutes before departure for orientation. Henson offers paddle smart seminars and kayak lessons. Due to the fact that there is a limited base of people for the Senior Paddling Group, numbers have been low and they are regrouping.

Once the summer heat has settled, they will resume. Beginning Labor Day weekend, this fun group will be sporting a new name and game plan.

Island’s Senior Kayak Group, as they will now be called, will be taking new members from ages 50-90 years old. They encourage seasoned kayakers as well as newbies and Marie believes this is

Marie Milburn is a 78-year old bottle of ambition and energy, living every day to its full potential. She has overcome tragedies, and endeavored through life altering situations throughout her entire journey. a great opportunity for seniors to stay active and socialize. Those interested in photography will be able to take advantage of the natural backdrops and wildlife and cash in on stunning photos, and the sunsets are breathtaking.

The water is full of new things to learn as well, whether it’s learning to unwind or learning the creatures in and on the water.

Anyone claiming to be a senior is welcomed to join the fun.

The nautical world is not the only passion Marie has discovered about herself since finding her voice. She also has a zeal for writing.

Throwing her hat into the writing ring, Marie has written a children’s book called “The Wonders of River Otters on Tybee Island.” This delightful non-fiction book is packed full of descriptive, beautiful pictures, painted by her sister, Doris.

Although the book has not been published yet, she is actively

22 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

seeking a publisher. Currently, Marie is working on other literary material for the simple reason it keeps her happy and relaxed.

Marie Milburn is a 78-year old bottle of ambition and energy, living every day to its full potential. She has overcome tragedies, and endeavored through life altering situations throughout her entire journey. After a divorce at a young age, beginning college at the late age of 40 and caring for her ill husband for seven years, she never stopped, she never surrendered.

Marie always prevailed and with her mind set, she always will.

If everyone believed that age was indeed just a number, everyone would stay young at heart. Maybe they could even keep up with Grandma Marie.

For more information about Island’s Senior Kayak Group, call (912) 344-5684.

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

23

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25

Doug and Barbara Duch

The Art Of The Dive

story and photos by jeff whitten

26 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

T

he whale bones puzzle Doug Duch. He’s found the tiny inner ear bones that are maybe the size of a child’s fist while diving for shark’s teeth in the Wilmington River not far from his Whitemarsh Island home.

It’s not that the bones are there, or that they’re estimated to be between 2 to 5 million years old. The area was once covered by ocean and then dried out and recovered again as sea levels rose and fell over the millenia. It’s that so many whale fossils are there, in that particular spot about 35 feet down on the bottom of the river that flows not 100 yards from his home.

“One of the most interesting things I find are these inner ear bones from whales .... and I’ve found so many of them there, hundreds. Why there’s such a concentration of of whale fossiles right here, and I don’t know whether it’s like that in other places or just like that here, but it’s incredible to me that in this one little area I’ve found so much whale material.”

The whale bones aren’t the only thing Doug has uncovered diving in the river, nor the thing he’s most interested in finding.

Megalodon teeth are No.1, and Doug has found six-inch teeth belonging to 50-foot-long prehistoric sharks, so many that in 2008 he donated six to Georgia Southern University’s paleontology department.

He’s also uncovered everything from indian artifacts from 9,000 years ago and civil war era relics to rhinoceros and walrus teeth, and a llama footbone, all an estimated 2-to-5 million years old and all from the bottom of the Wilmington River.

It makes Doug one of a handful of divers in the South, maybe on the East Coast, who can say he’s found fossiles where they lay.

It also makes him sort of an amateur paleontologist who’s learned

by doing and as such has learned there were once rhinoceros on the Georgia coast. And Doug, a stockbroker, isn’t the only diver in his family. His wife Barbara, an accomplished artist who works in several mediums, also dives. It’s where she gets her inspiration and, occasionally, material.

“I like to use different things from the sea, as metaphors and a lot of time as inspiration. I’m very much influenced and inspired by the sea,” said Barbara, who will be showing her work at The Landings on August 6. Her work has won her both commissions and acclaim - her bronze sculpture of two neighborhood boys picking up starfish from a tidal pool won her first place in the third category at the Landings Art Association’s 2015 Art Show, and Duch will be featured as the third artist in the LAA’s Fall Art Show on August 6.

Her work fills the Duchs’ island home, the place they’ve lived since 1981 when they moved from Michigan. There are pieces big and small, sculptures and paintings and mosaics that add brightness and a vibrant, vivid luster to the already beautiful surroundings.

“Every artist has a style and through that you can recognize their work,” Barbara said. “My style is not always realistic, I like to do whatever comes to mind, so a lot of my things are kind of fantastical. That’s why there’s a person who has a shell growing out of their abdomen or a fish on their head or the coral growing out of their ear.”

