Chatham County Living - January 2017

january 2017

chatham county

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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Doctor is in

Dr. George C. Aragon

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contents 10

Art, Food & Community

For proprietor Colleen Smith, Cohen’s Retreat is an artistically inspired community that stands as a living legacy of the man who shares its name.

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We All Have Dreams

Two passions that Ann has carried throughout her life are taking pictures and horses.

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Creating their own Paths

An incredible journey has equipped Candy Bogardus, President of The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society, to provide hope and opportunity to those whose lives have been touched with Down syndrome.

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Fitness & Friendship

Getting back in shape after having a baby is no small feat. But the process can help to restore us not only physically but also in every aspect of our lives.

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Still Around The Game

Former football coach heads up Bethesda Wildlife Preserve.

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About the Cover

The cover photo features Lisa Bradley working with clay. Turn to page 78 to read about how she is encouraging others to be creative. The photo was taken by Ryan Lee Photography.

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Dale A. Miles, DMD Rebecca M. Aspinwall, DMD Derek V. Miles, DMD

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Savannah’s Clay Spot

Lisa Bradley’s love of clay from an early age has inspired her to cultivate that love in others by opening Savannah’s Clay Spot and offering classes in the art of Clay.

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Straight from the Heart

How one native Puerto Rican man renewed an old passion in order to bring smiles to the faces of Savannah.

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Living Well is the Greatest Revenge

One woman’s determined effort to spread smiles in a world that desperately needs them, now more than ever.

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Down the Lane

Tour guides go from the written word to the spoken one.

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An Unexpected 2nd Career

After 38 years of working for Bellsouth, retirement takes C.O. Brown to new artistic heights.

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Savannah Sharks

Megan Yarbrough’s cheer students and her desire to instill values in them is why she runs Savannah Sharks.

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156

Gently Down the Stream

A Savannah artist and teacher shows the functionality of her art by building her very own seaworthy vessel.

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Scenes of Chatham

Take a look at a few more of the reasons why we think Chatham County is a great place to live.

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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From the Publisher

Chatham County living

P u b l i s h e r With You In Mind Publications Jay and Patti Martin C r eati v e | D esign Eric S. Love Stacey Nichols Ryan Sichelstiel Mandi Spivey o f f ice M anage r Nikki Burkhalter

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s usual, I sat down to review the magazine, specifically the articles that were chosen for this issue. I continually try and come up with a “Publisher’s Letter” that is profound, has depth and stirs the soul! Based on the responses we’ve received on the “Publisher’s Letter” to date; it is still a work in progress...

Many times that I read an issue that is ready to go to print I am reminded of a gentleman I met years ago. His name was Billy Godwin. He was speaking at our church. He asked a question, “If you had a fortune and plenty of time, what would you do?”

He then pointed out people in the congregation to stand up and give an answer. Needless to say, much good was identified that morning! He then went back to several people that had given some phenomenal plans and goals and said, “Since you don’t have an unlimited amount of money or time, what can you do TODAY toward your dream goal?”

Basically, his message was to never allow our dreams or goals to be aborted by what we don’t have or think we don’t have.

Do what you can do today towards accomplishing your dream.

Each day after that repeat the process and see where you end up. As you read the Chatham County Living Magazine see if you don’t find people that have dreams and goals. I would also be willing to bet that they’re not done pursuing their dreams.

I doubt many, if any, of the people in these articles ever met Billy; but, his ideas, beliefs and encouragements are being demonstrated daily in their lives.

As always, if you enjoyed the articles in this issue, please thank the sponsors listed on page 176.

Have a blessed 2017 filled with dreams and goals!

Jeremiah 29:11

Blessings,

Jay and Patti Martin Sales: (912) 654-3045 Email: jay@wyimpublications.com www.hometown-living.com 8

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A ssistant M anage r s Kim Anderson

June Dixon

P hotog r aphe r s Ann Sosbe Beanna Rendon Photography Brooke Sheeler/Carriage Trade PR Dream Weaver Photos Jamie Weaver Kathryn Hope Kelly McDonald Photography Kristin Mulzer LaWanda Wilson Photography MT Photography Painting with Light Photography Rick Jackson Ryan Lee Photography Stephen Prudhomme

C ov e r P hoto Lisa Bradley working with clay taken by Ryan Lee Photography

S ales Tiffanie Livingston Patti Martin Landon Spivey Laurie Wilkes

C ont r ib u ting

Wri t er s Gail Dixon

Fonda Dixon J. Lesley Dixon Kelly McDonald David Pena Stephen Prudhomme D. Annette Sasser Ann Sosbe Teri R. Williams

Chatham County Living Magazine© is published three times a year by With You in Mind Publications. www.hometown-living.com P.O. Box 55 • Glennville, GA 30427 (912) 654-3045 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

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ART, FOOD Community &

STORY BY | David Pena | PHOTOS BY | LaWanda Wilson Photography & Kelly McDonald Photography

For proprietor Colleen Smith, Cohen’s Retreat is an artistically inspired community that stands as a living legacy of the man who shares its name.

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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A

A portrait of Percy Cohen hangs above the fireplace in the main dining room of the retreat that bears his name, his eyes essentially surveying the fruits of his life’s labors, or rather after-life’s labors. To a passing observer, his stoic, almost stern expression may somewhat obscure the fact that in both life and death, the man gave so much to so many. Situated on more than five acres on Skidaway Road, the property known as Cohen’s Retreat is now home to a gourmet restaurant, sixteen energy-efficient cottages, a majestic home, and a stylish fountain, as well as a retreat for artistic endeavors.

“Turning a profit has never been our priority; rather, our vision was to create a place where artists could come together 12

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to collectively celebrate art, food and community,” states founder and proprietor Colleen Smith, “but we simply would not be sitting here without Percy Cohen.” A quiet bachelor who at one time worked for a company called the Savannah Compress Company; Cohen lived in a modest apartment on the corner of Drayton and Oglethorpe and became a caretaker for many of his relatives. Despite living a fairly unassuming life, upon his death Cohen bequeathed considerable sums of money to various organizations, including the Bethesda Home for Boys and the Fresh Air Home on Tybee Island.

Smith continues, “He left the remaining $50,000 in his will for the construction of this building, which of course he

“Turning a profit has never been our priority; rather, our vision was to create a place where artists could come together to collectively celebrate art, food and community.”

never lived to see. His will stated that he wanted a place to be built where men would not die old and lonely.’” However, after Cohen passed away in 1927, the money essentially sat dormant since no one at the time knew what to do with his generous contribution. Once additional funding was approved, the original Cohen’s was briefly located in a rented house on Maupas Avenue and operated by the Silver Cross Circle of The King’s Daughters and Sons. In 1934, “Cohen’s Old Man’s Retreat” was built on the Skidaway premises, which was donated by Chatham County. Smith now owns the property and has transformed the 80-year-old main structure and rear buildings into a culinary and artistic village

showcasing its artisan tenants.

Smith’s vision for Cohen’s was “to create a communityoriented destination where guests will be inspired to stir their artistic soul, to think outside the box while possibly making a difference in someone else’s life or within themselves.”

But long before that vision came to fruition, as a young girl Smith developed an affinity for Cohen’s Retreat, more specifically for its former residents. While in junior high school, Smith visited the home with fellow members of her church. “I would come with the deacons every Sunday to bring communion to the residents. These men were quirky and always interesting, and as you can imagine, there were Hometown Living At Its Best

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“It was a fabulous place in its heyday, just beautiful, and it broke my heart to see it in the shape it was in.”

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representations from all walks of life.

Honestly, I didn’t know when I walked in here how important this place would become to me.” During her high school years, the visits stopped as her academic pursuits took the majority of her time. However, when she began attending college at Armstrong, Smith says she felt a need to return. “I walked in one day and saw many familiar faces. The building hadn’t changed much at all, and many of the residents were in the front lobby. Some were in wheelchairs, while others shuffled by on their own. After greeting a few, I asked the staff if there were any residents who didn’t have family living nearby or regular visitors,” she recalled. A nurse directed her to a man named John from Connecticut who, like her, had an affinity for art. She befriended the man and made an effort to drop by whenever possible to visit him. “I was an art major at the time, so I would bring my sketch pad to show him. We’d go outside under a tree and sketch or color and talk about whatever was on John’s mind. Sometimes we would just watch TV or sit on one of the benches outside and watch the cars go by,” she recalls. On one particular day, Smith came to visit her old friend, only to find that John was not there anymore; he had been taken to the hospital and then passed away soon after.

“Once John passed, I didn’t come back for a while. Then due to some cutbacks of state funding in the 1980s, Cohen’s officially closed as a nursing care facility,” Smith recalls. The building eventually became a training center for the 1996 Olympics, then ultimately a furniture store before falling into disrepair. On her way home, she would fondly recall those visits while driving past the stately (albeit neglected) building located at 5715 Skidaway Road. “It was a fabulous place in its heyday, just beautiful, and it broke my heart to see it in the shape it was in,” Smith emphasizes. “In the back of my mind, I kept wondering, ‘wouldn’t it be great if someone came in and (bought) this building to give back to the community again?’ I knew

how important it was to all the families who had memories here.” As a former art major, Smith came up with an idea for the property that hearkened back to Sandy West’s Genesis Project, a cooperative, semi-sustainable community on Ossabaw Island in the 70s and 80s which allowed artists to live free from distractions in order to fully pursue their craft.

She adds, “It just kind of dawned on me one day- how cool would it be if Percy and Sandy got together?” As luck would have it, when the building came up for sale again in 2011, Smith and her husband, Sidney, couldn’t wait to purchase it and realize her unique vision.

Once Smith assumed ownership of the property, she spent a year renovating the cottages. Upon completion, the now state-of-the-art cottages were rented to private individuals as well as to various art-related businesses, such as Evelyn Scott’s upholstery business, Fish Out of Water Designs (FOWD), and Everbloom Inc., landscape architects and florists. In 2013, the main building began its transformation, and by 2014 part of the main house was used to put on a handful of heavily attended art shows to give the public “a sneak peek of what was to come.” Now what was once a home for elderly men has become an artisan village, complete Hometown Living At Its Best

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with unique retail spaces collectively known as the Brown Dog Market, and a reception/multi-purpose area known simply as the “Art Tank,” originally built as a classroom event space. The retail end of the building features five showrooms that are individually displayed with a solitary theme. These showplaces change seasonally and display numerous types of art, textiles, furniture and accessories, all of which are for sale. Also on the vast property is a free-standing building that serves as a photography studio operated

by Elizabeth Demos. Upstairs is the headquarters of the interior design firms of St. Tallevast Interiors and Curry & Co., as well as offices for Cohen’s staff.

Smith said she is honored to share “the hard work and vision of such a dynamic group of individuals.”

The stimulating atmosphere at Cohen’s Retreat immerses its guests in a creative collective while serving over 100 guests a day for lunch and dinner.

The restaurant at Cohen’s is overseen

by Executive Chef Rob Britton, who has had nearly two decades of experience. When Chef Britton was brought on board, he suggested the

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addition of Wendy Williby, now the Director of Community Relations and Special Events for Cohen’s Retreat.

Williby proudly states, “When guests arrive and spend some time here, they soon realize that there is a love affair with the property, the building, and its history, and there is a vision for not only honoring the legacy but also taking it in a new direction where it can give so much back to the community.”

Through the entire process, from conception to realization of the property’s ongoing transformation, Smith had to keep reminding herself of what Sandy West said about collective creativity. “When you bring creative souls together, something magical is revealed,” she observes. “When things weren’t going according to plan or I’d get down, I’d think about what Sandy said. And it comes right back to Mr. Percy. I feel he would be proud of what Cohen’s Retreat has become and take pride in the fact that he played such a huge part in it.”  CCL

“When you bring creative souls together, something magical is revealed.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

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Chatham County Living

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Gail Dixon & Ann Sosbe Photos by Ann Sosbe and MT Photography Story by

Ann Sosbe was born in Lafayette, Indiana and lived there for 21 years.

In the mid 80's, she moved to Savannah with a friend. She says, “After growing up looking at cornfields, the beach was quite a lovely change.”

