Connect Savannah March 3, 2010 by Connect Savannah

Lots of letters, PAGE 6 | the co-lab researches the awesomeness of art, PAGE 12 grace diaz tootle is shirley valentine, page 13 | pirates of penzance ahoy! page 14 mar 3-mar 9, 2010 news, arts & Entertainment weekly free connectsavannah.com

community Shocker. Georgia Power wants to charge you another $7 on your monthly bill | 08

music You don’t have to actually read his mind — we talk to Gordon Lightfoot inside | 21

Come to Keller photo courtesy madison house publicity

Described as a ‘one-man jam band,’ guitar hero Keller Williams brings his flaming fretwork to the Live Wire Music Hall By bill Deyoung | 19

film The Black Maria Film Festival brings you the glory of shorts | 27

news & opinion

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week at a glance MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

this week | compiled by Patrick Rodgers | patrick@connectsavannah.com

Week at a Glance www.connectsavannah.com/wag

Wednesday

Lecture: Lights, Camera, Cancer

What: Former CNN anchor

Bob Losure talks about his experience battling testicular cancer while covering history making events on television. When: Wed. March 3, 7 p.m. Where: Mercer Auditorium at Memorial Health, 4700 Waters Ave. Cost: Free and open to the public Info: 912-350-4994

Thursday Tea at Mrs. Davenport’s What: Learn about tea

traditions and experience an early 19th century afternoon tea in a historic atmosphere. Call for info or reservations. 912-236-8097 When: Thu. March 4, 5 p.m., Fri. March 5, 5 p.m. Where: Davenport House, 324 E. State St. Cost: $18/adult, $14/student (ages 8-17)

Wii-Hab for Parkinson’s Disease

What: A lecture by Dr. Na-

than Herz, who specializes in the benefits of the Nintendo Wii in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders. When: Thu. March 4, 5 p.m. Where: Marsh Auditorium at Candler Hospital Cost: Free and open to the public

Buttimer Awards Dinner

Savannah Comedy Revue

What: A dinner sponsored by the Chatham County Democratic Committee featuring the Dems’ gubernatorial candidates and a keynote address by Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. When: Thu. March 4, 6 p.m. Where: Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, 1 International Dr. Cost: $75

What: An evening of

comedy featuring a buffet of talent from around the country, including Tom Paris, Kathy Alderman, Shane Gray, Sarah Swafford and Mad Mark. When: Fri. March 5, 8 p.m. Where: Bay St. Theater Club One, 1 Jefferson St. Cost: $5

First Friday Fireworks What: Celebrate the end of

the week with some pyrotechnics on the river. When: Fri. March 5, 9:30 p.m. Where: River Street Cost: Free Info: http://www.riverstreetsavannah.com/

Documentary Double Feature

What: Two free movies. “Died Young, Stayed Pretty” explores the underground poster culture, followed by Q&A with film director Eileen Yaghoobian. The second film is “Veer”, presented in conjunction with Desotorow Gallery’s “Spoked” event, looks at bike culture. When: Thu. March 4, 7 p.m. 9 PM, Where: The River Club, 3 MLK Jr. Blvd. Cost: Free

Theatre: Love, Blood and Peanuts

What: A one woman show

written and performed by Emyay King that blends storytelling with stand-up as three characters each tell a story. When: Thu. March 4, 8 p.m., Fri. March 5, 8 p.m., Sat. March 6, 8 p.m. Where: Mondanaro Theater, Crites Hall, 317 MLK Jr. Blvd. Cost: Free

The Savannah Derby Devils skate their first home bout Saturday at Supergoose Sports on the eastside

Friday Old Fort Jackson Overnight Camp

What: Participants get

a haversack and some supplies. Explore the fort by candlelight, family activities and s’mores by the campfire. When: Fri. March 5, 6 p.m. Where: Old Fort Jackson Cost: $45/kids, $35/adults Info: 912.651.6823. http:// www.chsgeorgia.org/

First Friday Oyster Roast

What: Enjoy some oysters

and watch the fireworks. When: Fri. March 5, 7 p.m. Where: Westin Savannah Harbor, Hutchinson Island

Freebie of the Week | What: Col.

Events marked with this symbol are things we think are especially cool and unique.

First Friday for Folk

What: The Savannah Folk

Music Society presents music from Dorian Michael and Cosy Sheridan. When: Fri. March 5, 7:30 p.m. Where: First Presbyterian Church, 520 E. Washington Ave. Cost: $2 suggested donation

Black Maria Film Festival What: A travel-

ing showcase featuring work from award-winning independent film- and video-makers. When: Fri. March 5, 8 p.m. Where: Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St. Cost: $5 Info: http://www.blackmariafilmfestival.org/

music

for a complete listing of this week’s music go to: soundboard.

Saturday Polk’s Saturday Market What: Featuring a variety

of arts, crafts and specialty foods vendors along with all the market’s usual produce and local goods. When: Sat. March 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Polk’s Market, 530 E. Liberty St. Info: 912-238-3032. http:// polksfreshmarket.com/

art

for a list of this weeks gallery + art shows: art patrol

Erin Go Brawl!

What: The Savannah Derby

Devils host their first home bout of the year against the Chattanooga Rollergirls. 5pm tailgating. 6pm doors open. When: Sat. March 6, 7 p.m. Where: Supergoose Sports, 3700 Wallin St. Cost: $10/adv, $12/door, kids under 8 are free Info: http://www.savannahderby.com/

Movies

Go to: Screenshots for our mini-movie reviews

go to: happenings for even more things to do in Savannah this week

Water Forum

Ed Kertis will speak about water issues and the role that the Army Corps of Engineers play in the enforcement of water regulations. Sponsored by the Savannah Tea Party. When: Sat. March 6, 2 p.m. Where: Southwest Chatham Library Branch, Next to Savannah Mall Cost: Free

What: Part of Desotorow’s Spoked Bike Festival, event promotes the subculture of bicycling. Music provided by SCAD Radio. When: Sat. March 6, noon-6 p.m. Where: Desotorow Gallery, 2427 De Soto Ave. Cost: Free Info: www.spokedsav. wordpress.com/

Theatre: Shirley Valentine

What: An English house-

wife leaves behind her humdrum life to join a friend for an adventure in Greece. Starring Grace Diaz Tootle. Presented by Savannah Community Theatre. When: Sat. March 6, 7:30 p.m., Sun. March 7, 3 p.m., Sun. March 7, 7:30 p.m. Where: Plantation Clubhouse at the Landings Cost: $15-25 Info: 912-247-4644.

Words and Music

What: Several notable singer/songwriters, including Jason Bible, Dare Dukes, Lauren LaPointe and Connect’s own Bill DeYoung, perform a show with proceeds benefiting the Indigo Arts Center. When: Sat. March 6, 7:30 p.m. Where: Indigo Arts Station, 703D Louisville Rd. Cost: $5, additional donations welcome

Sunday AAYO Spring Concert

What: Armstrong Atlantic Youth Orchestra performs with soloist Regan Bowers. Proceeds benefit AAYO. Refreshments served. Call 598-8113 or email chas3jjj@aol.com to reserve seats. When: Sun. March 7, 3 p.m. Where: AASU Fine Arts Auditorium, 11935 Abercorn St. Cost: $25

Artists for Haiti

What: An art sale fea-

turing donated works from local artists with all proceeds to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti. When: Sun. March 7, 3 p.m., Mon. March 8, Tue. March 9, Wed. March 10 Where: Indigo Sky Community Gallery, 915 Waters Ave. Info: 912-233-7659

Oscar Night at Meddin

What: The new digital production facility hosts a fabulous Oscar night event to benefit the Backus Children’s Hospital. When: Sun. March 7, 7:30 p.m. Where: Meddin Studios, 2315 Louisville Rd. Cost: $76/person (proceeds go to charity) Info: http://www.meddinstudios.com/

Tuesday Poet: Waqas Khwaja What: The Georgia

Poetry Society presents a reading from Khwaja, a professor, writer and translator who has worked on several significant anthologies of modern Pakistani poetry. When: Tue. March 9, 7 p.m. Where: Telfair Academy, 121 Barnard St. Cost: $10/general, $5/student

Concert: Esperanza Spalding

What: The Savannah

Children’s Choir Artist in Residence is young bass phenom Esperanza Spalding, who will perform as part of a benefit concert for the organization. When: Tue. March 9, 7 p.m. Where: Lucas Theatre Cost: $20/general, $50/reserved, $75/VIP, $5/student Info: 912-525-5050. http://www.savannahchoir.org/

Savannah Winds ‘Spring Fling’

What: The Savannah

Winds welcome the season with a live performance. When: Tue. March 9, 7:30 p.m. Where: AASU Fine Arts Auditorium, 11935 Abercorn St. Cost: $14 Info: http://www.finearts. armstrong.edu/tickets

An Evening with Gordon Lightfoot

What: The beloved musi-

cian stops for a one-night performance after surviving a bizarre flurry of false, internet death rumors. When: Tue. March 9, 8 p.m. Where: Savannah Civic Center Cost: $39-49 Info: http://savannahcivic.com/

Wednesday

Mayor’s Small Business Conference What: A series of infor-

mative workshops designed to promote small business growth and development. Call the City’s Dept of Economic Development to register: 651-3653 When: Wed. March 10, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Savannah Civic Center Cost: Free and open to the public Info: http://www.savannahga.gov/

Story Time at the Roundhouse

What: Fun crafts and sto-

ries for kids with a theme related to the season. When: Wed. March 10, 10 a.m. Where: Roundhouse Railroad Museum, 601 W. Harris St. Cost: $4/child with regular adult admission Info: 912.651.6823. www.chsgeorgia.org/ cs

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week at a glance

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MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

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week at a glance | continued from page

news & opinion

News & Opinion www.connectsavannah.com/news

Beautiful dreamers by Jim Morekis | jim@connectsavannah.com

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

editor’s note

community: Geor-

gia Power asks for yet another rate increase to put on your monthly bill. by patrick rodgers

09 Blotter 10 News of the Weird 11 Straight Dope

culture

www.connectsavannah.com/culture

Two lovely, bright and talented local women are up to great things this weekend.

JinHi Soucy Rand and Grace Diaz Tootle, two of Savannah’s key figures in the performing arts, are each involved in their own fun and important events that are guaranteed to be great entertainment. JinHi’s new labor of love, the Indigo Arts Station — formerly the Old Freight Station Theatre on Louisville Road — is the site of a special benefit performance this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Headlining the “Words and Music” acoustic benefit is Jason Bible of The Train Wrecks, who’s joined by local musicians Lauren Lapointe, Jan Spillane and Bill DeYoung, the latter of whom you know well from his work in these pages. Though only recently refitted as a multiuse community performance venue, Indigo Station is already going gangbusters — the classic case of the right someone coming along at exactly the right time to do the right thing. “I’m finding that there’s an interest and a need in our community for a space that’s avail-

able and affordable to the artists and the culture that’s in Savannah,” says JinHi. “We have bookings through November, and almost all of April is full. It’s a very diverse variety of events, from musicals to theatrical productions to visual arts to multimedia to film.” JinHi is literally the only person in town really able to pull this off, with a resume going back to the “glory days” of City Lights Theatre, continuing with the City’s Cultural Arts Theatre, and on to collaborations with Savannah Actors Theatre and with the youth hip hop troupe AWOL (All Walks of Life). “I think people are misled sometimes into thinking that the arts community goes through lulls just because it’s not as exposed.

It’s constantly happening, we just don’t always have access to it. That’s what I’m trying to do — make it accessible,” she says. “I now know people in their mid-to-late 20s who have their own ‘good old days’, and a lot of them are still producing and still performing,” she says. “I want the artists of Savannah to have an opportunity to get to know each other and have a place where all are welcome to start this conversation.” Admission is $5, but JinHi says give what you can — and more’s great too! The matchless Grace Tootle meanwhile stars this weekend in a reprise of her solo show Shirley Valentine, directed by Tom Coleman at the Plantation Club at the Landings. I was lucky enough to Grace first do this show — the autobiographical chronicle of a working class London woman’s sexual awakening — a few years back when Coleman directed it at his old spot on Victory Drive. It was one of the best things I’d seen in years. We’re lucky to have such talented people in our midst, and here’s hoping they’ll continue to find the support they deserve. cs

feedback | letters@connectsavannah.com | fax (912) 231-9932 | 1800 E. Victory Dr., Suite 7, Savannah, GA 31404

visual arts: The

Co-Laboratory unveils ‘Mice to Milk.’ by patrick rodgers

Editor’s Note: Due to a glitch in an e-mail server, the following letters to the editor were not received in a timely fashion, through no fault of the writers themselves. Because the issues discussed are still very relevant, we publish them here.

Ruling not so bad

Grace 13 theatre: Diaz Tootle is

Shirley Valentine. by bill deyoung

15 food & Drink 18 Music 27 movies

Editor, Regarding your article “We the Corporations,” I think you make a couple of huge assumptions that make the Supreme Court’s decision look like some kind of political windfall for U.S. corporations. Money has always been and will always play a role in politics. However, all money spent on politics does not lead to corruption, vote buying, nor disrupting free speech. Prior to this decision, were there not 527’s, unions or groups such as Move–On.org or Media Matters, supporting politicians with money, advertising, and endorsement support? Are we to assume that because a corporation donates money (you use Exxon

Mobile to epitomize this potential evil–doing) to a campaign then something unethical has happened? If that’s the case, I also have to assume that organizations like the Sierra Club are doing the same thing, and that ultimately, the donator is only interested in their own self interests. I’m not that cynical. Furthermore, if this were to happen, you assume that our voting public is a bunch of rubes and can’t figure out that they’re being had. I think the past year has shown that the internet is the largest alternative source for political fact checking. Chavez’s Citgo or bin Laden’s influencing the political process in this country would be exposed by connecting the dots. It doesn’t take an investigative journalist to do these things anymore. Anybody with a computer and a drive to do some research can connect the dots. Finally, regarding the Brown election in Massachusetts; you are right to be annoyed with the Democrats for losing this elec-

tion, however, you seem to have the same attitude regarding Scott Brown that they had: that he’s just a former Cosmo centerfold. As a result, Martha Coakley ran a lazy campaign assuming she could coat–tail ride into another Democratic victory, simply because of Massachusetts’ voting history. Saying the Democrats “let” Brown win the seat implys that he didn’t work hard and Coakley’s screw– ups were the key to victory. When you’re working with less money and from 30 points down and still win, it’s a little more than that. In fact, the Scott Brown victory against a candidate with more money,connections and position just might show how big money doesn’t guareentee a victory. No matter how much money gets donated to a campaign, it’s the peoples’ vote that determine elections. To think other wise, well, you might as well stay at home at election time, because your cynicism will have already told you it doesn’t matter. John Stevens

Fight the power! Editor, Jim, you truly hit the nail on its proverbial head with your editorial “We the Corporations.” Now, here’s a way in which Connect readers can help in this fight. If they’ll just cut and paste the below link to their browser, it will take them to a petition they can sign which is to be sent to President Obama and Members of Congress. I encourage each and every reader of this publication to do this, to let your feeling be known concerning this very important matter which will affect each and every on of us negatively if left unchecked. For, the corps would like NOTHING better than to take over this land of ours. http:// act.credoaction.com/campaign/grayson_democracy/ ?r=5222&id=7547–1960283– LEKr1lx Cindy from Wilmington Island

Editor, I’ve been a resident of Savannah for over 7 years now. I have both worked in and managed downtown galleries and stores for nearly 5 of those years. This August I was fortunate to see my dream come to fruition when I was able to open my own art gallery downtown, Liquid Sands Glass Gallery. As a Broughton Street vendor I have quite a different take on Savannah’s Holly Days. First off I’d like to mention that my husband and I brought my parents downtown to last years event. We wanted to check it out and to get an opportunity to skate on Broughton Street. I like that you clarified that it should be called plastic skating — for it was certainly a huge disappointment when we realized a sheet of plastic placed in the road was to be “ice skating on Broughton Street.” Ridiculous and a tad bit of an insult to some of us northern transplants. This year when the Chamber of Commerce came to tout the upcoming event and to get my signature for approval of closing Broughton, I was even more disappointed to learn that the 300 West block would be filled with a stage and Santa Claus. Not the right fit for most stores in this block. I was assured the Friday Night wine tasting would be great for my gallery and bring my demographic downtown. I do not understand how the City and its affiliates figured that closing one of downtown’s main thoroughfares on the biggest shopping weekend of the year would be good for retail business. I have been in retail for nearly 20 years and am dumbfounded by the lack of insight into retailers’ minds that takes place here. A few key points missed by the local media. First off the goal of the event is to help local merchants. I don’t see how many of us are helped by people sitting in chairs and watching stage performances or waiting in line for Santa. Nothing quite like watching kids play cornhole in the street to make you wonder where the organization went. I’m also confused as to how so many non-Broughton merchants were able to get a table in the street. Which then leads to the question of why were about half of those merchant tables empty throughout the day? The crowds seemed to be on East Broughton and except for a few stores (closer to Bull Street) the storeowners I’ve talked to all had disappointing sales. As for the actual set-up of the event,

Kym Miller Owner/Director Liquid Sands Glass Gallery 319 W. Broughton St.

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news & opinion

Holly Days of our discontent

on Friday the 300 West block was completely closed off. However, no one began building Santa’s stage or doing anything in the street until after 6 pm that night. As for the Wine Tasting — well, it was not on our block and since we were all blocked off with police at either end – you could see people turn on Jefferson and assume our block was not involved. And who wants to pay a fee for a wine tasting? Seemed like there was a convenient fee to go with any activity. Certainly weren’t any fees to help local merchants. Saturday brought one of the most pathetic setups for a Santa stage I’ve ever seen. As a professional merchandiser I have to agree with you that the lack of decorating downtown and the crappy blue and silver bows tied to lampposts don’t speak of holiday spirit to me — more a mockery of it. Santa’s stage was not even 1/3 filled and Santa sat on a chair in the road, not even on his stage. I realize some parents and kids had a good time and that’s wonderful but that’s not what the event is about. It’s about promoting, supporting and sustaining the local merchants. I certainly saw an abundance of shopping at the corporate stores — looked like Gap and Banana Republic fared well. So much for us locals I guess. It’s not that I’m a scrooge or am against such an event, quite the opposite. It’s that the event is not planned for the retailers and is truly detrimental to a majority of us. Yes, downtown should be decorated to the nines right now. Yes, perhaps the event is a good idea but why not plan it for an already slow weekend? Why try to kill one of our main hopes for a largely profitable weekend by closing Broughton and confusing the already fun parking issue for locals? Which means it’s time for the City and the Chamber to realize there’s more at stake than filling hotel rooms. Here’s hoping we can start some constructive criticism and make Holly Days an event we can all be proud of — or it’s time to stop wasting money on it. Maybe the City should make Holly Days an event to take place on several squares, like the Telfair’s Art Fair or the Wright Square Merchants Holiday Opening. Time to think outside the box Savannah! We can do better and I plan to do what we can to ensure that for next year.

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

feedback | continued from page

news & opinion

community Last week representatives from Georgia Power met with members of the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) in a hearing to decide whether the utility company’s customers would pay almost seven dollars per month extra to help offset rising fuel costs.

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Money is

power

Likely rate hike means you’ll pay more for electricity by Patrick Rodgers | patrick@connectsavannah.com

This past December’s unusually cold weather cost the company an additional $22 million beyond their fuel budget, according to testimony during the hearing, and the company currently has more than $650 million in what are known as “under–recovered fuel costs.” Gregory Roberts, Director of Pricing and Rates for Georgia Power testified during the hearing that the recovery of the funds is necessary because the outstanding sum is damaging the company’s credit rating with two of the three main credit rating agencies. Through this hearing with the PSC, the company is trying to recover $470 million of those under–recovered funds, which resulted from a $900 million increase in the company’s coal costs. About $430 million of that was offset by decreasing cost of gas generated electricity and decreased demand for kilowatt hours by consumers, according to Georgia Power spokesperson Jeff Wilson. Members of the PSC staff have suggested an investigation into the company’s coal procurement practices, something Georgia Power opposes, because it has already been investigated several times in the past few years. “It would be a redundant waste of both Commission and company resources since over 60 percent of the last seven years has already been spent on fuel cases and investigating,” Roberts testified. Despite the unrecovered fuel costs, Georgia Power still counts its annual profits in the hundreds of millions, and its parent company, the Southern Company, has cleared $1.7 billion in profits, earning it the 149th spot on the Fortune 500 list. The PSC will make a final decision on the rate hike at a hearing to be held on March 11. However, if Georgia Power agrees to several stipulations put forth by the commission in a document following the hearings, including the length of time for collecting the funds, the rate increase will almost certainly be approved. The increase in cost is unrelated to

another monthly surcharge that was approved by state legislators last year, which allows the company to charge consumers in advance to help finance the expansion of Plant Vogtle, its nuclear facility near Waynesboro, Ga. That will cost consumers an extra $1.30 per month. According to their website, the PSC “must balance Georgia citizens’ need for reliable services and reasonable rates with the need for utilities to earn a reasonable return on investment.” Over the last several years, the balance seems to have leaned favorably toward the utility company. In late 2007, the PSC approved a measure guaranteeing the Georgia Power retail returns between 10.25 and 12.25 percent every year. If the utility makes more than 12.25 percent returns than it must reduce its rate, and if it makes below 10.25, it is able to raise its rate. That decision, which was passed in December of 2007, was also accompanied by a base rate increase for customers. Following the approval, then–commissioner Angela Speir, who voted against the measures, said in a media release, “the biggest single factor in this unnecessary rate increase is excess profit.” In 2008, the PSC approved an additional charge of three dollars per month to Georgia Power customers for fuel recovery costs, as the company tried to re–coup $221 million. The company also enacted an Environmental Cost Compliance Recovery Tariff (ECCR), which sought to off–set $222 million in costs associated with state and federal environmental regulation. The accumulation of various rate increases, along with the economic downturn, has taken a distinct toll on consumers. According to data Georgia Power provided to the PSC during the hearing process, the annual number of service disconnections for non–payment has increased from 226,000 in 2006 to 260,000 in 2009. Even without the slew of new charges, Georgia Power customers already pay slightly higher than average prices, particularly depending on usage. For customers using 1000 kilowatt hours (kwH), the company is only slightly above average pricewise, ranking 52 out of 88 providers, at 10.75 cents per kwH. For customers using more than 1500 kwH, the pricing becomes even less competitive (75th out of 95 providers) at 11.28 cents per kwH. Meanwhile, the company’s average fuel cost, including coal, nuclear, oil and gas, is only 3.11 cents per kwH. cs

What part of ‘Put your hands behind your head’ didn’t you understand?