The Duchs raised two daughters on the island, and one, Taylor, competed as a windsurfer in two Olympics while Laura works for Sony Picture Classics and is a certified dive master. All are captured in four Mayan-inspired family tiles that graces a wall near

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

27

“I just know I read that article and saw a bunch of pictures of the teeth and thought it’s something I’d want to do. I actually thought that when I started this I’d find one big tooth and then want to go on to do other things, but that didn’t happen. I just got into it and here we are today.” the couple’s swimming pool and includes both a departed family dog and Doug at the bottom, diving for shark’s teeth.

Yet neither Doug nor Barbara knew anything about diving until a vacation trip in 1996 to the Florida Keys, where they met a former U.S. Army Special Forces dive instructor who promised to teach them the next time they visited.

“We went back the next year and had such wonderful weather, we spent one day in the pool and the rest of the week out on the reef,” Doug said. “We got certified as divers in 1996. we’ve done a lot of diving in the Caribbean. We’ve gone diving in Cuba before as well.”

They also dive off the Carribean island of Bonaire, and the Carribean is where Barbara is in her element as a diver.

“Doug does black water diving, he does all temperatures and he’s comfortable

with five-inch visibility,” she said. “I’m an 80-80 diver, meaning 80 degree temperature and 80 feet visibility. I love the Caribbean. It’s like a garden down there.

To hover over the coral and just look at it, it’s kind of mysterious because the fish can go back into all these areas, but you can’t access them. It’s just a thing of beauty and mystery. Coral has a very distinctive shape to it, and it’s the most beautiful natural sculpture there is. It kind of gives you something to aim at as an artist.”

Doug’s interest in shark’s teeth came after he saw a story in a magazine. The teeth were found by a diver in the Cooper River in Charleston, S.C., so he “started going up there to dive, but it was a long haul up there and back and took up the whole day.”

“I’d heard one guy down here had brought up a tooth one time in a castnet, so I dove and sure enough there were teeth

28 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

there,” Doug added. “I wish I could tell you why I wanted to do this, but I don’t know.

Why does anyone play golf or do anything as a hobby? I just know I read that article and saw a bunch of pictures of the teeth and thought it’s something I’d want to do. I actually thought that when I started this I’d find one big tooth and then want to go on to do other things, but that didn’t happen. I just got into it and here we are today. That’s all I can tell you.”

The Duchs say that Doug’s found at least one fossil of every prehistoric species known to have lived here, save two: Doug hasn’t found fossils from sabre tooth tigers or a giant ground sloth, and both once called what’s now the Georgia coast home during one of its dryer periods.

But he’s found both wooly mammoth and mastodon and the aforementioned rhinoceros and llama fossils. And the

“It’s just a thing of beauty and mystery. Coral has a very distinctive shape to it, and it’s the most beautiful natural sculpture there is. It kind of gives you something to aim at as an artist.” megalodon teeth. Doug’s dream is to find a seven-inch tooth - and he has several six-inchers. They can be quite valuable, both in terms of their intrinsic value as a piece of the fossil record and teaching tool and in their market value. One website, www.fossilera.com, offers a single six-inch megadolon’s tooth for $995, and you can buy smaller teeth for the cost of a motel room on Tybee during the summer.

Despite the value, there seem few rushing to join Doug in exploring the bottom of the Wilmington River. That’s because the river’s low visiblity protects it from most, though not Doug, who doesn’t sell his finds. That’s not what it’s about. Instead, he’s made the donation to Georgia Southern, donates others for charity fundraisers.

Doug also gives some fossils away as gifts or for his wife to make into art or turn to

jewelry, while still others are kept safely tucked away or on display.

Doug’s in contact with various schools and the Smithsonian, and there was once talk of a study on what he’s bringing out of the Wilmington River, though that hasn’t yet happened. Still, no expert has been able to answer one question: Why so many ancient whale bones are at the bottom of the Wilmington River, at that place not far from where Doug and Barbara moved in 1981 and have lived ever since?

Maybe that won’t be answered. But it probably doesn’t matter, anyway. Not in the grand scheme of things in a place where things change and change again as the decades go by. It’s where you find yourself at the time that matters, and how you use that time that shows who you are.

“Coming here was just luck, it wasn’t

planned,” Barbara said, who can go lead a visitor into any room in the home and point to a piece of her art. “But it really changed our whole lifestyle. We didn’t have it in mind to live by the water when we moved here 35 years ago, but being so close to the water we kind of stumbled into it, then having friends we met who grew up here and knew the rivers like the back of their hands, we were really lucky.”

“It’s a great place for the kids to grow up, just a great place to live for us,” Doug said. “For Barb’s art, and I can get in my boat go five minutes down the river and I’m there. It’s so immediate.”

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

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30 July/August 2015 | www.PoolerMagazine.com

W

ith six round trips across the Atlantic, 13 excursions to the Caribbean and over 120,000 sea miles under his belt, Mike Pranschke is no stranger to the open ocean.

This sailor’s expertise and love of the sea is only outweighed by his passion for the boating community and the people he has met along the way.

A Nova Scotia native, Mike says his love of sailing blossomed at an early age.

