Connect Savannah May 20, 2020

MAY 20-26, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Take me to the river

Ogeechee Riverkeeper keeps on keepin’ on

PHOTO COURTESY OF OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

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TO HAVE AN EVENT LISTED EMAIL WAG@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. INCLUDE DATES, TIME, LOCATIONS WITH ADDRESSES, COST AND A CONTACT NUMBER. DEADLINE FOR INCLUSION IS 5PM FRIDAY, TO APPEAR IN NEXT WEDNESDAY’S EDITION.

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Bluegrass by the Pint from Service Brewing — Join Service Brewing for live streaming Bluegrass from one of our favorite local bands, City Hotel!

Fridays, 6 p.m. facebook.com/servicebrewing/

DRAUCKER Live — Band plays socially distanced live show in Coach’s Corner courtyard.

Sat. May 23, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner

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Quarantine Concert: Damon and the Shitkickers — Local ensemble streams a live set from the Tybee Post Theatre.

Fri. May 22, 8:30 p.m. quarantineconcerts.org

Cooking Between the Lines — Hands-on livestreamed cooking lessons from Chef Darin Sehnert.

Mondays, 6 p.m., Wednesdays, 6 p.m. and Fridays, 6 p.m. facebook.com/chefdarinskitchentable/ Damon and the Shitkickers Live — Band plays socially distanced live show in Coach’s Corner courtyard.

Fri. May 29., 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner

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Quarantine Concert: Nathan Sheppard — Local ensemble streams a live set from the Tybee Post Theatre.

Sun. May 24, 3 p.m. quarantineconcerts.org

Voodoo Soup

Front Porch Improv: Classics — Enjoy archives of past Front Porch Improv performances.

Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/frontporchimprov/

Islands Farmers Market — Enhanced social distancing between Eric Britt — Local singer/songwriter vendors.

Saturdays 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. , 401 QuarterEric Britt plays solo sets, alternating with releases from his new man Dr. facebook.com/islandsfarmersmarket/ album ‘Full Circle.’

Wed., 6 p.m.

Jason Bible — Jason Bible of local facebook.com/eric.britt1 favorites The Train Wrecks performs Flashback: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Bar with solo sets.

Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. a Sports Attitude — Livestreams facebook.com/thetrainwrecksband/ with area artists each Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. Fridays, Keystone Postcard - “Neighborhood Saturdays, 8 p.m.

Concerts from our Driveway” every Wednesdays 4-6pm and Sundays Forsyth Farmers Market 1-3pm Enhanced social distancing between facebook.com/KeystonePostcard/ vendors.

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday facebook.com/forsythfarmersmarket Laney Contemporary — Join Laney Contemporary Art Gallery on Instagram Live each day for a PRESENT Front Porch Improv: Storytime — TENSE #ArtBreak 5 p.m.

What’s the story, morning glory? You have to check in to find out!

Lyn Avenue - “Six String Sippin” Mondays-Fridays, 1 p.m. every Friday at 8pm facebook.com/frontporchimprov/ facebook.com/LynAvenue Friday Night Live with Mayor Van Neighborhood Comics Facebook Johnson — Savannah Mayor Van Live Check-In - Every Wednesday at Johnson’s “fireside chat” about the 2PM to discuss the latest in comics, state of the city. updates from staff and customers and Fridays, 8 p.m. general goofiness. facebook.com/MayorJohnsonSAV/ facebook.com/nbrhdcomics

NSFW DJ Collective — Livestreams from you favorite NSFW DJs plus special guest mixes.

5 p.m.-midnight. Fridays-Sundays. facebook.com/NSFWDJ/ Psychotronic Film Society Viewing Parties — PFS streams unusual feature-length movies with live introductions. After the films viewers can discuss the films in Real-Time via the comments section. To receive the secret link to these hidden streaming playlists, people MUST join the PFS of SAV’s Private Facebook Group, at the link below. Each week, anyone who chooses to donate at least $5 via PayPal or Venmo receives a free high quality digital download of a movie from the archive, and is entered into a drawing to win a limited edition T-shirt.

Wednesdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/ groups/2519522234807695/ Otium Savannah yoga studio and wellness space — 20 minute guided meditation overlooking the city from Perry Lane Hotel rooftop.

9am on Thursdays. @otiumsavannah and @ThePerryLaneHotel Instagram channels Quarantine Concert: Voodoo Soup — Local ensemble streams a live set from the Tybee Post Theatre.

Wed. May 20, 8:30 p.m. quarantineconcerts.org

Sarah Poole — Local musician Sarah Poole performs.

Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 6:30 p.m. facebook.com/sarah.poole.505 Sean Moloney — Local musician performs.

Daily 5 p.m. facebook.com/sean.moloney.5 Irish Music with Seldom Sober — Savannah’s only Irish music ensemble, Seldom Sober (Michael Corbett and Colleen Settle) perform a set spanning Trad Irish to American folk.

Tuesdays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/seldomsober/ Shed Show Live - Local musician Matt Eckstine presents a weekly livestream from his cozy shed.

Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. facebook.com/matteckstinemusic Streaming Odd! — Odd Lot Improv is streaming some favorite games live!

Fridays, 7:30 p.m. facebook.com/OddLot/ Sunday Service with Epiphany — A “different kind of church,” Epiphany livestreams their Sunday morning service. Sundays, 11 a.m. facebook.com/EpiphanySavannah/ Virtual Group Bike Ride — Every Friday, Bike Walk Savannah will be releasing a new virtual bike ride route for you to check out, ranging from 3-20 miles.

Fridays, 10 a.m. facebook.com/bikewalksavannah/

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

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COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA

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NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE

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Connect Savannah is published every Wednesday by Morris Multimedia, Inc 611 East Bay Street Savannah, GA, 31401 Phone: 912.231.0250 Fax: 912.238.2041 www.connectsavannah.com twitter: @ConnectSavannah Facebook.com/connectsav ADMINISTRATIVE Chris Griffin, General Manager chris@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378 EDITORIAL Jim Morekis, Editor-in-Chief jim@connectsavannah.com Sean Kelly, A&E Editor sean@connectsavannah.com Rachael Flora, Community/Events Editor rachael@connectsavannah.com Josephine Beisel, Editorial Intern CONTRIBUTORS John Bennett, Matt Brunson, Brittany Curry, Kristy Edenfield, Geoff L. Johnson, Lindy Moody, Orlando Montoya, Jim Reed ADVERTISING Information: (912) 721-4378 sales@connectsavannah.com Bucky Bryant, Senior Account Executive bucky@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4381 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Brandon Blatcher, Art Director artdirector@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4379

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Hot time for some, cold shoulder for many others

BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

IF THIS were any year other than a plague year, the issue you hold in your hands would be our annual Best of Savannah issue, well over 100 pages of it.

You’d be reading about who won Best New Bar, or Best Overall Restaurant, Best Local Theatre Production, and many other categories of the literally hundreds that are voted on each year by our readers.

There would have been a big winner’s party at the Morris Center this past Tuesday night to celebrate. Always a night to remember.

While we did count all your votes this year, we of course are opting to postpone the big issue as well as the big party for a later date, when we can all meet again in person to have the usual grand time.

You didn’t waste your time voting (though you probably had more time on your hands to do so). But you will have to

Tybee experienced July 4th level attendance this past weekend.

to park, even if you were eager to pay the $3.50 an hour they now charge.

The beaches, of course, were packed, wall-to-wall people.

Tybee wasn’t the only place bustling.

Broughton Street and much of downtown Savannah was buzzing with activity all day and night Saturday.

All this during a pandemic, when so many other concerns are either closed or have drastically reduced their hours and service.

It’s surreal that so much is going on, while so much isn’t going on.

shoulder-to-shoulder with virtually no social distancing, while their own bars have to stay closed at least for the rest of the month as a sop to Bible Belt mores.

Visit Savannah, which has the job of encouraging and helping manage tourism into the area, has had a plan in place for weeks already to roll out a multi-phase campaign advertising Savannah as back open for business.

One phase, “Rediscover Our City,” is to get locals reacquainted with the idea of getting out and about after two months of lockdown.

It must be especially frustrating to be a local bar owner and see video of all the people on the beach this past weekend. wait a bit longer.

The vast majority of categories in the Best of Savannah Readers Poll are businesses and organizations dramatically impacted by pandemic shutdowns, whether eating establishments or bars or bands or performing arts groups.

But you wouldn’t know it by this past weekend on Tybee Island, where it wasn’t only business as usual, it was business as usual and then some.

By Friday Tybee had already passed the 10,000 vehicle count entering the island.

By Saturday afternoon a Tybee City Council member posted that “We are seeing July 4th level traffic today.”

Indeed, the traffic was backed up all the way to Wilmington Island, the jam aided and abetted as it frequently is by several accidents.

By later on that Saturday, Tybee had literally filled up. There was no more room

Much of the increasingly rancorous debate over whether or not to “reopen” the economy is effectively moot, for better or worse. It’s happening way too soon for some, much too late in the opinion of others, but either way it’s happening.

The inequities are glaringly obvious.

Businesses willing to push boundaries of safe conduct are reaping at least shortterm benefits by pulling in people who for one reason or another are simply not scared of COVID-19, or who have simply had enough of the lockdown, or both.

Gov. Kemp has allowed restaurants to ramp up operations, while continuing to keep standalone bars that don’t serve food shuttered.

It must be especially frustrating to be a local bar owner and see video of all the people on the beach this past weekend with their coolers packed full of beer, and all the restaurant bars

Events are moving so rapidly, however, that even that ad campaign could possibly be irrelevant – since apparently not much advertising is needed to convince people.