Police were called in reference to an intoxicated white male with a gun holding a baby outside a restaurant with a breakfast buffet. As the officer arrived, the subject was attempting to leave the premises in a pick up truck.

The officer followed him and turned on the sirens. The truck slowed, but did not pull over. The truck pulled into the back of a parking lot on Gateway Blvd and stopped. Another officer used his PA system to ask the man to step out of the vehicle. The driver got out and was told to put his hands on his head. He did not comply, even after several requests, and lit a cigarette instead. Officers asked the man if

he had a weapon, and said that he did and it was behind the seat of his truck. When asked what he was doing at the restaurant the man said he was dropping off a kid. His speech was slurred and there was a clear odor of alcohol emanating from his person. The officer asked him if he had been drinking and the man said no, but that he had drank last night. He then refused a preliminary breath test and was arrested after being read implied consent and refusing the state administered alcohol test. • A drunk fellow called police to report that he was being threatened. He had a female friend over at his place for a visit, although he had no clue how to spell her name. He asked her to leave, and that started an argument. She finally left, and ever since then she and her son (whose name the subject was also unable to spell) have been making threats. The man stated that they threatened to “fuck me up” and “blow my head off.” The man wouldn’t give a reason why he had wanted his friend to leave. He was inebriated and couldn’t tell the officers where his friend lived exactly either.

• Just before 8 a.m. a man returned home and found that someone had broken into his house. When an officer arrived, the victim explained that he had left around 11 p.m. and when he came home the window to the master bedroom had been broken and someone had taken two video game consoles and a handgun. • A woman called police to report that she had received a harassing phone call and that she believed was an employee from a health center where she was a patient. The woman said that she’d been in the office a few days earlier and seen an unknown black female who had previously had an altercation with members of her family. The unknown woman worked at the front desk of the health center. The victim told officers she believes the woman retrieved her name and phone number from her medical records. The caller said she knows where she lives and she said she and her brother is “going to drag them.”

• Police were called regarding a male who was injured after jumping from a third story window. When they arrived on the scene, they found the 20–year old he told police that he only had minor injuries, that he had jumped by his own volition and had not been pushed, and that he was freaking out because of an adverse reaction to some illegal substance he taken earlier. • Around 2 a.m. police were dispatched to the bus station in reference to a cutting. They found a man with several lacerations on his face. The victim told police he knew who his assailant was, that he’d known him for a few years and could also identify his vehicle. He said the attack was completely unprovoked. Officers in Port Wentworth found the man and the attack weapon at an apartment building. He was taken into custody without incident. cs Give anonymous crime tips to Crimestoppers at 234-2020

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All cases from recent Savannah/Chatham Police Dept. incident reports

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Pastor John Renken’s Xtreme Ministries of Memphis, Tenn., is one of a supposedly growing number of churches that use “mixed martial arts” events to recruit wayward young men to the Christian gospel. Typically, after leading his flock in solemn prayer to a loving God, Pastor Renken adjourns the session to the back room, where a New York Times reporter found him in February shouting encouragement to his violent parishioners: “Hard punches!” Renken yelled. “Finish the fight! To the head! To the head!” One participant told the Times that fight nights bring a greater masculinity to religion, which he said had, in recent years, gone soft.

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al, such as blindness, but also “mental retardation.” (2) In February, aspirants for taxicab licenses in Portsmouth, England, were officially informed by the City Council that application forms are available in other languages or in “audio,” “large print” or “Braille.” • When “You Lie!” Doesn’t Quite Capture the Moment: Legislator Abel LeBlanc was suspended from Canada’s New Brunswick Assembly in February for giving middle-finger salutes to two colleagues, calling one a “punk” and declaring himself ready to “walk outside with any one of yas here.” “Don’t ever laugh at me,” he continued. “Yes, I gave you that (the finger). And I’ll give you that again. And (to another colleague) I’ll give you this (finger) if you want to go outside.”

• Over-Connecting the Dots: At age Great Art! 8, Mike Hicks is a frequent air travJust after Christmas, the Anglican eler with his mother, and while she is Church of St. Peter in Great Limber, seldom noticed by airport screeners, England, unveiled artist Adam Sheldon’s “Mikey” almost always is because he 6-foot-high representation of the crucishares a name with someone on the enfixion consisting of 153 pieces of toast. hanced-security list that is one level beSheldon browned the bread himself, low “no fly” (one of 1,600 such Michael then painstakingly either scraped (to Hickses in the U.S.). His mom told The lighten) or torched (to darken) each New York Times in January that Mikey piece to fashion the tableau. has been patted down by security since he was 2. (But sometimes government Police Report under-connects the dots. Delaware pe• They Don’t Make Cops Like They diatrician Earl Bradley’s January arrest Used To: Sheriff ’s deputy John Franklin and February indictment for allegedly of San Luis Obispo, Calif., filed a lawsuit sexually molesting 103 children came in December against the Catholic only after he was cleared in two police Church and former priest Geronimo investigations in three years, involvCuevas for the “emotional trauma” ing eight complaints, and despite one he suffered by being propositioned ex-colleague’s routinely referring to Dr. for sex while working undercover in Bradley as a “pedophile.”) 2007. Deputy Franklin was patrolling • Better Late Than Never? (1) Ten a public park near Avila Beach when days after Umar Farouk AbdulmutalFather Cuevas reached out and touched lab nearly brought down the Christmas Franklin’s clothed genital area. Cuevas Day airliner over Detroit, the State was arrested and convicted, but Deputy Department officially revoked his visa. Franklin said he is not yet over the (2) Eight days after the Christmas Eve feelings of “anger, rage, disgust and demolition of Minneapolis’ historic embarrassment.” Fjelde House (as a fire hazard), the • Chutzpah: Former StoughMinneapolis Heritage Preservaton, Mass., police sergeant tion Commission awarded the David Cohen was convicted site “interim protection” for its So sorry in 2007 of attempted extortion historic value. you couldn’t and witness-tampering and stay longer • Too Much Diversity: (1) sentenced to 30 months in jail. Mr. President! In January, the U.S. Justice In November 2009, he filed a Department’s Civil Rights Diformal demand for payment vision posted a job announceof at least $113,000 he said ment supposedly in line the department owes him for with current affirmative-action unused vacation, sick leave and policy. The division is seeking comp time. He also claims extra “experienced attorneys” and was pay because, while still on the job, encouraging “qualified applicants he had to spend 481 hours in court with targeted disabilities” to apand 280 hours preparing in order ply. Legally protected “targeted to defend himself against the disabilities” include the tradition-

criminal charges.

Names in the News

Arrested in January in Memphis, Tenn., and charged with having carnal knowledge of an underage girl: Mr. Knowledge Clark, 29. Arrested in January in Hellertown, Pa., and charged with cashing a stolen check: Richard Fluck, 47, and Bryan Flok, 47. Arrested in Denver in February and charged with using another person’s driver’s license as identification: Mr. Robin J. Hood, 34. Arrested in Kingston, Pa., in January and charged with cocaine trafficking: Carlos Laurel, 30, and Andre Hardy, 39. Arrested in February in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and charged with possession of crystal meth: Crystal Beth Williams, 21.

It’s Good to Be a British Criminal (continued)

(1) Victim Debra Wilson testified that she’d been driven nearly into bankruptcy by loan shark Robert Reynolds, 39, who extorted the equivalent of about $135,000. In December, Reynolds was convicted in Durham Crown Court but ordered to repay only the equivalent of about $2,300. (However, the judge warned that if Reynolds failed to pay, he could be jailed for up to 35 days!) (2) In September 2008, veteran criminal Waled Salem and two partners were discovered burglarizing the home of businessman Munir Hussain. Salem, wielding a knife, restrained Hussain, his wife, and children and resumed the ransacking. Hussain freed himself and chased the men away, catching up only with Salem, whom he then beat with a cricket bat. In December 2009 in Reading Crown Court, Salem was sentenced to probation, but Hussain got 30 months in jail for assault.

Pervo-American Community

Colt Heltsley, 20, had been spotted by police in 2008 at the Preble County (Ohio) Fair, “looking around, acting nervous” in the area of a row of portable toilets and in one 30-minute sequence continually moving empty toilets until they were close together. He was eventually convicted of voyeurism, peeping at a female using the facility. In December 2009, a state appeals court rejected Heltsley’s defense that police had violated his right to privacy with their surveillance. cs By chuck shepherd UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE

the straight dope

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard coconut juice is almost identical to human blood plasma, and has been used as a plasma substitute during wartime. I asked a friend from Vietnam who lived there during the war about this, and she was very matter-of-fact about the use of coconut juice as a substitute for blood plasma during the war by Vietnamese soldiers (on both sides). She told me when they expected a big battle, they would gather coconuts in preparation for medical use. Has there been any research into this? Is it safe and effective? Are there any ill effects? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mickey B., Las Vegas Well, one drawback is you look like something out of Gilliganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island. A photo in a medical journal shows a coconut hanging from an IV stand with a standard blood transfusion tube attached. And really, coconut water isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all that much like plasma. But generally speaking, coconut transfusions are legit. Coconut water can be used for a variety of medical purposes, one of which is intravenous rehydration. A 2000 report tells of a stroke patient in the Solomon Islands who was too ill to drink or use a nasal tube but was successfully rehydrated with a coconut-water IV when no other fluids were available. Emergency coconut IVs were reportedly used by the British and Japanese during World War II. Remember, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about coconut water, the liquid found inside a young coconut, not coconut milk, which is made from grated coconut meat. Coconut water canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually replace blood plasma; chemical analysis indicates itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closer in makeup to intracellular fluid. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually sterile, and when mixed with plasma it behaves like saline solution. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got fewer electrolytes in it than our bodies are used to and too much potassium, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an ideal rehydration fluid. But it works in a pinch. Another surprising use for coconut water: Remember when you were young and your mother told you if you

Many reason as follows: oil space heaters have more thermal mass and so remain warm even when their internal heating element cycles off. Therefore, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more efficient. False. In the big-picture sense, all electric heaters have equal efficiency: for a given amount of electricity, they produce the same amount of heat. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different is the type of heat and how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distributed. The issue isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the efficiency of the heater, but rather the best method of heat delivery for the situation. A radiant hot-wire heater is designed to directly heat nearby surfaces (skin, for instance) through thermal radiation, which is good if, say, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to get warm quickly in a large, drafty room. But it also gives you very uneven heat. While the heater is running, the near side of you roasts while the other remains cold, and once it cycles off, things quickly cool down. An oil heater works mainly by convection: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed to warm up a mass of air that will then circulate through the room. Which is better? Depends. If your goal is to heat a smallish, well-insulated space over a long period, a convection heater will distribute warmth more uniformly. If your goal is to heat you, a radiant heater may make more sense. You can focus the heat on yourself rather than waste it warming a lot of empty space. The main thing is this: if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to save money, heat the least amount of space possible while still staying warm. The best solution Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found? A fan-driven electric foot warmer. It effectively heats only about half a cubic foot of air, but if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where your feet are, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all you need. cs By cecil adams Comments, questions? Take it up with Cecil at straightdope.com.

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I work in a store that sells space heaters, among other things, and I have an important question. Are sealed-oil space heaters more efficient than the old hot-wire-and-fan kind? All this time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been telling my customers they were, but lately Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve begun to wonder. While the oil heater is warming up, am I losing the efficiency that returns when the oil reaches operating temperature? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Dennis Miller

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culture

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Visual Arts

A few examples of work that will be featured in the Co-Lab’s next show, which opens March 11.

New Kids on the Block

The Co-Laboratory on East Broad Street is hanging tough by Patrick Rodgers | patrick@connectsavannah.com

Since January, an ambitious group of young artists has created a new kind of space for art in Savannah. Part gallery, part studio, their goal is open up the art community through the spirit of collaboration. Fittingly, the new space is called the Co–Laboratory. “At first it was ABC Gallery, and some other names, but the Co–Lab stuck because it’s a place of collaboration,” explains Minna Betancourt, one of the founders of the new space. “The Laboratory was because we are always experimenting and trying new things.” The group, which includes Betancourt, a writer with an eye for fashion, along with visual artists Alex Farkas– Worthy, Zach Chambers and Clayton Walsh, began last year under humble auspices. Farkas–Worthy had recently graduated SCAD, but hadn’t had a senior show exhibiting his work. Betancourt set out to arrange a show but ran up against obstacles ranging from the cost of some spaces, to waiting lists at more accessible locations. A former student turned bartender at City Market landmark Belford’s, she asked her boss whether they could use

the banquet space on a slow night to host an opening. It went well, and immediately generated a buzz. “Five new artists came to me and said I want to do the same thing,” she explains. However, as the restaurant entered the busy season, it became harder and harder to book more shows. “The third show kept getting postponed. I was like forget it. I want my own space.” A bit of research landed the group in a retail space on East Broad Street, near the corner of Hall, and although it was a challenge to get everything set up, the energy and word–of–mouth that made their shows at Belford’s a success has helped attract strong turn outs for their first two openings. Betancourt attributes part of that success to their filling an unoccupied niche in Savannah’s art community, a place that will help emerging artists introduce themselves to the public, and potentially

sell some work. “People are always looking to sell their work, but they don’t know how, or they don’t have the means,” says Betancourt. “We’re just helping people sell their work.” A comparable space open to exhibit work costs several times more than what the Co–Lab charges to be part of one of their group shows. By having lots of artists involved, Betancourt and her crew are able to keep their costs lower than other spaces. The low cost, combined with the diverse array of artists and mediums, leads to group shows that sometimes feel like a collection of oddities – a sideshow attraction of art where a poignant photo hangs next to an irreverent illustration on a flap of cardboard, which in turn borders a portrait. Although there is less refinement than more austere gallery spaces, that is compensated for by spontaneity of the work and the energy of a crowded reception. The Co–Lab is not just a gallery either. “Back there is kind of cluttered because that’s all our supplies,” says Betancourt while giving the tour. The space also serves as a studio that keeps

open hours and invites other artists to come in and work on new projects. “Clay is working with one of the artists from our first show on paper–mache wrestlers,” she says, adding that it is the reason why there are scraps of newspaper stuck the floor. “The first one they’re working on is Stone Cold Steve Austin.” “Are they life–sized?” “No, Stone Cold Steve Austin is six foot something,” she replies, “They’re pretty big and they’re looking really awesome.” It’s been all visual arts up to this point, but there are plans already in place to expand the repertoire of media they host, including three bands performing later this month, a jewelry showcase in April, and talk of hosting a film night. “I don’t really know how this is all going as fast as it’s going. It all kind of happened,” she says. “I’d like for it to take off.” CS Opening reception for “Mice to Milk” When: Thursday, March 11 from 6–10 p.m. Where: The Co–Lab, 631 E. Broad St. Dress: They are asking everyone to wear white to the opening. Info: zecolab.tumblr.com

Grace Diaz Tootle reprises a beloved stage character by Bill DeYoung | bill@connectsavannah.com

In order to become the title character in Shirley Valentine, Grace Diaz Tootle had to memorize 55 pages of dialogue. That’s because it’s a one–woman show. She’s the only person onstage, the whole time. It was a daunting prospect. “I would rather go to a rock fight than sit and listen to somebody talk for two hours straight,” laughs Tootle, a veteran of Savannah’s community theatre scene (she’s been acting, and directing, for decades). “I kept thinking, ‘Men aren’t going to like this. It’s a woman talking for two hours. They go to the movies to get away from that.’”

A comedy, Shirley Valentine was written by Willy Russell, a British playwright best known for Educating Rita. Russell is from Liverpool, in northern England, and his dialogue has that quick, nasal quality associated with the working class. “I’m kind of doing an East Ender accent,” Tootle says. “And it’s written that way. On paper it says ‘so I got me little

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Culture

cause it’s a Greek rock,” says Tootle. “It doesn’t speak English.” In the U.K., Shirley Valentine won the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 1988; the following year, it moved to Broadway, where it won the Tony for Best Play, and two Drama Desk awards (in both productions, British actress Pauline Collins starred as Shirley). Tootle says her onstage transformation is all–encompassing. “It’s been a challenge for me as an actress, and as a human being, to do away with all of the sarcasm that I live and breathe. What’s so engaging and humorous about this show is that she doesn’t get upset by anything that I would normally be going off the wall about. She sees the humor in it. And so you grow to really love her, and appreciate seeing life through her eyes.” Part of what makes Shirley Valentine – the play and the character – work, Tootle believes, is the interaction with the audience. “When I did it two years ago, it was in a very intimate environment, and you couldn’t help but see the faces of the people,” she says. “While they’re sitting there smiling, and really involved with me. Right there with me. “Occasionally there are little lines where I’ll make direct eye contact with somebody, like ‘D’ya know what I’m sayin’?’ And they’ll go ‘Yeah!’ “She’s so charming. She’s so funny. She really is luv–ly.’” CS

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From Shirley with luv

table, and I got me little chair.’ Instead of ‘um,’ it’s ‘erm.’ And if you have any kind of natural ability to do dialect, all you have to do is read it and you just kind of fall right into it. It made it very easy for me. It’s very sing–songy.” Tootle’s performing Shirley Valentine this weekend, in a Savannah Community Theatre production at the Landings’ Plantation Club Ballroom. She and Shirley were a smash two years ago, when the SCT first produced the show, in its old quarters on Victory Drive. “Of all the shows I’ve ever done – and I’ve done a fair amount of them now – this is the only character I refer to in the third person, as if she is a living entity,” Tootle explains. “Because Shirley Valentine is such a lovely woman.” The first act takes place in the kitchen of the home Shirley shares with her husband, Joe. As she prepares his egg ‘n’ chips supper – required to be on the table, every night, just as Joe steps in the door from work – she talks about her marriage, her family, her hopes and her dreams. “It’s a testament to Russell’s writing at how engaging and interesting the stories that she tells are,” says Tootle. “Some of them are just ridiculously funny – you see a little bit of yourself in there – some of them are very poignant. “Some really tug at your heartstrings. But they’re all so beautifully written that you can’t help but hang on every word. ”She’s coming to terms with the fact that she’s lived this little life, and so she decides to live the moment.” The moment arrives in Act II, as Shirley dares to dream by accompanying an (unseen) friend on a holiday in Greece. While there, she sits at a little seaside cafe and talks to a rock. “But of course, the rock doesn’t understand her, be-

SAVANNAH COMMUNITY THEATRE

Theatre

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

People & Pirates

Asbury Memorial Theatre returns with a diverse cast and a favorite show by Bill DeYoung | bill@connectsavannah.com

Author Jonathan Raab has published four works of historical fiction, including Rosa and Shadow and Light. It’s a tough row to hoe, combining real people and events (successfully) with elements of suspense, classic crime noir and the fertile prose of one’s own imagination. But Raab, who moved to Savannah with his wife and young children in 2008, is a well–reviewed novelist whose work was recently called “brilliantly plotted” by The Washington Post. And Publisher’s Weekly said Shadow and Light was “superb.” A Fulbright scholar, a noted historian and a restlessly inquisitive guy, Raab studied political science in Germany (where his novels are set). He teaches creative writing at SCAD – and, seasonally, at New York University. All well and good, but Jonathan Raab has a secret passion. He’s playing the Major General in a local production of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance, opening this weekend in the newly remodeled Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church sanctuary. “I used to do a lot of Gilbert & Sullivan up in New York,” Raab explains. “I sang for 15 years with a group called the Blue Hill Troupe – they’ve been around for 80 years or so. “And I’ve performed G&S with the Harrisburg Symphony and the Albany Symphony, and I did it with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.”