“My family always had a boat when I was growing up, whether it was a ski boat or a canoe,” he said.

“I had this thing about sailing, a kind of romanticized vision. I had all these books on sailing, you know, Joshua Slocum and the guys who wrote all of those schooner stories.”

So when he came across a flyer boasting “Learn to sail a traditional schooner!” while in college, Mike knew he could not let the opportunity pass him by. He mastered the week-long course sailing from Nova Scotia to Cape Breton onto St. Pierre et Miquelon and back.

He quickly became a favorite of the owner who offered him a job as a deckhand.

“I remember he said that he looked over at me when I was steering the boat over a big wave and he just saw this huge smile on my face,” he said. “He said he could tell that I was a natural.”

Mike eventually spent enough time at sea to earn his captain’s license and even began teaching schooner sailing courses himself.

“Every April when classes closed for the summer, I would pack my bag, go down to the boat and spend two or three months teaching people how to sail,” he said.

From here his adventures had only just begun. On a whim, he hitched a ride with an old friend from Halifax to Bermuda, then from Bermuda to St. Martin in 1979. From there, he bummed around the Caribbean for a season, picking up odd jobs on boats.

Working on some charter vessels, Mike ascended the ranks until he earned the command his own ship.

“And that was the end of my

college career,” he said. “I was studying to be an urban planner, ironically enough.”

Once in the Caribbean, Mike began competing in sailing races in the 1980s. He, his wife Karen and crew of 15 men would frequent regattas in the Mediterranean, Newport, Rhode Island and Antigua on a swift and beautiful Swan 65 named “Corviglia lll.”

“I must have at least 15 to 18 Mount Gay Run hats, not counting the ones I lost overboard!” he said. “We always had a good time.

The owner always did it right, you know. He made sure we had good food and places to stay. He even flew people back and forth to the islands. He loved it just as much as we did, so we got along great.”

Although Mike admits that the only time he jumps in the water nowadays is to clean the underside of boats, he took up scuba diving once while in the Caribbean and loved it.

“It was like a whole other world,” he said. “The water is so crystal clear. It’s like sitting in an aquarium with all these fish swimming around you.”

One of Mike’s favorite sailing destinations is the island of Bequia, part of St. Vincent and The Grenadines in the Lesser Antilles.

“It’s a lovely area down that way. White beaches. Blue water,” he said. “When I went there, there would only be three boats there at a time. Kids would row out to us in little dug-out canoes and try to sell us bananas, lobsters and fish.”

Out of all of the wonderful sights he has experienced on his journeys, Mike speaks of the people he’s met during his ventures with the highest esteem. Over the years he has made countless friendships through the boating community, especially when crossing the Atlantic.

“We’d always run into the same people and catch up,” he said. “You know, the whole, ‘Hey John! How’s it going? How long did it take you to get across?’ It’s a small world.

There’s only so many destinations you can actually go during certain times of the year. You follow weather patterns, weather cycles, where the wind’s going, hurricane seasons, all that.”

32 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

Mike Pranschke SAILING

The World story and photos by Casie Wilson

After spending years sailing the open seas and cruising around the Caribbean, what brought Mike and Karen to the Chatham Isles may come as a surprise― two broken generators and a spin down Victory Drive.

While Mike and Karen anchored in Antigua, his powerboat’s two generators began running on their last legs, pumping out smoke and lots of noise. Luckily he came across a service sales representative for Palmer Johnson, a Savannah-based shipyard, who guaranteed the boat’s full recovery.

“I knew it was going to be a tough job, because I didn’t even know how they got these things into the boat,” he said. “I bet they built the boat around the generators.

I was skeptical that they could do it all for the price they listed, but I went with it anyway.”

So at the end of the season they came to Savannah, and Palmer Johnson disassembled the old generators bit by bit, chunk by chunk, and carried them out the hatch. Then they assembled the two new ones and had it running again within the predicted six-week timeframe.

“Honestly I don’t think they could have made much money off of that job, but they stuck to their word so I was impressed,” Mike said.

While their boat was in the shop, he and his wife decided to tour the city. Mike said it was love at first sight.

“I remember the first time we drove from the boat yard into downtown, down Victory Drive, and saw all those big oak trees with the moss hanging down,” he said. “We both were in awe at how beautiful it is here. So that’s what sold us: Victory Drive and two old generators. We decided that if we were going to move ashore, this is where we wanted to be.”

And with that, the Pranschkes decided to make Savannah their new home.

“It was great to see the world at someone else’s expense,” he said, “but we were missing out on the house, the garden, the dog, the cat. We were ready to come to shore.”

Now semiretired, Mike has a hand in many aspects of the boating business, from marine surveying to yacht brokerage, from maritime consulting to working as a part-time deckhand. Since settling down here, he has also stayed active in the boating community through the Chatham Sailing Club, which was created in 2009.