Still, Visit Savannah indicates that it will spend a little over $1 million in total on tourism marketing through summer 2020.

They are using data that indicates that the average round trip for vacationing Americans anticipated this year will be a 539 mile round trip, which amounts to roughly a four-hour drive radius.

According to data from Destination Analysts, 40 percent of Americans anticipate a beach trip in vacation plans – which would seem to guarantee more overflow crowds on Tybee in the near future, barring another major outbreak of COVID-19.

Over the next several months, we will find out where the true priorities lie, for visitors as well as locals, as we see who will be able to thrive and survive. cs

NEWS & OPINION CITY NOTEBOOK

Savannah Council on World Affairs continues programming online, hosts talk on Islam during Ramadan LOOKING FOR some educational stimulation while you’re staying at home? The Savannah Council on World Affairs has just what you’re looking for.

Since 1984, the SCWA has brought world-class speakers to the Lowcountry to give dynamic, informative presentations in accordance with their mission of encouraging the study of international issues. SCWA is part of the World Affairs Council of America, based in Washington, D.C. and with over 80,000 members.

Members of the SCWA can attend the presentations, which run from September through May, for free. (Non-members can attend for a small fee.) But, with in-person gatherings effectively canceled for the near future, the SCWA has adapted to an online format for its members to enjoy.

Last week, the SCWA hosted their May presentation with Dr. Mohamed Mukhtar, Professor of African and Middle Eastern Studies at Savannah State University, which was called “The Many Faces of Islam.”

As SCWA’s President Charles O’Brien explains, the pandemic forced the cancellation of their planned speakers, but Mukhtar, a Savannah resident and a SCWA board member, was an easy choice for a replacement.

It’s also a timely decision, as we are currently in the middle of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Islamic people.

Mukhtar was fasting during both his presentation and our conversation, quite an impressive feat.

O’Brien estimates that at least 130 people come to SCWA presentations, but as of press time, Mukhtar’s video has received over 650 views, meaning the presentation has reached many more people.

“People have got time on their hands,” says O’Brien, “but I also think this is a hot topic. We don’t shy away from picking things that are tough topics to talk about.”

Indeed, the selection committee at SCWA puts a lot of thought into what

presentations they feature.

“A number of these topics are ones that are not going to go away,” says O’Brien.

“Some of them are in vogue—Brexit is still in vogue, but at some stage, that’s going to be a history thing, not a current international relations thing. We have to be careful that we don’t seek something that’s really a hot topic now but doesn’t have any sustainability. We want our members to think it’s sharp at the time.”

Mukhtar’s talk is certainly one that will endure. A native of Somalia, Mukhtar discusses the importance of knowing more about Muslim culture. As a professor, he’s often surprised by little his students know about Africa and Islam in general.

“I found that American masses in general, not only in the South, have this lack of knowledge about Islam,” says Mukhtar.

“When my freshmen come, I’ve found they

Dr. Mohamed Mukhtar, SWCA board member and presenter. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCWA.

Africa was a continent or a country. In his eyes, that’s a direct result of a less inclusive curriculum that skips over non-Western history—and that is a problem.

“In today’s global world, we are not today like we were 20 or 30 years ago,” says Mukhtar. “The world is shrinking; it’s becoming a smaller place. Before, maybe you thought you could be independent from some other people’s resources.

Americans in history thought we were protected because we were in between two big

“I found that American masses in general, not only in the South, have this lack of knowledge about Islam.” were so less knowledgeable about Africa and Islam, both. Although the school itself is a historically black college, I was so surprised that the black kids are not any different than white kids—they’re on the same level. There’s nothing to blame on them, I cannot blame their parents. I have to blame the educational system.”

Mukhtar points to the sharp focus on Western civilization history in American classrooms, which leaves out much of the Eastern civilization.

“Western Civ starts with the Greeks.

There were so many civilizations before that,” says Mukhtar. “I have to spend so many weeks just to go to their level; I have to give them some very elementary things.”

For instance, Mukhtar was once asked if

oceans. We have natural barriers—nobody can hurt us. But September 11 happened, and you are not safe like you were before.”

Mukhtar also says the pandemic is throwing a wrench in America’s isolationist tendencies.

“With this virus, any epidemic that happens in the world will be here soon. You are not free; you are not protected from what happens in Somalia,” says Mukhtar. “Any crisis that happens in the world, nobody’s really independent from anybody.”

Combine that with the fact that ISIS is still a threat, and knowledge of Islam is more important than ever.

“It’s very important that our people know about Islam because we’re dealing with them daily,” says Mukhtar. “Our foreign policy makers are dealing with

Islamic societies and Islamic people. As a good citizen, this is civics education—I need to know my enemy, period.”

This presentation fits squarely in line with SCWA’s focus on relevant yet enduring programming.

Mukhtar, a self-described nomadic person, also emphasizes the importance of traveling and studying abroad in learning more about different societies. That’s also in line with SCWA’s priorities.

One of the biggest contributions SCWA makes, besides its wonderful presentation series, is its study abroad scholarships.

“What we’ve done in the past two years is not only give students at Savannah State and Georgia Southern scholarships, and we’ve doubled our budget which members are responsible for,” says O’Brien, “but we’ve also taken a number of those travelers when they’re overseas and tied them into Savannah public school classrooms.”

Through a partnership with a program called Reach the World, SCWA’s studyabroad students prepare classroomfriendly travelogs that show students back at home what their life is like while traveling.

SCWA also records all their presentations to send to senior care homes, where the adults in their care love watching the videos.

“So we’re touching all sides of the community,” says O’Brien, “from fourth grade to the geriatrics in our senior homes.”

As SCWA breaks for a summer of planning, they have two videos on their YouTube channel for viewing. Visit savannahcwa.org for more information on their organization and how to join. CS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

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NEWS & OPINION ENVIRONMENT

Ogeechee Riverkeeper keeps on keepin’ on

Ogeechee Riverkeeper’s Damon Mullis works hard to protect the water we share with coastal wildlife. PHOTOS COURTESY OF OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER.

BY RACHAEL FLORA

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

rachael@connectsavannah.com

IT’S BEEN SAID that the slowdown of pollutants during the COVID-19 shutdown acts as a mirror for what measures should be taken to help slow climate change.

Studies have shown that Chinese emissions fell 25% during the shutdown, and they predicted a 5.5% drop globally from 2019 levels.

Closer to home, the Ogeechee River is seeing less pollutants, a fact that Damon Mullis proudly relays.

Mullis is the executive director of the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the Ogeechee watershed.

ORK is committed to continuing their mission despite challenges like loss of fundraising and tabling events and the cessation of their lobbying efforts since the Georgia legislative assembly is out of session.

Moving forward, the work ORK does as a watchdog organization will be even more important, a fact that’s not lost on Mullis and his team.

We talked with Mullis last week.

How are you doing right now?

I’m doing good. Very productive, I would say. There’s been no work slowdown for us.

6 An organization like ours, there’s always

something that needs to be done. I tell people, I could have a staff of 20 and keep them all busy.

We’ve been working from home and doing Zoom meetings twice a week to stay in touch. It’s just me and Meaghan, and we have a part-time education and outreach person. Our watershed’s pretty big, so we try to spread out—there’s a lot to cover.

As an organization, probably the biggest challenge is being able to engage with our supporters and members. Earth Day is always big in the environmental movement, and we couldn’t do that. We can’t really do paddle trips, clean-ups, that sort of thing, so that’s been tough. It’s been hard to keep people engaged.

It’s a fundraising challenge when you can’t have those tabling events. We’ve just had to shake things up and start turning more virtually and social media and doing things that way.

pandemic.

The pivot has been that we’re really trying to focus on what’s next. We use this time to turn towards planning for projects we want to do. We’re going to start having two or three priority projects so we can stay focused with our limited staff and resources.

I spent a fair amount of time preparing and planning for those. Starting a corporate membership campaign and things like that, certainly we don’t want to go out and recruit corporate sponsors right now—now is not the time.

I’ve been hearing people say that the pandemic is like a preview of what will happen with climate change in the future. Is that something Ogeechee Riverkeeper has been dealing with?

Yeah, I would say so. Our focus is much more local than a lot of other environHas the pandemic brought out any sort mental organizations that deal with climate change. We work in that realm—we of shifts in your mission? Have you oppose offshore drilling and promote clean had to pivot to things that are more energy—but we do it at a local level. pressing?

The biggest thing for local pollution Our core work of trying to fulfill our misimpact would be the big fish kill on the sion—which, our mission really revolves Ogeechee River in 2011. Most people agree around water pollution and water quality— it was the biggest environmental disasentails water quality monitoring around ter in Georgia’s history. It virtually killed areas of concern to make sure people are everything in the river for miles and miles. in compliance. We also do a lot of permit It was from an accident at a factory up in review, lobbying at the local and state Screven County. At the time, it was called level, which has taken a hiatus during the King America Textile and they made

flame-retardant material.

They’ve since sold out, and the company that owns it now is Milliken. They’re better stewards, I would say, but they still create pollution and have a discharge permit to pollute into the river.

After the fish kill, we were able to get the strictest, tightest permit possible on what they discharge. Since the pandemic has hit, a lot of their customers are oil and gas field workers, so they’re at about half capacity right now. The last time I talked to them, they’re working two weeks on, two weeks off. The amount of pollution they’re putting into the river has been cut in half. I can see it in my monitoring data.

It really comes down to energy use and fuel consumption. People aren’t driving as much and aren’t using as much fossil fuels, so the price of oil goes down. I think we’ll see a hangover effect where we’ll see less consumption, particularly of fuel.