Ann is an animal lover and shares her home with two dogs, Denny and Artie. Denny is a Giant Schnauzer, 80 pounds of big dorky love and loves everyone! He's a therapy dog and they visit places like nursing homes, area hospitals, and the occasional library so children can read to him. Artie is a small mixed terrier type stray dog that showed up inside Ann's fenced-in backyard. Although trying to find his previous owners, Artie has become the ruler of the house for a couple of years and is “quite the comedian”. There are also two cats and a fish tank and Ann says there is never a dull moment around their house.

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Always the kid in school with a camera, Ann remembers in Jr. High taking a test about what you wanted to do when you grew up. She wanted to become a professional photographer and she never really put the camera down.

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Chatham county Living

Ann loves to capture light and how it is temporary...she loves color, but says there is also a place for black and white. She tries to look at things from different angles to see what is most appealing.

Ann has been an officer with SavannahChatham Metropolitan Police Department since 1989, joining the Mounted Unit in 1999.

She was a farm kid and her family always had horses, so the Mounted Unit was just a natural progression for her. Ann spent a couple of years on regular Patrol, five years in a Public Housing Unit, and three years in a Plain Clothes Unit, but she had always wanted to be a part of the Mounted Unit.

The Mounted Unit has nine horses, draft or draft crossbreeds, with one retiring soon. The bigger breeds are used because they seem to be a bit calmer and they have a lot less health issues. I had read online that they do have a “celebrity horse” and this is Ann's reply, “The Unit does have one 'celebrity' horse, Bobby. He is one of the first 'big boys,' the draft horses and is Percheron, like several of the carriage horses.

Bobby is really big, close to 2200 pounds, but he is all teddy bear, a very tolerant and patient lovable lunk.”

For the most part, the horses are trained to ride when the Mounted Unit gets them. The Unit does have to train the horses by exposing them to the things they might encounter on the street. The horses' personality is the main thing; they have to be very calm and extremely tolerant of a lot more things than the average horse. There are more horses that don't make it than those that do.

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There are two part-time civilian employees that take care of the barn duties, stall cleaning, etc. Each officer is responsible for the care and grooming of his own horse and its tack/equipment. “You get to know your horse and his personality. You can tell if he is not feeling well, etc. Trust me, they are very well taken care of,” said Ann. The Unit tries to match up horse and rider personalities, along with the rider's ability and experience. Another factor is the size of the rider...a really tall officer would not be assigned to a short horse, etc. Ann says, “We train riders in-house and occasionally get outside instruction. It is a voluntary position and you must want to do the job. It is not a job for everyone.”

Ann's horse, Red, is a Suffolk Punch, a kind of heritage breed that is not very common. He was not assigned to a rider when Ann's previous horse had to be replaced due to health issues. Red is funny, has a great personality, and enjoys interacting with the public.

The Mounted Unit is a much loved unit for the department. Most people think their sole duty is public relations. They do excel at that, but what most people don't realize is that one of their largest responsibilities/

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daily duties is crime prevention. If an area of town is getting hit hard with a certain type of crime, like house burglaries or car break-ins, the Mounted Unit is one of the first things the Area Commander will request. They are a highly visible force, to both the good and the bad citizens. People can see them riding in the high crime areas, the shopping malls around the holidays, area football games, and other special events like St. Patrick's Day. They were a large part of the G-8 Summit that was held in Savannah several years ago. If there is an event or special occasion in town, they are usually working the event. “The Mounted Unit excels at crowd control.

There is a saying that one officer on a horse can move more people than 10 officers on foot. We are over 10 feet tall and we can see and be seen,” explains Ann. The main purposes for this unit are public relations, crime prevention, crowd control, and changing the public's perception of police in general.

Ann speaks of some of the pros and cons of the job, “Some of the pros of patrolling on horseback would be interacting with the public, working outside in such a beautiful city, and getting to ride a horse for a job. Some of the cons of the job would be having to deal with some of the public (LOL), the weather when it is hot/cold, the dirty smelly work, and having to clean up after your horse if he, um, leaves a 'present' on the street.”

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Ann speaks of some of the pros and cons of the job, “Some of the pros of patrolling on horseback would be interacting with the public, working outside in such a beautiful city, and getting to ride a horse for a job. Some of the cons of the job would be having to deal with some of the public (LOL), the weather when it is hot/cold, the dirty smelly work, and having to clean up after your horse if he, um, leaves a ‘present’ on the street.”

Working hours are mainly the regular day shift, but that can change at the drop of a hat.

There could be a shift, 8:00 PM-4:00 AM, for the downtown bar district, etc. The officers monitor the weather very closely, especially the heat. If the heat index is near 100 degrees, the horses are brought in. If the wind chill is near freezing, the officers will probably be patrolling in marked police vehicles. Rainstorms, especially the kind with lightning, are not horse-riding days. The Mounted Unit has all the radio and metal equipment and the horses have on metal horseshoes and they don't like lightning! The big “guys” love the chilly winter months. When it gets really cold, the officers have been known to give them a meal of warm bran mash. It is the human partners that suffer more than the four-legged ones. During the heat, the horses are hosed off to cool them down during working hours and then hosed off again at the end of the day. If it gets too hot, they don't go out on the street; they have fans on their stalls and in the barn. Also, they get electrolytes added to their food in the summer months. These horses are like family and are taken care of as such!

Having a few more years before she can retire, I asked Ann what she would like to do after retirement. She said, “Ideally, I would like to 'focus' more on my photography, but with all of the changes in technology, we will see how that goes. I am drawn to bright, colorful live performance/music photography. It is a challenge, much like fishing...you just never know exactly what you will end up with. I have been dabbling in good ole fashioned film these days. Yes, it really is making a comeback! I think people are looking to slow down and actually TAKE or create a photograph, not just snap a picture. I have a new updated style 4x5

camera, the kind with the bellows and the dark cloth over your head. This one, a Chamonix, is made of farm-raised teak and carbon fiber.

Sometimes you have to 'step back' to grow as a photographer.”

Always the kid in school with a camera, Ann remembers in Jr. High taking a test about what you wanted to do when you grew up. She wanted to become a professional photographer and she never really put the camera down. In the mid-2000s, Ann took the plunge and went digital, which expanded her horizons way beyond her expectations. She “caught” an image

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of a beautiful back-lit shrimp boat in the Sapelo Island Sound. Ann shared the photo with friends and several said they wanted a copy to hang in their house; that photo pretty much started it all with her photography.

Ann loves to capture light and how it is temporary...she loves color, but says there is also a place for black and white. She tries to look at things from different angles to see what is most appealing. Ann's work has been in a couple of exhibits at the Jepson and the Telfair. What started her journey into music and performance photography was a workshop from MorningStar Arts about a day in the life of a female artist. Ann chose to work with a very talented young female singer, Leslie Adele, a powerhouse who performs all over the Southeast. Ann has followed Leslie's career ever since, even tagging along to Orlando and Vegas. All of this has led to one thing or another. She managed to get a photo pass to a Bonnie Raitt show at the Savannah Civic Center to get some photos that got picked up by the CONNECT newspaper, which led to shooting 30

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shows for the Civic Center.

She has had photos in several area contests and group shows as well. Ann has also had the opportunity to have a couple of solo shows at some galleries and coffee shops in town. “I had a very well attended display of coastal photos at the Bull Street Library's Loft Gallery to compliment the 2015 Summer Reading Program of Pat Conroy's book, The Water Is Wide.” Of course, Ann gets some nice shots of the police horses too!

Two passions that Ann has carried throughout her life are taking pictures and horses. She says, “We all have dreams and this is one of mine.

If you don't act on your dreams and ideas, then you'll always wonder about the 'what if's' in life.

So here I am, just hanging on to the horse's tail, so to speak, and waiting to see where all of this takes me.”  CCL For more information, go to Ann's webpage, onehorsephotography.com.

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Duffy, Feemster & Strother, LLC is located at 236 East Oglethorpe Avenue and is part of what is known as “Marshall Row.” This row of townhouses was developed in the 1850s by Mary Marshall, a female architect who also built the Marshall House Hotel and whose portrait hangs in the Marshall House. Legend has it that in the 1960s the entire row of four townhouses was owned by a brick broker who was going to demolish the buildings for their Savannah Grey brick. Robert Duffy and others were able to raise the money to buy the dilapidated townhouses from the brick broker and renovate them. The one at 236 was turned into Robert Duffy’s law office in the mid 1960s and has been the home of Duffy, Feemster & Strother, LLC since 1982.

EST. 1951 (912) 236-6311

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Story by J. Lesley Dixon Photos by Painting with Light Photography and Brooke Sheeler/Carriage Trade PR

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Mrs. Bogardus is full of positivity when she smiles and says, “We want the parents to enjoy the precious child with whom God blessed you and treat them just like you treat everyone else.” There are many misconceptions about Down syndrome, and Mrs. Bogardus says it best, “We want to show them that they are people first and are better than everyone else due to their extra chromosome.”

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Seasons often pass into our lives in which we feel overwhelmed by that which we perceive at the time to be too much for us to handle alone. During these times, we may be filled with many questions and often seek guidance, assistance, or just the presence of someone who stands on common ground. In those moments, what might happen if we realize and embrace the potential fact that we are being given the “tools� necessary to provide care and encouragement to those in need at a future time who will walk similar paths? The Bogardus family has been through just such a season, and have turned their experiences into an avenue of hope and resources for those engaged in similar circumstances. I had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Candy Bogardus at the annual Camp Buddy event sponsored by the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society, a nonprofit charitable organization serving Savannah, Georgia.

In 2004, Candy and John Bogardus were blessed with a baby girl whom they named Lainey. They did not know that Lainey had Down syndrome until she was born. Both Candy and John

Current research has proven that early intervention with therapy and educational opportunities can allow the child to become the best they can be in life and pursue their dream of playing soccer or becoming a dancer.

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were experienced in the medical field, and immediately attempted to find local resources to assist and educate them on the subject of Down syndrome. They were shocked to learn that no such group existed at the time in the Savannah, Chatham County area. The Bogardus family wanted the best for their new child, so they conducted some independent research on therapy and options. Dr. Ben Spitalnick, MD of the Pediatric Associates of Savannah came into their path and brought a little bit of hope. The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society was established through the hard work and personal experiences of the Bogardus family, with the assistance of Dr. Spitalnick, and other families searching for more information on Down syndrome.

The organization exists to provide hope, information, and opportunity for families who are asking the question, “What do I do now?”

The goal of the LDSS is to meet with families on their journey with Down syndrome, and to establish the fact that they are not alone. The LDSS provides education on the topic of Down syndrome, and resources to overcome the challenges faced by those who are dealing with the disorder. Thirty years ago, ignorance led to the institutionalization of patients with Down syndrome; part of the educational process is to change the perspective of the world by changing the perspective of the immediate community via a “ripple effect.”

Mrs. Bogardus is full of positivity when she smiles and says, “We want the parents to enjoy the precious child with whom God blessed you and treat them just like you treat everyone else.” There are many misconceptions about Down syndrome, and Mrs. Bogardus says it best, “We want to show them that they are people first and are better than everyone else due to their extra chromosome.” That extra chromosome she speaks of takes place when extra genetic material forms from chromosome 21 in the developmental process. Challenges to the

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patient (and family) include hypotonia, or low muscle tone, which negatively influences speech, walking, organs (heart and lung), and even swallowing. Fifty percent of patients are born with heart defects which require major open heart surgery. Mrs. Bogardus informs that many of the LDSS families experienced this and had to travel to Atlanta for the surgery; LDSS supported these families during their struggle.

Other complications may include ear infections, hearing loss, eye diseases, sleep apnea, thyroid disease, anemia, leukemia, intestinal blockage at birth, and hip dislocations.

Imagine being part of a family with an infant facing Down syndrome and the above “challenges� alone; the prospect is utterly terrifying. Therein lies the hope and opportunity provided by the LDSS. Current research has proven that early intervention with therapy and educational opportunities can allow the child to become the best they can be in life and pursue their dream of playing soccer or becoming a dancer.

Mrs. Bogardus reinforced that early therapy and education The goal of the LDSS is to meet with families on their journey with Down syndrome, and to establish the fact that they are not alone. The LDSS provides education on the topic of Down syndrome, and resources to overcome the challenges faced by those who are dealing with the disorder.