The Pirates of Penzance is the opening salvo of a new era in theater at Asbury, where Billy Hester, a Savannah native, has been pastor for nearly 20 years. Hester came to the ministry after a career on the New York stage – in fact, as lead tenor for the Light Opera of Manhattan, one of his first–ever shows was The Pirates of Penzance – and he and wife Cheri met when they were both working on Broadway. The Hesters began the Asbury Memorial Theatre in 1994 (Penzance was the inaugural show), and for a couple of years – until mounting costs forced them to shut it down – it put on two (secular) musicals per year. Gone, but not forgotten. Doing theater – as well as the good works of a minister – is important to Billy Hester. Asbury is at 1008 Henry Street, which, Hester points out, is an area known more for crime than creativity. “There’s nothing in the arts over there,” he says. “So we just think theater and music is just a great way for people to be touched, to laugh, to come together. “We’re a very diverse congregation. Ultimately we’d like to have lectures in the space – bring people together who

Author Jonathan Raab

chasing each other, people are upstage or downstage. And all of that snowballs into making it physically very hard to focus on making these really strange pitches come out of your face.” Raab says rehearsals have been “a blast,” mostly because of Billy Hester and his belief in the project, and in the performers. “The guy’s just amazing,” Raab says. “Savannah’s very, very lucky to have Billy Hester. He and Cheri are really lovely people.” Raab loves coming to rehearsal every night. “Everyone involved with it is just excited to be doing it,” he explains. “And they’re having fun with it. That’s the beauty of Gilbert & Sullivan – if we’re having a ton of fun onstage, you hope that the audience can’t help but jump on with us.” CS ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ Where: Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church, 1008 E. Henry St. When: At 8 p.m. March 5, 6, 12 and 13; 3 p.m. March 7 and 14 Tickets: $10 Phone: (912) 233–4351

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would not normally get together. This is just the beginning.” Hester’s Pirates is a “concert” production of Gilbert & Sullivan – although the leads (there are 25 of them) will be in costume, they’ll be singing but not “acting.” There are no sets, no props and no blocking. “We could probably do a real set there in the sanctuary,” Hester adds. “But if you try to do a ‘little’ something, the audience will think ‘Boy, that’s kind of cheesy.’ So I think you have to be careful of trying to be something you’re not – and focus more on the music, the costumes, and the relationship between the performers and the audience.” Among the cast, enthusiasm for this show is contagious. “I love to perform,” confesses WTOC–TV meteorologist Pat Prokop, who’s playing a pirate – “a weather pirate,” with new dialogue – in the Asbury production. “Of course, I’m on TV every day, so I just love to get in front. “My wife Mary and I both love community theatre,” Prokop says. “We supported Jody Chapin and Jim Holt in City Lights productions, and we also started supporting Asbury Memorial Theatre when we were not even members of that church.” Every October, Hester does a series called God on Broadway. “Billy has a unique way of merging the play with the sermon and the worship service,” says Prokop. “It’s really incredible.” Although Ryan McCurdy, like Raab, is not a member of the church, he found Penzance an offer he couldn’t refuse. McCurdy is particularly jazzed about the concert–style staging. “The best thing, for me, is that you really can focus on sound production,” he says. “So many musicals – and even when you do a full staging of a Gilbert & Sullivan – people are running around the stage,

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I’m as happy as a little boy on Christmas morning when a new beer brand hits town. One of the newest, Founders Brewing Co. of Grand Rapids, Mich., brings to market a line–up that generally offers bigger flavors, bigger body and bigger character. Like so many of today’s craft breweries, Founders began as a dream for two college classmates. The idea was hatched in 1990, but it was not until 1997 that Founders launched as a viable label. Tasting through a selection of their beers was a nice experiment in IBUs. IBU stands for International Bittering Unit – the scale used to measure hop bitterness in beer. An IBU is one part per million of isohumulone, an acid derived from hops. If you like the very bitter “bite” in some beers, then a higher IBU would be an indication of that snap. Broadly speaking, a very hoppy India Pale Ale ranges from 40–60 IBUs. You fans of American Pale Lager, Like Anheuser–Busch’s Budweiser, get a meager dose of 10–15 IBUs. The tasting comparison was easy with Founders packaging – IBUs and alcohol by volume (ABV) is printed right on the neck band. I sampled four beers form the Founders stable: Dry Hopped India Pale Ale, Centennial IPA, Reds Rye PA and Double Trouble, an Imperial IPA that is offered seasonally. Here’s what I found: At a modest 35 IBU and 5.4 percent ABV, Dry Hopped IPA was the beer with training wheels in this group. It is smooth–drinking, widely accessible to a variety of tastes and

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offers just a hint of citrus typically associated with IPAs – in this case, I detected orange zest. A poi–fect brew with grilled shrimp or mild fish! Centennial IPA dearly doubled the IBU at 65 and barely bumped up the ABV to 7.2. For those who have had their fill of American Pale Lager and want to step up to real flavor, this is a gateway IPA. It’s slightly sweet; malts and hops balance beautifully and deliver a clean, crisp finish. This is a benchmark IPA. I found it interesting that Reds PA, while barely different on the neck band than Centennial (70 IBU, 6.6 ABV) came roaring out of the neck with a grapefruit aroma that was noticeable from arm’s length. Man, this was gonna be a serious citrus and hops bomb! Yeah, it had some sweetness, but was predominately a pucker–inducing mouthful of powerful citrus, crisp bitterness and a lingering tart finish. I had Double Trouble Imperial IPA on tap last week at The Distillery and was thrilled to experience a similar beer from the bottle. Despite having the highest IBUs and ABV of the lot, 86 and 9.4 respectively, the Founders brewmaster did a masterful job of bringing balance to what could be another over–the–top beer. It big, bitter and high gravity beer for sure, but all the components meld into a beer so balanced, so well–crafted, that you’ll be misled by the numbers. There are other styles from Founders in the market – both available by bottle and on tap. Experiment, definitely, and count on in–your– face interpretations regardless of the style you choose. CS

Tim’s restaurant hopping turns up intriguing and satisfying meals. He picks some experiences every week to share:

Firefly Cafe

During the brief respite from cold weather last week, I went al fresco and stopped by Troup Square’s Firefly Cafe for a quick, quiet lunch. I was tempted by the restaurant’s signature corn chowder, but opted for the Blackened Chicken Breast sandwich. The huge mound of potato salad dusted with paprika caught may attention first. It was my choice of three side dishes that also included pasta salad or a small green salad. It was nice and creamy, moist and fresh. Layers of flavor continued to unfold with each bite: fresh potatoes, a tangy sensation of mustard perhaps, and, of course, slightly sweet and smoky paprika. The sandwich was such a behemoth, I couldn’t pick it up to eat it. Instead, I went headlong into the sandwich with knife and fork – and the sandwich ultimately won. I left half of the deliciously crackling baguette. The blackened chicken was in pieces on the baguette – and the blackening spices could have been a bit more aggressive to my taste. Still, there was plenty to enjoy about such a hearty sandwich. Lots of sauteed green and red sweet peppers and red onions topped the chicken – which was blanketed in a layer of shredded and melted Jack cheese. A final topping of crisp, shredded lettuce and adobo mayonnaise added more fresh flavors and a bit of heat. Firefly Cafe is just one of a handful of downtown destinations where you can score Saturday or Sunday brunch with a real bistro feel. Among my brunch favorites here: Savannah Eggs Benedict – made with crab meat and served with made–to–order hash browns. 321 Habersham St./234–1971

A recommendation...

Winery owner George Hendry is an inventor and scientist (particle accelerators, no less) and also holds court over one of Napa Valley’s most popular wineries. He is a gifted storyteller and has a knack for breaking down the mysteries of wine into understandable, common sense elements. Hendry will preside over a wine dinner featuring his wines on March 11, 6 p.m., at Vic’s on the River. Besides sampling five of Hendry’s best varietals, guests will also be treated to one of the few public events Chef Dusty Grove has had a chance to present since joining Vic’s from 700 Drayton. At $79 per person, this is a bargain of an evening that promises a mini wine course, great food and fun among like–minded wine lovers. Call for reservations, 721–1000. CS

Southern Buffet Lunch $9.95 Monday-Thursday signature she-Crab soup · salad Bar · Macaroni & Cheese · Fried Chicken smothered Pork Chops · Chicken Fried steak · daily specials · drinks (non-alcoholic) $13.95 Friday Low Country Boil · Fried shrimp · southern Catfish · she-Crab soup · & More WindoWs at Hyatt savannaH · CoMPLiMEntaRy PaRKinG FoR aLL WindoWs LUnCH GUEsts For our full menu, visit hyattregencysavannah.com · Reservations: 912-721-4610 · 2 W. Bay St · Savannah

15 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Founders keepers

random bites

Culture

by tim rutherford | savannahfoodie@comcast.net

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

What’s Next

TOUCHSTONE

culture

Upcoming events | BY BILL DEYOUNG | bill@connectsavannah.com

Culture dates to put in your calendar

The Last Song The big media machine that is Walt Disney Pictures is gearing up for The Last Song, which now has an official opening date: March 31, the Wednesday before the all–important Easter Weekend. Efforts are being made to hold a local premiere, either in Savannah or on Tybee Island where the film was shot. Nothing has come of this yet, but we’ll keep you posted. Pretty soon, we’ll be inundated with TV commercials for The Last Song — Disney, doubtless, will want to cash in on the fact that Dear John, also penned by weepy–book author Nicholas Sparks, recently opened at No. 1 at the box office. In the meantime, Miley Cyrus’ music video for the Last Song ballad “When I Look at You” is out now — it features

“When I Look at You,” like Cyrus’ previous smasheroo “Part in the U.S.A.,” was recorded here in Savannah, at Phil Hadaway’s 3180 Media Group studio.

More from Tybee

Miley’s headed to the big screen

the teen star playing a grand piano, on a beach, presumably Tybee. The video also includes footage from the movie — stuff that’s not in the Last Song trailer, which has been around for a while now. Maybe you can see yourself in the video?

Talk about life imitating art. In The Last Song, Miley Cyrus’ character attends the “Tybee Island Seafood Festival,” with carnival rides, a groovy volleyball tournament, fresh seafood and all–around fun in the sun. The real Tybee Seafood Festival takes place Thursday, April 8. Check out the Web site at www.tybeeseafoodfest.com – there’s a photo from the movie! Gee, it sure looks like fun! In reality, the midway won’t be on the beach itself, but in the parking lot of the nearby Ocean Plaza hotel. It’ll be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through April 11. The April 8 opening event, on the

s u n i O j , a e s y b R O d n by la s e n O t s e l b b O c e h t n O d O O f a e s t s e the b , t e e R t s R e v i R On live musicc&ials dRink spe eek 7 days a w

And now, this ...Three Days Grace will appear in the Martin Luther King Arena April 9. The 7 p.m. bill also includes Chevelle and Adelitas Way. General admission tickets are $39... ...Old dude alert: We don’t often spotlight the big Atlanta shows, but this one is worth mentioning: Touring behind the upcoming Mojo album, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers will play the Philips Arena Aug. 11 – with Crosby, Stills & Nash opening! Tickets go on sale March 8 through Ticketmaster. And Joe Cocker (!) will open Petty’s May 7 show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte... CS

wed - jOsh maul Live

half pRice wednesdays - 1/2 off on all liquor, draft beers & house wine

thuRs - eRic culbeRsOn Live

bOmb night - $3 jager bombs & flavored vodka bombs for the fist pumpers!

fRi - undeR hill ROse Live $10 buckets Of dOmestics

sat - shane pRuitt Live $10 buckets Of dOmestics

sun - vOOdOO sOup Live

sunday funday + s.i.n. night - $3 jagers + 1/2 off crown & beam

mOn - kuRtis schumm Live

all day happy hOuR + all yOu can eat cRab legs

patio Seating oveRlooking tHe SavannaH RiveR Happy HouR Mon-FRi 4-7pM $2 WellS & $1.50 DoMeStic DRaFtS

pier pavilion, is a showcase for local seafood vendors. The Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love, among others, will perform.

tues - hitman Live

lOunge night - 1/2 off on all dark liquor

131 W. RiveR St · 644-7172

50¢ Raw OysteRs anytime · laRge beeR selectiOn · gReat bands · gReat atmOspheRe

American Impressionists are complemented by exquisite still lifes. SCAD Museum of Art, 227 MLK Jr. Blvd.

ARA FEIS

Nothing Is As It Seems — New 3-D mixed media works from artist Malaika Favorite, inspired by poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar, exploring choices and their consequences. Opening reception: 2/7, 3pm including gallery talk by artist. Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris St. , http://www.kingtisdell.org/ Painters’ Reel: Contemporary Painting in Georgia — Eleven painters from throughout the state. Jepson Center through 5/17.

Irish Celebration

Porcelain Arts Showcase — Tybee Arts Association hosts a showcase of work from participants in the Seminars by the Sea porcelain painting class. 3/3, 7-9pm. Tybee Arts Association Center. Free and open to the public.

‘Seven’ at Gallery S.P.A.C.E. features work by that many local artists; this is ‘The Window’ by Jelena Pavlovic. Reception is this Friday. Africanology Realities in American Worlds — An exhibition of large-scaled, multi-media paintings and installations by Amiri Geuka Farris. Artist talk and opening reception: 2/12, 6-8pm. SSU Social Sciences Building Gallery Aldwyth: Work v./Work n. — Collage and assemblage 1991-2009 by this reclusive Hilton Head artist, now in her 70s. Jepson Center for the Arts through 5/17 Alumni Invitational Art Exhibit — A group show featuring work from notable AASU alumni. Part of Homecoming 2010. Runs through 3/10. AASU Fine Arts Gallery, 11935 Abercorn St. Artists for Haiti — Work contributed by 29 artists from around the area. All proceeds from sales go to Haiti relief. Opening reception: 3/7, 3-6pm. Runs thru 3/21. Indigo Sky Community Gallery Call for instructors — The City’s Department of Cultural Affairs is accepting resumes for visual art and performing art instructors for Summer Break Art Camp June 7-August 27 at studio S.P.A.C.E., 9 West Henry St. Painting, ceramics, metalwork, mixed media and per-

forming arts. Applications deadline is Friday, April 2, 2010 at 5 pm. Send resume to lbradley@savannahga. gov. For more information contact Lisa Bradley at (912)651-6783. I Want You To Want Me — A collection of prints by the Print Club in honor of Valentine’s Day, whether you love it or hate it. Sales benefit the group’s trip to the Southern Graphics Council Printmaking Conference. Closing Reception: 3/4, 79pm. Lulu’s Chocolate Bar, 42 MLK Jr. Blvd., It’s all about the wood — A solo exhibition of abstract, figurative and geometric wood sculptures by E.R. Jones. Opening reception: 3/5, 7pm. SSU Social Sciences Building Gallery, Margaret Brennan: A Savannah Retrospective — A collection of work from previous series of floral and landscape photography, and the debut of a series shot recently in France. Opening reception: 3/7, 2-4pm. JEA Art Gallery, 5111 Abercorn St. , Nature’s Banquet: American Paintings from the Manoogian Collection — Landscapes by Hudson River School painters and

Secrets of Old Masters — A group show of paintings by students copying paintings that were hanging in the Telfair’s Dutch Utopia exhibit. Trends and Traditions, 3407 Waters Ave. Seven — Works by seven emerging and established artists that explore a diverse and exciting range of artistic mediums including printmaking, mixed media, watercolor, painting and drawing. Reception 3/5, 6-8pm. Runs thru 3/29. S.P.A.C.E. Gallery , 9 W. Henry St. Spoked — Juried exhibition at Desotorow Gallery, 2427 Desoto Ave., featuring works of art inspired by the world of bikes. Opening reception Friday, March 5 from 6-9 p.m. Super Fantastic Variety Show — A group show featuring work from six seniors from SCAD’s painting dept. Reception: 3/5, 6-9pm. T Gallery , 1813 Bull St. , The Mysteries of Sake — A collection of photos by Sophie Mayday exploring the unique qualities of the Japanese wine. The Hurn Museum, 10 W. Taylor St. The Story of Silver in Savannah — More than 400 pieces of silver connected to the city, featuring Savannah-made silver, as well as wares made in America and Europe. Telfair Museum of Art cs

Saturday, March 13, 2010 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Emmet Park (east end of Bay St.) Free and open to the public

The Cathie Ryan Band ... featuring

Acclaimed Irish Music Sensation

... and so much more! Harry O’Donoghue Magic Marc Glor na h’Eireann Irish Dancers Tom Coleman’s Irish Street Theatre Frank Emerson Irish Dancers of Savannah Conrad Hartz Puppets Food, children’s crafts and fun!

www.savannahga.gov/arts

Culture

| artpatrol@connectsavannah.com

17 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

art patrol

music

www.connectsavannah.com/music

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

noteworthy by bill deyoung bill@connectsavannah.com

THE SHANE PRUITT BAND Stand back! One of the coolest blues/rock tracks of the late 1960s, the Steve Miller Band’s “Living in the U.S.A.,” featured Jim Peterman on wicked Hammond B3 organ (Boz Scaggs was also in the band at the time). Peterman didn’t last long with the Miller gang – although he was onstage at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival – and these days, several lifetimes later, he’s behind the keys (and playing bass) with the Shane Pruitt Band, a tough electric–blues trio out of Spartanburg, S.C. Pruitt, who’s more than 20 years younger than the 60–ish Peterman, is a guitarist with the whip n’ snarl of a Johnny Winter, and the subtle histrionics of a Buddy Guy. The band has two River Street dates this week, and – especially with Peterman on board – it’ll be the best blues in town. Certainly the blues with the greatest pedigree. Listen & learn: www.myspace.com/shanepruitt. At 10 p.m. Friday, March 5 at Fiddler’s, 131 W. River St. At 10 p.m. Saturday, March 6 at Live Wire Music Hall, 307 W. River St.

THE PACKWAY HANDLE BAND

The neo–traditionalists of Packway Handle return, with a new CD, What Are We Gonna Do Now, jammed as always with tunes that walk the (surprisingly) thin line between old–timey bluegrass and young–punk humor. The Packway fellers, from Athens, use fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and bass to make delightfully high–energy acoustic music, and their retro onstage setup – they all play and sing around a single microphone – is more than a nod to “the way it was done in the olden days.” It’s the musicians shaking things up,

sound board

Esperanza Spalding

SEND IN YOUR STUFF! Club owners and performers: Soundboard is a free service - to be included, please send your live music information weekly to bill@connectsavannah.com. Questions? Call (912) 721-4385.

The Spanish word for hope is esperanza, and 26–year–old jazz musician Esperanza Spalding is all about giving hope to young people with a passion for music. Most recently, Spalding was invited to perform at President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize reception; she also played at his inauguration in January of 2009. She has released two solo CDs, and collaborated with the likes of Stanley Clarke and Pat Metheney. Spalding, who plays standup bass and sings – at the same time, and it’s something to behold – has been acclaimed as one of the shining lights of contemporary jazz. She came up the hard way: Raised in single–parent home, in a “ghetto” and “scary” (her words) neighborhood in Portland, Ore., she earned her GED after dropping out of school. The thing is, Spalding already knew what she wanted, and she had the tenacity – and the talent – to go after it. Scholarships to the music program at Portland State University, and to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, helped her achieve her goal. In 2005, at age 20, she became the youngest professor of music in Berklee’s long and storied history. “Voice and bass are, to me, the two extremes in music,” she said. “You have the bass, which is the bottom, the meat and potatoes, and the voice which is always the top layer, Usually, typically. “Playing both at the same time is really cool. When I’m playing, my brain is always equally divided between ‘I’m the voice on the top, delivering this melody, but at the same time I’m still connected with the foundation and the bottom.’ “It’s really strange to do those at the same time, because in a way it’s like those are all you need. You need the message, and you need the carrier of the message. The bass is what delivers it.” Spalding performs in concert, with her band, Tuesday night at the Lucas Theatre. She’ll be in town Monday, too – she’s the Savannah Children’s Choir Artist–in–Residence for 2010; the itinerary calls for her to visit area public and private schools, meeting with choral and band students, and to work with Children’s Chorus students in an open rehearsal at because they can. “Think of how many bluegrass bands you’ve seen plugging in and they all stand up there all lined up,” guitarist Josh

WEDNESDAY

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1802 Abercorn St. That 5–7:30 p.m. event is free and open to the public. From the choir’s artistic director Roger Moss: “We’ve chosen Esperanza for her compelling music, and her even more compelling story. In past years’ residencies, we’ve focused on opera. This year, we wanted to focus on the American tradition of jazz. “Also, because she is a singer as well as an instrumentalist and composer, we’re able to bring her message to an even broader group of young musicians throughout Savannah.” Listen & learn: www. esperanzaspalding.com. Concert: At 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9 at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts, 32 Abercorn St. Tickets $20 general admission, $50 reserved, $5 students, $75 VIP (includes artists’ reception following the show. Call (912) 525–5050.

Erwin told us in December, when the band last visited Savannah. “It’s a little bit stagnant. This makes it a bit more fun.” Listen & learn:

www.packwayhandle.com. At 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6 at Huc–a–Poos, 1213 US Highway 80, Tybee Island. Free.