It connects the fossil fuel industry locally, which is sometimes hard to do.

We’re not a big oil-producing region, so it’s hard to have tangible local impacts of your actions. This is one.

You mentioned you’ve been having fundraising issues. How do you keep your mission going with a fundraising slowdown?

We’ve turned a lot of those efforts online, as well as direct asks and tightening our belt like everybody else. We’re making sure we’re using what resources we have responsibly and cutting where we can.

We’ve also used this time to ramp up our grant-writing efforts.

This affects everybody, and will for a while. I don’t think we’re unique or doing anything different than anybody else— everybody’s struggling with what to do moving forward.

Our big fundraiser every year is our oyster roast in November, and that accounts for 10-15% of our budget every year. We start planning that in June or July, and

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through our fundraising to the general public—“Hey, look, our importance is more than ever now.”

At the state level, one of the biggest rollbacks we’re working on is they’re trying to amend or rewrite the Right to Farm law in Georgia. It will basically open the door for large animal feed lots and hog farms. It causes so much pollution, and we’re trying to keep that from happening.

Also at the state level, we’ve been involved through the Georgia Water Coalition in fighting a lot of coal ash storage and disposal.

Those are two big issues. There’s only 11 days of the session left. The only thing they have to do by law is pass a budget, which they haven’t done yet. So with the new budget realities, that’s going to consume most of those 11 days. That could save us from them botching a bunch of other bad stuff. CS

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we’ll soon be having to make that decision whether we think it can happen. If not, that’s a big budget deficit we’ve got to plug, so we’ll do something virtual.

It’ll take more fundraisers and more effort, but we’re starting a new reenergized fundraising committee and inviting people from the general pubic and our supporters a way to give back, really try to formulate ideas on how to move forward. This could be with us for a couple years.

Moving forward, our work is going to be as, or more, important than ever because there’s going to be a huge deficit in the state budget. A lot of environmental regulations, compliance and enforcement is done at the state level; it’s mandated by the EPA, but they really make the states do all that through the DNR or Georgia EPD or the Coastal Resource Division.

Those agencies already don’t have the resources they need to do their job properly, and they’re going to get cut. So having a watchdog organization like ours is going to be even more important. That’s something we’re trying to communicate

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NEWS & OPINION THE NEWS CYCLE

‘Go for it’: The cycling message of Stuckey’s CEO Stephanie Stuckey

BY JOHN BENNETT

john@georgiabikes.org

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

FOR Georgians of a certain age, the name Stuckey’s may conjure fond memories of piling into a station wagon for a family road trip.

Founded in Eastman, the blue-roofed roadside convenience stores were familiar and welcoming sights across the South and eventually across the country.

Stuckey’s was purchased by a large corporation in the 1970s and its fortunes declined. Late last year, Stephanie Stuckey took the helm of the company and she aims to introduce Stuckey’s to new customers.

While her primary clientele travels on four wheels and sometimes 18, the CEO gets around on two.

“I’ve always had a bike and started using it for transportation in college at the University of Georgia, riding to and from classes. I live intown in Atlanta and can pretty much get anywhere I want to in town with my bike,” she said. “As former head of sustainability for Atlanta, I was fortunate to support the city’s chief bicycle officer and Planning Department’s initiatives to create the bike share program.”

Stuckey said travelling by bike provides a different perspective on her community.

“You notice things like building design, local businesses, and where the safest routes are.

There’s something special about the smells, noises, and just grittiness of a city that I love when you’re on a bike,” she said.

While her business still focuses on the needs of tourists and truckers, Stuckey is expanding the company’s online offerings, establishing a presence in urban areas, and was eyeing airport locations before the pandemic.

“Since 1937, Stuckey’s has catered to the traveling public,” she said. “My grandfa8 ther’s motto was ‘every traveler is a friend,’

Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of the Georgia-based convenience store company, uses an electric bike to get where she need to go in Atlanta and sees many more people riding since the pandemic began. PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEPHANIE STUCKEY.

and that remains our guiding principle to this day.”

Stuckey said she can imagine a scenario that combines her enthusiasm for cycling and for her family’s business.

“My dream is to have a mini city Stuckey’s that could be along a bike trail or even the BeltLine,” she said. “I think it’s important to stay true to your roots while still being resilient enough to adapt to shifting consumer dynamics.”

Stuckey said the pandemic has definitely shifted more of her neighbors onto bikes for transportation.

“Streets are less crowded with cars so bicyclists, I think, feel empowered to hit the streets,” she said. “But I’ve also noticed more cars speeding and driving recklessly – like the reduced traffic is some sort of license to forget rules of the road. Motorists need to learn to share the road – not just with bicyclists but pedestrians, wheelchairs, and scooters as well.”

On the other side of the country, a former Atlanta resident has seen the same thing.

“In Los Angeles during the COVID19 era, I do see a lot more riding now,

especially down the side streets and neighborhood roads. Plus, there are less cars on the road so I think that’s a big appeal,” said Millie De Chirico, programming manager at Turner Classic Movies.

She said she used her bike for transportation in West Hollywood even before the pandemic, and they reason why will be familiar to Savannahians.

“Since I don’t have my own parking space and street parking is always a challenge in my neighborhood, I actually ride my bike a lot more than I ever did, especially to run small errands and for things like going to the movies or seeing friends,” she said.

De Chirico has also come to appreciate why bike shops are so important during the pandemic.

“I’m happy the bike shops were deemed an essential business here in California because they are definitely a primary source of transportation for a lot of people,” she said. “I also think, because of quarantine, lots of people suddenly remembered they owned an old bike and wanted to start riding it again.”

De Chirico was able to have her bike

serviced at Coco’s Variety, a quirky shop that describes its inventory of used bikes for sale as, “faded champions reborn for another chance at glory.” Along with new and used bikes, Coco’s sells cassette tapes sourced from garage sales and a new product offering during the pandemic.

“I started hearing that all the bike shops were seeing a surge of bike repairs and overhauls, but I was happy that Coco’s was able to fix my bike issue in just a few days.

Plus, they’re selling bread! They are awesome,” she said.

De Chirico offered advice for those considering hopping on a bicycle for the first time, or the first time in a long time.

“Wear a helmet! And don’t feel bad if you’re freaked out by riding again or for the first time. I went many years without riding a bike regularly and definitely had to remember how to be conscious of everything that comes along with riding. No shame in doing donuts in an empty parking lot somewhere just to get the feel of it back,” she said.

Stuckey offered similar advice.

She said, “Go for it! And please support your local biking organizations.” CS

NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY

Graduating in a global pandemic: One senior’s thoughts

BY KRISTY EDENFIELD TIANA Ruden was born in China and given up for adoption due to Mao’s one child policy. Last week she graduated valedictorian from Savannah Arts Academy.

Like other members of the class of 2020, her senior year did not go as planned.

Ruden recorded her valedictorian speech at the Yamacraw Center located at Garrison School for the Arts the week before graduation.

Instead of giving the speech at the Savannah Civic Center in front of her classmates, she wore her pajamas and watched the ceremony in her living room with her parents.

“Out of all the things that were unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19, I miss

graduation the most,” Ruden says. “High school graduation is such a special and unique ceremony for not only the student, but also for friends and family. Graduation is the culmination of all of our hard work over the past four years and helps provide us much needed closure.”

Ruden had other family in New York and North Carolina watching, as her name was called and her senior year photo came across the screen while “Pomp and Circumstance” was playing in the background.

All graduates were instructed to stand and move their tassel at the end of the virtual graduation ceremony as they were pronounced official graduates of Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

“I was a junior marshal for the graduation of the class of 2019, and I’ve been

counting down the days until my own graduation ever since then. As the valedictorian for my graduating class, I was looking forward to giving an in-person speech to my peers, hearing the other students’ speeches, and celebrating the accomplishments of the class of 2020 along with my fellow classmates,” laments Ruden.

“Even though we won’t get a traditional graduation, I’m so thankful that the district has put together a virtual graduation ceremony to honor the class of 2020.”

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System class of 2020 is used to missing days of school for different events due to Mother Nature, such as Hurricane Matthew, a full solar eclipse, and a snow storm. But nothing compares to a worldwide pandemic that shuttered schools across the globe.

Many SCCPSS teachers and administrators diligently worked to provide special touches for the class of 2020, such as graduation signs in the front yard of every senior and principals personally delivering diplomas to each home.

In addition to a traditional graduation ceremony, the class of 2020 missed many other activities such as prom, senior skip day, senior prank, field day, spring concerts, senior lunches, and of course the senior Grad Bash trip to Universal Studios.

“I had high hopes for senior year. Going into my final year at Savannah Arts Academy, I knew that the first semester would be stressful with SATs, AP classes, and scholarship and college applications,” acknowledges Ruden. “However, I was always hopeful for prom, Grad Bash, college acceptances, senior week, concerts, Film Fest, and graduation.”

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, zoom calls, social distancing, and online exams have all become part of our daily routine. No student has

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

Tiana Ruden

stepped inside our school building since March 13, more than two months ago.”

While Ruden didn’t miss the 6 a.m. wake up alarm in lieu of getting three extra hours of sleep before she had to check in for her 9 a.m. class on Zoom, there is plenty that she did miss.

“I miss little things like laughing with my friends, seeing my teachers smile in the hallway, and rushing up the stairs to my next period,” says Ruden.

“Teachers have organized daily zoom calls and have gone out of their way to personally deliver yard signs to seniors. Recently, we had a ‘curbside pickup day’ where all the seniors carpooled into school to pick up our gaps and gowns, honor cords, and other graduation regalia. People went all out for the event by decorating their cars and decorating the fence outside Savannah Arts Academy.