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is critical; her daughter Lainey began therapy at the age of six weeks. This early intervention leads to muscle tone and control which are the things many take for granted on a daily basis. During therapy, patients are encouraged to crawl, walk, run, and sit up to tone those core muscle groups. Each child with Down syndrome is on their own developmental timeline and their personal victory will come with patience; this can be frustrating for new parents. Lainey walked by the age of two and it was a well celebrated milestone victory for her and her family. It is for these reasons, that the parent to parent connections established by the LDSS are imperative.

School systems familiar with the challenges of Down syndrome are important in the development of the child as well.

Early intervention on the educational side with preschool is essential; patients should be in preschool by the age of three years and should be taught just like other students.

Mrs. Bogardus explained that Lainey has clearly defined expectations just like her Hometown Living At Its Best

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other children; those expectations are also critical in the development process.

School systems in Effingham, Chatham, Bulloch, and Bryan Counties are set up for early intervention and education for the student facing the disorder. The opportunity is to understand and accept that the person with Down syndrome will lead to a contributing member of society who can attain their goals with early intervention in the form of therapy and education. One example, of many, is Michael Holton who is 21 years of age and currently holds a job at the Effingham County hospital; he is a selfadvocate to the LDSS Board, as well as an active member of the group and community.

Mrs. Bogardus provided me with a copy of a pamphlet on the LDSS. I was humbled by the front cover, “Our Vision – The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society envisions a world in which all people with different abilities have the opportunity to create their own path in order to enhance the quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities.” A turn to the inside reveals, “Our Mission – The mission of the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society is to benefit people with Down syndrome and their families through local leadership, outreach, education, and advocacy to champion and celebrate acceptance and inclusion.”

Events and activities of the LDSS include monthly meetings with quarterly guest speakers to educate members, family oriented social functions, local conferences, nationwide conference participation, e-mail updates for members, the annual Buddy Walk, a “Night of Champions,” and Camp Buddy. The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995, and is a one-mile

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The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995, and is a one-mile walk with an all-day family oriented festival. The Buddy Walk’s goal is to promote understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. The Savannah Buddy Walk takes place in October of every year in Forsyth Park.

walk with an all-day family oriented festival. The Buddy Walk’s goal is to promote understanding and acceptance of people with Down syndrome.

The Savannah Buddy Walk takes place in October of every year in Forsyth Park. The first Savannah Buddy Walk took place in 2006; the expectation was for approximately one hundred attendees. Mrs. Bogardus states that, “The Lord blessed us with over 950 people in attendance.” The event has continually been blessed and has an attendance of approximately 5000 yearly. Film producer and ice cream shop owner, Stratton Leopold was named as the Grand Marshal for the 2016 (11th Annual) Savannah Buddy Walk hosted by the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society. Leopold is known for the movies, “The Sum of All Fears,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “The General’s Daughter” and the remake of “The

Wolfman.” Leopold also owns an ice cream shop in Savannah called, Leopold’s Ice Cream.

As I walked around the Camp Buddy event and composed photographs for this article, I met some awesome and talented young men and women with Down syndrome. I also met some amazing and compassionate volunteers participating in the event.

The theme was that of the 2016 Olympics in Rio and attendees were learning about the Olympic Games through playing games, reading, swimming, and crafting Olympic themed projects. The activities held at Camp Buddy were specifically designed to challenge the students physically and intellectually.

For more information on the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society, please visit their newly redesigned website at www.LDSSGA.org or call 912-728-8505.  CCL

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Story by Teri R. Williams Photos by Ryan Lee Photography

and friendship

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One year after joining FIT4MOM, the owner of the Savannah franchise moved. Erin was so grateful for her own experience with FIT4MOM that she decided to take over the franchise. “I became a certified Stroller Strides instructor in February of 2014 and took over the franchise in July of 2014.”

Y

Your options are limited. You could starve yourself—unless you’re nursing your baby in which case she’s dependent on you to eat a healthy diet for her survival. Even if you’re not your baby’s primary source of nutrition, the moment you gave birth your place as a role model just went to another level altogether. Imagine that precious little baby twenty years down the road telling a therapist how her mama’s dieting tactics damaged her self-image forever. Of course, there’s always exercise. You could grab a jump rope or drop to the floor for some push-ups whenever the baby finally takes a ten-minute nap (in between the 45 minutes she took to nurse). But then you would have to have a little energy for that. Before you know it a year has passed, and yet you still feel like a Cabbage Patch doll trying to fit into something from a Barbie’s closet every time you try on a pair of your old jeans.

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When Erin Hanna’s son, Henry, turned one, she wasn’t exactly thinking about the jeans she wore a year earlier. It’s no wonder her memories of that time are “a blur.” Erin was not only six months pregnant with her second son, Charlie, but also ran her own landscape design business (Erin P. Salzer Landscape Design, a.k.a. Hanna Landscape Studio) out of her home. Not even her master’s degree in landscape architecture or ten years as a business owner could prepare her for this.

When her boys turned one and three, Erin took a deep breath and said to herself: Enough is enough.

She was determined to find a way to get back in shape. Before starting a family, Erin had been quite active. She was known as Pin-Up Aggression, #34D on the Savannah Derby Devils roller derby team. But with two babies now to think about, Erin needed to find something a bit more baby friendly than competitive roller-skating. When she heard about FIT4MOM, a national franchise specifically for moms, she signed up for the Stroller Strides class. “I got out my double jogging stroller,” said Erin, although she had not had jogging in mind when she bought it. “At first,” said Erin, “I was drawn to the classes at the Savannah mall because they were inside, and I didn’t want to be outside, because I was pretty overweight at the time.”

According to the flyer, “Stroller Strides is a stroller-based fitness program for moms with little ones. Each 60-minute, total body workout incorporates power walking, strength, toning, songs, and activities. Taught by certified instructors (who are also moms), it’s a great workout for any level of exerciser.” The hour-long class was held six days a week and began at 9:30 each morning. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays classes were inside the Savannah Mall; Tuesdays and Thursdays were at Daffin Park; and Saturday’s class was at Hull Park.

The class incorporated a circuit of training that included everything from “stroller lunges” to “itsy bitsy spider abs.”

Even though Erin had been a Derby Devil, she had never been a runner. But as she worked out with other women and their babies, she was soon jogging around the perimeter of the mall and pushing her

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Next to sleep, friendship is probably the one thing new moms need most of all.

But FIT4MOM is much more than a place to share birthing stories while working out together. Call it a girl thing, but hearing someone else’s stories helps with the crazies.

Yes, we knew there would be crying involved with having babies, but no one prepares us for sleep deprivation and no time to pee. We need our sisters to tell us it’s going to be ok.

We’re going to get up the next morning in awe with that beautiful baby all over again.

FIT4MOM classes give new moms the chance for this kind of connection.

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According to the flyer, “Stroller Strides is a stroller-based fitness program for moms with little ones. Each 60-minute, total body workout incorporates power walking, strength, toning, songs, and activities. Taught by certified instructors (who are also moms), it’s a great workout for any level of exerciser.”

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two boys in their double stroller as she ran. In less than a year, Erin had lost nearly forty pounds. “I went from a size 14 to a size 6, and lost about 40 inches,” she said.

“During all this time, my husband came on board to fitness and our whole family has changed.”

Erin not only got back in shape, she also found friendship. Next to sleep, friendship is probably the one thing new moms need most of all. As the mother of four, (three born in the first five years of marriage), I write from experience. I didn’t have Stroller Strides back then, but I found friendship with other moms to be especially helpful with things like sanity.

When you’re pregnant or you’ve just had a baby, there are some things only another mom can understand.

I’ll never forget hearing a new father tell someone that watching his wife in labor made him feel as if he had given birth himself. I stopped myself just short of laughing out loud. I’m sure he meant well, but watching and birthing cannot be compared. My own husband swore he had morning sickness every time we found out we were expecting. I always figured his nausea had more to do with the fact that we lived in a small two-bedroom shack with gas heaters with pilot lights that wouldn’t stay lit, and only one salary between the two of us.

But FIT4MOM is much more than a place to share birthing stories while working out together. Call it a girl

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The Body Back class is an eight-week course for moms of any age.

“No strollers,” she said and smiled. “There are two intense workouts a week, a meal plan, and other assistance.

I did it twice. The first time I lost seven pounds. One of our girls had lost twenty-two pounds at the end of the eight weeks.”

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thing, but hearing someone else’s stories helps with the crazies. Yes, we knew there would be crying involved with having babies, but no one prepares us for sleep deprivation and no time to pee. We need our sisters to tell us it’s going to be ok. We’re going to get up the next morning in awe with that beautiful baby all over again.

FIT4MOM classes give new moms the chance for this kind of connection. “We have our village,” said Erin. “There are play groups going on every week; mom’s night out every month. We have

baby showers….We always have a lot of different activities going on. It’s like our own culture.”

One year after joining FIT4MOM, the owner of the Savannah franchise moved. Erin was so grateful for her own experience with FIT4MOM that she decided to take over the franchise. “I became a certified Stroller Strides instructor in February of 2014 and took over the franchise in July of 2014.”

FIT4MOM now has over 1,500 class locations.

“We’re coming up on fifteen years this August

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2016,” said Erin. Mom and entrepreneur, Lisa Druxman, began FIT4MOM in San Diego in 2001.

“She was looking for a way to blend her passion for fitness with motherhood,” according to Fit4Mom. com. “‘I decided to create a workout that I could do with my baby,’ she recalls. ‘I didn’t want to miss a moment of his new life, but also knew that I needed to take care of myself…. Stroller Strides grew over the years and added Fit4Baby (prenatal classes) and Body Back (classes for any stage of motherhood).” By 2006 FIT4MOM was made available on overseas military bases.

“Lisa Druxman and FIT4MOM have [now] been featured numerous times on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, The Montel Williams Show, Access Hollywood and profiled in magazines such as Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Self and more” (www.

Fit4Mom.com).

Each stage of an expectant or new mother’s journey is different. “We are the only exercise instructors who are required to be certified in both pre and postnatal fitness,” said Erin. “Many of the pregnant moms still have a child in a stroller, so we blend the Fit4Baby and Stroller Strides classes together. In fact, we’ve got

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seven moms out of our Stroller Strides class right now who just had babies.”

The Body Back class is an eight-week course for moms of any age. “No strollers,” she said and smiled.

“There are two intense workouts a week, a meal plan, and other assistance. I did it twice. The first time I lost seven pounds. One of our girls had lost twenty-two pounds at the end of the eight weeks.”

Getting back in shape after having a baby is no small feat. But the process can help to restore us not only physically, but also in every aspect of our lives. For me, physical discipline is an outward demonstration of my inward choice to be whole.

Erin Hanna may not be a Derby Devil anymore, but FIT4MOM has helped her become stronger in every way. I’d put my bet on her and the moms in the Savannah FIT4MOM classes any day.  CCL *http://fit4mom.com/more/our-founder For more information visit http://savannah.fit4mom. com/ or on Facebook at Fit4Mom Savannah - Stroller Strides

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still around the game STORY BY |Stephen Prudhomme PHOTOS BY | Kelly McDonald Photography

t

Former football coach heads up Bethesda Wildlife Preserve

Tom Brackett has 25 years of experience as a football coach. For 15 years, he was the head coach at Benedictine Military Academy and was typically in the hunt for a playoff berth and beyond. The Savannah resident is still around the game, but nowadays it’s ducks, quails and pheasants, and those aren’t the nicknames of football teams.

Brackett is the wildlife manager of the Bethesda Wildlife Preserve, which is part of Bethesda Academy. He oversees an approximate 400acre wildlife area off Fergusen Avenue that includes a 70-acre lake featuring bass and bream. From Oct. 1-March 31, dues paying members, numbering 45, come to the preserve to hunt for the aforementioned birds, which are raised in pens and released by boys from the academy who are paid $1 for every bird that is bagged. They also work the hunt and clean and freeze the birds for the hunters.

“I couldn’t do it without the boys,” says Brackett, adding that dogs also play a big part in the hunts by flushing and retrieving the birds.

Referring to himself as a concierge, Brackett oversees operations of the hunt and makes decisions about habitat, burning, planting, food plots, and various other tasks; during the off season, his focus is on Hometown Living At Its Best

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habitat management and preparing for the next hunting season.

Brackett has served as wildlife manager since 2011 after working as a teacher at Bethesda Academy for two years. He was teaching economics, psychology and social studies when the recession came and put the academy in a bind when it came to fundraising. Although his job wasn’t in jeopardy, Brackett wanted to give Bethesda a financial boost with a program that would complement its cattle farm, organic garden, chapel and video production facility. He called on his hunting background and helped institute a program that is flush with success.