Club One Karaoke Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay (Live Music) Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) Josh Maul Blues Band (Live Music) Hang Fire Thinkin’ Fellers Union Trivia (Other) 9 p.m. Jazz’d Tapas Bar Eddie Wilson (Live Music) Jinx Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo (Other) With DJ Drunk Tank Soundsystem Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub J.J. Smith (Wed) (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. King’s Inn Karaoke Live Wire Music Hall Open Jam (Live Music) 8 p.m. Mercury Lounge Eric Culberson Blues Band (Live Music) Mulberry Inn Live piano (Live Music) 4 p.m. Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos (Live Music) 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

17 Hundred 90 TBA (Live Music) 8 p.m. AVIA Hotel Gail Thurmond (Thurs) (Live Music) Piano & vocal 6 p.m. Bacchus ’80s Party (DJ) 9:30 p.m. Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) Eric Culberson Blues Band (Live Music) Hang Fire Karaoke 10 p.m. continues on p. 24

sound board music

Tantra Band Showcase Tubby’s Tankhouse Chuck Courtenay (Live Music) 6 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Bucky & Barry (Live Music) 6 p.m. Wormhole Bar Wrath of Girth, Mudd Puppett Prog metal and southern grunge 10 p.m.

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Thursday

continues from p.18 Huc-a-Poos Ross Jordan (Live Music) Jazz’d Tapas Bar Trae Gurley (Live Music) Jinx Revenge of the Dance Party (DJ) Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub J.J. Smith (Thurs) (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub Open Mic Night (Live Music) 10 p.m. Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub (Richmond Hill) Karaoke (Karaoke) 9 p.m. Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos (Thurs) (Live Music) 8 p.m. Sentient Bean Lauren LaPointe, Rebecca Loebe, Robby Hecht (Live Music) Acoustic 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

AVIA Hotel Gail Thurmond (Fri) (Live Music) Piano & vocal 6 p.m. B&B Ale House First Friday Fetish (DJ) “Alice in Wonderland” theme w/DJ Analog Kid, the Hellcats and costume party 9 p.m. Blowin’ Smoke BBQ Jackson Evans (Live Music) 7 p.m. Club 51 Degrees Three-level DJs (DJ) Latin/salsa, electronica and today’s hits Club One Savannah Comedy Revue (Other) 8 p.m. Doc’s Bar Roy & the Circuitbreakers (Live Music) 9 p.m.

Jason Bible headlines Saturday’s Indigo Arts benefit concert Fiddler’s (Southside) Chuck Courtenay Band (Live Music) 7 p.m. Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) Underhill Rose (Live Music) First Presbyterian Church First Friday For Folk Music (Live Music) Dorian Michael and Cosy Sheridan 7:30 p.m.

Fish Tales Liquid Ginger (acoustic) (Live Music) Huc-a-Poos Train Wrecks (Live Music) J.J. Bonerz Permanent Tourists (Live Music) Jazz’d Tapas Bar Savannah Avenue (Live Music) Jinx TBA (Live Music) Kasey’s Grills Greg & Dab (Live Music) 7 p.m. Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub J.J. Smith Live Wire Music Hall The Shane Pruitt Band (Live Music) 9 p.m. Molly McGuire’s (Wilmington Island) Eric Culberson Blues Band (Live Music) 6 p.m. Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub A Nickel Bag of Funk (Live Music) 10 p.m. Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub (Richmond Hill) RPM (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos (Live Music) 8 p.m. Sentient Bean Venice is Sinking, Now You See Them, Flashbulb Fires (Live Music) 8 p.m. Tantra Lounge Jimmi Ray

(Live Music) 10 p.m. Warehouse Magic Rocks (Live Music) 8 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Jason Courtenay (Live Music) Wormhole Bar Arpetrio w/DWC (Live Music) 10 p.m.

SATURDAY

AVIA Hotel Gail Thurmond (Sat) (Live Music) Piano & vocal 6 p.m. Club 51 Degrees DJ Envision (DJ) Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) The Shane Pruitt Band (Live Music) Blues Huc-a-Poos Packway Handle Band (Live Music) Acoustic bluegrass and Americana 7:30 p.m. Indigo Arts Center Words and Music: Savannah Singer/ Songwriters (Live Music) Acoustic sets from Jason Bible, Lauren LaPointe, Jan Spillane and Bill DeYoung. A benefit for Indigo Arts 7:30

p.m. $5 J.J. Bonerz Perception (Live Music) Jazz’d Tapas Bar Bluesonics (Live Music) Jinx Antiseen, Dead Yet? (Live Music) Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub J.J. Smith (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. Live Wire Music Hall Keller Williams (Live Music) The singing, guitar-wizard “oneman jam band” 9 p.m. $20 advance, $23 at the door Loco’s Justin Boykin (Live Music) Acoustic 10 p.m. Mercury Lounge Josh Maul Blues Band (Live Music) Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub Jordan Ross (Live Music) 10 p.m. Molly McPherson’s Scottish Pub (Richmond Hill) Augie Hale & James Smith (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. Randy Wood Guitars John Cowan Band (Live Music) Blue-ribbon bluegrass from the former lead singer of New Grass Revival 8 p.m. Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos (Live Music) 8 p.m. continues on p. 26

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• Best Selection of Beads • Saint Pat's Hats & Shirts • Tobacco Accessories • Adult Toys

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(Magnolia Plaza)

entertaining at the crab shack March 13th-17th check website for times

crabshackevents.com

Also appearing on the Crab Shack floats Tybee Parade Mar. 13th Savannah Parade Mar. 17th

The New York Shields Pipe & Drum Band Performing in the Savannah Parade

March 17th

Entertaining at The Crab Shack

March 18th

check website for times

crabshackevents.com

Where the elite eat in their bare feet!

(912) 786-9857

40 Estill Hammock Rd Tybee Island GA

music

are coming to The Crab Shack!

25 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Barabbas and The Tribe from Junkanoo World on Nassau in the Bahamas

sound board

music

T H E

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

cOLDEST, CHEAPEST bEER IN TOWN 18 E. River Street • 234-6003

LMIUVSE IC: friday 3/05 Magic rocks 8pM-12aM

saturday 3/06 HitMan 8pM-12aM

sunday 3/07 tHoMas claxton 7:30pM-11:30pM

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MURPHY’S LAW 409 W. Congress St • 912.443.0855 www.irishpubsavannah.com

Saturday

continues from p.24 Sentient Bean Soft Spot (Live Music) 8 p.m. Tantra Lounge A Nickel Bag of Funk 10 p.m. Warehouse Hitman (Live Music) 8 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Chuck & Uncle Buck 1 p.m. Silicone Sister plays at 9 p.m. Wormhole Bar Caustic Cassanova, Zach Fowler, The Harrison Sect (Live Music) 10:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) Voodoo Soup (Live Music)

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Ray Lundy & Mike Walker Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub J.J. Smith 8:30 p.m. Warehouse Thomas Claxton (Live Music) 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY

Bay Street Blues Motor City Josh (Live Music) At 9:30 and 11:30 Fiddler’s Crab House (River Street) Kurtis Schumm (Live Music) Jinx Keith Kozel Kaleidoscope (Live Music) Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub Harry O’Donoghue (Live Music) 8:30 p.m. Live Wire Music Hall Electronica Jam (Other) 10 p.m. Tantra Lounge Marc Palaoro (Live Music) 10 p.m. Wormhole Bar Face Down (Live Music) 10 p.m.

TUESDAY

Club One Karaoke Doc’s Acoustic Jam 7 p.m. Fiddler’s Hitman Jazz’d Jeff Beasley Jinx Hip hop night (DJ) Johnny Mercer Theatre Gordon Lightfoot 8 p.m. Kevin Barry’s Pub Harry O’Donoghue 8:30 p.m. Lucas Theatre for the Arts Esperanza Spalding (Live Music) The jazz bassist and vocalist in concert 7 p.m. Lulu’s Chocolate Bar Craig & Amy from Hot Pink Interior (Live Music) 8 p.m. Mercury Lounge Jam w/Eric Culberson Blues Band (Live Music) Pour Larry’s Open Mic w/Eric Britt 9 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Chuck Courtenay & Trivia 6 p.m. Wormhole Bar Black List Royals, Porno Gallactica (electronica) 10 p.m. cs

Where did the looping come from?

MADISON HOUSE

Keller Williams: I think it was just the hours upon hours spent onstage – well, at that time in most cases I was in the corner of a restaurant, after I moved a table and set up my little Ronco–on– a–stick. Hours of being that guy in the corner, kind of the background music at the bars and the restaurants with no cover charge – people not necessarily coming to see music. There just happened to be a dude in the corner playing music. I was that dude. People weren’t really paying attention anyway, so why not make it more interesting for me, and create more musical avenues to go down? There were sequencers where you stepped on a button and a whole band came in. And that’s kind of cool, but I wasn’t really looking to do that. I was looking to go a little more organic. That’s kind of where it started, and it blossomed into this monster.

Odd man in

Keller Williams is a guitar hero and a ‘one man jam band’ by Bill DeYoung | bill@connectsavannah.com

Keller Williams is a hell of a guitar player. Like the late, great Michael Hedges — one of his idols — Williams handles his acoustic like the frets are on fire, and he has to snuff the flames as fast as he can, one fingertip at a time.

Somewhere you credited the great bassist Victor Wooten with turning you on to looping. I remember Jaco Pastorius doing that stuff back in the day, long before Victor. But Williams, who plays the Live Wire Saturday, March 6, also shares Hedges’ talents for creating innovative melodies out of quirky tunings, using great wrist–slaps of percussion, and carving dexterous and rhythmic chord progressions out of deep and hidden places. Williams is also hysterically funny, and writes polysyllabic lyrics that use images and rhymes straight from observational standup comedy (a.k.a. the absurdities of everyday life, in particular the everyday life of a journeyman musician with an infallible sense of humor). For all these reasons, Williams is a hero at jam–band festivals, where a premium is placed on restless and unpredictable musical creativity. He’s often called a “one–man jam band,” because although he’s been known to rock it up on occasion with other musicians, he prefers to perform solo, using a machine called the

Keller Williams: That’s probably where Victor saw it first. It wasn’t until I got way into it that I saw Jaco do it. I actually got really into Jaco this past year – I was diving into his music, and learning about his crazy history – and after that I saw the whole looping thing. It was the infantile stages of that concept, yet groundbreaking at that time. There’s so much improvisation in jam bands. But when you’re using the Echoplex, aren’t you locked into a specific thing? Don’t you kind of have to follow the loop, so to speak? Keller Williams: With one Echoplex, you set up a loop and it goes over and over until you stop it. I’m using three Echoplexes – so I got the bass going into one, the drums going into one, then everything else goes into another. So I’m kind of going into like a DJ world, but instead of using a laptop or continues on p. 20

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Echoplex Delay System. This allows him to “loop” bass, drums, keys and even a second guitar, and improvise live over the repeating riff he’s created. There’s a reason Williams called his latest album Odd; nobody else in the music world does what he does, in exactly the way he does it. And before you have to ask — he is not, repeat not, a Savannah–area realtor.

music

Interview

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turntables or something, I’m setting up my own samples. That I create onstage. And then I can take out the drums and just have bass, and sing or solo over that, and then bring back in the drums, like the way a DJ would. Right now, I’m kind of riding the line of the DJ world. I don’t think DJs or people that are really into electronica would possibly agree with me. But that’s my intention; I’m slowly leaning toward that electronica world with what I’m doing now. Without alienating the people that have been coming to see me for years, that are used to the solo acoustic guitar thing. I mean, that’s still very prevalent in my show right now. Can you change the rhythm in the middle of a tune? How malleable is your gear setup? Keller Williams: My set is very grounded and rooted in solo acoustic music. It’s not like every single song I’m just gonna set up a one–chord loop and solo over the top of it. That aspect is used for jam sections. There’s multiple songs that have multiple changes and things like that,

and there’ll be a section or two where it’ll open up and I’ll create a one, two, three–chord groove and solo over that. It’s not like I do it every song. It’s kind of like an added bonus – and as the years have gone by, it’s something that I’ve kinda become addicted to. I long for the shows that will actually be advertised as “loopless” — where I can actually go and do something that doesn’t involve electronics. Just imagine — you plug in and you stand in front of a microphone, and you play. And that’s it! But like I said, I’ve kind of created a monster, and if I was just to show up and do that, then chances are high that there’ll be some young, trippin’ people that are disappointed. You seem to have it all, control–wise, playing that way. Yet you’ve sometimes toured as part of a band. What do you get from the band experience? Keller Williams: The band experience is kind of living out childhood fantasies, of playing a collaborative, slightly rockin’ music in front of the kind of audiences that I’ve been getting the last

couple of years. It’s not necessarily something that my fan base is itching for; it’s more self–indulgent, I think, on my end. I tell ya, each facet — whether it be the solo or the band thing — makes me want to do the other even more. Each helps the other out in my world. Do you use humor to simply take the piss out of things, or is that an essential part of who you are? Keller Williams: Absolutely necessary. I’ve never approached this career, or this musical world, with any real expectations. I’ve learned from folks that you can’t really put a lot of stock into it, and hope to make it. Back when I was starting, when I was a teenager, it was all about getting signed. Getting the record deal! And once you get the record deal, then you can get on the radio. And once you get on the radio, you can go play in California! I was told, by a lot of people, not to get my hopes up and not to take it too seriously. Because then you’re just going to set yourself up for heartbreak.

So I’ve always approached it in a very self–indulgent way, and try to make myself laugh. To stay away from politics. I’ve been in love with the same woman for many years, so there’s love songs but there’s not a whole lot of love songs. Me being an audience member is kind of where a lot of it came from. Me going to so many shows as a teenager, and in my early 20s, mid 20s, late 20s, early 30s .... I’ve kind of figured out what I want to see and what I don’t particularly care to see. And I kind of stay there. It’s never my intention to go out and try to be funny. It just kind of happens that way. CS Keller Williams Where: Live Wire Music Hall, 307 W. River St. When: At 9 p.m. Saturday, March 6 Tickets: $20 advance, $23 day of show Online: www.wagatailpresents.com Artist’s Web site: www.kellerwilliams.net

If you could read his mind

A conversation with folk music legend Gordon Lightfoot

Most of the world doubtless knows Gordon Lightfoot through his run of hit singles in the 1970s: “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Carefree Highway” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Fair enough. But this native Canadian with the world–weary voice is considered a living legend for his early folk material (“For Lovin’ Me,” “Early Morning Rain”), a lot of which was famously covered by the likes of Peter, Paul & Mary, Ian & Sylvia, Richie Havens and even Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand. Lightfoot’s peak years, for others, were the early-to-mid 1970s. In the wake of the James Taylor–led singer/ songwriter explosion, he became one of the top–selling exponents of tastefully–arranged folk/pop. Lightfoot was a regular guest on Midnight Special and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Of the hundreds of songs he’s written, Lightfoot is most proud of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which uses the structure of an old Scottish folk tune to tell the true story of a bulk freighter that sank on Lake Superior the previous year. He’d read about the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the tragic loss of its 29–man crew, in Newsweek magazine. In true folk–bard fashion, he pulled out his guitar and made up a song on the spot. The single came one hair away from reaching No. 1 in 1976. Now 71, Lightfoot is the recipient of 16 Juno Awards – the Canadian Grammy – and is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor. Canada has even issued a Gordon Lightfoot postage stamp. Lightfoot, who’ll perform with his band March 9 in the Johnny Mercer Theatre, is a survivor in every sense of the word. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, alcohol and drugs almost did him in, and in 2002 he lay in a coma for five weeks after suffering an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Four years later, a small stroke left

him without the use of two fingers on his right hand. Just two weeks ago, a rumor spread that he had died. Several Canadian newspapers even reported it as fact. Lightfoot is fully recovered – from everything, thank you – and living in Toronto. It’s been a long and bumpy road. All things considered, do you feel lucky to still be here? Gordon Lightfoot: Are you talking about the behavior that we exhibited in the ‘70s? I think I’m lucky that we’re even having this conversation right now! I have a very strong desire to continue on. I have a wonderful orchestra – a wonderful band – and a wonderful show, I think. We get lots of people, as many people as we need to pay the bills, so they say. And get the tour around. Sometimes I worry a little bit about the fuel emissions. But we get around and do 70 shows a year. Do you still have the same passion for it that you once had? Gordon Lightfoot: Oh yeah, I really like doing the concerts. I recorded 20 albums in my career – that was pretty rough work and most of it was done under contract. That caused a lot of the bumpiness too, because it caused me to be isolated and cut myself off from my people and my kids, so I could work on the songs. I wanted to do it because by that time I was supporting a band, was supporting a crew, and had acquired two or three children. But I don’t regret any of it. You’ve been playing guitar a very long time. Do you even have to think about it any more? Gordon Lightfoot: Well, I have to think about it a lot more since I had that little transient stroke. Because that really

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by Bill DeYoung | bill@connectsavannah.com

music

EARLY MORNING PRODS.

Interview

Gordon Lightfoot’s first album, Lightfoot!, came out in 1966.

got me practicing hard. It took about five months for that to come back. It’s a good thing I have a good backup orchestra, because it sure helped a lot (laughing). You know, I really started practicing a lot, and I’m back to about 98 percent with the hand. I practice just about every day, in the evening for an hour or so. I lead a fairly quiet life. Sometimes I go out to a movie. My family has two houses – they live in one, and I live in the other one, alone. It’s one of those kind of situations.

But the thing is, my tuning has improved. Because I’ve been messin’ and messin’ with it, and I’ve almost got perfect intonation. That’s one of the reasons why our concerts are sounding so great, and why we’re getting such enthusiasm out of our audiences. It’s unbelievable. It’s very gratifying to me. I know you’ve lived in other places for periods of time, but you’ve always returned to Canada. What makes continues on p. 22

music

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The Savannah Children’s Choir presents Artist-in-Residence Esperanza Spalding

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someone distinctly Canadian – “I’ve just got to be here”? Gordon Lightfoot: I never had that feeling! I wanted to get a green card at one point, but I never did because I have so many relatives here that I wanted to stick around where my relatives were. So all we did was work with an H–1 visa, and I do that to this day. We just have to keep getting our petitions issued and get permission to go in there. And settle with the IRS. I rented a place in L.A. one time, thought I might write some songs there, but it didn’t work out. I’ve always had a place to live here in the city, and I like Toronto. I love Canada. Toronto really is the center of the music industry here in Canada. You came to prominence during the folk renaissance of the ‘60s, when Dylan, Phil Ochs, Ian and Sylvia etc. were coming around. Rock ‘n’ roll, as you’ve noted before, pretty much blew it all out of the water. But your radio hits came after that period, well into the ‘70s. Was there some sort of vindication for you there? Gordon Lightfoot: Yeah, I felt good about that. But also, I got a lot of good cover recordings during the latter part of the ‘60s. It wasn’t like I was spinning my wheels, because I was getting recordings by other artists. And being quite surprised by that. By the time I changed over to Warner Brothers, round about 1970, I was re–inventing myself. I was trying to take it into a realm where I thought it might sell somehow! Without going rock ‘n’ roll, without getting heavy rhythm. And believe me, I got nothing against rock ‘n’ roll, I’m just saying that at that time I just felt there was room for a ballad. At the same time, we had the Beatles in our face the whole goddam time, too, all through the whole ‘60s. They sort of canceled out the folk revival. Are you saying that when the singer/ songwriter movement came, around ’70, you were thinking “This is where I should go”? Is that how you “re–invented” yourself? Gordon Lightfoot: Let’s say I was probably just advancing away from the folk era, and trying to find some direction whereby I might have some music that people would want to listen to. You gotta think “How it’s going to be onstage?” I was always a live performer, right back to when I sang in bars and coffeehouses and lounges. I had an opportunity to get with that

company, they had a house producer – Lenny Waronker – so all I had to do was make basic tracks. And then let their producers go ahead with the orchestrations. We had some really good overdubbed music in there, too, by other musicians like Ry Cooder. Have you ever tried to write a hit? Gordon Lightfoot: Not really. I sort of felt I was on to something when I wrote the song “Sundown.” I said “This one here sounds like it might do something.” “Sundown” was the example I was going to use. Merle Haggard told me that once he’d written “Okie From Muskogee,” as a joke, and it became a huge hit, he got out his songwriters’ tool kit and started trying to write stuff in a similar vein. Gordon Lightfoot: I tried doing that a couple of times. I tried doing it once with a song, and I was taking the song around the country on a promotion tour. I kept pushing Side B at the time, and Side A – “Baby Step Back” – was one modeled after “Sundown.” You must get weary of having to do “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Sundown” in every single show, when you’ve so many great songs. Gordon Lightfoot: Sincerely, I love the songs. I really do believe in my songs a lot. I know which ones really work best on the stage. And fortunately, all those songs, they really work. I’ve had other songs that they keep wanting to hear, which I don’t do because I know they just don’t work. There’s some kind of a redundancy factor that creeps into the situation somewhere along the line. I don’t like doing “Pony Man,” it’s an excellent song, I’m always getting requests, but I think it’s too long. It’s that simple reason. And I have so many other songs in a similar kind of approach and tempo to replace it with that are better, like “Sit Down Young Stranger” or “Don Quixote” and so forth. I read somewhere that you don’t play “Minstrel of the Dawn” any more. Gordon Lightfoot: I do! We play it a lot more than we have done in the past, because ever since we got our intonation right we finally started to zero in on getting a good, firm D chord. That took a lot of years. I went to a Neil Young concert and I saw his acoustic set. And I think I