It was so heartwarming to see all of the SAA teachers, parents, and administration cheer us on during this occasion.”

Tiana Ruden plans to attend Princeton University in the fall and pursue a concentration in public policy. “Princeton has been my top school since I toured the campus last summer, so being accepted on ‘Ivy Day’ truly was a dream come true for me.”

“Many universities such as the California State University System and Harvard Medical School have announced plans for an online fall semester, so I wouldn’t be surprised if other colleges like Princeton follow suit,” guesses Ruden.

“Online classes, freshmen orientations, and extracurricular events are a real possibility, but we’ll all be flexible and make the most of the situation regardless. I’m still excited to make new friends and start my freshman year off strong. Everyone is doing their best to keep themselves and others safe during this worldwide pandemic.”

Ruden concludes, “The class of 2020 has been so strong, diligent, and resilient throughout these past four years. Many people have commented that we were born into a world shocked by the aftermath of 9/11; we were raised during the economic crisis of 2008 Recession; and now we graduate during a global pandemic. Yet despite all of these hardships, we have stayed hopeful, and so many of us have had an amazing high school experience marked by loving friendships, incredible memories, and well-earned success. We will all reminisce about our days in high school and look back at it fondly. Going forward, we will stay optimistic about the future and continue to look forward to the next extraordinary chapter in our lives.” CS 9

NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER 2020 Sav/Chatham County Crime Stats through Sunday May 17

HOMICIDES

15

Homicide on Pinetree Road

Savannah Police detectives are investigating an early morning shooting May 13, which resulted in a fatality.

“Around 1:10 a.m., officers responded to the 2300 block of Pinetree Road on a report of a shooting. Once on scene, officers located Vincent Smalls, Jr., 28, with a life-threatening gunshot wound, which he succumbed to. At this time, detectives do not believe this is a random shooting. This homicide investigation is ongoing,” police report.

New Year’s Eve felony murder suspect turns himself in

The alleged perpetrator in a New Year’s Eve assault at a Wilmington Island restaurant bar has turned himself in on charges of felony murder, among other charges.

Charles Alexander Teeple IV, 19, of Guyton turned himself in to law enforcement yesterday, May 14.

“He was arrested and charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Elder

Abuse that stems from an incident on 16-5-1(c) Felony Murder, O.C.G.A 16-5-102 December 31, 2019. Teeple is being held in Elder Abuse, and O.C.G.A 16-5-21 Aggrathe Chatham County Detention Center,” a vated Assault. Mr. Teeple to turn himself Chatham County Police over to CCPD on May 14, spokesperson says.

2020 without incident,” On December 31, 2019, police report. the Chatham County Chatham County Police Department Police respond to (CCPD) responded to shootings Basil’s on Wilmington Just before 5 pm May Island for a reported 14, the Chatham County assault.

Police Department (CCPD) “Bruce Helmly, 66, responded to a report of a told officers he had been shooting in the 200 block punched by a man who of Larchmont Drive. was identified as Charles Charles Alexander Teeple IV “Moments later, CCPD Alexander Teeple IV. received a report of a second shooting at Helmly refused medical treatment at the the Exxon Gas Station located at 8 Gateway time of the incident, however, next mornBlvd East. CCPD ... determined the two ing, he was taken to the hospital after victims were linked to a singular incident,” losing consciousness. Helmly died at the police report. hospital on January 8, 2020,” police say.

Colby Newton, 17, and Marcus Padgett, On January 2, prior to Helmly’s death, 19, were transported to Memorial HosCCPD arrested Teeple and charged him pital. Newton was treated for non-life with Battery. Teeple was posted bond and threatening injuries and Padgett was was released from the Chatham County reported to be in stable condition.

Detention Center.

The exact location where the shooting “In April, CCPD received additional occurred is still being investigated. evidence and subsequently upgraded the Detectives asdk anyone who has info to charges resulting in three felony arrest call Chatham County Police at 912-652warrants for Charles Alexander Jacob6920 or Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020 son Teeple IV. The charges are O.C.G.A

Arrest made in April homicide

Savannah Police Violent Crimes detectives have made an arrest in the April 7 the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Roderick Matthews on Emerald Drive.

“Throughout the course of this investigation, intelligence was gathered on a possible suspect, who was later identified as Kelvin Waye, 21. Once identified, SPD’s Homicide Unit, Gang Unit, Violent Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force began working together to locate him,” police say.

With assistance from the aforementioned units as well as SPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team, Hostage Negotiation Team, Chatham County Aviation and the Port Wentworth Police Department, “Waye was apprehended on Tiller Way in Port Wentworth yesterday, without incident. He was charged with murder and transported to the Chatham County Detention Center,” At around 7:30 p.m. on April 7, officers responded to Emerald Drive after receiving a ShotSpotter notification. “Once officers arrived on scene, they located Roderick Matthews with a gunshot wound.

Medical personnel responded to the scene to render aid, but he succumbed to his injuries,” police say. CS

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NEWS & OPINION NEWS OF THE WEIRD In South America, some families of people who have died of COVID-19 have had to wait days for a coffin, either because of the short supply or they were unable to afford one, the Associated Press reported on May 8. In response, ABC Displays, a Colombian advertising company, has developed a cardboard hospital bed with metal railings that can be converted into a coffin.

The beds can hold a weight of 330 pounds and will cost about $85 each, company manager Rodolfo Gomez said. He plans to donate 10 beds and hopes to receive orders for more from emergency clinics.

Not Men From Outer Space

People in Washington’s Puget Sound were startled on the evening of May 6 by a brilliant streak of light across the sky followed three minutes later by a loud explosion. “Huge boom that shook the house.

It was the loudest boom I’ve ever heard,” one witness in Brier reported, according to KOMO. The American Meteor Society investigated the many reports it fielded and determined the noise came from an exploding meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere. The meteor may have been part of the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which occurs when Earth moves through the remnants of Halley’s comet.

Inexplicable

In 2006, Armin Meiwes, now 58, was convicted of killing, dismembering and slowly eating Bernd Brandes, 43, over a number of months in Rotenburg, Germany, but today, the man who advertised himself as a “friendly and polite” cannibal, goes for “walks around town” with a police escort and wearing sunglasses and a cap to disguise himself. Meiwes had advertised in 2001 on a website called The Cannibal Cafe for “a well-built 18- to 30-year-old to be slaughtered and then consumed,” and Brandes answered the ad. At trial, Meiwes told the court he had always dreamed of having a younger brother “to be a part of me” and thought cannibalism would be a way to satisfy that obsession. Two officers accompany Meiwes on his outings, reports the Daily Mail, and he is described by his keepers as a “friendly, outgoing, polite” prisoner who is helpful to others, attends church services and works in the prison laundry.

Questionable Judgment

-- Curtis L. Fish, 48, arrested and charged with kidnapping and raping a woman on New Year’s Day in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was released when the COVID-19 crisis erupted in jails, according to PennLive.com. On May 12, police responding to reports that Fish Bright Ideas tried to break into the Crossroads Tavern Restaurants have adapted to local in Hilltown Township attempted to Taser lockdowns with curbside and drive-thru Fish, but he fled to his home nearby, where services, so it’s no surprise that other busi- he set off and aimed fireworks at a SWAT nesses are following suit. Minx Gentleteam before his house suddenly caught fire. men’s Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is “Fireworks outside and fireworks inside,” offering drive-thru pole dances and other said tavern owner Mike Mrozinski. “So I entertainment in a makeshift outdoor believe that’s what lit the house on fire.” A space, according to The Sun. Dancers were body thought to be Fish was found inside. showered with bills or grabbed their tips Mrozinski said Fish, whom he had known using a trash picker to reach into vehicles for 16 years, was “not the same guy I had as patrons enjoyed the performances from known him to be” before the rape charges. the safety of their cars. Meanwhile, in -- Joseph Todd Kowalczyk, 20, tweeted Las Vegas, Little Darlings is offering comat the FBI on May 10, threatening that he pletely nude drive-up strip teases. “Guests had “10 bombs ready to go off ... in my basecan drive up to the front door, and we’re ment ... come get me you guys have till 8 going to have dancers separated by the before I make this city in my own little 6-foot separation rule, and (customers) can hell #forwaco.” The FBI determined the enjoy a totally nude show right from the tweet came from a mobile home park in seat of their car,” a spokesperson said.

Clinton Township, Michigan, according to The Detroit News, and officers showed up Recent Alarming Headline at Kowalczyk’s home the next day, where In Clocolan, South Africa, where the he explained that he was “testing the govnow-seven-week-long lockdown includes ernment” and was upset that they had not a ban on buying or selling alcoholic beverresponded more promptly. He told agents ages, thieves broke into the Rest in Peace he had no weapons and would not make funeral parlor and made off with four galany more threatening tweets, but as the lons of exhumation liquid, the Daily Mail day wore on, Kowalczyk taunted the FBI in reported. The fluid, used to preserve body further posts, disparaging the agency and parts that have been exhumed, is 97% alco- police for their slow response. On May 12, hol, and the burglars had to break through he was arrested and charged with transroller blinds and into a locked steel cabimitting a threat to injure, which is punishnet to get to the liquid. A forensic officer able by up to five years in prison. CS predicted: “If the thieves drink that liquid ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION without watering it right down, then they will drop dead themselves!”