All the revenue cleared from the hunting preserve goes to the school.

Brackett notes, however, it’s not all about the dollar. Both animals and people benefit from the hunting area. “By thinning trees, natural grasses

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and berries can grow,” Brackett says.

“That’s made it better for indigenous animals. It’s made it more inviting for native birds. It’s also furthering the education of the boys. They work one hour a day as part of a work study program. It teaches them a good work ethic.”

Bethesda board member Peter Thacher says the hunting preserve provides its members and the students an innovative forum that combines the best attributes of business, education, sport and environmental sustainability.

Not only has it been successful for Bethesda as a business prototype, he adds, but it has also “consciously integrated the students into the program so they benefit not only financially, but also educationally.”

Their participation ranges from raising and caring for the birds to identifying and controlling invasive plant species.

“It’s a model of collaboration and success,” Thacher says.

“It’s made it more inviting for native birds. It’s also furthering the education of the boys. They work one hour a day as part of a work study program. It teaches them a good work ethic.”

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Thacher is also on board when it comes to hunting at the preserve. “As a hunter, the location is remarkable in its proximity to the city,” he says. “Ten minutes from home and I feel like it’s the middle of the countryside.”

The decision to start the wildlife preserve, explains Bethesda board member John C. Helmken II, was based largely on the benefits it offered to the boys, just as with all other decisions they make. He says it’s in keeping with the school’s Enterprise program that teaches leadership, responsibility, accountability and economics. Furthermore, Helmken notes, it helps to remove some of the misconceptions about the boys and their backgrounds by allowing them to interact with the members and guests.

“They are not orphans, they are not juvenile delinquents or social misfits,” Helmken says. “They are boys in grades 6-12 (though only high school students can work at the preserve) who are learning leadership skills that will serve them well beyond their graduation from Bethesda Academy.”

There is, of course, the revenue aspect. Brackett says they generate as much income in one year of hunting as in 20 years of harvesting the pine trees that proliferate the acreage. Still...

“We are still waiting on the profit part,” Helmken says. “One day, possibly, it will provide positive revenue for Bethesda.”

In the meantime, it’s certainly providing much enjoyment for hunters such as Helmken, who says you can’t beat being able to hunt in the city in such a picturesque setting. He adds they don’t do food or a fancy lodge, just good bird shooting in a great town setting.

“You can work for half a day, hunt and go back to work or hunt early and be in the office well before lunch,” Helmken says. “It gives the members a chance to work their hunting dogs in a very controlled environment without

“They are not orphans, they are not juvenile delinquents or social misfits,” Helmken says. “They are boys in grades 6-12 who are learning leadership skills that will serve them well beyond their graduation from Bethesda Academy.”

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“I’m right where I want to be at this stage of my life. Being a lover of the outdoors, this job is a real blessing.”

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committing a full day and some travel to do so. It’s just a good environment for developing young hunters and is enjoyed by young and old alike.”

The biggest challenge for Tom Brackett, Helmken says, is managing the supply versus demand for membership. He notes there is a waiting list for membership that is almost as large as the current enrollment of 45. Helmken adds that those who got in early are not about to give up the “cool, little hunting experience” they get by being a member of the preserve and supporting the Bethesda boys. “I have never

been a member of Augusta National, but another few years on its current trajectory may have this little spot on the south side of the city of Savannah the envy of outdoorsmen in the region,” Helmken says.

Bracket’s team has been scaled down considerably from his football coaching days. He has one assistant, along with the boys, but he’s not complaining.

“I’m in a good place,” Brackett says. “I’m right where I want to be at this stage of my life. Being a lover of the outdoors, this job is a real blessing.”  CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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savannah's

clay spot STORY BY | D. Annette Sasser PHOTOS BY | Ryan Lee Photography

Lisa Bradley’s love of clay from an early age has inspired her to cultivate that love in others by opening Savannah’s Clay Spot and offering classes in the art of Clay.

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l The moment I touched clay, I loved the way it felt.

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Lisa Bradley was a ten-year-old fifth grader when she first experienced the feel of clay in her hands. Her ability to work it through her fingers and mold it into something creative and beautiful was a natural gift. And yet years would pass before she would fully realize the impact the four week class in pottery, offered at her elementary school in Ohio, after school, would have on her future.

“The moment I touched clay, I loved the way it felt,” said Lisa. “I was hooked from the very beginning. It made an impression on me, and I never forgot the joy and pleasure of turning a lump of clay into something fun or useful.”

Lisa’s father was a graphic artist, and her mother had a gift for baking. “Growing up, my mother would let me help her in the kitchen quite often,” said Lisa. “I loved working with cookie dough and pie-crust because it felt somewhat like working with clay.”

Lisa did not have another opportunity to touch clay until she enrolled in Kent State University in Ohio. “I majored in art,” said Lisa. “When I walked into my first class in the clay studio, I immediately felt at home.”

After graduation from Kent State College in 1996, Lisa enrolled in a study abroad program in Italy that was sponsored by the University of Georgia. “While I was there I met Susie Chisholm, a Savannah native who was also participating in the program. Susie specialized in figurative sculpture and had a studio in Savannah at City Market. We became good friends, and when the program was over, she asked me what I was going to do. I said, ‘Go home to Ohio and get a job.’” But Susie had another idea. She suggested I join her in Savannah.

Lisa returned to Ohio in September of that year but Susie continued to call Lisa to encourage her to move to the beautiful, art centered city of Savannah. “She kept asking me, ‘When are you moving?’” said Lisa. In January 1997, Lisa decided to take her friend’s advice, and for about three years the two shared a rental space in City Market.

In 2000 Lisa accepted a job teaching pottery classes at the Department of Cultural Affairs, a Savannah city run organization that sponsors different cultural events throughout the calendar year. “In addition, they have a gallery and artist studio where they teach classes,” said Lisa. “I

I always wished that I could have attended more pottery classes. If I could have attended camp like we offer at Savannah’s Clay Spot, I would have been elated.

That’s one reason I started this business. I wanted to make my childhood dream possible for other children. I want children to have a really great time creating with clay.

ran the ceramic portion in the pottery studio. Because I was working nine to five, I had to give up my studio space with Susie.”

In 2001 Lisa secured a position teaching in the ceramic department at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) where she worked until 2003, when her husband, Kip, was accepted into the graduate program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Lisa and Kip moved to Gainesville and he earned his MFA degree at UF while Lisa took post baccalaureate classes to advance her knowledge and ability in the art of working with clay. When they returned to Savannah, Lisa went back to work with the Department

of Cultural Affairs where she worked until 20ll when she opened her own studio called Savannah’s Clay Spot.

Lisa thought often about the impact of that after school program with clay. “I always wished that I could have attended more pottery classes. If I could have attended camp like we offer at Savannah’s Clay Spot, I would have been elated. That’s one reason I started this business. I wanted to make my childhood dream possible for other children. I want children to have a really great time creating with clay.” After Lisa began offering children’s classes in pottery, “Many of the parents of children attending the camps would say, ‘I wish I could have done this when I was Hometown Living At Its Best

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a child,”’ said Lisa. And so she added pottery classes for adults as well.

Before long Lisa’s business was thriving with both children and adult classes. Today, Savannah’s Clay Spot offers classes in pottery for all ages.

At the time of my interview, Lisa was holding her annual children’s pottery summer camp for ages 6-ll. In the afternoon, the studio was open for non-instructive time for adults who have previously completed an adult evening pottery class. “They can come back and practice their newly acquired skills, and become more and more creative,” said Lisa.

“After the new school year begins, the children’s classes will be held in the afternoon and the adult classes in the evenings,” said Lisa. “There is a lot of equipment involved in working with pottery, and it’s also a

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By the time students leave my classes, they should have a pretty good foundation on how to create so that they can continue on and make things on their own.

pretty messy media. You really need a devoted space where it’s ok to get messy. Most would rather come to a studio and not have to deal with the messy media.”

The pottery classes at Savannah’s Clay Spot give students the opportunity to work in two worlds.

They can work with their hands, or on the pottery wheel. “I do introductions of all different types of ways to create,” said Lisa. “By the time students leave my classes, they should have a pretty good foundation on how to create so that they can continue on and make things on their own.”

Besides adult, teen, and children’s classes in pottery, Savannah’s Clay Spot offers events including children and adult birthday parties and holiday “gift giver clay sessions”. “Pottery Hometown Living At Its Best

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Savannah’s Clay Spot, 1305 Barnard Street, Savannah, GA 31401 912-509-4647 www.savannahsclayspot.com

participates create sculptural as well as functional pieces, which is usually theme based,” said Lisa.

Lisa has several artists who come in and teach classes. “Rebecca Sipper is an instructor who does a lot of silk screening, which is a surface design technique. She is a clay artist as well as a fibers artist. And Jill Luse, another instructor, is the Art teacher at the Jacob G. Smith Elementary School in Savannah.”

Lisa Bradley and her artist husband, Kip, an art professor at SCAD, have eight-year-old twin daughters, Ella and Emma. Both girls have attended the children’s camps at Savannah’s Clay Spot and are discovering their own artistic niches. “Emma especially enjoys working with clay, and Ella is drawn to sewing and knitting,” said Lisa.

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When you enter Savannah’s Clay Spot, it’s hard not to become mesmerized by all the color and fascinating objects made by both children and adults, from nature scenes to animal themes, including everything from owl lanterns, soap dishes, and flowers, to elegant plates, bowls, and teapots.

“The children and teens who attend classes in pottery at our studio may go into a different walk of life altogether,” said Lisa. “But working with this amazing medium can inspire them as they go into other creative directions. The possibilities are many. If I can encourage creativity in others, then I will have accomplished my goal.”  CCL

If I can encourage creativity in others, then I will have accomplished my goal.

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Straight Heart from the

How one native Puerto Rican man renewed an old passion in order to bring smiles to the faces of Savannah.

STORY BY | David Pena PHOTOS BY | Dream Weaver Photos and Kelly McDonald Photography

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F

For the thousands of tourists and locals passing through beautiful downtown Savannah each week, the tranquil sounds of street musicians cascade through the air as folks make their way around this picturesque city, providing a serene musical backdrop to their afternoons.

One instrumentalist, however, seems to stand out among the throng. Amiably unassuming, Eimir Bobonis can be found playing his trumpet at Forsyth Park or River Street for the passerby, masterfully performing jazz standards, children’s songs and salsa tunes with a style born out of a passion for music. Born and raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Bobonis is a man who has experienced more than his fair share of setbacks, but has emerged not altogether unscathed but unvanquished.

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From the time Bobonis was eight years old, music has been part of his life. His uncle, Fortunato Vizcarrondo, happened to be the band director for the Carolina Municipal Band. “In addition to being a very influential poet, my uncle ran all the musical events in the city. Everyone in town, including me, wanted to be part of the band because it was the thing to do at that time. Since every musician in my family played trombone, I just assumed I would as well.” In fact, one of Eimir’s cousins, Johnny Colon, even had a hit in the late sixties called “Boogaloo Blues”.

However, much to his dismay his uncle said there was no trombone available, instead offering Eimir a trumpet to play.

“I couldn’t afford a trombone, so I said ‘Okay, I’ll play the trumpet.’ It was as

simple as that.” After Eimir finished his day at school, he would go to the band room to learn his daily music lesson. Eimir found his uncle to be an exceptional teacher, always encouraging the young talent. “He was a great teacher, really cool and not like a dictator or anything,” Bobonis recalls. Under his talented uncle’s tutelage, the young musician was soon proficient enough at age sixteen to start playing professionally, relishing the opportunity. “I loved the camaraderie between the musicians. The best part was when I started playing gigs with local salsa bands, playing parties and making a good bit of money, which I spent too quickly,” he laughs. Eimir recalls one gig in particular at a club called “The Board,” aptly named because of its wooden dance floor. “It was a huge club made entirely from “I couldn’t afford a trombone, so I said ‘Okay, I’ll play the trumpet.’ It was as simple as that.”

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wood, and the place was packed with a couple thousand people outside, waiting to get in.”