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learned how to tune my A string from watching him. I was picking up the tonality between the D string and the A string. You don’t have to do this any more. What do you get out of it? Gordon Lightfoot: I like the travel, I like the people, I like the music. It’s really an interesting way to make a living, I think. I really feel very fortunate. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is probably your most famous song. Gordon Lightfoot: I think I found out what actually happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald. Just in the last couple of months, I issued a license for a National Geographic show called Underwater Detectives. The guy brought it over to the office and he played it for me on his laptop, before we would issue him a license to use some strains of the music for the final credits. So what happened – it broke in half? Gordon Lightfoot: It broke in half! That’s exactly what happened! So it was not the hatch cover. (Editor’s Note: Part of Lightfoot’s lyrics are “At 7 p.m., the main hatchway gave in. He said fellas, it’s been good to know ya”.) And there’s been a lot of controversy about that – at times it’s gotten quite personal, I tell you, it’s been very, very interesting. There’s no hatch cover trouble involved, so a couple of guys are off the hook there. The mother of one of those

guys, she’s worried about that for years. A lady called Ruth Hudson, her son Bruce died. He was one of the guys that was supposed to be checking the hatch covers. Nobody’s ever come up with an actual reason why it sank, but when you see this show, you will understand why it broke in half. Do you feel bound, in a way, to that story and to the families? You’ve performed at various memorials and commemorations over the years. Gordon Lightfoot: I got to meet hundreds of people. We’ve been to all kinds of events. I’ve been three times down to the Mariners’ Church in Detroit – one Sunday I sang in front of 18 sea captains, all lined up in a row. I know you’re very proud of that song. Gordon Lightfoot: I’m going to be a lot prouder of it when I get out about the hatchway – the very next time I sing it, I’ll tell you that. It wasn’t a hatchway. I don’t know what I’m gonna change it to, but I’m gonna change it. I hope Ruth Hudson will be around long enough to hear it, because she’s 82 and she’s worried about that all her life. CS Gordon Lightfoot Where: Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. When: At 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 9 Tickets: $49, $39 Online: www.etix.com Artist’s site: www.gordonlightfoot.com

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The joy of shorts

The Black Maria Film & Video Festival celebrates the ‘other’ movies by Bill DeYoung | bill@connectsavannah.com

For all his business acumen and professional savvy, Black Maria Film & Video Festival founder John Columbus thinks like an artist. “Films are like dreams,” he says. I kind of felt that with films, we could re–create dreams. We can’t make films like people can make music with their voices, for instance — we can’t project films out of our eyes.” That’s where the festival’s name comes from. The Black Maria was Thomas Edison’s primitive movie studio, built on the grounds of his New Jersey home in 1893. It was, in effect, the birthplace of films–as–dreams. “We needed the technology that Edison created,” Columbus says. Now in its 29th year, Columbus’ Black Maria festival visits the Trustees Theater — it’s an annual rite of spring in Savannah — Friday, March 5. (It’s pronounced the way Ms. Carey pronounces her first name.) It’s a collection of shorts, created by filmmakers from all over the world. Every year, Columbus and his hand– picked jury comb through 70 submissions, and take their favorites on tour to more than 80 American cities. “My position is, short films are every bit as legitimate as feature–length films,” Columbus says. “The difference is, a short film is the equivalent of a poem – and a feature–length film is the equivalent of a novel.” A life–long movie buff who began making his own experimental shorts as a teenager, Columbus — who was born in Augusta, Ga., by the way — taught film for many years in the northeast (he’s lived in West Orange, near the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, since 1980). He brainstormed the festival, from the first, as a tie–in to the memory of the man who invented moving pictures.

“Only short films were made in Edison’s film studio — in the Black Maria — so there seemed to be a natural fit there.” In 1981, the Edison Foundation provided the $3,000 needed to jump–start the event — in West Orange only, at first. Since then, it’s shown a little more profit every year, and attracted jurors from every professional corner of the movie business. “It got bigger than I ever expected it to get,” Columbus explains. “We’re still on a very tight, really modest budget, but we muddle through.” From the start, he adds, “I wanted to make the shorts the main point, because the filmmakers are under–served. And there’s lots of them.” Understanding the history of short films, adds Columbus, is essential to seeing motion pictures’ big picture. “There is a great, long tradition of experimental short films, ever since the first few years,” he says. “The French filmmakers, the early French ‘new wave,’ they started out making short films. Yes, they went on to making features, but that tradition continued — right up to my own experience and to my studying at Columbia University. “It’s legitimate. And the trouble is, it doesn’t have the cache of features films. It doesn’t have the commercial backing, because you can’t make money on short films.” True enough, but you can affect the world — and people’s dreams. And that’s why Black Maria continues. And flourishes. Each program is tailor–made for the location. Savannah’s show, for example, will include a screening of The Shrimp, a short made by Atlanta filmmaker Keith Wilson, and shot in Chatham County

Top, and center: Scenes from The Shrimp, a Savannah-made short film by Keith Wilson. Bottom: From Loop Loop, an experimental short from Canada.

waters. Columbus loves The Shrimp. “It’s a wonderful film,” he enthuses. “It’s poetic. It’s a beautifully lyrical rendition of the life of a shrimp. “It starts by cruising along against the Savannah River, along the marshes, then all of a sudden the camera dives underwater and we see the shrimp!

It’s like close encounters of the shrimp kind.” CS Black Maria Film & Video Festival Where: Trutees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St. When: At 8 p.m. Friday, March 5 Cost: $5 public, free with valid SCAD ID Online: www.blackmariafilmfestival.org

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Oscar predictions

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be held this Sunday, March 7, meaning we only have a few more days to mull over the possible outcome. Will James Cameron’s Avatar repeat the success of his Titanic, with a Best Picture Oscar coming hot on the heels of its designation as the top–grossing movie of all time? Or will his ex–wife Kathryn Bigelow score big with The Hurt Locker, a critical darling but box office bust? We’ll see. For now, here are my predictions (and preferences) in the eight major categories. Last year, I went 8–for–8 in my prognostications. I think there’s more chance of The Blind Side winning Best Picture than me repeating that feat so quickly, but I suppose in a year in which even Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen could find room at the Oscar table, anything’s possible.

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District 9, Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell; An Education, Nick Hornby; In the Loop, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci, Tony Roche; Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Geoffrey Fletcher; Up in the Air, Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner. Prediction: Up in the Air. With 17 awards already in the bag (including the Writers Guild and Golden Globe prizes), this one’s a near–lock. The upset special would be Precious. Preference: Up in the Air. The terrific scripts for An Education and In the Loop would be deserving in other years, but Up in the Air earns its wings by merging great characters, smart dialogue and trenchant social commentary.

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The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal; Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino; The Messenger, Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman; A Serious Man, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen; Up, Bob Peterson, Pete

Doctor, Thomas McCarthy. Prediction: The Hurt Locker. It’s War Movie vs. War Movie, as the screenplays by Boal and Tarantino are the only likely choices. Look for the Iraq War realism of Locker to squeak past the World War II fantasy of Basterds. Preference: A Serious Man. The Coens have crafted a brilliant screenplay that works on so many levels, it’s likely half of them will sail right over the heads of most Academy members.

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathyrn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker; James Cameron, Avatar; Lee Daniels, Precious; Jason Reitman, Up in the Air; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds. Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow. The Directors Guild award, the most accurate Oscar predictor, is just one of the 21 – yes, 21 – prizes Bigelow has won to date. Any questions? Preference: Jason Reitman. I was this close to going with Tarantino, for the handful of stunning Basterds sequences which demonstrate that his love for the possibilities of cinema is infectious. But I’m also a fan of the less–is–more school, and Reitman’s unfussy direction for Air resulted in a viewing experience that’s pitch–perfect from start to finish.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, Nine; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mo’Nique, Precious. Prediction: Mo’Nique. Mo’Nique has snagged so many awards to date that Academy members might feel it would be churlish to hand the victory to anybody else. Besides, Cruz just won last year, while the two Air women might cancel each other out. That leaves Gyllenhaal as the underdog: If, as expected, Crazy Heart wins for its other two nominations (Actor and Original Song),

OSCARs | continued from page 28

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, Invictus; Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds. Prediction: Christoph Waltz. Like Mo’Nique, Waltz has been unstoppable on the awards circuit – heck, he even won Best Actor all the way back during last spring’s Cannes Film Festival. Plummer, a respected veteran enjoying his first career nomination, would stand a better chance had he appeared in a more high–profile title. The rest don’t even figure in the competition. Preference: Stanley Tucci. My favorite supporting performance of 2009 was given by Stanley Tucci ... in Julie & Julia. But his powerful turn as a murderous sex fiend in The Lovely Bones is also Oscar–worthy, and by the thinnest of slivers, he gets my vote over Waltz.

BEST ACTRESS

movies

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart; George Clooney, Up in the Air; Colin Firth, A Single Man; Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker. Prediction: Jeff Bridges. Clooney copped a few awards for his work, but lately, it’s been all Bridges all the time. Nominated on four previous occasions, this well–liked veteran seems to be peaking at the right moment. And, oh, yeah, he also delivers a strong performance. Preference: George Clooney. Clooney’s best role to date results in his best performance to date, as he employs his movie–star charisma to hook us before utilizing his considerable acting chops to draw us in.

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1800 E. Victory Drive, #B Savannah, GA • 912-234-6201

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Avatar (20th Century Fox); The Blind Side (Warner Bros.); District 9 (TriStar Pictures); An Education (Sony Pictures Classics); The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment); Inglourious Basterds (The Weinstein Company); Precious (Lionsgate); A Serious Man (Focus Features); Up (Walt Disney Studios); Up in the Air (Paramount Pictures). Prediction: The Hurt Locker. Up in the Air won several major prizes in the early going but has faded in the stretch. Inglorious Basterds is the surprise pick of many prognosticators, but I think they’re merely being swayed by Harvey Weinstein’s big mouth (doesn’t the king of Oscar campaigning always say his studio’s films will win Best Picture?). No,this is clearly art versus commerce, indy effort versus studio blockbuster, The Hurt Locker versus Avatar. Avatar seemed to have the upper hand after its Globe victory (to say nothing of its box office tally and its positioning as the future of motion pictures), but The Hurt Locker has racked up far too many Best Picture awards to ignore. I think its no–frills craft and topicality will allow it to sneak past the popcorn entertainment, but at the same time, I am also mindful that this is the group that picked Gladiator over Traffic, and Crash over Brokeback Mountain. Preference: Up in the Air. Up in the Air and A Serious Man were my only 4–star films for 2009, and An Education and Up also made my Top 5. But my number one pick remains Up in the Air, a film which didn’t tap into the national zeitgeist as much as expected, but whose stature only deserves to grow over time. CS

(with valid college ID)

Abercorn St

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side; Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Gabourey Sidibe, Precious; Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia. Prediction: Sandra Bullock. Streep hasn’t won an Oscar in 27 years, and for the longest time, it appeared that she would easily swat aside newcomers Mulligan and Sidibe to claim her third statue. But inexplicably, folks started taking Bullock’s performance seriously, and after she won both a Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild award, the momentum shifted in her direction. This one’s a real horse race, but I expect the Academy to reward first–time nominee Bullock, mainly for making the industry so much money. Preference: Meryl Streep. Let’s get serious: Bullock’s engaging but broad turn is the weakest of the five, and only Streep and Mulligan deliver performances deserving of an Oscar (although Sidibe comes close). For my money, Streep delivers arguably the best performance in any category, and it would be a crime to ignore her stellar turn.

BEST ACTOR

FrEE Wi-Fi

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

she might benefit from the goodwill directed toward that picture. Preference: Vera Farmiga. Farmiga never really impressed me in her previous at–bats (including the Oscar–winning The Departed), so her smart, sly and sophisticated performance here completely caught me off guard.

Screenshots CARMIKE 10

511 Stephenson Ave. (912) 353-8683

movies MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

by matt brunson | myeahmatt@gmail.com

happy hour

Shutter Island, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Valentine’s Day, Dear John, From Paris With Love, Avatar, The Blind Side

mon–sat til 10pm $2.50 house liquor drinks 1/2 price draught beer

music this week wed mar 3 – 8pm, free

open jam session wired wednesdays

REGAL EISENHOWER

1100 Eisenhower Dr. (912) 352-3533

The Crazies, Cop Out, The Wolfman, Tooth Fairy, Precious, It’s Complicated

1/2 price red Bull liquor drinks & shots

thurs mar 4 – 9pm, free

now you see them College night

Buy 1 get 1 for $1 (well & call liquors)

fri mar 5 – 9pm, $8

get down entertainment presents: the shane pruitt Band feat. LiL’ jimmy peterman of the steve Miller Band friday night lights all dom. light beer $2.50

sat mar 6 – 9pm, $20/$23

wagataiL presents: KeLLer wiLLiams ladies night

$3 Cosmo's, martinis & wine all night

REGAL SAVANNAH 10 1132 Shawnee St. (912) 927-7700

Shutter Island, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Valentine’s Day, Dear John, From Pais With Love, Book of Eli, Avatar

VICTORY SQUARE 9

1901 E. Victory (912) 355-5000

The Crazies, Shutter Island, Cop Out, The Wolfman, Valentine’s Day, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Dear John, From Paris With Love, Book of Eli, Avatar

mon mar 8 – 10pm, free

eleCtroniCa jaM s.i.n. night & eleCtroniCa danCe party tues mar 9 – 8pm, free

gaMer night

drum n bass, trance, electronica jam free billiards,foosball, Cosmic ping pong, darts & cornhole

upcoming shows: passafire pnuma trio w/BreaK science advance tix at

livewiremusichall.com

307 w. river st.

Tel: 912.233.1192

WYNNSONG 11 1150 Shawnee St. (912) 920-1227

The Crazies, The Wolfman, Cop Out, Edge of Darkness, Legion, Tooth Fairy, Crazy Heart, The Spy Next Door, Alvin & the Chipmunks

OPENING FRIDAY, MARCH 5: Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”

The Crazies

With the new version of The Crazies in wide release, should viewers head to the theater to check it out or mosey toward the DVD store with the intent to rent George Romero’s 1973 original? Given the options, perhaps an alternate plan should be set in motion (maybe a museum, or a nightclub?), but between the pair, it’s best to target the couch. Subsequently re–released as Code Name: Trixie, writer–director Romero’s 1973 version of The Crazies feels like a cross between Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain and Romero’s own Night of the Living Dead, with plenty of the auteur’s sociopolitical observations to juice the proceedings. After a government–sanctioned virus is accidentally unleashed on a small Pennsylvania town and turns many of its inhabitants insane, the military arrives to quarantine the area and contain the threat. But it soon becomes clear that, to the unaffected humans, the incompetent, trigger–happy soldiers are as hazardous to their health as their crazed neighbors. The new take on The Crazies moves the action from Romero’s home state of Pennsylvania to a quiet burg in Iowa, and the basic plot remains the same. This time, the leading characters are the town sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his doctor wife (Radha Mitchell), and they’re the ones who eventually attempt

to lead a small band of survivors out of the infected area, doing their best to sidestep both the local loonies and the marauding military. Yet while this version is more smoothly realized than Romero’s choppy original, it’s also been streamlined for mass consumption, removing all thorny subtext, avoiding a cruelly ironic conclusion (arguably the high point of the ’73 model), and throwing in far too many cheap scares. The use of lowbrow shock effects (i.e. when someone suddenly jumps into the frame, or a loud noise suddenly fills the soundtrack; see The Wolfman for more examples) is a real shame, since the more effective moments suggest that director Breck Eisner could have built genuine suspense had he been given the chance: The sheriff ’s encounter with an electric medical saw is both hair–raising and humorous, and an attack inside a car wash is effectively staged. More scenes like these would have truly goosed the proceedings, but as it stands, The Crazies is cre-

Shutter Island Just how obvious is the big “twist” that concludes Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel? So obvious that some folks who haven’t read the book are figuring it out simply by watching the trailer. But just how accomplished is the picture anyway? Enough that viewers will happily be led down the rabbit hole by a director with the ability to distract them with every technique at his disposal. Delivering yet another topnotch performance that might help him win some sort of lifetime achievement award before he even hits 40, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. federal marshal who, with his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), travels to a mental asylum located on a remote island off the Massachusetts coastline. The year is 1954, and the lawmen are there to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. But although the head of the facility (Ben Kingsley) assures them that they’ll have the full cooperation of the entire staff, it soon becomes apparent that everyone has something to hide, and Teddy must suss out the truth even while plagued by debilitating headaches, gruesome flashbacks to his World War II years, and disturbing hallucinations involving his deceased wife (Michelle Williams). Scorsese’s in pulp fiction mode here (see also Cape Fear and The Departed), which essentially means that this is one of those pleasing instances when “B”–movie material is given the “A”–list treatment. The screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis is packed with so much intriguing incident that it’s easy to not even notice the plotholes until post–movie reflection, and all the craftspeople who won Oscars for Scorsese’s The Aviator are back on board, resulting in an immaculate presentation that fully engages the senses. And while the major plot pirouette will disappoint discerning viewers, it’s followed by an ambiguous coda that insures all moviegoers will exit the Island with at least something to ponder.

The Wolfman Back in the 1990s, three Hollywood heavyweights wrestled the horror genre away from the kiddies long enough to make a trilogy of terror that delighted anyone who enjoyed seeing monster movies that were adult in nature, literate

in approach and steeped in atmosphere so pungent, you could almost cut it with a scalpel. Yet while Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 gem Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Kenneth Branagh’s underrated 1994 effort Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein seemed to go hand in hand, Mike Nichols’ entertaining 1994 hit Wolf never quite fit with the others, with its modern setting (the other two were period pieces) the primary reason. The Wolfman, then, would on the surface appear to be the proper, belated third corner of that triangle, given its Victorian–era setting, its impeccable productions values and its distinguished cast. Unfortunately, that’s hardly the case, as this disappointing film has little to do with those ‘90s winners but instead resembles director Stephen Sommers’ sacrilegious monster mashes from the 2000s: those daft Mummy movies and the unwatchable Van Helsing. Then again, director Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji) is strictly a meat–and–potatoes type of filmmaker, not an ofttimes brilliant artist like Coppola, Nichols or Branagh, and it’s safe to state that the demands of The Wolfman were simply out of his range. Of course, anybody working from the ragtag script by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self would have trouble keeping this thing on target, so it’s not completely Johnston’s fault. Loosely based on the 1941 classic The Wolf Man (Curt Siodmak’s excellent screenplay for that version gets a shout–out in the credits), this new take casts Benicio Del Toro in Lon Chaney Jr.’s iconic role of Lawrence Talbot, the British–born nobleman who returns to his family estate after spending most of his life in the United States. Here, Lawrence is presented as a successful stage actor who reluctantly travels home following the disappearance of his brother. The sibling turns up dead, his mutilated body suggesting that he was the victim of either a psychopath or a wild animal. Estranged from his aloof father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), Lawrence prefers the company of his late brother’s fiancee, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt). Promising her that he’ll find the killer, he pieces together clues that lead him to a gypsy camp, an area that soon turns into a killing field as a ferocious creature shreds scores of people and wounds Lawrence in the process. The gypsy fortune teller Maleva (Geraldine Chaplin) knows that Lawrence’s injuries dictate that he will be turning into a werewolf himself whenever the full moon appears in the night sky. Lawcontinues on p. 32

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atively too measured for its own good.

movies

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Champagne Sunday Brunch Simply the Best...

11:30am-2:00pm · $18.95 per person

Prime Seafood Buffet Featuring Succulent Crab Legs & Tender Prime Rib.

Friday Nights 5:30pm-10:00pm • $24.95 Complimentary 2 hour self parking Hilton Savannah DeSoto · 912.443.2000 · 15 E. Liberty St

presents a concert version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s

NO RESERVATIONS Open Seating Box Office opens at 6:30pm for 8pm performances and at 1:30pm for 3pm performances Light Concessions Sold in Courtyard Please, no food or beverages are allowed in the sanctuary. Secure Parking in rear of church. Call 912.233.3595 for more information.

rence isn’t sure what to think, although he senses that everything is connected to his repressed memories involving his father and late mother, who apparently committed suicide when he was a child. As he attempts to to understand what’s happening to him, an inspector from Scotland Yard appears on the scene. But Aberline (Hugo Weaving) isn’t just any ordinary lawman: He’s the detective who recently wrapped up work on the Jack the Ripper case. Although he’s physically right for the role, Del Toro’s line readings are unbearably stilted, and he brings none of the playfulness that Chaney contributed in his rendition. In short, he’s a brooding bore. Fresh from triumphing as the title character in The Young Victoria, Blunt is alarmingly one–note, hampered by a sketchy part that allows her to do little more than pout and fret. As for Hopkins, he’s clearly indifferent to the whole project, and one suspects his eyes kept darting back and forth between the dopey script in one hand and the hefty paycheck in the other as he mulled over whether to accept the part.