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Kickin’ in quarantine: Damon & the Shitkickers play virtual show Damon Mailand chats ahead of Quarantine Concert

BY SEAN KELLY

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

sean@connectsavannah.com

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DAMON & THE SHITKICKERS, founded by singer/guitarist Damon Mailand, has been flying the flag for outlaw country over the last several years, and haven’t slowed at all in the process. They’ve been regulars all over Savannah until the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they’re prepping for a Quarantine Concerts performance on Fri., May 22 to bring live country music back to their fans.

Ahead of their gig, we caught up with Mailand to learn more about this longrunning powerhouse of a band.

Tell me a bit about how this band got started?

Though there were plenty of great bands around when I moved to Savannah in 2006, I was underwhelmed by the presence of live country music. It was a prime opportunity to fill that niche, and the scene proved very receptive and thirsty for a little outlaw flavor. By 2008 Damon and the Shitkickers was a a full blown 5-piece outfit, complete with plenty of Wild Turkey and hell raisin’.

I imagine you grew up on Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and guys like that?

How did country music become such a central part of your life?

I suppose it’s my mom’s fault, mostly. She has an affinity for honky tonk tunes, and was constantly spinning Cash, Haggard, Jennings, and Jones. My dad taught me to play guitar. Between him, my grandpa, aunt, uncle, and cousins, there was no shortage of live music in my life. It sure has a way of pulling people together.

The kind of thing you guys do (Outlaw Country or even Alt Country) has sort of come back around in terms of prominence but it’s still considered to be almost the “punk rock” wing of the genre. Why do you think that is, when it’s ultimately much closer to traditional country music than mainstream country is?

Punk Rock is an interesting comparison.

Both are stripped down and honest, and a stark contrast to overproduced mainstream music in any genre. Punk musicians seem to find the transition to Classic or Alt-Country pretty natural—our own Igor Fiksman among them!

Out of all of the gigs you’ve done over the years, is there one that sticks out as significant?

We’ve played some really fun shows at Pirate Fest on Tybee Island, sharing the bill with the likes of Shooter Jennings and the Kentucky Headhunters. I met my wife playing a wedding reception outside of Athens, so that one stands out a bit. Honestly though, we have a ball every time we hit the stage.

What have you been up to musically during quarantine, and what can people expect from the upcoming gig?

We’ve been messing around with video collaborations a bit, and Igor and I have been working on some new material. The Quarantine Concert will be our first time playing together in a couple months, and we can’t wait to share some originals with everyone in such a cool setting. Hope you all tune in! CS

DAMON & THE SHITKICKERS QUARANTINE CONCERT

Fri., May 22, 7:30 P.M. Visit quarantineconcerts.org for tickets and streaming info

MUSIC AURA FEST

AURA Fest prepares to push forward with livestream events Tim Walls talks about upcoming launch of streaming series at The Sentient Bean

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sean@connectsavannah.com

AURA Fest is a bright light in the Savannah music community. Founder Tim Walls has been promoting rock and metal for decades, and has particularly garnered a stellar reputation with his annual AURA Fest that continued right up until things came to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like so many promoters, venues, and artists, Walls was faced with uncertainty when it came to figuring out how to keep things going with the shows he puts on.

When live stream events started becoming the norm, he realized he had an opportunity to continue on in that context. Now, he’s preparing his first live stream show at The Sentient Bean on June 6, with the great Vacant Flesh scheduled to play.

“I realized that there’s really no timeline, and no telling when I’m going to be

able to do concerts again,” Walls tells Connect of his decision to start doing shows online.

“Maybe a month ago, I was just going bonkers not doing anything. I wanted to do something productive, and I think maybe one or two local bands asked if I was thinking about doing it.”

When it comes to set up in terms of audio and video, like many, Walls says he’s going to experiment as the shows continue in order to figure out what works.

“I’ve never done this before, and so we’re going to experiment. I have a few friends that are audio engineers, and we’re just going to figure it out as we go along. We won’t make it too stressful,” he says.

“We want to do something fun, and make it look and sound as good as we can with the budget we have. It’s going to be as close to being at a show at the Sentient Bean as possible.”

Vacant Flesh is a band that Walls has supported since they started, and their

being an up-and-coming local act makes them the perfect introduction to what is shaping up to be an ongoing thing for AURA Fest.

“They might have been the first band to ask me if I was going to do anything, and they’re dying to do stuff too just like everyone else,” he says. A few other local bands are on the books so far going forward, and Walls laughs when he ponders how long the streaming shows will continue.

“We’ll just keep doing it until whenever we can do shows again,” he says. “If I’m happy with the way this goes, I hope we can keep live streaming the shows even when we have normal shows again.” CS

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BY SEAN KELLY

13

MUSIC REVIEWS

Album Review!

A look at some locals you should be listening to right now

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

Nancy Druid/Jezebel Heart - Split Single

Nancy Druid, led by former Savannah music powerhouse (and former Connect A&E editor) Anna Chandler, was one of the most exciting bands I saw emerging when I first started here at Connect. I followed what they were up to pretty closely, and always looked forward to more. When I was first introduced to Anna/Nancy Druid’s latest project, a split single with Britt Scott and her most recent outfit Jezebel Heart, the draw was immediate.

Part of what makes this project so great is the fact that Scott and Chandler have a long history of friendship and collaboration. Both sides of this split single are pretty different from a stylistic standpoint, but that truly doesn’t matter. They set out to do this together, and it feels truly like a joint effort despite recording the songs with their separate bands.

The most obvious thing to say here is that both Chandler and Scott are incredibly great songwriters. They’ve collaborated in several different bands and professional ventures over the years, but this project actually allows them to display their unique strengths as writers despite it being a package deal. Jezebel Heart’s “Gone” sounds massive and emotional,

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and Scott’s poetic approach to lyrics actually pulls you in and makes you listen to what she’s saying.

That doesn’t take away from the production or musicality of the song, which is equally as wonderful. There’s a lot happening, but it’s not distracting or busy.

The strings that compliment Scott and her band do the best job possible of being a tool

for evoking the emotion of the vocal. It’s all-in-all a stellar production.

Chandler’s “Ace Basin” lives in a different world, opting to go for mid-gain indie rock guitars and a certain 90s alt-rock swagger. It’s a perfect companion to Scott’s song, with equally amazing production and arrangement. “Ace Basin” is the kind of song that you listen to and immediately want to hear more of, and it’s hopefully part of a continuation of what Chandler is doing with Nancy Druid.

Both songs were recorded and produced

by Devin Smith at his Volition Studios, and sonically they feel very much in tune with each other. “Ace Basin” is as musically exciting and inventive as anything Chandler has done before, and it’s a continuation of the stamp she’s created for herself and imprinted on various bands and projects over the years.

I, for one, think there should be more of this Nancy Druid/Jezebel Heart collaboration in the future.

To purchase the split single and hear more, visit nancydruid.bandcamp.com

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CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

Thoughts on a strained art season

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

Q&A session on Instagram Live. As she led me down the stairs into the gallery, Monica said, “I guess you’re one of the first people to see the show in person!” It had been up for a week at that point.

Inside, her amazing body of work for her senior show was on display for approximately five people. Like so many other artists, Monica has done a fantastic job of making the necessary pivot to social media to show her work. But Monica’s work is best appreciated up close, which is literally not possible through a screen.

Perhaps that’s why everyone is feeling a little off right now: we’re trying to foster a sense of normalcy through Instagram interaction and Zoom calls. I think it worked for a while, but now, we’re all getting a little restless. The return to normalcy is looking less likely.

I know we’re all sick of this phrase, but a “new normal” is obvious.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, in my feature on Roots Up Gallery’s closing, the art world could look a lot different on the other side of this. Some galleries that close for the pandemic may never reopen again, or may look totally different than they did before.

Without rentals, galleries are short on money and need community support to help stay afloat. Sulfur Studios recently put out an ask, and I’m sure that other galleries will follow suit in the coming weeks.

This is an uncertain time for a lot of artists, most of whom don’t qualify for unemployment or other benefits. Instead,

From left: a detail shot of Monica Cioppettini’s exhibition at Cork House, a shot from a Savannah Night Market past, and Location Gallery’s Moveable Feast taco box.

so commissioning them for a piece could be a fun way to get a piece you want while also helping them flex their creative muscle so it doesn’t atrophy.

If you’re not able to buy a piece of art right now, there are plenty of other ways to support your favorite artists. Shout them out on social media, visit their website, or send them a text if you know them personally.

It’s hard to keep promoting yourself, especially right now, so help lighten their load by promoting them yourself.

This has been repeated a lot lately, but for good reason: they’re relying on online art sales and remember that art is what’s getting you coming up with other ways to sustain through this time, whether it’s TV or books themselves. or visual art. Take a moment to support the If you’ve ever wanted to support an artartists you love in your life. ist, now would be the time to do it. I realize (While I’m up here on my soapbox, I ask that money is tight for all of us right now, you all to be kind. This is a tough time for but if you’re financially able to make a pur- all of us. The pandemic is changing the way chase, it would make an artist’s day and we live and work, and there’s just no need help keep them doing what they love. for us to act ugly to each other. I’ve heard Location Gallery has made it easy to sup- some rumors of bad behavior in the art port local artists with its Moveable Feast scene, even now, and it’s completely unnecinitiative, which turns art sales into taco essary. Please, please be kind.) boxes for local healthcare workers. InitiaLike it or not, this is our new normal. tives like that help justify a purchase if We can make the best of it by rememberyou’re on the financial fence, and it comes ing how much we love our artists and art with the bonus of knowing you helped community. others.

Who knows where we’ll be come next Artists are also not working right now, May? CS 15

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

RIGHT NOW, if things were normal, we’d be in the midst of an incredible art season.