This family-oriented boating organization allows experienced boat enthusiasts and nautical novices alike to enjoy life on the water through regular regattas, Saturday sailing races and Friday socials at sundown.

“We invite everyone to come to the Friday Sundown Socials,” Mike said. “You don’t have to be a member. In fact, a lot of members bring their friends along just for fun.”

34 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

While members of the Chatham Sailing Club are not required to own a boat to join, Mike plans to purchase his own small and manageable sailboat in the near future.

“I don’t remember the name of the one I have my eye on, but I plan on renaming it anyway,” he said. “It’s been renamed so many times already, so I don’t think it would be bad luck.”

“My wife wanted me to call it ‘Nonsense,’” he added with a laugh, “but I’m going to name it ‘Corviglia,’ like the mountain in St. Moritz, in the Swiss Alps.

All the sailboats that I’ve worked on were called that. My wife and I even met on the yacht ‘Corviglia lll.’”

He also hopes to someday set sail toward the western horizon. While he has sailed the span from San Diego to Panama before, he wishes to explore more of the Pacific Ocean before it’s over.

“I’d like to visit Fiji, Tahiti, all of those places in the Pacific, but now that I’m 64 I might have to slow down a bit,” he said with a sheepish smile. “There’s still so much left to see, but not enough time.”

However, Mike doesn’t want to give up sailing anytime soon. His love of the sea is a part of who he is, and as long as the winds are favorable, he hopes to sail on.

“When it comes to sailing, either you either love it or you don’t,” he said. “You either have it or you don’t. It’s either in you or it’s not, and it’s definitely in me.”

Abandoned Bandits

WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER 1529 Walthour Rd., Savannah, Ga. 31410 912-596-1237 • Rescue@abandonedbandits.com

CONTACT THE WILDIFE RESCUE CENTER IMMEDIATELY IF: • The animal is obviously injured.

• The mother is known to be dead.

• There are flies around the baby and/or there are white or yellow clumps of fly eggs in the baby’s fur.

• If maggots are already present, get the baby to the Wildlife Rescue Center as soon as possible.

If the baby has suffered no injuries and the mother’s whereabouts are unknown, do not offer the baby food or water as this can harm the animal.

Educate Yourself. Save a Life.

Does the animal really need rescuing, rehabilitation, or relocating?

• WILDLIFE IN YOUR TRASH - Keep your trash cans in the garage or other enclosed area. Put trash out the morning of pick up instead of the night before.

• WILDLIFE IN A DUMPSTER - Place a tree branch or a piece of lumber diagonally from the dumpster floor to the top. The animal will climb out when he deems it safe to do so.

• WILDLIFE IN YOUR GARDEN - Put up a barrier fence using 1/4-inch hardware cloth. It should extend at least one foot below the surface and three feet above. This should deter rabbits and some burrowers. Commercial rodent repellents may also be useful.

• WILDLIFE GNAWING YOUR TREES - You can protect fruit or ornamental trees by wrapping the bottom three feet of the trunk in hardware cloth.

• WILDLIFE DIGGING IN YOUR YARD - Put up a perimeter fence that is at least 4 feet tall and extends at least 18 inches into the ground. Use an environmentally safe insect

control product to eliminate bugs as a food source. Place noise-making devices (pinwheels) around your yard.

• WILDLIFE UNDER YOUR HOUSE, DECK OR PORCH Block off all access holes except one. Place dryer sheets in the area. Sprinkle baby powder or flour outside the remaining access hole. Check daily for activity. Once you are sure that the den is no longer being used, seal the access hole.

• WILDLIFE IN YOUR CHIMNEY OR FIREPLACE - Hang a heavy rope from the top of the chimney in case the animal cannot get out the same way it got in. Place scented dryer sheets in the fireplace to deter the animal.

• WILDLIFE IN YOUR HOUSE - If a wayward animal should make its way into your home do not attempt to catch it yourself. Close off access to the rest of your home and open as many doors and windows to the outside as possible. This will give the animal time to calm down and find its own way out.

Abandoned Bandits is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. We rely on private donations and volunteer assistance to carry out our mission. All donations are tax-deductible. Your generous support will help fund our efforts to preserve the wildlife in our area. Call us to donate or visit our website.

912-596-1237 www.savwildliferescue.com

36 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

Let’s Do Business

ON THE ISLANDS www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

37

Art Center of Wilmington Island

P

PAINTINGS BY SHAWN

erhaps by design, the paintings at the Art Center of Wilmington Island are what grab you first; paintings of old men and children, buildings and trains, streetscapes and landscapes. The artist who created them is Dr. Shawn Bland. Not one to talk about herself, you find, yet decades in the classroom have given her the manner of a teacher who begins to find her stride when she speaks about her subject matter.

Bland teaches art at her recently opened Wilmington Island Studio – formal individual and group lessons for adults and children as well as a more relaxed instruction through mobile paint parties. That’s what this story is about at the end of the day. Bland is looking to reach out, expand her portfolio of customers and make her business a success all while sharing her passion for art and art education.