After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in Social Sciences, Bobonis decided to put his music behind him and get married. His wife, Hilda, recalls their first meeting. “I’m an Army brat, so I’ve traveled all over,” she remembers. “I was in Puerto Rico on Thanksgiving vacation, and I met Eimir’s sister, who introduced us. As soon as I saw him, I knew I was going to marry him. Forty years later, here we are,” she laughs. Ironically, Hilda never saw Eimir perform with his bands, instead discovering his musical talent through an old Puerto Rican custom. “In Puerto Rico, at Christmas everyone goes door to door singing and playing instruments, kind of like caroling but we make it a party in each house that we visit. Eimir gathered some old band-mates to perform with us, and when I heard him play, I was really amazed. I suggested that he stick with it, but he said it was only for that special occasion.”

“I had to stop playing music and find a real job. Some friends had already found work in the U.S., so I decided to try my luck.”

Shortly afterward, Eimir and his young wife, Hilda, moved to San Francisco to find work, since there weren’t many jobs in my hometown. “I had to stop playing music and find a real job. Some friends had already found work in the U.S., so I decided to try my luck.” Although initially unsuccessful at finding employment, Bobonis enjoyed a brief stint in the Army until receiving a medical discharge due to a back injury. Ultimately the young couple settled in Florida, where Eimir began work at the juvenile detention center in Miami. “My job was basically to supervise and counsel kids on probation,” he says. “I tried my best to keep them

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on the straight and narrow, but it wasn’t easy.” Due to the apathy of the kids and most of their parents, Bobonis realized this was not where he was meant to be.

“Sadly, most of the kids were already hardcore criminals, and I just didn’t feel like I was making a difference.” After leaving the counseling position, Bobonis began working as the Dade County Code Enforcement Officer, ultimately becoming zoning inspector, a position he held for over twenty years before retiring in 2011.

Throughout his career, however, music remained in the background, a mere memory of days gone by. Hilda tried to

“He had stopped playing the trumpet for years at a time, which I thought was a shame. When I would suggest that he start playing again, he would for a while, but then he’d put his trumpet away for months.”

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encourage her husband to begin playing again, but to no avail. Hilda says, “He had stopped playing the trumpet for years at a time, which I thought was a shame. When I would suggest that he start playing again, he would for a while, but then he’d put his trumpet away for months.”

Literally days after retirement, the couple settled in Savannah. Bobonis had made a trip to Savannah in 2000 and instantly fell in love with the city. “I loved the downtown area, the beautiful historic district. People here don’t ask strangers, ‘What do you want?’ instead they ask, ‘How can I help you?’

Plus, the pace of the city is much slower, which at my age is really nice. So I retired on a Friday and was living here by Sunday,” he says with a smile.

Ironically it was photography, not music that prompted Bobonis to start playing again. “When we moved to this beautiful city, I would take my camera with me and snap pictures of anyone and anything, just for fun. One day I was walking downtown and I see this guy playing a flugelhorn,

“Eimir’s very outgoing and needs to be around people. I was always afraid that when he retired, he wouldn’t have that (outlet) anymore. When he started playing again, it was a real blessing. He’s around people again, doing what he loves.”

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so I took his picture, thinking nothing of it. About a month later, I saw someone playing saxophone in the park. That’s when it hit me. I’m home on the sofa doing nothing most of the time. Maybe I could play again to avoid going stir crazy. Plus, it would give me something to do.”

When Bobonis told his wife that he intended to play again, she was surprised and understandably skeptical. “When he told me, I said, ‘Yeah, sure,’ but to my surprise, he actually started practicing every day, and his practice started to last longer and longer,” she says. After a few months of refining his old chops, Bobonis applied for a permit and soon began playing again. Three years later, Eimir is still entertaining and engaging audiences on River Street and Forsyth Park, as well as the historic section downtown, and he doesn’t plan on retirement (again) anytime soon. The talented trumpeter says his biggest thrill comes from entertaining children who hear him play a familiar tune. “I love to see their faces when I start playing

“Old MacDonald” or “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The parents have to pull them away after a while because they’re so engaged. It’s great to see,” he says with pride.

As far as accompanying her talented husband to his various impromptu performances, Hilda says she loves to listen to her husband’s playing but doesn’t want to take away from what he is doing.

“Sometimes I like to go with my kids if they’re in town or other family (members), but I don’t want to be a distraction. I usually just let him do his thing.”

‘Doing his thing’ has also inspired the couple’s two children: their son Shah is also a trumpeter, and daughter Jessica is an accomplished violinist.

Aside from entertaining the crowds, Hilda says that his performances provide Eimir with a needed outlet. “Eimir’s very outgoing and needs to be around people. I was always afraid that when he retired, he wouldn’t have that (outlet) anymore. When he started playing again, it was a real blessing. He’s around

people again, doing what he loves.” Bobonis’ son Shah, now a self-defense coach living in Florida, agrees, adding, “For over thirty years, he had to work and didn’t really have time for his music.

Now he gets to do what he loves every day, so I’m really happy for him.”

In a fast-paced world seemingly dominated by gizmos and gadgetry, a passerby is sometimes barely given a smile or even a quick glance. However, every now and then a stranger’s act of kindness or, in Eimir Bobonis’ case, a talent shared in exchange for a smile, can help break through our self-imposed insulation. To countless numbers of musicians who have given up their guitars and drum sticks for mortgages and lawn maintenance, Eimir’s story can undoubtedly be inspiring. However, it’s also a reminder for the rest of us to continue to do whatever brings out your passion for life, possibly touching others’ lives in the process.  CCL

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National Merit finalists in the past 4 years

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Living Well Is The Greatest Revenge One woman’s determined effort to spread smiles in a world that desperately needs them, now more than ever.

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“What’s so funny about being Jewish? Or more importantly, what’s so Jewish about being funny?” These are the philosophical contemplations of the effervescent Melinda Stein, local comedienne, writer and educator. Through her teachings and stand-up performances, Melinda shows her appreciation for the absurd, and she seems to possess a knack for bringing smiles wherever she goes, this despite the fact that her family’s background is one that is anything but comedic.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Melinda is the product of parents who actually had to find their place in a world turned upside down towards the end of WWII. “My mother was a journalist before the war and came from a very forwardthinking family,” Melinda recalls. “She wrote for a newspaper in Poland, but once the Nazis came to power, my mother and her sister were rounded up and sent to labor camps while my grandparents were immediately sent to the death camps.”

Melinda’s mother and aunt survived years of forced labor at the Skarzysko camp in Poland where, among other things, she made bullets for Nazis. “My mother was also assigned to a factory working with picric acid, a carcinogenic material used in making underwater explosives,” she notes. After the war ended, both her mother and father found themselves in a displaced persons (DP) camp, where they met and eventually married before coming to the states in 1949. Sadly, though, she lost her mother when she was just eleven. Now a mother of two grown children and a grandmother herself several

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times over, Melinda relishes being part of a large Jewish-American family four generations deep. “My mother’s legacy is firmly intact within our family, but I knew that I had big shoes to fill as far as reaching out and touching others’ lives outside the family,” she notes.

Influenced by her mother at an early age, Melinda notes that during her formative years, her mother was president of the Parent’s Association for her school and also wrote their newsletter, despite the fact that English was not her native language.

“She really had a love for public speaking, something I obviously have in common with her, and in my own way I try to continue with what she started,” Melinda says. In the years following her mother’s death, faith and laughter helped to keep her family going, and now she brings that same resilience and joy to others through her performances.

Her insights on her family’s past as well as her cheerful disposition help demonstrate how her very existence is like, in Melinda’s words, “dancing on Hitler’s grave.”

So how does a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn end up in the hostess city of the South? Years ago, when her husband’s brother married a

“My mother’s legacy is firmly intact within our family, but I knew that I had big shoes to fill as far as reaching out and touching others’ lives outside the family,”

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woman from Charleston, the couple came down for the wedding and was immediately charmed by the southern way of life. Melinda remembers, “After Steve and I married, we lived for a time in Israel during the seventies, so (visiting the South) was really eye opening.

Never having been below the Mason-Dixon Line, we saw a slower, more genteel way of life down here. It seemed like a great place to raise a family, so Steve eventually got a job in Savannah in 1977.” After their move down South, Melinda began to teach Sunday school and became a free-lance writer, following in her journalist mother’s footsteps. She even tried her hand at acting, performing with a local community theater group in several productions. “Those were

fun to do, but comedy is more my style,” she emphasizes. So she began to perform her stand up in churches, nursing homes, schools as well as community centers, bringing her own comedic slant often to otherwise very somber topics of discussion. “I try to tailor the comedy to the group I’m speaking to.

When I’m performing, say for a Parkinson’s group, I have a lot of medical humor. If it’s at the JEA, I’ll definitely bring in some Jewish jokes ala the Borscht Belt comedians, but in the end I think a lot of humor is universal,” Melinda observes. Her humor is often found in life’s random moments and then stored on her computer. While she usually hones her craft in her living room, every so often she will try to elicit feedback from her family,

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which she claims is not always easy.

“Since they’re related to me, they don’t react as others would, often times disinterested,” she claims. Although not taken aback with laughter, her husband Steve is amazed at Melinda’s comedic chops. “She always had a gift

“I try to tailor the comedy to the group I’m speaking to.

When I’m performing, say for a Parkinson’s group, I have a lot of medical humor. If it’s at the JEA, I’ll definitely bring in some Jewish jokes ala the Borscht Belt comedians, but in the end I think a lot of humor is universal,” 106 chatham county living

for public speaking,” he notes, “but I didn’t know she could do comedy. It’s really a great talent that she has, and it’s thrilling to watch.”

Melinda says she now feels a sense of victory and validation, keeping her mother’s spirit alive through her teaching and performances, but a few years ago, she experienced a lifechanging moment that brought her back to her childhood. As she was teaching a congregation at Mickve Israel, one of the oldest and most historically significant Jewish temples in the country, her discussion hit a nerve with one of the audience members.

“During the presentation, like I usually do, I told them a little bit about my background as well as my family’s Hometown Living At Its Best

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“I never just read off of a page; I try to make it interesting and fun as well as informative.”

history. While we were on a break, a man about my age came up to me and asked me which labor camp my mother was assigned to. Knowing that there were over 40,000 camps, I assured him he’d never heard of it. He said, ‘Try me.’ When I told him, he was floored since his mother was also at the camp. He urged me to call her, which I did.”

During the phone call, the woman said she indeed knew Melinda’s mother, and gave her details about her mother’s assignment to the picric acid factory, as well as the deadly results of working with the highly hazardous material. Thus, the mysterious events surrounding her mother’s death at the relatively early age of 44 were more clear to her.

“I just lost it,” Melinda contends. “As a young girl, I always thought the Nazis gave her a time-delayed poison.”

About six years ago, Melinda joined the staff of the Learning Center of Senior Citizens, Inc., which offers various types of courses for adults who want to continue their education. From Renaissance art and music to history and literature, the Learning Center offers a wide variety of subjects in their curriculum five days a week. “I really try to teach subjects that intrigue me. For instance, I’ve

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taught courses on Albert Einstein, Joan Rivers, The Amish and the Mormons. In fact, I recently finished teaching a course on Islam,” she notes.

However, Melinda views herself as anything but a stiff instructor. “I never just read off of a page; I try to make it interesting and fun as well as informative,” she adds. Roger Smith, the director of the Learning Center, concurs, saying, “As one of our regular instructors, she is beloved by all her students. She always injects humor into her courses, even some of the most serious ones. No subject is too sacred. I’m just honored to call her a personal friend,” he says proudly.

Melinda even takes time to visit local schools to bring her unique and very personal perspective on the Holocaust. “Personal testimony is so much more alive than simply reading something from a book,” she says. “That’s why (Holocaust) survivors are some of the most powerful speakers, but now most of them are gone or very advanced in age, so I guess the next best thing is a child of the survivors. I also try to tackle some of the topics (related to the Holocaust) like intolerance and scapegoating, which are sadly still with us, while still bringing laughter to my discussions

with young people in the community.”

Melinda also writes a monthly column for the JEA newsletter, an informational publication about the various happenings in local synagogues as well as about the programs available to the Jewish community. “A few years ago, someone suggested adding humor to the newsletter to lighten it up, so I began my column called ‘It’s a Funny Thing,’ in which I write jokes and relate funny anecdotes to add a bit of humor to it,” she says.