The end of the semester for art students at all three colleges means BFA and MFA exhibitions galore. For the last few months of May, the calendars of art galleries are full to the brim with exhibitions of all kinds.

Plus, the weather is that perfect temperature before the sweaty, sweltering months of June through September, so art markets and outdoor events abound.

I love this time of year, when my calendar is full to the brim and I sandwich art openings between concerts and parties and all the things that make it feel like summer. By the time we hit Memorial Day, my planner doesn’t have much breathing room.

First Fridays were the most exciting to plan; I’d start at the river and move down towards Starland, arranging my schedule meticulously so I could hit the most stops.

Now, writing about that feels like a painful reminder of what we’ve lost this year.

College seniors are taking their exhibitions online, hosting Q&A sessions and walk-throughs on Instagram Live. Large gatherings are on hiatus indefinitely, so art markets have been moved to fall or canceled altogether.

For me, the last art exhibition I attended was José Ray’s opening at the Grand Bohemian Gallery on March 12, which is solidly two months behind us. I showed up towards the end, yet the party was still in full swing, but in a different way.

We approached each other with apprehension, not the usual hug or handshake.

I think I remember bumping elbows, literally, with Stacie Albano and Danielle Hughes.

When I got back to my car, I slathered myself in hand sanitizer and obsessively swallowed to check my throat for any hints of illness. (Fortunately, there were none.)

Of course, everything changed after that. Most of us have been relegated to our homes, staying home as often as possible and socially distancing when we’re out in public. It’s an odd feeling to be nearing the month of June without having done any of the typical end-of-May things.

I’m luckier than many: I was able to participate in Monica Cioppettini’s MFA exhibition, “Semi-Precious” at Cork House Gallery, this past weekend when we did a

CULTURE

MAGIC MAKERS

‘5 Year Journey’ now up at Sentient Bean

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

BY BRITTANY CURRY

16

THE 5 Year Journey Map is a graphic that was created to be displayed in the 5-year Anniversary InkyBrittany Showcase, which is now up at the Sentient Bean until July 9. The piece is a compilation of each year’s handful of high points going back to 2015 when InkyBrittany was launched on May 22.

The starting place on the map shows organizations like Georgia Microboards and Emergent Savannah who were early supporters and saw the value of having their audiences and participants exposed to the power of visual communication as a tool of transparency, accessibility, and

accountability.

At the beginning of 2016, I was still Graphic Recording meetings as a part-time and weekend job, living in Milledgeville and commuting to Savannah, Macon, Athens, and Atlanta frequently for gigs. By the middle part of the year, after Graphic Facilitating the Visit Savannah Annual Staff Retreat and helping Healthy Savannah procure a $60,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there was no questions that it was time to move back to Savannah (my hometown) and experience what it would be like to wake up every day and focus on nothing but getting better at my craft and growing my business.

2017 was the year I was invited to Flint, Michigan for back-to-back jobs with Michigan State University’s School of Public

Health, recording meetings with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha (whose research led to the exposure of the Flint Water Crisis) as well as the citizens of Genesee County talking about how their communities and spirits had been impacted. That was also the year I wound up on the Georgia Trend Magazine 40 Under 40 List – which was cool.

In 2018, more was added to the list of partnerships and collaborations with local businesses and organizations (like Ad Specialty Services as they celebrated their 30th anniversary and the Savannah Jaycees as they commemorated their 75th), as well as having my graphics integrated into a statewide wellness and obesity prevention campaign sponsored by the State of New York’s Department of Public Health.

2019 saw some larger corporate work with the Keurig Dr Pepper merger,

San-Francisco-based cloud software giant Salesforce, and the National Farm Machinery show (the Olympics of the agricultural industry) in Louisville, KY, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors.

In 2020, I illustrated my first book, Captain Corona & the 19 COVID Warriors, became a regular contributor to Connect Savannah, and embraced the skyrocketing demand to graphically capture conversations taking place on Zoom, Webex, and Facebook Live with participants from the US, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, and India.

Please grab your mask and head to the Sentient Bean to check out the show social distance-style and let me know what you think! CS

CULTURE VISUAL ART

QUESTIONS WITH

Shayla Wigand

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

1. How’s your last quarter going?

It’s definitely nothing like I thought it would be; I definitely had a lot more plans!

I was kind of banking on this because I knew I was only going to be in one class, my exhibition class. I was like, “Okay, I’m going to really get into the print shop, take advantage of all the laser cutters and experiment.” Obviously I can’t do that.

But it’s been good. I’ve been working a lot. It’s a good period where I can learn how to get out of school and be a little more independent. So in that way, it’s been beneficial. I’m rolling with it.

[SCAD] just sent me a package in the mail. It was like a little party-planning package, with confetti, a hat, all this stuff! I was shocked. It was so inventive.

2. Tell me more about the body of work you make.

The majority of the work I’m working on right now is that transition period from a couple months ago, before coronavirus started to now. A lot of my work just focused on my relationship with God and really just being a born-again Christian and figuring out faith, figuring out how to walk and trust God and figure out who he is. A lot of my work currently has been focusing on the elements of eternity, especially because I’m getting married this summer, so I’m thinking about the covenant structure that we have between man here, but the covenant structure we have between God eternally.

Wigand’s paintings and prints speak on her relationship with God and is intentionally abstract. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIGAND.

It’s this weird parallel that I’m investigating through different symbols, like the rainbow is a really prominent symbol that represents covenant. The diamond represents loyalty. I’m just investigating those symbols and doing a little bit of video work with large-scale paintings.

I grew up thinking God was just a form of religion and there’s nothing to that—you just claim it or don’t. But as I went through my life I had a lot of struggles, I had a lot of depression and anxiety, a lot of problems at home with my mom’s boyfriends; they were pretty verbally and a little physically abusive. It was this pattern of men and a father thing, too—I never saw my dad since I moved to Ohio. God being father to me was like, what is that?

I met a group of girls who were Christians and they were talking to me and I thought I knew all about it. Eventually, I got to a really low part in my life where everything they poured into me—“God loves you,” “if you ever want to call on God, you can call on him”—I was so desperate I needed to.

From there, it was learning who God is and developing a relationship. Not just what people tell me, not just what strangers tell me, but who is God and how much does he love me, and let me figure that out.

3. What’s the reasoning behind this

work being abstract?

I think when people think of Christian art, they think of 20th century, 18th century paintings, murals, all that stuff. What I’m really tapping on is what I feel speaks the most about who God is. It’s a really

abstract language because to a lot of people, the thought of God is very abstract.

It’s hard to comprehend a God who loves them, who wants to be with them, who cares about and forgives them, who can walk through pain with them. I think the only way to demonstrate that and materialize that is in the language of abstraction. I think that’s why I picked that direction.

It shows that I’m not making this work with an agenda to shove it down your throat. I’m making this work to practice my own faith, but also share that faith, and sometimes that can be absorbed without people even realizing it.

I believe that what I create in these paintings is created in a time when I’m worshiping God, and I feel that a painting holds how it was created, where that creation took place. I think a painting really holds that deep within it, and when you put in in a space, depending on how it’s made, it can really transform that space, whether people realize it, feel it, know about it, or anything else.

4. How did you get started doing monoprints?

I love monoprinting! I took a printmaking class. People never really told me to take it; usually people that do photography or a lot of realism take printmaking. But I was like, “I’m just going to take it.” I was trying to find my way in printmaking, and I was taking an intro class doing a lot of little drawings of flowers and things they told me to. At the end, we could do whatever we

wanted, and that’s when I was like, “Hmm, I’m going to experiment a little bit.”

We never learned about monoprinting, so I never learned the right way to do it, but I just bought a board and took some ink and some of the chemicals and started playing around doing these prints. My professor walked in after hours and was like, “What are you doing?” I was like, “This is going to be my final project.”

I technically don’t do it the right way, but I learned my own way and I have to stick with the process and it’s something I really fell in love with. It’s the type of printmaking that works for me.

5.

What are you working on now, and what’s next for you?

I’m creating a couple things. I’m still on God’s faithfulness, but I’m in a period of also working on transition, the literal meaning of transformation and transition and whatever that looks like in my faith.

Thinking things were going to look a certain way and now they’re not and being okay with that. I’m doing a lot of drawings and I’m getting a lot of work together.

There’s a possibility I could stay in Savannah, and there’s a possibility I could be moving somewhere. That could be literally anywhere. It depends a lot on my fiancé, who’s looking for a job right now, but they’re not hiring right now anywhere.

Depending on where I go, I’m sure that will change a lot of my work. Stepping into marriage itself is really, really going to transform my work too, so I’m really excited about that. I’ll probably go deeper into the covenant series and what that looks like. That’s where I see my work going, but you never know. CS Follow Shayla on Instagram at @shayla_wigand.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

OHIO NATIVE Shayla Wigand is nearing the end of her time at SCAD in the midst of an unusual quarter, to say the least.

Wigand’s painting and monoprint work is inspired by her relationship with God and being a born-again Christian. The themes she communicates are subtle in their presentation, and its abstraction mirrors the way Wigand says it feels to most people to have a relationship with God. We caught up with Wigand last week.

17

FOOD & DRINK CUISINE NEWS

Savannah set to expand sidewalk dining options

Less-restrictive ordinance framed as economic recovery effort

BY JIM MOREKIS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

jim@connectsavannah.com

18

TOURIST CITIES around the world have featured sidewalk cafes for as long as anyone can remember.

Whether it’s Paris and its legendary thriving café culture, or newer destinations like Greenville, S.C., stylish al fresco seating is a key attraction for visitors and locals alike.