Whether it is corporations, schools, businesses, civic groups, or families - all are opportunities for her to share her love of art. Call it what you will: Art for arts sake, art as confidence builder, and art as bonding experience or teambuilding exercise. Or just call it art for all of us.

But that’s far from the entire story, not even close. Because it seems fair to think if one really wants to know what art is or what it means you have to know the artist, so know first that a devotion to this thing called art entered Bland’s southern soul at an early age. It started when she first picked up a brush and dipped it in oil paint and has been there ever since, manifested onto canvas through colors and lines and shapes and forms.

Some are bright; some are somber, some big enough to fill a room, others more intimate. All are, in one way or another, beautiful. They’re art, and that love for art, for telling truth and finding humanity and beauty through painting, had its measurable affect on Bland, always has.

First as a child who in museums and books saw the works of artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani was thus forever changed; then she followed her passion into art education, a world she’s inhabited in one way or the other her entire adult life, both as longtime teacher in Georgia public schools and private tutor.

Bland explained the importance that artists, teachers and her parents had in her life as an artist and art educator. Just as artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Modigliani captured her in the early years of her life, her art teachers gave her the opportunity to develop her enthusiasm for painting. Rocky Cameron, Anna Donaldson, and Bill Hendrix were instrumental in shaping her love for painting. Bland states that she is very thankful that her parents opened the door for her to explore such a wonderful career.

She continues now as commissioned painter and teacher on Wilmington Island at her art studio or just about anywhere else in the area through mobile paint parties. Such events are practically epiphanies for those with curiosity and the desire to have a good time, according to friend Melinda Harris, a commercial designer who owns her own firm and has hosted a number of such paint parties at her home on Tybee Island.

“Why a paint party? Because they make you feel wonderful,” said Harris, who first met Bland through her husband, Mark Gerbino, and through that relationship has hosted a number of the parties. “She brings the canvases, the easels, the paints, she’ll

38 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

even bring the tablecloths. You provide the people you want to be there, and everybody’s comfortable, it’s in a relaxed setting. She’s right there to help, but you don’t feel intimidated about painting when you’re at a paint party, and at the end you walk away with a painting that you did yourself,” Harris said.

“We’ve had people from the age of 12 to 63 at these parties,” Harris said. “They’re such joyful events. You have the feeling you’ve accomplished something, and it gives you an aspect of another realm of possibility.”

It’s been said if you love what you do then you never work a day in your life, and in Bland’s case her love for art has meant diplomas and awards and honors - a pair of striking paintings she completed in her teens won her recognition through the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, later in life a doctor of philosophy degree in art education from Florida State adds weight to her status in the world of art education, and commissions from municipalities and museums attest to her talent. She’s passed it on, too students of hers such as Jordan Walker a young man in Americus Georgia who has gone on to find his own place in art. It’s a cycle, really. The great circle of all things.

“As a young student when I’d go into a museum and look at famous artworks, I’d think that one day I would really like to be able to paint like that - that was in the fourth or fifth grade and I really felt then that my mission in life was to paint on canvas,” Bland said. Now, she talks of the revolutionary use of color and shapes

by Van Gogh and Picasso, the way they were the first to do what they did and that is why they are remembered. “The more I studied about artists the more I felt that being a Picasso or Van Gogh ... was probably out of my reach, but that was something I didn’t necessarily have to accomplish to be a successful art teacher,” Bland said. “I think when I put a brush in my hand the very first time in the third grade, I figured out then that putting those lines and shapes and colors on canvas provided me with the ability to tell a story and I like to teach people that they can have that same experience. Observing my students feel so proud as they discover how to make a sky look cloudy or a road look rocky makes my job worthwhile. “ She impacts lives in positive ways through her art.

There’s a reason, of course, a drive and a motivation that Harris remarks on: “She’s the most dedicated, motivated person I know. She is very dedicated to her field and she makes you feel very comfortable when you pick up the brush.”

Gerbino, who proudly shows off one of Bland’s painting says “Obviously, I’m biased, but to me there are three amazing dimensions to her as an artist,” he said of Bland. “The first is her ability to create commission work. I watch her, and she becomes intensely absorbed. I could watch her work for hours. The second is Shawn as the person who does these paint parties, she just derives such pleasure out of the interaction she has with people, and the educator part of her comes to the surface. She becomes animated and excited, and it’s a complete contrast to Shawn the portrait painter, which is another dimension entirely.”

Gerbino states. “Shawn connects with each person through her teachings.” They leave the experience with a part of themselves in their painting. Gerbino says with pride “She shares her inner self with her students whether individual lessons- commission artpaint parties or with anyone who observes just the art she creates for herself.”

Classes begin in August at The Art Center of Wilmington Island, 140 Johnny Mercer Boulevard. Individual pieces for sale can also be found at the studio.

For more information about days and times call 912-777-2504, visit www.artcenterofwilmington.com or email shawnphd@hotmail.com. www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

39

PLAN A Paint Party!