As not only a prime example of some of the most unspeakable atrocities that humans are capable of committing, the Holocaust also serves as a warning that it could happen again, anytime, in any part of the world. From the Bosnian genocide to the Armenian Massacres, the continued persecution and decimation of races due to their beliefs is a somber reminder of Spanish philosopher Santayana’s famous aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Nonetheless, Melinda feels that her comedic take on life can be a protective barrier against the harsh cruelties that it can sometimes bring. She emphasizes, “I am a living testament to how one can rise above what life can throw at you.

Some of the most successful people in this country have had to overcome adversity and hardships; it’s not just part of the Jewish history, and I’ve tried to live my life that way.” And so, like Melinda, we must continue trying to fulfill the wisest of Talmudic decrees: “Live well. It is the greatest revenge.”  CCL

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Story by Stephen Prudhomme Photos by Stephen Prudhomme, Ryan Lee Photography, Kelly McDonald and Dream Weaver Photos 114

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Reflecting the diversity of the millions of people who visit Savannah every year are the trolley tour guides charged with leading them on excursions through the city's historic and bustling streets.

They range from former or current airline pilots and advertising copywriters/creative directors to ministers and teachers.

They are individuals who relate well to people. They're expected to be entertaining and informative while maintaining control of up to 40 passengers, not all of whom are considerate of others, and a vehicle 35 feet in length. A number of individuals with writing backgrounds are taking their words off the paper and computer screen and filling the trolley "airwaves" with them. They find their ability to communicate effectively and turn a phrase serves them well as tour guides.

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David Harper is just such a person.

Born in Savannah and raised in South Carolina, Harper graduated from the University of Georgia in 1972 with a degree in history; he joined the football team as a walk-on and sat on the bench "99.9 percent of the time" but still earned a letter.

Following college, he was drafted into the Army and wrote for Stars and Stripes for six months while serving in Vietnam. Harper returned to the States and earned a master's degree in English

Whether he’s giving a trolley tour or is on stage, Eric “Big E” Wilkins is sure to draw a laugh.

The 44-year-old Savannah native has been a tour guide since April. He’s done comedy shows since 1998, getting his start at a birthday comedy bash at the Savannah Theater. For the past 18 years, he’s traveled around the country and performed at comedy clubs, civic centers and churches. Describing his style as high energy and all his own, Wilkins is a headliner after opening for a number of A-list black comedians and serving as host for such groups as the O’Jays and Earth, Wind & Fire. Versatility is his hallmark.

“I do all forms of comedy,” says Wilkins, who writes his own material and was on BET

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TV’s Comedy View for three years. “I adapt to where I am.”

As to his tour, Wilkins combines history and humor, the latter often expressed through teasing. “I tease people to death,” says Wilkins, who also works as a local radio personality. “I like meeting people and making them laugh. A lot of the stuff that happens on the tours I include in my comedy act.”

Reflective of his versatility, Wilkins wants to take his performing talents to another medium.

“I want to act and do movies,” says Wilkins, who has been an extra in several movies. “I can do comedy or drama. I can also sing.”

literature from Boston University. His next stop was Madison Avenue, working as a copywriter for J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency.

Harper remained there for 15 years, making his way up to creative director and heading up teams that came up with the Got Milk? Ad and Coca-Cola's PenguinPolar Bear commercial.

Harper says it was a great time working on Madison Avenue and living in New York. Still, after 15 years, he was ready to move on. "It was cutthroat," Harper says.

"You had these young whippersnappers who would have this idea and think it was the greatest thing in the world.

It's more of a young person's game."

Harper went from Manhattan to Deadwood, South Dakota for six months before moving to Denver, Colorado to run an ad agency with Dan Kostner, brother of Kevin. Their clients were strictly casinos, and Kevin was an investor in the agency.

Harper returned to Deadwood in 2005 and ran a bar he had acquired as compensation for ad agency work. Leaving Deadwood in 2010, Harper returned to Colorado for three years before moving back to Savannah to help care for his father. In July 2015, he decided to put his history degree to work and became a trolley tour guide. Harper says he hates to drive and dodge everyone but likes having a group and serving

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as an ambassador. He adds that he focuses on the factual information and doesn't like telling a lot of jokes.

"I only do it for 90 minutes," Harper says. "There's no pressure, and I love the thing of history. I don't get a call at midnight from someone who has an idea. When I leave there, I go home and I'm through."

Harper says he doesn't have any direct comments from guests on his tour and doesn't check Trip Advisor for feedback.

He relies on the amount of tips to "advise" him on how he's doing.

"I must be doing something right, as I get cash all the time," Harper says. "What I hear is that I'm historical and not

Bill Ferree used to fly people around the world as a pilot for Delta Airlines and had stopovers in Savannah. From those brief stays, he became intrigued with the city.

Nowadays, Ferree, having moved to Savannah, is piloting people around the city as a trolley tour guide.

A native of Pennsylvania, Ferree, 72, was a naval pilot for five years and flew during the Vietnam War. He returned to his alma mater of Penn State to earn his MBA but left after one year when he was hired by Delta. Ferree remained with Delta for 31 years, taking mandatory retirement in 2003 at the age of 60.

Ferree says his years as a pilot were alternately demanding, challenging and boring, just like any job. He enjoyed flying planes and the international travel, along with being part of a fraternity of many former military pilots who possessed a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility. Remarking he was ready to move on to another line

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of work after 31 years, Ferree managed a restaurant for three years. Then, in early 2016, he became a trolley tour guide.

The first couple of months, he says, were challenging as he juggled driving a trolley along busy streets while giving a tour. "It's as demanding as flying a plane," says Ferree, adding that he's become more comfortable as he's done more tours and gotten a sense of the boundaries of the trolley. "You have to have a head on your shoulders and a number of skills.

I have an increased appreciation for anyone who's doing it and has done it for a while."

His greatest challenges, Ferree says, are to shut out the external and internal noise and deal with the summer heat. "A 110 degree heat index is a challenge for everyone," Ferree says. "It wears you down."

The opportunity to give a tour makes it all worthwhile and has Ferree flying high, however.

"I enjoy the teaching aspect of it," he says. "I enjoy people being informed by what I say. I also like it when I get them to laugh."

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Reflecting the diversity of the millions of people who visit Savannah every year are the trolley tour guides charged with leading them on excursions through the city’s historic and bustling streets. They range from former or current airline pilots and advertising copywriters/creative directors to ministers and teachers.

hysterical. And to date, I know of no bad reviews."

Stephen Prudhomme, like Harper, has a military and writing background and has been around celebrities. He's done radio and TV and is now taking his voice on "tour". A native of New Jersey, Prudhomme moved to Atlanta as a teenager after his father took a job with Coca-Cola. Following a four-year stint in the Army as a French translator, he returned to Atlanta and graduated from Georgia State with a degree in journalism. After working for several community papers in the Atlanta area, he became sports editor for a weekly newspaper on Hilton Head Island.

A longtime sports spectator and participant who played intramural basketball at his alma mater and competed in several tennis tournaments and leagues, Prudhomme had found his dream job, interviewing the likes of Tiger Woods, John McEnroe, Michael Jordan, and Julius Erving over the next 10 years. There also was actor Leslie Nielsen of "Naked Gun" and “Airplane" fame, a

Chris Roberts blends his artwork and tours on a daily basis; Savannah's historic squares provide his inspiration.

The longtime Savannah resident has been a trolley tour guide for six years. He's been an artist for 35 years, describing his style as primitive folk art. "I paint like a third grader and aspire to paint like a kindergartner," says the 57-year-old Milwaukee native. "I'm such a bad artist, I paint everything small."

Roberts' current project is painting Savannah's 22 squares; he's completed 13. He combines historic people/events associated with the square along with such random happenings as a group of exercising moms

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pushing their strollers whom he happened to see near the square while giving his tour.

"I never know what's going to happen," Roberts says. "I enjoy the freedom of painting whatever I want."

Roberts says he got the idea for the series while doing his tours, which allow him to avoid being another starving artist. He adds, he enjoys reading about Savannah history and sharing it with others and the challenge of making his tours informative and entertaining.

"You have to make them laugh while giving them the history," Roberts says. "I enjoy connecting with a couple of people and have them feel they got their money's worth."

personal favorite, who frequently sat on a whoopee cushion while being interviewed by Prudhomme at a celebrity golf tournament.

"It's one of the few jobs I've had where I actually looked forward to the weekend ending and going back to work on Monday," Prudhomme says. "I remember going to the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament one of the first years I was there and thinking how lucky I was to get paid to cover an event other people were paying top dollar to see. Along with interviewing some of the biggest names in women's tennis, I got free meals and swag. Then, as soon as the Family Circle ended, I was back at Sea Pines Plantation covering the Heritage Golf Tournament and interviewing players such as Payne Stewart and Tom Kite."

Prudhomme married in 1995 and became a father two years later. In keeping with his pursuit of new

challenges, he headed west to work as an editor for a community newspaper in Monument, Colorado. Two and half years later, he took the same position with a community paper in Colorado Springs. In 2004, the Prudhommes left Colorado and moved back to Savannah.

Upon his return, Prudhomme became a business writer for a local publication and did trolley tours on weekends. Six months later, he switched to doing trolley tours full time and freelance writing. An avid runner, he's working on a book on running in Savannah and started a running tour in the downtown area. Whether it's literally or figuratively, Prudhomme remains on the run.

"I enjoy running because it gives me time to relax and think and keeps me in good shape," explains Prudhomme, who also plays tennis, Frisbee and

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Paddleball. "I get some good writing ideas while running and I don't have to worry about contacting anyone else. I just step out my door in the morning and start running. It also seems to energize me and helps me keep up with the often demanding job of driving a trolley.” People think it's an easy job just driving around and talking, but there's a lot more to it. It can be physically and mentally demanding. I've known a lot of great tour guides who couldn't handle driving and talking at the same time."

Diane Odom has taken Prudhomme's tour several times. She says she's gone on many tours, including a number in Charleston, South Carolina, and finds his to be "enlightening." Odom says, "Steve goes into detail about people and things you don't get in the history books. I take his tours over and over again because there is always something new and he knows so much about it. It

Mark Stephens used to guide people as a tennis teaching pro, instructing them on the basics of the game. He offered lessons for 19 years in Maine, Mexico and Savannah.

For the past 11 years, Stephens has worked as a trolley tour guide in Savannah.

A native of Ohio, Stephens, 61, played junior tennis before going to college in New Hampshire.

He moved to Maine and started teaching tennis on weekends. That led to a five-year stint as a tennis teaching pro at a hotel in Cancun, Mexico. His next stop on the tennis teaching circuit was Savannah, where he taught at the Sheraton for one year before going to the Savannah Yacht Club. Stephens stayed there for 11 years.

“I enjoyed the interaction with the public,” says Stephens, a USPTA and USPTR-certified teaching

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pro. “It was different than teaching at a hotel.

I had the same people and could see some development. It was more satisfying.”

Following some life changes, Stephens began working as an outdoor salesman for a printing company and becoming a trolley tour guide.

Working as a tour guide Stephens enjoys the public interaction and the challenge of finding new ways to say the same thing. He has flexibility on his route and looks for things that interest him, resulting, he says, in a more animated, interactive tour. With Savannah as his touring ground, he has a lot to pique his interest.

“I truly believe in Savannah,” says Stephens, noting that dealing with the heat is the most challenging aspect of his job. “There’s a lot here.

It makes my job easy. I don’t have to fake it.”

is worth every penny."

Veronica Nash of Atlanta took Prudhomme's tour earlier this year and says it allowed her to fall in love with Savannah all over again. "Steve's attention and interaction with the tour guests really added a personal touch," Nash says. "His sense of humor, knowledge of the sites and easygoing personality allowed me to experience Savannah on a different level."

As to his diverse resume', which also includes time at the Internal Revenue Service and valet attendant at the Ritz-Carlton in the toney Atlanta suburb of Buckhead, Prudhomme has few regrets.