VALENTINE’S DAY Like the holiday it celebrates (cheapens?), Valentine’s Day is made for couples, which perhaps explains the fastidious casting of twofers throughout its principal roster. There are two actors from Grey’s Anatomy (Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane), two from That ’70s Show (Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace), two from Alias (Jennifer Garner, Bradley Cooper), two named Jessica (Alba, Biel), two named Taylor (Lautner, Swift), two from the Roberts clan (Julia, Emma), and other convenient couplings. It’s more exhausting to track than any conceivable game of Six Degrees of Separation. With such a wide range of talent on view (Shirley MacLaine and Julia Roberts on the high end, Jessica Alba and Emma Roberts on the low), it’s not surprising that the performances are all over the map almost as much as a screenplay that finds the connecting thread between roughly a dozen stories and then proceeds to tie them all together with one unseemly bow. And as is often the case with anthology–style works, some segments work better than others: With its cast of young and old, veteran and novice, the demographically friendly Valentine’s Day boldly asserts that it’s a film made for everyone, but look closely and you’ll find a center as squishy as that of a melted chocolate caramel nougat.

Edge of Darkness Although based on a 1985 British TV miniseries, the new thriller Edge of Darkness mostly feels like The Constant Gardener shorn of all emotional complexity and weighty plotting. Mel Gibson’s back in Edge of Darkness, and while his off–screen antics have noticeably aged him, he hasn’t lost a step when it comes to exuding that undeniable movie–star magnetism. Gibson plays Thomas Craven, a widowed Boston cop who’s elated that his grown daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) has come home for a visit. But father and child are only together for a few hours before Emma is brutally murdered. While everyone assumes the assailant was gunning for her dad, the devastated Craven suspects otherwise once he starts snooping around and finds that all signs point toward Emma’s former place of employment. Edge of Darkness is effective as a cathartic revenge yarn, at least until the absurdities begin to pile up during the final half–hour. Most of the villains are laughable even by the standards of one–dimensional action flicks. As for Gibson, he’s just fine in the sort of role that’s been his bread–and– butter for the majority of his career: the maverick out to right a massive wrong by any gory means necessary.

CRAZY HEART Robert Duvall appears in a supporting role in Crazy Heart and also serves as a producer. His participation makes complete sense: He wanted to hand the baton off to Jeff Bridges. After all, Duvall won his Best Actor Academy Award for 1983’s Tender Mercies, and now here comes four–time nominee Bridges, the odds–on favorite to finally win his own Oscar for playing the same type of role essayed by Duvall – a rumpled, boozing, country & western star who enters into a relationship with a sympathetic woman at least two decades his junior. Bridges’ grizzled character goes by the name Bad Blake, and that first name describes less the man who bears it – he’s fundamentally decent although, like most drunks, irresponsible and exhausting – than the circumstances of his present lot in life. Washed up, perpetually inebriated, and playing honky–tonk dives while his protege, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), fills up massive arenas, Blake stays in the fight even though the odds are against him ever achieving any renewed success. cs

HAPPENINGS

submit your event | email: happenings@connectsavannah.com | fax: (912) 231-9932 | 1800 E. Victory Dr., Suite 7, Savannah, GA 31404

We reserve the right to edit or cut listings because of space limitations.

Activism & Politics Chatham County Campaign For Liberty

A group that is carrying the torch that Ron Paul lit for freedom and liberty. Mitch Anderson, 695-7746, or visit www.campaignforliberty.com/usa/GA/Chatham/ for dates, time and meeting place.

Chatham County Democratic Party

For info, contact Tony Center at 912-233-9696 or TonyCenter@comcast.net Chatham County Democratic Headquarters, 313 W. York St. , Savannah http://www.chathamdems.net/

Drinking Liberally

An informal gathering of left-leaners. Meets 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at Moon River Brewing Company. For more info: august1494@excite.com or www.DrinkingLiberally.org.

National Council of Negro Women

meets the first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. in the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, 460 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. , Savannah

Purrs 4 Peace

Three minutes of simultaneous purring by cats (and honorary cats) around the world, conducted online (Facebook & Twitter) each Sunday at 3 p.m. by Savannah residents Confucius Cat and his human Staff. Details at www.ConfuciusCat.blogspot.com. Contact @ ConfuciusCat (Twitter) or Acolytes of Confucius Cat (Facebook).

Savannah Area Republican Women

meets the first Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am at Johnny Harris Restaurant Banquet Room on Victory Drive. Cost is $13 at the door. 598-1883. Johnny Harris Restaurant,

1651 East Victory Drive , Savannah

Savannah Area Young Republicans

For information, visit www.savannahyoungrepublican.com or call Allison Quinn at 308-3020.

Savannah Republican Club

Meets second Tuesday of the month. 9277170.

Benefits 3rd I-D Adopt-a-Soldier Program

The Adopt-a-Solider Program currently has several projects underway, including sending care packages to troops who will be stationed in Haiti for the next 6-12 months, as well as supplies being sent to medics in Afghanistan. If you are interested in donating, or more info, contact: carol.megathlin@comcast.net

AAYO Spring Concert

3/7, 3pm: The Armstrong Atlantic Youth Orchestra performs with soloist Regan Bowers. Refreshments will be served. All proceeds benefit the AAYO. $25/ticket. To reserve seats: 598-8113 or chas3jjj@aol.com. AASU Fine Arts Auditorium. 11935 Abercorn St.

Bravo Music Company Summer Camp

Annual fundraising luncheon for the 501c3 summer music program will be held 3/27 at the Savannah Marriott, 100 Gen. McIntosh Blvd. Tickets are $40, or purchase table for $400. Call Rose M. Smith, Music Director, 912-236-6681 or Johnye Gillans, 912-2361934 for tickets. Reserve by 3/15.

Hope House of Savannah

A nonprofit housing program for homeless women and their children. Hope House is requesting donation of new or gently used furniture for its transitional housing program, Peeler House. Pick-up can be arranged and a tax deductible letter will be provided. Call 236-5310.

Shaving the Way to a Cure

St. Baldrick’s Foundation will sponsor an event on 3/27 at the Savannah Mall, 1-4pm, to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. Go bald to help kids with cancer. The event will include people getting their head shaved. For more info, visit www. stbaldricks.org

Smiles for Life

Godley Station Dental offers custom whitening kits with all proceeds benefiting two children’s charities. Have your teeth whitened for a tax deductible donation. Offer runs through June 1. Call for more info: 912-748-8585.

Call for Entries AASU Memories

In celebration of it’s 75th anniversary, AASU alumni are asked to submit their memories from their time at Armstrong. The entries can be submitted by visiting 75.armstrong.edu For further information, contact Beth Crovatt, AASU coordinator of alumni relations, at 912.344.2586 or beth.crovatt@armstrong.edu

Applications for Kids Who Care Scholarship

Junior League will give five $1,000 scholarships to high school students from Greater Savannah area who have demonstrated strong commitment to volunteerism and community involvement. Applications due by 3/12. Visit jrleaguesav.org under Community Impact & Applications, or by call the Junior League of Savannah: 912-790-1002.

Battle of the Bands

First City Films, an independent local film company, is hosting a battle of the bands on 4/17 at Livewire to help raise money for its next production. The winning band will receive a spot on the film soundtrack and more. For more info, www.TheFilmUntouched.com

got bill? Catch Connect Savannah's Bill DeYoung on 105.3 WRHQ every Wednesday at 6:30pm for a look at what's happening next around town.

sponsored by

Call for Artists

Want to collab with the Co-Lab? We are open wed thru sat noon-6pm contact: thecolaboratory@gmail.com or visit: zecolab.tumblr.com The Co-Laboratory, 631 E. Broad St. ,

Market Bazaar Vendors

There are still a few spaces left for vendors interested in participating in the upcoming Savannah Market Bazaar, which will be held 3/13, 10am-3pm, in front of the Robinson Parking Garage on Montgomery St. across from the courthouse. For more info, www. newmoonofsavannah.com or call 912-7048446.

Classes, Camps & Workshops “How To Be A Better Storyteller”

Savannah Storytellers present a two-hour workshop. Thurs. 3/25 at River’s Edge Retirement Community. Admission is $10 for the public or $7 for members. Space is limited so participants should register in advance. Call 912-354-7688 or email Savteller@aol.com.

700 Kitchen Cooking School

Hands-on educational/entertaining cooking classes at the Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton St. Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton Street , Savannah http:// www.700kitchen.com/

AASU Continuing Education

The Armstrong Center for Professional and Continuing Education will offer a number of courses March 1-13. Course descriptions, fees and registration deadlines are listed below. For registration or information about additional courses, visit www.ce.armstrong. edu or call 912.344.2555.

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Happenings www.connectsavannah.com/happenings

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 33 Abstinence Education

Hope House and Savannah State University are providing an after-school program for youth and young adults ages 12 to 29. Program activities last for about 2 hours every Wednesday at SSU. Transportation is provided. Snacks, field trips and supportive services are provided at no charge. 2365310. Savannah http://www.savstate.edu/

34 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Advanced Grant Writing

Learn the tools necessary to write a winning proposal. 3/11, 1pm. United Way Building, 428 Bull St. Advance registration is required and attendance fees apply. For info, call Georgia Center for Nonprofits at 912-234-9688.

Art,-Music, Piano and Voice-coaching

For all age groups, beginners through advanced, classic, modern, jazz improvisation and theory. Serious inquiries only. 961-7021 or 667-1056.

Beading Classes

Learn jewelry-making techniques from beginner to advanced at Bead Dreamer Studio, 407A E. Montgomery Cross Rd. Call 920-6659. Bead Dreamer Studio, Savannah http://www.beaddreamer.com/

Childrens Yoga Teacher Training

Workshop taught by Joanne Spence, a social worker, yoga teacher, and an international speaker/trainer for health and empowerment through yoga. Sat. 3/27, 10-5pm and Sun 3/28, 10-5pm. The cost $210. To pre-register online go to www. savannahyoga.com or call 912-232-2994. Savannah Yoga Center, 1321 Bull St. ,

Community Art and Design Workshops

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Conversational Spanish

Do you want to practice your Spanish? Come to the mesa de espanol the second Thursday and last Friday of the month at 4:30 p.m. For information, e-mail cafecontigo@gmail.com. The Sentient Bean, 13 East Park Ave. , Savannah Coupon expires 5/31/10 CSW10

Photo of the Week

Presented by SCAD and lead by faculty members. A variety of programs running during late February and early March. For additional information contact Katrine Trantham, 912.525.5123 or ktrantha@scad. edu. To register online, visit www.scad. edu/ce.

Conversational Spanish Group

Want to improve your Spanish skills? Meet at the Sentient Bean every Monday, 5:00pm. Group focuses on increasing vocabulary, grammar, and conversational confidence! Free and open to all levels of

experience. Call Ronnie at 912-257-0333, or email dvorakquartet12@yahoo.com for more info.

Crime isn’t a Civil Right

The ongoing speech/spoken word presentation by local freelance crimefighter & communicator Nadra Enzi aka Capt. Black seeks venues to “grow safety consciousness together as one community.” For booking e-mail nadracaptblack@ymail.com

Crochet & Crafts

A free workshop. 3/13, 11am-12pm. African American Health Information and Resource Center. 1910 Abercorn St. Call 447-6605.

Dating With Success

Discuss strategies to feel great dating and enjoy dating. Improve your dating skills. This is for people of all cultures, colors races and ages. For more info, call: 912604 3281

English as a Second Language

We are tiny groups, 2-4 students. Learn English in a fun, relaxed way. We meet when you have time in a coffee shop downtown Savannah. Single meetings are available too. There is a small fee per class. call: 912-604-3281

Fany’s Spanish/English Institute

Spanish is fun. Classes for adults and children are held at 15 E. Montgomery Cross Rd. Call 921-4646 or 220-6570 to register. Savannah

Financial Education Workshops

Presented by Step Up Savannah and its partners. Classes on basic budgeting, managing credit, understanding credit scores, and building savings for emergencies. Banking Basics: 1/4, 2pm & 1/25, 6pm at the Bull St. Library; 1/11, 6pm at the Carnegie Library (537 E. Henry). Managing Credit: 2/1, 2pm & 2/22, 6pm at the Bull St. Library; 2/8, 6pm at the Carnegie Library. Credit Report and Scores: 3/1, 2pm & 3/22, 6pm at Bull St.; 3/8, 6pm at Carnegie. Savings: 4/5, 2pm & 4/26, 6pm at Bull St.; 4/12, 6pm at Carnegie. Reservations required. Call 691-2227

German Language Classes

Have fun learning German with small groups of 3-6 students. Classes meet Monday & Thursday evening at the Sentient Bean. The choices are Beginners I or II, or advanced Conversational class. There is a small fee per class. I am a native professor from Switzerland. For more info: (912) 604 3281 The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave ,

KevIN BArry’S Irish Pub & restaurant

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Live Music 3/03-3/07: J.J. Smith @8:30pm Live Music 3/08-3/11: Harry o’Donoghue @8:30pm

117 West RiveR st • 233-9626

Full Irish & American Menus Serving Until 2am New MeNU coMINg SooN! we cAter.

The Housing Authority of Savannah hosts a series of regular classes at the Neighborhood Resource Center. 1407 Wheaton Street. Adult literacy/GED prep: MonThurs, 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm. Financial education: 4th Fri of month, 9-11am. Basic Computer training: Tues & Thurs, 1-3pm. Community Computer lab: Mon-Fri, 34:30pm. For more info: 912-232-4232 x115 or www.savannahpha.com

Knitting Class

Knit your own scarf, hand-warmer or blanket. You choose your colors and what you like to knit. I teach you how to do it. We meet in small groups downtown Savannah. Meeting in a coffee shop. There is a small fee per class. Please call my cell: 912-604-3281

Puppet Shows

Offered by St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s/Candler AfricanAmerican Health Information & Resource Center for schools, day cares, libraries, churches, community events and fairs. Call 447-6605. African-American Health Information & Resource Center, 1910 Abercorn St , Savannah http://www.sjchs. org/1844.cfm

Rape Crisis Center Volunteer Training

The Rape Crisis Center will hold its next volunteer training March 18th through March 25th. Volunteers answer our 24-hour crisis line or accompany sexual assault victims to the hospital for a forensic examination. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and submit to a criminal background check. If interested, please call 912-2333000. We would love to have you on board!

Savannah Conservatory for the Performing Arts

Low cost instruction in a group lesson format. Classes in drama, dance, percussion, woodwinds, brass, strings, piano, vocals, guitar, visual arts and music theory Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30, 6:30 or 7:30pm. $60 per quarter. 352-8366, tsaconservatory@bellsouth.net. Salvation Army Community Center, 3000 Bee Rd. , Savannah

Savannah Entrepreneurial Center

Offering a variety of business classes. Call 652-3582. Savannah Entrepreneurial Center, 801 E. Gwinnett Street , Savannah

classes also are offered on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Savannah Learning Center, 7160 Hodgson Memorial Dr. , Savannah

Smoke Stoppers

St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s/Candlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group-facilitated smoking cessation program. Intensive 7 sessions in 3 weeks. Orientation for participants: 3/22 at 6 PM. Orientation and class attendance is mandatory. Class dates include 3/22 (orientation), 4/5, 4/6, 4/7, 4/8, 4/12, 4/15, and 4/20. Cost is $100. Call 912-819-3368.

Starfish Cafe Culinary Arts Training Program

This 12-week full-time program is designed to provide work training and employment opportunities in the food service industry, including food preparation, food safety and sanitation training, customer service training and job search and placement assistance. Call Ms. Musheerah Owens 912-234-0525 ext.1506 The Starfish Cafe, 711 East Broad Street , Savannah http://www.thestarfishcafe.org/

Thinking of Starting a Small Business

is a course offered twice a month atthe Small Business Assistance Center, 111 E. Liberty St. $50 in advance or $60 at the door. 651-3200, www.savannahabdc.org. Small Business Assistance Center, 111 E Liberty Street , Savannah http://www. sbacsav.com/

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Volunteer 101

A 30-minute course that covers issues to help volunteers get started is held the first and third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. The first Thursday, the class is at Savannah State University, and the third Thursday, at United Way, 428 Bull St. Register by calling Summer at 651-7725 or visit www.HandsOnSavannah.org. United Way of Coastal Empire, 428 Bull St , Savannah http://www. uwce.org/

Workshops for Parents

Ann-Marie Stripling, M.S., Outreach Coordinator for the College Living Experience, a post-secondary program that integrates college and lifestyle for transitioning students with learning disabilities. Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm St. ,

Savannah Learning Center Spanish Classes

Be bilingual. Call 272-4579 or 308-3561. e-mail savannahlatina@yahoo.com or visit www.savannahlatina.com. Free folklore

continues on p. 36

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MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Housing Authority Neighborhood Resource Center

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 34

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 35

Clubs & Organizations Bimmer Club of Savannah

Are you a BMW nut? Want to share your passion with others? Meet up for car shows, drives and group lessons in maintenance, etc. Email for more info: carlor2002@aol.com, or call 912-308-0221 after 8pm.

36 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Buccaneer Region SCCA

is the local chapter of the Sports Car Club of America. It hosts monthly solo/autocross driving events in the Savannah area. Anyone with a safe car, insurance and a valid driver’s license is eligible to participate. Visit http://buccaneerregion.org/solo.html.

Civil Air Patrol

Aerospace education programs and activities for adults and teens ages 12-18. Meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. Visit www. gawg.cap.gov, send e-mail to N303WR@ aol.com, or call Capt. Jim Phillips at 4124410. Savannah Flying Tiger Composite Squadron, Savannah International Airport , Savannah

Coastal MINIs

Local MINI Cooper owners and enthusiasts who gather on the first Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. to go on motoring adventures together. Visit coastalminis. com. Starbucks, Victory Drive and Skidaway Road , Savannah

Coffee & Conversation

Held every Tuesday at 8am by Creative Coast as a networking event. http://links. thecreativecoast.org/conversation. Cafe Ambrosia, 202 E. Broughton St. , Savannah

Geechee Sailing Club

Meets the second Monday of the month (except for November) at 6:30pm. Open to all interested in boating and related activities. www.geecheesailingclub.org. Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt), 2909 River Dr ,

Georgetown Playgroup

Meet the first and third Thursday of the month from 9:30-11am at the Northside clubhouse in Georgetown. Free.

Historic Savannah Chapter of ABWA

Meets the second Thursday of every month from 6-7:30 p.m. The cost is the price of the meal. RSVP to 660-8257. Tubby’s Tank House, 2909 River Dr , Thunderbolt

Historic Victorian Neighborhood Association

Meets the second Wed. of every month at 6:30 p.m. Call 236-8546. American Legion, Post 135, 1108 Bull St. , Savannah

Low Country Turners

This is a club for wood-turning enthusiasts. Call Hank Weisman at 786-6953.

Make Friends in Savannah

For anybody, every age, every race and nation. We chat, hang out, go to movies and more. Meet in a coffee shop downtown Savannah. A small fee covers the efforts of the organizer, a well educated, “out of the box” woman, who lived in New York and Europe. Call 912-604-3281.

Military Order of the Purple Heart Ladies Auxiliary

Meets the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. Call 786-4508. American Legion Post 184, 1 Legion Dr. , Savannah

Moon River Chorus

Ladies’ barbershop chorus. Rehearsals are Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. Visitors are welcome. Call Sylvia at 927-2651 or sylviapf@aol.com. Whitefield United Methodist Church, 728 E. 55th Street , Savannah http://www.whitefieldumc.com/

Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS)

Join other moms for fun, inspiration, guest speakers, food and creative activities while children ages birth to 5 are cared for in a preschool-like setting. Meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 9:15-11:30 am Call 898-0869 and 897-6167 or visit www.mops.org. First Baptist Church of the Islands, 6613 Johnny Mercer Blvd , Savannah http://www.fbcislands.com/

No Kidding

Join Savannah’s only social club for people without children! No membership fees, meet great new friends, enjoy a wide variety of activities and events. For more info, visit http://savannahnokidding.angelfire.

Rody’s Music

Let us sell your gear with Musicon: Musical Gear Consignment Great prices on new & used gear!

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com/ or e-mail: savannahnokidding@gmail. com

by Rob brezsny | beautyandtruth@freewillastrology.com

Old Time Radio Researcher’s Group

ARIES

International fan and research group devoted to preserving and distributing old-time radio broadcasts from 1926 to 1962. Send e-mail to Jim Beshires at beshiresjim@yahoo.com or visit www.otrr.org.

Richmond Hill Roadies Running Club

A chartered running club of the Road Runners Association of America. For a nominal annual fee, members will receive monthly training sessions and seminars and have weekly runs of various distances. Kathy Ackerman,756-5865 or Billy Tomlinson 596-5965.

Rogue Phoenix Sci-Fi Fantasy Club

Members of Starfleet International and The Klingon Assault Group meet twice a month, on the first Sunday at 4 pm. at 5429 LaRoche Ave and the third Tuesday at Chen’s Chinese Restaurant at 20 E. Derenne Ave. at 7:30 p.m. Call 308-2094, email kasak@comcast.net or visit www.roguephoenix.org. Savannah

Savannah Adventure Club

Dedicated to pursuing adventures, both indoors and outdoors, throughout the Low country and beyond. Activities include sailing, camping, skydiving, kayaking, hiking, tennis, volleyball, and skiing, in addition to regular social gatherings. Free to join. Email savannahadventureclub@gmail.com or visit www. savannahadventureclub.com

Savannah Area Sacred Harp Singers

The public is invited to come and sing early American music and folk hymns from the shape note tradition. This non-denominational community musical activity emphasizes participation, not performance. Songs are from The Sacred Harp, an oblong songbook first published in 1844. Call 655-0994.