You’d think Savannah is tailor-made for sidewalk café culture. But you’ll find precious little of it here, other than a few marquee locations on Broughton Street.

That all could change soon – but it took a global pandemic to possibly get it done.

“We have an ordinance that restricts outdoor dining impeding the right of way” on City sidewalks, explained City Manager Pat Monahan at a Council workshop last week that included a presentation on loosening up that ordinance.

A new pilot program would expand the ability of restaurants to feature sidewalk seating.

“It would encourage outdoor dining but also acknowledge that the City still needs to meet ADA requirements” for access, Monahan said.

City Director of Economic Development Manny Dominguez said because of the emergency economic nature of the initiative, time was of the essence in passing it as quickly as possible.

“We know local businesses are hurting. We know some of them are struggling and will continue to struggle,” he said.

“We need to do two things at once: Keep

everybody safe by maintaining social distancing, but at the same time allow for businesses to recover.”

The effort to revitalize local restaurants through outdoor dining has three parts: Sidewalk dining, occasional street closures, and so-called “parklets,” in which outdoor dining expands into parking spots in front of the establishment.

Dominguez said sidewalk dining is important because it allows restaurants to respect social distancing while expanding the number of tables served.

“Over and over, restaurant owners have told us that the number of tabletops is absolutely critical to their success,” he said.

He pointed out that because distancing guidelines reduce the number of tables, “many restaurants are choosing to stay closed or stay takeout only as strictly a business decision.”

In response, the City “will be drastically reducing and streamlining the permitting process.”

While Dominguez said City fees for outdoor dining might be waived altogether, subsequent information from the City appeared to stress that fees might only be waived for the two-week pilot program, through June 15.

Currently fees are $100 per table, per year.

The application process has been reduced to a single page.

However, the City went out of its way to say the initiative isn’t intended to help standalone bars.

“Please remember, the purpose of this Program is to enhance the opportunity for

business development, not to create outdoor bars or nightclubs,” the City says at the new application page.

Street closures would be an opportunity, Dominguez said, “in some areas with particularly dense restaurant corridors.”

The idea is that nearby businesses might partner together to close a portion of a street on a temporary basis.

“They can draw up a plan and send it to the City” for permitting on a temporary basis, he said. “We want this to be marketdriven. We want the businesses to come to us.”

Both the street closures and outdoor dining would be subject to landlord approval.

The third component, parklets, allows restaurants to expand tables into parking spaces out front which are public rights of way. The tables would have to be broken down at the end of the business day to allow for access, particularly to police and fire department use.

Parklets would be “limited to adjacent frontage unless they have agreements from other businesses” to expand in front of them, Dominguez said.

Several members of Council expressed concern that the measures would only be allowed for downtown businesses, but were repeatedly assured that it is a Citywide effort.

The scheduled time frame for the pilot program, after which the City would reassess the initiative, is quite short.

The earliest Council could approve the program is at its May 28 meeting, and the pilot program is set to expire June 15. CS

We Are Community Strong

CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

Join us in supporting our local neighborhood businesses.

Community is where you build it and together, we’ll come back stronger and more spirited and resilient than ever before.

19

FILM LOCAL CINEMA

Montage Cinemas brings arthouse, indie films straight to you

Local film group transitions to virtual screenings during pandemic

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

MONTAGE CINEMAS, a pop-up movie theater and film group based right here in Savannah, was gearing up for a big year of film screenings when things went sideways. The COVID-19 put their plans on hold, and forced them to figure out another way forward. Mason Boudreau, the founder of Montage, decided to explore the world of virtual screenings—as many theaters have done since shutting down physical ones.

Montage began in 2018, when Boudreau moved to town from Jacksonville. He wanted to establish something that could provide audiences with the chance to see arthouse films in unique settings, and set out to make it happen.

“One of the first things I noticed is that there were no arthouse cinemas—nowhere to watch the newer indie movies. Without having any actual experience, it was hard to say, ‘Hey, let’s open up a movie theatre,’” Boudreau tells Connect.

20 “So as a way of trying to understand the

industry and do something different, we started doing the pop-ups. We started out doing one or two movies a month, and now we peak around the fall doing eight or nine a month.”

Not long after things got rolling, Montage began establishing relationships with production companies like A24, who has become widely known for producing and distributing some of the best independent films of the last several years.

“They’re the industry leader when it comes to indie films,” he says of A24.

“They’ve been really cool. We showed The Lighthouse when it came out, stuff like that.”

Before everything happened, Boudreau says he was considering opening a temporary space. Quickly, the transition was made to virtual screenings, which officially launched last week.

“We were kind of bummed out at first, because we were getting really close to moving forward with the new model. But what we did first was start a podcast and start engaging people on social media,” he says.

“We wanted to embrace the film society

model, and engage with people by talking about movies anywhere we can. A few weeks ago, one of the distributors we work with sent me an email and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be releasing The Ghost of Peter Sellers soon,’” he says.

“And I started to see what other films were being released like Deerskin, and noticed that the library was expanding and multiple distributions companies were starting this virtual cinema, I realized that there was enough for us to program the same way we would if we were a brick-andmortar arthouse theater.”

Boudreau says it’s exciting to do things this way, considering that they’ve been ultimately wanting to have a platform with a full slate of films—something that wasn’t possible before given the fact that their model was a one-time pop-up theater experience.

The podcast Boudreau mentioned— called “Montalk’—is one he’s hosting alongside Alley Cat Lounge’s Kyle Law, in which they discuss the films they love among other things.

“It’s still kind of just for fun, but each week we’ll pretty much pick two movies

and dissect them,” he says.

For those who are less familiar with the world of arthouse cinema and independent filmmaking, Bourdreau has a hard time pointing to one specific film as a starting point. There are several that they’re showing in their current virtual lineup, though, that he’d recommend.

“I would probably start with Deerskin.

It’s a French film. Adele Haenel, one of the stars, was also in Portrait Of a Lady On Fire, which was one of the best films of last year—if not the best. French cinema is becoming more and more popular in the States, so if you watch this and enjoy it but haven’t watched a lot of French cinema before, you can go right from there to Portrait Of a Lady On Fire.”

Montage is screening four films right now, with tickets available at montagecinemas.com. They include Deerskin, The Wild Goose Lake, The Booksellers, and Corpus Christi. CS For more info on Montage Cinemas, and to purchase tickets for their virtual screenings, visit montagecinemas.com

Happenings COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA happenings@connectsavannah.com

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

BY MATT JONES ©2020 Answers on page 23

“OFF THE RACK” --IF YOU’RE PLAYING SCRABBLE, THEY WORK.

HAPPENINGS IS CONNECT SAVANNAH’S LISTING OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, CLASSES AND GROUPS. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM TO SUBMIT A LISTING. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

CHATHAM COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGS — The Board of Commissioners usually meets twice a month (except for January) on Fridays at 9:30 a.m.The meetings are held in the Commission Chambers of the Old Courthouse, 124 Bull Street, Second Floor, and are open to the public. All Chatham County Commission Meeting Agendas, Minutes and Videos have moved to a new system that provides live streaming of video of the current meeting. chathamcountyga.iqm2. com/Citizens/Default.aspx. Green Room, Old County Courthouse, 124 Bull Street.

CHATHAM COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE — The purpose of the Chatham County Democratic Committee (CCDC) is to foster local Democratic activities and affiliated organizations; seek out and assist democratic candidates for public office; provide voter education; and work with democratic officials at all levels while ensuring they stay true to our guiding principles. 912-4018913. ccdcgeorgia.com.

EARLY VOTING — Early voting for Georgia’s 2020 primary election begins May 18 and runs through June 5. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. sos.ga.gov. Chatham County Voter Registration Office, 1117 Eisenhower Dr., Suite E. LWVCGA ANNUAL MEETING — The League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia hosts their annual meeting. You will hear a brief state of the League update--sold-out programs, a partnership with Savannah Youth Ambassadors, five candidate forums.

Members will vote on next year’s budget and two incoming board members. You’ll also hear a presentation on Voting in Scary Times.

From voter purges to the pandemic, voters face greater challenges to their fundamental democratic right than at any time. How to overcome fear and intimidation and create positive change. Zoom meeting ID: 896 3245 1589 Fri., May 22, 5 p.m.

SAVANNAH AREA YOUNG REPUBLICANS — Get involved. Meetings are the last Tuesday of every month (except for December) at 7:00pm. Contact number: (912) 657-9623 chairman@sayr.org. sayr.org.

SAVANNAH CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY REGULAR MEETING — Join a nonpartisan group that has genuine concern about how climate change is affecting Savannah (and the world) and is researching how the people of Savannah can help mitigate or even reverse some of the worst consequences of climate change. fourth Monday of every month, 7-8 p.m. facebook.com/ events/174811263853917/. Two Tides Brewing Company, 12 West 41st St. SAVANNAH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — All regularly scheduled meetings are held every other Thursday. The first meeting of the month is at 2 p.m., and the second meeting of the month is at 6:30 p.m. Savannah Government Television (Channel 8) broadcasts Council Meetings live at 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting. You can view a livestream of the meetings at www.savannahga.gov/ livestream. savannahga.gov/458/CouncilMeeting-Schedule. Savannah City Hall, 2 East Bay Street.

THOMAS SQUARE/METROPOLITAN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION — The Thomas Square Neighborhood Association meets monthly via Zoom. Visit thomassquare.org for more information. ongoing.

UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY — FREE: UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY vehicle stickers.

Greater Savannah and Statesboro areas. Visit www.unmergemyuniversity.com for details.