"I get bored with the same routine," he says

while acknowledging the repetitiveness of his trolley route. "I could have retired from IRS, but the monotony of the job convinced me to get my degree and become a writer. There are times when I still haven't figured out exactly what I want to do when I grow up. I keep on searching and get frustrated at times at not having found my niche, but I wouldn't trade the experiences and friends I've made for anything. That's something I wouldn't have had working for the same company in an office for 30 or 40 years. I'll take the relative freedom of the trolley, tennis courts or golf course any day over the confinement of an office, all to retire and be bored out of my mind."  CCL

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Savannah, GA’s Favorite Local Jewelry Store

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY | Kelly McDonald Photography

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Unexpected 2 Career nd

After 38 years of working for Bellsouth, retirement takes C.O. Brown to new artistic heights.

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A soft spoken, humble man stood in a busy hotel lobby surrounded by his versions of scenes of one of the most photographed and painted cities in the world. Canvases painted in acrylics portrayed the sights and sounds of historic old downtown Savannah and the scenic landscape views of the Tybee Island coasts.

One unique piece showing 11 local church steeples painted on a circle canvas immediately drew me in.

C.O., as he is known to all the locals, spent 38 years employed by BellSouth. He served

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for most of that time as an area manager with visions of retiring with his wife one day.

Carol Brown worked for 27 years as an athletic secretary for Calvary Day School.

C.O. and Carol also shared their home with his parents who were aging and could no longer live on their own.

Approaching retirement, C.O. decided to take up a new hobby and built himself a wood carving shop out in the back yard. “I had tried it in the past but just never had the time.” With his first career behind him, C.O. set off to enjoy the rest of his life enjoying his family, his new hobby, and a little peace and quiet. Life had other plans.

“It was the hardest day of my life,” C.O. remembers having to place his father in

a nursing home and his wife in the hospital all in the same day. His father had fallen and broken his hip, his mother had passed of a stroke and now his wife and partner, Carol had also suffered a stroke. Wood carving had to take a back seat to what had become his retired life.

“I was at the nursing home every day to help care for my parents and at the hospital to see my wife.”

Carol went on to make a complete recovery from her stroke and life with her husband went on. It was just the two of them at home now, so C.O. went back to his hobby. “Wood carving takes patience.” C.O. would work on a small piece for months only to give it away when he was done. “Painting the

“I was at the nursing home every day to help care for my parents and at the hospital to see my wife.”

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carving was the most enjoyable part of the process to me.” So he decided to try his hand at painting. C.O. never thought of himself as an “artist” only a guy that enjoyed painting. His first was a 24x48 canvas piece of 15 historical scenes from downtown Savannah. “It’s the most intricate one I have ever done.” C.O. described this piece and then added that this particular one is not for sale. It still hangs in his own living room. C.O. was starting to make some headway into his business by taking on a commission to portray the views from a cabin a friend owned. Again, life had other plans.

In October 2013, C.O. and Carol were confronted by the news that no one wants to hear. Carol had breast cancer and needed to start chemotherapy as soon as possible.

Painting was put to the side as C.O. spent the next six months as a driver, chef, and caretaker for his wife of over 50 years. “She was sick, weak, and lost all her hair.” Carol was taking 136

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some of the most powerful medicine available to combat her diagnosis.

C.O. never left her side. They were in this together, in sickness and in health.

A true love story of commitment and dedication.

“She would have done it for me in a second,” C.O. says.

In April of 2014, the couple went back to the doctor and awaited the news. Carol and C.O. have 2 grown boys and 5 wonderful grandchildren.

They decided to do whatever they had to do as a family. They have also been members of Calvary Baptist Temple since 1982 and credit their family and church family for a lot of support through this time. “Our faith and marriage was tested and became stronger because of the cancer.” Carol was given the all clear. As of now, she is cancer free and happy to return home to her family and church as a healed woman. “Pretty amazing how many women go through this,” C.O. said. “They would come up to her at church and share stories.”

Now with time on his hands again, C.O. went back to painting. He turned the wood carving shop into his own

“You paint because you enjoy it. You start by just giving your work away to family, then to friends, and then finally you become brave enough to see if the general public likes it.”

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“Every time I have a spare 2 or 3 hours I am in there creating,” painting studio. “You paint because you enjoy it. You start by just giving your work away to family, then to friends, and then finally you become brave enough to see if the general public likes it.” That’s when C.O. finally realized that he was an artist. His work was hanging in a gallery and people were buying it.

“I have to first be motivated to paint something and pride myself on doing it a little differently.”

This is evident in the circle church steeple piece I was so drawn to. C.O. went out 6 different times photographing downtown Savannah churches until he had what he wanted. “The church with the cross on the steeple is what that one was all about.” His younger son, Jeff, inspires a lot of his fishing art pieces, but his 138

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favorite piece is the Georgia Bulldog stadium. I asked him why this one was so special and he responded, “Go Dawgs!” Their oldest son, Barry, is a UGA graduate and C.O. has been a fan his whole life. This portrait took the artist about 3 months to complete and is a perfect replica of Sanford Stadium. Carol is pretty fond of this one too. “She is my biggest fan and critic.”

When C.O. makes progress on a piece he walks it inside for his wife’s opinion, good or bad.

C.O.’s art can now be seen hanging in the Tybee Cottage Art Gallery. This local gallery is a co-op that is run by 12 artists who take turns working the gallery. C.O. also participates in the Kala Pepper hotel art system that allows artist to set up in hotel lobbies to show their work. His art can range from prints at $125 to more specialized pieces for up to $500. In a sea of artists in a town overly photographed, C.O. stands out. The care in his work and the stories behind them are apparent in every canvas. C.O. and Carol also now give back to their home church from the sale of his artwork. A couple of years ago, they also donated a large print of the stadium to Coaches Cure Cancer’s silent auction.

C.O. and Carol are now living a retired quiet life. Most days C.O. can be found out in his home studio working on his next piece. “Every time I have a spare 2 or 3 hours I am in there creating,” says C.O. These days, he has some company.

His two granddaughters, Cassidy and Madison, are also artists. Madison, a 4th grader, has already won several art awards. “Family is everything,” says C.O. about his healthy wife and boys, and the joy of passing on the tricks of the trade to his grandchildren. It is a good feeling to a grandpa when one of your favorite places to be is also one of theirs.  CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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2 n • Immunization & Preventative Care • Laparoscopy • Laser Surgery • Therapeutic Laser & Rehabilitation • Pain Management • Acupuncture • Geriatric Medicine • Radiology • Dental Care • Ultrasound • Surgery • Nutritional Counseling • Microchipping • Boarding • Bathing • Grooming Case Veterinary Hospital is a proud sponsor of Willow, Ronald McDonald House’s Fun Development Manager

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HOLA SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN Police/military/first responders receive 50% off food while in uniform.

10% off check With above ID

Featuring sizzling fajitas and authentic eats, Carlito’s Mexican Bar & Grill was Established in Savannah 2004. We proudly serve a variety of meatless and dairy-free dishes for our vegetarian and vegan amigos!

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We offer delivery through 912 Food To Go! Order Online or Call (912) 354-3663

119 Martin Luther King JR Blvd, Savannah, GA, 31401 | (912) 232-2525

Lindsay N. Harris, DMD • Russell D. Clemmons, DDS

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310 Eisenhower Drive • Building # 8 | Savannah, GA 31406 Hometown Living At Its Best

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Helping People Afford Life Open to those who live or work in Chatham, Effingham & Bryan counties

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Savannah Sharks Megan Yarbrough’s cheer students and her desire to instill values in them is why she runs Savannah Sharks.

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Story by Fonda Dixon Photos by Painting With Light Photography & Kathryn Hope

You may remember your high school cheerleaders running through the gym or across a football field with those fibrous balls of color or waiving the spirt stick to see which class had the most “spirit” at a pep rally. I once held my own set of red, white and black pom poms and cheered my high school football and basketball teams to victories. I’ve forgotten many of the chants and routines, but I remember the

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CheerSport is the largest cheerleading nationals in the world with approximately 1300 teams and 25,000 cheerleaders from 35 states competing at this event.

Dedication, leadership, and teamwork are also a few of the skills that Savannah native Megan Yarbrough strives to instill in the girls who come through the doors at Savannah Sharks.

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dedication, leadership, and teamwork skills that I learned from being a part of cheerleading.

Dedication, leadership, and teamwork are also a few of the skills that Savannah native Megan Yarbrough strives to instill in the girls who come through the doors at Savannah Sharks.

Yarbrough learned cheerleading and coaching at the age of 12; she was cheering and coaching cheer at camps during high school.

While studying early childhood education, Yarbrough was student teaching at St. Andrews School and taught tumbling classes. She started coaching cheerleading and grew her leadership from one to three squads. In spite of leading the high school squad to a second place win at state competition, Yarbrough felt something was missing. She felt some frustration that some of the girls didn’t show up for practice before the state finals. Someone suggested that she start her own all-star team, a team that would take cheerleading more seriously. At only 23 years of age, she took a

For Yarbrough, it’s all about the girls. The gym is “the kids’ gym” she says and views herself not as owner but a mere facilitator who provides opportunities for girls to learn an extra-curricular activity that teaches life skills.

leap and hosted a try-out and one year later with three teams underway signed a two-year lease on a gym. Out of that frustration and desire to instill dedication and perseverance in young girls, Savannah Sharks was born.

Five years later, with two D2 Summit championship wins and a CheerSport national championship on its resume, Savannah Sharks is thriving and molding the lives of hundreds of young girls.

For Yarbrough, it’s all about the girls. The gym is “the kids’ gym” she says and views herself not as owner but a mere facilitator who provides opportunities for girls to learn an extra-curricular activity that teaches life skills. Her cheer students and her desire to instill values in them is why she runs Savannah Sharks. “Sometimes there’s heartbreak involved,” she says, because dealing with young girls and moms there can be a lot of different emotions and every now and then we lose athletes to other activities.

However, she just keeps doing what she does and hopes to send a message to the other girls that you never give up. “Cheer instilled values in me that I live by daily,” says Yarbrough. Besides learning cheers, stunts, and tumbling moves, girls learn how to be part of a team at Savannah Sharks. They learn responsibility and the value of making sacrifices because one cannot miss sessions and still expect to compete and perform well as part of a team. There are times when

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everyone has to miss an event that is important to them in order to be there for the team. According to Yarbrough, “it’s like being a puzzle piece, and there are no subs for your piece.” One of the girls chose to compete at the NCA competition in Dallas with an injured hamstring because she knew how important it was to her team.

Yarbrough‘s gym encourages girls to build friendships and comradery.

It’s one of her goals to overcome the stereotypes that come with cheerleading. She has students from ages 4 to 18, and she implements a little sister/ big sister atmosphere. Yarbrough says she is still friends 15 years later with the moms and girls she grew up cheering with, it’s almost like we become a family.

The same level of dedication is echoed by her coaches, staff and students. Coach Reese was present during my visit to the gym. She exhibited complete enthusiasm about what she does and says, “It’s cool to have a job you love.” She views her role as a head coach as an opportunity to serve kids and to be a mentor. Coach

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Reese admits that “you coach the ones you love and see potential in the hardest.” It’s obvious that the enthusiasm carries over to the girls. Brooke, who was a gymnast for eleven years, relayed that after coming to a Sharks practice, she knew she “wanted to be a part of cheerleading.” She had lost her passion for gymnastics but cheerleading has afforded her a place to continue those skills and learn new ones.

Yarbrough credits her staff and coaches with the gym’s success. Every staff member is important and each brings something different to the table. They are a unique family and you will even find Yarbrough seeking prayer for them on Facebook. Coach Tim was also mentioned during my visit as he was instrumental in coaching the teams to D2 Summit.

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Yarbrough credits her staff and coaches with the gym’s success. Every staff member is important and each brings something different to the table.

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Yarbrough advised that her students and staff pray after every practice and before and after each event.

D2 Summit is a national small program (gyms with under 125 competing athletes) championship competition for all-star cheerleading and dance. One might call it “the Super Bowl of cheerleading.” A team must receive a bid to compete, and that bid is usually awarded for a win at another qualifying event or competition. The 2016 event involved 9,000 athletes and 1300 coaches from 46 states. Savannah Sharks took four teams to the event and brought home two first place wins by the Junior 3 (9-14 age) Tiger Sharks and the Senior 4 (10-18 age) team, Relentless. Additionally, Senior 2, Intensity placed in the top ten.

The Savannah Sharks J3 also won CheerSport Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia this past February. CheerSport is the largest cheerleading nationals in the world with approximately 1300 teams and 25,000 cheerleaders from 35 states competing at this event.