Savannah Brewers’ League

Meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Call 447-0943 or visit www.hdb.org and click on Clubs, then Savannah Brewers League. Moon River Brewing Co., 21 W. Bay St. , Savannah

Savannah Council, Navy League of the United States

A dinner meeting held the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) at 6 p.m. at the Hunter Club. Call John Findeis at 7487020. Hunter Army Airfield, 525 Leonard Neat St , Savannah http://www.stewart.army.mil/

Savannah Fencing Club

Beginner classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings for six weeks. Fees are $40. Some equipment is provided. After completing the class, you may become a member of the Savannah Fencing Club for $5 per month. Experienced fencers are welcome to join. Call 429-6918 or send email to savannahfencing@ aol.com.

Savannah Jaycees

A Junior Chamber of Commerce for young professionals that focuses on friendship, career development and community involvement. Meets the second and fourth Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is included and there is no charge for guests. Call 961-9913 or visit www. savannahjaycees.com. Jaycee Building, 101 Atlas St. , Savannah

Savannah Newcomers Club

Open to all women who have been in the Savannah area for less than two years. Membership includes a monthly luncheon and program and, in addition, the club hosts a variety of activities, tours and events that will assist you in learning about Savannah and making new friends. Call 351-3171. continues on p. 38

(March 21–April 19) To place yourself in smooth alignment with planetary rhythms, do conscientious work on the foundations of your life. Take extra care of the people who take care of you. Make sure you have a good supply of the various resources that keep you strong and steady. Check to see if maybe you need to rev up your emotional connection with the traditions you hold dear. But that’s only half your horoscope, Aries. Here’s the rest: Invite your most rambunctious playmates over for a raucous home–blessing ceremony.

TAURUS

(April 20–May 20) Two–thirds of people surveyed said they would rather look good than feel good. I hope you’re not one of them. The ironic fact of the matter is that if you put the emphasis on looking good in the coming week –– creating favorable impressions, acting dishonest in order to curry favor, wearing uncomfortable but attractive clothes –– you will end up feeling sub–par and looking mediocre. On the other hand, if you put the priority on feeling good –– treating your body like a beloved pet, seeking out encounters that nurture your secret self, and hanging out in environments that encourage you to relax –– you will look good and feel good.

GEMINI

(May 21–June 20) If you’re bogged down in the trance of the humdrum routine, astrology can open your mind and illuminate fascinating patterns that have been invisible to you. It can reveal the big picture of your life story, sweeping away the narrow ideas and shrunken expectations you have about yourself. And it can purge your imagination of its endless tape loops, awakening you to the power you have to create your own destiny. But reliance on horoscopes can also have downsides. If you’re superstitious, it might make you even more so. If you’re prone to be passive, believing that life is something that happens to you, it might further diminish your willpower. That’s why, as much as I love astrology, I’m wary of its potential to

deceive and lead astray. Is there anything comparable in your world, Gemini? Something that feeds and inspires you, but only if you’re discerning about it? This is a good time to ratchet up your discernment.

CANCER

(June 21–July 22) I don’t care whether you call it uncanny intuition or plain old telepathy: In the next three weeks, you will have unusually abundant access to that way of knowing. So please use it. Please call on it. It could steer you away from twisty wastes of time that don’t serve your highest good. It might also allow you to ferret out disguised or hiding opportunities. There’s one catch: If you don’t believe in them, your psychic powers won’t work as well as they can. So I suggest you set aside any dogmatic skepticism you might have about them and proceed on the hypothesis that they are very real.

LEO

(July 23–Aug. 22) Let’s poke around to see if we can stir up some good trouble, Leo. The time is right. You’re in need of a friendly disruption or two. Fortunately, I’m sensing there’s a forbidden temptation that isn’t so forbidden any longer . . . as well as a strange attractor you might find inspiring and a volatile teaching that would turn you inside–out in a good way. Are you willing to wander into a previously off–limits area? Hey, look. There’s one of those mystery spots I was hinting about. I wonder what would happen if you pressed that green button. Go ahead. Don’t be . . . Gaaaahhhhh! Unnhhh! Wha?! I mean WOW! That was *very* interesting. Try it again!

VIRGO

(Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may be prone to overreaction. You could be on the verge of uncorking an excessive response to a modest prompt. On a regular basis, you should ask yourself: “Are the feelings rising up in me truly appropriate for what’s happening now? Or are they mostly the eruption of material that I repressed in the past?” I also encourage you to consider Hoare’s Law of Large Problems, which says that inside every large problem is a small problem

scrambling to get out. Be alert for the possibility that minor adjustments will work better than epic struggles.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Temple Grandin is a successful autistic person. Diagnosed at an early age, she nevertheless went on to earn a PhD in Animal Science and became a bestselling author. Although she acknowledges that her autism has caused her problems, she also believes it gives her abilities that non–autistic people don’t have. For example, her extreme sensitivity and extraordinary visual memory are at the root of her unique insights into the needs of animals. If there were an instant cure for her autism, she says, she wouldn’t take it. She’s an advocate of neurodiversity. Now here’s my question for you, Libra: Do you have a supposed weakness or disability that’s actually an inherent part of one of your special talents? Celebrate and cultivate it this week.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Self–help author Barbara De Angelis wrote a book that offers to help us learn “how to make love all the time.” Maybe I’ll read it someday, but right now I’m more interested in your take on the subject. How would you make love –– not have sex, but make love –– with your sandwich, with the music you listen to, with a vase of flowers, with the familiar strangers sitting in the cafe, with everything? Your expertise in this art is now at a peak.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

It’s not a good time to treat yourself like a beast of burden or swamp yourself with dark thoughts. You’re sensitive, Sagittarius –– as delicate and impressionable as a young poet in love with a dream of paradise. You need heaping doses of sweetness and unreasonable amounts of fluidic peace, smart listening, and radical empathy. If you can’t get people to buoy your spirits and slip you delightful presents, do those things for yourself.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22–Jan. 19) In some of the newspapers that

publish my horoscope column, my carefully wrought text is buried in the back pages amidst a jabbering hubbub of obscene advertisements for quasi– legal sexual services. For readers with refined sensibilities, that’s a problem. They do their best to avert their eyes, narrowing their focus to a tight window. You’ll be wise to adopt a similar approach in the coming week, Capricorn. Only a small percentage of information coming your way will be truly useful to you, and it may often be embedded in a sparkly mess of distracting noise. Concentrate hard on getting just the essentials that you want so you won’t be misinformed and worn out by the rest.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Do your own stunts, Aquarius. Don’t commandeer a stunt double to do them for you. Accept blame and claim credit that rightfully belong to you. Don’t scare up scapegoats or tolerate plagiarists. It will also be a good idea to deliver your own messages and sing your own songs and kick your own butt. No surrogates or stand–ins, please. There’s just no way, you see, for you to get to where you need to go by having a substitute do the traveling for you. Your only hope of claiming the reward that will be crucial for the next chapter of your life story will be to do the work yourself.

PISCES

(Feb. 19–March 20) One of the best new bands of 2009 was the Girls. *Spin* magazine selected their debut CD *Album* as the fifth best album of the year. After touring for months and selling scads of records, the band came back home to San Francisco in February to do a sold–out show at the Great American Music Hall. For his on–stage apparel, lead singer Christopher Owens wore baggy orange flannel pajama bottoms and a rumpled green flannel shirt, proving that his new–found fame had not rendered him self–important or excessively dignified. I nominate Owens as your role model this week, Pisces. I’d like to see you move on up toward the next level in your chosen field of endeavor, even as you remain perfectly comfortable, full of casual grace, and at home in your excellence. cs

HAPPENINGS

Free will astrology

37 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

happenings | continued from page 36

HAPPENINGS

PSYCHO SUDOKU!

answers on page 47

“Geography Sudoku” Solve this as a normal sudoku with letters instead of numbers. Each given letter will appear exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box. If you have the correct solution, one row across or column down will reveal the name of a world capital. psychosudoku@hotmail.com

happenings | continued from page 37 Savannah Parrot Head Club

All meetings start at 7:30 p.m. at meet at 207 E. Charlton St (Flannery O’Connor’s Childhood Home). Call 233-6014, facebook Peacock Guild or email peacockguild@ googlegroups.com for more info.

Savannah Storytellers

Theremin/Electronic Music Enthusiasts

Love a laid-back lifestyle? Beach, Buffet and no dress code. Check out savannahphc.com for the events calendar or e-mail mickie_ragsdale@comcast.net. Meets Thursday, 3/11 at 5pm. The chapel at River’s Edge Retirement Community on Waters Ave. New members are encouraged and welcome.

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Savannah Sunrise Rotary Club

Meets Thursdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the First City Club. 32 Bull St , Savannah http://www.savannahsunriserotary.org/

Savannah Toastmasters

Helps you improve speaking and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment on Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Conference Room C. 484-6710. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Avenue , Savannah

Savannah Wine Lovers

A sometimes formal group that also sometimes just gets together to drink wine. Visit http://groups.google.com/group/savannahwine-lovers.

Savannah Writers Group

toothpaste for dinner

meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 7pm at Books a Million to discuss, share and critique writing of fiction or non-fiction novels, essays or short stories. A meetand-greet precedes the meeting at 6:30pm. Contact Carol North, 912-920-8891. 8108 Abercorn St , Savannah

Son-shine Hour

Meets at the Savannah Mall at the Soft Play Mondays from 11-12 and Thursdays from 10-11. Activities include songs, stories, crafts, and games for young children and their caregivers. Free, no registration, drop-ins welcome. Call Trinity Lutheran Church for details 912-925-3940 or email KellyBringman@gmail.com Savannah Mall,

Southern Wings

Local chapter of Women in Aviation International. It is open to men and women in the region who are interested in supporting women in aviation. Regular meetings are held once a month and new members are welcome. Visit www.southernwingz.com

Stitch-N’s

Knitting, spinning and crocheting Monday and Tuesday from 5-8pm and occasional Sunday 2-4pm at wild fibre, 409 E. Liberty. Jennifer Harey, 238-0514. wild fibre, 409 E. Liberty , Savannah

Tarde en Espanol

Meets the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm in different locations to practice spoken Spanish in a casual environment. 236-8566.

Telfair Academy Guild - Women in Business

Group’s monthly meeting is 3/8, 10:30am at the Jepson Center. Includes presentation entitled, “More than Meets the Eye.”

The Armstrong Center

The Armstrong Center is available for meetings, seminars, workshops or social events. Classrooms, meeting space, auditorium and 6000-square-foot ballroom. 3442951. Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah

The Peacock Guild

www.toothpastefordinner.com

A literary society for bibliophiles and writers. Monthly meetings for the Writer’s Salon are held on first Tuesday and the Book Club meets on the third Tuesday.

A club for enthusiasts of electronic music and instruments, including the theremin, synths, Mooger Foogers, jam sessions, playing techniques, compositions, gigs, etc. Philip Neidlinger, theremin@neidlinger.us.

Tybee Knights Chess Club

Meets every Wednesday, 6:30pm at Seaside Surf Coffee Shop. All levels welcome. For more info, call Will Strong, 912-6048667. Seaside Surf Coffeeshop, Tybee Island

Tybee Performing Arts Society

meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the old Tybee school All interested, please attend or send e-mail to ried793@netscape.com. Old Tybee School, Tybee Island , Tybee Island

Urban Professionals

Meets first Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at Vu at the Hyatt on Bay Street. If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right. Call 272-9830 or send e-mail to spannangela@hotmail. com. Vu Lounge at the Hyatt, 2 W. Bay St. , Savannah

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 671

Meets monthly at the American Legion Post 135, 1108 Bull St. Call James Crauswell at 927-3356. Savannah

Dance Abeni Cultural Arts Dance Classes

Classes for multiple ages in the art of performance dance and Adult fitness dance. Styles include African, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, & Gospel. Classes are held Monday through Friday at the St. Pius X Family Resource Center. Classes start at $25.00 per month. For more information call 912-631-3452 or 912-272-2797. Ask for Muriel or Darowe. E-mail: abeniculturalarts@gmail.com St. Pius Family Resource Center,

Adult Intermediate Ballet

Mondays & Wednesdays, 7 - 8pm, $12 per class or 8 classes for $90. Class meets year round. (912) 921-2190 The Academy of Dance, 74 West Montgomery Crossroads

African Dance & Drum

Learn the rhythms of West Africa with instructor Aisha Rivers. Classes are held every Sunday - drums at 4pm, dance at 5pm Rhythms of West Africa, 607 W. 37th St. , Savannah http://www.ayoluwa.org/

Argentine Tango

Lessons Sundays 1:30-3:30. Open to the public. Cost $2.00 per person. Wear closed toe leather soled shoes if available. For more information call 912-925-7416 or email savh_tango@yahoo.com. Doris Martin Dance Studio, 7360 Skidaway Rd ,

Beginners Belly Dancing Classes

Wednesdays 6PM-7PM @ The Charles H. Morris Center for the Arts, 10.00$ per class, Thursdays 6:30-7:30PM @ Fitness Body & Balance Studio, 4 classes for 60$ or 17.50$ per class, and Sundays 11:40 AM-12:40 @ Tantra Lounge, 10.00$ per class. For more info contact Nicole Edge at kleokatt@gmail.com, or 912-596-0889. www.cairoonthecoast.com.

happenings | continued from page 38 | Submit your event | email: happenings@connectsavannah.com 912-354-5586.

C.C. Express Dance Team

For exercise...Learn dance moves and spins while working your abs, tone your legs and arms, a total body workout. Ladies Only! The only thing that comes off is your shoes. Classes are held Wednesdays at 7:30pm and on Fridays by request. Call for details 912224-9667 or visit www.fitnessbodybalance. com. 2127 1/2 Victory Dr. , Savannah

Every Tuesday, 6-7pm. If you have never danced before or have limited dance experience, this is the class for you. Cybelle, a formal bellydancer for over 10 years will guide you through basic bellydance and fusion Walk ins welcome. 15.00/class 912-414-1091 http://cybellefusionbellydance.wordpress. com/ Meets every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Windsor Forest Recreation Building. Clogging or tap dance experience is necessary for this group. Call Claudia Collier at 748-0731. Windsor Forest Recreation Building, Savannah

Ceili Club

Experience Irish Culture thru Irish social dancing. No partner or experience needed. Learn the basics of Irish Ceili dancing. 7176 Hodgson Memorial Drive. Mondays at 7:30 p.m. For more info email PrideofIrelandGA@ gmail.com.

Chicago Step Classes

Coastal Georgia Steppers is offering adult Chicago-style steppin dance classes every Sunday from 4:00– 6:30pm at the Tominac Gym on Hunter Army Airfield. All are welcome. Free admission; no partner required. For more info, send email to Robert.neal75@ yahoo.com.

Christian Cabaret and Line Dance Extravaganza

3/13 - The 1st Southeast Line Dance Competition. An evening of fun and dancing. Line dance contest from 7:30-9:00pm. Cabaret from 9:00-midnight. ILA Reception Hall. 221 East Lathrop Ave. $20 before 3/5, $25 after. For contest info: inourvision@yahoo.com. For tickets: Diane Tremble @925-9272

Flamenco Enthusiasts

Dance or learn flamenco in Savannah with the Flamenco Cooperative. Meetings are held on Saturdays from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Maxine Patterson School of Dance. Any level welcome. If you would like to dance, accompany or sing, contact Laura Chason at laura_chason@yahoo.com. Maxine Patterson School of Dance, 2212 Lincoln St , Savannah

Free Swing Lessons

Every Thursday at Doubles Night Club (7100 Abercorn St.) Join the SwingCats for a free lesson at 7:30pm, followed by dancing from 8-10pm. No partner required. Drink specials.

Home Cookin’ Cloggers

Meet every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Nassau Woods Recreation Building on Dean Forest Road. No beginner classes are being held at this time, however help will be available for those interested in learning. Call Claudia Collier at 748-0731. Nassau Woods Recreation Building, Savannah

Irish Dance Classes

Glor na h’Eireann cultural arts studio is offering beginner to champion Irish Dance classes for ages 5 and up, Adult Step & Ceili, Strength & Flexibility, non-competitive and competition programs, workshops and camps. TCRG certified. For more info contact PrideofIrelandGA@gmail.com or 912-7042052.

Mahogany Shades of Beauty Inc.

offers dance classes, including hip hop, modern, jazz, West African, ballet, lyrical and step, as well as modeling and acting classes. All ages and all levels are welcome. Call Mahogany B. at 272-8329.

Modern Dance Class

For beginners/intermediate. Tuesdays 10-11:15am. Doris Martin Dance Studio. 7360 Skidaway Rd. For info, call Elizabeth at

Pole Dancing Class

Salsa Classes

Learn Salsa “Rueda de Casino” style every Wednesday, from 6-7pm Beginner, 7-8pm Intermediate, at the Delaware Recreation Center, 1815 Lincoln St. Grace, 234-6183 or Juan, 330-5421. Delaware Recreation Center, Savannah

Salsa Lessons

Tuesdays and Wednesdays. No partner required. Tantra Lounge, 8 East Broughton St. Contact: salsasavannah@gmail.com, or call 856-7323. www.salsasavannah.com Tantra Lounge, 8 E. Broughton St. ,

Savannah Shag Club

Shag music every Wednesday, 7pm, at Doubles Lounge, 7100 Abercorn St. and every Friday, 7 pm, at American Legion Post 36, 2309 E. Victory Dr.

Shag & Beach Bop

The Savannah Dance Club hosts Magnificent Mondays from 6:30-11 p.m. Free basic shag, swing, salsa, cha cha, line dance and others are offered the first two Mondays and free shag lessons are offered last two Monday’s. The lesson schedule is posted at www.shagbeachbop.com. Lessons are held 6:30-7:30 p.m. Doubles Lounge, 7100 Abercorn St. ,

Tribal Style Belly Dancing

Khebeyet Tribal is now offering classes in Tribal Style Belly Dance. Mondays 7-8pm at Archer Way Townhomes on Abercorn St. For more info call Maya at 912-704-2940 or email mayakali7@yahoo.com. http://www. khebeyet.com/

Events Diesel Train Rides

3/2-18 -All aboard for a ride on the old diesel train. Tues thru Sun. 11am, 1pm, 2pm. Sunday rides at 1pm, 2pm. The Roundhouse Railroad Museum. 601 W. Harris St. www. chsgeorgia.org

Preservation Tour of the Davenport House

Learn about the preservation and care of the Isaiah Davenport House. The museum’s director will discuss the recent restoration, maintenance issues and techniques for preserving the site. Includes areas not seen on regular tour. Tuesdays and Saturdays in March (2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23). $18. Refreshments included. 324 E. State St.

Registration for the regatta will take place on Fri. 3/19, 6–7:30pm. Tubby’s Tank House Restaurant (2909 River Drive, Thunderbolt, GA), followed by a captain’s meeting. Registration: $55.00 per boat ($50.00 for U.S. Sailing members), includes both days of racing, a commemorative hat, the regatta t-shirt, one dinner ticket, and last but not least a bottle of rum provided by our sponsor for each boat’s captain. http://geecheesailingclub.org/racing. html.

Fitness Bellydancing for fun and fitness

The most fun class you’ve ever taken to get you in the best shape in the least amount of time. We provide bright colorful veils, jangling coin hip scarves, and exotic music. Every Thursday at 7:30pm. $15 drop-in or $40 for four if you pay in advance. Call 912-660-7399 or email ConsistentIntegrity@yahoo.com

Find tasty music every week in

Soundboard Available only in

39 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Beginners Fusion Belly Dance

Bellydrills

2 hour dance workout utilizing basic bellydance moves. This is geared to all levels of ability. Dance your way towards a better sense of well being. Bring water bottle. $25/ class. 912-414-1091 http://cybellefusionbellydance.wordpress.com/

Cardiorespiratory Endurence Training

Offered by Chatham County Park Services for persons 18 and up at Tom Triplett Park on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 8-9 a.m. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and will be required to sign a waiver form before participating. All classes are free. Call 652-6780 or 965-9629. U.S. Highway 80 West , Pooler

Crossfit Hyperformance

Meets mormings at 6:30am at Crossfit Hyperformance. Visit www.crossfithyperformance.com. or call Jennifer at 224-0406 or Drew at 541-0530. 904 E 70th Street , Savannah

Crunch Lunch

30 minute Core and ABs concentration class. Offered 11:30 am and 12:00pm Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays @ Fitness Body & Balance 2127 1/2 East Victory Dr. www.fitnessbodybalance.com 912-398-4776 or 912-2249667 2209 Rowland Ave, Suite 2 , Savannah

Fitness Classes at the JEA

Spin, firm it up, yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, Aquasize, senior fitness, and Zumba. Prices vary. Call for days and times. 355-8111. Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St , Savannah http://www.savj.org/

966-0201 • 2604 Hwy 80, Garden City www.acmecostumes.com

Haul Ass

With This Ad!