Celebrate a birthday, girls night out, a holiday or any special event.

Paintings by Shawn

140 Johnny Mercer Blvd, Savannah, GA 31410

912-777-2504 • 229-942-0702

www.artcenterofwilmingtonisland.com shawnphd@hotmail.com

GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR’S MATH CLASS WITH MATHNASIUM’S YEAR ROUND PROGRAMS FOR K – 12TH GRADE Students attend two to three times a week for about an hour each visit. Sessions are drop-in, no appointment needed!! Our goal is to enhance your child’s math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance.

Benefits include: Every year parents and students tell us they wish they had • Assessment to determine your child’s specific needs received our expert help sooner!!!

• Customized learning plan • Highly trained instructors • Individual instruction and guided practice DON’T WAIT FOR THAT FIRST FAILING • Homework assistance, test prep and study skills GRADE ENROLL NOW !!!

• Results! Your child’s progress is measured by grades, regular assessments, and a love of mathematics.

(912) 898-3700

www.mathnasium.com/savannahislands

107 Charlotte Drive (next to Polka Dots) Savannah, GA 31410

40 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

J

Fabulous Things! story and photos by casie wilson

ames Harvey is a self-proclaimed “people person.”

From saving countless lives working with Emergency Medical Services in years past, to giving customers a memorable experience at his antiques and giftware store Fabulous Things, James loves making a difference in someone’s day. He greets every customer that walks through his door with a wave, a smile and a “Hey! How’s it going?” But more importantly, he loves providing all the islands with quality giftware and antiques at reasonable prices.

“All of these antiques were made in the U.S. or in Europe, and you can’t beat the quality of the craftsmanship,” he said. “American-made giftware is the same, and it helps our economy. I love seeing ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ on our merchandise.”

James Harvey is no stranger to the antiquing business. He opened his first antique store in downtown Savannah in 1997, and in 2000 opened the highly successful Cobblestone Lane Antique Mall. James credits his knack for collecting to his grandparents and mother, who raised him to appreciate antiques and have encouraged him throughout his business ventures.

“Family is a big thing to me,” James said. “Can’t do things without family, right? They’re the ones who stand by you through anything.”

In fact, one of his favorite antiques in his personal collection was given to him by his grandmother― a beautiful piece made of Vaseline glass. While it appears to be yellow under normal lighting, this type of glassware radiates an eerie green glow under a black light. Vaseline glass contains small amounts of uranium and is slightly radioactive, but James assures customers that it makes for a safe and unique addition to any household. He even has a collection of Vaseline glassware available in Fabulous Things.

Fabulous Things also carries a wide variety of gifts―from the jewelry cabinet filled with genuine, American-mined gemstone rings to the gorgeous stained glass artwork hanging from the

ceilings; from the unique selection of bridal dolls to custom-made, vintage-inspired signs James creates with the help of a specialty printing company.

However, James admits that he doesn’t play favorites when it comes to the store’s inventory.

“I don’t have a favorite item,” he said. “I like everything, like everybody else does. Sometimes I just want to keep it all!”

A retired MedStar One Ambulance captain and LifeStar flight crew member, James helped save lives on the island from 1984 to 2004. Now, he is glad he can provide another service to the Chatham Isles community through convenient and quality gifts.

Instead of trekking all the way to downtown Savannah, island residents can now purchase American-made giftware and antiques in their own community. Fabulous Things has also donated many pieces to silent auctions over the past few months, as well as given out item in monthly drawings and offering discounts on special occasions.

“I love people, and I’m glad I’ve made a lot of friends now,” James said. “I love meeting people, especially through the antiquing business.”

After it became too expensive to maintain his store in downtown Savannah, James decided to return to the islands with Fabulous Things in December of 2014. His current storefront in Whitemarsh Island was actually a former physical therapy center.

James kept all the side rooms used for private therapy, gave them a fresh coat of paint, and thoughtfully decorated each room to best showcase the variety of his inventory. The parlor in the front window boasts a collection of dolls, doilies and quaint furniture pieces, while the area James dubs “the man room” holds fishing memorabilia and an outdoorsy feel. Whether you are looking to fit the aesthetic of a country kitchen, beachy bedroom or a garden-inspired living space, Fabulous Things has it all.

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

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Available at

Lisa Lisa’s Gift Closet 444 Johnny Mercer Blvd Wilmington Island, GA 31410

A Great Opportunity to Market Your Business...

Chatham Isles Living has a section designed for each issue to allow our advertisers to tell their stories.

Chatham Isles Living has a section in our magazine that will enhance the presence of businesses in our area. This is a great way for your business to have consistent advertising and a feature story - all for a discounted price!

‘Let’s Do Business’ is a unique business section showcasing businesses in the islands and surrounding areas. This section offers two sizes of ads and business stories to suit every business’ needs.

What better way to promote your business than on the pages of Chatham Isles Living. So, let’s do business!