CONTINUES ON P. 22

ACROSS

1 Garbage-carrying boat 5 Singer Dylan 8 Catcher Yogi 13 Two-door car 14 “Who Do You Think You ___?” (genealogy-based series) 15 “Late Night with Seth Meyers” writer Ruffin 16 Gets a bluegrass instrumentalist (off the J)?

19 Joined up on Zoom, e.g.

20 “What ___ I thinking?”

21 Spill the ___ (gossip) 22 3-D exam 23 “Ratatouille” rat and namesakes 25 Mrs. Garrett on “The Facts of Life” 29 Relics for mom’s sister (off the Q)?

32 “Tour” grp.

33 “Addams Family” cousin 34 Debonair 35 They’re pointed out on an airplane 37 Taj ___ 39 Detached 41 Shar-pei shout 42 ___ Soundsystem 44 Warning at an all-bird nude beach (off the X)?

49 Winter transport 50 “Mansfield Park” novelist 51 “I Ching” concept 52 Be choosy 53 Contented sound

54 Ending with Wisconsin 55 Wine cocktail for someone who puts lines on the road (off the Z)?

61 By themselves 62 Playing card with a letter 63 Step in a game of hangman 64 Jacques Cousteau’s realm 65 ___ boom bah 66 It might get you an answer

DOWN

1 Recover from a pub crawl, say 2 Like innovative technology 3 Greek wedding exclamation 4 Chinese sculptor and activist Ai ___ 5 Some band members 6 Heavenly sphere 7 Down at the final buzzer 8 ___ California (Mexican state) 9 Guitar-heavy alt-rock genre 10 MLB stat 11 In medias ___ 12 Gallery stuff 13 “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” character?

17 “Anything you want!”

18 Hornet home 24 Back muscle, for short

25 Bumper sticker symbol depicted in yellow on a blue background 26 One with a home in both Nome and Rome, perhaps 27 Neighbor of Ore. 28 Enzyme suffix 30 Got ready to take off 31 “black-” or “mixed-” follower, on TV 36 Bride’s reply 37 Compilations on cassettes 38 Become visible 39 Happy moments 40 Zero, on the pitch 41 “Mm-hmmm” 43 Subject at the beginning of Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” 45 Scruff of the neck 46 Hindu precepts 47 In the heavens 48 Attendees 52 “___ for takeout” (sign in some restaurants) 55 ___ Luis (Brazilian seaport) 56 “No Scrubs” R&B trio 57 Fish eggs 58 Get ___ groove 59 Geol. or chem.

60 You, to Caesar (found in GRATUITY)

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

ACTIVISM & POLITICS

21

HAPPENINGS

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

LGBT

FIRST CITY NETWORK — Georgia’s oldest LGBT organization (founded in 1985) is a local non-profit community service organization whose mission is to share resources of health care, counseling, education, advocacy and mutual support in the Coastal Empire.

Members and guests enjoy many special events throughout the year, including First Saturday Socials held the first Saturday of each month at 7pm. Mondays. 912-236-CITY. firstcitynetwork.org.

SAVANNAH PRIDE, INC. — Organizes the annual Savannah Pride Festival and helps promote the well-being of the LGBTQI community in the South. Mission: unity through diversity and social awareness. Second Tuesday/month. PO Box 6044, Savannah, GA 31414. 501c non-profit. ongoing. info@ savannahpride.com. savannahpride.com.

T2Q — T2Q seeks to help Trans people become comfortable in their true identities, as well as assist them in getting used to being out among society. Meetings are the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. T2Q’s official mission statement: To defend human and civil rights secured by law. Lessening neighborhood tensions views on the LGBTQ+ Community with emphasis on Trans and nonbinary individuals. Conduct public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures or similar

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19)

“Excellence does not require perfection,” wrote Aries author Henry James. Now I’m conveying this brilliant counsel to you—just in time for the season when it will make good sense to strive for shining excellence without getting bogged down in a debilitating quest for perfection. Have fun re-committing yourself to doing the best you can, Aries, even as you refuse to be tempted by the unprofitable lure of absolute purity and juvenile forms of idealism.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

To generate an ounce of pure cocaine, you must collect 52 pounds of raw coca leaf and work hard to transform it. But please don’t do that. Fate won’t be on your side if you do. However, I will suggest that you consider undertaking a metaphorically comparable process—by gathering a sizable amount of raw material or basic stuff that will be necessary to produce the small treasure or precious resource that you require.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 20 - 26, 2020

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

22

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for,” writes author Barbara Kingsolver. “And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, that is exactly the work you should be doing right now, Gemini. Everything good that can and should happen for you in the coming months depends on you defining what you hope for, and then doing whatever’s necessary to live inside that hope.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

The periodic arrivals of “natural disruption” in our everyday routines has a divine purpose, writes Yoruba priest Awó Falokun Fatunmbi. It is “to shake consciousness loose from complacency and rigid thinking.” To be vital, he says, our perception of truth must be constantly evolving, and never stagnant. “Truth is a way of looking at self and World,” Fatunmbi declares. “It is a state of being rather

than an act of knowing.” Many Westerners find this hard to understand because they regard truth as a “fixed set of rules or dogma,” or as a body of “objective facts.”

But here’s the good news: Right now, you Cancerians are especially receptive to Fatunmbi’s alternative understanding of truth—and likely to thrive by adopting it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn departed this life in 1998, but she articulated a message that’s important for you to hear right now. She wrote, “People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’” Gelhorn added, “If we mean to keep control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” In my opinion, her advice is always applicable to all of us, but it’s especially crucial for you to meditate on right now. You’ll be wise to upgrade your interest and involvement in the big cultural and political developments that are impacting your personal destiny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

According to author and teacher Marianne Williamson, “Ego says, ‘Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace.’

Spirit says, ‘Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.’” I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to take Williamson’s advice seriously, Virgo. How? By giving control of your life to Spirit as you find your peace. In saying this, I’m not implying that Ego is bad or wrong. In fact, I think Ego is a crucial asset for you, and I’m hoping that in recent months you have been lifting your Ego to a higher, finer state of confidence and competence than ever before. But right now I think you should authorize Spirit to run the show for a while. If you do, it will bless you with good surprises.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

“Snatching the eternal out of the desperately fleeting is the great magic trick of human existence.” Playwright Tennessee

programs. To promote the quantum effect on one’s identity and diversity in all mankind. To give hope to those who feel lost. To lift up our fellow Trans and Non-binary individuals. All because we care. ongoing. T2QTrans@gmail. com. Savannah LGBT Center, 1515 Bull St.

BY ROB BREZSNY

beautyandtruth@freewillastrology.com

Williams said that, and now I’m conveying his insight to you—just in time for you to dramatically embody it. According to my astrological analysis, you now have more power than usual to accomplish this magic trick: to create something permanent in the midst of the transitory; to make an indelible mark on a process that has previously been characterized by restless permutations; to initiate a bold move that you will forever remember and be remembered for.

Watson, he “knows next to nothing” about “contemporary literature, philosophy, and politics.” So he’s not a well-rounded person. He’s smart in some ways, dumb in others. Most of us fit that description. We are both brilliant and ignorant; talented and inept; interesting and boring. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to hone and cultivate the less mature aspects of your own nature. I bet you’ll reap rich rewards by doing so.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In the course of his 73 years on the planet, Scorpio author Paul Valéry (1871–1945) wrote more than 20 books. But between the ages of 25 and 45, he passed through a phase he called the “great silence.” During that time, he quit writing and published nothing. Afterwards, he returned to his life’s work and was nominated 12 times for a Nobel Prize. Although your own version of a great silence is less extreme than his, I’m happy to announce that you will emerge from it sooner than you imagine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I’m sad that my two favorite 19th-century poets were unfamiliar with each other’s poetry. Walt Whitman was 11 years older than Emily Dickinson, but didn’t know her work. Dickinson had heard of Whitman, but didn’t read his stuff. Their styles were indeed very different: hers intimate, elliptical, psychologically acute; his expansive, gregarious, earthy. But they were alike in being the most innovative American poets of their time, and equally transgressive in their disregard for standard poetic forms. If there were such a thing as time travel, I’d send one of you Sagittarians back to set up a meeting between them. Acts of innovative blending and creative unifying will be your specialties in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The fictional character Sherlock Holmes (born January 6, and thus a Capricorn) is a brilliant logician and acute observer who has astonishing crime-solving skills. On the other hand, according to his friend Dr.

“People become like what they love,” observed theologian St. Catherine of Siena. That’ll be an interesting truth for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. I suspect you will attract experiences that are clear reflections of the kind of love you have cultivated and expressed for quite some time. You’ll be blessed in ways similar to the ways you have blessed. You’ll be challenged to face questions about love that you have not been dealing with. And here’s a promise for the future: You’ll have the opportunity to refine and deepen your approach to love so as to transform yourself into more of the person you’d like to become.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

“Humanity is a mystery,” wrote author Fyodor Dostoevsky. “The mystery needs to be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, you haven’t wasted your time. I am studying that mystery because I want to be a complete human being.” I love this tender perspective on the preciousness of the Great Riddle we’re all immersed in. It’s especially useful and apropos for you to adopt right now, Pisces, because you are undergoing an unusually deep and intense communion with the mystery. As you marinate, you shouldn’t measure your success and good fortune by how much new understanding you have attained, but rather by how much reverence and gratitude you feel and how stirring your questions are.

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For Your Information IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Action pact formerly CONCERTED SERVICES, INC. is now the service provider for The Weatherization Program that previously was administered by EOA Savannah. Applications are being accepted to weatherize the homes of Low-Income Families living in Chatham County.

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