One of the winning team members described the announcement as “a moment I will never forget.” It is those winning moments that drive home what Yarbrough seeks to teach her girls- hard work, dedication, and perseverance pay off, in cheer and in life.

In addition to all-star cheerleading, Savannah Sharks offers recreational tumbling classes to students ages 4 to 18, “mommy and me” play dates for crawlers to age 4, and serves as a host for birthday parties. With 9 teams of different skill levels all kids are welcome and loved at Savannah Sharks. They are proud to be hosting their second year of differently abled athletes, The Super Sharks. For more information about joining Savannah Sharks, contact Megan Yarbrough at (912) 335-2234.  CCL

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Welcome To Our Family

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ALL THE DELICIOUS WAYS TO SAY

I love you

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This Valentine’s Day remember to say “I love you” with one of Savannah Sweets luscious assortments of Valentine Candy. You will find the finest selections of real chocolate, all beautifully packaged.

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STORY?

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7/11/2015 11:41:48 AM

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Gently

Down the Stream

STORY BY |David Pena | PHOTOS BY | Kristin Mulzer & Rick Jackson

A Savannah artist and teacher shows the functionality of her art by building her very own seaworthy vessel.

K

Kristin Mulzer, an art teacher at Savannah Country Day School, has garnered well-deserved praise from her students and colleagues alike as a respected and dedicated educator.

However, she has also raised quite a few eyebrows outside of the classroom with what she refers to as her “functional art projects.” Her latest project is a fully functional canoe built basically from scratch. The boat’s construction took roughly seven months from beginning to end, and Mulzer’s sense of pride is paralleled only by the admiration she has received from family, friends and students.

Currently in her fifth year at Country Day, Mulzer teaches everything from ceramics to digital design to high school students. Leah Nestor, an art teacher at SCDS, remembers being impressed with the educator from the outset. “When Kristin first came to Country Day, she brought so many exciting new ideas with her. She works tirelessly with her Hometown Living At Its Best

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students and is a great addition to the school.” Before coming to Savannah, Mulzer also taught in Ohio, and it was there where the artist gained a great deal of her woodworking experience while attending Miami University in Oxford. “The college had a great art center where you could take wood shop classes, and that’s where I got my first introduction to woodworking,” Mulzer recalls.

Kristin first came to Savannah ten years ago to earn her degree in graphic design from SCAD. After graduating, the artist began doing freelance design jobs while also working as a shop monitor for the school’s wood shop. “I had a friend who is a furniture design professor, and he knew that I did woodworking,” she recalls. “When I finished my degree, he helped me get work at the SCAD woodworking shop,” and although the pay was minimal, the experience afforded Mulzer the perks of working with great equipment.

Mulzer says she was always artistic to some degree, but was called to teach at a fairly young age. “When I was in

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high school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I had teachers who really inspired me, and I figured it was something that I could do as well. One teacher in particular opened her eyes to the call of the great outdoors. “I had a Physics and Calculus teacher named Mr. Goldman, who was always recalling his canoeing and biking excursions,” she recalls, “and every year he would take his seniors either rappelling or spelunking.” Like her mentor, Mulzer now balances her time between art, school, outdoor adventure and sports.

“She’s involved in so many things, always willing to push herself,” says Nestor. Kristin agrees, saying, “I’m sort of a jack of all trades. I participate in a different sport every night, which is sort of unusual for artists. In fact, when I did graphic design, I got really bored sitting at a computer and missed being able to make things with my hands. (That’s why) I like functional art like ceramics and woodworking.

Basically if you think of something that you want that doesn’t already exist, you can design and make it; then it exists.”

This pragmatic approach to artistic expression, along with her love of the outdoors, helped inspire Mulzer to create works that were both aesthetically pleasing as well as useful. “If I needed a table, I’d just build one. I’ve made several pieces of furniture and even a banjo,” she says proudly.

The idea for her newest project was sparked after reading an article in a local magazine. “I was reading about a guy who had attended a one week workshop and had built a boat from scratch based on what he learned. I thought that sounded like a cool idea, something I’d be able to do for fun. I help with the Outward Bound program at Country Day, and I had traveled to the Everglades on a four-day canoe trip with our eighth graders. Our guide happened to be a wood worker, and he told me about this company that sells boat kits that you can build. He suggested buying one of

“When Kristin first came to Country Day, she brought so many exciting new ideas with her. She works tirelessly with her students and is a great addition to the school.”

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their kits instead of building one from scratch and said all I needed was some clamps.” Although Mulzer really didn’t want to “piece together someone else’s puzzle,” she did some research on the kits, and the process seemed complex and interesting enough to pique her interest. “They basically just send you the wood and the instructions, and although you don’t have to design the canoe, you basically have to build it from scratch.” The seventeen footlong vessel came in an eight foot box, and its construction required more tools than simply just clamps. Kristin laughs, “It required pretty much every tool that you can use. I even had to borrow some tools.”

The first step involved acquainting herself with the process, so Mulzer set out to read the formidable seventyfive page instruction manual before undertaking the actual construction.

“I started during my spring break by reading the instruction manual twice in order to familiarize myself with the process. I was worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew but started anyway.” This tenacity is characteristic of Mulzer, according to Leah Nestor.

“Every time you talk to her, she’s done something different- run this race or climbed this mountain. It wasn’t surprising to learn she was building a canoe. That’s just who she is.”

Despite her persistence, Mulzer hit a few bumps in the road, facing unfamiliar tasks during the boat’s construction, opting to learn by doing.

“I had never worked with fiberglass before or scarfed wood together, but I’d just figure it out or ask a friend

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to help when I wasn’t sure,” she says. Along the way, Mulzer felt a sense of accomplishment with each completed step, which provided the impetus to get to the next step.

“When I finished the hull, for example, I was really proud that I’d just built a boat. Then I’d have to add the thwart and the gunwales, then the seats. After (construction) was complete, I was really pleased that I’d done it.” However, weeks of sanding and varnishing were still required, which Mulzer says was her least favorite part of it all.

“Sanding it was really tough, but when I put that fifth coat of varnish on, I was so excited.” When her canoe was finished, Mulzer wasn’t the only one who was excited.

Her boyfriend, Rick Jackson, was

“If I needed a table, I’d just build one. I’ve made several pieces of furniture and even a banjo.”

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particularly gratified with the canoe’s completion as well as the finished product. “She’s very creative, but this was a different form of creativity, something she had never attempted before. It was an undertaking that took a lot of patience…on both our parts,” he says with a laugh.

Mulzer’s canoe made its maiden voyage on October 3, 1916 despite some nasty weather. “We took it to Lazaretto Creek, where we paddled around for only thirty minutes,” Mulzer recalls. Two weeks later, she and her boyfriend took the canoe on its “first real trip,” setting out from Dutch Island. “We launched at the island and paddled to the Wyld bar, where we had lunch. After that trip, I just left the canoe on top of my car so everyone could see it.” Admirers were impressed with the vessel, especially Kristin’s students, who had helped to pick out its wood pattern, as well as her boyfriend. “It was impressive, especially if you could see it from beginning to end,” says Jackson. “She constructed something that’s not only seaworthy but beautiful as well.” Despite being understandably proud of her latest artistic endeavor, Mulzer says she has no plans to build another canoe. “I love building functional art, and this was a long, fun process, but I’m glad it’s over. Now I can just enjoy it!”  CCL

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“I love building functional art, and this was a long, fun process, but I’m glad it’s over. Now I can just enjoy it!”

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shop Sandfly.. and see how much the historic community of Sandfly has to offer Formerly James Gunn Boutique is now

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JAN UARY 2017

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Scenes

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Around every corner in our amazing community, there are treasures that lay awaiting discovery. Beauty is indeed all around us and in endless supply. Take a look

why we love Chatham County.

at a few more reasons

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Ann Sosbe

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Painting With Light Photography

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Index of Advertisers

Allstate - Rountree & Brady Insurance Agency …... 151 Ameris Bank ……..............................................….. 129 August Made ………............................................... 166 Beanna Rendon Photography ………...................... 143 Byrd’s Cookie Company ………................................. 61 Camping World RV Sales ………............................. 113 Carlito’s Mexican Bar & Grill ………........................ 141 Case Veterinary Hospital ……............................….. 140 Chatham County Living Subscription ..................... 169 Chatham Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. …….... 165 City Market ……................................................….. 140 Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners ………............... 75 Counter Fitters Custom Countertops ………........ 18-19 Country Financial ……...................................….. 20-21 David M. Kessler Fine Art ………............................... 76 Dental Designs of Savannah ……........................….. 65 Dentistry at Godley Station ……........................….. 164 Do You Thrive? …...........................................…….. 167 Dream Weaver Photos ……................................ 48-49 Duffy, Feemster & Strother, LLC ………............... 32-33 Endodontic Associates of Savannah ………........ 5, 164 Enmarket ………............................... Inside Back Cover ENT Associates of Savannah, P.C. …..............…….. 111 Galloway & Galloway, PC ....….. Inside Front Cover, 128 GeorgiaGameChangers Running Company ….….... 112 Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union ……......….. 142 Georgia MOHS & Skin Cancer Center ……….......... 151 Godley Station …...................................…….. 164-165 Gregg M. Miller, LUTCF …...........................…….. 20-21 Habersham House Assisted Living & Memory Care . 63 Harkleroad Diamonds and Fine Jewelry …….....….. 124 Hawk’s Point Golf Club ……...........................….. 34-35 Hospice Savannah .......................................……….. 98 Innovative Orthodontics ….......................…….. 87, 165 Institute for Personalized Medicine ……….. Back Cover Jamie Weaver, Photographer ............................. 48-49 Live Oak Children’s Therapy …….......................….. 101 Logic4Design ….............................................…….. 154 Lovin’ Spoons Self-Serve FroYo …..................…….. 168 Marche De Macarons ..................................……….. 77 Marsh View Senior Living ………............................. 152 Memorial Health ………............................................ 31 Memory Care Insignia of Savannah …...........…….. 168 Miller’s Coins & Currency ……...........................….. 153

Obsession Bows ……......................................….. 167 Paul Anderson Youth Home ………....................... 155 Planters Inn Savannah ….........................…….. 50-51 Pooler Chamber of Commerce ….........…….. 126-127 Pooler Pharmacy ………....................................... 131 Quick RX Drugs ……..........................................….. 62 Rosenthal Dental Group ……..........................….. 154 RPM Autoworx …...........................................…….. 86 Ryan Lee Photography ………................................. 89 Savannah Christian Preparatory School ……….... 143 Savannah Comfort ……..................................….. 125 Savannah Country Day School ……….................. 100 Savannah Dental Aesthetics ……....................….. 141 Savannah Floor Covering Co., Inc. ……...........….. 130 Savannah Pain Management, Inc. …….............….. 64 Savannah Rum Runners Bakery & Café ………......... 7 Savannah Square ……........................................….. 1 Savannah Sweets …....................................…….. 153 Shear Elegance ….......................................…….. 166 Sherry’s Honey Pot Fabric & More ………............. 152 Shop Sandfly …...........................................…….. 166 Southern Women’s Show ……...........................….. 74 State Farm - Bill Richard, Agent ……...........….. 46-47 State Farm - Bob Ward, Agent ……..............….. 46-47 State Farm - Clay Clark, Agent ….............…….. 46-47 State Farm - London Arashiro, Agent ……...….. 46-47 State Farm - Sam Sharpe, Agent ………................. 99 State Farm - Verdell Jones, Agent …….........….. 46-47 State Farm - Vernon Donovan, Agent ………...... 46-47 Superior Finish Auto Reconditioning .......……….. 168 Swim Bike Run Bikeshop and Multisport ……….. 155 Tater Bugs ……….................................................. 131 The Center for Digestive & Liver Health …….....….. 2-3 The Front Porch Coffeehouse ……….................... 130 The Law Office of Charles C. Grile ………............... 131 The Whole Tooth General Dentistry …..........…….. 129 Tiffanie Livingston …...................................…….. 167 Travis Sawyer, Realtor - Parker Scott Properties .. 110 United Community Bank ………................................ 9 Visit Pooler ….......................................…….. 126-131 Whelan Chiropractic ................................……….. 142 Xpressions and Designs Interior Design ……...….. 167 YMCA of Coastal Georgia ……........................….. 168 Zaxby’s …......................................................…….. 88

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