Hatha Yoga classes

Every Monday and Wednesday from 5:306:30 p.m. Pre-register by calling 819-6463. St. Joseph’s/Candler Center for Well Being, Savannah http://www.sjchs.org/

Kidz Fitness

Aerobic fitness class for children 6-13 with weight concerns. Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-5:45 p.m. at the Candler Hospital Wellness Center. Children must be members of the Candler Wellness Center. 819-8800. Savannah http://www.sjchs.org/

Learn Kung Fu Today

The Temple of Martial Arts is a Kung Fu school where men and women of all levels of martial arts experience come together to learn the art of Wing Chun and Tai Chi. SiFu Michael, 429-9241. 407 E Montgomery Cross Rd, Ste B , Savannah

Mommy and Baby Yoga Classes

Mondays, 10-11am (crawlers and toddlers) and 11:30-12:45 (infants and pre-crawlers) at the Savannah Yoga Center. The cost is $14 per class. Multi-class discounts are available. Walk-ins welcome. Call 232-2994 or visit www.savannahyoga.com. Savannah Yoga Center, 1321 Bull St. , Savannah http://www. savannahyoga.com/

Pilates Mat Classes

Mat classes are held Tues & Thurs 7:30am8:30am, Mon 1:30pm-2:30pm, Mon & Wed 5:30pm-6:30pm, Thurs 12:30pm-1:30pm, & Sat 9:30am-10:30am. All levels welcome! Private and Semi-Private classes are by continues on p. 40

HAPPENINGS

fax: (912) 231-9932 | 1800 E. Victory Dr., Suite 7, Savannah, GA 31404

Buy 1 Dinner /Lunch Entree Get 2nd (of Equal or Lesser Value)

1/2 OFF (One Per Party, Per Table, Per Visit, Can Not Be Combined)

10060 Ford Ave, Richmond Hill 912-459-0612 108 Mall Blvd., 354-0300

HAPPENINGS

2010 savannah music festival

connect americana series

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Presented by Charles & Rosalie Morris

Major Minors: Sierra Noble / Sarah Jarosz charles h. morris center march 22 & 23 12:30pm, 7:00pm

Masters Of Cajun Fiddle: David Greely & Joel Savoy Duo charles h. morris center march 24 & 25 12:30pm

Chris Thile/ Mike Marshall / Caterina Lichtenberg

Cherryholmes / Shannon Whitworth

Shannon Whitworth

The Del Mccoury Band with the Dixie Bluegrass Boys

charles h. morris center march 24 6:30pm, 8:30pm

charles h. morris center march 26 12:30pm

charles h. morris center march 25 6:30pm, 9:00pm

lucas theatre for the arts april 3 7:00pm

Qi Gong

Ancient Chinese “energy work” that is the precursor to Tai Chi. Gentle exercises that relax and energize. Sundays. 4pm. Ashram Savannah 2424 Drayton St. http://www. ashramsavannah.com/

Reiki Treatments

Reiki master Dante Santiago is trained in Usui Reiki Ryoho. Fifty-minute sessions are $60 and 50-minute in-studio sessions are $45. Call 660-1863 for times and appointments.

Rolf Method Bodywork

For posture, chronic pain and alignment of body/mind/spirit. Jeannie Kelley, LMT, certified advanced Rolf practitioner. www. islandsomatherapy.com, 843-422-2900. Island Somatherapy, 127 Abercorn Street , Savannah

Savannah Yoga Center

Located at 1321 Bull St. Call 232-2994 or visit www.savannahyoga.com for schedule of classes, times and fees. Savannah

Squats N’ Tots

This class will help you stretch and strengthen overused body parts, as well as focus on muscle endurance, low impact aerobics, and abdominal work. Your baby (age 6 weeks to one year) can get in on the fun, or simply stay close to you on your mat. Call to pre-register 912-819-6463. St. Joseph’s/Candler Center for Well Being,

Tai Chi Classes

From 10:30-11:30am every Mon and Fri, and from 5:30-6:30pm every Tues and Thurs. Tai Chi is an exercise derived from the ancient Chinese martial arts. Call to pre-register. 912-819-6463 St. Joseph’s/ Candler Center for Well Being,

The Yoga Room

Visit www.thesavannahyogaroom.com or call 898-0361 for a schedule of classes, times and fees. Savannah Yoga Room, 115 Charlotte Dr , Savannah

Vinyasa Yoga (Donation-based)

Invigorating all-level flow class with longer holdings to focus on precision alignment. Donation yoga lets you pay what you can, when you can, so you can enjoy your yoga practice without breaking your budget. Every Thurs. 9:15-10:15am. The Yoga CoOp. 2424 Drayton St. The Yoga Co-Op, 2424 Drayton St. ,

Yoga and Pilates Classes

Yoga: Tues 8am & 5:45pm, Thurs at 8am & 5:30pm Pilates: Mon at 7pm, Sat at 8am. Class sizes are small, so please RSVP: 912-341-9477 or brandon@pro-fitpersonaltraining.com Pro-Fit Personal Training, 18 E. Broughton St. 2nd Floor ,

Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors Free for people with cancer and cancer survivors. Learn to increase your strength and flexibility and improve your overall well-being. For more information, call 912-350-0798. FitnessOne, 3rd floor of the Center for Advanced Medicine Memorial Health,

Yoga with Barbara

All levels welcome. Improve your range of motion and energy levels. Small groups and private lessons available. Historic District studio. Please call to set up your first class. Times are flexible to suit your needs. 912-232-4490 or email blh63@hotmail.com

Zumba Fitness

Classes are being held every week in the Pooler and Rincon areas. Zumba is a fusion of Latin and international music, dance themes that create a dynamic, exciting and effective fitness system. All ages and shapes are encouraged to attend. $7 per class. For location and info, contact Carmen at 484-1266 or calexe@comcast.net.

41 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

appointment only. Carol Daly-Wilder, Certified Pilates Instructor. Call 912.238-0018 Momentum Pilates Studio, 310 E. 41st St , http://savannahpilates.com/

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 39

Gay & Lesbian First City Network Board Meeting

Meets the first Monday at 6:30 p.m. at FCN’s office, 307 E. Harris St., 2nd floor. 236-CITY or www.firstcitynetwork.org. 307 E Harris St , Savannah

Gay AA Meeting

meets Sunday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at 311 E. Macon St. Savannah

Georgia Equality Savannah

The local chapter of Georgia’s largest gay rights group. 104 W. 38th St. 944-0996. Savannah

Savannah Pride, Inc.

Meets first Tues of every month at 7 p.m. at the FCN office located at 307 E. Harris St. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Without the GLBT community, there wouldn’t be a need for Pride. Call Christina Focht at 663-5087 or email christina@savpride.com. First City Network, Savannah http://www. firstcitynetwork.net/

Stand Out Youth

A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning youth organization. Meets every Friday at 7 p.m. at the FCN building located at 307 E. Harris St. Call 657-1966, email info@standoutyouth.org or visit www. standoutyouth.org. First City Network, Savannah http://www.firstcitynetwork.net/

What Makes A Family

A children’s therapy group for children of GLBT parents. Groups range in age from 10 to 18 and are held twice a month. Call 352-2611.

Health Baby Basics

information on caring for a newborn and addresses the needs of a changing family. Topics covered include basic newborn care, breast and bottle feeding, infant hygiene, life with a new baby, home and car seat safety, and infant CPR. Center for Advanced Medicine at Memorial Health, http://women.memorialhealth.com/

Bariatric Surgery Information Sessions

Information about bariatric surgery and the program at Memorial Health Bariatrics. For more information call 912-350-DIET, or visit bariatrics.memorialhealth.com. There is no charge for this program. Medical Education Auditorium at Memorial,

Better Breathers of Savannah

Meets to discuss and share information on C.O.P.D. and how people live with the disease. For info, call Dicky at 665-4488 or dickyt1954@yahoo.com.

Community Cardiovascular Health

Control your high blood pressure. Free blood pressure checks and information at the Community Cardiovascular Council at 1900 Abercorn St. Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 232-6624. . , Savannah

continues on p. 42

Everyone is a wee bit Irish in Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day! Head to Historic River Street for the best of world class fun as there’ll be enough games, sponsor activities, live music, food and frosty beverages for the o’masses!

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 41 La Leche League of Savannah

Free blood pressure checks and blood sugar screenings

Conducted at three locations. From 8:30a.m.12:30p.m. and 5:15p.m.-7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at the SJ/C African-American Health Information and Resource Center, 1910 Abercorn St. Call 447-6605 for appt. Every Monday from 10a.m.-12p.m. at the Smart Senior office, No. 8 Medical Arts Center. No appt necessary. Every Monday-Friday from 10a.m.-2p.m. at St. Mary’s Community Center at 812 W. 36th St. Call 447-0578. Savannah

MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Free hearing & speech screening

Hearing: Every Thurs. 9-11 a.m. Speech: 1st Thurs. of each month. Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, 1206 E. 66th Street. Call 3554601. 1206 E 66th St , Savannah http://www. savannahspeechandhearing.org/

Free Massage

Get 10 free minutes of full body massage with every paid hour. No appointment necessary. 10am 7pm M-F SAT 10-5. 233-4808. Sol Tanning, 18 E. Broughton St. 2nd Floor ,

Free Skin Cancer Screening

“The Future Is Now”--and they got it wrong. by matt Jones | Answers on page 47

Healthcare for the Uninsured

©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0457.

Across

1 What writer Malcolm Peltu predicted could “cross a busy highway without being hit” by 2010 6 Heavy falling sound 10 Green living prefix 13 Verdugo of “Marcus Welby, M.D.” 14 Bar mitzvah dance 15 Fetal position? 17 Guilty pleasures 18 Phil of poker 19 Daredevil Knievel 20 Acronym used a lot by Rachael Ray 21 Malaria-carrying fly 23 Peyton Manning’s brother 24 2016 Olympics site 25 With “The,” country that’s already a U.S. state by 2010, in the 1968 novel “Stand on Zanzibar” 27 Panama currency named for an explorer 29 Impressionist painter Mary 30 Classical architecture style 32 Chips to play 33 Manned space mission that gets carried out in the 1984 movie “2010” 39 Actress Turner 40 “I won’t ___ guy who doesn’t own a toolbox” (Kristy Swanson quote) 41 Electronic device 45 Villain’s evil laugh 49 Online world where people live and pay taxes in 2010, according to Tom Clancy’s “Net Force” series 51 On the ___ (fleeing) 52 Silent ___ (presidential nickname) 53 Visually finds 54 Sitcom with a famous Turkey Drop episode 55 Director Reitman 57 “___ be easy” 58 Ex-UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-___ 59 Drowsy 60 Fox comedy with Jane Lynch 61 Sedan named for an Italian city

St. Joseph’s/Candler will offer two opportunities for free skin cancer screenings. 3/20 at the Richmond Hill YMCA, call 748-8271 to sched. appt. and 3/27 at the Habersham YMCA. Call 692-0713 to sched. appt.

62 Badminton divider 63 The “Big Board,” on Wall Street 64 Its cause is what rocket scientist Robert Truax predicted would be found and corrected by 2010

Down

1 Studio feedback 2 Singer Newton-John 3 “Just chill, OK?” 4 “___’Clock Jump” (Count Basie song) 5 Prof ’s helpers 6 Aptly-titled 2009 Michael Jackson documentary 7 Run-down abode 8 Pertaining to pee 9 Place for a manicure and seaweed wrap 10 Lamb’s mom 11 Written agreement 12 Brunch dish 16 Sore from walking 21 Ex-UN Secretary-General U ___ 22 They’re shorter than LPs 25 Eeyore’s pal 26 Biblical prophet 28 Clumsy oaf 31 Fish and chips fish 33 Limp 34 Winston Churchill’s niece (and no, she never went door-to-door) 35 On fire 36 Curtis of “A Fish Called Wanda” 37 Spy planes of the ‘60s 38 Euro follower? 42 Three in Torino 43 Naval officer 44 In a wholly absorbed way 46 Blue litmus indicator 47 “Spider Kiss” author Ellison 48 Energizing, with “up” 50 Mah-jongg pieces 54 Old party 56 Crossword editor Will Shortz’s paper, for short 58 Chris Cuomo’s former show, for short

St. Mary’s Health Center is open for health needs of uninsured residents of Chatham County. Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. For information or to make an appointment, call 443-9409. St. Mary’s Health Center, 1302 Drayton St. ,

Healthy Eating and Food Talk

A two part series discussing nutrition and improving food choices. Part 1, 3/4. Part 2, 3/11. 5-7 p.m. African American Health Information and Resource Center. 1910 Abercorn St. Call 447-6605.

Hearing Aid Funds Available for Infants and Children

The Coastal Health District’s Universal Newborn Hearing and Screening Initiative has funds available for the purchase of hearing aid devices for infants and children 3 and under who qualify For info, contact Jackie King at 691-6882.

Help for Iraq War Veterans

A method used at Fort Campbell to treat lack of sleep, anger, flashbacks, nightmares and emotional numbness in veterans is available in Savannah. 927-3432.

Hypnobirthing Childbirth Classes

Classes provide specialized breathing and guided imagery techniques designed to reduce stress during labor. Classes run monthly, meeting Saturdays for three consecutive weeks. To register, call 843-683-8750 or e-mail Birththroughlove@yahoo.com. Family Health & Birth Center, 119 Chimney Rd , Rincon http://www.themidwifegroup.com/

HypnoBirthing Classes

Learn to birth in a calm and gentle environment without fear. Uses relaxation, meditation and guided imagery to achieve the birthing experience you desire. Tiffany, tiffany@ savannahdoula.com.

I am your ‘live’ coach

You like to be happy, healthy and successful? I am your coach, helping you to life your live to your fullest potential in all fields. I help you to expand your talents. I offer small groups or one person appts. Please call: 912-604-3281

Mothers wishing to find out more about breastfeeding are invited to attend a meeting on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm. La Leche League of Savannah is a breastfeeding support group for new and expectant mothers. 897-9261, www.lllusa. org/web/SavannahGA.html. Family Health and Birth Center, Savannah

Meditation and Energy Flow Group

Meet with others who practice meditation or want to learn how, discuss techniques, & related areas of holistic health, healing, Reiki, Energy Medicine, CAM. Reduce stress, increase peace & health! www.ellenfarrell. com, http://meditation.meetup.com/490

Memorial Health blood pressure check

Free every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at GenerationOne. 350-7587. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Avenue , Savannah http://www. memorialhealth.com/

Memorial Health CPR training

FitnessOne provides American Heart Association courses each month to certify individuals in infant, child and adult CPR. The cost is $30. Call 350-4030 or visit www. memorialhealth.com. Memorial Health University Medical Center, 4700 Waters Avenue , Savannah

Mobile Mammogram Tests

St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Mobile Mammography Unit will be at the following location in March. Rincon: 3/2 and 3/16. Richmond Hill: 3/3. Islands: 3/4. Landings: 3/9. Hardeeville: 3/10. Bluffton: 3/11. Pooler 3/23. Pembroke: 3/24. Sun City: 3/31. Appointments are required. Call 819-6800. (Please specify that you are calling for the Mobile unit.)

Planned Parenthood Hotline

First Line is a statewide hotline for women who want information on health services. Open every night from 7-11p.m. 1-800-2647154.

The Quit Line

A toll-free resource that provides counseling, screening, support and referral services for all Georgia residents 18 or older and concerned parents of adolescents who are using tobacco. Call 1-877-270-STOP or visit www. unitegeorgia.com.

Two health and wellness events in one night

3/11 - the JEA hosts two health events presented by Morning Star Arts. 5-7pm - Healthy Girls Nite Out, a program for college age girls discussing the importance of healthy living. 7pm - Family Matters panel includes doctors discussing genetic diseases. JEA, 5111 Abercorn St. , http://www.morningstararts.org/

Weight Loss Through Hypnosis

Lose weight with Guided Imagery and Hypnosis. No pills, diets or surgery. 927-3432.

Nature and Environment Birding with an expert

Wilderness Southeast is offering a series of birding trips with local expert Diana Churchill. Trips include the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Tybee Island, Wassaw Island and Webb Wildlife Management Area. For more info, call 912-236-8115 or visit www.wilderness-southeast.org

Dolphin Project of Georgia

Boat owners, photographers and other volunteers are needed to help conduct scientific research. Must be at least 18 years old. Call 727-3177, visit www.TheDolphinProject.org.or e-mail gadolphin@comcast.net.

Fort Pulaski Trail Adventures

lion. 8108 Abercorn St.

Tybee Island Marine Science Center

3/18, 7pm - An event featuring a lecture and panel discussion with Emory, who will then be available to sign copies of “African American Life in the Georgia Lowcountry” which will be released by UGA Press. The event will discuss various aspects of Gullah Geechee culture and its impact on the Lowcountry. Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum.

Exhibits and aquariums are home to more than 100 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians and other interesting creatures. The center offers beach discovery and marsh walks. Aquarium hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Monday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. Call 786-5917 or visit www.tybeemsc.org. 1510 Strand , Tybee Island

Walk on the Wild Side

The Oatland Island Wildlife Center offers a 2-mile Native Animal Nature Trail that winds through maritime forest, freshwater wetland and salt marsh habitats, and features live native animal exhibits. Open daily from 10-4 except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. 898-3980, www.oatlandisland.org. 711 Sandtown Rd , Savannah

Pets & Animals A Walk in the Park

Professional pet sitting, boarding, dog walking and house sitting services offered in downtown Savannah and the nearby islands. All jobs accepted are performed by the owner to ensure the safety of your pets. Local references available. Please call 401.2211 or email lesleycastle@gmail.com to make a reservation.

Dog Yoga

Every first Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. in Forsyth Park. The cost is a $10 donation, with all donations given to Save-A-Life. Bring a mat or blanket and a sense of humor. Yoga for dogs is a fun way to relax and bond with your four-legged pet. Great for all levels and all sizes. 898-0361 or www. thesavannahyogaroom.com. Savannah

Professional Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

Insured, bonded, certified in pet first aid and CPR. 355-9656, www.athomepetsitters. net.

Sandy Paws: Greyt Fun in the Sun

3/4-3/7 - The Clarion Resort on Jekyll Island hosts hundreds of rescued greyhounds and rescue organizations. Vendors will have original greyhound related art and jewelry for sale as well. The event promotes greyhound adoption. www.sandypaws.org. Clarion Resort , Jekyll Island

St. Almo

The name stands for Savannah True Animal Lovers Meeting Others. Informal dog walks are held Sundays (weather permitting). Meet at 5 p.m. at Canine Palace, 618 Abercorn St. Time changes with season. Call for info 234-3336. Savannah http:// www.caninepalacesavannah.com/

Readings & Signings Author: Eileen Erikson

3/23, 7p.m. The Savannah Writer’s Group hosts Erikson for a talk about her three books, one about her career as a nurse, and two children’s books, inspired by the birth of her grandchildren. Books-A-Mil-

Book Signing: Emory Campbell

43 MAR 3 - MAR 9, 2010 | WWW.CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

Every Wed. at 10am join a park volunteer for a walk along different trails around Cockspur Island. Walks will go along a different trail every week. Check out great coastal views and over 5,000 acres of natural beauty. Bring binoculars and bottled water. $3/person (park fee), age 15 and under free. Fort Pulaski National Monument,

HAPPENINGS

happenings | continued from page 42

Circle of Sister/Brotherhood Book Club meets the last Sunday at 4 p.m. at the African-American Health Information & Resource Center, 1910 Abercorn St. Call 447-6605. Savannah

Signing: H. Terrell Griffin

3/8, 3-5pm: The author of “Wyatt’s Revenge,” his latest in the Matt Royal mystery series, will be available to sign books and answer questions. “Wyatt’s Revenge” is an intriguing mystery about revenge and the lengths a man will go to find the killer of a dear friend. E. Shaver Bookseller. 326 Bull St.

Tea time at Ola’s

A book discussion group that meets the fourth Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Ola Wyeth Branch Library, 4 E. Bay St. Call Beatrice Wright at 652-3660. Bring your ideas and lunches. Tea will be provided. 232-5488 or 652-3660. Ola Wyeth Branch Library, Savannah http://www.liveoakpl.org/

Religious & Spiritual Christian Businessmen’s Committee

Meets for a prayer breakfast every Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. at Piccadilly Cafeteria in the Oglethorpe Mall, 7804 Abercorn St. Call 898-3477. Savannah

DrUUming Circle

First Saturday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah on Troup Square at Habersham and Macon streets. Drummers, dancers and the drumcurious are welcome. Call 234-0980 or visit uusavannah.org. 313 Harris St. , Savannah http://www.uusavannah.org/

Live Web-streaming

Attend church from home Sundays at 9 and 11am with Pastor Ricky Temple and Overcoming by Faith Ministries. Log onto www.overcomingbyfaith.org, click ’Watch Now’. 927-8601. Overcoming by Faith Ministries, 9700 Middleground Rd. , Savannah

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Metaphysics For Everyday Self-Mastery

A series of metaphysical/New Thought classes at The Freedom Path Science of Life Center, 619 W 37th St., Mondays 8pm, with Adeeb Shabazz. $10 suggested donation, 1-877-494-8629, www.freedompathonline.org, freedompath@yahoo.com. Savannah

Midweek Bible Study

Every Wednesday at noon at Montgomery Presbyterian Church. Bring your lunch and your Bible. 352-4400 or mpcsavannah.com. Montgomery Presbyterian Church, 10192 Ferguson Avenue , Savannah http://www. montgomerypresbyterian.com/