Julie Hales, Publisher/Sales (912) 657-4120 julie@idpmagazines.com

DiAnna Jenkins, Account Executive (912) 308-7408 dianna@idpmagazines.com Chatham Isles Living 108 International Drive P.O. Box 1742, Rincon, GA 31326 (912) 826-2760 Office (912) 826-2762 Fax

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com 42 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

I

Lisa Lisa’s Gift Closet story and photos by casie wilson

f you walk into Lisa’s at Home furniture store on any given day, you will most likely stumble upon a little lady hard at work, covered nearly head to toe in paint. She may be dabbing pink accents onto a worn, old wardrobe, or antiquing someone’s dining room table or adding the finishing touches to a beautiful wall-hanging. Though she may be quiet, her art speaks for itself.

This is Jeannie Clark, the mastermind behind all the painted furniture found in Lisa’s at Home.

Over the 10 years she’s been painting furniture, Jeannie has yet to pick a favorite among her work. Instead, she sees each piece as a chance to take something old and turn it into a piece of art.

“Each piece of furniture is a canvas,” she said. “You start from scratch with each and every piece. You have to look at it, and it talks to you and tells you how to paint it. So with every new piece, you’re starting all over. The idea is to give it a completely new life and see how you can create something out of what would normally be thrown away” A Chicago native, Jeannie has called many places home― from New York to Los Angeles, from Florida to Seattle― and has travelled extensively to China, Italy, France, Greece and many other places.

She’s held many positions over the years, from finding customer testimonials for national television commercials and running an interior design company to mothering her two children.

Regardless of job titles, Jeannie has always been an artist at heart.

“The way she puts colors together, people just trust her,” said Lisa Harper, owner of Lisa’s at Home. “I would never think to combine the colors like she does, but she always makes them turn out amazing.”

“Nobody can teach you that, which colors work together and balance each other out,” Jeannie said. “It’s the same as any skill, like writing. Anyone can write, but it’s putting it together so it makes sense and people want to read it, that takes skill.”

Although she studied Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Jeannie says that most of what she does is learned from experimentation.

“You can’t teach somebody what they can and can’t do,” she said. “You’ve got to experiment for yourself. You have to

know what colors to put together. It’s not a matter of just drawing, it’s about balancing your paint colors, even on furniture.”

Besides painting all the pieces found in the store, Jeanne also lends a hand in Lisa at Home’s painting parties. For only $40, a group of 10 is welcome to create their own masterpieces while Lisa’s at Home provides the food, sangria, canvases, paint, beach themed stencils and two hours of creative fun.

When asked to reveal her secret technique for making such beautiful painted furniture, Jeannie just shook her head with a shy smile. “They all want to take lessons, and that’s the one thing we don’t do,” she said. “It’s like going to a bakery and saying to somebody, ‘I only want a few cookies, so if you just give me your recipe I’ll make them at home.’”

While Jeannie does not plan on giving away her secrets to success any time soon, she does have some advice for anyone who is interested in interior design.

“Don’t ever be afraid of color,” she said.

“Color is your friend, though people often don’t realize it. Paint is paint, and what you don’t like, you can always change.”

In fact, Jeannie says changing things up is the key.

“The secret to interior design is not throwing anything out,” she said. “You can use whatever you have, especially if you love it. You just have to revamp it.”

A good portion of Lisa’s at Home business comes not just from selling furniture, but from reimagining customers’ old pieces. Patrons are welcome to bring in their furniture pieces, antique or otherwise, and give them new life through a fresh coat of paint.

“Most of the people that come in say, ‘I would never paint that because it was my grandmother’s,’” Lisa said. “But then when we do paint it, they love it because it’s like a new era for that piece of furniture.”

Lisa first came across her work while browsing through Two Women and a Warehouse, where Jeannie worked at the time. Lisa fell in love with the pieces at first sight and insisting on meeting the artist.

“I was just flabbergasted,” she said. “I wanted all of her work! My whole house is all painted furniture because of her and I love it.”

Inspired by her work, Lisa decided to open her painted furniture store, Lisa’s at Home, and hire Jeannie as her only paint-

er. Lisa accredits all of the store’s success to Jeannie and her talent.

“She’s amazing,” Lisa said. “She’s the reason we have the business. And she’s totally in charge here. She rules me. Right, Jeannie?”

“Well, I like to be in charge of my paint while she’s in charge of the store,” Jeannie said, barely looking up from her brushstrokes as she painted a chair.

“So that puts her in charge of everything,” Lisa concluded with a smile. “I wouldn’t be in the painted furniture business if it wasn’t for Jeannie. She’s just remarkable and all our customers love her work. We’ve never had any complaints.”

Lisa’s staff is dedicated to giving customers the best experience possible, taking pride in providing quality furniture for reasonable pricing. If a piece is damaged and is in need of paint repairs, Jeannie will do free in-home touch ups.

Lisa is also proud to announce that her Pooler boutique, Lisa Lisa’s Gift Closet, will be relocating to Wilmington Island by the end of July. Lisa Lisa’s will still carry beloved brands like Spartina, Tyler Candle Company, Southern Tide, Simply Southern and many more, but will now showcase it all with a beachy flare.

www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | July/August 2015

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TYBEE CALANDER OF UPCOMING EVENTS Market at the Lighthouse 2nd Aug 2015 10:00 am

The Market at the Lighthouse is back in swing for this season. Free parking to the market.

Come out and enjoy a day of shopping for that unique item handcrafted by our local artists. Pottery, bags, candles, soap, jewelry, plants, honey, photography, fossils, gourmet foods and so much more. If you would like to be a vendor, please call 912-786-5801 and ask for Vikki.

Save the Planet Party 8th Aug 2015 3:00 pm

1213 US-80, Tybee Island This event is to raise money to help provide paper and reusable bags to Tybee businesses who want to do the right thing but don’t want to incur the upfront costs.. We believe if we can help them get started they won’t be so opposed to saying no to plastic bags. When: Aug. 8th 3-9pm

Movies in the Park 15th Aug 2015 8:30 pm

The return of summertime fun with Movies in the Park start in June! Every third Saturday evening during the summer months at Memorial Park a family friendly movie will be projected on the side of the Tybee Gym compliments of the City of Tybee Island’s Development Authority / Main Street Program and Partners.

Markets at the Lighthouse 6th Sep 2015 10:00 am

Our Markets are back in swing for this season.

Free parking to the market. Come out and enjoy a day of shopping for that unique item handcrafted by our local artists. Pottery, bags, candles, soap, jewelry, plants, honey, photography, fossils, gourmet foods and so much more.

If you would like to be a vendor, please call 912-786-5801 and ask for Vikki.

Labor Day Beach Bash 6th Sep 2015 7:00 pm

1 Tybrisa Street, Tybee Island Enjoy the ocean breezes as live music fills the air from the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion.

Featuring live entertainment starting at 7pm.

Sea Kayak Races on Tybee Island 12th Sep 2015

1315 Chatham Ave, Tybee Island Tybee Island Sea Kayak Races at A-J’s Dockside, 1315 Chatham Ave. There are three races with staggered start times.

Surfers for Autism Coastal Empire Surfers for Autism Beach Fest 12th Sep 2015 9:00 am

At a Surfers For Autism event, our surfers are provided a safe, fun, judgement free environment where highly skilled surf instructors carefully guide them into waves. Our surfers and their families are treated like rock stars and enjoy a day filled with a range of activities including stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, live music, face-painting, games,...

Third Thursdays on Tybee 17th Sep 2015 5:30 pm

1 Tybrisa Street, Tybee Island The City of Tybee Island’s Development Authority and Main Street Program will welcome the fall season by highlighting artistic excellence with the 2015 Fall Series of Third Thursdays on Tybee beginning at 5:30 pm at the Tybrisa Street and Strand Roundabout.

The Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion is located at the intersection of Strand Avenue, and Tybrisa Street.

44 July/August 2015 | www.ChathamIslesLiving.com

Tybee Beach Sweep 21st Sep 2015 9:00 am

1 Tybrisa Street, Tybee Island The Tybee Beautification Association is sponsoring a Tybee Beach Sweep on Monday, September 21st, 2015! Meet at the Tybee Pavilion at 9am for your supplies and directions.

If you are honoring your community service requirements, don’t forget your community service forms.

Coastal Arts Fair 25th Sep 2015 12:00 pm

204 5th Street, Tybee Island Tybee Island Coastal Arts Fair The Coastal Arts Fair begins on Friday, September 25, 2015 with a “Sneak Preview” Cocktail Party/ Fundraiser sponsored by Tybee Arts Association. Vendors are invited to submit one piece of art for consideration. Event organizers are offering one award, to be chosen by a team of three professional judges.

Tybee Community Day 27th Sep 2015 1:00 pm

Tybee Community Day is a day for all ages of Tybee to play! Take a breather from the rush and enjoy true “Tybee Time” as we get together in Memorial Park for a fabulous day of community spirit with games, live local music, food and information. The fourth annual “backyard” gathering is set for Sunday.

Buccaneer Ball at the Crab Shack The Buccaneer Ball 8th Oct 2015 7:00 pm

40 Estill Hammock Road, Tybee Island Come one, come all, to the Buccaneer Ball!

The Crab Shack hosts the kick-off event for the Tybee Island Pirate Fest.

publisher’s pic

photograph by: Diane Butler of Wilmington Island To submit your photo to be chosen as the next Publisher’s Pick, email your photo to Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com. Amateur and Professional are both welcome to submit! www.ChathamIslesLiving.com | June/July 2015

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YOUR Favorite Community Magazines

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EAT 33 Meddin Drive Tybee Island, GA (912) 786-4442 Open Daily from 11:30 am - 10 pm